It is Friday, It is Texas, It is Autumn Which Would Explain -- Cough, cough, sniffle--

Yep, seems some determined allergen has blown up my nose.  I can't imagine how since I really haven't been out and yet, here I am, at the beginning of a gorgeous weekend taking Mucinex and anticipating a dose of Benadryl later on -- closer to nap time.  The nose is stopped up, the chest is a tad tight and the ears are all muffley and popping -- yes, it is autumn in Texas.

I don't really have much to post today -- the recent rant has left me wordless -- probably a good thing.  I am still reading "Duane's Depressed" and it is so enlightening -- expresses a lot of what I am feeling/thinking about right now.  Larry McMurtry is such a fantastic writer with such understanding of the human condition.  It is amazing and I haven't really been able to put this book down for long.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about meal planning this morning.  I recognize that we have a new, national, meal planning model in the form of a plate replacing the old food planning model in the form of a pyramid which replaced the even older meal planning formula that I learned in cooking class at this school.  I am not sure if it had a shape or not.

However, my husband is a diabetic that is a very picky eater.  By picky, I mean no soup, no stew, no casserole, no food mixed together at all unless it is Mexican food, no sauces .....you get the picture.  So, it makes it really difficult to feed the meat-and-potatoes guy when all he wants is what he shouldn't have.  I still plan my meals according to the above mentioned junior high school cooking class plan -- a meat, a starch, two sides and, of course being from the south, iced tea.  Doesn't sound like it should be too hard, does it? Ha! The Hubs cooked last night and it was delightful -- a fantastic t-bone that he grilled right here on our patio during a burn ban -- loves living dangerously -- roasted fresh corn and a baked potato.  Too many carbs for the diabetic and a whole lot of red meat for the bypass survivor (him, not me) but it was scrumptious for sure.  He was even lauding himself for only dirtying two plates and a platter.  That was good for me!  Anyway, I digress ... I went online this morning looking for a meal planner to print out and threw that idea right out the door.  I mean, why use printer paper and ink when I can either print one and have it laminated to use like a dry erase board, buy a dry erase board, or use some of the notebook paper I buy in huge quantities during school supply sales.  Why?  I have no idea, force of habit, I guess.  Anyway, I found some lovely calendars to be printed here many of which would be useful if you are designing your own planner.  I might give it some thought but for now, notebook paper it is.  A spiral notebook might be a good idea as well and then you have a permanent record of your menus.  That might be preferable to the notebook paper.  This will definitely take more thought as I don't want to be wasteful.

The summer's heat has taken a huge toll on our garden and it isn't looking so good.  We had considerable landscaping done about three years ago and even some of those established plants are suffering.  However the cannas are thriving and actually flourishing.

 We also have a couple of interesting little creatures living under the kamado.

As best we can tell, they are male and female -- don't ask how I know that - one is just smaller -- so I won't be surprised if we have a bunch of tiny ones running around.

Last year I decided to plant a mint plant in a pot and true to my gardening form, it died a swift death.  However, this year it came up -- in the flower bed! I told the Hubs that unless he wanted it to take over everything he needed to move it to a spot on its on and he did and this is what it has done --

It has again surfaced in the flower bed and we will be making another mint bed on the other side of the patio soon.  I always heard that mint was hearty and difficult and I guess what I heard was right.


We made some silly bird feeders to try to lure the birds back after the building mess behind us was finished -- they are coming back and hopefully the bunnies will too.  I have heard via the neighborhood grapevine that the coyotes are alive and well -- and have gotten into the neighborhood.

We planted some verbena to complement the lantana and invite the butterflies into the yard.

And, thanks to Bean, we successfully installed our attack cat -- doesn't seem to be working too well as we now have a rather large, fuzzy, orange cat semi-living on our patio which I don't particularly mind except that he/she/it decided to try to get one of our cardinals and that just won't do.  I haven't been able to catch a snap yet -- maybe in the morning. 

So, that is life in our garden.  After the year-long building project behind us and the hellish heat, I think it might be coming back to life -- if the allergies don't kill me today I think I might just enjoy it outside tonight and see what sort of photos I can capture. 

Good News and a Whole Lot of Randomness -- Warning, this is sort of a Rant



As reported here, in previous posts, a few months ago I began a campaign to help all mankind by keeping more of my money from the utility company and reduce my carbon footprint at the same time.  I started slowly with line drying clothes and washing dishes by hand more often.  The clothes drying has been absolutely theraputic and I don't know why, I just know I don't feel like a slave to the dryer anymore.  The hand dishwashing was a bit more difficult because I really don't like it but I persevered until I had company one day and had more dishes than usual and just couldn't help myself.  However, I did have the good sense about me to reconfigure my settings and use only a normal wash and air dry.  I mean, nobody was sick so I didn't feel the need to "sanitize" the dishes.  I have used the d/w twice that way and, again, felt like I was more efficient with hand washing.  So, the first bill after I started this little experiement came up $20 less! I was thrilled.  Well.....the latest bill came and it was -- drumroll, please -- $100 less! Of course, the Hubs reminded me that our weather has cooled down a bit and so the a/c isn't running as much but I refuse to think that my efforts aren't contributing to that savings.  I just had to share.


I have been doing a lot of thinking about things lately and I really don't know why.  I am not sure what set me on the path to save energy and money -- I have never been particularly ecologically concerned.  I have never been a wasteful person but I have never been so intrigued by the subject until now and I don't know why.  I am not sure whether the "simple living" concept really has anything to do with ecology or rather more to do with me being overwhelmed with stuff -- materially and conceptually.  I am pretty sure it has something to do with my age and feeling like all the rules of what I have to do and what I should be don't really apply to me anymore.

My recent haircut, for instance, is testament to the fact that I no longer feel the need to subscribe to any edict about what a woman of my age -- or any age for that matter -- is supposed to look like.  I just got tired of all the money going for product, all the time put into something that I didn't really enjoy anymore, and all the expectation of what I should look like when it didn't work for me anymore.  I am happier not having to mess with The Hair.  I think my hair is healthier for it, too, because I have really become conscious of all the chemicals in the products we all take for granted and I am not sure I really want all that stuff on my head! So, here is a photo of The Hair, taken in my bathroom by me so that is why you are only getting part of it -- sorry -- but the other side looks pretty much the same.

That brings us to the subject of cosmetics.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE cosmetics.  I love looking at them and I love buying them.  What's the problem you say?  Well, I don't love using them!  I have a drawer in my vanity chock full of all sorts of makeup -- and I don't really use it.  I have narrowed it down to a few products --

Origins Tinted Moisturizer in the lightest color available 

Origins eyeliner in mushroom

EccoBella lipstick in Cafe Au Lait

Plantscriptions

I also have been using Jane Iredale mascara but they won't let me upload a photo.  I will not use it again after I finish what I have -- it is WAY too expensive to not be any different than any other mascara.

Now, the question is, what do I do with the pounds and pounds of other stuff?  I have purged this drawer before only to go out and fill it back up again -- that isn't very fiscally responsible nor environmentally responsible -- all those plastic packages have to go someplace!  My bad!  Maybe I need an intervention! The truth is, though, that I want to throw it away.  I am beginning to feel smothered by possessions.  I like the feeling of freedom that having less affords me.  I also like the feeling of freedom that I get now that I have learned that I am ok just as I am and I don't have to try to create a new me with tons of cosmetics.  It doesn't work anyway, I am still me!

Another thing that has crossed my mind is how I spend my time -- when not hanging laundry or washing dishes, that is.  I have been a quilter for years.  I have a really nice sewing machine that the Hubs decided I needed to have a few years back and I really like it.  For some reason, however, I have the unbridled desire to hand piece a quilt.  I mean, what is THAT?  Torture?  I don't think so.  I love magazines to a fault and most of my mag purchases are quilting or cross stitch in nature.  I look at the photos and the quilts are getting more and more sophisticated requiring more and more equipment to produce them.  If you want really professional results, you need a long arm quilting machine to do your quilting.  Well, I would have to add on to the house for that but what if you don't want a "professional looking" quilt, you just really, really want to sit down with little pieces of fabric, a needle and thread, and mindlessly sew?  I used to be a purist and want everything to be hand done and then I got the fancy sewing machine and have been more and more frustrated as time has gone on.  I was fishing through some fabric a couple of weeks ago and I found a little piece that I had done by hand -- it isn't finished, of course, and I think I was just doing it to try my hand at it but it is so nice.  It is accurate and the back doesn't look like a tangled web of thread.  I have been working on a top for a few weeks -- a Disappearing Nine Patch pattern.  It is the second I have made from this pattern and I am pretty sure the Disappearing Nine Patch is going to disappear from my go-to list of patterns.  NOT HAPPY!  So, I have decided that from now on, I am going to only employ my favorite technique for piecing -- paper piecing or I am going to hand piece.  I am not going to clutter my mind with what the magazines say I SHOULD be doing.  I am going to be my own quilter.

Well, it seems I have been on quite a rant, now, doesn't it.  I don't know what has come over me.  I just know that the more I get rid of in my life -- stuff or ideas or opinions -- the happier I am becoming.  I have always tried to please other people and never myself first and for some reason I am now looking at how I want to live and think and be and the only word I can think of that would describe it is uncomplicated.  Yes, uncomplicated.

So, on that note, I think I will go grab up my book and sit and read for a while -- the dishes are done and the laundry is drying so I think I can devote the time to it.  I will leave you with a photo of  a recipe I made the other day on quite the spur of the moment.  I have been testing brownie recipes to try to find a scratch recipe that tastes like boxed. So, I was looking through the Pillsbury cookbook and decided to try their brownie recipe but I also decided to try the Pumpkin Bars that were on the same page.  They were listed in the bar cookie section but they were much more cake-like and they turned our completely scrumptious! So did the brownies, by the way! Pillsbury -- who knew!  Sorry Mark Bittman -- they beat you out!

Teaser Tuesdays -- 27 September 2011



Since the Hubs retirement, we have been having a bit of a time remembering what day it is since we are perpetually on "flex" time -- I had to look at the calendar to see if it really was Tuesday! Heaven help me when Daylight Savings Time rolls around -- somebody really should do something about that, BTW!

 Ok, well, here is today's Teaser, again, from "Duane's Depressed" by Larry McMurtry.

"He walked straight over to Tenth Street, where he knew there was a good bike shop; within an hour he had spent five thousand dollars on a top-of-the-line bicycle, complete with helmet, biking shoes, goggles, night lights, water bottles, side packs and a dog seat.  He bought shorts, gloves, a windbreaker, and various little trail packs of high-energy foods. He bought a tool kit to repair his bike, and an excellent pump for the tires.  He bought an odometer and even a little device that would measure his pulse and his heartbeat as he rode.  The young couple who ran the store had been looking lonely when Duane came in, but were looking extremely happy as they totaled up his  purchases."

Ok, maybe that wasn't the most compelling teaser but it was a turning point in Duane's depression -- I will say no more except that at this point in time, this book was tailor made for me.  It is funny, even though I am not sure if it is supposed to be, it is addressing a number of things that I am feeling at this time -- coincidence that Duane and I are the same age?  At any rate, the book is zipping along nicely -- yesterday I had a hard time putting it down but if you are going to follow suit and read it I would suggest you start with "The Last Picture Show" and "Texasville" for the complete backstory -- it will make more sense even though the book is standing alone nicely.

t

Musing Mondays -- 26 September 2011

What does it take for you to give up on a book you're reading?

It takes a lot, actually, and while I don't usually give up on a book, I will give it a time out and come back to it later.  I don't like to give up on books or feel as if I need to give up on a book.  Having been the sort that did lots of creative writing in school, has taken creative writing courses and such, I know what goes into writing and I appreciate all authors efforts.  However, since people's reading/writing tastes differ, I try to choose books that I know I will finish because not finishing a book, to me, is an insult to the author.

21 September 2011

Happy first day of autumn! It is a gorgeous day here, waiting for a cool front to blow through and maybe a chance of a shower! Ok, now on with WWW Wednesday for today.

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading "Duane's Depressed" by Larry McMurtry.  I am also trying to read "Aunt Dimity's Good Deed" by Nancy Atherton at the same time but I am not too good at reading two books at one time.

What did  you recently finish reading?

I recently finished "An Amish Christmas" by Cynthia Keller.

What do you think you will read next?

I am thinking that something by Sarah Waters -- possibly "Night Watch" will be on the list. Obviously, this will be after I finish the Aunt Dimity book.

Teaser Tuesdays -- 20 September 2011

Teaser Tuesdays hosted by Miz B at Should be Reading.  This is my teaser for this week.  It is from "Duane's Depressed" by Larry McMurtry, page 101.


By the time she drove the half mile to the Dairy Queen there were already six pickups parked in front of it.  A cluster of oilmen, wanting to postpone their day's work as long as possible, sat at the long table in the rear of the room.  Karla rarely hit the Dairy Queen that early -- when she swept in, in her  bathrobe, several of the oilmen looked at her askance.  :What's the matter, J.T., never seen a woman in a bathrobe?" she asked one who was pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Gotta love McMurtry, gotta love Dairy Queen -- ah, Texas has a culture all its own and it is alive and well in this book.

19 September 2011


The question is -- How often to you read a book just because you feel like it.

Well, that would be every time I pick up a book.  I am not a part of any book clubs and the only reading challenge I am involved in is a year long challenge on Good Reads and I have NEVER been lucky enough to get an early edition to review even though I try!  So, all my reading is because I want to and with that said, it seems like that is ALL I want to do some days!

A Different Sort of Sunday

Today was a different sort of Sunday. It was unusually quiet and slow -- something I am not used to -- and it has been the laziest day I have had in a long, long while.

It started out with me waking up much earlier than I had intended and, true to form, I couldn't go back to sleep so I got up, made my tea and toast, and had my breakfast on the patio.  It was just cool enough and just dawn enough to be really pleasant.

We had made plans to attend an earlier church service because it fit in better with the Bean's new long-afternoon-nap schedule so we set off to church at 8:30 instead of 10:30.  I wasn't sure how I was going to like it because our earlier service is Rite 2 rather than Rite 1 and I am used to Rite 1.  It didn't much matter at all because I spent the hour, except for Communion in the nursery.  Bean has only been to the nursery once and, that one time, even though I stayed with her so her Mama could go to church, the separation anxiety was a bit much for all of us.  She was there for a little while and tried to get interested in what was going on but she sat on my lap and sniffled and finally just melted into a puddle of misery.  Fortunately, Mama was quick to arrive to get us for Communion and she was fine.  That has been a while ago so Mama decided to try again today.  It was a totally different situation -- when they walked in Bean tried to cry but Mama stayed with her for a while.  When I showed up I told Mama to go to church and I would stay with the Bean.  Mama really likes church and it has been a while since she has been able to sit through an uninterrupted church service.  The Bean is too little and yet too big and too wiggly to sit through a service quietly -- she is a girl on the go and would rather run than walk and she was much happier in the nursery.  It was different today because she didn't melt down, she did play with the toys and make herself at home and even though she was the only girl in the room with four boys she didn't back down -- when a scuffle ensued between two of the older boys -- approximately four years of age, she got right in the middle of it -- she wasn't fighting, she just got literally in the middle and, in essence, stopped the fight because they didn't know why the girl was getting in their way.  It was a very interesting situation to observe -- she did well with her second visit to the nursery.  We will try again next week.

Of course, getting out of church two hours earlier than usual completely threw me off course.  I kept thinking it was getting close to three when it was really just noon.  I thought  I would get a lot done because I had so much time but all that really happened was I got a headache and sat most of the afternoon.  I did get a couple of kitchen drawers cleaned out and my kitchen towels sorted and re-arranged.  I hope I can remember where I put everything!

This evening we decided to go the our local Barnes and Noble to browse.  I am sort of on a moratorium from magazine buying.  I culled all my cross stitch mags a few months ago and immediately recognized the error of my ways as the recycling truck picked them up so I tried to restock, swearing to never throw another magazine away again.  Well, that is all fine and good but I need to put them someplace besides where they are which is everywhere.  That may happen tomorrow - we will see.  I bought nothing at the bookstore which is strange for me.  I was looking for cross stitch reading material but all they had were British magazines which are gorgeous to look at but really expensive.  So, I passed those by.  Oh well, maybe I will find I don't need any more when I go through what I have.

So, now we are going to watch a movie.  Nice quiet end to a pleasantly long day.   I hope everybody else's was as nice.




 

15 September 2011

The question is "have you ever finished a book and loved it so much you went right back and started re-reading it again?"


My answer would have to be yes and no -- I have read books that I loved that much.  The Mitford Series books as well as the Fr. Tim books and the Woman of Substance Trilogy were a few but, I didn't go back and re-read them because there was always the next book waiting for me.  With that said, however, I do have a few that I am going to take a look at re-reading this winter because they are just comfortable books to read!

15 September 2011

I don't know that I have run across any new thrifty tips of my own this week except to say that I am shopping for a toaster oven and I have been looking at my crock-pot cookbooks.  I used the dishwasher a couple of times and it broke my momentum and now I have to get on track again -- my hands looked better when I hand washing the dishes -- go figure.

The one thing I did do may not qualify but here goes.  I used to get my hair done every week (isn't that what ladies of a "certain" age do?) and I started cutting back on that a year or so ago.  Then I decided to go longer between hair cuts -- not an especially good idea but an idea made worse when I decided to go back to cutting my own hair, something I did all the time, for years, when I was younger.  A little teasing and a lot of hairspray covered up many ills back in the day.  Well, I could no longer handle the situation -- for some reason my difficult, thin, dry, gray hair decided to grow -- a lot -- and long.  So, off to my stylist I went -- the same girl I have gone to for almost a decade and told her to do something different.  Brave, you say?  Well, as I am getting older and with the recent growth spurt, my attitude is -- it's only hair! So, we went through magazines, something we have never done together, and only one thing caught my eye and that is what we went with.  Next time, we will go shorter.

While I have worn my hair short for the entirety of my adult life, this is shorter.  My hair would never curl well until it was quite long and then it would curl with no abandon -- not a good thing in the 60's when girls wanted long, straight hair -- and now, with all the gray, it isn't curling at all so to keep a short, shaggy look, I had to really work at it.  Well, no more.  It is short, caters to the "straightness" and gives in to the unruly grays.  Do I like it?  Not sure -- hanging a bit long in my eyes but we will see.  Will I keep it short and straight?  Probably because at my age, I really just don't care anymore.  My time is more important to me than fretting over my hair.  Are people going to look at me strangely?  Probably, especially The Girl.

So, how does this work into my thrifty plan?  Well, after forking over the $45 (tip included) for this new do, I figure it takes no time to dry which saves on electricity and it requires much less product so I figure money saved there.  She flat ironed it -- not an attractive look on somebody with a fat roundish face so that will save money not having to run an extra appliance and I didn't use a curling iron or anything else -- just going straight.  Maybe it isn't a huge savings but it  is some and isn't that what counts.  Plus, my time.  My time is more valuable than anything else.  Plus, in the winter, I can throw a scarf over my head and not figure I am wrecking "the do".  After this horrific summer, I have no idea what the winter will be like, either -- it could be shorts weather throughout or we might be preparing for blizzards -- in either case,  my hair will work. 

No, dear blog readers, I won't be posting photos.  Just imagine Jamie Lee Curtis hair (a little longer) on Roseanne Barr and there you go! Ok, not going to win any beauty contests but I am still a fun girl and that is all I need to be!

Off to the dentist which may leave me without any hair at all! Have a wonderful day!

14 September 2011

I like to participate in WWW Wednesdays hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading but I am a little late this week.  However, better late than never I suppose so here I go.

The rules for participation are to answer three questions -- what are you currently reading, what did you recently finish and what do you think you will read next.

I am currently reading "Duane's Depressed" by Larry Mc Murtry.  I love Larry McMurtry and want to visit his book store really, really badly.



  

I just finished "An Amish Christmas" by Cynthia Kelly.  I really enjoy Amish fiction and I don't  know why -- I am not Amish and I am not sure the representation of the group is completely accurate but I still like the calmness and simple way of life that is portrayed -- a true escape for me.

As far as what I am going to read next -- well, I don't know -- I need to shop my own bookshelves first but if I don't have something there hit me, I may try to find a copy of "A Plain and Fancy Christmas" by Cynthia Kelley (I think all the hot weather has made me wish for an early Christmas!) but more than likely I will read the third in the Aunt Dimity series -- "Aunt Dimity's Good Deed".