A New Cozy Corner & Frugal Things

Hello, friends.  I do best if I keep track of my week as I go, but I did not do that this week, so I'm going to wing it.  There was the usual collecting of rainwater, heating with firewood, using homemade soaps, hanging laundry on the line, and making yogurt, kefir and bird suet.  Our lettuce was used in several salads.  Our oregano was used in salad dressing, along with pantry items.  I made Brandy's black bean burgers and Spanish rice.  Along with pantry items, our eggs and garlic were used in the burgers, and our tomatoes and dehydrated onions were used in the rice.  One morning, I made scones with leftover sweet potatoes.   Eggs were boiled and enjoyed.  J has been having some TMJ issues, so I've needed to prepare foods that don't require much chewing for dinner.

I scheduled a trip to town to meet with someone based on the hours he said he was available.  I'd already run a couple of errands by the time I called to tell him I was on my way, and was told he'd changed his schedule, so I made the best of it, and finished the other errands I had planned.  I stopped by a thrift store that supports the local animal shelter.  They're only open Fridays & Saturdays, and I'm rarely in town those days, so I wanted to make sure I stopped there.  I found some treasures, including a .50 shirt for me & $1 Champion sweatshirt for J, a sweet little .50 ceramic bird,  $1 Braun coffee grinder that looks almost new, and a cloth stripper for rug hooking for $8.

In researching the cloth stripper, it appears it was made in the 1940's.  It has 2 blades, both cutting thinner strips than the one I bought used years ago.  I found some similar online that are selling for a lot more than $8, but I think I'll keep it a while and see if I might not use it.  Coincidentally, I've been working on a hooked rug the past week or so, the first project done in my new recliner.  It's my first rug, one that I started at least 12 years ago!  I'm quite close to being finished with the hooking part, and then will need to sew the binding and such to finish it.  I walked into a local shop this week, to inquire about classes for rug hooking.  It's been so long since I took a class, I thought it would be helpful in finishing it, as well as remembering all the details of why you do what you do.  The shopkeeper said though she does do classes, if I really wanted to learn, to just bring my rug by and spend some time with her, as the classes are apparently more about gossip and eating, with people who already know the craft.  Hooked rugs are another thing I've been inspired by recently.  Perhaps the universe is encouraging me in this endeavor.  Here's one maker whose work has inspired me.  Follow links in her sidebar for others, if you're so inclined.

The discount grocery store is just up the street from the thrift store, and I found some good bargains there.  They had some unusual things this time, including coconut aminos, cranberry concentrate, dried shiitake mushrooms, Beekman dressing, 4 lbs basmati rice, 10 lbs of organic sugar, ecoscraps plant food, & other groceries.  The mushrooms are $5.46 on amazon, and I got them for .75.  The cranberry concentrate is $25.93 on amazon, bought for $5.50.  The organic coconut aminos go for $9.99 on amazon, bought for $2.  Most of what I got was around 1/2 off usual price, but I got some better than usual deals this week.  I found out they are now getting shipments from amazon.  Apparently, items that are sent back or not claimed are sold this way.  It should make things quite interesting there.

J & I vacuum sealed the rice, sugar, lentils, sesame seeds and cacao nibs bought at the salvage store.  I ground wheat, and used part of the flour in crescent rolls, as well as our egg.  Our garlic and leeks were used in lentil soup.  Friends visited, bearing guacamole.  When they left, I sent them on their way with a dozen eggs.  Greens were picked for the chickens several days.  While breaking up sticks recently for biochar, I noticed several of the sticks had usnea growing on them.  I've seen it here on occasion, but have never harvested it.  It is pretty powerful medicine, so instead of letting it go into the barrel to be burned, I've begun collecting it in a basket.  I've only got 8 or 9 small tufts, but I'll keep my eyes open for more.  I want to leave any that is on a live branch, and just gather what is on fallen limbs.  At least that's the plan.  Wishing you a good week ahead!