Blooms & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello friends.  If you knew me, you'd know I can be kind of goofy on occasion.  I had one of those moments recently while making yogurt.  When I checked the yogurt after several hours, and it was still sloshing around like plain old milk, I realized I forgot to add the dollop of yogurt.  Oops!  I added it then, and it set up fine.  Silly me.  I made Brandy's chard soup and crescent rolls one night, and pasta with our tomatoes, garlic and herbs another night.  Our egg and lettuce was enjoyed in a sandwich one morning.  A frittata with our eggs and potatoes was made another night.  The first bouquet of the year was cut, and the last amaryllis and forced hibiscus sent up blooms.  Simple and sweet pleasures.  I'm joining in with The Prudent Homemaker today.

I ran errands while in town for Hospice massage work.  When I first began doing Hospice massage, I worked with patients in the palliative care unit of the hospital, as well as working with Hospice employees.  The funds dried up for patient care, and though I did a lot of volunteer massage in the past, I also feel the need to value my time and efforts, not to mention pay the bills.  To everything there is a balance.  Last week, I began seeing a family member of a Hospice patient, whom one of the pastors referred to me.  Though the employees absolutely need it, I'm glad to also be doing some work again with those walking that path.  Having both parents in Hospice care before they passed gives me some common ground with their experience.  I hope I can make just a little difference.

I took advantage of a day in the upper 60's, and began pruning.  Besides the butterfly bushes, I worked on apples, plums, peaches, a pear, fig, blueberries and a cherry.  There is more to prune, but it's a good start.  I stuck cut branches of fig, blueberries and plums in the ground at the edge of the woods to see if any might make it.  This doesn't give them the same chance that proper propagation does, but it's easy, and if it works, it's a nice bonus.  Several items were sold on ebay.  I added bits of this and that to the compost, and shredded paper and cardboard.  For a breakfast, I made a smoothie with homemade yogurt, a frozen banana and homegrown fruit... peaches, mixed berries & pawpaw.

My sweet sister and I went to an indoor yard sale, which parents of children who went to a private school put on to raise funds.  I found a well made wicker laundry basket for $5, 2 nice shirts for $2 ea, makeup/travel bag for .25, and 10 terracotta pot risers for $3. We also went to a thrift store I'd heard about, and I found a canister to make a compost crock from for $5 and a good sized pottery plant pot for $4.  I'd been looking for floral wine glasses, which my sister requested for her birthday, and I found 4/$4, which I gifted her along with her other presents.  At the discount grocery store, I got 3L tins of olive oil for $10, 25# organic jasmine rice for $25 ($70.93 on amazon), 20# sunflower seeds for $5 and other deals.  J & I enjoyed dinner and music with two other couples.  There was no cover for the music, though we each made a donation, and J used a $40 gift card towards our meal.  We don't often do much socially, and it was a fun night.  Today I've put a pot of beans to cook on the woodstove, mixed up a batch of whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, and made asian slaw to take to a gathering.  Wishing you a week of things that bring happiness!