More from Silverwood

As you can see Dana was quite often the photographer. I get so busy in the moment I often forget to take a photo for memories

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This one's for Granny

Everything in this pic was free... except the watermelon you see in the background. That was 19 cents a pound at 11 pounds. The scale I received on freecycle. I just wanted something to check serving size, but I got a scale that fits right in with my love for all things 50's and 60's. Just look at the photos on the scale, priceless. The Good Housekeeping Binder next to the scale was a gift from my Sister In Law. She showed it to me while we were visiting one day (both being old cookbook collectors) I raved on it. I loved the old "mini-cookbooks" and how someone really had taken the time to put them into the binder. She sent it home with me. The Good Housekeeping Cookbook next to it was also from freecycle. I picked up a lot of cookbooks from a lady that works at the library. Most were pretty cool, but I loved that one. The food on top of the scale is from my garden. Tomatos and peppers (the sign said jalapenos, but you can see they were not, yummy anyway though).

Today was a good day. Although I was sick with a nasty cold, and hada ton to do at work, I was able to leave early and hit Fiesta Foods. There I bought a 5 pound box of hamburger patties for .85 cents a pound. 11 pounds of bacon- 5 pounds were thin sliced at .69 cents a pound. 6 pounds were thick uneven slices at .99 cents for 2 pounds. I also purchased 2 packages of hot dogs at .50 cents each, the watermelon, 2 cactus pears for .20 cents each, 1 cuke for .20 cents, bananas for 39 cents a pound and chips for 1.39 a bag. There is probably more to write but my $1.99 hair dye needs to be rinsed, and Mo is trying to help me type.

Vacay 2007

We had a fairly good time, even if things didn't go to plan. Dana was sick on Friday at Silverwood, so he didn't have the great time we'd envisioned.

Saturday we spent some time at the museum on Lake Couer d'Alene, and at the Lake. We decided to eat at Wolf Lodge Steak House, but reservations were at 9 p.m. You can imagine how much fun the kids were for that. Luckily by the time we left, both were fast asleep. (This was after Kaia dropped 2 slices of cucumber on the floor and knocked over her glass of water) Very good meal (my opinion), and excellent service (we both agreed) considering how packed they were, price wasn't out of line either. Sunday we arrived home safe and sound, and Mo was scratched by a friend's dog while visiting that evening, he just wouldn't be Mo without an owie (not visible in the next photo, although it is there) Monday Dana and I worked on weed blocking and river rocking the side of the house. Mo jus loves the Ditch Witch. Definitely hoping next years vacation is better for the whole family, and wishing we still had a few days left.

Day 2

Dr Jeff says all is fine and that Mo should have 2 black eyes tomorrow or the next day. You can see the shiners are already starting to shine.

And a pic of Kaia who insisted she needed to pose for the camera also.

It's a good thing we have insurance

By the Grace of God we haven't had any ER visits yet, but Mo's accident today reminds me why we pay $400 a month for insurance. He was walking out the door at Grammy and Papa's and fell right into the wooden box that holds the ice melt.

And another view, for some of the "deformed" effect it has had on him.

Vacuum Update

Well I was able to order the part straight from the manuafacturer. After tax and shipping it was less than $25. Now that is $4 more than the ebay one, but that was used, and no longer available. So in approximately one week, I'll be able to vacuum my house again!

A New Budget brings New Thoughts

With Kaia's pre-school days coming fast upon us, we found that creating a new budget was a necessity. It's not like we had the close to $180 a month just sitting in the bank. We had planned to start saving for it, but when it became necessary for Dana to find a new job, it didn't happen.

So now we have a livable budget, and it's going pretty good. I'll be packing Dana's lunch several days a week. He bought a new lunch bag today that will be easy to transport on the bike. His new bike (motorcycle) will drop our fuel bill substantially and give him something fun to play with. Yesterday I made a few batches of muffins to use for breakfasts this week. First I made my harvest pumkin muffins. I added a little bit of Smart Fiber cereal, which happened to be the most disgusting cereal I'd ever tasted. But it worked well as a fiber addition in my batter. So healthier muffins, and I won't waste the box of cereal. The next batch didn't turn out as well. They are chocolate cherry and taste ok, but didn't rise, so they are a bit heavy.

I find the budget fun. How much can I do, what can I make and stay within budget. It's a challenge and keeps me on my toes. It also keeps me creative. But now, I need a part for my vacuum. If they can get it in town (he wasn't sure as it wasn't coming up in his computer) it will likely run $30. I found it on ebay for $9 plus $12 shipping and handling. Except I know that it doesn't cost $12 to send the roller brush from Colorado to Washington. If we were to buy a new vacuum the "like" model from Bissell today would be $89.99. I'm sure it will go on sale eventually for 69.99 or something close. I believe that the vacuum is worth the investment of a $30 part. There are no other problems with the vacuum, and we now have a spare belt for it. So I'm back to looking for a part and hoping I find it soon (and for a good price!). With 4 cats and 2 kids, we NEED a working vacuum.

One of my budget friendly meals is the pot of beans we will enjoy tonight. It's one of my favorite meals. A big bowl of pinto beans that have been in the slow cooker all day. Add some onion and a tiny bit of ketchup. A big slice of cornbread on the side, it just can't be beat. Plus I will use the leftover beans to make refried beans tomorrow night. Which I'll serve with salsa (using the ripe tomatoes in my garden), corn tortillas, and seasoned meat that is in the freezer.

Tonight after our meal, I'll be busy putting peat moss on the garden. I also have some lettuce seeds to plant. Sampson finally managed to get the cube of peat moss out from under the deck stairs, and had it spread across the back lawn this morning. I had been putting off getting it on the front garden, but when it's piled in the yard, I can procrastinate no longer.