50 Things You Maybe Didn't Know About Me!

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1.   I colored my hair blond from when I was in my 20's till just last year.

2.   I lost my right eye in a golfing accident when I was in my early 40's and have a prothesis.

3.   I love building fires in my fireplace.

4.   I secretly would love to try living in one of those tiny houses.

5.   I want more chickens.  I'm getting more chickens!

6.   I was not a good wife for many reasons.

7.   I want to learn to speak with an English accent but so far haven't mastered it.

8.   I love hanging clothes to dry out on the clothesline.

9.   I can't even lift 40 lbs. any more.

10.  I believe old farm houses should be white with dark shutters.

11.  I wear long underwear from Oct. till May.

12.  All seats seem to have gotten lower.

13.  I have always bitten my fingernails.

14.  I sucked my thumb till the first grade.  (Probably relates to #13!)

15.  I got a curly perm when I was in my 30's and looked like a sheep.

16.  I'm an introvert.

17.  I don't feel comfortable in crowds or large gatherings, like parties etc.

18.  I've saved years of "Country Living" magazines.

19.  I can't kill a mouse, not even with a trap.

20.  I had an antique shop for 15 years called "Woods & Goods".

21.  I've never lived on a written budget till now.

22.  I hate the wind.  (And so does my dog Dexter.)

23.  My favorite movie is "You've Got Mail" and have watched it at least a dozen times.

24.  I like primitive style antiques the most.

25.  I am addicted to sugar.

26.  I love picket fences.

27.  My favorite salty snacks are pretzels.

28.  I don't like pop except for root beer.

29.  One of the first things I wanted when we moved to the country was a swing hanging from the              Oak tree.

30.  I love not having close neighbors.

31.  I don't think I could ever sleep in the winter without my electric blanket.

32.  I'm a morning person.

33.  I've always had dogs except when in college.

34.  I have panic attacks.

35.  My first paying job in high school was setting type for street signs in Erie, PA.

36.  I was a tom-boy when I was young.

37.  My mother said my first word was "sorky" which meant horsey.

38.  I like routine.  More-so since I've gotten older.

39.  I'm afraid to fly and won't fly anymore.

40.  I wish I had visited England.

41.  I am uncomfortable leaving "my world" which includes Medina, my kids houses and the barn.

42.  I see a psychologist ever couple weeks and have for years.

43.  I'm a Taurus but don't believe in astrology.

44.  I love getting massages and foot reflexology.

45.  I take pretzels up to bed for a snack.

46.  My favorite comfort meal is meatloaf, a baked potato and creamed corn.

47.  I had a crush on Tab Hunter when I was young.

48.  I made pot holders on a little loom when I was little and sold them around the neighborhood.

49.  I took piano lessons for over 10 years.  However now I can't play!

50.  When I was little, I stole flowers out of Mr. Lichtenwalder's garden and sold them.  My parents          found out and I had to go tell him and give him the 25 cents!

There!!  Some of my true confessions!!

Shirley

Can I Live On My Small Fixed Income?

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I must say, that I have never been one to be frugal at anything, especially when it came to spending.  Not that I bought really expensive things at all but when my husband was alive, I just never thought about money!!

In fact, I must have been in that mind-set even when I was young.  I remember my father always telling me "that I thought I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth!"

Hmmmm

It really wasn't till recently, when of course, I knew the stock market wasn't doing too well, that I thought possibly I should pay attention to what I had and how it was doing!

Hence, deciding to put myself on an actual written down budget.

Up to that point, I never did have a budget!!

Well, I had a rude awakening.

A wide-eyed moment!

Not the good kind.

I discovered that I was spending more than was coming in!

Every Month!!

That is the first "no-no" of living without going broke!

Kind of scary!!!

I started listening to Dave Ramsey about getting rid of my debt I had on credit cards and using only cash for the things I needed.

I bought his book, "The Total Money Makeover"

(Recommended by the way!)

I took the credit cards out of my purse and put them away.

I successfully got rid of my credit card debt and only have the debt of an equity loan that I had taken out when I redid my kitchen and a couple other rooms in my old house.

I use an online budget tracker called "EveryDollar" that Dave Ramsey recommended.  

(That's when I found out I had a spending problem.)

Or rather a money management problem.

So now, at the first of the month, I take a certain amount from the bank and distribute it into the envelope system that I carry with me to be my spending money for the month.

Of course, first I had to work out a budget and budget categories and figure out what I could spend.

I'm still working on that somewhat to tweak it so it works better.

Because I still am not being FRUGAL enough!!!!

I have to do more.

So that is what these next few posts will be about.

Me finding ways to cut my budget still further.

Things that work for me and things that don't.

I am trying to develop a frugal mindset that will work for me without sacrificing my quality of life.

I don't want to have to stress over money!!

In my next few posts, I'll discuss the things I am trying that are working and some things that haven't worked for me.

Shirley 

Found an Old Reminder

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My husband and I owed an antique store for about 15 years.

It was called Woods & Goods.

I was looking for something in a deep desk drawer last night and came across this little flyer.

On the back of it I had copied something out of what looks to be the Country Home Magazine

from Dec. 1991

It says:

"Mend a quarrel, find a forgotten friend, share some treasure, keep a promise. 

 Find the time, forgo a grudge, forgive an enemy.  

Apologize if you were wrong, think first of someone else, laugh a little, laugh a little more.  

Decry complacency, say a prayer, welcome a stranger, gladden the heart of a child.  

Take pleasure in the beauty of the earth.

Speak your love, speak it again, speak it still once again."

Some good words to live by!

Happy Saturday.

Shirley

Pioneer Days!

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Or,

How did they do that!

I was without heat for one afternoon and night.

It's winter and the temps. in the low 20's.

My boiler stopped working.

Of course it was a Sunday and without hope of getting it taken care of till the next day.

However, I have a wood burning fireplace, a nice supply of wood and an electric blanket!!

Being without power would be MUCH worse.

I spent the night in most of my clothes under my electric blanket and was quite comfortable. 

Oh, I did have to put a hat on.

Now I understand the reason for "night-caps"!

I watch "Little House On The Prairie" a lot of times and wondered how they stood the wintertime.

Their only source of heat was the fireplace.

By morning the house must have been very cold as the fire burned down during the night.

I thought of that as I went out to get wood and start to build a fire first thing this morning.

The women had to be so tough.  They all did.  I don't think I would've survived!

How about you?

Shirley

So Many Recipes!

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I have enough recipes and cookbooks to have something different to eat every day for years!!

I think I'm just a collector though!

I know I like cookbooks and before the internet and Pinterest I liked buying a new cookbook now and then.

Even if it was just to look though!!

Now, it's so easy to get tons of wonderful sounding recipes that I've got at least a million!!

These are just printed from Pinterest or food sites or people's blogs!

At first I tried to put them in a notebook but I didn't buy a big enough notebook!

These are just some of my cookbooks.

I'm trying not to print things out now unless I'm really going to make it that day!  I'll just save on Pinterest like everyone else.  That way they are easy to catagorize and find.

At the moment I'm trying to just live from my pantry and freezer.
So no new recipes unless I already have the ingredients!
I've already eaten some left over soup tonight but I may make an easy stuffed cabbage casserole from ingredients I have.  I've already thawed out some ground turkey and I have a bag of cabbage coleslaw that will work.  All the other ingredients are in the pantry.
Might as well make it tonight.  There's nothing much on TV!
Variations of this recipes are easy to find.
I'll show you mine when it's all done.  : ))

Shirley

Misc. Ramblings

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We just got a dusting of snow here in Medina, but east of here was hit hard with the first snow.

I'm feeling blessed!

It is very cold though when we are not used to it yet. 

Heck, a week ago we had a couple days in the 60's!

Now it's in the 20's and 30's!

I took my carriage driving lesson on that last warm day.

Then I took a couple pictures of the horses out in the paddock at their new hay feeding rack.

This helps with wasted hay when it was being put on the ground.

It took a few minutes for them to get brave and try it but they are happily using it now!

Hi Sezi!

When I got home I brought wood in and loaded my fireplace and put extra wood in the rack.

I even made a spot on the deck, outside the back door where I can just grab some wood without going out to the garage when there's lots of snow!

I know, it's coming sooner or later!!

Stay warm!

Shirley

I'm Way Behind!

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Sometimes things that are happening in your life that cause sadness and depression and worry, so much so that you just can't sit down and write.  I've been unable so think past some things 

and just write.

I've never liked Halloween and that date is the date of our beloved horse, Satire's journey to Heaven three years ago.
Now it will also be another hard date to go through tomorrow. 

Today though, I am trying to maybe get past my "block" and have looked on good ol' Pinterest and found some great posts about blogging.

I can at least share this one that I found.  I know I can't be the only one out there that gets writers block!

http://crafterminds.com/2013/02/52-things-to-post-about-when-you-dont-know-what-to-post-about/

I'm going to try some of these ideas.

I'll share the other worrisome parts of my life latter.

Shirley

A Good Handyman!

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I found a wonderful handyman a couple years ago.  

He does things around my property that are too hard for me to do anymore.

(or things, I'd rather someone else do!)

This is really important this year since I am having such back problems and can't even do my gardening.  

Sometimes if I only have a few things, he comes by himself but if I have a list of things that require most of the day, he brings his wife and they work together.

He shoveled out my chicken run and put new shavings down, he cleaned out my chicken coop and put new shavings down.

Him and his wife completely weeded my front gardens and they were a JUNGLE!  They cleaned out my gutters too.  He gave my compost pile a good turning with my Mantis Tiller after getting it started for the first time this year.

They burned a big burn pile I had made, cleaned out my garage and even filled my bird feeders!!

There are still things to do but I will call him back in a couple weeks.

I am so fortunate to have found him.

This man is a head maintenance man in a large church in a nearby community.  His parents were missionaries, and he has done missionary work in the far east, in fact that is where he met his wife.

It's so important to have people around you that you can trust.

Like I say, I've been very fortunate.

Shirley 

Another Time

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I actually really enjoy hanging wash out to dry on my backyard clothes line.  My daughter says I'm trying to be like "Little House On The Prairie".

She may be right actually!

I have a fondness for those times and actually love the TV series "The Waltons" also.

Those programs are truly about family values and what people accomplished with very little money.  The importance of having to work for every penny and how those values were instilled in their children.

So different from today.

There's a whole lot of lessons to be learned from watching those programs.

"Little  House" is set in the 1870-1880s in Walnut Grove in Minnesota and "The Waltons" was set in the depression of 1930-1940s on Spencer's mountain in Virginia.

Family meant everything then.

My dryer has a problem sometimes and blows a circuit when run with anything else.  Maybe I just have a bad circuit breaker but until that is fixed I plan on hanging all my wash outside.  It actually dries faster outside than in the dryer!  And look at the electricity I'm saving!

Plus there's just something wonderful about doing it.

At least for me.

Shirley

What I'd Do If I won a Huge Lottery!

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I'm sure we've all given it a little thought about what we'd do if we came into a lot of money.  

What would you do?

Well, for one thing, I would not move out of my house!!

I love this house but I certainly would do all the things to it that I've dreamed about.

I'd hire an architect and have a nice big wrap around porch put onto it.  One that looked like it was always with the house.

I would try to buy a little more land around my house from the golf course so I had about 5 acres.

It goes without saying that I'd have a first floor laundry.  Maybe change my office into a laundry.

Then I'd have them install a laundry shoot from the second floor.

I'd have all the poorly done drywall in the entire house redone.

I'd hire a gardener and do something great with my back yard.

I'd replace the big tree I lost by the house a couple years ago but I'd replace it with an already big tree.

With more land, I'd build a little barn.

I'd have both bathrooms redone.  One of the bathrooms would have a nice deep claw footed tub.

I'd replace the flooring in the family room with wood or tile (which I'm going to do anyway.)

I'd replace all my leather and upholstered furniture that's been ruined by the cats.

I'd have all the windows in the family room replaced with the kind with the interior shades.

Of course the electrical mysteries in this house need figured out and replaced.

Oh my, I better start buying lottery tickets!!

Why wouldn't I just buy another already finished house?  Because I'm really attached to this one!

I'd like to bring her up to the magnificent house that she could be.

What would you do if you had millions??

It's fun to imagine.

Shirley

Things I Would've Done Differently in my Kitchen

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Those of you that have followed my blog for a long time probably remember my kitchen redo.

(You can find the different posts about it under labels for "kitchen".)

It was done about 4 years ago and I still really love it.  I did a classic look with white cabinets that will never get old.  I tried to make it look like it fit into this 1850 farmhouse but still had all the modern conveniences.

There's only a couple things I would do differently.

I never had island height seating before.  I always had a smaller island and then a two person table and chairs.

Well, I've decided that I really don't like sitting at a counter.  It just isn't comfortable for me.

The one thing wrong with it is that the overhang isn't deep enough.  When they were cutting the soapstone it broke at a corner and instead of a 12-14 inch overhang, mine is only 9 inches.
That makes a big difference!

I could've had them take it back and send for another large piece of soapstone but it would've been another week and I was anxious to get it all completed so I said it was OK.

I should've had them replace it.

See the overhang isn't deep enough.

I love the soapstone.  Even though it scratches easily, it's one of my favorite parts of my kitchen.  People tried to talk me into granite but I held out for the soapstone because that's something they would've used in Victorian times.

Another thing is, I don't have enough cupboard space.  I don't know why as we designed this kitchen so carefully!

I think I should replace the maple cupboard with another old one but bigger.  It looks so good there but doesn't really hold much.

I love my engineered hardwood floor.
My dogs race around on it and I have yet to find a scratch!!
My contractor/builder is coming over on Saturday to talk about what to do with my family room floor.
I just may extend this flooring into there.  We'll see.

Here's the posts about my kitchen and dining room renovations:
http://shirleys-world.blogspot.com/2011/01/2010-renovations.html
and
http://shirleys-world.blogspot.com/2010/03/reveal-before-after.html

Shirley

First Step To Quit Hoarding Food!

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I followed Miss Merry's advice.  She left me a very helpful comment yesterday about me having and buying way too much food.

I went through all my canned and dry goods and collected everything that had an expired date.

I can't believe how much there was!

All this!!!!!

And this!!!!

I'm sure I got all this at good prices but what good is that when it's all going in the rubbish!!

What a waste of money.

Well, I did quite a bit of reading about expiration dates and "best by" dates and they don't always mean very much so I am making some calls to the food pantries like the Salvation Army and see if they could use some of these things.

If they can, that would make me feel so much better!!

I am not going to restock any of these things, except the baking powder, until I need it, then I'll just buy what I need.

No more filling up the pantry shelves with good bargains as I see that doesn't work.

I am no longer cooking for four!

And I no longer really eat that much!  

I feel better when I eat small meals.

I also found some sites that give some good recipes for one.

Just Google them.

Well, I plan on just cooking from what I have until it is used.

I may come up with some very interesting meals!!

Shirley

I Think I'm A Food Hoarder!

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I cannot believe how much food I have in this house.

I think I could live on what I have for a year with an occasional trip to the store for milk, paper and personal items!!

These are just a couple pictures of my food storage.  Also have a freezer in the basement plus the two drawers in the fridge.

I think this all started slowly when I was doing the coupon thing a little more seriously.

I tried to just buy the things I use but it's really hard for me to pass up a bargain,

especially if I also have a coupon for it!

Today was a prime example.  I went to the store to buy milk because I had forgotten to get it yesterday and I want to make bread pudding to use up ALL THE BREAD I HAVE!!!!!

I came home with three bags of things plus cat litter that was on sale and I had a coupon for!

I suppose thats OK.

I shopped at Giant Eagle.  I think they are expensive but they have good sales and if you limit yourself to those items, you can make out.  Plus they give you more coupons at the check-out and you get fuel perks.

I also like their produce.

The things I got that were not on sale and no coupon were:

Ice cream and chicken tenders which I really didn't need.

I bought more coffee K-Cups but they were on sale and I had good coupons.

So I guess today wasn't too bad.  Yesterday was much worse at Walmart.

Here's how I know I have way too much.  I go to the store to buy something I think I need for a recipe and more times than not, I will already have it tucked away that I had forgotten about.

Not good.

Maybe I should make a list of everything I have.

Does anyone have a solution??

Here's what I've decided to try!

When I cook, I just automatically make enough for at least four!

Now, there's only me.

Yes, I freeze left-overs but about half the time I don't like how things look when I take them out of the freezer or I didn't put a date on them and I end up throwing them away.

Now, any money I may have saved when I bought the items went right into the trash.

Most recipes are for 4 or more so I guess that's why I make too much.

I love reading recipes and collect them on Pinterest so that makes me want cook!

I'm really going to try and use up what I have on hand including freezer items and canned items.

Then maybe I'd be better off buying the small cans of vegetable and fruit or only buy fresh . . . and only the amount for one!

Also I'm going to look online for recipes for ONE.  I'm sure there is a site somewhere!

As far as meat goes, I've decided to buy from the organic food store and get my meat from the meat counter . . only what I want for ONE!  I will go meatless at least 2 or 3 times a week.

What do you all think?

I'll let you know how things are working!

Shirley

Good Morning! Bwaaaak!

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It's a beautiful October morning here.

Wake Up!!

OK, Dottie, I'm up.  I'm going to the barn at noon to watch my grand-daughter's 2nd riding lesson.

She gets to actually ride on Preacher today.

She'll be so excited.

Me too!

Shirley

Things My Mother and Father Taught Me

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I was ironing a long sleeve blouse this morning.  Something I very rarely do any more.  (Ironing I mean).  Everything I wear can come right out of the dryer ready to wear, if I don't let it sit too long after the dryer stops.  If I do, I just throw in a damp wash cloth and let it fluff some more.

Anyway, as I was ironing, I realized that I automatically ironed the blouse in the succesion my mother taught me.  Collar, cuffs, sleeves, then shoulders, left front, back and finish up with right front.

I've always done shirts the same way.  The way my mother taught me to iron.

My mother ironed everything.  Back in the 40's and 50's when I was growing up, she had a special day for ironing.  I think it was Tuesdays.

She sprinkled things which sat on the left wide part of the ironing board, while she ironed.

She ironed, shirts, pants, dresses of course, but also sheets, pillow cases, and even my dad's underwear!

I thought about all the things my mother taught me while I was growing up.

She taught me to sew, to cook, to knit, how to set a table, how to make a bed, to sweep and dust.

 She taught me a little about gardening but I mostly learned that from my dad and my grandma Wickersham.  My dad taught me how to measure, and how to use a hammer and screw driver.  Dad taught me how to fish, and how to catch crayfish in the creek when they hid under the flat rocks.  I loved going with him to do that.  We also would go out in the back yard at night after a rain, with flash lights and caught big night crawlers for fishing.  I don't think my mom did those things with us!

Mom taught me to do the basic things that a woman of those times needed to know and my dad taught me the other basic things.

But most of all they taught me right from wrong.

I've realized that I've been very lax in teaching my daughter the necessary things for basic living!!!!!!

She doesn't really cook anything from scratch, she doesn't sew and thus can't mend anything or even sew a button on right for that matter.  While she has always excelled in cleaning the house, she knows little, (or cares to) know anything about gardening.

Of course, during her years of being a bartender, she has learned how to make any drink, how to stand up for herself, and is very out going; something I never was!

She has started her own photography business and is very passionate about it.  She's now doing very well.  She's become a good friend and we share the love of horses and ride a lot together.  

My son has gotten his basic knowledge from my late husband, Jack.  They became buddies when he was older and learned all about golfing, fishing, boating and I think even some knowledge of cooking fish from him!  He has always had a good work ethic and through his construction job and a carpenter friend of ours, has learned a whole lot of very useful information.  He really surprises me at times all that he can do!

My son and his wife, Linda, had children in their 40's and I am amazed how he talks to them now as little tykes, and how gentle he is.  He teaches them the basic things he knows while he's building their tree house or the deck around the pool (my grandson LOVES tools!) and my daughter-in-law, has always taken them to the library, and to classes about just everything and to church.  Between the two of them my grandchildren are the smartest 4 and 6 year olds on the planet  : ))  

Both of my children have also inherited my love and passion for animals.  To me, I guess that is more important than learning to sew or how to excel in any book learning. 

I am sorry not to have passed down the things my mom and dad taught me but they are both loving, sensitive adults and doing very well, so I am smiling.

Below is a collage of my Dad and Mom and our family.
The picture on the couch, notice I have spurs on my dressy shoes!
Also, I think my Dad looked a little like Harry Connick Jr!!!!

Shirley

Breakfast Solitude

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Yesterday was a busy and tiring day.  We had a wonderful Open House at the barn where my horses are.  Echo was part of the show.  More pictures etc. another time.

This morning I had a nice quiet breakfast on my little kitchen porch.

The dogs were out back.
It was just me and Ellie.

As I sat there drinking my coffee, all I could hear were the birds.  It was particularly quiet this morning. No cars on the road and no lawn mowers on the golf course.
It must be really peaceful if you were really away from everything.  Like up in the woods in a little house where there is never the din of traffic or people or air planes etc.
I like to read about the people that have chosen to go back to real homesteading.  Like really off the grid.  I don't think I could do it for more than a couple days and then I'd have to hit a Walmart!!
I need things.

Shirley