Contrary1'$ Money Musings

Stayed home for the first time since moving to moms I think. She is the going-est person. Jump in the car & go here......no problem, just run to the store .......let's go; her favorite line!

Anyway, we both stayed here today. Spent nothing but personal energy. I continued to dig sod out of a new garden bed, taking all the sod to the new pathway to the back lawn and the clothesline area.

Also cleared out a garden bed in front and trimmed up the freecycle iris we picked up yesterday. Have them all in the ground and watered. If even half of them take off, we've got an exceptional bed of cut flowers on the way. (also have 2 more people sharing iris with us this week......must come up with another area for those)

Tomorrow is garbage day here....I've not had garbage pick up ....hmmmm ....in over 20 years maybe. Tuesday night is the regular clean out the fridge or freezer event here. Working on the upright freezer in the basement, food has been in there since ....well, let's say I'm embarrased to say. Another month or so, I'll be done with this project.

Have convinced mom to try a month of eating out of her pantry and freezer, with no trips to the store, with the exception of milk. Now if I can just keep her from going to the store to "stock up" prior to our little contest starting.

Came to the old house again today; and in my mail was a check for May & June for one of the couples in the other house. Finally.
I had called twice, only able to leave messages........and was trying to figure out what Plan B was.

The group here at 'the ranch' says they will have rent soon........I'm just not sure this is going to work. Giving them til the end of July to see if they can get it together & get rent in on time. I know I jumped ship here with almost no notice, so I can't expect my little group of folks to suddenly be on the ball.

Got a rebate check from the power company, for turning in an old freezer. Also had 6 freebies in the mail, fun when they come in a bunch like this!

Also have the paperwork for the re fi on this house, so I will be paying off the major dental work. I've never pulled out cash, so this is a one time deal for me....but it is the year for me I decided, so here goes.

Have a van full of more 'things I can't live without' to take to moms. Heaven knows where I'll put them when I get there. All on top of the bridge playing table I suppose That way, mom will have to let me get rid of some of the stuff stored in the basement so I can move my things in. Seems to be my best technique yet.

My alergic to numbers brain cells are having a meltdown this week end. Trying to keep up with mom & her banking/investment business, the meetings where people are explaining stuff to her (and to me) are making smoke come out my ears! I truly do think I have a learning disability when it comes to math. Is that possible???

I was with mom when she decided to take half of an account in an anuity fund and buy bonds with it, thus the A shares. Then, another of her investment people called and said......No, you shouldn't do A shares....let me come explain why. He touts C shares & told mom to call the bank and "bust the deal". Now, doesn't that just sound like something my 85 year old mother is going to do??? Well, she made the phone call, but had to leave a message on voice mail. Monday should be show down day between the two firms......with my mom in the middle and me just barely being able to follow the action.

I'm not the one to be giving mom advice, she has done just fine on her own over the decades, but I do believe I side with the C share guy.

Besides the money dilema here, we have had a great week end. The electrician has begun work on the rental house, we have purchased all the new fixtures & can see inside now. We sent the potential tenant our version of what we can and can't do. (thank you to all who have been brainstorming with me on this one) We are going to: go with the 2 year lease, give 2 months free rent for his labor & materials on the work list and we are paying for the electrical. We aren't going to: put a 10% cap on an increase after 2 years and we aren't going to give him reduced rent after 2 months of no rent. We are not going to allow him to sublet the space to other professionals to share the office, without renegotiating the lease, which would mean they would be paying for this house at commercial rates, by the square foot.
I'm expecting we have just ended the negotiations with this gentleman, but he could surprise me. We are OK with it if he decides we're too expensive. I think the property can pull in twice what we were asking. It has set vacant since Oct of last year, there is no mortage on it, just taxes, so mom is fine with continuing the search.

Have my week end young man with us this week. We packed picnic lunches and took off for a local beach park today. Very nice day. Sold a book on Amazon and got the funds for a Pinecone survey. Not a bad way to finish off the day.

Yes, there are vandals. The winged types I believe......but I haven't spotted the offenders.

I have been watching the peas (or beans, I can't remember which is which in this new garden) as they began to break through the earth.... And, suddenly, they were all up one morning. Then, the very next day.......I went for my usual stroll throught the garden with the dog in the early AM., only to find the little sprouts picked up out of the dirt and laid on top. All down the row. Whatever did this, only missed 3 or 4 starts. I replanted as many as I could find that weren't all dried out...we'll see what sort of crop I get!

Odd if it was a bird, that they didn't eat the sprouts. Can't think of anything else that would just uproot the seeds and leave them either. Gotta love all the mysteries a garden brings!

On the flip side......tonight was the first brocoli from the garden. Totally yummy! So satisfying growing and then cooking your own food. Tastes nothing like what we get from the grocery store. Also had radishes, but that never feels quite like the TA DA of growing brocoli to me!

Here's a few pictures of the new garden spaces at moms. Most of the bare dirt has been planted in seeds, so you need to use your imagination & fill in all the empty spots with lush foliage and prolific vegetables!



The firewood holder thingy is the container garden I'm copying from the farmers market booth we visited. Still have some work to do on this, but having a tough time getting the rocks to stay put on the ends. Might need another trip to the market!



The refurbished picnic table & benches turned out quite well & even matched the existing umbrella. Gotta love those happy accidents! Free paint too!



New seedlings are up this morning; can see the beets, lettuces, radishes and also the beans & peas! Can hardly wait for a garden fresh salad!



This last picture is a before shot, we'll see what it turns into!

I'm in my 2nd month now of this and can now be considered a Professional Mystery Shopper I guess. Isn't getting paid for something all it takes to be considered professional??

I had signed up for 2 dining "shops" this month and just this evening finished the last one. The online survey doesn't take long, since the restaurant is the same one, the questions are the same too. It is easier the more I do if it....just like everything else.

This company is paying for the meals as well as paying a small sum for completing the survey, so in my opinion it is a great deal. The latest email from them says there are still more of the "shops" unassigned, so I might offer to do one more......as mom said tonight, "force us to go out to dinner again!"

Spent what seemed like the entire day on the phone. Cancelled several things that had shown up on my CC for some reason, called the companies and the CC & will get it all credited. Hopefully, have it straightened out.
Trying to figure out the history on an account of moms, ended up with more questions than answers today. Her advice was to "look at it again in the morning". Not thinking it is going to be much clearer......think a trip to the bank is in order pretty soon here.

Also trying to weigh the info coming in for moms 2 investment accounts. I'm just barely understanding what she has done with her proceeds from 2 real estate transactions. Both account reps want the money from the other account....and they are putting on some pressure, each trying to say the other account is BAD for one reason or another. (I hate that when companies focus on the bad, rather than impress me with their own positive points)

I've listened and tried to follow so many money trails today....and my brain absolutely fries when it has to try & process numbers. I'm going to try moms advice & think about it all tomorrow!

Still no resolution re; the potential renter. Mom is leaning towards just letting the property sit vacant. I'm thinking of putting together a counter to his proposal; yes to the 2 year lease with the cap on rent increase, Yes to 2 months rent in exchange for the work (extensive work needed, we have a list from the walk through yesterday). No to the lower rent proposed from Sept-Dec and No to him adding additional desks and renting them out himself to get his rent lower.

Hoping I don't dream of numbers, for me that would truly be a nightmare!

I hate the little bit of landlord-ing I have been doing and now I'm getting in deeper. Mom is quickly turning over all her rental business to me.

Todays lawn mowing event at the empty rental turned into a walk through with the potential renter. Mom sat outside & told me to just handle it. I'm no where close to handling it.

Need to talk with her in the AM & get her opinion on what the renter proposed. I believe the plan will be in everyones best interest. Not sure what mom will think. Renter is excited.

The plan includes free rent for 2 months, actually 2 1/2 months if he starts working on the place tomorrow like he wants. He supplies all the materials except for the vinyl for the kitchen, which I have. We hire the electrician & supply all the materials for that gentleman.

Mom wanted a year lease & an option to increase the rent at that time. The renter wants at least a 2 year lease & a cap on the increase.

Renter wants to add a couple other gentlemen next year, splitting the rent between the 3 of them. Mom won't like that....thinking her rent should go up with other people being added. I have no idea on this part....If I were renting, I'd be thinking of ways I could get the rent lower, so I'm tending to side with the renter.

Will sleep on all this, talk to mom in the AM and then set up a meeting to come up with a rental agreement.

I still don't like being a landlord.

Pooped here. Got up at what I consider dawn these days.......by 6AM. Took mom and headed to the other house to drop off burning trash from the yard here.
Then, off to the food glean from the local grocery store.

We hauled 750 lbs of produce out of that store, then loaded it in my van, then unloaded it and sorted it at the food bank. Makes me more tired when I think of it again. We have a good time, the food isn't going to waste, but I'm going to have to stop this. I would continue if there was another person to assist with the lifting & hauling, but no....just me. And, I'm deciding it isn't going to work. Emailing my decision in tomorrow.

Headed to the old house, mowed while mom took a nap on the couch. Fed the chickens, gathered fresh eggs to bring back here.

Got back here to moms and the sun was out (first day in what seems like ages), so I planted her 3 new rose bushes......and a couple boxes of plants I had dug up this AM at the old house.

By tonight....I'm feeling like a truck hit me. Heading to bed hoping for a brand new me by tomorrow morning.

I'm finishing up another pair of socks, just about ready to come off the needles. I had mom 'model' these and after I bound off, I gave them to her.
She was thrilled, as purple is her color.



I've already started another sock, or a sample for a sock, to be more exact. I'm teaching a sock knitting class this fall & want to find a childs sock pattern to use for class. Less knitting time required and all the parts of a sock included. Great for a 2 session class.

Had another freecycle sort of day; headed out this AM to dig a box full of hen & chicks (plants for those of you non gardener types). I've got just the rockery for all of these.

Also had a craigs lister here for the trees that were in my proposed walkway to the clothesline. Trees out, I didn't have to dig and the new owner already sent a thank you note. Can't beat that for a days work!

Also have a freecycler coming tomorrow for a couple cribs and preschooler type toys & furniture. Making very slow headway on the basement clear out here. It's hard for mom to decide to get rid of ANYTHING!

A no spend day all round here. Missed connections to meet with potential renter, so no income either!

Heading to bed early, as tomorrow is my gleaning/food bank volunteer morning. Not sure how much longer I want to do this. After moving, I need to start out at 7AM and I'm already resenting that!

We're seriously looking at adding a greenhouse to the back forty here and seem to be collecting more questions as we go along. Fortunatly, we have the luxury of time as it is just now heading into summer in our garden.. Won't need the greenhouse til the fall/winter season.

Historically, our area has greenhouses on special at our 'fair time', which is late August/September, so we're hoping to know what we're doing by then. No point in negotiating a good price if we have no idea what we're shopping for.

With all that in mind, I'm asking for some help here from anyone who has had or currently has a greenhouse.
1) Any tips in general for me?
2) What do you really love about the set up you are working with?
3) What do you wish you had added to your set up?

We're getting ready to visit a local outlet for greenhouse kits and I feel like I'm so out of my element here. I've gardened, but never had a greenhouse. The more research I do on line, the longer my list of questions I have gets.

I do have the dimensions now laid out for a middle of the road sized set up...so we can get an idea of placement, sun exposure, etc. Also, thinking of clearing out the back access road to the place (currently the parking lot for all the relatives vehicles they want to 'save', as well as a couple dead items, camper, old truck, etc) so we can get the delivery truck in as well as a truck to deliver soil. No shortage of jobs around here, that's for sure!

Can't wait to get some of your advice on this new venture!

While moving some of my things into moms house, I've been organizing to make some room. In the process, we've been coming across a container or two in almost every closet & drawer.

Yes, each one of these containers (everything from her favorite cool whip tubs to zip lock bags) is full of coins.

Some all sorted as to pennies, dimes, etc........some all mixed up. Oh, and the odd items too. Best one was a ceramic piece of an angel wing! Several miniature Christmas tree ornaments, bobbie pins (who uses those anymore?), buttons, paperclips, a vitamin, a vintage roll of Certs and a couple items we can't identify. They were apparently special enough to save, but no idea now as to what they are! We have had some laughs......

I've been counting and rolling coins now for 2 days. We're no where near done. I ran out of the paper thingy's and have to make a trip to the bank.

There are so many coin rolls, I have them in a shipping box in the trunk of the car! No way can I lift it anymore, I've been taking them out to the trunk when I walk the dog. I'll have to take them in to the bank over time too.....a handful whenever I make a deposit.

No idea what the total is yet, but it is in the hundreds. Mom wants the money in her newly formed 'greenhouse' fund. That is funny, since she has money already to go purchase one, but her brain is wired to save up for something, so that is what we're doing!

The morning was spent meeting with the potential renter for moms little house. Liked the guy! (he likes yard work!) He is willing to bring the place up to speed, other than the electrical which I have someone working on next week. All this in exchange for a break on the rent as he called it. We are both sleeping on the idea & will talk again tomorrow to see if we can come up with an agreement. We're willing to do 2 months of no rent in exchange for the work, he wants 2 more months with a bit less than the rental amount.

I'm in the middle, as of this morning. Mom told me as she had the notebook ready for the meeting, "you're now in charge of the rentals". She is the one with the experience, I'm the one who hates being a landlord. Doesn't seem like a good fit, but she is not taking the lead role here. So......I jumped in.

Seasons of ones life can be a funny thing when you see them unfold. I would never have imagined my life taking the turns it has over the last couple years.......The older I get, the less I think I'm in charge/control of things. Seems like more stuff just happens & my life is a series of reacting to the stuff. Pretty sure I'm too tired to be making any sense.......should sign off and take care of that!

Elbow grease. That's what it takes to hold the line here regarding spending money......even if the money isn't mine.

I procured a free picnic table and 4 little benches for mom, so she can have her bridge games outside, hopefully. But, the table & benches was old, beat up and all wet. Moved the whole thing into the garage prior to the current week of rain, and started working on the set with a wire brush. Will scrape the nasty places and then tidy up with some sand paper. I've got free paint from the county recycling place and already have the sprayer, so I can see the end of this project already!

We window shopped a local pool/spa/outdoor furniture store this week, and almost died when we saw what they were charging for patio furniture. None of it looked like my mom or her house & yard anyway, so there was absolutely no temptation. Our little set will just fit her patio, is small enough for the ladies to reach across when playing bridge and has benches that aren't attached, so they can all sit down comfortably & safely.

Can't beat all those positives for a free table. So far, the only expense was the wire brush for $4 and change.

Also spent a whole .97 cents on an end cap for a soaker hose. I had picked one up from Freecycle, but it was missing the end. This will be perfect here in the new garden, and will reduce the watering time as well as the cost of the water. (having to get used to a water bill instead of a well here!)

Another splurge today for mom.....we found a hedge trimmer with a rechargable battery so I can try to catch up with the shrubbery gone wild around her 2 places. I have never been able to start the machines with pull starts, so this one has my name all over it. Was about $100 but it will be cheaper than having someone else do the jobs that are on the list here.

Off to watch the baseball game with mom, I will be doing more knitting than watching the game......but it is fun to see her so involved in the game/players and stats.

Today was another mystery dining experience for mom & myself....and it again was fun & not more work than it was worth. Our first reimbursement check has come for last months outings and there seems to be nothing amiss. As mom said, "how long do we HAVE to go out to eat like this?" Said in a very sarcastic, joking voice! Pretty fun to have our lunch or dinner outings to be paid for!

We just goofed off after lunch, heading to a nearby waterfront community for a drive. Mom had said this week, she had always wanted to live on a beach....so of course, I had looked up a couple beach cabin/house possibilities. We checked one out and it is a NO. She wants to be able to walk onto the beach from the house...this one had a bulkhead & she didn't like it. But, so help me......I think this woman is ready to move! (I'm thinking of this garden here....and will I dig up all these plants to take with us???)

The other house I had printed info for her is more to her liking, but of course, it could be totally different from the pictures. It is a ferry ride away, so we need to make some better plans to get to this one.....but I do think it's on her schedule within the week. Blew me away!

We passed a cool little nursery with a huge sale sign........and our car always turns off at those. Mom picked out 3 roses for the new garden here, as I had told her she needed something substantial to anchor the space. These are perfect. Will get pics as soon as they are planted. The price for all 3 was less than one at nurseries near our house. We had help squeezing them in her car, since we didn't take the van on this jaunt.

Tried to visit a couple little country antique/junk stores but none were open. Need to remember Monday is not a good day for this! Still need assorted tables for moms house. She bought new couchs & chairs, but for some reason hasn't done any of the tables yet, so we're dealing with country furniture and early american tables. Odd to say the least. Need some wood tables I can paint and we'll be done with the furniture piece of the remodel here. (only area rugs & some accessories remain)

Spent only the money for lunch, which I will get re paid for. I did have to borrow from mom temporarily, as I could NOT find my money anywhere this AM when we needed to leave. I was apparently so tired when I got back here last evening, I had taken my money out of my jeans pocket and.........yep, put it in my sock drawer! Too warm for socks today, I never looked there.....besides I've never kept my money in my sock drawer!
Was uneasy until I got home and then had time to go through the entire house and van until I found the money as well as a paycheck.

Feel so much better knowing I wasn't going to need to ask for a check to be re issued.....as well as short the cash for the month. Going to bed to catch up on much needed sleep apparently!

I hauled the week end boy out of bed at dawn, we hustled to the old house & dumped the entire van full of tree branches I had stashed in there from the projects at moms. Then, off to the grocery store glean and then on to the food bank. Thank goodness I had a helper today, as we moved 640 lbs of produce! Twice! I don't need to lift weights today!

Then, back to the old house, fed the chickens the spoiled food and jumped on the mower. Tired and hot now, since it is 75 outside! (I fade fast after it hits 72)

Now, I'm waiting for the week end boys dad to arrive to pick him up......and I'm packing another van load of things to take back to moms. I've got a list, so it isn't as crazy as last week end when I couldn't remember what it was I needed from her.

Gathered a couple dozen fresh eggs and I'm clipping all the roses & other flowers before I go too. No one here pays much attention to the flower garden & they sure aren't eating the veggies. I'm glad I stopped planting when I did!

Back to work.........I need a different solution on the lawn mowing situation. I can't keep up with 3 places!!!

Mom & I took our week end boy & headed to the farmers market this AM. What a fun outing, for zero money. Wandering through others booths.....gleaning ideas by the bucket load! Can't beat that. I picked up a great idea for a container garden.......truly 2 clay pots, one of which needs to be broken. Didn't feel like taking a picture, but when I get my copy of it done, I'll post it here.
Very original, and I happen to have a couple broken pots I've uncovered out back!

The sun was out too, so it was a bonus day here. After we wandered through everything from custom made pet snacks to plants, we went to the beach and watched part of the vintage boat display at the waterfront festival.....also free.

Freecycled 10 cases of canning jars from the basement, they are already hauled upstairs and off the property! Gotta love that freecycle. I'm slowly clearing out room for my sewing area....should be done sometime next year!

Off to the stores we went again this morning. I have shopped more in the couple weeks I've been at moms than I did in the last several years. In and out of parking lots, in and out of the car, stores, elevators, more stores..... Yesterday, we even went shopping twice. Once in the AM and once again later in the day. Gads.

Today started with a meeting at the bank. Mom has a fund she moved around a bit and increased her monthly income.....as well as decreased a bit of the risk. A good move. We are still stalled re; meeting with the attorney re; giving me power of attorney. Not sure what the hang up is......or how many hang ups there are perhaps? I can see mom struggling with decisions as to how she wants her assets distributed after her death....and until she knows the answers, meeting with an attorney will just have to wait.

Went to something easy next; picking up the new cushions for the lawn furniture. (furniture all free....I've been busy!) Hoping to pick up the painting supplies from the old house on Sunday and get the table and benches painted this week. As soon as that project gets crossed off the list, the patio will be pretty close to done.

We had a coupon for Chinese lunch out....so off we went! Came home and tore the fridge apart as there was a foul odor coming from somewhere. Mystery solved: a bowl of leftover cauliflower. Now we've got a sparkly clean fridge and I can tell what's in there. (moms & my housecleaning style/standards are WAY different)

My week end young man is here at moms as of today. He was excited for a change he said! Cute. So far, OK. A new room, new house, we'll see how he does. He will be skipping a week end in June, as he is vacationing in Hawaii, so my paycheck will be only half... but, we've got the details worked out so I'm going to continue caring for him every other week even though I've moved. Some things are falling into place.

One remaining sewing client with projects unfinished.... I must get on this. I'm planning on bringing a bare bones sewing room of stuff with me back here on Sunday.....so I will have no excuse. Challenging myself to get this woman contacted and set up a fitting....forcing me to SEW, SEW, SEW. I truly hate having unfinished things & no deadline, I can drag out a project for months! Let's see what I can accomplish before the end of June?

A couple weeks ago, I convinced my mom (didn't take much arm twisting) to buy all the begonia tubers at a local nursery since they were half price. She used to raise the most amazing begonias, and hasn't had any for about a decade I think.

She opened them up asap when we got home, dug out a throw away pie tin and added some of the new magic compost to it. Set in her little babies and they have been growing ever since.

This led to the flower pot search here. Everything too small to go on the porch. I tried all the nooks & crannies. Also tried listing on Freecycle & CL. Nothing.

So, off we went today to 1/2 price pots.
Wow, are there some lovely items there! We needed 3 pots, and they had to be BIG.... Read, expensive.....even at 1/2 price. As mom said, 'half price from what exactly?'

The total for the project, not counting the tad of dirt.......is just under $150.00. Not exactly the budget project I was hoping for. But, mom is thrilled and it is her money.... They are tall enough she can reach them, they show from the house as well as from the front when people drive up.. I think we will get that much enjoyment out of them.

And, in the future, we only need to get the half price tubers, which should hold the cost down to under $20.00.

Spent half the day running errands and then we got too hot. Home til the sun goes down & then we have to head out again. I've done more shopping since moving here.......more than I usually did in a year! But, the projects on the TO DO list here all seem to require something to finish them up.

Spread some more dirt, stuck in some more onion sets and got some of the old plants moved to better locations. Almost to the end of the bedding plants mom routinely purchases each spring.

Definately at the end of my energy today!

After a bit of soul searching, (and the newest power bill arrival), it is time to give the "back yard people" notice to move on.

They were my mission & I've moved. It isn't fair to expect the others at the old house to try & work with these two. They have had one year next month, & have made much progress. (paying regular rent isn't on the list however)

The idea is to have the property rented, both the rooms inside and the areas out back. This should keep enough monies coming in to cover the expenses, if not make a bit of income.

I know I'll get involved in some sort of mission work, I'll just need to get a bit more creative, or take a bit of a break from it while here with my mom.

Worked outside before breakfast.....as that was the only cool time here today. The yard is coming along nicely and I can see my efforts paying off. I am coming up with some interesting difficulties being in the city. I can't cut a whole bunch of things down with my chainsaw as there is no burning here. So, each week I'm chopping down a van full of brush and taking it to the other house for the burn pile. I can compost here still (although the neighbors complained to mom about the food on her compost pile.......so can only do yard waste) but most of the things are so overgrown it would take years to break down.
And, the real eye opener for me is I'm already running out of room! I've never had a problem, since I've had acreage & could just make gardens until I ran out of energy or daylight. I'm having to hold plants until I can come up with a creative solution as to where they can be planted! (I'm pretty sure the lawn is going to be alot smaller by fall!)

Hoping to harness some freecycler with a strong back; have advertised free trees here this week. I need to clear a path to get the mower to the back forty and there are a couple really pretty evergreens right in the way. Too big for me to dig & transplant and too nice to just cut down and burn. Crossing fingers for some positive (and strong) responses!

I figure I have made it to the half way point on the compost spreading event here. Getting progressively more tired and a tad sore. The rain over the week end made the dirt twice as heavy it seems.

I added a row of beets, along with a couple rows of cosmos from seed. Stuck in a couple dozen onion sets for good measure and transplanted some veggie starts that were apparently in the wrong place. Fairly wimpy versions of brocolli and brussel sprouts. With the new compost, perhaps they will come around.

Planted the cucumbers and zuchinni I had started from seed. Felt very frugal doing it this way rather than purchasing starts at the nursery.

Found stakes for the dahlia tubers that got divided and re planted yesterday and got half of the annuals in the ground.

Made good use of the patio furniture that I'd just put out.......There is nothing like sitting in your garden, viewing all your hard work!

Just when I was thinking I was coming real close to having everything in the ground, a friend drove up with 4 pots of perennials from her garden for us. We had mentioned when seeing her yesterday, that we were putting in a new garden. So, we're blessed with 2 types of iris, a pot of flags, and a great lupine plant. It pays to 'talk' gardening with others..... Everyone needs to divide their perinneals & is usually looking for others to share with.

Crossing my fingers re; the weather & the garden tomorrow. We're supposed to be in the high 80's ....not exactly transplanting weather.

I was enjoying my morning, coffee & emails sort of day....just sorting through a couple lists I subscribe to, when I had a Wow moment. There, on a cooking list, was www.frugalgardening.com
Big as life.

The question had been raised about saving water, and there was an article I had submitted about rain barrels and saving rain water. Too fun. I still am surprised anyone reads the articles, let alone refers anyone to them.... So, it was a fun way to start my day.

We did attend our little towns Memorial
Day service this AM. Nice the weather straightened out and didn't rain on us, as it is held outdoors. (scary thing to do in WA state!) Sat with my old Camp Fire leader at the service, got caught up on the news from all the other "girls". Invited another friend who we met there to come back with us for lunch. Fun afternoon, no cost fun.

Worked in the new garden the rest of the day........most of the new plants are in the ground, a few more wheelbarrows of compost are spread and we're able to see progress.

Looking forward to tomorrow, nothing, absolutely nothing on the schedule.

Took mom with me on the glean for the food bank this AM. Easier day all round. The manager was coming out the back door when I arrived, saving me tons of time and a long walk to the front of the store in the rain. Only half the food today too, so it will be slim pickings at the food bank for the clients, but it took me less time. I'm pooped. Hauled 500 lbs of food out, in the van, out and into the food bank. Oh, and then I hauled the spoiled food to my other house for the chickens this week.

Scalped my gardens, bringing bouquets home with us for the cemetery tomorrow. Also dug up boxes of plant starts and some of the garden sculpture pieces I've collected.

Definitely pooped. Mom & I went out to breakfast again after the mornings work. Nice to just sit and visit. Breakfast is a cheaper meal when going out....plus, we only do 2 meals then for the day. Works out well for us.

Pouring here today, so no gardening. Have brought a van full of plants from my other garden to start here....but I'm willing to wait for a dry day. Gotta love these perennials; they just keep producing more plants at no cost. A frugal gardeners dream. Mom has always had annuals each and every year, with no perennials to speak of. This is fun teaching her another way to garden....and odd too. She is a fantastic gardener, so it seems peculiar to be telling her anything!

I'm planning an afternoon of knitting, which is just about as active as I want to be the rest of the day! Oh, and a few freecyclers visiting this evening........I'm starting to give away my dads back forty collection of lumber. So, there will be a bit of traipsing through the woods I guess.

So far, life is very good after moving to my moms. I feel so good being able to do things to assist here on a daily basis. Plus, we're having so much fun.

When I would come for a few days, it always seemed like we had a deadline for everything, and time would go by so fast.

Now, not many deadlines......but time is still whooshing by. Can't believe it is almost the end of May!!!

We had a massive TO DO list made out for today and almost made it through the whole thing. I found a great electrician, referred from a friend, who came for a walk through of the empty rental. He wasn't scared of the old construction, nor the small job....I do think we'll hire him for the necessary work on the place.

The Saturday market was just opening up when we finished our electrical meeting, so off we went for a stroll through the booths. We bought a pound of cherries and 2 pieces of hand dipped chocolate that was better than any I've ever tasted! Heaven! Not exactly on the food plan, but who wants to live without chocolate??

Then, errands for mom, and out to lunch to celebrate our almost deal with a new renter & the pretty sure we're hiring the new electrician. Any excuse will do for a celebration here!

While out, mom had spotted a rhododendron that is in bloom here in WA right now. It truly is gorgeous, & she has none like it. So, off to a nursery to see if we can spot one like this.....and voila, we did. I love watching my mom spend money, as I never remember her doing that when I was a kid. The new plant is perched in the new garden space while we evaluate where exactly we want to plant it.

Survived........but barely. Yesterdays event with the autistic kiddo coming to "help" spread the truckload of compost went as well as it could. We got at least half the pile of dirt spread, the brand new garden bed is ready to plant and I lived through the whole experience.

This young man truly LOVES to use a wheelbarrow, but is driven to go FAST. I mean really fast. I can hardly keep up with him if I haven't prepared the beds before he gets started. ( I was pretty organized for yesterday)

We stopped a couple times for him to eat, us too.....but barely. He eats as FAST as he does anything else, so back to the garden we went, no matter if I was done or not.

The later the afternoon got, the less energy I had and the more wound up my young man was getting. Bless mom for speeding up dinner & getting it on the table....in we went for a meal I can hardly remember since I was so tired!

Bag up the kiddos work boots, take one more picture of him with half a pile of dirt now.......and motored him back to his new house.

I'm still tired today....but I did manage to get in some more yard work. No money spent today, but lots of projects crossed off the list. I'm proud of myself re; one that was looking like I'd need some help. My dad had installed the water pipes & faucets to the back 40 here with a master shut off valve.....located about 24" underground. I had found it, and dug it clear....but then couldn't figure out how to reach it to turn it on. Today, while looking for a tool to finish yet another job....I found his one of a kind tool he had made to reach this valve & we have water to all the faucets!

I dug around the property the last couple days scrounging up bricks to replace the broken ones on a planting area (again my dads creation). Found enough to do the job and today figured out how to get the broken ones out and got the new ones installed.....and didn't have to pay anyone else to do it.

Feel victorious, tired......but victorious! (small things float my boat)

Every time my mom gives any hint she could part with something......or a group of somethings.....I box or bag it up and list it on Freecycle.

We have been REALLY busy today, just keeping the people straight. We sent a couch and loveseat to a new home....bless that guy, mom can now park in the garage! A mattress & box spring, lamp, ironing board and iron made their way to a new home too..... A big box of vases, you know the kind that seem to grow under the kitchen sink?? A big bag of chocolates we didn't need here, a light fixture, dahlias that weren't the right color for the new garden and almost anything else that wasn't nailed down!!

I think I'm tiring my mom out!

We broke down & hired a young man from next door for an hour. I was trying to remove some sod prior to the new compost getting spread tomorrow & was coming up OLD! This kid finished the job in an hour (or less). Good decision, definitely a good place to spend $15.00.

Another lunch out today, free to us as we were scheduled to be mystery diners. Had the yummiest salad I've had in ages......grilled shrimp & spinach.

Finacially.......some money out, some will get reimbursed and I made a phone call for mom, getting dads retirement benefits sent again. They have been messed up since 07 apparently & mom didn't notice. First hint I might need to step in a bit more here...

Heading to bed to get ready for a LONG day tomorrow. Bringing the autistic kiddo here to spread compost. Believe it or not, it's one of his favorite things to do. Work boots, huge wheelbarrow and constant moving, everything that floats his boat. We'll see how far we can get on these 8 yards of yummy dirt in the driveway!

I'm working in the new to me garden (seems like I've been doing that now for awhile) and I kept turning up these odd bug/larvae type critters.



Anyone have an idea as to what this is?

They are located in the sod I'm tearing up......they are right in the root area, so only about 1"-2" under the surface.

I can't get a picture to turn out any better, although I tried. Thank goodness for digital, I'd hate to think of all the film I'd just taken of a BUG.

He (she, it??) wiggles at the front end (assuming it's the front end) but doesn't seem to have legs. I've watched it for a bit on the surface of the ground and it doesn't burrow....

The 2nd half of my problem is the lawn is full of ridges. Not that you can see, but when walking on the lawn it feels like the sand on the beach when the tide has gone out and left the ridges...
Wondering if these critters have anything to do with the weirdness of the lawn.......or if they are a food supply to something else that is doing the nasty work to the lawn?

I have a bug-in-a-cup that I'll be taking to the garden center tomorrow to see if there is anyone there that can identify this critter.......but, I thought I'd try this avenue too. I've never seen anything like this before.

I'm a firm believer in that......if I want to save money, I need to be willing to work hard. Neither one being my favorite word!!

Today was a good example. I could have hired someone to do the patio cleaning event. Or, I could have saved some money renting a pressure washer..... But, we did this ourselves with almost no cost.

Mom had bought a gallon of some sort of plant friendly cleaner, that was supposed to work magic. I brought my extreme nozzle for the hose and we got out a couple old push brooms. With a couple applications of the cleaner, some good exercise on the end of both brooms....we now have an almost new looking 40 year old patio.

So, work and time ........and a great job done for very little expense.

This is an odd move..........I'm moving, but not. Returning each week end for at least an overnight......and then back to moms.

So, the question as I look at anything here is....do I want it here, or there? Or, the better question, do I want it at all?

I've been keeping the freecycle list moving right along this week end, CL too, with posts of things I'm not willing to move, or pack up here. Voluntary Simplicity at it's best!

Almost done with my week end responsibilities here at the "old house", lawns mowed, sewing job almost finished (some hand work left on it, had to save it for daytime) and another van load of my things ready to load up after the food bank/gleaner job this AM. Even fit in a load of laundry & got it dry on the line.

No money spent this week end, but will be buying gas before leaving tonight. One more plus at moms, is her little Mazda. Way better than the van re; gas consumption.

Back to the packing.....have an odd load, clothes, fresh eggs, the pots of flowers from the garden (since they didn't get watered while I was gone) and all the household files.

I'm back to the old house this week end, since my week end young man is here today.

Feels so odd being here among all these people!!! I have to admit, life at moms is just so relaxing. This week end is really going to cement the move for me I think. I'm feeling resentful at almost every turn here.

I mowed all the lawns, because room mate person didn't take time last week to meet with me re; the big mower. I refuse to turn over the keys to it until I see if she can manage. Otherwise, I'm going to have her buy her own mower to maintain the place.

Most all of the food for my young man is from the freezer, so that part is a piece of cake for me. I do have a ton of weeding to do & am so thankful it is going to rain the next couple days, so watering is off the list.

Chickens seem to be doing fine, with the limited care I know they are getting.

Will do my grocery store glean for the food bank on Sunday morning, then back here to feed the hens.........and then pack the van for moms. I do need to unpack it first I guess.....I've brought a full load of scrap wood to burn in our burn pile. My dad has saved everything since they bought this property in the 40's, so it is a bit of a junk yard. I figure I'll have it cleaned up in about 30 years!

Also fitting in a sewing job tomorrow, hemming a formal for a pick up on Sunday.

So, it will be a busy couple of days for me..... Room mate person is also holding another Barn Sale today through Sunday, so it is a bit zoo like outdoors. Approx 25 cars here on the property since I got home.

I've had a few inquiries re; what exactly Mystery shopping entails.......so here goes with my teensy bit of experience....

So far, I've visited an assisted living center and gone out to dinner. Each one had a survey I could view on line prior to visiting the establishment...so I knew what types of info I needed to look for.

After completion, I fill out a form on line and fax in either a business card or a receipt. Pretty easy stuff.

I do think this is easier if a person is observant by nature, and likes to try new things rather than being a creature of habit.

Naturally, both of my "shops" were odd, in that the forms I had to fill out didn't even get close to including the situations I encountered.... The first one, they called me to have me further explain myself!

I've got another "shop" scheduled for next week, mom & I are doing lunch at what is truly moms favorite local restaurant. Her fav & paid for too. For 15 minutes or so of online work, I would say it's a good deal for us. Mom enjoyed last nights survey almost more than dinner. She was an eagle eye when it came to the details. Wore a watch with a second hand, so she could accurately time the arrival of the food/beverages, etc.

I'll keep posting as I get a little further along with this new hobby! So far, I would have to say it's worth it to me.

I'm approved, I've shopped, and it was fun.

Neither of my two "shops" were actually shopping... as I have only picked things that were NOT in malls. That would not be fun for me.

However, this seems pretty painless, and was actually fun this evening. I chose one my mom could join me on & we agreed to sign up for more of the same. Getting paid to go out certainly has our name all over it.

I gardened for most of the day....whew, much better than working outside in yesterdays hot temps. Then, gave mom a perm and a haircut and printed a TON of signs for the other house's Barn Sale again this week end.

New goal: convince mom to list 4-5 things on Freecycle each week. (I think it will be easier to loose weight!!)