Got paid today for the respite work with my last kiddo. Nice for a change; as I'm not doing anything to earn a regular paycheck any more.

Odd being without funds most of the time. (have money in the bank, but choose not to fritter it away). I'll get paid this quarter for teaching at the rec center, but that won't amount to a whole ton of money either.

Any monies from the rentals goes right to the bank and is pretty much all accounted for what with the mortgage, insurance and real estate taxes. If there is anything over those expenses, it stays in the bank for any necessary repairs that come up.

So, this check today was nice.....and it could be my last hurrah if we truly do move. I'll be way too far away to keep this guy, plus there really isn't an extra bedroom.......and mom has asked that I don't dream up any new schemes to fill up the house! She knows me so well!

Planning to finish a project with mom tonight. She had a huge closet full of packets of pictures when I moved in. We have almost made our way through all the assorted containers of them......should wrap up that part tonight. The living room is full of small labeled boxes, where we are sorting the pics according to which family they go to. Her plan is to give them to each family or family member before we move. Paring down we are!!!

As I put away some of my things, we're taking moms slightly older items and either sharing with family or freecycling them. A few items she has had me list on CL today & we've got one interested party so far. I can feel her gathering speed on all of this work we have in front of us; sorting, sorting and more sorting........prior to packing.

Back to work; mounds of old photos calling me!

Yes, this AM on one of my many treks down to the basement......I flipped the light switch and made a quick check of The Wall...... A small trickle of water and a crack in the wall with a drop or two; plus about an eighth of a cup of water on the floor. Hmmm.
Think the culprit is the garbage disposal after all the checking and re checking. Not a typical leak at the disposer however, but something to do with either the incoming water, or the drain behind the kitchen wall. The water is pooling upstairs in the dead space below the undersink cabinet or behind the cabinet. Yuk. Makes it almost impossible to get to.....but, easier now to tell a plumber what is leaking. Our version of taking care of this right now, is to not use the disposer! Temporary fix, but right now, that works.

Borrowed moms car for an errand to the title co, to sign for the re fi. Money will be wire transferred to my acct soon; actually forgot what day they said.
Took the car to the auto parts store, to pick up a tail light bulb, as we have one burned out. I thought I could get someone to show me how to replace said light since I couldn't seem to get to it on my own. (hate to be stupid, but the car must have been built around the light) No one at the store could get to the bulb either! So, it's a trip to a dealership for a lightbulb. I prefer vehicles where I can do at least the minor stuff.

Spent the last 48 hours cleaning and gardening so the house & yard look spic & span for moms bridge day tomorrow. Whipped out a bridge table cover too now that I'm here & understand just what she was needing. (from fabric I bartered for) Looks pretty good if I do say so....and the make shift sewing room worked too. I'm obviously too pooped to be writing....just tried to re read this paragraph and it doesn't even make sense to me! Off to bed!

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.

Another of my mixed bag sort of days here.

Started off with emails re; 2 books that had sold on Amazon. Packaged them up & took them when I headed out for a days errands. Why is it the books that sell here are the ones I don't have packaging for?

Went to the dentist for a quick check and some paperwork, then off to the only imaging place in the Seattle area for a CT scan thing. Gads, 5 minutes and BIG bucks. What a business. With this scan however, I think I'm heading into the last half of this dental work I had scheduled for this year.

Stopped on the way home for my first Mystery Shop event. Fun, actually. Took a total of 30 min, plus about 15 to log my results after I got home. We'll see if I "pass" now.

New horse lady paid for 2 months ahead. Nice. And, a call arranging a meeting for this evening re; storing a boat and a motorhome on the property.

So, it was a money out.........money in sort of day. Got home soon enough to enjoy some time in the gardens.

My bedroom and my morning coffee out of "the cup", is about all I need to think about taking with me when I move on....

I've been looking at things differently as I move through my days here, and there isn't much I want to take anywhere!!

Having just moved in '05, I pared down considerably and have made an effort not to add more stuff since then.

There are things I don't want to part with, but there is no need to take the piano to moms, as she already has one, etc.... So, it looks like one bedroom and a coffee mug with pink roses on it will just about do......and some clothes of course.

I do think I'll pay to have the things moved, as there are some huge pieces and if I hire someone, I know they will all get moved in and set up. If I use the room mate person & the new big truck here, I will end up doing most of the work.

Barn sale going on again today, yesterday was so successful, room mate person decided on Round #2 today. Busy around here. Horse boarding person is repairing and replacing fencing, at her expense...can't beat that.

In the Extremely Small Business News.....
we've sold a couple dozen fresh eggs today!! {Pretty sure I can't retire on the Egg Money, but it is fun to see people so excited about them.)

Completed another Pine Cone Survey as well as one from Greenfield, gotta love these regular little deposits. Also got the funds for the books sold through Amazon.

That's me. Just getting around to mastering something the rest of the world is way past comfy with.

*insert drum roll here.....*

I have, just this afternoon, figured out how to set up voice mail on my cell phone! Not only have I figured it out, but I HAVE it set up, and it works!

Stuff like this baffles me. The clock in my van, programing the cable box or setting the VCR/DVD to record (heck, I have days when I can't get it to even play a silly movie!) and anything to do with the auto features on any and all appliances are something I've pawned off on the kids who lived with me over the years.

But, for some reason, the voice mail on the cell never made it on the TO DO list. Thus, it was now on the top, as I can't switch clients over to the cell number if I have no voice mail.

So, one BIG thing off my list of what needs doing prior to my trial move. I also started talking about the whole event with the autistic kiddo today. He seems OK with it, but who knows? And, truly, I need to remember I'm not in charge any longer.

Next step will be to wean the couples who stay here off the house phone. I have let them all use it for a message phone, since it is impossible to get a job set up without a phone number & an address. I need to be ready with my answer to the next question........."Can I use your cell phone?". Not sure of my answer yet.

The thought of not having a phone ringing dozens and dozens of times a day is absolutely heady to me. I'm getting closer to that being possible & it spurs me on!

On a money front......I participated in a Pine Cone survey this AM, at least the first part of it. I presume a product will be on its' way here & then there will be an additional survey. Love these!!!

Working this week end as my last young man is scheduled to be here this afternoon through Sunday afternoon. I will give notice to his dad when I see him Sunday. Not sure about the timing, but will most likely see him through the end of June, giving them almost 2 months to decide what to do.

Room mate person is holding a huge Barn Sale today & tomorrow, which is part of her commitment to clear stuff out of here, prior to me discussing leaving the place to her to manage. So far, she's doing a huge amount of business, which in the long run is good for me too.

My moving out decision is feeling more like the right way to go each time I tell someone what I'm doing. Details are falling into place, there aren't any road blocks and I can sleep well even tho I'm making a big change. Means I'm on the right track! My biggest disappointment is telling my new walking buddy I'm moving too far away to meet 3X a week to walk.

We welcomed a young couple into the mix last night.........might work....or??? They do have some challenges, but what else would be appropriate for this place? Only one car, a part time job between them, 2 cats and 1 BIG dog. We'll see.... They are paying more than the last couple & seem willing to work too, which sounds like a good combo to me.

I've been advertising my moms apartment too, and today I think I had the first great response. The woman has done a drive by already and had a phone interview with my mom..........they are scheduled to meet at the apt tomorrow. That would be a great deal if it comes to pass.......a years lease and the amount I had researched.... another good combo.

Neighbors of the others houses' tenants called today........a bit of a soap opera going on in that neighborhood re; a culvert and drainage as well as a delinquent young man mixed with alcohol, a vehicle and goodness knows what else. The sheriff and the health department are both involved .... My tenants are the ones having to deal with this, not the ones causing it.... It makes it hard for me to keep reminding them they aren't paid up on their rent too!!!

And, if all this weren't enough, I'm trying to wade through the numbers about refinancing my primary home, to get some cash back. I have a bit more to scrape up for the dental work I'm getting done this year and this would almost do it. The payment would be lower, the interest rate would be lower.......and I'm pretty darned close to saying 'do it', especially since it is with the same company I have both the houses with now. No paperwork involved on my part, no appraisal needed either...something called Fast Track. It is sounding attractive at this point.

The check came today for the 2 classes I taught this month.... Payment came to $175. for Knitting!!! Such a deal. Money for having fun; my kind of job. I'm set for more classes Fall quarter already too.

Didn't spend anything.....but getting myself ready for the Big Spend day here soon. Property taxes due by the end of this month. YUK. Wouldn't feel so terrible if I thought I was really getting my monies worth!

OK, this is the 2nd try here to post an entry. I had almost finished a long rambling on post about my day & all the details when...........with much internal grinding noises, my PC flipped a few pages instantly and there I was viewing Thrifty Ray's latest post about her new job starting tomorrow.

Now, I'm always interested in Rays new adventures, but I would have liked to have finished my post before reading hers!!

So far, I haven't disappeared again....and all the error messages on my Add Entry page are not included this time.......so I'll do an abbreviated version.

I put ME first today, in line with my 2007 goals. Walked before I got started on the things for others.......and fit in a haircut......even tho I didn't have a coupon or a half off offer.

Interviewed a potential renter for the room here.....a single gentleman who says he loves to split wood. Is there a better way to make points with me???

I'm committing to sending the icky email to the tenants in the house.....the ones who want to reduce their rent by $600. I've checked locally, my rent there isn't out of line. The state hasn't answered yet, about the possible new home, if they do, I'm giving the tenants notice asap.

OK, that's the quick version........still probably more than anyone wants to know.
Will try this and see what happens!

Just when I thought all my last minute details had been handled, the phone rang. The woman with the 2 horses IS going to rent the pasture and she will be arriving in the morning.

I had a chance to review the contract with her on the phone.....and will be copying a blank one for her to fill in & leave with her check when she arrives tomorrow. I'm not sticking around for the move in. Room mate person has been assigned the task.

So, I will be renewing the boarding insurance policy come April 1st. We won't see profit on the horse business for a couple months...but there will be profit. Better than an empty pasture in my mind.

I continue to send out CL posts re; other ways to get some funds generated from the property. Not looking for more people necessarily, but parking of vehicles for a monthly fee. Wish I had an idea of where to post a sign on the nearest road....we're pretty much off the beaten path to anywhere.

I'm off to the store to pick up a short list of things I want to take with me tomorrow. Normally I would just go tomorrow on my way....but a couple of the tenants here have been here 24/7 all week, claiming "sick", and I'm in need of a break. It's a nice enough week end, I may take a little longer & stop at the trail for a walk. I have exhausted my patience for sick folks this week.

I did it. Shut the sewing machines down this afternoon after finishing the last clients items. (due tomorrow afternoon) Got paid for a couple orders today, will have to make one last trip to the bank tomorrow. I don't want to be holding peoples' checks until I return.

This gives me 2 full days to concentrate on packing. Plenty of time. I've been sitting things out for the last week (and yes, I use a master list of sorts), so I'm pretty close to ready. The suitcase I'm borrowing arrived today, so I can begin filling it tomorrow.

Glad I'm not taking my vehicle, or I'd have all the prep work associated with that. Mom drew that job. Her car is newer, but she has run it through the shop, checked tires, etc and the only thing necessary was new wiper blades.

Bills are paid ahead, I remembered to change my tax appointment and the TO DO list is definitely getting shorter. Still have to get the horse boarding contract copied and ready; just in case the new horses truly do arrive while I'm gone.

I am looking forward to some Calif. sun next week. The thermometer says it's 56 here, but it sure feels closer to 36 with the wind. Sitting outside by a pool, with a good book is sounding heavenly!!

Discovered a dead hen in the coop this AM. Not my favorite way to start the day, that's for sure. Fed the rest of the flock, then handled the dead one..........think of her as fertilizer at this point.

My weekend charge is here this week, so spent a tad of time cooking for him....and hours answering his same questions for the umpteenth time. (he has one continuous loop of sayings & questions....he definitely teaches one patience.)

Mom came for her perm.......she has had me do her hair since I had to stand on a stool to reach her head! Wonder how much money she has saved over the decades? She does pay me these days, but not what she would have to pay to get it done in a salon. Just wish she could cut my hair in trade...

My new yarn came that I had ordered last week. Bought it online and on sale...about the best I can do since I can't order wholesale anymore. (miss that!!) Plan to take all of it on the trip, so I don't succumb to buying any yarn full price anywhere along the way.

Several sewing customers picked up (and paid for) orders....and I spent time in the sewing room finishing one order for this week and making headway on one more. Only the BIG fitting appointment still to get ready for before I leave.

Realized I haven't been away from home this long since my parents used to move into my house & watch all the kids....back in the 70's. I left every January for a month and traveled somewhere....mostly on the cheap sorts of places... I think I've become way too used to just staying around home. It will be interesting to see if I LIKE being gone at this point in my life.

I see our weather report is going to put us over 50 degrees tomorrow....and it's been a winter wonderland here until just this afternoon. I will be out in the garden tomorrow, planting my new veggie starts so they are in before I leave.

Lots on the schedule for tomorrow, I have no business being up this late here.....

Wow, this is a first.

I listed a couple dozen new to us books today, on Amazon.com..... And, the next time I logged on, I had already sold one!

I never know what sells it seems........this was a total surprise. A book on how to take professional quality portraits. Nice, as it was a pretty expensive book.

Room mate person is on a roll, feeling some pressure to assist with the property taxes on this place. It takes very little time to list things like these books for her, and if the money goes in the tax fund, I'm more than happy. Works for me!

I'm still in the dark about what sells online........so, I'll just continue listing whatever gets brought to my desk here. So far, I'm re listing once, then returning the books to the room mate person; who then attempts to sell them in her swap meet booth. Not sure where they go from there........but, I've done my part. I would like a crystal ball as to what types of things would sell; todays sale just proves I know nothing re; what people are looking for!

Tomorrow is the day. I've never had any sort of oral surgery before, but tomorrow I'm having all sorts of work done. Wish me luck on the recovery portion of the event!

I've planned for this......and it was high up on my 2007 goal list, and it is funny that has really changed my outlook towards this fairly significant appointment. I'm looking forward to it, oddly enough. Mostly so I can cross it off my list. (boy am I a sucker for crossing things off!)

I am staying in Seattle for a couple days, so I can recover in peace & quiet....there is a serious lack of both at home here. I splurged and reserved a lovely room....with a huge tub no less. I figured if I feel awful, I might as well be able to soak in a tub at the same time. Maybe that will make it not so bad?

I've worked very hard the last couple months to see that I'm as nutritionally healthy as I could be prior to the "procedure" so I'd be ahead of the game when it comes to healing up.

On another good note......I got the remainder of the tenants rent check. Also got paid for another private knitting class today; they are beginning to add up!
And, a client picked up the most expensive alterations order I've ever done today. I was unsure about charging this much, but it was exactly what I quoted her & she truly was excited when she picked the clothing up.....so, it seems we're both OK with the number. Now, I just need to have a couple more weeks like this and see if I can get on a roll here.

Did have to send out a furnace repair person to the rental today; but he is a friend so hopefully it won't be too expensive. With luck, he can perform some magic and make this antique of a furnace heat up again. I'll have to handle the other complaints from the tenant after I get back home.....

It doesn't get much better than that.
I still find it truly amazing I can sit with someone & just knit .........and they pay me by the hour! Too fun. Had 2 new students today, both private lessons......they are quick learners, use yummy fibers and are both wanting to continue to learn new things. Can't wait to meet with them again.

Started my morning off with a walk with my new Craigs list walking partner. We've gone several times now & I think it is going to be a regular thing for both of us. (TA DA for me here, this was one of the items on my 2007 goal list) We're managing to get in a couple walks a week...no idea how far we're going yet, but it is a full hour each time. I'm learning my new friend is a frugal person too...she knits, cans, raises her own chickens, sews and loves to remodel & refurbish her rental properties. We both even used to square dance! Can't get much more alike. Nice to visit with someone that practices the same frugal lifestyle.

Sold another book on Amazon & got it in the mail. Averaging one a month. Need to get some more books from the room mate & get them listed......they won't sell at all unless I get them online.

Went to my moms for dinner, her twin, my aunt was visiting & we had a great time. Reviewed the plans for our March vacation to Palm Springs. I've been invited to drive them down & back......sounds like they want to do the same trip they usually do, so I think it will be a matter of how many casinos they can visit before coming back home in April. They are both pretty good at blackjack & usually pay for their trip plus $$$ to take home. I don't gamble, so I should have time to knit a few pairs of socks! They have a condo arranged for our time in 2 different places for the longer stays.....so it sounds like a fun time for me........no thinking required, sort of time off on auto pilot.

Spent the money to mail the book; although that is covered in the fees that will be added to my paypal account. Still managing to add to that account each month, so it is starting to look like something. Have never taken anything out of it yet......forget it's there, until I get the email saying my funds were deposited from someone.

I mustered up my landlord voice and called the horse lady again.........she did answer me this time and assured me she would be here this evening to start hauling her stuff out of here. And, the horses would be leaving tomorrow. No permanent place for them she said, but she has a temporary place lined up. Can't imagine how one comes up with a temp. situation for 4 horses!!

Got a check for partial rent on the house...and an email explaining the amount. It is a two family share situation, as the house is actually 2 homes, one up, one down. The Up people paid, the down people....not yet. So, now I wait again, to see if the downstairs folks bring some money to the table. If not, I need to ask them to move too.

None of this is working out well for me. Need to wait til Monday to make any calls re; renting the big house out again. I'm planning on posting a sign on the pasture fence after the current critters are gone; so that could be done by this weekend.

The only thing going great guns here is the sewing and the knitting. Busier than I remember being when I was doing this before. I think less people are capable of sewing these days....at least that is my simplistic reasoning for the numbers of customers.

I have begun a new venture here; in my spare time! Room mate person has been purchasing storage units at auction for years now. Selling things at a local swap meet, advertising in a little local paper. Not big money, but enough to keep going to more auctions. I am now meeting with room mate person every AM, and reviewing the Wanted posts from Craigs list. I can type and read faster than this person, so can enter a ton of responses as well as ads. My ulterior motive is if enough stuff sells.......room mates portion of the rent here is paid. So far this week room mates phone battery has died.......and the voicemail box has been stuffed to overflowing with responses. (I'm happier when everyone is working as hard as I am!!! )

The potential for this auction bit to become income to cover all the expenses here is a definate possiblity. I'm just not sure how long I can continue to work this close to room mate person. Practicing patience daily! Will continue to fine tune this whole set up.

I've apparently got customers who don't mind driving in this weather.....as I was busy enough today to have more than one person here at the same time! I just need to repeat days like this now....over & over all month long!

Also took time to sew from my fabric stash; or technically, my moms stash. She had given me some vintage fabrics a few years ago to put in the antique booth. I did. They didn't sell....so, today I took one chunk of gorgeous pink mystery fabric and made a throw pillow (had the pillow form too), and almost have the shams finished. Had to dig around to come up with backing fabric, but they should be done and on the bed by tomorrow. That project moved a few things out of the stash and got me moving towards finishing up my room.

Thought I'd found the custom mixed paint for the furniture, but after doing a sample area....Nope. Not quite. I like it, but it isn't at all what I need for the armoire. Might try it to paint all the cabinets in my bathroom.

Listed a desk on Craigs list, thought I'd give that a try before putting it on Freecycle......and it's sold and picked up, within 24 hours.

Room mate person added another $100 to her half of the rent. She is getting close to making rent this month! Yeah. Can't wait til she is up to speed again, and can start paying me the money she owes me for her truck. I had loaned her the down payment & the agreement was to pay me back after she finished paying for her bank loan. (this was way before I quit work...)

Since today is Sat, it's the day our local Freecycle group allows WANTED posts. I had made a commitment to post something each week, so I could keep working on this house, without the cash outlay. Todays request was for lamps. I have several people who responded, so just as soon as the temperatures are above freezing I'm heading out to round up the new lighting for wherever??? Not sure what I'm getting, but they all sound workable. I'm not too into decorating the common areas...just WAY particular about MY space. But, we're pretty much in the dark everywhere, as the overhead lighting consists of a couple spotlights on things like fireplaces, etc. So, free lights coming up!

Extra time this week end, as my usual Sat, Sun young man isn't coming this week. Hoping to make some more headway on my room tomorrow......

Mulling over the Do not Buy philosophy today, I happened to pass a church with a reader board out front,
"Whatcha gonna do with whatcha got?" and I started thinking more seriously about what it is I can be DOING to move myself along my list of goals.

When the same idea hits me from several directions at the same time, I know it is time to take a closer look. It's always something I already knew, but need to learn again or something.

Oddly enough, the first thing I did when heading out today was to SPEND money. What's with that you say??? I know......me too. But, all my projects here that can be done are hinging on needing a drill. I have the materials (most anyway), the person to do the jobs free of charge and the ideas of what needs to be done.........but a flaky drill that isn't mine. So, I'm the proud owner of a drill now, and lining projects up right and left!

Also stopped on the way home at the trailhead closest to home and walked for 30 minutes. Had one of my boys with me & he was at his limit....but it was a great walk.

And, just to tempt the universe or something, I checked Craigs list for bathtubs (my one real WANT here) and have found 3 online in our area...all under $100. One new that was used as a demo in a condo, 2 others that look fantastic too.... We'll see if any of them pan out...and if so, how amazing would that be?

Brought in an armful of fabrics I had been saving (like they need to age or something??) and have them strewn about my room, to see what works & to get my ideas firmed up. I can see a headboard recovering project & some new shams....along with the window coverings.

Finished a very frugal project this evening, by recovering my ironing board with things from the stash. I had fleeting thoughts of buying a new cover....and then banished them quickly. My ironing board is now beautifully new and just exactly like I want it! Free too!

So, a productive day......even got paid for one of the week end kids.... Will keep pondering the Do not Buy idea around here and see how much I can get accomplished.

We finally got hit with some of the power outages that have been happening here in the Pacific NW. Last nights winds toppled a couple HUGE trees near our street; taking out the power, cable, phone and the road.

When this happens at our place, we have come to the conclusion the biggest difficulty is Flushing. That's right. We are on a well, so without power, we are without water. Without water, the toilets are pretty much just for decoration. We did have our rain barrel with 50 gallons in it, so we were running out to the barrel and hauling water in to fill the toilet tanks. Lessons learned included.....it's better to fill the tank BEFORE you have to go.....

We were out of power over 24 hours....felt very Little House on the Prairie-ish here.

With help, I got the generator up and running..........and yes, had it outside the house. (Seattle had multiple people die from having them indoors; although I can't imagine doing that, the noise alone would be too much for me!) Kept the food in the fridges and freezer at the proper temps....didn't run anything else off it this time. I discovered I need a different kind of plug in order to connect to the generator thingy that is wired into the house. Will pick up one of those this week...just to be ready for another outage.

Cooked on the wood stove.........fashioned "pans" from heavy duty foil, as I didn't want to put my good cookware on the stove. Did a variety of things, including soft tacos from leftovers.

When the power did come back on, the water started filling the toilet tanks........one of the best sounds of the day!!! I'm so grateful for automatic flushing toilets!!! What a treat....we were all way too excited about this!

Update on 2007 Goals (already!!!)
I did mail out the letters to the horse people, giving them 30+ days to move out
Have begun to do more research on going rate for boarding any animals.

And........amazingly, room mate person paid a chunk of cash towards her share of the rent. Woo Hoo.

A good day.........Lots of positive stuff amongst the people here today. Adversity does seem to bring people together. Lots of laughter re; the hauling water for the toilets...... Everyone was busy doing things requiring no power which was a nice change. All the Christmas decor got taken down and stored away, I got my bathroom painted and put back together.....and the week end boys got to pee on trees!! (saved a bunch of water hauling!!) They will have stories to tell their parents come Monday.

Even though I know the "write it down, know where you're going" sort of planning mystery..........it truly jumps up and surprises me again and again.

Just wrote here about the steps I would begin making to grow my new little business & whoosh.........it's a day with multiple client meetings & a Money IN day too!

I've begun a relationship with the retirement apartments nearest to my home, and have 2 clients already. What a great exchange for all concernced. I only have one appointment, can see as many people as necessary there and get to visit with one of my favorite populations. Easy jobs for me, but fixing things people truly can't do for themselves. I am thinking of volunteering there a couple times a month with the residents who knit & crochet.....I would love to just sit & learn from a whole roomful of creative people!

My knitting student cancelled today at the last minute, which firmed up a new 2007 Policy (HA, the business is growing if I need policies!!) re; billing. I am going to have the classes paid for in advance this year, setting up a card for each student, to record the payment on, then keeping track of the class dates on the same card. Since I don't have my computer with me for classes, and often times they are held in public places, (and my memory is shot), I needed a way to track money & attendance anyway. Doing it this way, I can be assured they will call to set up the make up classes, rather then me having to call & see if they are still interested. Just pop students cards in my knitting basket prior to that class & I'm set.

Anyway..........before I had a chance to think about the free block of time, I got a response to my Craigs list posting re; sewing and I'm filling the slot by meeting a client & taking measurments for a window seat cushion. Works for me.

Forcing myself to whip up the You Must Move Out notices for the 2 horse boarding people. I've noticed they are almost out of hay out back, & I want to get them notified before they bring in a flatbed delivery of hay for the next quarter here.
I will get this done, I will get this done!

Additional monies coming in this month will include the new rental payment from the young couple renting the bedroom. I just couldn't charge them during Dec, as they were still trying to get out of their lease & I would have felt awful. They don't cost me anything; in fact, they are worth their weight to me! Now, I'll be getting paid for them helping me! Not Bad at all.

Roommate person swears she will have rental monies this week. She is still behind for November & Dec! The auto accident did put everything on hold for her, as she didn't have a vehicle for ages & had to borrow money from someone to get through that period. Having her move out isn't an option....I've agreed she can stay with me forever; she isn't capable of living on her own. I do have another couple that are part of this support team for her, so I'm not in it totally alone. I knew the rent bit was going to be difficult for her to keep up, but I'm managing to hold the line & not tell her "that's OK, not to worry about the rent". Instead, I asked her for time to meet........and then asked her where she thinks the money comes from when she doesn't pay her half here? She really had no idea. (there's more than a couple reasons she doesn't live on her own!!)

Just thought of another small step I can take re; the business .....I need to change my voice mail message....duh! Will aim for a quiet time around here and get one on there that includes the business.

Times up here.........off to meet the new client & then pick up the mirror from a freecycler. (will make a reminder note here too........be sure to list a WANTED notice weekly on the freecycle list to fill out the things I can still use for the business. No point in paying for anything!! )

Yes, one sale out of the two items I posted yesterday. Cash. In my pocket. And, some much needed table space cleared out in my sewing room.

No hits on the vintage linens yet. May have to bite the bullet and list them on Ebay. Have never done that yet, have had the account for years so am all set if I just decide to get motivated. It would clear out another box of stuff from the sewing area, teach me how to list something on line as well as put some more of that cash in my pocket. Maybe I'll divide it into 2 lots and then I can make mistakes on the first listing and do the 2nd one correctly??

No spending today. Met with a new client at a local retirement home. Advertising in their newsletter after meeting with the activity director. Apparently they had someone to assist residents with sewing, etc but currently are without! Timing is everything.

Picked up a freecycle coffee table.....thinking it is more my moms house than mine, but will make a great gift after a session with some spray paint. The wrought iron legs are black.....they need to be cream colored and it should be perfect for mom. This will be the 2nd free coffee table I've found for her! We shop periodically at more traditional sorts of places........like furniture stores!!! And haven't been able to find anything that seems to be IT. Free is good. She likes free almost as much as I do!

The sewing table project got started this afternoon.........all the lumber is cut & waiting for tomorrow to be assembled and screwed together. A beautiful 4' X 8' top to this event and 2 shelves the same size underneath. I'm going to be in heaven! (and I will have no excuse not to be organized with all that storage space!)

A good day all round!

My mail was about as varied as it gets today.

On the plus side, I got my paycheck for one of my week end boys, 2 knitting students paid for a month of lessons each and room mate person paid towards her rent this month.

And, in the How Nice (but I won't use it) department, I got a gift box of meats & cheeses as a thank you for the extra care for one of my boys over the recent snow days. I can certainly share this with the backyard people.....they will love it.

Finally, there was an invite to 'train' as a mystery shopper. Included was a VERY large check. Anyone else have experience with something like this? There is a list of 5 tasks to complete after depositing this check into my bank (or just cashing it). After finishing all the tasks, there is still what I consider a large sum of money that would be my fee. I just can't imagine this is for real.....but I did call the firm & got all my questions answered. Haven't done anything yet, my favorite thing when I don't know what to do......Do Nothing.

Living in the Pacific NW, I'm used to rain; but this is getting way past the ridiculous stage now. We've just shattered our own record of the wettest Nov. on record and there are days left in the month.

My yard is so wet I'm beginning to question how septic tanks work when the ground is so saturated. (Having it not work is not a pretty alternative) Hoping by some magic, the system still functions even tho we are all building arks here.

Beyond the rain, life continues here. I got paid for another months private knitting lessons, in addition to taking on an Emergency hemming job so someone could wear new slacks to their family dinner tomorrow. I had assumed my ad wouldn't pull anyone in this week due to the holiday, but it has been the busiest so far. Nice.

I'm up to speed for the dinner tomorrow, as well as the overnight company. Hoping to get to sleep early so I can be up with the chickens (literally) & get the pies in the oven before the cheesecake has to go in.......then the turkey, and on and on. Just need to get the clean linens on all the beds & I'll be good to go.

Sold another book on Amazon........plus received another invite to evaluate a product I had answered a survey about. Love those.

Did get the battery charged on the new Sonic Care toothbrush system & wow, I've never had cleaner teeth. What a deal this is. Even came with a travel case.

Hope everyone that will be observing Thanksgiving has a blessed day indeed!

Not a ton of money, but there was some to the good column here today. The dog sitting event netted $60.00 which was a nice surprise! I earned it, but it was still a surprise, since I was doing it as a favor.

Had company almost all day........sometimes they overlapped which made it feel like we had a sign posted somewhere that said "Come On Over..." These kinds of days make me tired. No reason to be pooped, but I am.

I did make a few people sit in my sewing room to visit, so I could keep working, as I have some orders that need to be ready for pick up tomorrow. (that means money in tomorrow too...love that feeling)

I need to bite the bullet tomorrow and send off the payments for the 2nd half of the property taxes. I've waited as long as I can without missing the deadline of the 31st. Have them all set up for online payment, so it's a snap.

Picked up a fabulous find on freecycle today. I had asked for a wooden headboard......and I got one. When I got it home & see it in the daylight......It is soooo much better than I imagined it. I'm so excited to start working on this project; it will be the centerpiece of my room if it turns out half as good as I can visualize it in my head. I will need to buy the foam, and whatever else I think it needs to make it cushy, but it won't end up being anything close to the $800. bid I had from the decorator last winter. And, the cheaper a project ends up being; the better I end up liking it. There is a definate connection between the two.

Knitting a scarf to barter for another massage. Wonder how many scarves she can really use??

Sold a $100 table at the antique booth today....that will help get the numbers up this month. Can't wait to see how it's doing......heading there on Thursday. I've got the mini van almost full of new items; let's hope there is room to stuff them into the booth.

Spent nothing today. Ate leftovers from the week end. Got rid of 2 more boxes of excess stuff on Freecycle. Got lots of help on the TO DO list from the new couples....we are starting to look clean & spruced up wherever you look. Good to have all this help & I'm going to be sure to add more things to the list every week. (no dummy here!)

We're full to the rafters here........all beds that is. Actually, we're out of beds and using the aerobed.

Found another couple, or they found me to be more exact. They are in the boys room until the week end. In the meantime, they are going to move the vintage travel trailer out from the overflow parking area and set it up as theirs in the back forty. No septic hook up, so they will be inside for bathroom & laundry........plus anything else they need. I love these two. Less than 24 hours after arriving, they have done things off my TO DO list already! What a treat for me.

Mom was here this AM, amidst the morning activity of all my new people heading off to jobs..... Good thing my mom is a go with the flow kind of lady! After the crowd thinned out, I gave her a perm and haircut, after which she promptly handed over a new 100 bill. Teased her about needing to get a perm more often!

Room mate person still dealing with car accident & paperwork (not her best thing). Truck out of the storage yard but not before a $700 fee. She just refuses to "hear" me when I mention things like how much it is costing per day for the vehicle..... Good thing she had the money; and unusual for her too. A few years ago, she would have had to let the vehicle just go. So, I guess there is progress. No word yet as to any impact this is going to have on me. Room mate person has pledged to cover any increase in our insurance premiums......It will be touch and go as to whether she CAN cover any increases.

Another no spender here for me. Also started a dog sitting event/favor for this week.....I know I'll get paid for this one too. Silly really since I already have a dog to walk, this one is no more work. But, I'm not going to argue when the doggies mommy hands me money next week!

I'm getting close to caught up on the sewing orders.......they were creeping up on me earlier in the week. Spent some time yesterday making organization from chaos in the sewing room too, which has helped my attitude. The nicer my space is, the more I love working in it. Funny how that works!

Made another "bed buddy" for my mom, hers was getting worn out and ugly. Simple white tube socks, (I put one inside another) fill with white cheap rice and sew shut. Heat in the microwave and toss in a cold bed while you're brushing your teeth.......absolutely heavenly to crawl into an already warm bed!! They are also nice to put around your neck, or on your lap. Saves turning the heat up sometimes.

Time's almost up here before everyone starts to return home. I truly love a full house!

The chicks are doing well......chirping away, starting to eat the food and definately drinking water. (must have been parched after 3 days in a box!) Heading out to the coop soon to tuck them all in for the night.

Had a couple sewing customers that came to pick up their orders.....Money IN. Love that! Both happy, both promise to return with more work. Got pro active and asked them each to tell someone else and also mentioned the knitting classes & group forming. (not usually so In Your Face with my work........but that is free advertising, I'm not passing it up!)

Respite kiddo here already........will have 2 this week end. Cooked ahead already, so not much involved meal-wise for the 3 days. Spent time in their room today & moved furniture....it's a better set up now. We dealt with the not so good lay out for a year.....Gads, am I lazy or what? The movers clunked the stuff down and that's where it stayed! Looks better now, and both boys have more space.

It was a no spending day here......nothing novel in that for me. Only went out at 5AM for chickens.....not much else going on at that time of day to spend money on anyway!!

Hung clothes outside; they almost got dry. I think they will feel dry once they warm up inside. I'm NOT going to run the dryer!

Going to bed REAL early, since I was up with the chickens before dawn today. They may be full of energy, but I wound down about 5 tonight........ Need to keep my eyes open long enough to dispense meds and get the kiddo into bed.

Did a little of both today......had a knitting student, so made money there. Had a request for particular painting supplies from the Navy man...(he has offered to do the trim on my windows this afternoon), so I spent almost what I made; but it is a good deal in my book.

I'm running out of energy and time with this painting project. I wanted to do some of it myself.....but I forget I'm not in my 20's anymore. Heck, not the 30's, 40's...either!

So, any help is appreciated at this point. Money well spent in my book.

Cashed my last paycheck from the part time job effort over the last quarter. Kept it all out in cash.......thinking I'll try an experiment to see when I run out of cash.

Was thinking to buy a pair of shoes today, so my interview outfit looks a bit more polished for tomorrow......but passed. They can take me in my birkenstoks. No one should be interviewing my feet anyway. Or, on the flip side, if my feet are happy, I will do a better job???

Better go pick up that paint brush and get busy!!!

My part time job officially ends tomorrow.....but the whole deal closed up shop today. At 3PM to be exact. I was on line checking email when I got home after classes today.......to find I had new clients to enter into the data base. Also a note re; some last minute changes I was to make to about 12 of the files.

I had time, so I started working on the list when I received the email about the data base shutting down at 3....I had only 12 minutes to go. I begged for a bit of time and finished at 3:09. Whew! I was a little cross eyed at first, trying to hurry. Because, of course........you all know what happens when one hurries?? I suddenly developed a case of several extra fingers and everyone that could, came to my door. (even a neighbor with their horse, wanting to borrow a pasture for a few hours!)

But, it's over, and I think I finished all that I could do. Certainly enough to warrant them paying me for Sept.

I managed to come up with a letter from a sort of supervisor person, got it emailed to the proper person (had to do that before Mon; got the request today) and I'm scheduled for an interview on Wed. (no location, no time yet)

Firmed up the parks & rec job, faxed all that paperwork in..........doubled the commitment to 2 classes, which will only be a whopping 4 hours; but it's a start with a totally new connection. I might be able to pull some private students from that pool too.

All in all..........a VERY busy day. We are feeling fogged in, as all the windows have been taped & plastic-ed for tomorrows paint job. I have 2 boys for the week end, I'm busy doing my impression of Betty Crocker as I type here.....cooking enough so I won't have to be in the kitchen much over the week end....... And, the last RV renter is being moved out. His surgery didn't go well, so he isn't able to come back here; so there are cars & trucks coming & going all the time.

It was a no spender & I even made some money today at knitting class!

Days like this remind me to get to the freebie list and start signing up for things! They also spur me on to slog my way through a survey or two on a daily basis.....even tho' I feel like hitting the delete button!

Today I received a FREE coupon for a package of Green Giant veggies, which was supposed to be something on a website....Can't remember exactly how this happened, but I remember contacting the company because the site wouldn't load for me or something. Got a nice letter AND the coupon! Pays to follow up on things!

Also received a $5.00 check for participating in a survey.....no notation on it as to which one; but 5 dollars is 5 dollars!!

Also got the $35.00 check for a freezer I recycled through our local electric co. Wasn't sure I was going to get this one, as there was much confusion with the freezer issue here last winter.

And, last but not least, I got diaper samples for grandbaby and natural sleep aides for me! Not a bad haul....

I took sample sizes of almost everything we needed on our little "camping" trip this week too. Thought about the ease of using them, how they cost me nothing but a tad of time here & there....and how they were so nice to just slip in when packing.
Grateful for all the folks that post the sites to send in for all these little bonuses. I still have no idea how they come up with all of them, but I'm glad they do!

Excited to start my day here........I'm on Day #2 of taking a morning walk!! (this is a huge TA DA for me... Now, to just keep it up) Also have a new client coming this AM to firm up a sewing order for the holidays, a returning client to pick up an order AND drop off more work to be done...nice. And, I've got a private knitting student this morning too. Top off all that and the house painters start prepping today, and the job will begin tomorrow. I'm way past being excited about the paint job! A year of looking at this partially done house, with the horrible color is way too long!

Well, now I've gone on a bona fide knitting emergency call. I've always told my students to call me, as there are many occasions I can offer assistance over the phone if they didn't want to wait until the next class..........

But, my brand new student (of yesterday) had left a message saying she needed help...and when she called again this AM, she had something I couldn't guide her through on the phone. Her cat had attacked her knitting, and removed the needles.......then drug it around several rooms of her house. Needless to say, as a brand new knitter, she couldn't figure out what way was up, let alone get it going again. (and I had cast on for her, as I don't like to have brand new beginners cast on AND learn to knit the first lesson)

So, I packed up my knitting supplies and off I went.... She paid me for another lesson, as I did stay the whole hour. Knit her off a piece of my work, and left her with more practice yarn on her needles. She actually knit 5 or 6 rows while I was there.....with no more than 1 error per row, which isn't bad, considering how hard she has to work to knit. It's definately not coming easy for her.

But, it's a money in day for me, as she paid me for a months worth of lessons today. Nice. And, a new concept for me re; how to bill for classes.

I'm gathering up items for our "camping" trip tomorrow, clothes out on the line, pantry items grouped together in the kitchen and perishable food listed so I won't forget them. I'm only in charge of the meal for the first night and then the drinks for the 4 days....so it's super easy for me. My goal is for the disabled young man I'm taking with me, to make the dinner......so it's going to be prepped, & ready, he just needs to assemble and take the credit. I know we'll be hearing about the dinner menu for years to come; he will be so excited to have participated. This is for sure one of those things that doesn't cost much; but will end up being priceless. Way more fun for me than buying something, that's for certain.

I'm having a terrific day here, everyone on the property is getting along, most everyone is working their tail off and I can see items getting chalked off the master TO DO list here. Love days like this. Productivity; gotta love it.

Met with my new knitting student this AM and wow, will I ever be earning my money with her! She is not a quick study, fun but wow, I had to take each and every part of my movements apart with my hands to try to get her to do the same thing.

She warned me she was uncoordinated, but I was not prepared for this amount of disconnect between her brain and her fingers.

By the time I got home this afternoon, she had already called here asking for more help!

I guess I can look at it as job security?? If she doesn't get discouraged & quit that is.

Gave a presentation for the other part time job, to potential foster parents.......still no word if that job is continuing. Stopped at the sewing machine store to get a couple parts for my old machine and got offered their teaching position there. Told him I would think on it, but I'd rather just do my classes solo & not hook up with a store. So, it's probably not going to be added to my numerous part time events I already have going.

Did spend money on my 2 parts for the machine, but will be able to make that back within a month I think. Both are parts I can't find, but know I had at the old house. So, it's a stupid expense in my book, but I was tired of having to make do.