Ballet X

I was given tickets to the see Ballet X. I don't think I've been to a ballet since I was a child. It's at the Wilmer Theater in Philadelphia.

My co-worker Jen, won the tickets in the Philly Blooming competition. She couldn't go so asked if I would like them.

So this will be fun. Just need to come up with parking, which is always a problem in a city. Will probably make a day of it. Do we splurge on eating out at all? Always a question when income is limited. Well we can always go to Starbucks and get a coffee. But hey! I'm going to the ballet.


Christy

A Picnic at the Park

This is where we sat enjoying our picnic. Tuna fish sandwiches, oatmeal raisin cookies and coffee.

A fisherman and his catch a rainbow trout.

When I was a child we called these Dock leaves. If we got stung by a stinging nettle; which there were quite a few of where we played, then you would pick a dock leaf and rub it on the sting and it would take the sting out.

A little garter snake basking in the sun, until we came along.

Spring blossoms.

Christy

What's flowering this week?

Lasagna Manicotti

I made a cheese and tomato lasagna. Four layers of lasagna, layered ricotta cheese and mozarella cheese with tomato sauce.

I had bought a large container of ricotta and did not need to use it all in the lasagna. I wanted to do another dish, but not with a tomato sauce.

So I made, my take, on mushroom and cheese manicotti. First of all I hate to stuff manicotti shells, they always split on me. So I cook lasagna spread it with a mixture of ricotta, beaten eggs and a little finely diced onion, celery is good too. Roll up the lasagna and place in the dish. Top with sliced fresh mushrooms, mushroom soup and sprinkle with mozzarella. Cook at 350 f for about 25 minutes.

So two meals from a large ricotta on sale for $2.75 and mozzarella on sale for $2.50 the other items I had. Mushrooms a punt, $1.50. I used half. Tin of mushroom soup $1.00. Tomato sauce one bottle $1.25 and added frozen tomatoes from my garden.

Christy

Patio and Packed

The weather has been lovely for a few days, so have been able to enjoy my patio this spring. Dear Boy laid it for me last September.

We packed all the wood left over from winter and cleared up the wood pile area.

All nice and neat.

Christy

Cat and Mouse

Tuppy looking for the mouse she found in the garage, brought out and then let go.

Both the girls looking for the mouse. Mouse is sitting on a tuft of grass, centre foreground.

Tuppy watching the mouse. Eventually the mouse ran off into the wood pile, where Tuppy could not get to her.

Christy

Daffodils and a little bit of Skye

Daffodils and narcissus from my garden, along with a shell picked up off Coral Beach, on the Isle of Skye.

Plus my Light House Tile from the Isle of Skye, a gift from BB.

Christy

Canapes or Cookies

Don't you love it canapes. Does anyone eat canapes these days?

Packaging is a little dirty. Actually made in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Christy

Scrabble by Candlelight

Well maybe we're carrying frugality a little too far, with no lights on. No not really. The power went out all night in a storm. This was a few weeks ago. The wood stove was going and we all enjoyed a game of Scrabble as a family even Tuppy.

Christy

My Boy Rob in his wool cardigan

As you know when a child gets to be a teenager they have strong views on clothes. Rob has certain stores that he likes to shop in at the Mall. Mum thinks they are totally over priced.

Compromise. Where do the two meet? Teach son to shop off season and on clearance. So our compromise is, shop at the shops he likes, but off season on items that are markdown clearance items. This has worked well with mum going along, well I've got the credit card and do have an eagle eye for a bargain.

We found this lovely wool cardigan on markdown clearance for him, so was a great buy.

Christy

Planting Seeds

I decided to plant seeds this year rather than buying bedding plants it's far more economical.

I'm wearing one of BB's jumper creations. Cozy and warm in the early sharp spring air.

I saved all the plastic containers from last year when I did buy bedding plants, so that's a plus.

(enlarge photo to read mug, I love what it says)
Coffee goes down well, in my mug from Hefner's book shop in Cambridge.

Little cabbage shoots.

Christy

Forsythia from the Garden

March Madness Leading to April Showers

Well life can certainly sock you some punches. Mine has been pretty turbulent over the past month. Hubby lost his job and possibly they will not give him unemployment, we'll see. Of course when one looses a job in the States, it's not just a job and income, but also one's health insurance. For a western country this is insane, but there it is. So now comes the scrabble to get on some kind of State health care. Pennsylvania has Chip, so hopefully Rob will get on that. There is an adult health insurance plan for low income people, but the waiting list is two years. One could die in the mean time. And the paperwork, well I won't even go into that, but it's overwhelming. I was just going to take my files for the last two years and copy everything and send it to them.

I have always been thrifty, well always needed to be. We've had leaner times, but not as lean as this is going to be. You rack your brain what can I cut back on and cut out.

• Energy Use - I always have been thrifty on that putting in the wood stove a couple of years ago, and we do have a least a cord of wood left. Electric, well turning lights off etc, but there's only so much you can cut down there. Water usage the same. Although I would like to have some rain barrels, but they are expensive to buy in themselves, but will keep an eye out.

• Petrol - Well hubby is not driving to work, so that's a savings. And if you're not buying anything, you're not driving anywhere to buy it.

• Food - Yes, here comes the biggest bill you can cut back on. You hate to say this. but it's true. I probably spent $150.00 per week for three people. I've cut that back to $50.00 per week and I have sustained that now for five weeks. You might ask 'how can you do that?'

Cook. Well of course I did have some reserves of food built up and it's amazing how these now become an asset. We've been going through all sorts of older things that have been sitting around in my pantry for a while, or on my basement storage shelves.

Bo used to do a certain amount of his own food shopping for work, which consisted of some microwavable products, they've all been cut out of course. I make a lot of soups and do not buy steaks anymore. Do not buy any take out foods such as pizza or Chinese, when you have more money they don't seem so much. But when you are living on one part-time 3 day a week wage, they are. Don't even think of buying coffee out. If I feel I want a take out I take it out with me.

I phoned around locally to see if there were any food banks in town, and it seem there are several. I found one where all they wanted was ID. This seemed amazing since everybody else wanted to know you financial situation inside out and how much life insurance do you have? What a cheek. So they give you a card and you can get one bag of groceries once a month. Plus they usually have bread. Every little bit helps. A couple of friends have given me groceries and this helps. But it has been my experience that you must keep aside money for dairy products, meats and veg because mostly whats given to you is dry and tinned.

When you're on an austerity program which obviously we are, you need some little treats, for us that's sweet and baking. Using up a lot of things, pudding mixes, crumb pie cases that were just all sitting around, are now gone.

About twice a month I go to a fresh produce store. Rob says it reminds him of Spain, because of the images and a picture of a Barcelona soccer team. It's a breeze block building more in the country, people take a number and sometimes you can have quite a wait. Do make a list, because when it's your turn it goes at quite a speed. Some things you can pick out yourself, others are behind the very long counter. Bananas are so cheap. So needless to say a lot of our sweet deserts and cakes consist of bananas. I have quite a banana baking repertoire.

Meats I buy on sale. Last week I went $15.00 over on budget, meat buying, but I made up for it this week. All these are in the freezer and will last a month or more.

We probably get through three gallons of milk a week, which is I think quite a bit. As a gallon is $3.20 that represents $10.00 per week just on milk. Don't seem to be able to lessen that.

• Clothes - Well to me, you don't have to buy clothes. We have an older house with very small closets, so why buy more. Just route around and use what you have. The only one who does need clothes at different times is Rob. And he's a good boy because quite often he'll sell something on Ebay and buy what he wants with that money. I'm glad he's never been spoilt, because cutting back is taken in his stride.

• Pleasure - What does one do for that with no money? I've always enjoyed our library and reading so that's free, plus they have different programs there that can be fun. I recently attended one on Rain Gardens. Rob has his friends he goes over and visits, plus it is now the season for him to cycle more, which he loves.
  

I like to go to the thrift and so does Rob, so for a couple of dollars you can treat yourself to a little something, but not too much.

I love my garden and gardening, so this year, as I know I cannot afford bedding plants I have started everything from seed. Four packs of seed at the Dollar Store, for a dollar. So hope they sprout and I'll have veg and flowers. Bo has done a lot or almost all of the garden work which I usually do, which has taken a great deal of work off me. Just coping emotionally with the turmoil is a lot.

• Credit Card - We have always paid our credit card off each month, but as hard as I try it adds up. We charged our drivers licenses on there, plus our two vehicles road title, plus my vehicle needed inspection and Bo's does next month. So they were all extras. But as anyone knows there are always extras every month that come up. So keeping an eagle eye on the credit card balance.

• Mortgage - Our only debt is our mortgage, thank goodness. But in our situation, to lower the monthly payments, we found the need to re-mortgage. I didn't want to, at out time in life, as everything was ticking over nicely, but needs must.

As of today our family does not have health insurance, we'll see what happens on that.

And March madness has led to April showers, or should I say storms, because now it seems we need to have a new trap on our sewer system which will cost $3,000.00. When things go wrong it seems everything goes wrong. Plus to do the work you need a permit from the Borough and now they have a new tax on work you do 3% of what the job will cost you, you have to pay to the Borough, as if it isn't enough to have to pay for the job.

Unfortunately there is not much of a social government network in the States, so in hard times you're pretty much on your own and you'd better pull yourself up by your own boot straps or sink.

It is nice to see the sun and my seedlings are coming up.

Will keep you posted on the Frugality not of wanting to but having to live that way.

Christy

Where Have I Been?

It's been a roller coaster of a ride.

Hubby lost his job and what this means for an every day family, in an economic downturn in the richest country in the world.

Christy

Favourite Food

Carrot cake with molasses icing.

Stuffed chicken.

I love the molasses cream cheese icing, it's a favourite. A roast chicken dinner is too. I make my stuffing with sauteed onions, chopped apples, old bread diced, raisins, a little chicken stock, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. I'm one to always use left overs. I added some grated carrot left over from making the carrot cake and some left over pasta to my stuffing, plus a few older mushrooms. It was good. If the cavity is full I pull up the breast skin and stuff under there.

Christy

Cardinal in the Garden

Squirrel Broach and Items on Clearance

Little framed squirrel broach.

I came across some fabric with little winter animals on, it was just so sweet that I had the idea to make them into little broaches. I know we should be thinking of spring.

I chain stitched them with metallic rainbow thread, just to see how it would look. Creations are always a work in progress.

I will put this in my Lil Bit Brit Corner Store.

This is the thread I used, it was on clearance, along with these little items below.

Christy

More Additions in my Lil Bit Brit Corner Store

Some more items added to my Corner Store. Knitted scarf and gloves, hand sewn felt broach and Austrian crystal decorative zipper pull attachment.

Christy

Grand Opening of my Lil Bit Brit Corner Store

These are some of the items in my Blogshop Corner Store. Please pop over and have a look.

I wanted to spend time on it Sunday before the busy working week started, but no the computer was commandeered by my son, he had to do homework, which was one of those marathon deals, typical boy teenager. Needless to say I did not get on the computer.

I also want to have a Grand Opening Give Away, will post that later in the week.

Well bye for now.

Christy