Ads Are a Bit Better

 Wednesday, I wanted more salad to have with tomatoes, so Tommy went into Publix. Everything on the list was reduced, bogo or on sale.  Cheerios were bogo, as was the Fresh Express American salad mix. The biggie for me was carrots--two pounds for $1.79. So, I had him get four pounds, two packages. We may get more carrots before the sale goes off. We love carrots. The last time I bought carrots they were $1.29/lb. So, we have four pounds, each less than $0.90 cents. 

There were not many meat or vegetable ads we want to use, but if you want really cheap Nilla Vanilla Wafers, they are cheap at The Pig. There are lots of sales on snack stuff. The salad and carrots at Publix are better sales than I have seen lately. Most prices are only few cents cheaper.

On Wednesday, Tommy went out to water flowers. All of a sudden, the water was a fine mist and covering the porch I could see and the door. I wondered what was happening. Maybe his hand slipped, and the hose is on the ground. Maybe he is on the ground. Well, I will look in a minute, I thought. Finally, I saw him trying to hurry through the deep St. Augustine grass. When he came in, he said the hose developed a split. 

I gave him Alien Tape I bought and the directions to read. He took the Alien tape and went out to mend the hose and water flowers using a milk jug. He read the directions that said it might take 24 hours to make a good seal. Well, on TV the guy seals a hole in his boat and appears to use it immediately. Oh my! Maybe the ad is deceptive? At any rate, we will try to save the hose. I don't think either of us can replace the nozzle, the place where the split occurred. We do have another identical hose in the backyard. So, good for now, either way. 

Today, our only chore was to return two things--panties I bought 3 sizes too small, and a back brush. I did buy the correct size panties this time! Well, we did have another chore while out, but forgot it completely. So, it can be done when we are out tomorrow. 

Tommy stayed in the kitchen for a long time last night. Finally, he came in with a nasty gallon bag with rotting bacon, rotting I tell you. He found rotting salad. So, that went to garbage. I forgot what else he found, leftovers that were hidden. I just cannot bend so far for so long to find things. Besides, he shoves and shuffles things around. But, that is okay. 

Later, when I went into the kitchen and got something from the refrigerator, I was shocked. He had totally organized the refrigerator! I was so surprised. Good man! 

When we went out this morning, I commented that it smelled like something died outdoors. Looking around the porch, I could find nothing with my nose that might be the source of the stench. As he left to water, he said he supposed all the rotten food was now smelling. To high heaven, I would say. He took the garbage to the road before he watered, self-defense, I suppose since the flowers are near the garbage can. 

Last night, I could not go to sleep, so I sorted junk from Tommy's drawers in the bathroom. I have tossed things with expiration dates from 2002 to 2015. He won't miss a thing. I also piddled in the bedroom, sorting things of mine. I slept from about 6 am to 9:30 am and took a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. So, sleepy right now. 

I am in the mood for chicken, rice, soup, and broccoli casserole. I think I will add thinly sliced carrot coins and thinly sliced celery, maybe some pimiento. Tommy said it sounded good when I told him the first four ingredients. I thought of the rest as a delicious and healthy afterthought. 

Tonight, we are having leftovers--roast, salad, with green beans for me, and tomato. I think Tommy is making a salad with greens mix, tomato, red, yellow and orange bell peppers, zucchini and squash slices. 

Three Things Today

Today, I wanted to get up early and get started early. I had Tommy wake me at 9 am, and I got up and 9:30 and was ready to go at 10 am. Tommy is not accustomed to me feeling like going out that early...lol. So, he was rushing to put on pants. We had three places to go.

First, I needed to get some essential oils and rat poison. The other stuff only kills rats and mice, not everything that eats the poison or the mouse.  Animals cannot stand orange smell. So, I am going to take caps from water bottles, stuff a cotton ball into it and soak with orange essential oil that has other scents-- sweet orange, Spearmint, lavender, Ylang Ylang. Okay, I smelled it and it is strong! 

Last night, with a new potato and more of the Ratx, nothing came and ate. I am so disappointed. We will have to get someone to stuff steel wool into the hole. I have heard it does not work because things will just gnaw through the steel wool. 

Second, we needed more cups. I did get those and hope Tommy will soon consider the cost and agree to a dishwasher. I can hope. 

While there, I passed the Halloween dish towels. They were fifty cents each, so I got ten, just like I did last year. We use these freely. He asks for one when he is eating anything drippy. The way he has to lean back in his chair, not able to sit up fully, he drops stuff. So, this works, is cheap, and now we have more. While I was there, I got two potholders. For $0.50 each, they are a deal. 

I use these to put on the counter to drain dishes and another to dry dishes. They are handy. I got the towels and dish towels that are just fall themed and not bat or witch pictures. These even have mushrooms so a little retro looking. I don't think they are pretty, just clean and utilitarian. 

Third, we wanted to go to a newly opened food box giveaway. The other two have closed. These boxes are getting better! Thankfully, there are no goodies. The salty chopped chicken and the hotdogs are the only things I don't like receiving. Well, I love hotdogs and do not need them. 

A woman came to the car and volunteered we could have four boxes. She must have noticed our hesitancy and immediately told us to get it and give to neighbors. So, we got four and gave a whole one to young single mother in the neighborhood, the one whose father died. Total from 3 boxes we kept~~

• 3 one-lb chunks of sharp white cheddar cheese with bacon  
• 15 lbs potatoes
• 9 lbs apples
• 9 lbs onion red and white
• 3 tubs plain yogurt, 32 oz.
• 3 three-lbs bags chopped chicken
• 3 two-pound packages of bun-length hotdogs
• 3 overgrown cucumbers
•  6 tubs cottage cheese, 32 oz.
• 3 gallons milk  

I doubt I want the sharp cheese, but I will try it. Tommy loves it. I didn't know he likes plain yogurt or cottage cheese, but he does, as do I. I will freeze the chicken in 2 cup portions. The hotdogs are in the freezer in bags containing 6 hotdogs each. They lie flat with only 6 hotdogs and will make three meals per bag. We may have enough hotdogs to last a year, eating them sparingly. He has all the milk in the small refrogerator freezer.

There is too much salt in the chopped chicken, so I am going to try washing it off or cooking it and discarding the water. It is not healthy at all. 

We have a box of food to take and give to someone in a parking lot. When the Auburn game is over, we will go. I need a nap but need to freeze the chicken. 

We have two tiny gift bags of candy and soap bubbles for the children across the street and that will be our Halloween! 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Wasted Food, This and That, Amazon

 I was putting the three new Miracle Whips into deep storage...lol. Ooops! I already had three. This would be no problem except for the fact I cannot eat them before they go wonky. I am sure they won't kill me, but they are not tasty. I will give one away one of these days. I am still in the process of seeing how long it takes me to finish off one 30 ounce jar. 

Slowly but surely, everything will be put where it goes. 

The applications to receive a absentee ballot are ready to mail today.  This will be a first for both of us. Do you cast an absentee/mail-in ballot? 

Since both of my good printed outfits are rather skimpy around the shoulders, I have started the alteration process. I took the little belt from the black and white outfit off the pants. This is just a self-fabric tie belt in loops. When I get it taken apart, I will cut it in four pieces and use two on each shoulder. I think it will not be so bare and more to my liking. The resulting addition of a sleeve will be nothing more than a ruffle that at least extends over my shoulder. not off it. I have seem quite a few "sleeves" that are nothing more than a short ruffle sort of sticking out, not really hanging down on the shoulder. 

Wednesday night, I was trying to order something on Amazon. It was taking so long that I did not get dinner cooked before the debate. I forgot to put carrots and potatoes and celery and onions in with the chicken. I rushed and cut up potatoes for potato salad. When I tried to drain the potatoes, I dropped all the potatoes in the sink. I was so mad and discouraged. I stomped back into the living room on the verge of tears. I was sooo hungry. 

Amazon--I am finally ordering the dry iron I need. A gift card sent by a follower helped. I hate a steam iron, especially for pressing things I sew. Tommy is buying a pair of clippers for me to cut his hair. It has colored attachments for each length of hair it cuts.  It seems you cannot accidentally cut hair too short. I hope it is all I think. Have you used one like this?

Thursday, another food sorting session was only 30 minutes by plan. I cannot keep bending and picking things up and hurting my back and spending 3 days in pain. We quit even though we were on a roll. Tommy assured me I got a lot done. He took a box down the hall for me to transfer into bedroom storage. It feels good to have a plan for 30 minutes each day. This will occur at 2 pm every day. 

Today, the doorbell rang. It has never rung before. It looks broken, but still works. I received something I did not mean to order! I had put and Epson flatbed scanner in some list on Amazon. When I made a purchase, it was not there. When I checked a few days later, it was in my order! So, I owe Tommy. 

This scanner will transfer slide, negatives and film, besides photos. I don't know organized it will make me, but I won't lose more pictures like I did when my house went to the dump. I will store a cd with the pictures on it in a safe place. I have boxes of slides! 

These scanners were out of stock in June. I suppose people were spending their free time scanning photos. Have you spent time scanning and storing photos or organizing?

I am going to take a nap. I slept well last night and am getting over the infection. Temperature is normal, at least.