Decluttering, Feeling Puny, Spaghetti

 There has been no rain in three weeks. Last week, we had 0.003 of an inch of rain. Or, was it 0.03 of an inch. Either way, that is not a lot of rain. Combined with the leaves falling and something growing to which I am allergic, I am fighting a battle to the end of the month! Humidity is 29%, just the way I like it whether hot or cold. 

The first time I was ever ill the whole month of October, I had just gone back to school, taking a heavy load. I failed one class and dropped another. The class I failed was a humanities participation class, 1 hour! Other students asked me how I failed that class. Easy! You don't ever show up. These were lecture, dance, theatre, and always on Friday night. I went to class on Tuesday and Thursday that semester, plus one class on one Saturday, and a Sunday class. Going on Friday was just something I could not handle. So, I failed. I was beyond annoyed at my state of health. Every year since then, 30 years ago, I have been ill every October. 

Ground beef is now $3.99/lb. and boneless skinless chicken breast is $2.99, prices I have not seen so low in almost a year. Hopefully, this will be a trend, lower meat prices. 

I had a coupon for a free loaf of bread. There was a bogo sale for the same bread. So, I should have been able to use the free coupon to "purchase" one loaf and get another free. I explained all this to Tommy when he went in to get it. But, did he get that deal. No, he gave up a coupon AND paid for a loaf of bread. If the coupon could not be used that way, I could have saved it until bread was not bogo. Did he do that? No! So, I have to go back and get some sort of satisfaction. He wasted a coupon. 

We took four little plastic grocery bags with things in them to the Thrift store and put them in the donations. Tommy insists that t-shirts should go in the trash here at the house. Finally, he said they had to go for donations even though these are old and will bring money. He wants to drop all old electronics into the garbage in front of the house. I really don't understand his thinking. But, three small bags are gone from the house. 

I have had a 42 ounce can of pimiento waiting to open and share with my neighbor for over a year. I finally did that, so one can and clutter off the counter in the kitchen. We took it to her on the trip to grocery and thrift store. There were seven people/cars waiting at the pharmacy drive-through, so we will do that another day. 

I am struggling to stay well. But, in a few minutes, I will wander into the kitchen where he is cooking ground beef for spaghetti. I will add caramelized onion, garlic, and olive oil to the jar of pasta. We can have a salad. 

On Monday, when I awoke feeling on top of the world, I looked for otc meds I keep in a bin in my bedroom. I try to never let my otc meds run out. Since I struggled to find dental floss in the store about 18 months ago, I had bought a box of six from Amazon. And, where was it now? So, I uncovered my favorite dental floss, Glide Pro-Health Original. I have no idea if the shelves are stocked with what I need, but my bin is stocked. If there is any on the shelf, it is probably higher than the price I paid last year.

Thrift Store Shopping, Free Rollator, Oats Cheap

I saw a thrift store as I just went along for a ride as Tommy went on n errand. He agreed to stop at a thrift store on the way back. I found two pieces of Corning Ware. I got tiny skillet, Corning ware casserole type thing, a cup, and a pair of socks for $7.24. I think. The socks are black trouser socks. They are too short to wear with any of my present pant, but they were $1 with a percentage off.

I like CW. Both the skillet and casserole are very small. I will use the little casserole thing for microwaving oats. Tommy is resistant to the idea of oats overnight in the Crock pot. He whined he does not know if he wants to eat them that many days in a row. I explained I am not going to make the crockpot full. Besides, he can skip a day. Presently, he eats the same cold cereal every morning. I would make oats in the crockpot sooner. But, until yesterday, I had no oats. Still I have no sugar! Yes, I will eat sugar. Also, I have no cinnamon.

There were no cooking utensils, just forks and spoons and the plastic claw-like things for dipping spaghetti. There was very little cooking stuff on the housewares aisle. No lids at all!

I saw a bin labeled "scarves," looked and there were none, just odds and ends. I need a black scarf. By this time, I had covered little ground, just stood and waited as other people with grocery carts and I tried to get past each other. As I was hurting and Tommy was in the car, I got into an interminable line that finally got to the register.

Today, I found the 42 ounce cannisters of Quaker old Fashioned Oats for $3--great price. I bought one canister for $4.98 out of desperation. Then, I saw this unadvertised deal.

Sunday, the guy brought the rollator to me. We got it out today, and I love it. It is such a pretty color--Plum with sparkles in the paint or finish, sort of like subtle glitter. With this, I can sit down, whereas, my last walker had no seat. Plus, it did not have four wheels, only two. Walking does not hurt so much with this. I am not going to use it often, but I will in certain circumstances. One thing I have against walkers is that I am bent and looking at the floor when I use one.
rollator was already adjusted taller than Tommy's, and I had him adjust it even taller. I stand straight.

I need the bag that hangs under the seat and the bag that hangs onto the back piece. Tommy wants a drink holder. He wants it for carrying coffee.

Last night, I cooked the pork loin in the pressure cooker. I am absolutely certain the handles were aligned. However, the handles were about 1/2 inch off center. The pork, carrots, and onions were burned to a crisp. Only three carrots were not dead. The rack is black and so is inside of the cooker. Abut a cup of liquid escaped all over the stove. It's a mess and still not cleaned up, so that has to be done. We are having with bbq sauce to sort of tamp down the scorched flavor of the remaining meat.

The portion we ate last night had very little scorch. I am quite sure it will be stronger tonight. The quarter inch that stuck to the rack will have to be soaked off in a bit.

It is down in the low 40s and I still get hot at night. I only need something to cover my skin when I am up, so I am going to Dollar General to see the things they advertise as $10. Maybe nothing. These will not be worn in public.

I am through writing anything tonight as I need to color my hair, clean the pressure cooker, and get leftovers out to eat. I had sugar, I would eat oats. Maybe I will just put jelly and butter in the oats. I have done that before and not because I was out of sugar. I have raisin, too.

Decluttering and Thrift Stores

`It is almost noon on Friday and I have covertly and overtly cleared out a few things. I carried a very heavy bag of newspaper from a dining chair to Tommy in living room, asking him was there a reason he needed this. He said, "No, it was when I was saving paper for you." I said I would throw it away for him, and he grunted out "okay." Now, there is an empty chair in the dining room. I am going to try it out and make sure it does not fall over or down. It seems rickety to me. But, I am accustomed to wooden chairs, not vinyl and metal.

He got a new garbage can last week from his former company, and this week they took it away for good. A new company delivered their can, so we now use it. Where it is located is easier for me to use. Before, I had to lean on the ramp to get the lid open. But, I am sure this is easier for Tommy. Where he leaves it is up to him.

Since it is raining and I have to go out the front door, down the winding ramp, beside our cars and to laundry room, I decided to brave the back door. It is two brick steps to carport floor. Oh, his house is all brick. Brick steps are harder for me to navigate and there is no railing to hold onto. I had Tommy come to the back door and hand me the laundry after I was safe on the carport. It worked out well, so maybe I will never go out in the front yard to do laundry! I can safely get back in the house by myself.

On the way to the back door, I spotted an empty bandaid box on the floor and half a bottle of shampoo. I threw away the bandaid box and asked him about the half-empty of shampoo. He said he just never picked it up. So, I suggested I could put it in the bathroom. He agreed.

Both my mums were on the way to becoming crispy, so I put them out last night to get a good soaking. Dead-heading them will help them, too. Mama gave me a cast-iron pot that the thieves did not take because it was cracked. Well, now it is more cracked and paint is fading. I thought it was cast iron but the paint confuses me. At any rate, it makes a very good place to display my other mum.

I am now down to one nice outfit to wear to the dinners and church. I purchased a sweater, sort of faded, darker orange, nothing very orangey. I wear the black top and pants purchased separately but the same brand and the orange sweater. I have gotten more compliments! I have a black sweater and a long red sweater to wear with it. So, three looks, one with necklace. I either need more sweaters or more outfits! LOL. The other two nice outfits are summery, but they will come out at the first hint of spring. Both are sleeveless, so a sweater won't make me too hot.

Thrift stores

When I said I cannot stand to shop in thrift stores, I did not mean I have an aversion to shopping in thrift stores, I mean I cannot stand up that long. I have borrowed Tommy's rollator, the kind you can sit in for a few short trips in stores. Mostly, clothes in thrift stores are crowded on the racks and the space between racks is narrow. So, I hated the crowding before this condition of mine. Now, I cannot get the hangers off and back.

Last Sunday, I told Tommy we had to go to thrift stores so I could find a lid for this skillet. Well, it is a Teflon skillet that I hate using and I think I ruined it. So, maybe I don't need a lid...lol, just a skillet and lid.

About thirty-years ago, a friend and I haunted thrift stores. I bought most of my throw pillows in a nasty thrift store on Bessemer highway. It may not be there now. I can tell by feel which pillows are stuffed with chopped foam or fiberfill or really nice fiberfill or feathers. I bought the pillows and put them in a bag in the trunk. At home, I carried the closed bag to the washing machine, put the bag head first in the washer, pushed them out, and took the bag out to the trash. I was very unsure of what I was bringing home with the pillow stuffing. After I dried the pillows, I cut off the cover and the cover on the stuffing. From old scraps of white material, I made a new cover and sewed on three sides. I slipped the fiberfill in the new cover and sewed up the fourth side on my machine. Shortly, I had a new pillow form! Then, I made decorative pillow covers with envelope enclosures for outdoors. When I had company, I had pillows. When I brought them inside, I took off the yard covers and put covers on to match my indoors.

The point--I am not afraid of thrift stores. However, I have bought clothing that odor never came out of like I thought it would. My house and yard were filled with junk store, antique store and few new things. I knew how to paint, use a table saw, use my clamps and screwdrivers. So, things were made nice and whole. There was a point where I could drag things into the trunk and into the house. If I could not, I had John, best friend, help me. I had other friends, male and female, who were always willing to help me. I helped them, too. One woman called me first to help her move a twin mattress, so when I needed to move one, I called her. Luckily, she lived around the block. The guys were from National Guard and sent by my friend who worked there. They came on lunch hour to take a clawfoot tub from the bathroom! I probably picked up too many heavy things.

When I went into thrift stores about ten years ago, I leaned heavily on the grocery carts and spent lots of time. This time, I will lean on the cart and not spend so much time. Remember X sizes are not found much in thrift stores! But, I have a mental list of things I can look for in other sections and are on table, not hanging on rack.
I have bought bread machines for $3 or $4 and made one loaf of bread. Then, I would sell the bread machine for $10 more than I paid for it.

So, no one need mention thrift stores. I know about them and used them for many years. During those years, I made all my outer clothing, panties, and bras. I did not make shoes...lol. I cannot wear acrylic at all, and much of what I find in Belk's and that I did find in thrift stores has been acrylic.

As I go into the kitchen to get lunch, I will find something to toss, like empty box or lid under a table. All the junk plastic he took from the refrigerator and stacked by the refrigerator is gone. Yet, he has never mentioned it. I wonder if he is really okay with it, but he is not saying anything so he won't have to admit it is okay. I found a cup with the handle broken off in the other side of the sink, the crowded side. I asked him if it was okay to throw it out. He wanted to know how it got broken. And, could I find the handle. I told him I had not seen it and he could look for it. He just said, "never mind." And I threw it out.

He has the nastiest two pot holders I have ever felt, slimy feeling. I cannot take it. I had just bought 6 when I had to leave them behind. Tonight, I told Tommy I was going to throw these nasty ones out when I got more. He said, "NO, those are MINE!" So, I will leave them here when I go.

For dinner we had baked chicken breasts, two really small sweet potatoes, salad with Romaine, carrots for him, and a whole tomato each chopped in the salad. Even though we only ate half a breast apiece, it was plenty. So, I have Saturday's dinner done. I bought tomatoes Tuesday back home from my favorite farmer. Dinner was delicious. He has never had so much good food since I met him.

The sweet potatoes need to cure more as they are not as sweet as they can be. The guy who owns the sweet potato farm warned me to let them cure for a couple of weeks in a room with temperature over 55.

We have not left the house all day long and will not leave until it quits raining, maybe Saturday evening. I have a list going of things we need. He writes the list as I tell him what to put down.

Is it rainy around your area? It seems there is rain everywhere except in California where they need it.