Couponing 101.....Addicted to Saving

If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting.
 Benjamin Franklin

 Hi ya'll.  So much to catch you up on!  I am all about saving money whenever I can.  Even Simple Living folks have to eat and feed their animals (hard to believe since many people think we are a different species)!  So, there is a new money saving hobby on my horizon.....wait for it......wait for it......extreme couponing!  There I said it.  This is something that I thought only a special kind of person could do.  Ain't so!  In the time it takes me to sew a new pillow, I can clip and organize my coupons (with Becky's help of course). 

Sorry, we'll have to continue later.  Boss just called and needs me to work today and I still have to run into Muskogee and then feed animals, shower, dress and find a good attitude before I go.  Talk to you later.

Sorry folks! "Talk to you later" has now been a couple of weeks!  My world seems to be spinning faster and faster (and I like slow and easy).  Anyway, back to my "adventures in couponing".  I love it!  I so love it!  Hello, my name is Linda and I am absolutely, positively, unquestionably addicted to couponing! 

This not so new (but the cool thing to do now) kind of currency is even better than the American dollar because my store (Homeland) doubles the face value of the manufacturer's coupon up to one dollar.  So, if I have a coupon for one dollar, it magically becomes two dollars when I use it according to the fine print on the coupon and before the expiration date.  Ain't that peachy?  Just a note if you are new to couponing:  under no circumstances can you photo copy the coupon.  It is illegal and will bring down the wrath of the legal system upon your head.  Bottom line:  don't do it!  There are far too many legal ways to optimize the coupons without going to jail or paying a huge fine.

I have two favorite sites that I visit daily.  krazycouponlady.com got me hooked!  She has all the basic free down loadable binder categories for creating your very own coupon binder (my household savings Bible). Then we have the local (Tulsa area, Sarah Roe) moneysavingqueen.com which has matchups (weekly sale items matched up with coupons) which saves me a lot of time.  There are also weekly menu plans using the items purchased with coupons.  What a deal! What a deal!  It is like pushing the easy button on savings. 

My first week of serious couponing, I saved over 50% on my groceries and banked (savings account) over $75.  Can somebody give me an "atta girl"? I rock!  I consider couponing my second part time job and with a far better reward for my efforts and a really nice boss (me).  Then there is the "helping others" aspect of couponing.  When I use coupons and store rewards to "purchase" free tubes of toothpaste, shampoo, razors and many other items, I then can donate them to family, friends, church and other non-profit organizations without blowing a hole in my budget.  It's a little bit more complicated, but Walgreens is the best place for these items (they do not double coupons). If you aren't excited about couponing yet, someone needs to check you for a pulse. 

You know by now that I love books.  Hold in my hand, made of paper, feel the love real books.  To increase my knowledge of couponing, I bought and strongly recommend the following book to help you get started:

There is also the magazine for couponers called All You available at Wal Mart or by subscription. There is also a website allyou.com  Look in your Sunday Newspaper for coupons and store sales flyers.  Our grocery sales begin on Wednesday, so I look online at the sale flyer for Homeland.  The moneysavingqueen.com does the matchups for me.  At the grocery store the coupons that print out at the end of the sales (white with red stripes down both sides) are called catalinas and are based on what I purchased.  Look at the fine print because one of mine said $2 off 2 coconut milk but in smaller print it also listed Almond Milk which is what I had just purchased.  I also have two $1 off single item of the milk which will make my next purchase 2 x $3.89= $7.78  without coupons.  Then I apply my coupons.  $2 off  for 2 half gallons of milk catalina coupon = $5.78  Then I use my two $1 coupons which are then doubled to equal $4.  So my final cost for two half gallons of almond milk is  $5.78- $4.00 = $1.78 or .89 cents each.  How cool is that! Some cashiers say I can do this, some say I can't, so I need to check the store coupon policy before I go again. (I use a handheld calculator because the side of my brain that is suppose to do math does not work very well).

Stay with me here, and I will show you how to use coupons much more effectively.  Shopping with coupons has quickly become a Simple Living mindset.  My favorite savings (and there have already been many of them) was buying Pilgrims Pride chicken breast.  Homeland had the chicken on sale for $1.29 per pound.  The Queen did the matchup for me and provided a link for a $1 off coupon (they will usually allow you to print the coupon twice).  So here is the math:  Package #1 was $2.88. My pilgrims pride coupon for $1 is doubled to equal $2.  My first package cost me .88 cents.  Used the same method for my second package priced on sale for $2.90.  Apply coupon (which magically doubles) and my final cost for the chicken was .90 cents. 
So  4 1/2  pounds of chicken breast for $1.78.  Are you feeling the obsession yet?

Like anything new, I wanted to take it for a test drive.  So small purchase first to find my footing.
4 boxes of chocolate cheerios, 4 cans progresso soup, 2 laundry soap, 5 lbs apples, 1 small bunch of bananas.
$16.99 (taxes included in this) until I added fruit which rarely has coupons available.  Saved 56% on this one!
Plus a Catalina coupon for $2 off two almond milk and $1 off four lean cuisine (will use this one when they go on sale again, usually 4-6 week cycle).

Saved 52% on this one.  Banked $75 in savings account from both of these!

This is not really magic.  It just feels like it.  If a math idiot like me can do this so can you.  If you are willing to learn a new way of saving money, take the time to clip and organize, shop with a new mindset, then you too can be a money saving queen in your household!  My coupons can let me be in control of how much money I spend on groceries, beauty supplies, household items and much, much more.  You can do this but you can't do it effectively if you only spend 5 minutes preparing for your shopping trips.  Take control of your money and then you can take control your life (at least financially).  Happy couponing from Harmony Acres and Simple Living! 

If you can, you will quickly find that the greatest rate of return you will earn is on your own personal spending. Being a smart shopper is the first step to getting rich.

~ Mark Cuban

Nature is my medicine. ~Sara Moss-Wolfe

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. 

~John Burroughs

Hi ya'll.  Harmony Acres is working her magic and I have begun my mental and emotional journey back to the land of the  living.  Nature gently embraces me in an invisible healing hug. I find inspiration everywhere I look.  My friends and family have been incredibly understanding as I attempt to find my way back to "my normal" (which was different than everyone else's to start with).  The tragedy has forever changed my perception of life but I cannot and will not allow fear to control me. I was born strong willed (stubborn some would say).  Every journey begins with one step.  Baby steps, baby steps.  Just take it moment by moment until I conquer all my new found phobias.(Driving the car, seeing a motorcycle, any approaching traffic, people treating me different because I act different, crying unexpectedly, shaking uncontrollably and on and on). 

 My Simple Living odyssey that I had been on has given me a strength that I was unaware that I possessed.  Don't get me wrong, I am still frail at times (the meds help and you know how bad I hate pills), but I will find my way back (Beck won't allow anything less from her mom).  

My goals are:

1. Daily yoga and meditation to relieve the anxiety and panic attacks. (many friends urge professional counseling.  Me?  I'll do it my way, thank you very much.) Besides, this is as close as I can get to an herbal remedy for my soul and I don't want some stranger poking around inside my head and messing with the junk in my attic.
2. By the end of the week I will drive myself to Warner (this will take me through the crash area). Just the thought of it  makes me sick at my stomach.
3. Go back to work next weekend. Why? Cause I want to be normal again.
4. In two weeks I will no longer need the anxiety pills (I hate pills).
5. In one month I will be able to drive my car without my hands shaking uncontrollably.
6. In two months my comfort zone will once again be anywhere I can drive my car and not just the five acres that Harmony Acres sits on.

As I have told you before, Harmony Acres is a place for healing.  Harmony restores that which is broken.  As God uses broken vessels for his divine purpose, so he uses nature to heal broken spirits and soothe the anguished soul.  So it is. 

Back on May 25, a freak wind storm came through.  None of the light weight lawn ornaments were moved or turned over.  However, our beloved willow tree (planted it in the early 90's) was laying flat on the ground.  After the initial shock of the loss, I decided to try to salvage parts of it for furniture.  Many people told me that willow was too weak to be useful for any purpose.  So I waited.  It is now July 30th and this weak, damaged tree is still alive.  Even though a freak incident knocked it down, it is still firmly grounded by it's roots.  It is still thriving and surviving.  I can certainly relate to this. 

My willow was knocked down by a freak accident but it refuses to surrender to it's circumstances.
Life can be like that.

           God has made me a promise in 2 Timothy 1:7:

 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

This is his promise to me and this will get me through this fire storm of life.  I can only speak to my pain because I cannot even imagine the sufferings of the others touched by this tragedy.  Please know, you are never far from my thoughts and are in my prayers continually.  

Another famous quote that I love and gives me cause for hope:

"I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much." — Mother Teresa

Middle age is the awkward period when Father Time starts catching up with Mother Nature. ~Harold Coffin

Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough.
Charles Dudley Warner

Good Morning from Harmony Acres! Guess what?  It's only 96 degrees at 11:00 a.m. this morning!  Muskogee County is under another excessive heat warning!  I've decided not to whine about it today cause it is what it is.  Instead, I will just sit here under my ceiling fan, oscillating fan, wind tunnel fan and window air conditioner (Becky stays wrapped up in a blanket and a heavy robe while I fry).  At my age (closer to 60 than 55) anything over 76 degrees is like living in an inferno (I expect to see Daniel and the Lions at any moment).  Lord, please send rain.  And lots of it.  I won't whine.  I promise.

Water colored memories from April........

Let me tell you, post menopausal is a life stage all it's own!  I live in my personal climate zone (nothing is cool enough. that weird thing Mom used to do with a wet washcloth hanging on her neck year round , now makes perfect sense to me), stuff that used to be flat and taunt is now fluffy and flabby (say goodbye to bathing suits and short shorts) and to add insult to injury, my attitude can go from sweet and nice to psycho in the blink of an eye.  It ain't easy being me but it is what it is.  Anyone spending any length of time with me had better have a sense of humor and an emergency exit strategy!

It's funny til it happens to you! Real Women! Real Issues!

Anyway, having said all that, let's get down to the business of Simple Living.  I have found that my wants no longer exceed my needs.  I enjoy the slimmed down, new, improved version of life as I know it.  We spend our lives chasing after a material rainbow only to discover it is all an illusion.  Stuff cannot make us happy.  Stuff becomes a burden.  Stuff requires extreme security measures.  In the end, stuff is just stuff.  If it has no practical use or sentimental value (something of Mom's or Dad's), it is just taking up space. My Stuff (or lack of it) does not define me as a person and if that is the measuring stick you use then I feel sorry for you.  The best things in life do not have a price tag attached.  It is what it is.

   

Here is a list of ten things that I can do without to live a frugal and simple life:

1. A new car before the old one wears out. (the last one was running on 3 cylinders before I surrendered it to scrap)
2. A big screen T.V. (the one we have now, has a blue stripe down the middle.  i don't even notice it anymore)
3. A Zero Turn Lawn Mower (the mower I have still runs, sort of)
4. A new wardrobe for every season (I have boxes and boxes and boxes of clothes that I don't wear. why add more to the chaus?)
5. A matching pair of shoes for every outfit I own. (how many pairs of shoes do I really need? I only have two feet) 
6. Matching jewelry for every outfit I own. (how many necks, arms and fingers do I have?)
7. A haircut every month. (at my age growing hair on my head ain't that easy)
8. A manicure and pedicure. (really, I work with my hands in dirt, pooh and other unspeakable stuff. a chipped nail doesn't bother me)
9. Eating out cause I'm too lazy or too busy to cook (not going to happen)
10. A week at a spa and resort. (O.K. I would really like to have this one but it ain't gonna happen).

Well, thats all I have to say today.  Well, there is one more thing.  I know. I know. Yada, yada, yada.  Just shut up.

Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot.  In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you. 

 ~Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man under Socialism, 1891

"The little things? The little moments? They aren't little." ******* John Zabat-Zinn

"The trouble with simple living is that, though it can be joyful, rich, and creative, it isn't simple."
Doris Janzen Longacre

Good Morning from Harmony Acres!  It's been a tough week, ya'll.  Last weekend, one of my customers at the little store dropped a bug (tummy virus) on me.  So, that slowed me down for a couple of days ( I was still able to mow the yard a little at a time) and then:  I woke up yesterday morning with my left eye swollen shut for no reason.  It's even worse this morning!  I look like a troll!  A troll, I tell ya. A one eyed cyclops! (unfortunately, no magical powers came with this transformation).  A.......One Eyed Flying Purple People Eater? I don't know what but it ain't pretty! 

O.K. that's enough whining about my personal trials and tribulations.  Here's what else is going on around here.

Last Sunday, Nick (another country neighbor) brought me some of the first fruits of his garden.  What a treat!  I have cooked a lot of them this week.  You have never really tasted veggies until you've had them fresh picked from the garden.  Simple Living at it's very tastiest.

Summer Squash, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Bell Peppers,
Banana Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers.

I took the summer squash, banana peppers, some red onions (gift from another neighbor), added some potatoes and fried (yes, I fried.  Beck was not all that pleased) these in my favorite skillet (Calphalon).  It was heaven to a fat deprived person like me.  I served it with a hamburger pattie and a salad.  I was a happy girl!

Then I took the green bell peppers and added yellow and red bell peppers to it for this delicious bread recipe (Bell Pepper Muffins page 58)  from Taste of Home Guilt Free Cooking (a cookbook I borrowed from Becky).  You talk about mouthing watering yummy!

Look for this recipe coming soon on Becky Cooks Lightly.

On a totally different subject:  the boys (blue-heeler pups) are growing like crazy (almost as big as their momma) and are learning all kinds of new (but not nice) tricks. They must plot on me all day and night to get me good.  The latest incident was as follows:

I went out to pen them up for the night.  Pickle starting nipping at my bad ankle.  When I bent over to push him away, Mischief grabbed the seat of my pants and pulled them down around my ankles (naked as a jaybird from the waist down. I mooned the whole neighborhood).  Then I leaned over trying to pull up my pants and they grabbed the ponytail holder in my hair and pulled it out.  So, here I am, fully exposed, trying to push the hair out of my face so I can see and pull my pants up so no one else can see.  What a couple of lovable, funny terrors!

Five and a half months old and still growing.

We have a simple living creed around here "Do No Harm" (except for snakes, spiders, wasp and other creepy crawly things.  It's get them before they get me).  Pushka has never grasped this concept.  He is determined to give me a heart attack.

I was hysterical! I thought I had murdered him!
He was just sleeping under the lawn mower.

"With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy."
Lope de Vega 

Thank you for stopping by today.  I enjoy our little visits.  Simple Living isn't for everyone but it is the piece of the puzzle that has been missing from my life.  Harmony Acres did not happen over night but it did  happen.  I'm praying that each of you will find that special place where harmony, peace and balance can heal the wounds inflicted by life.

A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.*********** Elsa Schiaparelli

Things A True Southern Knows:
True Southerners know instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. (If the trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin'.)

And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 on the freeway - you just say, "Bless her heart" and go your way.

You should never loan your tools, pick-up, or gun to nobody

Good Morning from Harmony Acres!  I woke up this morning to the sound of rolling thunder.  Peeking out my window, the sight of lightning splitting the sky drove me from my bed to check the weather to see if we were in for a bad time or not (living in tornado alley makes me a little skittish).  Today, it was the not.  Pouring rain met me as I stepped out to the front porch.  Good news for the garden and other plants and trees.  Bad news for inside dogs needing to go outside to wee-wee.  Bad news for Becky having to drive to work in another rainstorm.

Maggie is conflicted:  Needs to wee-wee.  Scared of storms.

Oh, almost forgot to tell you this! Last night I made Spring Strawberry Dumplings from  Becky's blog.  Oh, my gosh ya'll!   I had never made this recipe before but I will certainly make it again.  Satisfied my sweet tooth.  I devoured it like it was the last taste of sugar on earth.  Becky keeps preaching moderation but I was totally out of control! 


Spring Strawberry dumplings!  Ain't that just the berries?

Now, ya'll know I'm from the south and we know how to cook and eat (I have to keep reminding myself that fat is not my friend).  I found this list of favorite southern recipes I would like to share with you.  My personal favorite is Fried Green Tomatoes (could eat 5lbs. by myself). I'm sure none of these are in the new healthy eating recipe and lifestyle book "Just Tell Me What To Eat, The Delicious 6-Week Weight Loss Plan for the Real World " (you can read Becky's book review at Becky Cooks Lightly Book Review).

1. Southern Style Cornbread    A typical Southern cornbread, which is almost an essential to serve alongside greens, black-eyed peas, pinto beans, and chili. Or, use all or part of this cornbread to make a great cornbread dressing for the holidays.

 

2. Fried Green Tomatoes   This is a classic no-frills cornmeal-coated version, and there are links to other battered fried green tomatoes below the recipe. Delicious!      Top Picks

 

3. Classic Macaroni and Cheese   This has to be everyone's favorite comfort food, served as a main dish or side dish.   Top Picks

 

4. Fresh Peach Cobbler   Definitely a major star on the Southern dessert table, this cobbler is made with fresh peaches and a buttery crust.   Top Picks

 

5. Fried Chicken With Cream Gravy  If your fried chicken isn't quite there yet, practice (or rehearsals) makes perfect. Here's an old-fashioned Southern fried chicken recipe with a milk gravy.   Top Picks

 

6. Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding   Bread pudding is such wonderful comfort food, with a caramel, vanilla, or whisky sauce. If bread pudding is on the menu at a restaurant, it's always my first choice.      Top Picks

 

7. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork   An easy slow-cooked version of tender pulled pork shoulder for sandwiches. Delicious served with a topping of coleslaw and baked beans on the side. Top Picks

 

8. Seven Layer Salad  This delicious salad, made with lettuce, had-cooked eggs, peas, bacon, cheese, mayonnaise, and other ingredients, almost always shows up at our family dinners.

 

9. Sandy's Chicken and Dumplings  One of the South's favorite one-dish meals, this is a favorite recipe from our forum.   Top Picks

 

10. Grandma's Meat Loaf   A classic homemade meatloaf recipe, made with oats, made with lean ground beef, chili sauce, oats, and other ingredients and seasonings.

Thank you for stopping by today.  Y'heah?: 
A redundant expression tacked onto the end of sentences by Southerners. "Y'all come back soon, y'heah?"

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. ~Andy Rooney

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader.  He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

 -Unknown

Good Morning from Harmony Acres!  We are all doing just fine, now.  There have been a few setbacks lately:  peach tree died, my ankle healing much too slowing, Becky sick over the weekend, little store busier than usual (once again, I limped home on the bad ankle and retired to my recliner) and grass three feet tall in some places (what a nightmare).   So today, I play catch-up on outside work til my brain frys. 

The gift:  onions & broccoli from neighbor. 
What a great place to live!

There is a very heavy dew this morning which will delay my yard mowing a little while.  We have gone from the Spring rainy season to fry an egg on the sidewalk summer-like weather (like I need this when I live in my own personal constant burning, scortching, smothering summer hell year round. it happens to women of a certain age. gee, thanks, mother nature).  Ah......the joy of living in Oklahoma!  The cost of living is one of the lowest but the Summer temperatures are some of the highest (O.K. Texas beats us there again). 

There is so much to do today, I barely know where to start!  How about meditation (drink coffee and smoke cigarette on front porch with a cat wrapped around my sore ankle)? When in doubt, meditate!  Gracie (black outside cat) has been missing for a few days.  Hope she returns soon.  Really like her.  She is so sweet (unlike a lot of people I used to know). 

My friends at Hubler Vet Clinic are doing a home visit today.  We don't refer to it as a "farm call" because it is more like family dropping by and besides, We don't have a farm.  What we do have is "Dr. Doolittle on Steriods".  (the movie you know. He and the animals talk to each other).  The blue heeler pups (the Boys) need their follow-up Parvo and Rabies shots. This is going to be fun. Not!  They are way too big to crate and put in a car now (I don't know exactly what's in that high dollar dry food I'm feeding them but they are strong enough to knock me to the ground if I'm not firm with them). 

Berta and Stacey making a "house call" for the boys.

Berta trying to be friends with the Pickle.
Maybe, Maybe Not.

Pickle looks on as Berta goes the extra mile to be friends with Mischief (hiding behind house).

 We have never had outside dogs, so the boys have proven to be a challenge for me.  Their mom (Gypsy) is in heat again (that Hussy!) so I can't get her spayed for a month (the fun never ends around here).  Gyps and I have a special bond.  She was a stray and I loved her unconditionally and she now is my devoted friend.  I tell her all my troubles (I whine) and she listens without judging. 

Gypsy trust me and I trust her.  Perfect match.

All the male dogs in the neighborhood now stop by to see if she is interested (she had better keep her tail down).  It is total chaos!  I need a retreat from my retreat!  But instead I will go scoop poop in their pen.  Mow the yard.  Pick up junk out of the yard and head for the house before the heat gets me. 

Anti-social big ole mama's boys.
They could destroy an armored tank.
Terrors, I tell you!  Terrors! Big T.

Thank you for stopping by today to sit a spell and visit.  Hope to see you again soon.

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.  For me they are the role model for being alive. 
~Gilda Radner

Thank You Dinner Doctor....now I'm fast, cheap and easy!!!

If we are what we eat then I'm fast, cheap and easy

Hi ya'll.  Well, it has been another hectic day at Harmony Acres.  I worked at the little store from 6 a.m. til 1 p.m. today (a friend dropped by and gave me broccoli and yellow onions from his garden) and Becky left early for a 5K run in Tulsa.  She arrived back home before I got off work so she got to feed our critters today (she feeds and cares for the animals on the weekend to give me a desperately needed break).  When I walked in the front door after work, the wonderful smell of fresh cut vegetables greeted me.  Becky had prepared a delicious salad to go with the boneless oven baked chicken I brought home.  Lunch was great!

Speaking of food,I have a new favorite cookbook: 

Quick Cooking When Time Is Short-The Dinner Doctor. 

It has always been a struggle to prepare healthy delicious meals without spending hours in the kitchen (until now).  This book is the answer to the busy woman's (or just tired woman's) prayers.  536 pages of canned, frozen, boxed, bagged & ready-made food for over 230 fast, fresh-tasting dishes.  The salad section alone will provide healthy meals for us for a month.  This is creative cooking at it's Simple Living very best.  Finally, someone who understands me and my chosen  lifestyle (work outside til I'm ready to drop, then work inside a little more).  Even in my most extreme state of exhaustion, I can prepare a quick and delicious meal in under 30 minutes.  What a treasure this book is.  From appetizers to soups, salads, comfort food, main dish, one dish, pasta, breads and let's not forget desserts.  Even what you need to have in the pantry, freezer and fridge to prepare the meals is included.  This lady gets an "atta gal" from me.  Cooking made simple.  She is my new mealtime heroine!  Now I can't wait to get in the kitchen and prepare a meal. 

Many of my neighbors and friends stopped by the store today to see how my ankle surgery had gone  and if I needed help with anything.  Several offered to bring their chainsaws and cut up and remove my sad fallen willow tree.  I love country living.  

My father asserted that there was no better place to bring up a family than in a rural environment.... There's something about getting up at 5 a.m., feeding the stock and chickens, and milking a couple of cows before breakfast that gives you a lifelong respect for the price of butter and eggs. 

Bill Vaughan

Everyone has a price - mine is chocolate.

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass... It's about learning how to dance in the rain.  ("with chocolate") 
 Vivian Greene quotes 

Good Morning from Harmony Acres!  The sun has decided to play hide and seek with us this morning.  We are in that icky drying out stage, again.  It has rained so much that the ground cannot hold any more water and nothing will drain in the house (getting more than a little tired of this).  My yard looks like a jungle and there is nothing I can do about it. But there are still many things that I can do today.

I cooked fish last night (getting more than a little tired of this, too) so the house has that disgusting lingering smell.  Need a smell good fix quick so I go to Becky's site and grab a recipe for Homemade Simmering Orange Potpourri.  That smells really nice.

This smells heavenly (much better than fish).

While I was at her site, I also looked at the really cute free apron patterns she has listed.  I may have to dig out my sewing machine and try one (I am a mini-hoarder, so I have plenty of material somewhere).  I love aprons!

The dogs are all mad at me because we are out of dog biscuits.  Once again, I connect to Becky Cooks Lightly and find a dog treat recipe (she has a lot of cool stuff there.  not just recipes). 

Maggie and the Wieners love these.

I am still somewhat limited by my ankle surgery but really need groceries (funny how I always have the stuff to make dog treats but can't find a piece of sandwich bread in the house).  However, a trip to Wal Mart with people crashing their carts into my sore ankle is just not something I can wrap my head around at this time. Becky says we are just fine (she likes yucky fish and doesn't care if we don't have meat; I don't consider fish real meat) but I think not! 

I have no candy, chips, soda pop, buttery popcorn or any other calorie laden heart stopping good stuff!  I'm going into withdrawal ya'll.  A couple of more days of this and there won't be anything left of me but bad hair, bad ankle, and bad attitude. Somebody (anybody) drive by and throw me a couple of candy bars!!!!  Save me!!!

My first chore of each day is to release the pups from  their overnight pen.  I have come to dread this because they are untrained (I call them the goon squad) blue heelers.  This is my fault entirely. Yes, that is correct.  They drive the cattle (or in my case, the people) by biting at the heels (or in my case, my sore ankle). They have grown so much that I can hardly stand up when they jump on me. 

Mischief and Pickles just waiting to jump me!
Their way of saying "hello, mom, we love you".

Update on grocery situation:

I found 5 boneless chicken fillets hidden in the freezer.  This will make two meals for us.  Tomorrow I will make chicken and dumplings but today we will have a feast.  Marinate half of the chicken fillets, pulled a few green tomatoes from my half price tomato plant (fried green tomatoes) and instant red mashed potatoes.  Then I have the ingredients for homemade garlic cheese biscuits.  O.K. it ain't five star rated but it is good enough!

Chocolate is the answer.  Who cares what the question is.

  ~Author Unknown

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. ~Chinese Proverb

A room without a book is like a body without a soul.

(We have no rooms without books)

My home office bookcase.

One of the bookcases in the living room.
We have books laying around everywhere!
Many of our books are leather bound gold leaf so they have priority.



Kitchen bookshelf.

It's a new day at Harmony Acres and I'm feeling much better today.  Yesterday, the pain from my ankle surgery was excruciating.  I took a pain pill yesterday morning; to no avail.  Luckily, one of my neighbors dropped by in the afternoon and brought me a red beer (beer and tomato juice).  I rarely drink alcoholic beverages (have enough bad habits, don't need another), however; under the circumstances, I made an exception (really glad I did).  Another friend called after he heard (at the little store) that I was having problems with pain (he offered to bring me a bottle of whiskey). 

Becky asked if anyone offered to bring me an herbal remedy for the pain.  Yeah, right.  We live in cowboy redneck heaven so homeopathic remedies would not even be a choice.  A nice big steak, maybe (there aren't a lot of vegetarians around here either).  No matter.  I slept like a log last night and feel like a new woman today. 

One of the bookcases in Becky's room.

As we sat on the front porch, drinking our beer and talking about our gardens, it occurred to me how fortunate I am.  Good friends, good neighbors, a nice vegetable garden, a happy home with lots of happy critters and a daughter who is a true blessing.  Simple Living certainly agrees with me!

Today is a perfect day for reading (cloudy and raining).  The sound of thunder assures me that I have made a good decision. Seldom do I take the opportunity to relax and do nothing. These are some of the books I plan to browse through and take notes from today: 

The Backyard Orchardist
by
Stella Otto.

The Old Farmer's Almanac Book of Garden Wisdom
by
Cynthia Van Hazinga

And The Waters Turned To Blood
by
Rodney Barker

For Mother's Day, Becky gave me Perry Stone's How to Interpret Dreams and Visions.   I am so excited about a day of reading and  relaxing.  My breakfast is ready (two boiled eggs, a multi-grain bagel smothered in oven roasted red pepper hummus and blueberries) and coffee in my favorite cup. By the way, I buy my eggs locally from the Allison family because they are from contented Baptists chickens. Oh Dear! Rain is pouring down outside and I am now ready to retire to my recliner in the garden room.  Life is good!

 

Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience : its the ideal life.

 

Ants In My Pants!! Yes........really!!!

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.  I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. 

Mother Teresa

We're starting out slow and easy this morning at Harmony Acres.  It's a little damp and cool outside today and no one (the cats and dogs) wants to get up, yet.  This will give me time to meditate (smoke cigarette and drink coffee) on the front porch as I watch nature slowly awaken to a new day.  The morning sunlight filtering through the trees gives a dappled effect to the canopy of life co-existing in harmony here (birds, rabbits, squirrels, cats, dogs, etc.).  We are at peace.  Simple Living at it's best. 

Roses always make me smile.

But there are chores to be done today, also.  So, of course, I must make a list and prioritize because I am just one little (well, not so little) not so old, limping (the ankle you know) lady with a lot to do.

 

My most pressing issue today is  Eastern Tent Caterpillars (first thought they were bagworms) in my Red Delicious apple tree.  Wouldn't you know that the year we decide to start a mini-orchard is the year every pest known to man decides to attack us.  I need to read the instructions on the fruit tree spray and seven dust I bought to see which, if either, will get the job done. 
After doing some research, I have discovered that I have to remove the squiggly, squirmy things by hand.  Oh, Yuck!  Double Yuck!  Anybody have a Haz Mat suit I can borrow?  I hate worms and their not so distant cousins, snakes!!!!

This is what I found in my precious apple tree!

There was a nasty little surprise waiting for me inside the web!

So I gear up to do battle with caterpillars (plastic bag, plastic gloves).  I am expecting to see squiggly worms when I puncture the web (worms are big enough I don't need my glasses to see them) but I see nothing at first but all these little round egg looking things.  And then:  an army of black ants are running all over me (I was about ready to shuck my clothes and didn't care who was looking) and the tree was instantly covered in black.  What! What!  What the heck! Nothing I read said ants would be in the web. So I run and get the spray and try to drown them (my first thought was "ants can't swim, can they?"later I read not to spray them but in my moment of panic that was my gut reaction).  It's too early in the day to deal with such things.  I need to meditate (smoke cigarette and drink more coffee) to recover from this unexpected attack.

After recovering from the savage ant attack, I decide to do some research.  I love books but when I need information fast;  I always google. 

This is what I discovered: 
There are all kinds of home remedies for ant invasions.  Baby powder, petroleum jelly, cinnamon, curry powder are just a few.  I use commercial pesticides reluntantly and only when there is no other choice (have you ever read Rachel Carson's Silent Spring?) Most of the things listed, I already have on hand.  The next four days have a chance of rain included in the forcast so I can look forward to the little beggers attacking my inside living space again.  There should be a rule that stuff outside stays there.  Oh Darn!  There is a tick (filty blood sucking little beggers) crawling on me.  Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Hold on a minute till I can do a tick assassination.  Ah....the splendor of country living.

I have learned a valuable Simple Living lesson today.  Never assume that Nature will act or react in a manner consistant with my experience.  I know nothing! Nothing I tell you!   

When written in Chinese the word "crisis" is composed of two characters - one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.  ~John F. Kennedy, address, 12 April 1959

Problems are only opportunities with thorns on them. ~Hugh Miller, Snow on the Wind

Joy is a return to the deep harmony of body, mind, and spirit that was yours at birth and that can be yours again. That openness to love, that capacity for wholeness with the world around you, is still within you.
Deepak Chopra
Monday:
A peaceful tranquility has settled over Harmony Acres this morning.  It's as though a small slice of Paradise has been found and dropped around me in Keefeton, Oklahoma.  A multitude of various bird songs fill the air while a light cool breeze plays a delightful tune on the wind chimes.  Rabbits are grazing on the grass throughout the yard.  Multi-colored flowers abound; giving the sense of sight a profound joy. There may be chaos in the world but here there is only harmony.  There is nothing money can buy that will equal the simple pleasures I find here. (Believe me, I have tried throughout the years to fill my life with stuff so I don't feel the nagging pain in my soul of "something more" out there. The "something more" was here all that time.)

Becky's Meditation Garden is doing great!
Only problem: she hasn't had time to enjoy it, yet.

After meditating on the front porch for a while (smoke cigarette and drink coffee), I am ready to plan my day (sort of).  Nothing is set in stone around here, so I just work at whatever I want whenever I want.  Today I want to work in the yard (I think).  The safety guard (that thing where the cut grass blows out of the mower) came off my riding mower so I will need to put it back on before I start (duct tape and baling wire).

O.K. It is now two days later (Wednesday)!  A number of things have been happening so I will try to catch you up. I did mow the yard, for two days and $22.00 worth of gas (it used to take less than that to fill the gas tank on my car).  We live in strange times.  During one of my meditation breaks (cigarette and Dr. Pepper) as I was sitting on the front porch, what did my wandering eyes behold?  Snake!!! Yeah! That's right! Snake!!!  I spring into action!  Shovel, lopper, heart attack!  (The "do no harm" rule does not cover snakes).  And what do you think the cats are doing while we are under attack?  Sleeping in the shade.

Yes, now I know it's a harmless Speckled King Snake.
But it scared the living daylights out of me.

Pushka hides from snakes.  She can't be bothered by such a thing!

Roma, Cherry and Arkansas Traveler Tomatoes are doing fine.

 My ankle has been causing me so much pain (I have rubbed every know herb and potion I could think of on it; to no avail) that I finally surrendered and made a doctor's appointment (the initial injury was 2 1/2 years ago).  I have four medical related allergies:  Penicillin, Needles, Doctors and Outrageous Medical Cost.

So for the last two days I have been busy getting everything in order so when he does minor surgery on my ankle I won't be worrying about stuff.  The entire yard is mowed, fruit and nut trees sprayed for fungus, built fence around container garden (it ain't pretty but it will keep the rabbits out), pushed mowed my brains out so everything would be tidy and put out snake and ant granules. 
And then:  His office called and rescheduled my appointment for next Thursday (the 19th).  Therefore, I will need to repeat this entire process again next week.  Darn! Darn! Darn!  I will view this as an opportunity with thorns.  All my yard work is done for the week (thorn, blood and sweat) and it looks great.  Now, there is time to relax and read a book (opportunity).

A Short History of Medicine
2000 B.C. - "Here, eat this root."
1000 B.C. - "That root is heathen, say this prayer."
1850 A.D. - "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion."
1940 A.D. - "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill."
1985 A.D. - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic."
2000 A.D. - "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root."
~Author Unknown