The choice is yours

You have been given today...what will you do with it?

You have a choice you can be hopeful or fearful...if you listen to the news we should be fearful however I choose hopeful.
I know there are things I can do to tighten our belts a little more. Choices may be uncomfortable for some or downright painful for others but it is your choice.

I am so thankful for a Grandmother who lived through the depression, she taught me to hang my laundry to dry and not use electricity or gas for something GOD gives us FREE each day.

Patch a pair of Jeans instead of tossing them in the trash
OH by the way when did Jeans get so darn expensive? Who in their right mind pays more than $30 for a new pair of jeans?
Their isn't a pair on the market that can make you look 19 yrs old again TRUST ME!!! If there was every other jean company would be out of business.

Hey when they are too ratty to even wear out to do yard work (yes yard work just think of the money you will save by caring for your own yard?!! Not to mention the money you will save working out at home & not the gym or the Y.....)

Take those jeans & patch another pair of jeans or tear them into strips & braid a rug, make one of those outrageously high priced 'booty bags' yourself.

Shop at the consignment stores you know some of these folks are going to have to sell off those name brand expensive items!

Don't wash the clothes unless you have a FULL load the same goes for the dishwasher, if you need something & can not wait then wash it by hand.

As a single mother for many years those lessons came in real handy when we didn't have money to pay for the things.
Even later we did things to keep our money, we turned the thermostat down and wore another layer of clothing in the winter. Blankets kept the drafts out by covering the windows and tucked under doors, leftovers became a brand new meal the next day. In the summer a box fan brought up cool air from the cellar because we didn't have central air-conditioning.
Playing outside instead of sitting in front of the television required imagination and social skills.


When we needed to re-roof our old home my husbands family & friends came & helped tear off the 140 yrs of roofing and put on a new roof and we gladly cooked for and fed them! It may have taken a few days longer than a company but we all spent that time together working and having fun.

Jessica & Tyler Supervising Grandpa & Uncle Scoot


Me 3 months pregnant & BIL Lance threatening to toss me off the roof while BIL Scoot decides who to help

There are thousands of ways to save a few bucks each day & month. Implement one and make it a habit.
Our foremothers & forefathers called it making due, make due with what you have or find a creative way to do without.

So Choose, this day, who you will serve...

Blessings 2 U Friends

Pray for us PLEASE!

We are supposed to be hitting the road in a few hours.....

Sunday morning before the Rays' /White Sox game we received a phone call from my Aunt in Utah that Grandma had just passed away.
I hadn't hear back from them since they moved her out there and apparently she refused to take her pain meds and stopped eating. Sunday morning at 4am she quit breathing after 95 1/2 years here on earth. The top five songs are all songs Grandma loved!

Grandma was like a mother to me, she encouraged my creativity, she taught me about gardening, how to make do with whatever you had and in general is responsible for all my good & stubborn traits. My sister & I would FIGHT to spend every weekend with her all year long. Summers we would spend weeks at her house and I think most of those times were the best of my life. She taught me to Polka.

The last few days I have been packing up our crew and making arrangements to head back to Waukegan for the funeral services on Friday & Saturday.
We (hubby, 2 of the kids & 4 dogs) will be driving up, the older two will be flying in to Milwaukee & Chicago on different days & we have to be there to pick them up.

We are packed & waiting to hear from the RV place if we were approved for financing on a small travel trailer we picked out last night at 6 pm, since we had no sleeping accommodations when we get there. Dropped the Suburban off so they could get it wired up should we be approved so we can't even pack the car the living room is filled with suitcases & clothes hanging from chairs. Even the dogs suitcase is packed with their food, bowls, emergency meds, leashes etc.

Will hopefully hit the road by noon since we have to be in Milwaukee by midnight tomorrow.

Hug your loved ones & let them know you love them!
95 1/2 years still wasn't long enough for me to really let Grandma Schlegel know just how much she meant even though I told her often.

Another one bites the dust..

Dentist visit that is!!! The permanent crown is on the tooth that fractured, had a root canal, broke, had a temp crown put on, the temp crown broke...FINALLY!
The last 'urgent' tooth had the old Temp Crown removed (and I do mean old, 3-4yrs old) they did a little work on it & put a NEW temp crown on it.
GOD willing I won't be back for at least 3 weeks when the permanent crown arrives....

so todays bill for the 'new temp' crown (since I have used up my 'dental' allowance already) DRUM ROLL PLEASE..........

$550


Due to the huge bill I am using a hamster to power my computer this evening...

So I have to type fast & make this short so I can publish it before I loose the information.

We did visit with Grandma briefly yesterday before she left for Utah. First stop was the shop to deliver Amy's custom MOOSE dyed wool and the pattern of an old School House, then we were off to the Home.

No one was there when we arrived, I was afraid we were late & wouldn't be able to spend much time with her before they left.
The nurses were getting her dressed so we waited in the hall. When we came in she was in her wheelchair, eyes closed.
Since my voice is still gone & her hearing is so bad I had Tyler tell her we were here in her good ear. She opened her eyes a little looked at us and managed a slight smile. So I asked the nurse if they gave her pain meds for the flight, she really didn't answer & said she was being talkative, really? Saturday she was much more alert, eyes open & VERY coherent & talkative.

Eventually my Uncle & Aunt arrived as we were heading to the Dining room for her lunch. That might be what made my voice go bye bye, the cold air blasting on me Saturday while Grandma ate her dinner.

She still didn't open her eyes but I fed her lunch, her last meal here in Florida. She ate almost the entire meal!
The flight was supposed to leave at 5:30 and I had hoped for an update on how she fared today but I didn't get a call yet.
However since I can't talk that much I am emailing my cousin & my Uncle hopefully the address' I was given on Saturday will work & I will know by bedtime (which is going to be fairly soon I am BEAT).

On a positive note, my bolt of Polly Minicks wool arrived today!! Thank you Polly & Thank you Laurie!

Hoping to post photos of it hooked into the Folk Art Game board rug tomorrow
I also have 5 yrds of wool to dye *chipping away at that ginormus dental bill*



Blessings 2 U Friend