My Old Fashioned Life: The Grease Can

Growing up on a hog farm we ate a lot of pork products. Ham, sausage, bacon, roasts -- you name it, we ate it.


As you know, most pork products tend to produce a lot of grease when cooked. Most of our meals contained some sort of fried meat, usually pork. After cooking the meat we would pour the grease into the grease can that was kept towards the back of the stove. We added to the can, (which was usually just an old coffee can) daily for months on end. It's possible we had up to one year's worth of grease in that can. Our grease cans didn't last much more than a year because by that time they were really gross. Just six month's worth of grease isn't gross at all. Yeah, right.

In the summer months the grease was really soft and partly melted due to the heat. This semi-soft grease was much less appetizing than the hard grease from cooler weather. Sometime in August the can got to be too gross so we threw it out and started a new one.

Why did we save all that grease? Glad you asked.

We ate fried potatoes at least once a day for my entire childhood. To go about making fried potatoes you first spoon out 3 or 4 tablespoons of grease from the can and melt it in a skillet and add the diced potatoes. We also used a healthy dose of the accumulated grease to fry eggs each morning.

When we ran out of butter, we used grease in biscuits. My mom didn't really like to use grease for biscuits because it altered the flavor and texture in a negative way. But, you use what you have -- that was like our family motto. In the summer we grew bushels and bushels of tomatoes. July through August we ate BLT's at least twice a week. We each got one piece of bacon for our BLT and that was it. If anyone wanted seconds you dipped your toast directly into the hot bacon fat to get the bacon flavor for your BLT (and then applied a liberal amount of Miracle Whip). My dad came up with the idea of doing this one night. I remember we were all so excited we could have another BLT with bacon flavor, instead of just a lettuce and tomato sandwich.

An interesting observation:

Growing up every member of our family ate fat in unbelievable quantities, as evidenced by the toast dipped in bacon fat and then spread with another layer of fat (the Miracle Whip). We also consumed all sorts of foods that are deemed unhealthy by today's standards. It's interesting to note that none of us had a weight problem. My parents never had any kind of heart problems. Now that the children are all grown and "know better" we try to eat healthier. However, several of us have weight issues now.

In case anyone asks, I do not keep a grease can today for the following reasons:

#1 All that grease repulses me
#2 I don't cook anything that generates that much grease
#3 I don't fry anything that would need that much grease to cook

Up next in our Old Fashioned Life series I will share all about Chores. Have you missed the other installments of Old Fashioned Life? Click here to read more.

60 is the New 40

While visiting my in-laws I had the pleasure of meeting several of their friends. One evening George's mom was expressing how sorry she was that I would not have the opportunity to meet this one lady, that she and her husband were quite fond of.

My mother-in-law described this lady as a delightful younger lady -- middle aged to be specific. Anyway, after a few minutes of telling me more about her friend, George's mom paused briefly and said "well I guess she must be 60 years old. Funny I've always thought of her as middle aged".

There you have it. Sixty is the new forty. That oughta brighten somebody's day.

News Flash: Change is Good

Tammy has an encouraging post up about her family's recent cross country move and all the adjustments that go along with leaving a home you've grown quite used to, family, friends, church -- everything familiar to us.

One of the wonderful (and scary) things about life is that it never stays the same.



Part of me craves the familiar old standbys. My husband is this way too. We like a calm, predictable routine without many changes. In the last couple of years, we've experienced several major life changes. As a matter of fact, it would be difficult to cram many more major changes into a two year span.



Getting married, selling two homes, buying and remodeling the one we live in now, starting two new businesses are all good changes. While we are delighted with all new events in our lives, they are still changes and require a period of adjustment. It takes time get used to new things, to develop a new routine.



George and I prayed about all the changes we've gone through each step of the way and feel at peace with every single one. We are right where God wants us at this season in our lives. That's a tremendous comfort to both of us. God is forcing us to grow and adapt; we've learned to lean on Him more -- to trust Him with everything.



It's funny, on one level we crave change; we want something new and fresh. Sometimes we think we know exactly what we want, sometimes not. We ask God to do a new thing in our lives. Nothing happens. We ask again, we beg, we plead, we complain. And then, in God's timing, he lovingly ushers us into a new season in our lives. It could be anything from marriage, a new baby, a move, a new job, coming home to be a homemaker, a promotion, new friends, a new church. At a moment's notice we are forced to grow, change, learn new things. This stretching process is so good for us, yet we fear it.

Top Six Websites for Coupons and Free Samples

When I returned from vacation I had a large stack of mail to sort through. And sorting through mail isn't one of my favorite things to do unless.... there are lots of free coupons and samples in the mix. I'm a sucker for free stuff and any kind of coupon a company will send me. Plus, it makes opening the mail a fun job on most days! Hey, it works for me.

Before the Internet Era, these types of promotions and coupons were much more difficult to obtain. Now, it's very easy to find all sorts of free samples and coupons with just the click of the mouse.

Brick's Gigantic Coupon List

The mother load of great coupons; these are the e-coupons put out by the Brick's company. This list is usually updated monthly and remember because these are Brick's coupons, most of them can be printed twice per computer by using your web browser's back button.

Coupons.com

This is a huge smorgasbord of e -coupons that is updated all the time. These coupons are very similar to what you will find in Sunday papers throughout the nation. You can print until your limit is reached. Many coupons have differing print limits; so if you find a really great one, keep printing. You can also print from another computer.

Quality Health

Let's celebrate with some free samples! Free samples ease your budget because it's one less thing you have to pay for. They also allow you to try products, you might not normally try if you have to buy a full container. You never know when you will find a new favorite that costs less than your old standby.

Remedy Life

Another great resource for free samples of all kinds.

Walmart Free Sample Page

Did you know Walmart gives away tons of free samples? It's on my top ten list for free sample resources. Walmart also re-sets these free samples so you can periodically go back to their site and request a second free sample. Right now you can get a sample of Selsun Blue, Metamucil, Nicoderm CQ, Always, Viva Paper Towel. You can also fill out a 2 second survey to see if you qualify for a free sample of Pantene by clicking here. I recently tried a free sample of the Ice Shine Shampoo and Conditioner and was very impressed by how shiny and healthy my hair looks.

Shop4Freebies

Shop4Freebies is a great new resource for all kinds of free things, including restaurant chains that are running freebie specials. Parents with children know the blessing of resturant where kids eat free! The also have lots of free resources for moms.


Now that you know the top six resources for free samples and coupons be sure to let your friends a family know. The first time your friend or relative receives a coupon for a free product or a sample, they will think of you.

Here are some of my recent free item coupons. Many companies offer free

or very high dollar value coupons on new products. Our little

Beagle is just crazy about the new Snausages product!

This free Cascade coupon came inside of one of my all -time

favorite coupons books. Sadly, the promotion is over; they

should be renewing it in a month or two. As soon as they are,

I will let you all know.

Winter Sunrise

This is the view that greeted us last Sunday morning. At this time of year the landscape looks pretty drab. But, there's always something beautiful, if we just stop and look for a moment.

Keep Your Chin Up

The cat's out of the bag -- the economy is going downhill fast, thousands of people are loosing jobs and homes. Of course you already knew that because it is the only topic the media has been interested in reporting the past few months. It gets pretty depressing hearing all that doom and gloom, doesn't it? Heaven knows I'm weary of it.

My heart goes out to those that experience job loss and all that goes along with it. However, it is so depressing to hear nothing but the worst of the worst scenarios. There have to be good things happening out there in the midst of these difficult times. Show us something encouraging and inspiring to uplift people instead of spreading despair.

Ivy from Home Ec 101 has written a tremendous post about hanging in there during challenging financial times. She includes several inspiring stories from her childhood and her years as a single mom. I hope you will be uplifted and encouraged by Ivy's story.
Ivy writes:

"It’s a tough thing to swallow when you’re down and out financially. But do the best you can, cover your basics first, and then try to make even the mundane special. Appreciate what you do have and try not to be jealous of what others have. Remember, someday it will be your time in the sun."

Click here to read the full post.

A Groovy Remodeling Project

To celebrate reaching the half-way mark in our remodeling project George and I spent an hour last night figuring out the best way to arrange the furnishings. We also tossed around ideas for storage in our new family room/office area. We would like to do a built in bookcase on one wall and a section of built in cabinets on the opposite wall.

To get some ideas, we been looking over a few of George's Remodeling Idea Books. He's got a gazillion of these types of resource books (actually, so do I) which might by why we need a massive built in bookcase. There's only one hitch when it comes to these Idea Books. They are all from the How to Decorate in the Groovy 1970's Brady Bunch Style era.


Here's the cover of one. Be sure to notice the fancy, new- fangled electric typewriter in the foreground.





Here's a photo of a groovy lounge for hanging out. Why is all the furniture is 8 inches off the floor? Sign me up. I can just roll off the sofa and then down the stairs.





The tree in this photo is pretty neat; I could certainly go for one like that if we had enough room. The built in wood paneling backed sofa doesn't do a whole lot for me, though.






Remember that glorious era of the late 70's early 80's when everything was made out of wicker?

After tossing around ideas and very little help from the Brady Bunch Decorating Books we finally came up with a good solution. The room will be comfortable like a family room should be without looking too "office-y".

My Pickup Truck Man has a New Work Truck

I've always wished my Dad had the chance to meet George. He would've sized George up as a good man. He would've quietly noted how he works so hard with his hands, how he can build and fix almost anything and how he takes such good care of everything he owns, including his old work truck.

When I first met George he was driving this old red truck. In three months it will be exactly twelve years since I first saw George pull into the parking lot of the grocery store where I worked. I can't say it was love at first sight, but he certainly had my attention. It's difficult to put into words -- from the first time I laid eyes on George, I felt as if my entire life from that moment on would not be complete if I didn't know who this man was, where he was from and where he was going. I felt absolutely compelled to be with this stranger, for the rest of my life.

These feelings scared the daylights out of me considering this was someone I had never seen except for 2 seconds ago. I felt physically sick and actually thought I'd lost my marbles, the feeling was so weird.

Thankfully things worked out well, and George wasn't a serial killer or any other kind of creepy. Now it feels delightful, peaceful, safe and secure to spend the rest of with him.

Old Red Truck with 247,000 miles on it.

New White Work Truck with only 30,000 miles.

Bless his heart, for the first week after my husband brought the new truck home, he parked it in the garage and drove his old truck. He said he wanted to "save" his new truck, so he didn't wear it out too fast. After my encouragement that it's about time he move up to a new truck after 17 years with his old one he is now happily driving the new one.

The Joy of Re-purposed Containers

I'm a sucker for anything in a cute container. I love to re-use containers for storing all sorts of things. The small flat containers work well for storing things like paper clips and push pins.

Directly below is a collection of several smaller containers. The Altoids containers store various desk drawer items. The larger round can is used for quarters, the Ball jar is George's favorite because it holds the hard candy we take to church each Sunday.

The Milk Bone container is a recent gift from one of George's customers. We already have a container for dog bones, so I'll need to find a good use for this one. Any suggestions?

This breath mint container was acquired on a recent trip to Cracker Barrel. I'll admit it, the mints are good, but I really bought it because they came in such a cute tin.

I like to keep the bathroom neat and organized by using little baskets to store things. This basket holds bars of soap.

Ever run into problems with your rolly-polly make up items rolling all over the place? Try putting them into short glasses. Pretend my medicine cabinet is more neat and organized --remember what I wrote about the soap basket above?

My fondness for tins and cute containers is matched only by old canning jars. The blue tinted ones are especially appealing. We keep cotton balls in this one. Of course the one very un-appealing thing about old Mason jars is the lids don't work properly. It's a real bother to get the lid off this jar. We have another clear plastic container for the cotton balls we actually use. Of course that container is not as nostalgic or beautiful so you will not be seeing a photo of it here.

When I was a kid, my dad's answer for any ailment was to "put some salve on it". Seriously, you could've cut your arm off and he would've thought all you needed was a little salve. Salve is interesting stuff. It smells like the main ingredient is kerosene. Probably is. Anyway, I bought this tin of salve because I was feeling nostalgic years ago. It doesn't get used much. Now that I'm a grown up, find that I need first aid as often as I did when I was 10. Thirty years from now, when the salve is all used up, this tin will no doubt go on to live a happy second life.

George and I are very successful at collecting paper clutter and magazines. We plan to publish a how to e-book on this, just in case you have a hard time collecting enough paper clutter in your home. We have several of these little baskets placed strategically around our home. Nothing is more satisfying or fulfilling than tossing a whole counter-top of paper clutter into a basket and then placing a beautiful magazine on top.

What are your favorite ways to re-use containers or baskets?

Menu Plan Monday

Monday

Turkey & Cheddar Sandwiches, 3 Bean Salad, Pineapple

Tuesday

Shepard's Pie, Garden Salad, Rolls

Wednesday

Chili topped with cheese and sour cream, Cornbread

Thursday

Leftover Chili and Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Friday

Chinese Takeout

Click here to browse 2 years of my menu ideas.

Visit Org Junkie for even more menus.

My Old Fashioned Life: Gracie

I shared one baby doll with my two younger sisters. Her name was Gracie. Gracie was old, dirty, naked and bald. In spite of this, Gracie was much loved. We had such fun taking turns trying out our 6 year old mothering instincts on her. Being little ones ourselves, we didn't always mother Gracie as gently as a real baby. Gracie held up well to drowning, stabbing and being tossed down the stairs.


When my sisters and I reminisce, we share our happy memories of playing with that dirty little doll. Not one of us ever wishes that we had our very own doll or that we had a better doll. It's funny, by today's standards having only one doll to share amoungst three girls would be bordering on child abuse and neglect.

Click here to read the rest of the My Old Fashioned Life series.

Little Blessings

Yesterday one of George's customers sent him home with a coupon for me. And what a coupon it was -- $8 off my next grocery order at Meijer. This lady doesn't shop at Meijer, but she asked George if I did hoping I would be able to take advantage of the offer. How nice of her to think of me.


It's amazing how the smallest gesture can brighten someone's day. It doesn't take much effort to be a blessing to others. It's so easy to let someone else go ahead of you in the check out lane, to pass along an item to someone that can use it, speak a word or two of encouragement, congratulate a person on a job well done. Did you know even your smiling face can encourage and uplift others?

Practical Money Management

Simple Mom has an interesting post about zero based budgeting. She writes:

"... the key difference to a zero-based budget is that you look first at the numbers on the income side of the equation, and then you make your expenses work within the boundaries of your income. It balances. Which means, you actually have the money you’re allotting." (emphasis, mine)

Click here to read the full post.

Turns out I've been using a zero based budget for the past 12 years and never knew it! It seems pretty obvious to only plan on using the money that actually comes in. Of course, income can very quite a bit, and that does have to be taken into consideration. Many people that work on commission or are self employed have difficulty putting together a budget or spending plan because it's a real challenge to plan with estimates for income. Planning expenditures up to a year in advance can be a daunting task when you don't know if the money will be there.

In our household we have several sources of income; only one of those is fixed. This affords us a little bit of security in our plans.

We base our budget on the minimum amount of income we expect and that saves us a lot of worry. It also acts as a built in savings plan, because the difference between the minimum income we expect and the amount that actually comes in goes right into savings. With fluctuating income it's really helpful to set aside time weekly, monthly, or quarterly to make adjustments -- especially if your budget is based on the higher end of your expected yearly income.

Each year at the end of December and beginning of January we devote several hours to planning the budgets for our household and each business. During this planning phase we discuss goals for the year, and any larger home or business purchases we think we may need to make. Because George doesn't enjoy the minutae of Excel spreadsheets, I interview him, so to speak. I'll ask if there are any tools he needs to buy in the coming year or home repairs he would like to do. We also take a stab at what our propane will cost for the coming year, since this is such a large expense for us. We continue to adjust our expenses until they come in under our fixed minimum yearly income.

Planning our financial affairs for each year is definitely a major commitment. It isn't always fun (and I like Accounting stuff), BUT it is one of the most worthwhile activities we do. The feeling of being in control of our money instead of money and creditors controlling us is an awesome experience!

Lately I've been thinking of the couples and individuals we know that are having money issues. My heart breaks for people struggling in this area. Financial problems ruin marriages, and bankrupt us not only financially but emotionally. I wish I could help everyone that is hurting due to a bad financial situation.

In this economy many people are understandably concerned about their finances. You may want to start keeping better track of expenditures or begin saving for an emergency fund. Do you find it difficult because you think you are too far in debt, don't make enough money or don't know enough about finances? Realize this: taking control of your finances is possible. You can do it!

My husband and I are not financial experts by any stretch of the word. We don't have a college degree in anything and we are not independently wealthy. So, after that grand introduction, what do we have? We've got years of practical experience and God's grace to get to the point where we,

1. We are in control of our money.

2. We are not beaten down under the burden of debt.

3. Our marriage is free from arguments about money.

4. We are happily working towards our life goals of a paid off home and early retirement.

5. We have the resources to contribute financially to our church, support missions, and give generously to others.

In the coming weeks I will be sharing some of the things George and I have done and are doing that have enabled us to get to this point. Not everything we do will work for others, but we are happy to share what works for us in an effort to encourage others.

Gulf Shores Vacation Update

It was a frigid four degree morning when I departed Michigan. Four hours later I stepped off the plane in Pensacola, Florida and was greeted by palm trees and 65 degree sunshine. It took all of 2 minutes to get adjusted to the glorious weather. I quickly stashed my heavy winter coat in a suitcase and completely forgot about it until I returned home to Michigan. It was so freeing to not have to bundle up with twenty pounds of coat, hat, scarves and gloves just to go out of the house!

My in-laws were the most gracious hosts. I'd never spent any time with them without my husband and I was a little worried that four days together, might be a little awkward, for us all. Looking back, I can't recall an awkward moment in the whole trip. What a special honor it is to be welcomed so whole-heartedly into a family.

Trip Highlights

The day I arrived we went to Lambert's Cafe for a late lunch. All I can say is I've never been to a restaurant like this one, ever. My husband has talked Lambert's up big for years; now I know why: there is absolutely no way you will ever leave this restaurant hungry.

Interesting observations:

They really do throw rolls to you -- from across the room, if you like. By the way, I could've eaten just the rolls for a meal, they were that good.

Fried Okra isn't all it's cracked up to be. I tried two pieces and never want to eat it again. Now I suppose all you okra lovers want to email me.

Sorghum Molasses is the best food on the face of the earth. Unfortunately I forgot about the ban on liquids greater than 3 ozs. in carry on luggage. I almost cried when airport security made me leave two bottles of sorghum molasses behind.

After a meal large enough for a whole family, we drove back to the condo for a tour and lots of visiting. It was so nice to catch up with George's parents. It seems like visiting and just enjoying the company of our friends and relatives without the pressure to "do something" is a lost art. We get so busy with our lives, we forget it's important to just be still and relax sometimes.

The next day we drove to the beautiful town of Fairhope on what locals call the Eastern Shore. What a picturesque little town! On the way to Fairhope, we visited the Punta Clara Kitchen in Point Clear. Located in a picturesque old farmhouse, the Punta Clara Kitchen is one of the best candy shops I've ever been in. You can watch the candies and confections being made in the kitchen and taste samples of dozens of delicious treats. My favorites were the brown sugar coated pecans. While there I picked up some pecan-caramel fudge for my husband and some pralines for my mom. We also visited Malbis and the very ornate Greek Orthodox church which is a focal point of the community and a major tourist attraction.

Interesting Observations:

The roads are about 110 times better than any in Michigan. We didn't encounter a single bad stretch of road or even a pot hole. Here we routinely dodge potholes that would swallow a Volkswagen.

The whole area is very clean. Even the non- touristy areas and the poorer sections were almost litter free. It was a stark contrast to any area of Michigan I've visited.

While admiring the beauty of the Malbis Greek Orthodox church I paused for a few moments of reflection. It's wonderful that people come together to create beautiful houses of worship -- both the magnificent old churches and the spacious new buildings with every creature comfort. But, it's ever so comforting to know our faith is not dependant upon the building we gather in. We can worship the Lord out in the open under prairie skies, or in the worst slums.

Saturday we took a dolphin cruise in Perdido Bay. In addition to admiring several dolphins we got a birds eye view of the surrounding area. It was a big change to see so many brightly painted homes. The colour combinations were gorgeous!

Each day I enjoyed taking walks all around the condo and along the waterfront. Being a big time plant lover, there were no less than 25 plants I wanted to dig up and bring home.

View looking east from the balcony.

View looking south east from the balcony.

Southwest view from balcony.

Interior view of Malbis Greek Orthodox church.

Dolphins as seen on our dolphin cruise.



Neighboring condo building and some boats.



View of the pool. The pool was closed because it's not heated and it's the "winter" season down there.





Sunset view.

Our $20 Menu

This week our grocery store wasn't running any really great sales so I challenged myself to come up with a week's worth of meals by just using what we had on hand. We did need fresh milk, fruit, eggs and hamburger buns; this came in at $20. Below is a detailed menu for this week, right down to the snacks.

Breakfast

Monday -- Cantaloupe, Cottage Cheese
Tuesday -- Cereal, Banana
Wednesday -- English Muffin, Hard Cooked Egg
Thursday -- Banana, PB Toast
Friday -- Breakfast Casserole (from freezer)
Saturday -- Ham, Cheese, Egg Sandwich
Sunday -- Cereal, Banana

Lunch

Monday -- Leftover Pizza, Salad
Tuesday -- Ham Sandwich, Cottage Cheese, Carrot Sticks
Wednesday -- Homemade tv dinner, salad
Thursday -- Sloppy Joe, Carrot Sticks, Chips
Friday -- Ham Sandwich, Broccoli & Cheese
Saturday -- Leftover Pizza, Salad
Sunday -- Pot Roast, Potatoes, Green Beans, Rolls

Dinner

Monday -- Roast Chicken, Stuffing, Green Snap Peas
Tuesday -- Sloppy Joes, Deviled Eggs, Baked Beans
Wednesday -- Sloppy Joes, 3 Bean Salad, Corn
Thursday -- Turkey Sandwiches, Potato Salad, Chips
Friday -- Ham & Pineapple Pizza
Saturday -- Tuna Noodle Casserole, Glazed Carrots
Sunday -- Leftovers from Lunch (Pot Roast)

Snacks

Apples, Yogurt, Kashi Bars (almost free; thank you Vocal Point), Cantaloupe, Cottage Cheese, Banana Bread, Cookies and some 100 calorie snacks (almost free; thank you First Taste).

For more menu ideas, visit Org Junkie.

Remodeling Update -- Thank you Swagbucks

As I mentioned earlier George accomplished quite a bit on our remodeling project while I was enjoying the sunny weather and hospitality down south. I feel a little guilty, but I will be painting while he is down south in a couple of weeks.

• The carpet and padding in the kitchen and family room have been torn out. (George looks out for our little beagle in the midst of all this work; he thoughtfully left a small section of carpet in front of the sliding glass door -- Barney loves to lie there on sunny days.)

• Another small half wall is torn out; the sheet rock is up and mudded.

• The tedious work of leveling the floor is nearly finished. Some places were as much as 2 inches out of level. It will be so nice to not have a piece of wood under the leg of the kitchen table!

We were originally planning to go with a laminate floor similar to Pergo but decided on doing old fashioned hardwood. When we were looking at samples we both kept going back to the hardwood. There were so many beautiful choices; we finally decided on a pre-finished medium oak variety made by Bruce. Take a look at the photo above to see what our new floor will look like.

And, now I would like to thank Swagbucks for our new kitchen and family room floor. Since I posted this a few weeks ago, I've earned enough Swagbucks to send in for four $50 Lowes gift cards. When the gift cards arrive, we will combine them with the one $50 Lowes gift card I earned when firt starting out with Swagbucks and a 10% off Lowes coupon. This combination of gift cards and coupon will allow us to have our new floor almost entirely paid for! It works for me.

Want to earn something special for yourself? Sign up for Swagbucks by clicking here; it's free to sign up! Have no idea what Swagbucks is? You can read all about it by clicking here.

I haven't told George about the gift cards yet, but he agreed to not buy the flooring just yet. He knows something's up, but would never suspect an almost free floor. He will be so surprised!

P.S. If any of you are looking for a Lowes 10% off card, check with your post office. We received ours from our in-laws; it was inside their change of address packet. I'm not sure if this is US wide or just in the Gulf area.

Giant Book of Coupons

This morning as I was sorting through a giant stack of mail I discovered my Free Home Made Simple coupon booklet arrived. I'm happy to report it's stuffed to the brim with great money saving coupons on brand name products, a to die for brownie recipe and a coupon for a free Cascade rinse. If you haven't ordered your free coupon booklet yet, click here to sign up for one.

The Home Made Simple coupon booklet is such a nice little present to get in the mail. Be sure to ask all frugal friends and family that don't have access to the Internet if they would like you to sign them up for a copy. I frequently do this for my mom and mother-in-law. I've never had a problem signing them up for money saving coupons like this because I use a different email address for each one of them. My mom and mother-in-law are just thrilled to receive extra coupons outside of the Sunday paper.

Catch Up Day

I'm going to spend today catching up on lots of house and business work. While I was gone, George accomplished quite a bit on our remodeling project even though he had a heavy work schedule. This is great, but it means there's a little more dirt than I expected. No matter how hard you try -- dirt and dust makes it's way throughout the house during a remodeling project.

Last night and this morning, I've done several loads of laundry, and cleaned the bathroom. I just finished vacuuming and now it's off to the store for groceries and to get vacation photos developed. When I get back I'll whip up a desert so we can have a little something sweet after supper.

Also on the to-do list is washing the car, banking, finishing up checking email and scheduling tax return meetings -- but that won't all get done today. When George gets home we are both going to prop our feet up and relax!

Taking this trip really forced me to accept the fact that I need to buy a lap top for our businesses. There is just no more putting it off. For a non- techy person like me, buying a laptop ranks right up there with getting a filling. You know, it's really funny -- when we started all this, neither one of us thought we would be successful enough to ever need a laptop, cell phone or that we would make enough money to buy a new to us car from our online endeavors (stay tuned for a post on how I recently bought a car from online income). We are so very blessed.

I'm Back and A Super Garden Bargain

I'm back from a wonderful sun filled vacation on the gulf coast. Before I post a recap of last week complete with lots of beautiful photos I want to say one thing. Southern hospitality is absolutely unmatched!

Correction: I wanted to say two things--

While I was down in the beautiful south enjoying their lovely greenery and fresh flowers on every corner I was itching to stop at a green house and pick up every green plant they had and bring them all home. Seriously, we drove by a Lowes and when I saw their garden center was open and stocked with plants I started having withdrawal twinges.

This morning I checked my email and just had to let you know that Spring Hill Nursery is having their popular 1 cent sale. I'm on their mailing list and just got the email yesterday. Spring Hill doesn't run this sale very often, and I'm not sure how long the sale lasts. My mom, sisters and I have been waiting all winter to for them to run this sale so we can get a ton of plants for really cheap.

The jist of the One Cent Sale is that whatever you buy, you get another just like it for 1 cent. Here is a list of all the stuff they have on this sale. One of the plants I ordered was the Liriope which is normally 3 plants for $9.99 for 1 penny more I get 6 plants for $10.00 -- which is much, much less than I would pay at a big garden center. My mom ordered some gorgeous lilies and a mini rose -- all for way less than she would pay at the garden center.

It will be 2 and 1/2 months before we can even put these babies in the ground, but it felt wonderful to place the order this morning. Spring is on it's way!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday

Sub Sandwiches, Chips

Tuesday

Pork Chops, Baked Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, Beets

Wednesday

Egg Salad Sandwiches, Chips, 3 Bean Salad

Thursday

BBQ Chicken, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Green Peas

Friday

Cheeseburger Pizza

My Old Fashioned Life: Outhouses

I’ll never forget the day my dad built our second outhouse. It was a “3 holer”. In outhouse lingo this means it was considered a palace. They day daddy brought home the lumber and dug the hole, we were all so excited!

Allow me to explain.

For those of you not intimately familiar with outhouses, an outhouse is a plain wooden shed with an enclosed wooden bench inside. The bench usually has 1, sometimes 2 round holes cut out. This shed is set over a deep hole. You go in and do your business as quickly as possible and then leave. It really helps if you can do it without having to take a breath. Sadly I was never able to manage this.

Outhouse etiquette:

You can bet Emily Post never wrote about this. As unusual at it sounds, there is a strict code of outhouse etiquette. Hopefully you will never have to use this, but it’s good information to have. You can use it to impress your friends at parties.

1. Knock before opening the door.

2. It seems like it would be a really good idea to leave the door open for ventilation while you are in there doing your business. Do not do this, ever.

3. In multiple hole establishments is it only proper to have “company” if you are doing #1. (Company for #2 is allowed if it’s a small child) I’m not sure what the men do…

4. The company must be the same gender and ideally a close relation or good friend

5. If you use the outhouse at night. Do not drop the flashlight down the hole.

6. If you do drop the flashlight down the hole, do not try to retrieve it. Ever.

7. Do not take small animals or pets with you. This might seem like common sense but they can fall in. My mother had a cat fall in one time. (it was retrieved)


Our 100 year old farmstead came with the original outhouse (also a fancy 3 holer). It was old, dirty, spidery and the hole was getting pretty full. Sorry, I know that sounds gross. Plus, due to the points mentioned in rules 3 and 4 above, we needed another facility. One day Daddy brought home a load of lumber and commenced building a new out house. This was going to be one fancy outhouse! He even painted it and built a privacy screen in front of the door. (this was most likely because I consistently violated the second rule).

We were so proud of our new outhouse! When we had company and they had to use the facilities, we directed them to our new outhouse. Of course it we didn’t have a lot of company that stayed long enough to have to use the outhouse. They usually left about the time they had to go. My sisters and I loved this new outhouse because it didn’t smell quite as bad (yet) and it hadn’t been around long enough to build a good collection of creepy spiders.

A heart-felt thank you to our neighbors is in order.

Unfortunately toilet paper was not on our necessities list. Food and shelter came first. As you might have guessed, toilet paper hasn’t always been around. People have lived for generations without it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not signing on to give up toilet tissue anytime soon, but I’m saying we managed pretty well without it.

One of our neighbors was a real estate agent. Back in the days before house shopping was done on the Internet, you had Sears Catalogue sized MLS books filled with pictures and descriptions of houses printed on tissue thin paper. Our neighbor brought all the outdated MLS books to us and we used the in the outhouse. There was a certain technique to this. You must tear off a couple of sheets and wad them up into a tiny ball over and over. After 4 or 5 times, it feels just like Scott brand toilet paper. This is probably the reason I could never manage to do my business without taking a breath.

Nevertheless, it was a real treat when we got to use toilet paper. I remember the first time I went to school. Every stall had its own roll! I just could not believe it!

Is there anything else you would like to know about outhouses? Or, anything about my growing up years? Please email me or leave a comment. Remember, I’m on vacation at my in-laws and do not have internet access. I will respond to your questions on Tuesday.

So, Where Will I Be?

Bright and early tomorrow morning I'll be hopping on a plane to Gulf Shores, Alabama to visit my in-laws for a long weekend. George is staying at home because he is driving down in March to stay longer and spend some quality time fishing with his dad. This is likely his parent's last year as snowbirds and we all wanted to go down and visit them.

You can rest assured I will be thinking of you all while I'm here:

and here:

Southern readers might wonder what on earth the big deal is about going to a place that's going to be in the 50's and 60's. You probably find 50's and 60's chilly. This morning when I got up, it was 4 degrees. Four degrees. Gulf Shores will be 60 degrees warmer than I'm accustomed to.

Apparently, one of the main social activities for snow birds is dining out. So, we will probably be eating out quite a bit. One restaurant on the must go to list is Lambert's Cafe -- home of the throwed roll. George has talked this place up for years. He gets excited about the idea of fresh hot, buttery rolls in general, and then to have as many as you can eat thrown at you? Being a carb lover -- I'm looking forward to this place. Plus they have a big country store attached, which will be fun to browse.

Another restaurant George's folks want to take me to is the Original Oyster House. We get them a gift certificate to this place every year and they keep telling me how delicious all that fresh seafood is.

I'm also planning to do a little fishing with my father-in-law. George has been giving me pointers on salt water fishing. Salt water fishing is quite a bit different than the fresh water fishing I'm used to. You have the potential to catch some much bigger fish that have much larger (and sharper) teeth -- you have to be very careful.

While I'm away, I have a few posts scheduled. Be sure to visit Friday; you will learn all about Outhouse etiquette in my latest Old Fashioned Life post. Yes. I really said Outhouse etiquette.

Have a lovely weekend,

Trixie

My Old Fashioned Life: Gardening

I grew up on a bustling 80 acre farm in central Michigan. Our primary crops were corn and soybeans; we also specialized in raising hogs. Specialized in hogs -- sounds fancy doesn't it? By that, I mean my dad kept a few hogs because they require less space than cattle, mature faster, are easier to butcher and most importantly, eat about anything.

My parents managed our home and farm in the homestead fashion. This is the politically correct way to say we were flat broke and then some. I'm certain my parents faced many difficult problems and keenly felt our lack of money at times. As children we were aware money wasn't something we had in plenty, but we were largely free from adult worries.

Our daily life was dictated by the seasons. After the harsh winter gave way to early spring we turned our attention to starting the garden. Our garden was a huge farm garden, bursting forth with every kind of fruit and vegetable you can imagine. We depended on its' produce to see us through winter. Us girls helped Mom put up hundreds of pints and quarts of tomatoes, beets, beans, jams and jellies.


We began our gardening efforts by digging soil from the garden and scooping it into the flat wooden boxes my dad made so we could start tomatoes free from early frosts. We kept the flats in the mud room and brought them out each day into the warm afternoon sun. After several weeks of this, we were ready to transplant the young plants to the garden and plant the rest of the garden.


Once the garden was planted, my dad turned his attention to the fields and Mom and us girls focused on tending to the tender little plants and keeping the garden weed free. While weeding we used to talk about how delicious fresh corn on the cob dripping with butter would taste and list all the wonderful strawberry desserts we would make when the strawberries ripened. When you can see the end rewards of all your labor, it makes the work easier.


When I was in the lower elementary grades, each day after school I hoed my set number of rows -- usually 3 or 4. When I got older I had my own little garden in the corner of the main garden. Looking back, I'm surprised this seldom seemed like drudgery. Instead it was the start of a life long love of gardening. Every spring I'm just as excited to start a new garden as I was when I was six years old.

By mid summer the garden and berry patch were well under way. We ate like kings! It usually fell to me to run down to the garden and pick 2 dozen ears of corn, 4 or 5 tomatoes, a basket of swiss chard or a pint of beans. Oh how I loved to hear my mother say "Trixie, run down and dig enough potatoes for supper". To this day, harvesting from our garden is one of my favorite things to do. It brings such a tremendous sense of accomplishment and well being to know that in my own small way I 'helped' God with a miracle. I planted a seed into what appeared at first glance to be a lifeless brown substance and then carefully tended it until it brought forth fruit to feed an entire family for many meals.

Most years we had plenty of extra blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes and bell peppers to sell at our farm stand. My mother really appreciated having this extra income, no matter how small it was. She used it to buy fabric to make us each a new dress for the new school year. Mom also used this money to buy other little things that didn't fit into our regular household budget.

In August and September we began preparations for preserving enough food to last us through the winter. Several days a week for 2-3 months we spent long days canning bushels of tomatoes, beets, pickles, peaches and pears. My mother made a sweet, spicy syrup and used it to preserve crab apples. We made jelly and jam from concord grapes, apples, peaches, raspberries and blackberries.

In late fall, we pulled all the dry beans, dug potatoes, pulled turnips, rutabagas, carrots and onions. We stored all of this bounty on earthen shelves cut out of dirt walls in the cellar. Before the start of winter we laid in enough food to last through the worst of winter. I remember looking over the rows upon rows of canned goods and the bushels of potatoes, turnips and rutabagas and feeling so indescribably rich.

As our family worked together in a spirit of cooperation to grow, gather and preserve the fruits of our labor we all developed a sense of something larger than ourselves. As a child, I felt so loved and valued. I knew I was an integral part of the family because I was included in such an important undertaking. My siblings have expressed similar sentiments. Participating in the livelihood of our family made us conscious of our family unit as a whole. And while, we had many hours to while away the time in play and childish pursuits, we also learned that work is a good thing. It is so important for all members of a family to be included -- even the ones that can only lean on mother's knee or toddle about.

Don't miss our 'old fashioned' laundry day! You can read about it here.

Menu Plan Monday

This week I thought I would list the breakfast and lunch meals, snacks and our dessert for the week. I will be leaving on Thursday to visit my in-laws for a few days so I'm not sure what those meals will be. While I'm gone George's dinners will be Lasagna, Ham Sandwiches and Burger King.

Breakfasts

Monday -- Yogurt and Fruit
Tuesday -- English Muffin with Peanut Butter
Wednesday -- Mini Shredded Wheat Cereal with Milk and Banana
Thursday --Homemade Breakfast Sandwich

Lunches

Monday -- Ranch Chicken Salad

Tuesday -- Hopefully the $4.99 Pizza & Salad lunch special with a girlfriend. You know who you are : )

Wednesday -- Homemade tv dinner -- this one will be Thanksgiving leftovers.

Snacks in our house are usually yogurt, fruit and nuts -- unless you are George, then it's anything chocolate. On occasion we have popcorn and chips too.

Dessert of the Week: Orange Cinnamon Cake

Suppers

Monday

Homemade Ham & Mac Casserole, Salad, Squash

Tuesday

Beef Pot Pie, Salad, Snap Peas

Wednesday

Steak, Au gratin Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, Brussel Sprouts, Rolls

Thursday

Lasagna

Friday

Ham Sandwiches, Potato Salad

Saturday

Burger King

For more menu ideas, visit Org Junkie.