Turkey,quilting,co-opping

Yesterday I put a 19lb bird in the oven at 1345. It was not done till 2015. to say the least Mr.P. and myself had a vegetarian meal of mashed potatoes, corn and bread stuffing. It was very tasty, even though a little frustrating, we could smell the turkey in the
oven. Maddie would of cooked faster than that dang bird. OK all whining done , today we ate some turkey and it was wonder!! very tender and moist, satisfying with the potatoes, bread stuffing, corn and that gravey !We will be having good eats te rest of the week.
Besides cooking all weekend I did work on Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt. I love sewing but this quilt is like the quilt that will not end. Thought I would run out brown fabric and would have to go get some more. The thought was more than I could bear, spend money, NO NO NO. I found some brown from a mistake that I made in cutting a different block and used it. Yeah for me!!!

3/300 no sugar
Spent $30 today, Kinko's,co-op
2.5 mile walk w/dog

I went to the co-op today to see if it is worth becoming a member again. Found that they have my favorite lotion that I can buy in bulk at a good price, about $7 less for 320z. I did buy some of this to refill my lotion jars, but did not become a member yet. $20/year for membership, need to think about this one.
Am also thinking of perhaps throwing in a NO TV day, one day a week. I can so zone out in front of a TV when I am really tired and bored.

Friday Jan.2- 2009 was my first no spend day. it was harder than I thought, one because their were great sales in town and one at my favorite yarn store. Not that I need any yarn but I am a sucker for sales,hence how my house became so cluttered. But.... I did not leave the house except to walk with Mr.P and the dog. Also yesterday was d#2 without sugar. Am feeling a little better but still very tired at night and then having trouble sleeping.

yesterday was spent sewing on Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt, I only completed the first set of blocks,lots and lots of cutting, pressing and sewing of small pieces. I do think that it will be beautiful when done.

Today a turkey will be cooked with all the trimmings aka: mashed potatoes, stuffing and corn. We will eat off of the bird for about 3 days then freeze what ever is left for another day, will also make 2 loaves of bread for the week.

It is starting to snow, we are expecting about 1-3 inches though the weather men in Colorado are hard to trust. I would never bet the farm on their predictions, I like to use Farmers. Almanac site.

OK:

1/108 no spend days

2/300 no sugar days

x2 loaves bread

Will post pictures of the bread later, it is in the oven at the moment.
Oh something else Mr.P and I are going to be doing: Redoing the bathrooms. I hope this will not ruin 30 years of marriage. We tend to do things very differently. He being a man that needs LOTS of information and me being a women who will figure it out as I go. Should be interesting. We are off to Home Depot to get new fixtures and paint, then it's let the fun begin!!!!

Sunday's

Sunday the day of rest, yes that is surely all I have done all day. Mr.P. and myself went to see VALYKE this afternoon. We went to the early show, ( I hate movie theaters, but Mr.P. loves them). Going to the first show is cheaper and very few people in the theater, Both bonuses for me. Any who the film was slow, very slow. I do not care for Tom Cruise and he did not add anything to the film, but it is a true story and even though slow, it was interesting.

So today I signed up for the Quiltville mystery quilt that will start on NY day. Put lots of Christmas stuff away. And lastly started another knitted washcloth, finished the one I started yesterday.

Something that I WILL get done this week is to clean up and organize my sewing room. yesterday i did go on my last big fabric binge. I had set this money aside and bought some great things. Is this frugal, no of course not, but I had planned on this since last January. They say the more organized one is the more they can accomplish, well I plan on testing the theory.

Goals,Simply Living,cutting consumerism

Well we all made it through the Holidays again! How sad to think of "making it through the holidays" when actually whether religion or secular these days are a gift to us all. We get to spend time with family an/or friends, eat great food,and get a present or two. Happy Holidays

I know this blog is mainly for quilting but this year I am going to mix things up a bit. First of all I have been reading allot of simplicity Blogs and have always had a yearning to be "Caroline" on Little House on the Prairie, hence the name of the blog. So this year I am going to throw in some of my life style changes I want to put to use.
1 I will have 2days/week of no spending and move this p to 5 days a week by year end. .
2 Will lower my electric bill by, turning off lights,drying only towel in dryer,
3 Cooking 6 nights a week, my husband likes to eat out on Fridays and I will not take the one enjoyment he has away. i am the one who spends way to much of our income.
4. start to find recipes to make my own dishwashing soap/clothes soap/bar soap etc. The idea hear is to learn how to be better to the environment and how to do with less plastic as well as packaging.
5.Garden
6 Buy used before new
7. Make homemade gifts
8. ride bike more, use car less

Now I know this sounds like allot but I'm thinking soon we will have few options and be forced to live on less. Plus why should only Americans live so high on the earth and not China and India? Because if China alone lived liked Americans we would all be dead from pollution and Global Warming.

END OF THE YEAR THOUGHTS

Well it is Dec.21,2008 and I have all the gifts ready for work tomorrow. I made several of the gifts this year, homemade soap,reusable veggie bags for the grocery store, then the old stand by of Christmas ornaments. Sure wish I had taken a picture of all this before I wrapped it, ( using little bags I bought last year). I am actually very, very low on my supplies that I had built up over the years. last 2 years I did not go out after Christmas to restock, wanted to use up what I had. And boy have I.

I also finished the top of a scrap quilt, string quilt is what I believe it is called. My sewing room needs alot of attention and it will receive it right after Christmas. I have about 4 tops ready for me to quilt and 2 tops ready to send to Denver.

Have been thinking allot about what I want to accomplish in 2009. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. One quilt a month

2. Finish hand quilting the Amish quilt

3. follow Simple Savings 12 mo. program

4. Put in a big garden (as big as I can with being in China in August)

5. Order all my seeds from the catalog

6. Eat out no more than once a week

7. Buy used first

8. Save save save

9. Loss weight by exercising and eating healthy

I know this sounds awful lofty but as I said I want to work on all these things. Maybe by writing them down I can review my list and actually accomplish some if not most of my wants/needs.

SNOW

It's snowing!!!!!! I love snow,I love winter. Yes it is true I am a winter lady not a summer gal . Winter is so clean, fresh with every new snow , and not to mention cool. I DO NOT like HOT!

Anyways, I turned on my Christmas lights outside this AM , Beautiful, the bushes with fresh snow on them are all lit up. 

I am off today and have lots to do, cleaning bathrooms,floors, shopping (food), and of course finish some binding on my Santa quilt. Tonight is Nano,Nano quilt group. Will be good to see everyone and what they all have been sewing on. We have some very prolific sewers in this group, makes me green, wish I had more time to get through that room of fabric.

Am going to take a scrap-booking class on line this month. Crazy, when I got married their were not even computers and now I have a blog and taking classes on line. Seems surreal!! The class is done by Melody Langsworthy, Candid Thoughts Blog. this is one worth checking out.
http://melodeelangworthy.typepad.com/

Seems along time since I have written here, sorry. Received an email from daughter in China and she sounded so lonely and depressed. She wishes the Peace corp had more hours for her to teach, feeling a little useless and having to much time to herself. She is going to see if she can volunteer in the primary schools teaching English.

The time just seems to fly by and I am not sure what I get done. planted tulip bulbs yesterday for some extra spring color, will put crocuses in today. Have finished one cotton organic washcloth, yarn I found in Wyoming on the way to the Teeton's.