I WON!!

I got a call Saturday morning that one of my baby blanket sets had received a tri-color ribbon! I was really not expecting that at all, so I was pretty stoked.

My crochet is gifted or donated, so I was pretty excited that my crochet was finally appreciated for the value, time and love I put into it.

Besides the project that won a tri-color ribbon, I also entered four other projects that won a blue ribbon and one project that won a red ribbon. So, I guess you could say I made out like a bandit at the Guadalupe County Fair.

After we got home from the fair for newspaper photos (which I have not received yet) me and Skye made our yearly support visit to Crowe's Nest Farm....

We have a pack of coyotes who live behind our house in the greenbelt. We usually only hear them at night after sun down, but the other day they were yiping all day. Everything seemed to be triggering them...sirens, planes flying overhead, etc.

Seguin

Today me and my friend Robin took a trip to Seguin, Texas to enter some of our stuff into the Guadalupe County State Fair. Robin had canned preserves and I had crochet items.

It's the first time I've ever entered anything into a county fair, so I'm pretty excited to see if I'll get any recognition for my handicraft. If not, o'well it's not going to stop me.

About a year ago, Robin moved out to a plot of land in Bastrop where they built them a nice home. I love the idea of country living, but I'm a catch 22 because I also hate driving and inconvenience.

Robin's horses, Scout, Moses and Opie. Opie, the solid brown one is the oldest....

Luckily, Robin drove so I could site see. We passed a farm of gazelles. I didn't want to think about why there might be gazelles in Central Texas. They were beautiful to watch and bounced away when we pulled near to photo them....
 

Robin's dog Lucy Blue went with us. She's spunky and moves around a lot, so the photo I got of her was blurry...

Last time I was in Seguin I was a teenager, when I stayed with my aunt and uncle for a couple of months. I recognized a couple of things, and I really wanted to do a bit more exploring in the city, but we didn't have time.

We got to the fairgrounds and entered our projects....

Juan Sequin's burial spot was right behind the fairgrounds...

After we entered our projects, we took Lucy to a nearby dog park to reward her for having to sit in the truck and wait for us. A dog park would be a disaster for Bo, but Lucy has very good social skills..

It was a nice day, and I enjoyed hanging out with Robin and having a little 'girl time'.

I will have to return on Sunday to pick up my items from the fair.

Elements

 I got up early this morning so I could go do some personal shopping. Old habits die VERY hard. I went to the Goodwill specifically in search of blue jeans. In all fairness to myself, I wasn't having any luck at the department stores.  I also thought I may stop by Academy and purchase some much needed new running shoes.

My destination was Central Austin to one of my favorite Goodwill's. On the way I stopped for a sausage biscuit at a McDonald's along the way. I took my coke, biscuit and tray and sat in a spot in front of the T.V.  While I ate I was engrossed in the newscast about the recent lottery winner that ended up dead of suspected cyanide poisoning.

For whatever reason the restaurant area was filled with seniors (old folk). My people watching addiction lured me to watch their expression about the lottery winner's demise. Nothing...nada. But when the reporter switched topics to the church that was enforcing their stand on the anti-gay marriage position three out of six of them were shaking their head in agreement (all men). Interesting. They showed emotion toward the gay marriage issue but the lottery winner being poisoned evoked no emotion at all from them.

I lucked up at the Goodwill and found two pair of jeans that fit me perfectly. I spent so much time in the Goodwill that I didn't have time-nor felt like- shoe shopping at Academy. I made a stop at HEB and headed home just in time to help Toby prep a lunch to take to work and kiss him goodbye.

The weather was so perfect today that I decided to give my car a much needed good vacuuming. I also picked up dog turds and swept out the garage while I was outside.

When I came back inside and sat down I suddenly felt achy, tired and my sinuses hurt. I assumed it was probably from all the dust and dirt I stirred up from cleaning out my car and sweeping the garage.

I watched Dr. Phil and Ricky Lake and rested for awhile and felt fine afterwards.

I took Bo for an evening walk and made note how the weeds around here still grow at warp speed even in the winter months. I think Bo must have peed on every one he saw.

X's AND O's

It rained all night long and when I awoke this morning it was STILL raining. No matter, we still had to get out and run a few errands today.

Mine and Toby's anniversary is tomorrow and we want to be able to enjoy ourselves without the weekly errands looming over our heads.

After we ran all of our errands Toby and Summer requested Starbucks. As we waited on their order I looked around at everybody sitting with their coffee and laptops. As I observed them I made a mental note that it seems that every Starbucks I have ever been in all the "dining" customers look alike. They all dress in the same style of clothing, hold their coffee the same way, sit the same way, and have the same communicating mannerisms. It's like Starbucks holds their own genre of customers. Maybe I just notice weird stuff like that.

By the time we got home the rain had stopped enough that I took Bo for a short late afternoon run. I think that must have made him happy because he didn't give me the stare the rest of the evening.

I have an interesting activity planned tomorrow. I won't spoil it by giving any details.

Until tomorrow...

Little Bitty

I have to admit I was dreading a day of being cooped up in the house due to the 100 percent rain chance, but it turned out to be a wonderful day. Isn't funny how it's always those times you expect a bad experience that it turns out to be a pleasant one??

We made omelets with onions, peppers and mushrooms for breakfast. Yum. After we ate breakfast Toby and I went and had some "us" time in the bedroom. We are usually on the go with either errands or Toby having to rush off to work so it was really nice to be able to hang out in our bed together chatting. Other than Bo whimpering at the door it was a pleasant experience. We talked about many different things...one of them being how we (mostly me) don't miss those huge, black,  flying-ass cockroaches found in Mobile and in the more humid areas of the south. Hmmmm....two good reasons I have no desire to  move back to Mobile - no HEB stores and too many dang cockroaches.

Toby and I mostly watched T.V. all day...or should I say Toby watched T.V. while I worshipped my Ipad on the sofa next to him.
We did watch an interesting documentary together called Zeitgeist. Not sure how much of it was based on actual fact, but it was definitely food for thought and most of it made logical sense.

I think I saw Summer a total of two times the whole day..at breakfast and lunch. She stayed in her room the whole day playing Mindcraft and chatting with her friend Hannah on the phone.

Bo acted like a freak most of the day pacing around and staring at me. I think he's boring very quickly of the limited time we have been spending outdoors lately.

The rest of our evening will be spent watching a Redbox rental, "Paranorman" while consuming Jiffy Pop.

I think I may make this kind of day a must in our household at least once a month despite what the weather forecast may be.

Look After You

If you can believe it we are expecting 3-5 inches of rain in Central Texas in the next couple of days. Not that we certainly don't need the rain but it's sort of putting a damper on my parade of activities for the week.  I had a couple of fun things planned but instead I guess we will be holed up inside the house for a couple of days. Good thing we are used to being up each other's ass most the time anyway or else this could be fatal.

I prepared for the event by going to the grocery store and stocking the house with extra food....and liquor. I figured we would make the best of it by eating and watching movies....and drinking.  I don't like getting out on the roads when it's wet. Austinites drive like idiots in the best of conditions and even worse in the worst conditions.

While I was out I decided to run in Target and see if I could find some proper fitting jeans. Finding jeans is THE WORST clothing issue I have. There's like 100 different styles and cuts to choose from and all it does is confuse me. Once I figure out the Fit and Cut I need then there are never any left in my size. Never fails.

At least Summer found her a pair of cute boots on clearance.....not that we were shopping for her. Inevitably when we are shopping for me, she always finds something cute and fitting for her. Lucky girl.

I'll admit I was a lazy-ass when I got home and managed to consume a canned coke and a whole Totino's pizza by myself while watching Dr. Phil and browsing Pinterest.  I think I sat on the sofa for 3 hours straight. Bo just glared at me wondering what the hell happened to his evening walk????

Shame on me especially since that's probably what I will also be doing for the next couple of days due to the rain.

Summer spent the rest of the afternoon playing outdoors. Her and her friends have been sliding down the hill on cardboard boxes affixed on top of a skateboards.  I watched them out the window for awhile and thought about how innocent and childlike these preteens still all are. At what point do we as adults lose our connection with our inner child??? What makes us lose that connection???

I love that kid with my whole being. I don't know how I ended up with such good kids considering what little effort I give in raising them. All I have ever supplied is unconditional LOVE and an open, understanding ear and that seems to have sufficed just fine.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be momma almighty here. I'm sure both of my kids have/will have baggage of some kind. None of us come out of this life unscathed in some sort of way.

I'm watching Summer quickly grow and mature and I'm starting to feel a bit panicked. I always thought I would love the freedom I would have when my last kid is grown and gone, but lately I have been wondering what the hell it is that I thought I was going to do without my kids? I have no money to travel or do the things that would give me enjoyment. What did I think I was really going to do when my kids are all gone? Sew? Bleh!!!  I have nothing of value but my kids.

I'm not feeling very optimistic about my week or my life tonight. I will run in the rain tomorrow morning. I love running in the rain.

Party Train

This morning I slept in until 9:30. That's late for me and almost unheard of. The cold weather is making me feel a bit like hibernating so I guess I was hibernating. I did feel extra refreshed when I got up and was pleased to see the sun was shining and the sky was blue.

After a couple of months hiatus from my ab exercises I decided to get back to work with them again this morning. I could feel my core beginning to get weak without them and the last thing I want to be is fragile if it can be prevented. I also have incorporated my push ups back into my regime. Before you know it it will be spring and I certainly don't want my "bat wings"  flapping around during tank top season.

Toby rode his bike alongside me and Bo while we did our morning run.  I like it when Toby goes with us. It makes me feel a little more secure when stray dogs come at us. Without him I am on constant alert for strays that like to pick fights with Bo.

With me getting up so late by the time we got back it was lunch time. Yesterday I put  Slow Cooker Greek Chicken Pita in the crock pot so it would be ready for lunch today. It passed the test and will be added to our favorites. Summer didn't even turn her nose up at it.

Slow Cooker Greek Chicken Pita

I know I have been trying to reduce the amount of meat we eat and lately it seems like we have been eating more than our share. So many good recipes that include meat though and I guess....old habits die hard.

After Toby left to work I got to work vacuuming, mopping, and it was even warm enough that I was able to go outside and prune some of my bushes and give the yard a little TLC. It felt good to be outside. I figured I better enjoy it while I could because it looks like more rain and cold coming soon..

The rest of the afternoon I spent loafing around on the sofa scouring  Pinterest. Yep, that's what I did for the next couple of hours. No shame here.

Oh, and if anyone was wondering about the weird post titles I have going on lately here's the deal; I have a hard time figuring out titles for day to day posts when they have no specific topic.  I always have Pandora playing when I'm on my computer so I just title my post whatever the name of the song is that's playing when I start my post. I know it's not very creative but it saves me time in figuring out a title for my post.

Rapid Cognition

I got my Blue Hanger fix this morning so I have been in a pretty good mood today despite the cold, rainy weather. I didn't get much...Summer a couple of shirts, me a couple of shorts and shirts, and some fabric selections...as if I needed any more of that.  I walked out of there having spent only $13 so it was a pretty good day.

After I got home I did my usual household chores and threw together a meal in the crockpot for tomorrow.

I forgot to mention on my post yesterday a new recipe I'm adding to my favorites. It was simple to prepare and tasty.

Lasagna in a Skillet

Here is a link to the recipe.

Beast

Today I HAD to go to the grocery store. I haven't been to the Blue Hanger in weeks so in order for me to get out of the house free and clear tomorrow morning I needed to get my chores done first. I decided since Toby was off work, instead of me getting up early and going to the grocery store by myself like I usually do, I would incorporate my family into my shopping trip.

Summer went through a phase a couple of years ago where she would take half my list and go off on her own in the store to shop.  It was like a game for her. Since she used to shop with me all the time she was familiar with the items and brands that I bought and knew the game of price comparison.  Homeschoolers call that "Math".  I call it life skills. :-)

Now that she is older she usually stays home when I grocery shop. I thought it would be fun (and bonding) for her and Toby to take half of my grocery list in the store while I have the other half. I figured it would also cut my time in the store in half. Not so much it turns out. They were understandably having trouble figuring out what exactly what I needed on some of the items listed, but they did a good job anyway. There were only two items I had to go and exchange.

In the end, it really didn't make my trip any easier or quicker, but we were still all together which is what mattered the most.

The weather was frigid again today. Forecast shows some light snow flakes overnight. Nothing that sticks of course, but all Summer heard was the word "snow" and is pumped at the idea. Me? I remember being excited at the idea of snow when I was a kid too. Now? Not so much anything that even remotely resembles snow is appealing....unless I am by a fire in a cabin in the woods sipping wine with my lover.

Still haven't gotten a box, but I did get a lot accomplished in the study as far as purging goes. I'm satisfied for now.

I hope the weather doesn't ruin my trip to the Blue Hanger tomorrow morning...

Hypnotising

It's pretty lonely around here with the kids (Lucas and Kristin) gone..for me anyway. Toby is glaring into the t.v and his Ipod as he usually does and Summer is engrossed in her usual projects in her room.

For whatever reason I'm finding it difficult to settle back into my normal routine. I tried to pull out my fabric and do a little sewing but just couldn't get into it. Pinterest isn't even intriguing me...although I did manage to make a small menu plan off it tonight - out of necessity more than enjoyment.

I feel anxious and unsettled so I'm obsessed with purging the house, other than I can't seem to find a large box to load everything into which is only adding to my agitation.

It's freezing ass cold outside so puttering around the yard (which typically relaxes me) is out of the question. Only through pure habit have I been able to take Bo out for his morning runs. I dread the idea of it before I head out but once I get running I warm up pretty quickly. I still hate it when it's in the 30's though. My ear lobes and hands were frozen solid hard by the time I was done with my run this morning.

My cousin Shannon messaged me yesterday and said they may visit in February. I hope they come. I like the company. Visitors use to annoy me but I find the older I get the more I enjoy having family members and friends visit...as long as they are enjoyable visitors.

We had a buy 1 get 1 free coupon for Logan's Roadhouse today. The food was good but it always feels so unnatural for me to throw those peanut shells on the floor.

After lunch we went to Walmart and Sam's. I bought me a robe at Sam's..leopard print. :-)

At Walmart Summer decided she was more experienced at style than I am and put some outfits together for me off the clearance rack that didn't look too "Walmart-ish". Unfortunately everything but a pair of shorts (size 6 baby!) was either to big/small or didn't fit properly. O'well it was fun seeing her so excited about shopping for me. She's been being more feminine the past few months and the best news is she revealed to me that she is growing her hair back out!! I didn't act too excited about it for fear my excitement would change her plan. For me, the best thing about it was that honestly,  I really didn't care whether she cuts it or lets it grow out. I'm over the hair thing and she's beautiful to me either way.

Releasing my thoughts via my blog helps me see things in a different light. I feel much better now.

Spaceboy

Once a week we do try to do family 'Movie Night' . We rent a movie that ALL of us will enjoy and pop up some Jiffy Pop popcorn . I mostly like doing movie night during the holidays or on very cold nights, otherwise Summer will be out and about playing with neighborhood kids and very hard to lure in to sit down watch a movie. She gets that from me. I'm not really much of a movie person and it's very hard for me to sit through a whole movie without my mind wandering...or falling asleep.

Last night our movie of choice was 'Seeking Friend For the End of the World'. It was an okay movie but not one I would recommend to someone to watch.

Mostly it had me thinking about what people would do if they knew that the world was ending on a specific day/time. Would I still be worried about if my house were clean? If my kid studied her spelling words? If my husband got up and went to work or not?  Or would we even want to spend our last days with our chosen spouse??? It's an interesting thought if you think about it.

Needless to say I did fall asleep towards the end of the movie only to awaken to see the finale and hear a song ( The Air That I Breath by the Hollies) that was being played in the movie that I liked well enough to sing along with in my half-slumber.

Friday's are my Monday's so most of my day today was consumed with housework. I did manage to finish up some binding on a one of my quilts and I also went out and bought some tea bags to make Toby some tea. He had expressed an interest in having some tea to drink a couple of months ago ( I know, what a slacker wife) so I figured this was the day that I made him some tea. Too bad I won't be partaking in any of it being that it is UN-sweet tea. This guy can't be from the South!!!!!!!!

Okay...tootles for now.

Afternoon Delight

Our fall weather has been beautiful this year with cool mornings and temps in the 70's and 80's during the day, and of course not a hint of rain in sight which can sometimes work  to our advantage.

The other day I was upset at myself for not scheduling in some hiking to to take advantage of the superb weather we've had the past couple of months.

So today we all (including Bo) headed to Walnut Creek. It's close to home and there are still miles of trails that we have not explored yet.

The scenery was pretty much the same 'ole same 'ole.

We did come across a patch of seeding dandelion. Summer commented on how the ground below them felt like a fleece blanket because of all the fallen soft seeds.

Here is Summer standing on the edge of a cliff. You can't tell in this pic but I was surprised at how high up this cliff hovered over the creek...for Walnut Creek standards anyway.

It was refreshing for my soul to be outdoors today.

Yesterday Once More

Tonight as I was scrolling through FB I came across a link that piqued my interest. I don't even remember exactly what the original link was that caught my attention but it led me to this article:

Jada Pinkett Smith Aptly Tells Haters To Lay Off Her Kid's Hair

Oh how I related to this article!!!  As much as I internally cringe at Summer's choice of hairstyle I allow her to make her choices in her appearance and Jada Pinkett Smith couldn't have said it more eloquently.

Here was her response to the public who questioned her 'letting' her daughter cut off all of her hair:

'The question why I would LET Willow cut her hair. First the LET must be challenged. This is a world where women, girls are constantly reminded that they don't belong to themselves; that their bodies are not their own, nor their power, or self determination. I made a promise to endow my little girl with the power to always know that her body, spirit, and her mind are HER domain. Willow cut her hair because her beauty, her value, her worth is not measured by the length of her hair. It's also a statement that claims that even little girls have the RIGHT to own themselves and should not be a slave to even their mother's deepest insecurities, hopes, and desires. Even little girls should not be a slave to the preconceived ideas of what a culture believes a little girl should be.'

Hell yeah! and bravo for Jada Pinkett Smith standing up not only for her daughter but for all women.


Happy to be SUMMER



To Do

1. Almost 3 years ago on Thanksgiving Day my oven decided to die. To this day I have not have had the luxury of an oven. I miss my oven. I miss baking cookies and pulling a steaming hot casserole fresh out of the oven.

The reason it's not repaired yet? Simply, I'm super frugal about what I spend my money on. We all have priorities where our money is concerned and I have yet to make the decision as to whether it is worth the couple hundred dollars it will take out of my budget to repair my oven. After all, the stove top still works...

TO DO:  Either BITE THE BULLET and repair the oven or fork out the hundreds of dollars it would take to buy another one....or keep bitching about not having an oven and move on.

2. The brakes on my car are starting to make a scraping noise. I don't know how much longer I can drive on them without incurring further damage. I hate car repairs more than anything. My 'mechanic Lucas' is in Alabama and although Toby can do simple car maintenance it's not his forte. Every time I envision car maintenance with him it's never a pretty scene. It most likely will involve alot of cursing and attitude of poor pitiful me, I have to do something other than sit on my ass on my IPhone in front of the T.V.  Whatever it is it won't be pleasant and I approach it's inevitability with a sense of dread. I suck it up and do all sorts of things I despise on a daily basis. It would be such a turn on if he did the same thing.

I have made a mental note that if this brake changing is traumatic for me, the next time our credit card will be put to good use and any other car maintenance will be done by someone else. Period.

TO DO:  Purchase brakes and put aside a day to get the job done.

3.  Bo needs a bath BAD! and I don't mean one of those rinse me off in the backyard underneath the hose with a little dog soap. He needs his yearly grooming....nails clipped, ears cleaned, and some dog perfume.

TO DO:  Luckily this one is easy enough to accomplish. On one of our errand days we need to drop Bo off at the groomer.

4.  The blinds need to be vacuumed and the carpets, although in pretty good condition, but after 5 years worth of foot and dog traffic could probably use a good professional cleaning

TO DO:  I'll probably end up being an el cheapo on this one and rent the Rug Doctor. Again, carve out a day for this venture.

5.  The wind and sun has managed to destroy the fabric tarp over our gazebo so that will need to be replaced by next spring.

TO DO:  Good thing this one doesn't have to be taken care of immediately, but I'm sure it will be one of those things that slip up on me before I know it, so I need to start finding a replacement and pricing in the near future.

6.  I had also wanted to make a small garden in the backyard this fall...somehow the fall has came and is almost gone and I have so many other things taking precedence that the garden has made it's way to the bottom of the list of things to do.

TO DO:  I can't even really seriously think about this one right now. I just perceive a garden as being another thing on my list of things I would have to take care of.  When I think about digging a garden, going to the nursury to find all the veggies to fill it up and then planting them, I really don't mind going to the grocery store after all....

Oh, and there is more these are just at the top of the list.

With all these things that are lurking in the back of my mind that need to be taken care of very soon, all I can think about is how nice it would be to take a mini vacation to Houston or Dallas this week....

Sigh.....

Obsessed

I once heard Dr. Phil say that only boring people get bored. Hmmm...well, I guess I'm a pretty boring person. Not that I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO, I have plenty to do. There is always laundry to be done, vacuuming, cooking, etc.

I'm one that bores very easily if there's not anything "exciting" going on. My ex-boss used to appropriately call me an "excitement addict".  In my mind all I think about is all the cool stuff this world has to offer and I'm at home doing laundry?????? Yep, that's exactly how I want to spend my days on Earth.

So anyway, since I don't like being "bored" and there's not enough money in my budget at the moment to travel and see the world,  for the past few months I have become obsessed with hunting down discarded fabric or old clothing with nice patterns from the Blue Hanger and sewing up these cute little tote bags I saw on Pinterest... another recent obsession of mine. Yes, I am also a Pinterest addict.

I have dabbled with different styles and fabric combinations. I have absolutely NO IDEA what I am going to do with all these totes I am creating but I sure am having a good time sewing them.

Take a gander..

While in Corpus Christi last summer I lucked up on a yard sale behind the hotel we were staying in. The lady was a retired economics teacher and had tons of vintage fabric super cheap. I even made a little mini tote to go with this one....

I found this piano duo fabric at the Blue Hanger that made the perfect combination. If I knew anyone that enjoyed playing the piano I would give it to them....

When I first saw this on Pinterest I thought.."What a great idea:!" to make a tote bag out of an old pillowcase. I love the idea of  upcycling. Too much gets wasted in our world as it is...

These are my favorites I have been making. They are reversible and so easy to make. I can whip one up in just a couple of hours.

This one is made from two discarded pillowcases. Don't worry, I always take a whiff to make sure there is no overwhelming odor that may not be able to be washed out...

I also did some cute reversible Halloween totes....

I whipped this one out this afternoon....

I'm not out anything because the fabric is sold very cheaply by the pound at the Blue Hanger which makes the cost little to nothing and as far as time? ..... and I have PLENTY of time on my hands so there will be many, many more totes to add to the collection...unless of course something more exciting comes along. Fingers crossed.

Calling All Thrifters

There is nothing that I find more pleasure in than thrifting. It's not really the shopping itself that sucks me in as much as it is the thrill of the find. As they say.."One Man's Junk is Another Man's Treasure." If your the type that can look past germs and dirty surprises that are sometimes found sifting through someone else's discarded stuff then read on.

When I first moved to Texas I would occasionally frequent Goodwill or an occasional thrift store but it wasn't until a few years ago when I my met my thrifting buddy Robin that I found out what a treasure trove of thrifting opportunities Austin held. She introduced me to some real gems which I will share here with you.

If you are not from the Austin area but find one of these places listed intriguing, check in your own area to see if there may be something comparable.

My favorite spot is the Goodwill Blue Hanger Outlet Store.  Explaining this store to someone who has never been is a little difficult, but imagine an empty warehouse filled with about 100+ large blue bins piled high with every sort of item you can think of...clothes, fabric, books, toys, furniture, etc.  Most items are priced by the pound around $1.39/lb, books generally are $1.39 flat and most of the furniture items are priced much lower than the general 'Goodwill,' rate.  The best description I can give it is dumpster diving.

Next stop is "The Dump" as we so lovingly call it. The Dump is actually the Texas Disposal Systems resale store. What that means is all the stuff that people put out on the side of the road for once a month trash day pick up is sorted through and they take out the stuff that is still good and sell it in a "store" on the premises.

You wouldn't believe the good stuff that people will put out on the side of the road for the dump. For example, a few weeks ago I got a  nightstand that just needed a little TLC for $1.99!! I threw a coat of paint on it and decoupaged the front doors with fabric and tada!!!    
          

This next one I have only been to once but I feel it is worth mentioning because it may well be considered the best kept secret in Austin...maybe not anymore, right?! It's the State Surplus Store...everything that didn't make it through airport security and the the final resting place for all retired state owned furniture, filing cabinets, etc.

From Yelp: "You'll find everything from confiscated snow globes (they contain liquid, so it's a carry-on no-no at the airport) to Vietnamese cobra liquor!

If you're in to pocket knives, you'll be in heaven.  They have buckets and buckets full of knives and many can be had in near-new condition for $1-3!

Go through the double-glass doors near the jewelry cases, and this leads to the large warehouse floor.  They have tons of used office furniture (desks, chairs, file cabinets, etc.), fax machines, and even some restaurant equipment too.

The best thing about the State Surplus Store, though?  ALL PRICES NEGOTIABLE!

(It actually doesn't say that anywhere, but keep in mind that this is a clearing house for the state.  They're trying to move stuff out before the next truckload comes in.  Make them a reasonable offer and, more times than not, they'll accept it."

Even if you aren't looking for anything in particular, it's fun to just to have look around.  Who knows what you'll find next."

Last but not least is the Habitat For Humanity Re-Store...another that I have only been to once but feel like it is worth mentioning. It's Goodwill for building materials and an un-told secret of DIY/Home improvement stuff...doors, windows, ceramic tile, appliances, counter tops...you name it and it's there for a fraction of what you would pay for it at Home Depot or Lowes.

I wish I could frequent all these places more often but with what little free time I have I have to pick and choose my favorites.

I hope these thrifting ideas will inspire the desire!!!

A Horse, Of Course

I'm always trying to think of ways to enrich Summer's "homeschool"  life. After all, I am sparing her the tortures and pleasures of a public school education so I feel it's my duty to fill in her life with as many extracurricular activities as reasonably and financially possible.

The other day I got the bright idea to ask my friend Robin if she wouldn't mind giving Summer a mini horseback riding lesson one day.

You don't suggest things to Robin and not have her take the idea and run with it...and I say that in the most admirable way possible, so last Saturday Summer and I headed over to Robins to take a ride on Opie, Robin's horse. Being the city bred girl I am, I never really spent a whole lot of time with horses...or any other farm animal for that matter.  When I first met Opie I felt  like he's wasn't a horse,  but  a gigantic dog. He is SO SWEET!!  He greets you to say hello, for kisses, and I'm sure most of all for treats.

I think Summer was excited about riding Opie but also a little nervous. After all, Opie is no pony. Just as I knew she would be, Robin was wonderful showing Summer how to control Opie's moves and how to lead him.
 

Opie waiting to be saddled up.





Yehaw!



Opie getting an after ride snack.

 

Opie "washing" the sweat off his back after the ride.

More farm buddies....

Robin's Fun Farm. :-)

It was a wonderful Saturday afternoon and I am so grateful that Robin took time out of her busy life to spend some time with us and share her horse expertise with Summer.  I wish every Saturday could be like this one!!!!!!!!!!