Nov. 20, 2008 - Donna, co-op, the economy, garden plans, chickens and cards
Just a quick praise report on Donna.....she came home from hosptial on Sunday. She has therapy several times a week, her children are in different schools for the time being until Donna can resume her home schooling teacher role and life goes on.
A HUGE thank you to those of you who prayed that don't even know her. It is SO good to belong to the family of God, as well as a blogging community of people who really care.
I will continue to share updates when appropriate. Thanks.
Co-op is over for this year.....until sometime in January. WHEW. What a ride.
That and Lit class and art class sure made our lives MUCH busier than we ever thought possible.....and I am rethinking some of the "busy-ness". Just not our style....made me fairly cranky.....not to mention hubby, who is used to things a certain way around here.
WAYYYY different plans on our plates compliments of the stalled, uncertain economic times ahead.
Numero Uno on our list is hauling in a few truckloads of GOOD soil (ours is not only pretty sandy, but really ucky) and planting a garden this spring.
Haven't done that since small son was an infant and we were living in Northern Michigan......but.....with grocery prices as they are and me being the self proclaimed "Queen" of frugal meal prep.....I just can't see any other way around it....PLUS, it will be a great , uh........physical education dealo for small son....and will get ME out in ye olde sunshine to absorb some of that Vitamin D I'm sure I'm missing.
Not only that, but coming in at Numbre Deux is......CHICKENS. I hope this spring to get my beloved chickens back!!!......those also from an almost 13 year hiatus. This city living is sure not what it's cut out to be....or I'm not cut out for it or something like that.
And actually, we live in an "unincorporated township" and my understanding of that simply means "area where you get nothing for your taxes and can basically do anything you want".....unless someone reports you, which I also understand just doesn't happen that much here.....all things being equal, of course.
In close relation to Uno and Deux, we have TROIS.....scaling back on our menu plans, ingredients,.....basically eating back on our 'shoestring budget'. Hubby says it's too many carbs for him and he blows up like a balloon......but he can just lay off the bread stuff so much. So, starting THIS weekend (yes, just b4 the annual Thanksgiving glut), I will be once again trying to stick to $50 a week in groceries, compared to the VERY GENEROUS and never did I think I would ever to be able to spend that much on groceries in this or any other lifetime of mine amount of $200 a week hubby currently gives me.....which leads me to Quattro.......(I am mixing French and Spanish in my numbers, happens all the time).
I've also decided to take at least HALF of what my husband is giving me for groceries and putting it away. And I mean AWAY.....like in an account somewhere.....for the garden and chickens. That way, when the time comes (and IF hubby is laid off, as is threatened after the first of the year), I can just use those funds and not have to go to hubby for it!!! How's that for a Proverbs 31 woman type thing??
Oh, the woodburning stove is WONDERFUL....can't wait until we have the proper equipment and right size logs for it. We're just sort of playing around with it now.....but yesterday, the furnace only came on once during the day.....granted, it was a tad warmer (in the lower 40's), but it was exceedingly windy. Plus, my feet were not cold all day long.....and for me, that's the acid test.
Need to run and get ready to haul small son to art class.....it's 2 hours earlier this term....ugh.
Very busy weekend on the horizon. Sigh. Thought I was done with all that, but the co-op play is tomorrow night, final rehearsal tonight and something fun for MOI.....making Christmas cards with ladies from the church Sat. afternoon....sounds like fun.
I remain,
Denise, aka The Domestic Angel
