I picked peaches, tomatoes, figs, red and green beans from the garden. I cut mint, rosemary, green onions, chives, grapes, and the first Armenian cucumber of the year from the garden (it was about 2 feet long). We had a major savings this week. Our house has two air conditioning units. When one went out…
One of my favorite things about spring is having the windows open and listening to the birds sing while the house fills with fresh air. In the summer months, the birds are hidden most of the day in bushes and trees, the windows are closed as the air conditioner runs both day and night in…
A duck showed up in our garden on Sunday! She enjoyed herself eating bugs from the garden and fertilizing our lawn. She came back several more days as well. She stayed for several hours each time, which was fun for the family. I harvested tomatoes, Swiss chard, red and green beans, green onions, a few…
Now that you’ve had the opportunity to get a taste of homeschooling (for pretty much most of the world!) and are seeing the plans for fall in your area, perhaps you’ve decided to try homeschooling this year. If so, you’re not alone. Perhaps two days at school and three days a week of remote distance…
I harvested tomatoes, basil, chives, green onions, red and green beans from the garden. My parents went to a garage sale the week before last (everyone wore masks). They found a few items of clothing for my children and an outdoor game of Ladder Ball, which the children played several times early in the morning…
It’s been rather hot this week with temperatures all the way up to 108F/42C. Working around the heat is the best way to get things done. I got exercise pulling weeds in the garden in the early morning hours. I harvested tomatoes, beans, chives, and basil from the garden. I sowed seeds in the garden…
I picked tomatoes, beans, blackberries, lemons, and apricots from the garden. I also cut basil and green onions from the garden. I canned strawberry jam with the strawberries I had purchased the week before last. I canned apricot vanilla jam with apricots from our trees. I was tempted to purchase some summer annuals for the…
The way I shop now is different than the way I shopped a few years ago, when we had fewer stores nearby. I’ve found my choice of stores changing as I look for the lowest prices to stretch our food budget while prices have been steadily rising. This year, I increased my budget for food,…
I harvested figs, blackberries, apricots, tomatoes, and lemons from the garden. I mended my mattress pad where the seam had come undone in a spot. I gave haircuts to three sons. My husband cut my hair for me. I purchased strawberries in 2-pound packages for $1.88. I used some to make strawberry lemonade, and we…
I went grocery shopping this past week, where I found several deals (including multiple prices that were unadvertised): cucumbers for $0.25 each, limes for $0.20 each, broccoli crowns for $0.99 a pound, bananas for $0.39 a pound, 18-count eggs for $0.74, cream cheese for $1 a package (this is my stock up price, which I…
With the heat of summer here (it reached 109F/43 C on Thursday) my schedule has changed this week. My alarm goes off before dawn and I am up and outside, working in the garden, pulling weeds and deadheading roses. The weeds are particularly numerous this year. I work for an hour to an hour and…
Daily games of Rummikub and Ticket to Ride have marked our days lately, along with bike rides and playing in the garden in the evenings. I found free sheet music online for a song my daughter wanted to play on the piano and printed it for her. I picked apricots from the garden and canned…