I harvested more Bartlett pears from the garden and a few pomegranates. I cooked a batch of black beans in the solar oven. I used some to make taco soup, and froze the rest. I watched the weather carefully, keeping the windows open as many hours as possible, so that we only had to run…
I spoke with a friend in Switzerland for free using Facebook calling. I video chatted with my daughter at university using the free Duo app. I mended 6 towels, a bath mat, two pairs of pants, and an apron. I plan on eventually replacing the bath mat, but I keep mending it and it continues…
I harvested chives from the garden. I used some of the pork roast I had purchased on sale for $0.99 a pound to make tacos. It’s so much cheaper than ground beef, and we love tacos! I made a smaller batch of oatmeal than I usually do. Without Winter around, the oatmeal is not getting…
The opportunity to go on a short vacation arose and we decided to take a trip to San Diego. To save money on a place to stay, we found an Air B&B to stay in–a little house with enough beds for everyone and one bathroom. It was our first time staying in an Air B&B…
I canned sweet pickle relish using part of an Armenian cucumber from the garden. They are so large that I can easily cut six to eight cups of cucumber from each cucumber! I mended a quilt, a pair of pants, and a cardigan. We celebrated a very simple birthday for my new teenager! (Now I…
I read several e-books from the library: The Diplomat’s Wife, The Go-Giver, The Winter Visiter, and The Ambassador’s Daughter. I bought a new refrigerator on sale to replace our 18-year-old one that was breaking apart piece by piece. It will be delivered tomorrow. I learned that the regular price online at Home Depot for the…
I harvested red noodle beans, Armenian cucumbers, Asian pears, and Bartlett Pears from the garden. I read an e-book from the library: The Alice Network, a historical fiction piece about female spies in WWI. I needed more garbage bags for the kitchen trash. I went to the store, where everything had been repackaged into smaller…
This past week was a whirlwind. Some weeks I can accomplish a lot. This was not one of those weeks! My eldest son needed some new clothing, and he needed some specific clothing items for his job at the thrift store. He found what he needed after work there at the thrift store and was…
I harvested grapes, figs, green onions, and basil from the garden. I also collected leek seeds from the garden. I sewed the button back on a shirt and replaced a button on an outfit with one from my button jars. Octavius, my three-year-old, asked me some questions about fish. He wanted to know about big…
We harvested peaches, figs, basil, and two Armenian cucumbers from the garden. I froze peaches from the garden. I stocked up on chicken thighs for $0.67 a pound. That’s the lowest price I ever see them here and I don’t see them that low very often (only a couple of times a year). They had…
We started school again this week on August 1st, according to the plan I had made to start then, despite the fact that my youngest was sick. I spent a lot of time holding him and still managed to start school, which was a blessing. It’s too hot to be outside much, so we can…
If you haven’t see the video coverage of the grasshopper swarms in Las Vegas, I encourage you to check it out. We’ve seen many more than normal here, but the majority of the grasshoppers are downtown. I’m hoping they don’t eat everything in my garden. The garden was very productive this past week. I harvested…