My roses are blooming a month early. My Swiss chard is bolting a month early, and my artichokes are about ready to harvest (normally we harvest them in May!) It’s much hotter than usual and the garden is definitely affected.
I opened the windows and doors in the morning to cool the house as long as possible, delaying my time to use the air conditioners.
I cut and dried parsley and peppermint from my garden.
I sowed seeds for cucumbers in the garden.
I looked at the prices of Easter candy and decided that this year, I won’t be buying candy. I will make chocolate Easter rabbits as I have in the past, using melting chips and molds I already have. I may make some additional chocolates using some pastel melting chocolates I have. I will make a cheesecake and we will enjoy that instead. I am debating making Easter cookies; I have lots of Easter cookie cutters that were given to me years ago that I never used, because I always felt like I didn’t need candy AND cookies. It will depend on my time and how I am feeling.
I was hit in a car accident Friday night and am sore right now. I was rear-ended at a red light quite hard (I don’t think the driver slowed down at all). I have been in pain and have been spending time resting since then.
I cut some snapdragons from my garden that self-seeded and grew into a color I had not seen before.
I ate several meals outside and enjoyed being in my
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So sorry to hear about your accident. Praying for a speedy recovery!
Brandy, I am so sorry to hear that you have been in an accident. Praying the shock and pain eases for you.
God bless you
Brandy, SO sorry you’re in pain. I’ve found Arnica montana 30c (from a health food store) and hot Epsom salt baths help me with soreness.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery
So sorry to hear that you were rear ended. Take your time before you accept a payout for your injuries as it can take time for the injuries to manifest. I was rear ended 15 years ago and I have coccyx and lower back issues ever since.
A homemade treat for Easter and coloured eggs will make a memorable day for the kids, especially if they can be involved in the making of them.
I fear for your summer temperatures that are coming. The planet is definitely hurting. Incredibly, we are expecting another foot of snow on top of the 3 feet that we still have. Usually no snow by now!
Your garden is fabulous!!
I am worried about lingering pains for years. I hope that won’t be the case and I am sorry to hear that it is for you.
If you can find a good hands on chiropractor, I’d recommend that. Not someone who uses gadgets, but hands on. After years of traditional medical treatments the only relief I got was my chiropractor. My orthopedic dr, an nfl team dr, sent me to him and it was the only thing that really helped. Good luck; hope you feel better soon!
Your snap dragons are beautiful! I hope you feel better soon. We’ve been re-evaluating all of our spending that isn’t absolutely needed and are avoiding whatever we can. We used to have a bit of cushion in the budget and are now finding that to not be the case even though we’re being extra careful.
Everything has gone up SO much!
Be well, Brandy! Make sure that you have been thoroughly checked out. Things can occur years after the incident. I am living proof of that.
Much love and blessings!
Oh my goodness, I hope you are ok. Try using a heating pad and soaking in baking soda baths. It will help with the soreness. Your garden is beautiful. I would love to walk thru and look at all the beautiful plants that you work so hard on. I am making a strawberry pie for our Easter meal. Our local grocery have strawberries $2.50 a quart. We will not be having a huge meal this year as most of our family has other plans. I am cooking a turkey breast I got on sale at Thanksgiving and doing a few sides and homemade rolls. We have planted our garden for the most part – tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, and zucchini plants joined the broccoli and onion sets we already had planted. We still will plant pumpkins and any other plants that come our way. I have planted flower seeds in some raised beds and will plant a small row of sunflowers in the garden. My roses have not started blooming yet but I think they are close to budding. We continue to walk everyday and see birds, deer, squirrels and wild turkeys. My husband and I pray and have great conversations about our daily plans while we walk. My husband received a $7 refund from his insurance company from where he was overcharged on some medication.
I share more photos of the gardeb on my Instagram account. The name is the same as my blog.
Terribly sorry to hear of your auto accident and hope you are ok!
This past week I had my taxes done. Simple form: I owed $3,600. Went back and we did the itemized form: “only” owe $2,400. Still think that’s outrageous — but at least I saved a grand!
A thrift store in our city gives away free books Went over there and got some new reading materials which I will pass along to others when finished Weather has been nice, so I am going out on the patio to read and eat breakfast. I’m semi-retired and just work PT in the PM, so mornings are free. Sure is nice!
Oh Brandy, I hope you heal quickly. Your garden is beautiful! We have been cooking at home and we are growing tomato and pepper seedlings indoors under a grow lamp. We hope to have a bit of a garden this year. We picked our first asparagus of the season. I have to go out today and pick more. I am happy to have the asparagus. It makes the planting that took us 4 days years ago very much worth it. Again, I hope you heal quickly.
Oh Brandy, I am so sorry to read that you experienced that. Being rear ended and at a high to normal speed really does damage. Glad you can take time to rest and heal and will keep you in thoughts that you are on the mend.
I’ll cut an extra spring flower (to enjoy in a small arrangement) in your honor today.
Brandy, So sorry to hear about your accident-I hope the pain will diminish soon. I have been buying some fruits and veg at half price on Flash food. My husband and I have been doing some volunteer tutoring of grade 10 ESL students from Hong Kong-they have been here 3 years and could use some extra help. Of course like most teens if they put down their phone and actually did some reading it would help.
My SIL and I went to the half price sale at the thrift store and she gifted me 2 shirts for my bday.
Oh my goodness, Brandy! Hopefully the other driver was insured and that you take it easy for a while to recuperate!
It’s been 3 busy weeks since I last posted a comment here! Major storms, family health emergencies, lots of quilting for clients and prepping for major masonry work in our basement by a contractor that meant moving our fully loaded food storage shelves away from exterior walls so the walls can be accessed to tuckpoint the mortar.
In between, I bought (12) four-and-a-half to 5 pound packs of BL chicken breast for 79 cents/pound- 9 packs went to 4 friends. I pressure canned my 15 pounds into pint jars of chunks.
I bought (8) three pound packs of 80/20 ground beef for $1.99/pound -7 went to friends.
I bought (19) one pound cartons of strawberries for 45 cents/pound and dehydrated all but 2 that we ate fresh.
A couple days later, Flashfood had (5) three pound bags of apples for a total of $3 (20 cents/pound) so I got out my tool that peels, slices and cores apples by my turning the handle/crank. Those were also dehydrated. We love to add those into our meals!
So we have been adding to replenish our shelves and helping friends do the same! We have been greatly blessed.
We have also been grateful for the free Gas Buddy app on our phones that has allowed us to find the cheapest gas as we have been running errands. And yes, like everyone else here, we plan our outings to have the most things accomplished in the fewest and most efficient trips!
In preparing for a crew to come in to reinforce the mortar in our basement foundation walls, we have been moving our food storage out of the way. While we eat from our food storage daily, there are some longer term things that we still had amounts as if there were still many children living at home. So we bought 10 five gallon food grade buckets and the same number of gamma lids from Home Depot and opened to check for freshness almost 40 #10 cans of hard white winter wheat. We filled the buckets, took a photo and privately texted our usual 3 friends plus 2 others that we know bake and offered them each 2 filled buckets as our gift! They were happy to receive them and that reduced the amount we had stored for just the 2 of us! Win-win! Our inventory is much more manageable now as we checked each container and determined how much we would continue storing for just the 2 of us. As a result, we divested ourselves of almost 1100 pounds of long term storage ! 😳😳 But most of it went to happy new homes!
The weather is finally starting to moderate and we’ve enjoyed keeping our windows open even overnight! Starting to think about the Spring garden . So many outdoor projects that we need to get busy with!
Hope everyone has a Spring time/Easter season filled with hope and joy!
Gardenpat in Ohio
She is insured so we are dealing with all that.
Oh how I wish our Flashfood had those kinds of prices!! Ours almost never have meat – just mixed fruit/veggie boxes and bakery items and often the price is still not a real deal.
Oh my, hope you feel better soon. Do you need to get checked out at a doctor?
The snapdragons are beautiful!
Yes.
Your garden is stunning, the cherry bloss9m is just coming out here, so lovely to see.
Sorry to hear about your accident, take good care of yourself especially your neck.
I’m continuing to take plant cuttings and sow seeds for edibles.
Lots of birthdays this month, so glad I was able to buy gifts in the January sales.
Making lots of different soups and stir-frys , a good way of using up all those odd ingredients that get overlooked. I bought a large gammon joint a few weeks ago so that will get defrosted for Easter lunch. Friends are doing desserts so that helps the budget, never worry about asking if guests would like to make something, most are delighted to be part of making the meal. Have a happy and blessed Easter.
Wow on the car accident! Hope you feel better soon!!! I did more OTC stockup. I also was out of canned beets and bought four cans at 97 cents, and also bought four cans of green beans. I bought four canned fruit (mango and pineapple) for $1.50 a can at Dollar Tree. I only had one canned fruit left. The Dollar Tree canned fruits are perfect for a single person who only has a very small fridge freezer like me. Canned fruit is so incredibly expensive. The plumbers are currently at my house bc the neighbor ran over my water lines (joint driveway) rutted out the portion where my water line is located and broke the line… ugh. It is also raining. They have to come back tomorrow. Lightning going in and it is not safe.
Oh my gosh, Brandy! I am so sorry about your accident. I pray you will feel better very soon. And yet, with all that, you still posted the blog! You are amazing! Those snapdragons are absolutely gorgeous; I have never seen that color! Looking at your garden now, I can’t help but compare it to a couple of years ago when you were re-doing it. It was all light gray hard, not even soil. Now it is lushly green and such an oasis. You have really used your space well. Feel better soon!
I took 40 dump trailers to the dump of caliche. We brought in all new soil.
Thank you for your well-wishes.
I remember, but couldn’t remember the name of it! I complain about our heavy red clay (coming from the best. Farmland in the world before we moved here), but the clay is nothing compared to your caliche!
Adding my sorrow on your being rear ended. I see from your comments above that the other person was insured, that is a blessing. It all takes a lot of time to sort out, besides the physical pain, so I wish you the best.
1. Some verbena bonariensis plants had self seeded and I moved the seedlings to other places that I want to fill in. I love free plants!
2. All my seedlings are doing well, I haven’t had to use a heat mat or a light this year. Planted seeds for cucumber and winter squash today. I have reminders for succession planting on my calendar, I’m hoping for the most food ever out of my garden this year. There is already fruit on the pluot tree and bunches of grapes on the grape vines.
3. Managed to dry a load of laundry on the line before the rain came yesterday. Always feels like a win-dry clothes and zero cost.
4. By having some creative meals I’ve avoided food waste this week.
5. Covered an indoor plant pot with a fabric cover. It looks much better than the uncovered plastic pot and didn’t cost me a penny.
The time! I cannot believe how much time!
I am so sorry that you were in an accident! I hope that the soreness goes away soon.
I hope that your recovery goes well. The same exact accident happened to me around six years ago. Sitting at a red light and a construction type truck (think UHaul size) rear ended me. The driver was on his phone at the time but did admit guilt. Oddly enough we had the same insurance company. My car was totaled and I was reimbursed for it. I eventually received $30,000 in compensation and have often wondered if I should have held out for more because it messed up my neck plus a mild concussion. Since then I feel angry when I see so many people on their cell phones while driving.
I have been doing quite a bit of sewing – table napkins from scraps and two tunics. At a thrift store I found three large pieces of cotton in beautiful floral prints. Each piece was about five yards for $3.99. I have some other fabric so should be good for about a year. My other great purchase was a pair of Merrill walking shoes for $18 that I found at Ross which was a pretty good deal.
We are walking a couple miles per day for exercise and started doing simple weights. Pretty much quit going out for dinner. Restaurant food doesn’t compare to home cooking at all. This week we are taking light rail to an art museum. On the first Friday of each month they have a Senior Day where tickets are only five dollars apiece. There is an exhibit we would love to see. We possibly will go out for tea or coffee afterwards.
I felt really sorry for my granddaughter who recently got her own apartment. She accidentally left her air fryer on and it caught fire. No apartment damage ~ just smoke damage to all her clothes and bedding. Plus her kitty got sick from the smoke and fumes. After several days in an oxygen tent at the vet the kitty is nearly back to normal. We helped out a little with the vet bill plus brought over a bag of food and extra pillow and pillowcase. I had thought about buying myself an air fryer at some point but have now changed my mind.
That’s about it for this week. Gorgeous lush red rose, Brandy!
Your granddaughter might be interested in OdorXit products for smoke removal. They are natural and apparently work very well.
Oh no! I hope you feel better, and I hope that the insurance agents work it out in your favor. I’ve been there, done that… twice. Both were distracted drivers. They were at fault and their insurance had to cover everything each time. It’s a huge hassle on top of the pain. I hope you can still do what you want and need to do at home.
To save money, I went to an estate sale and spent $5 on craft items for my youngest kid for spring break and for their spring basket. Also included were lots of buttons, a pattern booklet, some embroidery thread, and a few other things for me. I went to a library book sale and got a few books that were on my wish list, for $.25 each instead of $5+ each. I rescued food again and was able to keep Black Angus steak, chicken breast, bacon, 5 dozen eggs (each carton had 1 broken egg), pretzel snack packs with hummus, a few salad kits, a pack of organic romaine, red onions, Roma and grape tomatoes, grapes, cucumbers, strawberries, blackberries, mangoes, bananas, mushrooms, broccoli, deli meat, a small pack of specialty cheese, mandarins, apples, a jar of pasta sauce, a jar of jelly, celery, and a big fancy rib roast that I plan to cook for Easter.
I am so sorry to hear about your car accident, Brandy. I don’t know if it’s true everywhere, but around here people run red lights all the time. I don’t even go out very often, but it seems like most times I am on the road I witness this and am shocked every time. It is so dangerous. I do hope that you heal completely and don’t suffer from any problems down the road.
Your snapdragons are such a beautiful color and look lovely in the Mason jar.
I see people do u-turns on RED LIGHTS at the closest intersection to my house ALL the time. It’s wild.
And yes, I feel shocked every time.
A couple of days ago, I saw someone turn right at the same intersection from the far left-turn lane . . .
on a red arrow.
UNBELIEVABLE how someone’s actions can impact our lives, finances and physical health. I can’t send enough good thoughts to you over this difficult painful time. You have enough with regular lift responsibilities now insurance companies and health concerns. It has been a season at our house also, AC died costing 15K, bathroom remodel necessary 12K, now deck needs replacement 10K this week and the rest all happened from January till now. Thankfully healthy
With gas and groceries I will work more hours and the savings is gone so will need to rebuild by living with just absolute needs. I am sure many can relate. The snapdragons color was a joy and the stroll thru your garden on Instagram was delightful Thank you
It’s huge.
And the driver didn’t even want me to make a claim because she didn’t see any damage to the car.
But I am sitting here in lots of pain right now.
Brandy, sounds like you better get a good lawyer becsuse that other driver might try to claim you are faking your injuries. Also a lot of insurance companies try to settle for pennies on the dollar so they can make a big profit for their investors. Treàd carefully!
I have one.
The other driver didn’t want me to file a claim at all, nor did she ask for my information.
Good. A lawyers will help get this sorted.
Brandy, I had the same thing happen to me, and I chose not to pursue it at the time because I felt sorry for the young man who hit my car. It cost me a lot; it has been many years and many thousands of dollars and it is only this year that my neck feels okay. Please make sure to hold your ground even if you experience social pressure to not make the claim. Other stray advice in case it helps: If your own car insurance covers your interim care and eventually asks to do a medical checkup on you, be cautious; it may be best to delay that checkup as long as possible, as their purpose is to assess if they will continue to be responsible for payment. I didn’t understand this at the time. Pay close attention to your vision and make sure to get it checked if anything changes. I had vision problems that abated only when my neck issues were resolved. Not sure if you’ve tried acupuncture, but physical therapy, eye/neck exercises and acupuncture were the things that saved me. Hope you feel better really soon.
I am working with a lawyer so hopefully all will go well.
Hi Brandy,
I join everyone in sending you wishes for a speedy and complete recovery. I also agree with someone who
advised you not to hurry too much (but still be within the limitation period) until the full extent of your injuries is known. I have had whiplash in the past and certainly it is no fun — especially the first week or so. Was the damage to your vehicle extensive?
I’m just home from the hospital where I had surgery — so far, so good! The cost to me is nothing. The bad news is I’ll not be able to lift heavy things for a while but the good news is that I am able to bend which means I can plant my raised flower beds. I am going to buy seedling butternut squash plants and a few tomato plants. I love butternut squash so much — I still have some that kept over the winter. We are getting more snow tonight and tomorrow. I would like to save some of the snow for meltwater since we have water restrictions. I also want to buy some ollas so i don’t have to water my pots as often.
The photos of your roses brings me joy. I sometimes wonder when I am looking at yoour rose photos, as the photos above of the pale pink rose, how many individual plants make up a grouping?
Best wishes for a good recovery.
My car appears to be fine, but I don’t feel fine.
I appreciate all the advice from everyone.
I have a lawyer involved so hopefully everything will go well.
The roses that you see are from just one bush. I do repeat roses in the garden because I like symmetry, but I also have a lot of rose bushes. I will take some photos of a single bush in bloom as more roses open and share that in the next post or the one after than once more roses are open.
Ice. No heat while everything is swollen. Good chiropractor. Drs can’t much help if it’s a soft tissue injury.
They are putting heat on it. This is who my lawyer works with so I am just doing what they have me do at the moment.
A friend of mine’s toddler very suddenly became very very sick, and is in hospital recovering from an emergency operation, but it will be a long slow recovery. I am thankful that I do not have to work outside the home and have the flexibility to offer her support at this time. My husband and I often comment on how worth it the sacrifices we make so I can stay home are.
My children have been asking for sandals for a long time. We have said no as it is an extra expense and we hardly have enough summer to make it worthwhile, and when we do they go barefoot in the garden anyway. But this week I got sandals for all three of the older ones for free from a local children’s clothing swap shop. They are very happy!
I planted potatoes with my eldest daughter in her spot of the garden. I have never grown potatoes before and we are both very excited to see how they do! I learned how to plant them and earth them up by watching free videos on YouTube from Alan Titchmarsh.
I have been tidying up my irrigation system and adding sheep’s fleece (which I got for free last year) on top of the seep hoses to reduce evaporation.
We made the Big Mistake of putting food scraps from our plates with oil on it (I stir-fry or roast a lot of our vegetables) into our tumbling compost bin. We have four chambers, and the first two (before we realised our Big Mistake) were just disgusting. I emptied one of them out and spread the resulting slime on a far patch in our garden that I’ve got covered with an old bit of pond liner. I am planning to uncover it and plant squash there in the summer, and I hope that it manages to break down sufficiently before I do that. At least I can now start again with that part of the compost bin!
Oh goodness Brandy, so sorry to hear of your car accident! I hope you are okay and do not have too much pain or anything longer term. I was rear-ended quite badly about 25 years ago – hit by a driver going about 60 mph. I was incredibly sore for several days, but the good news is no long term lasting effects. Hopefully the same is true for you!
I have been very busy with work these last few weeks and also the funeral of a family friend this week. We have not been so great on the frugal front because there have been many convenience meals! Still, we are trying. It has been warm here – we just recorded the warmest March on record – and have been running our central air. Looks like we should cool down just in time for Easter, and I welcome it! We do not have big plans for Easter outside of church. I’m the Communications Director at a large downtown church and it will be a very busy work morning for me and my team, but we are all excited for it. I am also excited about my Easter afternoon nap. LOL. Frugal wins – doing my own manis/pedis at home and shopping the sale ads and clearance bins.
I hope everyone has a lovely week and a beautiful Easter!
As others have said, I’m so sorry, Brandy. I hope you’re able to recover quickly. Being in pain is never good. Once you’re a bit more healed, you may find some gentle stretching and exercise helpful. I wouldn’t hesitate to use the insurance to see a physical and/or massage therapist. Best wishes!
Definitely pursuing physical therapy.
I’m so sorry to hear this. Physical and emotional healing to you and any of your family who may have been with you. 🙏🏻
I didn’t have a hugely remarkable week, budget-wise, but continued the habits I’ve tried to cultivate (many inspired by this community). I did run the AC several days, but kept windows and screen doors open as long as possible in the cooler evenings and mornings. When I did run the AC, I collected the condensation and used it to water plants. I also used water from rinsing produce to water plants.
I avoided using the dryer whenever possible and enjoyed drying laundry on the line, remembering “helping” my grandmother when I was small.
I was given an advent calendar – of seeds! I sowed seeds for arugula, lettuce, and basil and am hoping I can get them to grow.
I picked some small figs and some volunteer strawberries. I picked roses, lavender, and various types of mint and made bouquets to place around the house.
I consolidated errands whenever possible to save time and fuel.
I’ve decorated for Easter using only what I already own (which is plenty – I’ve no excuse to buy more, as tempted as I am by all the cuteness!).
Blessed holidays, however you celebrate. I remain so very appreciative of this peaceful, positive, uniquely helpful community.
Prayers for a complete healing, Brandy. Your snapdragons are so beautiful!
I hope your are feeling better Brandy and enjoying your beautiful garden.
After the unexpected adventure you wrote about last week, this week’s news is unexpected in a very unfortunate way! I am sorry you were involved in an accident but grateful you were not more injured than you are. I hope your healing continues and you suffer no ill effects long-term. My primary effort last week to keep expenses under control was to do inventories of various categories in our home to avoid repeat buying and to insure we have what we need for various tasks and situations. For example, I did a thorough inventory of my beekeeping supplies and documented it rather than just eye-balling it. I now know what few things I really do need for the season and can be as prepared as possible, All of my hives came through winter beautifully and making tons of honey already. I typically sell my honey word-of-mouth (it really sells itself) but I am looking into more avenues. I also had both of my boys do an edit of their clothing so I can limit purchases to what they actually need right now which, fortunately, isn’t much. We have always taught our boys frugal strategies and shared how we approach purchases but, now that they are in their teens, I think it’s important they are more hands-on with budgeting for needs. We will give them a sum of money and they will have to figure out what they can spend to get the few items they need, where they need to go, etc. Of course, I was glad when they both stated planning which thrift stores we would go to first. Secondhand shopping is mostly all they know with very few things ever purchased new for them (usually Christmas gifts from the grandparents.) We’ve also talked with the oldest about how we are budgeting for his Drivers Education class which he takes this month (!) Even little things like having them fill up the vehicle with gas makes the cost of just getting around more real to them, especially lately. It may be hard for those who live elsewhere to believe, but the clean-up and recovery from Hurricane Helene continues here in Western NC. We had an inspector from the Lutheran Disaster Relief group come out and assess some of our waterway debris and downed trees. They have several rounds of volunteers coming this summer and it sounds as if they can offer us some help. We plan to use as much of the downed wood (that is accessible or can be made accessible) as firewood for the wood stove but there’s just SO much of it, it would take us the rest of our lives to get to it. Having a big group to help will be a blessing. Stay tuned!
I sold eggs and finished out the month of March very respectably with my antique booth which all helps. Minimal grocery shopping occurred to round out stuff in the pantry that needs to be consumed. My garden has benefitted from recent rain and I can taste the spinach already! I actually got my peas in by St. Patrick’s Day this year (not always the case. Does anyone else know that old adage of getting in peas by St. Patrick’s – something I heard all my life.) I am running short on time but hope to get some of my goose eggs painted as Easter gifts for dear friends. They are always well-received and I like coming up with different folk art designs to paint on them. Wishing all of you a lovely week!
Hi MMD, it is still shocking to me to see the debris lying about from the hurricane. I was just along the Nolichuckey near Lamar and Chuckey and there is still a lot about. People’s homes still destroyed. What a devastation. 😢 I have never heard about peas in before St Patrick’s Day, probably because I lived in the north until recently and the ground is still frozen at that time. I will have to remember that for next year. I wonder if I can still plant them this year?
Oh, definitely plant them. It’s just a saying my mother always adhered to. A bit of folklore that I am sure has some basis in science or at least what worked in the past. Just one of those things from childhood that sticks with you and is fun to carry on.
I live in WV. I grew up in a more southern county than I live in now, and we ALWAYS planted potatoes on/by St. Patty’s Day. When my parents moved to where I now live, my dad insisted that we plant them the same time period. My husband tried to tell him that it was cooler here, but he would not budge. All the potatoes rotted in the ground, and we had to replant. LOL
I am so sorry that you are in pain and pray that complete healing will come with rest and therapy.
These days are very expensive for us. My husband just got out of the hospital after developing sepsis. We are so thankful he is doing well now. Unfortunately, he was unable to work several events that he had planned on bringing in some extra money. He is retired from a large university, but still does contract work multiple days a month. Having him home, safe and sound, recovering, is much more important! We will cut back on things we can.
I am planting my garden completely in containers and pots this year at our new home. (We moved after living 34 years in an old, rundown house that needed far too much work to pay for!) Tomatoes, peppers, onions, black-eyed peas, okra, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sage are up and growing. We planted two small fig trees that I got for half-price at Lowes, and have two pear trees still to plant.
This week I dehydrated on trays in my oven: 5 pounds of diced onions, 2 loaves of marked down Italian bread cut into cubes, and seasoned for croutons and stuffing, and 2 lbs. of frozen mixed vegetables. I bought 5 more pounds of onions for $2 and am using some as fresh and some I will dehydrate. I am working on having more shelf-stable foods during these uncertain times.
We are in an area with severe drought. While we are thankful that today we received a good bit of much needed rain, we saw that the brand new gutters that were larger and with completely reconfigured downspouts did not prevent flooding in our garage and at the back door. We will still need the $20K landscaping/grading, and multiple french drains. I don’t know how we will afford that.
For Easter I am using chicken bought on markdown last fall for Rosemary Chicken, a bag of hash browns from the freezer for a Potato Casserole, Maple Glazed Carrots, Cabbage Slaw, Onion Bread, using marked down onions, Pecan Pie Bars frozen at Christmas time, and Lemon Bars. I did not buy candy for Halloween, Christmas, or Valentines Day, but with the vast majority of my Easter meal coming from foods I already have on hand, I did buy chocolate Easter eggs as a treat for the family. We will have 9 at our Easter table this year.
Could you rent a backhoe at Home Depot for a couple of days and do the grading yourself?
Could you watch some videos on installing French drains and do those? I was watching a woman doing one recently by herself. In the meantime, Could you put a rain barrel in each of those locations? Since you are in drought, I would think that collecting any rainwater would be helpful.
Unfortunately, we are dealing with an existing sprinkler system that we don’t really know the underground layout. We will need complicated drainage systems in both front and back yards. It’s a large yard to begin with, and it already has one french drain that was done completely wrong by the previous homeowner. At a different house when I was 30, I dug a long trench from
our backyard to the street for a simple drainage solution. Our drainage problem at our new home (built in 1963) is much more complicated, with a slope not only from the back of the property to the street in front, but also a side slope from all the neighbors yards. With being in such an extreme drought for so many years, no one planned on the severe weather systems we are now seeing that drop huge amounts of rainfall in short periods of time. We are in our early 70’s now. We tackle all the yard work and have done nonstop DIY for the past 50 years, but I think this project is just beyond our reach at this season of life.
Makes sense. Hope you get it sorted quickly.
Tejas,
There is lots of good information on how to deal with excess water and capture it on permies.com. As Brandy says, it seems a pity not to be able to use the water when you need it.
Hello Brandy and everyone
I am very sorry to hear of your accident. Good that the other party was insured and you will seek some physiotherapy to help. I hope the pain will ease and everyone will rally round so you can rest. Your Easter plans sound lovely.
The snapdragons are a beautiful colour, I am just about to plant seeds for Chantilly Bronze which is actually more a soft apricot colour I think.
We used purple sprouting broccoli and parsnips from the garden and were given rhubarb by a friend. We have sown carrots, parsnips and beetroot in the garden and I’ve sown seeds for more cut flowers. I bought four pots of lily of the valley from a church sale at 50 pence a pot. Bargain!
We have ordered more rhubarb crowns as part of our future food resilience. My husband pruned a dogwood and planted a small hedge using some of the whips.
My husband has accepted a few more hours gardening for a client.
I used a voucher for a free box of 40 teabags and a pack of chocolate mini eggs.
I took some old copper piping to the metal merchants and received a few pounds for it.
Happy Easter to those who celebrate and to you and your family Brandy.
Brandy,
So sorry to hear of your accident. I will be mindful to pray for your pain to subside and complete healing. Documenting your pain, daily efforts with therapy/limitations/healing and communications with insurance, lawyers etc… could be a useful way to help you deal with this enormous amount of work. Good health is worth it and I’m certain your example will demonstrate to your children how to navigate this best, should a season like this happen to them in the future.
We continue to spend as much time as possible at home working on yard clean-up. We had several trees lost due to winds and storms over the winter. We are using the chipper to mulch up what cannot be used for firewood. The mulch will be used around new replacement trees, young fruit trees and in the garden to help reduce the loss of water around crops due to wind.
Our chickens are giving us more eggs than we need daily (thanks to increased hours of daylight), now we can share or sell the excess. Daily we’re using the eggs for breakfast, in salads, for baking, and putting boiled ones in leftover pickle juice in jars in refrigerator for snacks.
I incorporated lots of tinned meat/fish into our meals this week to boost protein and use up older items. We used sardines for several breakfasts, tuna for salads and a cabbage casserole for dinner, chicken in both salads and soup.
We will use homemade treats for our Resurrection celebration this weekend as well. Not only are we avoiding ultra processed foods but the cost is just wild. I did accept offers of contributions to the meal by our adult children.
I hope all whom celebrate Resurrection Sunday and all that do not, have a wonderful weekend.
Oh Brandy! I’m so sorry about your accident! Take care of yourself. Your health is the most important thing at all.
It has been an expensive two weeks for us. The following things have broken down: dishwasher, zero turn mower, push mower, the tiller started running rough, the pressure washer must go to the shop, and these follow the heat and air conditioner unit being completely replaced in January. This morning the car wouldn’t start! Hopefully it is the battery but we are stranded until someone can drive us into town. So here I sit (at least we have air conditioning)!
I have been listening to the farm reports since fertilizers are made with oil. The prices have shot up to the tops of the charts. Here in the US most farmers place orders and buy long before planting season. Food production is 50% less without the fertilizers, fungicides, and insecticides. So the good news is that the crops in production now shouldn’t be hit with the large price increases. The reports didn’t cover if the farmers have purchased supplies for the summer crops. That means we should be quite diligent about stocking up now. Hopefully, things will settle down soon. I take it as a warning and am going to be more diligent about preparations.
My local farmer whom I have purchased beef from for years texted this week that he can no longer afford to raise cattle. It hit me hard. Knowing I always had a resource for healthy meat was reassuring but now that is gone.
We will have to pay $800 to IRS.
One bright spot last week was that I was able to (at least get a rain check from Kroger to) purchase the frozen green peas for $.88 for 12 oz. That is a price I haven’t seen in a long while. So when they are back in stock, I will load up.
I did my weekly “Mama’s Money Saving Memo” to my three sons to let them know what was on sale at their stores and also put coupons on their accounts. (I’m so cheap). Kroger had the best deals. One son will be loading up on butter $1.99 and Ragu sauce (he makes lots of bread and pizzas. He saves the Ragu jars for me and I use them to can soups which I then give away). Another son will be getting fresh pineapples. His store has them for $.99 but they are $1.49 at mine. (He has a freeze dryer).
We are working hard to get the garden planted. That seems to be the best money saving thing I can do right now. In this month’s post I shared how we are completely changing the layout of the garden and…WE HAVE A RIPE TOMATO! (Not quite the whole truth.) http://getmetothecountry.blogspot.com/2026/03/marchs-garden-2026.html
I feel like the garden is going to be a huge deal for us not just this year, but going forward.
But I have felt that for several years now–and it does help. I hope my fruit trees grow really well this year.
I always admire how well your fruit trees produce. We have had no luck with any fruit trees on our property. We are surrounded by cedar trees and they cause cedar rust on the fruit. It requires heavy spraying of chemicals to get them to produce anything. I think that makes them inedible. Onc single blueberry bush produces all the berries we can eat so that is a blessing. We are hoping our garden will produce well this year too. It seems to matter more and more.
Jeannie
Blueberries don’t do well here at all because it is so alkaline and hot.
I think the best we can each do is plant more of what grows well for our area. That requires some learning and experimenting. Often, things will grow in an area that no one realized before.
As food prices continue to go up, I am ever grateful for all that I can grow.
I also think food gardens are more important than ever. I have 4 collard trees this year, we will have a flare based meal once a week. I’ve got succession planting on my calendar for the whole summer. Kale and arugula are planted. Many seedlings are coming along. Grapevines are tied up. Irrigation is finished. We’ve perfected some slow drip methods to use water we catch in the house. Spaces for tomato plants are prepared. It’s all go. Fig and pluot trees look good. Grape bunches have already formed. Apple tree has nice blossom. We might even get a few pomegranates this year.
Unfortunately my neighbor, mom of freshman boy & girl twins, very unexpectedly took a turn after her 2nd chemo treatment and passed. Family is still here currently, but do not live close. I’m right next door and have been their baby sitter (and extended family) since they were toddlers. We have lots of folks scheduled to bring meals daily for the next month. I’ve dropped off paper plates/paper goods so nobody needs to do dishes, some fruit and overnight salad for breakfast and lunch, but will bring more meals after things settle down and it gets “quiet”. Never having been a mom, I could use any and all advice on how to help support the kids going forward. They are young for their age and their extremely close family centered completely around the vibrant mom. I’ve already offered to do the school pickups.
I haven’t done much else this week, bc being in the icu w her, brought up memories of when my husband passed. One big, but expensive thing got done, I had two trees in the front removed and two others trimmed way back. Good thing bc one leaning over house showed signs of rot. This will bring more light to my lemon tree and bottlebrush, which hopefully I can get to blossom more (they cut all the blooms) as I want to attract hummingbirds. I plan to move my bird bath to the now opened spot too.
I continue to top off my gas, but this last time my reward points were missing, even though I’d just bought groceries, so had to pay the full $6 per gallon price.
Maria, I’m so sorry to hear this. Take care of yourself.
In Canada, when items are returned to Amazon they are sold by trailer load? to special stores. Question mark is because I do not know the exact way they are sold but assuming from the volume I see in the stores that is the case. The stores are re stocked once a week, with the usual first day price of 25.00, then 20, then, 15, and the price goes as low as 6.00 per item (or less?) They have clothing, shoes, all things computer wise, and anything you can think of that goes back to Amazon. I especially like looking for dog items as we have a new pup. Paying 6.00 for a dog bed that would be 56.00 on Amazon is a deal for me. You have to be careful not to impulse buy but for someone wanting specific items it can be a real deal. I google everything to see the price it would be on Amazon and if it is a REALLY good deal then will consider. If we in Canada have these stores then I am assuming U.S. has also.
Brandy, I will add you to my prayer list for healing from the pain you are experiencing.
My life took an unexpected path two weeks ago. My husband passed away suddenly. I’ve had out of state family here this week and today is my first full day alone without any calls or visits or messages. I do not mind this. It’s been a very restful day and not having to respond to others is also a blessing just now. I so appreciate the kindnesses shown but I am an introvert by nature and to be home alone is a blessing.
Obviously, I had to sit down and get a clear idea of what my financial state is. Can’t tell what it might be in the future yet, but what it is just now I do know and I’ll be okay until we can settle up the future stuff. I’ve already figured out some of the things that will decrease down. I’ve started a lot of the processes of getting my long-term finances in order. I’ve tried to bundle as many errands as I could into one trip rather than make multiples of trips. I’ve been trying to not waste food but there has been some food waste and some fast food purchases. I did not expect last Thursday to be out of the house for as many hours as I was, but I think the cost of fast food nourishment (such as it is) was offset by saving multiple trips to the city to deal with the things I needed to do.
My son made a huge savings for us because his dad had been working on the zero turn mower for months trying to get various parts sorted out on it. The transmission was the final issue and we thought we’d have to take it to the dealer and have the transmission replaced. Since he is a mechanic, he figured out a way to get into the enclosed transmission, discovered it was low on transmission fluid on one side, added that in and now it works! I was so grateful to hear that mower sounding normal once more! He’s taking over mowing duties for both our properties which my husband had always done for that family, but I would have felt I should pay for the major repairs needed or buy a new mower. Now that worry may be set aside.
I had done a fairly major restock of foods last month about 10 days before my husband died. While I packaged things for the freezer in twos, I have either chosen to eat leftovers or I’ve managed to separate pieces of meat while they are still frozen and solid and put some back in the freezer. This next week I must attend to more stuff outside the home so it is my plan to take lunch and water with me instead of buying fast food. I can at least make that savings while I’m out.
Terri, I am so sorry to hear of your husband’s passing.
Your practical attitude towards your finances now is so wise.
May you continue to find peace and solutions moving forward.
Happy Easter!
I made a lovely frugal meal for Mom and Hubby. Grocery Outlet had ham for .67 a pound with a $50 purchase. Limit 1. We had ham, Boston baked bean using pinto beans and homemade banana nut muffins with our own walnuts. Mom bought a little bunny See’s Candy which was the perfect amount. I will have many meals with the ham and split pea soup with the bone. I did not use the glazing packet so I will look up on the internet its best use.
This afternoon we are going to a friends ranch for a BBQ. I won’t have to feed hubby tonite. That is a great holiday.
I am so proud of cutting my food budget – 50% off last month. The first month ( as we all know) is the easiest. I am determined to cut another $100 this month which will begin the more challenging cuts. Still there is plenty of protein/fruits and veggies in the fridge/ freezer and I have already shopped for the month with $60 leftover. I will probably need sugar at some point but I have plenty of flour and butter for baked goods.
There are only two of us at home. My hat is off to you who are feeding many.
Well wishes for quick healing, Brandy.
Brandy, I am so sorry to hear about the accident and your pain.
You should most definitely be seeing a Physical Therapist for your back. No state requires an MD approval for therapy, but you WILL want to see an orthopedic spine surgeon for an eval and to write your prescription for PT. Only because the other person’s insurance will probably require it.
DH & I were t-boned in mid-November (on passenger side, where I was). Our front air bags & my side bags deployed, & our car was totaled totaled.
I had hip pain (bursitis) and shoulder pain (limited movement; I was worried my ACL got torn) from the impact.
The other driver’s insurance company granted me 10K for physical therapy. They wanted to give me only 6500, but I didn’t know how much PT I’d end up needing, so I asked for more. After 3 months of therapy 2x/week (and doing my exercises at home) I am doing really well! I cannot recommend PT enough. Make sure you find someone who has their doctorate and who is considered to the the “Go-To Back Person” in their clinic.
Do NOT go to a PT clinic that is associated with the spine Dr’s practice or group!! I can’t emphasize that enough. PT offices under a medical group don’t work as hard to fix you as an independent PT clinic, because they have considerable incentive to throw you back to the doctor’s office for surgery. Yes, it’s true.
Hope this helps! Get that PT started!
thank you