Monday Message

"I wish to urge again the importance of self-reliance on the part of every individual Church member and family. None of us knows when a catastrophe might strike. Sickness, injury, unemployment may affect any of us. We have a great welfare program with facilities for such things as grain storage in various areas. It is important that we do this. But the best place to have some food set aside is within our homes, together with a little money in savings. The best welfare program is our own welfare program. Five or six cans of wheat in the home are better than a bushel in the welfare granary." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

I remember back to when I started food storage, my husband was in the air force and we did not make much money. The neighbors on each side were in the air force as well. They would run out of food before payday so I started getting a few cans of tuna and pasta and soup so I could share and then I would get more and kept doing that, just picking up extra item or two.

It's just a habit now. By getting one or two items each time, you'll add to your storage and won't break the bank.

Did you know you can make your own items? They cost less and taste better.

https://www.littlehouseliving.com/153-grocery-staples-that-you-can-make-at-home.html - there are lots of recipes here.

https://frugalfamilyhome.com/food/recipes/make-your-own-groceries-35-recipes-to-make-at-home-and-save - making your own groceries.

If you store basic ingredients you can make your own items.

https://www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com/40-groceries-to-stop-buying-and-start-making-to-save-money/ - I love this gal.

So think about what things you purchase, can you make them cheaper?https://www.thriftyfrugalmom.com/homemade-foods-to-make-from-scratch/

This week I have been working at deep cleaning the sewing space...

The green beans are dry enough for me to pick for seed for next year's garden.

I will save these for planting next spring.

This is one way to be frugal. It isn't one thing that helps, it is a whole series of frugal things that you do and skills that you learn that all add up to a frugal lifestyle. Keep doing the best you can.

Last week our sweet Gus passed away. He was the best kitty and a wonderful little buddy. We were so blessed to have him in our lives and miss him dearly. Gus loved you all.

In Loving Memory

Today our sweet Gus passed away. Gus was such a good kitty and a wonderful little buddy, he will be sorely missed. We were so blessed to have him in our lives. Gus loved you all.

10-25-22

Monday Message

"Can or bottle fruit and vegetables from your gardens and orchards. Learn how to preserve food through drying and possibly freezing. Make your storage a part of your budget. Store seeds and have sufficient tools on hand to do the job." (President Ezra Taft Benson)

We can do these things all year long. I like the part where he said, "make your storage a part of your budget."

Even the little things will add up, so we need to see them as putting coins in a piggy bank.

https://www.littlehouseliving.com/23-frugal-tips-from-the-great-depression-you-need-to-know.html - she always has great information.

We need to learn all the things we can to live more frugally. We need to stretch our dollars, especially now with the prices on everything going so very high.

Now is the time for seed saving in my part of the country. I have green beans that are drying seeds for next year.

Still working on tomatoes here...

Time to start thinking of gifts.... https://www.allfreeholidaycrafts.com/tag/Gifts-in-a-Jar

We are starting to get cold already, so time to get things winterized if you are in the north.

https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ots/educational-materials/Documents/Winter-Survival-Brochure.pdf

It is time in the north to be putting together a winter car kit. The Farmer's Almanac says we will be in for a rough winter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TyihOEvJ8E - build a beginner's quilt to be warm, there are four classes just in time for winter and skill building.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YayeZcs3FsQ - part two

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7EdVJailUQ - part three

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPEY9VhSL6U - part four

Remember, do the best we can and that will be enough.

https://www.littlehouseliving.com/wprm_print/67515 - this would be a very yummy treat for this time of year.

Missy says pick some skills to build. Secretly she wants to spin on the babe spinning wheel which looks like a white x.

Gus said build your skills. He is attempting to learn how to be a sous chef.

Monday Message

"More than ever before, we need to learn and apply the principles of economic self-reliance. We do not know when the crisis involving sickness or unemployment may affect our own circumstances. We do know that the Lord has decreed global calamities for the future and has warned and forewarned us to be prepared." (President Ezra Taft Benson)

"Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. We could refer to all the components of personal and family preparedness, not in relation to holocaust or disaster, but in cultivating a life-style that is on a day-to-day basis its own reward." (President Spencer W. Kimball)

I think now that you have items stored, the best thing is to use and replace. Make it be a way of life and at some point if something happens you have what is needed. Then, when things are better, continue to store, use, replace. This is a way of life, not a one time or one event thing. Things are happening all the time and lately they are happening rapidly all the time. So continue to push on picking up a few extra things for storage at the grocery store and building those skills. Look for ways and ideas to be more frugal. I feel like things could continue to get tighter and if they do you will have researched being frugal and can easily put what you find into practice to stretch your money and make your budget work.

https://theprudenthomemaker.com/category/frugal-accomplishments/ - here are some ideas on how she saved money. We can all use ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w65UZYuuM4Q - here is a way to make no-knead bread.

If you live up by us in the north, hopefully you have disconnected your hoses as the temps are getting colder.

We have had a threat again of a freeze so I picked the last of the garden. I thought I had done all already.

I thought it was the last of it when I got the tomatoes. But now I think I found every hiding veggie.

This year we got only one peach. It's either an off year or the spring freeze or both but I guarded this so my husband and I could share it and it was wonderful. Somewhere outside is a very disappointed chipmunk...

I have been doing a little spinning between continuing fall cleaning and vegetable picking and getting summer clothes swapped out for warmer clothes.

The morning glories finally have flowered right before the end.

I, for one, will be glad to have the garden put to bed for the winter.

Missy says with the world upside down, keep working on your storage and your skill building and learn frugal ways.

Gus says keep working on everything and no fun having an ear infection (something Gus and I both had this week).

Monday Message

"Start now to create a plan if you don’t already have one, or update your present plan. Watch for best buys that will fit into your year’s supply. We are not in a situation that requires panic buying, but we do need to be careful in purchasing and rotating the storage that we’re putting away. The instability in the world today makes it imperative that we take heed of the counsel and prepare for the future." (L. Tom Perry)

This month has been very hard on me. The new booster came out so I took it. I got pretty sick for almost a week then had an abscessed tooth. I waited a week before saying anything then got it pulled at the dentist. It was the best dentist I have ever had in my life. He works at the Hintz Family Dental. I did great for awhile afterwards and then the meds wore off all at once. Stopped me dead in my tracks so that was a week or more from that. Then I got fluid behind my ear which means I am very dizzy but was big dizzies little dizzies. I can use meclizine but these were big dizzies and I get the worst nauseating feeling ever. That med isn't much help with the big nausea.

They could not get me right in that day until 2:30 at the dentist - I knew it wasn't the tooth, it was my ear but I had to go back to the dentist before going to urgent care. So feeling very dizzy and very nauseated I had to hold on to every thing to go inside the dentist. So by 3:30 I was in urgent care with an annoying fly and finally got in. They confirmed indeed it was my ears so got meds. Still feeling rough and wore out. Fluid is draining in my throat and now I am hoarse and making a cough. I am feeling like I am on the corner of the affliction market. Still feeling a bit rough but pushing on.

During all this I was informed a close friend had passed away. Her name was Bonnie K. Lowry - a great friend to all. We served together in the church and I shall be blessed I learned that a kind heart grows and never stops, it pulls in the most unlikely people. She treated everyone like she knew them from birth and they all came first and were important. She had empathy that would not quit. She knew some elderly lady outside of town she would run soup to. Some man let her pick fruit and she made a point of making him a pie every year. Her life was so hard but she made it great, she was a great example of selfless acts of kindness. She is terribly missed but I have no doubt that she is surrounded by everyone she helped, she was a special treasure the world does not know it is missing...but I miss her.

The mother of our art student dropped me off at the dentist and so I had knit a hat I wanted to give her as a thank you.

It is nice to have a skill that I can share as a gift. What are you learning for a skill that will help family and friends? So while September has been very hard for me I am looking forward to October, may it be way better. As I'm writing this, our general conference starts tomorrow and it is our family's tradition to have cinnamon rolls and chili. I will work on gifts while I listen, conference is my favorite thing. It helps to fill my batteries and with all that is going on in the world my batteries are low so I am really looking forward to it.

https://www.littlehouseliving.com/the-cheapest-meals-to-make-on-an-incredibly-tight-budget.html - here is a frugal food site, I love this gal. I did my grocery pick up from Walmart - ouch on the high prices and limits on things and they were out of cheddar cheese in any form for now but I am confident there will be some later on.

Do you know how we adapt? We just do without and find different recipes with different cheeses.

https://scratchpantry.com/recipes/2021/6/the-best-buttery-1-hour-dinner-rolls - these are wonderful rolls.

https://lib.msu.edu/sliker/load_object/5147/pdf/ - here is a helpful one on how to use the food you can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HPIt6okvy0&t=41s - I love this gal, this is baked oatmeal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77XBmmfVd8Q - she makes this wonderful bread.

Do what you can even if it's just a prayer for all those affected by the hurricanes. It will be a long road. I pray they will have even more helping hands than those of the church.

I know when we had a tornado hit not far away all the churches got together to help people in need, that is how things should be.

Please keep building our skills and gathering in storage

Missy says be thinking on what you need most and stock that item and build on it.

Gus has a super power - he wags his tail but he has a less known one... when I am in pain he stays right with me that is his real super power. What is your super power?

Monday Message

"The best food storage is not in welfare grain elevators but in sealed cans and bottles in the homes of our people. What a gratifying thing it is to see cans of wheat and rice and beans under the beds or in the pantries of women who have taken welfare responsibility into their own hands. Such food may not be tasty, but it will be nourishing if it has to be used." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

It isn't a fad, just plain common sense to have stuff tucked away for a rainy day.

The garden is winding down now. Soon it will be time to put it to bed for the winter. (See me grinning ear to ear)

If you don't have a garden, just pick up some extra non-perishable items when you go to the grocery store especially since winter is fast approaching. Something else to consider is all the wild weather everywhere in the world. Having some extra food on hand would be very wise.

I made a hat. This is the pattern I used - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b956243266c07ce66aa74b8/t/5bafee9d1905f4c995f2e6ec/1538256541799/North+Shore+Hat+PDF.pdf

I have another one already started.

Have you been working on learning to make sourdough? Here's something you can do with the discard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTR4T37F_hA&t=2s

This week our weather is finally cooler and it finds me still organizing. I wanted to first use what I had on hand for the containers and second, I wanted to put together smaller containers with the basic things needed for that craft. The rest are stored in bigger totes, hard to carry but I put them in a way that would be easy to get needed items. The tools needed for those crafts I organized in small containers.

Next as you guessed is embroidery.

What is in the bigger tote for this is more thread and fabrics, embroidery hoops, things that I can access but are too big for the little container.

Next is my little blue tote I use for beads.

Then for my tatting I used this tin. 

If you look closely on the tatting booklet you will see a bookmark I have just started in yellow.

The last thing I did was move my sock machine. I finally found the best spot for it.

I have more room, my tools are organized in a container that turns.

On the wall behind you will see the little sweaters I made last year. I put a sock I made on the big blocker. You can see the old metal sock blockers I found many years ago at a yard sale - fifty cents for both, those are on the left. And to the right you will see glove blockers from yet another yard sale for ten cents. The mini mitten blocker hanging inside and the mini sock blockers are all key chains I picked up at yarn shops in Alabama when visiting our daughter. The tiny sock was what I made to go on the mini wooden sock blocker. The mini mitten I haven't yet made for the mini mitten blocker.

Then I thought I would show sock tubes I make on the sock machine in various stages. I cut and insert heels and made toes.

Missy says keep working at those skills and picking up a little extra at the grocery store each visit, it will add up.

Gus says don't let your momma take a picture while you are napping.