Thursday, April 19, 2018

This Week in Retirement

This week has included the frugal, the less than frugal,  the fun and the mundane. As well as planning and re-planning for four crazy days, and as many wedding related events this wedding weekend.

1.  Beautiful downtown Lubbock, Texas is warm this time of year. By warm, I mean at least the high seventies, and it was 92 degrees a couple days ago. I planned my wedding attire for said weather. Only. On Friday and Saturday it will be cloudy,  in the low sixties and raining. My wedding attire is pretty much set in stone, although I ordered a shawl. And I'm wearing dressy sandals no matter what. On the other hand, while I'm still packing that sleeveless maxi dress with shrug for the rehearsal dinner, I'm also packing dressy leggings, nice top and shawl. On Sunday when we head home it will again be sunny and warm. Of course. 



2.  I realize that some folks consider Amazon to be the evil empire. But they are also a sales platform for an awful lot of small business, from booksellers to artisan sellers. I was looking for a statement type necklace and earrings to go with my wedding guest dress and found this set for a very reasonable price on Amazon. My  goal is to be able to make my own beaded jewelry by next year, but meanwhile....call me happy! 




3.  While I  forgot to take my own picture, Tuesday's  frugal slow cooker meal was in play this week with a new to me, extremely simple recipe, garlic and brown sugar chicken thighs. I found the recipe here. I would cook it a little less next time so the meat was not falling of the bone, and I did put them in the oven at 425 for a few to crisp up the skin. For those with health concerns, boneless/skinless will not turn out as well. I am also on a health journey, but always use bone in skin on and then remove the skin. Although eating crispy skin once and awhile will not do endless harm. I generally do the slow cooker thing on my two at home days, cause I like to taste and check along the way.  

As found on the Dinner Then Dessert blog


4.  As always, I went to my knitting/happy hour group on Wednesday, where I began working on turning this yarn into a vest for my niece. Her favorite colors are pink and purple.






5. I skipped my volunteer gig on Monday this week so that I could work on that ongoing project I mentioned earlier (I'll help her out twice another week). I am in the process of changing my compact sewing room into a sewing/office/writing/painting and drawing/jewelry making/essential oil experimentation room. Let's just call it a studio, shall we?  The first part of this project involved taking the two large  tables that formed an L and making one the sewing table, which is done. Part two will involve corralling all the paints, pencils, jewelry findings and such into desktop storage containers, both so that I am organized and so that things can be lifted as needed or moved depending on the project. As an aside people, learn from Barbara. The off green wall in my studio? I should have painted that before I put a single piece of furniture in, because now it may never happen!

6. In order to meet my goal of embracing the local, yesterday (while binge watching Bosch on Amazon video) I planned a day trip for every week through June that I am in town. Everything from a yarn fest  in the mountains at Estes Park, to a trip to see the Dead Sea Scrolls downtown and check out a new restaurant. As I get a chance, I'll put all my day trip goals and overnight wishes into the local tab above and check em off.

7. In the same vein, I decided that for my annual May trip to visit my daughter, I'm going to play tourist. Even after six years in Dallas I haven't seen everything. Specifically, I want to visit this TV and award winning chefs restaurant,  visit the Fort Worth Stockyards, and hit Palo Duro Canyon on the drive in. Remember the dog sitting visit last year? This year I have a different plan. That does not include  losing my domain.

8. It's spring, and believe me,  the best part of having large crab apple trees are the pink flowers that precede the apples. If I could have the flowers without said apples, I would be thrilled. Meanwhile the plant whisperer and I have been making yard and patio plans. Our primary issue is this poor puppy of a pergola. The handyman says it won't  fall down on top of me, but that it really cannot be repaired. So the short term plan is to remove last year's slatted cover (now falling apart), put a sunshade in it's place and decide what we want it to be. I'm thinking a covered pergola with side shades that can roll up or down, but we'll see. 

Even with slats missing, my favorite place to be in the summer!



9. I remembered  today why I keep the monthly  pedicure as a health line item in the budget. After missing it for more than two months, my feet today have a whole new life. Not only can I no longer do the bend and reach in such a way as to fend for myself, I walk unevenly because of my bad leg. And I walk on the pool floor. Which invariably leaves me with some kind of callous along  with other foot damage. As of today, I am back on schedule.



10. Finally, I have to brag on my church. After a long post church meeting on Sunday, where I admittedly sat too long on a pew to be healthy, my church voted to build a sustainable housing project on our current parking lot, knowing that we will have to find other parking for ourselves. This will be housing for the mentally ill who have been homeless and will have specific designs to enable and support like open door apartments and sound proofing for those  with PTSD.  



And now,  I'm ready to get everything packed, ironed, stacked and ready to go, so that we can hit the road at seven a.m. Oh Joy!

7 comments:

  1. Enjoy your trip Barb. I love that necklace!!!

    God bless.

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  2. Enjoy your trip and the wedding. Safe journey.

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  3. Enjoy the wedding. I'm sure the decsion to add hosuing was well thought out, and seems to aling wth what I see as christian values.

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  4. I thought I posted a comment yesterday but I must have done something wrote. You will love your new studio. I did the same with a spare bedroom and I still find myself hauling stuff out to the dining room table when I want to paint. But at least I have a place to return every thing when I want the house to look decent.

    What your church is building is amazing, and so needed.

    Hope the wedding and trip there was as fun and relaxing as you hoped for.

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    1. I can see doing that with the painting as I have a huge tree outside my studio window. Great for the view and temperature moderation but sometimes I miss the full sun and view.

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  5. Love the color of your nail polish. I hate a pergola. Ants always fall on me. I like a solid cover.

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    1. I'll be happy with even something slated for now that keeps out the sun. This high we dont have a big ant problem and dont even have to give the dogs flea meds.

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