Today I received a thank you from my credit union for being a loyal member. They paid out their first every loyalty reward to members! And even better, they put it in a special new account that pays 2%apy! My thank you - $129!!! wow, just for doing my banking there. Of course, I am just gonna "let er ride" and enjoy that nice rate on my free money! Hopefully, this will be an annual thing- definitely something to look forward to- I wonder how many other credit unions pay out loyalty rewards??

In other financial news, its two steps forward, three steps back -again. I calculated taxes and we are having to pay both federal and state for a grand total of almost $3k! OUCH. The sale of the city house really impacted our deductions this year. So, I upped our quarterly tax payments so hopefully next year, we at least break even. :/

My back is slowly feeling better, but the pinched nerve is still there. When I sit a certain way at work, or bend my neck wrong, my arm and thumb go numb and then have the 'pins and needles' feeling. bleh.
At least I am not in 24/7 pain anymore. I can handle bursts- its the constant that wears thin. Dr. said if it wasn't better in another week, we would talk about an MRI. Thankfully, I upped my flex pay for medical this year anticipating extra dental expenses, so I have a cushion for tests.

DD1 noticed that there are a couple of great musicals this year in Portland. In August, Lion King will be there..and I would LOVE to see it- so we are looking into it. If there is a way, we will most likely go!
Last year we saw Wicked and it was such a great experience!

I mentioned in my last post that DD1 was at the hospital with grandpa who has Alzheimer's after he fell and fractured his pelvis Friday afternoon. Sadly, grandpa never regained consciousness and passed away yesterday. Poor DD1- she quit her job last Friday to be his full time caregiver and is heartbroken with his sudden passing. He adored her and felt safest when she was there to take care of him. Of course, because of his advanced Alzeimers and the fractured hip, everyone, including DD1 know he is at peace. It just happened so fast. New Years Eve DD1 and I were playing Sequence and grandpa came out and sat at the table, so we gave him cards and let him "play"...he could recall many of the cards and even laughed when we cracked jokes with him. I know he was understanding us- even if just a little. Rest in peace dear grandpa- you brought so much joy to everyone and will be dearly missed.

I am still struggling with the pinched nerve, so I haven't felt up to doing much budgeting or pretty much anything else. I will sure be glad when things heal and I am back in the saddle again.

Words that melted my heart yesterday!

Backing up just a hair...DD1 caregives for her hubs step-grandfather. He has alzheimers. He fell Friday and fractured his pelvis. He does not do well with change in his environment and was very confused when he was admitted to the hospital- so DD1 spent the night with him to provide whatever familiarity and comfort that she could. (Have I mentioned how VERY PROUD I am of this girl?) Her only request, a coffee Saturday morning...

I was keeping her company at the hospital when DD2 showed up with lil Z. He looked at me and said, HI GRAMMA RAY, I REMEMBER YOU! Do you still have your doggie? Awwwww... a few minutes later he said- Gramma Ray, why do you keep hugging me and giving me kisses?? lol. He wanted to just sit on my lap and listen to stories about when he was "little"...cause, in his words, he is a BIG BOY now...age 5. And handsome, I might add. Then he said, I just want to stay here forever...but we reminded him that he would miss his mommy and gramma. He said I have 3 mommies...and pointed to DD2 and me and said his mommas name. AWww....

Sadly, his visit was brief since we were at the hospital and grampa was not doing so good. But I cant describe what that lil visit from Z did to this gramma's heart.

My back and arm are a little better this morning, which I am so happy about. I actually feel like getting up and doing things today- and after a week of being in pain, my house needs attention and I have a couple of projects from work that I need to spent tima on. And I need to pick up some groceries to ensure I take lunches and make dinners all week! And, and, and... how far behind you can get in a week!

Ouch- I somehow pinched a nerve in my back last weekend. I think it was the combo of sleeping in a new bed (at the vacation rental) and on a different pillow. I broke down today and went to the Dr. This isn't the first time I have had a pinched nerve- so I am familiar with how to nurse it, and just as I suspected, the Dr agreed with my current strategy of ice, heat, meds and practicing the physical therapy exercises...and said if it still hurts in two weeks to let him know and he will order an MRI.

Nerve pain just sucks. It makes places hurt that really aren't hurting and causes muscle spasms that can drop you to your knees..this one is in my upper back/shoulder and its causing my whole arm and wrist to ache....two more weeks. (yippee)

It is annual bonus time at my job. We have the opportunity to leave the bonus in an account that pays 2%- which I would love to do. But because we owe on the remodel and I am paying 7% on that loan, I will apply the bonus towards that debt. (A 2016 goal is to pay that debt down or completely off, depending on the hubs work schedule) Right now, it looks like we will be able to pay the full $24.5k off this year.(yay)- It is already under $20k. And THAT gets us a giant step closer to our 5 year goal!

This is also pay raise time. I received a 4.5% raise. I had already upped my 401k 3% this year. We are checking to see if the hub can up his- he may have missed the deadline. If he is not able to, I will up my Roth contribution another 2%.

Some of you may remember little Z from my older blogs- our little foster boy that lived with my daughter from 4 months until he was 3. Well, he is in town this week and has spent the week with DD2. I get to see him tomorrow!!! This is the 3rd time DD2 has seen him since he left 2 years ago. It will be great to see him, he has grown so much!!

I am currently on day 4 of a 5 day vacation to the winter resort that we try to visit each year with our friends. We are renting a cute house, and when we split the cost, it is about $100 per night per couple. Not bad for a wonderful winter get away.

We have ate most meals here at the house, which saves money and allows more time to visit and enjoy the hot tub!

The guys really wanted to see a couple of movies so those are our splurge. We saw The Revenent on Saturday. None of us had ever seen an imax movie, so we decided to try it. Disappointing. I couldn't really tell a difference for the $17.10 per ticket (ouch)

Today, we are going to see 13 Hours. We will see regular movie and go to the 3pm matinee.

My next time off from work isn't until our camping trip in May, so I am really trying to make this trip DOWN TIME.

The hub heads back to Alaska in 2 days. I haven't been as diligent with my goals while hes been home, so I am eager to get back into full swing this week.

Next weekend, I plan to revisit all of our bills and see if there are any I can shave and save. I try to do this once a year. Usually I find at least one or two things that help.

Well, back at relaxing. Happy February everyone!

So far, 2016 is off to a great start. I set some new goals for the year. Financial, physical, and household.

Financial is to pay off the remodel loan of $24k by year end. This is a stretch goal if the hub works 4/2 rotatations- but he has heard he may work 3/3s. If so, I will need to adjust this goal to pay $15k by year end. In order to accomplish either, we will have to buckle down on spending choices.

My physical goal is a 3 pronged goal. the first prong is to utilize the gym at work at least 3 days per week. This is a new perk that has just been built and features all the equipment I need. The second is to eat healthier- and I have identified a meal plan that will help me accomplish this- I am on week 3, and doing fine! The third is to knock out my remaining 15 - 5 mile bike rides by May 1 in order to earn my free bike!! End goal is to be 3 sizes smaller by year end.

Household goal is to go through all the stuff this year. My parents stuff, my stuff, storage stuff...and reduce stuff by at least 50%. There is a Goodwill just down the road from my job. Weekly or biweekly donations until I am at goal should help get there. I may try selling some of it- but if selling it holds me back from achieving the goal, it will be donated.

We have several mini trips planned this year. The first is in a couple of weeks. Our annual trip to a resort not too far from here with our dear friends. We are going for 4 nights.

Right now, the rest of the trips are camping. We didn't get to use our 5th wheel for camping last year as much as we wanted...although it was well used as a substitute home for us while the remodel was being finished. This year we plan to take it on the road much more!

I increased my 401k by 3% and will increase the hubs 3-5% depending on his rotation schedule.

Looking forward to seeing goals come to fruition this year!

For all who celebrate, Merry Christmas to you! I hope your day was filled with joy-

For all who do not celebrate, happy Holidays!

I am enjoying a peaceful night of quiet and reflection- thinking about what went well in 2015, and what I want to accomplish in 2016.

2015 was actually a very good year for us. The family is healthy and happy- we made some great new memories, and achieved many of the goals set.

My boss asked me last week if I plan to retire eventually. He was just genuinely curious and I didn't feel at all that there was an ulterior motive behind the question. I explained that we are on a (now) 4 year plan. Everything will be paid off, except the mortgage, in 4 years and we will have a nice savings built. The hub will work for several more years- as he is younger than me- but in 2020, the option to retire is there for me if thats the route I want to take. I was reluctant to say out loud that retiring is the plan in 2020, but left it that my option to do so is there. I will be 59 by then.

DD3 turned 24 yesterday. Hard to believe. Time is sure flying anymore.

I love the week between Christmas and New Years. For me, it is about setting new goals and planning for everything we want to do for the next 12 months. There is something about the new year that motivates me. How about you?

This post is informational and intended for everyone.

If you aren't aware, the Department of Homeland Security has information and resources posted to help us self-educate in regards to an active shooter situation. I highly recommend people taking advantage of this information and preparing themselves, loved ones, etc. should you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Here is the link:
http://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness

It is heartbreaking and maddening that all of these situations keep happening. But they do. The best defense is being prepared. Know what to watch for and what to do during and after to stay as safe as possible.

I finally made time to upgrade my laptop to Windows 10. Buh-bye windows 8, I wont miss you one bit! I really enjoyed getting a better product free!

Black Friday ended up being a no-spend day for me. I just didn't see anything in the ads that made me want to fight the crowds or even shop online. I actually just worked, rather than take a vacation day. I have done a pretty good job of shopping sales this year and using coupons to get all of the grandkids gifts. Some, like my grandson's new concert ukulele- didn't have a sale, so I paid full price, but for special gifts like that, I don't mind. I really avoided computer and gamebox gifts and instead went for STEM items, building sets, art kits, outside games, etc. Things that they may not go "WOW" about on Christmas morning, but hopefully will pull out when the holidays settle down and make them think or learn new skills.

All of their gifts are wrapped. I also got each family a family gift- a board game, some jellybeans, popcorn, and a sand kit.

The adults will get cash or gift cards. This is not only easy and requires no wrapping- but certainly lets them get exactly what they want. I am totally at peace with not shopping for the 'perfect' gifts for the adults anymore- as I do special things all year for them.

My son and his family will be here on the 18th for the weekend. We will do our annual 'road rally' and gift exchange on the 19th. The road rally is an annual tradition the teams up different family members in each vehicle and they have a list of tasks they have to accomplish within a set time period. I plan it and the kids and grandkids participate- it is always great fun for everyone.

My son in law and DD1 are hosting Christmas dinner on the 25th.

Which means- with the exception of final touches on the road rally planning, I am pretty much ready for Christmas and am so relieved that I don't have a long list of things to do between now and then.

Work is another story. I am super busy and will have some long days this month. Which means I need to BALANCE work/home and not burn out.

Wishing all of you a peaceful month ahead.

When I first started this blog, in 2006- I was working with my son, helping him start a business and also taking care of my parents. Back in those days, I was practicing very frugal living- and loving the challenge.

To supplement my income, I was breeding labs and working with the hub in his firewood business, splitting, stacking and selling firewood. Hard work, but enjoying the opportunity to be at home.

In the almost 10 years since- both of my parents have passed- and sadly my sons business failed.

I had went 'all in' on his business and invested most of my retirement savings into it. I knew it was risky, but I was so confident in my son and his determination. And when it finally failed, I knew the failure was because of the economic downturn of 2006-2009- rather than my son not giving it 100%.

I went back to work in 2007...and in the 8 years I have been back to work- I have rebuilt my retirement to where it was in 2006.

And now, 8 years later, my son is starting year 3 of rebuilding his company and doing great. 2016 marks an important turn in events- as he will start paying back my investment this year. This will put my retirement goals on the fast track- and for that, I am excited!!

If we stay on course, I will easily retire in 2019 or 2020- which will be 58 or 59. If my son's business continues as it has- he wants to hire me part as an advisor- which would help him and supplement my income nicely.

By then, if all goes as planned, our bills should all be paid in full with the exception of the house.

One of the many perks my job makes available are annual flu shots. Today was flu shot day...and I partook. My arm is cranky tonight, but my body will thank me when flu season passes without incident (I hope!) Free preventative maintenance is good!

The holiday bug has bit me early this year for some reason. Maybe it's the excitement of being 'home' finally- but I am happy to have the Christmas music on and may even start decorating soon. I know, a little crazy..but that's where my mind is right now. Of course, I have to gather up all the decorations from the storage here, in town, and wherever else Ive spread it out over the past 6 years!

I have NO idea what to do for everyone this year gift-wise. I am leaning towards a memory maker rather than things- a family getaway, tickets to a show, I don't know. Gotta put that thinking cap on.

This coming weekend I am driving down to visit my son and his family. I miss them and have spent so little time with those grandbabies- So, Friday I hope to get off a little early to make the 5 hour trip down and will come home on Sunday.

Every other year I plan a long weekend trip with my kids to a resort a few hours away. I rent a big house and we all stay there- Just the adults go and we play games, visit, have a themed party and visit. This year, I was fortunate to bring my cousin, who I haven't seen since my brother's funeral 27 years ago. What a treat that was. It was like time stood still and we were kids again as we caught up with each other's lives. My kids loved her and her husband.

The trip was a huge success, everyone had a great time!

But the REAL treat happened after we got home.

My cousin had one extra night here before her flight- so we went through my parents old photos. We reminisced and since she is a few years older and remembered a little more, I learned a little more about my relatives. Such fun.

I was looking for one specific picture to give to her- the picture had her mom and dad in it- and she has very few of those since her parents divorced when she was fairly young.

I couldn't find it...so I was searching through everything. My mom had stored an old latch hook rug that I made for my dad when I was 17 in a pillow case. I had assumed that was all that was in the pillow case and had never pulled it out. BOY was I wrong.

When I pulled out the rug, out fell some amazing treasures. A pair of my brothers cowboy boots that he wore as a small boy, an old Italian wool suit of my moms- a beautiful lace dress that looked like a prom dress from the 50s.....and a box.

The box was very pretty, very 50s. Inside, 16 love letters that my dad wrote to my mom in 1957 when my dad was 24 and my mom only 19 - all in perfect condition- they had been carefully opened and stored- WOW. My dad was living with my cousins parents when he wrote the letters, so as we read them, we each learned a little more about our parents. It was such an amazing find.

The letters ended about the time my mom and dad were married and later that year, they welcomed my brother who was 3 months premature.

I feel like we were meant to find that wonderful treasure together. It was an incredible end to a wonderful reunion. And I now have some new family heirlooms to pass on to the next generations some day.

I spent most of the day today in the kitchen! Loved every second.

I made a huge batch (68) of ronza's- I used 6 lbs of ground beef, two sweet onions, lots of garlic, and sauerkraut...oh and 68 frozen roll dough balls. Once they're baked, you dip em in mustard and YUM. My parents used to make these, and I love carrying on the tradition, making a big batch every fall..freezing them and then popping a couple in the oven anytime Im craving one. It cost about $37 to make 68...so .55 cents each. A meal is usually 2 for me, so nice inexpensive meals to enjoy!

When I was done with the ronzas,, I baked a big batch of heath chip peanut butter cookies for the hub. They aren't my fav, but what he wanted. There are plenty to take some in to my co-workers on Tuesday. The batch made 3 dozen, and I spent about $4 on supplies, so those were under .20 per cookie.

The day was even better once the Packers won. (woot)..

Tomorrow, Columbus Day, my work is closed, but it is used as a training day for staff. We start at 10am and go to 4pm, so it is a short day- and then I have Friday off so I am looking forward to a short work week!

Being that tomorrow is a training day, lunch is provided.

Thanks to just staying home and baking, today was a no spend day.

Construction is done. I have paid the final bill and now know exactly where we stand for paying off the bills. My goal is to have it all paid in 4 years. But in return, we have pretty much a new home that shouldn't need too much maintenance for many years.

We still have 2 expenses coming, the heating/air unit and a banister for the stairs...but we could make do without either if need be while we save. (we have a really good wood stove and a log deck to feed it)

My kids surprised me last weekend with a trip down to San Francisco to Levi's stadium to see the 49ers play the Greenbay Packers. If you know me, you know I am a HUGE Packers fan...the kids love the 49ers. This was a bucket list adventure for me. We had so much fun. Frugal, not so much- but definitely a wonderful shared experience for the memory books. And we were able to site see around San Fran for 2 days and have a ton of fun.

The hub is home again for three weeks. This weekend is a quiet one. I plan to bake tomorrow. Since it is October, ronza's are in order. (think hot pocket filled with beef and sauerkraut dipped in mustard- yum!)

Next weekend I get to go on a 3 day trip with a couple of girlfriends. One of the moms owns a timeshare, so we get to go stay at a nearby resort super cheap. We will hike, play games and visit. Us three haven't done a trip like this in about 7 years, so we are excited...this will be a frugal trip with most meals cooked at the condo we are staying in and the activities all free. Just good friend time.

Then, the following weekend, its our bi-annual family trip to a different resort. Just the adults, and a weekend of fun and being together. I get to have all my chicks in the same nest for 3 days!! I budget for this trip, so even though its not as frugal...it is already paid for. We make all but one meal at home, and the entertainment is enjoying each other, walks, games, puzzles, and some cocktails in the evening.

Needless to say, October is one busy month this year!

My daughter's grandmother passed away last year and left my daughter a Ron Lee clown collection that she had built over many years, along with her hutch to house them all. My daughter grew up admiring these clowns and was so touched that her grandmother left them to her.

My daughter rented a u-haul to bring it all home and then realized she really didn't have room for everything in her home- so she put it in a storage unit that her ex rented.

Just after the beginning of the year, the ex was in the process of moving when he slid during a baseball game and dislocated his foot- he was subsequently out of work for 3 months- and he got way behind on bills. His phone was disconnected, he had to move back in with parents for a short time and the bills for the unit rental went to his prior address. Time went by and sadly, the unit was auctioned off without their knowledge. (or at least my daughters..)

When the ex figured out what happened he was reluctant to voluntarily tell my daughter and several months went by.

This past weekend, my daughter and her sister decided to get the clowns out of storage and figure out how to start enjoying them .. only to learn that they were gone, and had been for over 6 months. The girls were heartbroken. Their grandmother's clowns meant a great deal to them.

So, my daughter turned to Facebook and, using a couple of public spaces, posted her story asking everyone for help.

Guess what? Someone knew the guy that bought the unit.

The guy that bought the unit is retired military. When he initially went through the items, he was perplexed why someone would let this collection go to auction- but when he called the storage place, they told him that the owner had had cancer and disappeared. (The ex HAD gone through cancer surgery and treatment the year prior to dislocating his foot. The storage guy assumed he had died.)

So the guy that bought the unit sat on the items- not sure what to do. Then, this past weekend he was contacted by a friend about the Facebook post and learned that the owner was heartbroken and looking for her grandmothers clowns. When he heard her story, he contacted my daughter and said that he had wanted to return the items- his gut told him someone, someday would be wanting these back.

He originally paid almost $400 for the unit .. the price he has asked to return everything "good karma". He is just happy that there was a happy ending and wants to give back the items free of charge.

A reported has asked to put the story on the front page of our local news and stated that feel good stories are too few and far between.

We are so thankful that this story has such a happy ending. And I am wondering what we can do to repay this retired soldiers generous gift.

I am super-duper excited!!

I filled the tank on my new-to-me car today and it was a whopping $41. I used just over 16 gal to go 500 miles or 30 MPG...WOOT! My old car averaged 18-20 so I am super happy!

The hubs hand is about twice its normal size tonight- and he hurts. But the stitches are healing already- so he is on the mend. He is missing 7 days of work- which hurts and already stretched budget this month- but we will make it work. I think he will have the option of making up the time at the other end of the hitch, which will make it a wash-but we will see how he does.

We have separated the dogs- the younger one will be kept in a pen by himself and the two older labs will stay in another. (Thankfully we have 2 - 60x60 pens on the property.) DD3 isn't ready to give up on her pup. She has had him in obedience school once before- and I am not fully convinced this was him as much as it was the older lab being overprotective. We will just have to make sure they stay separated. But I will be on higher alert and watching for any signs of aggression- if there are any, the pup will have to go- but hopefully, this will solve the issue.

Happy SUNDAY...and football season SUNDAY to boot! WOOT.

I have been on vacation this past week. We decided to make it a stay at home week to get settled into the house. We didn't get as much done as I had hoped, but we did make progress! We didn't get to the storage unit, so we will be paying another month rental on that. Since the hub leaves for ALaska on Wednesday, it will be at least 3 weeks before we can get things moved.

I ended up buying a new to me used car this week. I got a 2012 Hyundai Sonata- which has been very well cared for and has low miles. I opted for the extended warranty and lifetime oil change options, to hopefully extend the life of this car well into retirement. I loathe the whole car buying experience-seems like there should be more transparency with car buying- it is such a nebulous, frustrating process and its impossible to know what kind of deal you're really getting. Bleh- I will be perfectly happy driving the same car forever if it means avoiding those freakin car lots.

Tomorrow the contractor is coming to finish the punch list and we will make the final payment. It will be nice to have the last check written to know exactly where we stand. Then I will get an aggressive repayment schedule in place so that everything will be paid off in 4 years. Update- the contractor stopped by to say it will be at least Wednesday before he can come finish...and so it goes...

We are fully enjoying the kitchen. I have baked and cooked every day. Today I have a big crockpot of red beans and sausage cooking to go over some white rice tonight. It will make enough for several days of yumminess! I have a loaf of banana chocolate chip bread on the counter- and we have left over tri tip, smoked ribs and baked beans with bacon in the fridge...so we are set on meals for most of the week.

I splurged on NFL Sunday ticket this year. I didn't get it last year and really missed watching the games that weren't televised. Football is my weekend entertainment and having the program averages $10 per week...which is justifiable for me. I will use my allowance to pay for it. My Sunday fun is set until January!

Today I am getting laundry and meals planned for the week ahead. I wish vacation was a few days longer, but alas, its back to work I go in the morning!

We are down to DAYS from having the remodel done. The light fixtures are going up, and the new furniture arrives tomorrow. On Saturday, we get Directv- and we should be 99% done. (we still need a bannister for the stairs and a couple small cosmetic finishes) I am SO ready to finish! Once I can post pics again, I will post more before and after shots. We went from a very tired 1960s house to one that looks like a two story cabin!!

Next week I will be on vacation. We are going to cancel our reservations for camping at the coast and stay home instead in order to get settled into the house. I know I will feel better staying home and getting everything done.. including finding a new (used) car. I have stocked up on so many recipes the past couple of years that I will have to pick just a few to try out. Its finally cooling off a little, which to me always means SOUP and crockpot time!!

We need to go out to the storage place and move everything back home. It will be interesting- as so much of our stuff I packed well over 2 years ago thinking it would only be packed for 4 months- I have forgotten much of what we had. The main things I want to find are my pots, pans and bake wear. It will feel a little like Christmas Im sure- but I also know much of the 'stuff' will make its way to Goodwill, since we don't miss it or even remember what's in the boxes.

I am going to have to break down and buy a car. Not only did my power steering go kaputs- but the steering wheel and tires no longer speak the same language...and that isn't good. So, I am going to start looking in earnest. Poor car salesmen. I am not an easy consumer..and have been known to make tough deals to the dismay of the dealerships and the commission checks. But I just don't do the nebulous "what payment are you comfortable with" kinda deal. I only speak price, interest rate, and terms... I loathe car shopping- and will be glad when this process is over and I have something dependable to drive again.

The hub is en route tonight. He is supposed to get here about midnight. Right now, they are diverting all flights because of the thick cloud of smoke overhead- but I am hopeful that the smoke blows off and flights are back to normal by midnight. Otherwise, the hub will sleep in the airport and wait until flights start again tomorrow morning- which is miserable for him.

I have postponed getting my hair cut since last November. Yikes! I figure I have saved over $500 by coloring my self and cutting my own bangs- but its time for a good cut, and maybe even color. Im kinda eager to try something new!

The next few weeks will be busy. Aside from car shopping, there are 4 birthdays in the next two weeks- the hubs, DD2s and two granddaughters. I have the grandbaby gifts taken care of. Im just not sure about the hub and DD2- especially since its her 30th - I want to do something special. Hmm...

Lots of fun on the horizon- I am on vaca starting in about 10 days..we are going camping at the coast- and then the first week in October we have our annual girls trip coming up- this year we are going to Sacramento and San Fran! Then towards the end of October, we are going to our bi-annual family trip to the resort. Just the adults- and always tons of fun.

Ive been cooking and baking lots now that my kitchen is finished. I made a tasty lemon blueberry loaf a few days ago and it was a huge hit at work. This weekend I am going to try making a gnocchi dish. I am sure the hub will enjoy his time in the new kitchen too!

I have been fighting a headache/migraine for about 8 days now. I am not sure if its because of all the smoke here, hormones, or something else. But NO BUENO! I am going to give it to the end of the week, and then I will go back to the doctor!!

The house is coming along. Floors are 99% done, painting is 95% done...and the rest is about 90% done- Best of all, I am back in the kitchen!! This past weekend I made chili, a new salad, and a yummy blueberry lemon loaf! I LOVE being able to putz in a regular (for me) sized kitchen again!!

I recently scored at Kohl's- they had a big sale, plus I had 20% off. I got several Christmas and birthday presents normal cost would have been well over $400, but my cost was just under $70. Got to love sales like that!

I am taking advantage of no cable right now and using my Amazon prime account and DD1s Netflix- plenty of new to me things to watch, when I am not busy with the house.

I don't know about everyone else, but I am ready to be done with the heat and smoke. I am ready for FALL.

We are back from our trip to Portland. Wicked was simply fantastic! I've seen a few performances over the years and this one ranked up there with one of the favorites! The acting and singing were amazing! So glad I had a chance to go see it.

We did a little shopping while we were there, but I didn't get much. I spent $95 at Cabela's for some wall pictures, a kitchen towel and a welcome sign- all in the bear/cabin décor.

I paid for one night at the hotel, my daughter paid for the other. We split the cost of meals and gas. Somewhere along the way I managed to lose my credit card. SO I called and had it blocked. Thankfully no fraudulent transactions were posted before I realized it was missing!!

The weather was great and the air was not smoky- so those were definitely pluses!

While I was gone, my daughter found the cutest bear coffee table on craigslist. It was $75, including glass top- on Amazon it retails for $250 without the top. The bear had a few small dings, but a black marker and 15 minutes took care of that!



Isn't it cute? I think it will go great in the living room or family room!!

I'm cooking my first meal in the kitchen tonight! Chicken and quinoa and plan to make enough for a few lunches and dinners! So good to have a functioning home again!!

DD1, granddaughter and I are about to leave for Portland. I am eager to get going- should be a great girls weekend! Its about a 4.5 hour drive, but hopefully we will get out of this darn smoke for a few days!!

The painters are here finishing up today. I think we are down to our last week of contractors next week and we will be done. It will be so nice to get back to a normal life. Home remodeling and living in limbo are not cheap and I am READY to stop the outflow of finances.

My power steering went belly up on my car a couple of months ago. It is a 2005 - and I don't want to replace it yet. But repairing the PS would be more than I am willing to put into the car. So, I am getting a free workout on my biceps every time I need to turn the darn thing. I have decided I will drive it till it dies, and just keep saving for a newer car. But man, that thing is HARD to turn. (Just keep thinking BICEPS, ray)

This past week I did much better on lunches. I had a sandwich each day for lunch ....so I spent no money on eating out for lunch. Having a functional kitchen again makes all the difference for meal prep.

Well, DD1 is here so I gotta run. Have a great weekend all!

Here are a couple of few pics of the kitchen. As you can see, we added a peninsula, new cabinets, counters and floors...and some new appliances!

Before:


After:

After 2+ years of living in the little house (390sq ft) I can finally say we are living in the big house again!! No, everything is not all moved in- but enough that I am living here now!!! YAY!!!!

I will post pictures in the coming days of all the work we have done. I am super pleased with the end result and can now look forward to spending the rest of my life here in the country.

The hub went back to Alaska today- so I have the next three weeks to get my things settled in.

In other news, Southern Oregon has been experiencing a summer of triple digit weather and smoke from wildfires. It has been an asthmatics worst nightmare here. UGH. We have been down to one room for a couple of months, the bedroom, where we had a small portable AC running constantly...which helped but boy- stepping out of that room to use the restroom or do laundry was crazy hot. Thankfully, we have dropped down into the 90s this week and the smoke is not reaching the area that I live today...so today is good!

I am most excited about having a KITCHEN again. The stove in the little house didn't work, so I relied on a toaster oven and an electric skillet for two years. I am eager to start cooking and baking again!

DD1 and I are going to Portland with my granddaughter this weekend for a girl scout outing. We get to see WICKED...which I have wanted to see for a long time. I am really looking forward to the trip. I love time with my daughter and this is a double bonus!

Being moved in also means being connected again. No TV just yet, which is fine, but I have reliable internet...so I am looking forward to catching back up with everyone here!

Hello again!

We FINALLY got wifi that works out here and I am back in the connected life for certain! (YIPPEE)

Since I last posted, lots has happened.

We sold the house in town to DD1 and SIL- it was a win win- we only asked for a small amount of the equity to help with the remodel of the house in the country and they got a house with a good deal of equity built in. (If they sell it, they may repay some of the equity then- but we will see when the time comes)

We are in the final stages of the remodel of the country house- We should be moving in in the next two weeks. (another yippee!!) True to the ol adage, the remodel has taken twice as long and cost twice as much as originally planned, but we fixed every issue and remodeled all the things that were horribly outdated and out of code. We also splurged on a few things in the process- we added a large (15X18) second story covered deck - we are already enjoying the benefits of having this. we have used it nearly every night and most weekend mornings and it is our sanctuary! I also bought new appliance since the kitchen was totally gutted. Those get delivered and installed next weekend.

We did not have cash to pay for everything, so we have a debt repayment plan in progress. My goal is to have the remodel paid for in one year.

I have a new boss at work. He is awesome. I am so happy to be in this role and not managing anyone- and he is doing a great job of taking on those responsibilities. Work is finally fun again!

I will post pics in a couple of weeks of the before and after on the house- it truly is remarkable what has been done. We went from a 1965 interior that had been "rode hard and put away wet" to a cabin feel with lots of warm wood and black bear décor. The perfect little country home to retire in in a few more years!!

I decided to give our taxes a shot this weekend and see if I couldn't file using turbo tax. We have had a tax guy do them for the last 20 years. So, stack of records in hand, I sat down on Sunday and started plugging stuff in, using our last few years records as a guide. And I am happy to say that within a couple of hours our taxes were filed, and we are getting a refund back this year! NICE. We usually pay $325 to have them done, but this year it was $98 to file through TT- plus it looks like our quarterly tax payments are dropping. A win-win-win.

The extra money will be needed to help with the cost of the extras we added to the remodel- like a kitchen remodel! After we got going on this project it just made sense to do as much as possible under this job- and the kitchen needed a redo desperately.

I am so ready to live back in a full sized house again- Its definitely been an adventure these past two years!

Hi SA friends!

It has been months since I last blogged. Primarily because the internet at my house hasn't worked- and blogging from a phone is challenging.

I finally broke down and bought a wifi extender, which seems to be helping- since I am typing this on my laptop!

I am still living in the little house (all 390 sq ft) but our country house is in full progress of being renovated and I am within 2 months of moving back into it. Like the adage says, its running about twice as much $$ and twice as long time wise as planned, but it will be so nice once the remodel is done! I will definitely post before and after pictures when we are done.

I recently signed up for a wellness program at work. If I agree to ride 30 round trips of at least 2.5 miles each way, I will get a free bike up to $500. I have always wanted a beach cruiser...so I signed up to ride 30 round trips for during the next year on my lunch hour- a great perk- for a free bike! (free is good!)

Life is still busy as ever. The hub is still working in Alaska, I am still working FT and as I mentioned already, still living in the little house. Hopefully, that will change by May.

I have missed blogging and staying in touch with everyone- and am grateful for the re-connect!! Looking forward to catching up again!

It has been a while...again. My laptop died a painful death, and when I finally got a new one, it does not connect with the wifi as easily to my internet- long story, but the modem is in the big house- and I am still in the little house a few hundred feet away. For some reason, my old laptop worked just fine with the connectivity- but this one, not so much.

We are on our annual girls trip- so I am using the wifi in the hotel room- so nice to be able to finally use the laptop online!

We finally determined what work we wanted to do to the big house that fell within the budget- and we are almost ready to get started. Probably in the next 10 days. I am really excited to get it going now. We opted to not do the kitchen right now. It functions and we can make it work- but there were other things we decided were more important.

I have been out of my old position at work for 2.5 months. I still don't have a new boss or a job description. I am doing many of the things I used to do, but don't supervise- I pass that ball as soon as it appears. Ironically, one of my biggest people challenges turned in her resignation last week.

I am pretty excited to be here with my daughters on our annual trip, so this will be a short post. I hope all is good with everyone!!

The contractor came by yesterday. We discussed some of the obstacles we have with the house- specifically the small living room in comparison to our extended family size. The contractor recommended enlarging the living room and is bidding the job based on adding 140 sq ft to that space -which is funny when you consider my current sq ftg for my little house is 390. He has great ideas and is bringing back a cabinet guy to look at the kitchen. He felt like we could do everything we are thinking within the budget, but wouldn't know for certain until he prices it out. I am anxious to see what he comes back with.

He DID mention that he is booked with work until Mid October, so we wont start work until then...which means it is unlikely I will be in the house by Thanksgiving. But Christmas is still possible!

I have really enjoyed this week off. Today is my last vacation day. I meet with my boss tomorrow to finalize the change in my job and then I will let my team know that I am moving into a peer position. I have a great team, so working as peers will be fun for me. I hope my replacement will be a good fit in our department!

So, how to spend the last day of a great, productive vacation...Grocery shopping, Preparing for the work week ahead (clothes and lunches), and finishing up anything else.

The dump trailer has a flat and the hub was unable to find one of the parts to inflate it, so he will do the dump run tomorrow.

We have made major progress this week on the cleanup project at the country house. Instead of calling this a staycation, Im deeming it a workaction! But it feels great to have everything done that we planned to do. The dump trailer is full, the Goodwill pile is full and the keep stuff is organized- the scary room is now a temporary storage area while construction is in progress. Tomorrow we will head to the dump, Goodwill and meet with the contractor. (The contractor wasn't able to make it today, which is fine. After working all day, I was tired and dirty and ready to shower and relax.)

Thank you to CCF for the link to Pinecone- I was able to sign up and I am hopeful there will be some future 'snowflakes' out of this!

Today was a go nowhere, spend nothing day. We actually have not spent much at all this week aside from the grocery store and Costco on food for the week.