Gramma Ray's Blog

Today I enjoyed a nice (free) lunch attending a Chamber meeting for work...and the guest speaker was awesome to boot.

Tomorrow, I have a lunch meeting for a leadership committee I am on that raises money for the local pediatrics ward.

Tomorrow night will make up for the freebies...I am attending a fundraiser for the local homeless teen shelter...at $50 per plate. Half goes to the shelter...the other half is a very nice dinner with great company.

Friday night is the local Goodwill employee awards banquet. I try to attend this one every year. I love watching the recipients receiving their awards. They are so sincerely joyful of 'thier night'.

Ive told the story before...but one year there was this young lady all dressed up for the night. Her makeup was applied by shaky hands...and she wobbled in her heels...and she had on the most sparkly dress. You could tell she felt beautiful...and so I told her she looked pretty and her dress was very sparkly...she turned to me beaming and said "thank you, I got it in the free bin"...one of my all time favorite moments.

So..this week is full of community opportunity.

The fundraising dinner is officially on! Announcements have gone out and duties are assigned. We are hoping to feed 200 at $5 per person. All food is being donated...now to work on securing everything else. We hope to have a silent auction that will bring in even more money. It will be fun to see how many donations we can get for this event. And then, to see the recipient get to continue his cancer treatments for as long as possible.

Any of you who have advice on a fundraiser of this size, please chime in!!

My sons business has picked up and he is working steadily...so I am hoping the bank of mom days are behind us. They need to be...Im out of resources. Bless his heart...he really has poured his heart and soul into this venture. This should be a turning point year...he has a solid customer base and gets at least 2-3 referrals a day during bug season...so I am confident that if anyone can do it...he can.

The hub got called into work today (another good sign, since he was only getting 20-30 hours a week for months...)...I have the house to myself. I need to get some school work done...and plan to put a meal plan together for this next week. Life goes so much easier during the week when Ive planned the meals out ahead.

But...Im not in too big of a rush this morning. I am enjoying the quiet...and my coffee. And I still have a few blog sites to read...that other stuff can wait a little longer.

My friends son is at his Dr appointment today to find out if he will continue with chemo treatments or not. He got so excited about a dinner in his honor, that I will go forward with the event either way- and we are going to have a dance with the event. If this will lift his spirits, then Im all over it. My DIL has agreed to DJ the dance...my daughter will do photography...I will get to work on securing donations to raffle...and food to serve. I have 18 days to get everything ready.

This past weekend a friend from High School and her daughter came to visit. We went sight seeing and I took them to a few of our restaurants that are unique to our area. I think they enjoyed themselves. It is interesting to see how two friends from high school can grow in such different directions. But it was fun to catch up and get reaquainted.

DD3 is all moved in with her papa...She called yesterday needing me to buy books for school. Almost $200 later, I think we got her all set. Thank goodness for sites like Amazon where I can buy those books for much cheaper and have them shipped directly to her. Between her expenses and my son still trying to catch up... I am way behind $$ now. I have to come up with car insurance and have zero in my christmas club and freedom accounts....I will be catching up for months.

Good thing I am in a place where I dont have a long list of wants and can get by on basic needs for now.

Today was a vacation day for me. I have spent it doing laundry, dishes, floors...and getting reorganized. I have to jump back into school mode this week, so my free time is about to become limited again.

Plus, planning the dinner-dance...

Glad I had today to refresh...it may be a while before I have another day to relax and putz.

I posted a while back about women in my life who are dealing with different obstacles. One of them has a 22 year old son who has been battling various types of cancer since he was a small child. He has fought such a strong battle, and his mom has been right there to take care of him. She is a single mom, stuggling to make ends meet and take care of her son. She asked me for help last week- she is out of money to get her son to his weekly appts at the other end of the state. Sadly, this is the last trial that will take him...and they find out on the 4th if his treatments are working. He has been in this trial 4 weeks. If it isnt working, they are completely out of options.

So, I went to lunch with another friend today to discuss fund raising ideas. If he is showing improvements by next monday, they will need help financially to continue to get to the appointments...if he is not showing improvements, we plan to rally close to mom to offer her support, but fundraising wont be as necessary.

I am praying we need to have a fundraiser.

We have a location and the food donated...we plan to have a pasta dinner and silent auction/ 50-50 raffle.

No matter how tough life seems to me, all I have to do is remember this mom and all she is going through and I instantly realize, life has been very very kind to me.

DD3 moved to Central Oregon this weekend to go to college. She is going to live with DHs dad. I was sad to have her go, but I want her to be able to try her wings...The house would feel like an empty nest, except DD3s friend will be living with us indefinately while she attends college here.

The hub made yummy chicken potato soup for dinner, and we have plenty to last a couple more meals. I had him make extra chicken to make teryaki chicken and rice and chicken enchiladas for the week.

Thankfully, this will be an inexpensive week food-wise because of this. I am still trying to catch up with my budget after helping DS and DD3...plus having DH working minimal hours.... and there is no extra to waste right now.

Hopefully, with the change in seasons, (DSs business will pick up, DH will get busy again)...all of this will change and I can get back on track.

Preheat oven to 350

Spray bottom of dish with cooking spray
cover pan bottom with corn tortillas cut into bit size strips
layer beans (black, refried, pinto- whatever you have)
leftover cooked chicken in bite size bites...or ground beef, leftover steak, pork....
sprinkle with cheese...whatever is available
add another layer of corn tortilla strips
pour a light layer of enchilada red or green sauce (can add to any layers as desired, actually)
add olives and a little more shredded cheese

other layer options:
corn
green chilis
onion

bake about 25 minutes or til cheese melts and it heats through...

Serve with a dollop of sourcream..

Makes great leftovers the next day.

Our management team met today. One of the discussions was about bringing in a mental health and family counselor to teach our mid level managers how to help our staff. I am not sure if it is coincidence or if this is a trend, but our staff have had more family deaths and serious illnesses in the past 6 months than we have seen in years - and it is taking its toll. We have about 200 staff members and weve had about 10% with a death in the family...in just the past month cancer, a heart attack and H1n1 claimed three family members lives...their ages... 68, 41 and 17...).. and another 7% with serious illness. (Not including the number of staff who have been sick, gotten injured, or suffering serious financial issues.)

Additionally, our staff work with our members who are also experiencing some of the toughest hardships in their lives...

Is anyone else noticing similar trends???

Its very sad. I love that my job understands how much impact this is having on staff, and that we are taking steps (proactively) to help!

I spent $8 on a salad at lunch today... CLEARLY I am not sticking to the lunch challenge too well, but it was a healthy salad. If that counts. lol

First...stopped by the hospital to see the baby. WOW. She is beautiful and big! 23 inches...9lb 7 oz. The babys dad was there, first time Ive met him- he looked about 15 (but he is barely 18). Had the baseball hat on with the brim up and to the side...Mommy's mother was there too and it was easier to see why the lack of support after meeting her. Boy Im being judgemental...but my goodness. Daughter just had a baby a few hours earlier and is trying to learn to nurse and mom INSISTS on getting a 'family photo' first. Pushy and inconsiderate. I left after about 3 minutes- before I said something where it was not my place. I know the nurses see it all..but I have to wonder when they see kids this young becoming parents. (Young both age and maturity for these two).

Ok...end of that rant....on to the next...

Stopped by Walmart on the way home to pick up a couple of necessities.

No kidding...A walmart worker lady was standing at a table right after you walk in. I smiled at her and said hello and must have looked like a good target...because she bee-lined over to me and asked if I wanted a walmart credit card. I politely said NO and kept walking. But she walked right along with me- clearly not getting my NO. She says...its like FREE MONEY. I stopped and looked at her and said 'Really, how is that?"...she said ..."Well, just ignore the bill when it comes".

I think she was kidding...but seriously? This is the ploy to get people to sign up for your credit card?

I had much I could have said, but bit it and simply smiled and said no thank you and walked on. She must have got it this time because she stopped following me.

I wonder what the Walmart big wigs would think about this method of selling credit cards?

My trip to Walmart netted me laundry soap, fabric sheets, a new light bulb for the bathroom, sleepaid, and chocolate to get rid of this grumpiness ...

The hub is making roast chicken for dinner. He is cooking it in a cast iron pot with lemon, garlic and rosemary...with asparagus. Umm...who is this guy??? lol. Loving his new hobby for sure!!

Baby girl arrived at about 7 this morning. All 9 lbs 7 ozs of her. (Did I mention mom was fairly petit)...sounds like there were stitches involved afterwards...but mom and baby did great. Now the real work begins.

Because she went into labor last night...DD3 convinced the hub to drive home in a snowstorm. They got here a little after 1am...and now I am having coffee while watching some testosterone gun show. :/

Not quite the quiet morning Id planned, but oh well.

It sure felt good to get up to a clean bedroom. My cats are NOT happy with me...but they will adjust. The no animal in bedroom rule is solid. I want a place that is fur free.

Still got the spring cleaning bug this morning...so we shall see where the day takes me. I do wanna go visit the new mommy...make sure shes getting good advice and information.

Interesting...I have felt much more inergetic lately and it just dawned on me that I am on week three of the 50k units of vitamin D...that, combined with the sleep from not wheezing all night is starting to pay off I think. wow.

I did not get to see the supermoon last night. Total cloud cover here.

I mentioned that I helped kiddos out this past week...so my checking account is empty...but I do have $40 in my wallet...I want to make that last and not dip into savings. I am going to dinner with a friend tomorrow night...so I will HAVE to budget carefully to make it til Friday when I get paid again. hmm....unless, that is someone needs $$ help again this week. sigh.

Imagine Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers...all shimmery and bright...well....those are my toes after my pedicure this afternoon. I had a gift certificate from last Mothers Day from my kiddos that I needed to use...so I took advantage of my quiet day and went and enjoyed. I gave a $4 tip...so a pretty cheap treat...and my toes are now so sparkly!!

I literally dumped out all of the dresser drawers and reorganized them. I put everything I could in either a throw away or give away box to leave plenty of room (we have waaaayyyyy too much 'stuff'. I still have work to do tonight...but man, is the room looking nice.

I have made the bedroom a "no pet zone"...tired of hair, fur, muddy pawprints, etc...in my sanctuary. My cats arent too happy, but they will adjust. I also bought new sheets today...since the cats played and tore holes in my other sheets...which were 3 years old anyways....time for new. SHeets have been washed and are now in the dryer...I am washing all bedding to make a truly fresh start.

Loving the free weekend. Now having a glass of wine and waiting for the super big moon to show up...although, we have a fairly total cloud cover tonight...so I am not sure I will get to see it. :/ If anyone out there does, could you please take and post pictures!!! Im sure there will be some on the internet tomorrow.

The hub mentioned a few days ago that there is a surround sound system out in my moms little place that he can move here if I wanted. Ive never really thought about having surround sound - but it is free...hmmm. Do any of you have it? Do you enjoy it?

The hub and DD3 are out of town this weekend. DD3 (19) has decided to move to FILs house...about 4 hours away and go to college there. I think this is a good thing for her to try. She has gotten into a rut here and hasnt been motivated since making the decision to quit high school and get her GED. (ugh...this was not supported by mom- not even close).
She is attending orientation this morning and will then come home for the week and move next weekend. She would have stayed this trip except her friend hasnt had her baby yet-- (they are going to induce Monday).

Our houseguest is going camping today and tomorrow...so I HAVE THE HOUSE TO MYSELF. No homework, no work for my job. JUST FREE TIME.

what to do, what to do. I feel a little guilty not inviting a grandbaby over...but I want to enjoy the 36 hours of solitude...selfish??? a little I guess.

I plan on spring cleaning my bedroom. It has gone from being my santuary to the cats hangout...and is in need of attention. A good day of organizing and cleaning in there should do the trick!

My budget would be awesome if I hadnt had to come up with money for kiddos this week. The rain is causing DS's business to be slow still...and DD3 wanted to wait until she gets moved to get a job- so I paid her truck and insurance. The hubs job is only working him 20-30 hrs per week right now, so he doesnt have much to contribute. I am making really good money...and I dont splurge or spend often...and I am still living paycheck to paycheck...

The good news is SPRING is here and DS's business should pick up and do GREAT this year. DD3 is going to look for a job soon. Hopefully when those holes get plugged, I can get back on track.

Time to get busy!!!

I love Natures' freebies and this weekend is one of them. As told in the article copied below from CNN, the moon is going to be BIG tomorrow. Bigger than its been in 20 years! I hope the sky is clear enough that I can enjoy it!!! Will you be watching?

(CNN) -- If the moon looks a little bit bigger and brighter this weekend, there's a reason for that. It is.

Saturday's full moon will be a super "perigee moon" -- the biggest in almost 20 years. This celestial event is far rarer than the famed blue moon, which happens once about every two-and-a-half years.

"The last full moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1993," said Geoff Chester with the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington. "I'd say it's worth a look."

Full moons look different because of the elliptical shape of the moon's orbit. When it's at perigee, the moon is about 31,000 miles (50,000 km) closer to Earth than when it's at the farthest point of its orbit, also known as apogee.

"Nearby perigee moons are about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser moons that occur on the apogee side of the moon's orbit," the NASA website says.

This full moon will rise in the east at sunset and should look especially big at that time because of what's known as the "moon illusion."

"For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, low-hanging moons look unnaturally large when they beam through trees, buildings and other foreground objects," according to NASA.

Even though it may look close enough to touch, Saturday's full moon will still be at a healthy distance -- some 211,600 miles (356,577 km) away.

As rare as it is, it may be worth a look. Miss it and you'll have to wait until 2029 to see it again.

Finished up at the planning session for work today. My bet was that once people were able to use remote capture for their checks, the number of transaction conducted in a brick and mortar (bank) would decrease significantly...hmmm. This was countered by the fact that the intro of the internet and internet banking in the 90s would eliminate the need for tellers...and clearly, that didnt happen. But I thin remote capture will be a game changer. I mean, if you could use your phone to take apicture of all the checks you receive...and then send the picture as a deposit from wherever you are...would you then need to go to the bank for much of anything???? Thoughts?

I am looking forward to the next two weekends. No homework, tests or studying...just time to relax and have fun...

No baby yet....she is a week overdue tomorrow. I feel like Im waiting for the water to boil...lol.

Thankfully got a response on the family photos that copies are ok. My faith in family is somewhat restored.

Looking forward to the weekend. ALOT.

Wow. Social media and unknown relatives. I got a message on facebook today. "I want to get the pictures of my grandparents that your mom said I could have when she was gone"....

Got this from a cousin of my moms today who I have never talked to. These are my great grandparents pictures that have hung in my home for years...my mom never mentioned that she was giving them away...and now I get a curt message that she will pay to have them mailed.

Ouch.

My mom never mentioned the promise..but I can imagine her doing so...and then never saying anything to me. So I offered to send copies. Not sure where this will go now. Hopefully she will be ok with copies of the originals. If not, Im not sure what I will do at this point.

sigh.. (A 'Hi Ray, I am so sorry your mom is gone" would have been nice...)

Oh well. Enjoyed left over pizza for dinner..and leftover steak that the hub bbqd yesterday, and potato for lunch. the next two days are free lunch days at work due to meetings. This will be an inexpensive week for food.

I am looking for a great cupcake recipe to make for the birthday...I budgeted for a whimsical cake...but making cupcakes with my female friends sounds fun and will definately save $$. But I want a really good recipe...thankfully there are lots to choose from. Now to start trying and testing and tastine...lol.

Still no baby. Not a bad thing since the mom is still learning about baby care....

The US economy is in the tank..Japan is suffering horribly....animals are falling out of the sky or floating belly up....People are shooting each other, kidnapping kids...everyone seems to be either giving up or getting angry...

I wonder if when the world was created...there wasnt a reset button planted somewhere...

sigh.

I had a great dinner with girlfriends tonight. We used one of the pizza coupons that I bought at an auction...it was fabulous and the company was fun. We had some nice girl time for $9 each (wine and salads to go with the pizza)

Still no baby. Momma was here for a visit last night and I gave her some resources for family counciling and newborn care.

Stressful day. I guess I can reset my attitude-and look for the positive tomorrow. Where the heck is that reset button?

Yay! I finished my final and pulled a strong A in the class! Now I get TWO WEEKS off before the next class begins!! woo-hoo.

What to do with a whole weekend with no studying to do!! Me thinks celebrate!!

I am enjoying a cup of coffee, my foot massager and the SA blogs to start with...

In a little while DD2 wants to go look for new scrubs for work..so I will tag along.

Mainly...just enjoy a stress free day!

Happy Saturday all!

Woo-Hoo! Five years!!

Ive enjoyed every single visit with the SA family!

Thank you for all of the good wishes!! I look forward to many more years of financial banter and friendship!!!

Hugs everyone!!!

In my quest to volunteer more this year, I signed up to fix dinner every-other month to take to a homeless-teen shelter. This was our month...but when I mentioned it to the hub, he took over! His love of cooking continues to grow. He made whole wheat pasta and meat sauce, green beans, salad, bread and insisted on paying for the supplies. My role was to deliver and see the delighted faces on the teens! (I did stop n route and buy some yummy fresh baked cookies for dessert!) Their dinners are all prepared by the community and delivered to their door. It was very rewarding...looking forward to May, when we get to do it again!

I am enjoying the foot massager while I type this and enjoying a glass of wine. I should be studying, but I spent the day researching online and my brain is just plum tuckered out...so I will just plan to cram tomorrow night and sat morning before I take the final.

DD2 asked if I want to go to some outlet shops about 4 hours away this weekend...but I dont really need anyhing and I am low on $$ after all the loans and other money spent this month. So, I am not sure if I will go or not. That is a LONG drive to just tag along on a shopping trip....hmmm. Im thinking hanging closer to home sounds much better...perhaps I can suggest a plan b.

DD3 has a close friend that is having a baby anyday. Friend is 19...unmarried...dirt poor...she and the babies father are moving into a townhouse on Friday...which is the day the baby is due. Their current apartment is $540 a month and the townhouse is only $400- (on a busy street in a less than desirable part of town...) and they need every little bit they can get. She stopped by tonight to visit. She didnt get to take birth classes. And she doesnt have a good coach picked out to help her through delivery. I talked to her for a couple of hours on what to expect...trying to emphasize on the important things that she should try to remember...

She doesnt have things like a robe, nursing bras, nursing pads, etc...they are still waiting on a cradle...thankfully they have a car seat.

I asked her if she had a plan for meals when she is out of the hospital...no. Does boyfriend cook? no. They share a twin bed....but they will have room-mates to help out...

omg.

She had no idea she could shower or take a bath in the hospital to help with contractions...or that there is a ball she can sit on...or...or....or.

She asked me if it was ok to go to the hospital if her water broke before Friday.

omg.

So I shared as much as I thought she could take in...and just gave her money to go buy a robe, some comfy, button up the front jammies, a couple of nursing bras and some nursing pads...and some really good feminine pads for when she goes home.

Her dad told her to think about having her next baby soon so they would be 'close together'....WTF. omg.

Now that I realize she has so little support, I will keep a closer eye on her.

My blogoversary is in a couple of days. Each year I shout out to those of you who visit and read...but stop short of sharing your story.

Ive never liked the term Lurker...but you know who you are.

I know youre out there...and there are LOTS of you. Why dont you join us? Tell us your story...allow us to learn from YOU.

I hopped into this zoo 5 years ago...and its been a true joy. I have made some dear cyber-friends...learned AWESOME advice...and shared laughs and tears.

So...why dont you join in and become part of the SA Family...its easy and FREE....and I promise...we dont bite...lol

I mentioned that I volunteered at a class for teens this weekend. The class is normally $150 per kid, but thanks to generous donors, we give about 90% attendence in scholarships. One of my friends has a teen daughter that attended on Sat...and she did awesome.

Tonight, my friend emailed me to tell me that her daughter set a goal this week to 'make a difference in someones life'.

Today, instead of heading off campus with her friends at lunch, she stayed at school and found a girl sitting by herself...and asked to eat lunch with her. At the end of lunch, the girl thanked her for spending time with her...she has been so lonely and really appreciated not having to eat by herself again.

Another one of the kids decided to build a stronger relationship with his sister...

another, has committed to doing her homework every night to bring her grades up...

almost 20 kids, from an 8 hour day...making small steps to change their lives and the world around them.

Sign me up anytime for this class. I am more than happy to give my time to see these kind of changes happening in our world.

Blessed. I truly am. All for free.

I didnt start the day off thinking it would be a no-spender...but shortly after I typed my entry this morning, I started feeling sleepy....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... 5 hours later.....holy moley. I guess the business lately caught up with me. It felt great...but that means no studying, no reading, no chores....just sleep. The hub tossed a frozen pizza in the oven and that was dinner. (not my fav, but it was free and it worked).

Now I am sitting here reading posts and using my new foot massager....

I volunteer for a team that provides youth leadership classes for teens. Yesterday we had a class. It always amazes me how a group of 20 or so teens can show up to these sessions wondering if they will be wasting a Saturday with people they dont know....and leave EMPOWERED and a strong team to start being the change they want to see in their world. Yesterday was no exception. I am truly blessed to be part of this team.

Yesterday was also the one year mark of my mom being gone. The whole family went to dinner and had a nice time remembering my mom and dad.

I plan to spend today doing some light housework and studying for my psych final - which is due next Saturday. The test is 75 points and I only need 50 to get an A for the course...so I am well positioned.

I am also getting ready for a planning session at work and am reading up on current and future trends in financial services.

To all my savings friends....what things do you appreciate most in your financial institutions? What technology do you want. Aside from fees, what do you like least?

I would love your responses....

Now, off to hit the books!

And I take three steps back.

I knew we would have to pay since I had to use part of my moms IRA last year to help pay for funeral and other things. That plus I made so much more this year.

It could have been worse...we are paying about $1200. Which coincidentally is the exact amount I set aside for an elective surgery I really wanted to do...lol. I can easily give up something I want if it means paying this off without struggling all year.

So, now to reset and accomplish this years financial goals.

I have achieve my third no spend day in a row, thanks to the lunch challenge and preplanning!

I took this weeks quiz yesterday and only missed one. Now to study for the final, which is next week.

Yesterday after the test, I went to the grange to look for gardening supplies. I have a $75 gift card, have been there at least 4-5 times this past year to use it and each time, walk away empty handed (except for the gift card). Yesterday's excuse was not knowing what I need to get to start the seeds. Do I buy little containers and mulch? Plant food? Those little started kits with what looks like half dollar size dirt rounds? How do I start a seed in that?
If I want an herb garden in on my patio for cooking, do I need something different? So many stinking questions. Then there is the reminder that this gift card was in leiu of flowers for my mom...and I suddenly dont feel like shopping any longer. So I leave.

Sigh.

Next, off to Target. I dont know if I mentioned that the party will be a pink/black/white party...and everyone will be wearing pink shirts (their choice, even the guys) to just make it a fun diva night.
I found clearanced pink and black plates and napkins that will work PERFECT. I will have to post pictures of the event afterwards. I bought a pink plastic easter bucket from the dollar store for each guest bedroom and picked up black and white tissue to line them with. Inside will be candles, soaps, candies...just fun little things to make them feel loved. Spent $22...but I have money saved for all the party stuff...and this puts me well under budget, since it was on clearance.

I also picked up hair color..($5.79).my stylist retired in December, so I am back to doing my own hair. THis saves me about $40 per month + tip.

Then, yesterday afternoon, the hub and I went out to a little historical town near us and met some friends at the saloon. It is a very historic old building and they serve drinks and tapas. Funny, the guy that makes the tappas has tattoos and a goatee about 3 inches long...looks pretty tough, but man can he whip up some tasty treats. We visited a couple of hours and then walked across the street to have pizza. I paid for the saloon- $60, the hub paid for pizza and drinks at the restaurant...We were home and I was sound asleep by 8pm. lol what a night owl.

Today we went grocery shopping. $60 for the week. I paid, since the hub has not been working full 40 hour weeks. His job has slowed way down and he is getting 20-30...this week was 19.

I bought food to ensure that I stick to the lunch challenge this week. Will be making jasmine rice and chicken for a few days and chicken salads the other days. I bought a couple of sweet potatoes for evenings and we have plenty of choices (pork chops, more chicken, lasagne) in the freezer for the rest.

So...I am good to go. Now, time to get back to the books!

After my blood work, I received a letter from my doctor yesterday AND A PRESCRIPTION...for 8 weeks of 50000 units of Vitamin D. Everything else looked good...but apparently my Vit D is in the tank. I wonder if this is going to help with my migraines-as this is a symptom of this deficiency. Perscription was $11 for 8 pills. (But that is a 2 month supply since I only take it 1 day per week.)

I invited 3 dear friends to my June birthday get=away...I mentioned that my bff from California very likely is backing out of going. Today, friend #2 and I had a chance to chat- and she and her husband separated last night. (I feel REALLY bad for her...this has been a rocky few years for her-) theyve been married almost 40 years...I have no idea if she will be coming to the get away or not...right now, her focus clearly needs to be on her marriage.
...I wont even bring the trip up to her until much closer to the event- I just want to be there for her.

It has been snowing off and on all day. Tonighjt it is starting to stick. I know many of you have had more than your share of winter wonderland...but here we do not get many opportunities to enjoy snow.

Not much money-wise happened today- so i think I will kick back and get a foot massage while watching the snow fall.

Ciao Babies!

Got a phone call this morning from my son...who is 26...Hey mom, thought me, Dw and Gd, GS would come over tonight. I will cook dinner. Huh! He would cook dinner. He doesnt cook.

Well, he has been practicing apparently. He made this:

http://www.food.com/recipe/olive-garden-five-cheese-ziti-al-forno-202833

OM stinking G! This was one of the BEST dinners I have every enjoyed...and what an added blessing that my 'little boy' made it for me..and that it was HIS IDEA!!!

5 hours of HARD labor...25 years of raising him....and he does this...am I a proud momma tonight or what???......................wow.


We all enjoyed a nice foot massage before dinner was served! (I think this extravagance will pay for itself in no time!!)

Today was a no spender.
We are supposed to get snow tonight and tomorrow.
Now, I am enjoying whats left of a beautiful evening!

Life is so so so good.

Have money- will lend.

I need a support group. This time, our houseguest (who has been couch-surfing and is now living with us) needed money to get car insurance on her newly acquired car so she could get a job and start saving to get self sufficient and out on her own. So I loaned her $225 with the understanding that she apply for at least two jobs per day and that she 'work off' the loan by making sure the house is clean every Friday by the time I get off work. I had just spent the weekend cleaning and so I showed her what I expected....

Now to see if she sticks to her end of the deal.

I sent every extra dollar I have to ING...and so I dont have any handy money left to loan. I am not sure why I am so quick to lend. Lord knows its like a coin toss if I will get it back. I really want this young lady to succeed...and I feel better knowing she has insurance while she drives. Hopefully the motivation will help her get things figured out. AND...if I can come home to a nice clean home every friday for the next 10 weeks, it will be money well spent for the weekend free time I gain.

My new foot massager came today. All I can say is ahhhhhh...as wonderful as I remember- so now I have a solution every evening for tired achy feet!!

They must have had cordon bleu on the Food Network channel today. The hub texted me at work that dinner was in the fridge and sure enough, when I got home there was cordon bleu, green beans and ceasar salad waiting. He has never made that before..but Mr. bobby-flay-wanna-be pulled it off quite nicely. For a few years his interest in cooking has steadily grown...and now he is branching into new recipes. The other day he asked me to buy pomegranite molasses...(?) still havent found it. He cracks me up. About as redneck as they get until you put him in the kitchen...and then he is chef Ricky...lol. funny boy.

I have been planning a 50th birthday bash for a 6 months and it is still 3 months away.... I rented a beautiful 8 bedroom home at a resort for 4 days and am paying all expenses while we are there. I have invited my kids and my dearest friends...all they have to do is get there. Each couple has a king size suite/bathroom of their own...(my budget for this mini-vacation is $3200...food, drinks, decorations, gifts for my guests... a fantastic home...)

Tonight, my BFF since age 12 told me she doesnt know if she can make it. HUH??? Over a month ago I found roundtrip airline tickets for her and her hub for $500...I offered to pay half...

This isnt an issue of money for them...this is the same friend that was planning the jamaica trip for her birthday that would have cost us $3700 to attend. (They have since decided to do a carribean cruise instead on their own)

She is just reluctant to ask her boss for the time off. HUH??? She is a nanny and apparently the boss's business is struggling and he is stressed out. Did I mention she has had 6 months already and still has three months left to ask for a Thursday and Friday off????

I am baffled..and a little (ok, A LOT) hurt.

She said she will let me know for sure soon so I can invite someone else...HUH?

I dont get this. Seriously. what did I miss.

Ouch.

Had most of the seasons today...rain, snow and sun....quite a variety packed into a few hours....

I have a new quiz for my psychology class due every Saturday. So far I have gotten all A's on the quizzes- including today. This is a tough class, but I am learning SOOO much with all of the work we are assigned (it is an online class). I have a couple more quizzes, a team project and my final due...but I am well on track for an A still.

I scored at Kohls with a 30% off coupon...found some clearance jammies...normally $48...got them for $12. yay. My jammies are pretty much mismatched loose sweats and tshirts...so having a pretty, soft MATCHING set was a nice score. I love it when I can get a really good deal on something I really want. However, I have gotten pretty good at walking away from any bargain if it is not something I need or really, really want. On the heels of my big purchase Thursday (foot massager $199)...I need to walk away from the other stuff for a while. The massager should be here on Tuesday..very anxious to start using it!!!

Went shopping with my daughter today and she got some great deals...I didnt buy anything. We did eat lunch out...I spent $20, which gave our very attentive waitress a nice tip. Tonight I just had some pasta and sauce out of the cupboard for dinner.

Tomorrow I hope to make it to the garden store to pick up the things I will use to get my garden started this year. (Still have the $75 gift card from my job from last year when my mom died...-which was in leiu of flowers...) My zucchini did awesome last year...I hope to add tomatoes, artichoke, strawberries, watermellon, pumpkin, onions, raddishes, and maybe some lettuce this year. I will need some containers- last year something ate my watermellon plants down to the ground so I am hoping container gardening will help a little. ??? I am a newbie at this gardening stuff...but hope to learn a little more each year.

Plan to spend tomorrow NOT STUDYING or worrying about work stuff. Just enjoying the day.