Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Sunday, October 29, 2017

An "off" day ~ Thrift Store Adventure (and dollar store)

The "more" on why I took the day off Friday, although I know my time is running out to gut the garden. . .

We all have days where things go haywire, off kilter, and just agonizing.  I had one of those days on Thursday.  Everything I did seemed to go wrong - I'd drop stuff, didn't have ingredients I needed, just chaos I tell you.  Or it felt like a chaotic day anyway.

I remember all too well, getting sick last December and so I ignored the garden for a day, and took the slower road on Friday.  It paid off too. 

I'm feeling better, more focused, and guess what? Hubby slept almost the entire day, so we both took the day "off" (on Saturday).   It's not like I run out of things to do, ha ha!

As for the barn rubble, we re-homed a mess of metal materials.  There is more to give to the happy taker too.  I'm always happy to see more rubble find a new home. 


The biggest challenge?  Coming up with a breakfast, that only used 2 eggs, but feeds 4.  I ended up making pancakes and fried up a small package of bacon.  However, the egg supply remains low.     


I was up at 2am and couldn't sleep, so after rolling around at 4am, I got up, and whipped up breakfast.  In the dark, ha ha.  Funny thing about this, is Daughter worked until midnight, and couldn't sleep until 4am.  I think we just missed each other in the kitchen.

At 11:30am it was still a brisk 40°F and about an hour prior to that, a motorcyclist went by.  Brrr!

Oh, and remember the nuisance neighbor making a road adjacent and along our south property line (between us and a crop field)?  Well, a person in a blazer has been sitting there, on the other side of our fence, in the area of our pear trees.  As soon as I go out to do my morning chores, he pulls out and leaves. 

Hm.  I'm not sure if he is bow hunting, the land owner now, or what.  But I'm the sort that doesn't trust the neighbor, so I'm watching him (could be a friend of the neighbor too).  As he passes the house, he looks directly at our house, while I'm watching him out the window.  Oh, and his vehicle is loud, so he can't hide in the trees either.   We can hear him plain as day when he pulls down that so-called lane before 6am too.  

My Grad Daughter and I decided to take a trip to the "big" city and check out the thrift store (so Hubby could sleep, and we could have a little fun).    We also visited the dollar store.  I brought home a new rooster kitchen towel, and two blue ones (the blue will be hand towels in my bathroom for winter first).  Many of my kitchen towels are so worn out they are turning into rags now.  These were washed and are hanging on my indoor clotheslines (yes I have one), to dry.

I had to come back and update this post.  While walking around the thrift store, two older gentlemen were talking about the bells for sale on a shelf.  One picked one up and said as he rang the bell, "I need to put this by my computer so I can ring it and holler for her to bring me more coffee."  Laughing proceeded.  Funny men.
 


Daughter found a few nice tops at the thrift store for wearing to work, and I found this gem.  I found a lot of other gems, but I can't take them all home you know.  This book is packed with 631 pages of instructions - firewood box, all sorts of things we could use.  I told Hubby "Merry Christmas" and he laughed, but he later wanted to look through it (he he!). All for the price of $2.00.  As for the other two gems of books I wanted?  Well, I wrote the titles down, and will just check them out of the library.  I have to keep a limit here.  Maybe.

Have a nice Sunday.  Typically we'd take it easy today, but we are fired up to get stuff done today, and the wind hopefully dried up the garden enough to work out there. 


10 comments:

Mama Pea said...

Smart move to take care of yourself! I know it's hard when you can't help but glance outside and see what needs to be done out there . . . or INSIDE the house for that matter!

Doesn't it make you feel good when you find useful things at the thrift store? I got some gorgeous autumnal themed dish towels at our thrift store a month ago. They look like new and I'm so enjoying using them.

I was going to do some things outside today but . . . IT'S SNOWING AGAIN! Nothing too heavy but at a temp of 32 degrees, I'd be soaking wet in no time. So I'm inside making two kinds of soups and contemplating an apple dessert. Wanna get into my quilt room, too. Oh, and I have Christmas music playing in the kitchen. Perfect day!

mamasmercantile said...

I have an indoor drying line too.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, I was just looking out a doorway, out at the barn debris, and thinking to myself "from here you can't tell we did a stinkin' thing." But we have. Soup sounds good we are enjoying leftovers.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

mamasmercantile, that's great! I also have drying racks, but we accidentally broke one (yikes!).

Henny Penny said...

I don't blame you for keeping an eye on the strange person. We live down a dirt path in the country and notice when someone strange starts driving past slowly and looking. You just never know. Those days when nothing goes right drive me crazy, and I've had several! Pays to take a day off. I like your new rooster towel.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Thanks Henny Penny, I wish I had bought two of those towels now. I may stop back in during any future trip to town. Yeah, the same guy pulled down that so-called lane, went into the woods, turned around (with a trailer) and drove back out Sunday morning. We were outside so he knew we saw him.

Rain said...

That's kind of creepy about the guy in the truck. I don't trust anyone outside my own home...I know that may sound extreme, but I'd rather have my guard up for any type of situation. Alex is the same way.

I'm glad you took a day off, we all need that! Pancakes are a great meal to have when you have low ingredients! I make them super thin into crepes so I can get more out of the batter too! :)

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Rain, the guy that keeps driving next to us, is constantly looking our direction. I just look back and let him know I see him. Yes, creepy.

RB said...

Hey, everybuddy needs a day off now and then.
Sister Nancy came to town (from PA), we all stayed at Sister Cindy's in NC for I think it was 3 days. I even took off work at the store to do it.
We had great fun. Went to a Polish store in Durham and stocked up on REAL Paprika. That place smelled so good. Went to several thrift stores. I stocked up on baby blankets for the cats. We'll be needing more with colder weather coming on. I got several for a quarter and a few more for $1. Can't beat that!
I go back to the VAMC tomorrow. I went to the VAMC Emergency Room a couple of weeks ago for constant severe shoulder and arm pain, both arms. They turned me every which way but loose to take an xray of and determined it was arthritis in the neck breaking down the vertebrae and disks there, pinching nerves in the process. Tomorrow I go back to tell them the meds they gave me didn't do much. Life goes on.
Prayers everyone has a great week, and a safe one too.
God bless.
RB
<><

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, I would love to visit a polish store. How fun! By the way that is an awesome thrift store score on the blankets. I sure hope the doctors help you get better.