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Friday, September 24, 2010

So, here I am....



I dunno why I am out of the habit of blogging when I did it nearly daily for so long, sometimes way more than once per day, never going probably more than two without....but then, a lot of things about me lately are not quite the same, and that is OK.

HOWEVER....blogging has always been important to me, and I am probably my biggest fan, going back and reading my posts and looking at my photos to enjoy the random memories, to read my thoughts as my days happened, to read the story of my life. I *really* need to blog more. I think part of it is the fact that I can micro-blog on FB now, but that is really not good enough, and I know that....
I have all sorts of ideas....I want to do a "She" statement for each day....no blog post is a blog post without a photo....I want to do a quote for each day....you get the idea, yet then it seems too overwhelming and I do nothing...because just the act of logging in and pulling up a blank bloggy page usually seems like too much of a task these days.
I do hope that this will get better with the new medication I am on, which should give me 50% more energy, according to my doctor, if I am one of the lucky 30% it works for. So far, I'm thinking there is a good chance of that seeing that it is waking me up at 3:00 a.m...I spoke with the pharmacist today about changing the times that I take it. We'll see how that works....

Sooooo.....I keep hoping that one day, my promise to blog more will not be as hollow as it has been as of late. Thank you, patient reader, for hanging in there with me. Much appreciated.

Let's see....lemme go and peruse the photos for something to post and write about....hold please.....


I know, I know....sisters tends to be a popular subject on here lately...BUT...lately, I've been conversing more and more with all THREE of my sisters, and this, folks, I LOVE. I'm so enjoying making them a part of my daily life again...you know, not everyone is lucky enough to have a sister, one sister, much less be blessed with three of them, and so for this, I am thankful, and guilty of taking for granted, and striving NOT to take for granted any more, and striving to be more thankful than ever for them.

Also, I need to talk about the 'rents....meet Mom and Dad here:


OK...so I can't find the awesome good photo of both of them, and I'm tired, so here is the one you've already seen of Mother and I.....she came today to the flea market with me....just because she loves me. Thanks, Mom. And thanks to BOTH of you for always teaching me to believe in my dreams and to reach for the stars and believe the impossible.....because without dreams and belief in the impossible, there's NO WAY I'd be where I am now....boy, could you all have a hayday with THAT statement! :)

OK, mush is over for now....going to bed.....maybe, just maybe, I'll see you sooner rather than later....we'll see!

TTFN!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Honey Makes a Trip to the Grocery Store.....


Warning: longish post ahead.

So, it's been a long time since I have been able to do my normal grocery shopping, even with coupons, and saving a ton like I tend to do. We've eaten a lot of potatoes and pb&j's around here lately. You can imagine how excited I am to have finances worked out so that I can have a grocery budget again!

I love to cook, especially when I have time and an audience that allows me to cook a variey of items and enjoys them. I love to have people here to eat, and to share our home with them. I love to watch this family I am now a part of be a family again. I love to watch them talk and interact, to share, and to enjoy each other. Call it bribery, but I know if I say there is dinner night at Perry's Paradise...they will all come running and be in one house at the same time. So I do that as often as I can.

My new monthly budget is $500 a month, or $125 a week, however you want to look at it. That seems like a lot of money for groceries, until you figure that on any given day, there are 6 of us here that eat breakfast before starting our day. Kate takes her snacks to school from home, too. For lunch, I pack Piepie's, and that leaves Anna and Carter and I here for a meal. For supper, there is always at least 6 people here, if not, many more. Sooooo.....when you look at it that way....we consume a lot of food at this house, and $500 a month for all of that still requires strategic planning and smart shopping.

Never fear, friends...you know I love a challenge! I figure that I can make that $500 buy at least $1,000 of groceries if I plan, shop, cut coupons, and save. This month will not be one of those $1,000 months because I was out of EVERYTHING. All staples, things you can't get with coupons, and things you have to have to cook with, so I don't think I can make it stretch that far. I was highly disappointed with my $300 total last night, but I did save $450 when all was said and done...not bad, but not what I'm accustomed to either. Next month, though...ya better watch out! :) I have been shopping-deprived for a long time, and I plan on having a ball with the sale papers and the coupons.

I've got a few cookbooks I've been perusing. In my old life, I wasn't able to cook a lot because picky eaters abounded. In my new life, there's not much that I'm not able to sneak past them, at least once, if not again and again. Soooo....the joy of cooking is all new and fresh for me now. I'm looking at a lot of recipes that I'll be trying, and I'll keep you posted. On the top of my to-cook list, though, is a huge meat loaf....(thanks, Amber!!!). This is one of my Kevy's favorite meals, and his 16th birthday was this week, so we have a birthday meal in order. The meat loaf will be topped off with "Holy Cow" cake...his favorite, introduced to him by his Aunt Teresa. Beyond the meat loaf...I'll just be planning meals out of my cookbooks for a while. I was given two Paula Dean ones last year, and I plan to put them to good use. :)

So there you have it, friends....the reason it takes me 5 hours to do the grocery shopping (this is stopping at CVS, WalGreens, Kroger, and Publix, plus 1.5 hours of that is car time since we live in the boonies), how I shop (sort of, not in detail), and what goes on in a day in the life of the kitchen at Perry's Paradise. :)

Stay tuned for more from Honey's kitchen.....

Happy Friday!