Another day--another fifty cents!

I joined a freecycle group on yahoo. If a person needs something or wants to give away something....anything....for free...they post it on that messageboard. No trading, no bartering....everything has to be free....no strings attached.
I have some bikes I would like to get rid of. Then again....I thought about maybe fixing up my old mountain bike and giving it a whirl. Saves on gas, and good exercise. It's been way too long since I've used it. And it just sits out there. Needs a new seat, since the weather has gotten to the original one. I'd even put a basket on it if I end up keeping the bike. Hey... I'm at the stage in my life where I don't care if I look like a dorky old lady riding a bike with a basket on the front....I AM a dorky old lady! Too bad the kid doesn't know how to ride a bike...we could go toodling around town together. Yes...my baby doesn't know how to ride a bike! We've tried teaching her many times. She has a tiny bike and a 20" bike and neither have been really used. Yet, she can rollerblade! Now THAT I can't do! She hasn't rollerbladed for a few years either. Guess other interests took over.
We are on spring break as of yesterday. I won't go back to work until a week from this coming Tuesday. YAY! It's been cold and windy, but will be in 50s today, then will warm up maybe Tuesday...rest of next week should be very nice...We have had such bad luck with weather on spring breaks. Rainy, cold, dreary and sometimes snowy. Gotta get the ground all dried up, so I am ready to till and then plant. Went to the store yesterday and didn't see rosebushes and strawberry plants yet. Darn it! I know it's only March 14th...but I am chompin at the bit to get started on planting....and hopefully harvesting lots of goodies.
Got a project during break. Cleaning out the front enclosed porch. Lots of junk in there. Then I will get plants and pot them and put them on the ledges all around inside the porch. I want to get rid of so many things. Lots of stuff belongs to husband and to oldest son. Some things can be stored in the attic. I dread the mini fridge, as oldest son didn't clean it out and it has food still in it...from back in AUGUST! I would have him clean it out....since we had loaned it to him temporarily. And he had used it last. But haven't seen him in over a week. May not see him for quite a long time. *sigh* He is 31 years old now, after all. Turned 31 a week ago Sunday. Boy do I feel old. Sometimes a person can be in their 30s, and still not be a responsible adult. I know what I'm talking about. I was always an independent person. I HATED to have to depend on someone else. When I started dating my future second hubby, it was very hard for me to let him do things for and take care of me! It IS good to be independent and self-sufficient though. A person never knows when something could happen. If something happened to hubby and he was laid up, or he passed away, sure I would be upset, but I would keep on keeping on. Doing for myself and for him and our kid.
As it is right now, the company he works for is laying off another 100 people the 20th of this month! And it doesn't look good where I work either. I won't know until possibly July if I still have my job come August! That doesn't give me much time to be looking elsewhere...if I do lose my job.
Still saving money though. Rat-holing it for sure. Not investing it...just saving it.
Haven't been knitting for a while now. Need to get back into it. Heck, our family reunion is not that far off! Gotta knit up some stuff for the reunion raffle!
Got all kinds of ideas and plans for things I really need to get a jump on. Just gotta wait on some outside things...weather and all.
Well....that's all for now....my boring life!

First day of March

Well, I was told a week in advance, but my youngest son got married yesterday, on a mountain top, in Alaska. Yep, guess I'm a dreaded mother-law now. I figured he would call me, like he usually does when something happens, be it good or bad, or just because he wanted to touch base. But he didn't. That's okay. He has other things on his mind besides calling his mommy.
Husband and I judged a forensics tournament at our local high school. I really enjoyed it. But what a way to waste a Saturday...when I could've been reading and napping and doing laundry! I have decided that if they ask, I will volunteer my services again for forensics...but not for debate! I did that last semester and it was boring and a lot more technical. Yesterday I also got to judge in the finals. The kids were all very good. But, I had to rank them according to just how well they performed compared to each other.
It snowed all day, until we got home. The north wind was really blowing so it looked like the snow was coming down sideways. No accumulation though. And now it's 16 degrees! Brrrr! Looked at the forecast for this new week, and we will have some more warm days! back up in 70s! I think that's why the snow didn't stick...because the ground was too warm...we've had several warm days this winter.
I'm worried about my job, because of budget cuts. Big district wide meeting Tuesday, and it will be about budget cuts and what to expect. It's not a mandatory meeting, but I feel I need to be there to find out what's going on....to be in the know. Better to be prepared and braced for it in case I lose my job. Hubby worked only three day last week. So who knows what will happen with his job as well!
Hubby did get his big garden plot cleared and tilled this past week. I wish I had tilled mine with my handy dandy baby tiller. But I need to dig up and transplant my rose bushes and do something with the unwelcome lilac bush that he planted in one of my flower beds. AND need to transplant yucca plants and a few dwarf burning bushes. So I need to do that in another month or two. But I really need to be at least clearing the bed and planning on making another one or two and all will be for veggies. Yup....no flowers...just food. Gonna be harder this year I'm afraid. Even canned veggies are expensive now. Went to the store a few days ago and even the cheaper brands were almost a buck a can! And that's for green beans and corn and peas! Your basic canned veggies! I'm not planting corn...hubby might, but that takes up a lot of space. Maybe carrots. What I'm thinking is...carrots, onions, peppers, maters, cukes and MAYbe a few other things. Hubby bought seed taters to plant. He also ordered okra seeds. mmm okra. But thing is, I cannot eat fried okra. BUT, I can stir fry it in a pam-sprayed pan. Or put it in a veggie soup. mmmmm! Something I wouldn't mind trying to grow, is garlic. I mean, you plant a clove of it...how hard is that?
I had some that I hadn't used in cooking for awhile. I looked at it and it had started sprouting....like onions do if you don't use them soon after buying.
I think I would like that....garlic. LOVE using garlic! Might think about planting some herbs too. Never used fresh herbs before. Always from a can or plastic container in the spice section at the grocery store. If using fresh from the garden herbs is anything like having fresh out of the garden maters, BIG difference compared to storebought greenhouse stuff. Garden stuff has so much more flavor. Those sickly, pinkish things they label TOMATOES....well the texture AND the taste are NOT that of maters!
Now, things I should do today....laundry and knitting. I haven't knitted for awhile. And if I'm to keep my word to an aunt, I will have lots of dishcloths/washcloths to put in the raffle at the family reunion the last of May! Been saving all the change I have, and got hubby started with the saving too. That money will be used for gas to get there and back, and a motel room and any meals or other inexpensive things we may do while there. A few women get together and do all of the cooking. The raffle money from the year before pays for the groceries and the rent of the building for the whole weekend where we all gather. That means I will have to make sure I have some moola to buy chances on all of the beautiful things that each family makes. Can't wait! The downside....hubby will be driving. Scared to death of his driving! He's always come home without incident when he's driven places, but I'm just a WRECK when he's driving. Tends to think he's driving down a country road, when he's actually on a highway.....drives down the center of the road! Then he might be looking at a house or a pasture of cows and start driving off the road towards said house or cows! Yes, he's driven us into a ditch before, but somehow he's gotten us out of it. Scared the doo-doo outta ME! Ever since, if we go out of town and HE'S driving, I have my foot ready to stomp on the invisible brakes on the passenger side, and I am in a death grip with the arm rest and the "OH CRAP" handle. Our half breed weinie dog, Winnie, will travel with us. I'm sure our cats will fend for themselves just fine, although I will feel guilty for leaving them for a couple of days without food. They are good mousers though. And have caught rabbits and birds too. Just don't like the thought of them going through someone's garbage cans. And putting out enough cat food to last them for the weekend...well, we have a lot of stray tomcats that eat anything that is set outside. Heck, it's free meals for them! And that's not to mention the birds that love to swoop down and grab cat food too! We will figure out something. Gotta get back into contact with my dad's side of the family. There are some that I'm not as familiar with, but others that I have always been close to, but haven't seen in many years.
Oh...so many things on my mind...too early to be thinking yet. Couldn't sleep, so got up at 3am. Let the cats and dog out to do their bizness, and fixed my one cup of coffee allowed for the day. Since it will be a cold day, staying home and inside will be the order of the day. Except when I have to pick up daughter and a friend from play practice at the high school. Otherwise, I will be in hibernation....at least for the day. This Friday, no school. It will be the end of the third quarter. So my baby girl and I will enjoy the free day. It will be almost 80 degrees that day! But I'm sure we will still have lots more cold days before this season is all said and done.
Well, that's all I have to say for now.....well actually I could say more, but my fingers are tired now. heh!