2016 FOCUS Recap

Instead for 2016 I am simply going to be focused. 

Focused on:

ABUNDANCE - There is abundance on this earth and I am fortunate enough to share in that abundance.

I will not focus on what I do not have, I will focus on what I do HAVE. The rest will fall into place.  -This actually worked for me for 2016. That is not to say there weren't times that I worried that I wasn't going to make it (you know like when I had to throw away half of my belongings and move into a 11x20 room with my son, 3 cats and a dog in my parents basement), but when I stopped throwing myself a pity party and focused on the fact that I had a place to live (rent free) WITH my pets and my son until I could get back on my feet everything else fell into place. I found a house to own (owner is going to hold the mortgage), a job that is in my field of choice and helps me pay my bills, a new to me car (that is pretty sporty), and an offer to join a massage practice that is slammin.

ABILITY - I am an ably bodied person capable of doing and learning, failing my way to success. 

For too long the little voice inside my head has said I cannot. And the support outside my head said YOU cannot and you DO NOT. No more. The voice in my head will be retrained to say I can try. I can try and try again. Sure there are some things that I will not conquer, but there is nothing that I cannot give a fair try and if it comes out a complete disaster, at least I can say I tried. - So I am still working on this one. I often doubt myself, but I am learning to say "I haven't yet learned how to do "X"' or "Failure is simply a step along my path. 

FREEDOM - I am free from all constraints, the Universe is my home and my guide. 

I will no longer seek anyone's approval or permission for my life. I will live the life that flutters in my dreams and that lingers on my mind. I will be the source of my own happiness. -This one was actually the easiest. I did not celebrate Thanksgiving this year, because I did not want to. I simply don't feel obligated to celebrate a holiday that is the epitome of the failure of the American History system. I stayed home, made myself a delish meal and enjoyed every moment of my intentional solitude. 

HAPPINESS - I am in complete control of my own happiness. 

These are the focus for my 2016. They are achievable, but will not be satisfied by January 30th. Only on the last day of the year can I look back and honestly evaluate if I was resolved in my focus or if I let myself lose yet another year of my life. Again, there were many (MANY) moments where I let outside influences effect my happiness, but it was only for a short time before I reminded myself that no one else has the power to control my happiness. While I cannot control the things that happen in my life, I always have a CHOICE in how I respond to what happens in my life. Is the glass half empty? Is the glass half full? Does it even matter? Shouldn't I just be grateful I have a glass and there is something in it?

So here is to the coming year and wondering where my 2017 focus will take me. 

Another Attempt? One Last Shot? Is it Worth It?

My life for 2016 was a virtual roller coaster ride. There were ups, there were downs and there were many stomach turning loop de loops. But as 2016 draws to a close and 2017 approaches I am ready to say good-bye to 2016 and hello to 2017. With that in mind I thought I might give this blog one more shot. I know Lulu is busy (she is in aesthetics school, finishing her Black Belt training, training for a title fight series in 2017 and getting ready to be a real adult) so I don't know that she'll contribute often (or at all). Regardless, I want to keep going with this blog. I enjoy blogging, whether I have readers or not. I am hopeful that as she moves a little over an hour a way from me and starts living her life, this blog might be a regular connection for her and I.

As I mentioned 2016 was a roller coaster of events and emotions, and while I am ready to close the book on this chapter and am eager to turn the page on my newest chapter, I am also very grateful for all the lessons I learned in 2016, all the experiences and all the memories with family and friends. 

I will be posting my 2017 Goals and Plan to make a Vision Board to share here. This will be my accountability page. Before that I found an old post recapping my 2015 goals, so I will be editing that and posting it in the next few days. I will also check to see if I posted any 2016 Goals and recap those as well. Hope that 2016 treated you well and if it didn't you are ready to grab the bull by the horns and start 2017 on a positive note. 

A New Dawn, A New Day, A New Journey

My life these past 15 months have been a whirlwind. Every time I thought I was out of the tunnel and that there was a light, it turned out to be an oncoming train and I had to duck into a new path along the tunnel and once again grope my way through the darkness waiting for the light at the end. 

There have been many good times, but much more stress. I have given up eating well. It is difficult to eat well when you have limited funds, and more so when you don't know where your next meal is coming from. Many times I have sought comfort in cheap junk food from the Family dollar. I am once again at my all time heaviest weight. I am once again lost in sadness and despair. Once again my joints crackle as I move and I am exhausted. Not the kind of tired that if I could just get a good nights sleep I would wake feeling refreshed and ready to face my foes. Instead, the kind of exhausted that you wonder if when you lay down to sleep if you might just never wake again. The kind of exhausted that has you frightened to drive long distances. My allergies are OUT OF CONTROL. Because I cleaned up my eating once before I know the profound impact this has on my allergies, my fatigue and my mood. 

Tomorrow I head out to Greenlakes with my parents, Sam and Ruffalo. While I have no control over the menu or the foods available I am recommitting to eating well and taking care of me. I will go ALL weekend without an electronic. I will hopefully have enough time to reset my sleep schedule. I will eat only whole foods and I will walk, meditate and reconnect with my inner self. 

Money Management Monday - Accidental Participation in Counterfeitting

So last weekend I was in Baldwinsville for Lulu's second fight (spoiler alert - she won!) and while we were there we hit up the Regional Market in Syracuse. We have been to the Regional Market a number of times and next to the Rochester Public Market it is one of my favorite markets.  Now I had intended to stop at my bank before leaving ROC to break a $100 bill. I did not. 

When we arrived at the Market I asked one of the larger vendors (bigger space, lots of product) if he was able to break a $100 in order for us to purchase Red Jacket Juice (a favorite of ours). He stated eagerly that he could. So we purchased our juices and he gave me 4 $20 bills. Now me being me I didn't even look at the $20 bills. Instead we continued our shopping. Some Fudge, some Coconut Brittle (dipped in dark chocolate), a Blue Pot for Sampson's succulent, several gluten free goodies from a lovely local vendor and a few other things (about $60 worth total). 

Back at our hotel I headed over to the local Kinneys to pickup a few things (Plantain Chips) and the cashier had a funny look when she saw my $20. She marked it and then she looked worried. She informed me quite regretfully and apologetically that I had a counterfeit $20. She showed it to me and I said I don't know what the pen is supposed to look like. I was shocked. As the shock wore off I could see the color was not quite right (close) and the margins were wrong. This was clearly a fake. 

She had to call her manager up and he took the twenty, my name and number and asked me if I knew where I had gotten the 20 from. I was a little upset that I was out 20 bucks with NO RECOURSE, but VERY upset that I may have passed fake 20s to a few small businesses at the Regional Market. Small businesses that a $20 loss is a big deal to. 

The lesson to me was not to take $100 bills anywhere but the bank to break them, but also that I am fortunate enough to be able to withstand a 20 loss. 

I began to feel that familiar panic as the weekend wore on and my cash began to dwindle, but when I returned home I found that my money was exactly where it should be. Once again I had to remind myself of the paragraph in Sheila Kennedy's book Choices to Change about looking at money from a mindset of ABUNDANCE and not from a point of LACK. This will take time, but as I find myself panicking about these things I remind myself that I am supported by the Universe and that this is a Universe of plenty and abundance. 

When I let go and allow the Universe to support me the right people come into my life at the right times and I am fully supported. 

Thankful Thursdays - SOUR

SOUR

That is the word I would use to describe my general mood and tone lately. What does that have to do with Thankful Thursdays? EVERYTHING!

The truth is I have been struggling, regularly and a LOT lately. I have been discontented with my apartment (as it is it does not BEST SERVE ME), I have been discontented with my lack of car, and I have been discontented with the lack of movement on my divorce case. All this discontentment has served to do is to breed more discontentment and to steal my time. While I will not get my time BACK, I can prevent the LOSS of more time. 

I took a video of my apartment using my Kindle Fire - but alas I cannot figure out how to move the video from the Fire to a source I can use for this blog. At any rate my apartment is out of control. It is a disaster and is it a mess. It has gotten to this point because I gave up hope, I believed that I was entitled to MORE to BETTER (and I am), but that doesn't mean I cannot have GRATITUDE for what is here. 

I picked up Sheila Kennedy's Choices to Changes and started reading (I like to read self-help books in spurts, somehow I just always know when to pick it up again). I was reading a section about Attention to Money breeds abundance. At first the passage struck me as false. The passage talks about changing the way you look at money and instead of saying I cannot afford that say I am choosing not to spend my money on that at this time. 

My first thought was negative, I don't choose not to spend my money on this at this time, I don't have the money to spend. But as I turned it over in my mind I realized I do have a choice. I choose to pay my rent, I choose to pay my RG&E and I choose not to attempt to put myself further into debt. I could always take the funds from another source but I choose not too. And certainly there have been times when I have not had the money to take from other sources, but in those times I chose to sell items I no longer loved, needed or that served me. I chose to find alternate options to pay the unavoidable bills. 

My instinct was to push the idea away as false, because I currently fall into the lack breeds lack category. When I let go and trust, I find time and time again abundance. When I let go and trust that I will succeed I cross paths with the people who I need in my life at that moment. So why is it so hard to let go and trust my living accommodations? 

Yes, I am grateful to have a Landlord who cares about building community MORE than building profits. Yes, I am grateful to have a Landlord who did not evict me when I could not pay my December rent in full, or any of my January rent. No this apartment isn't my dream apartment and someday I'll live in a Loft or a Studio or a 1 Bedroom in the heart of a vibrant city (but maybe that city isn't the one I am in right now) and maybe now isn't the time or that dream. 

What I can do is CHOOSE how I look and treat the space I am in right now. I am CHOOSING to make changes. I am choosing to let go of ALL the items that no longer serve me. I am choosing to make improvements to this apartment so that it better serves my needs and desires. I am choosing to LOVE this place while it is my HOME.

Hopefully, I'll be editing this post in the near future to add the intended video

Time Management Tuesday - The Time Journal, The Bifurcated Day and Not Enough Time

Have you ever uttered "I just don't have enough time" or a similar phrase. I know I have and recently I have been hearing very similar phrases from Lu. Why is it that some people are able to manage better with the same 24 hour day?

We are all given the same 24 hour day. I think those who do not feel "too busy" or "overwhelmed" with tasks have simply done a better job of prioritizing. Instead of saying I am too busy they say I am choosing not to make this a priority right now. Or they are saying I have chosen to make this a priority because it is important to ME so I am deciding that these other tasks are not a priority and can wait. 

Now I empathize with Lu that she is stuck in school 8 hours a day (some days she only has 1 hour of instruction), and this is something she cannot choose away. But how can she and I better use our time? 

I cannot find the answer for her, but I can find the answer for me. I think the key is to begin by understanding where my time is going. It is the advice given when people want to take control of their diets or their budgets so why not apply it to time. I will be starting, and sharing a time journal. Now it won't be as cool as Dr. River Song's Tardis Journal, it will be simpler. For one month I will track my time. Who knows maybe by just being more aware of where my time is going I will find more time to do the things I want.

I currently live with a bifurcated day. Mondays and Wednesdays my productive day ends at 5pm when I have to get ready to take Lu to Bville. It is a 1.5 hour drive each way and she has core class (1 hour) and then fight training (1+ hour). I leave between 5:00 and 5:15 and I return home around 10:30. That is 5.5 hours of my 24 hour day I DO NOT have control over. I spend most of the time sitting. I can start bringing reading material with me and maybe walking the canal path instead of sitting in a diner for dinner and then sitting in the dojo watching her. She doesn't like when I watch her, she gets upset with me. 

If at the end of my Month I still do not have enough time, I have to start evaluating what is important to me, and what can I let go of so that I can have enough time. 

How about you? What are your secrets to good time management?

Monday Money Matters - Abandoning the Side Hustle

Many blogs, pins and posts tell you that if you need to achieve financial freedom you need to reduce your expenses. Once you have cut your expenses to the bone what else can you do? You can increase your income. Now if you don't have time for a traditional second job then what about a side hustle? Well Home Party Plans and  MLM company reps make promises about full time income with just part time hours.... what was that my Momma always used to say If it sounds to good to be true..... or was it Tigger who said TANSTAFL ~ The ain't no such thing as a free lunch.....

There is money to be made in Party Plan businesses and MLM, but it is certainly not full time income for part time hours (for the majority of people). There are a select few who build strong teams or host large and successful parties for full time pay with part time hours. The truth is that MOST people will put in full time hours for part time (or less pay). These companies make the majority of their INCOME on the representatives (aka Sales Reps, Independent Consultants, Territory Reps, Recruiters, Managers, Leads, etc.).

I LOVE Lemongrass Spa Products and once upon a time I was an Independent Consultant with them. I stepped away because I had reservations about my ability to sell their products unsupported by my spouse. As a separated and independent woman I started thinking about my income opportunities and just as that happened the Universe set Lemongrass Spa once again in my path.

It seemed the perfect fit, with a number of products that I could use in my practice and sell without selling. I held a party of my own - with minimal turn out. Friends helped me earn some off my kit but in the end I spent roughly $150 for "$400" worth of product and business materials. I still love the product and intend to remain a representative as long as I have active orders, but without spending MORE money I cannot get started.

Here is what came in my kit:

1 Ultimate Face Kit - for Normal to Dry Skin ~ Something on Lulu's wish list and that she is currently using and LOVING so I'll use my discount to continue getting her replacements as needed. (Ideally I'll use the discount to get Sam the Oil Skin kit for him to use).

1 Foot Kit - Peppermint ~ Now my personal feeling is that since the company offers two kits both should be in the starter kit (but this is how they make money) and if they are only going to offer one it should be the Cucumber Kit BECAUSE Peppermint is NOT RECOMMENDED for PREGNANT and NURSING WOMEN so before offering the Foot Soak and Balm to women a consultant ideally warns them that it is not recommended for Pregnant and Nursing women. Now if a guest at a party is pregnant but has not told her friends I put her in the uncomfortable position of abstaining from a foot soak and people asking "WHY" OR risking the undesired effects of peppermint during pregnancy.... NEITHER IS A GOOD SITUATION. So a consultant would ideally purchase the cucumber melon foot kit ~ Retail $39. ADDITIONALLY in order to do ANY Foot Soaks at a SPA PARTY I'd need 6+ Dish Tubs (min $1/each), and 6+ towels for women to dry their feet on.

2 Body Scrubs - Pomegranate and Lavender. This is GREAT because one is Sugar Based and the other is Salt Based. It is nice to have both options available. ~ Issue for me, the Pomegranate contains Mango Butter - I am allergic to Mango Butter. I contacted HO to find out if I could get a listing of ALL products containing Mango and was told no, I'd have to search that myself. I don't have that kind of time.

1 Pre-biotic Citrus/Tea Tree Oil Hand Soap ~ This is the first step in the hand spa at a home party. Wash with soap, slough with Body Polish, and finish with lotion.  I would have preferred the Foaming Hand Soap as individuals with Shell Fish Allergies MAY not be able to use pre-biotic hand soap.

1 of each Scent Lotion in the Travel Size Lotion Bottle ~ Again this is awesome and allows us to complete the hand spa while exposing guests to every scent we carry.

1 Travel Size Hair Spray

1 Organic Nail Balm

1 Healing Elements Balm (the BIG SIZE) This is AWESOME

1 Tea Tree Citrus Face and Body Bar Soap

1 Milk & Honey Bar Soap

1 Peppermint Melting Massage Lotion Bar in tin

1 Organic Anti Aging Oil Serum

1 Lip Balm

1 Full Size Baby Lotion in a pump bottle

some trial size sunscreen and lotion

Catalogs

Order Forms

Bags

There may have been other things that I am forgetting but I am NOT willing to get up and look.

The kit was WELL worth the investment, but to do the "traditional" spa party I would need to invest additional dollars.

To use the kit as is and do a Home Party with no additional investment (no foot tubs, towels or cucumber foot spa kit) would simply be an infomercial with the ability to do a hand spa and smell all the lotions. It is doable, but NOT my ideal.

Add to that that HALF of my products were manufactured in December 2015 and have either a 6 month or 1 year shelf life (that means that when my kit was shipped mid-march half my products were already either halfway or 1/4 of the way through their shelf life). This means to me LG is getting to big for its purpose.

Add to that the many WONDERFUL LOCAL artisans like Flint River Soaps, Soap Estella and On Hand Lotions that MAKE many of the same products.

Add to that my DESIRE to support LOCAL and to do what is best for my clients and I would rather make my own Sugar/Salt Scrubs and share the recipe, make my own whipped body butters, make my own lotion bars, and direct people to local options for what is available.

I will remain a consultant (so long as the company allows me too) and use my discount to purchase products not available locally or to share products not available locally with my clients. I doubt that I will host any in home demonstrations and I certainly do not have any additional funds to invest in having home spa parties (and let us not forget that I don't have a vehicle to get to said home party/demonstrations).......... BUT for now I am giving this up as a side hustle.

Time Management Tuesday - Tackling the Clutter

Right now, I lack the energy to complete many tasks. I have the will but I lack the sufficient drive. I know that part of that is my eating habits. I have fallen so far from the path I was on.  It is time for me to admit that I suffer from debilitating fatigue. I do not know the cause of my fatigue, almost 10 years ago when my fatigue was frightening (I felt like I was falling asleep at the wheel, I would arrive places and not recall getting there at all) I went to see a doctor. She prescribed me sleeping pills and said I probably just needed a reset. I read the package insert for the sleeping pills and as I had small children who I was solely responsible for (he claimed he was such a deep sleeper he didn't hear them), I opted not to take the pills.

At my next visit with her I let her know that I wasn't comfortable taking the pills and would rather know the root cause of my fatigue. This was in MANY ways the start of my self lead journey to a more holistic life. She had no answers for me (not even a recommendation for a sleep study).

Each year for three years, when it seemed as if I became any more tired I would fall asleep and NEVER WAKE UP, I would make an appointment with this same doctor hoping for a different outcome. This was a regular thought and even though I suspected it was just my anxiety, those of you with anxiety will know that even though you know the thought to be irrational you are still held prisoner to the thought. This doctor never really helped me and further cemented my distrust of doctors in general.

Fatigue has it has been a factor for as long as I can remember, although it has never been as severe as it is now. When I was younger, I attributed it to working (2 or 3 odd jobs), advanced schooling, being an active athlete and still attempting to have a social life. I would typically barely get through my week to crash all day Sunday. This worked for middle and high school. Then I noticed I started crashing for whole weekends, and the crash invaded my weeks as well.

I sometimes find it difficult to do ANYTHING. I cannot really describe it, and I have been told by many people (including my ex) that I am just lazy and am choosing not to do anything. Those with true fatigue understand, those without can only guess. There are days when it takes all the energy I have to sit in a chair and breath.

There are days when breathing feels like I am underwater breathing through a tiny pinched straw.

The times I have had the least fatigue are the times I was using holistic methods (clean diet, daily activity and herbs and oils), so that is what I need to get back to. Even with that if I overdid my activity level I paid the price. I need to find a balance between fatigue and daily routine. I need to get my laundry caught up and stay caught up. I need to wash dishes and keep up with them. I need to clean the cat box 2-3 times daily. I need to sweep the floors daily and clean and organize this house.

Does anyone else feel like a gerbil in the wheel just battling not to tumble head over heels as the wheel spins on out of control?

Wednesday Wellness - Overwhelming Fatigue

I have for most of my life suffered from overwhelming fatigue. I could sleep all day long and not feel rested, well or ready to go. My parents even tell anyone who they knew I was such a great child, because I was always falling asleep right after dinner, never missed a nap..... everything about my childhood points to a fatigue issue. That isn't to say I didn't play, I did, but I also napped several times a day. I can't help but fall asleep in the car (unless I am driving) and even when a good movie was on tv and we were allowed to stay up and watch I always fell asleep in the middle. 

I had planned on Spring Cleaning this past week, but I didn't and I won't allow myself to feel bad about that. I didn't have the energy to do the Spring cleaning. I had the desire but not the energy. While I have never truly felt energized, I feel better when I eat well. 

Eating well is a challenge when one is on a small budget. It is difficult to make sure the kids have enough to feel full AND that it is food they like AND that I can afford. I received $363 per month to feed 3 people 3 meals a day 3 days a week and 2 people 3 meals a day the other 4 days a week (3-4 days a week Lu goes to her father's and he feeds her, although she often would make smoothies here to take with her). Even with the Bonus Coupons for using my EBT at the Public Market it wasn't enough.  

I received food stamps from May 2015 through March 2016, and am no longer eligible because Monroe County, the State of New York and the Federal Government all feel that I should be receiving some form of child support, so until I have a decree giving me child support or denying me child support I am NO LONGER ELIGIBLE for assistance. 

At any rate I am currently able to budget $100 per week to feed my family. Again this is NOT a lot of money to feed all of us. Limitations like this are the reason that families fall into bad habits of boxed mac n cheese, hot dogs, grilled cheese/pbj sandwiches and chips. So my dilemma for the next few months is to figure out how to eat well and eat well for less. I WILL NOT compromise and buy inferior quality foods. I would love to try a Ketogenic Diet but healthy fat sources are expensive and I don't believe I can do it. Lu is currently doing Keto and it is costly.  Instead I'll simply do my best to increase my healthy fat intake, decrease my carbs (focusing on grain carbs, and processed carbs), and increase protein. 

My sleep is also currently an issue. It could be that I don't have a comfortable bed to sleep in, or that I am stressed about money, or that I have some long term autoimmune issue that has never been diagnosed (because I don't have the time or the money to have such things investigated), it could be my lack of activity, my poor diet, lack of sufficient water OR ALL OF THE ABOVE. Right now I have to do what I can to focus on improving my health. That means more daily walks (free), eating as best as I can with my budget constraints, and trying to let go of the stress. Stressing over my lack of funds will not change my lack of funds.

I'd love to try Chiropractic Care and Acupuncture but right now (financially) those are luxuries. 

One step forward, One Day at a time, one small change.....

Money Matters Monday - The Side Hustle

Most of the get out of debt, secure financial freedom, make money in your free time.... blogs/post and articles all talk about some sort of side hustle. 

Of course there is the time honored second job. A second job just isn't feasible for me. I am trying to build my business and I need to devote myself to that business 100%. I cannot do that if I am working a part time job somewhere else. I also did not have any luck in securing a part time job (every place felt I was over qualified). 

Why is being overqualified a drawback? The answer is simple economics. It costs money to train a new employee and every time an employee leaves it costs money. Now an overqualified candidate can promise to stay on for a certain period of time (2-3 years) but in New York this is an at will state, so either party can terminate a contract at any time. Time was that when an individual gave their word it was good, but these days people have all sorts of excuses for breaking their word. Some suggest that overqualified candidates dummy down their resumes. The problem with this is that a candidate may need to carry skills from a position that are now eliminating or in my case it would leave a 12 year gap on their resume. 

Additionally, I no longer own a car and the RGRTA bus system is at its all time most unusable. I used to love taking the bus to/from work when I worked downtown. Now if I worked downtown I would consider driving and paying for parking because I would be walking from the NEW transit center to my office and I could get soaked in the time that would take (even with an umbrella). Used to be I could also grab a bus from the SE city to Greece or Webster (never had any luck trying to get to say Pittsford) but NOW one has to take the bus to the transit center. By the way, any of those buses I have to walk 1 mile pay $1 to ride .5 miles to the transit center and then take on most occasions 2 additional to within 2-3 miles of my destination. For the last 4 places I needed to go it was time (and money) better spent simply walking the 3.5 miles to and from. If I had taken the bus it would have cost me $4 round trip and I would have walked the first mile and the last mile and a half each way.  

So the side hustle it is. Typical side hustles include Party Plan Companies, Direct Sales, Multi-Level Marketing, or selling online (stuff you make or stuff you own).

I have had many experiences with Party Plan Companies, Direct Sales and Multi-Level Marketing and I have NEVER made any money with those. The truth is there are people making good money with those. They are TYPICALLY individuals who have money to spend ($2-$3k in the first year) to BUILD that business the same way you would build a business of your own. My issue with those plans is that I don't have that kind of money to spend AND I don't have transportation to go hold parties. Now consultants will tell you, you can be successful without having a car. I listened to a woman who has never held a live party but has a team of 300 under her. She simply shares her love of the product with everyone she meets. They take a sample, fall in love and order (or sign as a consultant). The minimum monthly order is $25 to be "active" and she orders that for herself, family and friends. The truth is SHE IS AN ACCEPT ION, NOT THE RULE. The truth is there is money to be made in those companies for those willing to work hard enough to earn it. The individuals making good money might tell you they are only "working 2-3 nights a week", but what they mean by "working" is hosting parties. They aren't telling you about all the time they spend talking to people, making follow-up phone calls, mailing information.... working a real business close to full time (and for some full time plus). The BENEFIT is they choose the hours they want to work. 

Selling stuff I own online. Sorry I am not an online person and I won't sign a PayPal agreement so most online auctions are out for me. Also I don't own valuable stuff. I have been selling items through Facebook Auction pages, but alas it is a lot of work for NOT a lot of money. Most of my big ticket items are gone. Everything else I'll be lucky to get $.25-$1 for. These are the kinds of items meant for a garage sale. 

A Garage Sale has been a key part of my budget since I had kids. I used to make enough money selling the stuff they had outgrown or didn't use to pay for all the fun Summer Stuff we did and Back to School Clothes. But as kids become tweens and teens they don't outgrow as much, and stuff is pretty specific to their tastes. I still have a garage sale or two each summer, but the yields have gone under $200 per sale. Which if you consider the 2 8-10 hour days worked for that money it isn't much (and that doesn't include all the time before the sale sorting, cleaning and tagging), but I continued to do garage sales because it helped me clean out the clutter. 

The problem I face now is that I no longer have a driveway or an ideal spot for a garage sale. So I have to cart my stuff to my Mom's (which means I can't sell half the stuff I want to get rid of because the believes she gave it to me, or decides she wants to keep it - and then a couple of months down the road gives it back to me as a "family heirloom" forgetting that she got it from me in the first place).  I also don't have my own car so I have to get a ride and pack my stuff the day of the sale (limiting what I can take - and exhausting me before the day has begun). I have a friend who regularly holds a sale at her place (and used to join me for a sale at my place) but again I have to borrow a car and load it up to drag stuff out there. I do it, because it is an opportunity to go and hang out while maybe getting rid of some junk and making pizza money. 

Regardless I am going to join my mother when she has her garage sale and I'll just bring the stuff I know I can sell there. Then I'll join Susan for hers, and I'll even try to have one on my very limited little lawn out front. 

In the meantime I am going to try to list everything I can on the Facebook Auction Page between now and then. 

The last side hustle is to sell something you make, but I am just not that talented. I have often daydreamed that I could refinish furniture and sell it, but I have never even attempted to refinish something. I have daydreamed that I could sew doll clothes, but anyone who knows me knows I don't sew (at least not well). I once dreamed of starting a scrapbooking business where I made albums that people could just slap pictures into, but I don't have the space to dedicate to what is a dying industry - most people have gone digital.

So the truth is that my best venture is my business venture and I am better to spend my time, effort and money in growing that. 

One Year - 366 Days

One year ago today, despite my fear of change, I made a major change in my life. 366 days ago I ended my marriage and struck out in an apartment all on my own. You see, with the exception of my freshman year of college, I never really lived on my own. And freshman year really doesn't count does it? There were no bills to pay, just a tiny one room and bathroom to keep clean. 

After my Freshman year I got an apartment with my husband (then Fiance), a year later we moved into his mother's condo (which she never really moved out of) and a year after that we bought our house.  

I lived in that house for almost 15 years. It was, when I bought it a dream of mine. I could see how it would fix up nicely. I could see the new custom kitchen, the bathroom with jacuzzi tub, the cleaned up and usable basement, restored trim and a lovely yard with front and back gardens. We even had roughly $7k to get started on renovations. Unfortunately, that $7k was used almost exclusively to "renovate" the attic into a Man Cave. 

The work was me and my Dad alone, and I had to scrimp and save to buy $200 worth of materials every 6 months or so, OR use my birthday gifts and "share" of the tax return to buy materials. We (I) picked out colors, he said he didn't care, then he went out to get the colors and bought a 5 gallon pail of tan instead because it was cheaper. And that was the beginning of the death of my dreams. 

At every turn he would agree to my design plans and then he would go with the cheapest possible option. Projects went incomplete, because it was dependent on me taking care of 2 children 24/7 and using my weekends with my Dad (who worked full time +) to complete project after project. Then when I went back to work I was to use my weekends and time off to finish repairs. I was still responsible for the kids when I wasn't at work. 

I had lost most of my friends. I could rarely go out, because I always had to bring the children with me, drop them off at my parents (which was usually 30 minutes out of the way from where I was headed) or hire a babysitter to watch them at the house. Surprisingly, no one would come watch my kids at the house while there father hid out in the attic. 

At one point, desperate or adult interaction I started hosting dinner parties. I have so many GREAT memories of those dinner parties. Beth, Chris, Josh, Todd, Sarah, Matt, Matt, Jenn, Tom and even people that would be brought by other attendees. We made many fun dinners (everyone brought a dish, and everyone took a turn at cooking). After dinner we played board games, cards, watched movies and on occasion just had great conversation. Those became awkward as he would come down grab a plate and retreat to the attic. People began to feel as though they were invading his domain. The company became sparse and then stopped all together. 

I tried my hand at several direct sales businesses (to bring in extra cash), but never made ANY money and incurred quite a bit of debt. In the early days I would drop the kids off at my Mom's in the later days I was able to bring them with me. 

I tried to find coffee clubs, community organizations, but could never quite find anything that I could consistently attend. 

I was lonely. I should not have been lonely, after all I was "happily" married (or so I would tell everyone I met).

Then something amazing happened. The stress of trying to do it all started to get to me, and I was cracking. I was not able to do my job, and to keep my boss happy. She fired me. I applied for unemployment and began my job search. He was also supposed to start a job search (he did not). There were few jobs and all for less then half my last salary. I applied for them anyways. I was turned down as to qualified and likely to keep looking and move on. 

Onondaga School of Therapeutic Massage was across the street from Rochester Works (where I was mandated to report for workshops and open interviews in order to receive my unemployment).  I had wanted to go to massage school for a while. I had thought about attending their evening program (18 months) after my youngest graduated high school. I had looked into the program some years back. 

After a particularly time wasting workshop on how to write a resume (a copy of which was laughed at by 3 head hunters as the MOST unprofessional resume they had ever seen, but submitted as required for my unemployment) I stopped in to OSTM to see what options I might have. After doing my research I informed the ex that I would not get ANY funding for retraining, but I could apply for permission to retrain while collecting my unemployment. I also informed him that my benefits would possibly run out in the midst of my program. He agreed and thought it was a good idea. The week I began my program all extensions to unemployment were cancelled. 

While in massage school an instructor said something like: Many people come to massage school to help other people and learn that they are really there to help themselves. Several times at Massage School I was brought to tears. I met wonderful people (my 6 month program buddies, and so many people in the 12 month program - we did Sciences together).  I learned just how alone I felt, how unsupported I felt and how unhappy I was in my marriage.

 Several other things happened between my graduating massage school and my decision to rent my own apartment, but ALL of them had me feeling like I was alone in my marriage and the ONLY value I had to my ex was my ability to pay the bills and take care of the children. 

I evaluated, I even changed my mind (only to come face to face with how alone I was again), I was scared. 

What if I couldn't make it on my own?

What if I couldn't take care of my children?

What if I failed at my business?

What if I failed my Boards?

What if....?

I couldn't make it as part of the marriage. I had incurred $30k in credit card debts waiting for my ex to grow up and significantly contribute to our lives. I didn't take elaborate vacations (or really many vacations of any sort - except those my mother took me and the kids on and paid for), I didn't buy clothes (for me, I did buy the kids clothes and shoes), I didn't buy jewelry. I DID try to start several businesses to make 2 full time salaries (my full time salary for my day job and a full time salary (as promised by ALL direct sales/MLM companies) in a few hours, a few days a week). 

I couldn't take care of my children as part of the marriage. I was teaching them marriage was about two unhappy adults, one adult who does everything and the other adult who does what they want to do. I couldn't provide for them, consistently I was relying on credit cards, gifts of money, and my share of the tax return to pay bills, buy necessities and give them birthday/Christmas gifts. 

I couldn't run my own business while in the marriage. ALL of my failed Direct Sales attempts showed that. 

I passed my Boards. 

A year later, I realize how much damage I took to my self esteem, and confidence levels. 

A year later, I have been on welfare (SNAP - which ends officially this month, 10 months after being approved). I nearly lost my home (I still owe my landlord 1.5 months of rent). I don't have a car. I am living off my tax return and waiting for my divorce to be final.  

I am still angry, I am still sad, I still do not want to be friends with my ex, I have lost friends who I didn't think I would lose.

I do know that he is not the bad guy. I am not the bad guy. We just had different views of what a marriage was and what OUR marriage should be. We had different views of what it meant (means) to be a parent and how to raise our children. 

Maybe some day we will be friends, and maybe not. 366 days is a long time, but it is also a short time. 1 year on my own, learning who I am and what I want from life. I spent nearly 19 years trying to be something for someone else. Maybe if I had known who I was 19 years ago this would be a different story. 

Happy Easter!

It is Easter and I am sitting here waiting for the kids to come home.  Last Easter I was just starting out on starting over. It is not quite a year, I have two more days to go. 

One of the things I previously mentioned was being prepared for Christmas, but it is not enough to just be prepared for Christmas. I like the Holidays, all the Holidays, even the Hallmark Holidays. Now if the only time to you show someone that they are important to you is the Holidays, then it probably isn't enough. The Holidays remind us to show people what they truly mean to us. We live in a consumer society and that means spending money on people to show them how much they mean to us. 

This can be a bit of a gerbil wheel. Always running behind, running around last minute to TRY to catch up, never quite getting caught up. Running just fast enough to not tumble and fall.

That is how I always feel. Something I am choosing to work on going forward is looking ahead. For example what is coming up in April?

Well there is April Fool's Day, Lulu's 18th Birthday, hopefully her next fight..... 

Typically on photo holidays (you know the ones you like to take photos throughout the days events; unwrapping presents on Christmas, egg/basket hunts, birthday candles....) I run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to clean everything up to make it LOOK like I am always neat and clean. The truth is I am NOT. 

Originally, I planned on spending yesterday (a day alone) cleaning, cleaning and cleaning some more. The problem was that I didn't want things to appear clean, I want them to truly BE clean. No more half hearted jobs, that make more work for me in the end. 

Later today the kids will call and tell me that they are walking over from their Dad's, I will hide eggs, and I will take photos unashamed of how my HOME looks. Then we will call my mother and she will pick us up for dinner at her house. Nothing special some pork tenderloin, stuffed mushrooms and veggies. On the way home I am going to have her stop at Wegmans so I can pick up Borax and Washing Soda. Borax is a natural deodorant and really helps get cat pee odors out of laundry. Besides that the two are powerhouse cleaning agents. 

The rest of this week will be spent starting my SPRING CLEANING. I won't be done in a week, I don't know when I will be done, but I'll know I'm done when my house is clean. I don't think clutter is a bad thing, but I need to tackle the dust and animal fur that has taken over my home. While I am at it, I am going to begin on some of the improvements to the apartment. 

I have not given up my search for my ideal space, but while I am here, I am going to make this the BEST place for ME to live. I do plan to chronicle my progress and who knows maybe I'll have a nack for flipping apartments.

How are YOU spending your Easter Sunday? Do you know the history of Easter and the Easter Egg? 

However, you are spending your day I hope it is with Love, Laughter, Family and Joy!
  

Frugal Fridays

More food waste in my home, food waste is financially killing me. Since my last food waste update I have thrown out:

Grapes - like two pint baskets worth. Sam and I went to the market on Thursday of last week and we picked up a few things. Grapes were one of them. I have noticed the last few times I have purchased grapes I have thrown them out. I wonder if it because they are not in season and the flavor or texture is lacking. Going forward I will purchase smaller amounts of grapes (that are local and in season) and make sure to use them up before they go bad. 

Hubbard Squash - I went all season and didn't see a single Hubbard squash which Lu and I love (Sam is not a fan) and then finally one weekend (well out of season) I found one. It was huge. I never got around to cooking it. Sadly it started to mold. I tossed the remains in the side garden (next to the house foundation) and now all I can hope is that the seeds fruit.

Cantaloupe - Sam really prefers Honeydew to Cantaloupe. The watermelon we managed to eat but it was pretty lack luster flavor wise. One of the cantaloupes was eaten the other went bad. 

Right now I have a bunch of broccoli to save. I think I will blanch it all today and freeze it for future use.  There are Asian Pears (some will need to be thrown away) that I need to chop and freeze (could be good in Kale Ale Smoothies, or in my trials to make the puff pancake I am sharing). The apples look good and there is a knob of ginger that is wrinkling, so maybe I'll make some Ginger Lemon-aid that I saw on Facebook.

Speaking of Facebook I often see videos for foods in my feed and I think I wonder if I can make that Gluten Free and then Lu safe. Usually I make a comment or like them thinking I can find them again later (but usually cannot). I am going to try pinning them instead. 

So I watched this video and decided I wanted to make this Gluten Free. Two reasons I have left over GF Pancake Mix that neither Sam or I particularly enjoy. It is grainy. So I figured worse case scenario was that I wasted the ingredients to the dish. Knowing that a Dutch Baby is a light and fluffy pancake I decided to make the dough thinner than the directions called for. 

Since I was using a small cast iron skillet I used 1/2 an Asian pear (because they are getting soft), I cooked it in a pat of organic butter and made used a drizzle of honey and spoon of coconut sugar. Then when the pear was caramelized I DID NOT remove it from the pan and wipe the pan down. Instead I just added coconut oil to the pan and while that melted I turned on my oven and mixed my batter. I can't tell you what brand the GF Pancake mix is, my mother purchased it from BJs a while ago and the cat tore the packaging. I poured the mix into jars and wrote out the directions. The package directions called for 1 c of mix, 1/2 c of milk (increased to 1 c to make the batter thinner), 1 egg and 1 TBPS of oil. I did not add oil to the mix as I had 1 T of oil in the pan. I mixed the ingredients and added cinnamon, clove, ginger and vanilla extract. Poured into the pan and put in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. 

The result was tasty, fluffy like a cake (not as airy as a Dutch Baby should be) BUT most importantly not at all grainy. Sam has yet to try it, but we shall see. (Update - Sam tried the skillet panCake and stated that it was all right).  I think adding a second egg (and whipping the eggs before adding to the mix might help. So that is what I will try next time. Once I have perfected the recipe then I'll work on making it Lu safe.

Monday Money Matters - Pinterest Pick

This Pinterest Pin promises that I can make money in my spare time. Most people are looking for ways to make money in their spare time, and I am no exception. The pin takes me to a site title Work From Home Happiness. According to the article I can make money by doing micro tasks. The pay ranges from $0.01 to $7.00 per task. There is little information about the tasks listed (I have to create accounts to gain access to that information). Sure micro tasks shouldn't take long and can add up quickly, but I am looking for something more reliable.

As for my current money making projects I have come to realize I need to devote more specific time to my massage practice in order to grow it. So I will be setting myself up with "office hours". This simply means if I am not massaging during those hours I am doing something to promote my business.

I haven't put anything up on the Facebook Auction sites in a few weeks. The reason being is that it is time consuming. I have to take the photos, transfer them, list them with descriptions and then if I list 10 items I sell maybe 5 and of those 5 maybe 3 come through. Additionally the sites keep changing the rules (weekly) and I am a stickler for the rules. One of the groups was called "Quarter Auction Mania" and the bids started at a quarter and moved up in quarter increments. It is a double edged sword. Because items start at a quarter one can list small trinkets that would normally sell at a garage sale for a quarter, but then people have second thoughts about making a 10 or 15 minute drive to pickup a single quarter item. With the other group the bids start at whatever the person chooses and go up in quarter increments. The items that I have sold on the second group have all been picked up, but I tend to sell less. I'll keep listing items this week and see how it goes. The weather is looking up so it might just be time to start having a few garage sales.

In my area I can have 3 garage sales a year (more than that and we have to have permits and tax licenses). The issues I struggle with for holding a garage sale are:
1. I am no longer on a main drag, I am on a side street off that same main drag
2. I no longer have a driveway to set up in, nor do I have a sufficient front yard to set up in.

•        I could trek out to my friend's home and join her for a garage sale or two, but I have to drive all the way out there (and I don't have a car) and I have to pack a bunch of stuff and find tables.  
•        I could ask the landlord about setting up in the driveway of the house that is being renovated right behind me, but I personally would wonder about the person and the items being sold at a sale at an abandoned house.
•       I could try for one of the public market garage sale days, but then I have to pay a space fee $50 (I believe) AND get all my stuff and tables to the Market for sale. 

I think my best bet for a garage sale is simply to set up in the small space I have in front of my place and hope for the best. 

The other thing to take into consideration is if all I have left is piddly little items is it worth selling them? Would I be better served to donate them (would any organization want them) or give them away?

Wellness Wednesday - Walking

Walking. Even if I still had a car I would do a considerable amount of walking. Ruffalo likes to take long and meandering walks and so does Sampson. 

However, now that I find myself without a car (and for longer than I had anticipated) I am learning just how "walkable" my neighborhood is (or in reality is not). Wegmans is 2.3 miles from my home. Tops is slightly closer (2.1 miles) but I find their selection not good. There is a Price Rite even closer (1.4 miles) but again I dislike their selection and am not satisfied with their quality of meats. The Public Market is the closest at 1.3 miles, and when ALL the vendors are there I can do a vast majority of my shopping there. Yesterday (Tuesday) I walked up to find there were maybe a dozen vendors and NONE of the vendors I like to shop from. The produce was not looking great. There is talk about building an Aldi's which hopefully will be like the Aldi's in Webster (which I love but cannot walk to and from). Once built it will be my closest and hopefully BEST option. Hart's is 2.5 miles and the Co-op is roughly 3 miles. The Co-op is moving farther from me (not sure when) and that is a long distance to walk back with groceries. 

I do enjoy walking (except when the weather is not cooperating). I don't mind a little cold or even a slight rain, but temps below 20 and/or heavy rains make for an unpleasant experience. Walking however is GREAT for everyone. The human body was designed to walk long distances in bare feet. It was only designed to run for short distances if our lives where in danger. 

I used to be a runner. I loved to lace up my shoes, put the dog on his lead and run until my head was clear and I could barely move. I am now paying the price for that with creaking ankles, hips and knees. Running is no longer an option for me. 

Being WELL is not about a number on the scale (and I couldn't tell you my number because I intentionally don't have a scale), it is about feeling good, being easily mobile and generally having energy.  I know I am not at a healthy weight because movement is not as easy as it should be, I do tire AND most importantly I don't like what I see when I look in a mirror. 

I am going to take advantage of being car less and get more walking in. I thought about using the bus system, and Sampson and I will try to make that work for us, but it is going to require a lot of walking. If the walking route is within 15-20 minutes of the "bus" route then Sampson and I will just walk. To even take a bus Sampson and I have to walk to the bus station downtown (roughly a 3 mile walk from here) and then catch a bus to outlying areas. Most places we want to go are withing 3 ish miles from us so it makes sense to just build up our tolerance and walk. 

I also plan to get our bikes up and running and then figure out panniers or baskets. 

Walking is incredibly healthy and for me a side effect of not currently having a car. 

Time Management Tuesday

Does it ever seem to you that the MORE time you have the LESS you get done? I have always known I worked better under pressure and with a deadline. This is something I would like to change about myself. So I am going to try to keep working on tasks based on the time I have in my day, not based on a deadline. 

This week I was better with my time management. I am STILL not caught up on the dishes, laundry, litter boxes or general housework. I AM making improvements and taking baby steps. For example:

In the past when the dishes would pile up to the point of no return I would spend a hour or more washing ALL the dirty dishes (and drying what I needed to be able to keep washing). Then of course that evening I would wash the dinner dishes so as to avoid the same mess. Then I would find my kitchen ransacked by teenagers and I would feel defeated and give up. NOW my strategy is to not use clean dishes. Instead I use dirty dishes, wash them for my use, and wash them when I am done. As a bonus I use the soap and water I have to wash a few other dishes as well. It is working. My stack of dirty dishes is less day by day and I feel MORE in control of the dish situation. 

The Laundry situation is a little bit trickier. Because I do not have a dryer I cannot just bang out several loads of laundry. I am limited by the space I have to hang laundry and the clothespins I have. (Solution to the clothespins is to purchase more - which I will do today when we walk to the Public Market). The only solution to the laundry situation is to keep up with a single load a day. I do however need to make a run to a laundromat in the near future to wash all the blankets (spring clean), so that would be a good excuse to get completely caught up on my laundry. 

AS for the Litter Boxes? I just have to knuckle down and keep scooping. I have to clean the third box out and get it set back up. Completely cleaning and emptying the boxes is now my Tuesday chore. I do so when I finish my blog post (it inspires me). 

The rest of the house? It is a work in progress. I find myself taking items out of the living room when I leave and finding their temporary or real home. I find myself collecting dust bunnies as I walk up the stairs to the bathroom. I find myself evaluating how I can be better organized and questioning the value of many items in my life.

This was the living room last week when I wrote Time Management Tuesday

The other side of the room last week

This tote of paper is from Christmas, I had plans for it but never got around to them so I did throw it way, the shoes are old and have only been worn a handful of times. I cleared out the shoe cabi behind the tote and put the shoes away.

This is the room when I was finished. I swept and folded the mountain of laundry that was in the chair.

Other side of the room.

This is the room today. Laundry is not out of control but there is a basket of socks and "projects" to deal with

This side actually looks decent.....

 I have cleared out half a dozen small items from my life using the Facebook groups that allow me to sell used items. I will continue to do so until I no longer find myself cluttered. 

Fear is still limiting what I choose to do. I have projects that I think I can tackle, and I gather materials and I make plans, but that sick feeling in my stomach won't go away and I fail to start the project. I am working on changing the way I see myself and being kinder. This includes reminding myself that the ONLY failure is a failure to try. Everything else is a lesson to be learned or a success waiting to happen. 

The chairs and ottoman are one of those projects that I need to tackle. I have been blessed with hand me down furniture (never owned a new anything in my life).  It was all in better shape when I received it 10+ years ago. So now it is time to recover this furniture. Recovering it was ALWAYS the plan. I wanted to make it "Match".  I have an old slip cover that has been torn up by cats (not mine - it came on the one bird chair when I received it). My plan is to start with the brown rocker (because it is the biggest) and use that slip cover to create a pattern, then move on to the bird chair and finally flower chair. This way I can alter the pattern down with each chair. 

The Brown Chair was built by my Opa and covered by my Oma. The fabric is in relatively good condition.  It is soft and velvety, but that is not good with pets as it is a fur magnet and honestly I have NEVER been a big fan of the color. The chair base is broken, so I'll need a trip to the Home Depot or Fabrics and Findings in order to locate Queen Anne legs (to match the other chairs) and then I can recover it. I have pinned a couple of new sew tutorials, and I'll review them and see which is my BEST source and share the photos as I work. 

Next to the massage chair you might have noticed some fabric on the floor. That is a pillow form that no longer matches anyone's style (and it has a stain on it). So my plan is to use the black ripped pants to create a background and then try my hand at a peacock pattern... we'll see how it comes out. Hopefully, by my next Time Management post I'll have some progress on one of those TWO projects to share. 

What are your time management challenges? Do you ever feel paralyzed by the fear of failure? What is on your project list?

Another Frugal Friday

Since my last Frugal Friday post I have contributed the following to food waste:
4 leathery pomegranates (I just wasn't comfortable with how they looked)
4 jalapeno peppers
2 oranges from fresh bags that had mold on them
5 old leathery sour oranges 
1 grocery bag of greens
4 c of cooked rice
2 small bits of lemon/lime

Had I seen the post on FACEBOOK or PINTEREST earlier I would have happily turned my citrus and pomegranates into a frozen ring of bird food.  But alas it popped up after I had already trashed the foods.

Food waste is not currently my biggest frugal fight. 

Is being carless frugal? I guess that depends on where you live. Where I live it is cold (sometimes dangerously so) from as early as late October through late March with mild and even warm days in between. 

More specifically my particular neighborhood touts itself as a "walkable" neighborhood. I have been trying to figure out what exactly that means. Yes we have sidewalks. But from my house the nearest food sources are 2 corner stores and a dollar general. There is also some sort of corner grocery store but it is dirty and I don't trust it, and a German Sausage Shop. To walk to the evil W is 3 miles (each way), to walk to Tops is 2.7 miles (each way), the public market it 1.4 miles (each way) and with the cold temperatures is unreliable as far as vendors. I am not equipped to walk in temperatures below 10 degrees for more than a mile.  And it seems that everything is roughly at least one mile from my house. 

Right now not having a car is not frugal for me. I have to rely on someone else to take me to Aldis (which has the best prices for my current budget) and I feel like I am wasting their time so I try to go as quickly as I can and I always forget something. 

Public Transportation, is a joke. With the build of the NEW downtown Transit Station routes are less useable and more expensive. Routes have been cut in half (with a stop at the new transit station that requires a second fare to continue on the same route that you used to just continue on through. In order to go anywhere I have to plan on 1-2 hours of travel time (most of which I am walking myself) and $5-10 in round-trip fares. And that is if I don't take Sampson with me. Most of the time it would take the same amount of time to walk the distance as to ride the bus (and really I walk most of the distance as I have to catch different busses to get where I am going) so as long as the weather cooperates I'd rather walk. But alas the weather has not been uber cooperative as of late. 

I am hopeful that it is nice enough to walk to the Market tomorrow and that vendors are there. Fortunately, my Saturday contract is up and I can spend a little more time at the market. So I am hoping that I can start getting 90% of my shopping done at the Public Market. I know I can get eggs, meat (ethically sourced), produce (local), and even some prepackaged items. Sadly the harvest season is not upon us so my choices will be limited. 

It is time to start turning the heat back down. This is the time of year where the cold has started reaching my bones and I like to keep the temps up at 68 all day long. Earlier in the season I was comfortable keeping it at 63. So it is time to gradually reduce the temps. Nothing higher than 66 this week and 65 next week, so on and so forth. 

Mother Nature a word please.... SPRING!