Dear Neighbor . . .

 

 

(source)

ESTATE LANE, NS

It's very chilly out there this morning. +2 above zero, but it says it feels like -10, and there are rain showers. It does feel very cold in here. I have my heat pump running. We are expecting showers and snow showers off and, on all day, today.  I am glad that Cindy and I did our running around yesterday and got it over with so that we don't have to be out and about today.

It was very cold yesterday also, but dry.  The wind had a definite nip to it.  I saw a child going home from school on his scooter in short sleeves. Unbelievable, but I am sure he had a coat. Somewhere. If he had a scooter he had a coat. I know how that goes.  Kids . . . they will drop you in it. The minute you close your eyes, they will drop you in it.  They're kids.

 

(source)

I had to get some cards yesterday. Birthday, Christmas, etc. Walmart is the best place to get them. I don't go for the cheap dollar store cards. If I am giving somebody something, I want to give them my best.  If you get a card from me, it is a token of my love. Not judging anyone by any stretch. That is just the way I am. I think I spent over a hundred dollars on cards which is not hard to do when you have five children and eight grandchildren.  Most cards, even the cheapest are over $5 and many are getting closer to $10 these days. I know it is not something I have to do.  (In fact, there are a couple that probably won't even be looked at.)  It is something that I want to do and that I feel that I must do, however.  

Anyways, I got all the Christmas and birthday cards in. And nobody has room for complaint.

 

(source)

The hardest cards to buy were the Birthday cards for my youngest son and my youngest daughter.  Their birthdays are a day apart in early December.  These are the two children who have chosen to cut me out of their lives.  Intellectually, I know I should not be concerned or even bother to send them cards. They probably won't even look at them.  However, I don't ever want either one of them to ever be able to say that I did not send them a card, or that I forgot their birthdays.  And so, I still send cards. It is very difficult to pick them out, however.  It is hard to find a generic daughter or son birthday card. I cannot get cards that are all sentimental, etc. because they would not be fitting.  And so, I spent ages going through all the daughter and the son cards, trying to pick just the right ones.  Ones that were not sentimental and over the top, but that were still nice.

It is a bit of a sticky place to be.  I cannot make them do the right thing, but, for myself, I must always do the right thing. That is how it should be. Then nobody can criticize.

 

(source)

 The cost of food is becoming outrageous.  I do not know how the big grocery conglomerates justify their increases in the cost of everything. I read yesterday that they had made profits in the billions for the first quarter of the year. In the meantime, families are having a very difficult time putting food on their tables.  Where does the corporate greed end.  The Government must step in I believe and place a cap on the cost of necessities such as bread, milk, eggs, etc.

At our local Super Store if you have a Clubcard, a points card, or whatever it is called, you can get deals such as paying $4 or $5 for your loo-roll rather than the recommended price of$16 or $17.  Who the heck can afford that kind of money for toilet paper?  It's ludicrous. 

I have one of the cards and so I always stock up when it goes on offer. Tissues and paper towels also.

 

But toilet paper will not fill hungry tummies.  Where will it all end? Something needs to be done I believe. And soon. Our food banks are being overwhelmed.

 

(source)

Is this not the most beautiful color of a house you have ever seen?  One look and I was in love. Of course, those beautiful windows and that door do not hurt, nor does the picket fence. Everything is in perfect symmetry.  So lovely. 

Most of my childhood and much of my adult life was spent living in Military housing. There was nothing fancy when it came to that. Especially if your father/husband was of a junior rank.  We grew up sharing bedrooms and living on top of each other as they were always very small houses as compared to what people expect their homes to be today. For quite a few years we lived in a two-bedroom house when I was a child. My brother, sister and I shared one bedroom, and my parents had the other bedroom. And then we got a three-bedroom house. My sister and I shared a bedroom for most of our childhood.  I did not suffer because of it. I is just how it was.

People have such large, beautiful homes in comparison these days. Most children have their own bedrooms. It's a pity in a way. Sharing a bedroom with a sibling is such a wonderful thing, I think. It fosters unity and closeness. Teaches them to share.  My sister and I did not always get along, and there was aways a definitive line in the middle of the room to divide my half from hers, but I believe that sharing a room as we did is one of the reasons why we are so close today.  I could be wrong of course.

 

(source)

I watched a woman on YouTube yesterday cook an entire meal for her family of six for Thanksgiving for under $20 yesterday. It was nothing fancy of course. Just a turkey breast, some mashed potatoes, stuffing and green bean casserole. I think the most expensive item was the turkey breast which cost $12.68.  The whole bill was for $19, so the remainder of the bill was for two large potatoes, a box of stuffing mix, a can of green beans, and a can of mushroom soup. It was a pretty basic meal.  There was nothing luxurious about it, but I was amazed that she was able to do that.  I have never seen a bone in turkey breast here for that price. Mind you it was in America so . . . I have always found that food is quite a bit cheaper in America. That is why, when my children were younger, we used to hop over the border to do our grocery shopping as often as we could.

I remember holiday meals when I was a child were not really anything too fancy either. Mom would roast a turkey and then we had mashed potatoes, squash, turnips, carrots and stuffing. Nothing was too outrageous. There would be pumpkin pie for dessert and if we were lucky there would be a tin of cranberry sauce. We always really enjoyed all of it. My mother would get every inch of value out of that turkey that she could get.  We would eat turkey for several days.  Turkey would get made into several pot pies that would go into the freezer and then the bones would be used to make a delicious turkey soup. Mom made enough that we could enjoy the soup on the day and a huge ice cream bucket of it would be put into the freezer for another time.

Mom was pretty frugal when it came to the food budget. Everything was counted and there was not a lot of variety when it came to the menus. You always knew what day of the week it was by what we were having for supper.  We used to long for luxuries such as stovetop stuffing. lol 

Back in those days the Military was not paid very much in contrast to what people on the outside were paid, but it was a steady wage, nonetheless. We never did without anything, and my parents were not in debt, except for maybe the car. And they had savings.  This was all down to my mother's ability to budget and make things stretch. She was a great example to us all. My sister and brother are both very much like our mother in that respect. I am far too impulsive.

 

(source)

I am also very easily swayed. If I am shopping with my sister and I see her buy something, I find myself buying it as well. I don't know why I do that.  I also always have to buy two of a lot of the things I am buying. I don't know why. I no longer have a family to feed, etc. There is just me and the cats.  Why do I need two?  It beats even my own understanding, lol

I am what I am I guess, and old habits die hard.  My father tells me I am too impulsive.  Sometimes I rankle at that thought even though I know that it is often true. I do have a generous heart however, and would give half of everything I have to anyone who needed it. I say that not to blow my own horn, but to express gratitude for the many blessings in my own life. My own needs are very few if any. If I can ease a burden in another's life, if only in a small way, then why not.

No news yet on my brother's CT scan.  We are all waiting to find out what comes next. Hopefully it will be good news and not the worst.  I am praying to that end, and I thank you for your continued prayers as well.

And with that I best leave you with a thought to carry with you  . . . 

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•。★★ 。* 。
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˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

 *.˛.I've found that it is the small things,
everyday needs of ordinary folk
that keeps the darkness at bay;
simple acts of kindness and of love.
~Gandalf° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

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With the holidays coming up I thought you might enjoy these Lion House Rolls. They are beautiful rolls, turning out light, fluffy and delicious every time!  Perfect for the holidays and they can be made ahead and frozen either unbaked or baked. This is a small batch recipe which makes only a dozen rolls.

Have a beautiful day! Stay warm and safe. Whatever you get up to, be happy and don't forget!

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And I do too!