Relieved!

After discovering a hole in the sleeve of my favorite and very old, vintage jacket,
I decided to apply a patch to extend its use a little while longer...

I'm relieved and delighted to be able to wear this jacket again.
(I have NO idea how long this patch will hold...
I'm no stitcher!)

"Let Nothing Be Wasted"

Finally I got around to it--sorting through a stack of Christmas cards.

Some I folded to make note cards.

Others I kept because of their renditions of the story of Christ's birth.

These, I'm thinking, could occupy young minds and hands next Christmas season.

Assignment?  Arrange them in the correct sequence, etc.

THIS bunch (above) all had pictures of snowmen on them.

Large, medium and tiny.

I combined them and put in an envelope for our young grandson

who has a January birthday. 

(Do you see the $5 bill tucked into a slit in the top one?)

His assignment is to count them, pick out the largest, the smallest,

create a family of snowmen...and whatever ELSE his little mind may challenge him to do.

I cut out a few large words:  PEACE, JOY, JESUS.

I didn't cut out any more name tags for gifts.  

Still have a bunch from year before last.

I chuckle at myself doing this, but they are just too pretty to waste!

Besides, I remember the words of Jesus when giving instructions 

to His disciples to gather the food that remained after feeding the 5,000...

"Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."

John 6:12

What do YOU do with Christmas cards from seasons past?

Giddy with Excitement!

LIFE LESSON HERE!

I don't know when I've been so excited about a post lately!

CLICK on the caption above to see it.
It just evolved on me...

(I would have repeated it here except that

a person is limited to a certain number of free photos

used on blogs before you have to pay for them.

I KNOW that because I've already paid once.)

Rather than repeating the post with pictures,

I invite you to join me in this

money-saving click.
I really hope you're not disappointed.

And I hope you see the Life Lesson
that jumped out at me this morning.
Hint:  I want to be like the Rudibeckia.

Minutes later:  OK.  My husband didn't get the
same Life Lesson as me.
So maybe there's MORE than one.
I'm curious.  What did YOU "see"?

The Happiness of NOT Having Things

Wish I could say these were all the mugs I own--but I can't.

...the happiness of not having things.  It's the last phrase of a quote that I stumbled on and have been rolling over in my mind the past few days.  (You can read the complete quote here.)  I've been thinking about the things I'm happy NOT to have.  Like:

• a lake cottage (more cleaning, taxes, maintenance)
• a high-powered food processor and most other small appliances (no place to store them)
• a larger home (same reasons I'm happy not to have a lake cottage)
• one more coffee mug (picture above tells all)
• valuable jewelry (no need for locked storage boxes)

I'm sure it may sound like "sour grapes", but these are a few of many more things that I'm happy not having. Truthfully, I had a harder time than I thought I would listing things I don't have!  For one thing, I'm a pretty simple person and (when it comes to having things) quite content.  It's probably ALSO true that  I have SO much that it's hard to think of things I don't have.

How about you?  What are YOU happy that you don't have?

A SURPRISE IN THE MEAT DEPARTMENT

We needed milk.  So, as is my custom when in the grocery store, I made my way up and down the aisles checking quickly for sales on staples such as brown rice, coffee, peanut butter, whole wheat flour and cereals. I also checked the clearance rack and found nothing of significant value except a small container of cinnamon candy that my mother will melt into  applesauce. 

I picked up the milk and hurried past the meat department where I saw a price tag over the 3 pound roll of ground chuck:  "$.99"  Not ninety-nine cents a pound!  Ninety-nine cents a package!  I stopped, picked up the 3 pound roll, looked at the date and saw, "Serve or freeze by Feb 15, 2010."

"I can do that," I told myself and picked up two of them.  (I would have taken more, but we only have the freezer in our refrigerator and it already is quite full.)  At home, I divided the meat into about 3/4 pound portions.  Some I made into patties and one I browned and added taco seasoning for today.  The rest are in the freezer compartment.  I'm VERY thankful to have found meat  to incorporate sparingly into our healthy eating at less than $.15 a serving.

"And my God will meet all YOUR needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).

 Have you a "grocery surprise" or food budgeting tip to pass on?

FRUGALITY - AN ART FORM!

 

My own blog highlighting my joy in incorporating frugality into my wardrobe and home style.

Most of the time, other people say things far better than I do.  This is the case with the Just Be Frugal blog.  This is how the blog is introduced:

I consider frugality an art form and a religious conviction. I learned about paying cash for purchases, recycling and reusing just about everything and being generous to friends and those in need from my parents.

My faith instructs me all things are gifted by God and so I am compelled to be a good steward of my gifts. [The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man. Psalm 115:16]

I couldn't agree more. I just have never said it in such a concise but thorough way.  My own wardrobe blog is an outgrowth of this philosophy.  I am continually growing and stretching myself in this area and find great joy in being a responsible steward of all the good things God has given to me.

Make It Do

Use it up;

Wear it out;

Make it do

Or do without.

On our last visit to my parents (83 years old), my mother proudly directed me to their bedroom where the blue phone (above) sat on their nightstand.  Two of the off-white phones in their home had faded or yellowed, she thought.  And so she and my father went to find spray paint to match the decor of their rooms.

She isn't quite satisfied with the shade of blue, but I thought it was gorgeous!  My father took the phones apart - took the covers off the keys, etc. and spray painted them.  Who would have thought to do this?  They wanted me to go visit one of their neighbors who sprayed his wife's shoes!  I didn't have time, but maybe NEXT time I go I'll return with some photos of the spray-painted shoes.

I think this kind of "make-do" would serve us all well these days, don't you?