Tag Archives: it’s the economy

The Daisy Reality Show: why it isn’t really TV worthy

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A reality show of my life would have a lot of boring moments for viewers. Consider the following:

Director’s Assistant: Daisy, you snore.

Daisy: What?! (starts coffeemaker and turns her bleary eyes toward the annoying assistant) I thought my bedroom was off limits.

Assistant: Well, we leave the cameras off when you and Chuck are changing clothes or doing anything, um, private.

Daisy: (moans) I have a terrible sinus headache. No wonder – the two go together. If I can’t breathe through my nose, that means I’m sawing wood all night. If I’m rattling the floorboards in my sleep, I probably have sinus troubles. Let me get into the bathroom and see what I can do about it.

Assistant: But we can’t use bathroom video, either!

Now, readers, we move from boredom to TMI – too much information.

Daisy: I took ibuprofen already. It’s not helping. Next: I’ll flush out my nasal passages with my Neti Pot. I’m sure viewers don’t want to watch my saline solution flowing through my sinuses and washing out –

Assistant: Stop! Stop! I get it.

Daisy: Speaking of flushing, my left ear aches. I had the wax flushed out of it yesterday.

Assistant: Doesn’t a Q-Tip work? He had to ask.

Daisy: No, no, no! Q-tips just squash the wax and make it more tightly impacted in the ear canal. Anyone with hearing aids has wax troubles. In most people, the earwax finds its own way out. With a hearing aid in the way, the earwax builds up and needs to be removed by a doctor two or three times a year.

Assistant: Oh. (Looks suspiciously at Daisy) Does that hurt?

Daisy: It’s uncomfortable. Sometimes I get pain after the procedure because my middle ear is tender and sore. Then I function without the hearing aid on that side for a while to reduce the pressure and let the skin heal.

See what I mean, readers, TMI! True, but somewhat icky details, are the daily grit of my life.  But the show must go on.

Director: Sorry I’m late! Daisy, did you sleep all right last night? You look like you have a headache.

Assistant: Don’t. Even. Ask.

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Canning: The Aftermath

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I’ve begun posting my Farmers’ Markets adventures each Saturday in order to share with you my own locavore experience. Spell check still doesn’t recognize Locavore; must work on spreading the word, er, this word. Buying local produce is easy in June. After bringing home (reusable cloth) bags full of fresh goodies, what next?

Let’s see: What else?

A Very Happy Locavore's Kitchen

If it looks like a mess, well, it is – sort of. I do get it together eventually. My kitchen is too small to play host to this kind of pile-up for long.

The Aftermath, ready for next week

The carrots and lettuce ended up as bunny food and salads for the humans. Peas were delicious mixed with the last of the corn from the freezer, last year’s booty. Pea pods joined the lettuce and some of a local restaurant’s bacon dressing- yum. And finally, most of the berries became jams. The remainder were frozen or incorporated into ice cream or tossed on breakfast cereal. The jams are finding a home in the storage cupboard, and the tools are ready for next week’s market – whatever I might find.

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Actual conversations

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Daisy: I’m going downtown to volunteer for a few more hours.

Chuck: You know, honey, the recall election is over.

Daisy: We’re looking ahead: focusing on August and November. Senate, Congress, and state assembly, and of course, re-electing President Obama.

Later conversation:

Chuck: I’m not hearing any buzz for the Democratic candidates.

Daisy: You will. We’re out there. We Dems don’t have the billionaires and their Super PACs on our side.

Chuck: So the appearance is that the Democrats don’t have any money, and therefore don’t have broad based support.

Daisy: That’s not it. Our backers don’t have the billions to spare. We’re supported by others, those who have fewer bucks to donate. Our candidates don’t have as many television commercials because they’re expensive. We concentrate on grass-roots, people to people campaign tactics.

Chuck: But with less money, it appears that the Democrats have less support. That may not be true, but money does buy a lot of exposure.

Daisy: Well, we already know from our recall experience that money can buy an election. Sigh. 

In summary, people, I still volunteer. I will continue to offer my time and knowledge and expertise to the less-wealthy candidates that seem to understand and support the issues that matter to me. We public servants lost one battle, but we’re still fighting the good fight..

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A well-stocked pantry rules the world.

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Pantry Raid

Pantry Raid. It sounds so much more dignified than leftovers. Well, maybe. I came home one night just exhausted from school, unmotivated to cook. In the distant past, this feeling would have meant calling for pizza. Luckily, Chuck does the grocery shopping, and he does it well. All I have to do on any given night is put it all together.

I pulled together a package of fresh ravioli from the refrigerator, tomato sauce from a jar I’d started a few days earlier, grated cheese on top – and called it supper. I think we had a lettuce salad on the side.

This has become a point of pride in our home: the ability to create a decent meal without resorting to the phone or to convenience foods. The ravioli was pre-made, but it was from the dairy case, not the C-rations aisle. It was on sale, so Chuck bought it for just this type of day. The tomato sauce and the grated cheddar completed the dish. The more creative we can be in the kitchen, the less money we spend on take-out or delivery. And since my future financial security is in the hands of the weasel in Madison, anything that saves money and still feeds the family has value.

Did you really think I’d get through an entire post without mentioning the upcoming recall election? Hah.

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Rock Garden Re-do: The Finale

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Okay, readers. All of you who doubted me: here it is. The finished rock garden! Keep in mind that the soil in the foreground will host more mums, and the small patch next to the porch is home to daffodils and lilies. I didn’t feel like I needed the rocks to be deep; they just needed to cover the barriers and the space.

On the right and toward the left center are two planters that fit the rock garden decor theme. I’ll find something appropriate for those two later – after the danger of frost is (mostly) past.

Oh, you wanted a close-up? Sorry. I thought the long shots would do. I’m sure I’ll post a coda later in the planting season. After all, gardening truly rocks.

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Care for Fabric and Life

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It was a thrift store find. $4.99, with a purple tag, which meant it was 50% off. I tried it on in the aisles, and it fit. I read the tag: “Genuine leather shell” and “Over for care”. I thought I’d turn over care of my new garment to the dry cleaners. After all, I’ve wrecked fabrics less valuable than leather.
I didn’t plan on the dry cleaning place refusing to take it. “We don’t have very good luck with leather, so we contract our leather work out to a professional leather cleaner.” She quoted me the price, I cringed, and she showed me the car instructions on the tag. Apparently, she thought I could read these and handle the cleaning process myself. 
So I did, and it survived, and I’m thrilled with my “new” jacket. Pink leather jacket, a good pair of jeans, my snazzy boots, and I’m ready for…. well, I’m ready for a day of meetings and training at school. Oh, well. My thrifty coworkers will love it!
But wait – there’s more. Did you see it? The second tag in the first picture? My fabulous deal came with its own fortune, sans cookie.
I might have phrased it differently so that the singular “everyone” makes a better match, but “their” will do.
A new jacket, a fabulous deal, and sage advice as well. For 50% on a $4.99 jacket? Can’t be beat.

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>Upcycling, reusing, and curbside decorating resources

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First, there were the polka dot chairs.
Then, there was a chair that became a planter.
Next: it’s not worthy of a photo yet, but we picked up the skeleton of a dresser drawer left curbside and turned it into a small flowerbed. I had an adventure digging a space for it; I found the footings for the front porch that was on our house nearly a century ago. Nope, I couldn’t dig very deeply there! I had to do more evening out and building up than digging down.
I’m sure you’ll see the results later as the plants grow.

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>Life as we Knew It – are we prepared?

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>Not so long ago, after the World Trade Centers fell, U.S. residents were coping with a new reality. At one point, Homeland Security advised folks to stock up on duct tape and plastic, supplies to seal the house off from potential chemical or dirty bomb attacks.

At my home? We didn’t buy into the fear. We bought wine and cheese instead.
Years later, I trained as a volunteer with our local public health department for the potential, much-feared pandemic flu. After the training, we went home with a stock-the-pantry list in case commerce as we know it shut down. We picked up a few things, but didn’t go wild then, either.
Remember the Y2K scare? People picked up generators, oil lamps, and stockpiles of bottled water. I think we had a gallon or two of water. Maybe.
Now I’ve picked up the book Life as we Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer. It’s the first in a trilogy aimed at young adults. The story begins in an average high school in an average spring. Exam preparation, summer plans, prom, crushes, and changing friendships all go on as usual. Then a big event captures everyone’s attention, and I do mean everyone. An asteroid is headed toward the moon, and it’s expected to be visible with the naked eye. Families gather outside on a spring night to observe the phenomenon – and then all hell breaks lose.
As the title suggests, life changes dramatically when the asteroid hits its target. Without too many spoiling details, I can tell you that prom and final exams take a backseat to survival. The struggle for food, heat, light, and water pits family against family, individual against individual, and threatens to destroy an entire way of life.
The panic to stock the pantries reminded me of times in the past when pantry-stocking was a hot topic, even a trend. In Life as We Knew It, pantry-stocking may initially look like a panic reaction, but it turns out to be necessary. Typical sources of food are just not available. Starvation is a very real possibility.
Life as We Knew It sets up an apocalyptic world in which every individual and family group must cope together – or risk the worst. This story caught my attention; I looked up the rest of the trilogy and put the titles on my wish list on PaperbackSwap. If you’re looking for an easy and entrancing read, or if your young adult reader needs something dramatic to hold his or her attention, consider Life as We Knew It. Stocking the pantry may never feel the same again.
I found my copy of Life as We Knew It through my favorite book swap site, Paperbackswap.com. This review was spontaneous and in no way compensated. I’m looking forward to the next two when they become available.

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>Pennywise

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>I talked about pocket change vs. a living wage. Right now, hubs and I are guarding our living wage and working on stashing pocket change. Did you guess why? Hint: laptop, minivan, replacement, repairs.

We ‘re not desperate. We’re not going to miss any bills. With recent expenses, though, we feel we must be careful. A few thoughts:
Double duty: de-junk the house and pocket the money. It’s time to clean the bookshelves and pay a visit to half Price Books again. Maybe Chuck will be willing to browse his CDs at the same time. It worked for my cookbooks! I created space on the shelf and put $20 in my pocket.
Use caution, not credit. Paying cash ensures immediate payment with zero interest. This means preparing to have cash on hand – or preparing not to spend.
Eat at home. Most of the time this is easy. I should say it’s easier, cheaper, and healthier, too. I’m planning on trying a new marmalade recipe soon. One more set of pretty jars in the cabinet – one more product (jam, marinade, sauce) that we won’t buy in the future.
Walk. I’m lucky to live within walking distance of my workplace. In winter weather, I’ve managed to get in one to two days a week. That’s one or two days less wear and tear on my minivan. It’s also one or two days of lower gas consumption. It’s an investment in my overall health, too, and there’s no price tag on that.
Put off non-essential purchases. I can’t decide if Amigo’s socks fall into this category or not. At the least, I can wait for a sale or a good discount code.
Use bonuses carefully. Chuck used a prescription rebate ($10 on a $20 purchase) to replace a lampshade. The lampshade was wearing out and could have become a fire hazard. The in-store sale and the $10 coupon made it a deal.
Clean the bathroom cupboards. Yeah, yeah, no fun, but I always seem to find toiletries in the far corners under the sinks. Conditioner, shampoo, you name it, and then I don’t have to buy it. Work for me.
And in the long run, I’m going to work and work and work some more to get the Puppet in the Governor’s Mansion recalled. He and his handlers are responsible for my pay cut and the uncertainty in my job security. Getting him recalled will help many: public employees and those they serve.

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>How much is a million?

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If you wanted a swimming pool that would hold a million gallons, you’d better have a big yard. Your pool would have to be 267 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 10 feet deep.
If you counted once per second, eight hours a day, seven days a week, it would take you a little over a month to count to one million.
If you wanted to recall a governor and your organization needed to submit just over 500,000 petition signatures, gathering and submitting a million instead sends a strong message.
Voters don’t need a backyard pool that holds a million gallons. We’d rather take time to support our families than time to count to one million. But knowing that more than one million ordinary, everyday citizens are so disillusioned with their governor that they want to kick him out of office: now that’s worth a million.
Recall Walker Rally Sign

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