Tacos and haircut in exchange

Firstborn showed up early last Saturday to help me with a tree limb problem. {I'm sure I will write a separate post banging on about that}  He got out the chainsaw, pole saw, and a cordless hand saw and between the two of us, we had the issue about 75% handled in less than an hour.

The rest was just bundling up branches and getting them to the curb.

Then I made him tacos.  

Which he complained about being too hot and too saucy as he basically inhaled them.  {Who are you?  Goldilocks?  You're welcome, son!}

 

In exchange for the yardwork I gave him a non-professional but highly functional mohawk.  Now why, you ask, would he, at the ripe old age of 31, want to start sporting a mohawk?  He says its comfortable.  Since he works basically outdoors in an automotive repair job, that seemed fair enough.  So I gave it a go.  And I think it came out OK.  And if its not OK, his hair grows really fast and he can get a real barber to cut it next time.

I think he looks quite nice, but he still hates posing for photos.  And I appreciate so much that he would show up on a Saturday, bright and early, to do yard work in August.  And since I also got a great hug,  I might have gotten the better end of the deal.

Gina

Empty Nest menu #134

An interesting and beautiful postcard I received last week from China.

Those stamps! 

The sender wrote:

"Greeting from CHINA.

This is strange times.  I hope we can all keep our original heart."

******

Its my favorite postcard so far from my Postcrossing experience.

Monday - Burger for one with sliced tomato, cheese, purple onion, tater tots

Tuesday - Tilapia, steamed broccoli, Greek-seasoned chickpeas

Wednesday - Lemon Pepper Chicken stir fry with leftover veg and ramen

Thursday - (freezer) Lentil Soup, cheesy French Bread

Friday - Dinner with The Girl after her Lasik procedure

Saturday - TBD

Sunday - (freezer) Mandarin Orange Chicken, rice, snow peas

Strange times, indeed.

Gina

5 thing Friday - groceries, flowers, painting, Mom's watches, breakroom

 Last week's grocery haul was $47.79 and included flowers and wine.

I know it sounds silly for me to buy $5 wine as I am a wine club member of some wineries that sell very nice wine...but I needed something inexpensive for my little wine fridge. Plus, an occasional bottle of cheap wine makes you really appreciate the good stuff.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I'm glad I bought the fresh flowers.  A week later and these Alstroemeria still look nice.  Buying yourself fresh flowers, even one of the $4 bunches, is a mood booster.  I am worth fresh flowers.

Painting with a Twist last Friday evening 'twas fun.

Did I make any friends?  No.  Did I have a fun time and eat a chicken slammer combo from Short Stop afterwards?  Yes.  

I hung my masterpiece it in the guest room.

Look at me.  Doing stuff.

I ordered a vintage Speidel watch band for one of my mother's favorite watches.  Can she still read the time on it?  Who knows.  But it will make her happy to have it back on her wrist.  The woman must have a dozen watches.  There is always one that needs a new battery and she is always misplacing them.  But whatever I can do to make her feel like I am paying attention and willing to help, I want to do.  I wish we lived closer but there's no sense in stewing over that.

She will never willingly move.

The breakroom at work - I think I have mentioned before that it is pathetic.

Look - even Marialice is sad about it.

No exit to the green space beyond these windows by decree of the hospital.

Expired foods and condiments, empty grocery sacks, storage of God knows how old sugar and sweetener packets.  Forgotten lunch kits from people who used to work here.  Magazines that are years old.  This place is like a bad page in time.

Four of us are going to devote two hours on a Sunday to clean it up.  We just have to pick a day we can all be here.  We will:  move the bookcase and cull through the books, clear off a couple of bulletin boards so that people can post pics of their kids/grandkids/fur babies/vacations, store food items off the tops of fridges, dump 99% of the crap in the cabinets, and add some salt and pepper shakers and a fresh bottle of dish soap.

Happy Weekend,

Gina

Harvest 2022

 I have spent the last two Saturday mornings picking grapes at one of my favorite wineries, and although I am not planning on doing that again this harvest season (I think...) here are some photos from the first weekend I helped.

You start at dawn, because by noon it is too hot to pick.

Sunrise over the vines in Burnet, Texas.

There was a full moon which looked so pretty over the main winery building.

Everyone assembles, we all sign release forms, get a banana or granola bar, and grab some clippers.

Acres of grapes to pick!

Petit Sirah

A trailer comes by with giant bins and empties the buckets of grapes, then sets down the empties so you can continue.  Winery staff also come by and give you water and fresh cut watermelon!

Some of the grapes are fairly easy to clip, others get wrapped around the wires and vines.  By the end of the morning you may be sticky!  But we will get every last grape before we walk back up to the production building.

A forklift sets the bins of grapes out just so we can see how much work we did.

Beautiful grapes!

I think we picked 8 tons that day.

Once we are all back, we get a small pour of wine, the winery owner thanks us and we all raise a toast, he says a blessing over the grapes, then its off to a light lunch.

Nice and air-conditioned in a barrel room.

Another glass of wine and sandwiches to eat either in here or al fresco.

I chose al fresco!

Then I drove over to Highlands and showered before heading to Save the World for a pumpkin beer.  That was a fun summer Saturday in the Hill Country, but I am ready for Fall!

Gina

Empty Nest menu #133

Moving right along with my stitching. 

I'm calling it "Mourning Heart".  I know I will mount it and hang it, but haven't decided where.

Monday - Salmon Patty*, risotto, green peas {back to my regular schedule at work and counseling in p.m.}

Tuesday - Roasted Chicken thighs, sweet potato, some sort of pasta?

Wednesday - French Toast with blueberries, turkey sausage

Thursday - Shrimp Fried Rice with shredded brussels sprouts and carrots

Friday - Tilapia, twice baked, green beans

Saturday - TBD

Sunday - Dinner with The Girl

*pre-seasoned and formed patties at HEB, about $4 each and pretty tasty

Gina

5 thing Friday - faucet, groceries, sap, sunrise, harvest, hair

I just realized I never posted about the whole faucet fix.

What a pain in the rear.

 

When last we saw my backyard faucet, it had been wrenched up to a sideways position by my BIL who thought he could replace the whole thing. {I did try to stop him a couple of times...}  Since he couldn't see the pipe leading into the house, he couldn't brace it.  And after he realized that, he left it sideways and left.  Cue panic over my faucet.

I did what I should have done to begin with - mention it to no one else and call a plumber.  I called someone Mark had used before, and within an hour or so he had replaced the whole thing, losing only a small section of brick.  P.S. plumbers make a lot of money.

Which I then taped off and filled with expanding/paintable foam.

Then I removed the tape and trimmed the foam flush to the wall.

Since it was a strange shape and bright white, I taped it again into a rectangle and painted it with leftover front door paint.  No more leaking, no more cock-eyed faucet, no more hole.

{its amazing to me how small things can morph into so much angst!}

Sunrise at Highlands, ca. 2019

There are many things I miss about my life as it once was, and it feels like I am still in this shifting season of change that has no end date.  I am trying to hang in there, but believe me when I say that its getting harder to do.  Maybe its because I feel worn down.  Remember, my 2021 word of the year "thrive"?  I so wanted not to just "survive".  Now I think survive is actually a lofty goal.

My Chinese Pistache is weeping all over the deck.  The resin smells so pretty but is such a sticky nuisance.  Plus, I worry about my trees in general so I am watering twice a week now.  I'm sure this is heat related and the tree is stressed.  Side note:  will seal the deck this fall after I powerwash the sap off.

Sunrise in the vineyard at Perissos, August 2022 

For some reason I always feel at peace out here.  Its hot, yes.  I get covered with dirt and sticky grape juice and sweat.  But I feel peaceful and removed from my current stress and trouble.

We picked 8 tons of fruit.

Last week it was Petit Syrah.  This weekend its Malbec.

A light lunch and glass of wine always follows.  And this time we got an extra taste of the 2011 Petit Syrah which was soooo good. 

I gave in to the summer temps and falling hair and had another 2 inches of hair trimmed off.  The stylist looked to be cutting a few strands at a time - so pitiful.  But once its washed and dried on low heat it looks halfway decent and its very comfy.  Still continuing with my routine for helping it recover.

Like Mark used to say: its a great life, if you don't weaken.

Gina

Dinner ideas for one person

 Last week's grocery haul totaled $47.35, and that included $5 for pocket money.  As you can see, there were non-foods items in here, too.  But since I buy everything at the grocery store, I'm including those things in my $50/week budget.  Yes, I still have things to eat in the freezer and pantry, so I'm starting at an advantage.  The grocery haul will be more practical as I slowly cycle through some of the food I already have.  I think that there will be weeks that $50 doesn't go very far.  But I also won't always be buying wine, flowers, and toiletries!  

Anyhoodles.  Here are my meal ideas for one person!

25 Budget friendly meals for one person

1. Lentil and pasta soup – load it with veggies, serve with cheese toast

2. Chicken fried rice

3. Bean and Veggie Taco Bowl – black beans as the base

4. One pot pasta chicken, brussels sprouts, and mushroom

5. Shakshuka and toast – load it with onions and peppers

6. Egg, avocado, tomato toast – can add a slice of deli turkey or ham

7. Grilled cheese and deli meat (of any kind) with pureed soup (pea, tomato, potato)

8. Bowtie Pasta with broccoli and lots of parmesan

9. Burrito with rice, a protein, onion, tomato, avocado

10. Tilapia with a veggie brown rice, garlic toast

11. Chicken, sweet potato, and onion skillet

12. Mole Pork in tacos or enchiladas with sweet potato, or some O&P

13. Carnitas - fix in crock – serve over rice or in a taco

14. Lemon chicken breast with twice baked or mashed, add a veggie

15. Creamy cheese grits with a couple fried eggs, toast and jam

16. Fish tacos made with tilapia, add salad greens and cheese/sour cream

17. Ramen soup with bone broth, chicken or pork, veggies, egg

18. Pork sausage and rice skillet with veggies 

19. SOS (ground beef or pork) over toast with a veggie

20. Use up any prepared foods you already have in pantry or freezer

21. Banana Pancakes made with oats, sausages on the side

22. Sheet pan meals with chicken and assorted fresh veg

23. Mac and cheese, add beef crumbles, taco seasoning. {Or any pasta box/protein/veg combo}

24. Chicken breasts or thighs in crock pot with some kind of sauce, serve with rice or potatoes

25. French Toast with fruit and sausages

******

I'm going to try to add in as many fresh veggies as I can and keep meals simple and sized for one.  But I'm sure I will have leftovers now and again and those I can take for my lunch at work.  I will tweak my list as the seasons and weekly grocery ad changes!

Gina

Empty Nest menu #132

Hopefully as of this post, I helped one of my favorite wineries with harvest! 

I know Mark would have encouraged me to do so!

******

I am on a mission to seriously cut my grocery budget and start eating budget friendly meals for one.  I brainstormed a list of things I could cook based on what I already have in there and what I can purchase as staples going forward*.

Monday - Lentil and Pasta Soup (add mixed veggies)

Tuesday - Shakshuka and some multigrain toast (add bell pepper and onion) {dentist appt today}

Wednesday - Chicken, Sweet potato, and onion skillet

Thursday - Italian Sausage and rice, green beans {doctor's appt today}

Friday - Burger out {Painting with a Twist tonight!}

Saturday - Carnitas Tacos (served with salad greens, avocado, cheese)

Sunday - Dinner with The Girl - TBD

Gina

*want to see my list?  I will chat about it on Wednesday!

The grocery budget

I've been thinking about my own personal recession lately.  I have made only $1 more per hour this year, but everything has gone up in price.  This doesn't come as news to anyone, I know.  But since my personal economy has changed with the loss of Mark's income, I going to make some budgetary changes and the easiest place to start that is with groceries.

My grocery budget includes everything I would buy at HEB - food, cleaning and personal care products, etc.  I was in the habit of just buying what we needed or wanted and not giving a lot of thought to a budget.  But all that has changed.  I sat down and came up with 25 types of meals I can make that are economical.  I will cycle through them to give myself variety, and add to them as I score deals in the grocery store.  (So no more curbside, as you do pay for the convenience by not being able to grab things that are marked down).  I'm giving myself a set amount to spend each week and whatever I don't spend can go right into my savings at the end of the month.  I haven't done a budget like this in a long time - maybe since the kids were little!

Do you stick to a grocery budget?  How do you manage it?

Happy Weekend!

Gina

More closet evolution

 Since I was homebound for the weekend and it was hot as blue blazes, I decided to stay inside and tweak clean my master closet just a wee bit more...

{warning - these are camera phone pics!}

 

Bit by bit it is reverting to its former purpose as a walk-in closet. {In the past it had served as a "ham shack"/office, with some closet rods removed and the rest full-to-bursting.  At one point we had a filing cabinet, corner desk, ham radios, phone, computer, desk chair, shredder, old textbooks and manuals, Christmas decor, and ceiling fan in here.  It was absolutely the most packed closet you can imagine}

*shudder*

Behind the hanging shoes is the alarm system.

Still to do - maybe add another hanging shoe caddy so I can get rid of the black stacking baskets.

And I could probably go through the shoes and get rid of some.

Hanging jeans - not only because I am out of dresser space, but now I can see what I have.

Still loving the hanging purses and totes.

Project: taking the shelving system down and storing those uppermost items elsewhere.  Maybe get some pretty storage to replace those boxes that hold mementos and such.

I love not having to fold every long sleeve tee and sweatshirt.

I took down the memo board that was in here, patched and painted the wall, centered the mirror. (That glare off to the side is a pretty crystal lamp that is hard to photograph when turned on)

Once I took all of the Christmas decor storage out of here, I had room to spread out.  A quick trip to Home Depot and I had another rod installed for all of my scrubs.  The Christmas decor went to live in the un-used guest bedroom closet, and I also took the chair out of here.

It looks like a lot of stuff, but I haven't been buying new clothes - just hanging what I already have so I can see them.  For years, I had to store only what I could wear that season as we had so little actual space in here for clothing!

Still to do:

*remove the shelving system, store those items, patch and paint the wall

*get a another hanging shoe organizer

*get some decorative boxes to store mementos in

*change out the bulbs in here for more natural light

*add a pretty rug and maybe art or a silk plant

Gina

Note: Its not lost on me that this closet, smelling pretty and with all of my own touches, would not be possible without the loss of Mark.  And while that grieves me, I can also hear his voice telling me to "do what makes you happy".  I have to remind myself that I if I had the choice, I would 100% sacrifice this closet, and in fact all of the closets in my house, to have my husband back with me.  But that is not reality, sadly, and I need to make this house work for me.  Onward.