Early Stages of the Season

 

One of the first things we do to get ready for summer in our back yard, is to put the cover back on the pergola so I can hang my garden flags.  They are the "wall art" for our outdoor living room.  Last year I was off helping birth and raise a litter of puppies, so I didn't get to do this.  It's so nice to be home so I can set up this space before the season begins.

I love Mackenzie Childs and was luckily able to find garden flags on clearance for under twenty dollars a few years ago.  They are hung with strong zip ties to withstand high wind and are holding up well because they are somewhat sheltered from the sun.  The grid in back of the area is actually packaging/protection that came with the pergola.  The "curtain" behind it is a checkered racing flag. It's nylon and lightweight and I found it on-line through Walmart. I think it was around $10.  This weekend I will dig out ornamentation to hang on the grid. We will also set up string lights.

I find decorative objects for tables second hand, of course. The yellow dish sits on the side patio table and can be left out all of the time.  We have a different version of basically the same thing on our living room table inside!  The vase and pillar candle will be stored in the garage because I don't think they will stay in place with high winds. I'm not too concerned about the fake bonsai as it can't break.  I found two outdoors pillars at Joanne for $5 each. They run on to AA alkaline batteries.

I am storing some of the pillows in an old laundry basket hung in the garage.  It's nice to have extra pillows out when we have guests -- or if I am just lounging with a book. Or napping.  

Today was great for working in the yard since it was sunny but cool. Frankie and I had a great walk in the cemetery but before heading home, I checked Flashfood.  The stores here are pretty close together -- and even some that are not, don't take a lot of time to get to because our city is surrounded by an interstate and I am always a short distance from a quick route.

The Tops I went to was five miles from where we were, but that was a drive that took less than five minutes. That store is only 3.5 miles from where we live, and there is a Dashmart on the way home, so if I go to the Grant/Amherst store, I always check for deals at the DM on the way home.  I basically went to Tops for the sun-dried tomatoes ($1.32 per bag is awesome), and Dashmart for the turkey (3lb chub, not pictured here).  Cap'n Crunch is my guilty pleasure, and I've managed to make a box last weeks -- but cereal has gotten so expensive.  This damaged piece was $2.69, and all I needed to do was tape a little hole in the bag and stuff it in the intact box I already have.

Back at home, I immediately started in on the turkey.  Even though I usually cook this kind of meat for Frankie, I did not make dog food.  Instead, I made large meatballs with carrots, egg, and breadcrumbs and seasoning. Tommy likes having wraps for lunch, and one meatball can be crumbled into a wrap. Or I can warm a few up and serve them for dinner.  If any extras are left by the end of the week, Frankie gets her chance.  Rather than adding onion, I used garlic -- because onion is toxic to dogs.  The fat that was rendered from this batch is in the fridge and will be used in the next batch of oatmeal I make up for her.  All of this set me back about six and half bucks.

Dinner was FF ravioli, with shrimp (Walmart) and frozen peas.  Tommy will bring a portion for lunch tomorrow.

I have a dear friend who is in a different financial situation that we are. She suggested I could do better at building up savings if I would only take the amount I save on FF and put it in a savings account. I don't think she understands that I don't purchase frivolously, I do it to minimize our grocery bill.  True, I have been purchasing more to stock up in preparation for inflation. But mostly, this is how we buy groceries.  It really is fortunate that there are so many participating stores within a reasonable radius. Because I am saving a lot of money!