It has been yet another interesting week. Someone was killed at work. Not where I work, at another location. That has affected everyone. I don't talk about work on here due to anonymity and that work is confidential. But I wanted to acknowledge how death is something that people are aware of but may not think about daily. I annoy my coworkers about safety. It is like talking to a wall with some. They have grown far too comfortable. Comfort ends up killing people when they grow lax. So I worry about my self and I don't forget where I am.
It sounds goofy, but I have had a plan if something happened at work. I have a plan to get out of the building and I know that if someone came after me I would do whatever I could to get away. I stay aware of my surroundings. I realize that anyone could go off. I also know part of why I am good at my job is that I put people at ease and keep things from escalating. I evaluate people constantly. Of course I am ruined for haunted houses. I spend too much time waiting for someone to jump out at me.
It has also been a week of sales. I sold four 8 tracks and 2 books. A couple weeks ago I put a ton of books on half.com. Only a few sales so far, but I expect that to be a here and there place for sales. Yesterday I put more books on half.com that I want to weed out of my personal collection. I learned a few things while going through the books: A) I bought a lot of books from Chamblin Book Mine in Jacksonville in the 1990s and B) I tend to put a piece of paper from whatever is near to mark my place. I found some notes and receits I couldn't tell what they were. Occasionally I find a book mark.
I have two book shelves pull of books that are mine and now two piles on the floor of thrifted books. When we moved a couple years back I truly realized how many books I had. They were the heaviest and largest things to move. I do not believe in ever throwing out a book. I also haven't been donating books. So something has to give.
I am giving my books and magazines on Etsy until they expire and will put the books on half.com or ebay. The magazines may need to find a crafty project. I need to ponder that for when they are available. They are National Geographics from the 50s, 60s and 70s. The ads are my favorite part. Maybe I can make some art for the bedroom we have all the cars in. Maybe some of the great photography can find homes somewhere.
I need to give the half.com books a time frame before I start donating them. I don't want full book shelves and piles on the floor for the rest of my life. The place I have been taking donations has not had a sale in a couple months. We might need to contact them to bring things to them or take it to another cause. They haven't had much stuff to sell at their sales. The last time we went I saw a few of my last donated items there. It is a good cause and they are the closest to the house. Living in the woods you have to drive at least 5 miles to get to the "big city."
We haven't been going out as much as we have been in the last few weeks. Budgetary restraints and all. It is property tax season. We are doing better at not spending so much. This week was pay week so I did splurge and stocked up the pantry. I had a dollar amount and was pretty much within it. I feel better with a stocked pantry. Plus I can work with everything in it for weeks. I like to stock up once a month and catch sales in between, especially on meat.
I read lots of blogs and I know how so many people are saving tons of money with coupons and going store to store to save. Unfortunately I live in an area that has no double coupon offers. We have WalMart and one grocery store. I have looked at sales at grocery stores in the neighboring areas, but it would be at least 20 some miles to get to those stores. The price of gas negates the amount saved when you travel that far. Just yesterday we went to Sam's just for a handful of items to stock up on that were cheaper there than WalMart. Plus the husband and I don't really buy name brand items much.
I know, I should be checking out the drug stores sales and getting the Sunday paper inserts. I just don't see it as a cost savings. I buy store brands and catch deals on the rest. Plus I always seem to need printer ink so the printing out of coupons doesn't work out. We stick to the staples and keep it simple. We have been doing better about making things from scratch. In the past couple weeks I have made zucchini bread a couple times. Of course I get to eat it all by myself because the husband doesn't like it. I will make banana bread for him this week.
Last night we had the in laws over for dinner. They have been struggling with bills and their limited income so we try to give them a break from the weekly dinner. The husband made chicken fried steak and a cake for dessert from scratch. We have been going through the flour with all our concoctions. I am still not at the point of getting the giant sized versions at Sam's, yet.
Plus the in laws eating at our house rather than at theirs, as we ALWAYS do, it made the husband and I do a little more cleaning. He actually made the second bathroom usable. He did hide the junk in the tub, but he made a step toward completing that goal. His mother got onto him about the bathroom, so maybe that will help. Nah, what am I thinking. He does what he wants. He has his own time frame, as he reminds me.
The plan to use a meal plan calendar didn't last longer than a week or two. But it did make me think more about what to buy when I stocked up. I don't go to the pantry as much saying "There is nothing to eat."
I was looking for this last picture and I couldn't find just what I wanted. I want a small room full of items, like a small grocery store. Nothing fancy.
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