Show, then aid - Sabine page 151

[Sabine]

JudyCr- I'm glad you didn't finish until today, and got the good news. Thanks for the hugs.

Pebbles- Yay for free firewood. People are great.

[Siobhan]

I am so very happy for you! What great news!

I'm with you on the cushion - I try to keep a stock of staples and toiletries in case of who knows what. Even in my small place I can manage.

Stacking and moving firewood is great primal exercise. I know this! Actually it is one of my favorite kinds of movement.

[winencandy]

There may be much blather in my journal for a bit.

Okay, I think I have reached my exclamation point limit. Must end this post.

Happy!

Blather is good.
Exclamations are good!
I'm SO glad you're happy

I'm with you on the cushion - I try to keep a stock of staples and toiletries in case of who knows what.

My nephew told my sister "If something "bad" ever happens, you get to (winencandy's) house! She'll be prepared!"

[Coll]

Oh yippeee!! I am so happy for you guys!! Excellent news indeed! I always try to have extras of the basics - I was a missionary for a while and went without a lot of stuff for a while, think shampoo and soap, toothpaste etc. If I have the money I try to keep a stash 'in case'! Right now I am trying to build a little cushion for us too. Been so long without enough money that it takes time to catch up on the things that had to wait and wait and wait. DD needed new pants - her old ones all had holes and were several inches too short, we all need shoes, that kind of thing. But little by little I am getting a slight cushion going again. And we'll be able to have a Christmas and birthdays this year - both kids have their birthdays in December too Now I am rambling on your journal - just so happy for you! We have all been holding our breath and praying and wishing we could do something 'real' for you.

Sleep well and rest easy tonight!

[Sabine]

I thought I had a reasonable stash of extras, but I see my definition has changed. A two month supply is no longer enough! And when you are not eating the 'luxuries' that you buy weekly, your stock of 'basics' goes down much more quickly. I hadn't thought of that.

My primal exercise right now is bailing out our washer. The outflow pipe for our house is having problems, and can't handle the large volume from our washer, without water spilling all over our garage floor. So, we're draining into an extra tub, and bailing into the kitchen sink, which CAN handle it. It's a mini-workout, and, as I have told Honey, much better than having to haul water from four miles away. Can you imagine having to walk for your water every day? Easy access to clean water has to be one of the best benefits from modern civilization/infrastructure.

We're also getting the bonus of water conservation, since it is easy to save the rinse water of the previous load, for the start water of the next. The only thing is, you have to be alert to when it is bailing time. We haven't missed -- yet!

I'll have to put Winencandy on my list, if we're ever in Canada. I have a friend who has a small hobby-farm, and other friends with essential chicken-, weaving-, spinning-skills, who know they will be fetched and taken out to 'the land' if bad things ever go down.

I'm starting to jot down various lists: urgent, important, nice to have, back to normal.

Just realized I never did say what was our last catastrophe. Okay, short version. Our vehicle broke down and we decided that it HAD to be fixed, for getting to interviews and basic kid transport, so we scraped the barrel and paid for a new radiator, using money that was supposed to pay down another bill and all our 'extra'.

That wasn't the catastrophe.

That came a couple days later, when the vehicle started leaking again! Turns out the improved pressure from the new radiator, was blowing out other parts of the system, which were too old/worn to take it. $1200 to fix the new thing, with no guarantee that something else further down the line wouldn't blow next. Aaughhh! If only we had known, we could have not spent that $800, sent it to where it should have gone, and just kept filling up the old radiator until it collapsed, which is essentially what we are having to do now, except with some other part.

Except of course, you can't know.

The daughters' friends are helping them with rides, and we are using the van only for the REAL ESSENTIALS- any money making opportunities, that is selling plasma and going on interview things, filling it up with water, checking the oil, and praying. One of the items on the important list is trading in the van while it is still running against a smaller, fuel-efficient vehicle. We have wanted a better vehicle for a year or so, but it never seemed urgent enough. Now, it definitely does.

Wonder how Pebbles' opening night went? Think I'll cruise over to her page and see.

[Sabine]

What with all these items from the food bank, I am planning some meals we haven't had for a while.

Last night we had chili with beans, topped with guacamole, and cornbread on the side.

Tonight will be potato salad with bratwurst. I used to make my potato salad a couple times a month. Since I went low-carb it has gone to only twice a year: Independence Day and Christmas. But now we've got these beautiful white potatoes, apples, and tomatoes staring at me, plus a jar of mayonnaise, so potato salad it is.

I also mixed together some of the canned goods to make bean salad: black, kidney, garbanzo, navy, with corn, tomato, and cucumber, tossed with some Italian dressing. We have literally not had this for several YEARS. It should be tasty, but I am certain there will be gas. Oh, well. None for Honey after tomorrow: don't want him to make a bad impression at his new place.

Did I mention that one of our free items was a blueberry pie from Trader Joe's? I love pie, but I cannot believe how sweet this one was! And this is after a couple months of poor eating, which I had been assuming made me acclimitized to sweetness. Apparently not, or else this pie was really off the charts. Their Spicy Hummus, though: wow. Some seriously tasty stuff.

[tomi]

SOOOOO happy to hear things are on the upswing! What an impressive list of "thanks" Looking forward to reading more good things from your side of the world!

[Siobhan]

Having the same issue with my vehicle! It is hard to know when to cut the cord. If I knew two weeks ago what I know now...

[Judg]

I loved your gratitude list too.

May I say that I like you? Seriously.

I am so pleased for you, Sabine.

And I grew up eating corned beef hash. Yum. With fried potatoes and onions and cabbage.

[Sabine]

Thank you, Judg.

And may I say, Coll, prayers and well wishes are plenty 'real' for me. Y'all can never know how much it helped me, but I know, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I have a shocking confession to make: I never tried corned beef until I was 24 years old! But I DID learn about the pleasures of corned beef hash right after that!