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Sunday, February 12, 2017

LOVE YOUR LIFE

Hello dear friends!  Happy Valentine's Day a few days early!   Mother Nature is sending us a lacy valentine today, in the way of big fluffy snowflakes.
No gardening for a while! Since we hadn't  much snow this year, the snowplowers were out early to make a few dollars.  This is a view down our street.  Quiet isn't it? 
Oh, I love Valentines day!  Although I'm too long in the tooth for romance, I like to recollect about the "olden" days, when the day was met with much anticipation.  Would the cute boy that sat behind me, give me a valentine?  The delight in finding a trinket wrapped in pink tissue paper, placed in my locker from a secret admirer, or when I was older dozens of red roses delivered to my home. I like to think of the thrill of the young and hopeful love Ran and I shared in those days, and hope that somewhere in this vast world, another young couple are meeting and falling in love just as we did and  someday they will be looking back at forty plus years of love and devotion.  If you are interested in knowing how Ran and I met, here's the story. When people ask me what is the secret to our happy marriage, I always answer, "Choose wisely.".  But how could I not help but choose wisely when I had the Greatest Helper helping me make that choice?  My other great (and this one truly is great) bit of advice on marriage comes directly from the Bible:

  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 1 Corinthians  13:4-7

If you follow those guidelines, you marriage will be a happy one.

Love Your Life

OK, enough of the mushy stuff!  As many of you may have surmised from reading this blog, I am a tad bit peculiar.  If you think it's hard being thrifty and self-sufficient now days, you have no idea how much harder it was in the conspicuous consumption era of the early 80s.  It was really hard to be a stay-at-home mom when society was telling you you were of no value unless you had a career.  Phil Donahue, a popular talk show host back then, referred to us as "little Mary swinging on the garden gate", as if all we had to do was wait around all day for our husbands to get home from work.  His wife, Marlo Thomas, touted "free to be you and me" but that only applied to those that wanted to work outside the home.  And we had TV shows like Maud and All in the Family  preaching the feminist agenda, it's nice to see young woman are finally able to make choices these days without all the backlash,  life was hard back then!

But what I discovered from all that discouragement and belittling that went on, is that if you really want joy in your life, you just have to  follow your heart and don't look back and second-guess your decisions. I'm still peculiar.  Most people I come in contact with don't think like me.  I still draw a lot of attention  for the way I dress, even though most of it's complimentary, I'd really rather not have any attention at all,  but it is an expression of who I am, and I refuse to wear  what others are  just to fit in.  Those days are long gone.  I only wish I had the courage to be the "real" me sooner.  Unfortunately, I grew up in a very conformist era.  My mother was always saying, "What will the neighbors think?"  It was her mantra that she lived by, it guided her in everything in life; from the church she attended to the way she wore her hair.  Now as I reflect on her life, I have such pity for her, how horrible it must have been to be so rigid and confined all her ninety plus years.  Even on her deathbed, she was still concerned about what people were thinking of her.

And one more thing, I hate that expression "Bloom where you are planted".  Sometimes no matter how hard you try, where you are at, just isn't where you need to be.  I lived in two rather urban areas for two decades of my life, and even though I tried very hard to make the best of it, I never truly was happy there.  It takes courage make a move from a comfortable life to where you need to be, but boy! is it worth it!  To me, it was two decades of my life just surviving.  Thank goodness longevity runs in my family, so I might get those two decades back. Ha! Don't live your life just-getting-by, imagine what you want your life to be and go out and get it.

Urban Foraging

I love to watch YouTube videos of fellow thrift, simple life, prepper types.  Some of them are pure geniuses on how they figure out ways to make almost free energy.  One gal I happened upon recently, said she never buys clothes.  She lives in an urban area and people are always leaving their backpacks on benches and she takes them home and washes the clothes and wears them.  Would I do that?  Probably not.  It would be pretty poor pickings in my neck of the woods, but why not if you were needy enough?  I imagine if you lived in a more urbane upscale area, you might be able to find some pretty nice things. She looked well dressed, I never would have guessed.  She also said she never buys garden gloves because she's always finding lost ones on her walk.  It doesn't matter if they don't match for gardening.  Now that certainly is something I could do around here.  

We had a family friend that knew where the kids held their "parties" in the town we grew up in.  He would go the next morning and pick up all the beer and pop bottles and return them for the deposits.  He said he made around $20 a week that way.  Back in the 70s when he did it, that was enough to buy a week's worth of groceries.  Heck, you can still buy a week's  worth of groceries for that amount if you know how to shop. 

So this had me thinking all week, that I should keep my eyes more open while out for our walks.  Sure enough! I found a nice heavy-duty tarp that had blown into the vacant field behind our house, several pop bottles, and nice 1/2" socket. And let's not forget the nice haul of free lumber that we found last Christmas.  I'm enjoying my cozy mixed wood wall as I write this in front of a fire from tree fallen tree limbs and free pallets.  To quote Dr. Seuss "Oh the places you'll go and the things you will see, if you keep one eye open!"

Crafting

The local thrift store is starting to have their big winter sell-off.  Everything was 75% off, so clothes were around $1.30.  It was time for me to start hunting for more wool for my quilts.  I found a garbage bag full for just over $8.  Here's the quilt so far:
I have six more rows to go, but need to find more green wool.  This time I'm using big 6-inch squares, but prefer the smaller squares as in this quilt, but this one will be nice and useful.  I'm also cutting some squares to make smaller stadium blanket sized ones for  Christmas presents.  They are nice to have in the car just in case you have an emergency. I also have a nice selection of wooden and leather buttons from all those tweed blazers.

I also purchased several garments made from stretch velour to make some Garlands of Grace type headcoverings.  They are simple enough to do, just cut out a six inch wide piece of fabric about 8 inches long.  Hem the long sides then gather the short ends and sew ties to the end.

Thrifty Things We Did This Week

Made a huge batch of refried beans.  Ate some and froze some.  We bought a 20 lb. bag of pinto beans a while back for 30 cents/ lb.  Lots of good meals have come from that bag!

Bought a garbage bag full of wool from the thrift store for $8.

Finished a pair of mittens for Christmas.

Sewed a velour headcovering from thrifted sale fabric.

Found a tarp, socket, firewood and returnable bottles on our walks.

 Got a rebate check from Ebates from the curtains we bought in December.

Watched several movies on YouTube and a really interesting documentary on Nantucket and whaling  for entertainment.

Bought $20 worth of groceries at the grocery outlet store.  They didn't have as many great buys as they usually do, but it was still worth the trip.

Cooked and baked entirely from the pantry this week. Although I will have to buy come cheese soon.

Well that's it for this week at the old Zempel boarding house.  I hope your Valentines Day will be filled with many hugs and great affection, and the other days of the week also! Here's one to get you started:

Hugs
Jane












47 comments:

  1. Great post Jane! You inspire me to look for more ways to live frugally.

    Happy Valentine's Day to you and Ran ~ Love & hugs ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Thanks Rainey! I doubt that you could live more frugally. Hope you have a wonderful week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  2. Thrifty as I like to be, I would not be able to make the groceries for $20 a week - not in THIS area!! Not a chance. I can from my garden, but I still need to buy fresh fruit -- I would challenge ANYone to try to shop for a family of 3 in my area for that amount; they would not be able to eat meat or much of anything fresh here. They could, however, eat McDonalds (closest one is 75 minutes away) or something in the city, but it's so bad for the body.

    We are so lucky to raise our own pork & rabbits for meat, but if we want beef or chicken I have to buy it. Someone asked me for a recipe the other day (which I'll post sometime this week) for my wings, so I went to buy a pkg. I used to bring this recipe to functions all the time when our children were small & wings were almost a throw-away price (all we could afford at the time). Not so anymore by golly... I could NEVER afford to bring a feed of wings anywhere at the price they now charge!!

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    1. Hello Mrs. Shoes! I meant $20 for one person. Chicken legs have been selling at 29 cents a pound here. Throw in a bag of carrots and a few potatoes (better if you can get them from the reduced for quick sale bin) A bunch of bananas and a head of lettuce, or better yet a head of cabbage. Maybe eggs if they are cheap enough and a small bag of rice and beans. It could be done, but it wouldn't be the most interesting meals in the world.

      Ever since they came out with those hot wings, wings have become really outrageous. I think the thighs have better flavor anyhow, so I just make the wings recipe with either the drumsticks or thighs. Lot more meat on their bones. That's interesting that you raise pork and rabbits but not chickens. I always think of chickens as the gateway to raising your own meat.

      Hugs
      Jane

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  3. Your quilt is beautiful and classy! I love the natural colors. You are just so smart!!! I enjoyed re-reading your love story...ha...the beauty of a poor memory...I even commented on it back then and it was all fresh and new to me to re-read! I certainly believe, that if you let God do His will, that He pairs couples for marriage. Someone in my college apartment building paired my husband and me and we lived happily ever after...would have never met if this girl did not think in her mind that we would make a good couple...I'm grateful she let God use her!

    I enjoyed your "urban foraging" stories! When I was first married my mom used to write me (only snail mail back then) letters of her Goodwill deals and what she paid for hamburger or roast that week, etc! She would've loved blogging!
    Well I see you got your snow! (Pretty and fresh). I pretty much ignore Valentine's day now, but when I was in school as a young'un, it perked up the winter classroom and I loved handing out my little valentines. Hugs, Andrea

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    1. That was a nice friend to pair you two together and look where it ended up, six children! Poor Kurt! He had been hounding me for weeks to go out with him and had brought Ran along as his wingman. He was a major failure as a wingman. Ha!

      Valentine parties were so nice after all the excitement of the holidays had died down. Our parties weren't much just a cookie and punch and passing out valentines, but it was something to look forward to. Wish adults had parties, it would help with the winter doldrums! Wonderful job on that tote! You're really becoming an amazing seamstress!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Thanks...beginner's luck on that sewing. I usually get sloppier as I go and if I make a 2nd it will be not as good. Ha...poor wingman! Hugs, Andrea

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    3. I see a lot of people make their own handbags, and I always think, "Why don't you just go to the thrift store and by one if you can't afford a new one?" They look so poorly constructed. But yours, now that's one that I'd be proud to carry!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  4. Love your quilt, and if you run out of larger pieces, have you thought of doing a 9 block patch, with 9 smaller ones to make it the same as those, or 4? Thrifty? I cannot remember the last time I bought something for the original price? My what we called then " Going- away dress" for our honeymoon, in 1962, my wedding dress my Mum and I sewed, then a pair of good black long pants, in 1997, they are 19 years old, and a little too small now, a really thick swandri jacket in 1985, there, they are so few and far between I remember each one!!! And although I am a bit slow right now Jane, am happy with my life, I can sit and sew, read or knit, have wood for the fire, a lovely home and great friends all over.Thanks for your lovely words for me earlier. Hugs from NZ.

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    1. Fantastic idea, Jean! Thanks for the suggestion. Who would think it's so hard to find anything green in wool? You'd think it would be a popular color.

      I went through most of my life with so few items of clothing, I could remember all the details of their purchases too. It got so bad one day my husband told me I must buy some things, because if I didn't I would have to go in my birthday suit if something tore. Ha! And it was true! Now days we have a fantastic thrift store near by, so no danger of that. I have fun putting outfits together and when I tire of them, I donate them back. Well, I hope this is the last of your emergencies for a quite a long while! Hope you have a speedy recovery!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  5. It's been a mixture of rain and snow here Jane. The ground is mostly just mud. Your snow actually looks very pretty! You've had a great thrifty week -I need to start watching more of youtube I think. Sounds very interesting.

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    1. There's lots of fun things on there, Vickie. And some great tutorials too. We have so much fun finding interesting things on it that we don't even miss TV. Hope your mud dries up. How many times do you think we'll go through mud season until we get t o spring?

      Hugs
      Jane

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  6. We never had Valentine Day when I was younger, it is only taking hold here in the last few years. But I love it and I think your quote from Corinthians says it all. It looks as if we could send some of our heat your way and you can send some of your cold here! Love your quilt! Looks very elegant.
    I am like you I spend a little too much on clothes, but as you had many years when I never spent a penny! But what it replaces is sent to the charity shops. Also, I suspect what I think is a lot is someone else too little!

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    1. Valentine's Day is for the young and the incurable romantics, Sharon. I really don't mind the cold, as I have way to many projects to finish before gardening season. I love clothes, I cannot help it! There's so many pretty color combinations and styles. Just one of the fun things in life and I make no apologies for it. Hope you have some cooler weather!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. I just found your blog and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I love your frugal ideas, recipes and the thoughts that you share. Thank you so much for your blog! Shirley in Washington

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    3. Thank you Shirley! Hope you'll stop by often!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  7. Looking back over the years I think we've always lived among people who had frugal values--maybe it goes with being country dwellers--not practical to drive to the stores on a whim!

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    1. Yeah. It's a take 40 minutes just to drive to and back from the store here and that doesn't include the time shopping. You quickly learn the meaning of "make do or do without".

      Hugs
      Jane

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  8. Well, I was at it again! Accidentally deleted two comments.
    Joan has left a new comment on your post "LOVE YOUR LIFE":

    I loved reading your love story. How beautiful it is when God brings a man and a woman together.You are a light to a dark and confused world. Also, I am always inspired and encouraged when I see a woman dressed in a beautiful, feminine manner with a pretty skirt, perhaps a coordinated scarf, and beautiful long hair. It takes courage to dress differently from the "norm". People often ask me why I am "dressed up". Thank you for all you share, Jane. Keep Shining!!

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    1. Thank you Joan! I bet you look lovely. I've been encouraged lately, some of the young ladies in the area have started to wear maxi skirts in the Summer. I know it is just a trend, but I hope it continues. They look so pretty and feminine.

      Hugs
      Jane

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  9. And yet another comment that I pressed "delete" instead of "publish"!

    Laurie has left a new comment on your post "LOVE YOUR LIFE":

    I wonder if it was our families, or just the generation, but my Mom too seemed overly concerned with what others thought. I'm also the nonconformist in my family, always marching to the beat of a different drum. In fact, in elementary school, I literally did, as I played percussion in the band :o). I'm just so curious about your outfits, Jane. I think you must share some sneak peeks!

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    1. I definitely think it was the generation, Laurie. Living in a small town didn't help matters any too, I'm sure. That's nice that you were allowed to play the drums. I had the option of the clarinet or nothing, so I chose nothing. A decision I regret. It would have been nice to be able to play an instrument. I hate having my picture taken, but we'll see about the outfits. Hope your Spring-like weather continues!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  10. Hi Jane,
    Oh dear, I wish everyone would just do what's right and forget what everyone else thinks. I grew up with that same mentality - what will the neighbors think. It really doesn't matter unless you're spray painting your house and they are downwind. lol

    Love the snow pics, and your quilt looks like it will be a great one for staying toasty warm.

    Have a great week!
    Toni

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    1. Spray painting your house - that's a good one, Toni! The most miserable time of my life was when I lived in one of those home-owners associations. They even dictated whether or not you could leave your car parked in the driveway overnight!

      Should be a nice toasty quilt. I'm thinking of using wool batting. We'll see how much that costs. Hope your week is a lovely one!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  11. Oh Jane - that quilt is beautiful. I hope this isn't weird, but if you would like solid pea green wool, I have a vintage dress these hips will never fit into again. I'd be more than happy to mail it to you. I totally agree with follow your heart. I will have to bloom where I am planted (at least for the next few decades) and I am ok with that. As long as you are kind, who cares what others think. That passage from Corinthians is used at every wedding I have attended (including my own). After a while it just seemed like a paragraph of words, but in my personal life do I find that passage useful when frustration wants to take over. Every time it is called upon it answers.
    Your remark to a comment above about chicken legs, beans, rice, cabbage and some eggs is making my mouth water. With the right spices that is a 5 star menu in my book. :)
    Happy Valentines Day! (and the rest of your week)
    Hugs, Jen

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    1. That would be wonderful Jen! I would love to have a bit of "you" in my quilt. Here's my e-mail so we can work out the details:

      jameszempel@comcast.net

      Life often gets in the way of our dreams, but it always has a way of working out in the end. Hopefully someday you will be able to follow your heart.

      You know that comment was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. I already have been to the store and bought $15 of the $20 challenge to prove to Mrs. Shoes that it can been done. So I guess you know what next weeks blog will be about. I always take people on dares. Hope to hear from you soon!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Hazzahhh! Just sent you an email. Here I just spent $15 at the local grocery - I think if I would have checked flyers I could have stretched it more but sometimes time is a little more valuable.

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  12. Yet, another comment that was deleted. I think I know what I'm doing wrong; I move away from the page before it gets published. I'm always excited about replying!
    Debbie has left a new comment on your post "LOVE YOUR LIFE":

    Ah....young love. ;) My husband and I have been talking about how so many people get divorced because they enjoy the thrill of young love but once they enter the next stage of love, they give up and honestly, they miss out on the mature, forever and really deep love that comes with time and living life. It's a shame really because I would not trade this deep love for that new and "shiny" beginning of a relationship rush ever again. Don't get me wrong, the man still makes my heart skip a beat, but oh the depth of our relationship is so much greater after all these years. ;)

    I love your quilt so far. I'm always on the lookout for good wool garments for my mothers since she uses the fabric in her quilting and fabric art pieces. YOu really have done well in your resourcefulness my friend!

    Be blessed!

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    1. I totally agree, Debbie! But I would love to trade a few minutes of now, just to experience all that excitement of it all. :)

      Good thing we don't live in the same area and have to fight over the wool! I saw a lady in one of the thrift stores a few weeks back buying a big stash of wool. She is a rug hooker. Glad she left some for me! Hope you have a sweet Valentine's Day!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  13. Hi Jane!
    Thank you for the Valentine's greetings. We got about a foot of snow yesterday so it's a chilly day around here. I smiled when you described your Mom's outlook. I was raised in the exact opposite way. If anyone mentioned the issue of someone thinking badly of us my father would say, "Who the hell is he?" (My Dad is a little rough around the edges.) It taught me not to care at all what anyone thinks which is good because I definitely have my own ideas of things! One of the best compliments I ever received was from my Mom. She said that even when I was very small, "You just went your own way. You never cared what anyone thought." It was a real gift from my Dad as I have always felt very confident and equal to any situation. I am doing my best to instill this same attitude in my daughters.
    Your blanket looks beautiful. I admire your patience and willingness to wait until you find what you're looking for at the right price. I am not so disciplined but I can see that sort of patience is key to thriftiness.
    Have a lovely week!
    Dana

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    1. Happy Valentine's Day, Dana! I think you had wonderful parents. And it's great that you are raising your daughters that way.

      Patience is the key to a lot of things in life, I've discovered. Sometimes all we can do is wait things out and hope that tomorrow will be better. And the funny thing is, that is usually is! Hope you are a having a wonderful day!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  14. Happy Valentine's Day! Your wool quilt is looking beautiful. You have some wonderful fabrics/colors. Looking forward to seeing it completed. Sorry I don't have any green wool to offer you. My supply of green has mostly been used on flower stems, foliage and leaves when appliqueing. I have reached a point where I am happy with myself and it's okay that everyone is not alike. I had totally forgotten about Phil Donahue and that era. Love the reminiscences you write about and the memories those things bring to me. Have a good week!

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    1. Happy Valentine's Day dear Shirley! Most of the quilt's squares are samples from an upholstery shop and are Ralph Lauren, so I guess you could say Ralph Lauren coordinated the colors for me.

      It's good to reach the age of contentment. Remember the Sally Jessy Raphael show and her big red glasses? I wonder what we'd think of those shows if we could see them today? What we find them as interesting? It's always fun to bring those old memories back to mind. Life seemed simpler then or maybe we just were!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  15. Happy Valentine's Day Jane! Our snow is gone and looks to have moved east to you. I woke up Saturday morning to a sound that surprised me. Spring birds. I am hoping they are a sign the winter is on it's way out but it is really still to early. I have also started seeing primroses for sale at the stores which is also one of our earliest signs in the northwest we won't be in winter forever.

    Those birds got me thinking about my upcoming garden and I realized I had some parsnips (I like them in soup) out in the yard I never finished pulling up at the end of the season so I went outside to investigate. The hardest part was digging out a shovel that was put away for the winter. Sure enough they were still there in the ground and perfectly fine. It was fun to find them.

    I agree with your feelings with the "Bloom where you are planted" quote. I first saw it with some rubber stamps loaned to me a number of years back (some friends and I used to share for more variety when card making was popular) and my immediate reaction was the person who wrote it must have been unhappy with their circumstance, felt trapped and was looking for a way to make it more tolerable? When I consider times in my life where the situation wasn't what I wanted or needed then change was the only answer. I hope you enjoy(or by the time you read this, enjoyed) your Valentine's Day. My husband always jokes he decided he would marry me when I cooked him salmon fettucine for the first time so that's what he gets for dinner tonight. Sharon

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    1. Happy Valentine's Day, Sharon! They always say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, sounds like it was true in your case! I'd hate to see the kind of man I'd snag with my cooking. Ha!

      Bet the parsnips were extra good. They say they get sweeter the longer they're in the cold. I remember reading about overwintering root vegetables by digging a pit, popping them in, and covering with a good thick layer of hay. Never tried it because I never wanted to waste the vegetables if it didn't turn out, but now you have me thinking about experimenting with it.

      Well, I know we have March and a good part of April before we can think of Spring here, but in a few weeks we'll start our seeds. That will keep us occupied until it arrives. Hope you had the grandest of days and that your salmon fettuccine makes your husband fall in love with you all over again!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  16. Good morning Jane, I came back to read to all your comments and replies, which I enjoy as much as your blog, and I see I didn't comment yet. Well, I meant to and I thought I did.
    Your snow photos are beautiful and so is your thrifty wool quilt. I imagine it is very warm.
    I also enjoyed reading your love story. My husband I will soon celebrate our 37th and we were young, but not as young as you. I'm so thankful we stayed together through all the hard times and I know you are too.
    Your mother must of been so unhappy all her life. My guess is the neighbors are too busy to think much about what is going on around anyway. It is unusual that you are so different from your mother. People tend to have their family's traits. I'm glad you are who you are ❤

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    1. Thank you dear Rhonda! Well, the truth be told, I come from a long line of revolutionists, abolitionists, and suffragettes, so being a rugged individualist is in my DNA.

      I would say you've certainly had a successful marriage with all those beautiful grandchildren! Hope your week is going well and that flu bug has finally been defeated!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  17. Jane,
    thank you for a wonderful blog! I found it last week and so far I've read every post :-) It seems we have a lot in common.

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    1. Thank you Miriam and welcome! It's always nice to meet like-minded people.

      Hugs
      Jane

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  18. Thanks for sharing your wool blanket. It is lovely.
    I appreciate your wisdom.
    Blessings,
    Leslie

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  19. Wow, I love the story of how you and Ran met! Blessed by Him! So awesome!
    Love your snowy pics! Beautiful!

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  20. Dear Jane,

    You are such a good ex-Zempel to the rest of us (I couldn't resist the pun!). :) I agree that it is mighty hard to bloom where you don't feel comfortable. I've been trying to bloom in the city for six years, but I'm REALLY looking forward to being in the country again!

    I love wool quilts for camping; You can't freeze to death with one of those on you!

    Love,

    Marqueta

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    1. And I'm looking forward to reading all about you in the country, Marqueta! Hope it will be soon!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  21. I love your tip on marriage. My husband and I have always told our children that who you marry is the single biggest decision you will ever make in your life. A good choice or a bad choice will have life long consequences.

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    1. So true! All the excitement about being with someone that is "dangerous" or "different" will soon wane. Opposites may attract, but what happens after the attraction wears off? The best marriages I've seen come from couples that shared a common belief system, culture and economic status. And it doesn't hurt if you grew up in the same town and have known each other all your life! Have a wonderful week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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