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Sunday, March 19, 2017

Another Jumbled Post

Hello dear friends!  Did you have a fun St. Patrick's Day?  About all we did to celebrate was to eat some Irish cheese that I had purchased at Aldis and I wore a green sweater, but I wear a lot of green, so I'm not sure that counts. Oh! and McDonald's Groceries handed out free root beer floats in honor of the day. Is anyone else having a hard time adjusting to the time change?  It seems like it is always 7:00 pm!  Well, at least it is still daylight out at that time.  Call me crazy, since we haven't had Spring or Summer yet, but the thought occurred to me that in six more months it will be Fall.  I know, I know; I'm nuts.  But I already lost one week this month.  When I went to write out the check at the dentist's office, I was informed that it was the 15th not the 8th.  How did that happen?  It reminds me of these two old farmers I overheard while on a ferry years ago, they were talking and one said, "What is it? The nineteen-eighties?" It was the nineteen-nineties. At the time I thought how on Earth could someone lose track of an entire decade , but now I can see this happening.  Still haven't gotten used to writing 2017 on my checks!

GARDENING

We started our seeds this week.   I once heard a  a so-called frugal expert on a podcast say that gardening didn't pay because by the time you buy the plants and all the soil amendments, you could have just bought the vegetables anyhow.  Well, I don't know how this lady gardens, but I beg to differ. Firstly, you don't buy plants, you start them from seed, many of which are saved from last year's fruits.  Even if you have to buy seeds, a packet can be had for as little as 25 cents at the dollar store. How many vegetables can you buy for 25 cents?  Plus there's the added pleasure of discovering truly old-fashioned goodness.  Fresh vegetables are the best.  And when you start your own plants you can experiment with the heirloom varieties, which I've found to have much better flavor then the commercial varieties.  People that say they don't like vegetables probably have never tasted an heirloom tomato; such as German Strawberry or Opalka (my two favorites) or a nice heirloom squash such as Mooregold.  

I don't know what soil amendments the expert was speaking of, but the only additions we make to our garden soil is good old-fashioned compost from leaves, peels, ashes from the wood stove, and garden debris. It costs nothing to make, just patience.  For the sake of your health, I'd caution anyone from using commercial compost or manure, many of it has pesticides  and herbicides in it from what the cows ingest.  I've even heard of people's gardens being ruined from it.  I do put compost on my flower gardens that I get from the village, they compost the leaves in the Fall, but I don't like to use it on my vegetable plots.  I always say error on the side of caution.  If you don't know what's in it, don't use it. You can plant a cover crop in late Fall and till it under in the Spring, also. Start small with just a little plot, big enough for a couple tomato and pepper plants, a couple of rows of lettuce.  Amend the soil with your own compost and extend the plot as you become more experienced,  a bit at a time. What you are working for, is nice dark soil that is friable;  you should be able to stick your arm into the soil up to your elbow.  If you have a lot of clay in your soil, you can add sand to make it less dense. In a way, we were very fortunate, because our area has some of the richest soil around.  But on the other hand, I wouldn't buy a piece of land without looking into the soil first, which is why I would never own beachfront property.  Too sandy!  But I suppose if you own beachfront property, you can afford to buy your fruits and veggies from the farmer's market.

NEEDLEWORK

I never can resist buying those cute little embroidered doilies that I find at garage sales.  I'm always thinking about how much time and love someone put into them.  Unfortunately, most have either stains or holes in them.  But for a dime or quarter, who can resist?  The other problem is that I live  and have always lived with a household of men and boys.  Men and boys and doilies don't mix.  So I cut the good parts out of the ones I had and made them into the vintage-looking  banner.
Here's a closer look at it:
Tied up and across the window, they lend a cheerful look to the bleakness that lies outside, plus no one can lay their tools on them up there.  I think I might sew some rick-rack around the edges, if I work up enough ambition.  I also found this very pretty knit fabric at the St. Vincent's thrift store this week.
Two and one-half yards for $1.  There's so many possibilities with that much fabric, I'm not sure what to do with it.  I work better when I have to make-do than when I have too many choices.  Another project I'm working on, is a temperature blanket. My dear friend Matty introduced me to the idea. In a nutshell, you knit a row  (I'm knitting two rows) each day, a different color me each ten degree increment in temperature.  By the end of the year, you should have in interesting patterned blanket.  I'm using the knitting pattern I gave here for the dishcloths, except on a much larger scale, of course. It sounds like a fun way to use up some of my yarn stash.  I might have to figure out a color for fifty degrees by the end of the week!

CHEAP EATS

Cabbage is cheap, cheap, cheap this time of year.  I've seen it as low as twenty cents a pound and three pounds for a dollar is common around here, any time of the year.  One of the ways, I learned to make it, growing up was in Polish cabbage.  I grew up in a community that consisted of mainly Poles and Germans, two very thrifty ethnicities. It was where I learned how to make a penny stretch. 
Polish Cabbage

4 C. cabbage, chopped
8 oz. egg noodles, boiled
1 large onion, preferably yellow, chopped
1/4 C. butter
1 tbsp. caraway seeds
1/2 C. sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onions in a skillet with the butter until brown and translucent.  Add the cabbage and continue cooking until the cabbage is limp and cooked through.  Stir in the egg noodles, caraway seeds and sour cream.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add more sour cream if desired (and who doesn't desire that?)

This reminds me, the other day,  I had purchased some sour cream from the reduced-for-quick-sale bin at the grocery store and it was the best sour cream I ever tasted.  Now, I can hear some of you saying, "sour cream. big whoop." but if you can delight in the little things like tasty sour cream or pretty thrifted fabric, then you don't need to go searching for the next big thrill.  It is the little things in life that bring me joy.  You'll never see me jumping out of an airplane or rappelling down a mountainside!

THRIFTY THINGS WE DID THIS WEEK

Started a knitted blanket form my yarn stash.

Started our plants, many from saved seeds.

Sewed a banner from stained and torn doilies.

Watched  some Yukon TV on YouTube.  Finally!  Some people that end their questions with "eh?" as much as I do!

Made a huge pot of refried beans .  They are so tasty.  Much better than the ones that come out of a can.  And thrifty too!

Bought two and one-half yards of fabric for $1.

Found some more pop and beer bottles to return for the deposit.  So far about $7 this month.  That's enough for seven pounds of bean or rice for the pantry, for those that say they can't afford to stock up their pantries.  And I live in a little village of of 200 people in Winter.  Imagine how much more I could find if I lived in a more populated place.

Well, Ran is waiting for me to make some chocolate pudding (from milk I found in the reduced-for-quick-sale bin, intended for the cats).  So there you have another week at the old Zempel boarding house.   I hope that your week will be peaceful!

Hugs
Jane








56 comments:

  1. Hi Jane,
    Love your pretty little banner - very clever idea. The temperature blanket is interesting. I had not heard of them. Thanks for the compost warning. Oddly enough, I had never thought of chemicals in that, which is pretty dumb on my part. I try to avoid all chemical additives in my food, so should have thought of it. Have a good week.

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    1. Hi Sheila! Yes, the thought hadn't entered my mind until I read an article about it a while back. I wish I could remember where I read it. But it makes, sense, they use the herbicides on the crops they feed the cattle, they eat it and it passes on into the manure. We have to be so cautious these days!

      I'm not up on all the crafting trends these days, it helps to have a friend like Matty, who keeps me informed. I thought even I can knit two rows a day, so this one is right up my alley! Can you believe that we both have the same vintage crewel kit? It's a small world!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Yes, it is quite a coincidence on the kits. I read from one source that they are rare. I don't know if that's true or not. They are pretty pin cushions, though.

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    3. I need to locate mine and finish it. Not sure if I still have the crewel yarn, might have to improvise. I'll have to use your photo for reference.

      Delete
  2. Hi Jane! Ha...I do get mixed up with what the year is...but I am only a year off, not a decade. My husband says my gardening is the same way that lady said...but mostly because I have a lot of failure! He just does not see the joy in gardening and eating fresh! I would be happy to have tomatoes at the least! Maybe that frugal expert is out of touch with reality! (My dad used to just use cow manure for fertilizer...and most people in my area did the same).

    Beautiful banner. Your old-fashioned recipe looks good! It is the kind of dish you buy (and pay too much for) at church festivals! Cabbage here is 49 cents /lb! I suppose it is 89 cents/lb othertimes though. Enjoy your pudding! Hugs, Andrea


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    1. Well, hopefully your new home will have a better garden area, Andrea. You need to bring your husband to my place! If he tasted my tomatoes and green beans, I'm sure we could convert him. We used to use cow manure too, but that was before Monsanto and Round-Up was so wildly used.

      Cabbage is always cheap around here, it a favorite of us old Germans, so I guess they grow a lot of it. Supply and demand. In the Fall, I can buy it for ten cents a pound. That's why I don't waste garden space growing it. But I learned about carrots. Commercially grown carrots just taste horrible after growing our old heirloom ones. They aren't worth it, even if they give them away!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  3. Sounds like you've had a lovely week, Jane. First time I've heard of a temperature blanket! Don't know if I'd want to work on one when it is summer and fall here, when the temperature is between 90 and 110F! :D

    Oops! I wish I had read your comments about the soil amendments before I bought 2 bags and added one to the little planting bed I prepared! I don't have homemade compost anymore, though. I used to have a compost pile, but things haven't been "as usual" for the past couple of years. And, if I do grow any vegetables, this year, I will most likely buy the plants. The packets of seeds I do have are several years old and I don't know if they'll germinate. Can plant them and see, I guess.

    By the way, I've a question - if your home is named Sweet Briar Cottage, what does "the old Zempel boarding house" mean?

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    1. Hi Bless! Well, you'd have to work on that blanket directly under the air conditioner, that's for sure! Ha!

      "The old Zempel boarding house" comes form a line in one of my favorite movies, It's a Wonderful Life. Basically, there's so many people coming and going that the house seems like a boarding house. Zempel is my last name. Are you familiar with boarding houses? A boarding house is a big old house that people rented rooms from. Usually they had an evening dinner included in the rent, served in the dining room with the rest of the boarders. I think it was a very good way to live inexpensively and I wonder why they don't have them any more. Now days people seem so isolated in their apartments, and they were cheaper too. It seems to me it would be an ideal situation for someone just starting out. And it would be nice to have a meal all prepared when when you got home from work.

      Hugs
      Jane

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  4. I love your soil amendments -we do that as well. When I had chickens I used the manure too. We get leaves from our next door neighbors so we have a lot for our garden. It's amazing the price they put on gardening. Do they want to scare people off? I buy some of my plants and still come out so good. Like you say you can't beat that freshness and that old fashioned taste! Have a beautiful Sunday.

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  5. Hi Vickie! Even if you pay full-price for your plants, how much do veggies cost these days? You're going to get a lot more than $3 worth of tomatoes out of one plant. I think they do want to scare people off. Remember all the hoopla about canning lids a few years back? It's enough to scare any beginner off. Looks like we are going to have some nice weather this week!

    Hugs
    Jane

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  6. I buy bedding out plants because, in my climate, it's the easiest way for me to succeed. Also, I'm a lazy seed-starter, they die in my care. I'm better at propagating houseplants than starting seeds. So I am unashamed to say that I buy beautiful bedding plants & start my gardens that way.
    We are lucky in that we make our own compost so it's an unlimited supply. There is livestock manure in our compost, but we compost several piles HOT!, which kills weed seeds and converts the manure to soil again. The piles that are ready to use are aged at least 2 years after having cooked (some piles have been aging 5 years); the resulting compost feels silky & smells good (no hint of poo smell at all). Even though I buy my plants, the initial cost is low & there is no way* I could buy the vegetables & fruit I grow with that little bit of money.
    *p.s. Jane, this is NOT a challenge. :-)

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    1. Ha! You're such a card, Mrs. Shoes. I was afraid for a moment I would have to go out and buy a cow! We did have to spend some money up front for a nice grow light set-up and we found the better quality seed-starting soil is worth the money. But even then, when you consider how much you grow, I'd say a garden is well worth the money. They used to have horse carriage rides that passed by our house and I was tempted to get out the shovel and scoop the poo off the road. Heard it's great for roses.

      I once was friends with a gal whose parents were very poor farmers. The father would scoop up the cow manure and the mother would walk in front, shoveling it onto the fields. I don't think they waited so long to plant. I wonder if any of their crops were burnt from it. I guess this was before all the salmonella outbreaks.

      HUgs
      Jane

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  7. Oh my goodness, Jane, I love your embroidered banner made from thrifted doilies. That was a genius idea. We call the embroidered fabric ones dresser scarves here in the South, probably just a southern thing. Or I might be having a brain freeze, but I'm pretty sure we do. Anyhoo...

    I've been lazy and haven't started one plant yet. I rarely know what day it is due to Goodman's work schedule then they go and change the time on me. (lol) I hate DST, mostly because we see kids out waiting on their school buses in the dark. That's where the wheel runs off for me. I just don't think that's right, after all, they're kids out by the road in the DARK. I wish they'd just leave the time alone. I heard there's a push among 20-something states to keep DST year-round.

    Thank you for linking to your re-fried beans recipe. I've been wanting to make some but a little bit tired of my way of doing them so I'm going to try your recipe this week, Lord willin'. Thanks for sharing your week.
    Have a great week!
    Toni

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    1. Hi Toni! I guess if I were to use the correct linen terminology, a doily is a small round or square piece used on a table, a dresser scarf is a longer rectangular piece used on a dresser or bedstand. I used both doilies and dresser scarves. Ha! How nerdy was that?

      I'm not a fan of DST either. I'd rather have the daylight in the AM than at night. Who cares if the sun is still out in the evening? In the Summer it doesn't get dark here until 10:30 or 11:00 at night. It's hard to get to sleep when the sun is still out.

      If you pressure cook your beans, add all the ingredients to the pressure cooker. It really infuses them with the flavor. They are so good, I could eat them as a dip. Hope you have a nice Spring-like week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Ha, you're so nerdy! Love it. I rarely see a round or square piece in these parts. Oh, I meant to tell you, I'm downsizing, ridding myself of two sets of dishes, pink O B Castles(12 place settings) and my Liberty Blue(13 ps). I may even give my Butterfly Meadow (12 ps) to one of our girls. I've been wanting to lessen the load for awhile, and now seems the right time. I feel lighter already have just made the decision a week ago. :)

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    3. It's nice you have someone to pass them on to, Toni. Which set are you going to keep for yourself? Sometimes I think it would be nice to scrap them all and just start anew. But on the other hand, I just saw an advertisement for an estate sale this week and one of the items listed is Friendly Village with many extra pieces!

      J

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    4. Wow, those Friendly Village dishes at the estate sale sound great. I wanted that set many years ago, but I hand a hangup over the yellow light on the snow. So dumb of me I know. Now I hear lots of it is made in China. Anyway, I don't know what I'll end up with just yet. Just a few months ago I was able to give away a different set of dishes that I had intended to keep for a granddaughter, but our youngest daughter who started out housekeeping with a Waverly dish set (had chipped badly, really badly) found herself needing an everyday set so I rid myself of 12 place settings of the Corelle ivy pattern called Callaway. I had found it several years afo at a garage sale complete with baking dishes and lids for only $15. I still have a set of green Corelle Lazy Daisy dishes, too, that I picked up for $4 with lots of different pieces. It's already promised to our oldest granddaughter so she is going to clear her books out of her hope chest very soon and put the dishes in. She cooks a lot and will use them to start out with when she moves out of her parents' house instead of buying new dishes. It's been ridiculous how many sets of dishes I've been harboring. Anyway for now I'll just keep using Butterfly Meadow for everyday until something catches my eye (that I can afford, lol.)
      -Toni

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    5. I just finished washing all my china I have on display, Toni. I decided that I probably don't need any more after spending several hours doing it. Ha!

      Those Corelle dishes are indestructible. My mother had some and she was always dropping them. They never broke. Perfect for starting out.

      J

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  8. I enjoyed your post!
    I loved your banner.
    I'd like one tied across the mantle.
    I have seeds, but none started yet.
    I need compost.
    But nothing would stop the kudzu from ruining the pile,
    If it was here.

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    1. Hi Annie! Around here it's the wild grapevines that take over everything. We start our seeds pretty early, totally against conventional wisdom.

      HUgs
      Jane

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  9. Debbie in the U.P.March 19, 2017 at 5:20 PM

    Hi, Jane!
    I love, love, love what you did with the doilies! I am going to borrow that idea! I always send mine to the thrift because I can never figure out what to do with them. This idea would work for odd pieces of any kind of fabric, too. I used some old, small cloth napkins for patching my white on white quilt. It's working like a charm and the whites are pretty much a perfect match. There are embroidered tulips in the corners of the napkins, which I'm leaving for a spot of color. Sometimes I nail this frugal/ thrifty living thing, sometimes I don't.
    I'm a mess from the time change, too. I don't remember being this scattered in years past. I'm almost certain it's never lasted this long. I am certain that sunshine would definitely help!
    I say " eh"' too. Sometimes, "hey?" You can't be a yooper and not say eh, hey? (That just cracked me up, which proves I need to work on my yooperisms!)
    Have a fabulous week ahead!
    Debbie

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    1. That sounds like such a clever idea about the quilt, Debbie. I'm not sure if it's really "eh", more like "aye", but that's how I always see it written. I don't think I ever say "yous guys" but maybe I'm just not aware of it. Anywho, it was nice to hear someone saying it as often as I do. Hope you get some sun up your way soon!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  10. Hi Jane. I read through your gardening info nodding and agreeing with all you said. The internet sure does attract a lot of experts. LOL Love your doily banner and the cabbage recipe. I'll try that. Keep on keeping on. xx

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    1. Ha! Don't they ever, Rhonda Jean! You have to be cautious, especially when it comes to things such as canning. I've heard so much bad, even dangerous, advice out there. Hope you have a lovely week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  11. Beautiful banner Jane. I have been meaning to make one like that too. Finding them stained, or with a hole knowing the work that went into them. I thought about using them for quilt blocks until sanity took over.
    Thanks for the heads up on the commercial manure, something I wouldn't have thought about. I use our compost, but every now and gain add in a bag of manure. Can't say I saw a difference either way. Even with super cheap farm stand seconds, there is no way we could eat so well with out our tiny garden. I will try growing carrots this year based off what you said. They are a daily staple here, so if they will taste better home grown, giddiness!
    Not sure if that is a poly or cotton knit, but I see a simple summer/3 season (layered) dress. My eyes can be overly ambitious though!
    Have a great week! Hugs, Jen

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    1. Thanks for the suggestion, Jen. It a cotton knit, I'm waiting for the right inspiration. Oh my yes! Garden carrots are so much sweeter than commercially grown ones. I bought a big bag of them last year, because they were so inexpensive, but after we ate the first batch, no one wanted to eat any more. We preferred to go without, we were so spoiled. Oh! Happy to report that Big Boy is now walking on his gimpy leg. And we have a pretty Persian staying on the bottom floor of the apartment. Where they come from, I'll never know!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  12. A very enjoyable 'jumble!' I like what you've done with the vintage doilies. [Cats and doilies are as bad a combo as men and doilies--thinking they are placed to be used as cat cushions!] I have some vintage tablecloths and dresser runners as well and have wondered how I could repurpose them.
    Not sure why people are afraid of items that are reduced for quick sale--we live on them and haven't been poisoned yet! That being said, some foods keep better than others.
    We had huge gardens our first few years in Kentucky--we don't have as good a location here at the Amish farm--and we are finding that age does take a toll on our gardening energies. I have seeds to start--and we have kale coming up in one of the better strips of garden--the grow-your-own habit is well entrenched.

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    1. Ha! That's for sure. I've noticed that the older I get, things that took a matter of hours now take days. Well, at least we don't have to go to work, so we have the time.

      Reduced-for-quick-sale items got us through the years the boys were in college. One year we had $60,000 in tuitions to pay and only made about $75,000. Ran used to wonder if I was printing money in the basement!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  13. Compost, we make our own but do buy garden and vege mix to top up the raised beds. Your knit fabric, super for jama pants? Or a jama top? What a bargain. Daylight saving, ours ends 2nd April, and starts again 24th September. It gets later, then at the other end starts earlier!!!

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    1. Hi Jean! How's you quilter's laundry square coming along? Thanks for the suggestions. Isn't it odd that daylight savings starts and ends at different times around the world? Makes me glad I'm not a traveler!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  14. Love your banners, has given me an idea what to do, with all the stashed embroidered linen that I cant seem to walk past in thrift shops! I found out the hard way about manure, when I moved here several years ago, I bought some rotted horse manure from a local stables. That year my tomatoes and potatoes had thin twisted leaves and I have unable to grow them again in that patch, I only found out a few weeks ago why, apparently some farmers spray with a particular weedkiller to kill thistles in the hay and it has that effect! Now I know why, needless to say I have never bought horse manure again! Just use the compost I make. Hard lesson!
    I am so with you about the little things in life that bring joy, except for today I bought my scooter and I decided to go brand new, it is being delivered tomorrow, yay! Happy dancing. I might test run it with a tiki tour of my area as it is beautiful at the moment with autumn colours.

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    1. Yay! I'm happy you went with the new scooter, Sharon! Hope it brings you many hours of enjoyment and many years of good service.

      That's too bad about the manure. Yours is not the only one I've read of this happening to, unfortunately. It's so sad when we think we are doing something good and it turns out so bad.

      Wish I were there! Fall is my favorite time of year. You'll just have to post some pictures on your blog for me. Enjoy your new scooter!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  15. Joan of Crystalview CottageMarch 20, 2017 at 3:37 AM

    Good morning Jane, It is always a pleasure to read your posts. I was thinking about your comments on the price of plants/seeds. The prettiest zinnias grew from the packages I purchased from the Dollar Store for .20 a packet. Beautiful colors and healthy plants.
    I have been pinning some pictures of beautiful clothes that have been created from old lace and doilies. They look so romantic and lovely.
    My husband and I took a walk last evening and enjoyed the thrilling song of the robins. Happy first day of Spring!!

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    1. Happy first day of Spring to you too, Joan! Looks like the weather is finally going to cooperate for walking.

      Sometimes those bargain seed packets are a really nice surprise. One year we found Marvel of the Four Seasons lettuce at the Dollar General for a quarter, we had been buying the same variety at Baker Seeds for something like four dollars! And another year we had the sweetest carrots from one of those cheap little packets. This year I bought Black Seeded Simpson lettuce there, a nice reliable lettuce that we've grown for decades.

      For some reason, with my newly redone computer, it won't allow me to pin things on Pintrest. They have wonderful ideas there, don't they? I always say, why buy magazines, when you can get so many ideas right off of Pintrest. Well, enjoy your robins and Spring and walks!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  16. Dear Jane,
    I love your bunting! Bunting always makes me smile and yours is so pretty. I am having trouble with the time change too. Its worse every year. Of course, I like to say I was a mole in a previous existence because I like things dark and cozy so the extended hours of daylight we're getting now are not my favorite. You aren't the only one thinking ahead to the fall. I've been calculating in my head how many more weeks/months until I am comfortable again. (Answer: when we change the clocks back in fall).
    You mentioned that you do better when you need to make do rather than when you have an abundance. I am the same way. Making do sparks my creativity whereas I get uncomfortable when there is too much of something around. Its always nice to hear from a kindred spirit!
    Hope you have a great week. And I'll be trying that polish cabbage. My girls love cabbage and noodles so it should be a hit.
    Take care,
    Dana

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    1. We are kindred spirits, Dana! I always say that the mole's house in Narnia would be my type of place to love. Dark and cozy. When everyone is looking forward to the heat and sunshine, I'm looking ahead to Fall and Winter Nice to know I'm not the only one!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  17. I am envious of the prices at your thrift store! I will have to see if I can find a St. Vincents store nearby. I have Goodwill and Salvation Army, but the prices keep climbing higher and higher. Most of what I buy I re-sell, so it can be difficult to make any money on some of the higher priced items.

    Love the idea of the needlework banner! I also have a number of old needlework pieces, waiting for just the right project. I get melancholy thinking of all the work that went into some of those pieces, and then they are sent to the Thrift store.

    Happy to see Spring on the calendar, can't wait to see it in the yard, with daffodils and other blooms.

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  18. I understand about feeling sad seeing others needlework in the thrift stores. The other day I saw a handsewn quilt for $4.99! How many hours must have gone into it!

    I find the smaller thrift stores have more treasures and better prices. What sort of things do you look for reselling?

    Happy first day of Spring Anne! Hope your daffodils bloom soon!

    Hugs
    Jane

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    1. Hi Jane,

      Most of the items that I flip are mid-century modern decor. Specifically, pottery, mirrors and small things for decorating. Pictures and glassware are also categories that I do fairly well re-selling. I love the hunt and even more so, the thrill of making a large return on my investment. Of course, I usually invest a dollar and will sell most items for ten dollars. Not high, international finance by any standard, but still fun for me.

      Good news! I finished my first sock! And it fits!

      Enjoy the sun today..

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    2. Hi Anne! Mid-century sure is hot these days. I was watching one of those auction shows on YouTube and the prices they get in California is crazy. We find a lot of it around here, the trend hasn't caught on, and there are a lot of elderly people that never updated their furnishings since the 1950s around here. The best deal I ever made selling on Ebay was a piece of silver that I paid a quarter for at a garage sale and sold for over $350. I hadn't a clue to what it was, but apparently it was from the early 1800s.

      Congrats on that first sock!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  19. I was recently visiting my oldest daughter in Arizona and we went through the thrift stores. I found 3 skeins of sock yard and also found 4 skeins of hand-died wool from Peru, two of which were alpaca. My total was less than $13! There was also a lady in line just in front of me that was buying two cashmere sweaters for less than $10. She says she has family that live all over Arizona and she routinely has them go through the sweaters in the thrift stores looking for cashmere sweaters so she can cull the yarn for knitting!

    I think I'm going to do some container gardening this year. It seems that the produce from the grocery store is becoming more and more tasteless. There are several farms in the area that sell produce, so I have been buying from there, but why not grow at least some of it myself and save some $$.

    Jeanette

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    1. It's worth a try, Jeanette! If you're going to plant something in pots for decoration, might as well make them useful too, I always say.

      Great score on the yarn! A while back I hit the jackpot on some pretty hand-painted yarn for a couple of dollars. It still had the original price tag on it, $28! I've tried unraveling cashmere, but it is too fine for me to handle. Isn't it fun to find things for pennies on the dollars?

      Hugs
      Jane

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  20. I tried a cabbage and noodle dish this winter for the first time. It was OK, but pretty bland. I'm going to try yours next. I bet the extra ingredients will make the difference. I'm also going to check out the vegetables you mention, none of which are familiar to me. I've had seed starting on my to do list for several weeks, but have yet to get to it. Love the fabric and your bunting!

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    1. Cabbage and noodles are kinda bland, Laurie. You have to use probably more salt than you think you should, to bring out the flavor. German Strawberry tomatoes are the meatiest, sweetest tomatoes ever. OPalkas are a close second. We love them on toast with onions. Mooregold squashes are lovely and not stringy like many squashes. I've been growing them for decades and they never disappoint. Happy seed starting!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  21. Hello Jane, what a treat to have a jumble post from you with so many comments and replies.
    I think your banner from the vintage stitching is genius! I think my mom and aunts referred to those types of embroidered things as "dresser sets" and theirs usually were a 3 piece set, 1 large one with 2 smaller ones.
    My husband does most of our gardening and this will will be his 2nd summer to do so. I'm afraid last year, he spent a lot more on supplies than the worth of his harvest. Maybe this year will bring more garden successes. But gardening is just a hobby for him and I think it helps his mental health so much, whatever he spends is worth it.

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    1. Hi Rhonda! I think I've heard of them being called dresser sets too. Looks like with the bargains your husband picked up, he;ll soon be in the positive side of the ledger for gardening supplies. Whatever the case, there's no substitute for your own freshly picked vegetables and being out in the fresh air is so good for you. PLus the vitamin D from the sun. Hope today will be cooler for you!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  22. Love the banner!

    I'm sad to say I didn't get to have cabbage this St. Patrick's Day, but life goes on. We've delayed our "meal" until after April 15th since we both had to work that night.

    I've been trying to continue to use up items from my stash, too. Sometimes I long for something new, but then I remind myself I have a room full of stuff.

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    1. I know! It's hard sometimes to use up what you already have when they are always coming out with new and tempting things. Have to remember at one time we were exciting about the things in our stash. LOve those mermaid tail blankets! I really need to learn how to crochet.


      Hugs.
      Jane











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  23. Amen to your gardening comments! I've read articles that dis veggie gardening. Well, yeah... if you do all raised beds and ship in the top soil and fertilizer. When I'm teaching math to my children, I explain it is called produce because it is a product (of multiplication).

    Love your banners! Will steal this idea as I also have a collection of old embroidered linens. Some of mine only cost me a penny each!

    Buying seeds and chicks this week.
    Blessings,
    Leslie

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    1. Exciting times, Leslie! I see Tractor Supply is holding "chicks week". I love going in a looking at them, especially the ducklings.

      Starting seeds is the only way to go as far as I'm concerned. We start almost a hundred tomato and pepper plants alone. AT three dollars a plant versus free saved seeds and bag or two of starting soil, it's pretty obvious which way I'd go!

      HUgs
      Jane

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  24. OH I love the pretty banner too! Have you just made the one? I got quite a few flowers seeds in weekend before last, and they are mostly UP!--so excited when they stick their little heads out and announce their arrival! I've only planted flowers so far. They are in small beginner pots now...will put them in the ground when they are bigger.You know--I've never ever heard of a 'temperature blanket' until just this year! It's a neat idea! Hope your week is going well!

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    1. I'm hoping to plant more flowers this year, also, Debbi. The seeds we started are starting to sprout. You said it, it is exciting!

      I never heard of a temperature blanket either, until Matty wrote me about it. Guess I don't keep up with the knitting trends. Only made one garland, but it's a rather long one that I keep adding to, as I find more embroidered pieces. I want it to stretch across the back yard. Enjoy your warm weather! Today I'll be knitting a twenty degree stripe.

      Hugs
      Jane

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  25. Dear Jane,

    Ooh, pretty banner! I've been collecting lots of embroidered things here as well, since they're so abundant. I like your comment that no one can put their tools on them when they're hanging up! Boys will be boys!

    We've been eating lots of cabbage, too, and we also made refried beans this week. Great minds things alike! ;)

    Love,

    Marqueta

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    1. And men are just big boys, Marqueta! Ha! Is it great minds or thrifty minds?

      Hugs
      Jane

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  26. I love the banner. What a great idea of something to do with that lovely embroidery. I always value it, as well, because I know how long it took someone to do it. I HATE the idea of it getting thrown away.

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    1. Hate the idea of that too, Becky. The nicest thing about the banner is you can display quite a few, there's only so many tables to put them on. Hope you are having a beautiful Spring day!

      Hugs
      Jane

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