Busy as a bee

Last week I was very busy. I found some old egg crates the kind of foam you put on a bed and I cut them and squeezed them into the window frames like this:





I also cut some to fit the above windows in the ceiling. They sell similar ones in camping catalogs for $15.



Then I took our old camping pads that we used in the tent and slid them behind the living room curtains like this:



With the curtains in place, you don't notice the blue pads.

I also went into our house and removed all the old doors. I propped them up on the outside of the camper along with the crates I use for recycling. In the cracks, I put empty 2 liter bottles and it has really helped with the heating bills!

Garden Designs

Here are some new dishcloth/washcloths I've been working on.

Can you spot the hidden design in the variegated one?

What is home?

While I had a nice time visiting family, I was ready to be home. I asked Nick when we got to Milo if he felt glad to be back in Milo and he said no. That's what I was thinking. It wasn't that we were glad to be home in Milo, but that we were at home. In our own place, own space, own bed etc...

We've been talking about that lately. Home to us is where you park it. Home isn't a location. Not a city. But where we live. Our home. Whether or not it is a brick house, or a camper or a yurt. And it feels good to be back at home.

I had the time of my life unloading the car. It took me about twenty five trips. I piled everything into the living room. When I got done unloading the car, this is what the living room looked like:


My problem is I don't know when to say, "No" to things. I have been a pack rat all my life and it's something I have to deal with on a daily basis. It doesn't matter that we got rid of almost all our possessions when we moved here. I have accumulated more clutter these past few months that you can't even tell we once downsized. I promised Nick when we got the camper that everything would have its place and that I wouldn't have to shove things into drawers and cupboards so that it would overflow when the doors would open.

Well, I did good at first, but after a few trips to the local thrift store I soon had the camper packed full. With my knitting hobby, I have been collecting yarn to use later. And clothes, my closet is full of clothes much more than I need. Whatever happened to my three outfits only rule!?

That's not including the table behind me or the other rooms of the house where I had already put things away. I'm saying all this to say that we have no more room for stuff! And I want to keep it that way. I don't want a cluttered house. I need to learn to say no to things. I have quit shopping at the thrift store. I have everything I need plus more! I even have a huge bag I need to take to the thrift store waiting for me by the door.

I found a cool link while surfing the web at my sister's house. It was about having a minimalist home. I absolutely love the pictures on the site. When I got home, I was thumbing through some magazines my mom sent home with me. One of the articles was about a lady's addiction to garage sales and for bringing home junk that she didn't need. Junk that she ended up having to hide from her husband because she didn't have a place to put any of the stuff she was bringing home. The article was just what I needed to read.

Lord, help me to realize that my life does not consist in the abundance of things I possess.

Shoes

So, every year on my birthday I order a pair of slip on shoes from Cabela's. They are so comfy and I never have to worry about the laces becoming untied. Since we were up in Kansas City during the time of my birthday I thought I'd just head on over to the Cabela's store and buy my shoes that way. I was so excited to get a new pair since my old ones are very worn out. Holes on the bottom have been getting my socks wet when it's raining outside. Plus, I tend to drag my feet when I walk so the heels in the back are completely gone.

They were crowded as I figured for the Thanksgiving holiday. I had to ask for my shoe size and the guy would go to the back of the store and get me a pair to try on. I tried on my regular size of 9 and it was too tight. Do your feet grow after awhile? I have always been a size 9 for as long as I can remember! Well, he went back and got me a size 9 and a half. They fit better. I walked around in them a bit and while they felt tight, I figured it was because my old shoes were so worn out and floppy. I didn't give it another thought and I paid for them and left.

Well, that evening, my feet were aching but they usually get that way when I'm around my sister's hardwood floors. I used to pride myself in the fact that I could stand on my feet for hours on end with no problem, but lately, I find myself feeling very achy and sore after an hour or so.

I still didn't give it too much thought. I figured my feet would return to normal size and they would give a little and fit better.

Then the next morning when we were at church, I realized just how painful my feet felt. It felt like they were being squeezed in a vice. I ended up having to sit down during the whole singing time because of how bad I felt. The guy at Cabela's did tell me that they made the shoes cheaper this year and took out the inner padding and replaced the lining.

I really wish they would quit changing the design and just leave it the way it was when I fell in love with the shoes.

Well, we had to hurry back home on Sunday after church, otherwise I would have gone straight to Cabela's and gotten it taken care of. I decided I'm going to return them when we go to Kansas City next month. I'm sure glad I saved the receipt and box!

Now, I just need to find a new pair of shoes. Shoes are very hard for me to shop for, because my foot gets used to the one shoe I wear all year long and then when I try on anything else, it doesn't feel right. That's one reason I liked these slip on shoes. They were perfect for summer or winter and in slacks or a skirt.

I have a few ideas on where I might find my next shoes but I'll have to wait until Kansas City, as there are no stores here.

Oh happy Day!

When we got back from our trip to Kansas, I was going through the mail and happened to pick up the Walmart ad. We got the ads before we left and it never occurred to me to look through them to see what kinds of sales would be happening on Black Friday.

For some time now I've been wanting to get a small crockpot. A 2 quart sized one to be exact. Walmart had one and it was $10. It was exactly what I was wanting except I wanted it to have a warm switch. It only had a high and a low. So, I didn't get it. Then a month or two later the price went up to $12. In Olathe, I noticed that same crockpot was $16. I was so mad that I didn't get it when it was $10.

Well, leafing through the sale ads after our trip, I saw that they had some 2 quart crockpots on sale on Black Friday only for $4!!!! Not only that, but my sister had gotten me a food chopper and it was the same brand as the crockpot. They had the crockpot, food chopper, and hand mixer all for $4 each. It never occured to me to go look at the appliances when we were at Walmart that week. In fact, we went to Walmart several times in one day!

Needless to say, I was quite upset with myself for not checking the ads beforehand. I tried to tell myself that it was over and no point staying upset about it, but you know me... I couldn't let it go. I was so mad!!

We had to go to Walmart today to pick up some groceries and while we were there we looked at some of the christmas items for sale. I told Nick I ought to check to see if by chance they had any of the crockpots left. But I figured there was no way they would have it and it wouldn't be the same price anymore. I saw the aisle they might be on but I was too lazy to go and check. I went and looked once more at the $12 crockpots and thought to myself that I'd just buy that one... knowing I wouldn't be happy with it because it lacked the "warm" switch.

About this time, Nick comes up to me holding a box. Yes! It was the $4 crockpot I had been wanting!!! They were out of red, (which is what I originally wanted) but they had a few white colored ones left. I was sooooo happy!!! I looked at one of the boxes that had been previously opened and it was the exact thing I was wanting. The only thing it didn't have was some recipes in the instruction booklet, or so I thought. When I got in the car, I opened the box to make sure it was all right and found that on the last page were some recipes!!! Quite yummy sounding ones too!!!

Now, I can't wait to start using the crockpot! Yay!!!