So, I have a reader (Hi Chris!!).
I mentioned that one of my fave gifts is nice undies. And the aforementioned reader gave me fresh undies that fit and are "on brand" as the kids say. SO nice to have some that fit and are not in tatters.
My mood is much improved in general as I had been trying to use up my supply of off brand old tattered ill fitting undies.
I went through 2022 with zero clothing purchases. Full disclosure: I got 2 bras before the start of 2022 to make sure I could do this. And 3 undies. I broke out the 2nd fresh bra just a month or so ago. The old bras are "bra shaped" but...man...not enough elasticity left to bother with most days.
So, there we go.
I have a conference coming up and while I have a pair of fishing pants with the zip off legs that are in great shape...they are also made of thin fabric that really shows when you sweat. So if I got swamp arse or otherwise sweaty at the conference, it would look like I'd had an unfortunate accident.
And ALL my jeans, well, the ones that fit, are in rough shape and faded, ripped, about to fall apart. No one sees them on zoom meetings but an inperson conference...no.
I hit a couple of thrift stores yesterday after an out of town appointment and TA DA! nearly new black jeans. "Idaho Business Casual". 7$ plus tax. This is the last thrift store in the area that hasn't raised the price to 15$ for used pants. Jeez. I grabbed them. Didn't even wait for the colored tag discount day because they were not going to stay on the rack. I will wash them this weekend during the laundromat run because this store washes the clothes before putting them out. They must use an entire box of cheap detergent on each small load because the clothes are crusty with it.
These jeans have NO SPANDEX...I think we all know how I feel about stretchy pants. Ugh!
https://simplicityandfrugality.blogspot.com/2010/10/dear-universe-get-your-spandex-out-of.html
It makes me have this disorder:
So I found one of these coffee pots:
The pic is bogarted from ebay where the person is trying to get 64$ plus crazy expensive shipping. The one I got is in better shape than the ebay one. We'll see if that one sells for that price.
I've already used it multiple times.
Protip: Turkish grind (like talcum powder) coffee is a bit fine for this pot and takes about 20 min to drip through and leaves a good quantity of sludge, but is delicious. I will try it with a proper grind size when I get some.
1) A pound of good coffee beans. I get this one often and I LOVE it. I like coffee. I like the process of making coffee rather than going out for coffee, which is also fine but not as rewarding to my aspergery brain.
2) Really good sox! Who doesn't like really nice sox? And it saves me spending on sox. I give and get these.
3) Complete cookie mix in a jar. I like to give this when I can get ahold of powdered egg and dry milk powder (the full fat kind) if required.. Powdered egg is gross if you try to fry it but for baking JUST FINE. When I can get that, the cookie mix usually just needs a bit of oil or butter and some water. People love it. Layer it up in a jar so the various ingredients contrast in stripes or wedges. Then fill the remaining space with candies or chocolate chips or whatever wrapped in a bit of plastic wrap. Put the lid on. I make a tag with the recipe, including a list of all ingredients, and tie that on with a bit of ribbon. Old christmas cards make nice tags. Just cut the front off and either cut out the santa/angel/other-featured-element, or use it whole.
4) Homemade jams, jellies, canned goods (if you trust the person who canned them!). GIVE THE JARS BACK with the bands.
5) Dried fruits and mushrooms. I get these and I like it. They are home dried by a relative and are super handy as shelf stable food. The mushrooms work really well in soups and casseroles. If I put them in water for a bit, then blot dry, they can go in omelets.
6) Any other homemade product. I make mustard with no sugar or salt so it is keto/diabetes/glutenfree/lowsodium diet friendly.
7) Undies! In college one of my favorite aunts always sent me nice undies for christmas. As I was chronically broke, my undies would get a bit tatty and I'd just keep wearing them until you didn't know which was the leg hole and which was just a hole. I kind of miss getting undies...(cough cough...jockey's for her hipsters size 6
8) Grocery store gift card! I gave this to a young friend when he was in college and he was GIDDY. It was from a discount grocer so he really made it stretch and was able.
9) Handcrocheted throw from a friend now deceased. She also made me an appliqued blanket from a cheap furniture blanket and felt cut outs with scenes from my life. Awesome!
10) A cartoon alphabet similar to Edward Gorey style I got as a graduation gift YEARS ago and still love. It has a scene for every letter, a rhyming phrase under each picture. Composed and drawn by my broke-ass college friends.
11) Wine glasses with beaded skirts. I was broke...but wanted to give a good gift so I found some affordable but nice wine glasses and beaded tiny skirts on them. I think they might still be in use and it was a good 30 years ago that I made them.
I'm fine-tuning the budget. As one does when prices go up.
Beyond tracking my grocery budget, which is at or below the "thrifty" level of the USDA food cost thingy.
https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/media/file/CostofFoodSep2022Thrifty.pdf
For one old chick: 51-70 years $51.30/week $222.50/month.
I thought I could do better. I have in the past.
So, I did a couple of things.
In the grocery budget, I made a subheading for spending called "crap" meaning candy, industrial kombucha, sugary treats at the farmers market. Stuff I can live without or make myself.
In October the "crap" category was about 27% of the spending! That's about 50$ last month of my actual spend at the grocery store and farmers market. Without that 50$ of crap, I had plenty of nutrition and calories and variety. If I repurpose even 1/2 that amount into DIY treats or some local meat that will be a better option. Cooking treats at home with the honey/cocoa/etc I have in stock is not "crap", for the record.
We'll see if I manage that this month. The only trip to a grocery store this month I spent 3$ on crap! Granted, it was a good deal for what I got, really high quality dark chocolate, but I did not need it. Damn that discount grocery store.
Also apparently, the Red Cross tested me for antibodies when I donated blood in May of this year. They had stopped the antibody testing ages ago. I didn't realize they had re-started for a short time to find "convalescent plasma" donor options. I think they aren't testing again...
ANYWAY...I was booking or rebooking an appointment for the future and was looking through my old vitals and whatnot from past appointments because, why not. I have great blood pressure and sometimes my heart rate is so low they have to call HQ for permission to drain my blood. They say things like "no, she's fine, just calm" or "I guess she meditates" and then they can do it.
On the May appointment record was also a covid antibody test that said "Reactive +"
When one has the vaccine and an immune response to it, you get "Reactive" but no "+". So I looked that up! I had enough antibodies for convalescent plasma donations (to help those who are sick).
You have to have "had" the disease or at least mounted a major immune response to it.
I had tested my nose several times through spring before travel or when I was seeing someone with a compromised immune system. And in the spring when I sneezed once and once when I was tired on a Friday. All negative. Interesting.
As far as I know, I didn't infect anyone fragile! I hope!! There was a time when everyone at work but me and another woman were out sick. She also has "never had" the 'rona. But people she lives with have had it multiple times.
Probably she and I had those no-symptom cases I've heard about. I figured I would be one who had that but was also enjoying that I might be the LAST person to get it. Guess not!
I'm fairly glad to know I've had it. More immune having had vaccine and the disease than either one alone and I've had my vaccines. And a booster. Cool.
In much much sadder news...Loretta Lynn died today.
Here are links to a couple of songs that were banned from radio and something more recent:
Rated X about divorced women being treated poorly
The Pill...about birth control and how important that is:
And something she did with Jack White because...why not!
RIP Loretta.
