Busy, Busy, Busy...........

So, we made it through the Arctic blast last week.  Only had water pipes freeze once. That's a plus.  Got our first real snow yesterday - roughly 4".  It looked like a real storm coming, but tapered off by lunch time.  We're supposed to get into the mid/high 30's later this week.  Hopefully it'll all melt.

BH decided he was going to get "back on the horse" today.  After taking all last week off, he's out doing chores and catching up.  Though I don't believe he's cutting wood for a while.

Been at the spinning wheel almost every morning.  I skeined, washed and "caked" the 8 1/2 bobbins of the painted/blue/copper yarn.  Ooohhhh, I'm thinking "sweater"!  Or at least a vest.  Anywho, I'm trying to finish up the mate to the pale green sock.  Going e-v-e-r s-o  s-l-o-w-l-y.  Crap.  But just keep plugging away, right?  Right.

Well, we achieved one of our New Year's resolutions and are working on another.  We opened a savings account!!  Our first!!  A real savings account.  Just for me!!  For my -- ahem -- widowhood.  Not to be touched.  Never.  Ever.  Till the time comes.

We also have a new budget in place.  We have a goal to pay off some debts in the next few years.  BH wants us to be "debtless" before anything happens to him.  So we are going to become "misers"!!  We're going to be smart.  We're going to be frugal.  We're going to "simplify" and "scale down" our life.   Ok.  I'm game.

And --- we quit smoking.  Yes.  I know.  Hey, quitting is easy ---- we've done it 6 times!  So, we'll see how long this lasts.  But I'm determined.  Being that we're now both retired, collecting Social Security, I don't intend on spending any more money on my one and only bad habit.  Not MY money!!     Adding to the savings account should give me a lot of incentive.

As part of our new budget, we've also decided on grocery shopping once a month.  Stocking up.  Of course, there will be another gallon of milk, loaf of bread or other perishables to be gotten, but the bulk will be done.  And no more looking at the shopping ads every week!  I'm a sucker for grocery sales!  No more.  Done.  I hope this works. 

We've also informed the kids that we will not be taking any unnecessary trips - i.e: meeting half way (80 miles - one way!) to pick up grandchildren to take home or delivering something you forgot.  We can no longer afford the gas money!  Hey, if they can't (which is what we hear often), then neither can we.  We are on a fixed income!!  (This was my mother's mantra for everything!  "No, I can't; we're on a fixed income"!.   That, and "I can say that if I want to; I'm a senior citizen!")

I've been trying to keep up with things around the house, keeping every thing neat and tidy.  Doing some extra laundry; washing curtains, blankets and such that smell of smoke.  Getting rid of as much of it as possible.  Hopefully, if the weather co-operates, I can open some windows this weekend.  That will definitely help!

Not bad for the first month of the year if I do say so myself! (God grant me the wisdom and strength to make it through the next 11 months!)