Quiet times

Just puttering around, and working in the studio.  Had a bit of a surprise with my auto insurance.  For the last year, we've been paying "new car insurance", which means that the car is insured for $20,000, should it be written off.  We had thought that this was for the first year, but evidently it is for two years.  So my auto deduction didn't go down, but we have a little extra insurance instead.  When we worked out our budget for July, we realized that it was going to be a long, tight, month, so we decided to live out of the freezer, and then clean it out at the end of the month. ( we do this every 18-24 months--whether it needs it or not) This leads to some interesting meals, such as the necessity to eat boneless chicken breast every second day for the whole month. I'm taking the opportunity to live out of my pantry as well, which is even more interesting.  The other night we tried Chunky soup over rice again.  Now I know that there is a reason we don't eat it that way.  But I'm also trying to use up cake mixes, many of which were bought over a year ago in the States.  Maybe it's not just the new  pills that have resulted in a big weight gain over the past two weeks?  You think?

Wednesday and yesterday, David and I worked at cleaning out my thread baskets--all 24 of them, plus two full shelves.  I half filled a 5 gallon pail with discards, and filled a grocery bag with better quality thread, that just isn't going to be used by me.  That bag was to go to the thrift store, but David offered it to the lady across the back to use in her volunteer work with MaryMound.  She was pleased to get it.

I may have mentioned being very pleased and satisfied with getting all of my windows washed.  This was part of a list I made up of 24 items that I would like to see done before snowfall.  Another one was crossed off the list yesterday--cleaning all of the floor level went covers.  Making the jam perhaps should have been on the list, but wasn't.  And yes, cleaning out the freezer and pantry are actually on the list.  I figure that if we can do one or two a week, we should make the deadline. If this all makes you wonder where I'm finding my energy, you have a point.  I think the new medication is working very, very well.  It's as though I have come awake after a very long nap. It's surprising how chronic pain can weigh you down, both physically and spiritually.  At this point, I haven't taken a Tylenol since Monday--and they haven't been missed.

So, for today, I am grateful for Aleve/Motrin, someone to help me with my job list, and, unfortunately, prune juice, yet again..