Red peonies this morning before the rain shower.

     You may have noticed I took a break from writing last week.  Looking over my expenses for the month of June so far, I feel I have spent a lot. Mind you,  most money was spent on peat moss and manure, flowers and starter plants for the gardens,  and wine and cheese from the Cheese festival. They were not what I consider frivolous expenses, just a lot of spending. The cheese I bought  enhanced a lot of recipes over the last week. It was also a great price for a food item that I usually purchase.   The money put towards  the vegetable garden will pay us back in veggies during the summer and for our freezer.  It just got me wondering how I can improve my situation for next Spring. And of course, the answer is for me to make better use of resources.........like better use of my compost  and  start ALL my plants by seed.  Perhaps I could have a yard sale in the spring to pay for the extra expenses of putting in the garden. This year I was able to get these items with a gift card, but what would I have done without the benefit of such a gift, since clearly I had not budgeted ahead of time for these items. So just when you think that you are being frugal and are doing everything possible to lower costs, with a little reflection you can definitely find ways of doing things better and more cheaply. It is a constant challenge.  So I beat myself up last week and over the weekend, and now it's over. I can move on. 

      I did some yard work, made some cards, read a lot, and did some cooking ahead. Another week has gone by without having to do a grocery shopping trip...just some potatoes, sausage, hamburger and milk. And as I have explained in the past, I have my SP pick them up on his way home from Kingston or Napanee because he goes in with a list and comes straight out with the items. I am not like that, so it is best that I not be the one to do these quick "pop-ins". We save money on this one tip alone.

     I have major issues with housekeeping and time management lately, so I am clearing some of the clutter from my schedule by clearing the clutter from my work areas. I started this morning by clearing my bathroom and bedroom. I spent almost two hours upstairs. I will continue again tomorrow and the next day until it feels clean and polished and more of a refuge at the end of the day. Then I can tackle other areas in the house which just feel overwhelming to me right now. If I commit my plans to you, I will feel accountable. Hopefully.