Many of us have left our communities of origin searching for careers, love, adventure, and more. These communities traditionally supplied us with safety, comfort, and support. When we felt lonely or isolated, we could come back to our center and be soothed, understood, or supported. But this fracture is also being played out in the networks we built around us for the same visceral feeling of connection. We have had to become mobile and flexible to survive. Working from home o

If you read my blogs you already know that I am gung-ho for money-saving. I am frugal. I am a hardened "waste not, want not" gal. I bought containers to use to store food in the fridge that I could also use for reheating food in the same container, over and over again. If I'd only known then what I know now I would have just started saving containers that food comes in from the store. I did some research and learned about food containers and what those little numbers on the

I wanted to help. People were working without getting paid. People were not receiving their food benefits (SNAP). Prices of everything from utilities, fuel, and food have gone up considerably making it even more difficult to stretch that budget. It has been hard enough for me to just stand by and watch certain things take place that are not okay, but to think some of our most precious people, our children, our seniors, our Veterans, might be having to choose not to have a f

I am starting to see the possibility of accomplishment and the fulfillment of the goal. YAY!!! I am still hovering over that $40 deal for a Thanksgiving dinner. I may still do that. My closet is for sure getting a bit more organized and I do have a better idea (or at least a fresher idea) of what is in there now. I knew, but some things I had forgotten about. So doing this has done more than help me find space for things I needed to get put away somewhere. That's a good thi

Why did the scarecrow receive a Nobel prize? He was outstanding in his field. In a world often overwhelmed by challenges, it’s easy to fall into a spiral of negativity. However, cultivating a positive mindset can transform how we approach our lives and the obstacles we face. This post aims to inspire you and provide practical strategies for developing a positive outlook, especially when tackling habits like hoarding or being a pack-rat. Positive thinking isn’t about ignoring

Well that can of worms I opened spilled out into my entire office, out into my library, out into my living room, and is threatening to crawl into my kitchen. This is a most frustrating affair. Am I a hoarder and not just a pack-rat? Geez. I am trying hard to organize, sort, consolidate, re-box, re-label, donate, toss and make sense of all this stuff. This all in the hope of finding new space in that closet for stuff that needs a home that is not out in sight. Wish me luck. I

No, not literally and no, I do not eat worms. It's an expression meaning I should never have started this, said that, went there, etc. What did I do? I decided (in my campaign to downsize and clear out) to start making room in my office closet for those things I plan to hang onto and use more than what is already in there. Oh my goodness. What have I done? I am struggling big time to find things to get rid of out of there. I have many hobbies and I have supplies in there fo

I am still thinking I will order that $40 feed 10 deal for thanksgiving. I mean you get a whole turkey and 5lbs of potatoes, that's $15 right there. Then all the other stuff. But Thanksgiving is still weeks away and I plan to eat between now and then. Plus there are other things that will have to be ordered to complete the meal, like eggs for the pie. Still I think it's a good deal. If you make use of the EBT or SNAP or as I have always called them, Food Stamps, then I am ho

These are uncertain times. After years and years we finally got a healthcare system to help folks get semi-affordable health insurance with the Affordable Care Act. Many folks call it Obama Care. Some states refused to adopt it but they were required to offer something in it's place if they did not. It certainly was better than what was offered previously, which was nothing at all if your employer did not offer insurance or if you could not afford the premiums at all. Now

I fired the shots. I will no longer employ shots. They are retired involuntarily. I hate shots. So from here forward they will be called by another name, not shots. Shots are tiny little glasses filled with alcohol. No longer are shots a poke in the arm that makes your arm sore for days on end. I have decided to call this ritual 'getting armor'. Yes, cladding myself up in armor against a specific foe that might do me harm. In September I was cloaked in armor against the enem

What is marketed in the United States as “yams” are really a variety of sweet potato, grown in the South. A true yam is a starchy edible root of the Dioscorea genus, and is generally imported to America from the Caribbean. It is rough and scaly and very low in beta carotene. Yams? Sweet Potatoes? Can you tell? “Yams,” as the industry and general public perceives them, are actually sweet potatoes with a vivid orange color and a soft moist consistency when cooked. They tend to

Hey there. It's Wednesday, so today is the day I order the groceries for the coming week and all the items needed to make the goodies on the menus created yesterday, plus all the usual daily stuff. So without further adieu, here are this weeks menus: Chili and Cornbread Tilapia Fish, Air-Fryer Fries and Butter Peas Black Bean Cheeseburgers with Buns, Fixins, and Chips Chicken Fried "Steaks" , Country Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans Sausage & Peppers with Orzo and

Everybody is touting big sales on all kinds of things, from that counter-top ice maker I have been considering to that Ninja Blender I have eyeballed for a few years to blow up Halloween costumes. But beware - keep your eyes peeled because the shipping on those sale items that seem like such a great bargain is turning out to be nearly as much as the price of the item. For example that ice-maker? On sale for $37. Good price, right? Shipping on that bugger is $32. What the he

I am in a weird state of mind today. I decided (since it's cold weather and I need to do indoor things) that I would get started on my downsizing project. ie: get rid of stuff and organize what's left. I chose to start on my office closet. What a can of worms I opened there. Here I sit looking at the stuff lying on the floor that fell when I tried to remove a box full of heavy stuff. I admit I have trouble getting rid of useable items. I donate lots of stuff but I throw away

I finally broke down and dug out the sweat pants. I only have two pair and so I alternate. This time of year, where I try to transition from shorts to sweats, is a difficult time. I struggle to stay warm enough to not ache from the cold seeping into me. I turn up the heat and it costs a bunch to run that furnace, it really adds up quick, so I dress like it's only 65 degrees inside, or less. Truth be told, it is probably only 69 degrees (Fahrenheit). Sometimes the thermostat o

It seems people plan for their Holiday dinner, especially Christmas dinners way ahead of time and this year is no exception. For instance, Aldi and Walmart have already rolled out their special Thanksgiving dinner deal: feed 10 people for $40. That sounds like a great bargain to me. That's only $4 per person. (Unless of course you have Uncle Argus coming to dinner, then maybe it will only feed 5 people). I was curious, what do you get for your 40 bucks? At Walmart the bundle

I am always hungry it seems. My thinking is, that if I pig out on healthy foods then at least I won't be hurting myself, right? I am not sure that is actually correct but I have to tell myself something. So, I am trying to research why someone would feel constant, unrelenting hunger like this. Appetite is the subjective desire to eat. It drives what and how much you eat, which is necessary for survival. Your appetite is influenced by your environment, brain processes and di

My new doctor recommended an app for the smart phone called YUKA which rates various foods (and some cosmetics). It tells you what the ingredients are and for the most part, tells you why it gave that product the rating that it did. For example, it might say that it is too processed so it got a low rating, or that it has too much sodium added to it but that it's still got some good stuff so it got a medium rating. Somehow, we discovered Zoe, I cannot remember exactly how that

I have the strangest dreams sometimes. Of course, they are often illogical (thanks Spock for that), often filled with nonsense, and now and then they can be somewhat prophetic. Lately though, more than usual, the dreams are about animals. Pets I used to have, pets I would like to have, wild animals finding their way into my yard (this actually does happen) me appearing in a campsite and there appears an animal from another planet looking quite odd and acting overly friendly.

I believe. I believe in everything. Ghosts, Unicorns, Fairies, God, Elves, Leprechauns, Gremlins, Angels, Aliens, etc. I am not a believer in Karma. Just sayin'. So, I have this other blog where I talk about God and the Universe and my thoughts about that topic. If you have an interest in that sort of thing let me know and I will give you the web address via email. TreeCityStar@outlook.com Apparently, there is a new show on Netflix called "Do You Believe". I haven't check