Now, It's Christmas Eve and I'm not going anywhere today. I was out to get a couple of specific things at a store but ended up in 2 shopping center parking lots and two grocery parking lots driving around looking for parking places. Dangerous these lot on the week before christmas! I picked up one thing at Safeway to make my sald for donna's house on christmas Day.
I always feel like the world takes a Time Out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for a couple of days of peace and safety.
Merry Christmas and S and I are off to Donna and Steve's for christmas dinner. :)
Peaxce to All, shamba
Dec 17th Notes:
Well, what a wonderful day for effective government news! NOT!
The whole health care reform bill in its present form might as well be thrown out and started over again. That’s the Feds.
The AZ state legislature had its 4th—4TH!—special session to fix the 2010 budget and nothun’ absolutely nothing happened today.
By the time they get in session in January and go to July, or longer, they will have twice as much budget deficit to fix for the 2011 budget and whatever is leftover from the 2010 budget.
My point in mentioning this at this blog is not to keep to keep track of what the feds and stat leg are doing in detail and how they’re ineffective at the moment. It’s only to provide a fell for the times we’re living in.
I feel so much cognitive dissonance, or head splitting, from looking at reality two ways. The way it has been, the way it’s going and what I see and sense coming round the bend. The past two years have brought the two sides closer and closer, perhaps this is the year they somehow connect? We’re just right at the edge of finding ourselves in worse circumstances than any of us, Americans, I mean, thought we’d ever “devolve” to in post-World war II America.
shamba.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
A Few Less Things to take my energy
Rain and dark clouds this afternoon.
For some reason, I was moved to empty the cabinet over the refrigerator. My finds were various: 5 old coffee makers glass carafes, some baskets, various containers, a Christmas Plastic plate I’ve hardly ever used. I also took some of the ornamental cats made from rabbit fur from the computer room and several of the smaller stuffed animals I’m not attached to for passing on to someone else. Everything but the stuffed animals was bagged for Goodwill. Two dress jackets in good condition were bagged for going to Sal Army or Goodwill. The animals are in another box waiting for me to inspect them.
Remaining animals move from the table next to the computer to my bedroom with some other stuffed animals.
I have a lot of room now in the cabinet over the fridge and less cluttered look to my one terribly cluttered room.
shamba
For some reason, I was moved to empty the cabinet over the refrigerator. My finds were various: 5 old coffee makers glass carafes, some baskets, various containers, a Christmas Plastic plate I’ve hardly ever used. I also took some of the ornamental cats made from rabbit fur from the computer room and several of the smaller stuffed animals I’m not attached to for passing on to someone else. Everything but the stuffed animals was bagged for Goodwill. Two dress jackets in good condition were bagged for going to Sal Army or Goodwill. The animals are in another box waiting for me to inspect them.
Remaining animals move from the table next to the computer to my bedroom with some other stuffed animals.
I have a lot of room now in the cabinet over the fridge and less cluttered look to my one terribly cluttered room.
shamba
Saturday, December 12, 2009
I lost some produce in the past few days but not much. Two pears were hiding in the back of a fridge shelf and died there :), some arugala didn't make it to cooking.
I dehydrated a bunch of green beans I'd gotten but then I intended to do that with them anyway so there was no risk of any of them going to waste.
I cooked two turkey legs on some greens, kale, onions and some parsley and seasonings. The greens were okay but i wasn't fond of the turkey legs. I loved those when i was a kid maybe it was just the way it tasted that particular day.. Anyway the cats were very grateful for the turkey meat! If I hadn't given it to the cats, I would have done some casserole thing with pasta, veggies and baking the whole thing.
This challenge has been worth doing and a longer one can teach you how well you can do with things over a longer stretch of time.
Risa, about the almond roca...lol!
May all of you have a good weekend and don't let the holiday crazies get to you. Two weeks till chrismas and it all begins to press in on you!.
Peace to all,
Shamba
I dehydrated a bunch of green beans I'd gotten but then I intended to do that with them anyway so there was no risk of any of them going to waste.
I cooked two turkey legs on some greens, kale, onions and some parsley and seasonings. The greens were okay but i wasn't fond of the turkey legs. I loved those when i was a kid maybe it was just the way it tasted that particular day.. Anyway the cats were very grateful for the turkey meat! If I hadn't given it to the cats, I would have done some casserole thing with pasta, veggies and baking the whole thing.
This challenge has been worth doing and a longer one can teach you how well you can do with things over a longer stretch of time.
Risa, about the almond roca...lol!
May all of you have a good weekend and don't let the holiday crazies get to you. Two weeks till chrismas and it all begins to press in on you!.
Peace to all,
Shamba
Sunday, December 6, 2009
December 6
Alas! My neighbor Sue is moving out by the end of the month. She hopes to purchase a house on her own since prices are so good these days. She will keep her condo as a rental—many crossed fingers there! She says she couldn’t sell it as lenders aren’t lending to sell condos! I didn’t’ realize that.
Our complex has two units for sale, no. 11 (149,000) and no. 35 (125,000) are both asking for over 100,000! No. 35 has been for sale since nov. 2008 and they have not changed their price at all in the past year. Our units are about 800 square feet on ground level with good sized bedrooms and back and front patios. Even at the height of the real estate boom here they might not have sold for that much.
She hopes to purchase a house on her own since prices are so good these days. She's in her late 30s and wants more room. She will keep her condo as a rental—many crossed fingers there! She says she couldn’t sell it as lenders aren’t lending to sell condos at all. I didn’t realize that was happening.
All I could think of was, I hope it works for her but I wonder given how things are going to be in the next few years.
:(
Peace to me today, Shamba
Our complex has two units for sale, no. 11 (149,000) and no. 35 (125,000) are both asking for over 100,000! No. 35 has been for sale since nov. 2008 and they have not changed their price at all in the past year. Our units are about 800 square feet on ground level with good sized bedrooms and back and front patios. Even at the height of the real estate boom here they might not have sold for that much.
She hopes to purchase a house on her own since prices are so good these days. She's in her late 30s and wants more room. She will keep her condo as a rental—many crossed fingers there! She says she couldn’t sell it as lenders aren’t lending to sell condos at all. I didn’t realize that was happening.
All I could think of was, I hope it works for her but I wonder given how things are going to be in the next few years.
:(
Peace to me today, Shamba
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Dec 3 Food related post
I had some leftover green beans, some kale, celery of which some was about to go under (!) so I threw them in a pot with some chicken broth--not home made--and made a pretty decent soup out of it. I have enough of it for about two more meals.
I hadn't made soup with greens and it smelled okay and tasted okay but I just generally don't like cooked greens--limp and wierd looking. :) But it was okay!
Once upon a time I would have just looked, thought "Meh!" and tossed the bunch.
I'm trying to decide if I'm going to use the solar oven to cooke something in the next few days. I haven't decided what's next yet to be cooked now that the leftover cycle from last cooking time is about done.
Peace,
shamba
I hadn't made soup with greens and it smelled okay and tasted okay but I just generally don't like cooked greens--limp and wierd looking. :) But it was okay!
Once upon a time I would have just looked, thought "Meh!" and tossed the bunch.
I'm trying to decide if I'm going to use the solar oven to cooke something in the next few days. I haven't decided what's next yet to be cooked now that the leftover cycle from last cooking time is about done.
Peace,
shamba
December 3
I wanted to post this for my own record of how things are going here and also I may look back at this from a later perspective. I did that with some of the days of the stock market crash in 2008. This is one article with the proper link to give credit for it and a link or two more.
Annual economic forecast in Phornix –State economy in worst shape in like since my whole lifetime (!) 59 years. We won't reach pre-recession employment levels anyway, levels until 2014. Like the guy on Channel 12 news said, It’s a long climb back up.
Its important to note that this is economic/financial. Peak Oil/Peak Energy/Peak Everything is NOT figured into this situation.
http://asunews.asu.edu/20091202_business_economicforecastluncheon
2010 forecasts revealed at annual Economic Forecast Luncheon
Arizona is slowly moving down a long road to economic recovery, according to experts today at the 46th Annual Economic Forecast Luncheon co-sponsored by Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business and JPMorgan Chase. More than 1,000 people crowded into the Phoenix Convention Center to hear whether tough times will soon be over, and the 2010 forecast news was not pleasant.
"Arizona consumers and businesses are in the state's worst economic downturn, by far, in modern times," said Professor Lee McPheters, director of the W. P. Carey School of Business' JPMorgan Chase Economic Outlook Center. "In fact, 2009 saw the first personal income decline for Arizonans since records have been kept. Personal income for the year may be down as much as 2 percent."
McPheters says Arizona lost more than 240,000 jobs over the past two years. He expects the state to lose another 24,300 jobs next year. Arizona was officially the worst state in the nation for job growth between October 2008 and October 2009, with an unemployment rate reaching 9.3 percent this October. McPheters, who is also editor of the Arizona and Western Blue Chip Economic Forecast publications, does not expect to see the state return to 2007 job levels until 2013.
He adds the holidays won't bring much economic cheer. Retail sales for the year in Arizona are expected to be 10 to 15 percent lower in 2009 than 2008. In addition, McPheters says state budget problems will persist because of less tax revenue coming in, less population growth than previous downturns, and mandatory spending dedicated to designated programs through legally protected formulas.
On the national front, Anthony Chan, managing director and chief economist for JPMorgan Chase Private Client Services, had similar negative news. He explained that since 1954, real gross domestic product (GDP) growth has averaged about 5.8 percent in the first four quarters of economic recovery, but a number of factors indicate we won't see a boost like that after this recession.
"Americans' household wealth has plunged by an average of about $5,000, and people are also saving more, so we are not likely to experience the level of consumer spending that usually helps to lead us out of recession," Chan says.
However, he added there are a few good signs on the horizon. He says companies are contributing to fixed investments to improve their productivity and profits as the economy recovers. During the third quarter of 2009, the preliminary real GDP was up 0.9 percent, and inventories are likely to grow from there. He also says the government is determined to avoid a double-dip recession, so it will probably contribute 0.2 to 0.3 percent toward real GDP growth next year.
"We can still come out with a real GDP growth rate that lies within 2 to 2.5 percent," says Chan. "While such growth is unlikely to close the current negative output gap, it is likely we will continue to build momentum over the next several calendar quarters."
The real estate and construction forecast included some positive news only from the single-family home market. Elliott D. Pollack, chief executive officer of the well-known Scottsdale firm Elliott D. Pollack and Company, says local housing prices have finally flattened out, and multiple listing prices are up 11.7 percent since they hit bottom in April. However, there are more than 50,000 units now in the foreclosure process in Maricopa County, with more foreclosures on the way. Pollack believes there were 80,000 excess single-family homes and condo units in the market as of 2009's second quarter.
"Unfortunately, it appears a high percentage of resales have been purchased by investors," says Pollack. "Up to 40 percent of homes purchased in August, for example, were bought by ‘absentee owners,' meaning many of them are likely to go back on the market in the next two years. While I do believe Phoenix will grow again, we could easily have to wait until 2013 or 2014."
Things are even worse in the commercial market, according to Pollack. He says apartment vacancies could exceed 13 to 14 percent at the peak. Office vacancies will reach their highest level ever next year, exceeding 27 percent. Industrial vacancy rates could reach or equal the all-time-high vacancy seen in the Valley in 1986.
"Overall, based on history, it could take a decade before prices get back to the 2008 peaks," says Pollack. "What this suggests is that the overall level of commercial building, which is already down significantly, will come to a screeching halt next year. From an economic development standpoint, the situation could be a positive because a large amount of inexpensive space will be available for companies that want to expand or move here."
More details and analysis, including slides from the luncheon presentations, are available at http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu.
And, second thing I wanted to post. I liked this idea from a blog I read regularly. It was a few months ago and it was called Time for a Consumption Strike. Looks like Denninger’s (market-ticker.denninger.net) consumption strike will be a permanent way to live:
"....Until then the position of those who wish to join is simple: No non-essential purchases of anything are made. Period.
What's an essential purchase? Here's the list:
Enough food to eat at home. No more eating out.
Rent and utilities.
Essential medical services.
Enough fuel to get to and from work.
In addition any "excess withholding" is stopped; if you are getting a big fat refund from the IRS every year you are loaning the government your money at zero interest until April. Stop that; it’s stupid. Change your W4 so you get exactly nothing back or owe a tiny amount; if you pay estimates pay only that which you must and not one dime more.
Note that it is unlawful to use your W4 to intentionally under-withhold, but you are in fact not obligated to pay one more dime in tax than you actually owe. There is nothing wrong with adjusting withholding to match (as close as you reasonably can) your actual tax obligation.
Put the money you save (it will be a lot!) into a non-TARP Credit Union if you have one available to you, or a non-TARP local bank if you do not. Spend none of it."
Peace to all, Shamba
Annual economic forecast in Phornix –State economy in worst shape in like since my whole lifetime (!) 59 years. We won't reach pre-recession employment levels anyway, levels until 2014. Like the guy on Channel 12 news said, It’s a long climb back up.
Its important to note that this is economic/financial. Peak Oil/Peak Energy/Peak Everything is NOT figured into this situation.
http://asunews.asu.edu/20091202_business_economicforecastluncheon
2010 forecasts revealed at annual Economic Forecast Luncheon
Arizona is slowly moving down a long road to economic recovery, according to experts today at the 46th Annual Economic Forecast Luncheon co-sponsored by Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business and JPMorgan Chase. More than 1,000 people crowded into the Phoenix Convention Center to hear whether tough times will soon be over, and the 2010 forecast news was not pleasant.
"Arizona consumers and businesses are in the state's worst economic downturn, by far, in modern times," said Professor Lee McPheters, director of the W. P. Carey School of Business' JPMorgan Chase Economic Outlook Center. "In fact, 2009 saw the first personal income decline for Arizonans since records have been kept. Personal income for the year may be down as much as 2 percent."
McPheters says Arizona lost more than 240,000 jobs over the past two years. He expects the state to lose another 24,300 jobs next year. Arizona was officially the worst state in the nation for job growth between October 2008 and October 2009, with an unemployment rate reaching 9.3 percent this October. McPheters, who is also editor of the Arizona and Western Blue Chip Economic Forecast publications, does not expect to see the state return to 2007 job levels until 2013.
He adds the holidays won't bring much economic cheer. Retail sales for the year in Arizona are expected to be 10 to 15 percent lower in 2009 than 2008. In addition, McPheters says state budget problems will persist because of less tax revenue coming in, less population growth than previous downturns, and mandatory spending dedicated to designated programs through legally protected formulas.
On the national front, Anthony Chan, managing director and chief economist for JPMorgan Chase Private Client Services, had similar negative news. He explained that since 1954, real gross domestic product (GDP) growth has averaged about 5.8 percent in the first four quarters of economic recovery, but a number of factors indicate we won't see a boost like that after this recession.
"Americans' household wealth has plunged by an average of about $5,000, and people are also saving more, so we are not likely to experience the level of consumer spending that usually helps to lead us out of recession," Chan says.
However, he added there are a few good signs on the horizon. He says companies are contributing to fixed investments to improve their productivity and profits as the economy recovers. During the third quarter of 2009, the preliminary real GDP was up 0.9 percent, and inventories are likely to grow from there. He also says the government is determined to avoid a double-dip recession, so it will probably contribute 0.2 to 0.3 percent toward real GDP growth next year.
"We can still come out with a real GDP growth rate that lies within 2 to 2.5 percent," says Chan. "While such growth is unlikely to close the current negative output gap, it is likely we will continue to build momentum over the next several calendar quarters."
The real estate and construction forecast included some positive news only from the single-family home market. Elliott D. Pollack, chief executive officer of the well-known Scottsdale firm Elliott D. Pollack and Company, says local housing prices have finally flattened out, and multiple listing prices are up 11.7 percent since they hit bottom in April. However, there are more than 50,000 units now in the foreclosure process in Maricopa County, with more foreclosures on the way. Pollack believes there were 80,000 excess single-family homes and condo units in the market as of 2009's second quarter.
"Unfortunately, it appears a high percentage of resales have been purchased by investors," says Pollack. "Up to 40 percent of homes purchased in August, for example, were bought by ‘absentee owners,' meaning many of them are likely to go back on the market in the next two years. While I do believe Phoenix will grow again, we could easily have to wait until 2013 or 2014."
Things are even worse in the commercial market, according to Pollack. He says apartment vacancies could exceed 13 to 14 percent at the peak. Office vacancies will reach their highest level ever next year, exceeding 27 percent. Industrial vacancy rates could reach or equal the all-time-high vacancy seen in the Valley in 1986.
"Overall, based on history, it could take a decade before prices get back to the 2008 peaks," says Pollack. "What this suggests is that the overall level of commercial building, which is already down significantly, will come to a screeching halt next year. From an economic development standpoint, the situation could be a positive because a large amount of inexpensive space will be available for companies that want to expand or move here."
More details and analysis, including slides from the luncheon presentations, are available at http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu.
And, second thing I wanted to post. I liked this idea from a blog I read regularly. It was a few months ago and it was called Time for a Consumption Strike. Looks like Denninger’s (market-ticker.denninger.net) consumption strike will be a permanent way to live:
"....Until then the position of those who wish to join is simple: No non-essential purchases of anything are made. Period.
What's an essential purchase? Here's the list:
Enough food to eat at home. No more eating out.
Rent and utilities.
Essential medical services.
Enough fuel to get to and from work.
In addition any "excess withholding" is stopped; if you are getting a big fat refund from the IRS every year you are loaning the government your money at zero interest until April. Stop that; it’s stupid. Change your W4 so you get exactly nothing back or owe a tiny amount; if you pay estimates pay only that which you must and not one dime more.
Note that it is unlawful to use your W4 to intentionally under-withhold, but you are in fact not obligated to pay one more dime in tax than you actually owe. There is nothing wrong with adjusting withholding to match (as close as you reasonably can) your actual tax obligation.
Put the money you save (it will be a lot!) into a non-TARP Credit Union if you have one available to you, or a non-TARP local bank if you do not. Spend none of it."
Peace to all, Shamba
Sunday, November 29, 2009
November 29
I dehydrated the green beans and bell peppers that I got at the farmer’s market last week. I certainly couldn’t have used them up with all my other produce this week.
Thanksgiving: Turkey meat loaf today. There’s asparagus, kale and arugala for green veggies to choose from and pumpkin pie—my made with an organic pie filling—and well, I don’t know what else yet. I do have two sweet potatoes that would be great roasted, too.
S. is using the day as her day off and she does have to go back to work on Friday. She stopped by later on Thanksgiving and we had some pie together. She loves the taste of the dehydrated red sweet peppers and the dehydrated tomatoes.
No more dehydrated veggies, I ate the rest of them up the day after Thanksgiving!
Moved the herbs to the front porch. They’ll get the sun they should have there until about march or so.
Going now to bake some bread, not breadk that has to be kneaded though. right arm and shoulder are improving a lot. Injuries get old fast!
Peace, shamba
Thanksgiving: Turkey meat loaf today. There’s asparagus, kale and arugala for green veggies to choose from and pumpkin pie—my made with an organic pie filling—and well, I don’t know what else yet. I do have two sweet potatoes that would be great roasted, too.
S. is using the day as her day off and she does have to go back to work on Friday. She stopped by later on Thanksgiving and we had some pie together. She loves the taste of the dehydrated red sweet peppers and the dehydrated tomatoes.
No more dehydrated veggies, I ate the rest of them up the day after Thanksgiving!
Moved the herbs to the front porch. They’ll get the sun they should have there until about march or so.
Going now to bake some bread, not breadk that has to be kneaded though. right arm and shoulder are improving a lot. Injuries get old fast!
Peace, shamba
Saturday, November 14, 2009
November Days Catchup
Nice, cooler weather after a couple of 90 days the past week of so. I've been doing okay with my challenge but I haven’t written anything at all my blog for several days.
Also, when measuring something in my back patio a weekend ago--wall height in one place--I slipped and banged my right shoulder and elbow against the wall. Nothing broken! I was really afraid of some serious injury beyond strain or sprain. I went to urgent Care to have it checked out. They gave me some "nice' pain pills to take to help me sleep since the first 3-4 days were pretty painful and brused all over, er, I was bruised all over the right side. But my arm and shoulder have been improving every day. I used Arnica montana all over where anything hurt and also had some Arnica montana to take for internal use. The moist heat packs they suggested have also been very helpful-3 times a day for 20 minutes.
I've been careful with the right arm but I think it's going to be okay now.
Crooked Sky Farms provides a CSA locally and I think I'm signing up right after the holidays.
I'll have to get a copy of their contract.
My container herbs are growing like hotcakes.
For challenge about 10 days ago:
I pulled all the leftover veggies out of the fridge, onions, sweet potatoes, two red potatoes, 1 russet potato, 3 parsnips, 1 acorn squash, a forlorn turnip and tomato.
The last of fresh cilantro which wasn't going to make it at all.
The cilantro went to garbage, I had used most of it and I want to get a cilantro plant.
One russet potato, 1 red potato, the small sweet potatoes, the turnip, one parsnip and two onions went into a roasting pan with olive oil & thyme and oregano and all got roasted.
I haven't baked sweet potatoes before but not been fond of the whole thing but roasted they are really good!
Anyway all those roasted veggies were extremely tasty and got eaten up in a day.
The other potatoes and parsnips and one large onion got put in a savory Indian spices dish with some canned peas (didn't have any frozen) cumin, turmeric, coriander and chili powder. I'm trying to use more of these spices but I really wasn't sure about this recipe at all but when it was finished cooking it was pretty good over rice. This recipe used up some rice I need to be using up, too.
Peace to all,
Shamba
November 2,
Had lunch with B. today. She thinks that we’ll just scrape by in the economy for at least 3-4 years. She’s quite disgusted the way the whole thing has gone and the government saying these chipper things when there is nothing to be chipper about. She did say no to a depression but looked glum in talking about the whole thing altogether.
I actually went through all my emails in my two accounts, with various personas, and cleaned them all out. whatta job! I get a lot less junk mail than I used to but still there's plenty. I need to unsubscribe from some more lists.
Other outside world news in the past month:
In 2-3 years no more oil from Mexico …
Depletion rate in oil producing countries are faster than anticipated, too
Great recession has cut down on demand, oil prices 147 in July 2008 and then went down to $30 a barrel within 6-8 months and now has come up since summer 2009 now is at around $80 a barrel.
Gas prices are creeping up but are still about mid $2-$3 range after coming way down in fall 2008 as the price of oil fell.
If the economy starts to grow a bit, the price of crude will probably go up! Catch-22!
peace, shamba
Also, when measuring something in my back patio a weekend ago--wall height in one place--I slipped and banged my right shoulder and elbow against the wall. Nothing broken! I was really afraid of some serious injury beyond strain or sprain. I went to urgent Care to have it checked out. They gave me some "nice' pain pills to take to help me sleep since the first 3-4 days were pretty painful and brused all over, er, I was bruised all over the right side. But my arm and shoulder have been improving every day. I used Arnica montana all over where anything hurt and also had some Arnica montana to take for internal use. The moist heat packs they suggested have also been very helpful-3 times a day for 20 minutes.
I've been careful with the right arm but I think it's going to be okay now.
Crooked Sky Farms provides a CSA locally and I think I'm signing up right after the holidays.
I'll have to get a copy of their contract.
My container herbs are growing like hotcakes.
For challenge about 10 days ago:
I pulled all the leftover veggies out of the fridge, onions, sweet potatoes, two red potatoes, 1 russet potato, 3 parsnips, 1 acorn squash, a forlorn turnip and tomato.
The last of fresh cilantro which wasn't going to make it at all.
The cilantro went to garbage, I had used most of it and I want to get a cilantro plant.
One russet potato, 1 red potato, the small sweet potatoes, the turnip, one parsnip and two onions went into a roasting pan with olive oil & thyme and oregano and all got roasted.
I haven't baked sweet potatoes before but not been fond of the whole thing but roasted they are really good!
Anyway all those roasted veggies were extremely tasty and got eaten up in a day.
The other potatoes and parsnips and one large onion got put in a savory Indian spices dish with some canned peas (didn't have any frozen) cumin, turmeric, coriander and chili powder. I'm trying to use more of these spices but I really wasn't sure about this recipe at all but when it was finished cooking it was pretty good over rice. This recipe used up some rice I need to be using up, too.
Peace to all,
Shamba
November 2,
Had lunch with B. today. She thinks that we’ll just scrape by in the economy for at least 3-4 years. She’s quite disgusted the way the whole thing has gone and the government saying these chipper things when there is nothing to be chipper about. She did say no to a depression but looked glum in talking about the whole thing altogether.
I actually went through all my emails in my two accounts, with various personas, and cleaned them all out. whatta job! I get a lot less junk mail than I used to but still there's plenty. I need to unsubscribe from some more lists.
Other outside world news in the past month:
In 2-3 years no more oil from Mexico …
Depletion rate in oil producing countries are faster than anticipated, too
Great recession has cut down on demand, oil prices 147 in July 2008 and then went down to $30 a barrel within 6-8 months and now has come up since summer 2009 now is at around $80 a barrel.
Gas prices are creeping up but are still about mid $2-$3 range after coming way down in fall 2008 as the price of oil fell.
If the economy starts to grow a bit, the price of crude will probably go up! Catch-22!
peace, shamba
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
News from past few days
October 27th:
In the spirit of taking “extras” into the household in these hard times, it seems I have a few weeks old pretty grey and white kitten in my cat household now! He/she can’t be more than 4-5-6 weeks and seems just a little too young to be away from a mother although it can eat adult cat food and small bites of filet mignon cut up especially for it :)
He kept running to all of my adult cats trying to find his mom and an adult cat to bond with. It seems that my orange Kirby is who he picked. Kirby doesn’t seem afraid of him and tolerates him eating in the same dish he does. The others don’t seem very happy with this or don’t know what to make of it. The little guy cries and runs to the adults for comfort.
He was stuck in a tree in front of my neighbors place yesterday and made his way down the tree fine though when I left him alone. He can’t have been around for more than a day or two. But he knows now where food and a soft fleecy place to sleep are —he moved into the “winterized” cat digs. He may not be a complete stranger to people and may come around to being tamed a little more. As it is now I couldn’t catch him without a trap and the animal places are so full of animals these days although kittens and pretty cats probably have a chance. I can’t think about that too much.
October 26th: Cleaned up the cat’s porch today, scrubbed everything with water/soap/bleach and put down new cat bedding material for cold nights which are coming along about Wednesday this week. Daytimes will drop into the 60s midweek and that means nighttime temps in the 40s.
Homelessness in Arizona is worse than it’s ever been before, on the local news tonight. It has occurred to me that from here on out, if we slide downward economically it will be something that few people functioning in society today in the US will recognize or have too much experience with. Not a happy thought. If t we don’t have jobs for people, we’ll have a lot of unemployed in various degrees of homeless, hungry, sick with chronic illnesses.
October 24th-25th:
Half a can of tomato sauce and the rest of the diced tomatoes go into the chicken dinner tonight. I can’t remember why I have the leftover diced tomatoes. Used up a frozen pizza dough I forgot I had it wasn’t past date so I used it for a very simple pizza, tomato sauce and sundried tomatoes. I added some dried sweet peppers. It was okay.
Housing all over the country to go down more in value, according to this Yahoo link.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Homes-About-to-get-much-cnnm-699910894.html?x=0&ref=patrick.net
I quote the part about Phoenix in particular, since I live there.
“ In Phoenix values have already collapsed by 54% and could fall another 23.4%. In both cities, Fiserv anticipates the losses to continue into 2011, but they will be less than 5%.”
That adds up to: 82.4% I just added the whole 5%.
Pretty close to Ilargi and Stoneleighs general prediction about devaluation of residential real estate and within 5 years from the peak to the trough of the market. I ‘m thinking of 2006 to 2011 as the peak to trough years.
Peace, shamba
In the spirit of taking “extras” into the household in these hard times, it seems I have a few weeks old pretty grey and white kitten in my cat household now! He/she can’t be more than 4-5-6 weeks and seems just a little too young to be away from a mother although it can eat adult cat food and small bites of filet mignon cut up especially for it :)
He kept running to all of my adult cats trying to find his mom and an adult cat to bond with. It seems that my orange Kirby is who he picked. Kirby doesn’t seem afraid of him and tolerates him eating in the same dish he does. The others don’t seem very happy with this or don’t know what to make of it. The little guy cries and runs to the adults for comfort.
He was stuck in a tree in front of my neighbors place yesterday and made his way down the tree fine though when I left him alone. He can’t have been around for more than a day or two. But he knows now where food and a soft fleecy place to sleep are —he moved into the “winterized” cat digs. He may not be a complete stranger to people and may come around to being tamed a little more. As it is now I couldn’t catch him without a trap and the animal places are so full of animals these days although kittens and pretty cats probably have a chance. I can’t think about that too much.
October 26th: Cleaned up the cat’s porch today, scrubbed everything with water/soap/bleach and put down new cat bedding material for cold nights which are coming along about Wednesday this week. Daytimes will drop into the 60s midweek and that means nighttime temps in the 40s.
Homelessness in Arizona is worse than it’s ever been before, on the local news tonight. It has occurred to me that from here on out, if we slide downward economically it will be something that few people functioning in society today in the US will recognize or have too much experience with. Not a happy thought. If t we don’t have jobs for people, we’ll have a lot of unemployed in various degrees of homeless, hungry, sick with chronic illnesses.
October 24th-25th:
Half a can of tomato sauce and the rest of the diced tomatoes go into the chicken dinner tonight. I can’t remember why I have the leftover diced tomatoes. Used up a frozen pizza dough I forgot I had it wasn’t past date so I used it for a very simple pizza, tomato sauce and sundried tomatoes. I added some dried sweet peppers. It was okay.
Housing all over the country to go down more in value, according to this Yahoo link.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Homes-About-to-get-much-cnnm-699910894.html?x=0&ref=patrick.net
I quote the part about Phoenix in particular, since I live there.
“ In Phoenix values have already collapsed by 54% and could fall another 23.4%. In both cities, Fiserv anticipates the losses to continue into 2011, but they will be less than 5%.”
That adds up to: 82.4% I just added the whole 5%.
Pretty close to Ilargi and Stoneleighs general prediction about devaluation of residential real estate and within 5 years from the peak to the trough of the market. I ‘m thinking of 2006 to 2011 as the peak to trough years.
Peace, shamba
Friday, October 23, 2009
Heads Up, Oct. 23, 2009
Financial Economic News Below:
Here's a Big Heads Up by Karl Denninger at His Market ticker web site:
Friday, October 23. 2009
Posted by Karl Denninger in Musings at 11:55
Possible Credit Dislocation: Be Warned
http://market-ticker.denninger.net/authors/2-Karl-Denninger
I hope that's the right link to the article.
He uses some language that is very similar to the data Cliff High reports: “money lock up”
“Note that the indications above are far stronger than what we saw going into last fall before the wheels came off. As a consequence if these actions are those of people with real knowledge (and this is not a guess on their part) I would expect the outcome to be worse than what we saw last fall in terms of economic impact.”
Another vip link, I haven't read this webssite before: :
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2009/10/is-fed-governor-hinting-at-stock-market.html
''Is a Fed Governor Hinting at a Stock Market Crash Just Ahead?
Sounds like it to me.
These are truly remarkable words coming from inside the Federal Reserve. Reuters has the details:
U.S. Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh on Tuesday called gains in Asian and U.S. stocks noteworthy and wondered whether those increases signal a return to financial normality after a wrenching crisis or raise the prospects for asset bubbles.
Stock markets in a number of Asian economies have posted hefty gains in recent months, Warsh said while moderating a panel at an Asia economic policy conference hosted by the San Francisco Federal Reserve.
"This is a remarkable move, certainly the U.S. has also seen a remarkable increase in asset values," he said
This is as close to a warning as you are ever going to get from a Fed governor ''
Worse than last fall Denninger implies.
I wish I could just go take my money out of the CU and put it somewhere else, except that there isn't somewhere else? I'd wonder about treasuries at this point.
*sigh* shamba
Here's a Big Heads Up by Karl Denninger at His Market ticker web site:
Friday, October 23. 2009
Posted by Karl Denninger in Musings at 11:55
Possible Credit Dislocation: Be Warned
http://market-ticker.denninger.net/authors/2-Karl-Denninger
I hope that's the right link to the article.
He uses some language that is very similar to the data Cliff High reports: “money lock up”
“Note that the indications above are far stronger than what we saw going into last fall before the wheels came off. As a consequence if these actions are those of people with real knowledge (and this is not a guess on their part) I would expect the outcome to be worse than what we saw last fall in terms of economic impact.”
Another vip link, I haven't read this webssite before: :
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2009/10/is-fed-governor-hinting-at-stock-market.html
''Is a Fed Governor Hinting at a Stock Market Crash Just Ahead?
Sounds like it to me.
These are truly remarkable words coming from inside the Federal Reserve. Reuters has the details:
U.S. Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh on Tuesday called gains in Asian and U.S. stocks noteworthy and wondered whether those increases signal a return to financial normality after a wrenching crisis or raise the prospects for asset bubbles.
Stock markets in a number of Asian economies have posted hefty gains in recent months, Warsh said while moderating a panel at an Asia economic policy conference hosted by the San Francisco Federal Reserve.
"This is a remarkable move, certainly the U.S. has also seen a remarkable increase in asset values," he said
This is as close to a warning as you are ever going to get from a Fed governor ''
Worse than last fall Denninger implies.
I wish I could just go take my money out of the CU and put it somewhere else, except that there isn't somewhere else? I'd wonder about treasuries at this point.
*sigh* shamba
October 23rd
First of all: We've passed into the astrological sun sign of Scorpio. :) This is my sign and I love it!
Second, not much to report about the leftover food challenge this week: Had too many tomatoes earlier in the week and I dried them in the Tulsi oven. I sliced them in half this time rather than quarters. This worked well, I thought.
No real leftovers today, Friday, so I will be making a whole new meal or two for the next two days. I have fresh produce that I'm using up steadily now that the tomatoes are dehydrated.
Third, something I read the other day, it was this week:
Housing all over the country to go down more in value, according to this Yahoo link.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Homes-About-to-get-much-cnnm-699910894.html?x=0&ref=patrick.net
I quote the part about Phoenix in particular, since I live there. “In Phoenix values have already collapsed by 54% and could fall another 23.4%. In both cities, Fiserv anticipates the losses to continue into 2011, but they will be less than 5%.”
That adds up to: 82.4% I just added the whole 5%. I ‘m thinking of 2006 to 2011 as the peak to trough years that residential housing prices have fallen.
Peace, shamba
Second, not much to report about the leftover food challenge this week: Had too many tomatoes earlier in the week and I dried them in the Tulsi oven. I sliced them in half this time rather than quarters. This worked well, I thought.
No real leftovers today, Friday, so I will be making a whole new meal or two for the next two days. I have fresh produce that I'm using up steadily now that the tomatoes are dehydrated.
Third, something I read the other day, it was this week:
Housing all over the country to go down more in value, according to this Yahoo link.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Homes-About-to-get-much-cnnm-699910894.html?x=0&ref=patrick.net
I quote the part about Phoenix in particular, since I live there. “In Phoenix values have already collapsed by 54% and could fall another 23.4%. In both cities, Fiserv anticipates the losses to continue into 2011, but they will be less than 5%.”
That adds up to: 82.4% I just added the whole 5%. I ‘m thinking of 2006 to 2011 as the peak to trough years that residential housing prices have fallen.
Peace, shamba
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
October 21st
I did another batch of sundried Roma tomatoes this week. These were halves and they seemed to talk a little longer to dry, I didn’t try to help them along with electric heat I just let the sun do all the work.
In the kitchen overn, I made Chili cheese Grits without green chiles—didn’t have any again-- but added some oregano, black pepper and put a green chiffonade from greens on the top of the cheese when it was done! It sure looked pretty with the green and yellow-orange together.
I also ordered some small cooking tools from amazon today: 2 cooling round racks that will fit inside the crockpot and pots for solar ovens, one square cooling rack that will fit all the pans as well and a chimney starter. I wasn’t going to spend money on much before the end of the year but if they are cooking tools I can use in many ways and I don’t have anything like them well, okay. And I decided on the chimney starter because if it works then I’ll learn how to better use the grill.
And you know, if our money is going to deflate or inflate or just go “poof!” in some banking blowup or meltdown then I might as well have physical tools that will be around for a few years. As soon as I got a good grater, I actually grated more things: for example, I love grated carrots in salads and on the side.
The safety deposit is almost completely empty, I got everything out to look it over.
Peace, Shamba
In the kitchen overn, I made Chili cheese Grits without green chiles—didn’t have any again-- but added some oregano, black pepper and put a green chiffonade from greens on the top of the cheese when it was done! It sure looked pretty with the green and yellow-orange together.
I also ordered some small cooking tools from amazon today: 2 cooling round racks that will fit inside the crockpot and pots for solar ovens, one square cooling rack that will fit all the pans as well and a chimney starter. I wasn’t going to spend money on much before the end of the year but if they are cooking tools I can use in many ways and I don’t have anything like them well, okay. And I decided on the chimney starter because if it works then I’ll learn how to better use the grill.
And you know, if our money is going to deflate or inflate or just go “poof!” in some banking blowup or meltdown then I might as well have physical tools that will be around for a few years. As soon as I got a good grater, I actually grated more things: for example, I love grated carrots in salads and on the side.
The safety deposit is almost completely empty, I got everything out to look it over.
Peace, Shamba
Saturday, October 17, 2009
October 17th
1. Dried about 6 sliced up bell peppers in the dehydrator I got last winter at Linene’s N things when they went out of business. I ran it overnight and it seemed to work fine. I will try this with one of the solar ovens next time I dehydrate something just to see how it goes with the same kind of peppers. I don’t know how hot the electric dehydrator gets, I’ll have to check the instructions that came with it.
2. I’ve got the dehydrated bell peppers next to the solar sundried tomatoes.
Later in the day: I went to Safeway for a couple of things. The parking lot was packed a lot more than even a Saturday midday. So, what’s up there? A big promotion and lots and lots of prices marked down significantly.
They had some houseplants and flowers out I front for sale including several herb plants. I picked up a little sage plant, organic and locally grown, it said. I love the smell of sage. It makes me think of Thanksgiving and Christmas and sage stuffing in turkey! So, I brought it home.
I also got some more well priced Roma tomatoes to sun dry and got some kale to use this coming week. I've tried some kale before and it was okay. Better than the mustard greens were anyway.
Now, I've decided I want a catnip plant and I better find out if any particular herbs or plants are poisonous to cats. I hadn't thought of that before.
Peace, shamba
2. I’ve got the dehydrated bell peppers next to the solar sundried tomatoes.
Later in the day: I went to Safeway for a couple of things. The parking lot was packed a lot more than even a Saturday midday. So, what’s up there? A big promotion and lots and lots of prices marked down significantly.
They had some houseplants and flowers out I front for sale including several herb plants. I picked up a little sage plant, organic and locally grown, it said. I love the smell of sage. It makes me think of Thanksgiving and Christmas and sage stuffing in turkey! So, I brought it home.
I also got some more well priced Roma tomatoes to sun dry and got some kale to use this coming week. I've tried some kale before and it was okay. Better than the mustard greens were anyway.
Now, I've decided I want a catnip plant and I better find out if any particular herbs or plants are poisonous to cats. I hadn't thought of that before.
Peace, shamba
Thursday, October 15, 2009
October 15
My 20 day Challenge Report:
Challenge this week or the past 10 days or so:
1. Used bones, some meat, celery seed, salt, pepper in making chicken broth from leftover chicken. I haven’t done that for a long time. There wasn’t really much meat as the final leftovers were given to the cats.
2. Used up the last of the lentils/rice/diced tomato dish with some chicken broth from item 1 above for dinner that night.
3. Had some leftover strawberries with oatmeal the next morning.
4. Bell peppers are going into the dehydrator today or tomorrow.
5. I failed completely at using up the mustard greens I had got at the store! I thought it’d be interesting to try they but maybe another time.
6. Had lunch out with some friends and used the leftovers from that meal the next meal.
7. Broken down and ordered pizza DELIVERED twice in the past two weeks. How many points off is that?but they tasted good! :) and they are leftovers for at least one day probably two.
My sundried tomatoes came out quite well. I'll do more next time.
peace, shamba
Challenge this week or the past 10 days or so:
1. Used bones, some meat, celery seed, salt, pepper in making chicken broth from leftover chicken. I haven’t done that for a long time. There wasn’t really much meat as the final leftovers were given to the cats.
2. Used up the last of the lentils/rice/diced tomato dish with some chicken broth from item 1 above for dinner that night.
3. Had some leftover strawberries with oatmeal the next morning.
4. Bell peppers are going into the dehydrator today or tomorrow.
5. I failed completely at using up the mustard greens I had got at the store! I thought it’d be interesting to try they but maybe another time.
6. Had lunch out with some friends and used the leftovers from that meal the next meal.
7. Broken down and ordered pizza DELIVERED twice in the past two weeks. How many points off is that?but they tasted good! :) and they are leftovers for at least one day probably two.
My sundried tomatoes came out quite well. I'll do more next time.
peace, shamba
Monday, October 12, 2009
October 12
I’m putting the Roma tomatoes out to dry today.
A little later: Dehydrating tomatoes (Roma tomatoes, I wanted to start with smaller tomatoes): well, it seems that the October sun, which I do prefer to the July sun, has got a lot of clouds along with it today. I’m so used to having hot and constant sun! that I forget that the seasons I like the best might not cooperate with the same sun as in July! So, I put the tomatoes in the Tulsi with the electric back up on. We might have a front moving it, I don’t know. So far the weather says that we’ll have much warmer temps by the end of this week—around high 90s. We’ve had really good cooler weather the past 2 weeks.
Don't forget, we are now officially in the Oct 10 to 15 time period Clif has pointed to where signs may pop up for the event on the 25th. Keep your eyes open. I am referring to the webbot project trying to predict the future ….
http://www.halfpasthuman.com/ and http://www.peoplenomics.com/
I am a follower of George Ure's Urbansurvival. com site. The webbot project reading the future is something he's involved with and he writes about it often. Sometimes they're right, sometimes they're not. This fall, the interpreters of the webbot data think that a great financial/economic turn for the worse is coming. It can also be interpreted a little differently depending on how you look at it--as all data predicting the future seems to be! :) You can LOL or not as you believe in the possibility of these things. I, obviously, believe in the possibilities.
We'll see this time how accurate it becomes. I still have some projects to do to the townhouse but I haven't made any plans to travel or do much after the past year of economic conditions happening that no one thought could happen anymore! But if really nothing happens to further the downslide of our world/economy/whatever I'm going to look into taking one of two trips I'd like to do in my lifetime. I'll be 59 in November (!) and have probably 15-20 good years left if my good DNA works for me that long. I feel like I'm waiting for the end of the world so I can get on with my life! Wierd feeling!
I would not abandon my present "prepping arrangements" or not do anymore but I'm getting tired of living for the complete apocalyse happening any day now. I'm sure things generally will get worse over the next few years due the economy, peak oil/energy and the climate changings. There's been plenty of "the worst" that could still happen to lots of people anyway so I shouldn't be looking forward to fulfillment of that! I won't like it much when it gets here, I know.
peace to all,
shamba
A little later: Dehydrating tomatoes (Roma tomatoes, I wanted to start with smaller tomatoes): well, it seems that the October sun, which I do prefer to the July sun, has got a lot of clouds along with it today. I’m so used to having hot and constant sun! that I forget that the seasons I like the best might not cooperate with the same sun as in July! So, I put the tomatoes in the Tulsi with the electric back up on. We might have a front moving it, I don’t know. So far the weather says that we’ll have much warmer temps by the end of this week—around high 90s. We’ve had really good cooler weather the past 2 weeks.
Don't forget, we are now officially in the Oct 10 to 15 time period Clif has pointed to where signs may pop up for the event on the 25th. Keep your eyes open. I am referring to the webbot project trying to predict the future ….
http://www.halfpasthuman.com/ and http://www.peoplenomics.com/
I am a follower of George Ure's Urbansurvival. com site. The webbot project reading the future is something he's involved with and he writes about it often. Sometimes they're right, sometimes they're not. This fall, the interpreters of the webbot data think that a great financial/economic turn for the worse is coming. It can also be interpreted a little differently depending on how you look at it--as all data predicting the future seems to be! :) You can LOL or not as you believe in the possibility of these things. I, obviously, believe in the possibilities.
We'll see this time how accurate it becomes. I still have some projects to do to the townhouse but I haven't made any plans to travel or do much after the past year of economic conditions happening that no one thought could happen anymore! But if really nothing happens to further the downslide of our world/economy/whatever I'm going to look into taking one of two trips I'd like to do in my lifetime. I'll be 59 in November (!) and have probably 15-20 good years left if my good DNA works for me that long. I feel like I'm waiting for the end of the world so I can get on with my life! Wierd feeling!
I would not abandon my present "prepping arrangements" or not do anymore but I'm getting tired of living for the complete apocalyse happening any day now. I'm sure things generally will get worse over the next few years due the economy, peak oil/energy and the climate changings. There's been plenty of "the worst" that could still happen to lots of people anyway so I shouldn't be looking forward to fulfillment of that! I won't like it much when it gets here, I know.
peace to all,
shamba
October 9-10th posted on October 12th
Very iffy sun today, temps are in the high 80s but sky is slightly over cast and the light peeks in and out of the bigger puffs of clouds. I put rice, yellow splitpeas, a can of diced tomatoes and some seasoning in the Tulsi oven. I plugged it in to use the electric backup on low to see how that will do today. I soaked the split peas for a couple of hours. These are the tail end of a group of split peas and I suspect they are a little harder with age so I soaked them.
I also have chicken to cook up tonight but that’s going in the inside oven later this afternoon.
My herb plants are doing very well. They are all growing and growing.
Next week one day , I’m trying drying tomatoes in the global oven. I haven't done it before so maybe I should say i'll try! No, this will be a very easy thing to do, I'm sure.
I‘ve inherited some containers with plants from a neighbor. There are several aloes and some other things growing among the various aloe plants. One of them looks like the leaves of a golden pothos or something just like that. I think some Irises are growing between the aloes in one of the pots. Anyway, I’ll have to look those up, blooming Iris would be great or the upright stems/leave plant look pretty good the way they are.
All thei ttime I'm doing anything, I'm watching events in the world--financial and other--about the "big" event that's been p[redicted by the webbots and seems to be happening based on reports of overthrowing the dollar as reserve currency and the grwing debt in the US, the dollar falling in value the past few months rather severely.
anyway, I'm watching
Peace for now, shamba
I also have chicken to cook up tonight but that’s going in the inside oven later this afternoon.
My herb plants are doing very well. They are all growing and growing.
Next week one day , I’m trying drying tomatoes in the global oven. I haven't done it before so maybe I should say i'll try! No, this will be a very easy thing to do, I'm sure.
I‘ve inherited some containers with plants from a neighbor. There are several aloes and some other things growing among the various aloe plants. One of them looks like the leaves of a golden pothos or something just like that. I think some Irises are growing between the aloes in one of the pots. Anyway, I’ll have to look those up, blooming Iris would be great or the upright stems/leave plant look pretty good the way they are.
All thei ttime I'm doing anything, I'm watching events in the world--financial and other--about the "big" event that's been p[redicted by the webbots and seems to be happening based on reports of overthrowing the dollar as reserve currency and the grwing debt in the US, the dollar falling in value the past few months rather severely.
anyway, I'm watching
Peace for now, shamba
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Oct 7th
I ate out yesterday with leftovers for dinner. I had lunch with Donna and Mildred on Tuesday. M. wanted to take us both out for the help we'd given her on her genealogy. It was a beautiful day, 82 degrees. We just sat in the Paradise Café for three hours after we ate, talking and talking. They don't think we'll have any more downslide into depression--"the worst is over"-- but we'll not have much of an economic recovery for a while. I've been increasingly schizophrenic the past two months about the whole financial/economic thing. Sometimes I think "okay, maybe, it won't be so bad and we'll stabilize and have some weak recovery" but usually that lasts only a day or so! I see something like a business going out of busines, or hear some news, or talk to friends about their job situation and then I think, buy some more oatmeal or practice making bread, rolls, etc.
Mildred will be 89 in November! She drove herself yesterday; she does have some kidney and some severe joint things. She's okay in the mind but she's definitely getting a little frailer every year. She seemed a little more stooped in the shoulders than I've seen her before. I need to make a point of talking and seeing her more often. She was a great friend and neighbor to my parents and family when I was growing up. She's my second mother, as my mom told me once. D. and I are both 59. Thirty years between Mildred and us.
As for the Blog thing here, my posting about anything here will be spotty over the next 4-5 days as I have some appts and other things scheduled. this includes going through the food storage and seeing what is needed to use up soon and if I need more of anything. I ran out of canned tomato products in the kitchen cupboards but I have another place I keep "more" of that kind of thing. I need to go through them. I seem to use all kinds of tomatoes: whole peeled tomatoes, diced tomatoes of Italian or Mexican seasoning, stewed tomatoes with seasoning or none, tomato sauce, etc etc etc. I don't have any pureed tomatoes right now. I use these with all kinds of dishes, meat dishes, pasta, veggie anything.
For today, I have some leftovers of a soup I made the other day: Beef broth, some pearled barley soaked overnight, leek, scallions, carrots, 1 small potato, celery for a soup. I'll wash, slice and eat the two medium pears that need to be used up. I just like them as plain fruit, maybe with a little cinammon and brown sugar. They'd be good with a chocolate sauce but I'm not going to do that today.
All for now,
later,
Shamba
Mildred will be 89 in November! She drove herself yesterday; she does have some kidney and some severe joint things. She's okay in the mind but she's definitely getting a little frailer every year. She seemed a little more stooped in the shoulders than I've seen her before. I need to make a point of talking and seeing her more often. She was a great friend and neighbor to my parents and family when I was growing up. She's my second mother, as my mom told me once. D. and I are both 59. Thirty years between Mildred and us.
As for the Blog thing here, my posting about anything here will be spotty over the next 4-5 days as I have some appts and other things scheduled. this includes going through the food storage and seeing what is needed to use up soon and if I need more of anything. I ran out of canned tomato products in the kitchen cupboards but I have another place I keep "more" of that kind of thing. I need to go through them. I seem to use all kinds of tomatoes: whole peeled tomatoes, diced tomatoes of Italian or Mexican seasoning, stewed tomatoes with seasoning or none, tomato sauce, etc etc etc. I don't have any pureed tomatoes right now. I use these with all kinds of dishes, meat dishes, pasta, veggie anything.
For today, I have some leftovers of a soup I made the other day: Beef broth, some pearled barley soaked overnight, leek, scallions, carrots, 1 small potato, celery for a soup. I'll wash, slice and eat the two medium pears that need to be used up. I just like them as plain fruit, maybe with a little cinammon and brown sugar. They'd be good with a chocolate sauce but I'm not going to do that today.
All for now,
later,
Shamba
Saturday, October 3, 2009
October 3 Saturday
Suffice it to saw that the economic news this past week has helped to dim the “bright lights” of recovery hopes. I’ll not get into that at all today. I’m enjoying the weather too much.
Not much in food news today. Eating the last of beef stew and veggies and have to make a big store run for all kinds of food and related supplies sometime today. I'll get to Sprouts for bulk purchases later this week after i checked out all those supplies in my pantry. At least, what I think of as my longer term storage pantry.
Thinking of emailing the local CSA and seeing what’s involved in getting on their supplies list.
My containers of basil, parsley and oregano are dong just fine.
Happy News from the Desert!
Our temps are now below 100 degrees, at least for the next 10 days!
On October 1st in the morning in my house it was 70 degrees from the weather alone. Ac didn't run all night and it was very quiet the previous night because my neighbors' ACs weren't running either.
It was cool inside! Not just an absence of warmth but actual coolth! :) :) :) :) :)
Peace to all,
shamba
Not much in food news today. Eating the last of beef stew and veggies and have to make a big store run for all kinds of food and related supplies sometime today. I'll get to Sprouts for bulk purchases later this week after i checked out all those supplies in my pantry. At least, what I think of as my longer term storage pantry.
Thinking of emailing the local CSA and seeing what’s involved in getting on their supplies list.
My containers of basil, parsley and oregano are dong just fine.
Happy News from the Desert!
Our temps are now below 100 degrees, at least for the next 10 days!
On October 1st in the morning in my house it was 70 degrees from the weather alone. Ac didn't run all night and it was very quiet the previous night because my neighbors' ACs weren't running either.
It was cool inside! Not just an absence of warmth but actual coolth! :) :) :) :) :)
Peace to all,
shamba
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
September 30th, Wednesday
At the last minute, like 15 minutes ago, at 12:55 p.m., I decided to cook in the Global sun oven. I have a pot of beef stew meat, canned stewed tomatoes, some minced onions, and some other seasonings and it’s out there cooking. It wasn’t quite unfrozen so it’ll need all the 3 ½ hours of sunlight it’s got left today to cook.
I don’t know what else I’ll eat with it but I’ll deal with that later.
Okay, it’s 30 minutes later and I’m using up the last ½ of brown rice in a glass jar. I’ll need to open a new package of rice after this. I will use water to cook it in, not broth this time. And it will go in the solar oven under the meat dish when I’m ready to cook it. It only takes an hour or so to cook.
Update Wednesday: Success with the beef stew meat by 4 p.m! I put it in a little after 1:p.m. still pretty frozen. The condensation on the glass door started about 3:30 and I could begin to smell the food cooking a little before that. I got the idea of putting the meat in even if still frozen from the Solar Chef who put some frozen meat of her own in her oven and it was done after 3-4 hours. Also had adjust the oven frequently, including moving the table it was on. If it's on the table it's higher to catch more sun after 2:p.m. Middle of the day is still fine for cooking.
I’m not sure about green stuff tonight I’m fresh out of most fresh stuff.
shamba
I don’t know what else I’ll eat with it but I’ll deal with that later.
Okay, it’s 30 minutes later and I’m using up the last ½ of brown rice in a glass jar. I’ll need to open a new package of rice after this. I will use water to cook it in, not broth this time. And it will go in the solar oven under the meat dish when I’m ready to cook it. It only takes an hour or so to cook.
Update Wednesday: Success with the beef stew meat by 4 p.m! I put it in a little after 1:p.m. still pretty frozen. The condensation on the glass door started about 3:30 and I could begin to smell the food cooking a little before that. I got the idea of putting the meat in even if still frozen from the Solar Chef who put some frozen meat of her own in her oven and it was done after 3-4 hours. Also had adjust the oven frequently, including moving the table it was on. If it's on the table it's higher to catch more sun after 2:p.m. Middle of the day is still fine for cooking.
I’m not sure about green stuff tonight I’m fresh out of most fresh stuff.
shamba
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday Sept 28th
Sun: I have the last of some brown rice in one of my glass jars to do something with today; not quite a cup. I have more rice but I’d have to open a package or something. So, I do what I do with rice, I’ll put it in the solar oven with some split peas/lentils, maybe add some vegetables at the end of the cooking time, dehydrated minced onions, cumin, coriander, salt and vegetable broth.
I’m losing more sun exposure on the patio faster and faster every day. Its interesting how fast it moves this time of year. I'll have to move i to the front soon.
Saturday: Put a piece of beef with assorted and some leftover veggies in the solar oven pot today. Potatoes, last 1 ½ leeks, carrot, little bit of a leftover onion, sea salt, ground pepper, freshly chopped up basil, parsley and oregano. I’m not sure how much of the fresh herbs really need to be added I’ll guess I’ll know better when the whole thing is done.
Update: the meat dish could have used a little more of the herbs, I’m just chicken with putting too much in dishes.
Wednesday: Used up the rest of the brick of cheddar cheese and grits and assorted other ingredients to make Chile Cheese Grits. I halved the recipe though as it makes a huge amount of food, about 12-14 servings. I’ve cooked the whole thing for potlucks before and kept half for me. The cheese I had wouldn’t have been enough for the whole recipe anyway. Note for next time: more green chiles make it tastier.
So, I have some cheese grits for today and froze the rest and that’s several days worth of food. It freezes well and reheats well. It cooked just fine in the Tulsi solar oven; I hadn’t cooked that dish in a solar oven yet.
Cheers,
shamba
I’m losing more sun exposure on the patio faster and faster every day. Its interesting how fast it moves this time of year. I'll have to move i to the front soon.
Saturday: Put a piece of beef with assorted and some leftover veggies in the solar oven pot today. Potatoes, last 1 ½ leeks, carrot, little bit of a leftover onion, sea salt, ground pepper, freshly chopped up basil, parsley and oregano. I’m not sure how much of the fresh herbs really need to be added I’ll guess I’ll know better when the whole thing is done.
Update: the meat dish could have used a little more of the herbs, I’m just chicken with putting too much in dishes.
Wednesday: Used up the rest of the brick of cheddar cheese and grits and assorted other ingredients to make Chile Cheese Grits. I halved the recipe though as it makes a huge amount of food, about 12-14 servings. I’ve cooked the whole thing for potlucks before and kept half for me. The cheese I had wouldn’t have been enough for the whole recipe anyway. Note for next time: more green chiles make it tastier.
So, I have some cheese grits for today and froze the rest and that’s several days worth of food. It freezes well and reheats well. It cooked just fine in the Tulsi solar oven; I hadn’t cooked that dish in a solar oven yet.
Cheers,
shamba
Friday, September 25, 2009
September 25
Okay, I picked a challenge. I will try? make sure?--how affirmative do I have to be--that I use all my leftovers to the nth degree. And one more part, to use up my produce in whatever way I can find before it rots.
I'm better at these two things than I was a year ago but cooking for one, I sometimes get too enthusiastic about cooking with my solar ovens and make too much at one time. Also, I get tired of eating the same thing after a couple of days.Very Leftover meat and some cheese or egg dishes aren't a problem as some of my cats like them.
I expect I'll end up making more veg broth from scratch with odds and end from the crisper drawer. :)
Peace, Shamba
I'm better at these two things than I was a year ago but cooking for one, I sometimes get too enthusiastic about cooking with my solar ovens and make too much at one time. Also, I get tired of eating the same thing after a couple of days.Very Leftover meat and some cheese or egg dishes aren't a problem as some of my cats like them.
I expect I'll end up making more veg broth from scratch with odds and end from the crisper drawer. :)
Peace, Shamba
Monday, September 21, 2009
September 21 Last Day of Summer
This is the Tulsi with the shadow of the old bush. The bricks that the oven sits on is the best general place to cook on the back patio but I have two small tables I also use to set the ovens on when I need to use it someplace else.
This is the west corner where the dead pyracantha was removed. The container of parsley, basil and oregano sits there right now but I don't leave it there because the sun is still too hot for it there. I wanted it in the photo though. and this is the Sun Oven I was cooking with that day. Also, you can see the corner of the red Tulsi oven in the right side of the picture. This is the sun mid morning to early afternoon in late September.
This is shot of Global Sun oven in the east corner of the patio. It is set up for late afternoon sun cooking 4-5:30. I will be losing this 5:30 sun in the next month. I'll have to cook in the front of the house as all direct sunlight is gone from the patio from November to early April.
Cheers,
Shamba
Friday, September 18, 2009
September 15-18th
Our kind landscaper came and took out my last and very old dead pyracantha bush. It was . old enough and brittle enough I could have broken it’s branches off one by one like I did with the other one, but he made short work of taking it out by using one of his saws. Now I have a whole empty corner of the patio to do something with. I’m thinking containers with some kind of plantings in them. I have some cuttings of plants one of my neighbors has and she’s got a great container garden in her front window area. Maybe I’ll check into a climbing plant of some kind to see if it could cover up part of the wall to keep it cooler. Cats’ claw always works. I’ll think about it.
Went to Home Depot today to look at a variety of things I’m always thinking about doing something about: a new front door that would be more efficient that the old door I have; look at lighting fixture for the kitchen or globes/bulb covers to replace the ones that I have broken; maybe plants.
So, for once I found some globes I like: I’m going back to get the globes later today. I did and they look so much nicer than only 3 globes on a 5 light fixture and only light bulbs in the places where the globes were broken off.
And, I got a container pot of basil, oregano and parsley. They will be fine in the container they’re in for a few weeks then I want to transplant them to larger ones. They smell wonderful.
This is all to reward myself after the struggle to get a signature guarantee from the Cu or the BofA so I can sell the last stock transfer for my mom’s estate account. The little BofA branch came through for me again! They didn’t’ fuss about whether or not they could do the signature since I am a trustee of the estate, they just did it for me! Something about the differences between CUs and banks I’m sure. Anyway, that done!
DJA still going up but hasn’t broken 10,000 yet. What holds it up for heavens sake??
Shamba
Went to Home Depot today to look at a variety of things I’m always thinking about doing something about: a new front door that would be more efficient that the old door I have; look at lighting fixture for the kitchen or globes/bulb covers to replace the ones that I have broken; maybe plants.
So, for once I found some globes I like: I’m going back to get the globes later today. I did and they look so much nicer than only 3 globes on a 5 light fixture and only light bulbs in the places where the globes were broken off.
And, I got a container pot of basil, oregano and parsley. They will be fine in the container they’re in for a few weeks then I want to transplant them to larger ones. They smell wonderful.
This is all to reward myself after the struggle to get a signature guarantee from the Cu or the BofA so I can sell the last stock transfer for my mom’s estate account. The little BofA branch came through for me again! They didn’t’ fuss about whether or not they could do the signature since I am a trustee of the estate, they just did it for me! Something about the differences between CUs and banks I’m sure. Anyway, that done!
DJA still going up but hasn’t broken 10,000 yet. What holds it up for heavens sake??
Shamba
Friday, September 4, 2009
September 4th
Sept. 4th, 2009:
Wahoo, September! The worst heat is behind us and the worst power bill probably, too. No, I can’t turn off the AC altogether—that’s too much to ask—but it’s definitely running less. And in a few weeks, the reason I live here will be evident and the good weather will continue until about mid-April. J J so, I have lots of good things to anticipate even though we’ll have some moderate heat for next 4-6 weeks.
I need to tell the tai chi teacher at my studio about my solar ovens he was very interested. I also got to visit with a couple of others at the yoga studio. The workshop I wanted to attend has been postponed another month or two. I have to go back to classes more regularly. I’m not doing well with that. But I’ve kept up with the cooking intention pretty well this summer although I broke down and ordered 4 pizzas for delivery over the past month or so. A great splurge they are but they do feed me for about 2 days with salad and other side dishes.
Today, I’m making the curried lentils with raisins, carrots, sweet pepper and some onion in the Tulsi oven. It’s a stovetop recipe but I’m doing it solar today.
The Global oven has a pot with ingredients to make vegetable stock. I used too much water the last time I tried to make this, on the stove top, so I’ll see how it comes out this time.
I have to coordinate solar cooking more everyday since the sun angles are moving fast these days. Less sun in morning and the late afternoon. That means in about a month (?) there won't be any sun at any time of day to cook with on the back patio. But of course, there will be plenty in the front of the house. That's closer to the kitchen, too.
Oh, and yes, the unemployement is up for Aug, 9.7% and the flatlined and maybe tipping over economy is still out there. but today it doesn't matter much. :)
Cheers,
shamba
Wahoo, September! The worst heat is behind us and the worst power bill probably, too. No, I can’t turn off the AC altogether—that’s too much to ask—but it’s definitely running less. And in a few weeks, the reason I live here will be evident and the good weather will continue until about mid-April. J J so, I have lots of good things to anticipate even though we’ll have some moderate heat for next 4-6 weeks.
I need to tell the tai chi teacher at my studio about my solar ovens he was very interested. I also got to visit with a couple of others at the yoga studio. The workshop I wanted to attend has been postponed another month or two. I have to go back to classes more regularly. I’m not doing well with that. But I’ve kept up with the cooking intention pretty well this summer although I broke down and ordered 4 pizzas for delivery over the past month or so. A great splurge they are but they do feed me for about 2 days with salad and other side dishes.
Today, I’m making the curried lentils with raisins, carrots, sweet pepper and some onion in the Tulsi oven. It’s a stovetop recipe but I’m doing it solar today.
The Global oven has a pot with ingredients to make vegetable stock. I used too much water the last time I tried to make this, on the stove top, so I’ll see how it comes out this time.
I have to coordinate solar cooking more everyday since the sun angles are moving fast these days. Less sun in morning and the late afternoon. That means in about a month (?) there won't be any sun at any time of day to cook with on the back patio. But of course, there will be plenty in the front of the house. That's closer to the kitchen, too.
Oh, and yes, the unemployement is up for Aug, 9.7% and the flatlined and maybe tipping over economy is still out there. but today it doesn't matter much. :)
Cheers,
shamba
Aug 22, 28, 31.
August 31st:
1. Okay, the estate has 1 stock left to sell that has to have a medaillion signature guarantee and a letter to order the sale.
2 & 3. Two unclaimed property form to fill out for the State of Arizona. One earlier claim has been settled. How they came up with these two I ‘ll never know but I have the forms to fill out and accompanying documents to prove I got the right to these things! Sheesh, I HATE THESE FORMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And old comadre from yoga teacher training has a small studio of her own very close to where I live. I ‘ve stopped by a couple of times to check it out but once she was closed for a week and then today she had a class going with the doors closed and blinds and a sign not to disturb. Glad to see she’s teaching again and hasn’t had to close down because of economics.
August 28th:
Cooked a meatloaf the other day, had meat that had thawed but I wasn’t sure what I’d do with it so I made meatloaf. We’ve had a few over 110 days again and I wasn’t cooking anything inside! That was Thursday, Friday and tomorrow…
Anyway, meatloaf was great. Made some rice, split peas, some salt, pepper, turmeric and curry powder this morning. I was surprised I didn’t have quite enough sun at 11:00 a.m. this morning in the usual cooking spot when I went out to put in the rice! Sun is moving quickly to change angles these late August days. I put the rice in the oven anyway and it will cook well it’s just starting with only half sun.
The winter laundry is done. This is all the blankets, throws etc. have all been freshly washed and ready to sue in a month or two at night. I didn’t get these done earlier as I had my injured arm to deal with. And I actually found places to put all this winter laundry! So, it doesn’t have to sit out stacked up on the extra laundry hamper after all.
I have to do cat laundry-for winter cat beds—and clean up the front porch, where the cats actually live. Next week, I hope to get to that. I’m not tackling that this weekend though.
August 22:
Nonfood supplies for medicine chest.
Alka Seltzer like stuff (I should never be without these!); paper towels; Gold Bond body and hand cream marked down (I love this stuff for any feeling of irritation or itchiness on skin); Imodium (when you need something like this you need it); some shoe cleaner/polish/scuff mark remover to spiff up shoes and sandals after this summer of sweat, splashed with water from hose watering, cats lying on them, various other small calamities that happen to shoes. I got some standard band aids.
Then I decided I wanted to try leeks in something this week and got some bananas, too. And some wet canned cat food as a treat for the herd this week.
all for now
1. Okay, the estate has 1 stock left to sell that has to have a medaillion signature guarantee and a letter to order the sale.
2 & 3. Two unclaimed property form to fill out for the State of Arizona. One earlier claim has been settled. How they came up with these two I ‘ll never know but I have the forms to fill out and accompanying documents to prove I got the right to these things! Sheesh, I HATE THESE FORMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And old comadre from yoga teacher training has a small studio of her own very close to where I live. I ‘ve stopped by a couple of times to check it out but once she was closed for a week and then today she had a class going with the doors closed and blinds and a sign not to disturb. Glad to see she’s teaching again and hasn’t had to close down because of economics.
August 28th:
Cooked a meatloaf the other day, had meat that had thawed but I wasn’t sure what I’d do with it so I made meatloaf. We’ve had a few over 110 days again and I wasn’t cooking anything inside! That was Thursday, Friday and tomorrow…
Anyway, meatloaf was great. Made some rice, split peas, some salt, pepper, turmeric and curry powder this morning. I was surprised I didn’t have quite enough sun at 11:00 a.m. this morning in the usual cooking spot when I went out to put in the rice! Sun is moving quickly to change angles these late August days. I put the rice in the oven anyway and it will cook well it’s just starting with only half sun.
The winter laundry is done. This is all the blankets, throws etc. have all been freshly washed and ready to sue in a month or two at night. I didn’t get these done earlier as I had my injured arm to deal with. And I actually found places to put all this winter laundry! So, it doesn’t have to sit out stacked up on the extra laundry hamper after all.
I have to do cat laundry-for winter cat beds—and clean up the front porch, where the cats actually live. Next week, I hope to get to that. I’m not tackling that this weekend though.
August 22:
Nonfood supplies for medicine chest.
Alka Seltzer like stuff (I should never be without these!); paper towels; Gold Bond body and hand cream marked down (I love this stuff for any feeling of irritation or itchiness on skin); Imodium (when you need something like this you need it); some shoe cleaner/polish/scuff mark remover to spiff up shoes and sandals after this summer of sweat, splashed with water from hose watering, cats lying on them, various other small calamities that happen to shoes. I got some standard band aids.
Then I decided I wanted to try leeks in something this week and got some bananas, too. And some wet canned cat food as a treat for the herd this week.
all for now
Friday, August 21, 2009
August 19th and August 21
August 19th:
Had a great lunch with B. from yoga. We celebrated our 10th anniversary graduating as trained yoga teachers! J We talked about what we knew of the others who were in our class at Desert Song. She still teaches there and I still go there for classes.
We sat at the bar which was quite comfortable because people were waiting to be seated at tables. She found the seats and they worked out well. We had these wonderful veggie burgers, and a creamed corn with some kind of curry and cilantro. I want that recipe! The burgers and the corn as a side dish were delicious. Their Cole slaw was pretty good, too. I have leftovers for dinner or lunch tomorrow.
Then she remarked on how the restaurant, Houston’s, didn’t look like there was a recession but there were lots and lots of empty commercial spaces in that mall/complex. There used to be small retail shops and offices and businesses but so much of it is empty now. This is true for all kinds of commercial properties these days; the large fancy ones and the little neighborhood strip malls (even if the strip malls have been completely redone like one near me.) The two other restaurants in that complex seemed to have a good business going today at lunch.
Her law firm has had revenue coming in slow down a lot in the last year. I don’t think they’ve had any layoffs there though.
“Excessive heat “for today and Thursday. But the temps are supposed to be “only” 110 and not 115 or so!
Lows sweeping in this weekend to lower temps. Dark is here by 7:15 these days.
August 21:
Overcast day and getting more overcast as the day goes by due to low and moisture coming into the state from the south in Mexico. It is a good day to try the hotter solar oven to see how it does on a day like this. Global Sun oven gets a little hotter than the Tulsi especially on days like this, I bet.
So, I chopped up zucchini, red bell pepper, onion, an ear of corn split in two, celery and carrots and olive oil, salt and pepper and a little garlic. The pepper and zucchini needed to be used in the next few days anyway day or so. Anymore, letting produce go bad seems a terrible thing to do to me especially since I have the easy way of cooking solar. Also, I made a brown rice and split pea dish. These are both in the Global Sun oven, rice dish on the bottom and the veggie sin the sun oven roaster pan on top of it.
I figure I’ll just leave it all out there for longer than it would take with a bright sunny day. Since no meat dish is involved, I’m sure it will cook just fine left out there long enough.
Later in afternoon: sun came out in full force about an hour after I put the food out.
Notes on State budget situation, From PBS program, Horizon on August 20th current
State Treasurer is explaining Arizona budget situation.
-State is broke. General Fund borrowed 386 million dollars to keep the lights on as of August 19.
-need balanced budget signed by Gov. or next Tuesday, we’ll need to borrow again and more.
-State gov can get 5-6 million by interagency borrowing. State agencies can borrow from each other but still need to leave enough money in each agency to fund that agency.
-Banks don’t want to lend to us unless we can pay it back.
-Will be running out of money by the end of October without a budget.
-Takes 6-8 weeks to set up credit facility for State to borrow money.
-some banks may not want to participate.
-Our rating is on a watch of some kind because of budget problems. This causes higher interest if we borrow and our rating is downgraded.
-If no resolution in budget by end of October, we might end up like California with IOUs, delayed payments, etc. Gov will have to decide who gets paid etc.
-New budget doesn’t allow for vote on possibly raising the sales tax in Nov. Why don’t these fools, Republican fools! (is my bias showing here?) in the legislature want the people to vote on this?? They can blame us for voting higher taxes in then and they can avoid any blame! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
-we had last year in 2008 at this time 650 million dollars in the bank. State is spending at the same rate as last year.
all for now, Shamba
Had a great lunch with B. from yoga. We celebrated our 10th anniversary graduating as trained yoga teachers! J We talked about what we knew of the others who were in our class at Desert Song. She still teaches there and I still go there for classes.
We sat at the bar which was quite comfortable because people were waiting to be seated at tables. She found the seats and they worked out well. We had these wonderful veggie burgers, and a creamed corn with some kind of curry and cilantro. I want that recipe! The burgers and the corn as a side dish were delicious. Their Cole slaw was pretty good, too. I have leftovers for dinner or lunch tomorrow.
Then she remarked on how the restaurant, Houston’s, didn’t look like there was a recession but there were lots and lots of empty commercial spaces in that mall/complex. There used to be small retail shops and offices and businesses but so much of it is empty now. This is true for all kinds of commercial properties these days; the large fancy ones and the little neighborhood strip malls (even if the strip malls have been completely redone like one near me.) The two other restaurants in that complex seemed to have a good business going today at lunch.
Her law firm has had revenue coming in slow down a lot in the last year. I don’t think they’ve had any layoffs there though.
“Excessive heat “for today and Thursday. But the temps are supposed to be “only” 110 and not 115 or so!
Lows sweeping in this weekend to lower temps. Dark is here by 7:15 these days.
August 21:
Overcast day and getting more overcast as the day goes by due to low and moisture coming into the state from the south in Mexico. It is a good day to try the hotter solar oven to see how it does on a day like this. Global Sun oven gets a little hotter than the Tulsi especially on days like this, I bet.
So, I chopped up zucchini, red bell pepper, onion, an ear of corn split in two, celery and carrots and olive oil, salt and pepper and a little garlic. The pepper and zucchini needed to be used in the next few days anyway day or so. Anymore, letting produce go bad seems a terrible thing to do to me especially since I have the easy way of cooking solar. Also, I made a brown rice and split pea dish. These are both in the Global Sun oven, rice dish on the bottom and the veggie sin the sun oven roaster pan on top of it.
I figure I’ll just leave it all out there for longer than it would take with a bright sunny day. Since no meat dish is involved, I’m sure it will cook just fine left out there long enough.
Later in afternoon: sun came out in full force about an hour after I put the food out.
Notes on State budget situation, From PBS program, Horizon on August 20th current
State Treasurer is explaining Arizona budget situation.
-State is broke. General Fund borrowed 386 million dollars to keep the lights on as of August 19.
-need balanced budget signed by Gov. or next Tuesday, we’ll need to borrow again and more.
-State gov can get 5-6 million by interagency borrowing. State agencies can borrow from each other but still need to leave enough money in each agency to fund that agency.
-Banks don’t want to lend to us unless we can pay it back.
-Will be running out of money by the end of October without a budget.
-Takes 6-8 weeks to set up credit facility for State to borrow money.
-some banks may not want to participate.
-Our rating is on a watch of some kind because of budget problems. This causes higher interest if we borrow and our rating is downgraded.
-If no resolution in budget by end of October, we might end up like California with IOUs, delayed payments, etc. Gov will have to decide who gets paid etc.
-New budget doesn’t allow for vote on possibly raising the sales tax in Nov. Why don’t these fools, Republican fools! (is my bias showing here?) in the legislature want the people to vote on this?? They can blame us for voting higher taxes in then and they can avoid any blame! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
-we had last year in 2008 at this time 650 million dollars in the bank. State is spending at the same rate as last year.
all for now, Shamba
Monday, August 3, 2009
August 1-3, 2009
I have to confess I helped the consumer economy along a bit by consuming a useful utensil—Global sun oven with the discount I got from using Chile Chews name. I also got one 3 qt pan to use with it. I don’t have anything quite like that in my pots and pans.
This thing is really easy to use after using my Tulsi oven. I'm pretty sure from looking at it that it's easy to use and I will be able to cook the more traditional mid-Western, farm like, WASPy cooking that I learned from my Mom! The Tulsi isn’t hard to use but with it’s flatter design and the pans it came with, I had to adjust the way I cooked foods and what foods I could use in it.
With the Tulsi and after reading food/cooking/prep blogs I have tried more new foods to me and ways of cooking them in the past 18 months than I have in my whole previous life! Couscous, quinoa, beans, lentils, various nonyeast breads, some egg dishes beyond scrambled or hard boiled and all kinds of vegetables I never ate--or knew I had eaten. That would be chards, kales, collard greens and winter squashes. I've liked most of them. The greens just go well in salads and sometimes in vegetable soups. But mostly beans and butternut and acorn squash aren't going to be my favorites. I could cultivate the taste of acorn squash, I think, it smells so good cooking. However, split peas and lentils with veggies and/or rice are just fine.
After reading some other bloggers who deal with solar cookers, I realize how easy I have it using these ovens where I live. On my north patio, where I cook from mid May to mid October, it’s perfectly flat, I have sun all afternoon with no trees/bldgs anything to block the sunlight at all. I have sun well overhead mostly coming straight down. The sun does move across the patio during the day but the middle of the patio close to the north wall gets sun for a good 4-5 hours. I put the ovens out there with stuff in them and they hardly have to be adjusted at all June until after early/mid September. After end of October I’ll have to cook in the front yard. I didn’t do any solar oven cooking after mid November last year until this June. I’m going to try to do more this winter and see how it works.
There’s plenty of unshaded yard to use although the sun angles are much different and my neighbors can see what I’m doing. ;) Two nice African sumacs give us shade and a pleasant yard in this common area. Some neighbors cook on their front porches or use the barbecue that’s near the pool so several of us see each other cooking outside.
Chicken breasts (2) and some liquid I put in with them were in the big oven for 2-3 hours. Great! They didn’t need to be in quite that long but I put them out and did some stuff and took a nap and it was 3 hours later.
Tomorrow, I’m going to use the liquid, maybe with some soup stock I’ve got on hand, or maybe not, and make a soup.
The next Day:
Pot of broth from yesterday and various fresh veggies and it’s in the oven. Wish I had some crackers of some kind. This came out pretty well except it was more stew than soup!
Monday Aug 3: Put the last two pieces of “old” frozen chicken in the GSO to cook. That’s the last of the frozen chicken parts, breasts, legs, thighs, whatever. In for 3 hours, that was more than enough to cook them thoroughly. The cats will get some of it for dinner. Easy to smell it cooking when I go out the patio doors!
AIP thoughts on Monday:
1. Keep on with as much solar cooking as possible through cooler weather even if it’s out in the front common area.
Have to watch where I’ll set oven as the cats will probably want to check it out. So, no balancing it/them on the porch wall; put it on the ground or on the small table out front. I’m at the end of the building so it’s probable if it’s on the sidewalk it won’t be in anyone’s way except mine.
2. Keep closer track of BTUs this winter. I’m sure I could get this usage down some more.
3. I ‘ve hardly used hot water for bathing this summer. Water in cold taps is plenty warm for showers most days July-August from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
4. Idea: Keep plastic pitcher available to put water in that is “extra” at the kitchen sink. It’s surprising how much water this is.
5. When rewiring, put some outside outlets in from and back, please.
6. Idea: Could schedule using electric oven for more things at the same time.
7. Idea: For refrigerator, could schedule taking things out and putting things in instead of so many individual grabs from the fridge. Tricky!
8. When I’m cooking breakfast, either hot or cooler weather, I’ve been bringing cereal to proper temperature and then taking it off the burner to finish cooking or turning the burner off altogether. Also, I’m using the pot lids while this off the heat is taking place.
9. Idea: Have a whole energy audit done? Sometimes utilities will do free audits; but I don’t know if mine would do this.
enough for now, Shamba
This thing is really easy to use after using my Tulsi oven. I'm pretty sure from looking at it that it's easy to use and I will be able to cook the more traditional mid-Western, farm like, WASPy cooking that I learned from my Mom! The Tulsi isn’t hard to use but with it’s flatter design and the pans it came with, I had to adjust the way I cooked foods and what foods I could use in it.
With the Tulsi and after reading food/cooking/prep blogs I have tried more new foods to me and ways of cooking them in the past 18 months than I have in my whole previous life! Couscous, quinoa, beans, lentils, various nonyeast breads, some egg dishes beyond scrambled or hard boiled and all kinds of vegetables I never ate--or knew I had eaten. That would be chards, kales, collard greens and winter squashes. I've liked most of them. The greens just go well in salads and sometimes in vegetable soups. But mostly beans and butternut and acorn squash aren't going to be my favorites. I could cultivate the taste of acorn squash, I think, it smells so good cooking. However, split peas and lentils with veggies and/or rice are just fine.
After reading some other bloggers who deal with solar cookers, I realize how easy I have it using these ovens where I live. On my north patio, where I cook from mid May to mid October, it’s perfectly flat, I have sun all afternoon with no trees/bldgs anything to block the sunlight at all. I have sun well overhead mostly coming straight down. The sun does move across the patio during the day but the middle of the patio close to the north wall gets sun for a good 4-5 hours. I put the ovens out there with stuff in them and they hardly have to be adjusted at all June until after early/mid September. After end of October I’ll have to cook in the front yard. I didn’t do any solar oven cooking after mid November last year until this June. I’m going to try to do more this winter and see how it works.
There’s plenty of unshaded yard to use although the sun angles are much different and my neighbors can see what I’m doing. ;) Two nice African sumacs give us shade and a pleasant yard in this common area. Some neighbors cook on their front porches or use the barbecue that’s near the pool so several of us see each other cooking outside.
Chicken breasts (2) and some liquid I put in with them were in the big oven for 2-3 hours. Great! They didn’t need to be in quite that long but I put them out and did some stuff and took a nap and it was 3 hours later.
Tomorrow, I’m going to use the liquid, maybe with some soup stock I’ve got on hand, or maybe not, and make a soup.
The next Day:
Pot of broth from yesterday and various fresh veggies and it’s in the oven. Wish I had some crackers of some kind. This came out pretty well except it was more stew than soup!
Monday Aug 3: Put the last two pieces of “old” frozen chicken in the GSO to cook. That’s the last of the frozen chicken parts, breasts, legs, thighs, whatever. In for 3 hours, that was more than enough to cook them thoroughly. The cats will get some of it for dinner. Easy to smell it cooking when I go out the patio doors!
AIP thoughts on Monday:
1. Keep on with as much solar cooking as possible through cooler weather even if it’s out in the front common area.
Have to watch where I’ll set oven as the cats will probably want to check it out. So, no balancing it/them on the porch wall; put it on the ground or on the small table out front. I’m at the end of the building so it’s probable if it’s on the sidewalk it won’t be in anyone’s way except mine.
2. Keep closer track of BTUs this winter. I’m sure I could get this usage down some more.
3. I ‘ve hardly used hot water for bathing this summer. Water in cold taps is plenty warm for showers most days July-August from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
4. Idea: Keep plastic pitcher available to put water in that is “extra” at the kitchen sink. It’s surprising how much water this is.
5. When rewiring, put some outside outlets in from and back, please.
6. Idea: Could schedule using electric oven for more things at the same time.
7. Idea: For refrigerator, could schedule taking things out and putting things in instead of so many individual grabs from the fridge. Tricky!
8. When I’m cooking breakfast, either hot or cooler weather, I’ve been bringing cereal to proper temperature and then taking it off the burner to finish cooking or turning the burner off altogether. Also, I’m using the pot lids while this off the heat is taking place.
9. Idea: Have a whole energy audit done? Sometimes utilities will do free audits; but I don’t know if mine would do this.
enough for now, Shamba
Monday, July 27, 2009
July Updates
July 27, Monday :
So, another 113 or so day today; we’ve had a break of a week or so from the “excessive heat warnings” but today the temp is up again. I’m surprised at the difference between 105 and 115 makes; I forget how better it is at the lower number there.
We got some rain last week overnight but that’s been it. We’ve had several near misses as storms seem to form in the early evenings but never quite made it to Central Phoenix or they just didn’t have any rain to dump on us.
So, what better way to use the heat and sun than to try a new solar oven recipe? Curried Lentils and veggies and rice in a separate pan.
I slept badly last night and this is a relatively easy way to be productive today.
Food storage reviewfor the past few weeks:
I actually ran out of oatmeal during my 6-8 weeks or not using my injured arm. (it is now 12 weeks) I thought I had enough for the Apocalypse and beyond but I was wrong! I think I want to keep more than I have had on hand from now on.
I need to use up my remaining brown rice before looking at any other rice I have including the Basmati, which I love.
I DON”T need any more pasta for a while. I’m pastad in plenty. Basta with Pasta! (For a while)
The lentil and dried beans supply is fine. Lentils and split peas are so easy to use; I use them in place of the dried beans a lot.
Picked up some organic canned green beans on sale.
Picked up 4 boxes of whole wheat pastas; didin’t realize until today that I have plenty of all kinds of pastas.
I need to pick up at Sprouts in the bulk section: white sugar, NO more whole wheat flour for a while, granola, steel cut oats/rolled oatmeal.
New cat likes staying in most of the time. I have to keep bedroom doors shut though to keep him and Mariah separate. Nubs needs to do adjusting for this and Mariah, too. We’ll see how it works out.
July 22, 2009:
Went to othopod for 11 wk check up on right arm. It’s almost completely healed. It aches less than it did a couple of weeks ago. Stretching quads every day has done away with almost all ofmy knee pains—who knew such a simple solution could do so much!
I’ll keep on taking the Arnica Montana internally for at least a few more weeks.
Pub pot of chicken breast with veggie in solar oven, the big solar oven. I put it out about 12:30. Put a container of couscous & water out with it—under it actually—towards the last hour or so of cooking time. I’m so hungry thinking about this food, I hope I’m not disappointed in the outcome of the dish. Update: This combination of food worked out just fine.
Mariah, tabby cat, is afraid of the way this oven looks when it’s put up. She doesn’t seem to mind the Tulsi oven when it’s out there at all.
July 14-19th:
Saw, Harry Potter movie; it’s pretty good. Unfortunately, it will be another 18 months before the first half of Deathly Hallows comes out!
More preparedness: Bash’s had Gold Bond skin things on sale about half of what I’d pay at –so I got 3-4 different kinds of their lotions. That should last a while. Often, my skin gets hot and itchy at this time of the year. If stress levels are up, this turns into hives which tends to freak me out.
Also, my favorite shoe store for the past 15-20 years has been the EJs branch at colonnade. They’ve been slowly dwindling away in customers and inventory the past year and now they have gone out of business. I couldn’t let that pass without locking and ended up with 2 pairs of shoes there. Next Sunday is their last day. There are two more stores in north Scottsdale. Yes, it would be worth a couple of trips a year to check them out. But not for several months.
Cheers,
shamba
So, another 113 or so day today; we’ve had a break of a week or so from the “excessive heat warnings” but today the temp is up again. I’m surprised at the difference between 105 and 115 makes; I forget how better it is at the lower number there.
We got some rain last week overnight but that’s been it. We’ve had several near misses as storms seem to form in the early evenings but never quite made it to Central Phoenix or they just didn’t have any rain to dump on us.
So, what better way to use the heat and sun than to try a new solar oven recipe? Curried Lentils and veggies and rice in a separate pan.
I slept badly last night and this is a relatively easy way to be productive today.
Food storage reviewfor the past few weeks:
I actually ran out of oatmeal during my 6-8 weeks or not using my injured arm. (it is now 12 weeks) I thought I had enough for the Apocalypse and beyond but I was wrong! I think I want to keep more than I have had on hand from now on.
I need to use up my remaining brown rice before looking at any other rice I have including the Basmati, which I love.
I DON”T need any more pasta for a while. I’m pastad in plenty. Basta with Pasta! (For a while)
The lentil and dried beans supply is fine. Lentils and split peas are so easy to use; I use them in place of the dried beans a lot.
Picked up some organic canned green beans on sale.
Picked up 4 boxes of whole wheat pastas; didin’t realize until today that I have plenty of all kinds of pastas.
I need to pick up at Sprouts in the bulk section: white sugar, NO more whole wheat flour for a while, granola, steel cut oats/rolled oatmeal.
New cat likes staying in most of the time. I have to keep bedroom doors shut though to keep him and Mariah separate. Nubs needs to do adjusting for this and Mariah, too. We’ll see how it works out.
July 22, 2009:
Went to othopod for 11 wk check up on right arm. It’s almost completely healed. It aches less than it did a couple of weeks ago. Stretching quads every day has done away with almost all ofmy knee pains—who knew such a simple solution could do so much!
I’ll keep on taking the Arnica Montana internally for at least a few more weeks.
Pub pot of chicken breast with veggie in solar oven, the big solar oven. I put it out about 12:30. Put a container of couscous & water out with it—under it actually—towards the last hour or so of cooking time. I’m so hungry thinking about this food, I hope I’m not disappointed in the outcome of the dish. Update: This combination of food worked out just fine.
Mariah, tabby cat, is afraid of the way this oven looks when it’s put up. She doesn’t seem to mind the Tulsi oven when it’s out there at all.
July 14-19th:
Saw, Harry Potter movie; it’s pretty good. Unfortunately, it will be another 18 months before the first half of Deathly Hallows comes out!
More preparedness: Bash’s had Gold Bond skin things on sale about half of what I’d pay at –so I got 3-4 different kinds of their lotions. That should last a while. Often, my skin gets hot and itchy at this time of the year. If stress levels are up, this turns into hives which tends to freak me out.
Also, my favorite shoe store for the past 15-20 years has been the EJs branch at colonnade. They’ve been slowly dwindling away in customers and inventory the past year and now they have gone out of business. I couldn’t let that pass without locking and ended up with 2 pairs of shoes there. Next Sunday is their last day. There are two more stores in north Scottsdale. Yes, it would be worth a couple of trips a year to check them out. But not for several months.
Cheers,
shamba
Sunday, July 19, 2009
July 12th:
July 12: Sunday:
These are my organization of thoughts on a lot of comments at blogs, etc. I read during the week.
1. permanently smaller economy; Not an V or U or W recovery but X! the X idea is from Robert Reich. as in impasse?? No way through go back? No, I know there’ll be no going back to what we had 2000-2006!
2. Permanent job losses after this down cycle. People have some money for unemployment, extensions, maybe savings maybe assets or things to sell. When they all run out? And when any work they find doesn’t pay for what they have been used to? Lose their houses, too?
3. Permanent smaller revenue for state and local govs. Every year, less and less available due to less spending due to people with no income to spend except for absolute necessities.
4. Permanent lessening of government services: education, police and security, infrastructure, social services, helpe to hospitals and various other organizations.
5. Permanent reduction in medical services available for those who depend on government for programs, elderly assistance like nursing homes available, other nonprofits don’t get any govet help and private help is dwindling: food banks, shelters, animals shelters, etc.
6. Healthservice, public and private permanent reduced. No meds available for chronic disease or various conditions, no insurance available, people sicken and die from various diseases. Emergency rooms can’t treat someone if they are so far gone with chronic conditions: diabetes, heart condition, etc. 7. Pensions and government mandated services are reduced to lack of funding. Service to
These are my organization of thoughts on a lot of comments at blogs, etc. I read during the week.
1. permanently smaller economy; Not an V or U or W recovery but X! the X idea is from Robert Reich. as in impasse?? No way through go back? No, I know there’ll be no going back to what we had 2000-2006!
2. Permanent job losses after this down cycle. People have some money for unemployment, extensions, maybe savings maybe assets or things to sell. When they all run out? And when any work they find doesn’t pay for what they have been used to? Lose their houses, too?
3. Permanent smaller revenue for state and local govs. Every year, less and less available due to less spending due to people with no income to spend except for absolute necessities.
4. Permanent lessening of government services: education, police and security, infrastructure, social services, helpe to hospitals and various other organizations.
5. Permanent reduction in medical services available for those who depend on government for programs, elderly assistance like nursing homes available, other nonprofits don’t get any govet help and private help is dwindling: food banks, shelters, animals shelters, etc.
6. Healthservice, public and private permanent reduced. No meds available for chronic disease or various conditions, no insurance available, people sicken and die from various diseases. Emergency rooms can’t treat someone if they are so far gone with chronic conditions: diabetes, heart condition, etc. 7. Pensions and government mandated services are reduced to lack of funding. Service to
Saturday, June 27, 2009
June 27 Saturday
I felt like this June is some kind of turning point in our economic future because June’s unemployment rate will tell us how we’re going, along with other indiciators. The stock markets had a rally since it’s low point in march and a lot of all kinds of people see what they think are green shoots. But green shoots of what plants? Some others are seeing green shoots turning into yellow weeds. So if they were weeds, they weren’t what we’d like to see growing anyway, I guess they mean.
And people have felt more hopeful the last couple of months, April and May, some polls say anyway. Some people I know have felt that way. Some days I even felt that way, more days, I haven’t. I’m interested in how the general perception will get more pessimistic from here . If this sounds sick, I’m sorry! I hope it doesn’t go that way, but if reality goes that way more and more general perceptions will go that way , too.
I’d like to deal with one day at a time, REALLY, one day at a time instead of having to think ahead all the times about everything! This means whatever preparedness stuff I want to achieve but mostly it’s had to do with my mom’s estate money and my own money. It’s very intimidating knowing what to do about these things normally but the atmosphere of fear and uncertainly for money these last few months has been incredible.
I haven’t put things in mattresses or strong boxes under the bed. I moved some money out of the stock market last week. I have a couple thousand left in another def comp fund I want to move.
The estate has 3 stock amounts that have some last paperwork (I hope it’s the last) to do to transfer everything and get it sold.
I’m sooo weary of dealing with money and really feeling it has to get out of the market as soon as possible. I’ve felt it every hour of every day since last October and it’s now getting better. At least the greatest amount of it is done. I can understand why people have been overwhelmed with fear and’/or inertia or denial in trying to do anything something with their money whatever form it’s in—stocks, treasuries, savings, CDS or whatever. Then there’s always the fear that wherever you put it, it will fail! Even owning gold has been a worry since gold bugs are worried about the amount of “real gold” coins or bullion is really available, really exists (!) Or are the dealers just selling paper shares that will never be back by the real thing.
Got some clouds on the horizons all around and it’s almost the 4th of July. This always cheers me up because we begin to turn towards the part of the year I like the most even if it’s two months away.
Peace to myself,
Shamba
And people have felt more hopeful the last couple of months, April and May, some polls say anyway. Some people I know have felt that way. Some days I even felt that way, more days, I haven’t. I’m interested in how the general perception will get more pessimistic from here . If this sounds sick, I’m sorry! I hope it doesn’t go that way, but if reality goes that way more and more general perceptions will go that way , too.
I’d like to deal with one day at a time, REALLY, one day at a time instead of having to think ahead all the times about everything! This means whatever preparedness stuff I want to achieve but mostly it’s had to do with my mom’s estate money and my own money. It’s very intimidating knowing what to do about these things normally but the atmosphere of fear and uncertainly for money these last few months has been incredible.
I haven’t put things in mattresses or strong boxes under the bed. I moved some money out of the stock market last week. I have a couple thousand left in another def comp fund I want to move.
The estate has 3 stock amounts that have some last paperwork (I hope it’s the last) to do to transfer everything and get it sold.
I’m sooo weary of dealing with money and really feeling it has to get out of the market as soon as possible. I’ve felt it every hour of every day since last October and it’s now getting better. At least the greatest amount of it is done. I can understand why people have been overwhelmed with fear and’/or inertia or denial in trying to do anything something with their money whatever form it’s in—stocks, treasuries, savings, CDS or whatever. Then there’s always the fear that wherever you put it, it will fail! Even owning gold has been a worry since gold bugs are worried about the amount of “real gold” coins or bullion is really available, really exists (!) Or are the dealers just selling paper shares that will never be back by the real thing.
Got some clouds on the horizons all around and it’s almost the 4th of July. This always cheers me up because we begin to turn towards the part of the year I like the most even if it’s two months away.
Peace to myself,
Shamba
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Juneth 25th, Thursday
HOORAY! Dr. B. says my right radial head is 85% healed! X-rayed r. arms and both knees for some pain in R. knee, also. Little beginnings of bone spur in r. knee (groan).
However, we discussed stretching for the quads, which are naturally tight anyway, and some anti-inflammatory crème. Also, I need to stop using my rocking chair so much for a month or so to see if that doesn’t help the pain/tightness in my knees.
I’m not supposed to “push or lean” on my right arm yet. Give that two weeks he says.
I’m going back in a month. Starting my arm exercises with 1 lb weights. I’ll see about doing some rotator cuff exercises with them. I have all the exercise plans that my PTs gave me from my two rounds of PT for arms and shoulder in the past 3 years.
Some preps over the past 2-3 weeks.
--Picked up latex gloves, and an old fashioned ice bag! I also found hot water bottles actually still exist at the local CVS (drugstore).
The latex gloves have been on my mind from time to time as I’ve cleaned up dead bird parts after the cats worked on them! Today I found a torn open pigeon carcass at the end of our building. My cats may have done it or not. But I cleaned it up and then had to go to the store anyway. So, I picked up the latex gloves while I was there.
--Got some more of the Neutrogena sunscreen I like so well.
--Got some surgical masks at a Fry’s. These are also good for when I clean up where the cat’s live on the front porch. Good for dust, leaves, dirt, cat or other dander, etc.
--Don’t need any more rechargeable batteries at the moment.
--Large Goodwill store near me has a very large and nice assortment of clothing that seems to be growing larger every time I go there. Didn’t purchase garments but I like to scope out the place every few weeks. More people are certainly using it these days.
--This store is also a good place to look for all kinds of dishes, cookware and household fabrics. The fabrics also include all kinds of fabric remnants and good sized pieces of cloth that can’t be categorized as bedding or towels etc.
--Went through clothes that need to be mended and realized I desperately want to sew something. At least I want to mend and fix the stuff that needs doing.
-- Found an older skirt that just needs it’s stretched out elastic waistband replaced. I realized how easy it would be to rip out the old one and do a new one; one of my old favorities when I was wearing skirts.
My heart is with doing sewing and fiber arts stuff. I‘d do someone’s ironing forever if they’ fix my food and clean up the kitchen afterwards! I actually like ironing. I’ve always liked the whole production process of creating stuff with fabric: laying out patterns, adjusting, pinning and cutting carefully (sometimes not cause I’m in a hurry) and the step by step process of seeing it come together.
--T. has moved to Payson and her handsome Nubs is now my 8th cat. She lived here 15 years and I will miss her. Plus we don’t have a clue who will live there now.
Other news these days: 19 state govts are on the edge of shutting down, including mine.
It just occurred to me this morning that fewer employees in state government means less money paid into the state retirement funds …. Ummm, yeah …. Maybe more canned tomatoes are in order.
Peace,
Shamba
However, we discussed stretching for the quads, which are naturally tight anyway, and some anti-inflammatory crème. Also, I need to stop using my rocking chair so much for a month or so to see if that doesn’t help the pain/tightness in my knees.
I’m not supposed to “push or lean” on my right arm yet. Give that two weeks he says.
I’m going back in a month. Starting my arm exercises with 1 lb weights. I’ll see about doing some rotator cuff exercises with them. I have all the exercise plans that my PTs gave me from my two rounds of PT for arms and shoulder in the past 3 years.
Some preps over the past 2-3 weeks.
--Picked up latex gloves, and an old fashioned ice bag! I also found hot water bottles actually still exist at the local CVS (drugstore).
The latex gloves have been on my mind from time to time as I’ve cleaned up dead bird parts after the cats worked on them! Today I found a torn open pigeon carcass at the end of our building. My cats may have done it or not. But I cleaned it up and then had to go to the store anyway. So, I picked up the latex gloves while I was there.
--Got some more of the Neutrogena sunscreen I like so well.
--Got some surgical masks at a Fry’s. These are also good for when I clean up where the cat’s live on the front porch. Good for dust, leaves, dirt, cat or other dander, etc.
--Don’t need any more rechargeable batteries at the moment.
--Large Goodwill store near me has a very large and nice assortment of clothing that seems to be growing larger every time I go there. Didn’t purchase garments but I like to scope out the place every few weeks. More people are certainly using it these days.
--This store is also a good place to look for all kinds of dishes, cookware and household fabrics. The fabrics also include all kinds of fabric remnants and good sized pieces of cloth that can’t be categorized as bedding or towels etc.
--Went through clothes that need to be mended and realized I desperately want to sew something. At least I want to mend and fix the stuff that needs doing.
-- Found an older skirt that just needs it’s stretched out elastic waistband replaced. I realized how easy it would be to rip out the old one and do a new one; one of my old favorities when I was wearing skirts.
My heart is with doing sewing and fiber arts stuff. I‘d do someone’s ironing forever if they’ fix my food and clean up the kitchen afterwards! I actually like ironing. I’ve always liked the whole production process of creating stuff with fabric: laying out patterns, adjusting, pinning and cutting carefully (sometimes not cause I’m in a hurry) and the step by step process of seeing it come together.
--T. has moved to Payson and her handsome Nubs is now my 8th cat. She lived here 15 years and I will miss her. Plus we don’t have a clue who will live there now.
Other news these days: 19 state govts are on the edge of shutting down, including mine.
It just occurred to me this morning that fewer employees in state government means less money paid into the state retirement funds …. Ummm, yeah …. Maybe more canned tomatoes are in order.
Peace,
Shamba
Saturday, June 13, 2009
June 11
Ok, 5 ½ weeks from stress fractured right arm—it’s healing well and I can use the arm except for carrying anything heavier than a full soda bottle (dr. agreed with this) bottle could be full of soda or other liquid—Also, I can’t lean on it at all. But my range of motion is really excellent. I didn’t expect that.
-I can drive again
-I can do my own laundry if I’m careful about the heaviness of items in the load.
During this time period d. and S. helped out a lot and one of my neighbors did, too.
After 2 weeks of way too hot temps for 2 weeks in May, our temps are now running between 90-100 degrees. We’ve had very overcast days and even 2-3 days of gentle intermittent rain in mid-May! We’ve had almost 4 weeks of these cloudy and under usual temperature days. It’s certainly very nice in the mornings and the AC doesn’t have to be on as much. I wonder how much longer it will last.
My food storage is depleted a lot since it was at the first of May that I fell and broke the arm and I usually make 2 trips at the first of the month to buy what I need. So, almost a month and a half has gone by without much except some daily trips to get what is absolutely necessary. Like healthy choice frozen dinners for a 2-three week period as a meal option. They looked best of all the possible frozen dinners at the time at the store in easy walking or driving distance.
-Friends helped me pull what I needed out of storage containers so I could have a small amount easy for me to handle to fix to eat as hand got better. This was on a weekly basis.
-Opening cans doesn’t work with one hand not working well! But an electric one wouldn’t have been any better. I have used those before. Friends had to open cans sometimes for me.
-Use paper plates/bowls! and of course, plastic utensils.
-Powdered milk is easier to use, measured out and then mixed with water for a glass or two, than handling milk containers of any kind.
-Soda bottles washed out are great for keeping water in the fridge, and easy to handle with one hand. They are light weight and don’t tip over as easily as glasses or heavier water containers. Also, Mariah (one of my cats) can’t drink out of them! She’s very fond of drinking out of cups or mugs. She always inspects what I’m drinking and sometimes drinks it herself (except for coffee)
-Have a store nearby you can walk to easily to get some things if you can’t drive! My store was only a quarter mile away one way. This also got me out of the house and it was easy to carry a few things in a medium to large tote bag. The first two weeks it was good for my spirits to do this if I could.
-Ended up adding to rechargeable battery supply on a shopping trip one day. AAA and AA batteries ins good supply now.
--Finally made appt with CFA I like at the CU. Goal: Move small IRAs now that the market has come up a lot from March lows I’m going to get everything out of equities that is left there! I didn't really plan to wait until the market hadn come up so much I've just been watching things as they've gone the past 2 months. I finally made the decision; this seemed a very hard decision to make.
Peace, Shamba
-I can drive again
-I can do my own laundry if I’m careful about the heaviness of items in the load.
During this time period d. and S. helped out a lot and one of my neighbors did, too.
After 2 weeks of way too hot temps for 2 weeks in May, our temps are now running between 90-100 degrees. We’ve had very overcast days and even 2-3 days of gentle intermittent rain in mid-May! We’ve had almost 4 weeks of these cloudy and under usual temperature days. It’s certainly very nice in the mornings and the AC doesn’t have to be on as much. I wonder how much longer it will last.
My food storage is depleted a lot since it was at the first of May that I fell and broke the arm and I usually make 2 trips at the first of the month to buy what I need. So, almost a month and a half has gone by without much except some daily trips to get what is absolutely necessary. Like healthy choice frozen dinners for a 2-three week period as a meal option. They looked best of all the possible frozen dinners at the time at the store in easy walking or driving distance.
-Friends helped me pull what I needed out of storage containers so I could have a small amount easy for me to handle to fix to eat as hand got better. This was on a weekly basis.
-Opening cans doesn’t work with one hand not working well! But an electric one wouldn’t have been any better. I have used those before. Friends had to open cans sometimes for me.
-Use paper plates/bowls! and of course, plastic utensils.
-Powdered milk is easier to use, measured out and then mixed with water for a glass or two, than handling milk containers of any kind.
-Soda bottles washed out are great for keeping water in the fridge, and easy to handle with one hand. They are light weight and don’t tip over as easily as glasses or heavier water containers. Also, Mariah (one of my cats) can’t drink out of them! She’s very fond of drinking out of cups or mugs. She always inspects what I’m drinking and sometimes drinks it herself (except for coffee)
-Have a store nearby you can walk to easily to get some things if you can’t drive! My store was only a quarter mile away one way. This also got me out of the house and it was easy to carry a few things in a medium to large tote bag. The first two weeks it was good for my spirits to do this if I could.
-Ended up adding to rechargeable battery supply on a shopping trip one day. AAA and AA batteries ins good supply now.
--Finally made appt with CFA I like at the CU. Goal: Move small IRAs now that the market has come up a lot from March lows I’m going to get everything out of equities that is left there! I didn't really plan to wait until the market hadn come up so much I've just been watching things as they've gone the past 2 months. I finally made the decision; this seemed a very hard decision to make.
Peace, Shamba
May 19th
Everyone–EVERYONE–should do food storage! Some kind of food storage.
2 1/2 weeks ago I fell and have a stress fracture in my right arm–I’m able to type today since it’s doing quite well.
Fortunately, the injury is not very serious and my trip through the ER went quite well and I expect to recover fully. I had cat food stored, food of my own and so the inconveniences of this whole thing were made easier by the supplies I had on hand.
I also had to get some frozen dinners to help out and someone had to open my canned goods and then we stowed them in the fridge for a day or so until I could use them with my good arm and hand. But I had the food on hand and hopefully in a week or so, after the dr visit tomorrow I will be doing much more.
Celery and carrots can be eaten raw by hand easily enough and bell peppers like apples, if you really need to.
Peace to All,
shamba
2 1/2 weeks ago I fell and have a stress fracture in my right arm–I’m able to type today since it’s doing quite well.
Fortunately, the injury is not very serious and my trip through the ER went quite well and I expect to recover fully. I had cat food stored, food of my own and so the inconveniences of this whole thing were made easier by the supplies I had on hand.
I also had to get some frozen dinners to help out and someone had to open my canned goods and then we stowed them in the fridge for a day or so until I could use them with my good arm and hand. But I had the food on hand and hopefully in a week or so, after the dr visit tomorrow I will be doing much more.
Celery and carrots can be eaten raw by hand easily enough and bell peppers like apples, if you really need to.
Peace to All,
shamba
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Ailr 17-29th Notes
As of April 27th we have a new player on the world stage, complicating just about everything--the Swine flu!--possible influenza pandemic. It's "swine"flu" which is really a DNA mixture of Avian and Swine and Human DNA, so It's a hybrid flu. I started to think on the first day we heard about it on eht MSM that it might be somewhat alarmist but I don't think so now. and who am I to say someone else is alarmist??!! LOL We want to be aware and prepared for possibilities but healths services have been preparing for possible flu pandemics for a few years now.
Started in Mexico and is spreading to all around the world. It can be mild and no worse than any regular flu but there are some deaths and very seriously ill people from this in Mexico and the US.
As of 29th, we’ve had an elementary school closed for seven Calendar days in North Central Phoenix as a result of a confirmed “swine” flu in a student there. Students were sent home at midday and sstate health officials had a press conference to talk about it and explain other flue preparations they’ve made. This seems to be developing very quickly. We certainly should be better prepared than previous possible epidemics or pandemic than in the past.
On Thursday, april 23, I had a great afternoon with Penny and Maura at Penny’s new place in Mesa. they will be returning to Montana for the summer and be back in October.
Economic news on the 23rd: 12th week in a row for huge employment numbers around 640.000 again .. broadcast NBC news is broadcasting more of the same/probably going to get worse message tonight. Actually, they’ve been broadcasting that essage for the past two months. Some nights it just sounds so much worse and other nights not so bad.
On April 29th, GDP shrank by 6.1 % first quarter 2009, it was contracting by 6.3% in last Q of 2008.
AIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYI! On a positive note, I have all the guaranteed singatures for stock stuff to send off.
WASH YOU HANDS OUT THERE,
Peace to all, Shamba
Started in Mexico and is spreading to all around the world. It can be mild and no worse than any regular flu but there are some deaths and very seriously ill people from this in Mexico and the US.
As of 29th, we’ve had an elementary school closed for seven Calendar days in North Central Phoenix as a result of a confirmed “swine” flu in a student there. Students were sent home at midday and sstate health officials had a press conference to talk about it and explain other flue preparations they’ve made. This seems to be developing very quickly. We certainly should be better prepared than previous possible epidemics or pandemic than in the past.
On Thursday, april 23, I had a great afternoon with Penny and Maura at Penny’s new place in Mesa. they will be returning to Montana for the summer and be back in October.
Economic news on the 23rd: 12th week in a row for huge employment numbers around 640.000 again .. broadcast NBC news is broadcasting more of the same/probably going to get worse message tonight. Actually, they’ve been broadcasting that essage for the past two months. Some nights it just sounds so much worse and other nights not so bad.
On April 29th, GDP shrank by 6.1 % first quarter 2009, it was contracting by 6.3% in last Q of 2008.
AIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYI! On a positive note, I have all the guaranteed singatures for stock stuff to send off.
WASH YOU HANDS OUT THERE,
Peace to all, Shamba
Saturday, April 18, 2009
April 7th and April 17th
April 17, 2009
Accomplishments for the week:
Taxes away! Or at least for another year. Last one for my mother; many years of tax return filings left for me.
I had to go to the brokers last week to pick up some stock papers from him to get them to the accountant before the 15th. His securities firm wouldn’t let him fax the information he had for Michael! Another folder of paper to store for a while. Ah, well ….
I get a good sized refund this year—that’s a surprise. And a small refund from the state.
Creditor’s info sent to the paralegal.
My Wells Fargo safe deposit box mystery is almost solved. Staff member found the listing in the computer and we went to look at where the boxes were. They have the box but I can’t find the key!
If I don’t’ find it in a week they have someone drill into open it. Twist is there are two boxes with similar numbers so it’s a tossup between which box is really mine. Key says, but I can’t find the key where it should be since last year. If I have to pay for two boxes to be drilled open, then that’s the way it will have to be. I have to get to the bottom of this box and what’s in it. I think there are silver coins that Dad gave me once and some documents. My passport, though, I have at home.
Have to do an inventory of Mom’s assets and estimated/real worth on the day she died.
Paid myself back to paying the first estate legal bill; payback is always good! Hehehehe
April 7, 2009
Okaaaay! After my online class I feel terribly informed but not sure what happens next … Where am I going from here with projects for the house, general preparedness issues and what will I do for the rest of my life??? A lot to decide in one hour, I guess
Summer will be here in 3-4 weeks, it will be May then already. Need to schedule tune-up for AC.
Waiting on tax information to send off. I may have to pay, and the deadline is midnight Wednesday, April 15, next week.
There are two unclaimed properties at the state of Arizona ... I think. I sent off for the met life stock and should get a letter back about that. That leaves the one certificate I have. I’d forgotten about it until the certificate fell out of a folder.
Pinnacle West stock stuff gets done tomorrow; Comcast has to send a current statement of the account before the CU personnel can do a guaranteed signature. I probably need that for PW stock anyway.
None of this stock is worth a whole lot under 500 each, maybe doesn’t even total that altogether.
Cheers,
shamba
Accomplishments for the week:
Taxes away! Or at least for another year. Last one for my mother; many years of tax return filings left for me.
I had to go to the brokers last week to pick up some stock papers from him to get them to the accountant before the 15th. His securities firm wouldn’t let him fax the information he had for Michael! Another folder of paper to store for a while. Ah, well ….
I get a good sized refund this year—that’s a surprise. And a small refund from the state.
Creditor’s info sent to the paralegal.
My Wells Fargo safe deposit box mystery is almost solved. Staff member found the listing in the computer and we went to look at where the boxes were. They have the box but I can’t find the key!
If I don’t’ find it in a week they have someone drill into open it. Twist is there are two boxes with similar numbers so it’s a tossup between which box is really mine. Key says, but I can’t find the key where it should be since last year. If I have to pay for two boxes to be drilled open, then that’s the way it will have to be. I have to get to the bottom of this box and what’s in it. I think there are silver coins that Dad gave me once and some documents. My passport, though, I have at home.
Have to do an inventory of Mom’s assets and estimated/real worth on the day she died.
Paid myself back to paying the first estate legal bill; payback is always good! Hehehehe
April 7, 2009
Okaaaay! After my online class I feel terribly informed but not sure what happens next … Where am I going from here with projects for the house, general preparedness issues and what will I do for the rest of my life??? A lot to decide in one hour, I guess
Summer will be here in 3-4 weeks, it will be May then already. Need to schedule tune-up for AC.
Waiting on tax information to send off. I may have to pay, and the deadline is midnight Wednesday, April 15, next week.
There are two unclaimed properties at the state of Arizona ... I think. I sent off for the met life stock and should get a letter back about that. That leaves the one certificate I have. I’d forgotten about it until the certificate fell out of a folder.
Pinnacle West stock stuff gets done tomorrow; Comcast has to send a current statement of the account before the CU personnel can do a guaranteed signature. I probably need that for PW stock anyway.
None of this stock is worth a whole lot under 500 each, maybe doesn’t even total that altogether.
Cheers,
shamba
Sunday, April 5, 2009
April 1-3 Update
April 3
The dryers were all full and still had about 15-20 minutes to go when I got my 2 wash loads of laundry this afternoon. I didn’t realize that all 4 were bull when I put my laundry in. So, I decided it was a good time to try the clothesline idea. Last summer sometime, I picked up a good sized but easy to carry folding laundry basket, clothesline and 2 packages of clothes pins.
I hung the pants and knit tops and shirts on hangars and hung them in the bathroom. I always hang better pants, capris and shorts, not jeans, inside. Other things, except for denim things, to in a dryer. Denim gets hung on the bushes in the front of the house until dark—they’re usually dry much sooner than that anyway. And it’s not so classy to have clothes hanging all over the landscaping for more than one afternoon.
Anyway, I tied up the clothesline and hung out the undies and socks and some prs of knit shorts went on the patio chairs. And no one will see them, unless they peek over the block wall. J
That didn’t take long either. And saved me 25 to 50 cents.
Oh, yes, unemployment is up after March figures to 8.5% and what was that about unemployment going to 9% by the end of 2009?? (Someone made that prediction even as late as the end of February) If we keep going this way it will be like 12% by the end of Dec.
Off to do something positive,
shamba
April 1 2009
Some latest Arizona Econ Info:
-On local HBC channel 12 on 6:00 p.m. news (3-31-09) leading story was that the average home price in Phoenix (area or metro incorporated area?) in March 07 was 255,000; in March 09 (now) it’s 150,00; a 53% drop. (I didn’t do the math I just wrote down what they said on air)
Some other US news: from various sources online.
-Manufacturing in the U.S. contracted for a 14th straight month in March as factories kept on cutting production amid the economic downturn that this month becomes the longest since the Great Depression.
-The nation’s gross domestic product was $14.2 trillion in 2008. President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Either met with the chief executives of the nation’s 12 biggest banks on March 27 at the White House to enlist their support to thaw a 20-month freeze in bank lending.
-“Companies in the U.S. cut an estimated 742,000 workers in March, pointing to no relief in sight for the labor market amid the longest recession in seven decades, a private report based on payroll data showed today. The drop in the ADP Employer Services gauge was larger than economists forecast and the most since records began in 2001. February’s reading was revised to show cut of 706,000 workers, up from a previous estimate of 697,000.Companies are slashing staff as tight credit conditions and shrinking household wealth cause sales to shrink. The Labor Department may report in two days that employers cut payrolls in March for a 15th consecutive month, putting jobs losses in the current downturn at more than 5 million, according to a Bloomberg survey. "The weakness is distributed across all components of the economy," Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers LLC in St. Louis, said in a conference call. "We are going to see several more months of serious bleeding before we see lesser job losses."
-"The pace of decline is slowing down, that’s important," David Wyss, chief economist with Standard & Poor’s in New York, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. "It is too early to look for a turnaround, but maybe it is time to start saying that things are not getting as bad as quickly as they were earlier."
-The OECD predicted that world trade will shrink by 13.2pc in 2009. The forecast is worse than those from the World Trade Organisation and World Bank and indicates a faster and more widespread implosion of imports and exports than in any single year during the 1930s.
--The USDA said farmers intend to plant the nation's 21 biggest crops on 7.8 million fewer acres than last year, the biggest one-year drop since 1987, when the farm belt was mired in a debt crisis. The retreat is most dramatic in states like North Dakota, where farmers intend to plant 1.4 million fewer acres, and in Texas, where farmers could idle one million acres. Many growers still have time to change their plans for the growing season, which begins in mid-April across much of the farm belt. The USDA will survey farmers about actual plantings in June.
I’m waiting to see what M. says about my 2007 taxes before I decide what to do with the IRAs money.
Two more small stock transfers to do before I’m done with the estate stuff. Yeah!
Cheers,
shamba
The dryers were all full and still had about 15-20 minutes to go when I got my 2 wash loads of laundry this afternoon. I didn’t realize that all 4 were bull when I put my laundry in. So, I decided it was a good time to try the clothesline idea. Last summer sometime, I picked up a good sized but easy to carry folding laundry basket, clothesline and 2 packages of clothes pins.
I hung the pants and knit tops and shirts on hangars and hung them in the bathroom. I always hang better pants, capris and shorts, not jeans, inside. Other things, except for denim things, to in a dryer. Denim gets hung on the bushes in the front of the house until dark—they’re usually dry much sooner than that anyway. And it’s not so classy to have clothes hanging all over the landscaping for more than one afternoon.
Anyway, I tied up the clothesline and hung out the undies and socks and some prs of knit shorts went on the patio chairs. And no one will see them, unless they peek over the block wall. J
That didn’t take long either. And saved me 25 to 50 cents.
Oh, yes, unemployment is up after March figures to 8.5% and what was that about unemployment going to 9% by the end of 2009?? (Someone made that prediction even as late as the end of February) If we keep going this way it will be like 12% by the end of Dec.
Off to do something positive,
shamba
April 1 2009
Some latest Arizona Econ Info:
-On local HBC channel 12 on 6:00 p.m. news (3-31-09) leading story was that the average home price in Phoenix (area or metro incorporated area?) in March 07 was 255,000; in March 09 (now) it’s 150,00; a 53% drop. (I didn’t do the math I just wrote down what they said on air)
Some other US news: from various sources online.
-Manufacturing in the U.S. contracted for a 14th straight month in March as factories kept on cutting production amid the economic downturn that this month becomes the longest since the Great Depression.
-The nation’s gross domestic product was $14.2 trillion in 2008. President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Either met with the chief executives of the nation’s 12 biggest banks on March 27 at the White House to enlist their support to thaw a 20-month freeze in bank lending.
-“Companies in the U.S. cut an estimated 742,000 workers in March, pointing to no relief in sight for the labor market amid the longest recession in seven decades, a private report based on payroll data showed today. The drop in the ADP Employer Services gauge was larger than economists forecast and the most since records began in 2001. February’s reading was revised to show cut of 706,000 workers, up from a previous estimate of 697,000.Companies are slashing staff as tight credit conditions and shrinking household wealth cause sales to shrink. The Labor Department may report in two days that employers cut payrolls in March for a 15th consecutive month, putting jobs losses in the current downturn at more than 5 million, according to a Bloomberg survey. "The weakness is distributed across all components of the economy," Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers LLC in St. Louis, said in a conference call. "We are going to see several more months of serious bleeding before we see lesser job losses."
-"The pace of decline is slowing down, that’s important," David Wyss, chief economist with Standard & Poor’s in New York, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. "It is too early to look for a turnaround, but maybe it is time to start saying that things are not getting as bad as quickly as they were earlier."
-The OECD predicted that world trade will shrink by 13.2pc in 2009. The forecast is worse than those from the World Trade Organisation and World Bank and indicates a faster and more widespread implosion of imports and exports than in any single year during the 1930s.
--The USDA said farmers intend to plant the nation's 21 biggest crops on 7.8 million fewer acres than last year, the biggest one-year drop since 1987, when the farm belt was mired in a debt crisis. The retreat is most dramatic in states like North Dakota, where farmers intend to plant 1.4 million fewer acres, and in Texas, where farmers could idle one million acres. Many growers still have time to change their plans for the growing season, which begins in mid-April across much of the farm belt. The USDA will survey farmers about actual plantings in June.
I’m waiting to see what M. says about my 2007 taxes before I decide what to do with the IRAs money.
Two more small stock transfers to do before I’m done with the estate stuff. Yeah!
Cheers,
shamba
Monday, March 30, 2009
March 30th
Fossil Free Weekend?
Okay, I'd decided to go without any electricityfor Sunday. doing a whole utility, or more than one utility free day or weekend, seemed way too much. butrather than not do any, I decided one day without one utility. It didn't come out as planned but I learned a few things.
To keep myself busy during non-net, TV or other electric distractions, I'd planned to clean up mypatio, trim the overgrown stuff, and report about 15-20 aloes and put someflower cuttings from a neighbor in pots. the aloes stay in the back and theflowers--hearts and flowers is the name I think--were goingn to go mostly ontheh front porch.
BTW, my natural gas heat wasn't coming on except for early morning for a littlewhile since it's not so cold at night anymore.
To make a long story shorter, my sinuses were totally plugged from a change inweather and allergies Sunday so I gave in and made cereal on the stove so thewarmth from the cereal and coffee would make my head feel better. It always does ...I repented :) of my decision to use the electric stove though and stayed awayfrom electricty generally until sundown. I had just picked sunup to sundown formy electricity free hours.
I did get all the outside work done I'd intended! My lower back certainly knows I did something unusual yesterday. I also cleaned out some stuff--boxes--from my shed so there's room for things like water storage containers. I realized I had all kinds of nails in the shed wall already that I could hang things on. There are two wooden brackets already in the wall that I could put some kind of shelf on and put stuff on there.
so, I never got anything in the solar oven yesterday and cooked dinner the regular way but I got some things accomplished. I also learned I need a wind up clock or another battery powered one. and there will be another time to try again going without utilities ...
cheer,sheri in phoenix
Okay, I'd decided to go without any electricityfor Sunday. doing a whole utility, or more than one utility free day or weekend, seemed way too much. butrather than not do any, I decided one day without one utility. It didn't come out as planned but I learned a few things.
To keep myself busy during non-net, TV or other electric distractions, I'd planned to clean up mypatio, trim the overgrown stuff, and report about 15-20 aloes and put someflower cuttings from a neighbor in pots. the aloes stay in the back and theflowers--hearts and flowers is the name I think--were goingn to go mostly ontheh front porch.
BTW, my natural gas heat wasn't coming on except for early morning for a littlewhile since it's not so cold at night anymore.
To make a long story shorter, my sinuses were totally plugged from a change inweather and allergies Sunday so I gave in and made cereal on the stove so thewarmth from the cereal and coffee would make my head feel better. It always does ...I repented :) of my decision to use the electric stove though and stayed awayfrom electricty generally until sundown. I had just picked sunup to sundown formy electricity free hours.
I did get all the outside work done I'd intended! My lower back certainly knows I did something unusual yesterday. I also cleaned out some stuff--boxes--from my shed so there's room for things like water storage containers. I realized I had all kinds of nails in the shed wall already that I could hang things on. There are two wooden brackets already in the wall that I could put some kind of shelf on and put stuff on there.
so, I never got anything in the solar oven yesterday and cooked dinner the regular way but I got some things accomplished. I also learned I need a wind up clock or another battery powered one. and there will be another time to try again going without utilities ...
cheer,sheri in phoenix
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Sat March 28th
I finally got the old analog TV out of the living room where it has been sitting for a little over a month since I got the new digital TV. I took it to Goodwill and then decided to look around inside their store. I found the very model of a battery powered fan that I had viewed online earlier this week at amazon or someplace. It's a good size although it does need 8 D batteries and I got it on a 50% off Satuday.
Also, I got some AAA batteries and found a battery powered clock so I have 2 battery powered clocks now.
Tomorrow I plan on doing the plant repotting on the back patio.
shamba
Also, I got some AAA batteries and found a battery powered clock so I have 2 battery powered clocks now.
Tomorrow I plan on doing the plant repotting on the back patio.
shamba
Friday, March 27, 2009
March 27, 2009
Finished an online class in Adapting In Place from Sharon and Aaron. What a lot of information and overwhelming at times really. Lots of things, and not all happy things to think about but better than not thinking about them. That’s one reason I haven’t been posting here but I haven’t had a lot to say this windy, pollen saturated March.
Had a nasty allergy problem that I had to go to the dr for and get prednisone, antibiotics and antihistamines which did fix it. Citrus blossoms, of course, and a variety of other things blooming did it I guess. I haven’t had an allergy problem like that before in the spring!
I’ve also been busy the past month with estate papers, taxes for Mom and myself and filing, sorting and shredding papers (again!) But next year I won’t be doing anymore taxes for mom/Eleanor and will have much less paperwork to sort and maybe a lot more that I can shred and/or burn.
Work has started on the new fresh water lines for the south side of the complex. In our small complex, two units are now for sale and 2 are for rent. I don’t think anyone has even glanced at the 2 for sale and they have been there for at least 6 months each. I know the people who own the rentals and they are in no big hurry for a resident, when they find one it will be fine. that’s kind of interesting but they are older people and may have the rentals paid off, I don’t know.
Where I used to work for the state has been cut very badly in the past month or so and that’s only for the 2009 budget year. what happens in the 2010 budget?! People let go, half the staff hours slashed in half (those have all been restored to 30 hours a week instead of 20) and threat of each week not knowing what’s coming next week. (S. hours were cut to 20 for a week or so but then she got restored up to 30. the other's whose hours were cut to 20 also got their work time to 30 hours.) And L. has decided to retire!! Party next Tuesday.
Large local food bank sent out info on how in Feb 2009 they had a 90 percent increase of use from Feb of 08. Director hasn’t seen things so bad in 40 some years of being associated with this particular food bank.
DJA has gone up to about 7900 the past two weeks but it was about 7700 Friday Mar 27.
Markets on March 18th.
7,486.58
+90.88
+1.23%
Nasdaq
1,491.22
+29.11
+1.99%
S&P 500
794.35
+16.23
+2.09%
Had a nasty allergy problem that I had to go to the dr for and get prednisone, antibiotics and antihistamines which did fix it. Citrus blossoms, of course, and a variety of other things blooming did it I guess. I haven’t had an allergy problem like that before in the spring!
I’ve also been busy the past month with estate papers, taxes for Mom and myself and filing, sorting and shredding papers (again!) But next year I won’t be doing anymore taxes for mom/Eleanor and will have much less paperwork to sort and maybe a lot more that I can shred and/or burn.
Work has started on the new fresh water lines for the south side of the complex. In our small complex, two units are now for sale and 2 are for rent. I don’t think anyone has even glanced at the 2 for sale and they have been there for at least 6 months each. I know the people who own the rentals and they are in no big hurry for a resident, when they find one it will be fine. that’s kind of interesting but they are older people and may have the rentals paid off, I don’t know.
Where I used to work for the state has been cut very badly in the past month or so and that’s only for the 2009 budget year. what happens in the 2010 budget?! People let go, half the staff hours slashed in half (those have all been restored to 30 hours a week instead of 20) and threat of each week not knowing what’s coming next week. (S. hours were cut to 20 for a week or so but then she got restored up to 30. the other's whose hours were cut to 20 also got their work time to 30 hours.) And L. has decided to retire!! Party next Tuesday.
Large local food bank sent out info on how in Feb 2009 they had a 90 percent increase of use from Feb of 08. Director hasn’t seen things so bad in 40 some years of being associated with this particular food bank.
DJA has gone up to about 7900 the past two weeks but it was about 7700 Friday Mar 27.
Markets on March 18th.
7,486.58
+90.88
+1.23%
Nasdaq
1,491.22
+29.11
+1.99%
S&P 500
794.35
+16.23
+2.09%
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Feb 26
where I used to work is going to go away due to the AZ state budget issues! :( :( :0 Eek! This makes the economic stuff really closer than it was. There's a retirement party for one of the staff there that I'm going to today. I expect it may feel like a wake as well as a party! :/
Starting an online class next week I'm really looking forward to. It centers on how to adapt yourself and place to the coming changes, not all good, that could be/probably will be coming in the next few years. I have some ideas from previous readings at various blogs and books but the people who take the class and teachers will have some, too and I hope this will all help me with my ideas. It's things that could be done and that helps with anxiety and fears.
Otherwise, not much new here. Weather is warming up and is lovely. I smell citrus blossoms out there beginning to come out ... : )
Workshop at yoga studio this saturday morning, too.
end of estate papers by May 30th, I have assets to collect before then though.
Postponing major decisions in life until after estate is settled and this class is done.
feeling pretty good today,
shamba
DJA is hanging around in the 7,100-7300 range the past week or so....
Starting an online class next week I'm really looking forward to. It centers on how to adapt yourself and place to the coming changes, not all good, that could be/probably will be coming in the next few years. I have some ideas from previous readings at various blogs and books but the people who take the class and teachers will have some, too and I hope this will all help me with my ideas. It's things that could be done and that helps with anxiety and fears.
Otherwise, not much new here. Weather is warming up and is lovely. I smell citrus blossoms out there beginning to come out ... : )
Workshop at yoga studio this saturday morning, too.
end of estate papers by May 30th, I have assets to collect before then though.
Postponing major decisions in life until after estate is settled and this class is done.
feeling pretty good today,
shamba
DJA is hanging around in the 7,100-7300 range the past week or so....
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
February 18th
FEB 17th:
DOW
7,552.60
-297.81
-3.79%
Nasdaq
1,470.66
-63.70
-4.15%
S&P 500
789.17
-37.67
-4.56%
February 17, 2009 - 10:21am
DJIA 5 ½-year low of 7552 set on Nov. 20; Now at 7577.
Gas A gallon: 1.99 last week now 2.05
Feb 11th
ASU is doing away with 48 academic programs, I think that means undergrad degrees but I’m not certain I can’t find a list of them yet at the ASU site. And ASU West and the Mesa Campus—site of old Williams Air force Base—nay both be closed next year! Eek! Those two campuses have been in business for years and years.
All K-12 districts are going to be hurting, too.
Feb 8th
I’m doing the big beef barley soup recipe today. I say big because it’s done in the crock pot—some kind of slow cooker—and it’ll feed me for at least several days. This would be another recipe to use in a solar oven if it fits in the oven container okay.
Picked up chicken and two packs of sirloin tips at good prices today. Sirloin tips need to be sold and used pretty quickly so they’re in the beef barley soup. They seemed to have lots of meat on some kind of specials at Bashas’ today. They also seemed to have more people than usual for a Sunday.
February 5th
My 5 or 6th attempt at bread making today; this one is the best one yet. I’ve had trouble getting it to rise high enough in the pan and come out with decent sized sandwich bread. It is a sandwich bread recipe from Joy of Cooking, called fast one loaf bread. I ‘ll know when it comes out of the oven in about 30 minutes.
When I tried to make pizza dough two weeks ago, I had accidentally killed the yeast with too hot water and the dough never rose at all. I now have a candy thermometer to measure the proper temp of the water.
DOW
7,552.60
-297.81
-3.79%
Nasdaq
1,470.66
-63.70
-4.15%
S&P 500
789.17
-37.67
-4.56%
February 17, 2009 - 10:21am
DJIA 5 ½-year low of 7552 set on Nov. 20; Now at 7577.
Gas A gallon: 1.99 last week now 2.05
Feb 11th
ASU is doing away with 48 academic programs, I think that means undergrad degrees but I’m not certain I can’t find a list of them yet at the ASU site. And ASU West and the Mesa Campus—site of old Williams Air force Base—nay both be closed next year! Eek! Those two campuses have been in business for years and years.
All K-12 districts are going to be hurting, too.
Feb 8th
I’m doing the big beef barley soup recipe today. I say big because it’s done in the crock pot—some kind of slow cooker—and it’ll feed me for at least several days. This would be another recipe to use in a solar oven if it fits in the oven container okay.
Picked up chicken and two packs of sirloin tips at good prices today. Sirloin tips need to be sold and used pretty quickly so they’re in the beef barley soup. They seemed to have lots of meat on some kind of specials at Bashas’ today. They also seemed to have more people than usual for a Sunday.
February 5th
My 5 or 6th attempt at bread making today; this one is the best one yet. I’ve had trouble getting it to rise high enough in the pan and come out with decent sized sandwich bread. It is a sandwich bread recipe from Joy of Cooking, called fast one loaf bread. I ‘ll know when it comes out of the oven in about 30 minutes.
When I tried to make pizza dough two weeks ago, I had accidentally killed the yeast with too hot water and the dough never rose at all. I now have a candy thermometer to measure the proper temp of the water.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
January 31 2009
from yahoo finance on Jan 2nd:
Basic Stats for first business day of the new year:
Oil crude barrel: 46.34
DJA today: 9034.69 Optimism today!
S&P 500: 931.77
Gallon of gas here: 1.49-1.55
yahoo finance on Jan 30th:
DJA 8000.86
S&P 825
Gallon of Gas here: 1.97-1.95
Gallon of crude: somehwere in $40's
Worst January ever EVER for the DJA.
later,
shamba
Basic Stats for first business day of the new year:
Oil crude barrel: 46.34
DJA today: 9034.69 Optimism today!
S&P 500: 931.77
Gallon of gas here: 1.49-1.55
yahoo finance on Jan 30th:
DJA 8000.86
S&P 825
Gallon of Gas here: 1.97-1.95
Gallon of crude: somehwere in $40's
Worst January ever EVER for the DJA.
later,
shamba
Thursday, January 22, 2009
January 22 2009
Phoenix Light rail line day with S, Leanna and Donna and I. We went to ride Light rail for the first time today from one end of the line to the next. it's only been working about a month. I wish it was closer to my own house!
Went to Mesa and had lunch at a place there and then came back. It was worth doing and I got some pics although not many enough to see what the trains and stations look like.
This is the link to the pics I took: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheritrego/sets
This was easier to do than loading them here.
more later, shamba
Went to Mesa and had lunch at a place there and then came back. It was worth doing and I got some pics although not many enough to see what the trains and stations look like.
This is the link to the pics I took: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheritrego/sets
This was easier to do than loading them here.
more later, shamba
Monday, January 12, 2009
Jan 12
Spent a lot of time online today because I went through all my email addys and got rid of 6 of them! Only 10 left LOL. I also went through all the saved/stored mail at yahoo and earthlink and got rid of unnecessary emails, forwarded ones to be stored at paid accounts. I went through my address book, too! Still a lot of emails but I recognize all the names now!
Also, went through webspace/file manager and got rid of some extra files I didn’t need. Fixed some links, too, and uploaded some Real Life photos at flickr.com—this is part of yahoo and has some free space--and sent the link out to 3 people so they can see the photos, too.
This all took about 3 hours along with my regular news/blog/doom readings. I don’t have the sense I need to read about coming doom because it seems that we’re dealing with all of it in real life in real time these days.
I’m hoping some cyber friends can make a drive out this spring to see the desert/and visit several cyber and real life friends in a month or two when the desert should be blooming. I know I have some photos of desert flower??? Now where did I store them—perhaps I never scanned them before I got the digital camera????
The other day I got all the stock/investment info put into a portfolio at Yahoo. Just the names mostly not much other info anyone could get out of it. All of Mom’s stuff and mine is there.
I feel the winds of new life/new year and these winds always blow away the leftover dust/leftover feelings you don’t want/detritus of 2008 and leave the permanent memories—positive and negative—but make the way for new things.
J I have a few more people to email or contact that haven’t heard from me in a while. Phone and email work the easiest for this.
Gas prices have started to rise here about 10-15 cents.
cheers, shambalayogi
Also, went through webspace/file manager and got rid of some extra files I didn’t need. Fixed some links, too, and uploaded some Real Life photos at flickr.com—this is part of yahoo and has some free space--and sent the link out to 3 people so they can see the photos, too.
This all took about 3 hours along with my regular news/blog/doom readings. I don’t have the sense I need to read about coming doom because it seems that we’re dealing with all of it in real life in real time these days.
I’m hoping some cyber friends can make a drive out this spring to see the desert/and visit several cyber and real life friends in a month or two when the desert should be blooming. I know I have some photos of desert flower??? Now where did I store them—perhaps I never scanned them before I got the digital camera????
The other day I got all the stock/investment info put into a portfolio at Yahoo. Just the names mostly not much other info anyone could get out of it. All of Mom’s stuff and mine is there.
I feel the winds of new life/new year and these winds always blow away the leftover dust/leftover feelings you don’t want/detritus of 2008 and leave the permanent memories—positive and negative—but make the way for new things.
J I have a few more people to email or contact that haven’t heard from me in a while. Phone and email work the easiest for this.
Gas prices have started to rise here about 10-15 cents.
cheers, shambalayogi
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Jan 7
Time rushes on it seems. Wasn't it just Halloween?
Tryng the dehydrator I got on markdown at LinensThings before they closed. I've got some green beans in it. I figure this would be great for Bell peppers when they're on sale. I haven't tried this before today. I need to stop looking at it every 15 minutes and popping some green peppers in my mouth before I cover it up again. LOL
Appt with lawyer on Friday.
cheers,
shamba
Tryng the dehydrator I got on markdown at LinensThings before they closed. I've got some green beans in it. I figure this would be great for Bell peppers when they're on sale. I haven't tried this before today. I need to stop looking at it every 15 minutes and popping some green peppers in my mouth before I cover it up again. LOL
Appt with lawyer on Friday.
cheers,
shamba
Friday, January 2, 2009
January 2, 2009
Happy New Year! Normally, I’d say and a Prosperous New Year but I don’t know about that this coming year. Perhaps Abundant and Enough New Year would be more appropriate and possibility better in all areas of abundance: food, health, good things, etc., etc., etc. and maybe a little extra money.
Made trip to Safeway, almost all out of pnutt butter and all jams! Got those and a 10 lbs bag of Basmati rice which they haven’t had before. Yup, it’s imported from India but I took it anyway. Burlap bag with handle and zipper! Cute!
I usually make a trip to Sprouts for bulk things but I don’t need to go there quite yet. My January trip will be postponed for a week or so.
Basic Stats for first business day of the new year:
Oil crude barrel: 46.34
DJA today: 9034.69 Optimism today!
S&P 500: 931.77
Gallon of gas here: 1.49-1.55
Don't have much to say. Everyone's attitude is: 2009 is some year to be survivied and save what you can; gotta get through it to get to better times in 2010 or not far after. Optimists are suggesting that mid 2009 signs of recovery will begin to show a little.
Peace to All, shamba
Made trip to Safeway, almost all out of pnutt butter and all jams! Got those and a 10 lbs bag of Basmati rice which they haven’t had before. Yup, it’s imported from India but I took it anyway. Burlap bag with handle and zipper! Cute!
I usually make a trip to Sprouts for bulk things but I don’t need to go there quite yet. My January trip will be postponed for a week or so.
Basic Stats for first business day of the new year:
Oil crude barrel: 46.34
DJA today: 9034.69 Optimism today!
S&P 500: 931.77
Gallon of gas here: 1.49-1.55
Don't have much to say. Everyone's attitude is: 2009 is some year to be survivied and save what you can; gotta get through it to get to better times in 2010 or not far after. Optimists are suggesting that mid 2009 signs of recovery will begin to show a little.
Peace to All, shamba
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
