The Rains

It's 2am and I am sitting here listening to the rain. The rains (fall, winter,spring) have come to Portland. Forecast for the next week is rain, or showers and highs 58-60. A lot of people around here don't like the rain, which is hard to avoid, since it rains mostly all the time from now till about April. I'm different, I love the rain. It's great to sleep when it rains, everything gets green here. And the constant overcast gray days don't depress me.

On frugal notes, all the stores here are starting to sell reuseable shopping bags. Our local Fred Meyer is selling them for 99 cents. This week they are on sale for 79 cents. I didn't pay for mine, I got a coupon in the mail from them to get 3 for free, which of course I took advantage of. My only problem with them is remembering to take them with me. I have to get into the habit of putting them in the back seat of the car.

I also took advantage of a sale at Fred Meyer's to get a good deal on a Rival Crockpot, six quart.Since my partner and I now have quite different schedules most days, she tends not to cook much so I'm stuck with trying to make something for myself late at night. Plus she doesn't eat as much as she should either. The crockpot, which I've never had one before, once I get used to it, will help with that. I can start a meal before I leave and have tasty food when I get home.

Barbara

Cooking frugally

I've been finding some good deals at the store. I had a $10 off coupon at Safeway. I picked up some chicken breasts that were 50% off, and a whole cut up chicken, also half off. I froze the breasts and made chicken soup and then chicken salad for sandwiches out of the whole chicken. Safeway is not the cheapest store, but they have some good deals and I really like their meat.

Barbara

Good numbers

I recently got health insurance, so I went for a physical and some blood tests. I am very happy to report that my numbers are the best they have been in ten years (which is when I started keeping copies of tests). I mostly very proud of my blood sugar, which was 82. And my cholesterol, which at 167 and 47 HDL, is at it's best level ever. I've always been around 200 before.

Eating healthy has really paid off. I am also seeing a naturapath, since I don't like taking drugs.

Barbara