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Well June is almost over which means tax season for aussies...yes we do in middle of the year..lucky for us we dont need to do taxes each year, which is nice but seriously considering not doing US taxes for a couple years just because they are so difficult and they have made it so hard for us to be able to contact people there now...I'm not sure it is worth the headache...we will see.
Our debt actually went up a little even though we are paying it down and that is because my student...
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I've had a few more grocery price surprises. Today, I managed to get out, drive the 15 minutes or so it takes to get to BJs, and get home by a little after 9 am. Trying to beat the heat, which will reach 95 degrees today.
The "surprise" is discovering that Stop & Shop charges MORE than Whole Foods for organic oranges. Oranges are heavily sprayed, so I like to buy organic.  They are currently $5.99 for a 4 lb bag at Whole Foods and $6.99 for a 3 lb bag at Stop & Shop.
Here's...
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My mason was supposed to finish up the basement walls today, but was MIA. He said he'll be here tomorrow.
It's very easy for me to waste an entire day basically reading stuff online. So, since we're in an awful heat wave and I don't plan on going out except to the gym after lunch, I decided to do more decluttering. I really can't stand living with so much stuff around that really has no place to go (but OUT) in my small (1650 sf) home. 
It often drives me nuts. I really...
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I was originally going to repond with a comment, but there are a lot of details I've left out, so I thought perhaps it would be better for me to just write an entirely separate entry.
This woman and I have been friends for a while now, like for more than ten to fifteen years, depending on how you want to count it.
I've always been respectful of her relationship with the old boyfriend, and remained as just friends.  Besides, deep down, I know I can not afford to give her...
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Hmm? You wonder, where's Hummingbird Hills Homestead. Well, located in Central Illinois. It's our little patch of land. My husband's late wife dubbed it Hummingbird Hills and I added the Homestead part. It's been a busy week here trying to keep on top of stuff and then we have had the extreme heat.
Work on the vegetable garden is ongoing. We fenced around it, but apparently bunnies or something still figured out a way to get in and proceeded to munch on a few of our vegetables....
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It's been a month since I last posted, so a quick update:
At the beginning of the month, I went on the retreat that I had previously scheduled in the Texas Hill Country.  I was pretty scared about going the week before, but kept on telling myself that I would be glad that I went once it was over.  
Not only am I glad that I went, but I actually enjoyed the trip and made some new friends.  This was a retreat organized by a woman who runs several a year (except...
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I have a female friend who recently broke up with an old boyfriend of about ten or so years, and is dating a new one.  The old boyfriend wasn't filthy rich, but he did make good, steady money just the same, and paid everything for her.  New boyfriend, while is currently employed, makes nowhere near the kind of money the old boyfriend does.
Long story short, while this female friend is a nice person overall, having been financially taken cared of for so long, I don't...
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Tomorrow is the day work begins on the kitchen & laundry! I’ve done most of the prep work but I still have a few things to get done today.
To be done today:
++ Dryer to be picked up by DS1’s friend who is upgrading from a dryer that doesn’t work well
++ Clear an L-shaped space in the garage for the contractor’s on-site storage.
++ Take the garage opener for that side out of the car so we can give it to him to come & go without coordinating...
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He just worked on the floor today. He didn't get as far as I had hoped but we'd rather have it done well than done fast. He was working out from the outer wall which is where one set of cabinets will go so that area needs to be perfectly level. That took him some extra time. He said he'll be able to progress faster tomorrow. Today he laid 21 tiles I think. They're 12x24 so he put down about 42 sq ft out of a total of 237 sq ft, in addition to what he put down yesterday (maybe about...
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Over the weekend we found and ordered the light fixtures for the bathroom and over the kitchen table. The kitchen one really took some work as there are literally hundreds of options to choose from. It's quite insane. Yesterday we placed the order for the cabinet hardware. We haven't bought it yet but we know which kitchen faucet we want. The only major things we still need are the bathroom sink and faucet, the backsplash, and a paint color.
 
Our contractor called out yesterday...
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Early spring was a little frustrating because I couldn't seem to get any of my planned on home maintenance jobs going.
Now, things are moving along. 
After the back stone stairs were rebuilt last week, my vinyl siding guy has arrived today and is working to replace siding where 2 small holes were made during 2 different storms. In the last storm, the Internet wires were literally ripped out of the side of my house! The 1st hole appeared the day after a bad storm years back...
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I’ve waited a few days to post this topic so the emotions aren’t quite so raw. We’ve had a couple of unexpected expenses arise as we’re preparing for the remodel and this one is painful.
We had to make the heart-wrenching decision to put down our dog. Once DH decided while talking to the vet, he made the appointment immediately before he could change his mind. While our pets are enjoyed by the entire family, it’s understood that the dog is DH’s...
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My stone mason...or rather, 2 very hardworking Latino men....probably undocumented aliens that rumpty dumpety has such a problem with....finished rebuilding my stone stairs today. The stairs are at the top of my driveway and lead to the backyard and back patio. It's beautiful, and I think they did a great job. I had them put in a drain at the top to divert water rushing off my back patio into a brushy area instead of down the stairs. When I pay him the second half tomorrow, he'll...
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This was planned over a year ago, but DH and I took a cruise to some of the countries on the Baltic sea. This was his third cruise and my second. We paid for everything associated with the actual cruise ahead of time so no big surprises. 
I've been to England, but no where else in Europe. DH has never been overseas. It was both exciting and scary for us. We started in Stockholm. We did spend money there going through the ABBA museum and a museum for a Swedish sailing vessel...
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Following is the recipe I mentioned that was originally shared by the blogger Toilet Paper Tracker. This one is a hit with every member of the family.
Asian Meatballs




Courses: Main DishCategories: Stew, TurkeySource: Saving Advice bloggerServing size: 4




Ingredients
1½ lb ground turkey1 cup bread crumbs2 eggs, lightly beaten3 scallions2 tbsp ginger1 tsp onion powder¼ tsp Chinese 5-spice1 tbsp soy sauce1 cup broth, veggie or chicken½...
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Today he did more finishing work on the drywall, joint compound, tape, etc. He patched some damaged studs by the sink and put up the drywall on that section of wall once he did. Then he turned his attention to the floor. Instead of a traditional mud bed under the tile, they now use a product called Ditra which is a plastic rolled out material that is much faster and easier to use. Roll it out, cut it to fit with a utility knife, and then the tile goes onto that (I don't know the...
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This is our third year to be a host site for the local CSA. We’ve been a customer for much longer.
Especially this year, with grocery prices up, I am appreciating the fresh local organic veggies. Since we’re the host, our weekly box is free. This week our haul includes gold potatoes, red chard, mini romaine, spring onions, strawberries, lacinato kale, garlic scapes, and Italian parsley.

I abhor waste so I attempt to get every bit of it into our bodies! Last year...
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Yesterday he put up most of the new drywall except for around the sink and the ceiling section. Today he took care of the ceiling. He had to cut out and replace a water pipe there because it hung lower than the ceiling (there used to be a soffit there which we removed). He did the spackling of the new drywall as well, did the corners, etc.
The dumpster just got picked up a few minutes ago. We were glad to see that go. Now we can use our driveway again.
I changed the HVAC filter...
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I’ve been searching and planning for a few years and this year I committed to a new primary care doctor. My upcoming milestone birthday caused a self-imposed sense of urgency. I want to remain healthy & active as I age and I figure that it’s good to enter each remaining decade with resolution of health concerns that have cropped up in the previous one.
I looked last year into direct primary care but couldn’t find a participating doctor in my area. This year...
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Nothing huge to report today though a lot was done. He finished all of the floor plywood in the bathroom and last section of the kitchen. He put up more insulation on the outer wall. I'm not sure what else got done. Tomorrow he will do the heat guard where the oven is going, start putting up new drywall, and also finish some of the plumbing. I feel like starting to close up the walls is a significant step in the process. The motor of the old bathroom exhaust fan died so he's trying...
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