Good Morning, All! Hope this note finds all in good health and good spirits 
Daughter called and said older grandson didn't want to go to the nature center for the Eagle program yesterday morning, so I made it up to the pool to exercise yesterday - got hit by a short squall of freezing rain on the way but luckily the van was warmed up by then so the defrosters quickly took care of the windows. Got mugged by Girl Scouts in the parking lot - 4 boxes of cookies for us, 4 to send to soldiers - then, after swim, my co-worker (the one who promised not to try to drown me this time if I came up to the pool) and I watched her 5th grade grandson in a basketball game. Daughter called and said grandson had a change of heart so they had gone to the program (lots of cool photos of bald eagles!) and would be headed to my house afterwards, so I had time to run 4 errands on my way home:
#1: Grocery store for 15 cans of Progresso soup @ 5/$5 plus some on sale strawberries
#2: Bank
#3: Gas station - the station in our town was 7 cents cheaper/gallon than in either work town or pool town!
#4: Dollar General to use my coupons. For the $5 off $25 coupon, I chose mostly storage containers but did pick up some of the open pollinated garden seeds; it must have just been one Dollar General that I was in that had them marked 4/$1 as this one was 2/$1. I received another $5 off $25 coupon good for next week on that sale. Then I used my 'Additional 50% off clearance' coupon to pick up several packages of mens and ladies underwear for an average of $1.50/pk; I will donate them to the clothing pantry at work.
I fed the boys a snack and let them play for a bit while I filled bird feeders and did some kitchen and household chores, then we headed for my work town to meet some of my co-workers for lunch. The boys decided they wanted to stay with co-worker buddy and watch some Minecraft and superhero movies while I ran errands so I dropped them off and headed back out. Got hit by another freezing rain squall; it totally iced over my windshield while I was at a stop light - the defrost couldn't clear it so I had to get out and scrape the windshield before I could move - had to scrape the windshield of the elderly couple behind me as well; good thing it's a smallish town so no one behind us honked their horn or anything. I cut my list way short - first, I hit Dollar General in that town to use my second $5 off $25 coupon - picked up 3 marked down ice scrapers ($1 each) plus a box of canning jar lids bring my total up to the $25 needed to use the coupon. Then it was on to Aldi - they were packed!! - but I still managed to get in and out in a reasonable amount of time. Texted co-worker Buddy to please have the boys ready to roll as we had another bout of freezing rain while I was loading the groceries in the car - handed out two of my new ice scrapers right there in the parking lot after I took my buggy back; probably just enabling people who don't have sense enough to know that it's winter but at least I knew they had clear windshields leaving the parking lot. Back to co-worker's to snag the boys, then we were off for home - salt trucks had been out on the highways, and we only hit one more patch of freezing rain on the way home. Country roads weren't bad, so we made it home in a reasonable amount of time.
I have a ground feeder for doves near the driveway where I put out mixed feed - the boys not only got to see doves, but also chipmunks, the two rabbits that live under a honeysuckle thicket behind the shed, and a possum come up to eat from the feeder before it got too dark to see it well. This morning, they got to watch blue jays fly in to the porch rail to snag the peanuts I put out for them - the blue jays and crows are my early warning system of something going on in the nearby area; if they start carrying on, I head for a window to check out the area - lately the warnings have mostly been for hawks and owls.
Here in a bit - I'm going to run out and start the van to melt off the ice; yup, more freezing rain through the night but it looks like it's moved out the area; and will fill the birdfeeders while it is doing so. I need to clear the kitchen island counter so that I can make 4 batches of sugar cookie dough - I will bake them tomorrow morning and carry them to daughter's that afternoon; they are for one of the boys' Valentine party - dual purpose: they will be the craft portion of the party as the kids will ice and decorate the cookies; then they will serve as part of the snack
Not sure exactly what time I'll run the boys home other than it will be before dark.
Guess I'd better go get started on that counter... Take care all; stay safe out there!
Daughter called and said older grandson didn't want to go to the nature center for the Eagle program yesterday morning, so I made it up to the pool to exercise yesterday - got hit by a short squall of freezing rain on the way but luckily the van was warmed up by then so the defrosters quickly took care of the windows. Got mugged by Girl Scouts in the parking lot - 4 boxes of cookies for us, 4 to send to soldiers - then, after swim, my co-worker (the one who promised not to try to drown me this time if I came up to the pool) and I watched her 5th grade grandson in a basketball game. Daughter called and said grandson had a change of heart so they had gone to the program (lots of cool photos of bald eagles!) and would be headed to my house afterwards, so I had time to run 4 errands on my way home:
#1: Grocery store for 15 cans of Progresso soup @ 5/$5 plus some on sale strawberries
#2: Bank
#3: Gas station - the station in our town was 7 cents cheaper/gallon than in either work town or pool town!
#4: Dollar General to use my coupons. For the $5 off $25 coupon, I chose mostly storage containers but did pick up some of the open pollinated garden seeds; it must have just been one Dollar General that I was in that had them marked 4/$1 as this one was 2/$1. I received another $5 off $25 coupon good for next week on that sale. Then I used my 'Additional 50% off clearance' coupon to pick up several packages of mens and ladies underwear for an average of $1.50/pk; I will donate them to the clothing pantry at work.
I fed the boys a snack and let them play for a bit while I filled bird feeders and did some kitchen and household chores, then we headed for my work town to meet some of my co-workers for lunch. The boys decided they wanted to stay with co-worker buddy and watch some Minecraft and superhero movies while I ran errands so I dropped them off and headed back out. Got hit by another freezing rain squall; it totally iced over my windshield while I was at a stop light - the defrost couldn't clear it so I had to get out and scrape the windshield before I could move - had to scrape the windshield of the elderly couple behind me as well; good thing it's a smallish town so no one behind us honked their horn or anything. I cut my list way short - first, I hit Dollar General in that town to use my second $5 off $25 coupon - picked up 3 marked down ice scrapers ($1 each) plus a box of canning jar lids bring my total up to the $25 needed to use the coupon. Then it was on to Aldi - they were packed!! - but I still managed to get in and out in a reasonable amount of time. Texted co-worker Buddy to please have the boys ready to roll as we had another bout of freezing rain while I was loading the groceries in the car - handed out two of my new ice scrapers right there in the parking lot after I took my buggy back; probably just enabling people who don't have sense enough to know that it's winter but at least I knew they had clear windshields leaving the parking lot. Back to co-worker's to snag the boys, then we were off for home - salt trucks had been out on the highways, and we only hit one more patch of freezing rain on the way home. Country roads weren't bad, so we made it home in a reasonable amount of time.
I have a ground feeder for doves near the driveway where I put out mixed feed - the boys not only got to see doves, but also chipmunks, the two rabbits that live under a honeysuckle thicket behind the shed, and a possum come up to eat from the feeder before it got too dark to see it well. This morning, they got to watch blue jays fly in to the porch rail to snag the peanuts I put out for them - the blue jays and crows are my early warning system of something going on in the nearby area; if they start carrying on, I head for a window to check out the area - lately the warnings have mostly been for hawks and owls.
Here in a bit - I'm going to run out and start the van to melt off the ice; yup, more freezing rain through the night but it looks like it's moved out the area; and will fill the birdfeeders while it is doing so. I need to clear the kitchen island counter so that I can make 4 batches of sugar cookie dough - I will bake them tomorrow morning and carry them to daughter's that afternoon; they are for one of the boys' Valentine party - dual purpose: they will be the craft portion of the party as the kids will ice and decorate the cookies; then they will serve as part of the snack
Not sure exactly what time I'll run the boys home other than it will be before dark.Guess I'd better go get started on that counter... Take care all; stay safe out there!
