My Port Removal. A Great Day In My Cancer Journey.

 

What is a port:

A port, also known as a venous access device, is a catheter inserted into a vein and then tunneled under the skin. A needle can be inserted into the port to give treatments or draw blood. 

This morning, after many delays, appointments and then cancellations, 

I finally had my infusion port surgically removed. 

When I asked the nurse how many removals do they do a day, she responded 'not many.

 They usually do more insertions than removals. 

The reason why a person gets a port in the first place is for cancer treatments. Apparently when you have to undergo treatment for several months to several years at a time for cancer drug injections, the medical profession prefers that a port is inserted into a patients chest so that the infusions (and two blood transfusions!!) can pass directly into your heart. Yeah, I know. It's NOT a pretty picture. You have to live with this foreign plastic item implanted inside your body for a long, long time. Infection is a problem and of course, mine did get infected BUT they were able to correct it with antibiotics.

When you have your port removed, it usually means you have been deemed cancer free and in no more need of any more chemo drug infusions. So, it's a very happy day for me! For now, my breast cancer is gone. A PET scan revealed no other cancer has been found in my body. BUT, cancer cells are microscopic, can travel throughout your body undetected and just to be on the safe side, I have to orally take a drug, Letrozole (click here), for the next five to ten years in hope that the cancer never comes back! Yup. You read that right. Thankfully, my drug insurance for this prescription only costs me $5 per month. That means I can possibly ward off cancer cells for only $60 a year. What a bargain. I pray to God every single second of the day that this cancer NEVER comes back. If it does, my oncologist told me it will come back in either my brain or my lungs (or some other vital organ) and it will be Stage IV (Four). Not a good future prognosis, I would say, right? Nonetheless, I will forge ahead, appreciate each and every day the Good Lord gives me and hopefully enjoy the rest of my life with my husband, my friends, my family and my precious little doggie.

My poor, getting older, body. It's been through a lot BUT as of yet, hasn't failed me.  

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Saving Money On Eggs

 I asked my middle-aged daughter a question the other day. "How are you saving grocery shopping money nowadays?" Her reply was simple yet very profound.

"Buying less." she answered.

That's how, I thought, I should be addressing my own grocery spenditures. Buy less. Especially when it comes to eggs. I was currently paying $5.56 per dozen here at our local Aldi grocery store. A scant time ago, I was paying only ninety-nine cents (.99). I currently have three dozen eggs either in the fridge or freezer. To be honest, the last breakfast I had with two scrambled eggs just didn't excite me as much as it used to. How could it? How can anyone enjoy a meal that is horribly priced at sky high prices? So, I decided to substitute other foods for breakfast and only use the eggs I have on hand for recipes (quiche, meatloaf, cakes etc.)

For an extra boost of protein, I either add in a side order of organic chicken breakfast sausages or nitrate-free bacon. A cup of coffee. A dot of butter and some brown sugar, and breakfast is served!

I picked up all these organic goodies, at reduced prices, at our local Job Lot store. You'd be amazed at how few of these superb items are sold in standard stores. Stop by a Job Lot or Odd Lot store and compare the prices. You'll find you can still continue to have a healthy, decent breakfast, without any eggs and without draining your wallet.

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First Walk Of The Springtime.

 It reached 50F degrees yesterday! Hubby and I decided to take our little dog for a walk and enjoy the spring-like weather. I have a fave spot that I like to go to. It's a waterway inlet that feeds out into the historic Hudson River. In the spring/summer/fall the docks are all loaded up with sailboats and motor boats with a few yachts thrown in for good measure. Today, much of that is frozen but the ice is starting to break. It was good to see some seagulls as well as a bunch of ducks. Doggie and I haven't been outside for a walk in months! It was great to take in the salty air, the diffused sunlight and stroll along a well constructed and balanced walkway. No one could have asked for anything finer. All for free. Perfect!

Surviving The Current Standard-Of-Living Crisis.

 There's no denying it anymore. No more lies. No more deceptions. No more phony charts and rates and excuses. The American economy is in a whirlwind of trouble. It's no use playing the blame game. That's not going to help any of us. What needs to be done, on an individual basis (and that means you and me) is find some way to survive this nightmare. Each day, at least for me, it seems to be getting worse and worse. I'm cutting out so many things in my budget that inevitably you (meaning me) come to a point where you've reached the end of your rope. I'm NOT there yet, but I'm worried. And so are you.

I don't listen to the news (anymore) nor do I believe anything. I have my own eyes and ears to tell me what is going on. I went food shopping today. For the first time ever, I saw people buying only one paper bag's worth of groceries. The only two shoppers who had a plethora of food in their carts were me and another foreign woman (she didn't speak English). And I shop at Aldi's, which is the most cost effective grocery store chain currently in the western hemisphere! The woman ahead of me on line, as she was checking out (with only 4 products) was speaking quite loudly to the cashier. She was telling him she wasn't going to buy any more food than necessary. She wasn't going to pay! Period.

This is my current food expenditure for the last month, February 2025:

Since I'm a bookkeeping/accounting kind-of-nerd, I have been keeping a spreadsheet track of all my expenditures for the last twenty years. I looked back and saw what I paid for groceries in February 2022. 

Here's what I spent:

Over the past year or so, hubby and I started cutting things out of our budget because we were finding it harder and harder to easily pay our standard monthly bills. At first it started out no more movie rentals, no more streaming services, a cheaper cell phone company, cheaper internet company. Then we got a letter from our long time home owners insurance firm that they went bankrupt and could no longer cover us. Before our homeowners insurance ended, we frantically searched for a reputable insurance company to take over. What used to be only $700 annually for homeowners insurance turned into a whopping 121% increase at another company (that would take us on) for $1,548. 

I did a year to year comparison (from 2024 to 2025 projected). The only good point for us is that since we have 99% No Debt, we only need $718 a month to continue to live here. Granted that's up from $557 and still affordable BUT nonetheless it's an increase of almost 30% in just one year. If you're in your 70s like we are, and on a sort of a fixed income (hubby sometimes works) how in the world do you continue to keep up?

Now I am certain that there are plenty more people like me who are feeling the same exact pain. It's no longer just you and me anymore. It's EVERYBODY. It's been interesting following more and more people on Social Media who have been gracious enough to post how they are dealing with their personal standard-of-living crisis. As we all know, eventually, you will run out of tricks, schemes, substitutions and eliminations and discover you might not be able to make it anymore. That may be alright for you and I BUT what if it is our government that is coming to the same conclusion?

America is in a deep financial crisis. "As of February 5, 2025, the US national debt was $36.22 trillion. This includes debt held by the public and debt held by federal trust funds and other government accounts." 

How much income is America taking in via taxes (and now tariffs)?

I'll save you the brain power it would need to figure out if America is taking in enough income.

According to AI, here is the answer to that query: NO!!

 

In other words, ladies and gentlemen: AMERICA IS BROKE, BANKRUPT, DESTITUTE, RUINED

I really don't think there is anyone or anything that will change or can change the inevitable of what is 

coming. America is rapidly heading towards The Greatest Depression any of us has ever seen IMHO. 

This inflationary period we are all experiencing currently is way different from anything I went through 

back in the 1970s. We had fear back then but not the fear we are having today. There is a tremendous 

fear of homelessness, food insecurity, poverty, crime and despair. I don't think FDR himself could ease 

any emotions today by simply saying "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." Ain't gonna work this time.

Remember the corporate layoffs that transpired last year in 2024?

Compare that to the corporate layoffs, so far, in 2025:

People may hate President Trump all they want right now (ditto for President Biden), but the new, additional 

layoffs in the United States Government may be the only thing that will stop America from spiraling into a

 'debt death spiral' of despair. 

"The federal government, after decades of bipartisan fiscal mismanagement, is now at the point where hard decisions must be made to avert even more painful consequences for all Americans in the not-too-distant future. We have empathy for the federal workers who already have lost their jobs and for those who may suffer a similar fate in the weeks ahead.

But we have even more concern for our children and grandchildren and for the millions of Americans whose quality of life will suffer immeasurably if our government can't learn to better manage our money.

Trump and Musk are admittedly imperfect drivers for this transformation. It's better, however, to have a bad driver who turns the car around before plunging off a cliff than one who believes the law of gravity no longer applies." Click here for more info.

Folks, we all are in for a very bumpy ride. The best thing we all can do is to be kind to each other. We also

need to share our experiences, our problems and how, if ever, we solved them. Especially listen to our older 

folks. They've been through some hard times and maybe we can learn a thing or two from these souls. Many 

of our younger generations are quite creative. I've learned a thing or two from my own daughter! Like where

to buy a good quality mattress for 1/4 of the price I would have paid. I'll write a post about it in the very

near future. Stay tuned.

Here are three people that I follow on YouTube quite regularly. The first is Jeremiah Babe. He can be a

bit doom and gloom at times but at least Jeremiah (click here) will tell you the truth AND give good advice. 

Next is Patara, a homestead woman, who gives fantastic advice (once she gets around to it) and has been

on YouTube for years. I got all my pandemic advice from Patara on Appalachia Homestead (click here)

Lastly, is this lovely over 70 gal, Robyn, who much to my surprise is a great, low budget cook!! Click here.

Check out this one video where she bought five bratwursts on sale and made five fabulous, 

frugal, healthy meals. She covered breakfast, lunch and dinner! Click here. And for an inexpensive 

substitute for maple syrup, try her brown sugar syrup recipe that she's been making for 50 years! Click here.

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The Decline Of American Life

 My husband needed an eye exam and new glasses. He couldn't go to the eye doctor he had been going to for years because of the fanatical raise in his prices. An eye exam now cost $125. Lenses in his RX (prescription) are $300 and frames cost around $180. That totals to a whopping $605. He used to get a yearly "free" exam from an Ophthalmologist via Medicare but that process has now been discontinued. He also used to get an eye exam and eyewear from WalMart but one year he had two pairs made and each one was a disaster. So, as per WalMart's policy hubby returned both pairs for a full refund. He got his refund but was banned by the optical store employees to never come back. I personally wanted to file a complaint against the WalMart employees but hubby, the patsy that he is, decided to just move on. And pay through the nose!

So, after a bit of research hubby decided to go to Lens Crafters. He got a price quote of $398 for an eye exam, frames and bifocal lenses. The closest Lens Crafters to us is an hour away, inside a mall. I have NOT set foot inside a mall for at least twenty five years. Yes! You read that correctly. I'm NOT a shopper. Never was and never will be. Currently I simply log onto my Amazon account (click here) and order whatever it is I need and simply just move along. 

Today was the first time I walked into a mall in probably thirty years. I don't like them. I think they are stupid. They have no value. Everything I heard about the decline of the American mall is true. There were many, many closed stores as well as two of its anchor stores. Sears was long gone, as was Best Buy. Of the stores that were still open, many of them touted 50% to 75% off their remaining inventory. Despite the piped in music, I found the mall to be a very sad place. There was barely anyone inside the mall. 

Since it was lunch time, hubby suggested we stop in the food court and get something to eat. Before I settled on anything, I checked out the prices. A slice of pizza cost $5.50 (we used to pay a dollar). A frankfurter from Nathan's was $7 (two for $13) I could buy a whole package of eight Nathan franks from the supermarket for five bucks and another $1.39 for eight rolls! Out of curiosity there was a candy store there. The candy was sold by the pound. One pound of candy (licorice, Swedish fish, peanut clusters etc) was $17.95!!!! A take-out Japanese restaurant was giving out free samples of their chicken fried in tempura. I had a taste and it was delicious. It was $5.99 for a small order over fried rice, so I ordered it. That later turned out to be a BIG mistake. Within one hour I got deathly ill. Don't even ask how we made it back home. I spent the next hour on the bowl in our bathroom. 'Nuff said!

Anyway, to get to the point of this post, when hubby got his glasses and tried them on, the lenses were ALL wrong! The bifocal height was set too low and he was unable to see or read. WTF??!! Rather than use a ruler to set the bifocals, the "optician" who was completely covered in tattoos, ear piercings and a diamond circle embedded in his lower right ear lobe, used an electronic contraption to set the bifocals to the frame. Like duh? Modern technology teaches our budding new opticians to use the equipment rather than their brains which in turn cause Lens Crafters (among others) to hire employees less than. If you get my drift?

In other words, the glasses were unusable, couldn't be saved and hubby had to go through the motions all over again. The pair has to be sent back to the lab and be redone. So much for Lens Crafters trying to cut corners and save money? This time Lens Crafters lost. Not hubby. The 'optician' used a ruler this time and correctly marked the height of the bifocals to the lenses. Hubby will have to wait another 7 to 10 days before he can finally get his new glasses. We hope. Fingers crossed.

Full disclosure: I was a licensed optician back in the day. I went to a NYS Authorized College, got my A.A.S. degree in ophthalmic dispensing and worked in the field for several years. My sister is a licensed optician in NY and Florida (but retired and gave up her practice) My brother was an ophthalmologist (now deceased). My dad (also deceased) was an optical manufacturer and my ex-husband is an optician and my current husband worked as an optical technician. So, it's an understatement to say we know the optical business! PS: Optics is part of the medical industry. We had to always dress professional. 

What a disgrace.

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Keeping It Clean, Non-Toxic and Low Cost.

 Did you know that the blue Dawn dishwashing liquid you have in your kitchen (and in your laundry detergent, your dishwashing detergent and other cleaning agents) got a rating of D, according to the EWG's Guide To Healthy Cleaning.  Click here for more info. Some of the concerns of this cleaning product are: cancer, developmental/endocrine/reproductive effects, damage to DNA, general systemic/organ effects, respiratory effects, nervous system effects, skin irritation/allergies/damage, damage to vision. IS THIS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO BE CLEANING YOUR DISHES, KITCHEN AND BATHROOM WITH?

Did you know that if you made a simple switch, all within the Dawn family, to their orange scent, antibacterial dishwashing liquid, the rating jumps up to an A?

Did you also know that you can purchase the same orange scent, generic liquid at Aldi for only $1.79 a bottle? And did you further know that if you took just two tablespoons of the orange scent liquid and mixed it with an empty orange scent bottle, filled to the top with plain tap water, you'd have the safest, cheapest, all-around cleaner for your kitchen, your bathroom, flooring and any other cleaning job where a great cleaner would be needed? All of this would cost you just pennies. Click here for more info on this product. Click here for more info on EWG.

Here are just the five cleaning products I use, in my 1134 square foot (four room) home, that are non-toxic, low cost, saves me a bunch of money, are easy to use, give me great results and make my home a pleasure to be in.

Pictured: A half bottle of the Aldi Dawn-generic, orange dishwashing liquid called 'Radiance'. Hubby uses this to scrub our pots and pans. Next to that is my diluted concoction of two tablespoons of the generic orange Radiance mixed with a full bottle of tap water (it turns yellow when diluted), a box of Cascade powder vs one of those dishwashing tabs. The tabs come encapsulated in plastic, which as we all know by now, when wet, releases tons of micro plastics into your dishwashing water. Do you want your dishes cleaned in that residue environment? Then switch to a powder and you only have to use one tablespoon (yup! you read that right!) per dishwasher load. Side Note: I know that the powdered Cascade I am using contains Dawn BUT, it is minuscule and in a powder form AND I only use one tablespoon per load. It's basically the very hot water and agitation that is cleaning my dishes. Click here for more information on Cascade detergent. 

Next, is just a standard window cleaner, also by Aldi, called Radiance Window Cleaner. It's loosely based on the Windex formula. (I don't like ammonia nor vinegar) I only use this window cleaner once or twice a year to clean my outdoor facing windows. I use a micro-fiber to currently clean my indoor glass, TV,  monitor screens and mirrors. Lastly, is my old standby, Pledge lemon oil for my wood furniture pieces (which aren't many). 

Think of all the money you are now saving as well as cleaning in a less-toxic way. 

Please note: I use my Aldi generic brand, water reduced product to clean almost everything in both my kitchen and my bath. It is fantastic cleaning up my countertops (natural stone), all my stainless steel appliances (surfaces AND interiors), my double stainless steel sink and matching faucet, all my fridge's interior shelves, front and sides of my natural maple cabinets, backsplash, stove top, walls, spot cleaning on my natural bamboo flooring, pendant light fixtures, small appliances including my microwave (interior and exterior), range top, interior cabinet shelves.......In my bathroom I clean the countertops, Jacuzzi bathtub, stone marble tiled walls, toilet and toilet seating, the entire vinyl flooring........and whatever else needs a good scrubbing. The self-made product does an excellent job and saves me a ton of money by preventing me from buying other expensive cleaning products. If I get a stubborn food stain on the top of my stove, I sprinkle some baking soda along with a squirt of my orange concoction and I get the cleanest result ever! Plus, it's a disinfectant!

My kitchen sparkles! 

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What's Old Is Turning Out To Be Healthier Than The New.

 There's been a recent discovery lately that many of our new, fandangled cooking products are suddenly all laden with micro plastics (click here to read about microplastics in our kitchens). From plastic cutting boards to plastic coffee makers, the cutting and the hot water drips cause these micro plastics to seep into our foods. Many of the health side effects of this can be cancer, heart disease, and cell damage. Click here for more info.

We all remember the dangers teflon caused (click here for more info). Turns out simple stainless steel, copper or ironware, which humans have been using for centuries (especially ironware) are safer to use than the newer cooking ware coming out today. Who knew? Obviously, not me!

Since I am a cancer survivor, I am very well interested and versed in keeping myself free of toxins and micro plastics for fear of a cancer recurrence. I have been an avid collector of Pyrex, Corelle, Corning, Farberware and CorningWare because many of these products were manufactured long before micro toxins ever became a household word. Granted, some of these vintage products were first made with lead. That's why before I buy any of these products I use my handy swab lead detector (under $14 on Amazon). Click here to get the swabs directly from Amazon. It used to be that a weekly visit to any Goodwill store or Thrift shop would bestow upon me many, many Corning or Pyrex treasures. Not any more. The public has caught on that Pyrex and Corning products (after testing) are very safe to use. Plus they are strong, sturdy and will last and last and last.

" CorningWare was created accidentally, when a piece of photosensitive glass was placed into a furnace and the heat was accidentally cranked up to 900 degrees instead of the intended 600. The end result was an opaque, milky white piece of glass. When the operator, S. Donald Stookey, removed the piece with tongs, it slipped to the floor… and did not shatter. Thus was birthed the most amazing, versatile kitchenware in history.

They called this new material “Pyroceram” and its first use was not in casserole dishes but for nosecones for ballistic missiles, due to its heat-resistance. But its usefulness in the kitchen was soon recognized; this stuff can go in the freezer, in the microwave, in the oven, and on the stove top – yes, you can cook with it right on a burner. It can go from the freezer directly into a hot oven without exploding. It is dishwasher safe, and the patterns do not fade or flake off (with some exceptions for later patterns.) It is nearly indestructible, which is why so much of it is still around today." Click here for full article.

As you can see, I have a wide and varied collection of 1970s and 1980s Corning dinnerware (from salad bowls, casserole baking platters, coffee cups, dinner plates, glass storage containers etc). My main goal is to get the solid white (timeless) imprint but flowers and color circles work just fine too. I have a large collection of bakeware, which I keep in my cupboards. I also have a collection of Corning dutch ovens which I proudly display above my cabinets. Click here for a medley of Pyrex storage containers with lids, from Amazon, as pictured below in my fridge.

If you want to call me a Corning/Pyrex nut, go right ahead. I love the stuff!!

I just recently traded in my plastic (toxic) drip coffeepot for a brand new Farberware 8 cup electric percolator ($64 at Amazon).  Made of 100% stainless steel, Farberware (still in business) has been brewing a great, SAFE cup of coffee for generations. As an added bonus, to me, the new percolator takes up less counter space! Click here to order directly from Amazon.

Twenty five years ago I replaced my RevereWare cooking pots with All-Clad stainless steel (via Wolfgang Puck). They're still going strong, showing no decline in productivity PLUS they are very safe to cook with. Recently, I just found out that my RevereWare (which I purchased in 1974) is worth hundred and hundreds of dollars now. I only have one original smallish pot, which I use specifically to cook my oatmeal in. It's worth $100 alone! I also collect Corning cooking utensils (such as this potato masher), cast iron cookware (frying pan, egg pan, pancake pan and roasting pan) as well as the occasionally used, stainless steel wok.

For more reading info, check out 'Your Mom's Old CorningWare Could Be Worth Thousands Of Dollars' click here. "With the 1970s retro revival in interior decorating comes classic cookware to have on display and these little numbers are fast becoming collectable, with some netting as much as $10,000 at auction."

This CorningWare set is making a comeback (click here). Many vintage pieces are worth $7,000 or more.

TikTok loves Pyrex. Here's where to find it. Click here. 'Despite all the ridicule about boomers, the traditional values instilled in them by the generation that raised them might not be as outdated as we’d like to believe. For this discussion, I’m specifically talking about vintage Pyrex, the retro kitchenware that’s suddenly making a comeback. The brand was known for its durable glassware that could go from oven to table to freezer and was also quite fashionable for the time. Adorned with trippy florals and vibrant colors, Pyrex was very common in the midcentury, but with resurgence of mid-century modern(or “mid mod”) styles, Pyrex is now cool again.'

I use my CorningWare and Pyrex for health reasons. Not for its financial value. To me, good health, free from toxins, microplastics and carcinogenics are worth more to me than selling my collection at some auction. If you happen to come upon well priced Corelle, Pyrex, Corningware or even Farberware buy it for your health. Not your pocketbook. Health is wealth! Don't ever forget that.

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Another Low Cost Sunday Night Dinner

 I got a good deal on butcher-grade chopped meat on Friday. Hubs and I shop at this gourmet food market at least once per month and I always take a walk by their discounted foods department. I found these three (actually, there were more but I saved some for the next person) reduced Grade A chopped beef marked down to only $3.00 per package. Since most packages held at least a pound of chopped beef each, that was like getting the chopped beef at only the $3.00 price point per pound.

I froze two of the packages and hubby cooked up the remaining beef into four patties. I had some fresh mushrooms and hubs sautéed them in a little extra virgin olive oil and chopped garlic. We topped the chopped beef patties with the mushrooms and served it with a side salad (spring mix, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese, Greek olives and a home made vinaigrette dressing). I'm certain the meal didn't cost us more than five bucks!!

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How We Save 75% Off Our Heating Bills

 To say it's been cold up here in the Northeast this winter would be an understatement. I knew this winter would be cold and hard but I really didn't think it would be this hard! We've had several weeks of single digit, teeth-clattering cold nights and days. I pity ourselves if we were still heating our upstate New York home the way we did a few years ago. Thankfully, hubby put in a pellet stove four years ago and we have seen our heating costs go down by as much as 75%

Our pellet stove is not very fancy. The fancier, cuter ones were double the price ($2400). Our unit cost $1200 (plus parts) and hubby installed it himself. I would NOT advise anyone to install a pellet stove by themselves. You are dealing with a live fire inside the unit and if you had made any installation mistakes, you could find yourself without a home (because it burned down!) Hubby is a trained professional but nonetheless, we still had our unit inspected and certified before we ever turned it on! Hubby also built the tile platform our unit sits on (left over bathroom tiles and wooden platform) thus saving us an additional $400. 

Our home space is 1134 square feet. Even though our pellet stove is located in the living room, it still generates enough heat to warm up the rest of the house to any where between 70 and 75 degrees. I will admit on those frigid single digit days and night (no higher than 7F degrees outside!) our home stayed at a steady 71F degrees. Also, we usually shut down the unit around midnight each night and our home retains the heat till early morning. Our interior temps never drop below 69F which is perfectly acceptable.

So, how much money do we save per year now that we have switched over from propane to pellets? To heat our home (and hot water) over the winter (October 15 to April 15) we use approximately 1200 gallons of propane. This year a gallon of propane would cost $3.36. That would have been $4,032 to heat our home and hot water over this winter. To heat our home using pellets, we use 40 bags of pellets (each bag holds forty pounds of pellets) at a cost of only $6.19 a bag. That totals to only $248 a year to heat our home!! That's a tremendous drop in price and an amazing savings to our bottom line! We have gone from spending $4032 a year to heat our home to only $248 a year to heat our home!!

Since we still need a bit of propane to heat our hot water (quick weekly showers, laundry, dishwashing and one bath per week) plus I do like to know that we have a heating back up with the propane should we ever need it, I still buy at least 300 gallons of propane a year. 300 gallons X (our reduced price due to being a long time customer of 24 years) $2.54 a gallon equals $760.56 for the year. Combined with our actual pellet usage of $248 for the year, our total heating annual bill amounts to $1,009. That's a far cry from the prospective $4,032 a year!

I keep our costs down low monthly by paying for our propane gallons using a credit card that automatically offers interest free and no fee financing for 6, 12 or 18 months. I choose the 12 month deal and pay $63.38 each month. Hubby buys the pellets in ten bag increments (you sign up with the distributor in August to lock in the costs) for a total of $61.90 per pick up. Hubby only needs to buy the pellets four times per winter vs one big haul. This is easier on his back, our storage room and our bottom line. 

Our kitchen opens up to the living room, so it's always warm in there. Ditto for my office and our bedroom located right down the hall. Our home is smallish. Easy to clean, upkeep, air condition and heat! Plus that pellet stove makes it so warm and cozy. And our wallets safe and secure.

Side Note: hubby just informed me that we may be using an extra 10 bags of pellets this winter because of the extremely low temperatures. If we do, that would add an additional $61.90 to our bottom line. In any event, either way, our heating costs have been reduced substantially since hubby installed our pellet stove. 

Happy Valentine's Day. He Can Buy Me Some Flowers.

 Today is Valentine's Day. Hubby and I were married on Valentine's Day 1987. That was 38 years ago (We've been together 43 years. And still counting!). We exchanged our vows in a Southampton NY court. It was a busy criminal time in the courtroom that day. The woman who was standing in front of us, on line, was in handcuffs. Her hands were tied behind her back. She was in for a robbery. When it was our turn, a very mean judge looked at the two of us and loudly bellowed "What are you two in here for?" A very frightened me said "Um, judge, we're here to get married. On this Valentine's Day". And with that the entire mood of the court room changed. Everyone started to happily laugh, put a smile on their face and welcomed my soon-to-be husband and I to the court room. The judge himself was the most happiest!

I wore the most perfect wedding outfit: a pair of jeans and a white Angora sweater. It was very cold that morning. After hubs and I exchanged our vows we met a few close friends at the local diner and they and my kids, hubs and I had a great late morning breakfast. After which my kids, our dog, hubs and I jumped into our rented RV and drove down to sunny, WARM, Orlando Florida. We were going to DisneyWorld!

I'll fast forward to how I met my hubby. It was back in 1983 and I was going through a horrific divorce and child custody case. My mother had recently died so I really had no one to help me. My father wanted no part of my divorce. Neither did my younger sister nor my older brother. I had just lost custody of my two daughters in court and I was completely devastated. I lost 65 pounds (because I couldn't eat), was emaciated, broke, no where to live (despite jointly owning a home) and I didn't have a friend in the world.

Going through my divorce, I was 32 years old. My oldest was 4.  My youngest was 1.5 years old.

I did, as my last straw, do the only thing I knew what to do. I prayed to God. I asked Him to help me. Please God, I said, send me a man who is big and strong (because that's what I needed) to help me get my kids back, my money back, my life back and give us a place to live. The very next day, my sister and I were having lunch in an health-food restaurant. Across the room I saw this massive guy (his forearms were bigger than his biceps. He looked like a very handsome Popeye) and I knew instantly that this was the man God had sent me. I immediately told the waitress to fill up his glass of whatever he was drinking (Apple & Eve apple juice) and tell him it was from me.

To make this long story a short story, he came over to my table when he finished his meal. Introduced himself, gave me his card and told me to give him a call sometime. As soon as I got back to my office, I called him. That was a Tuesday. We went out on a date on Thursday. The next day Friday, I moved in with him. That was 43 years ago. We have been together ever since. 

When I told him about my predicament, without batting an eyelid he told me he would get my kids back. We only knew each other a few scant weeks! I hired a new attorney, new lawsuits were filed and within 8 weeks I got custody of my children, all my stolen property returned to me from my now ex-husband, half the equity resources from the sale of the marital domain (which netted me enough cash to buy a townhome in another part of town and then eventually a home on an acre of land in Southampton, New York) and my car (240Z Datsun), child support and health care for my kids. 

My hero, who was 6.5 years younger than me was admonished by his own mother. She told me her son was too young to marry me (he was 25 years old. I was 32). Well, I asked his mom, how old does your son have to be to marry me? Thirty was her answer (a full five years away) hoping I would give up and eventually her son and I would go our separate ways. Not a chance. We were in love! We lived together and as soon as hubs turned 30, we married. See initial above paragraph! 

Today, my most wonderful husband bought me flowers. It's the only time of year I will accept flowers (otherwise I'd get a real plant). My husband has stood by my side through thick and thin. When I was diagnosed with cancer, he quit his job and went to every single medical appointment I would ever have. He took over the cooking, laundry and all the heavy cleaning of the house. He studied my type of cancer and made sure I was getting the best treatment. He was instrumental in raising my two kids. Took over their medical insurance premiums when their own biological father reneged on the original deal. He was there to wipe up the mess whenever they got sick, need non-judgmental drives to some of those teen parties they attended, PTA meetings and would pay 50% of their educational college costs (the girls were responsible for the other 50%). In other words, he really is my angel, sent to me by God himself.

Here's a link to my most favorite romantic love song, sung by Karen Carpenter, "For All We Know". The words say it perfectly for me. Strangers in many ways. Our love may grow, for all we know.

Here's a recent photo of Nick and me: BC (Before Cancer) Two years ago.

How I Learned To Stretch An Egg.

 I learned a lot about stretching a buck back in The Great Inflation of the 1970s. The only good part about that frightening time was that I was too young to understand the full measure of what was transpiring. That's because my parents were still sort of responsible for me so they dealt with the shortages. Not me. My friends and I made it fun to wait on long gas lines to fill up our cars. My girlfriends and I also shared recipes. The 1970s was a time of eating healthier, making your own yogurt, eating less meat and more tofu. It also was a time of learning to stretch the US dollar. Thankfully many of our grandparents were still alive and able to actually show us how to cook! I learned about lentils, fresh pasta sauces, the infamous meatloaf and Hamburger Helper (click here). Back in those days it was considered 'poverty level' if you used chop meat in any of your recipes. Today? Chopped beef meals would be considered a luxury! 

Many of the recipes I learned back in the 1970s I still use to this day. And why not? They're heathy, delicious, cheap and very easy to make. Some of those foods (which I will share on this blog sporadically) would be my infamous meatloaf, lentil soup, rice pudding and my most favorite one, quiche! I used to make a quiche almost every single weekend. It was a way to use up all the leftover veggies I had at the end of the week, as well as stretch an egg. I only use 2 eggs in this recipe and it makes enough quiche to feed me for the rest of the week. Feel free to use any veggie you'd like. Or none at all. I always tend to gravitate towards spinach. I always have a half bag of fresh but frozen spinach in my freezer. You can also add in little bits of sausage or bacon. It's up to you. The main money saver is that you do NOT use cream or expensive milk. I use a single can of (fat free) evaporated milk (plus 1/2 cup of skimmed milk but you can use any milk type you'd prefer).

I'd have a slice of my quiche every morning and it was as if I were eating my very own egg every single day. The mix between the protein of the egg and evaporated milk combined with either the spinach or some other veggie made my breakfast very healthy. And low cost! You can make your own pie crust but I always used the pre-made store bought shell. Into a bowl I would crack 2 eggs, the can of evaporated milk, a half cup of skim milk, a cup of shredded cheddar cheese (you can use any cheese you would like), a dab of dijon mustard, some salt, pepper, parsley, mix all together and pour over a (frozen) bed of spinach all sitting nicely at the bottom of the pre-made pie shell. Top everything with paprika. I'd bake it in a 350F oven for at least an hour and voila': home made quiche!

Aldi is currently selling a dozen eggs for $5.46. I remember just a few scant months ago they used to be only .99 cents for the very same dozen. Oh well. At least I have my 1970s quiche. If you do try my recipe, drop me a comment and tell me what you think of it. My girlfriends and I hope we can do you right!

Another way to stretch an egg, is to freeze them. I'm quickly learning how to do that! Here's the video I watched and learned from. I just bought some cupcake holders, two dozen eggs and I am on my way!