What I Didn't Spend

Here's a list of what money I did NOT spend today. As I do almost every single day.

#1. I did NOT spend $102 on dog grooming. I did it myself. Have been DIYing for 4.5 years.

 

#2. I did NOT spend any money on dinner tonight. It was all leftovers. Chicken stir fry over brown rice.

#3. I did NOT spend $50 (plus tip) on a pedicure. I did it myself. At every summer start.

#4. I did NOT spend $9.99 on turkey burgers. With clipped & digital coupons a box of 8, cost only $4.00

#5. I did NOT buy banana bread. With 2 overripe bananas and outdated sour creme, I baked one.

#6. I did NOT buy Neutrogena Hydro Face Creme for $15. I spent $3.46 for the Aldi dupe.

#7. I did NOT spend any money making lasagna. I used day old ricotta, leftover sauce and boxed noodles.

#8. I did NOT spend $11 on porterhouse steaks. I used a digital coupon and got 4 steaks @$7.99 a lb.

#9. I did NOT buy brand name Pork N' Beans. I bought generic, just as good, at half the price. 

#10. I did NOT buy out-of-season produce. For .20 cents each, I got corn, onions and cherries ($2.99 lb)

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How Two Little Words "Let Them" Can Change Your Life.

"If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with where you are, the problem isn't you. The problem is the power you give to other people. Two simple words--Let Them--will set you free. Free from the opinions, drama, and judgments of others. Free from the exhausting cycle of trying to manage everything and everyone around you. The Let Them Theory puts the power to create a life you love back in your hands--and this book will show you exactly how to do it. Robbins teaches you how to stop wasting energy on what you can't control and start focusing on what truly matters: YOU. Your happiness. Your goals. Your life. Using the same no-nonsense, science-backed approach that's made The Mel Robbins Podcast a global sensation, Robbins explains why The Let Them Theory is already loved by millions and how you can apply it in eight key areas of your life to make the biggest impact"

Dear Reader, I have used the 'Let Them' theory in my own life and it was a game changer. I was giving power to other people in my frustrated attempt to find acceptance. Once I said the words "let hem" do and think what they want, I can't control them, I was free. It was as if a heavy burden was lifted off my sholders. I implore you to try it. The theory works. Especially in these uncertain times. We can't control it. Let it happen and then let yourself make your own necessary changes and move onward. And upward. Let them.

I tried to rent Mel Robbins book from the library but there were 101 people in front of me. That's a long wait. So, I logged onto my Amazon account and bought the book 'Let Them' for only $15 (hardcover). If you are interested in purchasing the book from Amazon, here is my link: click here. 

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Happy Memorial Day 2025

Sorry folks that I have been MIA for the last two weeks. I was sick as a dog with allergies that caused so much trouble that it affected my lungs. In my condition (cancer survivor) that's NOT a good thing. I stopped all my cancer meds and went on antibiotics and cough and flu medicine designed for folks, like me, with high blood pressure. In other words, I did not have a good two weeks off. Anyway, here I am. Yesterday, May 25th was the first day I felt somewhat normal. There was the annual block party and I was determined not to miss it this year. It's the only time of year I get to see all my neighbors together, in one place. It's a fun day and I didn't want to miss it. Thankfully it didn't rain. We've been having rain for endless days on end. I think it's been a month without me seeing the sun. Plus, we've had to keep our heat on because it's been so darn cold! Well, anyway, that chapter is gone and it's time to move forward. One of our local supermarkets here always does something special for us folks either weekly or especially diuring a holiday. They didn't disappoint this Memorial Day. Porterhouse steaks were on sale for $7.99 a poind (five pound limit!), 10 ears of corn for only 2 bucks. Chopped beef on sale for less than $3 a pound (I think it was $2.89 but not sure and yes! I bought some). Watermelon was $3.99 and cherries were $2.99 a pound. Cherry pie anyone? The host and hostess provided the BBQ complete with hot dogs and hambergers. The rest of us brought in our own special BBQ dishes (lots of delish pasta salads). In these uncertain times, our friends, family and especially our neighbors are so much more important to all of us. We need each other now. We need to depend on each other and we need to be loyal, trustworthy and dependepable friends. I am grateful for my community. This year, we had something new: an open mic. I didn't know I had so many talented neighbors living right next door to me. Anyhow, enjoy the little video I put together as well as some other photos. Hopefully my health will improve and I'll be back posting a bit more regular. Until then, hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

Should We Believe The Price Increase Warnings?

 Walmart recently had the audacity to defy President Trump and proudly display that yes, indeed, prices are going to rise due to the new tariffs. Not only will the prices go up, touts Walmart, but they are going to put a red letter "T" next to those prices to constantly remind you that the "T" stands for tariffs and yes! that's why your prices have increased.

Should we believe the warnings? Is it really going to happen? Has it already happened? Is anyone prepared for this? Are we really going to starve? If so, what steps have you taken to prepare for higher costs? 

Should we believe the Target employee who posted and exposed his employer of jacking up the prices, thanks, in part to those tariffs? Items that were priced at $9.99 are now being sold for $17.99. Here's his recent upload photo:

You can't go by me because other than gas and groceries, I rarely buy anything. And when I do, for example hubby just bought tires for our car, it's always an item that has gone on sale. We follow the process. We log in the costs and when we see the price decline, we snap it up and buy it. Hubby got 4 new tires for the price of 3. I don't think I have ever bought much at retail costs. I frequent Goodwill and FaceBook MarketPlace. Now that the weather is warmer, I'll be going to more yard sales and barn sales. I rarely buy anything new. Secondhand has oftentimes been my only friend. 

I will tell you, however, what DOES worry me when it comes to increasing prices. It's the rising costs of health, home and car insurance. I can try and find a new provider but how worthwhile are these new suppliers? It would be awful to switch to a cheaper provider only to find out they won't honor a claim or if they do honor it, they shortchange you and pay out less than it's worth. I worry if, as hubby and I progress in our retirement, will we be able to keep up with these rising prices? I read this morning that next year basic Medicare will rise between 10% and 40%. Will we be able to keep paying? And what about our rising property taxes? Will we be able to keep paying those? We have no other choice but to keep paying these increases because what's the alternative? Even with the anticipated increases, it still will only cost us $1,000 a month (up from $700) to live here. Rent alone, should we go that route, would be at least $1,500 to $2.000 a month. That's before adding in electricity and rental insurance. The $1,000 I just quoted includes every single item needed to live here, in place (property taxes, electricity, maintenance, heating and air conditioning). So, all in all, it's still a good thing for us, at this time, to remain in place. And just continue to find ways to increase income while decreasing expenses, while maintaining a balance.

We continue to cut whatever expenses we feel aren't necessary. Thankfully, hubby continues to get a few days of work monthly. We save all those pennies to prepare for the one eventual day hubby can no longer work. In the interim, we continue to make our home the best it can be. Because, in reality, we're spending more and more time at home so we might as well make it as comfy as possible. As for the starvation warning, many of our friends have rural connections, as do we. We live among the many area farms and have been told often that they favor the locals over the tourists. So, that's a very good thing. We can't replace our community. There's no guarantee if we moved away we'd find another dedicated, caring neighborhood, such as the one we have already. Hubby and I have been living here for 25 years. We're now part of the local community. There aren't any warnings on that!!

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Knowing When To Turn Down Cancer Treatments.

 On my last appointment with my oncologist this past March 2025, after finishing over 16 months of brutal cancer treatments (chemo, surgery, blood transfusions, radiation), she recommended to me that I needed to take an additional drug (Zometa, click here) to deal with my anticipated bone degradation. Apparently, my being on Letrozole (click here) for the next five to ten years, would result in me developing osteoporosis due to the hormone blockers the Letrozole utilizes, thus lowering my calcium levels. She sent me for a bone density test and it concluded I did not have osteoporosis BUT I did have the preliminary osteopenia**. 

As a precaution, my oncologist advised that I should take an additional drug infusion this upcoming June that would help in my bone protection. I hesitantly agreed at first till I did some research and found out the drug she was recommending, Zometa, was to treat bone cancer.

I called my oncologist and asked her this simple question: "Do I have bone cancer? Is there something you're not telling me?" She responded and told me I didn't have bone cancer but one of the advantages of Zometa was that it would pre-treat the osteoporosis. "But I don't have osteoporosis either" was my response. I didn't see any benefit in taking another cancer drug that wasn't needed for any specific health matter. The side effects alone of Zometa, added in with the side effects of Letrozole made the combination, to me, totally uncalled for and overkill. Literally.

These are the side effects of Letrozole:

And here are the side effects of Zometa:

Let's face the facts. Despite what these cancer doctors tell you, your remission (as my breast surgeon claims I am) your cancer, one day, WILL COME BACK. Period. Maybe in a month. Maybe in a year. Maybe in 10 years. There's no guarantee. My oncologist says my cancer has metastasized. My breast cancer surgeon says it has not. You tell me: who should I believe? Neither one of them. They both put me through hell and to tell you the truth I never felt as if I had cancer in the first place. I never felt any lumps in my breasts but all the tests they prescribed said otherwise.

Oh well. So here I am now. I suffer greatly from the side effects of Letrozole. I'm weak. I'm dizzy. I can't drive. I can't go to functions. I get confused at times. I get depressed. It's a challenge just to tie my shoes on in the morning. But I muddle through because I know the end result, death, might come faster than I want it to if I don't take my meds. The type of cancer I have/had was aggressive. If and when it comes back it will either be in my brain, my lungs, my bones or my blood. It will be Stage IV (4) and there will be no cure. Just more and more cancer drugs to keep me alive.

Is this any way, I ask myself constantly, I want to live?

Right now, my answer is yes. BUT if it gets any worse or if my quality of life declines any more, I want to get off this train wreck and be left alone. I told my oncologist I will NOT be taking any more un-needed cancer drugs. The Letrozole is quite enough. She gave me a hard time at first but then later had her assistant call me back and inform me that they cancelled my June infusion. I want to be left alone. I don't want to go inside any more hospitals. I don't want to be on any more infusion lines. I don't want to sit next to another fading infusion patient and see those desperate eyes just begging for yet another day of life. 

I'm done. I'm 74 years old. I'm happy with the quality of the life I have right now. I'm eating right. I'm exercising. I lost 42 pounds and am keeping it off. I'm lifting weights (which help increase bone mass). I'm happy at home. I'm happy with my family. I'm happy walking and playing with my dog. I'm happy tending to my garden, paying the bills, buying our needs, saving money, doing the family bookkeeping. I want to enjoy every single second I have left on this earth and I am not going to spend one second of it vomiting over a toilet bowl in hopes of another day on this earth. I will NOT again, lose my hair! Life on this earth, to me, ain't what it used to be. (Don't get me started on that! LOL) But life on this earth is sure a lot better than the alternative.

Our town pool opens up this Memorial Day. I've already contacted my 'pool buddies' and we're meeting at the pool by noon. I'll be wearing my new swim suit while showing off my new, 42 pound lighter physique. I've also got a backyard potluck BBQ the very next day in my neighborhood. I'll be laughing and having a good time with all my friends, family and neighbors once again. That's what I want. That's what I have and I am not going to give up this good life for anybody or anything. I paid my dues. I did my time. I believe my breast surgeon that I'm in remission and cancer-free. All my tests came back negative. NED (No Evidence of Disease) Let's hope and pray the good Lord up above gives me more time. That's about the only commodity I have left in this world: time. Time well spent.

Me, this morning, as I write this blog post. 

** "Osteopenia is often described as "pre-osteoporosis" because it is a condition of low bone density that is not as low as osteoporosis. While osteopenia itself doesn't always lead to osteoporosis, it increases the risk of developing osteoporosis and fractures."

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My Perfect Weekend Plans

 It was supposed to rain this weekend. It never did. It was bright and sunny with no end of such good weather out of sight. I got a great deal on some ricotta cheese last week so I baked us a decent sized lasagna. The one that would be big enough to last all weekend. If you included a side salad. I did. Hubby and I relaxed this weekend. Ate lasagna. Watered the garden and other than that, did absolutely nothing.

Sometimes, life can be just that: so good!

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Getting The Vegetable Garden Ready

 Each year, I say that this is the last year, I mange the vegetable garden. Despite my veggie garden being a bit small, it's still a lot of work. But here we are: I cleaned out the beds, got rid of the weeds, laid down a topping of hummus and horse manure, also laid in two of the beds the remnants (ash) of a pellet stove burning, aerated the dirt, planed the veggie seeds, watered the entire garden and now I wait. 

I planed (via seed) beefsteak tomatoes, a row of San Marzano tomatoes with a patch of both basil and parsley thrown in between, a row of zucchini next to a row of cucumbers, red and green peppers alongside a row of eggplant. In the plastic oval decorative planted I planted a row of spinach surrounded by mesclun salad mix. This year I took four white plastic containers, placed them close to the fencing and planted peas on the right side, green beans on the left side. I am going to use the wall of the fencing as a trellis for both these veggies. That will give them plenty of growing space. Looking forward to a large production ofd my favorite vegetables this year! On my deck (not pictured) I have a herb garden: dill, rosemary, oregano.

Each year I say I am going to put in an automatic sprinkler system and each year I find some excuse not to do it. This year might be different. I think this is the year we put in the auto sprinkler. Why? I'm getting tired. I'm starting to think about joining a veggie commune and for a few hundred dollars a growing season (gulp!) I can go to an organic farm and pick up the already-grown, organic, pesticide-free produce.

This just may be my last year of growing my own food.

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May We Stay Forever Young

 I can't emphasize this enough: when you are faced with the prospect of your own death, you cease to take life for granted. You (meaning me) make a promise to yourself that regardless of the problems of the outside world, you (meaning me) are going to stay true to yourself, your beliefs, your way of life (and lifestyle) and you are going to live out the rest of your life in peace and harmony.

I was born in the 50s but knew real well what life was like during the 60s. I faced the inflation of the 1970s and what it was like to wait for hours on a gas line just to half-fill my car's gas tank. I remember how the elderly ate dog food and how we froze over the winter months because we couldn't afford the energy prices. I remember the high profitability of the 80s and 90s. I knew what it was to be rich and I knew what it was to be poor. I remember the Stock Market Crash of 1987 (where I vowed NEVER to invest in the stock market again) and I remember the dot com disaster of 1998 to 2001. Oh right....that's when the World Trade Center was bombed.

What I learned along the way was that consumerism was a trap. Borrowing money and engorging oneself (that would be me) in debt was the quickest route to insolvency. Has anyone experienced what not having fifty cents to your name feels like? It's worse than the embarrassment of explaining to your best friend that you don't have the $1.50 bridge fee to come and pick up the fifty dollars he/she was going to loan you. It's being invited out to an Easter dinner by your father only to have him tell you at the table that he ain't picking up the tab for you, your boyfriend (now my husband) or your kids. It's the realization that you have absolutely no money to pay for yourself and relying on the kindness of the waitress who seated you at another table and paid for your two kids meals. 

Being debt free (fully paid for home and cars, no consumer/revolving debt, no student loans, no equity lines of credit) helped my husband and I sail through the housing crisis of 2008. This current cost-of-living crisis, although a bit scary at times, has not caused us to miss one step. We've been able to additionally face cancer and heart disease without missing a beat. We live like two self-reliant individuals, close to the land, close to the home, part of a commune/community, free from Corporate America and free from Big Pharma. 

Life is a struggle for sure, but looking back on it now, I wouldn't change a single thing. I learned, unfortunately the hard way, how to handle money. How to be successful regardless of the outside world. After living through all my different lifestyles (hippie, boomer, yuppie, entrepreneur, rich girl, poor girl) the best lifestyle out of all of them, for me, was living as a hippie. You lived in the moment. Money was NOT that important. Consumerism was nowhere to be found. You loved life. You loved music and you loved your man and your children. 

With my remaining years of life, I'm being retrospective and I'm choosing to go back to my hippie days. I lived my best life then (when compared to all the others) I wear nothing but blue jeans and tee shirts. I am not into consumerism, status or living a so-called 'good life'. The fact that I am still alive is as good a life as ever. My house is small and cozy. My furniture is hand-me-downs from my mother and father. My meals still consist of the 70s recipes I have known to love and cook with zest. They're cheap, healthy and oh! so good! No celebrity status here. I'm so close to Woodstock NY, I can practically call it my second home-away-from-home. This is where we old hippies wind up, isn't it? We enjoyed the Woodstock concert so much that we call upstate New York our homeland. 

If you haven't seen the Bob Dylan movie, A Complete Unknown (click here. it's free on Prime) I would advise that you see it. That movie brought back so many wonderful memories to me. I had forgotten. The music. The lifestyle. It was filmed on the very hippie streets of New York City where I used to hang out. I had (almost) every single record Bob Dylan released. I thought he was fantastic. And now, in retrospect, I get him even more. I get his message, his music, his life and his disgust for corporate America and Big Business. We knew the way but we lost our way. Corporate Big Business destroyed everything.

For Mother's Day my husband bought me tickets to see Bob Dylan in concert here in upstate New York at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. I can't wait to finally see and hear him in person. When Bob first married, he, his wife and three children lived here, in Woodstock, in upstate New York. Geeze, I wish I had known that fact. Both Bob and Pete Seeger lived up here. I knew about Seeger but never about Dylan. Oh well. Better late than never.

One of my favorite Bob Dylan songs is 'Forever Young'. Here's Dylan singing with a favorite of my husband's: Bruce Springsteen. I'm very thankful that these great musicians are still alive, still kicking and still entertaining us. May we all stay: Forever young.

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Heart Break. Update.

 My husband's cardiologist called last week stating that there had been a cancellation in their surgery schedule. Due to this opening, the doctor moved my husband's surgery up to this week. So, for the next few days I'll be busy tending to my dear husband and I don't think I'll be able to post as much as I have been. Hopefully, I'll be back in a few days and super hopefully, all will have gone well with my husband's surgery.

If you want to say a prayer for him, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

It's not easy being retired with one spouse suffering from cardiac problems and the other spouse suffering from the pangs of cancer. Oh well. Such is life for this older, retired couple.

Wish us well and I'll be back as soon as I can.

UPDATE: 5/7/2025. We are back. We had to go out of town to have Nick's heart surgery done. None of our local hospitals would do the procedure. So, we had to go to an experimental hospital not only to have the procedure done BUT to have Medicare cover most of the costs. The procedure went well. Nick is up and walking around. But he can't lift anything and he will need at least 2 weeks of rest to fully recover. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who sent good wishes and good prayers. They worked! As soon as we get more settled, I'll write a more specific blog post. The hospital was magnificent. State-of-the-art! I never saw anything like it (unless it was in a sci-fi movie!) The property was massive. Just walking back and forth to the cafe' I clocked 1.5 miles! The restaurant food was delicious. They even grew their own salad greens!!

all the fresh salad you can eat! grown right there. from hospital to table!

Does Anyone Know The Difference Between Truth And Reality?

 For four years, the American people have been lied to about their President Joe Biden's mental health. We could all see it with our own human eyes that the man was demented but if you spoke it out loud, you were reprimanded. It wasn't until the presidential debate between Biden and Trump that the truth (that Joe was a senile old man unable to walk a straight line let alone lead a powerful nation) finally came out. No longer seen as 'sharp as a tack' Biden had met his presidential demise. 

Fast forward to today, with Joe Biden successfully out of office and what are we now seeing (and reading)? are a plethora of books claiming "See! I Knew It All The Time. Joe Biden Is A Senile Old Man!" Joe Biden really was in a mental decline and didn't have the capacity to lead a nation. Oh, he led a nation into a financial fiasco ruin all right as well as a crime-ridden nation, but that's about it.

So many pundits are so scared of the repercussions from their Joe Biden lies, they've run to their editor's desk and are starting to release books claiming they've missed the biggest story in American history and how could they have been so blind? Just like the inflation agenda was temporary. Preposterous!

The lying doesn't stop with politics. My own cancer journey is dotted with medical lies and inconsistencies. When I was finished with my 15 months of cancer treatments, my breast cancer doctor told me I was cured. The cancerous breast tumors were gone. My tests all came back negative. My margins were clear. Including my newest biopsy. No disease found! She cured me. Till I got to my oncologist office the next week and I asked her what was my cancer future. She told me I was NOT cancer free. That since cancer was found in one of my lymph modes, despite being removed and all the margins found to be cancer free, and despite the tests coming back negative, my cancer had metastasized. 

When cancer spreads, it's called metastasis. Cancer cells detach from the original tumor, travel through the blood or lymph system, and form new tumors in other parts of the body. These new tumors can occur in distant organs or tissues.

 When I told my oncologist what my breast surgeon said, she just 'pooh-poohed' it. Vive versa. 

When I told my breast cancer surgeon what my oncologist said, she just said my oncologist was mistaken.

Who do I believe?

Am I really cancer free? Was Joe Biden really a living skeleton without a brain?

Is there really trouble in China with the tariffs?

Will there really be shortages?

Why are there so many Americans on the China side? Is that true? Or false?

We only know what to believe by what we read or view. We only know what is true by what we are told.

Truthfully, and eventually we will get the truth, only time will tell.

Everyone now knows Joe Biden was in a sad case of mental decline.

How long I live or die will let me know if my cancer came back.

Once I get back to the supermarket and see empty shelves then perhaps there really is a trade problem.

Till then, I'll just continue to live my life as I see fit to see it. Hair loss or not.

Oh, and in June I'm getting a cancer infusion to ward off bone cancer. Not that I have bone cancer. 

But, just in case. (side note: I will be refusing this upcoming infusion. I can't justify it. Oh well.)

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