Wonderful Weekend

This was a great weekend. Friday night we did the grocery shopping on the the way home from work. We had a quick dinner after we got home and got the groceries put away. I had coupons on strawberries so I bought 3 quarts and after dinner I made strawberry jam. Then I crushed the blackberries and set them to drain overnight. Saturday morning I got up and made blackberry jelly and cleaned the house and did laundry. I had to go get my driver's license renewed and I was the only person there. So it took less than 15 minutes. It's great to live in a small town! Then we went to CVS to do a little coupon shopping, got everything I wanted and was out of there pretty fast.

When we got back home April, Pete and Lily were coming over to get in the pool. I didn't want to get to involved in making jam again so I prepared squash for the freezer. When the kids got there we spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner. Then we went out to the garden and picked squash for her to take home. After they left, I made peach jam.



Sunday morning was church, then we went to look at a stove. I am thinking of buying a gas stove, but I didn't like it. We went home and weeded the flower beds and put down some mulch. Then it was more pool time.

Sunday night I started some zucchini to dehydrate and when I got up this morning it was all done.

This weekend I made 11 pints of jams/jelly; put 3 quarts of squash in the freezer and dehydrated 4 large zucchini. Not too bad for a hot, sticky weekend.

Mae

Finances

One of my nieces posted something on her Face Book page the other day that got me thinking about children and finances. Specifically, children learning about finances.

When I was growing up we didn't learn much about money. There was no money to learn about. We all worked as kids but the money usually went for things that we needed. When I got married I didn't know how to handle money very well and I didn't want that for my children.

Both of my children are very good with their finances so I guess I could pass on some of the things we did as they were growing up.

They were given an allowance every week. It wasn't much, but an allowance was given. They had to do chores, because they were a part of the family. Some of the chores were paid chores, some were chores they did just because they were part of the family. My son got paid for taking out the trash, he cleaned his room, because it was his room, not for pay.

When they were in their teens they both had to open up a savings account and keep it for a couple of years. When they were 16 thy opened up a checking account and we taught them how to balance a check book. Then when they were seniors in high school they got a credit card and had to learn how to handle it, before they went off to college.

They both got jobs while they were in high school, my son worked at discount store for a while and then at a hardware store. My daughter was a nanny until she went to college and then she started working at a department store. They both knew that money didn't grow on trees. We never had a lot of extra money. The military, if you don't know, isn't a high paying career. Our kids didn't get everything they wanted and had to work for a lot of what they did get.

They have both had some financial upsets since they left home, a bounced check, a little to much debt on a credit card, but neither one has become as indebted as most people their ages. And they both are doing a great job with their finances.

Kids are never too young to start learning about money and how to handle it. It doesn't hurt them to hear you say you can't afford something right now. I know kids that never heard that and in their mid twenties they still don't support themselves.

Teach your children as much as you can about money and it will help them be responsible when they are on their own.

Mae

Back Into the Groove

Well, I am getting back in the groove at work and at home. It's hard after a vacation to get back to normal. We have zucchini and squash running out of ears since we've been home. I have cooked a lot of them and frozen zucchini for zucchini bread and frozen some cooked squash. I still have a few more to preserve before what's on the plant are ready to pick.

I will make peach jam this weekend with the peaches we bought back from Georgia, and the Blackberries are starting to ripen. I have picked about a quart already. I am going to make blackberry jelly this year. I haven't made it in a couple of years. We don't eat a lot of jelly so I am only going to make one cooking of blackberry jelly, and one of peach jam.

Some reorganization needs to be done in the kitchen and bathroom. I have let my stock pile get pretty low and it's time I start working on it again. In order to do that I need to do some rearranging to have room to store things.

We are going to start work on our back porch soon. We are adding a closet for our bedroom from part of the back porch and the rest will be a small addition to the kitchen. I dread the construction part of it but will be excited when it's all done.

Here is a good recipe to use up some of that zucchini:

Zucchini Cake

4 eggs
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
tsp. cinnamon
3 c. grated zucchini
2 c. flour
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. walnuts

Beat eggs. Add oil, sugar and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and zucchini. Use a 9 x 13 inch pan, greased and floured. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Frosting
1/4 lb. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter and soften cream cheese. Beat all the ingredients together and spread over cooled cake.

It's almost like eating Caramel Cake. It is delicious and a great way to sneak in some vegetables for someone who doesn't like to eat them any other way.

Enjoy.
Mae

A Great Vacation

Our trip down south was a whole lot of fun. On the way down we stopped in Cochran GA, at a little beauty shop called Cuts and Cuties. I had my hair highlighted then walked next door to Fairy Tale Nails where I had a pedicure. While doing this I got to spend time with my twin nieces. It's always a treat to spend that time getting pampered and the girls that work there always do a fantastic job, including one of my nieces. If you happen to be down that way make sure you schedule some pampering time.

Saturday was a fish fry at my oldest sister's home, I think there was around 30 of us there. The food was great and the time spent with the family was even better. After dark all the musicians put on a show for us. We enjoyed their playing even if most of them would call themselves armatures, they were pretty good to listen to.

Sunday was another big day at my other sister's house. Ham, turkey, and all the trimmings were served that day. We spent lots of time in the pool, eating and talking.

Monday, the 4th, was the traditional hamburger/hot dog meal. Our theme this year was the 40's. We had 4 nieces turn 40 this year. We had ration stamps and every one had to purchase their dinner with their stamps. The games were based on the Minute to Win it show. They were pretty hard to do and lots of fun.

Tuesday Greg, Daniel, Larissa, Dixie and I headed down to Alligator Point FL, where we rented a house for 2 nights. It was wonderful. We saw dolphins, sharks, tarpon, and I saw a sea otter. We caught lots of fish, catfish (we threw back), trout, a scrod, a sting ray and Daniel picked up a hermit crab out in the water. I found a complete sand dollar and Dixie found lots of shells. The water is pretty calm there so we stayed out in water for about 4 hours at a time. We followed our vacation rule and only ate at local places. Hamaknockers was a great BBQ restaurant, we also ate at Posey's Oyster Bar and Steam Room. It was alright.

Thursday we headed back to Daniel's and spent a couple of nights with him. On Friday we went to Palatka FL to look up the grave that my great aunt's, whom I was named after, grave. I had my suspicions confirmed that my name is not spelled like her's was. My name is Luler and her's was Lula. Apparently every one called her Luler. Oh well.

On the way home on Saturday, coming up I75 we stopped at both the Florida State Farmer's market and a Georgia State Farmer's market in Cordele GA. We only bought watermelons at the Florida one, 3 for $5. At the GA one we bought peaches $13 a box, tomatoes, potatoes, and more watermelons for $1 each. The peaches & watermelons are yummmmmmyyyyy!

It was a great vacation! Can't wait til next year.

Mae