Prayers for Rudy

Rudy, the grandson of my friend Helga, had a good day with some improvement in his condition. He is still scheduled for surgery Monday, but if his chest fluid continues to drop, they may be able to cancel the surgery. Please pray with me that he will not need another surgery in his short five-week life.

FRUGAL FRIDAY

Today I stopped at the library and picked up a book on oil painting, a cookbook, and a copy of Susan Albert's new book, The Tale of Briar Bank. That stop on the way home from the gym did not cost me a cent, although those three books would have cost me $74 and change, plus tax, from the book store.

About six months ago I realized that our books out-numbered the spaces on our book shelf. I had a cleaning out frenzy and took a load of books I thought I could part with to Goodwill. I totaled up how much money I had spent on those books and realized I had just given away about $200 worth of books. That was the day I decided that I would just check out books from the library for a change.

And that is my FRUGAL hint for today. Hope you will share your frugal hints with all of us.

Please Pray for Rudy

My friend, Helga, has a new grandson named Rudy who was born with a heart defect. He had surgery immediately after birth and is now five weeks old and is experiencing some complications that might warrant more surgery. The family has decided to wait until Monday to see if the problems will be resolved. Please pray with me that the problems little Rudy is experiencing will not necessitate another surgery for him. You can read about Rudy on the blog where his parents are posting continual updates.

Please also pray for Helga and her husband who are staying with Rudy's three siblings quite some distance away from the UCLA hospital where Rudy is being cared for. I know this is a very trying time for the whole family and my thoughts and prayers are with them at this time.

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

For some of the families that I gave gifts to last year, I made up baskets of food mixes. One I called the Southwest Gift Basket and it had the fixins' for a Texas-flavored soup mix, a cornbread mix and a salsa mix or a spicy dip mix. Another one was a Country Gift Basket that had a good ole country soup mix, a bread mix, and either a cookie or cake mix.

This year I am working on making up some spice mixes to give as gifts. Today I bought the various ingredients for the spice mixes at a store that sells spices in bulk form. I paid about $4 for 12 different spices by buying them from the bulk containers. I was looking for ground rosemary and found that it cost $8.00 a pound. I bought the 1/2 cup that I needed and it cost $.08!! I almost fell over when I saw the cost compared to a jar of rosemary that I would have to grind myself!

I started buying my spices in bulk form several years ago when I found out that I could refill my spice jars for a fraction of the cost of buying new jars of spices. And for some of the spices that I use only occasionally, I just buy a small amount and renew them every year--or as needed. That way the spice does not sit on my shelf and grow stale.

I scrounge at the Dollar Store or other discount stores for interesting baskets or containers for these mixes that I put in freezer zip-loc bags, put the directions on the zip-loc bags, and then tie it all up with a bandana, shrink wrap or plastic wrap, some nice ribbon and perhaps an ornament that I make. If I have to mail the present, I try to find a very light weight container for the gift.

Please feel free to share your frugal tips for Christmas gifts you are planning this year.

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Christmas Hints

I am beginning to think about making some of my Christmas gifts for friends and family and thought it might be a great idea to share some of my gift ideas for you. Here is the first one that I thought I might begin with:

Assemble a Winter Warm-up Basket. Your basket can include a few marshmallows and hot chocolate. Purchase instant hot chocolate in sample sizes or in fancy tins. Find a decorative container and line it with a pretty kitchen towel (I am knitting dish cloths) or tissue paper. Fill the container with hot chocolate, marshmallows and perhaps an inexpensive mug or a favorite movie. Wrap the basket in plastic wrap or shrink wrap and use a hair dryer to blow-dry the shrink wrap on the basket to stay in place. You can find shrink wrap at a crafts store like Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Top with a pretty bow and you have a nice gift for friends, neighbors, teachers, and relatives.

Do you have a favorite handmade Christmas gift idea that you would like to share?

The 5k Race

Our church had a 5K race this morning and my husband signed up for it. I was so proud because he decided to do it and he also talked several other people into joining him. I decided not to push my luck because I pulled a muscle in my back a couple of weeks ago and it is just now getting better. Walking 5K might not have been a good idea at this point so I became the cheering section--especially for our exercise class members who participated along with my husband. Here are some pictures!

Waiting at the starting line. He is the one with the dark jacket and the dark glasses.








Members of our exercise class. Hubby is on the right.







Coming up that last hill with our friend, Marty. Way to go!






Right at the finish line. Job well done!

Whew! I think he was glad that was over!








I think I will enlarge the picture above and frame it with THE NUMBER!!

Congratulations, #182!