To-Do List.....March Update

Let's see how March's To-Do List turned out.........

* Pay Bills  DONE  Everything paid early or on time and money leftover this month. yay

* Read 1,2,3,4 Books  DONE  Even before we got the stay home order in PA I was on fire reading.  Ok, one of the books was a lightweight but still....

I read this one...

"Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan
This is a novel, a partially historical novel about Mamah Bosworth Cheney, the mistress of Frank Loyd Wright and their life together.  It was well done and reminded me of "Twain's End" and "Hanging Mary", two other historical fiction books I've read.  5 thumbs up.

Then I read this.....

"It's All Relative:Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree" by A.J. Jacobs
This is a genealogy related book so someone into this subject will find some of it interesting.
I found it a very quick read and a little too lightweight and full of general knowledge with a humorous tone.  2 thumbs up.

Third was this one......

"Papillon" by Henri Charrière
This is the autobiography book from 1969, that was made into a major film in 1973 with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman and was remade in 2017 starring Rami Malek and Charlie Hunnam.
It's about a safe cracker from Paris who was wrongly convicted of killing a pimp in 1931 and sentenced to life in the French Guiana penal colony (called "Devil's Island" in English)through 1945 and his numerous attempts to escape.
It's an amazing book, especially since the writer was not a writer per se.  It will keep you interested and you won't be able to put it down, especially if you haven't seen either movie.
I now need to see these movies to see if they live up to this man's book.  5 thumbs up!!!

Fourth was this.......

"The Birth of Loud:Leo Fender, Les Paul and the Guitar Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock N' Roll" by Ian S. Port

I picked this up on a whim at Ollie's(Good Stuff Cheap!)and thought at least Ex-College Boy being the family musician may enjoy it but I gave it a read first.  I was never a guitar gal but I did grow up during the revolutionary period of 1960's rock n' roll so it intrigued me.  It filled in some history about this era in music and I learned a lot about Leo Fender and Les Paul(and Mary Ford too).  4 thumbs up.


* Manage Money (CD)  DONE  We had a CD mature the beginning of March.  If we left it at the financial institution it was with they had a 13 month CD that gave an extra .05% in interest(not that the current rates are anywhere what they were when we set this CD up in 2019).  Plus if we kept the money with this bank we got an extra .05% in interest at maturity making the bonus .10% extra. whoopee 

* Hold Giveaway  DONE

* Mail Giveaway  DONE  and received.

* Make Face Masks  DONE 
I made myself a mask and one each for my 2 sons.

I also made this one with some "Night of the Walking Dead" fabric I had bought to make shorts to match a t-shirt I bought Ex-College Boy(but he isn't into NOTWD anymore).....

* Bathe Dogs  DONE  Both pups got bathes in March(Dixie got more than one as she is stinkier).lolz

* Take Load to Food Bank  PASS  Ok, I didn't get the food to the Food Bank in March.  I called twice and left messages and they never got back to me in March.  I am not sure if they are accepting food donations with the pandemic or just money.

* List Items on eBay  FAIL  Thought I did sell 1 item in early March I just haven't been motivated to list anything else.  Now with money being tight with so many losing jobs temporarily I just don't feel right selling non-essentials even if someone is nuts enough to buy them.  I don't make my living off of eBay so I'd rather not put anything for sale on there now.  I can wait.  ;-)

* Cash Savings Bond  DONE  I had Hubs cash the bond before our bank closed it's lobby for the duration(now it's only drive-thru tellers).  I've added the proceeds to all the other cashed/matured Savings Bonds.  We really need to dump this stash into a CD or something but with rates in the toilet right now, we'll wait a bit longer.  It's not life-changing to not have this $$ invested right now.

* Hem Hubs' Shirts  PASS  I did work on this sewing project but I didn't have Hubs full cooperation in March so nothing much gone accomplished.  I needed him to try every. last. shirt. on. to mark them all. ugh

* Plan/Goals for 2020  FAIL  A big Fat Fail on planning anything for 2020.  I had some ideas but everything/all the world is on hold right now so we are at a standstill on plans for 2020.
I'll mention what I need to do once it's safe to resume life as normal......
*Go to VA to work on legal stuff with brother(and visit eldest son too)
*Go somewhere on vacation(it's looking like Fall now)
*Get painting in house done(have to wait to hire someone)

So that's where we are at going into April.
How was your March?
Did you get anything accomplished?

Sluggy

Stay At Home Giveaway Winner

There were 44 valid entries on this Giveaway.

I had to disqualify 3 this time...."vossta, Gigi and Unknown" as there accounts were either private(so I can't see their email)or had no email attached to their Google accounts.  Please email me privately your email addys if you want to participate next time! thanks.

Back to picking our winner for the Giveaway.

The winner if Little Penpen!

Little PenpenApril 10, 2020 at 9:30 AM

Perfect give away goodies! I’m a homebody, so the quarantine isn’t bothering me too much. I keep a hand sewing project going and I’m watching a lot of tv!

Congratulations Little Penpen!!

Please email me your full mailing address so I can get this box of goodies out to you asap.

You have the next 48 hours from when this post goes live to contact me(my email is on the side bar under "About Me").  If you don't contact me with your information I'll have to pick another winner.

Thanks to everyone who played along on this brief giveaway.

I'll have another one, the "real" April giveaway coming up this weekend so stay tuned.

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Swamp Soup Anyone?" Edition................

I found the recipe for that Swamp Soup we had at that restaurant in Alabama in January.  I hope you can embiggen this image enough to read it.

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning-

This is what was planned for last week.......

1. Sunday--Baked Ham, Deviled Eggs, Corn Casserole, Green Beans
2. Monday--Leftover Beef Stroganoff, Rice and Green Beans
3. Tuesday--Risotto with Asparagus and Mushrooms, Salad

4. Wednesday--Fajitas

5. Thursday--Burgers, side dishes TBD

6. Friday--Tuna Noodle Casserole
7. Saturday--Pork Teriyaki Stir-Fry w/Veggies

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Baked Ham, Deviled Eggs, Corn Casserole, Green Beans
2. Monday--Leftover Beef Stroganoff, Rice and Green Beans
3. Tuesday--Risotto with Asparagus and Mushrooms, Salad

4. Wednesday--Take-out Lunch from Applebee's, dinner was FFY

5. Thursday--Chicken Marsala, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Veggies

6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Pork Teriyaki Stir-Fry w/Veggies

Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 3 nights of leftovers/FFY, and 0 night of Take-Out(for dinner, 1 Take-Out for lunch).

I used the leftover asparagus from last week and put it into the Risotto.
The Teriyaki was a disaster.  I made it a couple of weeks ago and it was marvelous but I added too much teriyaki sauce this time and it was so salty I couldn't eat it(and didn't want to eat it).  I've just become so sensitive to salt in the last 8 years.  There are things I just can't eat anymore(mostly fast food and junk foods)due to the sodium/salt taste that is overpowering.  

What got put into the freezer last week....
* 1/2 the leftover ham from Sunday
*  a free boneless ham
* 3 bags of frozen veggies
* 2 small boxes of frozen veggies
* 2 frozen manicotti meals

What got taken out of the freezer and used.....
* 4 pork chops
* 1 boneless ham(1/2 got used)

1 trip to Weis(PMITA)Markets by Hubs this past week & a run into Malacari's for produce and lunch meat brought spending to $65.34 and brings my April Total spending on food so far to $88.00.
The spending would have been less but I had Hubs pie a $7 Key Lime Pie for Easter dessert(but he's the only one who ate any).

I've earned $6.20 in Ibotta rebates in April so far(mostly at Rite-Aid on allergy meds).

My savings percentage last week was 40.5%(without Rite-Aid trips)and April's monthly savings total comes in at 33.71% so far(w/out R-A).  Getting a free ham at Weis with my points and a few items were on sale so that helped bring the savings rate out of the 0% toilet it was in during Week 1.

I have 17 more food shopping/spending days in April.

Leftovers going into this week.....Rice, 2 large Turkey Enchiladas, Pork Teriyaki Stir-Fry, Green Beans, 1 helping of Corn Casserole, Chicken Marsala(2 helpings), Mashed Potatoes.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Cheese Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread
2. Monday--single serve Devour frozen dinners or Potatoes au Gratin and Roasted Carrots
3. Tuesday--Cheeseburgers on buns, sweet potato fries

4. Wednesday--Sweet and Sour Chicken w/Broccoli

5. Thursday--Leftovers or FFY

6. Friday--Fajitas
7. Saturday--Leftovers or FFY

What needs buying for this menu?
Some milk and OJ are needed this week, not necessarily for dinners.  And I want strawberries but Weis was out when I sent Hubs there.  Weis now has sales ads again and they were BOGO there but they either hadn't arrived yet on the truck or were cleaned out of them already. boohoo
I'll go into the restaurant supply store this Wednesday when I drive Hubs to his eye doc appointment since I can't go into the doc's office and it's nearby.  I'll see what veg/etc. is a good deal there.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy

Happy Weekend, Easter, Passover, Etc.

I hope you are having the best sort of Holiday or Weekend you can considering the current state of the world.

At Chez Sluggy it's a low key day here today.  No relatives eating up my yummy Easter dinner this year because we had it last Sunday and well......social distancing!

There will be salad, lasagna and key lime pie here today.

Chester and I have walked the yard three times already and picked up enough sticks/branches from the trees to do a little fire in the pit later.

I'll lift my weights later too.  Who says I don't get any exercise?

Speaking of Chester his birthday was Friday and he turned 3.

This photo is from February with both of them in it.  The only time I can get a photo of Dixie is when she is sleeping, otherwise it's a blurry partial because if she is awake, she is a perpetual motion machine. lol

I still love this one of Chester with his head in the yogurt container trying to lick it clean.

Here's a photo of the granddog sleeping.........

Daughter and Hubby moved into their own house beginning of March before all hell broke loose.
Both were still reporting to work and Cinnamon was left alone for the first time ever. 
Before someone was home with her or she had 10 cats for company at one time if no hoomans.

Well she didn't do well.  Daughter sent me video from the nanny cam they set up and Cinnamon would pace back and forth and howl, even if they left music or the tv on for her.  Daughter was coming home for lunch each day so the dog was only left alone at most 4 hours at a stretch but was still doing her business in the house and agitated

Last week Daughter's hubby, J, was told to work from home so now Cinnamon is one happy pup again!

Today's musical interludes are as follows........

One of my favorites, Christopher Walken from the 1981 film "Pennies from Heaven".
He is a marvelous dancer.



This film never got the attention and laurels it deserved back in the day.

Another number, the title number, "Pennies from Heaven" was wonderful, even taken out of context of the show.  The dancer is Vernel Bagneris who is also a playwright and author, a real Renaissance Artist.

Vernel had a full career in the arts but I don't think he ever get his due either.
And notice Vernel's derriere in this clip.....IMHO he had a fine dancer's butt.... ;-)



And speaking of Vernel Bagneris, he also wrote a musical revue called "One Mo' Time" which opened in 1979 and was nominated in 1980 for a Grammy for Best Original Cast Album(I have that album.).

The revue was set in a 1926 New Orleans theater and was a collection of skits and musical numbers from 1920's African American Vaudeville of that day.

Two of  my favorite songs from this show-a song performed and made popular by the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, called "My Kitchen Man"....



And this song which was recorded first in 1924 by Virginia Liston.
Singer Catherine Russell performs it currently in her cabaret repertoire of classic old songs....


That's all I got today.
What's a favorite song of yours from the 1920's or 1930's?

Sluggy

Can I Return It?

It freaking snowed here yesterday, like heavy to light flurries all day.
And that was after waking up to snow overnight which was still on the ground. bleh

And all the trees are budding out for about a week now.

Here's a photo of my forsythia bush I took last Sunday.

I went into Rite-Aid yesterday to pick up an Rx.

After visiting the Pharmacy area, since my pals in the front of the store weren't busy ringing anyone out I went to the register and said in a raised voice, "I want to speak to the Manager! I have something I want to return."
Said R-A employee gave me a smile and said, "Ok ma'am, what did you want to return?"

I said, "I wish to return 2020.  I believe it is still under warranty and within the return window time limit.  It has NOT lived up to expectations!"

What can I say, I am just a funny funny gal.
We all had a good laugh.

But seriously, can I return 2020? ;-)

Sluggy

Today's selection in the sewing room is "Carnival" the Broadway cast album.

Here is Anne Hathaway playing the Lili part played by Anna Maria Alberghetti on Broadway.



Kaye Ballard starred in the show as Rosalie and here is one of her numbers........




Jerry Orbach played Paul the crippled puppeteer and sang a couple of ballads.  This one was a favorite.  Couldn't find a clip of Jerry performing this put this guy does a very good job with it too.


This youtuber has a mix of selections from the show.