Delaware Issues Common Cents: Pack Light

We took off on another overnight adventure on the BMW K1600 GTL.  This time heading west to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon just outside of Wellsboro, PA. I wanted to share with you the best packing advice I ever received.  Before the days of withdrawing cash from almost any bank machine around the world, folks travelled with TRAVELERS CHECKS.  They were a real pain and I never liked them.  So I always travelled with cash.  It was my father who advised me so wisely.  "When you have finished packing and are all ready to go," he worded, "Take out half of what you packed and double your money".  I have heeded this advice successfully since then, knowing if I forgot something or found that I needed a sweat shirt or another pair of socks, I would always have enough money to make the purchase. With the availability of bank machines and credit card usage I don't worry much about my cash.  But I always pack light and this is how I do it.
I lay everything out that I think I might need the week before travel.  As travel time draws near I add and remove things until I have the very basic and minimal requirements for my travels.
Looks like this when I start.

 

Some of what you see I expect to wear out on riding day, otherwise: into the bag goes one pair of jeans, underwear, socks, bathing suit and tops in layers from tanks, to short sleeves to long sleeves about 2 or 3 each. I love my western style jean shirt for many reasons most of all that it can act as a light weight jacket. Of course there is special riding gear which includes boots (also a pair of sandals on the floor), dragon jeans that have armor and cool weather riding pants with armor...ill have to pick one of those and a small bag with toiletries.

 

Got rid of some stuff and added a dress ( you never know).

This soft flexible bag is custom for a side case and I get some space in the back that has already been packed with our rain gear. Just enough room for my purse which also serves as my camera bag.

When it is time to go, I dress in a few layers.  Shorts are underneath my  riding pants, although it never really gets warm enough for just shorts. I have the luxury of an electric jacket that goes over a

t-shirt and under my jean shirt and mesh jacket with armor protection so I know I will be warm if the layers are not enough.  Its amazing that no matter how I pack I always come home with something I did not wear.  Now it is time

 to roll on out to our destination, the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon just outside of Wellsboro, PA.

 

Delaware Issues Common Sense and gets Spicey

Everyone should know that when a snake's pupils are round and human like they are safe.  If the pupil is cat like, you better watch out.  There is likely to be venom.  Everyone should also know, that when a friend goes to Budapest and comes home saying BUDAPESHT, and is so kind as to bring you back Sweet Paprika from Hungary in a RED package, with a wooden spoon no less, it is time to toss the orange and yellow packaged, DURKEE you got at the flea market.  Thank you Ellen.

 

Delaware Issues Common Cents: Friends

 Recently I have had house guests.  A two night visit from a women I knew as a girl and traveled through elementary school with and a longer stay from friends I met not that long ago traveling the internet. There are so many opportunities to nurture friendships, both old and new. I like to take  them.   Time is the necessary investment and joy the dividend.   It only takes Common Cents to make this investment.

 

 

Delaware Issues Common Cents: Appreciation Doesn't Cost a Cent.

Can not seem to stop thinking about my mother.  At 84 I sometimes wonder how much longer I will be able to keep her in my life.  Although her body is old, her mind is young and sprite and laughter comes easy to her.  I am so grateful that she is still here among the living and deriving joy from life.
Here she is with her only granddaughter, who will wed on this day.  With such short notice and such a distance that my mother will not be available to reel in pleasure as witness to the experience.  I wonder if my mom will have joy in seeing a great grand?  I hope so!

 

Oh yeah...Appreciation is free of charge.  Appreciate what you have and find joy in it.  Nothing lasts forever.

Delaware Issues Common Cents: Back at the Market

Shopping for food, clothing, necessities, and luxuries really isn't my thing.  I buy clothes when I need them either at the outlets where it is cheap, or via catalogue where it isn't.  Sometimes, if I happen to be near one, I will go into a farmer's market or stop at a local food stand.  For the most part I am guilty of picking up my groceries at one of the more expensive places in my area, The Pennington Quality Market.  I go there because I know the isles and can zip around with my list.  The staff is incredibly kind, friendly and helpful.  The best news is Pennington Quality Market offers great sales, mails store specific coupons for freebies, and gives a teeny, eeny, weeny discount for using your own bags. Taking advantage of all three can pay off so it seems to me only common cents to do so.

 

I'm not sure if you can read the receipt but it indicates approximately %30 discount.

Delaware Issues Common Cents: Dont Kick the Can...Open it.

I have three can openers in my home and without hesitation there is just one I go to all the time.  I did a quick search of the web and although I suspect this product is made in China, I could not find the details of where it is manufactured.   The electric can opener by Krups, a German company, is big and bulky taking up space in my cabinets. The good old fashion one made in U.S.A. by Ecko  hurts my fingers as they push through the holes in the handle while turning.  The smooth black handles on the Progressive are comfortable to hold, easy to turn and it works every time.  All it takes is a little elbow grease and we can all grease our elbows a bit more. Although the electricity required by the Krups is probably minimal, the Progressive requires non at all. 

Delaware Issues Common Cents and the Friendship Garden

Spring Spring Spring...finally has arrived.  The Daffodils are blooming.   I can see little buds on the Columbine and the Bleeding Hearts.  The Peonies are springing up from the earth as are the pointy green leaves of the Irises.  All of these flowering beauties and more are in my garden courtesy of friends.  The cost quite simply something from my own garden.  Contributors are well aware of what has come to be known as the friendship garden....the sharing of multiplying plants that rather than toss when we divide are shared among us.  These flowering beauties make great subjects for photography. 

You can purchase your garden plants at a nursery and I suppose for the annuals you must, but if you prefer your garden to spring up from the ground each year without spending your money you can engage in the lovely habit of sharing your perennials at no cost.

I had the most pleasant surprise one year after seeing window boxes decorated with Pansies and Pussy Willows.  I had been offered cuttings from a neighbors Pussy Willow bush and tried to reproduce the look.  To my surprise, one of the stems grew ROOTS!  I immediately placed it back in the pot filled with dirt and let it winter over in a protected spot in the yard until last Spring when I planted it in my garden.  Today I have my own small Pussy Willow and in a few years will no longer have to take clippings from my neighbor to make these lovely arrangements.

 

 

 

 

Delaware Issues Common Cents

 

Back at the Pennington Market, I'm checking out the prices of the cleaning products that fill the shelves and comparing them to the cleaning products I tend to use.  I have been mixing up white vinegar, water and a few drops of scented oils I generally have around the house.  Once again, I find the prices in favor of my own concoctions.  I did not price in the lilac, lavender, or honeysuckle scents, because I only use a few drops, and they last so long that I forget what I paid.  It is possible to use fresh lemon juice instead.  In general, I use 1/2 water, 1/2 vinegar and a few drops of scented oil to cut the vinegar smell.  The aromatic smell of the oils actually makes it a pleasure to wipe down the counters.

 

 

 

Baking Soda is another great inexpensive product for cleaning.  I use it most for getting rid of any foul smell that might come from my sink drain.  I spill a little bit into the drain with the strainer in place to hold it.  Then I pour in some vinegar and watch it bubble up.  I follow this by a water rinse to wash the rest down.  Recently, I was talking to a professional framer and her idea of the best, no streaking glass cleaner was equal proportions of denatured alcohol and water.  I have not tried that yet but you can be assured I will.  Don't be fooled by all the advertising/propaganda/marketing tricks that are there to make you spend YOUR hard earned money, on products that are wasteful, and potentially damaging to your home environment.  USE COMMON CENTS! 

Delaware Issues Common Cents: Dog Treats

I don't know how many times I will have to tell you that it was NOT, NO WAY, NO HOW, Common Cents to bring MaraBella home.  But what is done is done and it brings me to this.  I started BASIC OBEDIENCE classes last Monday and tonight will be class number 2 at Golden Grange.  Joe, the owner and trainer suggested soft treats for training.  I purchased these and cut the soft sticks up into lots of little pieces. 

He also said hotdogs where a good soft human treat that dogs really like.  I wasn't sure I liked that idea.  I didn't want MaraBella to learn "beg" when we are eating hotdogs off the grill this summer.  We NEVER eat Pup Peroni.  Never the less,  I went to the Market today and conducted a price check.

 

That would be $4.00 cheaper on the hotdogs per pound.  Now that just might make it Common Cents.  Sadly, I makes me wonder just how bad we are getting ripped off by the dog food industry.  Those blessed beef franks must have more value than Pup Peroni.

 

Delaware Issues Common Cents

Did you ever wonder about all the dilapidated barns and homes and how they got that way? 

Last year this green house still was erect and had most of it's glass.  It is on a property that is being restored.  But it was just too late for this.  It had been left neglected for way too many years.

I installed brand new washer and dryer over 20 years ago when I moved into my home.  I clean the vent, and wipe down the enamel and if I notice the inside needs a wipe down I do that too.  It looks pretty good for being over 20 years old, but not as good as the dilapidated greenhouse as far as photos go.  The point is...man made things can last a long time with proper maintenance and in the long run save you the money it would cost to remove or replace.

Delaware Issues Common Cents with OIL and VINEGAR

 

Sometimes I am simply amazed at the selection of things at the local grocery store.  Almost a complete inner aisle devoted to salad dressing.  SALAD DRESSING!  A multitude of varieties, and prices, in plastic containers and glass containers.   I would venture to guess that most people have everything they need for Russian, Italian, and French dressing, already in their cabinets. A little ketchup, mayo and relish and you have Russian, a little oil and vinegar and its Italian.  Add some ketchup and Worcester and you have French.  Ok  I admit to liking Good Seasons Italian dry mix because I can use it for much more than dressing...its a great seasoning mixed with parm cheese for baking fish, and chicken.  When I am using it for salad dressing I have a  glass cruet. For the other dressings I make I recycle the honey bears.  It just seems like common sense to me to reduce the amount of plastic and glass I put in my shopping bags and keeping bottled salad dressing off my grocery shopping list is one easy way.