My absence and what I've been up to

Our home computer has been out of whack so I have pretty much been only reading email at home and catching up on blog reading when I have free time at work. Jeff has been working on our computer and after careful shopping for the best prices on parts, he replaced the hard drive and another piece that I don't remember the name of. It is amazing how much the price of computer parts vary from one store to the next.

Hopefully I will be back to blogging with pictures soon!

One of our goals for 2008 was to fund my IRA for 2007. After lots of extra penny-pinching, I opened and funded my IRA with Scottrade. Most all the investment places give freebies for new accounts, Scottrade gave me a year subscription to Money magazine and Norton protection for our computer. ( Yes, we really need it too!)

Jeff and I celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary in March. We had a very nice dinner at home, boiled shrimp with baked potatoes. (I know most people prefer to eat out, but eating at restarants is not one of my favorites.) Jeff gave me 4 pieces of Circulon cookware and a gift certificate to Dress Barn. I liked them all very much.

I have been studying the deals at Walgreens and shopping their sales that work for us. In March, I did the Herbal Essence-Zest-Old Spice combos that came with Register Rewards. The correct amount of RRs did not print for me so the manager gave me a mail in form to get them. I am very happy to say that 21 days after mailing in that form, Catalina sent me $24 in Register Rewards! I was not expecting to get anything.

I've done a little bit of sewing since Easter. I made 6 black and white pot holders using the criss cross coaster idea.

I bought a wrap robe on clearance at Wal-Mart last summer for $2. It is really cute, pink with pink and yellow polka dots. But I did not like the way the wrap style fit and would come open. So I just sewed up the front and added a zipper. Now it is a v-neck style and very wearable.

Our weather has included lots of rain and mild temperatures. I always like it when we don't have to use our air conditioner or heater very much. Our plants in the yard seem to all be doing well. We try to use plants that come back every year, I think they are called perennials. So far, our perennials are looking great. We have a large rose of sharon bush, 2 rose bushes and a magnolia tree that all seem to be greening up and on track to bloom soon. Last summer, we planted 3 hydrangeas, several dianthus and an azalea bush as well as iris and lily bulbs from my in-laws yard and they all survived the cold winter and are greening up too.

My parents are on their way right now to Oklahoma for a visit with us. They like rummage sales as much as I do and it just so happens that tomorrow will be the bi-annual $1 a bag sale at local church. I have been going to it for years and it is my very favorite one. So hopefully tomorrow, I will have some pictures of our good deals to share with you all.