Dee

I'm reading Nora Roberts, "The Rise of Magicks". It's the 3rd in the series and kind of weird but an interesting read. It's the world after an epidemic as killed billions. There are fairies, elves, etc. etc. and lots of warring but it's different and I like different sometimes. On my phone I'm listening to Gwen Bristow's, "Jubilee Trail". I read it years ago and found it again on Audible. I'm loving it again after reading it probably 40 years or more ago.

$100 a year? I think mines that a month. I don't ask....they might make me start paying my own bill if I do. LOL They both have tremendous jobs and I doubt they even notice what they pay for mine. I'd like to keep it that way!!!

After I posted I realized not everyone has a smart phone. The only reason I have one is our son and daughter-in-law "brought me into the 21st century" five or six years ago. They put it on their bill and said you'll love it. I did and do and now can't imagine not having it.

Hi Jeepers, I have an app on my phone called Note. On most things I can't remember the regular price either. So, if it's something I'd really like to stock up I check the price in a couple of different store and put the price in Note. When it's advertised on sale, I check Note and if it's really a sale I stock up. I hadn't thought about it until now but I suppose you could make a list on a piece of paper and then take a picture of it with your phone. I hadn't thought about tuna being from China but when I read the questions and answers before buying it someone asked that exact question. It's canned in either Ecuador or American Samoa.

Littlesister…..I watch Amazon for TP. Sometimes it's higher than Wal-Mart, etc. but if I watch long enough it's cheaper. With Prime it's really nice having a big box delivered. We've had the same UPS man for a long time and know him fairly well. The first time he brought the box of TP it was in a plain box. The next time it said Northern Tissue all over it. When I answered the door he said, "Someone got a problem here?" If I were younger I'd have been embarrassed but when you get older you just roll with the punches and laugh right along. A couple of weeks ago I bought StarKist Tuna too at Amazon. I think it was $.60 a can and dated like 2 years from now or some such. One dented can but otherwise perfect. I don't really buy much food this way but it's nice when I find bargains.

That's what I was thinking when I read this mommato3boys. Smaller packaging and still the same price or maybe even higher. Another thing I've noticed so much of in the last 2 years. 1. Many things that are on sale now are almost outdated. I've learned not to go during the first part of a sale week but wait until closer to the end of the week when the "outdated" stuff has sold and the newer is on the front of the shelves. Of course, you can always dig to the back of the shelves but early on it's usually all closely outdated stuff. 2. Unless you know the price of something NEVER assume the sale price is really a sale. My family likes tenderized pork tenderloins. One day as I walked past the meat counter I saw the pink card that announced they were on sale 4/$5.00. I said to the butcher, "These aren't on sale. This is the normal price." He agreed. "So why the pink card advertising them as on sale?" People don't pay any attention and will buy them thinking it's a bargain. "Are you kidding me?" Nope, he says, it's a way to get people to buy. Few pay attention. As far as they're concerned it's on sale. "Well, you won't catch me falling for it again, if I've fallen for it before." and he said with no concern, well, you're the exception then., I will admit I've never seen it happen again but...……. So ladies pay attention. You can be scammed, sad to say, even in your local grocery store.

Hey Out of the ordinary.....I've been busy and working so I haven't been her for a while. You are really well read and, like me, have more than one going at a time. I looked up the Douglas Bond, Crown and Covenant series and bought the 1st one. They look good and I'm anxious to give it a try when I finish what's on my Kindle at the moment. I'm always anxious to find new authors and if I like them it makes me happy to have it be a completed series. Hate having to wait for the next to come out! One of my favorite series is Red River of the North by Laurine Snelling. The first in the series is called An Untamed land. It's about a Norwegian family that immigrates to North Dakota. The series goes on for generations and I finally got tired of it but the first 4 or 5 (more? I'm not sure) I just loved. Right now the book I'm reading is Educated by Tara Westover. It's about a survivalist type family and just maybe it's where the word dysfunctional family originated. It's a memoir and each chapter tells a different incident in their daily life. Do I like it? I'm not sure but I do keep reading if that means anything. On my phone I'm listening to The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani. I'm just getting started but I've liked her other books so I have high hopes for this one. On my phone I'm reading Twist of Faith by Ellen J. Green. It's ok but not the best I've ever read. I love to hear what other's are reading AND I love even more getting suggestions. Next?

Do you listen to audio books Dogmom4? I find I listen to them as much as I read anymore. We have acres of grass we mow in the summer and an audio book using my earbuds helps me keep my sanity. I listen when I drive any distance, when I walk and when I'm working in the kitchen. I don't know what I'd do w/o them to keep my mind occupied. Mine are on my phone but our library has a great variety of audio books on CD.

Hi Mt_Rider…….Fortunately, at this point, my car is too old. I'm glad I live in the country and don't have to worry about it.

Wow Homey and Snapshotmiki….great to hear from you two and good to see you join in with Jeepers, WE2's, Ambergris, Mother and me in this forum. If you remember, I LOVED being the moderator here along with Becca. We discussed so very, very many books. If DH isn't home I read while I'm eating and also when I got to bed. I remember when I first started the Harry Potter series, I'd tell DH, "Me and Harry are off to bed". The first time I said it really caught DH's attention but before long he got used to me and Harry. Today at the library I got the new Joanne Fluke book...…Chocolate Cream Pie Murder and The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo. Hope they're both really good!!! Like you Homey, I always have a book on hand for when I have appointments or to wait on someone or something. My phone has books to read as well listen to, soooooo, I'm always prepared. Keep on reading and let me know what's on your phone, table, or wherever it's sitting, that you're reading now.

So some of you are reading. That's great! Hope to hear from others on what they're reading and what they think of them. Like you Mother, I like to do some writing too. I go in spurts. It's usually when my fingers start typing and off I go.

Well, evidently no one is reading or interested in Crazy House. What is everyone reading/listening to? I was told The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley was so very good. I actually ordered it from Audible and trying to force myself to finish. I don't like it at all.

Oh wow, I need to check these out.

LOOK!!! I actually started container plants of Early Girl tomatoes this afternoon. I bought a 4 pack so I've put 2 in each pot. I am so excited since this is my first time ever. Of course, I had to bring them in this evening since we have snow forecasted. I want to check into the self-wicking too but I was in town today for groceries for kids birthday dinner on Sunday and couldn't resist getting started.

For those of you who read and enjoyed the Hunger Game series and/or the Divergent series, have you read Crazy House by James Patterson? Like the first ones listed they are YA (Young Adult). Right now I'm enjoying the 2nd in the series of Crazy House called The Fall of Crazy House. Why I like this type of book is unknown, but I do. Does anyone else? How about another series of this genre? I read the Twilight series but not really into vampires and werewolves. I loved the first 3 or 4 books of the Harry Potter books but then the kids grew up and they got too dark for me. Any suggestions????

Oh, I love the ideas and help you've given. It looks like there are more than just me interested in container gardening. Dogmom4 and Jeepers, I used to hear about grow bags but never gave them much thought when I could get down and then up off the ground like a kid. I think I'll check into them. Thanks for the heads up. I wondered if those plastic containers might just hold too much heat. Bummer! Annarchy, these self wicking containers have caught my attention but we're still in the spring mode here in Northern Iowa. It's too early to put anything out, other than the peas and potatoes that we put out Good Friday. After Mother's Day is when we figure the frost is finished. We've actually got snow forecasted for tomorrow. Really stupid but it does happen. Of course, it could be in the 70's by Sunday. Transitional weather. LOL Thanks ladies, I hope we can keep this discussion going!

Thanks, I really enjoyed watching him. I've never heard of that kind of gardening. Looking forward to checking out more of his videos.

I have gardened for more years than I care to count, BUT I've never done container gardening. Now that I'm older it's a long way down to the ground and getting up seems further yet. So, this year I'm going to try container gardening. Can anyone give me some suggestions? Do I need to use expensive soils or can I just use our beautiful black Iowa soil? For things like tomatoes, peppers, you know the regular garden things, is a direct south sun too hot for plants in containers? How about that hot after west sun? I know they need watering at least once a day. What about fertilizers? I am really new at this so any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! Dee

Google Anthophora affabillis (or Google black and white fuzzy bee). That's how I found it.

We're fine here. They were about 100 miles from us.

Has anyone read "The President is Missing" by James Patterson. It's an intense read and will remind you why we prep. Made me start thinking and planning again.

Homey, did you or anyone else here get blasted with this 12" of snow? First an inch or so of rain after raining all day yesterday and then a foot of snow on top of it. Yikes, this is NOT what we wanted to see!!!

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It's the same with me Cat. I was here for so long and shared what I could but now I don't do what I once did which makes me not even know how to help others. If only we could get back to what we had but so many have scattered to the winds. I wonder where all the "oldies" are and how they're faring.

Good work Annarchy!!!