15 July :: spent, literally, and happy to be home

taco salad, one of my favorite go-to meals. cheap, healthy and comes together quickly. tastes great too!

Home, you have become my sanctuary. I am so grateful for that gift I gave myself by creating it. Yes, we do create our home spaces. They are more than just beds and bathrooms and a microwave. So, so much more. In fact, we had a walk around our new one today, empty and full of promise. I promise not to clutter it. I also promise, if I get permission, to paint one space in particular ... should have taken photos. I'll try to get some for you while the house is still empty as it's a beautiful shell of an old home ... also been meaning to take along a camera on my near-daily walks so that's on the list too. Thanks for being patient while photos are few. Actually, I like taking fewer photos. They're not drool-worthy edits on a DSL (is that what those fancy non point and shoots are called?) but they're the best I can make them without spending unneccessary time trying to perfectly edit an imperfect life ... ya know?

So, today, payday ... I am proud of myself -- having halved the usual monthly grocery budget, I came in just $44 over. At first I was upset, then saw how far I'd come in one food shopping cycle. If we are eating pasta/butter/parm the last week, who cares? I'm amazed how much less we need than what we were used to. I went to Target, and stayed on list too (personal care and dog stuff). I realize that within the budget, I can revise a few line items to reflect this change and not feel suffocated or short. I put a few singles into the change jar by my bed, what was left from the bridge toll. I did not buy coffee. I did not buy breakfast or lunch. I'm making dinner at home. I survived without getting food on the go, even turned down my brain's idea for an energy bar. I'm so tired that we'll probably have pasta, veggie ground beef, and sauce with parm and garlic and seasoning. Actually, that sounds gourmet!

Hope you're enjoying a simple week. We are happy to report that we met with the owner of our wedding site and she is happy about our much-scaled down plan. We decided to do a taco bar with homemade sangria, and beer, at our house in lieu of a formal reception! The tents and dance floor company alone wanted THOUSANDS on top of what we already paid to rent the place (this was our biggest expense and we absolutely don't regret it, but it's all we had left after my car debacles). We're also skipping a formal caterer and getting the ingredients for stuff ourselves and having an excellent friend and her teen daughters do a lot of the heavy lifting. The thing I'm realizing about having a wedding is you could go crazy forever with cutesy little crafty ideas for decor and gifts but in the end that's what birthdays and Christmas are for, too. Letting go, that's where the real joy lies, I'm sure of it. At some point I'll sit down and figure all that out and go have fun at the craft store. And someday I'll get to have a blast planning all my bridesmaids' weddings! I will live vicarioiusly, but we just should not compare.  In the end, the focus should be on the bride and groom making the ultimate commitment in front of loved ones, and having a grand old party afterward. We feel sure we can deliver on the feel good!!

I'm off for podcasts and knitting. Tired after this long day out, we all deserve to put our feet up for an hour or two at least each day!

blessings.

k