In Maine, we can establish a family burial ground on our own land. One needs a permit from the town and you have to fence it in. Of course, one would have to hire equipment to dig the grave, but otherwise much cheaper. Easements remain for access for the family if the property is sold. We are going to do this on our land for those who want a traditional burial rather than the scattering of ashes. But as to the question of being weirded out by pre-buying one's own plot. I give you Ruthann from Northern Exposure. This particular clip does not include the part where Ed reveals he has purchased a burial plot on (on a bluff with a great view) for her birthday present. At first, she is surprised, but in the clip below she figures out a way to makes the most of the odd gift. (Unfortunately, this is a very short clip and the only one I could find now. The original is so sweet with the gifting and the dance).

Bernadette Banner (hand-sewing) Melissa K. Norris (homesteading) Old-fashioned on Purpose (homesteading) Homesteading Family (obviously homesteading) Natural History Museum (British) American Museum of Natural History

The check from one of my husband's clients that was late and worrying me (in terms of bills due on the 1st) came yesterday along with another payment, yay! I have been very good about eating out of the pantry and keeping close watch on the fridge so no perishables are wasted. Within the week I will complete a copyediting job and will be paid the second half of my fee. I also signed a contract with a teeny tiny small press to get my novel published, probably won't earn me much, but it is a step in the right direction! Next month won't have a mass of medical bills, tuition bills, extra large fuel bills, car insurance, etc. so I should be able to pay off Christmas which was mostly on the credit card.

One of my husband's clients has been late in paying him and the first of the month is coming up so I am uneasy. As a result we have been eating out of the pantry except for fresh vegetables and fruit and milk. And I cut off my college daughter's allowance for the next two weeks since she spent the first two week allowance on in-(video)-game purchases!!!!!!!! Faint! I had to fill the car up with gas: about $35. And I had forgotten I'd preordered a book on Amazon a month or two ago, and it just came out, and I was charged for that. If I had remembered it, I would have cancelled the order. We did splurge to go out to the movies at our local independent theater $18 tickets $10 concessions. But the movie trailer gave us NO hint about how horrific and brutal and ultimately fatal the life of the donkey (and other animals) in this Polish art film would be (film is called EO--ten thumbs down! Do not see!) so I am calling that a huge financial and emotional loss and wish I could have those hours of my life back or therapy money to recover from the film. So much for date night.

To be sure we can cook many different meals from scratch we stock up in categories: fats, sugars, grains, beans, meats, vegetables, fruits, cooking supplies, spices & salts, drinks It may look different for everyone but for us this means: Fats: coconut oil (in jars or other containers) and butter (in the freezer) Sugars: cane sugar, maple syrup, honey Grains: oatmeal, whole wheat flour, white flour, einkorn flower, rice, popcorn Beans: Black beans, pinto beans, refried beans (canned) Meats: (all in the freezer) whole chickens, boneless chicken breasts, whole turkeys, turkey breast, hamburger, pork chops Vegetables: (in the freezer): broccoli, peas, corn, green peppers. (in jars) jalapeño peppers (in our cold basement) potatoes, onions, garlic Fruit: (in fridge or cold basement) longer storing variety apples, dried cherries, dried apricots Cooking Supplies: Powdered milk, baking powder, baking soda. Spices & Salts: All the spices! Sea salt, Himalayan salt, and pickling salt Drinks: Tea

Throughout my life: friends who are Jewish, Mormon, Wiccan, Quaker (not sure that counts) & Sikh. When I lived for a short time in Australia, two aboriginal Australians who were friends with my boyfriend there. When I lived in India (though they are not a minority there), Hindu and Muslim and we met some Jain and learned about their religion on a tour of their temple. At grad school, Christian Science and Pantheist. And plenty of the biggest (non-religious) minority, Atheist. Oh, I forgot, my husband's relatives who have become Buddhist, but probably the most narcissistic Buddhists in existence, so not sure I have learned anything about their religion from exposure to them!

Not regular monthly expenses: Setbacks include the annual reset on the health insurance deductible ($15,000 family) and so husband's visit to the orthopedist, X-ray and MRI to show no actionable tear or damage will cost us $1300. Sigh. Next month, there will be another $400 for a second member of the family with a bad knee who just went in to the orthopedist. Our evil foreign-owned power company got delivery rates approved basically doubling our electric bill for no additional services. $270 Grr. Tuition was expected (leftover balance after loans) $805. Unexpected earnings: Sold two of my photographs in a show at the local gallery: + 160.00! Savings: I answered Azure Standard's customer survey and got a $25 promo code off minimum $100 purchase, will use this to buy bulk butter to freeze. One cat suddenly started refusing Fancy Feast. To test whether it had changed flavor or he was ill, I bought the significantly cheaper Friskies for a week and he gobbled that down. Tiny can of Fancy Feast is .89 (up from .69 before it became so scarce on the shelves during the pandemic) and larger can of Friskies is .57. Trying to decide if I should just switch the other cats over too. Historically lesser quality food has been their taste preference. Not that Fancy Feast is high quality, but the all-meat pate did put our old cat into diabetes remission after his diet of dry food gave him diabetes, so I have some positive feelings about it. Switched to store brands: soap, laundry detergent, hydrogen peroxide, Brillo-type pads, sliced cheese, and canned black beans. Lots of people have store brands in their carts these days. Don't know all the exact savings, but laundry detergent was a $3 savings per same-size bottle. Stopped eating Green & Black's dark chocolate after reading Consumer Reports article about it having high levels of cadmium and lead (like many other brands--cadmium from soils it is grown in and lead from site contamination). Financial: Got my daughter a checking and savings account at our bank for easy transfers of money between accounts.

I very much enjoyed Neil Gaiman's class. I watched other writers' classes too, but his was the best (lots about imagination) and would be interesting to anyone, not just writers.

Knit or crochet dishcloth and Brillo pads for really stubborn stuck on stuff. My friend knits the dishcloths and there are crochet ones at the local farm stand so I have a huge supply and switch them out every day. They are really pretty colors, but I wish that they were all white so I could put them in the white wash load with hydrogen peroxide. Because the Brillo are disposable and wasteful, I tried substituting the stainless steel reusable scrubber pad, but it deeply scratched my favorite frypan. You can extend the life of a Brillo pad by putting it in a baggie in the freezer in between uses. It won't rust that way.

Search term that will help: 100% cotton thermal blanket. Some have open weave patterns that breathe and others are more solidly woven. https://www.boscovs.com/product/fiesta-cotton-blanket/652833?utm_source=Google&utm_term=652833&utm_content=for the home > bed and bath > all bedding&utm_campaign=CSE&cid=CSE:Google&utm_medium=freePLA Pendleton makes an somewhat expensive but very high-quality wool/cotton blend camp blanket for colder weather which is breathable. I use mine without a sheet. https://www.pendleton-usa.com/product/yakima-camp-blanket/70302.html?dwvar_70302_color=3003

I'll join in. With inflation and two college tuitions and and me not working the burden is laying heavily on my husband's shoulders and he's tiring of it, understandably. My goal is to make my money-saving efforts and what little income I can bring in help even out the burden in our marriage. #1 Make a price book and keep it updated. I will be buying more store brands, shopping sales and stocking up at sale prices, and buying in bulk from Azure Standard, whichever I calculate to be cheapest for each product we use. I will still be buying a lot of organic and local items in the meat category, though. I also need to steer my love of buying (books and kitchen gadgets) into buying food at the lowest price. #2 We don't drive frivolously so it would be hard to save in this category. I drive to town for errands (18 minutes round trip) twice a week. I drive to my parents' house (2 hour round trip) once a week. And my husband and I each take one trip down to western MA to see his mother in the nursing home every month (so 2 trips/month) (20 hours total). I pick up and drop off my oldest at state college before and after each vacation (3 hours round trip). I pick up my youngest at college in Illinois in May and return her in August (68 hours total/year). #3 Figure out how to earn money from home. I do not thrive emotionally in a traditional workplace. I have a lot of past experience developing curriculum and am educated in ecology and environmental studies, so I may begin to develop a natural history/nature study curriculum to sell to homeschoolers and others who might be interested. Sort of like Ellen McHenry does, only not hard science. Though I am not sure if the new homeschoolers even use curricula much these days. I do believe it would appeal to Charlotte Mason homeschoolers. #4 I, too, need a credit card in my own name. #5 Ramp up production in the garden and canning/dehydrating. #6 Radically change my attitude about spending small amounts of money. "Oh, this book is only $15 and this slightly different funnel is only $5 and these wool dryer balls are only $11 and this greeting card is only $4..." and I have basically spent $35 in a week on stuff that was in-the-moment wants. Small things are my downfall. Thanks for starting this thread.

Merry Christmas to all! Thank you for all your wisdom this year.

I live in Maine, so cold, short growing season. My (first, and probably won't be my last) order from FEDCO and Johnny's Selected Seeds. Asterix indicate tried and true varieties for me: Masai Bush Haricots VertQuincy Pinto Organic Shell & Dry BeanBlack Turtle Organic Shell & Dry BeanStrike Pea Shell PeaLincoln Shell PeaSassy Pickling Cucumber Little Leaf Pickling Cucumber*Naval Organic Main Season CarrotNewhall Main Season CarrotMokum Early CarrotCovina Organic BroccoliKing of the North Organic Sweet BellRevolution Sweet Bell PepperEarly Jalapeño Hot PepperAmish Paste Organic Paste Tomato San Marzano Paste Tomato* Matt's Wild Cherry Tomato* Blacktail Mountain Watermelon Georgian Fire Garlic* Dark Red Norland Organic Early Season Potato* Red Maria Organic Mid-Season Potato Stuttgarter Onion Sets Red Baron Onion Sets Red Pontiac Late Season Potato

It's environmental studies, for goodness sake, there are thousands upon thousands of nature documentaries this teacher could play and the kids could actually be learning something about the subject during movie time.

I will always choose go through the cashier line in our friendly chain supermarket, Hannaford. I know the four long-term cashiers by name, one makes very funny plays on words, one has a nephew with autism like my kid, one is very passionate about her tattoos, and one loves skiing. They are real people who live in my small town and knowing them (and them knowing all of us!) adds to the sense of community here. They are also faster than I am and the baggers are happy to load bags at your individual weight limit or keep the cold stuff together, or put the stuff for your mom in a separate bag. I will go into the self-checkout ONLY If have a few items and if all the lines are super long (like the day before Thanksgiving) and I always regret it as something will go wrong with the stupid machine. Then I find myself talking back to the machine, aloud, and as I said, it is a small town...

Oops: Reread the title of this post and those below the asterisks are not examples of sad. For sad it is Greensleeves! Which I like, but has made me cry since I was a child. ******** Apparently any song her mother wants to listen to is a song my daughter can't listen to at all! The pause button will be pressed in a millisecond. (Edited to add: She thinks my taste in music is sad, if that counts.) For me, anything associated with sportball games that my high school friends and boyfriends convinced me to attend (and languish in misery and boredom at) like We Are the Champions or We Will Rock You by Queen, that sort of stuff. Ugh. (Edited to add: If misery is sadness, then maybe this one counts.) But just yesterday on a classic rock album-oriented radio station I heard a song that I NEVER want to hear again: Run for Your Life by the Beatles. Stalker-murderer song, anyone? I have never really liked the Beatles except for Yellow Submarine for kids, and I am not one to "cancel," but geez that song is terrifying. Obviously it was only played because it was on the album the radio station was featuring. (Edited to add: I am sad this song exists and I had to accidentally hear it!)

I see this with my mom who has dementia and is easy prey for scammers as a result my father has chosen to close down their landline have only his cell phone in the house which is a flip phone. Mom cannot possibly remember phone numbers (maybe 911, but certainly not my phone number or my sister's) so if something happened to Dad, it is very unlikely she could call for help. So, I was investigating cellular services that might help with this problem and there is one for children called Pinwheel that I am considering. Only calls and texts on the approved number list can come in or go out. Only approved apps can be installed. All activity can be monitored from your phone. Only the expensive phone in their lineup works with my carrier, Verizon. And there is an additional $14.99/month fee for Pinwheel's services on top of Verizon's monthly fee. The service seems to get good reviews with parents. I hope the interface isn't too babyish. I am going to send the info to my sister and we might split the cost for Christmas for my mom. https://www.pinwheel.com

Heard it through word of mouth. My college roommate and her husband own a farm in Maine and her nephew began farming pot as soon as it became legal. I mentioned the sudden appearance of shops everywhere and she said that her nephew said he had to have three shops to get a license. Though I do not know if you have to be a farmer to open a shop, probably not.

I quite literally cannot stand the smell of pot, will leave the vicinity if I even get a whiff of it because the scent is abhorrent to my nose and makes me nauseated, and even knowing that people would be smoking it on the streets and making me very unhappy, I still voted to decriminalize it. Illegal pot is often (not always, especially here in Maine people often have grown their own) obtained from criminal enterprises that don't exactly provide organically grown pure marijuana. There can be toxic pesticides, additional drugs mixed in, etc. The sale of illegal pot also bankrolls other illegal activities including including violent crime. With legal marijuana, the sources are regulated, small farmers can make money providing organic, pure strains with no toxic adulterants. Maine legalized pot a while back and the only difference I noticed was that every tiny town suddenly sprouted three to five pot stores! I wondered how they all could stay in business, but they all have. I then learned that the state required local marijuana farmers to open at least three stores, not sure why. Anyway, all the people who were already smoking pot are still doing so with a safer supply. I have noticed some of the sweet, elderly ladies I know well from where I volunteer feel it is now okay to try edibles in hopes of taming their aches and pains without opioids or other strong, addictive painkillers their doctors suggested.

Paige

I remember you. What a wonderful world you have made for yourself! You should be very proud of your can-do-it attitude and resourcefulness. They will serve you well throughout your life.

I think it is named after a pretty, native flower, the spotted jewelweed which is also called the spotted touch-me-not, because if you touch the ripe seed pods, they open quickly and shoot seeds about. Here is a link: https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/spotted-touch-me-not-jewelweed

I write both novels and nonfiction educational materials. The novels are written for the characters in the novel. The educational materials are written for the intended audience with wording that will be readable and appeal to them. I have two different processes. For the novels, I am probably not typical in my method and don't necessarily recommend it to the beginner, unless the problem that beginner is having is being overwhelmed by plotting the whole thing out before writing it! I am what they call a "pantser" which means I write by the seat of my pants rather than plotting out the whole book or chapters in advance. From things I have heard or seen or experienced, characters come to mind along with a possible scenario. The characters drive the writing, sometimes taking it somewhere I could not have foreseen, always to better results than had I (as in me, personally, not other writers) tried to plot out the whole book or story. In this way, I often get inspiration randomly, while on a walk, in the shower, while driving (thank goodness for voice recordings on my phone), or from seeing something or overhearing snippets of a conversation. I always write these inspirations down. Then I return to them, type them in the computer, and freewrite (just let the words come without correction) from them. This helps me flesh out ideas or parts of the story or takes the story in a new direction. Often my writing is done out of order (not chronological with the story) because of this. When I have the bulk of the novel, I go back and fill in missing pieces. After that is done, I do editing and look for grammar and punctuation mistakes and have at least two readers read it and give suggestions. For the educational materials, the process is much more structured. I do intense research on the topic, reading many books and articles. I make actual note cards, making sure to cite the references. I do not freewrite in this process. I employ my experience creating readings, activities, games, and assessments for the nature center and zoo and Audubon club to come up with a well rounded group of "things to do and read" that will get at the topic from many angles for the age-range intended. In terms of spelling and grammar, I don't have as many grammatical issues as spelling issues. But spell-check is my friend. My initial rough drafts for fiction are very rough (think hastily typed Notes memos on my iPhone while walking). The second drafts are fleshed out. I might go through ten drafts per chapter to get it where I want it. For non-fiction educational materials, my first drafts are not particularly rough. I sit down and write it in order and as close as I can to the final. These probably go through three drafts. I have written "inspirations" on napkins, my phone, receipts, and once in the steam on the shower door. I compose on the computer and I also write in these lovely journals. Which I like because the paper quality is good and the pages are numbered. https://www.amazon.com/Leuchtturm1917-Medium-Ruled-Hardcover-Notebook/dp/B002CVAU1Y/ref=sr_1_5?crid=SARDDVRO0A0O&keywords=leuchtturm1917+lined&qid=1662471573&sprefix=lechtu%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-5 In your case, especially with short vignettes and hoping to avoid all the crossing out, I would write all ideas, inspirations, bits that come to you down as you think them in a hardcover notebook in the order they come to you. Do not cross out! You will just ignore the bits that don't seem right later. Once you have a few pages, you might find it easy to organize them with symbols or numbers next to them in the margin. For example if "during that storm, tornadoes took down every barn in town but spared the houses" and "Grammies' pie was left uneaten" go in your vignette about the tornado of 1998, then indicate that vignette with a number or symbol, say #, then jot "#" in the margin next to each bit of info in the notebook that relates to that particular event. (and then use a $ for the vignette about the fishing trip and * for the day you got bit by a donkey :). Then you can quickly scan down the margin and find the bits, which were written down in a disordered way as they came to your mind, and then you can transfer them to the computer, in a more logical order (if possible). Just lift all the good, juicy tornado bits verbatim and type them in the tornado chapter in your word processing program. Then expand each one with more detail through freewriting or chop them down to size with editing. Finally, add the connectors necessary so they all flow together. Only then edit for voice and style and diction. Finally, look at spelling and punctuation, use your computer and other people to help. *Now, if you find you are having the same crossing out/overthinking trouble freewriting on the computer as you did before, rewrite the snippet on a blank sheet in your notebook and freewrite there. Then copy only the good stuff onto the computer. In this way, the notebook is where the mess of invention gets left behind and the computer is where you are putting the invented pieces together and composing them into a vignette. You can do it! Writing personal stories is invaluable for you, your family, and possibly local history. Do not get discouraged by the small stuff! Remember, separate the invention stage from the composition stage using two different physical places for each.

Attended Congregationalist church with my family until I was 11. However, it was later revealed to me that my father is an atheist and while my mother (raised strict southern Baptist) believes in God, she didn't believe anything her family's church taught, and brought us to church to keep up appearances with her parents and because she wanted a place she could sing in the choir (which she did in a very lovely manner for years). We all quit going to church, except the church ladies always managed to convince my mom to make pies for their big church suppers for years after we stopped going! From about 9-10 on, I was too into geology and evolutionary biology to accept any literal interpretation of the Bible. I generally call myself an atheist, but I suspect I have slight animist tendencies due to being a naturalist by profession and very much suspecting all living beings, plant and animal, have spirits that exist while they are alive, but that there is no afterlife.

oops, zombie thread