My Daley Dirt

St. Joseph

2011-03-22T10:22:00.004-04:00

I have a new love and respect for St. Joseph. Since the thursday after Ash Wednesday I have been saying a Novena to St. Joseph. He has heard and answered quickly. Now I am continuing the Novena. I will share with you the prayer at the end of my post. Today my mother in law waits for death. The Lord is so good and I believe that through my prayers and asking for the intercession of St. Joseph has led my mother in law to St. Josephs hospital and why is this interesting or worth noting. Well who is the patron saint of the dying? Thats right St. Joseph! What a blessing

Prayer to St. Joseph

Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great

so strong, so prompt before the throne of God,

I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh St. Joseph

do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain

for me all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ Our Lord,

so that, having engaged here below you heavenly power, I may

offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you, and Jesus

asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near

your heart, Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for

me and ask Him to return the kiss when I drw my dying breath.

St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls-pray for me

Whoever shall read this prayer or hear it or keep it about themselves shall never die a sudden death nor be drowned, nor shall poison take effect on them, neither shall they fall into the hands of the enemy, nor shall be burned in any fire, nor be overpowered in battle.

Novena: Say for nine mornings for anything you may desire. It has never been known to fail, so be sure you really want what you ask for.

I made this!!

2010-10-14T13:58:00.002-04:00

You can check the directions to this sweater purse @ alemonsqueezyhome.blogspot.com

My purse is a little different...perhaps a bit of haste but I did not waste ;)

My Review of Wax Paper Bags Unbleached 60ct

2010-02-02T09:35:00.001-05:00

Originally submitted at Greenfeet - The Planet's Homestore

Unbleached Wax Paper Sandwich bags are a smart, eco choice.We understand that on occasion, disposable out ranks reusable. In those circumstances, our Waxed Paper Sandwich Bags are the green choice. Pe

Pleased in NY

By Kate in cny from Lafayette, NY on 2/2/2010

Pros: Convenient, Easy To Use

Cons: Not enough of them

Describe Yourself: Avid Cook

I use these for making 8 lunches a day and I like the size. It makes it easy to get the sandwiches in. I like that they are natural and unbleached, it was exactly what I was looking for. Just wish there were more in a box for the price. But I am pleased with my purchase.

(legalese)

March for LIFE

2010-01-22T07:34:00.001-05:00

Today is the anniversary of Roe v Wade. You know this issue has hit me hard. When I was 21 I became pregnant out of wedlock and decided to have the baby. She is now 19 in college studying to become a nurse. I thought about abortion, no doubt, but I knew the pain of it. The guilt, shame and years of wondering why.... So on this aniversary although I am not in Washington I march with everyone in spirit because God has blessed my husband and I with 6 beautiful children and truly I know the value of all human life because of that and taking care of two young men with debilitating diseases that they will eventually die from. They are beautiful to me and to their loved ones and I am most confident that if you asked these parents if they had known their child would get ALS or Fredicks Ataxia would they still have had this child you would hear a resounding YES because these are the ones who teach us humility, suffering with honor, gratefulness, and the value of a smile. So on this date may we lift up all our sufferings and toil to the GOD who is an intentional GOD full of Love and Mercy and give all of our petitions to our Heavenly Mother, Mary.

After Twenty Years .....

2010-01-14T13:59:00.000-05:00

After twenty years my boots finally gave out. I went for a wonderful ski the other day and thought it odd that my left foot kept slipping and feeling like a bunch of snow had built up underneath. So after ignoring it, which is what I like to do when something goes wrong, I stopped and started to whack at it with my pole, another one of my techniques when something doesn't work...hit it. Well needless to say the boot had finally come detached from the sole.(interesting note here when we are disconnected from our soul/sole what becomes of us?) So with great sadness I must put all the mountains and hills and snowy paths in my memory. You see these skiis/boots etc were a part of my youth. That precious time before husband and children and it seemed I became youthful when I put them on. Sorta like that comfy sweater or place or whatever takes you back ...for me it was my skiis. Now I will keep them they will not go in the 4o trash bag challenge but I will replace them ever so frugally with my daughters skiis since she has taken up snowboarding. Just need to document my love for my skiis as they gave me a way into the woods where I found so much solice.

Ralph Waldo Emerson...Adopt the pace of nature:her secret is patience.

New Year!! and The Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-01-08T10:12:00.000-05:00

A new year brings new ramblings and I have rambled about on the net and found new blogs to follow and Daybook to create. You can get more info here @ http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ So here it goes......

For Today: January 8, 2010

Out side my window....it is snowing and I am at work

I am thinking ....how lucky I am to have a job and that I am able to do so much

I am thankful for...Jesus

From the kitchen...I prepared nothing for them they must fend for themselves I am working a 151/2 hr. shift(two jobs)caring for two men one with Fredicks Ataxia one with ALS

I am wearing...jeans, turtleneck, tshirt, old sweater and my comfy danskin shoes

I am creating...calendars for my family schedule and my catechists

I am going....nowhere until 4:30pm to the next job

I am reading...the Bible for my Bible Study(Kings)

I am hoping...that the house won't be in bad shape when I get there

I am hearing...cats lots of cats this job the guy has 12 cats...yeah I know but they bring him so much joy

One of my favorite things....is to watch my children play and my husband bring in wood from the kitchen window

A few plans for the rest of this week...take that tree down and read more about the Catholic Mass Revealed...using this for 7/8 grade which I am teaching on Sunday

My picture thought......Lake Ontario oh she's pretty

So Much For An Active Blog

2009-12-09T12:22:00.000-05:00

I realized after posting on a cousins blog that I have not written in about a year. So maybe I should write something. Hmmmm what to write. I guess I will mention a few things about Advent, the schools and thoughts in general. Today is the feast Day of Juan Diego and My oldest( a long time ago) painted a picture of the Blessed Mother that appeared to Juan Diego. I encouraged her to take it to school and show her Spanish teacher. She did and what a response. I figured she would get detention, the teacher instead showcased it in the hall. Kinda cool. However in just a few short years I don't know if that would be the same response. Tully schools now observe a "day of silence", which I kept my high schoolers home that day and the year before last we didn't know about it and one teacher actually came in with duct tape on her mouth. My girls were outspoken that day and one even mentioned the fact that many have died due to their belief in Christ why don't the schools observe a day of silence for them? Well needless to say the schools are again doing their best to observe Santa and not the real meaning of this Advent or the coming Christmas season. I had almost 30 families show up to make Advent wreaths on the 29th of Nov, just to have one of our priests say "no" he would not bless them. That's right "No". I was busy cutting greens so I did not hear him, I am so sad when this rich tradition of our faith is dismissed. My Mother asks anyone with a collar on to bless something. Any way one wonderful thing is that as parents we still have the God given right to teach our kids our beliefs and this beautiful faith and I wonder sometimes if they hear me going on and on and on about it and I am encouraged because my son Leo was secretly making something in the garage. All I kept saying was "don't make a mess, I need to get the van in there when it snows", it snowed van is still outside. Well what my boy was making was a manger out of mud, sticks and black tape. I love it. When I read todays readings, I was amazed that the Responsorial Psalm was Psalm 103, my absolute favorite:

Psalm 103 vs 1-2,3-4,8,10

Bless the Lord, O my soul;

and all my being, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits.

He pardons all your iniquities,

he heals all your ills.

He redeems your life from destruction,

he crowns you with kindness and compassion.

Merciful and gracious is the Lord,

slow to anger and abounding in kindness.

Not according to our sins does he deal with us,

nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

I love the message of hope and of course the Gospel today was just as comforting. My soul always finds rest in Christs yoke, if I just stay still enough to take his instead of mine. If anyone does read this(ha ha ha) cause I doubt it that whole exercise post well lets just say that I move just not for the sake of exercise, but for the sake of the family. As for those of you who are getting sucked up in the whole "holiday" spending thing, I leave you with this:

We well remember that He Himself came among us as one who was lowly, humble, poor and weary with toil. At the same time He was the Messiah who redeemed us from every moral misery as well as the prophet of hope of the Kingdom of heaven.

Pope Paul VI December 1, 1968

Fit Friday

2008-11-08T09:12:00.000-05:00

It's Almost Naptime has started an exercise program called Fit Friday . What a great way to head into the holidays. I couldn't figure out the Mr. Linky thing, I will when I have more time. I'm just going to join in on the exercise idea. Just so you know you can also download power yoga programs onto you ipod, itunes, media player etc. . I did this the other day and got a free 25 min. program at yogadownload.com. Pretty cool so check it out. Here are my goals

eat breakfast
walk on nice days so I can get some sunshine in me
use my free weights
do the yoga because it really makes me feel better
keep it in perspective, I can't do all of this on one day, but I can do something
no eating after 7pm (this has worked for me in the past, and I suffer from the have a beer thing too.

Well there it is for now. I'll atleast try to update on Fridays. My blogging record stinks. But thanks for the idea and if you even visit my site you should check out It's Almost Naptime.

Blessings,
kate

Prom 2008

2008-05-22T12:32:00.000-04:00

The Loss of a Friend to Breast Cancer

2008-05-22T09:49:00.000-04:00

My community lost a Friend to Breast Cancer May 19, 2008. Patty was also a Wife and Mother of to young daughters. So I write this post to remind everyone including men(to remind the women in their lives) that it is important to pay attention to our bodies. Go get a mammogram, do self breast examinations, go to your Gyn. once a year. Mom's are a special people and take care of so many often at the expense of their own health. Here is a link to the Breast Cancer organization. Hopefully this post will help all of us to take care of ourselves too.

Improving your Blog

2008-05-22T09:26:00.000-04:00

Last month was Improve your blog month at Frugal Upstate. Only I didn't get the chance to mess with it. Thats the thing about blogging unless your really swift on the computer there is a lot of messing around. So I tried to get the banner it didn't work for me cause where do I put that code thingy in the first place. But oh well I did change the background of the blog and I did try to figure out some things. I made it so I can be emailed and just spent some time "messing" with it. I need to figure out how to take the old post and just clear them and put them under some labels, but it seemed that nothing really was in plain talk for me. However I have decided not only to speak of frugal things, but life in general. I thought this might be a blog about well everything that can come under the label as dirt. You know dirt that muddles up the house, relationships, finances, etc. . Even some more posts about religion...mostly Catholicism. So there you have it a change....seems as though there has been a lot of talk about change. This isn't a big change just me trying to blog a bit more as you can see its not been since February that I wrote anything. So here's to blogging.

Menu Plan Monday(Posted Tuesday)

2008-02-26T14:13:00.000-05:00

Monday: Son's Birthday Crockpot Pork w/BBQ sauce w/egg noodles & broccoli
nobody liked the way the pork came out this ones is a dud....on a birthday no less

Tuesday:Chicken fingers w/green beans and rice

Wednesday: Spinach sausage soup w/biscuits

Thursday: Mac-n-Cheese w/ carrots maybe something else but I don't know whhhat!

Friday: Baked Fish w/ veggie and rice

Saturday: Calzones w/ salad

Sunday: Herbed country chicken stew

I have all the ingredients for all these recipes no reason to buy a thing....no reason....no reason......

Frugal Organization

2008-02-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

Last night my very organized sister in law commented on some clementine boxes that I have. These clementine boxes (the wooden ones you get when you buy clementines) stack very nicely. I let my 5 year old paint them one day and I use them for storage. I will post some pictures soon. But for now use your imagination. I have a set of three the top one I store all phone chargers, ipod earphones, gameboy charges etc. , the second one is currently being use to store all the college letters being sent to my seventeen year old, the bottom one for papers to be signed and sent back to school etc. . The nice thing about this system is at night when I want to finally sit down, I can just take the bottom box with me fill out the papers and put them back in the box. The kids know to ask about the papers or where to look for them in the morning.
My next tip is my favorite. I don't know if anyone else has done this but here it is. I have always had trouble keeping all my bill organized. One is here, there, everywhere. But I was checking out some online products to keep you organized and basically this was the system, except I couldn't afford it. I went to the Dollar General and purchased two coupon organizers for a $1.00. They had attachable sticker labels. I wrote all my bills due on the 1st-4th on the first one and so on and so forth. With a calendar folded up in the back with all the Names of the companies, phone #'s, amount due all placed on the respective date. This is a great way to stay organized because while I'm waiting to pick up kids or at games I can review it and it fits into my purse. The Dollar General brand is vinyl so if you spilled something chances are it would wreck. The other coupon organizer I think will be used for envelopes, stamps, and return labels. I'll post some pictures.

Frugal Tip

2008-02-11T14:18:00.000-05:00

If anyone checks out my blog.....here is a tip that could save you some money. Last week I was looking at my schedule, with six kids, work P/T, volunteering blah, blah, blah I try to give myself reminders. One way I do this is my cell phone. It has a calendar, I input the event and if I want a reminder. Now I have done this with appointment, games, meets, etc. but never to remind myself about paying bills. Because I pay almost all my bills online, I need to get to my computer to pay bills not blog or read someone else's blog. My JCpenney bill and a few others need to be done the day before they are due or it wont post to your account until a day late causing you to have to pay a hefty late charge or rush payment fee. So I set the reminders last week when I was "doing the bills". Ring a ling my reminder went off and I went to the computer and paid those bills. Great idea for folks trying to get out of debt and have to play the juggle game, like us.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-02-11T11:08:00.001-05:00

Trying out Menu Plan Monday. I can't provide the banner yet. I need to ask my daughter how to save to hard drive and then upload the banner. However here is the link to OrgJunkie.com
and here is my Menu Plan if you care to check it out:
Sunday: Shepards Pie (using extra potatoes from a previous dinner that I froze)

Monday: Black Bean Sausage Stew (slow cooker recipe)

Tuesday: Venison Pasties with veggies

Wednesday: Salmon Chowder/ Tomato Soup(for the kid who doesn't like fish) w/ raviolis
rolls
Thursday: Chicken wraps w/salad(have some cooked chicken I could use in a rush)

Friday: Homemade pizza w/lots of veggies

Saturday: Pasta w/sauce and salad

Menu Planning has saved me sooo much money. Because I don't go to the grocery store unless the menu is planned. That way I'm not buying what I already have. Happy eating
kate

Going Too Frugal, Too Fast

2008-02-08T09:39:00.000-05:00

Last night at my job, I take care of an AlS patient, I had a minute so I thought I would write down a few ideas for this blog. I am so enthralled with this "frugal journey" that I think I might be going a bit fast for my husband and kids. Although I've been frugal for quite awhile now w/o really even knowing it, there has been alot of waste. My list of twenty five things was difficult to write because some things just make it....well easier? Maybe slowly reducing waste would be a better route. For example, yesterday morning when Big John was leaving for work he came and asked me for the debit card. Asking for the debit card when I am still sleeping is a big no, no. I asked;" why have you spent all your gas money?" "Yeah" "ok, its in my purse" back to sleep I go. Only to wake 15 min. later realizing that not only did he need gas $ he also didn't take a lunch. Which we agreed he would take lunch everyday unless we alotted money for an "out to Lunch, lunch. So maybe it would be best to alott for some lunch money for John on Fridays. He works really hard and maybe I'm just going a little too frugal , too fast. However I told my big girls this morning that for the rest of Lent if they didn't make the bus they weren't getting a ride, an excuse, or weekend privileges. We live far enough away from the school that taking them down and picking them up every night(drama, indoor track etc.) is too costly. At the very least make the bus in the morning. They seem to have a problem getting ready the night before, especially on nights that I work. Right now I'm working one night a week. It shouldn't be a big deal to do their part and get ready the night before. Big families can cost a lot but they can also be trained like any one to cut back and save. I think that I have researched everything on frugality, that I just want it to be the way we live. What I think I have forgotten or lost along the way is there needs to be some luxuries kept. So what is funny is that Jenn at FrugalUpstate
commented on my blog, which I'm just honored, but the last thing she said was don't try to change too much at once, you could wind up frustrating yourself. She's right. I might not be getting myself to frustrated as much as frustrating the ones I live with. So for all those who are like me just starting out on this journey and might be dragging some loved ones along the best advice is Take it Slow.
Kate

Starting Out

2008-02-05T10:34:00.000-05:00

This is my first post. I don't know how well this will work for me but I like the idea of, folks similar to me checking out what I have to say. At the same time I think this is sort of like having a "live" journal to keep and hold me accountable in my search to better handle house, money etc..Over at Upstate Frugal, please forgive me I haven't figured out how to have it highlighted to her link, she posted 25 things she does to save money. With Lent beginning tomorrow I thought I would think of 25 ways I could save my family money. Some I already have incorporated, some are in the making. Here they are:
1. Get up earlier...(so many reasons why this would save us $)
2. become a Master bread maker( making the kind the kids wouldn't mind in their Lunches)
3. drink less juice and more H2O
4. Reevaluate our vacation plans (instead of that awesome vacation house, maybe go back to camping.
5. Take our vacation earlier in the summer, so I don't lose precious picking time in the garden.
6. use less water when doing my dishes, I stink at this, but have really been more conscious in the last week about how much I have been wasting.
7. use Aldi menu planner
8. complete my price book
9. Shop only at Aldi's during Lent (except Wegmans has the better milk price)
10. Come up with more family night Ideas( wide range of ages 17-3)
11. Just say NO to my big kids about the mall trips
12. No slackin' when it comes to the spending plan
13. Put reminders in my cell phone on when payments are due so I get myself to the computer before 3pm
14. use up the leftovers
15. turn the TV off
16. clean out the homeschooling stuff, to free up more space, making me more efficient, thus I'll have more time to do the job instead of having to look for everything before I can do the job.
17. Be prepared the night before, all permission slips signed, lunches mostly prepared, backpack checks, etc
18. Help Big John be prepared, cell phone charged?, got gas? interested in these leftovers? (awesome DH he takes a lunch everyday and was really happy with thermos I got him for Christmas for his coffee.
19. Take my friend up on her offer to sign on with her on her BJs card. Only $22 and change.
20. research online for the best gas prices. A gas station out in the boondocks, which is near me, was actually competitive with BJs price.
21. Go to the Fresh food Tuesdays at St. Leo's Wegmans brings all there almost expired veggies and bread and such for FREE.
22. No that the kids are in school, the kind where they ride a bus and leave me for 71/2 hrs a day, I no longer can ask them to be Light Police. So from now on instead of waiting till #6 takes his nap. I will check for lights that have been left on right after they leave in the morning. No more ooops! I forgot
23. Turn off the computer at night.
24. unplug some appliances before bed.
25. can't come up with one but I will.
Thanks for reading and just one note I have been reading religiously Upstate Frugals blog for awhile and also SAHMMy. I am not nearly as advanced a blogger. If you happened onto this site and are looking for great tips go there. Sorry I need to learn how to link them.....
Have a good day back to the daley dirt.
kate