Choices That Will Make Your Retirement Easier

 

Learning to cook and bake from scratch will save you heaps of money.  It is also very enjoyable.  You're spending your time in a positive way, and your home or apartment will smell divine.  The quality leftover food can be enjoyed for days.  By making what you eat yourself, you avoid chemicals, unhealthy ingredients that you can't pronounce, and you don't waste packaging.  I transferred this apple cranberry crisp into a pyrex dish with a lid to keep it fresh.  

Choosing to live in an area with a low cost of living will also help you to keep your expenses low.  You may have to drive further to get to the grocery store, but you can stock up on your staples, and plan ahead with a grocery list for what you need.  Up in the mountains, we are used to keeping a stockpile of food in anticipation of power outages, snowstorms, or busy roads due to out-of-town visitors who want to ski, hike and snowboard.

Staying in shape through hiking, carrying firewood, walking your dog and bicycling will make your health expenses lower or even nonexistent.  Most of us will encounter some health challenges as we age, but being physically active and spending time outdoors can make a huge difference.  The longer you are strong and fit, the better your retirement will be.

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Beautiful Snow and Inexpensive Home Cooked Meals

 

The three Blue Spruce trees that my tree trimmers helped me plant and doing very well.  I think that this one looks lovely flocked with fresh snow.  I may decorate it for Christmas.  It will be exciting to watch them grow and mature. 

I had my firewood delivered for the year.  I will be spending several hours this week stacking it.  There are constant chores that need doing when you live in the mountains.  I used to just flip a switch on for heat.   Now, I keep the fire going day and all night.  I love the feeling of a cabin that is heated with wood.  The furniture and bathroom fixtures all absorb the heat.  It feels totally different than other methods of warming a home.  It reminds me of how people used to live.

The other day I made a batch of dumplings.  I cooked them on top of my chicken soup.  My mom made them once when I was little, and we loved them.  She never made them again, in spite of my begging.  She didn't do much baking.  Instead, she usually put potatoes in the oven to bake with our meat or a casserole.  With four kids, she had her hands full.  I took over the baking at a young age, which helped her.  She enjoyed the pies and cakes.  

  Dumplings are economical and they really absorb the flavor of the broth or stew.  I froze half of the dough to use next week.  They are a great way to stretch the grocery budget.   I also picked up some meat on sale at Stater Brothers.  The skirt steak I bought was delicious.  I marinated it as I described in my last post for several hours, and then broiled it. I am a convert to marinade!   It only took four minutes on the first side, and three minutes on the second.  It was fantastic with a baked potato and salad.  I used the leftover bones this morning to make a vegetable bone broth.  I've been enjoying that all day, and will finish it this evening.

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When There is a Power Outage at Your Cabin

 

People think of sunshine and the beach when visualizing California, but up in Wrightwood, we do have snow.  Those are Cedar trees on the right.  They are so spiritual.  I found deer tracks alongside that side of cabin.  It's fun to compare the footprints of all the animals that come to visit.  We get such a variety.

The other night we lost power.  It was getting late, so I took the hurricane lamps upstairs to the bedroom.  The dogs quickly grabbed their bones and ran up before me.  I thought it was funny that they carried their prized possessions with them to bed.  You can see their eyes glowing like coyotes.  

We only lost our power for about an hour.  The fireplace was filled with wood, and I set the temperature of the insert on low for the evening.  I got up a couple of times during the night to use the restroom and to add more wood.  I was glad that I had plenty of flashlights, matches and candles.  I found it more comfortable to stay in one room than to try to roam around the house in the dark.  I just did yoga and then the power returned.  I read a few chapters of John Muir's book, Travels in Alaska, and then fell fast asleep, under the canopy of the trees.  It is so calming to sleep out in nature.  There is such a different energy than in the city.

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Preparing For The Snow Up At The Cabin

 

Yesterday as I was setting my clock back, I dropped it on the floor.  Crash!  It broke.  I think it belonged to the original owner, and was  probably from the 1970's.  I drove down to Alice's Vintage Cottage and purchased one that I had been eyeing for months.  I climbed up on a kitchen chair, and carefully hung it on the wall.  It has hand painted pink roses and says "Paris"...it's so pretty.  I love the Roman numerals.

We have a snowstorm on the way, so I put the chains on the VW Beetle this morning.  It was still clear outside.  I wasn't sure if I would remember how to do it without watching a Youtube video as a refresher, but it all came back to me.  It's so much easier to fit them around the tire when it's not freezing cold and you aren't under any pressure or stress.  I got the dogs exercised as it began drizzling, too.  Weather has no bearing on their desire to go for a long walk.  

For the past several days I have been carrying several loads of firewood to my porch.  It's a secure feeling to have plenty of wood for the fireplace insert close to the house, stored in a dry place.  It's so much easier than lugging a snow-covered tarps and wood during a storm.  The weather can be extreme in the mountains.  We need the rain, and I am grateful that the snow is coming.  I am so glad that the house painters finished their work before this weather hit.  I also went to the grocery store on Saturday and stocked up on essentials and bought a large bag of dog food.

How about you? Are you prepared for the cold weather?

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I Had the Mountain Cabin Stained

 I finally found an excellent crew of painters to stain my cabin.  They were worth the wait.  Many locals paint theirs, because paint lasts for years.  I just love the look of the natural wood, though.  You have to have it reapplied more often, but to me it's totally worth it.  

They pressure washed it, used some chemicals to bring out the beauty of the wood, and then applied a natural-colored stain.  It's beyond what I had imagined.  I had been worried about the winter snow causing damage, and now the house is prepared.

I took the bedside lamp in to Alice's Vintage Cottage in Wrightwood, where I bought this set.  The handle felt stripped.  She took it apart and fixed it for me.  Now it's working perfectly again.  These are hand painted, and I love them.  Those are my mom's lace curtains in the window.  I gathered them up with some of her other treasures after my dad died.  I think she would like this room...

My mom used to have antique lamps all over our home on Edinburgh Street.   I begged her for one, but at thirteen, she said I was too young.  She was afraid I would break it.  They change the whole mood of a room.  I love to put the night lights on when it gets dark.  It creates such an atmosphere. 

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