Cardinal - East Campus - 8.22.09

Sunken Gardens - Lincoln, NE

Grounds of Scout's Rest Ranch - North Platte, NE

Parking Duty (Nebraskaland Days) - North Platte, NE

Buffalo Bill's Barn (Scout's Rest Ranch) - North Platte, NE

Great Blue Heron - Branched Oak - 6.6.09

This Great Blue Heron flew in for a photo-op, grabbed a bite to eat, and went on his way.

My Schwans free delivery

My doorbell just rang, and who was there? My friendly Schwans delivery man. He brought me this for free!

Schwans is giving up to $9.99 in free food to the first 500,000 new customers, along with free delivery. Go here to see if the promotion has run out.

Hairy Woodpecker (Male & Female) - Branched Oak - 5.29.09

Brown Thrasher - Branched Oak - 5.29.09

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Male & Female) - Branched Oak - 5.29.09

Baltimore Oriole - Branched Oak - 5.29.09

Western Kingbird - Branched Oak - 6.6.09

Blue Jay - Branched Oak - 5.29.09

Breakfast of Peaches, Berries, and Milk

For some reason when I uploaded this picture, Blogger would rotate it strangely. (And of course, it won't allow me to delete the 2 ineffective attempts. Sadly, the best picture also included the milk drips on the table. I think it gives it character, however.) The attempts are shown from bottom to top. Any way you look at it, this is a delicious breakfast. How I will miss it in the winter!

Gray Catbird - Branched Oak - 5.30.09

Canadian Geese - Branched Oak - 6.6.09

Eastern Kingbird - North Platte - 6.20.09

Recent meals

I love cooking when I have time to do it. Here are two meals I've really enjoyed lately. The first is fajitas, in my new cast iron pans. The second, Baked Lentils with Cheese a lovely vegetarian meal from my new favorite cookbook, More with Less, which features recipes based upon sustainable living. Jesse and I both loved the Baked Lentils. We ate the whole pan in just 2 1/2 days. With it we had French bread dipped in Chilean olive oil, courtesy of Anne!Most of the produce shown, including our first Huskers corn, was purchased at our local Farmers Markets. They happen 5 days a week in different parts of Lincoln. I love this place in the summer!

Walgreens

There are a few great deals at Walgreens this week.

Sharpie 4 pk. highlighters $.99

-$1.00 MC here

=FREE

BIC Grips 8 ct. pens 2/$1

-$1/2 MC here or from newspaper

=FREE

Scotch Tape 3 ct. packs (+1 bonus roll at my store) $3.99, BOGO

-$1.00/3 ct. pack MC x 2

=$1.99 for 8 rolls of tape

Mentos Gum $.99 w/ in-ad coupon (limit 4)

-$.55/1 MC

=$.44/each

Listerine mouthwash OR Reach toothbrush 2 pk. OR Reach dental floss 3/$9

-$3/3 MC

=$6.00, get $6 RR

CVS deals & clearance

Transaction 1

Sun.-Tues. Only

Revlon Colorstay Mineral Mouse Makeup $9.99

get $9.99 EB back

All week

Neutrogena neutrashield sunscreen $8.99

-$5.00 MC here

=$3.99, get $2 EB

Bic Soleil Razor $6.99

-$3.00 MC from newspaper

=$3.99, get $3 EB

Total before coupons: $27.44

-$5 off $25 (quiz here)

-$5 Neutrogena sunscreen

-$3.00 Bic Soleil Razor

=$14.44, get $14.99 EB back + my free gift for August, coupon for free 100 ct. aspirin

Reg. price w/o coupons (I count EB savings when I use them) = $37.42, savings of 61.5%

Transaction 2

100 ct. CVS Aspirin

Clearance items

Sandisk 1 GB USB drive $2.49 x 5 (reg. $19.99 each, commonly sold online for $12 each)

8 oz. CVS gentle skin cleanser $1.62 x 2 (reg. $6.49 each)

=$17.92

-FREE Aspirin coupon

-$14.99 EB

=$1.80

Regular price w/o clearance = $122.97, savings of 99.6%

I normally don't use EB on items that don't generate EB, but I couldn't pass up these great deals on clearance items!

Hy-Vee Ziploc Containers and Snickers

At Hy-Vee this week, I got each package (12 packages total) of Ziploc containers for $.14, and the Snickers were absolutely free. Here's how:

Small-Medium Ziploc containers $.88
-$1.50/2 x 6 from newspapers and here
=$.14 each or $1.68 for all 12 packages

Snickers 3/$1
-FREE Mars candy bar x 2 (Here)
-$1.00/2 from the newspaper (Since the candy bars were on sale 3/$1, I got 3 free with this coupon)
=5 free candy bars

Coupons for you

I have a couple of coupons for someone who can use them:

*2 McDonald's FREE Med. fries and soft drink w/ purchase of Angus Third Pounder
*50 bonus box tops for education

I am pretty well stocked, so I don't need very many coupons at the moment. If you are in need of other coupons, leave a comment and I'll let you know if I have one to spare. There is a fairly good chance that I might have what you need.

School Supplies under $1

As you look over this list, think about how much you can spare for People's City Mission or another reputable agency collecting supplies for those in need.

I'm only going to list things that are under $1.00 and at a price near or better than I've seen this year.

Office Max
24 pk. Crayola Crayons, $.20, (limit 3)
10 pk. Dixon #2 Pencils, $.10, (limit 3)
12" wooden ruler, $.05, (limit 3)
70 sheets Spiral Wide or College-Ruled 1 Subject notebook, $.01, (limit 3)

Office Depot
2 pocket folders, $.05, (limit 5)
2 pk. scissors, $.25, (limit 3)
Wilson Jones binders, $.50, (limit 5)
Composition books, $.50, (limit 3)
3 pk. Papermate Pink Pearl erasers, $.75
Acrylic ruler, $.40

Shopko
2 pocket folders, $.10, (limit 18)
24 pk. Crayola crayons, $.20, (limit 4)
4 oz. Elmer's glue, $.20, (limit 4)
10 pk. Crayola Markers, $.99, (limit 2 each size)

CVS
4-6 pk. Sharpie or Paper Mate highlighters, $.99
10 pk. Paper Mate pens, 3/$1

Walgreens
120-130 sheets filler paper, $.49, (limit 3, w/ in-ad coupon)
2 pocket folder w/ prongs, $.19, (limit 6, w/ in-ad coupon)
50-80 sheets Mini memo or Composition Book, $.19, (limit 6, w/ in-ad coupon)
Highlighter or Jelly Belly scented gel pen, $.19, (limit 6, w/ in-ad coupon)
4 pk. Sharpie highlighters, $.99

People's City Mission Needs School Supplies

I dropped these things off at People's City Mission on Thursday, and they said they are in great need of school supplies right now. I got everything pictured for under $10 by picking up the best deals at Target, CVS, Office Max, and Office Depot over the last few weeks.Watch for great deals and donate what you can. I found it was easiest to get to PCM by driving west on O st. and turning left (south) on 21st. It is located on the corner of 21st and N St. just east of Randall's car wash. You can drive around to the back to leave your donation.

Target clearance plus coupons

Target on 48th & O has some great clearance items to match up with coupons right now. Thanks to Chicks Dig Deals for finding them.

Poptarts are $1.52
-$.55/1 MQ here
-$.75/1 TQ here
= $.22

Kraft Deluxe shells and cheese $1.38
-$1.50/2 MQ here
= $.63 each

Kelloggs Cinnabons bars $1.75
-$1/1 MQ here
= $.75

The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield (Summary)

Perhaps the best book I have read in awhile.
Characters (courtesy of wikipedia)

• Margaret Lea: a bookstore owner's daughter, whom Vida Winter asks to write her biography
• Vida Winter: a famous novelist who has eluded reporters as to her true past, and is now ready to reveal her secrets to Margaret
• Isabelle Angelfield: the younger of George Angelfield's two children and the mother of twins Emmeline and Adeline
• Charlie Angelfield: Isabelle's older brother, who harbours an obsessive passion for his sister
• Emmeline March: the less violent, more complacent twin
• Adeline March: the angrier, more aggressive twin
• Aurelius Love: a resident of the Angelfield area who befriends Margaret
• John Digence/"John-the-dig": Angelfield's longtime gardener
• The Missus: Angelfield's aged housekeeper
• Hester Barrow: governess to Adeline and Emmeline
• Dr. Maudsley: the town doctor who attempts to help the twins
• George Angelfield: Charlie and Isabelle's father, who ignores the former and dotes on the latter after his wife's death
• Mathilde Angelfield: Charlie and Isabelle's mother, who dies giving birth to Isabelle
• Judith: Vida Winter's housekeeper
• Dr. Clifton: Vida Winter's doctor

SPOILER ALERT: Contains summary of book.

Margaret is the adult daughter of the owner of a rare-book store in (London?) sometime near the present. As a young girl she was playing at home (alone for the first time) and discovered a small tin of important documents under her parents' bed, including 2 birth certificates for the same day: one is contains her name, the other is accompanied by a death certificate. Upon discovering that she had a twin, Moira, who died when the two were surgically separated, she begins to understand the incompleteness she has always felt.

Since that time, her relationship with her ailing mother has been strained, and her father is her boss, co-worker, and only friend. When Margaret's birthday rolls around, he always presents her with a store bought cake, a card signed "Love, Dad and Mum," and a few books he has picked up specifically for her at auction throughout the year - all within the bookshop where she both lives and works now. When she was a child, he would whisper "Happy Birthday" to her and play a game or two, while intermittently caring for her mother upstairs who always got one of her "headaches" on this day.

Margaret has begun writing brief biographies of obscure people. At the opening of the book, she is contacted by Vida Winter, the most prolific writer of novels at the time, in the form of a letter. Miss Winter, who has never told an honest story regarding her origins, is now dying and wishes Margaret to write her biography. After a great deal of complications, Margaret agrees. She temporarily moves into Miss Winter's home, and Miss Winter begins to tell her story, from the beginning, in pieces each day as time and her health permits.

Miss Winter begins by describing her family's gothic and mysterious past in their estate - Angelfield. Her grandmother died during childbirth, leaving her grandfather to grieve her with an infant daughter (Isabelle) and son (Charlie) basically orphaned. When he refuses to eat or leave the library, the housekeeper/cook (The Missus) decides to bring Isabel to him. He begins to dote on her unfailingly, and things seem to improve. However, Charlie has a terrible habit of torturing animals, and he soon begins to torture Isabel with her permission.

When their father dies, Isabelle is courted by and marries Mr. March, and they move away. Charlie is furious, and he begins taking advantage of multiple women from around Angelfield. Before long, Isabel returns home with twin baby girls after the death of her husband. She is mentally unsound, and stays at all times in her room, which leaves the twins to be raised by the Missus and John-the-Dig, the gardener. It soon becomes clear the twins are not like most children. They speak only to each other in a made-up twin language, and they create mischief throughout the area by stealing from people's kitchens and gardens. Eventually, they steal a pram with an infant inside because they want to play with it. When the mother turns around to find it missing, the whole neighborhood comes out to find her baby. They find the baby lying in the weeds, and this incident becomes the final straw.

The townspeople approach the doctor and ask him to intervene. He visits the home to assess the situation, and has Isabelle institutionalized. Charlie refuses to leave his room after that.

Dr. Maudsley decides to hire a governess for the girls. When Hester enters the home, she brings order and cleanliness with her. The Missus is quite elderly and unable to keep up with all of the housework since most of the staff has been fired over the years. Hester cleans the entire house, finds the keys to each room and locks those that are unused, and establishes regular meal times.

After a few months there, she consults with the doctor and they decide to separate Emmeline and Adeline. The doctor takes Adeline home with him, and Emmeline stays at Angelfield. Their experiment fails miserably - initially they are both silent, but soon Emmeline begins to improve. As Hester and Dr. Maudsley consult with one another one day, the doctor's wife catches them kissing. Hester leaves Angelfield immediately and the twins are reunited.

Not long after, Isabelle dies in the institution, and Charlie leaves the nursery for the first time and disappears. Vida finds him dead in an overgrown gazebo one day, having shot himself. She, however, keeps this information to herself to avoid having Angelfield taken over again by outsiders.

Soon after this, we discover that Ms. Winters is not one of the twins, but their nameless cousin, illegitimate child of Charlie. Her impoverished mother abandons her at Angelfield, and the househelp take her under their wings. Hester never realized there were 3 girls.

The Missus dies first, and John-the-dig is murdered when someone (Adeline) tampers with the latch on his ladder.

Before his death, John-the-dig hired a neighbor boy to work in the gardens, and this boy and Emmeline fall in love and have a child, although the boy leaves without knowing Emmeline is pregnant. When Emmeline begins to give all of her attention to her son, Adeline becomes jealous and violent, and tries to burn the child in the library fireplace. Vida finds the child and saves him, running him to a neighbor's house and leaving him on the doorstep. She then goes back to the house which is engulfed in flames and drags one of the twins out, believing it is Emmeline. She, however, never finds out which twin it is. The other twin perishes in the blaze.

Throughout the time she is gathering the story, Margaret makes a couple of visits to Angelfield, where she meets Aurelius. Eventually, they discover that Aurelius is Emmeline's son.

This story was filled with plenty of suspense and miraculous style.

Mourning Dove - home - 7.30.09