Dynamic Pianists and Old Men

I'm in a rehearsal right now.

Every time I hear someone say, "The piano is too loud; we need to close the lid," a little part of me dies.

And how much worse when the pianist suggests it herself!

The highlight of the evening so far: An innocuous old man of about ninety (my college Latin teacher) stepped forward from the choir and, in a surprising movement of this just-written cantata, began to sing the blues - very well.

Kielbasa Bean Soup

Last week kielbasa was on sale buy-one-get-one-free at Stop and Shop. I picked out the turkey kind and decided to make soup!


I sort of made up the recipe as I went along... it was something like this:

Soak about 3/4 c. each of black beans and great northern beans (I did a hot soak because I didn't plan ahead and start the night before: bring a pot of water with beans in it to a boil; simmer for 2 minutes; remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse.)

Add 2 cups of water and at least 2 cups of broth (chicken, beef, vegetable, whatever).

Pour in a can of diced tomatoes.

Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. I used about half a bag of baby carrots (because that's what I had on hand) and maybe half an onion. I didn't have any celery but I would have put it in if I had it. I think I did three or four cloves of garlic.

Add 1/4 t. salt (or more to taste), 1-2 t. coriander, 1 t. crushed rosemary, some ground black pepper, a dash of cayenne pepper, a little dried oregano and/or basil, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.

Let everything simmer until the vegetables and beans are tender.

Meanwhile, slice the kielbasa and sauté until brown and delicious.

Add the sausage to the soup and enjoy! I served it with a little sour cream on top and some sliced avocado.

Halloween

As rehearsal of the children's orchestra I conduct drew to a close earlier this week, the excitement of Halloween hung in the air. I told the kids that after writing their practice assignment on their assignment sheets, they could come tell me what they were dressing up as for Halloween.

"A ghoul!"
"A witch!"
"A skeleton!"
"A ghost!"
"Darth Vader!"
"The grim reaper!"
"A vampire!"
"Frankenstein!"
"Dracula!"

A shy violist approached me with a broad smile and whispered in my ear with delightful anticipation, "I'm going to be a princess."

Thank God for sweet little girls who love beauty more than ugliness and would prefer to bask in the girly fun of dress-up instead of clothing themselves in grimness, fright, and death.

(And that, I guess, reveals what I think of mainstream Halloween celebrations.)

Pumpkin Seeds

SarahMarie: Nathan, try one of these toasted pumpkin seeds. They're so good!

FavoriteBoy: Mm... hmm... Yes, this is delicious. So flavorful. Doesn't taste at all like an old crunchy peanut shell... What can I rinse my mouth out with?

Thriving in College #1

My youngest brother Christopher is a freshman at LeTourneau University in Texas. He's smart as a whip and is taking classes I would have died in, like Calculus and Chemistry. When I talk to him about the college experience, I think of things I wish I had known when I was a freshman (but probably wouldn't have listened to if someone had told me - oh well). Consequently I feel like telling him those things, because that is what big sisters like to do: imagine that a younger brother might learn from his older sister's stumblings through life. I asked Christopher if he'd like to hear periodic thoughts and tips, and his enthusiastic response was, "Yes!" Maybe these thoughts will be of interest to other college students, as well.

So without further ado...

Thriving in College #1: First Impressions

First impressions. You've probably been told how important they are. That applies to your college experience more than you may know. When students embarking upon taking lessons with my college violin teacher ask me for advice, I usually say something like this: "Work really, really hard. Show that you're interested, fascinated, and passionate about the violin by your body language and by your work ethic. Impress him now, or I'm sorry, but he'll write you off. If he starts being "nice" to you, that means he doesn't think you're going anywhere. You have a window of time in which to make him think you're worth his time. Take it and use it well."

While not all teachers are as intense as my violin teacher was, the principle applies to your college courses. Show your teachers how much you care about what you're doing - even if you have to fake it. If you are struggling, or get a lower grade that you expected on an assignment (everybody does at least once!), go talk to the professor about it. It puts you on his radar in a good way, so you're not just a name on a roster, one of many (most likely) who may be straggling. It also lets him know that you would like to do better. Be front and center and show that you want to succeed, and your teachers will take an interest in helping make that happen. That's what they're there for, and if they're worth their salt, it's their top priority as teachers to help YOU soar.

BYOP

When I heard that my brother Jonathan and sister-in-law Jenn were hosting a "Bring Your Own Pumpkin" party at their home in California, I decided to copy their clever idea and do the same out here in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, it seems that not all my friends enjoy carving pumpkins as much as I do... some people came to the party pumpkin-less. We did end up with some good pumpkins at the end of the evening, though.

Chaz's nerdy computer pumpkin:



Krista's happy pumpkin:



Keith carved a baby pumpkin into a cool spiral:



And the snaggle-toothed pumpkin that Story and I carved together:



Of course, the next thing we had to do was pour a little olive oil over the seeds, add a little salt...



And roast... and eat...



Fun!

Musical Obfuscation

Conductors seldom speak plainly for fear of sounding, well, plain.

In a rehearsal earlier this week, a conductor asked the viola section to play a passage again, "On the back of the beat." This didn't seem to work, so he implored them to play it "More restrained." Still without success, he tried saying, "More relaxed! Relax the tempo!" When this still didn't produce the desired results, the conductor looked from side to side to see if he was being watched, and then whispered to the violas, "VIOLAS. I want you to play it SLOWER."

Someone Else's Shoes

They say it's a good idea to walk a mile in someone else's shoes.

It is not a good idea to run five or six miles in someone else's shoes, I have found.





Plus matching ones on the sides of my heels.

Coupon FAQs

My sister Emily asked some good questions in her comment on my Walgreens Deals. Here are my answers, in case others are interested as well.

Q: Are the catalinas just "cash" to spend on your next trip, or can they only be spent on certain things? And do they expire in a short time period?

A: They are like cash, yes. They can be spent on anything, unless it's a specific catalina like the "$2 off Clear Care" one I mentioned, which can only be used on contact solution. Mine expire in about a month.

Q: Will you actually use everything you just acquired? Or did you just spend $16 on "stuff"?

A: Do I use shampoo, soap, contact solution, toothbrushes, and conditioner? Yes, all of these items are things that either Nathan or I will certainly use. The Excedrin is great because I have frequent headaches and that's my drug of choice, and the Benefiber was worth a try since getting enough fiber in my diet is important to me. Unfortunately I find the flavor weird now that I've tried it, so I'll probably see if anyone I know wants it. There are people who will buy the weirdest things just because those things are free, but I am not one of those people. Shampoo, soap, milk, eggs, cold medicine? Yes. Blood glucose monitor, candy, chocolate? No.

I actually might buy certain things I won't use myself if I think those things would make good gifts. For example, I could give some face wash to someone whose face really needs washing, or go buy this week's Free After Rebate deal of L'Oreal Age Perfect Somethingorother, and give it to someone who looks old. Okay, just kidding.

Did I just spend $16 on "stuff"? Good question. As I mentioned, I actually walked away with an $18 profit in Register Rewards - $18 over the $16 I spent. Now if I can "roll" those rewards, or continue to use them to purchase things that A) I need and B) will produce more Register Rewards, my overhead cost on this whole couponing thing will be remarkably low - in fact, it's already paid itself back. Now the key is to see if I can continue to find deals that will produce more Rewards. I think it's very do-able.

Note: While some of the catalina-producing purchases are surprises, many of them are listed right in the Walgreens newspaper insert each week. If you have coupons for those items that produce catalinas, and the coupon plus the catalina you can expect adds up to the item's price, you can go get it essentially for free.

Another note: One of the reasons this is working for me is because I have pretty much no brand loyalty whatsoever. I don't care if I get Suave, Garnier, or Pert Plus. In fact, if you'll recall, I don't even need to use shampoo at all! So one soap, shampoo, toothbrush, or conditioner is really as good as another, and I'll just buy whatever is the best deal.

Q: It does sound like there has to be a catch somewhere. If there isn't, how is Walgreens making money? Are they just assuming that you won't take the time to find all these deals, or that you'll buy a bunch of other stuff while you're there?

A: Yes and yes. Walgreens is making money because most people don't bother with coupons. When I go through the checkout line, I see other people in front of me buying the same things I'm buying without bothering to pick up the coupons that are right there in the store. People are either unaware of the in-store coupon booklets or they may think that it's too much trouble, and that the savings wouldn't be worth it. So most people aren't getting the deals I've gotten recently - most people are paying full price or a basic store sale price. Secondly, yes, Walgreens is hoping customers who do use coupons will see other things while they're in the store and make those purchases as well. Most people probably do. I don't.

My Dad asked:

Q: Is this fair and legal?

A: Yes, coupon booklets are sitting around waiting to be used. The clerks seem to be pleased to see me actually use those resources and get a good deal. I was recently told: "More people should take advantage of these coupons." If someone has the time and interest to figure out how to "stack" various coupons and end up getting an item for free, and better yet earn Register Rewards back on the purchase, well, good! The reason stores are still making a profit is simply because most people aren't going to go to the "trouble."

(It's really not much trouble, and it's fun!)

Walgreens Deals

Between yesterday and today, my purchases at Walgreens seem too good to be true. Am I missing something? Is it really this easy to get something for nothing?

As I mentioned this morning, yesterday I made a $2 profit by purchasing a St. Ives facial cleanser that usually sells for about $7.49 (I think). I did three more of the St. Ives transactions today for a total of $20 in catalinas (the check-out coupons that sometimes print with your receipt), $8 of which was over the amount I spent. Of course, I also got the products:


This evening I headed to Walgreens once more with coupons in hand, as well as the $20 in catalinas. I bought a bottle of Clear Care contact solution, usually $9.99, on sale for $7.49. I used a "$2.00 off Clear Care catalina" I had, meaning I got the solution for $5.49. I got a box of Benefiber, priced at $8.49, and used a coupon for $5.00 off. I also got a box of 100 Excedrin tablets on sale for $5.99. These three items combined to print me an "$8.00 off your next purchase" catalina (which, of course, is why I bought them - that and the fact that they are all things I will use). I got an OralB toothbrush on sale for $4.49, which gave me a catalina at checkout for $4.50. I also bought two bottles of Pert Plus shampoo, on sale for $3.49 each. I used two $2.50 coupons, so I got each bottle for $0.99. I bought a bottle of White Rain conditioner for $1.00, and two bars of Yardley soap, usually $1.49 each, for $0.69 each. These non-catalina-printing items were my "filler" items to get my total up to $20, which I needed in order to use my "$5 off your purchase of $20 or more" coupon.


My total was somehow $4.01 after scanning just two of my $5 catalinas (from the St. Ives purchases), when I had expected I'd need to use three of those catalinas to get it down to $4.00. Still not quite sure how that happened. I asked the cashier about it and she just said "If the computer says that, then it must be right." So I paid the $4.01 out of pocket along with using just $10 in catalinas.

Along with my receipt, I got an $8 catalina from the Benefiber/Excedrin/Clear Care, and a $4.50 catalina from the toothbrush. I also got a catalina I didn't expect: another $2.00 off Clear Care! So I walked away with $14.50 in catalinas from a total expenditure of $10 catalinas plus $4 cash. In other words, my stuff was free. As she bagged my stuff, the cashier declared, "Hey, you did good!"

My four St. Ives receipts each read:
Total savings: $4.50

My big evening purchase receipt reads:
Total savings: $37.10

(So, if I had bought those items at regular prices, I would have spent $55.10)

That total savings amount combines sale price savings, manufacturer coupon savings, and Walgreens Easy Saver coupon savings. It doesn't include the catalinas that print, and my catalinas acquired over the past two days total $34.50. (So in a way it's like I saved $84.60.)

The total cash I spent was $16.57.

Can you believe that? Walgreens gave me $17.93 to shop. Of course, it took effort and research on my part, but the more I use coupons the easier it becomes, and it is so worth it!

People, I am a total newbie to couponing, so if I can do it, you can too.

Note: The reason these deals worked so well for me as a newbie to couponing really came down to the St. Ives printables. Since I don't have a big stockpile of newspaper coupons yet, it was great to print coupons and start getting Register Rewards that exceeded the amount I spent. I was then able to "roll" those reward coupons forward to cover additional purchases which I knew would produce more Register Rewards - and I can just keep repeating this process!

Coupons

Yesterday I had my best coupon deal yet. Granted, this isn't saying much since I've only been really into coupons for a couple of weeks now, but still, bear with me. I'm excited.

At my local Walgreens, the St. Ives Elements line of facial cleansers is on sale, marked down to $4.99 from $7.49. I printed a coupon for $2 off on these products (it should let you print two coupons from any given computer), and headed to Walgreens to make some money. See, right now their Register Rewards program prints a "$5 off on your next purchase of anything" catalina for you when you buy a St. Ives Elements product. So I got a $7.49 product (which I might give as a gift or something) for $5, minus the $2 coupon, meaning I paid $3, but then I got $5 back. A $2 profit!

I'm going to go do the deal three more times today, because I have three more $2 coupons, and today is the last day the catalina will print on these products. Then I'll have $8 in Walgreens coupon money (plus four products I don't need - hehe), which I'm going to put towards a larger purchase: I have a "$5 off a purchase of $20 or more" coupon that expires today. I have quite a few coupons saved up that, combined with catalinas I know will print, will make my purchases end up being free or close to free. (For example, today if you buy Alka Seltzer Plus at the sale price of $4.99, a catalina for $4.99 will print!) So I'll buy $20 worth of items, pay $15 because of the $5 off, use my $8 in Register Rewards from the St. Ives deal to pay for most of it, pay $7 out of pocket, and get more Register Rewards back from my purchases to cover my cost.

This is so much fun. My previous attempt at couponing, about a year ago, ended up failing because I didn't know how to figure out the best deals and I was really overwhelmed by the whole process. Lately I've discovered some wonderful resources for understanding coupon lingo, anticipating the best deals, organizing your coupons, etc. I've put up some links on my sidebar under "frugal," if anyone is interested. I find the forums at Hot Coupon World to be helpful, and I love the blogs of Super Coupon Girl (she spends less than $20 a month on groceries! I don't think my costs will ever be that low because I buy a lot of produce, but still, there are great lessons to be learned from her blog) and I Heart Wags (where I find out about Walgreens deals).

Confession: I dreamed about coupons last night. That is how thrilled I am about this process. Lest you think that FavoriteBoy and I are in dire financial straits because I'm getting this excited about $8 in Register Rewards, let me explain: It's more the possibilities lying open before me that excite me than this particular $8. I'm envisioning a world in which, if you are savvy and take the time to clip coupons, no one has to pay money for things like shampoo, soap, face wash, or contact solution! Canned goods, frozen vegetables, boxed cereals, etc. - all free or almost free if you know when to buy them. And it's all perfectly fair and legal and a healthy part of capitalism! Incredible!

Two-Year-Old Musings

My friend Story's two-year-old son Abel gazed out the living room window pensively, his chin resting on his hand, elbow on windowsill. Talking quietly to himself, thinking two-year-old thoughts, we heard him utter the words, "Jesus, where are you?"

Story laughed, gazing at laundry, diapers, dishes, and two children needing her attention. "I wonder that myself sometimes!"

Hibernation

Please excuse the lack of blogging lately, and probably to come. We are trying to save on heating costs by keeping the apartment at 60 degrees. It's hard to type with gloves on. I'm tempted to go to bed (under a minimum of four blankets) and hibernate until April.

Or maybe I'll just go stick my head in my crockpot, or my hands in the toaster...

Debate Remix

Comeback Follow-up

For those non-baseball fans (is there such a thing?!), here's the DL on last night's ALCS Game 5 comeback: The Sox were down 7-0 after the sixth inning when they came to life - came from behind and won the game 8-7. It was a sweet moment.

Second-largest comeback in post-season history! I'd like to say I saw it happen, but I actually just heard it on the radio. (Baseball makes us wish we had cable sometimes.) Still cool.

Comeback

Yay Red Sox!

Blanket + Sleeves =

It's a blanket. With sleeves. It's a Slanket!



I think it's an intriguing concept - like a cross between a blanket and a bathrobe. I bet I could sew something like this easily. I'll add it to my mile-long list of arts and crafts and sewing projects I want to do someday. (But I think I'll put it at the bottom of the list, priority-wise.)

Pants Down

In rehearsing the slow movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony tonight, the first violins fumbled an entrance noticeably. Our conductor stopped the orchestra and remarked, "The first violins have been caught with their proverbial pants down. Let's give them another chance."

We did better the second time - even though we were laughing while we played.

Comic

(from here)

Apple Butter

With the coming of autumn, last week I was suddenly inspired to make apple butter. I used this recipe (recommended to me by my Mom), except that I used about a quarter of the amount of sugar called for. The apartment smelled heavenly while this stuff was in the slow cooker for two days. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. Spread on a slice of a toast, it is really yummy. I was even more pleased, however, that my first attempt at canning was actually successful! I don't have any real canning supplies, but I was able to do it in my largest pot using a wet towel lining the bottom of the pan rather than a wire rack. I used tongs to precariously put the jars in the water and then lift them out ten minutes later. Filled to the absolute brim, my pot held just enough water to cover the jars by about an inch and a half. Believe it or not, this haphazard technique seems to have worked:

Crunchy Conversation

FavoriteBoy: I don't know about this no shampoo thing.

SarahMarie: Hmm. Does my hair still look ok to you?

FavoriteBoy: Yes!

SarahMarie: Does my hair still smell ok to you?

FavoriteBoy: Yes!

SarahMarie: What then? Are you worried I'm getting too "crunchy"?

FavoriteBoy (with a grin): Umm... maybe...

SarahMarie: Okay, I promise not to get much crunchier!

(I may shop at Whole Foods when the budget permits, make granola, enjoy carob, periodically consider becoming a vegan, wear flowy skirts, and come from a hippie-town, but I still shave my legs.)

No Shampoo

I haven't shampooed my hair in weeks.

Yes, really.

I might never shampoo my hair again.

Before you run away screaming "granola," you might find this surprising: I personally think my hair looks and feels better now than it did a month ago.

Let me explain. A few weeks ago I came across this post from babyslime (who covers the topic very thoroughly) about washing hair with baking soda and water rather than with shampoo. Shampoos are harsh detergents that strip your hair of its natural oils, and they contain nasty ingredients that I just don't want to have in contact with my body, like sodium lauryl sulfate, an oil-stripping detergent used in floor cleaners, engine de-greasers, and car washes. It's very harsh and often causes skin and eye irritation. Sounds a little extreme for use on the human body, doesn't it? I'm not claiming that a daily shampoo is going to kill you, but it's not good for you, either - no matter what the bath and body companies would like you to think.

An article on Natural News cites research claiming that a common ingredient in many shampoos has been linked to nerve damage:

"Just take a look at the toxic chemicals found in personal care products used by virtually all Americans every single day. Americans bathe themselves in toxic chemicals and they do it by buying and using products made by brand name companies that have premier shelf positioning at convenience stores, grocery stores and discount clubs."

Sodium lauryl sulfate is used in shampoos for its foaming quality, and if you need lather in your hair in order to feel like you're really cleaning it, then washing with baking soda probably won't be your cup of tea. At the very least, it might take some getting used to. But you might just find that you love it.

As I mentioned before, I think my hair feels and looks better now than it did a month ago. For one thing - on an unrelated note - I got bangs, which I think turned out cute. But I digress. My hair feels fuller now as opposed to the limpness I was accustomed to having by the end of each day. I used to wake up to greasy hair every morning; now I can even skip a day of washing. (Ideally I'd like to get to where I only need to wash every two or three days, but for now I wash every day or two.)

If you don't care about harsh cleaners or toxic chemicals, how about this: going shampoo-free can save you money. I bought an enormous box of baking soda for under $2, and it'll last me for months. I use a ratio of 1 T baking soda to 1 cup warm water for each wash. I usually use 2/2, because my hair is below my shoulders. Sometimes I pour it over my hair, work it in with my fingers, comb it through, and then rinse, and other times I make a paste instead of adding the full amount of water, scrub the paste into my scalp with dry hair, then hop in the shower and rinse it out. For $1.49 I bought a huge bottle of apple cider vinegar, which I use for rinses to clarify and detangle once every week or two. And since I only use about a teaspoon or two per rinse (combined with a cup or two of water), that bottle will last me for months, too.

Incidentally, around the same time I stopped using shampoo and conditioner, I also stopped using any specially formulated face washes. If I need to, I just rub a little regular Ivory soap on my fingertips and then onto my nose or chin. I found that both the face wash in my medicine cabinet and the one in my shower (one of which was the brand "Aveeno Active Naturals") contained sodium lauryl sulfate as well as a frighteningly long list of other multi-syllabic ingredients (I found a good explanation of skin-care ingredients here). My skin isn't really acne-prone, but it does usually change with my hormone cycle. I've now gone through three weeks without even the teeniest of pimples or blemishes. And not using face wash means my skin doesn't dry out, which means I can get rid of my chemical-laden moisturizer, too! Also, since some fragrances (such as those in shampoos, conditioners, and face washes) seem to give me headaches, I'm excited about having a way to nix artificial fragrance-laden substances from my lifestyle.

For more hair natural "recipes," check out motowngirl's Homemade Hair Recipes.

Okay, now you can run away screaming "granola" if you still want to. Or you can go buy some baking soda!

VP Debate

My vote is most certainly going to the McCain/Palin ticket, but I can't help finding it funny that within one statement, Governor Palin managed the name "Ahmadinejad" with ease yet repeatedly mispronounced the word "nuclear."

Then again, even Jack Bauer mispronounces the word "nuclear."

"Don't Talk Back to Darth Vader!"

This is cute: