Prince Edward Island

We have had a relaxing if damp and chilly time on the Island and we begin our slow progress back to Maryland today.



 While here we have visited the house that was the inspiration for Green Gables in the Anne of Green Gables series of books by Lucy Maud Montgomery.  The house used to belong to a family member but is now part of the PEI Park System.  It has been beautifully restored to reflect the time period of the Anne books.  I loved going through it and taking in all the small domestic details of the era, including the five mice mouse trap. As you might have thought, I am now re-reading the books.



We also visited an artisan cheese place and bought some cumin spiced gouda to enjoy.  Me and cheese, I can never walk out empty handed.



Then we visited a dairy that makes its own butter, cheese and award winning ice cream.  I bought some of their award winning cheddar (on sale), we shared a coconut cream ice cream cone in a homemade delicious waffle cone, and I found gifts for the grandbabies.



Yesterday we took a tour of a small batch distillery and purchased some of their gin for Mike.  He really enjoyed the sample they gave him.  I tried an anise liquor but we did not purchase any of that.



The rest of the time we spent parked looking at the beautiful seashore in several different locations, driving around the island taking in the scenery and stopping into thrift stores where I found, you guessed it, more yarn.  So, I have also been crocheting and it will keep me busy during the many driving hours to Maryland.



Today we are off to St. Andrew's, New Brunswick.  Will check back in later.

Go Fish

This morning that was the game of choice with the grandbabies. Grandson has a grasp of the rules. Granddaughter will just give you her matching cards when she hears what is being requested.  Generous little thing.

Before that we watched the Wiggles and Animal Mechanical. A whole new group of popular characters and shows to learn.

Last night, as she was heading up to bed, granddaughter sent grandpa and me to bed.  I guess what is good for her is good for us. No real arguments here.

Today is grandson's graduation from preschool. I know he is ready for kindergarten but I don't know if I am ready. He is growing up faster than I would wish. But that is life I guess.

We had a great time in Erie catching up with friends and family. The time there went too fast too. But we'll be back in September to see everyone again and I am already looking forward to it.

Tomorrow we begin our trip to Prince Edward Island and all things Anne of Green Gables. Won't Mike have fun.

Check back soon.

May's Simple Savings

$1315.17!!!!

Of course we were traveling again and spending but still we managed to keep the costs down and the enjoyment up.

How did we save this money and not negatively affect our retirement enjoyment?

Here is how we did it:

Reduced to clear food at the grocery store
Free ebooks (lots) for us to enjoy
Using a few earned free hotel rooms when we traveled
Marriott's Friends and Family discount rate for hotel rooms
A savings code worth $10 from Vitacost
Saving on insurance when we rented a car because we insure with USAA
A discount on yarn at the charity shop
The two Together railroad travel discount
Hours of searching to get a good airline discount
Eating meals from the supermarket and not a restaurant when living in the hotel
Taking advantage of the hotel's free breakfast even if you're not excited by the choices
A bargain haircut, or two ( including a free beard trim for Mike)
Using Gas Buddy to find cheaper gasoline
Taking advantage of our membership discount at our Whole Foods Co-Op
Using a sale, a coupon and Ebates when buying Mike new slippers
Getting a free 8 by 10 photo enlargement and a discount on 4 by 6 prints

Our five month average per month is $1210.66.

Your possibilities are different. Your savings will be different. But give it a try. It's like found money.

Catch Up Post

We have congratulated and celebrated with two graduates. How proud we are of them.

We have maxed out on junk food including Kentucky fried and Pizza Hut.

We found great yarn at a thrift store and also got some components of Christmas gifts at our Whole Foods Co-Op.

Today is coffee and conversation at Starbucks and shopping with a friend.

Tomorrow is a family picnic at my sister's.

Life is good.

Heading Stateside

Tuesday we will be leaving the boat at a marina to be blackened.

On Wednesday we will fly out of Manchester for the states.

We will be there for graduations, a family week on Conesus Lake, a trip to Prince Edward Island, and time with family.

We will return to the boat on July 13th.

I will still be blogging but probably not as often, although who knows.

Regular blogging will resume in mid July.

National Memorial Arboretum

Last Friday we rented a car to go visit some friends and also to pick up some salvage groceries to restock our larder.

While we were out and about we decided to visit the National Memorial Arboretum which is nearby.

The Arboretum is 150 calm and serene acres that houses over 300 memorials, military and civilian, to various organizations,groups, and individuals.  All the memorials are located amidst a beautiful maturing woodland of over 30,000 trees of differing species.

The memorials are of differing scale but all we saw, and we barely scratched the surface, we found to be extremely thought provoking and quietly beautiful.

But if memorials are not your thing, it is a beautiful place for a walk and still well worth a visit.

Guided tours are available but we chose to explore on our own.  We did, however, enjoy the offerings of the Arboretum's small cafe.

No Wonder I Am Tired

So here was my day:

A trip into Whitchurch to scope out charity shops.  I found quite a bit of yarn for 5pounds so I came home happy.  And, I was registering over 6000 steps by noon.

When I got back on the boat I cleaned out all my food storage areas, reorganized them and rewrote my list of what is where.

Then I moved on to three loads of laundry to wash and hang.

Maraschino cherries were next on the list. I now have a jar aging for my Manhattan's in a couple of months.

Then we did one lift bridge and six locks.

I have also done the meals and the dishes all day.

Total number of steps so far, 10,200.

All on two hours of sleep.

No wonder I am tired.