Goodbye Tree

Today I noticed that a tree had been cut down that was behind our house. It's not any tree, it held a special place in my heart. I often included it in my landscape and sunset photograph's, or with an incoming thunderstorm rolling across the western sky. I would sit in my backyard and admire it's beauty, often wondering how long it had been there or what stories it had to tell, if  for one day it could. I did venture across the field one summer evening and stood underneath it. It was far more majestic and and strong up close. We had a family of owls that called it home, and from what I am told they lived there for a really long time. I am in a way superstitious in regards to owls, but as long as they stayed out there I enjoyed watching them swoop down looking for prey. It was this tree that my husband and I walked towards on our wedding day for pictures.This was my tree to watch for the changing of the season's, I would closely watch it for buds as Spring approached. On a summer's night you could count the stars as far as the eye can see and here the gentle rustling of the leaves. As the days grew shorter it would glisten like golden glitter when the sun struck it's brightly hued leaves. When winter arrived it sparkled like diamonds covered in frost and many mornings you could see deer standing under it looking for food. I will miss this tree, I will miss the serenity it brought to my mind.

Adventures in Couponing

Coupons. What are they to you? Something you get in the Sunday paper? Useless? I used to think that, until the show Extreme Couponing. It caught my attention, who doesn't like to spend money and save it as well? I will be the first to admit that I got caught up in the outrageous savings that this show displayed, made by average families and homemakers. I was hooked, and then reality struck when I discovered that I had no area stores that doubled coupons and a loose couponing policy and we only get 1 Sunday paper, yes I am that far removed from society. I decided to not participate at all....I went right back to the they are useless mindset. Then I discovered the website Hip2Save. I found several people who were saving decent amounts of money and my faith in the whole system was restored. I started off with online shopping and learning how to stack codes to get better deals and I was hooked. Then I started asking questions, watching this site closely, all the tricks and tools needed to save SOME money, not a month's wages in one trip. I was a little mad at myself for even thinking that was possible, but you live-learn-and move on. I now clip coupons and save what I can, in fact last weeks total savings was $224. My husband was a skeptic, but admitted I definitely earned my scissors....LOL. I have learned that most businesses are getting strict and even removing produts from the shelf because of a coupon that came out. Walmart was ridiculous with that, maybe they thought their "discontinued" story would work with me, but it didn't. In fact, I called them out on social media sites. Dollar General is another store that is not in my good graces when I use coupons. Both stores act like you are shoplifting, when in fact they get reimbursed for the retail price of the product plus money for accepting the coupon. I am going to be laid back on this until I get a printer, then I will be that customer in the checkout lane holding it up, because I will have a coupon policy in my hand. I am not trying to act like an entitled diva, just making those aware that I will stand up for what is right and maybe somebody else won't have that problem in the future. I am nowhere near an extreme couponer, nor do I plan to be. But if I can save my family a little money, then the few hours a week devoted to clipping and organizing is worth it. Don't be discouraged, save and be happy that you did. In this economy, a penny saved is a victory.