November's end

this Christmas cactus was a gift from my sister Suzi, in 2008

Pat's work computer is on dial-up.   My camera is not on speaking terms with it.

My computer is not on speaking terms with dial-up.  So, in order to upload photos  to the 'cloud', I must go to the local coffee shop (a hardship, I know).

Now, Pat's computer has a 'trojan virus'.  No workee.

This morning, I could not check email, blogs, facebook etc. at home.

It is amazing how much real work I got done. Before I left for the coffee shop, anyway.

Hmmmm....

frugalista-ing

"As soon as you get close enough to them to try to help them, you're introducing this host of competing values and creating desires in them that they didn't have before," Wallace says. "They begin to forget how to hunt traditionally; they want shotguns, they want shotgun shells, blankets, all sorts of stuff. Right now, as they are, they can live in the jungle completely free of the world's money, economy and thrive quite well."

(bold-mine)

A story about an unreached tribe.  Those studying them do not wish to sully the tribe with 21st century's values and diseases.

Read more here.

 We are not so careful with our own culture.

 Tired of Christmas commercials yet?  Their purpose is to create desires that you didn't have before.

  How I wish we could live "completely free of the world's money, economy and thrive quite well".

 But then, I always feel that way - whether we are talking about Black Friday, indigenous tribes or, well, anything.   ~Smile~

My sisters were together over Thanksgiving.  One of the dinner guests was trying to figure out which sister my little sister was.  Apparently, one distinguishing feature is that I, the absent sister, am the one who would actually make pumpkin pie out of a ...pumpkin.  LOL.

Yes, I  have always been the one to do things the hard way, the frugal way, the old-fashioned way.  And to do so unapologetically.

Given that, I am thrilled to be able to teach a course in frugal living to the women in our local shelter (a faith based organization). 

Since there is no curriculum, I'm developing my own.  I have spent the last several days in the book of Proverbs.  I found 99 verses on economy - they neatly break down into three categories:

Be wise.
Be diligent.
Be good.

How like GOD's Word to have everything we need for life and godliness. (II Peter 1:3)

These will be a great foundation for all the tips I'm eager to share with the gals.  I just need to be careful not to scare them off with some of my 'black-belt' tightwad ideas.  Teehee.

I'll keep you all posted on the  progress.  I plan to develop a notebook for each gal - something she can take with her when she leaves the shelter.  My goal is to have things ready to go by the beginning of January (thanks, Linda - you inspired me!).

~~~~~

My niece Emilee and I had fun stitching together after Thanksgiving dinner.  She designed and mostly stitched the little kitty and the label below.  She accidentally left it here, so I turned it into a sachet using fabric from my scrap bag and lavendar from my garden.

Frugal, yes? 
I'm training Emilee too - she just thinks we are having fun. 
Little does she know. 
Wink.

how to wake up one morning and realize you have been married for 38 years

the view from our bedroom window from April until mid-November - what a blessing!

Today is our 38th wedding anniversary.   We married when I was 19.  That means I have been married twice as long as I was not married.

I have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating.  The smartest thing Pat and I ever did as an engaged couple was memorize I Corinthians 13.




1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.







4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.






8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.






13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.


These powerful Words of Life have derailed misunderstandings, arguments and selfishness.  Do you realize how many things you need to leave unsaid if you choose to be patient or kind?

I would recommend that every engaged couple memorize I Corinthians 13.

And if you are already married?

Memorize I Corinthians 13!

As I was preparing Thanksgiving things in the kitchen yesterday I heard a snippet of a broadcast on the Christian radio station.  They spoke of 'old love'.  I had not heard the context of that phrase, but from what followed I took it to mean - steady, stable, lasting love.

You know,  like 'old money' Rockefeller, Getty, Vanderbilt. 

Permanent. 

That is what we have.  Old love.  Vintage.  The years have added a wonderful patina.  Glowing, burnished, rich.  The sharp edges have been smoothed.  The path has been windy -but always travelled hand in hand.  Following GOD as He enables us.

Love you Patrick. 

38 more years? 

Yes, please.
~~~~~

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I'll be back on Monday, LORD willing, to share some exciting news (exciting even though it is not a new grandbaby type news).

                                                            roses every morning!

grand's gifts

The ad for ToysRStuff was in the Sunday newspaper a few weeks ago.  A BIG catalog.  I carefully searched through the pages for something I might buy for the grandchildren. 

I only found  one thing in that whole catalog that I might perhaps pick up for three year old Josh, but it was so unremarkable that I have since forgotten what it was.

Same thing with the KMort ad.  And don't get me started on MalWart.

Thought on gifts for grands:

• Parent approved - we don't want to go against Jon and Kristi's wishes or values in what we buy for their children
• Safe - age appropriate, spiritually appropriate, and  not recalled, not something that will hurt them
• Gifts that do not compromise our Christian values
• Promotes creativity when possible.  I would much rather give them a package of marker or crayons and some paper or a box of dress-up clothes than the cutest, most up-to-date whatsit that will simply sit on the shelf.
• Whenever possible - not something made in China
• Whenever possible - something handmade by me or someone on etsy or from our local fair trade store
• Books are always a good idea
• Preferably not plastic (exception: Legos).

Those are just a few guidelines that come to mind - I'd be interested in hearing any that you have.
 
As they grow older I would rather spend money buying experiences - trips, lessons, shared experiences.  Kristi has already told Josh that someday Grandma will take him camping.  But he is a bit young for that now.  In a few years, LORD willing, Josh and Grandma will take the tent and head to the woods for a few days.
 
In the meantime, I'm still hunting for gifts.  Kristi gave me a few ideas and I came up with one on my own.  This little peasant blouse for Sadie (fabric -detail above-Mary Englebreit for Moda purchased a few years ago).  It is such a sweet little blouse, I would love to have one for myself, except it would look like a maternity top and that is not the look I'm going for.

If you have really mad skilz (and a mad skilz saw) you can make one of these like our friend Tonia and her husband Mike did.

Talented folks.  I have my eye on another gift for Sadie, but instead of buying it, I just might try my hand and making it by hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for you comments on my last post.  It seemed to resonate with a lot of you (comments and emails).  I cross posted it on a forum I infrequently frequent and got lots of comments.  One person suggested that 'everyone' copy it and send it to their Congressperson.

Interesting.  Many seem to think that corporate CEO's as well as  Congress type peeps have no clue how those of us down here in the trenches live.

Maybe we should take a straw poll.  How many on our Congressional officials have ever darned socks?  Could this be a new criteria for electability?

~~~~~~

It was a productive weekend here.  I roasted our front porch pumpkins and pureed the flesh.  It is all frozen in two cup portions - a pumpkin pie's worth in each bag.  I made a few loaves of bread.  After cooling the loaves, I sliced and cubed them and the cubes are drying in the oven.  The oven was still warm from making one of the desserts for Thanksgiving Day.  And...I've already sauteed the celery and onions for the stuffing (or do you say dressing?). 

A little bit of preparation each day makes for a much more enjoyable Thanksgiving feast.

(Oh, and please don't show this post to Sadie.  I want her to be surprised.)

got money?

If I were the type to scream at the television (I'm not), I would have been screaming at the television last night.

This past week, I've been systematically taking the socks from my sock drawer and darning them.  Some had small holes, some just had worn spots that I stitched over to prevent holes.  Does anyone else darn socks these days?

I'm  darning socks as  the CEO's of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are on the screen before a congressional subcommittee justifying giving (and taking) millions of dollars in bonuses on the heels of accepting billions of dollars of bail out money.

I'm darning socks.

The past few months, we have had to do some extra belt tightening. 

A new roof due to hail damage.  Deductible $1000
A new me, sans gall bladder.       Deductible $5000.
Our property tax bill - up 20%.

Unusual expenses.

And groceries?  I'm sure you have felt the pinch too.

I do a dozens of things a day that most 'normal' people (I place myself firmly outside of the category of 'normal') don't do, just to save a few pennies here and there.

I darn socks.
I mend unmentionables.
I mend everything.
My 'Sunday' shoes are polished regularly and have lasted me several (10?) or so years.
I save the water from the faucet while I wait for it to heat up for my shower - this is usually about two gallons which I use to water the garden in summer and flush the toilet in winter.
I save butter wrappers to grease pans when I bake.  I think I've only bought about 2 cans of P*m in my life.
I cook from scratch.
I save chicken bones or turkey carcasses to make broth.
I dry our clothes on a drying rack - rarely use our electric dryer.
Because I air dry our clothes, they last much longer and I don't need to buy as many clothes (I currently have fewer than 35 articles of clothing, not counting unmentionables).
I use a combination of baking soda and cornstarch in place of deodorant.
I garden.
I don't turn down things other people offer me (zucchini from the neighbors for example).
I wash and re-use foil.

To name a few.

I do all this and more because, yes, I am a card carrying tightwad, but more importantly because I believe that GOD has called me to be a good steward of all that He has given me.  It makes me cringe to waste any of it.

I've been praying Proverbs 3:5 and 6 the last week or so as I have been anticipating the bills coming in.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He make straight your paths."

Yesterday was a break through day.  I had laid all the bills out before Pat and showed him all the anticipated income.  For this month, we will be fine and will not have to take anything out of retirement funds.  It was close, very, very close.  But we have enough.

We rejoiced in GOD's provision and thanked Him for His amazing love for us.  All the penny saving things I do cannot begin to account for His provision for us.  It truly comes from His hand.

So last night, after watching the news I realized that though the stone-faced  CEO's  have more money than I do, they cannot possibly have a more grateful heart or a more contented smile on their faces.

Am I a millionaire?  Not even close.  But I am rich beyond measure.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 4:19

Simple? Yes. Easy? Not necessarily.

Yesterday's sermon was right on the money.

As I have mentioned, Pat and I are trying to discern what to do with our lives at this stage of the game.

Yesterday's sermon was about finding God's purpose for our lives.

Turns out it is simple - obeying God's word.

To obey God's word, one must know it.  To know it, one must read it and study it.

This takes time.  So while it is simple, it is not necessarily easy.

This morning my Bible study (we are studying Colossians in my ladies' Bible study) took me to I Thessalonians 5:16-18:

                                                "Be joyful always.  Pray continually. 

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

That really boils it down to its essence, doesn't it?

Let me re-state the verses:

Be joyful always. 

Pray continually.

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

or another way:

Be joyful always.

Pray continually.

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

See?  Simple.

what we are going to do when we grow up and Chocolate Nut Bars

We invited our newest neighbors over last night.  For a little bit of dessert and some planning..

They moved in a few months ago and we connected right away.  You know how it is when you meet someone and you feel like you've known them for a long time?   That.

Starting next week, we will be having a neighborhood Bible study.  With this couple and hopefully several others.  I am very excited about this opportunity and can't wait to see what GOD will do.  Now we know what we are going to do when we grow up.  :)

Please pray that GOD would draw the people He wants to have in this study and that we would be faithful in proclaiming His Word.

We will be meeting for a meal, delving into the Word together and perhaps even singing.  I know a very cute worship leader we could invite (see above - doesn't he look like he's been doing that all his life?).

~~~~~~
The recipe for chocolate nut bars?  Coming right up.

  This recipe comes from my second oldest cookbook, a 1943 edition of Woman's Home Companion Cook Book  (the prices on Ebay range from $45 -$165!). It  too, tells you how to singe, draw and quarter a chicken; syrup is spelled sirup and ground beef  is referred to as 'hamburg'.  Unless you are talking about a beef patty, then it is hamburger. 

The editor expresses shock that 'even' a husband used a recipe in a previous edition of the book, but disappointingly, there are no recipes for squirrel or possum.  I'll have to rely on my other cookbook for those delicacies.

  However, I'd rather eat these bars that squirrel or possum.  You?

Chocolate Nut Bars

1 C. Flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 C. shortening

1 C. Brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 C. chopped walnuts or pecans

1 C. chocolate chips

Combine first four ingredients, set aside.  Cream shortening; add brown sugar gradually and mix thoroughly.  Add the egg.  Add vanilla, chopped nuts, and chocolate chips.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.  Spread the dough evenly into a greased and floured square pan 8x8x2.  Bake in a moderate oven at 350 for about 30 minutes or until browned.

When cool cut into bars and dust with confectioner's sugar.

randomly thinking random thoughts

turtle basking on a rock on a fall afternoon

Does this ever happen to you?   You are walking or driving or sitting and  a random thought pops into your head.  This morning's random thought came straight out of the '70's.:

But Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man
That he didn't, didn't already have

Okay.

That snippet of lyrics brought  this Scripture passage to mind:

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness

through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

II Peter 1:3

The Tin Man had everything he needed - Oz didn't give him anything. 

 In contrast,  we have everything we need to live godly lives.  It was given to us by GOD and we discover it by knowing Him.

Pat and I are doing some evaluating.  What should we be doing with our lives?  What does GOD want us to do?  We have had several changes over the last few years - moving, retirement, more grandchildren, several church changes (that is a l-o-n-g post for another day) surgery, the economic impact of the current  economy.

We could allow those changes to be daunting.

But we 'pay no attention to that man behind the curtain'.  We are not made of tin.  We don't pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.

Instead we focus on knowing HIM.  He has given us everything we need for life and godliness and called us by His own glory and goodness.  He loved us and sent His Son and if that isn't enough (and it is) He provides us with everything, everything, everything we need for life and godliness.

My random thoughts?  Not so random at the moment.  I'm filled with gratitude at GOD's great love and provision.

I searched the dark recesses of my mind and could not come up with the rest of the song or the artist.   Google is my friend.  Written in 1974, the song is Tin Man by America.  (Grammar much?)

the proof is in the pudding

                                                                  photo: wikipedia

I mentioned yesterday that the cookbook I'm using does not tell you to buy 3 pound bags (or these days 2.5 pounds)  of chicken breasts. Such a thing probably didn't exist.  More often than not, it instructs you to drawand singe your chicken, which means you go out in the back yard, ketch yerself a chicken, whack its head off then plucke and butcher it.

A lot of folks would probably go hungry if they had to get their food like this.

No microwave recipes in this cookbook either.  However there are lots of recipes for pickling, as well as preserving your food through dehydrating, salting and canning. And ground beef?  It is called 'hamburg'.

I did make the bread pudding last night.  Yum.

Recipes like this were probably developed by homemakers with a surplus of eggs and milk.  Add some stale bread and a handful of dried fruit and you've got yourself a nice treat.

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding (old-fashioned in 1940, that is)
1 1/2 C. diced stale bread                                            1/2 C. sugar
3 C. milk, scalded                                                        1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten                                                              1/2 tsp. cinnamon
                                 1/2 C. raisins, nuts or coconut

Soak bread in milk in greased baking dish.  Combine eggs, sugar, salt and cinnamon; stir into bread mixture; add raisins and set in pan of hot water.  Bake in moderate oven (350) for 45-50 minutes or until knife comes out clean when inserted in center.

As per the recipes reccomendation and because I can get away with it now that I am gall bladder-less, I made a hard sauce to accompany the bread pudding.

Hard Sauce

1/3 C. butter
1 C. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 T. cream (I used half and half)

Cream butter until soft; gradually beat in sugar, then cream and vanilla, beating until fluffy. 

I spread this sauce (the consistency is more like a stiff frosting) over the bread pudding.

(The photo on top?  Bread pudding is beige and does not look very appetizing.  Looks can be deceiving.)

This stuff will stick to your ribs.  And probably your hips too, so eat in moderation - but enjoy every lip smacking bite.

And if you live in the Northwoods - Trig's has an acceptable bread pudding (with craisins!) from time to time.  In fact, since I am not there to buy it any more, they will probably have more than enough for y'all.

Enjoy!



hearing voices

During my childhood, Chicken Chow Mein came from a can.  And I liked it.

It never occurred to me to make it from scratch until I decided to actually put my many cookbooks to use and try out new recipes at least once a week.

I decided to go way back in time and use the oldest cookbook first.  Chicken was on sale so I baked several pounds of chicken and cut the meat off the bones.

The bones were then thrown into the stock pot along  with some celery, onions and carrots.  It is simmering away as I write this and soon I will have a half gallon or so of chicken stock which will be frozen in two cup portions.

The chicken meat has also been frozen in two cup portions, except for what I used for Chicken Chow Mein.

Before I share the recipe, I have to say that this is one fascinating cookbook.  It was written in 1940.  The Great Depression was over, but still a very vivid memory.

Food rationing had begun in Great Britain.
The movie Pinocchio was released.
Elmer Fudd m-m-m-ade his f-f-first appearance.
Winston Churchill told the House of Commons, "I have nothing to offer you but blood, toil, tears, and sweat."

The very first McDonald's opened.
More 1940 events can be viewed here.
 
 
This cookbook has no recipes for 'boneless, skinless chicken breasts' . Recipes for creamed veggies or meat begin with a white sauce, not a can of soup.
 
I decided not to try the recipes for Possum, squirrel, or pickled cockscomb, though it is nice to know I have them if times get tough.
 

I love reading cookbooks and this one is no exception.   
Here is the recipe, which has been pronounced delicious by the man of the house.
 
1 C. celery strips                                              2 tsp.soy sauce
1 small onion, sliced                                          1/2 C. sliced mushrooms
1 green pepper, finely sliced                               2 C. shredded cooked chicken
2 C. Chicken stock                                           1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt                                                          2 T. water (I used about 1 tsp.)
1 can Chinese noodles
 
Cook celery, onion and  green pepper in stock 20 minutes; add salt, soy sauce, mushrooms, chicken and cornstarch mixed with water and cook 10 minutes stirring until thickened.  Serve on crisp noodles; garnish top with slices of breast meat if desired.  Yield: 6 portions.
 
The cookbook is America's Cook Book compiled by New York Herald Tribune Home Institute .
 
The next recipe I have my eye on?  Bread pudding.  Love bread pudding.  I'll let you know how that turns out.
~~~~~
 
We spent a little bit of time walking down memory lane this weekend.  Pat hooked up Mom and Dad's VCR to our TV.  We watched VHS tapes of a 12 year old Jon singing a solo (so sweet) a 15 year old Nate acting (with confidence) as well as a tape of Pat's folks, cousin and two of his uncles.
 
So wonderful to hear those voices and see those precious loved ones.
 
  It has been a long time.

enough part 3

Thanks for bearing with me on my journey of counting paper clips, needles, pins, glue bottles etc.

I'm almost done, I promise, and there was a purpose and perhaps a lesson in all this.

After reading this blog post,   I thought perhaps the writer was referring to his mother (that would be me) when he said, "However, I haven’t felt like I’ve had anything to say as of late…at least nothing that is worth blogging about (not that that ever stops other bloggers)."   {bold letters-mine}

He has a point, sometimes I blog about things that are of no value whatsoever, but this week, I have been processing the minutiae of my life.  How did I get all this stuff?  Why do I still have it?  How should I best use it?

Today, I look to my kitchen.  I have 4 sets of dishes (all gifts or inherited), 4 sets of flatware (we only bought one set used, the rest were gifts or inherited), enough glasses to stock a bar (not that we would) and more coffee mugs that most barristas have.  And a big punch bowl with 50 cups ( I got this at a garage sale over 30 years ago for $5!).

I have 30-ish cookbooks. Most were gifts or inherited.
~~~~~~~

GOD has promised us life - abundant life.

 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  John 10:10b - the words of Jesus.

 He has also given His followers spiritual gifts - gifts to use for His glory in building the body of Christ.
 
He has provided me with an abundance of stuff in several different areas.  It makes sense to me that I should use these 'gifts' (not spiritual, but physical) to bless others.  They are not mine to hoard and keep to myself.
 
I talked to some gals at Bible study yesterday.  They make lap quilts for those who are sick and suffering.  I will be giving them yarn and  embroidery floss for tying these quilts.
 
The dishes and the cookbooks?  I want to 'practice hospitality',  
Romans 12:13 says:
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
 
I can do a much better job in this area.  And I will.
 
Also, I plan to try out at least one new recipe every week and share it here with you.
 
I am so blessed to have enough - and so much more than enough...I have an abundance. 
 
Hold me accountable won't you?  Watch and pray with me as we reach out to neighbors and friends.
 
We have exciting news to share - the best news - that GOD loved us and sent His Son.  We will use paper clips and needles and thread and home cooking and whatever means we can to give this marvelous news to our neighbors.

enough part 2

Whether it started a few weeks ago, when I looked for jingle bells to finish the Christmas stockings I made, or a few days ago as I emptied a shoe box of Operation Christmas Child, I decided I must get the minutiae of my life organized.

No jingle bells were to be found - in either my gift wrap box or the one Christmas box I knew would have them - though I had this nagging feeling that I had just purchased some last year.

The shoe box held a disparate collection of bits and bobs of things - a garter (?), broken jewelry, a die, bobby pins, ribbons, halfway decent jewelry, empty jewelry boxes, a golf tee (?), sewing notions.

After throwing away the useless things, I took the sewing notions to my sewing basket.

If I thought I had enough office supplies to last the rest of my life, whether I live three more years or thirty, I certainly have enough sewing notions to last the rest of my life.

Dozens of needles (embroidery, quilting, tapestry needlepoint carpet making, canvas sewing-because you never know when you might need to make a boat cover), hundreds of pins, seam rippers (2), scissors (2), rotary cutters (2), spools of thread (a few dozen) and about one hundred skeins of embroidery floss, 6 embroidery hoops and a partridge in a pear tree.  I do not take full responsibility for all the floss; this collection contains not only mine, but Mom's and Grandma's.  Not to mention hooks and eyes, snaps, and various lengths of bias tape and seam binding.

I have three sewing baskets* (I didn't buy any of them), 5 pincushions (I didn't buy any of them), enough yardage for four projects. That is one area I have control over - I know my finely honed propensity for procrastination, so I only purchase the fabric I need for current projects - no stash here.  Oh, and enough fabric scraps to make two or three quilts.

Again, I am both embarrassed and amazed at all the stuff I have in the sewing department. 

Need anything monogrammed or embroidered?  I'm your girl. Thankfully my niece Emilee wants to learn to embroider and hopefully in the future I can teach Sadie and Lainey to stitch.

Taking up sewing?  Don't buy anything - call me first.  I have a notion that I have more than enough notions to supply all of us.


* One of my sewing baskets contained 'dog tags' for my husband and brother-in-law.  These were made pre-1958,when they were young boys, according to the address listed on them.  How they got in my sewing basket, I don't know - but I'm guessing they weren't there until after my mother-in-law's death in 2004.  Regardless, I obviously need to clean out my sewing basket more often.

enough part 1

Before we know it, it will be Thanksgiving.  I thought I would spend the month of November contemplating the many blessings God has bestowed upon me.

Starting with paper clips.

Now, this is not what I am most thankful for, not by a long shot. But for a former public school teacher, former homeschooler, Sunday school teacher  and once in a while office administrator - office and school supplies are my drug of choice.

To open the desk drawer and see that there are enough paper clips, pens, pencils, colored pencils, markers, scissors, staples, glue, paper and envelopes to last my life time (thanks in part to my late mother-in-law and our inheriting her accumulation of office goods), both embarrasses and pleases me. 

I will never have to buy any of the above for the rest of my life.  Need any office supplies? Please call me first.

I have more than enough.