I would really like to be wrong about Covid and find that I’ve been overreacting at some point. Unfortunately, that has not happened yet. There was a point where I wondered if I should stop tracking these weeks as “Covid weeks,” but I knew we weren’t out of it yet, just a reprieve, earlier this summer. If only.

“Washington state continues to set new records as cases and hospitalizations continue to rise. Through August 11, the 14 day rolling average Washington is recording 437.9 COVID cases per 100K. This breaks the record high that was set yesterday. New cases continue to grow exponentially, doubling every 7 to 10 days. The number of people seeking COVID tests has increased 20% to 50% in the last month throughout King County.”

If you’re local, and even if you’re not, Malcontent News is doing a great job reporting daily Covid updates. Perhaps it feels better and less stressful to avoid reading the news, but right now, I feel that it’s important to stay informed. And if you don’t yet have any sort of stockpile of food and supplies at home, now might be a good time to go back and review this list I put together in March 2020. Time to make sure we’re ready to (voluntarily) lock things down again.

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Friday’s Frugal Five

1. It’s blackberry season, so we went out and picked a giant mixing bowl full of them over the weekend. We made cobbler that night, and it was delicious. (Though in looking for a recipe, apparently what we actually made was a crisp? What do you make a cobbler out of in your house? Ours involves oats, which apparently makes it a crisp. I digress).

The rest of the berries got made into jam to be put up for the next year. We still have a few jars left from last summer, so I’m purposefully picking meals that use them up right now (same goes for the jambalaya I made that used up some of our canned tomato stock). Having canned goods – especially home canned ones – are great, but it’s important to also make sure you’re using them up and not just adding more to your pantry.

We’re nearing the end of blueberry season, so went I picked a big bowl of our pink lemonade blueberries, I decided to make a few small jars of jam with them as well. They make a delicious jam, and it’s fun to have one that’s so pink, so I’ll probably repeat the recipe again next year. I used a lemon honey blueberry jam recipe out of Tart and Sweet, one of my favorite small batch canning books along with Food In Jars.

2. The kiddo and I headed over to a friend’s house on Thursday. She and I met through volunteering with Find A Covid Shot WA, so it’s no surprise that she takes Covid very seriously. She has three kiddos near-ish in age to the kiddo, and they had a great time playing outside together. They wore masks for the whole time, and it wasn’t anything. Eighteen months in, wearing masks to play together isn’t a big deal at all. It only becomes an issue when the parents make it an issue.

She sent us home with a loaf of homemade sourdough bread and some heirloom carrot seeds. And I brought her some homegrown pickles and some of my own saved seeds. Definitely my favorite kind of no-reciprocity-expected trades.

3. After I finally brought home a trunk load of logs from my parents house, I finished the second new raised bed (the third being used by my friend). Thanks to the hugelkultur type setup, I only had to use six cubic yards of soil for a 8’ x 4’ x 10” bed. Way cheaper, and the soil will be significantly better for years to come.

The bed got planted with cabbage and some celery, and I actually spaced the plants out more to what is recommended. With limited garden space, I tend to squeeze my plants too close together, but with a brand new bed, I did a better job. Now to find a spot for the rest of the celery starts.

4. My parents celebrated their thirty-sixth wedding anniversary this week. They’ve been a wonderful role model for a solid relationship, both emotionally and financially. I’m so lucky to have parents who still love each other so much after almost four decades together.

They also were the first couple I knew to organize their finances in a separate but combined fashion, somewhat similar to what my husband and I do. Their incomes have varied so they don’t split things 50/50, but they have each always had their own money, which is so important in my book. Cheers to 36 years, mom and dad. I love you both.

5. A quick reminder that the Women’s Personal Finance Wednesdays Roundup is still happening these days – it’s just moved! It really is my favorite thing to share other women’s content and steer readers and listeners their way. If you haven’t read this week’s content, head on over to Women’s Personal Finance and give them a read!

We also share these out via our WPF email list, so if you want a regular reminder, you can sign up over on the website as well. That’s where we also announce future WPF Insiders Cohorts first (next one opening next month!)

Exercise Update

Friday was another elliptical day. The gym is open to residents these days, so I have to pay attention and sneak in when no one is there. While we allow multiple people in the gym at once, I’m only comfortable being in there by myself. I’ve found late afternoon is usually a good time, so I’ll break from work and hop on the elliptical and then finish out my work day afterward.

Saturday was a hike through the woods and berry picking day. Sunday was another forty five minutes on the elliptical, and Monday another half hour.

Tuesday and Wednesday were long walks, and Thursday saw another hike through the woods. Things are so dry right now, and we aren’t even at the end of summer yet.

How are you holding up?