Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Got shoes, got tomatoes

I didn't go very far in my search for shoes this morning.  An anonymous commenter suggested I go to Walmart and buy a pair of Dr. Scholls.  Got to Walmart, tried them on, bought them.  Oh, I'm not done with my search for the perfect pair of shoes, but these are much more comfortable than the New Balance shoes I've been suffering with for months.  I figured for thirty bucks, I'd give them a try.  I'm keeping my list of shoe recommendations for future reference.  
There's something else I've been looking for:  flannel pajamas.  Not that there aren't plenty of them around, but good grief!  Since when do people pay twenty to thirty dollars for flannel pajamas?  
J. C. Penny has a lot of stuff on clearance today, so we went there; the cheapest marked-down flannels they had were $16.  I refuse to pay more than $10, so I may very well end up sleeping in sweats before this winter is over.  
I did get a coat worth the money, though.  Cliff said he's tired of looking at that long, red coat I've worn for three years, so he helped me pick out a new one.  If you need a coat, this is definitely the time to buy one.    


On to the subject of tomatoes:  My garden really let me down last summer, most of the tomatoes rotting on the vines before they got up to any decent size.  I didn't have enough to can, but I was able to try something new with the few extra tomatoes I managed to save.  I washed them, cut out the stems, put them in gallon bags, and froze them.  To use them I just immerse them in water for a little while and the skins come right off; they are then ready to be used in soups and stews.  The only drawback is that until you get them thawed, you don't really know how much you have.  I'm getting to be a pretty good judge of how many it takes to make two cups full, though.  
My tomato patch also redeemed itself by providing me with fresh tomatoes clear through November.  All my efforts weren't in vain.  

9 comments:

  1. My tomatoes didn't do much this year, either. So frustrating! I found flannel pajama bottoms on clearance at ShopKo for $8 and I wear them with old long sleeved tshirts. I won't be winning any fashion shows but I'm comfy, LOL!

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  2. Well doggone it. I have a new pair of flannel PJs that I do not need and I would be happy to send them to you, but they wouldn't fit. Actually, I think sweats work well as PJs, especially if they have a elastic around the ankle.

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  3. It's a disgrace the old worn out stuff I wear to bed but they are so soft and worn I can't part with them. One pair I finally threw away a year ago and still miss them.

    I got a new coat this year at Penney's too. It was $250 (which I never would have spent) marked down to about $79.00! I felt like I had won the lottery!

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  4. I'll be watching for you to find the perfect shoe. My ankles swell and I need support. The foot doctor told John to get asics. They didn't have his size but they did mine. They are the most comfortable I have but I'm still looking.

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  5. Glad you had such great success on both accounts. And to get a new coat was an added bonus. Those tomatoes must taste wonderful in what ever you use them for in cooking. I remember how good the tomato juice used to be way back when I canned things. Long time ago, but the memory lingers. Pajama's are expensive, but don't give up. There should be a lot of winter sales now thru President's Day. After that the stores will have Spring and even summer in the stores.

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  6. I'm glad you found something more comfortable to wear on your feet. You must have been miserable. Dr. Scholls are the brand my hubby swears by. I've never owned flannel PJ's, but I bet they're comfy, cozy. Good luck with the price requirement. There are bargains to be had out there, I know. Chuckled about Cliff wanting you to get a NEW coat. My husband once did that here. When you get a GOOD one, they can last forever. It's been years since I canned anything. But tomatoes were always my favorites. Freezing them the way you did was CLEVER. Glad it worked out. Take care.

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  7. Our tomatoes were pretty good early and then faded pretty quickly too.
    We did can some but not enough.

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  8. Kevin1:10 AM

    My mother swears by SAS Shoes, she worked as a nurse 12 hour days for 45 years and her feet never hurt when she wore them. They not cheap but she says they are worth 5 pairs of cheap shoes. lol There a SAS store in north Kansas City, Northtown Shops 301 Armour Rd


    Kevin

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  9. Anonymous8:06 AM

    Donna, I had the same problem with my tomatoes this year. I had more when it began cooling off than in the heat, I think because it was so cool and wet before. Any way, I had good luck picking them green and bringing them in to ripen(before they rotted) They still tasted much better than a store bought tomato. Karen

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