They don't want to play the no spending game

Army daughter and son-in-law went out house hunting again today.  They brought their baby and girl so she could play with the baby.  They left right before lunch.  I'm making lunch, don't you want to eat here before you leave?  No, they'll pick something up when they are out.  But it's quarter to twelve.  So they left.  They are picking up dinner tonight.  Why?  There's leftovers that they made for lunch yesterday.  There's leftovers that I made for dinner last night.  I can make something if you don't want to cook tonight.  No, they'll pick up tacos.  Then let me look in my coupon book.  Here's a coupon for two free tacos.  You can get that for me.  Don't I want four?  No, I want to free ones.  OK, that's sort of cheating on the no spending for 10 days but I'm counting it anyway.  They don't want to play the game.  Boy and I are eating chicken/pasta/pea casserole leftovers from last night.

Today I'm canning peaches.  Oldest daughter is coming over to help.  She knows if she wants jam or juice or brandied peaches then she has to help.  Army daughter wants to know why I'm wasting time since she can just go to the store and buy it there.  After all, she says it's better when it's store bought. (This one sure didn't pick up the make it yourself attitude that I tried to instill, did she?)

We have one tree that is so loaded with peaches that the branches want to break.  I tied the branches up last year and also propped the branches with wooden boards and am having to do the same this year.  It's really surprising to get bumper crops of peaches from these trees.  Usually it's an overbearing year followed by a small bearing year.  That's good though because last year I hardly got any canning done at all and oldest daughter and granddaugher picked peaches and sold them in front of their house in town so they wouldn't go to waste.  This summer is starting out very slow for work so I'm planning on getting lots of canning done.  I bet I can get a good three years worth of peaches canned and also have plenty to eat. 

The local nursery has a chart which shows the different varieties they sell and they are all charted by ripening schedule.  I have planted a good variety so we do have fruit ripening year round.  Citrus can stay ripe on the tree for months.  The peaches are Flordaking peaches which should have ripened May 1-25.  Last weekend, which was after May 25 was the first that they started ripening. The Pix Zee Mini (it cost $2.50 on a closeout, otherwise I would never have bought a miniature fruit tree) ripens in June and those peaches are still hard as green rocks with no coloring in site.  One apricot tree only gave us enough apricots to eat this year and the two other apricot trees haven't ripened yet although they should have ripened the last week of May.  It's just the crazy weather that has slowed everything. 

Well, back to the kitchen.  Day three, still spent zero and my two tacos are going to be free.  Yes, I know it's sort of bending the rules...