Frugal Friday! Week of September 26-October 2, 2021

 Good Morning Frugal Friends!

I hope you are all doing well!  We had a busy week—as usual! As I have said before, I am blessed to never EVER be bored!!!

So on with my frugal things!

*I accepted my daughter’s offer to start teaching me how to play the viola. She has already been teaching me violin—I started playing the violin when she gave me a beginning violin book as my Christmas present, completely unexpected (and unasked for, I might add!).  I knew that Christmas when I opened up that book that it was not merely a gift of a music book—behind that book came the unspoken offer of my daughter to teach me how to play the violin.  It was an invitation into her world.  And so I could not resist accepting.  I had never had anyone believe in me in this way before.  And so at age 53, I started playing the violin, having exactly zero musical background upon which to build. I am having to learn EVERYTHING, and this “old dog” does not necessarily learn “new tricks” quickly. But it fills a hole in my heart that I didn’t even know was there.

Well, for some time my daughter has also been offering to teach me viola, as she plays and loves both instruments. I have felt like perhaps I should not confuse my poor old brain too much, and have continued to tell her “not yet.” I wanted to become more firm and knowledgeable on what I am already confused on before adding to the confusion! ;) Well, I am not yet firm, and certainly not very knowledgeable, but through some very sad circumstances, another viola has come to live in our house.  You see, a precious, dear friend of ours passed away very unexpectedly.  When my hubby was sharing his condolences with her husband, they were catching up on what each has been doing since we moved miles apart some years ago.  My husband shared that he has taken up playing the viola as an adult, and our friend was very surprised, as his wife had done the very same thing.  He immediately offered my husband his deceased wife’s viola, which was a blessing as my husband had literally been saving to be able to purchase himself a better quality instrument.  And so that is the story of how there are now three violas currently “living” in our house.  One belongs to my daughter, and two belong to my husband.  And I have been invited to love on any of the instruments.  And so it happened, that even though I am still only crawling my way through book 2 in violin, I have now added starting to crawl my way through learning viola at age 56.  Surely this is all good for my brain, as I am definitely learning new things!

*I adapted a magazine holder that I already had, to hold the viola books that have been passed down to me.  Our friend sent my husband his wife’s viola books, as well as the instrument.  My husband looked through the stack of books, and gave me several that he was advanced beyond. And so my viola music library has begun, out of the kindness of a friend passing on what was no longer being used in his home.  Every time I use these books, or  play on the viola so sweetly passed on to my husband, I will remember the courage and tenacity of another woman who took up playing the viola at age 69.  

My magazine holder was not broken, but if it is holding my music books it will be slid on and off of the book shelf quite a bit. I didn’t want the metal to end up scratching up the book shelf, so I hot glued on a bottom of soft felt.

It only took a few minutes of time, and now is already put to work!

*I hiked every day with my daughter. I am so glad I did, as this week is turning out to be another week of solid rain for us. 

As we hike, we talk. We laugh.  We ponder.  We discuss what she wants to do with her life and where she feels God is leading her.

We discover the beauties of nature. 

Sometimes we illustrate in our nature journals. Always we come back home refreshed.

*We tasted something new to us—“Moon drop” grapes!  We had seen these before at Trader Joe’s, at a price far beyond my grocery budget for purchasing fruit!  So when I saw the last bag on a shelf in my Aldi’s, I snapped them up.  They were definitely sweet—and VERY fun to try!  If I see them again at Aldi’s for a good price, I would definitely buy them again!

*I accepted my brother’s kind offer of passing his old phone down to me, as he is purchasing a new to him phone from a friend of his who is updating. I guess this is the week for friendship blessings!  I so appreciate those that have been shared with us—the viola, viola books, and phone.  And it reminds me to watch for how I can bless others.  It may not be money or even a physical object.  It might be time, or a listening ear, or food made and brought over.  But whatever form it takes, whatever it is you do, it spells L-O-V-E.

Have a beautiful week my friends!

And I would love to read about how you saved and blessed your friends and family this past week!

~Susan