Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/386959
Longtimeread- ers may recall a se- ries of columns, Mary's Big Remodel (www.everyday- cheapskate.com/re- model), where I kept you up to date on the long and agoniz- ing remodel of our home by my hus- band. What you may not know is that no sooner was the paint dry than we put the house up for sale. To our utter amaze- ment it sold in about three hours. Yikes. We were only testing the wa- ter. But the offer was something we could not refuse. And now for the rest of the story ... We had 30 days to pack up 27 years of our lives, which we put into storage pending a deci- sion on where we would eventually relocate. We kept out a few bare necessities and moved into a tiny apartment, where we lived for about 18 months. Did you get that ... a "few"? Clearly, I was not in my right mind when I decided what I would need in this mi- croscopic kitchen. We're talking a spat- ula, a wooden spoon and a rubber scraper. That's about it in my tiny uten- sil drawer. And that spat- ula? It's 44 years old. I know because it was part of a wedding gift set. It makes me laugh every single day. But that's not all. I had to put my slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker and 99 percent of my kitchen into storage. That's how small this place is. Don't cry for me. We are having the time of our lives. I'm cook- ing more than ever and turning out some pretty amazing meals, if I do say so myself. It feels like being on vacation every day. I brought my Breville smart convection oven (www.everydaycheap- skate.com/brevilleo- ven) because I cannot live without it, and this apartment does not have a stove (yeah, you heard me). We purchased two items that have pretty much changed the way I cook, and I plan to not change once we move to our new home next spring. I'd never heard of in- duction cook- ing. But the re- views and the energy savings (it costs only pennies to op- erate because it doesn't pro- duce any heat) for this single- burner Max Burton induction cook- top (www.everyday- cheapskate.com/induc- tion) convinced me to give it a try. It plugs in, and I use it right on the counter. Amazing. Oh, how I love induction cooking. And, yes, I have one single burner. To round out my func- tional kitchen, I have a Breville Fast Slow Cooker (www.everydaycheap- skate.com/fastslow). I couldn't believe it when I found this honey of an appliance. Of course, you know that I am pretty much in love with any- thing from Breville, and this is no exception. It is a slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, steamer all in one. I can saute, sear, slow cook, pressure cook and keep warm (with a countdown timer) with this one single appliance. What a space saver! It just works. I love it so much, now I am think- ing this may be all I'll need in a regular—sized kitchen in the future. We'll see how things go. But for now, this is the best thing ever for our new minimalist life. As for the future? It is very bright. I am so grateful that we have purchased a beautiful new home, and when I say "purchased," that's exactly what I mean. We bought this home that is located on a golf course with a drop-dead view of the Rocky Mountains, without a mortgage. It's ours no matter what the future may hold. And that, my friends, is what can happen when you commit to living be- low your means and without debt. It can hap- pen for you, too. MaryHuntisthe founder of www.Debt- ProofLiving.com, a per- sonal finance member website. You can email her at mary@everyday- cheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2099, Cypress, CA 90630. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Myminimalistlife Mary Hunt REDDING As rifle season begins, Shasta-Trinity Na- tional Forest officials are asking hunters and the community to be aware of fire weather and the poten- tial for new wildfires to oc- cur. "The Forest is still ex- tremely dry and the poten- tial for large forest fires still exists," said Deputy Fire Management Officer Gwen Sanchez. Sanchez said typically, this time of year, the forest experiences a fall trend of rain and cooling tempera- tures, but that is not hap- pening so far. In Trinity County, the Coffee fire, which is 6,258 acres, is still under an ac- tive closure order to en- sure public and firefighter safety. The Coffee closure order contains a map and table of the affected area at www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/ FSE_DOCUMENTS/stel- prd3813747.pdf. Hunters are encour- aged to not only be famil- iar with and follow all hunt- ing guidelines, but also to practice fire safety and fol- low current fire restrictions which include: 1. No campfires or char- coal fires except inside es- tablished campfire sites within Forest Service camp- grounds and other devel- oped recreation sites and designated fire safe sites. 2. Campfires will not be allowed in the Trinity Alps, Yolla Bolla-Middle Eel, Chanchelulla, Castle Crags or Mount Shasta Wilder- nesses. 3. Smoking will be con- fined to enclosed vehicles or buildings, developed recre- ation sites and other desig- nated fire-safe sites. 4. Use of internal com- bustion engines is prohib- ited, except on roads and designated trails. All en- gines must be equipped with spark-arresting de- vices. 5. Welding or operating acetylene or other torch de- vice with an open flame is prohibited. Campfire permits are required where campfires are not explicitly prohib- ited. Campfire permits are free and available at all For- est Service, Bureau of Land Management and Cal Fire offices. Permits are also available from campground hosts, Forest Service field personnel and online at www.preventwildfireca. org/ People interested in camping outside of desig- nated areas should con- tact the nearest Forest Ser- vice office for instructions, updated fire information, campfire permits and cur- rent restrictions. Contact information for the respec- tive Rangers stations can be found on www.fs.usda. gov/stnf. People in violation of these prohibitions may be subject to a fine, six- months in jail or both. If a person is found to have caused a wildfire he/she may be held liable for fire- fighting and resource dam- age costs and any injuries that occur. Visitors are en- couraged to "Know Before You Go" and call ahead to the local Ranger Station to check on location con- ditions. For additional safety, hunters and those ac- companying them on pub- lic lands are encouraged to wear daylight fluores- cent orange, also called 'hunter orange,' to pre- vent accidental shootings. Visitors who hike, ride or just stroll through the for- est during hunting season are recommended to wear highly visible safety cloth- ing as well. Forest Service officials ask the public to watch for clues of illegal marijuana operations while in the woods. They can include: Isolated tents and camp- ing trailers in the forest where no recreational ac- tivity is present. A pattern of vehicular traffic or a par- ticular vehicle seen in the same isolated area on a reg- ular basis. Unusual struc- tures located in a remote forested area with buckets, garden tools and fertiliza- tion bags. Signs of cultivation or soil disturbance in unlikely areas. Irrigation piping and trash scattered in forested areas. For additional safety in- formation regarding mari- juana growing operations and other hazards found in the forest, visit our web- site: http://www.fs.usda. gov/stnf, under Alerts & Warnings. FOREST SERVICE Hu nt er s re mi nd ed o f fir e da ng er s PHOTOCOURTESYOFUSFISHANDWILDLIFESERVICE Hunters are urged to be aware of fire weather and the potential for new wildfires to occur. The Shasta College Cho- rale is still accepting new members. The choir is seeking sing- ers for a program of cho- ral music to be performed in December. The chorale meets at 7 p.m. Mondays in room 638 on the Shasta Col- lege campus in Redding. The projected works for this term include the "Seven Joys of Christmas" and the Midnight Mass by Char- pentier, accompanied by strings. The chorale will also sing a variety of choral music by composers Eric Whitacre and Shawn Kirchner. Men and women who have some basic musical skill and a de- sire to sing are welcome. For further informa- tion, call Elizabeth Water- bury, director of choral pro- grams, at 530-242-2367. MUSIC Shasta College still holding chorale try-outs Today REDBLUFF California HEAT Chorus - Sweet Adelines: 7p.m., Meteer School multipur- pose room, 695Kimball Road, 895-0139 Childbirth Class: 6:30- 8:30p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Columba Room, 888-628- 1948 Fun Senior Aerobics: 8-9 a.m., $1per class, Com- munity Center, 1500S. Jackson St. 527-8177 Grief Support Group: 3-5 p.m., Coyne Center, Kristin Hoskins 528-4207 Imagination Train story hour: 4p.m., Tehama County Library Kelly-Griggs House Mu- seum: 1-3p.m., 311Wash- ington St., group tours by appointment, 527-1129 Live country music, din- ner: 5-7p.m., Veterans Hall Narcotics Anonymous: 7-8:15p.m., 2595Main St, last Thursday of month Painting session, Red Bluff Art Association: 10a.m., Tehama District Fairground, 529-1603 PAL Martial Arts: 3-5 p.m., ages 5-18, 1005Vista Way, Ste. C, free, 529- 7950 Penny Bingo: 9:30a.m., Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Phoenix Community Sup- port Group for chemical dependency: 11:30a.m., Presbyterian Church, 838 Jefferson St., 945-2349 Pinochle for Seniors: 12:30-3:30p.m., 1500S. Jackson St., free, 527-8177 Red Bluff Exchange Club: noon, M&M Ranch House, 645Antelope Blvd. #1 Red Bluff Lions Club: 6 p.m., Veterans Memorial, 527-6616 Rock Choir: 4p.m., 601 Monroe St., free, all wel- come Senior Chair Volleyball: 1p.m. Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Sunrise Speakers Toastmasters: noon, 220 Sycamore St. Swinging Squares Square Dance Club: 7 p.m., Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St., for beginner or review classes, call 529-1615. 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