What I am reading

I have had this book over at dad's since early last winter. During my visits with him I have read through it.  I finished it this morning while sitting out by his pond, listening to the water.

All politics discussion aside, I really enjoyed the behind the scenes perspective about their journey to the White House and how it affected the people in that role.

I may have to read another book or two on this topic. I see a few other first ladies have written one as well.

What I am reading

In continuing my curiosity with the Astor family, this week I read The Astor Orphan. This is a biography by Alexandra Alrich.

This biography is about the branch of the Astor family who lived at the country home called Rokeby. While the city Astors continued to live in splendor (and sometimes excess), this branch lived on a former glorious estate that was slowly crumbling due to a lack of money. The father of Alexandra was educated as an Astor but lacked money (as did his siblings). They lived very poorly, wrapped in the memories of what life used to be like for their family.

Summer payday

Last September our pay period changed from monthly to twice a month. The 15th and the last day of the month.

A lot of people were excited about getting paid 'more often' but I was not thrilled about the switch, and 10 months later, I still don't love it.

For 25 years I had been getting paid on the 25th of each month.  Granted I didn't start to figure out the budget system until 1 years into it, but I still had that habit.

Once I got my jar system in place in 2008 things started to fall into place and it. felt. right.

I had divided it up into the payday and 3 'fake' paydays for my weekly jar money, so that I didn't overspend in the first couple weeks and then have to stretch it all out for the last 10 days.

It was a good rhythm.

With this change I had to sit down and figure out which bills came due when so I could create the bi weekly budget. Phone bill on check 1. LOC payment on check 2. That sort of thing. Some savings goals I had to split into two chunks just so that it would balance the budget.

I made a lot of errors at the start of which bills needed to go into which paydays, and had to keep switching things around.

I still do the fake payday every week so that I have a fresh reload on my jar money (groceries, gas, etc)

I know this is only short term. After all, I will be retired in the next 10 years and I will go back to once a month for my pension payment. Lord that feels weird saying. Pension payment.

What I am reading - Astors

So apparently I am on a 'Gilded Age' quest.  After reading about the Vanderbilts I headed to the library to look for books about this time period. Up came a boatload of books about the Astors. None of them were in our library current rotation so I clicked 'order' on a few of them.

Much to my surprise ALL of them came. I looked like I was writing an essay as I checked them out. The librarian said "oh we are into Non Fiction are we? Doing a research project?"  What could I say?

Apparently I am this week, I smiled sweetly.

I had no clue where to start or which one to read. Some of them definitely have that 'old library' smell to them and some are newer.

I decided to start with When the Astors Owned New York, by Justin Kaplan

It really goes back. Allllll the way back. There are  a lot of details. A lot of names. A lot of 'begats'.

But once I let go of that incessant need to really understand all of that, I started to be able to relax enough to start to enjoy it.

It really is incredible how much wealth was amassed in such a short period of time. A lot of foresight about the future of New York. A lot of excess. And not a lot of understanding of what truly makes people happy. As I read it, I never really got a sense of any of them truly being happy. 

I read as the first big hotel was built in New York City. The best, the biggest, the most excessive...and then torn down about 60 years later. 

I got this sense of  them never being satisfied.

I guess money doesn't really buy happiness.

What I am reading

I loved the Devil Wears Prada. Movie form. I did not love Weisberger's Everyone worth knowing, that I read in 2007. But when I saw this one at the library I wanted to give it a shot. Light fluffy beach reading to start off the summer.

When Life Gives You Lululemons focuses on Emily's path. It was alright, but I wonder if the movie they plan to make about it will be as good as Prada?

Sunday Funday

Today was a big day at dad's.

He has a row of pine/spruce trees along the fence line and they have needed tending for a long while. Scraggly, low hanging branches that make it tough to see the fence and tough to get to the bit of 'grass' between the trees and the fence.

DH and DS1 came over today to dad's and we cut and cut and cut. The yard has been neglected for two years now and there is a lot to be done. While they did that, I was baking in the house. Dad likes the smell of baking and misses the sounds of having people around the house so it was perfect for him.

He wasn't up to doing a lot but the supervisor chair definitely was well used as he guided the boys. We burned some of the branches while they were cutting to avoiding hauling them to the farm. We had to stop when the firepit was full of ashes.

A nice supper of BBQ burgers and then we headed home.

Slowly his yard is coming together.

Where the money stands

as of July 5th

Debt

Mortgage - $4 524.00

College LOC - $10 899.91

Total Debt - $15 423.91

Planned Savings

TFSA - $9350

RRSP - $14 262

TFSA 2019 - $200

Plates 2019 - $100 (used for jeep plates)

Back to School - $500

RRSP 2019 - $2000

Summer 2019 - $1000

Christmas 2019 - $0

I need to get cracking on my XMAS 2019. Even though I didn't use it for XMAS per se last year but channeled it towards my trip to France to see DS1, it is still essential to start savings.

Dad has signed his house over to me to avoid clawbacks when he passes away. The  property taxes are due in August and the house insurance is due in July so I need to find out how much these are and if he still plans to pay them or if that passes on to me. It's totally up to him but I am hoping he pays some of it. I have started tucking money away to help with this, but if I don't need to use it, then I will put it towards renovations and furniture when the move eventually happens as we don't plan to get rid of our little house right away.