Bacon grease! We needed some for a rice dish on xmas and I had a couple of slices wrapped in plastic from the freezer. It was so lean it turned out more like ham than bacon so once it was cooked the grease had some olive oil added to get the right amount of frying medium.

My next door neighbor gifted me a bottle of avocado oil - she has mentioned liking it for frying things (like those eggs of Charmion's). I used some yesterday to pan fry some cut up potatoes and it is very nice. Milder than using my EV olive oil, but very nice.

Pepper's trip to the vet was postponed due to a family emergency for the doctor; we all area breathing easier this morning. We're due in on Friday now and I'll continue giving the antibiotics and changing the kind of gross shirt each day and washing very small batches of laundry to keep a few clean. It gives me time to do other things today than deal with an upset dog.

Looks like it's getting to be time to start a new thread for 2023. I've enjoyed reading all of the participants this year who drop in for a time and contribute interesting projects. For some it is a daily log of chores that lead to decluttering, and I try to take a look back to see if I'm not repeating myself too often. New for today: I'm making the big move to put the old FoodSaver machine in the Out-of-the-House pile; it can't form a good seal and there is no point in donating a malfunctioning device to Goodwill. I'll put it in an e-waste bin if I can find one, otherwise, it's to the landfill. My new one received for xmas works like a dream.

I spent last night researching electric companies that serve this area. Years ago a state mandated a site set up to let electric companies post information about their offerings and most of them use an introductory price for a year or two contract to lure in new customers. Some of them are downright dodgy (low prices with many restrictions and the rest of the time a much higher rate). My current plan is expiring after two years, and I've decided to return to the previous company that is 7 cents cheaper for kWh compared to the current company's renewal offer (the next one is still 5 cents higher than the expiring contract). I have to wait until January 1 to be sure I'm in the two-week window where you can make the change without a penalty from the existing service provider. I learned this trick of changing companies to save money from the local newspaper's watchdog reporter. Under normal circumstances people would stay with the company they choose, but Dave advises change every year or two. He also writes about property taxes - electricity rates and property taxes - two areas that really bite people regularly. This will declutter my pocketbook more next year, but not as much as if I didn't change.

I'm scheduled to go to an early evening holiday party, but COVID is on the rise. I'll wear a mask and play it by ear, possibly leaving after a very short visit; my elderly visitor arrives later tonight and she already had COVID once. No way I want to pick up a bug tonight and give it to her again.

Stay safe, everyone! And our travelling Charmion's books are a great gift! They should find a good home quickly - there's a trick to getting someone hooked if they're not sure. Take some time and start reading an exciting part out loud, and stop before you get to the end of the segment. I did that to convince a 13-year-old reluctant reader that he'd enjoy the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. I mailed the first book, he let me know when he finished, and I mailed the next. By the time I mailed The Two Towers I got a return post card saying he'd be ready for the last book when it arrived. :)