This Week In My Home:

This week in my home...

...I gladly welcome Spring.  I was up early this morning as I have been all week long and looked out the window.  It seems my flowers are determined to bloom in ones or twos so each day there is a new surprise awaiting me when I look out the window.  Everything looks very healthy and although I'd prefer to see a mass of daffodil or iris bloom they make me just as happy when seen in singles and doubles.  Last week there were flowers upon many trees.  This week there are new leaves.  And happiest harbinger of all, the metal racks of herbs and hardy annuals appeared outside the local grocery this week.  I long to go wild over plants but I won't.  One could easily go bankrupt of both money and time (and back muscles!!) if all the plants were bought.  I'll choose a few and plant a few seed and perhaps I'll put in something really new this year but I'll try hard to keep it reasonable.

We've a brief cool spell this week and then more of the lovely warm weather we've been having.  I'll take advantage of the cold to make one last round of hearty meals before transitioning into the warm weather favorites.  John has most of this week off and all of next, so trying to stick to routines and not giving in to a holiday frame of mind is going to be tough work.  I'll settle for a balance of the two but sometimes I just have to let go of the wheel and settle back and enjoy the ride.  It's gonna be interesting to say the least...


...I plan meals

I've decided to follow Dee's example and try some of the recipes I've pinned on Pinterest, so a couple of recipes may look unfamiliar and that's because they are new to me.  I'll start the menus with today's meal:

Corned Beef Braised with Mustard Glaze, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Cabbage, Apple Walnut and Raisin Muffins

Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey Breast, Roasted Asparagus, Salad with Sliced Strawberries and Almonds and Blue Cheese

Easy Italian Beef Stew, Tossed Salad,  Rolls

Greek Grilled Chicken, Brown Rice, Steamed Broccoli

Corn Moussaka, Green Salad, Pita Bread

On my own

visit with Katie

...I plan my work:

I can't believe it's been a year since I finished up the kitchen curtains!  Time to take them down and wash and iron them.  I got a good deal of Spring cleaning done in the kitchen already but there's a little more to be done.

Clean under the stove hood.

Cull books.  I just couldn't bring myself to do it last week but I really need to get it done and deliver any books I'm donating to the Women's Club for their book sale.

Get lab work.  We'll do this on a day we've planned for errands and such anyway.  If I think of it I'll measure that one picture and see about getting a frame at Hobby Lobby while I'm on the same street.

Piece together outfits for Spring.

Try to finish front porch project once and for all and move on to some of these these other unfinished projects.

Now that I've worked on the second quarter budget sheets, try to do a mini frugal boot camp brush up and pull some more frugal tricks out to implement.

Transplant plants so I can have herbs at the back steps.  Plant a few seeds.

List of items I need to shop for and guesstimate costs so I'll know just what I'm facing.  This is several lists for projects, clothing needs, and home items wanted.

Really must take a few objects to the booth and freshen that space a bit.

...I have fun:

Interesting fact:  I've found more images of women at leisure in the 1920's magazines than any other era...from the 1930's onward women are generally portrayed doing some form of housework and only rarely are they shown enjoying any sort of leisure or sports, while finding images of women at work in 1920's magazines is rather difficult. 

It would be a terrible shame to have John off for 7 days and not get some enjoyment out of the time off.  We'll visit Katie and baby girl one day and spend some time with them.  

I have a new book to read and review.  I'd like to take time this week to read through it and make notes as I go.  Not work as it sounds exactly as I find reading relaxing and enjoyable and worthy of taking to the porch, so I can get a little sun at the same time.

I think I'd like to grill out one day this week and the chicken recipe I've chosen is supposed to be grilled for best flavor.  I'll try to see if I can convince John to eat al fresco as well but he's seldom willing to do this at home for some reason.  I'll try to make it extra pretty and worth while.