My Plans for (the rest of) July

 


First things first.  I want to plan my last few days of July and finish off strong for this month.  Mind you all it's HOT, like truly hot, so that is going to mean a great deal of what I do is going to be guided by how early I can get up, especially for the outdoors work.  Indoors, it's also mandatory that I work in the cooler parts of the house during the right times of day.  In the morning, that space is not likely to be our kitchen, unless it's 7am.  Kitchen work is more suited to after 6 or even 7pm at night.  That's why this time of year I typically buy bread and cookies or pies and seldom do any long baking.  I utilize the toaster oven and slow cooker more often and I'm careful to choose lighter meals overall.  

Morning work in the house can be done in bathroom, bedrooms and our main living area without great strain upon my perspiration system.  

This year it's not just the heat outdoors but the rainy weather.  We had a very slim chance of rain today.  Right now, it's gray and cloudy outdoors and thunder is rumbling in the distance.  The plants will be glad to get any rain at the moment.  They've gotten used to having a great quantity and then we have had three days of no rain and high heat indexes, so they are looking a bit strained.  Except the grass, lol.  That is just looking long and lanky.

Never mind weather which is summer-ish as it ought to be.  What are my plans for the last part of July?

Well, for about a week I'm more or less free to get things accomplished and then I'll spend the very last week tending to children all over again.  Sam is of a mind to take his kids to work with him if it is allowed.  I've told him I'm here to keep them and I will be doing some of that, I'm sure.   I told him I can keep them here part of the time and up at his house part of the time.  That way they can have quiet time at home and get into the pool as well if they'd like.  Here they don't have the option of the pool, just a sprinkler.  

1.  Gardening.    Nothing fancy or exotic.  A great deal of what my lists assure me I can plant at this time are simple basic items that I know we will eat like green beans and beets, cucumbers and parsley, dill and such as that.  I have more than enough time between late July and early November to get in several crops and a few that will withstand the first frosts.  We'll see how it goes.  I've paid for the seeds from my grocery funds, since they will hopefully become food for my household.

I also want to plant some more flower seeds.  I told you all I'd bought some and while the packages do not say they are good for planting this time of year, every good gardening channel assures me that I can indeed do so, and I'd like to see if I can end up with some sort of flowers before November.

So, ordering seeds and planting what I can in the next week or so.

2.   Pantry Freezer inventory and challenge.  I had planned to start a pantry and freezer challenge for end of July.  I've got two weeks here in which I can make meals using what I already have on hand, which is substantial at the moment, especially in produce.  

I've been pretty much cooking from the pantry and freezer anyway (except produce) since I started keeping the city children.  Few sales have presented themselves at the stores in that area that allowed me to restock meat or canned goods, etc.  I've relied on what produce I was given, a few dairy and produe sales and used what I had otherwise until July 4th week, when I was able to restock a few basics like mayonnaise.

However, I want to know what I have in the freezer now that I've done June and half of July.  So, the inventory will be as much for the purpose of determining what I need to focus on restocking as it is to be sure I use up older meats and vegetables and entrees I've tucked into the freezer.

3.  Have lunch out with friends.  That is already scheduled and has been since May.  I've been so looking forward to this luncheon out with them and am glad to be free to go and enjoy it.

4.  Set up a few outfits.  I've literally flown by the seat of my pants with outfits this summer.  Mind you, most of all I've needed was a t-shirt and jeans for keeping up with the children so there was little point in 'planning' anything, but I've struggled with church outfits and now that I'm mostly free of childcare I'd like to look nice when I go into the grocery or garden center.  

5.  Try to go visit Mama.  I've only a few days here I can plan to do that.  She won't go anywhere on a Saturday, and meals out are too pricey on a Sunday not to mention restaurants get very crowded.  I know she's going to want to eat in the car and its stinking hot for sitting in a car and trying to eat any sort of meal.  I refuse to go to her apartment because she has a snappy and barky little dog and the whole of the meal is punctuated by Mama screeching at the dog and the dog barking back.... It's enough to make a saint question their patience and I'm not a saint by any stretch of the imagination.  She's not fond of going out on a Friday but since it's been so long since I had a free day, she might be amendable to going out then.

6.  Oil change for my car.  Really this shouldn't have a thing to do with me, but John insists I go with him to get the oil change so there you are.

7.  Mission Outreach.  

8. Do some minor kitchen jobs.  I've noted that the kitchen drawers are messy and need to be vacuumed out again.  I need to restock coffee.  I restocked flour and brown sugar yesterday.  I need to put some things in jars that have languished about in zippered bags that don't quite work.  I need to check the state of the garlic I bought in April or May when I was last at Sam's Club and make sure it's not sprouting.  Nothing onerous but all necessary little jobs just like that freezer and pantry inventory work.  Some of these tasks will be included in the inventory work obviously, others will not.

What I've already done: 

I've already worked out my finances for next quarter.  I need to make a copy for my notebook.  I like to keep one in my main homemaking notebook as well as in the check register.  

I had planned to study the Holy Spirit this summer.  And I did what I could by listening to so many sermons on the study subject over the last few weeks while I was driving to and from work and as it happened, it was the subject of my own pastor's June sermons, so I have had some good notes from that that touched on several of the points I heard in the sermons I listened to.  I still want to pursue my own study upon the subject though.  I started this morning.

I've placed an order on Amazon for some seeds to plant for fall foods and herbs.  I ordered online because so far, I've come up dry looking for seeds everywhere else.  

I have reviewed my summer menus for meals we enjoy this time of year.  I haven't made a tuna pasta salad but once this year so far and that was in the cooler days of late Spring.  I'll definitely be putting that on the menu this week!

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And Here We Are

 


Monday, July 14:  I'm a little frustrated at the moment because it is currently 7:45pm and I do not know if I am to be keeping the boys tomorrow or not...Let's just say that Cody's vacation request is being ignored and he's not pushing the need for the time off.  I don't know if that's strictly true, but it is what I've gathered from limited information (and therefore could be erroneous).  

Nevertheless, I am very tired just now and feeling peevish about having to set my alarm for 6am without knowing if I actually shall have to be up at that hour or not.  I had a rather rough night last night as John was so restless and never fully got over last week's tired before coming into this week.  Not having a clear yes or no answer is not sitting well with me.  

Fortunately, the boys were well behaved today.  Caleb's kryptonite has turned out to be something very simple.  He craves being called 'Excellent' in his behavior.  And today, I told him very quietly I thought perhaps we should try for an Excellent day and so he mostly minded me without any issue.  

I also made sure to let him help.  He helped sweep the steps, helped me mop the floors, helped me prepare his lunch.  He's quite capable of putting his own bread into the toaster and with my help he cut his own cucumber for his lunch plate.  He was very pleased over those things.  Katie dislikes having him in the kitchen because of all the dangers of which there are plenty, but I'm more prone to allow him to help me do smaller tasks.  I'll let him put food to heat in the microwave.  He pushes the right buttons and then I tell him to let it rest as it's hot.  He minds me quite well.  He's always been a very cautious sort of child, not fond of pain or danger in the least.  That's partly why I do things with him, to build his confidence up.  

As for young Henry, he was determined today to explore the house as a whole and since I cannot have him getting into things that are not childproofed, we agreed to disagree on his roaming freely about.  He went into the playpen with minimal toys.  If he has all of his toys, he tends to be rather irritable about things.  I fed him a mixture of things he can easily pick up such as freeze-dried yogurt bites and a banana flavored grain thing called 'Puffs' and then gave him baby food.  When I started to take him from the highchair, I sat a bottle of milk on the table within his sight and knowing that he was about to get that bottle stopped his usual temper tantrum about leaving the highchair.  

All in all, it was a very good day.   It doesn't make me any less tired, but it does make the day seem less hard.

Tuesday:  I wish I could say I slept in or even slept well but I didn't.  I had alarm anxiety all night long and kept waking to see if I had a message that I'd need to come keep the boys.  I gave up about the time the alarm went off and gave in to getting up.  Bonus was that as I leisurely sipped my coffee, John made me a proper big breakfast, and it was all delicious.

I decided today would be a day of catching up on rest but also catching up my thinking to my home schedule and the rest of my summer.  The very first thing I did this morning, after watering the porch plants, was to come indoors and gather my notebooks.  I reorganized and sorted through my current notebook and then flipped through my older notebook where I stash each year's notes and pulled a few things out of there to add to the current notebook because it falls in with my current planning.  Now I'm ready to make both a list for the end of July and a goals list for August.   I wanted to get organized before I began either of my goals lists.  While I was at it, I copied out a few recipes I'd actually tried, and we liked but hadn't made it to my recipe notebook.  

I misread the clock this morning and thinking it was nearly 1pm, I rushed into the kitchen and started doing various things there.  I'd gone in to make lunch.  I didn't start lunch.  I sorted through the fridge, noted a zucchini looking like it needed to be used, pulled out four more (still have three in there.  It is a zucchini summer for sure.)  I grated that zucchini and measured out 1 cup increments to put into bags to freeze.  I saved out 1 cup or more, added two over ripe bananas and made up another loaf of the zucchini chocolate loaf I'd made over July 4th.  It tastes yummy.  But I think with the added banana it needed more flour, and it definitely needed a pinch of salt.  As well, I don't think it cooked long enough even though it was in the oven a full hour at a higher temperature than the original recipe called for...We'll eat it but I won't try altering that recipe again.  It's very good when made as the recipe calls for it to be made.  

I've puttered around, then come back to work on my notebooks and finish gathering my information.  Now I am ready to sit down and plan the rest of summer.

And that is my post for today!

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The Final Week? Maybe Not... July 7 - 13

 


Monday, July 7:  The morning went very well with the kiddos, and I am grateful for that because I had a sorry night of rest for the second night in a row.  But when I got up this morning, inwardly groaning, I made it a point to pray what I've found to be a very helpful prayer.  "I didn't sleep well, Lord.  I'm trusting in you that what rest I did get will be sufficient for what I'm called to do today."  And it was!  

I'd just finished lunch, Katie and Taylor were having theirs, when Cody came home.  "I'm in for the day," he told me. "But tomorrow, I definitely have a whole day's work."   Saying he's done is my cue to pack up and head home.  And that's what I did.  I debated picking up a bag of peaches, but I just wanted to go home.   I didn't really have extra money for peaches.  I reasoned that the season isn't over.  If indeed this week is my last (I am feeling doubtful) then I've got time to pick up peaches over the next few weeks.

At home this afternoon, I've done minor things.  Besides having to stop and greet the dog and rub the cat's belly, I swept floors, started supper in the slow cooker on high, and grated two zucchini that were starting to look a little bit beyond their best. I sat down to get the checkbook set up for our July payday.  Now I think I'm going to have a brief nap and call myself done for the day.       

Tuesday, July 8:  Yesterday afternoon, I did indeed take a nap.  I didn't sleep long, perhaps a half hour but that I could manage one at all is testament to how tired I was.  I am not a napper by nature.  I was back in bed by 8pm, and asleep by 8:30.  I won't tell you I slept all night long, but I had absolutely no issues going back to sleep when I did awaken.  I felt fairly well rested this morning.

And good thing I was!  Five-year-old shenanigans ensued today.  No real trouble but just two five-year-old children who were overcome with giggles and to whom everything was super amusing.  Honestly my greatest struggle has been the habit of one sticking out the tongue when reprimanded and that is not acceptable to me as I explained more than once.  Tomorrow, it shall be the corner when such behavior is displayed.  

At lunchtime, I was running behind putting lunch out for the children.  Henry was eating along with the two five-year-olds.  Well Mr. Henry screamed angrily at me when I took him up after he'd eaten...He didn't want to leave the dinner table while the others were still eating.  He'd eaten well but he kept looking at me to see if I was bringing him anything more, lol.  I asked Katie if, since he'd been eating baby food, he'd cut down on any of his bottles.  She shook her head No.  I said, "Well he's acting hungry about every two and a half hours.  You've got two choices.  We increase his food intake or up his bottles.  Since the formula is super pricey and he's getting the daily recommended amount, I think we need to feed him a little more."

I changed his clothing and let him play on the floor between the couches.  Not only does he capably crawl, but he can easily pull himself into a standing position and walk along the furniture edge.  And what's more the little monkey is letting go and standing on his own for a few seconds before he reaches out to get support.  I think he's going to be walking before we turn around. He's just about to turn 10 months old.  Not so very early for him to begin to toddle about.

I will say that by the time lunch was over today I was more than ready for quiet time.  And I was blessed to get some, too.  Henry took a long nap, and the two children were relatively quiet.    

The afternoon went along fairly well.  Bella is quite good in some respects.  She takes her quiet time seriously and doesn't spend too much time talking and playing.  She tends to lie in bed and actually rest if she doesn't go to sleep.  Caleb on the other pops like popcorn, in and out of the bed and room.  Both are very good at being helpful.  Bella cleans the room really well.  Caleb is happier if he's doing household chores, like sweeping off the steps or gathering laundry up for his Mama or unloading the dishwasher.  He's also big on helping in the kitchen and I will let him do very limited things to help.  Katie would prefer he not be in the kitchen at all, but that's her nervousness over him possibly touching a hot stove top or cutting himself with a knife.    

Cody told me this afternoon that yesterday they were both a little upset I'd left while they were in quiet time.  Bella apparently ran to the door when pizza was delivered shouting, "It's Gramma she's come back!" lol.  I told Cody that did my heart good to hear.    Both asked me today if I'd be back tomorrow.  And I will be, and on Thursday but I think from Friday onward they will have to get accustomed to seeing Gramma only on Sundays once more.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Wednesday, July 9:  I'm so tired, I could crawl in the bed and go to sleep right now.  I could truly.  And it's not even 7:30pm.

It was a decent day with the children.  Bella and Caleb were fairly good.  I can see though that the 'togetherness' the two are forced to share just now is beginning to wear thin on both.  They truly enjoy playing together and have a great deal of fun between the two of them.  But they neither of them are used to having the other right there every waking and sleeping moment of the day.  They both crave that time apart and don't even realize it.  I think Bella is meant to go back to her mom's tonight and will return to Cody on Friday, but I'm not certain.  It doesn't always work out as planned.  

So, the children are beginning to bicker a little, play too rough, be tired, as neither of them knows when to take time out from one another.  They are now at that stage of play where it's fun to tease one another and they set out to tease each other until someone is upset.  A lot like some grown-ups I could name!

My time with the children is nearly up.  This morning when I came in, Bella said, "It's Gramma!  The Good Gramma!"  I laughingly told Katie I'm not sure who the Bad Gramma is but apparently me and Bella's Granny qualify as the good ones so that's something.  

Two more days and I'll be done with this leg of childcare. I can say honestly that sometimes I've been tired going into a day and tired-er coming out of it, but it's not been a terrible thing.  I appreciated the little boost to our income. It came at a time that is typically more than a little tight for us every single year and so it was especially helpful.

I've been looking back over the past five weeks and what I've accomplished during it.  Never mind house and garden, skip thinking of those.  But I have managed to change the way I grocery shop (cash basis now).  I topped up the tags/taxes account to the annual required amount.  I've paid off two credit cards.  We have topped up our vacation fund and are now assured of funds to take our annual vacation.  

I have discovered that I can do a great many things in small bites.  The house has stayed afloat.  John picked up and started doing some of the household chores I'd typically do and that was a huge help in keeping things going. I was wise with the time off I had. The flower beds are all refreshed, plants pruned, etc.  

Now I can begin something new in the yard.  I have two projects in mind.  One is to surround my patio with a mulched border.  There's going to be some expense tied to this but it's not insurmountable.  And I'd like to begin work on the flower bed extension so that it runs down the southern end of the house.  

I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of my summer.  I want to have morning coffee on the porch.  To go get seeds and try again to have flowers and vegetables now that I have time to putter at that sort of thing.  To start a new self-guided Bible study on the Holy Spirit.   To pursue new things creatively.

I am ready to start a Pantry/Freezer challenge for the rest of July if indeed this is my last week.  I want to do some minor deep cleaning.  I am ready to embrace my homemaking work once more and to do so joyfully.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Friday, July 11:  I got off a wee bit early yesterday afternoon.  I headed right to the grocery to pick up the cheese that was on sale (and loaf bread, half & half, crackers that were on sale, sausage and a package of grits, too).  That and some produce ran about $95.  Not unhappy with that.  I allot myself $120 per week and I felt I did well enough. But I have yet to find vinegar in that store.  I've been up and down all the aisles and can't find it anywhere!  This is the same store where I never located the aluminum foil until I wandered down the freezer aisle one day and there it was.  This store has some strange locations for things you'd think would be in another area entirely.

On my way home, it began to rain.  The weather this year has been unusually wet and rainy.  The temperatures are much lower as well. Yesterday afternoon, I watched temps run down from 94 to 73 in about 40 minutes time.  It rained some on the way home, but John had said it was a heavy downpour at our house.  Well, my goodness!  The ditches out our way along the main highway were full of water and it was running hard and fast.  I noted that the one low area of the highway was covered in water, so I quickly detoured up another road.  Two other cars followed me. The low spot in that road was covered in water as well but we all made it safely through.  We three turned onto our main road (not the highway and eased through more low areas.  It was when I got to my own dirt road that my heart quelled a bit.  

It looked like a dam had broken.  Water was not only rushing down our road but pouring across the road from the peach orchard next door.  The county thoughtfully filled our ditches not too long ago and when I called to complain they told me that our road was hardly worth their time or something along those lines...Well, had I not been so busy navigating the 12 inches of water pouring across the road at that moment I'd have stopped and taken a picture to ask one more time if they truly thought the ditches were so unnecessary and my complaints so trite.

I held my breath and powered through safe in the fact that, indeed, I was not going to be swept into a ditch since they don't exist.  At worst the water would have pushed me into the dump area which was also underwater.        

I made it just fine, came up our squishy yard to find we were a land of lakes at every level of the old, terraced field we call a lawn.

The children from the manor were here when I arrived. I was weary when I walked in the door, soaking wet from the rain and lugging groceries.  Immediately a cry went up, "We're hungry!"  Oh boy.  Fortunately, I'd noted a half price markdown on a cheese and salami tray.  I never buy those things, but I'd noted I had an Ibotta offer for the same item, so I grabbed it.  I was able to put that down before the children who happily got busy snacking on it, despite the fact that it was a Spicy tray. 

Just a quick note here to say that when I'm clipping digital coupons (I never had paper ones anymore), I always clip things that I don't buy just in case I come across such a deal as this one today.  That tray typically costs $15, was on sale for $7.50 and I saved another $1.50 using the Ibotta coupon.  There's plenty of snacks left in that tray.  Each of the children ate their fill of it.  

At 6pm I acknowledged that likely I'd need to feed them supper.  I had taken out two pork chops for our supper but there was no way that would do for two adults and three hungry (yes again!) children.  I used the bread I'd bought and some of the cheese to make toasted cheese sandwiches, sliced up apples, put out a bag of chips and a bag of cookies I'd bought a few weeks ago and tucked back out of sight.  Supper was ready and everyone ate without a fuss.

John had had the children since before lunch and they stayed here until nearly 8pm when Sam called and asked if I'd run them home and stay with them there.  I did so, then stayed to listen to him talk out his weariness from the day.

It was a long day for me but a longer one for Sam.  Y'all please pray hard for Bess.  Her mental state has deteriorated further, and she's sought a difficult form of treatment.  It's a scary and very brave step to take this route and may take months.  She's going to need every whisper and shout of prayer that can come her way for herself, counselors and doctors to tend to her mental health needs.           

I headed to bed after returning from Sam's somewhere around 9:30 I think.

I didn't rush to get ready this morning.  I took my leisure having a cup of coffee before I ever began to get ready to leave. And it kinda makes me angry because every morning I've been hurrying to get ready and doing this and that before I leave and do you know I left the same time this morning, having accomplished easily as much as always and yet I slowly drank a lovely cup of coffee that was fully hot the whole time I was drinking it instead of gulping it lukewarm between tasks.  But for sure, I'm going to make time to drink a leisurely cup in the future!  It made such a difference in how I approached the day overall.

Today Caleb played outside for a long time.  It was so cool and so pleasant outdoors, in the low 70's.  I'd driven over to work with car windows open and had to let them up because I got a bit chilly.  

Usually he plays in the water, but today he decided I was the Queen Mother.  He made me crown from some cardboard he'd found in Katie's gardening bag.  But he objected to being called Prince Caleb, so I dubbed him my most honorable and worthy knight, Sir Caleb, which pleased him, lol.  Go figure.    We didn't bother with schoolwork today nor with crafting.  He just played outdoors and when he came indoors, he lay on the couch and flipped channels on the tv, like any grown man might.  It drives Katie and I nuts, but when I got home this afternoon what did I find John doing?  Not lying on the couch but definitely flipping through channels!

Henry is eating more and more.  All week long he's screamed with anger when I take him out of the highchair because he knows that means no more food is forthcoming.  Today he must have gotten enough because his screams were short lived.  He took a bottle, rolled over and went to sleep!

This afternoon, Gramma nodded off when it was quiet time, too.  

More rain on the way home today and the yard as full of water as yesterday but thankfully the ditches and roads were not filled.  Temperatures this evening were back down in the low 70's.  The AC has only come on once since I've been home this evening.

I go back on Monday, and it is my hopes that after that, Cody indeed reminds them he has two weeks' vacation time he's put in for.  I told Katie Sam needs help with his three as he will be a student teacher this coming semester and needs me to keep his children for a few days prior to the start of school.  Hard to believe that school start date is only about 2 and a half weeks out.  At most I can do one more week with her and then I need to be home.  Fingers crossed Katie gets behind Cody and insists he take at least some of the time off.

Saturday, July 12:  Yesterday afternoon when I got home, I had to attend to some financial business.  A check had gone missing in the mail, so I put out a stop payment on it.  I'll reissue that payment.  I'd planned ahead for the holiday time frame and mailed it off extra early.  No luck.  Due date came and went and by the end of the week I was anxious about it.  It did not help to read about the issue of thievery within the postal service where employees are stealing checks and washing them.  That is such a slander to ALL the postal workers who faithfully and honestly do their work with integrity but for whatever reason the postal service is unable to catch the thieves and if they do seldom punish them.  Sheesh.  Anyway, the funds in our account would never be a boost to anyone's income but it would devastate us to lose what we have.

I also found an error in how my PayPal account had been set up.  Accounts had been switched from one payment form to another, and it was meant to be a onetime transaction.  Well, it never got switched back (personal error on my part) and I didn't catch it until the one source was very nearly drained.  Oops!  Sometimes it feels as though for every smart financial move I make, I make a step backwards elsewhere and it's generally due to carelessness in not immediately attending to something like this.  However, I will take no responsibility for the postal service losing mail.  That I cannot possibly control!

This morning, I popped outdoors...well not morning.  No, it was gone noon when I finally got dressed and headed outdoors.  I did not to go to work.  I just wanted to see what was going on in my little gardening areas.  Blooms are few and far between.  I suspect it's too much rain at present.  The tomatoes are flush with blooms.  I took a moment and planted a tomato cutting and some impatiens I'd rooted over the past week.  I emptied the compost.

I'd bought seeds to plant when I was in the grocery.  Things like Echinacea, zinnias, four o'clock flowers, cosmos.  In looking at the packets every single one suggests they are best planted in Mar, April or early May for my area and the echinacea says only in the fall.  I had read that I could plant each of these in July...I'm holding off until I can do a little further research.  I want to get some bean seeds and squash to plant for myself as well.  But not zucchini since Sam is keeping me oversupplied with that.  

I plan to spend the rest of the day simply puttering and mostly resting.  I made us a big lunch.  We'll have sandwiches for supper.  My puttering is mostly clearing up behind myself, so I have less to do tomorrow.

Sunday, July 13:  I'm tired.  I'm hot.  I've been able to get very little done today and for that I am deeply sorry because right now my body says "Done" and my mind says "Same".  It hasn't been a hard nor difficult day.  We got up at our usual hour to get ready for church and I managed to make the bed, load the dishwasher, put away clothes I'd folded yesterday afternoon, make breakfast, have a leisurely cup of coffee, wash the trash can after gathering trash and fed the pets.  Then we were off to church.

When we arrived today, I told John, "We're a bit early.  I think I'll get myself an iced coffee.  Would you like some hot coffee?"  He told me indeed he would that he hadn't had any coffee at all today!  Since he was up earlier than me, I assumed he'd had his usual two cups, but he said he'd never bothered to fix himself one.  I was so busy, I didn't ask if he wanted a cup, either.

After service today somehow, we kept stopping to talk to people.  There's a lot of that goes on in our church.  It's a large church but it acts small.  People mill about and talk to others before and after service.  Today we spoke with several people, some who approached us and some we approached.  

After service we headed over to pick up the missionaries' mail and I walked into Publix to get bread, cat food, lettuce (John's request was for 'regular' lettuce, which means Iceberg).  I picked up a few sales items and splurged on a pound of beef bologna.  At some point in every summer when it's hot, I like to buy a pound of bologna and plan for sandwiches.  That's what we had today when we came in.  It was nearly 3:30 before we got home with our groceries, unloaded them and sat down to eat.  

I especially dislike that now that we got to the late service, the fallout is that we eat lunch very late indeed on Sunday.  And often it means we skip supper entirely.  That means I often will start to get hungry just about bedtime and then instead of sleeping, I lie there hungry and planning endless meals I might make in the coming week, lol.  It's all rather ridiculous.  I'm just going to have to plan on a later supper!

I spent time after our lunch getting my financials straight and then I got all the missionary stuff sent off to them.  Finally, I began dividing and putting away the stuff I'd bought.  Mostly it was bread that I wanted to deal with.  I haven't really had time or energy to make bread in the last few weeks, so I bought bread on sale today.  The difference between a 16-ounce loaf of bread and a 12-ounce loaf is 2 slices.  Did you know that?  Neither did I, but I do now.

That pretty much has this week wrapped up.  Again, I am very hopeful that this will indeed be my last week keeping Caleb and Henry and occasionally Bella and Taylor.  I have deeply enjoyed this time for the greater part of it.  It's not been a hardship for me to give up the time.  My only anxiety about finishing this week is that I really do need to be able to help Sam next week.

And yes, I am ready to have a chance at my own summer now that the school year is upon us.  Part of not sleeping last night was due to the fact that I lay there planning the things I'd like to do, bake, make, etc. 

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Patriot Heart: July 3 -6

 


Saturday, July 5:  Thursday, despite my assurance that I'd take the day off, I went out to tackle that flower bed about the Sweet Gum.  I got a load of work done in about an hour and a half.  It was one of those nagging sorts of jobs.  Every time I'd see it in the state it was in, I'd get upset about lack of time, feel overwhelmed, and saddened, because the few flower beds I have took a lot of work to establish and have been a lot of work to maintain.  I don't want to lose a single one because of neglect.

I did not get to the cutting out of small trees (they spring up from the roots), but I got all the small vines, privet, cedar and such pulled out, raked back a load of leaves, sweet gum balls, etc., out of the bed, too.  That was okay.  I made a start at the big task that faced me and that felt good.

Thursday, I also put away the meats I'd bought on Wednesday.  I cut the smoked sausage into serving portions, cut the pork loin I'd bought in half. I made a salad for the evening.  Then I made a cheesecake and a Double Chocolate Zucchini Loaf.  I split that loaf into two smaller pans and gave one to Sam.  Yes, it is a lot of sweets, I admit it.  But the Zucchini loaf was more than half eaten after supper by John and Josh, since it was so small.  

 I kept things simple Thursday evening with the kids.  Frozen pizzas cooked in the toaster oven and semi-blackened.  The learning curve continues.  350F and half the time seems to work best instead of the 400F and 18 recommended minutes.  The kids were good sports.  They assured me they liked the chewy bits...lol.

No one went to bed early.  When we headed off to bed, I listened to them bounce and bump and giggle and fuss for at least another 3 hours.  No reason to think they'd sleep late on Friday morning.  Josh was up shortly after me.  I got up at 6:45am only because I'd been awake since 5:30am.  

I made Sausage balls and Orange Danish for breakfast.  I used the last of some pimento cheese in the sausage balls and they turned out awesome.  I'll do that again.  Who knew?!  The kids appreciated our 'holiday' meal.  

They talked with John about the age of the country, 250 years this year.  There were other questions asked, which John answered.  And he talked to them about how much he loves this country, as do I.  It has its faults and flaws but it's still my country and I love it dearly.  That's why I fly the flag here at my home.  I don't fly it as a threat to anyone or to make any statement other than this is my home country and I'm glad to be here.  I get a lump in my throat and an extra thump out of my heart each time I see the American flag flying.

And it made me feel happy this past week when Caleb and I were crafting.  I make a replica of our flag (not true to the real flag, but enough so he knew what it was) and he recited the Pledge of Allegiance to me.  I was impressed.  

Anyway, in the spirit of the day, I decided I really would take a day off and just enjoy things.  I made up a batch of hot dog buns and cooked hot dogs and lemonade and sliced the watermelon I had chilling in the fridge and brought out bags of chips.  I called Sam and invited him over for lunch with us all and we had a small family gathering for the meal.  

This morning, I was awake early again, but made myself stay abed until a bit after 7am.  I leisurely had my coffee and Saturday morning Croissant breakfast with a bowl of blueberries and bananas on the side.  After I did minor house things, unloading the dishwasher and cleaning off the counters, I headed back outdoors to do the cutting about that Sweet Gum tree and the Faith tree in the front yard.  I stopped after that to cool down at the patio table.  I had piled a lot of cut limbs from the Rosemary on that table and now that they were dry, I broke them into six-to-eight-inch pieces.  I plan to tie them into bundles and then Sam and I can use them on the grills when we're cooking/smoking.  That's something I plan to learn to do with my charcoal grill, is smoke roasts and whole chickens and such.

Anyway, I headed out to the shed flower bed where I cut a dozen echinacea heads that had finished blooming.  I hope to gather seeds from that and the rudbeckia that had finished blooming.  I picked some spent Sweet William blossoms.  I must laugh.  I assume there were far more seeds and it's already self-seeded in the flower bed, but I got only six seeds...Never mind.  I'll have six seeds to sow in another spot.

I've spent time working on genealogy.   I did take a brief break after working on the maternal family side.  Now I'm working on my paternal side.  I haven't done nearly the research on these lines as I had my mother's families.  So it's all rather intriguing to me.  I'm looking forward to getting to know this side of my family.

It's funny really that I know so little about it, because my dad's father always talked to me of the family history.  Granted he focused mostly on the Irish immigrant side, but I've already found it interesting that after my 2xs great grandfather immigrated to the United States, his parents immigrated too and went to live in Scotland.  

I also found it interesting that while raising his second family by his second wife, he supposedly had all of his children christened as Catholics.  My great grandfather was 21 at the time. I haven't seen the christening records to know if this is true or not.  However, I can tell you that both the first and second family all attended the same little Baptist church and were buried there.  I find that rather odd. Perhaps there weren't Catholic churches available to them?  Or perhaps their mother's faith was the one that won them over?

I don't really know.  But I still find it fascinating.  I am off to follow another bit of rabbit trail.  Talk to you later!

Sunday, July 6: Goodness!  Just look at that date.  Tomorrow will complete our first week of July.  Now that seemed to happen awfully quick!

As did the days I was off go by.  

I've only just awakened from a bit of a snooze in my chair.  Were John not stretched out on the bed chatting to his brother, which he has been for the past hour or so, I'd just go crawl in bed for the night and call it a day.  However, there he is and I'm in no mood to listen to him and George chatter back and forth.  

I had a horrid night last night.  I think it was because at lunchtime I'd ordered a tall, iced tea and then John took me to Dunkin' to get a coffee.  I ordered a Decaf Cold Brew, but the label didn't read Decaf...So double the caffeine mid-afternoon.    

However, our lunch was lovely but only just.  I do not understand the hostess at all.  The left-hand side of the restaurant where the kitchen doors open was packed out.  People in booths, a twenty person or so table smack in the middle, waitstaff crammed in trying to serve people, and just at the head of the area an overpacked table of more people.  The hostess scooched in between two chairs, bumping one of the patrons.  The patron accepted the apology graciously, but she glanced around at that crowded side of the restaurant and up at me and said, "Why?!  Why is she pushing you in here?"   Well, I was thinking the very same thing.  There was only one empty booth on that side yet the whole of the right side of the room was all but empty with just two booths and one table taken.

I shook my head at the customer at the table.  John in the meantime said, "I can't get through there!  I'll go around to the other side."  I said to him, "John wait a minute."  "But I can't go through there..."  I motioned to the hostess and pointed to the right-hand side of the room.  "Can't we have one of these empty tables?"  She literally made a face, quite unhappy, but she gathered up menus and silverware and came to seat us at a booth on the right-hand side.  I told John I hoped he didn't mind.  "Not at all!  I wasn't looking forward to eating over there!  Did you see how crowded it was and it's noisy as well."

I spent the afternoon at home running down rabbit trails and received quite a shock.  Here I'd just shared what a patriot I was.  My findings last night were of a huge scandal that rocked the Southeastern states involving some of my great grandfather's brothers who were drafted for WWI, deserted their base and killed a Marshall in the process.  At first, I just thought they perhaps had been moonshiners (they were mountain men) but no it was the desertion and that truly bothered me most of all.  They and three sisters all ended up in jail due to that.  No wonder my grandfather never told me of Pap's family history, only of Pap's dad's immigration to America!  

That truly shook me to the core.  Mind you all in all of the research of my mother's families there were loads of patriotic men who fought wars, but one set of family were known Tory supporters during the American Revolution.  That bothered me even less, since I felt they were at least willing to fight for something but these guys and their sisters...Well it just shook me.  And it just goes to show you never know what you will dig up when running down a rabbit trail!

After church today, we met up with the missionary's daughter to turn over some important paperwork that had come in the mail.   And then over to Katie's to celebrate Bella's early birthday.  Just as there was no point in telling Caleb that today was to be Bella's birthday on Wednesday, there was no need to tell Bella that today isn't really her birthday, lol.  Her birthday is a little later in the month, but her mother is hosting a family birthday next weekend nearer her real birthday, so Cody and Katie had one this weekend.

Cody, Katie and Gary, had not only cleaned the house, but they'd mowed the yard, used some of the excess dirt to fill in a few holes, filled the sandbox with sand and filled the little kiddie pool.  A young cousin shared the day with Katie's kiddos and so there were four children crammed into a tiny sandbox and/or pool.  They were having a blast though.  When we left, Caleb was lying in the sandbox, Taylor was burying his body and Bella was pouring water over the top of him while Liam stood aside and asked questions, lol.  They were all utterly content, and the adults had the great wisdom to hush up and just let them play.  Sand washes off and will surely dry out in the July heat.  The pool can be emptied and refilled with clean water later.  In the meantime, adult conversations were held and enjoyed.

Tomorrow I will return to babysit for one more week.  It's hard to believe that this stint is coming to an end.  While I've appreciated the pay, small as it is, I have also enjoyed this time with Caleb and Henry.  Cody will be on vacation these last two weeks or so and then Katie will move her office to the living room and be near Henry all day long.  For now, that will work just fine for him and her both, and Cody should have the same days off that Caleb and Bella have.

I have been thinking it is time to have myself a pantry/freezer challenge.  I haven't been stocking up so much these past few months but there are always things that I might miss using, or things expiring, or an excess of one item or another that could be put to use.  

There is a BJ's Wholesale Club opening in Warner Robins this month, I think. John and I keep seeing offers to join for just $15.  He told me today to go ahead and join next time I see such an offer.  "We've thrown money away on things that were far less useful and it will be nice to run in while we're already in town anyway."  That's true.  I think I have only four months left on my Sam's Club membership and as I said to him, "If we don't like it, then we can always renew our Sam's Club..."

Do any of you have a BJ's Wholesale Club membership?  What are your thoughts on it?  I'm not at all familiar with them but the ads make it look very similar to Sam's Club or Costco (which I've also only seen in videos since we don't have one near either).

And with that I shall end this weekend blog and go get ready for bed.  John's still talking but I'll watch videos for a bit.

See you all next weekend!

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Starting with a Bang: June 30 - July 5

 


Monday, June 30:  The following quotation is something I read in Fiona Ferris' latest post on her blog.  It struck me hard, and I wanted to share it with you all in case it resonates with you as well.  

...you don't get confidence so you can do the thing, you do the thing and get more confident as a result.

How often do I think I'll wait until I feel more confident to do the things I feel less than confident about, like use a pressure canner?  Yeah...still haven't gotten up the nerve.   But reading that quote today I thought of things I need to just do.  

Yesterday evening, a friend of John's came by.  It was wonderful to sit and chat with our friends.  I hadn't seen them in ages.  At first, they protested they had ice cream in the car, but I suggested they could stash it in our freezer and visit just a little with us, so they did.  I laughed a little to myself because I've known them for years upon years.  We all lived in the same small town.  We sort of drifted through the same community doings at schools, church, workplaces, etc.  It was so lovely to catch up with them once more.

Before they left, they gifted us two huge coolers of corn.  They'd driven up here to give it to us, it wasn't an afterthought.  I think one of the things I love about gardening season is the generosity of gardeners.  I put something like 2 dozen ears into the freezer.  Sam came and took nearly 2 dozen more.  Katie said she'd take a whole cooler to share between herself and a friend.  When Sam came by to get the corn, he brought five zucchinis with him and promised me he'd have blueberries today.  He was here this evening when I came in and delivered about a pint or so.  I couldn't resist dipping into the bag to sample a few while we chatted together.  So good!

We had fresh corn tonight for our supper.  Oh, gracious it was good!  

This evening when I was looking over my little 'garden' of pots, I noted that I had my first tomato blossom.  This year...maybe, this year, I'll have my own tomatoes to enjoy?

Tuesday, July 1:  It feels odd that I'm not making goals for July.  I don't really know when I'll be off duty, so I have no clue if there will even be much of July left for doing anything.  However, during the next to the last week of July, John and I are having lunch with his friend and former partner.  They've invited us wives to attend and I'm very much looking forward to that.  

Debbie and I have a sort of special relationship.  I wouldn't say we are intimate friends, but we pretty much shared the same schedule, heard the same tales, attended the same work parties and stood the same tests for a bit over 20 years.  Bess used to refer to Debbie and me as "Sister Wives" because as she said, "Y'all are really only married to them every other week.  They are married to each other on their work week!"  And she was more right than not.   

After the older kids left home and especially so after Katie left, if the guys were working the holiday shift I got invited to attend holiday gatherings at their home.  Andy and Debbie often hosted the working medics for Fourth of July barbecues, and they always asked the wives.  I was also at their home for Christmas and New Year's at times.  It made the whole wife of a paramedic thing much more bearable if you want to know the truth.  I used to get rather blue at having to attend everything on my own during John's work weeks.  Not just church, but family dinners, friend's invites, special church events, fish fries, etc.  It was rather nice to actually be with my husband at a barbecue or holiday dinner!

The few zinnias that came up from all of the hundreds of seeds planted, finally started blooming.  This evening the skies were black, thunder rumbling and threatening us loudly.  I looked out at the blooms and decided I'd just run out and cut a few for a bouquet here in the house.  I tried to choose the older blooms and leave the newer ones to get larger and fuller.  I am pretty sure that some of the seeds I planted were meant to be Benary's Giant Zinnias.  I can assure you not one of the ones blooming appear to be that variety at all.

You know, I paid really good funds for seeds and while they were a couple of years old, one would think they might have done something other than sit and rot.  They were meant to be from a really good dealer as well, and heirloom variety.   Ah well.

The basil is thick and lush and can't seem to get over 1 inch tall...The oregano looks sickly, yet the sage, planted in a separate area but the very same soil is thriving.  Go figure.

The baby looked tired today.  Katie thought he mustn't be feeling well but his temperature was normal.  His appetite certainly hadn't suffered either.  He didn't take much of a nap this afternoon either.  When he woke, he kept appealing to me to take him up. Only getting him out of the play pen proved to be the wrong thing to do.  What he actually wanted was to get on the floor and explore, stand up at the back of the couch and throw everything off the sofa table behind it, crawl over to his brother and pull his hair.  Changing his diaper was like fighting a wild animal. I put him in his bouncy seat and said, "Get some of that energy out!"  That little boy bounced so hard, his little feet hit the floor sounding like a proper foot stomp and he went to work on jumping like he could make that thing get up and go somewhere if he worked it hard enough.  I've never seen him so wildly active like that.  All he had to eat at lunch time was green beans, lol.  Makes me glad he didn't have spinach!

Wednesday, July 2:  This morning Caleb told me "When July gets here..." and I stopped him.  "July's here."  "No, Gramma, it's June!"  "No, it's July.  Today is July 2nd."  He said, "Wait a minute..."  He walked around the corner where his Mama has hung the calendar and looks hard and then comes back, "It's still June.  It's right there on Mama's calendar!"  I laughed and told him, "That's what Mama's calendar says because she hasn't changed it yet.  But I promise you it's July!"  He remained unconvinced.  After all, the calendar was the only thing that could be right.

Henry is bored with the jumper and bored with the playpen.  He wants to get down on the floor and roam around.  Or if he's on the couch to snatch whatever he can reach: remote, pillow, phone, brother's toes, something on the table behind the couch.  He has laser focus and strength like a Grizzly bear.  100% determination, too.  The only confinement he really enjoys just now is the highchair.  

And heaven help anyone who has something to eat and fails to give him something as well.  What a ruckus he can make.  Wailing, gnashing of toothies, whining.  He's pitiful.  He's starving.   

I've had a really good week with Caleb this week.  Bless his heart, today when Cody came home early and said "You can go home if you want..." Caleb started crying.  "But when are you coming back?" he wailed, just as Cody said, "And I have tomorrow off, too so you don't have to come over."  "Monday.  Well actually, Sunday, because Grampa and I want to see Bella.  But I'll be here on Monday to start the week with you and Bella."  I didn't mention we were coming for Bella's birthday on Sunday because he would have pestered his parents to death over when Sunday was coming.  "Not until MONDAY?!"   He acted as though he doubted his chances of survival, lol.   At least I know he'll miss me...

I went to the grocery store.  I don't know about anyone else's area, but July 4th ads didn't hit until today.  In the past you could count on 10-14 days of July 4th specials.  Not this year.  I bought a lot of groceries today, more than I've bought all month long.  I went about $100 over but I stocked up on several things that are on sale right now that likely won't be on sale again until Labor Day.  Soda, chips, cream cheese were on decent sales.  I stocked up.  I bought a lot of produce and a handful of other items on my list (not grits or white vinegar, sigh).   My initial total at Kroger was $265.  Then all of my e-coupons and digital deals came off, as well as two physical coupons.  That brought my total down to $165.  I had $130 cash and paid the rest with the debit card.   

Then I headed over to Publix.  Two items I'd gone in for weren't available at all.  I bought four 8-ounce blocks of Athenos Feta cheese.  I plan to freeze some of that.  I like making the roasted tomato and feta sauce for pasta.  I like Feta tossed in a salad, or with the Cucumber and Tomato salad or with Chicken Souvlaki on a pita...Plenty of ways to use that!  My total there was $65.  That included a $17 Sansevieria that I simply had to have.  I love those plants and was sorry to lose mine two years ago. I'm happy to have found another.  This one even has pups (new plants) in the container with it.

John was off to Columbus today with Sam to get the truck back from the collision center.  Hard to believe it's been over there for a month or more.  John was very nervous about driving back.  I felt his anxiety all the way over at Warner Robins and mentioned it to Katie.  She said, "You always do that with each other."  We do.  It's true.  I knew he would do just fine, but he always has an overload of anxiety about any travel to a lesser known or new area.  

I am home. I'm so glad to have tomorrow off.  John and I may sneak away for lunch on Thursday or Saturday.  I'm getting the Manor House kids tomorrow evening to spend the night and start off the July 4th holiday with.  I expect they will stay through lunch before they head back home again.  

Speaking of those kids, I went over the calendar for July and was so disappointed to find that Reynolds has nothing except on Saturday for Summer Reading.  The kids are with their mother on weekends so I can't take them then.  Weekday programs are mostly starting at 4pm in Butler and I can't make it to Reynolds before 4pm...So it looks like Summer Reading is going to be a bust this year, sigh.  Not to my liking at all!  I was so looking forward to doing this with the kids.  

Millie and I are going to start work on our fairy garden.  I don't know just what we'll use as our base.  I have a load of moss growing on my patio, that lovely cool plush sort of moss that stays damp and green on the concrete and will stay green on soil if I remember to keep it misted.  We have a few figures to use.  I have a plastic container I want to turn into a house but in the meantime, we can use our blue glass stones to make a stream and eventually perhaps I can find some small plants that will do well to add in.  

I'm going to go ahead and publish today.  Tomorrow, I want to concentrate completely on resting.  I may sneak outdoors to garden for a wee bit, but I'm not going to jump into a lot of deep cleaning and housework.  That can wait until Friday after the kids are back home.  

In the meantime, I'll wish you all a Happy Fourth of July.  I hope you all have a lovely holiday weekend.

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The Week of June 23-29

 



Monday, June 23:  I don't even know where to start.  I had a rough start to my morning.  Not anyone else's fault. Nor mine, really.  I had one of those stupid, heart wrenching dreams just moments before waking.  I wanted to stay home today, something fierce after that, but it was truly the residual effect of the dream and nothing more.  

I have been making it a habit on my way over to listen to a sermon.  This morning, I got in something like one and a half and I reckon God must have known I'd need every word of both!

Caleb went to the corner at least once before lunch because he was just showing out, but hey, fairly normal behavior.  It was after lunch that things went to pot.  I was nearly in tears when Katie got off work and I don't mean that in a sissy way.  I mean it in the way of a woman who nearly lost faith in her ability to deal with a child.  I wondered seriously if I was doing a bit of good for anyone and most especially for ea certain little boy.

I get little time with Henry.  He's a very easy going, undemanding sort of baby.  And it's a good thing he is because Caleb needs lots of attention to keep up with his thinking.  I was feeling a bit guilty that Henry was getting so little hands-on time.  Not that he wants it especially, mind you.  He loves his big play pen because he's plenty of room to crawl about and lie down and roll around.  He has his little bin of toys, and he plays with them.  He watches the tv screen which is generally playing music but does have changing scenery.  

I had a headache by the time Katie got off work this afternoon.  It was stinking hot outdoors, 101F in the spot where I parked my car.  Thank goodness I'd left the windows open...I'll have to get myself one of those sunshades to go on the dash.  I figured the day had been so tough, I might as well go on to Kroger and take my chances shopping, lol.  

I picked up a handful of items there.  Five half gallons of milk on sale for $1.39. I bought the limit which I planned to freeze, a loaf of bread in case I don't feel like making more come the weekend. Dog food for Rufus, a bag of chips for John, a box of sugar-free raspberry Jello, because I so seldom see that flavor and I dearly love raspberry. I priced almond flour, but they had only Bob's Red Mill and that was very dear in price.  Hemp hearts also were dear.  I left those behind. I never located white vinegar which I really wanted to make refrigerator pickles, dressings and such.  So, I came off light as far as shopping went.  I checked out without a hitch despite using the self-checkout.  

I put on a music play list to get me home. I normally just want quiet on the drive home, but I very much needed the calming influence the music had this afternoon.  I chose a Jake Westbrook Summer music list and heard some interesting songs.  I mulled over how 'radio' (because that's where most of these songs were originally aired) has changed over the years.  These days I can hear fundraisers, golden oldies which is mostly songs from the 80's just now, lol, and political pundits but very little of the sorts of programs I listened to even 30 years ago.  Ah well.  That's why I am grateful for YouTube just now.

It's meant to be terribly hot for two more days. Then it cools down to something akin to mild temperatures which means a bit under 90F.  After 101F it shall feel almost chilly...

Tuesday, June 24:  Today Katie turns 33.  I was just that age when I had her 33 years ago!  I've thought and thought about how life played out when it came to Katie coming into this world.  

If I said I was on the cusp of big changes when Samuel was born, then I was on the cusp of still more when Katie came along 8 years later.  I'd had a rough year when I got pregnant with her.  My marriage broke.  I was in a job that was all wrong for my personality and knew I wasn't giving nearly the performance the patients or the facility deserved.  

I had to return home to live with my mom and dad after the physical rehab hospital, because my marriage gave its last gasp and fully died. I moved out on my own for the first time and traversed all sorts of stupid things like a rotten car that cost me more than I was going to pay for it and not having hot water for a month before I could get a repair service to even consider coming to the house to check why I hadn't any.  I was scared and unsure of myself and fumbling every step of the way.

 I met someone just after my divorce was final who misled me.  I found myself a single parent with two kids and another on the way, struggling to make ends meet, get my feet under me and making a lot of hard decisions.  But I knew when I discovered I was pregnant that I would go forward with it.  People told me I was 'brave'.  I would laugh and say, "Or maybe just stupid..."  Not because I felt stupid, but it was very much a part of the great unknown future that loomed darkly before me.  And maybe they were right and it was brave, too because too many told me there was an 'easy way out'.  It wasn't for me.  Still, it cost me something to go forward with that pregnancy.  Reputations were still broken over such things at that time in the area where I lived.

One reason my marriage went bad was because my ex made the solo decision to make sure he'd never have another child.   I had no say in the matter. All my life long, I knew I dreamed of three children.  I used to sit behind these two little girls at church who had a very bad mother and a very loving aunt who poured herself into caring for them whenever she could which was often.  There was one girl with dark brown eyes and every time I looked into her sweet face and those brown eyes smiled at me, I started crying.  I knew beyond a doubt that my last child would have been a girl with brown eyes, and I spent 6 years mourning the loss of that child even though I'd never had a chance to be pregnant a third time.

So, when I found myself pregnant, in not great circumstances, at a time in my life when I was neither physically, emotionally, or mentally prepared to have another child, I accepted the news from my doctor with something that felt a whole lot like a renewal of faith in life and a God from whom I had grown very distant.  I remember calling Mama and telling her.  That was one place I expected full condemnation.  I told her "I can't help but see this child as a gift...And I plan to go right ahead with this pregnancy."  For all that she can be harsh and hurtful, this was one area where my mom and I were in complete agreement.  There would be no abortion.  I tell you all right now that she fully supported me in my choice and she never spoke a single recrimination whatever she might have thought.

When Katie was born it was a hot day, much like today.  Terribly hot with heat warnings all over the news.  I held her in my arms, and I swore her eyes were already brown. She took one look at me, and she started talking.   I had never heard an hours old infant talk before, but this one did.  My goodness that baby cooed and ahhed and oohed from her first hour of life and didn't stop for 12 years.  

I had my third child, the brown-eyed girl I'd grieved over, and I couldn't have been happier.  Nor could I have asked for a better support system of friends, co-workers, and family during that time of my life, despite some others in the community making snide or hateful remarks or dropping acquaintanceships.  

10 weeks after Katie's birth, John and I finally connected.   I walked into my living room to find him holding my baby with an ease I'd seldom seen in a man.  My neighbor was in the house and had been holding the baby when she opened the door to John, invited him in and handed the baby over to him!  I was nonplussed and a bit leery about it, but I couldn't deny that he certainly seemed at home both with the baby and my neighbor!  

Later I discovered that John had also dreamed of a third child, a little girl all his own, but he didn't say so right away.  He had the good sense to wait a few months before he said it and we were a couple by then.  He adopted Katie as his own shortly after we married two years later.

I think it's wonderful how God took my grief over that missing third child and John's longings for a daughter and brought them together into one girl we call Katie, all the while gelling us into a happy couple.   There have been hard times, as there tends to be with any child, but oh the blessings we've had, too over the past 33 years with our little girl!  

Wednesday, June 25:  At 6:35 am this morning, after I'd been up a good twenty minutes, had a shower and was mostly dressed for the day, I had a text from Katie.  "Cody's home.  Take the day off today.  Stay home."  I was over the moon.  

John said, "Go back to bed!  Get some more sleep!"  "Oh no...I've already showered and that woke me up.  I plan to enjoy today!"  So I headed right into the kitchen, gathered what I wanted to go outdoors, including my first cup of coffee, and off I went to work in the yard for the next hour and a half.  John came out to look for me eventually.  

I'd finished weeding and mulching the Rose bed, had partially weeded and mulched the 'gas' bed (where the gas line runs into the house).  I'd moved the pile of branches out of the gas bed.  I'd emptied the outdoor trashcan and cleaned a little mess off the shelves on the back porch.  I stopped only because my shower was no longer valid.  I was soaked to the skin with sweat, mosquito bitten, scratched from the roses, dirty, and itchy with mulch and completely content.  John shook his head as he followed me indoors when I headed to the shower.

I sat with him for a bit.  Had a second cup of coffee, overbaked another breakfast.  There is a deep learning curve with the new combination oven.  I've adjusted temperatures lower and cut cooking times, but I'm not quite where I should be just yet for breads or warming foods.  John has said he's become a Cajun Chef with the new oven, because everything he puts in is blackened, lol.  For all that, we really do like this oven.  It doesn't put off the heat that the old toaster oven did.

Anyway, I sat with John for a good bit and I'm sure he thought, "Ah now she'll sit here and rest with me..."  Nope.  I got up and went to make the bed in our room which led to picking up the room and putting things away, clearing off my desk, gathering all my shoes to go back into the closet, then into the master bath where I deep cleaned, mopped and laid out the new rugs.  I came out of the bathroom panting, lol.  John said, "What about a day off?!"  "But I'm doing the things I LIKE doing!"  I told him.  There is a great contentment in lavishing love upon my own home.  I like housekeeping.  I do light housekeeping at Katie's; a bonus benefit she knows comes with having Mama keeping the kids.

I sat and cooled down and then I was off again.  This time, I went back outdoors but not for a long spell.  Just ten minutes or so.  I wanted to pick up the patio.  I'd piled branches I cut, and weeds Id pulled a month ago on one end.  The hose was unraveled all over the patio from Caleb's sprinkler time last week.  There was a pile of trash I'd been accumulating for a long time, since April or so when I began work out there.  I cleared all that up, snipped lower limbs off the tomatoes, pinched some basil and oregano off to dry, potted four of the fig trees for Katie's friend and snipped some more off the impatiens so I could root them.  I'm going to see if I can root the limbs off the tomato plants, too.

At that point, John came looking for me again, lol.  I promised him I was coming right indoors, that I'd just gathered up trash...Indoors to cool off again, then I was back at the cleaning.  This time the guest bath got a good cleaning, new rug and towels.   Then the kitchen got swept because I'd tracked in so much sandy soil on the damp soles of my shoes.  I mopped the guest bath and the kitchen, laid out new rugs in the bathrooms, puttered about cleaning this and that...And finally, I decided at that point that I most certainly could stop and take the rest of the day off...Until I think of something more I want to do!

Thursday, June 26:  I'm rather irritated at myself.  I'd meant to take the children to the last program for this month but somehow, I've got my head calendar wrong...and the program was yesterday, not next week as I was envisioning it!  Darn it!  That was the last program I could do with the kids for this month.  I'll have to pick up the July calendar and see what we might do together.

Another day with Caleb and Henry.  Both boys were fine today, though each gave me a struggle in his own way.  Henry did not want to stay in the playpen, but I can't just let him roll about on the floor in the house either.  He was very active today.  That wee one has a strong kick, let me tell you, as I learned when I was trying to wrestle him down long enough to get his diaper changed.  Caleb was very well behaved until it came time for homework and then he balked and rebelled and fought.  Ugh.  

Last night about the time we got to bed, we had storms move in and the promised cool down did occur which was a blessing because our power went out at 2am and was still out this morning when we got up to start our day.  Those little portable rechargeable camp fans?  Perfect for stirring the air about in the room.  That standard stove top percolator (and the gas stove)?  A huge blessing!  It meant coffee for us and a cooked breakfast.  The electricity came on again as soon as breakfast and coffee were done.  Glad of that, too. 

I had one near fail...I hadn't drawn fresh water up for storage in a few months.  I'd use what I have on hand now for washing up but not for cooking, I don't think.  Fortunately, we had plenty of bottled water on hand and had filled the tank on the Keurig and the water pitcher we keep next to it before bed last night.

I've puttered about this evening since I got home.  I have a pretty bouquet, a homegrown one, of two gladioli and a Star Gazer lily that is quite lovely.  I finished the pedicure I started over the weekend.  I watered indoor plants with the water I had left after boiling eggs yesterday.  I put away the dishes I'd washed last night after supper.  I had an easy enough supper, one of my frozen entrees thawed and yet another zucchini, lol.  I have had squash three times this week.  I still have three more...and a container of leftover squash casserole in the fridge.  No problem there as I can freeze that.  And I do plan to grate the zucchini to put into the freezer, too.  And if Sam gives me more of them, then I'll use them as well or preserve them.    

Another day done...

Saturday, June 28:  John went with me yesterday to Katie's.  He wanted a haircut (and needed it, too!).  I was adamant that I would not go to Katie's this weekend.  I need the break, and they need it from me, even if the boys are delighted to see us all over again.  John was disappointed that his Sunday routine is to be broken, but I insisted, and Katie backed me up!  So, John spent today with the boys.  He lulled Henry to sleep for a long, lovely nap.  He almost had Caleb asleep a bit later, but John said his eyes would close and he'd snap them back open instantly.  Caleb could have benefitted from that nap, but I guess it's okay since Grampa got a short one with Henry and I got one later when he went back to Caleb's room to sit on the floor.  

I'm trying to incorporate a Friday Funday into the routine.  I'm trying to make what Caleb's done over the week fresh and fun.  I brought dominoes and had him match the numbers of the tiles together.  We cut shapes from Playdoh and then gave each a texture with different kitchen items (fork, colander, pancake turner).   

The biggest lesson I'm trying to teach right now is that we do what we have to do in order to have time to do what we want to do.  He was very good about putting away his folded laundry and collecting all of the dirty laundry from the bathroom yesterday.  I don't do the laundry, but I did fold the laundry.  Katie's washer/dryer is a big step down from the house in an enclosed garage and I cannot quite manage that step up.  

After Katie got off work, she not only cut John's hair, but went right ahead and cut Caleb's and then she ordered Cody to get in the chair next.  I told Henry, "You're lucky.  Mama won't be cutting your head of hair just yet."  He has lovely soft brown wavy hair, and it reminds me of how wavy Isaac's baby hair was.   To this day Sam's most often mentioned regret is that he ever cut Isaac's hair when he was a toddler because it's been straight ever since.

When we left, we drove down to Perry to purchase blades for the mower.  They had none in stock.  John said we'd order some this weekend, and we've done so today.  We'll see if we receive these.  Remember last July that we ordered blades and the package arrived empty, and the company wouldn't even acknowledge emails or complaints.  Let's hope for better luck!

We took a backside of Perry roadway so didn't pass fast food places.  I was so hungry!  I'd planned to ask John to stop for takeout for supper, since my supper plan had been our lunch for the day.  I thought, "When we get to Ft. Valley, I'll ask him to stop there..."  Well darned if he didn't take another back way and we missed the food places in town.  When we arrived in Reynolds, I asked if he'd go on to Butler and stop at Subway for sandwiches.  He was silent for a long time and then said, "I will but only if you'll buy two so we can have a sandwich tomorrow as well."  Not a hard request to fulfill.  But we didn't go to Butler, we decided to drive to Roberta where we filled our car with gas and picked up our supper (and lunch for today).

It was good to come home to a clean house and know that the bulk of the week's work was done earlier in the week.  We ate our sandwich, watched the next to last episode of Endeavor and I feel asleep in my chair by 9pm.  A real party gal, that's me!

Just as soon as I was asleep last night, a flash of lightning lit up the room and woke me.  Thunder rumbled and was quickly followed by a very heavy rainstorm.  No wind but gracious the pounding of the rain on the roof was loud.  It all ended around 2am, but water was still standing in the yard when I got up at 8 this morning.

I went outdoors and tackled the flower bed between the patio and the back porch.  It's been looking terribly overgrown and wild.  The gardenia has doubled in height.  The hydrangea has gotten quite big.  There is spiderwort in front of the bed too, as well as the wild day lily. The spiderwort had turned to seed.  My way of controlling those is to simply snap them off at the base of the stem.  Then I dump them in the woods where some take hold and bloom and some just languish.  Those in the flower bed will put up new growth and bloom again.  

Today my goal was to remove the dead woody daylily stems, cut all the dying blooms off the hydrangea and prune the gardenia.  All three jobs were accomplished.  Then I sprinkled coffee grounds under the hydrangea which likes it.  My goal of spreading mulch in the bed in front of the back porch was overly ambitious.  I was wiped out.  I came indoors and showered and changed.

The trimmings from the gardenia bush I'm going to attempt to root.  Not only does John just love them but Sam has asked if I can root some for him to plant along his front yard fence line to block the dust from the road.  I want to see if I can also root some hydrangea.  

Oh! I put on the shorts I bought earlier this year.  They're just yoga type shorts of stretchy material but they were so tight when I got them that I felt a bit like a casing sausage.  This morning when I pulled them up, they felt just right.  Not at all too tight.  Over the last three weeks I've lost enough weight that my size 22 jeans are now a wee bit loose.  I'm pretty proud of that.  

Putting on these shorts today was a good incentive.  This past week I've 'indulged' myself a little more often than I'd typically do.  A handful of chips here, a mini candy bar there, an extra bite of squash casserole after supper...The one thing I've noted is that if I'm particularly busy some days at Katie's I find it hard to get my water intake in.  On those days I'm prone to fantasize of stopping off at fast food places on the way home (I pass several) and so by the time I'm home I'm ready to munch and snack.  

I have indulged on the worst of those days (it's happened twice) to a glass of unsweetened iced tea or a diet soda.  It's $3 for a large drink.  John suggested I make my own tea and take a bottle along to indulge in on the way home if it's truly a temptation to get more than just the beverage.  He's got a good idea there!  I can fill my cup with ice before leaving Katie's and have a nice cold drink on the way home minus all the additional temptation.

I kept telling myself to be mindful and stay the course this week, but I'd indulge in a little something that wasn't on plan each day.  I won't have nearly the same trouble next week because this week I've found my 'progress' report is a good one, thanks to the shorts fitting so well.  

A quick frugal report for the day and I'll end this day's posting: I went through the fridge today and had to toss half a head of Iceberg lettuce.  That's my least favorite lettuce and I'm sorry I didn't finish it up because I dislike waste favorite or not.  I never should have purchased the favored Romaine before I was closer to finishing that Iceberg off.  I also tossed half a bag of coleslaw mix.  I started out good with it.  I made slaw and then I added it to two salads and then it got put in the drawer out of sight and today it was grey and sour.  I don't typically buy coleslaw mix but it was actually cheaper than buying cabbage when I purchased it.   So that's my NOT frugal part of the week.

And too, I spent money on take out again this week.  Neither week has my choice been the best cost-wise even if we did get two meals off of each meal. I'm not going to judge myself too harshly on this count because I have cooked meals routinely each week I've been working.  I'm just so tired and done by the end of a long week of keeping kids and running errands after work each day.  They are necessary errands, but they take that extra bit of time I might be at home.  And I'll only be working about two or three weeks more.

On the other hand, today I used the last two peaches and the last two apricots to make a Cobbler. I used a stevia product for 3/4ths of the sugar in that recipe.  I tossed all of the blueberries Sam picked for me into my cereal bowl and had a bowl of blueberries with a sprinkling of cereal on top for my breakfast.  I took the last three zucchini left in the fridge and grated them and put them in the freezer in 1 cup measures.  I didn't let a single bit of the produce he blessed me with go to waste and I'm glad of that.

Sam brought over 8 meal boxes from the school this week.  He gets them for each child, and he has very limited storage in his small home.  So, he donated this week to me.  I'm keeping three and giving five to Katie for them to have on hand.  Mind you all, Katie could get the same for Caleb but in her county, the parent must wait in line at one of the schools for the handouts. I suppose it's because her county is largely urban.   She can't miss that time at work, nor can Cody so they don't get them.  Our county delivers them to the students' homes.

Probably the biggest money saver I've made this week is to stay out of the grocery stores.  The sales are hardly worth the effort.  I'm thinking the holiday week sales we used to see on condiments and meats, and such are a thing of the past.  

For supper tonight we'll have lasagna from the freezer, green beans and garlic toast.  I could make a salad if we're terribly hungry, but we had a lot of vegetables on our sandwiches today (spinach, bell pepper, onion, tomato).

I took my lunch to Katie's every single day this week.  Not that I'd be able to go out and get any lunch if I hadn't!   

I made my first pay count by paying for John's new glasses and bought new rugs for both bathrooms rather than frittering the money away.  I've already planned to use the next pay to cover some of our annual fees.  I'll top those sub accounts up for the year and free up a few dollars each month for the rest of the year.  And with the last pay, I'm going to lay that towards a pantry restock.  I'm doing my best to make sure that this time outside of my home counts for something.

Sunday, June 28:  Not a terribly exciting day.  I didn't sleep well because my knee and hip ached so last night.  I finally got enough relief with the heating pad to get a little sleep.  I still woke before the alarm went off this morning.

I was so pleased it was sunny today with predictions of rain only in the afternoon, not the morning.  I wore my favorite blue and white cotton maxi dress.  I didn't realize that today was the Fourth of July program for the church.  There was a sea of red, white and blue in the lobby and sanctuary.  I fit right in.

We stopped to get ice cream and peaches on the way home.  It wasn't peach ice cream, but a Nutty Buddy type ice cream.  It was super rich, and I told John I believed I wouldn't eat one of those twice.  I don't know who supplies the peaches at the place where we stopped but they were delicious last week, so I thought I'd get a bag again this week.  I'm not buying the half bushel boxes like I did last year.  I'm getting only a small bag at a time.  Those little bags at the convenience store cost $10.  When my time is my own once more, I'll go the sheds and see how they are priced there.

Once home today, I took up the chicken I cooked in the slow cooker and made chicken tacos.  I had enough shredded chicken leftover to make Taquitos for the freezer.  I believe I got a dozen of those.

I unpacked three of the boxes of meals Sam had given me and put those away.  

All in all, it's been a very pleasant day.  It's been a pleasant week.  Here's hoping next week will be the same!

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The Week: June 16 to June 22

 


Monday, June 16:  Dozed off last night before 9pm and decided to take myself off to bed shortly thereafter.  I went right to sleep again, woke when John came to bed, stayed awake long enough to say prayers and then went back to sleep.  I woke this morning at 6 a.m. and felt rested and ready for a week.

Oh, the optimist that I am!

I left on time.  Traffic was fine.  Arrived on time.  Henry was all smiles.  Caleb seemed fine.  I just knew it would be a great day.  

 What I didn't count on was a 5-year-old little boy who had decided that today nothing was going to be easy.  Did he set out to make the day hard just especially for me?  No, not at all.  He was just in a contrary mood.  If I said 'Come' he refused to budge.  If I said, "Don't move" he couldn't stay in a single spot for anything.  So it went.  

He finally asked if he could have lunch.  It was a good half hour from mealtime, but I thought food might be helpful and asked if he'd like a snack. Indeed, he did, and he followed immediately on the heels of a hearty snack with a proper lunch of which he ate every single bite.  I couldn't help but wonder if he'd just been plain old hungry all morning long.

Truth told neither boy was up to their usual this morning.  Henry took a nap mid-morning which he does occasionally and then he had his lunch.  He spent the rest of the afternoon lying on his back in the crib.  He didn't sit up nor talk and chatter.  Just lay on his back and played with his little book, quiet as a mouse.  I remarked upon his quietness to Katie when she came out for lunch.  "Yes, he does spend a day that way now and then."

Cody came in early today.  I took my cue and left him with the boys.  Everyone was fed and changed and rested.  John wanted me to run by Walmart and pick up his glasses.  Apparently, Georgia has recently changed laws about glasses.  A 'licensed ophthalmology technician' must be on duty to do just about everything except clean your lenses.   The technician was 'out'.  

I wandered around to the bed and bath section and looked over rugs.  I've been very unhappy with the rugs I bought for both bathrooms and decided to see if they had anything I liked better.  I found some I liked and felt were reasonably priced.  I went by the women's department and picked up two t-shirts.  I don't know why I bought V-necked t-shirts back in the spring.  

They are very immodest it seems to me, at least these days.  They seem to be much lower than they were in my youth.  I don't mind them as much if I can put a tank top under but I'm not willing to add an extra layer of clothing this time of year.  I found two crew neck shirts to piece out my 'work' wardrobe (jeans and t-shirts work best). 

Then I went into the grocery section and looked for a few items such as celery, lettuce, stuff that I thought would help round out meals this week.  Needless to say, the wait for the technician to return was expensive.  And fruitless because they refused to release his glasses to me, insisting he must come in and let them check the glasses...I assured them that he would be in to have them adjusted and if he had any other issues but no they wouldn't release them.  

At home, I found a letter from the company that firmly contradicted the information I'd heard this morning from the agent.  I made a call to her.  She was given the run around.  Back to square one there.  I can see that we must go through this little season of financial frustrations just now, too.  Ah well.

Tuesday, June 17:  It was a long day today.  Why was it so long?  I can't say.  Caleb was better behaved today.  He didn't argue.  He wasn't rude.  He just went right on doing whatever he chose to do instead.  After two and a half hours of struggling, I asked myself, "Is he doing harm in any way?  Is what he's doing beneficial to him?"  Well, the first answer was a definite "No" and the last was "Yes".  It wasn't what I wanted him to be doing but he was using scissors to cut paper into shapes.  He was using his imagination to create things.  He was using a paintbrush as a pencil to trace letters.  He was writing on a paper towel rather than a sheet of paper.  So, I just stopped fussing and let him go.

It was a long day with Henry, too.  He didn't nap though he was genuinely sleepy.  I tried to hold him, but it was like wrestling a wild animal today.  Remember how quiet and relaxed he was yesterday?  Today he was very active indeed.  

At 10:30, I looked at both boys and just shook my head.  How on earth had time not moved forward?  Why wasn't it past lunch time already?   And I promise you at 1:52 I absolutely was sure I'd never make it to 3pm.  At this point, Caleb had awakened Henry from his very brief nap climbed into the playpen.  The two boys were playing laughing and cackling and screeching.  Henry was LOUD about it too.  Then he got up on his hands and knees and crawled, actually crawled, across the pen to reach Caleb.  Little stinker.  It's official.  He's now a mover.

On my way home, I went by Kroger.  I'd received another email from the manager at the store, and he said I was to go to customer service to get the last of the register fiasco handled.  The store compensated me an additional $10 as well, which was nice of them.  But wow, oh wow.  In the end, I had earned $31 from that initial visit.  It took two visits to customer service and three emails between me and the store manager to get it all squared away.  The store was courteous and helpful, and they did compensate me the extra funds which I'll use.  

Then the refund we've been looking for arrived. Praise God!  Just last night, I prayed about all these minor financial aggravations I'd been trying to sort out and asked God to please just sort them all out.

I left Kroger and stopped to get an unsweetened iced tea.  I just needed something more than water.  I swear there was not 2 tablespoons of ice in the tea...Why is it in winter when you order a drink, they pack it in so tight you barely have room to put liquid but in summer they barely cover the bottom of the cup and then pour warm tea over the top.  

I happened to have ice in my Yeti tumbler, so I just poured half the tea over that.  Boy was it refreshing!  The air was hot and oppressive.  As I got nearer home the sky got darker and darker.  We were not supposed to get rain at any point this week.  Guess what?   As soon as I walked into Sam's it poured torrential rain.

I had a piece of leftover birthday cake at Sam's.  Gosh but that was good, too.  I'd gone by Sam's to pick up a bag of vegetables he'd set aside from his garden.  I stayed and he chattered away, stopping to say how happy he was that I'd come by to 'visit'.  Well, I'm glad it rained, and I had stayed if only because it made him happy.  

The children (Millie and Isaac) had survived their dental work yesterday which was fairly major stuff, especially for Isaac.  His cheeks were flushed and swollen.  The new dental work was all done under anesthesia.

Sam was putting together a pan of vegetable soup as we talked.  I could look past him out through the kitchen window to the pouring rain and was reminded of what John said this morning as I was leaving, when it was foggy.  "I know it's summer and I know it's warm out there, but doesn't it just look like autumn fog?"  I kept thinking how wonderful that soup would taste tonight with thunderstorms raging.  He was especially proud that everything in the pot, but the beef and the carrots were from his own garden.

I didn't come home until nearly 5pm.  John had mowed the yard today, happily before all the rain began.  Tomorrow night Caleb is coming home with us to spend two nights to have a 'sleepover' as he keeps calling it, lol.  Katie and Cody plan to paint their main living area while he's here.  I doubt I'll have a chance to write much over the next two days.

Thursday, June 19:  Yesterday was Sam's birthday.  He stands over 6 ft. tall and is a good-looking young man of 41.  It's a long, long time from the day the photo below was taken, the day he got his first haircut.  (I think the photo shown is the before shot, but I may be wrong.  Those bangs look pretty straight.)

He's been through the fires these past few years.  He lost his job nearly two years ago.  He went back to school with his sights set on a new career.  He's had other troubles, the sort too many of us have had and didn't want but there they are.


That girl in the picture is a long way from the woman I am now, too.  I would have been about 26 at that time.  I was a year away from undertaking a huge journey in self-improvement and personal growth.  There were truly difficult times ahead.  What was behind me was the third of three nervous breakdowns.  I was starting to be angry at the world around me for the hand I'd been dealt and tired of people who expected me to 'just accept things the way they are.'     I was on the verge of making some bad decisions that sank me lower still and then finding I had nowhere to go but up once more if I'd only start the climb.

We look at pictures of people and never know what they've just been through, nor what they are about to go through do we?   It's what makes me look very closely at the historical family photographs.  Like the one of my great grandmother below: 


If I had my guess, I'd say she might be younger than I was when the above photo was taken.  I haven't worked on the genealogy pages that dealt with her in years now.  That will be my next task once I finish this current family line.

Was Della already married here?  Disillusioned with the man who came and went as he pleased, stopping off just long enough to get her pregnant and then leaving again?  Was she already a single parent?   And what did my great grandfather even look like?  I don't think I've ever seen a single photo of him.   What attracted her to him?

I was blessed to know my Great-Grandmama.  In her late years, she laughed easily and had bright blue eyes that shone with joy.  She never remarried after she and her husband divorced.  She had a hard life, but somehow, she'd not grown bitter nor let poverty spoil her outlook on life.  Maybe, like myself, she went through the fires that refined and grew her and, in the end, felt peace about the life she'd led.

I've reached that point in my life.  I'm not quite the merry soul that my Great-Grandmama was, but I'm at peace about my life. 

One day my son will look back on these recent years of his life and he too will be glad that he went through this fire.  But it's hard to be grateful when the flames are still actively surrounding you.

I am at home, today.  Caleb came home with me last night.  He was a handful just at first, but then he settled in and played happily.  He went to bed last night and I heard him yawning within ten minutes.  Then he went to sleep and slept until about 6:30 am.  He's played outdoors freely for hours.  He's played indoors.  He is down for quiet time just now.

I had a whole hour and a half outdoors today.  That hour and a half drained me because it was hot, but goodness it was good to be outdoors with my hands in dirt, improving my spaces as much as I can.  Not a lot done really when I stepped back to look at it all, but I worked hard and steadily and what got done took all of my time.  I cleaned out the bed next to the back steps again, moving the big, galvanized bucket of gladiolus to a less conspicuous part of the next flower bed and bringing the half barrel planter of coreopsis closer to the entry end of the porch.  

I managed to trim out trees that have insisted on sprouting in the second flower bed, then spread one bag of mulch.  I planted some impatiens I'd rooted, found a volunteer Touch me not to plant in a pot, accidentally pulled up a shoot of lantana that was attached to a root, so I took that to transplant in a spot that is sure to be sunny, and totally in the way of mowing and weeding and life in general.  

That last bed, where I transplanted the lantana is a HUGE mess.  I have so much work to do that end of the yard.  I nearly tackled it today, but I was drained from the work I'd already done.  I sensibly stopped, drank a tall glass of lemon water, then showered.  And after a brief rest period, I baked cookies for Sam's belated birthday 'cake'.  He asked me at Christmas to make him a batch of Russian tea cakes.  

Of course, Caleb could hardly stand seeing me make cookies and he not have any at all.  I explained they were a gift for Uncle Sam but assured him I wouldn't send them off without his getting a chance to try them.  I made BLT's (I always add cheese) for lunch today.  It was the perfect summer sort of lunch after a busy day in the house and yard.

I know Caleb is happy here but he's happier at home.  He asked me to call last night so that he could speak to Mama and Dad and Not the Mama.  Yes, he misses them, but I've missed being home.  I am so happy to have this extra day at home this week.  I do truly love my own home best and prefer to be in my own space following my own routines, cleaning my own house, puttering in my own yard.

This weekend, I won't be home much.  We have Outreach on Saturday morning.  We have church on Sunday, then we want to visit Taylor and John wants Katie to give him a haircut. I'd love to be at home all weekend long but alas, it's not to be.  Perhaps next weekend...

But now I'm jumping ahead.  I'd much rather enjoy now.

Saturday, June 21:  Friday was a harder day for whatever reason.  Caleb didn't want to do work sheets. He kept saying he felt tired.  But suffice to say that as glad as he was to go home to his family, he also hated to leave our house and said once again how much he wishes he lived here.  I think what he likes about being here is the freedom he has to play outdoors.  

Katie is understandably cagey about his being outdoors at their home.  There is no backdoor and the back yard is impractically small.  The only place to play is in the front yard and while they do have some depth, the house sits on a busy street.  The front yard isn't fenced in.  There's no way he can go outdoors on his own to play there.  When he got home on Friday he wouldn't even go outdoors to play.   He didn't want to do any work either, but he plowed through three of the five worksheets before he completely quit.

Katie eventually came out of the office and took his temperature.  He had a low-grade fever, nothing I could feel by hand.  I made an executive decision to let him rest on the couch while I made lunch for him.  He went to bed and took a nap.  

After I left Katie's, I ran by the bank to attend to matters there then back to the grocery store to (a) find Key Lime Pies for Kate's birthday and (b) pick up a few sales items along with something super easy for supper.  

I've done very well with my cash grocery budget.  I had a bit left after Week 1.  I spent that and a good bit of Week 2 funds on Friday.  I want to get one thing more from this week's grocery sales: Milk for the freezer.  

Today we went to Outreach.  I seriously considered just staying home today but as much as I didn't want to go back to Warner Robins today, I did want to be with John. I was blessed by the worship music and the sermon and the fellowship.   We've made it a habit to grab a lunch on our way home but today we decided to drive over to our county seat and buy local.  It was good.  A bit pricey, but I'd have spent as much in Warner Robins, and this is helping local people stay afloat.  It's not the sort of lunch we'd buy every day or even once a month, but we enjoyed it today and got lunch and dinner off it.

John has insisted we have a 'rest' day all afternoon today.  I have read other blogger's posts, worked on entering genealogy notes into my files, rinsed and neatly stacked dishes, put away clothing, mended a couple of things.  But nothing really laborious or difficult.  Nothing that took more than minutes.  Just enough to keep me from feeling any one thing had gotten monotonous or become work.

Tomorrow will be another busy day.  We will go to church, then over to Katie's.  I'll take her birthday pies, her gift.  We'll run by and pick up the missionary mail.  I'll message them with what they need and then, it's time to settle to work at home.   I will need to plan meals, including breakfasts and lunches for the week.  I would like to bake loaf bread, and a loaf of zucchini bread.  I'll need to sort out the fridge and make sure I'm not missing anything that might spoil over the next week.  I'll need to bring the checkbook up to date.  I'd really love to get outdoors and look over plants, pot up a couple of fig trees for a friend of Kate's.   I'm not going to fool myself into thinking all of this will get accomplished.  I'm just extremely hopeful.  And you never know when five minutes is just enough to get a job done and dusted.    

Sunday, June 22:  At the end of yesterday, I made a short list of things I thought I'd like to get done.  I accomplished more than half.  I quit at 6pm this evening, when our dinner was ready.  I have bread rising and the oven heating to bake it.  The sink is full of dishes.  I don't care.  I'm tired.  I've done a good bit of what was on my list.  Last night I prayed that God would give me the time and energy to do what I could.  I've done it.  

This morning, I unloaded the dishwasher and put away dishes while breakfast cooked.  I hauled a chair into the kitchen after breakfast and sat down in front of the fridge and sorted that out.  I made pimento cheese for sandwiches later this week.  I gathered the things that needed to go out the door with us this morning.  I got the checkbook squared away.  I got the bed made and all of my clothing put away.  I even managed to swish the back bathroom and reset it.  I gathered trash from the various cans about the house.  None of these tasks took long and I fitted them into moments between doing other things.

We had a great service at church today.  Then we headed over to Kate's.  John wanted to get a haircut.  Kate wanted to celebrate her birthday with us.  We were in a time crunch and so we chose to celebrate the birthday.  Her actual birthday is on Tuesday.  But we could gather together today, and it was a nice little party.  We ate pizza while Henry was fed apples and blackberries which he liked so well he didn't let any slip from his mouth at all!

This afternoon when we returned, I pulled squash and onion from the fridge to start cooking.  I want to make a squash casserole this week.  John doesn't care for squash, nor for zucchini, but we've both on hand.  I made a salad for my lunch tomorrow.  I'll take a can of tuna with me to finish that off.  I packaged up the ground beef I brought home, and the hot sausage I'd mixed with ground pork to tone it down and vacuum sealed those for the freezer.  I made supper and handwashed the dishes that needed to be handwashed.  

I didn't get to the zucchini today.  I wanted to grate several of them and use some to make a loaf of chocolate zucchini bread.  I decided that just needed to wait. It was too much to take on tonight.

Sam brought over some blueberry cinnamon rolls made with his own homegrown blueberries.  We'll have those for breakfast in the morning, probably with a boiled egg each.  I have my lunch salad ready to go and I'll probably make up tuna salad for John before I leave in the morning.  We have enough fried chicken for a meal.  I think I'll make the squash casserole to go with that.  I have a handful of broad beans that I'll cook with some potatoes.  John will be happy with that.  And that is Monday's meals planned.  

I have mushrooms, coleslaw mix, zucchini and some lettuce in the fridge that I need to use this week. I had thought I'd make Parmesan crusted Zucchini chips as a side dish one night. I think John will eat those without issue.  I don't know what I want to do with the mushrooms.  I chopped a cup of them this evening and mixed up with our hamburger meat for burgers tonight but there are lots more to use up.  They are tiny ones, not big enough to stuff.  I'll figure out how to use all of these when I'm less tired.

It's time to take bread from the oven and let it start cooling on the counter.  I hope I remember to wrap it and put it away before I head off to bed tonight.

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My Plans for (the rest of) July