This Week In My Home: Cusp of Changing Season

 In my home this week:

I am torn.  Part of me wants to rush right ahead and start planning fall things.  Not decorating for the season, no gracious no!, but planning ahead.  There are things I tell myself each year that I'm going to do once the season is already well upon me and then I don't.  Because I hadn't planned ahead I couldn't execute my own ideas or arrange time to do those things I'd wanted to do, or purchase necessary items to complete an idea.  And part of me wants to just loaf my way through the rest of this month and do nothing much at all, but I really want to enjoy the rest of summer.  Y'all feel that way, too?

Well I'm going to balance myself by working a bit and yes, I am going to start planning for fall. Otherwise I shall never get that leaf shaped cookie cutter I've promised myself for the last five years  so that I might make leaf shaped sugar cookies and sprinkle them with orange and brown and yellow sugars. (ordered cutters this morning and due to arrive next week, now to put color sugars on my list).   Nor will I do a few other things I've wanted to do forever, like plan a little weekend (which for us is too often a mid-week)  trip to see the changing leaves.  And start planning fall décor outdoors, with fresh flowers to boost the well worn ones who've given their all and the dead ones who said "Hang it!" and promptly died.  That's the sort of thing I want to plan ahead for. 

But yes, I want to enjoy summer, the last bits of it.  Mind you, I've just said goodbye to our peach season.  It officially ends this weekend.  Golly, I shall miss our good local peaches!   Next year...Next year, I mean to bottle some of those peaches and preserve that good summer feeling I get with a good ripe grown in my own home county peach.  And that's another thing.  I want to start now to plan for next summer, instead of letting it slide away from me half done.  I could buy pectin and canning jars NOW, and not wait until I haven't the cash flow for both peaches and jars...  You see, after a holiday is over and done I write out a list of things that went well and things I regretted not doing and things that might go easier.  Why not start a seasonal list of that sort, too?   Then come next spring, I can review what it was I meant to do this summer but didn't get around to and PLAN for it...

I did loaf a bit this past week.  I scanned my work list from last week's post and my menu and even my leisure time and chuckled to myself. All those things I didn't do, save one or two.  No regrets, though.  I got just enough work done to make me feel I'd worked well all week long and had just enough rest to make me appreciate how good it feels to relax after work.  A good balance. 

So here I am, teetering towards autumn and tottering back towards enjoying these last days of summer and looking for a good balance in between.  Anyone joining me?

...I plan meals:

I sort of suspect these two above are more in line for a midnight snack than breakfast fixings, but perhaps it's morning...And please do look at her feet!  High heel house slippers...Makes me remember Granny's Daniel Green mules with a wedge heel.  I wonder if Daniel Green slippers are still manufactured.  I don't think I'd start any day in high heels but surely there's something practical and still a bit elegant these days that one might slide a foot into first thing in the morning? 

Oh do go see what I've found!

Oh my, I got off track there.  Meals...

I went through recipes this past week and as usual I found multiples of the same dish over and over again.  Obviously I just need to plan to prepare a few of these recipes that sound  so very good to me over and over!

Oven Roasted Chicken and Dressing, Gravy, Steamed Peas with Mushrooms,  Sliced Tomatoes on Lettuce

I have leftovers galore.  I put up a pan of homemade dressing for Samuel that he can take home and heat one night.  I've planned two or three meals off this chicken.  I won't have them all this week but will set aside some of the meat in the freezer.

Chicken Club Sandwiches, Pickles, Chips

on my own

Mini Meatloaves,  Squash Casserole, Butter Beans, Sliced Tomatoes

Chicken Souvlaki, Oat Bran Pitas, Tomato and Cucumber Salad, Tzaziki

John and I went to a Greek restaurant a couple of weeks ago and had Souvlaki. It tasted so good and fresh and so summery.  Perfect for this time of year.  Their chicken was pan fried, I'll likely try broiling ours.

out for groceries

Hamburger Stuffed French Bread, Tossed Salad, Oven Fries

A friend made something similar to this in slider buns for a Super Bowl party and I think I'm going to take a cue from him.  A big French bread is too much for us, so I'll use a Hoagie bun or two instead and reduce the filler recipe.

...I plan my work:

It's pay week: Bills, Groceries, Errands

I really want to make a trip to The Fresh Market and stock up on ground beef and chicken breasts.  It won't be all my grocery shopping for the week but it will certainly be a help since we've company coming in over the weekend and my meats are low in the freezer.

Sand the dining room chairs.  As of this moment I have projects stacking up.  I can tick off five easily and the dining room chairs are the one in progress that I stalled out on in late Spring.  It's time to pick up where I left off and finish that job so I can move on with these others.

Sit down and plan for autumn: birthdays, holidays (seasonal and Jewish) and seasonal work and pleasures.

Clean guest room really well.

Start work on the back porch.  It's been put off long enough, sigh.

Get my oldest grandson a birthday card. Purchase a gift card for someone else. Get both mailed off.

And all the usual housework and yard work that is required.

Plan meals for next weekend.  I've got family company coming in an will need to plan at least 2 days of extra meals for them.

...I plan my leisure:

A Beauty morning which I skipped entirely last week.  I need that feeling of being pampered.

I've put two books by my chair, one that is meant to be a review book and one that is strictly for pleasure.  I also pulled all my vintage September magazines, so plenty of reading time this week!

Order leaf cookie cutters and a couple of new to me vintage homemaking magazines.

Putter in the yard.  Not work hard but just deadhead and clean the bird bath and such as that.  This is mostly meant as an early morning activity, which I find a relaxing and gentle way of starting my day.

Bible study on the porch if it's in the least pleasant outdoors in the mornings.