In My Home This Week: Push Push Push

In my home this week...


...We attended a memorial service for nephew Jason this weekend.  It was a quiet, calm, peaceful service.  Though it was a private service meant for close family and friends, the church was filled.  Jason's likeability came across in the wide range of people who were there:  Bikers, cops, business men and their wives, people who were very casual in dress and people who weren't.  There were only a few tears.  Oh he shall be missed!  There is no doubt of that.  But I think by the time the service came around, everyone of us, save his widow and mother, stepfather and brother were beyond that deep shock that shook us all and grateful...YES...Grateful we'd had the opportunity to know him, to be touched in our lives by him.  

It's funny, too, how one views one's own family.  My brother's ex-wife, his ex-girlfriend,  ex-wife's new husband, step-children...Well family just sort of extends into a lot of areas in the end.  Whether we mean to or not, we embrace people in our lives and when they move into a new life often we are still attached in some way.  So Jason's family was part of ours, and Ashley's step dad and his mother, and Phoebe's children from a previous marriage are ours, as well.   We were united through marriage and birth and death and say what we like, they are family and will be.


I was up extra early this morning and have accomplished a day's worth of work.  I'm not quite finished but if I quit at this point today, I wouldn't be ashamed and think I'd wasted the day!

This week, aside from the almost panic over the eclipse, it's a normal week.  I confess that I don't understand all the almost hysteria that this eclipse is manifesting.  I've heard more media focus on warning people not to stare at the sun, parents panicking over children viewing the eclipse even with special glasses, warnings of animals outdoors being protected...In our area, it's meant to be just a partial eclipse but I assure you I've no intention of standing outdoors and staring at the sun.  I've never once seen Maddie nor Misu lift their head to stare at sun or moon.  I don't expect they will make a special exception and do so on Monday either.

I don't have any hard and fast plans aside from work and meals and the day to day.  I'm resting my head and my hear still, you see, and not pushing myself to do any really deep thinking for a bit longer.  

...I plan my work:



I have artwork, found in my own home, which makes my heart sing.  I was all set Friday to get it hung and discovered that one of the frames is broken, and discovered as well that is unbelievably cheap.  I'm going to have to have something to replace that.  I also cannot find the disc hanger I had left nor the picture hanging kit...THIS week, I shall get this stuff on the wall and call that project DONE!!

I want to do a pantry inventory.  I worked back there for moments yesterday, marking menus on sticky notes to go on the shoe box meals and I realized that corn and green beans are getting low.  I'd like to keep at least 2 dozen cans of each item on the shelf (as well as many other items back there).  I figure while I'm doing inventory I can also set up the new shelves to extend the space.

Hair cut must happen this week.

That shopping list I started last week will actually move me out of the house this week.  I failed to go anywhere at all to shop last week, save that quick trip to the dollar and grocery stores.  I have now added black dressy sandals to my list as my 9 year old pair have started to come apart.  They were good shoes and I hope I can find a sale pair now it's time for Fall items to be on shelves.

Find the source of the odor in my fridge.  I don't know just what it is, but it.must.be.found.
I went over the fridge last week so it shouldn't be anything spoiled, but I may well have missed something.  The odor just became noticeable on Saturday morning.  I've tried using baking soda and it's not touching that aroma...ugh.  Had I not already worked so hard today I should clear it out right away but it can wait until morning.

Make slipcover for the chair I swapped from bedroom to living room.

Maddie has graced me with a new hole in my prettiest flower bed...I shall spend time filling that in and putting down fresh mulch and some moth balls this week IF the weather stops being so heavy and humid and hot even in the earliest morning hours.  Otherwise, it will wait, because just sweeping the porch off is a hard job when the air is as thick as it's been of late.

In one month, we will be having a family day.  I want to plan my menu now and determine what I shall prepare.

Promised John homemade cookies today at the grocery so that goes on the list, too.  I'll try to put some unbaked cookies into the freezer for future needs.

With more and more trees showing the beginnings of seasonal change, I want to seriously study my closet for possible Fall outfits.  If I'm going to purchase anything I'd like to plan ahead or at least have an idea what I'm looking for.

Get bill box in order for next week's pay day.  I'll do this later in the week.

Write up the book review and request another one.

...I plan meals:

Glazed Corned Beef, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes with Sour Cream, Armenian Nutmeg Cake
(Put leftover beef into fridge for sandwiches.  This was an incredible shrinking piece of meat!  Not quite as much leftover as I'd thought there might be).

Roast Chicken, Cream Corn, Fresh Green Beans, Tossed Salad, Apple Pie
(Leftover chicken meat in fridge for sandwiches also.  John put the mini apple pie in the buggy today at the grocery).

on my own xs 2

Tuna Noodle casserole, Wedge Salad, Orange Wedges
(This is a new to me recipe.  I put tuna noodle casserole on my menus a lot.  We never ever have it.  I actually bought noodles just for this recipe this week...)

Stuffed Bell Peppers, Mashed Potatoes, Lima Beans, Fruit Cocktail

Panfried Sirloin Steak, Potato Cakes, Tossed Salad
(Potato cakes made up from leftovers from the Sour cream potatoes and any left from the Stuffed Pepper dinner).

...I plan leisure:

I have set out my September magazines.  I didn't make it through all of my August ones!  That's how busy I stayed even in my so called leisure time.

I've already picked out my next book so when I finish my current one I'm going to start on the next one.

I'll be strict with myself this week.  I did well for two days at cutting back on computer time and not working after a certain hour and then towards the end of the week I was back at my old habits.  They do not suit me in the least and I mean to change them.  NO computer games until 7pm.  No computer after 8pm.  No work on computer after 7pm.  None.  I mean it!  

9 comments:

obscure said...

Someone gave me a tip that worked well to get my dog to stop digging in the flowerbeds - cayenne pepper! I bought a jumbo plastic jar of the cheapest cayenne I could find in the international foods aisle at my supermarket - although the rain washes it away and it must be reapplied, it broke her of the habit before the jar ran out! Worth a try ;)

terricheney said...

I thought of that, too...In the past it didn't work with other dogs and the mothballs did...But I'll sure keep it in mind just in case.

Anonymous said...

The eclipse will come and go here as well. It will only be partial. I am sure it will be on tv and internet all day. You frig odor isn't coming from under the drawers that sit on the bottom or something that got spilled and slid underneath. Have a wonderful week! Gramma D

Lana said...

We are in the full eclipse area. Traffic is crazy and all the vacation houses seem to be in use here on the lake. We have never seen so many boats on the lake in 17 years. We plan to sit out in the driveway and watch unless it feels too creepy.The 3 hours of darkness or partial darkness is supposed to make the temps drop and everything much like night. We are fascinated and do want to view it but not in a crowd in town.

Odors in my fridge usually turn out to be moldy citrus and it is foul. We will be at the lake until Friday so rest is on the agenda. I need to get cookie dough and chocolate frosting in the freezer since we are out of both. I usually have oportunites in fall to restock canned goods for low prices so I am limping along with low stock on a few things until I see those sales. Last year I was able to buy dozens of cans for 17 cents each at Dollar General. Here's hoping for similar deals this year.

susie @ persimmon moon cottage said...

Many years ago, the neighborhood cats would come and do something much worse than just dig holes in my flower beds. One time I was in the kitchen mixing up cayenne pepper, back pepper, ground cloves, I can't remember what all now, but it was everything with a strong odor that I could think of to repel the cats. My daughter, who was about 5 years old at the time asked me what I was doing. I told her I was making this to keep the cats out of the flower beds. She then said "Oh, it's a catserole". I hope your cayenne "catserole" will do the trick to keep your dog out of the flower beds. I also tried mothballs in my flowerbeds before the "catserole", and I couldn't stand the odor of the mothballs, couldn't even sit on the front porch with the mothballs stinking up the place.

We are very near to the total eclipse path. My husband is excited about it. He got eclipse glasses for us to wear, so he and I will sit out on the porch in our blackout glasses and watch the eclipse, hopefully. They are now predicting a cloudy day for tomorrow here near St. Louis. Bah.

My daughter decided to keep my grandson home from school tomorrow since she and my son in law both have days off. She became concerned when my grandson came home and told her that all of the kids at school (He is 7 years old) had to sign a paper saying they would not look up at the sky or at the sun without their special glasses when they went out to view it. My daughter worries that is too many kids for the teacher to keep track of what they are doing. The retinas can be damaged very quickly. He will enjoy his day off from school, home with his mom and dad. It's a rarity.

Anonymous said...

Hi Terri,

I've been trying to e-mail you. Could you send me a note and that way I'll have your address.
Margie in KS

Anonymous said...

Hi Terri!
Just wanted to let you know I enjoyed your post and my good thoughts are with you!
Love,
Tracey
XoX
P.S. The mystery odors that sometimes appear in our frig are usually small spills of sour milk or cream that went unnoticed. I usually get a little bowl and fill it with water and a bit of bleach and wipe down the shelves with it. No fun though... haha!

Beckyathome said...

Boy, we sure got a bad odor in our shop when my husband discovered some potatoes that had been forgotten under a blanket. I missed them there and though they were gone. Yuck! That is one of the worst odors, in my opinion! I hope you find your source soon in your fridge.

Our backyard is in the prime eclipse viewing area, and we were able to accomplish much that was on our list of projects while running out into the yard for a quick peep with our special glasses and then back to the projects. During the almost 2 minutes of total blackout, it was strange, eerie, very dark and cold, and amazing--all at once! I can understand why people in ancient times though the world was ending, or that God was angry at them. So, we got the best of both worlds--a day used wisely AND the eclipse. Both my husband and I remember the one in 1979. We were both still in school, but don't remember it being as hyped up as it was this time, and were glad our children got to see this one.

Debbie said...

I am sorry for the loss of your nephew.