In My Home This Week: Sweater, Sweater... Who Got the Sweater?

Saturday:  Slow and easy day.  Just the way I like my Shabat.  I put a roast in the oven early in the day and let it cook slow.  I spent most of the morning going through catalogs and magazines and pulling those few things that inspired me.

Bess stopped by for a quick chat when she came to borrow my secateurs to cut saplings from under a tree in her dooryard.  She was reading off a list of things to collect for charity through her work.  When she came to 'soap,' I stopped her.  I told her that I had a world of soap and I'd happily donate it.  I gave her 10 three packs of soap, which are individually boxed, so they can be split.  Why so much soap on hand?  Mama and Granny decided some number of years ago that this soap was going off the market (it wasn't) and they'd better stock up (they did, oh boy did they!).  Irony is that Mama developed an allergy to it and the frugal girl in me reasoned that I could use that soap until it ran out or I died whichever came first.



I was looking at all the soap earlier this week and I thought "Really, I should donate a lot of this.  I don't need to have this much soap on hand."  Enter Bess with her work charity list and out the door well over half of the soap went.  I have enough to last me a while yet, but it's a much more reasonable amount.

Josh has a book fair at school this coming week.  Bess said she was letting him get two books.  I told her that my favorite part of Katie's book fairs at school was that we always bought her a book and one for the classroom or a pupil who didn't have funds to purchase a book.  As a life long reader, naturally I want to encourage reading all I can.  So I gave her $10 and asked her to send it to school for the teacher to buy a book for the class.  later note: Bess visited the class this week and gave the teachers the money.  They were able to add five books to the classroom shelf.  I'm so happy!

John and I spent the afternoon watching tv programs.  There is one called "Forever" that sparked a lot of dialogue between the two of us.  Frankly it took us about 3 episodes to determine we would keep watching and that's about when we really began discussing the show in depth.  It's about a couple who live in a rut.  Then they die... It's not scary or even spiritual really.  It's a sort of  'What if...?' scenario.  Our conversations have been mostly about relationship and feelings held by man/woman and how they relate to what we've seen on the screen.  It was nice to watch something that challenged us to give voice to our own views.  I would say that's a very good program if it makes you stop and think and voice an opinion.

Came to a realization last night:  too much of my time is spent working.  I say I "quit" at 3pm but the truth is I sit down at the computer and write or edit for hours.  From now on, I shall be taking time off each evening.  No more computer evenings every evening.

Sunday:  This morning, John made the bed, while I prepped breakfast and fed animals.  He packed up trash and I started a load of dishes in the dishwasher.  It was a tag team effort and much appreciated by me.   Sundays are generally pretty much all on me.   I am feeling a little off today and though I didn't voice it to John, I really appreciated the help in getting things done before we left home.

Off to church...and I put on a new sweater, a rather pretty one.  I got a little warm in the service and removed it and draped it over my purse as I walked out of the sanctuary door, to the restroom and from there to the car.  That's the last I saw of it.  I backtracked and there was no sign anywhere.  John said "Well maybe it's a sign you're supposed to get a new sweater."  I chuckled.  "John...that was the sweater I told you I needed to cut the tags from before I left the house this morning.  It was brand new..."

John 'stocked up' on unsweetened tea for me today which was on sale.  Very nice of him, though I assure him I can make  tea right here at home anytime I want it... I just like to get an unsweetened tea when we're out and about instead of a soda.  Never mind.  His thoughtfulness is appreciated.   He bought the boys candy for Halloween night and the Sunday paper.  He also tossed in a loaf of bread, and a pack of AA batteries.  I did not complain.  Bread is something we can always use and we'd just finished off a loaf.  Yes, I had more in the freezer but that will keep.  As for the batteries, I've no complaints there either.  He'd just used the last one and I'd had to use two earlier last week.  Now I don't have to remember them and forget them twice over before they are purchased.

We came home for lunch and had a salad and leftover roast and gravy over toast.  I cleared up the meal , then went outdoors.  No I wasn't feeling any better but I dragged myself out to paint the trim work on the sheds.  That seemed like more than enough work.  It was warm outdoors.  John brought me a glass of water and painted the upper half of the trim on his shed while I drank it.  I appreciated the help.

Came indoors to watch an episode of Poldark which we are really enjoying.  After an easy supper I cleared up the kitchen and unloaded the dishwasher.  That seemed like plenty of work for today.

Monday:  This cool weather is ideal for me to get out and work, especially in the mornings.  This morning I actually slept until nearly 9am.  I was quite happy with the night's rest because I'd had two nights of struggling to sleep and it had taken it's toll.  I felt unwell yesterday.  Today I feel much much better.

Off to Katie's before breakfast, but not before coffee.  We trimmed the hedges, bagged up one sack of shrub clippings.  I told John we'd let the other two stacks dry a bit and then bag them up.  We do plan to go back as Katie's asked to have the front of the house and the carport floor pressure washed .  The front of the house just has spots and dots such as we get here, but the carport  is covered with a sort of moss that gets slippery and slimy when it's damp.

I talked to John about taking back one gallon of the paint he'd bought.  He had all of the paint tinted a color called Drizzling Mist which is lovely...but very light.  Past experience has taught me that the darker the porch floors the better they will look.  Dogs with muddy paws running across pale gray paint leave quite a big mess.  He's doubtful they can tint it darker but I'm willing to bet they can.   I also pointed out the need to go on and order the skip.  I can't paint the porch floor until I can move all the stuff off it and if I'm moving off the old furnishings I don't want to move them back on again, nor do I want them sitting in the yard.  

We also discussed painting his workshop, which sits over near the carport.  We talked about gray and we talked about white but I think maybe we've decided to go with brown.  The way his shop is built there are already brown bands that the siding is stapled to.  It has the same red roof that the carport and house, pumphouse and shed all have and I think the brown will do well for a proper work shop.

When we came in this morning, John stopped on the main drive and said "Just look at how nice the sheds look!  They look so crisp!"  Yes, they do.  It was worth every penny we paid and every ounce of sweat that went into getting it done.  They are 98% finished.  I have some areas that I can't reach that I've asked John to attend to and I've given him a deadline because my husband is not quite the worker bee that I am.  He works hard on his paying job and once lawn mowing is done he's little time left in summers but this time of year he's ready to relax his pace,  while I know it's a race to get things done before freezing weather begins.  Mind you, in the South that is seldom a grave concern but we do have freezing days and wet ones  might occur and it seems it always happens just as you're able to get outside to do something.

While we were putting away yard tools, I grabbed the loppers and secateurs and rake and went to work on the rosebushes.  They've lost enough leaves it's hard to tell just where I should prune them down.  I've very nearly killed off the New Dawn roses with my harsh pruning in the past and feel the necessity of using extreme caution with those but the red roses that bloom each spring come back with great vigor and beauty.

So does the lantana, which I have a love/hate relationship with.  The butterflies love it and the hummingbirds will visit it as well, but it gets very bushy and the stems have a rough texture that feels like tiny thorns.  It always grows out over the edge of the border and into John's mowing path.  It is also there to grab children who are running about the house.

The other thing I dislike about it is the aroma which, to me, smells a bit like cat pee.    John says it reminds him of summers in Florida where he grew up which amuses us both because we can't figure out if that's because there were many cats in the neighborhood or if there were many plants with that same sort of pungently acrid aroma.

I trimmed a few tree branches near the house that I knew were hanging lower than we like them to hang and then I was done outdoors.

I came indoors to open windows and air the house though it's a bit cool.  I've washed sheets and towels and hung them on the line.  I swept floors.  I have a plan for our supper tonight, at least the meat entrée.  Josh will be quite happy with just the chicken and a roll, if he's even in the mood for chicken.  John and I are agreed that we shall neither of us fuss if he refuses to eat what we have.  We'll offer him the choice of peanut butter or bread and cheese and call it good enough.   The food battles belong to his parents.   I've already decided that tomorrow night when I am on my own with the boys, I'll have eggs, which they both love and which are quickly prepared.

I feel both accomplished, weary and antsy to be at the next task.  I guess I'll go read over my list to see what else I might go attend to.  It's 24 projects strong yet...

later:   I did not go find a project to work on.  Instead I clipped coupons, scanned the sales papers and decided to start reading a cookbook Katie gave me for Christmas called Jerusalem, A Cookbook..  I have only read the opening narrative and the first two recipes but my mind is already rushing ahead with how I might alter recipes to suit us...It's just the sort of inspiration I really need to add some oomph to our current lot of menus.

When the boys got here we went outdoors and played.  No need of sweaters here this afternoon though the little breeze had a nip in it.  Josh found a little shovel I'd picked up at Mama's old house and I let him dig in the spot where Maddie and Rufus had already dug out all of the plants in the corner flower bed.  Then I used it to  dig the  iris that were hidden behind the big rosemary bush.  I smell like rosemary even yet from brushing against the stems so often.

Isaac stayed on the porch pretty much, playing with a truck and sticking close to Grampa but  he really just wanted to come indoors to play with things he knows full well he shouldn't touch.  John very accommodatingly had left all of his belongings where they were easily reached.

I altered my supper plan entirely.  I made the loveliest pizza dough ever that rose beautifully and was so smooth and pliable.  I've never been great at kneading bread but I've discovered that if I use my Kitchen aid Mixer, I can put it on about speed 8 and let the dough hook knead the dough for me.  I set a timer for however long the recipe says it should be needed.  This works beautifully and has caused my doughs to turn out really lovely and tender and pliable.

 I spread the dough out on the pan then let Josh 'make' the pizza by spreading the marinara and laying out the Provolone and sprinkling over the shredded Mozzarella and Asiago.   First he put his dirty little hands right on the dough and then did it twice more while I begged him to STOP and let me wash his hands. Ugh. I wet a clean dishcloth with warm water and  dabbed at the dough with my damp cloth before washing his hands.  You should have just seen the smears of dirt that came off his hands.

 Josh ate two pieces of pizza.  John said perhaps the secret is to let him help make the food to get him to eat it.  This is not always true, I know from experience...but I'll just let Josh help me anyway.

Josh loves the dry grated parmesan stuff in a bottle.  I'd told him he could put some on his pizza when it got to the table and he could pour it all by himself.  I asked him later to put the cheese on the table.  I came out of the kitchen to set something else on the table and there was Josh with the lid open licking the cheese crumbs from around the holes....Ack!  I ran to the kitchen, ran hot, hot water over another clean dishcloth and wiped the lid.   For this once I was awfully glad that John doesn't pay as close attention as he ought to things, lol.  And none of us seems worse for wear despite the liberal spreading of dirt and  four year old's germs.

The pizza came out of the oven just as Sam came in the door to get the boys, so we all ate family style at the table.   Family style means Isaac climbed out of his chair to go sit on Da Do's lap.

I've cleared the kitchen and we still have a few windows open this evening.  I've promised myself an hour of study and then I'll take up my book or the cookbook and spend the evening reading.  I've a long day ahead of me tomorrow.  Mama said she has a long grocery list which means two buggies.  I have a short list of things I'd like to pick up.  I want something easy on me in the food department tomorrow since I'll have the boys alone tomorrow afternoon.

Tuesday:  Coffee or not, I knew full well the day before me was not going to run on the few hours sleep I had last night.  I woke super early this morning, well before the alarm went off, so I carried myself back to bed and slept an extra hour, more or less.  It was much needed.

I'd started the laundry  while waiting on John to back out of the carport this morning.  Between loading things into the car and doing his pre-flight routine etc. it takes him a few minutes to pull out of the yard, so I take advantage of this and give the pets treats and start either loading the dishwasher or wiping up counters or, as I did this morning, the laundry.  I saw him off and then I cleared up the kitchen. So even though I went back to bed, I'd 'started' my day well.

I hung out laundry and fed the dogs after I'd showered and dressed this morning and then I did my makeup and off I went to spend my day running Mama around to do errands.  I carried along my coupons and thought I might go by the stores myself afterwards but I am silly to even think I'll have enough energy to do anything after being with her.  Mama keeps me running.  It's not just a matter of reaching things for her on upper or lower shelves it's literally running about the store looking for items that she has on her list.  I don't mind doing this but I find that she often goes up those same aisles I've been up earlier as well so I've not only run all over the store I've followed her up every.single.aisle.   Yet, somehow, I'm never necessarily on the aisle where things on my list might be, or I've been distracted so I miss a great deal of what I meant to purchase.

Today our first stop was really an exercise in futility.  What she wanted at CVS was a very short list and she got one item of that list.  I did pick up a second item she'd mentioned she wanted but had not put on the list.  I used my member card and got $2 ECB back which made me happy because I'd just discovered that one of my $2 rewards had expired.  My stores don't allow me to use expired ECBs so it was a loss.

I was alone in CVS so I was able to quickly work a small deal.  I picked up two packets of Tide Simply Clean pods, on sale for $3.94 each.  I had two $2 coupons.  After coupons, with taxes I owed $5 and some change.  I used two $2 ECBs and paid $1.20 out of pocket.   John really likes Tide detergent but I cannot bear the scent at all.  I get an achy face and stuffy head if I use it so to find the Simply Free and Clean will mean we are both happy.   I'll have to remind him to use those pods only when we're doing a full load of clothes.  You can't use those on small loads as it's way too much soap though the packet plainly says you should use one for small loads and two for big loads.  Personally I think the clothes sound soapy yet, with just one and I wouldn't waste two on any load.

At Kroger I picked up a few things on my list but I missed whole sections where items I also wanted are placed.  I spent more there than I maybe should have but it was not at all frivolous spending.  I got things I cannot buy at Aldi.  I also added in  two packs of 4 each wide mouth jars in a pint and quart size to add to my storage and an extra box of wide mouth lids and rings since all of those have also gone missing.  The 'blue' jars were the ones on sale, not the clear jars but I happen to like the blue ones so I didn't mind buying them.   Have I mentioned how my recycled plastics and glass jars have disappeared of late?    I had a whole upper shelf filled with various sizes of jars matched with lids and they've dwindled to nothing.  Ditto for the plastics stuff.  I do know several of my plastics have broken or busted but no clue what went with the jars.  They are neither in the pantry nor in the freezer.

I was flat drained when I left Mama this afternoon.  I'm not trying to tell tales out of school here but I do want to share an exercise I am attempting to offset my negative feelings after these visits.  I've only just started it and we shall see how well it works but I try to focus hard on a pleasant memory from my childhood that centers around my parents.  They are harder to dredge up than the more painful ones but I did come up with one this afternoon.  It was a memory of sitting on Mama's bed watching her put her hair up in pin curls.   I used to love to watch her do that.  Her hair was always so pretty the next day and it seemed such a lovely womanly sort of ritual.  She did it nightly for years upon years.  So I jotted that memory down on my journal page marked "Good Memories" which is where I shall catalog the nicer memories I come up with.  I'm ashamed to say how few of these 'good' memories.

 That and ten minutes in total quiet here in the house with all windows open and nothing but the sound of birds chirping did me a world of good.  I was more than able to face the little boys this afternoon.

LOL  Josh obviously feels very much at home here.  This afternoon he came right in the door yelling "It's me!"   He was determined today that he shouldn't go home tonight nor ever again.  He was adamant even when I told him I wasn't making supper, when his dad assured him he'd not come visit him nor would he have his toys or go to school etc.  Gramma can be rather sly though.

"That's fine Josh you can stay here if you'd like...but it's a real shame you can't go trick or treating in that Spiderman costume your mom just bought you.   Gramma and Grampa don't go trick or treating, but perhaps Isaac will grow into it..."   "Dad!  Wait for me!" he screeched and he was out the door.

Tonight is my 'early to bed' night, my reward for being up early and doing what I must do for others.  I've a book and vlogs to watch on You Tube until I am ready to fall asleep.

Wednesday:  I woke about 3 am this morning and after prayers found myself still unable to go back to sleep.  Truth told, I'd gotten cold.  It was still well above freezing indoors and out, but I was so cold I couldn't relax.  So I got up and pushed the thermostat a wee bit higher than I'd left it yesterday morning, and pulled the blanket up.  I started  watching a vlog I'm following at present and went right off to sleep, lulled by the familiar voice.  I woke just long enough to turn off the video and went back to sleep and slept very well indeed.

I decided to make French Toast this morning.  I have yet to buy any turkey sausage but John likes me to scramble the custard mixture of eggs and milk that I soak the bread in.  Because of this I leave out the nutmeg and vanilla I used to add to my mix.  So Eggs and French Toast it was.  Breakfast suited him just fine.  I've found the Brioche bread from Aldi makes a really delicious French Toast since that bread tends to be just a bit sweeter.

Not much going on in this house today.  John was worn weary when he came in and we had words.  Foolishly I let my irritation overflow from my mouth and said harsh words.  I wish I hadn't but I did mar the day and there you have it.  I realized that perhaps I was as tired as my husband and determined that nothing more than the common work of the day would be my task and my tongue would be still and it was so.

We waited for the boys to come by in their costumes before we had our evening meal.  Isaac was the sweetest little super hero I've ever seen.  Josh was happy in his costume.  Apparently living at home suited him rather well tonight, lol.

  

Thursday:  We slept late this morning, until nearly 8am.  Good thing we got up when we did.  The mail lady arrived before 8:30am to deliver a package.  She told me the mail truck was late this morning so she'd just loaded up last night's mail to bring on out.

It was my box of storage pieces from JCPenney that I'd bought on sale last week with a coupon from Krazy Koupon Lady.   I think the box says it has 55 pieces.  There are mixing bowls and utensils, measuring spoons, a cutting board, a flexible cutting board,  storage pieces, etc.  Some of this may end up in the toy box for the children.  They love to play with kitchen storage pieces.

It was my day to get packages.  I'd ordered Mama a raised toilet seat so that she could get up more easily.   I always have something in my cart on Amazon that I'd put there during the month.  I try to keep orders to once a month and to let things wait rather than blindly ordering.  The item was stretchable silicone bowl covers  I think with the jars I bought yesterday, the silicone covers and the storage pieces in the set I received this morning, I am set for food storage once more.

John and I left to run a few errands this morning.  I sent out a couple of bills and a tithe that typically goes out the first of the month.  We made a deposit at the bank.  John went to Academy to look for new work books.  We bought them out of pocket, but he's taking the receipt to the BOC to file for uniform allowance.

We had lunch at Sonic.  It was delicious and it was perfect weather for a drive-in meal.  I treated John to lunch.

Off to Mama's to install said seat and rehang a curtain rod that had fallen.  Then John played with her computer and got it up and running once more.   We headed home just in time to get caught in the rain.

No real supper for us tonight.  We were plenty full from our late lunch out.  We had an apple with cheese.  That sufficed nicely for supper.

John and I were watching tv when I heard a loud gun report.  Sam has been deer hunting since last year.  No deer.  This place is seriously lousy with deer.  I looked at John about 7:30 when we heard the shot, "It's getting late for shooting..."  About an hour later, I got a call from Sam asking if John could come help him lift a big buck onto the back of his truck.  Yes, the man got a deer!  He and Bess are figuring they will have about 130 pounds of meat and they guys guessed the deer weighed in excess of 200 pounds.

Friday:  Breakfast, lunch, coffee, man to work.  Routine stuff...But it's apparently what you ladies love to hear about so there it is.  One more routine work morning.

The weather threw me off this morning.  I am well aware that the forecast said there was a 70% chance of showers.  I just didn't want to believe it.  Well rainy it is and cool, too.  I did basic housework and then I sorted out my fridge.  I planned my lunch from sundry things I found that were almost gone or needed to be used.  I chopped celery that was getting quite bitter and put it in the freezer.

I have planned a meal for tomorrow of Shepherd's Pie, and we will  pick up chicken or Chinese for Sunday.  I am trying to determine what dessert I'd like to make, but at the moment, my sweet tooth is completely satisfied with fruit, so I'm planning to roll with that for a bit.  It doesn't happen often enough to bypass the opportunity, lol.  If I decide I simply must have something we have an angel food cake mix from Aldi and a box of brownie mix.  Two things I don't typically keep on hand but happen to have at present.

I sorted out a matter at the bank and got an annual fee refund in the works.  I am so over this bank.  We've had to jump through hoops these past six years and I don't like it one bit.  They are continually trying to figure out a new way to get more of my money while giving me less and less for the privilege of handling my accounts.  I told John six months ago I was done.  I think he's finally catching up with me.

He reported to me that he had turned in his receipt for his new work boots.  His boss has to sign off on his drawing that amount from his uniform allowance.   He also bought three dozen eggs from the other medic who keeps chickens.  She's been giving them to work employees for free but I told John I was more than happy to be a paying customer.  Chicken feed costs something, too.  She is charging $2 per dozen.  It's about average of what eggs are going for of late, so no complaints from me.  I think homegrown eggs taste far better than anemic grocery eggs.

I did a full pantry inventory and sort of glanced around the freezer, but by that point I was tired from the dreary weather and beyond hungry, so I gave up and made my lunch.  The pantry inventory and quick freezer scan were revelatory.  I have none of several items I typically keep on hand, a few that are quite low and a few more that could use a small boost of a 1-2 cans to bring them up to the level where I'm most comfortable.  I will say since I have only used and used and not restocked at all this year, and I've given from the pantry twice as well, I guess I had plenty of foods on hand for a good year prior to this year.

The freezer inventory was hardly complete but I did scrabble in the meat baskets.  We've one whole chicken and three of the skeletons...Katie says 'carcass' sounds awful, but I don't know what to call them except skeletons and that sounds silly.  I have one roast, one steak and one pound of ground beef.  I am at full budget for the month with the last two weeks groceries with two weeks to go and can't go any further in my spending, so I guess we just sit tight and use what we have.   Or I move money from one of my sub-accounts and stock up.  I'm torn between the two at present.

Speaking of grocery budgets, I figured our income based on what John said we'd need and we can go on as we are with our expenses and savings if we'll just give up groceries, allowances and gasoline each month...Or we learn to live on less and give up a few things.  While that might sound a little grim, it's really not.  I am pretty sure we can trim to fit.

 It just took me a little while to make up my mind to look that budget all over and see how things looked from a retirement mindset. I've noticed for months now that my allowance has been staying in my purse more often than not and that groceries could be lowered and we'd eat as well as ever.  We likely will give up some allowance, but gasoline will drop naturally with us both at home.  John is determined if he does retire to work at least part time because he wants to work.  He is just getting ready to retire from work as a medic which is highly stressful and wearing on him.

For my lunch I took some small chicken pieces left from our meal on Wednesday and cooked them.  Then I poured over them the last 3 tablespoons of French onion dip (from vacation) and about 1 ounce of cream cheese and a little half and half to wet it all.  I added in a very small head of steamed broccoli and some leftover wild rice.  Oh my goodness this was a good meal.  Almost too much for one, definitely not enough for two, but a good use of leftovers and a hot meal for me on this cool grey day.  It would have been just as good over pasta if I hadn't had leftover rice.  I'll keep this little 'recipe' in the back of my mind for a future meal idea.

I think, aside from making the shepherd's pie after the pastry dough thaws, that I am done for this week.  I will indulge myself this afternoon and finish reading my book, do some studying, read my recipe book that I have yet to pick up again, just maybe even read a chapter more of the as yet to be known Eleanor (Roosevelt) book.  I may indulge in some of those British shows I've lined up on Netflix and Amazon to watch.  I will definitely go to bed early tonight and get a good night's rest.

It's just one more in a series of ordinary days in my life.

I write because I love to write.  I write about what I know: homemaking and being thrifty and trying to be better than the circumstances sometimes dictate I be.  I share because I believe we are all unique and remarkably alike.  And most important, we are not nearly as alone as we think we are in the good things nor the hard things.

Like Mabel, my health crisis made the ordinary days even more precious to me. I am seldom bored, though I fear often enough I am boring.   Our lives are not made up of the great big moments though we are sometimes molded by them;  the things that make us who we are is almost always the ordinary things, the routine things.

Thank you all for your sweet words.