I'm happy to report that last week was a success. I had a bit of struggle and I realized that the very nature of our lives at present is just a constant interruption. Like Sarah, I shall just have to do what I can, even if it means doing tasks in 10-15 minute jots.
I have two options. I can get up earlier on the 'off' work days rather than lie abed until the late hour of 7am or I can really settle myself to actively planning meals, all three of them, and prep ahead what I might or simply accept that breakfast will not be on the table before 9am any morning. I dislike having to jump right into eating each morning and that's the truth. I like that one leisurely cup of coffee and I sorely missed it when the boys were here and they had to eat when they awoke because they were 'literally starving' as Josh told John one morning.
I am happy to report that we stuck to the menu plan five of the seven days planned. I did not have leftovers to eat on the last work day. I forgot to check my menu plan for Friday and had thawed a chicken on Thursday to roast whole for Saturday. Then John insisted we'd have a date on Saturday (and we have had a lovely date) and so I baked the chicken for Friday and Sunday meals. Not planning supper though has caught me out nearly every single day this past week. I must remedy that!
I did a nice deep cleaning on the living/dining rooms and front entry this past week. Windows were washed, blinds were dusted and edges of carpet were vacuumed. I dusted furnishings and repaired a picture that had slipped in the frame. I did not tackle the toy box, but I'll try to get to that next month when I am again in this zone.
For project work I managed to clear up the empty pots in the flower beds and get things placed more neatly on the back porch. It's still crowded with outcast furniture but it looks neater than it did and that was my goal. I also scrounged up enough pieces of concrete to go around the forsythia that John keeps skimming with mower. I poured sweat that day, just doing that one little task. It's ridiculous how hot it's been and it October! No kidding it's hot and has been hot and will be hot for at least 7 more days.
Now that I've been accountable for last week, what shall I do in the week ahead?
Menu Plan:
I haven't done it yet, but I will sit down this week and plan for seven breakfasts and seven suppers and see what I can do towards prepping ahead. If left up to John we'd eat eggs every single day...and he's as likely to add a bagel and cream cheese and hash browns which is all a bit much really both calorie wise and financially speaking. One supper is planned but only tentatively. Josh and Isaac will spend time with us on Monday afternoon and John promised Josh we'd eat pancakes for supper next time he came. I'll see if he's still interested in that plan. It's not so good for Gramma as the higher carbs are more easily handled earlier in the day, but I'll eat light that day to balance it out.
Kielbasa with Potatoes au Gratin and peas, Green Salad
This is the only planned meal I didn't make last week. Moving it forward won't hurt a thing.
Cranberry Chicken, Creamed Cabbage, Baked Potatoes
Beefy Pasta Bake, Green Salad, Garlic Bread
Black Beans and Yellow Rice, Pico de Gallo Salad and Cornbread
Twice Baked Potatoes, Chef's Salads
John works X2 Not that I won't eat these two days but I'll be out with Mama on one of those days and I sincerely hope to have leftovers for the other.
Zone work:
I will be in the kitchen this week...Not just cooking and planning meals but cleaning. I noted that the cabinets have been wiped down repeatedly but there's ground in dirt about the door handles. As an experiment last week, I put a little liquid dishwasher detergent on an old cloth and wiped it over one door. That grime came right up. It did such a good job that I had to stop myself working on that task instead of the planned area this past week, lol.
I will not be focusing on the laundry but solely on the kitchen and back entry. Definitely will be cleaning windows and dusting shades this week as well as cleaning cabinet fronts. Oh and I shall get the freezer defrosted. It's past time to do that task.
Project work:
I'm a little hesitant in choosing a big heavy task this week because (a) it's hot and (b) I expect the kitchen work to take up plenty of the time I have to spare. I do, however, have several smaller projects on my list that I might work on. While it's hot I'd like to try to finish washing the rafters and railings of the back porch. I must buy bleach to finish up that part of the back porch project, then we can contemplate painting at last.
I won't plan further though I'm tempted to do so. I know full well that my week will be disjointed. It's Harvest week so there will be bills to pay and groceries to be bought. John has volunteered for a biggish short of job in taking down shrubbery at Katie's and she will be gone that day. I'm pretty sure I'm volunteered to do the clean up in her absence. We are getting the boys that afternoon. I have a day out with Mama planned, too, so it will be a short sort of week for all that I have my plans.
That's my week planned...what do you have on your schedule this week?
6 comments:
Good evening, dear Terri! What a delight to visit your blog. It certainly sounds like you have a full, but good week ahead of you.
I wanted to thank you for the lovely visit to my blog. Please know that I appreciated your kind comment. Hugs and blessings!
Looks like we and you could be in for some tropical storm type weather by mid week so we may mean prepping for that. We will be watching. The painting on the back of the house is done except the very bottom which requires crawling along on knees to paint behind the deck. We have to get to that early in the week or the storm could damage our work.
I have my meals planned. We decide on breakfast when we get up each morning and I keep anything we might want on hand. We are big breakfast eaters. If we skimp on it we are back in the kitchen snacking long before lunch. We have a list of meals we can do for lunch and that is mostly on hand too. I just have to be sure thst we remember to make bread. Suppers are always planned and I keep emergency foods in the freezer for mishaps that do occur. I had planned a night out this week and we just did not want to go so we pulled a meal from things in the freezer.
I bet we are going to go from hot to very cold this Fall just like the quick switch in the spring. I may just go ahead and get flower pots emptied and such or I will end up out there doing it in a cold wind.
It's been a busy and stress-filled past couple of weeks here. The busy continues, but I have hope that the stress is subsiding.
We're supposed to visit the pumpkin patch today, but rain is in the forecast for the entire day, so we'll see. It would be okay to have a day at home, but we do love the pumpkin patch, and I'm not sure we'll have another weekend day with all three grands available.
No preschool tomorrow, but Jess has the day off as well, so no kiddos for me. I do have to work the afternoon at the theater, however.
Tuesday night I teach the Instant Pot class for community ed, then the rest of the week is open. The boys don't have school on Friday, but I don't know if they'll be here or not.
Jess's best friends are getting married on Saturday and she's a bridesmaid, Layla a flower girl, so next weekend will be about the wedding.
It's still early this Sunday morning, but I have some time to get our week's meal plan figured out. The days go so much smoother when that is taken care of.
I hope you get some relief from the heat. Our highs are 50-ish for this week, which is okay, but I'd take some 60s and 70s and sunshine.
Stephanie, thank you for stopping by. I'm enjoying your blog as well!
Lana, We could really use the rain here. We had one long evening of heavy downpours but John still comes in covered head to toe in dirt. I look forward to the rain and pray we do get some of it. Predictions are really good for one day.
Tammy, it does seem busy is a more or less permanent state of life these days doesn't it? Our cooler temperatures are supposed to come in next weekend...we shall see. I have a healthy distrust of weathermen's predictions in general, lol.
I plan to have a better week than I had last week. My husband and oldest daughter were on a daddy-daughter cruise which was my idea but it didn't go well for me. I thought I'd be happy and I'd just be-bop along and do my own thing and the enemy had other plans. I got hit left and right with anxiety triggers and it simply took over my entire being. I'm taking action and going to my counselor tomorrow because she had a cancellation and I'm going to talk to my dr. about making changes to my medication.
So this next week I plan to do a lot more self-care and just being in a normal routine. It feels good to have my husband home so I also plan to cherish him.
Karla, Peace to you dear. I so understand how a small change of pattern can create a complete unraveling of self.
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