Saturday: While digging in the fridge freezer I found some Raisin Bread. John loves his bagels but I'm a little less interested in them as a rule. Raisin Toast suited me just fine.
While at Walmart yesterday we picked out a steak for dinner today. It was delicious. John assured me that the $10 we'd spent was well worth it. I happen to agree. We compared our $5 steak dinner (cost divided by 2) to the $21 or more we'd pay per person at a restaurant.
Poldark inspired me to jump into genealogy research once again, looking for information about my great great grandfather who was a copper miner. It was a fun free way to spend too many hours this morning and afternoon.
It was so nice this afternoon we opened windows and aired out the house.
Sat outside on the porch this afternoon while John listened to the ballgame on the radio. It was another of those games televised on a channel we don't get unless we pay extra. John finds a local radio station with the same game and listens for free. It's kind of nice in a way, quieter than having the tv on and less visual distractions but after the second hour of the game I have had enough of ads and excited announcers. It was nice to sit in the sun and listen to the quiet. A crow cawed and the sound echoed in the quiet of the woods behind the house. It was absolutely lovely. Honestly, I'm not sure but just such moments as this mightn't speed my getting well even more.
Sunday: Off to church this morning. John taught me to 'fist bump' instead of shaking hands which works well enough with anyone our age and under and not at all with those who are older, lol. I feel a right snob saying, "No, no! No handshakes!" However, it does seem preferable to accidentally infecting others, doesn't it?
Oatmeal for breakfast this morning. I added walnuts and cranberries to the basic custard recipe.
Stopped in at grocery after church. I had my list and we found all but one item on it. I forgot to write down my cinnamon rolls for the holiday morning breakfast but remembered them. I credit this to my telling John I wanted to do the store backwards, starting on the side to our left rather than on the right as we normally do. I won't say we spent 'a little' because it was a tidy sum, but I won't have to make a trip to the grocery at all this week (and possibly not next) since I picked up produce and bread enough to last us. We bought cookies and fried chicken, meant for a treat for little boys and our dinner in that order. There will be many more servings of both than what is used today.
I made a mercy drop at Katie's of normal saline spray, the remaining elderberry gummies, and fresh well water to fill her bottles for work.
We'd meant to have the boys this afternoon but I felt a bit drained following church and grocery store. We'd not actually asked them to visit so no disappointment to them, just to me. John and I think perhaps we might get them tomorrow morning.
Monday: The repairman came to fix the heat pump but forgot my new thermostat. No fuss on my part, simply asked nicely if they could get it put in tomorrow. The guy said he could but then he called the owner of the company who brought one right out and they gave me a nice discount because of their mistake
I went over checkbook and worked on the last few details. I discovered that we could pay the repair bill without borrowing any money at all, using the house maintenance and AC maintenance monies. This is good news!
Dinner was off menu. I didn't take anything out to thaw and yet I wanted something tasty and easy. I made Black Beans and Yellow rice. I also had my first try at making corn tortilla. I'd picked up a small bag of Masa Harina several months ago from the clearance table. Usually I only see it in five pound bags so I was especially glad to purchase just 1 pound. All that is required is water and the meal and then you use a tortilla press. I have no press so I used a cast iron skillet to pound out the balls of dough. It's different than a store bought corn tortilla for sure. I forgot to add salt which was needed, but not mentioned as part of the recipe. I made a note to be sure to add next time I try my hand at this. John gamely took one of the tortilla and rolled it around some of his beans and rice with cheese. I tried his method and found it all tasted very good together.
I put leftovers away for my lunch tomorrow. I'll likely make a burrito bowl out of it all.
I went out to the shed to gather Christmas items but found my strength was strained doing so. I came in with the ornaments and the tree but no wreaths or other decorative items. Nor did I feel up to working on any portion of the shed. In fact, after making out bed, unloading the dishwasher and going out to the shed, dinner was my last accomplishment today and likely to remain so. Carried compost can out to empty and dumped the last of the chicken and dumplings off to one edge of the field. I doubt it was spoiled but it had been left to sit longer than I like in the fridge.
I'd texted Bess to ask if the boys might come play. It was a foggy damp morning and I know that their house is crowded for two little boys with limitless energies. No go on the visit. Isaac is not well and Bess didn't want to send him over unwell. I'm tired of us all being ill and want this mess done! At least this afternoon is sunny and warmer and has dried out the yards so the boys will be able to go out to play.
I remembered that Bess had given me a mini distiller so I mixed up some eucalyptus, peppermint and lavender oil and diffused the oils to help me breathe better. It seems to have done the trick and I am glad of it. Ten days in and you start to think you're never getting well, as dramatic as that likely sounds. I talked to Bess this afternoon and her doctor told her to expect 21-28 days for this junk to pass entirely from our system. This makes me feel somewhat better, if only in that my body is obviously doing as well as it can with the healing. I shall try and be more patient with it!
I decided the afternoon should not be a total loss and made up a batch of Granola. This batch will be Almond and Sour Cherry. I kept the cherries out of the mix at present, while the initial drying out is going on and shall add them in nearer the end of the cooking so they dry but don't become hard bits.
We had the last of the fried chicken for our supper. Well, not really the last, as I put aside some for John's work lunch tomorrow. Four meals off one 8 piece chicken is really good in my opinion.
Tuesday: Did both a full load of laundry and a full load of dishes this morning after John left for work. I managed to strip and make the bed without any rest in between steps this morning so I call that a marked improvement. I even went on to empty the dishwasher following. In fact, I worked steadily for a good five hours after John left this morning and don't feel any the worse for wear for having done it.
I've been doing a spa day in increments this week. I worked on my fingernails yesterday, giving myself a full manicure and today I exfoliated while showering, after using a purifying face mask. While the mask dried, I unloaded the dishes and cleared the kitchen counters.
I put the first bit of paint on the chiffarobe in the guest room. I'm painting it blue and white. I don't know if I'll end having enough paint to cover it or not but I shall save my paint pot just in case I don't. I put down plenty of covering on the floor about the chiffarobe so I could paint without worrying about drips on the carpet.
After I'd run washer and dishwasher and showered I did drain treatments. Out bathroom sink has been sluggish. I'd used the little zip line strip and nothing came up but scum, so I used the baking soda/vinegar/hot water treatment on all the drains. I hope that was sufficient to clear the drain pipes.
We've had cocktail sausages and canned sweet rolls forever for our holiday morning breakfasts. Of all the traditions we've started that is the one that has stuck and stayed stuck, while others changed and changed again. This year, after discussion we decided to stick with the canned sweet rolls but we agreed that the cocktail sausages are just super greasy. I mixed up a batch of sausage balls today and will freeze the greater portion of them, saving out a few for our holiday breakfast.
Wednesday: I'm going to take a holiday weekend this week so shall post this as soon as I finish today's section. I've been super busy this morning.
I was up early and mixed up a batch of biscuits and cooked sausage to make sausage gravy. I used the last of a bit of yogurt mixed with some milk to make my wet ingredient for the biscuits. I should have had more flour, the dough was quite wet but it baked into biscuits just fine.
John called to say he was unable to leave work or say when he'd be home. No other medic had shown up and state law requires him to stay until relieved of his duty. I decided that was my cue to hop to and get busy before he came in. I worked myself into a lather, lol. I put the last of the blue paint on the chifforobe and then painted the remainder of it white as a base coat for the blue when I get a fresh pot. I made cornbread and while it baked, I made the bed, fed the animals and showered. When I came out of my room the cornbread was ready and I put it to cool in a bowl, then loaded the dishwasher and made my sausage gravy while the biscuits baked. I had breakfast and Bible study and had put a second coat of paint on the chifforobe before John came home.
I sat with John while he ate breakfast. After he'd eaten we continued to talk and he began to straighten up his wallet, which made me
I chopped onions and celery and remembered I had diced potatoes in the fridge. I used part of the onions I'd chopped to make up a hash brown casserole. I mixed up dressing/stuffing (one pan of each, I'll use the other pan to stuff a turkey breast). I thawed ground beef, at least partially. I put the frozen portion back into the freezer. I had enough thawed meat to make two good sized beef patties for our lunch.
John did laundry and when he was finished I looked at the sunshine out the window and decided to wash my kitchen rugs. I've tried to get them in the washer multiple times over the past few weeks and it has rained every single time I thought to do that job. I do like to work in zones and stick to them but sometimes a job just needs to get done when you can get it done. Which reminds me of advice John's grandfather once gave a man who asked "When's the best time to cut my tree?" "When your axe is sharp," was Old George's reply. Well the sun shone today and that was my 'axe'.
About the time I was flagging hard this morning, my phone rang and it was the boys. Josh was a super hero and needed to tell me what his super powers were. When he said he was going to see his Papa tomorrow. Isaac yelled something in the background that sounded like "Me too!" lol When I was asked what I was doing this morning I replied with a list of jobs and then said "And trying to figure out what to do with the ground meat I have thawing..." "Cheeseburgers! I like cheeseburgers!" cried my husband's grandson, lol. I swear these little boys are carbon copies of John in so many ways.
In the morning, I will need to make up my sweet potato casserole, roast a chicken and bake dressing. I'll also make gravy. I plan to pack up hot food and take it to Mama's in an insulated bag, well wrapped with towels, so I can unpack and serve.
Katie is out of work sick today. She left home long enough to go get Pho. You see, Oriental soup really does seem a remedy to this family. She said the woman in charge insisted on making her a hot Ginger tea as an added remedy. God Bless the woman.
Both boys went to the doctor yesterday and tested positive for strep. Sigh. I have tried to get them three or four times this week but none of us have been well enough. We're going to try for a Friday night spend the night party with Gramma who'd otherwise have a lonely solo Shabat. The little boys love having Shabat evening prayer.
I am doing better. I am still coughing my head off at times but I feel well enough to 'hop to' and to push through a project, and that is progress.
I ran over to the other house this afternoon to take Bess pie pans. She is making Coconut Pies and one of them for me, so it was truly the least I could do. She and I visited a bit, then the boys started calling out to me from their room so I visited with them. I don't mind saying it was good to see them all and sickness can go hang!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
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