Fair May, Goals for the Month Ahead

Well here we are about to start our fifth month of the year in a day or two and I wanted to meet it prepared with goals.  I find I work best if I know what it is I am going to work towards.  Are any of you goal oriented?

The Week Ahead: Finishing April

We've had a lovely start to our weekend, with Taylor visiting and a fun day out at a local festival.  Beautiful weather and crowds of people meant difficulty in seeing booths and goods but the air was filled with the aroma of grills, cotton candy, popcorn...all the common scents of a proper fair and music with squealing children and train whistles...Perfect!

The Week Behind: Odd Jobbing

Saturday:  Well perhaps the skies were not blue all day on Saturday but there's a great appeal to me of seeing new Spring green against a steely grey sky.   In fairness, there were streaks of blue and the afternoon brightened enough we pulled the shades to block out some of the light.

I had not planned nor prepped today's meal.  Thankfully, I had one last pan of ready made entrée in the freezer, Chicken Verde Enchiladas.  It was easy enough to pop into the oven to thaw and heat, while yellow rice and black beans were prepared stove top.  Pretty much a hands off meal and quite nice, on a chilly cool day.

Before and After Indoors, Little Refreshes

I've been a busy woman, indeed.  Not only have I worked in the yard this month, I've made some changes in the house over the last few weeks as well.  Not big changes, but small ones that I think have improved areas overall.  I'm going to try and post a before picture of each space and the improved after photo so you can see the difference the work has made.  Fair warning: this shall be a picture heavy post!

Iced Tea Chat: Breaking Silence

Do come in dears...I'm attempting another chat, my fifth or sixth try in four weeks.  It's not that I don't have things to say, it's been trying to determine which I mean to say and how I shall say them that has stymied me.  Well that and being tired.  It requires energy to do that little something extra, even an Iced Tea Chat.  I have lemon and limes and oranges and mint...Which would you like to add to your glass?

The Week Ahead: What's Really Ahead?

We never know what's ahead of us, do we?  Here I am enjoying the spring in my home, trying to get my yards as I've dreamed of seeing them, organizing every spot inside and out, decorating and working away and I'm offered a job.  I don't know if I'll actually be hired...It's one thing to say "Would you like a job?" to someone on a whim and another to actually hire someone who hasn't worked in a traditional job in 23 years.  Well I have my resume ready to go in...

The Week Behind: April Does Shine

Saturday:  I made absolutely no plans for meals this weekend.  Generally I have an idea of what we might have even if I haven't made any preparations.  This week, no idea, just most of a roasted chicken left from Friday and a lot of wondering what I'd make out of it.  Well it worked out just fine.  It wasn't a hard meal to put together, if it did disappoint us a little.  I cooked brown rice.  I used the broth in the chicken roasting dish to make up part of the liquid.    I had a bag of frozen Creamed Spinach from Aldi that I'd thought sounded good.  Well it wasn't.  It was too finely minced, over cooked though I followed directions and not in the least creamy.  It tasted like  frozen spinach.  Katie declined it entirely and she loves spinach.  John attempted to eat it but it was obvious he didn't care for it and neither did I.

The Week Ahead: Bzzzz Bzzzz Bzzzz

That's not just the bees you hear, it's also me humming  as I move from one task to another.  I always start with basic housework, zoom out to the yard to work as long as I can stand, then back in to shower and dress and start dinner.  I sit for a bit after dishes are done and think of more things to do, then jump up and start a deeper cleaning project, do a little more light housework, possibly run outdoors to do something minor and realize it's too hot, run back indoors to cool off and make supper.  Then after dishes are done, I write and work a puzzle or play a game while we watch tv, crawl into bed and start all over again the next day.  That's on the days when I've nowhere else to be.  On those days, I rise extra early, zip outdoors at first light to work as long as I can, shower, run errands, come home to make dinner and collapse in the chair before getting up to tend to housework and so it goes.  It's busy.  Not hectic, but busy.

The Week Behind: Busy as the Buzzing Bee

Saturday:  Today was meant to be a date day for John and I, but I heard rain dripping outside our window.  I wasn't at all surprised when John said "Well, we'll just stay home today."  I'd had an alternate plan for meals and was prepared for whatever the day brought.

I put the turkey tenderloins in the crock pot as soon as John made his statement, which was before I had my first cup of coffee.  I can't say I was disappointed.  Last weekend the traffic was ridiculous and I really didn't expect it to be any different this weekend.

The Week Ahead: Spring has Sprung!

Indeed it has sprung.  I looked out the window this weekend and realized that I had no view through the trees...they are all fully leafed once again.  The faith tree has tiny new leaves on every single twig and the pecan has started to leaf out.  That is a sure sign that the winter weather is done!   We might well have cool days to come but we'll be unlikely to have frosts.

The Week Behind: April Showers

When April showers...come your way...they bring the flowers...that bloom in May.

late Friday afternoon:  I did not make the planned return of items today.  As it happens I'd bought Mama a shirt which also needed to be returned but my receipt was at home.  I'll be going back next week to attend to another matter and will take both returns with me so I can turn them in at the respective stores.