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.
Kate came out to visit this weekend and had a visit and meal with us. It was pleasant and nice. I enjoyed that and a conversation on the phone with Sam who chattered away as he hasn't in a long while. He'd gone out to the porch where it was quiet to talk and Isaac kept coming outdoors to join him. He'd say "Go back inside!" and Isaac would for a bit and then he'd
I walked about on Saturday and looked at the refreshed spaces and felt satisfied with what is done and what is happening with those unfinished spaces. It is the season when the yard is most upon my mind and the season is ripe for planting and fashioning into something pretty. I contemplate areas where I want to make changes. I think hard and long about what I'd like to plant and where it might be most suitable and most possible. I dream of new beds stretching out across the sides of the yard filled with flowers, shrubs and trees and grasses. I dream big when it comes to my dream garden, likely bigger than I can manage but I will continue until I can do no more.
The week behind:
All the pay day harvest activities were attended to, but I did not make it to the bank to make a savings deposit. Since we've contracted to have the work done on the underpinning of the house, I think I may just hang on to that money in our checking and use it towards this work.
I kept Isaac and as it happened I kept Josh, too. I wasn't surprised at having to keep the boys later than Bess thought necessary. The procedure requires a recovery time and you never know if you'll be in on time or how long it will take before you are dismissed. I also suspected with auditors in that Samuel wouldn't make it home as early as she thought either. I fed the boys supper and we sent them home when Bess came by for them.
We did our grocery shopping. I spent more than I've ever spent at Aldi and I did not buy pricey things, nor go 'stock happy' as I refer to stocking up. No, it just happens that groceries cost more even at Aldi. It will be our last such pay period for a long while so I'll be sure to trim hard over the next several pay periods to bring things back into balance.
Not one bit of meal prep got done, but we did have some really easy meals over the week so really none was necessary.
I switched the guest room over to something fresh. I bought lamp shades. And there that project stalled. Not because I had nothing to work with but I had no energy to spare between housework and yard work and three days out of the house.
Nor did I hang pictures in my bathroom. I just gave everything a good basic cleaning and called that enough. I did honestly think I'd fit in more work but it just didn't happen.
Menus were not followed except the Turkey Tenderloin meal. Everything else was a makeshift thrown together affair and that worked fine.
I did try to work on a list of things I'd enjoy doing as quiet activity. And so far I'm doing everything I think I like best. No great revelations there. I did pull out a puzzle book and begin using a portion of my time to work on those. I like the mental strain, lol.
Work:
I have lots of yard work to do yet. I need to buy more mulch. I am working hard and enjoying it and appreciate the way the few spaces I've finished with for the moment look. I'll continue this week. I'm not ready to buy anything new to plant yet. I have to empty pots, buy soil, etc.
John only works one day this week...That means my time is only partially mine to do with as I want. It will be a challenge that I shall accept happily.
Make bread or rolls to use for Shabats.
There were things I didn't get to last week in the guest room, namely hanging pictures and taking out the things that don't belong. Though this is not my work zone this week I hope to get more work done on that room.
Give my projects list and finances a quarterly check and plan the next three months.
All the usual housework and whatever John tosses into the mix.
Zone:
Kitchen. I don't really have a task I want to get done in the kitchen but I do want to do a pantry and freezer inventory and get my cabinets restocked. I like to keep a couple of cans of this or packets of that in the kitchen and let the bulk of my pantry be in the back of the house, but I really haven't stocked the cabinets since the first of the year. Time to get that done.
Prepare a few freezer meals. You'll see what I mean in the menu section.
Meals:
Leftover Roast Chicken, Creamed Spinach, Brown Rice
All three of us ended up eating chicken and rice, Katie made herself a salad and skipped the spinach. The spinach was a frozen steamable bag from Aldi. Disappointment. After we tasted it, I scraped it from our plates and put in the fridge. The salvage operation will occur later in the week.
Spinach Chicken Alfredo over Pasta, Salad
Following a suggestion from Katie, to use the spinach in an alfredo sauce with the leftover chicken diced into it and toss with pasta.
Cheeseburgers, Fries, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickles
Pinto Beans, Coleslaw, Cornbread
I used leftovers last time to make up Bean and Cheese Burritos which we have reheated for suppers. They were good! I'll be doing this again with leftovers.
Quiche and Salad
for me and only me. John doesn't care for quiche. I saved back some asparagus to make quiche. I'd like to make four or five mini quiche and put some in the freezer for future solo meals for me.
Chili Mac, Salad
Before it gets too hot to eat chili (and we're nearly there) I'll make up a batch. I'll likely put a quart in the freezer and will make chili mac for John. I have some leftover rice and may make up a few Chili Rice Burritos for the freezer, too.
A Meal Out
We're bound to go out somewhere and do something while John has so many days off, and we're bound to eat out. I'm just going to plan it in and if we don't I'll likely have leftovers of something to serve us.
I'm changing up this section because I think it's gotten boring, lol. Y'all know me by now. I have to rattle things up a little bit and do something different.
So as of this week I'll share little things that made me smile or grateful over the weekend.
Listening to Caitlin Canty on YouTube especially the songs "River Alone" and "Who?"
Time spent with Katie. I so enjoy having moments of time with my youngest daughter.
Sam called early Saturday morning to ask a question which led to a long conversation first with me and then with his dad. He went outdoors to get away from the boys, dog, cats, TV etc that was making noise while he talked. Isaac kept trying to come outdoors with him. Sam kept sending him back inside. Isaac finally decided there was a compromise...
He's sorta in...
John was supposed to work today. Rather than give up all of his Sabbath he asked a fellow medic to work a half day for him. He spent the day at home which was lovely. I'm glad he was able to do this.
It was a terrific Sabbath. Now to enjoy the week ahead.
8 comments:
We did a big batch of freezer cooking yesterday. Chicken breasts were 78 cents a pound at Ingles so we bought 18 pounds. I loaded up my new 10 qt slow cooker with all of the breasts in the freezer so we could just have fresh ones in the freezer.
We had a pot of chicken and rice for supper and made a big bowl of chicken salad for sandwiches. Two big containers of chicken broth and meat were frozen for chicken and dumplings, three containers of meat and broth for chicken and rice or noodles plus some one cup packs of chopped meat. We have enough chicken and rice left for Sunday dinner, too. That 10 quart crock is a monster to wash but wow it can do some serious cooking!
I thought the picture of Isaac's compromise was so cute.
I loved your beehive header picture. Perfectly pretty for spring. It seems to me you are always as busy as a bee, and could run circles around me.
I had a real tiring week. The primary care doctor decided I needed a colonoscopy this week to rule out that area for any bleeding that is causing my anemia. I'm not really afraid of the procedure, I dislike the prep, but this time the prep made me seriously weak, shaky,nauseated, and light headed. I spent Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday preparing, having done, and resting up from that procedure. Thank God no bleeding problem found. The gastro doc said he'd see me again in five years. I'm thinking "not", unless told by my primary to go have it done for a specific reason. The biopsy of my polyp came back as no cancer.
I dislike missing out on any of this time of year and it's beautiful weather. After a few nice real warm flower blossoming days, we now are having what my Mom used to call blackberry winter. It's the cold spell that comes just before mid April here in Missouri when the blackberry bushes are blooming. Tonight north of us in Missouri they will be getting some snow. It's just going to be cold and wet here. Blackberry winter is one of those country weather terms that is usually right on the mark, plus I like the sound of the phrase. I don't know if it's used in other parts of the country.
Shortly after I drank my first 3 liters of that colonoscopy prep solution, I was already nauseated and light headed, I looked out the front door to see the pretty spring sunset. As I looked out the door, there was a huge bird casually doing that ankle lifting comical bird step across the street into our front yard. At first I truly thought the prep medicine was making me hallucinate, then I thought, no, that is real, I called my husband to the door to see. It was a big hen turkey, strolling around in our yard almost right up to the front porch, pecking around as she went. He went to grab the camera and by that time the bird had disappeared out of my sight and I wasn't able to step out of the house, due to being very lightheaded, so I couldn't go out to see where she went. Husband went out the door to get a picture and that big bird was long gone. We don't live out in the country, but in an old suburb near St. Louis. The yards are small and close together. I've never seen a wild turkey around here before. My husband and I have checked outside repeatedly every day since Wednesday to see if we could see Big Bird again, but no luck.
It's always a joy to me to see different animals when they come around our house. The timing that was involved for me to be at the front door and be looking out just as that big wild turkey hen came to my yard, almost right to the front porch to visit was so amazing. It wasn't a coincidence, Someone up there loves me.
Happy Spring!
What a sweet picture of Isaac. He is a cutie!
Sounds like you are busy but enjoying working outside. I'm sure your yard is lovely. You are inspiring me to do more too.
Hope John will enjoy his extra days off. Hope Bess gets good news from her procedure, and I hope that everything is going ok with Katie. Hope the insurance was settled in her favor from the accident.
To Susie, I;m glad your colonoscopy showed no bleeding, but I'm sorry the procedure made you so sick. How neat about the turkey sighting.
In VA, we have blackberry winter too, so the saying isn't just in Missouri. We are expecting strong storms today, I hope we don't have power outages.
Lana, That was a great deal on the chicken and you did well to put so much of it into the freezer in prepped packets and as fresh.
Susie that tickled Sam, too, hence why he sent us a picture. Isaac can be very creative, lol. It sounds like your blood sugar or electrolytes got badly out of balance with that pre-procedure cleansing. Bess had the same and got an all clear on hers as well.
I live in the country but still get a real thrill at seeing wildlife. I remember in third grade we were told that by the time we were adults there would be NO wildlife. I've seen alligator, wild hog, black panther, deer, turkey, bear, armadillo, possum, skunk, coyote, fox, wild cats...The list goes on and on. So much for what the pseudo environmentalists said!
Kathy, The insurance did not quite pay off her car, which leaves a deficit to be dealt with and puts Katie and her ex husband both in a bind. There were lessons learned in this process to say the least.
I really like Caitlin Canty as well. We were lucky to hear her in concert a few years ago. She really does some wonderful music.
Have a good week!
Oh I'm so sorry about the car. Sometimes I hate insurance. They seem to do everything they can to get out of paying.
Hope Katie has recovered from the accident.
Terri, I have been so impressed with all of your gardening on a daily basis...especially with all those mulch bags you have been lifting! Those are heavy, I know, and I try to have my husband or son with if I can. It sounds like you are getting a lot of exercise and building up endurance too. So healthy for you. The fresh air and sunshine too! We have had cold, really windy, then sleet and windy, culminating in an all day snowstorm yesterday. The poor robins are completely confused. I just went for a walk and it was 50 degrees and most of the snow has melted. Winter yesterday, spring today! I have been in the house most of the week and welcomed the change in weather to get exercise. I remind myself on those lovely days when I’ve spent a few hours gardening that I did, indeed, get my exercise in and don’t have to feel guilty I missed my walk.
Love, love the picture of Isaac. Ah, it reminds me of my boys when they were little. So precious!
Well I’m done with my break from mopping flors and now to make potato leek soup, even though I’d rather just sit here in my parlor for the rest of the evening.
Karen, I can only compare lifting wet bags of mulch with lifting weights, lol. I am down to three bags and have a long way to go to be even near done with the already made beds...I must go back tomorrow and see if I can't get another load.
Chris, I just discovered Canty but I love the two songs I mentioned. I found a few more on YouTube and listened one afternoon. I'm glad I found her.
Kathy, It is what it is. I am rather philosophical about it myself and I think they are too. Part of what wasn't paid off is a deductible on the policy. It seems to me if the car is totaled you shouldn't worry over a deductible.
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