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.



It was Katie who suggested a salvage meal.  "Why don't you save that spinach and make an Alfredo sauce and dice up the rest of the chicken into it...Toss with some pasta.  That would be good."  I agree; it sounds good and seems a good way to  stretch the last of the chicken.

I'm trying to make it a habit, now that it's warmer, to close the shades on the sunny side of the house.  In the winter, I covet the extra warmth the sun brings into the house.  It keeps the heater from coming on half so much and warms the house nicely.  Not in warmer weather.  It gets stuffy and the AC runs more and more as the temperatures outside go up.  I'll soon be closing the black out curtains as well to conserve the cool air inside and keep that summer warmth outside where it belongs.  I do chuckle though.  Right now our summer setting on the thermostat does seem too warm but by the real heat of summer, I'll be freezing and trying to sneak the thermostat up further or slipping outside to sit on the porch and warm up!

I hung the gray sheers from the bedroom at the master bath window yesterday.  I had a brainstorm while I was doing so.  The window is a typical narrow opaque glass window, just the sort you see in every double wide ever made.  It came with café rods at top and bottom and while we have continued to use the top rod, we long ago discarded that bottom rod.  It finally came to me yesterday that I could make that window look like it's larger simply by hanging a standard curtain rod and putting drapes either side of the sheers.  If I'm smart, I'll hang the rod higher than the window, too and make the window look taller.  It was a brainstorm that was a LONG time coming!  I now have that project on my list of things to do.

Katie told me that the plants were set up outside our local grocer.  I haven't been in that store in a month or more because they no longer send out sales ads. Without ads to prompt me I tend to steer away.  Anyway,  when Kate said she was ready to go home, I told her I planned to go by the grocery and pick up some basil plants.  When we got there,  she pointed out the lemon thyme.  I don't really like thyme  but I've never tried lemon thyme and it does smell nice.  I got one of those plants as well.  No sage or chives.  I'll check back as they do tend to restock those plants often enough to rotate a few different ones through.  I spent $7 on my plants.  There are two basil in the pot. I really love basil and am contemplating getting another pot or two unless I find my seeds.

There's a big bed of Iris next to the driveway at Mama's house where Katie is living.  One was blooming today, a lovely deep purple one.  I took it up and brought it home.  I know there are several colors of iris in that bed which needs to be divided but I don't know if I have time to tend to it.  It could be beautiful next Spring if I did.

John and I ate a light supper together.  He went in to finish his shift.  A fellow medic had agreed to cover the day portion of his shift so he could have a little extra time off.  He certainly looked well rested when he left.

I was tempted to work in the yard but John insisted I come in and lock the doors.  This living in the country and being alone here bothers him far more than it does me...but it was really too warm to work outdoors anyway and besides, Shabat isn't over until almost 9pm, so it was just as well he did send me indoors.

Sunday:  John in from work this morning.  I made potato pancakes to go with breakfast  at John's request on Friday when he noted leftover mashed potatoes.

We had a rainy morning but not heavy rain nor the storms predicted.   By the time the afternoon skies cleared it was far too warm to go outdoors to  work.  I reluctantly accepted that today is not meant to be a yard work day.

We stopped by the grocery on our way home.   John is so optimistic it sometimes makes me ache inside...This particular grocery never has fried chicken on a Sunday at noon.  Never.  Yet he went in today convinced he was going to be able to buy fried chicken for lunch, simply because he wanted it...Nope.  I broke down and filed a complaint with the store which is exemplary in every area save this one.  It is utter ridiculousness to live in middle Georgia in an area where there are three churches that seat over 1000 each (we are not counting the smaller churches in the immediate area) and to have a store that basically refuses to cook and put out fried chicken on a Sunday.  And even more ridiculous if you consider that people hopefully line up every single Sunday only to be told it will be an hour or so before they can get an order.

I'm so unhappy with the state of the flowers purchased over the past week, I stopped and looked today at the bargain single variety bouquets but noted they looked pretty much done.   I just couldn't spring for one of the nicer and much pricier bouquets.

John pointed to the pies as he headed back to the deli area.  I stopped and looked and thought  Oh a blueberry or cherry would be nice.  humph.  Not at twice the price of an apple pie.  I did get him an apple pie though.  I couldn't make one for the price they were selling for today.

I washed a full load of dishes after our dinner today.

Monday:  The clouds broke up yesterday afternoon and the sun began to shine.  It was doing the same this morning, just shining away.  It had turned off breezy and cooler but it made yardwork time a pure pleasure this morning.  I never broke a sweat nor a glisten even though I worked hard.

Before going outdoors, I stripped our bedding and pulled out the summer spread.  I may have no skirt and yes, I do need one on the bed, but I've had enough of feeling I am suffocating at night.  The winter spread is just too heavy now that it's warmed up a bit.  Like as not tonight will prove to be too chilly for the summer spread.  I shall toss a blanket over the bed if it proves to be so.

I removed the mattress pad and washed it as well as hanging pillows outdoors on the line to get sun and wind and freshening.  John finished off my two loads of laundry by removing sheets to toss into dryer and taking mattress pad out to line to blow dry.  Later he did a third load of clothes, including the working clothes we were both wearing outdoors, and hung most of those to dry.

I cleared up the kitchen and made the house look nice enough, but I didn't waste a load of time indoors because I really wanted to go tackle outdoors work.

Today's lot of yard chores:  Got up all the stuff I'd swept from under the two trees at the end of the house, and moved the blocks to a deeper more gentle curve so John can easily mow the area.   The area inside the blocks is mostly tree roots that run along the top of the ground where he can't mow.  I'd love to add pine straw to the area but I'll likely continue with mulch for consistency since it's attached to the bed that runs about the house...or will be when I'm done with this project.   I need a flat bed of blocks to finish that area but it shall be as with all else: bought 12 at a time and loaded by yours truly and unloaded by same.

I moved from there to the start of the second flower bed on the back side of the house, the only bed where I actually have rosebushes and lantana planted in the ground.  I tried to dig up the lantana and did get a goodly sized knob of stem and roots up that I will try and plant in a different spot but I couldn't get at all of it.  Despite doing exactly as I oughtn't do and breaking off the stems before winter last year, the doggone thing came back just the same.  I dug up and removed loads of spiderwort and daylily and as the plants got thicker towards the area under the rosebushes at the spigot end of the bed, I was finally just grubbing out what I could with my hands.  I managed to almost dig out the third rose bush coming up right at the house foundation from the red roses.  John kindly grappled the root the rest of the way out of the ground and I filled in the hole, covered the ground with cardboard about the two red roses and added weed mat and put in two bags of mulch.

 I then replaced my bricks and stones I'd used as border and swung it out wider and deeper so that John isn't slapped by thorny rose branches every time he mows and I'm giving room to the lantana as well.  If it's going to grow this year it may as well have room to do so, but I shall try to kill it off again come fall.  I do like the stuff because butterflies and bees like it but it smells like cat pee to me and I prefer not to have it so close to the house.  This is the really old fashioned lantana by the way that grows up big and bushy, not the modern day low mounding stuff.

I planted the red rose we dug up in front of the back porch.  That was easier work than trying to dig the hole for the rose in the corner flower bed...The hydrangea has grown three times it's size since I planted it, and the coral rose is doing just grand in the big pot on the corner of the patio.

I worked for hours out in the yard this morning, probably near three hours and only quit when I began to stumble about from being over tired.  John felt compelled to come out and wash off his mower, which involved removing the winter wraps from the spigot.  We still need to uncover the one in the front of the house.  It's a seasonal task this business of unwrapping the spigots come spring.

I stood and watched a bit as he sprayed the water under the mower.  He stopped washing and asked if I was getting wet from the spray.  I shook my head and told him I was just watching the rainbows he was making.   I don't care how old you are, rainbows are pretty to see.

When I came back indoors, I folded the clothes John had dried, made a quick dinner of burgers (patties right from the freezer) and tater tots, finished dressing our bed, and doing a half dozen other small chores.  Then I got ready to go into town where I went to the dollar store and post office.  I took trash off on my way.

At the dollar store today, I purchased two bags of cotton rounds.  I was shocked at how inexpensive they were at the dollar store compared to what I'd paid at both CVS and Amazon in the past.  I will definitely put this item on my dollar store list.  I paid more for another item than I do at Walmart, about the same as I'd pay at Publix, less than I'd pay at CVS...I'm adding all this price data to my mental price list.

 I picked up Easter cards, one per family, to mail out for the grandchildren's pleasure.  Years ago, I tried shipping out candy to Amie's family but with JD down in south Georgia, Taylor in North Georgia and Druid out in Texas...I just can't ship candy to everyone so now it's just a card which I address to the children of each household.  I figure a thought of love and a bit of mail all their own is something most will cherish.  It's old fashioned but there's a thrill to 'getting mail' no matter what your age, that an email simply never will deliver.

 I also purchased three flower pots that I really liked, plastic but pretty, green and blue colors so I bought them, as most of my pots have had it.   I don't know what I shall plant in them or where they will end up but I had made up my mind that this year was the year to purchase newer pots and this is a good start.   Really now, I need to skip the dollar store for a few months!

On to the post office to send all the mail out and then home again.  Honestly by the time I got back home I was feeling sore in places I haven't felt sore in all these three weeks of yard work.  I mean to keep on working.  I figure it's like going to the gym.  I'm just going to be sore until I get all these muscles used to being worked.

Gathered John's stuff for  work lunch bag and put in the basket in the fridge so I can pack his lunch easily.  Set up coffee for morning.  Now to decide what he shall have for breakfast.

I gave myself a pedicure but did not polish.   I was too sore to keep stretching down to my toes!

Tuesday:  Miserable night of pain and itchiness...I apparently found some poison ivy in my work or picked it up from a dog.  I am going to treat this on my own with essential oils.  I've listened to several who use essential oils explain which are best suited.  I have them on hand as well as the recommended aloe gel.

So little sleep.  I am so glad that I had determined to just do an egg and toast meal for John.  I packed his lunch and saw him off.   As soon as it was daylight I went outdoors.  It's been really cool the past two mornings and I almost could have used a jacket in my work this morning.    I've almost finished mulching another spot.  I need to buy a load more mulch.  I lack about 1 bag finishing off this last bed I am working on.  I managed to get four small rosebushes out of the back of the bed with some roots in tact.  I'm going to try planting them, in pots to start if I can't determine where in the yard I'd like them.  I've ruled out the back porch.  These are New Dawn and are climbing roses.   I don't want the thorny branches winding in the railing where one is bound to get snagged.  I need to think carefully about where I mean to plant them.  I hope I can cultivate them as my bushes are 20 odd years old and looking rather scraggly.

Late yesterday evening, Sam called asking if I'd take Isaac today.  I hadn't any really big plans except to go buy more mulch.  Well I will do that sometime in the next week but I didn't see any harm in rearranging my plans to take care of that boy.  We had a grand time playing.  After dinner today, he found the toy cooking/dish set.  He hasn't bothered with it much but today he cooked and brought me food.  He tickled me after I "ate".  He took the dishes and went to the kitchen and threw them into the sink.  At least he's gotten the idea early that dirty dishes go into the sink!

My lack of sleep was catching up with me and I noted he was looking tired, as well he might be because those little legs had run from one side of the room to the other and back again multiple times.  Isaac does NOT nap...He will however, if given a sippy cup of milk and a comfortable lap to sit in start to relax, especially if you put on the Baby Bum music program.   He accidentally relaxed right into a proper sleep and Gramma did too.  I slept about an hour and he was still sound asleep about 40 minutes later when John called.  No Grampa didn't waken him exactly.  He just kept calling me because I didn't answer my phone.  I'd left my phone on the other side of the room.  John's convinced I should Velcro it to my person.  He worries when I don't answer.   It was shifting Isaac out of my lap and into the chair that woke him.

Met Josh at the back door with an apple and an orange in my hands and gave Bess one of my quite ripe Avocado.   Josh loves fruit and his eyes just light up when he sees my big apples and oranges.  He made clear that he didn't want the avocado because he doesn't like them.  I pointed out that his Mama did and he said she shouldn't ever buy them.  "Well then, perhaps your daddy should do the same.  He doesn't like bananas but he buys them for you doesn't he?  Isn't it right Mama should have something she likes even if you don't care for them?"   I smiled at the frown he got thinking that out...He was most disturbed at the idea that his daddy doesn't like bananas.  He still doesn't think his Mama should eat avocado, lol.

I had a frozen chicken pot pie that I'd bought and stashed away for my supper.   I spent quite a little while looking at different brands and the sodium and carb counts before I bought that pot pie.  I also made myself a long awaited cup of coffee.

I worked on the bill box and checkbook this afternoon after family left and got that all sorted out and totted up.  John will be off for the next five days and will not return to work until Payday.   I now have everything all ready to go for early next week.  And a clear idea of how things will look for the quarter ahead.  I won't say I've enjoyed John not having his extra day off, but the extra money was put to really good use.  I'll cut back on savings a bit for now but will punch it up again if there's holiday pays or overtime in the future.  I am doing my best to insure I have full sub accounts for everything due in the next 9 months...I aim to make it 12 months if I can, plus I really want to add to that new savings.

Wednesday:  I slept pretty well, waking only once to apply the oil/aloe mixture to my skin.  The poison is spreading still which doesn't make me in the least happy.  I took half an allergy tablet of the one antihistamine that doesn't react badly with my system and that too seems to help.

I used bread I'd put in the freezer because it had dried out to make French Toast this morning for breakfast.

After I'd cleaned up the house, I was in work mode still.  I wanted very much to be busy outdoors, so I went out to the shed and began cleaning it.  I have a stack of boxes to go to donation, a huge bag of trash and a considerably cleaner half shed.  I'll clear and clean the other half tomorrow if there are no plans afoot.

Made the Spinach Alfredo sauce using the last of the roast chicken in it.   This turned out very well indeed.  I'm convinced that the biggest problem with that 'creamed' spinach was the lack of draining.  I squeezed a good cup of liquid from it, a buttery liquid so I couldn't even use it on my plants as added fertilizer.  I think if I want Creamed Spinach in the future, I'll make it myself.

Maddie has insisted on digging new holes in my freshly mulched area.  I spread a liberal amount of red pepper in the spot where I don't want her.  I don't really know exactly what to do otherwise.  The spray meant to keep dogs and pests away is something she LIKES.   She will lay down and roll around in it sniffing happily the whole while.

After our dinner today, I went to work on the  pantry/freezer inventory.  I am not paying attention to expiration dates just now, though I shall look at them more closely later.  Nearly all my vegetables etc.  have a late 2019 or 2020 expiration date.  I have not done the bins in the pantry  at present, because it got pretty warm in that closet where there is no vent.   It doesn't get hot in there but it was warm and still in there today.  I will finish that task later today, or possibly tomorrow.

As I worked on both freezer and pantry I was well pleased not only with the progress made these first four months of the year at restocking but that the bulk of what we have on hand are things we really use, good basic items that are perfect for food storage and only one or two unusual items rather than a shelf full of oddities as I had at one time.

While inventorying the freezer, I pulled some roast beef slices out to make sandwiches for supper tonight.

Closed shades to block heat and light on the west side of the house.   There is still plenty of light in the rooms but come summer I will also be pulling those room darkening shades across the windows to help reduce the heat further.

Washed a full load of dishes.  Isaac always turns the knob on the dishwasher and I knew he had the other day, as I was on the phone with Katie at the time.  I forgot to turn the knob back to the top but thankfully he'd stopped right at the short cycle mark where I'd normally wash anyway. I hope that my next dishwasher has the hidden controls where little fingers can't find them.  Am I in the market for a dishwasher?  Not at present.  Mine is only 23 years old!

Thursday:  I slept in a little this morning.  I had been awake since wee hours with that itchy, creeping skin feeling.  I rolled over once John got up about 7 and went back to sleep until a text message notification roused me.  John was making breakfast when I got up and peeked into the kitchen.  I hurried through a shower.

John took one look at my body last night as we went to bed and looked hard at my face and neck and chest this morning.  "You call the doctor today.  That is spreading."  Indeed.  I discovered that my doctor is only in the office on Wednesdays now.  He is however, planning to see me at 4pm this afternoon.  My next resource was an urgent care center.  I dislike that name as it implies an emergency.  Most of these places are not ERs but just doc in the box offices as John refers to them, meaning that people can see a doctor most any time as needed for non-emergency care.  However, I shall not have to resort to that today.

After breakfast John washed dishes and I emptied the dishwasher from yesterday's load and put them away.  Then Bess and Isaac dropped by on their way to Aldi.  The boys had a present  for Grampa and Isaac wanted to deliver it to 'Papa.  It was a set of Egglets, those silicone cups you break eggs in and it makes round boiled eggs.  I think it's silly but John has wanted a set forever, he really has and Bess knew it.  So John now has a small set.

I went out to the yard after they left and cleared around the small stunted forsythia and spider lilies.  While I was weeding that area, Katie called and we chatted briefly.  I was testy.  Between itching and sweating heavily and breathing hard from bending over I was short in my speech.  I apologized to her a wee bit later.

I went on to the shed and managed to sort things out there.  I'm not perfectly pleased with how things are.  I want to do more work and get more shelves to make storage look neater and all that but I did note that one shelf had bowed slightly under the weight of the glassware sitting atop it.  If it won't hold dishes it's not going to hold stacked cans...I'll rethink my plan to move one of those units into the pantry.   In fact, I would like to consider replacing those in the shed too, if they are going to bow under a slight bit of weight.  I have four cleared bins of various sizes I can use to further organize.  I'll be better able to determine what I mean to do with them when I can get the donations and trash out of the way.   When the pest control man comes again, I'll have him spray the building inside to keep bugs and wasps down.

I was able to get to my antique iron bed frame.   The headboard will be painted and hung on the wall as the guest bed headboard.  I have a footboard as well but unless John can get to my railings which are overhead in his shop so I can try them out on this bed, I can't tell if I can set it up as a full bed.  If they fit this bed I'll use head and footboard together.  I do have a twin iron bedstead in his shop, too, that I might use outdoors somewhere.

I brought out three pictures and two plates for the guest room walls, a crystal dish I wanted to use in my bath to hold cotton face pads and the Seder plate for Passover tomorrow night.

I finished my pantry inventory.  There are only a few things which I am out of or very low upon that I consider basics.  I will make note to stock up on those items in the next month or so.  Then I'll reassess where I am with foodstuffs and dry goods and what I think I should concentrate on next.

For an easy lunch today I used the last of the Spinach Alfredo mixture to make tortilla pizzas for our lunch.   They were super good and I think I'd like to make homemade hot pockets or calzones with that stuffing for the freezer.  I really do want to concentrate on warm/hot weather meals now and work out a list of things that can be made with minimal heat in the kitchen, yet satisfy my own desire to have a hot meal once a day.

later:  Given the doctor bill and what we spent picking up the inexpensive remedies (plus a few ancillary things) at the supermarket, I suggested to John it might be cheaper to hire help in the yard in future, lol.   I knew I'd have to pay the office visit, but it was well worth it to get  prescription steroids since the poison has kept spreading all day long.  Each new fresh outbreak adds to the three week run time of the poison, because it's three weeks from the last break out to full healing.

At the grocery we bought a sandwich for our supper.  I bought a new nail polish, a weakness of mine for sure, but given the color just wowed me it was the name won me over entirely, Mrs. Always Right.  That was my splurge tonight.  The rest was strictly pharmacy items that were either needed or ordered by the doctor, and sodas for John who had been out for two or three days now.

I just have to share something that happened to me today.  I took time to try and dress nicely for the doctor's office and put on eye makeup though I couldn't use other makeup as the poison is on my face and neck. I wore a maxi skirt with a white t-shirt that is tied at the hem giving a slight blouson effect to the top.  I wore earrings and I had a proper pedicure done the day before with fresh polish.  I think my appearance helped in making a good impression.

I had to wait quite a bit longer than my appointment time but I figured they were working me in so why on earth should I complain at a wait?  And when they apologized to me I said as much to them and thanked them for taking time to fit me in.  

There was a woman who came to conduct me to the desk and as I waited on another patient to check out, this woman and I struck up a conversation.  I mentioned I'd formerly worked in insurance billing at a hospital and later in a doctor's office.  The woman turned to me and told me she owns five billing companies...and she needed someone in this area willing to work from home and then asked if I'd be interested. "I don't know how long you've been retired, but I need someone who isn't fifteen, if you know what I mean.  I need someone who has a work ethic."

I confess, I've been in prayer for two years about whether God meant me to go to work once more.   I also tell you truly, I have never in my life applied for a job.  I've always been OFFERED work.  I told God some months ago if He meant me to go to work that I'd appreciate it if I was offered a job once again.  Well here it is.  I'll be writing my resume tomorrow and have already lined up references.  We will see how it goes from here.  I'm nervous, because I've not worked for anyone else in 23 years.  Things will have changed. But I'm also excited.  To work from home would be awesome for me.  I'm self motivated enough to get things done.  With John's work schedule as it is, I have time on my hands.   I'd prefer to work part time but we shall see how it goes and how the offer works out in the end.

Friday:  New outbreaks this morning, but at least the first dose of medication was in me and I was told to expect some results in 72 hours.  Only a bit less than 48 to go...Oy the itching!

Woke in the wee hours of the morning.  I've taken to watching YouTube on my phone.  I often drift off to sleep as someone drones in my earbuds right into my ear and it sure beats lying awake getting tangled in a bunch of my own thoughts.   I took half an allergy table to cut down on the itching.

I planned cereal for breakfast this morning.  I had an idea I wanted to try: adding coconut and pecans to my strawberries on my cereal.   This in addition to the hemp hearts and flax seed mill.  I think I can easily cut down on the serving size of the cereal with all the extra fiber.   I tried the Honey Almond Special K Protein this morning and found it very tasty.

What to do with myself?  It was raining, a little too much to bother with doing a thing in the yard or on a porch.  The shed was finished.  I finally settled to clearing up about the house.  It took me only a bit over an hour to make things all nice and neat once more.

I  went out to the yard and cut yellow iris for the living room.  I hated to see those blooms beaten down by the rain.  They are so pretty!

I cleared off my desk after I was done with the other rooms.  What a mess it gets into.  Then I organized my make up box afresh.  I can always find a bit of work somewhere to be done.  This is why I feel a job working from home would be ideal.  I find I have time on my hands often enough and I could work a few extra hours at something every day except Saturday.

That thought prompted me to sit down and type out my resume.  That gave me pause.  I haven't worked outside my home in 23 years...I decided that since these 23 years at home haven't been idle it was best to list my entrepreneurial jobs and my blog as part of my 'work' experience.  I then listed my traditional job experience.  I will go over on Monday to turn it in and we shall see what happens.

Made a fast and easy dinner for us.  It took about fifteen minutes to cook and it was all stove top or microwave.  Cubed steak, baked potato and salad.  This would be a great menu to make come the heat of summer when I don't want the oven or crockpot running for hours on end.  I wish I had an outlet outdoors that I could access from either porch.  I'd put the crockpot out there...

Well dears, it's been a full week once more.  It's felt spend-y this week, ore than a savings week,  but it inevitably all balances out in the end, doesn't it?   I hope you all have a lovely Easter weekend.  If you have moments to spare, come share with us.  Was it a spending week or a savings week in your home?