The Week Behind: Go Go Go!

Friday:  Adding this day into this week's post since I didn't post about it last week.    I knew John and I were going to travel out of town.  All of my children are foodies and love to cook.  Except Jd.  He and the children live on takeout and frozen or quick fix boxed foods.  John called me Wednesday while he was at work and asked if I could make a meal to take with us.  We  decided I'd make a pot roast in the crock pot and take that with us.  I got up at 5am and dumped the prepared vegetables and meat into the slow cooker, then crawled back into bed for a couple hours more of sleep.   I let it cook right up until the time we were ready to walk out the door, about 5 1/2 hours total.  I have the 'take and carry' crock with  the lid you can fasten and take the whole thing with you.  I wrapped the slow cooker in  towels and put in one of my big insulated bags from Aldi.   John put that bag in the big Igloo cooler in the trunk.   When we arrived at Jd's I took the bag into the house and unpacked it and that crockpot was still HOT!  It was about a 6 hour trip to his house.  All we had to do was heat the green beans.



I left the remainders of the meal with Jd.  I'm sure he'll reheat and eat during the work week ahead.

There's nothing like a good homecooked meal to break the ice.  The children were a little standoffish when we arrived and yes, Jd was a little bit, too.  It's been months since we saw them last.  But sitting around the table eating that roast beef, the ice thawed and chatter flowed.

We packed snacks but stopped for a rest break at the halfway point of the trip.

Saturday:  This trip was planned for.  I set money  aside for our hotel and gasoline.  The hotel room wasn't the cheapest room we could get.  It is a very familiar place to us, where we've stayed every time we've been down to visit over the past 8 years.  We know what to expect in their standard of cleanliness, quiet and how they are continually updating the amenities they offer guests.  They have a very substantial breakfast set out each morning and coffee and cookies each evening, well worth the extra we pay to stay there.  Not to mention, COFFEE, both in the room and in the breakfast area.  We enjoyed our morning meal there and appreciated the expanded seating they have set up for dining guests since our last visit.

We filled our thermal cups with ice before we left the hotel.

After we visited with the kids for the morning, we headed home once more.  Again we stopped at about the halfway point for a rest break.

When we arrived home we found Katie and Taylor here.  They planned to stay the night.  I had no clue what we'd have for supper  but it turned out to be a non-issue.  Everyone scrounged around and found something they wanted and no big deal was made nor big mess.

Sunday:  John made a big breakfast this morning for Mother's Day.  It's something he's done for several years now.  I had made plans but those will wait for another day.  I've no complaints over someone making ME breakfast.  I figure I make that meal probably 345 days a year and I'll take the rare morning off from cooking.  To have a whole weekend in which I didn't make breakfast?  Excellent!

John wanted to go to church this morning. It was pouring rain and I loathe these big busy special day crowds but he really doesn't get a chance to go more than once or twice a month anymore with his current schedule.    I was mindful that we'd need lunch when we returned so I pulled a frozen entrée from the freezer and dropped it in the crockpot to thaw and heat while we were gone.  I'd planned for Katie and Taylor, too, but they were not here when we returned.

John went in to get a newspaper and got a Key lime pie for dessert.  I'll freeze that I guess since the two of us can't eat it all by ourselves in a timely manner.

I ran a full load of dishes.  John washed a full load of laundry and dried in the dryer because it was so very wet outdoors this morning.

After dinner today, I rinsed and stacked dishes and took it easy.  It's been a long weekend.  I have a day out with Mama tomorrow and a very early start to my day tomorrow because John works.

Monday:  Dozed off in my chair last night and almost missed the reveal of the murderer on the lighthearted murder mystery we watch most evenings, "Death in Paradise".

Up quite early this morning to see John off. I reheated strawberry muffins I'd made on Friday morning and John had eggs with his.   I packed his lunch bag and sent him off to work with his coffee in hand.

I love that it is now daylight at about 6:15am, so John actually leaves the house in light and returns home in light.  So much nicer for him, too.  I was weary this morning and really did contemplate going back to bed, but instead, I read my Bible and had a second cup of coffee.  I reasoned that I'd normally wake around 6:45 anyway these mornings, so why go back to bed for what would prove to be a very brief nap?

I stripped the bed and washed towels and sheets together.  I hung all to dry on the clothesline.

I then proceeded to clear up the kitchen and our bedroom, the two most careworn areas from our weekend.

I kept finding things Katie left behind on Sunday.  I've literally filled one of my shopping bags with her things.  And I haven't even gone into the guest room yet to see what she might have left there!

I had a little time to spare this morning between housework and getting ready so I took time to color some of the devotional pages in my Bible.  It's really starting to look like an illuminated Bible!  Funny, when my grandchildren and I were coloring at their home this past weekend, I mentioned what I was doing with my Bible.  My eldest grandson, 9, said "But it's a BIBLE!  Should you be coloring in it?"  I chuckled over that.  Had he stayed with us long enough I'd have explained Illuminated Bibles to him and shown him examples on the internet.  However, he's a little too grown up for Gramma and didn't hang around me as much as the twins.

Treated Mama to a very long drive to a distant restaurant she enjoys visiting occasionally as her Mother's Day gift from me.  It's a beautiful mild day and perfect for long rides...but can I confess, had it not been a treat for her I'd never have opted for such a long drive after our weekend?   I went only because she asked if we might.   I've another long drive in store for me tomorrow, as Bess needs a lift from repair center to rental center as her car goes in for repairs tomorrow morning.

Mostly all I did today was drive and drive and drive some more.  Mama lives about 35 minutes from me, so even after taking her home I had a bit of ride before me.   I opted to skip the extra mileage to go fetch mulch.  I just wanted to come right on home and honestly had thought I'd work on painting something when I got here but I was about 3 hours later getting home than usual.  I'm calling it a day.

Tuesday:  I was not unhappy with the change of plans this morning.  Instead of driving to Macon, I needed only to go to Byron, which is a much easier, more rural and totally familiar drive for me.   I had breakfast with Bess and Isaac.

John bought a 10 pound bag of Vidalia onions from a co-worker's child's school fundraiser.  He'd forgotten all about it until she delivered the onions to him at work yesterday.   How timely!  I'd just realized I might not have enough onion to make it through the pay period.  Of course, I'd forgotten that big jar I put in the freezer a couple months ago.  Never mind, we've got a bunch of fresh onions on hand now.

John makes a seasonal dish that is easy enough and so delicious you never realize how very easy it is.  He peels and cores an onion, then fills the cavity with beef bouillon cube and butter, wraps in foil and bakes the onion.  This is soooo good over rice as a side dish.  Of course, he had to make it today to go with our dinner which suited me just fine.

By the time John came in this morning I'd done routine housekeeping.  He did a full load of clothes and had them washed, dried and ready to put away when I returned home from my morning out.   Perhaps this afternoon if I feel inclined I'll get busy and go to work on the guest room, but right now, as dinner cooks, I realize I am deeply tired from all the travel and rush of the past few days.

I felt positively drained after getting dinner on the table today and little else was accomplished.  I was looking forward to a day at home tomorrow to sort things out in house and porches, but John's just mentioned errands he wants to run...sigh.  Another 'Go' day ahead.

Wednesday:  I had a poor night's rest last night and really didn't feel up to running errands etc, but I did very much want a hair cut.  So after breakfast I flitted about the house and did some minor but necessary chores and got ready to leave home.

John slowly eased his way into the day.  This is both a source of irritation for me and something I do try to mimic in admiration, too, especially when I feel as I did this morning.   It's an irritant because I never have a clear idea of what our timeline for leaving home might be, so I don't dare start any real work that wants to be done, but just hurry through basic cleaning tasks so that I can drop everything and go whenever he is finally ready.  I tried to strike a balance this morning but failed and when John mentioned another task he meant to do today I snapped at him.  Oh dear!  I'm afraid I let my frustration and weariness vent itself in just the wrong way.  Naturally, he being tired as well, he snapped right back.  Not a nice start to our outing I'm afraid.

I had a stylist I've only had once before.  She was careful to listen to and follow my rather explicit instructions about how I wished my hair to be cut.  She also chattered away telling me of her plans to pick strawberries that afternoon, her desire to plant fruit trees at home, her cooking plans for the berries and so forth.  I must say her happy chatter about homemaking sorts of things soothed my ragged nerves.  And I was well pleased with my hair cut as well!

John took me out to lunch.  I might chomp at the bits to be home getting work done but that was not his plan.  It was a good and reasonable meal out which we both enjoyed.  And any inclination I had to come home and get right to work on heavy duty tasks were completely lost in the satisfaction of a good meal and full tummy.

Resolved: despite my need to go run errands and replenish supplies in various areas I will stay home all day tomorrow.  I may or may not work hard.  I'm just going to give myself grace to recover from this week of going.  We shall see how well my resolution holds when faced with tomorrow's demands.   In the meantime, we had coffee and a piece of my mother's day key lime pie...and any desire at all to work today has most certainly bitten the dust.

Thursday:  John seemed a bit taken aback this morning as he left for work and said, as he usually does, "What are your plans today?"  "Nothing!" I replied emphatically.

I sent John off with breakfast, lunch bag, coffee.

I have tried to find something suitable for our anniversary trip.  I finally realized that I am banging my head against a wall.  Our anniversary falls on Memorial Day weekend which means that nearly every place I consider worthwhile is booked solid and prices have all increased to prime summer rates.  Sigh.  I've considered options of all sorts and to no avail.

I puttered about indoors only today.  Rain threatened this morning and put me off the idea I might paint porch or furniture.  I took my time and did routine housework in twice the amount of time it would normally take with plenty of rest spells in between tasks.  It was rather relaxing to go about my work in that manner.

Realized that I had no bread for Shabat.  I decided to make more bagels.  I set the salt down beside the bowl to remind myself to put it in the recipe this time.   Then I thought I might as well make some Challah for Shabat loaf.  The timing difference is just enough that Challah could go in after bagels came out of the oven.  8 bagels, 3 loaves of Challah (I divide the recipe for 1 loaf into three smaller loaves).  At the supermarket this would cost me about $10.

I made yogurt.  I have 4 pints incubating.  I messed up.  I was tired of standing over my milk watching the thermometer so I sat down to color one of my devotional pages in the Bible.  I looked up to see milk foaming over the edge of the pan and the thermometer reading was 220.  I plunged it right into a cool water bath and started stirring while I looked online to see if I'd ruined my milk for yogurt.  Per Chowhound and Food52, the answer was "No."  Just cool back down to 110-118 and then stir in the yogurt starter as usual everyone said.  Well I did just that.  All the sites agree that at worst I'll have thicker yogurt than usual but that's not a bad thing in my opinion.

The guest room is not perfect but it is looking considerably neater.

I ate leftovers for my main meal today.

And that is quite enough I think.  I am still tired and weary but I have a feeling a good night's sleep tonight will set me right once more.

later note:  I'm happy to report the yogurt turned out fine.  I haven't checked to see if it's actualy thicker than usual but it's definitely firmed up as per usual.  This saves me about $5 at Aldi for the equivalent of the one brand I can purchase.

Friday:   In yesterday's Coffee Chat post, I mentioned having trouble keeping cucumbers from spoiling.  Lana recommended a produce keeper from Rubber Maid and put a link in the comments of that same post.  I ordered one and it's on the way.  I started to wait on ordering but I plan to buy groceries the first part of next week and cucumber is on my list.  Might as well start the savings NOW and not wait until later, right?

It was a sunny morning...Perfect for painting.  I got a good coat on the front porch and about 2/3 of the back porch done.   I would have painted the patio furniture, too but I painted myself indoors on both porches, lol.  It only took about 1/3 of a can of paint to do that first coat.  I'm too worn out to put on a second coat or do the cutting in.  I told John I'd work on it on Sunday.  It seems to me the first coat is always the hardest bit of work.

Made tuna salad for today's dinner.  No, it wasn't on the menu.  John said he wanted to mow grass.  I knew he wanted a  lighter meal before he went outdoors.  I grated a small apple into the can of tuna.  I haven't made tuna salad in ages but this is one trick I always use both to stretch the tuna salad and because it cuts the acidity of the tuna fish.

As I served lunch today, I told John that we'll need to get groceries right away this coming week.  I'm hitting the last of the bread, the last of the lettuce, the last gallon of milk and we're actually out of a few things.  I purposely stayed away from the grocery these past two weeks.  The only thing that's been bought since I purchased groceries was the Key Lime Pie John got for a mother's day dessert.  I still have $10 of my budget left from this last pay period.

A friend shared a post that was slightly hysterical and yet concerning at the same time.  Corn crops haven't been planted in the Midwest(?) areas yet due to the rain they have received.  It's hard for me to understand the full impact this has, because I'm not a farmer nor do I understand corn futures (does that have anything to do with this subject?  I've no idea...),  etc.  But I do know that it will impact us as a nation, even living in an area that produces a good bit of corn as I do.  I'm going to try and stock up on cornmeal and grits, two items we use pretty routinely in our meals.  I would imagine that anything containing high fructose corn syrup is also going to go up in price as well as beef and chicken (often fed corn products) and quite possibly dog and cat foods.  I assure I'm no expert but these are just a few areas I think we'll see the effects of the lack of corn from our farming region this year.   Just a head's up to listen to enough news to know how your own family's stockpile might need to be amped up in a few areas and where to expect higher prices in the near future on things that mightn't have a long shelf life so you can plan ahead.  And if any of you have a better understanding about what I'm so badly discussing please leave a comment no matter how long so the rest of us can gain in knowledge.

Had a drop by from Sam.  He stopped to borrow our water hose so he could water his garden and we chatted for a bit.  It's always nice to see my children especially when we are all in a good mood, lol.

I have a dinner menu planned for tomorrow and have made dessert.  John's gone out to mow and I told him I should vacuum...So I'll send this on out and wish you all a lovely weekend.  Share what you did this week to save time or money.