The Week Behind: Summer Arrives

Friday:  I promised I'd share this day on this week's post since I posted early last week.  John woke early for some reason and went to start laundry but he came back to bed and went back to sleep.  Strange but truth...

I went out to have coffee on the front porch.  It was too cool for me there.  I came through the house and went to the back porch and sat in the sun and had coffee.  That was a nicer temperature for me.



We had planned to eat out today and I knew that John also meant to mow the lawn before we left home.  He doesn't typically like to eat a heavy meal before doing any type of yardwork so we settled for toast this morning as our meal.

When we left home we did our usual trio of things: bagged and carried off trash, picked up incoming mail, dropped off outgoing mail.

We had a nice dinner out at a Sonic drive in.  The weather was so nice we wanted to take advantage of it.  It was lovely to eat in the car today.  Honestly though, the food was just ok.

We got haircuts.

And while we were in the same shopping center I went into Kroger and bought the best of the sales items for this week.  We haven't had Decaf coffee in nearly two weeks but there was a sale today on a brand we like.  I bought six bags.  I spent about half of my grocery budget for this next week but, it should be fine.  I still have produce on hand from last shopping, we also have milk, bread and eggs aplenty.  We bought some fruit today as well as several packs of brown rice and we got a free bag of Cheetos with a coupon Kroger had mailed to me.

My big splurge today was a bunch of flowers for $9.  I bought peonies that were fully budded.  I've never seen peonies up close and personal, only in pictures.  I was rewarded with one bud flowering as soon as I put the stem in water today.

I took bagels from freezer to thaw for Saturday morning breakfast.

Saturday:  John went off early this morning to work with the men on a project at church.  He urged me to sleep as late as I wanted.  I did...all the way to 7am, lol.    I took coffee on the front porch again and though it was cool, I enjoyed the bagel breakfast which Rufus shared with me.  I was serenaded though I doubt the singer knew they were singing for anyone's benefit except their own.

Indoors I gloried in the wonder of real peonies in full bloom.  Gracious but I've got to find out if I can grow these in my area!  What awesome things they are!  And on a side note, I appreciate still more the really good handwork that went into making the silk ones I bought at Walmart which seemed so realistic.  Naturally they don't compare to the real thing but if I squint a little, those silk blooms are  pretty good.

I cut sirloin into cubes and put the vegetables and meat into Italian dressing to marinate.  This went back into the fridge until nearer time to cook.

John called me when he was on his way home.  He said he was bringing me a surprise and I'd 'never guess' what he was bringing.  He was quite right.  My thoughts ran to doughnuts or some type of breakfast food.  He brought me a rusty but sturdy Radio Flyer wagon!  He does pay attention...He said the moment he saw it he knew I'd want it for my flower bed or porch.  Bless the man...I think I'm just gonna keep renewing my option on him.

Took the Lemon Zucchini cake from the freezer for today's dessert.

I broiled the shish kebab.  I would have liked to grill but was in no mood to coax that old charcoal as we did the other day.  I failed to buy any yesterday as I'd meant to do, sigh.  I had to use the broiler on the big gas stove and it really heated up the kitchen/living areas.  I wish I'd had smaller skewers I might use to put in the toaster oven but I did not.  I will be sure to get some charcoal for future shish kebab dinners because this was really not wise.   The  AC ran and ran with the broiler on...

We experimented with a Rosemary and Olive Oil Quinoa mix.  I am trying to add more grains to our diet.  Quinoa has more protein than brown rice, although this blended mix contained brown rice as well.  Katie and Sam's household both eat quinoa on occasion and I thought we'd give it a try.  I was not crazy about it.  The seasoning packet was just not a good flavor to me.  I chose it because I do like rosemary a good deal but not in that packet.  True confession time, I generally don't like seasoning packets of any sort whether in wild rice or what have you.  John said he couldn't taste anything but he thought the texture was strange.  I might give it another try but will definitely choose an unflavored variety in future.

Talked with Amie a little this morning.  She was opening at work and told us all their news, some good and some not.  It's always good to be her shoulder when she needs one, but I think talking to John did her the most good of all.  I know she misses us but she seldom catches John off duty and so talking to him is an especially good solace for her.

John took a long nap after lunch.  He helped out at a church clean up this morning so I guess he was good and tired when he got in.

We went to Josh's 'real' birthday party.  The 'party' part was that Gammy and Grampa were both there instead of working and Uncle Moose sang Happy Birthday to him over the phone while we sang Happy Birthday.   Josh got to eat a grilled cheese (sort of ) and cake (sort of) and then we had sparklers and poppers on the front porch.   Lots of laughter went on and the two little boys were happy to have three grandparents there.  River and Rufus went off on an adventure together while we were all being party folks.

I forgot to take my big chicken from the freezer to thaw and it won't do it overnight.  So I'll need to make a meal plan of some sort off the top of my head.  I have a funny feeling it's going to involve a grocer bakery pie if John has any say in it...

Sunday:  John was up aerly this morning and again I woke to the sound of laundry going.  I rose at my usual time.

My first task was to load and start the dishwasher going.  I had quite a full load and still washed a sink full of dishes by hand.

I decided to just wing it for our lunch today.  When John asked after church what we were having, I told him I'd gotten nothing out.  My plans and his didn't quite gel but we hit upon a compromise of sorts.  John wanted fried chicken and pie (told you!).  I had planned on cooking him a steak but we were not happy with how thin the better cuts were.  John found a package of crosscut short ribs, which we have had at the Korean restaurant.  I offered to make them on the grill for him this week and he was pleased at the idea.  I picked up soda and tuna fish, both sales items for our pantry.  I  am now just about at limit for our grocery budget but I took stock again this morning and feel sure we can manage without much more spending.

John bought a half dozen deviled eggs.  Did I complain?  No...but I did mentally note that the price of  3 boiled eggs split into halves cost more than 3 dozen eggs at Aldi.  However, I also knew that John had in his own way done his best to provide a ready to eat snack I might eat without any repercussions to blood sugar.


We made a decision today.  John's stopped enjoying the crossword puzzles in the Sunday paper.  I found more and more often a sales paper for many of the stores were no longer included and coupons were few and far between.  Since I can find ads and coupons online, we decided that we no longer need purchase the Sunday paper.  A small weekly savings of $3 (a double increase in price over the past year) or about $144 a year.   This amount will more than cover our AAA annual renewal fee.

We came home and ate our own side dishes from the fridge.  I've been keeping 3-bean salad in the fridge, something I do most all of the warmer months of the year.   John and I had purchased macaroni salad for him at Aldi from the refrigerator case.  Here's a point of contention we've compromised upon.  I feel I can make a perfectly good pasta salad but he wants mine to taste the same as bought and it doesn't.  So we buy it.  He enjoys it and I don't eat it.

Monday:  I did nothing much at home today.  I'd promised Katie to come help with housekeeping at her place.  She'd gotten overwhelmed with a mess following some housekeeping she'd started and I'd said I'd help.  John wanted to take her car for a repair on a tire with a slow leak and so off we went.

We came home for lunch.  Had I been asked, I'd have opted for a frozen pizza from the grocery but I wasn't asked and I was too bushed to push.  John asked Katie to come join us and got a bit testy when I pointed out I'd been busy and had nothing thawed, sigh.  Men do get a bit unreasonable at times don't they?  So home we came and I tossed together a salad and reheated the scant portions of fried chicken left from yesterday.  It wasn't much of a meal.  John felt led to supplement it with a sandwich but we all got fed and everyone ate, so there!

And that sums up my day.  I did offer to make supper for John earlier but he said he wasn't hungry 'at the moment' and I wasn't willing to do much of anything an hour later, so he made our supper which was delicious and much appreciated.  The man has got the sandwich thing down!

Tuesday:  No real oomph in my output relays today so I 'played' at housework and found the day satisfactory enough.  I started by stripping the master bath and bed and the kitchen towels and tossing all into the wash.  Those went out on the line and then I washed the mattress pad from our bed and put that in the dryer.  It's a hard dry even in the dryer and it was so thick outside you could practically see the words you spoke forming before your eyes.

I pulled the refrigerator from the wall and cleaned behind it.  I knew a good sized chunk of glass had fallen back there the other day when I broke that dish and I wanted to retrieve it.  I also felt it was about time to get the backside vacuumed.  I mopped the area behind the fridge and scrub cleaned the side that is next to my mixer and catches a lot of splatter.  Then I pushed the fridge back into place and scrubbed the rest of it.

I did not feel up to pulling out the stove and dryer and washer.  I skipped the laundry area entirely today but I did not use the vacuum to clean as far as I could reach under the stove broiler pan.  I also lifted the top of the range and cleaned underneath there.  What a mess!  I had to soak a couple of extra sticky patches and ended taking paint off the surface from scrubbing it so.   It looked a great deal better.   I set the top down again and cleaned it really well.  Then I scrubbed the front of the oven and broiler drawer,  wiped down the inside of the oven and as far as I could reach inside the broiler drawer.

Then I repeated the process for the dishwasher.  I do not pull this appliance out but I did vacuum under it and clean the front of it.  I've been wiping out the inside after each wash when I empty it anyway, so I felt that was fairly clean.

While the vacuum was in the kitchen anyway, I vacuumed all my rugs, then took them up and vacuumed all the floor.  And last, I mopped the room.

I know I said I had no oomph and I assure you I had none.  I did all this work in bits and pieces.  The room looked a proper shambles at one point but it all got done eventually.   It all took me roughly four hours because I was very much into the start and stop method of cleaning.

I brought clothes in off the line that were slightly damp but I'd noticed the sky steadily getting darker.  About five minutes after I brought in the clothes it began to pour rain.  The mattress pad was just finished so I popped the sheets and towels in to finish off.

I put the ivy, Christmas cactus and fern under the eave of the porch where rain could water them   I am glad to see the rain as all the plants were looking a bit deflated.  The Asiatic lilies are about to burst into bloom but were very dry indeed.  Hopefully the rain will promote their blooming.

After all the housework was done, I finally put on something for my dinner.  I didn't want another chicken meal  so I scrambled through the freezer.  I found a box of pierogi that had only one serving left in it and put that, two beef hot dogs and a bit of sweet onion on to cook.   While that was cooking, I made my bed with fresh mattress pad and sheets.

And that has pretty much been my whole day.  The clothes I washed and dried today are in a basket beside my chair and I'm debating if I shall bother with them or wait.  I loaded the dishwasher when Sam stopped by.   Today is his birthday...Tomorrow is my niece's.  After he left I got busy totting up the checkbook.  This pay period has fallen in an odd place for the month so while I have money set aside for bills, I have nothing going out in mail except our tithes.  I balanced as nearly as I ever do, which is to say if the bank and I are within $20 agreement on what I say I have I am fine with that.  The days of balancing to the penny are long gone.

We're having another lovely shower of rain...and Maddie is back cowering in the dog house.  I know because she came out when I went to pick up my plants from the back porch step figuring they'd no need of a second shower's worth of rain.   Little Bird flew out of her nest when I bent my head a smidge too near the crock where she's nested.  I find I am less and less startled by her.  I will say though that looking down at my Christmas Cactus as I carried it back to the table, I noticed it was watching me and that did freak me out a bit.  Anyone who has read here for a little while knows that I care nothing for frogs but he was nestled deep into the plant and thankfully didn't jump until I set the pot on the table.  Still it's a bit disconcerting to discover that the plant you're carrying has eyes and those eyes are looking up at you.

Wednesday:  I took cinnamon rolls from the freezer for this morning's breakfast.  We're low on sliced bread at the moment.  I'd make it, but John never eats loaves of bread that I make unless it's hot right from the oven.

John was a bit late this morning coming in.  No matter.  I had time to make the bed, bake the rolls, clear up the kitchen, shower and fold those clothes I ignored all afternoon long yesterday.

I went out this morning and emptied compost.  While out there I deadheaded flowers.  I noted that the Asiatic Lilies are starting to bloom.  The Bougainvillea is too.

I made Teriyaki Sauce to marinate the crosscut shortribs.  The meat was labeled as Chuck Flanken Ribs.   They will be broiled since I failed to buy fresh charcoal.

Thursday:  Hard to believe I'm sure but after dinner yesterday I cleared up the dishes, started the dishwasher running and that was the absolute last thing I did.  I spent the rest of the afternoon 'hiding' as I call, losing myself in internet games and such.  I'd been avoiding looking hard at a painful thing...Well last night it popped up big and scary in my mind and I skittered awake and lay there watching You Tube and fighting sleep.  I realize this morning what a useless waste of good sleep hours that had been and sat down with my journal and talked it out.   Sometimes we just have to look at the scary Tiger and agree that it is indeed a Tiger and we are afraid of it but we'll just have to deal with it anyway.  Or as I tell my girls, "Sometimes the only one through a thing is to just go through it..." and there's far more truth in that statement than I like to admit!

No bread.  We used the last of it last night to make sandwiches.  I took bagels from the freezer.  I have two left after this morning's meal so time to make more.  I might go for a double batch this next go round.   I'm tentatively planning to bake tomorrow morning.  Katie's birthday weekend has come with a request for a Key Lime Pound cake.  She sent me a recipe but the darned thing calls for a full pound of butter.  Wow!  I falter a bit but then again I'm not sure any of my three go to  recipes call for less.  I'll look in the morning before I start and see.  And in the meantime I'll set out butter and eggs to come up to room temperatures tonight before we head to bed.

I went out to feed the animals an discovered I'd failed to put the pet food bowls up.  No problem with the dog food but the cat's bowl was covered with ants.  I set the bougainvillea on the steps so I could water it well and when I picked it up I discovered that cat food was a bonus for the ants who were busy farming aphids.  The plant was just loaded with ants.  I sprayed it well because I am having none of that.  I paid far too much for that silly hanging basket to let ants plant aphids that will suck it dry.

We puttered about this morning, doing much of nothing and taking our own sweet time in getting ready to go out.  When we did finally leave home we took off trash, picked up incoming mail, dropped off outgoing mail (we always mail in town) and then headed to Aldi.  I wasn't going to buy much but I did have extra items on my list since it's a birthday weekend meal being prepared.  Katie's asked for Beef Stew, not a hot weather sort of meal but what she's longing for, and that pound cake.  So there were additional items on the list and I started grabbing items I don't normally see while in Aldi.  Not household goods but real food items and not anything fancy or frivolous.  I picked up the stuff needed to make Ranch Chicken and Mississippi Chuck Roast which makes some pretty darned good Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches.  I didn't buy all I needed for that but I bought the seasonings and the roast.  I'll get provolone and hoagies next pay period.   Then John asked specifically for a certain sweet item and Italian sausages.  He seldom asks for anything special so when he asks I make a point of getting it right away.  I've discovered the hard way that saying "Not right now," often tends to send him into a funk and he'll start taking extra shifts because he's convinced money is too low to handle simple little wants.  The man does not need to work any more hours!  Well, all that to say that I spent about my usual amount there and I'd practically spent that much already so we're over the new budget this month.  Averaged out, we come right back to the total we generally end up with each month which makes me wonder why I try to go any lower.  Maybe last month was a fluke...Or maybe I'll end up stretching foods a big further this month...I'll just shift some money around between sub accounts and the balance and call it done in the meantime.

We went out to lunch.  I wasn't in the least surprised that we did.  I was so hungry when we came out of Aldi.  John went into the bank to get our allowances for the pay period and I ate half a protein bar while he was in the bank.  I was hoping to manage until we got home.  He went right up the street to a favorite pizzeria that we love.  We ordered a hot sub and it was delicious.

Stopped at At&t.   John's needed a new phone usb cord but needed a longer than average one.  He found a 6ft one.  I priced wireless earplugs.  Zowie!  I'll just look online and see what I can find.  I'm pretty sure there are some a lot cheaper out there.

A stop at the dollar store for an item John wanted to drop off at Katie's house.  Finally we came home.

I unloaded groceries.  I divided the big chuck roast into two large portions (about 2.25 pounds each) and split the packet of three boneless skinless breasts into 3 separate packages.  I've made up my mind we can split a breast in half and we'll have plenty.

We enjoyed our lunch but did not get a salad as we typically do.  I offered to make us a salad for supper tonight and John raved over it after we'd eaten.  It was not a hard salad to put together:  lettuce, shredded cheese, sliced smoked turkey sandwich meat, chopped tomatoes, and a bit of macaroni salad with 1000 Island salad dressing.  It was good!

Friday:  I checked my usual recipes last night and yes indeed most of the pound cake recipes do include about a pound of butter/shortening.   I set out butter and eggs to be at room temperature this morning.

So my first task even before coffee this morning was to start the cake.  Pound cakes are not hard to make.  They do require a lot of mixing however.  It is definitely not an all in one bowl at once sort of cake.

Because I was busy with the cake I ended up making a simple breakfast of frozen waffles with chicken sausages.   John was pleased with it and so was I as it left me free to mix the cake.

I couldn't find my 10 inch pan.  I am pretty sure it's in the shed but I didn't want to go out to get it this morning.  I baked the cake in two loaves and I'm kind of glad I did.  One stuck and tore a little as it was coming out of the pan.  That left me with one perfect loaf.  I've determined that we'll eat the broken one for Katie's birthday dinner day but I'll pass her the nice one to take to share with friends.

Josh, Isaac, River and Bess walked over this morning.  They didn't stay long but it was a nice visit.  It was very humid this morning and I offered to drive them back home. It's about 1 mile from my house to theirs by the road which is the way they were coming and going back today.  John gave them all an ice pop to eat on the 'long' ride home.

I used up the last of the squash to make squash casserole as planned.  I didn't thaw out the chicken tenders so I pulled out the last two frozen fried chicken breasts.  These are from the freezer section of Aldi.  They are good and are carrageenan free but I hate that they take 40 minutes of cooking time.  It's for that reason I won't be buying them again.   That's just ridiculous to me.

I am going to do some light housework and then call the work day done.  I've been puttering all morning long but it's time to concentrate on tasks now and be more methodical.  I don't have much to do so it won't take long.  I also want to prep foods for the weekend meals so making them will require little effort.   When I am done I think I shall indulge in reading my current book.

I am going to send a proper thank you but in the meantime:  Dale I got the book you sent and I thank you very much.  It's lovely to now have the first book in the Mitford series and your thoughtfulness in sending me the  the book is much appreciated!

Now, off I go to be a worker bee.  Please share your week with us!