The Week Behind: The Second Week of December

Saturday:  Family Day today.  I woke early, as in 5am and got up to have coffee and do my Bible study.  I knew coming into this weekend that it would keep me moving at a pretty good pace and I wanted to enjoy what I could of the quiet and peace before the mayhem.   It was well worth the rising early to have quiet coffee and time to myself.  John got up about 7am and we had breakfast.  And about 9, I began to finish up the last tasks: setting up the children's table, setting foods to heat on low, setting out serving bowls and spoons, etc.



My family began arriving around 12:30 and we ate right away.  I made a taco bar with homemade taco meats (chicken and ground beef), had taco shells (corn) and soft (flour tortillas), tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, homemade guacamole, queso dip, bean dip, chips, etc.  I really missed on the figuring what everyone would eat.  I had WAY too much.  I'd cooked five pounds beef and 3 pounds chicken and I had an equal amount of each leftover, about 2 pounds.  I did parade everything out for supper and this was what remained after supper.  Fortunately I had containers in which to store leftovers.  Katie had given me a sort of take out container with lid that worked wonderfully well for storing the meat.  I'll come up with a plan to use things up.


Clearing up went very well.  I had purchased Chinet plates and nicer napkins, Hefty red cups and we had been given a huge box of heavy duty plastic forks.   This is not every day usage for us but it's well worth it for big family gatherings.  

I wouldn't have chosen this day for mechanic work but John did.  He took advantage of Katie's partner's expertise to watch over him while he changed out the thermostat on his car.  I can't tell you what we saved in his doing this himself because we hadn't priced having it done.  I do know that YouTube was the helper on this.   Then he decided to do the brakes.  Katie's partner stepped in and took that task over and I do know what we saved getting this done.  In buying parts we saved about $400.  In having them installed by Chad: $115.  I am sure of this amount because we just had brakes put on my car in the past two weeks.

Keeping Christmas:  The bags for the children came in at about $3 each and I'm telling you they were super excited and happy with what to me was a very simple gift overall.  Which just goes to show that sometimes you can make a hit with children and not even be aware that you've done something awesome.  I was truly just wanting to have something for them and this worked well with our budget at the time of purchase.   I can't tell you how happy it made me to see each of those children sporting their red Santa hats as they played in the yard.


Sunday:  Breakfast fell on Grampa's shoulders.  We rose early, when we heard the first set of children's feet run across the kitchen.  They might be older children but by no means are they any less children.  Grampa's breakfast duty was a gift to me, allowing me to shower, dress and have coffee without having to speak to anyone beyond, "Good Morning".  I can become unwound very quickly if I don't have time to gentle into a morning and though I've done what I could in the past I surely did appreciate this.

John washed a load of clothes so they could go home with clean clothing.

I had planned hot dogs for lunch and realized Saturday night that I'd forgotten to buy buns.  I made up a batch of biscuit dough and made pigs in blankets.  The children ate them right up.  Even my super picky eater, Josh, ate all but about 1 inch of an uncured beef hot dog.

I put the turkey frame from the freezer into a stock pot and started slow simmering it.  I added in root ends and tops of onions, carrots and celery tot he stock pot.

Went with Katie to take Taylor to her dad.  We pass a Walmart on our way back and Katie asked if I minded if we stopped by.  I said not at all.  I'd just gotten a message that I was to bring buns to the EMS cookout in the early part of the week.  I found three packets at Walmart.  The bread shelves were very empty.  No clue why.   

Katie talked me into buying a pair of shoes.  She didn't have to talk too hard.  I tried them on and liked them a great deal.  They are mustard colored pointed toe flats and were just $10.  They are quite nice, reminded me of the Merona shoes I bought at Target a couple of years ago.  

I also picked up some basic makeup items, like mascara and eyeliner and such.  I usually replace my stock supply of makeup at the first of each year.

Home late.  I ate leftovers.

Keeping Christmas:  Stopping at Walmart meant we didn't leave that town until it was very nearly dark.  The town square was lit up with all sorts of decorations and lovely things.  Katie was apologizing to me for keeping us so late but I pointed out had we been early we'd not seen all the lovely light decorations that we were able to view on our way home.

Monday:  I didn't sleep well last night at all.  I saw 4:30 on the clock this morning.  I guess John knew I needed the rest because when I woke it was 9:30.   I wasn't idle all those waking hours last night.  No, I got up and cleaned the guest room and switched out the sheets for clean ones, etc.  I figured I might as well work ahead.

Cleaned the bath deeply this morning.  The guest bath was mostly tended to on Friday before the weekend.  

Sorted out the fridge.  Turkey to pick from bones, stock to make into soup for dinner.  I put four cups of turkey meat into the freezer after making soup.  I made a dozen enchiladas, six of chicken, six of beef and put them in the freezer.  I used leftover bean dip in the beef enchiladas and some of the cream cheese salsa dip in the chicken enchiladas.  I don't have enchilada sauce.  I can make some but knew I was reaching my limit for today of what I might accomplish.  I put the filled tortillas in the freezer.  I still had leftover meat, which I packed up in pint containers both chicken and beef.

Bess and the boys stopped by briefly and dropped off something.  I sent her home with some of the leftover chicken taco meat.  I know that she enjoys chicken enchiladas as well and it's perfect for filling. 

Washed the bedding and towels from both bedrooms and baths.  

You know typed up like this it looks like a lot less was done today but I promise it took most all the morning and some of the afternoon to do!  

Keeping Christmas:  We watched an old Dean Martin Christmas Special.  

Tuesday:  I sure didn't break any records today doing a thing.  Minimal housework, a trip into town where I spent only a few dollars at the dollar store (Santa hats for far away grandchildren).   The bulk of the day was spent looking for missing documents.  I have a sneaking suspicion that I  put them back in the safety deposit box and they are actually under the things we didn't remove.  This conclusion came after sorting through every single file, every tax return and completely clearing the basket and bill box on my desk.  

John filled out his application for Social Security benefits.  A momentous day after all...

Keeping Christmas:  Walked through John's partner's/ boss's house looking at all the lovely Christmas décor and collectibles.  I even spent a few minutes alone sitting in the living room gazing at their lovely tree.  Tippy the dog picked out the seat and encouraged me to sit so she could sit in my lap.  Bittersweet evening knowing it is the last EMS Christmas gathering for us after 25 years but lovely too because friends are friends and we have been through the wars together over those 25 years.

We watched a Bob Hope special, one from his USO tours to Vietnam.  I could have wept looking at those thousands and thousands of young men crowded onto hillsides, huddled under a moving radar on a carrier at sea, lying under a stage and looking up over the edge because there was no room anywhere else.  Such young men!   And I admired greatly all that the entertainers did to entertain.  Perhaps it wasn't a happy thought but it made me mindful of our young men in the military abroad and I marked my prayers for them.

Wednesday:  This morning after breakfast I went through our bedroom and the main living area (living and dining rooms) and polished and dusted all the furniture.  The wood boxes and real wood furniture got the Liquid Gold polish.  Slowly I am making headway on this task of deeper cleaning...And I'm mindful I might have done a more thorough job but it's enough to do what I've done.  I did the basic housework tasks as well.

Ran a full load of dishes.  I'm low on dishwasher powder but used a bottle of liquid that I'd reserved.  It's not great for our soft water but it's nice to have when I'm out of the usual product.  In a few weeks I'll stock up on cleaning and paper products for the year ahead.  I'm just waiting on that great sale Target has each year.  I can hold out until then.

Made Rhonda's Red Enchilada sauce this morning.  I poured some over the beef enchiladas in the freezer then used some over the Tortilla Tower I'd made from more of our leftovers.  I still had a pint leftover.

We had the Tortilla Tower for our dinner today and all the leftover salad makings from Saturday were used up as our salad.  We also polished off the last of the pie left from Thanksgiving and brought out of the freezer for dessert last weekend.  I've just told John I'm about done with Christmas treats already and he can look for his favorite cookies along about mid-January.  

Keeping Christmas:  We found an old made for tv Christmas movie called "The Christmas Wife" with Julie Harris and Jason Robards.  I won't say it was the best movie I've ever seen but it was sweet and hopeful. 

Thursday:  I had a very ripe banana in the fruit basket and decided to make banana muffins for breakfast.  They were quite good with a streusel topping.

Those lost documents have weighed heavily upon my mind.  I was going over to Mama's today and decided it was worthwhile to stop at the bank and go through the safety deposit box once more.  I did indeed find them and took time to put them in the proper envelopes once more.  I called John immediately after leaving the bank, too, to let him know that all was well.

Stopped to mail off packages at the post office.

Mama wanted to shop for groceries today.  I'm pretty sure we didn't miss an aisle, lol.  It was a big shop and I was well and truly done by the end of it.

I picked up whole wheat pasta for 50c a box.  I now have about ten boxes and noting the expiration dates on them, I will be careful to buy only boxes that are beyond that date.

I like to use shortening and am brand specific.  Because I don't use loads of it, I had been buying sticks (I think they are 1 cup blocks).  However, I decided it was worth the savings to buy the 2 pound can.  Once opened I will place in the fridge.

Mama wanted pizza for lunch today.  She sent leftovers home with me.  No complaints!  I'll make a salad and we'll warm the slices for our supper.

Keeping Christmas: I was super happy to find a carrageenan free eggnog today.  It's by Organic Valley.  I haven't had Eggnog in nearly 5 years because every carton and bottle has the seaweed thickener that I'm allergic to.    I've had my first serving and it was awesome.  

Friday:  We ate the last of the banana muffins from yesterday morning.  I reheated them slowly in a 300F oven which is quite enough to warm a cooked bread.

Washed a full load of dishes this morning.

Came home to have a cup of coffee this afternoon.

Keeping Christmas:  

It's our little tradition with the boys to go for their annual picture with Santa.  Bess and Sam usually treat us to a meal this day as well.  We ate at a lovely little café Zoe's Kitchen which serves Mediterranean cuisine.  It was delicious!  

I bought each household a small square of fudge, another Christmas tradition.  I'm reminded this year that I want to learn to make it, the way that Grandmother did.  Too wet and cold to attempt today.