Along about my late twenties, my eyes began to weaken slightly. I needed glasses for reading. As time went on I needed corrective lenses so I could see clearly. As I approached my 50's I needed bi-focal lenses, a double correction of vision, so to speak. I'm very grateful for the ease with which vision may be corrected these days but I think now and then, wouldn't it be great to have 20/20 vision once more? Well I'm hoping that this decade will have us all seeing things more clearly, that our vision is 'corrected'. Idealistic perhaps but that's my desire for the decade ahead.
I know the year is just 4 days old but I feel very optimistic...
Work this week:
If it's sunny...and that's saying something with the amount of rain we've had so far this winter...
I'd like to get another bit of the new flower bed broken up. And to plant tulips before it's too late to get them in at all. I may just go shove them in a barrel anyway, because I'd rather they at least were in the dirt rather than let them stay in the bag.
Haul the Christmas stuff out to the shed and put it away. The folding chairs need to go out too.
Take a load of stuff to Goodwill. I have a few things in the shed, a few in the house that are ready to leave. I haven't even started my usual annual decluttering/reorganization yet but these were things I culled last month as I puttered around the house. I find now that we're nearing retirement I am asking myself what things I should hold onto to use as replacements and what things am I just truly done with?
We must go to a distant office to attend to a matter. I know John's a little nervous, not about the outcome but the travel to a town where we seldom go, and finding the office we need, being on time, etc.
Pantry and Freezer inventory. True I just did one in November but I've since done quite a bit of stocking up and its time to see exactly where we are once more. This should be easier to keep up with now that I've set up a new home management notebook.
out with Mama
Start a proper declutter/clean/organize campaign in my home. I'm going to begin in the kitchen this week, one cupboard at a time until it's all done.
Menus:
The first meal is what we ate today for our Shabat meal...the rest are in no particular order.
Baked Turkey and Dumplings, Steamed Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry Sauce
I used turkey I had in the freezer and substituted yogurt for the sour cream in this recipe but we ate two meals off this pan. I served it for a late supper last night without any side but the cranberry sauce. There was still a single serve portion of it leftover which I packaged up and tucked into the freezer.
Chili with Rice, Cornbread, Pineapple Salad
Tuna Casserole, Three Bean Salad
We've got a lot of potato chip bits and this is my favorite way to use up those leftovers, as well as being a good economy meal. I generally get two full meals from this for us.
Corned Beef with Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrots
out with Mama
Reubens, Split Pea Soup
I found small cans of sauerkraut in my pantry inventory. I need Swiss and Rye bread but this is always a nice way to use some of our extra corned beef. I'll follow a vegetarian recipe to make the split pea soup.
Tamale Pie, Green Salad
Leftover chili with corn and a cornbread topping will make a second meal from chili leftovers.
4 comments:
I used to have goals of decluttering but somehow nothing changed. For the last two years I have had two rules that have worked for me instead: for every one thing brought into the house, I have to find something to leave the house. And, two, I get rid of one thing a day by putting them into bags set aside for Goodwill or the dump or to give away to someone specific. My house is much better now and it takes me about 5 minutes a day to find something to dispose of.
In my 30s, I had to have cataract surgery because they were the result of a medication I had to take. Before the surgery I was almost legally blind---I put on my glasses even before getting out of bed. The surgery, which was painless and had vary little recovery time (nothing like when my grandmother had had it, and had to keep her head immobilized for 10 days). I ended up with 20/20 vision. It had been over 25 years now and still no need for glasses when all my friends have had to go to bi-focals. I pray that my husband gets cataracts!!
Dear Terri,
I have been silent lately, but have checked in and read your posts when I got a chance. We have a lot of visitors this holiday season as well as our four sons all being home. It was lovely in one sense, but hard in another and I find myself just coming up for air! Our oldest flew in from Seattle and we got to meet his girlfriend for the first time. She seems really lovely. Cody came in from Nebraska and stayed for 2 weeks. It was nice to have him home, but issues with his brain injury come to light, especially after more than a week stay. It made me feel exhausted by the time he left this past Monday morning. It also brought waves of grief for the son that we had before the brain injury. I have been deeply grieving this past year as it took me a while to accept that as he got better, that “he” wasn’t coming back. There are a few things about him that are the same and I relish that. It’s wonderful to give him a big hug as I know very well that I may not have been able to do that again.
I also had a moment where I just felt like I had poured my life and all my energy of the last 30 years into these four boys and, briefly, I just felt like they really didn’t care about me. Has any other mom ever felt that way when the kids grow up?? Our two youngest are 18 and 15 and I reminded myself, as did my dear husband, that they don’t exactly show how they feel and the teenage years aren’t exactly a breeze with the moods anyway! Sigh. So after taking a break, a nice bath with essential oils and making the decision to do more for myself this year, I am feeling better. This perimenopausal time is NOT making things easy either, but I am going to try to get a bit more rest as I just feel very tired at times. I think maybe I’m just worn out emotionally and that’s not a good way to go into my “second spring” transition! My husband and I have also agreed that he and I will actually go away for a small vacation this year. It has been years since we did this last. I just feel like I need to be completely “off” for several days.
Well, I see that you have inspired me with your plans once again! I am interested in hearing about your decluttering and cleaning plans for the new year! I am embarrassed to say that I have not done much deep cleaning since last spring, so I mean to start where I left off on my kitchen cabinets, starting this weekend. I hope to get through the rest of the house by spring, which should go much more quickly than that kitchen of mine! My closet is desperately in need of a re-organization. Even my husband peeked in one day recently and said, “You really should clean your closet out”. Ah, yes, it’s on my list!
My husband and I are on a detox diet and I only committed to 2 weeks, as he is doing 4. I have been making almond milk, but I really do miss dairy. Hopefully I will lose a few pounds, but the main purpose is to do a detox and kind of reset my system and getting back to healthier habits every day. I have found that “losing a few pounds” is SO much harder at my age.
I have missed commenting here and plan to check every day again. I hope you have planted your tulips! I can’t believe you can plant them this time of year. Love and hugs to you Terri!
Mable I remember that rule too and try to stick with it but sometimes it's easy to 'forget' especially with books and clothes, lol. I know Granny's cataract surgery meant no lifting etc but she never needed glasses again after.
Karen, I have had you on my prayer list. For no reason I could lay my finger on except I felt you needed those prayers, so your note today is validation of the fact that God does know just what you need.
Oh my yes! There are days when I feel all I have done is pour myself OUT for someone and no one at all is pouring a thing back in. There ARE moments with your children, when they are older, have a family of their own that they begin to realize what you DID for them and will tell you so.
It's a little more difficult during periomenopause both physically and emotionally and you are quite right to give in and just rest when you feel worn down.
Hugs to you dear friend...and prayers for you.
Terri, your comment that you felt that I needed prayer brought tears to my eyes. Sometimes it seems that God is so quiet, but he is watching over us and knows what we need, doesn’t he? Blessings to you and have a lovely Friday!
Post a Comment