The Week Behind: And There Went July!

Saturday:  We had Caleb overnight.  I've said he is a good baby and let me tell you once again, he's a good baby!   He went to bed at 7pm with not a peep or whimper and slept all night long and woke humming to himself at 7:30a and was all smiles when I went in to get him.  I admit I didn't sleep so well listening out for him all night long but he slept like a top and rolled happily about the floor after he'd had breakfast.   He even went beyond the boundary of the living room and came as far as the Kitchen opening and stared at me in my rocker in the Kitchen sitting area.  He decided he'd rather stay with Grampa than roll all that way to me but at least he did a bit of added exploring to round out his weekend.

After Katie picked up the baby, I told John that I was going to make good on my previous promise on Friday to have a bit of fun.  I missed out because I worked so hard Friday morning that I was beyond tired.   However, I took myself into town and wandered about the flea market.  There were six or seven people in the store but we were well distanced and nearly all of us had on masks.

I looked at all kinds of things but found overall I was a little disappointed in pricing.  It's not a thrift store but it's not really an antique store either.  However, many items were priced the same as if new.  What did I come away with?  Two books, a beautiful print of a portion of Psalm 31, a gelatin mold that apparently has been washed in the dishwasher but will do just fine for the few gelatin salads I make and actually was priced at thrift store pricing and a 3 pound jar of local honey.   

John asked me on the way out of the door if I wanted to bring home lunch.  There's really nothing I wanted to buy locally to eat for lunch, so I made up a batch of pizza dough and left it rising.  I had all the toppings ready to go anyway and knew I'd be back in plenty of time to make pizzas.

I did as I'd said I would and split the amount of dough into half.  I made a large 8 pc pizza to cook on the pizza stone and patted out 2 4pc pizzas which I topped and then popped in the freezer.

For supper we cleared out leftovers and took our choice.  What's left now will be lunch for tomorrow...

I went over to gather eggs and tried to fix up water for the chickens.  The barrel has a pinhole leak.  I put Gorilla duct tape over it but it was still dribbling out.

And that was our Saturday.

Sunday:  Up early this morning and off to church.  We didn't go to the grocery store after.   We stopped for gas on our way home and took off trash on our way over to church.

I stripped bed and bath and washed that load of things.  They were hung to dry on the line outdoors.

I filled the dishwasher and washed the full load.

I went out to empty the compost can and picked a bouquet of flowers from my yard.  My roses do not have long stems nor do my hydrangea blooms.  The zinnias are just beginning to really bloom but I think they are either not in a good spot or they are still catching up from my late planting.  Still I managed a decent enough bouquet for the living room and added to the one in the kitchen window.

I also topped off basil in one of the tomato pots and brought that indoors to put in water.  The last I brought indoors rooted and I've planted it.

Pulled curtains on the sunny side of the house this afternoon.  I noted that it was gone 3pm before the sun reached the windows today.  The season is drifting right along isn't it?

We did eat the last of the leftovers for our lunch today.

John went over to mow the lawn and I went ahead and checked for eggs and filled water receptacles for the chickens.  Glad I went on over because the barrel had completely dribbled away.   They should have enough now to last them until Sam and Bess are home.

Bess said I might keep all the eggs I gathered.  So far I've gotten nearly 2 dozen.  I'm not at all unhappy about that exchange of minor labor for good fresh eggs!

I did minor housework and then sat down to figure up my checkbook in order to greet the new month.  I was happy to see that I have auto insurance funds for the next due date in January, and am just $100 away from a year's worth of house insurance funds on hand.   I spent all my grocery funds for the month but was sure I had so I have paid for produce bag, honey and peaches from my allowance.   So I'm within bounds on that budgeted item.  We have enough gas money left to fuel the car and the mower one more time.  All of these things make me happy because we only need go to the end of this week before we get some of our monthly funds.   That means that this month, I have finally gotten it right!   Yes, I spent allowance for grocery items but that's okay.   We'll be near the end of peach season here shortly and I'll plan the produce bag into my grocery budget for August, so I won't likely pay so much out of my own pocket next month.   

Also happy because I got my credit card statement and it was less than half what we typically pay out of pocket.  That means we'll have more discretionary funds to use for our own entertainment this coming month!

Tonight's supper will be easy enough since it's already cooked, except the okra.  I have meatloaf and squash cooked with onion.   Frying okra will take no time.    I'm glad I have supper ready prepared for the most part.  The work I did today has worn me out.

There were just five small pods of Okra but gracious that made a LOT of fried okra.   I mixed up 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1 egg and about 1/3 cup buttermilk and put the sliced okra in that batter.  Then I spooned out individual slices into hot oil.  These were really good.  Next time I'll salt my batter, because though I did salt them after taking them out of the oil I felt I could have used less and gotten more flavor.  I'll also batter it and then flash freeze it for later use instead of cooking, and eating, all of it as we did tonight.  It was really enough for four!

Monday:  I slept in this morning until very nearly 9am and boy did I sleep good all night long.  Here's hoping I'm back on the sleep cycle instead of the can't cycle.   For all that I slept very well, I was in no hurry to work hard today and didn't even bother to dress when I got up.  No, I lolled about in my nightclothes sipping coffee and brazenly just set out the things for breakfast and waited for John to prepare it.  Then I ate breakfast in my chair and sipped hot peach tea and did my Bible study and prayer journal and not much else until nearly 10am.  I made up my mind then that I was not going to work hard today but I would get up and do something.

So I made the bed and tidied up which wasn't a hard job since I'd worked so hard yesterday.  Part of the problem this morning was that yesterday afternoon I got over hot while trying to get the chickens watered and I was drained and shaky when I was all done with them.  I still felt the effects of that this morning somewhat, so I listened to my body and took it easier.

After I'd done basic things, I took an inventory of our medicine and toiletries cupboard.  I made out a list of things we need to restock.   Then I came to the kitchen and looked over our checkbook once more and finished up what I could of that the bill paying tasks for this month.  Nothing else will go out until after August is here.  

As I contemplated the checkbook and looked at the calendar I realized we have five weeks between checks this time around.  I'm awfully glad we get a small check on the first of each month because things would be kind of slender as far as some of our produce and dairy goes!   I've pretty well spent my allowance on extra food items this month and I won't replenish my funds until the next bigger check comes in.

John came in from outdoors where he'd been working and we chatted as I folded a basket of laundry I'd left last night.  I noted as I was folding that the hem of one of the towels was coming undone.  I set it aside and mended it this afternoon.   I buy good quality towels and I believe one reason they last as well as they do is because I take the time to mend them right away when I note a hem or edge is coming loose.

I made lunch while John showered off and then we spent the afternoon quietly.  I researched how to make a small batch of pickle relish and how long to hot water can those while he watched TV.   It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

Bess told me this afternoon I might keep the eggs that I've collected for them over the past few days.  I'm happy to do so.

I made another 'one skillet' dinner for supper a variation on what we'd had Monday of last week, this time with diced potato instead of pasta and Italian Chicken sausage instead of ground beef.  It was still delicious!

Took my dishwater out to water two plants that don't get as much rain water.

Tuesday:  I decided to make toast this morning.  We haven't had cheese toast in ages upon and a toast breakfast sounded easy and simple and really good to me.

I've had a recipe set aside for a couple of weeks now for a breadcrumb 'meatball'.  It's an authentic Italian recipe and requires soft bread crumbs.  About half a loaf of homemade bread literally fall into crumbs this morning as I sliced it for breakfast.  I didn't even THINK of that recipe.  I thought about how I had plenty of dry homemade crumbs on hand and didn't need more...So I tossed it all into the chicken food pan and then I sat down with my notebook later and the recipe was right there at the front of the notebook.  Argh!  I might at least have attempted a try at that recipe, sigh.

Also out this morning was 1/3 of the loaf of orange Sunflower seed bread.  Failure on my part to keep slicing it and presenting it, as John would have eaten it,  but I let it go too long.  

I tossed more dishwater out this morning onto porch plants this time.  I never toss greasy water onto plants but cooled soapy water works fine, as most pests avoid the detergent anyway.  

I sat down with my notebook this morning and started my August session of brainstorming for the months ahead.  True, it is not August, but my mind needs to start planning and then purchasing in order to pick up what I need to do various things.  

Talked with John about a raised garden area.  I long to put a tiny one between the two sheds and may yet do so but the truly best location for a garden is at the south end of our house.  It's the best drained area and gets full sun.  It's a little more sheltered from the wind than other areas so winter crops ought to do all right and it's within reach of water hoses when we do need to water.  And there's room to add to it if I find I'm not able to grow as much as I'd like.   Now I have the spot in mind I need to begin to execute my plans.   Another big project to be done in small bites!

Wednesday:  I've done little enough this week.   I have been leaving my options open in case I am needed as a sitter...However, today we took off and went to do some necessary shopping.   John needed an item to make a tool to fix his mower.  We didn't find the size we needed at the store but I did find a few things we needed to restock: scrub sponges, lightbulbs, work gloves for John.

On our way out of town we went into the grocery and picked up necessary items to carry us through until our monthly check comes in.   Lettuce, chips, a few on sale items I'll set aside for picnics, a chuck roast, bread.   Yes, I do make bread, but John only likes it for toast.  It has a tendency to fall to pieces when attempting to eat it as sandwich bread.  So I buy bread for use in sandwiches at John's request.  

I do not have grocery money to cover this purchase, but I do have an excess of money set aside for electric bills in August, far more than we shall need.  So I shall move some of those funds over to cover the extra grocery.  Some of these items were meant to stock up a little while items were on sale, which I've found are few and far between these days, so I jump when I see them! 

We didn't eat out today.  We bought a sandwich from the fridge case in the deli and brought it home to have as our late lunch.  Much more affordable than anything else we might do.

Thursday:  Dinner in the crockpot last night (BBQ chicken with leftovers) and again today, Corned Beef, which is also netting us leftovers.  

Went to pick up my produce bag.  John has requested after this week I move to every other week.  I do so very reluctantly but will do as he asks regardless of my thoughts on the matter.   Today I was greeted by a dog, a lovely friendly dog.  She sniffed my pants legs and when I asked where her owners were she turned towards the carport of the house and looked an invitation over her shoulder at me.  She really was a sweet thing.

I stopped at the dollar store and bought paper, composition books, and a 3 inch binder.  I always stock up on school supplies for the year at this time.  The binder is to replace my smaller recipe binder and allow me room to expand it.

I went by the discount foods store to pick up some luncheon meat on sale.  I typically don't buy luncheon meat but this is a smoked turkey product that we like a lot and the sale made it quite reasonable.  I bought four containers.  We will use them sparingly, so I put three in the freezer today.   I was pleased as punch to find Turkey Spam back on the shelf, fully stocked and bought five cans.  It was only a bit higher than in the past, about $3.46 compared to it's former price of about $3.10.    John was pleased too when he saw that in the bags and suggested that we stock up on other canned meats that we know we like and will use, corned beef, chicken breast, and tuna.  I'll try to stock more of all those and also a supply of Chicken Vienna sausages which we also like.

When I got home I checked my produce bag.  I requested no figs.  I was given squash, acorn squash, green bell peppers, two bags of beans, tomatoes, micro greens, sage, basil, spinach, okra and Asian Pears.    Tomorrow I shall get busy putting things up.

Kept Caleb for the afternoon while Katie did an interview and scouted ideas for her Etsy shop.

Downloaded a game on my phone and did nothing but zone out once Caleb was gone home.  I don't know just why I'm so exhausted of late but I am and it's definitely not normal.

Friday:  Slept fairly well last night and was up by 8am.  I got busy right away feeding the pets, putting dishes away and reading Bible.   Then I went out to empty the compost can and picked a handful of flowers.  

I discovered wind had blown down a crib spring I was using as a trellis.  I need to strap it to the porch rails but didn't have long enough zip ties for that but I did strap the rose to the springs and then went around and gently tied up the tomatoes that were falling over.  I have more blooms...but no more tomatoes.  I harvested three yellow pear cherry tomatoes.

I had another Iris bloom, a yellow one this time and it's got another stem on it.  These are pale yellow ones.  I've never had Iris bloom in July, almost August before.  No clue why these rogue ones keep blooming but awfully glad to have the flowers for my little indoor bouquets.  I had five blooms on my zinnias.  The plants are healthy looking but they just aren't blooming as I'd hoped they would.  Next year I'll plant them five times as thick as I did this year!

I came indoors and totted up the checkbook.  Yesterday's groceries, just like Wednesday's came from that overage of money I'd set aside for the electric bill.  I am glad that tomorrow starts a new month financially. 

After checkbook work, I moved my recipes into the new binder.  I plan to spend time printing or copying out ALL the recipes I typically use just for ease in finding them.

I planned meals for the weekend.  Lunches will be from our supply of leftovers.  I have corned beef, Barbecue chicken, Italian Sausages.

I put a half dozen eggs on to boil.  

Then I gathered my produce and started prepping it.  I diced potatoes and put them in water to soak for Sunday's potato salad.  I blanched 2cups of green beans for freezer, then cooked 2 cups more for Sunday dinner.  I chopped okra and battered it and put on a freezer sheet to flash freeze for future frying.  I cooked squash with onions and put that in the freezer, as well.   About this time I decided I was tired.  We're having Josh and Isaac over this evening for a few hours and I don't want to be overtired when they show up.   

John finished mowing about the same time I got through in the kitchen.  He put on a load of clothes to wash and we both took showers and got freshened up.   We had lunch.  There are a couple more minor tasks to be done but we will rest for the rest of the afternoon.