The Week Behind: I DID

 

Saturday:  We were sitting here quiet and happy when I got a text from Sam.  "The boys just came inside and asked to 'Go on an Adventure' to your house...Can they come over?"   John and I looked at each other and then I said "Yes. Send them over.  I'll send them back at nap/quiet time."   So they came and the house exploded and they took over tv, kindle and attention, lol.  I made them sandwiches for lunch and then sent them home.  The boys are awfully good about picking up behind themselves so not a big mess to clear up.

Isaac cried in disappointment that it was time to go home.  And Josh yelled at Isaac repeatedly to come on, while John tried to soothe him and I spoke loudly over the top of both to try to get Isaac's attention...What a little storm that turned into!   I shamelessly bribed him with bubblegum and lollipops which did quiet him. The boys finally went out the door and started across the yard, Josh insisting that he had to hold Isaac's hands and when he realized that Isaac's hands were full of bubblegum and lollies and water bottle, he took him by the shoulder and they marched home.   Josh takes his responsibility for Isaac very seriously.  I loved our visit but I admit, I was glad to have the house quiet for a bit after our little upset.

Went to the kitchen to throw things in the crockpot for dinner.  I started a bit late really and my meat hadn't thawed at all, but never mind.  I noted the Yukon gold potatoes were covered with fat healthy eyes.  

There was a nap in my future today...And now it's in my past!

Meals today:  Bagels with cream cheese for breakfast.  PBJs and Cheetos for lunch.  Pot Roast with Vegetables for our simple supper.

Sunday:  Up early this morning.  It makes all the difference in the world to rise at 6:15 rather than 6:30.  I don't think John or I either one were ready for the alarm to go off.  I jerked awake hard and started swatting the side table trying to find my phone while it rang and John jumped awake and fell off the bed, lol.  He was fine...I was fine...We were both just very hard asleep at the time that alarm went off, lol.

I was able to strip and remake the bed, feed the animals, and prepare a quick breakfast of raisin toast both buttered and with cheese for breakfast.  We made it out of the house by 7:30...okay I made it out by 7:30 and John came out about 7:45 but that too makes a big difference.  It meant we were at church just before services started.  Yay!

We stopped only at the gas station on the way home to fill up my car.  No grocery run today.  We dropped off outgoing mail in town on our way home.

I put chicken in the oven to reheat (thawed overnight in the fridge) and then tackled all those Yukon potatoes with the big eyes.  I carefully cut off the edges where the eyes were and set them aside to scab overnight so that I can plant them tomorrow.  

Then I cut potatoes into slices to cook for mashed potatoes today.  I also cut potatoes into dices and some into oven fries.  I put all of those in containers and covered with water.  They will keep in the fridge, uncooked, just fine for several days.

Mixed up a pan of brownies from a mix and put that in the oven with the chicken.

I made a big salad, using a handful of yellow pear cherry tomatoes that I grew (so proud!  First substantial looking harvest I've had), and cucumbers from my last produce bag.

Taylor enjoyed her chicken and her brownie which she covered with sprinkles.  Glad I bought that big container of sprinkles.  The children have certainly enjoyed them.

I had set aside some nail polishes I don't wear especially for Taylor's use.  Bess has offered to contribute as has Katie.  She wanted to take them home, but I told her I was pretty sure her Daddy wasn't quite ready to deal with nail polish at his house just yet, lol.

Made biscuits with some of the sour milk in the fridge.  They were tender and delicious and a great side for our simple supper tonight of leftover chicken.

Meals today: Raisin toast, buttered and with cheese;  Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Salad; Chicken and Biscuits.

Monday:  100% humidity, heavily overcast.  Not a day to inspire work...More a day to inspire sitting reading if you ask me...Never mind, I had to force myself to work but work I did.

I started by making the bed and washing the two loads of laundry.  One of sheets and towels from yesterday, one of clothes.  We're down lately to about one load of clothing per week. There was no need to even pretend they were going to get dry outdoors today. I timed each load so that they came out just when dry.  I guess you all wonder why I always say I 'time' my loads.  My timer doesn't work on my dryer and hasn't for years upon.  So we use the timer on the microwave to 'time' loads.   So that's why I make a point of saying we times the dryer.  I dried and folded clothes in stages.  I hung most of the clothing to dry but we generally dry underthings and a very few other clothing items in the dryer.  Those usually take around 20 minutes to dry.

I made breakfast.  This morning we had toasted leftover biscuits with a big bowl of cereal .   I used Strawberries in my cereal.  I have had these berries nearly three weeks now.  I've kept them in a glass canister with a lid.  I folded  a paper towel to put atop the berries before closing it and I've replaced it with a fresh one each time I've opened the jar (about three times now).   I credit that with keeping the berries so fresh. 

I took a lot of breaks this morning.  I just had no big desire to accomplish anything but I got busy and worked anyway.

I went outdoors for what has become a sort of Monday morning ritual.  I take out the compost bucket to empty and then I wander about the yard and clip flowers and herbs to bring indoors and check flower beds for weeds.  This morning I had a rose, a handful of zinnias, and more basil to bring indoors.  

I took out my scabbed over potato sections to plant.  I checked the potato plant I've been nurturing and there wasn't a thing on the end of it after all these months.  So I pulled it out and planted the potato eyes from yesterdays parings.  We'll see how that goes.  I'm not out a thing if it fails to do anything, but I'm always hopeful something will catch hold and do something for me.

Back indoors, I gathered some of my fragments and worked hard until mid-afternoon.  I was shocked at how much sour milk I had on hand.  I used 6 cups and still froze 3 cups and put yet another cup back in the fridge.  Gracious!  I think if I have another gallon go off I'll just take it back, but I've tried hard today to make sure that nothing was wasted.  I will have to come up with more ideas but I made good headway today.

I also made burritos, sausage balls and biscuits to stock my freezer today, as well as a lovely spice cake that was so tender it fell into pieces.  I put it in the freezer anyway.  It was really lovely, the bite John and I took of the pieces that fell away.  It's called Old Lady Cake and is a really good spice cake.  I'm going to keep this recipe to try again.

John slept really badly last night, as I know too well.  I woke every time he got up and he was up often.  He sat in the kitchen while I worked and slept in my little rocker. After a lunch of leftovers John and I settled in the living room.   We  were enjoying our own pursuits when Katie came by with our baby boy.  

We got to watch him sit up on his own but more thrilling was watching him crawl for the first time!  He also makes kissy sounds now, and if you make them back at him, he leans in for a kiss.  Oh my heart!  We enjoyed our visit with him.   He took his last bottle and I had pajamas for him here that I dressed him in.  He was sleepy when he  left and likely will just glance at his daddy and go right to bed.  He doesn't sleep at nursery very well.

When Katie left I made a lovely salad of Roasted beets, onion and goat cheese over romaine and served it with some of the burritos I'd heated.  It was a good supper and a blissfully easy one.

Tuesday:  It was an alarm clock morning but no one fell out of bed this morning!  No, poor John has had a couple of miserable nights getting up and down from bed at all hours.  I've been sleeping just light enough that I have awakened each time he's gotten up or come back.  I'd promised to keep the boys this morning while Bess and Sam did an errand and she followed up with grocery shopping.    I set the alarm early enough that I could get in Bible study, coffee and a shower before facing boys.   I had a plan for breakfast, Flapjacks.

I thought I needed more flapjack batter so used the last cup of sour milk from the fridge to make up a half recipe.  I ended up putting a big stack in the freezer, but that's fine.  They reheat well enough and it's an easy breakfast at some point for me to put out.

I had already served the boys breakfast before John got up.  I managed to make our bed, load the dishwasher and clear up the kitchen and to pick up twice before I realized I was losing a battle.  The boys love the contents of the toy box and each item gets brought out to be played with.  There's no point in my shoving it back in the toy box.  The boys are awfully good about picking up, they really are, but not until it's getting close to time to go home, or have quiet time.  THEN they pick up and put everything away.   They are never daunted by the mess they've made.

I made them lunch and after we'd eaten they wanted to go outdoors to play.   I loaded up dishes and started a load running then went out to watch them play.

 Josh ran uphill and down, dragging Isaac in the wagon which looked like hot work to me, sitting on the porch in the shade...Both boys got wringing wet with sweat and finally agreed to come back indoors.  I gave them ice pops.   Then they both wanted to sit on my lap and play games on their Kindles.  

Isaac's games are cute ones, but his favorite is a dentist game.  I roll my eyes here because all three of these younger children LOVE Baby Grandpa which is a play doh toy that continually needs to have his teeth drilled out and replaced.  I'll just bet none of them are afraid of the dentist like I was as a child, though.  They'll likely be disappointed when they come out with just clean teeth and no drilling!

Meals today: Flapjacks with sausages; Hotdogs, fruit, chips; Tuna Casserole (a recipe from a 1955 Woman's Day magazine), Green Beans.  

John raved over this 1955 recipe.  I thought it was good, but not quite as cheesy as I'd expected given that it had 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar in it.  It will go into my recipe file and be an option for tuna dishes in the future.  And like most of the 1950's recipes it has in it's favor that it's economical and made with pantry/fridge staples.  No mushroom soup or ranch dressing etc. in this one.  We have leftovers of this one and I expect we'll eat it this weekend as one of our meals.

I had an hour or so to myself this afternoon and I dragged myself into the bedroom to (a) set up a wardrobe for September and (b) look to see what I need for Fall/Winter.   Truth: I don't need much but I do want something new.  I allowed myself to look at several sites and found some good clearance bargains that would do nicely for a fall wardrobe as additions to what I already have.  I've got them in carts and am carefully considering them.   Some of these items have been on my wish list for wardrobe for a couple of years now.  I've not found them in thrift/Goodwill.   I will order something by first of the month but they can sit in the online cart that long while I think them over.

Wednesday:  We slept very well last night for a change.  John was not a jack in the box, popping in and out of bed multiple times.  I only woke once to him getting back into bed and that's okay.   I made a leisurely stab at the early morning and simply got up and went right for coffee, sipping it slowly while it was steaming hot and then making breakfast and having my tea while it was fully hot.  It's really astonishing how often I don't get a hot cup of coffee or tea because I'm doing other things besides enjoying that cup of brew.

After breakfast, I put on dirty clothes to go outdoors and finish up my weeding/picking up sticks task.  Here's the truth, the weeding and stacking of branches took about 35 minutes.  I didn't pick up sticks only because I really needed to grab a rake and rake up the twigs in the Sweet Gum flower bed and going to the back porch was a bit of a trek after bending over for a half hour.  However, the big sticks are neatly stacked and ready to go into the wagon and I'll likely get that done in the morning.  I walked about the house and weeded any spot in the other beds that obviously needed it.  Then I came in and showered and put on nice clean fresh clothing.

Bess came down to print out Josh's school work for this week and bring me another half gallon of whey.  She also brought Millie along.  I was happy to sit and visit with Little Miss who is delicate and petite.  We all laugh at how dainty she is because she weighed  more than Caleb at birth and he quickly became a solid chunk of a boy while she's just stayed sort of  girly wispy.  They can match each other for eating so it's not just food.  She was content to sit in my lap but just like the three boys, she kept looking for Grandpa and once he appeared Gramma was yesterday's toast.

In other news from that household, Isaac was on his way to the doctor this afternoon for a possible ear infection.  Boo!

After our visitors left I settled to do Bible study, then moved right on to my desk and did Math work.  I'm determined to get back into that routine.  

Then I planned my house out into zones and noted the sorts of tasks I mean to tackle in each weekly, while I also have a daily list of chores to complete.  I'll begin those zones next week on Monday.

I had another window of alone time today while John went to town to get gasoline and mowed our yard.  I took advantage of the time he was outdoors to think out a few things, start supper for tonight and tomorrow night and tend to a few necessary tasks.  But...I also took time to really enjoy my cup of coffee, sipping it slowly and doing nothing but attending to that one little thing.  I'm going to pursue a few more 'Mindful' tasks rather than just mindless ones each day.

Rummaged in the fridge to pull out components for tonight's dinner and tomorrow night's and decided that I needed to attend to a few extras.  I'll share those over on "Gathering Fragments" for today.

Meals today: breakfast sandwiches with leftover sausage and fried egg; Beanie Weenies with leftover hot dogs; Broiled Burgers, Oven Fries, Three Color Coleslaw

I put the vegetable trimmings into the container in the fridge that I keep for chicken scraps.  I'll carry those over on Friday morning to toss over their pen fence.

When John came in from mowing he sat down at the desk.   He usually does this  when he's done mowing because the desk chair has a slipcover that can be removed if it gets soiled.  I was gazing out the window, sitting in my little rocker, gently rocking and watching leaves drift to the ground, butterflies flittering about and birds hopping along branches in the Faith tree.  

"August has gotten away from us this year," he said.  "I mean,  it's gone by really quick."   And it has.  This year it seems August went by so much more quickly than it has at any other time.  The days have indeed slipped right away from us and looking back I wonder if I've accomplished enough, seeing as I failed to enjoy the month enough.  Yet, I know that the answer to that wonder is the same as my enjoyment.  No, I haven't.  I let the month slide away from me in a blur, just as I missed out on so many other things.  And yet, I know that neither of us could change a thing about what the month has been, not now.  

But it is enough today.  It's enough to sit and watch the sleek brown rabbit that enjoys lying on the lawn at the same time every evening and the little ones that come out to play their funny little games chasing one another.  It's enough to take notice of the slant of the sun coming through the windows.  And it's enough to sit quietly and notice the real life that goes on outside this home.  It's enough.

Thursday:  I bribed my husband this morning.  Yes, I did.  I was shameless about it, too.  "Go with me early-ish to get the produce bag and I'll buy you a Chicken Biscuit for breakfast."  His only stipulation was "Let me get a cup of coffee in me first."  No problem.  I wanted one myself, naturally.  So I had coffee and read the last part of a chapter of The Secret Life of Bees.  Yes, I'm still reading that one.  I put it down last month and hadn't returned to it.  I read some last night and some more this morning.   I noted that the coffee was hot each time I took a sip.  Reading seems to be a better way to insure I get that hot cup.

We had a lovely ride over.  The sun was shining this morning, which it hasn't done all week long.  We've had to wait until 3pm to see sun this week but not today.   The ride to the produce farm goes along the ridge of a high set of hills and in a few places you can get a long view of the rolling lands to the north.  It's really a lovely drive and I enjoyed it very much.

There was a bit of a congestion of buyers at the house.  The drive is long and narrow and we decided to wait as others left before we left.  Everyone did what I've always done, they pull up into the driveway and  into the extended portion and then back around and pull out of the driveway forwards.  I suggested John do the same.  No.

No, this man, who drove many an ambulance into narrow lanes, insisted on backing out of the driveway.  And got a bit ornery with me because I wouldn't get out and guide him.  I wasn't out to start a fuss but seriously, if you're going to do it the hard way, go on and do it that way and don't look to me for help.  He did it just fine by the way.   But he is a bit stubborn about things if you ask me.

We went into the nearer town and got our breakfast at Burger King.  Then John drove over to the old cemetery and we ate breakfast near my old friend and lunch companion, Elizabeth Slappey.  We opened the car doors and a nice little breeze blew through.  We admired the graveyard and I noted that the fellow opposite me was born in 1813 and died in 1872.  This is an old graveyard and many graves are damaged due to age and bumps by mowers and probably a bit of foolish behavior, but mostly due to uneven grounds that sink still more over time.  

One of those mindful moments occurred as we sat talking.  I was admiring the tiny dandelion flowers and suddenly one bent under the weight of the little bee seeking it's pollen.  I wondered how something as light as that bee could possibly bend that flower but he did.  And when he was done, the flower stood tall once more.

We drove home on the old River road that I love and have seldom been down since my flat tired and AAA's failure to come rescue me.  It was lovely to ride through the country roads.  Here I noted the golden rod blooming...another sign of seasons changing.

John went to the hardware/auto parts store.  I went in, too, thinking of the mention of possibly finding canning jars and lids there.  No, none to be had and nowhere for them to be. It appears it's pretty much no longer that sort of hardware store, though it used to be.   I bought a brush to use in the car to brush up crumbs.  

Then we went to the local grocery to get bread.  It was so tempting to walk about and look but I didn't  I went right to the bread and chose a loaf.   Not one I'm happy about but it's bread to do us until we can find our usual better bread.  Then John wandered over to the freezer aisle.  I pulled out a tub of lime sherbet which doesn't have carrageenan in it.   John asked if I still had Sprite at home and I did.  He had the idea of a lime float and I suggested we'd try it with our lunch.

When we got home, I had a call from my oldest grandson who turned 12 today.  It was lovely to hear from him and chat with him.  I was amused at one point when I stopped talking and he said "Uhm, Gramma?  Hello?"  "Yes dear?"  "You went silent, I thought you hung up."  I explained I'd never hang up without saying goodbye then said, "But I wanted to let you speak if you had something to say.  I have a tendency to talk too much..." and he interrupted me right there and said "Yes, I know."  Cheek! lol

After my phone conversation, I settled with a glass of iced water and finished my book...Yes, I did!  I finished the book and enjoyed every bit of it greatly.  Then we had our lunch and floats and after lunch, John went outdoors to his shed, which he now calls his 'office' lol.   

I decided that a quick pick up of the kitchen was a good idea and washed lettuce for a salad for tonight.

I went to the sewing room and cut out some patterns I'd printed off for my china doll.  I made a very rough slip...I found my better pair of scissors and if I can find the old sheet scraps I mean to make an old fashioned night gown for her as my first task.  

John came in to report success at a project he's wanted to work on and I put our dinner in the oven to heat slowly.  I made the salad and put the rest of the lettuce away.

I wanted to share what came in today's produce bag: spinach, peppermint, green peppers, okra, green beans, micro greens, a lovely orange zinnia and pears.  I think that's all, but it seems I might be missing something.

Meals today: Chicken biscuits, hash rounds (1 order shared), OJ:  Slaw dogs, chips, lime floats;  Roasted chicken, Armenian Eggplant and potatoes, Green Salad.

Friday:  The last day of this week.  Oh my!  What a week it has been.  I can say more assuredly say I DID this week.

I slept late this morning.  I have no idea why but I slept until 9am, which is about unheard of for me  I slept well and only woke once last night.  Perhaps I subconsciously knew I was going to work hard today.

My back is out.  Nothing major but out enough that I know it's there and so I did NOT go out to pick up sticks today nor do anymore weeding or yard work.  That can wait until Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.  No need to aggravate something that is already aching.

My plans for breakfast?  Out the window.  We had a very simple peanut butter toast.  And once I'd done my Bible study and watched one very informative video with John about my proposed SS benefits, I got busy and cleaned the house for Shabat.  I try to do a better than usual job when it's Sabbath because I am hopeful it will stay nice all weekend long.  Sometimes it does if I take the extra care so it's worth it to try.

After housework, all except the floors, I tackled the refrigerator.   First things out were that half loaf of bread and the cup of grits.  I'd meant to use them last week.  I'd meant to use them this week.  Today they went into the chicken food bowl.  

Then I took out the meat I'd thawed for this week but hadn't yet used.  I had planned to make soup and meant to use half a pound of ground meat in it, plus the broth from last weekend's pot roast.   I chopped onion, grated most of the carrots (John dislikes cooked carrots.  I love them.  If I grate them he doesn't notice them), the last of the diced potatoes in the fridge,  most of a can of tomatoes that I had left after making Armenian potatoes, a little diced cabbage,  emptied the remaining corn and black beans from my Southwestern Chicken Bake for supper tonight, and put in some celery and some of the green beans I had just topped, tailed and strung.  

I made up our supper dish and slid that in the oven.   Then I made a dozen muffins from some fruit I had on hand that needed to be used right away, as well as some of the whey that Bess brought over this week.  They looked lovely.  I haven't tried them yet but they certainly did smell nice.

I mentioned I'd topped and tailed and removed the strings from the green beans I got in my produce bag yesterday.  I blanched those and had a full quart bag to go into the freezer.  This should give us two servings each in future.  

After blanching the green beans, I used the same pot of boiling water to blanch green bell peppers.  I'd bought these when we went shopping earlier in the month and hadn't used them.  I hope to make stuffed peppers next week but I'd rather freeze them now just in case I don't use them for some reason.  No week ever seems to go quite as planned with my menus.

Speaking of which, while I was digging in the cupboard looking for cooking spray I found a nearly full bottle of soy sauce that had been hidden behind a divider of the cabinet.  I thought I had looked closely the other night but apparently now.  Well the substitute dinner worked out just fine, so no harm.  And I did put soy sauce on my shopping list because I don't have any extra in the pantry, which I hadn't noted   until this bottle was 'missing'.

It all sounds like so much less work today than it actually was...and isn't that the way of it every time?  

Let's see...I started bread in my bread machine and a load of dishes washing right away this morning.  I unloaded the dishwasher later in the morning and reloaded it and washed a bunch of things by hand, too. 

I watered plants with the cooled blanching water and the room temp iced water I'd used to cool things down.  It was over a gallon of water so I certainly didn't want it to go to waste.

And last today,  I vacuumed the entire house.  John typically does that but he'd been working outdoors this morning and was worn out.  He had done laundry long before I got up this morning and he hung most of that load to dry.

I said I'd attend to something mindful every day and today that was tending to my green beans.  I took my bowl of beans over to the rocker and sat there stringing them and cutting them into smaller pieces.  John came in from outdoors and sat in the desk chair and talked and then went back outdoors.   I just kept rocking and working on my beans and it was such a nice little space in my day.

This afternoon, after I'd finished vacuuming, I was sitting on the bed removing my nail polish when John came into the bedroom.  "Someone's running across the yard..."  He went to the door and it was Josh and Isaac.  Josh said "We came over but didn't tell Daddy...Mama's at work and Daddy's inside..."  John and I both told them they shouldn't have come over without letting anyone know.  Both boys were hot and sweaty and red faced and I made them a cool drink while John called Sam and getting no reply left him a message that the boys were here.   I wouldn't even let the boys take off their shoes even though Isaac cried over not getting to stay.  "Nope, you're going right back home the moment you drink that cup.  I'll give you some muffins to take home and you can carry the chicken scraps over to your house, too, but you're going home. "

The boys were standing in the kitchen when Sam burst in the door and seeing them began to yell how much they'd scared him by running off, but he started to cry and that made the boys cry.  I confess, my eyes were watery, too.  I knew just how frightened he'd truly been because I've been there more than once. 

You see, Sam was a terrible toddler.  He ran away from home so many times and it took just a half moment for him to disappear.  We had locks way up at the top of doors so he couldn't unfasten them himself.  Things got so that if I called his name more than once every neighbor opened their door and started looking for him.  I'm not even kidding!  

Anyway, I sent Sam to get himself something cool to drink, told the boys to hush up and explained that they both owed their daddy an apology for scaring him, not to mention for being disobedient.  Which they did do...Sam cooled off for a couple of minutes, spoke to each of the boys privately, explaining to each why he was upset and that they were going to be punished at home, but then told them to  finish their cups and then come home. 

Do you know, I love those boys very much, but my parent heart went out to my son's parent heart this afternoon.  I know that there are many, many things we will never be able to protect our babies from.  No matter how careful you are, things happen to your children at times that are out of your control.  And one of the most frightening for so many of us is when our children disappear, whether it's a walk down the street or across the field to Gramma's and it happens in a minute.  

I still recall hearing the screen door slam as Sam left the house one afternoon at age 2 and as quick as I was to run to the front door, he'd disappeared from view just as quick.  A neighbor further down the street looked out her kitchen window and fsaw him sitting on the end of her diving board over a pool of water.   The pool was enclosed in a six foot wooden fence and how he got in remains a mystery.   She stood in the middle of the street and looked both ways waiting for a frantic mama to come collect him..."I nearly had a heart attack when I looked out and saw him," she said.  "I guess you've nearly had one, too, wondering where on earth he'd got off, too."  

Not telling tales on Sam.  Katie disappeared one day at her Grampa's house and nearly drove us round the loony bin before she was found.  And my niece Ashley stopped by here one day telling me she was on her way to Granny's. And they were all about the same age as the boys...

Maybe it's just a rite of passage children go through and parents too but it doesn't always turn out so well as this little episode today.  

And that's the end of the week for me.  It was a good week all around and has ended happily enough.

How did your week go?

Well the boys went home, Josh holding Isaac's hand as he tends to do, because even if he leads him to mischief at times, he is very protective of that little brother of his.   I expect Sam went home and cried a bit more out of sheer relief following the adrenaline rush of fear and anger.