The Week Behind: In September...

 

This month I'll be sharing old photos from magazines of 1920'2, 30's, 40's ads that feature vinyl floors.  I've always admired the old Armstrong ads with their well designed kitchens.  That appears to be a sewing cabinet there next to the telephone.  Note too that the washing machine is next to the baby's playpen.  Note how convenient the ironing surface is to the sewing machine.  

This is not a big room but they've gotten a lot of uses from it, just the same.

I'm pretty sure that this kitchen was dated in the 1930's.  

Saturday:  Lots of wind today and scattered clouds.  Looking out the window you could be fooled into thinking it was cool outdoors.  Not!  It was heavy, sullen weather.  

I had my lovely Blueberry coffee and Peach tea drinks while they were HOT.  

John wanted eggs this morning and nothing would sway him so I swapped my breakfast plans for tomorrow to today.

I puttered around today.  I was reluctant to spend the whole of my day on the computer.  Instead, I took time to do some minor sewing.  I'm trying to make my doll a pinafore/apron complete with ruffles about the edge of the straps and along the bottom.  I'm having to wing it, using a pdf pattern that I've extended to apron length.  My goal is to eventually have fashioned her a modest wardrobe.  I am doing it for the sheer desire to play once more.   And who knows?  If I play with her and love her, then perhaps a grandchild will as well.

I picked up a new book to read today.  I've chosen Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.  I read three or four chapters today.

And finally, later this afternoon, I sat down and finished up the research questions I'd set myself to find answers to.   I will try to make out a new list, but in the meantime, I did an off the cuff search and came up with a lovely surprise.  I found a photo of my great grandmother, my paternal grandmother's mother, at age 18.

Isn't she beautiful?  I always knew she must have been...For all that she looks very solemn here what I remember most about her was her wide smile and how her eyes smiled as well.

This was a very happy stumble upon.  I also discovered some more discrepancies in this family line, sigh.   And I will say sincerely that it is very difficult to see misinformation on family trees and know it's misinformation that is just close enough to truth but WRONG...and no way to contact the member to let them know why it's wrong.  So other's, who are unfamiliar with the areas or family, pick up the same information and repeat it across their own family trees.  Ugh!  I've learned a LOT over the past few years and I hope to do a better, more thorough, job of getting correct information and then publishing it so others can have right info.  

Meals:  Eggs, Toast;  Vegetable Pizza;  leftover Tuna Casserole (I skipped salad since our pizza was so loaded with vegetables)

Sunday:  We set the alarm to rise at 6:15 this morning but both John and I were up earlier, although I let him slip from the room and stayed abed  just a wee bit longer.   I'm glad we were unable to sleep until the alarm went off.  There was a lovely sunrise this morning, worth standing and admiring as I sipped my coffee.

We made it to church on time again.  

If sunrise was awesome Sunday unfolded into something rather spectacular.  Church service was really moving today and one moment at the altar was particularly poignant. I hope to have time to share about that moment later this week in an Iced Tea Chat.

We didn't stop anywhere today on our way home.  I didn't need a thing at the grocery and we didn't need gasoline.   So we came right home and I started in right away on my household chores.  I stripped the bed and bath and washed the laundry.  I hung it on the line to dry and then loaded my dishwasher.   I hung and put away clean clothes.  I finally went to my little rocker in the kitchen to cool off.   While I was sitting there Katie texted asking if they could come out.  I'd just put on soup to heat and told her I had plenty more to serve us all.   

So I got to see my bubby.  He is fully crawling now and pulling up to a kneeling position, too, so he can reach my plants...I had just told John I wouldn't be able to keep them in the living room much longer.  Well the day arrived a LOT sooner than I expected.  

Later, before Katie went home, the little boys asked to come over (properly!) and so they were allowed to come for an hour and a half this afternoon.   Katie and I were sitting here when Isaac and Caleb had a 'moment'  in which they spontaneously hugged.  Then Caleb decided to kiss Isaac and she caught the sweetest photo.

Isn't that darling?

As always when there's any other company besides just John and I, the boys were a wee bit hyper, but they settled down nicely once Katie was gone.  Unfortunately, it was also time for them to go home.  As always they cleaned up and Josh played Aunt Martha and asked what he could take home.  Isaac opted for slices of the Old Lady Cake.   Josh wanted a packet of popcorn to microwave at home.

Isaac was pinching pieces of cake as he walked up the steps into his house, lol.

I came home and made us a quick supper, not the dinner I'd planned, of reheated fried chicken and homemade biscuits.  I'd let the biscuits thaw in the fridge and then put them in the toaster oven.  I'm happy to say they rose beautifully.  I'm glad I froze them!

It's been a long and lovely Sunday with plenty of family and just enough work to make the day feel productive.

Meals:  Bagels with Cream cheese, leftover Pear muffins;  Soup and Sandwiches, Old Lady Cake;  Fried Chicken and Biscuits, Jam

Monday:  I slept so hard last night and late this morning, too.  I have been pulling myself out of sleep of late.   I'm not complaining!  Anyone who has sleep problems, knows that these times of being able to sleep well are pure bliss.  

John must have been lonely this morning. I barely got started on my coffee before he came to the kitchen, sat down, and began to tell me all about something he'd watched this morning.  Grace must have been with me...I just let him ramble on and I sipped coffee until it was done and all was well, lol.

I have decided that even though I am back to Zone work, I'm going to call my Mondays Reclamation Days.   This is the day I reclaim my house following the weekend.  Yesterday I managed some housework but Sundays are not a full on work day usually.  I actually plan only to do a quick pick up and the bedroom and bathroom laundry.  Anything extra is extra on Sunday.  

But come Monday, the house shows the need of TLC and I decided this morning that I'd start there first.   I saved the kitchen for last and did go so far today as wiping down countertops all around, removing every item and wiping down all of the appliances.    John helped by wiping the galley rail areas above the stove and the top of the fridge.  I can reach the front part of the refrigerator top but not the back of the top.  So he got that wiped down for me.  It felt good to be back into Zone work once again and though I hadn't planned what tasks I'd do, I seemed to fall right into necessary jobs.   

I think I'd like to really clean the island out this week.  It could do with a new coat of paint as well but I don't know I'll do that.   I don't think I have enough black paint on hand...and there's a part of me that really thinks that a Navy would be nice.   

As of today, that's the only planned out job I'll list...But if I even half think about it, I know full well that all of the bottom baking cupboards could use a good turning out.   And we won't discuss floors, walls, curtains, tops of the cabinets that I can't reach...Nope.  

Bess came by to print out Josh's school work for the last of the past week.  She told me that he's supposed to go back to school on Wednesday.  Happily no one got sick during the two week isolation period and all my return.  

We had a lovely chat while she papers were printing.  I'd been putting away laundry in our room and sat down and the talk unfolded.  It really was a nice interlude in the day.  Poor John...I'd forgotten all about lunch and he never said a word nor went to make himself a sandwich.  I was shocked to see it was nearly 2:30pm when Bess started homeward.  

I've really enjoyed all the family visits these past few days.  It seems to go in cycles.  I'll go a week or three without seeing any one of the kids and then I'll have nice visits with them, day after day, for a little bit.  I'm enjoying this interlude a lot.

When I planned meals this week, I planned easy ones overall.  Tonight's supper was one of the easiest ones due to my failure to get anything out to thaw.

Meals today:  Cheese toasts;  Turkey Sandwiches;  Buffalo Chicken Tenders, Carrot and Celery sticks, Home Fries, Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing, Lime Sherbet

Tuesday:  We had planned to go grocery shopping today, or at least John had, but I felt we should wait.  However, I did need bread and eggs.   I needed to mail some bills.  The last plan last night was that we'd go off this morning and do those things. 

What I really wanted to do was to go shopping, as in really shopping.   I did purchase a few things I'd put in shopping carts this past week, all items I felt I could use.   I have money to cover these purchases but there were a few items I needed still and wanted to see if I could find any of them.

When I got up this morning, John had decided to do something else but said I could go ahead to do my grocery shopping if I'd promise not to buy too much and overwork myself...  Well!  There was my opening.  It's much too hot for John to sit in the car and wait on me which is all he will do if I ask to do 'real' shopping.   I was curious how my ears would affect my driving today.  I still have some ringing and some fluid but not the swollen impacted feeling I'd been experiencing.  Happily I felt quite comfortable driving and was able to make it to the area where I prefer to shop, some 35 miles away.

My first stop was Cato, which I prefer for clothing.  I noted that there was new stock on the racks, all lovely fall colors but the majority of the women's section was filled with clearance racks.  I did my shopping from those.  In our warm area, there's really nothing that is off season for us except for heavy winter coats and thick sweaters.  None of those in stock at present.  I bought a sweat jacket, a blouse, and two tee-shirts in basic black and basic white in Cato, and a necklace I liked.  My total purchases were less than $40.

I walked from there up to Ross for Less.  I looked at purses, since the straps of my two most often carried purses are fraying badly.  I found a Brown one that I liked very well and which met all my personal criteria for a purse.  I looked at shoes, but saw nothing I would purchase.  Then went into the section where sheet sets are located.  The shelves in the pillow, towels, comforters, sheets were thinned out but I found a few Queen sized sheet sets.  I bought one of them.   I would have liked to have gotten more but I do have a budget to work with, so decided to wait and hope that I can make this same trip in a month or so and get another set.

Then I looked over clothing.  Specifically I was looking for athletic type pants, something I find very comfortable for at home wear.  I found a set of capris in my size for less than half the price I'd paid for those ordered this past spring.  I bought a heavier, long sleeved t-shirt to wear in the cold months.   Those were my purchases at Ross for Less.  I spent just over $50 including the purse and set of sheets.

I went to the bread store and found Killer Dave's bread for $2.50 a loaf.  I was so happy over that.  It's a savings of nearly $2 over the Aldi brand and less than half the cost of a loaf at any other store.  I bought four loaves of bread and a pack of Killer Dave burger buns for less than $13.

And my last stop was at the discount grocery in the next town, which was on my way home.  I bought five dozen eggs for just under $6.  I also picked up a packet of the turkey sausage patties.  Again, my total came up to less than $13.

Once home, I put the bread in another plastic bag so it has double protection and put all but one loaf in the freezer.  I can't accommodate the eggs in my fridge without breaking them carton down into smaller cartons.  I did that and now we have more than enough eggs for the next four to six weeks.   

I managed driving and traffic just fine now that I have a partial return of hearing in the blocked ear.  I was happy with my trip out overall, feeling I'd done well both financially and in acquiring items I knew were needed.  

I did not pick up lunch while out.  I did remember that I had a protein bar in my purse and ate that rather than go into the grocery hungry.   Wise move!  It saved me looking around (though I did note loads of dried beans on the shelves and a very low stock of Spam with no turkey Spam at all).

These were the things I noted today as I was out.  

Someone on Brandy's Prudent Homemaker blog mentioned that there's been no cloth manufactured since March, so you might not see a well stocked fabric store.  I went into Hobby Lobby in June or July and didn't feel the fabric aisles were less but I certainly did feel there was nothing new there.

  I suspect it's a lot like what I saw today.  There may be some new items in the stores, but a lot of it is older stuff that was on hand when this thing started.   I'm glad  that I began wearing a capsule wardrobe these past few years.  Truth, it's helped me see that I have more than enough, for all that I shopped this month.  I'll be wearing these pieces for years, as I know too well.  And I'm far more apt to go to the thrift store to buy things as well when I have a hankering for something new.  I have several pieces I bought practically new or new from the racks last year that I'll be wearing again this year, too.

Meals:  Pancakes and Sausage; Fried Chicken, Carrot and Celery sticks, Bread and butter; Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Peas, Old Lady Cake and Applesauce.

Wednesday:  Though I was late going out this morning, I pushed myself hard to get into the yard.  I planted two handfuls of bulbs...we won't discuss how many more I have.  I picked up sticks.  I watered plants.  I cut flowers.  I harvested oregano, peppermint and basil but then put almost all in glasses to try and root some of them before drying.  I also dried some oregano and peppermint and froze basil.  

I noted that the little yellow pear tomato plant is blooming and has another tomato ripening.  The other two seem to have given up hope entirely despite their blooms.  I told John, for the money the yellow pear was the best purchase I made for plants.  Next year, I'll start my own tomatoes from saved seeds, though.

I was so hot and sweaty and dusty after I came indoors but John convinced me through bribery to go with him into town for gasoline.  He offered to buy me a soda.  I haven't had an Orange Fanta in over five years and I'd been wanting one but I don't buy sodas from the cold cases in stores.  I buy 12 packs of Coke mostly for John, and apparently the kids who come into the house because they always reach for one, and now and then I'll have one, but buy a 12 pack of something for just me?  Nah.  I'm good.

So the bribery worked.  However, he was ready to go immediately.  I begged to borrow his ball cap to at least hide most of my face and my hair.  Thankfully we saw no one I knew.   And being the generous soul he is, he came out with a Dr. Pepper, as well, because I like one once in a blue moon.  I might well keep it for a few weeks before I drink it but it's there waiting on me in the fridge.

A reminder from BudgetGirl to cancel subscriptions that were about to renew reminded me that I needed to cancel the Ancestry.com membership.  It would expire and renew automatically on September 25.   I think it's a shame that Ancestry won't let the membership play out once you cancel but that's their deal.  I knew I'd be busy the week it was meant to renew so felt it was best to do it while I was thinking about it.

After a shower, I made lunch and then pushed myself to do something in my kitchen zone.  I cleaned out the island and then the bottom cupboard at the baking center.  I keep storage pieces, soda and a variety of canned items, cereals, rice, etc. in that space.  It all looked so nice and neat that I felt inspired for my chore tomorrow.

Meals:  Cereal, Toast;  Oven Meatloaf Sandwiches;  Hot dogs, chips, Applesauce

We had a miscommunication about the meatloaf for lunch.  Apparently it was not what John wanted.  He thought he was getting hot dogs.  By the time supper rolled around I felt every thing on my menu was tomato based and would be equally unwelcome.   It was one of those rare days when I (a)wished I had convenience foods in the freezer or (b)lived in a larger area with take out options that didn't require forty-five to sixty minutes of my time only to come home with lukewarm foods.  Hot dogs were a convenient cop-out.  John was fine with it.

Thursday:  I woke early in the morning hours, around 5am and boy was I hungry.  That convenient supper left me wanting the morning to hurry along.  It also led me to think of what I would make for breakfast and buy at the grocery store.  I finally drifted back off to sleep about 6:30 and then got up shortly after 7am.  Ugh.  Note to self, one hot dog is not enough to last me 13 hours.

I had my Bible study right away this morning.  I never did go back to it yesterday after going outdoors.  My mistake.  I'll make it a point to have Bible and coffee together and then tackle chores.  I need that sustenance as much as I need food.

After breakfast I tackled house.  All I really had to do this morning was unload the dishwasher and put things away.  I'd already made the bed and John had done laundry.  I swept the kitchen floor and was ready to tackle my next Kitchen project.  This morning I worked on the cupboards above the baking counter.  I did some minor rearranging there.  It is all looking very neat and I'm well pleased with my work.

Tomorrow I'll not work on Kitchen Zone but will concentrate on my usual End of Week Preparations.  I'll clean for the weekend ahead and prep foods, so I am menu planning now for the weekend.  I'll also sort through the fridge tomorrow and see what needs to be used.

I was excited today to receive my clothing orders from the weekend.  Everything fits like a dream and I'm so excited about it all.   Each piece will give me lots of mileage from my wardrobe in the months ahead.  I'll be working on a post for that so you can see what I got.   

Because I had new pieces going into the closet and because I was out of hangers, I decided it was a sure sign I needed to cull a few things and move them into the house drawer.  I pulled five tops this morning to move to the house clothes drawer and put a sixth one in the donation/sell/giveaway pile.  I LOVE that top but once I got it home I realized it didn't go with anything I have.  At least I'm satisfied that the tops bought lately will give me lots of mileage and go with multiple pieces.

Now I'm done with clothing purchases until mid-winter or even spring.  I may buy shoes, as I need a decent pair of walking shoes and I'm still in the market for a black purse but we'll see how that goes.

John and I have been talking and have decided to skip buying groceries this month, at least for the first three weeks.  Meaning no big shop.  What we will buy this month: Taylor's favorite Sunday dinner of Fried Chicken which is on sale this week anyway, probably a gallon of milk to put in the freezer and some lettuce and tomatoes, dog food, carrots and onions.  

We still have fruit to use up, there's a produce bag to be gotten next week, and we've plenty of eggs, bread and soda.  So I'll just keep it as minimal as that and we'll look at the end of the month and see if we want to do a second minimal trip or what.  The money is set aside for grocery and will be there to do a bigger stock up.  A low buy month will be a nice counter balance to my heavier spending last month.

Meals:  Omelet, Sausage Balls, Toast;  Leftover soup for me, leftover pizza for John; Stuffed Peppers, Butter Beans, Corn Bread Muffins

There's a sweet little boy sleeping in the guest room.   He crawled about the living room, he ate supper with us (just sitting in the portable high chair and nibbling on a cracker) and snuggled with us.  When I took him into the bedroom and put him down in the bed, he grabbed his stuffed doggy and went right to sleep.  Not one fuss or whimper.   He's staying the night with us.  

When I knew he was coming out to stay, I hurried through the supper preparations that needed to be made and then sorted out my fridge and listed down every thing that must be used, frozen or eaten in the next few days.   I planned meals for the weekend.  I know just what I need to attend to tomorrow, when I have the free time.  I even took a few things out to thaw so they'll be ready to use.  

Gosh!  I can't fathom that this is almost the end of the week.  It's been such a good week for getting things done and I've not really worked hard at getting things done, just sort of puttered along.  

Friday:  Littlest boy woke twice last night at 9pm and again at 10pm.  I remembered his mama always sets up the distiller with lavender oil so I did the same and he slept like a top after that.   He didn't wake until Grandpa turned on the tv this morning, which thankfully was close to 8am.  Gramma had gotten up earlier and had time to make herself a cup of coffee and get a shower.

We had leftover Cornbread Muffins last night and I served them for breakfast today.  They were really good with wild blueberry jam on them.   I also made grits for us.   Littlest boy had oatmeal and applesauce baby food.

He had a great time playing with toys but tested Grandpa several times over touching the gas heater.  We don't want babies potentially burned so we start teaching them early on that they can't touch the heater at all, even if it's not on.  Rarely one of the children will be here when we have it on but if we know they are coming we don't use it.  Anyway, we teach them this year round, not just when it might be heater season.

As playing with toys palled, I pulled out the basket of plastic containers which kept him occupied for almost a half hour and the cardboard box lasted nearly 45 minutes.  He was happy with a cloth grocery bag he pulled from atop a box  for a time and then I opened a bottom drawer where I store new dishcloths I keep in reserve to replace my ultra dingy ones.   I love that he was happy with each of these things and he played intently with each.  Babies do not need fancy toys.  They just need something they can occupy themselves with.  They will make their own play.  It's something that aggravates me with most modern toys that have batteries and lights that flash and speakers that make noise when a baby will play happily with a cardboard box and stay engrossed.

While he played happily on the floor in the kitchen, I managed to load the dishwasher, gathered up the things from the fridge that I needed to do something with and chopped, sliced, diced.   You can get quite a lot done while a baby is occupied.  After a bit he got hungry and sleepy and was calling for "My Mama".  You should have seen his face when she came in this morning to get him.  He was so happy, lol.  

I made a weekend meal plan as I stood in the kitchen this morning prepping things:  Today we'll have leftovers for lunch and for supper we'll have Cubed Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Greens.

I need to determine what I might make for dessert.   John says I don't need to make sweets but he is the one roaming the kitchen looking for it and it's easier if I have something on hand.

John went out this morning while I was in the kitchen and used the weed eater and the blower about the house.  Everything looks lovely and neat outdoors.   I still need to wipe down our bathrooms and do some minor straightening up of the guest room, returning the things to other locations that got moved in for Littlest Boy's sake.   

Josh requested early this morning to come for Shabat this evening.   John hung his head when I remarked about that.   Taylor will be here Sunday and he feels he's had enough grandchildren already but I'm going to ask Sam to send the boys over about 6pm.   They can play a bit, have Shabat with us and then I'll run them home and it will be bedtime.  It will give Sam a couple hours of quiet time and it will make us more appreciative of the Shabat quiet here at home, lol.

That's been our week.    How did yours go?