The Week Behind: Sweet November

 

Saturday: I was awakened about 7:30am by a call from Sam who wanted John to come help him pick up a buck he'd killed. This one was for us, which is much appreciated. It's being processed now. I'll get deer sausage, roasts and ground venison from it. I only know how much the processing costs, not how much meat I'll get but in about two weeks we'll have a bunch of meat coming in.

This fact has started me on a bevy of mental lists.

I need to defrost and then sort the freezer. As always I've crammed in the odd item that I meant to save. This is the place where I determine if I'm actually going to save it and make something of it, or dump it and let that be a reminder to me to stop pushing in a dab of this and a bit of that. I'm going to plan for 50 pounds of meat....We'll see if that is sufficient enough planning. Sam had said two weeks ago that he believes we'll need one more to get through the year and so his fourth deer will also be for us. Since we typically eat a half pound of ground meat twice a week...I'm thinking we won't need a second deer but then I can have it cut into cubed steaks, roasts and more sausage, so I can get good use from a second deer I think.

I noted this morning to John that I really need to buy candles but first I need to determine how best to buy them. I am picky, I admit it. I like a better quality (though by no means top quality as I can't afford them at present) candle, in various colors, solid through not just color on the outside, that don't have a noticeable aroma. I will get busy this week and determine if they are best bought at Hobby Lobby, who was woefully low on candles three months ago, or to order online. We also need a supply of matches, I am fresh out of charcoal which I might also need at some point.

I want to go over my cleaning supplies and determine now what I shall need for that and paper products. I am still using the toilet paper I bought first of last year, despite supplying the odd roll or two to family, but obviously we will need more. I didn't purchase enough paper towels. I didn't buy nearly enough zippered bags, despite cutting way down on them, nor of aluminum foil or waxed paper nor of paper plates. Now most of these things can be lived without but they are nice to have. I'd like to invest in Sil Pat sheets to bake on and want to also price parchment paper rather than foil. I like foil but I'm also looking where I might find savings.

I can't determine how I might make suitable laundry detergent for our soft water here. Powders clump and don't dissolve in cold soft water here. Homemade liquid detergent generally contain two further softening agents and it seems to me that was the main source of trouble I had in getting the soap to rinse out of our clothing in the past. So I'm checking my supplies to determine what we need in the line of cleaning supplies. I don't plan to purchase these until January when Target has their big sale and hefty coupon which they issue two weeks in a row.

John and I went into discussion this morning over a problem area for him to mow at the front of the house. It is an area I've meant for years to turn into a planting bed and to put a bench on a small foundation of pavers at the forefront. I'll have to be careful what is planted in that area since it's near the septic tank and because our clothesline is on the front porch posts. Sheets would be stained if I plant tall things near that side of the porch...So I'll start planning that space out and pricing materials to get it done. John has suggested paving the whole which is an idea...I could do potted plants there which might be moved about if they proved problematic.

So you see why I have lists on my mind...

Went out this evening and moved the Bougainvillea, my pot of lemon thyme and the bee balm to the front porch. The bin I found in the shed is holding all that, two Mandevilla, and seven Kalanchoes all of which decided to put on buds to bloom. I brought the Thanksgiving (?) cactus indoors. One is about to burst into blooms and the other is budding up. The poinsettia are apparently going to change color which is pleasing and surprising. I've done absolutely nothing to them but water them once a week. I didn't even repot them as suggested, though they have grown and grown this summer.

I cut more zinnias, getting less than a dozen this time. I left some on the plants for bees and butterflies to feed from. I noted a tiny yellow bee (honey? Not sure) had his nose deep in a basil flower. When he backed out of the flower he had a yellow nose...I'm so glad I caught him gathering pollen because he made me smile and more determined than ever to make sure there's plenty of pollinating plants for our insects next year.

I'm sitting here now debating whether I want to pot up the oregano from the planter and try to winter it over on the front porch as well...I'm afraid I want to save all the plants which is neither practical nor needed. After all the oregano came up again after last winter's dying back. But should I? Argh!

Meals: Biscuits...and I don't know what else...Maybe the last of the sausage? Or had I already used that up?

A Tex Mex inspired pizza.

Beef Stew, Pumpkin Banana Bread

Sunday: We were up early this morning as usual for church. Maybe even a little earlier than usual because neither of us trusted our phones to update as they ought and we don't currently have any other alarm clocks in the house. All my good old Big Ben wind up clocks have given up working. I'm going to put another one on my needs list...Just a plain old wind up alarm clock.

I wore one of my November outfits, a coral Talbot's cardigan I bought at Goodwill in summer, a white t-shirt and jeans and the necklace I bought from Christopher & Banks this fall. I felt good, and was pleased to have John tell me I looked nice.

We took bills and our first of the month tithe and dropped those things in the mail as we went through town today.

Happy to say we were on time to church this morning. We've tried hard to get there prior to the music starting and now we've done it at least twice in a row. Cutting out all those morning chores and trusting i can do them when I return has been the answer.

John wanted to go by Lowe's. He even made out a list of things to look for. We found all but one of them. We didn't mean to buy everything on our list but to price a few items. We did buy paint for the porch floor today and John got roller pads, a paint pan and brushes to use as well. He tells me we'll pull out the pressure washer and clean the porch and furniture this week. He's hoping the pressure washer will push up the peeling paint and I won't have to spend as much time scraping.

We also found a Christmas tree, just 4 feet tall for what I felt was a decent price. It has red berries attached to it and I'm probably going to take those off but it does come with it's own decorative box to stand in. For the first day of November, I count this as the thing I'm thankful for this day.

We didn't come out cheap today but I wouldn't return a thing we bought. That's always a good test of whether it's been impulse spending or thoughtful spending.

John wanted ice cream and I suggested he go into the Dollar General, where we can buy Edy's which is carrageenan free. He came out with two tubs of ice cream, a cranberry spiced Sprite, and a bag of Brach's caramels. The ice cream will last us a good while. Most appreciated however, was the memory John shared.

He told me that when he was a child, an uncle was a sales rep for Brach's and whenever they visited, he always brought John a bag of Brach candies. I've been with this man 28 years now and that's the first time I've heard that story. I love discovering new things about my husband.

I wasn't sorry to see the Brach's caramels either. I have my own memories of Brach candies. Granny always had them on hand around Christmas along with Neapolitans and Toffees. Sweet memories to go with the caramel we each ate.

When we got home, I cleaned house. It took me a good hour and half to get it all done. I cleaned the bathroom, made our bed, put things away, and finally cleaned up the kitchen. I was hungry when I got done! Glad I had pizza to reheat for lunch. We'll get yet another lunch off our pizza this week. We've cut back to eating just 2 pieces each and I've been cutting it differently so we get about 12 slices from each pizza I make.

John went out after lunch and made a repair to the masonry wall he'd scraped when mowing on Friday. This was the wall that brought about the discussion of moving ahead to make that portion of flower bed sooner than planned.

I found two plant pots in the shed that I felt might do for Mama's plants she wants to repot. She's wanted bigger pots since last autumn when they were no longer available anywhere. I offered to go look several times this summer, but she'd put me off. I found these two in my shed and had John drill drainage holes in the bottom of them both. I'll wash them up and get the dust off them and carry them to her next week, along with a t-shirt that is just too short for me but might be something she'd wear comfortably.

John and I sat on the back porch this afternoon and talked about adding a laundry room to the entry end of our back porch. Truth is, I've dreamed of this add-on for a long time, but only revealed my thoughts to him one night a month or so ago when he suggested we might want to somehow alter the house. I proposed that bang for our buck would be gotten by adding a laundry room, moving the freezer out to the new space, turning the old laundry into a proper pantry and then gaining the closet in the guest room as much needed storage. He's brought it up several times since then. So this afternoon, we measured out the space. I proposed we put in double windows on the two walls facing north and east and hang a retractable clothesline in the space. We'd have a small back porch, but as I pointed out today we only use about as much as we'd have left anyway. As well, it would allow us to have an air lock type entry so that cold north wind won't come rushing in the house door every time we open the door to the kitchen.

Well it was all dreams really, but nice ones and fun to plan. We'll see if we manage to get any of our future dreams come true. But I will confess I can 'see' the laundry room...so it likely will come to fruition.

As we talked I watched the golden glint of sunlight on bees wings, saw butterflies and moths fluttering over the flowers. We're meant to have frost in a couple of nights. I hope they get their fill in these final hours before frost comes in and kills the flowers.

It's 5pm and the sun is getting ready to set. The slant of sun through the trees this time of year twists my heart. The way the shadows stretch out upon the ground and the golden light and the sparseness of the leaves left upon the trees...Well, it's all seasonal but it's a little sad, and so incredibly beautiful at the same time. It causes such a mix of emotions within me that I don't know whether I shall weep or smile or both at the beauty of it all.

Meals: Oatmeal, Toast

Leftover Pizza

BBQ chicken, Rice, Coleslaw

Monday: I never know what a week may bring any longer but I'm not complaining. It's a bit of added interest to my life and keeps me from being too rigid, stuck into my own plans and therefore not open to what comes my way. I must say I rather like having my days set in motion in such a way.

We woke very early this morning. After a week of sleeping in quite late, I was awake this morning before 7am. I'd heard the heater coming on in the night and it ran off and on all morning long. We are very near the days when we'll put on the gas heater and not use the electric heat except at night time when we are abed.

I sat in the sunny kitchen and noticed that one of the orchids is putting up a flower stem. This means that the others will likely soon follow and put up their own flower stems. One of the cactus buds bloomed out and has one tiny Fuchsia colored stamen in the center of the pure white double blossom. It's so lovely! Day 2 Thankful Report

I read several chapters of Sarah's Cottage, apparently having laid aside my prejudice in reading a book I know to be second in a series without reading the first. It was quite nice to sit there in the sunlight, with my slippers on my feet and a jacket about my shoulders and sip hot coffee and read a few chapters and be absorbed into the book.

John prepared breakfast and I made us a small pot of grits. He was very surprised that I could make grits so quickly, when I said it would take about 5 minutes once the water came up to a boil. He was so sure I was teasing that he went off to watch tv and before he'd gotten to his program I was calling him back telling him, "The grits are ready..."

There's something very comforting to me about a pan of hot grits on a cold morning. We do not make 'thin' grits. We like them a little thicker, so they somewhat hold their shape once spooned onto the plate. I consider that proper grits and the runny sort are not at all proper in my opinion. It's no different than wanting oatmeal to not be runny. The best oatmeal has some shape to it but is still moist. Grits are just another type of cooked cereal and should have a little body.

After breakfast I went out to feed the dogs and cat. These past few days they have had a portion of food scraps, not something we typically have on hand. Rufus loves our household food scraps. I think partly because they are a little softer and his teeth are older ones. I did switch to a softer dog food for him but he still loves human food.

I washed the few dishes from breakfast then made our bed and suddenly made up my mind that I'd mop floors. I typically mop about once a month and the kitchen has really needed it. Spot cleaning suffices in the meantime but eventually it just gets to the point that only a good all over cleaning will do. I use a Libman mop, one I've had now for about 12 years and I have no complaints. That mop has held up well. I did buy a new mop head for it but unlike the cotton mops I used to buy routinely this one doesn't fall apart on me and leave a mess to be swept up once the floor is dry.

I always figure "In for a penny, in for a pound," when it comes to mopping and cleared and swept the front entry, and the two baths in addition to the kitchen, and back entry. I was hot and huffing and puffing, putting lots of energy into the task of cleaning my floors. John asked if I needed him to do it, but no I didn't. I just mop with all my heart is all, lol. If it's not clean when I'm done then it's not my fault it isn't!

I sat down to do my Bible study and discovered a text from Bess asking if she might run over to discuss something with John. After I'd sent her John's assent, I thought of what other jobs I'd meant to do, but I went ahead with Bible study. I also took time to do a quick study on something I'd thought of while mopping.

I cleared the fridge freezer, and while doing that, Bess offered to run by to take off our trash if we had any outgoing before she came in to talk to John. Isaac had already walked over to the house and was happily occupied with my Kindle, watching Life with Ryan videos.

I took the opportunity of gathering trash to clear up the cleaning cupboard where I keep the trash can and tossed some things I'd been 'saving'. I can't remember just why I thought it important to save those things at the moment and I'm willing to bet that if I do remember, there will be still more egg cartons and paper bags to replace those I tossed out today. I had just gathered it all up when Bess arrived to take my bag.

I went back to clearing up the fridge freezer and sorting out what I had and where, then Bess came in to talk to John, and Isaac decided to see what I had going on in the kitchen. I moved to the big freezer and brought out all the saved fruit except the peaches I put up this summer for cold weather cobblers when we must have a reminder that there are such things as summer and peach season. Then I organized my beef and poultry baskets and sorted out the baskets that hook on to the ledges of the freezer where I keep small odds and ends that are useful like frozen basil leaves, jalapeno peppers and yogurt to start new batches and such things as that. I chipped some of the built up ice away from the edges. Isaac wanted to eat these. My hands were half frozen when I was done with that freezer. Isaac stood on a stool and watched the whole while. I wonder why he found it all so fascinating?

I put all the fruit on to boil. I make what I call Grappleberry Jelly every autumn from these scraps of apple peels and cores, grapes, berries of various sorts and today added in some orange and tangerine segments I'd put in the freezer. Should I call it Grapplecitriberry Jelly now? Or perhaps I might just call it Freezer Jelly and be done with it? I cooked the fruit with a little water on top of the stove.

Isaac suggested I needed to go outdoors with him while he played. I took out my book but realized it was a good opportunity to begin scraping the porch floor. I pulled a chair over to the sunny end and used my handy little putty knife to get up the loose bits of paint that were obviously going to come up anyway. I got about 1/6 of the porch done today. I was surprised at how much I got done in the hour or so we were outdoors and I was well able to keep my eye on Isaac and participate in his games, cheering him on.

Isaac raked the leaves with my rake, dug in the dirt with a little shovel I have, pulled the dumpster salvaged Playskool slide over to the steps and touched the sky and then slid down again. He hauled about the Radio Flyer wagon that we painted after John rescued it from the trash last spring at church when they were cleaning out a shed. He played with sidewalk chalk. He gathered little tiny rocks to drop into my jacket pockets.

After about an hour, my shoulders ached and so did my back though I did scrape while sitting on a low chair. I'd forgotten all about my mopping the house this morning and felt I was in poor shape to have my back aching after scraping a few boards. I'm glad I remembered that I'd done quite a bit of work already this morning and scraping the porch was extra work.

When I came indoors the air was fragrant with the fruit I'd left simmering on the stove. I started a pot of beans and rice for our lunch. Yes, it was meant to be supper but it was late, I had family that I felt sure was staying to lunch, I knew it would stretch to feed four easily, not to mention it's a quick meal to make if you use canned beans and have rice leftover to add in.

I strained the fruit. I meant to put it in a flour sack towel and squeeze it through but didn't. Instead I unthinkingly dumped it all into a big strainer I have and then used a heavy spoon to mash the fruit and extract more juices. I'd have had more if I'd put it in a flour sack towel to squeeze it as I'd meant to do I think. It's all extra, over and above though, from something I might have just composted right away. I've got some pear juice in the fridge that I'll add to the pot and will make jelly later in the week, after I buy some paraffin to top the hot jelly and seal it.

As it happened Bess and Isaac didn't stay to lunch, though Isaac did eat 1/4 of a big juicy pear, half a boiled egg and a turkey snack stick which Taylor calls Spicy Hot Dogs. I call it snacking but it's enough for a meal for a 3 year old I'm pretty sure.

We buy the turkey snack sticks at Aldi in the snack foods section. I use them to season bean dishes since we don't use hambones. I like keeping them on hand, and while they have a well seasoned taste, the kids love them, too. It's a quick and easy protein to keep about the house and a none messy item to take on a road trip. I used a few in the red beans and rice today to add needed extra seasoning. My goodness that was a good lunch after being outdoors in the breezy and cool autumn air!

I almost felt overwhelmed at the mess in the kitchen after lunch but I decided that today I'd rather pull up my big girl pants and just get it done. I washed a full load of dishes in the dishwasher last night and I had to empty that out, then I rinsed and stacked our lunch time mess. I'll load those a little later. After wiping down the counters and stove it felt like enough work for the time being.

Now as I sit here, I am struggling to figure out what I'll make for supper...

later: I knew John wanted to go join the 24 hour prayer time at church today but thought the idea had been let go entirely when it got close to 4pm. Well, no, it hadn't. And when he looked at me at 3:45p and said "You ready to go?" I was not. I told him I'd be happy to go with him but I needed time to do two necessary things: makeup and dress, which I call 'getting ready', and drink a cup of coffee. We were at church just before 5pm. I said, as we got out of the car, "Be prepared to go somewhere to get supper when we're done." I figured I'd just shift that burden onto his shoulders since I'd already had my day turned over twice!

It was dark when we left church, but he obliged me and went to find a burger place. We were headed to one fast food chain and then decided upon Sonic since I said he had to park somewhere so I could eat, that I was not going to juggle food in the dark, lol. Our burgers were delicious. I had brought water with me and John brought along his insulated cup of coffee so we didn't need to buy drinks.

We don't like driving in the dark but we made it home just fine. After we were on the highway homeward, I looked over a soy bean field and saw a big old golden moon sitting low over the tree tops. I 'Oohh'ed over that. As we neared our first turn into our neighborhood a deer stepped out in front of us. I told John to be careful when he turned into the road because the deer always cross the road to walk through the trees and up across our property.

As I came in the back door, John said "Sam's got us a big buck!" Well goodness gracious! Here I was hoping for a second deer and trying to convince John we could use a second one. Fait accompli. He told Sam, "Fine...but no more this year!" I told Sam to have it cut into cubed steaks, roasts, sausage and ground meat."

And it was sheer kindness got us this deer. A neighbor across the field was hunting this evening and wanted only the rack on the deer but didn't want to waste the meat so he came and offered it to Sam who thanked him and took it. The good Lord does indeed provide!

Now to clear more space in my freezers...

Meals: Eggs, Grits, Toast

Red Beans and Rice

Burgers, Fries

Tuesday: I'm going to say right away that I'm thankful for the power washer (Day 3 Thankfulness) and then I'm going to complain, lol.

This morning, John and I both slept late. No clue why he slept so late except that it was nice and cool in the bedroom and we were both snuggled in under the covers and were very comfortable. For my part, I slept late because I was just plain tired.

As we ate breakfast this morning, I said, "I'm not going to work so hard today..." and John said "We'll get the pressure washer out and clean the porch." I was not enthusiastic. We hit the usual conundrum. My lack of enthusiasm irritated him and he suggested I might be happier to just scrape the porch by hand. I knew the pressure washer would be loads easier but also knew that telling him "Not today" would mean it might never get done. I simply agreed that it would be best done today. I still had no enthusiasm for the task but if it had to be today then I was resigned to getting it done today.

Our first hour was spent clearing the back porch of all furniture and stuff and then trying to start the pressure washer. This involved, eventually, him playing with spark plug and having me pull the rope starter. I reminded John that a pull starter is not preferable to a push button start. He agreed. I have bad memories of yanking a rope starter but this machine was not hard to pull, even though I got no results. However, we both spent quite a few minutes each pulling that starter rope in the hopes of getting the machine going. In the end, an accidental move on his part proved to be the starting of the thing. He was checking the gas line, moved it slightly, it disconnected and gas went everywhere. But when it was reattached and he had new gas in the tank, it started up on my second pull.

And there proceeded two hours of me pressure washing the porch with John there to supervise. Yes, he is a good supervisor. He's not critical, he gives good advice only when necessary and mostly he left me alone to work.

When the porch was all done, we cleaned the silly dog house that I've hated for it's thick coat of dust, dirt and algae. It looks 100% better. Then John took over and cleaned the floor mats from the porch Pressure washing brought them up a treat! They look almost brand new! Then he washed the porch furniture. It did remove some paint but apparently we're now going to repaint the porch furniture, as well. This is beginning to look like a never ending project.

We got soaking wet from the knee down and my feet and legs were cold from the cool breeze blowing but while John was washing furniture, I sat in the rocker and watched so I was able to get some rest during our long haul of work. And three hours later, we stopped and I heated lunch.

While lunch was heating Katie called and asked to come out with Caleb, which suited me fine. It was at least a guarantee that I wouldn't be roped into any more work for the day, lol.

So we ate lunch and visited with Katie and Caleb. I took the cookie dough from the freezer and made cookies since we are out of all sweet things and I thought cookies might be nice with our coffees. Caleb took a nap, got up and had his early dinner. I put thawed Bolognese sauce on to heat and hunted out a box of pasta. Katie said she was planning to have the same for her supper tonight.

Y'all, I am so tired. But the back porch is cleaned and Thursday I should be able to get the first coat of paint on it and the second one, too.

While we were resting we talked more of turning the portion of the back porch into a laundry area. We measured out how large that room would be (about 8 x 8), leaving us an 11 or 12 foot by 8 foot back porch area. We measured where we hope to put the washer and dryer and they will fit in that space. Again, as we spoke of the room I could 'see' it.

I told Katie today I expect we'll do bathrooms first and then we'll start planning and saving to do the laundry. Maybe one day we can consider doing the kitchen over with better cabinets and new countertops, but these will be our project plans for the next three years say.

Meals: Toast, Buttered and Cheese

Leftovers. We shared Pumpkin and Chicken Enchiladas and the single serving of Red Beans and Rice

Spaghetti Bolognese...I didn't bother with a salad, but my sauce is so full of vegetables we easily had two servings each of vegetables tonight.

Wednesday:  We woke early this morning.  The air was a little bit crisp but not as cool as yesterday morning.  The back porch looked pretty dry.  I longed to just stay home and paint it today but I had promised the day to Mama.

John did laundry and made breakfast while I put on makeup and dressed and read.  I fed dogs and made beds and did a quick pick up about the main living areas.  I do prefer to leave my home tidy.  I failed to start anything in the crockpot for supper tonight.  I had meant to do exactly that and thought of it twice while I was busy doing other things but never while I was in the kitchen.  Isn't that always the way remembering goes when you're in a hurry?

I thought today, since Mama mentioned grocery shopping, that I'd take my laundry/shopping cart with me.  It's difficult for me when I'm tired and the knee is stiff to make multiples of trips into Mama's apartment from the car.  If I don't get as much as I can in each trip, she'll help and she's in no shape at all to load herself down with grocery sacks and walker, too.  So I loaded up my shopping cart and carried it with me.

Promise to myself tonight:  Prep dinner in the morning before I go outdoors to paint...

We went to lunch the same place we did last time.  I'd suggested somewhere different on the phone yesterday but Mama had insisted she wanted a dish I'd had last time.  The place is strictly drive thru and in a busy town where she's not going to even attempt to drive.  We had a quiet and pleasant place to eat our lunch.  Not a cemetery but facing a sports field.

I went by the bread store to pick up bread which we needed at home.   I bought five loaves today and a bag of bagels.  Mama wanted a pound cake, but they had none.  

Then we visited the peach shed which is a year round place with pecans this time of year and later there will be citrus of all sorts and then about April it's strawberries, come summer it's peaches and vegetables.   Mama had in mind that she wanted an ice cream but the restaurant was shut up tight when I went in.  

Mama buys a pound of pecan halves for each of us as Christmas gifts, each year.  I will say that she spent much less this year.   Last year I was shocked at what she'd spent and told her so, my business or not, it was an excessive amount.  This year was still pricey but far better, though pecans are still roughly the same price, about $14 a pound.

Frustrated in her efforts to have a dessert, she suggested we stop for an iced coffee at Starbucks.  I was wholehearted in my acceptance of that idea!  

I went into the grocery for her.  She cut her list considerably shorter while we were waiting on coffee.  I had a short list of my own groceries to pick up: eggs, milk, half and half, and bananas.  I also needed toothpaste and there was  supper I'd failed to start or plan.  What did I want for that?  I picked up three items to make supper with tonight.  Then I spotted an unbelievably good price on Raspberries, 99c for 6 ounces.  They were beautifully ripe and smelled so fragrant that I could catch their aroma even with my mask on.  I treated myself to one packet.  Temptation was to pick up several but truth is, I so very seldom can afford raspberries that I don't know just what to do with them.   So I opted to get just one which I'll eat fresh over the next two days and that will be enough.

By the way, I bought a premium brand of eggs this afternoon because unbelievably they were on sale for less than the store brand!  I still paid a pretty penny for eggs, mind you. The store brand were 17c each while the premium brand were 16c each.  

Has anyone got an app where you can find the best price in your area on grocery items?  I'd love to know if eggs are cheaper at Aldi, or Walmart or wherever.  I know that some recipe websites have a listing of which items might be on sale but I am curious if there's an app that will tell me which store has the best price on an item.

When we got back to Mama's,  I pulled out my handy cart from my car, loaded her groceries into it and then got it lined up in front of her walker.  She tried pushing it and found it was doable.  Not exactly easy but she was better able to walk than when loaded down with multiple bags hanging off her walker.  I didn't let her push it all the way to the door, but should she shop alone, she could move groceries in one trip on her own.    I told her I'd get her one of these carts for her Christmas this year.  And even if she's not shopping on her own, if I'm doing her shopping, I'll make sure to have my cart with me because it was so much easier than making multiple trips in and out of the apartment.

I drove home listening to music and took my own sweet time, seeking out the most rural of back roads all the way home.  It was a lovely relaxing ride and just what I needed.  

I used that cart to get my own groceries and mail and bread into the house this afternoon and must say that I don't know why on earth I've not used this thing more often here at home.

I got home with two hours to spare before dark and seriously considered devoting the next two hours to painting the porch.  Then I thought of Maddie walking across it in the night and perhaps even going to lie down upon it and sticking to it with her big hairy self and decided to wait until tomorrow when I shall hopefully be able to get two coats on in one day and have it dry enough to stand up to her lying on it by evening.

Meals:  Peanut Butter toast.  We realized we weren't sure of how much milk we had nor how fresh it was which put cereal off the menu.  I had only enough half and half for coffee and tea.   John said "Well we haven't got enough eggs either..."  Peanut butter toast was our last resort.

Oriental fast food for Mama and I.  John had leftover Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce.

Pigs N Blankets, Oven Fries  Unusually, I bought the crescent rolls to make these this time.  I don't really like canned crescent rolls.  John was pleased but frankly, I wish I'd just made up some homemade biscuit dough.

Thursday:  Up early this morning.   My plans for the day were already set and I was eager to get things started.   I had a quick and easy breakfast which I started as soon as I'd had my coffee.   Then I got busy in the house.  I wanted to start bread, start my supper for tonight, and then get busy painting the back porch.

Last night John noted water about the toilet base and thought perhaps there was a miss.  He'd cleaned up the area, but this morning, I wiped the area clean again and a few minutes later there was another little puddle of water and no one had been near it.  I called him into the bathroom and he said we likely needed a new toilet or at the least a new seal and since we wanted to replace our toilet anyway, we might as well go ahead and get one.

Then he had a conversation with Sam on the phone.  I couldn't really hear what he was saying but I was busy getting the food prepped and then went out and starting cutting in about porch edges and posts.  John went to shower and dressed.  I was puzzled why he'd dressed since Sam had plainly said he couldn't run by until afternoon.  I did hear that much.

Once the cutting in was done, I started painting the porch floor and then when I was about 1/3 of the way through, he came out and stood about on the porch talking...Finally he asked, "Aren't you going to Lowe's with me?"   I bit my tongue hard and then quietly said, "I've got to wait for the bread to come out of the machine and I need to finish this first coat of paint.  I didn't realize you were going to Lowe's right now."    He wasn't perturbed, but I was, and more than a little bit.  Had he said to me that we would go to Lowe's I'd never have started so much work!

Well I hurried to get through and then discovered that the bread machine still had an hour to go.  Sam ran in and looked and suggested the seal was the issue but agreed we might as well replace it now.   He had to hurry back home for a phone meeting.  I was so weary at this point having had to double my speed to get through with the first coat of paint on that big back porch.  I suggested I'd make lunch, then dress and put on makeup and when the bread machine was done we'd go right away.

All this was accomplished easily.  I had time to pick up the house once more to neaten things up.   I even had 12 minutes left over to read my book.   It was a nice relaxing interlude and really helped me to just breathe and slow down.  Do not underestimate those 10 minutes to read or rest!   They are purely restorative.

So off to Lowe's.  We found all we needed and looked over paint samples since I'm going to have to paint the porch furniture, too.  John stopped to help a woman load up a 50 pound bag of soil.   Then two men came over and helped him load the toilet into the car.  This was such a nice thing, and honestly, I felt rather neighborly right there in the parking lot!

And so now we're home again.  The plan is that Sam will come here to help John.  I'll go there to watch the children since it's one of Bess's work evenings.   I've got supper reheating and I will eat before I go over.  John will likely eat after all is attended to.  He doesn't like lifting when his tummy is full.  I figure Gramma will be less irritable if she's been fed and isn't feeling hungry.  To each his/her own, right?

Meals:  Pancakes, Fried Spam

Pigs n Blankets

Deviled Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Peas  This recipe from my favorite Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook.  It is nice to know that a recipe original to the cookbook in the early 1900s is still good in 2020, isn't it?   John hasn't eaten yet but he tasted and said "Oh boy! That's good!!"  Again, I ask myself, why I don't just cook from this book all the time?

I. Am.  TIRED.  Off to babysit so Sam can come here to help John. 

Friday:  At ending of last segment, I was on my way to Sam's.  Isaac was overjoyed to have me come in and he climbed up my back and down my front and bounced on my knee and crawled up to sit on my shoulders and wrapped himself about me.  I had to hold Millie a little bit and honestly, I felt a bit there as though I simply couldn't take much more of an active 3 year old jostling me about.  But Isaac is having middle child issues and we are all trying our best to be patient with him and give him all the attention he needs.  Josh came over at one point to sit on my lap, which is a seldom done thing these days.

I herded Josh into the shower at the time Sam said he needed to get in the tub.  I had to put Millie on the floor to let Isaac have me to himself, but he was so rambunctious I was truly afraid he might land on her.  So I took her up and held her.  I'd attempted putting her in her swing but she just fussed mightily about that.

Millie got fussy and needed a diaper change and milk and I watched as her eyes drifted almost shut.  I could tell she was really tired but getting Isaac off me long enough to get her taken care of proved to be a challenge.  Finally I suggested she must go to bed and Josh helped me get her settled in for the night.

The moment I was back in the living room, Isaac and the great big Muffin Kitty landed on my lap! lol.  Gramma was in high demand last night, let me tell you.  Muffin stayed on the couch back of my head until I was feeding Millie and then he came to sit on my knees.

I don't really know what time it was when we came back home, but Josh came up to Sam's to ride home with me.  I think we were all done by 7:30ish.  Bess came in just as we were getting ready to leave and so we hurried out.   She'd been grocery shopping  and they had to put things away and get boys to bed and I felt like they didn't need added bodies in the way.

I was dozing off in my chair shortly after 9pm, but hung in there until 10pm.  And yes, I slept quite well until 3 a.m. when I woke with aching shoulders and arms.  I took some Tylenol, prayed and went back to sleep.

Up this morning, aware that the back porch was calling.  I had already determined that supper would be that frozen Cottage Pie I'd put up a couple of weeks ago.  I did necessary housework then headed outdoors with paint.  I was pleased to have John join me today.   He did all the cutting in and I did all the edges and then put on a second coat of paint on the main floor.   The job went much more quickly with two of us working at it.  Still it was a good 2 and a half hours of work.

I had just come in doors and sat down in my chair to catch my breath when my phone rang.  It was Katie.  Caleb turned one today and tomorrow is a big birthday party for him.  When I woke at 3am this morning, I thought that Katie would have her hands full today trying to prep all the platters of finger foods and make her cake and clean house, etc.   "Could you just come sit with Caleb?  I have a long list..."  I said "Yes, of course, just let me shower and I'll be in town in 20 minutes."  I did at least remember to take the Cottage Pie from the freezer to thaw.  I told John what leftovers were in the fridge for his lunch and off I went.

I am afraid I remembered I hadn't had lunch myself on my way into town.  Katie obligingly made me a tortilla roll up and served it with a bag of chips.   Caleb sat on my lap and ate little bites of tortilla  from my plate.   

Shortly after he had his lunch, he went down for a nap and I told Katie, "I guess I've got about an hour's work left in me for today...What shall I do?"  I did the three cleaning jobs that were most pressing at that moment and stood around the kitchen talking to her while she worked.   Then Caleb was up once more and I read my book while he played in his playpen.   Katie did a few more tasks and fed Caleb his supper and then little fellow's big day of being one came to a close.  He was ready for bed by 5pm.  Goodness but he reminds me of his mama keeping such early hours!

I hurried home and arrived just in time to put my cottage pie in the oven, pick up the house one more time and start our Shabbat.

And so here I am late, tired and glad the work is over for the week.  Tomorrow we will celebrate a year of joy with a little blue eyed boy...

How was your week?