The Week Ahead: Planning for What?

Here's our neat little kitchen for this week.  It looks as though it's a smaller kitchen once again.  I can see that the stove, sink and refrigerator are all in the same frame...and unless I miss my guess there's a dishwasher there next to the sink as well, though it is just possible that might be a hot water heater.  I've seen some shaped like that in the past.

The big thing in this kitchen is that corner set of cupboards.   That's a lot of room for storage and it makes good use of what is typically dead space in any kitchen.  In my own kitchen that bottom bit of corner measures 25 inches deep...And not a bit of the cupboard space under is accessible!

This kitchen solves that problem nicely.  It appears that a full baking center is set up here in this corner and I like that as much as the lazy Susan cupboard underneath.  Sam and Bess used the same idea in their tiny kitchen and did the same at the top corner cupboard, too.   They both agree that this gives them a load of useable space that they'd sorely miss.

As always my eye is drawn to the window.  I like that ledge well above the sink so that you an see out with an unobstructed view but that glass would make a pretty bit of color when the sun shone through, agreed?

It appears that this kitchen also boasts a round table and banquette about it.  Personally I like an eating space in a kitchen but John discourages me from having a table in my own breakfast nook.  His reasoning is quite sound.  He has a tendency to make the table his drop zone when he walks in the door and if space to put things down is limited he's more prone to put things away than leave them.

I'm not fond of the green and yellow with all that red flooring and countertops but I think the kitchen has some ingenious space saving ideas, all the same.

 I want to make an apology to some of you because I had my perspective adjusted when a commenter said she was hoping that 2021 would rush by.  She has good reason.  She wants to see her grandchildren and eat out in a restaurant among other things.  Things that I've been able to do for months here in my own area.  

She also said she wanted to look at faces without masks and I can agree whole heartedly with her on that!  I am beginning to catch evidence of smiles behind masks by watching eyes very closely but I'd dearly love to see genuine smiles once again.  I confess too that being hard of hearing, this whole mask business hinders me considerably.  You see, to make up for my slight deficit in hearing, I tend to read lips and if I miss something due to lower tones or interfering noises, I can generally figure out what is said but with no lips to read, I come up against a hurdle.   

I do still want to SAVOR each month this year but I shan't wish time to drag for those of you who are sitting in lockdown or social isolation and are missing many things that I sometimes forget not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy just now.  Please forgive me.

Plans for the week:

Our church is having several extra services this week to finish up the 21 day prayer and fasting we've been involved in.  We won't go to every service but will attend one or two of the extra ones.  I don't much care to be out in the dark to be honest.  It being all rural area between us and church I don't relish the idea of driving  a 35 mile trip in the dark.  Too many deer out and about to suit me and it's difficult to see clearly besides.

Zone 4:  For me that is porches and shed.  This time of year there's little need to do too much to the porches besides blow them off.  John insisted I use the blower rather than a broom to sweep and I must say it's ingenious and so much easier!  I usually attempt to do that daily but I missed it all last week so I'll be sure to blow them off this week.  I'll also clean the storm doors.   

I'm going to give one day to the shed.  I'll gather donations near the door so I can load up what's in the house and what's there and take it all in one trip.  Most of it is stacked and waiting anyway, just in various spots about the shed.

My big plan this week is a pantry inventory and sorting out expiration dates and determine what things I need to use sooner rather than later and what needs to be restocked besides the green beans and black beans...I'm not even going to pretend I'll do the freezer this week.  I can pretty much tell you what's in it and mostly it's a load of venison with a bit of chicken and a handful of fruits and veg.  All hard to get at unless it's smack on top and I've been to the bottom of it three times in the past week.  Not interested in getting down to it again.

Work on my recipe book.  I've put it off many times this month because I can't make up my mind firmly to one plan or another.   This week I'm just going to do it!

Continue to work on the great pile of shredding that needs to be done.

I have another blog that has been neglected.  It deals with my family genealogy and I'd meant to share information there with others who might be researching  the same relatives.   I also have some old family photos that I thought might be interesting to others who are doing the same family research. It's been months now and I haven't posted a thing, nor photos, either. Obviously, I won't give that blog the same attention that I give this one but I do want to post there at least once a month and I want to 'start out as I mean to finish' this year so a post on that blog is upcoming.

Kitchen:  

I didn't really finish the week with any Fragments to gather for this week, at least not from the fridge.  I'll start a list as soon as I do the pantry inventory though.

I baked a whole roast chicken today and that frame will be processed into broth right away simply because I've no place to store it.  I'll offer the broth to Katie to keep in her freezer against future need.  I may go a step further and make it up into soup right away and then let her add her own rice or noodles when she wants it.

Meals:   Roast Chicken, Baked Yukon potatoes, Salad, Rolls

Mexican Pot Pie,  Salad with Orange and Olives

Spaghetti ala Diable, Green Beans, Salad

Polska Kielbasa, Pierogi, Fried Cabbage

Cubed Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Peas, Biscuits with Gravy

Chicken Pot Pie, Pear Salad

Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, Coleslaw

Leisure:

I still have a stack of books and vintage magazines by my chair, though I've just finished another of each.  I'm dragging out the enjoyment of the magazines and plowing through the books.   

Sit in the sun at least 15 minutes each day.

Get a fresh bag of birdseed.  We used the last to refill the feeder today.

Walk about the yard.   Get some fresh air.  Stretch my legs.  We don't have big plans of any sort this week and I need to step  outside any  of the nicer days and move.