A Homemaker's Diary: Travels and Home Things

Sunday:  Since this shall encompass two weeks worth of diary I shall try to keep each day fairly brief.  

I slept quite well last night...Only because I knew I wanted to be well rested for our day ahead today.  You see, after church we left and headed to St. Augustine.  It's quite a long drive but so well known at present that we did right well.  Nary a cross word or getting lost at any point.

The only thing we see we would change in future travels was the stop at the very busy grocery at Mill Creek.  Now to be honest, any grocery will be packed out and busy on a Sunday afternoon but to stop at one that is hectic after 5 1/2 hours on the road even when one is picking up only a single bag of items to tide you over until a proper grocery shop the next day...Well, there were no testy words but it was suggested that we stop going to St. Augustine altogether...

I find more and more often that when John has this sort of 'never again' thought pattern going on it's generally something easily solved.  We will NOT be stopping at any grocery on a Sunday afternoon when traveling again.  We will instead bring something from home that we can prepare easily once we arrive.

Monday:  We headed to the little grocery store down the road a bit from our hotel.  It's a fairly well populated area but you'd never guess it as the houses are well hidden from view for the most part.  The store however, obviously caters to the vacationing folks.  Many items are overpriced, more so than usually at this particular grocery chain.  I'd anticipated this and had scanned ads with a look towards what we'd eat this week and how we'd best utilize our funds.  

Our vacation budget is a good bit higher per week than our usual budget but even so, and even with bringing items I knew would likely be higher priced from home, we cannot say "Yes, please" to everything we desire.  We compromise on this and take that but we are constantly juggling wants vs. reality of what we can buy.  

In the end we were satisfied with what we spent and how our meal plans fell into place.

                                                            Our annual photo session

Tuesday:  We went into town and chose to park at the parking garage that is about a block off St. George Street. It's $15 to park there for an unlimited time  each day.  This allows us to take our time and really enjoy ourselves.  

We started at the coffee shop and sat on the patio outside with our coffees.  We talked with the cigar shop owner and an older man who apparently is a regular at both the coffee shop and cigar shop.  Another couple came along and sat down at a table a little ways from us but the six of us thoroughly enjoyed our talk.  And of course, there were plenty of people to watch.  

After we'd finished our coffees we walked down St. George street.  We came to a halt at very nearly the end and went into a bar and grill we enjoy.  It's really a family place so not a bar as you might think of a bar.  Many families come in and eat there simply because it is nice and wide open.   On this day the staff were so busy that patrons were chipping in and helping them to clear tables and coming to the register to get checks.  

After we left there we walked up the street in front of Flagler College and stopped at the second hand bookstore.  The very place I'd assured John we need not go...but we did and I find The Chilbury Lady's Choir book someone recommended.  And a few more to spare!   

Then we slowly made our way back to the parking garage and headed back to our car.  We stopped to rest along the way and spoke to all sorts of people as we went and were spoken to in turn.  It was really very nice.  

Wednesday:  It was not John's plan but mine to drive down along the coast line where all the national park beaches are located along old A1A.  Lots of older Florida homes and motels and such all along there.  We picnicked at the Lutheran Church though we missed hearing the Carrillion play.  

It was John who insisted we find a t-shirt shop and buy the 5 grands who are near us t-shirts.  This is where I discovered how picky my husband can be and why it is that we don't give gifts over much to our grandchildren.

"I think that Millie should have tie dye..."  I showed him a lovely pink in her size but he insisted on tie dye.  I finally had to admit defeat.  There was nothing in her size in tie dye.    Then for Caleb he wanted only black.  True the little boy does look good in black but again, nothing in his size.  I found a lovely pale blue and we agreed on having a pirate put on the front.  John wanted a skeletal looking pirate. I suggested a little boy one.

Quite a large sum of money later...lol...Well we have some cute t-shirts and we did save where we could but I confess I am still lobbying to visit the local Dollar Generals in future as I am pretty sure they too carry the beach merchandise and probably at a great deal less.

Thursday:  John promised me outright a walk on the beach this morning.  So we got up early to go out before sunburn could possibly occur.  It was COLD!  I mean like seriously cold and the beach was empty.  We and the sandpipers were the only ones who showed up.

We didn't walk far.  I had a jacket on but poor John had stubbornly refused to walk to the car to get his.  Knowing how prone he is to getting chilled to the core when he does get cold, I couldn't really walk in peace of mind.  And then there was the disturbing flute like quality of my cane as the winds whipped through the holes where one adjusts the cane height!  

No great loss to me to head indoors.  I had a scratchy throat yesterday and a stuffy nose today, sinuses no doubt inflamed from the cigarette smoke that kept drifting from another balcony to ours.  I am allergic to cigarette smoke and got an immediate headache the first night when a neighbor lit up.  And no, they are not supposed to do so.  Since the balcony's are very private you cannot see who is doing the smoking so I couldn't request they go to the smoking area.

And lest you think I'm not right I can report that symptoms started to dissipate as soon as they began to clean the two rooms either side of us!   Not quite 100% but better.

Friday:  Our last day.  We headed out a little earlier than checkout time simply because we like to get an early start.  We got lost a couple of times on our way back...and a third time that turned in our favor and actually led to a much easier finish of our route through the small towns.

We stopped at Publix to pick up lunch because we had no leftovers of the foods we'd bought for the week. I consider this a bonus!  It means that we didn't overbuy.

We decided to picnic at a spot where we've been before.  We tried to find it twice at different exits.  We know we've visited both sites before but nothing we saw today made us feel it was in the last familiar.  As well signage was abysmal.  We gave up.   We ate at a gas station parking lot under the shade of an oak tree on a little used overpass.

I found myself anticipating standing in my own kitchen and felt happy to be returning home.   That's something new to me because I've always had to adjust my thoughts for home before.  Not this time.  I was happy to get away but just as happy to be coming home!

Saturday:  Went to bed last night snuggled under a blanket and quite glad of it, too!  These cooler days are not going to last much longer.  One must wonder what summer has in store.  I can safely say, I never do know.   We've had cool days last well into summer and hot days drag themselves out in February and  parch the grass by end of May.  We've had rainy summers with lush green grass and soggy puddles that never seem to dry up and we've had summers as sere and brown as deserts.  We've had July's with night just this side of frost and Octobers that are still pushing the 100F mark.  If nothing else, weather is changeable and it does what it does and no one but God has any control over it.

I've been struggling all morning long contemplating the empty fridge and the piles of frozen foods trying to determine what we might possibly have for lunch and supper.  This is the disadvantage to having no leftovers...There's little to choose from that doesn't require lots of effort in thawing and making.  I've no mozzarella so do I do a cheese and pepperoni pizza today?   Perhaps a Chicken Pot Pie with a salad would be better.   It's chilly outdoors and I do have a bit of salad I can put out with that.  That does sound pretty good, but I shall miss my Saturday pizza.   Oh meal plans!!  Sometimes, I wish that it could be easier to plan meals...

Shall I share what we had last week?

Sunday: Homemade Chicken Salad, Sun Chips, Tangelo

Fried Chicken, Carrot/raisin salad for me, Macaroni salad for John

Monday:  Roast Beef and Swiss Hoagie with Mixed Fruit (Melons, berries, pineapple and grape)

Boars Head Franks on Brioche Buns, Chips

Tuesday:  Fish and Chips for me, Patty Melt for John

Leftover Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon  and this is the day I learned that some instant potatoes are really really good.  This packet was Idahoan and if I'm to keep instant potatoes on hand, we've decided this is the brand we'll keep in the pantry.

Wednesday:  Parking Lot picnic of Roast Beef and Chicken Salad Sandwiches, leftover fruit cup, Cookies

Cheese burgers, Sliced Cherry Tomatoes, 3 Bean Salad   The fried chicken and burgers are always John's choice of 'vacation food'...and at home food, too!   If it were my choice we'd have eaten other things but alas one must compromise and so cheeseburgers and fried chicken it was.

Thursday:  Leftover burgers, Chips

Steak, Mushrooms and Onions, Baked Potato and Tossed salad  I saved the leftover mushrooms and onion to fill an omelet next morning for our breakfast.  So good with Swiss Cheese!  We looked at steaks for quite a long while and settled on the sirloin steaks that were on sale because the two pieces were just right for the two of us.  All the rest were packets of two and would have been too much for us in their size.

Friday:  Picnic of  Publix Sandwiches, Cheetos and Cookies on our way home, another parking lotEv picnic

Last of the Boars Head Franks with Brioche buns, V8 juice for me, Sun Chips for John.

We did have a wee bit of waste.  I tossed two chicken legs and a spoonful of 3 bean salad.  I threw away 1/3 of the containers of carrot raisin salad and Macaroni salad.  But every thing else we bought was the perfect proportion and just enough to get us through this week of being away from home.  

Sunday:   About the time I finished my post yesterday, Sam texted saying the kids wanted to see us.  We wanted to see them, too but I was the reluctant one to say yes because I was so very tired.  John however, encouraged me to have them come on over.   About an hour later it was also John who asked 'How much longer will they be here?'  Ha.   I had gotten a second wind and we were having lunch by that point.  I suggested they'd stay until 2:30 and then we'd send them home to nap.

The boys and I had a game going where I was Lava Gramma and they had to step from pillow to pillow and reach me or Grampa or a chair or ottoman without getting burned up.  It was their idea, not mine, but we enjoyed it.   Poor John kept dozing off and just as he'd start to nod, Isaac would jump to the pillow nearest John's chair and launch himself into John's chest.  Rude awakenings, lol!

Millie was not left out.  She crawled from pillow to pillow and even lay down in the lava and squirmed so the boys decided she was Lava Sister.   In between swimming in lava, she'd bring me a toy dish and spoon and 'feed' me.  Do I see a future homemaker in our granddaughter?  Maybe!  

After the kids went home, John went to bed and went right to sleep.  I didn't realize he'd set an alarm, so I wouldn't let myself nap much as I wanted to do.  We had a small group meeting to go to and needed to be there  about 7pm.  It's a goodly drive there and it was pouring rain.   Does anyone else get tired when they must travel in inclement weather?  I know it's all stress related but still tired plus tired plus tired is TIRED.

When we came home last night, I pretty much fell into bed but was so tired I couldn't sleep right away.  

So this morning we were up early.  Off to church for early service and then to Aldi to pick up a few produce and dairy items to see us through the next week or so.  I knew about what I meant to spend but had no clue what was left in my budget so I bid low on what I allowed myself.  I did very well indeed, coming in $2 under my budget.   I bought chips, dairy, produce and as we went down the meat counter I picked up a package of boneless beef ribs and two of the Never Any whole roasting hens that were marked $2 off each.  That brought the price down to about 88c a pound which is a very good price on whole chicken for us.  I bought two of those.  I was pretty pleased with myself.

When we got home today I made a pepperoni pizza and unloaded groceries while that baked.   I left one of the chickens out to roast for our supper.    

After lunch, I took a sudden and unexpected nap.  Apparently stopping long enough to sit down was enough to give my body full permission to go to sleep.  Two hours later...yes, two whole hours!  When I woke I made myself a cup of coffee and since John was outdoors working on the mower, I sat down with the checkbook and brought it all up to date.   

I'd been dreading doing that.  This month, our spending has filled two full ledger sheets.  I cannot complain.   We came back from vacation with money still in our pockets that we will be redepositing.  We also had money in the account we'd set aside to spend for vacation and I discovered that we still had gasoline and grocery money leftover even after my little shop this morning.   For all that I dreaded that task it went easily and I discovered we were doing just fine.   Why do we allow worry to rule first?

Monday:  Nap aside, I slept well enough last night.  Just now I've got an allergy/sinus thing ongoing.  Once home, I found the pecan and privet blooming.  These two are my springtime allergy aggravators.  John started feeling it, too.  He truly does not feel well today.

I offered to ride into town with him today as moral support.  I know too well how he feels because I felt very poorly on Thursday and not so hot on Saturday.   We took off trash, got mower gas and stopped at the hardware/auto parts store to get the last items John needed to finish repairing the mower.  We had Alan check our battery in John's car today and that too is well charged and has good life in it yet.  Yay!

I really enjoyed our ride.  Even if it is an allergen, Privet smells so good!  Chinaberry, pecan and honeysuckle, blackberry and plantains and other grasses are blooming as well.  It's just a lovely time of spring and I do like it despite the sniffles and sneezes that must go along with it.  It all looks lush and lovely and any little breeze rustles the leaves on trees and the grasses wave back and forth.    

Back home, I was busy puttering, not as long as I puttered yesterday.   I found the cast iron Dutch oven and got it re-seasoned.  I need to find a space for it in the kitchen cabinet now but I didn't feel like sorting out cabinets today.   

I did some weeding in a flower bed and used the blower to clean off of patio and porches after John mowed.  I came back indoors to plan meals for the second time.   I did a couple of other tasks and wrote out the Gathering Fragments post.   When John finished mowing, I took him a cool drink outdoors to enjoy.  

I failed to take out things to thaw early enough today and had to re-plan my menu.  I had cooked taco meat in the freezer and I took that out and thawed on the stovetop over low heat.  I'm glad I did that because John really enjoyed those soft tacos.   I'm glad I slipped up this morning because it's such a pleasure to watch him truly enjoy a meal.

Tuesday:  I didn't feel like much today but nevertheless I set to and went to work in the kitchen.  I got quite a lot of prep work done for the week.   

First I started a batch of fresh chicken broth.  I have plenty in the freezer, it's true, but I also had this week's roasted chicken frame and I'd noted a bag in the freezer when I was digging around that was partly broth and a few bones we'd had left from another roast chicken dinner, plus a bag of onion root ends and tops, baby carrots no one had eaten, and celery root ends.   All went into my big deep stock pot with lots of water.   

I made up a double batch of biscuits.  We had 4 for breakfast and the rest are in the freezer.  I shall pop those into a plastic baggie later this evening when they are good and frozen.  

While the chicken broth was heating up, I took the meat off the chicken I'd roasted this week and put those bones into the stock pot, too, along with the pan juices I'd poured off and saved. I cut up the last half of the chicken breast for today's lunch sandwiches and then chopped the rest of the chicken and set it aside.  I chopped vegetables for sloppy joes, Chicken fried rice (I set aside some of the chicken pieces for that dish), coleslaw and the chicken soup I planned to make from the broth.

When I was done, I'd worked all through the morning hours.  It was time for a break in my opinion.   I sat down with a V8 juice and a glass of lemon water.  I read emails and wrote a couple of replies.   Then I was back in the kitchen.

This time around I was straining the broth.  I took 2 cups of broth and started a pan of rice which will do us for both the Chicken Fried Rice and another meal I've planned.  I picked over the bones and added the meat pieces back to the pot.  I chopped a couple of cooked celery root ends and the carrots I'd used in to make the broth and put those back in the pot.   I rooted around for any thing I could find  to toss into the pot.  I am no purist when it comes to a soup recipe.  I add what I have and like.  Today: garlic, green peas, onion and zucchini.  I quite possibly will add a can of green beans, as well.   I seasoned it well with turmeric, parsley, salt, pepper, lemon pepper, soy sauce, garlic.  I learned from Katie years ago to add a chicken bouillon cube.  I don't know why but it just amps up the chicken flavoring and I would say it's absolutely necessary for a good pot of soup.  I'm so convinced that when I make a beef based soup, I use the beef bouillon to bring up that flavor.

I may add some sort of pasta in a little while.  I'd thought I'd make egg noodles this morning but I didn't ever get that far along in the kitchen today.  And that's quite okay.   I could also cut up and use flour tortillas in the broth which would make a sort of soft dumpling.   If John has a say, he'll request those big thick fluffy dumplings.  I'll see which he thinks he wants.

By this point the kitchen was looking pretty messy, lol, though I'd tried to clean as I went.  So I cleaned up the dishes, wiped down the counters and swept the floor.   That does seem to me quite enough work for the day!  I think quiet work is now in order, don't you?

Well not quite...I hear John back from mowing Sam's yard so I need to go mix up a pitcher of Gatorade and get his lunch on the table.   Then maybe I can take a break between afternoon coffee and suppertime!

Wednesday:  Last night I began to think about what I'd like to accomplish in May.  Truth told, I was feeling a little better as the evening went on and I was ready to tackle jobs.  I also did some research about plants and their prime growing conditions.  It was a productive evening.   Still, I was more than ready for bed when the evening ended.

I woke feeling much, much better this morning.   I think the key was that I got up and went on to the guest room last night when I found myself lying awake, despite my desire to sleep.  There are nights when the noise of the fan, and the white noise machine, and John snoring  (last night it was sniffling, bless him), and my own swirl of thoughts that I find going off to a quiet room is key.  Apparently it was just what I needed last night, that bit of quiet space because I went right off to sleep and didn't wake until just after 7 this morning.

John too must have needed the lack of a body tossing and turning in bed, because he slept until nearly 9am.  He's worked hard these past three days and hasn't been feeling well with allergies so I'm glad we both got much needed rest.

As soon as I'd made our breakfast this morning I did a little work indoors but then decided I'd go outdoors.  I worked my bottom off.  I was having a scattered day, the sort of day where I'd start one job and quickly turn to another and then another and look back and there was a trail of started tasks and I was already good and tired and not one task finished. 

At one point, I left everything and went to sit in the kitchen sitting and cool off.  I did my Bible study at that point and then I headed right back outdoors.   I pushed on and finished  all those tasks I'd started,  but goodness, I really need to be sure and focus on one job and then the next rather than multiples as I did today.   

The day warmed up a lot.   I was in the middle of a task (another one I hadn't planned to do but started) when Sam drove up.  He got out of the car holding a container.  "Whatcha got?"  I asked him.  "Chicken soup!"   I started shaking my head.  "Sorry baby, but we have plenty of it...I made chicken soup yesterday, too."  "But this has biscuit dumplings..."   "Yep, mine, too."   We both started laughing and he sat down to chat with me, as I started still another task...I'm telling you I was just scattered brained as could be about sticking to any task.

"It was cool yesterday morning, and I thought, 'We haven't even had chicken soup with dumplings even once while it was cool' and thought I'd better make it."  I nodded, "Yes, me too, Sam.  I guess you and I were just thinking alike yesterday!"  We chatted a little more and after telling me that I had a big spider crawling up the back of my leg, which made me slap at myself and dance, he went back home, taking his container of chicken soup with him.

John came out and went to work on a few jobs and then he sat on the porch and watched me repot some plants.  I caught myself talking out loud to the plants and looked up at him, feeling embarrassed.  "I guess you know now...I talk to all my plants.  I reckon I sound very silly to you."  He just said, "Not at all.  It must work wonders, just look at them all!"   Why is it we think we're so worried about appearing silly.  The truth is I've read for years that plants and even food items, respond positively to positive talk.   I've been talking to my plants for as many years as I've had my own homes and it's true that I do tend to have a rather green thumb and good results.  

When I finished and cleaned up the mess on the back porch, we sat and had an ice pop together before we finally came indoors to shower and change.  Then I made us sandwiches.   All I really wanted to do was sit and rest but there was a load of dishes in the dishwasher to be put away, a stack of dishes in the sink to be washed or put in the dishwasher.  I told John I'd just plan to do those few tasks then I'd have a nice sit down.  I decided to start our supper cooking while I was doing the dishes, since I'd done all the prep work yesterday for it.   All I really had to do was brown the meat and then add in the other ingredients and leave it to simmer.   Tonight we're having  sloppy joes and I knew that starting them and letting it sit for a little while would only bring up the good flavor in the dish.     The sloppy joes were all done just about the time I got the dishes all attended to, so that worked out very well.  I went and put my feet up without the least little guilt that I'd left anything undone.

Thursday:  John asked me last night "Why are you working so hard lately?"  Well gracious goodness, he just hasn't been around for years upon years to know that I've always worked this hard!  I slacked off last year since we didn't have money to freshen any area of the yard except that one flower bed, but this is pretty much my usual M.O.   I work.  I work hard.   And especially this time of year when the yard is beginning to bloom and show signs of life.  I weed and trim and plant and mulch.  I deep clean and scrub and paint.  When it starts to get too hot for me to stand any work at all, I stop and wait until it begins to cool off in autumn and then I go right back at it hard all over again.  

I went out this morning in the cooler air to work for 2 hours.  I made it back indoors about 3 hours later.  I showered and we got ready to go over to Katie's where John mowed her backyard.  He didn't work this morning when I was working so I felt perfectly fine just going on into the house and sitting with the bubby boy who loves to tease Gramma.  I was much amused to see him toddle right behind Katie from room to room saying "Mamamama" all the while.   He was a tired little fellow though and soon went down for a long nap.

That's when Katie, who wasn't feeling talkative put on a movie and I asked to watch another one instead.  Nothing wrong with her choice but I'd read a Meme of an Elle Woods quote the other day that made me laugh out loud and I suggested we watch Legally Blonde.

Katie and I have watched that movie many times before but it's been quite a long while since either of us had seen it.  What struck us both today was that Elle Woods set to with determination to win the guy she loved.  She went to work studying and researching and was undeterred by naysayers and well meaning folks who suggested she just be happy with her current status.   However, the challenge before her was to prove she could do it and she got into law school, moved across country and when she met her first obstacles she took a good long look at her options and leaped over them.   No, it's not billed as  a coming of age movie but it is under the guise of comedy and chick flick.  

And it's a good reminder to all of us women that sometimes the harder things we choose to do are often what leads us to come to know our true value.

Katie and Chad made us lunch of yummy grilled burgers.  They were so very good!  Hard work, baby loves, burgers, a good movie...That all adds up to a pretty darned good day in my opinion.

Tomorrow I shall do my pre-Shabat cleaning and planning for weekend meals.  I don't think I'm going to be busy outdoors, except I do want to go spray about the Faith tree with some Repels All to hopefully frustrate the dogs.  I've had to redo the mulch on that tree three times already and I'm so over having the dogs un-do all my work.  

Here's where I thank the me earlier in the week for meal prep time, too, because I am T.I.R.E.D.  Tonight we'll have Chicken Fried Rice and Sliced Cucumbers.   Tomorrow nigh we'll eat the Cesar Chicken.   Since we had Chicken Soup for supper instead of for lunch, and we had tacos on Monday,  the meatloaf meal will be scratched off this week's plan.   This is pretty typical of how a lot of my weeks go with meal planning.  That's why certain meals will pop up several times in a six or eight week period.  I keep planning them into the menu but they just never get made!

Friday:  I'm afraid not much of the Shabat cleaning got done today but I am not complaining.  I hesitated a bit yesterday when I wrote out my plans for today and thought "Perhaps I oughtn't say I shall do this or that," in case things change.  But no, I reasoned, I might as well say I would and of course, things changed.  

It was a happy change.  I was having my morning coffee thinking what I might do today when Bess texted and asked if she might come over with her two littlest.  I said "Yes, Please do..." right away and nary a thought about Shabat cleaning until after I'd said yes.  Then I jumped to and got a quick breakfast on the table, made beds, did some minor straightening and fed pets.  I was in the yard attending to a minor job of spraying the Faith tree bed with Repels all to try and see if I might keep the dogs out of the mulch there, when Isaac came running across the back porch.  I peered at him through the slats of the porch railing and said "Who's that?!"

He was so funny as he looked all around but never thought to look down at me.  His face was such a puzzled one.  He knew he heard a voice but where on earth had it come from?  He even peered into the back door to see if I was there, lol.  It was good fun to tease him.  

And then I spent the day with Millie and Isaac milling around and helped Bess do her annual seasonal sorting of clothes.  She has so many things for Isaac that are hand me downs and a big bag of things for Caleb to be handed down again but dear Josh has no hand me downs this year.  Not a big problem as she has another friend who sometimes passes things on to her and I guess buying for one child isn't nearly so bad as having to buy for all three!  

Millie has taken two or three steps on her own.  She did it at home first this morning and though we kept trying to get her to do it here, she'd take one or two and then plop to the floor again.  But when she wouldn't eat her lunch, I took her out of the chair and was trying to put her on the floor.  Her daddy was here at the time, and she was so mad at me that she forgot she didn't want to walk and stomped all over the floor trying to get back to that high chair!  lol.   Silly girl.  In two weeks from now she'll forget she ever walked on her knees at all (preferred over crawling these days) and be walking on her feet all the time the same as her cousin Caleb.  

When they all headed home after a made up lunch of all sorts of leftovers, we set to and cleaned up.  I have a big load of dishes washing, fresh baked bread on the counter, meal plan for tonight and tomorrow.   That's good enough.

How was your week?