Diary of a Homemaker's Week: Fleeting Season

 

Saturday:  I absolutely loathe these nights when sleep is nowhere to be found.  I have long given up going to sleep with a video playing but last night I dug up a podcast by Joy Clarkson and listened to that, hoping I'd doze off.  I listened to four and then decided my phone battery would die if I didn't stop.   These run about 45-60 minutes each so...yeah...I think I eventually went off to sleep about 6am.  I woke at 10:15 and was still plenty tired but dragged myself from bed.   

Good thing I did because within the hour I had a call asking if I could keep the kids at their home for a couple of hours after lunch.  I know I sounded tired but I couldn't help that.  Still, the prospect of going to sit at the other house while the children napped was not onerous.  I hurried and made up our usual Shabbat lunch pizza, ate and went up to the other house.

Bess works on Saturdays and Sam was sitting on the porch when I arrived.  He walked me into the house but paused at the door.  "Everybody's down for a nap but Millie is going to start crying when I walk through that door...She needs a nap so just let her cry it out and maybe she'll go to sleep."   Sure enough the moment we walked in the door that wee little girl started shouting "Da!  Da!"   The voice grew increasingly more commanding as her frustration at not being rescued mounted.  I settled myself on the couch with the ever present laundry basket (gracious I do remember those days of full loads every single day!) and started to fold clothes.  Sam had set the tv on a cooking channel and I happily watched while I folded.

Isaac came out of the boys' room after I'd been there about 30 minutes. I coaxed him back to his room but I overheard him as he said "Gramma's here!" to Josh.   I knew the minutes were winding down.  Millie had gone quiet finally so when the boys came out of their room about 20 minutes later, I bribed them with the pixie sticks and dumdums I'd brought with me to keep them quiet.   I guess Millie slept a total of about 45 minutes and then she started shouting "Hey!"   She looked puzzled when I went into her room to get her but she came to me willingly enough and indeed, surprised me by spending the next 45 minutes sitting on my lap or snuggling against my side.  All three of those children stayed on my lap or right beside me until just minutes before their daddy returned.  Honestly, babysitting is not a hardship when everyone just wants to snuggle with you.  Even Josh took a turn on my lap.  He's not done that in about a year now, mainly because he's gotten so very long legged but he climbed right on my lap today and I happily allowed it.  I know that these days are fast fleeing from me.  There's a window of time for having a child on your lap and it goes by all too quickly.

Sunday:  I had put off attending to my checkbook and yet, I knew that I must get busy.  The first of April approaches and while it might be a time for joking, I don't joke about our finances.  I have had excess cash in my account that has not been purposed.  Tax Return and Stimulus came in this month and both were 'extra' amounts we don't count into our income.   John's mentioned a few times that I needed to sort things out and I agreed but procrastinated upon doing it.  

I sat down this afternoon and figured out what we had that should be sent to savings.  When I named the figure to John I could tell he was less than pleased.  After my initial anxiety attack, I did the best in explaining with pencil and paper.  "This amount and this one accounts for the 'extra' in the account just now.  From this amount, we tithed, made a gift, and spent 'x' on parts needed to get the dishwasher operational.   I'm putting this much aside for gas and groceries on vacation and that leaves us with this amount to put into savings."   I took a deep breath and then went on "From the second amount, we are paying for the new appliances when your bill comes in and we put this much towards mower parts and this much goes towards our room for our vacation and that left us with $0."    

Honestly I do loathe financial conversations because I always tend to panic first, automatically feeling I am in the wrong somehow.  This is not John's fault.  He has never berated me and only asks for an explanation because he has his own anxieties about finances.  However, figures tell the whole story.   And once John has a visual before him he's perfectly fine with  it.  He is always certain that what our bank says our balance may be is exactly what it is.  I remind him daily or thereabouts that the check ledger tells the real story.  We have this much, a figure considerably smaller than the bank statement.  And every single other penny is accounted for and that is why we stick to budgets when it comes to spending.  I allot so much for personal cash, for repairs and groceries and gasoline, etc.   

I decided this morning when we came in from church to do a routine housekeeping.  It's a small shake up of my routine that I made only because John made our bed this morning while I showered for church.  Typically I strip the bed and bath on Sundays and do that laundry when we come in.   I think I could become a fan of having a Sunday routine instead and saving laundry for Mondays. 

Monday:  I was up hours before John this morning and not due to my own lack of sleep.  I slept lovely deep sleep and didn't wake until around 6:30.  I got up about 7-ish.  I saw a lovely sunrise which makes twice this week that I've seen sunrise and the week only two days old.   I had coffee, scrolled through Instagram, formulated a breakfast plan and set things out to prepare and still he slept on.  It was nearly 9am before John finally got up.

I spent about an hour and 45 minutes outdoors this morning in the cemetery.  I started a load of sheets and towels in the washer before I headed outdoors.  I figured I might as well leave the 'servant' working!  

I worked along the fence line and eventually ended up working around Captain Beeland's stacked stone grave.  Gosh but the thorns are pernicious there.  It's a thorny vine that Granny always called Bamboo, but it's not bamboo at all.  It has a very stiff green stem that grown straight up and once it reaches a branch of a tree it starts winding it's way into a tangled mess.  I got scratched up but no more than I usually do out there.  I made it about two feet up the back side of his grave and then cleared to the fence about 4 feet below his grave.  I raked up piles of cut limbs, etc.   I was pretty pleased with my work this morning.

I was far more weary than I'd anticipated being when  John replaced me.  He started tackling that big pile of  trees he'd cut and piled up last week when we worked.  He did it solely at my request.  I mentioned that we'd have  a far better idea of all we'd accomplished if we didn't have them stacked in the middle of the open area.  I helped haul out as much as I could and then I knew I had reached my limit.  I came home while John continued working for the next hour and a half.

I sat on the back porch in my rocker and listened the birds who are busy screeching that it's spring and they have things to do!  Well don't we all?   I finally dragged myself up and put the sheets in the dryer and then showered while those things ran.  I did Bible study and when it was time to swap the clothes (take out sheets, put towels) I stepped outdoors and called to see if John was okay.  The cemetery is just a short distance from our house, although it's out of sight at present.  One day, I hope we have our fence line a little more clear and we can see it once more.  When John answered that he was okay, I went on back to my Bible study, prayer and journaling time.

When John came home, I went out to sit on the porch with him.  Maddie lay between us and I decided to tackle the matted fur while she was relaxed enough to allow me to snip her fur.  She must have approved this morning, because she switched over to lying on her other side as I worked my way though the snarled fur.  That's very unusual for her.  She sometimes tolerates my grooming her and sometimes she does not.  Rarely does she offer me the opportunity to do still more.  I clipped until my lower back and thighs were screaming at me for bending over her for so long.  I could have made a new one of her from what I'd clipped today but there are many more big matted areas.  Her fur is truly not the ideal fur for a dog who must live in Georgia.  It is more suited to a wetter, colder climate than ours. John threatens every year to take and have her clipped but I warn him that the groomer will never do it properly.   They'd clip her just short enough to get to the spongy undercoat and it doesn't bear thinking of how the briars and burrs and ticks would get at her.  As it is, she seldom ever has a tick because none of them can make it through the fur!

I took a quick inventory of the fridge when I came back indoors.  I found I had quite a few more leftovers than I'd realized.  Fortunately one will do us nicely for supper and was planned into the menu this week already, and the rest will make lunches for us.    I also found a jar of croutons in the cabinet last night that needs to be used up.  I'm thinking I can use them in a breakfast strata either sweet or savory.  It would be a nice treat this coming weekend.

Sigh, I am weary, no kidding.  I remade our bed fresh and loaded the dishwasher and have a supper plan.  One thing I won't be doing today is going back outdoors to work on the bed about the Faith tree...Just too tired to do more hard labor today!

Tuesday:  John and I both slept until almost 9am this morning.  To be fair, I didn't actually really sleep until nearly 3am.  I was having one of those nights where I'd doze off and then wake gasping and find I had restless legs or itchy nerves or needed to go to the restroom, etc.  About 2:30, I went off to the guest room to watch a video on my Kindle.  I didn't get past the intro.  I fell right to sleep, slept until just daybreak this morning, when I awoke and took off my reading glasses and went right back to sleep.  I told John if I'd known that the video would do the trick I'd have employed that a lot earlier.  I think though it was a combination of moving to a different bed, piling on quilts which I find so very comforting and a jacket (! honestly I didn't feel cold but I must have been) that helped soothe me to sleep.  Apparently for all that I love quiet, I also like having someone talk to me when I'm dozing off, hence why the video sent me right off.

I was full of energy and ambition but I had two family members at once texting me and one taxed my brain while the other taxed my heart, not the intention, I quite understand that, but that was the way it was.  It was nearly 10:30 before I got breakfast on the table and we didn't even have a complicated meal.

While breakfast was cooking, though, I started work on my kitchen cabinets.  Not the cleaning part.  Nope, I wasn't interested in doing that job today.  Instead, I was putting away the items I'd brought in from my pantry yesterday, in my planned restock of the canned goods cupboard.   Well that quickly escalated into a complete revamp of the upper storage and lower canned goods and then spread itself to the snack/pastas/tea and drink mix cupboards.   I did stop and have breakfast but I ignored all other tasks in favor of doing this job which ended up taking nearly two hours.  

I wiped out cabinets, checked supplies, moved items about to make maximum use of space, etc.  It felt good to get these cabinets in order once more.  I found three items to put in the trash (excess packaging) and three more items to move to my shed.

I then moved on to the kitchen medicine shelf and removed all the things we aren't currently using or that was extras.  I went on to do the same in the bathroom medicine cupboard and created a bin in the proper pantry for the extra medicines.  I need to move it a little higher to have it completely out of reach of any young visitors who want to explore, but I am quite happy to have the additional space in the kitchen and bathroom.  

And of course, that also led to puttering about in the pantry to insure that like things were grouped together and in order.  It also gave me opportunity to pull a few more things to restock kitchen cupboards with.

I like to keep things that I use more often in the kitchen, like green beans and tomatoes and tomato sauce, peas, etc.  It's just so much easier than making a trek daily to the back.  I also keep a supply of pasta and rice, flour, sugar, etc. in the kitchen.  I'd read somewhere that keeping a small supply of commonly used items in the kitchen had a psychological value of not making one prone to overuse because you felt you had limited things rather than an abundance that might lead to over use and possible waste.   I don't know if that's true or not, but I do like the time savings in not having to go into the pantry closet repeatedly!

I considered that a very productive morning's work overall. 

Last night's supper was not up to par, y'all.  I made a crockpot cubed steak and gravy using venison steaks.  It smelled good.  It tasted...flat.  The potatoes I made to go with it ended up being flavorless and a little too wet to hold gravy.  I had planned a squash casserole but ended up making pan cooked squash and onions instead.  It too ended up flat.   It wasn't a lack of seasoning but the meal just wasn't as good as I'd thought it would be.  I told John as we finished eating, "Well...I liked the tomato I sliced.  That was good..." and he nodded.  He was no happier than I had been and that's unusual that we both feel a meal was not good.  

As I was clearing up the kitchen, I contemplated the leftovers.   As I stood staring into the crockpot, John said "What's the matter?"  "I just wish I didn't have so much leftover..."  "Chuck it!"  "What?!  That's wasteful!"  "Then feed it to the dogs...We've already established we didn't like it and why on earth you'd want to serve it again is beyond me!"  "Maybe I could make something fit to eat out of it..." I said as he walked away shaking his head.  I decided in the end he was quite right.  Yes, it is a waste but feeding it to the dogs was the best thing I could do.  I'd never have made it palatable.  There were plenty of flavorful ingredients in the steak dish.  If it didn't taste good it wasn't likely to improve.   So the dogs ate exceptionally well this morning.  John said they cleaned their dishes.

This morning while cleaning the food cabinets, I smelled of the croutons I said I should use.  They were slightly rancid.  So were the breadcrumbs.  Trash.

I'm serving mostly leftovers today to offset the waste.  My mission continues to use up all leftovers and the expired items in my stash.  Oh and I found a bottle of French dressing in the cabinet that somehow was 'lost' and expired.  Wish I'd found it on Saturday when I was making that Catalina Chicken in the slow cooker.  It would have been a perfect item to use up but I'm seeing more Catalina Chicken in my future and I think I might make up a couple of bags to freeze and dump in the future.  It's a thought.

Wednesday:  Years ago I heard someone say that each year at Easter the pine trees all have crosses atop them.   And Mama always told me that Dogwood would bloom every year in time for Easter.   Well both appear to be truths, no matter if Easter is early or late, there the signs of the season are right on time.  How does the earth know?  And isn't it awesome?

Hard labor day today.  I went out immediately following breakfast and tackled the bed about the Faith tree.  That involved more than just pulling up weeds.  The dogs had laid about the tree and dug around it to make spots more comfortable, so the weed mat I'd put down was pulled up here and torn there and flapped in most breezes.   The grandchildren and dogs both love to stand on the rocks bordering the tree's bottom so they were all out of place.   I won't mention John hitting them with the lawnmower which has done as much or more damage.  John has a problem and has had for years.  He truly believes it's okay if he gets 'just a little bit closer" and sometimes that means that things get bumped that he really didn't want to bump!  

So this morning, I pulled up three layers of compost, dirt and weed mat that had built up over the years about the tree.  Then I went through the process of leveling the ground around the tree, and going a little deeper where the landscape blocks would lie about the border of the tree,  I put down weed mat and Rufus, God bless himself, lay down right there in the bed where I was working my bottom off.   At least he moved about as I moved around the tree, lol.

I spread the two bags of mulch which spread very thinly was one bag shy of finishing the bed and in honesty was four bags short of what was needed.  I mean to go off tomorrow and get more mulch so I can finish that spot and put mulch about the potted rose bush and little tree that I dug everything from around last spring and flourished after.  I figure it's going to need mulch this year if it's going to make it through summer.

As I huffed and puffed in my work today I reminded myself that right now everything I have done in my own yard is mere maintenance.  I've not created any new planting spaces or finished some of the areas I started two years ago.  I did make the flower bed next to my shed last year and it was lovely, if not quite as full as I'd have liked.  

But yes, the thought that occurred to me was that there is a mountain of work to do yet on what I have and then I can contemplate starting something new or working on expanding another area.   And I felt tired.  Just well and truly tired.  I know that gardening is work and there's no reward at all without a whole lot of effort but I'd give much for a bit of help in my pursuit of a pretty yard.  I would.  

When John is asked his reply is  to shrug his shoulders and say frankly, "I don't care."  He's not being callous or rude.  He's stating an absolute fact.  It's enough to him to keep the lawn mowed.  He has no particular interest in flowers.   That's my ideal.  And he's perfectly fine with me having it as long as it doesn't involve his own labor.   Now truly that was John's opinion when he worked.  Were I to ask for a bit of help here and there now that he's retired  he might well not say "I don't care."    

This morning when I shakily went to sit and rest and commented that even ithough I'd made the bed about the Faith tree smaller, I was short a landscape block, he walked around the house and got one from another area for me so I could have that task completed. (I didn't ask where he took the other from but there's a blank space somewhere on the backside of the house!)      When I said that I wanted to finish the task but wasn't sure I had energy enough to do a proper clean-up behind myself he didn't say a word.  He just hauled up those two heavy wet bags of mulch and carried them over to put down in the bed either side of the tree.  I finished mulching as far as I could, then I managed to get the wagon loaded up with all the stuff I'd pulled up.  Honestly his doing that heavy lifting of stone and mulch saved me just enough energy to do what I needed to finish up as nearly as I could.  I pulled the wagon  onto the patio so it would be out of his way when he mowed.  He came along with the lawnmower and tied the wagon to the hitch and pulled the stuff off to dump in an inconspicuous place behind the sheds.  

So it's not like he's completely heartless and unwilling to help.  He will help, especially if he sees I'm committed enough to the task to put all my energy into it.  But he'd be just fine with none of that stuff ever getting done, too.  

After I'd had a second rest and some Gatorade,  he came in and asked if I could possibly help in the cemetery this morning?  Did I want to do it?  Nope, not a bit.  At that moment, I wanted to say "I don't care to..."  but I thought of all he'd done for me and how close we are to completing the interior of that fenced area and agreed to walk over but warned him I would do very little.   Mostly what he wanted was someone with him while he cut some trees that were getting near the powerline that runs across the cemetery.  They were well below the lines right now but by end of summer likely would have reached them.  I took my rake and pulled things out of his pathway and held the power saw while he pulled and tugged the tops of the trees over the fence.   But I'm here to tell you walking back home from that cemetery to the house wasn't easy.  If there had been a suitable place to stop on the way, I'd have sat right down and not gotten up for a good bit.

John didn't have to urge me too much to stop on the back porch and sit a spell.  The breeze was nice and cooled me off.  And frankly the rest didn't hurt a thing.  We had a long conversation and watched a bird on the power line between our security light and house pole.  After we'd talked about an hour or so, I stepped in the back door and took up my binoculars because I wanted to see what sort of bird he was.  I was pretty sure he was a Mocking bird or even possibly an Eastern Bluebird, but when I got my binoculars focused I could see that the bird was a olive grey color with a yellow throat and white belly.  Near as I can tell from an online bird recognition program she is an immature female Pine Warbler, common to both the U.S. and Canada.  That is the first time I've ever seen a Pine Warbler and I wouldn't have paid attention to her then had John not said that it looked like a very young bird.

While we were talking, John suggested that we shower and go have lunch at our favorite restaurant in the tucked away spot two towns over.  I happily conceded to his plan.  We had a pleasant time going over and as always we enjoyed our meal.   We brought home leftovers for our supper.   John took the other way round back home so we got in a good drive to see all the possible sites, as well.   

Just as we got near home we noted the darkening skies.   We debated all the way to the house, some 10 miles I'd warrant, if he'd get to go mow Sam's yard or not.   As we came up the driveway, the wind picked up and sprinkles of rain hit the car.  It's been raining for the past hour now, so no mowing for him.

I can't believe it's just Wednesday and yet so very much has gotten done already this week!  It's very heartening.   Tomorrow, while John is off having lunch with his friend, I'm going to go do a few errands that I want to attend to.  He's already said he means to go mow tomorrow when he gets back.    I've been in Warner Robins or Perry three times in the past  six days with him and have yet to get more than one thing accomplished each time.   Friday we had fierce weather come in as soon as I walked out of the hair salon, so we headed right home.  Sunday, John was just anxious to get home.  I've no clue why.   Today, he wanted to mow across the field.   No need to ask to go do a bit of the necessary shopping when he was intent on his own plans.  Tomorrow, I'm going to go off on my own and get that list of needs knocked out and maybe, just maybe get a couple of wanted items, as well.   

Thursday:  At 5am this morning, I gave up the notion I might fall asleep and came out to the kitchen.  I had a cup of coffee, planned out breakfast,  heated water for tea, scanned Instagram, journaled and wrote in my prayer journal.  I dozed off to sleep in the chair in the kitchen somewhere around 6.  I got up and went to the guest room, curled up on the bed with a quilt and afghan tossed over me and slept for 3 hours.  I woke only because some one in my dream, who was out of sight, said "My God!"  Shook me to the core, as that is not something we say in our home at all, and I found it just as shocking in dream form as I do in real life.

I did tell John this evening though that I may just get up and have a cup of coffee next time I can't sleep...It made me feel better and for all I know it did help me go to sleep!   I may have mentioned before that Granny made herself a cup of coffee most nights about 9:30 or 10:00 and then went to bed and slept just fine.

John was still asleep when I got up,  but I went on and started breakfast anyway.  I knew he had things to do this morning and would likely wake when he smelled food.  I actually felt fairly refreshed following my long nap (can one even call it sleep if you've missed the entire night?).  

After breakfast I hurried into household chores, all minor picking up sorts of things.  Then I got ready to leave the house.  I had to wear a tank top under my shirt and a cardigan over it because it was that cool once again.   I made sure John had his jacket, too.  We left the house at the same time.   Tonight, for our first day of April, we're meant to have a frost and another tomorrow night.  Pooh on April anyway, because the forecast all next week is quite warm.  But this will be the pattern of the month.  We'll burn, we'll get chilled, we'll have sun and rain and probably far more wind than in March.  April is temperamental like that.

I had a big day planned today and I knew I'd never manage it all but I did well enough.  I started by going to the Dollar Tree in the town nearest us. I wanted to check out a few things on my list.   They are worth while for cards for holidays and birthdays but I won't waste time going back into that store to look for any other item.  The one in Perry is much nicer.   The one in Ft. Valley just isn't.  Anyway, I got cards for the children for Easter and a card for the only April birthday we have.

Over to the discount grocer.  No Turkey Spam, but I look, hopeful always.  I found ONE packet of turkey sausage patties.  I used to buy these two at a time every month but they haven't had any since this past autumn.     I also scanned for brown rice.  Nothing but parboiled rice on the shelf and that's not what I want. I didn't buy any other item at this store this time.  

Then I went on to Walmart.   I decided on the huge one in Warner Robins simply because I knew they had 25 pound bags of flour.   I allowed myself to wander the store and found most of the things on my list.  I failed to pick up a couple of items only because I didn't scan my list closely enough to remember I was meant to buy those things.

I picked up a couple of personal care items, then wandered over to bedding where I was happy to find a new lightweight quilt for summer with matching shams and a pair of pillowcases in a print that will compliment my coral accessories in the master bedroom.  It was all very very reasonable and I was quite happy to find those items.

In my wanderings of that large store,  I discovered the newly downsized fabric department now stuck in the middle of the store and scanned the racks.  I got a 2 yard piece of a Waverly fabric that I like well enough,  to cover the cushions in the living room for summer.  That yardage was not a bad priced item either.   

I always have a vision of what I mean to have in my home and garden.  I Pin all sorts of ideas on Pinterest and I go out and look for those sorts of things and come home with something different because what I want isn't to be found.  I was determined that I'd not let another summer pass without summer cushion covers though and this is a nice enough fabric that pulls together what I have anyway, so there's that.

I was wandering around the Easter candy aisles when something that struck me as funny happened.   There were three of us women walking up the aisle together and the younger woman said to her mother that she needed to buy candy.  "For you or for them?"  That question made me snort because I had in my buggy candy for John and I but I had yet to find anything I felt was suited to the children, lol.  When I snorted the older lady turned and started laughing with me.  I told her why it had made me laugh and we both laughed some more.

I've been watching fashion bloggers with these wonderful Spring clothing and accessory hauls from Walmart....NOT in that store, let me assure you.   Not at all.  Just as well, since I really don't need anything at present, but I confess to being very disappointed in what I found in store.

Finally I went over to the grocery section of the store and wandered the aisles looking for various things there.  I was so pleased to find that really quality Turkey bacon that we like there and it was a bit over a $1 a package cheaper!  That made the trip worth while.  I got the Easter breakfast items for us, and 5 pounds of brown rice for $1.28, as well as a 25 pound bag of flour for $5.18.   I didn't find a few other items I had meant to purchase but that's okay.  I spent quite enough and was pleased I found the bacon, brown rice and flour and our holiday breakfast items.   That's really what I had on my list anyway.

I used self checkout which went well enough apart from the fact that the area where they have the self checkout registers is now a square...A tight square of registers at that.  I went to a register and found a bag of frozen broccoli on the counter and it had been rung up.  I waited a little bit and then asked the clerk if she could clear it out.  She snapped "No!  Someone's using that register!"  I begged her pardon and pointed out that I'd not seen anyone at it.  Her co-worker came along and escorted me to a very awkwardly placed scanner that was right in the exit path of the square.  I thanked her and scanned all my purchases.  I was so happy that I had no issues at all with the scanning process.  That part at least is an improvement.

By the time I got out to the car I knew I was well and truly done.  I skipped going to two other stores were I needed to get items but I didn't care at that point.  I'd been shopping for roughly 4 hours and all I wanted was to get a bite to eat and go home.    John texted me that he was going to Sam's to mow the yard and I let him know I was on my way home.   It was 6pm this evening before I saw him.   

I guess I should get up and determine what we'll be having for supper.   The meal I'd planned for tonight has already been eaten, but I'm thinking there are enough odds and ends of leftovers in the fridge that we can piece together food for the evening.

Friday:  Last night as it began to get dark, the heater started coming on and it kept coming on every 20-25 minutes.  I looked at John and said, "I think they told the truth this time...I'm going to have to go bring in my plants or all that effort I put into hauling them in and out all winter long will have been pointless."   He nodded.   He was wrapped in a robe, had an afghan over his lap and was shivering with cold.

John has Hashimoto's and mostly it is controlled with just a twice weekly dose of iodine drops and diet.  The main thing with him is that if he gets cold he is COLD.  I told him when I got through with plants I'd make him a hot cup of cocoa...And that's how we celebrated April's Fool this year.  We had hot cocoa and commended the silly weather men who seldom are right.

This morning we were sort of lazing around.  Each of us had plans but the day took a turn when I went into the bathroom and discovered that the faucet, which John has fixed repeatedly and had already tackled this week, was dripping once more.  I came out and suggested it was time for a new faucet.  He was certain he could fix it and we had a spare faucet in the shed that he thought would work but we'd been sharing pieces out since this faucet needed repairing the first time.  He needed my help and that led to words between us as it always does.  He never asks for help until he is fully frustrated so by the time I'm in the room he can be brusque at best and downright difficult otherwise.  No different this morning.

Is the faucet fixed?  No.   He did all he could with what we had on hand a trip into town.   I foresee a stop at Lowe's in the next couple of days.   In the meantime, I believe he's said it's still dripping despite taking three hours of his day being lost on the stupid thing.  It was not what he planned to do today.  Nor did I plan to have to be on standby for most of the process.  So things I wanted to get done were delayed.

I did manage, at a point where he wanted company more than he wanted help, to get my wardrobe set up  for April.   Frankly, with it as cold as it is today, it's really hard to imagine that we'll be in the mid-80's for most of next week.  It makes pairing clothing up a bit difficult.  However, I'm just planning to add cardigans to various things because I find that even on very warm days, I do wish for a sweater or wrap if we're in church or a restaurant.  So it will be no problem to plan in sweaters and cardigans for a warmer day.    I tried to pull pieces that  I'm not likely to wear much longer until it's late autumn just to get a wee bit more use from them.   I also pulled some jewelry/earrings to add to outfits that I typically don't wear.   

Aside from knocking that goal off my list for the month, I did a deep vacuum of living room and master bedroom, got bathrooms cleaned and got the kitchen cleaned.   I baked bread and made a pie that used a can of the expired peaches.  I was going to make mac' and cheese but I thought John could use a boost and made tuna pasta salad for our lunch today.  And in the meantime, on his way back from town, he stopped and picked up a Hershey with Almonds bar and a Dr. Pepper.  I guess we both know how to apologize in a way that each will recognize, lol.

I hope you all had a great week and a very pleasant Easter weekend.   Tell us what you did this week and share what your plans are for the holiday if you have any.