Diary of a Homemaker's Week: Running Through the Sunshine

 

Saturday:   I confess to you all that yesterday afternoon I'd told John, "I'll not demand the boys play with me today.  They can go straight on the Kindles if they choose.  I'm just not going to fight them over it."  Imagine how I felt when Josh, who told he might do whatever he chose, asked me to create a dining table fort, build a campfire, gather the bears in their caves and please play with them.   I tell you it made my heart swell and I obliged the boys in all that they wanted to do.   

At one point Millie went into the tent with the boys to sleep.   At another moment, Isaac crawled into the toy box which had suddenly become a boat and that little boy who 'doesn't like to eat pish' told me was fishing.   

They built paper airplanes and drew pictures and only much later in the evening did they ask to play on the Kindles.  

I took them home about 7:30 not because I was weary but because dear little Millie kept walking the floors back and forth from front door to back door and back again for over an hour calling "Mama!" every few minutes.  She refused to let us hold her, and I could see that just as Caleb had done the weekend before, she'd utterly wearied herself.    Sam said when she got home, they put her to bed with her blanket and she right to sleep without any fuss at all.  I should think so!  That baby walked miles and miles as she tread that path from door to door.

This morning the guys had planned an outing but it was cancelled due to weather.    Sam offered an alternative plan for the four of them to go out elsewhere and off they went.   I was home alone, just me and my computer game and a short stack of books.  I was restless and turned on the television and started watching 'Bridgerton'.  I.love.it.   It's very well written and while there were a couple of scenes over which I skipped entirely due to their nature, I watched the first three episodes and was completely wrapped up in the costumes, the characters and the scheming.  I think the part I enjoyed the most was when the one man determined to win the lead character's hand resorted to utter blackmail and the mother sensing the danger to her daughter's reputation took matters in hand and quickly put an end to it all.  

I think I shall check out a few of the author's books as I've so enjoyed the series thus far.   It's been quite a long while since I've sampled a modern day author.   It was a most lovely way to spend a Saturday morning alone, a quite lovely plan B when rain pushed my plans to go antiquing right out of mind.

Sunday:  I was up so late this morning, that I'm sure John felt we'd never make it to church on time but we did and with time to spare.  However, I had truly been late, not rising until 7:30.  I'd had a wretched night with TMJ pain and was exhausted from dealing with that but I knew that church was the best medicine I could possibly take and indeed I felt all the better for pushing myself to go.

We kept the day pretty quiet here.  No one called nor came to visit until later in the evening.    John had requested cheeseburgers for his Father's Day meal.  I offered him a choice of cheeseburgers for both lunch and our supper.   For lunch we had Mushroom Swiss burgers with a side of Roasted Vegetables and for supper we had cheeseburgers with big salads.  He was very pleased to get burgers not once but twice today.

Katie came out with Caleb.  The electricity in town had been more off than on since morning.  Caleb played happily with things here and talked to himself as he went about, though he can say "NO!  Stop!"  very clearly.  We enjoyed visiting with him, but when they left to go home, I found myself wiped completely out. I decided that an early bedtime was the best remedy for me, so I'm heading that way now.   Goodnight dears!

Monday: It was sunny when we woke this morning and I dared believe that the forecasters were wrong.   I took my usual leisurely first coffee then made John and I breakfast.   After breakfast I began housework and stripped the bed and bath.   John kindly washed the laundry while I was busy doing the rest of my morning chores and I hung them on the line.  

The sun was nowhere to be seen but it was warm and I hoped I'd get the laundry dry outdoors.  It smells so much nicer than the dryer.  

I made John and I lunch.  It wasn't anything special.  I was trying out a canned Chicken Tamale to see if I'd like it in my storage.  It was okay but not by any means so great that I'd invest space or money into it.  I am learning to try things first, buying them only in small portions before I actually stock them on my shelves

I sat down later to cut out pictures to use in making cards.  I discovered something about myself.  I love flowers as I've shared many times but I apparently especially love purple flowers.  I was going through old seed catalogs clipping pictures when John said "Oh...is that rain?"   My clothes!

I ran outdoors to retrieve my laundry.  It didn't get very wet but it was dampened a little.  I brought them indoors to toss into the dryer.  Fortunately it didn't take long to dry.   I however, was more than  little bit damp.  I was wet.  And coming indoors again, I got cold.  All I could think of at that point was comfort foods.   All my plans for supper tonight were out of the window.  I pulled another menu idea from my meal plan for this week and prepped that.

The day has flown past us.   All the afternoon rain cleared away and the evening sunset is streaming in through the windows.   Raindrops cling to the screens and gleam like big round diamonds.   The are so lovely in the sunlight.

Tuesday:   We began today with cloudy skies and rain but as I type this I can see blue sky and sunshine out my window.  Everywhere we went today, Katie and I got sprinkled well.

I was groggy today and not quick to awaken.  I waited until 10:30 to ask Katie if she was ready to go yet and hearing nothing, assumed they were still asleep and they were.   So I settled down to make a few cards from the floral pictures cut from the seed catalog.  They are turning out quite pretty partly because I have several shades of purple cardstock which complements the purple flowers very nicely.

I think it was just the weather that made everyone so very sleepy because no kidding, when I did leave, I looked everywhere for Maddie and then discovered her lying in her dog house not moving a thing but one raised eyelid that she let drop right back shut.   Maddie is not the sort of dog that just sleeps through people begin around.  She much prefers to get all the attention and this morning, she couldn't be disturbed by me or John speaking to her.   John was concerned enough to ask "Is she still breathing?"  I assured him she'd looked at me but he insisted on checking for himself.

Katie and I both had short shopping lists.   She wanted to get a booster seat for Taylor to use in the car instead of a car seat.  Taylor has super long legs and the car seat is just not comfortable for her any more.    I wanted to get baby safety items, like plug inserts and cabinet locks for her house.  She needed to run into a beauty supply place and I wanted to  go into Hobby Lobby for candles.   We'd planned also to go out to lunch and then over to Old Navy to choose shoes for the bubby.   The only item I got while I was out was two books by Julia Quinn, both sequels to Bridgerton which I finished watching last night.  I was a bit shocked at what a paper back goes for these days.  I'll definitely be looking for some good used copies for the remainder of any purchases I make, but I wanted something to read NOW...though I did start Pride and Prejudice last night and am really enjoying that for the moment.

Well we made it through Target and the Beauty Supply but I stayed in the car there and then she stayed in the car while I went into Hobby Lobby and got candles.  I think I bought 7 or 8 pairs in various colors but there wasn't a lot of choice really.    We didn't do lunch.   We went to Old Navy and I sat in the car with Caleb while she ran in to choose shoes.   And that was pretty much the day.   Not a whole lotta lotta at all.  The weather was not conducive and Caleb was not happy being in the car though he behaved very well out of it, but the constant drizzle of rain made getting him out less than ideal.

When I left Katie's house the sun had begun to shine and shone on me all the way over to Sunberry Acres where I was to pick up my produce bag and eggs.  This week's bag has cucumbers, squash, zucchini, green beans, spinach, fresh green onions, mint, and blueberries.   I cooked some of the green beans with our supper tonight and sliced cucumber as a side dish.  

I think I'll make blueberry muffins in the morning for our breakfast.   Caleb is coming out to spend the day with us while Katie goes to her appointments.   I'm pretty sure he'll enjoy muffins.

Wednesday:  I was quite right about Caleb liking the blueberry muffins.  I didn't use all of our berries in the muffins I made this morning, but I used plenty.   I decided to go fancy, which is something I prefer to do with a breakfast muffin.  Plain muffins are fine and well for other meals but breakfast muffins need to be 'extra' in my opinion.  I mixed up an oatmeal streusel to top the muffins.  I got a full dozen from the recipe.   I say 'recipe' but the truth is that just like with pancakes and pizza dough, I put in about 2 cups of flour and then add in from there until I feel it's right.  I don't really follow a recipe for any of those three things.

After breakfast, I wanted to make a Lime Pie for Katie for her birthday.   As I started making the crust, I reached in the cabinet and discovered I had a plethora of those tiny little pie pans, the sort that make about three slices, two if you're feeling a bit piggish about your slice.   I thought, "Hmmm...I can make one pie or I can make one large and four small...I have all the ingredients...So why not?"    Why not, indeed!    Why just make one?  I can always keep the additional pies in the freezer.    Seriously it wasn't a bit more trouble to make the four small pies and we've now got three small ones in the freezer for days when we  are longing for something sweet and it's too hot to bother making a thing. 

  

It took about all my time and attention to dance around Caleb who turned the kitchen into a minor disaster and then brought all his cars into the kitchen to play, too, and make my pies but I got it done and just caught him when he was about to run towards the hot oven when I opened it to put in lunch.  

He played happily this morning and kept himself occupied but he was visibly tired by the time we had our lunch.  

That pacifier wasn't in use all morning long but I saw it as a second sign of him being tired when he picked it up and put it in his mouth.   We had a slight meltdown when Gramma put chicken nuggets in the oven.  Apparently frozen does just as well in his book.  And perhaps next time I'll settle for microwaving his portion just so he can go on and eat.  

His mama arrived before he'd finished eating lunch.    I enjoyed my morning with a grandchild in the kitchen with me.  It's one thing I think all of the grandchildren will remember, playing at my feet as I puttered about the kitchen...At least I hope so!

After Caleb left I picked up the house and then I settled with my computer in my big comfy chair with my feet up.   Truth told, this morning didn't wear me out nearly as much as I suspected it might.   So after I'd read emails, I got up and went outdoors to empty compost.  I checked on the seeds planted last week, and I'd say that maybe two out of ten are up at the moment.   We'll see how that goes.  I've about given up hope that I'll have even late blooms from that bed by my shed this year.   I came back around front and bolstered up the Asiatic lilies that were leaning way over the edge of the barrel.  I decided at that point I might as well put in a little time in my yard.

So I walked around and looked things over.   Enough heavy rain had hit the newly transplanted pot of things that some of the roots were exposed, so I snugged them in a little deeper and tucked their feet into the soil.   I deadheaded the petunia and thought that I might as well put the coleus under it's shade in the triple tier planter as it's pot is the same pink as the petunias.  I moved a pot of Dianthus out of the shade of the Lantana and put it in a sunnier location.  I moved a potted pink daylily that is lovely and in bloom into the forefront of another section of flower bed so it can show itself off a little better.  I harvested some oregano and noted the new plant coming up.  I also saw lavender, a bud on the old fashioned petunia in the bottom flower box and lots of basil coming up in the top box.  

Once indoors, I tucked oregano stems into water to hopefully root.  I don't know just why I'm so keen on making more of what I have but I am and I'm going to listen to the instinct that tells me to do it.  I may be over run with plants but then again, this may turn out to be needed and necessary somehow so why not go ahead and listen to what has seldom failed me?

I took the leaves I stripped off the oregano stems, a cup of grape tomatoes, a packet of Feta cheese crumbles and put them all in a dish and drizzled them with olive oil and minced garlic.  I'm going to try my hand at the Tik Tok Feta Pasta dish that is so popular.   I'm doing so for two reasons: number one, I have all those ingredients on hand.  Number two:  I am out of three very necessary ingredients for one of the meals I planned for this week.   I've stopped myself going into town three times to buy more.  I don't want or need to buy more, when I have plenty of items on hand.

After that was in the toaster oven, I headed back to my crafting room and finished making my cards.  I made 15 cards over the past two days.  Some of them are really simple and lovely just as they are.  One I fancied up and it's so so.  But I enjoyed that bit of time I took to create something with what I have.  I'll need to buy envelopes for them but they are pretty and will suit me in future as a greeting to a friend or family member.

Before I left the room, I began to look through the three boxes of books that have boxed up for two years now.  I'd meant to get them to the Women's club for their book fair and in the end, we were out of town when the fair went on.   I had gotten curious last week about what books I'd stacked up and stored and there are some good ones in there!  Perhaps I don't really mean to donate them all.   I found one that I think John might like and as I pulled a few others out I asked myself why on earth I'd let them go?  They are good classics.   Some of them, I really ought to sell on thrift books...They are good books that someone will deeply appreciate.  You see, I can't quite forget that the all the books at the big old thrift store I used to visit, were dumped into skips and hauled off to trash dumps.  It seems such a shame to me to lose books in that manner!   And I've no idea what happens to the books leftover at the end of the fair each year.   They surely can't keep them all, because where on earth would they store them?  And if they're not keeping them...Oh it doesn't bear thinking about!     So I am going to reassess what I want to keep and what I want to let go to new homes, but they are destined for new homes, not for some heap of trash!

I'm thinking John decided to go on and mow the yard.  He went out to do some trimming and I haven't seen or heard from him in nearly an hour now...but I can hear the mower running.   Good thing I decided to do pasta for supper as it's bound to be a lighter meal than the other I'd planned.  

Thursday:  I eventually had to call Sam last night to see if John truly was at their house mowing.  Indeed he had been and then had stopped to talk with Bess.  Sam answered "He's on his way home now..." when he picked up the call, lol.   I told him I had made up my mind he was there but then I'd gotten worried in case I was wrong.   As it happened, he'd made his last trip over there up by the roadway instead of taking the path between houses across the field.  

I added the last of the Italian Roasted Vegetables, which included eggplant this last time (not something I'll do again as the texture is off putting in that dish) to the 'sauce' I made with the grape tomatoes and feta.  I did that because the dish was a little too salty, but adding the cup of leftover vegetables to it made it just right.   John had sort of crinkled his nose at the idea of supper last night but I explained to him that it was 6:30 and entirely too late in the day for me to alter plans so to please just try it.  He ate it all and declared it good.  Mind you, he didn't rave, but he was more than just polite about it, so I think it was a hit with him.  And I have to say the eggplant went well in this dish even if I didn't care for it in the roasted vegetable dish.

We ate before the tv last night, not something we'd typically do but we watch Wednesday night services online and it was on air before we started supper.   I can't say I much like eating and watching  a sermon at once...It just seems wrong somehow, lol.  A bit like having popcorn at a church service.    No matter, it was a rousing good sermon and I'm glad we were listening in and watching.  

And that pretty much took care of yesterday.

This morning, I got up later than I thought I  might.  I'm waking very early these days, as in 5am or so and that is after a restless night far more often than not.  I finally drift off to a good deep sleep again about 7am.   I suppose I ought to just get up and be done with it but I am always keen to add to my sleep hours if I might rather than subtract more from them.   I feel much better overall if I get nearer my necessary 6 hours than if I miss out on three of the six.

We had planned to run into town today to do more work at the house.  I asked John to bring his weed eater and trim about the mailbox and the borders of the flower beds. I tackled the flower beds in front of the house again and in a bit under an hour I accumulated a pile of debris and now have one bed fully ready to plant and two beds ready for mulch and one bed half done.  I simply ran out of steam and knew better after last week than to push myself through and do it all.  It will wait.  Thus far it has not gotten up and moved off but has stayed patiently in place waiting on someone to tackle it.   

Katie came out today to observe and really there was nothing for her to do without a tool to work with and I was manning the loppers and wasn't inclined to give them up.  As I worked we discussed what to do in each bed.   We've decided on hydrangeas at the bay window, and I'm thinking three will just fit  that space nicely.   We'll mulch out a section of the other bed near the door and there she would like to put a bird bath or fountain and some baskets/planters of flowers.   In the bed directly in front of the rest of the house we'll put in gardenias and peonies.   I keep lobbying for something tall but we can't agree on anything we both like, lol.  

John went to get gasoline for the mower and then stopped at the hardware store for blades.  When he came out he said "I've been told by you, Katie's neighbor and now Alan at the hardware store that it's going to rain tomorrow.   I guess we'll just head on home and I'll mow our yard today!"   

So here we are again, me tapping away to you all and he out on the mower.  I've got bread dough in the machine, and have had my lunch of a tuna sandwich and now I think I shall go over checkbook and perhaps do some of the tasks I skipped earlier in the month since I won't go outdoors while John is mowing.  I love the smell of freshly mown lawn but it makes my head and face ache even when I've had allergy medicine, so there's no point in heading outdoors to do a thing. 

later:  So what did I do this afternoon? Well....First I went back to the guest room and went through the box of books.  I sorted out what is likely to sell and what is best just donated into separate stacks.  I also sorted out what I mean to keep and the ones I'm thinking about into two more piles.  Then I put each pile neatly in a big box and put that away again under the sewing/craft table.   I then addressed the books on the bookshelf behind the door and pulled out two to put into my reading stack.  I sorted through the bookshelf and better organized books and removed a few for donation or sell and then I had space for those few I definitely want to keep.  And last, I tackled the piles of fabric I'd pushed here and there and they are now tucked away in drawers of the chifforobe once more.  I meant to vacuum but got distracted and never made it back to that room.

I cleaned the guest bath really well and swept the floor.

I went out to take John a glass of Gatorade since he'd been working outdoors since morning.   We sat down and talked together until I remembered my bread dough was ready to be formed into a loaf.   We both went back to work when I got up to come indoors.

I formed my loaf and set it to rise.   I swept and mopped the kitchen floor which dried super quick today.  Then I sat down and went through the bill box and brought the checkbook up to date.   Now I know where we stand with our finances and what bills are coming due in the next couple of weeks.

I prefer to check our balance weekly just in case we've missed writing something down but I failed on that score this past week. I just never made the time.  Fortunately we were okay and hadn't missed anything except the pile of receipts I meant to write down yesterday.

Friday:  I've no idea what I shall do today.  I reminded John of an obligation for Sunday evening.  He is prone to forget engagement dates even though I have a perpetual calendar in the living room, he keeps calendars in various places and he inputs dates in his phone.    The truth is he's prepared but I think he panicked at the idea that the date was coming up so quickly.

When he mentioned various things he'd thought of doing today I asked if he'd like to leave the house and go out.   His reply was short and terse.  I was surprised and asked if he was upset over something but he said he wasn't.  He just didn't want to leave home.  

I had only very minor housework that was necessary to do today, meal plans to make for the weekend and week ahead.   All of it is done, and supper is in the crockpot.  I've opted to make beef stew tonight.   No, not on my menu but I'm out of three main ingredients for the one item we haven't eaten this week and had everything required to make what I am making.  

The only thing I'm undecided upon at present is what I shall make to take to the Senior Supper on Sunday night.   The church provides the main protein, and green beans, rolls and some desserts.  The rest is up to anyone who brings things in.  

The day of rain we were promised is nowhere in sight at the moment.  The sun is shining and the AC is running.   I'm glad this past month's electric bill was lower but I'm thinking next month's will be closer to the usual summer rate.  

I guess I shall just putter about and read today.  Not a bad thing to have a day off so to speak...

How was your week?