The Week Ahead: Starting Behind Getting Ahead

                                                     1940's Hot point Kitchen plan

In 1905, Earl Richardson invented a new iron.  He formed the Pacific Electric Heating Company in Ontario, California and marketed his new iron.  The iron was innovative on many levels, not the least of which was the fact that it was heated by electricity.  The heat was hottest near the pointed end and hence the name Hot Point which later became the name of the company in 1912.  

In 1918, Richardson marketed a new electric cooker,  which often had four burners and two ovens.  Richardson had already developed the first electric toaster many years earlier, but began making improved models when the company was a division of General Electric.  By the 1930's Richardson was mass producing electric appliances of all sorts from vacuums to refrigerators to washing machines and more.    

It's safe to say, Hotpoint appliances really revolutionized homemaking for the homemaker and it was a good thing since by the 1930's many homes were servantless and a homemaker needed all the help she could get!

I thought it would be fun to give you a brief history of the Hotpoint company before I talked about this kitchen design.  There's not much I really want to say about it.  It's a pretty kitchen, standard U shape which is one of the most workable formations and easiest to work in.   

Not the neat little telephone stand at the end of the kitchen counter with a handy stool.   And those white lines that seem to lead right to the sink, actually accentuate the length of the room and somehow manage to clearly mark kitchen from eating space, too.

What makes this kitchen stand out in my opinion is that bay window to one side of the dining area.  I thought at first that was just a pretty window with plants, but it's actually a greenhouse with garden!  It appears they are growing lettuce as well as housing some pretty flowering plants.   

I can't quite make out what they've done with the recessed area above the banquette seating.  It seems it ought to be another deep window.  

It's a very neat little kitchen.  Perhaps not as cutting edge design-wise as HD Brown's Armstrong kitchens, but I certainly shouldn't complain over working in this neat space.

In My Home This Week:

We had a whirlwind family dinner today.  I didn't get to see much of the kiddos.   Taylor had to go back two hours earlier than usual this weekend so our dinner was a true whirlwind.  However, I did get to speak to the children enough to know teachers' names, hear about their first week (not much conversation about that, lol) and to hear the marked improvement in Isaac's speech overall, was all joy, it was truly.    Sam didn't come but Bess and Millie were here.  Caleb, too.  It was a zoo.  A wonderful, crazy, loud zoo.  I love it!

Work:

This week, Katie's told me I'll likely only have Caleb three days this week.  I won't plan my week too heavily just in case this proves to be different than first thought.

I'm skipping zones and just saying I'll tackle whatever appears to need to be attended to.  It's amazing how many jobs I've seen this past week.  I should have been taking notes...But I'm sure that I can stay busy!  

Get checkbook/bills set up so we can run errands and do grocery shopping this week.

Make out a grocery list.  I've been doing some minor shopping each week, picking up the best of the sales.  I'm working my grocery budget in a new way.  Instead of doing once a month shopping, I mean to shop weekly if sales warrant it.   I'm keeping a running tally of what I spend.  Including this week's Gramma's Fried Chicken dinner we are now at $126.  I did better with sales last week but I'm not upset at the idea of spending about $60/week.  We'll see how this goes. My theory is, we're usually in town for church at least once a week anyway and sometimes twice a week.  I can certainly include a shopping errand in with one of those trips each week.

Harvest some more herbs.  Putter in my yard if I get half a chance.

Kitchen:  

We've just sent family home and I have leftovers.   I'll do a Gathered Fragments post again this week.  My plan is to clear out the freezer of  odds and ends so we'll see how they incorporate into meals this week.  I'll share that in a separate post.

If I truly do have a free day this week I'd like to make cookie doughs and put in the freezer.  I'd also like to get biscuits made and possibly bagels, too.  Both would be great to have in the freezer and be a big help for morning meals.   While I'm at it, waffles wouldn't hurt a bit either.  I can put those in the toaster from the freezer! 

Leisure:

  

I'd love to sneak in some time for genealogy this week....I've had it on my mind for weeks now and I can just feel it's time to get lost on a rabbit trail.

Continue to read The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon.  Choose another book from the stack by chair.  This weekend I sailed through Wanda Brunstetter's The Walnut Creek's Wish.   

Putter in the yard each evening. Not work, but walk around and look at plants, do some deadheading that sort of easy, mindless task that just gets me outdoors and connected with the natural world about me.