Random Thoughts

 

I haven't done a random post in ages upon.  I'd thought I'd do a proper chat, but I can't seem to marshal my thoughts into a full-blown coffee chat.   So, I thought I'd share all the random things that have strayed through my brain.  Sometimes these things have some connection but more often they are totally and completely random.

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How many times have I heard "Follow the Science!" in the past two years?  And now, almost as prevalent is the phrase "The science has changed."   

This is a fallacy...Science has had nothing to do with it.  

In My Home This Week: Settling In

The Mistress of the House:

As with the commander of an army, or the leader of any enterprise, so it is with the mistress of a house.  Her spirit will be seen through the whole establishment; and just in proportions she performs her duties intelligently and thoroughly, so will her domestics follow in her path.

~Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management   <Amazon Affiliate Link>

In my home this week, we are all starting to settle in.  Katie hasn't started her new job yet but should begin this week.   She took Caleb to the nursery on Friday.  She said he ran right into the room the moment he saw all the other children and started to play.  I asked him this morning if he'd enjoyed his day and he said, "Uh huh!" smiling hugely.  

Diary of a Homemaker's Week: Fun, Work, Fun

 

Saturday:  Remember that small group I was regretting was scheduled for last night?  Well, let me take back my complaint.   It was so fun and made quite nice by our leader.   

He is of Cuban descent and had asked a Latin fusion quartet to come in and share their talents with us last night.   He also provided coffee, Piccadillo to serve on buns, appetizers common to a Cuban party, and Tres Leche cake.  The lobby of the church is done in cool greys and whites, but Jeff had added colorful vinyl tablecloths to the tables and each table sported a colorful vase of bright and exotic looking flowers.  Several of the Latino community from our church and surrounding areas came in to share in the evening and I think we had 30 or 40 people altogether.  The music was lively.   It was a lovely evening out and felt like we'd gone to one of those clubs in the late 40's/early 50's, minus the dancing couples.  

In My Home This Week: What Am I Up to?

 

In my home this week, I haven't been trolling around looking for images to share of late for the headspace of these posts.  I stopped using my Pinterest account, because no matter how I tried, I couldn't change the algorithms that past saved pins generated.  I'd see the very same Pins over and over and over and over until I felt it was a waste of my time to be there.  I deleted all my pins, in the hopes that something new and fresh would come up.  No.  I'm at a bit of a loss since I haven't purchased any vintage magazines in ages upon, I no longer take current magazines (repeat articles from one publication to another bored me to tears).  So beyond searching through Bing or some other search engine, I'm currently short of inspiration on houses and decor from years past.

Diary of a Homemaker's Week: Catch Up

Friday:  John scheduled a car maintenance for this morning.  I hadn't been to do a proper stocking up grocery shop since about November.  Been in the grocery plenty of times, but I've picked up this and that, good sales items, splurge items, holiday meal prep items... not a proper stock-up.  So that was on the list for today.  We wanted to run a bag of donations from my closet clearing out to one of the thrift stores.  Trash had to go out.  I needed to pick up that prescription that had been amended. I wanted to do several other things, but I knew I was pushing my luck if I requested to do much more.  John plays nicely up to a point and then he just wants to go home.  Period.

Coffee Chat: Thinking Out Loud

Hello dears.  How are you?  I figured I owed you all a nice chat especially as this month is short and quick, and secondly because I've been sharing a lot of my frustration/weariness/overwhelm of late and I thought it would be nice to have a less stressful chat.  I don't know about you, but I do loathe those who are always negative and complaining.  I don't mind listening to anyone going through a tough time, but eventually the negativity and complaining can become a nasty habit and you're caught right in the middle of it before you know it.  I don't want to be that person.  

I shared a couple of weeks ago that I'd been doing a lot of thinking lately and that's the truth.  I thought I'd evolve that thinking into a series of new posts, but it didn't happen.  So, this will be a substitute.   I call it thinking out loud when I write out my thoughts even though I'm not physically saying anything. I'll start at the beginning and share first why I didn't write.

What I'm Doing to Beat Inflation...Cutting My Grocery Budget?

 

There's a lot of talk of late about inflation and its effect upon the household.  People tout inflation figures and complain over the cost of foods but no kidding, food is not included in those figures.  Neither is the cost of housing or utilities, clothing, or most of the daily life expenses.  The prices that most affect our daily lives might be rising but it's not included in the government figures that calculate inflation.  I don't understand why not.  It seems to me that would be the very place you'd track inflation, where it hits the average citizen but there you are.  It's government for you.

In My Home This Week: Change Rules

 

In my home this week, we have a temporary change before us.  I'll keep Caleb on Monday and that is likely it for at least one week, perhaps two.  No clue what comes after or if this change will end quicker than it's begun.  I am at the point where it doesn't even matter anymore.  Change in my life just keeps on coming and there's naught to do but go with the flow of it and move with it or spend a lot of time wailing and moaning and still finding I must change anyway, so why not just do it?

John planned a full day for us today (Friday as I write this), of errands and things we must do, so my first day off won't be a day off to do the things I keep having to postpone.  I wish at times that he would do things on his own, but then I my first marriage was one where everyone did their own thing and frankly that wasn't pleasing to me and here in this better marriage, due to his crazy work schedule I often found myself drifting into my own thing and wasn't completely happy about it either.  Having his company and him wanting mine is nice.  So, I'll nip that complaint of mine in the bud right now.   

Diary of a Homemaker's Week: Keep Trying

 

Saturday:  Briefly, we had a family party, which you know all about.  

Just as briefly, I must keep these particular posts a good bit briefer.  Last week's post, though edited down, was far too long and I thank those of you who had time to read.  

If I can make it more a point-by-point diary, then I can possibly make time to squeeze in another post or two during the weeks when I don't have Caleb five days in a row.  

In My Home This Week: Cue the Balloons and Light the Candles

In my home this week, we have hit the first big month of birthdays for the year.  The children's party for this weekend was cancelled and moved to next weekend while all of us grownups who have been sick recover more fully.  

How many birthdays can one family have in one month?  We start the month with John, Millie, me, a cousin of mine, Amie, Isaac, and end with JD.  In past years, we could also count my late brother, grandmother and grandfather.  The next most popular month in our family is June.  The rest are scattered over various months, but we are particularly strong in February and June.

Diary of a Homemaker's Week: New Month, Begin Again

Saturday:  I recall watching the birds feed frantically at the feeder on Friday and felt sure it meant cold weather coming in.  The wind picked up yesterday evening and blew gustily.  The flag on the back porch stood straight out, and barely rippled or waved.  It was just as gusty this morning and quite cold.  The cold creeped slowly up my legs from the floors despite the heaters running.  

Despite this, Caleb stripped off coat and socks and pulled his pants legs up to his knees when he came in.  I pulled his pants legs back down again several times, but he would immediately run away and pull them back up, so they were like knee britches. I felt his hands and feet and they were warm enough, so I left him alone.  I have no idea why he wanted those pants legs so short, lol.