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.
Amie turns 42 tomorrow. I've yet to order her a gift. She is the oddest of my children in that she seldom gets on a computer and never seems to pick up a phone. Electronics are not something she seeks out as a connecting format. Hence, when I suggested buying her a gift card for Amazon a couple of years ago, she had no clue how to go about using it and said she'd rather I just ordered something for her and had it delivered. I've let time slip up on me this month, and ordering gifts has been one of those areas. I should have ordered her and John's gift last month when I was thinking of birthdays, but I was also trying to spread out the expenses of February birthdays over three months...And there you are. If I don't do it while I'm thinking of it, then I forget. So, Amie's gift will arrive late, as will John's. Jd's will be easier to attend to, as he only ever wants a gift card.
Birthday party on Saturday, Taylor's Gramma's Fried Chicken on Sunday, Caleb on Monday...That's the weekend and the head of the week done and I'll be no further ahead with any of the tasks I've been waiting months to do now. So be it.
Work:
Groceries to be bought today...
Car maintenance done...also today.
Keep kids...last minute request pre-party work...today
Next week proper: Dust and deep clean dining room and bedrooms. I never got to the dining room at all and it's part of the main living room.
Clean porches.
Prune roses.
Drop off a bag of stuff I am donating. They are in the car and each time I mention doing it, John forgets and so do I.
Putter and putter to my heart's content if I actually get any time off. And if not, seriously consider moving and leaving no forwarding address!
Kitchen:
Butter is on sale at Kroger through Tuesday. $1.97 compared to $3.29 at Aldi. I'd like to run by the store and pick up four pounds to put in the freezer.
IF time off actually occurs this next week, I want to go over my pantry inventory and create a comprehensive shopping list so I can watch for sales or in stock items that have been out of stock. I was surprised at how low some of my stock has gotten. I've known I needed to do this but finding time to get it done has been hard to come by. I may just have to do a shelf at a time and start a list from there. I don't know why I think I must eat the whole elephant when I am forever reminding all of us to take it in small bites! So away with that whole IF thinking, I will BEGIN making a comprehensive restock list this week, taking it one shelf at a time!!
Snacky Supper-ish I have said I'd feed the children a 'heavy snack' so supper will not be necessary when they go home tonight. My thoughts are that I may make tortilla pizzas for them, give them a variety of fruits and pretzels and such. In other words, just put out a lot of stuff kids like, with mini pizzas on the side. Marshmallows for dessert, because Isaac asked for them last time he was here.
Standing Rib Roast (leftover from Christmas dinner), Loaded Baked Potatoes, Salad
Gramma's Fried Chicken, Mac n Cheese, Coleslaw, Steamed Broccoli
Vegetable Beef Soup (didn't make last week because the weather warmed up, but it's meant to get cooler again), Corn Muffins
Hamburger Stroganoff, Peas, Beets (also didn't have last week. I'll make a full recipe, put half in the freezer as an easy future meal)
Chicken Fried Rice, Chicken Potstickers, Mandarins
Buffalo Chicken Salads, Biscuits
Brats, Pierogi, Cabbage, Baked Apples
Personal/Leisure:
I've said it before, and it holds true: this business of my going about the house in sloppy clothes, sans makeup and mani/pedi is self-defeating. I know many who feel they function quite well if they never bother but each time I look in the mirror here of late, I could weep. I feel older than I look without seeing a hag each time I come before a mirror. It is fact that I seem to come face to face with my reflection a dozen times a day. We'll just silently despise those two full length bathroom mirrors that are attached with glue to the walls, okay? Lovely feature of having a mobile home... Nevertheless, I see this ragged old woman facing me and it's most unpleasant and it makes me feel downhearted and depressed.
So I'll change that image! This week I'm going to take time to put on light makeup. Even a flick of mascara and a smear of tinted moisturizer and a dab of blush is uplifting.
I'm also going to attempt keep nails polished all week long. It's easier to keep a pedicure fresh but a manicure never lasts me. I did my nails this morning (Friday) and they were chipped before I walked out of the door though I'd not washed dishes or done anything more strenuous than dress and eat breakfast.
Attitude adjustments. I've been struggling hard of late and it's coming out in whining, complaining, groaning, moaning, negative statements, snips and snaps over minor things, fusses, and lots of other unpleasant ways. I need a major attitude adjustment. I'm not saying no one else does, but we all know I can't adjust any but my own so it's mine I shall go to work upon. Perhaps it will bleed over into something more pleasant all around. I'm pretty sure that positive happy outlooks are just as contagious as negative ones.
It was John who sort of put this in mind. For all that we've struggled a bit here of late due to many factors, I've noted that he often does little things that go unnoticed and unremarked. For instance, I'll use a bar of soap until it's down to a sliver so thin you could read through it. He consistently and quietly removes my little sliver (he uses a different soap) and replaces it with a fresh bar. He'll hang a fresh towel for me.
This morning (again, I'm writing this on Friday), he said he'd make breakfast. He made it PRETTY! I'd gone on to shower and dress while he made the meal and when I walked into the kitchen, he was serving up my eggs. He'd cut an orange into slices and laid them all along one edge on those blue and white plates of ours before he plated up toast and eggs. It was an added touch that spoke volumes to my frustrated heart.
The takeaway from all this is that I can thank him for the small kindnesses. It's not all just me serving him and others, he's serving me, too! And I can try to make something pretty every day. Whether it's to plate up a meal in a special way or to take time to create a pretty vignette somewhere in the house where we're sure to see it, or to make an untidy area neat once more. I can wipe smears off a window and take a minute or three to make our home, our lives, more beautiful in some way.
9 comments:
Oh my, your comments about appearance spoke volumes to me. I AM the one going about in no makeup and a busted pedi. Guilty. Mea culpa.
I tell myself, "I'm not going anywhere--no on will see me." No one except my family, who are THE most important people in the world to me! Even if I don't feel I am worth the fuss, they certainly are.
So no more ragged old woman for them. Starting tomorrow I make the effort with eyeliner, mascara, tinted moisturizer/sunscreen, and a swipe of lip color. Looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed instead of faded and worn.
I can't change my wardrobe (it's pants and long-sleeved tees, all day every day), but I can come downstairs dressed for action instead of creeping about in my robe.
Tomorrow. And again, and again. Thank you for the inspiration, Terri. Wish me luck! I'll check in after a week!
1. Absolutely guilty of the "hag at home" look. Ever since Covid started, I only put make up on when I am leaving the house. Since that's not very often, I'm not looking so good these days. I'll TRY and change this.
2. Spouse and I also go everywhere together, grocery shopping, all errands. I love it that all that is important to me is important to him, also.
3. I have had a question in my mind for a very long time. I loved that living room picture in today's post but I'm going to ask.....how do people, who have lamps in the center of a room, plug them in? I love the library table look, but where is the electricity source?
Your last lines made me want to weep, Teri (but....we HAVE had The Virus and are just getting back to ‘human’ after 17 days so there’s that....). Thank you so much for cataloging the thoughts and pace of your days. There is always so much to identify with. As I was reading it occurred that perhaps you are missing ‘something creative’ in your days to feed your soul? Just a thought....
Have a victorious week!
Sue, I never did put on makeup today. I was up at 6:30 with my alarm and makeup was the order of the day right after I'd started coffee...But John said he'd had a message from Katie and she wasn't coming early after all. Wrong. He had a message from Katie and was half asleep reading it. So I went back to bed to get some much needed added sleep and was awakened by Katie peering in the bedroom doorway at 8am asking if we were okay. Caleb immediately jumped in the bed with us and I got coffee only because John, heaven help him, knew I'd better get some or there was going to be no living with me today.
However, I too will come into accountability and check in again in a week and let you all know how often I met my own goal.
I'm not looking to be Barbara Billingsley, but I am looking to be happier with the image I see when I walk into a room with a mirror. I had on makeup Friday through Sunday and no kidding I actually felt better at the end of each of those days though they were all long, frustrating, hard days.
My wardrobe is pretty much jeans and t-shirts this time of year, capris and t-shirts. I need to get into the habit of wearing an apron though to save my things. But that will be step two in the hag reform, lol.
Conni, Yes, I am likely missing the creative time. I can't tackle any projects at present, so if I am being creative nine times out of ten it's in the kitchen or the moments snatch at end of day to share my diary. And the quiet time is sorely missed as well. And time alone. My alone time for the past 5 or so months consists of the ten minutes it takes to make our bed, straighten our room and bath and that's my quiet/alone time for the day done.
Anne, John will go anywhere I want...But add Caleb in the mix and it's another story though he's very happy in a car. He likes watching people and he likes waving hello and goodbye to them all. I just need to encourage John to get OUT.
A friend of mine lived in a lovely old craftsman built house and there were plugs in the floor in the middle of her living room. In fact, her living room had plugs in several places in the floor so furniture arrangements were relegated to being pushed back against the walls. In her home though it looked to be a modest size, it was a very large living room and was meant to be set up with a seating group at the fireplace and reading areas in another corner, etc. so the plugs were very conveniently located.
I don't know how to work your Amazon link. When I click on it, nothing happens.
Anne, I think I have this figured out. It's not going to be as easy as clicking a link in a post, but if you go to the Amazon Code on the side bar, highlight it, then there will be three dots pop up : Right click on that and go down the menu to MORE and it will give you the option to go directly to Amazon through my referral code. I wish I could make it easier and I'll keep looking to figure out how.
The next option is to highlight, copy, go to Amazon and paste in the search bar and it should be under my referral then. I think...
None of that came up as you said it would. No three dots, no menu that said MORE. But it sort of hinted I was going to Amazon and using your code. I have no idea if it worked. I just ordered so I would certainly appreciate your telling me if you got credit because I order from Amazon a lot.
Anne, I can't tell that you ordered anything...but I'm not that sure where to look either. I'm sorry this has been so difficult when you were trying to do me a kindness. Maybe I should see if I can't include the link in every post I make, somewhere towards the end of a post. Obviously, this is something I need to figure out better so I can be more help! Thank you so much for helping me realize where I can improve that portion of my blog.
I think that if you can do a link on every post it would be great. And it would remind readers also. I just ordered over $400 of Amazon goods and I hate the thought of you missing out.
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