The Homemaker Plans Her Week: Where Do We Go From Here?

 

In my home this week, I've just finished a cup of coffee and finished the last Harry Potter book which I found extremely intense and absorbing.  I'm glad I'm done with it because it was a very long book and though I read steadily it took me a goodly portion of three days to get it all read.  

I'm late.  Not because of the reading frenzy.  Katie called on Friday evening sounding the worse for wear.  The stomach virus had hit her that afternoon.  "Can you get Taylor?  And can she spend the night with you?"  It's been forever, or so it seems since we last saw that girl and I was happy to be asked. I checked with John, Katie checked with Taylor's dad, everyone was in agreement with the plan.  John and I felt sure that Katie would be better before the weekend was over but having experienced that nasty virus firsthand, I urged her to take care and stay away until she was sure she felt better.  

Saturday morning, we were up early to go get the girl.  It was good to see her Daddy who is still family to us, even though we don't spend time with him.  On the return journey, Taylor yawned loudly and when I peeked at her in the rearview mirror, I found her asleep.  She'd already shared all that she'd packed, what she'd done that morning to prepare herself to come with us, told us her plans for her birthday next month and that she had a holiday out of school on Monday and was going to spend the day with her Mimi.

Katie felt better enough to run out Saturday afternoon with Caleb.  Caleb was delighted to see his sister and ran to give her big hugs.  They stayed for supper, but Katie ate very lightly as one would expect she might.  She was still looking a bit peaked.  After supper they went home.  This was the moment that Taylor had a hard time.

She watched them drive down the driveway and said "I want to spend the night with you..."  I could see that she also very much wanted to be with her Mama as well.  "I know you want to be with Mama, too, but she still doesn't feel well. She's going home to go to bed.   She just couldn't stand not to see you so she came out anyway.  But she'll be back in the morning."   

Taylor asked to help me clean up the kitchen and it did go quicker with her help.  I was very much amused however, as she was sweeping the floor (her suggestion, not mine) and she said suddenly, "There's a lot of cleaning to do."  "Yes, it tends to be that way when you have a home of your own, unless you can afford to hire someone to help you."  "Humph...It's more like we're just cleaners instead of house owners!"  Lawd, child!  She'd hit on something it took me years to figure out, lol.   I wonder if she'll remember that she knew this at 6 when she's 46?

Work:

Forget zones.  Yards are at the top of the list this week.  I ran by Katie's to pick up a bag of clothes she'd hung on her back doorknob for Taylor and discovered the backyard at that house was up to my knees in growth.  Goodness!    Then I noted that the weeds about the mailbox were about mid-shin.  I came home rather depressed and told John, "We've got to get on that yard."   Our own yard is looking a bit shabby and I'm sure Sam's is as well.  

John's having less pain overall, though he seems to have become a bit of a weather predictor.  Well, we can't any of us afford to pay anyone to do yardwork.  It was do-able last year if you could slide by with a once every two weeks job but everyone is raising prices this year.  Between lack of help, inability to purchase needed equipment and increased gasoline prices the yard and lawn people are raising prices and refusing to consider any yard that isn't done weekly.  I'm not faulting them.  We're all feeling the pinch.  It's just the way it is.

That aside, I want to finish picking up the sticks in our yard.  I did get Maddie's boneyard cleared and if none of the other dogs have brought her more for entertainment, we should be done with that until next deer season opens.

This week I'll be working on zone two, which will be the living/dining room/front entry and front hall.  I need to sort out the buffet and the cabinet filled with CD's and albums.  I also very much need to dust and it's time to put fresh polish on the buffet, table and the new to me chairs.   While I'm 'in the zone' I also need to see if I can't purchase some foam to use on the chair seats when I recover them.  They are pretty much wood and cloth as they are.

I want very much to get the back porch cleared.  I'm not working on porches until later in the month but I want the back porch to at least begin to reflect that it's almost porch sitting season and at the moment it most definitely does not do that.

And I'll go no further this week.  In all of the lawn work, encouraging John to get started, the housework and normal daily living there's also the need to attend to getting the checkbook up to date, groceries and such.  

Kitchen:

What I didn't do last week was to make English Muffins.  John did ask for them and I want to do this for him.

Also, tortillas.  I've thought at least a dozen times of making something and saying, "Oh I haven't got any tortillas!"  It so happens I can MAKE tortillas.  So why don't I?   The last time I purchased them in the store, I realized I could buy a bag of flour (about five weeks ago and flour wasn't yet $10 a bag at the time) for less than I could purchase ten tortillas.

Grocery week but I mean to take time before the sale is over to head to Kroger for eggs.  They have a loyalty card/digital coupon price on them at the moment and I'd rather buy them on that sale than at regular price.

Again, I'm planning light.  I'll find plenty to do about the house and in the kitchen both.  No need to over plan.

Meals:  

Spaghetti with meatballs, Salad, Garlic Toast There were fewer meatballs than I thought we ought to have for five but I made extra spaghetti.  Now I have spaghetti in the freezer, put up in two serving sized bags.

Gramma's Fried Chicken, Peas, Brown Rice, Mac n Cheese, Coleslaw, Corn muffins  There's leftover chicken and brown rice, a bit of mac-n-cheese.   The brown rice was made more for myself than anyone else and I purposely made extra.

Chicken Pot Pie, Green Beans, Cranberry Sauce.  I'll use leftover chicken to make this dish and likely one other.  I don't mind reheating it once but I dislike it reheated a second time. 

For those of you always asking how I reheat fried chicken here's what I do.  I bring it home from the store (usually bought on sale) and freeze it.  I take it out and thaw in the fridge at least 24 hours prior to eating it.  On the day of, I line a baking sheet with foil, then a layer of paper towels and put a cooling rack over to keep the chicken elevated.  Then I lay the chicken pieces out on the rack.  I place this in a preheated 350F oven and let the chicken heat for about 20-25 minutes.  It tastes as good as fresh, is still crispy if you don't overcrowd the pieces and the excess grease in the skin drips down to the paper toweling below so it's not overly greasy.

Chicken Fried Rice, Broccoli, Egg rolls, Pineapple.  I'll use some of the leftover chicken and rice for this purpose.  I'm counting on this meal AFTER we've been shopping, hence the addition of broccoli and egg rolls.  I need to just buy wrappers and make my own egg rolls once again!

Brazilian Burgers, Mashed Potato Cakes, Salad  I have a dish of leftover mashed potatoes and potato cakes will use them nicely.  If i make a fancier burger such as the Brazilian burger (green onions, sherry, garlic, soy) with flavorful pan juices it's as good as steak.  

Red Beans and Rice, Slaw, Cornbread.  I think I've got enough rice to make two dishes with.  This will be an easy meal if we've had a long morning of yardwork.

???? Ideally I'd do something with steak or a roast but no clue what.  Again I need to use some of these older cuts of meat so I'll have to think upon this a bit.

Personal/Leisure:

Continue to read.  I'll probably pick up a Grace Livingston Hill this time since I have four in my reading stack.   These are novels I want to 'test' and see if they are keepers or not.

On the day I go to get eggs, I want to go into Hobby Lobby for some supplies, but will I?  I can already hear the excuses for NOT doing so in my head.  However, no project can be begun without the materials to work with, and we're very nearly done with candles.   I need more for Shabats.  I can keep the prices down low enough to manage, I think.  It's just the act of actually going in.

Again, I'm not overplanning even personal and leisure this week in the hopes that we can get the bigger bulk of work we must do done.  

Wish me luck!