The Homemaker Plans Her Week

 

In my home this week, I continue to work double time on two houses.  We are so very close to being done, but I'd promised John that if we worked hard four days this past week, we'd take a proper 3-day weekend off.  It was just the incentive we needed to work and not quit even when we were tired and frustrated and it looked like it was never-ending.  But when we walked out on Thursday, we knew we'd made a huge difference and we could clearly see the finish line from where we stood. 

We had a lovely lunch out and a wonderful time of prayer on the mountain.  But most wonderful of all was the opportunity to have a proper Shabat candle lighting in our home this Friday evening.   I have deeply missed that these past two months.  We were with Caleb and when we'd return home, we were tired and weary.  But this Friday night, we returned to candle lighting and prayer.  God's leading us to change a few things in our lives, but this shall remain as long as we can possibly manage to make it happen.

Work:

Even though it's the Sabbath, I found it necessary to do some tidying this morning.  I tried to keep it simple, but I'm always shocked at how quickly a home falls apart when you go 24 hours without doing much of anything!

There's a bit more to be done indoors at the house in town.  Namely the floors of the utility/laundry room, the kitchen, the big living room/dining room, and the little front foyer.   The fridge still needs a good cleaning.  Then the donations need to be taken out and the interior of the house is done.  

After that it's a bit of yardwork.

That's one house...but then there's this one.

We're going to start with Zone Work all over again.  Zone 1 is usually the kitchen, but I'm going to start with porches and patio this month.   I'm changing things up for one good reason.  The porches are in a sad state.   I kept up with the indoor things this last week, but the porches were neglected the last week of October because I was either keeping Caleb or I was helping Katie. Leaves, dead plants, pet foods empty pots are all scattered on the front porch and patio, the back porch has items that need to be stored in the shed, etc.  It's not a very appealing sight.  So, I'm going to focus there first.

Which leads me to the shed.  I need to get Christmas things towards the front so I can get to them.  I need to make room for some of Katie's things that she doesn't want at present but did want to keep.

I admit the last thing I want to do is clean and sort a darned thing, but it doesn't make it any less necessary.

Thanksgiving has been on everyone's mind except ours.  What are we going to do?  I put in a bid for a full week in St. Augustine, but John laughed when I suggested it.  I was serious.  We've been asked to come to South Carolina.  John's brother has asked to come here.  John asked Bess what she and Sam were doing, and they have no clue at present.  I think it's time we made up our minds exactly what we are going to do so I'll be sure to get John to talk it out and decide.

It's pay week for us, so bills, errands, etc.  The electric and water for the house is now added to our budget so I need to be sure to include those.  I also need to include the processing fee for a deer that Sam shot for us.  Two more birthdays.  I'm sure I'll realize still more.  oh yes, Thanksgiving foods. And somewhere we must figure in Christmas shopping money.  It will be a lot of brain work as I juggle funds about.

Which leads me to the need to determine who I still need gifts for.  I think I'm halfway done but I'm not sure.  Sigh.  I love the holidays, I do, but this year it's all feeling like the next thing I must do.

We'll do a video call with Caleb tomorrow for his birthday, but I need to get Steven and Zach a card and one for Artemisia. I have one for Hailey already.  I really need to get them mailed too, since the twins and Steven's are coming right up.   

Kitchen:  

I realized Friday night that I hadn't made bagels this past week.  John was ready to settle for plain old toast, but I decided to surprise him and make pancakes.  I want to make bagels this week.  

I didn't make a sweet item last week but took a frozen butternut squash pie from the freezer.  That was our treat item all week long, along with some sale priced chocolate chip cookies I'd bought a few weeks ago.  This week I'll make a sweet item.  Need to decide what that might be.  I think brownies from the brownie mix I made up at the end of summer would be good and easy.

I want to mix up some hot cocoa mix.  So many of the cocoa mixes on the market have aspartame and sugar and I think they are way too sweet and have a bitter aftertaste.  I think I can make my own and be happier with it.

Meals:  

Pot Roast with Vegetables, Mashed Potato Cakes, broccoli/cauliflower salad (leftovers).   I'd not usually put vegetables in a pot roast and make Mashed potato cakes, too.  I know there's a serving of potatoes in the fridge and that will use them up.  

Spicy BBQ Chicken Wings, Potato Salad, Brussels Sprouts.   I'll tip the wings and add them to my bag for making chicken broth.  It's my hopes this week I can get the chicken frames, backs and wing tips into a stock pot this week and make broth.  THEN I want to experiment with my pressure canner and can chicken broth in pint jars.  If I have the time I hope to have.  If not, it will all wait until next week.

Cottage Pie, Fruit Salad, Biscuits.  I'll put some biscuits in the freezer and save some for breakfast this week, too.

Roast Beef Hash, Steamed Green Peas, Pear Salad.

Chicken Turnovers, Waldorf Salad, Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli.   If I've cooked the backs and frames I ought to have enough meat for this. If not, I'll use canned chicken breast to make them.

Soup, Cornbread, Mandarins.   Whatever's left of bits of vegetables, drained vegetable juices, broth, meats, etc., will go into a big pot of soup.  I find soup so economical and one of the nicest ways to use up leftovers especially if you're just planning a pot of Kitchen Sink or Fridge Clean Out soup.  About this time the temperature is meant to drop, and it's supposed to rain (much needed!).  And what is nicer on a rainy autumn evening than a bowl of hot soup?

Leftovers.  There's bound to be leftovers of something in the fridge, sometimes enough for two to have a meal off one set of leftovers and sometimes just odds and ends that are enough to feed two a variety of things.

Personal/Leisure:

I brought home some photos from the town house that were shoved in a closet and thought I'd sort through them.  I was hoping to find photos of myself as a baby/child as well as my brothers and some of the older relatives.  I don't know what Mama did with those.  I think I've been allowed to view them all of four times in my whole life.  Anyway, I'll go through these photos from the house and see if any of them are something I want to keep.

I'd love to pick back up the Bible Study on the book of Acts.  I am so close to being finished with it. I think I have like 7 days.  But last week I never picked it up because it takes up anywhere from a half hour to an hour if I'm reading and studying and doing the devotional as well.  I just didn't have that time to spare for deep study.  

No kidding the past few weeks have been hard both physically and emotionally.  This week, I want to be kinder to myself.  

I haven't picked up a book in about two weeks now.  I'd like to start reading again.  

I need to find a good facial moisturizer.  I bought a product line through a family member that I hoped would improve my skin overall. It didn't worsen it any, but it's pricey and I found the amount of product was smaller than I thought they might be.  I didn't get a full month of product. I will be looking for a replacement product line.  In the meantime, I'm back to my plain old Cetaphil soap with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C serums.  I need to find a moisturizer.

Set up some outfits for November.

Two months ago, we stopped drinking decaf in the afternoons and just drank our regular coffee.  For one thing the cans are so big that I just don't want to find room for them in the coffee area.  

Re-establish a nighttime routine.  

This past week, despite all the hard work at the house, I've come home to drink a soda which we don't usually do most days and then had a cup of regular coffee on top of that.  Boy.  I have paid for that double dose of caffeine in the afternoon with some mighty late nights, racing mind, etc.  Friday afternoon I said to myself, "Just open the darn can of decaf this afternoon..." so I did.  And I skipped the soda.  I slept.  

But it's more than just that. I need to read and have quiet time away from the tv for at least a half hour prior to sleeping and some nights a bit of journaling or list making to empty my head, so I don't lie awake thinking about clearing the fridge or what meals to make for the next day, etc.  

Work on my annual review.