Diary of a Homemaker: Fresh Beginnings

Sunday:  Typically, I'd start these posts on a Saturday, but I tweaked a few other posts instead yesterday, getting them scheduled and edited, etc.  And since today is the first day of the New Year, I thought I'd just start this year's post on the first day of the month.

This is where I declare gallantly, "Let the past be the past.  I'm starting again!"  Honestly, I am.  I'm so over what's been behind and the complaining and whining that went along with it.  I'm not saying I won't get frustrated or impatient in the New Year.  Goodness knows those attributes are just as much a part of my personality as my overall optimistic outlook and desire to organize.  But I am going to try NOT to complain or whine.  I'm actually starting this today rather than beginning on Thursday when our church begins the 21-day fast.  Honestly, this is one of my goals for this 21-day fast, to literally give up complaining and whining.  Enough I say!  Truly, enough.

John and I discussed the fast on the way to church yesterday evening.  He told me his ideas for fasting and I explained that while in the years behind I'd fasted coffee, which is hard enough, it was the complaining and whining that went along with that fast that really made me feel I could do something a tad more difficult.  There will be other things I fast as well, but this is the biggie.  And it's something I hope to be careful to avoid all year long.  Now there's a scary goal for sure.

I haven't done much of anything today.  Because they were having just one service at church today, we opted to stay home.  John picked up doughnuts last night for this morning's breakfast. I had picked up baby sausages which I cooked to go along side.   I've made lunch.  I'm not sure what's for dinner.  There are leftovers enough to just focus on clearing those from the fridge.  

I couldn't for the life of me remember which word I'd been so focused on these past two months and which I'd planned I'd be studying for the year ahead, so I put the two that kept coming to the surface down.  This morning, I wrote down the definitions of the words both Webster-Merriam and the Biblical definition.  I also jotted down related verses to one of those words and it is these I'll study individually over the next month or so.   

I'm going to do a study of the book of Isaiah.  I haven't found an online study yet, but I'll find one or I'll find a book to buy.  I don't know how long I'll be studying Isaiah.  I don't have a time frame in mind.  I think I'll know when I've finished.  But I do think I'd like to study most of the latter prophets this year, to better understand who they were and what their calling was.

We still have a sick one in the house so no visiting with next door, much to my sorrow.  That's two solid weeks of having sick children and attempting to avoid infecting a second household.  Hopefully our sick one will finally start getting well.  The doctor did say 5 days of illness and near as we can tell this should be day 5.  It's the fever that hasn't broken yet that is holding us back from visiting.  Once that fever has gone, I'm hoping we'll be well past the contagious stage of things.  Until then, we stay home.

later:  Every now and then, I stop resting and do some paperwork or something.  I've sorted files, cleaned up our bedroom, tidied the kitchen, and finally sat down to tally up our averages for this past year.  

I was pretty well on target with what I typically set aside for propane and electricity, though these two items can be variables in our budget.  Ditto for taxes and tags, and insurances.  I was most surprised at what gasoline cost us despite making numerous extra trips and increased prices.  We came in right around what I'd budgeted for gasoline each month and in the few months where we were higher than average, there was a loving gift to help us over the hard spot, so we stayed on target.  In the months when we travelled least, there was the lawn mower fill-ups to take up the slack we might have had.

The shocking figure was our food costs for 2022.  I budgeted $400/a month.  We averaged $570 per month.  You might say it was $530 per month but I included take-out meals that we'd picked up in that first figure.  No wonder I felt I was coming up short every month!  

Now to decide: how do I budget for this year's food costs?  Do I just say, $550 a month?  Do I shoot for something in between the higher average and $400 a month?

In recalling what I did to save this year, I can say that I honestly did stick to as thrifty a meal plan pattern as possible.  I let our entertainment fund which had previously been used for dining out go about three months into the year.  From that point we either paid from our pockets or we paid from the grocery budget.  In a typical month we averaged about $40 on take out for lunch or supper.  It's those meals that came from the grocery budget that I counted in as food costs for the year.  Not the ones we paid for out of pocket.

Given that the family overall is getting a bit testy about some of the cheaper meals I've put on the table, the prices that never seem to stop going higher and the increased costs we're told to expect this year, I'm reluctant to try and squeeze our budget any lower.  

We've had a few of those checks and balances in our budget these past two months: increase in household members, increases in some bills, elimination of other bills, increase in income thanks to cost-of-living increases and a bit of help with the grocery budget.  Does the income and the outgo balance enough to allow me to consider a higher budget?   

Based on government guidelines for the thrifty meal plan I'm still well under average for a household of four.  Were it just John and I, then I would be spending about $60 a month too much based on our present rate of spending.  Once I can retrieve all of our income figures for the year ahead, I'll know how best to budget.  Unfortunately, I can't access those figures at the moment, so I'm at a temporary standstill.

And that is enough brain work for today!

Monday:  I decided this morning to 'Begin as you mean to go on..." as Granny used to tell me when I was about to start something new.  Coffee first and only one cup.  I've been going for a second and third cup and even if two are decaf that's a lot of coffee.  Water would be far more beneficial prior to coffee, and I know this from the past when I had that habit.

I must ask if anyone can explain why good habits are so much easier to break than bad ones, would you please do so?

So back to having a glass of water to rehydrate and then coffee and only one cup at that.

After breakfasting this morning, I started bread in the bread machine.  I grated the last half loaf of bread I made.  I let these crumbs toast in a low oven to fully dry out.  I didn't buy bread crumbs over the holiday because I know full well, we always have leftover bits of bread.  It takes no time at all to make my own.   

John might be all for bought sliced bread, but I loathe the stuff.  I'll just balance his need for the bought stuff with my usual loaf each week and we'll go from there until he's back to eating homemade bread once again. later: as I proofread through this the loaf of bread I made on Monday?  Gone to the last crumb by Thursday.  And there is storebought sliced bread in the freezer that the man of the house hasn't touched.  And why?  Who knows...

I cleared up my room while bread dough was mixing.  I notice that John cleared his dresser top entirely.  That inspired me to clean my own dresser up.  Over the holidays I allowed it to get stacked up with stuff.  I unpacked my new underthings and gowns and put those away.  I was surprised to find I'm rather better set with these things than I'd supposed.  I shall not have to be ordering more anytime soon except for one or two bras.

As I cleaned up my desk, I found the paperwork needed to complete the budget and that too has been worked out.  I'm pleased to say that for now, as long as we are a household of four, I'll allow myself the higher grocery budget.  We've more than enough income to balance the extra groceries and I am grateful for it!

After lunch, I decided to see what I might make from the leftover dips I made/bought for New Year's Eve. I found several ideas online for the Buffalo Chicken Dip.  Wrapped in crescent rolls, rolled up with a bit of dry coleslaw mix in wonton wrappers and baked, or Buffalo Chicken Pasta were ideas that came up. I had forgotten the buffalo chicken pasta I'd made a good while back.  We really liked that.  It seemed a good idea for our supper since I did have a pasta dish on the menu for this week. 

I wasn't pleased with the Spinach and Artichoke dip I made at all.  It was light on the cream cheese and heavy on the spinach.  To what was left of that I added in some more cream cheese, then I stuffed it into chicken breasts.  I used to do this all the time for Katie and me when she was in high school and haven't made it in years.  Since the breasts were still frozen, I wrapped them well and put them back in the freezer.  I didn't plan those into this week's menus, so I won't use them.   When I do serve them, I'll add some sort of sauce to the breasts.  I find this dish does need the sauce on top.  I've used Alfredo and tomato but really think a light lemon sauce would be rather nice.  This is really good served over pasta or rice.

The little one was down for a nap, and I'd just finished up in the kitchen when I heard a tap at the backdoor.  I was so pleased to find two young'uns from across the field had come over to visit.  Poor littlest did not come to Gramma's.  That one was on the way to the doctor with fever and general not feeling well.  We adult women texted briefly and agreed that the last time little and littlest had been near one another was Dec. 12, too distant a visit to have made either one of them sick via the other.

The young'uns told us about their Christmas and were happy because they'd brought gifts for us.  John got a 'small drum set' and by small, I mean that it's all of about 1 foot high.  He's crazy about that toy and he and the young'uns played it after he got it set up.  I got a set of nesting dolls, but not the Russian Babushka type dolls.  These are a set that you paint yourself and have dogs on them.  I look forward to painting them and putting them together in the future.   

The oldest immediately availed himself of the candy jar and snack basket and more or less had a meal of snacks.   The younger was more interested in bouncing the gift brought for the little one.  Can you guess what that gift was?

We enjoyed the young'uns company, then the little one woke from a short nap.  Blissfully fever free for the first time in over a week.  Gifts were opened revealing a big pretty ball and a set of plastic horses with a corral fence which fit nicely in the back of toy trucks.

The three played and ran and jumped and bounced and watched videos and played and ran and jumped and bounced some more for a good three-hour visit.  I sent them home and we went off on our daily trash run.  Then home to finish up for supper.  Our little one was tired as could be, but that pesky fever was apparently gone for good.

I nearly wept when the little showed interest in a slice of fresh baked bread with butter.  Then it was eaten.  And a second piece was requested.  And some of the spaghetti with tomato sauce I'd made for that one was eaten and more bread.  Hallelujah!

Interesting side note.  We've been unable to locate any children's acetaminophen locally.  Nor is it available via Amazon.   We're all agreed that whoever finds it buys three bottles, one for each household and then the other household will go out and fetch another two so we both have a backup bottle.

I'm off to finish loading the dishwasher and get that started.  Three things we never run out of in this household of late: laundry, trash, dirty dishes.

Tuesday:  How can today only be the third day of the New Year?  It feels like this week has been at least a week and a half long already.  And no, I'm not complaining.  I'm just astounded!

Today I made biscuits for breakfast.  Not just any biscuit mind you, but one that incorporated a leftover item: mashed sweet potatoes.  They were so good!  Essentially you replace a portion of the fat and milk with the mashed sweet potato.  

Sweet Potato Biscuits

2 cups flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp. Salt

1 1/4 cups mashed cooked sweet potato

1/2 cup milk (mine happens to have been soured but that was another use it up item)

1 egg

1/2 cup melted butter.

Mix.  This is a fairly stiff dough.  I turned out on a floured surface but did not knead, just flattened and shaped it and then cut with a biscuit cutter.  Bake at 425F until they are golden brown.

And just as an added note, I got this recipe from that old favorite cookbook of mine, The Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook by Ruth Berolzheimer.  It's now available as a paperback, too, but there are still some nice vintage copies for reasonable prices.  So if you click on the link in this paragraph and the price is shocking just click on the used copies right under that shocking price.  

What I wanted to say though is that the same recipe for the sweet potato biscuits, appears as a half recipe in the book in the poultry section where it's used to top a chicken pot pie and gracious goodness but that makes a nice and different topping for your standard chicken pot pie!  It is a biscuit like crust, not like a pie crust.  I just double the recipe to make biscuits for the family and even my guest at the moment ate 3-4 and then asked 'Why are these so good?  And why are they sort of orange?"

After I'd straightened our bedroom this morning, I went on to clean the drains in the house.  Just baking soda and vinegar followed by boiling water.  I hadn't done that in the longest time, and it felt nice to get it done.  I cleaned the kitchen sink afterwards and the dishpan. That too has seemed to be forgotten of late.  I'm going to try extra hard to start reincorporating these maintenance tasks into my working routines.  You know the sort: you dust the ceiling fans routinely or take time to polish a piece of furniture or you clear the drains regularly.

I went out to empty the compost cans and decided to take time to pick up the branches that fell from the pecan tree in the heavy winds over Christmas.  Tomorrow, if it's not raining, I'll tackle the ones under the Faith tree.

It was a tough day.  I felt volatile and irritable and not for any good reason I could name.  The little one was in a contrary mood about everything on top of that.  John's back is acting up again.  He's three weeks out of his last chiropractor appointment and is scheduled for next week but he's complaining a lot with it this week.  Could weather be at the root of it all?  We were heavily humid, very overcast and the atmosphere felt oppressive.  I can say for sure that since the rain has come, my mood has broken and the little one is tired enough to sleep but John hadn't found any relief.  I demanded he get out the ice pack and TENS unit and treat himself.  He has said the ice has helped.

We have a nursery opening for the little one.  I hope this works out well, but I will say that it was a rocky start to it with a flurry of phone calls, denials that there was a place when the mama showed up to sign paperwork, a reminder call to tell them they'd called me and said there was a place, etc., another call to say there was a place but special proviso to be dealt with first, then a further phone call wherein I learned things that make me wonder how on earth anyone deals with a child at a nursery or school at all.  You wouldn't believe the crazy guidelines they have to follow!  Sigh...  In the end it was all settled satisfactorily and so little gets to go to 'school' tomorrow which will make that one happy.  

We went on our usual ride this evening.  They have been shorter rides lately, usually just little one and John but John thought since everyone was feeling off that a longer ride might help.  He took up his ice pack and said "Come on.  Let's get out of here."  It was so dark at 4:30pm that many streetlights were already on.  By the time we got home, John said he could see lightning in the distance.  It's now been raining for the past 3 hours.  Temperatures should drop a bit now, but nothing that will be as frigid as what we had over Christmas.

My supper plan failed tonight.  My meat didn't thaw in time to prepare supper and by that point in the day I needed an extra easy, quick meal.  

Meals:  Sweet potato Biscuits, Chicken tenders.   The biscuits were leftover.  I know this is an odd breakfast meat, but it was a matter of emptying out an almost empty bag from the freezer.  It was just enough for the three of us to have a small portion).

Scrambled Burger, Chips

Beef Sausage, potatoes, carrots and Cabbage, leftover biscuits from breakfast.

Wednesday:  I don't want to say someone was awfully glad to go off to nursery this morning, but I can tell you that at 6:30 a little voice called out at our bedroom door, "Gwamma, Gwampapa...bye!"   When I came out there stood a little munchkin with a favorite ball cap, shoes and clothes already on and the parent not quite ready to go but almost there.   

We were blown kisses and waved goodbye to and then the house was quiet, and we stood about looking at one another for a few moments wondering how to manage our day.  The downpour of rain started almost immediately and pretty much ended any thoughts that we might make plans to do much of anything that involved going outdoors.

We didn't have any really heavy storms last night just a little thunder and lightning.   It all came out of the west last night and out of the east this morning with a wind behind it, to just prove the old adage, "West wind brings the rain, East wind blows it back again."  The family had driven through the rain and out the other side to sunshine, or so I was told this morning.  I wouldn't have believed we'd see sun, but we did.

I have had a lovely productive and mostly uninterrupted day.  There's apparently some unwritten law somewhere that says if this homemaker is busy and in the middle of a task, someone else in the house must immediately start a project that requires my help.  It's never wanted at any other time.  But for today that only happened once so I got more done than I'd thought I might.

Today, I cleaned off the bookcases, culled nearly all the decorative items and rearranged the books more neatly.  It looks so much better!  I'm sitting here admiring it as I type.  Before I just wanted to get up and take it all away, but honestly what it needed most was the clearing of all the decor things and then thoughtfully replacing a few items.  I sort of decorated the mantel and then moved loads of stuff into the bedroom closet.  That will get sorted out this week and things taken to the shed.

Yesterday, I culled toys and organized them a bit better, got rid of some of the extra boxes and we've now got all the cars at one table.  This may change on weekends, but the living room looks a lot less cluttered overall and that means I can feel a touch less anxious about doing stuff.

After that, I started supper in the crockpot.  Cleared the kitchen up.  Helped John get vacuuming done.  And sorted out the pantry closet.  I've had big plans for several months now to rearrange the entire pantry closet, but I decided that was truly too ambitious a task at the moment.  It would have taken hours and meant that I'd have had to finish today.  Since the guest room is being used, there was no way I could dismantle the pantry and strow it over that room.  I settled for cleaning and light reorganizing.  I ended up creating more space to put foodstuffs and that made me happy.   

One day, I will be able to get in there and try my idea of reorganizing more fully.  My ideal is to create even more storage space, but I'll take an empty half shelf as bonus room.  Perhaps tomorrow I can work on the other shelving unit and create more space there as well.  

I also have three or four empty buckets with gamma lids that can be filled with stuff.  And then there is the shelf space overhead that can be better utilized, and I can quite possibly generate still more space.  It was so nice to go 'play in my pantry'.    I took mental notes of outages, plentiful items and noted a few expired things that I need to focus on using up.

I spent a little time working on a pedicure, a little more dealing with clutter on my desk and then clearing my dresser top once more and the morning had flown past.

Today we must go pick up the small one from nursery, but this will not be the standard.  It just was all part and parcel of the sort of day it was yesterday that a necessary appointment got scheduled for the pickup hour.

John and I went out after lunch to feed the cats and dog.  There was water standing ankle deep in the yard.  It rained heavily last night, and same again this morning.   We were so dry over the autumn that no one is complaining of proper winter rains now.  I decided it was too wet to bother with gathering empty pots, picking up sticks or cleaning porches and patio.  Those things can wait.

John just told me our plans for tomorrow.  We will be going out to run errands, but it almost feels like a holiday to think we can go on our own on a weekday.  I'm looking forward to getting a haircut.  I hope that is the thing that flips my testy mood around.  I've really struggled this week!

Meals:  Scrambled Eggs, Toast

Sandwiches and Chips

Porcupine Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli

I was texted a picture of the house across the field this evening with a question:  Do you suppose we could sell the property as waterfront now?   I looked at the photo and smiled at the large creek running across the back yard.  That wasn't even the wet area when we were growing up.  But there is a proper creek on the property, and it was big enough for seven kids to play in.  I suppose all the planting of pines by lumber companies in the property next to theirs has disrupted the water course, but I suspect if they could ever clear the land properly, they might find it again.

I texted back that we'd always referred to our place, which was terraced in the 1940s, as The Lake District whenever the ground was fully saturated because we had big and small ponds on every level!

Thursday:  Oh, my gracious goodness!  I have been in such a fouled-up sort of mood for the full of this week and today it was worse than ever.  I know full well I'm being testy and short, I pull myself up and remind myself that this is not the way to be and then I snap all over again.  John's done his best to jolly me along, tried to help me reason it all out and I've taken to my journal to write as best I can, but nothing has helped.  

I took up my Bible study this morning and tried to dig in deep, hoping that would help.  And it did.  But I also knew I was under a time constraint to be ready this morning for our day out, so I felt pressure and tension even while studying.  That's on me.  I'm not by any means blaming John, but I've noted that this week especially I am feeling pressure rather intensely even if it's not that urgent a thing on my plate.  By the time we were ready to go this morning, I'd sobbed at least three times.  Ugh!

We did three of the errands I wanted to do and then we went off to get haircuts.  Now here's where I did feel a bit of a turnaround.  

I'd noticed on our last visit to that same salon that the atmosphere was different.  I watched one of the stylists sweep up not only her station but that of another stylist who was busy ringing up a customer. I thought how nice that was.  Later this stylist, who is fairly new to cutting, asked for help in cutting my pesky cowlick.  The other stylist happily complied and did a great job of explaining why she was doing what she was doing.  I was very impressed with how well they all worked together.

Today was no different.  There were three stylists in the building and all three were busy.  As before, one of the stylists finished up and swept out not only her station but that of the others.  The one new girl asked for help and received a good instruction on how to do a particular comb styling method.  The girl who was working on my hair turned to give the new stylist compliments on how well she'd made the haircut look on the woman she was working on.   

Conversation was positive and complimentary.  No one complained.  No one talked too much or was sullen and silent.  The whole atmosphere was not only professional but just plain pleasant.  One of the senior stylists openly discussed her faith and beliefs.  A customer spoke up and did the same.  When John and I left later, we were walked to the door.  To be honest, it felt like I'd been visiting and was not only welcomed in but seen off!

We walked next door to the grocery, and I chose two bouquets of the cheaper flowers.  We chose something for lunch, picked up sales items (mostly meats) and checked out.  I was not shocked at the total.  I just sighed deeply as I paid for my transaction.  We weren't foolish in our purchases but every single item we picked up today was higher except the lactose free milk.  John stood shocked before the egg case.  Now mind you this is a higher end grocery store.  Store brand eggs were nearly $9 for 18ct. eggs.  He looked at me and said, "Is it just me...." and I hastily assured him it was not just him and eggs were quite a lot more expensive than they'd been, but I assured him we could find eggs for less than that elsewhere.  He didn't even ask what our total was when we checked out, lol.  I think he was a little afraid to hear it.

But on the way home, I told him how much it had been and said that I was raising my grocery budget quite a bit this year.  He just nodded.  It wasn't that long ago that he was grabbing eggs for 49c a dozen at Aldi.  He just hadn't paid attention to how very much they had risen in cost over the past six months.  

I was disappointed after that.  I mean it sincerely.  I had asked to attend to another thing or two, but John said he was ready to head home.  I try hard to combine trips and get as much done as possible, since a trip over to that area can easily take forty minutes one way.  But today of all days I was doubly disappointed.  I'd wanted to go look at freezers and buy or at least order one.  But no, John was feeling the morning and ready to come home.   

And I was fine with it at first.  But the closer we got to home the darker my mood got.  I sulked.  I felt tears trickle down my cheeks.   Even though he assured me we could go out again tomorrow, I was not happy.    It wasn't just the disappointment but a piling up once more of all the things I've been struggling with and going home had just brought it all to a head all over again.   

So, when we got home, before even starting to unload the groceries, I went off and did some angry cleaning.  I personally have angry cleaned often and often over the years and I always find that I feel a lot more reasonable after a good hard cleaning and I had a space that really needed one.  Then I went to work on unloading my groceries.

I have to mention here that over Christmas I'd been asked for the loan of a 'cup of sugar' (such a neighborly thing!) and yesterday I'd been asked if I had carrots on hand.  Today when we returned, I discovered a bag of sugar and a whole bag of carrots on the back porch.    I texted back if money in the bank earned interest the way that those few carrots, I'd loaned out increased we'd all be wealthy!

I separated my meats, set something aside for supper and then made myself a cup of coffee.  I sat down with John.  He took a long hard look at me and put on last night's church service. I was listening to the associate pastor talking about the prayer list and thought of one of church members who needed prayer, closed my eyes to pray for her and that was all I remember.  I woke about 20 minutes later.  And yes, my mood was improved. 

Shocked beyond words when I received another text from across the field this evening.  Children's Tylenol was listed on Amazon at last.  Price $46.99 for three small bottles.  All three of us mama types commented on the tripling of price on that item.  And yet, I wonder if perhaps we oughtn't to just order it and split the order...Sure wish I'd thought to look at the grocery we were in earlier today.  

Which is another thought. I need to have a nice solo shopping trip or two because no matter how focused I might try to be there are things I never get a chance to look at with someone else guiding the trip along...

Little one is very hungry after a day at nursery, so I got up and started supper.  It was ready right when they came in this evening.  Good thing!  That one was starved and ill about it.

Meals:  Grits, Toast

deli take out eaten in the car on the way home

Bbq Pork Chops, Stuffing, Green Beans, Waldorf Salad.  I actually made the salad for a change instead of just saying I planned to do so.  It was so very good.  Big hit with the little one.

Friday:  I have just purchased the upright freezer.   It's due to be delivered in about two weeks.  We ended up ordering online simply because the best priced one displayed in store is not only not available in store, is not in stock in the warehouse and is not available for order online.  It worked out just as well for us in the end.  For one thing, there was a couple there about our age, who wanted more or less the same size freezer.  They were desperate, needing a freezer right now, as theirs quit and food was thawing rapidly.

While that discussion was ongoing, after being told they couldn't get one and they'd drive to Macon to see if anyone had one there, we simply told the girl that we weren't desperate, but we did want to order.  Couldn't do it.  In the meantime, she went for a walk through the back of the store to see if they had any available.  For us, no.  For the couple who were desperate, yes.  I'm not upset nor angry.   I have a perfectly good working freezer and merely want to replace mine with an upright.  I am not desperate.  I am so happy this couple was able to make the purchase and take it home tonight to get it up and running.

In the meantime, John and I came home and looked online.  None at the store in Macon, nor anywhere near us.  We went to another store's website and found a larger freezer for less money that was available for delivery within two weeks.  We looked over dimensions, ratings, customer reviews, etc. and were satisfied we were making a good purchase.  I ordered.  

I thought back to summer when we were looking for a freezer and how high priced they were at that time.  Ditto for the fall.   The price we paid today is a savings of nearly $350 over the best price we could find in summer and fall.  We are so grateful.   

What I found interesting was the statement at the store we visited that we'd be lucky to get a freezer at all as deer hunting had exploded this past fall and everyone wanted a freezer now to hold the deer.  Considering the prices of meat overall, I'm not in the least surprised that deer hunting would increase.  Since we live in an area where the deer population is very high and my personal knowledge that price per pound for processing is about $4 per pound and the average meat price these days is in excess of $7 per pound, I can see why hunting might well be in full force this season.  

However, we all know that shortages and outages and shipments have been delayed for months now for one reason and another and I don't believe it's all deer hunters.

Back to the woman who was blessed to score a freezer today, she had her heart set on an upright for the same reasons I wanted one.  She was a bit older than myself, a little shorter I am and said she wanted the largest upright she could buy because they garden and stock up.  Yep.  I understand too well the notion that we can infinitely stand on our heads to get deep down in the chest freezers.  My goal is simply to prepare myself for the latter years I see ahead, and I feel that an upright is part of my preparation for senior life.  

My current freezer will go to the house next door.  They are gracious enough to deer hunt for us each year and with a freezer dedicated simply to venison we will all benefit from that.

We also took the lady of the house next door out for a birthday lunch and were joined by a charming little one who obviously was feeling much better.  What a joy it was to get to do that small thing.

Before we left home this morning, we worked hard getting laundry done, doing Shabat cleaning in the house, prepping supper for tonight, making bread, attending to catching up the checkbook, discussing some necessary things related to the household overall and more.  I told John I am so amazed at how uninterrupted time spent on those things can see so much accomplished in just a few hours' time where one third as much with a little underfoot would take two days.

We've a busy weekend ahead.  Well sort of busy anyway, but not undoable.  I hear our family returning so I'm sending this off right now.  

Hope you all had a great week and enjoy your weekend.

Tell us what you've been up to this week.