The Homemaker Plans Her Week: School Holidays

 

In my home this week, we are sad.  We said goodbye to our sweet cat Misu.  She was Katie's cat and though, Katie tried to acclimatize her to living indoors, Misu refused to come in.  She was upset by just sitting inside with the door open between her and outdoors. This was just before Katie married and was moving into a city.  In the end, it was determined that I'd keep Misu and Katie would move without her.

Misu didn't take to the 'new ownership' very well.  She didn't have any real affection for me at all for five or more years.  And then suddenly one year it all changed.  She was about 8 at that point and she started lavishing me with affection.  She brought me gifts (ick ones, but in cat terms the finest of gifts).  When she was upset, it was I who heard her complain the longest and loudest.

Over the last few months, she'd stopped grooming herself.  I went out and patiently brushed her fur and wiped down her dirty feet.  Then she had a sore develop on her forehead.  I suspect she'd been bitten by something, perhaps a non-venomous snake or a rat.  It looked pretty bad because she would not allow me to put any medication on it but we kept a careful watch over her, and it finally scabbed over.  

I noted yesterday morning that her legs were a mess, that they appeared to have some sort of rash and planned when we returned from our day to clean her up.   Sam stopped by to get something.  He flipped her over and noted that there was more damage than appeared to the eye.  Never mind that she'd eaten breakfast same as always, there was damage and while she seemed to be in no pain, it was serious enough that we knew this was the end.  We don't want any animal to suffer needlessly.  We made plans to put her down.  

We all spent time loving on her and telling her how much we appreciated her sharing our lives, how exemplary a cat she'd always been.  Katie opted to be the one to carry out the procedure and buried her in a grave that John had carefully dug.  At some point we all cried, as well we might.  She was our cat for at least 15 years.  

There was a family upset.  Easter weekend isn't going to happen as planned.  

Easter weekend could be better on so many scores.  And we haven't even got to Easter day just yet. We do the best we can all around, but I admit I am drained emotionally and mentally just at the moment.  

Taylor had Spring holidays last week.  The boys across the field will be out this coming week.  I hope I get to see the three from across the field soon, at least one day while they are out of school, and not just on Easter but we'll wait and see how that goes.  Too many raw feelings all over the place and too many under the surface things going on.  

Work:

Yesterday the weather was at nearly 90F.  Today, as I work on this post, it is 50F, rainy and cold.  Tomorrow, Easter Sunday is meant to be a little warmer and while not sunny, it's not meant to rain.   My family won't be joining us as planned, but I've gotten permission for the children to come for an egg hunt.  I plan to keep this day as simple as possible.  A Brunch meal and fresh fruit us all planned and prepped.  Tomorrow, Katie will devil eggs, I'll warm the meats and we'll bake Orange Danish.

Monday through Thursday is meant to be fairly pleasant outside. I'm going to do my level best to get outdoors and attend to those flowerpots of mine.  I've done about all the weeding I can do and I haven't yet bought mulch so it's flowerpots and nothing but flowerpots.

Zone 2 Living Room and Dining Room.  I want to wash the sheers and the pillow covers.   It's time, despite the present daytime temperatures, to wash the throw blankets and put them away.  I said I'd like to put a few things out that look like Spring.   I don't go over the top, but I have a few pretty pieces that have spring flowers on them, and I'd like to put them out.

Put away most of the Easter things, few as those are.

Declutter.  Donate or move to the shed.  I have at least three two cabinets to go through (Just went through one).  I know I can let go of some things.

Katie spent the day rearranging her room and now I can easily get to the few things I need to still move from that room.  

Katie sorted out her heavy winter things from her spring/summer clothing.  I want to go through the small bin and see if I have shorts or t-shirts for Caleb.  I have a feeling he's going to be in a growth spurt.  It's time to move some of his heavier things out as well.  

I've got to do the same in my closet.  I need to find a spot to store sweaters.  I have a huge Ziplock packing bag (it has breathing vents) full of antique quilts that must be put somewhere safe.  And a handful of others that are not put away that must go somewhere...Honestly just right now, my brain boggles at finding places to put all the things...

I can't think of any work that doesn't involve putting things away somewhere else and frankly it's a bit overwhelming to me at the moment as I struggle to assess and rearrange storage space that is already in a limited supply.   Mainly I want my home to not look like it's a storage facility at least on the surface!

For the record, it's not about there being MORE in the house.  There isn't.  It's just that what was tolerable as a more temporary problem isn't tolerable when you're looking at a longer time period.  If I can clear some of the excess of my own things out, then I'll feel more comfortable overall.

Call the doctor to verify an order that is confusing.

I have a rosebush that is a knockout variety single yellow blossoming rose.  I've had it for years and years.  It stubbornly has grown from its former spot where it was originally planted next to the old back steps and is now underneath the newer back porch steps and grows through a section of the back porch and then up and out through the rosemary bush.  It's stubborn and has continued to grow there though repeatedly pruned and cut back, doused with killer (by John), etc.  The rose is pretty and has bloomed like nobody's business through all the efforts to kill it.  I admire its tenacity and quite like the bloom.  I'd like to try to root a couple of pieces and see if I might not get new rose bushes from it.  John has been talking of putting concrete steps at the end of the back porch and I know that when he does the yellow rose will most likely be finished. 

Kitchen:

Honestly, if you all could look at what I say I want to accomplish each week on these posts and then compare it to what I didn't accomplish, you'd wonder if I'm even capable of doing a single thing!  I did NOT get a freezer inventory done last week.  I really need to do one.  I don't much know what I have in there aside from perhaps what's on one shelf and what I most recently purchased to go in (1 turkey breast, four pounds of ground turkey).

Second thing on my list this week is prompted by Mandy in the Making.  A viewer question this week mentioned her own "new" instant pot that she'd now had for over two years and never had used.  She asked Mandy her suggestions for getting more comfortable with the appliance. I immediately paid attention because I've had mine since before Christmas and haven't touched it yet except to move it out of sight.  My own instant pot is also an electric pressure canner as well as a pressure cooker and a slow cooker.    Mandy suggested you begin by simply putting water in the thing and follow the instructions in your manual.  I'm not really sure where my manual is now but the appliance also has a website with videos.  Anyway, this week I want to get to know this appliance and stop letting fear rule.

It's even more silly when you consider that I had and used pressure cookers from age 10 onwards and why I should find this more intimidating than the old-fashioned sort is truly just anxiety.   And yes, I blew the old-fashioned sort up a time or three.   I used a pressure canner successfully without any sort of accident at all.

That my appliance is also a slow cooker is a bonus that means this will be a triply useful tool if I'll just get over my fear.  

Make bread and bagels and determine what sweet snack item I can make for the household.  Right now, John has some of his cheap, tastes like nothing but sweet, duplex cookies that he loves but I've noted that he eats less of something with real flavor and more if it's just merely sweet.  

As with last week, I'll post a separate Menu item, but I've just gone through the fridge this morning though it is Saturday and I pretty much know what I have.

Personal/Leisure: 

 

I don't know if I really even know what 'leisure' is anymore.  With a three-year-old in the house, leisure is pretty much what I get when he's in bed for the night or I leave home.

When I was in the closet digging for the lost manual that I hadn't lost, lol, I found my big bin full of genealogical notebooks and books and told John, "I really miss doing this.  Do you think I'll ever again have an opportunity to sit down with it and research more?"    I'd love to pick up something and work on it.  I really would.  Don't know if that will happen, but perhaps I can sit down one evening and just flip through pages?

I'm on a kick.  I have Enchanted April as my reading at the moment.  I have the movie of the same name (and a very close rendition of the book) as well, which I mean to watch.  Then I remembered that I have a Grace Livingston Hill book, April Gold.  So, I've pulled that one to read.  There's apparently a Rosemunde Pilcher book called April Snow, and I'll wager it's in one of the boxes of packed books that I haven't anywhere to put, but that would be fun to add if I do come across it, provided I actually get through the boxes to find it.  I don't often do a themed reading in a month's time, but I thought this was a fun thing for this month.    

Then I looked up April and found that there were multiple 'national' days.  For instance, April 12, is National Grilled Cheese Day and April 17 is National Go Fly a Kite Day...Sort of puts you in mind of "Mary Poppins", doesn't it?  There are all sorts of days for all sorts of things from food to pets to things to do, like April 23 which is National Picnic Day.

Then I found there were April songs.  Like Louis Armstong's rendition of "April in Paris" and a Simon and Garfunkel song, "April Come She Will".  That made me realize that often I go in search of vintage music for Christmas, winter, Fall but I've never yet done that for Spring or Summer, and why not?  I could have a playlist that lasts me all Spring long!

t occurs to me that I can just plan have fun with the whole month of April if I've a mind to do so.

Anway, I plan to just play around and see what all I can find to do extra this month that applies to April, including my reading.

I think I really need a spa day.  Or a series of spa moments.  

And I need desperately to journal.  This weekend has brought that home hard. I must get back to routinely journaling.

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