Diary of a Homemaker's Week: Rain, Rain, Rain

 

Saturday:  Today turned out hot and sunny which was a surprise to us after the rainy week behind.  

We puttered about the house as we typically do on a Saturday morning, I do love my toasted Croissant with a bit of jam on Saturday morning.  I only wish I'd found some more on sale yesterday while in Kroger.  Ah well.

We didn't have a restful peaceful getaway sort of day but it was quite pleasant.  We went to Home Depot to look for a shower kit.  We found none in stock that would work for our renovation.  We picked up boxes to pack up the kitchen items.  

Then John surprised me by taking me to a place I'd heard of and noted was almost always packed full.  It is a sports bar, I found, with tv screens blaring all around us.  They have a Louisiana Cajun menu as well as the standard fare.  The Red Beans and Rice that came as a side to my own entree were out of this world good, very comforting and smooth.  I greatly enjoyed that.  I brought home the rest of my entree for Katie to try.  I confess, I'd rate that entree 'ok' at best.  John ordered a cheeseburger, which is what he almost always orders.  That's what he likes best and what he orders.  I am the adventurous one in trying something different or eating a more varied array of foods.

We went to get an ice cream cone and boy did the hot weather remind me that summer is not the best time for a cone.  We had to eat them quickly to keep them from melting everywhere and ended up with brain freeze.  

It was boiling hot by the time we headed home.  It felt every inch of summer.  I wonder if it has arrived at last this year?

Sunday:  Another birthday to celebrate today, as well as Father's Day.  

At church, the service was a group of fathers on stage of a wide range of ages and experience.  It was a very interesting sermon.  

We came home and picked up Sam's pie, present and card and with Caleb, we went off to wish him a Happy 'Day.  Sam and I went out to walk about his garden.  He gave me a small basket of goodies he harvested as we walked about.  The carrots are astonishing.  When he asked Bess what variety the seeds were she just said, "Orange." which made us laugh.  They are excellent specimens of carrots, and the tops are just lovely, too.  

John and I went to senior supper tonight.  Our senior pastor's son spoke.  His sermon was absolutely top notch and left me shaking with unshed tears.  He really made me examine my heart.

We came home in the most gorgeous of sunsets, all pinks and deep blues, lavenders and corals.   It was so stunning and awesome.  

When we got home, we watched the vlog we catch up with every Sunday night and then we watched the final episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maizel.  

Monday:  I slept like a baby last night.  I think the tears I finally cried during prayers last night helped rest me.  I woke about 2:30 and prayed.  I slept well again.  We were jolted awake by thunder, lightning and pounding rain.   John was up after a big flash of lightning.  I knew his immediate concern was to go get Caleb who loathes thunderstorms.  He and John watched tv together until the rain finally stopped for a bit.  I got up about then.

I took my coffee outdoors and examined plants.  I saw signs the Japanese beetles had been eating on the rose bush once more, but I suppose the heavy rain had knocked them off.  I couldn't find even one to kill.  I counted 8 tomatoes and loads of blooms.  The eggplant keep getting taller.  I am well pleased with the way all of the plants look.  Even the teensy begonias that rooted from a stem I was trying to save from last year have little blooms.

Today has been moderately busy.  I didn't get a chance to clean the house properly on Friday and today I caught up with that housework.  I think I clean in a somewhat unconventional way.  

I started in the kitchen this morning by wiping down two counters, removing every item on them first.  As I walked about the room putting things where they belong, I found an item for the laundry.  On my way to the laundry, I put back everything on the counter I was going to pass by.  

I returned the item to the laundry and while there I folded the clothes hung to dry yesterday.  I brought those clothes with me as I went back to the kitchen, stopping to straighten the chairs in the sitting area on the way.  I put the clothes on one of the clean counters and then cleaned the next counter and moved the clothes there.  Then I returned to unloading the dishwasher.

I needed to leave the room and go to ours and so I took the clothes with me to that room, made up the bed on the doorway side of the room, went on to the bathroom.  I cleaned that space when I was done there and then on my way out, I cleared my desk, which sits next to the door, made up John's side of the bed, then put away the things on my dresser as I was leaving the room.

This is the way I work.  My goal is not to completely finish one area, but to constantly be doing something as I move from one area to another.  If it's necessary to leave a room, I try to clean everything on the side of the room I'm leaving, as well as the side of the room I'm entering.  It all sounds chaotic, but I promise you I get lot done in this manner.  You see, I never stop working.  I work wherever I move.  This is not how I clean all of the time, but I do this often enough when I feel there is a lot to be done in each area to bring it back up to my mark.  

It's rained often all afternoon and now this evening as well, despite the lovely.  Caleb opted to lie down in his quiet spot for his quiet time.  He wasn't being very quiet, but John went over to lie down with him which can't have been very comfortable even though he had a pillow.  Sure enough, in a little bit Caleb drifted off and slept for a solid two hours.  

Despite that two hour nap by 6:30 tonight he was about half wild.  That's always a sign he's good and tired.  We got him ready for bed, put him down and he never made another peep. 

Why such success with naps of late?  Katie's home and he's napped every single day. Each day we've tried to get him to nap he's told us, "I'll wait on Mama..." and I guess while she's here, he doesn't have to wait so he naps.

Tuesday:  Oh the mistakes we can make!

The day has gone well enough, really.  I've just found myself confronted with my own mistakes today.  First, I went out to check plants and found horned worms on the tomatoes apparently thinking they were at a buffet.  Not much damage yet.  I counted 17 baby tomatoes and lots more blooms.  I removed some lower branches and decided to root them.  Only I found the wagon where I had laid the big bag of soil was full of water and so was the bag of soil...That is on me.  John put it in the wagon so I could move it easily about the garden area, but I'd knew it was there and didn't bother to put it on the porch out of the rain's way.  So now the whole bag must drain dry(or drier) before I can possibly think of using it.

While I was picking bugs and worms off plants, Caleb was picking up his sidewalk chalk that he'd left scattered all over the patio.  Then while still damp from that he went up on the porch and tossed kinetic sand in his hair.   

I took baby powder, dusted him lightly and all the sand came right off his damp skin.  It was what I unthinkingly did after that was my biggest mistake of the day.  We came indoors and I put the powder down somewhere...Did I leave it by the front door or on the dining table?  I did not put it where it belonged I know that much.

Caleb had gone to his room, and I could hear him running about.  In the meantime, I was looking up a recipe I wanted to make for supper tonight and was thinking how heavily scented the baby powder was that I'd gotten on me.   

John was suspicious of all the running and went to check.  He said, "What did you DO?!"  Then he popped Caleb on the bottom and Caleb came out crying. He was white head to toe.  And when I peeped in the room, the carpet in the room was all white, too...  It took John, me and Katie to clear up the mess.   Well Katie attended to Caleb, but John and I were in the room for twenty minutes, me with a duster and him with a vacuum, getting up all the powder and wiping the film off the walls, ceiling fan, tv, furniture.  Sigh.

And I had to own my part in the mess.  I simply was not thinking at all.  I didn't shut the powder canister top.  I didn't put it back up high on the shelf where it had come from.  I left it within reach of a curious little boy who was delighted to play with it.  

I was looking over my menu and realized I had really messed up.  THREE pasta meals in one week?  I can't do it!  And the other two meals for the weekdays were waffles and hashbrowns and a salad, baked potato menu.  Nope that won't work for me.  I just ate pasta last night and that was plenty for one week for me. What was I thinking?  Obviously, I was dreaming of eating my way through heavy carbs this week! So, I'm back to planning meals all over again.  

Wednesday:  Having determined that no one had any particular plans for the day, I decided it was a good time to go visit Mama.   I confess it takes quite a lot of thinking and planning to get to the point where I feel I can leave home and go visit with her.  She has a mean little dog who snips and snaps at me and I'm not keen to have Caleb about her.

We drove all over creation, because none of the local eateries suited and then we drove miles and miles to a farmstand that apparently has closed but she swore was open.  She was half right.  The mother had shut down her lovely little place and the son set up his own...in a different location, which neither of us knew at the time.  I didn't think to look online while we were driving, and considering how long it took to find the info once I was home last night, it's just as well.

I went by the grocery store.  I went in to do two things: Pick up flowers as a treat for me and to pick up a Key Lime Pie for Katie.  I always say you can buy the things as cheaply as you can make them, but it's not true anymore.  Nevertheless, I bought one because I didn't want to buy the Key Limes nor limes and squeeze them myself.

As for the flowers, I didn't buy cut flowers as I'd planned.  They looked so dismal, even the peonies which I knew would last next to no time once they bloomed.  Instead, I purchased a big pot of lavender and four little tea roses in a 3-inch pot.  I usually treat myself to a cup of Starbucks, but I can tell you sincerely that the roses cost about the same and hopefully will last longer than the pleasure of a cup of coffee.  Though I confess I really like coffee I haven't brewed myself.

Speaking of which I saw a tip on a video short that you could roast your coffee, even that from your k-cups, in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and it would deepen and enrich the flavor. You just scoop it (or take off the foil top and pour) the coffee into a coffee filter then heat, place that in the coffee basket and brew.  

While it had looked as though rain would pour at any moment all that day, I actually saw a peek of blue skies as I walked into the grocery.  So naturally when I came out it was pouring, sigh.  It rained off and on all evening long.  

I had a bit of Amazon credit this month and so I ordered myself a set of art markers with both a brush and fine tip.  It's a lovely set and I'm glad I found such a bargain on them.  I sure do thank the person who put in the reviews that she'd bought both the pricier sets as well as the set I'd decided upon, and they were 'all the same markers'.  She'd actually tried them all since she was an artist.  I will tell you they all looked the same but just had different brand names printed on the side of the pens.

A reminder text from Sam came in that I had promised to have the children today.  I didn't need the reminder because I've been looking forward to this for weeks now.

Thursday:  I was up extra early this morning.  In fact, all the adults were up long before Caleb was awake this morning.  It doesn't happen that way very often.  Usually, he is the alarm clock that dictates the household's schedule.

The children arrived about 8:30. I'm pretty sure they had all been fed, but they all ate again anyway.  They greeted us and they greeted one another. They all chose a toy and wanted what the other had. They fought.  Mayhem ensued.  It was loud and then suddenly they all settled to playing and were just fine for about an hour or so before it all began again.   Millie is always a good reminder to me that Caleb acts pretty much like a 3-year-old.  At one point, Millie was a bit ahead of him but now he's a bit ahead of her.    Remarkably, both of them stayed dry all day long today.  

Millie and Caleb settled down to quiet time after lunch, but the two boys were wiggle worms and wrestlers and noisy.   I'd have thought they'd settle to their Kindles but not so.  We had to remind them that the little ones were having quiet time.  I sent them all home later this afternoon with the muffins I'd made yesterday and set aside for them.  I know they are a great favorite in the house.  Josh tried to do the math of how many they might each have.  I reminded him that Millie would probably eat just one and it would be easier to divide what remained between four.  "I'll get TWO!" he told me.  

Once they went home, I thought I'd get a little break from work.  John went out to mow the yard while he had a bit of dry time.  I didn't get the break at all. I noted that the bathroom needed to be swept and then the kitchen presented itself in a bad way.  I thought about the big stick I'd seen lying on the ground under the Faith tree and went out to get it and came upon a HUGE patch of green sandspurs.  I spent the next 20 minutes yanking them all out of the ground.  I brought them indoors and put in the trash can.  I don't want to encourage sandspurs especially right around the house where a little boy plays.

About the time I thought I'd settle down, Caleb was awake. So, my time was taken up with him.  And that's just the way life is.

I forgot all about supper tonight.  Katie suggested we do a 'fend for yourself' night and I pointed out fending was about what it would be, but we managed to all eat well enough.  No one went hungry and that is what counts.  Nor is the fridge empty by so there's that as well.

After supper, when I'd cleaned up, John and I left the house.  I needed to get out of the house, away from my own thoughts and realizations.  I needed to talk to him without outside interruptions.   He chose to drive north towards another small town, one we visit only very occasionally and there we turned southeast and went to the next small town.  We ran into rain, and then a rainbow, and more rain later on our way home.  Water was standing deep in the ditches.  We looked to our left at one point and could see absolutely nothing but a wall of water pouring down.

Yet here I sit now, gazing at a lovely pastel sunset sky...

My worries, my fears, my troubles are not decreased.  But they are not as heavy as they were. I needed that change of perspective that came with the ride.  I needed to talk to my husband and hear that we are on the same page with the things we are facing.  And I need to see this sunset sky as I am listening to the rain pounding on the roof.  

Friday:   The end of the week.  It rained and poured and poured and rained last night from just before sunset until about 3am this morning.  Today it's been sunny and cloudy, but Katie told me we shouldn't have any rain today nor all weekend long.   I noted yesterday evening as we drove over the river bridges that the water is high for this time of year.

I did some minor work today.  It was enough to tire me but not heavy-duty stuff.  Aside from basic Friday cleaning and such, I did a task that I'd noted this week simply ought to be done.  There is a chair rail molding in the living room, and I'd noted that the section next to my chair, the section where the children are most prone to squeeze in next to my chair and touch the walls, was particularly dingy looking.  I have some knock off eraser type sponges coming next month, but I found a partial one and used that to scrub the molding.  It looks so much nicer!

We'd taken a photo of Caleb earlier in the week when he was napping and looked particularly sweet.  John urged me to do it from the hallway outside his room.  I caught the door frame in the photo, and I was dismayed at how battered and dirty that looked.  I know some of the issue is that the filler used on nail holes and gaps has yellowed but some of it is just dirty.  The whole could do with a coat of paint, but I don't see that happening while there's a little boy running around touching every single thing he can.  

I moved on to clean the outside facing door of their room, the facing around John's music room and the guest bath door and door frame inside and out.  Then to our bedroom to do the same.   At that point my bit of sponge was long used up and I was just scrubbing with a damp cloth and smidge of soap.   It's not perfect any of it, but it's improved.

I sorted out our bedroom and straightened up the closet enough to move a few extra things in there.  It's so packed and has been for the past six months but what else can I do?  I emptied a space at the closet end of my big old dresser that gave us a space to stack the boxes from the kitchen.  I still need to pack some more boxes, but at least I have the cabinets mostly empty (save the wall where the fridge is at present.

Though I haven't heard from the contractor as to his planned start date, I will get super busy on this next week and just pack up and move absolutely everything I can.  I don't want to be in a mad and hectic scramble at the last minute.  

This evening we'll take Caleb over to meet his other grandmother.  He's so excited about getting to see her.  Katie has gone to visit her best friend in her old hometown.  John and I plan to pick up a pizza on our way home this evening and enjoy having the house all to ourselves for almost 24 hours.   We've just decided to stay home tomorrow and go nowhere, which will be refreshing and restful as a change of pace.

How was your week?  What plans do you have for the weekend ahead?