Last week, I started slowing down. I think I've gotten past that New Year decluttering frenzy. Or maybe I'm just getting tired! I decided now was a good time to check in on my January goals. It's always a shock to me which of my goals are the most neglected. This month it's getting out on my own once a week. I haven't done it once! I intended to. For the first two weeks of the month, I know I got caught up in decluttering the house, but that's really just an excuse. Truth, I always feel a little bit guilty at slipping away. Silly of me, because no one is telling me I shouldn't go, but there we are.
This week, I will attempt to accomplish that one goal. I've touched on all the rest and done well. It would be nice if I could say I'd managed to touch on all my goals at month's end.
Work:
I'll have Caleb three days this week. He isn't allowed to go back to school until Thursday. This will limit me to normal activities, such as cleaning and making meals. It's not that Caleb needs a lot of my attention as much as that he will get in the middle of whatever tasks I do and it's not always easy to do more difficult or detailed jobs.
If at all possible, at the beginning of the week, I'm going to go out to the shed and sort out all the stuff stacked in front of one set of shelves. This consists mostly of baskets, plastic flowerpots and more organizational shelves than I realized I owned. If I can better organize and sort that lot of things, I should be able to easily get to other areas of the shed to work next week. And I'll not be into the breakable things so if Caleb wants to 'help' he can.
Zone 4 this week shall be the Kitchen. The fridge needs a good cleaning. It's fairly empty, so now is a great time to do this task. I've also noted that several cabinets have a handprint that I seem to miss when I'm wiping things down. The kitchen doesn't need a load of work by any means, but I don't need to skip it entirely this month. If I can find a better means of sorting out the dish cloths, produce cloths and dish towels that would also be helpful.
The temperature forecast ahead, after this weekend, appears to be a bit higher than we've been for January so I'll take that time to plant more carrots, beets, and other cold hardy plants that I might have on hand.
Buy Pet foods and Bird Seed.
Kitchen:
The other day I made hamburgers for lunch when we needed a quick meal. I happened to have homemade buns in the freezer to use and John exclaimed more than once about how good they were. It occurred to me that I should make buns for burgers and hot dogs and keep them in the freezer. Not a great many, but eight of each would be nice to have.
Caleb requested waffles one day this past week and I had none on hand, nor time to make any. I did have a handful of packets from the school's summer food program that Sam had given me. I reheated those and was glad to have them, but I'd like to make a batch and freeze for the future.
Menus:
The weather will be all over the place this week. We'll be below freezing two or three nights, barely out of the 30's one of those days and then we'll soar into the 70's...Seriously, Georgia? My brain is geared to purely really cold weather cooking.
I've played with this menu for two days. It seems a bit heavy to me and I may well change my mind but all of this (except the pizza) is stuff that I have on hand, in freezer and pantry.
Pizza, Salad. We'll pick up a pizza on our way home. Salad made while we reheat the pizza.
Chicken and Dumplings, Broccoli and Apple Salad
Beef Stew, Coleslaw, Cornbread Muffins. I don't have stew meat, but I have plenty of chuck roast. I'll cut that into pieces suitable for stew.
Glazed Ham, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans
BBQed Chicken, Rice, Black Eyed Peas, Collard Greens.
Steak, Armenian Potatoes, Salad, Rolls.
Spoonbread Ham Supper, Steamed Broccoli, Roasted Butternut Squash
Personal/Leisure:
Get out of the house...Will I, though? It's my plan to but it's going to warm up and rain and that doesn't appeal to me.
Try to visit Mama? She doesn't typically like to leave the house in the rain and those are my only free days...
Read.
Continue with the Bible study and reading my current books: The Heart of the Family by Elizabeth Goudge, Jesus Through Medieval Eyes by Grace Hamman, A Faith That Cannot Fail by Michelle Cushatt.
Sudoku
5 comments:
Hope you're able to make it out for a little you time this week! Your menu looks great to me. Hope Caleb does well when he goes back to school later this week.
Karla,
I did make it out by default. I'd forgotten I had a chiropractor appt today, so I did a few other things too.
Hope you enjoyed your time out of the house. I think it is important to get out; makes coming home that much sweeter :)
Would be nice if Caleb could do better in school again. It seems so hard to disrupt your life at the drop of a hat. Grandma's are for occasional days---not taking the pace of parents!!
Would love to see a "tour" of your brand-new kitchen...any forthcoming pictures?? Know you are happy with it.
If it makes you feel better, Florida has been cold as well. Jane
Jane, check posts on January 9 and 10th for the bathroom and kitchen updates.
It is hard to have to continually drop my plans to cover for kids but that seems to the necessary thing just now. I just got notice from Kate that someone at the school has C-virus so they are closed until Monday now. So this week will be chalked up to childcare. And when Sam goes back to work, it will fall to me to pick up the necessary slack there as well.
Thank you...somehow, I missed the beautiful kitchen pictures! I did see the bathroom. Guess with all my company I missed a day of reading :) Jane
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