Diary of a Homemaker's Week: Floating Sunshine

 

Saturday:  We had a very nice day today.  We went back to church for the couples' retreat where we heard another poignantly funny sermon on marriage from Dr. Mark Rutland.  We were very blessed to get some time prior to the morning session to speak personally with Dr. Rutland about some of his books/sermons we'd read and heard in the past and to speak over points we'd found interesting the night before.   We also had time to fellowship with several other couples, people we'd typically see in church, and we enjoyed that a great deal.

After the retreat ended, we went to Lowe's where John looked at lighting (apparently...I thought he went in to look at tools, but lighting is on the way to the tool section), and he'd decided that after all the lights he'd chosen for the bathroom are not what he wants.  I'd thought they were nice and was more than willing to have them if they were his choice, but I cannot say I'm terribly sorry we aren't getting them.  I didn't hate them, just never felt strongly about them one way or the other.

We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant and had a wonderful meal and good conversation.  In fact, we've talked a great deal since we went to last night's session of the retreat.

Sunday:  After church today, I was looking for John and not seeing him, I stopped to speak to another of our acquaintances.  Again, I found myself confessing that I'd made it part of my fast and one of my annual goals to give up cussing and again I was astonished to find myself with someone who confessed that they struggled with language as well!  Each time I do this, I am encouraged to continue on this journey.  The sense of shame I feel is not lessened when I slip up, but I remind myself that this undertaking is one many of my acquaintances seemingly struggle with as well.   I feel less isolated with it, which I think is what sin and guilt really does to us.  

When I finally spied John, he was sitting at a table with two cups of coffee and two doughnuts.  We had a lovely time talking with a stranger we'd just met and then I saw Sam taking the boys into children's church.  He walked in the door carrying Millie and I went over and tweaked her shoulder.  She looked up and smiled in that vague way that one does when you see someone you know but they are out of their usual context.  I felt the same in spying a security cop at the retreat in jeans and t-shirt!  Suddenly her eyes lit up and she said "Oh! Gamma!"  That made Sam and I laugh.  He sat with us a few minutes before going into church.  We waited around a little longer, waiting for Katie to reply to my text of whether or not they still wanted company today.

Caleb was at the door waiting on us when we arrived at the new house.  Katie showed me over the house which is a nice place.  It's an older Ranch type home with a generous front porch that is original to the house and plenty of room inside.  They were all busy getting things put away in proper places and apologizing for the house, but considering they moved in furniture yesterday I thought the house fairly well organized.    

We had a really nice visit with the family.  Both Caleb and Bella were overjoyed to see us. And both were sorry to see us go.  We headed home in the start of the real rain that was scheduled for our state and boy did it pour once we were home.  It kept up all evening long.  Our soup supper was certainly a welcome thing this evening.

Monday:  Rain, rain, rain.  We have had loads of rain over the past 28 hours, and we're slated to get another two hours of rain this evening.  I don't mind the rain.  This is normal for us for February, and we've had too many dry years to fuss over a bit of rain!  

It was nice to putter around the house getting it all lovely once more after our busy weekend. I love rearranging and freshening the flowers on Mondays most especially.  It gives me a great deal of pleasure.  I removed the last bloom from my Amaryllis this morning but I was pleased to find a second bud stem coming up from the bulb and so I shall likely have more blooms come the first of March.  

I decided to make Isaac's birthday cupcakes today and to get meat from the freezer to thaw for his dinner.  He loves pickles and cheeseburgers.  I'll have to run out tomorrow to get cheese and pickles, but everything else is on hand and ready for his big day tomorrow.

I kept waiting for the rain to let up, so we could go into town without getting soaked.  It did not let up! It just kept getting heavier and heavier.  I finally told John I needed to just go and do what we needed to do.  I had planned to run by the store today to pick up the two items for Isaac's party and some Valentine's cards for the children, but we settled for post office and bank.   

The ditches the county dug on our road were running heavily with rushing water.  The ones they'd failed to dig out...well it all poured across the road washing it out.  Ugh.  This has been an ongoing battle with the county roadworks department.  If the ditches aren't dug, then we lose our road.  They argue back that others who live on dirt roads want NO ditches.  I say, okay, let them not have ditches!  We just want a viable way to get in and out of our road and if it's washed out, we can't.  And while we have another exit from the other end of the road that end tends to be so deeply muddy that we play slip and slide going out it.  So, they dig a ditch on my side of the road and leave the field side of the road undug.  No one cares if they dig out that ditch, but they won't do it so there we are.  In the end, everyone who lives on our road and comes out at this end loses.

Going into town we saw that one low area along our main highway was nearly underwater, but it was due to a low ditch that had overflowed.  We had to be very careful driving to watch for water on the roadway.  The creek was already pretty high.  I wondered what it would all look like by this time tomorrow.  Even if the rain does quit this evening as predicted, water north of us still hasn't flooded into the county and it's that which is concerning.

I laughed at John trying to get into the car because there is a low area where our carport sits.  John was in water well over his ankles just getting in the driver's seat.  At the post office, it was my turn.  He'd parked in the nearest space but that turned out to be in a deep puddle.  And when he moved the car further away that spot too was in a puddle, though less deep.  I told him we'd best make up our minds that we weren't going to avoid parking in a puddle today.  In the end we made it safely home again.

As we went past the schools, I contemplated that the kids weren't getting outdoors for recesses today. John and I reminisced what our teachers allowed us to do when it was pouring rain.  Clay was at the top of the list, followed by reading, and coloring.    I wonder which of those activities the boys did today.  Then I remember that Josh's classroom has a big monitor, and they had a Lego like hide and seek game that the whole house could play and even the teacher participated in the game.  Perhaps that was their recess today.

Tuesday:  Last night for supper, I made myself some fish fillets.  I'm trying to finish off that last box I bought of frozen fish. Next time, I will just go to someplace that cooks the fish for me because it's so much better than this frozen is despite buying a 'good' brand name product.  

This morning, I was out of sorts and then John sprung a decision on me that discombobulated me entirely.  I'll share about that another day.  My mind reeled trying to figure out how all the changes that were hitting me were going to be incorporated in our lives.  I'm not saying that he's being unreasonable but the facts as I know them, and he thinks them are two very different critters.

Unfortunately for both of us, my ill mood continued all day long. His wasn't been much better.  I've no clue what he's upset about but I've not only felt out of sorts mentally but physically as well.  We've snipped and snapped and been downright rude to one another. I'm not really sure why.  After tonight's family party, all I have wanted to do is go to bed.  I think I shall do just that.

The sunshine today has been most welcome by all of us, despite my sorry attitude.  But the river and the creek are very high indeed.  It's not the highest I've ever seen but it's high.

Wednesday:  Why did I set my alarm for 7am?  I've no idea, really, I haven't.  Regardless the thing woke me and after that I couldn't go back to sleep, so I got up. I decided after yesterday's ill temper, I needed to make it up to John from my side (not excusing his ill temper) and thought I'd make him pancakes which is one of his favorite breakfast meals.

After I'd eaten, cleared up the kitchen and done light housework, I tackled the big boogie bear in my life at the moment, this month's budget and a new proposed budget for 2024 because the last one went kerflooey with John's decisions of yesterday.  In the end, I couldn't do what he asked, but I did my best and then I showed him 'the facts of life' such as they are.  

I was amused when he said to me, 'If this is the way things are, how on earth would you manage if I died?'  I pointed out that contrary to popular opinion, if there was only myself to consider there were things that could be reduced or eliminated.  When he asked, "Like what?"  "Well, I wouldn't need your phone, the life insurance payment would no longer need to be made, groceries could be less, and I'd sell your car so I could remove that from the insurance and save the tag fee each year...and of course, the life insurance would pay out...so there'd be a little extra to help cover things."  The look on the man's face!   I guess it was a shock to hear that I had an idea of what I'd do.  I admit I have thought of it.  I've had friends whose husbands passed away young and I asked myself at the time, "How would I manage?"  But what he doesn't know is that I'd thought of it from both sides, about what he might need to do, too!

Finances aside, today has been a much better day for me.  I'm afraid John is still a bit in a state of shock, but he'll survive.  We puttered around the house.  I was inspired by a post I'd read this morning and had an idea for a post for next week.  John vacuumed, and I swept the kitchen really well then mopped.  I'm afraid canning is nowhere on the plans today nor for tomorrow.

Then pantry/freezer challenge has gone fairly well.  Other than convenience foods the majority of foods used have been things already on hand, partially used (such as condiments) or simply getting older than I'd like.  Now, I am finding that I am actually running out of certain things or getting low.  I've started a proper grocery list.  I've made up my mind, after looking at Aldi's latest prices to return to Aldi for the bulk of our purchases with occasional stops into Kroger for loss leaders.  John and I talked it over though and we're going to buy meats on sale at Publix, as well as the occasional great buy one get one deals.  I think by shopping at multiples of stores I can do better with my newly lowered budget.  You'll note I'm planning to lean less hard on the clearance items we've grabbed over the past few months.  I'm not planning to discontinue buying clearance items but to be more discerning with my purchases.  

Tomorrow I'll have to leave super early to keep Caleb while Katie does some medical exams.  Nothing to be concerned over just routine stuff.  She's doing quite well overall.  

John wants me to get some items for the house that are needed.  We've had a broken lampshade in the living room for months.  He's decided it's time to replace and frankly, I think it's past time.  It's been my own fault it hasn't been replaced up to now.  I simply haven't taken the time, nor insisted we take the time to go shopping for things like that.  He offered to buy me a rather pricey but oh so pretty shade.  I contemplated it, even after the price increased by $30, but in the end, it didn't come in the size I needed so I'll choose something else.

And in further decorating news...I'm off the kitchen color.  I've looked at it in all sorts of light and on a grey cloudy day I do not like the color at all.  On a sunny day, I feel I could live with it, but it's not quite what I had in mind.  The alternative color I'd chosen is a funny story in a way.  I think it's perfectly lovely.  And having taken it to the bathroom with me and held it up against the wall, I still agree.  It's exactly the color of the bathroom which is not the color I want for my kitchen!  So, I start again searching for the right color. 

Thursday:  Today we were up early to go to Katie's to take care of Caleb while Katie had her appointment.  On our way this morning we had a lovely sunrise to watch unfold.  Wow, oh wow.  If you must be early, this makes up for it!

Caleb was delighted to see us, but he's happy being there with Katie and Cody and Cody's dad and Bella more often than not.  Cody's dad is called "Not the Mama" which was meant as a joke, but Taylor and Caleb took it up right away and now everyone simply calls Gary, "Not the Mama."   It's good to see Caleb not looking anxious or being clingy.  

We had a very pleasant morning with him.  When Katie returned, she sat down and helped us place an order for our eyeglasses through an online site.  We stayed a little bit but had errands to attend to today.  One of those was to return to the bank where John had gone on Monday, the day all his plans went kaput to perform another transaction.  He warned me going in, "Be NICE...but you're on your own if she rolls your eyes at you the way she did me."  Well, I ended up with a different clerk who looked over my planned transaction, had no issues with it at all and was pleasant as could be.  I asked her when we might plan to use the funds we'd placed in savings on Monday.  She said, "I don't know why this was done this way...I wouldn't have done it if I'd been here!  But I'll see they are released tomorrow."  Night and day experience with this clerk from John's experience on Monday.

We got haircuts then went next door to the grocery to pick up groceries.  Mostly these were stock-ups and only one or two items needed for the next two weeks (cheese, lettuce, fruit, and milk).  It is my intention to make this my last trip into the grocery this month.  I'm going to do my best to make it so.  And yes, I will have come in at the lower balance of spending I'd hoped to be.  

The weather was so lovely.  Sunny and warm and springlike though it's hardly spring.  We had to wait for the windshield to defrost this morning before leaving home!  But the weather was nice.  We had picked up lunch at the deli. John opted for a sandwich, but I chose a really good salad that was wonderful.  It was called a Boar's Head Bold Chef Salad, and it had both a peppery cheese and a peppery coated meat in the salad.  We sat and ate and talked and it was as good as a picnic, truly it was.  

This afternoon here at home we relaxed for a few minutes, then I went over to Sam's after the boys got off the bus to take the three children their Valentine's gift.  Sam had a busy evening with the children getting their homework done and feeding them supper and then going to church, so I'd said I'd run over this afternoon.  We sat on the porch while the kids played in the yard.  

Sheldon, the dog, came out to see me.  He laid his head on my shoulder.  I told him hello and he wandered back into the house and just minutes later he came walking back outdoors.  He had the most pep in his step.  "What's he so happy about?"  "He's happy the door is open so he can go in and out as he pleases."  Silly dog.

It was just a pleasant day all around.

Friday:  I have slept so very well of late.  What a luxury to feel fully rested when I get out of bed.  

The day has just flowed.  It was a typical Friday: I stripped the bed and bath, had coffee, made breakfast and then started bread.  I re-made the bed, tackled the checkbooks (we're transitioning from one bank to another), cleaned the kitchen really well, folded clothes, divided luncheon meats into portions and froze some, made lunch.  I cleaned kitchen again, had John help me transfer some funds around, figured out the credit card statement categories...it's all just been steady puttering along.  

We've a very busy weekend ahead of us.  This weekend, we've a small group meeting, homeless outreach (mostly for John but I tag along), church, lunch with Katie for Taylor's weekend, a senior supper.  I figure by Sunday night when we return home, we're going to be pretty well done. 

For the most part, I don't even have to worry about meals.  We generally pick up pizza on these Saturdays that John volunteers and Sunday we'll only eat breakfast at home.

One thing I didn't get to this week was canning, but it wasn't fear that held me back.  I've had a much busier week than I'd planned with more days out of the house than I'd anticipated.  I've not forgotten my intentions though.  I'll be tackling this project on Monday!  

I hope your weekend is lovely and that your week has been productive.  Come tell us all about it.

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