The Homemaker Plans Her Week: Really

 

Well...Here we are in February and I'm behind already in more ways than one.  But let me just say that January was the most ON/OFF sort of month! Make plans and they went off.  Then they are on again and then they are off and then...I hope that February, known for fickle weather, will be more settled where planning is concerned!  I've learned over the past few years to sort of roll with the flow of the ON/OFF sort of things without complaining too long and too loud.  I hope that whatever lesson I've been meant to learn from this has been learned and we can now move on...

We had a rather nice weekend which you'll hear all about in my diary for the week but let me just say that Saturday was most especially pleasant. I enjoyed it so much that I actually told John we could cut back on the plans we'd made for my birthday as Saturday felt celebratory enough...Anything more would have been unnecessary.

Work:

Let's start this month off right!  First, I must make my goals for the month of February.  By the time this is published, those should be written and published.  

Second:  Continue the pantry/freezer challenge.  I spent every penny of my allowance but I came in at budget for once.  I'm not bad about that!  However, we don't get a check until mid-month since this first pay period of the year was a 5-week period.  That means I have two weeks before I can spend any grocery budget other than absolutely necessary items.  And honestly, nothing is absolutely necessary at this time.  

Bake birthday cakes.  Tonight (Monday) we are hosting a small family dinner and get together for Millie and John, whose birthdays are today.  John wants his usual cake. Millie's had a birthday party already with her mom and dad, but we are doing this one just for fun.  I won't make Millie another cake.  She can eat all she wants of Papa's or mine.  

Get back into the zone work...Zone 1 Kitchen/Back Entry/Laundry.  I promised myself after January's great declutter and organization fest that I would go back into each individual zone and refine my work, just so I can stop atop it all.  I'm going to also be making a list this month as I work in each zone of the things I'd like to do/have/change/fix and I'll tackle those that are doable right away.  I'm going to start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.  That's my main theme this year and I want to apply it to housework, decoration, everything.  

We have plans for Tuesday (my birthday) and appointments on Wednesday for eye exams.

And with whatever free time I have I hope to get in some extra writing and a few more posts written and ready to go out.

I think these things with all the usual housework and meals should keep me nicely occupied. 

Kitchen:

So, I'm wanting to be a bit more ambitious in the kitchen and while I'm looking at fancy and difficult breads, I know in my heart of hearts that what I need to focus on this month is getting that blessed canner out and USING IT!  Tammy, it's time and here's the challenge!  It's time for us to tackle these pressure canners and learn to use them.  I'm going to thaw and heat broths from the freezer (saving myself the step of making broths) and get that canned.  It will free room in the freezer and if for some reason a jar fails to seal, I won't feel I've wasted my time too badly.  I'll at least have had a learning curve.  Ok everybody, cheer us on!

Meals:

out at our favorite place. I had a coupon for a free dessert and we allowed ourselves an appetizer too.  Lots of food.  Lots of leftovers.  All yummy!

Steak, potatoes of some sort, Salad

Pizza, Salad, Birthday Cakes

15 Bean Soup, Cornbread Muffins.  A slow cooker meal I'll leave cooking while we're out for the day.

Shredded BBQed Chicken Sandwiches, chips, Coleslaw

Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

breakfast for supper

Personal/Leisure:

I had fun doing some work on the old cemetery project this past weekend.  And in pulling out my files to find information, I got a thrill when I found a whole stack of photocopies of family letters and a diary dating from the 1860's.  Pages and pages of spidery handwriting on dark photo copies.  I think I'm going to play with genealogy a bit more.

Set up wardrobe for the week at least.  I felt I looked especially nice on Saturday when we went out and that reminded me of how much I enjoy dressing up.

Pull a couple of books from my shelves to read this month.  I am still reading Grace Hamman's Jesus Through Medieval Eyes and Michelle Cushatt's A Faith That Cannot Fail.  I need lighter fare to balance these two.  Elizabeth Goudge book club Towers in the Mist is this month's selection.  I've tried to read it twice before.  I'll give it another try and see if I can get through it this time.  

Get out on my own for at least a few minutes one day this week.  I'm going to keep practicing at doing this.  I think it's time to get a good plunder in at the local flea market.

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