A Homemaker's Diary: Real Life

 

Saturday:  Gave myself a mani and pedi today.  I sometimes think how nice it would be to go have my nails done, but I just can't make myself spend money for that.  I'd much rather buy clothes, or books or something for the house.

I wanted, more than I can tell you, to go out and pick up takeout today for lunch.  I decided to use what I have, a theme song I'll be singing all this week and in the weeks ahead.  We had leftover lasagna, green beans and garlic bread.  

Why am I singing that theme song of "Use What You Have?"  I was going over the checkbook, looking at expenses yesterday.  I glanced at the property tax appraisal and realized I was going to have a short fall when it came time to pay that bill.  Yep.  Another increase.  And this time, I need about $50 more a month for the next four months in order to cover that increase.  I was right on target at the old tax rate but Ta! Da!  And while I might manage a little better once mowing season is over, right now we're deep in the midst of it.  With the cost of blades and gasoline my mower fund is not quite covering all the cost of having to mow every five days, even with John taking time to sharpen blades himself.  So yeah. 

Mind you I could cut out vacation savings entirely, but I'm determined we're going to get away and we are just too close to all we need for that respite for me to give up on it now. We can pinch and scrape in a few places and come up with what is needed to get this tax bill paid.  

When it began to rain this afternoon, I headed outdoors to put plants under the eaves to get a good watering.  They should all look lush and lovely next week.

Sunday:  We listened to one of our younger pastors preach this morning.  I was pleasantly surprised by him.  Since his group is focused between 18- and 35-year old young adults, we don't get to hear him preach.  

When we got to Katie's the children were delighted to see us.  Caleb's new habit is to say, "Good morning" or "Good afternoon".  He uses the terms appropriately, too.  Taylor looked like she'd grown and a few moments later she stood next to the mark on the door jamb where Cody had measured them all about six or eight weeks ago.  Sure enough, she was nearly two inches taller.

Poor Bella took one look at me and crawled onto my lap and snuggled into my shoulder and whimpered over and over again.  Why she was whimpering I don't know. However, I must have been the needed refuge at the moment, so I sat there and just held her, patting her back and letting her soak in the solace she obviously needed.  After about 15 minutes she told me "Play" and off she went.

Katie wasn't feeling well.  Physically she's not resting.  But it's mental struggles just now.  We spoke briefly about it, and I have to say I'm quite proud of her.  She already had a plan of attack.  I feel somehow this might be physical, a deficiency of some sort that has exacerbated her usual depression.  

We didn't stay long after lunch, namely because we knew the little ones go down for a nap after lunch (or quiet time) and Katie and Caleb usually take Taylor home about 2pm.  I was so tired on the way home with a vague sort of headache (incoming storms), that I actually closed my eyes for part of the ride.  John said softly, "I'm going to get ice cream..."  Well, if I was asleep, I woke right away.  I guess he knows the key, lol.

I'd had a soda at Katie's and a small portion of the peach dump cake, but ice cream sounded really good to me.  He brought out a no sugar vanilla which was really good.  Of course, we offset the no sugar with some hot fudge sauce, but you know...It balanced.  He also brought out a half gallon of strawberry ice cream and that is full sugar.  That ice cream is strictly mine.  John will not eat strawberry ice cream at all, but he knows I love it and won't buy it because he doesn't like it.  I'm looking forward to having some of that in the week ahead but not today.  

Monday:  I was in the mood to work in the house this morning. I wanted to go shopping, but the house won me over.  I got interested in my various tasks and then it was afternoon, and I don't like to go out in the afternoon.  By then it had begun to sputter heavy rain showers here and there as outlying bands of the tropical storm hit us.  We didn't get a lot of showers nor long lasting ones.  It was breezy but nothing to fret over.  Thoughts have been with all of those south and east of us here in the state.

What was I so busy doing?  I started with a Monday routine but ended in the kitchen cleaning out cabinets and drawers.  I have the baking cabinet and under the kitchen sink to do and then all the cabinets will be done.  I removed enough stuff today to leave a shelf completely empty.  

I sorted out the fruit shelf in the pantry.  I thought I'd get to the other pantry cabinet, but I didn't.  I worked steadily all day doing something, but no writing or email.  

I put up peaches this afternoon.  I told John I'd go again this week and see if I could get peaches, but I was sure that this would likely be the last week.  I'll ask when I go over to the shed.

I worked on my #EveryBitCountsChallenge as well.  Things I started last week were ready to be put away today, but the basil nor sage were quite dry.  The oregano is very close to being fully dry.  If I'd picked out the three tiny bits that were still a light green, I could probably have put it safely away.  I think I may be able to put that in the jar tomorrow.

In between work rounds I spent time on Pinterest looking for outfit inspiration, pixie cuts that aren't as short as my current style, and whatever else came across my field of vision.  I consider today a very productive day even though I might not have worked up a sweat.

Tuesday:  I got a late start today. We slept in and then ate a late breakfast.  About the time we'd finished eating, Sam came by to talk and have a coffee.  I sat and listened to him and his dad for a long time but then I got up and got busy with my day.  John and I had already slept in this morning, and I didn't want to miss a whole morning's work.  I almost did though!

Officially I am finished with the kitchen decluttering.  I went through the last two cabinets.  In the baking cupboard I removed nothing, but I did take time to check expiration dates on stuff and wiped out the bottom of the cabinet.

Then I sorted out the cabinet under the sink.  That one...I really need to figure out how to better organize the section where I have my clothes and towels and drying mats.  I'm not at all satisfied with my current system but it is what it is at the moment.  At some point I will actively go shopping for the things I feel I need.

Now, I must sort out all the stuff I have decluttered and determine exactly what I plan to do with each item.  As of the moment, I just want to shove them in a box and donate it all.  I don't want to store it, keep it, or anything else.  Though I do have a couple of things I plan to take to Katie that I think will be helpful.

Tomorrow the curtains come down...

Wednesday:  Today the curtains did NOT come down.  When I got up, I could hear the washing machine spinning.  Since I'd told John yesterday afternoon that it was time for me to get out of the house, I figured I'd wait and do curtains tomorrow.  

But first I'll slip back to last night.  I was irritable when I left to keep the kids yesterday evening.  I don't know why but I was so sleepy and all I wanted to do was stay home and nap.  But I went over to keep the kids because I'd said I would.  And I was okay once I got there.  I wasn't upset with the children nor their parents.  I was just plain tired and reluctant to leave my home.

Millie soon asked if she could take a bath and kept instructing me that 'Dad puts in LOTS and LOTS of water..."  I told her I wasn't Dad, but I'd put in a good amount of water.  She played until she got cold.  At that point, Isaac (who kept saying 'Hey, Gramma...' non-stop) wanted to have a bath.  And then Josh asked if he could have a bath, too.  So for a good hour and a half there was a child in the bathroom.

Isaac and Millie talked and talked and talked.  She was meant to be in bed, but she popped like popcorn, getting out of that bed over and over to tell me something or other. Shortly after 8 though she asked me to turn off her tv and she went right to sleep.

When I came home, John seemed to be in a reflective mood.  We didn't speak much until we went to bed and then once the lights were out, we talked and talked and talked.  Sometimes, talking heart to heart is the greatest intimacy of a marriage in my opinion.

I don't know why I was awake until the wee hours, but I saw 3a.m. before I finally went to sleep.  

I was awake early-ish this morning and went right to the kitchen to make breakfast.  I've been wanting a nice hot biscuit for breakfast for two weeks or more.  They were so good!  I've missed baking.  I always do in the summer.  I don't want to rush summer away, but I am ready to bake and have a big pot of soup on the stove.

We had a gift card for the restaurant where John decided to go.  I'm glad we did because our entertainment fund is empty after my last weekend out with the children.    This particular restaurant is rare in that they actually serve Fish and Chips.  I remember when you could get fish and chips nearly every place.  I had mentioned wanting fish several times.  All we can buy locally is catfish, which is not something I eat.

We had a good lunch and good conversation.  I am a people watcher and have to stop myself from being blatantly nosy.  But the couple right across from us were intriguing to me.  He was dressed fairly casually with a backwards ball cap, a running jacket and pants, athletic shoes.  She was a polished professional in a lovely maxi dress with sandals.  Their meal was served while she was away from the table, and he waited for her to return.  I gave him points for that.  And he got extra points when she said she'd like to pray and he removed his ball cap, and then, following her prayer he added his own to it.  I gathered they were on a date and if it was their first date, I give the guy points all around.  

Apparently, John was paying attention to them, too, because John spoke of the couple when we were outside and said, "I think they were on a first date."  I agreed.  "I wish he'd dressed more nicely.  Jeans and a t-shirt would have been more appropriate.  And he should have removed his ball cap for the meal..."  John said, "Oh he looked fine!"  "Nope. Jeans and a t-shirt are fine attire, but not sweatpants and a running jacket though they looked clean and fresh.  That's more movie and a pizza at home dating attire, not "I'm going on a first date attire."   John looked astonished.  "I didn't realize you had such high standards."  I replied, "Hey!  You set the standards I go by!"

Frankly, I rather surprised myself with my opinions.  I never dated much.  In fact, John and I have 'dated' far more in the latter days of our marriage.  And he takes care to be presentable every time we go out.  So yes, my standard has been set.

But we didn't just focus on the couple next to us.  And I promise we were blatantly listening in, contributing to their conversation or staring them down.  Truly what information we gathered was gleaned quickly and inconspicuously.  

We spent far more time discussing vacation.  We've agreed upon our dates in July and today we agreed to go ahead and book our room.  We talked about what we'd like to do and what we are most looking forward to.  I am so ready to go but it will be a while before we can go. But anticipation is building and gives me good reason to work hard and do the things that must be done until our time arrives.

On the way across the river swamp, I commented, "Oh John!  Some of the trees have started to turn."  He told me he'd noticed this on Sunday, when I had my eyes closed.  On the way home, I noted on one lot that the golden rod is standing tall and looked very near blooming.  Morning glory vines are winding here and there.  The autumn grasses are starting to bloom.  I felt a momentary sadness at these signs that summer is coming to an end.

I didn't go to the peach shed today.  I'll have to do that tomorrow.  I hope I can get some peaches one more time.

Thursday:  How can it be Thursday already?!  This week seems to be sliding right away from me.

I got up this morning feeling quite thirsty.  That's not uncommon.  What I did this morning when I got up is uncommon for me.  I made myself a tall glass of water and sat down to drink it leisurely BEFORE I had coffee.  I can sincerely say that the result was I felt 'awake' far more quickly and less tired than I had done when I woke.  I think this might be something worth repeating for myself. 

I took down the curtains in the kitchen and lay them aside so John can wash them.  He washed and dried them and has them laid out on the chair in the living room, so they won't wrinkle.  I have not rehung them.  I told him I wanted to repaint my curtain rods, and he said he was going into town tomorrow to get some maintenance things for the mower.  He suggested I ride along and get my paint then.  I'll look to see if I have any before we got but I think all I've got requires me to use a brush.  I also asked him to rehang the curtain rod above the kitchen sink so that it will be about 9 inches lower than it is at present. 

While I'm painting, I will take down my pictures above the shelf at the back entry and repaint those frames.  Make one mess and get more done is my theory.  And it's always more when there's more to clean up, right?

I went to the peach shed today and I'm glad I did.  There were a few cars in the parking lot but when I walked into the building, I knew the season was done.  They had two varieties of peaches left and I bought one called Flame Prince.  I've been trying different varieties each time I go.  I told John I was trying to see if any struck me as a favorite but so far, I just like peaches, all the peaches! and none taste markedly different the way apple varieties vary.  

I asked the girl waiting on customers if they were finished for the season and she said "We'll be done tomorrow for sure.  This is all we've got left."  Boo, sob...but at least this year I've taken good advantage of it.  I think I've put up about 10 packages of peaches to have for cobblers and smoothies

I went to the grocery, then the library to drop off books that were due and came home.  I made lunch before I put things away.  After lunch, I spent a good hour or so repackaging meat for the freezer.  I was done by then.  I feel like I'm not getting much of anything done towards the challenge for August or in the house.  I'll just keep plodding along.

Friday:  Well...this day!  It got away from me and why it did I do not know.

Earlier in the week I started to unload the dishwasher and the whole thing tipped forward.  It's done it before, and I knew it was about to start this again.  You see, the mounting brackets came with these tiny, short screws.  One worked fine.  The other just barely bit into the surface it was meant to hit.  We battled this issue for years since we got the new dishwasher.  

I thought when the kitchen was redone that when it was reinstalled, the construction crew would fix it.  Well, they used the same screw.  Twice now we've had to make this repair and each time I've suggested a longer screw for the right-side mount.  

So, John decided to repair the thing today, which I deeply appreciate since I refuse to use when I can't even open the door and one rack with it tilting towards the floor.  We looked online to see if there were any possible solutions to our issue and it came to the same mounting technique.  Three, THREE, website said it was due to countertops being prone to crack when the screws were placed.  People tended to put them in very shallowly.  

Well, that's great and all and I definitely don't want my new countertops to be penetrated or cracked by a screw that has been driven too deeply.  BUT this screw barely reached to go into the wood in the first place.  I'd noticed a batten under the counter and suggested John put the screw mounts into the batten.  

Things got difficult and frustrating for him.  I stepped into the kitchen, saw what he was doing and walked away.  I know how my husband is, and I know how I am.  He doesn't want my advice.  He doesn't want my help, even when he's asked for it.  I went in later, at his request, to offer help and found I didn't know how to do what he requested.  He said "Fine."  I said, "I'm sorry."  And that was the wrong thing to say.  I went back to what I was doing and then moved on to two or three other jobs while he worked away at trying to make the repair.

In the meantime, I was working on the checkbook and the balance looked unnervingly low.  I know why it's low.  I know in a few days it will bounce back.  It's just a late pay period with a lot of bills that were due the two weeks prior to pay day.  Not to mention increased amounts on a few and the quarterly insurance bill...Well you know how it is.  I had that sinking funds sinking feeling, lol.  I also noted earlier this week that I was off target in the amount in a sinking fund and I can't for the life of me figure out why, but I know from my balance that it's not there and time is fleeting towards the day when that must be paid.  Playing catch-up was not on my radar but here we are.

John said he was going to do something else once the dishwasher was finished and I sat down to look up my subscribe and save items for the month and delete every single thing that I thought I could get by without.  Turns out there were several when I realized I need the money to go elsewhere.

Anyway, I announced I was going to make lunch since he was so slow about his next move, and he got upset thinking I'd planned to go out to eat.  I have no idea where he got that idea and quickly enlightened him that I'd merely be waiting for him to do what he'd said he was going to do and since I'd waited an hour I was going to go ahead and prepare lunch.  

Honestly, I felt just as temperamental as he.  I am not just slinging stones at him.  I was irritable as could be because I'd been delayed in working in the kitchen today and because of money matters an because...well because he was irritable himself.  Not reasonable but I'll just bet that one of you will tell me you understand.  

We had lunch, a pleasant lunch and we talked of pleasant things, and I was feeling better overall.  I went to the kitchen to work but had to leave to tend to another matter and when I came back, there was John preparing to lower the curtain rod above the kitchen sink as I'd requested.  Sigh...Love that he's attending to my Honey Do list.  It just didn't coincide with my desire to get things done in the kitchen today.  I decided to take down the pictures and curtains rods I want to paint and then I put the rings back on the curtains and folded them neatly.  I hung the laundry area curtain and then John said, "Here you go," and my sink curtain was hanging.  It looks so good!

Well...while I was working, John came along with his wallet and phone, ready to go to town and guess who was still trying to get a bit of cleaning done?  I had to go with him to town because I needed to choose my paint.  Sigh. I put down the broom.  Off we went.

We got to the bottom of the driveway and discovered that we had a problem.  A BIG problem.  A huge branch had broken off the old pecan tree.  We scrape by getting out of the drive but knew the mail lady couldn't get in.  The branch that broke was as big around as a tree by itself and hung up about two stories high in the tree.  It fully filled and took over our entire driveway. Not a job we could do ourselves...

We talked over various scenarios on our way into town and concluded that we'd have to have a tree service to attend to the issue.  Talk about disheartening!  I've heard horror stories about costs.  So, has John.

We talked over when the limb fell and what might have happened.  We had a breezy day on Monday but nothing heavy as storm or winter winds.  It wasn't down when I came in yesterday afternoon and it apparently wasn't down later yesterday when the mail ran because we had mail in the box.  It was just one of those mystery things that happen.

We ran our errands in town and on the way home, John drove the few extra feet up the road to the tree service guy's house so we could get his number and call.  We resigned ourselves to paying $XXXX to have this done and hoped it would be just that.  We caught the guy just as he was about to leave home on his way to the schools and he said he'd run right by.  

While we waited in our driveway for him, I was doing math in my head.  Finally, I decided that this is exactly the sort of thing savings is meant to take care of.    You can't plan for every possibility or set enough money aside for every single thing that will occur.  You just can't.  Not if you're living on a budget.  

I had considered cancelling the room I'd booked and putting those funds towards the service, but truth is that money was mine and John's personal funds, not household funds that I 'borrowed' to go in that fund.  This was Christmas and Birthday funds and a jury duty check, and a portion of our allowances each pay period.  I hesitantly mentioned this to John, and he immediately replied, "Nope!  That money has a purpose already.  It will come from savings."

He was perhaps six minutes behind us in arriving.  He removed the stuff that was safe to remove but said he'd need his skid steer to remove the other portion safely and the skid steer sheered a pin that was meant to arrive today but didn't...He said if he got it in tomorrow, he could do the job by Monday at the latest.  We agreed.  Then he named his price.

Y'all...I mean it seriously... God is good!  His price was 1/10th of what we could get it done for.  I mean a BIG savings.  I am so so grateful for that.  He told us the limb is actually wedged into place and is safe as is for the time being, but not to cut it back any further as that might make it unstable.  

So here we are at the end of a day that has been anything except ordinary.  It's been hard and it's been so so hot and it's been strained, and it's been overwhelming.   But it's also been so blessed. 

Here's the deal.  We have savings to cover the funds needed for tree removal.  We will partly recover the funds that 'sank' out of sight this coming pay period. I do not need any groceries at all and if we do need any in the weeks ahead, it will likely be only eggs or lettuce.  We're well stocked on everything else.  So we shouldn't need any extra grocery funds.  I found enough long-lasting produce items on clearance yesterday to see us through the rest of this month.  Most all of our monthly bills have already been paid and have cleared the bank. We're good there.  

 We have a vacation coming up in the next couple of months.  I can stretch and wiggle the budget to cover all the extra costs needed to bring the other sinking fund up to date and likely do it in a shorter period of time than I first thought it would take.  

The kitchen work might not be finished today but I never planned to do it all in one week anyway.  So I'm still on target with my monthly goal.  The other work I know needs to be done that overwhelms me will wait.  It won't go anywhere...

I'm going to figure out this dang pay schedule and plan ahead for those months when payday is five weeks away instead of four, so I can have extra set aside to pay those bills that will fall due prior to payday.  It may take me a bit, but I'll get it squared away.

John and I will be John and me.  We'll snip and snap and love and bless and argue and make up because we've been doing marriage this way for 30-odd years, and it's worked just fine so far.  Today is not our every day but it is a real day in a real life.

My plans for the weekend are sweet and simple: take the kids to the library tomorrow and then go to church on Sunday.  We aren't doing anything else.

That's my week...How was yours?  Was it real life, too?

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