Kitchen Sink Soup, Squallish Weather, Latest Reads

We had plans today...We made plans despite the weather report in yesterday's newspaper.  As I've heard it said before, the weathermen are undoubtedly the only profession to be paid for being consistently wrong.  It hardly seemed likely they'd get it right today; after all the rain promised for yesterday never did arrive.

I haven't confessed to John but I woke at 5am this morning.  Wide awake, full of anticipation, just like a child.  I planned things I wanted to remember before we left home, I planned things I wanted to be sure to take note of during the day.  I willed myself to stay abed and not disturb John.  He so rarely sleeps past 5am.  He got up about 7and I still stayed in bed, because I know he likes a little time alone in the morning and I distract him...I got up about 8am and then I heard it, the ping of raindrops on the bathroom exhaust fan cover...Change of plans.

There are no complaints here.  Our plans will wait until tomorrow or the day after.  Today is what it is.  And it's lovely.  Drizzly rain, heavier at times, gusty winds...It's what I call squallish weather.  The sort of day when the rain is sprayed across the windows by the force of the wind and everything gets soaked even with the misty rain.

Gracious!

Oh dear!  Remember my plan to "not plan"?  Well my week took off and didn't slow a bit, not even a little.  I felt as harried as the woman in the photo looks to be!  She's just gotten a call from her husband telling her that guests are coming to dinner...I know because I read the ad :-P

Where on earth should I start?  Wednesday was John's first day home and was, as I recall, fairly restful.  In fact, I had not been feeling terribly well over the weekend (I'd hurt my back the week before and then 'forgot' it was hurt and cleaned the shed) and hadn't slept well and had struggled through the weekend and the first two days of the week.  Wednesday I made a big breakfast for John, his Welcome Home breakfast.  We lingered long over the table and chatted a long time and then I made a nice dinner of Chicken Fried Rice and Gingerbread.  By the time the afternoon had rolled around, I'd cleaned house, washed a load of dishes, and spent half the day in the kitchen and clearing behind myself.  I suddenly felt all gone and walked into the living room to find John had gone to sleep in his chair.  I just walked right on through to the bedroom, lay down, covered myself with a quilt and that was that.  I slept for two full hours!

It was almost 5pm when I woke. I felt refreshed and in less pain than I had in a week but I was concerned I'd not sleep that night.  I needn't have worried for I was out like a light at 10:30 and didn't wake all night long.  I do believe there are times we've missed just enough sleep that a longer nap sort of sets us back on the proper route for sleep once more.

Thrifty Thursday

Friday : Worked in the shed this morning after I did housework.  I found brand new Fall decor items I'd bought last year after the season was over.  Welcome mats, place mats and some floral picks.  I'd forgotten I bought those items.

 Cleaning the shed brought to light a few ideas.  I saw a few of my old items with new eyes.  They'll be great for future projects.

I discovered the lid to a 5 gallon bucket.  They were on opposite sides of the shed.  I didn't realize I even had the lid.  I brought the bucket indoors.  Next time I buy dog food, I'll be sure and use that bucket for storage.  At least if we still have mice at that point there will be no temptation from my dog food.

Homecoming

                                
                                                                 Homecoming by Jane Aucourt

Bare Boards, bare windows:
Home once more.
Strange to come home
Through a stranger's door;

Strange to step back
Over sunlit dust
To a childhood kitchen
Thick with rust,

To know where the cup
And the kitchen spoons
Arrange themselves
In the afternoons;

To trace in the fall
Of cobwebbed light
The shape of childhood's
Second sight.

Strange, to return
Adult, bereft:
But even stranger
To have left.

Country Wife

Country Wife by Marion Lineaweaver

It's dinnertime in early fall.
I hear the click of the garden gate,
Which means I need not ring or call,
But only go to the porch and wait.

The fabric of the countryside
Is flung out proudly, fold on fold,
All in a pattern, opening wide,
Of russet, forest-green, and gold.

Our flowing fields are interlaced,
With sun and shadow overspread.
Through fences, regularly spaced,
The river winds her silver thread.

And while I stand here at the door,
How loving is the sight of you,
Who bring your laughter home once more
And children in their denim blue.

Treasure Hunt

I had a wonderful weekend.  The weather was lovely and cool and sunny.  I took a drive and found some beautiful things along the way...But I'll share those another day.  Today I promised to share my treasures from Goodwill this past week.

 These four fruit plates I thought were pretty.  They have a very subtle border design but each plate features the fruit, the leaf, the cut fruit and the blossom, just like old botanical prints used to display.  There's Peach, Apricot, Apple, and Pear. 

 I know what this plate is but I thought I'd use it for something different.  you see the moment I saw it I realized it had seven separate areas on it and I thought it would be perfect to use as a Seder plate at Passover.

Random Musings on Sundry Things

##I really should fix the date on my camera...Trouble is every time I open it to remove the SD card so I can upload pictures, the date UNsets itself.  So really...why bother?

The photo above is of my dining table just before Shabat began last night.  I didn't remove John's stuff, nor my Bible, but I love this photo anyway.  For one thing there is the table setting.  The gourds are supposed to be shellacked (I'm a little doubtful about one fellow with a lot of curves and nooks) and one each of white and orange mini pumpkins.  The candles in my opinion are the perfect compliment, the creamware or ironstone platter (not sure which) also a great compliment.  The runner, which photographs as white is actually a natural khaki in color with faggot edging and some embroidery in oranges and tans.  That embroidery includes a monogrammed "K" smack dab under that platter.  I found the runner at Goodwill this week and it was probably one of the least expensive buys of that day at just $1.27.