Diary of a Homemaker’s Week: Catch Up

Friday:  John scheduled a car maintenance for this morning.  I hadn't been to do a proper stocking up grocery shop since about November.  Been in the grocery plenty of times, but I've picked up this and that, good sales items, splurge items, holiday meal prep items... not a proper stock-up.  So that was on the list for today.  We wanted to run a bag of donations from my closet clearing out to one of the thrift stores.  Trash had to go out.  I needed to pick up that prescription that had been amended. I wanted to do several other things, but I knew I was pushing my luck if I requested to do much more.  John plays nicely up to a point and then he just wants to go home.  Period.

I'd meant to do some extra housework last night, but I didn't get it done because Caleb was a little later going home and I was overtired, so there were chores to be done.  John's insistent I need to clean and sanitize all the toys, a task that seems huge to me at the moment that may or may not get done since I am the sole one doing this sort of thing.  I've no desire for him to tackle a job that will undoubtedly become even more of a heavy task should he undertake it.  If you know, you know.  When a man determines he's going to do something to help, so often it includes three times as much work as doing it yourself!  I was wondering how to fit it all in today.   And frankly, I felt as tired and overwhelmed and fatigued as I've felt for weeks now.  That old adage 'No rest for the weary' has been truthful.

We did the maintenance appointment, and went to the grocery where we ran into Bess and then off to pick up the prescription.  Completely forgot all about dropping off the donations.  I was rather pleased that we'd actually done all the other things and I was going to have a nice bit of afternoon time to catch up my work from the week.

On the way home from the grocery store, we got a text from Bess asking if we would take the three children from over the field for a couple of hours.  It's birthday party weekend, and multiples of things going on there and it would, I was told, be much appreciated if I'd take them.  I won't say I answered yes immediately or that I did so gladly and wholeheartedly.  But I knew full well that things that needed to be done would be more easily done without children underfoot and since my own state of housekeeping at present is still higher than those homes where everyone is working fulltime or keeping up with children at once, I said I'd take the children.

I know they typically eat a much later supper, but I made mini pizzas with tortillas, saving Sam's having to make them a meal tonight and buying him an added half hour or so of time to do other tasks.

When we came in, I got busy putting away groceries, threw some frozen burritos into the microwave to heat while I did that.  After lunch, I finished putting groceries away, tentatively planned tonight's 'supper', weekend meals and took items out to thaw.  Then I settled down with the checkbook and got it brought up to date.  John did laundry while I did breakfast dishes.  I made myself stop and sit in my chair and rest before the children arrived.   I was fully aware that yet another day was going to go by without my doing those chores of mine.

While I was working on the checkbook, I was looking for something in my bill box and found an insurance card.  I thought I'd just shred it but in looking at it, I realized that it said the effective date was 1/1/2022.  I called John to come look and said "I DID so have insurance!  I got these cards after I renewed the policy."   John laughed.  "If you'd been able to find them earlier this week, you'd have still been cancelled and be trying to straighten it out this weekend.  It's a good thing you couldn't find those cards!"   I suppose he's quite right and it's all ended well.   And by the way, on our way to the maintenance appointment I'd gotten a call this morning saying they'd expedited my claim and I had insurance again by the time I picked up my prescription.

Meals today:  I cannot remember what we had for breakfast!

Beef and Bean burritos.  I had salsa and guacamole with mine.  John chose to have his topped with shredded cheese.  

Tortilla Pizzas, Fruit Plate, Pretzels, Marshmallows

Saturday:  Birthday party day for Isaac and Millie.  Bess's family is large, both in number and in size and loud and super intelligent and fun.  Add in five children and five more people and it can get to be a little overwhelming in a small house.   But it was a lovely party.   Lots of talk and laughter and the children running around playing.

Millie and Isaac loved their gifts.  The cake Sam made was so delicious, one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had that was homemade. He used this recipe from the Hershey site. He made a Marshmallow Buttercream frosting to go on it.  It wasn't heavily sweet but just a perfect balance of fluffiness and frosting on that cake.  

I'm glad to be home.  I'm tired from the past week and the accumulation of issues that must be dealt with (or ignored but definitely worried over).

Meals:  Bagels with cream cheese, thin sliced black pepper turkey (we find more and more that we appreciate thin sliced deli meat on our bagels, especially if it's a smoked or heavily spiced turkey).

Burgers, Hot Dogs, Chips, Birthday Cake

Bacon and Biscuits (canned) and John added in a bowl of cereal for himself

Sunday:  Intense jaw/tooth/throat pain today and I could barely stand it.   I am convinced it's not that silly gland thing again but grinding/clenching teeth, day and night.  It's not much wonder.  The more overwhelmed I feel the more tension I feel as well.

I'm glad we went on to church this morning because a few things became clear to me as I listened to the sermon series which is about love and Leah.  Nothing that illuminated the heavens and caused angel choruses to sing, but I had at least two things hit me rather hard that I needed to see.  One of those revelations will solve an immediate problem.  The other solution is a first step in the right direction for a second problem, I've been dealing with.  

Home to put together a quick Gramma's Fried Chicken dinner.  It's easy enough these days.  The children want chicken and mac n cheese, the boxed variety.  I add a green vegetable, but the children rarely eat that.  It's easy and quick and everyone is happy.  

While we were eating, Bess ran by with a couple of items while she was on her way to town.  She ate a small bite of lunch with us.  I know my Bess.  She loves mac n cheese, even the boxed kind.  

After everyone had gone home today, I wanted very much to go sit in my chair and enjoy the weekend...what was left of it.   But the chores I meant to do on Thursday evening and pushed to Friday and then kept kids on Friday and pushed to today...Well today was my moment of opportunity, feel like it or not.   So I tackled all those tasks that were pushed back.  I even managed to prune the rose bushes and vacuum out the broom closet.  And then I went to my chair to sit.  

Is it all the tasks I needed to do?  No.  It was enough however, to make me feel I'd done something and that was enough.  At this point?  I'm not ever going to catch up.  It's best to focus on the absolute necessary things at present and then I can add in a few of the things I'm behind on, like pruning roses or vacuuming the bottom of the trash cupboard.

Meals:  Swiss and Onion Scrambled Eggs, Toast (I have some sliced Swiss cheese that dried out.  It is a lot like a hard Parm and melts well enough if shredded).

Gramma's Fried Chicken, Mac n Cheese, Steamed Broccoli

Standing Rib Roast (thin slices from our Christmas roast dinner...plenty of leftovers), Baked Potatoes

Monday:  Katie's testing for her agent's license was today.  She'd told me that she'd have Caleb here by 7:30 and I'd set my alarm for 6:30am.    There was a pre-test that had to be taken 24 hours before and the website was down.  She must have finally gotten into the site yesterday evening, and she texted her dad that she'd not done well on it.  When my alarm went off this morning, he looked at his phone and read that message and told me that she wouldn't be taking her test today.   I did what any reasonably tired person would do at 6:30am.  I went right back to bed.  Shock to my system to find Katie standing in our bedroom at 8am this morning saying, "You guys feeling okay?"

Uhmmm, yeah.  Caleb was shivering with cold despite jacket and socks and we pulled him into bed with us where it was nice and toasty, but he was afraid we were going to make him go back to sleep.   I told John we'd best just get up.  My husband is smart.  He headed right to the kitchen and when I came in moments later (stopping to dress first), he handed me a cup of coffee.

Katie called me about 10:30 this morning and said, "I'm done..." and nothing else.  I said "Well?!"  "I'm an agent!"   Good for her.   She's wanted this licensing since she came here nearly four years ago and I'm glad she's finally got it.   She asked if I minded if she went out to lunch to celebrate and said she'd come get Caleb after.  

Caleb went home about 2 with Katie.  About 3 Bess stopped by to drop off clothes for Katie to set aside for Caleb.  At 4, we heard a tap on the backdoor and the boys came in with Millie and Bess.  I was shocked at the boys' Valentine's Day bags from school.  Y'all remember our school Valentine's days?  Decorate a shoe box and you'd get cards and perhaps a box of Conversation hearts and maybe a heart shaped lollipop?   

The boys had a medium sized gift bag of candy, and it was pretty full. Heart shaped boxes of chocolates.  Candy bars. Lollipops.  Gummy Candies.  But most of it was chocolate and that was what I felt was the most surprising.  These Mamas spent some money providing for each class!  It was like Halloween on steroids in Red, Pink and White.   I was shocked.  I don't think they got a single paper Valentine.  

Of course, Bess wasn't about to let them eat all that candy.  In fact, they really don't get sweets at home at all, and we grandparents have been asked to not indulge them except when they are here.  Of course, they'd had parties at school and were pretty well sugared up by the time they arrived and like any kid they were digging in their bags seeking out the next favored treasure.  

In Amie and Sam's school days, I recall that florists were super busy, and classes interrupted all day long with flower and balloon deliveries, a thing I found to be excessive 30 odd years ago.  I was old fashioned.  I sent them to school with paper cards and lollipops which I felt was plenty good enough.  I sound like a Gramma, don't I?  Talking about the good old days, lol.

That was our day.  A bit of Caleb.  Katie's meeting a life goal.  And Valentine's Day revelations.

Meals:  Toasts (peanut butter for Caleb, Cheese for John and me)

Salads, Cheesy Garlic Bread sticks

Chicken Fried Rice, Potstickers

Tuesday:  You'd think this first day without Caleb, John and I would be frantically working away at all the things we've put off for the longest time now, but we are not.  No indeed.  I'm not saying we haven't done anything productive, but we've chosen to treat the day as a sort of day off, our first true day without obligations in ten days.   

We slept in, had a late breakfast. I read a chapter of my current book (the sixth Harry Potter) while I had my coffee.  John has practiced harmonica and is now playing guitar.

I made breakfast, fed the critters including the birds, cleaned off the front porch, made the bed, cleared up the kitchen and wrote a post on a topic that popped into my mind yesterday evening.   I call that a good morning's work.  It's three times as productive as I typically am when Caleb is with us, and all done at an easy pace. 

I listened to Mindy's latest vlog post.  I thought you all might be interested in her take on the prices between Aldi and Walmart on her top 12 consistently purchased items.  I thought it interesting that her post came in yesterday as my own mind was going over my food budget and my thoughts on that.  You can read that post here.

John and I finally got out of the house today well after 12pm.  I suggested we go to Perry where I could get my haircut, buy the Kroger special butter, and get dog food and bird seed all within a few hundred feet of each other.  

John chose to park outside Chik Fil A   Goodness gracious, but that smelled good!  We seldom choose to eat at Chick Fil A, but it does smell mighty good.  Especially after 1pm when you haven't yet had lunch.  I walked a nice piece from there to the hair salon and then from the hair salon to Kroger.  I didn't mind the walk.  I had my cane and it's all nice flat even surfaces so I call it exercise.

At Kroger, I walked down the pet food aisle to check pricing on the bird seed and dog food.  We were going to go over to Tractor Supply, but I thought I'd just look at Kroger to do a sort of price comparison between the two   I'm so happy I followed that instinct.  I found 30-pound bags of food for $21.99.  I am pretty sure we got 40 pounds at Tractor Supply for the same price.  I kept looking at the shelves and noted that the 50-pound bags of the same brand food were just $22.99!    I can tell Caleb and Millie have helped strengthen my arms because I lifted that bag off a bottom shelf and up into my shopping cart without straining too much.

Bird seed also was better priced than in other stores where I'd been, so I went ahead and got bird seed, too.  I bought the largest bag I could find of wild bird seed (about 20 pounds) and a bag of black sunflower seed to mix in.   And for once, I bought just what I went in for: butter, dog food, bird seed.    There was one thing I didn't get: a half-priced box of Valentine's chocolates.  There were NONE.  

John drover over to Kroger to load up the car because it was about a block away from where he was parked.  He drove around the circle when we left the store, the same one that leads around to our favorite little steakhouse, being sure to tell me that we were not going there.  I laughed and told him I didn't expect we were.  But when I thought we'd just head out of town the same way we'd come in, he turned onto the interstate.  I hoped that meant Buccee's and a brisket sandwich, but I didn't ask and didn't suggest it.  Turned out that was just what it meant.

It is not cheap when we go into Buccee's.  The sandwiches are reasonable enough.  But when you add in a packet of dill pickles, a bag of chips to share, coffee or soda, a brownie and two extra sandwiches to take home to freeze, it comes up to a nice little sum.  We have our entertainment fund to cover our times out.  That's one thing we didn't have in our budget prior to retirement but John requested I work it in, and it's been nice to have.  We seldom use all of our fund each month, but it means we can have a both a planned date and an impromptu one each month.

We went back to the car to eat and rolled down the windows.  It was so pleasant and nice out today, sunny enough to keep us warm, breezy enough to keep us cool.   We talked and talked and talked, so lunch took a good bit of time but as I said, today was our holiday, our weekend.  I told John when we were leaving that it was a nice day out for me and while I wouldn't have counted getting a haircut and groceries as a day out, having a picnic in the car does count as time out.  

I think I'll sneak away on my own later this week and go into town.  Bess and I both want a jar of local honey which I can buy at the flea market in town.  I'd like to nose around and see what they have in the flea market anyway.

What will I do with the rest of my week?  I've been thinking about getting the bathroom painting started.  I can do quite a lot of it by myself.   I could work on cleaning the back porch, the weather is supposed to be nice enough.  I could do that pantry inventory I keep saying I need to make so I can make out the shopping list.   I want to begin working towards removing the upper cabinets in the kitchen and that means I need someplace to put all the food things in the uppers on the one kitchen wall.  I might look at rearranging some cabinets.  I cleaned out a bottom drawer and will put some of Caleb's toys in there so he'll have his own drawer where he can play.  I know this will make him happy.  It will be a surprise for him.  I'll encourage John to put those last cabinet latches on, but I know he has several jobs he's meant to do as well so I won't put anymore on his to do list.

So, the week ahead is full of possibilities.  I mean to make sure that this free time is used for us to do the things we have postponed.  

Meals:  Omelets, Toast

BBQ'd Brisket Sandwich, Chips, Pickles, Brownie

Salads with caramelized onions, mushrooms, beef strips and Gorgonzola cheese

Wednesday:  I've had a lovely morning in my home.  John and I slept until 8am which isn't exactly late but is a little bit later than we'd typically get up.  I sat down to read my Bible chapter and as I finished up, he asked if I wanted to come watch Pastor Mark Rutland's latest sermon.  I told him I would love to.  We sort of skipped breakfast, having an ounce of cheese and a fruit and cereal bar with our second cup of coffee.

After breakfast I unloaded the dishwasher, made the bed, cleaned out my bedside table drawer and wiped down the bathroom.   I had a bigger project I wanted to begin today, and I was trying to get all the necessary things out of the way first.

I went back to the kitchen and cleaned and organized my fridge.  I put on a pot of soup from leftovers for our lunch and got it going.  Then I sat down and talked to John while he was working in the kitchen.  He put the rest of the cabinet door locks on.  We had to order more of them.  I cleared out the bottom drawer in the kitchen and will put a few of Caleb's toys in it.  Hopefully that will distract him from trying to get into the other drawer. 

The soup was ready shortly after John had finished, and we had lunch.

I went back to my bathroom and started cleaning walls.   I started this:

I put patches of paint on the wall back in August to test if I'd like the color (the blue) and that's as far as that project went.  I hope to finish it up during this spell without Caleb here.  

I've loved having the sage green walls which are a warm green with a touch of brown, but I really wanted blue walls these past few years.  This gallon of paint was from a batch Katie had mixed and it was mis-tinted.  She was going to return it and happened to ask if I'd like it.  I thought the color was pretty and brought it home.  Tested it on my walls and waited a week looking at it all times of day and decided I'd keep it.  That's as far as that project went.  Not Caleb's fault it proceeded no further.  I just wasn't ready to attend to the job at that time.  When I had breaks, I usually tackled other things that bothered me rather than paint the bathroom.  

Last night I'd told John I wanted to get it started now.  "You know," I said, "I don't have to do the whole thing at one go...I can take it in small bites."    Today I got most of the cutting in done, as far as I could reach over my head and all the way to the floor.   I'm at the point where I can start painting big portions of walls for the first coat.  It just wasn't something I wanted to get involved in this afternoon.

It appears that I will possibly not be keeping Caleb again until the 1st of March when Katie's next assignment begins.  I've asked her to look into a day care situation that can give me a break but the hours for this next assignment's schedule will mean daycare in our area is totally out, but my hours will be decreased.  Instead of having Caleb 9 hours a day I'll have him about 6 hours, which is also a little bit of a break.  Katie's work hours will go on longer, but Caleb will go home and right to bed each evening.  So, more changes ahead.   It will mean 

Meals:  Cube of Cheese, Cereal Bar   John added a piece of toast to his breakfast.  He's no fan of 'small' breakfasts.  I was quite satisfied.

Vegetable Beef Soup (leftovers plus half an onion and one potato), Garlic and Cheese Breadsticks (leftovers also)

Something with Chicken...I'll come back and let you know later what I decided on.  I feel that everything we've eaten this week has been rich and heavy.  I want something lighter and plainer.

later:  I baked the chicken with simple seasonings, pulled dressing and sweet potato casserole from Thanksgiving dinner out to thaw and heat in the oven while the still frozen chicken baked.  It was just what I wanted, a dinner that wasn't rich or heavy but not a salad either.

Thursday:  Yesterday evening, while supper was cooking in the oven, I headed back into the bathroom and rolled paint on the walls as high as I could reach.  I was back at it this morning with the low step stool (maybe six or seven inches).   What is left to be done, John will finish and that mostly involves cutting in about the ceiling molding and about a six inch strip or so on the tallest walls.   He did a little of that today, until he needed the taller step stool.   I don't know when the job will be finished up, but I'm hoping he will do it this week.  We'll see.  

There is a narrow thin strip of molding at the floors that he painted the same color as the walls last time we painted the bathroom.   Most of the areas where those strips are set in are just straight wall sections.  I asked if he would put straight pieces of quarter round molding along those walls. I think it would finish the bathroom nicely and I think the white quarter round will be prettier than a blue strip of molding.

My reward for getting all the painting I can on my own done was to go into town this afternoon to the flea market.  It's been many months since I was in there and I felt like a good slow wander about the place.  I found some lovely treasures to bring home.   Crystal candlesticks in an old-fashioned pattern, a vintage floral frog (the sort with pins), a true vintage enameled refrigerator bin.  That bin is heavy and nice with not one ding in the enamel.  

There was one item I wavered on and walked away from.  A lovely little pitcher, about 1 pint size, that had no fine China company stamped on the bottom, or any other name, either.  It has violets, and lily of the valley and I went back to look at it twice afterwards.  I realized eventually that I'd seriously regret not purchasing it if I went home without it.  It was only $4.25 and that was reduced by 25%.   I'll try to remember to share a picture before I post this week.

The disappearing bird food mystery has been solved.  Sir Squirrel found where I'd moved it and has now been spreading word among his pals. John saw two or three at the feeder this morning, rocking it to strow the seeds and eating what was in the tray.   I'll just have to order some baffles so they can't reach the feeders.   

I wouldn't mind feeding the squirrels, too, because I do like to watch their antics.  John doesn't want them around the house and/or cars and both feeders are located near both.  Knowing the damage squirrels can cause to both home and car, I bow easily to his wishes on that score.

Meals:  Sweet potato Pancakes, Breakfast meat

Tomato Soup and Grilled cheese sandwiches

Beef Stroganoff Bake, Broccoli, Pumpkin Pie (Another Thanksgiving Leftover)

Friday:  I've been busy this morning already.  I stripped the bed and bath, because John wanted to do laundry (two loads for him today).  The dishwasher is pretty much full, but I'll wait until mid-afternoon to run it to give the hot water time to replenish.  I made biscuits for breakfast and started bread.  I've remade the bed, cleaned the baths and tidied.  Bread is baking as I write.  I have a plan for lunch and an idea about supper.   

I was so looking forward to the first 'proper' Shabbat in our home in weeks and weeks. John burst that bubble when he reminded me we have a group meeting tonight, sigh.   So, we start yet another Shabat with a to-do list.   I was silent for a moment but told him, "We'll do our Shabbat at home early because I'm over pushing our Shabat candle lighting to later in the evening or even Saturday morning."  

I am pretty much done for the day at this moment, aside from making two more meals and cleaning up, running the dishwasher, and getting ready to go out.   You know, not much but it sounds like a lot written down.  

Here are my treasures from yesterday.  I had already washed, air dried and filled the refrigerator bin.  I'd say it's about 8 by whatever the depth of a fridge shelf is.  I like that it leaves a wee bit more room than the plastic basket I'd been using.  I'd pulled it slightly forward to get the photo.  You can see the sort of baskets I've been using right below and it's definitely not as wide and fits a bit more snugly up against the side of the fridge.

And the rest of my treasures:

The frog is very prickly.  In fact, I'm wondering where I should store it to prevent accidental punctures of fingers!  But I look forward to having the ability to arrange flowers with it.    I'll probably use the pitcher on the mantle as part of my spring accents.   The candlesticks will be lovely for Shabat.  

Last summer, I set crystal candlesticks on the kitchen sink shelf, where the morning sun fractured the light through them and shot rainbows onto the opposite wall.  I have said I'd get more crystal for that shelf.   These will do the job nicely.

Katie brought Caleb out for about an hour yesterday afternoon and cut his hair.  He's really good about haircuts.  John commented on how calm and quiet he sits for those haircuts.  I reminded him how well he rides in the car, and told him "He shops well, too...Really John, we could get out of the house with him now and then, do grocery shopping or just get out of the house."  He nodded and said "Should" which is sort of code for "I'm listening but not making a commitment to anything." lol  

Thank you all for your response on the last Coffee Chat.  I promise I shall let that critique go and simply be myself.  Hugs to all of you who took the time to respond.   

Meals: Biscuits and Chicken Sausage   The sausage tasted pretty well, but at $4.59 for 8 very thin patties...I probably won't indulge in this every month.  

Brats, Pierogi, Cabbage, Pumpkin Pie

Pimento Cheese sandwiches, Chips, Mandarins

I'm already making plans for next week.  Number one goal is to get behind John to finish up the painting in the bathroom.  There's about an hour's work there if that much but I know my husband well.  It's not a priority for him unless I remind him it's mine.   

I've planned another project, this one will solely be mine.  I'm pretty sure I can manage it without John's help at all.  Just another bit of refreshing that will please me.

We've also planned a bit of fun time for next week.   I wish it was a trip to St. Augustine, but it's one of my favorite half day getaways that boosts me up for the long haul.  

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