In my home this week, I am wondering how January came to be so very long! I know how many days there are and just where we are in those days, but it does seem like it's been about as long a month as August already. And we all know, August goes on and on and on...
Anyway, I've been thinking January would just sail along as every month has since about last June, but no, it's dragged. I catch myself repeatedly checking the calendar to be sure it's truly just the day it is and not two weeks further down the road. I've been doing this since the first week. And it's not because January has been stressful. Just busy.
Never mind. I've a week to plan.
Work:
Zone 4 is porches, patio, and shed and frankly they could all use some attention. The shed floor is so full of bean beetles that have died that I can't bear to set foot inside. I'll take the blower and blow them out the door. I really ought to get things squared away out there, including decluttering the Christmas items and setting still more stuff aside to be donated from all the rest of the items in the shed that I haven't touched or thought of using in ages upon ages. I keep telling myself I can't thrift this or that as I haven't any room in the shed and I don't use what's out there. I've decided that I will clear out what I don't want/am not going to use and then give myself person to have fun at the thrift store.
All of the pots are still waiting to be given attention and there are limbs stacked beside the front porch steps that need to be gotten up...There's a good bit of work outdoors to be seen to and it's nice that this time around I can use a whole week for nothing but that.
Indoors I will attend to whatever job grabs my attention hardest. I'm feeling very antsy about getting on to the next phase of the kitchen work, but I can't do anything at present, and I know it. There are logical steps and I'd be out of line if I began one thing without others being done first. What I can do is continue to try to keep the things on counter tops as minimalist as possible and measure the spaces where we'll be doing our next tasks. I've got to see how things might legitimately work for us, etc.
Pest control one day.
Should visit Mama this week.
John and I have an errand postponed from last week that we want to attend to if the place is open. It's a wait and see thing, but I can call and ask if they're open. It won't take long to do but does require us being able to go into the place to do what needs to be done.
Kitchen:
Put away the items I bought and shoved in the pantry in sacks on Saturday.
Start a proper grocery/pantry list of items I know we need to replace and get started with my next shopping trip.
I bought bagels on Saturday. They weren't on sale, and I wasn't pleased with the cost of any of them, bakery or mass produced. I know mine taste superior. Now I've freezer room to store them, I'll get some made.
Mix up some cookie dough for the freezer as well. John's sugar fast ends this week and while he typically doesn't jump right back on sugar once he's done, he will inevitably want something sweet, and I can easily make the doughs to have on hand.
Meals:
What you won't see this week: Black Beans and Rice...and no, we didn't eat it again this past week. Another time perhaps. I'm tired of putting it down as part of my menu plan and never eating it.
Roasted Chicken, Rice Pilaf, Salad, Muffins.
Gramma's Fried Chicken, Mac n Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes
Meatloaf, Mashed potatoes, Green Beans, Corn bread. I bought fresh beef Saturday and will use that to make my meatloaf.
Black Bean Burgers, Mexican rice, Herman's Cabbage Salad, Pineapple
Spaghetti a la Diable, Garlic Bread, Green Salad
Chicken Pot Pie, Pear Salad
Meatloaf Sandwiches, Chips, Fresh Fruit, Cookies
Personal/Leisure:
I said I would try to keep up a mini spa here at home. I'm not doing at all well on that. So, this week I'm going to try to do one thing each day towards beauty treatments. I've assigned a task to each of the 6 workdays this week and will do one thing every day. That should cut down on the overall time requirement and help me to get those beauty chores done as well as I do my household chores.
Time to plan some more outfits. I'm telling you with all the extra outings we've had this month and the knowledge that I will be out several times this coming week, I've really had opportunity to wear the planned outfits several times over.
Bible study or research daily.
Read. I started my days with reading this past week and it was awfully nice plus I found that it led me to return to my book all throughout the day when I'd stop to rest, so perhaps a good habit to get into.
Plan a family day gathering. I know the meal I mean to prepare. I just need to set a new date and issue the invitation to see how it strikes everyone. I'm thinking the first weekend of February since we've so many birthdays for that month. I think if we do February, June, and November we can call them all birthday gatherings and we'll just celebrate everyone born in those months (or the days leading up to it). I'll lump our solitary May and July grands into June birthdays.
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