Cleaning and Eating

The fourth week of January saw me as a true domestic. As I mentioned in a previous post, I plan on physically touching every single item in this house and either putting them somewhere that makes logical sense, giving them away, recycling, or trashing said item (only if it is totally useless, like a bottle of dried India ink I found in my art supply stash). 

Unfortunately this takes a lot of time and requires me to be in the blooming house instead of going other places and having fun. My joys for the week mostly reflect things in/from being at home.

This past week I mostly dedicated to the laundry room, which has become a catch all for everything no one knows where to put. The only way I can face it is to do it sections at a time. I have said before the room is very large with various areas used for either storage or different activities. I have completed about 3/4 of the room and found things I did not even remember I had.

I also think I will start a separate weekly post listing what I found lurking in cabinets, closets, cubbyholes, and any other random place that I either did not know I had or that I decided was just taking up real estate and I was never going to use again, and what I did with them. 

There are a couple of exclusions to things I will likely never use, but they are strictly sentimental items (a few) and I can't say goodbye to them yet because they bring back happy memories of the people they once belonged to.

So instead of having a rocking good week, I became little more than a house servant, and I feel that title will be mine this week too.

Monday: Lots of cleaning in the kitchen and laundry room.*

Dinner: The biggest joy of the day was the fact that I had spent a good deal of the very cold week doing a lot of food prep. After a day stuck in the laundry room and kitchen cabinets, dinner was just a heat and eat meal.

Chili, coleslaw

Tuesday: I spent most of the day in the laundry room, both doing laundry and sorting through a gozillion things that have been stashed in there waiting for someone to start organizing them (It seems like the only person who lives here and sees the need for getting things in order is me) 

Dinner: Meatloaf Mashed Potatoes, Collards

Wednesday: I was still in the laundry room. This time most of the cleaning/sorting was done in a large metal cabinet and the bookshelves. When I say I am touching everything I mean literally touching every single thing, which means all notebooks and binders, looking through every page to see what is a keeper and what is a tosser. There were a couple of joys Wednesday. First Sluggy called, and I talked to her while going through the cabinet. Laughing helps the workload. The second joy was finding things I had  forgotten I had. (like the chalkboard stickers that were actually on my shopping list because I needed some or a notebook full of short stories I had written years ago)

Another thing I realized while talking with Sluggy is that I have enough note cards to write a note to every single person I have ever spoken to in my life.  OK that might be a slight exaggeration, but I will never have to buy another box of cards again. Some of them went into the Exchange Club pickup box, but most of them are personalized and will be going nowhere until I use them. 

Dinner: TheHub called right before he was to go to a dinner meeting for work to let me know it was cancelled. Like that would make any difference to my dinner plans, which would be to scrounge the fridge for whatever was leftover. He opted to be a part of the scrounge plan and luckily there was enough for 2.

Leftover turkey vegetable soup

Thursday: Finally I had a day out of the house with My Beloved Sister when went to Independence Place. Volunteering there always makes my day better, and they seemed to enjoy making and eating individual pizzas. I had a couple of errand to run then settled into the remaining day reading.

Dinner: When I am gone most of the day, dinner is always something simple.

Conecuh sausage, sautéed cabbage

Friday: What can I say? The day was gloomy, I stayed at home, and cleaned until it was time to get ready for the evening.

Dinner: We planned on going out to eat and wound up at Mikey's, which is a wonderful restaurant with fabulous food and casual dress. It fit all three of my qualifications for the night!

Grouper Oscar, asparagus, salad (me) macadamia crusted snapper, salad (TheHub)

Saturday: We had a break from the rain, but there was still a slight drizzle with rare sun breaks. THeHub had some work he had to do for a non-profit he is involved with, so I did a little more sorting in the laundry room while actually doing laundry. We were both home all day (well TheHub did have to make one recreational shopping trip) and ended the night watching the Alabama/LSU basketball game.

Dinner: The break in the rain and warmer temperatures was a great night to fire up the grill.

Steak, potatoes (TheHub) , asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, tossed salad

Sunday: We woke to cooler (colder) temperatures WTH! I have only one dress that is truly warm and told the folks in my Sunday School class if it continued to be cold they would see me in that every week. After church we hurried home, ate a quick bite, and changed clothes before going to see a play. 

We have had  tickets to our Broadway touring season for years and have kept the same seats. The good thing is that they are excellent seats. The bad thing is that they are right under a vent which blows cool (cold) air on us. Normally I do not like to be bothered with a coat , but the day was raw, cold and windy, I decided to take a wool shawl anyway. I was so thankful I did because I could tuck it over my shoulders and wrap up in it while the cold air was blowing on me.

If any of you have an opportunity to see an Equity tour of Aladin, I cannot recommend it enough. It was a feast for the eyes and ears. I was not really happy it was on the schedule for this year, and went in it expecting something much less. I was wrong because it was spectacular. If you get a chance, do yourself a favor and go!

Dinner: After the play we met DIL2 and Son2 for dinner at The Pita Stop. We love seeing them any time, but especially after going to the theater. They also have tickets for the same day and time as ours, so we can compare notes while eating. 

Chef's salad, sauteed mushrooms and whatever they ate

Possible meals for this week:

1. Chicken divan, coleslaw

2. Spaghetti with meat sauce, tossed salad

3. Tom kha gai soup 

4. Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup

5. Big salad meal

6. Out to eat (We have events this weekend with meals included)

7. Out to eat

Update- Books read in January

Demon Copperhead

Paper Names

Symphony of Secrets 

Mardi Gras Murder (Because it's Mardi Gras time)

5 O'Clock Band        (Ditto)

So that is a wrap for the joys and foods this week. Eat well and look for your joys. They are always out there no matter how small.

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

* Once TheHub comes home, I call it a day with whatever project I am working on and we spend the evening together, talking or watching something.