The Bard said it best in his play "Twelfth Night"
"If music be the food of love, play on"
Let's skew his meaning a bit and see just where the love of food and the love of music takes us.
This was my list at the beginning of the year for things I wanted to accomplish this winter. I am using Hawaii Planner's green, yellow, red method of tracking my accomplishments for January. The green✓ means I am doing things like I intended. The yellow ✓ either means sometimes or it refers to a project I have started but is not complete yet. The red ✖ means I have not done a single thing and I suck at doing what I should be doing.
That said, I am allowing myself a little grace with any of the red ✖'s because this list was set up as a winter list rather than just a January list. Though, I do think every single list item should at least have a yellow ✓. Hope I do better in February.
1. Light a candle or use fragrance melts everyday. ✓
2.Bake something delicious every week ✓
3. Inventory the kitchen Get rid of things I no longer need, use or want. ✓
4. Look through and cull my cookbook collection. Cull the ones no longer used. ✓
5. Redo personal handwritten cookbook✖
6. Plan a joint activity with TheHub during the work week ✓
7. Do some self pampering ✓
8. Learn something new every day.✓
9. Start germinating seed for spring planting. ✖
8. Rearrange things around the house. ✓
9. Go through winter wardrobe and donate clothes ✓
10. Keep up with the laundry ✓
11. Organize all bathrooms closets Replace badly worn towels ✓
12. Schedule a documentary to watch with TheHub weekly. ✓
13. Volunteer. ✓
14. Play the piano for at least 15 minutes 4 times a week. ✖
15. Read a minimum of one book a week. ✓
16. Have lunch with friends at least 6 times this winter season. ✓
17. Each month contact someone I have not spoken with in a long time. ✓
18. Go to church regularly ✓
19. Laugh as much as possible. ✓
20. Maintain contact with my sons, DILs, and granddaughter. ✓
21. Try to not be petty. ✓
22. Have a road trip or day trip a couple of times a month.✖
23. Go to an actual movie theater once a month ✖
24. Have coffee at a coffee shop a couple of times a month. ✖
25. Enjoy every day, even if it is difficult. ✓
26. Be more approachable, and willing to talk with people I don’t really know ✓
27. Do something toward Christmas '26 each month ✓
28. Use existing products before buying more.✓
29. Start getting rid of excessive book collection ✖
30. Grab a Sharpie and write the expiration dates on all dry storage foods ✓
31. Use oldest frozen foods first ✓
32. Go to sleep earlier. ✓
33. Try to find a new hobby✖
34. Maintain a close relationship with My Beloved Sister ✓
Now I will see if I can't get rid of those ✖ marks in February.
Another week in January has come and gone. We have had everything from moderate temps to Sunday night's dangerously cold temps. In the time I was editing this post (about 30 minutes) Sunday night the temperature dropped 4 degrees.
Monday, Jan 19: It was much colder here than I like it to be, but I just felt normally cold, not the deep down "can't get warm no matter what" cold I was feeling Saturday and Sunday.
Because I was out of commission for the weekend I got to spend the larger part of Monday doing stuff that did not get done those days.
The kitchen needed some major attention, and did it ever get it. Next on the list of things to do was to work a bit in the laundry room.
I have a giant laundry room and it is where everything gets put until I either decide we don't need it, or find a permanent place for it to live.
I worked in it for a bit then decided I needed to take a long hot shower and do a little personal pampering. (Priorities, right?)
Once it was game time we settled in to watch the CFP final game. Wow what a game. Congratulations to Indiana University and any IU fans.
What I learned: TheHub and I happened on a Youtube travel video from the vloggers perspective of a Mennonite family who invited him into their home.
We have been going occasionally to The Dutch Oven Bakery about an hour from home, which is a Mennonite owned and run store. We thought it would be nice to see a bit more about how a Mennonite family might live day to day.
As usual, once we see something we do a deeper dive, and found the denomination was founded by Menno Simons, a Dutch former Catholic priest, during the Reformation movement. We did learn quite a bit about the origins, successive splits, and basic tenets, that I am not going to post here, but we both found it very interesting.
Dinner: When I did my meal possibilities for the month, I forgot to include ball game meals.
Sloppy Joe's, chopped salad
Tuesday, Jan. 20: I went to sleep at a decent time and woke fairly early. I figured I might as well start the day putting a load of laundry in while the coffee was brewing.
After coffee it was time to do another load, followed by another load, and another.
This turned into an at home work day and I did get much done, including more work in the laundry room. I'm glad I did because the next two days are dicey for getting anything but the barest minimum finished, and I like to get time consuming chores done when its cold and I don't want to go anywhere anyway.
What I learned: In the late afternoon TheHub and I watched a video about the Lakota Native American reservation. I learned a lot not only about their tribe but also about the nation itself. One of the most interesting facts though, was that members of different tribes cannot set foot in their tribal cemetery. This particular person in the video has a Navajo son in law who has to remain outside the gates for any tribe members graveside service. *
Dinner: Pulled pork, baked potato, coleslaw
Wednesday, Jan.21: I woke very early for me and I am not one of those early morning people. One of my rewards was seeing the absolutely gorgeous sunrise from start to finish. I think those of us who seldom see them really get excited at its beauty. It's kind of like those of us who rarely see it finally get to see snow.
I sat at the kitchen table which sits in a bay window and was able to also watch all the early morning critters. Squirrels and chipmunks were scurrying all over the place, and the birds were hunting their early morning meals. (Note to self, after the rains be sure to hang the bird food ornaments before the really cold weather gets here)
We have a gas fireplace which would not stay lit and had the repairman at the house before 9. Glad that was fixed!
It was class day, then I had a slew of errands to run before I came home.
After a late lunch at the house, TheHub and I went to The Pig. They had some sales that I did not need, but sometimes if the price is really good (or what is the new good) I will get it and freeze or store it for later use.
Next we ran to Costco. I needed gas and TheHub needed to go into the store (Recreational shopping! I don't even try to stop him anymore)
What I learned: I love Aaron Copeland's song Hoedown, but found there was a bit more to its origins than I believed. He was traveling in the Appalachians and heard fiddle player,William Hamilton Stepps, playing his rendition of Bonaparte's Retreat, transcribed it note for note and ultimately it found its way to his score for the musical "Rodeo".
Dinner: Leftover mushroom goulash over spätzle, tossed salad.
Thursday, Jan. 22: I woke, had a couple of cups of coffee, then got dressed to take My Beloved Sister to the oral surgeon. She had a small procedure, but the dentist likes the patient to be under twilight sedation, requiring a driver.
Either his office has no heat, or he likes to work under arctic conditions. I know it was not just me who was cold because about every 30 minutes his receptionist would ask who needed a blanket, then would bring them into the waiting room.
Fortunately it was a relatively quick procedure, and I was able to leave the dreaded cold room. I know it was not a terribly cold day (high 40's), but I swear I was warmer walking to the car than I was sitting in that frigid room.
I had planned to run into the store and grab whatever prescriptions she needed, but she felt fine and went with me. I did irritate her by making her hold on to a buggy (cart or trolly for you non southerners) while we were walking. Crazy of me right, after all she had just been sedated!
Because it was going to take a few minutes to fill the meds, instead of sitting there and waiting like normal humans, we shopped a little. (Chocolate ice cream after a procedure is a necessity isn't it?)
Amazingly, on the ice cream aisle they had reduced large 3 wick candles to 2 bucks. Because I am determined to scent my house everyday, and ignoring the multitude of candles I already own, 3 butterscotch scented babies jumped into the cart. I don't know how.
Once home, after dropping her at her house, I did a little administrative stuff, some laundry, and a bit of reading.
What I learned: TheHub and I have been following a young British couple's travels since they first arrived in the states**. In the evening we watched/listened to their take about their trip to Tombstone, Arizona. Naturally once they were talking about Doc Holliday, we did a bit of our own research of his life. Things I didn't know before: His given name was John, he was a successful dentist in Georgia, contracted tuberculosis and moved to Arizona for his health, became a gambler, sharp shooter, and friend to Wyatt Earp, and hooked up with his common law wife, Big Nose Kate, who indeed had a larger than normal snout..
Dinner: Shrimp Alfredo, toasted baguette (I had eaten a ton of veggies at lunch and TheHub did not want salad so I didn't bother making one.)
Friday, Jan 23: I woke early, had coffee and was reading when TheHub discovered a big box by the front door addressed to me. I knew I had not ordered anything that large. Curiosity got the best of me and I opened it immediately. We were surprised to find a big Peterbrooke basket filled with all sorts of chocolaty treats.
It turns out, this was a thank you gift for referring our financial advisor to another person. It was unnecessary, but will be enjoyed! Very much enjoyed!
I had planned on doing some meal prep during the day since I had no plans to go anywhere and had a couple of winter squashes that needed saving before they ruined. It resulted in spaghetti squash in nice strands ready to be heated for meals, and a roasted butternut squash pureed for a future soup. Later I made a huge pot of chili, and enough spaghetti sauce for at least a couple of meals.
The rest of the day was filled with doing odds and ends to the home front.
What I learned: Referrals to my stockbroker = chocolate. Anybody out there looking for one?
Dinner: Meat sauce over spaghetti, tossed salad
Saturday, Jan. 24: I slept pretty well, woke neither early nor late, had my coffee, and started doing some chores. After putting the first load of laundry in I started organizing a section of the laundry room.
Then I had a phone call with My Beloved Sister (we actually talk every single day), and talked with Son3 and DIL3.
DIL3's parents are going to be in Birmingham in February for a Porsche event at Barber Motorsports Park. It will be great to see them, and I need to get some restaurant reservations made well ahead of their visit.
After my phone calls I attacked the dining room. It was way past due for an intensive decluttering.
I started a box with things I no longer need nor want, then needed to get a bigger box. The buffet has 4 drawers and 2 cabinets. I was amazed at how many things I had either forgotten about or had no idea I even owned. It was pretty easy to get rid of much of it. I would guess I reduced it by a third.
Next I moved to the corner cabinets. Years ago I had them built into two corners of the room to store china, crystal, and silver. Sadly other things were stuffed into them and needed to be re-homed. The upside was finding a box of charging cords TheHub had put in there who knows how long ago. In fact we tore the house up looking for one of them last summer. I have no idea why I did not think to look through the china cabinet.
I did not get rid of any or the crystal or silver___yet, but got it all in order and rearranged so it will be easier to use. If a year goes by without me using something, it will be going out of the house next January. None of my kids want it and there is no reason to keep it just to keep it.
What I learned: I learned I have entirely too much stuff!
Greek style chicken, broccoli, cauliflower one pan meal
Sunday, Jan. 25: We got dressed and headed to our communion service, then went to our church's early traditional service, followed by Sunday school. It was pouring down while we were in the church. Since we had only a one person umbrella and I am a princess (not!), TheHub got the car and picked me up at the door. I only got a little wet instead of drenched. Many thanks, and trust me, I did thank him repeatedly.
Once home we called Son3 to see how badly the storm hit them. They were/are iced in but still have partial power. I did read that over 1,000,000 homes in the states are without electricity right now, so they were very lucky.
What I learned: Today I learned that the book of Job, when read in Hebrew, was actually written as poetry.
Dinner: Pot roast with carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, zucchini
Next week's possibilities:
Pumpkin sausage soup, salad, rolls
Chicken and rice soup
Crock pot beef brisket, mashed potatoes, green beans
2 cans Margaret Holmes okra, tomatoes, and onion (Sale)
2 packs cornmeal ( out of it and needed it)
2 pounds sausage (Sale)
1 dozen eggs (Weekly free item)
1 tin smoked trout (Trial )
1 baguette
Used from the freezer: (not making much headway there)
4 packs ground chuck
1 pack shrimp
1 pack cooked shredded chicken
Books read this week:
Less
Jingle
Have a good week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.
May all your weeds be wildflowers.
Anne
* I realize how nerdy TheHub and I must seem, probably because we are! But there are so many weird and wonderful things we never knew that are there for the taking that we can't resist!
**Jack and Paige are a young couple who travel the world. They have such a wonderful attitude about their explorations and seem to find positives everywhere they go. I wish the world had their attitudes! I know I need more positives around me.
If you want to check them out they can be found here.
***Tried the grilled mackerel for lunch one day. I ate it straight from the tin with a dollop of garlic bacon aioli and it was really tasty. The smell was a little overpowering though. Next time I need to rinse the tin the moment I take the fillets out. Though they sell it as a single serving I had lunch 2 days from it.
Some good things happened last week and there were some dull days. I guess you could say the week was a mixed bag of nuts.
Monday, Jan 12: This was another day I got little in the house done. I did sort through clothes and some of the stuff we have accumulated to have a pretty decent size donation for The Exchange Club for their next pick up.
I also managed to clean out one more kitchen cabinet.
TheHub and I had some business to discuss and needed to book our flights for our late spring trip. We got that done and out of the way. Now I need to plan a 3 week wardrobe for the trip. I am not very good at this!
What I learned: I watched a documentary about Anheuser Busch, and learned a lot about the history of the brand and also about the "beer war" between Pabst and AB.
Dinner: TheHub was not feeling great and just wanted some pasta. Fortunately, I had some jarred sauce to help it along.
Pesto pasta.
Tuesday, Jan.13: I began the day reorganizing my armoire. I realize I have too many clothes and need to purge. I have a Goodwill run planned for later in the week (or possibly next week) and needed to get everything I will donate before I go.
Got the armoire done and was ready to work a few sudoku puzzles when TheHub mentioned he was going to run to grab him some yogurt and wanted to see if I needed anything.
I went into the laundry room to see if I needed detergent. About once a month Publix has the brand I use on their BOGO list. The ad was expiring Tuesday and I had to see if I needed it or not. I made the mistake of moving things on the bottom shelf of the cabinet above the washer checking to see how much I had. I quickly saw I had more than enough, but once I started moving things, it was all over and I was hooked cleaning out both of the overhead cabinets.
And again, by the time they were emptied, I found stuff I do not even remember buying. And, don't even get me started on the candle stash. These are not the lovely scented candles I already have too many of, but tapers, votives and tea candles out the wazoo. When I start sorting I tend to count, though I did not count the tapers. Those were just wrapped in toweling sorted by color. The tea candles number 57, along with 62 votives. Why do I have that many? No clue! That does not include the pillar candles which have a box of their own, but they are larger and not as many fit in the shoebox they occupy.
And once you start organizing the cabinets the rest of the room starts calling.
What I learned: Never move things around in a cabinet unless I am willing to empty and clean the entire thing out.
Dinner: Mexican casserole (Made with ground pork, because I did not have on my glasses when I took it out of the freezer and couldn't read the label. It looked just like the ground beef.). It was so veggie dense I booted the salad I planned to serve with it.
Wednesday, Jan.14: I woke got ready for my Wednesday class but had an unplanned delay and would have arrived about 20 minutes late.
I did not want to interrupt them so I did not go.
Got DIL1’s birthday gift mailed, and did a little business planning with TheHub before heading to Pita Stop for lunch
I met 2 friends I went to elementary school with for a long lunch over food and conversation. MA and I have lunch about once a year, but neither of us have seen C in years. It was so nice to be with them. Lots of catching up and lots of laughs. We decided to do it again before MA leaves town. *
I got home in the later afternoon and hung out with TheHub for a while before going to The Pig. I know I said I was not going to buy anything for the freezer. I lied! It turns out I am helpless when it comes to bargains
What I learned: I learned about things going on in my friend’s lives and how important it is to stay in contact with or renew friendships with those I have known most of my life.
Dinner: Mongolian beef, rice
Thursday, Jan.15: I was able to go to my happy place today with My Beloved Sister. The last time I was with the Thursday group I told them we were going to make Brussels sprouts soup. I admit I enjoyed seeing the horror on a lot of the faces, but you never know what you do or don’t like until you try it. I attempt to get them to at least taste something different.
But Son2 had a brilliant idea which was a sneaky way of having them make something fairly healthy, tasty, and still incorporate the nefarious vegetable.
I had done all the chopping at home so once we started cooking each participant had a cooking chore to make the soup (wilting veggies, adding broth, herbs, seasonings, etc) As the mixture came to a boil, I added a single whole Brussels sprout to the soup, took it out once all the other veggies were nice and soft, then blended the veggies into a puree, added milk butter, cream and grated cheese. The result was a creamy, cheesy vegetable soup, and though I was true to my word about having “sprout” soup, they really did enjoy not having to eat it. (And I got to enjoy the deception)
I think next time I will make spinach the star, but will really use it.
What I learned: Because we have been watching 11/22/63 TheHub and I are doing a deep dive into Lee Harvey Oswald. He was an interesting (not necessarily in a good way) guy.
Dinner: I tried a new (to us) recipe and we really liked it.
Friday, Jan 16: I had troublesome legs cramps all through the night until about 4 a.m., and slept very little until then. As a result I woke later than normal. I am not one of those creatures who hope out of bed ready for the day. Instead I like to ease into the morning. Because I woke later, TheHub wanted to get out and do something. So much for easing!
We wound up only going to a couple of grocery stores. We shop Walmart's Everyday Market for most non-food items, but it is also where I find the best selection of Hispanic foods (Like La Crema)
and less expensive ultra low carb buns.
The store also carries a gigantic package of the toilet paper brand we use. Even before the toilet paper crisis during covid, I was overstocked with it, and since then I might have become a bit more obsessive. When I checked, we were down to only 10 rolls of the stuff, so by my metrics it meant we needed more. I was all in on stopping there first.
Next we went to Aldi, and stocked up on produce, general meal prep ingredients, and an abundance of chips.
I think TheHub has transferred his solo recreational shopping trips to include general grocery shopping with me.
I have mixed feelings about his "help". It bugs me to have someone with me, since I have been the primary grocery buyer for our entire married lives and I know what I buy and how I shop. Being there, throws a kink in my routine.
On the other hand, it is wonderful to have someone help me load the groceries in the car, especially at Aldi where it means bagging your own. I also never have to return the buggy (that's cart or trolly for some of you) to its proper place, and the biggest help is unloading everything once I am home.
Funny though, I am still the one who has to put it all away because I know where it goes!?!
Once home, we ate a late lunch then did our own thing until late afternoon when we watched another episode of 11/22/63. (I hate short daylight days and will not be happy until January is over. When it is dark this early, I tend to call the working day done.)
Later we watched a documentary from the perspectives of both a British and German pilot about start of WW2 and the Battle for Britain, and also from the viewpoint of a Polish Jewish teen who had joined the resistance. A lot of it had footage taken from inside the planes and was a little dizzying, but fascinating. And a lot of it had footage from the Warsaw ghettos which was horrifying.
What I learned: Watching the documentary gave me insights to the
mindsets of three different people's experiences during the war.
Dinner: We were not really hungry after eating the late lunch. TheHub had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and I had a piece of beef jerky.
Saturday. Jan 17: Personally I am happy this month is more than halfway over. I have never been a fan of January.
I slept a little later than normal but not terribly late, had a wonderful ease into the morning start to my day.
I did have one of my most dreaded household chores on my to do list. I hate cleaning the shower in the primary bedroom. And it was time for the super scrub cleaning, unlike the regular mini clean. It took a while but then was bright and shiny again.
The down side of cleaning it was the fact that I was sick 🤢, you know that green faced about to hurl kind of feeling.
The rest of the day was not so hot and I did very little.
What I learned: Don’t clean the shower when you’re sick at your stomach, (chemicals do nothing to help) and if you do, realize there is a basin handy for emergencies. (I made it through the final rinse)
Dinner: Leftover Mongolian beef, coleslaw
Sunday: TheHub woke me in time to get ready for our early services but, he had no idea I had been up a couple of times during the night and was still feeling squeamish. I stayed home slept another hour then woke for the day, cold from the inside out. It was almost like a reverse hot flash.
After a steaming hot shower I was warm until I was dressed, then I was freezing again, and was cold throughout the rest of the day, even wrapped in blankets and wearing a sock cap.
The day was spent with me mostly on the couch, sleeping on and off. I do know ballgames were played ( one basketball and one football) because when I would briefly open my eyes they were on the tv.
What I learned: Probably nothing
Dinner: Earlier in the morning I had but a pork butt in the crockpot. I am so glad I did.
Pulled pork, cooked cabbage***, toasted English muffins
1 can grilled mackerel (trying for the first time)
1/2 gallon Almond milk
2 cans green beans
2 cans whole potatoes
1 can diced ham (trying for the first time for adding to omelets)
1 can white meat chicken (I keep this for emergency meals)
fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic
ginger paste
garlic paste
hot dog buns
hamburger buns
rye bread
1 pack romaine hearts
2 cans tomato soup (TheHub's)
1 can pumpkin puree
Used from the freezer:
1 package ground pork.
1 bag minced mixed vegetables
1 bag riced cauliflower
1 chuck steak
1 apple hand pie
1 cherry hand pie
Books read this week:
Didn’t finish yet, so none
Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan or with no plan at all.
May all your weeds be wildflowers.
Anne
*MA and her hub have a house near the Florida coast, and they do what people with multi homes should do, and actually live there for protracted periods of time.
**Would have been better over spätzle but I had leftover rice from the Mongolian beef dinner in the fridge.
*** Meal plans change based on whatever produce is the best value. I made the original menu plan in late December and had no clue what prices would be. Meals moving forward will see a lot of cabbage because it was really cheap.
Well, the first full week of the new year is now in the books, and other than keeping the house smelling good*, reading a couple of books, and keeping up with the laundry, I have done little.
If I will just start . . .
Monday, Jan 5: I woke, had coffee, talked with My Beloved Sister then dressed for the day and headed out to eat with my good friend M. I keep in touch with her, but have not seen her is a few months. We met at a relatively new Thai place. They have a fairly limited menu but the food was outstanding. I will go back, soon!
This is the latest I have ever kept my Christmas trees up. They were stripped of ornaments, but I did not take the lights off of them yet. I have really enjoyed them this year, probably more than I ever have. It is a shame we have such beautiful things in our houses for such a short time.
What I learned today: I learned I am a techno klutz. I tried to synch the Ipad pen with my Ipad and have failed more than once. The instructions make no sense to me, but I am completely unaware of the technical names for everything. I need instructions like "press and hold the little doohicky on the top of the tablet". I just need a Youtube video for dummies.
Dinner: Navy bean and ham soup, bolillo rolls
Tuesday, Jan. 5: I was out of coffee filters and had to result to using a French press. I like the coffee but mine only makes 2 cups of coffee and I generally have 3 in the morning and have only had 2 for the past 2 days now. An under-caffeinated me is not a fun me to be around.
I finally took the Christmas trees down and packed everything based on what tree goes with what. It should make decorating easier next year. Unfortunately most of it is just stuck in the room which is approaching horror condition again. One day this week I must sort it all out and pack it in the closet based on the order I want to decorate the house next year.
I spent the day doing a bit of laundry and house stuff. I think I have mentioned several times here how much I hate housework. This was not a fun day for me, but I guess life is made of more days that are.not terribly fun than the blissful ones. Still, even though I dislike the process, the end result is very pleasing
What I learned today: Since we began watching Victoria, TheHub and I had to do some online research about her, most notably she was only 4’11”.
Dinner: We are almost finished with the New Years leftovers.
Ham slices, green beans, mashed potatoes
Wednesday, Jan.7: I went to my Wednesday class, and when it was over I swung by my sisters to pick her up. She wanted to buy something and needed another set of eyes and ideas before she purchased it.
After shopping, we went to the Thai restaurant I discovered for the first time Monday. Can you tell I love Thai food?
Though we started Victoria Tuesday, TheHub found 11/22/63 on Netflix. I read the book a long time ago, so there was nothing there I did not expect, but he really did like it. I think watching Victoria will have to wait!
What I learned: After finishing the book Secret History of ChristmasBaking, I learned about the symbolism found in various Christmas treats.
Dinner: Corned Beef and cabbage
Thursday, Jan. 8: This was a stay at home day for me, with laundry and general cleaning. Did I clean even one kitchen cabinet? That answer would be no.
Other than burn a candle did I do even one thing from my winter list? Why yes I did! I did have a phone conversation with a friend I had not seen or talked with in a long long time.
I did watch most of the last quarter of the Miami/Old Miss game. What an exciting ending!
What I learned: Though it hurts me to admit it to myself, I found I have not been as caring a friend as I should have been. I need to do better.
Dinner: Korean beef bowl over rice, tossed salad with ginger dressing.
Friday, Jan. 9: This started out as an overcast day that became a rain soaked one. I went no where and got very little accomplished. I have got to stop with the lazy days and become more productive.
We watched the Indiana/Oregon game, and I must say I am really impressed with IU.
What I learned: I learned how to make Cherry Bounce. I have it on my calendar to get it started in early September in time for Christmas gift giving.
Dinner: Greek chicken, Greek style green beans, new potatoes
Saturday, Jan.10: One of our long time friends passed away and his graveside service was scheduled for 10 a.m. We planned to go but the weather had other ideas. I texted his wife and told her we wanted to be there but it was pouring down. At that time the funeral home was not willing to change the arrangements to inside. She texted me back about 30 minutes before his scheduled service to let me know it had been moved inside. Unfortunately I had my phone ringer silenced and did not see the message until after the service was over. I hate we missed it, and have wonderful memories of good times spent with their entire family.
Son3 and DIL3 were coming to spend the night. After our change in morning plans, the day was spent getting ready for them, along with getting the dining room prettied up for dinner. My Beloved Sister joined us.
What I learned: DIL3 told us at dinner that her dad and possibly her mom will be in Birmingham in late February. It will be great to see them!
Dinner: DIL3 has a restricted diet right now and has an issue with debilitating stomach camps if she eats specific foods. It is easier for us to order takeout so she can get whatever she is comfortable eating. Everyone had something different.
Sunday: We woke and got ready for a large late breakfast meal. Son2 and DIL2 joined us so they could visit with Son3 and DIL3 before they had to leave.
They were leading the music for one of their friend's ordination service in the afternoon, then they had to boot it back to Nashville. It was a hit and run visit but we were very glad to see them. A bonus was getting to hear them practice. She has the most beautiful voice.
What I learned: After they left I went down a rabbit hole watching youtube videos about homemade Christmas gifts. I learned all about making both liquid and solid dish soap. I use the dishwasher most of the time, but I am going to try and make some for me to use for things I wash by hand.
Dinner: Vegetable soup, naan
Menu plans:Something from the remaining list or possibly something else entirely.
Crystal light powdered iced tea (not a necessity but I like to have them on hand and will only buy when it's BOGO)
4 bananas
Used from the freezer:
Small package of cooked corned beef
2 boneless chicken thighs
1 pack ground chuck
1 loaf sourdough bread
1 pack sausage balls
quart bag of vegetable soup
2 pieces naan
Books read:
Secret History of Christmas Baking
The Four Winds
Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.
May all your weeds be wildflowers.
Anne
*This is not original but I am sharing it. I have been burning candles daily, but they always have a small amount in the bottom of the glass which will no longer burn. I saw somewhere to put the container in the freezer for a couple of minutes then the remaining wax will pop right out. It then goes into the wax melt holder and continues to scent the main floor of house. I love not wasting the scent of great smelling candles!
**I am trying to only buy what we need for meals, and am not counting TheHub's yogurt obsession in our grocery purchases. His recreational shopping now is only about buying yogurt (I think he eats 4 of them a day. If he ate only one each day I would count it, but this is on him.)
With January beginning on a Thursday this year, this weekly update is a short one, just to get it back to a regular Monday recap post.
Thursday, Jan.1: NYD. My Beloved Sister, Son2 and DIL2, came over for lunch (which is counting as dinner since it was a full meal.
I stripped the Christmas things off the table and replaced them with a New Year/winter themed table scape. I used my Mother in Law's china which is has cool tones and a winterlike feel to it.
After we ate and laughed a little we headed to the den to watch Alabama get stomped and slaughtered by Indiana. Hats off to IU! They played well and were well coached.
Both MBS, Son and DIL left at halftime. They both had to get home to take care of their respective dogs.
After the blood letting Alabama game, we watched another episode of "Ripple", then turned on the Old Miss/Georgia game. After the fiasco with the Old Miss coach leaving before the season was over, I was glad to see them win.
What I learned this day: I had always believed I must never use soap on my cast iron. Turns out that was leftover from days when soap was made with lye and using it would strip the seasoning off the pots or pans. New Year's Day I washed my cast iron skillet, used for making cornbread with Dawn. (But I still oiled the pan after it was dry) Thank youYouTube video.
Dinner: Ham, black eyed peas, collard greens, cornbread, cheesecake (leftover from Christmas day)
Friday, Jan.2: My rear end was dragging. I have enjoyed the holidays, but the pace and lack of sleep caught up with me. I had a slow start to the day and stayed in slowmo all day. It felt great, even though I accomplished very little.
What I learned this day: I have been reading a book about old Christmas traditions and found that pigeon pies were originally spicy and sweet. I have no idea why that was interesting, other than the fact that at the time of sweet main dishes, sugar (hard to come by) was sold to the general public from an apothecary and was thought to be medicinal. It was doled out in small amounts (think about a teaspoonful). There was a big advantage to being wealthy as far as obtaining sugar went. They could buy it by the cupful.
Dinner: Air Fried chicken, potato salad, leftover collards
Saturday, Jan. 3: I slept later than planned, but did not sleep the morning away. I am not exactly sure what I did most of the morning but at some point I decided it was time to tackle another kitchen cabinet. This one stores all of my food storage containers. A lot of you might be appalled * at what I do, but I save Chinese takeout containers, sour cream containers, take out soup containers, and cottage cheese containers and reuse them to hold refrigerated leftovers.
I know if I had health department officials at my house they would deduct points for using what they term one use containers. In my mind they are "free" Tupperware or rubbermaid, the ones which are designated as multi use. My kitchen my rules.
During the course of reusing them, lids disappear or the bowls become wonky, so my job for the day was to make sure everything in the cabinet was functional and had a matching lid. The "old maids" were recycled.
And of course who starts cleaning cabinets and stops at just one? Before I knew what was happening I had cleaned 6 cabinets and 2 drawers. I found several things to add to my Goodwill pile, tossed some things and realized I will not need to buy aluminum foil or gallon freezer bags for at least 3 years. I also found a couple of things I had forgotten I own, like a pineapple corer and chef's torch. They are accessible now.
What I learned this day: This was one of those in your face learning days. 3 items I had on my shopping list were hiding in the deeper recesses of my lower cabinets. I have always known to shop at home first, but I learned the necessity of storing small items (especially those in a bottom cabinet) in easily accessible containers. Do you have any idea how far back an unopened box of sandwich bags can be pushed by other items?
After messing around in the kitchen for most of the day, I really did not feel like cooking.
Dinner: Chili which was leftover from a few days ago.
Sunday, Jan. 4: We woke and were headed to our early morning communion service when we realized we needed to go back in the house for a second. That small delay was the difference in making it on time or being late and disruptive. We opted to just go straight to the sanctuary so we were very early for early church, after which we went to Sunday School.
We ran by Walmart's Neighborhood Grocery to pick up drugs and a couple of things I needed, came home, and ate a quick lunch (it was not good).
TheHub watched football games and worked because that is what he does, and I read because that is what I like to do. After a celebration dinner**, we watched the last episode of Ripple.
What I learned this day: Our Sunday school lesson was based on the non-canonical books concerning immaculate conception, Mary's birth and Mary's Childhood. Some of the things that were mentioned I had never heard before.
Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.
May all your weeds be wildflowers.
Anne
*I do own Hefty, Ziploc, Tupperware, and Rubbermaid containers, but they are not as handy for storing small bits of leftovers. For example, one serving of leftover tossed salad fits perfectly in a sour cream container, which then turns into the bowl I eat it from, then it goes straight into the dishwasher. I usually get a dozen uses from those type of containers before they are no longer usable, and then they go into the recycling bin.
** Though TheHub officially retired in June of '24, he has done independent contract work continually since his retirement. He finished the gigantic year and a half project Sunday evening
***TheHub and I only eat half of a steak so we always share. We also split the potato because it was hugs, and shared the bolillo roll as it was big also.
I’m not a very good resolution doer and am not about to make one this year. Nor am I going to set a path of aims for the year. Instead right after Christmas, I thought about a few things I would like to happen this winter and made this list. They are in no particular order of importance, just thoughts that jumped from my slightly scattered brain. You will notice there is no mention of anything that even slightly feels resolutionish.
1. Light a candle or use fragrance melts everyday. I love the way the house smells when I use either, so why not do it everyday. I have many candles and I also have a wax warmer and a lot of wax melts.
There are so many times I think to myself why waste them on an ordinary day, but why shouldn't I? After all most of my life is made of ordinary days.
2. Bake something delicious every week. This is not limited to sweets or breads. There are tons of savory dishes that can be baked. This is a good time of the year to crank up the oven since the weather is colder and it does not create excess heat in the house, and can even warm my cold kitchen.
3. Inventory all kitchen appliances, gadgets, drawers, cabinets, baskets, pantries, fridges, freezers. Get rid of things I no longer need, use or want.
4. Look through and cull my cookbook collection. The ones I no longer use need a new home. If I am saving some of them and just use one or two recipes from them, those need to be copied, put in my personal collection of recipes book, and that particular book needs to find a new home.
5. Speaking of my personal hand copied collection of recipes book (things I have made for years, garnered from family members no longer with us, or copied from old newspaper articles, back when that was something printed in the paper), I need to redo it entirely.
The ink has bled on the pages and it is hard to read. I think it is probably time to actually use technology and have longer lasting access to old favorites instead of my hand written pages.
6. Plan a joint activity with TheHub during the work week (since he is supposedly retired). It can be anything from something requiring tickets or reservations, to just headed out with no real event in mind. There are free things to do around town every single week. It just requires searching for them and making a decision to go.
7. Winter is a great time for some self pampering. This is a good time to get my feet prettied up for sandal weather, home facials, body buffs, and what not.
8. Learn something new every day. This is not hard for me since there is so much I don't know, and the older I get the more I realize the scope of what I could learn, if I actively pursue it.
9. Start germinating seed for spring planting. We have a long growing season and seeds needs to be started pretty early .
8. Rearrange things in the house. It does not have to be total furniture rearranging, but I can move artwork around, put occasional tables in different places, move lamps, change out lamp shades. I just need to shake things up a bit.
9. Go through winter wardrobe and give away any clothes I am not wearing, or am not likely to wear. The same goes for shoes.
10. Do a better job keeping up with the laundry. For some stupid reason I do not mind washing, drying or folding, but I detest the putting away part. Part of the reason is the lack of space to hold them* because I have too many things I no longer wear occupying valuable closet and drawer real estate.
11. Organize all bathrooms and linen closets. Frayed and worn out towels need to be donated to The Humane Society for bedding and replaced with new ones. The January white sales are a good time to do that buying.
12. Schedule a documentary to watch with TheHub weekly. We both like history, so this should be fairly easy if I will just do it.
13. Volunteer. I am a regular volunteer at Independence Place, but I need to find some additional place to serve.
14. Play the piano for at least 15 minutes 4 times a week. I would aim for daily but it probably wouldn't happen. 4 times a week is realistic.
15. Read a minimum of one book a week.
16. Have lunch with friends at least 6 times during the winter season.
17. Each month contact someone I have not spoken with in a long time. Out of sight, out of mind should not happen with people who have had meaning in my life.
18. Go to church regularly, both to services and some of the other offerings our church has.
19. Laugh as much as possible. Laughter is a gift I need to use everyday.
20. Maintain contact with my sons, DILs, and granddaughter.
21. Try to not be petty. I can be, and it is an unattractive trait.
22. Have a road trip or day trip a couple of times a month.
23. Go to an actual movie theater once a month just to get out of the house and be among the living.
24. Have coffee at a coffee shop a couple of times a month. I love coffee and there is something charming about sitting unhurried in a coffee shop with TheHub or a friend for some slowed down conversation time and people watching.
25. Enjoy every day, even if it is difficult.
26. Be more approachable, and willing to talk with people I have only spoken to before. There are a ton of people I only have a nodding acquaintance with that I am sure I would like to get to know beyond saying "hello".
27. Do something toward Christmas '26 each month
28. Use existing products before buying more. I have lotions, potions, cleaning products, and laundry items coming out my ears. TheHub and I both agree we need to empty whatever we have before adding to the accumulated hoard. I could shower twice a day for a year and still have body wash left over.
29. We both read almost exclusively digitally now. It is time to start getting rid of a lot of our books. At last count we had over 1K and they are just taking up space.
30. Grab a Sharpie and write the expiration dates on all of the foods I have in dry storage. This house has a regular closet pantry, a butler's pantry and I have additional cabinets in the laundry room that house our food storage and I have a lot. I do not automatically toss food that has passed it exp. date, but I do like to use the oldest first.
31. See above in relation to food we have stored that is not frozen. Using it first is important. I am a sucker for deals at the grocery store and need to clear (or at least minimize) my stash before buying more.
32. Go to sleep earlier. I have not been getting enough of it, so I need to start being in the bed by midnight instead of my usual 3 a.m. bedtime routine. It’s not like I do a lot that is productive in the wee hours anyway.
33. Try to find a new hobby. I think I might give crocheting a try. I’ve never done it and was totally uninterested when Mom was still here and could help me. Instead I am going to have to rely on YouTube tutorials.
34. Maintain a close relationship with My Beloved Sister, including her in as many things we do, as she is willing to be a part of. Phone calls daily go without saying.
I know there are other things I did not think of, but this is what I hope happens this winter. I am sure once we get through the middle of March and the weather changes, my aims for springtime will change a bit.
* I have a large walk-in bedroom closet that I share with TheHub AKA the clothes horse. He "owns" 2/3 of the closet and the entire dresser in the bedroom. That leaves me with 1/3 of the closet and the armoire. Even if I were truly fashionable, I don't have the space to be.
