Sunday, March 5, 2023

Hard Day of Progress

 After less than two hours sleep, the cleaner came. We only worked in my bedroom and the bedroom with storage and junk. I was barely able to go on. 

She changed my bed first. She cut and put paper in the drawers of the dresser and chest of drawers. Later, she suggested she could put my clothes in the drawers. That was a big help. Lots of things are sorted. I have a huge bag of clothing outgrown in the last year. No, I will keep it to wear when I lose just a bit of this fluid. Tommy was really surprised at the room she uncovered. 

We worked in the other bedroom. None of Christmas was in boxes, just put in the room. So, we got that done. I hadn't even gotten out all decorations from the year before. It was all consolidated, thanks to her. Only a few items are still out, but on top of the red bins. 

Three years ago, I bought a huge duffel bag with Halloween items. I took it out and used much of it. The costumes were still there. So, she took the costumes home along with other Halloween items. I kept the realistic looking pumpkins, the only reason I paid three dollars for the duffel bag. One can be lit with bulb. My pumpkins were $1 each. They will decorate the living room. Next year, I will get a fake pumpkin for the porch. The fake poinsettia has saved me money, along with the artificial Christmas tree. 

When she cut the shelf paper for my bedroom, I pointed out a small, folding table I bought from Sam's. It helped her to do the chore more easily. She then took it to kitchen were I had her set it up for indoor plants. 

Her backseat and trunk were filled with things for donations and item she could keep. Tommy had four Sam's tshirts that he let go. Many things he saves are not things he is hoarding and will not let go. Most are things he has just not given away. 

Since the best toothbrush ever is discontinued, I have been beside myself. I found Tommy had two unopened ones. So, they are mine. He does not floss and I hate mint, so the mint samples are gone. 

She dusted the living room, making it look so much brighter and cleaner. 

When she left at 2 pm, I was beyond exhausted. I needed lunch. Finally, at 3:30, I went for a nap, telling Tommy to wake me at 6:30. He could not get me to wake up, so left me until 7:30. We put chicken and potatoes in the oven and had dinner. He had slaw. potato and green beans with baked chicken thighs. I had baked breast, half a small potato, and green beans. He rinsed and soaked the green beans, so they had less sodium. 

You know I have said I like all green beans. Well, I did find a brand that had a gross taste. On Friday, I think, I found another I could not eat. Unfortunately, I threw mine away. They were so soft, they were not palatable, mushy! The date was 2021, so, maybe just too old. I doubt it. Have you ever had mushy green beans? 

We have a busy Monday. I struggle to make it through a busy day! 

Tommy is in the kitchen emptying the dishwasher and cleaning up the baking pan and making sure the chicken juices are in the garbage where they won't leak. He saves the liners of cereal boxes to contain the juices. Yes, I could cook with the juices/broth, but I have saved too many pints only to throw out the contents. 

We have a large shamrock for the front door. It was bought on sale several years ago. I do give a bit of homage to all holidays. Will you recognize St Patrick's Day at all? Do you celebrate? 

20 comments:

  1. I do have a st. pat's table decor on the dining room table and we will have some traditional Irish meal on the day, while we listen to Celtic music, but we don't really celebrate

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anne,
      The decor is all I will do for sure, and that is minimal. No, I don't celebrate, either.

      Delete
  2. Glad you got so much done on Sunday. It sounds like your cleaning lady is a great help to you. No I don't celebrate St. Pat's day. Just another day in my book! Hope you get some rest today.

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    Replies
    1. Cheryl,
      She is a gem, a self-starter. She does not need a lot of direction in most things. I put up my shamrock on the front door. I am done.

      Delete
  3. So nice to see you had posted today. Sounds like you and the cleaner got a whole lot of work done. The homestead must be looking nice these days!

    It's great that you have a table for your plant experiments. I have been wanting to do some seed starts myself. I have 2 picture windows with a southern exposure--maybe I wouldn't need to buy grow lights.

    We don't celebrate St. Patricks except by way of food. I will cook a big corned beef in the crock pot and roast the potatoes, onions, carrots, and cabbage in a separate casserole dish. I ladle a cup or two of the corned beef stock into the casserole dish for some seasoning/flavor. Any leftover corned beef gets made into Reubens and hash. Oh, and I will bake a loaf of Irish soda bread, because the stuff at the stores is so dry and crumbly. I don't eat it but DH loves it.

    There's no crime in not saving juices/stock. If you don't use it, no need to go through all the extra work and nagging "Gee, I should do something with that stock!" feelings of guilt.

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    Replies
    1. Sue,
      It does and does not look better, but definitely less cluttered. There are new places to walk.
      There are no windows with Southern exposure that I am allowed to open the curtains. Besides, that window is far from the kitchen and down the hall.

      That sounds like a delicious dinner!

      I have given up on feeling guilty for things I cannot do with my energy level!

      Delete
  4. We have corned beef for St Paddy's day.

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  5. Sounds like your cleaning person is a gem---she got so much done for you. When will you have her back again?

    I do very little decorating anymore---have given most away. Christmas is the most---Easter and Thanksgiving have a few small items. Since my children and grands live far away, I have stopped with all the decor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lejmom,
      She gave me a date. We will see. Just a bit of decoration is enough for me.

      Delete
  6. I am so happy you have someone helping you clean and organize.

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  7. We always make Reuben sandwiches. Yum, I can't wait. Ranee MN

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  8. We used to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the kids by having them build Leprechaun traps, which they would set out on St. Patrick's Day. night, before they went to bed. They never caught a Leprechaun, but he/she always rewarded their efforts with a sack of chocolate coins, or Junior Mints. As they got older, the day was just about a slow cooked corned beef with cabbage, with either a chocolate cheesecake, or Guinness cake for dessert. I have a green and white St. Patrick's Day quilt I made, which I set out in March, but now, other than the food, that is the only celebration I do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meg,
      I never heard of leprechaun traps, but the reward is great. I think celebrations do change when the family changes, which is okay by me. I like the idea of a St. Patrick's Day quilt.

      Delete
  9. I have a confession to make......and a decision that I will have to deal with.

    I still have a corned beef in the outside fridge that I bought last year!

    With John's illness and death I just didn't cook it. It is way in the back of that fridge. The package looks as good as the day I bought it. Absolutely no swelling. So now I must decide if I should toss it out without cooking it? Or should I throw in in the crock pot and see what happens? Several years back I had a frozen one that was probably 2 or maybe even 3 years old. I cooked it and discovered that it had absorbed so much salt that it was WAY too salty to make sandwiches with.

    I'm leaning towards throwing it into the crock pot and rolling the dice to see the results.

    I have a couple of inexpensive St Patrick's day decorations that I hang on the front door. I also have a small pottery shamrock that says SLAINTE that I hang in one of my kitchen windows.
    (“Cheers” in Irish is sláinte which is pronounced a bit like “slawn-che”. Sláinte means “health")

    When my children were young I used to serve them green food on St P's day. One year I served green oatmeal. I must have used a tremendous amount of food coloring. That wooden spoon that I had stirred it with was Green for about 10 years after the event.

    Have I told the story of shutting the door from the house to the garage on my index finger ....TWICE. The nail is almost ready to fall off. My Dr. sent me for an X-ray and guess what .....I have a fracture! Which is a story in it's self!

    I hope you are feeling better! I think that the medication adjustment that my Dr. suggested has increased my stamina.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janet,
      You can tell me about the confession when I call next.
      I think green oatmeal sounds like fun. I only have one St. Patrick's day decoration. I should have more like the ones you described. Fun.
      Meat that old? Are you sure it won't kill you.
      You told me about the finger smashing spree you had. We both cringed over that story. I have never had a nail come off. I hope that is not painful or bloody. It makes me hurt everytime I think about it.
      Pray tell, what did the doctor adjust? I need stamina.

      Delete
    2. The confession was that I have a One year old corned beef in my garage fridge!

      Update the nail is off. No pain, blood or gore. Actually it is much less painful / irritating. It feels less pokey.





      now that it is off. The area is still tender

      Delete
    3. Janet,
      LOL...I would not eat that.

      I am glad that is all well without the fingernail. I had a loose toenail that was pokey. I was happy when it went.

      Delete

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