Bringing Order to Life

I've been busy at home since my vacation. I need to get fully moved in, unpacking all my boxes, putting my stuff where it belongs, and getting rid of clutter.

So far, I've worked on more basic chores and errands. I cleaned the kitchen, did quite a bit of laundry, set up regular lawn mowing for the season, and picked up my new glasses and prescription sunglasses.

I also have more gardening to do. I planted my annual flowers, green beans, cucumbers, and cilantro, but I need to plant my squash. The problem is space and support. I've got potting soil and some containers, but probably not enough-- another raised bed would come in handy now. However, I'm going to restrain myself, even if I have to refrain from planting some of the seeds I purchased. If I don't want to exhaust myself and my bank account, there has to be a limit. Next year is time enough to add more beds if it seems necessary.

On a different topic, I have to say the flooding in Nashville makes my heart sink. Thankfully the number of lives lost were few. I know other places in the world have been harder hit by flooding in recent years, but the difference is that I've been to Nashville. I have some sense of what it looks like under ordinary circumstances; to see places like the Opryland hotel submerged in muddy water is really sad. I can't imagine having to clean that mess up or deal with the damages and repairs over the next months and beyond-- ugh!

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Ready Radishes?

My radishes sprouted 20 days ago, so I was hoping a few would be mature enough to harvest now (but judging by the foliage, I doubted it). Still, I pulled one up this morning. A lovely scarlet root, but not a plump radish. Ah well, I knew I was being impatient. I did wash and eat it, and it tasted spicy. Another 10 days I reckon.

I have 17 carrot seedlings growing, and true feathery leaves are showing on some.

Yesterday's lawn mowing threw all sorts of clippings into the raised bed, which makes it a little difficult to see emerging sprouts. Hopefully those bits will wither and turn brown quickly so that I can see when my next crop of lettuce appears.

Definitely need to water today-- for the seeds' sakes mostly.

Today's going to be another busy day of chores and errands, even though I've started kind of late.

I need to shop for some summer clothing. I only have one pair of ginormous shorts and multiple way-too-tight capris that need purging from my wardrobe. I can't wear pants through Kentucky's sweltering summers unless I'm ensconced in a chilly air-conditioned office.

By the way, here's a photo my mom took of her birthday lava cakes.


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Busy Day

I've got someone coming to mow today, thanks to my Mom's arranging, so I need to prep the yard a bit. I have to rope off the area where the tulips are growing, trim the excess weed fabric from the remaining bed, and remove the netting for the moment-- I don't want him entangling himself or his equipment in the portion puddling over the sides of the bed. Plus, I may not be at home to give directions or warnings when he arrives. This will be the first mowing of the season, and the yard sorely needs it. There's a 30% chance of showers though, and it does look a little cloudy and dark. Hope it gets done.

I have an appointment with an optometrist. It's been 3 years since my last checkup. I need new glasses that aren't so fragile, and then I'll have the current ones for backup. I also need prescription sunglasses. I've never purchased any before because of the expense, but I think it will be a worthwhile investment in headache prevention.

It's also my Mom's birthday, and I am planning to bake Molten Lava Cakes and take them to her. I first made them earlier in the year (January maybe? Before I started this blog). They are wonderful and surprisingly easy to make. I have to find my recipe though; it's buried in an avalanche of papers in my knitting room. I can't even remember the source of the recipe that I finally tried-- I have several in my collection. If there are any leftover they can be frozen then nuked. I want to try that and see if the frozen ones are as good as fresh. The only thing they needed to be perfect was a little vanilla ice cream on the side! ;-)

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An Interesting Day

I woke up at 5:30am to the intermittent beep of smoke alarms. The sound has a certain quality/pitch that cannot be ignored (at least by me). So I got up to investigate, figuring they probably needed new batteries. I thought I'd just remove the drained batteries and then replace them at my leisure. However, even with batteries removed the alarms continued to beep. So in the pre-dawn hours I drove to Wal-Mart to buy fresh 9-volts (and to escape the nerve-grating noise). But after I returned and installed the new batteries, the smoke alarms continued to beep!

During all of these efforts, it hadn't occurred to my tired mind that the alarms must have another power source, but a friend responded to my Facebook help request (thank God someone was awake), giving advice that jogged my thinking. So I headed for the circuit panel in the laundry room and cut the power to the three bedrooms and the hallway (which is unfortunately on the same breaker as the dining room and part of the kitchen). At last, silence reigned!

An electrician that my mom recommended is due here first thing Monday morning. I'm glad he responded to my request so quickly!

So I've spent the day in partial blackout conditions in order to have peace & quiet. I made myself tea, boiling water in a pan on the stovetop instead of using the microwave. I always use the microwave timer to remind myself when the tea is finished steeping. I set the timer as usual and then it occurred to me that if I could set the timer, that meant the microwave had power. I bust up laughing at how silly I'd been. ;-)

But no Internet! The wireless router is on a jack in one of the bedrooms. A real loss-- no Facebook friends for company, no quick lookups of info (such as garden frost warnings or farmer's market times), no emails or job searching.

And only one kitchen light-- so I made dinner in the dark: salmon with a marmalade-chipotle-five spice glaze. The glaze was mild-tasting-- pleasant but nearly bland, but the salmon itself was delish. (I've eaten so much seafood lately-- can't seem to get enough!)

And no movies! I've about "musiced" myself out listening to all the songs on my iPod that I enjoy-- I'm "full" now! I seriously considered moving the TV and DVD player into the living room where there is power. But surely I can live one day without a movie??? ("My name is Angel, and I'm a movie addict...)

I've played a lot of solitaire on my iPod today too; I'm up to $51,000+ in winnings. (Lest my readers fear for my sanity, it has taken more than 3.5 months to reach that level.)

I did some chores: dishes & laundry. I quick-read a magazine and a cookbook (which is where the salmon recipe originated). I also napped for three hours, making up for the time the smoke alarms stole.

And naturally I keep flipping powerless light switches on. Can I just say that I'll be glad to get back to normal?

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A Quiet Movie Day

I was awake for a couple of hours in the middle of the night and didn't feel well the whole morning, so this was a low-key sort of day. I did two loads of laundry (towels) but didn't fold them. I watched the following movies (and simultaneously played on my iPod): the rest of The Guns of Navarone, Westward the Women, In Harm's Way, and Jurassic Park.

My dad delivered leftover fried chicken and mashed potatoes with white gravy, so that made a good lunch. Thanks, Mom!

I did an evening garden check and discovered that one carrot seedling is showing which is remarkably rapid growth, but then we've had the weather for it!

Here's a picture of the mesclun which I'm growing in cut-and-come-again fashion (so I won't be thinning it).


I also took a picture of a wild corner of the yard (which technically doesn't belong to me, but since there's an empty lot next door, I'm claiming it for the time being).


I love the various greens and the contrast of the redbud branch. Plus, the area is tucked away so it seems like a secret garden.

God lifted my spirits this evening, and I am expecting and looking forward to a better day tomorrow.

"Love is right here, love is alive, love is the Way, the Truth, the Life, love is the river that flows through, love is the arms that are holding you... love never fails you."
-From the song performed by Brandon Heath entitled "Love Never Fails"

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Animal-Proofing

Yesterday I did some errands then selected a book to read while eating my lunch; the next thing I knew, it was dinner time! (It was a nonfiction health book, not particularly suspenseful; sometimes I overfocus.)

I took a lovely dusk walk to stretch out the kinks. Someone was barbecuing, and the smell of the sauce was torturously wonderful. Maybe my mom will make some BBQ chicken for us soon. (I can make it, but I think it tastes better when she does it.)

Anyway, my gardening time was a short period just before sunset. All I had the opportunity to do was to cut and secure some bird netting over each bed with the corner stakes assisting; however, I don't think it's going to be effective at animal-proofing. In fact, I may have given the cats a comfy hammock to curl up in.

I woke this morning at 4:30am, scheming about other possibilities: What if I...? Maybe I could try...? Would it work if...? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of using...? Since my brain was definitely awake, I got out of bed shortly after 5am.

It's going to be a rainy day, so I can scheme to my heart's content, but in all likelihood I won't be able to try out any plans today. That's okay though. I need to wash dishes. ;-)

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St. Patrick's Day

Had a good day yesterday. Did some errands-- checked in for 6-week unemployment review, paid vehicle tax and registration fee, and bought the last of the compost for the raised beds I plan to build today.

Celebrated St. Patrick's Day by making Martha Stewart's Irish Beef Hand Pies (okay-- not great) and watching The Quiet Man (a family tradition). The movie has some really funny and charming moments. Definitely enjoyed it!

This morning I've had my tea but need some breakfast and have a few things to attend to such as filling out & mailing my census form, loading the dishwasher, folding pajamas, etc. But AS SOON AS POSSIBLE I'm headed out to the back yard to build and fill my raised beds with the potting soil I will mix-- while enjoying the "abundant sunshine" forecast for today!!!

Image source (edited):Backgrounds app
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Family Stories

After this morning's resolution, I did try to get some things done. I was able to check off all but 1.5 of the important things on my list before the evening meal (including the task of sprucing up the bathroom). I'll roll the unfinished items over to tomorrow's list.

With the aid of another Martha Stewart recipe, I improvised dinner to use up one remaining pork chop-- at least three adaptations were needed since this was an impromptu meal that I hadn't shopped for. The result was quite edible though-- braised red cabbage and slices of yellow-fleshed red potatoes with a seared then braised pork chop. A one-pot meal but the cooking did take some time. Luckily, I started early-ish.

But today's best activity has been reading three family stories that Ree Drummond shared about her brother Mike on her blog, The Pioneer Woman. She posted them one at a time which built up the anticipation. The first is probably my favorite and is called The Oyster Incident. I do love her writing! ;-)

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Priorities and Persistence

I do plan my days out-- at least a general outline-- usually with the help of my iPod. And it's a reality that plans have to change to accomodate situations that arise unexpectedly. I'm fine with that.

But at home, I tend to let myself get sidetracked from my goals and objectives by more pleasant diversions. Clean the bathroom? Gee, all of a sudden a game of solitaire sounds like a great idea. Do my taxes? That will take all day-- maybe I'll just ___________ instead. And so time goes by and my plans go unrealized. But really, I am sacrificing something greater for something of secondary importance. I wish it weren't so tough to stay motivated and to do the best thing.

What's funny is that I'm not like this at work. I put all my tasks on Outlook, and I do even the unpleasant tasks-- with a sigh or a frown perhaps, but I do them. Maybe it's having others depend on me or judge my performance. I don't know for sure, but I do know that I want to be diligent in the way I spend my life; sometimes that means resisting the temptation to procrastinate. Being a stay-at-home person tends to magnify these habits of thought and behavior.

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Catch-Up Account

I need to wash dishes, shower, and do some errands, but I've had insufficient sleep for 3 nights running; all I really want to do is crash.

The TMD specialist I saw yesterday sent me home with the equivalent of a fat book's health reading and an appointment for next week to adjust my bite guard. I read some of the info last night, and already discovered a few new facts.

I also stopped by a branch of the Louisville public library. I borrowed some great books: Deerproofing Your Yard and Garden, Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd, and a DK sushi book that's downright amazing! Coincidentally, Ree Drummond (who's blog I follow) has posted an account of a sushi night she hosted (which I just discovered this morning). I decline to eat raw seafood, but I think sushi-making is in my future-- a wonderful intersection of art and cooking and eating!

When I got home, the garden supplies I had ordered the previous day were waiting on my front porch. I was astonished and thrilled-- now that's service! I sent an email to Gardens Alive to thank and compliment them.

I did end up with a bad on-and-off tension headache for which I took Tylenol. I also took 2 whole sleeping pills instead of 1.5 as usual but still awoke a couple of hours early-- with a bad tension headache. I took Midrin, and thankfully that seems to have given the headache a kick in the rear. Now if I could just summon some energy.

I did call the unemployment office to get information about financial assistance for medication. I'll have to go to the appropriate office and apply as soon as possible. $165 for a 1-month supply of one medication (no generic available)-- yikes!

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A Busy Morning

This morning I did order two more types of compost over the Internet. Lucky me, it only cost what I would have paid in a store because I had a $25 coupon that took care of the shipping. Those supplies will arrive in two weeks or so. Now I need vermiculite.

I did a load of dishes then a little cooking/baking. A Facebook friend posted a recipe for Bacon, Cheese & Egg Biscuit Cups. I didn't have sufficient bacon, so I substituted breakfast sausage. They taste good, but since I did it ALL from scratch-- even shredding the cheese-- it was a time-consuming recipe to make. By the end, I was ready to toss 'em in the oven come what may. Of course, this may have had something to do with being awake since o'dark-thirty!

I ended up having to sleep a few hours, doctor's orders not withstanding. I was so tired and so painfully keyed up at the same time.

It's funny, I've got my night stash and my plan to sit quietly in the dark if I awake in the middle of the night. But when I woke up at 3:45am, the plan didn't even occur to me. I flipped on the light switch, ambitions and schemes racing through my head, and started singing. I was revved. I wonder if the author of Restful Insomnia has any ideas for that scenario. I still haven't finished the book; I've been reading my way through it incrementally.

Image source (edited): 

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-eobVPdeATMlp6JLaCKar8kgMKY9JX2ldUUgCsowbu9mhbkBzTpXiV-dtmJKoOGaiI82cd51ovEDzTwvB2r7HI2Ro21D8ATfNu_JoiMnnNEcIMrzVkTPn-5KICffiF8AKAkgYmKcFBA/s1600-h/P2153559.JPG

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Mostly Chores But...

I did some baking today-- which I can't afford to do often if I want to reach my weight loss goals; I have to restrict myself to cooking instead. But today the kitchen was clean, and I had "no-sugar-added" apple butter on hand; it was the perfect time to try Mini Whole Wheat Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Glaze from The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great by Pam Anderson. The author brags that you'd never know the muffins were made with whole wheat flour, and that little sugar is needed for the muffin batter because of the glaze.

Well, the muffins aren't bad, but I think the texture is a dead giveaway that they're whole grain-- they're a little too soft somehow-- not al dente to appropriate pasta terminology. And, the sugar may be minimal but the fat is not-- about 5g per mini muffin! It's always a trade off between sugar and fat when it comes to baking. The recipe does call for oil rather than butter, so at least the fat is not the saturated variety. And whole wheat flour means a little more fiber and some trace nutrients that white flour lacks.

I only made enough glaze for 3 muffins, because I planned to freeze the rest. Good thing, too, because I don't care for the glaze; it's just powdered sugar plus milk-- with a bit of cinnamon and a drop of lemon juice for flavor (but it still tastes strictly like powdered sugar-- kind of chemical). I think the glaze was a futile attempt to convert something wholesome into something decadent; better to just enjoy the muffins for what they are-- warm and cinnamon-y and 100 calories each (with or without glaze).

I am proud of myself for only eating the three I had planned to consume. As soon as they were cool, I packaged 2 per baggie and whisked them into the freezer. With a piece of fruit, they will be a nice afternoon snack/small meal to tide me over until dinner time. Or, one muffin plus a cup of yogurt will be a satisfactory light breakfast until my mid-morning fruit snack. It's always helpful to have goodies in the freezer-- "Frozen Assets" according to one cookbook title.

Baking is also a pleasant way to spend a day of snow flurries-- domestic and cozy to counter the cold.

Miscellaneous

I did a bit of everything today--

• errands--prescription pickup, library book returns
• chores-- fell UP hill after retrieving an errant wind-blown garbage can from the "valley" plot next door-- not painful but had to launder my mud-smeared coat
• knitting-- a lacy ear warmer headband using leftover yarn
• gardening-- the armchair planning variety-- thinking about building, filling, and planting raised beds
• movies including An Affair to Remember for Valentine's
• Olympics-- video snippets of yesterday's opening ceremony

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Getting on Track

I woke up pretty close to on time (first occurrence in about a week), experimented with the Evernote iPhone app, finished up my live online pop culture class, did a load of dishes, and took out the trash. I'm taking a snack break right now, but I have some more chores on the agenda. I want to clear the board so that tomorrow I can get to job searching; I've been remiss in attending that while feeling poorly, but it's time to get back on track.

Image source:

www.picturesof.net/ _images/Vintage_Style_Woma...

It's 1pm... Do you know where your To Do list is?

The title is a parody of a commercial my family used to see on the Armed Forces Network (sole English TV channel) when we lived in West Germany. The commercial actually said, "It's 10pm. Do you know where your children are?" Sadly, I think there were parents who were clueless and needed to be reminded about good parenting via commercial.

Anyway, shortly after I got up this morning, I got a call from Lyrasis, reminding me that I'd signed up for a course for librarians about keeping up with popular culture. I hadn't forgotten that I had signed up, but since I was fired, I thought maybe someone else from the library should attend the class in my place-- I think the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives pays the registration fees. However, since they phoned me, I opted to attend.

I've now finished the first day of the class and need to get on to other things such as showering and heading to the grocery store-- I'm out of fresh produce and dairy products among other goodies. Fortunately, there's no snow on my car, although I may slip and slide on my way out of the driveway. I also need to wrestle the garbage cans to the curb for tomorrow's pickup. The cans have wheels but with the snow...

I can't wait until this white blanket melts completely. Today's temperature should get high enough to take care of it, I'd think. If not, we're due for rain soon and that ought to finish it. Me, I'm longing for spring, spring, spring! I guess that's appropriate for Groundhog Day. ;-)

I was a SLUG yesterday...

I woke up at some ungodly hour-- 5 am something I guess. I played with my iPod a bit, but by 10am, I was a zombie-- staring into space, all thoughts seemingly suspended.

I know I'm not supposed to nap, but I did-- even knowing I might pay the price of insomnia again another night. It was either nap or spend the day as a zombie, so napping seemed the lesser of the evils.

The rest de-zombified me, but I still achieved nothing yesterday-- I didn't even get the dishes done. Ugh-- pile up. I actually kind of like doing dishes. I put on some music and sing my heart out. However, I hate when it takes 2 dishwasher loads to clear the sinks. Well, it's my own fault, so there's nothing to do but suck it up.

Amazingly, I not only slept through the next night but overslept, waking up this morning at 10am. YIKES!

I have got to END my two-day slug streak.

Image source:

blog.oregonlive.com/ kympokorny/large_slug.JPG

I realized that even though I can't always follow a 9-5 work schedule, my body appreciates some semblance of a schedule-- regular sleep and eating hours are good things for a balanced life. I need to make the effort.

Where did today go???

I cleared clutter from a couple of kitchen counters (there's a tongue twister!), spruced up the appearance of the dining room china cabinet, and finally put a picture in a frame I've had for ages.

Then I got distracted from today's agenda-- I transferred photos from my laptop to my iPod and played with a couple of photo programs for a long timeless time.

I came back to my senses only when I was starving. I cooked an emergency dinner (microwaved cheesy grits followed by roasted bell peppers).

Image source:

www.cookthink.com/ images/Article/171/171_.jpg

What I need to do now is get back to my plan to make a "hole" among the boxes piled in the living room so that my mother and brother can deliver a recliner to my house tomorrow while I'm at work. (My mom is giving the chair to me since she's remodeling the room it was in. Lucky me!)

The bad part is that now I'm pooped, but I've left the important work undone. :-[

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Today's Chief Accomplishments

How many librarians does it take to change a light bulb? Just one BUT she has to get a stepstool, empty out dead ladybugs, and drop light fixture parts, so it's kind of complicated. ;-) In any case, I now have 60 more watts in my knitting room. (P.S.- Personal bias: ladybugs are NOT cute whether dead or alive.)

Image source (edited): 

www.howardedin.com/ articles/ladybugs/lb6176.jpg

I did two loads of dishes (yesterday's and today's), having cooked a so-so bean & pasta soup for dinner with 2 servings leftover for the next few days.

Tonight's entertainment = a screening of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Rather crude but also funny with a sweet ending. Enjoyed it but won't be buying it for my movie collection.