Happy Homemaker Monday, A New Week

Happy Monday! I feel like we are having a delayed start to our New Year’s over here. I know it’s the 3rd week of the New Year (already!). However, since the boys all had Covid-19 (I might have as well but never had any major symptoms, a minor headache one day, being tired a bit…which could have easily have been caregiver fatigue), it seems as if we are just now starting our New Year with the holidays behind us. At least that’s what I’m pretending.

 

Of course, it wasn’t like everyone being sick was a huge extra holiday. It did delay our return to routine and the excitement of a fresh New Year. So, I’ve decided I’m treating this new week like the first week of a New Year. Complete with starting over on the New Year resolutions I didn’t really make (see my list of 22). Tomorrow (since today IS actually a holiday), I’ll focus seriously on drinking my water, eating less crap food, etc.

Today, I’m taking it easy and refreshing the house a bit. Changing out the bedding, laundry in progress. And of course, working on this post so I can join in with Sandra over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom.

The Weather

Winter arrived over the weekend. Cold and snowy! Of course, it’s supposed to boomerang back up to almost 50 tomorrow and plummet to 15 on Thursday. Still on the roller coaster.  I prefer the sunny, warm days but the snow does make everything pretty.

How I Am Feeling This Morning

Ready for a return to some type of a routine. And in the mood to clean and clear clutter away.

On The Breakfast Plate

Bacon and biscuits (husband cooked), coffee, and vitamins. Need to go drink some water.

On My Reading Pile

Went on a bit of a reading binge last week/over the weekend. Finished The Secret Garden, now one of my all-time favorite books. Might break down and order a hardbound illustrated copy like the one from the library. Read one called The Nanny by Gilly MacMillan, it was one of those creepy fun suspense kind of novels. When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain was a bit predictable I thought, found myself more interested in the secondary plot than the main one but it was a fairly quick read. Dark material though as it dealt with the kidnapping and assault of young girls. Also a dark one but well-written was Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan. *Spoiler Alert* The neighbors are not good. Not at all.

On My TV

Husband and I binge-watched Kobra Kai, I’m still enjoying it, he’s on the fence about it. Tried to watch the new 2020 version of The Secret Garden but it was so far removed from the book, I couldn’t finish it. A dog in place of Ben Weatherstaff? I don’t think so! Then, why stop at one bad movie…I watched The Eternals. I did finish it but was unimpressed (and seriously, a love scene in a Marvel movie? It’s brief but still UGH). Sad when the 2nd end-credit scene was more interesting to me than the entire movie.

To make up for bad movies, I watched 3 good movies, one a classic. Guardians of the Galaxy, needed some humor. Then Shang-Chi, worth your time if you’ve not seen it yet. A very well-done story. And finally, at J’s urging since I’d never seen it, I watched Citizen Kane. Very good and of course, worth your time.

Other things I watched: Joe Millionaire, at least I expect that to be bad, guilty pleasure tv. Next Level Chef, despite saying I wasn’t watching any more cooking shows, I’m intrigued. And the NFL playoff games including watching my Chiefs beat the Steelers. I did wish they’d have let Ben Roethlisberger have that last touchdown pass.

On The Menu

Now for the hard part of the weekly planning…

Still trying to clear out the freezer a bit

MONDAY: Chicken strips, either cooked from freezer or homemade, just depends on how the day goes

TUESDAY: Ribs in the crock pot *Carryover because I keep forgetting to thaw them*

WEDNESDAY: Baked ravioli (in bag in freezer), salad

THURSDAY: pork chops (already cooked in freezer), baked sweet potatoes

FRIDAY:  Homemade Pizza *I work 7:45-4:15*

Looking Around The House

It’s okay but I’m feeling the need to spring clean even though it’s only January

To Relax This Week I Will 

spend some time with the huge pile of gardening and seed catalogs calling my name

From The Camera

Last Friday, before the storm arrived, I went out, took a walk, and did a little “house-hunting”. The trail at a local nature center had a wooden gingerbread house display (families and organizations paid a fee to charity for a cutout to decorate).

 

Something Fun To Share

On a whim, I’ve been trying to learn Swedish on Duo Lingo. I can now tell you I’m eating bread and drinking water in very broken Swedish. J helped me and said a better way was to change you-tube to Swedish. And while playing around on there, I found this fun video. (It’s mostly in English as it’s an Ed Sheeran interview of sorts)

On My Prayer List

An end to this virus, for the numbers to decline (our local community is at a 41 % positivity rate!), the health care workers, those who are struggling with any aspect of this awful virus, a peaceful week. Friends, family, and strangers.

Quote For The Week

I have to share this quote again since it is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

**********