Getting a bit of a later start on this holiday Monday. We’ve had a busy holiday weekend doing quite a bit of stuff.
As I drove home from work on Friday, I pondered if 4:30 would be too soon to switch into my pajamas. However, my husband and youngest actually had plans for us to go eat the junk at a local festival for dinner. So no clothes changing but no cooking either. Worked for me.
Saturday, we took Chip and delivered him to a sweet family that lives on acreage for him to be their outdoor cat. The kids were so excited. Unfortunately, he bolted into a wooded area behind their house. Hopefully, he’ll come back to them or their neighbors in a few days. (Pro tip: Don’t name the stray cats you aren’t planning to keep! Chelsey is back to being the happy queen of the castle around here once again. However, I admit to missing my little under the feet all the time outdoor guy.)
Yesterday, my husband and I got up early and borrowed my brother-in-law’s boat to go fishing at a conservation lake about an hour east of town. It was busy and the fishing wasn’t great but it was still fun. 
A nice little weekend and an extra day today to relax or do all the things. Planning my week as always by joining in with Sandra over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom for the Happy Homemaker Monday Link Up. And new categories for a new season!
Breakfast time…what is on the plate this morning
Cinnamon rolls from a tube, then I needed my usual protein so chocolate trifecta flip yogurt and vitamins
Looking around the house
I see so many spaces I want to clean and organize. The fall cleaning/organizing bug bit.
On today’s to do list
- Clean out and reorganize fridge (Labor day tradition, I’ve cleaned all of it but the doors. Plan to reorganize as well)
- Grocery store (Don’t want to go…SIGH)
- J’s baritone lesson tonight
- Outdoor stuff (moving a raised bed planter to the front porch to see how it works, replacing herb garden wall with mums. Finding a home for the herbs. Maybe trimming back lavendar)
- Dollar tree trip for stuff to organize fridge (Note: husband thinks this is nuts but I have ideas I want to try)
Currently reading
Too many books at once. An e-book, I’m almost finished, called The Clutter Connection: How Your Personality Type Determines Why You Organize The Way You Do by Cassandra Aarssen. Colletta from Colletta’s Kitchen Sink mentioned it one Monday and I was intrigued. I’m so glad she did as I’ve found the book so inspiring! It’s kind of like a five love languages book except for organizing. There’s even a quiz to find your organizing style. (I’m a ladybug and my husband’s a bee, polar opposites, unsurprising!)
Then for fun, I’m reading Heart of Junk by Luke Geddes as well as Electric City: The Lost History of Ford and Edison’s American Utopia by Thomas Hager.
On the tv this week
I need to do a serious evaluation of all our streaming services. That said, I downloaded a free 7 day trial of Discovery plus so I could check out Hot Mess House (tv show hosted by the author of the book mentioned above) and a few other home/garden/cooking shows. Hoping I have time. Watched the old Westworld movie but have sort of lost interest in the series. And also re-watched Dr. Strange with G. Not sure what else I’ll find if anything to watch.
The weather outside is 
Not so hot, thank goodness. Yes, this summer loving person just said that. It’s still warm though. Mostly mid to upper 80’s, cooler evenings. I can do that. We had a few good thunderstorms over the weekend Thursday into Friday and Friday into Saturday, so no need to water gardens for a few days.
On the menu this week
Honestly, still at a loss with this. It’s as if I’ve lost my menu planning ability!
MONDAY: Pasta salad with odds and ends vegetables (see fridge clean out on to-do list) and grilled chicken *J has a lesson at 6:30*
TUESDAY: Grilled pork chops, baked potatoes *I work 8:30-2 or 3?* *J has early morning band practice*
WEDNESDAY: Waffles, bacon *J has early morning band practice*
THURSDAY: Chicken strips (from frozen if I work, homemade if not), Fries *J has evening band practice*
FRIDAY: OUT-Subway, tradition *First football game of the marching band season, hooray for a season!*
If I have a few minutes to myself, I will
Be outside messing around with the flower garden areas.
New recipe I tried, or want to try this week
Sadly, none of us were really a fan of the crunchy lemongrass chicken. I’ve never seen G spit any type of a chicken dish in the trash after one bite. He apparently hates all things lemon-chicken. The rest of us thought it was okay but not a keeper dish (especially for the work involved in chopping lemon grass sans a food processor).
One of my simple pleasures
Wandering around outside and seeing what I find in the flower/vegetable garden areas. Two things I discovered yesterday, a monarch caterpillar and a black-and-yellow garden spider! 
Favorite photo from the camera
My sunflowers all fell over but they’re still blooming! 
Praying for
The wife and family of my husband’s friend who recently passed away, a dear friend from high school and her husband as her father-in-law passed away last week, for a semi-normal if not completely normal and healthy school year for all the kids, Afghanistan, those dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Ida as well as those in the path of the wildfires out west. That Chip returns and finds out how much that sweet little family wanted him. For those in the world and this country to be kinder and gentler to each other, remembering the traits of respect and compassion.
It must be something about fall – I always get a “nesting” bug too and start cleaning and reorganizing. Actually I think I get the bug with EVERY season 😀
Wonderful photos as always! Love that zig zag spider! Glad you and hubby got some lake time even of the fishing wasn’t great. Glad you found a home for the cat, but you’re right, once you name them it’s hard to let them go.
I hope you have a wonderful week!
Tamy recently posted…HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY week 37 of 2021
Thank you! I am really missing the cat, funny because he was driving me up the wall each day but now it seems so quiet when I go outside since Chelsey hasn’t quite decided it’s “safe” to come along with me all the time yet. She’ll get there though. It’s definitely spider season here, so many outside (no complaints about them when they are OUTSIDE, LOL). Hope your Tuesday is off to a terrific start!
Oh and I thought the lemon chicken would be a hit! you have me rethinking about trying it.
I’m with you in the the cleaning and reorganizing… getting things done before the Holidays.
Beautiful picture of the lake.
Have a great week
Lucie recently posted…Happy Homemaker 2021-09-06
Thank you! Our family is fairly picky so you still might enjoy the chicken. And to be fair, I did cheat and replace some of the lemongrass with zested lemon (I got tired of trying to chop the lemon grass…). Yes, the holidays will be here sooner than we think though I’m not ready for those thoughts quite yet. Happy Tuesday!
Hello Lovely Lady!
I’m with you about cleaning and organizing too. I get the Spring cleaning bug each year and a minor version of it in the Fall before being in to hibernate all winter. Lol
I forgot to post it – but I’ll try to remember next HHM. There is a movie out now called CODA (stands for child of deaf adults) and it has Marlee Matlin in it. But the son/brother in it is the real life son of one of Annie’s teachers! He’s been in other productions before too. And he came back to our area for a special premiere of the movie. Annie went with her friend and saw her teacher and her son (his name is Daniel) and Annie got photos with him! She said the movie was amazing. It’s streaming on Apple TV. I’m thinking of getting Apple tv just to watch that movie but there’s other series on there I’d like to watch too. And apple is one of the less expensive ones too.
Love your photos this week!! The bug ones are amazing! Blessings on the rest of your week. xo
Carrie@northwoods scrapbook recently posted…Happy Homemaker Monday (Tuesday edition)
Apple TV is one we haven’t tried yet though I see some series on there I’d like to watch as well. One thing I’ve discovered this week (on accident) is that if I pay annually for some of these streaming services, the price goes down usually by about 20 % so I may cancel everything and then, just do annual subscriptions to the ones we keep. And those subscriptions might end up being Christmas gifts 😉 Actually, G said he’d pay half of HBO Max if I kept it so that might not be a bad idea. The bugs especially the spiders are busy decorating for fall around here, I guess. Hope you have a great weekend!