October 13, 2007

• Productive Saturday

  This isn't the most interesting note I've written, but I thought I'd document some progress I made around the house today.

  I had stuff lying everywhere from recent purchases earlier this week that left me too tired to put all but the basics away.  I had four or five sacks of canned cat food on the floor outside the kitchen door and, today, those were organized by flavors and put in the cupboard.  That made a huge improvement.

  I persevered with the kitchen and filled the dishwasher and washed the big items by hand and left them on towels on the bar to dry.  Then, emptied the dishwasher and put those dishes and the items on the bar away. 

  I had purchased some minor fall floral decorations earlier in the week and the sacks holding those things were all over the dining room table.  I arranged the stuff in a "how I think I want it to go" pattern (still with price tags affixed!) and set the fall flowers (in a white casserole dish with handles) on the marble glass chest in the foyer.  Then I arranged fake apples (red & green) and oranges in an oversized, very large cylinder glass vase.  I will add some fall colored leaves and florals to fill in the gaps where the fruit doesn't meet.  The fruit also has price tags stuck to it, but at least things aren't spread everywhere on the dining room table.  Then, I wrapped a few little gifts for a friend of mine - the one who turned 50 yesterday.  I feel bad that things will be late, but being sick left me no choice.  I had actually purchased stuff WAY back BEFORE I got sick!  The wrapping paper box and ribbon box had been sitting on the table for most of the week with the floral stuff.  Things look more orderly now!  A vase of fruit with leaves and flowers stuck in the top and a fall candle burning.  It won't be long before it all looks "right" again!

  I had new clothing items that needed to be washed before we wore them.  Those things had been sitting on a chair by the kitchen bar for almost the whole week.  Long denim skirts from Old Navy for the girls and I, 2 school uniforms, 3 black sweaters, and several uniform blouses.  I did Jesse's laundry, MY laundry, and those new items.  It took me all day - but it's all done now.  We've gradually moved from children's hangers to full size hangers for the girls and it looks like I'm going to have to buy more hangers.  The supply is dwindling!

  I fixed a simple dinner of baked chicken breasts that I put a Mornay sauce over when I served, some flavored rice with vegetables in it, and a tossed salad.   I had made 4 loaves of Amish friendship bread yesterday and that was our dessert.  Cinnamon bread and chocolate chocolate chip bread with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  The girls helped clear the table and, since the dishwasher was empty, clean up was a breeze.

  Rissy vacuumed for me today.  I still can't be around the dust or exert energy to push a vacuum through the house.  Rissy even went to the guest room and our bedroom and did the den twice.  She's been watching Emily vacuum and has learned how to empty the canister when it's full of crud.  Looking at the cannister of crud, and realizing it has to be emptied 3 times whenever we vacuum the whole house, makes me think we must be the most filthy people in Oklahoma!

  I will tackle the older girls' sheets and the master bed sheets on Monday.  There is a wrinkle in the bottom of MY side of the bed that drives me crazy each night.  If you don't understand my wrinkle problem, please refer to my last Thursday Thirteen post!  Anyway, I think the culprit is the mattress pad is pulling up off the mattress and taking the sheet with it.  The elastic seems to have stretched around the sides and it just doesn't stay put after 2 or 3 nights.  I will look through the Penney's catalog for a new one, as this one from Target or WalMart isn't doing its job.

  Of course, I'm exhausted tonight.  But, it's a good feeling.  I don't have as MUCH clutter haunting me!  I think I'm going to lie down in bed (the one with the wrinkle on the bottom of MY side!!!!!!!!!!!) and either watch HGTV or start a new book.  This afternoon, while resting in between chores, I finished the fourth and last story from one of my Reader's Digest books.  Now I'll pass it on to Tangi, then Stephanie. 

  What to read next????

  • 9:19 pm
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