Happy Homemaker Monday ~ A Day Late

I'm so not used to this new work schedule for my husband.  It's crazy on Sunday's.  We had plans to take a motorcycle ride to de-stress, and due to morning must-do's, we never got one in.

The garden however, is tilled.  Not but us.  We literally had to hire someone, and it was done in about a half hour. 

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather . . . 

Rain, 75°/52°, looks like we'll linger around the upper 70's all week, but will have to dodge the rain to plant.

As I look outside the window . . . 

see above, rain...

Right now I am . . .

Posting this.

Thinking and pondering . . . 

...which part of the kitchen to start with this morning.

How I am feeling . . . 

Exhausted.  I asked Daughter E if she would help  me plant my tomatoes.  She has to work.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Leftover Southern Sausage Enchiladas with homemade sausage gravy.  Coffee.

On my reading pile . . .

Trick or Treat Murder, Leslie Meier

On my TV this week . . .

1883

On the menu . . .

Have no idea, will work on this today.

Yesterday was super busy.

Looking around the house . . .

We continue to have no order due to the kitchen project.  Soon....soon, I keep telling myself.

To-do list . . .

-paint kitchen

-laundry (using drying racks)

-dishes

-pay bills

-write out menu

-check asparagus and rhubarb

-clean air conditioner vents/filters

-either bake a peanut butter pie or rhubarb dessert

From the camera . . .

We inherited a huge amount of assorted nails, screws, nuts and bolts from my Dad.  I was super excited to open a bag of screws, thinking they were just what I needed, only to find out they were too thin in diameter.  My husband could not believe, in all that stash, there was not one of the size I needed.  The screws that came with the drawer knobs are too short for my desk drawers.  Yes folks, this is what is on my camera.

Prayers . . .

Our biker friend who had surgery is out of the hospital, but still needs prayers for continued healing.

Egg Shells in the Garden

 

All those egg shells from the breakfast I made, plus more, made their way to the garden area where the tomatoes will be planted.  I don't even crush them up, because the tiller does that job.

We have not turned on the AC, although it's been hot and humid.  Mainly because I have not had time to clean the vents and filters yet. 

Heat and Eat Breakfast ~ Painting Progress ~ Asparagus

My husband and his crew are getting taco breakfast burritos.  I had to cheat and use tater tots vs. real potatoes, but it's their heat and eat meal this morning.

I spent the entire day painting.  I have officially used almost an entire roll of frog tape.  The trim on the ceiling takes the most work.  I have a second coat to do on one window and start on the very last window.

Window blinds arrived, but I'm only ready to install one for the moment.  I am still doing painting on the wood above the window and sink area.

My new drawer knobs arrived.  I have to buy longer screws for the desk drawers, but what an amazing new look with just paint and knobs.

Before

After, but still in progress

I'm still painting floor trim and corner trims, so those in the back ground are the darker wood I am painting white.

Our asparagus is still coming in.  So thankful for that.

 

Hooky ~ Shortages/Businesses Closed and othe ramblings

 

We've been having beautiful weather lately.  My garden starts are loving it too.  I'm just starting to get worried about getting the tilling and planting done.

I played hooky and went to the "big city" and had lunch with my bestie from high school.  It was nice for a change, because I have been so busy in the kitchen lately.

I'm seeing more businesses closed, and I'm seeing more shortages of different items as well.   I may need to make my own ricotta.  The last few times I needed some, I had a terrible time finding it.  I filled up the truck yesterday - $4.30/gallon.  Toilet paper we typically by on sale for $7.99 was on sale for $13.99.

I tried a new recipe - Lasagna stuffed chicken.

Organic chicken is very expensive as well, but my husband loved it.  Recipe is online with The Stay at Home Chef.

Nice weather ~ Painting and purging continues

 

It has been nice weather to get the laundry and bedding out on the line.  I had it out early and painted for 3 hours.  Painting trim is a pain, but I am getting more done if I stay home ha ha!  I'm almost done with the upper cabinets.  I have about 3 to go, and paint the doors as well.  Four doors went back up last night. Progress is being made.

I know we are ripping out the carpet, but I wanted to spot clean in case we sell the other 2 pieces of furniture.  Put the plants out to harden, and totally forgot to put my mail in the mailbox.  Oops.

I got to enjoy a few minutes of porch time and could smell my lilacs all the way out there.  I went and cut some before they were gone for the season. 

I picked a bit more asparagus.  Hopefully it will be a side dish in a few days if I get enough.

I worked in the master bath, purging another cabinet.  I think I have a few drawers to go, but more progress there as well.

New Kitchen Gadget ~ Coffee Cubes and other ramblings

Not very often, but when we have leftover coffee, I freeze it into cubes for my husband's coffee (he likes to cool it down enough to drink right away).  You lift that white tab, and pour it right it.  Works great.

Prices on everything are going up.  We paid $8 a package for brats to grill on Mother's Day, gas was $4.09 last week and is up more this week to $4.19, propane went up, and many more things.  

I saw beautiful hanging baskets a few days before Mother's Day and didn't buy them. Went back after Mother's Day and nothing left.  Hmpf.  I should have known better.  I went to Menards, and the same situation.  Plus their prices are horrible this year.

I'm so happy I can use my clothesline to lower our electric bill, plus the laundry smells so good.

Asparagus ~ Garlic....where did it go?!

It's going to be a warm, gorgeous day today.  We'll hit the 80's.

I picked more asparagus, so I roasted some last night with rosemary.  Oh my gosh!  Delicious!  So much more flavor than from the store.  It's been a year waiting for this bounty.

My favorite garlic to plant in our area is Music garlic.  The first year we spring planted, and every year after that we fall planted.

I'm so depressed.  I went out to the garden to start prepping for the year, and found all of my garlic eaten but 3.  My guess, from research, is that a squirrel (or more than one) was the culprit.  Never in all the years here has this happened. Rabbits, deer and ground hogs do not like garlic, so I am just guessing.  They have plenty of black walnuts to provide, so I am stumped as to why it happened, other than the smell of the dogs is not out there anymore (guess I'm gettin' a dog).

I want to now spring plant my garlic, so it cost me an arm and a leg to order some to plant.  I didn't record how many I planted last year for some reason.  I think it was a crazy fall due to my husband's sister passing away from covid, and Mom's health declining. 

I typically plant 80-100 cloves, so this is a tremendous loss with organic garlic.  It's just such a shock, because nothing likes the smell of garlic.  We toyed with the idea that I forgot to plant them.  I did not.  I remember planting.

We toyed with the idea that someone stole them.  Ha ha!  Actually, it's not such a crazy idea.  Every day for the last two weeks a car has been stolen in the city about 12 miles from us, and now they are breaking into chicken coops.  Seriously.  Stealing kids bicycles, and more.

I plan to pull the pea fence.  We didn't get any planted with this crazy kitchen floor repair, and we need to till that area as well.

I finally got the carpet spot cleaned from Daughter K's dogs being here, and laundry put on the line, but got zero painting done.

I believe it's finally time to call an exterminator, unless someone has a sure fire way to trap those big bumblebees (a LOT of them).  I've tried every year, and they get worse every year.  Yesterday they were swarming the doors of the house and porch.  I cannot for the life of me find the nests, but I'm guessing they are by one of the barns, by they way they swarm over there.