In my home this week, we are seeing the year through to the end. I cannot say I'm sorry to see the backside of this year. It was, in its own way, as difficult as the year that went before. Just a different sort of difficult than we had in 2020.
Shabat/Christmas was quiet and lovely. I enjoyed it very much as did John. We had a lovely dinner, which was delicious and of which we had plenty of leftovers. One doesn't go from planning for 4 or 5 and end serving 2 without leftovers. Never mind. We added them to our freezer and will make extra meals using those items.
I have made my resolutions for the year ahead and while they look different than resolutions I've made in years past, I feel I've chosen the right thing for me. I didn't try to shape the year by projects and extended plans that will affect the future. Instead, I have planned to shape how I face the year. I think, in light of the past three years, this is the better plan!
I have enjoyed the week I took 'off' and feel far better than I felt at the beginning. I'm afraid that TMJ reared its head once again, affecting the other jaw and ear, but I seem to be on top of the pain. There is nothing half so wearing as being in constant pain.
Work:
Undecorate the tree. I won't have much to do this year to remove decorations and that's a fact. I want to take off the ornaments from the tree. I'll take it down entirely on Friday. I shall miss the gentle light. I'm going to try and make time to just appreciate its beauty this week.
Mop the floors if I can get to them. It all depends upon Caleb. If he's in the mood to nap, then he shall nap. If he's not, then we shall just work on having a quiet time of lying down.
Yes, I shall have Caleb this week and that pretty much precludes everything. That's quite all right.
Prune back the rosebushes. I'll try to do this today (Sunday). I don't imagine I'll get outdoors to do them this week otherwise.
Go over checkbook and bring it up to date. Make out bills.
Get some end of year paperwork attended to.
Kitchen:
Last week I did a full inventory of all but the kitchen cupboards. As I plan meals this week, I want to dig into the cupboards and see what I have that I should use. I'll alter meal plans based on my findings.
In January, I shall begin a pantry and freezer challenge, as I do each year. We made many changes this past year and aside from some eggs and produce and cheese, I won't need much. I have shelf stable milk; I make bread weekly, so we should manage without any hard need of the grocery store.
In years past, I've used my savings to restock our freezer and pantry but this year I won't do that. I may purchase excellent sales/clearance items for the pantry, but I have no room in the freezer. I do have plans for the savings I'll make in this month which I'll share later.
Tentative menus:
Corned Beef Hash, Green Peas
Mac and Cheese, Green Beans Creole, Salad
Shoebox Supper: Alpine Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Peach Salads
Hot Dogs with Sauerkraut, Home Fries, Apple Slices
White Chicken Chili, Cornbread
Twice Baked Potatoes, Tossed Salad
Quiche, Asparagus
Personal/Leisure:
John and I have been watching Downton Abby together most evenings. He's gotten quite involved in the series this time. I expect that we'll finish it up this week. I also have the movie that came out a couple of years ago and I want to finish off the week with that so he can see how their lives went on.
Read Little Women. I started it several weeks ago but never completed the first chapter. I really want to read the book. Have you seen Jennifer L. Scott's series about homemaking lessons she's learned from the Little House books? Well, she's just done a two-part series on Little Women as well.
Relax. Just plain relax. Things will get done. Nothing is worth stressing over!