Monday musings & the week ahead

On the Memorial Day honoring and remembering my Dad who was in the Army Air Force during WWII. He served as a flight engineer on a bomber in the European Theatre. I'm glad he doesn't have to see our government and democracy being devastated after what he and so many others went through to defeat Hitler and his allies.

Nothing on the schedule this week except Pilates until when we fly to Palm Springs on Saturday. Since there is just one non-stop Southwest flight from Oakland on Saturdays, we are on the same plane as our son and DIL. Hubby rented a small SUV to take the 4 of us to the home exchange condo to meet up with our other son and DIL who will drive from Pasadena and bring breakfast food, etc.

We plan to all go out for dinner on Saturday and then go to the evening drinks and nibbles event for wedding guests that starts at 8. The wedding starts at 5 on Sunday so I'm sure we will come up with something to do the rest of the day. Back on Monday early afternoon to a hopefully happy pup. Our neighbor is not only dog sitting but offered to take us to the BART station on Saturday as it is the best way to go to the airport. She is very kind.

Our dinners last week were nothing special!

• Bob's Red Mill veggie soup subbing spinach for zucchini and green pepper for celery, cornbread
• Turkey burgers, sliced tomato, boiled red potatoes, broccoli
• Babysitting the girls at their house. Takeout Mexican.
• To each their own - I still wasn't feeling too well so I had a small omelet with leftover broccoli and potatoes plus a small piece of toast. Hubby had a leftover turkey burger and mixed veggies.
• Trader Joe's potstickers and large dinner salads
• Broccoli, red pepper and Italian sausage over pasta plus parmesan
• Chicken with BBQ sauce, mashed potatoes, peas

Monday musings & the week ahead

I’ve decided I need to push through getting some things done instead of not being as focused.

This past weekend I poached 2 large chicken breasts which also produced a batch of chicken stock. One was shredded and the other cut in slices. Half a shredded breast went into a chicken and black bean enchilada casserole which is 2 dinners. The rest went into the freezer along with leftover tortillas, cheese and enchiladas sauce for a future casserole. 

Chicken chef salad and a chicken stir fry will be on the menu in the future too. I also made a big pot of veggie soup which will do a couple of dinners and some lunches.

I painted 15 swatches of paint samples on the patio - 5 different colors in 3 different locations to check against house/trim and flagstone/gravel colors plus different lights. We think we have a winner so I enlarged the main swatches of the top 2 and will live with them a while. 

I also just went ahead and tried ironing the creases out of the dress I am wearing to our niece's wedding. After reading up on how to steam a dress,  I wasn’t ready to learn how using this one. The creases are mostly gone and who knows what being in a suitcase will do to it anyway. As my son says, “It will be fine”.

I also drove to the mall to do the last batch of returns. The American hobby of shopping was in full swing despite the current economic uncertainty. I think I am fine for clothes for the rest of the year though and really am not interested in ordering online or going back to the mall for the forseeable future.

Looking ahead to this week:

We are babysitting both girls the evening of the annual gala fundraiser at the nonprofit DIL works for as head of development. Then, pending the 8 year old’s social calendar, we are having her over Friday evening for parents' date night while the 2 year old stays at daycare for kid’s night out.

Otherwise just at home exercise as my Pilates trainer sprained her ankle. I also have my biannual bone density test. Not that time with the grandkids won’t be fun, but I would like to add something fun for me and/or us.  

I’ll probably focus on pushing to have as little as possible on the endless to do list to rollover into June however.  Possibilities are to clear out the old computer, finish cleaning kitchen cupboards & drawers, and starting to paint the rusty spots on the outdoor metal benches. I have a couple of phone calls I need to make too. Fun? Nope, but I'm the one who has to do these things.

Monday Musings & the Week Ahead

My musings today are on the topic of Spend a Lot and Save a Little (but do it repeatedly!)

House Improvement Spending:

We had the painter we trust to do a good job on our old, many layers of paint, and very large concrete patio out for a consultation. We feel confident that his approach would be the best we could hope for and know it will cost us. This is the last piece of redoing the yard and would make it more pleasant to set up an outdoor eating area or otherwise spend more time out there.

We are waiting for the bid and trying to pick out colors. I say colors because the patio has 2 levels with on step between and people don't see that step unless we point it out. We are going to do the 2 levels in different shades of the same color to get some contrast.

Not Shopping Savings:

I was getting ready to ask around to try to borrow a clothes steamer for the wedding guest dress but thinking I would have to buy one. When searching reviews I was reminded that the steamer I bought for cleaning tile floors has an attachment to steam clothes. I found a YouTube on how to use it properly! 

I do like figuring out how to use what I already own. I think if I can get the creases out from how it arrived I can pack it for a brief plane trip without having a problem at the other end. It is washable and can be ironed but I am reluctant before the event is over to do that.

Picking Up Pennies:

I’ll definitely not get rich but I’m now at 15 cents for the year to date. I think Pennie’s are dropped the most because people don’t value them. I use all change for tips at the coffee shop once I have enough so I don’t mind any change.

The Week Ahead

On the calendar are a haircut and Pilates. Possibilities include going to a library presentation on Jack London's photographs and the citywide yard sale on Saturday. As I did for the last yard sale day, I’ll put out with a free sign anything we or our son’s family want to pass on that is in good shape.

Monday musings & the week ahead

This week's scheduled stuff: Pilates session, dog to vet for routine booster shot, art show and lunch with neighbor, granddaughter’s first swim meet, and Mother’s Day brunch at local son and DIL’s

Unscheduled stuff: Get myself to the Tuesday farmer's market (& then stop at CVS if needed), return too large dress & necklace, finish checking off to do's for wedding attendance, take a stab at more items on my ongoing to do list, do a little yard & house work including setting up our patio after cleaning it, exercise at home, take some long walks, write/call long distance family and friends...and read of course.

What does your week look like?

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Dinner/Recipe of the Week

I went through my recipe file and the one cookbook I have kept to get ideas and decided to make Mushroom Rice to go with sautéed salmon and peas. Motivation was using up most of the rest of an open box of fresh mushrooms. We enjoyed it and there is enough left over for another meal. I no longer remember where I got this recipe. I do know I haven't made it for quit some time.

Mushroom Rice (4 servings)

1T oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 or less small onion, diced

1/2 box mushrooms

2 t Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t dried thyme 

Salt & pepper to taste

3/4 c brown rice

1 1/2 c  broth - I used chicken broth

Sauté garlic and onion in oil. Add mushrooms, Worcestershire and thyme. Add salt and pepper. Stir in rice and broth. Cover and cook for usual time for rice using.

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We live on a cut-de-sac that is half a block long and has 8 houses facing the street. Everyone has been really kind, considerate and friendly to us. One couple has retired and put their house on the market last week as they are moving back to the NE. I suspect we will get another younger couple buying the house as happened with the one next to us that was vacant when we moved in. The young couple next door just had a baby and another is due shortly on the adjoining cul-de-sac. I like living in a varied age neighborhood again. Between the 2 cul-de-sacs we have an age range from newborns to me at 75 including 6 school age kids and at least 6 other retirees.

Monday musings & the week ahead

All that is scheduled for this week is my Pilates session and dog grooming. I intend to focus on finishing the last procrastinated to dos, starting to get the backyard ready for outdoor enjoyment, continuing to ramp up exercising, and hopefully finalizing my clothing for the June 1st wedding.

I realized recently that I was very bored with my at home exercise routine and avoiding it. I found a YouTube channel with short doable Pilates mat exercises some using weights. For right now I am trying a 7 day beginner program with weights but doing them every other day. Once I can breeze through it in 7 days I’ll ramp up. That combined with my weekly session with a Pilates trainer and long walks without the dog a few times a week is where I am right now. I am considering adding/substituting swimming this summer.

Mentally I’ve put any costly or involved home improvement projects on hold for a while so it will probably just be small things for the rest of the year. That should check off a few more things on the aging to do list. We will see what happens.

I’m thinking of focusing on things like touch up paint for the three metal outdoor benches, thrifting paintings/prints for the large bedroom and our office, redoing a large outdoor pot, and maybe finding a small table and chairs for the family room for puzzles, art projects, sewing, etc.

I was asked at the Easter gathering if I had any desire to travel internationally and had to honestly answer not at this time. Between the pandemic, our move and the political situation not to mention disarray in air traffic control and safety, I just don’t have the desire. We have a standing invitation to visit a nephew’s family in Taiwan, family on the East Coast and I have a long held interest in seeing more of Europe but not right now. I want to put down roots and find my tribe.

I’ve also decided that listing our dinners for the week is getting repetitive so will only talk about interesting new recipes going forward.

Dinners & the week ahead

Happy 42nd birthday to our younger son on this Monday. We will celebrate at the Easter gathering Sunday but we will take him out for a birthday lunch on the day of his choosing this week.

We are babysitting the toddle Tuesday afternoon. I may go to a talk at the city rec center on Wednesday.

Hoping to get the replacement cellular shade up this week and some more paperwork done!

What we ate for dinner -

Monday - Dinner out with cousins @ Five Tacos and Beer. I had a shrimp taco that was delicious plus plenty of chips and guacamole and a good beer. Then we went back to our house and had gelato bars that I had picked up at the little neighborhood market.

Tuesday - Turkey burgers, boiled small red potatoes, large salads

Wednesday - Trader Joe's potstickers, large salads

Thursday - Leftover turkey burgers & potatoes, green beans

Friday - Vegetarian sweet potato chili (https://cookieandkate.com/sweet-potato-chili-recipe/) with leftover beef broth and half a beer subbed for veggie broth. It was good but will not go in rotation. Lots of leftovers frozen.

Saturday - Leftover rice and green beans, potstickers and half a pear for me. Hubby out with a friend.

Sunday - Easter dinner at DIL's mother's house. We took hearty nibbles for earlier in the afternoon.

Dinners & the week ahead

I am quite excited about Monday as one of my favorite cousins and her husband who live on the East Coast are going to stop by for a visit as they head out on vacation. We haven’t seen each other since before the pandemic although we do stay in touch.

Wednesday is Pilates before the instructor goes back on vacation for 2 more weeks after the prior 4. Hopefully I will actually go to the library mystery book club too. 

Nothing else planned yet but we need to figure out what we are taking for nibbles before an early Easter dinner and finish buying the grandgirls Easter gifts. The dress I ordered should arrive and hopefully will be a winner plus lots of shoes/sandals arriving to try on. 

I'd also like to make more progress on deep cleaning the kitchen and finishing Outstanding Annoying Tasks plus do something fun.

Dinners last week

Tuna chef salad

Tofu veggie stir fry, brown jasmine rice

BBQ chicken, boiled small red potatoes, carrots

Large dinner salad, leftover soup from freezer

Frittata with sweet Italian sausage, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and red pepper plus sourdough toast

Pasta salad over arugula

Pork chop, broccoli, leftover pasta salad

Dinners & the week ahead

The week ahead -

Hmmm - looks pretty empty on the calendar except for the final inspection of the insulation work on Tuesday then on Saturday both the Friends of the Library book sale and our 44th anniversary.

It will be a good week to focus on self care, projects and some things left on the OATS list.

What we had for dinner -

Monday - Turkey chili, coleslaw, garlic bread

Tuesday - Salmon, spinach, mashed potatoes

Wednesday - Tofu, broccoli & red pepper stir fry, white rice

Thursday - Leftover turkey chili, 

Friday - Roasted chicken, toasted thick bread crumbs and arugula & current salad (Barefoot Contessa recipe). Dinner cooked by our son after we babysat the older grandgirl half the day

Saturday - Fish tacos (  ).Dinner cooked together with son and grandgirls at our house while DIL was at an event.

Sunday - Trader Joe’s frozen roasted veg pizza with added veggies.

Dinners and the week ahead

As I type this I am listening to Hubby on the drums plus a saxophone and bass playing smooth jazz! I saw a handwritten post on the bulletin board at the coffee shop saying an experienced sax player was looking for people to play with - any type of music. His wife plays the bass and they live very near so they are jamming today for the first time.

So this coming week is pretty much empty in terms of scheduled activities. Just an ophthalmologist appt on Thursday and babysit the 8 year old Friday evening for parents date night. The toddle stays at daycare for Kid's Night Out lol. We are going to have really warm Spring weather Monday and Tuesday so I hope to be out enjoying it. I decided not to try to garden this year and that limits my yard work so I can just enjoy.

I've almost caught up on my neglected no deadline pile of tasks which feels great. I read about the idea of having a "power hour" to just power through the tasks that need to be done and have adopted the mindset but not timing it. It really has helped!

What we ate for dinner last week

Chicken with leftover grain and coleslaw

Leftover turkey Mac & salad

Vegetable dumplins (frozen) & zucchini

Shrimp cocktails & salad

Chicken vegetable stir fry & brown rice

Take out pizza slices and Caesar salad

Salmon, carrots & peas

Dinners & the week ahead

Our mini-pie for Pi day. Isn’t the pi decoration a nice touch?

Did anyone else feel discombobulated all week from the change to Daylight Savings time? All of us including the dog certainly did.

We have this coming Wednesday and Thursday blocked for the attic insulation and air sealing but are hoping it doesn’t take the full two days as we will have to monitor the dog all the time they are here. He copes well but the coming and going of the workers means we have to make sure he is staying in the house. I may have to take him to our son's for a while and hang out quietly while they work.

Other than that, I have the library mystery book club and a haircut on my calendar. I’ve made good progress on clearing the desk and dining table of aging paperwork and hope to finish it all this week.

I don’t celebrate St. Patrick’s day but it was my grandfather’s birthday and I have such fond memories of him so that makes it a special day to me. As to the first day of Spring, I can feel it in the air and have seen a few daffodils and tulips blooming along with lots of flowering trees and shrubs. Lots of birds calling and the crows making a ruckus as they proclaim their territory. However we have had 2 hailstorms!

Hoping to continue to enjoy our yard and longer walks if we have good weather. 

What we ate for dinner last week - it was an especially simple and easy dinner prep week

Monday - Tuna chef salad with cornbread from freezer

Tuesday - Black bean tostadas, roasted butternut squash

Wednesday - Trader Joe’s frozen dumplings, broccoli 

Thursday - Sautéed small potatoes, green pepper, onion and sausage with leftover butternut squash and broccoli 

Friday - Trader Joe’s roasted vegetable pizza, pie for Pi day

Saturday - Ground turkey pasta skillet, coleslaw (new turkey recipe; easier than chili but too bland)

Sunday - Round turkey & macaroni skillet, coleslaw

Dinners & the week ahead

I am determined that this week with lots of rainy days forecast that I will finally get through most of the paperwork that has been sitting around for months! The plan is to clear the dining room table and desk piles.

Other “big” plans are to try to pick out/order new glasses, stop at the farmers market, go to Pilates and try to figure out why my seeds haven’t sprouted. Exciting? 

I’d like to make a pie for Pi day and share it with the family although I may buy one from a food truck in front of a local nursery instead. Perhaps also go to a free activity or two during the week.

I didn’t menu plan for the past 2 weeks and noticed the lack of planning in our grocery list and in knowing ahead of time how to best use our food supply. I suspect we spent more too. I’ll have to make sure to do it for next week.

What's in mind for dinner this week? I'm considering veggie tostados, chicken stir fry, tuna chef salad, turkey chili, and salmon as main dishes.

What we ate for dinner last week - A fairly uninspired week for meals. I did bake blueberry muffins for snacks as well as cornbread and again using flaxseed instead of place of eggs worked out well.

Monday - Turkey burgers, salad, cornbread

Tuesday- Chicken with BBQ sauce, large dinner salads

Wednesday- Cauliflower & cheese ravioli (Trader Joe’s) with Parmesan, broccoli 

Thursday - Really interesting and good takeout pizza and salad at son’s house after we helped cover a couple hours of 2 year old care. They had last minute schedule conflicts so we were glad to help and it was fun.

Friday - Leftover turkey burgers, cabbage and carrot slaw, boiled new potatoes

Saturday - Sautéed shrimp and red pepper, leftover coleslaw, mango - it felt like an island dinner 😁

Sunday - Pork chop, boiled potatoes, peas, applesauce

What’s was for dinner & week’s plans

I’ve decided to just list what we ate the previous week although I’m still going to make a tentative weekly dinner plan to help with shopping as it has really helped.

Plans for the week

Hmmm - taxes, farmers market, eye exam & probably new glasses, Pilates, and first two days of insulation work. It’s boring but necessary like most of what is scheduled/planned so far for March lol. Hopefully the lettuce seeds will sprout. Maybe something fun over the weekend.

Last week’s dinners

Monday - Balsamic glazed salmon, steamed zucchini, brown Basmati rice

Tuesday - Baked spaghetti with sausage, onion, & red pepper plus green beans

Wednesday - Leftover baked spaghetti & green bean plus dinner salad

Thursday - Roasted cauliflower and carrots & leftover brown Basmati rice and green beans 

Friday - Dinner out. We babysat the 8 year old for parents’ date night so we took her to the local bookstore to spend her own money and then out to a local place for dinner followed by locally made ice cream. Then home for Despicable Me 4 before our son picked her up. The 2 year old stayed late at nursery school for Kid’s Night Out which is a cute variation on Parent’s Night out.

Saturday - Pork chop, leftover roasted veggies, pinto beans

Sunday - Salmon, golden beets, Trader Joe’s harvest blend grains 

What’s for dinner & other plans

Plans for the week

Monday buy some seed starting mix and try with lettuce seeds, Wednesday is our pre insulation walk through planning contractor visit, Thursday is dog grooming appointment and possibly artist opening reception at City Hall, Friday we babysit 8 year old granddaughter for parents date night, Saturday is Farmer’s market and possible local small symphony concert. If I do all that plus exercising, home admin/chores and reading/walking I will be happy.

Dinner plans Monday thru Sunday 

- I also want to make pumpkin pecan muffins and blueberry pancakes for breakfasts

Pasta with sauce from freezer, peppers, sausage and zucchini 

Turkey chili x2 plus cornbread

Pork chop, butternut squash, apple salad

Tuna chef salad

Salmon, green beans, rice

Chicken, peas, carrots, mixed grains

What we ate for dinner last week

Our older son was still in town and pet sitting nearby so he ate dinner with us for the first two days.

Monday - pork chops, pinto beans, hearty dinner salads, mango

Tuesday - we treated our son to Greek food from a nearby restaurant (not planned)

Wednesday - Veggie soup and hearty salad

Thursday - Cheese and cauliflower ravioli and broccoli (not planned)

Friday - Chicken, sweet potato, leftover takeout rice

Saturday - Veggie soup, Caesar salad 

Sunday - Chicken tostados (meat & tortillas from freezer) with black beans, cooked carrots

What's for dinner & other plans

Plans for this week:

Not much on the calendar so will somewhat be catching up on tasks and plans for the month. Our older son will still be in town pet sitting nearby for 3 days although DIL had to return home earlier. He will be over each day and stay with us again Wednesday night before driving home.

Monday - Sunday dinner mains: Some are from last week and others are using what is in frig and freezer.

• Pork chops
• Chicken tostados (chicken leftover from dinner out)
• Homemade soup or chili x 2
• Pasta with marinara, peppers & sausage
• Lemon chicken
• Salmon

What we ate last week: 

Monday - Spaghetti with sauce, mushrooms, red pepper & crumbled leftover meatloaf plus zucchini

Tuesday - Chicken breast, broccoli & rice

Wednesday- Salmon, veggies & leftover rice

Thursday - Homemade minestrone & garlic bread

Friday - Family Valentines dinner at Mexican restaurant (last minute plan)

Saturday - Leftover minestrone & green salad

Sunday - Hearty snacks at birthday party & last of minestrone 

The week ahead: 9/1 - 9/7

My weeks start on Sunday - so an old habit to look Saturday to see what is ahead and what can be added.

 So what is planned for us this coming week in addition to the routine stuff?

Btw, my lovely neighbor (with a big 4 day a week job and husband with a big 5 day a week job; 3 kids in 4th, 8th, & 11th grade; and of course a house) mentioned that Friday is her family admin day since she doesn’t work that day. I like that label.

Fun: My birthday lunch/brunch Sunday with the local family. Hubby has Saturday plans with a friend who will be in town. I am babysitting for a few hours Saturday. I will be contacting a new friend to make plans to get together.

Appointments (we work around the 1 car situation): Pilates session Wednesday, dog grooming Thursday, Hubby annual physical Friday.

Family Admin: Pay IRS estimated taxes, balance July finances, backup computer, work on window project, declutter first aid and toiletries that are expired

Self Care: Aim to exercise daily in addition to dog walks

What is happening for you in this coming week?

Kicking off 8 week surgery countdown

 I'm finding I don't remember the answers to lots of my questions and the ways I arranged things as I was healing from the previous bunion surgery lol. I have realized I need to get a lot done before June 25th comes around and we are discussing how to make the whole saga easier on Hubby this time.

I'm in the midst of week 1 of countdown and working on getting more exercise as one helpful thing. 

Checking off 2 doctor appointments: my regular skin check and a crown on a tooth that had an inlay after a root canal. Unfortunately the regular dentist is on maternity leave so I have fingers crossed the substitute is good! Didn't want to have a broken tooth while I am couch bound.

It is club board meeting week and I just sent out an impossibly long agenda. Being out of commission during summer planning and decision making will be interesting. We are also trying to revise/update our bylaws and find a new insurance provider for the club and clubhouse. 

Beyond that it is my plan to make sure I have one more room deeply cleaned and get our passport renewal photos taken. We also need to schedule the building inspection on our new attic insulation.

The rest is just the usual stuff! 

What is on your agenda for the week?

Goals for the week of June 1

I wrote this list of goals for the coming week before I fainted and fell on Friday morning. I think I can still achieve them but will be stretching very carefully today at least. BTW, I don't list routine chores but am happy that my husband did all of the grocery shopping over the weekend as I was recuperating. Now to figure out what we will eat all week given what he bought.

Do you make a list of goals for the week or just do things as you think of them?

Family & Friends
- email nephew
- rent car for July vacation
- Call ill friend
- Have lunch or coffee with a friend
Diet & Food
- Plan dinners for week
- BBQ once (if rain permits)
- Use basil in one recipe
Self
- Walk dog daily
- Stretch M, W, F (class on F
- Listen to one CD a day - my way of going through to see what to keep
- Draw/paint once
- Complete volunteer follow up work
- Shop for a summer dress and a belt
Finances
- Month end balancing
- Revise budget based on YTD
House & Yard
- Comforter to cleaners
- Spray weeds & spread weed preventer if weather permits
Decluttering & Move Preparation
- Deal with old family photos on desk and in frames
- Sort & shred papers as needed in 2 file drawers

Proud Mom, serendipitous thrift store shop, archery in my future and slow week ahead

I have to start with my proud Mom item! We lent a significant sum of money to a son and DIL to help with the down payment for a house and they sent us the first repayment check only 6 months after buying. They had to do the usual additional investments in fixing things in the house and we didn't expect to get a loan repayment for some time. Yeah for them.

In the middle of last week I stopped by my favorite thrift store that supports animal rescue groups. I was looking for a belt, but you have to be open minded when shopping thrift stores so I had other things on my mental list. No belt but I found a fleece pullover, zip windbreaker, yoga pants, shoes and a bracelet. It was 50% off Get a New Wardrobe day (which I didn't know so that is the serendipitous part) so I only spent $11.77. The dog is not thrifty, but is good at photo bombing!

 

Then I shopped for new running shoes for now and waterproof walking shoes for winter. Let's just say I have feet that are tricky and hurt easily so that was money well spent and since I found them at REI I will get my 10% dividend refund early next year. I walked the dog this morning in the running shoes and my feet were happy so money well spent.

Its been grey here so I bought some flowers at Trader Joe's and made the bouquet larger with some Camilla branches from the yard. Cheered the house for almost a week.

We went out to eat twice. After walking over to a street fair and listening to an excellent male acapella group, we decided to have a drink at a restaurant we hadn't been to and that turned into Cuban sandwiches for lunch too. Then we took advantage of a restaurant week special in a nearby neighborhood to go out for drinks and tapas at a restaurant I hadn't been to but DH had visited with a friend. A lovely evening out on a weekday.

I'm thinking that we will start trying new recipes for Sunday night dinner to get out of our cooking rut and find some meals that we could prepare for guests. We are out of the habit of entertaining and would like to get back into it rather than only going out by ourselves.

In my efforts to push myself to do more in many ways I have signed up for an archery lesson orientation for this coming Saturday. I have enjoyed archery whenever I tried it so this is a candidate for a new hobby. They have lessons available on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons once you complete the orientation and provide the equipment so I'm going to give it a try.

Nothing much else planned this week otherwise. I am going to consider rejoining the gym as working out at home isn't working out. Otherwise it is catch up on house work, more yard work, more library volunteering, seeing if a friend wants to go to a photography exhibit and then have coffee. Deal with my to do list that doesn't inspire me. Take dog to the vet for her monthly shot for her Addison's disease. That archery orientation. Find a place to get a free flu shot as my Dr. doesn't have the vaccine yet. A Craftsy class I bought and haven't taken yet. Look for that belt I need. Seems like the week will fill up!

Have a wonderful week and share your plans please.

Kick starting a new week

After rainy and gloomy weekend weather coupled with Hubby coming down with a bad cold I am looking forward even more than usual to the start of a new week. I predict a lovely week because -

No rain predicted for days - yeah! In fact it is supposed to warm up so I bet I'll get some longer walks in with the poodle princess who is looking mighty cute after her trip to the groomers last week.

Plans with friends 3 days this week - coffee today, book club party tomorrow and lunch on Thursday.

We sorted out the dates for our February trip to N. California in a nice long chat with our younger son this weekend. Now to start shopping plane tickets. This past weekend we bought plane tickets for our early April trip to Key West and reserved a car for our January trip to S. California (plane tickets purchased earlier).

I already found one item for this week's decluttering as we finished cleaning the upper kitchen cabinets. An old scratched acrylic serving tray is on its way out. If I clean any of the lower cabinets/drawers this week I imagine something else will pop up. I am on the fence about whether or not to keep a thermos and wooden salad bowl/servers so I put them back for now.