Embarrassment, productivity and a touching surprise

When you first move into a new place, you just want to get the boxes unpacked.

Some items you put away carefully.  Others you put into a closet or in the garage with an “I will get to it mentality”. 

You open and close the cabinets.  Ignoring the clutter.

Then one day, Jenn says “let’s clean out the kitchen cabinets this weekend.”

Saturday, we decided was the day.

Jenn empties each cabinet into bins and puts them in front of me.

The piles are pitch, keep, Goodwill or maybe.

Some items had been put away during the “I just want to get the boxes unpacked phase when I moved in here four years ago.”

The embarrassment and phase one of productivity:

Yes, four years some shelves have been left untouched or worse yet added to.

In the plastic container closet, I kept things in which to store left overs, sauce when I make it, a place to keep my lunch fresh (when I used to go to the office) and for any other reason that might come up.

There were containers from Chic-Fil-A (perfect for a serving of yogurt), KFC containers, plates with lids from Cracker Barrel, assorted grated cheese containers and the always handy Won Ton soup container.

Actually, the Won Ton soup container is a perfect size to store home made sauce.  Two containers hold the two quarts of sauce my recipe makes.

On one of the FB pages, I am a member of a group that is about being Italian.

On that page they refer to the treasure trove of plastics as “Italian Tupperware” which is pretty much the truth.  Is it only Italians that save them?

This is a sampling of what I tackled.

By the time I was done with all the closets, I had gotten rid of 12 coffee mugs.  I mean really, why did I need 18 coffee mugs? More than two trash bags full of plastic containers and lids.  I did save some of  the containers that were in good condition and had a matching lid. I gave Goodwill the coffee mugs, six juice glasses, six medium size glasses and six tall glasses. I kept six regular size glasses and six coffee mugs for myself. Why would I need more?

After that task was done, it was a quick trip to the landfill and Goodwill.

More productivity:

Once home, I cooked a bunch of fresh vegetables.  Mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, red onion and a vidalia onion with sea salt, white pepper and olive oil left a great smell in the kitchen.

All set for my lunch for the week.

A touching surprise:

Let me give you a little background. I had a good friend who had a wry sense of humor.  One year, I gave him his birthday card a day late and since I forget and missed the actual date he held it on his home desk in the mail slot with the yellow envelope sticking out so all could see it.  It sat there for 364 days until his next birthday when it was finally opened. No one said much about it during the year, maybe just a passing remark.  Kathy and I knew he left it there in view just to taunt me.  It was kind of funny.

Back to the cabinets, when I came in the kitchen Jenn said to me “Mom have you ever seen this before?” It was a platter with a red truck and a Christmas tree on it (I am obsessed with those darn red trucks and Christmas trees). I told her I had never seen it before.  I asked where had she found it? Jenn said it was on a top shelf in a kitchen cabinet.  A shelf on which Jenn and I would never store anything we might need as it was too high and a chair or step stool would be needed to get to it.

Then I saw the post it note attached to it.

On the post it was written. This is a .....fresh cut Christmas Tree.

Kathy and Dan always had a real tree.  I did a few times but like the look and symmetry of an artificial tree.

The embarrassing part is that tray has been up on that shelf for over three years. I know that because Dan passed away almost three years ago.

Jenn  and I had no idea.

If he left it there as a test of my housekeeping skills, boy did I fail.

After all these years, Dan could still have the last laugh on us.

See you next week.

 

Mother’s Day, The Anniversary and Me

Mother’s Day:

She made corsages for my birthday. 

She made me sleep in hard curlers.

She took me shopping for prom dresses and a wedding gown.

She was one of the Mom’s that helped watch the students in the cafeteria when I was in second grade and as a grandmother she was the person who sat at the front table and greeted guests at the school her grandchildren has once attended.

She would set unreasonable punishments.  In fact, I think I am still grounded from the groundings I was given in my youth.

She taught a second grade classes to dance the Hula.

She made Jenn a lion tamer’s cape for her kindergarten graduation. (It is packed away in a box).

She was at every assembly, play and concert in which her children participated.

She was the Girl Scout cookie Mom. Yes, I volunteered her without asking her first.

She taught me how to be a Mom.

She had the ability to make all of her grandchildren feel as if they were her favorite.

She taught me how to appreciate the small things in life.

She could make a dollar stretch with the best of them.

She was my teacher, cheerleader, mentor and although I didn’t always think it, my best friend.

Not a day goes by that I don’t miss her or think of her.

She was the definition of the word Mom.

The Anniversary:

My Dad used to joke (or maybe not) about getting married around Mother’s Day was not the brightest idea due to the increased cost of flowers.

George and Irene, for 31 years they were quite a couple.

Dad was in charge and Mom’s world revolved around him.

I never once doubted my parents loved each other.

They would get through the “hungry years” when they had so little except us kids.

When their lives should have been getting much easier and their kids were pretty much grown, Dad got sick.

No surprise Mom was by his side and then became the strength to him that he had always been to her.

Too soon he was gone and my Mom had to learn to live in a world where she did not have dad to guide her.

I wish I had known in my marriage, the love they shared in theirs.

Me:

The me part of this entry.

Another week of good things.

My summer buildings have been put out on display.

Jenn gave me a great new wreath for the front door.

I saved 50% on a great sale on some”work” clothes online. Who can beat a $10 pair of shorts.

We cleaned out the freezer yesterday and made a list of what is in it.  Let’s just say we have no worries about running out of cauliflower rice or frozen veggies. (I think there may be a pot of soup in my future.)

I have tortured Jenn enough that she has finally given in to watching Mad Men and Downton Abbey with me.  Well considering she introduced me to ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead” and “Never Been Kissed”, I think it is fair she watch some of my suggestions.

At least watching there TV shows together (note I am not calling the programs as the man on the Progressive Insurance has ad advised...omg that man is a hoot), isn’t as dangerous as asking her to go see Barry Manilow with me and then getting the payback of having to go see NKOTB (yes, it did end up being a good concert).

I am learning more at my job each day and my new team is getting to know me better.

When I wake early each morning, I find time to pray for my family, friends, my aches and pains, my hopes, my dreams, the future, the craziness of our world  and all I have to be thankful for.

My prayer always begins with, “thank you Lord for giving me this day, I want to thank you for all of my yesterdays and the hope for many more tomorrows” and I go on from there with requests and wishes for others but I always say THANK YOU first.

And that’s the way it is on Sunday, May 9th, 2021.

See you next week.

I am going to be honest

 The last year plus has been a challenge for all of us.

I have started to think of my home as a cocoon. I am safe inside of it.  I have everything I need. I get paid to work in my kitchen. I have a nice view from my kitchen window. In the afternoon, when I get tired of working at my kitchen table, I move to the living room and work in my recliner.  Although this move from the kitchen means I do not have two monitors to work with it is still a nice way to break up the day.

The comfort of my home has its good and its bad.

The good is listed above and here comes the bad.

Being home for so long has made my cocoon almost too safe.

I have had a hard time going out except the once a week trip to get groceries.

I cannot continue to live in this bubble.

Add to venturing out after over a year at home, my fear of falling and there you have it.

Me, stressing about heading back out into the world.

Yes, there have been a few ventures to get a pedicure or new eyeglasses or to get my annual flu shot or BOTH of my vaccine shots but nothing social.

Well, yesterday was the day !!!!

I received a phone call from friend visiting SC that she and her husband would like to meet Jenn and I for lunch.

It would be outside and socially distanced.

I said yes right away.

Then spent the next 48 hours trying to think how to get out of it.

I was going to be sick, something came up or had to work.  All sounded like great excuses. 

I woke up Saturday morning with a bad case of nerves.  Adding to my stress was a 45 minute trip to Bluffton for a SAMS run to get Locatelli (16 oz for $12.00 vs Publix 8 oz. for $9.00)  i am so practical I will drive miles to save $3.00 and get double the amount.  LOL

Our purchase:

Anyway, from SAMS it was on to lunch.

I was shaking like a leaf inside.

When we got there, there were some tables outside spaced far apart. 

I will admit I held Jenn’s arm to steady myself and also due to the arthritis in my knees really kicking in.

There was a bench border around the outside dining area.  I chose to sit there and we pulled the table closer to us and a little further from the few other people eating outside.

The weather was in the 70’s, perfect  

Our friends arrived just as we sat down.

How did it go?

We were there for two hours.

We ate, I had a drink (which I haven’t done in over 6 months), we laughed and for a little while I took in fresh air.

Two years ago, I would not be writing a blog to celebrate a lunch out.

But for me yesterday was a major victory.

Even if only for a few hours, I took my life back.

Yes, I needed encouragement and some help (physically).

I felt good, like me and happy to be out.

I even told Jenn once the weather is consistently in the 80’s we should go to the pool just minutes from my house again.

Last year, it was closed for a long time and then when it reopened you had to sign up for two hour time slots (anyone who knows me knows that might be an issue since I habitually run late). Which means we never went to the pool last year

Well soon this will be my view again at least a few times a week.

By the time we got home yesterday, I was exhausted after the days events.

I am going to try and take my life back. Slowly.  Carefully. And still wearing a mask when warranted.  I had my second vaccine and had no side effects other than an itchy arm at the injection site. Whew!!

Will I be running out and about all the time now?  Good Lord no! 

I am taking baby steps.  And yesterday was step one.

I have learned it’s OK to ask for help when walking someplace unsteady, it is OK to admit to others your fears and its OK to be honest with others and myself.

I told a friend this week, never again will I go to a movie theatre or a crowded arena or any of those places that I would feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed. And that works for me. 

That might make my world a little smaller but there will still be options.

I will be alright thou just different.

I now look out the window with excitement and hope and maybe just a little less fear.

I call that a win.

See you next week.