My office/craft room is back

When the pandemic started, Hubby and I had to share the previous bedroom of Firstborn as our combined office.  It meant I had to give up my crafting/blogging/creative Mom space.  I hated that, but we made it work.  To his credit, he did keep his area pretty neat.

But one of the first things I did after he passed was to dismantle his office.  It was just too hard to look at.  For a couple of months, this room served as a staging area for all of the files I had to go through and all of the boxes I had to pack.  It was also a great place to cry... Gradually, I put things back in here that made me feel calmer and more in control of my home - a sewing and crafting table, for one.

Removing his few office things was the one major change, but made a world of difference to me.  The corner desk he had been using?  It went straight out to the curb.  I don't think he loved it anymore than I did!  The Girl inherited his desk chair.  The equipment went back to his employer.  And the rest went to the garage or the dumpster.  Lots of shredding happened.

I hung my cutting mats up, arranged a few things on these shelves (that I don't really love but are staying), put the quilt rack back in here,

and arranged some of my favorite artists' pottery on one of the shelves.

The closet got cleaned out, after months of me just tossing things in and shutting the door.  The carpet got steam cleaned and then I called it done.

I straightened up the chaos I had on my bulletin board. Stored my new shredder and a box for future shred items under the table, and filed a few of those files that were no longer needed.  Mostly my desk is neat, tho I still do have a couple of piles to attend to.  In the mornings, I light some incense, play soft jazz, and read my email to start my day.  And gradually, I am working on other areas of the house, too.  This weekend I will get my patio in shape!

Gina

Easy Shakshuka for one

 This was an easy and comforting dish last week, the idea for which I got from Bubbie who is becoming quite the cook in college.  I modified the recipe he sent me, because The Girl had already told me that Indian or Arabic food (or anything similar) was a no go for her.  So I picked a night she would be out and assembled my ingredients as I sipped my wine!

Easy Shakshuka

1 c. diced fresh tomato

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, shopped

1 T. olive oil

2 eggs

1/4 t. salt, black pepper to taste

1/4 t. red pepper (I used much less)

1/2 t. Arabic style seasoning OR 1/4 t. paprika, 1/4 t. coriander, scant 1/4 t. cumin

garnish with fresh parsley (optional)

This is the seasoning I had on hand and it subbed nicely for the separate spices.  {It has the three afore-mentioned, plus cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, red pepper, turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and allspice.  

It is fabulous on chicken, too!}

Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil for a few minutes.

Add in the fresh chopped tomatoes and spices and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, covered.  Drink your wine.

Crack two eggs into the skillet and cook on low, covered, for 2 minutes.  This gently poaches the egg.  So if you want your yolks runny, watch them carefully.  Mine were soft, not runny.

Plate it up and serve with garlic toast, or toasted French bread.  You will want all of that tomato sauce!  In fact, I think the sauce would be great on tilapia, too.

This makes a great supper for one!

Gina 

New life meal plan #9

Oh, you know...still wearing flip flops and getting some sun...welcome to Fall in central Texas..

Monday - Chicken Parm with lentil pasta, zucchini

Tuesday - White Bean Soup with celery, carrot, and ham, garlic toast

Wednesday - Hamburgers on whole wheat buns, tomato and avocado, sweet potato fries {library day}

Thursday - Chicken Stew Skillet*, green beans

Friday - Tilapia with onions and peppers, twice baked potato, side salad

Saturday - TBD {pedicure, go see Bubbie}

Sunday - TBD {Scout's Birthday}

*Coat boneless skinless chicken thighs in flour and brown them in a cast iron skillet. Add cut up carrots and potatoes and a small amount of water.  Cover and cook on low until all of it is fork tender. 

Gina

5 thing Friday - socializing, weather, firepit, blanket, Teddy

Last Saturday I took myself to Save the World for a beer release. {I am a member of their True Beerliever Club}

My plan, if you can believe it, was to say hello to people and maybe finally get to know the ones we have seen there often in the past.  Unfortunately, I didn't see any of those folks, and once again I felt a little awkward being an only lonely.  I am determined that will change over time.  

I did enjoy a delicious pulled pork sammie with my beer!  And I did get my growler filled with their pumpkin beer which is my favorite!

I was just down the road from Highlands, so I stopped by to make sure all was well and lay in my lawn chair awhile.  Can you believe we are almost done with October?  That grass must be cut soon!

Warm days and cool nights - I love this weather.  When I got home I made a firepit.  Plan: power wash the patio.  Buy more firewood.

The next day, The Girl and I worked on a couple of blankets.  This is as far as we got before we stopped for the evening and to eat dinner.  Yes, we left it laying here.  Who cares?

I'm going to use mine as a reading lap blanket.  I actually went to the library last week - first time in years - and I got several good books.  I'm going to aim for going every two or three weeks for new things to read.  The Nook is not my style.  I love holding an actual book!

One morning I returned to my room to see Ted smack dab in the middle of my bed.  Oh, hello...

He let me love on him a few minutes and actually stayed right here for a bit.  He is feeling much better, I think.  The Girl bought him a calming collar and I have noticed he is much happier, greeting me when I come home, leaning against me for pets, giving me puppy kisses.  I will miss them when she goes back to her apartment, but I know I will see them often.

Gina

One word Wednesday

 

Barn

Gina

New life meal plan #8

"Most Depressing Breakroom To Eat Your Lunch In" award goes to:

Which is why I eat my lunch out in the Healing Garden, even when temps are in the 90's.  At least there is shade out there, not to mention fresh air.  In here, the TV is usually on, though no one is watching it.  No one makes conversation.  The fridge stinks every time it is opened.  And there is usually a wait for the microwave.   Seriously, lunch tastes sad in this room...*

Monday - Pot Sticker Stir Fry

Tuesday - Shakshuka, sauteed squash, garlic toast

Wednesday - (freezer) Beef Soup with pasta added

Thursday - 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs, sweet potatoes, side salad

Friday - Fiesta Salmon Patties, twice bakeds, corn {Gina on call}

Saturday - TBD, but I took call from 7a - 7p, so either take-out or freezer clean-out

Sunday - TBD and I think we will go mow Highlands 

*Try eating your lunch al fresco when you can - it can make a world of difference in your day!

Gina

5 thing Friday - parking, chia pudding, nails, Mother, tilapia

I am back to parking on the 6th floor of the parking garage at work.  There seems to be open spaces at 8:15 every morning and there's less hassle with driving 'round and 'round on one of the lower floors.

Plus, there's a nice view of the skyline.

The Girl has discovered chia seed pudding.  She makes it with coconut milk and tops it with chunks of fruit.  I drizzle mine with honey.  There's a strange texture to it, but its a guilt-free dessert, and I kind of love it.

Every time my nails do this - grow like crazy and look decent - they break the minute I notice.  This time around, they have stayed long and fairly strong for about 2 weeks.  I swipe a nail file across them every now and then to be sure there are no snags.  I attribute this to not doing as much housework.  Bonus: the house looks just fine, so why was I always cleaning it?

I took my mother on errands last Saturday and we visited the plant place.

Its sometimes hard to take her on errands because of the frank and unkind way she will interact with strangers.  A lot of them are good natured about it, but I worry that she will get herself into trouble with the things she says.  She's very opinionated and can be crotchety.  God bless the patient and kind people who can look beyond that, but I still walk behind her mouthing "sorry!" to folks.

Dinner for one, since The Girl was in Houston.  I cut up a potato and cooked it slightly in the microwave.  Then I browned it in the skillet with olive oil, adding bell pepper and onion.  When it was nearly done, I added in a seasoned tilapia filet and finished cooking it all together.  I have to say, it was better than take-out, which I was tempted to do originally.  Bon appetite!

Gina

No closer to deciding

I got up early on Sunday and as soon as it was light enough to leave the house, I headed to Highlands. I just needed some time away from my house and I knew I could sit in the barn and listen to music and have peace and maybe work on some things.

I took my tote bag full of paperwork I had been putting off - some of it is forms for insurance that need to be filled out.  A check made out to Hubby that I need to see about depositing in an account we haven't used in years.  The social security info I was asked to provide.  My on-going Frog list.  Etc.

The septic weed was blooming all around Highlands.  According to the rain gauge we got 2.5 inches of rain and its supposed to rain even more this week.  I walked around and looked at everything, but I felt a bit lost.

Looks like I need to mow again.  I keep putting this off.  It was the last big chore Hubby did, but he never had me do it.  I was in charge of the weed whacker.  Now I have to get one of the kids to come up here and we are going to figure it out and get it done.

I was struck by how quiet and empty it seems without Hubby and I started to feel weird about it.  I feel like I am no closer to deciding what it is I should do with Highlands than I was a few weeks ago.  And maybe it is too soon for me to decide anyway, so I will just stay in this limbo until it becomes clearer, I guess.  I don't want to make rash decisions.

Desolate is not the word for it out here, but it felt very lonely.  I felt 100% safe and it was good for me to leave my house, for sure.  I wish I had a crystal ball to help me figure it all out.  Someone told me that eventually I will come into my own and I have been really struck by that.  All this time, I have had to think about what I wanted based on what my partner wanted.  I have not been a single person thinking about solely what I wanted for over 35 years, so that concept is both exciting and scary to me at the same time.

I'll get there...

Gina

New life meal plan #7

I'm sure I have stated this before, but lately my favorite lunch is a bed of salad, with a chopped apple or other fruit, and a can of seasoned tuna in oil.  You don't even need dressing - just dump the can of tuna and oil on the salad at lunchtime.  Add some chips or crackers for crunch. Eat al fresco.  Simple and wonderful, and it actually keeps me full until dinnertime.

Gummy vitamins for dessert, ha ha

Monday - Rotisserie Chicken on Sweet Thai chopped salad, avocado

Tuesday - Gnocci with pumpkin pasta sauce (might add some chicken chunks or cooked ground turkey), salad with tomato and bell pepper, cheesy garlic toast

Wednesday - Turkey burgers on whole wheat buns, sweet potato fries

Thursday - Grilled Chicken, red lentil pasta with pesto, green beans

Friday - Lemon Garlic Trout, broccoli, corn

Saturday - TBD, but I'm going up to Highlands for the day

Sunday - TBD

Gina

Weekend plans

 It used to be that Hubby and I went to Highlands every weekend except the ones that I was on call.  That made him super grumpy, of course, because Highlands was his "Shangri La" - his term, not mine.  But weekends have changed now, of course, and I find that going to Highlands every third weekend or so suits me fine.  Sometimes it wasn't as restful as it should have been since we always seemed to have some project in the works.  And of course, that meant that things at Rustown were getting put on the back burner.

A delicious plate of lunch from a fav Greek spot last weekend

This weekend I have plans that include Highlands, but I also have a few other things I want to do.  Because I need to think about how I am going to move forward in all areas of life!  Saturday I will visit my mother, enjoy a nice lunch, pick up my groceries, and do my weekly chores around the house.  Sunday I will leave early morning, pick up breakfast tacos, and head to Highlands to read, stitch, and think.  Gone are the days of big projects out there, unless there is some sort of disaster.  And weekends actually feel less complicated now, which is not a terrible thing. Happy uncomplicated weekend to you, too!

Gina

Laundry and storage

I love seeing what other bloggers do to spruce up their laundry rooms.  They take basic builder grade and bring it to a whole other level.  While I would love to do the same, I am severely limited by size.  Plus, we don't have mud rooms in Central Texas, just laundry rooms, so there's little space in here for anything other than the actual appliances.

So when I get inspired, I just clean the heck out of mine and rearrange things.  I found that I could move the big box of seasonal decor to my closet where the Christmas stuff already was.  Then I could spread out that big stuff on the top shelf.  I added a tension rod near the washer to hang an extra folding hamper and for additional hanging space if I need it.

The stuff hanging on the walls behind the appliances are just pretties I have had for years.  I'm not remotely tempted to paint in here again, nor make any framed signs that state the obvious (like "LAUNDRY")  That small rug helps keep the top of the dryer from getting scratched by the laundry basket I keep in here.  The box you see on the dryer is a surge protector, which I could probably also move to behind the dryer...

Mostly there are thrift store items (I love that sweet needlepoint and the wooden heart bowl)

with some pretty plates and applique art my mother made.*

Plus, all of the magnets with my kids' artwork from elementary school.

Is it a fancy laundry room?  No.  In fact, its really just a laundry "nook". But it did serve a family of six fairly well, and with some vacuuming and straightening of the shelves, it is once again ready for use.  My next house may have a "real" laundry room but this one is pretty convenient.

Gina

*It states: "When I am dead and in my grave and all my bones are rotten, when this you see, remember me, lest I shall be forgotten".  It was in the hall for the longest time and the kids thought it was creepy, so I just moved it into here where mostly I am the person who sees it!

New life* meal plan #6

35th anniversary awkward selfie with Austin skyline in the background 

The last anniversary we had together was really special.  I'm going to hold on to this memory for a loooong time.

Monday - Rotisserie Chicken, chopped salad (this is becoming a go-to on Mondays)

Tuesday - TBD, but The Girl said she would be in charge of dinner {this would have been our 36th wedding anniversary..}

Wednesday - Turkey Tacos on corn tortillas, pinto beans, avocados and lettuce

Thursday - Crockpot Cowboy Chicken, rice, broccoli

Friday - (freezer) Beef Stew, garlic toast

Saturday - TBD but probably take-out on the way home from Brenham {visiting my mother}

Sunday - TBD {hanging out at Highlands for the day?}

******

*It occurred to me that since I trip down memory lane so much in this blog, its kind of mis-naming the menu to call it a "new life" menu.  Plus, new life suggests something different than what all of this actually feels like...

The Girl and I are still here, holding each other up, trying to be as healthy as we can.  One of these days, life may start to feel new again, in a more positive way, and I look forward to that.

Gina

5 thing Friday - fake plants, feet, herb garden, lunches, photos

The pretty orchid that I had pictured in a previous post... 

{was left at our front door by a work friend of Hubby}

...well it didn't like where it was placed I guess, and it bit the dust.  I don't have time to nurse exotic plants!  So I dug around in my stash and found some fake greenery to use in its pot.  Fake plants never let me down.

The spa treatment I did on my feet a couple of weeks ago made my feet peel and slough off dead skin.  That's delightful and all, but looks terrible while it is happening.  It also dissolved my nail polish, which tells you how potent it was.  So I've been soaking and pampering my peeling feet and gradually they are looking and feeling better.

The Girl's herb garden, which turns out is a favorite spot for Mr. Squirrel, hence the plastic owl.  I want to dress up this deck for fall and make it a sweet spot to sip my morning coffee, so I think the herb garden can't live here forever.

Yesterday was the last day the hospital fed us breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  It had lasted 2 months, which seems weird to me at this on-going stage in the pandemic.  But I guess hospitals are feeling the pinch with people reaching burnout and deciding to follow the money if they can get paid more somewhere else.  Because it boils down to 'you might as well get paid what you're worth in these uncertain times'.

I've been skipping the hot plate and opting for the salads.  I can bring a fruit and something else from home to round it all out.  Then I go park myself outside at a picnic table. I am usually very hungry by lunch time and ravenous by dinnertime.  I have stayed out of the gift shop at work and do not eat junk as much as possible, packing fruit or almonds for snack.  I feel so much better physically and have managed to keep a 10 pound weight loss.

The bright frame on the last shelf of the bookcase above is one of those electronic frames that plays a slideshow of photos.  It was on Hubby's desk at his office.  I added more photos from Scout and set it up in the den.  I may add more photos as it has a ton of storage, but here are some of the ones it cycles through:

This one was Hubby's favorite:

Hubby and Scout climbed Mount Baldy at Philmont when Scout was a teen.

I'm glad he had this experience with his dad, one he will remember forever.  And I'm glad I get to enjoy Scout's beautiful photography every day.

Happy October!

Gina