Empty Nest menu #109

I gave my self permission to eat out at least once if not twice this weekend, since I was on call and missing not one, but TWO, wine club pick-ups.  But you know what?  My cheese quesadilla with side salad of cabbage slaw and avocado was zero extra dollars and take out worthy.

I impressed myself. 

Monday - (freezer) Buttermilk Baked Chicken, masheds, side salad {phone appointment with attorney}

Tuesday - Turkey and Dressing, sweet potato {evening counseling session}

Wednesday - Wine Wednesday with The Girl

Thursday - Tilapia, power blend grains with veggies

Friday - (freezer) Chinese Lettuce Wrap filling over a salad {pay bills and catch up on chores}

Saturday - TBD but I am picking up my wines from recent pick-ups I missed, and bringing The Girl along so she gets tastings}

Sunday - One Pan Chicken and Rice with olives and lemon {decorate for Spring!}

Gina

The Friday putseys

Mark had all sorts of funny words and phrases he would use often, one of them being "putsey".  He used it to mean something more like "putter".  Like doing little tasks around the house, just a putting things away, fixing this or that, figuring something out in a leisurely way.

So I use it to mean that, too!

pretty spearmint baby The Girl planted for me

Today my putsey plans include some tasks that really need to get done, but I'm going to follow a very loose schedule since whatever doesn't get done today can always be done over the weekend.  My plans include:

*buy groceries, do food prep, wipe out the fridge, deal with leftovers in there

*use the blower on the red rocks, rake the back yard, re-position the bricks along the fence

*maybe get my haircut, but definitely do a mani and pedi at home

*journal, read, write a friend

*package up a gift and card

*see about a safe deposit box, email the attorney

*put laundry up

*check all the smoke alarm batteries

*sew a little on the tee shirt quilt, a dress I've had cut out for well over a year, and hem a tee shirt

*read in bed, watch some Netflix

*freshen up my bathroom

*do a little kitchen organizing in the cabinets

Ok, that should do it for today...

Happy Friday!

Gina

Little project: stitching

One of my friends has a daughter that is getting married soon.  I wanted to include something heartfelt and handmade with their wedding gift.  I'm not 100% sure I should include this project in my "little things" list - for some reason, I kept making silly mistakes and having to pull out thread and start over.  It sat on my kitchen table for at least two weeks, if not longer.  In any case, its done! 

The smaller project in the top of this image is the inspiration.  I figured I could space out the birds a little to form a frame for the script.

So I sketched it all out using my giant graph paper and scotch tape routine.

The birds were my favorite part.  Notice I zig-zagged stitched all around the edges to keep it from fraying as I handled the fabric.

Once I had the names centered, I stitched in the wedding date. (not shown) Then I decided that wasn't the look I was going for.  So borrowing from their wedding website and their last name I did something a little more artsy - including figuring out how to do script on cross stitch fabric.  

There wasn't really room for my artist initials so I pulled them out!

Looks like it needs more hearts...I pulled it out of the frame I had painstakingly placed it in and added two more!  And now it's DONE.  For real.

I've had this solid oak frame forever and it was the perfect fit.  Onto the next little project.

Gina

Empty Nest menu #108

I looked at the expenses for January and February and realized I have been eating out more than I thought I was!  (mostly lunches and such on the weekends) Back to cooking more often...

Monday - Crockpot lima beans with ham bone

Tuesday - Coconut Shrimp, side salad, corn {early a.m. doc appt}

Wednesday - Chinese Lettuce Wraps, Spicy white bean dip with wonton chips, {Virtual cooking class at 7 p.m.}

Thursday - (freezer) Gnocci with Italian sausage and marinara, broccoli {probating the estate today}

Friday - Salmon, green beans, buttery brown rice {on call}

Saturday - Homemade Burger for one, chips and salsa {on call}

Sunday - Honey Sriracha Chicken Thighs, twice baked potatoes, salad {on call}

Gina

5 thing Friday - puppies, owl house, coffee table, Wordle, swing

I'm not remotely ready to get a dog just yet...

But when they have puppies at a brewery and you love on one as you stand in line, it sure is tempting.  

I finally set the owl house up in the back yard.  Its in a covered area, so they should have a little more protection.  This is the last crafty project Hubby did at Highlands - made two owl houses.  One went to my sister Maggie.  I hope we both get owls!  Since the ice storm last year I haven't heard them in the neighborhood.  I hope this spot is OK.

I have an idea to re-do the coffee table in the den and here is my inspiration!  I think I can use L brackets to put a shelf on the bottom for baskets.  I can also install those slats on the side.  I want to paint it this creamy white.  I have no idea when I will start this project, but I do want to change up the den.  And they are asking over $250 for this table that isn't even solid wood...mine is! 

Do you Wordle?  I love word games so much!  There are several of us that do this one every day. (but we do the NY Times one)  We also do the Jumble.  Gets the old brain going.

The idea to move this swing back to Camp Rustown was half-baked.  I realized it would be a pain in the rear for one.  Also, why can't it just stay up at Highlands for now?  Anywhere it is parked it makes for a peaceful place to sit and contemplate nature.  And it reminds me of Hubby - we sat in it for hours and talked while we sipped wine.  

It stays.

Gina

Little project: kitchen shade

The Girl gave me a $50 Home Depot gift card that she'd had awhile.  It was exactly enough to order a shade for the back door.  So I ordered it, then left it sitting in a box for two weeks because my Get up and Go got up and went.  On the ice storm day, it seemed like a good idea to get it done. 

I don't have a before pic of the cellular shade I took down, but it was filthy.  First step was to take that down and examine the holes in the door.

Turns out there were extra holes...I vaguely remember this shade getting replaced once before. So, so dirty up here!

I scraped the taped-on note off and the security system sticker, used my Magic Eraser sponge to clean up the door, then cleaned the windows.  I'm not hanging a new blind on a dirty door!

It doesn't take whiskers, but it does take a few minutes of reading through the instructions and getting the right tools.  I had to drill yet another hole in the door for this particular hardware, but this sucker is heavy and I want it to stay put.

But isn't it pretty?  It coordinates well with the ones hanging in the den and is also cordless.

I was done in about 30 minutes and stood back to admire it.

I love it.

Yet another little project crossed off the list.

Gina

Empty Nest Menu #107

I tried to make a yellow cake with fudgey frosting for The Girl and I was foiled by baking powder that was past it's prime.  Don't let the looks of this frosting fool you. Underneath it is FAILURE.

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it ain't yellow cake.

{You know what I mean.}

Monday - Bowtie Pasta and marinara (freezer meal), salad {might bail on the Grief Zoom tonight}

Tuesday - Honey Mustard Chicken Bites, twice baked potato, zucchini

Wednesday - Wine Wednesday with The Girl

Thursday - Chicken Fajita Bowls with brown rice, black beans, avocado, salsa, cheese

Friday - Some kind of fish, coleslaw, corn

Saturday - TBD {might visit my mother}

Sunday - same {working 7 a.m. til 1 p.m., then to H Mart for ingredients for a virtual cooking class}

Gina

5 thing Friday - Ice, bedroom window, blue skies, stitching, pendant

When we had the ice storm last Thursday, I called out and hunkered down.  Not only do I not feel confident driving to work on I35 in an ice storm but I don't particularly trust the other people on the roads either.  One look at the morning news, with all of the road closures and wrecks and I had made my choice.

Stay home and stay warm.

The street behind my car is a sheet of ice.  No thank you.

I did some sewing, some cleaning, some desk work, and some soup-making in my little crock pot.  I ate whatever I happened to have on hand and I didn't bother leaving my house until Saturday. 

(to buy food and rush back home - more on that later...)

On Friday I was a cleaning demon!  I pulled the curtains down in my room, moved the furniture, fixed my blinds so that they would stop popping off the bracket, vacuumed the heck out of carpet, cellular shades, and furniture.  Then for good measure I wiped down the shades with warm soapy water.  (I cannot believe how groddy they were) The windows got windexed, too.

Let there be light!

It was nice to give my bedroom a little extra love.  And it smelled so nice in here!

Saturday and Sunday were both beautiful days.  I love Central Texas mild winters.  Ice and snow, not so much.  In fact this weekend, I think I will visit Highlands and sit in the sun for a while.

Stitching again.  I have claimed the kitchen table as my spot for stitching since the light in here is perfect for it.  I have a lot of little projects I want to work on.  Creative stuff, mostly.

I did go get this compass pendant engraved with the coordinates for Highlands.  I wear it most weekends, along with a few other small charms.  Still haven't decided what will become of Highlands,  Still a tomorrow problem, I guess.

Happy Weekend,

Gina

Little project: a skinny dresser scarf for a closet shelf

 I love my closet.  It's nothing fancy, but it looks and smells clean, has lot of hanging and storage space, and is a pretty place to get dressed in the mornings.  This closet was one of the first things I oohed and awed over at this house - I envisioned Mark and I sharing the space for use as an actual closet.  At our first house we had small separate closets just inside the bathroom.  However, my plan got derailed since he wanted an office and "ham shack" and the only space available for that was, you guessed it, our master walk-in closet.

I have blogged about this closet before...

Fast forward to now - except for the hole in the ceiling and the wires hanging down (I have no idea what I will do about that) it is back to being a closet.  And also, now I have this open shelf in here that I thought I would make a sort of dresser scarf for - it just looked very sparse.

I took a pre-made linen type runner from my stash, pinned it to the length and width I wanted, added some crochet lace atop it, and stitched it all down.

And I like the look in here.  Very vintage-y.

This lace was made by none other than my mother who gifted it to me several years ago.  I am happy to have found a place to put it where I will see and appreciate it often.  Courtesy of a sweet little sewing project.

Gina

Empty Nest Menu #106

A two-fer: 

It's nice to have dinner with The Girl and she always brings Teddy.

A doggie who thinks he's a lap cat. 

Or at least a smaller doggie than he actually is...

Monday - Freezer meal {Grief Zoom in p.m.}

Tuesday - Turkey Spaghetti, side salad

Wednesday - Wine Wednesday with The Girl

Thursday - BBQ Pork Chops in crockpot, broccoli, maybe a roll

Friday - Salmon, garlic brown rice, red bell pepper

Saturday - Brisket (from Rudy's), beans, coleslaw {Highlands for the day}

Sunday - Galentine's Dinner with The Girl

Gina

5 thing Friday - healthy eating, journaling, cooking for one, wine, tee shirts

In no particular order, as per usual...

This was a great dinner, froze well, and made a delish lunch!  A quinoa/ brown rice/lentil combo with chicken sausage and yellow bell pepper.  Sounds weird, but it was really tasty!  The grains came pre-mixed and cooked - I just added cooked, sliced sausage and peppers and the rest of some lemon vinaigrette.

I've been journaling in the morning in this notebook from I forget where - an Instagram link? - while I sip my coffee.  Each day you write your thoughts, your fears, your happy/grateful things, your goals and plans, and ideas for self care.  Its been nice to focus on Gina a little.

Another good dinner:  Trader Joe's chicken fried rice with sauteed bok choy served with teriyaki glazed salmon.  I bought a package of salmon filet pieces and froze them individually, so I can thaw each for one serving.  Its probably wrong but 20 minutes at 350 usually does the trick.

I haven't been to any new wineries.  Or breweries, for that matter.  I haven't even been to the wineries I love except to pick up my wine club shipment.  I'm very out of the groove.  It just feels empty to me because Hubby and I loved doing that together.  I still love Texas wine and craft beer - I'm just getting it from HEB mostly.

I stopped into Goodwill after dropping off a couple bags of stuff and found three new tees for me.  Mint condition, the right style and color, reasonable price.  Sold.  I'm not a fan of clothes shopping lately either...sigh..I sure hope the old me will hang in there until the new me can get a grip.

Gina

Big project: cedar chest done

 I never meant for that cedar chest project to take as long as it did.  In fact, I wasn't even planning on working on it at all, except I opened it to cram more stuff inside and found all of the destruction.  And once I got started on pulling things out of it, it seemed to morph into this giant stinky pile of sadness.  So I let it sit, spread out all over my garage for several days.

On Sunday I perked a pot of coffee and got back at it.  And with breaks to eat, pee, or cry it took me about 6 hours.  I paused and sent The Girl the photo above.  I was so close to being done but I could barely think. The inability to move and make decisions was real.  I had to push myself through it.  Truly overwhelming.  It was like the ghosts of the past and the responsibility to keep these things safe were pressing in on me.  I have a feeling that organizing these sorts of things is not even close to being over.  

I paused to reflect on this.  I know Hubby would have been overwhelmed, too.  And I think I have been as careful and respectful as I can be.  Its an enormous responsibility he left me with.  I did not take pics of the contents, but someday I may scan some things for my kids.

There are two boxes and a trumpet sitting on top of the chest now.  Those have new homes they will go to.  {And the things against the wall nearby are going out on the next big trash day.}  You can smell mothballs ever so faintly in here...There is empty space for storing a few more things my children and future  grandchildren may want to see someday.

But for now I'm done.

Gina