Monday, October 23, 2017

Monday - Erasing the Evidence

I had the day off from work, today.  So, I was able to sleep for a full 8 hours after falling asleep at 3:00 a.m.  (On days I go to the office, I set my alarm for 8:00 a.m., even when I fall asleep at 3:00 a.m.)

After a cup of coffee, I set about erasing the evidence of Saturday's prayer gathering!  That's what they used to call it when I was a member of an organizing forum.  After making a sandwich, put away the bread, the butter or mayo, the cold cuts, etc., and wipe the crumbs off the counters to erase the evidence of your sandwich making; after doing a load of laundry, fold and put away the laundry as soon as the items are dried to erase the evidence of doing laundry; after holding a prayer and dinner gathering at your home, put everything away and straighten up the house to erase the evidence of the event! 

First, I got dressed, including shoes and lipstick!  Shoes because I had a pain in the sole of my heel from being on my feet wearing the flat shoes I wore during the prayer gathering and wearing my old pair of walking shoes helped.  I wore them all day, yesterday (I normally don't wear shoes inside the house) and the pain was gone by night.  This morning, there was no pain, but I wore the shoes as a preventive measure.  Lipstick because, well, I felt like it!  LOL.

Then, I put in a load of laundry to wash.  While it was washing, I put away the laundry from yesterday.  Then, I put all the dining chairs back (they had been moved to the living room to provide extra seating) and straightened up the living room.  I returned the statue of Our Lady to the other altar where it is kept, usually, and returned the anniversary clock to the mantel.  But first, I replaced the batteries in the clock, washed the glass dome, and wiped the mantel.  Then, I wiped the coffee table, put the Halloween table runner out, and straightened up the cushions on the chairs - the decorative, accent cushions or pillows. 

I forgot to take pictures until I started to write this post, so here's how the rooms look in the evening:

Living Room from Front Door

From Another Angle

In between, I hung up the load of laundry to dry.

Next, I tidied up the dining area.  All the dishes that were washed had been set out on towels on the big dining table to dry.  I put them all away and took the opportunity to check what disposable items I will need for the almsgiving I will hold in December.  I use my good china for the meal I serve the monks, but use paper plates and bowls, etc., for the people who participate, in order to cut down on all the washing up, afterwards.  I removed the table cloths I used for the dinner and put them to launder, later.  Wiped the table, set a small square table cloth in the middle and the fruit bowl.

Dining Table

By this time, I was hungry, so I had a late lunch.  Then, I did the rest of the dishes that needed to be washed (forgot the roasting pan, though, which was hiding in the oven!).  One of the plates I was washing slipped out of my hand and broke.  We'll count that as my decluttering for the day, along with a small empty bottle of perfume I had kept in my dresser drawer to scent my clothes (the bottle  no longer had any scent left).  Later, I emptied all the waste baskets and took the trash and recycling cans to the curb.

It was 102F today and it is going to be even hotter, tomorrow.  The garden needed to be watered, so I hand-wanted the front garden and turned on the sprinklers at the back.  I watered the indoor plants, as well.   

Later in the evening, I called my cousin P and friend R who had come and helped me and thanked them again and we discussed the prayer gathering, again. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- Having the day off from work
- Being able to sleep in
- My foot is OK and there were no more cramps
- A lovely warm day.
- I was able to get most of my to do list done


Monday's To Do List:
- Put away the dried laundry - DONE
- Do another load of laundry - DONE
- Put away the washed dishes - DONE
- Check what needs to be replenished and make a shopping list (I know we ran short of the quart sized baggies, yesterday!) - DONE
- Put away the bottles of drinks, etc. - DONE
- Photograph the wine bottle labels so I know what to buy, next time (two of my cousins brought wine because I told them I don't know what to buy for them, as I don't drink alcohol)
- Put back the chairs and tidy up a bit - DONE
- Take the trash cans to the curb - DONE
- Wash the rice cookers (DONE) and roasting pan
- Put away the big rice cooker until needed for the almsgiving
- Water the indoor plants - DONE
- Water the front garden - DONE
- Water the back garden - DONE
- Sweep and mop the kitchen floor
- Return or renew library magazines - DONE (Renewed)

Tuesday's To Do List:
- Go to the office
- Bring in trash cans
- Wash the roasting pan
- Put away the big rice cooker
- Sweep and mop the kitchen floor
- Put away the dried laundry
- Do another load of laundry

How was your Monday?  Did you have a good day?

20 comments:

  1. It was smart to take the day off after your big event so you could put put your house back in order. BTW, you have a lovely home.

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    1. Thank you, Live and Learn. I struggle a bit to keep it maintained, but, as my friend M always says, "It looks lived in"! :D

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  2. I am impressed that you got everything back and in order so shortly after having your gathering. Everything looks so nice and tidy. You have a beautiful room. I need to go tackle the cabinets and buffet in my dining room and you have just provided some inspiration!

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    1. Thank you, Anne. I was glad I was able to get it all done. Now, the job will be to maintain! Oh, and the 3rd bedroom a.k.a. The Dump also awaits!

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  3. Your home is lovely. Do you use your fireplace in cold weather? Especially love those tall vases sitting on the hearth?

    "I know you are having the almsgiving in December" - what a dear and caring aunt. Clearly you are loved and those close to you are concerned for you. Hopefully it is not as much work as the prayer dinner.

    Enjoy your delucious left over food and rest.

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    1. Thank you, Sandy. Can you believe that I have never used the fireplace in all the years I've lived in this house? There's nothing I'd like better than light a fire there, but my former neighbor, who used his fireplace, took one look at my chimney and said I'd need quite a bit of repairs done before I use the fireplace and I'm afraid I might set the house on fire! I had someone give me an estimate to convert it into a gas fireplace, but it would cost more than what I want to spend. So, I just pretend the fire hasn't been lit yet or just burnt out, and sit next to the heater during the winter! :D

      I have more tall vases on the other side of the hearth, as well. My blue and white collection. I had to put myself on a no-buy diet, as it was getting a bit out of hand!

      The almsgiving will be quite a bit of work, as it needs to be done according to a set time table (the monks need to finish eating by noon as they may not eat after noon). But family and friends will help with the cooking, as it is customary to bring a dish, and the serving, etc.

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  4. Your home looks beautiful! You did a great job "erasing the evidence"! ha! I loved reading of your prayer gathering. Both of them. Yes you are very versatile. Some of your past Catholic relatives would have been pleased with the rosary gathering and the beautiful little mantel with Mary. You did make a lot of food. You are a good hostess!

    I just read the comment about your fireplace. They are just nice to look at. Most aren't very good at heating. I have seen people put candles in theirs which would be cozy. Andrea

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    1. Thank you, Andrea. I do have a wrought iron candle holder in front of the fireplace, running almost the width of it. But I like the idea of candles inside the fireplace. :)

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  5. Glad that you had the day off after the big event! It's good you managed to get some sleep. You must have worn yourself out! Your home looks very comfortable, a lovely space to spend time relaxing.

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    1. Thank you, Sharon. Sometimes, I look at my home and all I see is the shabbiness that I try to disguise - the old drapes (they were supposed to have been a temporary fix until I found something better), the sofa upholstery that have been scratched by the cat, the scuffed walls that need a new coat of paint, etc. But, it is indeed a place where you can put your feet up on the coffee table or take a nap on the sofa without worrying about it. :)

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  6. Your fireplace is almost exactly like mine, except that you have super cute shelves on each side. I asked my husband how hard it would be to make some for ours, as the lack of places to put ANYTHING is a huge issue here. He thinks he could, but is very busy, so we will see if he gets time.

    I'm glad you got rid of those cramps. I have them frequently and they are so painful. I simply cannot go around without shoes for very long, either.

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    1. Becky, the shelves on either side of the fireplace had been put there by the former owners, but I liked them and kept them. They do make a nice display space, don't they?

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  7. You did a lot of ETE'ing Bless! Your home is lovely! What exactly is the brass stand with the rooster or chicken at the top? Looks so interesting. You did great!

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    1. Thank you, Carolyn. All those years on the forum are paying off! :D The rooster topped brass stand is a traditional/ceremonial Sri Lankan oil lamp. Each of the somewhat circular trays are filled with coconut oil, wicks made from twisted cotton fabric are arranged in little lipped grooves around the trays and lit on ceremonial occasions. The lamp is often decorated with strands of jasmine flowers that meet at the top and hang down around the lamp, during ceremonies at the temple, at weddings, opening ceremonies, etc. This one is about 4 feet high; I have a smaller one on top of the bookcase, near the altar, too.

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    2. Oh how lovely! What a wonderful tradition ... and the stand/lamp itself is very pretty too.

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    3. Thank you, Carolyn. I forgot to polish the brassware, this time; must remember to do that for the almsgiving.

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  8. What a lovely gracious looking home! The fireplace is very attractive and I wonder if there is some kind of electric fire insert that you could use in winter to give the warm look of a fire. We have a fake wood stove which looks quite realistic with no work! I love to see it glowing when the weather cools down. It is possible to flick a switch at the rear and get it to blow heat, but our wood furnace in the basement provides forced air heating so we only use the fake stove for cosmetic reasons.
    I still ETE when making a sandwich, but I am not as disciplined when doing laundry and it seems to hang around before getting folded and put away!

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    1. Thank you, Bushlady. I am going to see if they have any fireplace inserts. It'll be fun to pretend there is a real fire there!

      Most of the time, the laundry hangs overnight to dry, before I fold and put away. I usually put it away in the morning or in the evening. I generally do one load at a time, so there's often a load of laundry drying at least a couple of nights a week.

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  9. Love that, 'Erasing the evidence".. now, that is a rule that would really work.. Need to work on that.smile.
    Your living room and dining room looks so pretty and clean. Proud you got to take the day off , after your prayer gathering..Know you were tired.

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    1. Thank you, Judy. I don't always manage to erase the evidence, but things look so much better when I do!

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