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| Back Yard on a Cloudy Day |
Friday has been a cloudy, overcast, and cool day, with a high of 68F. Typical May Gray weather. I'm not a fan of this weather, but, at least the roses are able to bloom without getting scorched:
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| Roses |
Friday has been another productive day.
As some of you already know, I follow an 8-week cleaning cycle, which focuses on different areas of the house, in addition to my daily cleaning schedule. I've posted this before, but, the last time I posted it was two years ago, so, here is the cycle if anyone is interested:
Week 1 - Entryway and Living Room
Week 2 - Dining Room and Laundry Room
Week 3 - Bathrooms and Front Porch
Week 4 - Kitchen and Back Porch
Week 5 - Children's/Guest Rooms and Closets
Week 6 - Family Room and Room of Choice
Week 7 - Master Bedroom and Closet
Week 8 - All House Clean
I try to follow this schedule, consistently, although I don't always manage to do so. I have noticed that I tend to feel happier about the state of my house when I follow the schedule. This week is Week 1, and I have been tending to the living room (in between other areas with the daily cleaning). I dusted the living room on Monday and I dusted it again, today, including the window sills, vacuumed under the sofa cushions, and vacuumed it, along with the rest of the house. The way the cycles work is, from now on, I will continue to dust and vacuum the living room, once a week, until it comes up again after eight weeks and then, I'll give it another deep clean (maybe wash the windows or remove cobwebs from the corners, etc.) Afterwards, I cleaned my bathroom, which is on Friday's cleaning schedule.
Friday's To Do List:
- Clean the bathroom ✔
- Do one deep cleaning task ✔ (vacuuming under the sofa cushions)
- Tend to the garden with M ✔
- Put away laundry ✔
- Paperwork ✔
M was here to tend to the garden, this evening; it is coming along, nicely:
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| The Peach Tree |
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| The Broccoli Patch |
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| Broccoli Side Shoots |
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| The rather weedy beetroot patch (taken earlier in the week on a sunny day) |
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| Today's Garden Harvest |
I picked most of the oranges that were left on the tree - there are two more oranges left on the tree. I picked most of the broccoli side shoots; I am planning to freeze these. I also pulled up one of the bigger beetroot plants to see, but, the beetroot is very small still. Some blueberries that were ripe and three serrano chilies from the plant that we planted last year and overwintered. It is full of flowers, again, and small chilies:
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| Serrano Chili Pepper Plant (and California Poppy) |
Another plant that is full of flowers is this guara plant:
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| Gaura Plant |
Last year, the rabbits ate it down to a nub. This year, there are no rabbits (I don't know what happened to them - maybe someone managed to catch them or maybe something ate them) and the plant is full of flowers. It shares the same planting circle as the peach tree and the zucchini seedlings.
I tried the frozen ravioli I bought yesterday, with canned pasta sauce. The recommended serving size was 9 ravioli and the bag is supposed to contain 5 servings. I boiled 9 of the ravioli as directed and added it to some of the sauce. It was good, but, I wasn't too impressed with the beef filling. Next time, I think I'll try the cheese filled ones, I think they'll have more of a flavor.
Later in the evening, I called friend R and video chatted with my daughter.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Warm, woolen sweaters!
- M helping with the garden
- Today's harvest
- The technology that enables me to video chat with my daughter
- What I was able to accomplish
- M helping with the garden
- Today's harvest
- The technology that enables me to video chat with my daughter
- What I was able to accomplish
Today's joyful activity was gardening and harvesting some garden produce.
Plans for tomorrow include playing with fabric.
How was your Friday? What have you planned for Saturday and the weekend?
The peach tree has really grown. I always like seeing your pictures.
ReplyDeleteIs the first picture coming out of your family room? Is that the porch area with the overhang? - is the mulch still up there? lol
Your harvest is a good one. What will you do with the beet?
Too bad the beef ravioli wasn't as good as you wanted. I'm sure you will eat it though. I see online that many people fry them up getting them nice and crispy. There's a thought - although more calories for sure.
I like gaura plants but can't have one because of my rabbits. It's funny you mentioned your rabbits. I have been meaning to ask if they were still around.
I planted some marigold seedlings this morning that I saved from last year's plants. I hope the squirrels leave them alone.
Thank you, Debra, glad you like the pictures. :)
DeleteYes, the tree has grown, hasn't it?
Yes, the picture was taken while standing at the family room's sliding glass door (with the door open). Yes, it is the porch area, with the overhang and the mulch is still up there! :D M hasn't been able to buy the nails yet and I don't want to keep asking him as he's doing me a favor.
I will make a beetroot curry with the beet and its leaves. I'll probably boil the beet separately because it needs to cook a little longer than the leaves, then, cut it up into small pieces, add the cut up leaves and stems. It'll be good with some rice and chicken curry. :)
Oh, yes, I will definitely eat the ravioli, even if the filling wasn't that good. I will try the cheese ravioli, next. :)
I've no idea what happened to the rabbits! I hope your marigold seedlings will grow and produce lots of flowers! I didn't know that squirrels ate them!
They don't eat them but they like to dig up anything newly planted! I said seedlings but I actually direct sowed the seeds themselves.
DeleteI think it's gotten warm enough & they will sprout.
Oh, I see. Well, I hope the squirrels will behave themselves! :D
DeleteYour garden looks to be doing well, and it is good that the roses are not getting scorched. Your peach tree looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteI used to try to follow that cleaning schedule when DH was still working. Now life and schedules don't always mix, so I have an unscheduled schedule! At the moment it needs tweaking, too.
The mosquitos are bad this year. My neighbour brought round my order of eggs and she was waving away mosquitos. We have had a few sneak into the house. We waited many frozen months for this! But at least we don't have to worry about snow on the roads.
Thank you, Bushlady. Yes, the garden is coming along nicely. :)
DeleteI don't always follow the cleaning schedule, but, then, I notice that the house starts to get messy!
Sorry to hear about the mosquitos! They are a nuisance, aren't they? Burning citronella candles is supposed to help keep them away, but, I don't know how well that works.
I love the guara. I had one like that last year but it hasn't survived the winter so I another one on order. I'm also thinking of getting another one (or two) to grow in pots - I think they'll look good in amongst all the other pots.
ReplyDeleteYour cleaning schedule is interesting but I know my limitations and can't stick to something like that. I'm hoping that by the end of the year I will be able to employ a cleaner again, which'll solve any issues I have!
I remember you had a guara, last year - it was pink, wasn't it? I think they'll look very nice mixed in among your other potted plants. :)
DeleteWell, the cleaning schedule is something I've struggled with from time to time. I don't always follow it, faithfully, but, the house stays maintained when I do! If you can hire a cleaner, again, then that would be the way to go! :)
I had a pink one which is still growing well and a white one exactly like yours which is the one that hadn't survived the winter.
DeleteOh, I didn't realize you had two guaras! I'm glad you are replacing the white one which didn't make it through winter. I've been reading up on how to propagate guara from stem cuttings and might try that (they recommend that cuttings are taken in autumn); the plant is relatively drought tolerant, so ideal for my garden!
DeleteThese last few days I seemed unable to comment on your blog. There's no comment box, but I've now realized that once another comment from someone else is posted, the box appears! I have this problem on a few other blogs . How strange! Your garden is lovely with all the fruit trees and veggies. The peach looks to be doing very well. I've never had the frozen beef ravioli. I've had the cheese version, which I find to be good. I am going to visit family tomorrow for almost three weeks. A long trip! But it will be good to see everyone. This includes going to my niece's wedding. I hope you're having a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteOh, I am sorry that you are having trouble with commenting on the blog, Celie. I hope it is just a temporary situation with Blogger.
DeleteThank you; the garden is coming along nicely.
Yes, I am going to try the cheese ravioli next; I think it will be better.
I hope you have a safe trip and a lovely visit with your family, Celie. I know you will enjoy being at your niece's wedding. Best wishes to the bride and groom. :)
I only began reading your blog recently and has become a daily read and I remember worrying about those rabbits not appreciating all the lovely fruit and vegetables that you grow in your garden. I hate to think the rabbits were eaten by something though :( Nor did I realise you had your cleaning schedule although that wouldn't work for me. I'm finding I don't have the energy to be as thorough or as regular with my cleaning as I used to be but I do keep the house tidy. When I first met my husband my mother served him ravioli which he had never tasted before and he hated it so much he vowed never eat it again and he hasn't :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen, for saying that my blog has become a daily read for you. That's a lovely compliment! I remember you being very concerned about the rabbits, last year, and their safety. I do hope that the rabbits were rehomed somewhere, where they are being properly cared for.
DeleteThe cleaning schedule hasn't always been followed as faithfully as I'd like to, but, I come back to it, after each lapse, as it does work for me. A lack of energy is a real issue for me, too. In general, afternoons are when I feel the most energetic and that's when I clean. :)
When I first had pizza, I didn't like it and didn't eat it for years, but, now, it is one of my favorite things to eat! :D I am only now learning to like ravioli. :)
I can't believe how big the peach tree has gotten even with the "pruning" it had last year. Even with the heat and water restrictions, you have a good climate for growing things.
ReplyDeleteMuch of the growth on top of the peach tree is new and M is already talking about pruning it back! We do have a good growing climate. New water restrictions go into effect on June 1, as we are in the 3rd year of drought and the first three months of this year have been the driest on record. I will focus on the fruit trees and any food plants I will be growing (and the remaining rose bushes; I really don't want to lose any more rose bushes!)
DeleteWhat a lovely harvest from your productive garden!
ReplyDeleteI had not been aware of your 8 week cycle, but that sounds very organized. I should adopt something like that -- which is something I say every spring when I download some new person's approach to spring housecleaning. In truth, I just do what I think needs to be done. Luckily our house just doesn't get very dirty without pets or kids. Hubby helps with the weekly (or 10 days if we stretch it) whole house clean, which makes things so much easier. I touch up the hot spot in between, and I feel like the house is ready for people to stop by most of the time (with 15 minutes warning).
Do share what your daily cleaning schedule is, too, please. Because a clean house makes me happy too!
I am very happy with what I've been harvesting from the garden. Today, I picked another handful of blueberries. :)
DeleteThe 8 week cycle is from an organizing forum I used to be in (it has since closed). A weekly clean is a good way to keep the home maintained and it's great that you are able to keep your home ready for company to drop in with just a 15 minute warning!) You are definitely where I'd like to be! :D
I will post my weekly cleaning schedule; I posted it a couple of years ago, but, it can be revisited. :)
Your garden harvest looks delicious. You really are eating a rainbow.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of following the 8 week cleaning schedule, it might help me keep on top of things. When I finished work on Friday evening I managed to get on top of the chores before I went to bed, meaning I could relax a little more over the weekend, X
Thank you, Jules. Yes! Orange, green, purple, red - I didn't realize until you pointed it out! :D
DeleteI find the 8-week cleaning schedule to be helpful; if I don't always get to a particular room on the scheduled week, I can either double up on rooms or pay more attention to it during the all-house week...or, wait until the next time it comes around!
I used to try so hard to get all the housework done during the work week to leave my weekends free, but, back when I was working full time, I usually didn't have the energy to do housework after a long day at work! I'm glad you were able to get your chores done on Friday night and relax over the weekend. :)
You are doing really well with that broccoli - you have had a lot of food from it. You have a wonderful garden. Thank you for sharing the pics.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lyssa. I've recently picked almost a pound of broccoli from the plants! They keep producing!
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