Sunday, January 15, 2023

Mid-Month, Already?

Paperwhites

It was a cloudy day. today, with a break in the rain for a good part of the day.  It started raining in the evening.

My rain water buckets are full!  I pulled out the old trash cans and set one up to collect more rain water.  The second trash can had a crack at the very bottom, so, I left it where it was, turned upside down.  I should have emptied the smaller buckets of water into the big trash can, but, the buckets were too heavy for me to lift and I was too lazy to dip out the water with a small bowl or container.  Maybe I can do that, tomorrow.  

Today, was a productive day!

I finished tidying and dusting the family room (and didn't drop or break anything!)  I was going to vacuum the family room, but, my daughter was on a zoom call with two of her friends and although she said it wouldn't disturb her, I didn't want to be making a big noise in the background, and I didn't feel like vacuuming after she got off the call!  Instead, I cleaned my bathroom (and then, Dancer, who seems to be a bit off, had an accident, and I had to clean the floor, again!)

I also reorganized the three drawers of the sideboard where the gift wrap, gift bags, etc., are stored; it had got a bit messy when I was pulling out tissue paper, gift bags, etc., during the holidays.  I had a big, rather battered looking gift box in which I had stored several rolls of Christmas ribbons, bought on sale for $0.10 per roll, back in the 1990s, when Woolworths was going out of business!  I believe I bought 20 rolls for $2,00!  I've been using those ribbons ever since!  The box had been from a department store that is no longer in business and there was a small label on the box in my mother's handwriting, identifying it as containing Christmas ribbons (Mother died in 2006).  Today, I managed to fit all the ribbons into a much smaller box, and it fits nicely in the drawer with the Christmas gift bags, etc.  I recycled the old, big gift box the ribbons had been stored in.

I also decluttered a shoe box sized plastic storage box that had held odds and ends in the garage.  The box was cracked, so I tossed it.

I had been flattening and recycling several cardboard boxes that arrived during the holidays, either with gifts I ordered online or with gifts others had sent to me.  They had been stacked in the family room instead of being recycled right away because I have a thing about holding onto cardboard boxes (I always think I can reuse them for storage, etc.)  Today, I decluttered another small cardboard box.

I also went through two file folders of old telephone/cell phone and TV/internet bill statements, each holding three years worth of statements (2020, 2021, and 2022), and shredded them!  My shredder got a good work out!  I gathered four brown grocery sacks of shredded paper and spread them all on some of the planting beds in the back yard.  They will act as mulch and, hopefully, keep down at least some of the weeds that will surely pop up after the rains!  In addition, I recycled several brochures and one magazine.  My recycling bin is quite full!  

Daughter and I had leftover pizza for brunch.  For dinner, I made a ham and egg noodles casserole:

Ham and Egg Noodles Casserole

I boiled about half of a bag of egg noodles, mixed them with a can of cream of celery soup (and about half a can of water), some leftover ham from New Year's Day dinner, diced, and a handful of frozen green peas (whatever was left in the bag).  I put it all into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish, sprinkled some garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, a few red chili flakes, ground black pepper, and two of the individual packets of grated Romano cheese that came with our dinner from the Italian restaurant, earlier this month.  I baked it, covered with foil, in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes and then, uncovered for another 10 minutes, just to brown the top a little bit.  Daughter and I enjoyed some of it for our dinner and there's more than half the pan leftover for another day.

Today, I am grateful for:

- All the rain water I've managed to collect in my buckets!
- Phone calls with family (cousin P and her daughter) and friends (R); emails with other friends
- My paper shredder
- Shredded paper mulch for the garden
- All the cleaning, decluttering, and organizing I accomplished

Today's joyful activity was spending time in the garden, just checking on the plants and taking some badly out of focus photos!  LOL.  Reorganizing the sideboard drawers was also a joyful activity!  

Tomorrow is a holiday for my daughter (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day).  We don't have any special plans for the day, but, I hope to vacuum the family room and maybe my bedroom, too.  Earlier forecasts said it will rain tomorrow, but, now the forecast is for a partly cloudy day.

How was your Sunday?  What are your plans for Monday?  


18 comments:

  1. This weekend I did some serious decluttering of my lingerie drawer. I have packed my warm winter tights tidily so I can find them easily. It has been very cold and wet here. I'm impressed by your decluttering

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    1. Thank you, Angela. Sounds like you did quite a bit of decluttering, yourself! It's cold (for me, anyway) and wet here, too! I have the heater going all day and night and the gas company has already warned me that my bill will be very high this month! Partly because natural gas prices have sky rocketed due to the demand with it being such a cold winter in the midwestern and eastern states.

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  2. Pretty paperwhites in the garden. Good idea to collect rain water to use in the garden. I do hope that Dancer is OK. Yeah to more decluttering.

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    1. Thank you, Mary-Lou. I love the paperwhites because they have been returning year after year, unlike the tulips and daffodils I planted at the same time, many many years ago! I'm pleased with the rain water I was able to collect! Now, I wish I had thought of it, earlier! Dancer is a bit better, today, I think. He is meowing a bit more. If he's not back to his usual vocal self, I will make an appointment with the vet to have him checked. Yes, more decluttering - little by little. :)

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  3. The paperwhites are so pretty. They are a common thing sold around here at Christmas time and people grow them inside. However, I've never gotten any because I hear they really stink. But, I guess outside that wouldn't be a problem.

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    1. Thank you, June. I really like paperwhites. Unlike tulips and daffodils, which I have also planted, the paperwhites return year after year. They have a strong scent, but, I think the scent is perfume-y, not stinky! I cut the flower stalks and put them in a vase indoors and they perfume the whole house!

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    2. I guess it's how strong the smell is that's the problem. If the perfume the whole house, it must be pretty strong.

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    3. Yes, they do have a strong smell. I guess one either likes it or finds it too overpowering. :)

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  4. I never think of making pasta bake! Now you have got me fancying some. I hope the big trash can is well on the way to getting full now. It always feels satisfying it have a good clearout and shred. I have done a couple of blitzes recently and made quite some headway.

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    1. The casserole was very easy to prepare and we enjoyed it. The big trash can was a failure! I'll post about it in my next blog post.
      I tend to hold onto so many papers "just in case", but, I'm running out of room in my filing cabinets and I don't want to fill my garage with boxes of old files! I'm still cleaning out what I have stored in the garage as it is!

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  5. Wow! You did have a really productive day.

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    1. Yes! Some days, I can get quite a bit done. Other days, I'm a slug! :D

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  6. I didn't know that paper whites had a strong scent. I have a 2 year old poinsettia in the dining room and this year it actually produced some red bracts, enough to entertain me. I think it was because for months the room was only lit for the time we ate supper and then they were in darkness for the longest time. I hope Dancer is okay.
    Your pasta dish looks great, and I'm thinking to make one with tuna soon, using some packaged Mac. dinner and adding cheese to the top before baking.

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    1. I really like the scent of paperwhites, but, my daughter finds that they trigger her allergies, so I don't bring them into the house when she's here.
      How fun that the poinsettia produced red bracts for you, this year! Sounds like it likes its location!
      Dancer seems to be a bit better, today, thank you. Still not his usual vocal self, but, eating and drinking and using the litter box.
      Baked tuna mac and cheese sounds wonderful! I might make one, next week!

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  7. Your pasta dish looks very tempting. I don't make pasta bakes very often, no idea why as when I do make them I really enjoy them. I've added your suggestion to my Cooking with Bless folder!

    You had a productive day so well done. I on the other hand seem to be busy with social things and haven't achieved that much around the home this week so far.

    It's icy over here today with temperatures of -1ºc so I've had a cosy day at home. xx

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    1. Thank you, Eileen; I don't do pasta bakes all that often, either, but, we do enjoy them from time to time. I've also added canned or frozen mixed vegetables to these pasta bakes and that's good, too.
      I was happy with what I was able to get done. The family room was getting a bit messy and it was starting to get to me!
      I'm glad you were busy with social engagements; I think you have been wanting that quite a bit. The housework can wait!
      Eek! That's cold! Stay warm and safe at home!

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  8. Good job on the decluttering. You got your wrapping area all organized.
    Ahhhh Woolworths. I used to enjoy shopping there (and eating there too :) I still use 4 Christmas glasses that I got at Woolworths back in the 80's. They are actually really nice with raised snowflake dots on them and I love them.
    You had a nice accomplished day.
    I hope Dancer feels better

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    1. Thank you, Debra; yes, I got the wrapping area nicely organized. Then, I discovered the box of Christmas card making stuff on my desk, so now I need to make room for it in one of the drawers, if possible. If not, it can go with the rest of the scrapbooking/cardmaking stuff.
      My mother and I used to eat at Woolworths after we shopped! :) Your Christmas glasses sound lovely!
      Dancer is feeling better, thank you. :)

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