Been a busy week between doing nothing. I still have the tail end of the cold I had last week – mostly coughing fits, which upset my husband. He still does not want me touching things – like food and dishes as he is afraid of catching the cold.
Eating dinner has continued to be an adventure. He used to be a such a good cook and enjoy it so much – no longer. We ate out our usual 3 nights for the weekend, which helped a bit, but then we were back to cooking at home. While out on Monday we stopped in at the Walmart Neighborhood Market (supermarket only) to buy stuff for dinner. We came up with the idea of making a soup we like, for dinner. It was too late to make it so we were going to buy what we needed and make it yesterday (Tues), but unlike Walmarts normally this one has a terrible produce deprtment and we could not find good potatoes or onions.
So today we bought same and are making the soup for tomorrow. Husband made it so I would not touch it. Now remember, he was always the better cook. First thing to do is cut up the onions. I would use a paring knife; he takes out the largest knife we own. I didn't want to criticize, so I said nothing and hoped he would not hurt himself. He did not. Then onto the potatoes – he had major trouble as he could not cut through them – they were not our usual red potatoes as same looked terrible, but similar edible skin potatoes. As he finally started swearing I simply said “I usually use a small knife for that.” He then went and took the smallest knife we have – the one I only use to open sealed food packages as it is too small to cut with – and proceed to cut the potatoes with it. Then the meat had to be cut up. The rest of the vegetables added were frozen ones – including some I had split into bags in the freezer when I made normal amount of soup in December at the holidays. We have added more meat to make it a dinner entree this time. I watched it as it cooked – stirring it now and then. I just shut it off and took the pot off the stove to cool off. It should cook 2 hours, I let it cook an hour and a half as it will cook again tomorrow before we eat it. This also allows about 2 hours before we go to bed so we can put in the fridge without needing to put the pot in ice water to cool it off.
At the same time I have our clothes in the washing machine – deal with my cold is I put in washer, I move to dryer, he takes the clothes out of the dryer (because the heat of same will kill all the “germs”) and then he will hang up his shirts, but I can fold the rest. I did not do other than clothes last week and probably won't this week either – what fun next week – plus our reenacting clothing still needs to washed and stored until the next event, probably in the spring.
Monday I had telephone call from my sister. She had someone who could come and would take stuff from our family home for his non-profit thrift shop and we would get a receipt for the donation. She also had someone coming today to take furniture, so could husband and I go on Tuesday so she did not have take off 2 days from work? So we went. While we waited for the fellow to come we walked around the house looking for certain items. I should mention that there have already been 2 tag sales – one by a professional and one by my sister. The fellow was amazing – he packed the stuff so quickly – and I was surprised that breakables were not wrapped – most of what was around the in the house in smaller things are now gone including several closets of clothing (including the gown I wore to his sister's wedding as a bridesmaid), all the bed linens & towels, drinking glasses (at least 2 sets of same), candle holders (lots of same), toys and anything else you can imagine – plus other stuff. In our walk around the house before and while I wandered around while they were there (husband went out to the car as he was tired – we had to get there earlier than we normally wake up) some items were found that, yes, we took. My mom had embroidered a lovely (large) wreath of flowers on blue velvet back in the 1970s/80s and my sister had asked if I wanted it and I had said no. In the interim I thought about it and decided I wanted it, but when we were there just before the first tag sale, I did not see it and presumed that it had been taken by one of my sisters or mom had asked for it. But it was in the dining room. I looked at it and the frame was damaged and huge. I told husband that I wanted it, but if we could get it out of the frame – that was great. A quick trip to the car – we have all sorts of useful things in the car – and a large Swiss army knife was found (no staple removers in dad's office) and he pulled the staples out so I could keep the needlework. I plan to refinish it in the same manner I finish embroidery pieces that I make, but don't plan to hang up – as an unquilted small quilt piece.
Our first stop was my dad's office. We are still hoping to find the book about our family and husband wanted to see what show business books were there. My sister had mentioned in the list of things that the fellow could take and what he could not take that there were office supplies in the office closet – so I had to look. I am about to run out of what is called columnar paper – that is the accounting paper with number columns on it – and have not really wanted to spend the money to buy a new book of it – husband tried downloading from online, but it was not that usable – and I found a number of books of it in the closet – now here. Husband found a book he wanted – we took that too. Just before the fellow the arrived husband found 2 ceramic mugs from the Williamsburg Pottery – perfect to use for reenacting and not cheap – so we were putting them in the car when the fellow arrived. He was very nice and I said, very efficient.
At first husband stayed with me in the house as we did not know the fellow and we followed him as he looked at what was in the house – as we walked around in my parents' bedroom I noticed a stack of tablecloths – there the long missing and looked for, tablecloth that I had embroidered in high school was there! So now the only thing I have not found that I was looking for is that book!
As I waited in the house as they went through everything my eye fell on 2 pewter, 18th century looking candle holders. (Not antiques, just looking like.). I picked them up and walked out to husband in the car and showed them to him – he agreed we needed to take them for reenacting – perfect for extra candle holders at the candlelight nights event.
As the fellow was finishing he asked about several large black garbage bags in the kitchen. I texted my sister – yes, they were garbage not stuff she was keeping. He went through the bags and most of what was in them – kitchen items not actual food or paper garbage – he took also – another 2 cartons worth!
I have not yet spoken to my sister about the furniture man today and how much he took.
It is amazing how much stuff a family of 5 accumulates over 60 years – and I know that mom was always donating stuff to different organizations. One thing I can say – We do have less stuff than my family did – well, there are the teddy bears - larger and smaller - and their friends…
So think about it – when one day your house has to be cleared out – how much will there be? Enough for children to take what they want, plus 2 tag sales, plus a thrift shop truck load, plus…?
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Try looking through one room – perhaps your kitchen or your living room – anything there you no longer like? Did you buy new set of dishes and still have the old set? Every one item that you get rid of is one less for the thrift shop man to come and take later.
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