Simple Woman's Daybook

For today, Wednesday June 3, 2009

I am thinking... about what all I want/need to do today. It's such a pretty day outside!

I am thankful for... the thunderstorm we got last night. I had the soaker hoses turned on for the beans for about 1 hour last evening and I'm sure the "real" rain boosted the spirits for everything in the garden :) Hopefully for the 2 maple trees that we transplanted last week, too...

From my kitchen... 3 chicken carcasses cooked down overnight and I need to drain off the broth and pick the rest of the meat off. The floor is filthy. I didn't get to it on Monday like I wanted to, and it still has cake crumbs and icing splats from making 2 cakes on Friday.

I am going... I won't be doing my regular grocery shopping trip today. I went to Food Lion yesterday and spent most of the week's budget. We'll be going to choir practice this evening and I'll probably stop by Kroger on the way home and pick up some Orange Juice. That's about the only thing we'll run out of by next week if I don't get some.

I am reading... I just finished reading Mistaken Identity, the story about the 2 girls from Taylor University that were in an accident, one was killed and one survived and their identities were mixed up for several weeks.

I am hoping... that the mole poles that I ordered online come really soon. The moles and voles are tearing my garden to pieces. I'm also hoping that I can get to bed early again tonight and that it becomes a habit and that eventually I feel "ready" to get up when the alarm clock goes off. I'm getting there, it was easier this morning.

I am creating... Later on today I will be freezing 5 lbs. of broccoli :) Does that count? I also need to figure out a menu plan for the rest of this week, and might as well go ahead and do next week, too. I have SO fallen of the wagon on this and just can't get back into the groove. Any hints or tips for this? I don't want to keep making the "same old, same old" day in and day out. I want something new and exciting, or at least exciting!

I am hearing... silence. That's one thing I miss about having the AC on is I don't hear the birdies singing every morning like I do when the windows are open. However, the heat and humidity is enough that I'm glad for the AC.

Around the house... Daniel and Glen got more baseboard put up Memorial Day! That is exciting:) Last night Daniel cleaned off the end of the house where mildew had grown and turned the siding green. Now it's all clean and creamy white again. Yesterday on my walk I picked a couple wild daisies and they are in a vase on my kitchen windowsill. They look so happy and pretty there.

A few plans for the rest of the week... I might donate blood on Friday! Daniel's work is hosting a blood drive and it's something I've always thought I wanted to do. I want to make some cookies and muffins and possibly find and try a salty snack recipe. Work at eating the rest of the strawberries that Glen and I picked last week, maybe freeze some of them. Daniel asked for a Strawberry Pie, so I might make that today, too.

One of my favorite things... Fresh-baked bread. I made 3 loaves yesterday afternoon and it was just wonderful. I think 3 loaves is about the max that my KitchenAid mixer can handle, though.

A picture thought... When it's warm/hot enough outside I like to set my bread dough outside on the porch railing to rise. It works great and I don't have to warm up the oven to do it, and it's faster than it rising on the counter.