What's Been Going On: Thursday, 16 December - Sunday, 19 December, 2021

Happy Monday! I hope this is the beginning of a relaxing, stress-free week for everyone (I know, I know, it’s tough around this time of the year, but we can always hope, right?). We’re keeping things fairly low-key; we haven’t even really finalized any plans with our families at all. We’ll definitely test first (we have a bunch of at-home rapid tests from my husband’s job) before visiting my father; he’s a type I diabetic, so I’m especially concerned about keeping him safe whenever we visit him. Whatever you do, whatever your plans this week, be safe about it and exercise caution. Things are getting scary out there again.

Here's what I’ve been up to this week!

 

Thursday, 16 December, 2021

After breakfast and coffee, I got dressed and ready and tossed some white beans into the Instant Pot (which I scrubbed out a little with baking soda before). I edited and posted my Thursday post, and then headed out for a very windy school drop-off. We had winds that gusted between 60-70 miles per hour all night long, so that was a little scary! Wind is my least favorite kind of weather.

I drove to a grocery store in the next town over to pick up pickles, onions, and peppers, and on their marked-down produce shelf was a large bag of green beans for a dollar, so those also went home with me. Back at home, I did an hour of volunteer work, then threw together a seitan loaf (which used the white beans, and which we would slice up for sandwiches for dinner). I unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, and then it was time for lunch with my daughter.

At home, I had lunch myself, then read 30 minutes’ worth of my Read Harder book (The Joy of Sects by Peter Occhiogrosso). I skipped Pilates again (the weather changes were making me sore, and I didn’t want to push it), and put the seitan loaf on to steam, snapped the green beans and chopped mushrooms, and put them together to make Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms. The seitan loaf went into the oven, later followed by the beans and mushrooms, and I checked in on my favorite homemaking blogs.

After dinner, I did my Duolingo, biked on my stationary bike for 25 minutes, showered, and put dinner away. I settled down with my book, American Baby: A Mother, a Child, and the Shadowy History of Adoption by Gabrielle Glaser. My husband and I watched two episodes of Forensic Files before bed.

 

Friday, 17 December, 2021

After breakfast and coffee, I scooped the litterbox, loaded the dishwasher, and dropped my daughter off at school. I learned that one of her best friends will be traveling with her family to Bangladesh, to visit extended family. She won’t be back until mid-February, so while my daughter is happy that her friend gets to have such an exciting adventure, she’s really going to miss her until then!

And then it was time for Christmas errands at Walmart, Five Below, and the Dollar Tree. Nothing major, just a few extra odds and ends for not-my-holiday. Still fun! At home, I poked around on the computer in the brief time I had, then took lunch to my daughter. Back home, I scarfed down lunch myself, and then my husband and I picked our daughter up because it was an early release day. Hurray for winter break!

We drove over to the local animal park and met another school friend and her mom there. It was super fun getting to see all the animals (and pet some of them!), and even more fun getting to hang out with friends. I had bought a pair of thermal socks at Five Below earlier in the day and stayed warm the whole time, while everyone else was freezing!

When we got back home, I ran my son on some errands, and then it was time for dinner at home. I did my Duolingo, biked, showered, put dinner away, loaded and ran the dishwasher, and then watched YouTube videos while I cross-stitched until it was time for virtual services at my synagogue. Afterwards, I worked on my grandmother’s cross-stitch a little more until I went to bed early.

Saturday, 18 December, 2021

After coffee, I unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, wiped down the counter and stovetop, scrubbed out the sink, and then got dressed and ready. I took out the recycling and compost, tidied the living room, and wrote two book reviews. And then it was off to my mother-in-law’s for lunch! She made a delicious breakfast casserole, which we all enjoyed. After that, we all went to Target so my daughter could pick out a gift (which she won’t get until Christmas). She picked out an Our Generation doll accessory set that she’s been eyeing for ages, and everyone was happy! (This took FOREVER, though. My daughter hadn’t been in Target in ages, so this was a big deal for her and she couldn’t make up her mind.)

At home, I had a headache, so I just played on the computer until dinnertime, when I threw together bean and cheese quesadillas for my daughter and me. Afterwards, we finally put up the Christmas tree! I enjoy the lights, but not the mess, and it’s always a relief to me when I’m able to put it away and have my living room back. It IS pretty, though!

 

I showered and read my book until my husband came upstairs, and we watched two episodes of Forensic Files, thus completing all the episodes Netflix had to offer. Not sure what we’ll watch next!

 

Sunday, 19 December, 2021

After breakfast and coffee, I was browsing the local Freecycle group and found someone across town was giving away a recorder and a tin whistle, so I got dressed and picked that up from them. I played the recorder for years as a kid (it gets a bad reputation because it’s often a first instrument for kids, but when it’s played properly, it’s actually gorgeous), and the tin whistle fingering is close to it. I can play by ear, so it’s fun to be able to mess around on any kind of musical instrument.

I sat down to work on this post, then started a load of laundry and loaded and ran the dishwasher. I spent the morning catching up on some things on the computer, and after lunch, I biked for 25 minutes (sweaty!). I was going to read when I was done, but I ended up falling asleep! I must’ve needed it. I came downstairs and hung out with the family (and found something for my daughter to do later on this week!), and we had pizza for dinner. I did my Duolingo and showered, then worked on my grandmother’s cross-stitch while watching YouTube videos.

 

I put my daughter to bed (we finished reading The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park), and then settled down to read my book. My husband and I watched an episode of Cold Case Files before bed.

 

And that’s it for this week! After I get this posted, I’m going to tidy up the kitchen and living room, and then spend the day with my daughter. We have a whole stack of library books to get to, so I’m excited for that! I know this is a time of hustle and bustle for many people, along with tension, but I truly hope you’re able to find some enjoyment in this time as well. Whatever your plans are for this week, be safe!