Monday, November 22, 2010

This Week's Agenda

Yesterday Erin at Garden Now - Think Later! listed her week's agenda for this short week leading up to Thanksgiving. She also asked us readers how we all are dealing with holiday deadlines. (Denial seems like a good option to me right now.) I'm putting my head in the sand and refusing to even think about Christmas yet, but I'm afraid there's no avoiding Thanksgiving at this late date.

So here's my list, Erin, of what needs to get accomplished around here this (short -- eeek!) week.

This is the present status of the wall hanging I'm making for my daughter's office door. Long way to go. It needs an appliqued Christmas tree with presents in the center and a "Welcome" panel made and added to the bottom. Fortunately for me, it does not have to be done before Thanksgiving. But it does have a December 4th deadline so the more I can work on it now, the less frantic I'll be later.

I've jumped into some heavy duty housecleaning that's been put off for too long. This does have to be done (because I say so, that's why) by Thanksgiving.

I want to spend Wednesday prepping all the food for Thursday just so I can spend the time Thanksgiving enjoying the holiday.

The usual weekly laundry and ironing need to be done. That should get taken care of today.

I need to make more pie crusts for the freezer. (Pumpkin Pie on Turkey Day!) The above cherry pie was made this past weekend with the very last crusts I had on hand.

I'm overdue to sort through our apples we have in storage. As I've been grabbing ones to use, I've spotted some that are . . . um, spotted. They need to either be used up by the cook around here (!), or tossed to the poultry.

A run to the dairy farm is in order (definitely today) to resupply our dairy products.

As part of my cleaning frenzy, I took down and washed all the valances above the windows. Since they are all long skinny pieces (the valances) they always come out of the washer looking like this. How DOES this happen??

So they are now washed and dried but need to be ironed and put back up on the nekked windows.

I still have one of my Pay It Forward gifts to get sent off in the mail before December. Can't show what this hand made item is (it's a secret for the recipient), but I will say it involves some time spent in front of an open fire knitting and sipping. A couple of hours (spent knitting, not sipping) should be enough to finish it up. That will be enjoyable (both the knitting and a limited amount of sipping) and a fun thing to do.

That's my week's agenda. Now I'll repeat Erin's question and ask: How are you all dealing with holiday deadlines?

14 comments:

Jenyfer Matthews said...

I am totally ignoring the holiday. The school week here in Cairo is Sun-Thursday and since the children go to a British school, they don't get the day off for Thanksgiving anyway. I *may* make a sweet potato pie for Friday, but that's a big "if".

Did you notice that Thanksgiving falls on the 25th, which puts it only one month til Christmas? Where did the year go??

Kelly said...

I only need to make a pie and an appetizer for the big day, so that is a short list. Of coarse, I just ran out of cinnamon so now need to run to a store filled with crazed holiday shoppers. Pottery class, playdate, pediatrician visit, schooling, and my own cleaning 'to-do' list are that stand in my way. :)

(PS- love the book shelf above the window.)

mtnchild said...

I deal with the holidays one drink at a time! Seriously, every day that passes brings me a little closer to panic mode. I need to go to town, in a snowstorm today, to get some red cabbage that they were out of last week!

A girlfriend's birthday is Saturday after Thanksgiving, so I need to find something for her since there is no time to make a gift. I woke up at 5 this morning and it hit me - a yarn carrier. You know the ones that have the wood frame and fold together ... She is working on some crochet and I noticed that all the yarn is just lying on the floor on a plastic bag. Now I hope the store has one ...

I'm gathering the supplies together for the rest of my gifts.
Yvette

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

I'm with Jenyfer, I'm treating it no different than any other week.

Susan said...

Sigh. I would love to ignore the holiday, but my family won't let me. They are MEAN. I'll post my agenda, but then it means I have to follow it. Shoot.

Erin said...

Haha, that photo of the valances gave me pause until I read what they were! It seems like Thanksgiving really snuck up on me and that Halloween was just yesterday! I LOVE your window frames, wood always looks so cozy. And the quilt is beautiful... and Dec 4th is very soon! I have been knitting my first hat in the round on dp's for hubby and my fingers are getting pretty gnarled and crampy feeling :) Still afraid to use circulars, though, I know I'm strange....! Luckily I was able to scratch haircut off the list this week, I'll do it next week!

The Apple Pie Gal said...

I just got home and can't even see past the front of my nose thru the laundry and keep thinking HOW am I going to get everything done.

Probably isn't going to happen or I need to start drinking more coffee. I will get around to making a list eventually. :(

Mama Pea said...

Jen - I know. It seems that we were just learning to write "2010" and now it's all but over.

If you were to want to make an American Thanksgiving in Cairo, could you get a turkey like those we have here?

Kelly - When we moved into this place, it was barely 600 sq. ft. and we had LOTS of books so we were very inventive as to places to put book shelves!

Yvette - Sounds like you're on top of it, lady. Well, except for that red cabbage!

Jane - I'm thinking there are a lot of other people (women especially) who would like to do that.

Mama Pea said...

Susan - Since you have so little time at home during the work week, I'll be you would really enjoy a long, at-home 4-day weekend. I can totally understand that.

Erin - You are one busy lady but it sounds like you've had a good Monday as far as your week's list goes. Keep up the good work. But maybe you should soak your hands in warm water!

APG - It's a shame that coming home from a "vacation"/hunting trip like yours always creates so darn much EXTRA work for the woman. You need a wife to help!

Hope the trip was great . . . can't wait to hear details.

Jenyfer Matthews said...

If I wanted to make a turkey, I'd have three options:

1) make friends with someone with US Commissary access and throw myself at their mercy

2) order a Butterball through one of the local groceries and pay about $150-200 for it

3) take a chance on a local turkey.

A friend of mine took option three one year and apparently ended up with a very unsatisfying meal. Her housekeeper later identified what remained of the bird as a rooster!

Mama Pea said...

Jen - Sounds like way too much trouble (also chancey!) to go the whole turkey route. I think I'd opt for a very nice Thanksgiving Dinner without the bird!

Jenyfer Matthews said...

Ha! Just today my family was invited to dinner by someone who has commissary access so I think I got the best possible end of the deal : no cooking and good food too. Can't complain about that :)

Anonymous said...

I was avoiding thinking about the holidays too, but I *do* need to start planning stat. Your quilt is so inspiring! My sister is expecting twins, and I want to dive in and start two little blankets for them, but to be honest I'm terrified! Thanks for the inspiration to keep going; the quilt is lovely.

So to answer your question: this week will be spent cooking, cleaning and also conquering my quilting fears.

Mama Pea said...

Jen - SCORE!! :o)

Erin Self-Sufficient - Oh, do jump in and make little quilts for the twins. Tackle something simple that will be easy. Your sister and the kiddlies will treasure them forever!