Thursday, November 6, 2014

Thursday's Thoughts and Tasks

I'm slowly, but surely, getting some bigger inside projects done.

Yesterday I cleaned my refrigerator in the kitchen.  (Yes, I do classify that as a Big Project!)  A dirty refrigerator drives me batty so when I clean it, it gets pretty much pulled apart and put back together after being scrubbed to within an inch of its white enameled life.  (Sad to say, it's more correct to say, ". . . its white plastic-coated life.")  If it would only stay that way now, for, oh say, the next six months.  Neither hubby nor I are terribly messy so there must be someone who comes into our kitchen during the night and drips and dribbles while stealing a midnight snack.

The pantry is also getting my attention with the hope of taming the contents so I (somehow) have more room in there.  I don't know.  Sigh.  I have a good-sized kitchen with plenty of cabinets along with the separate pantry that measure 15' x 7' and has built-in cabinets and shelves galore (but also two freezers in there, one of which is 6' long in length), and yet I don't seem to have enough space in which to store all I want.  Do I have too much stuff?  Rather, I think the question is do I spend too much time cooking and preserving food and making everything from scratch!

We've completed our cleaning and sorting of our main storage shed, and I'm getting rid of items destined to go either to recycling or the donation center in town.  Our daughter has been going through all of our discards first, though, because she's sure we're going to throw away something that is part of her heritage!  I give her a hard time about being a bit of a pack rat, but must admit she's the one in the family who truly does care about and want to preserve the "important" family treasures.  I know I'm too much the other way in that I don't see any sense in keeping much of anything I'm not actively using.

My horrendously messy quilt room is still waiting for my attention, and I'm actually looking forward to barricading myself in there for a few days while getting it right and ready for lots of enjoyable time quilting this upcoming winter.

Don't know when I last gave our bedroom a good, thorough cleaning.  With luck, that will happen today.  How does it get dirty in the first place?  We sure don't seem to spend a lot of time in there . . . she says while nodding off because of an early alarm this morning.

Oh, yes, another task I must do today . . . cut my fingernails.  Such a BIG job (not), but one I have to do more frequently than seems "normal."  My fingernails have always grown like weeds in the summertime so get out of control (too long and tend to get bent back -- ooo-ooh, owie, shudder-shudder) if I don't keep them of a sensible length.  (Maybe I should start biting my nails . . . nah, bad idea.)

Okay, I'm off (but no more than usual) to attack the day.

19 comments:

Sue said...

I would gladly come by and clean up that pantry for you. Of course, you might catch me ogling those scallopy shelves I so adore!!! And eating a few things.............


I'm baking a MEGA batch of dinner rolls for the freezer this morning. It's pouring buckets outside, the stereo is playing......a perfect day for baking.

Hope all goes well with the busy day you have planned. I certainly have to be "in the mood" when it comes to organizing......

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Had to laugh about the fridge. I am constantly cleaning out too. The kids spill stuff every day it seems. In fact, mine could use a good cleaning already. I might put that on the "boredom" list for the kids. When I hear "I'm bored" I tell them "I can help you fix that" and check my list for such jobs. Ha ha!

Mama Pea said...

Sue - Omigosh, your house must smell WONDERFUL! Our house smells AWFUL! We just put another coat of special sealant on the basement floor this morning. Have half the house closed off (which is fortunate we're able to do), and the stairway to the basement open with a fan blowing out a window directly across from the door. Did I include that little project on my list for the day? Nope, but I didn't have to do the actual work either. Hooray!

Mama Pea said...

Kristina - BUT do the kids actually do the jobs you give them when they're bored??! That's the tricky part of the equation! ;o}

2 Tramps said...

Your post could be a to do list for me here! All things that need doing sooner versus later. I would rather be like Sue and be baking rolls! But it is sunny outside so I need to be out there enjoying this day in the fall garden - still have tomatoes, peas and Brussels sprouts to tend. Our weather has been too strange - it was 68 yesterday - 14 degrees above normal.

Jennifer Jo said...

Question (for my writing purposes that will soon be made clear): how long did it take you to clean your fridge?

Mama Pea said...

2 Tramps - The last of the stuff in our garden got taken out this past weekend. (Glad that's done.) And that was much later than usual because of our crazy, warmish October. Now November has been nasty . . . very cold, blowsy and damp! 70% chance of snow for us tomorrow. Uh-oh, here it comes!

Mama Pea said...

JJ - Well, shoot! If I had known you were going to ask, I would have timed myself! I'm gonna guess about two hours . . . and I worked at it steadily until done.

Jennifer Jo said...

Excellent. That's how long it would take me, too.

Mama Pea said...

JJ - Isn't that ridiculous when you think of it? How could one spend 2 solid hours on a "small" task like that???

Sparkless said...

I'm on a bit of a purge myself. Getting rid of all the clutter that is driving me nuts. Now I just need to find someone to take all these old jeans that can't be worn anymore but I can't bring myself to throw out. I'm sure there is someone that would love to use the fabric for something. Or better yet, does anyone know of anything other than bags that I can make with jean fabric?

Anonymous said...

I've been doing the same thing here at our place. I feel so good getting rid of stuff, giving it away, selling some (and making a little extra money) and getting life to be a little simpler. My next step this weekend will be setting up my sewing corner!

Susan said...

You put me to shame. I don't know when the last time was that I cleaned - I mean thoroughly - my fridge. It might go into shock. I have the fridge and oven to clean and I have managed to procrastinate for months, I am a dismal housekeeper. I guess I better pull on my BGPs and get at it.

Mama Pea said...

Sparkless - I know a gal who made (sturdy!) quilts for her two boys to take to college out of old jean material. Might be a good quilt to carry in the car in the winter. In an emergency, you could even spread it on the road to change a flat tire, or whatever.

Mama Pea said...

Ruth - How fun to think of having your sewing corner all set up for winter time sewing!

Mama Pea said...

Susan - I sincerely doubt you are a "dismal housekeeper!" I admit to you here and now that I don't clean my oven. I just wait until the gunk eventually burns to a crisp and shovel it out. (Hee-hee!)

Sandy Livesay said...

Mama Pea,

I actually cleaned my cabinets and pantry too. Now I have space for my over sized soup pot and some appliances to put up on the shelves.
When I clean I make sure to donate the items before my husband gets to go through the items. Yes, he's the one who loves to keep everything, lol......

Mama Pea said...

Sandy - My dear husband is the "saver" in our family, too. But I do have to admit that he can usually come up with whatever spare part or thingamajig we need for any project!

Anonymous said...

Oh the fridge...I don't even want to go there, but I need to. It's horrible. I keep saying "yeah...tomorrow" lol.

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