Friday, August 15, 2014

Five on Friday



1. Several people have asked about the zucchini soup base I mentioned in a recent post. I wrote up a rough recipe from my memory and posted it on my recipe blog here. Don't forget to remove the bay leaf - bay leaves don't puree very well. Ask me how I know.

2.  We welcomed rain this week. Rain + clouds + shortening days = I don't want to think about fall. So yesterday one Little Miss came over and played in the little pool until she came in shivering. I wrapped her up ("in this soft blanket, Nana") and we cozied up together on the couch reading stories.
  

3. Garden produce. There's something everyday - kale, tomatoes, cucumbers. I harvested the potatoes from the two plants I put it. Delicious! My green beans are terribly slow this year but I hope to pick enough for dinner one day soon.
 

4.  Another Little Miss, this one just two, said something this week that still makes me laugh. Her mother and I were chatting via Skype (just across town) and Miss S came running by saying "My website is gone." Miss S is barely exposed to technology - she doesn't watch television or play electronic games. Skype is about the extent of it. But somehow, she's captured the idea of websites and creates them at her little desk, on paper, with markers, crayons and stickers.  Not all drawings are websites, though. Little minds are amazing.

5. I'm still savouring the memory of our lovely, relaxing days out on the water. Tim jumped right back into work on Monday but I've been having a more difficult time getting back into a productive mode. Today there's a house to clean if I would only get to it. 

I used to get more done in a day, even with three children. My goal was always to accomplish the household tasks in the morning, then take a little lie-down after lunch (the children either napped or played on their own in their rooms), and then spend the afternoon sewing, going for walks, shopping, etc. I'd like to get back into that routine. Do keep some sort of schedule at your place?

Bon week-end, everyone! 

18 comments:

  1. I try to do my domestics in the morning and read and walk in the afternoons. But if something more exciting presents itself I abandon my domestics as I think tomorrow they will still be there!
    Your zucchini soup sounds wonderful and I have never thought of freezing in glass jars. They would make a great hostess gift too.
    Enjoy your weekend.

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  2. Yup...slowing down is part of the process. That's how I used to plan my days, too...chores in the morning and the afternoon for relaxing. A few more chores after supper and then the rest of the evening for quiet pursuits.

    Oh how pleasant to have cuddle time with a grand...Loved the story about Miss S. She's a bright one!

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  3. Lorrie I'm laughing - schedule, what's that? I've become really lazy this Summer since coming back from the trip end of June.

    But now I think about it perhaps I do have one when I'm here in town! My average day - I get up at 7am, turn coffee on, take a cup with me to the computer, start reading blogs - posting on blog - e-mailing etc. If I have no appts. in the morning, I have a late breakfast - don't do lunch often - work around the house/garden etc., then shower. If I need to shop I do that early afternoon, then come home and prep food/cook/bake whatever needs doing in the kitchen. I usually have teatime at 4 pm - a cuppa and a bite of something sweet (shhh, don't tell). Eat dinner around 6:30pm - then if we have a Netflix movie (we're currently watching the fantastic 'Doc Martin' series) I'll view that, followed by some late evening time back on the computer. In bed I always read before turning the light out.

    Yep, sounds like a rather boring schedule to me - time to plan a trip methinks!

    Happy weekend - we're going to add a movie into the mix this afternoon - 'Boyhood'- great reviews.
    Hugs --Mary

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  4. Schedule, Lorrie!!? no. But I do whisk around in a morning, generally, to make the house tidy.

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  5. The only routine I like to have is waking up early so that I have time in the day to do as I please. Sadly, that will all come to an end when I go back to school on Sunday. Boo! I keep saying once back at work, that I will keep up a cleaning schedule during the week so that I can stay on top of things and have the weekends free, but do you think it's happened in all the years I've thought about it? Nope! Oh well. Young kids really have amazing imaginations and soak up so much around them. Have a fabulous day. Tammy

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  6. I have a weekend schedule that has me doing all the chores in the morning and the more fun things in the afternoon. This may mean getting up early but at least my free time is extended then. As to bay leaves being left in things, I always end up with one when I'm making a beef casserole!! Not pleasant! Some lovely happy things in your post Lorrie xx

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  7. Hi Lorrie,

    Well, it seems all the world's green beans want to stay buried this summer; we picked 4. Yes, four. Now, zucchini and tomatoes, we can't get enough of, and they've been very tasty.

    Summer has turned me into a lazy lady! I get up around 7, try and find my way to the coffee maker, grab the java and head for the laptop, where I wake up with all my favourite blogs, then on to the Toronto Star and Huffington Post. I don't cook ever day, as it's just the two of us, and clean one floor at a time! Then, after a short siesta, I spend my afternoons poolside with my favourite poet, Billy Collins, before watering all my pretties, showering, and sitting down to a late dinner, after sundown, as it's just too hot any earlier.

    Have a lovely weekend!

    Poppy

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  8. Schedule? hahahaha...... I use a digital calendar to help me figure out what I'm supposed to do from one day to the next. But it constantly changes, LOL.

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  9. I love that idea...zucchini soup. I just gave away a bunch of zucchinis today, since I am running out of ideas. Next up...soup!

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  10. What a fun post - love Little Miss's comment. I do try to keep a routine - house chores in the morning - catch up on emails, photo sorting, blogs, etc in the early afternoon - a smidge of a nap now and then - and prep for the evening. Evenings are free of schedule - for rides - sitting on the deck - visiting with family and friends.

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  11. During the summer, schedules fly out the window! When we're back to homeschool, we keep a semblance of a routine. It is more of a flow of order than a strict schedule, but we're usually able to get the important things done.

    Less accomplished in a day as I get older? You bet!!

    Stack of books, cuddling on the couch, chilly Little Miss wrapped in a blanket...sounds like a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!

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  12. What's a schedule, Lorrie?! Oh how I wish. I laughed out loud about Miss S. -- lost her website, did she? Too funny! :-D Kids are really amazing.

    It sounds like, all in all, you've had a nice week. I enjoyed reading about it, and thank you for sharing. Enjoy your weekend!

    Hugs,

    Denise at Forest Manor

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  13. The zucchini soup base sounds yummy - lovely to have on a chilly fall day.
    Schedule? I try, but my weekdays are ruled by work and I often work nights. I find that the only routine I have is for laundry etc on weekends.

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  14. In retirement , I have let my life take on its own rhythm. I am a morning person, so what does not get done in the morning waits for the next mood swing. I did not allow zucchini to be planted this year, now I am missing it. Need to try the soup.

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  15. Your 2 year old grand is a genius! How cute is that!

    I am slowing a bit. Once I get going though I am fine, it's the getting going at the things I want to do that slow me down.

    Deanna

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  16. We are also enjoying the fresh vegetables from our garden this year for the first time. They are so delicious! Yes, it's difficult to get back into a routine after a vacation. (I'll find that out in September!) I try to do my housework in the mornings unless I have to run to town for errands. And you might just find me napping in a chair about 2:00 once in a while. :)

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  17. I need to establish a bit more of a routine, with some flexibility built into it, of course. Your young grandchildren will ensure that there is some spontaneity and surprises in your life!

    Karen

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  18. I've pinned your soup recipe, a great way to use zucchini up when they're so plentiful.
    I was more organized when I was working, now there's no hurry to get things done so they slide.
    Winter has more routine than summer for me - who wants to be inside!

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