Strategy

When there is more to do in one day than one is able to accomplish, what do you do? I strategize. (Isn't that a word? Spell correct puts a red line under it!)

The bathrooms need cleaning. Clean the toilets and the mirrors and be done. There are three bathrooms. That's a bit too many. Especially when you really hate to clean bathrooms. Hello. How did they get so dirty in the first place if I wasn't always leaving them till last?

Surfaces cleaned, add a wonderful pick-up to a room. And why is it so hard to clean surfaces? Because EVERYBODY in this house of seven will set things down on a surface that is empty rather than putting it in its proper place. So clean the surfaces. Even if it's hard. It makes the room look ten times better. 

Camera and bag, tool set, jacket, calf wormer, art project, toys, pencils, erasers. You name it, it gets set out and doesn't get put away. All these types of things I set aside on one surface for the owners to put in their proper places.

Laundry? Fold what's dry, already, for once! Empty the one hamper that's overflowing with dirty laundry and wash what's sitting in the laundry room too. Run those wrinkled shirts through the dryer with some wet laundry ('cause I really, really do not like ironing).

Grocery shopping. Get it done first thing so it's not weighing on my mind all day. Well, really the push that sent me out early was that the guys wanted to work on the vehicles. A vehicle on the road can't be worked on.

Matthew wanted me to check at Goodwill for a pair of jeans. I should have known better than to go in there. 30 x 34 jeans are just not to be found but books are magnetic, I think. Not good strategy, Mama!

Tomatoes? Well, just ignore them. It's cold today. The guys were working in their jackets and wondered why I have the door open. "Cleaning", I said. That totally explains it. If you're cold, clean your house.

The partial fridge clean out contributed to the millions of pounds Americans waste. So disturbing.

Ten quarts of applesauce from yesterday to can. Just get 'er done. All the pans and equipment to clean up too. Accomplished.

Dishes and meals. They just won't go away. And my mind is so deplete of cooking ideas. Everyone got their own breakfast. For the next meal I (finally) made a dish of zucchini, peppers, onions and canned beef chunks, seasoned with garlic, chili powder and cumin. A pan of cornbread, some fruit and milk completed the scene. Poor guys are fending for themselves with leftovers this evening.

Christopher needs a haircut. By now my back aches and I'm begging for help. Thomas so graciously does it, commenting on how it compares to sickle mowing. He took off a heap of red hair.

Then he started the first fire for the season in the furnace. It's the last day of September. 

Have you noticed that there are spiders in great quantity this Fall?

How are you addressing food waste?

Parting shot- 

Don't you just love these guys' creativity?