The Weakly Tribune Vol. 1 Issue 9

 

THE WEAKLY TRIBUNE

Monday 8.15.22

Danielle and I relished our last lazy weekday morning for the time being! Then we got up and moving and drove to Pace so Danielle could spend her last day of summer with her Nana! I shopped groceries and household supplies at Dollar General on my way home. Then ran clear up to Atmore to drop a check at Lamb’s Dozer for dirt at the McMurphy job. Finally to the Li’bry feeling panicky about how much finishing up we had yet to do before Orientation at 7:30! Hammered down and PTL, the “Hobbit Hole” was proclaimed Magical and Mysterious and Done Enough around 5:30 pm. Flew around getting a supper of white rice, brown gravy, and venison patties for my family. Marked Danielle’s name on all her school supplies. Why this hadn’t been done sooner, one will never know! The evening went well; the kids got settled in and I got elected to serve on School Food Committee, a 2 year term. Back home, I just needed to trim around the neck hole and add some jeweled brads to Danielle’s dress before hitting the hay. I thought. But instead I accidentally cut a hole in the dress and had to figure out a way to cover that boo-boo up. Waaaaaa. Stitchwitchery and extra buttons to the rescue! 

Magical Moment: Seeing the sparkle in the kids’ eyes when they took in the new Library decor. 

Tuesday 8.16.22

The First Day of School 2022! Danielle was more than eager to pop out of bed at 6:30! I got dressed and ready to go too so I could stay for Devotions. After they were over, a bunch of us moms stayed and chatted awhile, reluctant to get back to Real Life. I delayed the mess at my house further by giving blood at the Firehouse. Saving Lives is much more important than Sweeping Floors! And I hit my 4 gallon donation mark today! Dinked around on my phone and eating breakfast as if I had nothing important to accomplish, which could not be further from the truth. Finally got in gear after lunch and got things whipped back into shape before 2:30 arrived and it was time to go get Danielle. Decided on a whim to get snacks from Steve’s Farm and eat them at the Ruritan Park. The thunderheads were building rapidly though, so we didn’t stay long. It was flooding by the time we got home. Made a simple supper of Turkey and havarti paninis, lime jello, and Lays Baked Potato Chips. 

Magical Moment: Hearing Danielle pray, “And now I lay me down to sleep…”

Wednesday 8.17.22

Danielle was an Eager Beaver again today! Got her delivered to school, then stopped by my folks and enjoyed chatting with Dad awhile. Once I got home, I made myself French toast with Jersey cow cream and a yard egg! Talk about decadent. With Cool Whip and dark sweet cherries canned at the orchard in Bigfork, MT! Thanks, Mamalisa! Proceeded to procrastinate with Desk Work, but stayed very busy bustling about doing this and that. Procrastiworking as Gretchen Rubin would say. Floated a bit on the raft in the backyard pool after my tasty lunch of fried green tomato tacos. Sunshine is a rare commodity these days! Talked on the phone with Aunt Sue. Picked up Mason and Dillon along with Danielle and met Karma and Kins at The Wearhouse Market & Bakery for After School Snack of soft serve ice cream and hot soft pretzels. Yum. Fueled the Audi. $80. I miss the days of Trump. Made a rather gourmet supper of grilled medium rare venison steaks and sautéed onions and potatoes topped with a garlic butter lemon cream sauce with freshly snipped chives. Danl was impressed. It helps to have several low-bar meals leading up to a grand one. 

Magical Moment: Detecting a “hint of chill” in the air this morning! Or was it my imagination?!

Thursday 8.18.22

Thankful for the drive-thru canopy to drop Danielle off under this morning as the sky was crying right from the get go. I dashed in with my umbrella and dropped off the snacks I picked out at the Wearhouse yesterday for the Teacher’s Bake Day. I know I’m sorta copping out, but my oven is still on the blink! Happily devoured the lemon roll with candied pecans I had gotten yesterday at the Market. Completed parts of my Morning Routine before sitting down at my desk for a couple hours prior to Noah and Annabelle arriving to spend the rest of the day since Katie had a couple baby apts. They played and napped well, but were pleased when Danielle got home from school. She proceeded to start classes with them, and soon had Noah reciting 1+1=2! They left around 5, and I headed to town for milk and pizzas from the Hut. Had to choose a Deal, as my normal 30% off Online Orders coupon refused to work! We also sliced open the Last Watermelon of the Summer (Fall for me starts on Sept. 1 this year!) that I had purchased from Steve’s Farm on Tuesday. It was thoroughly chilled and SO GOOD. Thanks, Robyn, for picking it out for me! 

Magical Moment: Savoring the last days of Summer… It will still be sweltering for awhile, but Fall is a state of mind down South anyway!

Friday 8.19.22

Dropped Danielle off; then parked and went to the Li’bry to add the tiny bottle labeled  “Drink Me” to the Alice in Wonderland tea party table and label the cake with an “Eat Me” tag. Slowly but surely we will keep adding details that we just ran out of time to complete! Then I went straight to folks to drive Dad around on various errands. Once I was back home, I was hungry for French Toast again even though it was noon! This time I added some lemon extract to the dipping mixture! Definitely will be doing that again! Worked on tax stuff until Mr. Pete Coon arrived to investigate the oven. He quickly deduced that we were getting zero volts when it should have been reading 240! A new panel for around $150 should fix it! Decided that after this week until Sept. 15, I was hunkering down in my office during school hours and would be saying NO to everything and everyone until my TAXES at last are done! How’s that for a catchy little rhyme?! Tried last minute to go to Jalisco’s with Warren and Em, but they already had plans. Now I had a taste for tacos, so I just made them at home with leftover venison steak and some hamburger. Also tried making what I called Mexican Fried Rice with leftover white rice. Fried it with butter and olive oil with green cilantro salsa and lime juice sprinkled over it. Danl was getting the wild pig captured on Jace’s field ready to cook and somehow managed to severely smash his hand between the metal hook thing on the tailgate and the ice chest. I’m suspicious it’s broken. I quickly ran up to the Pig for some needed groceries, and to SH for ice. Danl was in a lot of pain and opted to sleep on the couch, so Danielle piled out in our bed with me.

Magical Moment: Seeing how spry Mr. Coon is for going on 84 years of age! His attitude is worth emulating. To quote, “People would be bored if things didn’t go wrong!” #goals for Growing Old Gracefully!

Saturday 8.20.22

Woke up for the first time shortly after 6. Daniel’s hand was still hurting badly, but he was eager to go start cooking the pig with David. Once he was gone, I snuggled back in bed with Danielle and we had a Glorious Sleep-in that ended around 8:30! I got taters and eggs going in the IP for Tater Salad, and proceeded to trash the kitchen making it and the Last Freezer of Homemade Ice Cream of the Summer. Can you tell I’m trying to consciously be doing small Ending Season Ceremonies?! Got to David’s a quarter past noon to feast upon the smoked wild hog, tater salad, baked beans, watermelon, and ice cream with Jace’s, Jacob, and Nina and Brina. Soon oozed out in chairs to relax and let our full bellies settle. It was a perfect day for hanging out! Tara baked sourdough bread later on, and its tantalizing smells drew people out of the nooks and crannies and corners of snoozing and sleeping to be devoured slice by slice, either plain or with butter and honey. David got some hams curing, and processed the rest of the pig. We nibbled and noshed, eating everything again, and it was all as good or better than the first time! 

Magical Moment: Realizing once again that every day is a Special Occasion meant to be shared and celebrated!

Sunday 8.21.22

Wonder of wonders, we got to church before the first song started! Somehow getting to church before 10:00 remains a hardship, even though we can easily get to school by 7:45ish. Makes no sense, I know. Getting to be in women’s Sunday School was good again after teaching 2x in a row. I sure will miss my Junior kids after this month ends though! They are a delightful bunch. Mr. B preached on Pardon, A Part of God. He doesn’t say we haven’t sinned, but He takes away the sentence. Danl had been helping Ken on their new property, so he wasn’t home for lunch. Danielle and I had leftover pizza. Danl dozed once he came home. Today was a record on the daily egg hunt! We found 5! 2 in the old dog house, 1 in the coop, 1 under the elephant ears, and 1 in the flower pot on the back porch! I finally looked all the way through the July issue of Southern Living, cleaned up the kitchen, tidied the house, put in a load of work clothes that I should have washed yesterday, wrote missed days of the Weakly, and watched it rain. “Praise the Lord the drought has ended!” as Danl likes to say! When it seemed to let up a bit, I went to get our Jersey milk since I had totally forgotten about it yesterday! Met Tara to give her their gallon, and ended up getting quite soaked as the floodgates had opened again! Changed into dry comfy clothes, lit a couple candles, and brewed myself a cup of Copper Kettle tea with a spoonful of honey. Danl oversaw the making of delicious sandwiches with leftover grilled pig on toasted buttered French bread, topped with caramelized onions and havarti cheese! Fed Susie the Sourdough Starter. Read in the Magic Treehouse #4 to Danielle. I’ve had to make a rule that she is supposed to check out at least 2 new books next time instead of getting again 4 books she has already read! This mama has limits. 

Magical Moment: Listening with closed eyes to the melodious harmony of acapella congregational singing.