Garden Update & Menu: April 29 - May 5

Spring has been a hard season for me. I started doing physical therapy for my knees, neck, shoulders, and upper back. Trying to keep up with even half of my treatment plan took all the time and energy I had outside of menu planning and keeping up on chores.

We finally got the garage 80% converted to our Lounge area, which we are calling the Bat Cave. It is now at about the level of completion of the rest of the house, which is both thrilling and a little depressing. It's been nice to have another place to hang out besides my bedroom and still have some privacy, plus fresh air. And being able to play video games hasn't been bad, either. 

Speaking of depression, I'm not sure if it's a Vitamin D issue or just the nature of the disease, and certainly some of it is circumstantial, but Spring was bad for me this year. It's almost May and I never even got a bunch of my seeds started. Now I think I'm going to have to go through my seed stash to very carefully select what I'm going to try to accomplish for this year, and what I'm going to let go for next year. Mostly this Spring has been an exercise in self-care and grace for me, learning to be gentle with myself and trust that my body is telling me what it needs--and then give that to it. 

Mr. Moon and I have been discussing the concept of a few different things: upgrades to the house that are desperately needed, attention to our hobbies and goals that have fallen off the priority list, and carving out free time in the schedule. After a year of projects and chores, just trying to get the house under control a little bit at a time, we have finally caught up enough in the main-target areas that we can scale back our chores somewhat. The bathrooms no longer need much more than a wipe-down every week, the kitchen no longer gets as out of control as it was, and we've even started skipping the vacuuming at least once a week. We are focusing on streamlining daily routines, and starting up some other projects that had been shoved down the to-do list in favor of others. But most importantly, finding Mr. Moon some quality Free Time for relaxing, both together and apart. 

It was discussion of that possibility that lead to me saying I'd like to make sure he gets one day a week that is totally OFF. No chores, no projects, no work outside the house, nothing. We weren't sure it was even possible. Then the schedule just happened to settle in this week that Free Day is exactly what happened. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can stick to the list well enough that Saturday won't become "catch up on all the missed chores" day instead, but I am hoping that the promise of Free Comic Book Day and a picnic in the park will be enough to keep us motivated. 

What's on the menu?

Breakfasts: Bagels, muffins (apple spice muffins in the freezer), waffles (corn meal, homemade in the freezer), yogurt and granola.

Lunches: Roast beef sandwich, Tuna sandwich, Grilled cheese.

Snacks: Cheese, salami, veggies and dip.

Dinners:
Monday: Sunny, cool.
Bathrooms. weeding, Mr. Moon works the evening shift.
The 'Rents: Leftover split pea soup. Mr. Moon and I: Leftover Tortellini and Hot Brats pasta salad. [Leftovers; vegetarian; meat;]

Tuesday: Sunny, cool.
Vacuuming, bedroom. Pool in the morning, an appointment in the afternoon, and in the late afternoon we have some folks coming by to take some crab-apple trees out.
Curry Chicken Salad sandwiches for everyone, plus a side of sautéed swiss chard for myself and Mr. Moon. [chicken; sandwiches; fresh from the garden; freezer]

Wednesday: Sunny, warm.
Kitchen. Mr. Moon works the lunch shift, then grocery shopping and kitchen cleaning afterward and date night in the evening.
On Your Own Night. Mr. Moon and I are having Tikka Masala for date night. [OYO; chicken; Indian]

Thursday: Sunny, warm.
Dining room, laundry room, and Batcave. Pool in the morning, Mr. Moon works the evening shift.
Lasagna. [Vegetarian; pasta; casserole]

Friday: Sunny, warm.
Bedroom, Living room, laundry day, vacuuming (from Saturday). Mr. Moon works the lunch shift.
Baked Whitefish and sides. [fish; traditional; freezer]

Saturday: Sunny, warm.
Somehow we ended up with an entire day off with no plans, no work shift, one chore, and some good weather on the horizon. We are going to take advantage of it and find something to do. Outside. Even if it's just grabbing subs from the store and having lunch in a park. Adventure time!
On Your Own Night [OYO]

Sunday: Sunny, Warm. Cinco de Mayo!
Mr. Moon works the lunch shift, then we are having some friends over for Taco Bar and Mexican Beer Night.
Carnitas Taco Bar [pork; tacos; freezer]

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What's on your menu this week? Need planning ideas? I'll be linking up at orgjunkie.com, if you need other ideas!