Today was a glorious day! I love it when I have the house all to myself and today was one of them! My guys went to a work day at our church and I had a work day here at our home. It was wonderful!!
Sometimes a woman just needs time to herself. She may soak in a tub, garden to her hearts content, work on a craft project or, in my case, spring clean her final set of cabinets! I also managed to straighten the house, do a couple loads of laundry and watch Fiddler on the Roof on my computer while I cleaned the kitchen.
I thought these cabinets would be the easiest and they were the hardest. Go figure!! I wanted to rearrange the cabinets to better suit me and my aging body. I am the world's worst when it comes to arranging cabinets, bookcases, desks, closets and drawers. I just can't seem to order things correctly. I did manage though...
A great many things in this drawer went in the trash. I cannot understand why I keep things I know I will never use.
This cabinet has always been a pain to retrieve cookware from...but no more! I ended up having to take a pain pill and go take a nap after this cabinet. I twisted incorrectly and my knee let me know it! I was afraid that I may not be able to finish, but when I woke up my knee was no worse than before, so I just continued on.
Once again, this cabinet gave up a great deal of stuff to the trash and the church yard sale bag.
I could not believe how bad my microwave was but it is shining now!!
Actually everything here got a good scrubbing! The only reason I do not like cleaning my grain mill is when the rubber seal is clean it makes opening and closing so difficult. It was in bad need of cleaning so I will just be toning my muscles for awhile.
So, not only are my cabinets clean inside and out, but I had some very productive me time. There is something about being alone in our home and putzing and piddling doing what I want. The sounds are mine, the music is mine, the movie choices are mine....it just recharges my batteries. I don't need this alone time everyday...just every now and then. I was actually excited to see my guys come home! That , too is a wonderful feeling!
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Today was a day of doctors, exams, shopping, napping and cleaning. (Of course, cleaning.) It was a long day. Anyway, my EKG, chest x-ray and blood work were all normal and my arthroscopic knee surgery is a go. This Tuesday the tear in my meniscus cartilage will be made smooth and this pain will cease...after the surgical healing takes place. In six weeks I should be back to normal! :)
Okay...the cleaning is going so slow, as I said yesterday, but it is beginning to totally frustrate me. I need to accept the pace the God has set for me....sigh. There is one good thing about all this cleaning....I know it will not take me 40 years! Even though I feel like I am in a very crowded desert.
I think I wrote about doing a pinterest.com cleaning tip. I am soaking my four grills in a freezer bag with 1/4 cup of ammonia. I let it set for 24 hours and then cleaned them. Wow! Did it work!
It was beginning to work last night!
Grimy!!!!
Fairly clean!! I did get the little bit left on with a scrubby!
All done!! Now the oven repair man can come and fix my oven!
I am ready for the kitchen to be done. I will be excited when it is done.
My son is still feeling poorly. I am beginning to get a bit worried. He was feeling better now he is back down. Hmmm....no fever, just tired and not himself. I sure hope he feels better tomorrow.
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This evening, after supper, I suddenly had some extra energy, so I thought I would clean my stove. Oh my goodness! I am so tired! But the results were worth it.
See...shiny. My husband says I made it look new. Well, that is what a man would say...I know different...but it is a great, did I say great? Yes, a great improvement.
I am trying a pinterest cleaning tip for my grills that go over my burners. One of my friends tried this tip that I pinned and she said it worked wonderfully...so, of course, I am trying this too!
I do believe it is working! All you do is this: Place your grills in sealable plastic bags. Add 1/4 cup of ammonia to each bag. Seal. Leave it alone over night. Wipe clean and wash. The fumes are what cleans the grills! I am excited to see the results in the morning! I just love Pinterest.com!!
My son is feeling somewhat better this evening. He still has barely eaten for two days; he has slept those two days away, as well. This is soooo...not my son. It was nice to see him smile a little while ago. Sigh...
Okay, I am going to go to bed...my knee is so sore and I am blissfully tired. It has been a good day.
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Things have slowed down in the spring cleaning arena. I have to have surgery on my right knee. An arthroscopic surgery, so it should not be too bad, but the ol' knee has slowed me up a bit. It hurts! and it doesn't like all the bending and turning I have to do when scrubbing out my lower cabinets. All I want is a nice clean, junk free home. I really don't think that is too much to ask, but the housecleaning fairies must be on strike because every morning I get up and my dirt and mess are still present and accounted for.... :(
Anyway, today I have been able to get a few more cabinets cleaned and they look lovely to me.
It is hard to believe that I could barely get these in this cabinet! There is a certain way the cookie sheets need to be stacked in order for everything to fit. When my son unloads the dishwasher he just wants to get the dishes put away as fast as he can-so order-I have learned-is taught not caught!
This is a lovely cabinet that held way too much! Now, when I get my shelving unit for the laundry room--most of this stuff will be put on it, so I will have so much more storage space!! :)
I basically switched some of the small drawer contents with some of the large drawer contents. I don't know if things will work like this, but I can always put things back if they don't. So, I have got some cleaning done! Sigh....this means a good day-to me.
I have some more one more drawer and three more sets of cabinets to do. Then the refrigerator...Oh help me....
My son has been feeling poorly for the last two days....I decided to call off schooling lessons today and let him get better. This is not only good for him but me as well. This is one the beauty of home education.
I cannot believe how tired I am because of this knee of mine. I just want to sit down and not move, but alas, a woman's work is never done. It's not that I mind the work...I just feel it is taking too long. My daughter laughed at me today because of this very thing. When she was younger and so was I--I thought I could completely clean, dejunk and paint an entire townhouse in three weeks. Needless to say--it took an entire three months!! The whole summer! It did look nice though...when I finally finished. She told me to stop trying to do to much--she knows me well. :)
Well...today God used the CHG's! Four of the five of us were at a coffeehouse chatting away when an old church member came in. She started talking with us and then she asked for prayer for her sons. Our ears and hearts perked up because praying for each other and whomever God puts in our path is a what we love to do. I know she and her husband (he came in a little later) were encouraged. I also think the husband was pleased that we were proactive and she now has a new support group. One of the hardest things for a mother (or a father for that matter) to endure is watching their precious child on the stubborn road of destruction.
I totally related to this woman because of my daughter, but even greater--God--relates!! He was the perfect Father and His children rebelled. Even Jesus understood this woman's pain...He wept over Jerusalem! “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Matthew 27:37 Does this not sound like Jesus understand rebellious children? He really does!! It is going to be a wonderful time watching God work in this couple's family, and God has allowed us to be a part of this great work. We were so excited that God used us today!!!
Yep! This has been a very good day!!
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The cleaning continues slowly. I just don't feel like rushing, but at least it is getting done. So, the upper cabinets over the stove and the exhaust hood got a good cleaning today. They were really bad. Not now though!!! All clean and organized. I, once again, threw out many out dated spices and such. Another free shelf appeared...funny how that has been happening.
I cannot believe the extra space I have! I am so excited!
The next job was the hood over my stove. Everything cleaned up well, but the filters were nasty. I have cleaned them before and they needed it again. Now, everyone knows that I love Pinterest.com. I love repining cleaning helps....so I went there and sure enough I found a procedure to clean exhaust filters.
Here is what you do. Get your biggest stock pot or pan and boil water. When the water is boiling add 1 cup of baking soda (a tbsp. at a time...it will quickly foam and then disappear). Place the filter in the pot and then boil all the grease away.
Now, I did not have a pot wide enough, so I just did everything in the sink. I just poured the boiling baking soda water over the filters and watch the grease melt off! It totally worked!
You can see how dirty the filter was...I just scooped the hot water over it.
As you can see--the grease is now in the baking soda water!
The water was rather disgusting, but better there than on my filters!
This water was clear when I started.
All nice and clean! I could not believe how well this worked.
So, this evening I will be working on the bottom cabinets and some little drawers. My kitchen is far from being totally clean, but I have to remember it is the process I am suppose to enjoy.
I think I am going to order pizza tonight. Sigh...
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This morning I awoke about 1 a.m. with a tremendous neck ache. I get these often especially if I dream. My dreams are usually intense, so I tense up at night and wake up with jaw and neck pain. Anyway, ibuprofen and a wheater heater took care of the pain, but I had to stay on the couch. This is bad for my knee...at 4 a.m. I was pain free and went back to bed. Though I was thankful for the sleep...I overslept. I find this irksome. I am a morning person and I get a great deal done in the early morning hours. sigh...
I took a shower. A hot short shower. Sequestration is creeping into everything I do; it is forever on my mind. Anywho, I had a date with my CHG's at Panera, so off I went. We all had a great time talking and fellowshiping with each other. At 10 a.m. we all departed. Refreshed and refilled.
When I got home my son was up and tried to do some of his schooling lessons, but was having trouble. We did some of his lessons and then the day totally got away from me. This always happens when I take a break to be with my friends. It isn't that I had pressing appointments. I just could not get my head in working order. That is okay though....my husband will be glad that I am home waiting for him no matter what the house looks like. He doesn't care if I don't get all "my" agenda done; he just wants me here when he walks through the door.
I decided to relax a bit and concentrate on the process of spring cleaning....not the time schedule. There ISN'T a time schedule...that is the funny part. There really isn't a time schedule at all. I have no one coming for a visit. I have no special event to host. There will be an appliance repair man coming to fix my oven, but that will be when I say so... Why do I feel that I need to accomplish so much stuff during the day?
I did get the little cabinet next to the exhaust vent and the corner counter space cleaned. I really did enjoy the process! Throwing out expired things and ridding the area of dust and grime. It was quite nice to see this little cabinet all organized and shiny clean.
While I clean-I ponder, pray, think and God speaks to me. Not during my cleaning, but afterwards. Empty, wash, rinse, dry, refill. That is all I am doing...or is it?
"Empty, wash, rinse, dry and refill. Isn't that what I do with all my children, Sharon? I empty them of their sin. I wash them clean with the blood of Jesus, my son. I rinse them with my Holy Spirit. I dry them with my breath of life and refill...ohhhh. This is where their free will comes in, isn't it? Are they going to refill their clean spirits and souls with My Word or the world's ways."
"Now, to personalize this for you, Sharon. Refilling the shelves of your heart, soul and mind is largely dependent on your obedience, isn't it, my daughter? Renewing your mind, abiding in Me, walking by faith....refilling...the final step in your cabinet cleaning; it is an important step in your relationship with Me, too. I have given you everything you need to live a godly and abundant life. Lean on me...learn of me...lend your heart, hands, feet and mouth to me and your life will be filled with all things true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable and excellent. Phil. 4:8"
"Empty, wash, rinse, dry and refill...yes, it is a process. Even spring cleaning Your kitchen cabinets can be used to teach you divine truths and bring Me Glory..."
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Spring cleaning is in its third day and I was excited for the production of the day--but it has not been as I had wished. All though, any deep cleaning done is a positive step forward and I did get two cabinets cleaned and rearranged!
I changed my cabinets around so the space can be utilized better. You would not believe that these two cabinets were jammed packed. I threw away one whole trash bag of expired canned goods and old spices.... As you can see, I have an empty shelf! I refused to take before pictures, so you are just going to have to take my word concerning how bad these cabinets were. They look nice and clean now! :)
We had a long day with our schooling lessons. My son was in a very playful mood, but we managed to get everything done and he did fairly well. I was pleased with everything but his reading, of course...this is on an on going issue.
So, what actually took up all my time this afternoon? The computer...actually, I was looking on line to buy some more handwriting workbooks for my son which lead me to look for the curriculum I want to use next year. I found most of what I was looking for....but I really want to spend time in prayer about it.
I have been wanting to do an intensive Bible centered curriculum with a Messianic Jewish bent to it. I am leaning towards Ancient History: Adam to Messiah , by Robin Sampson. This is a unit study which includes "Bible, history, geography, literature, government, composition, agriculture, religion, science, economics, and more." It is a multigrade curriculum. I am also thinking about using A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays , by Robin Sampson and Linda Pierce. You can find both of these on The Heart of Wisdom website. Like I said, I have been wanting to do this for several years...with the way the world is going...I think I had better equip my son with a deep-saturated in God's Word-type of education. Sigh....
I do believe that I am called to train up my son---not prepare him for college and a 6 figure career. I need to prepare my son for the end times...which are upon us as I type. We are not void of God's Word in our home, by no means, but my son's homeschooling lessons have great room for improvement. So, prayerfully, we are going to go on an adventure, as soon as, I walk in obedience and purchase the curriculum. I think my son can handle all the information now, even with his learning disabilities. A welcomed relief--I can assure you!!! :)
Tonight, since my son will be going to Royal Rangers...we are having a simple supper. BLT's for my husband and juice for me... I am so thankful that my husband doesn't mind little meals. He is a good man. :)
Well, that has been my day 3 of spring cleaning and Beale Bungalow news...
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