please don't crap out on me...

 My computer is acting up, and it's not fun.  I've installed the latest updates, but it's still jumping from pages I open...closing them at random.  It started this morning, as I installed an update last night...dang.  Maybe Paul will look at it later and see something simple and obvious, and shake his head at me, ever so slightly.  

Yesterday was nice and relaxing...I went to Kohl's, they get you with that Kohl's cash...I had $10, then found out at the register that I had an extra $5, then 20% off...I of course shopped the clearance racks, far be it from me to buy a winter sweater for a spring birthday gift...

That is my kind of receipt!

Ollie's was my next stop, where you can find slightly odd snack choices, really cheap.  I skipped the pumpkin pop tarts (if I were to be a pop-tart eater, I would totally choose them though..), and the chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels (again, if it were for ME, yes!)...and got some nuts, seasonings, pork rinds for Jon, as he is eating Keto, and a bag of Mallocups for Camille, she put them straight into the freezer.  

Since I didn't finish my birthday shopping, I went to Marshall's.  It's one of those places that has really suffered from the whole Covid/closing things down thing, as it receives it's merchandise from big name stores, selling big brands, and those stores were all closed or mostly closed for so long, there just isn't the stock, it's kind of depressing.  I did manage to find a few nice gifts though.

Next stop, the department of motor vehicles, the license plates for Jonathan's "new" car were ready, sooner than we were told, but probably not because Jon called and emailed them a few times.  Going to pick them up was easy, but daunting.  You aren't to enter the DMV without an appointment, and a whole line of people waited outside.  I just sauntered right in the door, where they have FOUR police officers planted.  To be fair, it's not just the DMV, it's a county/federal building...but still.  One officer jumps right up, and asks me what I need, but was pleasant, and retrieved the plates for me immediately, no waiting in line.

(they DID call Paul and say they were ready)

Then, home, ahhh home, but no comfy chair for me!  I had to make dinner!  I cut up a five pound package of chicken breast, browned them up in some olive oil, then added shh, cheat-y me, a jar of butter chicken sauce and a jar of Tiki Marsala, from Aldi...sprinkled with some cumin, and some pepper, and simmered on and off for a few hours, served with cilantro.  I made cauliflower rice for me, Basmati rice for the kids, and a batch of homemade naan bread.  (I make the dough, let it rise in the oven (I turn it on to 200, then turn it back off, put a pan of water in there, to make a good place for rising).  After the dough rises, I flatten little pieces of it, brush with olive oil with garlic, and put in the panini press for a few minutes.  I stay away from this kind of food, but I did break off a few tastes, not bad at all!  The kids LOVE when I make it with their butter chicken....

(the chicken was really good and tender....)

And, here's the new comforter...it's really nice!  I couldn't wait to put on, I put it in the dryer first with a clean wet cloth, and a dryer sheet...

The pink blanket was crocheted by Miss Suzanne, I LOVE it.

It looks just as nice in person, maybe better, than the stock photo above.  The pink is really pink-y.  Paul didn't say much, am I mean to have pink in our room? It just looks fresh and spring-y to me.   Don't worry, under that comforter he has his own personal blanket, we aren't good cover-sharers.  He likes a fuzzy kind of blanket, I can't stand those, I have to have the top sheet, and soft covers.

It's a rainy day here in central NY, rainy and cozy.  I have no plans, so I'll probably sort and clean some closets or drawers, or paint the bathroom cabinet...I won't get bored, I'll tell you that much.  Free time is so valuable, so unheard of.   Me?  Free time?  For years and years, oh I was hard pressed for time.  They say you make time for what is important for you, but "they" didn't have 16 kids!  Oh, I would try to cram things in, I would go on a sewing jag, for instance, but then the house would fall apart, and guess who would have to put it back together?  Sometimes I would pull an all-nighter, and read a good book, just reveling in the quiet, then be a zombie the next day, and of course the next night a baby would be up all night or the night time throw up bug would visit, and I'd kick myself black and blue, but I still would trade the sleep for the quiet night of reading, every once in a while.  Sometimes I would deep clean one room, trying to juggle nursing a baby and watching a toddler, and changing diapers, making piles of this and that, a bag for garbage, a bag for donating, but all the while, the kids would be finding things they didn't know we had, and by the time I was done cleaning that bedroom, I'd walk into the living room and all the fun stuff they found would be thrown about randomly...  

I couldn't win.

Most of it was my own fault.  Minimalism and I were eons apart.  Marie Kondo wasn't on my radar.  I liked stuff.  Mostly TOYS.  I still go up and down the toy aisles.  I like dolls, and little things, and cars, and tracks, I like toys.  We've downsized and gotten rid of so many things, but we still have a healthy, or rather unhealthy supply of toys for the grandkids to play with.  

I was of the opinion that just because we had a lot of kids didn't mean that each child couldn't have a special birthday, special Christmas.  Yes, we had a hundred and forty Barbie dolls, but at Christmas, each little girl would get a new one, because new Barbies...mmm hmmm.  Baby dolls too...and doll strollers...and remote control cars, and building sets, and Legos, action figures.

I like a clean house.  The floors were always a priority, I would sweep/vacuum, every day, usually more than once.  We kept up with the dishes, and cleared the counter tops.  It was crazy busy with the little ones,  and just keeping up with the basics was challenging.  There was ALWAYS the Couch Monster:  the clean clothes from the dryer that were dumped in a pile...it usually wasn't me, but sometimes there were more pressing matters, and a new load of clothes had to go in, so...on the couch with them.  I hung up most of the clothes, and if it were wrinkled, it would go back in the dryer for a little ride first, but the pile consisted of socks and undies and towels and pajamas, around the house clothes...it was very daunting, because it took so much time to get all put away.  We also had a bedding mountain in the doorway of the laundry room, which I have written about many times.  The door wouldn't close, for years, because of this mountain.  Our washing machine was finicky, and it wasn't as simple as just throwing in a load, no sometimes it wouldn't spin out, so I had to give it a good whirl, and that top-loader would catch, and actually spin the clothes, but sometimes it would take all the live-long day for a load to actually spin out enough to go into the dryer...ugh.  

Now, the laundry room door closes, and there is ONE hamper in there, with one couch cover in it right now, and one of my shirts.  I have to walk around and LOOK for things to wash!  All the kids who live here do their own laundry now.  There is no pile on the couch, hasn't been for years now.  

So you might visit my house and think, harrumph, she's a slob, but to me?  It's so nice and clean.

And that's all the reminiscing for today...it's time for that second cup of coffee....