 |
| The new kitchen broom. |
I prefer an old-fashioned metal dust pan, how about you?
It seems I spent most of the weekend in the kitchen, rearranging and tidying, but in slow motion, like an Old Turtle.
Look what I've done with the space that formally held the giant black microwave oven: it's the perfect spot for my dinner dishes.
The microwave? It's downstairs in our laundry-room/pantry, on top of the upright freezer. MrBP wouldn't let me get rid of it permanently (he uses it to warm up leftovers). See, I can compromise.
I re-arranged my cookbooks.
 |
| The dinner bell, forged in Lunenburg Nova Scotia. |
Christopher keeps threatening to buy the stone cottage across the street so he can hear the dinner bell.
I did lots of reading this weekend.
I started reading a really great book by Bobbi French.
She is so funny, I think you'd like her very much.
 |
| "Finding Me in France" by Bobbi French. |
Without access to my regular closet I've had to pile up my clothes in outfit bundles: four for the week. I think if you are very hectic in the mornings this is a good strategy. Four is enough, you can repeat one of those outfits.
 |
| Brora mohair skirt and cashmere jumper in "pine". |
Good thing I've re-arranged my cookbooks: I need to plan meals and go for groceries.
 |
| Brora Hacking Jacket in "heathland", Brora wrap in "aubergine". |
xoDani
Hi Dani,
ReplyDeleteYes, a metal dustpan works so much better than a plastic one. And I'd also love to get rid of our microwave, but my husband likes to heat up leftover in it also. So nice that you had time to read and reflect. Busy weekend here. Hanukkah party and the last time this year I cook for 20 people!
So glad your renos are coming to a completion. xo
Hi Kathy, I couldn't do much this weekend, honestly I hardly left the house. I'm moving really slowly, very upset over Friday. What can we do but pray and try to reflect but I think we all feel helpless.
DeleteI can't believe you had another large crowd, well it was probably so nice to all just be together.
Hi...I love a good broom. Where did you find your lovely one? thanks
ReplyDeleteHi Unknown, this was found at a cleaning-supply store, a place that caters to the trade. I highly recommend seeking out this type of store, they have heavy-duty cleaning tools and great prices too.
DeleteI like the plastic dustpans because they have such pretty designs on them. Even when scooping up cat litter, I need to have something cute to look at. I have moved my micro into the utility room because it didn't look right in my new kitchen. But I am a fan of them, so handy!I love CS Lewis, and find reading his diaries very comforting.
ReplyDeleteSulky don't tell me you tidy up your own kitty litter, don't you have People for that?
DeleteI think microwaves rarely look right unless very well hidden. Okay they are good for melting chocolate I have to admit.
CS Lewis comforts me no end.
SK, I would love to have a utility room or a butler's pantry of the kitchen, that must be very useful.
DeleteYour dinner bell is wonderful. When we were little, we lived at the top of a long, long meadow. My mother would ring a cowbell for us to extract ourselves from the creeks and thistles and come back for dinner. Never have forgotten the sound.
ReplyDeleteAnd somehow ringing a bell for children to come home is the saddest thing right now. xoxox.
LPC it is the saddest thing right now. Thank you for the comment on my last post. I can't stop thinking about what happened, I know I'm not alone there.
DeleteThat sounds like an idyllic childhood, what an image.
Dani, You wore out a broom! You are indeed tidy!
ReplyDeleteI am mopping today after a gathering of 30+ we had yesterday; people hugged each other a little tighter than usual, and it was comforting to have moments of normalcy. I grew up in CT and am headed there for the holidays.
Thanks to Wine Away I have succeeded in getting out a red wine stain on one of my sofa's cream cushions. I have this on hand for parties with my dustpan in case someone drops a glass.
Lane I think I need a large bottle of Wine Away.
DeleteI am happy to know you were with friends and family, you must be reeling.
sorting and cleaning are always a way for me to release negative emotions and gain some feelings of control. xo
ReplyDeleteHi Janet, It has always been so for me as well. I will be cleaning around the clock this week and it's just the thing, for many reasons.
DeleteI loathe microwaves, I've never had one and never will. Mum has one now for ease but food tastes awful in it. I also don't have a brush or pan, I just use the long nozzle part of the hoover to suck up crumbs etc in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteThe dinner bell is perfect!
Tabs I think they ruin food, I'd much rather eat cold spaghetti than heated-up-in-microwave spaghetti. I know older people often rely on them for small portions and heat-up meals.
DeleteI use a microwave mostly for warming up leftovers, frozen veggies or microwave popcorn, that's about it.
ReplyDeleteNice broom! My kitchen has a Vac-pan, which we LOVE.
LR I don't know what a vac-pan is , is it like a central vac?
DeleteMy rascals loved the microwave for the popcorn but I realized I was spending a fortune on it. I bought them a popper instead which isn't as easy so they don't eat as much popcorn!
Ooh, those vac-pan things are great - I wish I had one of those too!
ReplyDeletewell now I really want to know what it is!
DeleteHi Dani - a very sad weekend. I watched the prayer vigil last night, I thought it was very well done.
ReplyDeleteThis is a big cleaning week for us too - my husband is off on Christmas vacation for 3 weeks, so I'm roping him in to help. So far we have gotten No. One Son's room ready for him, plus we are going to have another go-around the basement storage room.
Hi Patricia, I was in bed reading when Obama gave his speech but I watched it last night online and it brought me to tears again. I thought it was very well said. I'm beyond sad for those families and thinking about what happened in the school has broken me up again and again.
DeleteI'm happy you've got your hubs home for 3 weeks, that's excellent. MrBP seems to love helping me around the house when he is home, I guess it's different from his usual workday. We'll have plenty of clean-up to do Christmas week post-reno.
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS Dear Dani, I am trusting a renewed sense of order, good outfits, comforting meals and that fabulous bath will be just the things to restore you out of these past few Jonah days. Along with welcoming home Original Rascal (aka M. the Maths Smartie.) We haven't had a microwave for a few weeks (obscure part order) but un-Martha only uses it for baking. Spot on for melting choc as you note, as well as butter. Also useful for 1 poached egg, gravy and (custard) sauce re-heating according to the Brit. Dinner bell is a happy (Lunenburg summers) sad (those children) thought.
ReplyDeleteHi GF, two more sleeps until Old Rascal comes home. Had his first U-of-T "A" and was over the moon, his work is paying off and it feeds his self-motivation. Wouldn't have guessed it 3 years ago rebel without a cause and all.
DeleteOh you're right it is good for melting butter though too many times in my slap-dash baking I've over-heated it and ended up with a foamy butter mess all over microwave plate, what a mess. Now I use a little le creuset steel saucepan with measure levels marked on inside, very handy.
Dani! Too funny - I am reading the same book and I am pretty sure we have 80% of the same cookbooks! My room is not going so fast, but should be done in January. Your poor broom - all that hard work - mine would never be that worn out!
ReplyDeleteWMM, You must have told me about that book, I couldn't remember why I ordered it in all of my Christmas amazon shopping! Bobbi French is your twin, your humour is very similar!
DeleteIt was the reno that finally cracked the broom, my house is a mess, how will I get it clean before Christmas I have no idea.
That's a lot of sweeping Dani. We hid our microwave under the island so it's not visible. Don't really use it except for popcorn.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I'm sad I organize so the weekend was full tilt.I baked today as my daughter Taylor came over and raided the freezer .
She needed one pan of Nanaimo and Skors bars for Friday night . Last night we had her over for supper and out the door she went with a cheesecake. My husband thinks I'm a softie but I get a kick out of it.
Charlie and James come home on Thursday and I can't wait to see them.
Hi Marsha, clever hiding it in the island!
DeleteLucky Taylor leaving with a full belly and dessert. That's a good idea to keep desserts in the freezer. I need to do some baking today but I don't have much time, it's MrBP's office Christmas party lunch. I'm going to have to put a smile on.
My weekend was not so good, I was battling a bout of food poisoning and curled up with stomach cramps half of the time and my Southern upbringing won't allow me to say what I was doing the other half. :^( I tried to read blogs but it was pretty sporadic at best. We will never go back to that restaurant again, that is a fact.
ReplyDeleteYour dinner bell reminds me of boarding school. Fond memories, the dining hall was always so full of energy as I'm sure it is at your house when mealtime arrives. I use my microwave almost daily to cook my oatmeal, I don't have time to stand at the stove in the morning. I would have to switch to cold cereal if I ever gave it up.
xoxo, oh no you have not been well at all. I guess you won't be going back there. I hope you are feeling back to your normal self now.
DeleteI didn't go to boarding school but I sure wanted to. I think you should keep on with your microwave if it means hot cereal. Much more pleasant. I'm eating cream of wheat these days, it's very high in iron though I have to say I don't love it.
Microwaves aren't very attractive, are they. We don't use ours too much, but they're quite useful when we do. I love your metal dust pan. Absolutely love it.
ReplyDeleteGigi metal dust pans are hard to find in The Age Of Plastic. Mine is a treasure.
DeleteNo broom is in danger of breaking in this household!
ReplyDeleteMy mother always rang a bell when dinner was ready - there were a few of us and we could be scattered quite a distance.
My microwave went "bang", really I seem to be coping without it.
Claire that's another thing about microwaves, they just explode and fizz out, I don't trust them.
DeleteDinner bells are good for saving mother's voices!
I think microwaves ruin food too and we haven't used ours for years. Funny you would associate Chanel with your broom, I got a chuckle out of that. Oh I'd love a dinner bell. I don't have three stories and it's only to the next room I have to yell but there are times ... ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Tiffany Rose, dinner bells are great for those certain people who don't come at first call, a few loud rings lets them know they should get moving.
DeleteHi Dani,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the micro wave point of view... I still have mine but use it very rarely... But as in your household Mr wants to keep it... so we'll see how long... The weekend was very busy as my son had organised a sleepover and invited three friends!
I also need to rearrange my cookbooks as I have too many of them and the shelve won't like very much all the weight. I am considering organising them by season and store some of them in another place...
Hi Steph, Your son must have had a good time with his friends, how sweet. My son used to stay up all night long at sleepovers and then be delirious the next day.
DeleteI store some of my cookbooks downstairs in my laundry room-pantry, that room gets all of the kitchen overflow, and it's just a set of stairs away, very handy.