Domesticity

I’ve uploaded a few pictures of our ‘Sister’s day. There are still a few pix I want to get up here but frankly I find the whole photo entry system so confusing that I can only handle so much in one day. I definitely was meant for a less technological era! (Every time I want to post a picture I have to read the ‘help’ again to figure it out.)
I think my all my time with my sister brought on a burst of domesticity. We had discussed laundry a lot- what works and what doesn’t, so I had a chuckle when she called after her trip to say she had found a sign with the following notice…..
“The Laundry is DONE……..The ashes are in the fireplace.”
Did you know that in Jane Austen’s time much of the finer clothing, especially silks and men’s clothes, were rarely if ever washed, and were cut apart to be washed piece by piece and then reassembled! It kind of makes you thankful for the old Whirlpool!
Burst of domesticity #2- I normally plan menus for a week at a time before I go grocery shopping. I was feeling like everything was always so rushed and last minute that I had a brilliant idea- Plan dinners for the whole year! So I made twelve pages of grids and spread them out in front of my on the dining room table, then I was able to do five week sections, first filling in things we like and eat every month, then every other month, then say, once a quarter. After that I got out four or five cookbooks plus the dinner recipes I used to get from ‘Menu Mailer’ and filled in all the rest of the spaces with recipes I wanted to try or already like but rarely use. In the summer months I replaced regular dinners with things that are more hot weather friendly.
So, we’ll see how it goes. I’m one week into it and like it already. I’m still pretty flexible, no eat outs or special holiday dinners are planned, since I want it to be a perpetual calendar. Each month is made up of five weeks, starting with Sunday, so if the month starts on a Wednesday I just skip the first three blocks on the calendar. Because of this the first and last few squares are things we might not want to have as often.
The other day one of the kids commented on dinner, saying it was good. Then DH (Dear hubby) said “I hope you enjoyed it because we aren’t having it again until the third week in September” or something like that. He’s teased me about it but I bet deep down he thinks its cool!!!
While I am talking about him, I must say he felt like I was complaining about him in my last entry about the dollhouse. I don’t think it was bad, only the truth, he’s not sentimental about things like that. But that I understand that and have to say that he is a sweetie. Who else would take me to every new Jane Austen flick rather than just send me out with the girls or try to get me to wait till it went to the video store.
When we went on a date to see “Pride and Prejudice” when it was in the theater, it was opening night so a lot of hard core Janites were there. Well, the woman behind me was talking so much during the show, and in such an annoying way (a la Mrs. Elton) at some point I leaned to my hubby and said “I’m about to reach back there, pull her coat over her head and pummel her hockey style”.
He said “I’d give you 50 bucks. That would be so cool at a Jane Austen premier. He thought a fight breaking out at an Austen premier would be funny and make the papers. Good thing I'm such a peaceful person.