Finances on Fridays

It has been a busy week and there doesn't appear to be any chance of things slowing down until at least Monday evening. 

The children are blowing out eggs downstairs and I have a handful of rooms to deep clean before making pizzas tonight... and Easter duds to finish up...and decorations to make...and Easter food to figure out.

Needless to say, Gonna make things short and sweet this week.

 

Here's what I did this week~

* spent hours outside clearing flower gardens of winter debris.  It felt so good to be outdoors working again!

* Added a bunch of mulch to keep weeds down.  I got the mulch for free when I asked a road crew if they would pile some chips up on the side of the road for me last fall. (Matt could have killed me but it is just a few feet from my flower circle making it very handy indeed.)  Actually, I will be set for free mulch for years probably, since there are huge mounds of it in the woods too.

* Planted:  peas and onions outside

* Pruned: roses, hydrangeas, filberts and apple trees.  (I was so nervous cutting my hydrangea because I wanted it shaped like a tree- which meant cutting  everything except the sturdiest, straightest branch.  It was HARD to cut the potential for all those blooms but hopefully it will result in something even more beautiful, with a canopy too!  Unless it dies.  And then it will be all my fault. )

* I DIDN'T buy the adorable lace over canvas ballet flats in the most perfect shade of coral to coordinate with Corynn's Easter dress but got a pair of white sandals instead since they will match everything and work for all her summer clothes.  That was hard, people.  Hard, hard, hard.

* started a bunch of seedlings.  It's late...a friend assures me not TOO late- but later than I have ever started seeds and so I admit, I am very nervous.  I am sure that I will be buying a few plants as well...to be sure I get some mature crops.  But I could not in good conscience buy all the plants I need without at least TRYING to start some myself.  Not when I plant 100+ tomato plants alone.

* baked a bunch of bread

* I did some fruit tree price shopping.  I am going to go the nursery route instead of by mail.  I want to SEE what I am purchasing.  I found the place and plan to head there on Monday with cash in hand to finally start the Hopestead Orchard. 

* washed/dried/aired a bunch of laundry and bedding outside on the clothesline

* our brake system started smoking and smelling when heading to church last Sunday.  Matt was able to fix the problem by himself later that evening.

* the chicken coop door split in half (have I mentioned it is windy up here?).  Matt fixed it.

(Anyone getting the vibe that Matt is handy?  Yup. He is.  All mine too.  Lucky me!)

* helped Matt cut/bring in more wood for the woodstove.  Yes, we are still burning it.  (grumble, grumble, hiss)

* finished the last of the maple-syrupping with the last batch being used for making maple candy! Around 2.5 gallons of syrup in total.  Plus candy.  ;-)

* cut all the boys' hair

* worked on crocheting Corynn's Easter dress and bowties for boys.  Hope to finish it all up tonight.

* Sorted through our stairway library.  (This job has been sorely needed for so long!)  I usually sort our books by topic, books by the same author grouped together.  All series together.  But after reading for a while, they inevitably come undone.  It is all nice and tidy and orderly (and dusted!).  I got rid of four large stacks of books to be sold online, at yard sales and/or given away.  So happy to have this done!

Your turn!!

Have a wonderful Easter weekend! 

 

He is Risen!