COTTAGE DWELLER and PANS

VICTORY!  The THINGS on the portable table in KITCHEN disappeared and the table was turned in the room so it's easier getting about to work.  Thanks to my sidekick.  

I started gathering pots 'n pans, lids, baking dishes, and cookware to sit on the portable table.  I have more than I imagined.  Now to cook up a large order of organization and rethink where to go with these nice things I have.

The floor to ceiling cabinet which my hubby built a few years back has gone from storing overflow daily dishes to small appliances.  Now, I think for the time being, I will fill the cabinet with ALL the pots 'n pans, etc.  The small bottom cabinet to the right of the stove will house the small appliances that I frequently use like the toaster, Ninja blender, crock pot, air fryer.  This may change as I am morphing the KITCHEN as I go.

The overflow of small appliances will be boxed up, marked and stacked in the Utility room for now.  Pictures as I go for NOTEBOOK.  A cabinet will be built later in the UTILITY ROOM for storage.  This is a morphing kind of lifestyle.  I guess I have to stay flexible and see where this goes.  I know my KITCHEN is tiny and I have to figure this out as I go. 

How can something so simple be so exhausting to think about?  Problem is, it's like trying to fit a 400# woman in a size two dress.  It just doesn't work.  Go on a strict diet or wear much larger clothing.

On my second cup of hot tea this afternoon taking a break while I figure this thing out.  I have plans of going through the tubs on the porch to inventory the CHRISTMAS GREENERY so it can be stored in the cellar and I know what I have for decorating.  Having it written down with pictures will HELP me each future season.

More tubs need to go the cellar today.  This is taking way longer than it should. Between medical appointments, meals, naps, social interaction with family and friends, errands...I'm running way behind on having all the tubs out of the storage shed and refilling the shed with the overflow of COTTAGE things.  It's like a three ring circus around here and I'm the monkey that doesn't know where to go.  Eating peanuts and a banana might help.  

STAY WITH ME and watch me morph into a functioning COTTAGE DWELLER,
~d

update:  
Successfully I went through the HOLIDAY tubs on the porch with all the HOLIDAY garland and greenery,
wrote down inventory,
will type up list,
took pics,
will print off for a notebook.
Tubs to cellar!

While I was doing this, Hubby finished clearing out the storage shed and took the rest of the HOLIDAY tubs to cellar.  Mission accomplished!  Storage shed is now ready to hold the overflow of COTTAGE things until we can spend more time sorting through the boxes.

Kitchen portable table cleared and turned.
Pots 'n pans placed on table.

THIS WEEK I have two very important medical appointments out of town to go to.
One for Cataracts and one for pre-cancerous spot on eye lid.
When I can, this week will be dedicated to getting the KITCHEN ORGANIZED for a functioning home.
Christmas cards worked on.

Shall see how it all goes.
THE KITCHEN may take longer than this week to complete.  If so, I will stay the course until it is finished.  

OUR MOVING IN HAS BEEN EXTREMELY CHALLENGING as the floor space is crowded with boxes and the need to put things away is still there.  It sounds so simple and yet it isn't because the COTTAGE is tiny and every square inch of space has to be use very wisely.  Things have to be stored just so so.  

ALREADY THE 13th of December.  Sigh.  Be of good cheer, things could be worse.

   

QUESTION?

 JUST HOW MANY KITCHEN APPLIANCES 

DO YOU REALLY NEED?

Kitchens are necessary for making a HOME a HOME.  

Seriously,  how many appliances do you need
to create a established KITCHEN?

natural gas, electric or propane stove/oven
air fryer
electric skillet (can use frying pan on electric stove or over open flame on stove)
electric toaster (can use the oven instead of a toaster if needed)
refrigerator
electric coffee pot (can use stove top burner instead of coffee pot, coffee maker or French Press if needed)
electric can opener (can use manual)
electric dish washer (can do dishes by hand with running water at sink)
microwave (life without a microwave is doable)
electric mixer
electric blender
electric food processor
MY FAVORITE: electric crockpot

Did I miss any?

It seems I'm partial to electric appliances.  
Would I manage without electricity?
It would require a HUGE adjustment,
but I would have to adjust.

I'm very thankful to have an actual KITCHEN in my HOME.

~d

18 Inexpensive Ways To Make Your Kitchen Prettier & More Organized | Hom...

OUT THE KITCHEN WINDOW

A nice view from my KITCHEN SINK.  Outside the window is a mature Maple tree by the fence.  Flower beds are on both sides of the tree.  Lush greens make for a happy heart.    

Years ago I had wished that I had a GARDEN WINDOW in my kitchen.  This present house we live in had a 'not so fast' forward that took 30 years to provide a GARDEN WINDOW.  
I sure like it.  

May you have a blessed day and a HAPPY HOME.

All the best and God bless,

d

Job 38:36

“Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?” 

PLANS FOR BOOPIE

HEADING HEAD ON organizing the KITCHEN CABINETS.  Having downsized the daily dishes was exercising my muscles.  I've had to move so much about to make room for the overflow that will rest elsewhere, but where is that in my Kitchen?  LOVELY WHITE DISHES to keep for when company comes to visit when needing additional dishes.  

Deciding where to go with it all.  Seems like a simple task, but to the person that tends to overthink every detail... it takes a village.

I am that village with an attention deficit disorder.    

We purchased our white dishes after our 2016 house fire and the both of us will admit now that we were under duress going overboard on dishes.  I have enough to feed a small army.  Feed that village.  

Understanding what I went through after my Kitchen was totally destroyed has taken a couple of years to settle down and be sensible.    

The extras are setting on the stove for the time being until I migrate the canned food that is on a bookshelf in the stairwell area.  I'm moving the major cabinet contents over to a different cabinet so the canned goods can go where the baking/cooking supplies are.  The baking/cooking supplies with mixing bowls and measuring cups will migrate over to where the coffee cups and drinking glasses were.  These will go over where the regular dishes rest.  blah blah blah.  


After I get all the rearranging completed then I will have room for the overflow dishes and small appliances.  Tadaaah it will help the KITCHEN flow better.  Be better.  Easier.

My Kitchen cabinets are made for tall people so the upper shelves in the cabinets are not usable with ease.  I have to use a step stool to access the upper shelves.  Great exercise this week.  Stretching and reaching, going up and down steps, carry glasses to table, 
switch e r o o .....this is a great way to exercise within my HOME.  Last week of JULY and I'm doing it.  Staying the course.

I gathered all my Finest Anchorglass BOOPIE GLASS that was in a cabinet placing them on the dining room table until the table was crowded.  Placed the sherbet glasses on a kitchen countertop.  Took inventory. Next I'll wash and dry at least 12 of them positioning them in the cabinet with daily dishes.  

While downsizing my dishes and glasses in the kitchen I remember thinking the TEA size glasses are difficult to come by.  Boy was I wrong.  I had forgotten how many I have.  Am debating if I should turn loose of some? 

7" Ice Tea 48
5 1/2" Water 34
4 1/2" Juice 14
4" Cordial 24
3 1/2" Sherbet 40
Candlestick holders 2

Nah.  Will hang onto these for a little while longer after washing, drying, bubble wrap and box up until I no longer need these.

THIS WEEK I'll be content if I get the KITCHEN CABINETS rearranged.  It will be a great accomplishment as this has been bugging me until opening a window of time to get this done.  

After completing this lil task...I must rearrange the OFFICE.  She's still a mess.

HUBBY and I have been talking about turning this room into a media room where the recliners will sit to watch the tele.  This project may be down the road for us.  Eventually a new wood floor will be laid over new sub-flooring.  The present floor has old sub-flooring that someone along the way stained and varnished.  A better floor will cover this.  Several other projects need to come first before the flooring project goes into action.

This week and into AUGUST will be the completion of new flowerbeds then nourishing the soil, designing the color patterns that Irises will make according to their kind when bloomed, finally planting the Iris rhizomes.  PROJECT PHASE I completed.

The yard where our planted collection is now will be cleaned up with new grass planted.  PHASE II completed for Irises where new bulbs and the ones we already have go together in the new flowerbed along the wood fence.  Mission accomplished.

Dining room painted before the HOLIDAYS.  
Allow the SUMMER HEAT to diminish for AUTUMN then the exterior of the screened-in porch will need repaired.  This will take some doin'.  By this time it will be the HOLIDAYS in which we focus.  I figure the office floor will be laid in January/February.

Since these plans are not written in concrete I figure the plans can all change in a blink.  Know what I mean?

Hello.
Good-bye,
d

Cooking In The New Kitchen

As I dig through the many boxes, my Husband is wearing the CHEF hat as he loves cooking.  I love that he loves to cook.  He cooks very well and I enjoy the meals.  I don't hesitate when he offers to prepare a meal.  Truly am pleased that I do not have to cook.  

We're still working at making the rooms be the room it is suppose to be.  Tidying the Kitchen is on the agenda of things to do this month.

ALL IN A GREAT MEAL,
d  

Kitchen Research

TODAY I took time to research Kitchen design as I surfed the net.  My little Kitchen here at RETIREMENT COTTAGE is not large, but larger than our previous one.  We have hopes of making our new Kitchen more modern than what it is now.  My dear Husband has already drawn up Kitchen designs for our Kitchen here.  

We had planned on having WHITE cabinets until I saw grey.
After seeing soft grey Kitchen cabinets and white subway tile along with stainless steel appliances, I stared for the longest time.  Do I like this?  Yes....I think I do.

So, I may have some more THINKING to do.  Do I want white cabinets or grey?  

Thinking is good,
d  

Kitchen Study

~KITCHEN STUDY~

WHAT IN THIS KITCHEN 

DO YOU FIND THAT EVERY KITCHEN SHOULD HAVE?

The Kitchen is clean with a comfortable floor to stand on.

Good lighting.

Nice view outside the window.

Uncluttered.

More than likely has electricity and running water.

Sink.

Stove.

Fridge.

A coffee maker on stove top.

Ample cabinet space.

Cabinets and counter tops easy to clean and sanitize.

A bean pot.

A electric mixer.

A clock.

A special shelf area for dish collection.

Vegetables in a Colander on the counter top.
Sizable Salad Bowl with serving utensils.

Canisters.

An office area with phone, desk and bulletin board.  (A nice feature in a Kitchen, but not needed for functioning in a Kitchen.)

A place to sit.

This 1946 ish Kitchen has much going for it.

Do you agree?

d

Day Six: Crawling Out From Under The Paper Pile

This snow day has blue skies to admire and gaze at.  Train in the distance passing by.  When the air is cold, the sound carries further.  We are a tad bit further away from the train tracks here in RETIREMENT COTTAGE.  I don't mind this.  Makes sleeping more comfortable.

My little american town has little activity which makes it right nice for a slower paced LIFE.  A sleeping community.  Still the sound of a train whistle cannot be ignored.  Gets my attention.  Once upon a time this community thrived with businesses and homes.  She was a community where people lived and lived some more raising their families, shopping, caring, attending church, played in the park, rode horses, work really hard to accomplish all that needed done.  Today much of that still takes place.  It took me years to get use to there not being so many HOMEMAKERS, Keeper of the HOME, Care Takers, Stay At HOME Mommas.

Still have to look for us out there.  

Today, I will be HAPPY as a HomeBody.

Today I will make a deliberate decision to be HAPPY

as myself.  I don't have to be anyone else.

Just me.

PAPER DAY.  I have yet to try out the paper shredder I splurged on.  Have to find it first.  She's around here somewhere.  Still boxes needing attention.  Where am I going to go with all these things?  

My old one was undersized, underweight and on her last leg.  Today when I went through the pile of mail that was waiting for me much was torn up and thrown away.  Credit card offers, health tests that are available, magazine offers, etc.  Bye bye.

Sometimes I save the envelopes that come with the mail and use them as scratch pads to write out grocery lists and things to do.  Recycling at it's best.

With the internet I know that it has hurt the sales of magazine subscriptions and newspapers as well.  I still enjoy thumbing through a good magazine to see the gorgeous pictures.  Browsing by internet has it's advantages.  Welcome to the 21st Century old timer.     

Our new skillet just arrived.  DING DONG...Delivered to my door!  No venturing out to the city and driving amongst the English.  Husband will get the honors of opening the cardboard box to see what's inside.  An evenings entertainment.  He'll hopefully be happy to see what he ordered for us here on the Prairie.  Not sure what state it came from, but that's alright.

My bruised foot is healing.  Toes shall not be bumped.  I can walk on my foot again.  That hurt. 

Saw this tiny Kitchen in a TINY HOUSE.  Beautiful.  I'd add a huge food pantry.  Sherwin Williams Repose Grey Paint.  I sure like this.  Tiny seems to be getting very popular with a not so tiny price tag.  

 

Is that clean or what?

Happy Day Six to you,

d

Kitchen Study

FROM TIME TO TIME
I LIKE TO LOOK AT INTERIOR ILLUSTRATIONS OF ALL THE ROOMS IN A HOUSE.

KITCHENS ARE ON MY MIND.

BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED ROOM.
 
WHAT'S MISSING?
MICROWAVE?
DISHWASHER?



A LESSON IN BEING ORDERLY AND CLEAN.
MAY YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY,
d

A 1952 "dream kitchen" advertisement 

stresses the conveniences of modern appliance.

Decorating On The Prairie: Kitchen Repair

~DECORATING ON THE PRAIRIE~ 

splashes a come back.

SERIOUSLY…you have to be HOME to work 

on HOME PROJECTS when you are the HANDYMAN.  

This Autumn, 

we have been gone gone gone on the week-ends.  

So squeezing in some work has been challenging.  

A little here.  A little there. 

Hubby repaired a crack by the window 

and she looks smooth now. 

   

ONTO TILE ABOVE THE SINK.

The back splash.

First Hubby came up with a design 

which became a computer generated drawing 

printed out on paper and taped up for viewing.

Tile purchased and the work continued.

She's coming along.

Decorating On The Prairie continues.

 One of these days…it will be finished.
Thanks for stopping by,

d