Amy Vanderbilt-Pacing Housework

OH! I've been so overwhelmed lately! I feel like a failure as a single 'cause it is utterly impossible to keep my house clean w/ two mischievous cats and one messy house guest (Myself.) If Myself cold just get in line w/ Me my life would be uber easier. I'm trying to remind myself Ms. Vanderbilt says "The main concern is to do a satisfactory job in a resonable period of time-YOUR time, not your neighbor's (and not what your imagination tells you everyone else is capable of -s.v)Active people take on a number of projects and thrive on them. They actually go downhil if they are not busy and challenged constantly. (she's speaking of me here.) It is a personal matter to discover your own pace and stick with it. The family will benefit from the calm radiance of a woman who has found herself. (oh please God, let me find myself) Whether you shoot sparks or burn slowly doesn't matter as long as you are yourself, all in one piece."

This is encouraging and doesn't make me feel like such a failure. If Ms Vanderbilt says I'm okay, I must be okay.  Even when my house isn't perfect. I can find peace and order at my own pace. Back to flylady.com day 1. Shine your sink.

Amy Vanderbilt's thoughts on: Fatigue

"Weariness that hangs on and on destroys the zest and satisfaction of living. Continued apprehension and anxieties over small or large problems can reduce a human personality to shambles." Oh my goodness! Did Amy open up a window to my life?! This is EXACTLY how I've been feeling lately. And what are Amy's cures for Fatigue and weariness? (I think weariness is the best description....Oh how I am weary...would people think I was bizzare if I said that when they asked me how I'm doing? "I'm okay. I'm kind of weary." So much more descriptive than "Tired." Tired can imply that I stayed out too late last night partying...I'm to weary TO party. HELLOooo.

"At times you may feel that the conflicts between what you are doing and what you would like to be doing are so great that irritation and resentment take over." How does she know my life?!
What are her suggestions?

Meeting Crisis: "Most of our troubles never happen."
    Bottom line: Don't put off making a decision.

Physical Causes for Fatigue:
   4/5 people have no physical cause for fatigue. Most women are just crazy. Does it really say that?! I'm pretty sure it does. Those movies with the "normal" woman locked in psych wards in the before the women's lib movement freak me out.

Pacing Housework:
  Work on YOUR own time. Naps are good. Eating properly cannot be overemphasized. (No Idea how this fits into housework.)

The Artful Dodgers
   There are 5 of them.
      Avoidance of Decision Making
      Shifting Blame: Basically projecting your feelings on everyone else.

Ingrown Idenification:
Identifying with groups of people as opposed to your own identity.

Rationalization: Giving excuses instead of owning up to the truth.

Aloofness: A little alarmed at the fact that Amy is suggesting that men can break this barrier...weird. She does have a point, usually aloofness is just a facade to cover up something someone doesn't want to show other people.

Boredom and Fatigue
Get a hobby or join a group.

Amy's Nugget of Wisdom " It's amazing somtimes to find how problems seem quite solvable after eight hours of sleep.

Craft Along, Read Along Vintage Notions, Sew Retro and Amy Vanderbelt

‎"Live life today as though today were all- As though this very morning you were born. Your yesterdays are days beyond recall; Tomorrow does not come until the morn. Rest not upon the victories you have won; Because you lost, surrender not to fear. Your yesterday was ended with the sun. Tomorrow has not come. Today is here. -Douglas Malloch


I sucked at keeping up with my doctor says I can't keep up the Vegan diet any longer because I need protein.  Alright by me. I hate Tofu.

In honor of upcoming Mothers Day,

My Grandmother passed away a few weeks ago. I miss her terribly, one thing that we chatted about a lot was sewing and cooking. She has been encouraging me to attempt the pie crust, of which I am REdiculously afraid of. Sometime soon I will attempt...THE CRUST.

A couple years ago my grandma also invited me to all of her sewing patterns she had nicely stacked in boxes in her closet. Patterns she has kept since before my dad was born.

After she passed away, my dad asked me what I wanted from her house. I wanted her pink lamps and a collection of Amy Vanderbilt books I used to pour over as a teenager. I collected the books and a 1960's Christmas Craft book.

The Vanderbilt books reminded me of the book Vintage Notions book I had purchased after attending a seminar on the book given by the author, Amy Barickamn. I have been wanting to do a read along, craft along with this book by month. With the risk of being overly zealous, I would like to tackle reading through the Amy Vanderbilt books as well, and a book my mother gave me called "sew Retro" which gives a couple different projects for pieces throughout the decades starting in the 1900's.

So dedicated to my grandmother, and my mom...here's to more than I can chew-

Amy Vanderbilt's Success Program for Woman Book of the Month

YOUR GOOD HEALTH

Amy Barickman's Project for the Month

"The Fabric Flower"

Amy Barickman's Recipe for the Month

Layer cake w/ Fluffy Icing

Sew Retro Sewing Project for the Month

Victorian Pincushion

Strawberry Whip It

I tried to make this strawberry whip. I used a hand mixer instead of a blender but I don't think it would have made a whole lot of difference. BLECH! It KINDA tasted like strawberry's on top of cottage cheese, which I like...not the texture I was looking for.....not eating more of that!

Spices

I am quickly loosing interest in salt. There are too many other spices that are a lot more interesting. I'm sure that salt is important for preserving, etc, but Rosemary and Thyme are a little more exciting to my taste buds.
Today I made a vegan potato soup. I think if I would have used fresh herbs it would have tasted a bit more springy. Today has been so cold and rainy I felt like soup was in order. I threw in some dried herbs. It was a lighter soup than you are probably used to but it was filling.

I have been craving sweet all day, so I went to the store and bought some dried apples and fruit leathers...what I really want is a HUGE box of fresh chocolate truffles...*sigh*  Tomorrow I'll be making a strawberry whip with tofu for dessert.

Tofu Chili

Was Better the second day. The texture didn't bother me so much. I keep forgetting to put the avacodo in though. I made Asparagus (I <3 Asparagus) for dinner today. The Recipe called for salt. I added salt but didn't like it as much as the pure flavors that were already in there.

Adventures in Tofu

I HATE Tofu. I think it tastes like...oh wait pretty sure it doesn't even have a taste. But the texture is even worse than not having a taste. It's like Tasteless jello and it looks like what you skim off the top of REDICULOUSLY old milk.

So! I'm going "more than Vegan" for a bit. Tofu is in a lot of Vegan Recipes. Therefore I am going to have to experiment with the Tofu. (Remind me to take a picture of my action figures Tofu and Bacon and Post them on here.)

Tomorrow begins the adventure. Slower Cooker Vegan Chili...w/ Tofu.

Let the Adventure Begin!!!!

Pretty Sure this is  Made of Tofu