Dear Martha

Dear Martha

My commitment is still touch and go mostly due to the occasional pandemic ennui. My kids and I do schoolwork, I do the dishes, I craft, I do little bits from your book, and fight the urge to binge watch procedural crime dramas. This week I continued to work on my entryway and my closet. I also baked that cake you suggested.

I think I told you last week that I am not a great baker. I did manage to make a gluten free cake, and then I whipped some raspberries into the icing. I followed the instructions to cut a circular cake in half and line up the halves with the sides of the cake. I spread the raspberry icing over the cake, blithely attempting to keep the cake from crumbling. The cake was not perfect, but it tasted good. Once again Martha you were correct, baking may be a good pastime.

I have been slowly organizing my closet as an entryway. Very, very slowly. I have taken out my husband’s coveralls and jackets that he does not use anymore. I got a little set of hooks with a box that I can now put my dogs leash in. I think I might just be turning into you. I thought about the fact that the wood in my entryway is all over the place.

Other suggestions you had last week were, to take a hot soak. A noble thought but I had to purchase a new hot water heater. Three you go again suggesting things I just could not make happen yet. I will try that now that I have hot water. You also suggested freezer friendly meals which I full intend to do. I just need enough space in my freezer. I dear old dad might be getting his freezer any day now. When you say host a crafting afternoon, do you mean, spend an afternoon crafting? Or do the crafting in the presence of others? Because I craft alone at night in the dim light of the television. Does my dog count??

You indicated that I should organize seed packets as they arrive. This is… well my dad does all the garden preparations. I want to be helpful. But he does that. I also wonder what you mean by organize. You mean put like with like? Flowers and vegetables? You also suggested oil garden tools. Why oil? The last thing you suggested is snowshoeing. And honestly Martha, it is like you do not know me AT ALL! There is no way I willingly engage in activities such as snowshoeing. Snow is evil. I hate nothing the way I hate having cold hands and feet. I am usually an all-in kind of mom, but my kids have always known I am not touching the snow with them. I am more of a spring and summer kind of person.

I appreciate that you do not have any real suggestions for what to do for Presidents’ Day. This was perfect because it was a day off school, and I got my kids up and get them started with their day. Only to hear a chatter of kids online telling them there was no school. Good call there would be nothing more ridiculous than having to do something for Presidents Day.

Slowly but surely, I am working my way through this process. I keep wanting to skip, but I am trying to stick to this torture. I think I am finishing the closet and then moving on to the kitchen this week. Heres hoping it all works out. The beginning of the kitchen is emptying all the drawers and sorting through everything.