“Always gets me down.” (I’ve been singing this Karen Carpenter song all morning).
It has rained for over a week. The creeks and rivers are flooding. My backyard is a swamp and I think I grew webbed feet over the weekend. Gah! I’m seriously missing the sunshine. First of all, rain just takes all the wind out of my sails. I just want to curl up in bed and watch ‘Sense and Sensibility’ 900,000 times. (It rains in that movie too.) But, I need to pull up my boot straps and ‘think about that tomorrow’. I have a party to prepare for.
My daughter, Emily, has completed her Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology and I’m hosting a luncheon for friends and family this coming Saturday. The Master Degree Graduation Ceremonies begin at 8:30 AM and I’ve invited friends and family over for lunch (in my home) post ceremony. Here’s the rub – I freak out. I’m not the greatest hostess in the world and I know it. I worry too much about the house being perfect, the food, the yard, the ‘everything’. I worry. It is my job. To worry. About everything.
My prep list included:
1. shampooing the carpet throughout the house
2. remove all blinds – blast with pressure washer – dry – hang them back up in the windows
3. wash windows inside and out
4. wipe down all cabinets with Orange Glow – inside and out
5. wipe down all fans and light fixtures
6. organize all closets
7. put high gloss finish on wood floor
8. power wash patio and front walk
9. keep lawn manicured
10. clean the tops of the cabinets and wash all decorative things on top of said cabinets
11. Paint the front door
Now – with the rain that has decided to hang out over Arkansas for the past week, #2, #3, #7, #8, #9, #11 have to be put on hold until the rain stops and the humidity levels drop below 6,000%. That should be sometime in July when the heat kicks in and I want to crawl in a hole or move to the Rocky Mountains. I finished #1. Working on #4 and #6. Putting the hubster on duty for #5. I’ll just have to learn to let the rest of them go until the weather decides to cooperate. Murphy’s Law follows me. They should change it to Starwood’s Law.
I still need to buy Mother’s Day gifts for my mother and MIL. I need to buy a new dust ruffle for my guest bedroom. I need to organize my garage. I need to take the broken hot water heater tank to the dump (it has been in the garage for over a month). I need to figure out when I’m going to find time to make Bakerella’s Cake Pop Recipe for Saturday’s menu. I need to buy Son-in-Law a birthday gift and card before Wednesday and go out to dinner with his family on Wednesday night. I need to plan and grocery shop for Saturday’s menu. Don’t get me wrong. I know what I’m making. Here’s the menu:
Smoked Brisket
PW’s Asian Noodle Salad
Olive Cheese Bread and Cheese Bread (no olives)
Bakerella’s Cake Pops – PW hosted a baking class – Mine will be Red/White
White Chocolate dipped Strawberries to go along with our Red and White theme for Razorback colors
Maybe some vanilla strawberry swirled ice cream
All make ahead things so I’m not freaking out on Saturday morning. The key is – find time to make them after working all day. I think I may need to take Friday off. What do you want to bet it will rain if I do?
I’m going to go sing more Karen Carpenter songs. Maybe I’ll watch Sense and Sensibility again before going to bed. Where’s my personal flotation device.
Bye for now.
Starwoodgal 
