Monday Night Check-In

Wompf.

That's the sound of me sitting down in my office chair after fetching my 14th cup of coffee.

Wompf.

That's the sound of everything I thought I'd get done hitting me up the side of the head.

Oh well.

I focused on the important, so I'm happy.

Done! 1. -- take an inventory of the pantry and freezer, plan all of our dinners for January and make a shopping list.

Done! 2. --Finish running off the duplicates of the calendar I made for my Mom.

Done! 3. --Take the calendars Staples to be bound. Mail them.

uh, no. 4. Write up my Statement of Intent for Cathy Zielske's Big Picture Class: Move More, Eat Well (MMEW).

nope, not done, either 5. Finish my pre-class assignment for MMEW.

eeew. Not done. 6. Vacuum the stairs.

in progress. 7. Work on my goals for 2012. Create a list of specific ones to work on for January, specifically. In other words, get specific!

not going to do. Too late. 7b: Finish post of top 11 accomplishments in 2011.

in progress. 8. Create my project list for January.

Done! 9. Get out to a scrapbook store and buy kraft coloured cardstock.

1/2 done. 10. Find a hair salon we can afford and within walking distance and make hair appointments for my daughter and I. (I found a place in B.C. which will accept 9" pony tail of my grey hair to make into a wig for Cancer patients.)

I made some calls. The one nearest me charges $50 (average $60) for a women's cut. If I want the epynonymous owner, however, I have to pay $85.00 (yikes!) A child's cut is $25 to 30. These folks are not open on Mondays (the only day I have the vehicle). They are, however, within 10 minutes walking distance.

The least expensive place is a little farther away, (maybe 15-20 minutes?) at $40.00 for a woman's cut and $20.00 for a child's.

By the by, I am aware that there are "chains" --like Supercuts-- which will hack off my hair for $20 or so--but my experience with places like that is what drove me to grow my hair out in the first place!

Oh and MOST important--I'm 2 for 2 for exercise! Two sessions in two days--yay! AND, I signed up for a class called "women on weights" which starts next Sunday.

I'm feeling super anxious and excited about everything I want to do this year, this month, this week. But I really can't think about it until we get out and shop, get home and put it all away. Tomorrow. Then, I'll breathe again.

Finish It Friday.

So much to do!

I want to get it all done before the New Year (Sunday.) That's not going to happen--but maybe by Tuesday?

1. Speaking of Tuesday, it's the Big Shop, so I have to take an inventory of the pantry and freezer, plan all of our dinners for January and make a shopping list.

2. Finish running off the duplicates of the calendar I made for my Mom.

3. Take the calendars Staples to be bound. Yikes. I hadn't realised I'd left it so late! Mail them.

4. Write up my Statement of Intent for Cathy Zielske's Big Picture Class: Move More, Eat Well (MMEW).

5. Finish my pre-class assignment for MMEW.

6. Vacuum the stairs.

7. Work on my goals for 2012. Create a list of specific ones to work on for January, specifically. In other words, get specific!

7b: Finish post of top 11 accomplishments in 2011.

8. Create my project list for January.

9. Get out to a scrapbook store and buy kraft coloured cardstock.

10. Find a hair salon we can afford and within walking distance and make hair appointments for my daughter and I. (I found a place in B.C. which will accept 9" pony tail of my grey hair to make into a wig for Cancer patients.)

What do you think? Would something like this be cute?

Created with the assistance of the Instyle Makeover Tool.

It makes me want to laugh!

Finish It Friday Follow-Up..

This was turned into

This!



This represents half the ribbon shown above. I'm afraid Aurelia put a staple through two fingers doing this project! She was fine--but it took a few discussions of past Christmas injuries and scars and so on to proceed to do the second chain. (Not to worry. I'll spare you.)

But it is all now on the tree and looks wonderful.

Checking in on Friday's list:

1) Clean the upstairs hallway. Aurelia still has buckets of things she cleaned out from her room waiting to go into the donation box in the basement.

Done! Just need to do the usual sweeping and dusting.

2) Finish painting a side table. It needs a third and final coat of white.

Also done! It is now back in her room and she is grateful. I am glad to have the space in my bedroom, too.

3) Wrap Scrap albums for my Mom.

Wow. Also done.

4) Collect Stocking stuffers and assess whether more is needed (and for whom.)

Almost done. I've lost track of a few even though I have a "where did I hide it sheet?" in my Holiday Planner.

5) Put away the summer curtains from the living room.

Done.

6) I'd also like to catch up with all of you this weekend, too.

sigh. Sorry. Almost caught up. Not quite. Those of you whom I have visited will know by the comments I have left. (At least, I hope I left comments everywhere I went!)

In other news, we had to get up early Sunday morning for the Children's Concert at Service on Sunday. Even though it was minus forty (or so). We all went very early to bed as a result both Sunday and Monday night. I'm hoping that having got up at 6am this morning doesn't de-rail us too much. Both kids have gone back to bed and that could mean serious trouble at bed time tonight.

Finish it Fridays.*

*Yes, I realise it is no longer Friday anywhere in the world.

A couple of things have stopped me from posting:

1) I have no camera, still. Had I known it would be this long, I would have done my research on a digital SLR and probably have had it in hand by now. I am extremely frustrated.

2) We're completely time-shifted. Yes, again. My husband was on holidays the last week of November and we all got off track. Then, the kids and I just kept drifting. I wasn't in bed last night until 5:00 am. We're not awake until noon. It's a shame because it leaves me so little of the day--the sun sets at 4:30pm, now. I miss my sunshine!

I apologise profusely for not keeping up with you--if only for the fact that it makes for lengthy, rambling posts when I do decide to show up!


The Cure is over.

I think it was a huge mistake for Maxwell et al., to start so late. Having US Thanksgiving occur within the Cure --and especially so near the end-- just drained people, I think. It really doesn't matter whether people went anywhere or did anything: it's an emotional space and it marks beginnings and endings. Having the Cure extend past it was just too demanding--especially considering that folks tend to peter out near the end and need an infusion of energy to finish: not a leak! But that's just my theory. I know I got distracted by prepping for Christmas. In fact, I still have a few Cure projects incomplete which are nagging at me.

I am also quite involved with my Organizing for the Holidays course at Simplify 101. Part of it involves a private message board and gallery--and it has been immeasurably helpful to be part of the class this way. It does, however, consume quite a bit of my computer time. One component is called "Finish it Fridays." The idea is to make a small, doable list of niggling things and pledge to have them done by Monday. Our "weekend" consists of Sunday and Monday, but "Finish it Saturdays" just doesn't have the same ring. So, without further ado:

Projects I pledge to have completed by Tuesday:

1) Clean the upstairs hallway. Aurelia still has buckets of things she cleaned out from her room waiting to go into the donation box in the basement.

2) Finish painting a side table. It needs a third and final coat of white. (I took a photo of it unpainted while I was still adjusting to the fact that I was now using a film camera.)

My daughter puts her playhouse on top of it and uses the levels underneath to hold vehicles and extra furniture, etc. She misses it.

3) Wrap Scrap albums for my Mom.

4) Collect Stocking stuffers and assess whether more is needed (and for whom.) Nine year old girls are so easy to buy for! Twelve year old boys? Not so much.

5) Put away the summer curtains from the living room. No, I didn't finish ironing them. sigh.

I have a longer list in my head which would be great to get to, as well, but these are my priorities. There's just one more:

6) I'd also like to catch up with all of you this weekend, too.

I'll let you know how it goes.