Tuesday two-for? Or Tuesday Task Focus?

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Which will you be doing today?

Doubling up your efficiency where you can? (visiting on the phone while dusting or tidying, doing laundry while doing mopping, listening to an audio book while doing chores, combining errands to reduce time from the home.)

Alternatively, will you be putting full focus onto any task today?

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

My goal for the day will be lights out at 10:00 p.m.

Working back from that focus goal, I have many items that will probably be best done with full focus.

My main goal(s) will be getting Dec 24 and Dec 31 services well in hand and start sending bulletins to the first secretary and loading files into the shared directory for the second.

But a couple of two-fors will be in there as well. Most of those will be housework while listening to audio information.

LadyM: I am envious that you can refocus once returning from errands. That seldom happens for me.

Harriet: I hate fluffing a tree as well!

BTW: last night went well setting up the trees in the lobby. We had lots of volunteers in each lobby and also in the social room. Everyone agrees the social room tree is the best despite half the lights not working. It is the one that was donated in 2018 and decorated with decorations donated by residents and we had a wonderful tree trimming party that year with lots of laughter, cookies and hot chocolate. So when we put that tree up, us old-timers remember that year, and in many cases who brought which decorations (and some of those people are not with us anymore.)

That said, the smallest building has the best sense of community and I went over to their lobby after finishing my building to sit and visit there. They just have the tree from the landlord so it is more corporate looking (and uses the company colours) but they also brought a few things for their new mantle and the landlord bought some lit up deer, and the total effect was warm and welcoming. A steady stream of people dropped by to chat as they came/went from the building.

Back in my own building, I went to return the step stool to beside the ornament bin for the cleaning staff to put away this morning. I came across a young couple taking selfies in front the corporate style tree. That let me know that it was well appreciated as well.

[blessedw2]

welcome home d twins!

thank you d Kathryn for starting the day!!!
how nice that you and the volunteers got the trees up! I am sure it is beautiful!!!
have a wonderful day of focus!

hello everyone.

[blessedw2]

Yesterday I spent most of the afternoon with mom - she would have stayed past 10 but I needed to go to sleep.
Yesterday we finished her christmas present list and sent the last of her christmas cards to Europe at the post office.
I put a tree up at her house - I had to buy lights yesterday bc one of the bulbs broke on the tree. Today I will put the new lights up.

I need to stay home! I will get her at noon to make sure she eats and takes her meds.
I also will take the laundry to the laundry mat - our washer broke and the man that came to fix it said he would have to try ordering some parts to see if it would work.

I need to cook from now on- if I eat one more dinner/lunch out I think my body will revolt . I am going to use up our left overs. Hope dh/mom will eat it. it is what I am serving. fresh vegetables and fruit will be added of course.

todays errands:
bird seed/cactus soil/large pot
I decided not to return ribbon - I will put it in my ribbon box or donate it.

Wednesday
look at dishwasher and washing machine
stop by tailor for mom
buy dd's some pants from yoga place for kitchen

[Twins' Mom]

Thank you for the start, Kathryn. Not sure about today. I need to have my breakfast and reassess. I was awake in the night with my Trigeminal Neuralgia (mouth and face pain) flaring up. I had a bad round of it in NYC in the hotel room one evening and cried and moaned for several hours but at least we were in for the evening.

I've walked the dog two laps, had breakfast, sorted through email and left a bunch to deal with, weighted when I got up (ugh but could have been worse). I sorted laundry and started a load, mostly of dh's clothes. I'm looking at the rest of the day. I am to workout at two, and it will be need to a "maintenance" type workout. I'm not going to break any records or go for the gold. I'm doing well not to cancel it.

I AM going to order groceries today, not go to the store. I'm tired, sluggish and craving being home so that's the story. Dh has bowling tonight so I'm not needing to cook dinner. The house is in decent shape except for our footsteps.

I think first goal is to get my planner out. Second is to start Instacart order for groceries. And reboot laundry. I've emptied my bag and sorted, if not put away stuff.

[Nancy]

CI - I got up on time trash is at the curb.
I am good on steps b/c I was picking up leaves and raking them it is mild outside 47* F. here this morning.
So the leaves out front have all been picked up.
I still need to do the ones on the driveway on the side of the place.
Had coffee & bfast bar.
Did QT & Journals.
-----
CI -
Side leaves have been bagged up I left one pile to do later or go in the can.
Hoping it is not more than three bags of them yea for this progress! Wa-hoo!

Waving to everyone.

[blessedw2]

d twins what a great idea to order groceries; especially when one is tired. good for you!!!
I am truly sorry you were hit with nerve pain! it's so hard! No one knows how painful it is except for those who also have nerve flairs. I pray that the flair has disappeared again. There is no rhyme or reason. inflammation seems to just hit.
enjoy your workout.
you made me laugh with the get the planner out (with laughing after writing the sentence)

hello d Nancy! yay on your leaf pick up. yay on journals.

[blessedw2]

so far:
cleaned off kitchen table
put dishes in the dw
put away again
sink is clean stove is clean counters are clean glass on microwave is clean.
dogs are running in the yard
spoke to d mom - she is happily cleaning - she needs a day away every other day for sure. mom wants to stay home. I just know that if she stays home too long the dementia and OCD thinking of dementia pops up.

I will make her a sandwich and bring it over there and make sure she took her meds.
then I will run but the garden center for bird seed and cactus soil for my overgrown aloe

tonight put together St. Nicholas day things for eldest and dh and one more thing for mom

[Twins' Mom]

Two-for:
Dh got trash to street with dog waste and got it back in, since they ran while he was still home, after showering from 7 a.m. workout. (I couldn't do that)

I've cleaned up most of kitchen - as I said it's only our footprints but there was mail, packages, stuff we brought in, stuff we unpacked. I have third load of laundry going, one is folded and put away, one is hanging to dry, and the last can stay in my dryer, cozy overnight. Groceries are ordered for 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. slot. That gives me some time for additions, and I got a small discount by going with a three hour window later in the day. I did the NYT Connections game.

At this point I need to eat something - will be heading to workout in an hour - wash up and change clothes for workout - I'm not showering before - and make the bed, which I haven't done yet. Ddog is on the screened porch and she will need to come in.

I opened my planner and moved over to the December tab, then started my page as Monday....

[Harriet]

Mystery! I forgot... ..
meant to say Congratulations to your dc on the successful show and final performance.

Sorry that pain threatened the enjoyment of your trip, Twins'. I'm sure puppy (Millie?) was glad to see you get home.

Fluffing - I've got to quit because finally you're just being a perfectionist, aren't you? I've got to believe that ornaments will fill in places that look bare. Remembering all the years with live cut trees and never worrying about this. Having a tree near a window means that perhaps someone passing will see and have a warm feeling. It also means that during the day you see right through the thing, lol. Thankfully, I believe in lots and lots of ornaments.

Perhaps this evening dd25 and I will decorate. That is, AFTER she gets all the elements of the card ready for me to take to the printer. If we do, I definitely want music! Last evening's fluffing was to the accompaniment of HRH's war game, live chat and scary movie all at the same time! (He multi-medias well.)

Dailies through to drip-dry. Good brunch. Mail to box. Trash set out.

Ran into dd43 and her youngest at mailbox. He helped with trash.

It's a beautiful day - I had to take the broccoli sprouts out of the window where they are photosynthesizing because the jar was actually getting hot in the sun, and I certainly don't want to cook them!

Planner chat - (lol, Twins')
In my planner, I've gone over to all holiday stickers and red and green pens for the rest of the year until some January snowmen will show up. I like to have one image for the week that either has a face or other obvious personality, to make me smile. This week a very decorated door with window seems to have done it.