First and Foremost Friday

[Lady Maverick]

LucyLee - What makes you happy when you have it done? Everyone will be different. For me I have several things I REALLY want to do first thing in the morning. When i don't get them done I am disappointed. Silly, I know. I want to be exercised, bible study done, DW unloaded, S2B & personal care done so I can be outside when the sun comes up. That means 6:31am (current sunrise here) drives my tiny habit efforts to get done. I still get a happy YES! feeling each morning that I make it with everything done. My reward is taking a picture of the sunrise while sitting outside sipping my first cup of coffee.

(((MT)))) Good for you getting it done. Now to recover.

Twins - your meal sounds wonderful!!

Great Grandmother & VBS memory making time is done! That has taken a huge chunk of my time each day this week.

B: Protein/fruit smoothie
L; LC pork chops, fried squash, garden salad
D: LC pizza

This morning I told DH that I was going to start cooking some of our Low Carb menus from 2011. He seems pleased with that announcement. I really don't think it crossed his mind that bringing me a huge Iced Latte Chiller this afternoon is totally opposite of my new effort. I do really appreciate DH effort to spoil me. I took a good drink of it and enjoyed the love behind the gift.....before pouring the rest of it down the drain.

Tonight FNG is meeting at our home. Next up -
** Move furniture. Set up extra table/chairs
** general tidy
** set up drinks & finger foods

[lucylee]

That's a great point, LM... what do I need to do to make me feel happy. Seeing the sunrise is NOT big on my priorities, LOL... but YES... I get the point, exactly.
I would feel happy -- and not so down on myself -- if I started my day w/my Bible reading and got SOMETHING done in the house. ANYTHING would be an improvement, and would make me feel more accomplished, so this is not a big, insurmountable goal.

And y'all -- please don't get the wrong idea... my house LOOKS fine... it looks really good, actually -- on the surface -- b/c dh is so OCD. NOTHING is EVER left lying around. But. I know what all else needs doing.

ANYWAY...
I am sooo happy to announce a HUGE ta-da for myself!
I did all ten things on my two lists of five today, including two 15 minute sessions -- in which I
* cleaned dh's shower
* dusted kitchen, dining room, and adjoining hallway

It's not much, but it is a start. I can't really start my 21 days of habit forming right now, b/c we will be gone all next week -- M-TH... but I will try to continue as best I can! If I can do 30 minutes before I touch the computer... that would be a HUGE step forward for me.

[Nancy]

ToddlerN has left. She wanted to stay here she kept saying my name and pointing to me!

Yd. Sale next door is closed for the day. She got rid of a lot of stuff. I got some fabric had been playing with the that. I loaned the gal some tables to use I had three and a board on side tables for putting stuff on.
Store run accomplished.
I did some knitting.
Tame hot spot in living room.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Something prompted the water rescue boats to go out. We heard lots of sirens and when they didn't go by I went out to look and could see a car on the bridge with lights on and the rescue boat being pulled by a truck rushing to the launch spot. Spotted a kayaker but they never seemed to be in distress. It is cool to watch the rescue boats zoom up the rapids. It looks like an everglades boat with the high fan instead of a propeller under water. They buzzed around for a while, spent time talking with the kayaker and about 10 minutes after we gave up watching another siren went by but we never saw what happened.

Dinner was reheated pizza (slightly crispy because we were out on the balcony watching the excitement.)

I'm going to clean up the dishes and do some work on the apartment. It is in pretty bad shape. I resent having to clean it as well as organize things.

[FelineFriend]

Howdy, Village Ladies!

Dee, Sorry Mr. DeeClutter fell, but am glad he's okay!

Did some weaving today, crochet, 2 LOL,emptied the DW, wrote lists for 2 upcoming appt.'s, made a barber lady appt., worked on my calendar for August, and up to August. Put out hot spots, cleaned the 3 toilets, and we're getting dinner on now.

DH got firewood today, will be done for winter, next week, while Dgs-14 is here.

Wrote DH a grocery list, for Dgs foods, a bank run, tomorrow, etc...

Not much going on except keeping up my routines, wrote a.m. "to do" list and will check my index cards control journal for evening routine. Got clothes out for tomorrow, more into the ARC donation, and am making outfit sets on hangers in my walk-in closet,to give more closet space and easy dress-and-go when needed.

The fires in E. WA State are horrible, thousands of acres are gone along with hundreds of homes. The morning news said if you have asthma or other issues, to stay indoors, because of the smoke and haze. The temps will be lower tomorrow, so hoping they can get some of it put out. They put out the call for fire help to 4 other states, too. One man said, on the news, it's looking like the devil's inferno.

Have been viewing the Village as a "guest" on and off all day. Never had time to post or C. I., until now. Everybody have a nice weekend and upcoming week. Dgs-14 will be here July 20 - 26. We have a LOT of fun stuff for him to do, too.

[Nancy]

We have smoke here now it was bad at noon eased up bit when the winds kicked up a bit and cleared it out some what this afternoon. We grilled I need to clean up in a bit.

[ejagno]

You are all an inspiration. On the other hand I am the perfect example of a SHE.

I began this week with the simple task of painting the custom made trundle bed that was built for my grandchildren last July. With paint in hand I applied the first coat. As I was going out the door I touched the paint brush against the door. OMG, the once white door was so dingy compared to the new white paint so I repainted the door. Well, that did not look good against the dingy white trim so I painted the trim. Now the ceiling was showing it's age so I ran out and bought some more ceiling paint and painted the ceiling and crown moldings. Since I was at it I realized that the walls sure needed freshening up so I painted the walls. Oh my, now with everything else looking so crisp and bright I just had to go ahead and repaint all of the cabinetry and wooden blinds. Oh no, I discovered the window was cracked so I have a window on order to replace the existing one. Wow, what a difference a few gallons of paint, several hundred dollars and a week of being totally sidetracked made in this little room. So, I decided to go ahead and declutter some of the cabinets so that this room would be fresh, clean and organized inside and out. Here we are a week later and I'm still working on this room and have yet to get the second coat on the grandkids bed. Now the rest of the house is a wreck, laundry is behind and nothing else got done while working on this room.

Wishing everyone a great weekend!

[Harriet]

ejagno, yep, that's about what I would expect Glad you have a lot to show for your efforts. So often it's a see-saw back and forth between keeping up with chores, then daring to take a plunge into a project to actually make progress, then turning around and seeing you have to really work to get chores back in line, etc., etc., etc.

Most of the change-out of decor around here got done.
Curtains for the boys' room at that house look pretty good.
Dd34's family arrived safely. HRH seeing baby for first time.
Had to leave a load of towels in the dryer - ability just melted away under me.
Still hurting from walking concrete floors shopping for groceries and all else.

In theory we will have a party here tomorrow lunchtime. Of course who knows. So many variables. Dstepson has to work. Dstepgd is all disappointed because that probably means she can't come. I just don't know if one of us can go fetch her or not - will take us away from everyone else for so long.

For cousin having baby - congrats.

Smoke concerns - hope this can clear up soon - hope rains might come and change things. Careful with breathing.

[FelineFriend]

Hello, ejagno! Nice to "see" you again! It's good you worked on the trundle bed for your grandchildren. And the door, too. Oh, now the ceiling and crown moldings will get done, too. Wow. Everything sounds like you're going to be all spiffed up and fresh-looking and clean-looking. Hoping this weekend/week, you can try to catch up on your house, in baby-steps. You've been getting a LOT done!

Nancy, It's good that at noon, the smoke eased up a bit and you got to grill.

A friend of ours has a friend who is an amateur photographer. He travels all over the world, has a website of his photograph galleries. He sells photos, too. They're breath-taking and so good and beautiful for an amateur! This is the link:



http://photo.edwardbacon.com/

I hope those of you who are "into" photography yourselves, will enjoy the site, too.

Lucylee, Do you write in a journal?

(((Emptynester)))

Twins' Mom, Your food sounds wonderful!

I woke up at 5:20 a.m., stayed up, got things done all day, and didn't nap. I'm going to go shower and shave. This next week, before an appt., I'm trying to decide, do I polish my fingernails deep red or deep purple? I have a space for something, on the grocery list for DH tomorrow. I think I'll write down some colors of nail polish, so I have another optional choice. We've been getting my nail polish at Safeway. They had bright yellow and a pretty Granny Smith apple-type color, too. I have some clothes to match these colors, too. Hey, Harriet! Remember the other day, when I almost blindly put yellow highlighter pen on my lips, instead of lip balm? If I got yellow fingernails.... <SIGH> LOL! I won't! Don't worry!

[lucylee]

FF -- I do journal -- somewhat inconsistently. And then I get really paranoid and nervous that ds and ddil will read them after I die and think I'm totally a nut. So I'm constantly thinking -- burn them?/don't burn them?/ I don't know...
Why did you ask?
I always wanted to be a writer -- but now I think I'm too self-conscious to try.