Saturday System Shifts

[Harriet]

Are you pondering your systems - the calendaring, record-keeping and set-ups that may change for 2025? It's true that overarching goals or resolutions will loom large (yay for us), but it's those daily or weekly steps that are gonna get us there.

How will you shift your systems?

Do you have absolutely maarvelous reports on some 2024 changes that worked well, and you will be keeping? Was some of it overkill? Maybe you didn't really need to record some facets of your life as much. Or maybe you are thinking that you wish you had made more notes on another.
 
Thinking of our dear villager, Norma, whom we lost this year, and her husband, Mr. Guy, on their anniversary.

[Harriet]

Can't sleep, lots of little reasons that add up to just needing to get out of the bed early.

When I start completing sewing and quilt projects in my mind, I know I'm past the point of getting back to snoozing.

And those are a big part of the coming year's System Shifts for me. I want to incorporate some sewing into every week at least, and when possible, every day. Not deadlines, or necessarily large projects. Just having the machine humming and reaching some finish lines, making check marks! I commiserated with dsonil yesterday that I really want next Christmas to be more like "me", and doing some surprise sewing would fit that bill.

Today, some gaps in our shopping have become pretty significant, so that's high on my priorities. We have not been able to find distilled water lately - not sure what's up with that. But doing without the little humidifier in my bedroom makes a big difference for me right now and HRH really wants distilled for that. I'm close to saying, "Put regular water in the thing, and I'll buy another next winter if it's ruined!" But trying to respect his wishes for keeping it running well. Still, I had a nosebleed this morning not terrible but not "me" and I don't like it. I know it probably wouldn't happen to me any other year, but it is happening this one. We need to search and find that water.

I want to make a list of things to do with dd26 while we are out together on Monday and get prepared for it. I want to make a return via carrier (need to print out info), and go by the bank to make a deposit and get out some cash. I want enough time to really shop the "resources" place at the medical center where I have a head measurement and fitting. The lady was telling me they have a lot of items there that you wouldn't think of, and I want to understand what she's talking about. Beyond that, I want to encourage dd to have a lunch she would really like and find a place with a booth for chatting. These times are getting precious now that she lives at a distance.

[CathyS]

Hi Harriet! Good subject for this Saturday. So many women at knitting yesterday were saying they didn't know what day it was. Their weeks were all messed up due to the holiday being mid-week and families insisting on doing certain things on certain days.

I know that having calendars that are large enough to make notes on each day has certainly helped me with that daily question... "What's for supper tonight?" and believe me, sometimes that question was asked numerous times. This year there will be a calendar specifically for dh's health and not just all the appointments.

Although dh doesn't want the tree and decor to come down yet, I want certain things to get donated or dumped. I have been laying in bed thinking about numerous things I don't want to forget to get rid of. I know there won't be much in my side of the closet, but there might be at least one thing,

Dh has gotten it into his head that I am leaving him. Last night he demanded to know where all my shoes are because they aren't lined up in the hallway the way his are. I reminded him that a certain cat peed in my crocs last weekend, so all of my shoes are now in the hall closet, including the now clean crocs. He had forgotten about the stink of cat pee and the crocs being washed in the sink.

[Lady Maverick]

Good morning

Harriet - Thank you for the start and mindful consideration of calendars & schedules.

I absolutely love looking at all calendars, schedules, planner options. There is just something about touching and holding a paper-based system in my hand that brings me a feeling of possibility. I dream of the what if's. If I only use THIS or THAT system, then I will finally be organized. I never get tired of the process of seeking to find the perfect paper system that will make it happen.
I usually do well with any new paper based system for several weeks and then I get distracted by something and it is abandoned. I don't think it is the fault of the system I am using but of my sidetracking ways. I have a stack of previously tried paperbased systems that are over a foot tall. I don't want to get rid of them because they still bring me a feeling of possibilities each time I look through them.
The only system I have consistently used every day for over two decades is digital journaling & calendar system.
Google calendar & Onenote for capturing everything. In less than 10 seconds I did a couple clicks and reviewed my journal capture of what I was doing on this date in 2004, 05, 06, 07, etc. I can do word searches through the past 2 decades of journal entries. It isn't the same feeling that paper based system gives me when I physically hold the papers in my hand, but it has proven to be what works for me.

I hope I didn't mess up. I gave DS16 permission to go with a group of his friends that are sorta unknown (to me). They are loading trailers up with side by sides to ride at the Red River (about 70 miles away). He took a change of clothes to wear on the ride home because they expect to experience a day of tires spinning that will result in their clothes being covered in mud by EOD. Hopefully this will be a day filled with these young men having good clean fun. Minus the clean.

[Harriet]

Good morning, Cathy. You and I were the early birds, I guess. That is probably the best reason I've heard for really large calendars - any household, really, with constant questions about family meals. Ds has something he fixed up on an old tv screen. Everyone in their household knows how to hit a button and get the screen up with the month's calendar, but after 20 seconds or so it will fade to black again and visitors don't even notice a blank screen. Re: shoes - I'm sure this kind of thing doesn't represent a real concern, just momentary lack of explanation. Hopefully the explanation and the question itself will be forgotten as unimportant. You know, when we had the floors refinished here, and the man was bragging that we wouldn't see ANY stains after he had sanded, he told us that the one thing he always told customers in advance was that he couldn't guarantee that he could do any wonders with cat pee.

Good morning, LadyM. Oh, kindred spirits of paper record-keeping, definitely. I appreciate that you would be that honest about your stack and I believe every word of it. I am still on my journey of adding a few constants to the cardfile lifeline. My head tells me the weekly planner (lying opened, it shows one week) is important and I'm trying to keep going with it until it is an ingrained habit. I struggle with "simple" one-sheet daily unattached pages, though - there are just too many that could audition and "win" my approval and the most important need is to have only one. Also, I wonder about paper records for health - thinking.

I have been busy.
Morning routine
More violets watered, broccoli sprouts rinsed
Called Pharmacy 1 (unfortunately they are clueless and automated)
Realized Ins office 1 is not in the office today (?) noted in planner
Gathered all ornament projects, made a list, prioritized
Photographed ornament prototypes together for reference in '25

Last evening Ta-Da, I did actual T-tapp standing (very short) workout for first time in a while.
(have been doing chair workouts mostly, some arm)
Coincidentally (not) I am a more, shall we say, regular person today.

[blessedw2]

I was just thinking about going back to systems/routines (adding and subtracting what doesn't work). great subject. d harriet!

those daily or weekly steps that are gonna get us there.

so true!

thank you d harriet - norma - such a special and lovely person

a quick hello to you dear harriet, d lady, d cathy and dear all.

I ended up with a sore throat last night and a cold this morning!
dogs went up to mom as she was sleeping - I heard a big "oh" from mom and a happy dog sound from the dogs.

[Lady Maverick]

Breakfast cooked, served and cleaned up. Ingredients used = Eggs, sausage, hot link, potatoes, onions and peppers.

While I was cooking breakfast DH volunteered to help. I gave him a stack of potatoes to scrub and cut into half. The potatoes are now in the instant pot. EAsy. Simple.

I have been to the garden twice this morning enjoying the moments. I have a new idea of what to change for the next improvement. I need to test my plan to see if it is viable and for any possible downsides. I am excited about the possibilities.

[Twins' Mom]

I dream of the what if's. If I only use THIS or THAT system, then I will finally be organized.

This. And like LM, I start something only to get sidetracked and fall away after a few days. But I love paper, with room for notes.

I start my 2025 January tab tomorrow because I organize within the planner weekly, and next week includes only three days of 2024 and four days of 2024. Thank goodness next week is quieter. I have body work, a therapy appointment, dh's birthday evening out with ds, and of course New Years. Hoping we'll stay in then.

We're out again tonight. We'll go to temple for the large menorah lighting on the main street side of the building, probably in the rain. We go from there to a restaurant that doesn't take reservations for dh's birthday with dfriends A and V. I'm going to try to leave temple soon after it's over and get in the queue at the restaurant to wait.

I'm so glad to be home again tomorrow night.

Bw2, so sorry you have a cold coming through. I often feel like we're more susceptible to virus and such after the big holiday let-downs when things are over.

Breakfast sounds yummy, LadyM. I think perhaps I am feeling the effects of the Zepbound - not nausea exactly but more like a lingering heartburn. Considering I had latkes for my supper last night I guess I deserve it, tho.

Harriet, thank you for remembering Norma.

Cathy, I understand wanting to get the decorations and such down. Could you start stealthily removing things? He probably doesn't realize what a big job it is. I have our Christmas/Hanukkah/birthday cards on the kitchen counter and want to declutter, but should leave them until after dh's birthday on Monday. Next year I think I want to tack them up on our backsplash on the end where we keep files and dog treats and other clutter. Would at least get them off the counter.

I'm writing a book here. I've been productive - some of a.m. routine done, and I've set up my new Hanukkah iPad. I honestly kept thinking dh would present it to me but after I wasn't as enthusiastic as he thought I should be about birthday gift, perhaps I won't poke the bear. He was in a mood last night. But, I managed to back up old iPad and transfer data and get the new set up.

[Nancy]

Keeping some:
I was up on time keeping that part of my system.
Got the Trash dumped luv that part of my weekly routine as well.

Changing where I do my Dear God journaling to a hard bound Prayer journal to have a record of it,
this will be great to compare with the one I did like 30 yrs. ago.

Adding some tweaks:
I am listening to someone doing a podcast about a vision board I have a small cork board in my bedroom ~
that could use an update I want to add one word to it "WRITE " .

Adding a reading in my Invitation to Retreat By Ruth Haley Barton / Christian perspective
in the p.m. on my before bed routine.

I recently added a winter journal doing the seasonal focus just really worked for me as my last one was full
before the beginning of the month / year.

-----
Keeping my Rx & Bed time reminders on my phone really has worked for me!
Continuing with... disc. bound planner with removable pages.
I need to add some stickers for the fall / I want to do up some cards and reminders for 6 wks. holiday prep.
Like this week I added a power strip with on off switch for the tree lite luvly idea to keep putting it on the card.

and do up some new reminder cards as my whole system could use a revamp I'm now going on 5 yrs. after LH
and have some things I"m going to keep doing and could be reminded on like oil chg. fertilize grass & maintenance.
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Harriet/ could you put a tea kettle or pot of water on the stove or even better yet water in a crock pot for some moisture in the air.
I have to do these things here and do not have a humidifier.

[Harriet]

Waving wildly at Mystery Woman - do you feel better? itchiness, etc.

Wow, Nancy, you have a bundle of good ideas there. I like that one-word emphasis - would mine be SEW? Thinking. I have gotten to the point of need for something to lift my daily mood/look forward to. I don't think that's selfish, really. Can't just keep saying, "April, April, April". As my d late dh used to say, "we're living now, too" - in other words, look forward to something in the here and now.

Guys, someone around here is shedding, and it ain't the cat. Faster we get to point "A" the faster we get to point "B", though, right?