Lawn Mower Monday

[Kittykatt]

To do:

Appointments:
Monday:
Bank Holiday
Text DF PM as it's her birthday Today
Text MQ about coffee percolator (we wont be using it, so it needs to go away) and little party on Thursday for DF PM. I have the card for everyone to sign. Will MQ get the cake as usual, or would she prefer me to do it? I've texted her but no reply yet. If I don't hear anything, I'll sort out the cake for DF PM myself
I'm hoping to spend time in the garden , weather permitting! (I can clean the house when DH is out, and when it's cold / dark outside)
6pm:DH going to Sea Shanty evening with his DF AP
Tuesday:
DH WFH
At home for me
Wednesday:
DH to office
At home for me
Thursday:
DH WFH
10.30 am church
Remember card for DF PM's birthday celebration at church
Lunch with DF PM?
3 pm podiatrist -me
5.40 pm nurse appointment -me
Any errands to run?
Can I hoover the car?
6-7 pm Waitrose delivery
Friday:
DH WFH
At home for me
Saturday:
DH??
10 am coffee with C (DF PL's Mum)
Text DF E re coffee tomorrow
Sunday:
Church 9.30 am
Visit DF E for coffee
Laxapet Jude and Matilda
Set up new Waitrose delivery

Future dates to note:
30/4 weight check -Jude
28/4 bloods/Solensia -Fred

11/5 (this may get pushed back if the rain doesn't stop, but J will contact me the week before) - painter J to paint outside of house and clean fascias./downpipes etc

Outstanding deliveries:

Extras:
Email everyone on lunch mailing list
Email MD re coffee/ lunch report
Email reply to SR
Green Gardener order - nematodes for vine weevil, predator mites for fuchsia gall mite
Can I do 15 minutes of decluttering each day?
Digital decluttering- Google Photos for 2024 and 2025
Pick up my footprints
Book eye test for me
Sort prints and put in albums (this will probably be an activity to do on wet days!) WIP I am now finished with 2025 for the cats
Think about setting up Guardianship for F,J and M - looked on Cats' Protection, I need their microchip numbers, approximate DOB, colour and markings and useful information about them. Bookmark link with local recommended solicitors (also ask DF CW?)

To do:
Early morning:
Cuddles and treats on the bed with Matilda,
Jude and Freddie
Cup of tea
QT
Make bed
Shower / wash hair/ moisturiser and sunblock/ clean and floss teeth
DH launched
Physio exercises and back exercises
Proprioceptors exercises X1 x2 x3
S/S bathroom
Get dressed
Breakfast and meds / supplements - me
DRINK WATER #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8
Check bank account
Go for my walk

Garden:
15 minutes in tiny front garden
15 minutes in back garden

Cats:
Cats’ breakfast and meds / supplements
Fresh water in cat bowls
Scoop cat trays
Check Jude’s bowl
Check Matilda's bowl
Walk Freddie
Lap time with Jude, Freddie and Matilda
Play with Jude, Freddie and Matilda
Head rubs with Jude, Freddie and Matilda
Cats' supper

House:
Rubbish down to wheelie bins
Kitchen clean up
Unload DW
Load DW
Run DW when full
Unload DW
PUPA downstairs
Quick dust sitting room
Quick hoover downstairs
PUPA upstairs
Quick dust bedrooms
Quick hoover upstairs
Lunch
Supper
Lay out clothes for tomorrow
Journal three things I am thankful for today
Hand cream

Extra house tasks:

Monday:
Clean bathroom
Clean spare room
Clean bedroom

Tuesday:
Clean hall
Clean sitting room
Clean stairs
Empty hoover before starting work
Wheelie bins back when dustmen have been
Filing paperwork for 15 minutes

Wednesday:
Clean kitchen

Garden extras:
Water pots
Feed pots weekly
April (depending on weather!).buy geraniums (work out how many I'll need in advance! - 24?)
Buy begonias - enough for 2 round bowls
Green Gardener nematodes and predator mite for fuchsia gall mite


Financial:
More work on budget WIP- look at discretionary payments this week 30 minute sessions #1
[/quote]

[kitkat]

Good morning!
Thanks for the start Kittykatt! . I hope you get to have some time in the garden.
I did get the washer disconnected, with the help of my DSIL. I paid them for connecting and taking away the old one. However, their request was to have it disconnected .

trissie - carolling day? I have not heard about that... It's so interesting how different places have different customs... (and the variety of them!) . I have heard of Easter sprinkling...
Gma I hope antibiotics work quickly!
Bama I need to look up that documentary. His book really impressed me. The format would not be my choice but he made it work so well. And, it makes the topic accessible to a lot more people (including youth) who otherwise would not be reading about it.

Sitting with my coffee - heating pad in place, getting ready for my day.

A new week - hopefully, by the afternoon I'll have a working washing machine in place. You know where you'll find me after

Today;
First: pup walk
I have to pick up DGD for the day
My younger one will join us a bit later
Delivery this afternoon
Stretch class in the evening.

Time to get started.

[helia]

That's really nice the nurse will come to your house, FFB. How long will you need that sort of care? It must be a decent-sized wound. I hope you heal fast and well. And I hope you enjoy your day off.
Are you going to go carolling, trissie? That's an interesting tradition. I was going to say I haven't heard of it, but your probably mentioned it last Easter - and the Easter before, etc. . . . and I just forgot. Do you have to give the carollers anything?
So glad the meds are helping and your pain is decreasing, Gma.
Will you go for a walk today, Kitty? Enjoy time in your garden.
Congratulations on getting a new washer, kitkat! Take care of yourself. Enjoy the little ones!!

Easter Monday - is not really a thing here. LOL! It's back to payroll as normal. We didn't have Friday off either. It was a bit rough getting up this morning. BUT the sun is shining after a gray weekend! That is very nice! And we're forecast to get up to 50F after a weekend in the 40s.

I'm drinking coffee trying to wake up properly so I can get midterm grades finalized before 9 a.m.

Yesterday, church was almost 2.5 hours long, but the music was fantastic (think Black gospel music) and the sermon was interesting. We got home around 12:35. I did get most of the midterms graded. I did not get in a jog. I s/sed the bathroom, and helped with the cooking, starting at 3:30 pm. ALL the food was very good. As usual, we were a fairly loud raucous group of 9 + Fable (Raven stayed home recovering from her spay surgery), enjoying ourselves from 6-9:30. LOL! I noticed that we made WAY too much food. We have huge tubs of leftovers in our fridge. I also made WAY too much food for CG1 on Saturday. I left most of the chicken but brought home a huge bowl of rice. M says she can make fried rice with some of it. I need to estimate amounts better next time. We did send all the sweets away, except for the ice cream, but ice cream doesn't tempt me.

Today: I need to finish grading and update gradelink first thing. Then, I need to figure out what activity I'm going to give my students to do while I'm having one-on-one conferences that won't require a lot of prep. They're also supposed to bring their devices to type their 2nd drafts into a google doc. I'll teach 11-1. This afternoon, I'd like to go for a jog and get to those items that have been sitting in my brain dump for a long time, like the bd card for ds whose birthday was a couple weeks ago. And getting clean sheets on the bed. Dinner tonight will involve leftovers, and we have a zoom call with ds+F tonight. I hope we get to see baby I!

Next:
- payroll: finish grading midterm tests
- payroll: update gradelink
- payroll: prep for IW D9

Later:
- back exercises
- s2s and self care
- strip the bed
- reclaim the kitchen
- gather everything and otd by 10:45
- 11-1 payroll: teach IW D9
- home; lunch
- dress to jog
- jog
- Walgreens: card + Allegra
- write bd card for ds and prep for mail
- remake the bed with clean sheets
- sheets: w d f pa
- clean towels?
- figure out dinner plan - 2 directions I can go
- menu plan and groc. list?
- payroll: start exam prep
- dinner: main from freezer, rice, root veggies
- after dinner clean up
- 8:30ish? zoom call with ds+F
- duolingo (don't forget)
- update health apps (don't forget)
- read for fun??
- update goodreads?
- other things?

TaDas!
- up; didn't bother to weigh myself
- coffee
- email deletions + weather website

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Mon 11-1 payroll: teach IW D9/ 8:30 zoom call with ds+F
Tue 7:15 pu MM and take her to the airport/ KS2J get together/ 6:30 host Tuesday dinner crew
Wed 11-1 payroll: teach IW D10
Thu 9ish? walk with friend B/ 11-12 payroll: CA ci mtg. with AC/ 1-1:40 payroll seminar/ 4-5 work out with AS/ 6-7:30ish help with Vol ESL class?
Fri 11-1 payroll: teach IW D10/ 4 -5 payroll: exit test? / dinner date with dh
Sat
Sun 8 a.m. 5K citywide run (with M and dh)/ 6:00 host Sunday dinner

Menus:
M
T (host diner crew)
W
Th (early - I need to be otd by 5:40 to help with Vol. ESL class)
F OUT with dh
Sa leftovers?
Sun rot. chicken, bread, pizza,

APRIL Brain Dumps
This Week - House
- clean sheets on MBR bed
- remake guest beds
- can I spend some time decluttering in MBR?

This Week - Deskwork
- Writing progress - wip
- order wedding gift: V + J
- BD card to DS

This Week - Errands

General Brain Dump
- progress decluttering clothes - wip
- new phone eventually

[trissie]

Frenchie and kittykatt, I bought an e-book which offers several different year-round plans with three sets of crops (early spring, summer and fall - like you sow a row of radishes early on and since they grow fast, you replace them with tomatoes, and in September, off go the tomatoes and in goes spinach. So it's gonna be adventure time in the veggie garden! Of course, given the less than optimal position of my garden (doesn't get much sun due to the neighbours 3 meter tall thuja fence which was not there when we designed this), we shall see what will actually work.

helia and kitkat, Easter carolling here is... something. Depending on who does it and how, it can be fun family thing, or a brutal tradition belonging to maybe like 19th century! I'll quote Radio Prague on this:
Another popular pagan tradition surviving to these days is the whipping of women and girls. The whip or “pomlázka” is braided from three or more willow rods. Pagan Slavs believed that whipping brought good luck, wealth and a rich harvest for the whole year. The strength and vitality of young twigs was supposed to be transferred onto the person whipped. I suspect that in these days, men don’t have a clue about the metaphysical meaning of this tradition; they simply enjoyed the opportunity to chase the village girls and have some fun.
Traditional whipping should be accompanied by the singing of Easter carols. Unlike Christmas carols, they are not that well-known. Carolling is also accompanied by the sound of the clapper and rattle, an activity definitely more enjoyed by children than by their parents. According to the Christian tradition, all the bells are rung on Green Thursday and then they are silenced until White Saturday. Meanwhile, their toll is replaced by the clapper and rattle.
Girls and women present the carollers with eggs, the pagan symbol of life and fertility.
No drunk men here, luckily, only local kids (boys, but some girls) who were polite, well behaved and knew to only whip very symbolically. Quite a few of them, actually, I used three bags of chocolate candy (eggs and coins) and had to even borrow from DH's stash

TaDas
- start lunch
- midday routine
- clean master bedroom
- clean master bathroom

ToDos
- 30 upstairs
- 30 outside
- clean master bathroom window and install insect net there

Braindump
routines
- afternoon routine
- evening routine
food
- dinner
- feed breadstarter
organization
- update land contract
- home insurance!!!
- 15 on filing
- 15 on anniversary planning
- homework and backpacks
- plan for April
- get started on taxes
cleaning
- clean out / reorganize attic
- clean DBD's room
- clean twins' room
- clean DS1's room
- spiff up kitchen
- spiff up living room
- spiff up downstairs bathroom and hallways
- spiff up office
laundry
- ironing
- folding
- mending
- laundry put away
garden and outside - weekend
- wipe patio furniture
- start seeds
- prune fruit trees
- prune roses
- pick up - front garden / porch
- pick up - backyard
- start cleaning out the carpool
- sow seeds in veggie garden
- fertilize fruit trees and bushes
- fertilize conifers
me time
- 15 of exercise
- Bible study
- reading

[L.Ann]

That’s definitely true, KitKat. I wondered how easily it is to follow, Trissie, if you hadn’t read the book.

1-walk
2-pick another book
3-FACE

Menus
Monday-left over enchiladas
Tuesday-chicken burrito bowl
Wednesday-DD33 dinner out/me leftovers
Thursday-sweet soy honey chicken
Friday-chicken and Greek salad pita pocket
Saturday
Sunday

Events
Monday-Little Bit 7:50-5
Tuesday-Little Bit 7:50-5, Little Bit school 9:15-3, breakfast out with friends 8:30
Wednesday-Little Bit 7:50-5 , Little Bit school 9:15-3, tulip pick up 11-1, DD33 PS 3-8, library with Little Bit
Thursday-Little Bit 7:00, Little Bit school 9:15-3, 7:30 DD33 physical, DD33 Special Olympics Spring Games
Friday-Little Bit 7:50-5 , Little Bit school 9:15-3
Saturday-
Sunday-walk with friend@9, Les Mis@2

Weekly House Blessing-mop dining room
Death book-update DD33’s pages
Phone calls- cancel eye appointment
Taxes-


Accomplishments
-stretching and knee exercises
-breakfast for dog and me
-diet site
-meds and temp for DD33
-start laundry
-walk a mile
-pick up Little Bit
-breakfast for Little Bit
-refill bird feeders
-reboot laundry
-text center
-read
-groceries
-drop off at free pantry
-unload car and put away groceries
-lunch

[Bama]

Good morning!
I didn’t expect to learn about lawn mowers today but I’m here for it. I think we could all go on Jeopardy or family feud as a team and do very well lol.

Kitty, thanks for the interesting start. I wonder what people did before grass was the main lawn type, dirt or plant herbs and useful things maybe…

Trissie, annual painting makes me picture very thick walls. Sounds like you’re ready for spring in your area with gardening and pool prep.
Yikes on the pagan ritual. I’m glad we don’t do that.

French, I’m thankful your healthcare isn’t a burden and you can get nursing at home.

Kitkat, it’s a kind of depressing show, it aired on pbs if you want to look for it, but very interesting learning his thought process behind writing Maus.

Helia, I’m glad you had a good day yesterday. Hope Raven is doing well.

LAnn, I’m glad you liked the movie.

I’m up and attem after a (forced) break from lists. Lots of dreaded stuff to do this week so jumping in and getting it over with.

♥ Monday focus - whb, monthlies ♥
Monthlies - face mask, clean glass, wash doors
Wear sunscreen
Weigh
Water
Take vitamin, supplements
Bible
Sign up for cruise activities, need passport first
Wfd - meatloaf?
Pet chores
Pet extras - washed all water bowls, topped off litter boxes
Beau - eye cream?
Walk dogs am pm
Spot clean
Dust
Vacuum
Clean both bathrooms
Laundry: my clothes couch covers x1
Kitchen:
Dw unloaded, loaded, running
Hand washed some items and shined sink
Try apple, peanut butter, whipped cream, put in container and shake to mix; cook apple beet carrot
7 soda bottles soaking round 2
Dining, Kitchen, Laundry : Patch floor spots w concrete paint
Living:
Tidy mantle
Inside plants watered
Outside:
Porch plants watered
Glue pins back in shutters
Treat antbeds
Weed under picnic tables
Weed around fig, crepe myrtle
Plant bulbs in pot from grandmas house
Power wash house and porch rails
Pull up gardenias
10 minute weed
Work on front flowerbeds
Fertilize blueberries, figs
Checked on blackberries, they’re looking tiny so may weed them this week
Moms -
Load ladder, lamps, couch, floor vinyl for Hollywood
Pack contents and bring curios to my house
Clean out an area
Paper/Online:
Mail
Emails
Pw
Planner
Self:
Play daily games
Something fun and crafty
Daily habit thread - abs plus rest of list
Beyond:
Make dr appointment
Make dental appointment
Baking soda in container
Shop for tsa approved luggage
Watch “The Madison” on paramount
Make mushroom coffee in French press or iced coffee
Repot inside plants in larger pots
Passports - make appointment
Make wasp nests out of paper bags to scare away carpenter bees (find paper bags)
Schedule atv service
Shop for new range
Wash, box up jars/bottles I’m keeping for Hollywood
Find boarding kennel, ask vet for referral and check out
Taxes - print paperwork, get last years taxes
Courthouse - take pw for car
Friday - haircut, passport? Hollywood? Pace nursery?

[trissie]

Bama, I think back when that tradition was relevant, the paints weren't really durable, so you wouldn't have thick layers from previous years. I am definitely not in the yearly painting crowd, thank you very much! What's your "fun and crafty" plan?
L.Ann, I agree that they did a great job on the movie, though the book Ryland Grace was a bit less clueless and a bit more professional

TaDas
- clean DBD's room
- vacuum upstairs hallways
- general pick up upstairs
- yelled at DS and twins to clean their rooms else!!!
- sow seeds in 2nd segment of veggie garden
- added dirt to pansy window box and watered it
- watered all as yet unplanted containers
- general pick up outside
- fertilizer to fruit bushes on kitchen side of the house
- clean master bathroom window and install insect net there
- clean DS14's window and install insect net there
- removed curtains from master bedroom and DBD's room
- running a load of curtains

ToDos
- afternoon routine
- clean windows and balcony doors in master bedroom and DBD's room
- 30 more outside

Braindump
routines
- evening routine
food
- dinner
- feed breadstarter
organization
- update land contract
- home insurance!!!
- 15 on filing
- 15 on anniversary planning
- homework and backpacks
- plan for April
- get started on taxes
cleaning
- clean out / reorganize attic
- clean twins' room
- clean DS1's room
- spiff up kitchen
- spiff up living room
- spiff up downstairs bathroom and hallways
- spiff up office
laundry
- ironing
- folding
- mending
- laundry put away
garden and outside - weekend
- wipe patio furniture
- start seeds
- prune fruit trees
- prune roses
- pick up - front garden / porch
- pick up - backyard
- start cleaning out the carpool
- sow seeds in veggie garden
- fertilize fruit trees and bushes
- fertilize conifers
me time
- 15 of exercise
- Bible study
- reading

[kitkat]

Got my little girls - walked my doggie, did a quick stop at Whole foods (found org. strawberries on sale!)...
Girls set up with crafts, pup with a bone.

Thanks for the explanation, trissie. Interesting.
Bama - there is another graphic novel : Joe Sacco ; The Fixer . It is about Bosnian War. Very impressive.
Seems like they will never run out of historical topics...
helia I never heard of Raven. Is she a Black Lab?
You are set with leftovers for a few days! I am using my dressing for today's salad.
LAnn - it' s rare that they do justice to a book when they turn it into a movie...

Next:
Wash berries, lettuce
Wash cabbage (for coleslaw)
prep salad
prep coleslaw (DGD's request)

[FrenchFlybebe]

kitkat, enjoy having the girls over ! Sorry you're still sore (heating pad, right ?)

helia sorry you're not having an Easter Monday. Good luck with all your tasks, and IMHO a belated birthday card is as enjoyable as any birthday card.

trissie I always enjoy reading about the Czech traditions... I remember you mentioning the whipping before, but it's nice to read the details again. I'll be following your year-round gardening. We do have two-timed harvests in some areas here, like peas or radish followed by late squash, but we seldom have winter crops. This inwter we had two dozens leek and now they are still very thin and making flowers instead of getting "fat".

L.Ann I downloaded the e-book for Project Hail Mary, the first pages sound promising.

Bama what are the dreaded tasks this week ?

So I'm reading - almost finished - Bel Canto, enjoying it immensely. I'll be recommending it. The translator being stuck among a crowd of people unable to speak other people's languages (with a few exceptions), is really interesting - brings back memories of being stuck in multi-language discussions and not being sure who understands what I have read about 80 % of the book and I think I will be melancholy when I finish it, as with most good books.

The nurse has come and gone for tonight, setting things up for a four-day workweek, 3 days of school for the kids (MrNG will be home on Wednesday to watch over them).

TADAs
lunch, cleanup, cup of tea with MrNG and some Easter chocolate
read quietly, in the entrance veranda
Unplugged, sort of
showered before nurse visit

TODO
some house cleaning
dinner, cleanup
bedtime stories
work on résumé ? - I don'twanna but I gotta
quiet evening and night, read Bel Canto in bed

[kitkat]

FFly - so glad you took care of that abscess and that you are getting proper care by the visiting nurse.
(We had that experience with my dmom and DH in the past.)
Bel Canto was fantastic. Anne Patchett is on Instagram and she makes great book recommendations through her bookstore.
She also has a cute doggie:)
Those things are done- made a Coleslaw to go with the girls:) .
It's nice an sunny out . We'll go for another walk with Ddog when I can.

Need to pick up dog toys in backyard.