Monday Motivation

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Choir went well and fast. There isn't a lot of music for anniversary Sunday for the second church and only one hymn and one blessing for me to learn since I learned the anthem over the summer.

I cleaned up the kitchen while dh gathered up the garbage and recycle and that is now out at the curb. Then we had dessert (eating up more of the leftovers from last night) and watch some tv. We will go off to bed early, which is good for me. I have a headache and sore throat.

[lucylee]

I'm definitely a veteran, too... I've had my cards & everything since the very first P&P book came out...
But as far as being COMPETENT w/the system... nah... I'm much too lazy for that.
But I do love my cards.

[Harriet]

Kathryn and lucylee, HRH has often said, "To be accurate, don't say, ' I am an expert '. Say, ' I am experienced '. "

Feel better soon, Kathryn.

I have endured all manner of interruptions and detours today to get dd's bed area of her bedroom clean, decluttered, all linens (2 laundry loads) fresh, bed done up, floor vacuumed. It has been a study. And I feel I've had a workout.

(She has a bookcase room divider that separates her "desk" area from her "bed" area.)

Seriously considering doing her room over and taking an entire bookcase away so that she can have her bed in the middle of the room with headboard on the wall, rather than have the side of her bed against the wall. The ease of taking care of linens and using the underbed for storage would be so great a help that I think it might outweigh the help of the bookcase.

Has anyone satisfactorily used the idea of placing a (single) bed diagonally in a room with headboard at a corner? I've seen it so many times in decorating magazines, but is it at all practical?

[Ivy]

Happy Thanksgiving to Canadian Neighbors. (I forgot earlier.)

Kathryn, I told DH last p.m. about your type of turkey and he said that's the type we're getting this year, too. I hope your headache and sore throat go away by morning. Sometimes a good night's sleep does wonders.

Harriet, Your HRH is right. I guess when I chose "Pro", I didn't choose the right word.

When I was a teenager, at 1 time where the room was quite large, my bed was diagonal, but we had very few possessions, just a small dresser and small vanity. It worked for me at the time. In later years, fast forward to our own DD we tried it, but the room was small, the idea didn't work out for her at all. It's fun to try it and experiment though. It might work for you/her.

Lucylee, Do you have separate chores per card or do you put several items on 1 card?

I used P & P system years ago, but got overwhelmed with having 1 item per card, found myself sorting cards a lot, couldn't keep them in order. Now I've got several items per card, different colors of cards, I stand them up, against a little angel in the corner of a box, which holds 2 lists, and I lay out cards to the right of the box. It's less overwhelming to me now. I have a "Desk Day" card, for instance, a "Light Cleaning Day" card, "Conga Friday" card, and morning and evening routine cards. I have a WBP card. I'm using my cards, a PODA, Ta Da and To Do. It seems to be working well for me and I don't have the sense of "Overwhelm" now, for some reason. I truly admire ladies who have a lot of cards, can stay on track better, and seem in control of their households and lives.

CathyS, It sounds like your inlaws have both gotten older, too. Sorry your MIL wasn't up to it. DH doesn't drive in the dark, the snow has to not be too deep, but rain's okay. I'm glad your DH goes there at least once a week. We used to go to my MIL's house a few times a week.

Twins' Mom, Pizza sounds so good to me right now.

I'm tired and am winding down for the night now.
Take care and have a good sleep, Everyone.

[lucylee]

Harriet -- I've seen the diagonal bed placement in magazines, too, and knew an elderly lady who had her bed like that. It will take up more floor space, but if you can manage that, I don't see what the problem could be. And you might put some sort of small table in the corner behind the headboard, to make use of that space, too. Maybe a lamp could go there?

Ivy, I group several chores on one card. Actually, my system/plan is still a work in progress, but this is what seems to work best for me:
I have my card file set up, just like P&P say to do it -- daily/weekly/seasonally/etc. I use the different colors & everything.
HOWEVER... I really (REALLY) like to see everything at once, not just one card at a time, AND I really (REALLY) like to mark things off on a list... sooo...
I also have made a checklist in Excel w/M-Sunday across the top and the daily routine chores down the left hand column.
Then I added in weekly regular things, like in Monday's column, I have "errands/groceries." In Sat/Sun, together, I have weekly routine things like "change sheets," "allergy shots," etc. In the middle, T-Th, I have the weekly home blessing stuff, like "vacuum," "dust," etc. These do NOT have any certain day, b/c I have not been able to settle into any real routine for this. And a lot of the time, those things just don't get done.
There ARE cards for all of these things, except I finally quit rotating the cards for the morning/evening/daily chores -- the things that I pretty much know I'm going to do, whether I have it written down or not.
The remaining cards, I just look at and rotate through the box, but they help me remember what "zone" I'm supposed to be in each week... and they help me remember things that are not on the checklist -- coloring my hair, for example, or doing my nails, doctor/dentist check-ups, haircuts, recording my weekly weight, etc.

This is sorta overkill, I realize, and it's sorta a merger of P&P, Fly*lady, and Lucylee, all in one.
And it's definitely not perfect, b/c, as I said, most of the time, there is more left undone than there is done.
But I keep pressing on... progress, not perfection, you know.

Today, you girls have DEFINITELY been my motivation!!!
I wouldn't be here now if I hadn't stopped to take care of some computer business related to our bank account, and then I checked in here... but my plan was that I would not come back till I had lots to tell you.
So far, these have been my ta-da's for the day:
* School -- lots of newspaper work, several parent conferences, straightened up room after being absent two days
* Wmart -- groceries -- w/dh
* Supper -- -- w/dh
* Delivered dmil's grocery items to her -- w/dh
* remembered to take vitamins
* Put away groceries -- w/dh
* Talked to ds on phone
* Washed two loads of clothes
* Put away clothes in dryer
* Hung first load to dry
-- second load is waiting on me in washer right now...
* S/S kitchen
* killed spider
* S/S three toilets
* Washed face
* Laid out clothes for tomorrow
* Got lunch items & other misc ready for tomorrow
* Addressed and signed sympathy note to neighbor/lady in our church...
I think dh thinks I wrote "too much" on this card... don't think he felt especially close to these people, and we weren't especially close to them, but this man who just passed away was probably one of the only people in our church who remembered my dgdad as a teenager and my great-grandparents, whom I never met. He often spoke of them to me, and although I never took time to really get a lot of stories from him -- as my dmom often advised me to do! -- it meant so much to me that he remembered them so fondly. My dgdad has been gone 22 years now, and y'all know what I mean -- it just makes you feel good that others still remember. So I just mentioned that in my note in the card. * sigh * We weren't able to attend the funeral or visitation, and I wanted his widow to know that meant something to me, I guess.
* Final load of laundry is out of dryer and waiting to be hung to complete drying

So see... I'm thinking, but I haven't
-- exercised
-- graded papers
-- etc...
I can't really ever be pleased with myself b/c I never seem to have enough hours in the day to do it ALL!!! And yes, I spend waaay too much time vegging out in front of the computer screen, but for goodness sake, a girl has to have a little time to relax doesn't she??? * sigh *

And here it is, already time for Jay Leno's headlines. * sheesh * How does it get so late so early!!!???

I think the male version of Aunt Flo must be visiting dh. It seems that everything I have said for the last 5 days has just irritated him to no end. I know he is tired, and yes, he DOES the bulk of the driving when we travel... but good gracious... if he can't take the travel, let's stay HOME. * sheesh *

[Nancy]

Dgkids 2 younger ones were here this afternoon. When dgson came today he ran to the chicken coop first to see the chickens, was watching them for a long time said the ones he liked the best. Then asked about
doing one for 4-h. After that we fed them movie pop corn and then worked on getting staples out of the wood from the pallets for the inside nest boxes that are next to build.

I told dgdson about having to write a story for his project and he could
put in it how he helped with building this pen & nest boxes.

I also told him how much I was learning about how diff. ages of chickens eat diff. things like people do babies get baby food and teens eat diff. food than the hens that are laying eggs.

Made chili today yum except I forgot the onions!

I did not make much progress on cleaning but got hot spots delt with. Glad I did some cards up before and after they were here. I did get the new grass seed watered. It warmed up to 71* today. Sunny with some smoke. We have a chance of rain this weekend. Another air quality advisory is up b/c of the smoke again. [Barely notice it any more.] I did not get a walk in today but spend time cleaning the yard hoping that helps.