View Full Version : Solstice to Lammas!
rosarugosa
6-26-19, 6:09pm
I found the last thread really motivating, so I was hoping to continue the momentum through 8/1/19. I would like to complete or make substantial progress on the following:
Strip cupboard (biggest, most daunting task, and would definitely be pleased with substantial progress)
Stain chairs
Paint stepstools (easiest item, and I should have these done within the next week)
Spray poison ivy ( I bought spray last summer that is supposed to be environmentally responsible, but strong enough to kill PI. Sounds too good to be true, but for some reason, I haven't managed to mix it up and spray. We don't have a big PI problem, but I would like to keep it that way).
Wash windows and screens
Prune dogwood
Lay fieldstones around new arbor
Bring mom's defunct TV and our misc scrap metal to the town recycling yard
I would be delighted if anyone else wishes to join in and we can cheer each other on!
Get back on budget now that roof and car repairs and vacation are behind me.
Find a new hairdresser I like since the place I have been going is closing and my favorite stylist there is transferring out of the region.
Succeed in my new job after my trainer retires this Friday. There is another very experienced person to help me but when she goes on vacation I will be tested.
Get back to the keto diet and lose some weight.
Continue to educate myself about presidential candidates, starting with watching the first round of debates.
Keep up with weeding the yard, which involves getting up and outdoors early on weekends before it is too hot.
Help my BFF celebrate her birthday.
Chicken lady
6-30-19, 5:37am
Thanks for starting this!
I’m going to give myself an extra week and go to the astronomical quarter or “old Lammas”.
july is busy for me. I’m about to spend a week visiting family. My goals for that are to spend time with family and take along a small bag of materials so that I can start my lesson plans for next year while I am at dh parents’/riding in the car.
i also need to turn in my fair entry forms (online) by the 5th.
I start a new pottery class on the 8th.
fair is the week of the 15th, which is my true annual vacation
and I have been working on cleaning up and clearing out the hoard in my basement.
so, those are the focus areas for this stretch:
Family
Teaching prep
fair
pottery
basement
Car repairs weren't quite behind me. I ended up getting new tires.
My old hairdresser referred me to a new one.
I do not feel I am succeeding at the new job. $100 was missing from the cash drawer. It is a very poor setup. There is a single drawer that three people were working Friday. I didn't ask, but there doesn't appear to be any video surveillance. In addition keys to it hang within sight of customers and other employees, including when no one is on the room, but the assumption was made that I being the least experienced person working it must have made an error counting a payment and that I need to be more careful. My trainer told me she has also been off in the past. The GM covered it with $100 of his own money. Now I am worried if this happens again will I be disciplined. The drawer was also off $10 earlier in the week, covered by the under/over fund per the trainer. I did notice the trainer paid the wrong amount for something she purchased for herself which I caught and instead of going to her purse and getting more money she just grabbed some from the under/over fund. So I have my own opinion as to who is lax, but I was not going to accuse her. It was her last day though she will be coming back as a substitute when people are on vacation. And she and the office manager who also works the drawer were intense in their farewells, saying they love each other so much, crying, etc. So I remain uneasy.
I have lost about half the weight I want to.
Last night I heard Bernie Sanders speak.
Rain as well as heat have limited my yardwork.
The birthday is several weeks away.
So far, I have:
painted the step stools
finished washing the screens
sprayed the poison ivy (expect repeat applications will be needed)
Chicken lady
7-9-19, 6:41am
Yppej, that must be very stressful - to have responsibility without control. Very bad set up.
Good job Rosa!
yesterday was my first day home in July. I pulled some weeds even though yard/garden is not supposed to be a focus.
i also started my pottery class and got a lot done.
i am trying to go with two things a day. Today those things are judge 4h projects and swim. Exercise was not on my list either, but it needs to be. Exercise and a general outside category just to try to keep up.
Yppej: That does sound like a totally sucky situation with the cash drawer dynamics. I was very much hoping that this job would be a happier experience for you. Hopefully this was just a one-off unpleasant blip.
CL: I hope you enjoyed your visit with your family!
No more incidents at work. They are starting to teach me more new things, so I know they want to keep me.
I heard Tulsi Gabbard speak and got to shake her hand.
My weeding was sidetracked by cutting down a big forsythia bush after litterbugs used its blocking the line of vision from the house to throw trash in my yard. We found credit card and other receipts in it, but the police are too lazy to investigate.
Got the birthday gift, now need to arrange a get-together.
I have not lost any weight. It was so hot I got Friendly's cotton candy ice cream and when DS did not want any ate the whole half gallon myself, among other things.
How do the rest of you stay so productive in the heat?
Teacher Terry
7-9-19, 11:55pm
A/c. Glad work is going better.
iris lilies
7-10-19, 12:24am
That is a relief, jeppy.good.
Chicken lady
7-10-19, 5:22am
I don’t stay productive in the heat.
yesterday I did the 4h interviews (in a building so absurdly air conditioned that I was literally shivering nonstop at the end) swam, and got a couple of items at the grocery store. Then I binge watched videos most of the evening. Chores are slow.
today I stay home and catch up on little stuff. I will get out in the yard for a short while before it gets hot, but I haven’t chosen my two things. I think one will be pottery - my studio is naturally cool. The other should probably be syllabi. I may need to run an errand.
I am joining in...great post
I am going to a 5 day Retreat mid Aug. so this is my list till then
--loss 5 lbs
--Ongoing weeding of yard...some daily..till it is looking good!
--ongoing weeding...lol...of stuff from garage.
I started this last summer and can see an end to it. Just need to finish!
--continue to post items for sale
--declutter one area of house a day
--keep working on sewing...gifts of produce bags, & mircowave hot bowl holders
My goal is to do some of this each day, because mostly it is too hot to be
out much. If I keep myself busy with this list I should be active and not eating...lol
then the 5 lbs should drop off!
rosarugosa
7-10-19, 8:50am
Welcome to the thread, Danna. :)
I have to go to a wake and spend some time with my mother today, so I'm probably not going to get a lot of tasks done around here.
Chicken lady
7-12-19, 5:32am
Hi Danna!
last night Dd and her dh came out for dinner (and to borrow the chainsaw). She made cookies and the house is a mess, but it’s a “if you clean it up now it won’t take very long” mess.
i ended up running errands on Wednesday. I still haven’t started the syllabi, and I now have six weeks.
yesterday I went to a really good teacher workshop at the pottery studio and stayed to work on stuff for my class. Then I swam. Today I am staying home. Outside stuff while it is cool, pottery, straighten up the living areas, and at least one hour on those classes!
Sounds like a good weather wise routine CL.
Teacher Terry
7-12-19, 12:04pm
I don’t do well in heat either CL. The university asked me to teach my class again this fall because they haven’t hired full time people to take over and students won’t graduate without it. Unfortunately I threw away everything pertaining to the class such as notes, test questions, etc.
I whacked away again at the East Forty, then whipped up a vaguely Thai lunch in the Instant Pot. The yard may be tidied up by Fall...
rosarugosa
7-12-19, 4:28pm
I don’t do well in heat either CL. The university asked me to teach my class again this fall because they haven’t hired full time people to take over and students won’t graduate without it. Unfortunately I threw away everything pertaining to the class such as notes, test questions, etc.
The Darker Side of Decluttering. Oh no!
I do really find this type of post/challenge helpful!
Even if I don't keep at it the whole time it gets me started.
In the last three days.
--one wastebasket of paper from the garage recycled and/or shred
--one wastebasket of paper from office recycled and/or shred
--shredded paper used to mulch to flowerbeds
--two other flowerbeds weeded
--3 items posted on Ebay
--2 items posted on Etsy
--made 4 cloth napkins from fabric cut ages ago
--covered 4 living room cushions with new fabric.
Pleased with myself!
rosarugosa
7-13-19, 6:46am
Good work, Danna!
It's been quite hot here, and it looks like next week will be more of the same. Most of my list is outdoor stuff, so progress has been minimal. I've done some pruning and I washed 4 windows, but nothing fully completed from my list. Sometimes you have to settle for just chipping away.
I am doing better with the budget.
Work is okay. My de facto supervisor has zero tolerance for errors, but I make few and mostly it is other people irritating her. She is going to take a day off but have the retiree come in I feel basically to babysit me, the same retiree on whose last day the cash drawer was off $100.00. It has balanced since she left. My manager knows that DeFacto makes mountains out of molehills and I am not concerned, just annoyed. He is very easygoing.
I am a little better at my diet, but free food at work is a carb heavy downfall.
Due to the continued heat I am on behind on weeding but did get in an hour this morning.
BFF has blown me off all summer with stupid excuses so I told her I had a gift I am sending her and what is the best address. That will be going out Monday. Then she acted all hurt that we are not doing something. I reminded her of the times I have tried. Once she actually said, "I have to clean my fridge." Time to make some new friends.
Yesterday July 13th gardening was a no go
Very hot and humid till about 3:00, then heavy rain and thunderstorm,
and then out came the mosquitoes. Hoping for better today.
--did get out long enough to wash down front door and side windows and
shine then up. I am close to a busy street so it won't last long front
entrance looks better like I have a little pride in home.
--sewed 3 more napkins.
--Posted a small table ironing board and Wooden Tailors press on Kijiji
(Can't remember when I used either last)
--made up a large pot of chicken vegetable soup for freezer stuff,
using up and good for the weight loss too.
Was at my first Physio Therapy appt Fri. mostly for
knees but, back too and his point is I should be adapting and motivating my activities if
I want to keep doing them. Of course strengthening muscles for more support of
joints. So what I am trying here of doing different things in short spurts is a very good plan
for keeping active.
Chicken lady
7-23-19, 6:50am
How did everyone do last week?
it was fair week here, and I met all of my fair goals and responsibilities while also having a good time. All that is left from my “fair” focus is to finish cleaning things up and putting them away.
I have done a little with my pottery, but I am still spending most of my studio time cleaning out. I decided to shift my focus from the basement to the studio for the rest of the summer, because I think I can actually “finish” the studio, and the basement had reached the “ten percent of the work takes ninety percent of the time” level - although there is more than 10% left....
i am behind in my pottery class, but only by a week.
spent time with family and good friends this week. Dd had me over for dinner last night. (Her dh is off on vacation with some friends)
Teaching prep is going to need to float to the top very soon, but we actually have nice weather today, so I need to spend it cleaning stalls and working in the barn and yard.
I managed to get together with BFF. It was a good day.
My de facto supervisor took two days off and did not call in the babysitter retiree.
Some of the weeds, mainly crabgrass, grew so entrenched I dug them up with a shovel tonight. I still have more weeding to do but it is easier.
My weight is stuck so I am now counting calories instead of just assuming I can eat whatever keto foods I want like a whole can of nuts at one sitting.
rosarugosa
7-23-19, 6:29pm
Sometimes it's important to be able to shift priorities.
I sprayed the PI, but that stays on the list because it isn't eradicated and won't be for awhile. Tackling it was the important thing!
I have most of the windows washed, only 6 left of 28 to do. This was a bigger project than usual because I also needed to scrape them from the painting that was done recently.
I haven't touched any of my other list items.
I have pulled a few weeds, but they are getting ahead of me.
Teacher Terry
7-24-19, 10:52am
My husband has finally agreed to sell the motor home so will get it cleaned out and listed in the next few days. Perfect time of year to sell. It’s cheaper to take the car and stay in motels which is more comfortable.
I weeded for 3 hours and made a lot of progress, but I ran out of daylight before I ran out of weeds.
iris lilies
7-25-19, 10:23am
My husband has finally agreed to sell the motor home so will get it cleaned out and listed in the next few days. Perfect time of year to sell. It’s cheaper to take the car and stay in motels which is more comfortable.
Thank you for going thru that exercise, saves me doing it! I have a small, occasional yen for the motor home but I know it would last about 1.5 trips.
Thank you for going thru that exercise, saves me doing it! I have a small, occasional yen for the motor home but I know it would last about 1.5 trips.
But you might be surprised to learn that you really enjoy it. We're spending next week on our inaugural trip in the new RV sitting on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Teacher Terry
7-25-19, 11:01am
Thankfully it wasn’t a expensive mistake as we only paid 14k 12 years ago. Fixing things in it aren’t cheap and many things in it are plastic and breaking. RV sites have gotten ridiculous right along with gas.
rosarugosa
7-25-19, 5:57pm
I finished the windows today!
What a productive retirement RR.
rosarugosa
7-26-19, 5:59am
What a productive retirement RR.
That is very kind of you, but I don't feel nearly as productive as I would have expected. You are very productive even though you are still working!
Helping my mother and dog walking definitely slow down my progress on projects, but I keep reminding myself that there are more important things in life than completing projects in accordance with some arbitrary, self-imposed deadline. This thread helps me see that I do at least accomplish some things!
Chicken lady
7-26-19, 6:33am
Rosa and Yppej, the weeds will be with you always. ;)
TT, I hope your motorhome sells quickly.
my barn is looking better.
My youngest is coming for the weekend tonight and her sister is coming over tomorrow.
i went to my classroom yesterday and threw it into total disarray starting to organize for next year. I am hoping the cleaning crew will wash my counter, so I moved everything off of it onto tables and started grouping the materials by project type.
my home studio has a dent of progress, and today i’m going to focus in clay work.
Teacher Terry
7-26-19, 12:20pm
CL: glad you will get some time with your kids. I hadn’t seen my oldest in 2 weeks and finally got together last week. This week we will go out with him and DIL for happy hour food and drinks. My youngest is in Vietnam and I haven’t seen him in a year. We talk frequently. I really miss him. I am used to jumping on a plane for a short trip to visit.
I did a little weeding despite the heat. Over the past week I lost 3 pounds.
Over the course of my last week at work, I went through my personal library and took in all my leadership material. A nice library in my office for my newer to leadership boss and the interim manager. i also took in all my journals for the last 3 years. If I stacked all this up, it would be about 2 feet of reading material.
Friday I cleared my personal stuff from my office.
Since coming home Friday I've done many 10 minute spurts of review and clearing. A stack of articles, journals, workshop notes about 15 inches high has been reviewed and submitted to the recycle bin.
My briefcase has been cleaned out and it's in the closet. I'll use it when I travel with my laptop. It's a good bag. My lunchbag is tucked away.
I've amused myself knitting dishrags. I think I'm on #4 for the weekend. 3rd load of laundry is in the washer now.
iris lilies
7-28-19, 9:20pm
Over the course of my last week at work, I went through my personal library and took in all my leadership material. A nice library in my office for my newer to leadership boss and the interim manager. i also took in all my journals for the last 3 years. If I stacked all this up, it would be about 2 feet of reading material.
Friday I cleared my personal stuff from my office.
Since coming home Friday I've done many 10 minute spurts of review and clearing. A stack of articles, journals, workshop notes about 15 inches high has been reviewed and submitted to the recycle bin.
My briefcase has been cleaned out and it's in the closet. I'll use it when I travel with my laptop. It's a good bag. My lunchbag is tucked away.
I've amused myself knitting dishrags. I think I'm on #4 for the weekend. 3rd load of laundry is in the washer now.
oh right, Friday was your last day! Congrats!!!
rosarugosa
7-29-19, 5:55am
Congratulations, Gardnr!
CL and TT: Glad you both got some time with your kids.
Yppej: We made some gardening headway Saturday, but Sunday was just too hot. Dogwood and halesias were pruned. I started clearing out a small garden bed in front of the house. It's a real focal point that warrants a better selection of plant material. I tend to plant things I like in whatever spots are available. :) I pulled out a lot of plants that were just wrong for the spot in addition to weeds. I want to proceed with greater care as I add new plants. This little project was not on my list, but it suddenly became important to me; shifting priorities.
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