Spring Challenge

New season, new goals.

I want to:

1. Successfully get cessation of fluoridation through the City level of government and prepped for either the state legislature or a local ballot initiative.
2. Select a mayoral candidate (meeting with one this week who a group of us are trying to get to run) and if that person wants my help, volunteer in the campaign.
3. Clean up all the trees and shrubs broken by the recent big snowstorm.
4. Resume walking. Hopefully this will help me get rid of the last 5 pounds I want to shed.
5. Vacation closer to home than last year, part of my green challenge. I have to take a week before July 1st per company policy.
6. Stay on budget all but one month in the quarter (depending when I hit my 60,000 mile car service, might even make it all 3 months).
7. Start a garden of sage and parsley, the two things I am confident I can grow and not lose to critters.
8. Help shepherd my parents through medical challenges. My dad has four surgeries within a month's time and I am chauffeur for some of them.
9. Avoid arguing with one of my brothers about covid, politics, etc. (The other brother and I are on the same page.)

Spring is more of a guide than a hard rule, let's see what we can do.

Sort last of storage unit boxes
Decide what to do with the empty bins in storage unit
Bookshelf project
Clear the bed project
Work on quilt blocks
Put away the winter stuff
Put away the duvet


Pretty much the ongoing projects and the winter stuff is weather dependent. Probably add a few more things as I think of them.

2. Unlikely we will recruit the person as a candidate - only four people showed up for the meeting
3. DS got out broken branches too high up for me to reach - more to do on ground level.
5. Company policy changed but I likely will still take a week off before summer
8. Taking dad for his third surgery this coming week and he wants to postpone his fourth until fall
9. DB is visiting and I'm trying but he says stupid things like people are picking on Fauci because he's Jewish. No, Fauci is an Italian Catholic who went to Holy Cross College.

1. Fix up house in preparation for visit from new in-laws in June when they come out for DS/newDDIL wedding (paint, refinish floors, do backsplash, buy new rug.)
2. Plant two new shrubs
3. Prune apple trees
4. Generally clean up gardens and plant vegetables
5. Reorganize storage unit and purge stuff
6. Get outside and MOVE! Winter is over!

• We built the shelfing unit for the kitchen, and now it needs to be sanded, primed & painted.
• We need to get a handrail installed for our stairway up to the bedroom. We haven't had one since 1994 or so, and we are getting older, so it's high time.
• Continue with room-by-room culling - kitchen is next.
• Start seeds
• Wash windows, screens & curtains
• Garden cleanup
• Closet cleanout/changeover
• Smaller seasonal tasks: hoses, hammock, storm doors, change bedding

I finished the last of my eBay listings today, finally. That's been on the to-do list for a very long time!

Filled my yard waste barrels and still more branches to go.

Put in for a vacation week in May.

Have decided who I will support for mayor but keeping it to myself for now since some allies for fluoridation cessation do not like her.

Sort last of storage unit boxes 2 of 5
Decide what to do with the empty bins in storage unit not yet
Bookshelf project ongoing
Clear the bed project see bookshelf project
Work on quilt blocks 17/30
Put away the winter stuff had a frost advisory last night, so I'll evaluate last weekend in April
Put away the duvet evaluate in late April

Going to prioritize the boxes so I have the last of the boxes gone, and can evaluate the plastic bins and decide which ones can stay, put in the trash, or given away. Bookshelf project is ongoing, spending a least an hour a day is slow but steady progress. Bed as staging area helps husband keep focuses since he does a bit in 10-15 minute increments. Block process is going, might have enough in the stash to make a second quilt top. Weather still all over the place so I'll wait until the end of the month to see if it's time to put it away.

Fluoride petition introduced to the council, hearing date TBD.

More yard waste awaiting pickup, will finish with branches at the following pickup and start on leaves.

Started walking.

I've put up the hammock and put out the hoses, and I started annual seeds yesterday.

By May 1, I want to
1. Repair and replace window box that snow slide broke from house
2. Replace washing machine with used machine from the barn. If that doesn't work, buy new washing machine
3. Replace oven hood with new one already purchased
4. Replace chandelier with track light in kitchen
5. Avoid email contact with brothers and mother's guardian
6. Remove one major stressor from life
7. Lose 6 pounds