Cabin fever

I was just counting days.  By tomorrow I will have missed 9 days of work.  I think that's a record for me.  Before that I was feeling punky for about 6 days.   What a booger of a bug this has been!

I'm mostly better and I'm at the point where I have to get out of my house for an hour everyday.   Other than that I've been watching way too much t.v. and knitting.

These are some finished projects:

Lilacs and Camelias (well, one camelia)

Lilacs!

My lilacs are starting to bloom.   The white only has a couple blossoms but the purple looks covered.  The purple also looks to be several days behind the white but I'll keep watch.

Did I say Asthma?

I was wrong!  I was working up a rip-roaring case of pneumonia!  I've been on antibiotics for two days now and am still sleeping up a storm.  I think my project might be down for the count.  I am hoping to start up again once I'm well.

On one of my trips to the pharmacy I picked up bunny ears to decorate my reindeer wreath holder that lives on my front porch.  It seemed sad to put it in the garage for 11 months of the year when it's perfect for holding wreaths for every season.

Here 'tis:

A personal close up

Modeling a hat

Not the way I planned

This week has not gone the way I planned at all.    I haven't gotten much done.

It's been an asthma week and mostly when I'm home I've been taking meds and sleeping.  I did get a hat finished and a bit of knitting on other projects.

The cooler temps and howling wind finally resolved into rain today.  It started this afternoon and hasn't let up.  It's just past 9 p.m. and has been raining steadily.  It's a winter storm and there is fresh snow in the mountains.

This was the view on the way to church yesterday morning for the choir workshop.  Good thing it was a short one.  I didn't have a lot of singing in me.   There should be more white out of today's wet.

This week isn't quite over so I should be able to get some picking up done if I'm feeling better tomorrow and Tuesday.

Next, the Living Room

and the other part of the dining room since it's an "L" shaped room. 


I've also decided to switch up which rooms are after the living room.  I'm having my brother and sih stay with me for a weekend at the end of the month so that room gets bumped up.  I think it was 5th week and now it's 3rd week.  


Here are the before pics:

This is what I want to get done this week:
Clutter picked up, sorted, and put away.  Really clutter is the bulk of this week.
Dust piano, large shelving unit, lamps, pictures on the wall, and corner shelf.
Vacuum with attention to floor boards.
Perhaps:  sort CDs
Perhaps: get the carpet cleaned before guests arrive.  It really is quite yucky and worn down right now.  It would have to be on a weekday, though, and I'm not thrilled about that.  Most likely it would have to be Tuesday so I need to decide right away and call for an appointment. 


The "perhaps" are because with a choir workshop on Saturday I'm losing the bulk of my work at home day and my prime time to get things done.  I still have late afternoon but don't expect to get as much done.  

Here is a change I made next to the sofa

This little table and very large serving tray were hiding under and behind the dining room table.   I tucked them next to the sofa for a place to put my knitting works in progress as a temporary solution.  I like it as a "for now" solution to the couch being cluttered with knitting. 

Lenten Project, Week 1

It's been quite a week.  I had a lot of enthusiasm at the beginning that has tempered a bit but my commitment is still high.  I didn't get done everything I wanted to get done this last week but I got a lot done.  The kitchen feels better and in some ways works better.  The dining room isn't finished but the table is better.


I found two year old accouterments of preparing, storing, and arranging doses of Mom's meds.  I threw away all of it except the little blue overnight case.  I also found address books from my aunt and uncle that I've had for 3 1/2 years and have done nothing with.  I realized paging through them that I wouldn't know a friend from a service person in their books.  I also realized that the only person who has attempted contact is a cousin of Aunt Verne's.  I've already let them know about my aunt's and uncle's deaths so there was really nothing in those address books to keep.  Gone. 


There are still, as you can see, a few boxes of this and that to go through but they're not all over the place and their day will come, too.


The counter:

The table and microwave cart.

 What got done:  Counter cleaned off, table cleaned off, inside of microwaves cleaned, cart tidied, 2 cupboards rearranged, about a 3rd of the cupboard doors cleaned, wall behind stove and near sink scrubbed, dishwasher door cleaned, oven top and door cleaned.   Not everything from my list but except for not getting to the refrigerator door I'm satisfied. 


How does this relate to Lent and my walk with God?  The mess and clutter in my house cause me to nest on the couch rather than take care of my home or spend serious time in Bible study, thought, and prayer.   It's my goal that changing my home will give me more time and desire to spend more time with God.  Hopefully this gets me one step closer.   I've shot many an arrow prayer that I don't really want to do this right now and please help me with attitude and energy.


Hat follow up from below!  The recipient is thrilled with the color and softness of the hat.  She told me it was her new favorite so I'm going to guess the fit was good too.   Yay!

Oh!  There was some overflow to work on the cleaning and tidying front.  I really wanted my morning group time to work better and I knew the room needed to be rearranged so I just did it.  This week one assistant has helped finish the job and between us we've cleaned some classroom clutter.   The result is that the room looks better, neater, and is more useful.  

Hat for a Choir Friend

Who is going through chemo.   She's handling it well so far but always welcomes our prayers. 

Apricot Blossoms!

My tree is not quite in full bloom but it's putting on a pretty good show.  I always doubt that I'll have another good season and every year the tree comes through.  

Lenten Project:


I went to town on the kitchen today.  So far I have cleaned off about half the counter, scrubbed the dishwasher door, cleaned one microwave inside and out, rearranged some cupboard space to make room for some of what's been parked on the table (boxes of tea), and scrubbed about a third of the cupboard doors. 


Yay for laptops and netflix.  I put my laptop on the kitchen counter and watched/listened to tv shows while I worked.  I'm tired and my shoulder hurts but it's getting done.  Yay.  More to do tomorrow.  I've decided that when I get my carpets cleaned later this year I'm going to have them do the kitchen floor, too.  I took that off my cleaning list and added in the cupboard doors.  

The Kitchen

The first room to work on during my Lenten clean and declutter is the Kitchen and part of the dining room.   I have two big clutter areas to take care.   For cleaning I want to wash the walls, polish the fridge, stove and microwaves, and clean the dingy floor. 


Here are the before pictures of the worst of it:

Lenten thinking

It's traditional to give something up for Lent, to fast from something you love, to sacrifice in honor of Jesus' sacrifice for us.


We've been challenged this year to add or change something to enhance our relationship with God.  I wasn't much liking this idea until it clicked that my lack of organization at home is in the way of a peaceful life and more time to spend in study, praise, prayer, and with hobbies.


There are six weeks in Lent and I have six big rooms in my house.  I'm going to take a room/week and work on decluttering, getting rid of things I don't love, attempt some organization, and cleaning each one.


I'm under no illusion, or maybe delusion, that I'll finish each room but I'm hoping for a good start and that I can refocus and finish this summer.  


Here's the schedule: 


March 9-16  Kitchen.
March 17-22 Living Room.
March 23-29 Computer/Craft Room.
March 30-April 5 My Bedroom.
April 6-12. Second Bedroom.
April 13-19 Master Bedroom.


This is likely to make me rather grumpy so I'll need to be praying!!!  There we go-more taking it to the Lord in prayer already.

Hosting a couple photos to post elsewhere.

My classroom: