Monday Moves

I felt I did well with last week's list. This week should move along as well, I hope.

My grandkids are here and tonight is Eliana's first sleep over. Not great planning as I also have the colour class tonight but hopefully the Grand Farmer can be an effective stand in. I need to continue with the Common Thread wallhanging challenge. The closet edit yielded some gaps which I hope to fill when I return the kiddies to their home. It also made a pile of "needs hemming'! The spring hallway is awaiting a reveal but just needs tweaking. The challenge needs more than tweaking and is still challenging although it did get a few favourable comments in its present state.

I'm encouraged!

Now where was I?

I was thinking I needed to take a bit of time to see where I was headed as Spring is next up on my calendar. I didn't think I'd be buried under my blankies and blinking thru the waves of Vicks and mounds of Kleenex that surrounded me.

The sun is starting to rise earlier and I actually hear the old rooster rousing his gals so it is time to rouse my own self.

Before I succumbed I had a wee bit of a buying spree which totally fits that prespring fling that happens in the frozen months of February. Nina came and then I decided to prepare for the rise of cotton by taking advantage of a 'deal' on a roll of batting. Spring cleaning will involve finding a spot to store it. I have everything to finish the bathroom, well, except towels. Then our Canadian Tire had an amazing deal on a basket front chest that was intended for hubby's stuff on his side of the bed. It doesn't quite fit so he'll be putting his 'other' stuff in it down in the entrance hall. And yes, the phone books are his! lol And as things go, the mirror that was there is now totally wrong so the deal of the year was a $40 mirror that again doesn't quite fit so some fiddling will be necessary, but is SO worth having. I had some time to think about all that as well and I can hardly wait for a focus week on home decorating!!!

But the Focus for this week will be sewing. I am behind sadly on the Weekly Journal quilts so those are a priority. I also agreed to make an Alzheimer's quilt. I want to keep up with Workshop In Progress and 3CS. Not sewing but fabric related is the next colour workshop which is values: light, dark, dull, bright. Perhaps I can combine that with some of the journal quilts. Now that is really pushing my limit of Five things but I do have five days.

I was also contemplating giving up the Sketchbook Project as it seems beyond my abilities and time constraints but I flipped thru one of my first 'how to' books on journalling and I still want to do that so I shall pause before I do the final clean up on my side bar which is also sadly behind.

So where was I? I was on my way to fire up the washing machine and Nina. Ladies! Start your engines.

The Five Step Program

I'd like to take some time to answer a question about my five step program.

Five is an easy number to remember. I just look at my hand and mentally go thru Peter Pointer, Ruby Ring, etc. I need a trick, a catchy tune, whatever, to keep me focused.

So in January I thought of five areas that embrace the whole concept of health, wealth and doing things wisely. I listed 5 major things I want to see accomplished in 2011. Then I broke that into seasons because some things are better done at certain times of the year. If I have a plan for the summer months then I can track it by breaking it down to manageable bites. I am very bad for underestimating what can realistically be done in a given time. A bigger project will take a season but I write down the job for the month then roughly plan the week with each morning being more specific. Sounds complicated but it is more about reminding myself what needs doing and often the five things in a day is a full day.

And it is 5 days because my weekends are not figured. I call them leftovers but often my hubby plans what Saturday will entail from my month or weekly to do list and he insists we do them together. You know, the family that works together, stays together thing! :D He has his own hobbies and we are cool to be on our own as well.

For example; we needed to renovate the bathroom. It involves flooring, paint, trim, fan, lighting, etc. One week all I had was Buy Flooring! But it got done and I could put down the next thing. Now I'm already to start writing down things for the kitchen but my dearie is holding me to the plan. We put trim in but it is too skimpy and we were back to get wider so this weekend is more trim. Not a problem, I'm still focused and I will be ever so glad to close the door on a completely finished bathroom.

Health, house and garden, hobby; I find it works for big things and small things.

High Five anyone?

Marching on

I had a wonderful four days away that nourishes the best part of me, my spiritual self. Regardless of the weather the Son shines warmly.

Time away helps redefine priorities. I've been pleased with my progress so far as I find better ways to get things done and even identify what exactly needs doing. I need to watch my on line time but it has been improving as I find what wastes time and what motivates.

I think the best indication is the playroom itself. I'm keeping it in better order. I have one major pile that avalanches every once in a while and I'll be dealing with it soon. But it doesn't take two full days to start anything new.

The whole idea of Fives is serving me well. Five per year, 5 per month, five per week and 5 per day. I'm especially doing the daily and need to keep the others up front so I have a good reminder.

I'm happy to be marching to the beat of a 5 step drummer and I'm keeping an eye on the icy patches.

High Five

I am just so impressed that I want to slap high fives on every one's hand!

Five things on the to-do list each day seems to be working for me. My dearie was so right about being realistic on what can actually be accomplished. I luv making lists. Scribbling them off, not so much. :( But who wouldn't be defeated by a list of 27 things! HA! But now I actually feel bad when I don't have any of my five crossed off. LOL

So:

I'm working to hubby's beat and he wanted to start in the basement. We actually placed some insulation behind these metal book cases and I swear it is warmer. He sorted the tool tangle, I grouped the paint and actually made a cover from a thrift shop tablecloth as it is first thing you see coming down the stairs.

Next will be my laundry area but I did get the big messy book case covered. I like things pretty. Atmosphere is everything to me. But hubby's organization skills help us keep things looking good because we find ways to make it the easiest to put things in their place and not leave flat surfaces for collecting 'STUFF'! It is not conducive to playing when the laundry is piled on top of my dry papers!

I am almost set with the trim, sitting, and dining room colours. I have the rough outline for the colour class in place. I'm feeling my way thru zentangles and sketching. I have two old ufo's on the go.

I am also limiting computer time. I'm making my to-do list my nine to five job so I'm off except for breakfast, lunch, coffee time and evenings.

HIGH FIVE!

1/1/11

Gee, if 1/1/11 makes me happy, I'm going to be ecstatic on 11/11/11! I like the number 11.




Keeping in mind the word for 2010, FOCUS, I am looking at 2011 only. Not the whole decade.

From 1/1/11 to 31/12/11 I am going to be seeking and searching for ways to FIND out how I tick and what to do to keep moving forward.
I have been considering the whole resolutions/list controversy. I am not a list maker but neither do I have anything measurable to show but giggles, happy noises, snorts and half done projects. So inspite of the naysayers I will give it my best shot.

My goals for this year are:

1) To keep up to date on my commitments.

2) To complete one project a month.

3) To make serious effort towards Eggs or Else and post projects and not dreams.

4) To go through my library.

5) To try a 5 item list each day/month/year.

This is also the year of the journal. Most of my commitments involve some kind of journal. I luv scribbling, taking notes, jotting things down. I just never really go back to them. But I have a number of these commitments.

1) To teach a colour workshop to our quilt group, Common Threads, which involves a colour journal.

2) To do a small page sized art quilt for the months September thru May also for Common Threads.

3) Three Creative Studios runs challenges and I'm in. One is a weekly Journal Quilt.

4) The Sketchbook Challenge is monthly.

5) I am doing an Altered Book 101 courtesy of Elizabeth.

I'm not listing the wedding and the comfort quilts that are for this year. Those things generally get done.

I am hoping that Finding how to do five major things in this one year, broken down into 5 things per month, using a 5 day work week, with 5 things per day just might find me accomplishing something. I may like the number eleven but this just might be the year of the fives!