Saturday, June 08, 2013

The Pace of Retirement - Part of Just One Week- Who Knew?

So, after my last post one might envision me sitting on my deck with a camera and a book and contemplating the summer dancing shadows for several afternoons while sipping a favorite wine.  Fat chance!  I have decided I am my own worst enemy.  With company (6 adults for 3 days) coming immediately after my return from a distant wedding the first week in July, I am determined to have a spotless house and yard it seems and I made this list to see what I could accomplish and actually surprised myself!  I am bats++t crazy...just a little.

Tuesday:  2 hours working with my volunteer gardeners at the museum, three loads of laundry done, transplanting plants into pots at home, cooking dinner.
Wednesday:  1.25 hours running, lifting weights and stretching, cleaning the big closet, dusting upstairs bedrooms in the corners and cornices and under furniture, weeding flower beds, washing off deck, watering plants on deck, cooking dinner.
Thursday:  Meeting on the children's garden at the art museum, grocery shopping, cleaned carpets in basement, cleaned sectional sofa and the loveseat and one rug on main floor (with hubby's help), returned carpet machine and did a little shopping at the small mall and ate out at the Thai restaurant.  Insomnia woke me at 2:00 P.M. so finished reading "Me Again"on my Kindle.
Friday:  Put all furniture back in place on slightly damp carpet, washed down the elliptical and dusted other stuff, one hour heavy exercise, brief update on blogger, called Toyota dealer for appointment, sorted the dozens of magazines piled on and beneath the huge coffee table in the main room, cleaned out the laundry room cupboard under the sink and threw away a bunch of stuff, folded one load of laundry, checked off stuff on my list and added stuff to my list, took a nap, washed out and re-arranged the coffee cupboard in the kitchen, and cooked dinner (popcorn).  (It poured rain all day so this was easy!)  Doesn't it all look so shiny clean down there?


Saturday: Washed upstairs bedroom windows (6) and screens and dusted the trim.  Changed the sheets in one bedroom.  Fixed (after 20 minutes of work) a stupid casement window that would not close--the left one in the photo below!  That is the area where we keep the kids books and toys.  (I hate Eagle windows.)  Cleaned the upstairs bathroom and put out new shampoos and soaps.  Selected two photographs and hung them in the upstairs guest bathroom (talk about tooting my own horn!) but they matched the orange accents in that room and believe it or not, I just eyeballed the placement.  Vacuumed and mopped the tiled areas of the basement outside the carpet and rug areas (in photo above), mopped the landing and stairs, cleaned up hubby's grow light area, cleaned basement bathroom and shower (and discovered the shower sprays everywhere when you open the door to use it so got a quick shower!!).



Grow light unit.

Sunday: I will clean the guest bedroom downstairs, wash the two basement windows and the one set of french doors in the basement, dead-head roses and sundry other dead-heading after the two days of rain. There is one hour of regular exercise that I have promised myself to complete.  

Last week I painted these...they used to be white!  My goodness what a slump I will be in when I finish all on the list!  I realize I have to quit beating myself up on not getting organized for this...cause I guess I am moving it forward regardless once I started listing all that I do get done.


18 comments:

  1. That green wicker is just beautiful. Great patio. I'd love to sit there and chat away an afternoon.

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  2. Goodness, I'm ready for a glass of wine on that snazzy new green wicker!

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  3. Wow, you aren't letting grass grow under your feet! It's okay that you aren't "perfectly organized," if you waited for the "perfect" system, you'd never do it!

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  4. The word "spotless" scares me. Perhaps it's because I've never been able to achieve it. I really wish I could, but it is clearly not meant for me, so please be spotless for us both!

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  5. Well now I can never invite you to my home. I decorate in early attic. Plus you have way too much energy for me. It is all beautiful!

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  6. Holy Smokes! When you list them out that way, the tasks seem like the gathering multitudes! Love the green wicker - a great place to recharge when the rush is over.

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  7. Oh my
    proud of you.
    Everything looks beautiful.
    Can I visit and sit on this
    wonderful green wicker.
    You make me want to change some
    of my centuries old outside furniture...

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  8. If you would just quit inviting people over, your list would be a lot shorter....:-)

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  9. oo i rather like the green color...much more vibrant than white....you've been busy....

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  10. Amazing, if I tried that I'd be in a rest home (is there any such thing anymore?). Love the green wicker too!

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  11. Feeling like a slacker here. You have way more energy than I, but then it's been 110 here. That's my excuse for the last week, which doesn't cover the 6 months before hand...
    Nice work on the patio furniture. Green is my daughter's favorite color. Mine is a color called Gray Horse.

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  12. And if memory serves me correctly, wicker is not at all easy to paint! I used a spray can and thought I would never finish!

    Is there an easier way?

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  13. Oh my, you are on a tear. Everything looks grand so I shouldn't be the one to remind you that it all will have to be done again before they arrive.

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  14. My mother used to say "clean when they leave!" I am impressed with all you tackled and accomplished, I did the same thing before the the recent wedding....and laughed at myself, knowing that my guests would be totally unaware that the roof gutters were sparky clean.

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  15. What a lovely house!
    Your list make me feel so tired, so exhausted... Lol!
    Congratulations!

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  16. Your house looks like a showplace. And you are making me feel very lazy!

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  17. You put me to shame! the outdoor furniture looks fun and elegant.

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  18. What do the kids text... OMG!

    I got a little anxiety just reading all of that; however I'm proud of you. :)

    Everything looks so neat and inviting. And no clutter!

    I'm sure you'll be updating us about the wedding and how things go with the guests. Will you be gourmet cooking for them, too!

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Take your time...take a deep breath...then hit me with your best shot.