Week Two Report

While Friday morning it seemed unlikely that I would emerge from the murky depths of The Mister Room, I have survived and we are still speaking.

The plan: To be able to open and close the door to the room, dust, knock down cobwebs, and sweep.

Strategy: Start at the door.... which wasn't easy since the door was behind three congas, two boxes of Austin Healy parts (think: interiors of the two car doors as this is what they are), an antique radio, and two boxes marked "miscellaneous stuff."

Attack plan: Don safety gear, update tetanus shot, call Mother and Daddy, text the Airman to tell 'em I love 'em, update will and dive in.

Result: Well, now, not only can we open AND close the door, but all the things in the hall (except the Healy parts --- they are going on the Healy This Week) are in the room. I started by looking in all the boxes. They were Willy Nealy with contents. Taking a hint from "Hoarders" and "Clean House", I categorized items in the boxes. There were five: patches from Hamm operators or motorcyclists; music; electronic and ham radio; instruments (sub categorized into brass, string, woodwinds, and percussion --- and yes, they were all represented. Remember, he is a musician.); and memorabilia.

Trashed: Four 30-gallon bags of trash (empty boxes and such) and 14 boxes that were no longer needed once categorization was complete.

In addition, this week I finished the Wingspan shawl and am now putting the lace edging on the Truly Tasha Shawl that is knit in a lovely black merino. It was started four years ago at a re-enactment when I needed some kind of handwork for demonstration. When I got home, it was put in time out and has patiently waited for me to retrieve it.

One day was spent at my darling MIL's working on cleaning her upstairs for her.

And, one day was spent with gal pals visiting, eating, and crying over my lost youth and innocence.

The rest of the week was the usual: hoof trimming, cleaning out the diddles (who are almost ready to graduate to the next level of chick life), caring for all the critters, and rescuing a poor little Easter bunny set out to fend for itself. More on that tomorrow.

Plans for this week:

Monday my gal pal Eleanor and I are going to Mecca -- the Container store and Ikea for more storage things (I need more of the little rails that go on my Elfa shelving to keep all the folded goods Straight and Good Order).

Tuesday and Wednesday will involve cleaning out a little building where the Airman has things stored and working in the gardens.

Thursday I am trading labor with a gal pal by painting her studio in exchange for the labor of my choice here the following week (I am thinking it will be painting the storage building to match the barn, chicken coop, and farm equipment buildings -- they are all purple).

Friday will be working more in the Airman's building by reorganizing it to hold all my outside decor stuff -- flags, wreaths, chairs and so forth. His stuff is mostly in the attic now, so I just have two things of his to move and then a bit of other things to move to the proper storage area. This is the "getting ready for the Market" day, too. I am making scones to go with the jam I have been making.

And, there you go, another week gone. Somewhere in there I will, of course, knit, finish dressing the towel loom, read, grade, and finish the class I am taking.

I am already tired.

What are you doing this week??

Be Careful What You Read!

With great relish and pleasure I am working with an author on novel revisions. The character of the novel is a very creative and bright young woman. I am half in love with her.

In the book, she learns who she is and learns to make home. Yesterday, after editing a few chapters, I took a very honest look at the Lazy Bee Farm homestead. It is a wreck. The least of it, frankly, is the Roanoke / Evelyn loom was still in the middle of the living room floor while I weave off five more towels. I couldn't move the loom without undressing it and that wasn't happening until I was finished with this warping. So, here it sat.

Books are stacked everywhere. Unfinished projects overflow the knitting / cross stitch basket (I AM still stitching when I can, Tina!). Papers, papers, papers, are everywhere. Dust formed a protective covering on most of the furniture. To be honest, about all I have done lately is keep the things that will kill you if they aren't done caught up -- dishes, trash, and laundry.

With new eyes, I thought about how I could rearrange, ditch, and reuse what I had (thanks, my author buddy, Clarice) and began to move things around.

Three hours later and a whole lot of shoving, pushing, pulling, and tugging, the living room is fairly done. I still have to dress the mantel, but the loom is out of the middle of the floor and one can actually walk through the room!

Where did it all go?? Let's not discuss the foray, dining room, bedroom. Oh, and Don has hidden the novel....