A List For the Rest of August

Despite my lack of motivation (read my previous post) I'm determined to make some progress this month. Let's see how many of these tasks I can cross off by the end of August.

Call Mom
Write: Salada
      Listerine
      Postcard trades
      Birthday cards for Mom & John
Send packages to VT & GU
Order stamps
Weed the flower bed
Cook kale
Cook ground beef
Throw out old leftovers
Take trash & recyclables to the dump
Drop off clothes to Salvation Army
Donate books & teaching supplies to home schooling moms
Get rid of old Girl Scout flags (Those troops are no longer in        
      existence & the council has been renamed.)
Buy dog food
Go for blood work
Go for yearly physical
Pay medical bills
Sort & file medical bills & claims
Sort & file old bills & bank statements
Clean out 3 boxes/ bins of assorted papers
Plan vacation/make reservations
Create something!
Tidy kitchen counters
Tidy kitchen table
Wash pet towels & rugs
Clean up the postcard mess created by the dog
Check: is it time for an oil change?
Clean off bookcase/storage unit in bedroom
Track down insurance information & cancel policy
Print out photos at Wal-Mart
Buy peaches from orchard. Maybe enough to can?

A Personal Assessment

I don't believe more than a month has passed since my last post! Between work and my home life, this summer has been crazy/busy. Summer is the busiest time of year where I work (the Children's Room in my local library) but our summer reading programs are nearly over (the last one is tomorrow) and things have quieted down somewhat. My work focus is shifting from crafts to statistical reports, from implementing summer programs to planning fall programs, from physical busyness to mental busyness. On the home front, there have been chores, doctors appointments, and major efforts splitting and stacking firewood. (Thanks for your help with this, C!)

I'm tired. Since my husband went back to work earlier this month (he works out of state) I've been having a hard time getting things done. Between initially pushing myself to work hard on these lists and the busyness at work, I thought that I had run out of steam. Add in the fact that I haven't been sleeping well. (I go to bed late and wake up early - without setting the alarm.) I'm exhausted. But is it simply sleep deprivation? I'm not so sure any more. I think I'm stressed and depressed, although I don't feel stressed. I feel distracted, unfocused and overwhelmed. I don't have the motivation to do much of anything. I think I'm clenching/grinding my teeth in my sleep because there are days when most of my teeth hurt. (I've just been to the dentist and everything is fine.) I don't feel particularly stressed or worried but my husband is having some health issues and perhaps this is worrying me more than I think.

I haven't given up on putting my life in order, nor have I given up on this blog. I just kind of hit a wall.

Finally! A Long-Awaited Accounting

My husband came home (though not when planned) and we had a great time together. Geocaching with our youngest, facilitating the oldest's camping trip, going out to eat, lots of long talks, and just "hanging out" together made the time fly. As always, his time home felt too short, but he'll be home again fairly soon.

Let's see how I did on that last massive "to do" list!

Pay bills Done
Call Safe Home (again) re: toiletries donation After several phone calls they referred me to Project Discovery
Drop off toiletries to Safe Home?? Dropped off to Project Discovery
Drop off clothes & shredder to Salvation Army Delivered 1 bag of clothes and the shredder
Bring trash & recyclables to the dump Got rid of 2 trash cans of recyclables, 4 bags of paper recyclables, and 2 large bags of trash
Drop off used books to library for book sale 8 large bags of books went! I also donated 3 bags and 4 boxes of books, a bag of teaching magazines, and a bundle of files to several homeschooling moms. Thanks to freecycle!
Call insurance company re: canceling policy Tracking down paperwork
Sort & file papers on kitchen table Started and got interrupted, then chaos resumed! (sigh)
Sort & file old bills & bank statements Making major progress, though more work is needed
Sort & file medical bills/ insurance claims Ditto
Clean up pile of postcards/letters the dog knocked all over Argh!
Clean out 3 boxes/ bins of assorted papers I lost count, moving from a large box to smaller bins, and partial clean-outs of other bins, etc
Clean off the top of the dryer Started and got interrupted, then chaos resumed! (sigh)
Print out photos for scrapbook We're having printer issues. I think the thing to do is go to Wal-Mart
Scrapbook pages/layouts for birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Game Night, Thanksgiving
Buy more storage units for scrapbook supplies Done!
Put away the rest of the scrapbook supplies Done!
Clear off bookcase/storage unit in bedroom Started
Rearrange items in attic area Started
Move bookcase/ storage unit into attic area It won't fit :(
Clean out refrigerator An on-going project - A person's gotta eat, ya know!
Wash bedding Done!
Pack away extra blankets
Find a place for the shoe rack It's temporarily in the bathroom, but at least the shoes are on it
Install fan in upstairs bathroom My sweetie took care of this for me