The "To Do" List

Combining inventories... a work in progress

My blog needs work now that we're all coming here more often. It occurred to me today that I was still showing Austin's age as 21 in the border of my blog and he turned 22 in March. Cody's birthday is tomorrow so I needed to change his age too. I also realized my photos were sort of dated and... didn't include my grandchildren... so I made a lame attempt to update it all. I got sort of cross-eyed looking at photos. The ones I ended up using aren't necessarily the best photos or my favorite photos so... let's call this a work in process.

Speaking of works in progress... this is a good day for making a Wish List / To Do List or whatever you want to call it. Revamping the blog is at the top of the list and although I didn't get it exactly like I want... I did work on it today. It felt productive.

Also, remember I mentioned a friend gifting me some of her husband's embroidery supplies since he passed away recently? Today I started sorting through and combining his "floss" inventory with mine. It was rough on my back bending over but there's something about having all that thread that makes me feel inspired... energized... READY TO SEW! I also was given a project of my Grandma's that she needed help finishing and then yesterday my second cousin Rachel contacted me about sending me some of her unused supplies. I thought... hmmm... maybe I'm supposed to start sewing again. Life seems to be pushing me in that direction. It really is an amazing way to feel productive when the days all look the same. Step one was combining inventories... maybe tomorrow I can actually start to sew!

We also need to get started on Christmas stockings for this year. We don't yet know who will be with us at Christmas but the stockings we made a few years ago were sent home last Christmas with the idea that we would make new ones again this year. I've been searching "DIY Christmas Stockings" so we can get started soon. It's a long road from idea to complete project for me so... time to get crack-a-lackin'!

My mom is the one who operates the sewing machine and she's not doing great, health wise. Tomorrow she sees a urologist about some kidney issues then the next day they do further tests with the gastro doctor about the new places of cancer they found on the little bit of pancreas she has left. I feel like we need to get things done before they start doing anything treatment wise that might make her not feel well.

I'm also sort of thinking about buying Christmas gifts but I have a bad habit of choosing a gift and having it purchased and wrapped and then I find other things that I would want that person to have so I buy more and more. We've spent a lot on lawyers this year and I still have a long way to go with the dental work (see next paragraph) so I'm going to try to be conservative on the Christmas spending this year. I'm keeping an eye out for gifts in case I come across "the perfect gift" for someone but trying to keep it off the official to do list for a little bit longer.

OY. The Dental Work. It's at the top of the "got to get it done" list. My dental anxiety has grown exponentially since we started working on things and I kind of just abandoned the process. I mean, there were things that made it hard for me to intentionally subject myself to addition pain like... having a hysterectomy and going through the custody drama. But it's time. On my list for tomorrow: make my next appointment.

Speaking of making appointments... I've been talking about going to the eye doctor since... forever... I can't see to drive after dark. I'm using cheaters to read and sew. I have all these headaches and I really need to get the vision piece of my health issues taken care of. Ask me tomorrow if I've made those two appointments: dental and vision. Remind me. Don't let me put it off any more.

On more of a "wish list" than a "to do list" although, I imagine they sometimes cross over. I want to re-do my bathroom. Not as far as replacing the shower with a tub/shower combo (which is what I REALLY want to do) but just as far as painting it a color I enjoy more... new shower curtain... a bigger and better mirror... new towel racks and all that. I thought I'd add it to my Christmas Wish List but in the meantime, if I see something that fits in with my mental image of how my bathroom should look... well... I might have to go ahead and buy it.

I've been thinking about doing a gallery wall on the big wall in my living room for a long time now. I have so many awesome pictures of the babies and treasured photos of my kids growing up, old photos that I've been meaning to have reprinted and artwork that has been just sort of piled up and not hung. I can't hang pictures myself but I could gather everything, get it framed and plot it out so that when I have access to a son with a hammer, I can put him to work.

Speaking of sons... Cody's birthday is TOMORROW! He will be 26! How many of you were around when he was born? He has always been the sweetest, most compassionate kid... On my "to do" list this week is getting together a little birthday party for him for this coming Saturday when they come to visit, you know, cake and stuff. If you're going to be in White County on Saturday around noon and you want to my sweet middle child... stop by and say hello!

Also speaking of sons... I talk to the younger two all the time because of the babies but I need to sit down and chat with the eldest one day soon. He's planning a wedding.... or at least Sara is planning a wedding... and they're still adjusting to life in Myrtle Beach. I hope to be able to make the trip out there soon, you know, when it's not hotter than the face of the sun outside. Time with Ryan is definitely on the to-do list.

If you stop and think about it long enough... can't you name off five or ten people you need to make an effort to contact or spend time with? I can. Being physically limited makes me reluctant to contact people because I feel like the question "how have you been?" always brings down the tone of the conversation if I say how I really am. And I feel so guilty for not being physically present in people's lives and not really having the potential, realistically, to be present any time soon/ever. That's an unhappy item on my to do list. I could, however, be better about written communication. I'm never going to be better at telephone communication but I can write, right?

I need to clean my closet out. Some of it is too much for me but I could do it in small bites here and there. There are so many things I own that I am just not going to wear again. Other than a few special items, for the most part I'm just wasting space. Then maybe I could stop piling clothes on the bed.

Is it too early to break out the fall decor? That's on my to-do list. Along with purchasing my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season. Rumor has it that PSL hits the stores on September 1st. Anyone have an "in" at Starbucks who can let me know? The chalkboard markers I used for Olivers birthday chart can be used on windows! I'm eager to draw some pumpkins and... whatever else Autumnal that is within my artistic ability on my big sliding doors.

So... I guess I need to put away the laptop and start ticking things off the to-do list, don't I? I mean... I did get the thread sort of halfway sorted today... and I updated the blog a little... so I've made some progress. AND I have been a better blogger lately, right? I think I'm at my productivity limit for the day so I'll get back at the list tomorrow. For sure. What's on your to do list for this week? I'd love for you to share!

Happy Monday... love and hugs, y'all!