To-Do List....June Update

So another month done and dusted.  Let's see how the JUNE To-Do List turned out, shall we?

* Pay Bills  DONE  Everything paid early or on time as always.

* Read 1, 2, 3 Books  FAIL  I went to VA with high hopes on getting lots of reading done.  What I did get done was lots of napping instead. lolz  I got halfway through a book at home but didn't take it with me.  I started another book on the way down at my son's place but promptly left it there so another book begun(barely)but not finished.  
Oh and I made two trips to Ollie's(Good Stuff Cheap!)-one trip with son and another trip with brother and sis in-law, and besides a few pantry goods to bring home guess what I mostly bought at those two Ollie's?

If you guessed MORE BOOKS you'd be correct! ;-) That's my cart with the 5 or so I picked up in Va. Beach.
But!  I did get one book completely read in June.

"Backbone: Living with Chronic Pain Without Turning Into One" by Karen Duffy
If you are a wise-ass, have a sarcastic gene and especially if you are a fellow chronic pain sufferer, I implore you to find this book and read it!  The book is enlightening and uplifting and a reminder that you can thrive even if you are among the 1 in 3 Americans who suffers from some form of chronic pain.
I felt like she was speaking directly to me.  5 Thumbs Up!!!!!

* Hold Giveaway  DONE

It took awhile to get in touch with the winner as she just had surgery and is enduring a tough recuperation period.
Please send out good thoughts out to Lisa B. if you would as she gets over this time.
I hope the package lifted her spirits a bit too. ;-)

* Mail Giveaway  DONE
Mailed and received quickly.

* 2 Doctor Appointments  DONE
Got a semi-annual check-up with one doc which went well and all blood work came back good.
Had a check-up and TB test with my dermo doc to see how the Humira was working or not.  She is recommending a Laser Excision Surgery on one spot of my HS that the Humira is not helping.  She gave me the paperwork/info on what that surgery will entail and I should be scheduled for surgery later this month.  Oh goody. 8-(

* Change out Clothing for Summer  DONE
I finally got around to changing the wardrobe for warm weather out before I left town.

* Pack for Trip  DONE
I sort of killed two birds with one stone by packing for the trip while changing out my clothes for Summer.  It was far easier since I was already reorganizing clothes in the closet.

* Sew Masks for Folks  DONE
Eldest had told me that VA had recently gone to face masks in public mode before I left home.  I had sent him a mask I made back in March(along with tp as he couldn't find any at his stores back then)so I spent some time a few days before leaving making more fabric masks-2 for Hubs, 1 more to bring to Eldest son and 3 masks for my Brother and Sis in-law as well as another mask for myself in a lighter colored fabric.  My  brother never leaves his property but my sis in-law is a realtor so she's been spending for disposable masks as she doesn't sew.  Having 2 so she can wash and change it out daily will help her and her wallet. ;-)
Some where along the way I lost the new mask I made for myself so I need to make another one soon. 8-(

* Deal with "Stuff" in VA  PASS
Well we've done some stuff and gotten the ball rolling but there are more hoops to jump through.  Decisions have been made and more are to come.  That's about all I can say for now on this.  We are waiting on some blocks to fall into place and the lawyer to return from vacation now so we are in "wait" mode for now.

* Visit my Son  DONE
I stopped for 2 days on the way down and 1 night on the way home.
He's leaving where he taught for the last 5 years and relocating to NJ so we had a lot to talk about.
Atlas, the cat was always nearby to comfort him. lolz

* Visit my Brother/Sister in-Law  DONE

Besides a quick trip to Ollie's my brother didn't go anywhere.  But we did get visits from the neighbors and their dogs while I was down there.  That's Harper and Truman and their humans visiting in the photo above.  We also got a visit from Petey on another day and his human.
Sis in-law and I, on the other hand, hit various Rite-Aids, Kroger, Aldi, Lidl, Cracker Barrel, Walmart and an Estate Sale while I was.  We bonded and laughed a lot.

* Plan Goals for 2020  PASS  Hubs and I have hashed out a few goals and made some decisions about our living arrangements going forward.  There is still a lot to do and it feels overwhelming at times so I'll be biting off a bit at a time for now.  Mostly, the Goal for 2020 is now to survive it! 8-)))

* Arrange for Painter  FAIL  This was on Hubs list of stuff to do while I was gone.  He got a list of painters at the hardware store then the store owner told him, "frankly, I wouldn't recommend any of these guys to paint inside your house". lolz  I am thinking once we contact a realtor about selling our house they might have better sources.  So this search for a painter is ongoing.

* Have Money Meeting w/Hubs  PASS  We had a half-assed financial meeting.  Half-assed as some financial things were up in the air and I was gone half of the month.  July's money meeting should be more productive but we did make a few money decisions in June so I am giving us a pass. ;-)


Did you have a To-Do List in June?
Tell us how you did with it.


Sluggy

To-Do List.....February Update

Let's see what I got accomplished(or not)in February...........

*  Pay Bills  DONE  Every bill was paid on time or early as always.

*  Read 1, 2, 3 Books  DONE

I read THREE books in February and got 75% of the way through a fourth too. ;-)
February was the month of Diaries and Memoirs evidently. 

First I read this one.........

"Elihu Washburne: the Diary and Letters of America's Minister to France During the Siege and Commune of Paris"  by Michael Hill

Elihu Washburne was born of humble beginnings in Maine.  He attended public school in Winter when not working for his family, and eventually passed the bar after studying with a local judge and attending Harvard law school for a year.  He moved to Galena Illinois and there he became acquainted with fellow Galena native U.S. Grant and fellow Illinois native Abraham Lincoln, as they both were on the ascendancy of the careers.
Washburne became involved in politics, serving in the House of Representatives from IL.  He was tapped by Grant once he became POTUS to serve as our diplomat to France in 1869, a position that should have been a cushy appointment for the 53 year old Washburne.  He brought his family over and while taking the waters in Carlsbad(for what is thought to have been malaria)in the Fall of 1869 France's Second Empire became embroiled in what we know as the Franco-Prussian War against Wilhelm I of Germany and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

Washburne sent his family to Brussels, Belgium and he returned to his post in Paris.
He is the only diplomat from a major power to remain in Paris during it's siege.

No one in government thought Washburne should have been appointed a diplomat, let alone to France as he was thought to have had no qualifications for the job.  He was however a sincere and honest man who tried his best and he was able to get many American and German nationals out of Paris and kept a good number of both alive who became trapped during the siege.
A "real" diplomat would have abandoned his post as it was a hopeless situation but Washburne was no diplomat and thankfully for many Parisians he, along with his grown son, Gratiot, remained to provide humanitarian aide to thousands.

Washburne kept a diary during this trying time in history, one of the few detailed firsthand accounts of what it was like during the Siege of Paris inside the city during the war and the lawlessness that ensued right after the end of Prussian hostilities when The Commune, a socialist and revolutionary government,  took power within the city.

This book's author supplies background information when needed to the reader for a full comprehension of this historical event and the Washburne diary entries.
I found this book very interesting and I learned much about the Franco-Prussian War.....at least this part of it.

If you like firsthand accounts of history, read this one.


Then it was...........

"Lust and Wonder: a Memoir" by Augusten Burroughs

From the best selling author of his memoir, "Running With Scissors"(which was made into a feature film)about his very strange childhood, Mr. Burroughs has a way with storytelling.  This memoir concerns his relationship struggles and love life with his then partner(now ex)Dennis and his agent Christopher.
He's a great storyteller and I was drawn in with his dark, acidic humor.  As Shakespeare said, "The course of true love never did run smooth", especially for this neurotic gay man. ;-)

It's a fast read and there are true tidbits of humor and moments of "aha!" in here.  It's made me curious to pick up and read his other memoirs/works.

Lastly I read this one...........

"Twelve Years A Slave" by Solomon Northup-as told to and edited by David Wilson
(You can read this one for free online-link is HERE)

Another memoir, released and edited by a white publisher in 1853.  Solomon Northup was a free, educated black man from New York(his father had been a manumitted slave and his mother was a free black woman)who was tricked into thinking he was venturing to Washington D.C. for a musician job, was kidnapped instead by white slavers and sold into slavery in 1841, eventually ending up in the swamps of Louisiana on a cotton plantation where he was eventually rescued by friends and family in 1853 and returned home to New York.

Along with Uncle Tom's Cabin, this memoir helped inflame the abolitionists in the North and added to the sparks that fanned the flames of the War Between the States.  It was a best seller in the 1850's but faded into obscurity until Hollywood made it into a feature film in 2013.

But this was more than just a "White Southerners are Evil" tale.  Mr. Northrup had multiple "masters" during his enslavement and he goes into detail about each of their characters......some were benevolent, some were evil, some were sadistic and some were benign.  He also paints full pictures of all his fellow slaves(those born into the condition)he lived and worked with and you can clearly see them and you weep for their lot in life just due to the color of their skin.
His experience, having been free all his life, colored his captivity differently from his fellow slaves so this isn't a normal slave narrative. 
 Being educated he was able to use his intellect to survive no matter which kind of master owned him at whichever time during his captivity.  He was highly capable and employing his wits and not giving up hope of escape are what saved him in the end.

Court cases were brought against various parties who kidnapped and held Northrup but eventually charges were dropped.
Solomon Northrup took up the lecture circuit after the book was published and just disappears after a few years from the written records.  His death and whereabouts are unknown to this day.
If you want to read something in the "slave narrative" genre(and I have read a few), THIS is the book to pick up.  It is much better than the movie they made from this book IMHO.



*  Hold Giveaway  DONE

*  Mail Giveaway  DONE  Mailed and received and enjoyed. ;-)
And the winner's kitty, Dexter, was very happy.

Jen G. has won a giveaway before which included hair ties.  Dexter loves to steal them so I put a pack of hair ties in Jen's box for him.
Here Dexter is with one of his prizes......lolz

* Clean House  PASS  Well it's not the bang up job I use to do, I did get a bit done every week and the place is more presentable(not that we are expecting anyone).  I can't bend and get down on my knees to scrub floors so I do a little at a time and have asked Hubs to do some of that for me which he promptly ignores. lolz
I just need to stay on top of putting things away.  Ex-CB is a great one for dragging things out and not putting them away so there is a moderate amount of nagging to get him to tow the line.

*  Donation to Food Bank  DONE

My local food bank takes toiletries, paper goods as well as OTC medicines.  As I was going through my toiletries stash to get 2020 giveaway boxes ready for the beginning of the year I culled all in these two photos to take to the food bank.

All that baby food was bought after I made this delivery so I'll gather a good amount to go with the baby food and make another trip up with it in March or April, depending on how much other stuff I have.

*  Move Money  DONE
Hubs sold the rest of our Prudential stock when it hit a high mark not seen since 2008 when the Recession hit.  We've been waiting to do this for awhile and the market finally rose enough.  *With the pandemic fear now, it crashed and is lower than 2008 levels so we timed it well.*

Anyway, we decided to split the cash out in half with each of us getting 50% to use however we wished.  I am sure Hubs money will buy guns and ammo and beer while I put mine in one of our Capital One accounts, the one with my personal $$ in it(like my inheritance from my mom, etc.).  So that money was moved. yay.

*  Clean Pantry  DONE  

I dug some things out we weren't using and gave them away or threw them out.  Things Ex-CB took out of the garage stockpile and didn't use got migrated back to where they belong and I did a tidy up of what was left in the pantry.  I only keep in use/opened items in the pantry in the Winter.

*  Sew Dog Bed  DONE  I had bought a cat bed back in MD when I was on my trip to Ocean City with Kim and her Sissie at an Ollie's(Good Stuff Cheap!).
Unfortunately it has zippers that hold it together(I guess so you can disassemble it easily to launder it).  Dixie has figured out how to take it apart and was doing so every time I zipped it back together so I had to stitch the whole thing up by hand to keep it together. lolz

*  Sew 4 Flannel Dog Blankets  DONE  We had two flannel sheets from when Ex-CB was in college that aren't needed any longer as bedding.  I cut them each in half and hemmed the 4 sides and Voila! 4 dog blankets.

*  Clean my Desk Area  FAIL  Well I DID clean my desk area but by the end of the month it was a cluttered up mess again...not quite as bad but still.  I need to find other places for some things and keep this Item on my list for March.

* List Items on eBay  FAIL  Between dog surgery and recovery and being sick myself for half of February I didn't have the 'umph' to list anything on eBay.
I DID however sell 1 item that was already listed.  I'll take that small victory. lol

*  Take Dixie for Bloodwork  DONE
Before she got spayed they needed to do blood work on her because she was going under general anesthesia.  One test came back with a low platelet count so they had to do an additional test so there went $40 more for that.  
It turns out that she has a congenital blood disorder called idiopathic asymptomatic thrombocytopenia.  It's a benign condition without bleeding issues for her but almost 50% of Cavaliers have it.  It could lead to other problems later on so we just have to watch for symptoms.
Knowing this, it's a good thing we decided not to breed her.

*  Have Dixie fixed  DONE  She got her stitches out on Wednesday and she is back to her goofball self now. 8-)

* Plan/Goals for 2020  FAIL
Well we've just been bumping along so far this year.  We do need to decide if we are traveling anywhere else this year, what house projects to tackle and then there is lots of legal stuff to tackle in regard to our moving(most of which I am not at liberty to divulge).  And in addition, we are waiting on Ex-College Boy to move out, which will be happening hopefully this year, before we put this house on the market.  Add in that all this legal stuff also involves my brother's cooperation and he can be a tad passive-aggressive so there's that too. sigh.
This month Hubs and I will sit down and try to plot out a strategy(along with nudging EX-CB).


An ok To-Do List outcome for February.  Now it's onward to March!

Did you get stuff done in February?

Sluggy

2019 November To-Do List Update

Here's how my November To-Do  List turned out............

NOVEMBER

* Pay Bills  DONE  Top of the list, always gets done before anything else.

* Read 1, 2 Books   DONE  I actually read THREE Books this month! (It surprised me when I sat down to go over what I read. lol)

First off was this one.............

"Hanging Mary" by Sarah Higginbotham
A very well done bit of historical fiction, the author takes us into the world of the folks who lived at Mary Surratt's boardinghouse on H St. leading up to the assassination by John Wilkes Booth and how Mary became the first women in US history to be unjustly hanged for treason.
You really get to know the people who had close contact with JWB and how they were affected as the author is quite gifted at making all the folks involved in this drama come alive.

Then I read was this one.............

"A Soldier's Secret" by Marissa Moss
I didn't know going in but it became apparent quickly that this book was written for YAs(young adults/teens).  It was still enjoyable though and a very quick read.  Another historical fiction selection about Sarah Emma Edmonds, a woman who ran away as a teen from a miserable home life in Canada(then a British possession)and lived for many years as a man, including volunteering to serve in the US Union army during the Civil War.  Though the dialogue is fiction, the characters were real people who lived during that time.  Sarah survived the conflict and eventually married and lived as a women.  She is the only women who secretly served as a man during the war to be inducted into the GAR and receive a government pension for her Civil War service.  She wrote a memoir about her life which was published in the 1880's and she toured and gave lectures.  This book was based on her memoirs.
Dialogue was a little stilted and tiresome at parts but worth a read.

And finally I read this one............

"The Liberal Redneck Manifesto-Draggin' Dixie Outta the Dark" by Trae Crowder, Corey Ryan Forrester and Drew Morgan   

I really related to this book, being a Southerner and all. 8-)  They dig in and go after every stereotype and shed light on many issues that people from this region of the country are affected by and still dealing with.  They go after both the good and bad of the culture and delve into the real history of why things are the way they are there.  These guys are a comedy trio of self-proclaimed rednecks but they are educated and articulate rednecks who are proud of their region and history.  They have lived real, sometimes painful lives and have seen both the good and bad about the region and have thoughts and ideas that may make you go, "huh".
This book will get you thinking and it's a must read for anyone who isn't from/didn't grow up in the South.
I am the product of a NY Yankee father and a VA Southern mother and was raised in the South.  Most of my Southern relatives come from uneducated redneck stock(at least for 5 or 6 generations)so this book spoke to me.  Living and traveling widely in other parts of the country I've seen the regional prejudice first hand Trae and company talk about.  I'd be delighted to spread some learnin' about true Southern culture(both the good and bad)to other regions.
HIGHLY recommend!

* Hold Giveaway  DONE

* Mail Giveaway  DONE  Mailed off right away and gladly received.

*  Chester Surgery  DONE  My poor puppy lost his nuts in November.  He healed up rather quickly and didn't need the "cone of shame" but for 2 days.  The good thing is he is less likely to mark in the house now and we don't have to confine him as much.

* Repair DR Ceiling  DONE SORT OF  Hubs got the patch job done but he still has to sand and paint it.  It will get done as soon as I nag enough. lolz

*  Work the Polls  DONE  I did my civic duty.  It was a long day but enjoyable really.

*  Hem Hubs Pants  DONE  The denim was so thick and non-plyable that the machine needle wouldn't go through the multiple layers of fabric at the seams so I had to partially hand hem part of each pants leg. ugh.  But it's done.

*  House Train Puppy  DONE  Dixie is finally house trained...yay!!

*   List Items on eBay  FAIL  I looked back and I didn't list a single item in November(though I did sell stuff that month).  I just got too busy with other things.  I'm not listing anything in December either due to being too close to Christmas now and we have the out of town Wedding in early January so I won't be able to ship stuff out.

*  Go to HS Clinic  DONE  Had my appointment and things are going well....not great but the outbreaks are not as bad as before going on Humira.  Only time will tell how successful this treatment will be and for how long.
In other medical news I also had my sleep doc appointment in November and I am now down to being borderline for needing sleep apnea treatment.  go me. ;-)

* Work on Christmas Gifts  IN PROGRESS  I'm not really "making" anything for gifts, it's just about making up gift baskets, wrapping all of it, and mailing a couple of things.  After we get the tree decorated this week my dining room table becomes wrapping central and the tape and scissors will be flying fast and furiously. lol

* Clean Downstairs for Turkey Day  DONE  Got the place presentable.  'Nuff said.

* Change Curtains in LR  DONE  Got Hubs to finally help hang the Winter curtains up without too much cursing(Guess who did the cursing?!LOL)

* Hang a Picture  DONE  Ditto the item above.  It was a much more difficult chore than the curtains but nobody committed murder in the process(though there were murderous thoughts on both sides).

* Hang Curtains in Hubs' Room  FAIL  I got him the curtain rod out but he just didn't do it.  I need to hem those curtains so they don't cover the baseboard heating unit under the window but he needs to get the rod on the wall so I know how much to cut off the drapes.  And he really needs to do this soon because we'll have folks sleeping in the daybed in that room for the Holidays and that window gets the morning sun so I guess I'll go into nag mode soon.........

* Cook Turkey Day Meal  DONE  It all got done and on time.  Cooking ahead really helped me not to overdo physically.  Even not being as tired and rushed I didn't take a single photo of the day. I was just in the moment for Thanksgiving(when I wasn't running to Rite-Aid that is.)

That's about all I can remember.
I hope everyone tackled everything on their November To-Do List and are satisfied with how things turned out.

Sluggy

To-Do List......the September Update

Here's how the September to-Do List turned out.......

* Pay Bills  DONE  Everything was paid on time. No interest paid EVER! lolz

* Read 1, 2 Books  DONE  
I read this one..........

"The Wright Brothers" by David McCullough"

Mr. McCullough writes very readable books so it's always a joy to pick one of his up.
Wilbur and Orville(as well as their sister, Catherine, who was a teacher and an Oberlin graduate)were very interesting people.  
This book told me a lot I didn't know about the Wrights.  I found their trips to NC for their flight experiments most interesting as that is the part of the world I grew up near.


Then I read this one.......

"The Whole Town's Talking" by Fannie Flagg

I am a big Fannie Flagg fan but this books, IMHO, wasn't up to her usual standards.  I don't know, I just found it lacking in depth and it just seemed a predictable plot.  It started off well but by the end I wasn't as enamored with it.  But I am still glad I read it.

And then I read a third book.......

"The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving: A Novel" by Jonathan Evison

This book went fast and I actually finished it before September was over.  It was a delightful little read(though the subject matter was so delightful lolz)that kept me interested and in suspense.  I may have to hunt down Mr. Evison's previous novel, "West of Here" and give it a look.


* Purge Inserts & Q Envie  DONE  
My poor little coupon envie looks so thin and anemic lately as I haven't been spending much time hunting down Qs to use.
 I have hardly any Qs in my envie right now after cleaning it out and the Insert stack is quite short.

* Hold Giveaway  DONE

All the above plus a few items chosen by the winner were given away.

* Mail Giveaway  DONE  
The box went out promptly and received safely.

* Deep clean Master Bedroom  IN PROGRESS
I haven't been able to deep clean our bedroom for ages.  All the stuff stored in it was relocated to new places in the house by the beginning of September but with everything I've been working on in September(sewing room mostly)I haven't gotten the bedroom thoroughly cleaned.  It's been cleaning by drips and drabs in there so far.
When I get back from my trip, the seasonal clothing will need to be switched and I'll incorporate the closet into the deep clean too.  More to do on this in October.

* Prepare Peppers for Freezer  DONE
This chore got done in early September as that is when we went to the farm and picked a peck of peppers(or was it 3 pecks? I don't know.).

* Can Tomatoes  DONE

I canned the tomatoes in early September.  After that the tomatoes ripened in drips and drabs so I either sauced and used them right away or tucked them into the freezer as there wasn't enough to run the canning pot really.
I didn't can as many this year as last partly because I didn't buy any at the farm like last year and we ate more of the ones we grew fresh(or I made sauce to use right away).

* House Train Puppy  IN PROGRESS
Mostly Dixie is trained now and we haven't had any accidents in the house in a month but I hesitate to mark this one DONE for awhile longer.  Maybe at the end of October?

* Take Load to Salvation Army  DONE
I didn't get a photo of what we took in the last week in September.  Mostly it was Hubs' things he de-cluttered from the man cave as he was setting it up after the makeover in there.

* List Items on eBay  IN PROGRESS
I got about 7 items up in September. It is so frustrating though as eBay REQUIRES you to have the "Make An Offer" feature on non-auction listings so I am having to run the gauntlet of lowball offers from eBay bottom feeders. ugh.
Is it worth it really anymore?  Maybe I'll just start putting my eBay goodies in Giveaway boxes instead!

* Get Car Checked for Trip  DONE  The oil got changed and all belts/hoses checked and tires inflated to proper levels.  We are all set to travel...woohoo!

* Move More $$ Into a CD  DONE I finally got this completed.  The cash hasn't been in a CD for a month yet and already I've earned $30+ on the deposit(can't take it until the CD matures but I still count it every month lol).  Much better than the .06¢ it was earning a month in the reg. checking account. 8-((

* Organize my Stuff in Sewing Room  DONE

All my crap is in there now.

And it's all organized and set up.

Now I just need the motivation and inspiration to get in there and sew something. lolz

* Reorganize Garage  IN PROGRESS
With the Stockpile Sale lots of things got moved and reorganized in the garage.  I've still got some work to do out there but with the weather getting cold now(and I'll be away for a couple of weeks)I don't know how much more progress I'll make this year.  I'll call this one done for the year once October is finished.

* Put Garden to Bed  FAIL
As we are still harvesting veggies into October the garden wasn't put to bed in September.  I am hoping Hubs does it without my help while I am away.  hehehe

* Organize my Stuff in Dining Room  IN PROGRESS  The Dining Room has become "eBay Central" now........it's where I photograph, store and pack what I am attempting to sell on eBay.  It's also where I load/store Giveaway boxes too.  I've got it fairly organized in there now and don't need to clear it out until Thanksgiving, when I'll just move the stacks into the corner of the living room where the Daughter's hanging device(for her back pain)use to be.

* Go Through Stack of Recipes  FALL
Here's what I need to go through...........

A red box of my mother's recipes as well as print outs of recipes from online and a recipe tin with recipe cards, both mine and my mother's.  A lot of these print outs from online can get pitched.  I just didn't get to any of this in September.  Maybe this Winter when I'm stuck inside because of the weather I'll get around to it?  Let's remove it for now and re-attempt this chore during the Winter in 2020.

* Make Reservations for Dec./Jan.  IN PROGRESS
I've gotten MY half of the reservations completed. Hubs is in charge of the car rental and the dog boarding reservations.  I suppose I'll have to nag at him, especially the boarding rez as they will fill up for the Holidays soon. sigh

* Clean my Car  DONE
I got it cleaned and vacuumed out.  The cup holder was nasty(Ex-CB must have spilled something in it one of the few times I've let him take my car lately)but otherwise not too bad.  I wish I could reach the windshield better to clean the inside of it but it's done.

* Color my Hair  FAIL
I didn't get around to coloring my hair until this past Thursday, which was October.

*  Pack for Oct. Trip  IN PROGRESS
Packing is a process and takes days for a trip like this.  I commenced the process late September(making the checklist and gathering supplies).  The actual packing(putting stuff in the car)happens a couple of days before leaving.  After all, I can't be riding around to Rite-Aid and Weis(PMITA)Markets here with my car filled with stuff, right? ;-)

*  Hold Stockpile Sale  DONE

Held the sale the first Saturday of September and traded a lot of what is pictured above for cold hard cash below, with a trace of my sanity too.........

That's all from Chez Sluggy for September.  It was a good and full month.
Onward and upward to October!

Did you have a productive September?  Tell us all about what you got done. ;-)

Sluggy

To-Do List.....the May Edition

Here's how the progress on the May To-Do List turned out............

May

* Pay Bills  DONE  Always at the top of the list and the first thing I get done.

* Read 1, 2 Books  DONE
I read this one..........

"Blood Brothers:The Story of the Strange Friendship Between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill" by Deanne Stillman
The title is a bit misleading once you get into this one.  Mostly it's biographical information on various people of this era-Sitting Bull, Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, George Custer and a few others and how their lives intersected along with  general history of the end of the "Old West".  
There really wasn't much of a "friendship" between these two other than Sitting Bull spent 4 months touring with Buffalo Bill's show in 1885.  The author uses this brief acquaintance as a jumping off point to delve into the events such as the Battle of the Little Bighorn(Siting Bull was for decades thought to have been the one to kill Custer), the Ghost Dance and Massacre at Wounded Knee and the Murder of Sitting Bull.  A few interesting stories but more an easy, light read(except for all the Native American slaughter and such). 8-(

And this one........

"Ten Hills Farm:The Forgotten History of Slavery in the North" by C. S. Manegold

This book traces the life of John Winthrop, the first Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony(the second colony founded in what is now Massachusetts), his descendants and other families who owned the farm-five generations of slave owners who profited from human misery at Ten Hills Farm.

Winthrop owned the 600 acre farm which is where Medford MA now stands called Ten Hills Farm.  It is Winthrop who wrote the first law in the New World condoning slavery and owned a large number of slaves that toiled on his farm there, all the while proclaiming their colony as a beacon of enlightenment and justice.  
Slavery was an entrenched way of life in New England but it is rarely recognized or admitted to.  Many of these founding fathers in MA not only owned slaves but traded in slavery(even when it was outlawed)but also owned slave sugar cane plantations in Caribbean lands(most notably Barbados).  And this doesn't even touch on the New England shipping industry that profited from the Atlantic triangle of trade between the New World, the Caribbean plantations, the shores of Africa and England.

These New Englanders of the gentry class also suppressed religious freedom other than the mainline Puritan teachings(exiling and/or killing those who didn't subscribe to the Puritan ways).  Among the native peoples they made and broke treaties to suit their needs, looked upon the natives as lesser forms of humans and started wars with them so as to sell the captives into slavery and ship them off to their Caribbean plantations. 

It's a long sorted past that the North refuses to acknowledge and it's a breath of fresh air to read this awesome book and see the truth of how widespread this cancer was rooted in the Northern colonies.
Slavery wasn't just a stain upon the Southern parts of America, it was an affliction upon all of it.  The North just got rid of slavery sooner than the South as the North due to weather conditions ended up as an industrial economy while conditions in the South was more conducive to an agrarian economy.  

John Winthrop's legendary "city on a hill", the example for the world of rightful living and a model of "Christian charity" was anything but to anyone other than it's leading citizenry.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interesting in American history and New England history specifically.


* Hold Giveaway  DONE

* Mail Giveaway  DONE  And it's winging it's way to Sue L. as I type this.

* Go on ED Plan  DONE

So far it hasn't turned up any foods my system/my HS doesn't like.   Except my body doesn't like eating only potatoes.  I'm ok as long as it's not a potato monotrophic diet.  I haven't added back in dairy(other than a bit of cheese on that cheeseburger last Thursday)and there were no issues in the 24 hours after eating that.  My HS symptoms haven't changed since going on this ED either(for the good or bad).  

* Start Home Projects  DONE  The Monday after the Daughter pulled out of the driveway we began the purging and cleaning.

Things have been uncovered that haven't seen the light of day since the Daughter moved back home 3 years ago.  The living room has become the dumping ground for items leaving and for items we have to keep and find a new place for.
We have completed a few tasks and we are deep into this project now.
It's a process people! 8-)

* Email a Company  DONE

I emailed Alka-Seltzer about their informing my entry was invalid AFTER the window to resubmit it closed(and they told me to resubmit it!)  Radio silence from them so I am putting them on my AVOID THEIR PRODUCTS list and moving on.
I did return the product to the store for a refund of course!

* Purge Garage Again  IN PROGRESS
We got lots of things removed from the garage, including the evil Dreadmill which Daughter packed into her POD.  However the garage doesn't look like much progress has been made yet since it's packed with garbage cans and trash bags awaiting being carried off by the garbage company.  Daughter and Ex-College Boy have filled so many trash bags that we've had to space out throwing them into our trash collection pile for pick-up over the last three weeks.

This morning 2 large trash cans, plus another 5 trash bags and a large broken exercise bike got picked up.
We only have a large broken desk sitting on the front porch to send to the garbage now.

This is a shot of the garage this morning before Hubs took one of the garbage cans to go back and live on the side of the house as we usually only fill 1 can, but we've been filling two cans+ for the last 3 trash pick-up weeks.
See the clear pathway through the garage?  We haven't been able to walk out of the garage on this side since Daughter started packing and throwing shit out.

* Sort Through Seeds  DONE
I went through my old packets of seeds and found quite a few things I can plant this season.  I put some mesclun salad mix seeds in the half barrels with the broccoli and cauliflower plants.  I've got some basil to sow among the tomato plants later today and in late August I'll plant some spinach seeds after the cukes and Summer squash are done.

* Buy Plants  DONE

Plants were bought in early May from our favorite nursery and everything got planted by mid-month.


* Plant Garden Beds  DONE

We've had lots of days of rain(too many days!)but the plants are hanging in there.  The broccoli and cauliflower are loving the cooler temps though.

* Cash in Savings Bond  DONE
Cashed in the first chance I got to go to the bank and the proceeds are squirreled away with all the other funds from cashed in matured Savings Bonds.

* Move More $ Into a CD  DONE sort of
I got this accomplished on the last day of May(so it was still processing until June).  I say sort of did it because I moved the $$ but I didn't put it into a CD as the rate was lower than the rate to just move the $$ into an online savings account.  I didn't move that much, just the portion of interest earned last year on a previous CD since I didn't roll that CD over fully into a new one.
That $4K+ in interest is now sitting in my "Misc." Fund at Capital One and earning 1% instead of .25% at the brick and mortar bank.
This is just temporary until Hubs and I can sit down and talk over what we want to do next with this $$.

* Help Daughter Pack  DONE

All packed into the POD and her car and the POD got picked up the day after she left for Louisiana.

* Start Selling Locally  DONE

I put a few things on the FB site but the only thing selling are the diapers and pull-ups.  That's fine by me because I had 3 large boxes filled with diapers.  I still have quite a few left(about 30 packs)but I've made $115 so far.
I really don't want to do a garage sale(and I really don't have enough stuff to make it worthwhile)but Summer is not the time to list stuff on the FB site around here as people just want to go to garage sales now. sigh.
Plus people around here answering my FB ads are driving me crazy.  Morons, imbeciles and idiots, the lot of them!!!


Sluggy

The To-Do List.....March Update

Let's not be so late this time and take a look at how the March To-Do List turned out, shall we?


* Pay Bills  DONE--Paid on time or this month many were paid early as we were out of town for half the month(when some were due).

* Read 1, 2 Books  DONE--I read this one..........

"The Mormonizing of American: How the Mormon Religion Became a Dominant Force in Politics, Entertainment, and Pop Culture" by Stephen Mansfield

I found this book very enlightening about a religion(yes it's a religion and not a "cult" as many still think)I knew little about.  Written by an author who is not of that faith but it was a very even handed study nonetheless.  The author interviewed both Mormons and non-Mormons for this book.  A lot of history and backstory in this as well as modern day stories of Mormon followers.
I couldn't put this book down, it was like a drug....ok, maybe a Diet Coke. lolz  (Sorry I couldn't resist the joke, Kim.)
I highly recommend this book to anyone curious about Mormon culture, teachings and history.
And then this one............

"Uncle Sam's Plantation: How Big Government Enslaves America's Poor and What We Can Do About It" by Star Parker

Written by someone who grew up poor and ended up in the ghetto "culture".  She was a welfare mom, or as she says, suckling at the teat of government for her very existence.
Ms. Parker raised herself out of the system that keeps an underclass of Americans dependent on government handouts, or as she terms it dependent on "Uncle Sam's Plantation".  She started a non-profit called CURE(the Center for Urban Renewal and Education)to address what she feels are the issues that have destroyed African-American family life and move adults and families from a life of dependency on Government programs to personal freedom and responsibility.  While I don't agree with some of her agendas I do think she is one of the few people who has a clue how current social policies are destroying our country.
No matter what side of the political bench you are perched on(or not)this is an eye opening and thought provoking book.  Check it out!

* Hold Giveaway  DONE

I gave away two boxes of goodies in March.

* Mail Giveaway  DONE  I know one arrived safely....still waiting on the other winner to acknowledge their box arrived.

* Plan rest of 2019 Trips  DONE  I am calling this one done.  We went South in March for two weeks.  There is a week long trip planned to New Hampshire in June.  Perhaps our eldest son will visit sometime this Summer.  We may go to the Family Reunion end of September and there is a girls trip planned for early October to the beach.  Other than that we are being homebodies this year(unless something comes up).

* Open new CD  DONE  The old CD monies finally processed and we got most of the proceeds put in a new CD at a different bank with a higher rate.
Go me.

* Go on Trip  DONE  That trip is in the books and thankfully our time in Myrtle Beach didn't coincide with college Spring Breaks. lolz  We did some things in Charleston(didn't get down to Savannah GA however), met up with Hubs siblings, got to reconnect with a friend of mine from high school, did 2 different battle fields in NC, spent a couple of days hanging out with my brother and sister in-law and then our eldest son in VA.
It was a low-key, hop in the car and go somewhere, kind of trip.  The best kind IMHO.

*  Purge Inserts  DONE  The "possibly gonna use" Qs got cut out and all the old/expired mostly Q inserts got trashed.

* Work on Health Goals  DONE sort of......I've been in maintenance mode since December and doing well.  I got an appointment at Hershey medical center for an HS clinic but that's not until July. ugh.  Just trying to get through until then but all other health issues are status quo.  I am going to be going on a short term diet regime once the Daughter moves out next month.  More on that at a later date.

*  Plan Home Projects-Timeline  FAIL  Hubs and I have talked loosely about what project need addressing but haven't put a timeline together.  We didn't feel like debating all this while on vacation so we'll be hashing over projects and time frame in May.

*  Purchase Porcfest Tickets  DONE  We purchased the event tickets before the prices went up(Early Bird Special anyone?lolz)and the motel reservations are in place.  Eldest son is still on the fence about going but there is space in our room to accommodate him if he decides to go.
PORCFEST is an annual social/pseudo-political gathering for Libertarians.  Think political convention meets Burning Man. lolz  Hubs has wanted to go for years but it never worked out that we could get there.  This year we go.  The porcupine is the mascot of the Libertarian party thus Porc-fest.  
This should be an "adventure" in every sense of the word........


So how did your list of goals for March turn out?


Sluggy