To-Do Lists for 2021.....The January Edition

 Here's how my January To-Do came out......

*  Pay Bills  DONE  Everything was paid(plus 1 bill was paid ahead annually for the year)and we had a shade over $300 leftover.  Go me.

*  Read 1 Book  DONE   I read this one..........

"The Seasons of My Mother: A Memoir of Love, Family and Flowers" by Marcia Gay Harden

I've always enjoyed Ms. Harden's theatrical work so her name on the cover drew me in.  It's a heartfelt account of Harden's life growing up, her later years and career and her close connection with her mother especially.  It's told in the present looking at her past and her mother through the lens of Alzheimer's as her mother developed that condition and how it affected Marcia's life.  It was a very interesting read(as Marcia led an extraordinay life, especially as a child)and very sad at the same time.
Marcia's mother was a master of Ikebana and she used that love of traditional Japanese flower arranging to entwine the chapters of her and her mom's stories.

I highly recommend this one and it's going on my book shelf instead into the donate pile. 8-)

*  Take Down Xmas Stuff  DONE   The tree and decor was taken down after the 10th of the month.  There wasn't much to actually do as we used the small tree that was sparsely ornamented and not much decor was put up.

*  Organize and Put Away Xmas  DONE  Well except for the Xmas table runner on the buffet(done now)and the Xmas tablecloth on the dining room table(still on it)everything Xmas is put away.  I just need to move everything off the dining room table(it has become a dumping ground for new R-A purchases and a staging area as I go through and organize stuff)to get that tablecloth folded and put in the buffet drawer.  It will happen soon but I am calling this item done....99.9%. ;-)

*  Organize Pantry  FAIL  I started going through the Pantry but got distracted and never finished that item.  sigh.  This goes forward onto February's list.

*  Clean out Fridge  DONE  I really need to put this on every month's list!  I cleaned/cleared out both fridges(we have one in the garage as well for overflow)in January.  It seems to be a constant cleaning/organizing chore.  I am trying to clear some "old dogs" out of the garage fridge too in my quest to use up stuff and have been relatively successful at moving/eating older things.

*  Hold Giveaway  DONE

*  Mail Giveaway  DONE  Promptly mailed and received.

*  4 Dr. Appointments  DONE  One was a Telemedicine appointment with the Sleep Doc.  Since I got a new BiPAP machine insurance required this appointment(in order for them to pay for it)even though I've been  using a machine for 7+ years now and I sort of know how to use it. lol
But hey, I'll pay the office visit charge for this appointment over paying OOP for a new machine. 

Then I had a routine check-up with my Primary Doc.  Changes some meds and we're all good there.

Also had an exam with the Ophthalmologist(eyes are the same, no changes)and new reading glasses.

Then I finally got my "annual" mammogram which was almost a year later than planned.  I usually go in Jan./Feb. but I decided to wait until Spring(better weather and less hassle)in 2020 and then Covid hit and the hospital here shut down doing mammography until Summer.  Then I had an HS procedure on my breast and couldn't get a boob smashing until that healed up.  After 1 aborted attempt in early October it got rescheduled a couple of times and I went on an antibiotic long term to get the incision finally healed.  End of January we had a successful mammo and Sluggy shows no signs of boob cancer.  Rah!

*  Roll/Spend ECBs  DONE  Last week....or so I thought.  Turns out I still have $4 in ECBs to use.  *Sluggy raises her fist to the sky and exclaims, "Curses on you CVS!!!"  More on that later as well.

*  Roll/Spend Bonus Cash  DONE  I successfully rolled/spent down lots of BC at Rite-Aid(See all the R-A posts for January).  This needs to continue into February as I hope to divest myself of BC altogether on 2 cards.

*  Celebrate my Birthday  DONE  Due to Covid nobody came to help Hubs and I celebrate my "early SS" birthday.  We did do some Birthday celebration eating(free burger out at Red Robin, Chinese take-out on my Birthday),Hubs gave me 2 gift cards and I received some Bday cards.  But other than that it was a lowkey celebration.  The big thing was Hubs made me a birthday cake from scratch(his first from scratch cake ever!).  It was yummy except he forgot to add raisins(carrot cake)but that's ok!  I just sprinkled raising on top as I don't do frosting on my carrot cake recipe as it's so rich and yummy and doesn't need frosting to perk it up. ;-)

*  Stay Warm  DONE  Well we had a good amount of snow and cold in January.  If I had a crystal ball I'd know that February was the month I'd need to put this item on my list! lolz
I've been more conscious about lowering the heat and or closing doors so we aren't heating spaces we aren't using so the electric bill wasn't too bad in January.  I've pretty much switched from iced tea to hot tea as my beverage of choice for now and I'm layering my clothes more to keep the chill off.  Too bad January was just the dress rehearsal for Staying Warm in February!

*  Eat Down the Freezer  DONE  Well we DID eat down lots of foodstuffs in the freezers but, because of some good deals I found we pretty much filled it back up in January so we ended the month a little below what we started with. lol  It's all good though as we used older things that needed using. ;-)

All in all, it was a successful for me month.  Not much going on and not much that was ambitious but I'm good with that.

How did your January turn out?

Sluggy

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.....March Update

Let's see how March's To-Do List turned out.........

* Pay Bills  DONE  Everything paid early or on time and money leftover this month. yay

* Read 1,2,3,4 Books  DONE  Even before we got the stay home order in PA I was on fire reading.  Ok, one of the books was a lightweight but still....

I read this one...

"Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan
This is a novel, a partially historical novel about Mamah Bosworth Cheney, the mistress of Frank Loyd Wright and their life together.  It was well done and reminded me of "Twain's End" and "Hanging Mary", two other historical fiction books I've read.  5 thumbs up.

Then I read this.....

"It's All Relative:Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree" by A.J. Jacobs
This is a genealogy related book so someone into this subject will find some of it interesting.
I found it a very quick read and a little too lightweight and full of general knowledge with a humorous tone.  2 thumbs up.

Third was this one......

"Papillon" by Henri Charrière
This is the autobiography book from 1969, that was made into a major film in 1973 with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman and was remade in 2017 starring Rami Malek and Charlie Hunnam.
It's about a safe cracker from Paris who was wrongly convicted of killing a pimp in 1931 and sentenced to life in the French Guiana penal colony (called "Devil's Island" in English)through 1945 and his numerous attempts to escape.
It's an amazing book, especially since the writer was not a writer per se.  It will keep you interested and you won't be able to put it down, especially if you haven't seen either movie.
I now need to see these movies to see if they live up to this man's book.  5 thumbs up!!!

Fourth was this.......

"The Birth of Loud:Leo Fender, Les Paul and the Guitar Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock N' Roll" by Ian S. Port

I picked this up on a whim at Ollie's(Good Stuff Cheap!)and thought at least Ex-College Boy being the family musician may enjoy it but I gave it a read first.  I was never a guitar gal but I did grow up during the revolutionary period of 1960's rock n' roll so it intrigued me.  It filled in some history about this era in music and I learned a lot about Leo Fender and Les Paul(and Mary Ford too).  4 thumbs up.


* Manage Money (CD)  DONE  We had a CD mature the beginning of March.  If we left it at the financial institution it was with they had a 13 month CD that gave an extra .05% in interest(not that the current rates are anywhere what they were when we set this CD up in 2019).  Plus if we kept the money with this bank we got an extra .05% in interest at maturity making the bonus .10% extra. whoopee 

* Hold Giveaway  DONE

* Mail Giveaway  DONE  and received.

* Make Face Masks  DONE 
I made myself a mask and one each for my 2 sons.

I also made this one with some "Night of the Walking Dead" fabric I had bought to make shorts to match a t-shirt I bought Ex-College Boy(but he isn't into NOTWD anymore).....

* Bathe Dogs  DONE  Both pups got bathes in March(Dixie got more than one as she is stinkier).lolz

* Take Load to Food Bank  PASS  Ok, I didn't get the food to the Food Bank in March.  I called twice and left messages and they never got back to me in March.  I am not sure if they are accepting food donations with the pandemic or just money.

* List Items on eBay  FAIL  Thought I did sell 1 item in early March I just haven't been motivated to list anything else.  Now with money being tight with so many losing jobs temporarily I just don't feel right selling non-essentials even if someone is nuts enough to buy them.  I don't make my living off of eBay so I'd rather not put anything for sale on there now.  I can wait.  ;-)

* Cash Savings Bond  DONE  I had Hubs cash the bond before our bank closed it's lobby for the duration(now it's only drive-thru tellers).  I've added the proceeds to all the other cashed/matured Savings Bonds.  We really need to dump this stash into a CD or something but with rates in the toilet right now, we'll wait a bit longer.  It's not life-changing to not have this $$ invested right now.

* Hem Hubs' Shirts  PASS  I did work on this sewing project but I didn't have Hubs full cooperation in March so nothing much gone accomplished.  I needed him to try every. last. shirt. on. to mark them all. ugh

* Plan/Goals for 2020  FAIL  A big Fat Fail on planning anything for 2020.  I had some ideas but everything/all the world is on hold right now so we are at a standstill on plans for 2020.
I'll mention what I need to do once it's safe to resume life as normal......
*Go to VA to work on legal stuff with brother(and visit eldest son too)
*Go somewhere on vacation(it's looking like Fall now)
*Get painting in house done(have to wait to hire someone)

So that's where we are at going into April.
How was your March?
Did you get anything accomplished?

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 To-Do List.....December Update

Here's how I did getting stuff done in December.......

*  Pay Bills  DONE
All paid on time or early.  Now we have the added joy in January of doing the books for 2019 now that the financial year is complete.
Good times.....

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

"Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee" by Charles J. Shields
This is an updated version(added to since Nelle Harper Lee's death in 2016).
Anyone who loves Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" really needs to read this book.  Though not written with any input from the persons detailed in the book, the author gives us a very personal and detailed account of Harper Lee's life and personae. 
5 thumbs up!

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

"A Gushing Fountain" by Martin Walser
Written by one of the best post war German writers(and just recently translated into English a few years ago), this semi-autobiographical work is well worth the time invested to read it.  It is multi-layered and deep and can be slow going.
On the surface it's about the life in a small rural provincial town in German in the early 1930's through WWII as experienced by a young boy/young man.  It's a coming of age story, it's a family dynamics story, set against a Germany heading into it's Third Reich government phase and all the sordid outcomes that brought about within Germany and beyond.
I saw many reviews of this book that basically said this book was so lame and boring.  I just don't think any of them got the point of this book.
If you are a fan of history and especially of the WWII era, this book will give you much to chew on and think about beyond the surface tale of a young boy coming of age.
Another 5 thumbs up but be prepared for a long slog through it or having to reread chapters(or the whole book as you'll get more out of it if you do that).

*  Hold Giveaways  DONE
I did two giveaways in December.

*  Mail Giveaways  DONE  All mailed and received(at least I think both were received because Jennifer didn't let me know if she got hers yet).

*  Do Christmas Cards  DONE  I mailed 20 cards and put 1 card inside a box I mailed, so 21 cards mailed.  I think I forgot a few folks unfortunately. 8-(

*  Decorate for Christmas  DONE

Other than putting up the tree and decorating it, wrapping pine garland on the stair bannister and setting out the Nativity creche that was all the decorating I did this year.

*  Wrap Christmas Gifts  DONE  Everything got wrapped.

*  Work on Christmas Gifts  DONE  I didn't have much to work on this year which was a good thing what with the wedding stuff coming up a week after Xmas ended.

*  Dr. Appointment  DONE  Got my bloodwork and OV taken care of.  Everything was fine and we are staying the course on the treatment I have going now.

*  Get Flu Shot  DONE  While I was at the doctor's office I remembered to ask for my flu shot.  Hey, that's an accomplishment for me....ask me how many times I went to the bank before I remembered to ask for more coin rolls to roll my change! lolz

*  Redo Address Book  IN PROGRESS  It's not finished but it'd mostly done.  I used the sending out Christmas cards to take the time to transfer addresses into the new book.  I still need to go through the old address book and make sure I didn't miss anyone before I pitch that one out.  I haven't updated my address book in 20 years or so and there were lots of changes of address plus many persons in that book that are no longer alive.  sigh.

*  Hang Curtains in Hubs' Room  DONE
I don't have a photo of this(as it's really nothing exciting to look at)but I got it finished.  Hubs waited until the last minute to put the rod up too.  Eldest son was sleeping in that room over Xmas and it gets the morning sun bad(or good if you like bright light in your eyes first thing in the morning)so this needed to be finished before the 25th.  I had to nag at him to hang the rod plus I just couldn't put the curtains on the rod and be done with it....the curtains had to be hemmed up so they didn't hang over the electric baseboard heater and I didn't know how short to hem them until I could see/measure the length from the rod. ugh.  men.

*  Cook for Christmas  DONE
I cooked and did as much prep and pie work as I could the day/night before.  Eldest son's GF doesn't eat Beef(except for tacos and burgers)and we were having a Beef Roast so I had to additional chore of making a Lasagna too.  fun times.
But it all got done and went well.

*  Hem Dress for Wedding  DONE
As soon as Xmas company was gone I went up and tried the dress on and with Hub's assistance pinning it, I set to hemming my dress.  It was a fairly easy chore and sent fast but it got put off too long due to so many other things on my plate in December.

Everything got accomplished(or in the case of the Address Book got a good start)in December.

I didn't put much on my To-Do List so I didn't get stressed out over the Holidays.  Maybe I am growing wiser in my old age? lol  I could have loaded the list up with so much more but I knew it would all be there in 2020 waiting for me and just the important/timely stuff went on the December To-Do List.

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