The Monday List

The wood violets showed up the spring after we had to cut down all of those dead trees.  I love them dearly, and am always glad to see them.

 

 

Last week was a very productive week for me, and I'm very happy about what I was able to accomplish. 

 

Curiously enough, I found myself spending the entire week at home instead of parked at my favorite table at Starbucks.  I actually drove there a couple of times...and then turned around and came home without ever going into the store.   My Starbucks has been my home away from home for years now, as I've been there almost daily since my youngest started kindergarten.  It's odd that I don't want to go now, and I've been trying to figure out what's going on.  Here's what I think it is:

1. I'm finally comfortable working in my corner nook in the basement.  It's impossible when the kids are home, and in the winter when it's really cold...but I've finally learned to love my space and am enjoying it.
2. Likewise, I'm getting tired of having to haul half of my office somewhere else.  I'm the queen of overpacking, but I honestly never know what I'm going to need.
3. My Starbucks went through a redo a couple of years ago, which has seriously changed the feel of the store.  It's now mostly populated by business folk and students - lots of individuals staring at their laptops in a much more masculine environment.  The cozy, friendly vibe is pretty much gone, and I truly miss the crazy, random encounters I used to have.
4. It's also crazy busy.  I'm happy for them, but there are days I don't want to deal with it.
5. If I'm honest, it's become a little too much of a social gathering spot for me.  I have some really awesome friends who also come by on a regular basis.  In fact, I have many good friends I've made BECAUSE of Starbucks.  As much as I love them, though, I've found that I'm actually getting less and less done during my time there, and that's a tad frustrating.
6. The blasted allergies again.  It is very typical for me to go through an anti-social withdrawal in the fall, which is normally the worst time of the year for me.  This spring has been truly awful, though, and I'm tired all of the time and have little energy to be around people. 
7. I'm not crazy about the new tea line.  It's good, and I have several options, but I actually splurged and bought myself some really good looseleaf green and white teas from the Tea Market...and I'd rather drink it.
8. Maybe it's just time for a bit of a change in the schedule, change of the habits.  I kind of hate how OCD I get about the whole thing....

None of this is to say that it's over.  I would miss dreadfully all of my friends and the lovely staff if I were to give up Starbucks for good, and I do have plans to go back this week.  It just might be time to shake things up a bit.

 

Anyway, let's move on to the list, shall we?

 

Last week's list:

1. The hap was finished, with plenty of time.
2. The article is going live soon, and was a lot of fun.  I'm going to ask to see if I can also publish my environmental articles here on the blog.
3. Journaling was spotty.  I did get some interesting dreams recorded, but that's about it
4. I did get quite a bit of work done on the pair of socks that's been lingering for a while.  I always have a pair on the needles for just such occasions.
5. and 6.  Didn't happen...but mostly because I was focused elsewhere. 

 

Now for this week's list:

1. First and foremost, I am finishing up my second year as the Building Volunteer Coordinator for my elementary school.  As soon as I finish here, I'll be turning in my official report on the volunteer hours to our school district, and I need to get the list of individual volunteer names completed today....maybe tomorrow if I need to have a friend of mine double check a few things.  It's very rewarding work, and when you see the numbers it truly does remind you of how wonderful people can be.  Not going to lie, though, I hope they find someone else to do it next year.
2. I need to do some major spring cleaning.  It's time!
3. I need to take one of our chairs to the local furniture repair place for an estimate.
4. And I need to take our donation pile to the Salvation Army.  (So far, there's nothing creative on the list...BUT, cleaning up my personal space will clear me up for creative work.)
5. Do you remember a few weeks ago when I said I wanted to figure out what to do with some yarn that had been hanging around for a long while?  Well, I think my mom is going to take some of it for a weaving project, and...drumroll, please....thanks to my turtle project I figured out what I want to do with the Brooks Farm Duet.  I am VERY happy about this, and want to do some swatching this week to see if it's going to work.  Fingers crossed!
6. I need to have a conversation with a FB friend of mine about doing a KAL to design our own lace.  She threw the idea out there when I posted about the fact that it is time I get over myself and get to it...and I think that might be exactly what I need to actually do it this time.  She had several ideas about how to go about it, so we just need to figure out what works.
7. I really do want to do that mini sock art project.
8. and I want to spin some this week. 
9. Knitting is the tricky question, oddly enough.  Having finished up everything that had a deadline, and having promised to be selfish (mostly) about my knitting this year, I'm not sure in what direction I want to go next.  So maybe this week instead of listing specific projects I want to work on, I just want to give myself the freedom to figure that out and play a little. 
10. I don't know.  Just seems like there should be 10.

 

And that's that...have a great week everyone!