Pointless Drivel

Well, the Christmas decorations are put away, and the living room is rearranged. That's always one of my favorite things to do. I'm convinced that we moved so much when I was a kid that I don't really know how to deep clean a room, but that's not really true because I KNOW my mother taught me what to do. Maybe I just don't like doing it. Maybe I don't quite have enough energy. So whenever I need to get a room really clean I end up rearranging the furniture. This summer will see us in this house for ten whole years! At least the kids are old enough to be helpful. Shop vac-ing is fun when you are eight and getting paid to do it.

Today is the start of a new semester. My oldest is off to school and my other three are dutifully getting their school books out. Meanwhile, here I sit, in my jammies and a cup of coffee and my blog screen open. So very responsible of me, isn't it?

Just about killed myself yesterday with getting the living room done, so today I must take it easy. Nothing harder than cleaning the kitchen and cooking for me! I keep thinking I should make a grand plan, new-years house keeping resolution schedule...but I can never get my foggy brain wrapped around the concept, nor my
foggy body to cooperate.

Currently Reading: Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin Temple Grandin is an Autistic woman who has a ph.D. in Animal stuff. She goes around designing and implementing and inspecting feed lots and slaughter houses and things like that to make them more humane. And she's really really good at what she does. A very interesting voice in the whole ethical treatment of animals/food discussion. I like reading her stuff because she writes in a very straightforward style. Check out something written by her. I find this book fascinating.

Also reading: Chronicles of History and Worship: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Books of Chronicles by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon. Oh, I like me some Old Testament stuff!

Special Goals for this year (above and beyond what I normally do each day):

Read A History of Russia by Nicholas V. Riasanovsky

Design, sew and do embroidery and beading on at least one infant baptismal gown

Loose the last 15-20 pounds that need to come off.

Grow my hair long (already through the wretchedly hard part)

Complete the wool shawl I'm designing and crocheting

Write some more songs

Improve my guitar playing (learn new chords, and some more theory)

Things I'd love to do but don't know if I'll be able to:

Spend more time in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry and take as much time on the U505 exhibit as I want, without kids in tow.

Go camping

Re-do the curtain/window treatments in our living room

See my parent's new house

Acquire and read at least one book on Nuclear Submarines (dh got me one on WW2 era U boats from the library to read last weekend, that's a start but I want more modern stuff.)

Comments

Mimi said…
Great start, and wonderful goals!
Anonymous said…
Temple Grandin is really fascinating, and I'm glad that McDonald's took her seriously since they're the 1000 pound gorilla in the beef industry. Have you read Oliver Sachs' book *An Anthropologist on Mars*? That's Dr. Grandin.
Alana said…
No I have not, but after I finish reding the book on WW2 ear subs, I'll try and find it.