JUST KIDDING!

We are in the time of year I refer to as the “teasing season.” From February through April, Mother Nature insists on tormenting us with the “look-it’s-beautiful!-never-mind” roller coaster.

Take, for example, this weekend. Yes, there was 70-degree weather, sunshine, daffodils and bullfrogs on Friday with all the cheer they brought. However, because fairy tales are not real, yesterday it was in the “you can almost go without a coat, but you’ll be sorry if you do” temps. By early evening the temps dropped back into the 30’s and stayed there through today (Sunday), the wind picked up, and there’s been an icy cold rain all day requiring winter coats, gloves, and scarves. (West of me, in the mountains, they got walloped with snow – reminding me that rain is not so bad).

Despite the weather, we managed to get enough done for me to be satisfied with our efforts. I can tell it’s been a productive weekend when the garbage bin that gets collected on Friday is full again by Sunday.

Besides the standard laundry / grocery shopping (I hadn’t been in four weeks) / vacuuming type chores, Oscar cleaned his room while I sorted through three years of paperwork and receipts.

I used to be OCD about filing. When I first started Adulting, I tried to follow the “rules” and every vendor, or at least category, had its own file folder to put every receipt generated for the year with a new set of files begun at the beginning of January each year. Over the years, I realized this contributed nothing but stress to my life and I have become quite casual in my handling of papers. So other than the documents in my Important Documents Binder, my current “method” is to throw everything into a box and at the end of each January (yeah right, lol), keep the important stuff and throw away the unimportant stuff. Any statements, bills, or receipts I am keeping for that year go into an expanding wallet folder, on which I write the year put in a box with other years’ folders. I do have a few categories that I sort out and keep separate – like big purchases for the house, medical information, etc.

I am pleased to report that project was completed, and my collection box is now empty.

(Yeah, sorry, Jessica and Erica, this is what you get to deal with when I’m gone. Don’t bother asking, “Why did she keep this??” There was always a good reason at the time. Oh, and don’t be fooled if you find something you are looking for – there’s more somewhere else.)

We also put a fresh layer of bedding in the chicken coop, bought concrete blocks for an upcoming project, bought five bags of sand to put in the holes left when the azaleas were removed from in front of my house, and bought a few t-posts we are going to need to fence in the expanded in-ground garden. We even dumped the sand and a leftover bag of mulch in the holes. We’ll have to get more before covering the area with landscape material, but at least I won’t trip in the holes anymore.

I also finally sorted through some canning supplies and inventoried my supply of lids. I believe I have enough for the year. I must say, it hurt my heart a little bit to discover and discard several boxes of canning lids purchased in 2013 and 2014. The manufacturers recommend using the lids within five years and I just don’t want to risk the wasted time and effort that would result from failed lids.

Now, don’t be fooled. Looking at my house you wouldn’t think I accomplished much. Everything I did was one of those “invisible tasks” we are all familiar with. More importantly, these were all projects that were weighing on my mind, and I am grateful to have them done!

And, yes, the garbage bin is full!