My intention this week is to stop arguing with Bob and develop some patience and maturity. I got so fed up last week, I went down to lunch, sat with friends, and said, “I’m going to kill him.” Of course, if he’d ended up dead, they’d have all turned me in like a shot. so I am apologizing in public now: I can’t kill Bob, I need him to write books. What did Bob do? He’s a guy, born in the Bronx, trained in the military. He says things like, “We decided that weeks ago.” No, no we didn’t. But we’re fine. We both apologized and the book is getting really good now that it’s spring and I’m coming out of hibernation (slowly) and Bob’s stuff was always good, I think this is my fave hero of his ever, so my intention is to negotiate from now on and not snap and snarl.
Thank god he doesn’t read this blog.
Former intention was to get the wall art up, and I did get some up, but mostly I just planned where it would go and why. I know, do better, Jenny. I did get my small base cabinet cleared out with racks installed so nothing is stacked any more. But basically, this week I better get my counters cleared off AND the art up. It’s really hard to walk around in here.
So what’s your good intention this week? Any news on last week’s (two weeks ago)? No pressure.
64 Responses
I don’t think “do better” is a good way to acknowledge the things you’ve accomplished? You wouldn’t say that to a friend, or a child, and you can treat yourself at least as well as you treat your friends, so don’t tell yourself that either. Give yourself credit for doing the things on the list, and move forward. Also (also!) everything takes longer than you (or I, or anyone else) thinks it will.
Also not arguing with someone can be really really really hard. you get full marks for swearing off that.
Totally totally agree with Lee. And I think someone who went through three major medical crises in the last year and moved twice and still writes books is accomplishing a lot!
Also I know you don’t like other people helping with moves but maybe one day of help would clear the walkway?
Planning is a very important part of getting the wall art up. Give yourself full marks for that!!
A couple of weeks ago, I made a red and black quilt top from a jelly roll (a selection of fabric strips that are 2.5 inches wide by the width of the fabric – usually it contains 40 strips, and usually includes several repeats of fabrics). The pattern was interesting, and I spent a lot of time trying to keep the repeated fabrics from being next to each other.
This past week, I used the same pattern, but this time deliberately kept the colors together in one block, because this particular roll had 42 different colors. I put it together trying for a color wash effect, going from lighter to darker.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DX6oCiEDn1s/?img_index=1
I also caught up on my group’s mystery project.
Included in those photos are pictures of Wendy and her lovely green eyes, and Charlie giving me a WTF look. I also got a picture of him relaxing after I rubbed his belly.
I know one of my intentions was to prune my azaleas, and I did start that. I took a “before” picture, and pruned three of them, which is not quite half. I’m planning on getting to the rest this week.
I also entered an unfinished quilt into a quilt show, so my intention this week is to get to work on quilting it! I’ve got the next bit planned out, which will hopefully lead to another bit of a plan, and another bit of a plan until it is done. The show is not until August, so I’ve got a little bit of time. 🙂
For a moment there, I thought you meant there was a quilt show for unfinished quilts, and I was all “Sign me up!” (Although then I remembered I finished most of my UFOs last year, and also that you meant you did the submission paper work while it was unfinished but intended to finish it before the actual show.
Wouldn’t that be a hoot – a quilt show of flimsies!
I’d go to it!
I’ve got about 15 of them!
The quilt is beautiful, and so are the cats.
Great photos, Nancy! The merging quilt is very pretty.
I am helping Protective Services save that adult disabled daughter. And probably sending them lots of info they don’t need in the process. I have asked them to be more clear about that.
And I need to get one of the big work jobs done. I also need to start getting annuals in the ground and clean my desk off.
And I need to keep my patience. It’s going to be a long two months with this woman we agreed to house sight unseen. She said she would arrive around 5 yesterday, showed up at 11, and her son (who we asked to come over to unload her car) left close to 1. I’m exhausted. So far she seems pretty inconsiderate although I am trying hard to remember it is hard to manage a move in your 70s when you are disabled. And admiring Jan even more !
If I make it through the next two months it will be because DH is a hero and an extrovert and does most of the dealing with her.
Good luck to you, Debbie!
I’d send Protective Services everything and let them decide if it’s important.This must be such satisfying work.
There are so many I would be afraid they wouldn’t spot the key items. And they asked me to only send names of people willing to be witnesses and medical bills because by now they have all they need of things like her crazy mold beliefs, having kids sleep in carports when they rent the house …
I need to know want they want witnesses to, and how far back to go on medical bills, and will credit card
Statements work or do they need invoices …answers like that.
I have been trying to figure out how to report this to protective services since maybe 2024? Earlier ? But we couldn’t find the address.
It’s very satisfying but it is also so hard to keep reading through all the emails of what was happening and seeing how their dad who knew much more all along never did anything to protect them (and we tried to get him to over and over even though we only knew small pieces.) I am drained.
On a brighter note —today they sent me a mailing address for daughter so family can send her birthday cards. I’m reasonably certain mom only let her knot her two brothers were calling and probably didn’t put them on the phone with her. I want her to know she has extended family that cares.
I’ve got domestic intentions for the week, I suppose. Delegating grocery shopping to DH. Delegating vacuuming & dusting to the cleaner. Taking Mom to a plant sale next Saturday morning. Remembering to refill the bird feeder outside my window.
Writing intentions, as usual. Day Job may interfere, which would be frustrating, since I’m on kind of a roll with the GeoIV story.
Activity intentions: I’m doing well with yoga, balance exercises (barre inspired), and deliberate inflation of my number of trips up and down the stairs. Not so well getting to the treadmill, much less outside. Though I did an hour of weeding Friday night; that isn’t “moving body across the face of the Eart” but it is at least “moving body.”
I met a friend for coffee today and that was lovely, haven’t seen him in a few months so it was good to catch up.
Other than going for a hip x-ray on Wednesday I am not planning a great deal. Feeling sore and if I have energy should probably clean my home which doesn’t sound a lot but seems out of reach some days. Mind you getting up and washed and dressed seems out of my reach some days too.
I agree with Lee, doing the best we can on a daily basis is the best we can. No point in berating ourselves for not doing more (though I am telling myself this as much as anyone!)
Please be kind to yourself. You’re doing a lot. As someone who runs a “ do better” script in her head on a daily basis, I know intellectually that it’s not helpful or true. Also know it’s hard to shut it down.
I finally got the taxes submitted. Two years for DH and me and 3 for DS. I’m determined we will submit 2026 taxes on time and have already started sorting receipts into an envelope.
This is my last week of reduced activity. I need glasses to drive and am picking new ones up today. Depending entirely others to drive me places has been disconcerting. DH has been great about taking me to my various appts but he works and has limited time in the day. I can still get around by walking or taking the bus but hard to get groceries this way, especially when I’m not supposed to lift anything over 10 lbs.
I’m going to work at cleaning my house this week. Perhaps because I’ve been spending a lot more time at home, I’ e noticed my house is dirty. Dusting and vacuuming are done regularly but not baseboards, window sills, insides of drawers/cupboards, etc. Expect it’s a multi week effort.
You have my sympathy, Susan. I hope all goes well, from now on. I am so grateful to my son, DIL and sullen, but cooperative, teen-age granddaughter for carting me around. They don’t complain, and they are so kind to me.
Jenny, Most of my writing experience is with nonfiction, but it tells me that the perfect in a month is the enemy of the good-enough today, and that in any case the writer often can’t tell the difference between making something better and just fiddling around with it. So maybe some of the time Bob has a point. On the other hand you’re a better judge than Bob of whether his own writing is working. (But not a perfect one. No single person is very good at judging how the mysterious target audience is going to react, although both you and Bob have good track records, so I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. )
Bob’s stuff on this book is excellent. I have come to realize that Winter 2025 was not a good time for me to write romantic comedy. But Spring has sprung and I can do this. (Do not tell Bob he has a point.)
As for my own pitiful goals and results, parts of my kitchen counter have seen light for the first time in probably months and I’ve run the dishwasher and done hand dishwashing. That and similar activities but the latter aimed more at maintaining the status quo than making progress.
As for intentions: I’m not hurting too bad for perishable groceries, but am out of all breadstuffs except part of one of those packages of German long-keep bread (and some crackers), so shopping is on for today or tomorrow. I’ve got other starches on hand, but they’ll need replenishment soon too.
Realistically, chores (hopefully vigorous enough to encourage growing more stamina) plus some writing is all I’m planning for, although I could pull other items out of latency if so prompted.
Congratulations, Patrick, for making progress. Keep on slogging!
I get to the weekends and just collapse still. No garden time, can’t bring myself to read or enjoy the downtime or work on a project. It’s frustrating. I want to want things again. I want to feel satisfaction and at least make progress. When my brain gets bored it misbehaves, but it still seems to be throwing a tantrum whenever I as it to make decisions.
I did tidy up two small pockets of chaos yesterday, so that was good. Cancelled plans with my cousin’s wife, which I feel bad about because I really like her and it is hard to find a good time to see her, but it would have involved driving about an hour one way and I was just too tired.
I’m trying to focus in and really get stuff done at work this week because I am taking a long weekend for our wedding anniversary and I don’t want to come back to a huge mess. Only downside to leaving the teller line. Nothing really snowballed or waited there.
I’ve started calling it Side Quest Sunday because I always end up working on something not planned and usually not necessary.
Ooooh I like Side Quest Sunday! I’m going to try to have one of those.
And hey – happy anniversary!
I have quick Side Quests morning, noon, and night.
I am easily dis -Squirrel!
So I read this: ” I did get my small base cabinet …” and my mind said, “Cuz it’s all about the base, ’bout the base, no trouble…” and I had to go read a book for awhile.
Have you seen the Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ) version of that on YouTube? It’s so good.
I concur that you are being harsh to yourself in a way you would not be to a friend. Besides, you have a plan. And a plan is half the battle.
It’s a sunny morning and I took a walk by the ocean, patted +/- twenty dogs, and had an iced latte and a chocolate croissant, so my world view is pretty rosy. Yesterday I bought a large bright pink geranium plant.
I hope to take care of three tasks for my mom’s affairs, probably cancelling credit cards. Time to change to different blankets, and put the winter things out into the sun, and possibly take them to the laundromat.
My boss is out of town so I am actually here on a Monday! We had three inexplicably missing things-she-should-have-had-with-her items, but I was able to convince her where the power cords got packed, and that was the most drastic one, so claiming to be ahead on points.
I am still aiming to behave professionally again… i.e. stop arguing with boss and develop some patience and maturity.
My good intention for this week is really for the whole month — get back into a productive routine after going with the flow of house-repairs (replace a lot of the siding and related parts, like trim and the front door and front porch and tenants’ emergency exit) and appliance delivery/setup (and converting from gas to electric).
The exterior work isn’t completely done, but it’s close, and I don’t want to lose another month to the chaos. It will take some time and practice to get back into my usual rut, so my intention is to take it slowly and not beat myself up when I backslide. By the end of the month, though, I should be fully back to daily fiction-writing, plus some gardening and quilting. Part of the quilting will be preparing some finished items for the Romancing the Vote auction in July, while the rest will be working on my next major quilt project — if you missed it yesterday when I ended up in mod for having too many links (which I should have known better than to do, but brain was fried by construction chaos and allergy season), you can see the first block here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DX20i85kX7x/
Jenny, I remember from many Perry Mason episodes another reason not to say “I’m going to kill him” just out of frustration. Mason’s clients were always doing that and the prosecution constantly used that as proof of premeditation and a charge of first-degree murder. Mason of course always got them off, but perhaps some could have gotten bail while awaiting trial on a lesser charge, and likely his fee was higher for first degree (if the client could afford it).
Is that a warning to me about the mom? Noted.
There are now 243 comments on Jenny’s request for good long series. Lots of duplicated entries but also lots of comments with multiple entries . I think she can read those or write but not both!
Also actor Jennifer: if you are reading this hoping you are getting really good care and things are looking up. When you feel up to it please let us know how you are doing.
I dunno. In my own case I can only write for so many hours before fatigue sets in, but I can just read for longer. I may have to stop reading anything requiring concentration a couple of hours before bedtime, but that’s still later than I can productively write.
Should have added that I wish the same as Debbie for actor Jennifer.
Debbie, ditto for actor Jennifer. I have been wondering how she’s doing.
My good intention is to finish the final edits and let go of the ms. Not always easy for me. It’s due Wednesday and I hope to finish everything tomorrow and send it so she gets it first thing on Wednesday morning.
My intention this week is to get a lot of work/personal stuff done and then…off to another conference on Friday – wheee!!!
I have not finished unpacking from the last conference but …all the outfits for Friday trip are already chosen – I’ve mapped them out in writing, including shoe choices and possible backup outfits – so that’s at least done.
Dodged 2 skunks this morning walking Pixie. Or maybe it was the same one, who knows? Anyway my major intention for this week is to be very aware of our surroundings. They’re usually not around during the daylight hours.
Pixie had a spa day today and didn’t realize I did the vacuuming. She’s the only one of my Shelties to dislike the vacuum. All my previous ones found the machine to be the best antagonist.
It’s thirty minutes until midnight and I don’t think anyone has said it;
MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!
Happy Star Wars Day. 🙂
😂
Darn! That completely slid past me, Gary. Thanks for the reminder.
I’m pretty sure, back when you were teaching at McDaniel, there were consequences for negging ourselves and for a very good readon–it’s not helpful.
Celebrate your successes. Look how much more productive you are now than you were 5 years ago!
Wow, you remember that? Good for you. That was a great class.
But we did decide that.
No, you decided that. I said I’d start there, not stay there forever, rigid and unchanging.
Really, after twenty years doing this together, you thought I’d not evolve my ideas for the book over three months?
But we shouldn’t be fighting in front of the children, Robert. We’re better than that.
(Also, I’m right.)
I got derailed by visiting a friend, having to replace a refrigerator unexpectedly, and having my pond guy here last Friday to get the pond back up and running for the season (it needed a major clean-up, which meant I spent 2 hours chasing goldfish and half-grown pollywogs with a net, and he was here all day) and my new-last-year contractor finally came by AT THE SAME TIME (of course) to go over the things I wanted to get done on the house this summer, in between his bigger jobs. Which I had a nightmare about last night, because oy. But still, they need to get done.
I went to see my friend in Connecticut on April 20th, and Sunday (May 3rd) was the first day I actually got any writing done. Argh. But I did a little more yesterday and I’m hoping to get more in today, so hopefully I’m back in the groove. Or as much of a groove as I ever have. Of course, that was my big intention from last week, so at least I’m finally getting there.
I wanted to get more things into the garden, but the weather has been miserable. Yesterday I finally put in some onion plants, and weeded the newest asparagus bed, so that’s something.
Today I’m going for a massage (see 2 hours chasing fish, above), then a mammogram, then a bone density scan, so we’ll see if I manage to get anything else accomplished.
I did reward myself for dealing with the trauma of the fridge crisis by ordering and using a bunch of organizers for the fridge and freezer, as well as some plastic liner that will make this one easier to keep clean. That wasn’t on my list, but I’m counting it anyway, dammit, because I didn’t just order them and leave them sitting around. LOL
My intentions for this week are to write, do more in the garden if the weather allows, finish cleaning and putting away the humidifiers from the winter and put new filters in the air cleaners for the summer. Also, house cleaning.
My intention for this coming week is to do at least a little PT most days while keeping up with everything else. Adding something to a full, busy life is hard!
I’m trying to prepare a tuna sandwich spread. I’m having trouble with adjusting the Duke’s with the canned tuna. Proportions are important!
That’s right – I’m trying to synchro th’ mayo.
Thank you. I’ll be here through Thursday. Don’t forget to tip the waitstaff.
Acshully, I’m adding in green onions, and the roots are already in a hydroponic Mason jar to grow more. Waste not and all that. Wish I could do the same for the tuna.
Have you had much success growing green onions (scallions?), Gary?
Most of us are good at being hard on ourselves. But Jennie, I think you excel. You have too much to do that’s obvious. I keep looking at my closets and thinking I have no idea how to fix this. There’s too much stuff. But I did Taxes for a friend and she said she was really good at organizing. And I believe her. I’m going to hire her to go through my closet. It’s full of files and papers and clothes and old computer programs and costumes and I’m defeated every time I look at it.
Then I realized I am not good at organizing. I am not good at stuff like that. Why not hire someone? now I’m gonna try to get back to Writing.
I have to give a friend of mine who is going through a lot the address of this log. Because she loves your work.
I read everybody’s posts, but my like button wasn’t working. I had a good Force Day We. are now on the happy Cinco
I sympathize with you, Jenny. Sometimes the last stage of moving is harder, because there are fewer choices for stashing things. I’m in the first stages, and these kitchen cupboard shelves are spaced differently than in my last house. Grrr. The flooring installers won’t come until next Wednesday to measure for the new flooring, and the install will probably be at least two weeks later. I chose, and bought, some sand-colored wood-looking, laminated flooring that is much lighter than the dark brown and tan laminate in the rest of the house, now, but will blend with it. This place is really dark, with all that dark flooring and boxes everywhere. The bedroom carpet got ripped out in a few hours by my son. There were huge stains under it from the big dog the seller has. That was a good decision, to get rid of it. The realty blurb said it was “brand new”.
Because the master bedroom, hall, and walk-in closet need the new flooring, I am living with boxes and other detritus in the smaller front bedroom, by the street. The master bedroom is the one with a mirror wall, and I found a very nice Aztec/Native American blanket to hang over it. My DIL was all for smashing and getting rid of it. I also found a nice burgundy and black NA-style throw for the sofa that will tie the new black leathery sofa, (once I buy it and have it shipped) to my red recliner.
All the doors in this townhome have cast iron “gates” on the outside that lock. I opened the front door, and the back door to the patio to get some cross-breeze, this morning. It was 63º! I looked out, and there was my skinny black cat, wandering around on the walled patio. She had managed to squeeze through the bars on the “gate” to get outside. She was a rescue and never even tried to get outside in Kansas. She’s snuck out twice, now, here. How odd. However, there are birds on the patio..🐦⬛
I bought new appliances, and there were complications, because the ones that had been there were from the 70’s. The new ones are sized differently and needed different connection cords and stuff. The new refrigerator ran constantly, yet never got below 75º. I had to exchange it. Luckily, I had brought the old garage fridge here. It kept my newly-purchased food cold until they delivered the new fridge. Then the old fridge started making a horrible sound. Good timing! The residual stuff will have to fit in the kitchen fridge, for now.
The litter boxes are in the guest bathtub with large garbage bags under them, but the shower faucet leaks, so that is a bit of a mess. I couldn’t sleep last night, so I researched, and bought, the best self-cleaning cat litter box I could find on Amazon that wasn’t horribly expensive. It arrives tomorrow. I hope the cats like it. My plan to put the litter boxes in the garage, with the door to the garage propped open, was nixed by son and DIL. The garage faces West and will get really hot. How soon we forget! 🙄
Monday morning, I had planned to sleep in, but at 6:15, they came to empty the garbage dumpsters across the street. So much for that. Bless Kali, she did not bark at the truck! She just barks at other dogs, and some people, thank goodness.
I found my mugs! I have been drinking instant coffee out of the same encrusted mug for several mornings. The dishwasher connection under the sink evidently leaks, because I found a sudsy puddle there. I see a plumber in my future. I do not enjoy washing dishes, so I need that fixed!
There’s more, but I will stop here. Thank you all for your patience with my long whiney posts and ongoing drama.
Jan, Probably you won’t be so lucky, but on the off chance: I had a leaky dishwasher connection and it turned out that under the sink there was a joint where one plastic pipe connected to another via a screw-on collar. The collar has gotten very loose, presumably from vibration, and all I had to do was hand-screw it tight again.
Good look with your moving-in chores and don’t try to do too much at once!
Jan what I want to know is once the flooring is in and you are in the master bedroom
And the bulk of the boxes are either unpacked or hidden away somewhere
Will you be happy there ?
That doesn’t seem to me to be the kind of question that can be answered ahead of time, even if it’s cut down to “will you be satisfied with the place?” Too many unknowns.
Yes, I’m not asking the house to override whatever else is happening.
But I think a house can make you happy if it feels right in whatever way works for you. My home feels like sanctuary to me. And when I look into my back yard and see green and animals or my front yard flowers or my bedroom looks at trees and feels like a tree house that does make me happy.
My son likes his studio because it’s all his and no roommates and it’s small and cosy. He quite emphatically doesn’t want a one bedroom. My daughter likes her five bedroom house because she can share it with two partners and a lot of guests and can hold big parties and one partner can hold dance camps there. And both those choices would drive me absolutely nuts.
Jan, after 14 years without a cat I recently got one. I debated the self-cleaning litter box but in the end didn’t get it. Do you like it? Also good luck with settling in. At this point I could not live alone, I would have to have assisted living or maybe an apartment attached to one like Jenny, so I’m all admiration for those of you who do! And tackle huge jobs like Deb!
My intention is to keep chilling and catching up on sleep. We flew up Thursday afternoon to Edmonton, next day up to Arctic. A guy was coughing up his lungs. DH caught a cold, so masks all around when we fly back. Why do people travel when sick!?!
It is so peaceful up here. Hot some days, windy some days. Today, the wind is quite strong, blowing through the trees. We crossed the Mackenzie river in an Argo which pulled the sleigh with supplies. Thankfully cousin has a generator for electricity and starlink wifi connections. A sauna converted into a shower. We are having a relaxing time. Cooking with cousin’s wife. We travel together so we are very good friends. Daylight ends after midnight and sun comes back up about 4:30. Pretty soon 24 hours of daylight. Going to go to the lake in the middle of the island after dinner.
Missing BIL. We are all missing his presence. He would have had a great time at the family cabins. Oh well. Life goes on.
Thinking of you too actor Jennifer.
The Argo trip was over the ice on the river. The Argo pushed the water in front of the machine. Another Argo came behind us. Cousin had pushed a road across the river. Small mound of ice in each side. About 3-12 inches of water on the ice. A little concerning but the ice on the river is 6-7 feet thick. Helicopter ride to get off the island. Melting ice/water on the shoreline. Another adventure.
Good intention, to stop lurking. Done!
Welcome out of lurk!