A Week's Progress - I was chatting with Tonwen briefly on IM last night, about how I've been amused to see people participating in the "Two Year Plan" discussion. There are journal entries, blogs, newsgroup posts, IMs, emails, status updates -- it's not only locally within my SCA group and people interested in Pentathlon 2011, but I've seen posts in other "kingdoms" out-of-state. Tonwen reminded me that this level of enthusiasm *always* happens after Pentathlon, each time, and that it's like New Year's resolutions: Some people stick with it, many do not.

Well, regardless the truth of this observation, here's crossing my fingers that people find ways to make it work for them, the best they can. I've never been very big on "new year's resolutions on January 1st" but I love the idea that every morning is fresh, every day is a new, each meal is a new chance to eat correctly, every evening is another opportunity to do something constructive or creative or helpful or meaningful.... you see my point, I'm certain.

So here's my chance to check in a little bit, and talk about some of my progress:


I gave myself a few stars last week for some planning and organizing tasks. Then I went absolutely bonkers on Thursday night, cleaning the kitchen. I visited my sister as a surprise, helped a friend move, and then went to a family baby shower. A few of these things fit the criteria in my head for "earning a star" or "advancing my goals for the next two years" and other items were what I would call "things I spent time on" but weren't necessarily anything more than just what I expect of myself. Some time commitments are just that: Things I volunteered to be a part of, but are not necessarily changes or improvements, nor time commitments towards some of the long-range goals. So today I created an hour-glass image to put on my calendars, right alongside earning various stars. It's neither good nor bad, it just is an accurate comment on how I spent my time.

Speaking of time commitments, I spent a large portion of my evening last night getting a 13-month calendar updated for a website (the site that frustrated me so much several weeks ago). I ended up with one personal achievement from finishing the drudgework, because I came away with a very nicely organized file for managing their website tasks. And I was able adapt that file today for my progress tracking calendar.

Then when I got home last night, I decided it was an "Ironing and Repair" night for my clean laundry. I pressed all the napkins and tablecloths in my feasting kit, and repacked all the pottery neatly. Then I alternated between ironing and repairing my laundry. There was a button missing from a pair of work pants that I'd been meaning to replace, and then I found a hem to repair. Then two of my SCA overgowns have had small tears that I've been ignoring for far too long, so I just continued darning and repairing the holes. When I was done with the entire stack of clean laundry, everything was neatly pressed, every tear and hole and hem and button repaired, and I was caught up on several hours of television. This morning I finished putting everything away, and I'm quite pleased with my progress.

Now the kitchen is clean, the living room is picked up, the bedroom is clean, and I'm excited about getting back to sewing. Next I have two buttons to move on a pair of pants I made for Bill. Then there are two shirts for him that I cut out in August, that I had set aside and need to complete now. My hard deadline is to complete all the sewing for Bill before the camping trip over Memorial Day weekend, but I might be done in half that time. Friday is one of my regular days off (RDO), and three of us are going to meet downtown in LA in the garment district, where we'll be shopping for linen. And I'm excited to start cleaning up my entire fabric stash over the next few months, to facilitate more organized sewing projects.

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Today's Blessing That I'm Thankful For: Cesare (Bill)