Productivity

Dear Julia,

I'm not sure if productivity would have been a word you would ever have used, but it is used commonly now. For me, it means that I got a lot of little things done in a day, or that I got quite a bit finished on a long project.

Today was a day when I got a great deal accomplished (finally!). I feel as though it has been years since I had a day like today. My energy was high, my focus was good, and I felt able to finally follow through on things.

First of all I tackled the huge pile of laundry that has accumulated in my basement. Last weekend when we were cleaning up for a showing of the house, we tried to neaten up any of the laundry that wasn't done yet (mainly because we knew we wouldn't have any time to put all that laundry away if it was clean!), and left it at that. I got several loads finished and three loads folded. Put away, you ask? No, most of it is not actually put away, but I will put my pile away tonight and the other members of my family will have to put away their own!

Next I washed the dishes, cleaned off the counters, and put all the items from our "showing box" that has been sitting on the counter all week. What is a showing box, you ask? For us it means a box that we bring out when we have a showing, into which we stuff anything that normally resides on the counter next to the phone, any current mail, any papers that usually hang on the side of our refrigerator. This box is then put away with some of the other boxes we have previously packed. After the showing we then take the box out and put the items back where they belong - or at least sort the items that had not been sorted (opening mail, that kind of thing). I did a good purge of the items that had been hanging on the fridge, and went through all the mail. That felt good. I also cleaned off the kitchen table.

After lunch Hubby and the kids and I went for a little drive in the car he was thinking of buying. We stopped and had ice cream. :-) The day was much cooler than we had expected, but it seemed an appropriate thing to do on this traditional first weekend of summer. And the ice cream was very good!

While Hubby was gone making the decision about his car, I got a new lamp! Well, actually I didn't buy a new lamp, but I did spray paint an old one to make it look new! It was an old brass type lamp that we have had since we got married 15 years ago, which my mother-in-law bought for us at a garage sale. It has been a useful lamp for many years, but it has never been particularly attractive. I had a brainstorm the other night while watching yet another episode of "Get It Sold" on HGTV, and realized all I needed was a can of black spray paint! I got the paint weeks ago, but that energy burst today was what I have been waiting for. I must say, it looks rather good. Almost like a wrought iron lamp. I am pleased.

While each coat of the paint dried, I weeded in my garden. Yes! I did. I know I'm always saying I'm going to weed, that it needs to be weeded, and that I hardly ever get around to it. Usually it is a case of horrible black flies or extreme heat that keeps me from the flower garden, but today it was lovely weather with just enough wind to keep the black flies away. Lovely! I didn't finish it all, but I got quite a bit of it done.

Plus! Yes, there is more! I worked on the baby blanket I am crocheting for quite awhile, too! I still have a long way to go, but I am more than half way done. I am determined!

So, Julia, all in all, it was a very productive day!

Love,
Lynn