item No.19 (I think)

Chandra & Winnie Dixon


Jake & Winnie Dixon


The Noodle dog - Jake

Housecleaning (really ! I'm serious) and Christmas baking are the only two things on the agenda today. I'm finally, finally going to tackle the laundry rooms cabinets and cupboards. I often will get a hankering to do some tool or paint requiring activity and then I remember that chaotic situation those cabinets are in and I stop myself - first things first. Really, truly, in this head lives a compulsively neat and ordered person just busting to get out. It's like I've subconsciously given my giant master list of to-do's/activities a number, like those little pieces of paper you tear off the machine at the DMV office. And I can't be thinking about sanding and painting my kitchen counter tops (item No. 82 on the list) until I clean & organize my tools, paint and supply cabinet (not exactly sure of it's number but I know it's way before No. 82). I am very methodical in the planning of these activities - so methodical, detailed and micro managed, in fact, that I most often plan myself completely out of the doing part of the activity.

Yesterday was recycling pick up day and I managed to convince myself to part with a humongous cardboard box that was filled with many other neatly flattened cardboard boxes, which I had been diligently saving (? for my next move?) for quite some time and which was taking up an entire corner of that room. I also had two lawn & garden size (huge) blue bags (grabbed the wrong package at the grocery store) filled with recyclables that went curb side as well - freeing up a tremendous amount of space in said laundry room. I think this spaciousness had caused the bug to have finally really bitten. So I will tackle that job this morning while happily listening to Go with Brent Bambery on CBC radio- I'm estimating a 2 hour job. We'll see

Then on to Holiday Baking Part 1 - Gumdrop Cake and Divinity Fudge (if all goes well photos and recipes tomorrow) while listening to another favourite CBC program Quirks & Quarks with Bob MacDonald. More puttering, vacuuming the many tumbleweeds of pet hair roaming about this house, and a little shopping in the village - the hardware store, the second hand shop and I'll pop in to visit with Megan (the high school student and part time employee) at BFF Harry's little gift & decor store Inside & Out. Another walk with les chiens (Jake & Winnie Dixon), homemade vegetarian pizza and a movie - The Children Of Men this evening ... phew! what I great day I'll have had. You'll notice, not a drop of spontaneity in this girl.