Almost Fall 2026

September 20, 2026September 20, 2026 / Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

It’s Sunday, and it’s raining outside, and I’m sitting on the couch under a new blanket that my father’s partner, Cheryl, crocheted for me. I’ve got my journal, my Pennysaver crossword puzzle on its clipboard, my planner, my seltzer water, candles lit…

And I’m ready to write a blog post. I have so many options. I need to accept the fact that I am not going to be writing about the events in my life in a chronological order. Is it weird that that bothers me? This could be what stops me from writing. There’s this feeling that I need to “catch up” on the events of my life before I can just write about what’s on my mind. It still bothers me that I haven’t written about my trip to England from April 2023; even though there are probably many other events that I have forgotten I’ve forgotten.

Let me start where I left off on my last post. I was cutting up boxes after helping Sarah move into her new apartment. I was exhausted and rundown. I had a nasty cold sore (other people in my house had actual colds) and somehow I hurt my back. It happened right before I started mowing the lawn and I wondered if I pulled a muscle when I was pulling the handle to start the mower. But I also remember feeling a pain in my back when I was walking to the shed. Now I kind of wonder if it was viral. I finished mowing the lawn, even though I was doing something similar to Lamaze breathing exercises to get through the pain.

On Labor Day weekend, I went to New York City with Hannah. We had a wonderful time together and I will write about it in an NYC post. September 8th was Hannah’s first day of college. I rode in the car with her because she didn’t really know where to park or how to use the GPS yet. (She just got her license.) While she was in her class, I walked very slowly (with my stiff back) around the campus, which was beautiful.

I was feeling unwell later in the day, but still made Bob’s food for New York and went with him to the car dealer to get another car. The next day was the worst. I was definitely sick. I didn’t wanna get up at all, but I sat in the backseat as Hannah drove to school. I was moving like an old lady when I tried to walk around the campus again. When I got home I became a sick couch potato for the rest of the day and the next day. I watched loads of movies, including a couple of Christmas ones. Hannah has been driving herself to school independently since then.

Saturday I went to a lovely outdoor wedding of some friends of mine, Pat and Sam. Sunday, Sarah visited and she played loads of games of Sorry! with Mary and me. I also did my seasonal clothing switch. The bins are still in my room because I’m not quite finished with that project. My back improved, and eventually I felt ready to paint Sarah’s old room for Mary. It was basically a color change. I didn’t paint the ceiling or the trim, only the walls.

On Wednesday, I prepped the walls, tested a color sample, mowed the lawn and bought paint.

Then on Thursday, I lay down drop cloths, taped, painted and cleaned up.

Before and Afters

Mary moved in her mattress and clothes, and started sleeping in there that night. I’ll have more to do in there in time. Hannah’s room, which was Hannah and Mary’s room, will be my next project. It will be much more difficult because it was the old playroom, and it hasn’t been painted in 20 years. The walls are in rough shape and the ceiling had a problem when we moved in. The trim also needs to be painted. I hope to get it done by the end of October.

On Friday, I put out the fall decor. It really felt like Autumn to me, though it officially begins on September 22nd this year. I cleaned the house well.

Saturday, I shopped for some new items to add to my fall wardrobe. I think I was motivated by an upcoming trip. Why do I feel like I want new clothes when I go on vacation? I already had plenty of clothes, though some of them are quite old. Am I going to keep them all, or do out with the old and in with the new? Maybe I’m not a minimalist wannabe?

I also picked up a bakery cake for my father and sister’s outdoor movie night/birthday celebration. I hosted it at our house. Bobby was away in North Carolina. It was really fun. We watched the movie CODA (my father’s pick) under the stars (which, to be accurate, were hidden by clouds).

And that brings me to today. All caught up!

Maintenance Mode

June 25, 2026 / Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

It was such a relief to finish Hannah’s slideshow AND organizing the kitchen, including the new pantry. That happened last week, and I’ve decided to not start any new projects for a while. I’m just going to maintain. I’ve noticed that I do that quite a bit around here. Cooking, cleaning, shopping, mowing the lawn, weeding, doing laundry, bringing people to doctor appointments, fixing broken towel holders, working out, filing papers…

Whenever I get into a project, I either get behind on maintenance or I don’t take time for rest and recreation. Or both. I’m not complaining. I love my life. I’m just acknowledging that this happens, and I’m thinking that it’s good for me to slow down after a busy period of time. You know… the theme of my blog… slowing down.

I’m easing into a summer schedule. This week I made one change to my morning routine. It’s a huge one! I added my strength training to it. I got tired of me procrastinating working out. I didn’t have a set time to do it. It would usually be in the afternoon or evening. I might write down in my planner that I would do it after lunch and then I would do something else. So it was just lingering there in my mind, and I would kind of dread it.

This week, I’ve been setting my alarm for 6:00 AM. I get out of bed, wash my face and put in my contacts, get dressed, make my bed, have some protein, fill up my water bottle, and then go down into the basement and do the workout. Easy peasy. Not really. This morning I was praying to God for help finishing it. But it feels great to have it done right away, and then, after that, most of the tasks I do during the day are enjoyable.

Tonight, I was planting the excess of plants that Bobby bought. On Father’s Day, we mulched the yard together with the kids that weren’t working, and Bobby planted some flowers in the cul-de-sac and around our mailbox. But he bought way too many. It’ll be interesting to see how they grow. There were impatiens with no buds open (what colors will they be?) and not looking so good. Since we only had four pots and an old hanging plant pot; I put a few in our shed window boxes, and then I crammed the rest of them into the five pots, along with some begonias and marigolds. Time will tell.

I’ve also been getting ready for Hannah’s graduation party on Saturday. I shopped and prepared food, and will continue to do so for the next two days.

Daisies Bobby gave me on Mother’s Day 2025

Amish Hacks?

April 12, 2026 / Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

I’m just writing to get back into the habit of writing here twice a week. I picked up the book Get Your Act Together by Pam Young and Peggy Jones (from Sidetracked Home Executives) because it’s Sunday, and I’m resting, and I wanted motivation to continue decluttering and assigning homes to everything in my house, and they’re funny, and they make me laugh…

I opened to Chapter 3: “Why You’ll Never Meet A Disorganized Amish.” They made some good points about why an Amish mom wouldn’t have to fly through the house yelling at everyone to get ready for company the next day. There wouldn’t be anything to pick up, because they don’t collect stuff in the first place! And she wouldn’t have to shriek at her teenager to “Turn down that music and get off the phone!” because there wouldn’t be a stereo and there wouldn’t be a phone. There would be no fights over the TV clicker either. Nobody would have to put the cover back on the VCR or round up the tapes and match them to their jackets. (So what if this book is dated. I like the way these ladies think.) There would be no need to work at the nail polish stain on the carpet… So true.

This brought back a memory of me scrolling YouTube into the wee hours of the morning, some time ago, and taking notes on my phone about things Amish people did to simplify life. I looked through my Notes app and found one called “12 Amish hacks”. It was created August 12, 2025 at 1:10 AM. (Sounds like something I’d do.)

What can we glean from my notes?

Inventory

Write what we use daily

What do we never use?

This could be time consuming, but the information could be useful.

One item for one purpose no Duplicates

Bobby would never go for this.

Simplicity over style

How much is decoration only? To impress?

I’d be happy with less on our walls.

Not to serve

Rotate

Rotate what?

Build don’t buy

Could you buy the building materials? This is making me feel lazy. I think of how I can just touch my phone screen and boxes will arrive on my porch. If we had to build everything, we would have much less stuff around here.

Fixing instead of tossing

I fixed my clogged up sink the other day. It took me a couple of hours and some aggressive plunging, but tossing it was not an option.

Respect for what you own

This is admirable.

Empty spaces sacred

They calm the eyes and rest the mind

Totally agree.

Usefulness is beauty

What is beautiful in your home?

If it doesn’t serve, then it doesn’t shine

An idea to ponder…

Quiet over noise

Visual silence

The habit of letting go

Don’t call it loss call it release

Shared over owned

Living with enough

These aren’t really hacks. These are values. 

10 Amish secrets to keep your home, always organized

Keep only what’s necessary Oh my, I have so many things that are not necessary.
A place for everything and everything in its place (looks tidy, don’t waste time searching, set rules for your items, return them to their places after use) I’m working on it.
Functional furniture over fancy furniture (every piece of furniture has a job, a chair is for sitting…) I don’t think I own fancy furniture.
daily routines (morning, afternoon, evening, not delaying, not I’ll do it later, do it immediately, become second nature, doesn’t feel like work) I delay many things, especially working out.
Handmade storage solutions (give everything a proper home)
Seasonal living (living spaces open and uncluttered, rotating, respecting the seasons, stored neatly and labeled, only keep what you’re currently using in sight) This is a practice I do with clothing and decor, and may be able to do with other possessions.
Community sharing reduces excess (create connection, reduces waste, keeps home lighter) I don’t think I do this.
Repair instead of replace (fix immediately, it’s discipline, respect for object) I usually repair eventually, not immediately, but trying to get better about this.
Clean as you go (later creates clutter, later steals peace) 👍
Simplicity creates peace (don’t chase trends, live with less, every extra object is another decision another demand, keep only what matters, don’t waste time, chasing perfection, create order) Good advice.

I’ve been taking lots of steps towards simplicity. Some of them are letting go of physical possessions. I am also really trying to do things right away instead of putting them off until later. Though I’m still struggling with procrastination in working out, I’ve been doing a lot of household tasks immediately… like making the phone call, writing the note, putting things away. Now, I need to stop procrastinating going to bed.

Decluttering Books

April 10, 2026 / Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

This is a HARD category for me. The good news is I have a deadline, which motivates me. The local library is having a book sale in a couple of weeks, so they are taking donations now. I’m on it!

Here were the piles:

YES SCANNED

SARAH’S

IDK

MAYBE

KEEP BUT NOT IN LIBRARY

YESES TO SCAN

DONATE

HANNAH’S

RACHEL’S

JOE’S

MARY’S

BOB’S

MATTHEW’S

ONE OF THE KIDS

JODIE’S

I know I made progress because the donate pile is pretty large. Many of the books I’m letting go of are homeschooling materials that I’m fairly certain I’d never use again. (A fellow former homeschooler is going to post them in a homeschooling Facebook group for me. I’ll see if there are any takers.) This has been a gradual process of letting go for me. The curricula and books went out in waves. I thought I might be finished last time, but nope, there’s still more I don’t need.

I downloaded an app called Libib to inventory the keepers. One thing I discovered is that I have books all over the house. Check this out.

I started out by keeping the books that I love and think I’m gonna read again, the books that I really want to read someday, and some reference books. I got rid of the books that are not up to my standard for quality, or that I wasn’t really interested in reading again, or for the first time. Then I added in a bunch of picture books that I love, and that are still in decent shape. For grandchildren? Young visitors?

I was considering keeping some books that are on popular book lists in case I might want to read them someday. Uh oh… sounds like just in case…

And what about the cookbooks I don’t use? Like this one…

I don’t use it anymore, but I used to use it all the time. That’s why it looks the way it does. How is this meeting my quality standard?

I decided that I’m not keeping books on popular book lists just in case. One reason is because I estimated that it would take me 2 to 5 years to read all of the books I was already keeping. And another reason is I could waste a lot of time reading lousy books on lists. I recently had a bad experience with our movie poster list. We started scratching off movies we watched on our “Top 100” movie poster in 2020. We’re getting close to finishing it now. A couple of weeks ago we watched part of A Clockwork Orange. We didn’t finish it, and I was quite disturbed that I saw what I saw, and that it would even be on our list, or any list. How many times can I use the word list?

Anyway, this has been a successful purge. Here are the stats for “my” books (not including books in Bobby’s study or in the kids’ rooms). 12% of the books are no longer “mine”. They either belonged to someone else all along, or someone kept a book I was purging. 26% of the books are going out the door, some back to my sister and some are being donated. This means I have kept 62%, but I have let go of 38% of the books! I’m planning to do it again next March or April before the library book sale. Maybe then I’ll be ready to let go of more. For now, I am pleased that I am feeling lighter and freer. I wish I had a better word for it. Also, all of my books have assigned homes.

Before & After

March 29, 2026 / Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

Bobby bought a refrigerator to go in our pantry. It isn’t here yet, but last week I made the decision to paint our pantry before it arrives. I moved its contents into our dining room and kitchen. Then, I went away for the weekend. Bobby and I attended a convention in Hyannis, which was very nice.

This week I prepped, painted the ceiling, trim, and walls, and returned about 75% of the items back into the pantry. I moved the remaining 25% into the basement. I worked fairly quickly because I wanted to clean the house and prepare for Rachel’s birthday party on Saturday. I needed to skip some of my usual activities on Wednesday and Thursday, including working out and preparing healthy meals, but… mission accomplished!

While I worked, I listened to some talks on Theology of the Body and world religions. These were educational. I also listened to some YouTube videos about decluttering, and one video, by Fr. Columba Jordan, that has stuck in my mind because of the question he asked: Are you replacing contact with content? What a catchy little phrase!

Since today is the beginning of Holy Week, I am going to try to make this week a quiet one. I’m planning to declutter and deep clean my kitchen. I am also going to try to remain open and attentive to the Presence of God. Maybe I can keep away from the TV and my iPhone, talk less, listen more, and just be in the moment.

I might journal. I hope to slow down a bit… to remove the distractions… I’m going to start now with a Taize Holy Hour at our parish Church. Peace.

Experiment #6: A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place

March 18, 2026 / Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

Let’s talk about this dream of mine. I’ve called this project “home assignments” because I’ve been trying to assign a home to each of our possessions, (and often to label the spots where they go) so it’s easy for people (usually me) to put things away. I start and stop and don’t finish.

I found a great article called “Everything in its Place, Finally and Forever” on a site called Raptitude. Reading about his 11 unexpected benefits, and in particular, the clearer mind, got me so inspired to finish this project. I’m already gathering up stuff that doesn’t have a home.

“I don’t want to own anything that I don’t use or don’t appreciate,” the author states. That sounds so simple. And he completes the experiment in one month, and gets rid of 80% of his things! Now, I realize that he’s a single guy, living in an apartment, which is completely different from my situation. So, maybe it’ll take me longer than 30 days, and maybe I’ll be lucky to get rid of 8% our things, but the results would be similar, right?

“I could hide messes, but the simple fact was that I had more stuff than I could care for. Most people do.” I hear you, brother.

Maybe… maybe… I could do an experiment just like he did. Maybe having a deadline would help me to focus.

Experiment #6:

“I resolve to get rid of everything I am not prepared to use and give a permanent place to in my home.” I’ll go room by room, closet by closet, drawer by drawer, shelf by shelf, and when I’m done everything will have a home. I will give myself until the end of April to complete this experiment. That will be in six weeks and one day.

I read in a book (I think The Joy of Less by Francine Jay) about dealing with clutter as if playing the game, Musical Chairs. (For the record, I’ve never liked that game. People can get pretty aggressive when trying to secure a seat. But we’re talking about clutter here, not people.) This idea gives me a lovely, easy-to-remember visual. Everything in my house should have a place, or a “chair” if you will. When the music stops, all you items lying around without a chair, you’re out!

Book Notes: Uncluttered Faith and Staying Focused on the Positives

February 16, 2026February 16, 2026 / Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

So I haven’t really done much minimizing around my house since my last post. One day, I looked through my nightstand and wanted to keep everything, including the book light that I probably use once a year (because it’s cozy to read under the covers in the dark sometimes). I really have no need of a book light, because even when my husband is home, he has the ability to sleep while I read with the lamp on. I’ve quickly discovered how attached I am to material possessions that I do not need, or use.

My next attempt to declutter was my clothing. I have a dresser and a small closet. Here I realized how much I’ve accumulated in recent years. I’ve written about capsule wardrobes and Project 333 on this blog in the past. I may have taken the easy way out by deciding to do Project 333 again. I’m keeping out only 33 items, including outerwear, accessories, and shoes, for three months (in this case, until spring). I chose my 33 items, and threw away two stained items and four ratty socks. I am donating two pairs of jeans that don’t fit right, and I packed up the rest. I now have three plastic bins full of clothes in the basement (that I’m procrastinating going through). When I used to do this, I think I had only one partially full plastic bin in the basement. Apparently, I’ve been accumulating clothing.

Today, I was upstairs with the girls and I looked at the books, the DVDs, and the puzzles. I declared that I will be decluttering those soon, but not today.

I think I may have a little fear about getting started. I recalled that I had fear before beginning the Belly Fat Bootcamp Challenge. I wasn’t exactly sure how it would go. Would I be able to keep up with the exercises and cooking the food? Now, I’m five weeks in and it doesn’t seem so difficult.

I’m definitely seeing similarities between my taking care of my body and taking care of my home. I go through spurts where I work out and eat healthy foods, and when they end, I go back to my old sugary food habits and not working out much. I’m also good at decluttering and organizing for a time, and then stopping before I get to the results I really want. You could call it yo-yo dieting, yo-yo exercising, and yo-yo minimizing. Surely, I could choose to change my lifestyle permanently in both areas, couldn’t I?

I think I need a change in attitude. I finished reading the book uncluttered faith. At the end, there is a bonus section called The Becker Method: A Seven Step Guide to Becoming Minimalist. Here is a quote from Step 2:

… it is so important to focus on the positives at the beginning and throughout this process. Rather than dwelling on what you’re losing, celebrate what you’re gaining. Instead of being motivated by the negatives of consumerism, you’ll find greater momentum by thinking about the positives of minimalism. This is why this book has focused exclusively on the spiritual benefits and blessings of owning less. (Pg. 207)

This stood out to me as something that I haven’t done consistently. I keep tending to focus on what I can’t eat. I focus on those Super Bowl cupcakes in the pantry, the bag of peanut M&Ms on the counter, or the smell of the frozen pizza in the oven. I think of how long it’s gonna take me to finish a workout. I could just as easily focus on my smaller waist, the definition starting to appear in my arms, or how blessed I am to be able to go to the store and buy ground chicken and protein powder, which can be quite expensive. I could be grateful for my health.

I could also be grateful for the material possessions that I use everyday or every week. Instead of being afraid that I might someday need something that I don’t use very often, I could focus on the freedom I will feel when I choose to live more simply. Maybe I’ll be less scattered and distracted. I can think of the time I will have to spend on what really matters to me now, instead of being sad to lose something I used to use in the past and no longer need.

This book really does lay out many of the benefits to owning less. It also discusses many of the Gospel teachings, which I know so well, but I don’t follow so well. This is something that I will certainly pray about. It’s easy to think that these teachings will not lead to happiness, even though I know that God wants what’s best for me. I’ll end with a quote from the book related to this, that I found encouraging.

This was my attitude – until I actually started living out Jesus‘s teachings on money and possessions. As soon as I did, I began to understand on a deeper level that all God‘s greatest blessings lie on the other side of obedience. There is a better life for us in all His commands, including the ones to give away money and belongings. (Pg. 12)

Minimalism Revisited

February 11, 2026March 1, 2026 / Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

Did you know that I used to be an aspiring minimalist? It’s true.

I’ve got about 3000 more steps to go on this treadmill; so I’m going to tell you the whole story.

I think I had some minimalist tendencies when I was in my early 20’s. I refused to use a pocketbook (or a purse as I think people call them nowadays.) I would put my driver’s license and a credit card in my back pocket, my keys in my front pocket, and I was good to go. If I went to the beach, I brought a towel and a book. The first time my husband saw my apartment, he said, “Where’s all your stuff?” In my living room, I had a couch, a small TV on a stand, a VCR, and some cinder blocks with boards on them, holding a small book collection. I also had a bed, a dresser, a kitchen table and some chairs. I don’t know if I was actually a minimalist though. Maybe I was just afraid to spend money.

I remember the first time I decluttered. It was when I was very pregnant for my first child. I had bought a book called Totally Organized and I was determined to get there before the baby came out. There was a chapter called “The Art of Throwing Out”. After reading it, I did my first purge. I probably got rid of some clothing and kitchen stuff, but at the same time, in came all the new baby stuff.

For the next 10 years we accumulated. I may have been doing some decluttering throughout this time, but everything was replaced with more stuff. We moved from the apartment to our first home. There were birthday gifts and Christmas gifts and hand-me-downs and taking in other people’s donations. We bought furniture and lamps and decor. I started homeschooling, so I bought math manipulatives and books and curricula. While I was pregnant for baby number four, we built a home that was about three times as large as our first home. We moved when she was three months old and eventually added more furniture and decor.

In 2008, baby number five was born and I couldn’t handle the stuff management any longer. I forgot to mention, that in those 10 years I probably read about 40 books about simplifying. The current one was It’s All Too Much by Peter Walsh. The title was so appropriate. I did the biggest purge I had done up to that point. It was in 2009, that I first heard the word minimalism. I think my friend told me about a blog post explaining the concept, and I proceeded to read online as much as possible about it. It was then that I became an aspiring minimalist. I’ve tried most of the methods. Konmari made me want to replace my crappy old colander and clothes. I’ve done Project 333 and built capsule wardrobes. I’ve read about Swedish Death Cleaning… you get the picture.

So what happened? The stuff just kept coming in. Baby number six was born. I studied Happy Are You Poor by Thomas Dubay. I saw the biblical reasons for living with less. I continued to declutter regularly. Sometimes my kids would even help. Everyone has their own things that they are attached to. Some people like clothes, makeup and skin care products, some like Legos or DVD’s, or stuffed animals or electronics. Maybe a sheet music collection or hundreds of convention badges. My thing is books. I started to think that maybe it’s just good enough to keep things organized. And when we got the apartment in New York City; I completely gave up. Having two residences seemed to kill my dream of being a minimalist.

Then last week I received an email from Joshua Becker asking if I was interested in pre-ordering his new book, Uncluttered Faith. Sounded interesting. It came with a four week Uncluttered Faith Experience. OK! I received the book a couple of days ago and started reading it. The ideas are similar to the ones in Happy Are You Poor, with more of a focus on the benefits of minimalism, particularly the benefits to your faith.

I started to aspire once again. I actually have more time than I used to, maybe now is the time to do it. I’m thinking I’ll use a method I tried when I was organizing the basement last fall. (Didn’t finish.) It’s basically journaling and asking for God’s guidance for every decision, no matter how small.

So that’s what I’m planning to do. I’ll write about my progress here. I’m way over 11,000 steps now so it’s a good time to stop and get ready for bed.

Weekly Planning

January 11, 2026January 19, 2026 / Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

On Sundays, I do a little weekly planning. I pencil in the activities I’m planning to do at specific times. I fill in the short, daily to-do lists with 2-4 items for each day: calls to make, work-outs, tasks, and small projects.

This week’s projects are:

Belly Fat Bootcamp – This is a six week challenge that begins on January 12th. It’s for women over 40, and it comes with meal and workout plans. I’ve completed similar challenges from Melissa Neill before, and I’ve achieved great results. I started eating the meals this past week and they are quite different for me… quinoa, buckwheat, bok choy, wild salmon for breakfast?

Cleaning out my email – On Thursday, I cleared my inbox. There were over 1000 emails in it. I saved some in folders, and have been unsubscribing from many. This Thursday, I plan to go through all of the folders, deleting what I no longer want to keep.

Take down the Christmas decorations – I don’t really want to this year. It’s not because of the work, but I think I’ll miss the ambiance.

Purge the pantry – It needs to be done. I try to do it every three months, which is seasonally.

New file drawers – This project is taking longer than I expected. I received new hanging folders, manila folders, and Freedom Filer labels for Christmas. I thought I’d switch out the old folders and declutter papers quickly. Nope. There are lots of decisions to be made. Do we want to get rid of certain papers after two years? Do I want the product manuals in the folders or in binders where they are now? Can I get rid of papers from projects I’m not working on? I’ll make decisions.

I’m planning to go to two meetings this week that involve reading books. One is in person (starting up again after a break) and the other is on Zoom (completely new to me). I also have a date with Bobby to see The Fellowship of the Ring on Friday night. We usually watch LOTR together in January. This year we plan to go out for the first and third movies, and watch the second one at home sometime in between the others.

Tonight we’ll be celebrating Bobby‘s birthday. His actual birthday is January 12. He’ll be turning 56, like me. I’m writing about what I know. I’m just happy to be writing.

Blogging in the New Year

January 4, 2026 / Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

As you can see, I made myself an index card for blogging to put in my Sidetracked Home Executives index card system. So… it’s official. I’m gonna be blogging regularly now.

I’m just wondering if I should start with a catch-up post. I have a whole list of blog post ideas in my beautiful, new 2026 planner, but I just looked through the photos on my iPhone, and I have loads of good ones to share. I still have a draft called “Three Days in Singapore” that was left unfinished before I completed the first day, but that can wait.

I think I just have to accept the fact that, although I want this blog to be about books and ideas, (someday soon I hope), it is also my online journal. It’s the place where I share where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing. And when I go too long between posts, it ends up being very list-like.

Mary got her braces off and got new glasses with progressive lenses.
I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to replace old gasoline by way of funneling it into our truck. So what if I bought two different funnels, (the first didn’t work out) and then I found the original one in the basement a few days later, and I had to prop my arms up (in the freezing cold) on our trashcan to be able to pour the gasoline in. I got the job done.
I brought Twinkie to his annual vet appointment. He’s a healthy guy. Still haven’t dropped off his stool sample yet.
Halloween was uneventful. It was the first year that none of my children went trick-or-treating.
I spent time decluttering and cleaning and organizing the basement. I always have the urge to do this around the beginning of November. I made a lot of progress in the basement. I’d say I’m over halfway through, maybe even 3/4.
There was lawn mowing and “winterizing” the house.
My birthday was wonderful. The kids all hung out with me and we worked on a puzzle together.
I had a plumber come in to replace a toilet and electricians fixed a bunch of things that were broken, hung up 2 new light fixtures, replaced outlets and switch plates in the last of the rooms downstairs that hadn’t been changed.
Hannah played Lavender in the musical Matilda at her high school.
I went on another Miles Christi silent Ignatian Spiritual Exercises retreat. My friend Carol drove us. Though I told myself I would start my resolutions immediately, once again I’m starting in January.
I spent at least a week prepping and painting the dining room. And a whole day hanging up the curtain rods and new drapes.
One night in November, Bobby and I went out on a date in Amherst and we came home with a new Christmas tree from the Hadley Home Depot. I think it’s gonna save me a lot of time in packing away the decorations. It’s pre-lit and works almost like an umbrella. I think it’ll be much more fun to take down, than an hour of circling around the tree to remove the lights, and then removing and carefully packing every layer of branches.
I spent a day with my father when he had a cardiac catheterization. He had a new stent put in, and he seems to be doing well now.

We hosted Thanksgiving as usual. We ate in the newly painted dining room. I didn’t quite finish the room because we were talking about sconces or pendant lighting above the table, so I’m waiting to hang up pictures until we make a decision about that. On the night before Thanksgiving, we started watching season 5 of Stranger Things. For some reason, Bobby always calls Vecna “Vector”.
The Saturday after Thanksgiving is always our traditional tree trimming party. Matthew and Anna came over. After we decorated the house and tree, we watched the movie Elf and my 55 years of Christmases slideshow.
I started reading the book Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy during Advent. I finished it at the end of the year and will definitely be writing about that soon.
When it snows during the week, I’m in charge of snow removal because Bobby’s in New York.
Bobby had to go to Providence, Rhode Island for the first weekend in December. Rachel, Hannah and I joined him, and the girls and I took a day trip to Newport, where we toured three of the mansions there. It was really interesting.

Sarah was student teaching at a high school this fall. We attended the concert where she accompanied the vocalists on the piano, and then conducted a song on stage for the first time. She is now officially done with her bachelor’s degree in music with a concentration in education. Exactly one week later we were at my nephew Edward’s high school band’s winter concert. It was his last one because he’s a senior.
Rachel and I went with Hannah to see Merrily We Roll Along at Cinemark. She was supposed to see the filmed play starring Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe for a class. I loved it and gave it five stars and a heart on Letterboxd.
We celebrated Matthew‘s 27th and Joseph’s 25th birthdays together since they are back to back on December 11 and 12th.
Bobby and I spent a weekend in New York City with my sister and her boys and one of their girlfriends. We visited Rockefeller Center and Fifth Avenue, looking at decorations, had some nice meals out at restaurants, and waited in a long line to go in FAO Schwartz. We tried to look around the Winter Village at Bryant Park, but it was too crazy crowded there. On Sunday we woke up to snow on the ground. Bobby and I walked to Mass and took pictures of the winter wonderland on Morningside Drive on the way home.
Joe got a new job working at Peter Pan. He works in a cubicle now.
I spent a ton of time shopping and wrapping presents and watching not so great Christmas movies, so I could scratch them off of my 100 Christmas Movies poster that I received as a gift last Christmas.
We did some Christmas puzzles, and made up our Christmas cards to send out. My mother said they were late because she received hers after Christmas, but liturgically, the Christmas season was just beginning. I’m not sure if that’s a rationalization for not sending them sooner.

Then came the four Christmases: Christmas Eve with my father’s family, Christmas Day, with our own immediate family, then Christmas with Bob’s family, and Christmas with my mom at my sister‘s house. We hosted the first three.
After dinner on Christmas Eve, we played a game with a big ball of Saran Wrap. Then we opened presents and played Christmas musical bingo. It was a lot of fun. I laughed a lot because my father put pictures of Harry Styles all over Hannah‘s gift and told me to say when I handed out the presents that there was no name on the package and I didn’t know who it was for. Of course, everyone knew it was for her. At night, I went to the Midnight Mass. It was so beautiful. The only picture I took was of the three younger girls, with Christina, in their choir gowns.
On Christmas morning, we have a tradition of eating Santa pancakes and bacon, then we open gifts. Then we spend some time cleaning up the mess, and relax.
Christmas with Bob’s family was extra special this year because both of our nephews were home and one of them is married and has a little girl named Ramona. It’s been a long time since we had a little one around. Can you guess what we gave her for a present? Books!
Christmas at my sister‘s house with my mom was very nice. We had brunch and I forgot to take pictures but Rachel got some of us laughing. My mom always makes us laugh.

During Bobby’s Christmas vacation, he wanted to go to New York City alone with me. It was like a three day date and very relaxing for both of us. We went to Brooklyn the first night to DUMBO and an Italian restaurant near a place with good views of the river and skyline. We watched a movie called Champagne Problems that my Dad recommended. It was a Netflix Hallmark type movie. I loved being in the cozy apartment at night with the skinny Christmas tree. The second night we watched It’s a Wonderful Life after another nice dinner, followed by a Grease parody play. I would have rather seen a Broadway play, but there was really nothing available for a decent price. We saw some beautiful Christmas decorations and got our steps in walking around the city. On the last day, I spent a lot of time reading and resting.
On New Year’s Eve, it was just the girls, Bobby and I home. We played games and watched the finale of Stranger Things. Then we watched the ball drop. We put out loads of snacks and then had to put them all away because we didn’t eat that much of them. And now I’m doing a new meal plan and workout plan. More on that in another post….