Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Peter Putterer's Daughter

The other night when we were at the Hollywood Bowl, I mentioned to Bev that my dad has turned into 'Peter Putterer' - meaning he's been puttering around the house finding all sorts of little projects to keep him busy. She misunderstood. She turned to me with an odd expression on her face and asked, "Your dad's turned into peanut butter?"

Uh, no.

Anyway, I too have been puttering around the house finding all sorts of projects to keep me busy. (Strange segue I know, but there you have it.) That's one of my favorite things about summer and having the month of July off. In addition to some traveling, I'm able to regroup, reorganize and enjoy the gloriously mundane tasks that seem like drudgery during the working months of the year. I love to take the time over the summer to clean, organize, stock-up, and cook in advance so that when I start back to work, I have the peace of mind knowing that I'm ahead of the game.

So what have I been working on? A little of this and a little of that. I've washed and ironed all of my pants, and made any necessary repairs; I've washed and ironed all of my sweaters; I bought a new purse and organized that; I revamped my coupon file and made new dividers, complete with printed labels so that I can actually read them; I'm now up to date on all medical procedures: physical, mammogram, blood work, teeth cleaning and eye exam (complete with new glasses); I've weeded through my closet and donated items I no longer wear; together, Kevin and I cleaned out the entertainment center and went through all of our CDs - we downloaded anything we wanted to keep, and then donated all of the CDs to the Goodwill; I reorganized a dining room cupboard that has needed it for a long time; we renewed our lease with our fabulous landlords; helped Kevin straighten and organize the mancave; purchased a small recliner and new TV for the mancave so that we can relax in there with the AC on in hot days that will be coming in August and September; worked in the garden and around the yard; bought a new date book and transferred all information to it....

As you can see, I've been a busy little bee! In between, I've read books and magazines, enjoyed some wonderful meals with Kevin out on the patio, made ice cream, swam, spent time with family and friends - everything that makes summer so enjoyable!

My to-do list isn't finished, but I'm making headway. Lots of headway. And enjoying the heck out of every single moment! Pat and Drew will be spending a few days with us starting this Sunday and we have a few surprises in store for them. I still need to help mom and dad get some things done, and I'll be going up there tomorrow to get started. My laundry/craft room is still in need of reorganization and we'll be traveling to Laguna towards the end of the month to enjoy a little fun on the beach and be awed by Pageant of the Masters. This week we still have a Hollywood Bowl performance to attend and a picnic to plan for.

Have I mentioned how much I love summer?

No comments: