I captured only the low-hanging fruit this weekend. I slept in. I got outside (in a steady drizzle yesterday and the sun today). I went to the library (and the grocery store and the farmers market). I stopped by the garden to take down the last of the vegetable cages and stakes I’d left up in November.
I left a message for my friend. I raced through The Art of Theft. (I now need to track down Sherry Thomas’ The Heart of the Blade series for more of a crossover character.)
Other projects proved more high-jump than hurdle. I thought about doing laundry, but then decided having the drying rack in the shower (where we put it during the Christmas season to avoid giving cats a perch from which to bat at upper-level ornaments) would be inconvenient to my pre-work trip shower. I looked for semolina flour for the shortbread, but didn’t buy any. I’m not sure emptying one bag and vacuuming really constitutes tidying. I took my shawl with me, but didn’t actually sit down to knit. I spent too much time playing on my phone and not enough writing Christmas cards. I read instead of writing that best of 2019 post, which I suppose was a fair trade. And I watched a terrible Christmas-themed sitcom instead of a terrible Christmas-themed movie, which was probably an improvement.
Luckily, as Karen noted in her comment to me, it’s too early in the year to feel guilty over how a weekend is spent (particularly after a month of feeling guilty for not accomplishing more most weekends). Volleyball doesn’t start for another week, so I can spend tomorrow evening finishing my Christmas correspondence. And maybe I can set aside another evening for finishing my shawl. After all, how awesome will it be to have my first finished object of the year so early in January?
A lack of nearby snow means I suddenly have a weekend to myself. Here’s how I’m hoping to fill some of the time (other than eating the rest of our New Year’s cheesy grits, which were delicious after some time under the broiler and registering for a Sunday afternoon bowling league with a friend):
Sleep in. I have an early train to Philadelphia on Monday for a meeting, and working two whole days in a row while still not being fully healthy has been a challenge.
Send out my Christmas cards. Because the twelve days end this weekend and I will not have them lingering past that. But, hey, at least folks will be getting real mail in January as well as December, right?
Finish my shawl. I’d like to start something new, or at the very least, move on to another project, but I’ve sworn that I won’t knit anything else until I kick those final rows that have been hounding me for months now.
Go to the library. I have holds waiting for me.
Read. I have four books in progress.
Do some laundry.
Start some tidying/purging projects.
Write a best books of 2019 post. As per usual, I ran out of steam on the monthly book reports, but I’d like to get the year-end wrap up done sooner rather than later.
Bake. Earlier today, I saw a Mary Berry 5-ingredient shortbread recipe I might like to try.
Phone a friend. She called before the holidays when I was sick and voiceless and I owe her a return call.
Watch some more Christmas movies — the ultra sappy ones that Rudi won’t mind missing. Or maybe take myself out to see Little Women. (I’ve promised to go a second time with Rudi if I opt to do so.)
Spend some time outside. Because fresh air and activity are good for me.
How about you? What’s on your to-do list this first weekend of the year?
Like many of you, I’m hurriedly trying to wrap up loose ends that have been lingering through this year so they don’t follow me into the new year.
Simultaneously I’m also working on putting things into place so that I start 2020 off on the right foot.
Unless I should be starting it off on the left foot.
Hmm…
Either way, I’ll definitely begin it in motion — maybe with a pirouette or by doing a step-ball-change with some jazz hands thrown in for flair.
In the meantime, I need about a dozen hands, preferably doing things like typing or binding off a shawl in order to get things done around here before we head to the movies this afternoon with friends.
I wish you a peaceful end to 2019 and a new year filled with joy.
Rudi and I returned to D.C. tonight, but my holiday time off continues for several more days. I’m hoping to balance productivity with utter laziness. I’ll let you know how it goes…
Here’s what I’m thinking the weekend might include:
Sending out my Christmas cards.
Coordinating with our two friends about our NYE movie marathon plans.
Watching a movie or two.
Reading.
Taking a walk or a bike ride. (I’ve been very sedentary the past week.)
Buying milk.
Baking.
Going to the library, the bagel shop, and the farmers market.
Sleeping in (but keeping in mind that if I miss the sun tomorrow I’ll be sad).
Tidying.
Checking out a museum exhibition.
Enjoying some holiday light displays.
How about you? What are you hoping to do this weekend?
