Week 12

 I made no progress this week at all. I was distracted by the upcoming blizzard and concerned as Doc would be driving home during the storm. He made it a little over halfway before stopping for the night. Hopefully he'll make it the rest of the way safely. The blizzard warning is over but now we have an advisory for the lake effect snow through this evening. This is why I hate traveling in the winter. We'll celebrate Christmas when he gets home.

I did get all my Christmas treats made. There were two that will not be repeated, but the others were yummy.

I'll have to be diligent this final week of the year to get the bathroom, hall closets and stairs done. Trying not to think of the downstairs as it seems very overwhelming. Just focus on what's before me!

Week 11

 Doc left on Sunday for his trip. The den is free for a good cleaning. Not that it needed a lot since it got a good cleaning in August when Trixie moved out of that room and into Card's. What really needed to be done was organizing the craft supplies hiding under the bed. But I need Trixie for that. She just moved back home for winter break and she needed a break. I put "organize craft supplies" on her break list. So hopefully we can do it before she goes back to school. I know there are craft supplies in the master bedroom and in the office so it isn't the end of the world if we don't get to them right away. At some point they'll get weeded out and consolidated. 

So why did I put off doing anything in that room all week? I even made a list breaking down all the pieces. Early in the week I sucked into working on budget numbers for 2023. Then I spent a lot of time updating and reformatting spreadsheets. Then I got sidetracked on cleaning out both email accounts. Knowing this coming week would be a little busier with Christmas treat baking and both kids working a lot with only one vehicle, I knew Saturday morning that I had to make some progress on the den. I still have the upstairs bathroom and two hall closets and a major dusting of the stairwell to do before the end of the month. I decided I would put in a Christmas CD and work until the CD was done. Any undone parts would have to be put into the coming week. Well, I got the whole room dusted and vacuumed with a few things relocated before the CD finished. I certainly could have done little spurts all week and finished that room leaving my Saturday free to do other stuff. But it's done now and the bathroom is next.

I know the light fixture and top of the vanity needs some serious dusting. I'll clean out the medicine cabinet, drawers and cupboard. Maybe Trixie will clean out her parts for me. I need to find some recipes for toilet and shower cleaners. That toilet has been a struggle for years. Maybe I'll try a different natural recipe each week until I find something that really works to break through the mess that it is and will help keep it nice. The shower has some parts that always look dirty. I did clean out the drain last Tuesday after I showered. It drains much better now.  It would be really nice not to wait to the last possible day to finish this area. I have two weeks to finish the upstairs portion of my Mt. Vernon adventure.

Week 10

 Started on the hallway. Cleaned the dead bugs out of the light fixture and tested all the hall and bedroom detectors. Good thing I did as Trixie's smoke detector battery was dead. Dusted and wiped the walls. Doc is going out of town so I'll start on the den this week.

Washed the dog's dishes and gathered up the rugs and towels to be washed. I also gathered his favorite blankets from the living room to be washed. Threw one old dog bed in the dumpster. I keep forgetting to wash the treat jar. I still glance over to where his water dish was to make sure he has water when I'm in the kitchen. Oh my heart! 

Week 9

 The kitchen is complete except for the floor, the rugs and dog dish area. The stove isn't spotless, but I did soak and scrub the oven racks and stove grates. Wiped the bottom of the oven and the inside of the glass. Not perfect, but if I add it to the monthly chore list, I can give it a scrubbing and hopefully improve it a little more. 

So we did put our beloved dog down on Friday morning. Thought maybe I would clean up his dish area, wash the rugs and mop the floor. I couldn't. I am absolutely heartbroken. I'll do these things on the regularly scheduled Wednesday kitchen cleaning.

I didn't do anything in the hall, den or bathroom. I'll start that this week. Doc will be out of town for two weeks so the den will get the Mt. Vernon treatment. Pleased with my progress. The upstairs, not including Dash and Trixie's rooms, should be complete by the end of the year. I'm planning seven months for the downstairs. Lots of things to go through. The office and the library each get two months. So much stuff!