Goals for September




A new page is turned upon the calendar and here it is September...Hard to believe that 8 full months of this year have gone by already and a new season nearly upon us, as well.

I shall share quickly all about August and how that month went, though I had no hard and fast plans to accomplish any one thing:



I managed to lay down the bordering blocks I'd bought at the very end of July.  I puttered about the yard doing odd jobs, like filling in the crack between patio and foundation wall, picking up branches, weeding,  watering plants due to the heat, and moving that pale pink wicker chair to the front porch and out of my bedroom.  It's so brittle that it can just fall apart out there and not all over the bedroom carpet.

I did some deeper cleaning tasks in the kitchen: wiping down walls and cabinet fronts and in our bedroom I rearranged my clothes/accessories and cleaned up our closet as well as vacuuming all about the edges of the bedroom and moving furniture to get under it.  I'd done a deep vacuum in the living as well one morning and dusted hard in both living and dining and entry way.

I've fought ants, made meals and cleared up behind, baked bread weekly and sometimes twice weekly, shopped for groceries, worked on paying bills, visited with Mama, Bess, Katie and the grandchildren, traveled to pick up Taylor and return her to her daddy twice, had a couple of nice dates with John and read a book or two.   I finished one book and started three more to be exact.   I've shopped Goodwill for fall wardrobe additions.   I ate as many peaches as I could before the season ran out and put a few bags in the freezer for winter cobblers.

All in all, August may have been goal free but it was by no means a vacation month.  However, I did not have so much to do in the heat and I felt the month was well paced.  In deep cleaning the kitchen I took a couple of weeks to get it all done, rather than try and do it all in one week or one day.    I shall definitely approach future Augusts in the same way.

So now for September.  I am, of course, beginning to think Autumn and winter at this time of year and what those seasons bring.  This year they bring more than usual.  Two babies for one thing and a vacation thrown in the midst of autumn and possibly a little earlier than planned retirement.  I've committed myself to the Christian Writers group at church once more.  There's holidays to plan: Thanksgiving and Christmas.   And fall always brings a spate of deeper cleaning though I do not turn out the whole house any longer.  Those days are done, but it is necessary to think of quilts and blankets being fresh and time to wash and rehang curtains.   Time, too to get plants ready to return indoors or to overwinter.

I know for certain it won't all get done at once but it's my intent to do as much as I can, in little daily 'bites'.  And it shall all have to fit into the spaces leftover from all the usual household/family routines.

Outdoors:

I need a few bags of mulch to touch up some thinned areas where the mulch I put out in spring settled.   Also to complete that bed about the Sweet Gum and Persimmon trees at the end of the house.

I need to trim back the rose bushes a bit as they are attempting to take over the house.  I don't like to prune them this time of year.  It is ideal to do this task when they are dormant but some years they never  go dormant in the South, so I just do them when I see it is needed.

Buy and lay more of the border blocks.  At the very least this month I'd like to get enough blocks to finish bordering the two trees at the end of the house.

Start to fill the new flower bed with topsoil if I can.  I'll just buy a bag now and then and do it a bit at the time, same as every other job around the house.

Paint the new planter.  I need to buy paint.  Once painted I mean to set it up in the little bed next to the back steps and then I will plant seeds I have on hand for fall/winter vegetables that don't require deep soil.

Dig out the fall wreaths, freshen up,  and hang on the doors.

Every purchase will require thinking of  my limited budget and what is priority.


Indoors:

Start taking down curtains and washing them.  Ditto for slipcovers.

Wash and/or air out fall/winter bedding.  Also wash summer bedding.  I usually put fall/winter things away clean so I may be able to get by with just airing most of these items.

Dust/wipe down walls in the main living area, and our bed and bathroom

Introduce some fall décor pieces into the main living area.

Wardrobe:
Continue to look for shoes. I do not have money for any more wardrobe pieces except shoes.  One more pair will really be enough I think.  

Start piecing together a few outfits so I have an idea of how things might be layered or accessorized.  Try and get up at least one blog post of fall outfits.

Hem one pair of jeans.  Check buttons and hems on other pieces of clothing and do any necessary mending.  Spot clean purses and polish shoes if needed.  Hand wash silk scarves.

Financial:

Savings has slowed but I am still trying to save something.  I have a deposit ready for the new savings account that I ought to have put in last month and a deposit ready to go towards replacing the money we took out to put in the new foundation...Which continues to pay for itself.  We had another lower bill for the July-Aug billing cycle.  Anyway, I need to get those deposits made this week. I am going to do my best to get deposits together for both accounts again this month and have them in the bank by September 30.

Try to put a bit more aside for vacation.  I'm not sure how I can manage this too but I'm sure going to do my best.  I find creative thinking has a way of boosting savings.

I'd like to keep grocery expenses to around $300.  I was a little over that for August though we do continue to tweak what we buy.  I'm buying less bread since I found that bread machine recipe that John likes so well.  I posted that recipe in last week's comments section by the way. We're also stocking up at a slower rate and have decreased or meat purchases but prices are rising a little.  Peach season almost always sees us spending a little more anyway and this year I bought enough peaches to share with Mama, Bess and Katie rather than just a small bag for us each pay period.

At least for this month, I'm going to try really hard to keep my credit card bill to the three monthly bills that auto charge and nothing else.  In fact, I'm removing the card from my purse and stashing it away so temptation is well out of way.  If I haven't cash to purchase an item, I haven't any business buying it!

Get together a list of items needed for colds, personal care, etc. and start stocking those things.  I'd like to be prepared this year and not have to rush out to buy tissues and cold meds and such when we're already ill.  Increased Vitamin C and D regimen is already in place just as a preventative measure.

Start planning holiday dates and meals and stock the non-perishable items.  If I have a list I can buy one or two each pay period and set them aside.

Continue to help Katie gather what is required for baby's arrival.  I actually have a dollar amount assigned to this in my budget this month.  Fortunately she has all the bigger things.

Personal:


I saw an ad this morning that a Downtown Abby movie is coming to theatres on September 5.  I'd like to go see it.

Continue to try and cut computer time and read MORE.   Do you know I sat here last night with one of my vintage magazines and read all the fiction stories, except one?  It took up an hour of time but how nice it was to sit and just read with the football game on the radio in the background.  Very relaxing.   I've still quite a stack of September magazines to read through as well as continue with A Light In the Window by Jan Karon (#2 in Mitford series) and I am doing a Bible study on Galatians: Letter from Paul by Mary Weins.  I've also started a book on intercessory prayer but I'm not sure what that title is and I don't want to go fetch the Kindle to look it up at the moment as I'll just get distracted from this task.

Start watching the next season of The Great British Baking Show.  I really enjoy that program and I'm glad to have a new season to view.

You'll note all my personal plans appear to be leisurely.  I find that if I don't promise myself leisure I don't take it!  So my reward for doing as many of the tasks I can of what's listed above is tucked in here.

I do have a few items that are not leisure to add: I need to lose about five pounds in order to fit into a pair of black jeans that would add a great deal to my wardrobe.  I've also been lax about monitoring blood sugars (mind you when I did check it was low enough but I haven't been consistent), nor have I taken my other vitamins and aspirin, etc. consistently.  I mean to take better care of me, especially now we're entering cold/flu season.

12 comments:

Chef Owings said...

I have to schedule leisure or I don't do it. I have to schedule meals and snacks or I don't eat until it is WAY to late.
Daddy and Mother both said you need a purpose and a routine

Lana said...

I am so thankful that I stocked essential oils over the last four years. They keep us well in every season. I picked up a virus this weekend and was able to quietly take oils to kill it without getting our DIL worried and before I appeared sick. We do take 3000 units of D3 daily Oct through May. Skipping even one day leaves us open to illness as we have seen. As long as we take it every day without fail we stay well all winter.

Anonymous said...

Terri is this there any possibility this hurricane can come your way?

Hubby was told by our G. P. doctor from day one to check his 'numbers' each morning. When he was talking to the diabetic nurse councilor she said no that was wrong ! He was to check three times a day. So he did and when he went bak to our G.P. he said No!! HE was the doctor and he only has to do it once a day! lol So that settled that!! We had a wonderful G .P. till he retired in June. :((( By the way, Hubby is still doing well on the one Metformin a day. Hopefully he will not need other meds for a long time. Thank you again for your counseling and ideas you have given us. It really was a help.

Till this heat and humidity seltles down some I am just working in whatever work I can, inside and out. With our water cooler cooling the house it is even more humid than it is outside at all times...but it is somewhat cooler at least ! :) As expected some yard work early in the morning then inside what can be done then outside just before dark. I even hang out the clothes on the clothes line after supper or very early in the morning when the sun is not so bright in that area. This time of year if we go to a restaurant and their air conditioner is not cooling well we do Not stay and eat there. To be cool is one reason we are there. !! ;) We are not into shopping but stores being cool helps to make it more appealing ! Even if we do not buy we can walk around and enjoy the air conditioning! All too soon we will be complaining about the strong winds or icy conditions or whatever our seasons bring us ! Isn't it just wonderful how God gave us the 4 different seasons. He knew we would enjoy the change. Even her in S. Calif. there are changes. I will admit though I loved the fall especially in the East where I grew up. My heart will always belong to that area.

This year we started to get ants one day and I watched and watched and caught where they got in. Killed all in the house I could one at a time. So Far have not seen more. I keep waiting for another invasion but so far no. I hope I have not spoken too soon. !!!!!! Everyone says this year is a horrid ant time.

How you can remember all the details of your days to tell us is beyond me. Do you write your activities and thoughts down a you finish them. ?? :) I can think back on nearly all I do in a day ..and boy aren't there so many little and big things we get done !! Amazing. But to write of them days later...No! Sarah

terricheney said...

Juls, routine is key to life in my opinion.

Lana, I have so much to learn yet. However, our doctor has discouraged us from taking d3 daily. I do take it a couple of times a week though, because I do believe it works.

Sarah, Per my DO I am to check my sugar once a week and otherwise to let diet suffice. If I get sick, I'd check it more often...but of late, I just simply haven't checked it as regularly as once a week. I did buy new test strips though and I am trying to be more mindful of keeping a check. However, I do stick with my medication and do not need to have anything but Metformin at present.
I usually document each day after I am done. But I don't always and even so I don't remember all I do. I often will think of something later and say "Oh I meant to share that!" You'll be surprised by how much I miss sharing.

Tammy said...

Just a quick note that Downton Abbey opens in theaters September 20. Here's a link to the trailer and information:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6398184/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1
I'm looking forward to it - hope we get it. We don't get to open every new movie.
I'm looking forward to a fall outfit post. Hoping to get through my closet this week. Shoes are where I have trouble. I love them, but they don't love me.

Karen in WI said...

Terri,
Thank you for the delightful visit on your September. I think that taking an easier August sounds like a delicious way to end summer, particularly with your heat. It has been unusually cool here for August...almost fall like. We saved a lot in not using the air conditioning. Congratulations on the impending arrival of the two new grandchildren. It sounds like such fun! I haven’t held a baby in years and am excited for that time in my life (when the boys are ready and they have met SWEET, CHRISTIAN girls!). It’s so lovely of you to help Katie stock up and prepare. By now, I know what a generous, kind person you are.

So glad to hear that you are joining the writer’s group at your church. It is good to see you step out and it is inspiring to me as I hope to do so some day. I would like to try to attend a very large church up in a suburb of Milwaukee as remaining a bit anonymous is important right now and may be a good way to get my feet wet. My husband likes the smaller church he and the younger boys have been going to, but there is a family there that went out of their way to make sure we suffered more on top of going through a tragic time with our injured son. I have been working on forgiving these few couples and have made good progress, but every time I think of this particularly family, I just see my son who was in such pain at the time, choking back tears because his best friend was unable to see him anymore. He was fighting for his life at the time. Sigh. I don’t know how to get that out of my head and I haven’t been able to forgive that one yet. I just don’t want to bump into these people and a smaller church makes me feel like I have to socialize when I almost see everyone as a threat. I know it all sounds a bit dramatic, but it was the most awful time of our lives and I am so grateful that my son survived. Anyway, hugs to you for joining a church group! I hope you meet a lovely, kind, true-blue type of friend there. You deserve it.

I hope that you get your planter painted soon and put seeds in! Do tell what color. I just got done painting the garden bench that my husband made for me. Two coats of primer and three coats of deep royal blue and it looks so pretty. Just waiting for it to cure and out it goes. I have to admit that I really didn’t feel like putting that last coat of paint on, but I am glad as it will be outside all year and our weather will be hard on it.

I am busy with my youngest in high school soccer (not driving yet) and starting the homeschool year. Our garden has produced wonderfully this year and I have lots of tomatoes, cucumbers and summer squash to use up. I am already thinking to preparing for fall too.. I want to get our wellness kits ready. I make my own elderberry syrup from dried elderberries and stock everyone up. So much cheaper than buying it.

Thank you for the bread recipe and thank you for the heads up on the Downton Abbey movie. I am so excited to see this and even though we very rarely go to the movies, I will make an exception for this. Have a good evening Terri!

Rhonda said...

Good morning, just stopping to say hi and I enjoyed this post. ❤️

terricheney said...

Karen, I've thought seriously of painting the planter the same color green as the rocker...but that paint is gone and I do not believe I'd go so very green second time in choosing. I still think green is my choice but perhaps a teal green or an old fashioned dark green. We shall see. It is in my plans to pick this up next week, along with as many landscape blocks as I can also afford at the time.
Anonymity was necessary for us when we left the synagogue we were attending. We'd gone to two other synagogues to worship but the Messianic community is small and though we did not speak of what had occurred, others were not so reticent and because we would neither defend our own position nor condemn the other, people tended to shy away. We know we did what was honorable but in the end it was, as I've often told me kids, satisfactory only in that we knew we did what was right. No one applauded us! So we went to the humongous Baptist church and hid out there for several years quite literally. I don't think we spoke with the same people twice over in the three or so years we attended there.
It is hardest I think to forgive the hurts others cause those we love. But in the end, we must. Not because they deserve it but because WE do. We deserve to let go of the hurt that keeps us tethered to them. We can't move on otherwise.
Hugs back to you dear friend.

Rhonda, Hi right back at you! I think you so very often. Just this morning I picked up one the dishtowels you'd made for me and used it to lift the hot bread pan from the bread machine. You will forever be tied up with my baking, lol.

Anonymous said...

Just a little encouragement for you diabetics. I was diagnosed with type 2 in June 2000. I am very careful with my diet, although I don't avoid all sugar. I do have an occasional dessert, usually for birthdays or holidays. I have regular blood work and walk every day if possible. My a1c stays consisent through the years and the only damage to my body is a bit of neuropothy in my feet. I take Metformin and have had several serious heart issues the last couple years, one a virus and the other a car accident and have totally amazed my Dr with my recovery. Neither was because of lackmof selfcare.
I laugh when Terri talks about getting ready for winter. Us northerners are doing our best to hang onto summer and we are very careful not to say that word until at least Nov 1st. Hope you all stay safe in this storm and dont have any damage. Gramma D




Lana said...

Gramma D, Yes! We just spent a week in Ohio at our son's house and they are hanging on to summer as hard as they can! But, the weather was delightful for these Southern parents! My husband's heart attack and coma were caused by a virus almost three years ago. I am so glad you came through it too!

Terri, I am outspoken at the dr office and I am sure they hate to see me coming but when I am told something like not to take D3 everyday I want to know why they told me that and I press for answers. Hubby was told to take a dangerous drug several years ago and he asked the dr for how effective it would be in preventing a second heart attack Doc gave a percentage but surely did not realize he was dealing with a man who majored in math and statistics on college. Hubby knew the real answer was less than one percent so he told the doc. Doc actually called him at home later that evening to tell him that he was absolutely right and that the risks did not warrant taking it. But, anyway D3 is not effective unless it is taken daily and C is of no use at all. You would have a better chance of staying well by making sure your body pH is alkaline since infection cannot grow in a body that is not acid. The internet is full of info on that. I hope you are not sick all winter like last year!

Melanie said...

I know you are a busy woman and you do so well with taking care of others, but please try to make yourself a priority! Have to take care of yourself before you take care of others. I haven't been sick in years, not even a cold. I've been working with an integrative physician with my health and all my test numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure, sugar) are the lowest they've ever been. I'm also at my lowest weight since I was in my 20's! This doctor is a vegan but doesn't push that diet. He does encourage a ton of vegetables and fruit and limited meat and cheese though, which I mostly did anyway, but now have amped it up even more. Of course, no prepared or fast foods, no hydrogenated oil or preservatives, which I haven't done in many years. Oh yes, no processed sugar and white flour either. I also practice yoga and do a lot of walking every single day. Meditation is also crucial for your health, but I need to practice that more than I have been, especially since I have bad anxiety.

I don't know why your doctor would discourage taking vitamin D, though I've found that most western medicine doctors have no clue about supplements or even healthy, clean eating.

Many blessings and good health to you!

Karen in WI said...

Terri, I think old fashioned dark green is a lovely color to paint outdoors!

Thanks so much for the encouragement. I do deserve it indeed. I am going to concentrate on doing so instead of just trying to ignore it.

I am slowly starting to put some of my summer decor away and am planning my autumn decor, meals and activities. With the cooler weather, it’s easy to get in the spirit of this lovely new season! Have a lovely evening. Hugs to you!