November Plans and Goals

 


Everyone always says it's hard to believe that it's November and the year nearly over.  It's felt like a whole year to me.  Time didn't speed along nor drag.  I'm not anxious to have any month go any more quickly than they usually do but I like it best when time goes along at what feels like a normal pace and that's the way it's felt to me.  Normal is just fine by me.   I don't need time to go any faster.

Typically, this month might just be considered a holiday month. I prefer to think of it as just another month, until the very last week and then I sink my teeth into the idea of 'holiday'.  Since Thanksgiving doesn't come until the very last week and in the last few days, I have no need to rush the holidays.  Aside from the turkey, I have all I need for a holiday meal on hand, so that isn't a deep concern for me at this time.


Anyway, aside from all I haven't done in September and October, there are things I'd like to do in November.  Just add all the previously undone things to the list and let's add a few more, right?

1.  I want to change how I do my housekeeping.   Zone work has been just fine, but I feel the need, at least for the next two months, of tackling one room per day each week.  My home isn't large.  I feel this will help me focus harder on the things I keep forgetting I meant to do if I know I'm going to be in each room once a week.  So, I'll be dividing my house into zones that I work on daily rather than just concentrating it all into one week of the month.

2.  Prune the roses.  However, I need to make sure I'm pruning the right roses at the right time.  There are rules about pruning roses that only bloom in the Spring versus those that might bloom all through the summer.

3.  Give outside of the house a decent cleaning.  Porch floors, railings, plant pots, siding, windows.  I may not tackle all the jobs, but I'll try to have a decent go at some of the jobs.

4.  Fall/Winter planting.  I'm not just referring to vegetable gardening at the moment.  The truth is that I want to have a couple of pretty pots in the yard and flowering kale, pansies and a few other plants are cold hardy in my area, so I can have something pretty to see near the porch steps or on the patio.

5.  Look for clearance priced pots, soil, mulch, etc.  Maybe I'll find some and maybe I won't, but I can go look all the same.  I have two huge pots that both decided to split and break here at the end of summer that I need to replace.  They are pricey at that size so I hope I can find some that are being sold as clearance items.

6.  Get bird seeds to start feeding the birds.  I also need a new bird bath, and I have one feeder that needs to be replaced entirely as it cracked right down the glass last spring.  

7.  Replace my US Flag.

8.  Go over my budget one more time and make sure I've accounted for all I need to cover in November and December.   This is a hard time of year for us.  It's not a bad time, just one of those financially sticky times.  We've got house insurance renewal, property taxes, Christmas, and then in January we get hit with auto insurance renewal.  So yeah.  Now's the time to make sure that I've truly got those bases covered and make a plan if there's a shortfall anywhere.

9.  End of year summary and plan New Year resolutions.

10.  Birthdays:  No less than 5 birthdays and all of them in the first half of the month.  Hoo boy!  I need cards.  And I need to get busy getting them in the mail.

11.  Plan holiday meals.  As I said, I'm not too concerned about Thanksgiving.  I know that John will want turkey and that's the only thing I'm missing...and a box of raspberry Jello.  Everything else is on hand.   And now I'm wondering where all the fried onions are...Likely on the one shelf I didn't empty and pull things from the back of...Yep, definitely need to get my plans in order and then start putting things together.

12.  Get together a list of clothing items I need and start pricing them.  It's not outer clothing I require but the things no one will see. 

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3 comments:

Tammy said...

I feel like this year went crazy fast. Maybe because the summer was so busy?
We won't decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but I am embracing holiday preparations starting next week. We're hosting several gatherings again, and I want as much done ahead of time as possible so I can enjoy the actual events without being exhausted. There will be houseguests staying here, so a little extra meal-prep, too.

Donna said...

You have a lot going on! However, what would we do with our time if we didn't have household chores, seasonal tasks and family on our to-do list? I know I would be bored to pieces.

mikemax said...

Terri, if you haven't replaced your US flag yet, you might want to purchase one that was flown over the US Capitol. Here is how to do it if you live in Georgia: https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/services/requesting-a-flag/#:~:text=A%20flag%20can%20be%20flown,gov%2C%20an%20official%20government%20website. My children became naturalized citizens on Jan. 20, 1993, the same day President Clinton was sworn into office. I asked to have flags from that day and they also sent a certificate honoring the kids' naturalization and Clinton's inauguration. The flags are very good quality and made in the USA. For the right person, they make wonderful wedding gifts.

The Long Quiet: Day 21