2012 things to do

Well it feels like I have 2012 things I want to accomplish... not resolutions as such but little jobs (and some quite big ones), things that have been bugging me, things I really want to happen and things that must happen around Casa Cataldo this year. I'm not listing things that will need expert help (like the fans and the hot water system that need to be replaced, or the powerpoints and switches that need to be done) So here they are... in no particular order.

• Cover the old chair that the dog destroyed, fix up the arms and paint them black (have to disguise the tooth marks left by the dog and then  move it into the lounge.

  

  This will live again!

  
• Recover the arm chair currently in the lounge and it's mate out in the "family room" Repaint their arms and legs
• Make slip covers/buy slip covers for the sofas
• Refurbish the vanity in the bathroom. I plan to make a new door for it and take out the drawers, add shelves and pop in baskets.
• Put up shelving in the bathroom. The shelves are there... it's just a matter of putting them up.
• Rearrange my laundry.
• Put up shelving in my craft/spare room
• Organise my craft/spare room
• Restore the bed in the craft/spare room
• Repaint Duncan's room, our room, the craft room, laundry, kitchen ... in fact every room except Caitlin's.
• Paint Caitlin's floor white.
• Paint the pine "feature wall"
• Paint the bronze light fittings either black or white.
• Paint the patio table
• Paint the old kitchen cupboards out in the patio.



Sand and paint the green black.

• Finish restoring the chairs for the patio. Two are done... just 2 more to sand and paint.
• Re-organise and cull electrical items in the kitchen
• Re-alphabetise and cull books and CDs
• Refurbish the set of drawers out in the carport
• Try and get some sort of garden happening around the side yard that the dog won't lie in . (pointy things that will grow in shade!)
• Revamp my herbs in pots - fertilise and replace any past their prime.
• Investigate the cost of new cupboard doors for the kitchen
• Repair the wonky leg in the dining table.
• Paint the dining table legs white.
• Paint my rocking chair, the TV stand and the pine chest in the lounge room white.
• Finish the paint effects on the coffee table in the patio.
• Clean the patio and carport ceilings.
• Paint the front door something dramatic.
• Reinstall my stained glass window in the bathroom.
• Have an ornament/nick nack cull
• Recover/replace the lamp shades in the lounge, my bedroom and the craft/spare room.
• Thin out the plants in the front garden, prune and generally tidy a bit.
• Get a vege garden going again.
• Replace broken/ rotting garden edging

I'm sure there are things I have forgotten. I know that not everything on this list will be accomplished. I am anticipating that other things will crop up that need attending to. But it's a start of a plan!

Displacement Activity AKA Avoiding things

According to Wikipedia  a displacement activity is the result of two contradicting instincts in a particular situation. Birds, for example, may peck at grass when uncertain whether to attack or flee from an opponent; similarly, a human may scratch his or her head when they do not know which of two options to choose.
Displacement activities often involve actions to bring comfort such as scratching, drinking or feeding.
I decided that this week that I would go through my clothing to get rid of the baskets of clothes that do not fit in cupboards. I want beautifully organised shelves, drawers and hanging space. I want to be able to do a load of washing and fold or iron it and put it away without having to cram things in. I also want to lie on my bed and read 11/22/63 (how I will ever memorise that title is beyond me). I also want to recover my arm chair in the delicious velour fabric that looks like an Indian rug. I also want to reorganise my craft storage.
So here I am with 4 conflicting desires and what do I do? Go searching on the Internet for storage ideas.
After an hour or so of that I mentally shake my head and  head off to my room. First go to get the t-hub so I can listen to some pod casts while I work. It's  in Duncan's room and flat. Put it in the cradle thingy to charge and look for a CD to play instead spend 15 minutes arranging them in alphabetical order.
Time to start on the clothes... well actually I begin to sort my shoes. I am quite proud of my efforts.

I get one bag ready for charity and start stacking the others on my shoe rack. Not enough space. I start to ponder the problem and drift into the craft room to find some boxes for the shoe overflow and get distracted by rearranging my desk in my craft room. As I do that I notice the time. Lunch.

Daisy taking up sorting space on the bed

Lunch over and back in my room. Spend 15 minutes lying on the bed next to the cat talking to her, then my hand grabs  11/22/63.  I read a chapter. Caitlin pops into the room and joins me on the bed talking to the cat. I start thinking about tea. We both decide to go down to the local shopping centre.

Back at home groceries unpacked. Dishwasher on. Maybe I'll clean the fridge? No back to the clothes. I'll start soon. Take the bag of shoes out to the car to deliver to a charity bin (darn should have done that while we went to the shopping centre). Back into the bedroom. Spot a stain on one of the cushions and take it into the laundry to spray with stain remover. I realise the washing hasn't been put on. Do that.

Make a cup of coffee, sit down to have it and decide to blog about displacement activities. Once I have done this I will begin again!?! No. Husband has just arrived home from work and lays down on the bed for a rest - he says it will only be for half an hour but past experience tells me he will be snoring in 5 minutes and asleep until dinner goes on the table. Opportunity lost as I really need the bed to make piles on.
So what is the issue with the clothes? I really quite enjoy the end result and don't mind the process of relining the drawers and stacking them. It's just such a mammoth job. I think one of my stumbling blocks is that so much of  it is separates, so if I decide to keep out a bottom I have to make sure it also has a top and vice versa. Then the decisions on arranging them... by style, colour, separates together, do I put the camisole top with the sheer shirt or have all my shirts together and camisoles together. I wish I had a professional organiser who will make those decisions for me!