That’s what I’ve been doing. That, and heavy cleaning. And also, losing weight, one whole pound. (Woot, we can skip the plus size lingerie) And I realized after I posted my update last week that I skipped a whole section of my goals post. I crammed all this

I’d like to go somewhere as a family this year. I want to go out with husband now and again. And I want to read a book every month that will help me as a wife or mom or teacher. I want to finish that massive to-do list. I want to be organized.

into one paragraph, and I skimmed right over most of it last week. So, what am I doing about it?

I went to see Sweeney Todd with Dh, which reminds me, I should totally tell you about it.

I am reading a book about wife-liness, which I will also be reviewing for you.

I have not yet begun the massive to-do list, but I am actively working in other areas that will allow me to do so. IOW, when you bite off more than you can chew, you have to spit some of it out.

As for being more organized, that is a slow process as well. To do that, we are going with a less is more philosophy around here: less stuff is more room, physically, mentally and chronologically. Kitchen down, everything else to go.

Apparently, I have become one of those vapid females at which I used to roll my eyes and giggle. It started with my new interest in make-up and now I want to try a little of everything. And I find myself more interested in fashion than is strictly normal, and at the doctor’s office last week, I actually got mad at my 12 year old over an In Style magazine. I really wanted to look at it. In fact, I want a subscription.

I’m just not sure where this is coming from. I’ve never cared overmuch about all that stuff, even as a young girl. I wanted to look good, sure, but this is just strange territory for me. It’s fun, sure, but different. I was going to try to analyze this for us today, but I’m not sure I am ready to look too closely at it.

Let’s come back to it later, but in the meantime: If these Emu Australia shoes arrive at my front door, don’t be too quick to assume that I ordered them for one of the girls.

I mentioned Friday that I thought my new shampoo needed a boost, remember? Well, no, that’s not it. I used the old shampoo, and the same thing happened. I am 40 years old with oily hair. Or maybe normal hair. But certainly with hair that will have to be washed 3 times a week instead of twice. I wonder how my scalp is going to like that?

In other bodily news, I am now counting calories. I have stopped gaining, but I am not losing. I picked up some health frozen meals yesterday to help me in my quest. Evidently I failed portion control 101, and who has time to measure every morsel anyway? Just eat the food in the box, and write down the number. I think I can find time for that. In the meantime, my stomach can adjust to smaller portion sizes.

Can I find anything else to whine about as far as my body is concerned? I’m beginning to sound like an adolescent.

Have I mentioned lately that I am 40? I believe I might have, but I just want to be sure, because it’s kind of important to what I am about to say. See, I need to be sure you know I am not a teenager, when I let you know what’s been going on with me lately. Now, in addition to the perpetually clogged pores that did NOT go away after adolescence, and the fine network or crow’s feet laugh lines, I have some other things going on that I don’t quite understand. I mean, I understand, but the issues are usually associated with girls 25 years my junior, yk? It’s almost embarrassing.

Well, Cass, what’s the problem, you say? Have your curiosity piqued just a bit? Well, ok. I’m……….sweaty. And oily. Yeah, like I said, embarrassing. I first noticed the sweating problem back in the summer when all my shirts got this … grey stain in the pits. It was/is gross. I thought for awhile it might be the new washer, but then I realized that a lot of people have those washers, and surely the armpits of America are not all grey, and ewwwwwwwwwww. Gross. So, I am looking for a new antiperspirant. Any suggestions? I’ve asked all the IRL people I am willing to admit this problem, too and none of them had any advice that worked. I need help NOW, because I bought a new light pink shirt and wore it once, and now I can’t wear it out of the house again. Okay, enough of that. Let’s move on to the oilies, and if you think the sweaties were funny, this will be a regular laugh riot.

My hair has turned on me. Now, you’ll remember (maybe) that I have long had issues with the curliness of my hair that tends to frizz if it’s over worked. And by long, I mean basically my whole life. I recently found a stylist, and I have been having much better results with the look of my hair, and OH! I am so happy with my hair. Also, I gave in to my secret desire of multiple decades, and I had her apply a little auburnish coloration to my hair, if you get my meaning. (I put a little red on my head is what I am trying to say.) So, I got some shampoo for that, some spendier shampoo than I had been using and I expected great results from it. But, but, but. On day two, I looked like I was an unwashed 15 year old bum. My hair was oily and yet big hunks of skin were flaking off my scalp. It was nasty. Truly horrible. I shampoo twice a week, because, like many other people my age, I have dry skin, and by dry, I mean, really dry, and that’s what contributed to the flakes, but because my scalp is so dry, I don’t think I can shampoo any more frequently without making the dryness worse, and yet, I also need to protect the color.

Which brings me around to the people who reminded me to ask for your advice and allow you to laugh at my expense: Salon Grafix. They make a dry shampoo that you can use if you don’t have time for a regular shampoo. I’m thinking it ought to clean my hair without aggravating my dry scalp. So, if I’d had some of it when my hair looked so awful, I could have done something about it. And, it’s color-matching! No red, but they do have brunette. The last time I tried dry shampoo was back in the day, and it was yuck. It left my hair with this weird white tinge, and a coating that felt ….. like …flour, I guess. I’m sure that the technology has improved over the past 20plus years, but I want to know what your opinion is, so let me know in the comments.

So, here it is Wednesday. A week ago, I posted a set of goals for the year, and it seems like I ought to give some sort of update, but dang, I’m thinking 52 updates would make ME crazy, let alone you, so don’t expect this to be a weekly thing, ok? And I guess I’ll just go in the posted order, since I don’t have a better plan, LOL.

Crafting: on target with one project finished and work continuing on others. No money spent in this area, unless you consider face painting with high-end cosmetics to be a craft. Which I suppose it could be, but I didn’t consider it that when I ordered yet more Aromaleigh for myself and a friend. Call me a make-up ho. It’s ok. ;P

Financially, I brought us up to date on a couple things. I still need to catch up the electric, pay the cable and pay for Diva’s orthodontics. Oh, plus keep up the things I brought current. Baby steps, slowly but surely. I also asked paypal to send me a debit card (before Christmas, even), because it frustrates me to have to ask dh for money.

I’ve been spending more evenings with the fam/dh in front of the tv and fewer here in front of the computer. I guess that’s progress.

The weight thing, that’s not working out so well for me. I weighed 160 still this morning. It’s totally time to get a serious plan. Marisa was just saying that she had lost 33 pounds, so I will ask her and Amy for advice. I can’t afford weight watchers or any of that, so please don’t mention those, but I am open to help in the comments as well. I’m trying to avoid the SlimFast strategy because I tend toward grumpy bitty with that, and I’m just not sure I want to take in more chemicals. I do know I need to get more active, and I need to add more fruits and veggies to my diet. Finding a way to do that is another matter. OTOH, sitting here watching my behind reach phenomenal proportions doesn’t exactly thrill me either. Also, breakfast. I keep forgetting the darn BREAKFAST.

As for schooling, I am writing lesson plans now, and we’ll be taking off just three days next year. Our days are fairly light, so instead of just not having school when we have other appointments, we’ll use the public school philosophy of make it up. What worked for one and two does NOT work for my current number.

I am not going to be through cleaning by the 12th, but I am in the middle of a major reorganizing project, which I alluded to yesterday. So, that’s neither success nor failure, but I am counting it as progress, because when it is done, it will greatly improve the quality of life around here.

I’ve done nothing with travel, and it’s likely I won’t until I get my financial affairs in order.

Finally: spiritual matters. I have ditched the Reese Chronological Bible in favor of the Bible in a Year. The Reese breaks up the flow of the Bible, and so I have a hard time concentrating on what I am reading. All the little headings catch my eye, and the repetition of pulling he same data from all the places it is found in the Bible is distracting. The Bible is what it is, a Story, God’s Story, and I am familiar enough with it that having it presented in little chopped up bits unnerves me somehow. Reese is a study tol, not a reading Bible, at least from my perspective. One doesn’t make hamburger from filet mignon, after all.

As for being a better blogger, well, I forgot to write down where/how I was going to measure that. Last Jan, according to sitemeter, I had 1076 visitors. In December 07, I had 1154. So far this month: 711. I think I might be doing something right, but I’m not quite sure.

Yes, I did. I am so excited. That’s why I haven’t been posting. I’m not going to give all the details here, because I’ve already posted them on Mothering Many, but if you don’t believe a library can be built in less than 3 days, go check it out. As for me, it’s time for more (lesson) planning. I’ll get back to you soon, I promise. Right now, I am all about the home improvements.

My friend Colleen is going on a little vakay soon. She just loves to go, go, go. In fact, I sometimes think of her as a gogo girl, but don’t tell her I said that. Or maybe that’s Fifi. Anyway! When Colleen has fun, she likes to spread it around, usually with a little game involved. She just loves to play. Whoops, did I say that? Well, really I didn’t mean that way.

Listen, quit snickering and pay attention here. This is important. Prizes are at stake. Let me start over. Colleen is going on a trip in 12 days. Colleen is passing out clues, and I have Clue #3:Colleen is traveling to a continent that has been the starting point of both World Wars. Colleen is giving away Travelocity Gift Card and souvenirs from her trip to folks who can guess where she’s going. Colleen has more clues and the rules posted on her site. In fact, there will be new clues there daily, so keep checking back!

Haha on me! I neglected to glance at my calendar this week. How crazy is that? In my defense, I took horribly sick on Sunday, and it has been a battle since then to get motivated to do anything but sit and stitch. So, I am behind just a bit already. I did use the list I generated yesterday to write some more stuff in there, though, and the more I look at the calendar the more I like the way it is laid out. I’m thinking it will be very useful in helping me to become more organized. Oh, I guess I should tell you what it is, hmm? Here, it’s this one. Hehe, too bad I no longer have any paper pictures to put in the front of it. There’s just something whacked about a mother of 8 carrying around a picture of someone else’s baby on her planner, yk? Whacked I say. Like a doctor carrying around toy medical supplies, I say.