Friday

Jasmine Vine

Many years ago, my mother bought a jasmine vine which she planted in the front garden.  She had M build a trellis for it with PVC pipes and wire mesh and it grew well.  But, then, I needed to replace the water pipes and the main water pipe coming to the house from the mains ran directly under the jasmine vine!  The vine had to be cut down and dug up.  We replanted it in the back garden, where it did quite well, until the drought came.  It died down in the second or third year of the drought.  However, one little sprig had self rooted and we dug it up and potted it.  Eventually, two years ago, we planted it in the front flower bed, and trained it to go up the trellis.  Last summer, it barely reached half way up the trellis.  But, this year, it has climbed all the way up to the top and is flowering!  I am hoping it will continue to grow and, eventually, cover the entire trellis.

Today, I spent a relaxed morning, sleeping in, replying to blog comments, and visiting a few blogs.  In the afternoon, I watered the peach tree and the orange tree and did some weeding in the bed where the peach tree is.  It was a cool, overcast afternoon, and I weeded for just over one hour before I got tired.  Later, M finished weeding that planting bed for me.

Orange Flower "Snow" 

Later, I sewed up one side of the sweater, did a little mending, did a load of laundry (one of daughter's quilts), did a little more file clearing while I watched the news, and started on the spare room closet.

The spare room is supposed to do triple duty as a guest room (there is a twin bed in there), crafts room, and home office.  Right now, however, it functions as a storage room and is known as The Dump!

The spare room closet is supposed to store most of my craft supplies, some of daughter's collectibles, and various bits and pieces.  This is a basic, one rod/one overhead shelf type of closet, with access to the attic space (unfinished attic) cut into the ceiling.  I had a second overhead shelf installed, using plastic coated wire shelving, for additional storage.  On one side of the closet, I have put in a metal shelving unit and, on the other side, I have an old chest of drawers.  I will take some photos during the day when there is more light.

Ideally, there is a small space in the middle of the closet so that one could access the items stored on the metal shelving unit and the drawers of the chest of drawers can be opened (I have fabric stored in those drawers).  But, in reality, stuff was thrown into that space, as well, until the whole closet was stuffed to the gills!
 
Today, I took out everything from the middle of the closet and off the overhead shelves, wiped the wooden shelf, and put some stuff back on the shelves.  Eventually, I am going to need some storage bins.  For now, things are in an assortment of  plastic bags, totes, and baskets.  I worked on that closet for one hour and then, stopped, as I was tired.

Dinner was a beef stew made with some of the pot roast I had cooked and frozen, earlier:

Beef Stew

Today, I am grateful for:
- A relaxed morning
- A productive afternoon
- All what I was able to accomplish today
- Time spent in the garden
- Video chatting with my daughter


Friday's To Do List:

- Do one decluttering/organizing task in the spare room - DONE (closet)

- Do one deep cleaning task - DONE (spare room closet shelves)

- Water the peach tree and orange tree - DONE; weeded, too!
- Sew up the black sweater - DID one side

Today's decluttering:

Metal Canopy Frame

My daughter had a canopy bed when she was a child; these are the metal pieces that formed the canopy frame.  The bed was given away several years ago, but the canopy frame had been stored in the spare room closet! 

My joyful activity for the day was weeding!  I enjoy weeding; I find it almost meditative (plus it is good exercise for me!).  I also feel my mother's presence when I am out, tending to the garden that she loved. 

Saturday's To Do List:

- Attend a family get together/give a ride to cousin P

- Finish sewing the sweater
- Mend daughter's quilt

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for the weekend?