The Industrious Snow Day

Yesterday, we had the day off for the sort of snowstorm that was perfect because of its timing.  This storm brought snow, ice, and sleet but not in abundance and temperatures slipped back over freezing overnight so that today’s morning’s drive won’t be horrible.  A Tuesday holiday makes for a shorter week and I was determined to both get things done and enjoy my day off.  Over morning coffee, I made a to-do list and then got after it.  I started a load of laundry and did some schoolwork.  I  completed my taxes (and shook my fist at Donald Trump, whose tax cut didn’t help me a bit).  Then I took a break, made a cup of tea, and settled in with the cats to read my book for a bit.

I baked some shortbread and made a few treat packets to give away.

I worked on the paper craft flowers that will be my March front door wreath and now I am ready to assemble the wreath.

I took after my nightstand and the tiny drawer therein, which has become completely crammed over the years.  First, I emptied the drawer onto a towel on my bed and marveled at the amount of book marks, paper, pens, and safety pins one woman can toss in a drawer.  Below is a picture of the empty drawer.

And here is the heap I had stuffed in it.

As the heap thinned, I found some treasures.  These pictures of two year old JT were charming.

I also found my grandfather’s pocket tape measure.  I suspected it was in the drawer and finding it was a treat.

After throwing out the trash, I sorted out the treasures that remained, decided which ones spark joy (I know that idea sounds silly, but it really works), and then neatly returned those items to the nightstand and the drawer..

Like all of the other Marie Kondo-inspired clean-ups I’ve made, this one is lovely because it will make my daily life nicer.  

I wrapped up the day by making a pot of red lentil soup which was warm and spicy; a perfect bowl for a cold day.  This recipe is a keeper, both because it’s easy to make and because it’s delicious.

It was nice to have some time to catch up and relax in equal measure.  This morning, I head to school refreshed and with a much shorter to-do list.  That’s good news!