Tonight I cooled it on the Olympics (merely because there was no figure skating on). Instead, I achieved monumental . . . ummm . . . achievements. Yes, you heard me. What in the world?, you are asking. I shall tell, I am replying.

#1) Took my 2008 Christmas cards out of the bread basket on kitchen counter. Sat down at computer and typed a list of who sent those cards. This is not bad, those cards have only been hiding under the bread for a little over a year.

#2) Located the pile of 2009 Christmas cards on the buffet, stuffed under and on top of Jazzi's license that came in the mail, a couple of cookbooks, my new Toyota handbook and, happily, Almased diet leaflets. Sat down and typed a list of who sent those cards. This is good, those cards have only been decorating the buffet for two-ish months.

Being on a mega roll,

#3) Wiped down the vinyl Christmas tablecloth on the dining room table, where all food in this household is consumed, unless I'm watching the Olympics. Folded it up and threw on the Goodwill pile. I am pretty sure whoever trots home with it will not notice the black newspaper ink now permanently incorporated into the green and red and white Christmas design. It adds such a special touch . . . NOT!

#4) Spread plain white cotton tablecloth on table. Looks Super boring. Strikingly boring. Stunningly boring. Sickeningly boring. I will have to have my friend Kathie, the famous seamstress, use her fancy embroidery machine on it, yeah, that's what I'll do. Liven it up. As is, it looks like a casket lining, and not a fancy silky tufted one either.

Before I did all this, I read a sign on a little business that said, Greatness begins and ends with discipline. So, my friends, this is two days in a row of real accomplishment. Now. If I could only multiply such daily gumption by, say, 20, then I'd really be going places.

Also, tonight, I was interested to read on my friend's new blog a big beautiful post about housekeeping. Remember how I begged her to tell all of us how she does it, the perfect house, and clues to all her other moxie. Well, she accommodated, bless her. She recommended visiting FlyLady's website. You know FlyLady tells you how to straighten up your house once and for all. This is 'cause FlyLady herself hit rock bottom when police came to her front door to ask some questions about an accident and, at first sight of the interior of her house, they burst in looking for a burglar. 'Cause only a burglar could have produced such mayhem. But really there was no burglar, there was only FlyLady. She was so embarrassed and sad at the state of her house that she made a vow to get it cleaned up. It took her 9 months of daily diligence, but then she had it done, she likened the process to the 9 months it takes to have a baby. After all that travail, she became more or less an expert on maintaining order and cleanliness.

You ask, How do I know so much about this FlyLady? 'Cause in 2004 I followed FlyLady. I can remember because every year she makes up a rhyme, and that year it was, LESS IS MORE IN 2004. Ain't that great? I'm way ahead of the game . . . 'cept I'm not.

Well, the other morning Mike had the nerve to go into the dryer and retrieve his dress shirts to take to the cleaners. Now that he is a nice executive, he has to dress the part. Well, he mainly goes to the cleaners so he can treat his Jazzi to a ride in the car. Of course, you might be asking, Do you mean to tell me you wash the shirts BEFORE they go to the cleaners? Yes, you heard me. Anyway, it always irritates me BADLY when Mike forges ahead and takes domestic matters into his own hands. I asked him, Did you check the sleeves for socks or underwear? Certainly not, was his impertinent reply. Oh, I was annoyed. So, that was a couple days ago and today when I had time to take the rest of that load out of the dryer, sure enough, guess what? One of my very nice dress socks is MIA. It is just the kind of slinky sock material to statically stick inside a dress shirt's long sleeve. I have worn this pair of socks, like, twice in my life. Now it's reduced to a couple of strays. Wonder what other little pretties are in the dry cleaner's barrel of waste about right now. I hope Mike learns his lesson when he reads this.

Of course, he would say, If you kept up with things, I wouldn't have to take matters into my own hands. So, I am now keeping up with things. But I'm peeved just the same and he'd better not try any more of his shady little tricks again.

So, my friend's blog was very timely, she has excellent tips and you can read them at
http://www.twohh.blogspot.com/ I told her, I am a perfectionist, just not in the traditional sense. Don't ask.

Now, if I can only transfer the tower of boxes holding the Christmas ornaments from our bedroom (I mean from the Christmas tree, they made it to the bedroom) to the high shelf in the closet, we can officially close out Christmas 2009. This will require dusting the shelf, which is what has stopped me dead in my tracks thus long. Thank you.

Mental Kase KEM