I am not doing so well on these goals of mine

I have got to stop procrastinating. Although I made some good progress last week, I did not get nearly enough work done. I need to have all the novels re-read and annotated and the research organized by the end of July so that I can spend the entire month of August writing the first chapter.

By the end of this week I will have:

1. Finished the novels
2. Finished my thank you notes
3. Organized my office (Although I have to wait until the dressers arrive. They delivered the wrong ones yesterday).
4. Put everything that is downstairs and belongs upstairs away (Andy gets to help with this one).
5. Mail an overdue library book and Caiana's (Andy's friend's baby) present.

Goals: July 9th-13th

The kitchen, aside from my stuff in Atlanta, is almost completely unpacked. One thing about which I should have informed Andy: I can be incredibly obsessive compulsive when it comes to getting things organized and cleaned the first time around. This weeks goals with respect to the dissertation are fairly simple, to reread and annotate all the novels on the following schedule:

Monday: The Dollmaker
Tuesday: The Dollmaker, cont.
Wednesday: The Changelings
Thursday: The Living is Easy
Friday: The Street.

Doula work:
Read and annotate Henci Goer's book. Outline essay.

Domestic work:
Thank you notes, 10/day
Plan chore chart
Continue to unpack

Almost Official!

I am pleased to say that as of 8 o'clock this morning, Andy and I are now living as a ONE-CAR family. It is only almost official as I still technically own a car and have a separate insurance policy.

I also picked up my personalized stationery. My environmentalism took a back seat to my stubborn feminism on this one. I have always wanted a nice elegant set of personalized stationery, but could not afford personalized fold-overs made from recycled paper. Additionally, I wanted to assuage the irritation I felt at all the cards addressed to Andy and Elizabeth Andylastname and Mr. and Mrs. Andylastname. Of course, people may just think that I am merely using up the rest of my old stationery, which is why I had labels with my new address made as well.

This will be short as it is time to unpack all this crap.

Fireworks and Barbeques!

Really, those are the two things I associate with July 4th. Say what you will about freedom and independence, I generally think about these things every other day in various political and intellectual contexts and actually welcome a break from it.

My contribution to my aunt's barbecue is my famous Orzo Salad with Feta, Spinach, and Mushrooms. I may have used more spinach than I needed, but I think it turned out well.

Whenever I cook something from my Food & Wine magazine, I feel a twinge of gourmet guilt. My original goal was to cook at least one thing from every issue. I think I need to resume that goal. Beginning this month, I am going to try to do this, likely for our weekly "treat" dinners, those meals where nutrition takes a back seat to taste and decadence.

I will begin with Cold Peanut Noodles with Tofu and Red Peppers. In addition to the F&W goal, it also brings me closer to finding the best cold peanut noodle recipe in my collection. I think I will also be attempting the brandied peaches (with vanilla ice-cream) because they look simply amazing and amazingly simple. Perhaps we'll enjoy them on the same night.

Eliminating Paper Napkins

I am obsessed with cloth napkins, just ask Andy. I am in the process of acquiring cloth napkins so that we can eliminate paper napkins entirely. We got a nice set of blue ones for a wedding gift and I purchased several in Maine. I have also contacted friends who sew in the hopes that I can pay them to make some for us.

It also occurred to me that I could learn to make them myself so I am in the process of collecting information on napkin patterns (veteran sewers: I know this must be a fairly simple pattern, but know that I need to gather information from multiple sources before I feel comfortable and competent enough to attempt a craft project). I am also looking at sewing machines.

As a matter of perspective, the last sewing project I finished was a dress I made with my grandmother when I was 10. Impressive, no? She did most of the work.


Pattern Information

eHow.com

About.com I just want to say, as a matter of principle, that I am opposed to the following claim put forth by about.com: "Cloth napkins are saved for special occasions...."

Fabric Information

Tree Fall Design
Z&S Fabrics
eQuilter
Fabric.com
fabric shack
Cia's Palette
Wazoodle