New Year's Day

High of 36.5*, low of 2.7*. Eep.

6.6* at 8 AM on the 2nd; bedrooms at 49*. Fire is lit already! Must do better tonight, since we have to be up at 6 AM tomorrow.

New Year's Day was nice and quiet here. I didn't go any further than the barn all day. I'm working (perpetually, it seems) on reducing the volume of STUFF in my house. FlyLady tells us that we can't organize clutter. So - first, I want to get rid of the clutter. But how do I define 'clutter'? Dictionary.com isn't very helpful: a disorderly heap or assemblage; litter.

I think there are at least the 'unneeded paper,' 'outgrown children's clothing and toys,' 'unused kitchen paraphernalia,' and 'out of season things that belong in the attic' categories. The first is probably the easiest. Children's things I vet into three sections - chuck, donate, sell. The kitchen stuff probably only falls into the donate and sell piles. Out of season things that belong in the attic is fairly simple, too, except when it's 10* outside and frigid in the attic and I don't want to drop the stairs.

Anyway, yesterday I washed some laundry and hung it in the basement, and brought up the dry clothes. I pulled tonight's dinner out of the freezer (three small rabbits, which will become rabbit and dumplings). I took a BUNCH of stuff up to the attic. I made more fudge - not only a maternal obligation, but it also yielded several containers for recycling. I baked the quiche in the cookstove oven. I washed the bathroom floor, and the floor in the hall. (didn't go further because I hadn't vacuumed anywhere else yet)

Today's to-do: mammogram at 10:30, must take knitting along; quick grocery store run; move work table at least into sunroom; move butcher block and desk in the kitchen; vacuum; scrub countertops. Maybe more as time permits, but Andy and Amy Charlotte are out of school at 1:20 today, and are bring home three extra children with them, so that might limit my cleaning. Or it might not. Anyway, off to change clothes and head to the medical center.