January seemed to pass much too quickly. However our plans for a kitchen renovation are coming together at long last. The designer and potential contractor met to confirm measurements and supplies.
The white water birds are swans that migrate during January and rest in our shoal.
Here’s what I was (we were) up to in addition to my preplanned numbered list:
- I purchased a 2nd remote control for our ancient garage door opener. It arrived in 3 days for less than $20 and it works.
This old remote still works (most of the time) so I gave it to Charlie.
- I started practicing tai chi with my old group via Zoom.
- Son upgraded front of Grace Cottage (shore house) with stone.
The stones should keep weeds and tall grass away from the foundation.
- Son also installed new ceiling fan in back bedroom of Grace Cottage. Oddly it is a plug-in situation.
A modern ceiling fan is a good start.
- Charlie and I resealed and weatherized our double garage door.
We glued garage door threshold to the floor to keep water and dirt outside.
- Son blew leaves from the gutter over our garage.
Our son has his own equipment.
- We visited the local yacht club to hear about the regatta schedule.
The clubhouse was designed by Victorine du Pont Homsey who was inspired by the bridge of Alfred I. duPont‘s yacht, Alicia.
- Son finished insulating the ceiling in the back room of Grace Cottage (shore house).
Next task: Apply drywall.
In January I accomplished the following items:
- Make travel plans for London. I arranged our UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) in about 20 minutes via www.gov.uk. I chose 7 possible theatre productions in the West End to consider attending. I’m hoping to get in 4 of them. Finally, the most daunting of the tasks was to determine the best (for us) transportation from the cruise ship (in Tilbury Port) to the hotel (near Charing Cross in London). I hope my plan is both practical and cost effective.
We’ll be boarding the Neptune, launched in 2022.
- Organize a few items in my studio/office in back bedroom (#63). Get rid of old paint which I was going to use on the walls but have decided to go in a different direction. The paint is history and the clear up has started.
Before
Thus far
- Work on tax return and required minimum distributions including the charitable variety (#2). Now that we’ve moved 100 miles east of where we used to live I have found a new tax accountant and have given him all my paperwork for our 2025 tax return. I have also chosen appropriate assets to divest.
- Shampoo upstairs carpet (#28). I began in the primary bedroom and finished all the 2nd floor wall-to-wall carpet which I had cleaned about a year ago before we moved furniture into the house. Even after vacuuming the area very well, the PetPro Bissell shampooer picked up a ton of dog hair.
The gray rug on the 2nd floor landing was especially full of hidden dog hair.
- Put away all Christmas decorations. With Charlie’s help everything was stashed for another year.
The enclosed storage space at the back of the studio is perfect for seldom used items like Christmas decorations.
- Empty at least 3 boxes in the garage to make room for new kitchen items. I stashed CDs, tapes, and records in a safer place until we can set up a music system. I also reviewed the old (heavy) Martha Stewart magazines I had been saving from 1999-2002. That was a box in itself of which I am now free.
Before there were 3 piles of bins and boxes.
I whittled down more than 3 broken boxes and emptied 2 plastic bins to create only 2 piles.
- Remove trim from kitchen pantries and save for future use.
Before
The doors are off.
- Read a book. Finished V is for Vengeance and read Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night which, according to Samuel Pepys, is “not related to the name or the day” of 12th night which is on January 5th. .
- Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: STRATEGY.
- Write a goal list for February, 2026.
Jo
Let's Fake the Music 