End of the beginning of the end

Or something like that. Countdown to the end of the day that was supposed to be the end of the world.

I've started at least three different posts today, finishing none (obviously). My brain simply did not want to focus on anything (including work). At first I put it down to "vacation brain" - my mind leaving the building before my body, so to speak.

Now that I'm home, however, I'm just as unfocused. It's ten after seven and I want to go to bed already. Once this post is done, I may do just that.

This two weeks has been long anticipated. In addition to the painting project, I want to (finally) set up the sewing room, more or less. The existing valances in the bedroom and studio will in no way coordinate with the new paint colors (think earth tone brown/rust/gold/peach vs. new blue and mint green); it's an easy matter to sew new ones, lining and all.

Books are backing up in the Kindle. Frankly, I'm a cheap book addict. Thirteen books, almost all under $2, traveled the wireless highway to lodge their bits and bytes in the reader this month. The choices cover a range from C. S. Lewis' science fiction trilogy to a classic on economics, from classic novels to a book on the spirituality of housekeeping.

Good thing one of last month's reads was a book on speed reading.

"Shopping" in my decorating boxes is another activity on the schedule. Quite a few of the gee-gaws have been packed away for a year; I'd like to haul them out and see what will work in the new place with the new paint. Decorating is always fun, though I've learned I can't deal well with visual clutter. Not to mention that I hate having to move a lot of stuff to dust.

The freezer and pantry need turning over. Three large hunks of meat - a pork tenderloin, a spiral cut quarter ham and a turkey breast-sized chicken  - need to be cooked to make space for other things. The pantry needs a good clearing out as well. Once the freezer is opened up, I can use up the jars of sauce and boxes of pasta by making a couple small pans of stuffed shells to freeze. Judging by the cans of beans and chilis, it must be time to make chili for the freezer.

I need to set up my Bible reading plan for next year. I've a "journaling" Bible, one with extra wide margins, to use this next year. I'll be reading through again, but with a plan that takes you to Old and New Testaments and Psalms everyday. The exact number of times escapes me, but you end up reading through both Psalms and the New Testament several times during the year, the Old Testament once. While I won't need a notebook this year, I still plan to do a coordinated triple ribbon book mark to keep track of where I'm reading.

Tomorrow I'll make a list. Tonight? Early to sleep sounds like a great idea.