Let’s Catch Up. Our list.

I have said this before, but I am a maker of lists. They help me remember things when life is crazy. They motivate me. They hold me accountable. I have lists for everything. I get a sense of personal satisfaction in crossing something off my list, especially during a time when things are so busy. Sometimes it feels like everyone only notices the one thing that didn't get done instead of the 15 things that did, so getting to cross those 15 things off - at least I'm giving myself credit.

This list is what absolutely has to get done in the next few months:

• Finish the back garden maintenance (fence, paths, etc.)
• Mulch all the garden beds in the front yard (we skipped last year and it’s terrible now)
• Mulch all of the garden beds in the backyard (also terrible)
• Replace the broken wheelbarrow tire so we can move mulch around
• Get our dining room light and attic fan fixed/replaced
• Replace the broken knobs on the playroom doors with new gray ones (see photo)
• Stain the back deck
• Re-stain parts of the pergola that need it 
• Seal the driveway again (we skipped last year)

Things I would really like to get done in addition to those things:

• Plant some flowers in our flower pots (I need some color in my life right now)
• Put a piece of lattice under the deck (where we sit on the patio) and stain it (while we're doing the deck)
• Replace the driveway gate (it’s literally falling apart)
• Scrape and repaint the wooden parts of the garage that’s peeling
• Scrape and repaint the garage walls too (and maybe even change the color?)
• Paint the ceiling in Matthew’s room navy blue
• Paint the bathroom ceiling

Mulching is our first priority, before the weeds get any further out of control. Our front yard is disheveled (and I hate it when the front yard looks messy since it's the face of the house), but the backyard a disaster to the point where our perennials are suffering from crowding by the invasion of weeds. I also need to stain the deck before the full summer heat sets in. It's needed a re-staining for a couple years now, getting worse and worse with each passing year. Now it's officially at the point of embarrassing. Lots to do...