1. Hobbies & Chores

Some of what I do around the house is in the category of chore: mopping the kitchen, vacuuming, folding laundry, doing dishes. But some is in the category of hobby: sewing, quilting, cooking, knitting, photography. Some items fall into both groups, like organizing and rehabbing tasks (painting is more of a hobby, but being the second man on a job that Jake is in charge of is definitely a chore--and yes, I'm using the same pseudonyms on this blog that I have in the past).

Today is the first full day we are home after our vacation to Florida. It is a day of chore.

1. Mop the kitchen floor. My mop is defunct, so this task was completed on my hands and knees with rags and a sink full of hot soapy water. I love my kitchen floor and do not mind this task, but I would hardly call it a hobby. Mental note: buy a new mop.

2. Laundry. Laundry is always a chore at my house because the washing machine and dryer are in the basement; one line is in the basement and one (not this season of course) is in the yard. The ironing board and iron and all those supplies are on the second floor. Laundry gets folded in the library (second floor with the computer) or on one of the beds. And laundry gets put away on the first, second, and third floors. It is an exhausting neverending task. The only household chore I truly despise. Truly.

3. Figure out what to cook for dinner. While cooking is a hobby I enjoy, we currently have no food in the house, having emptied it out pre-vacation. So today's dinner will be pantry-based. That's fine, although my pantry isn't as stocked as it will be this time next year (it's one of this year's goals). I think I can create a spaghetti & red sauce with mushrooms. And a peach cobbler made of frozen peaches from the CSA. Maybe a carrot slaw? Hmm.

4. Tidy. Tidy tidy tidy. Wander through the house picking things up and putting them away.

5. Mail sorting. Ugh. The phone table in my front hall? Not my best attempt at feng shui, let me tell you. Right now it's a random pile of important tax papers, an overdue sewer bill (my sewer bill is always overdue), school things, netflix envelopes, and who know what else. That's my next task, actually. Heading down there now while Billy naps on my bed under a corduroy blanket I made several years ago (hobby). No time for that today. Perhaps tomorrow.