Day before yesterday, I wrote “today is the day,” and I truly thought I would somehow manage to pull myself out of my lethargy, and get stuff done. No luck. I shoveled the snow from the side walkway, and cleared the hood and windows of the car. I took the dog for a long walk. I did a load of laundry, paid a few bills, and managed to figure out how to cancel a couple subscriptions. Beyond that, it was dinner, dishes, a minimal tidy-up, and bed. Discouraging, yes, but not hopeless.

As a lifelong procrastinator, I can verify the power of a last-possible-moment, now-or-never, adrenaline driven sprint! Growing up, we’d often rise up as a group, with a short half-hour before my Dad would pull in the driveway and, in a fury of last-minute energy, put the entire house in order. During my college days, I was able to pull amazing things out of seemingly thin air, right on the deadline. Due dates, test days and final critiques were regularly preceded by “all-nighters.” I managed good grades all the way through, but often wondered if I couldn’t have done even better, if I had managed my time more sensibly. It would have certainly been easier on me!

Anyway, here at home, all was not lost. I woke up very early yesterday, filled with desperation-fueled energy, and tucked in to the tasks on my list, and a few others that I ran into along the way. I had noticed that the table beside my bed had become a jumble of too many books: some finished but not shelved, some waiting to be read, and many “in progress.” Underneath it all was a layer of dust. So, with my first cup of coffee, that’s where I started. While following my exercise program in front of the computer – which involves standing, so a slightly different view of the surroundings – it had come to my attention that the simple curtain in front of that cubby was also badly in need of laundering. That was next.

With a small load of whites in the washing machine, I made quick work of taking down, boxing up and putting away the Christmas decorations. From the dining room table, a gathering of Santa’s with random accessories, and the banner from the window behind. My crocheted Christmas stocking was hung on the side of a low cabinet; the nativity set rested on top. The little Christmas tree rested on top of the big old army trunk in the living room. It is inside of that trunk where all of it gets stored. I remembered to gather the various strands of beribboned jingle bells from every door knob, the Santa Claus spoon rest from on top of the stove, and the embroidered “Season’s Greetings” towel from the cupboard door. With everything back in storage bags and boxes, I am ready to move on to the new year!

My bullet journal, though not quite finished, is already in use. I put away the markers, pens, washi tape, rulers, calendars, and too much other paraphernalia to mention. I brought the paper cutter back upstairs to the studio. Anything that gets added or completed at this point, does not need to be such a major production!

Then, on to clearing out the studio. That meant making room for all the stuff I’d stored in there. In the past, that was the spare room…which was now set up as a guest bedroom. Oh, but I so enjoyed having company last summer! And I hated for it to be such a major production to make accommodations for guests! Might it be possible to leave that bed set up? I investigated. The attic space had barely room to fit the dismantled bed: headboard, footboard, mattress and box spring. It was stuffed full!

But, oh, there was the bread maker, which I was planning to put into use this winter anyway. I pulled that out. I rearranged a couple storage totes, a large artificial Christmas tree (that I don’t use, so should probably bring to the resale shop next December), a sewing machine and a box of fabric. Better access, but no more extra room.

At the other end, where the bed would be stored, was another twin sized mattress, that I had purchased – it was a trundle bed then – at the same time as the one I was using. Why was I sleeping on the same worn out mattress that I’d been using for the last ten years when I had its twin up here is storage? Well, it was quite a navigational challenge, but I managed to move it out of that tight space, around the dresser and the foot of the double bed, around the corner, and down the stairs. There, I stripped my bed, put the whites in the dryer and my bed linens in the washer, then dragged my old mattress outside, and replaced it with the better one.

That made space in the attic for a pile of 1 x 6 boards, my small trampoline, Pilates chair, hula hoop, dog crate, and two large baskets full of other things too numerous to mention, all out of the studio! That makes room for me to actually work in there!

I’m not done. I still need to figure what to do with the old mattress. The studio, abandoned and unusable for months, need to be cleaned and organized. There’s still plenty to do, in every room in this house. My day was broken up by a necessary trip to town mid-day. I still had to re-make the bed with clean sheets. And, the usual, dog walking, making meals, and tidying up. But, for this moment, I’m simply ready to celebrate all the progress I made. Turns out, yesterday was the day!