September 2012, Week Four

I think I'm confusing myself with the way I'm labeling these blog posts!  So, today starts Week Four.  But what I'm reporting is the past week.  
Week 3 was entry week; but I actually don't have an entry.  The main door we use opens directly into the dining room.  When we first moved to this house, we only used the door to the back hall - because that was the only key the landlord had! LOL!  Since the front of the house had been converted (a porch enclosed), there is a "front" door but it's never used.  There's no sidewalk to it, and very awkward little steps.  Anyway, I had a new  door knob/lock put on the dining room door so that became our main entrance.  I also had a porch built (needed a ramp, so included a small porch area) that also only goes to the dining room entrance.  Because DH uses a walker, this is the most practical way.  And, all of that to say, since the main door opens into the dining room, that is the room I did this week.  
Any room can always use "a bit more" than it gets.  But each time I do a round of HGP, it gets better.  The dining room got a very good dusting/wiping down all the way around.  I cleaned the chandelier; but I've bought new bulbs, and today I will replace the ones up there with a set that all match!  They should also give a softer light.  In front of the one big window I have 2 trunks and my indoor plants.  The trunks are covered with plastic and then a cover (but I think water still gets under ... I'd love to find someone who could repair and refinish the trunks).  Because of a new-to-me chair purchase, I rearranged the window area.  Yes, that sounds silly!  But I had 2 smallish end tables I didn't have a place for ... but they work perfectly as part of the "plant stand" (see video on a previous blog post).  Behind the entrance door is a "bookshelf".  Actually, it's an old bookcase type headboard, but it fits there.  Someday, as I gradually let go of books I can't see, I will get rid of it and have nothing behind the door!  The floor underneath that unit had some old children's toys and puzzles.  I pulled all of that out, and sorted it.  The puzzles are all for very young kids, so I will donate them.  The rest I sorted and organized.  Then I traded places with those items and some plastic boxes of DH's old magazines (that he refuses to get rid of).  Now the toys (as well as some lincoln logs and legoes that I already had) are living in the bottom of a large shelf unit in the den.  Next month I'll start keeping  9 and 10 y/o "bonus" grands after school for a few months; plus they stay with us occasionally.  So this is nice and handy for them.  The shelves on that unit have an assortment of books.  A lot of them are children's books, so at some point I still will go through those as well.  For now, they're neat, and the shelves all dusted.
The tasks for this week included things like working on Christmas cards (they are ordered, and have not come yet ... but the address labels are all printed and ready); Christmas shopping (I do that all year when I find something "special" - and now I have a wonderful large 31 tote to store them in) ... I have some of it planned out, but it's really too early to do most.; and food planning and shopping.  I also have no idea who will be here for Thanksgiving or Christmas, so I really can't plan those meals.    Other tasks include organizing and working on crafts - which I am doing, but very slowly due to poor vision; and setting up a wrapping station - which will be the folding table that is currently my organizing area.  One thing I have been able to do was start a box of non perishable food items for local food drives around the holidays.
I think that's it for this week. :)  As mentioned above, I took some brief videos in the house (and of the cats).  There's also some pictures of the doll house (which I've not done anything with yet - big house first, then little one! LOL!)