We're at the end of March - I didn't get a lot done, but I didn't backslide too badly. I'm moving forward in the book, a couple of pages at a time, and I think I can conclude that "perfectionist" is part of the problem - if I can't do it right, why struggle to finish at all? I have a view in mind how I want the house to look, but getting there - whew! There is clearly stuff to get over or work through. And I need to reward or congratulate myself for all of the work I've done so far.

I ate chocolate over the weekend and my hands are broken out, rather painfully--very dry and with cracks that bleed. I have managed to eat sugar and not have this happen. The final tally is in and chocolate is the culprit. [so sad] I will cycle out of this and just have to avoid chocolate. I think the Evening Primrose oil has helped in keeping some of the other general eczema/dermatitis at bay.

I was over near the university today to have my hair done, and on the way home stopped at the Asian market I like. It changed owners and was rearranged, so they didn't have all of the housewares I like, but they have an entire row just of sauces and oils that I just love. I realized my sesame oil is way-old, so I replaced that and picked up a couple of other fresh bottles of things. I'm going to be doing more stir frying as spring advances and I have stuff coming in from the garden.

Tonight the dishwasher is emptied, tea brewed (chamomile), and I'm ready to put in a load of laundry. On the exercise front, the dogs and I went for a brisk walk up and down a few streets in the neighborhood.

Tonight after that walk I drove up the street and picked up several things I'd seen during our walk - bags of lawn clippings for my compost and also a bunch of chunks of 1/2" plywood. Most of them about 16" x 24" - the ends of larger planks used in some kind of home improvement project. I plan to use them in the attic - I can screw them down in places between the joists in my attic, overlapping to add strength (I don't want to step on a 1/2" piece of plywood, but a 1" thickness would be okay). I don't have a floor up there, the attic wouldn't support it, but I have slowly added boards in the places where I need to regularly go as far as wiring, maintenance, etc. so I don't have to creep along on the main joists all of the time. This way I can follow a few set paths to reach parts of the attic I need to. Better to pick up free lumber for that than to go buy it!

SRS