Susan returning from Menards with painting supplies. Get ‘er done!

By Susan Shanklin

You may read this article about two or three weeks after it is written. My calendar says the last week in March, but I have it flipped over into April, trying to hurry the season, I guess. I look out the window and it looks like the last week in March.

I have a kind of green lawn but with lots of brown leaves, small twigs laying about under the many maples and well to be polite…Ella the dog’s winter piles. I have been out there once with the five gallon bucket to pick up the ‘piles’ but she just seems to add more.

My pussy willows have budded out already and the lilacs have tight green buds. Tom has started to prune the apple trees and I’m sure the grapes will be next but some times he runs out of time and pruning gets pushed back.

We always run out of time, it seems. Does that happen to you?

I had big plans for sanding, caulking and painting the trim around the window replacements that Tom did last year or the year before! This was my main winter project. I have made lists for supplies and bought new curtain rods to replace the tension rods that kept taking off the paint. I told Tom this is what I’m doing and he always stated how nice that would be.

So far it’s only been talk.

Now Tom says he will not replace another window until they are all painted. Mmmm, is that a threat or a motivating factor? Shrug.

Maybe today I will go to Menards, the home improvement store, and get sandpaper for my little mini-mouse sander and some caulk. Today I will start. Oh, I better finish this article first and then make some bread.

Eve, our six-year-old granddaughter, spent the weekend with us and I will have to change the sheets and pick up the room … and as far as that goes the whole house. Little kids seem to leave their droppings in every room.

Maybe I’ll run to Menards tonight then. I know I can do this. I have the will and the desire. I can see the finished product in my mind.

Seams are sealed. Cracks are filled. Fresh paint applied. Curtain rods installed and brand new curtains draped over windows with graceful ease. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! I have wanted sooooo long to see this.

Oh, I haven’t started! What is it going to take to get this pipe dream desire to manifest?.

What can I do to change the course of slackness or procrastination?

I’m thinking.

I’m still thinking.

I’m thinking more.

I’m trying to give you the answer and I KNOW when I see some of you next, you are going to ask me, “You ever paint those windows?”

I want to say “yes.” I really really want to say “yes!”

“Oh yes! The windows look wonderful!” I’ll say.

I’m smiling. I feel so good that I did what I set to do. My desire overcame my slothfulness and I did it.

I’m more than a conqueror. I got this.

You can make your own lunch, Tom, I’m off to Menards.

It only takes one step!

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