Meet Lucy Augustine

 After you make your bed, dress, and smile to face the day, approach the kitchen, the most important room in your home.  Unlike the verse to the song, I do trust that day. It is the beginning of another week. Time to live my life and experience new things. Learning is always a foremost plan. When we stop learning, we stop living. That includes reading, exploring new cultures, absorbing the miracles of nature, as well as testing my skills in the kitchen and the studio. October is the time when the leaves fall, the flowers and garden plants are wrapping up their legacy. There are outdoor tasks that are more or less time sensitive. I do not want to be bringing the houseplants indoors while snow is falling, or pulling expired tomato plants in a biting wind.  That said, we are talking about Mondays. This is always a busy day for me because it is Kitchen Day! Our trash pick-up is Tuesday morning so I need to be certain that everything is gathered, including the recycled items, ...

  First, please excuse my extended absence. That was not the plan. Computer issues, minor surgery, a wedding planning, and well, life, has rather overwhelmed my time. Hopefully, I am back to my normal.  The bonus here is that my plan works. Each time I test its efficacy and its timely effort, it works. It is a multilevel plan for life that works for me, for 40+ years. Each and every one of us needs to define our needs and customize the plan to suit our lives. I will share my way and you can formulate your plan as you wish. The plan for me is daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance of the living space. It also includes three annual stocking-up shops at a big box store. The weekly shop is included as well. Fresh food is essential to a healthy diet. We will discuss everything from seasonal and holiday decor to clothing purchase, use, and storage. I have a dear friend who is very limited on closet space. Each season, warm to cold, she bins up her seasonal clothes, has her son haul ...

  Shamrocks, luck, this is not about luck, it's about planning. You deserve to feel good about yourself and how you live. Having your living space in order is just one step toward that goal. I will try to help with that. Using my method you may see the answer to something that has vexed you. You may see something I share as a jumping off point for your own process. Keep an open mind, here we go. By honoring your day you honor yourself. You deserve to live a life where things such as dusty light bulbs and leaves tracked onto your clean floor are not triggers for anxiety. Respect is the key here. Respecting yourself and the work you do will only strengthen your resolve, and will imprint those around you to respect what you do as well.  My journal, nothing fancy, plastic yet. One of these days I need to upgrade the design. Now that you have your lists, hopefully, we can approach the next important step. A written plan, a "Control Journal" as Marla calls it, puts the structur...

  List making can be fun. You don't have to do it all at once. Find a comfy place to sit, pour a cup of coffee, tea, wine, (whatever) and go to it.  Make lists, evaluate, consider just how you work right now. What works for you, what does not, what would you like to change? One of the first and most famous bloggers who addressed cleaning methods was Marla Cilley, the Fly Lady.  I found some of her ideas to be great, others not so much. I may be incorrect but some of her work leans a bit to the religious, some to hoarders of a sort, and other methods just not workable for me. But, and this is important, her premise is right on. Her first lesson is to clean your kitchen sink. If that sounds simplistic, I guarantee it is not. A sparkling kitchen sink before bed is like a wrap on the day, to wake to that sink is like a smile greeting you begin the work of the day. Simple premise, an easy habit to cultivate, a good way to train oneself to honor the day.  Honoring the day,...

 Welcome, my name is Lucy Augustine. This little blog is here to answer some questions, share ideas, and bring some organization to our world. You will often find me with a notebook and pen making lists and plans on how to live a better, more organized and more cultivated lifestyle. My ideas are my own culled after years of study and experimentation. Some of my methods are general for anyone, others for the retired person with a more flexible schedule. Making the most of your life, embracing every day, breaking down large household jobs into workable segments with finding some enjoyment along the way.  For transparency I want to say that I now have some physical limitations that have framed my work habits to a more tolerable pace. Recently, a member of an online group of friends,  asked me to be specific about how I worked and how she can adapt her maintenance schedule to be more user friendly!   Tips and tricks, tools I like, lists, schedules, and organizationa...