I found in my papers two-pages of instructions on how to de-clutter your home with a list and a calendar of what to do each day for 30 days. I thought how prescient of me who saved and of the person who wrote this advice, titled “How to Conquer Your Clutter—Super Bundle”. But in her (their?) introduction they suggest reading the Marie Kondo Book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I’m sure you know it.. I told you about it several months ago when I reported how lovely my sock drawer is, thanks to Kondo.

The calendar is not too daunting because it reduces your efforts to one task a day, for example: Day 1, empty one junk drawer; Day 5, go through your mail pile: Day 17, purge medicine cabinet'. It gets tough, though. Day 20, empty another junk drawer; Day 27, organize toys, followed by Day 28, donate old games. I hate the last directive: Day 30, clean. This list is all-knowing. It—they—know you have more than one junk drawer.. It knows you have a mail pile. They know you would hang onto old toys, so it orders you the next day to give away old games. And yet.

I hung onto those pages.

I’m not going to give them to the archives.

They’re my secret.

Tomorrow I’ll write about something different. There’s always more.

I am trying. Not very hard. Not hard enough.

I didn’t swim. I didn’t walk. But I did what I promised ten days ago I would do today.

I began my Christmas baking. I can’t get to a store and I’m a geek at online shopping. But I can cook for people., some people, people who live in my building or who come to visit me. I’ve told you about my Amish bread, made from a starter, like sourdough bread. It was ready today.

I made five small loaves and one large one—lemon poppyseed this time. I was tired when I was done but that’s no excuse. I’m still in thrall to Netflix, I think. I’m almost through. I think. I tore loose for a couple of hours this morning, begun while the loaves were in the oven.

I spent those hours going through another trove of clippings, reviews, tear sheets, ideas—you know. I enjoy it thoroughly but it’s hard work. At least I’m sitting down.

Letters and bed soon, but you, dear Bloggie, came first. Tomorrow I will share some of the discoveries I made today.

Anon.