In February, we conquer the manini things

Inspired by Laurie over at Crazy Aunt Purl, I’m making a list of 28 manini* things that have been hanging around on my to-do list for far too long, and I’m going to conquer one per day for the entire month. And have a very nice glass or two of wine when I’m done.

(* manini = slang for [among other things] little, small, with a connotation of being pesky or irritating. One of my favorite highly useful words.)

Since coming back to this space with some sort of regularity is one of my wishes for this year, that makes a nice little kick in the ass to actually come here and write something every day this month, too. Not a novel. Not even necessarily multiple paragraphs. But something.

So, with no further ado and in no particular order, here are the 28 manini things I intend to conquer in February:

1. Hang up the little owl sculpture in the office. (2/1)
2. Go through old computer password book, enter what’s still relevant into 1Password, and shred the paper. (2/23)
3. Make appointment for annual physical. (2/27)
4. Repaint around the thermostat in the dining room. (2/4–5)
5. Redo the jewelry booth sign that got soaked in the July 2012 deluge. (2/6)
6. Figure out Zinio access through the library. (2/8)
7. Type up packing lists for indoor and outdoor shows so I don’t have to recreate them every time. (2/2)
8. Type up packing lists for classes. (2/28)
9. Make a spreadsheet for extra class supplies costs. (2/28)
10. Pull unused anchors and other crap from master bath & guest bath walls; spackle; touch up paint. (2/4–5)
11. Borrow the sewing machine. (2/25)
12. Hang hooks in my closet. (2/28)
13. Pot the plants that are ready to be potted. (2/28)
14. Clean out the front closet. (2/28)
15. Clean out the till closets. (2/27)
16. Go get some paint chips so I can decide on a color for the till and the office shelving. (2/13)
17. Buy a bookshelf for the guest room; move fiction from office to guest room. (2/13)
18. Deal with the magazine backlog. (2/26)
19. Office cord management. (2/28)
20. Organize my business reference notebook. (2/23)
21. Gather up all the lotions, bubble bath, and the like that I never use and put them in a bag for my sister and niece. (2/3)
22. Add the new names to the CH mailing list database. (2/16)
23. Go around with the Magic Eraser and clean up the scuff marks on the baseboards. (2/23)
24. Clean out the hardware drawer. (2/14)
25. Cull T-shirt stack. (2/15)
26. Take measurements for framing the oil painting in the office. (2/12)
27. Repaint frame on metal art in family room. (2/7–9)
28. Clean out office drawers. (2/12)

Mostly small things; a few slightly bigger things thrown in there for when I have more time. Here’s to a shorter to-do list at the end of February!

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Since today is the first day of February, I jumped right in and hung up the little owl sculpture I bought at Bazaar Bizarre in December.

The artist is Nina Vivian Huryn, and her table drew me right away and left me there with my jaw open and not being able to stop saying, “Your stuff is just so cool!” over and over again. I wasn’t leaving without a piece of art.

The owl is carved in leather, painted, and mounted with nails on thick board, about 1.5 × 2.5 inches. He’s tiny and intricately detailed and textured, and he makes me smile. Now he lives on the wall over my desk, keeping watch over the basket that corrals the mugs o’ pens & other short sticklike office supplies, my reading glasses, paperclip bowl, hand lotion, and stereo remote.

It took five minutes, only because I bent the first nail I tried to hammer into the wall and had to go get another one.

Go, me!