It appears that my plan needs some tweaking. Or perhaps, more like gutting.

Here it is, another weekend gone, and I have not been able to complete my assigned tasks. It's not that I didn't try. It's just that other things keep popping up unexpectedly that take precedence.

For instance, my fig tree has been producing a bountiful crop, which up until now has been manageable by our own eating and sharing with friends. But it finally reached a point where I had to find some other means of using the figs. There were so many--and I had not been able to deliver any to our friends for a few days--that I ended up throwing away about 25 of them due to mold. I knew something had to be done, and quickly.

So, today, I made homemade fig preserves. Mind you, I've never done anything like that before--and there's still a good chance that whoever consumes the preserves will get botulism poisoning. Nonetheless, I spent a good three hours today on the project, including time running to Walmart to get jelly jars and lids. If I had possessed the right equipment, such as a canner and lifter, it would've been a much easier, faster task. But alas, I had only a huge stockpot and tongs. It seemed to work okay, but it was messy, time-consuming, and hazardous to my health. (I burned my hand with the boiling water as I tried to lower a jar into the bath.)

The second unexpected occurrence today consumed even more time. Just as I was getting ready to do one of my "complete" projects for the weekend, we heard a crashing sound. A picture had fallen off the stairway wall, tumbled down every step, and landed at the bottom on the tile floor. Glass was strewn everywhere, on every step, on the tile floor, even in the adjacent rooms. It took my husband and me at least an hour to sweep, hand-pick, and vacuum the mess.

I was finally able to nearly complete the project, which was simply to remove my daughter's queen-sized bed and replace it with her old daybed. But it seemed to take forever. Bolts stuck, I banged into walls trying to maneuver around the corners, and I had to vacuum the filth left underneath the bed, too. I couldn't find the right sheets, so I ended up running a washload of the old ones. When I tried to attach the daybed head/footboards, the bolts didn't fit. By then, it was time for me to drive to the next town to pick up the daughter from her play performance, so I abandoned the headboard until my husband could help. Which turned out not to be today.

I never even attempted to do the touchup paint in the kitchen, which was the other "complete" project. (Silly me, I thought they were both so easy and quick that I could do TWO this weekend!) And the step project--on which I'm already two weeks behind? Don't even mention it.

Clearly, although my project planning process is well-thought-out, it fails to incorporate the unexpected. Figs, broken glass, and children wait for no one.

It's disappointing, because there's already something I want to add to the 6-month plan. I read this week that our local Habitat for Humanity is having another Women Build project, starting in September. I'd love to do that. It would be a great learning experience as well as a wonderful way to volunteer for others. But it's about a 45-minute drive from home, which only exacerbates the time dilemma. Couple that with the requisite driving the daughter to play performances every Thursday through Sunday, and it seems nearly impossible.

I'll have to ruminate on it.

I almost forgot my "fun" project for the weekend. I don't think I ever scheduled one. I had originally thought I'd get to see some old friends who were going to be in town, but that didn't pan out. I guess I'll have to say my preserves escapade was my "fun" for the weekend. Wow--a burned hand and a sticky stove. Fun!