It's not content. It’s process.

Mapping projects. Puzzling through ideas.

by Kathi

Who Is Kathi

I’m a process thinker with a creative streak, a tools geek with a Navy backbone. I started in healthcare as a Navy corpsman and medical lab tech, then built a long career in tech helping teams make sense of systems, tools, and timelines. I’m a proud veteran, Navy daughter, Navy wife, and mom to two incredible sons. I’ve been married to my favorite person for over 30 years. I love gardens more than closets, spreadsheets more than slide decks, and I could spend days happily planning a trip I’m not even taking. I’ve learned that order, planning, and process aren’t just tools — they’re how I recharge in a world that can feel loud. Inside or out, I like to make things work and make them beautiful.

What You'll Find Here

Can I Just Make a Spreadsheet First? is more than a blog — it’s a workspace for thinking things through. It’s where I assemble, organize, and clarify my thought processes across the many threads of life: from garden design and tech tools to travel planning, genealogy puzzles, and the systems that shape how things work. Some posts are in real time — mapping out what’s next. Others look back to unpack what worked (or didn’t) and why. Either way, I share the process openly — not because it’s perfect, but because you might find something in it you can use, adapt, or build from. This space is less about answers and more about insight. Less about polish, more about momentum.

Not into bios? Try the blurbs.

This is what thinking things through looks like.

A peek at the kinds of projects that land on my desk — and my blog.
Close-up of dark soil in a terracotta pot with a metal gardening trowel
🌿 Garden design & layout

Planning, planting, and patterning outdoor spaces with intention and play

Flat lay of a passport placed on a world map
✈️ Travel planning

Itineraries, maps, and mindset shifts for making travel smoother and more collaborative

A humanoid robot pointing at a wall, suggesting analysis or interaction
💻 Tools & systems

Tips, workflows, and reviews of digital tools — always with real-life use in mind

Assorted tools laid out on a wooden plank, including hammer, wrench, and measuring tape
🛠️ Home & life projects

From renovation layouts to closet makeovers — and the logic behind the choices

Close-up of a colored pencil resting on a printed document or spreadsheet
📊Spreadsheets & structures

Not just templates — it’s the thinking behind them that makes the difference.

Flat lay of old black-and-white family photographs on a wooden table
🧬 Genealogy puzzles

Organizing the research, uncovering the stories, making it make sense.

💡 From My Spreadsheet to Yours:

Start messy. Organize later. But always start.
Ready to Jump In?