Been thinking to catch up but in a sequence of days that had something going on every day. Halloween evening at my friend's helping hand out candy, which was a blast. Upon my return, though, had a stressful challenge because my roommate's bunny had tummy trouble. Very worrisome because he wasn't bouncing back until I followed advice from online to just keep getting bunny to move. All of a sudden apparently he passed the gas bubble and started munching parsley.

That was a huge relief but by then it was 2:00 a.m. and I planned on 8:00 a.m. Mass for All Saints Day. Did not wake until 7:15, but put on the afterburners and made it. Then had to stop at the grocery store for urgent things like phone card. It was a zoo in there, busy and loud. Rested in the afternoon. Went to the Rosary service in the evening for a very nice lady who always sat in the pew behind me.

Originally had planned to go to the funeral as well yesterday morning, but didn't. Our drought breaking rain had arrived and the roof leaked again - it had been repaired a year or two back. Ended up on a ladder in the rain mucking leaves out of the gutters - they had only recently come down, in the days of strong wind that preceded the rain. I'd been unsure about the funeral but if I had gone, I wouldn't have been in the house to notice the dripping from the ceiling. Roommate's brother hopefully can patch the roof soon.

So it's just been a lot going on and will be for a few more days. The book project is trickling along and I will be able to do more with the cleared space soon. Poco a Poco, indeed.

Good morning!

Lila, I hope your stomach feels better. I can understand wanting to hide with all that you have going on.

Tatoulia, I'm glad your stressful person is moving away. Don't forget to eat!

My sales went ok yesterday. Most of my sales were to other vendors (ones I also bought from - I don't think I have found a good fit with the customer demographic yet) I only sold eight pots, but they were mid to upper range, so it wasn't a horrible sale. I came in about $100 short of what I hoped for. Dh did ok with coffee, and I got to spend most of the day with him, so that was nice.

I did not sell any of the pieces in the category I failed to glaze, so that didn't matter. But I do need to get to work for my big sale in three weeks.

Dh bought an art piece from the woodworking guy which I love - it is three little rustic owls. It's on my new shelf, and I don't have to count it in because he chose it and bought it on his own. We also bought honey (consumable) and bees wax candles (also consumable) - from two other vendors, and I bought two more Christmas placemats from the quilting ladies because my family is growing. I came home and stuck a lot (I counted them, but I forget now - around a dozen?) of cheap paraffin wax tapers into the donate box. I don't like how smoky they are when you put them out or the way they smell.

So, I'm going to count two in for the placemats. I donated a piece to the raffle table (the sale is a fundraiser for our fire department) so I am up to 9 of my 100 out goal. Not looking promising from a sales perspective, but I am still determined to clear out some old inventory one way or another.

Today is a day to stay home, rest, work in the studio, and recover the house.

Wow. I'm sorry the person said that to you, Lila. I'd have a hard time up hearing that, too. SubC! How awful!

My bit of good news is that the person at work who makes my life very very stressful is moving to a different job. Will still be with the company but my contact will be extra low. It really compounded to my stress last year when my BF left and when my mother was dying.

Im about to make dinner. I went too long without food and started to get shaky just now when I was out running errands.

I took half a day yesterday to run errands I the afternoon, including having a pedicure and picking up my lamp from the lamp repair shop.

I'm busily working toward getting ready for my trip overseas. Took some new corduroys to be hemmed.

Going to sit quietly while dinner bakes. Very shaky from not eating.

SubC, I'm sorry to hear about the issue with that guy at the school. I don't even know what was said but I have to agree it was him, not you, as you have a good heart. I'm glad oyu were able to get through it and I hope you just don't see him very much anymore! Also hoping your blood pressure can stay low enough. I have bp issues myself, but it is controlled with medication.

I am very tired today and my stomach is bothering me. I was planning to clean and get things done today, but I feel so blah I just don't know.

I did wash some dishes this morning. I need to wash my clothes, without delay, but aside from that perhaps I will just be quiet today, and spend some time reading and working on a meditation journal.

I wish I felt better, but for some reason I feel like I want to just hide.

Good morning.

Well, so far the new blood pressure monitor says I am fine, although it was a high when I took it after getting home from work yesterday - not surprising as I had an altercation with a coworker. I took myself to the office at lunch to talk to our director about it - feeling terrible since it seemed to be the sort of social misstep I am prone to and I felt that it was my fault, only to be told "it's not you, it's him". And she called him an expletive multiple times during the conversation. I ended up crying in her office for twenty minutes, which is not usually the sort of thing I do, and I felt bad about that as well. The woman is busy. I was a bit trapped though, because I really needed to get my face back under control before I could leave- her office opens directly into a hall that is full of kids during lunch.

She was lovely about it and once we had finished the original topic, immediately switched to asking about my grandsons to help me become cheerful again.

Anyway, I am done talking to the man. And I mean that literally. I'm sure my blood pressure is going to spike every time I see him in the hall for a while.

I never did get the glazing I had planned done, but I am ready enough for the sale I suppose. It is nearby so an easy trip to set up this morning. I packed most of my inventory last night.

My inventory goal for this season is to sell, donate, or smash and use for erosion fill 100 pieces from my studio. (I will not count the pigs and hippos in that as they are standard offerings I try to keep in stock.) hopefully I will have a good sale today and be inspired to spiff up my inventory for my big sale in three weeks.

The house is in pretty good shape. A few baskets of laundry and a good vacuuming away from "company ready", although my bedroom, the sleeping porch, the basement, and my dining/office porch are a wreck. - my standards are low.

Good morning!
Happy Halloween!

Lila, that is great that you were able to get your house in order so quickly! If we can just keep moving the starting line - poco a poco as CM says, we will keep getting farther each time.

Today I am staying home all day and I hope to finish getting my house back to pre-visit condition. I also want to dig up the last of the sweet potatoes, pot up some grapes for a former student, and prepare for Saturday's holiday sale. - many pieces to finish glazing!

I am sorry that your encounter has left a bad echo in your mind. You handled it with grace.

My doctor's appointment did not go as I would have liked. I was informed that my problems are age related and I will just have to compensate for them, there is nothing physically "wrong" to fix, just ongoing treatments for symptoms and maybe "if it hurts when you do that, don't do that" as my grandfather the surgeon used to say. I was also told to get more exercise, asked if I was concerned about my weight, and informed that my blood pressure is dreadful - monitor at home daily and make an appointment with a different doctor in December to discuss.

The home bp monitor said my blood pressure was fine. I called white coat hypertension. Dh said "get a new monitor, that one is ancient."

We will just keep moving forward as best we can, one good decision at a time..

Thank you SubC. I know they have been praying for him at a distance and that is effective in my belief. We do believe in laying hands on/anointing the sick, not as a necessity, but as a sign of faith and another way to pray. I did want them to come, so maybe it was good even though stressful... it was shockingly easy to get the house in good enough order. I wasn't sure if I would get it done, but since I have worked for months on decluttering, it was not as bad. I mopped, washed surfaces, dusted, cleaned windows, and put a few bins in the storage room. I did use a lint roller on the couches for dog hair too. It was still a bit cluttery but not at al bad, and it felt pretty clean and smelled nice. I used Mrs Myers fall Acorn scent cleaner which was very pleasant. The praying was, I think, also a blessing to the baby's parents and siblings, to see people come and hear them pray for him with love.

So now the house is nicer and I think, wow, I could dust every week and it would feel nicer. I will try to do that.

I went into a nursing home today to visit a friend. A lot of people in there are quite old and disabled. As I was sitting talking to my friend, a lady with dementia in a wheelchair was coming past. As she went by she looked at me and said "WOW, you're SO BIG!!!" just like that. I just smiled and said 'thank you' and she continued, "and your hair is beautiful!" and wheeled on by. I said thank you again. I don't take any offense, although my friend was a bit mortified for me. But it was hard, slightly embarrassing, because I have been trying so hard to lose weight and am down 4 pounds and am committed to getting healthy. But still, I dunno, I keep hearing it in my head.

Lila, please take this in the sense of love with which it is offered. I do not want to be dismissive of your beliefs, but I don't understand why they have to be physically present in your house to pray for your grandson. Could you not just accept their prayers and thank them without having them over? If the point is that they are praying with you in order to strengthen you as well, is that helpful enough to compensate for the stress you are going through getting ready? And if you do want them to come for support, I feel like that support should have room for you to just say something like "thank you so much for coming. As you can see from the house this is a very stressful and exhausting time."

But maybe you are benefitting from the motivation to clean up and the the resulting increase in order.

I was raised with a little "c" view of christianity where if somebody needs help, you just help them - and sometimes that means taking out their dirty diapers. And the whole "judge not." thing.

Anyway, my point was that whatever you got done is fine, and if your visitors don't think it's fine, they should pitch in or shame on them.

I teach in merrell moccasins. They aren't light, but I find them comfortable and supportive, and they hold up for several years of daily wear in a variety of weather.

Tatoulia, did you do your dishes?

I may be MIA for a bit. There is too much going on this week with class, school - two new students starting this week, dr. Appointment, holiday sale (Saturday) prep, and I just got an s.o.s. From my farm sitter who has to leave town for a family emergency and needs me to milk her cow. And I am STILL trying to get this house back into at least the shape I had it in 2.5 weeks ago.

So, gotta run..

Lila, don't panic. You are doing a lot to clean! No shoe recommendation other than to pick them up and make sure they are light in addition to being comfortable!

SubC, I have a lot of my mother's things including artwork which I have hanging and her silver and a few other things. Just the straggler things to get rid of. Not much left at this point.

I'm freezing to death! I don't feel like it but I'll get up and do my dishes now.

Thanks guys. Tatoulia, I am looking at some New Balance 880 for walking, since I am reading that they are very accommodating of custom orthotics. I need to get to the shoe store and try them on. They are pricey but I might be able to get last year's model at a discount. I also would like to try Danskos, maybe, but yeah, they are expensive. But they look nicer for work than sneakers. If you have any other recommendations let me know.

SubC keep doing your best, that's all you can do!

I had a call last night from a friend who asked if she and a pastor and his wife can come by today to pray for the baby. Of course I said yes, but you know what that means. My house is a disaster. I told them that. But, I have to try and do something so it does not look like a hoarding filth pit.

So this morning I have moved many things into that back storage room, and still working on it. Just so there are not tubs and boxes all over the living room and kitchen.

You ca imagine the table and bar/counter!! And so much dust everywhere!

I had Son vacuum last night.
I mopped the entry and kitchen/dining room. It is a very cursory mopping. I need to re-vacuum it since little bits of things are everywhere.
I did get the dishes done and scrubbed the stove.

My main goals now are:
dust (it is bad)
Windex the windows (hand prints and dog prints all over, look awful)
Use a Mrs Meyers nice smelling cleaner on surfaces
I just asked Son to take out the disgusting diaper trash can downstairs but he "doesn't have time." ugh. I need to tell TotsDad he has to stay on top of that.

The couches got vacuumed but need to be gone over with a hair roller.

I am so embarrassed of my house, but I can't turn this down. I am doing it for my grandson.

I have to leave for work soon too and have meds to pick up at 2 pharmacies and I am just so overwhelmed.

Good morning!

Lila, good luck finding shoes. I'm proud of you for making good food choices and exercising! I confess that I have basically given up for the moment. I have some concerns and a doctor's appointment on Wednesday (that I will have to get up and do chores super early to attend - bleh. Nothing big, just age related issues.

Tatoulia, I hope you get through your mom stuff. Do you really mean "all"? Or just all that you haven't chosen to keep? Are you keeping a few things that were your mothers?

I am still trying to get my house back to the level of "clean and organized" I had reached before my kids came to visit over two weeks ago.

They have been gone for two weeks and my "extra" things are adding my pottery classes one night a week, trying to get ready for a show this coming Saturday, and putting out Halloween decorations. I haven't been baking or anything in the house, so I'm not sure why it is taking me so long to get things back in order. I did wash some pillows, so one guest bed can't be completely remade until those are dry..

Oh! And yesterday I finished clearing the random bits off that shelf in the scullery and dusting it and putting things back - it still looks more like a random assortment of thrift store stuff than a decorative/functional shelf, but there is nothing on it that belong somewhere else. So if I get everything else back to pre-visit status, I will have made progress. Very small progress, but progress.

WTG, SubC! Great work in a fifteen minute time span. I did run some errands today, including dropping off my ballot at the library. So my voting is done. I treated myself to an egg sandwich and sat in the cafe and read my kindle.

Lila,please get the best and most comfortable shoes you can afford. I often say that I can accomplish anything if I have the right footwear. Taking care of our feet and teeth is so important.

I'm trying to figure out what I should do for footwear when I'm overseas in December. I have a pair of Allbirds mizzles but I think I may need boots, too. My snow boots saw no action last year and I cannot remember if they leak. I've had them a really long time and do not want wet feet while strolling the Christmas markets. So I'm trying to figure out if I need new boots. I ordered some from lands end, which I will return if they don't fit right or if they feel heavy. I just need to make sure that my feet are comfy during my vacation.

My goal is to have ALL mom stuff gone by December 3, which is the day before I leave and is the anniversary of dear mom's death. Or maybe the anniversary is the 2d.

So I'm going to do a few more things and go to bed now. Did two loads of laundry today. Needed to do closer to four but I didn't want to monopolize the washer on a Sunday.

Okay I'll finish the dishes and take my shower.

SubC, I have been over peopled too - I know what you mean! I have always been an introvert and rarely spent time with anyone outside of family, and certainly not in any crowds. I love my job and all the things I do and I choose to be with people and God gives me a joy in that, but some days you just have to stay home and be alone. I did that today.

I cleaned up the kitchen quite a bit, and cleaned off much of the kitchen table and washed it. I washed off the outside of the kitchen trash can, the top of the stove (again), and sorted some produce.

My blood work came back that my cholesterol has gone back up to a bad place. I know my cardiologist will want me to take statins but I was able to get the cholesterol back down last time by going vegetarian. Now I am still vegetarian but I do eat way too much cheese, was putting half and half in my coffee, eating a lot of sugar and fried stuff and being sedentary. I am going to try hard to bring it down again. I had oatmeal for breakfast yesterday, eating more vegetables, cutting the cheese down by 75% and not using anymore half and half. I am choosing a piece of fruit instead of sugary stuff, and will try to start walking more. I need to get better shoes, as the ones I have hurt my feet when I walk very far. I plan to go to the shoe store tomorrow and try some out.

I also went in my room today and picked up/swept up bits of trash. I will keep working on the clothing situation as well.

4 random objects returned to their homes
Mattress pad back on guest bed
Laundry switched into dryer
New load in washer
One and one half loads put away
(I finished the second load after the timer went off.)

Feel like I'm accomplishing things now, so back to it.

Tatoulia, I'm sorry you have been sad.

Ok Tatoulia, my whole day has been a series of surprise activities. - that I chose to say yes to, and don't regret.

BUT Now I am home and my instinct is to make bad choices because my introvert self has been over peopled.

Instead, I'm going to set a timer and see how many of my small tasks I can finish.

Back in 15 minutes.

Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't been here. Just very sluggish and sad these days. Hard to do anything.

Lila I am thinking of the little one. CM amazing work getting rid of the totes! That relief is such a good feeling! SubC, I remember when you didn't have any grandchildren!

I received my flu shot and Covid yesterday. I'm back to masking since everybody near me seems to be sick. I have so much to accomplish today and yet I'm doing precious little. I have one laundry going and as soon as I can put in the dryer, I'll start another one and then start in on my errands.

After a couple of false starts, I finally got the right credit card to use overseas and that won't charge me foreign transaction fees. I generally use discover in the US, and it isn't widely accepted overseas. Then the Visa card had 3% foreign transaction fees so I just got a different Visa card. What a mess. I'll have to cancel one of the cards. I have no qualms about seeing my credit score go down because I'm not looking to borrow any money, if that makes sense.

I have so much to do, all of which is doable if the badger would tell me to start!

Last night I was very tired and did not feel like doing the dishes. So I set a timer for five minutes and I had the entire dishwasher full and running with time still left on the clock. I call those five minute miracles.

I'll check back later. Wish me luck!

Good morning!

Good to see people stopping in again.

Lila, I th8nk you spent part of that freeetime talking to us - lol!

I'm glad you are feeling better. I hope that the neurosurgeons are well worth the drive and can help your little angel. It sounds like you guys are doing well. Honestly, having time and energy to make pickles in the midst of what you have going on sounds amazing.

CM, good for you getting those bins out. And so many books! Is there a chance that you will get to a point where only your stuff is in your room? It seems like that would give you a big boost on organizing.

I have not gotten back to the Halloween bins yet. I'm hoping to have my house in as good condition as it was before my kids came to visit two weeks ago by the end of the weekend, while also getting my lesson planning done, doing some work for my first holiday show next weekend, and going out with Dh tonight. I have a very heavily scheduled week next week so rest will be a priority.

hi friends. Just checking in. Hope to do a bit of reading/catching up later today or tomorrow.

I am feeling better, and the grandkids are doing pretty well. The baby's issue is not improving and we probably have to drive 3.5 hours to the neurosurgeon very soon. It is frightening and sad but also a relief someone will help.

Today I have been washing dishes, washing cucumbers to make pickles, getting the first layer of junk off the stovetop. All of us are exhausted, TotsDad is working, so is youngest Son, and the cleaning has been very basic. We manage to keep laundry done, clean up most spills, well, 75%, and take trash out, but there are crumbs and toys and socks and random things the kids drag in and spilled stuff here and there... so I am trying to get things cleaned up today while relaxing. I wonder to myself, what did I do with ALL the free time I had before my family moved in with me?? I can barely remember it. I am glad they are here, though, and enjoying holding the baby and playing with/caring for my grandkids.

I hope to get my laundry done, wash the counters, finish cleaning the stove, and make pickles today. Seems like enough.

Yesterday my cousin stopped by so I was able to send with her the 5 or 6 large plastic totes that I no longer need nor want. Glad she can use them, and glad to get them out of my life! :)

We are good, and glad you are as well. Took another 6 boxes of roommate's books to donate to the library used bookstore. I am getting some shelf space bit by bit in my room. Kind of in a process of deciding what I want to do with it. For example, I have had some office and art supplies by those shelves (paper and cardstock mainly). I reduced them a few years ago and may decide to pare down even more, now that I have a better idea of how much I actually can use. Probably just keep a few pieces for collage/mixed media, a minimal selection of colored paper for the occasional poster for the bunny group (we don't do as many since a lot of announcements are online now), and a few bright pieces for reminders and To-Do lists when I want those in physical form because sometimes that jogs my memory better.

CM,

how is it going?

We've been so quiet.

I am overwhelmingly busy with grandsons, school, pottery show prep and various other life factors.

It's good, but I'm tired.

Bean and I got the Halloween boxes out and decorated. I pulled a few things to get rid of and also bought four yard hooks to hang my outdoor lanterns. I used to set them on surfaces around the house. If I finish sorting out the bins, I'll post a "net" on the correct thread, although it's too late in the year to actually donate the Halloween things, so they will sit in the "out box"

Hope everyone is doing ok. Lila, thinking about your babe.

It didn't get down to the freezing point they were predicting last night but it was definitely cooler to cold by morning. But otherwise a pretty day. However, it is set to change. Tomorrow is supposed to have one of my least favorite things, wind. Probably for several days. Maybe with rain though by early next week, which we do need. I can still work on the bookshelves indoors.

Yesterday I took a small bag of assorted white and natural muslin fabric to one of the other quilting ladies at church. I still have a small amount for whatever I may need for my own projects, and the lady I gave the bag to is efficient at using things up. So a win win.

I need to remind myself that the colder months will be a fun time to work on quilting because I can use the iron to press fabrics without overheating the house, lol. That although I much prefer spring, summer, and early fall, there are a few compensations for putting up with winter. It would be great if I get a lot of fabric made into easy blocks and on out of here.

So glad I figured out that's what I needed to do instead of trying to plan elaborate entire quilts. Just make the components, and I or anyone else can assemble them later. Probably repeating myself here but I'm just glad I thought of a new method. And it does seem to be part of what has energized me to declutter the fabric, because it gave more of a focus and direction. Made the task less intimidating.

So I guess it'll be book sorting tomorrow though, and I should have some good news on that soon.

Glad for your sales Tatoulia.

CM, I am ver6 excited about all the stuff that is leaving and you getting your mojo back. I wish for you that you will get to have a room that only has stuff in it that is yours!

My dd2 took a few of her things (she can only take what fits in her suitcase on the plane) and consolidated her left behind bins so that one bin was empty. Ds filled it with other things and took it with him.

So there is a space on the storage rack, and there are little pockets of other space.

I had a great time with all my kids and grands. It was hard when Dd2 had to leave for her plane, and again when I left for work yesterday (ddil slept in and they left after I did) but Birdy will be back around thanksgiving and dd2 some time around Christmas and I have so much going on, the time should fly.

Currently the house is a wreck and I am exhausted and behind on lesson plans (not ready for today). Fortunately I have a late start this morning. Tomorrow morning dd1 asked me to come over, then I have a staff meeting at lunch time and back home to work on the house and prep for Friday.

We have winter. 34* and dropping to freezing by sunrise. I brought the lemon tree in.

Wow! You are amazing, CM! Proud of you!

Congratulations on the new grandson, Lila! Hope he will do well with his medical needs in the hands of good doctors and with lots of nurturing.

It is definitely turning into fall here, too rapidly, after a long period of unseasonably warm; talk of a possible freeze this week. I do not like that, because of the suddenness and because my roommate will want to get a bunch of plants into the house which is tiring and I had other plans. I hate having to shift things suddenly. It gets dark rapidly too; once the sun starts to go down it really plummets. I've spent months and weeks sitting outdoors on the front porch but I fear that will be less frequent and eventually it will be too cold - though perhaps not right away on that. I'm still wearing shorts and a T-shirt with sleeves (had been wearing sleeveless when it was in the 80s). So long pants/jeans and such will let me be out for awhile longer but it's definitely trending toward a different time. We've been in that prolonged drought still - only one good rain in I can't remember how long. The reservoir and aquifer are not doing well.

But I've gotten some good decluttering done because it has been mild enough, and remarkably less windy than usual most days. Apparently whatever weather pattern causes the drought perhaps is keeping the wind down? Who knows. I've carted about a dozen boxes or more of my roommate's books to donation, and there are books in my bedroom that are hers; there wasn't another place for them when I moved in here but now I'll get the use of some more shelves, which will help my room be more liveable. We keep going to Aldi to get more boxes to put her books in.

I've been dealing with my fabric still, which is going well. It seems that I'm getting more of a rhythm about what to tackle, and then as it gets put in order I can see the next place I'll want to start whenever I go to do more. This will apply to other categories of stuff as I make my way through.

I'm glad it has been more of a productive time; for a long time I was rather stymied about where to start, then it finally started to come together better.

Praying for the little babies! And their doctors. And their loving families.

I stopped by the consignment shop yesterday and four of my things had sold. Only put $24.50 in my pocket but I would've donated them otherwise, so a win to get rid of them and win to get a little money.

Very fall like gloomy weather here, which I quite like. One cat is asleep with her electric blanket and the other is under the bed. So all is peaceful here.

Tatoulia, I'm sorry you had a hard week!

Lila, that is a lot. And sick! After keeping Bean for most of the week when Buddy was born, I can't imagine having three. If you kept them fed, unharmed, and reasonably clean and rested you did great.

If you actually made that cake you are amazing!

I'm sorry your little guy is facing difficulties. Hopefully he is in good hands with his referral. Our children's hospital was just ranked #1 in the surgery Buddy will have to have and it gives me so much peace. He is doing really well. He got his first cold and had to go back in, but they sent him home the same day and said his lungs are ok. He sleeps on an oxygen monitor if he is not next to an awake adult, which gives his momma peace too.

Today she actually brought him out to our house she is doing a lot better on her medication. I had a wonderful time with all of my kids and grandkids today and Bean decided to stay the night, so only his parents and Buddy went home. Dsil will meet us at the renfest tomorrow.

I got the bunny brushed and Birdy got to pet him. Birdy is such a little doll. He says "ba" for ball, which is his favorite toy and "mama", and he chases or reaches for the person he wants - which is me sometimes! <3

Oh I am glad you told us about the baby. I am thinking of him and you. Glad you can hold him and feel the peacefulness of a newborn.

I am sorry you've been so sick. Please do not get mad at yourself.

hello friends, it's been awhile. I read some of your posts - wow SubC, no power for 2 days is more than I've ever had it out. I'm sorry you lost so much food. It's hard. But I hope things are getting back to normal after all your cleanup efforts. Tatoulia and CM, good to see you! A lot of progress being made here.

I was sick until last week, was on antibiotics but felt really ill from them. Then yes, our new baby grandson was born two weeks early and had high jaundice so stayed in the hospital a few extra days. I was caring for Tot, Acorn, and Star for those days and nights. Then there was a complication with the baby which has gotten worse, so I went with dil to the hospital. He has a very visible issue with his head and now there is a referral to an out of town surgeon and all of it has been overwhelming and draining for all of us. But holding him is so peaceful, although I look at his little head and pray so hard for him to be okay. And there is a family birthday today with a request for a complicated cake from scratch and a nice dinner, so today is mainly going to be a cooking day. I am really quite exhausted and feeling like I need some time off, but my days off are very busy and I missed a lot of work being sick and caring for kids, so I can't take any time off. Hopefully things will get easier. I am feeling my age.

My bedroom looks like just piles thrown. I promised myself I will spend one hour today working on my bedroom. I did throw out the trash and do the laundry yesterday. But you would not believe how bad it is now. It's like the piles are breeding and having litters of mini piles.

I hope to touch base more often now that baby is home and I'm almost back to not being sick. I miss you guys and the sharing here. I have not thought of a nickname for the baby.

You did a lot, SubC! And I think you did make good use of your time in cleaning out the bottom of the freezer! That's the type of thing we need to teach ourselves to do!

I had a hard week and now it's over. I had to go downstairs to the lobby on Wednesday because I was going to cry. We don't get Monday off anymore but that's okay.

I'm going to make myself a list of things to do this weekend. I'm very pleased with my mindset for getting rid of stuff. I'm feeling better about my choices, hard as they are.

Cleaned table, cleaned island, cleaned most of counter (still bags of apples and onions and potatoes, but we will eat some of them)

Got feed, dropped off books, washed sheets and made up bed for dd2, ran the vacuum cleaner battery out three times, did two other loads of wash, caught up on dishes, worked on scullery counter and then stashed one paper ream sized box of stuff and two large stacks of plastic bags. Skipped yoga - again! - and didn't accomplish anything in the barn. Have no lesson plans yet, so I must do at least some of that before bed.

Dh is stopping for groceries on his way home from work - I gave him a list.

I also scrubbed out the bottom of the upright freezer, which there was no real reason to do, but it just looked so bad and it will probably not be this empty again for a long time, and I had the motivation, so I went with it. Of course, now I wish I had made more appropriate use of my time.

Good morning.

I'm fine Tatoulia. I've just been overwhelmed. I wonder where everyone else is.

Today is my "recovery day" I slept late and have a migraine. I've been having difficulty sleeping because of hot flashes at night. Menopause is a bear.

Anyway, once the headache medicine kicks in, I hope to get things together for the week.

I need lesson plans for tomorrow, meal plans, and a shopping list. Ds and ddil are bringing Birdy to visit - arriving tomorrow night and leaving Tuesday morning. Dd1 and dsil are bringing the other boys out for the day on Saturday, and dd2 is flying in on Saturday and staying until Monday afternoon.

I'm going to the renfest on Sunday with Birdy's family, dd2, Bean, and dsil.

Since there is zero downtime until I leave for school on Tuesday, I need to also have lessons prepped for Tuesday and Wednesday by the time I get home from work tomorrow (which means today)

I also need to wash sheets and make up the bed for dd2, clean this house up, go to the feed store, and find some things ddil needs for Birdy. I would like to do some baking, catch up on milk, and brush the bunnies so they are presentable when Birdy meets them. I might "stash and dash" the piles on the scullery counter.

Hoping everyone is okay! I'm off to work. Whittling down what I have and I'm feeling really good about it!

Happy Birthday, dear SubC!!!

Great work getting rid of the books, CM!!!

That's great that you've been downsizing the holiday decorations. CM. take a moment to applaud yourself for making your life easier. Subc, disappointing about the books and I hope you will still get rid of them. I know you took some to the free library which is great!

Reading more now

Okay I've made some hard decisions and I've gotten rid of some hard stuff. More to go. My sister helped me make the decisions. Just got back from the donation center. The mile walk there and the mile walk back were good for me. I took the books and gently used clothing to a beautiful bookstore called More Than Words.

Now to read what you all have been up to!

Good morning.

It's my birthday. I'm going to a fun pottery brunch later this morning and out to dinner and a concert with Dh tonight. The concert is not a birthday thing, it just happened to fall on my birthday. Dinner will probably be at the reasonably priced and conveniently located restaurant we often go to on the way to a concert. They don't do a dessert for your birthday or anything. I gave up years ago on people making my birthday special in ways that matter to me, which avoids disappointment and means sometimes I get a nice surprise.

I planned to attend the brunch for myself. It was also just happening anyway.

We do now have a person in charge of staff birthdays at work. She left a cute plant and a little bag of vegan candy on my desk Friday with a nice crafted from reused materials card. I feel seen!

My in-laws are overseas and never buy phone coverage, so I should be spared the awkward happy birthday call (I don't want to talk to you, you don't want to talk to me, why do you always call on my birthday?!) and I may spend a little time in the garden before I leave for brunch. I actually forgot that I have sweet potatoes still in the ground! I hope it's not too late! Also, I usually try to plant garlic on or near my birthday, but I forgot to buy it. Maybe I'll just get some cloves on the way home from brunch.

My Birdy is coming into town (with his parents) on Friday and I will have all three grandsons and all but one of my kids here on Saturday. Buddy is doing well enough that Dd feels safe bringing him out. Also, she is doing better. I am feeling optimistic about my next year.

Yes, my friend and I got thrift store items dropped off at one place, and books at two other places. The first bookstore gave a substantial amount of trade credit. I'm not buying many physical books these days, but might on rare occasions. The trade credit doesn't expire, so there's no pressure to use it in a hurry or buy anything that isn't really worth the space and the cost.

Hi everybody!

CM, did you get the books dropped off?

I loaded my car with a year worth of recycling and went to a special "one drop" event. (Tatoulia would have loved it - they had unlimited shredding) the car was completely full. It was a very impressive operation - you had to hand drop your items and a worker watched them and handed you back anything wrong - usually sending you to a different drop station better educated. It took a while to do, but there was almost no waiting. I didn't witness anyone being rude or unpleasant. I was sent home with two cereal bags my Dh clearly didn't rinse the crumbs out of (I apologized) and two broken plastic flower pots. I knew they weren't accepting flower pots for reuse this time, but I thought I could recycle the broken ones by type of plastic. The worker wasn't sure, so I brought them home. I'll try again next time.

I also had too many batteries (by weight) but I found a nice person who only had three batteries and was willing to claim my extras as her own before she left the parking area.

Got 4 boxes of my roommate's books loaded in my van because my friend and I are going to run around tomorrow and will be going by places where we can drop them off. Took the plastic tubs out and put them in the garage temporarily until my cousin comes. They block the line of sight while driving. I thought she might come by today to get them. Another possibility is I could leave them on her porch if I'm out her way. And I have misc. donations of smaller items that will be dropped off, if not tomorrow then next week.

Aside from covid and doing a lot, I wonder if I might even be a bit tired from the shifting of seasons - the days are noticeably shorter :( and sometimes that affects a person in subtle ways. Though it can also benefit - I think I'm getting more sleep in the nights.

Had fun the other day decorating the front porch for Halloween; a few more things to do including putting batteries in the mini LED Halloween lights that go on shelves indoors to make the living room cheerful. I like those mini sets of lights from the dollar store - they are just enough to decorate with but not bulky to store in the off season. Over the last few years I think I've done pretty well downsizing holiday decorations and what I've kept sparks joy but without being burdensome.

Good job both of you!

Really tired this morning from the late night and teacher conferences. I took the books to the book store, but they made me such a ridiculously low offer I took them back. I will put some (the children's books) in a little free library. Others I'm not sure about (coffee table books) but they are worth much more as art/craft materials than I was offered. Apparently the low offer was because "some of these are very old and will be hard to move." (Apparently their policy to is always take everything and then penalize you for the stuff they didn't actually want. But they also won't tell you which books they might pay you more for if you hadn't brought the others. I have always liked using them because I know they recycle any books they end up discarding, but I think I am done with them.)

I'm using my "recovery day" (actually just the morning as I have a staff meeting at lunch and have promised to come to Bean's house after) to recover me instead of the house, although I did start a load of laundry.

Cm! Good to hear that you are getting unstuck! WTG! Yikes that is no good having Covid! SubC I applaud you for letting the trash go.

So my sister went through her box of papers and took what she wanted. I'm going through the remainders and took some in to shred today at work.

I'm tired and unfocused these days. I need to turn that around!

At least I'm starting to get through the remnants. I'm hoping to get a car on Sunday and make donations.

Hi SubC,

I did a bunch yesterday and more today. The only drawback is that yes, decluttering is tiring. It's ultimately good, but like yesterday I was wired and tired. My roommate is downsizing too, and there's just a lot of activity. Today I got rid of about 3 cubic feet of trash, consolidated other stuff, put like with like neatly, etc. Pulled out 4 medium-large opaque tubs to pawn off on my cousin (she does want them). And anytime can go ahead and make another donation run, there's enough boxed and loaded to make it worth it.

Good morning.

Still not keeping up, but enjoying little Buddy. My daughter is starting to do better. Wondering about Lila's new baby.

Sleeping badly because of hot flashes.

CM, good for you on the decluttering! I know exactly what you mean about the inertia vs. momentum. It usually happens for me when I change something, a big out or sometimes a big in (like the new shelf)

I think I'm going to try to take the books I pulled off the shelves to the book store today. I have classes until 3:30 and then parent/teacher night from 6:30 to 8:30 (which means I'll get home close to ten to do "evening" chores - ug!) I have one session where I expect zero parents, and it's likely the rest will be lightly attended. Unfortunately my zero session is the first, not the last. Parents are more concerned about academics. There are only eight time slots and 16 possible class periods, so even parents with one child may have to choose between two sessions (eight 15 minute time slots for a Teacher presentation and q and a) plus the preschool program is an hour. I have more than 8 classes, so some of mine have been combined.

CM, I hope you get better soon and can get vaccinated. I still (as far as I know) have not had Covid. Dd says I have to have had it and it was probably asymptomatic or so mild I didn't notice.

Just dropping by... :)

Sorry about the power outage SubC, and the ensuing hassle but it sounds as if you're getting things dealt with pretty well and hopefully won't have lost too much time or be too tired.

Tatoulia, I would've opted out of the trip too until another time when conditions will be better. Maybe you'll get a chance at some future date.

Lila, hope you're recuperating from everything. I love plums and Concord grapes sound yummy as well. Those antioxidants in them are very good for us.

Would've posted last week but I caught Covid again! For the 4th time, which is ridiculous. It was a light case, though, and I'm better now. I swear, that Omicron variant must think I'm its own personal buffet. Once again, I suspect my roommate picked it up at the closer branch of the senior center; they are in a small space in a community center building, and that part has lower ceilings and I'm guessing poor ventilation. I don't know if there's some way to get them to investigate whether other people are getting sick there too. For my part, I keep getting caught between having a round of illness, vs. waiting the recommended time after having it to get a shot. I see my new doctor in October, perhaps she will have some advice. This is getting so annoying. Definitely want to be more protected going into the holiday months.

My energy started to return on Friday and on Saturday I did a bunch of decluttering again. More fabric sorting and purging, and miscellaneous. Stuff bundled up to go to thrift, about 2 cubic feet worth, and 3-4 cubic feet of trash pitched. Getting the back of my van less cluttered, which feels GREAT. I have hated how it was such a nice well-kept used van when it came to me in 2018 (replacing the old money pit one I'd come to loathe), and I swore I was going to keep it nice and uncluttered and, well, it became junky. It still needs further work, but there are nice empty spaces for the eye to rest, and even where it still needs more done I can envision the process of reaching the goal. You know how that goes, where for a long time you just look at a bunch of clutter and it looks petrified in place, then at some point you get enough of it out and gone that the space becomes dynamic again and you can actually work with it?

Didn't get to exercise last week due to the 'Rona, but I must still have some accrued benefit of prior exercising. Because there has to be something good going on that has been lifting my executive functioning out of the doldrums and breaking the "Ugh" paralysis with the clutter. The ability to start, to just pick at a small area and then all of a sudden I'll find myself segue-ing into a serious organizing and purging session.

And of course we know that success breeds success. If I feel a sense of flow, and I do a section of the overall that I've been wanting to do for a long time, and if when I've done that section I even alight on another place where I can start the next time, that's huge. I can work with that. It's like when I write on one of my novels - if I figure out what part of the story, what scene, etc. to start with and feel like it flows well, and then it's time to quit for the day but I already have in my mind the next scene(s) I want to work on, then I am able to pick up and go next time.

Good morning.

Tatoulia, I'm sorry about your vacation, but it's nice that you got to enjoy some time with your sister.

My dishwasher is running and that will almost catch me up on dishes including the containers from things that went bad in the fridge. I am heading over to Bean's house in about 20 minutes and taking with me a regular kitchen trash bag of trash for their can - two weeks of our "regular" trash, plus a few things from the barn and spoiled food in packaging - I am giving myself grace to not unwrap everything and wash and recycle packaging. There was too much for the chickens.

Hi everyone

glad you are safe SubC. That is a long time without power! My sister arrived Thursday since I was going on a mini vacation and she was staying with the cats. My flights were cancelled due to the hurricane and ultimately I decided not to go on the trip. I had rescheduled to leave the next day but after watching the news Friday night, I cancelled my trip that was scheduled to leave very early the next morning. Had a delightful time with my sister. She went home today instead of tmr since I'm here and we didn't need to worry about the cats.

My two other girlfriends still took the trip. They were leaving from Albany Ny. They were stuck in charlotte for a night and then flew to Knoxville the next day instead of Asheville. They are having a very good time and are being very gracious. I will pay my share of anything I owe on and told them I'll treat a dinner. They've been sending me pictures and they are definitely enjoying their time in TN.

I cooked Thursday and Friday nights. Last night we ate out and then we went to see a movie that is part of Cinefest Latino and it was excellent. I'd learned about it while sister and I were at the Museum of Fine Arts Saturday afternoon. We walked to the bus station today.

So back to work for me tomorrow. At least I get two vacation days back into my pot of days.

Hello friends!

Lila, I hope you ar better.

We caught the edge of Helene.

No major damage - some trees down in the woods, roads still blocked, and our power was out for over 48 hours. Usually when the power goes out it's winter and I can just put the food outside in bins it was nice not to have to worry about the woodstove keeping up with the temperatures (we have back up heat so the pipes don't freeze if the stove can't keep up or goes out, it just gets cold in here - but it's electric) but I'm not looking forward to cleaning out the chest freezer (crying face) and a fridge full of sour milk. I was able to get ice today, but it was too late for a lot of stuff in the upstairs fridge. I've started the cleanout of that, and the upstairs freezer. So far four quarts of ice cream, some fish, five pounds of cheese and multiple open containers of various things.

All the milk in the downstairs fridge will have to be made into farm cheese (higher temp) if it's not sour and given to the chickens if it is.

My house was not hit by a tree. My family is fine. My Dd did not lose power so she did not have sleepless nights worrying about someone watching Buddy because his oxygen monitor wouldn't work. Really I am fine. And I am getting a nice fresh start with a mostly cleaned out fridge

I went to bed early. I slept later. I've been contemplating ways in which unlimited electricity makes my life more complicated and not necessarily easier.

My dishwasher is running. I need to do a load of wash.

Yesterday I woke up with a really bad migraine but I managed to get it medicated and get to Bean's house by 3. Then Dh and I went out to a concert in the city after dinner. While rummaging around in my closet by flashlight, I found two shirts I decided I'm not in love with, so those can go.

hi all, not forgetting you Tatoulia! and everyone else!

SubC, it is exciting and fun and exhausting to have a new grandbaby, so remember to take care of yourself, too.

I am sicker and have been pretty miserable this week. I may go in to the Dr today, I dunno. TotsDad brought me concord grapes from his property and I am looking very much forward to juicing them and drinking that a few times today. That has to help this icky cold, right? I also have to do something with these plums. They are starting to go softer. I will try and freeze some halves today. If I feel better in a day or two, I'll make more plum bread.

My house is a disaster, stuff everywhere, baby coming any day. I am going to ask Son to disinfect surfaces and help me move things a bit.

Of course we won't forget you!

A little tired and overwhelmed caring for my little family.

Dd had a pretty rough day yesterday (they are working on meds with her). I am struggling to find time to keep up with everything, get enough sleep, and exercise. No yoga this a.m. Not eating properly and have put a little weight back on. I may end up needing to take another day off.

Birdy's family is coming to visit in less than three weeks!