Hi :D

Karl,
sorry that you have such a hard time getting some bread. :(
Guess they think people don't need to eat any more this month. ;p

Hi Diane,
your singing was music to my ears. :D
Thank you (((HUGS))) :D
The cake was delicious! And I shared some of it with the birds out in the garden, they liked it too. :)
WAT TO GO!!!getting that big cabinet straightened out! :D

The sun never was able to cut through the fog all day.
The frost is still thick on everything and by tomorrow it will be even longer.

Since my livingroom isn't cluttered, I lit 6 candles and have them on the coffee table.
One for each decade.
Been enjoying hanging out in here seeing them. :)
I also had a bottle of Martinelli's apple cider (nonalcoholic) and drank the whole thing. :D

Been a good day.

Tillie, did you hear me singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU while you were eating your cake, hope you did not choke when you heard my singing voice!!! Good you are enjoying today.
Dianne so happy you got a new washer and sunshine.
Cloudy here today so I worked inside all day, now sun just popped out but my property is in shade of big houses at this time of day. I worked inside all day. Got a lot done, and have to believe it is good enough for today. Changed some things around. Emptied all the stuff out of a big cabinet in living room and put it back in organized, did not do it first time through so was a lot of junk. Now taking garbage and give away outside when I finish here. Just wanted you to know Tillie, been thinking of you today and hoping birthday cake was great, and you had fun all day.

Good morning everybody :)

I have been playing with the cats. Then I fed them breakfast and now they have all gone off to nap.
Today we have thick fog and heavy frost.
Cold, cold, cold day.

Hi Karl :)
WAY TO GO! sorting out more and finding lots to let go of! :D
Good luck on finding that power cord.

Hi Diane :)
So happy you are enjoying the outdoors.
Things like that do so much to refresh our spirit.

New year resolutions should be to release ourselves from the things of the past that are holding us back from truly thriving in the new year.

Hi Dave :)

HI Dianne :)
Wonderful to hear from you today!
YEA!!!! for the new washer!!!! :D
WAY TO GO! for getting stuff done!
It is important to take the time to take stock of our lives. This helps us to grow in the right direction.

Need to do the usual daily tasks today.
Then I really need to restraighten my closet.
Some how I managed to let it get sort of unorganized/messy.
That should take me 15 minutes.
Then the rest of the day I refuse to do anything that I really don't want to do.
I can do that because I am old now. ;D

Do a HAPPY DANCE today, I am.

I was kidding about 12 step program. I know how lucky I am to be able to enjoy the simple things in life. Thanks Dave for the reminder to live and enjoy the moment, so simple and so easy to forget. I took pictures of sunrise this morning, so pretty, but much colder today. It got up to 57 degrees yesterday, no wonder I had so much fun.
Today I will get dishes done, make soup, shake area rugs, vacuum.
Tillie hope you have a great time today.
Can you believe 2013 is almost over? Bet there will be lots of new year resolutions to "get organized"!!
With your help, I will continue to improve living conditions.
Still noticed I want to organize a hoard, which as we know is impossible, time to let go of more.

Karl,
That's great on the tax items! (particularly if you have a refund coming.) That's coming up pretty quick and now you have two less things you have to stress about finding a way to duplicate for return information.

Diane,
Sounds to me like there's no need for 12 step program. I think you just had a lot of practice being in the present today, instead of being chained to the past by emotion or hooked to the future by fear. People pay big bucks to go to India and work in ashrams to do that. You did it in your yard. As you continue to do that, if you don't make fun of it, each time you do it, you'll be making incremental changes in the "wiring" of your body and your mind that will make other things like the "meetups" and "cluttercleaning" easier because you need to be in the present to do them well too.

Thank you Diane :)
(((hugs)))

HI:)

The sun never really was able to burn through the fog today and it got super thick about 4:00pm.
The high for today was 31 degrees F.
Didn't venture out to do any garden clean up in the cold fog. lol :)

Good night to be all snuggled warm inside.
Great job Diane keeping the wood and kindling all stocked and ready to use. :D

Didn't do much of anything today.
Washed the dishes.

When I turned 40 I noticed that nothing changed, still felt the same.
Same thing when I turned 50.
Suppose it will be the same when I turn 60.
I still like all the same things that I liked when I was 18.
Rock & roll, jeans, animals, good books/movies, gardens, time to play, good conversation, nature, science and candy. ;)

Tillie sounds like you are doing a lot for the kitties of the world and for the other animals you help (people). Nice you are reflecting on your life.

Dave, such a great thoughtful response, thanks.
Today I made a long list of things to do so I would be sure to get them done. I worked all day and only did 3 of the things on list. Instead I chopped more kindling in the sunshine, is there a 12 step program for excess kindling chopping? I love wood and the security of knowing I can start a fire with all my kindling. Then I decided to move some rocks, I love working in the yard in the sunshine. Had such a good time, it was way better than yesterday, no sun yesterday. Amazing how much sunshine improves my mood.

Good morning :)

Feeling lazy today.
Laid in my warm comfortable bed for an hour after I woke up.
Don't want to do anything much today.
Lost in thought, contemplating the life I have lived.
I am not ashamed of anything I have done or not done. I stuck to my principals, never compromised them.
I do have guilt.
Guilt that I could not have done more to make life better for some animals.
But know in my heart that I can't single handedly save all the world's creatures.
Dissapointed that the world is not the place it could be if evil people would just quit being so mean.
Looking back, I can see it has been a life well lived and I did the best I could at the time with what I had and the knowledge I had acquired.

Going to do the usualy daily stuff around here today.
He is mad at me because I asked him to please throw away his empty shampoo bottle rather than leaving it laying in the bathtub until I get so sick of looking at it and toss it myself.
I don't care that he is mad.

Yesterday I did a little cleaning in my garden.
Planning to get outside and play some more in all that fresh air and sunshine with all the cats running around playing too. :D

Diane,

Kind of going with your post below. Rejection of a guilt trip based on what you think others are expecting you to do. Lesson I continually need lots of relearning on.

"What can you do with approval? Nothing."

Brooks Palmer, Clutter Busting, p28.

"You will never feel there is enough approval, so you will never approve of yourself. Living this way is clutter. It adds nothing to our lives but grief and sorrow. You will never feel accepted enough. But self-acceptance is enough.

"In fact, it is everything. Your life settles when you feel you are enough. Who you really are, the stripped down version of you, is the only place where you have power and freedom."

Brooks Palmer, Clutter Busting, p 29.

(Excited-bouncing up and down like tigger) I found 15 cents yesterday (24th) while cleaning out a toolbox!

Never thought of a trash can burping but that is what I want mine to do so there is more room in it to put more junk in. Tillie, at least he is filling cans, maybe he will have so much fun he will put some trash in it.
Today I worked in bedroom, sorting and finding jewelry I "lost". Only found 7 cents so far, only 57cents yesterday. Enjoyed sorting and getting rid of a few things, then went out, still pretty cold. I intended to go to a "meetup" open house today. No one I know, so talked myself out of it. I do not know how to cook, had to bring dish, 20 mile drive, stress of meeting new people. In fact probably would have had fun, just still hard for me to venture out and meet people. I feel a little guilty, for choosing the safety of staying home, and need to let host know not coming. I signed up for one last night that I didn't go to either.
Since Karl talked about meetups, I checked it out and still have not gone to one, signed up for 3 different ones that I bailed on. New years resolution, people in my life more, just accept alot has happened this past month, lost dog, had a tooth pulled, frozen pipes, no water 7 days, pipes broke, repairmen here two days, lots of dirty work and frozen fingers. Turned 65, signed up for Medicare, felt loss of youth. My brother died on Dec. 24th a few years ago, I was mugged Dec. 13th many years ago, dad diagnosed with terminal cancer 7 years ago this month, brought mom to live here this time of year the year after dad died. Short days, so the reason I wrote all these things down, is not so you feel sorry for me, just to let myself realize there are lots of reasons Nov./Dec. is a time to do what I need to do to feel safe and comforted, and not feel bad because I don't do more. Now the important stuff: I am so grateful for all of you and especially you Tillie for being so supportive and reliable. I am grateful Cory sees the importance of this and supplies us with this great site. I am grateful for all the decluttering I have done this year and for knowing with you help I will continue. I am grateful I can find more things when I need them. I am grateful that I own this trailer and land, so have that stability that I so desparaetly need. I am grateful I live in a safe neighborhood. Grateful I have a view from my deck and roof. (I really want to make a deck on roof) I am grateful I am in need of nothing, really. Grateful I can figure out how to fix almost everything. Grateful I have a sense of humor. Grateful I am healthy and strong. Grateful I am becoming award that people are more important than my hoard. Grateful for Sunday nite chats and that we limit time to 15 minutes each so everyone now gets an equal chance to talk. Grateful we focus on what we are changing in our life Wow, I have the presents in the world, you.

The recycle dumpster says BURP!!!

Thank you for kind words and encouragements.

Christmas blessings to each of you.

Thanks for the sweet wishes Dianne and Tillie, and Merry Christmas to you.
Today was sunny and no wind so I worked in bedroom a few hours then was outside the rest of the day. I chopped a big bin full of kindling. Hauled plenty of firewood up to the deck. Picked up some junk in the yard. Sat in the warm sunshine and enjoyed it so much. Noticed neighbors making several store runs, so happy I didn't have to go anywhere. Another nice day tomorrow, hope we all have fun and don't feel bad because we don't have what others have, whether it is family, money or whatever, instead lets focus on the good in our life.

Good morning everybody! :D

Hi Dave :)
WAY TO GO!!!!! emptying that storage pod!!! :D
Good luck with paring down till what's left all easily fits and is organized and easy to find when needed.

Hi Karl :)
WAY TO GO!!! on finding the spare glasses! :D
I find it interesting that you get to experience hoarding from both sides now. First your own overflowing possessions and neglected maintenance and now living with someone elses.
YEA!!!!! for getting some icecream! :D

Wishing all who observe the present holiday peace and good times. :)

Nothing going on here today.
Already did the daily maintenance type stuff & cat care.
Hoping he will fill a trash can or two for tomorrow's pick up.
Today would be a great day to build a huge bonfire, there is enough out there to keep it burning for days & days. ;D

My wish for today is that all of you have at least one of your wishes granted. :)

Watching to see if Santa makes it to Christmas Island.

Finally. the storage pod is empty after 4 months. It will be out of the driveway tomorrow. I won't be able to have the car in the garage tomorrow. I would guess I have to get rid of about 80% of the stuff I've been moving around. I'm not sure how long it is going to take me to rearrange the space again for the little I get to keep and to go through the boxes and force myself to get rid of the rest. (Yes, I'm whining.)

The box mine has generated the hoarder's equivalent of Christmas luminara, a sidewalk lined with boxes! When I can see tomorrow, I expect most of the output has to go to the tailing pile in the backyard where I have to flatten them and work them into the recycle dumpster over the rest of the winter.

In the morning I will see if rock salt has cleaned up the drive enough that the pod moving truck can get in. The ice was a much bigger project than I imagined.

Diane :)
I don't know about normal people but I have to organize stuff and then reorganize stuff and then put it somewhere only to have to move it all somewhere else.
Takes a while to get the stuff all organized and put away where it will best suit my needs.
Then I will later decide that I could organize that stuff better and keep it in a different/better place.
What works for us and our needs one day can change over night and we have to rethink our strategy for where to put stuff, how to fold the stuff and best way to organize it.
:D

Until we get the stuff into an area, we can't really tell if that is the best place for it till we live with it a little while.
So we end up rearranging stuff several times till we are happy with the results.

So happy to hear you had fun today Tillie, and that it was warm and sunny. It was overcast and windy most of the day here, tomorrow will be sunny, so I will be sure to get out and enjoy it tomorrow. Nice you could have door open and cats got to explore.
Tillie, after I organized stuff then decided to move it all, seemed like I wasted time, cause I spent so much time moving stuff around. Do normal people know where they want stuff the first time around? Seems like I am working as fast as I can, but everything seems to take hours to complete.

I repacked the area where first pipe broke, with more fiberglass and some creative ways to keep rocks out and hopefully cold out. I think I did a terrific job. Worked out there on organizing stuff, until was too cold. Warmed up, then went back out to do pipes under trailer. I cleaned up some stuff under there then decided I was too tired. Closed it up and came in. Worked on moving stuff I organized yesterday, did not like where it was. I worked several hours, but you would never know it by looking!! I got out felted wool to make something fun, but here I sit exhausted. Did bring in firewood and made a fire, and it is getting warm enough now, to get up and make food.
Tillie sure hope you can cope with your hoarder being there. Sounds like you are having fun cooking today. Yum, sure would like to eat cake with you on your birthday.
I will shower soon, got fiberglass on arms.
Good to hear from you roxie, dave and dianne

I have about 6 hours. In addition to finishing emptying the storage pod, that I'd planned on, I've just been informed I have to de-snow and de-ice around it too. It promises to be an entertaining afternoon, in which I will pay the price for lack of motivation for significant parts of the last couple of days!

I'm now going out to see if I can get into the cars (that are in the way) to see if I can get them open so I can get them cleaned up.

(Karl, i hope you got plenty of orange juice and nice treats.)

Tillie,
I hope you can find peace in your heart and small pleasures amidst the turmoil.

Good morning everybody :)

He will still be off work 24/7 until January 2nd.
He has done nothing with all his free time.

Anyways.....
Today I plan to do lots of stuff in the kitchen.
I will cook and freeze several meals and side dishes and I will bake my birthday cake too, just because.
I have nobody to share the cake with so I will just cut it up, wrap it and freeze that too.
I will also make another gallon of the herbal/lemon/honey tea.

Cats have been fed. Planning to wash & sanitize litter boxes today and wash all their dishes too.

Lovely bright sunny day here again today. :D

Well, there's always working on your tax return. If you worked during this year and have a refund coming, that has some practical application.

I've been listening to some library books on cds when I have tasks in one place like washing dishes.

I am unemployed right now too, but the desperation that comes with long term unemployment is not fresh in my mind and I can't recapture states of mind from that time. One thing that gave me a bit of escape during some of those times was church. All my problems were there when I went in the door and were waiting for me when I came out, but for an hour or so I could engage in a worship service and for some part of that time I could usually forget about the problems.

Hi everyone,
I gave my mother the web address to this site and she might be posting here, who knows.
She is going to be in defense mode defending everything I ever said about her.

She might claim that she's protecting me from things or that she has told us what to do as for living situations but grant the job situation today, there isn't much I can do except wait and keep applying for a job and pray for an interview and get a job.

I still have to wait until May for the ideal job but am still applying for other jobs in the mean time.

With no job and no money and no sorce of income, what would you do besides bide your time and apply for jobs?

FLASH!
Dad is currently heading for the Tums, unsure of whether it was yesterday's grease or the hamburger. Oh well, the trash can has to make a living too.

When it's older like that, Dad might actually lay it out on the cutting board and trim the edges off. (Assuming it's a kind of cheese that Dad likes.) That makes some recovery of the cost.

(Dad is currently pushing his luck with some expired hamburger.)