~Hey there CM!~
A phone call interrupted my post, so i just now saw yours. I hope your kitty will be ok? It is so sweet of you to help so many people! Just take of your own needs, too? :D

~Cinnamon coffee clinks!~
Tatouia, just this week i barely resisted buying raison-cinnamon bread for that same reason..ha ha..its funny i put it in my coffee before reading your post. And of course your cat is an angel! ;D That is sooo sweet youre playing familiar music for Tigger! =^-^=
Tillie, youre right about unusual aggression being a concern(rabies) & i hadnt thought of that, but i was growling & throwing sticks at them first, which didnt intimidate them at all, i think that was just the bold nature of skunks.
I thought we couldnt see the eclipse in the U.S.?
SubC, i used to keep containers in my car for restaurant leftovers, that way i always had some.
The new reuse store sounds like it could be a wonderful outlet for you for both donating & getting what you need & the staff's appreciation & understanding certainly makes it all the better!
I may vacuum the living room today, even in this heat, cuz i need to move around & maybe do some yoga & stretching after being so sedentary in this heat. I took a nice walk last night once it got cool enough. It helped me sleep, too.
It almost seems like when there is something in the way of my cleaning or organizing, besides my normal procrastination, it makes me want to do it even more?
~☆~May today's eclipse bring wonderful changes to you all!~☆~

The cats are doing great! And I had a delightful lunch with my friend at work.

I will work on my floors tomorrow. If rug arrives tonight and if BF brings to me, I'll leave it rolled up til all is clean.

Tillie I bet the sky is eerie with the smoke from the fires. I have a friend in Greece and I spoke with her earlier this week. She is far enough from the fires that her house isn't in danger but the sky has been very, very odd.

I'm going to get my dishes in order. I didn't empty the dishwasher today. And it needs to be done.

After brewing my tea, I waited an hour before pouring into pitcher and all was fine. Very tasty this AM.

I will see about going to the museum tonight. We are supposed to get terrible storms tonight. I may wait and see if BF wants to go on Sunday. We are members and we enjoy going. I'm going to take a day off in September to take my mother to the Casanova's Europe exhibit, which is very well-curated and an absolute delight. I would also like to go see it alone one of these days. I saw with BF but I'd like a chance at it alone. That's the beauty of our membership. It's all just waiting for me.

Good Morning Everyone :)
Iced chai masala "Clink!:

Hi Tatoulia :)
Go to the museum and later wash the floor.
Tigger will be alright, he knows you and he knows you love him. (((HUG)))
WTG! for all the tidying up and mopping floors too!

Hi Subclinical :)
WAY TO GO! for remembering to bring your own take out containers!
I have noticed that when my skunk babies are about half grown they roam about together but without their mother with them any more.
I suspect that they part ways after she has successfully weaned them onto grown up foods.

I am so tired, can hardly stay awake since yesterday afternoon.
The smoke from Yosemite fire has gotten much thicker here.
The sunlight is very yellow and last night's moon was deep orange.
The air quality is sorta bad but not dangerously so.
Hoping the clouds and smoke clear enough so I can watch the moon tonight.
Planning to spend the day watching Netflix and watering trees and doing some beading. :)

SubC you are doing great! Keep it up!!

As to bringing your own containers, that strikes me as less unusual today than it would have 10 years ago. People are much more conscious now. There's a woman at work (she's in her late 20s) who keeps a mason jar on her desk. So when we have leftovers from a meeting, she pops her sandwich or cookie or whatever into it. She also uses mason jars to bring her lunch to work. Several of our restaurants no longer have straws. People are getting there, and bringing your own containers is in the range of normal.

Tigger is here. He's a bit agitated but he's settling down. He seems so old and frail. I remember when I first met him, fifteen years ago. I wasn't dating my BF yet but I used to pass his office on my way home from parking my car and one day I saw this giant tabby cat.

I'm streaming pandora so that kitty hears the type of music that would normally be on with BF.

Ok back to work. I'm meeting a colleague for lunch then back home.

Now I want raisin bread.

Tatoulia, I hope you and tigger have a very good day.

And yes, one of the reasons I am excited about the reuse store is that it will help me rescue things - and put them in the hands of people who want/need/will use them instead of my studio or basement. I stopped yesterday on the way to my class and gave them some of my collected things - more items taking up more space than what I bought on Wednesday. So, currently real progress. Also, the staff is great. They seemed really pleased with everything I brought them. A nice change from "why are you saving all this crap?"

Anony, I wish your critters were more respectful. My momma skunk was in the barn all by herself last night. I am hoping that means her babies have moved out like mine and not that something bad has happened to them. I have become very fond of the skunk family.

I was listening to a program about the weather last night and thinking about all of you who are hot and near fires. The whole program was somewhat discouraging about what we are doing to the earth.

I also got dinner with my Dd last night. We went to the Indian restaurant near my class. The food is very good, but always too much. I remembered to bring containers so we could take it home without styrofoam! Part way through dinner Dd realized I was going to be faced with the leftovers situation and I told her "it's ok, I brought a container." Then her face started to reflect the thought of putting her leftovers in styrofoam in front of me, and I added "I brought you one too!"

When we were putting our food in the containers she said "this is the weirdest thing you have ever made me do." And I said "no it isn't." She said "now I am remembering the weird things. I wish this was the weirdest thing you had ever made me do."

Dinner out for two, trash - two paper napkins and a paper towel (I washed my hands at the restaurant)

Tillie, I hope you will take advantage of the food bank offer if you need to. It doesn't have to be desperately need. It is ok just to call them because it will make your life better.

Not sure what today holds besides indian food leftovers (yum)

Ok all my garbage is out, I've cleaned the litter box, swept and mopped the bathroom, etc. papers gone in living room. I just have to put away the vacuum. Tomorrow night I'll have to work on my hardwood floors. Or maybe I'll just leave my rig rolled up and I'll deal with floors on Saturday. I'd really like to go back to the museum tomorrow night.

BF is bringing Tigger in the AM. He just called to say he'd rather bring the kitty in the AM. I brought my computer home, so I'll work in the AM with the two cats. Then I'll meet colleague for lunch then come back home. That's the easiest all around. He's worried about his cat. I can't blame him. The cat lives in his office, so tomorrow during some contractor work he needs kitty somewhere else. He super worried about Tigger, probably because he's so old now. I like the solution. And yes, if there are any issues I'll put the angel in my bedroom.

I am making iced tea and I only have a little ice. I do not feel like going out to buy a bag. So I'll see if the cubes I made last night will be enough I've already put them in the pitcher and I have the pitcher in the fridge. I'm brewing the tea now. I'll let it cool a bit in the pan before pouring into the pitcher. I just can't face tomorrow without my tea.

Taje care my dear friends. I know you are suffering with terrible heat. Let's hear it for Netflix! It's a wonderful thing. Love you all. Please take good care of yourselves.

I pray the lunar eclipse restores some much needed order and peace in the world.

Hi Anonymoniker :)
Thank you (((HUG)))
Since I know you know too well skunk behavior
that's why I worry when you mentioned unusual behavior in this one.
Unusual friendliness or unusual aggression are warning signs to watch out for.
Take care of you! (((HUGS)))
YEA! for an ice foot rest! ;D

Hi Tatoulia :)
Me too! I would eat that toasted raisin bread all warm, dripping with that butter too! ;P
Good luck with the cats behaving.
If you think they may "have any issues" just shut them away from each other.
But of course, your kitty would never misbehave. ;)

Hello everybody!

SubC the reuse store is very interesting and I'm glad you can both take things and leave things there. It's good that you are being mindful. It made me think of myself. For me, if I have a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread in the house, I know I will toast it up, two slices at a time, slather it with delicious unsalted Irish butter, and eat it all night. So I don't bring raisin bread into the house. So it's good that you know you can't rescue everything in the store. Just keep telling yourself that it's already been rescued.

Tillie I am also touched that the food bank would take good care of you.

Anony honestly I am amazed that you can coexist with creatures. And Tillie! Having spiders as pets!!!

I am going to do some sweeping up. BF's cat is coming over tonight. I need both of the cats to be good. I have to go to office tomorrow due to lunch plans that I made six weeks ago. I may, after lunch, work from home in the afternoon. BF will be able to get the kitty after 2. The two cats have not been together before other than trips to the vet. Both cats seem chill enough for it to go ok. OF COURSE MY CAT IS AN ANGEL.

~ice water clinks!~
Tillie, unfortunately, im am very familiar with that feet stamp skunks do & most other skunk behavior, after my 21 years with them, but this was not normal at all! It was a youngish litter of 4, walking as a tight group in unison with each turn & movement, and actually, i hadnt ever seen that either?!
This eclipse is a big deal, but there are many other astrological things happening at the same time that intensify it, too. It could mean a war involving technology, but aggression is likely for anyone, not just government, etc., partly with Mars being super close. New changes in society is a hopeful possibility for sure! Yes, that would be great & certainly needed! ~♡~
I have my feet on a frozen water jug & its helping with the heat somewhat?
Im sooo glad you have people that are happy to help you. You help us all sooo much & you are such a wonderful & loving & supportive person, you deserve to have that, too! ~♡~

Hi Anonymoniker :)

I am so not afraid of spiders now that I have even had pet tarantulas and wolf spiders.
A skunk will often stomp their feet, dash forward a little and otherwise take a defensive stance when they want you out of their space rather than do the last resort, spray.
What is the rabies situation there this year?
You could call the health dept., fish & game/wildlife office or a Veterinarian to find out what the rate of rabies in skunks is near you.
YES! Tomorrow will be a very long lunar eclipse.
I am hoping it brings many positive changes to this whole world.
We really need all the help we can get. (((hug)))

Well, I did 3 loads of laundry. All dried, folded and put away except my dresses since I hang them on hangers inside away from the sunshine.
Nice and cool inside, over 100 and muggy outside.
The other day, after the shooting, I went to talk with my friends at the Christian run food bank thrift shop.
Explained that I hadn't been around since I'm hiding from the heat.
When I mentioned that I had to go out to grocery shop because I had run out of food
they told me I should have called and that they would have brought me a box of food to my house.
This really touched me deeply.

~Good Morning!~
Tillie, im still afraid of spiders, even after dealing with them all this time. Thats amazing you overcame it! I had a spider drop down from the ceiling right at me when i was yelling at it & was charged by a taranchula once, too. Last night tho, a young, full sized type skunk charged at me, rather than spraying me. Its litter mate jumped on him to stop him. Living with all these critters is a constant battle for territory.
Im also gonna stay home & watch movies, partly the heat & partly the astrology things happening.
SubC, i think your rule you made about that shop is a great idea! And donating some craft things sounds like a good idea, too! I bet youll be glad?!
Tatoulia, im excited youre so excited about your new floor mat! Your place is really sounding nice! And yes, talking to non cat people is sometimes hard. I talked to a friend yesterday that had the same problem with his Mom concerning his cat's care. He stood his ground, just like i did & it worked out, just like mine, thankfully. It felt good to hear his story!

Good Morning Everyone :)

Hi Subclinical :)
Have a wonderful time working in the studio today!
I am happy you have thought about the dangers of the Reuse store and have made plans on how best to use this wonderful resource. :D
Sounds like the perfect solution to rehome all those "possibly could be used for something" assorted items you come across.
So true, opening up space in a drawer or shelf is exactly like buying a new one. (((HUG)))

Watering some stuff this morning.
Planning to do some laundry next.
Triple digit temperatures the next 7 days.
Sure have been getting my moneys worth out of my Netflix subscription this Summer. ;)

Coffee <clink>

I really did feel like that big row of "hi"s. I also forgot to refresh the page before I posted, so I missed a lot of posts,

Tillie, I am sorry about the shooting.

I am excited about tatoulia's floor mat and pillows. It's exciting to hear it all coming together! I thought "whole man" was "Workman".

My cat gets plenty of food, comes in the house and sleeps on the furniture, and eats lots of mice!

I like spiders. Which is good, because we have a lot of them. But I do not like webs in my face.

Today is the day Dd goes to her brother's house. With his stuff. :) I also have my new toys, so I am excited to work in my studio.

I asked my daughter if she had ever been to the reuse store, because it is near her house. She said, "no. But [son in law] loves it. He goes all the time." I told her I love it too, and then about learning that I can take things there, and she said "oh. [son in law] never takes things. He just brings stuff home.

I will try to explain a little - Stephen would probably love it. It is a hoarders dream. It is also an OCD nightmare and I really wanted to ask if I could sort and organize as I went. They think they have it pretty well sorted, but things like condition, size, theme, and color have been completely ignored and some of the bins are practically random!

So, the reuse store is in a little storefront next to the community center. It is very full and crowded with shelves full of boxes and bins. They are run by volunteers and use all the money they get for the store (rent, electricity, fixtures...) all of their merchandise is hobby/craft/art focused. they sell only "donated" stuff, but some of it is normal donated stuff, and some of it is "garbage". Things like my rubber stamps are a bit more and individually priced. things like fabric, yarn, glass, paper, corks and bottle caps are sold by weight. My piece of foam was literally 2 cents. They sell gift wrap roll cores! They have project ideas all over the store. They also sell books about art/crafts/upcycling/decorating. They do not sort the books!

I can donate: corks that are not actually made of cork, those plastic 6 pack lids that some beer uses instead of plastic neck rings (they sell them by the pound, but if they get a big backlog, they call a guy who picks them up for recycling into benches), plastic thread spools, and small type 6 or 7 containers with lids.

They normally take donations only on Saturdays when they have volunteers come to sort and price, but the lady in the store said if I carry it in in a bag, they will accept it as long as I am willing to wait while they sort the bag and I take away anything they can't use.

So, because this store could become a very bad habit, I have made a deal with myself that I will only go in there when I have a full bag of stuff to donate, or if I actually NEED a specific thing they sell. (Like, they sell those wooden pegs you put ikea furniture together with, so if I am trying to repair a piece of furniture and need one...)

I am also thinking that I might take them some of the items I have been saving for years because they "might" be good for crafts and have no other use. I no longer have kids at home, and I currently have only one "grandkid", who does not like to do crafts when he is here, he can do that at home. So I could take some of my materials to the reuse store, someone else could buy and use them, and I could go there and get "new" stuff very cheaply if I have a specific project to do. Realistically I will buy very little, so I have to look at the storage space I will be regaining and think about how much I would pay for a shelf or drawer - clearing the shelf drawer is functionally like buying a new one.

Good Evening ;)

Hi Anonymoniker :)
Spiders have spinnerets. A special body part that the silk/web comes out from.
They are always having a length/stream of silk coming out from the spinneret.
So everywhere they go they always have a trail of silk streaming from behind them.
Spiders can and will swing through the air and the silk/web will trail behind them as they do acrobatics to travel from place to place.
So, that's how they can quickly make a web across an area.
And whenever you see a spider wandering aimlessly back and forth on a wall up near the ceiling, remember that she is placing sticky webbing everywhere she goes.
This web is sticky and dust gets stuck all over it and that's how "cobwebs" are made.


When I was a little girl I was afraid of spiders mainly because I had two older butthead brothers.
So to overcome my fear of the spiders and thwart my brother's attempts to torment me I learned everything I could about spiders. ;D

Hi Tatoulia :)
How sweet! Your Mom and her friend having pizza together. :D
Hope your haircut went well.
The town, my town near here with the shooting was on the national news and my MSN home page.
It was not a hate crime but took place in the LDS church. Just a personal dispute.
How long before your new floor mat arrives?
Is it big & heavy?
So happy you are making your home fresh and lovely. (((hugs)))

Hi Subclinical :)
Whenever I need something I always check the thrift store first and many times I can find it at the much better price.
Happy you do the same. :D
That reuse store sounds interesting. The kind of place where it's dangerous to allow Steven to see. LOL ;D
How wonderful you have found another outlet for things needing to be disposed of responsibly!

Got all my chores done that I wanted to do today.
Still hot and muggy here but the cats & I did good today and they were only melted for a little while.

Hi hi hi hi hi!

Manic and overstimulated today.

Started out with a meeting with the lady from the solid waste district about our school " waste management" program. Brought home lots of information. Then went to the reuse store for the first time (it's not a thrift, I can't explain it.) fell in love and bought a table doily, 13 large roller stamps and a set of mini stamps for clay, two small clay tools, a dozen good paint brushes, fancy wire Christmas hangers (that I use as part of ornaments I sell), and a piece of soft foam. Total under $17. Some will be for my classroom.

Worked at the pottery studio.

Went to the actual thrift store and spent $1.61 on another clay tool (that I have been wanting for some time, but it is not $1 in the studio store) and a pack of decorative paper.

Went to the grocery store and bought fruit and nuts and some meat for dh.

The reuse store will take several items I cannot recycle, donate, compost, or burn and have been throwing in the trash!

So hard trying to talk to non cat people!!

I am back from haircut. I stopped to see mom, and she had a friend over. I gave them pizza money so they can have dinner together.

I'm running the dishwasher and going to watch the news with the kitty.

YES I need to get this done on the floors!! I am so excited about my new floor mat!!! It'll be delivered to BF's work.

~More ice coffee clinks!~
Tatoulia, i was sooo clear with the neighbors that i know their cat is being totally normal & restated that many times when i went over there. I dont think they are cat people like we all are...i think part of why he comes over is to lay in the wet shade under the vehicles every day, cuz i dont think they let him inside....and its likely way cooler than in my house...i thought about laying under my truck...ha ha
Tillie, i cant figure out how the spiders make those webs so fast. Sometimes itll just be a minute for me, too & theres a web already in the hallway?!
My arm doesnt hurt, but i cant really get in a public pool, which is what i really wanted to do.
The living room was what i was working on when this heat wave hit & its the hottest room cuz theres no A/C in there.
~♡~♡~♡~I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!~♡~♡~♡~

ROTFLMAO :D

Yes, autocorrect has been fun! :D

OH! Anonymoniker ((((HUGS))))
So sorry to hear you injured yourself. :(
Keep it clean and dry and let's all hope it heals fast.
Yeah, those spiders are fast.
I can walk through an area, turn around to walk back through and there is a new web strung across my path.
I bought some of those sticky rollers to use on embedded cat fur.
They work O.K. but I have found that slightly damp rubber gloves work better.
You just put on the gloves and rub them over the offending fuzz and end up with a collection of fuzz all in a neat little roll you can pick up.
Good luck with those *&%$@ skunks!

Hi Tatoulia :)
OK! time to formulate a plan for getting that floor all Murphied.
Yes I agree. Getting stuff out of the house that is ready to get out of the house is a great feeling.
Frees & opens up the space and gives a feeling of "well done". ;D

Got the watering done this morning & will water the grass well this evening.
Couldn't do any watering last evening due to all the lightning.
But it may return again today...
Just finished lunch and will wash dishes soon as I post this.
The cat stuff has been done.
The fans are creating a refreshing breeze in here. :D

Yikes I am sorry to hear about the gash, Anony. I hope it heals up soon. Sounds like the lady neighbor is being defensive about her cat (I know I tend to shout, "my cat is an angel," whenever anyone questions me about her) and thinks the food is bringing him over. He may snack while he's there, but that's not the reason for his visit!!

Oh I don't read my posts. Whole man!! Anyone remember my awesome discussion of shit-ins? Meant to say shut ins, then it became an expression, where Diane's dishes would have a sh&t-in in her sink.

My designer friend is excited for the pillows and bolsters. I am getting this done.

~iced coffee clinks!~
Tatoulia, i was kinda confused about the 'whole man' ha ha but, i thought of your awesome bf, cuz he seems so secure in himself, compared to the bfs ive had, that was what went through my mind! :D
How fun to have the nice finishing touches being done! That is so exciting! You have done so much! Way to go! :D
Tillie, the lint in my laundry has never fallen off, it is completely immeshed(sp?)into the fabric. Ive never talked to anyone that has had this happen? I don't understand it?
I dont feel responsible for the neighbor cat coming over here & spoiling his appetite, or enthusiasm for mice at home, but she asked me not to feed him & i told her i dont, that the cat food is on the porch. She seemed a little annoyed, whereas he was seeming more helpful. He is the only good cop in my area & im so grateful hes my closest neighbor & its ironic his cat beats up my cats.
This heat is aweful. My A/C is limping along. I cant go swimming cuz i slipped in the mud watering & gashed my arm falling on the water spigot.
The spider webs are all through the house & i walk into them all day long. Im trying to stay grateful for this structure not collapsing & i am!
The skunk-rats showed up again & one under the bathroom sink, so im gonna set the rat traps under there....im not looking forward to it at all....

Ok, my vinyl floor cloth for the living room has been shipped! Now the floor cannot wait for sweeping, vacuuming and mopping with Murphy oil soap!!

I took the bags up to the car. BF had a friend who'd stopped by and he eating lunch. I am grateful to have the bags out of the house. I have to consistently move forward with reducing things.

I'm glad my big bag of fabric is now with the seamstress. She is also going to hang my Roman shade for me.

It's oppressive outside (not as bad as at Tillie's but honestly, the concrete really holds onto the heat here). The clouds were spitting while I was out. I'm not sure what time our giant rains are expected.

I'm running a load of dark things. I will hang them to dry in the bathroom.

Oh I'm so sorry about the shooting death. I am sure that has rattled the community.

I need to pledge to move forward here. I'm heading up to the car. I'll stop by BFs work for a visit.

Good Morning Everybody :D
Iced tea "Clink!"

hi Tatoulia :)
LOL I can usually figure out what you meant before autocorrect "fixed it" but that one was confusing.
LOL ;D
Yea! that the person came by and soon you will have your bolsters and pillows.
Best of all is that Miss Kitty will have a special quilt! (((hug)))
WAY TO GO! for a successful 1st. committee meeting!
Hope the terrible storms predicted don't impact you. (((HUGS)))
Funny isn't it, that it takes time to adjust to the reality of your bedroom being at zero %, done, clean and no clutter. ;D

My ceiling fan and small fan have really helped when the humidity makes the evaporative cooler almost useless.
Watering the trees right now with the hose flowing slowly since the little rain didn't water deep rooted things.
Think the thin smoke in the air is from the Yosemite fire.
In the small town I live by there was a shooting/death that has the whole community/county very saddened.
Today my plans are to try and do the usual daily tasks.
Yesterday it just seemed so hard to think straight being so miserable and exhausted from the high humidity.
1st. water trees, 2nd. wash dishes.
Maybe a load of laundry?
As always, cat related chores.
Need to wash my hair but think I'll do that this evening after it starts to cool down. ;)

Iced tea clinks!

Oh so much to do here. I need to remind myself that bedroom is clean, clear with no clutter. None. Very sticky here too, Tillie. My portable ACs and ceiling fans are doing their jobs! Be sure to do the usuals and drink lots of water and be good to yourself.

I have haircut tonight. I just need to sweep my house. I also should take my consignment and donation bags to the car today. I'm a bit jumbled around. The seamstress arrived at 7:30 and I had just woken up. She was early, but that's fine. I poured her an iced tea as she measured, etc. she's also making a cat quilt for the kitty.

I had my first meetings my last night where I was co-chair of a committee I'm on. It went really well.

I feel a bit jumbled but I'll pull it together.

SNORT! Whole man=Seamstress. (Probably woman in the original) Thanks, autocorrect! She came this AM to measure for my bolsters and pillows.
Snort.

Hello Everybody :)

Been HOT and muggy humid and icky today.
All day felt like I was trying to run under water.
But, just had a little rain along with the lightning and thunder this evening.
One lightning bolt was directly over us and scared Scooter when the thunder arrived. ;P

Hi Subclinical :)
Hope you got the weather today that you wanted.

Hi Anonymoniker :)
So very happy your Kitty showed up (((HUG)))
A well fed cat will catch more mice than a cat who relies on mice as their only food source.
Once they have caught enough to satisfy their hunger they stop hunting.
My big kitty "Baby" loved Friskies and only Friskies.
He was the best mouser around, 17 mice in one night because he hunted only for the sport of it.
Yes, I get fuzz on my laundry but when it dries it falls of rather easily.
I just give it a shake when I take it off the clothes line.
Except on some cat stuff, that's when I wish I could tumble it just to get the fuzz off.


Hi Tatoulia :)
Yes, the salad would be very good with the peppers in it.
It would give the same refreshing crunch as celery.
Peas would be nice too. I love mixing peas into my rice dishes.
You need to start cooking so we can figure out how to organize the kitchen according to your needs.
If you don't mind me asking...
what do you mean
" I have a whole man coming here at 8AM"
LOL ;D

Supposed to be even hotter here the next several days.
Evaporative coolers don't work worth a darn when there is high humidity in the air.

Glad kitty is back, Anony. I wouldn't worry whether they keep the cat for mice. The cat will catch mice irrespective of food. Thrill of the hunt.

I am just back from a meetings by. I have a whole man coming here at 8AM to do so me measuring for pillows. I won't have time to clean the floor unless I do it tonight. And that seems remote.

My goal for tomorrow is not to apologize about my house. I'm allowed to say once, it is a work in progress.

I need bolsters and a few throw pillows made.

Tillie my mother loves macaroni salad with shrimp. I should make her some this weekend. She can't have celery but I think I I could mix in a fresh red or yellow pepper. Or I could do peas. I need to make this a goal this weekend. I miss cooking.

~Ice water clinks!~
Im very pleased that my missing kitty just showed up! I am soooo so relieved! Ive been so upset all day & i am so grateful she is ok! :D
~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

~Ice coffee clinks!~
Tillie & Tatoulia, i think youre right about the dryer wearing out clothes faster. I hang most stuff, but i noticed when i didnt have a dryer for many years, that the lint accumulated on clothes & only the dryer would take it out, so often now ill put things in with no heat to remove the lint...at least i did. I will again after i make sure theres no nests inside of it.
We are having a heat wave. I always worry about animals in extreme temperatures. This morning one of my cats didnt show up for breakfast & im really worried.
The lady next door made a comment about me saying it was understandable their cat would come over since i have gourmet cat food, catnip, other cats, etc. She said, 'i know you have gourmet cat food!' That has been bugging me & i think him saying the cat was for mice is why. My good cat food maybe makes him not hunt their mice?!
I am literally the only person i k ow ghat does not have problems with neighbors. Thats one reason i dont want this to be a problem with them.
As far as cleaning or trash runs, its too hot to do anything. Even with both A/Cs on high, it was 90 in here yesterday. I might go to the pool. My stomach is in knots over my missing kitty....♡
Hi, SubC! :D
Hi, CM! :D
Hi, Porter! :D
Hi, Joan! :D

Lots of rescue veggies! Made one of dh favorite soups last night.

Frank from the foodbank died on Friday. I found out yesterday - I hadn't been back for two weeks, and I hadn't seen him for a couple of weeks before that. He was a good man.

Tatoulia i'm Glad you have a nice, clean bedroom to enjoy.

And Anony, I am glad the cat conversation went well. Here's hoping it works.

It did rain yesterday - a lot of the afternoon. I didn't do much because it was raining and I was sad.

The weather is supposed to be really good today, so maybe I will be too.

P.S.
Macaroni salad is very good if you add some of those tiny little canned shrimp too.

Hi Tatoulia :)

Two whole weeks of keeping up with the bedroom maintenance is fantastic! :D

I do that too with fabric softener.
Never on my clothes & linens but always on the cat's things.
Even the liquid in the rinse really helps with the fur and helps prevent static because cats really hate those little sparkly shocks.

Just yesterday I completely emptied, scrubbed & sanitized all the litter boxes.
WOOHOO! that you did that today! :D

Went ahead and made my potato salad because I REALLY wanted to have some today.
My Back was/is aching but I pushed through.
Have not washed up the dishes yet, maybe I will do that tomorrow.
They are all rinsed thoroughly and stacked neatly by the sink.

Potato salad and macaroni salad are almost the same except one has potatoes and one has macaroni.

Cooked potatoes or macaroni.
Celery & scallions sliced up sort of thinly.
Sweet or dill pickles or olives black or green cut up to a good size to fit on the fork with the rest of the ingredients.
Mayonnaise or "Miracle Whip" dressing.
Today I used a little bit of yellow mustard in my salad too.
Some people also like to add pimentos or capers to the salads.
Salt & pepper to taste...

As many people in the world who make the stuff there are just as many salads with different twists. ;D

It's basically what you like and what you have on hand.
That's what makes it fun. :)

The clouds have rolled in again, it's cooling down nicely.
Been lovely weather for sleeping at night. :)


YEA!!! WAY TO GO!!!
for cleaning the bathroom! :D
How wonderful having over night company.
Hope it happens. (((hug)))

I cleaned the sink, vanity and toilet.

We might be having a visitor Thursday night! BF's 19 year old Mackeral Tabby might stay with us! We are pretty excited. I love that cat. He's never stayed with us before. My cat will be good about it.

Wow, Tillie! That's a lot of work!! Oh for some homemade potato salad! You once gave me your grandmother's recipe and I'm not sure where I put it. Any chance you'd tell me again?

I have to agree that the dryer is so hard on clothes. I only use low setting and I take out before completely dry. I tend to hang (in my bathroom) my pillow cases. I never use fabric softener, with the sole exception being for kitty's things. I need the dryer sheets to help with the fur.

I've cleaned her box and taken the trash out. I've showered and washed my hair and I'm making dinner. AC is blasting and I'm listening to some tunes. I'll hopefully do some more maintenance once I've eaten. It's goid to have bedroom dusted and vacuumed. Once a week and it looks great. Of course this is week two so let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Good Afternoon Everyone :)

Hi Subclinical :)
YEA!!! a whole shelf free now!
Wishing your dd everything wonderful in this new phase of her life. (((hug)))
Hope you get your dry days.

Hi Anonymoniker :)
No snake. It was hiding under the doll crib cat bed in the dining room last Summer and Scooter told me about it so I made Steven put the snake back outside.
When the cats are outside with me I leave the screen door propped open so they can come & go on their own & that's how the snake came in.
I have found that things dried in a clothes dryer wear out faster than line drying even in the Winter.
Hot & tumbling around, like how river stones get all smooth in the ever running stream.
Good luck with that dump run, should you decide to do that.
Just don't get over heated and drink lots of water. (((hugs)))

Hi Tatoulia :)
WAY TO GO! for peaceful easy weekends (((HUGS)))

Was going to make potato salad today since I bought fixins yesterday.
But with all that beautiful blessing of rain last night I knew today I could light the burn barrel.
Had a lot of stuff to burn since it had been so long with wildfire danger.
Then I got a "bee in my bonnet" about the back porch.
The porch was covered in dust, debris, cobwebs, etc.
Steven has his hoard all surrounding it and even some stuff heaped on it.
Been asking him since last Spring to move all that crap so I can wash the porch.
Well, I moved all his junk off there except the two mini fridges.
I washed/hosed the door mats, swept the porch floor/walls/ceiling and then fixed a bucket of hot soapy water.
Using a brush I washed the walls & screen door and then used the broom to scrub the floor.
Then I used the hose to hose it ALL down.
It is so very nice now. :D
Yes, Steven's stuff did get sorta/kinda wet but it gets wet anyways out there. ;P
Temps didn't even get up to 80 until 1:00pm so it was real nice outside.
Maybe when I rest up I will feel up to making my potato salad. Decided this time I will use sweet pickles. ;)
I asked Scooter to sniff the porch and he said there was nothing to sniff about it.

Thanks Anony for the reinforcement on the sibling situation! I've reached a new level with it. Last week I had breakfast with a friend and he was horrified to learn what I've been living under. And it's prompted me to examine it a bit and I see that it's been decades of abuse that I've happily ignored and compartmentalized in the name of his mental illness. So I'm viewing it a little differently now. I see that my desperate wish that he weren't sick has given him free reign over my life, my time and my money. So I'm staying strong and thank goodness it's been easy so far.

I just dusted and vacuumed bedroom. All laundry in house is done and put away. I got some done on Saturday and finished the rest today including kitty stuff. She's shedding up a storm and the brush is no match.

Good for you Anony for speaking to the cat family.

I need to clean cat box and get trash ready for tonight.

~♡~Good morning & coffee clinks!~♡~
SubC, i laughed so hard at 'rescue produce' ha ha. :D
Tillie, you have a snake in the livingroom?!? Im glad you got some of that enzyme spray! I dont hang laundry out in the winter freezes any more cuz its so hard on the fabric & seems to wear the clothes out faster?
Tatoulia, i am so proud of you staying on track with the sibling! That is a wonderful accomplishment & im so glad you are appreciating an abuse-free life now!
I went yesterday to talk to my neighbors with the bully cat & it went well! He seemed more cooperative than she did, but thats ok. They have like 10 kids, who all listened intently to the crazy cat lady from the woods next door talk about 'fixing' their cat....i can imagine the questions when i left...ha ha
Today i may take my trash to the dump. Id rather collect yard junk, but the trash needs to go & im on my own to load it this time & it will be super gross in this heat! Itll be nice to do it myself, tho....kinda...ha ha

Forgive my absence! Everyone is doing so well. I e been doing maintenance only which is a shame because I want to continue with the drawer/shelf challenge and I still haven't fully prepared my floors for my new floor cloth. Ugh.

We are going to have very humid and soupy weather this week. Glad you got rain, Tillie. SubC congratulations on your ribbons! It makes perfect sense to give the ribbons back! I hope daughter's move goes well and that's fantastic that she took her brother's stuff out of the house!

Glad you got rain, Tillie! Scooter is doing a good job of monitoring the household.

Anony and CM good morning!

Let's see if I can't get myself back on track here. I've had a good, peaceful weekend. It having sibling in my life has made a profound difference.

Tillie, I am glad you hit rain!

We are supposed to NOT get rain today, for the first time since Tuesday (drying things outside is often challenging for me - but my cantaloupe is looking good!)

Scooter is a good help.

Today is my dd's last day at her old job. Tomorrow she is moving some belongings up to her new temporary home (she is renting a room from a friend of a family friend until she finds a roommate close to her age) then Thursday she is heading off to visit her brother. AND she is taking him a carload of his childhood belongings! I will get to reclaim a whole shelf in my studio.

She will go straight from her brother's house to her new digs and I don't know when she will be back. (I will still be storing a lot of her stuff, because for now she is only taking personal items, not household items.)

Hello :)

Hi Subclinical :)
Good luck getting some rescue produce so you won't need to go to the store! ;D

Hi Anonymoniker :)
True, female cats AND female dogs are pig headed and bossy and obstinate and will pee just to tick you off. ;P
You can dry clothes outside year round, just not when it is actively raining or snowing.
Wintertime here the stuff will freeze but eventually will get dry, "freeze dried".

Was going to take a very needed shower this evening but a huge lightning/thunder storm blew in so I had to wait until it moved on before I could shower.
WE GOT RAIN!!! ;D
So lovely, refreshing and welcome.

Asked Scooter if he smelled any cat pee around the door.
He said that the door & floor were alright but the insulation strip on the side of the doorway was "sniffy".
So I sprayed some enzyme spray on it, let it dry and then asked Scooter again and he said that nothing was "sniffy" any more.

Scooter is a tattle tail, tells me about the snake in the diningroom and about big spiders and when something is scratching around in Steven's dresser and if something is "sniffy" and when there is an animal in the yard and when one of the other cats is doing something.

Yes, I explained why, AND I told them that I had come in and taken pictures of all the items with the ribbons on them. I wanted to sure they knew that I appreciated winning and the time they took to adorn my items with ribbons.

Tillie, I am glad you have produce!

I think I can make dinner tomorrow, and maybe Tuesday, but I will have to go to the store Wednesday unless I bring home a lot of "rescue produce" (leftover stuff that won't make it until Thursday) from the food bank.

~Beer clinks!~
SubC, while you might seem 'weird' or going overboard to some about waste & recycling ideas, you are introducing many good ideas about reducing waste, even if some may not realize that now. When you gave the ribbons back(i love that!), did you explain why?
I finally can do a load of laundry, now that its dry enough for my outside washing machine. Ive been really needing to for a while & it makes me feel so grateful for water & a machine! I still havent taken the dryer apart to check for rat nests(grrr!), but i can hang stuff up till wintertime, so im very happy!
Tillie, i too try to stretch my food to avoid going out to restock. This new food bank has made me get more creative, too!
A vet told me she has noticed fixed female cats are the biggest sprayers...well, i laughed under my breath until i saw that myself!
....right now im procrastinating going over to my neighbors to discuss their bully cat....at least im not procrastinating stuff with my place, right? ha ha ha
~♡~I love you all & so very grateful for this forum & each of you!~♡~

Good Afternoon
About 2:30pm now ;)

Hi Subclinical :)
YEA! WTG! for winning fair ribbons! :D
Great! you got 45 cents picking up fair leftovers.
I too used to go down to the beach when I lived on an island after all the people had gone back home.
It was like I was reclaiming it for myself.
You have been doing fantastic listing non-consumables here and your reasoning for them has been sound. (((hug)))

Well, I did it.
Put on my big girl panties and going to town dress and went to the grocery store.
I knew I would never feel up to going so I just did it.
Have lots of lovely produce now! ;D
Also wanted to get some of that enzyme spray Anonymoniker talked about.
Pooh kitty was mad last night about something and sprayed the back door again.
I knew I should not have talked about her doing that. Knock on wood ;P
That was one of the morning chores I had to do today. >:(
She is the only girl cat here and she is so bossy and pig headed and obstinate and #@*&%$.
When I inform her that I plan to wring her neck she just innocently looks up at me with her big blue eyes and says "no you won't".
Anyways...
Happy I have food and won't need to leave home for at least a week.

Hi all!

This support group is really important to me.

I come here every day, even if I only read, and I try to post every single thing I bring home that is not consumable (like, I don't Piet "carrots" or even "ginger plant"

It helps keep me honest and focused.

I picked up my fair entries. I have not unloaded the car yet. I think I missed pulling off some of the tiny ribbons, but I turned in all of the full sized ones. I had things in lots of sections and some of the fair people appreciated having the ribbons back and I think some of them thought I was weird.

After I got my stuff. I went for a walk around the empty fairgrounds. I like to do that every year. There is just something about it. I think it's because I grew up with grandparents in a resort community and I used to go visit after the tourist season and wander the beaches and boardwalk when everything was quiet and mostly closed.

I ended up picking up an empty cardboard box and filling it with recyclable plastic bottles that had been left lying around. Also a couple of plastic spoons, three pens, a Mardi Gras style necklace, a plastic comb, a leather bracelet (nowhere to turn it in), one costume earring, and 45 cents.

Tatoulia, you have been busy! How did the shopping go?

CM, I hope the kitty situation resolved quickly and you can get back to progress.

Anony, yay dump! (I can like the idea of you cleaning out and taking things to the dump as long as I don't try to visualize what is going in the truck. :) )Yay paint!

Tillie, glad you can avoid the going out. I have gone out every day this week, and it has been so much! Going again tomorrow - food bank and probably pottery class studio.

Today I have been mostly quiet with laundry and dishes.

Good Morning Everybody
Still morning here ;D

Hi Anonymoniker :)
YES! please make the time to paint!
A little splash of fresh paint anywhere always lightens my mood.

Every one posting here is so important to me, keeps me sane and moving forward. (((((HUGS)))))

YEA! for a dump run in the new vehicle!
Every little bit less laying around opens up more space to enjoy.
Good luck with negotiations about the bully cat.

Did a whole bunch of things already this morning.
Really didn't want to do any of them but could not live with them in the state they were in.
Mostly outdoor like hosing off the door mats and reclaiming the front porch for humanity.
Need food. Don't want to go to the store.
Maybe by tomorrow I will be up to going.
Have some wild rice and corn kernels all cooked and in the fridge so I won't starve today.
Cats still have plenty of provisions.

So, what are you all up to today? ;)

~Coffee clinks!~
....about cat spray, those enzyme sprays are really good for areas that cant just be washed, since it eats the cat spray & then just dries without needing to be rinsed, etc.
Tillie, ive been wondering how my progress would be without this website with all of yall...i dont think itd be as good! I go around & around on feeling i need outside help...this site is not complicated like outside help would be, that is for sure! (((HUGS TO ALL!!!))
The bully neighbor cat showed up again. Im gonna try to go talk to its humans about it...
The rains have let up some, so im anxious to get some loads to the dump in my new truck! Im also looking forward to painting the panels this week. I may paint some color on something outside soon, too....that always lifts my spirits!
~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~