Good Evening Everybody

Hi Debbie
You really shouldn't be trying to move things like box springs all by yourself anyways.
Glad you will have others there to move the big stuff out.

YEA! for the Roku!
Shouldn't be a problem at all when you move.
It uses your email account and internet service.
It is very "user" friendly.

WAY TO GO! with your continuing to get all set for the move!

Hi Subclinical
That was a very long work day today.
Hope you have been resting up all evening.

Hi CriticalMass
Hope your Dr. appointment isn't too far into the future.
Good luck that all your problems will be easily cured. :)

Hi Tatoulia
WOW! you did a LOT today, WTG!


I guess he's not so comfortable with the way things are here any more.
After all these weeks, today he mowed the grass and he did a proper job of it this time too, not at all like he had been doing it.
Leaving stretches unmowed, leaving huge piles of clippings all over, smothering the grass.

He may like his clutter laying all around but my clutter and rearranging a few things to make it even more difficult to walk about seems to be slightly uncomfortable.

Plus he doesn't like me to toss my things.
And I am making sure they are totally trashed so he can not pull them out of the trash and add them to his hoard like he always does/did.

My plan is to continue...

Debbie you are doing great and you sound upbeat! Keep up the good work! I am standing by your side, cheering you on!

CM I am glad you are going to see a dr. As you know, I'm a big proponent and a big consumer of medical care. I know I am fortunate to have the belief in the system, access to it, etc.

Hey SubC glad the school year has started out well! Hello Tillie. Sending you love.

I washed and packed up sheets for donations today. My cleaners were here and they broke my soap dish. One item gone!!! I shredded papers and I took mom's dishes over to her. I took my recycling out and I put my tea bags in a giant zip lock. I went through some papers and I went through my summer clothes. I count these actions as four things out, so that I'm keeping with my promise for the month.

I'll be working from home tomorrow in order to help BF with a maintenance issue at his house. Now, I'm going to do a little more work for tonight. I want to feel satisfied with my day.

Gosh, sorry I haven't posted. Shopping for a couch and cleaning my house and burning and shredding papers. Plus yard work and babysitting. Today I cleaned a filthy lawn chair and cushion to use as a couch till my new one comes. It takes 6 weeks, maybe less. I got my twin beds down from the attic. But I can't get the box springs down. They won't fit down the stairs? I know they fit up there! Took down the hand rail and still no luck. I think I just need a second person to tip it the right way. So will wait till moving day. My Dad is going to take the window A/C that is up there (I will deliver). Then it is empty!!!! I am not taking much furniture and found Restore will make a pickup of furniture so I can relax about the leftover stuff. Couch, chair, desk, buffet, lots of bookcases, etc. So will mostly just be cleaning and re boxing some stuff if I find better boxes. I haven't been keeping up with reading so will have to do that today! Oh I bought a ROKU and installed it. Boy did I feel stupid! I thought you used the HDMI OR the other USB thing. Couldn't get it turned on so reread the directions and realized you needed both! It works fine. I was way overtired when doing it. Should do that kinda thing early in day! I haven't had time to look around in it yet. And just realized I will have to re set it up when I move. Rats! Well it should be easier the 2nd time. Almost done eating all my available food. I bought soda and water on Labor Day sale for my moving helpers. Will plan on pizza or beef sandwiches or something for food. I am over-planning! Can't wait to be in the place so I can UNPACK! Hope to read posts while watching the boys. Take care! I hope no one is in the hurricane's path! My friend and stepdaughter are in Florida but checked and both are safe. We had storms even in IL but just lots of tree branches which I picked up and burned today. The tornado siren went off but it was just a test I guess. So am grateful to be safe and praying for the Bahamas. Those poor people!

This really will be short. I may be in & out. My stress over time, not having a place, my clutter, trying to juggle unexpecteds, all of it, is getting to me.

Yesterday I had my 3rd migraine in a month after months of having hardly any. I'm also wondering about my recent intermittent back and hip pain whether I have a compressed disk or whatev. So I made a doctor appointment.

If it's nothing, wonderful. If there are things I can do to help it, even better. The chances of it being anything big and scary seem slim, but I will be glad to rule out that. I have to fight my ingrained voice that tells me a) I'm being a silly hypochondriac, and b) I'd be better off not opening a can of worms.

So anyway, since the migraines get triggered visually, I'm rationing my screen time a bit.

Tillie, my stress pales in comparison to yours, so be assured I am sending you my strongest love and prayers... it may be time to cug your losses bug only you can make that call [{{{ HUGE BEAR HUGS }}}/b]

I'll get caught up on posts as I'm able. Tatoulia, Subclinical, Debbie, Tess, Joan, Anonymoniker, and any other friends who may drop by, hugs to you as well.

Tillie. It's time. There's a piece of masking tape on you that says Nate.

Oh Tillie,

I'm sorry. You've been coping so well for so long we just think you will be ok. We don't want you destroying your things! And adding to the mess doesn't help.

Is there truly no help at all? Do you have access to money? Is it time to pack up and move to Nate's?

The camels and zebras were in a big truck that had broken down by the highway. The sides were folded back to fencing so they didn't overheat. I think they were going somewhere from the zoo that is down that highway to the south. But who knows. Maybe they were just there to remind me that life is full of wondrous and amazing things.

Long day today - 5 classes. 9:30-4:30.

Hi Tatoulia
I would have considered it a wonderful thing to find that bag of random bits & bobbles.



According to Dr. Google I have gone over the deep edge of the abbess into now being certifiably "batshit" crazy.

I can't take it any more, I just can't.
He says he likes things this way, that it's comfortable.
That it now refuses to do anything around here, won't even mow the grass any longer.

I searched for any local help and came up empty.
I ran around outside pushing over and knocking down heaped crap.
I upended spoiled cans of paint.
I took my hammer and completely destroyed my toys and left them lay in the hoarded up driveway where he would have to walk around them.
Generally tossed random things out the back door.

I had to do something...

YEA!!! Subclinical
for such a fantastic 1st day of school!!! :D

WAY TO GO! for the fast mile!
Very impressive.

Camels & zebras???
Is the circus in town??? A traveling carnival???

"By the pricking of my thumbs
something wicked this way comes."

Tillie! The beaded curtain sounds beautiful! And I bet it will be soothing and satisfying to make!

I recently had some nice beads from different broken necklaces and I put them altogether in a ziplock before donating. Beautiful polished pink quartz, another necklace was murano glass beads, etc. just random bits and baubles and I kept thinking, someone will enjoy this little treasure bag.

I'm excited about the project!!!

Camels and zebras?? Could you send me a zebra? I love them so much! SubC congratulations on a terrific first day at school!!!!

Tillie the news on the job is that the one I wanted is too basic for me and she also said that they have someone in mind for it. My friend then had to leave for a standing weekly meeting and she called me when she got back and she said, position is filled. But she encouraged me to apply for a different job there and so I will. I'd been eyeing the other job and she said that I really would be terrific at it. So apply I will. I need to write my cover letter with a different bent and also change up the resume a bit. I focus on different skill sets. This would be a great finish to the last ten years of my career. So time will tell.

Tillie, mom reports she's seeing the cat more. I hope she is. Her eyesight is so poor but hey, if she thinks she is, then she is! Cat actually doesn't seem stressed, if that makes any sense. She seems tired but she seems like she's adjusting. She doesn't struggle when I pick her up and she's peaceful on me when I can get her. She just seems like she's adjusting.

Mom just gave me a pass from bringing her the dishes tonight. I am so grateful. I am too tired and a tad overwrought.

So, three things need to find their way out of my life tonight. Who is next? If I could even shred a bit tonight that would be a big help.

Not much time,

But a good day!

Taught, great kids, good classes, my boss stopped by and just hung out in my room for a while and said nice things later. My non-talker talked, my teenagers cleaned up after themselves, and my 27 y.o. Finished her mike only 4 laps ahead of me.

On my way home there were camels and zebras.

I forgot an in thing - my ❤️Dd gave me a cute shoulder bag yesterday.

Reading and thinking of everyone!

Good Morning Everybody

Very quiet here.
No shotgun blasts or bird calls/songs.
No people noises or jet planes.
No wind rustling leaves.
The cats are all being very quiet.
No sound of the far away freight train whistle.

No real plans for today.
Will do cat tasks.
Already refilled their cereal bowls.

Have absolutely no hope that he will do anything today or ever.

During the little storm
Jack was sitting on the front porch mat washing his left hind leg.
There is no overhead coverage on the front porch so he was sitting in the sprinkles.

WTG! for all the tasks you got done and for all the running around doing Mom errands!

WOOHOO! for two things for the challenge!

Keep up the good job with your eating and walking.
Seems that helps you with physical and mental wellbeing & happiness.

I'm glad you are chipping away at the closet.
Not feeling overwhelmed and yet able to see progress.

So you won't worry too much about kitty you could take her to the Vet and get her some kitty downers, Diazepam or Prozac or something if you think she's overly stressed.
But give her a little more time and hold her every chance you get first.



One of my projects is a beaded curtain.
Semi precious gemstones that I pick up here & there at the thrift shops.
Takes a long time to gather them and it's a grab bag as to what kinds I find.
At first the strands are not very long but as I find other beads that look good together, the strands get longer.
Then sometimes I can combine two strands together in a pleasing way to make a strand the perfect length.
Now I have enough beads that look so pretty together to make a strand and I also found some very cute stone bead fetishes of foxes, bears, birds and a cat that I am adding.

Tillie there is so much to be said for apprenticeships. I wish we could bring them back.

But instead our jobs are going to robots.

So mom called to find out where I put the graham crackers. I hadn't bought any for her. So when I took my garbage out I got her a small package of Vienna finger cookies and a small package of sugar wafers. She'd seen the kitty but not touched. Kitty was behind the piano.

I cleared out some more stuff at mom's and took her trash out again. I also picked up her dishes and I'm running my dishwasher now. I took the tray and dishes that belonged to the kitchen at her place back downstairs.

I came back here and dealt with just enough things to constitute two things for my minimum challenge. I'm looking forward to doing more tmr. .

I did get a bit more walk in and BF did part with me. We are having some rain tonight but nothing right now.

I was in very good control of my eating today. I'm back on track doing my relaxation tapes and that frees my mind to not eat. I have not been happy with my food intake lately but I'm happy today.

Closet not done but I'm good with the progress. My cleaners come on Wednesday.

Hope jack isn't afraid of the weather, Tillie.

Hello Peoples :)

Hi Subclinical
Hope you are all set and throttling down to get a good night's sleep.

YEA! for borrowed books returned & out!

Have a most wonderful 1st day! (((HUG)))

Nathan used to always go to Burning Man.
Went for quite a few years but now he lives in Washington so hasn't gone past two years.
Ask your DH's BF if he knows the guy who wears a wrap around skirt.
Nate always counted on me to provide him with a skirt. LOL
It was my idea he should go in the first place because he always asked me "what was it really like back during the Hippie Revolution days."
Burning man answered all his questions.
You had to be there.


Hi Tatoulia
Little kitty has been through a lot. We don't even know what.
In time she will trust.
Just keep making a point of holding and petting her whenever you can.
She may not have been handled as a kitten and it takes time to get accustomed to it.

Good that you want to talk to your friend about this job.


At 16 I also got my 1st real job as a dental assistant.
Before that it was mostly baby sitting and pet sitting.
One of my Friend's dad was a dentist and he taught me.

Big dark clouds blew in this evening.
They brought lightning, thunder and a little sprinkle of rain!
Just enough to mess up the windows.

Tillie I'm looking forward to hearing about your projects!!!

I'm back from feeding neighbor's cats and I did a wash while I was there, since his apt is on the laundry level. My things are now in the dryer.

I have to gather my trash and take out.

I just need to give the cat more room. Mom's cat. I'm so worried that she's not getting the companionship she wanted but she assured me she's fine with the new one and that she loves her. I need to let this go and I need to stop obsessing.

Thinking of you and your new school year, SubC!!!

Tillie, my mother also graduated from high school at 16. High school was very rough on me and I'm surprised I made it through. College & grad school I did very very well, I think in large part since I went at night and worked during the day.

Ok I have to get my garbage out. While out with BF we stopped for a sandwich and he bought me one for lunch tmr, so I'm pretty pumped.

Will write more in a bit. I do think my letter is good but I'll let it percolate til tmr. I want to ask someone questions about the job and see what she says. We generally try to figure out salaries together.

Tatoulia,

I would think working from home would be hard to give up.

Tillie,

My husband's bast friend was at burning man. He goes every year.

I had a good visit with ❤️Dd. I also returned a bunch of books she loaned me, so, something out.

Now I need to load my car, do my chores, set up the coffee, and put myself to bed.

Hi Tatoulia

At least you will be petting those two neighbor cats today.

WTG! for finding things to remove from your Mom's home. ;)

Good luck with the closet.
I'm sure the letter is everything it should be. :D

A perfectly balanced relationship.
Each giving and getting as needed.


Vacuumed the tiny cubby hole closet floor in my tiny room.
Then ran the vacuum around everywhere getting up miscellaneous bits of "?"

Did all cat related tasks including giving them canned food when they asked for it.

Did a tidy up in the bathroom and kitchen.

Did some thinking & planning on some enjoyable projects I want to do.
Assessed the components/supplies needed and located them.


He has done NOTHING.

Kitty was hiding when I went to mom's. We watched a tv show but no kitty. I could see where she was but I don't want to ruin all of her hiding places. I need to let her be peaceful.

I took a bag of clothes out of mom's house and I cleaned the cat litter. I also found a few things under her sink that I could surreptitiously dump.

I have my neighbor's cats to feed tonight and they haven't eaten today and where am I? Running errands with BF. I have to do this. He does so much for me. But I just want to go home and work on my closet and read my letter one more time before sending it off.

I will catch up soon.

Good Morning Everybody
"Clink!"

Hi Subclinical
Have a fabulous first day of school tomorrow.
So exciting about the classroom and your new schedule!!!

Make sure to stick rigidly to your bedtime schedule even though you may not feel like going to bed.

Happy you did some pottery on your "free" day.


I had asked Jack "what happened?" but he didn't want to talk about it.

Hi Tatoulia
WAY TO GO!!!
Great work on the closet!

I loved Summer school.
So fun and I learned more than in regular school.
Had enough credits to graduate by 16.

Oh, OK, check out the other job and see if it's right for you.
Remember working from home is a big perk.

Have a pleasant day and grab that cat and pet her.


It would be a peaceful quiet morning here except for the periodic shotgun blasts.
Hunting season...

Laundry takes longer to dry over night now especially if I have just recently watered the grass under the clothes line.
So I just leave it hang till 10:00am.

Burning man festival has ended and all the people have finished traveling through this area headed back to where ever they all came from.
The people are nice & friendly but it makes me uncomfortable with so many people in the town.
Will go shopping and get drinking water later this week, maybe.

Yes the reverse is a much better way. I can tell you I did get rid of 30 items yesterday. There is no doubt about that. Books, dvds, an odd towel or two, notebooks, etc. and I shredded a bunch. So today I do 29 things.

I'm excited for your school day too, SubC. How I loved September and getting excited about school. I also loved summer school. In college and grad school I always Tom summer classes. Quick way to earn a few credits.

You are so good to Jack and I can tell he enjoys your sense of humor, Tillie!

I have some personal "paperwork" (actually computer work) to do today. There's a job that caught my eye that I'd like to apply for. I don't generally look to leave my company but this particular job would be nice for me. On the other hand, there's no ability to work from home. But I'll throw my hat into the ring and see what happens. So I want to write my cover letter and get that sent over to the place. I know a lot of people there as I have helped out on a volunteer basis when they have had day needs for a professional to help out. So I've done a day here, a day there. Not doing anything other than seeing if it would be a good fit and whether I'd be willing to leave my company. Not sure of either of these things.

So that's the plan, together with visiting mom and hopefully getting to pet the cat.

Tillie, you ar so smart about that challenge! I agree that backwards would be easier.

I wonder what jack was up to to get that big spider web.

Tatoulia, amazing job on the closet and that fitness challenge!

I'm glad you are happy because "double your junk back" frightened me too!

I thought at first that that would have been a great motivator for me when I got started - I would have been more willing to try to get rid of things if someone had promised me double my junk back if I didn't like the results. Except then I remembered that when I first started, I did not feel happy about having things gone, so that would have backfired.

I absolutely agree that you should take your get-away trip. I am trying to warm up to the dinner party.

My relaxing day turned into dd2 deciding to come visit yesterday (she is still here - asleep) but I took time to work on some pottery.

Still a little school prep and some things around the house to do this morning, then off to visit ❤️Dd and home to prep for tomorrow (pack my swim bag, load my car, choose my clothes, remember to set up the coffee maker...) and early to bed.

I meant to sleep later this morning, but I was dreaming about one of my classes when my body woke me up on schedule, and I decided to get up and do some more organizing of class stuff instead of going back to sleep. Too excited to sleep when school starts tomorrow!

Good Evening Everyone

Hi Tatoulia
Great start on that closet!

WTG! for doing that challenge!
Seems it would be easier to do in reverse.
Day one find 30 things, day 30 find one item. ;p
But remember that every little thing counts, doesn't have to be a big or major item.

YEA! for earning your $100 reward!

Did some watering this evening then took a shower & washed my hair.
Now I am doing laundry and will hang it out over night.

My little hole digger out in the lawn sure was busy last night.
Still have not seen whatever it is.?
Hope Jack gives me another big laugh tomorrow like he did this morning with his cobweb veil. ;D

Hello, bedtime here. I didn't do more on the closet. I ran errands with BF, did mom's grocery shopping, and then came home after 10:30. I have earned my full $100 for the quarter and I'm thrilled.

I inky saw mom's Kitty today. Once behind the piano, second time under the bed. Mom claims she sees her and she runs against her leg. I hope that's true. My mother is known for her exaggerations. And that's fine with me.

My kitty and I are heading to bed.

Labor Dey. Looking forward to getting up and working on my closet. I've decided to do that minimalism challenge, where day 1 you get rid of one obj, day 2, 2, and so on. I did my one object got the day and then some. Two big bags. Very happy about that. Ready for more.

So aggravating, Tillie. I'm so sorry.

I took two bags to my car with donations. I also took mom for Sunday Dinner at Longfellow's Wayside Inn. Mom got the lamb and I had the turkey. I posted the menu on Instagram.

Kitty was behind the piano when I went to mom's. Such a pretty little thing. I wish she'd let me hold her again. I haven't held her since yesterday but it feels like forever.

I am tired from my turkey dinner. But I have more walking to do.

I am almost at my $100 for the quarter with almost a full month to spare! I will get a physical Visa card as I didn't like the electronic one they sent me last time. Too difficult to use.

I'm doing a load of dark delicates. Soon I'll have to put away my purely summer clothes.

I will get back to the closet tonight. I can't believe I was able to get rid of things. I shredded papers til the shredder overheated. When getting rid of certain books, I had to ask myself, what are you trying to prove by keeping?

Good Afternoon Everyone

Hi Tatoulia
YEA!!!
WAY TO GO!!!
Great start on that closet!

Double the junk back is scary :O


Been doing a little of this & that, the usual daily kinda stuff.

He has done NOTHING.

Nothing is ever going to change here.

Working on closet. Finding books and dvds to let go of. Shredding papers. Have showered, getting mom out now.

Thank you for the support!!! I can do this and I'm guaranteed to be happier once it's finished!!! Guaranteed happiness! Or double my junk back.

Good Morning Everyone

Hi Subclinical
Wishing you a good day of rest today.
You have done a fantastic amount of prep work at home and at school.
Wishing you smooth sailing for this busy week ahead. :)

Hi Tatoulia
Please do not back out of this get away trip you have planned.
It will be so good for you.

Running your Mom's dishes through your dishwasher is a brilliant idea.


Need any help with that closet badger?
Here is some moral support...
YOU CAN DO IT!!! YEA!!! WAY TO GO!!!!
GO GET EM!!!



Jack showed up this morning for breakfast.
He had a HUGE sticky thick cobweb stuck tight all over his head, face and ears.
Cobweb had leaves & crap stuck all over it.
Jack looked so sad and defeated.
He was very relieved when I rescued him.

Oh Tillie! I am so sorry! That is true despair, being up in the dead of night with really awful thoughts. I'm so sorry.

SubC I'm excited about the booth and your sales. I would so love to see your work. I'm excited for you. Your family is so sweet. I bet that was a fun evening. You have a lot this week! I know when I have too many evenings scheduled that I start to feel like I can't breathe, so I try not to do that. One thing that has eased up my life and breathing room is ending that ridiculous obligation of spending each Saturday with my brother. I have time and space to breathe!

CM! You were sound asleep! My goodness! Grateful you didn't hit your head! Sounds like you had a fun time at the doll show! I go to a lot of lectures on various topics out of the pure enjoyment of the learning. I miss going to little fairs and lectures with my mom. I still do many of these things, but I miss doing with mom.

Mom's cat is working on it. She hides a lot but is eating and mom sees her occasionally. She's such a pretty little one. I washed mom's dishes and brought them back to her last night. I can't believe I hadn't thought of this earlier. And now we know they are really clean. I say that because an exhausted 90 year old with poor vision cannot get the same results as a brand new dishwasher. I then wrapped her dishes in a clean tea towel, and brought them back. It's going to be a good system for us.

I have a trip planned in mid September and already I'm trying to back out of it. I don't know why I do this. This has been my behavior patterns for decades. I've rented a car for it and I will have a wonderful, relaxing, much needed get-away. I have a jigsaw puzzle from the Museum of Fine Arts and two Sunday NY Times crossword puzzles so essentially I'm ready to go. I can have BF feed the cat on the Saturday and Sunday I'm gone and I'll feed her the Friday that I leave and of course the Monday I come back. I have the rental til Tuesday and I also took Tuesday off in case I decide to stay an extra day.

I'd be happiest if BF just decided to stay here those nights but I won't push him. I'll throw it out there and see if it sticks

There's a badger in my closet and I'll go address it.

I'm sorry Tillie.

The things in our heads are the hardest.

Today is a day for me to stay home, rest, and prep for my week, because starting tomorrow, I am away from home every day for 5 days. 6 if I go to the dinner party.

Here it is 3:30am and I have been awake for a while now.
I fall asleep just fine but after only a few hours I wake up and can't get my mind to stop.
Nothing but bad thoughts, so many bad thoughts.

Hi Subclinical
You're welcome sweetie (((HUG)))

Happy you had family company and a dirty dog too. ;)

GREAT! that you have enough to fill a booth.
Have fun making pumpkin bowls.
They should be big sellers.

Then after preparation for this sale is all over with you can start making Christmas themed items.
You'll do great.

WTG! with your new earlier to bed schedule routine.

CM, i'm glad you are ok.

the doll show sounds like fun. I used to love to go to doll shows with my grandmother.

Tillie, I too am angry about the roof. I think my answer to "what do you want me to say" would be "I want you to say the account numbers and passwords."

Tatoulia, good to hear there is kitty progress.

Hi Debbie. Thank you.

Thank you to all of you.

I have enough to fill the booth, but I will be doing a few particular fall pieces - like my pumpkin bowls. I am also doing some Christmas stuff, but that is more for the studio fair in November.

The last two Saturday markets are the end of September and the end of October.

Dsil texted dh this afternoon and invited himself and Dd over to cook us dinner, so that was fun. The dog, as usual, needed a bath, so I have a load of dog towels going in my washer.

I stayed up late tonight and need to get to bed!

Good Evening Everyone

Hi CriticalMass
Glad you got out and enjoyed that doll show. :D

WOW! you sprang up so fast your feet were still sleeping there!
No wonder you fell so soundly asleep, chickens & biscuits do that. ;)

Have a good little vacation having the place to yourself.
It's always nice to not have to worry or work around someone else's schedule.

Legal help would not help me with what I need help with.
I need a hoarding task force.
The financial stuff I could get but not the code words to access the online bill paying accounts.
But push come to shove, I can just open new online accounts and take over.
But it would be easier if he would just give me access and a list of just what bills he has besides the ones I know about like the utilities, insurance and credit card.
What I think it is that he has mismanaged everything and does not want me to find out how he has squandered money.
But I already know about most all his 500.00+ squandering for things he never used.

Saw roommate off this a.m. Just yesterday I had recalled I wanted to go to the Kansas Doll Show today. So I did.

This is different from the Wichita Doll Show which will be at the end of September. This one featured "reborn," highly realistic art dolls most of which look uncannily like real babies. I didn't know if I'd find that cute or creepy, but I was curious.

They were generally cute. Some fantasy creatures like fairy dolls and dragons too. It's a high-end thing so the only money I spent was for admission but I just enjoyed learning about the process. It ties in loosely with the small amount of doll sculpting I've done and hope to do again, and my desire to make little aliens.

Came back here intending to eat leftover chicken & biscuit then go to 5:30 Mass. Fell into a food coma sitting on the sofa, woke at 4:55, hurried to get up but my feet were still asleep. Pitched forward onto hands and knees, startling myself and the cats and jarring my bones. But got a bandaid on my knee and made it to church. I'm getting ready to have a snack and ibuprofen now. I may fade pretty early tonight.

SubC, I will pray for both those young men, for the soul of the deceased and the healing of the one remaining, for the young lady, the families, and all of you. I don't know if you recall but I think I've shared here that I lost a cousin to a possessive ex-boyfriend. It was when she had just graduated salutatorian of her class, in '67. I was only 5. Two young lives that didn't need to end. Such a waste. Such pain in the family.

Tatoulia, I wish you good progress with the coffee cups and kitty. I used to leave entire murky stinky sinkfuls of dishes for a terribly long time, and I am now converted to the "wash them as you use them" protocol. And it feels so good.

Tillie, I'll pray for your situation too. Sorry Steven is stonewalling - whether it's a huge blind spot or spitefulness or what, you have a right to your property and means of support. Is there any kind of legal aid available? If the situation isn't too complicated - which maybe it is. I've been there with the foreclosure and Mom's estate and people would say call legal aid but I had and they didn't do probate and such. Anyway, I just wish the tide would turn for you.

Well, I better go have my snack and medicine, and get started on kitty and bunny evening routines.

Hi Tatoulia
So true about taking a community to help raise educated healthy well adjusted children.
Fortunately for me, the entire Sheriffs department was on my side backing me up and the parents had to allow me this access to their boys.

(((((HUGS))))) to you and BF for stepping up.

Awe, once new kitty comes around she will be an extra loving little companion for Mom.
The hardest ones to win over are always the most loyal.
Wild weasel biting Scooter sleeps snuggled up with me at night and allows me to handle him to wash and medicate his eyes.
Mutual trust.

Taking your Mom to a clean orderly home is really the best motivation for her.
Many people get motivated after spending time in a clear & clean place.

Hope you got your groceries.
Slow & steady will get that closet conquered. ;)

Hi Debbie
(((HUG)))


Well, I tried talking to him once again.
Went how it always goes.
I speak then wait for him to speak and all he does is sit and stare at me then asks me
"what do you want me to say?"
I tell him to speak his mind, explain his reasons to me, if he has any.
Nothing.....................
Crickets chirping.


anyways, I have the kitchen sink all scoured and shiney and will wash the few dishes at 2pm.

Ps the moldy coffee mugs are never more than four days old because I'm taking the dishes with me. But I need to get this down to NO days old.

Tillie, I'm sure your nerves are shot; you've been handled a great deal of worry upon worry upon worry, and it some of it could be solved with passwords and financial information. This is absolute madness. You've learned to live with a lot and this is a small thing to take a heap off of your shoulders. And I'm pretty incensed that the roof has not been fixed.

I love the gun safety story. You know, it takes a community to raise a child. We work with our kids here to help fill in the gaps. I tell them I'm proud of them. Sometimes their parents are too frazzled. Some of these kids have grown up very nicely and some are struggling. And while we won't fall for the stuff their mother's will, we are loving and kind. I once, long ago, heard my BF tell some kid, I'm not like your mother. I can see you when you do bad things. So we fill in the gaps.

Cm I'm pleased you stayed at the community seeing place and worked on your sewing! Cannot wait to see you post pictures of the clothes!

Debbie Hello! What is going on? SubC the dinner party sounds like fun!

I've been both busy and exhausted this week. New kitty still hides a lot but my mother is seeing her more and more. When I go over I pull the little one out of wherever she's sleeping and I hold her and pet her. She's so thin but she's a good little eater. Mom is seeing her a little more during the day.

I swore I was only going to take care of myself today (which includes my closet) and so far I've visited BF (always charming) then I went to mom's with her clean comforter, I did some kitchen cleaning there (her place is just so filthy and I wish she'd let me throw some stuff out) and I brought her dishes back here to wash. She has coffee, then she puts silverware in the coffee cup, then it molds, then she adds water, then she spills the cups on the counters, etc. gives me the absolute willies to be there. I know some is age-related and vision-related and exhaustion-related so I don't say anything. But honest to God the amount of stuff in her apartment makes me buggy. But still there's less than there was before. We are going to my friend's house to do some baking at the end of September. Last time we went to her house (also was our first time being there), her place was so neat and so clean and so well organized that mom came home and allowed me to get rid of some things for her. We shall do this again.

Ok I'm running a laundry (swore I wouldn't do any today) and I'm going to have to go groceries. Just for me. I'm out of everything and I can't even cook a meal for myself tonight. So I'll shop for me alone. Then I'll come back here, put on the tunes and turtle my way through the closet.

Good Morning Everybody

Hi Subclinical
How exciting possibly having a booth next month!
Do you have enough ready or near enough ready to fill it?
Will you be having a pottery marathon to prepare?

YEA! for new socks and right before the weather changes to chilly!
So glad you had the donut. I have been resisting donuts and all their wonderful goodness.

That party sounds nice, hoping that you do attend.

After an incident here where I rendered 1st aid to a young boy accidently shot in the hand by his friend, the boys came to me to try to make it up to me.
My demand was that they were to both take the hunter safety course and were to get 100% on the tests, I would accept 98% as long as they reviewed the questions with me.
I also personally insisted on giving safety lessons and also had them on the shooting range with knowledgeable no nonsense instructors.
Educating the boys was the only way I could keep them safe.
Their patents weren't teaching them like I was taught and like I taught my own son.
The boys both did very well and showed me their heartfelt gratitude.

Hi CriticalMass
Happy you had a good week. :D

Wonderful that you went to that sewing group!
Proud of you for staying and sewing even with your friend not there.
Really hope you do that again.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUNNY!!!

Yes, this new storm is one to be wary of.
My fingers are crossed for all in it's way.


Hi Tatoulia
How is the new kitty?
What's been happening in your neck of the woods.


According to "Dr. Google" I am having a nervous break down.
Wish there was some agency locally here to help me.
He just keeps giving me lip service about the financial matters and why the roof repairs have not been done.
He has not done anything to improve the hoard of squalor all around here and has just been making it worse.
He just is flippant and dismissive of all my inquires.
I am so all alone...

There were two kids involved. My friend's son is alive. The other boy is dead. They were close in age, but only my friend's son was old enough to buy the gun. They both intended to die. But watching someone die of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head shakes your resolve. So my friend's son called 911 instead of shooting himself. He is being charged with everything they can think of including murder and sex offenses. His mother is praying they will plea bargain down to assisted suicide and providing firearms to a minor.

We have guns. Guns are tools. Dangerous tools. My 17 y.o. had to take driver's ed and practice under supervision for six months before getting her license. She had to take a test and have her vision checked before she got her learner's permit. But somehow a year later is old enough to buy a firearm with no waiting period and a background check that doesn't include juvenile records, training or references of any kind, or mental health information?

We went to the market, which was fun and distracting. I talked to the woman in charge about having a booth next month.

I also got a donut, a new pair of socks, a wooden flower centerpiece as a gift for ddil when we go to visit next month, soup for lunch, and some vegetables.

SubC,

We are your friends. We are here for you, through thick and thin.

I am reeling from reading your post. I am absolutely reeling. This is a terrible event for so many people. No one is coming out unscathed.

You need to support your friend by listening and reassuring him/her that this is not a reflection on parenting. This had a number of difficult things coming in at once. Being a teenager (the absolute worst), unrequited love (difficult to breathe), depression (can be a lifelong struggle), guns (which have their place, to be sure, but not as playthings-hunting, collecting, studying, protection, shooting ranges, etc the list goes on), and probably an argument or two. Your job now is to support your friend. Listen, hug, cry, tell the fishy story. From what I gather, the girl is alive but the other boy is dead? Terrible all around. I am so sorry. Drop by for tea, drop off a casserole. Just let the parents know you feel their pain and they are not alone.
Sending you much love. I am just reading this now.

I am so sorry. I am just so sorry.

CM, good for you on going to the sewing! And staying! I might have panicked and left.

Also good on the books. I did not go near the books at the rummage sale. I am not that strong yet.

I hope things go smoothly for you cousins.

Yesterday I put away laundry.

I also called ❤️Dd. I want to talk to her about it, but she has a new job and I don't know her hours yet and she was at work. She sounded so happy! The new job is a really good change for her. And I just wanted to enjoy her being happy, so I didn't say anything. We just talked about the job for a few minutes and made plans for Monday. She also invited me to a small dinner party at her house next week. I am thinking about it. Dh says go. It would be a big deal for me, but it is a "safe" setting, and there will be a former coworker there whom I really like, and the party has a theme for discussion that I am very invested in, so small talk would not be a problem, and she doesn't expect me to get into a heated disagreement with anyone or she would not have invited me....

Also, you may remember the giant clean-out of her house that we did? I haven't been over for a while. I said "you have space for a dinner party?!" And she replied "I have space for a dinner party." She sounded very proud.

I think I am pretty much cried out for now. My friend knows I am here.

My new vacuum is here and I like it.

Dh and I might go out to the last Saturday market and get donuts today. And I plan to get serious about my lesson plans. I need the first week locked down.

SubC, so sorry... it's okay to talk of painful things. We've all been through them in one form or the other. Young people can't see far enough into the future and their prefrontal cortexes aren't fully developed to make better decisions. There are no words adequate really, but sending my love.

My week has been a miscellaneous one, in a good way. My friend who was my previous rommate had vacation and we went out for Chinese buffet lunch on Wednesday. It was good. One of the few ways I enjoy eating vegetables - beef broccoli, yum.

Yesterday she and I went to the library sale. We didn't think we'd either of us buy much. It was a bag sale - and she bought most of the contents of the bag! I got two books that were just duplicates in better shape of books I had, so one in one out with those.

I got a book by Pope Francis and a Bible guide, both modest in thickness. And a large book and a smaller, square fat book on glass painting. I have some glass paints; this should motivate me to get them out. Many of the designs would also work for quilting. I may trade the small fat book after I copy the designs I like. The big one has techniques and materials info and is a keeper. So I didn't do too badly.

There was a big storm here last night with strong winds. Early on, a limb about 3" thick and 10 or more feet long fell right by the outside corner of my bedroom. My roommate heard the thud - I just heard the general chaos of the wind and hurried out to pull my van up in the driveway in case of street flooding. It looked like a hurricane outside. Luckily the branch didn't damage the corner of the roof and gutter where part of it stuck and we lifted it carefully away. I'll chop it up.

Today I went to that sewing place - but I hadn't got round to texting my acquaintance from quilting, and she wasn't there. Awkward - but the ladies were nice and let me stay, so I got more of the Barbie clothes done. Only a bit more and I'll be ready to give them to my cousin's girl.

Keeping a watch on Hurricane Dorian reports because of my other cousins in Florida, the ones with the son with cancer. He always has checkup scans in NYC in September, and there is concern over why he has a fractured vertebra. How nerve wracking - I hope they are still able to fly out at the right time.

Tatoulia, how is new kitty girl? That's good if she seems to be getting past the pain. Spoil her with some rich food to build her up! I've been spayed, and it is draining - and I didn't just give birth to kittens beforehand.

My bunny son is now 7 (estimated birthday). How time flies. He wasn't a year old when I adopted him, and so impish. He's more Joe Bunny Sixpack these days, easy to picture him in a Barcalounger with a remote. But always my boy! He and I and the others will have a carrot party. My roommate is going out of town, but she can give him a hug in the morning.

Tillie, I'm being bad right now staying up too late on this tablet! And my sleep has been awful lately. So I better call it a night, or early morning technically.

Good Afternoon Everybody

I got some things dusted.
Trees got watered.
Will water the lilacs this evening once it cools off a little.

Scooter is bored and lonely.
Twinkles is bored and lonely.
They let me know often.

Good Morning Everyone

Hi Subclinical
Here, NOTHING is really off topic.
This is a place to share what is going on in all our lives.
Not just the good things and the the cleaning out and cleaning up.
The sad and disappointing things color our entire world and we want to know the struggles we are each dealing with along with the mundane daily challenges.

Of course your new schedule is all out of whack.
Of course you are going to be in a place of deep reflection, distracted and melancholic.

We all "get" it.
We all have experienced such tragedies before and sympathize.

We are all here to support you through the hard times and to cheer for you during the good times.

Please accept my condolences and (((((HUGS)))))


Hi Tatoulia
Hoping today you are well rested and no longer overwrought.
(((HUG)))


Have the hose set out slowly watering the trees today.
A bug bit me on my finger and it itches, probably a mosquito.
Plan to take it easy today with just doing a little dusting.

I did not mean to silence the conversation.

That was off topic and hard to respond to.

Just carry on.

What are the bunnies doing? What's for lunch? Did anybody clear out a space or resist a purchase?

I'm sorry, there is no delete button, but skip ahead.

8:30 pm.

I didn't make the cheese yesterday.

I worked on lesson plans and ran all my errands (I found another keurig thingy at the thrift shop!)

And on the way home I stopped at a bug church rummage sale - in the old fashioned sense of rummage - boxes if stuff partly unpacked and roughly sorted, gather up what you want and go make a deal with the lady in charge.

I have to confess I had a lot of fun searching for treasures. But I didn't find as many as I would have once. A less than full plastic grocery bag. And besides two more wire shelf stackers for my studio, everything was for my classroom.

Cooked some chicken breasts to cut up and freeze for salads for dh. Put away laundry. Picked beans and tomatoes, and cooked dinner.

Then I forgot to set up my coffee, and this morning I am not practicing my routine and I am tired.

I got to bed late. My friend's son did something horrible. Because he was in love and suffers from depression and because we let people buy guns when we don't let them buy beer. Maybe if we let them buy beer instead he and his "friend" (the newspaper called them "friends") would have gotten drunk and slept it off, and they would both still be alive and no one would be going to jail.

I have this endless loop in my head of the day I met him. He put his little felt fish in my coffee and gleefully cried out "fishy swim!" My brain keeps saying "how did this happen? Five minutes ago he was two years old and put a fish in my coffee."

I tell my teenagers over and over, Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, not a romance.

SubC I am so proud of you! Your classroom is ready, you have a great plan for limiting computer time (AM or PM?) had your house is noticeably in much better shape!

Tillie that is a lot of deep cleaning you did today. I bet your shower will feel great!

I am just out of the shower myself. Stayed late at work then ambled around. I ran into a neighbor of my mom's and is just punched up groceries for mom so she offered to take up to her. I had picked up two coffee cakes for work tmr so I gave one to her to split with my mom.

I'm tired. And a bit overwrought.