Thanks Tatoulia. Returning the sweaters was good! It's hard to keep track of receipts and remember to do that in time!

If you have ever read "your money or your life", it starts with the premise that before you can really gain control of your spending, you have to really know where your money is going. So you are supposed to write down every penny you spend for a month.

When I cancelled our trash service, I became much more aware of where and how we generate garbage.

So I decided that if I was really going to gain control of my relationship to stuff, I needed to take a "your money or your life" approach and really understand where it was coming from. (Because clearly it was still coming in or I would be much further along by now) I think it will take much more than a month. Maybe a year? Because stuff sources change with seasons and activities. But I can make changes as I go and not wait for the "record" to be complete.

The mail is still in the car.

You are doing great! SubC and Anony! SubC you are really keeping inventory and that is great! Very sweet story about your youngest daughter--i chuckled and smiled

Anony I'm worried about your siding too! I am not handy with things like that. You mentioned maybe a good time to start on your new structure--what would you need to do to get that going?

I accomplished only my laundry today, my dishes and getting some things returned to the store. I had purchased several sweaters before the recent wedding and returned the three that I didn't wear. I stopped at grocery store and bought some yogurt. And took a walk. Terribly humid. I took a shower as soon as I got home and I am sitting here still feeling really sweaty and uncomfortable,

Cold water clinks.

Tatoulia, it's good to take a weekend off sometimes! I'm glad you enjoyed yours.

How did today's project go?

Anony, I am worried about your house! What is the siding made of?

I hope your stepson wouldn't be "waiting for you to die" how awful. I gave appreciated things that have been left to me, but there is nothing I wouldn't give up to have the person back in my life!

When my kids were middle school age we decided to tell them who their guardian would be if anything happened to us because the youngest suffered from severe anxiety and if the worst did happen, we wanted her at least to know there was a carefully made plan and what would happen. Her guardians were her favorite aunt and uncle, and her response was "I would get to live with aunt c and uncle k?!" She sounded a little too excited, so I reminded her "you realize we would be dead, right?" And she said, "well, yeah, that would be bad. But I would get to live with aunt c and uncle k!"

I took all my entries to the fair today. In the process of gathering them, I realized there are more areas I may be ready to clear out. Not this week though. This week is full.

I picked up one free metal "button" on the fairgrounds and pinned it to my dd. I don't know if she will keep it, but I'm not counting it as an in for me.

Still need to process today's mail.

~☆~Good Morning!~☆~
(((coffee clinks & HUGS!!!)))
Well, i was happily dusting & vacuuming along, feeling hopeful...and then, due to to the past few days of heavy rains & wind, the outside walls of this trailer, all across the front, are curling up, crumbling & falling off....i can ignore it for a little while longer, but im gonna need a new building to live in...id gone around on different building options last year around this,time, but ended up deciding it was too complicated & expensive. I am not naturally good at construction, to say the least!!! Maybe i just need to do it anyway. Maybe learn from YouTube videos...?
Joan, i can really relate to your situation! My blood family has shunned me for not doing all kinds of 'conventional' things that would have likely killed me or at least put me in an aweful way!
And im also uncomfortable setting up my land to my stepson in any way that makes him even kind of wanting me to die, so he can live here?!? Im hoping to figure out something other than my doom making his life better?!? Joan, this is what i think when i get sad about these things: Im glad that i did not try to be accepted by them, by putting myself in harms way. I know i would hate myself soooo much if id gone that route! And that is true for you, too! Being unconventional is way better! It does still hurt, but knowing how many others go through this too, helps.
~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

~☆~Good Morning!~☆~
(((coffee clinks & HUGS!!!)))
Well, i was happily dusting & vacuuming along, feeling hopeful...and then, due to to the past few days of heavy rains & wind, the outside walls of this trailer, all across the front, are curling up, crumbling & falling off....i can ignore it for a little while longer, but im gonna need a new building to live in...id gone around on different building options last year around this,time, but ended up deciding it was too complicated & expensive. I am not naturally good at construction, to say the least!!! Maybe i just need to do it anyway. Maybe learn from YouTube videos...?
Joan, i can really relate to your situation! My blood family has shunned me for not doing all kinds of 'conventional' things that would have likely killed me or at least put me in an aweful way!
And im also uncomfortable setting up my land to my stepson in any way that makes him even kind of wanting me to die, so he can live here?!? Im hoping to figure out something other than my doom making his life better?!? Joan, this is what i think when i get sad about these things: Im glad that i did not try to be accepted by them, by putting myself in harms way. I know i would hate myself soooo much if id gone that route! And that is true for you, too! Being unconventional is way better! It does still hurt, but knowing how many others go through this too, helps.
~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

PS I'm truly amazed and inspired with everyone's progress.

Great to read all your posts--I merely skimmed them this weekend and now have read them all. Congratulations to all! It sounds like you are getting a good mix of fun and progress!

I did only fun this weekend if you can believe it. Went to the theatre with BF, saw brother (went fine) saw mom (always pleasant--took her for a ride then I did her grocery shopping) and BF and I went to museum. Pretty good weekend. And no napping-/although I did collapse in bed by 8 PM last night.

Tillie--yuck! that laundry. I hope you wore gloves. so disgusting. Special shout out to Scooter--haha that the other cats were rooting for the opponent. SubC, CM, Anony--you are all doing great.

I am home today, which means laundry. I also have trash night tonight. I did nothing other than changing sheets this weekend so I'll work on some actual progress today. Think I'll start a donation bag--that tends to set things in motion for me.

I'm glad the snake is ok, but I hope scooter hot some love for his valiant attempt to save his family from certain destruction!

I am noticing a shortage of shorts that fit. Given the choice between shopping and dieting, I think I'm going to have to lose 5 lbs.

9:00pm
I was sitting here watching a movie on Netflix when I started to hear a disturbance.
Scooter had discovered that a two foot long gopher snake was hiding underneath the little crib cat bed by the dining room table.
Scooter was trying to be brave and save us all from this intruder but it HISSED so he had to keep leaping backwards away from it.
All the other cats came to watch. They all thought/hoped the snake would win.

For a long time this morning I had the front door propped open so all the cats could come & go, in & out.
He must have come in then???
Anyways, the snake has been placed in the side yard, safe & sound. ;D

Joan, I am so sorry that the people who were supposed to love you didn't! I wish there was some sort of easy answer for you. I think you're really brave.

CM, how was your nap?

I think it's nice that you have new "sewing friends". My baby doll arrived and I tucked him into the cradle my real babies slept in. It's an antique that my grandmother gifted to me - not a fancy antique, at one point it was used as an apple bin, but well restored and sturdy.

I'm taking a bunch of my dolls to the fair tomorrow, along with an assortment of other entries. A few of them are cooling in my kiln right now.

I'll start swimming again in the fall. Maybe you will have a routine by then and can encourage me.

Hi Tillie,

I'm sure your plants are grateful for the water. Potato salad sounds yummy! I think I will put it on my menu for this week. I can never think of things to cook.

I am very lucky. My dh is really good to me. He spent the day working on my new kitchen. Three of the cabinets are hung and a lot of it is set in place so I can see how it will look. I am so excited! It's going to be sunny and beautiful! This is the first time in my life I've had any choices about my kitchen besides a narrow choice of appliances when a replacement was essential and the color of the walls.

Then this evening he told me that if I will pack up my cuckoo clock, he will take it to the clock repair shop tomorrow and have it fixed for me. He is taking the family pocket watch his mother recently gave him because it is broken. (She gave it to him because it is broken). I inherited the clock from my grandparents - it stopped working when they were still alive and my kids were small and my grandparents never got around to getting it fixed. I adored it when I was little though, and it has been hanging silently on my wall for almost 3 years.

He chose a spot for it next to the new kitchen (the kitchen is a three walled bump out, not really a "room".)

Hi :)

Hi Subclinical :)
Great that you had a chance to paint in the addition and that you got to work on some studio projects. :D

Hi Joan :)
Living well is the best revenge ;)
Keep up the good work finding your own solutions.

Hi CriticalMass :)
WTG! for working on your quilt!
It will feel so good when you tie that last knot and have it finished.

Hi Tatoulia :)
Hoping you are having a great weekend,
Catching up on your sleep, having pleasant conversations and not too hot or humid. :)

Been up since early watering trees, bushes & everything.
It's all so dry and suffering no matter how much water I give it.
Had to wash out my washing machine after washing all that funky stuff before I could use it for mine and the cats stuff.
Then had to tighten the clothes line because all the weight of all those loads loosened up the rope.
Bought things to make potato salad but will do that tomorrow when I'm not so frazzled.
Have lots of plans for tomorrow.
Tomorrow will be an easier day :D

Joan, we are here for you! Keep up the fight! You've mentioned in the past that you have made progress over the years. I hope that your progress is helping you to continue the battle. You are brave and courageous and resourceful --and a good friend to us here.

Oh Joan, I wish a cure could be found for the biting! I will definitely keep you in my prayers! You are quite the survivor, it sounds, and you deserve to have the chance to enjoy life freely. Still, although coming here and connecting doesn't cure the physical, you are doing positive things for your mind and spirit, and in my book, that is the sort of living well that they say is the best revenge over those who would wish or do you ill.

I've been kind of burning the candle at both ends - several times this week sat with my elderly friend. Took my embroidery for my quilt top along to do while we sat and visited. I'm feeling so good about seeing this quilt coming together. It's proving to me that with perseverance, I CAN finish things!

My bedroom is sorely in need of attention; pileup happens quickly when I'm dashing in and out. I hope this coming week to have one or more daytime sessions where I set up the card table in the living room, bring things out from the bedroom to sort and deal with. Then I can put them back way more neatly, or perhaps some of them need to go elsewhere.

This process has helped before and I'm sure it will again. I seem to be stuck in the "80/20" rule - feels like I spend 80% of my life regrouping from whetever it is I'm doing in the other 20%.

I'm also sorely in need of resuming my gym and swim "routine" (i.e., attempting to build a routine of it - not quite there yet). And more immediately, I'm in need of a major NAP. I've been having my usual tormenting dreams toward morning. I think the waning moon, which rises in the wee hours, must be exacerbating that, along with fatigue and too much going on. Hopefully the nap will clear out my cache in my brain and defrag my hard drive! And then I can "reboot" and feel like a human being more or less.

Here I want to go back and catch up with y'all's doings; I know I've missed a lot.

My new Ken dolls arrived yesterday - now I can start that sewing project, like I need more projects, LOL, but it's harmless fun and maybe I can make a little pin money from it. I'm going to stay as focused as I can on finishing the quilt project first, though. But it was just fun to open the box and finally have the dolls. ;)

Thanks for the support, everyone. Tat, I appreciate your saying that I have to take care of my health. I was always persecuted by my alleged family, and most other people I knew, for taking care of myself.

It is only recently that I realized not only did they want to take my resources to subsidize their own self-serving agendas, but they also were EXPECTING me to die so they could cash in on everything that belongs to me. They are actually angry that I am still alive. It is more complex and far more twisted than I can get into here, but every time I think of it, it sours me on the whole human race. I ask myself, "How could I be so stupid?", but it really had nothing to do with me. I survived supreme evil, and in the process, everyone around me wanted to sink my ship. It is the intentions of less than a handful of people in my life that have kept me on the planet.

It would be great if I could go and create a new life for myself, but the biting disorder keeps me sitting in the same spot, biting my cheeks bloody, unable to move or even think straight most of the time. There is almost nothing good to think about. People here always wanted me dead. It can be very discouraging.

Hi everybody!

Anony, you are doing a lot of housework! Do you have the clutter out of the way? It sounds like you are really making your home nice!

Tillie, I am sorry about the nasty laundry pile. Too bad the clothes won't just dissolve in the wash and drain away!

8 loads is all my laundry for a week for three people on a farm!

I was a little dissapointed that the out list wasn't bigger compared to the in list, but it was still a pretty good six weeks. The average in was less than one thing a day even with 7 cookie cutters, and we did visit both our moms - who are both cleaning out. And I am keeping the out going.

I'm also keeping up with eggs, milk, and chicken bread. Not with the garden or housework, but the housework isn't getting too behind, and there are two other people living here who could help!

I've made progress painting the addition, and today I made time to work in my studio - on actual projects. (I'm still behind for my class though.)

I also tidied it up a little more and threw a few small bits and pieces in the trash. (I'm not tracking little stuff like that for the outs so that is bonus.)

Hello! :D

Hi Subclinical :)
WAY TO GO! for all the decision making on getting unneeded stuff out! :D

Hi Joan :)
Hope the new meds adjustment is working for you :)

Hi Tatoulia :)

Hi Anonymoniker :)
WOOHOO!!! WAY TO GO!!!
What a marvelous change!
You are the Mistress of your domain! ;D

Decided that due to the heat, I will go grocery shopping this evening, sometime after 6pm.
This way putting the things into the car out in the parking lot and then schlepping them in once home won't be in the heat.

I generally leave his bedroom alone, don't change anything in there.
But there was a horrid stench that just would not stay in there and was making the whole house stink.
It was his dirty laundry.
He hoards clothes, so he can make a mountain of dirty clothes and still have lots of stuff to wear.
I washed just the stuff on the floor yesterday.
EIGHT full wash loads!
Today I washed the putrid blanket that was crumpled and on the floor.
There is still bedding needing washing but he would get P.O.ed if I moved all the things on the bed to get to the sheets.
Sprayed some Febreeze toward the bed.
The house is smelling much fresher now. :D
Hoping this might inspire him to gather up and take out the huge pile of trash in there.
OK, but I am allowed to dream. ;P

~Greetings, to all!~
Tillie, it took me a while to catch your triple hello to me...ha ha ;D
Last night i vacuumed the kitchen & cleared the spider/cobwebs in half the house. I also spot cleaned the bathroom & several other areas that i detested seeing that were filthy. Its not even so much that i did those chores, but it is my attitude about it that has shifted. It use to be id look at these awful areas in horror. I felt helpless & overpowered by them. Now i just wanna run grab a cloth & some windex or a rag, etc. ~☆~I have become Wonderwoman of the Woods!~☆~ ;D

~Greetings, to all!~
Tillie, it took me a while to catch your triple hello to me...ha ha ;D
Last night i vacuumed the kitchen & cleared the spider/cobwebs in half the house. I also spot cleaned the bathroom & several other areas that i detested seeing that were filthy. Its not even so much that i did those chores, but it is my attitude about it that has shifted. It use to be id look at these awful areas in horror. I felt helpless & overpowered by them. Now i just wanna run grab a cloth & some windex or a rag, etc. ~☆~I have become Wonderwoman of the Woods!~☆~ ;D

Keep up the good work, Joan. I know it is hard on you and you are doing a great job of keeping it all in balance.

Better.

Coin silver spoon rack, (no spoons) went out.
One doll came in
The racetrack went out.

The first post took out the space between the lists. Let me try again.

In-----------------------------------Out
Divided Tray ------------------- Roll basket
7 cookie cutters --------------- 2 sets of playdo toys
Toddler rocking chair -------- 2 doll strollers
Box of Magnets --------------- 2 geography card games
Antique Lap desk ------------ Empty K'nex case
Peg rack ----------------------- Coin silver spoon rack (no Doll ----Doll ------------------------------ racetrack
Drywall scraps ---------------- scrap wood (burned)
Box of papers ---------------- At least 7 magazines
Class notes -------------------10 decks of cards
Plastic spoon ----------------- Keychain puzzle
Lunch container --------------Small styrofoam cooler
Piece of fabric ---------------- Scarf
4 ice packs -------------------- 2 pairs of girls clogs
Christmas stocking ---------- Pair of jeans
Lamp ----------------------------9 hangers
Pottery tool ------------------- Candy mold
Flower pot -------------------- Skirt
Pottery example -------------Magic trick toy
Rolling underbed bin ------- 2 pot holders
Puppet (temporary) -------- Box of book plates
Paper bells (temporary) --- Christmas ornament
------------------------------------Rubber ball
------------------------------------2 slinkys
------------------------------------3 ring binder
----------------------------------- Hard cover book

Hi joan! Glad you could stop in. You definitely need to focus on your health first!

It is basically the middle of July, so here is my reckoning. If I acquired something but got rid of the same thing (i.e., a pair of shorts in, a pair of shorts out) I will not put it on the list. If it says (temporary) I got it to give away but didn't yet.

In Out
Divided tray Roll basket
7 cookie cutters 2 sets of playdo toys
Toddler rocking chair 2 doll strollers
Box of Magnets 2 geography card games
Antique Lap desk Empty K'nex case
Peg rack Coin silver spoon rack (no spoons)
Doll racetrack
Drywall scraps scrap wood (burned)
Box of papers At least 7 magazines
Class notes 10 decks of cards
Plastic spoon Keychain puzzle
Lunch container Small styrofoam cooler
Piece of fabric Scarf
4 ice packs 2 pairs of girls clogs
Christmas stocking Pair of jeans
Lamp 9 hangers
Pottery tool Candy mold
Flower pot Skirt
Pottery example Magic trick toy
Rolling underbed bin 2 pot holders
Puppet (temporary) Box of book plates
Paper bells (temporary) Christmas ornament
Rubber ball
2 slinkys
3 ring binder
Hard cover book

This includes only ins and outs that "belong" to me. If someone else in the house acquired or disposed of a thing, I didn't count it. If it used to belong to other people but i saved it (paper bells) or had saved it and now got rid of it (clogs from when my girls were little) I listed it.

My out list is longer, but because of the underbed bin, my in list takes up more space.

I am not sure where I stand on general papers and glass or plastic containers that arrived via groceries. I need to pay better attention. Also, not listed is the huge pile of feed bags that is accumulating in my barn. I started saving them for a project I haven't gotten to, but also, they are too big for me to throw away without trash service, so I'm going to have to figure something out.

Thanks for the shoutout, Tillie. You seemed in good spirits with that post.

I haven't been able to follow along with the thread as well as I usually do. I made a big change in my meds last weekend. It had to be done. I have to really pay even more attention than usual to adjust the remedies, meds, etc. that remain after stopping ome of them.

I would have been dead 30 years ago if I'd left things up to the doctors. They have no clue. The doctors I have now basically let me tell them how I want them to support me, and it is up to me to coordinate the treatments and pull it off.

Svaroopa (yoga) class early tomorrow morning, ahhhh. . .

Wishing everyone well.

Ah yes, that "places to put things" challenge. Preferably near their point of use. I just walked all the way back from the studio for scissors and a light bulb. (Then I realized I also needed some water.) - if you imagine my "yard" as a square of 9 three acre lots - the house is in the center of the center lot, and the studio is slightly to the inside of the center of the back left corner lot. Or, in my Dd's neighborhood - 6 houses over around the corner.

So I probably could use a pair of scissors out there.

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
WTG! for putting away the vacuum!
It really makes a big difference in the visual clutter when we put away things after using them, even though we plan to use them again real soon.
The real accomplishment is having a place to put things away.
A place easy enough to access and room enough to hold the things. (((HUG)))

Hi Anonymoniker :)
Hi Anonymoniker :)
Hi Anonymoniker :)
Hi Anonymoniker :)

Just kidding :D
WAY TO GO!!! for great puttering and just doing whatever is bugging you the most!!!
That method is what I call "tidying up".
Once you get an area clear and clean that is the best way to keep it looking good and from falling back into disorder too. ;D

Hi Subclinical :)
WAY TO GO!!! with your magazines and wonderful plan for keeping future issues up to date!!!
It's good that you get this break from the bread so you can start feeding them the pasta & lentils and don't have them sitting around too long.
I have a feeling that more will be coming your way soon.
Great budgeting buying the classroom supplies while they were 20% off.
Sounds like it was a really worthwhile class for you over all. :D

Hi Porter, CriticalMass and Joan :)

Was planning on going into town this morning but he never told me he had plans to take the car to the repair shop today.
The air conditioner needs a new compressor. I thought he would wait on this since the Freon recharging has been working well and the new compressor is very expensive.

Thought that I really should watch "Breaking Bad" on Netflix. There are so many references and "easter eggs" relating to it on so many other shows and even movies now.
Had to watch "Better Call Saul" first because it explains some major characters in "Breaking Bad".
Still have about half the episodes of season five to watch yet.
It's good, I give it a "thumbs up". ;D

Happy Friday everyone! Leaving for office. Good work, SubC! Whittling the magazine pile, saving money for the classroom, etc!

I did nothing household wise yesterday but did get groceries for mom and I kept up with dishes & recyling. I also got brother's script ftom pharmacy. I got a walk in and listened to a relaxation/hypnosis tape. Went to bed early (for me) and read before going to sleep. Good day all around.

Now to finish getting ready for work and gathering up garbage to take outside.

Good morning!

Another putterer here.

Anony, I'm glad you are seeing good results from your approach.

Incidental update - I reduced the magazine pile to one magazine. It is the July issue and I have finished reading it (but dh has not and it is in the bathroom where he prefers to keep some sort of reading material.) when the August issue arrives, I will recycle and replace.

I attended a free workshop yesterday in which we got to try out a new line of pottery tools. They gave each of us one of the tools as a promotion so I added that to my in list. I also bought a variety of the tools for my classroom (out of the classroom budget) because we got 20% off the day of the workshop and I really liked them. I have several days of good lesson plans from the workshop. The tools are in a bag in my studio, but will leave in August when we do classroom set up.

I worked at the food bank last night, but we were low on bread and I did not bring any home. Jim got the small amount that was discarded. I still have lentils and pasta anyway.

Today I need to paint in the addition.

Congratulations on a good puttering day! I'm a Pisces btw, so I guess I'm doing what comes naturally to me. I never would have put two and two together like that! Great to hear you happy.

Ooooops?!! Im so sorry for the overdose of my post?!! The dang button was stuck, so i kept pressing it...

Hello, all!
Yesterday was amazing! As my first 'experiment' i just kinda spontaneously cleaned what i saw that bugged me. And like youd said Tillie, rather than put a post-it note up, or add it to a list, or integrated it into a plan, i just walked over and dusted it, or wiped it, or tossed it, or whatever, right then! I did little patches all over my house AND outside! The funny thing is, ive always thought i had to be organized with it, and i think that is why id get overwhelmed, but what i think im going to try is just spontaneous-spot cleaning until it is not as overwhelming, overall, then maybe go back to project/plan type of cleaning? And Tatoulia, your mention of 'puttering' kinda inspired me, cuz thats what its like, but i did that all day long without tiring or getting freaked out or any of my usual problems! My astrological interpretation of this is, that my property purchase chart has the sun & moon, both intercepted in virgo, but this method is very piscean, so that could be why it feels so very flowing & easy?!!
~I hope you all are having things fall into place & work out today!~ ~♡~

Hello, all!
Yesterday was amazing! As my first 'experiment' i just kinda spontaneously cleaned what i saw that bugged me. And like youd said Tillie, rather than put a post-it note up, or add it to a list, or integrated it into a plan, i just walked over and dusted it, or wiped it, or tossed it, or whatever, right then! I did little patches all over my house AND outside! The funny thing is, ive always thought i had to be organized with it, and i think that is why id get overwhelmed, but what i think im going to try is just spontaneous-spot cleaning until it is not as overwhelming, overall, then maybe go back to project/plan type of cleaning? And Tatoulia, your mention of 'puttering' kinda inspired me, cuz thats what its like, but i did that all day long without tiring or getting freaked out or any of my usual problems! My astrological interpretation of this is, that my property purchase chart has the sun & moon, both intercepted in virgo, but this method is very piscean, so that could be why it feels so very flowing & easy?!!
~I hope you all are having things fall into place & work out today!~ ~♡~

Hello, all!
Yesterday was amazing! As my first 'experiment' i just kinda spontaneously cleaned what i saw that bugged me. And like youd said Tillie, rather than put a post-it note up, or add it to a list, or integrated it into a plan, i just walked over and dusted it, or wiped it, or tossed it, or whatever, right then! I did little patches all over my house AND outside! The funny thing is, ive always thought i had to be organized with it, and i think that is why id get overwhelmed, but what i think im going to try is just spontaneous-spot cleaning until it is not as overwhelming, overall, then maybe go back to project/plan type of cleaning? And Tatoulia, your mention of 'puttering' kinda inspired me, cuz thats what its like, but i did that all day long without tiring or getting freaked out or any of my usual problems! My astrological interpretation of this is, that my property purchase chart has the sun & moon, both intercepted in virgo, but this method is very piscean, so that could be why it feels so very flowing & easy?!!
~I hope you all are having things fall into place & work out today!~ ~♡~

Hello, all!
Yesterday was amazing! As my first 'experiment' i just kinda spontaneously cleaned what i saw that bugged me. And like youd said Tillie, rather than put a post-it note up, or add it to a list, or integrated it into a plan, i just walked over and dusted it, or wiped it, or tossed it, or whatever, right then! I did little patches all over my house AND outside! The funny thing is, ive always thought i had to be organized with it, and i think that is why id get overwhelmed, but what i think im going to try is just spontaneous-spot cleaning until it is not as overwhelming, overall, then maybe go back to project/plan type of cleaning? And Tatoulia, your mention of 'puttering' kinda inspired me, cuz thats what its like, but i did that all day long without tiring or getting freaked out or any of my usual problems! My astrological interpretation of this is, that my property purchase chart has the sun & moon, both intercepted in virgo, but this method is very piscean, so that could be why it feels so very flowing & easy?!!
~I hope you all are having things fall into place & work out today!~ ~♡~

Hello! Thanks for the kind words, everyone! I vacuumed the back of my house (living room, den, under desk). I'm doing one more laundry then climbing into bed to read. It's early for me--only 9Pm but I'm ready to call it a day. I did put vacuum away even though I'll need it to do bedroom tomorrow. I am trying to develop normal habits. Use something, put it away.

Hi Subclinical :)
Hope you get some relief soon from that darned poison ivy.
I would give you a hug but don't want to get the rash as you did, from hugging that baby goat. ;D


(((.....hug.....)))

Hi :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
WTG! for laundry and dusting even though it's humid.
Hope you enjoy your new haircut ;D
I keep my hair long so I can put it up in a bun to keep it up off my neck.
No, we really can't vacuum and disturb the kitties. :)

Hi Anonymoniker :)
Scheduling a straight hour daily to do something with no disruptions can really help focus and productivity.
After I spend the day cleaning house I always schedule in a treat/reward for myself.
It's always something like a long shower with lots of pampering of myself.

Been enjoying today.
Doing nothing really.
But at least I feel good while I do nothing much :D

Hi all!

Anony, it sounds like you really turned your experience into motivation. Let us know how your plans work for you.

Tatoulia, I absolutely need you guys to question my buying decisions! One of the things that is so valuable to me here is that I feel like I can talk over decisions that seem really minor to most people and work on the process.

Tillie, I'm glad you are feeling better. That smoke sounded awful.

I ran out of laundry soap today and had to go into town.

I took the recycling and plastic bags and some trash, and also finally dropped off the goodwill pile, so I will do my " reckoning" soon. I got gas, groceries, and also a mold and a lamp for my pottery studio. I have wanted the lamp for a while - been keeping an eye out for one like this - and the mold fits with the class I am taking. I might get rid of it when lass is over. It was only $2.

I forgot my "camera" though and was sad because I saw more good ideas. Must remember to take the iPad when I go thrifting! I don't sketch well. I am very tactile/3D.

Btw, if you are wondering how I am shopping when I said my spending money was all gone - I sold a goat. This is a good thing. Every spring I have baby goats and every summer/fall I cut the numbers back down. I should sell 5-7 more by first snow. The goat went to a terrific home too. My dd jokingly (I think) offered to go with him.

I still haven't finished my homework for class. The itching makes me so tired!

Sorry to hear about your meltdown, Anony--you are so good at turning those things into productive action! So proud of you!

Let us know how it goes today! I haven't done anything beyond dusting the bedroom. I might vacuum the back of the house right now. Kitty is on my bed so I can't vacuum in there. WELL I COULD but no, I really can't. 🙂

~Good Morning!~
SubC, i really like your comparison of not losing weight cuz itd be like wasting that money from the food bought...wow?!! Good one!!! I hope your poison ivy heals up quickly? That sounds really miserable!
Tatoulia, i hope youre feeling better?
Tillie, that smoke & heat sounds aweful! We finally got our monsoons & it feels soooo glorious!!! I hope yours comes soon?
Well, i had a bit of a meltdown yesterday. This one brought some good ideas and realizations, at least, tho. Im thinking of keeping a log(i really like that idea!), and looking at this, for now, as an experiment. Maybe a daily hour of straight cleaning, no decisions. Then grading both its effort level, as well as its satisfying level. Also doing an hour a day of productive planning: decisions, ideas, envisioning, etc. Today im gonna just clean! All day! Im gonna see how much better i can feel from it. Yesterday i started this & i was surprised at the difference?! .....ill report my findings...ha ha
~Happy Productive Day To All!~ ~♡~

~Good Morning!~
SubC, i really like your comparison of not losing weight cuz itd be like wasting that money from the food bought...wow?!! Good one!!! I hope your poison ivy heals up quickly? That sounds really miserable!
Tatoulia, i hope youre feeling better?
Tillie, that smoke & heat sounds aweful! We finally got our monsoons & it feels soooo glorious!!! I hope yours comes soon?
Well, i had a bit of a meltdown yesterday. This one brought some good ideas and realizations, at least, tho. Im thinking of keeping a log(i really like that idea!), and looking at this, for now, as an experiment. Maybe a daily hour of straight cleaning, no decisions. Then grading both its effort level, as well as its satisfying level. Also doing an hour a day of productive planning: decisions, ideas, envisioning, etc. Today im gonna just clean! All day! Im gonna see how much better i can feel from it. Yesterday i started this & i was surprised at the difference?! .....ill report my findings...ha ha
~Happy Productive Day To All!~ ~♡~

I've been thinking of you, Tillie. Please take it as easy as you can. The news never really talks about the terrible effects of wildfires for those in the path of the smoke. I'm thinking of you. Please rest.

SubC good plan for the use of the drawer--I was just checking in in the event you needed to reconsider it--I know we both don't mind the prodding--you are doing a great job and I am envious of your planned bedroom suite!

I have dusted the bedroom and am working on laundry. Our humidity is back. I'm getting my hair cut today. It is very long for me and it is driving me nuts. The feeling of itt on the back of my neck. It's just past my shoulders It's been fun to grow it out but I am only too happy to start over. Too much.

Good Morning Everyone :)
Ice tea "clink!"

Hi CriticalMass :)

Hi MsHope :)

Hi Subclinical :)

Hi Tatoulia :)

All the recent wildfire smoke and heatwave really knocked me down.
Made me so tired and felt like trying to run under water.
Still hot & smoky here but I am feeling better.
Wishing you all a Good day (((hug)))

Thanks for the sympathy tatoulia. I hope you are feeling better!

The only place on my property with no poison ivy is inside the goat pens. This little guy had gotten loose.

I will put the under bed drawer either:
Under Dd's bed (moving her art)
Or on the floor of Dd's closet (I'll have to turn the wheels 90*.

Either of those will best be done after she moves back out of my house in six weeks. So for now, it will get parked in the basement.

I am going to put extra sheets and blankets in it. Currently they are on shelves in Dd's bathroom and I don't like that because of the humidity.

The next major renovation is the "master bedroom suite" (the master bedroom has always been a kid's room or guest room, the "suite" includes it, another little room "Dd's room" we created by closing in the porch in front of it and turning an exterior window into an interior door, and the bathroom "Dd's bathroom" with a large dressing area and weird wall closet)

SubC I'm so terribly sorry about the poison ivy. Hugging a little goat--wow--such a sweet image. I know here we have goats who come in and eat poison ivy in our parks. Goats love it and no reaction. I am so sorry about your wounds and itching and hope you recover soon.

Regarding the bed drawer, could you move the flat art to under your bed? In the alternative (shudder) should you return the underbed storage? I used to hold on to things when they didn't work out. I'm trying not to do that. I used to tell myself, but it's perfect! But it's not if it just becomes One More Thing. In my decluttering, I've had to distinguish between finding a use for something and having something be useful. I've had to draw a line for myself/unless I have a use for it/it's gone. If after donating it I find I could've used it for this, that, or the other thing, that does not mean I should have kept it. I don't know how well I am explaining myself.

You did a great job of taking photos of stuff instead of just blindly buying it!

SubC I loved your parallel between owning too much and eating too much food. So wonderful! Thank you!

I am working from home today, which I am happy about.

Clink!

I stopped at the goodwill yesterday. I needed a sheer stretchy piece of fBric for a pottery project, so I bought a large nightgown.

I also bought another lunch container for dh. It is bento boxy and I am hoping it will help inspire me in packing his lunches.

And I bought an under bed box. It is solid wood and nicely finished and the wheels roll smoothly. If was $10. Unfortunately it doesn't quite fit under the bed I wanted to put it under. It will fit under Dd's bed, but currently she has a lot of flat art stored there, and it doesn't match. So now I'm not sure what I will do about it.

I chose but put back a shadow box picture frame (i want to make a shadow box of some high school stuff, but I have enough projects right now) and a twisty tree sculpture thing with rings on it that I thought would make a neat display for my Christmas ornaments at sales (but might be hard to store and transport and could be knocked over if people took too many ornaments off one side. I already have something that is less cool, but works.)

And I found several items that inspired me about pieces to make, and I took pictures instead of buying them.

I have terrible poison ivy. On the webbing between my fingers and on the backs of my hands and up the inside of both arms past the elbows. Also on top of one thigh and on my chin all down the front of my neck. I picked up a little goat and cuddled him while wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I didn't know he had been in poison ivy. I am horribly allergic and I have my arms wrapped in bandages because the blisters are breaking and weeping. It makes it very hard to do anything.

Tatoulia, I'm sorry you aren't well! I hope you can get to a dr. If you need to.

Hi MsHope!

It's great that you are almost out of debt! You have to let go of the idea of keeping everything because you spent money on it. You enjoyed it at the time and that's what you got for your money. If you were overweight, you wouldn't say "but I can't lose weight, I spent so much money on food!"

As for the not sure hobbies, maybe plan a day to make some soap and see how you feel about it?

CM, are there paths in all the space where you live, originally just your personal space? I'm glad you're getting a nice break cat sitting! Labor Day sounds like a good goal if it isn't too hot.

I have always had a lot of books. I can't imagine not having a lot of books. But last year for the first time I can remember I got them all on shelves.

Right now there are about 30 stacked sideways on top of each other instead of shelved correctly, but that iartly because I have fewer shelves than I used to.

The cabinets came for the addition, but the painting isn't done.

Very busy all day today with out of the house things. My friend is leaving today also.

Cm, I hear you on the books. I got rid of 20 boxes of books. It was tough. Of my nancy drew books (some from the 30s) I kept only two. It was very very hard to get rid of my books. So many first editions , many signed by the authors, all gone. I kept only maybe 200 books. I am lucky I that I love my kindle. It really does fhe trick for me. No new books into the house. I don't really like library books anymore because I like to read in bed and I don't want the dirty book in the bed with me.

Hellooo MsHope! Happy for the check in! Great work! I know it's tough to decide on project materials. It feels like giving up on a dream. I remember thinking the same thing/-no wonder I'm in debt! I did ultimately get rid of my yarn and knitting needles. I'm just not convinced I'll be knitting again. Right now I'm being tripped up by 'treasures' stuff that doesn't fit in a category, just stuff I like. So difficult to decide which things I've loved enough. I look at each piece and think, well it's only one piece. But in fact, it's hundreds of pieces. I don't have a good answer for it.

Suddenly I'm not felling well. Must go. Have been having health problems but haven't seen dr. I'm very uncomfortable.

Hi all,

It's nice to read down a little and see that other people still struggle with the process of hoarding. I have cleaned out my house a huge degree this past year. Now, I am in the process of going through bins of my hobbies in my garage. I am realizing how much money and materials I have wasted. No wonder I am in debt! I find so many different packs of beads, glues, papers, and other items that I "saved"...I'm struggling with the question: "Will I go back to these hobbies?"

I've been having fun using up my old oil paints. For many tubes, I just cut them open with scissors and squeeze out the paint and use it up. Some of these paints are over 20 years old.

I do have the space to neatly store these supplies in my basement. However, I'm not sure I ever will make candles or soap again. Yet, maybe I will. I guess this is part of the process. I have a ton of collage items for mixed media art. It is basically worthless, but to me it feels like gold.

Hope everyone is having a good day and taking it one day at a time. When I started, I never thought I would get this far. I'm also done spending or going to craft stores. I have three more debts to pay off and I'm good to go.

Popping in

I've been cat sitting. In the friends' 3,000 sq. ft. house. It is SO nice to be able to walk ACROSS a room instead of threading through it and sidestepping piles of stuff. Such a good reminder for me that when I get a place of my own, I want SPACE. Barring a miracle, I won't have a 3,000 sq. ft. place, either, so this is going to take some planning and work. However, since it's off in the more distant future, I shall concentrate on decluttering what's in front of me in the present day.

The slideshow at Cory's event the other day showed pictures of people who have tons of books. I hope my books will be manageable when I get that place of my own. I've gotten rid of some, but I'll always be a book lover. Trying to use the library more, and wishing I liked electronic books as much as I do "dead tree books." Sigh.

Back to the cat sitting - it's so quiet over there, too. I have taken naps two days in a row. Last week was hectic, lots of running hither and yon, and with my brain's annoying propensity to have lengthy weird disturbing dreams in the hours before I wake in the morning, once again nap sleep is so restorative because I wake before dreams begin. Best of all - I get a KITTY to lie on the sofa with me. All those cats (3) are very affectionate.

I made progress on my quilt last week and am still going. The big rows are all sewn, and now I do the embroidery on the little squares for the rows between. Hoping that will go quickly. It's going to be so satisfying when I can take the finished quilt top to the church guild and say "Here she is!" They've seen some of the work in progress, but there's nothing like the big reveal.

So many things for me have been stop and start, and I have spent so much time bogged down. Whether it's fun stuff or tedious stuff. This decluttering is helping me focus, even though I've a long way to go.

Awhile back I had been thinking about setting a date for the moving of the storage unit. I'm wondering about Labor Day weekend. More on that later.

SubC--love the plan for the addition and love the expression for your heart daughter. You will find a place for your dolls. The teenaged girl staying with you sounds so lovely. Actually, your whole lifestyle sounds so lovely. You have so much going on and you manage it so well! Keep up the good work!

Getting ready for work.

Have a great day, everyone! Iced tea clinks!