Karl, I admire your frugality, but it wouldn't work for me. I mark up my calendars with appointments, events I want to go to, birthdays with the age the child will be, etc.
Do whatever works for you.

LR: I love your song lyrics. Pete Seeger's Step by Step has been a favorite of mine. I have a hard time discarding clothing, too. When they wear out it is like losing an old friend. I replaced my worn out waterproof hiking shoes this week and am breaking in the new ones for my trip but have yet to throw out the old ones. I remember hiking the Columbian gorge in them and viewing the beautiful hidden waterfalls. I still have the photos. it's time to let the shoes go.

I started reading Buried Treasures this week on Kindle. I took the Hoarding and Clutter quiz today. I came out much better than I thought I would. Although the clutter score is in the severe range, the activities of daily living, living conditions, and safety scores all fall in the mild range. That means I still manage to function in my home regardless of the clutter. The scale applies to the last week only. Last fall, I would not have scored as high. So I am making progress and that is a good thing.

One observation struck me.. The authors say that people who hoard have difficulty putting their own items in big categories. It is not that we are unable to put things in categories but that we over-categorize. In other words, when we sort we subcategorize too much.
This is true! My spice rack has meat and stew spices on the top row, baking spices are on the bottom row, etc. Each spice has a specific slot. All my soups are in a specific section of canned goods. Fruits in one. Vegetables in another. No wonder putting away groceries takes up so much time! I've noticed that when my sister shops she just loads everything onto her pantry shelves wherever there is an empty space. No fuss. No bother.
I don't think I am ever going to change. But it does give me some insight into how and why I do the things I do.
Have a great Thursday everyone.

Barb: I like that you have a vision in your mind of what your place will look like again at some point. I need to constantly hear that reminder: step by step. Hey, I just thought of a new song. I remember the old song, "Step by step, row by row . . .gonna make this garden grow . . . ." Maybe I'll go around singing, "Step by step, fast or slow . . . gonna make this clutter go . . . ."

Tillie: You said, "Sometimes things have been around the house & in our lives for so long that the thought of tossing them out just simply never occurs to us. HaHaHa" So true! I find I have "strange vision" when it comes to my clutter. For example, I often find that even though something in front of me is obviously worn out or faded, my mind often sees it the way it used to be. Sometimes it takes me a bit to step back, look at it, and say, "Wow, that's really, ahem, past its prime now." I'm glad I was able to do that with some clothes recently and chunk them. (They were so old, thin, and ragged that no self-respecting person shopping at Goodwill would have wanted them.) In the past, for some reason, I would never have dreamed of throwing away an item of clothing! So. yea for progress.

I had so many things to consider working on during this rainy morning that I was having trouble setting my goals, so I put each task I thought about on an index card and just drew a card out of the "deck." Result: to work on clutter in my bedroom for about an hour. So I did that. I also added to my gratitude list and did a little bit of work in my BIT book.

Now it's not raining, and I am planning to do some outside work at that rural area I've mentioned. On the way, I plan to pick up a notebook to use to organize some paperwork.

Hugs to all.

Good morning :)
Been up since before 5:00am.
Not because I wanted to be up but the cats said so.

Hi LR2014 :)
WAY TO GO!!! Keeping on track! :D
Sometimes things have been around the house & in our lives for so long that the thought of tossing them out just simply never occurs to us. HaHaHa
This is why it's important to take a few seconds on every article and ask ourselves "WHY???".
Especially the stuff that we have seen every day, year in and year out, until we really don't see it any more even though it's right there in front of us.

Hi Karl :)
Happy you finally got an answer as to what's wrong with the phone there. :D

Hi Roxie :)
You have been doing a fantastic job keeping up with the daily maintenance! :D
Make sure to get more rest and take care of yourself. (((HUGS)))

Hi Barb :)
WTG! for mowing the grass! :D
Try putting up a reminder for the night before trash day and getting the can out then.
It will be so nice for you coming home to a clear & clean entry, kitchen and livingroom. :)

I have a load of linens out drying on the clothes line.
Soon as I post this I will be outside watering the trees, bushes and flowers.
When that's all done must shower & wash my hair to remove all the pollen.
Need to do some work in the kitchen.
Tomorrow another storm is predicted and today is the only nice day we are having this whole week.
I plan not to waste any of this day cleaning inside. :D

Everybody have a wonderful time today. :D

Good morning, all.
Hi Tille, I hope your allergies are better. Remember to keep yourself hydrated as medication increases that need. I thought of you as I was sneezing and dripping while I mowed the grass.
Roxie: I appreciate your posts and additions to the gratitude list. I hope you continue to do well.
LR: You are making great progress. I hope you are having a good day.
Diane: Whew! Your window project sounds ambitious. I hope you find what you need. You are very resourceful and I am sure you will find a way to make it work. I am going to wait until it is consistently warmer to wash my windows and redo the screens. Two need replacing and one needs repair. It is in the high 40s today. That's a little brisk to have the house open.
Karl: I'm glad you tracked down your phone problem. My experience is that phone through the computer can be a little glitchy, but you are more computer savvy than I am.

I did get the lawn mowed yesterday. I trimmed the front and side yards but not the back. There are weeds and vines that need to be taken out in back, but that will wait for later in the week.
Today I am focusing on the inside. I have decided to spend an hour in each room. First the kitchen, then the entry, then the living room. By then it will be lunch time and I will need a break to regroup. I have some paperwork to complete and get in the mail.
I forgot to put the toter out for the trash men this morning. It is half full. I do have another garbage can with a lid in the garage I can use if I fill the toter before next week.
I want to put on a "full court press" to get as much accomplished as I can before my trip. I'll take it day by day.
Back in the old days, I used to thoroughly clean my house before a trip so it would be clean and welcoming when I returned. I will get there again one of these days. I have a vision in my mind of what that looks like. For now, my goal is to have a clean entry, kitchen, and bathroom to come home to. Step by step.

Roxie: I'm glad you're able to "finger" a few lines for us each day. It's so good to hear from you.

Karl: Good to hear about your progress on the phone situation.

Me: I eventually did my goals for yesterday. I was very tempted to put it off that dusting task I mentioned and do it on some other day. However, since I had posted it as a goal and had no truly good reason for not doing it, I eventually did it. (Yea for the message board!)

I am still working on my goals for today, but two of them will definitely be adding to my gratitude list and working some more in my new book. FYI, I just posted something on the "Why do you hoard?" thread that I wrote the other day after going through some things in my filing cabinet. In case you read it: I really did run across a very cute 1988 calendar . . . and I did chunk it. But there was certainly some debate in my head at first.

Have a good day, everyone!

Tillie: Glad to hear you did get some sleep.

Diane: I know it will be nice to have your windows clean and looking the way you want them to.

OK, now for my goals for the rest of today: Spend a maximum of 30 minutes cleaning up from the "aftermath" of this morning's maintenance work. (I can go overboard with that, so I have to watch my time on that.) Spend at least 15 minutes each on the goals I didn't get to yesterday. Add to my gratitude list. Inspired by many of your posts, spend 15 minutes dusting a specific certain area that hasn't been dusted in a while (understatement).

Have a good day, all.

WAY TO GO!!!! Diane :D
Try breaking the whole project up into do-able sizes and not burn out trying to do all that hard work too fast.
Set the timer to remind you to take breaks and eat & drink. (((hugs)))

After Tillie said she was going to wash screens and windows when she feels better, I thought, I should do that.
In old trailers, screens are screwed on in the inside. I have never taken them off because they wouldnt turn with the huge paint build up. There are 3 panels glass on a roll out thing, really old, most don't work, so have never been able to wash inside of windows or screen. Well today I beat the paint off the screws, used electric drill to unscrew them, power tools do what I am unable to do with hand tools. Well storm windows are in one pile and screens are in another stack. 4 windows in living room and dining room took almost 3 hours to get it all off. Well the inside of windows have warped unfinished wood, filthy dirty. with ragged or no insulation. It is an all day job and I am already exhausted. I am going to make a shake now and go sit outside. Then will haul all storm windows and screens out to wash filth off. Will wash inside of windows, and wood then paint wood. When I took off the screens off, it had blue and white wall paper that the place was covered with when new. It ripped around edges so have to decide what to do with that, whether to spackle it or just paint as is. It is painted a light tan, think light sage green would be even nicer. I also found that windows do not fit flush with frame. I would really like new used windows that work. I may take a trip to habitat restore to see if they happen to have that size, especially for the one with a broken window panel. Will measure exactly and pray for a replacement window. I took all valances down, not sure if they will be tossed or washed and rehung. It looks bigger in here without them. They do keep cold out in winter a little and heat out in summer. But with gaps in window really just need some double pained windows. These windows are from 1967, single pain, gaps between and very thin old glass. Enough already. Just wanted to say my goal today is to clean windows, screens, sills and paint.

Hi Everybody :D

Hi Diane :)
Sounds like you had a very good balance between work projects, daily maintenance, eating properly, enjoyable activities and rest & relaxation. WAY TO GO! :D
I guess there is still too much stuff in that bedroom, causing you frustration with the slow progress. An hour though spent in there is GREAT and little step by little step it will get to where you are satisfied with the room. (((hugs))) :)

Hi Karl :)
WAY TO GO! making more progress on straightening out the storage. :D
My fingers are crossed that soon you will locate that computer equipment. ;)

Happy Birthday Roxie :D
Such FANTASTIC accomplishments you are making.

Hi LR2014 :)
Good luck getting those maintenance problems fixed properly and fast. :D
P.S. just saw you posted while I was composing. Yes, I did get some sleep last night. TY :)

Hi Barb :)
Great! you got the mower back! :D
Enjoy the calm before the next storm.

The winds finally calmed down sometime last night.
Still cold today but is supposed to warm up by tomorrow before the next storm blows in for Friday.
Planning to get out and water tomorrow.
Didn't get rain here. :(
Just all that wind.
My teeny tiny doll house resides on top of a small antique chest of drawers in my room.
Around the doll house is a teeny tiny white picket fence with an old fashioned gas style street light out front, operates by battery.
After dark I walked into my room and saw the light was on!
The cats can't get up there, that's why I have the picket fence, and I haven't had the light on for months now.
That was FUN! :D
My big extra fancy Iris has but up a lot of flower stalks.
The house needs a good deep cleaning now to get all the dust.
If the wind storms are finished, that will be my plan for next week.
This week I haven't done much except reading and crafts and naps. :D

Have a wonderful Wednesday everybody. :)

OK, the earlier maintenance problem is fixed for now. (Still have some cleanup leftover to do from that, but the problem itself is fixed.) Yea!

Barb: Happy lawn mowing! (I happen to like to mow, usually.) Thanks for the inspiration to get winter gear ready for next year.

Tillie: I hope you feel better today than yesterday and were able to get some decent sleep last night.

Diane: You continue to inspire me with all the work you are getting done! Glad you are enjoying your kitchen so much!

Karl: Nice that you were able to get a lot done at the storage unit!

Roxie: I'm glad you were feeling well enough to get all that done yesterday. I continue to hope that you get all the rest and relaxation you need.

I will probably post my daily goals later. As always, one of them will be to add to my gratitude list.

Happy day to all.

Good morning, everyone.
I picked up the mower yesterday and filled the gas can. Today I need to mow. It is supposed to rain tomorrow.
When I'm done, I'll need to shower and head to the grocery store.
Have a great day!

Good morning, all, and happy birthday to Roxie!

I haven't read the recent posts as carefully as I usually do, but I hope to do that later in the day. My schedule is a bit "different" this morning.

As I mentioned to those who were able to make the chat last night, my "yesterday" didn't go at all as planned. The only posted goal I got done was to add to my gratitude list.

Early in the morning yesterday, I discovered a new maintenance issue I had to report to the office and deal with, and that took up much of the day. I did end up going to the Laundromat and doing laundry, which wasn't on my original list. Still have some of it that needs to be put away this morning. (At least it's all washed and dried.) Then after the chat last night, I discovered water backing up into a sink. Ugh. Maintenance people are now scheduled to come early this morning to deal with that, and I need to get off the computer soon for that.

More later! Hugs to all.

The sun came out today but it is very windy and cold out. I did fill a large garbage bag with junk today. Found more donations too. Ate healthy food. Did glue rocks together today.
Yesterday had very heavy rain and had a repeat leak in between the walls in big bedroom. Back up on roof today searched for problem area. Hopefully I figured it out and repaired it, although no area appeared to have a weak part. It will rain all week so will have plenty of time to find leaks, although I am very tired of dealing with repairs of roof. Was grateful no leak in kitchen so plan to replace the trim now that I know it appears to be fixed.
Worked on organizing bedroom for about an hour today. Really did not enjoy it, but see progress.
Kitchen has remained clean and I enjoy it so much.
Took table down that had junk on it in living room, glue gun etc.
I had a good day and enjoyed reading all of your posts.
Tillie, no lilacs open yet, I patrol bushes 3 or 4 times a day hoping to sniff some lilac. I did take a break and lay on lounger in sun in a protected area, so was warm enough with lots of clothes on.
Hope all is well and cats let you sleep tonight.

Good morning :)

Hi Diane :)
WAY TO GO!!!
for all you accomplished but most of all for stopping when you noticed you were tired and treating yourself to a nice rest with tea & treats!!! :D
YEA!!! for doing the toaster and being rewarded with a check! :D

Hi LR2014 :)
GREAT! to hear you are working through "Buried In Treasures"!
Looking forward to discussions here about thoughts and feelings about the book. :D
Keep up this GREAT! progress you are making! :D

Hi Karl :)
Happy you located some pay phones. Not an easy quest these days. ;)
Keeping my fingers crossed that your phone problems get straightened out soon.
Usually by the time the holiday candy reaches 75% off all the really good stuff is gone.

Hi Roxie :)
BIG WAY TO GO!!! :D
Wonderful that you were able to do this tidying up.
Wishing you a cheerful day. :)

Hi Barb :)
Call the business and ask them what is the best way to access the place to pick up the mower.
WAY TO GO!!! for getting the winter wear all ready for next year! :D

Well...
The winds howled all night long.
The cats all freaked out and fussed with each other all night, keeping my sleep disrupted.
Winds still going strong this morning and it's very dark and cloudy.
Allergies are smothering me and I have a pain in my head.
Oh Well, Anyways...
my plan for today is to play at whatever I fancy.
Will probably take a nap.
Good day to just hold up inside here and wait out the storm.
I have food and teas and books and art/craft projects to keep my mind occupied.

HAPPY EARTH DAY! :D

Good morning, all and Happy Earth Day!

Frank Kitty woke me a 5 demanding to be fed immediately. It's still dark at 5 and I was NOT ready to get up.

The mower is ready to pick up today. I will have to figure out how to get there as I noticed the road in front of the shop was closed yesterday. The warmer weather is greening up the grass and it will be ready to have the first mowing before the end of the week.

Yeah, Tillie on getting coats ready for next winter. I washed my coat and jean jacket yesterday. I also stored away the gloves, hats and scarves. Last year when it was time to wear winter outerwear, I had not gotten them laundered from the previous year. So I am doing better.

Roxie, I'm glad you're feeling better. Remember to pace yourself and don't overdo.

Good morning!

Diane: I'm with you . . . mornings are easier for me to focus. I've also found I tend to have more "courage" in the morning. If there is a task that has the potential to be particularly challenging for me emotionally, I myself am often more likely to get it done in the morning than later in the day.

Karl: Hope all goes well with the phone line repair.

Roxie: I have the impression that you're feeling a bit better than yesterday. Glad you're able to get things done, but I also hope you are able to give yourself plenty of needed R and R. FYI, I read your gratitude posts each day. Thanks for posting there so consistently.

Me: I hit the sack extra early last night and got lots of sleep. I decided my body probably needed it, so I didn't stress out too much about not getting one of my goals for yesterday finished.

Goals for today: Add to my gratitude list, look over my plans for the week that I started working on yesterday and check off completed items, do more reading/work in my BIT (Buried in Treasures) book, and spend a minimum of thirty minutes going through and dealing with paperwork.

Have a great day, everyone.

LR thanks for talking about papers. I gathered up all papers I need to go through, then decided I would do it tomorrow am since mornings are so much easier for me to stay focused. I will set timer and see if I can get through them all. I went out in garage to look for things to toss for Friday. It was still a bit overwhelming, did go through some stuff and found some junk. Either a cat or person had been in there and knocked a bunch of stuff off of a shelf, that had been organized. I will let it be a cat so I don't freak out about a person doing it.
Then I went in big bedroom that is still unusable, I was frustrated with all the excess. I worked as long as I could, then told myself I did a great job in the kitchen this morning and that out weighed the stuff I have not done. I appreciated reading LR s comments about job reviews. Have to find the positive.
Tillie the sun never came out here either and the wind was brutal today;, very gloomy. Hope tomorrow will be better tillie.

Tillie: Hope you get the vacation you mentioned. Wishing you a good evening.

Diane: Fun story about the check!

Me: I've worked on all my posted goals except one. Didn't work on the organizing-the-paperwork part. Was feeling mildly under the weather. Took a nap in early evening. Running dishwasher now, and shortly I plan to go back to sleep. I'm hoping that (as you said, Tillie), tomorrow will be a better day. I did do some written work related to exercises in Buried in Treasures. I may try to post some of it somewhere someday, because I'd be interested in knowing if any of you relate to one of the issues I wrote about.

As for goals for today, I mentioned my filing cabinets. I once used them well and frequently, but a lot of things in them got disorderly years ago when they got moved to where they are now. I never did "unscramble them" (had other priorities at the time), and as a result, I never really returned to using them in an effective way. Working on dejunking them is providing much more room in them, and I'm at the point where it would be fairly easy (perhaps not fast, but easy.not stressful) to put the contents back in proper order.

One experience I had today as I was "dejunking" those cabinets made me think of Diane's kitchen/check story. Can't say that I ran across a check, but I did run across a copy of an old performance review from a job I had, a review that was very positive. First, it was an ego boost to reread it. Second, in the type of work I've done in the past, these performance reviews can actually provide helpful information to potential future employers in that field. It was especially good (and ego-boosting) to find that particular one, one that had the signature of a specific former boss. Finding more documents like that and getting them together in one spot could be helpful in future job searches.

Hugs and happy evening to all.

Well,
the sun never did shine today and then the wind started up again.
Never did find any motivation to do housework.
Did wash my down jacket and will store it away after it dries completely. Plan to not need to wear it again till next Autumn.
Finished reading a Stephen King book borrowed from my neighbor's vast home library. :)
Then I took a nap.
Senseless to dust in here with the wind blowing every day. Might rain/snow tonight.
Had fish sticks and french fries for dinner with malt vinegar on them.
Looking forward to bed time now.
Tomorrow will probably be better. :)

Good morning, almost noon to all.
Tillie, thanks for the flower description. Roxie, surgery is a shock to your body, as are pain pills, both can make you feel glum. When feeling bad it is difficult to remember things will get better, but they always seem to.
Chat helped me so much, especially listening to people working on or living with cluttered kitchens. This morning at 7am started on dishes, finished all dishes. Divided up pot of soup into freezer bags as well as the rest in smaller pan. Washed all that stuff. Cleaned counters and stove top.
Pulled out refrigerator and cabinet and cleaned behind them. Dusted off all coils on refrig. back.
No dead mice back there this time. Have done this 2 times now since starting on this site. Had never been done the previous 17 years.
Started cleaning floor at 9:30, realized I was too tired and actually stopped. Made tea and treat, and relaxed a little.
I cleaned behind toaster. Told myself, you don't use it, it will be clean from last time. Well I wanted to complete kitchen so pulled it out. It was clean But there was a $75 check I had not cashed from dog sitting a month ago. I did not remember cashing it, but couldn't find it. When I asked woman a few weeks ago, she said she didn't know if it was cashed, so just assumed I cashed it. I was so happy to find it, what a great reward for completing the kitchen.
I would like to finish the kitchen floor after lunch. It is supposed to rain the rest of the week so even though it is very windy and cloudy today, want to get out and see what I can find for garbage.
In chat last night, listening about paper piles, I remembered someone told me years ago to just put all the stuff you can't decide on, just put in a bin, by the time you get to it, it will all need to be tossed, so would like to toss a bin today. Also plan to pack up all little piles of papers, bills, info, bank, receipts, receipts for tools, sprayer, that are in living room and sort, file, pay a couple of bills. Thank goodness for chat, got me focused with a list today

Good morning :)

Hi Diane :)
Hope your lilacs are blooming for you. :D
My wild yellow rose bushes started to bloom. One perfect, heavenly scented bloom greeted me this morning. Talking with a long time neighbor when I first moved in here, I learned those roses were brought here by the first woman back when they were "home steading" the property.
Making a short to-do list and setting the timer should help keep you from hyper focusing on the small stuff. Or put on some music and only work at the task till one to three songs have played.
Anyways, that is what Cory taught me. :)
Make sure to plan some "ME TIME". Get out and about away from the work this week. (((hugs)))

Hi LR2014 :)
Keep up this GREAT start you have been doing! :D

Hi Karl :)
WAY TO GO!!! :D

Hi Roxie :)
Happy you slept well. :D
It is hard work healing and takes how ever much time it takes.
Be kind to yourself as you would be to anyone else. (((hugs)))

Hi Barb :)
WAY TO GO!!! :D
for all your planning and preparing.
YEA!!! that you took off time yesterday! :D

Got up early and started watering the grass.
Now need to decide what I will do today.
Want to just sit and read and then maybe sew a bit.
Need to do some general maintenance type cleaning.
Want the windows washed but don't feel up to that job today.
Think I need a vacation.
Might go out later in the afternoon and water some other stuff, Idunno.
Anyways...
will scoop littlr boxes, fresh water, fill kibble bowls.
Will see what else gets done, or not, today. :D

Barb: Sounds like you have a lot of good planning going on.

Karl: Glad you're getting settled in!

Roxie: Again. lots of hugs.

My goals for today: Add to my gratitude list, work on my written plan for this week, spend 10 minutes going through old files to find things to add to my shred pile, pay some bills, spend time organizing some paperwork.

Have a great day, everyone.

Roxie: I'm sorry you're feeling glum. I guarantee you've already been useful today, because you've brightened my day already. Lots of hugs.

Good morning, all.
Yesterday, I focused on celebrating Easter.
I also made out my packing list for my trip and am evaluating what items and clothing I really need. I try to keep it to essential items only as I will have only a fanny pack and carry on. I used to travel a lot and kept my toiletry bag packed and hanging on a hook in the bedroom closet. I have refilled the travel size containers with fresh products.
I am going to start packing clothing this week. Some things (like my extra pair of shoes) will have to be added the day before. But packing most things in the suitcase ahead of time will keep those items neat and clean. A dryer sheet inside will keep it fresh. I am also keeping my itinerary, parking pass, and other documents in the side pocket of the suitcase so they don't get misplaced.
Today:
1. Pick up dog waste from the yard.
2. 1 load of laundry: sorted, washed, dried and put away
3. General maintenance in the kitchen.
4. Begin decluttering entry again. (Two boxes of personal items from retirement are still there.)
Reward: do my nails.
Whether you are energetic and hopeful or reflective and quiet today, I wish you all well. We will conquer the clutter. Step by step, goal by goal, item by item.

Diane: I hope today feels less lonely. Hugs. Hope the new sprayer works out well for you. One of the things I need to do in the upcoming week is work on "driveway weeds," so I'll be thinking about you when I do it. : )

Tillie: Enjoy your reading and your candy and any other positive stuff you have planned. Bummer about the dust, after all that work!

Goals for today: As I already stated, I plan to add to my gratitude list. I also plan to read some in my book I purchased on Thursday, to be at the chat tonight, and to spend at least 20 minutes on some general cleaning/straightening. This being a holiday, I am not making major dejunking/cleaning plans for the day.

Tillie, your lilacs sound so wonderful. Mine are still just buds, watered them well yesterday, maybe they will open today. Your yard sounds like such fun with easter bunnies etc. and blinders for the junk.
I made "to do" lists through Wednesday, then forgot and just realized that is why I am jumping from thing to thing. Several times yesterday I asked myself what is most important to do now, so watered etc.
My goal today is to do all the dishes, make soup, clear off more unessential things off deck including a huge heavy ladder. Do one load laundry and hang.
This morning I sorted all paint brushes, rollers, pads, then realized I need to focus on essentials, and stop doing things that don't accomplish my goals of reclaiming entire deck. It is looking so much better, worked on junk on deck all week. Did go into Bend and got $200 worth of food on the day it rained, Thursday I think. So now have a great supply of my favorites.
I bought a backpack weed sprayer, since my yard I don't use and driveway are huge and full of weeds. I thought the sign said $49, then got home and saw it was $79, haven't opened it yet thought maybe needed a coupon, already though away coupon book. I guess in reality it is worth 80 to be able to take care of yard much quicker. It is 4 gallon and very manageable with the straps, and has a wider spray than 1 gallon sprayer, and I almost got it last year. Things like this really throw me for a loop, and off track. My property is 1/2 acre, so is really time consuming with small sprayer, help!!!
Yesterday I experienced loneliness for the first time in ages, told friends I would call them back in a few weeks when I got caught up on projects, they called last time, maybe a week to 10 days. ago. I think my projects will never end, and I have to make time for friends. So afraid of doing or saying something that will end friendship, find it easier to hide, then was surprised to feel loneliness. Enough already. Now will read all your posts, See you at 5pm

Good morning :)
I've been eating candy :D
Also been doing computer maintenance stuff like downloading & installing updates and deleting cookies and temporary browsing history and now doing disc defragmentation.
When this is all done I will check to make sure I can still get into chat.
Soon I will get dressed.
That is all I have planned for today.
Will probably read a bit.
Winds were really blowing hard yesterday and I hope they don't start up again. Right now it's just breezy.
Everything in the house now has a thick coating of dust, even the kitchen counter I wiped down last night.
The lilacs are so beautiful, heavy with blooms and you can smell them even inside the house. :)
At night the yard fills up with teeny tiny baby cotton tail bunnies. The Owls are eating well.
Haven't seen any snakes yet this year. Happy we have so many Gopher snakes residing here because due to the drought, Rattle snakes have been seen moving in to residential areas. The Gopher snakes help keep them away, a territorial thing.
Have killed a lot of yellow jacket wasps that had started to build nests around the house, especially under the eaves.
Weed & feed took care of the dandylions in the lawn and now the grass is green and recovering from it's winter sleep.

"Hi" to all who posted :D
"Hi" to all who just read :D
Special "Hi" to all we miss hearing from. :D

Happy Easter. :)

Good morning, everyone!

Karl: Glad you able to find a way to get to and from the party! See you at the chat tonight, I hope.

Barb: Hope your plants end up being OK. I get the feeling of discouragement about the "multitude of tasks." About three years ago, I was really, really discouraged about that sort of thing. I just couldn't imagine all the tasks I needed to deal with ever getting done. I sent myself this text: "It's gonna get done." It wasn't as much a statement of determination as it was of faith and hope. I kept that message on my phone, and rereading (and rereading it and rereading it over time) helped me a lot with the discouragement, for some reason. It's been interesting how many of the tasks have gotten done since then, and some by means of help I never would have expected. Hugs as you deal with yours.

Tillie: Hope you enjoyed your day yesterday.

Roxie: Glad you're able to keep posting! Continuing to think about you!

I was able to do my posted goals for yesterday. I was pleased to find that it didn't take me as long to "get my clothing items together" (see earlier post) as I had thought it might. Turns out that I actually at one point in time had actually "organized" those needed items and they were already all together in one place! (What a concept!)

My plans for today are a tiny bit up in the air because of an illness in my extended family. Nothing life-threatening, just possibly schedule-changing. More than likely, I will be home and available for the chat tonight. One for-sure goal is to add to my gratitude list.

Have a great day, everyone!

Great to hear from everybody. I am really glad that you are able to post, Roxie; so good to get updates from you.

Am on the run, so I'll save comments for another time. Hugs to all.

I'm learning I'd better post some goals every day. Yesterday, I didn't post my goal of adding to my gratitude list, and I didn't add to it.


Goals for today: Add to my gratitude list, spend time with friends, get clothing items together to wear for a special event tomorrow (instead of scrambling tomorrow morning to get them together, as can sometimes be my habit).


Wishing you all a good day.

Happy Easter weekend, everyone.
Roxie: so glad to see your gratitude posts everyday. It must be difficult for you to peck it out after your surgery. I hope you are doing well today and will be able to be pain free soon.
Tillie; I always look forward to your posts. You manage to get things done every day and encourage the rest of us to keep at it.
LR: Enjoy the weekend. You have been working hard and deserve to focus on celebrating.

It is 67 and sunny today so I am going to work a little outside cleaning up the backyard.
The new floor mats look great in the kitchen. I'll see how easy they are to keep clean and how long they last. At least I won't have to shake out rugs and run them through the washer.
When I went to spritz my little seedlings with water this morning, I saw that one of my housemates had knocked them out of the window. I don't know how many are left as they have not yet started to sprout. I may have to start over with a new batch.
Yesterday, I got really discouraged at the overwhelming number of tasks I have left to do. But I can't let that stop me. I have to keep plugging away at it every day.
I got my roommate assignment for my Albuquerque trip. It's going to be good for me to get away from this house for a little while.
Have a joyful and peaceful Easter weekend.

Good morning everybody :)

Miss hearing from those who have gone silent :(

My plans for today.....
Do nothing, go nowhere.

Wishing you all some fun today. :D

Roxie, so glad to hear from you after your surgery. Best wishes for your recovery.

Tillie, you indicated you have an "itch" to declutter after seeing your other half's stuff. Too bad you don't live close by me. I'd love to have you around to help "scratch out" some of my clutter! : ) Thanks for the Good Friday wishes.

Barb, I read your posts on the spirituality thread and have benefited from them. Looking forward to reading more of them.

I didn't post any goals today, but I did have a plan and followed it. Nothing elaborate. Worked some more on cleaning out my vehicle, met a friend for lunch, got some more paperwork into the mail, and touched base with the management on an ongoing maintenance problem I'm having. The latter part is really good for me, because in the past I might have just put up with it or might have delayed reporting the issue.

I probably won't get much decluttering done this weekend because of special holiday activities and other special scheduled events. I have two pretty full days ahead.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Good morning :)

Hi Roxie :)
Thank you for letting us know how you are.
Happy the surgery is all over with now.
Take care and heal well now. (((hugs)))

Hi Barb :)

Hi LR2014 :)
YEA!!! WAY TO GO!!! for buying Buried In Treasures! :D

My plans for today are few and simple.
Wash some dishes, wash my hair.
As always, cat related tasks like scoop litter boxes, fresh water and filled kibble bowls.
We sent a lot of time outside yesterday then all the cats went inside and took long naps.
Want to find some things to donate to the charity thrift shop. Keep looking around through everything but not having much luck finding anything much to donate.
Living with and looking at all his stuff makes me want to declutter but I can't declutter his stuff and all my stuff has already been evaluated, sorted and organized.
I have to be careful because some years ago I had reduced all my stuff down to just the bare minimum and I was not happy living like a refugee with owning nothing much.

Happy Good Friday! :D

Roxie: I'm glad your surgery went well. Take care of yourself.

Hi, all. Thanks for the "forgiving" spirit (re. yesterday's post). In case you don't know, that was only one goof from yesterday. When I went back later in the day to post my day's goals, I first started reading something on another thread. Then I accidentally posted my goals for yesterday on that thread instead of posting them here. I'm glad that one of my goals for yesterday was to not criticize myself!

Barb, after all that hard work you've been doing, I can only imagine the feeling of coming home to the Great Kitty Caper. I confess that I couldn't help but chuckle at the image of them doing all that mischief, but I'm sorry you had to deal with the aftermath of it!

Tillie, I like the image of your blooms doing "the wave." I do hope you feel better soon.

I already did laundry and a few other things this morning. My "biggie" for the day so far is that I bought a copy of "Buried in Treasures." I'd heard many of you speak well of it. I'm finding that it is "out of stock" at most of the bookstores around here (and I'm near a big metropolitan area), so getting my hands on a copy was no small feat (and now that bookstore is out of stock as well, since I bought the last one they had). Yes, I know I could have ordered it online, but I wanted one in hand.soon.

Goals for the rest of the day: Add to my gratitude list, put away the laundry, and continue to work on cleaning out my vehicle.

Have a good day, all.

Hi :)

Hi Roxie (((HUGS))) :D

Hi LR2014 :)
We all make posting mistakes. Even though this message board is not forgiving (we can't edit) the readers here are all very forgiving. ;)

Hi Barb :)
What fun! Watching the seedlings grow in their tiny pots. :D
Life without our fur babies would be miserable, sad and lonely. But they can be exasperating at times. LOL :D
Good luck with your plans for today and WAY TO GO! for doing enjoyable activities. :D

Hi Everybody!!! :D

Thanks for the well wishes. :)
Still having to lay low.
My lilac hedge blooms in a wave, starting at one end and moving along the line to the other end.
I keep a fresh sprig inside here in a small glas of water.
So many wonderful memories of Granma and me together are brought up fresh and true by the scent and sight of lilacs.
My plans for today are for me & the cats to get outside once it warms up a little and enjoy the fresh air & sunshine together.
The cats usually don't stay out very long. I come in to find them all napping in their favorite spots. Silly animals. :)

Have a GREAT Thursday everybody! :D

Good morning, all.
Hope you feel better soon, Tillie.
I'll be thinking of you, Roxie, as you go through your surgery praying all goes smoothly.
LR, that's OK. It added a bit of humor to our day.
Karl, I'm glad you are getting out and about for events.

Well, yesterday did not go well for me. The return of winter weather had me feeling sluggish and achy.
I have to start back in the kitchen again this morning. I let the dishes pile up. While I was at the grocery store, the dogs got into the garbage and spread it all over the floor. They cannot open the cabinet to get to the bin, so I know Frank Kitty, who is adept at opening cabinet doors, was in on the caper. A new box of scouring pads was opened and I am finding them all over the house. I am sure they looked like some kind of new cat toys to him.
I took my little boy dog to an obedience class last night and he did very well. I needed to be out with other people who enjoy the same activities that I do. That put me in a better attitude to begin today.
The trash men picked up what was in the toter, so I can begin filling it again.
My reward today is planting the tomato and tomatilla seeds in their little peat pots. I will cover them with a dome and place them in a sunny window.

Just saw your post, Tillie. Hope you feel better soon! I like your idea about "talking back" to those negative voices from the past. Helpful concept.