Good morning!

Happy equinox!

Lila, I believe you can do this! Look at your amazing success with the dog treats!

I bet you can find something in the garage you can handle. Or try a junk drawer. Or your smallest size clothes - is there something that just didn't work that well when it fit? Believe you will find better when you are ready for it.

It sound like you have fun times planned with your littles.

I get Bean two days next week - Monday and Tuesday. His Daddy has something going on Tuesday morning.

Today I am still resting from my shot. I slept almost ten hours last night. So far all I have done is read, do chores, and eat breakfast. I need to make a fee$ store run, and I might go to a craft fair this afternoon (and drop off some donations on the way)

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

post 2-

update: I asked Son to help me by seeing what remotes go to what devices. Then I donated the last 3 remotes into the donate box. Finally. I also donated an empty but nice cookie tin that was sitting on the table.

I am at 559/1000 items gone from my home this year since February. The goals is 1000 items in a year. I have gotten a bit behind. I do not count anything that is literal trash. I count things I have an inclination to keep, or have been keeping, and it is a choice to get it out of my home.

I will have to do some kind of "push" if I am going to hit that goal. I think I can still do it, but I might have to get into the garage to really purge.

SubC, how nice your student moved it for you. That's good! I will have to do my shot on a Thursday. The only days I can afford to lose are Fri/Sat. I am directing programs Tues-Thurs. I mean, if I'm not there, it would go on, but I would have to help from a distance, recruit help etc... not worth it!

I ate some pretzels and watched tv. Still sort of watching. My counter and kitchen table never did get all the way down to the ability to wash them, but I am just so enjoying having a day off where I can do anything I want to! It will get done. Tomorrow I am watching Star for the first time at my home, while her parents and Tot and Acorn go out for some fall fun. I am excited! We will trade kids in the evening so the older ones can have a sleepover with Grandma. I will have to take them to work with me in the morning the next day, but there is childcare for most of it so it will be fun.

I got some pet supplies I need ordered online. Believe it or not, I finally used up all the dog treats I had hoarded up, except I am only halfway through the huge bag of dried liver. It is not safe to give dogs too much dried liver, so I mix a small handful into the other dog biscuits in the jar. It is gradually getting used up.

I think I feel slightly motivated to clean a bit more off the counter, so I'll do that and then go back to watching tv.

Lila, it's miserable, but you don't want shingles!

Just do it when you have a day you can afford to rest. Or something you want to get out of.

Good job getting your trash out.

I had a pretty good day at school. The worst of it was over by lunch time. I still can't pick up a 40#box of clay, but one of my 15 y.o.s moved it for me.

Now I'm just very tired from poor sleep and a little sore and not quite back to full range of motion.

All I still have planned is to wash our sheets, do my chores, and set up the coffee maker. We already had an early dinner, so i'll probably finish loading the dishwasher and run that too.

I think I need to go to the feed store tomorrow morning, and I might drop some donations and enjoy a craft fair in the afternoon, or I might stay home.

oh dear, SubC. That would be scary. I hope you can just rest and feel better tomorrow. I have not gotten my shingles shot yet. I am kind of afraid.

I am having the nicest day! Just being here, relaxed, nothing I HAVE to do... catching up on a few things.

I got up and since it is trash day, I did my usual routine of looking around for trash to toss, filling bags, getting anything old out of the fridge. Son forgot to wheel the bins to the road, but thankfully I was up early enough to take them out.

I also unloaded and loaded the dishwasher.

Now I am looking up "how to clean a microwave with a lemon" because I used the last half of a lemon for my tea this morning and I don't want to waste it. I love the smell of lemons.

I also did a preliminary clip of my dog's front nails. I will check the back ones and maybe shave a bit more off the front later. I let them get too long, with the new baby and being sick. So I am trimming them slowly.

Hope to hear from you guys today.

Lila!

Good morning!

Good for you for turning off your phone!

I did everything on my list yesterday, including all the fun activities. I almost bought two smock shirts at the thrift store, but changed my mind because they weren't really as thick as I like. I did buy three books at the used book store, but I dropped off more than three. They are kids books for Bean. One is signed by the author who dd2 and I heard speak years ago. She is a lovely woman!

I have a huge stack of books from the library (visited two branches, including one that has been beautifully remodeled since my last trip)

My class went pretty well, and my pots came out, but I had to have accommodations because by then I could barely use my arm. The drive home was difficult. The second shingrix shot was much worse than the first one and I was in pain from my wrist to the muscles in my neck, shoulder, and ribs. My deltoid and biceps muscles are also very week, and my whole arm is stiff, so I can't raise it above my belly without using the other arm. I'll be teaching with one arm today. I'm glad I have good classes.

I'm very tired - I couldn't find a comfortable position last night and woke whenever Dh or I moved. Then I got up around 2 to take more ibuprofen, and was dizzy and fell. That woke Dh up and he said he was afraid to go back to sleep.

I will not be doing yoga or throwing a pot today.

I'm very glad to have all my errands from yesterday done though. Hopefully early to bed tonight.

hi! It's my weekennnnnnnddd finallyyyyy!!! yay!

So sorry you lost another duck, SubC. Your shed sounds nice! Handprints also sound nice because it will be a treasure as they grow! It certainly does feel like fall all of a sudden here. I had the a/c on 2 days ago and today had the heat on briefly. I am ready for fall.

hi CM! I hope you can figure out how to help your eyeballs. Looking at a screen all day makes mine hurt too. Time to go for a few walks outside to look at the horizon.

hi Tatoulia! Enjoy your friend!

I worked a billion hours this week catching up from being sick, but I got a ton done. Exhausted though. There was someone I have been calling and texting all week, a couple times a day, because they were supposed to work on a project with me (they knew)... but never responded. Finally at 4 today I just decided to do it myself (due Monday, but tomorrow is my day off). I worked on it for an hour, made calls to other people for input, and got all 6 pages ready and turned in at 5! Texted the other person and just said "I got it done and turned it in." Suddenly they texted me and wanted to work on it. NO. Am done, turned off phone... it is turned in so why now?

Anyway, all done with all work and I am not working on anything tonight, tomorrow, or Saturday! I am soooooo happy, sitting here eating pie and watching tv with my feet up!

Good morning!

Tatoulia, I hope you are having fun with your friend.

Lila, how are you?

School went well today, but it is still wearing me out. Stayed after a bit and took care of parent emails and lesson plans for Friday - they are on the board. (My roommate doesn't mind if I leave them on that section. She uses a screen.)

I stopped at the specialty grocery for goat cheddar on the way home and all I did else was eat, chores, and run the dishwasher. I got to bed reasonably early and slept in a bit this morning as part of the sleep schedule experiment.

Today I have my eye appointment with a new doctor (my old one vanished) pay my car registration, get my shingles booster, stop at the library to return books, and cash a check at the bank. I also have class tonight, so once I leave (for my 10:30 appointment) I won't come back until after class.

Filler/fun activities may include the thrift shop, more time at the library, the used book store (have a few books to take in case I stop there), and/or a treat at Starbucks (I have a backlog of $5 teacher gift cards that will last me all year, because I did not know they had food)

Probably won't check in again until tomorrow!

Have a great day!

I'm here and missing you all. Friend is in from overseas. Will catch up soon.

Hi CM!

I hope you get your sewing machine cleaned so you can make some quilt squares!

For me, yesterday the throwing finally started to pay off a little. I am "relearning" things I am very out of practice on.

House is tidied up a bit, laundry and dishes ok, leftovers for dinner for the rest of the week in the fridge. (Two options, and Dh and I each have a night when we won't be home)

I put out my fall tablecloth and cleaned off the porch (found a few pieces of trash) and put out some big winter squash for decor (later it will get eaten). I cleaned up a little extra in the pottery studio when I was done throwing.

Today I teach all day and then come home and prep for a big errand day plus my class tomorrow and hopefully also get my lesson plans together for Friday (but I can probably also work on those at the library while I am out tomorrow)

Computer time is over!

Have a great day!

Hi

Just a wave and a promise, last week and this were somewhat busy and eventful. Just getting my bearings. Finished with the grocery runs for the rabbit house Thursday, and while on that side of town went to bookstore book signing of my college writing buddy who came into town. Drove home afterward and handled it well without anxiety. Am very jazzed about writing.

On Saturday helped my other friend with tech stuff again. Visited with the library tech guy and she got to meet him.

A lot of using my eyes and once or twice had to deal with migraine or the threat of it. Still haven't gotten round to check computer screen settings although some of the issue wasn't involving computer. But anything to help my eyes is desirable.

Yesterday drove roommate to medical place for planned treatment of her pain area. She is doing well. We hope this will be a turnaround point.

Found out now the church is going to keep quilting. So I can make quilts. But no shopping for fabric. I will shop the stash, make simple block units, be efficient, give away leftovers.

And first I will clean my sewing machine, also do some laundry and fabric prep. Poco a Poco but do it. This week is semi busy but (fingers crossed) nice open stretches of time to come.

Good morning!

Missing everyone.
Slept a bit later this morning. I've decided to try to pick up an extra hour and relax a bit on Tuesdays and Thursdays so hopefully I get less tired. I still need to work on my bed times.

Staying home day today. Much on the list. Produce and lesson plans and pottery and cleaning up.

Bean and I had a great time at the orchard yesterday, and now I have a bushel of apples to process. He wanted to make apple cookies and applesauce. Applesauce takes a long time, so we went with apple cookies. Which I invented because I didn't have a recipe. Dsil told me "you know, google is a thing." They came out pretty well.

I took him home and got down to the studio where I tidied and decluttered the alt firing cart a bit (I had permission) and prepared enough pots that I am almost caught up for my class which is half over.

How is everyone else doing?

Good morning!

Tatoulia, do you go to work today?

Bean and I are going to the apple orchard.

Still have 8 ducks.

I ordered the shed.

After discussion with Dh and examination of the color options available to me, I actually ended up ordering white with white trim and a crayola blue metal roof. The reason I got white trim was because none of the trim colors matched the roof. The building will be fully finished for weather, and I can collect paint chips and decorate the trim/walls later. I'm thinking rainbow grandchild handprints as one option.

The alternative was to go 100% white and paint the walls and trim la ender/purple later, but I think this will be better. Less work and expense and a happier Dh.

I lost another duck. They escaped from where I had them penned. There is not much I can do about this if they are determined to die.

Dh makes a really nice salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, feta, and parsley.

hi SubC! A lilac garden shed sounds lovely. I'm sorry one of your ducks was lost.

I am relaxing watching tv and eating snacks, getting up and working on the counter for bits at a time.

From the counter:
I sorted and consolidated all the dog meds into 3 bottles, threw out the old ones, put the good ones in a baggie.
Got a box and started putting things in the box that go in my room somewhere.
Sorted all the cherry tomatoes, threw out a few going bad, am thinking about what to make with the rest. Tomato jam? Sauce?
I put away some toys that pieces of toys that were on the counter.
Threw away some trash. Sorted mail.
Put tea in the tea drawer.

The counter/bar is coming along. It is pretty dusty so my goal is to get to the counter and wash it so it is nice. I also want to work on the kitchen table.

Well, the garden shed search was moderately successful. I have several options to consider. We also stopped by a farmer's market and bought goodies.

I think the rest of the day will be dishes, laundry, garden and pottery.

Hello, friends. It is good at catch up with you today! SubC, grandkids really are the pinnacle of joy. I love spending time with mine, too. They do make things more clear. They are a huge motivator for me to declutter my home.

I have today off and am staying home. The grands have a cousin coming over to play. I offered to take Star but they may not take me up on it. So I am free.

My house still has all the fallout of my illness. I will work today on getting things under control. I think I am in a mindset to get rid of things (not in the bedroom, so much, but in the kitchen/dining area that is piled high) so I will take advantage of that and try to donate or toss and get to a flat surface today.

What are you all doing?

Good morning!

Coffee clinks!

I had a good day at school yesterday, but that was all I had energy for.

One of my ducks didn't come home last night. So the fox has found them.

I slept ten hours last night. Today I am just going to begin again.

I'm in a much better place now than I was in June.

My brain was very bust last night. I dreamed that my friend's son who is in prison was a little boy again, and they came to visit and he and Bean were playing and having a lovely time. And I dreamed Bean's mama was very very pregnant. My brain wants to mend my life.

One of my favorite students helped me put the table back in my room yesterday. He asked me if I would miss him next year. I told him "yes I will miss you!" And then I thought (does this have to start already? Can't I just enjoy you for a while and forget you are leaving?)

I also failed at boundaries yesterday. I swore I would never force add an extra kid to a pottery class again. And yesterday my boss came to me and asked me to add a specific girl to my junior high class (it is unfair of them to use names. If she had just said "a student" and given me the same reasons I would have said no.) so I said yes. Never say never.

I cleaned up a few more things in my classroom. Just small stuff. Part of a shelf. But trash went out. I took the trash from my house too. And I added a pair of attractive but not totally comfortable shoes to the donate pile. I have too many shoes. Right now I know I have my very comfortable everyday shoes, my workboots, crocks for the garden or a quick trip across the yard, a pair of great soft renfest boots that I can also wear for semi-dressy, black low dress boots, and a comfortable pair of white summer sandals. Everything else is on probation.

Today Dh says we can start shopping for a garden shed! I really want a garden shed. I'm going to paint it purple. Or maybe lilac. Some shade of purple. And I'm going to plant landscape around it.

Ok, off to start my day. Progress. Not perfection.

I didn't go to class tonight. I crashed. I didn't do anything all day but watch videos and take care of the animals.

Good morning.

Very tired today.

I slept late and am waking up slowly. I have just a hint of a headache. I pushed myself pretty hard yesterday, but I didn't throw a pot.

I did fit in yoga, a stop for a croissant, and a trash/recycling drop before school. Then I taught all day, cleaned up my desk, reset the room for my roommate, and met Dh and friends for dinner.

We had a really nice time, but got home at 8 and I still did chores, a minor attendance task, cut Dh hair, burnished three pots, and set up the coffee - which did make itself this morning.

I have class tonight, so it will be another late one. The most important/urgent thing today is to have my lesson plans ready for tomorrow.

I dreamed last night that the administration decided we should be certified as a charter school and brought in some random official to audit us. He demanded that I produce formal lesson plans and I quit.

I brought home a few random bits and pieces from my classroom last night. I'm trying to leave it just a little bit less messy every night. There is still a lot to be done.

Coffee clinks! Having the morning routine thrown off kilter is difficult. Going to work!

Good morning!

Tatoulia, do you go to work again today?

I got to bed too late last night. I'm starting to wish I had two staying home days in a row. Maybe some weekend. Not this one.

I forgot that the power went out yesterday, so the coffee didn't make itself and I am feeling out of sorts and rushed. Hopefully yoga will recenter me.

Dinner out with friends after work tonight.

My morning online time is over (eaten by coffee maker.)

Have a good day everyone!

Good choice, SubC. Keep you day at home your day at home!

Our neighbor brought me juice today. So now I'm set for quite a while. Since she inherited BF's car, she's inherited getting me heavy stuff duty. Speaking of which, I need cat little. This tiny cat uses a lot. And it's fine; she's my bud.

Tatoulia,

Good job going to work!

My life is blessed.

I am still working on it. Especially the making choices and setting boundaries. Some days the mental health is a struggle, but I am lucky to have Bean. He is pure joy. And I would rather spend an hour hanging water balloons in a tree and watching him break them than a week on vacation in Paris. (I've been to Paris. It was delightful, and I am sure.) Bean helps make things very clear.

I did throw a pot last night. Now I am trying to find the energy to go throw another one. I wanted to work in the studio this morning, but the power was out. I did get the dehydrator filled with beans.

I have decided not to sign up for the free first aid and CPR training at work next week. It would be good to have a refresher course, but it is on one of my staying home days and it is a two hour round trip besides the training. I still need my staying home days.

Bean is living his best life and I suspect you are living yours, SubC. Your life is amazing.

GOING TO WORK

Wow, I get busy and everybody stops by!

Tatoulia, your friend is not in charge of your life.

CM, I am sorry about the migraines.

I read your computer stuff, but this is what actually filters through to my brain:

"Computer no do thing. CM can fix"
Or "computer bad. CM no fix."

I hope the quilting works out. All I have to offer on the SAD is company.

Lila, I am glad you are making progress. Keep resting.

I'm not sure what to make of your comment "They are not here right now and I hope they will get some help." Do you know where they are? Is it a place that is supposed to be helping them? Or did they just leave and also you hope they will get heltatoulia, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you to go to work.

I had a great day with Bean at the renfair yesterday (he wants to go again. I want to take him trick or treat weekend) and a really good day today. He reinacted the jousting with the playmobil people and was very excited when he found owls in the bin (we saw a live raptor show)

he informed me on arrival that today was a very good day to make biscuits and hang water balloons, so we did both of those things. He helped me feed the chickens and refill the duck pond and pick peppers and cucumbers. He must have eaten a quart of cherry tomatoes.

At the end of the day he asked when he can come back and work in the garden some more. We are both looking forward to harvesting squash and digging potatoes. And he wants to go to the apple orchard again.

House is still a mess. Took him home late and stopped at the grocery store and I'm trying to find my second wind. I'm not sure I can throw a pot tonight.

Tomorrow is a staying home day, but I want it to be lesson plan focused. And also get beans into the dehydrator. Which is probably one goal too many.

Sorry to hear about your migraine, CM, and your feeling poorly, Lila. Those are all very good tips for chasing off the winter blues. I had a good lamp I used and I cannot remember why I got rid of it. But I did.

Busy day at work. I stayed home, which means I'll have to find a different day to go in. I'll have to go in Wednesday and will find another day that isn't too objectionable.

oh hi CM! Nice to see you. So sorry about your migraines and stiffness. I also think it would be so cool to read one of your novels! I live very far north and many people move here and get Seasonal Affective Disorder. I did myself many years ago. The solution is to start taking vitamin D3 NOW and continue through til spring. And, go outside and get a few minutes of sunlight on your eyelids as many days as you can. Direct sun, on your eyelids. If this is not enough, buy a Daylight Full Spectrum Lamp and sit in front of it every morning while you eat your breakfast. This is truly amazing how it increases energy and mood.

I am improving... was so unwell feeling and got not much done this weekend. Worked this morning and now am wiped out and cancelled an engagement for tonight. I am just so exhausted. I am cooking a frozen pizza and a little bit of fettucine for my dinner, and probably going to bed early so I can work tomorrow.

Tatoulia, thanks! I will take a look at the chart and instagram. I have a big business trip coming up this winter and I need to figure out clothes. If I can get on there I will tell you about it so you can give me tips also.

I prayed for Bean's mama today too SubC, and will continue. Teen needs prayers as well. They are in a not so good state of mind. They are not here right now and I hope they will get some help.

I asked Son to wash the stove and counters and take trash out, so that is done. I want to do so much more but am still recovering and need to rest for now.

Hi,

I've had a migrainey weekend - mainly yesterday, really. Today so far so good but Friday I'd gone to the library and was working on this laptop and I had my new blue light glasses and things did seem better. But Saturday morning I woke up, went to look at my phone, and Bam! Instant migraine. It was a doozy for one of mine, which is still wimpier than most people get, for which I'm thankful. What it did was, it went away in the morning but returned in the afternoon. So I napped, and there was actually a bit of headache - and stiffness in my right neck, shoulder, arm, back, somewhere in that region. Then the nap messed up my nighttime sleep. But I'm recovering.

I am looking into settings on this screen - being as it's a gaming laptop I got to wondering. I'd turned it to a warmer light mode some time back, and that has helped some. But I got to Googling, and this has an OLED screen (I don't know a whole lot about what that is, I just asked what kind of display this model has). Apparently some people are bothered by them, but there is a setting to make it not flicker so much or something - sorry for the vagueness but that's because yesterday my eyes were still not up to reading the entire article I found. Hoping I can tweak this to meet my needs. I do still like the computer very much, and I stand by my decision to get a powerful one that can keep up with my brain and my switching tasks, and with the graphics stuff I hope to do. Some of these issues I'm sure are just things that a person has to have the machine for awhile to notice and learn about.

In the library, I had gotten six pages of outline for my novel (not the one I was working on the other day, a different one - this one goes back further though, and is actually further along, and I'd just thought of some structuring things I wanted to nail down for it). So Friday was a productive and satisfying day. I want to have lots of those - and NOT have migraines.

Lila, hope you continue to recover from whatever has had you down.

We are supposed to get rain in the wee morning hours here and a cool off. Today it really only got up to around 80 already. Summer is waning. The days are shorter, which is sad to me. Fall is okay as long as it doesn't feel like a person is closed in; winter is the harder time with all that. I'm going to come up with some sort of strategy though for keeping my spirits up. Some of you live further north than me, do you have any good life pro tips?

An interesting thing - I got a text from one of the church quillting ladies and now it sounds like maybe they aren't going to stop doing the quilts after all. I'll find out more on Tuesday. If it turns out they will continue, and I can make a few more out of fabric I have - according to my new method of not trying to design and assemble a huge quilt all at once but rather making blocks that some others can help put together - then that helps me make efficient decisions on fabric to keep or get rid of.

And it'll be an incentive to clean the sewing machine, which I've yet to do - this week kind of got away from me and these two upcoming will be kind of full but hopefully I can still remember to do it.

Coffee clinks and yes it's 1PM.

I did three loads of laundry last night. One of towels one of sheets and a delicates that I hung to dry, the towels and sheets are folded and out away.

I have to go to the oar pharmacy today and I hope my script is ready. I also have to drop off old medicines in their bin. I need to take paper plates to my mom's so that she can feed her cat easily. And I have to get some cash out of the ATM. It's raining right now and I am hoping not too humid.

A friend from overseas comes on Thursday or Friday. I know she will not be happy that I haven't renovated my kitchen or had my built in built-in. But I've done some things and hopefully that will make her happy. Lack of money was in the way in the first instance and then the pandemic, etc. she's done a lot for me in terms of getting my place done and I appreciate it.

I will go make my list of things to do on paper, the way I like it, then I'll hopefully get going. Will make breakfast first.

I would love to go to goodwill for a drop off but toast time it was closed on a Sunday so I won't bother attempting that today. But I will get stuff to the car.

Hello all! Lila! Yes I sent you a private message via Instagram. Before you make yourself crazy figuring out instagram and what went wrong there, check out Eileen Fisher and J Jill sizing charts and let me know if the XL cropped pants will fit you. If they won't, then we know what we need to know!

I had brunch out of the city with two girlfriends today. I was early which isn't like me. I stoped for gas on the way, too. We did a little antiquing together and I saved myself $10 by asking if it was taking away from my retirement and it was

You are doing great, Lila, as are you, SubC. I'll pray for your daughter tonight.

Hi Lila (and CM and Tatoulia)

That is sweet. If you think of it, include Bean's mama for me? She's having a tough time.

I'm glad you feel better.

Here is the thing - you did NOT get rid of the rice bags. Now go to a place you expected them to be, make space by clearing out something you don't need if necessary, and put them away! Tada!

Today I stripped the table from school so now it can go back to my classroom. It was a big job. I also filled the dehydrator with tomatoes.

I cleaned up the house a little. Not much. Dishes and laundry are better.

Dh made a simple, yummy dinner featuring tomatoes and kale from my garden with tofu and leftover rice.

In a few minutes I will put the extra food away and go throw a pot. Maybe more than one, but my goal is to throw a pot every day until my new class starts. More if I have time.

My fun thing tomorrow is the renfest. I plan to spend the whole day. (They open at 10:30) Dsil says he and Bean will come some time between noon and two.

hi SubC! So nice to converse with you today! I think about you and Tatoulia and others when I can't get here. Sometimes I send up a silent prayer for you and Bean.

I feel better this morning. I have put a few items from the piles away, and will work through the rest today.

Tatoulia, thank you for the clothing offer. Do you still have a connection to my failed Instagram? I will go on there today and see if I can get it to log me in and connect with you.

Perils of de-cluttering:
While I was sick, I had such terrible stomach and back pain and I wanted to put a heat pack or hot pad on my guts. For probably 20 years, I had two of those full-of-rice hot bags in my nightstand that you heat in the microwave, and a small electric heating pad in the hall closet. Well, I cleaned out that closet and those drawers. They are not there. I was almost sure I had donated them all, except I don't remember putting them on the Daily Tally. So each day I took one minute and looked in a different place. I was too sick to search. Finally I found the rice packs in a pile in my room @@. They were a welcome relief. Still no idea on the electric one.

Anyway the whole time I was muttering to myself 'this is why I never declutter!!' There was one other thing I knew I had that is gone... can't remember what... and I was mad it was gone and I will have to buy a new one. But, I guess I need to figure out a mindset to still declutter things while being careful not to get rid of stuff I will occasionally need.

Hi Lila!

Good to see you!

I'm sorry you are still feeling poorly. :(

And that your house messed itself up.

My house has also messed itself up while I was at school this week. My brain is trying to figure out how I taught all four days the last few years.

My school day went well. This is going to be a good group. My last class of the day looks particularly nice - a few of my favorite kids from years past who are independent workers, and a new one who was all sunshine yesterday.

I also figured out that I can probably stop and get breakfast at Starbucks every school day. I didn't know they had food. Kids keep giving me Starbucks cards and I just keep sticking them in an envelope. There is one right where I get on the highway, and yesterday it took me five minutes to pull in, park walk in - no line, everybody is in the drive through - order a muffin, pay, and get back on the road.

Today is a staying home day.

post 2, update -

I am still feeling unwell. I started to just sort the table and counter. Mainly just picking out things I could throw away or put away, then shoved the piles over as far as I could and started sorting everything into piles on the counter. Filled a grocery sack with trash. Many piles and much dist remaining.

"What is in the piles, Lila?" you ask.
- remotes
- pens
- papers to be kept
- toys and pieces of toys to be put away
- dog brushes and grooming tools
- mail for other people
- paper bags and plastic bags
- diapers (clean!) and pull ups and other baby things from when the kids were here
- extra boxes of storage bags to be put away

All sorts of other random bits. Like a pink flashlight Tot took apart, which was Teen's when they were little, and I am debating trying to fix it or just toss it. This may be a 5 minute task for Son. But all manner of things like that, that just need 'something' done to it before putting away.

I found one item to donate - it is a water-absorbing mat type thing, very cute with fall leaves, but my dog is obsessed with it and wherever it is, he tries to grab it and shake it. It is nearly new so going to a new home.

How are you all doing today?

Hello! I have awakened.

I was so sick it was ridiculous. Last weekend I started to gradually go back to normal but felt weak - still do - and can't eat like I did before. But this Tuesday I had an event and needed to work so I overdid it and paid the price. I did work a lot from home this week and today is finally my day off (tomorrow too). I don't feel great, but I am relaxing and working slowly on things around the house that are not heavy lifting/hard cleaning.

But the state of my house, wow. My dear Son did try and keep up some. While I was sick he would run the dishwasher, unload, load... he even cleaned up after Teen, who just flat out won't. He vacuumed and took out trash and washed and folded towels. He even cooked and ordered groceries delivered! But, the counters and stove are a disaster. The kitchen table is piled with stuff and the counter/bar is so piled that things are sliding off. My bedroom is also quite piled. How it all got so piled when all I think I did was sleep, who knows.

This morning I took out trash and made myself a pancake and put a squirrel video on for my dog. I ordered some groceries last night that got delivered this morning.

So I will gradually start sorting the piles a bit. That is not hard work but if I can get rid of some things, will be productive. Son can help me with the floors which are awful.

I have not caught up on all your posts, but congrats SubC on the new little boy coming! How fun! And Tatoulia, I hope your depression lifts.

Someone is at the door.

Good morning!

Tatoulia, I'm sure Mom and the kitty will be fine. (Go to work)

I feel silly saying that. Do you need to go to work every day now?

I am very tired. Got home late from class last night, six hours of sleep.

Today is my second first day. I have a high school level class that is almost entirely beginners, a D&D group with a bunch of players who know more than I do, lunch, another D&D class with mostly beginners who have never played before, and end the day with a small group pottery class made up of kids who are really good.

I am going to coast through this on adrenaline and caffeine and crash like a leaky balloon (crumple silently into a heap) when I get home.

Sign ups for the last class session of the year at the studio opened last night a really demanding instructor who I loved is returning. I signed up for his class. Because what I need during the run up to the holidays and winter sale prep is a ton of homework (sarcasm).. I'm hoping it will get me back in my groove.

I got an email from an organization I believe in and try to support (with money) begging for volunteers for tomorrow. It was very hard, but I thought of CM and I did not respond. They need two hours of help. They are far away. Two hours of helping them would cost me five hours out of the middle of my day and four gallons of gas. Actually, I would need to show up early and get trained which would drain off another volunteer, even if i caught on quickly and had no questions and it was only for fifteen minutes - 12% of the help I was providing, because I have never done this job.

I have too much to do. I want to do a fun thing on Sunday and I would have to give it up. I need to rest and keep up with my own life and do my fun things so I don't burn out again. "Now is not the time."

I did not see my mother tonight. It is so hot out. I feel like a bum but I'm sure she's okay. I worry about the cat but since she solely eats wet food, even if she doesn't have any water out, she should be okay.

All of my recycling and garbage is out! And I'm quickly washing a linen dress and a linen pair of pants.

I've been hanging in there with BF being gone. When we spoke earlier, it was around 730 PM his time and he was watering the rose bushes and the trees while the sun set. He said it was meditative. He started feeding a cat and now it's his. Except, it turns out to belong to the neighbors. But they are only at their summer house on weekends and the caretaker feeds the cat during the week. The cat sleeps with him and goes on walks with him, etc. when he was visiting at the neighbors for a cup of coffee, the cat came over, sat next to him on the couch, and when BF left to go home, the cat went with him.

I made a pile of pillowcases to donate. I've been buying the embroidered ones of my childhood, so I am making a pile of ones to donate.

That's the news!

Thanks for getting me up, SubC!

We are under a heat advisory in Boston. So hot. I know I have to go see mom but I'll need to wait until the sun goes down.

Glad you have a nice batch of kids. My cleaners were supposed to come today. It's now 520 and I assume they are not coming. Tmr will work, too.

I've kept my windows shut and I'm wearing linen but gee it's hot.

Good morning!

Tatoulia go to work ;)

CM, could you offer things for free at the senior center? Even if other seniors didn't need them, they might have a friend or family member who did?


Made it through school. So many new kids! They seem to be a good batch though. Some of my returning boys have gotten so tall! And my favorite little tomboy from last year was wearing make up.

I was so tired when I got home all I managed was to feed myself dinner, do my chores, and talk to my mom and my younger daughter on the phone.

It doesn't help that it is still very hot here and the building just has window air conditioners which don't keep up with the heat on the third floor. It was nearly 80 (inside) when I got to school and climbed all day.

I've made myself get up on schedule, but may adjust that starting next week. Particularly with Thursday night classes going late. I expect to be pretty tired for school tomorrow. I'd skip my yoga and sleep a little longer, but Dh now gets up at 5 on Fridays to go to the gym.

I can't go back to sleep either, SubC, once I wake up at some weird early hour like that. And often when I do, the old brain thinks it's time to flip the worry switch. If it gets to be too frequent of a pattern, I go ahead and take the evening dose of Xanax (usually break it in half). That allows me to sleep on through or at least not be anxious if I wake. It is unlikely to create a dependency because I don't do it but once in awhile, and also overall it helps me reset my sleep so I'm less likely to be frazzled and anxious. Seems like a win.

Looks like we'll have a rainy week next week, at least off and on. We can use the moisture for sure. It'll also make driving across town to deliver bunny groceries a lot more pleasant than doing so in the hot sun glare.

Tatoulia, that's funny that we both call our stuff Boulevard of Broken Dreams. But that's so often what it is. I wish I knew certain potential recipients for some of mine - people who would love to get the items and are in a better position to really use them and accomplish great things than I have been. I also realize that it may not be possible to find such ideal people in a timely fashion. The thrift stores here have become so junky that I wish that wasn't the only other alternative. Selling online is not generally practical because it takes a lot of time and hassle. Although with a few select things it might work. Sigh, decisions...

Goodn morning!

Tatoulia, go to work! - lol

I'm sorry I didn't tell you yesterday. As my schedule is changing I am trying to limit my computer time. I type slowly, so I promise I will be here reading every day, but I may post less.

Today is the first day of school, so I wanted to be well rested, so of course I woke up at 4:20. By the time I went to the bathroom and fell back asleep I would have just been groggy when my alarm went off at 5, so I got up. Sigh. I started a load of laundry and am stealing some extra computer time.

CM - good job getting rid of the stamps! My advice is to block off the time on your schedule soonest possible now and then guard it. Things will always come up.

Also good job enforcing your boundaries.

I'm starting to get nervous about all the "new" things on my schedule - school restarting, concerts restarting, our friends want to get together for dinner, visits and travel and the holiday pottery sale. all good, but busy!

Cm, good to hear that the wheels are turning for your next steps! I used to call getting rid of stuff that I never did, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, so it's great to hear you say it! I never knew what Tillie was talking about when she mentioned Burning Man but now I do! The impact of the weather made it news everywhere, and I finally started to understand.

I am at my neighbor's house, feeding his lovely cats. I'm doing a load of delicates. Hoping to wear linen tomorrow as we too are experiencing a great deal of heat.

I didn't make any changes to my life today but I did enjoy some time with mom.

Odds and ends for now and getting a new week rolling, which will only be four days of course.

Looks like it will be a hot week but not as extreme like those August stretches of hot days. And then go to more reasonable by Monday.

Speaking of crazy weather, I'm glad I wasn't at Burning Man, not that it would be my cup of tea anyway except for maybe some of the neon installations and whatnot. But I wouldn't fit into that counterculture and extreme desert survival has never been my thing, nor would being stuck in mud and traffic jams. It always makes me remember Tillie a little though, because I remember a time or two her mentioning it. I hope folks get on their way home safely.

Roommate and I will be helping a bit with the bunny shelter this week as the mom leaves tomorrow for a well earned vacation. All we need to do is make a grocery run some of the days, and other people are willing to take some of the days so it won't be all of them just us.

It's a good thing I started setting those boundaries re volunteering to cover for their trips back when earlier in the year. Because although roommate is making some progress with her physical health, and I'm experiencing a reduction in anxiety (thank God), it wouldn't do to try and overdo things. Roommate has therapy or tai chi most days, and just needs to pace herself, and I have my own commitments and need to take things on a reasonable schedule so I don't hit burnout level again. Poco a Poco once again is the best way.

I need to remember Poco a Poco constantly as summer gives way to fall and I try to figure out at least a rough game plan for the bigger decluttering and downsizing efforts. Without going into premature levels of detail, I want to be brave and face some artistic and lifestyle choices made in the past that have probably become sunk cost fallacy matters by now. Mourn my Boulevards of Broken Dreams and then take the action steps and do so without dragging them out interminably.

Today I must nail down the schedule for our days to help the bunny shelter and a few other things. I am impatient for a clear stretch of time but it will be another couple of weeks I realize. Sewing machine cleaning still pending. It gets easy to forget it with things like going to the sporting goods store for an exercise ball for roommate and cotton shorts on sale for me, the pair that was out of stock the other time I went.

I did toss a few paper scraps with outdated reminder notes on them and other miscellaneous paper that was in a bag that my bunny's hay spilled into so I had to shake it out. Someday there will no longer be any of those stash and dash bags sitting around. I hate them.

Also donated religious rubber stamps to the parish school - had meant to do that before the spring term ended but oh well, they're donated now and out of my life. About a half cubic foot worth.

My friend came over. We had lunch (out) and then visited mom for a minute. We were walking by mom's place and she and her college student were sitting in the window in the common area. Mom's college student just got into town. So now on Sundays, mom will have a friend.

My friend and I went to the office with our respective shredding piles and my printer. Then we went to my car and got my seltzer out of it. Pretty productive weekend.

Oh and I applied for a job. I don't want to leave my job but this is a job opportunity that I'd hate to pass up. Not sure if they will hire someone my age. Time will tell.

Lol! Let me be more clear, I did not clean up my entire house, I simply spent a lot of time getting it to the point where it basically now looks like somebody needs to clean it up.

This involved running a load of wash, the dishwasher twice, and moving a lot of toys.

I have spent the morning in the garden. This involved picking two baskets of produce, planting beets and lettuce, and pulling weeds until it now looks like "good grief, does anyone ever weed this garden?" rather than "huh, it looks like somebody tried to have a garden there. I wonder why they quit?"

Now I am drinking water. When I stop sweating I will have lunch and go work on pottery.

SubC, I need to channel your energy. You do so much in a day!

Different friend coming over today. My house is a zoo. It looks terrible. I will try to ignore that. I have to have my coffee, which I am enjoying now. Friend will be here in 49 minutes but my coffee is important to me. I've showered and gotten dressed, so that's good.

We are taking my pandemic printer to the office. I don't know if I mentioned that yesterday. It is taking up most of a shelf in my closet and I don't need it anymore. I didn't have BF take me to the office because we were printing things up to the day before he left. Between my promotion and being back in the e office, I have no use for the printer.

Okay, wanted to say good morning to Lila, SubC, CM, and anyone else out there!

Good morning!

I'm glad you had fun with your friend Tatoulia!

Lila, I hope you are feeling better.

Hi CM!

Yesterday was a staying home all day day. Dh changed the oil in my car. I worked in the garden, cleaned the house up, and tried a new recipe that uses a lot of squash. It was ok, but it needs baking powder - too dense. Also I think I'd rather serve the resulting pattys on buns. The recipe made enough for two dinners, so I have added buns to my grocery list.

Not for tonight, because today is also a staying home day for me - but Dh is playing golf.

I have a notepad with a pencil on my fridge for the grocery list again! It has been years... so many little things I lost control of.

My book came. It's not as good as I hoped, but it's ok. I could have gotten it from the library, but the author is still alive, so I don't mind buying it. The cover says "natural cold storage of fruits and vegetables" and it promises to teach me to "keep (my) harvest fresh in (my) own basement, porch, garage, or closet" but 2/3 of the book is dedicated to significant construction projects.

Maybe someday.

I am nervous- excited about school starting on Wednesday. I keep Bean tomorrow and will take him home and set my room up for my first day on my way back(my roomate has the room tomorrow)

Wow! Brave plan to avoid buying stuff! Well done!

Had lunch at Ekiko's new place. She moved to the suburbs to live with her boyfriend. Beautiful house. Beautiful. She made egg, ham, and cheese sandwiches and they were tasty. The boyfriend is out of town so it was just us and it was terrific. Afterward I went to the grocery store. So all is well.

I took a bedspread to my car so I can donate it.

Oh! I have to go get my laundry out of the dryer.

Excellent job getting the return done in time Tatoulia!

And you still learned the lesson without the penalty (except the time spent in line)

We had a great time with Bean. I did not buy anything at the art show even though I was very tempted by a necklace. I have a system if I go with Dh- I don't carry anything. So if I want to buy something I have to ask him to do it. Then I have to explain why and how much I want the thing. I showed him the necklace and he did not respond with enthusiasm, so I didn't tell him I wanted it. I took the artists card, and she has a website, but I think the wanting will wear off. It was very pretty though.

I did get lots of ideas.