Greetings all, good work Roxie!

Today I went to the back of the coat closet and took out a random box with intent to sort through to the end.

The veterans group is coming by tomorrow for pickup so I wanted to get out as much as possible for them. It helps to feel like somebody else could use this "good stuff."

I saved most of the photographs and pitched pretty much everything else. Surprising what I don't really need anymore.

Earlier the hub and I went through our pantry to see if we could pare down, ended up clearing out a whole section of random bags. It looks nice just to have one half empty shelf.

Yesterday I finally got myself into the bath and bathed, washed my hair, and got into clean clothes. Then I went down to the city center and got caught up on real estate and personal taxes, waste management overdue fees, and got my long-over vehicle tag renewed. What a relief!

Then I went to Office Depot and picked up a three ring notebook plus plastic page inserts into which you can place things. Got three large folders that close with a band, for tax papers. Got a few other things like a magnifying thing for those tiny print items I can no longer read; computer screen and keyboard cleaners; etc.

I was so anxious to get online today, but my power was out for about 12 hours. Central Arkansas got hit with major storms and some tornadoes last night. I am lucky that the worst hit a little west of here and also a bit north, so... But a HUGE lightning strike awoke me around 3am plus a big flash of light and the lights going out. So I am positive lightning hit somewhere close by.

When I spoke to the power outage guy when he came to check that my electricity was restored, he said he was stuck on the highway yesterday for three hours, trying to keep his vehicle pointed into the wind because the winds were so strong that it kept shaking the vehicle side to side. There is also a lot of flooding. My roof leak showed up again, so maybe next week I'll finally call the insurance company about it.

Being without electricity is the pits, but it did serve one great purpose. Today while without power I washed dishes by hand, tore down more cardboard boxes and got them into the car for recycling. I rounded up the papers on my new appliances and other things and organized them into the new 3 ring folder. I marked the other big folders with the years: 2011, 2012, 2013 so I'm prepared to sort the huge stacks of old papers. I put away a bunch of car and home cleaning supplies and cleared the kitchen counter. Wiped all those counters down. I hauled cat and other supplies from the car into the house to be put away (still working on that). I started unboxing the cat trees I'd ordered so that I can soon start putting them together. My cats haven't had those in plenty of years. They will be thrilled and the trees will be new and clean.

Now I'm really tired but have just enough energy to be on the computer. hehe

Hoping all are well.

TODAY!, May 31, at noon Pacific Time, 3pm Eastern Time, 8pm British Time. Everybody's welcome to attend.

Just click on the red box to the right
"ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP"
to join in. :)

Good morning everybody! :D
TGIF
Reading all your posts has been such a joy.
You are all such amazing people.
(((hugs)))

Karl,

OMG! I LOVE YOUR POEM!!!!! :D

You should send it in to "ROLLING STONE"! :)

It might help get Cory on the cover! :)

(With apologies to Dr Hook...)

Well, we're big time hoarders
We got nothing in order
And we turn away friends at the door
We might plant a garden
But we don't get a pardon
On the filth that we have on the floor.
We might sometimes mean
To make things clean
But we just look around and moan
But it'll all seem less gory
When we can see Cory
On the cover of The Rolling Stone.

I've talked to my friends
About my odds and ends
But every single one was floored
When they saw for themselves
The overflowing shelves
And the chaos that I call my hoard
I know I'm in peril
And need to make it sterile
Before I go and lose my home
And a great inspiration
Would be Cory's vocation
Featured on The Rolling Stone.

I got used gift wrap
And all kinds of crap
That will never see another use
And a box full of rags
And used plastic bags
And junk just lyin' 'round loose
I'm worried that I've
Been approaching Level Five
But I can't face it all alone
So who will I go to
But the guy in the photo
On the cover of The Rolling Stone!

It's really wonderful getting to read about all the hard work people are putting in to improve their lives AND the wonderful victories people are experiencing -- It's FABULOUS!!!
I will not be able to "attend" any of the online Support Groups &/or posting again until sometime next week (I've got a host of family commitements & out-of-state travel related to the funeral) -- However, I do plan to look online a couple of times to read people's posts... So keep up the great work folks! :D

Depending on how Fri's online support group goes and IF you all decide to continue doing a midday group --
Could I put in a request for Thurs vs. Fri --?--
*I imagine you're trying to spread out the support groups throughout each week*


I work most Fridays so would be unable to do the Friday (3pm EST, US) Online Group -- However I'd LOVE a Day Time Online Support Group on Thurs. (vs. the Sun.8pm & Tues.9pm EST, US times currently available --as I am trying to do a schedule of 10pm Bed Time & 6am Wake-Up Time for myself) -- I'm NOT complaining, but it takes me time to "quiet my mind" at night in order to sleep & talking about hoarding issues tends to "rev up" my brain so I can do the Sun. one if it's ok for me "log out" early, but the Tues. one (when I tried it 2 Tues' ago) I found was too late in the p.m. for me to wind down in time for decent night's sleep --

Anyway, I thought if there's discussion of starting a NEW EARLIER option, I'd like to cast a vote:

I would definitely commit to a weekly Daytime Support Group on Thursdays if others could do that, too, instead of the Fridays -???-

Please let me know... Thanks!
Take Care Everybody :D

Here is another reminder! :D

Friday, May 31, at noon Pacific Time, 3pm Eastern Time, 8pm British Time. Everybody's welcome to attend.

Hi Ann,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :D

That's SO COOL that your son works for "ROLLING STONE"! :D

Can you ask him if he could possibly try to get me on the cover of the magazine? I've always wanted to be on the cover of "ROLLING STONE". ;)

Or better yet, could you ask him if he could try to get CORY on the cover? That would be even COOLER! I'd love to wake up one day and go out and get the mail and see CORY on the cover of "ROLLING STONE" :)

SUCCESS STORY! (Sorry... this is pretty long.)

1. ROXIE: I've opened a second window of this chat... I can see the posts to which I want to respond... and I WILL in a minute.

2. My partner JIM labeled my bags for me this morning (manilla bags with handles...) pretty sturdy:
TRASH (two bags full already)
BOOK GROUP (my reviews and reference materials and tear-outs from magazines... about books to recommend)
SILVERSTONE (we live in a lovely CCRC with about 170 residents .. I lead the Book Group and I take Minutes for a big committee... and I've saved the monthly newsletters on glossy paper + special announcements and mementos... funerals + anniversaries etc.)
TO FILE: I'll need to go through this bag later.. it's medical forms and Christmas letters and a hodge-podge)
PHOTOS: family photos to be sorted... they've been in a dozen different places.. more work to do on that.
STATIONARY: blank cards and blank note pads and calendars and big maps for gift-wrapping

3. We took a break or two to enjoy my Birthday Cactus on the Veranda... today's my day.... #70. I called a dear friend in Pennsylvania (she'd called this morning before I was awake... a three-hour time difference between PA and AZ.)

4. Thanks to everyone in this group who responded to my fairly despondent note yesterday. Thanks Tillie for letting me whine and to say that I'll TRY to do better.

5. Dianne and Tillie: I'm with you re. magazines. I did try to tear out a few articles to read later and discard the rest.. in Vanity Fair mostly. Must discontinue several subscriptions.
I'm stacking a couple of titles by month and WILL NOT DISCARD them for a while.

6. MayMay: ROLLING STONE!! My son has worked for them in the Chicago Advertising office for years... I finally asked him to stop sending the subscription to me... but now I go out a buy a copy occasionally when an article interests me. It is a GREAT MAGAZINE!

7. Time for lunch. We've decided to order take-out for dinner... our dining room provides nice take-out int he evening (from a menu of 12+ entrees + various appetizers... I am SO FORTUNATE) .... anywhere.... that's where I get the sturdy manilla bags with handles... I've HOARDED THEM for months!

Thanks again everyone. Though MY situation is not so dire as some... the disorganization is SO FOREIGN TO ME that it's been depressing me. Now I can begin to see my way back.

ann

Well said Janice.

WAY TO GO! on all and any progress everybody! :D

Wonderful that so many long neglected tasks are now history. :D

You all give me hope that some day maybe my hoarder will find his motivation. :)

Wow! It felt wonderful to get on these boards today and see SO many posts since I was here yesterday. You've made my day, boardies. Thank you so much.

Books. I'm a bookie. What I've come around to doing is this: I buy used books at the library, usually two grocery bags full. As I finish reading them, they go back into a grocery bag. A bag full of read books goes into my car. Then I donate the books either to my thrift store or back to the library. That way the accumulation stays manageable.

Before, my bagging and donating was way, way behind. There are only a few books that I feel I truly want keep and those can be stored on several bookcases I have. I can't go to sleep without reading first.

Magazines get donated to the library.

I gave up checking out books at the library years ago because I was always paying so many late fines.

I really need to go downtown today and pay my real estate and personal property taxes and get new car tags. The tags have actually expired months ago (procrastination personified).

Trouble is, today I feel very rebellious about doing anything I HAVE to do. What the heck? Am I 13? I swear I'm really 18 (forever). I'm just wondering where these wrinkles and the bifocals came from.

I'd like two computers right here so I could have the posts showing on one while trying to respond on this one.

I'm a messie, too.

I'm only sometimes a shopper. If I were compulsive I'd have to go cold turkey on shopping, especially online because that's how I shop 99 percent of the time. I used to be addicted to eBay. I feel the allure still but typically manage to only buy what I need, like my new purse to replace the old one which is going into the garbage. If I get out of control, I'll turn myself in here.

Congratulations to each of you on your progress, and gentle hugs.

Today I am going to go to my parent's house and help my dad open up the swimming pool for the summer. And then after that I am going to go to work. And then tomorrow I am going to go back down to the fire station and finish going through the rest of the boxes of stuff from my room. :)

I still have 3 more boxes of stuff to go through and figure out what I want to keep and what I want to give away. All of the stuff that is in the 3 boxes is stuff that was in all of the "space saver" bags that I had hidden under my bed. So some of the stuff that I will be going through tomorrow will be blankets, but the majority of the stuff will be clothes. :)

I SENSE A FASHION SHOW COMING VERY SOON IN MY FUTURE!!!!! So firefighters of Company 36 be warned. LOL. ;)

Today I found time for *four* bites of cleaning, and taking the resulting waste paper out to curbside recycling for tomorrow's pickup, while still finding time to finalize my work item and go out to dinner. Yay!

My favorite magazine is "Rollingstone" magazine. I love that magazine. I have almost 600 "Rollingstone" magazines stashed away in tubs in my closet. That is one collection that I didn't let the firefighters get rid of when they cleaned my room and closet. Right before I went to Hawaii I actually told the firefighters that would be cleaning my room that if they got rid of my "Rollingstone" magazine collection while I was gone, then when I came back I would kick their asses. Lol.

Good Luck Ann! :D

National Geographic...
My hoarder's Grandfather has/had a subscription started back in the 1940s.
He died back in the 60s but Grandma kept renewing the subscription.
My hoarder has kept renewing the subscription all these years.
He had EVERY copy!
A few years ago he finally let them all go. Gave them to a boy scout who's mother said he could have them.
This year he finally stopped renewing the subscription. :)

Ann
Whine all you want. We all are allowed to whine here.
And here all we really ask of people is that they try. ;)

Good luck Ann! :)

Hey Tillie,

Ok. I'm not a "messie" then. :)

Because even though I can be really messy at times, I still do all of the daily/weekly/monthly chores. :)

I guess if I had to lable myself as something then I would lable myself as a (future extreme cleaner with 'hoarding-like tendencies' who has a possible shopping addiction and is really really wierd) LOL. ;)

Looking back over my day. I didn't do the consolidating but I did throw away a small bag of outdated papers. I'll work HARD tomorrow and Jim will help me. I must stop buying books... but I won't stop National Geographics (renewed today) or SMITHSONIAN or Martha Steward Living or Country Home. About the other magazines and catalogs... I must figure out how to stop those subscriptions... maybe I'll find a phone number on the title page. So much of the print is so small that I can't read it without eye strain.

If this sounds like WHINING (which is forbidden by FLY Lady... ) I apologize. She also discourages the use of the word TRY... but I cannot see anything wrong with TRYING.

Wish me luck tomorrow! I'll post a report.

ann

WOO HOO! Everybody! :D
Absolutely LOVE reading all you have been doing. :D

Messies are people who just don't have the house cleaning gene.
Make no schedule for doing the daily/weekly/monthly tasks.
So dishes, laundry, trash, etc all pile up on them causing them hour upon hour to try to get it all sorted out and clean.
Usually forced to do a stash & dash so company, landlords, repairmen can come in.
They don't usually have a hoarding problem but some are hoarders too. :)

"Stash & Dash" When you grab up everything all in a jumble and stuff it in the cupboards, oven, closets or under the bed. ;)

Fun reading everyones posts and wisdom in them, thanks to you all. No shopping for this addict, unless I need something. I have felt I have not done that much when I work all day, so today I wrote down each task I completed which filled the notepad page on frig. I was amazed at how good it felt to do stuff and write it down, and then-----------------------------------
OK-----I WENT THROUGH 3 LARGE BAGS OF CLOTHES AND LINENS ON FRONT STEPS FROM WALKWAY. (they had to move so, I could repair dryer vent in walkway. Well 2 bags are give aways, 1/2+ bag to garbage the stuff I may keep just finished in washing machine, then will see if I really want them or donate, they were too dirty to donate, and I still like, so worth washing.
I now have the 95 gallon garbage can full, maybe a little more will fit in tomorrow for Friday pickup, and 3 large black g-bags to donate. feels so good.

Thanks Anne W. :)

I'll look her up. It sounds like I might like her books. She sounds a little bit like me. I always like to stay upbeat, positive, and happy. :)

I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. :(

Welcome Ann & Good Work Everyone!

Re: MayMay's question about a "messie" -- I first came across the term in the 1990's endearingly coined by Sandra Felton in her books The Messies Manual & The Messies Motivator So you might want to check online to see what comes up from her name, book titles, etc. She writes in a light-hearted, upbeat manner with a liberal sprinkling of humor -- which "works" well for me. Anyway, I've experienced success when I've employed her methods in the past. (However, I had didn't maintain the progress as I've only started getting to the root of my hoarding issues in the past year.) I don't know if Tillie's referring to Felton's "Messie" notion or a different one.
MayMay- Your Zombie Slippers Post put me in stitches -- You crack me up :)

Tough day trying to coordinate travel plans with my mobility-limited father in order to attend an out-of-state funeral for a very dear family friend. (Served as just another reminder/motivator that I want to cut through & conquer my hoard so that it's not left for others to deal with when I'm gone!)

I did 10min in kitchen so far (Will put in at least another 10min on it today) & maintained work progress of past 2 days -- but I think part of reason I pushed myself to do 2+1/2 hours yesterday was so that I'd still meet my overall weekly goal in the event I have to travel. So I'm glad for my inner drive to meet my end-goal, but tired.

However, reading everyone's posts & seeing the new brightness of the clean stove & butcher block counter makes me want to finish clearing the 2nd countertop. I know in the end it will give me more energy & it feels like a strong, active way of nurturing myself :)

Roxie -- I hope you started feeling a little better today -- Even though you were feeling "sluggish," you sound like you are working a good balance between maintaining the positive progress you've made in your space AND taking good care of yourself in order to be able to continue to maintain your progress! In other words, you seem to have mastered the process of creating a Positive Feedback Loop of Care for You & Your Home (& Your Kitties, Too ;)

Diane & Dianne -- Thinking of both of you & looking forward to reading your next posts :)

Karl- Keep up the great consistency & progress!

Tillie - Hope you got outdoors & a nap today :) My butterfly bush is in bloom & pretty -- but there's a heck of a lotta weedin I've fallen behind on -- & it's ok b/c all will be easier to maintain once I get out from under the indoor chaos of clutter!
Some people have "dust bunnies" -- I think I have "dust dogs" under my basement couch ;)

My mother is the one with the hoarding issues and she is a very negative thinker/responder.

I've tried at least one question to my mother:
If she loves me more or her stuff more? and I usually don't get a response.

Anything else that I suggest about safety, I always get a defensive negative reply.

I'm doing much better with my knee! I'm able to walk up and down stairs without pain. :) I have the doc appointment moved to Thurs afternoon due to the interview and testing session for the job on Mon and Tues morning. Thurs and Fri next week I get recertified for my professional rescuer CPR/AED. Unless it's an instructor that knows me I would have to sit through the entire two days to get recertified.

Hope everyone is doing well and keeping up with their goals and cleaning up a little at a time.

I will more than likely be on the chat Fri. I think my time for that is at 2p. See you then :)

Hello Ann and Kara! Welcome to the board!

Hi Ann! Welcome to the board! :)

Hi Karl and Tillie,

Huh! I've never heard of "messies" before.

I think I might be a "messy" that just loves to go shopping.

Because I don't really have a problem with letting stuff go. And the majority of the stuff that I had in my bedroom and closet, before it was cleaned, I got from going on shopping sprees. And I just let it get really out of hand and was having trouble making decisions because everything was scattered everywhere and not organized. But now that my room is all cleaned and everything is more organized I'm not having any problems letting stuff go. :)

Welcome Ann :D

I found the Message Board.. this is my first entry. However I did participate in last evening's Chat and found it very interesting... even motivating. In fact I was elated to think about tackling a few stacks of stuff today... I have MANY nice sturdy paper bags with handles which I can label... I'll line them up on the floor in front of the sofa and do my sorting on the ottoman.

Unfortunately today I woke up with no motivation and no energy. I went to lunch with my partner JIM and now I must tidy up a little for the weekly cleaning girl... I am so lucky in that respect. But I'll tell her to ignore the den again... where the stacks of papers and books occupy the counter space and I cannot even open the doors behind which are shelves of more things to be organized. We moved here two years ago (when I stuffed the cabinets and closed the doors) and I have about two years' additional accumulation to pare down as well.

I will try to *attend* this Friday's chat at noon (also noon here in PHX) and I'll try to report some progress. Jim has cancelled his Gin Rummy game for tomorrow so that he can help me/encourage me/ do whatever he can.

Thanks for having this group and this board and the chat sessions. Eventually I will get moving. ann

Kara
here is a website where I have met many lovely people from all over the world.
UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, America, etc.

This site is for hoarders and messies only. Not for people without this issue.
So please only hoarders/messies use this link. :)

http://takeonestepatatime.proboards.com/

Ooooh :(
Bad idea for Diane
She needs to do this non shopping COLD TURKEY
Too tempting going to a shop without a specific list for only needed items. :)

Yesterday I was busier than usual, but I got in 30m of clutter sorting.

diane, I've heard it said that men will go shopping because they want to buy things, while women will buy things because they want to go shopping. It sounds like you fit the second stereotype -- you enjoy the shopping experience, but as a side effect, you end up buying things that you don't actually need. Maybe you can get the best of both worlds by taking someone else shopping -- ideally, someone who fits the first stereotype. That way, he's the one who pays the money and accumulates "stuff" (which in his case is presumably something he needs), but you still get the benefits of the shopping experience.

If you don't have a male (or stereotype-breaking female) friend to do that with, a second choice would be to go with a female (or stereotype-breaking male) friend who also enjoys shopping, but agree ahead of time that you are there for the shopping experience only and won't be buying anything.

Kara, a couple of websites for you. The first has a page of resources

helpforhoarders

and

hoardersuk

I just came into work a few minutes ago and showed my boss my new zombie slippers. That's right I said zombie slippers. I found them at "hot topics" and just had to buy them. :)

I also brought Matt and Cory into work with me today to show everyone how they react to my slippers. It's hilarious! They'll chase me around and bark like crazy when I have them on. Lol. :)

I've got some brain fog this morning, so I won't even attempt to address each of you individually. Just know that each of your posts is important to me and I look forward to coming to the boards here so much.

There are things that need doing but today I am feeling resistant to anything at all, other than feeding the cats. I hope if a few hours I can muster up and do something, anything.

Yesterday I did pay some bills, break down more (of the seemingly endless supply of) cardboard boxes for recycling. I cleaned the glass on half of my cabinet display chest and some of the wood. I cleaned up my acid bottle (one of those large green bottles you may sometimes see somewhere) which I brought back from overseas long ago. I wrote down the phone numbers of a doctor and a handyman but have yet to call them. I rounded up all the garbage but only half made it to the outside bin. I vacuumed part of hte living room. Slogging.

Another chat date. I will try to be there. :D

Friday, May 31, at noon Pacific Time, 3pm Eastern Time, 8pm British Time. Everybody's welcome to attend.

Today I must get out and water my trees & bushes & flowers.
Then I will take a nap. :)
Feeling much better but still tired & don't want to push it. :D

Keep up all the FANTASTIC progress you all have been making! :D

Good morning! :D

Roxie Way To Go! on sweeping & sorting out things to their proper places. :)

Anne Great job on that stove top!
Hope you had fun on your reward cookout. :D

HI Billie :D
YEA! for all you gathered for the donation! WTG! :D

Dianne so proud of you taking care of that billing problem right away! :D
Happy you signed up for the hospital classes. (((hugs)))

Karl good idea but maybe the anvil should drop on him ;) jk
Keep up the great work! Soon you will begin to see great progress. :)

Hi Kara :D
Welcome! looking forward to getting to know you :)

Diane as always you simply amaze me! :D

to clarify meant to say, first step was to STOP shopping, not to start, lol

good morning all,, Thank you Anne for the kind words. Yes, I did alot, but as you know, looking at what is left, makes me have faulty thinking. Today I will do dishes, work on dining room table, sorting stuff by categories. clean off computer table. Already paid bills on that table. Have things to file, such as outings I plan to take this summer in RV. I am in such a hurry because my reward is to go on trips to lakes this summer. Oh, I also need to clean part of steps outside, I tripped on tarp yesterday, Tillie was right, safety hazards need to be done first.
Welcome Kara, hope this site helps you as it does for the rest of us.
For me, I shopped to deal with the anxiety of failures in my life and anxiety of growing hoard. First step for me was to shopping, which I have stopped for 2 months. I was addicted to shopping almost daily. Kept piling more stuff on piles, broke toe a few times on my "valuables". I was having difficulty getting going this morning, then read the kind words from Anne, and now ready to tackle the day.

Another chat! (experimental)

It turns out that Kara is in the UK, so it's hard for her to make it to the two scheduled chat sessions. Some of us have agreed to try meeting this Friday, May 31, at noon Pacific Time, 3pm Eastern Time, 8pm British Time. Everybody's welcome to attend. I'll try to be there.

WoW, Diane -- I just read your post & thought -- what she says is a day she "took it easy" sounds like a "triathalon" of achievement to me!!!
Keep up the good work, & try not to be too harsh on yourself ;)

Great reading all that you have written on here since I last signed on, busy board. I did dishes, cleaned kitchen floor, threw away expired food, threw more stuff away and more give away stuff. Worked in dining room and rearranged some stuff and realized some stuff really was tacky, looks much better now. Tomorrow will tackle the table. Then I got side tracked in garage, trying to find one thing and messed around with other stuff. Realized some cabinets out there are empty, have to clean out before put stuff in. Stuff is piled high in garage, peeked around to see what "valuables" are out there, was able to throw alot of books away that were dirty and curled pages, and some craft stuff. Several cassette albums of motivational speakers are now in garbage. So much more to do. I took it easy today, then felt like I didn't get enough done. Now telling myself, you made progress, even small progress is progress, way better than shopping for my sanity.
Billie, I am enjoying your journey, liked that you said it was easier when things were sorted. I find that having things all over the place makes it really hard to make decisions, good they boxed it by category. I am going to try that, just too hard to decide when I look at the table full of stuff. Great you are posting

Hi all. I'm new here.