Hello :)

Great to read all the posts!
WAY TO GO Everybody!
I'm still sickly, basically just falling apart little bit by little bit.
Asked the cats to please wash the dishes since most of them are theirs but they just sit there looking at me, blinking their eyes.
Weirdest thing happened, I was sitting in bed watching a movie "The Hateful Eight" when a blood vessel in the top of my right foot burst for absolutely no apparent reason.
Now the whole top of my foot is all dark purple and red bruised looking.
Anyways, I have been resting & sleeping and periodically eating toast, tea & soup and took a shower, washed my hair and put clean bedding on the bed before crawling back into it.
Little by little I am slowly starting to feel better. :D

I find the heaters last exactly the warranty period and not a second more. That's great that your husband is so handy!

We have beautiful fall day here but are expecting storm with rain tomorrow. Going to say a prayer then gonsee brother.

Have a great day, everyone!

Coffee cup clinks!

So, I actually only had to move two things and the old water heater is out. (The warrantee expired a few months ago) dh has gone to buy a new one. He is buying a cheaper one with a much shorter warrantee because he plans to void the warrantee as soon as he gets it home by replacing the clean out valve with something that actually allows you to clean the tank out. He says every model has the same badly designed y coupling and his engineer soul can't accept it one more time.

I made my own cup of tea, and as soon as I finish it, i'm heading out to work in my studio.

The weather is awful here today - dark and cold with sleet.

SubC! Sounds like you both handled this really well--keep up the good work!

I need to have my water heater replaced--I do the moment the warranty expires but this year I am late. I generally change out on Halloween and I haven't arranged for it yet due to lack of funds.

I am so proud of you for standing up for yourself and for your husband knowing when it's time to back off.

I'll make you a nice herbal tea.

Did some laundry tonight. BF working. I stopped to see him on my way home. Then came home, did some laundry, and enjoyed some delicious butternut squash soup.

Hi all, pass the tea. 😉

Tomorrow we are replacing the water heater. The diagnosis is "rusted through." The water is getting worse and worse. Tonight I had to move a bin because I was afraid there was a hole in the bottom. The stuff in it was heavy, so I had to unpack it, and of course it was full of stuff (dolls and baby blankets knit by my step-grandmother) that dh wishes would stay packed up or even better disappear, and he started to get angry and ask "why do you always have to make everything so much more complicated?"

And I snapped at him. I told him I have been amazingly calm about this whole thing and I needed to unpack one bin and then if he left me alone about it, I would go back to being amazingly calm.

And he backed off.

And there was a hole in the bin.

But everything is fine.

But I have to move a lot of stuff tomorrow so we can replace the water heater.

Hi CM! Thank you for your post! That is fun dreaming of a perfect home for you! I too would need lots of hidden storage so I could just enjoy doing things and having enough room. I often wonder if I did have lots of space, would I use it all? Would I use all the rooms?

Thank you for supporting me during the car stress. This stress came from the fact that when it comes to my brother, absolutely everything is a day late and a dollar short. He dumps s car on me with a flat tire and no gas. I go to move it and battery dead. Oh and it's filled with trash including prescription receipts so I can't just put it all in a trash bag. Oh, and the inspection sticker is about to run out. And so even if I get it charged, I cannit drive it because tire is completely gone. And I can't gas it up because of missing tire and if I turn it off, it will need another boost. And he refuses to look for the title, so I have to order a new one. Then this thing and that thing and we need his ID but if course that expired back in July.... he completely stresses me out. Everything with him has a million wrinkled and obstacles and he isn't helpful for even five minutes and asking him questions makes him angry and sweary (for lack of a better word) BUT car is gone now. thank goodness for that. My brother's life is always in this state. He will do nothing to keep it going and he takes it out in me when it all goes wrong.

Wow, just putting this in writing reminds me that I am an awesome person. I normally don't praise myself like that.

So plates cancelled, insurance cancelled, and I'm free.

Thank you everyone for letting me get that off my chest.

Tillie I am making you a cup of tea. CM I am buying you a lottery ticked. ❤️❤️❤️

Hi, Tatoulia, I hope all goes well with the car. I have a theory or two as to why we stress over things. First, we've just been dealing with so much already that something doesn't have to be a huge stressor by most people's standards to put us over the top.

The second hypothesis may or may not be applicable. It's one I read of in one of my books on ADD. For the person with an ADD brain, "everything's a thing" - more precisely, each item the brain must take in and process is of more or less equal weight. The illness of a family member, what to fix for dinner, the check engine light going on, the need for a new bottle of shampoo, etc. From the sublime to the ridiculous, from soup to nuts.

Now that doesn't mean different items carry the same emotional significance - of course a terrorist attack or something makes me sad and angry way more than breaking a cheap coffee cup. But the initial cognitive processing of things that cross my mental radar screen tend to take fairly equal amounts of energy to keep track of. This may or may not apply to you, but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway.

When the car is gone, do something fun to celebrate!

Switching topics - I have been daydreaming about ideal residences, sort of like Porter and his plans and inventions. I'm envisioning the ideal place I could have designed and built once I win the lottery. It would be more creative laboratory and studio than conventional house. The biggest and key feature for avoiding clutter would be that I'd have a large open workspace and supplies would be in a storeroom (neatly organized of course).

There could be a basic normal looking house at the front, at least a parlor type living room and dining room for having guests. The kitchen and pantry would bridge to the workshop/studio and be handy for fixing snacks. And I could have bedrooms above the other conventional rooms. Oh, and a library and office somewhere in there.

But the house part would follow the same principle as the workshop: Only those items immediately needed for a given activity would be out in the rooms, and when not in use they'd be returned to storage. Ample closets for this purpose.

I kind of got all these ideas from having a storage unit, and from one place I used to work. The concept of NOT having to work and keep supplies in the same space. Sure, that seems convenient at first, but for me it leads to clutter creep. And I could use the exercise returning stuff to its proper place.

Now all I need to do is win the lottery. Easy peasy.

Putting the kettle on to make you a cup of tea, Tillie. Peppermint with honey. Please take care of yourself. Fluids please. I wish I could stop by and do your chores. Maybe someday.

Tess, I'm happy you stopped by. Yes it can feel intrusive having people over. I used to regularly have dinner parties here and I've fallen away from it. I miss having people over. Soon, I hope.

CM you take such good care of the bunnies. A wonderful feeling to nurture a little furry friend.

SubC congratulations for being calm and finding some peace. Let us all meditate on that for a moment--what could have been a disaster, and maybe even a fight or harsh words with husband, was just a blip in the road of life due to your hard work.

The car is still stressing me out. My BF can't understand it. We have the money, paperwork signed. I just need the guy to pick it up, which he is doing today.

I bought this car for my brother many years ago. During one of his fits, he dumped it by my BF's office. We kept it at first because we weren't sure if brother was going to want it back. I've been paying insurance on it for a year, and giving it jumps sad moving it when I've had to. There are very few streets that don't have resident restrictions and street cleaning. I still have plates on it but being cancelled tomorrow. I just want to know that it's gone. I sold it for scrap, essentially, as I don't want to fix it up to sell. The buyer was happy and I will be happy.

I don't know why I carry around so much stress and worry.

How wonderful to see the board so active! I will respond, and chime in with some of my own news. :)

Joan, great to hear from you often! I'm so sorry you're having the bad memories but hopefully they will start to fade as you face them with your newfound strength and riding on the wings of our prayers and well wishes. You should never have had to suffer such a thing as an innocent child and carry the residue from it into adulthood in your compromised health. But I have a feeling there's more healing in store for you. <3

Great work with the decluttering, Sarah and kids! It's hard to do when we have depression, and there have been times when I've made myself power through and sometimes it cheered me up, other times I was just "meh" but at least I got it done, so if nothing else it was one less burden.

Tatoulia, you praised my wisdom about money but I tell you, it sure came at a steep cost! Credit card debt and bankruptcy, and for the icing on the cake, the foreclosure of my parents' house I'd hoped to get out of its 2nd mortgage. I doubt I'll ever fulfill my dream of being a homeowner. But I'm a "never say never" person, so I'll leave that up to God. I'm now in a position, being on disability, that I have no choice but to budget and be frugal. However, I have so much more self-respect now, doing things the way I should've 35-40 years ago. So it's never too late to learn and make what fresh starts we can.

Congrats on selling the car via Craigslist. Good strategy to go by police station and have boyfriend along. I know divorced parents sometimes exchange their shared custody kids by the police station - some of them are ordered to from what I understand. Also - glad your dinner with your mom and brother and BF went well.

Tillie - first of all - GET WELL SOON! I envy you your snuggle cats - they'll be good medicine for what ails you. Good thing they found you to save them. Tatoulia, too, you're right, abandoning animals is reprehensible. Our rabbit rescue and others like it deal with bunnies that people have "set free" - and domestic bunnies rarely survive such abandonment.

We're supposed to have a cold front moving in with 40 mph winds this evening. Blech. Tillie, I do not share your love for chilly rains! They mess with my allergies and sinuses.

Interesting how some of us have that feeling about washing hair and/or showering. I can wash my hair quickly, but I definitely feel like it takes me a lot of effort to get a whole shower or bath in. It's the business about being unused to sharing a bathroom after so many years alone - some of my stuff is in there and other thigs are in my room, and I feel like I'm trying to remember so many things. I also have sensory defensiveness I guess you'd call it - like with cold air blowing on my wet skin. I find quick little tricks to avoid going around stinky but I wish it weren't such a big production to just take a dang bath like I used to when I lived alone and had control over all the variables.

I was okay with not going to the Doctor Who convention - things were busy and I was tired. There'll be others.

Coffee mugs - oh yeah. So easy to get too many of those. I've gotten rid of some.

Took my roommate's bunny to the vet earlier in the week. Bunny's arthritis is pretty bad. Vet gave us meds and suggestions on modifications for her. She is still quite spirited and I think has quality of life with the extra nurturing and accommodations for now. So we just treasure each day with her.

I had a busy week and was sitting with my elderly lady friend several evenings so I got behind on my own stuff at home. The thing besides the clutter that bugs me the most is that I can't get enough time to follow up on creative ideas - to type into the computer the ones for writing and art, and to get to the sewing machine for most of the rest. I may have already griped about this recently; if so, apologies for the repetition.

We also still don't have the furnace so are using electric heaters. Hope that is sufficient with that cold front coming. Especially for little arthritic bunny, I worry about her. If need be I'll heat some towels in the microwave that she can snuggle with.

So as you can see, it's just a little of this and that and it adds up. Today I had planned to be more of a start day for my getting back to my own stuff; however, with the weather change coming, I have added tasks such as emptying rain barrels - Tillie, how I wish I could send you the water! And I need to get bunny's towels out of the washer and do another load. So I'm lowering my expectations for today. My time will start tomorrow when I have the house to myself for the weekend.

I think the cat that comes into my room to judge my clutter is napping in my wardrobe. I hear her shifting around getting comfortable in there. LOL!

Feel better, Tillie! Isn't it crazy how sometimes you don't realize you're sick until it hits you hard?

finally figured out why I have no energy and keep falling asleep every time I sit down.
I am sick.
Going back to bed and will stay there till I'm better.
Take care and keep on helping each other (((HUGS)))

Hi everybody!

Subclinical, that has to be an awesome feeling. Congratulations! I hope the water heater isn't leaking a lot of water.

Tatoulia, congrats on selling the car! Cars are such a headache for me. I know nothing about them! It's one of the areas where I consistently need to rely on other people. And that's hard for me.

Once again, I'm waiting for the plumber. At this point, I kinda just want to get it over with The anxiety is getting old. I have realized something about myself. I've never been comfortable having people in my house. Even back when it was clean. I think it goes back to when I was a kid. We weren't allowed to have people over. I let a friend in once with my dad's permission. My mom found out and went through the roof! Of course, that isn't the only issue these days. The main issue is that my house is currently filthy :( Not newspaper worthy filth, but still. I so wish I could be normal.

Yay for getting rid of unwanted cars!

I have an update on how far I have come in my "dehoarding"

There is something wrong with our water heater. It is leaking on the basement floor. Last night I discovered this when I went down to put eggs away in the "farm fridge" I have stuff sitting in the water, but it is in plastic bins. I moved four threatened items that should not get wet, and then I came up and calmly told dh about the water.

He adjusted something and we went to bed. This morning I went downstairs and came back up to inform him that there is more water on the floor . He said "I will fix it this weekend" and I was able to just say "ok."

I do not need to freak out about the water and I do not need to freak out about making space for him to fix it. Two years ago this would have been a major crisis that destroyed my week.

Joan, what a pleasure to hear from you twice in one day. I'm glad you have supportive doctors and other exceptionsl people In your life. You deserve nothing less.

Cm! Great to hear from you! NIque-welcome. I echo what CM has suggested. I am so very sorry you are in this position. We are here to offer emotional support. Please keep posting.

Great work, SubC! Maintaining space by not picking things up and bringing them home! Brava!

For me, I sold my brother's car. What a fantastic feeling. I sold it to the Craig's list guy. He was very decent and BF was with me the whole time. Got the money I wanted. And this guy got a great deal. But largely this headache is gone. I cannot wait for that fantastic feeling to sink in. Not yet. But soon.

Beautiful day with my mom today. Museum, late lunch. Beautiful all around. It rained cats and dogs and we did not care.

Thanks Tat.

Today two doctors that I see separtely were unsurprised by my news. It seems that in the medical field, Munchausen's by Proxy is acknowledged to be much more prevalent than people would like to think.

Even today it is common, and not much can be done sbout it.
That is the depressing part.

I am just sticking to my routine, as usual. I thought about what you said, and besides this forum, I have surrounded myself with exceptional people, especially medical/health professionals. It is my job now to keep putting Humpty Dumpty back together. It feels like the high-risk, killer parts of my life are over, and now I just continue with the work I have set up for myself.

Appreciate your support, and that of others on this Board.

Hello Nique, welcome to the chat thread. We are a caring bunch of warriors here. I am just catching up on posts and have to go out, but I couldn't not post when I saw your post. You will be in my prayers and one thing I can think of quickly to suggest is clicking on the menu items above - Help for Hoarders, Links, etc. as well as the message boards and perhaps doing live chat. Maybe someone can hook you up to an agency in your area. Also is there a way to buy a little more time with the eviction thing - if it's financial, perhaps find a charitable organization, Red Cross, something to pay another month's rent to give you time to find help? If it has to do with city or county codes, maybe a counselor or someone could help liaison and get them to grant you an extension given your dire straits?

Hello...I dont know if I have found the right place or not...I have a type of hoarding situation and I desperately need help...My family needs to have our place cleaned up and de hoarded by November 12 and we have a terrible bug problem to boot and that needs to be dealt with as well...We dont have the means to pay someone to come and help us to do the decluttering and debugging of our place and we are looking at eviction with two children...A little backstory: There are three adult women in the house with two small boys age 6 and almost 2...we (the women) are all disabled and have fallen into a deep depression after my Dad and my moms husband, suddenly passed away a few months ago...this started the hoarding...and we had a bug problem from the beginning but now it has gotten out of control...we need help...the bugs are so bad that they are eating the adults...please offer any help that you can...

Hi Joan and everyone!

(I wonder what's up with porter)

I did not stop on my way to work and pick up the plastic shelf or the pretty panels painted with dogwoods.

I did finish emptying the wagon of feed bags - curb sized trash can and footlocker yet to go.

Oh Joan. This is all so awful. Except--you are bravely working through this. Your perseverance shows hope and faith. I am so sorry for all of this and want to assure you that today you are loved and valued. As I said to Tillie recently, it's amazing that the Internet has given us friendship. I care about you, Joan, and I admire you. If I could change your circumstances, I would, but since I cannot, I will sit here in awe as you seek peace and healing.

Thanks Tat.

I am feeling better these last couple of days, since I got new allergy drops yesterday.

Mentally I am kind of in shock. Details of abuse in my early childhood are coming to light. I am not surprised, but it was much worse than I thought. Hence my iatrogenic "psychiatric" diagnoses and my movement disorder: All were created deliberately by my bio mother (Munchausen by Proxy). For years I have compared my situation to that of a Munchausen by Proxy victim, but now it is being seen to be true.

This is a much more common experience than people would like to think. Not really anywhere to turn to for support, as even if victoms can recollect being abused, the majority do not surivive. The dead tell no tales, as all Munchausen by Proxy mothers count on. Mine certainly did. It was her undoing. I buried her in 2014.

It really is impossible to understand how people abandon pets. So upsetting. Needless suffering in an already difficult world. My scaredy cat clearly lived with people at some point but was found living under a porch. We are a fully bonded pair, so if anyone wants to adopt either one of us, we are a package deal. She is absolutely terrified of visitors and will stay hidden until they leave. It's fine with me. Sometimes I wish people could see her to see how much she loves me and how terribly pretty she is, but I take her as she is. She loves my BF and they are good pals. But when she's at his house, she hides from me. Each cat is different.

Good enough day at work today. Have tomorrow off to spend with mom on what promises to be a very rainy birthday. That's okay by us. I'm grateful for the rain but wish the temp would drop. I think it's in the 70s still. I'm ready for that raw Autumn rain that chills to the bone.

Running dishwasher. Don't have any milk for my coffee tmr nor do I have any breakfast food. I'll have to have tea.

Hope everyone is doing well. Shout out to Joan.

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
O.K. I'm feeling much better with you using Craig's list to sell this.
So happy that simply sweeping your floor can make you feel good about it. :D
WTG!
Marty is an extremely cuddly cat all the time.
He would be very happy to be held 24/7 which is sometimes a problem when you're trying to do things. LOL
When you pick him up he goes all limp like a rag doll and just lays in your arms.
Twinkles is a big lovable "lap cat" that purrs all the time.
Plus he's a big time talker and will talk your ears off.
I still can't understand what kind of person it is who just dumped these two cats out in the country to try to fend for themselves.
By the time they found me they were just a day or two away from starving to death.

The extended weather forecast is low 70s all the next 10 days with no rain.
So today I will water everything again, even the trees that have lost all their leaves.
Most things can be watered by me just putting the hose down in their wells and letting the water slowly run.
I can be elsewhere doing other things and moving the hose when the timer dings.
Only thing I can't do is run water inside the house when the water is running outside.
The well is about 100 years old, very narrow with little capacity and running water inside and outside at the same time draws the water level too low before the well can refill it's self.
When the water level runs down to a certain level you lose the prime on the water pump and have to re-prime the pump and you also get too much air in your water tank and then have to "bleed" it.
I learned all this the hard way. LOL ;D

Tillie I love it! the depression gave you a reprieve after cleaning! I ended up also sweeping the floor tonight, which felt good. I am a bit nervous re Craigs List--got my first scammer already--but the "item" is parked near the police station and BF will be with me if someone wants the car. Otherwise I will donate it.

It's 1;26 AM. I got up to feed kitty. That's so sweet that Marty snuggled in for a nap! Many years ago I had an excellent nap cat. My cat will nap near me but not with me. That's okay. Each cat does her own thing.

Hello :)
9:00pm here

Hi Sarah :)
WAY TO GO!!!
And having the kids help is so FANTASTIC! :)
Hope you are feeling a little better.

Hi Subclinical :)
Thank you :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
That birthday party sounds so lovely! ;D
WTG! for donations, recycling, laundry, dishes and whatever else you got to! :)
Please be extremely careful dealing with Craig's list strangers.

Decided to clean the house this morning.
I can be depressed in a dirty house or I can clean the house and be depressed in a clean house.
The house being clean again makes me happy. ;D
Took a rest on the couch afterward and was watching a movie and started to fall asleep.
Marty (the cat) noticed so he snuggled with me and we both had a nice long nap together.
It was very warm today. 74 degrees!
Tomorrow I plan to water again outside.
Really hope Winter won't be warm and dry because of the drought.
Used to be that up here we would have our first blizzard on Halloween, until the drought happened.

Good night, Sweet dreams :)

Good afternoon--water glass raised!

I took out my recycling and have done my laundry. I took the bag for goodwill and put in trunk of car. I have listed something in Craig's list for sale and got my first scam response. I made a separate email acct for the Craig's list ad. We shall see how this goes. I'm selling something not mine but has been dumped on me. After that I'll try to sell a piece of furniture I'm looking to get rid of.

I'm working and fasting and feeling pretty good about myself. I over ate over the weekend and do the fasting feels good.

The stuff I've done around the house today is merely maintenance, but I did go through closet looking to see if there's another skirt I can reclaim. There is one but I'm. Kit sure I'll wear it. I will think about this for one week only. OH! And I got rid of one button down blouse that is too big. It's in perfect shape but looks weird because of my weight loss.

Hope everyone is doing okay. Sending you strength and peace.

Coffee clinks!

I'm working from home today and for that I am grateful. We had mom's birthday dinner last night. The food at the restaurant was delicious and the cake i bought was very pretty. A square cake decorated like a present. It was done in fall colors and then a real ribbon going around it and a big bow. Very pretty. Mom, me, my BF and brother. Even brother had a good time and kept it together pretty much.

Tillie I am so sorry you are depressed. I wish I could help you but sadly, as we all know, there's nothing anyone can say to make it go away. If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen. Otherwise just know I am thinking of you. Your Tardis coffee mug sounds adorable! And I'm envious of your three Beatles mugs and I'm glad to know they exist in the world--And at your house.

Sarah, I'm so proud of your accomplishments and I am sorry you are battling depression right now. It is hard and I get it. I'm pretty sure that we all know how devastating it is.

I have a big bag ready for recycling bin. I have run and unloaded dishwasher (ran it last night/unloaded this AM). Am going to do some laundry and do some work. I'm looking for progress today. I do need progress. It's in my hands.

I've started a second bag of donations and will take a break today and put ithe bags in my car. But I want to see actual progress. I'll need to really force myself here.

Sarah,
I'm sorry you are dealing with depression, but that is fantastic!
Keeping up with the house and kids is hard enough all by itself. To do it while fighting depression AND do all that sorting? Wow!

Involving the kids in the clean out is a really good thing. They might not like it now, but it will pay off for all of you.

Do you know when you might be able to take the donate bins? Can you start taking pictures this week?

I'm glad you came back to tell us what you did.

Tillie,
I hope you are feeling better today.

Hi,
I've been really depressed the past several days (you seem like people I can be honest with about that, without needing a lot of explanation; it just is what it is) but I'm going to post my small successes from this week...they are all thanks to you guys on this site. I appreciate you so much.

1) Kept both bathrooms neat/tidy (until just today, sadly)
2) Kept master bedroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen cleaned up! (until today - lots of dishes now)
3) Did a "clothes purge" with all 3 kids of their drawers and closet when they woke up early Sat morning. Used 4 bins: Keep/Using, Storage, Donate, Donate after picture. I just need to move the contents of the Donate bins out of the hallway before they migrate back into the kids' room. It was like nothing we've ever done before and I was proud of them and me.
4) Have involved the kids in more of the cleanup. I can tell that even though they don't like it one bit they do get a sense of accomplishment from it.

That's all I can think of right now...thanks for being there.
Sarah

Good Afternoon Everybody :)
Just 3:00pm here now.

Hi Tatoulia :)
WTG! for tossing too big "unmentionables"! ;D
Great! that you thinned down those coffee mugs.
They seem to breed in the cupboards and most people have so many more than they could ever need.
I have 5. One has a Tardis painted on it and when you add hot liquid the Tardis disappears. The other 3 are the Beatles, John, George & Ringo, Paul is missing.
My favorite mug has a rattle snake (Sidewinder) & jet plane on the front and "RAYTHEON" printed on the back.
Has to do with military weaponry.
Hoping you have a WONDERFUL time at your Mom's birthday celebration! (((hugs)))

Hi Joan :)
Please never eat anything questionable again.
It's not worth the risk and possible sickness.
GREAT you are still doing yoga! :D
WAY TO GO!!! for fresh clean hair!

Hi Subclinical :)
WAY TO GO!!! for taking it easy. We all need our "down time" to recharge.

Haven't really done much except cat stuff.
I've been looking around wondering what to do today but just don't want to do anything.
Don't even want to do anything fun.
I know I am depressed and I know what is depressing me.
Maybe tomorrow I will clean the house?
But first I need to start giving a dam#.

Hi Joan!

I fully support mulching the coconut!

I washed my hair today too. I'm sorry that your not washing hair is from being so exhausted. Mine is from having a really hard time putting my head in the shower when I am exhausted or any time after about solstice. Sometimes it is too hard to get wet at all.

Tatoulia, I hope you have a fun celebration tomorrow!

Hi Tillie,
I did stay home today. I had plans to do a bunch of stuff, but then I looked at how tired I really was and decided to take a complete mental health day. I did my chores (always), moved a small cupboard, chose 2 candles in candle holders from the cupboard to get rid of, ran one load of laundry, watched videos and washed my hair. That was all.

CM, you sound like you are doing great with the van and the new storage area. I really relate to the activities/energy conflicts.

I have had a lot of emotionally draining stuff at work as well as supporting one of my kids who is going through a really rough time and my youngest who struggles with anxiety and has a lot going on that is triggering her right now, even though hers is good stuff.

I think tomorrow I will be able to do some things though.

Joan!!! So glad to hear from you!!! I'm pleased you've had some relief from the biting, dear friend. Your struggle is never far from my mind. Please do not eat expired food again. Please don't. Your health is much more important.

Standing right by your side. So very pleased to hear from you.

Hello everyone.

Today I mulched = threw into the woods some pieces of coconut that had a "sell by" date of 10/17. The last batch of coconut I kept overlong. It became slimy, I ate it snyway, and it made me sick. I have to be on top of the food issues and feeling good before I can take on any other environmental reforms.

The biting is slowly improving. This week I skipped a chiropractic visit, so had 4 days in a row to myself at home. By the evening of the 4th day, I'd saved enough energy and managed to wash my hair. It was a big treat. I go one or two months without sometimes.

The very thought of FB makes me cringe in my mind. You won't ever catch me on "social media".

Glad everyone is doing well, Tat, Tillie, Anony, CM - and anyone I may have forgotten. I snoozed after yoga class this morning, and am just getting up now.

VW blue! I love that color!

Cm I am proud of you. You take so much on and you are so wonderful and so creative. I'm glad you aren't too upset about the Dr Who convention. You are smart and much more realistic when it comes to money than I am. I look forward to hearing ab your sewing project and of case your feline apprentices.

Brother was a little tense today but I kept it together and even stood up for myself for a minute. That's not easy to do because he's not right in the head, so most f the time it's n worth it.

Afterward I went to wonderful bakery and picked up a birthday cake for mom's celebration tomorrow. BF will take us to dinner at a restaurant that allows us to bring our own cake.

I also went to office to take care of something for my brother's health insurance. I realized today that I do not hate him, I just hate being his sister.

Tillie thank you for cheering me on. I got a bag of some coffee mugs out today. They are nice big new mugs but we are changing up our logo at work. My brother loves the mugs so I got enough that he can have a set of six. They are beautiful and sturdy but I'm happy with my one mug. Don't need multiples. Do not need multiples.

The goodwill bag is here and will go to goodwill tomorrow. I also threw out my too big bra today. Now kitty napping and I have to resist the urge to join her.

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
WTG! for cat fed, dishwasher emptied and a bag of donations to drop off!
Wishing you a pleasant day today. (((HUGS)))
My VW is blue, you now the shade, VW blue. ;D
WONDERFUL that your bedroom is a pleasant place!
So, lets slowly start working on getting another room there too.
I think the bathroom would be easiest to see great results the fastest.
Whatever you decide remember to take it slow, one small section at a time and eventually it will all come together. ;)

Hello Eliza :)
I find FB to be a terrifying experience the way they tap into our private mailing lists & who knows what else.
Then there are the hundreds of "friends", strangers, who want to friend you.
The captcha thing for every post is to try to stop the spammers from spamming.

HI ANONYMONIKER! :D

Hi Subclinical :)
Thank you.
I have made two verbal agreements to sell my VW over the years but when Steven found out he intimidated the buyers into backing out of the deal.
Hope you do get to stay home today and tomorrow too!
Not just that you can get things there done but I find staying home to help keep me from becoming too frazzled and keeps me centered.

Hi CriticalMass :)
What a lovely post! Thank you. :D
That is very discouraging to buy something and on further inspection find it does not live up to what you think it was.
WAY TO GO!!! for becoming much more discriminating!
Low energy and lack of good sleep are the enemies of all our best laid plans.
Please be gentle with yourself until you are better. (((HUGS)))
Personally, I would go with the Dalek lap throw because I would get more use out of it.
Hope you can get those books sorted out before the weather gets too cold & wet.
That's wonderful that now you can get to storage to bring out what you need and put away things you are finished using! :D

Well, really have no plans for today except cat stuff.
Already fed them some canned food breakfast so they are all now taking naps.
A little too chilly & windy to hang around out doors today but tomorrow is supposed to be a little warmer.
So I think I will finish those things I had on my list the other day but didn't get to.

Welcome, Eliza! I hope you'll be able to adapt to this forum, because it's really a great bunch of folks. I'm from the pre-Facebook days so I'm used to forums, and I kind of like the ease of finding older posts. Anyway, here are my secret workarounds for this particular site's quirks - perhaps they'll help you.

When I make a post and it doesn't appear, I go up and click on where it says "The Daily Chat." Nine times out of ten it will show the list of topics and I'll see my name as the most recent poster, then open up the thread and there's my post. If that doesn't work, I back up a couple of screens and usually it's all there and I just redo the Captcha and it posts. Of course, it's always good, right before submitting, to do a Select All and Copy just in case something really glitches. Hope this helps!

I've really enjoyed the recent posts from everybody and can relate so much. Tillie, I learned that principle you describe by trial and error in my 20s. I was going to the thrift stores but not being very discriminating in my selections, and buying too many things at once. I remember this one 2-piece skirt and top set, how it would've been okay but when I looked at it I realized how faded and dingy it was from washing.

Out of that realization, I gathered up all the items that I didn't like, re-donated them, and from then on my motto was "If in doubt, pass it by." I guess that was an early version of realizing there will always be more, which is a key strategy in fighting our hoarding. As Tatoulia pointed out, just knowing something is out there in the world can reduce that anxiety of "better snatch it up now before it's gone forever!".

SubC, you've been making good progress - hope your next year's garden is plentiful. Ours here this year was puny in yield too - mostly due to lack of time to tend to it, and getting a late start because of dealing with the water heater crisis during the time we should've been starting seedlings and so on. We have plans and hopes to improve next year.

I've still been fighting the burnout from having a lot of activities going on - but I'm pushing back. The trouble is that many of them are things I like to do, or want to do to help friends or my church or bunny club. Then there are others I have to do whether I want to or not. And the coordinating them all together, that's a battle in and of itself. Then there's the problem that the Bedroom and Craft Area Tidying Up Fairies have apparently gone on strike; I return to those areas and they are exactly as I left them.

Energy is fair to middling. My sleep the same, maybe a little better, but I crave lots of it. Mamma Bear wanna HIBERNATE! My thyroid medication got raised when I saw the docctor recently. I was surprised at that initially but as tired as Ive been sometimes it is making sense. I hope the new dose will even be enough!

Also been getting up later than I would if a) the mornings weren't darker these days, and b) I wasn't so tired, and c) I didn't have to coordinate bathroom and kitchen times with my roommate trying to get ready for work, and her large dog underfoot and all - having grown up in a roomier house and as an only child, I get irritable when my personal space bubble is violated - so it's just easier to wait until I have the place to myself, but it puts me behind on the day.

On Thursday I was dragging my feet again so I decided to do something fun first - I went to the quilt shop and Joann fabrics looking for border fabric. Didn't see anything I liked but I bought a pack of air-dry clay to fiddle with in my attempts to sculpt aliens, or just anything, to have something to do with my hands during TV time.

Then I decided to go to the storage unit later on and that went okay. Got some bulky items out of the van. Some things I was able to pitch - a trash bag full. This was a time of assessing where I am with the new unit, and what will need to be done in resuming sorting. Also found some clothes in the van I want to wash and decide what stays or goes.

Some big crates of books remain in the van. If I'd crammed them into the storage, it would've just made a big mess again. I'd rather set a time or series of times to go over and deal with the piled books already there, get them onto shelves, then incorporate these last crate loads. I got the cake pans I went to fetch for use (and then return when I'm done so they're not in the way here at the house - I'm going to love this system!).

Thanks Tillie for the info on glasses. That gives me kind of a ballpark. I might talk with my eye doctor's office when I go for my glaucoma exams in November - those are covered by Medicare/Medicaid but eyeglass exams aren't - but maybe the office would let me pay in 3 monthly payments or something. I used to do that with other medical places.

Yesterday I went to lunch with a good friend from quilting and we went to a different quilt shop and I found the fabric I wanted for the border. So now I have all the components - some assembly required. When my roommate goes out of town the last weekend of the month I will set up tables and my sewing machine and get that sucker completed! I will probably have feline kibitzers to deal with but that's okay. And hopefully at least one of those crazy cats will decide to come sleep with me if their mom is gone.

Today is kind of dreary and it's going to storm later. A good day just to catch up on miscellaneous. Our church Fun Night is tonight but I think I'm going to skip it - it's mainly for the kiddies anyway, and here lately I'm easily tired by crowds and noise until my energy gets better. I took a cake over yesterday, that's my contribution.

I wonder how the Doctor Who convention is going, but there again, I'm kind of tired so it's okay to be sitting it out. Tillie, that's cool you found Tardis curtains and stuff. I have a Dalek fleece thing I am trying to decide whether to turn into a cape or just a lap throw.

Well, I better wrap this up before I blow up the Internet's storage capacity, LOL. Everybody have a great weekend!

Welcome, Eliza. This forum is anonymous (unlike FB). I hope you'll join us. There probably are FB hoarding groups but I don't use FB. The people on here are warm and kind and helpful, so we are here!

Sometimes you can use the back button to find your lost post too.

Well today I'm off to see brother. I'm hoping it goes ok, just like every other there Saturday. Someday I'll get out if this pattern.

Dishwasher emptied and cat fed. I've showered and have a bag ready for goodwill.

Hi Eliza,

Sorry you find the forum frustrating. Sometimes we find it frustrating too. Copy your post before you try to post it. Also, sometimes if you post and it doesn't show up, it will show up if you immediately refresh.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I am not on Facebook and don't intend to be. I'm sure you could start a group there, there are so many people....

You "join" this forum by showing up. That's it. If you want to be part of it, you have already joined. You don't register. I kind of like that. It has the safe, anonymous feel of AA.

So, tell us about your houses and how we can help you. (We know you can't edit and we are used to the weird stuff. Most of us are pretty good at figuring out what was meant.)

Tillie, I am sad for your beetle! How lovely to be able to stay home for so long! I get to stay home today and probably tomorrow. I have so many plans....

That should read "easier to use" and not whatever jibberish it put there.

Not just for autocorrect reasons but maybe could someone help me start a FB group? It's the capcha thing for every little post! But I desperately need someone(s) to talk to about this housework so I will just deal with it!

No luck finding this group on FB. Why do u use this forum tool? I guess FB has its faillings but it sure is easier to find se for groups. Anyway, I am new here it hope to be included. My house(s) is/are a mess. Neither is nice, both could be condemned probably but there is two of them. And both need to be cleaned up. What do I need to do to join the group. Is it really not really n Facebook? Thanks, Eli

Wow. It just typed a whole bunch of words & they disappeared when I didn't do the capcha! Think 🤔 I will check FB.

Tillie I have progressive lenses which are trifocals, essentially, so they work when using my computer. I'm glad that otherwise your new glasses seem to work for you! I found no transition time at all.

Poor VW bug. I bet you loved that car! I'm guessing that VW Orange/red color--am I right?

I shredded today's mail. Trying to keep up with it all.

Tillie I know I will get there on my house. I've made it far, and I keep my bedroom clean and near and dusted. I just need to really be serious about the bathroom and kitchen. It would make my life so much easier if I kept those two tiny rooms up to date.

Hello Everybody :)

Hi Subclinical :)
Sounds like you bought exactly the new jeans that you needed. :D
The one thing I like best about buying from the thrift shop is that I know MY money is not going to any bad manufacturers.
My money goes to the local charity that runs the thrift shop and then directly benefits people in my local community.
YES! next season get your garden producing more.
It is amazing how much food we can grow in even a small plot of dirt. And you KNOW it's organic. ;D

Hi Tatoulia :)
Great that you can get the same joy just carrying something around for a while & then put it back!
I have done that too.
Happy that you are enjoying being in your home today.
(((HUGS)))
WTG! for that weight loss and shopping at home for smaller sizes while donating stuff that is now too big!
It is practical and wise to have those suits altered since nice suits are expensive and you know you like these two. ;)

Got a call yesterday that my glasses were ready to pick up but I was busy doing other stuff so I went into town today and got them.
They work great for seeing distance and for reading but I am having trouble using my laptop.
I can see the keyboard clearly but the screen view is too close for distance & too far for reading lens part of the bifocals.
I will just keep using my old reading glasses for laptop stuff.
Also ran some errands while I was out so now I should not have to leave home again for at least a whole week and maybe even longer. :D
The car still says "Check Engine" but doesn't say why. I told Steven to fix it and make that light go off.
I liked my old car better because I knew what it needed even without it telling me.
Steven trashed my car decades ago & now it rots in the carport. A 1972 VW Super Beetle.
Oh Well...
Today has been Fall weather, not too cold or too warm with a breeze blowing all the fallen leaves around. :D

Tillie I got a lot out of reading your list regarding how to quell the urge to buy. I have now learned to ask myself whether it is enough to know that the item exists in the world. When I see something that's so cute and only X dollars, I first quell the urge to buy more than one (if there is more than one) then I ask myself if it's enough to know it exists in the world. Sometimes like SubC's recent victory, I need to carry it around for a bit. And this has helped me to stop buying.

The books were solved by my kindle. Getting rid of so many books was solved by telling myself they are available and out there in the world. Also deciding I needed space for other things, including just space.

Well I just couldn't go in today. So I'm home. I don't like working from home on a Friday but on balance, I'm glad to be here. I just finished up my laundry and I'm enjoying my apartment. I will enjoy it more once I do some cleaning. It's cool and sunny.

Kitty box clean and garbage out. I'm dressed in a skirt I need to donate as it is huge--denim skirt and I'm also wearing a bra that is too big. I will clean house in them today then wash the skirt and donate. I have been keeping up with donating bigger clothes but have kept this one skirt for a few cleaning tasks. The only thing I have added is one new button down shirt, as I am able to shop the closet right now. 5 skirts reclaimed! Two of my newer suits (within a year) I will have taken in since the fabrics are nice and I only bought them because I had absolutely no suits to wear. But now they look stupid and big.

My home improvement projects are still stalled due to a combination of my cheap guy isn't around and my finances dont permit me to hire someone else. I expect my finances to ease up mid-year next year, so I refuse to stress about it right now.

Love to you all. I will finish reading your posts. For everyone feeling blue or a little down, you will feel better. And we will continue on this path together.

Good morning!

Tillie, I have similar requirements for clothes, except if I need something specific for an event or work - often I have to compromise.

For the jeans I have been looking and looking for ones I really like, but the old ones were getting too ratty to wear to work, so I finally settled for half price, fit, comfortable, and look good enough to wear to work. Neither is a style I would normally choose, but other people seem to like them because I have gotten compliments.

Usually if I buy something new it is expensive. I try to buy it direct from the maker or natural materials, organic, free trade, recyclable, and the quality to last....

My diet has improved because I have been buying organic food and in season as much as possible and trying to avoid packaging. I need to do better with my garden next year though, because the cost is hard on the budget even after eliminating most of the empty calories.

Hello :)

Hi Subclinical :)
I didn't get to everything on my list but I feel a great accomplishment for what all I did get to.
WTG! for sticking to your grocery list! :D
Nice that you can just drop off recycling & trash as you go about your other business.


About shopping at thrift shops...
If it were not for them I would be naked.
Everything I get comes from thrift shops because I can't afford to buy much of anything at other places.
The key is to become very, very picky.
Keep your standards high.
Know what you have at home and what you really need & not just want.
Example...
My clothes must meet all this criteria.
Right size.
Fabric content must be cotton, linen, silk or wool.
Be in like new, never worn condition.
Then when I bring an item home I MUST then get rid of one "like item" from my wardrobe.

Sheets, pillow cases, towels, washcloths, blankets, etc. must meet the same criteria.

Things like Tardis curtains & Daleks are few and far between but we are allowed to treat ourselves within reason.

Craft supplies are very hard for most people.
I allow myself to have on hand enough to keep me busy.
But I set my limit on just how much I will do to completion within 6 months in my free time.
This amount will vary depending on the person.

Dishes & knickknacks & décor...
I have all I need already.
I do enjoy looking at them but don't feel the need to own them.

Books, record albums, dvds...
Steven has about a million of those out in the garage and he NEVER reads, watches or listens to them.

So...
Have a good long talk with yourselves about what you need and what you want in an item.
Don't settle for less than you deserve just to buy something, anything.
Set your standards high.
Be honest with yourself as to what are your impulse triggers.
Try not to shop to fill a void or relieve depression or loneliness.

A good way to learn to manage impulse shopping is to go to your favorite shop
but leave your money/credit card at home.
You can look but you can't buy.
Sort of like enjoying a trip to a museum.
Just don't come running back later on and buy stuff you saw earlier. ;D

Hi all!

Tatoulia, I hope you're not too tired from your work week. This is the first year I have had to be at school four days a week, and I get it. It's not that i wasn't working on the other days, it's the having to go to and from work at a certain time!

Salad is yummy!

Tess, that sounds lovely! Keeping up with the minimum and taking care of yourself is good.

The molds are detailed stoneware. You press shortbread cookie dough into them and then turn out a fancy decorated cookie.

CM, i'm Sorry about your convention.

Good scores at goodwill though. I definitely think staying out of thrifts and yard sales is important at the beginning. But I think it's better to learn how to manage these things. Also, you have to buy some stuff, and if you can only go into real stores or shop online, it gets too expensive!

I hope you get your glasses.

Tillie, how did your day go? Do you have a sense of accomplishment? I love days when I can just stay home.

I opened two feed bags today and took three empties to the trash can at the grocery store. Dropped off the recycling, and only brought home food that was on my list.

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Subclinical :)
WTG! for things out!
What a lovely gift for a special teacher. :D

Hi Tatoulia :)
YEA! for shredding and filling out papers!
Yes, it is more difficult working without the help of the cat. ;D
WTG! for pigging out on salad! I must admit there have been many times when I have done that.

Hi Tess :)
WAY TO GO!
Taking care of the bare minimums and especially taking great care of yourself!
So happy you are making it easier on you right now too. :D

Hi CriticalMass :)
Due to my very limited resources I get my glasses at Walmart.
The exam cost 80.00 as opposed to well over 200.00 elsewhere.
The frames I have been getting are 9.00 and I have never had any breaking problems with them.
The cost of the lenses though depends on a lot of factors like coatings and differing prescriptions.
They have hundreds of frames to choose from and I saw quite a few that are the larger lens type.
WAY TO GO! for knowing your thrift shop triggers and doing so well to try to avoid them! (((HUGS)))
Wish I could go for walks here. I used to always walk before I lived here. But people have huge vicious dogs that they don't keep in their yards and these dogs terrorize anyone who ventures by.
There is an ordinance to keep dogs contained but it's too often ignored.

Hi Anonymoniker :D

Today I can get back to my regularly scheduled programs.
Nobody demanding my time and interrupting whatever I am doing.
Have a load of wash out already on the clothes line.
Need to wash my hair today.
Have a pair of shoes needing fixing up with shoe dye where it's been worn away over time.
Have too much silver that's all tarnished & needing polishing.
Have to saddle soap my purse and Summer sandals before I put my sandals away until next Spring.
Have some food I want to prepare then do kitchen clean up.
Plus a whole bunch of other things that I want to do.
And as always, there are cat related tasks to get done.

Hi Tillie, Tess, Sarah, Anonymoniker, Tatoulia, Subclinical - hope I didn't miss anyone - if I did, it's just my bad memory and nothing personal!

These have been the busiest days in my crowded October but it should be letting up. I just haven't been managing to post as often; that should resume its former frequency soon too. Anyway, here I am today.

Well, we're still waiting for our heater guy - a part was supposed to have been shipped (on a slow boat, apparently) from China. But my roommate hasn't heard anything since earlier in the week as to whether it really arrived or what. We're both just like "we want this DONE and behind us." Especially with mild weather days numbered.

The days we have been getting are those beautiful perfect October ones with a clear blue sky and the trees just starting to turn. I've been on a kick to walk more with roommate when she walks her dog, because my cholesterol readings recently are pushing it - only one out of normal range, but two years ago they were all better. And I do think lack of exercise is part of the reason these recently were a disappointment.

My bank account is also not in great health, though it could be worse. Sadly, the Doctor Who convention this Saturday is no longer in the plans due to financial constraints. Sylvester McCoy had canceled a week or two ago, though Katy Manning (played Jo Grant) and William Russell (Ian Chesterton) would certainly be enjoyable to see if we could go. This con started in 2015 with Colin Baker but we didn't make it then; we made it last year to Peter Davison (who's my fave anyway). The people who started this have decided this year will be the last for it. However, there are some smaller local comic-con type events cropping up around, so we'll be able to get our geekiness fixes. ;) These are also more affordable.

The busy-ness recently has been pretty fragmenting for my decluttering efforts, though I've done a little here and there. I SO understand the business about thinking a job is going to take longer and be more hassle, and I procrastinate accordingly. After last month's push to get the storage unit moved, as I may have mentioned, I think I've sort of "crashed" and wanted to ignore it for awhile. I hope to end that slump soon, maybe even today. I'm not going to jinx it by promising anything definite, though. I'll just report if I DO accomplish something.

I scored a badly-needed fall purse at the Goodwill a couple of days ago. It was $4.99 and brand new. Also found a vampire novel of a series I want to read and have the first two of already. And a mystery by an author I collect, and a Billy Graham pocket Bible reference dictionary - I had just been telling my roommate how much I liked mine, so I had to get her this copy. She was quite happy with it.

I'm really doing well at being able to go into a thrift store and resist stuff that isn't part of my focused search, though. SubC, good for you for building that skill too! My clutter club leader prefers that we avoid garage sales and thrift stores etc., and I can see that for those who are just beginning this decluttering journey. I do feel I've acquired self-awareness and discipline though. The only time I'm vulnerable to my old addictive buying is when I'm either wound up by a round of ADD madness ("oh look, shiny things!") or really unhappy (retail therapy). During those times I feel guilty but sometimes do it anyway. But even those spells are becoming less frequent.

I could sure use some new glasses - must research how I can afford the exam, though. I probably qualify for a county program for the actual glasses. My problem with the glasses I have is that with the trend toward smaller lenses over the last decade or so, and my deep set eyes and that middle-age presbyopia, I'm always looking out underneath the frames, then finally getting disgusted and just taking the glasses off, whereupon I sit on them and break them! Right now they're wired together because I'm not paying to fix them again. I like some of the vintage styles that are coming back such as cat eyes or browline frames. If I could find some like that - geek hipsterhood here I come, and with lenses I could actually look THROUGH.

Well, I better pick up the pace for the day and keep going. Hopefully I will have some good to report soon. Take care all, snuggle those kitties!

Good morning friends!

Subclinical - good job putting back the molds. Especially at half price! What kind of molds are they?

I just realized that I haven't posted in about a week. Honestly, I've been a bit down and only doing the bare minimum. The good news is that while I've been trying to fight the blues, I've been able to take bubble baths, cook good meals, and relax in a comfy space :) I've been cheating and using paper plates and plastic silverware to minimize clean up. I'm working from home today, so I'm going to do some little things between meetings.

Hello Tillie & SubC & everyone else! Great to catch up--it didn't feel like I was gone for long, til I read your posts.

So pleased you have your car back, Tillie! SubC remarkable job at goodwill and getting rid of feedbags. Your student sounds so sweet!

I did do all the shredding, including brother's mail, which was a good thing because he has to fill out some forms by next monday. I've filled them out and just need his signature.

At office all week. It's been a very long time since I've done four days in a row. Maybe seven years since I've done that. So I'm all confused re what day it is since I rarely work a Wednesday and never do a Wednesday and Thursday back-to-back. YES I work from home but working in my pjs and with my very capable feline assistant is a lot different from being in the office. Had a very good day, however.

Going to go finish the dishes now. I pigged out tonight in salad, if you can imagine that. I have never, ever binged on salad before. Holy cow.