Hi Subclinical
we posted at the exact same time :D

Since right now your priority is moving everything to new locations, delaying a lot of hard decisions right now will help keep the relocation project moving along.

Your category list has a lot of things going out & away.
YEA!!!

WAY TO GO! for moving all shelves and cleaning the floor underneath!
So good that each item is being picked up and looked at as you place it.
This will keep it fresher in your mind.

Been thinking about cat pricing...
Tatoulia lives in a big city.
We live more rural.
I think in rural areas $200.00 cats would sit on the shelf with so many feral litters under every shed.
$35.00 here just offsets the cost of the shots & worming & ear mite treatments.
The veterinarians donate their time to neuter/spay.
Life in a big city is more expensive and they probably even have a nice big facility to house them in.
So more overhead, the more expensive the adoption fee.
Here, the homeless cats are kept in random people's homes since they have no building.
No overhead.

Hi Tatoulia

Glad you spent some time looking at kitties today.
It is always enjoyable/therapeutic to meet new kitties and give them a little lovin.

Now please explain to me...
Do the cats get less expensive the older they are or more expensive with age, like wine or cheese?

Yeah, this is a slow time of year for adopting cats, not as many to choose from.
Come Autumn there will be more.

Have a pleasant walk :)

Well, if they have done all the things for the cat, that makes sense. Enjoy your cat shopping. Your mom will know her kitty when it finds her.

CM, good luck with all of your bunny things!

I actually did clay work today and dh asked me if it was easier to find things and get work done. He reminded me that that is the whole point of all this - making things in the studio, not just looking at it. I wish us both beautiful, organized work spaces!

Tillie, i'm Glad your wasps are gone.

I cleared off another shelf and moved it and swept and mopped, and tomorrow (when the floor is dry) I will put a different shelf that is already clean in the space.

I seem to be moving every single shelf, even if it is only a few feet. But it is good because the floor gets a thorough cleaning and each item gets handled and removed or stored deliberately.

My categories are:
trash (I have a cracked bucket that is almost full. I will throw the whole thing in the dumpster at school next week when I go to work on my classroom)
Burn - small box
Recycling - giant bag plus box
Donate - small pile because I already went once
Take to school - big pile
Move to basement (far too much, but I am putting off the hardest decisions in the interest of speed)
And put away.

Hello! Everyone seems to be doing a great job! Congratulations on getting rid of the wasp nest! Cm this is a busy time and you have some ambitious plans! Sending you much strength and energy!

SubC the cats at the shelter have shots, spay/neuter, deworming treatments, flea treatments, ear mite treatments, etc, etc. a free cat costs just as much by the time this is done. Plus the fee helps support the good work of the animal shelter. I am pleased to pay it.
We went to three today. Not a lot of cats but that's okay. We had fun. Next weekend is a big free cat thing going on but mom and I will sit that out. BF already gave us the money for the cat. The cat fee is graduated depending on age of cat.

Oh my goodness one shelter has a beautiful large Siamese. She's not for us (plus she was reserved) but was she a beauty.

We will take our time with this.

I'm heading out for my walk. Great work everyone! I have only done mom stuff the last two days. A bit of laundry today for me. Delicates and towels. Two loads.

Hi CriticalMass
Thank you :D

Steven drug home some of those paper fake wasp nest things and hung them out in the yard.
I was very doubtful...
Kept checking on them and sure enough, WASPS WERE BUILDING NESTS INSIDE OF THEM!!!

Good luck getting all ready for the bunny event.
Do you often remove tracking cookies and temporary browsing history on your computer?
Just doing that really helps with the speed and bogginess.

YEA! for getting your hair all pretty! :D
I keep my hair long just so I can get it all up into a bun and off my neck.

Your food choices sound fine and tasty.

Badger, Badger, Badger to get that creative work space all whipped into shape, once you have the time.

About ten years ago we started to notice about six domestic bunnies running around here.
Somebody must have dumped them, just like they do with kitties and doggies. >:C
Anyways...
We told people and bunny people came and trapped them all except a really big Lop Eared buck and took them home.
That buck was very hard to catch but a Lady was extremely persistent and was finally able to corral him too.

Ooh, Tillie, glad you were able to evict the wasps safely! That one that was in my room I never saw again. My roommate had this old fake wasp nest she ordered from some gardening place. You hang it up and it tells new wasps "No Vacancy."

Well, the thing just looks like an oddly shaped Japanese lantern, more tapered on the bottom. So we wondered if a regular Japanese lantern would be effective. We went to the Dollar Tree and found a some solid color ones. Don't know if that's what did it or if the wasp found its way back outdoors, but we have seen no more of them since deploying the lanterns. Thought I'd pass the tip along!

We're heavy into prep for the bunny event ONE WEEK from today! :O Yee-ikes! I was having fits with my laptop trying to get the newsletter and some announcements made yesterday. This laptop is around 10 years old, I may have mentioned. But it has Windows 7 which I like; I hate 10. And I think I can boost it by installing extra RAM. It's slow to load webpages and with my graphics programs.

Tomorrow I'm going to make myself presentable - do my haircolor in preparation for the event; will probably trim off some of the ends. I've been going for "shorter long hair" the last couple of years. May even approach "medium length" - but I have to keep it where I can ponytail it off my neck, because my neck is usually as hot as the surface of the sun. Afternoon tomorrow will be a good time to do laundry, make sure my bunny club shirt is clean, and whatever else needs washed.

This week I will be finishing gluing together cute little bunnies made of craft store pompoms, making jewelry, and other things I have sitting in the To-Do stack. My roommate is knitting the cutest little bunnies that fit in the palm of your hand.

And then towards the end of the week I'll make bunny shaped Jell-O Jigglers, and we will buy fruit to take - last year we did melon pieces and grapes - and salad croutons and cheese slices and crackers, stuff like that.

And I'll add a mani-pedi for myself before the event, after we've done the dishwater hands part of it.

My room, the sofa where I've been crafting, and the sewing area in the back room all are "There appears to have been a struggle." That is going to change after this bunny event! I am going to dig in and JUST DO IT - like all of y'all have been setting a good example of for me. Thanks, by the way! And keep going on yours, because I can always blow the Badger Whistle and send Badger wherever needed.

Tatoulia, I am glad your mom will be able to provide a nice kitty a home, and have a companion still. We have a good TNR program here - in fact, by the ice cream place last night I saw a kitty and I need to notify them - behind the place is weedy land by the river banks and I bet there are lots of ferals there.

If they can get them when the water level is down - don't want any more drownings here or anywhere. I think the land is wide enough though. And the people have experience, they'll know what to do. Our bunny group has done live trapping of stray bunnies, did I ever mention that? We've acquired several that way.

Hi Tess! Good to see you here again!

Success!!!

Went out this morning and checked on that HUGE yellow jacket wasp nest that they built down in the ground.
Not a single wasp to be seen anywhere around that area!

So glad that is over with. They were extra mean and aggressive.

Good Morning Everyone
"Clink!"

Yeah Subclinical, I was totally floored when I first learned that people actually paid for cats!
Always thought that all cats were free.

We also have the feral cat trap and release here.
They are all neutered and given shots. Here we snip the very tip of the left ear off so it can be identified from a distance.

We also have some designated as "Barn Cats" and are given to people who need mouse control.

They also take in house cats who are in need of a new home.
Some people have moved and couldn't/wouldn't take the cat with them.
Some people have died and the cats are orphaned.

All these neutered & inoculated cats are only 35.00 each.

You can also volunteer to foster house a kitty or two and let it live with you until a permanent home is found, if ever.
Or foster a pregnant momma until her kitties are adopted out.
They will provide you with all food and any veterinary care they may ever need.


I too am weirdly pleased to see baby skunks here again.
No opossums or raccoons live near me.
There is a desert pack rat/cotton rat living in my compost heap.

Good luck getting all shelf things on the shelf.

I am trying to imagine a $200 kitty!

Here you go to someone's house and you pick out a kitty. The kitty is free. Then you pay $35 for an exam and shots. Sometimes, if the kitty is grown, it has already had shots. It was $60 to have mr. kitty fixed. (There are periodic clinics where it is half that) How much of that is included in a $200 kitty?

There is also a catch and release program in the city where feral cats are trapped, neutered, tattooed (to indicate neutering) given a rabies shot, and released where they were found.

When I was in college, there was a clinic that did $5 rabies shots. Minimum wage was $5.25.

Anyway, Tatoulia, I am very happy that you are in a place where you can use your card for a safety net.

My dad says "if you have a problem, and it can be solved with money, and you have money, you don't have a problem. You have an expense."

Tillie, I am weirdly pleased that you have baby skunks. I have not had any skunks this year, but I did have a little possum in the barn the other night.

I am sure I will rearrange the things on the shelves as I settle in, but my first goal is just to allocate the space and get things sorted.

Good Evening Everyone

Hi Subclinical
Good luck figuring out what all goes where.
That usually takes some time.
I put something somewhere then after a while I figure out a better place for it then after a while move stuff again but eventually it all gets settled.



Hi Tatoulia
Welcome back (((HUG)))
I figured you went to another game, I saw the pic. ;)

So glad you had the means to get kitty what all she needed.
I always called my master card "disaster" card, used only for emergencies.

Good luck with that volunteer project.

WTG! for all the housework you did!

Kitty shopping would be impossibly hard for me.
They look at you with "those" eyes.
Even worse is when they reach out and take your hand.
Kittens are work. A mature cat is easier to live with, already broken in.

Baby skunks on the porch are just too cute when they are begging you for more cat kibble/cereal.
Have to remember to bring in the cat dish before dark, sorry Jack.

Hello everybody. I finally got some sleep today. I got up and read some materials for something I am doing Tuesday. One of my volunteer jobs needed someone on an emergency basis on Tuesday and they hand delivered a large package of materials to me. I'll be taking Tuesday off, and a couple more later in the month to do this.

After finally feeling like I've caught up on my sleep, I went to mom's to help her out. I packaged up most of her dishes to bring here and now I am running the dishwasher with her things. Then I went to the grocery store but not without going the long way so I could get some walking in. I cleaned and cleared the part of her table that she would let me work on and I made her bed. I wiped down her stove top and washed a few dishes so she'll have a coffee mug for tomorrow. I got her garbage out. Things like that. We are preparing for a new kitty.

She misses the kitty but she's fine. She hasn't cried because she's just really glad to have had the cat and is grateful she got to be with her at the end. I think I'm done crying and am just sad. We had Red Sox tickets last night and I didn't want to go but we were going with another couple and it was a beautiful night out so I went. And I was glad to be out. They are a nice couple, BF's friends, and they are very easy to be with. So it was a good night. And it was an exciting game!

Tonight is gorgeous. In the 60s. I'm in heaven.

Everyone, thank you for your condolences and kind expressions of sympathy. You helped me to get to where I am now.

Tess!!!!

SubC you are doing remarkable work. Tillie I'm glad you got some things done today. I still have not bought anything that isn't a necessity and it feels so great

I had to use credit card for kitty the other night and it was an expensive night. But not as much as I thought it would be. But still it was over $500. BF has offered me $$ but I can pay rest of dishwasher with this week's paycheck and entire vet bill with the next pay cycle. BF will pay the adoption fee for the new cat, which could be as high as $200 depending on the age of the kitty. Will will not be getting a kitten as we are not kitten people.

Do you know what? Before I paid off my debt I wouldn't have had the $ to take care of that poor sick cat. The poor thing. The dr said she had a mass, likely cancer, that was bleeding internally. I would've been stuck. And I can afford this. This isn't a set back. This is what credit cards are for. Emergencies that you then pay off.

Mom says she's ready for a new cat now then she said maybe in a month or six weeks. I told her we can go visit the shelters tomorrow, just to look. It will help her gauge her readiness. And I love seeing the kitties.

Okay goodnight everyone. And thank you for helping me out.

Tillie, i'm glad you got to get your work done.

Dh had to go help our extra son (long story) with a plumbing problem, so I went back out and put more things on my shelf. All the packing materials are on the shelf now.

The loft is almost empty except for mattresses, pillows, tables, a bean bag and a lamp. (At one time it was a "guest room" and we would like it to be again). The "almost" is because the big table is completely covered with inventory. Some of it will go on my new long shelf, but I don't know if it will all fit.

My choices will be - choose a second storage location for some category(s) of inventory or reduce my packing material collection.

Now I am tired.

That's fantastic Subclinical.

At least you can tell us about all your future plans and we all understand that it will get done on your own time schedule.

24 buckets is a lot and needs to be handed properly.

That will be so nice having things on that new long shelf.
All neatly arranged and easy to find and put away.

WTG! for all that hard work you two did today!



Had to wait for him to get up before I could do my plans today.
He finally got up at 1:45pm.
I got the carpet all vacuumed, moved the furniture and vacuumed everywhere.
Waiting for it to cool down a little outside then I will take the litter boxes out and wash them.
Wanted to do all this early but at least it will get done today.
One of the litter boxes is in his bedroom since he often shuts a cat or two in there and I never want a cat without access to a box.

They have added some more episodes of HOARDERS on Tubi.

Discovered a HUGE ground nest of yellow jacket wasps.
This will take a while to eradicate and I have to keep running far away, they really hate me.

Dh and I worked really hard today!

The grading is done, dh cleaned a bunch of stuff out of his workshop and organized part of it, and my long shelf is up and about 1/3 filled. I also swept up a lot of clay bits and sawdust today. My throat is a little sore.

I made a discovery. I have the number of buckets of clay that can be put away neatly in my studio, plus (deep breath) 24.

I want to set a goal to get rid of (use up, share, take in to my class) 24 buckets of clay by next September. I want to tell dh about it, but i'm Afraid he will push me to just get rid of it now. And I am not ready to do that.

Good Morning Everyone
"Clink!"

Hi Subclinical
At the rate you have been working on the entire property, by the time your home needs to be baby proof, it will be. ;)

Hi Tatoulia (((hug)))
Hi CriticalMass
Hi Tess


If I ever get moving today my plan is to empty, scrub, sanitize and refill the two litter boxes and vacuum the carpet.

Hi Tess! How are things with you?

Tatoulia, i'm Glad you are doing ok. Also that your mom will have a new kitty friend. I was afraid that because of her living situation she would not get a new kitty.

I didn't do long shelves yesterday because dh asked me to wait for him to sort through the boards. He will help me today.

I did clear off another shelf.

Dd and dsil came by last night and we went out to dinner. Then we came back here to hang out for a while. I drank too much beer (2) and stayed up too late and I have a headache this morning.

But, they told us they are planning to start a family! Dd told me not to get too excited because it could take a long time. (I was pregnant with her in two weeks, her aunt tried for ten years....) she said she wanted to give me plenty of time to childproof the house.

Got two loads of laundry washed, dried, folded & put away.
Laundry basket is empty!
Got out the ironing board and ironed some clothes.
Did a bit of altering on a pink 55% linen 45% cotton blouse.
Did some beading.

Just had a tiny sprinkle of rain, not enough, will still need to water this evening.
Unless it rains properly soon.

Scooter was finally able to expel a large hairball he had been working on for quite a while now.
If he would allow me to brush him this would not happen.
But he considers the brush to be attacking him and he fights back viciously.

Twinkles LOVES to be brushed and demands brushing.

Thank you for the update.

(((HUG))) :)

We are okay. Will write more later. Mom is doing well and we will get her a new cat soon. I'm struggling but am glad the kitty was so peaceful and that mom was with her
Love to all. I'll catch up on sleep this weekend and I will get mom's house new kitty ready.

Good Morning Everybody

Hi Tess

Hi Subclinical
Fingers crossed that you soon feel 100% improvement.

Hi CriticalMass

Hi Tatoulia (((((HUG)))))


Should be a good day to do laundry once it warms up a bit.
8:00am and it's only 63 degrees.
This weekend is supposed to be cool but next week it's supposed to get hot again.
There have been many wildfires but nothing huge and fortunately none too close to me.

I'm so sorry to hear about kitty, Tatoulia! *hugs* That is always such a hard thing to process.

Good morning.

Hugs for Tatoulia.

I think the iron is working.

Yesterday I had energy in the afternoon. Even though I cleaned stalls all morning I made it to 7pm before I felt exhausted. I woke up before my alarm this morning.

I am mad at myself that I let it get bad for a second summer in a row. But at least not as bad this time. I will be taking iron for the rest of my life. Such a simple thing.

I am excited to work on my shelves today.

Hello Tatoulia

Hi CriticalMass

Hi Subclinical
YEA! for getting so far along!

Tatoulia,

My condolences on your mom's kitty. Hope you, she, and BF are hanging in there.

=^_^= <3

Tatoulia, I kno w you are sad, but I hope you are ok.

The water came back on and I washed the shelf and mopped the floor. I am now ready to start setting up the long shelves on the wall. Then I will make the big mess in the center of the space smaller and ask dh about the rolling table.

Hello Everyone

Thinking about you two.
Hope Subclinical has had her shower by now.

Wishing Tatoulia peace.


I washed dishes, wiped out the microwave too.
Had another lightning storm but thankfully it was not directly over our heads.
Got a good little soaking of rain this time.
Might be more storms throughout the night.

Didn't do laundry, too humid and I knew there was a chance of showers.

My naturally curly hair has gone crazy insane with the humidity.
I look like Harpo Marx.

It's morning...

Hi Tatoulia
(((((HUGS))))) for you all.
Be extra gentle with yourself.
Bless you for taking care of everything for kitty and Mom.

Hi Subclinical
How horrible not to have water.
Since we are on a well, whenever they work on the electric power and need to shut it off, a man comes round to warn us in person.

Have a wonderful long refreshing shower soon as the water is back on.
(((hug)))


Last night a big lightning storm was right over us.
Lightning bolts that came down and lit up the entire yard.
Twinkles hid and Scooter was running around looking out doors & windows, he'd never seen anything like that before and was very concerned.
It rained a little bit but not enough to wet under trees or overhangs.
I had turned off all electrical appliances and only had on small night lights in case it hit the house.

When I lived in Tucson years ago I was once struck by lightening while I was in the house.
The bolt hit the evaporative cooler on the roof and I got zapped by some of that energy.
The metal electrical cooler was destroyed, all burned up.
I was ok except for some changes that eventually straightened out.
Some scientists from the university were doing studies on lightning struck victims and I agreed to giving them a blood sample for their studies.

I'm not afraid of lightening storms.
Just cautious about turning off all electric appliances and staying away from landline phones.

Your mom is going to be lonely without her kitty friend.

Would miss kitty ever go visit her, or would she be too scared?

I spent all morning cleaning stalls. Then I came in to take a shower and eat lunch. I have no water. I called and it is shut off from 10:00 this morning to 4:00 this afternoon for maintenance. Apparently they called yesterday, but our billing number is our answering machine free house phone.

Things I will not be doing:
Clay work
Dishes
Laundry
Cleaning in studio (next step is washing a shelf and mopping the floor)

Also, I stink.

She passed peacefully with mom, BF and me by her side. She hadn't been eating or using litter box and she looked terrible so I took her to Angell Memorial last night and the prognosis was poor-internal bleeding from a mass, likely cancer. After I gathered myself, I called mom and told her that we couldn't keep her alive so mom could come see her on Thursday and mom said, I'm coming up now, I'm getting dressed. (I had been with mom while she showered last night). So BF brought her up.

Very sad but mom's doing okay. Then I went to mom's and cleared the cat dishes and threw away the litter box, etc just to get that done.

Oh no!

Sending love to you and to your mom.

NO!

Oh no
I am so very, very sorry.

So sorry ((((((((HUGS))))))))

So much pain. I'm in so much pain. At kitty hospital with mom's cat. She's not going to make it.

CM - from the Mayo Clinic:

Iron deficiency anemia signs and symptoms may include:

Extreme fatigue
Weakness
Pale skin
Chest pain, fast heartbeat or shortness of breath
Headache, dizziness or lightheadedness
Cold hands and feet
Inflammation or soreness of your tongue
Brittle nails
Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt or starch
Poor appetite, especially in infants and children with iron deficiency anemia

I am not pale, but I am naturally tan.
I do not have chest pain, and my heartbeat seems ok.
I sometimes have a sore tongue - but I think it's from too much acidic fruit.
I have a good appetite.

But I have all the other symptoms.

Anemia can also cause anxiety.

Tillie, i'm Glad you had a good trip to town. I don't think you should praise me for overeating. My weight is not good and it doesn't make me feel well. It is a coping mechanism, not hunger.

Tatoulia, I am still crossing my fingers for the customer.

I still didn't get any playing done in my studio. I did my chores and picked beans and weeded and started some laundry, and then I was too tired to care.

Dh called me in the afternoon and he came home and I had to take him to go pick up his car, then he went to a dinner for work. I stopped at the grocery store for fruit and some essentials and dropped a few things off at goodwill. Then I came home and had macaroni and fake cheese (goat milk and nutritional yeast), my beans, and a peach for dinner. I did not go in goodwill, but not because I had willpower, because I was too tired to get out of the car again.

Tomorrow I need to get feed.

Good Afternoon Everybody

Hi CriticalMass
Yes, go look for those iron pills.
Couldn't hurt and just may be what you need.
Women do tend to become iron deficient.


Hi Tatoulia
Sounds like the guy is very interested and sincere about buying the cabinet and at the asking price too.

YEA! for all the cleaning and fresh sheets!

So sorry Miss Kitty (((HUGS)))
That is why I hated cleaning/vacuuming in my tiny room. It was the cat's sanctuary. The place they always felt safe.

Having been around firearms all my life and shooting them since I was 6, it was "beaten, not literally" into me to never even point a gun at anything I did not intend to shoot.
And there HAD to be a very good reason as to what I would point a firearm at.
Since my muther would leave me and my 2 younger sisters home alone all day and night whenever my father was working out of town, my dad taught me when and how to use the Colt 45 to protect us.
I was 8 years old at the time.

Had fun this morning wandering around in town.
Found what I wanted at the dollar store, YEA!
At the thrift shop I found 4 long strands of semiprecious gemstone beads, 2 dollars a strand.
HAPPY DANCING!!!!!
Also got a pretty pink cotton washcloth and found 3 unused pencil puzzle/word game books.
Hardware store was out of what I would buy if it were on sale.
There have been so many wasps/yellow jackets this year that all stores here are out of wasp spray & traps.

You all have me wondering if I lack iron. Sooo unmotivated and brain fogged. I have some iron pills around here, might try it.

Yo Badger...

Craig's list guy called. Can't get away from office. He'll cone this weekend. I've looked him up several times and I know what he does for a living and totally understood he couldn't get on today. So hopefully it will work out. Really want this sold.

Hello everyone! The craigslist person flaked out on me so I brought the cabinet back into the kitchen. Tillie I hope you enjoy your day poking around. I love a day like that!

SubC yes on the iron! We need you to feel your best. CM you are moving forward and doing great! I understand needing to vent and gripe.

I'm sitting in my bedroom on my chair. The cleaners are here and somebody is terrified. She's hiding behind the draperies. The cleaners cleaned everything from under my bed. Pretty nifty. And scary. For both of us.

Yes I changed my sheets over the weekend and yes, I had my ladies change them again today. Very few pleasures are as simple and as satisfying as clean sheets. Of course I'd prefer sheets hung on Tillie's clothesline.

Tillie I'm worried about the wildfires. Oh and I meant to tell you, taking away your guns is definitely not the answer. Canada has lots of guns and is thankfully not experiencing the problems we have here. I don't know the answer but this country needs the answer.

Okay going to check on my laundry. Cat is able to show her face right now, which is a solid improvement. Poor tiny cat.

Good Morning Everyone
"Clink!"


Hi Subclinical
So relieved that you have decided to take OTC supplements since you have the same symptoms as before.
I'd get pretty fast results whenever I would take the OTC iron supplement.

WTG! for watching videos, eating too much and having a nice cool shower after doing all that other necessary work around there!

Have a wonderful day today playing in the studio. :)


Have watched the sunrise several days in a row.
Today there is a 10% chance of rain and a 100% chance of wildfires.
Going into town today. Will see if I run into any acquaintances to talk to.
Going to leisurely walk through the 2 thrift shops, maybe I'll find something I need?
Probably not but looking at what's there might be interesting.
Will stop by the dollar store and see if they have the style of toilet brush I need.
Might stop by the hardware store and see if they have any yard/garden stuff I need on "end of summer" sale.
Today is just a get out of the house (jail) excursion with nothing that I have to get.

Good morning all!

CM, good job yesterday! Thank you for keeping the badger occupied.

I think putting money aside ahead of time is a good approach. Just don't loose your envelopes!

I hope you are using up some of your stash for all the bunny projects. Also, when you need to buy new things, it seems like the bunny organization should be able to give you some money - it is to raise funds for them, and you are already giving your time and energy.

Tatoulia! I would say a cab was a necessity in both directions! Please be careful. People die of heat!

Unless your savings pays more than 5%, you will "make" more money by paying down the loan.

Tillie, are you going into town today?

I folded yesterday. I did patch the fence, and I dug up two very little trees that were in the way of the grading and set them aside to transplant (very little, they are in a large flower pot together.) and I did run the dishwasher again.

But that is all. I watched videos and ate too much and took a cool shower.

There is a cool event at the pottery studio tomorrow night, but you have to bring a piece of work. I wanted to go, but I don't have the right kind of work ready. I had intended to try to push myself yesterday and get something done, but about halfway through the fence patching I decided just to give up on the event. I wish I had found out about it sooner.

Dh and I have decided that my Dr. should not have taken me off the iron. I have been feeling tired a lot and everything is hard and takes too long and I am getting out of breath too easily again - all symptoms of anemia that I thought were depression and being out of shape last summer and that went away with the iron. I have the prescription container, so two days ago I put myself back on the same dose with otc pills.

Last time it took a couple of weeks to see results, but it is not as bad this time, so I am hoping I will feel better sooner. We will see how it goes - I would like to avoid going in for more bloodwork right now.

I have tentative plans to do clay work in the studio today. Also at least one load of laundry.

Good Evening

Hi CriticalMass
WTG! for not procrastinating on the banking and storage unit.

Putting away a little cash for those things is the best way to do it.

Good luck with all your plans. :)

Hi Tatoulia
Paying off that loan is also putting money into savings because you won't have that interest to pay any longer.

Do NOT push it!
You have absolutely NO tolerance for hot and humid even if it's not really all that hot.

Good luck selling tomorrow, stay safe, stay firm about the price.

SubC I am sorry about the car repair cost. What a terrible burden. CM some days go like this. They are tough and very unsatisfying. Tillie, my dear, good for you for parking your car where it is ultimately more convenient for you.

I had a conference today and although I took a cab there (trust me, this goes in necessity pile), I walked home probably three or more miles and it was really tough. I got sick when I was probably 1/2 a mile from my house. BF offered to meet me but I said no, I need to sit for a while. I probably sat for 20 minutes before I could come home. Then I tried to sleep but had nausea and headache. I finally felt well enough to take a TUMS and eventually I did fall asleep. Kitty (who does not sleep with me) came in and snuggled up again my stomach, which I really appreciated. A few years back when I was writhing in pain and sick beyond belief, she sat next to me for the entire day. I love it when she takes care of me, but not enough that I want to be sick.

It was the humidity. It tried to kill me.

The conference was excellent and the food was good and the speakers (save one) were good and the afternoon team activity felt right and appropriate and helpful. I am not going to Day 2. I generally only go to one day. I also didn't go to the reception afterward. I will similarly skip tmr's party, which is at a restaurant somewhere. I got sick at the party last year (heat related) and somehow I made my way to the office where I was wet and clammy and not making sense. A manager happened by and stayed with me until my color was normal and I could hold my head up. I've probably told you that story too many times but it serves as a reminder that I cannot attend summer parties. I drink plenty of water and I never drink alcohol. Even when I did drink I never drank at work or volunteer events because I view myself as still at work. But drinking is now 14 years behind me.

Okay enough about my giant heat intolerance.

I hope the NH person comes tmr. I'm prepared to say, I've priced it fairly so that a collector can get a bargain or a dealer has built-in room to make a decent profit.

Cleaners may overlap, which would be awesome.

Goodnight, dear hearts. Sorry to ramble so about my stupid heat and humidity intolerance. Today wasn't even hot, it was deceptively humid.

Oh! I saved $95 by not falling victim to Allbirds new shoe colors. I may have saved twice as much but for now am willing to add 95 to my 14. Let's extend the no-spend challenge for me to Sept 15. I'm enjoying it.

Also, I have an idea for what to do with the money, rather than saving it. I have a very small loan at a low (5%-not 29.9% like a credit card). I'm not sure how much longer I have to pay on it. I think I should take my savings when I don't spend and put toward that loan. Thoughts?? Or should I put it in my savings?

warning - some griping included but I'll try to keep it to a minimum

I will talk to the badger about taking a chill pill, SubC, or try to otherwise occupy him. Yesterday he got me to do a couple of things I was tempted to procrastinate on - deposit some cash in the bank so it wouldn't evaporate, and do a drop-off and pick-up at the storage. Didn't stay there long because it's HOT here. And muggy.

Badger's main job now will be to keep me on task with making the props, crafts, signs, food, etc. for the bunny event.

Yes, there is such a gridlock - the sewing table is the most likely space to get cleared first, because I'm going to have to sew beanbags for one of the games at the bunny event. And while it's cleared, after sewing, use it to paint and make bunny wooden crafts and glass bead jewelry and other stuff.

Roommate is back to work but really feeling the stress of working for an organization trying to do a ton of things with insufficient personnel.

I have an idea I'm going to start doing, since I'm poor yet involved in different endeavors that sometimes need supplies. For example, the bunny club. I am going to start making envelopes for putting a little money in each month toward the time when Easter bunny-themed merchandise that we could use for next year's August event is available.

I'm also going to start funds for things like the deductible in case anything ever happens to my current van, veterinary care for my bunnies, and bigger ticket purchases for me such as a new computer. Even a fund for event admissions like Comic-Cons or Steampunk festivals or doll shows (including a small amount of "mad money" but not too much).

And a bigger fund for eventually getting my own place, but I know that is more long term. There are advantages to where I am and I must remember that; sometimes I focus too much on the disadvantages. It's a house in a modest but decent neighborhood, so there's a yard, and I'm not crowded up in a building with a bunch of people like I might be in an apartment. Especially any apartment I might be able to afford.

And I need to do some soul searching again, some prayer, some thinking about whether there's any type of {shudder} job I could get. It's not work I dread, it's the people, the stress, the driving, odd hours, sometimes itchy clothes, anxiety/PTSD/ADD triggers - all the junk that made having a job so draining before. But I could SO use more money. Well, I have Holy Hour at 3:00 p.m. so I can do some praying there! ;) Trying for starters just to have some sort of basic faith that there is a solution to this poverty dilemma.

And to the clutter dilemma - I believe that I'm learning what to do there. It sometimes feels like one step forward two steps back.

Like this week. Roommate's event was done and her health was better. So she takes her dog out to walk yesterday morning and it was awful because a stray young dog followed them and her dog was going bats--- plus we wished we could've caught the stray one. I could've figured out a way to get him to the animal shelter. But he was skittish. Hope he found his people.

This morning before I got up, she said that Boy Cat was guarding the hallway where 3 bedrooms and 1 bath converge, and Girl Cat had to flee into the bathroom. The stress made her barf her breakfast. So Cleanup on Aisle 10 for roommate, which didn't improve her mood much.

Then I go to church for quilting and I'm almost there when this dumb old geezer on a bicycle zips by about a foot in front of my van on the sidewalk while I'm looking for cars. This whole Go Green thing in my town isn't working out too smoothly - the city has rental bikes and now zippy scooters, they're talking about narrowing downtown streets... but people here aren't used to all that. And some of us for whatever reason are still going to need our cars. I don't have the answers, but it just seems like the bike, scooter, motorcycle, pedestrian etc. crowd act like just because they have the legal right of way they don't have to use common courtesty and sense.

Okay. Rant over for now. Time to get into a holier headspace... Lord help me!

Good Morning Everybody

Hi Subclinical
So sorry the car repair will be very expensive.
Good that you don't have wall to wall carpet throughout.

Happy to hear you went to your class and then went swimming.

Darn boy goats! Escape artists.
Guess the grass and weeds on the other side of the fence look greener.

WTG! for running the dish washer!
Yeah, marking for grading is priority since you have been having so much rain.


Today I'll water trees and lilac bushes.
If he will move his truck so I can get the car out of the driveway, I want to go into town tomorrow.
Just to get away from here.
Then I will park the car out by the road so he can't keep blocking me in.
That will make him angry. :p

Ug. Hot.

No stall work, no fence patching. Dh asked me to put out marking stakes for some grading we need to get done. It is FINALLY dry enough. So I did that.

Dishwasher is running. If I run it again later I will be caught up on dishes.

Tillie,

I am so sorry. I want to fix it, but I am sure there is no approach you haven't considered. Remember you can always go to Nate. If it gets too unbearable, that is your out.

Tatoulia, good luck on your sale!

The car is going to be terribly expensive. I may not be vacuuming for some time. Fortunately we have area rugs, not carpet.

Yesterday morning was a struggle, but I made myself go to my class and it was good. Then I made myself stop working at class and go swim. And that was good also. I did spend about half an hour sifting things I have removed from the studio yesterday, and I decided to take about half of our paints to the reuse store.

Today is a staying home all day day, and I am not sure how I am going to structure it. It is supposed to be nice out until about 9:30 (a.m.) so I should use that time to do my stall work, but morning is my most creative energy time too, and I am running out of time to finish work for my class. I also finally found the new hole the boys have been using to escape their fence, so I should patch that for sure - it will simplify my days if they stop escaping.

Good Evening Everybody

Hi Subclinical
Hi CriticalMass

Hope you all are sleeping peacefully right now.

Hi Tatoulia
That salad looks so yummy!
Granma and I always made macaroni salad with tiny shrimps summertime out at the cottage.

That would be perfect if the buyer came while the cleaners are there.
Be strong, don't come down on the price no matter what sob story he comes up with.



Did just the bare minimum today.
Just so depressed and defeated.
Been thinking bad thoughts.
Fantasizing about vandalizing, but he probably wouldn't even notice the damage.
The place already looks terribly vandalized.
I want to retaliate against the squalor and property neglect all around me.
Worst thing is all this means that I am completely and certifiably SANE.
The situation is what is insane.

Oh SubC I know that feeling!! It is so terrible. Frustrated, upset, cross, feeling useless. I get if. I've had a touch of it lately too. You just have to live through it, I'm afraid. I'm so so sorry.

Someone is coming to look at the vitrine on Wednesday. I'll love it to the hallway and I won't let him use bathroom. He used his work email and so I've done some checking on him. I think it will be okay. My cleaners will be coming that day.

I hope he doesn't try to talk me down. I've already discounted it by 1/2 so it will sell. But of course you'll know I'll sell it. And I know he must be pretty serious because he's coming from NH. So I'll try not to blink. I'm willing to shave 10 off but not much more.

I made a nice shrimp salad today. So tasty. Picture has been posted.

Good Morning

Hi Tatoulia
Thank you ;)
I try not to deviate from my shopping list except in the fresh fruit and veggie aisles.
Like with things like cherries because you never know just what they will have and if it's in good condition or not and if it's a good price.


Hi Subclinical
Your pottery studio goal is perfect.
So sorry you are feeling frustrated and all stressed out getting there.

The school work needs to be done.
The general usual housework is piling up.


You have DONE so much on this project.
A really great start.

Continuing to work on it when you are all frazzled is too frustrating.

Stop.
Work on the school projects.
Put in a load of laundry.
Wash a dish or two.
Have some lunch.
Step away from the studio project for a bit.


It will get done, finished and finished soon.

I know that frustration of wanting it all done and over with yesterday.
But remember that you are only one woman with many other obligations.
(((((HUGS)))))

CM, you will get there.

I want to send the badger back. I am feeling driven to finish the studio and not in a good way. I feel jittery, i'm Having trouble sleeping. I know this is a long project, and I need to stop and finish work for my class and lesson plans and syllabi, and I need to do dishes and laundry, but I just want it to be done. I want something to be done. Because I know that if I just leave one little thing to finish later, it will collect friends and there will be creep and I will not maintain it, and I will end up right back in the disaster I started in.

The goals seem so simple:
Nothing in the pottery studio that is not related to pottery and used in the studio.
Everything has a place.
Everything gets put away in that place when I am done with it.

Coffee clinks!

Will catch up soon. Just wanted to check in and tell you all
that you are doing great!

Ice cream on sale is mandatory, Tillie. You will enjoy it. I can go to the store every day; you don't have those options so yes, a necessity.