Good morning guys, it seems like the amount of posts has decreased and I hope that's not because of the approval process now. The good news is I have managed to capture all the spam and one person in particular has just stopped even trying since they know that I'm approving these messages. So please continue to post and I will keep up with the approvals as often as I can. There can be a delay of up to 4 to 6 hours depending on what time you make your post. I am currently in Utah filming for Hoarders so that's a good example of why it might take a little bit longer. just know I will do my best to approve your post as quickly as possible see you guys can continue having this great place to share and continue supporting each other.

Have a great day!

Congratulations, Tatouli for going that long without shopping! Thats quite a while to just buy food!
Tillie, your description of what rain does to old stuff in the yard is priceless! I was outside after our rain today feeling that same thing about my yucky stuff, covered in mold, etc.
Id planned to get my next dump load together when it rained, so i went back to sleep and awoke feeling like id wasted the day, then my electrician friend called to check out what my new washer/dryer will need, and when i mentioned my collecting a load for the dump, he wanted to see what i was throwing out,and took most of it! YEA! I almost feel bad giving anyone that junk, but if he really wants it?! It does feel sooo soothing to get it out of here! I do want to get rid of more now...i think it is from seeing my new boyfriend's place and attitude....plus, im more ready to move on past those memories cuz of him! :D

....im enjoying being at my new boyfriend's nice simple place so much...of course im loving being with him, but his place is so simple and quaint...when i come back home to my horrid place, it is very depressing...im not sure how to turn it into drive and inspiration....i have my friend lined up on Friday for another load to the dump...i just need to keep going...(sigh)...it is amazing how dirt, clutter and unpleasant memories can host depression...

Good Morning Everybody :)

I can see on the main page that others have been posting but still no sign of their posts. :(

Please keep trying to get through and hope this system straightens it's self out soon. :(

Been raining steadily here since yesterday afternoon.
So nice to have rain after all this drought.
All the clutter in the yard and carport is totally saturated again.
Cardboard boxes tend to melt into the ground and vomit out their contents when they get wet.
But the rain cleans the dust out of the air and off the trees, making it easier to breathe.

Yesterday I finished hemming a drape and altering a few articles of clothing and now I don't have any sewing projects unless I start making a dress I have the fabric and pattern for.
Scooter likes to help. He feels that the sewing items all need a good shredding. :(
Maybe I will just read a book. LOL :)

Missing hearing from you all (((hugs)))

Good morning, everyone! I miss you all!

Tillie I forgot to tell you but I kept my no shopping promise up til about September 26th and have been following it ever since.

Right now my house is filthy, except for clean sheets and clean laundry. I'm still in bed right now and will get up and force myself to do one thing before I head out to see my mother. I need to make my "one thing" something ' unusual' meaning something I've really let go. Like dusting and vacuuming. Or wiping kitchen counters.

How embarrassing to admit.

Coffe clinks!

Good Morning everybody :)


Yeah, some of my posts are missing too. :(
Oh Well.........

Hi Purple:)
It all depends on the cat, the human and the grasshopper involved.
Marty needs no human assistance catching even the fastest grasshopper.
Scooter gets totally baffled as to which way the grasshopper hopped and keeps looking for it where he thinks it should be rather than where it actually went.
I have no problem catching the big green ones, it's the medium sized brown ones that I sometimes need to use the butterfly net to catch. ;D

Hi Anonymoniker :)
I never tell him (not my husband, just been living together for over 30 years) what to do, ever.
Sometimes I ask him if he has any plans for the day and it's always the same.
He has spent the last 20 years trying to organize the garage.
It is a space that could hold four cars, has a loft/second story.
It is packed tightly with boxes/bins stacked floor to ceiling and lots of other stuff crammed into every available crevice.
A small path leads to one corner where he has a computer & tv set up.
There is food new and old/rotted, petroleum products, gun powder, paper items everywhere.
He cooks in there on a small hibachi, heats with a propane heater and does other terrifying things.
The place is full of deer mice and Hantavirus has been found nearby this area.
He is NOT willing to do anything.
He is happy living in squalor with the house falling to ruin from neglect.
And, the back porch is now clear but I still do not have access to the electric box or gas shutoff that are just around the corner out there.
He has choices and he chooses to not do anything except dumpster dive and thrift shop to keep adding to the chaos.

Was planning to water today but we had a little rain over night and it is supposed to rain more all weekend.
So that means I can do some sewing or read a book or do something else that's fun to do on a rainy day. :D

Hope the people affected by the severe rains are all OK and drying out.
Stay safe.

TTYS :)

I dont know why my posts arent making it onto the board? Tillie, have you tried approaching hubby by asking him 'what are willing to do?' Sometimes giving them choices can get better results? Safety is important! :D

The burning question is ...
Do cats or humans catch more grasshoppers?

Tillie, i know you are really good at figuring out solutions, but if it were me, i think id approach hubby with 'What are you willing to do?' Maybe if he feels he is deciding what hes ok with, he will be more willing to bend? Safety is essential! :D :D :D

Good Morning Everyone :)

Hi Purple :)
That's true.
He knows we live in an earthquake prone area and that in 1958 there was an earthquake so strong it leveled over half the buildings in this county.
Shutting off the gas and electric after a severe quake is very important.

Hi Anonymoniker :)
YEA!!! for getting the washer/dryer! :D
Hoping this new love in your life gives you the motivation you need to get uncluttered.
Spending time in his place makes a big contrast when you return to your home.
Keep up the GREAT work you have been doing! :D

Hi Karl :)
Yes, this is just to stop all the disrupting spam we were getting.
For now, this is the best solution Cory could program into the computer for the message board.

Today I will do some odds & ends around here.
Little projects that were easy to put on the back burner and forget about till later.
But now it's later. :)

Missing hearing from all of you.
Please check in and let us know how you are doing (((hugs)))

Hi, all!
Its sounds like everyone is making progress, in one way or another. Congratulations!
Ive been spending time at my new clean-freak boyfriend's place, and when i return home, it really bothers me how disgusting my place is. I dont know if that will motivate me more, or what, but it sure is nice being in his quaint and simple, clean house!
Im buying a washer & dryer tomorrow from my stepson, so i will then be able to more easily clean the dusty clothes that have hung in my closet for many years, and start to wear them again more easily! I also discovered my towels and sheets must have been stolen at the laundromat a while back, so i need to replace them now, which will be nice, cuz they were all in horrid shape!
I am so in love and happy, but dont want to lose momentum on my place! Plus, he has given me a new aspect of inspiration to have a nice home! Im just grateful he didnt run away in disgust! ~♡♡♡~

Breaker box and shutoff valve access seem like things he ought to understand.

Thank You Cory :D

Computers have minds of their own. ;)

Well, this depressing :(
My post yesterday did not appear.
I will try again.........

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY :)

Hi LR2014 :)
Happy you had such a lovely day! :D

Today I plan to prepare some food then clean the kitchen.
Afterward me and the cats will go back outside and play around.
The leaves are all turning color and the air smells like Autumn but it is still warm.

TTYS :)

Good Moring Everybody :)

Hi LR2014 :)
WONDERFUL! that you had such a pleasant day!
Thank you for sharing with us. :D

Been watching last night's season premiere of "The Walking Dead" on my laptop this morning.
Now it is time to do the usual daily tasks, get dressed and go outside with the cats and enjoy this wonderful weather.
Will prune some bushes, pull some weeds, rake some areas, enjoy the blooming chrysanthemums, catch grass hoppers and generally have fun.
Should do some cleaning inside today but this weather won't last long and I'd hate to waste it.

TTYS :D

Hi to all (Scooter and Marty included).

What am I doing today, you ask? I've had the chance to attend church services, to enjoy the company of good friends, and to enjoy some delicious home cooking. For the most part, it's been a nice and relaxing day.

I'm glad that the spam issue is being addressed. It doesn't keep me from coming here or posting here, but it's definitely annoying. Thanks.

Hi EVERYBODY :)

Hi Roxie :)
You're welcome and "clink" cause I am having more tea as I write.
Scooter and I agree, Scooter is a great name. :)
He likes it so much that he always comes or answers when anyone calls "Scooter".

Well, I am finally back home.
We started out just going to the neighboring town but ended up traveling all the way to Carson City because there is my favorite store chain (Grocery Outlet) since way back in the 1980s.
Along the way we saw two large herds of Mustang.
At the store I got a lot of really nice fresh produce and a bunch of other ingredient type foods to make into delicious dishes.
Bought very few treats, a bag of Jordan almonds, hot cocoa mix and some onion bagels.
Spent 100.00
He bought tons of prepared packaged food, lots of chips, snacks, candy, cookies, etc.
Spent 200.00
He says eating healthy is expensive but I beg to differ.
Eating healthy means having to cook food rather than just heating something up.
Anyways, all my stuff is put away and the bags are all folded and ready to be used for the kitchen trash can.
Now to rest up.

Beautiful unusually warm Autumn days we are having and I don't plan to waste any staying inside.
Tomorrow I will be outside, playing in the dirt. :D

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE :D

Hi Darci :)
WAY TO GO!!!
With keeping up with what you can manage.
There really is a happy medium to be found.
Never give up.
To answer your question on another thread, we were inundate with ridiculous spam and it was driving the real posters away.

Scooter, Scooter, Scooter....
Call them what you will, but when I have to scrub them off the windows, they are boogers. ;D

Today I am traveling to a neighboring town to buy groceries.
The grocery store in the nearby town here has gotten too nasty.
Lots of moldy, fruit fly infested produce and you can now smell the fish counter all the way across the store.
They never have the advertised specials and their prices have all skyrocketed.
They are understaffed and always looking for new employees so they must not be treating their employees fairly.
Their shelf prices do not match the price the register rings up, it's always more than it should be.
It's to the point now that most people in this area are now driving to other towns to shop.
The store is a Safeway and we think they feel that we are a captive audience and they can get away with treating us this way since they are the only grocery store in town now.
It is only a half hour drive to the other town and only an hour drive to Reno or Carson City.
Plus we have the chance of seeing Mustang (wild horses) along the way. :D
Wish me luck.

Would love to hear from you all.
What are YOU doing today? :D

BOOGERS!??? Marty and I are deeply offended by having the mucosal secretions of our delicate nasal passages so crassly referred to as BOOGERS!

I don't think I will ever be "cured"... it is an ongoing task of of being aware and working at it. I have been struggling a lot of late... but I know why... chronic disease (MS), isolation, fatigue and feeling overwhelmed. All of these things start a viscious downward spiral. I have been isolated from any real friends or family for over five years. I recognize the "triggers" and try to distill the fight down to getting through just "one day at a time" . Yes, I am too overwhelmed to tackle the scary rooms, so.... for today... I shiny up the manageable rooms and seek energy in accomplishing cleaning them.

I didn't venture out of the house...that is a slippery slope... I told myself "I could" when I finish my basic chores, but am just now finishing and the stores are closing (whew).

I find it impossible just to keep up with managing the lawn, pool, and keeping the "clean rooms" clear of clutter and (ugh!!) pet fur and pet stinkies. So, how on earth do I think I will ever have time to "finish" the purging and actually get to my hobbies???? Just managing the basics of life,financial strains, massive paperwork to keep my medications covered and fight old medical debts, problem tenants, and a problem teenager with new baby (and no father for the baby in sight)alone keep me from being able to properly keep up even the "clean" rooms presentable... but I keep going back to the dream... of having time to find and cultivate friendships, to have people over for lunches and crafting. If I even think about letting go of the dream of having friends, then why fight at all... for what... Therein lies the struggle... to let go of the things that do indeed support my vision means to let go of the vision and my sense of self. Yes, I am a grandmother, but I am also "me", a person who desires interaction and creativity. But I am sure there is a happy medium... I don't have to give up all of my decorations, all of my crafts... just come up with an amount that is reasonable and (hard part) not acquire more. For it is the acquisiton of acquiring more that lets me live in the dream, the vision, if only for a few minutes. I tell myself that every new acquistion only delays living the dream in reality but... well, you see the viscious cycle... But, for today, my floors in the clean rooms are vacuumed and washed, everything is dusted, bathrooms are spotless....

I have finished the outside work!
YEA!
Looks so fresh and clean in the front area now.
Next I need to wash the cat boogers off the inside of the windows and I will be all done.

TTYL :D

Good morning :)

Cory will be working on deleting all the spam just as soon as he can.
So hang in there. :D

Hi Anonymoniker :)
He sounds like a nice person. :)
I have not read the Marie Kondo book but I have found so many online articles and youtube videos about it.
Do an online search and read about her methods.
She also addresses the problem of having too many "bla" emotions about her clothing and deciding she needed to get better clothes.

A lot of my internet surfing is related to decluttering, organizing, hoarding and recipes for cleaning solutions.
I feel the more I know, the better I will be able to answer questions and give suggestions and maybe one day even inspire my hoarder to do something. ;)

This morning I will be hosing off the outside walls,
Washing the windows and screens,
fixing the screens where the cats have worked them loose
and sweeping and cleaning the cement walkway.
I can only do the front of the house and one half of the north side because all the other areas are covered deep in hoard.
But rather than fret about what I can't do it is better to focus on what I CAN do. :D

TTYL

Hey, fellow declutter-buddies?!
Tillie, i had just read about Marie Kondo's book and was curious about it, then came here and read your post about it! It sounds kind of interesting, but i may end up with no more clothes too, if i followed that spark thing...ha ha
I have recently met awonderful guy that i am crazy about and he feels the same way about me! He has seen my house, every room,and has not run away screaming! He said it wasnt as bad as id made it sound! He is what i consider a clean freak. His place is absolutely adorable and immaculate. He actually cleans his toilet every time he uses it!
There is a part of me fantasizing about him helping me clean, fix and beautifying my place! ....(sigh)

I was in a completion with my husband's ex, even before we got married, I thought she might stop interfering in our affairs after marriage, but she continued, spreading rumors about my past, calling me names. She vowed to cause breakup to our 2-year-old marriage, because my husband preferred me over her, she was so jealous and decided to consult a priest who caused our breakup on March 17. She was so evil that she don't even hide her evil acts, after opening up to me that she caused our split, and laugh at me as she tries to take back my husband.
It was a slap on my face and total humiliation, and I demanded justice from spiritual father dr. wakina, after going through testimonies about him on TV and blogs, why I chose him was that he doesn't cast spell against one's wish and his spell has positive effects to family growth. My life changed after the spell was done on us and the evil lady flee overnight. Am so exited right, dr. wakina's spell blessed us beyond measures and I encourage you to contact him via dr.wakinalovetemple@gmail.com

Hi :)

Today I decided to try Marie Kondo's method of decluttering.
She says to start with my clothes so that is what I did.
You are to hold up one item at a time and ask yourself
"does this spark joy?"
If it does, fold it into a tiny little cube and put it in the drawer.
If not, thank it for it's service and get rid of it.
Well, the keep pile was very, very small and the toss pile was a huge mountain.
I tried this just to see if this method really does work.
Better questions to ask yourself need to be established.
A good one is "do I need this?"
"If I toss this will I be forced to go out and buy another similar one that does spark joy?"
"Do I really want to be naked, cold or going commando?"
Has anybody else here tried this method?
I would love to hear your feedback. ;)

The only way to get SPAM deleted is to
email Cory
tell him exactly where the SPAM is located
and he will delete said SPAM.

Good Morning Everyone :)

Hi Roxie :)
"Clink!"
WTG! getting up in the morning (((hugs)))

Have no plans for today. Lots that I could be doing but have no ambition to do them. HaHa
Been surfing the web and watching videos but I did feed the cats.
:D

Good Morning :)

Hi At It Again :)
Welcome
You have taken the first and most important step,
To admit to yourself that you do tend to hoard.
WAY TO GO!!! :D
Motivation...
Motivation often follows action so pick one small easily do-able task and get stated.
Visualize how you want your home to be and keep that vision in mind as you slowly begin to chip away at all the things keeping you from your vision.
A great book to read is "Buried In Treasures."

Hi Roxie:)
Wonderful to hear from you!
Sounds like you have mentally let go of the house and all, that's great.
Wishing you a fast and final resolution soon. (((HUGS)))

Doing two loads of laundry today along with the usual very day stuff like cat stuff.
Ground is still saturated from the rain so no need to water anything yet.
Thinking of reassessing some of my clothing and straightening my drawers today. I find this to be a very cathartic activity and keeps my clothing in check.
Received a beautifully hand written personalized thank you note from the Bride of that wedding I attended last month.
What she wrote means a lot to me. :D

TTYS :)

For the first time in my life I have admitted that I am a hoarder. This is so tuff. I have always labeled my hoarding as a future business opportunity. I was going to buy and sell and make a sweet profit. Well, reality has hit home. I no longer have a home, I have a mess in every inch of this house.

I need to know how to stay motivated to get rid of this and to stop hoarding. Right at the moment, I want to sit down and cry. How does everyone stay motivated to get thru the junk.

Good Morning :)

Hi MW :)
I always feel like just zoning out too rather than start doing stuff.
Keeping our To-Do lists short helps.
Not focusing on everything that needs doing, just focusing on the short To-Do list helps keep it from becoming too overwhelming.
Hope everything went smoothly for you and you congratulated yourself for a job well done, no matter how small because even the small tasks all add up together to make one big "WTG!" :D

Hi Critical Mass :)
WAY TO GO!!! :D
For you and your room mate!
Good luck finding a minion to help tackle the silly storage unit. :D

Today I will clean the bathroom, wash the floors and vacuum the carpet.
I really, really don't want to do this but will force myself because I want to have a cleaner house to live in.
SO happy this house is so tiny that these tasks won't take long at all. :)

TTYL

Hi everyone, hope your weekend has gone well.

A major step toward normalcy - for me AND my roommate who is the owner of the house - we got the renovations of the family room done. We had both had to move our stuff all over in the rest of the house. And once things get put where they belong, it's nice weather and I can tackle that silly storage unit! I just need at least one MINION to help me with the first phase of it, so say a prayer I find a minion! ;)

Just getting going this morning. I have a few REALLY need to get done things like...

• Laundry gather, wash, and put away
  
• Dishes including empty dishwasher first
  [*)Deal with clutter in front room
  [*]Work on Painting if time permits
  
• Cook
  

I have so much trouble getting started with anything and find myself wanting to just hide away either absorbed in TV or just being very still and quiet.

I'm visualizing getting started being something like when football players run onto the field busting through a sign. My sign would read getting started. I would bust through with cleaning supplies in my hands instead of a football.

Good Morning Everybody :)

Last night I woke up to the sound of rain.
It was so lovely to lay there and listen to it.
Everything has been thoroughly soaked which is great for all my trees, bushes and flowers & herbs but not so great for all his stuff laying around out there.
The carport roof has been so neglected that it doesn't provide any coverage under there any more.
All his overflow stuff from the garage piled there is totally saturated now.
Hopefully this will encourage him to toss the sopping wet moldering mess.
It's clothes, books, stuff in cardboard boxes, electronics, furniture, small appliances, you name it, and now it is all ruined.
Anyways....
Today I need to wash some dishes then plan to take it easy and rest up.
Tomorrow I will need to do some general house cleaning, but not today.
The sky is dark with rain clouds and I love rainy days! :D

Lets all spend the day searching for the rainbows. ;D

Good Morning Everyone

Hi LR2014:)
Thanks for the update on your life. :D
WTG! for all you have accomplished.
FANTASTIC! for being strong and not buying anything other than what you need and have a use for!

Hi Critical Mass :)
So much going on in your life right now. Please don't spread yourself too thin.
Take Care (((HUGS)))

Hi Anonymoniker :)
Sad you lost your best helper but please don't let this take the wind out of your sails.
Hoping you find someone you trust soon to help you keep on sailing.

Hi Tatoulia :)
Thank you (((hugs)))
As you collect your items from the person's house I hope you find your true treasures.
Whatever happens, preserve and cherish your memories, with or without the things from your past.
Stay strong through all these trying times.

Well, everything is done except the part next week where they box up all his worldly goods and make decisions as to what to do with them.
Time for me to get back to all my Fall/Winter preparations. It will get very cold here soon.
TTYL :)

Thanks Anony! We forge ahead. I have to get my Christmas things out of this person's house today. He already got rid of two of my things. I'm glad he's giving me this opportunity. I am a little scared but think it will go okay. If it gets weird, my BF already told me to just walk away from the stuff. Much of it is from my childhood but thanks to learning to deal with my hoard, I can say goodbye without falling apart. If this person has thrown it out, well, then, at least I had it for as many years as I did and it will be fine.

BF is being very supportive as I try to wend my way through family member's psychotic break. Looking forward to getting help with NAMI too.

Im sorry you are going through this, Tatoulia?! (((HUG))) :D

Thank you. It is hard for me to post or keep up with house right now. Under extreme pressure with situation. I did, however, just get up and do the dishes. I need to get some normalcy back. I have been working a lot this week and that has helped to get me through the pain of dealing with this person. I have changed home phone number and am keeping cell turned off.

Thinking of you all, and sending special hugs to our own dear Tillie.

YEA, Tatoulia!!! AWESOME!!! :D :D :D

Hello to everyone. Bitsy, many many thanks for referring ms to that resource. I need exactly the help and support they can provide. And it is this website that has taught me that there is light at the end of whatever tunnel we are peering down and that a support group is very helpful. Thank you so much.

Hello to everyone. Bitsy, many many thanks for referring ms to that resource. I need exactly the help and support they can provide. And it is this website that has taught me that there is light at the end of whatever tunnel we are peering down and that a support group is very helpful. Thank you so much.

Great plan, CriticalMass! Your new Spiritual involvement may very well keep you inspired and energized towards your goals in cleaning and renewing!
I, however, can feel myself losing steam in getting my mess improved, ever since my stepson left....
I got a reference for a hard working woman in town...im very hesitant of dealing with anyone in this small, drug and crime infested community....i know that sounds paranoid...id feel more comfortable with someone from out of the area, but then im paying them for 3 extra hours of driving....(sigh)

Taking a minute amidst the madness to once again check in briefly. I guess this is going to be my M.O. for awhile yet. The big room makeover where I live has taken over. My roommate and I have both had to move stuff all over the house but in a few days it will start to be relocated to the finished room, or in the remaining rooms there will be more room to organize our respective stuff that stays. Something like that.

Have had lots of people around me in situations that I wish I could help them more - one friend thinking of moving out of the area, one friend still awaiting getting out of rehab from head injury, another friend whose daughter lost her baby - mind boggling stuff and my heart breaks sometimes.

I've also made a couple of commitments - one to an 8-week Bible prayer group and the other to getting back to being a part of the church quilt guild 1x a week (I could go up to 3x but I'm trying to be realistic here!).

Starting these new things is ambivalent - part of me sees all I have leftover from the move and the project. But another part of me says I have to have some things to recharge spiritually and mentally with, so the shadow of The Big Move feels further distant.

And then there's the storage unit, which the weather is getting to be ideal for dealing with...

So, there's A Lot Going On.

Hi to Tillie, Greta, Tatoulia, Roxie, CM, MW, bitsy, Karl, Anonymoniker, and Jess, Oodles, Diane, Dave, and others who might be reading.

I finally got back to my vehicle project again a few days ago. Got a lot of things out of the back half of the vehicle, got them somewhat reorganized, and got that half of the vehicle vacuumed out fairly well. I still have a loooonnng way to go with this project, but I'm glad about the part that got done. While working on my vehicle, I finally found a couple of small hardware items I'd bought a couple of months ago that I subsequently misplaced, as well as a water hose attachment I've been wanting to use.

I attended an annual yard sale and fund-raising auction this past weekend for an organization of which I am a member. I took a few good, usable, not-needed items to donate to the auction, as well as a few items I'd crafted specifically for the auction. Last year (in part because of space concerns and in part because of trying to be frugal), I set up some guidelines for myself ahead of time regarding what types of items I would or wouldn't bid on and what my spending limit would be. I was very pleased that I stuck with my limits and guidelines. I didn't set such strict, specific guidelines this year, but I knew I would need to be cautious. I did purchase a few things that I had an immediate use for; in most cases, these were items I'd planned to buy elsewhere anyway. At one point, near the end of the yard sale part of the event, it was announced that we could get a box and fill it with all the items we could fit in the box and pay only five dollars for the whole thing. In years past, I would gladly have grabbed an empty box and filled it. Now, though, I know that just because something is a bargain is not a good reason for me to buy it . . . so I didn't. (Yea!)

Hugs to all.