I would love to make you a casserole! I cannot remember if you are vegetarian. In any event, I'll make you something comforting with no meat.

I had soup for dinner, which I found very comforting. It was from a can but did the trick.

I am happy with how my house is looking. I have a new mental trick I am playing. I tend to do things halfway or three quarters of the way. I'm forcing myself to complete the tasks. For example, getting the dishes in the dishwasher but leaving a random thing that I'll do later. What is wrong with me? So I'm finishing the tasks and I feel good. I swept up before friend came last night and that felt good, too. I changed my sheets today because I canceled the cleaners this week because I was sick and I don't want to wait til they are here for clean sheets. So as I was putting the cleaners sheets on and making my bed, I started to walk away before putting the pillowcases on, thinking I could do later. WHAT? An extra 60 seconds and the bed was made and looking tidy.

So that's my new battle for myself. Feeling strong.

I did zero today btw. But I'll get outside tmr. I've been cooped up all week and my lungs feel good enough to be in the cold. I did some online shopping which I now have to return everything. That was a stupid exercise.

hi SubC, thank you for the good thoughts. It is fun having littles around, but a lot of work! Enjoy your sleep. Hi to you too Tatoulia. I am feeling a bit better today. TotsDad is working on my car and found and additional problem but he things he has that fixed as well. I probably will take it for an oil change at the dealership and ask them to double check that nothing else is wrong.

I would like a newer car, one that is reliable. I am asking God to provide whatever I need. I am happy with whatever.

I did a bit of cleanup and laundry. Am spending time with my dog and and going to enjoy my days at home. There is a lot I would like to do, but little energy to do it.

Actually I would like someone to make me a nice comforting casserole for dinner.

Oh Lila, I have been worried about your dog! I'm so sorry you are dealing with these struggles.

I am still post- Covid tired with a throat clearing cough. I nearly lost my voice at school yesterday, but it was good to be back.

Bean enjoyed his last evening with us and then got a bit overwhelmed at bedtime. He was teary and didn't want to go to bed. Change is overwhelming for him. He told me he will come back "Sunday night" but I told him Mommy and Daddy want to keep him longer than that because they miss him, and Buddy misses him. (And also, Grammie is planning to go to bed early Sunday night and sleep late!) We are going to skip the Monday visit this week, but I'm going to find some time to go by their house and see Buddy.

It actually feels strange that I will not be eating dinner before 6:00 tonight, and my evening won't include an hour of pajamas, tooth brushing, potty trips, stories, and cuddles.

This morning I need to gather up the many things that need to go home with Bean, and then this evening I will tidy away all the toys we have just left out everywhere.

My director sent me my proposed schedule for next year (I gave her a lot of leeway in what classes I would teach -I told her to just use me in whatever slots she needed as long as it was two full days) I'm going to be teaching mostly elementary/middle school Wednesdays and Fridays. It's a total of 10.5 hours. This year I have 11.5 hours, but it is spread out over three days with an extra lunch and two more hours of commute. I'll probably end up with a roomate again because I am only teaching two days.

Poor Lila! Poor doggie! I'm so sorry you have been going through this and now the car is on the Fritz! I am thinking about you! Sending warm wishes.

Subc I have to laugh at "pinnacle of fine dining". I could go for a chili dog right now! We used to love Howard Johnson's when I was a kid.

Friend came over, put the Christmas stuff into the closet, and I convinced her to take all of my lovely glass ornaments. She packed them in a box but it is pouring rain so she'll get them one night next week. Giant weight off of my shoulders. They are so beautiful and so perfect, but I will never be able to have a tree while I have cats.

So I am feeling better. I spent an hour cleaning up before she got here so I feel significantly less chaotic. Still more to go but an excellent start.

hello friends. I can't believe I have not been here in three weeks. I have had a terrible time. My dog almost died after surgery and has been in and out of vet ICU for 3 weeks. It has been a nightmare. Now my car is broken down and I've been not feeling well. My dog is going to need re-checks as well so now I am stressed out trying to get my car fixed in case he needs to go in urgently. The hospital he was in that saved him in a couple hours away. The local hospital was basically ready to give up and let him die. I am kind of traumatized. But, I am trying to get it together and go back to work and start cleaning up my house which is a mess.

I am glad Buddy's surgery went well. What a relief. I'm sorry you've been sick, SubC... I read the other posts also and want to say hi, Tatoulia, CM... my brain is running on fumes.

Lol Tatoulia - I think your idea of mess and chaos is likely fairly tame. Borrow a 4 year old some time.

We are in the home stretch. Today we stay home together, Dh has a guitar lesson after work, so he will be home late (after bedtime)

Tomorrow we go to school (yay school!) and Dh says we can all go out to Skyline to celebrate for dinner (Bean is very excited about that - Skyline is his pinnacle of dining. - if you have never heard of it, try google. "Skyline Chili", remember, he's four.)

Saturday morning we get up, get in the car (no breakfast required - light buffet available at teacher workshop, no one will begrudge a 4 y.o. A muffin) drive down to the pottery studio, and mommy whisks him away while I spend the day at the pottery studio learning fun new lesson plan ideas with other teachers. Objects will probably come home.

Sunday I may go back to the studio for the monthly coffee and clay social. The theme for February (they skipped January) is "setting and keeping goals and resolutions in your clay practice"

Good to hear you have eggs! I am so worried about the bird flu and glad you are keeping the chickens safe and toasty!

I do hope you have strength to work and go to your pottery class!

I am much improved today. Thank goodness. My house is a terrible mess.i cannot keep living like this. You would all find it very messy. It's terrible. Chaotic. I think I'll see if I can make myself some dinner and determine if I have what it takes to get my place cleaned up. I canceled the cleaners this week because she's I cannot get them sick.they'd probably be okay if they came on Friday but I have an electrician coming on Friday. I need some outlets replaced.

So I will endeavor to be productive and I'll get back to you to record my progress.

Hello CM and Lila and Road!

Well, we aren't making it to school today. His cough was just too bad for my conscience yesterday. I got subs.

I am planning to take him to school on Friday even if he is coughing, because the 2024 guidelines say ten days (when I looked them up, they are now labelled as an historical document no longer in force - there are no new guidelines) - my boss says "24 hours fever free and whenever you feel better" and kids are coughing and sneezing all over school all winter. I'm hoping he can go home Saturday.

I have an all day pottery workshop for teachers on Saturday and Dh has promised to stay home with Bean if his parents aren't ready for his return.

My appetite has mostly come back, but my weight has stabilized, which is good. I'd like to hang on to the weight loss. (I'd like to build on the weight loss) my energy level still isn't fully back though.

A friend came over last night and I gave her a bunch of eggs. The chickens and ducks have been laying because the heat lamp was on so much. She said the local grocery store was out. I told Dh we are rich because we have poultry.

No cleaning up or clearing out projects happening, although Bean is very slowly using up drawing paper - at the rate he works, I clearly have enough drawing paper to last his entire childhood.

Glad to hear everyone's on the mend, SubC! So great that the chickens can eat the seeds!

I continue to be sick. Now the coughing is accompanied by head stuffiness, blocked ear, runny nose. Progress, I tell myself. I'm not hungry but had some soup.

Good morning!

Bean is finally sleeping in today. Hopefully it means he has turned the corner and we will both be able to go back to school on Wednesday.

Yesterday I went through my seed box and cleared out all the empty packets and everything too old to plant (there wasn't too much, mostly things that come in packets much too big for my garden. and it all went to the chickens. They like seeds.)

I'm going to try to put in my garden order today. I made a list of things I want- without looking at the catalogues. Hopefully that will keep me from over ordering too much.

In my bags were, to the best of my recollection, a fleece (I have a new one from my company and I do not need two), some summer tops that weren't doing me any favors, my lunch plates, two champagne flutes that were part of a holiday gift from a vendor (I gave away the champagne), a couple of Christmas things from years gone by that I do not need, and I cleaned out my winter scarf and hat drawer. So stuff that I'm not using. I cannot remember what else but all pretty decent stuff. Some old perfume bottles of my mother's, which I put in a ziplock hoping that someone collects old perfume bottles.

I packaged up these things a while ago. I have two pair of boots that I should've taken but I forgot. Snow boots in very good condition. Ones I used to wear to work back when I wore a skirt or dress every single day. The pandemic changed that for me. Stuff that I just don't need anymore. There's always something.

I have not yet packaged up the part of mom's china that I'm getting rid of. That needs to go to a different donation center.

So yes, I too feel amazed that there's always more but such is life I miss Lila and Road and Tillie and LR and Dianne and Diane and bitsy. So many. I'm sure I missed a few.

Good morning.

Wonder how Lila is doing?

Somehow I feel better that everyone else has their Christmas decorations out too. Although Tatoulia has two shoeboxes and I have seven bins.

Day ten. Supposedly according to the most recent wisdom I found, I am no longer contagious, but I still have a stuffy nose and a cough. And I still woke up with a nasty "sick" taste in my mouth.

I did get my appetite back yesterday so that my weight bounced back up a bit.

Bean's cough sounds horrible. Dh ran out to the pharmacy and got him a cough suppressant/decongestant/acetaminophen for ages 4 and up yesterday. I think it helps a little.

CM, I think your yarn plan is good. And as someone else who is having a "zombie January" I am impressed with any forward motion.

I've actually been feeling an urge to knit lately - but not enough to get out a project. My next things I need to do are lesson plans for Wednesday, garden planning and seed orders, and helping Bean make valentines for his class for after he returns to school. We definitely have plenty of supplies.

Tatoulia, sometimes I can't believe that you are still taking bags to goodwill. But as I have been noticing things that come in the last year, I guess taking things to goodwill is actually an ongoing condition of life.

I'm sorry you are still sick, SubC.

Cm that's a good idea for using up the yarn! Everyone wins!

I'm doing laundry tonight. A quilt and now my sheets. I have two cat blankets that also need attention. Might as well get it all out of the way.

I do have a car for tmr afternoon and I'll feel great getting my two bags to goodwill. I'm trying to figure out if it would be possible to get a third bag out.

CM my Christmas stuff is still on display. Some of it has been put away but some remains. I may put it all in two of those shoebox sized clear bins until my friend can come over to put away properly. She's going to try to come for dinner on night this upcoming week. I know I am spoiled.

I have an antique quilt that I really love but have never used. I'm going to check on its condition, have it cleaned, and then I'm going to use it. It's white with red embroidery. I feel like my time on earth is running out and I need to use these things. I've started to use mom's china and it makes me very happy. I'm donating my sandwich plates tomorrow. Will be using mom's salad plates in their stead.

Speedy recovery, SubC! The colder weather may be trying to drag it out more. I'm happy for your Buddy though, that was so sweet about how much he works on talking now that he can get his breath easier.

We did take a bunch more boxes of my roommate's books to donate at the library. I'm starting to deal with stuff that got brought indoors from my van when the severe cold weather was coming in. It just got piled wherever. That was utter chaos because somehow the forecast originally sounded like we might have another day to prepare and then we didn't. So it was very rushed. And hunkering down in the earlier storm, then getting out afterward, then getting sick plus a second round of bad frigid temps - all of this made the days pass in a sort of zombie blur.

It wasn't a great time for thinking and planning much less accomplishing things. So we just went for laughs and binged watched my Big Bang Theory DVDs. Roommate was a little more efficient and did knit hats to use up yarn while we watched the show. I wanted to crochet, but the zombie mode meant I was tired and brain fogged and didn't actually start to do so just yet. Perhaps soon. A few years back I offloaded a lot of extra yarn but the one tub I kept I really do like the pretty colors of, and I'd like to crochet a granny afghan to donate to church, which should be doable. Easy units and easy to store while it's being done, portable too for places like doctor's waiting room, etc.

I have a lot of computer and paperwork to catch up on too, and I'm making some inroads on that. Some of that overlaps with decluttering office supplies and so on in the bedroom.

We still have some Christmas lights up, lol. It was a way to have cheerfulness during the dreary arctic time. I'm hoping to switch it out to LED Valentine's lights soon. Amazing how some little thing like that can lift the mood - and those tiny light sets don't take up a bunch of extra room to store. We also have St. Pat's, Easter, July 4th, etc.

Wonder what is keeping everybody.

I finally got all of the Christmas stuff put away. It's been hard with a 4 y.o. And Covid. I'm still sick!

Found another thing to get rid of.

Grateful that buddy's surgery went well! Sorry you are all so sick!

Cm I'm glad your roommate is working on her books! Sorry to hear you've been sick.

TLYounger I don't remember you right off the bat but I'm glad you are here! Please post!


I have two big bags to go to goodwill and I've reserved a car! Planning to get this out on Sunday. Last few weekends have not worked out due to weather or laziness. One or the other.

Bean is now sick.
He can go home January 31, I think.
I am so tired. I have another sub lined up for Friday, but not the following week. I will definitely have to be out again on Tuesday, but if he feels better and hasn't had a fever for 24 hours school policy is he can come to preschool on Wednesday and Friday. - which explains why we currently have five teachers out sick - the best guidance I can find is people are contagious for ten days after onset of symptoms, possibly 14 days after exposure.

Buddy is home, off his pain medication, happy and chatty! The eating difficulties he had before surgery are gone.

I found a pair of snowman mugs to get rid of when I was looking for a small bowl for Bean.

Hi CM,

Thanks for popping in.

Buddy has all his tubes out but still has air in his chest cavity that shouldn't be there - another X-ray tomorrow.

Bean is still healthy, we are still sick. I'm putting a mask on and dropping Bean and plans for my sub at school tomorrow.

He misses his parents so much. ?

You should see him grin when they send pictures of Buddy though! And Buddy talks now! He wasn't making sounds before except wheezing or crying, but now it's not so hard to breathe, he has a whole range of coos and shrieks!

One day at a time.

Glad for good news on Buddy. Sorry about the covid. I'm just getting over it myself. Thought my shot from October would protect me longer. But I got a bad load of it dumped on me. It was a week ago Monday at the gym. Roommate and I had gone to a different branch and I was looking where various machines were, and encountered this chick doing lunges over a fairly wide area and coughing up a storm, no attempt to cover her mouth. I immediately retreated from that area but apparently not quickly enough. Very maddening. Today I feel much better. It is such a frustrating disease though, and I wish it had never come into existence. I want to find more nutritional things to boost my immunity.

Roommate's book downsizing is still ongoing and now that I'm well I'll be able to do more with the space cleared. We've been stalled in getting donations out because of my illness and the frigid weather here. Spring can't come soon enough for me.

Buddy is doing well.

Dh and I have Covid.

Bean can't go home.

SubC, been thinking about Buddy. Glad to hear things went well.

We are in for another round of bitter cold the next few days. Yuck. But it doesn't sound like there will be an ice storm or blizzard this time.

Hello!

Happy New Year! I have an appointment now, but I will post...something soon! :-)

Buddy is out of surgery and in the ICU for monitoring. The surgery apparently went well.

Oooh sorry about the dog, Lila! I hope he's doing better.

SubC I am thinking of you and your family and the surgeons.

I finished my evals today, too, SubC. I had only three and they were a bugaboo. I spent Friday, part of Saturday, part of Sunday, and today and finally got through them. Truly dreadful.

Cm how are you holding up in the weather?

Not much to report here. I'm showered and the dishwasher is running. Time to go to bed.

Evaluations are done.
Counter is clean again.
Laundry is caught up.
We are preparing for "operation hospital".

Oh Lila! I'm so sorry about your dog? What happened?

Mr. Kitty was expensive, but not that kind of expensive. I'm glad you have insurance!

Mr.kitty is not fully recovered btw - his incision is still draining and he should probably have another round of antibiotics, but as long as he is acting like he feels fine (he is) I'm just going to keep cleaning it and letting him fight on his own.

I am just puttering through my evaluations. Bean was going to come out sledding today, but his parents decided they want to keep the family in full quarantine pre surgery so he is not coming and also I am not going there tomorrow. Suddenly I have plenty of time to get my school work prepped - now I just have to try to not get lazy and put it off.

I am not really trying to make progress in January - just keep up with laundry, dishes, and counter, and get some exercise. I'm rereading sone of my vast collection of children's books as escapism, so I may purge a few more of those. Mostly ones that seem dated or bland. - reclaiming shelf space 1/4" at a time, lol!

I have a few I never read - just finished "tween" book one of my kids left behind from the days when I could not keep up with their reading - and it was really good . Also it is a trilogy, so now I have the other two in my cart at an online used book seller. If they are still there at the end of the month (after I get paid), I may order them just as a pick me up to get through winter.

What a day I had yesterday. I got zero decluttering or cleaning done. Instead I spent all day into the evening with my dog in the vet. It ended up he needed surgery. He is still there. They think he will be alright. It was so scary, I feel completely drained. I am extremely thankful I did not cancel my pet insurance 2 weeks ago when the premium went up. I was seriously considering it. But this is thousands and thousands of dollars so I am glad now I have the insurance.

Will be recovering today.

hellooooo!

I'm back after a very full work week. I have two days off with nothing scheduled but being home and cleaning etc. I did get my pedicure, which was so nice! I also dropped off my donations and box of books.

And, I have been decluttering my office, which had started to look a lot like my bedroom, which is unacceptable. I am not counting anything from my office in my Tallies, but, I gave away two games and a bulletin board and got a big stand moved into someone else's space (since it is theirs), and was given a nice little cabinet which I cleaned and am putting keep items in instead of them being in piles on surfaces.

I will continue making my office a better space, I did order some little containers/desk drawer organizers because the drawer is awful! Looking forward to making it neat.

Today I did some reading and study. Have the first load of laundry in the wash. Made breakfast and coffee.

Hoping to add to all the Tallies today and tomorrow!

Nice seeing you all here posting!

Yeah, went to the store. Out to lunch first because roommate wanted to - I suggested a café not too far away. Roads were okay. But more snow was forecast, and we just beat it home, and now it's all on the trees, kind of pretty as long as it's doesn't weigh down the branches too much or power lines. The schools will be closed again tomorrow. I had had a routine doctor appointment set for tomorrow, but earlier in the week decided to cancel it and reschedule; glad I did.

If I start to feel sorry for myself, I think of those poor folks out in California. Devastating.

Good evening!

CM, did you go to the store?

We had school yesterday (and today but I was off). I worked on my evaluations and some laundry and dishes and kept the house warm and cozy and water thawed in the barn and filled all the wood boxes because we're getting snow again tomorrow and closing at lunch time. Not seeing a lot of my students this week is complicating my evaluations.

The counter is clean.

In one week buddy will be through his surgery.

Kinda fighting the cabin fever. We may get more snow. But also tomorrow may trundle our way down to the grocery store, which is thankfully not terriblly far. The rabbits will need lettuce. This is the first day that the public schools have been opened although a lot of people have kept their kids home. My cousin works in the mornings for a small school getting breakfast for students.

The clear vinyl I helped staple on the screen porch makes it almost nice out there at times, and keeps roommate's plants going. I should probably go out for a few minutes to get some Vitamin D. I still feel like the days are way too short, and I've been sleeping in in the mornings which doesn't help with that but I feel like I need it.

So many things I dragged in from the van like my CDs (yes, I still have a CD player in my vehicle, call me old school but I enjoy it) so they wouldn't freeze and crack. So that has made more mess and disarray and cramped space inside the house. But what can a person do when storms like this come in on short notice? It'll get taken care of, I'm just griping because I don't like winter weather in general, lol. Even the hot summer doesn't keep a person so confined. Going to the grocery store is not my favorite thing to do, but it may feel like a treat of sorts tomorrow if it's not too annoying. I wonder if they've even had time to restock after the rush last Friday.

Good morning!

Made some progress on the evaluations yesterday. Really not enough.

The hvac tech came out, looked at our plowed driveway, called his office and said it was too dangerous and too far to walk and left. Dh got mad and fixed the heat pump. Cost - power for heat gun. - I know I am very lucky. But also, sometimes I am concerned about the work ethic in this country. I remember my Dd talking about getting trucks unloaded on her first job- they were behind schedule and her guys told her it was going to take 2 days (a ridiculous amount of time) to unload the trucks. She told them, "I will be here at 7 a.m., and we will unload those trucks." She put her little 5'6" 150 lb curvy girl body in the line and made them keep up with her. The trucks were unloaded by lunch.

Back to school today, so I need to get moving.

The counter is still clear.

Hi everyone! Checking in! Very cold here in the Northeast but no snow in my parts.

I'm doing better around the house, and that is helping with my mood. Very stressful at work but I'm trying not to freak out

CM! Glad you are safe! You are so smart with setting up the cars that way. I too would love a handy husband! Glad you got yours, SubC!

Habitat Restore will sell the items. Their store is nice. I picked up at least two tables for my mom there and I forget what else I've purchased there. Very nice furniture at excellent prices! They set up the Chiba and the glassware in nice shelves. It's a good place to go.

I'll talk to you later!!

CM,

I'm glad you are safe and warm.

The very useful husband is definitely one of my best acquisitions. Today he put chains on the tractor and plowed us out. He also plowed from the house to both barns because he decided the snow was too deep for me to wade through. <3

There is no school tomorrow, which is good, because my evaluations are very slow going! Also our heat pump froze up, but we are cozy by the fire. This is getting to be a very expensive month - Dh car also needs an expensive safety issue repair he can't do.

Tatoulia, I'm glad you at least feel comfortable with your china decision. Will habitat sell it? I love to think of someone being set up in housekeeping and setting the table in their first home with beautiful China..

Very little progress today, but the counter is still clear except for six eggs.

Out into the cold to do chores..

P.S. SubC I did think about your rural setting and being used to the vagaries of weather a lot more, and having at least something of a community of others like yourself. I have accepted that I'm more of a semi-suburban gal than I realized. The outer limits of suburbia here are expanded out several miles from where they were when I was growing up so now this same general area is the "old" suburbs.

In any case, it's harder if one doesn't have a truck or SUV, and a garage, and sorry if this sounds old fashioned but I could really go for a nice husband who has practical skills with cars and home repairs. My roommate and I joke about the two perfect husbands who surely are out there somewhere, but must have gotten delayed in finding us. ;)

Thankfully, the power stayed on. We aren't in the part of the state that was hardest hit, with highway closures and such. First time I ever recall getting a screeching emergency alert on my phone to not travel (wasn't planning to, prayed for those who had to and first responders, etc.). The governor declared a disaster emergency so as to facilitate relief efforts.

I had backed my roommate's car and my van into the driveway on Friday so that they would face south. Today the sun is out here and it has melted the ice off mine pretty well but roommate's will need another day; I had to clear snow off the windshields and hers is more between the houses so it gets fewer hours of sun. The days may be getting longer but they aren't long.

We've been sort of vegging, resting in the daytime and watching sitcoms in the evening.

Hope everyone is hanging in there with whatever weather and other things where you are.

Lila, I know you are at work today. You've been doing so much at home! Yes! Schedule that pedicure! I started getting pedicures again over the summer, I think. I used to get a manicure ince a week and a pedicure once a month. I'm back to the monthly pedicure and it is very relaxing. And my feet are so nice.

My friend is coming Friday to pack up my Christmas stuff. I've removed two of the items and put them in a donation bag. I've filled the donation bag with other things to get rid of and I'm pretty pleased.

SubC! I checked replacements and they have a lot of my mother's Minton china so I don't think they'd offer very much for it. Plus I'd have to pay shipping. I also checked eBay and there is quite a bit of her pattern there, too. So I'll box up 2/3 and donate to habitat for humanity restore. I'll reserve a car.

I've started to move my Christmas things to the dining table, so my friend can pack it up from there.

That is a lot of work to write all of those evaluations, SubC. I have to write the ones for my direct reports. So not students but still something to do. They are due this week.

Had dinner with my brother tonight. I had a funny feeling that I wouldn't see him again so I held on tight when I said goodbye. I hope it was just a weird feeling and not an indication that something would happen to one of us.

Oh! Decorated for Christmas!

My decorations will be staying up for a very long time this year because Bean wants to help take the tree down. He won't be back until January 15.

I have just realized that although evaluations are due Jan 20, I have to finish them by the 13th, because my next week will be entirely taken up with Bean and his family. So I will start those today - it will be 20-30 hours of work.

The next week will be a success if I get those done, do yoga, keep the counter clean, and keep up on the laundry and dishes. Any real additional progress will need to wait for February.

CM, the storm looks bad in Kansas. I hope you are warm, safe, and have power!

My friend went through my Christmas items and decorated my house with them. Not all,which is good. She created a little village with my paper houses and a Christmas tree from Switzerland and little battery operated votives and other things including a Santa my mother got before she even met my father. Very very cute. She put things amongst the books on the shelves. In my bedroom she put out the angel that belonged to the parents of the friend I just saw in Switzerland.

I do need to go through my things. She will help me.

I will check replacements. I haven't looked at their site in years. Would love it if they will outright buy the stuff as opposed to my keeping it here until it sells. I don't want to store it. I'll report back!

CM I am thinking about you!

Still moving slow and sleepy today,

BUT

The counter is clear and clean!

(There is still a box of very old stuff from it that I need to work on, but I will do that. - I may add that to the tally - days or items)

Setting your priorities is a priority SubC :)

We will all make progress this year in whatever way we focus.

This morning I:
- spent time reading
- unloaded and loaded the dishwasher
- hand washed dishes, washed out the sink
- put away some things from the kitchen to where they belong
- did a bit of picking up

I also made a list of errands for today and made an appointment for a pedicure. It has been awhile, and I feel like a little pampering will do me good. I think in the spring, I will bring Tot along with me so she can also get a pedi. A fun outing for a little girl!

I hope when I get back from my errands to do a few things to add to the new tally/organizing threads. I want to get started on my new goals!

See you again soon. I go back to work tomorrow and it is going to be a busy week.

The kids said the blood drive went well. Now Dd needs another distraction for the next 13 days.

Tatoulia, I wasn't clear on the decorating. She decorated your house with things you already have? Or did she add things? I think your reduction focus is good. And I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation!

Have you tried a resale place like replacements limited for the china? I know they don't pay a lot and sell pretty dearly, but they do connect pieces with people who are happy to have them. I like to think of all the people who were delighted to find the missing piece they needed when we sold a lot of my gram's china there. There was just too much for the family - she entertained so much in a different time...

Lila, you are cooking with gas! I will visit your other threads, but I am still working on figuring out where my focus needs to be right now and how to manage things so they support each other. (Like the grocery budget and losing some weight.)

Arg, I was half done posting and Bean called to say goodnight and it went away.

CM, I hope your weather stays ok. Here we are supposed to get ten inches of snow Sunday into Monday with ice, but we are fine for whatever. I probably won't make it to Bean's house on Monday, but if we lose power, it will be cold, so I can use outside for a freezer. And we have plenty of food, eggs and milk on tap, emergency water, a woodstove, and plenty of candles and blankets. I do have to do my regular feed run tomorrow, so hopefully it won't be too crowded. I think in general farm people are more sensible and have more resources than suburban people. I've lost power for over a week in the winter in both settings and in the suburbs it was awful and we had to move out of our house. Here is was more like a vacation honestly.

More after I do chores..

p.s.

I posted some new threads for goals in 2025.
- Organizing What's Left
- Cleaning What's Dirty
- Daily Tally

We also have a "decluttering your waistline" thread that mainly SubC and I have been posting on.

I hope you all will check them out and use them in whatever way will help you. I know it helps me tremendously to set some kind of goal, but you can post without a goal if that works better for you! It's nice to hear the success of others and encourage each other. So join in or just read if you find it helpful.

I'm so glad you got a nice vacation, Tatoulia! And that you came home to a cute, decorated space. I think we all need refreshing once in awhile!

CM, I hope the weather is good for you and you don't lose power. That really can be disruptive. I have a chair near two large windows and if we lose power in the day, I sit there and read. But at night it kind of sucks.

Praying for you and your family, SubC. And also I am encouraged by your planning for a less cluttered space.

Today I:
- washed and dried a load of clothes
- enjoyed some peaceful reading time in the morning

I am thankful to have today and tomorrow off. Sunday I am back to work, full steam. I have a big event I am directing Monday morning. Hoping it goes well! It will last through the end of March, once a week, and the very first week is the hardest because I have no idea if it will be 50 people or 5. Probably, if I had to guess, 30ish might come. We will see. But I have to prepare for 50+ just in case, since it could be as many as 100.

I did not get everything done I wanted to on my vacation, such as dealing with the old computer towers sitting on my bar/counter, but that's ok. I did get my room much better, and I relaxed and had plenty of time to be with family. That's what's important. I will work on my bedroom a bit more today.

I think I will start a new thread for organizing. I stated before, after 90% of your stuff in a space is decluttered, I think the new challenge is organizing what's left. So I am making a goal to organize spaces. Like, flat surfaces, or drawers or whatever. Stuff might not go out of the house, but it CAN be put into an organized place so I can find the things I need. Please come join me on the new thread if you like!

Hello everyone! That's very nice about the blood drive for dear little buddy. Wish you didn't need it. CM, will be thinking of you are the storm comes in. Lila! Keep up the good work!

So I felt very disorganized before and after my trip. I felt like there was so much stuff and I kept losing things and driving myself crazy. I feel better now. I don't know if I told you this but my friend decorated my house while I was gone and I came home to a lot of cuteness.

I am making a bag of stuff for goodwill. I'm concentrating on things that are fine but make me feel bad. For example, one of BF's neighbors gave something very cute but broken and I don't know why I'm keeping it. It was broken when I got it. And it aggravates me. I still think it's worth donating since other people might not be aggravated by its small flaw. It's one of the decorations that my friend put out. So that's going. I'm going to concentrate on my feelings and not the objects.

I still need to split up mom's wedding china. I cannot have this many place settings. But they need to go someplace nicer than goodwill.

I slept most of New Year's Day. I've been sleeping a lot since my trip solely because I was sick. Now I'm just sluggish from the holidays.

I got all of my shredding into the office yesterday. It had piled up since I hadn't been in the office since dec 3.

Taking my first real vacation in 20 years was extraordinary. The cats were well cared for and I had a simply beautiful time. Will go back next December.

Hi ladies, found this new thread. Sorry my huge photo blew up the previous one but it's kind of nice and neat to start a new year with a new thread anyway.

We are getting some pretty dire winter weather predictions and I am rather stressed about it. I just seem to be more and more anxious about such things every winter. It is just so potentially disruptive... I just pray the power stays on, no big tree branches fall, etc. The predictions are still in flux though. Maybe we'll get lucky.

On the positive side... my bunny who is 12 years old, on Sunday night was dragging a hind leg. I feared maybe he had had a stroke. But then a couple days later he began improving and is now doing better. So we don't need to try and hurry him to the vet during the harsh weather. And we have a small power bank for phone charging.

Anyway, prayers would be welcome and if power stays on maybe I can pop in here just to say Hi. Don't know if I'll get ambitious with decluttering (perhaps some small sorting project that doesn't require a lot of space could work). But maybe I'll just hibernate.

Wasn't how I planned to get in the swing of a new year but here we are. Stay safe and warm where you are and we'll see what happens.

Happy new year Tatoulia! Good morning!

Lila, good for you making those small steady changes to improve your fitness. And for getting all those things out of your house! You didn't say, but I hope you enjoyed your dinner.

I am trying to slowly add things back after my long vacation and make choices that will help me pare down.

On the first I added yoga and working on my counter (which got buried again during all the company)
Yesterday I continued with the yoga and counter and added journaling. I also did school work (updated my class lists and wrote my thank you notes - recycling some paper and using cards from my desk). Plus I caught up with laundry.

Today I go to Bean's house to watch the boys (the church is having a blood drive for Buddy and Dd and dsil are working it) I'll drop the recycling on the way and also some trash since I have to get gas. I'm staying late so the kids can go out to dinner and get some downtime and a chance to talk where Bean can't overhear them.

By the end of the weekend I want to be caught up on the counter, the laundry, the dishes, and planning for school for the week. I also need to get feed. The accumulation of feedbags in my barn is becoming absurd so I think the next routine I need to add is regularly cleaning those for recycling. It is easier in the summer, but I did not make the time. Step one will be finding an easy space to clean them in when it is cold outside. (In the absence of trash service, throwing them "away" is harder and more complicated than cleaning and recycling)

Happy New Year!

Lila, thanks for the new thread!