Good morning!

Tatoulia, I'm glad you got the car resolved.

Does the check take care of your mother's estate? (Besides what is in your house) Or do you have more administrative work?

I got a lot done at the studio yesterday. Maybe enough to finish my project on time. It was actually pretty nice working in the studio. Quiet and I got to talk to a couple of people briefly. I have a really nice little work space for this class. It's in the basement - which is not optimal, but since it pretty much rained all day yesterday it was fine. My legs, hips, and back are pretty sore today after standing on the concrete so long.

Today is a school day I really need to get moving on that.

Hey everyone! I did two loads of laundry tonight, took out the trash and recycling, and got to the grocery store for cat food. Now I'm going to shower and go to bed.

Hope everyone had a good day and that everybody is healthy!

Hello everyone! Taking a break from work.

I need to do quite a few things tonight and I hope I get to them. Only have cat food that one cat likes, for example. Need to drop off a check at my mother's former place to close out her account.

So relieved to have the car out of my life. Making a big difference for my mental health.

I have to figure out some stuff for goodwill. I still have more things than closet space, due to getting things from the car and still some mom stuff.

Good morning!

It's quiet here.

I have not done anything in my house. I have mostly been focusing on pottery. I have used up some of the scrap clay in my studio. But it is like trying to empty a bathtub with a thimble. Maybe a quarter cup measure - that might be proportionally accurate. Emptying a tub one quarter cup measure a day.

The teacher social pottery thing last night went well. I was rewarded with the leftover tub of dark chocolate covered almonds.

I went to the studio to work on my project for two and a half hours afterward. It was a learning experience. It's supposed to rain all day today, so I am planning to drive down and spend the day there. The first thing I'm going to do is undo almost all the work I did last night. If I don't get the basic structure finished today, I don't know how I am going to get this thing done.

Tomorrow is a school day.

Saturday the weather is supposed to be good and I am hoping the ground will be dry enough for a garden day. Sunday Dh has made plans for us with friends.

Did the dishes, ran to grocery store, cleaned cat boxes, showered. So got a few things done. Going to bed now.

Hello everyone,

Glad you got to see the eclipse. I went to VT and had a very long day. Left the house at 7:30 A and home right after 11:30 P. The traffic was terrible. Several hours just to get out of Vermont. It was a mess but totally worth it! We were at my sister's house in the mountains. Good to see her.

I'm beat today. That was a very long day.

I have to find the strength to do some things today.

CM, I hope you got to enjoy some time with your cousin.

We got sunshine and drove up to the park.

It was pretty cool. The weirdest part was how the light got dim like dusk or heavy clouds, but the shadows were still sharp and short. I expected totality to be darker than it was. It was pretty cool to see "Dawn" all around the horizon.

This morning I got more fence set up.

Well, it looks like my cousin won't be able to make it today or if she does it would only be for a short while. She decided to make a trip to my grandma's town again because there is getting to be an urgency to wrap up the estate. Because I am an heir, I totally support this. I also need to communicate with another cousin who is the executor to get up to date.

I'll just enjoy the eclipse today and then see what's next. It's cool to see how excited people are getting. SubC, maybe you will get a break in the clouds...?

Tatoulia, we are very proud of you for doing your hard thing by yourself!

Know we would be there with you to hold your hand if we could.

I did not set my alarm this morning. Slept past six. I'm still waking up with a headache.

I have a lot of todos on my list today - I'm in "so many things, so little time" mode right now.

I don't know if Dh and I will try to see the total eclipse today or not. We have glasses. We would have to drive about 45 minutes on back roads, so it will be close in our yard. And there is a good chance it will be raining.

Mostly I would just like a huge infusion of energy so I can do all the things I want to do.

I did very hard stuff about the car today. Very hard stuff. Don't think I can go beyond that.

He will register it tmr. He tried to go Saturday but they weren't taking walk ins. So I went to the car myself today and went to goodwill and dud very very hard stuff.

Sorry about the dear little goat and welcome new goat!

Too traumatized right now, even all these hours later. Did my best today.

Ok Lila, it's dark here. Did you do your ten minutes?

I got up ten sections of my new fence and took a walk in the woods with Dh to mark tree seedlings. We have to remark them every year until they are big enough to see from the tractor. Also did some more glazing. But I am tired and wondering where my day went. I think it mostly went to baby goats.

How interesting about the pots, SubC! I never would have thought of that.

I am struggling, probably because I am avoiding my list. I went in my bedroom and moved things and tried to put sheets away but the dresser is so packed full. I sort of shoved the last one in, and if I had pushed any harder it may have broken the drawer. I then started to get upset and quit.

I think obviously, some things in drawers need to leave or be consolidated to make room for the sheets, or I need to pull out all the sheets and decide which ones I don't want. But, I am just avoiding yard work, which is odd because it is nnice out and I like doing it. I guess the overwhelming tasks are, find a pair of yard gloves, find the trimmer, go out and do a bit. Even ten minutes would be a success. Okay, I am forcing myself NOW to do 10 minutes.

Good afternoon!

My in-laws are gone. I did not go to my pottery brunch this morning because my goat was in labor. Twin bucklings. First one was footling breech and has struggled a bit, but I think they are both ok. Little brother and mama doing great - circle of life on the farm.

Also, fresh milk in two weeks! Yay!

With the horse hair pot, you heat the pot, then decorate the surface by taking it out of the kiln hot and laying horsehair on the surface. The horse hair catches fire and the carbon from it burns into the surface of the clay leaving black curvy lines.

In between goat checks I glazed a bit and I am now going to go set up fence!

Good luck with your list Lila!

I enjoyed your long post this morning, SubC! I am sorry for the loss of your goat. That is hard. I am really happy about all you have going on that is good. The scrap wood project they were working on sounds so productive! I am intrigued about a horse hair pot. It incorporates the hair into the pottery?

I am watching church online this morning and then will start working on my daily list. I did so well on yesterday's list. I even found the baby blanket to put in the pack and play, and I had Son put my donations box in my car. It looks sunny out today, although a bit cold, so my plan is:

- pull weeds
- trim trees
- see if I have the fertilizer and/or weed control to apply
- apply them
- call my oldest son, who lives in another state
- walk the dog (the younger one)

I may also do a little something in my bedroom, and I have some veggies I should cook.

Hoping I am successful today. I go back to work tomorrow and have a very busy week ahead.

Good morning.

Wow you have all been busy!

Lila, you are doing great! So much progress on your room! And I'm glad ex is finally taking some of that stuff out of your garage!

Awful about the caseworker, but glad she is ok. I hope that when she does come she has a good option for a group home. It would give teen more supervision and also some distance and independence from you which I hope would take some of the strain out of your relationship.

Tatoulia, I hope the phone gets sorted out. Good luck with your trip to VT. How will you travel?

CM, crossing my fingers that you get to have fun with your cousin!

The goat departed peacefully yesterday.

Dh parents have not come in from their motor home yet. I think they are still asleep. They are leaving in two and a half hours to join DD's family for church, so I have pretty much survived the visit.

It actually went fairly well. The car stuff that Dh wanted to work on with his Dad did not arrive, so they pivoted to a different project in the studio barn - moving and sorting the giant pile of scrap wood in the shop area to free the train table from when the kids were little, moving the train table to our basement, building a new rack for the scrap wood (using a bunch of the scrap wood) and cleaning up the scrap wood. All progress! Dh plans to set the train up in the basement for Bean (it's currently down there in bins.

Mil and I also went out to the studio, and I helped her make a horsehair pot using some of the hair from her horse that she saves for me. She was delighted with it! Big win. While the kiln was heating the pot, she sat in a chair and talked at me while I managed to trim and burnish ten pots I had thrown that needed to be done before they dried out too much. Conversation was limited by the fact that the guys kept using the saw, and we were wearing ear protection- because the guys kept using the saw, which also protected me from the fact that mil's normal speaking voice is loud yelling and made the experience much less stressful and tiring.

They had a zoom call with a group of their friends at 1:30, which had them tied to my kitchen table from 1:00 (afraid they would miss it) to 2:30, and then mil made cookies to take to dh cousin tomorrow. (And insisted on hand washing all the dishes in my scullery sink, which was full of soaking art bins, which she just pulled out, paint infused water and all, and put on the scullery counter with the rest of my mess. - kitchen sink was empty.) back to the studio to wax her pot - where I managed to hover closely enough to keep her from getting wax in places where it would be a problem in spite of her best efforts) dinner, and then things got a little off the rails.

Mil has found a new favorite website that is hard to navigate and probably exploitative of the artists involved, where you can buy jewelry by individual artists and she - who loves jewelry - was determined that I would choose something from it right now for her to buy me for Christmas because it is perfect because they are individual artists and they have farm animal jewelry. I have too much jewelry. I had just been corralled to look at the website when the delivery driver called about my fence. The truck was too long in spite of multiple conversations and assurances about the maximum truck size for the shipment. They arrived after dark for our very challenging driveway. We had difficulty communication as the driver had very limited English and I have only Sesame Street Spanish. Mil was determined not to let me get away. I finally got through to her as politely as I am capable of that I simply could not manage the website and make a choice while the truck thing was happening.

My fence is in the yard (as desired) My yard is full of ruts. They drove through a flowerbed and crushed a bunch of irises. We think they hit our bridge rail on the way out, but haven't had a chance to check for damage yet since it was very dark. My Dh did not yell at me, although he said a lot of things about the sales person and the shipping company. Fil was a big help.

The in-laws are taking Birdy's bin of duplos to his house. (They will get there Tuesday)

Bean insisted that his duplos must stay at my house. I asked him "do you like things to stay the same?" And he said "yes." I told him "me too."

I don't get him tomorrow because his dad wants to do a family eclipse thing.

After the company leaves I am driving down to the studio for the monthly networking brunch and staying to work on my project for class. Dh is going to stay home and have some peace and quiet.

Sorry this is so long.

The eclipse party sounds like fun, CM! I don't know if I mentioned this but I'm going to try to get to my sister's house in VTon Monday. No idea what traffic will be like!

Lila, you are amazing!!!

We don't have a DOL here in MA and I don't know that the RMVwill give me access to anything. In any event, he will have to have his own plates on the car at this point and I'll have my canceled on Monday. I'm not terribly trusting myself, but he does not have access to drive the cars and I just need my registration cancelled and plates cancelled. I do hear you about if they don't register the car and where does that leave me. We will see what happens when I talk to him tmr.

I see that BFtried to contact me three times on the new phone and the information isn't loading I tried to call him back but it's 3AM and he didn't answer. So I don't know if there's something to do with the new phone but it seems to be more than coincidental.

I a, so proud of what you accomplished, Lila! And CM, I admire your dedication to swimming!

Back with an update on my to do list:

- my laundry (clothes) DONE and put away
- basket laundry DONE and put away
- take batteries out of baby swing and put it in the garage DONE!!
- look for ex's stuff in garage and put some where he can get to it. He is coming to take some. DONE!
- Set up the pack and play DONE, I still need to find a crib sized blanket to put in there
- take donations box to my car - not done yet
- call my Aunt DONE
- check the messages on the phone DONE

I also added "bathroom sink" to the list because the sink off my bedroom is 95% clogged. I have used the sink thingy to pull a bunch of hair out of there (gross) but it is still clogged. So I put dish soap, baking soda, and vinegar down it about a half hour ago. I am heating up some water to pour down there and see if that does the trick.

I also cooked with Teen, watched a show with her, fed dogs. So I did good today.

It is almost dinner time. After that I want to read, and help Teen cook again, and then MAYBE look for a couple more items to donate.

CM, swimming sounds nice. We get winds here too like that, so I know how much damage they can do. Hopefully it won't be too bad for you.

I did some tasks towards a project:
- found a screwdriver
- removed batteries from baby swing
- put screwdriver away
- put batteries away
- folded up the baby swing
- picked up dog toys

I need Son to carry the swing down to the garage and bring up the vacuum. Then I can vacuum and set up the pack and play for the baby.

I am draggging today.

Addendum:

At least - so far - the weather is not supposed to be cloudy on Monday, plus my cousin whom I have been having a hard time getting together with texted me that she doesn't have to work her day job that day. So we may be having a very informal mini eclipse party, just me and her and my roommate. I thought I'd get some finger food - little sliced ham, cheese, cocktail buns, fruit and veggie nibbles, etc. It would be fun if my cousin can really make it. I've learned, though, to not get my expectations too high on that because she is so busy. But we'll see.

If she can't make it, roommate and I will still have fun. And I'm guessing a few neighbors might be outside too. In modern civilization, on such rare occasions one might get to chat with one's neighbors. Perhaps even get to where it is possible to recognize them on sight. One can hope.

Just a hello without much of substance to report.

Went swimming yesterday. The humidity in the pool and the whirlpool helps roommate's allergies and what was left of mine which are mostly gone. However, we had poor air quality working against us. The ranchers in the Flint Hills east of here were doing their controlled burning and the smoke was carried our way. It made quite a haze over town and the smell was very obvious in the air.

Today it is gone - guess why? Because we have our infamous high (nearly 50 mph) winds! Roommate is very frustrated because the wind blows apart her vinyl coverings on the porch, blows plant pots over, breaks things, just makes more mess and hassle that neither of us needs when we already have too much to do and don't know where to start.

She is going out to shop, and I am just going to have a quiet afternoon here; earlier I had an outing in mind but being blown about is not worth it when nothing is that urgent. We may get thunderstorms tonight, but the wind is nevertheless going to return tomorrow, they say. I really love my state in so many ways, but this wind is a frequent aggravation.

We're sort of still in the recovering from busyness, sickness, and Easter weekend, and trying to regroup phase. Progress on anything right now is piecemeal and slow. I'll be watching the forecasts and at least trying to figure out when it will be better, and hope to do a computer thing or two digitizing stuff that then the physical form of can be gotten rid of.

hi Tatoulia! DOL stands for Department of Licensing. If you have not sold a car before, you probably want to check your state's DOL page on "sale of a vehicle." You may be required by law to report it. That's my last advice on that! I am not as trusting as you are! Teen's person is her case manager - she is not dating anyone right now :)

Well posting here did help me, and I was able to get my clothing into the washing machine. So that is something.

I also did one more thing not on my list: hooked up the hose and watered the "plants" out front. I say "plants" because I am bad at gardening, and "plants" = one straggly rose bush, a pot of desperate looking raspberry plants, and 4 pots that look dead but who knows if they might come back to life with water? LOL

If they are really dead, I will dump them and encourage Teen to choose something new to plant in them.

I'm sorry about teen and teen's significant other. And you. What a terrible time. I'm so sorry about teen's mental illness. Sending you my prayers and love.

I'm not sure what DOL stands for but right now, they do not have keys to the car. As soon as they get their plates on the car, I'll cancel my insurance and registration. I did not give them the keys yet. I appreciate the advice and the warning! All advice gratefully accepted!

I shall assume they registered the car since they had part of Tuesday and all day W to F to register and the mom was eager to start getting their errands run. I'll find out tmr most likely as they were going to help me get all of my stuff out of the car.

OMG SubC I would die with the snooping and changing things. Yes I know my friend Emiko changes up my house but there's no snooping and she's working on closets with no permanent damage. I'm so sorry! That sounds incredibly stressful.

Had brunch with a girlfriend today. I didn't see her very often and it was delightful. Then I walked to pick up my new phone and they set it up for me.

post 2 for motivation, checking in. Where are you all?

I feel very unmotivated but need to get moving. I feel sluggish. I had coffee and took some vitamins, ate my lunch, am hoping some kind of motivation will kick in, but if not I will force myself.

On my to-do list for today:
- my laundry (clothes)
- basket laundry
- take batteries out of baby swing and put it in the garage
- look for ex's stuff in garage and put some where he can get to it. He is coming to take some.
- Set up the pack and play
- take donations box to my car
- call my Aunt
- check the messages on the phone

I would like to cook, and also work on my bedroom a bit. We will see. I also want to read.

It is noon, it is silent, everyone else is asleep.

Good morning SubC. I hope the snooping/"fixing" is not too invasive this time.

Teen's person got in a car accident on the way to see us, so did not make it here. She is fine, car not so much. I am looking for a group home for Teen.

My bedroom is so nice I almost feel like a normal person when I go in there. I know it would be 'bad' for an organized person, but for me it is the best it has been in years. There is a clear, wide path to everything... bed, closet, dressers, desk. I cannot access the far dressers yet, so there is another project.

I got about half my list done yesterday and will keep working on it today.

What is everyone doing this weekend?

Lila, I'm so sorry about teen. I pray the caseworker can help.

I had a great day at school today, got my errand done, stopped for some groceries and had two hours with DD's family and my in-laws before the kids took Bean home and the in-laws headed out to their camper.

My wonderful son in law loaded Bean up and brought him out here to meet them when they arrived at 3 and keep them busy and out of trouble until everyone else was done with work.

One evening down, one to go.

Very tired.

Good morning friends.

Tatoulia, I hope your oral surgery site heals up well and your discomfort is minimal. And, about the car, at least in my state, the seller can/must report the sale of a vehicle to the DOL within like 10 days, otherwise seller can be liable for any accidents, fees, tickets etc. So if you haven't check on the DOL site for your state and see if you can "report the sale of a vehicle." It is simple information and protects the seller, even if the buyer does not register the vehicle in their name.

SubC, that's sad about the goats, and I hope it does go peacefully or get better. I am pleased to hear about how you moved things to one side and then the other in the rug area to clean. That is really good progress! It is easy to feel overwhelmed in an area and do nothing... so cleaning is a great thing to get done.

Yesterday I spent 7 hours dealing with a Teen meltdown and self injury, taking her to the ER, dealing with all of that, cleaning up a lot of blood in my house (TotsDad came home from work and helped me). I find this completely distressing and utterly crushing, since there is no help to be had. In our state an adult, even a disabled one, can slice themself up with a knife, scream about wanting to die, break things, etc and no one will do anything. All the cries of "call 911, or 988, get help, reach out" are baloney. I have begged for help and every psychiatrist, counselor, crisis worker, police officer, etc etc does nothing to get her help long term. Well I will stop my rant now... but the case worker is coming over today and I am praying they will find a placement for her, because this cannot continue. Thankfully all the grands have been gone this week visiting relatives. If you pray, pray for us, please.

I am drained and finding it hard to get started or do anything, so I have made myself a list of what to get done today, including some cleaning, disinfecting, calls, etc.

I am updating my Daily Tally a lot. If you need motivation try reading through the stuff I have moved out of my house. It is a lot and feels good when I go back and read it.

Good morning.

Tatoulia, I hope you recover quickly. Good news on the car! And good job getting all the thank yous done.

I did not get my pots trimmed last night because my Dd1 called.

But Dh is home and I slept deeply last night - until my alarm went off this morning.

I have not been out to check on my goat yet. There is a genetic condition in my breed of goats that causes them to stop growing and die before they turn three. It's recessive and sex linked. I seem to have accidentally bred it into my line. I have had bucks dying here for years, but I kept using them for breeding when they were young because at first I didn't understand and then later I didn't have a choice (the choice was don't breed and have no milk). I'm still trying find a good outside buck, but Useless is almost three and big, so I am feeling hopeful that at least his daughters won't die. (Females have to get two copies of the gene to die of it). This goat is very small. Her father died at age 2. They go quickly and apparently peacefully. She was grazing happily yesterday morning and then around lunch time walked into the barn and lay down in a classic "I am either sunbathing or going to die" goat position and refused to get up. Last night she was just laying under the heat lamp unresponsive to petting. No symptoms of anything treatable.

Today I teach. Possibly I need to run an errand on the way home. My in-laws will get here some time this afternoon, so they will be here when I get home. Dh is working from home today. They told him "we'll probably get there in the afternoon, but don't worry, we'll just entertain ourselves." I wish he was going to the office so we could lock them out of the house. Mil "entertains herself" by snooping, rearranging, and making messes in my kitchen to produce food I can't eat using ingredients I wanted for something else. They both have a tendency to "fix" things that were already the way I liked them and are hard or impossible to put back - weeding out things I planted, pruning trees incorrectly, washing things in destructive ways (shrinking, warping, destroyed surface finishes), screws in the walls... I had my curtains hemmed once. And then there is an expectation that I should be grateful for their help. Fil still thinks I'm literally crazy because I cried over the trees.

We are the beginning of their trip this time, so hopefully they will still have things to read and trip planning to do. And hopefully Dh will be able to stop work early so they don't get left unsupervised. Also, they are getting older so the scale of their activities may be reduced. (More snooping, less "helping"?)

They are only staying until Sunday.

Ok, things to do. Everybody have a good day!

Ps thinking about the goat!

Wow! Amazing work, Lila and SubC! Lila, I can see your progress in my mind! Wow!

Great work, SubC, on all of your tasks! You are doing great! Amazing how much you do!

I had oral surgery yesterday and so am somewhat sore and bruised today. The stitches are bothering me. I actually accomplished two things today: I ordered a new iPhone and I'll pick it up tmr and I wrote out all of the thank yous to my mother's doctor's office, which were about ten or eleven in total. That's been nagging at me.

My iPhone is quite old and it no longer holds a charge and BF is very worried about me not having a good phone. So he'll be happy to hear that I have that sorted.

I did a load of towels today and then tonight I did a load of dark delicates. Dishwasher is running. I'll clean the cat boxes in the AM before I leave for the office.

I started to worry about the neighbor registering the car before the weekend and then realized I don't have to worry. I just don't. They will get it done. I think I mentioned that he and his mother came over on Tuesday to get the title and the gift receipt. I also had filled out a lot of the other paperwork for them and had a bunch of stickie notes so they'd know what to do.

So we are getting my affairs in order, so to speak.

Lila, I think you did very well with your phone calls and the planning!

Ok, so there was a rug area in the basement that I swore I was going to keep open for Bean to play this winter. But I didn't. I kept the mat area open, but not the rug. It got cluttered, and needed to be vacuumed, and I didn't want to spend time there and it became a dumping ground again.

It's not fixed, but I cleared off half the rug, and vacuumed it, and then moved everything else and vacuumed the other half. So it looks a lot better! I also moved the felt board out of the space where the dehydrator goes so I could put the dehydrator away. Bean is probably ready for the felt board.

I got another break in the rain and took the things out to the studio.

I don't think there is going to be a good update on the goat.

I am tired and wish Dh was home - just a few more hours now. I'm going to clean off the kitchen island and go trim some pots that are ready in the studio. I am tired of my house.

Wow SubC, you are on a roll! And yes, sometimes we have to shift our stuff, but in the end it is progress as we move forward to make our living spaces better.

I really hope your goat is okay! Keep us updated.

My phone calls were as frustrating as I expected, took a couple of hours calling, looking things up online, etc. But I got an appt made for Teen, an eye exam appt for myself, called about a PT referral that was supposed to happen 3 weeks ago, called the lab and found out all my lab orders disappeared or expired, called the two Dr offices to get labs re-sent. Called insurance to find out who takes my insurance for eye stuff too before I made that appt (my usual Dr retired and now the practice won't take my insurance).

I also updated my work planner so I can look at it now and see exactly what's going on through spring and summer and who is off when. This will be very helpful.

I am still waiting for calls back on the medical stuff.

I moved a few things around in my room, working on the piles and where things go. I will go in there and do a bit more.

Will be back to report and to see how you are doing with your tasks, and how the goat is!

Liiiiiiiilaaaaaaa

I made scrambled eggs. I unloaded the dishwasher, I put the rest of the dehydrator racks in with my lunch dishes and started it.

I cleaned up a little more in the basement and put Bean's duplos in the bin to go home with him. I put away a small stack each of thanksgiving and Christmas decorations that had been left in piles in various places (which involved unstacking and restacking bins) and put the last Halloween bin back on the storage rack. I found four more things that should be out in the barn studio but I don't want to take them.

I also made a fire, which is making my living room more warm and cheerful and allowed me to "clean up" my collection of dryer lint.

Yay for the closet!

Lila, that must feel amazing!

I carried the stuff out to the studio (now the studio is messier and the house is cleaner - see-saw, see-saw, but I am making progress, so I guess it is more like a sidewinder snake.

I also put my library books and some recycling in the car for tomorrow, and medicated a goat who has decided to collapse for no apparent reason (in the absence of useful data I just go with dewormer and a vitamin boost - my experience is that unless they clearly need an antibiotic, painkiller, surgery, or birth related care, calling the vet just leads to an expensive, drawn out, traumatic death.)

I took the compost out and it started raining just as I dumped it - only for a few seconds though, it quickly became hail that stung through my jeans but not my barn coat and left me mostly dry.

the dishwasher is running again - doing dehydrator parts this time. Inefficient because I can only put half the trays in at a time. Normally I fill the rest of the space with dirty dishes, but those are all done. I decided to reward myself for doing other work by being lazy about this and not hand scrubbing all the trays. I'm going to make myself some scrambled eggs now for lunch and those dishes will go in with the other half of the dehydrator trays.

How did your phone calls go?

SubC! Good work on getting the Easter decor put away! That has to feel good. You are doing some tasks as you putter! I also have calls to make of the frustrating kind, so since you tried, I will try, too, and see if anything gets checked off by making the calls.

I got to the closet, already! See, the foundation I have worked so hard on has made it take so much less time to clean up. It LOOKS like huge piles and impossible messes - maybe in part in my memory/imagination - but it does not take long. In fact, I only had to scoot a couple boxes over to get free and wide access to the closet!

- hung up almost all the sweatshirts and jackets from the office chair
- hung up the clothes that were on the rocking chair, and folded and put away the sweater there, and put a couple of the clothing items in the laundry to wash
* WIN - I had plenty of empty hangers and room for the clothes! this due to previous purges.
- I picked up a few little, random items like screws and parts to things that I don't know what they are for, and put them into the small sandwich sized container I have for such items.
- washed out a small container which I will put small items in that I want to keep but not sure what to do with them, and it will go in the closet or dresser or wardrobe
- started to put a few items on my bed. Dog came in and laid on my bed looking cute.

Look at the progress already! The surfaces are still covered but I am pleased so far and will go back in and keep working, after I see what call(s) I might make.

Yay! Just in time! I was dragging after several very frustrating phone calls (things I planned to take care of today but all the calls resulted in needing to call someone else or the same place on a different day.)

Way to hold the line on the clean surfaces!

I am mostly puttering about, but I have put away all the Easter decorations, so that was a project.

Changed out the tea towels, got sidetracked sorting through the duplos (some of them are going to each grandson in the next month), lots of tasks that don't add up to anything but tend toward order.

I don't know exactly what I will do with the bins. So far I am just keeping a medium and a small. I may use the medium as a box for the duplos for Bean and just get them out of my house this week.
We are having a brief window of sun, so I am going to carry th8ngs out to the studio and take out the compost.

Let me know if you get closer to the closet.

CM, I am also a swimsuits for all fan. They are very good about returns too.

CM, I have had excellent luck with a site called Swimsuits for All. You can search by feature and they have been very good quality, if you don't mind buying without trying it on first. Good luck finding what you will love!

Good morning SubC, I am at home still, working on the house. It is raining as well, so no yard work today (I cleaned up dog poo yesterday in the yard). That is great about all the totes! What do you plan to use them for at home?

Last night I did get everything off my bed, although as I have been working in there, a lot of items just got cleaned and migrated to other surfaces, like other dressers, tables, chairs. BUT, I am not allowing myself to re-clutter the cleaned surfaces, so they are staying nice. I figure eventually everything will get put somewhere.

So today I will continue in my bedroom. My project for today is the space in front of my closet. I once again cannot get to my closet. Tat pile of sweatshirts and jackets on my office chair will mostly be hung in the closet when I can clear a path.

There is a lot of stuff, small random items and things with no home, on surfaces around that closet. a TV tray table, a rocking chair, a rubbermaid tote... all covered and piled. And the floor as well. So I will work on that area today. And the closet, when I get to it, which is pretty nice but I will see if anything can be donated.

I hope we can cheer each other on today!
SubC, let me know what tasks you are working on and complete.

Good morning!

I'm feeling very functional today. I think I finally got enough time by myself to recharge. I woke up at 4:30 feeling both tired and wide awake. Also hungry because I don't think I ate enough food yesterday.

I have been bringing home plastic bins from school - there was a giant pile of everything from large rubbermade to little notion containers, all jumbled up, no matched lids, lots of stuff broken. I just stuffed the whole pile in my school closet.

This week I have been washing and sorting them one load at a time. I'd say there are two more loads in my closet. The broken ones and unmatched lids will go to the recycling center (I'm getting close to time to take a trip, but realistically I probably won't make time until June) The building director told me not to bring any of them back unless I was going to use them in my classroom.

So far I have a few set aside to recycle (and I was motivated to sort and tidy my recycling center in the basement this morning) one in my car to take back and use in my classroom, two to keep and use in my house (I am not counting bins in the in and out) and a pile to match up when everything is sorted out.

My dishwasher is running and I cleaned off the ping pong table in the basement (it wasn't very messy). I am working on cleaning up my dehydrator and taking down the folding table, and I might put the Easter decorations away. I may crash later, but for now I am doing well.

Lila, if you are home working today, maybe we can cheer each other on.

Off to do another quick round in the scullery...

Hi Lila,

I'm sorry I couldn't find time to cheer you on today.

You did a great job! I hope you got everything off of your bed so you can get a good night's rest!

CM, good luck on the bathing suit!

Does it count as living alone if I was living in my car?

I did not do any work in the scullery or basement today, but I got everything else done.

I've been home for an hour and 15 minutes and done chores and eaten and read, and now I am very tired and a little cold and ready to sleep.

anddd more tasks completed, towards my projects.

- I got everything away from the wardrobe and opened it up
- fixed a shelf that was hanging crooked. To do this, I had to take things off it and put them on my bed.
-rearranged some things in there and put some things in there from my bed
- ALL the folded blankets then fit in the bottom shelf, yay.
- put away the clothes that have a drawer
- tossed the jackets and sweatshirts on my office chair
- put the jeans and robe on top of a pile
- took the folded beach towels and chucked them into the little storage bedroom. Cannot deal with them yet.

I threw away some papers. I found an old (30 years old) address book and had to look through it. Even looked up some of the people online just to see what they are doing. No desire to contact any. Threw out the address book.

There are a few things left on my bed, but not too bad. When I get the things off my bed, I think I am done doing tasks for the day. I need a break.

I also made rice pudding and cooked myself some dinner and had Teen's case manager stop by and gave back a crock pot to a friend. And I washed off the dining room table and picked up all the dog toys. So it was a good day.

posting again...

I put away about 1/3 the things on my bed and got stuck.
Started new project: piles in front of wardrobe.

- picked up each item, shook out or wiped off, put on my bed. Mostly it was clothes! Surprising, thought I lost those jeans...

- folded the towels and blankets and stacked on my bed.

- moved the little chair under it all. Vacuumed the floor where the piles were.

Felt overwhelmed; went to the kitchen and made devilled eggs and ate a few.

The blankets can go into the wardrobe with a little rearranging. The clothes are stressful. We'll see.

I also finished loading the dishwasher and it is running, and wiped the counters.

hi CM! It's nice to read your post. I have never in my life lived alone. I do like my quiet solitary time like when no one is home or people are all asleep, but I don't know how it will feel if and when I eventually live alone. I might not like it. I will always have a spare bedroom/office so that if a grandchild or child or friend needs a place to stay or visit, they can come.

Now that the dresser project is done, I have started on that terrible nightstand by my bedroom door. Tasks I have completed:

- pick up each item, wipe off the dust with a cloth or a wet dusting wipe, and sort it:
- basic sort: trash can, donation box, put in its place, or put it on my bed.
- pull the nightstand away from the wall and pick up/sort/clean all the items that had fallen behind and around it
- vacuum and wipe floor
- wipe dust off dresser, then spray with polish and rub with a cloth

This is how far I got. I threw away and donated I think 6 things, listed in the Daily Tally.

Now my bed has lots of items on it, but they are clean. And they are in "like" piles. Tools in one spot, dog things in one spot, etc. I would say there are at least 30 items on my bed.

So I need to find places for those things or donate them. The only things going back on the dresser are probably a small battery lantern for power outages and a candle I like. The rest has to be put somewhere.

I think my next project is to clear a path to my wardrobe cabinet. Some things could/should go in there, but there are piles in front of it. So, once I have my bed cleared off, I will sort those piles in the same way... cleaning them, putting in donate, trash, away, or on the bed. Then some items can me put into the wardrobe, which will be a clean-out project for another day. Right now I just need my visible space to get cleaned and decluttered.

SubC, the project vs. task thing, I've been way ahead of that gal for years, lol. I'm always griping that "everything has so many STEPS!" Those are the tasks, and each demands focus. Once, I kid you not, I was so annoyed by it that I literally counted the steps (tasks) involved in filling up my vehicle with gasoline.

Check for debit card and discount card and keys before exiting vehicle.

Remove gas cap. Set gas cap on pavement where I'll see it and remember to put it back on.

Scan discount card.

Insert debit card and do PIN number.

Put the cards safely in pocket.

And so on, ad infinitum. So many steps, so many opportunities to forget, get distracted, mess things up. I was annoyed that day. I've gotten more used to it and sometimes it feels more routine, but there are days I just really need to hone in on minute details in order to keep track.

Household things like doing laundry are the same way. It's not just "do the laundry." It's every little thing involved.

I get what you're saying about wanting hubby to be gone and let you do things totally on your own schedule. Still want that solitary life - though I'm going to be frank and say that I'm pretty sure God knew I would need to be living somewhere with a friend during the pandemic years; it might've freaked me out otherwise. I know figuring out what the next step will be, and when it would be, is not an overnight thing. I still have some agoraphobia relapse ground to regain. Hoping to make strides this spring on that. I'd want to feel more solid before striking out on my own. Back when I was in the aftermath of my dad's passing and my mom's being in the nursing home, there were times when I needed to couch surf with friends just to not feel so alone that I'd panic.

Well... must strive to lean into it and try to stay in the present moment and find the grace there, and let the future unfold as it unfolds. I want to return to solitary living when I feel eager and ready and like it'd be a positive, manageable thing. Sometimes I have worried that I've been in the non-solitary scenario too long and that it might be scary to be by myself. There's a lot to sort out! Life is so different now, too. In the early 00s when I was dealing with those things, I had more friends available to help. Not as many are around or able anymore. The world has grown more isolating in recent times. I don't like it.

Lila, add my vote as well to putting dog toy items, or any other item where you run into a roadblock, aside for the moment. You're tackling many things and so it's not like postponing one will slow your overall progress. Getting stuck will slow it, so don't let it. You're doing great! I am hoping some of your activeness will rub off on me long distance and via osmosis, haha!

Weather still chilly here; today's payday and I've completed my payday bill paying and phone card buying routine earlier in the day. I am going to go shopping a bit. I need a new swimsuit - the one I've been using so much lately is deteriorating rapidly. Years of intermittent chlorine and now more frequent chlorine have taken their toll. I am ULTRA PICKY about what features the new suit should or shouldn't have in terms of coverage, fit, sensory qualities, etc. So I really dread looking for one and wish I didn't have to. But there's no getting around it. And it probably won't be cheap to find what I want. Yikes.

Good morning friends, and thanks for the encouragement! I am on spring break (vacation) so I want to get a lot done, AND relax.

Tatoulia, I'm so glad the car thing is working out. It will be a relief when it is gone, won't it? And the trash out, yay! More space feels very good. I am getting there.

SubC, you're hard at work as usual. Lots to do I see.

Last night, I finished the dresser project! I took every item off and wiped/washed them, used canned air to blow dust off things that can't be washed. Then I wiped all the dust off the dresser, and then sprayed it with polish and wiped it down. It looks SO nice. I put the special items back on the dresser, including a small canvas painting Teen made when she was in elementary school, before things got really bad for her. Before her mental illness. It is a painting of a sunrise. I cherish it.

My guest left this morning, and TotsFam is visiting their cousins, so I am home and it is quiet. Guest was sick, so I wiped down everything with disinfecting wipes and put bedding and towels etc in the laundry basket.

My goals for today are -

clean up the kitchen, do the laundry and dishes

Work on another project: the night stand that is right inside my bedroom door. Like the dresser, things got tossed on it, and it is deep, with things falling off and dust all over it. I will do tasks of putting things away, sorting things, etc from that night stand top today.

I also need to cook/food prep things from the fridge - make devilled eggs, soup, bread, some other things.

I hope to see you guys today. I will come back and update how it is going. This helps me stay motivated, so thank you for reading and encouraging me.

Good morning!

Tatoulia, I'm glad the car is working out!

Good job clearing your space!

Lila, I'm so pleased with your dresser project! Isn't it satisfying when you can get all the way down to the dust layer and remove it? You've been doing a lot of actual cleaning lately and I love that your space is becoming healthier for you.

Here everything is about to happen at once.

Today is very full - with teaching, a meeting at lunch, the kiln to unload in the morning before school and load and fire after, and plans to go down to the studio after school and work on my class project and attend a free lecture. I expect to get home late. We'll see how much of: yoga, chores, shower, lesson prep, work checking, breakfast, scullery, basement I can squeeze in before I leave in 2.5 hours.

Tomorrow I have another day on my own which is supposed to be cold with a mix of rain and snow, and then Dh comes home tomorrow night, school on Friday and my in-laws arrive (probably before I get home), my new fence should be delivered either Friday or Monday, the weather will be nice all weekend, but the ground is saturated, plant starts need repotting and it's time to get the garden in as soon as possible. Sunday I have a pottery networking event.

So, yeah, I need to move!

Have a great day everyone!

Hello ladies!

Cm, happy Easter! That was a lot with the bug guy and I'm glad that's behind you now. I am sure it's a terrible experience in its own right and I'm so sorry it coincided with Holy Week.

SubC, you are a great parent and grandparent. To hear you talk about sugar and nutrition is very interesting and instructive. I still wash my hands the way my grandmother liked me to, a different, but good, habit. I think we can all relate to wishing for some time alone, esp when working on tasks and projects!

Lila you are doing a lot. I love Subc's solution for the dog toys. Put them in that box while you tackle other things. You are doing great! My heart breaks for you and teen.

I signed the paperwork for the car today. They will register this week. They know I need the car out of the garage by Sunday. Will be glad when that is resolved.

I got so much garbage and recycling out last night, all from the closet clean out. I held back three bags and got up this AM to take them out. I did not want them outside overnight for various reasons including trash pickers. I didn't want to have to clean up three particular bags in the AM. so much more room here today than yesterday. I take so much satisfaction in getting rid of stuff.

oh SubC!!! I am happy to see you! We posted at the same time!

Thank you, that is a good idea for the dog toy stuff. It really is a sticking point for me. It mainly has to do with the loss of my best dog a few years ago. Letting go of anything is rough.

I feel so good about all the tasks I have done! And the dresser project itself is almost complete!

posting again, the Lila show, hoping someone else comes by...

I kept working in spurts on the dresser.

- more coins, jewelry, special little things to put in their places
- camera, another charger, into the camera drawer
- a painting a friend made for me, covered in dust
- more dog toy squeakers, wth
- more gift cards

There was so much stuff. I dusted things off and put them in their place, but I admit some things do not have a place yet and I moved them to the other dresser. It's the best I could do right now.

What is left on the dresser will likely stay there after I dust them/wash them:

- a special lantern
- two glass jewelry dishes with a few necklaces I often wear in them (they need to be washed out)
- a few photos of me and Tot that I love
- a mug Tot gave me a couple years ago. She chose it herself :)
- a little ceramic dish I made and painted on a special outing with Teen to a pottery place when she was very little. It is special to me. It has a ring in it and a little wooden ornament I want to take to my office, and three wheat pennies.

That's all I want on the dresser. It is covered in thick dust so my last step is to wash the stuff and wipe down the dresser top so it is clean.

Then I will feel very very good about completing something that seemed impossible.

Yes! See, the dresser top is a project! Look at all the tasks you finished!

I think the dog toys are a sticking point for you. I think you should find a box or a bin, label it "dog toys" and fill it with broken dog toys, unopened dog toys, pieces to fix dog toys..any dog toy related items. Just keep collecting them in one place and work on cleaning up other things right now. Eventually you will have sorted through all of the spaces and you can see what you actually have and make decisions. meanwhile, if you need any of it, you will know where it is.

I made good progress on my basement in my 20 minutes. I made good progress in the scullery. I did a bunch of pottery.

Is it bad that I wish that Dh would be gone for a whole week some time when I don't have to work? I miss him, but I like the quiet of my house and the absence of mealtimes or any schedule or interruptions. The idea of a long string of days when I could just "become feral" as my Dd puts, it is really nice.

If I didn't have to go to work tomorrow, I would probably head out to the studio right now and work until I was exhausted.

Instead I will do chores and try to go to sleep at a reasonable hour so I can get up for school tomorrow.

I am working on my bedroom dresser top. Life of a hoarder, detailed attempts to declutter...

It's a tall dresser right when you walk in, so stuff gets tossed there. And there is a thick layer of dust. I am maybe 1/4 of the way through the stuff on the dresser top (one corner).

- lots of coins (change), moved into a change jar
- camera charger, moved into the camera drawer
- broken doll and its arm, moved to the other dresser top until I see if it can be fixed
- a bunch of loose pills scattered across the dresser for years, covered in dust - trashed
- one dog toy middle I was going to try and save, into the trash
- two cookies, yes COOKIES I saved from an event in 2019, into the trash. ugh
- several pens and sharpies moved to their appropriate places
- two separate boxes of urine drug screen tests from years ago when I was testing my teenager, ugh. Trash
- a gift card that is expiring so I moved it to my gift card stash which I will be using up
- papers, trash, etc into the trash
- five squeakers from dog toys that got ripped up, saved to put back into dog toys that stop squeaking, into the trash, then pulled out 10 minutes later, then into the trash again, then pulled out to donate, then put on another dresser to put into dog toys that stopped squeaking... help!

I will continue to work on the dresser. It is quite the project!

SubC, your sugar philosophy with Bean sounds very reasonable. I too do not want to label foods good or bad. I try to talk to Tot about how she feels when she eats too much junk, but Acorn is too little. Mainly ddil gets boxes of chip bags and candy or cookies and the kids just get into them at will and eat them all day long. I try to put them out of reach, at least, so they need to be asked for, and then let ddil decide. But the kids behavior on a lot of sugar is pretty hyped and sometimes cranky. Maybe I can buy some healthier but yummy things for them and show ddil the better behavior. They do love fruit.

I like your info on tasks vs projects! I will see how far I can break things down to make them tasks. That seems helpful.

Today I am sad because Teen is so distraught and is driving everyone away. Nephew is probably leaving early, ddil took the kids to her relatives all day yesterday and is still there (Teen's outbursts are detrimental and I need a solution pronto). But, I am getting things done.

- unloaded and loaded dishwasher
- hand washed dishes
- cleaned front windows and sliding glass window which all was very dirty from kids and dogs
- picked up all toys, dog toys, books, and trash from living room
- wiped down kitchen
- paid bills, looked at finances, answered emails
- filled out planner for April

It is very nice out, so I will do some work outside today as well. I am hungry now so will go eat.