Hi all,

Popping in because I'm trying to work in my basement for 10-20 minutes every day and timing it with something on YouTube that I can listen to.

Today was a woman talking about dealing with overwhelm (and pitching her organization system) but the gem of this that I want to share is her comment that often we feel overwhelmed because we have failed to note the difference between "projects" and "tasks". That sometimes we think we have broken our project down into tasks, but we have actually broken it into subprojects, that it is not a task until it can no longer be broken down into manageable pieces, and that "manageable piece" varies by person, day, and even moment.

Because our brain gives us a dopamine hit when we finish a task, it's really important to define them correctly so that we have a sense of accomplishment and get motivation to keep going.

So, let's say cleaning the bedroom is a project. And we might call the dirty laundry a task. But the dirty laundry is also a project. And depending on the day and the person, the first task might be wash a load of laundry, or it might be sort the laundry, or it might be gather all the laundry in one place, or it might be find all the dirty laundry that is on that chair, or it might be decide if these jeans need to be washed, or it might be go to the bedroom.

And her organizational system involves identifying projects and sub projects, and breaking them down into tasks.. But the key here is that to avoid overwhelm, you just worry about the first task. And then you move on to the next task. Or possibly the first task of a different project. (If for example the task I just completed was starting the washer).

So, food for thought. Now I'm going to go spend another video cleaning up the scullery..

Good morning,

I don't know what this font is going to look like, or when I'll get it posted - I'm writing in my notes ap because we are having a bang up storm, and I have power (for now) but no internet. So I can see the posts I left open last night, but I can't refresh.

Lila, my Dd and I have different opinions about sugar too. Except she's the one who wants to control it. I'm more of a stop it at the source and then let go person (this is your candy, when it's gone, it's gone.) I pay a lot of attention to hidden sugar in the things I give him - jam, bread, cereal, sauces.. And then mostly just let him have stuff like cake and candy. I don't like to label foods as "good" or "bad". We talk about nutrition and how your tummy feels and he's pretty good at self regulating. Sunday for dinner he wanted nothing but a big bowl of Lima beans and a glass of milk no dessert. I think it's the chaos that gets him more than the sugar. After the crying and cuddling, we read a lot of books on the couch and he played alone for a bit and felt better.

You are doing really well making progress in your house! Nice job hitting the halfway mark on your things out goal - it is only April!

CM, I'm glad you got to enjoy all of your Holy Week events. And hope you are fully recovered soon!

I got to class last night and finally started making some progress on my sculpture/lamp. I am going back tomorrow after work since Dh will still be gone. I also slept better last night. Mr.kitty spent most of the night on the bed - which is unusual for him, but it was nice. I didn't set my alarm since there is no one to make breakfast for but me, nowhere I have to go, and it is going to rain all day.

My plans are school prep, housekeeping, and time in the studio.

hi CM. Happy Easter. Allergies are bad here, too. Someone gave me a CBD gummy to try and I slept really well. I don't want to rely on them, but it was a nice think to try.

Today I worked on the bar/counter, bit by bit. There were coins/change to put away, dog and cat treats, odds and ends, pens, mail, clothing (??? why), random junk. I donated some stuff, put a lot of things away, wrapped up cords that were all over the place, and dusted/washed the counter. It looks far better. However I have two PCs sitting on it which I am going to take files off, but, all the space around them is clean and much better.

I also worked on my room a little, and on laundry. This is pretty good considering Teen was having meltdowns all day and it was extremely stressful. But I got things done, and now I am exhausted.

Belated Happy Easter

We've had raging allergies here and variable weather. The allergies were from the getting ready for the bug man, things getting moved around and dust stirred up. It was bad enough for me but roommate has really suffered. I did make it to Good Friday and Holy Saturday church in addition to Easter Sunday, but needed the help of cough remedies and bottled water.

Sleep has been patchy as well due to each person either doing her own coughing or being awakened by the sound from another room of the other party's coughing. Gradually we are recovering and aren't really sick but just draggy.

Roommate got her stuff put away so she had her bedroom after the bug thing was over. Because of her back, she only uses an upright rocker type chair in the living room, can't sleep on the sofa anymore and it has just ended up that her side of the living room is the side with the chair and mine is the side with the sofa. And there's not a lot of space in between due to the layout, furniture, etc.

Again I pray never again will the prep week for the bug guy and Holy Week be the same week. It was too much at the same time. I'm getting antsy too for it to be really nice, full blown spring. The weather, as usual, has its own ideas about that.

hi SubC and CM and Tatoulia,

we are having post Easter meltdowns here as well. Except there is more candy so the kids are getting re-hyped. All I can do is move it out of their reach so that if their mom wants them to have it she has to get it for them. We have somewhat different philosophies on how much sugar kids can have, but I am being respectful. The kids are fun, generally speaking.

We had a very bad evening with Teen having a huge raging meltdown and it ended with my nearby son coming to get her for the night. She is back now, angry but in her room. I hope it is a calm day. It is hard to get anything done when there is major stress around me. I tend to freeze.

Today so far I:
- put away dishes and washed a few
- folded towels and put them away (I have another half basket to do)
- spent time with Tot and my nephew and made coffee

Now it is quiet so I sat down to type and sip coffee. I am very close to halfway to my goal of 600 items gone from my home in 2024, so I will try to get to the halfway point today. I do not count actual trash, only things I have been keeping because I see some value in them.

What is everyone doing today? I have this week off, so I hope to get a lot done.

Good morning!

Bean got a good night sleep last night, but I did not. I went to bed very late because we were having a thunderstorm and I was afraid that it would wake him up and he would be scared and call for me but I wouldn't hear him over the thunder. Then I woke up at 2:30 and after that I pretty much was awake or drifting in and out until 5:45. I saw 3:00, 3:20, 4:00; and 5:00 on the clock.

Now my boy is having a post Easter melt down. Too many treats and too much excitement. It may be a long day.

Tatoulia, I do understand that Emiko is good for you. And I am very glad you have her. I just don't want her here!

Lila, it sounds like you had a good day, and I'm glad you are going to get a break.

CM, I hope you had a lovely Easter as well.

The indoor egg hunt was a success. Bean was pleased with the candy and really liked the little toys I put in his basket especially the kangaroo and the "Daddy action figure".

It stopped raining long enough for him to help me with chores this evening. (He is a big help)

They did go to church and to lunch afterwards with the other grandmother, so I also had lots of time to work in the pottery studio. I threw seven pots, wedged some clay, and cut out blanks for a new thing I want to make.

Now I am working on settling down so I can go to sleep. It is very hard when Dh is not home. I will at least need to hear that he landed safely. Before he left he put his pillow on my side of the bed so I can sleep on it, and made sure the covers were all tucked in at the bottom. (I like them tucked, he likes them loose) he is sweet.

Happy Easter!

Emiko sounds like a good friend. And a very helpful one.

Thank you guys for the encouragement! It has been hard but worth it. Out of almost 1300 items gone from my home in the last year and a few months, there are only maybe two I thought I wish I had kept, but even those were not important. That is a big win.

I went to church, came home, went to the store on the way. Boiled eggs for the grands to color. Ate lunch and candy. Played with kids and watched as they found eggs in the yard their mom had put out for them. Sat in the sun a few minutes, but it is windy.

I am tired but in about an hour have to get dinner going. Teen and my nephew made the dessert. I am throwing together a green bean casserole and baking some chicken and a small ham. And will make mashed potatoes for it. That's enough.

I am feeling peopled out today and am in my bedroom taking a break. This week is spring break and my boss and 75% of my coworkers are taking vacation, so I will take vacation too. I will probably work a few hours on one day from home. This is the least busy week of the whole year at work for me, so I will try and declutter and clean. I do have nephew here for the week which is good for Teen, and my grands here with no preschool. But I will get things done.

I am going off sugar and will post more about that and why in the Decluttering your waistline thread.

Sorry to hear about the awful weather, SubC. Indoor egg hunt will be fun for the little one.

I thought about Emiko's work last night. She's done my closets and drawers several times now. I trust her. She doesn't fight me if I say keep. Sometimes she says, you should keep this. It's the trust we have that makes this work. And she's able to say, we have room to keep this. Right now, my goal is empty space. And we've got it!

It's awful in the beginning but I pull myself together.

Yes this is not for everyone or even anyone! But it works for us. And I joke a lot. I put a note on my door that said, in Japanese, Go Away and Leave. In Japanese so the neighbors don't think I'm nuts. She has keys so she lets herself in. So we laugh a lot when I'm not panicking.

I'm still in bed but need to get up and showered for church then brunch at a friend's house.

Good morning!

Happy Easter!

Tatoulia, Emiko may not come anywhere near my house! If anyone tried to do that here, we would not be friends anymore. But I am glad she is helpful to you.

Lila, wow! Wow! Wow! Amazing job! Good for you on the playroom! If you keep an eye on that, maybe you will notice some things the kids don't really play with that can go. (After your company leaves) A pack and play and a big box have to have made a big space in your room!

We slept late after our concert last night and the weather is awful. Not cold, but rainy and windy. Dh will leave around 2 this afternoon and Bean will come over some time after church.

Although, given the busy weekend he has had already, it is possible his parents will be exhausted, skip church and show up early. Otoh, his other grandmother spent the night last night and church is very important to her.

Anyway, I'm going to start with finishing off his Easter basket and filling eggs to hide for him - inside I guess. I got him some peanut butter eggs and m&ms.

One more up of coffee..

Having read through a few more posts, I understand mopping a floor twice. The first time is for the soil and the second time is to clean it. I used to have to do that at my brother's house. First time around was more of a dislodging situation and the water in the bucket would be muddy almost.

You are doing a lot, Lila, and you are reaping the benefits. You have more space and your house is cleaner. I'm glad the kitty box is clean. I use plastic box liners so that the box itself stays fresh and it's much easier to clean. They are expensive, though, and one of my cats enjoys tearing through it. So it's not a solution for everyone.

Going to bed soon. Happy Easter to all celebrating.

Wow! Great work, Lila. You are doing it! I am not caught up on posts so didn't realize you are having company. I bet the house smells fresh.

You would just die if my friend went to your house. She started right in. No coffee, no nothing. Opened the closet and said what is this and where's a garbage bag and as I'm going to get a bag she says what's this, can this go, where the donation pile, you go through this, which purses are you keeping, what's in this box, is this garbage or donation, is that mom's stuff and all this happens while I'm trying to get the garbage bag. Insanity. It works, though. Awful. But in three hours she did three closets.

No room to think. Which is ultimately good.

Wow Tatoulia, that sounds wonderful AND overwhelming. I cannot imagine someone coming over and cleaning all my closets!! Well, maybe it was similar to TotsDad cleaning my garage with me. It is good to have help.

Our guest is delayed but will be here for dinner, so TotsDad is supposed to bring his table soon, and we will get that set up with chairs etc. My house smells fresh with the floor being mopped and all the trashed and litter box out. Son needs to vacuum and clean up the dog poo in the yard. He says he is doing that in a few minutes.

Teen agreed and helped me and we got the litter box washed out and clean and refilled. I wiped down the floor around it, too. And did some laundry which I need to get out of the dryer.

I loaded the dishwasher and hand washed the rest. I think we will eat on paper plates tonight. I need to run to a store for some Easter stuff.

Also - my bedroom - I had some things in a huge box to fill and put in the garage. Instead, I took the few items out of it and put them in the garage and gave the big box to dil to use. Now I have even more space in my bedroom. It is getting there. I feel a lot better about myself even though it is still a lot of clutter.

Hello hello!

I have not read all posts but I have read some. Everyone is dealing with so much and still working to declutter and make progress! Will go back and read more later.

So, Emiko came over and cleaned three of my closets. Everything. All. Everything is on matching hangers. Everything has been dealt with. Clothes closet: bins are gone. Lots of space. She took a suitcase (filled), a duffle bag (filled) and three large shopping bags of things to goodwill. I have many bags of garbage to go out on Monday and a giant bag of recycling. Amazing. The mom stuff is off to one side. There is room in all the closets. Amazing.

Have a large area with stuff to sell. Very productive day. It nearly killed me. She is relentless.

hi SubC, rest is good. I woke up feeling good about the empty space.

Today so far I have done so much that I am exhausted and sweating.
- took out bathroom trash
- cleaned the playroom with Tot - I mean really cleaned it, sorted every toy, got it ready for our guest who is coming today.
- dried the sheets for the bed in the playroom. I need help getting them back on the bed.
- vacuumed the whole dining room and kitchen
- mopped the whole dining room and kitchen, TWICE because it was so dirty, which is what made me sweaty and exhausted
- cleaned up a little in the kitchen. It is pretty good.

Now I am resting while TotsDad is at the park with Tot and Acorn. I really wish Son would get out of bed and help me. Guest will be here in 2 or 3 hours.

I also cooked with Teen, read stories with Tot, played with her and the dog.

I dread the next thing which is the litter box. It needs to be emptied and washed out and refilled, and it is Teen's cat but she is not doing it. I am going to try to get Teen to help by offering to help her with it. But it has to be done, it smells awful. Wish me luck.

Lila, I love that you have a room that is empty and clean!

The one thing i always liked about moving was that fresh space and the chance to set things up just so.

I'm sure it is an intense emotional experience though.

It is not silly to need help.

The only thing I have done since my last post is sleep. I slept more than 8 hours and woke up on my own, but I am still tired.

It is supposed to rain on and off today. Dh and I have a concert again tonight (he buys series tickets, and then we always end up trading them in because of conflicts early in the season and going a lot at the end) and i need to get all the laundry done so he can pack for his trip tomorrow.

I'm also going to try to focus on pottery and sort through the Easter things. And call my mom. I have a couple of Easter things I think I want to get rid of that I need her to "say grace over" as we put it. - either tell me it can go, or tell me who I can give it to.

We'll see how it goes. Right now I am just drinking coffee and petting Mr. Kitty.

For anyone interested in this process of decluttering almost 30 years of stuff from my house...

Last post of the night, 8pm:

I posted several things on the Daily Tally. 10 things went out today.

TotsDad came home and moved the art cabinet and stereo into the little bedroom. I swiffered the half inch of dust that has to be 25 years old from behind/under that cabinet.

Son and I then sprayed down the dining room chairs, stools, and high chair and he is cleaning them off for me and will put them outside. I will mop in the morning.

The whole thing feels very strange, like going back to 1996 or something. I can almost see the old carpet that was in the dining room before we put in laminate flooring. I can almost see the old table and my little children sitting around it with their father, before we got divorced. That art cabinet was put there just a year after we divorced. The room looks entirely different without it. I may decide not to take it with me after all, we'll see.

Emotions...

That's a good day, SubC! Thanks for coming to post.

Someone is supposed to pick up the table in 15 minutes. We'll see. To do this, I had to clean off the table, which did not take long! Just a few things to put away, and some junk mail to throw away. It is all washed off and ready to leave.

I also threw away some dog toys that were on top of the art cabinet and donated something, I forgot what.

Hopefully the table will go, and TotsDad will move the cabinet, I can mop the floor and it will be a whole different space.

I have not prepped the bedroom for our guest who is coming but will do that when Son gets off work and can help me. Silly to need help but I do.

Good job with the art cabinet!

And for getting th8nfs out of your room, and for not keeping a bunch of th8ngs just because somebody gave them to you!

Pack and plays take up a lot of room!

And you will be getting rid of a table! (I know you are getting a bigger table, but it won't move with you.)

I pushed very hard today and got through most of the things on my list. None of them were decluttering things, but I did do the dishes and take out the compost.

And cut Dh hair, and teach, and do yoga, and remember to take my vitamin and brush my teeth, and unload the kiln, and reload and start the kiln, and glaze one thing that I made to stick in the kiln, and remember to make the print outs I needed, and go with Dh to pick up the tractor (five minutes there, 40 minutes home behind the tractor with flashers on).

So it was a pretty good day.

post 2 today -

TotsDad is bringing over his kitchen table tonight, and it is bigger than mine (which actually belongs to another son, but he said to get rid of it). We need the bigger table for Easter dinner (more people). This means I have to move the art cabinet out of the dining room. It has been there for 20 years or so. It belonged to my exhusband who died. So I kind of want to keep it. Is is solid wood and great for storage. But I have no where to put it.

So, I went into that little bedroom that is packed with stuff, and started moving things around. I found a way to rearrange and make space for it in there. Yes, this will make it slightly harder to sort, but not that bad, as I also made a path when I rearranged.

In that room I found a stack of DVDs, and I was able to choose two of them for the donate bin. This is a win, since I have already sorted those a couple times and it is just a small box left.

I also cleaned the counters and stove, and washed a few dishes by hand, and loaded the dishwasher which is running now.

hello. Thanks CM and SubC for the encouragement.

I managed to take several bags and boxes from my bedroom to my car: donations, things that belong to other people, things to take to my office. Then, I folded up the Play & Pack that Acorn used to sleep in before they moved in, and put it in the living room (folded up).

To do this, I had to deal with all the things IN the Play & Pack, such as Teen's clean towels, a laundry basket, some toys, some clothes, random items. I did this.

After that and the boxes/bags were out, I found I suddenly had space!! Wow, lots more space! I am much encouraged.

Someone at work gave me a bunch of toys, most of which I am donating, and some new socks that I don't like, which I am donating. I am not putting them in the daily tally because I never brought them home. They went right into a bag in my car.

So I feel better about myself.

Good morning.

How was everyone's day yesterday?

I really need someone to take me in hand in the evenings.

Yesterday I was doing quite well with my list. I even stopped on the way home to pick up Bean's chocolate bunny.

But I collected another small box of projects to check (which I could have done last night) and I put off one of the emails, and instead of going to bed at a reasonable hour, I read a book until 11:00. And all I can say for the book is that clearly there is a sequel, and I won't be reading it. Characters were introduced, fleshed out, and then never used again. Sub-plots were started and undeveloped or unresolved, the main character was only marginally sympathetic and may or may not have died at the end. The book was written in third person with access to the thoughts of only a few characters - until the last few pages when we saw things through the eyes of a character who was completely tangential and uninteresting for the whole book..

The good thing is it can go in my "books to take to the resale store" pile.

I don't really have a plan for today, except that it is very cold this morning and will be very nice in the afternoon and evening, so I will start with inside things and move to outside things.

What is everyone else doing?

Good morning!

CM, if the stuff can go on her bed and she can sleep on the couch, couldn't the stuff go on the couch?

Yay for an easier garage!

The "social aspect" yeah... That became an issue around 4th grade when I discovered you needed more than one friend. (Safety in numbers.) It got worse in 5th when I learned that those friends couldn't be boys, and that classes could be reshuffled - forcing you to start over. lunch. I gave up in 6th. Found the "outcasts" table in high school. I got a boyfriend at 16. He saved me. Mostly.

Lila,

This is doable, and you will be alright.

Unfortunately, in the long term, getting rid of stuff is the ONLY solution.

Good job on the scissors. Isn't it odd how sometimes a small thing can be such a big accomplishment?

I didn't really accomplish anything else because the conversation with Dd took so much out of me. Put away clean dishes.

It feels good to have the school work checked finally though!

I'm going to drop trash and recycling again today - legacy of the barn/studio work. The counter of doom is also covered again for the same reason.

Todays goals:
Trash/recycling
Teach
Remember to water plants
3 emails
Not have anything new added to my list.
In bed at a reasonable hour.

That is all. I may try to lock my door at lunch and take care of the emails.

SubC, I did better with school by far too, as far as structure, though in elementary and junior high the social aspect was no treat. In college the structure was helpful, albeit I didn't always use good sense - I took very full schedules that were stressful, I procrastinated and crisis crammed (but what student doesn't, haha), and I became a driven perfectionist who burned out for awhile.

Roommate is still steadily decluttering and I am... decluttering some and sputtering some. Tomorrow will be the big push day. Outside to do the garage, which involves moving things away from the walls so bug man can look at the walls. We had gotten a fair amount donated so this goes somewhat easier now. And she has to move stuff in her office which is where the crawlspace trapdoor is. The only place to put some of that will be on her bed, so she will have to sleep in the living room, which is not the most convenient arrangement for either of us given the layout of this house.

I have gotten some of my sofa "nest" dealt with but it may end up being a stash-and-dash, just-sorta-neaten-it so-it-looks-better type of deal. However, as always, shifting anything can set in motion more activity - stagnation is the worst, leads to entropy, etc.

Lila, don't make yourself sick trying too hard, but I totally understand how hard it must be - I do think you have made such great strides and that this current struggle will be temporary. I'm sure it's even hard right now to brainstorm some temporary fixes, given how drained you must be from being sick. I'm glad you have the medicine and pray it will work quickly, effectively, and without side effects.

Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle may be our go-to gal.

post 2 -

bedroom progress:

- I put the scissors in the donate box. I have like 6 pairs of better scissors.
- I threw out some trash on the floor.
- I sorted a small box that was on top of the dog crate forever. Mostly piled some things in a dish to keep, and put some markers on my desk to see if they are any good. Put a few things in their place. Put the empty small box near the trash to go out.
- I found a paper bag and started putting books in it that I know or think belong to other people. I will take that bag to my office, return what I can, and keep the rest on my shelf for a few months in case someone wants them back. I have stopped borrowing books because of this.

I feel stress in the pit of my gut while doing this and I don't know why. Every moment someone is coming up and distracting me, generally a kid, a dog, or Teen who is in a very sad mood. It is very hard to focus or get anything done and I really would like to go to work and stay there all day in my office just to have some quiet space to think. I will do that when I am not sick.

Please tell me this is doable and is going to be alright. I feel so overwhelmed in there. It is all in knots because item A needs to be in place Z, but place Z is piled with things so no room for item A, and item B needs to go in place X but place X is so full there is no room for item B... and so forth. But if I stop working in my room to go sort place Z and X, those items need to be in place C which is packed full... and so forth. I know there are only 2 solutions:

1) get rid of stuff
2) box stuff up and put it in the garage

Both options stress me out. I am getting to that breaking point, almost, where having the stuff is just not worth it.

SubC, yes, I understand and I will be praying for her. It is good you are able to help and planning ahead. My ddil is expecting again in fall, and will have 3 kids age barely 2 and under, plus Tot age 5. I will need to be available to help too. It will be easier with them living here. I think.

So here is my bedroom progress, which feels like not much but I'm still working.

- there is a very big box that TotsDad put in my bedroom, because he thought I said it goes there. It really needed to stay in the garage and be sorted. So I have been tripping over it for a month. I took everything out and there was potting soil dumped inside so I cleaned that up. Decided to keep a hanging basket because Teen chose it for flowers and it means something to me and I want flowers in it. Also a small Halloween basket that fits in that basket and a couple of brand new Halloween carving kits. A few pairs of gloves, a steel container Teen uses for composting when they are not too depressed. I neatly stacked these and put them in a smaller box for the garage.

- vacuumed up the spilled soil
- found a few toys in the box and put them in the playroom
- threw away trash

There are still a few kitchen items I am stressing over. Scissors, can opener, a few other small things. I don't know why it is so hard to get rid of. They are small so I justify saving.
- picked up some new dish drying towels off the floor where they have been for months, cut the tags off them, and put them into the laundry basket.

Going back in...

Hi Lila,

How is the bedroom going?

I checked the rest of the work and I had my treat. I also watched a YouTube movie and had a long conversation with dd1.

The extra time with a bean yesterday was great. Dd right now is a mixed blessing. I'm sure you get the mental health thing. I'm actually starting to think I should be prepared to quit my job in the Fall. Things were very very bad after Bean was born. Dsil may need more help than I can give while working.

I think Dh wishes at least sometimes that they had not tried to have a second child.

It is still gloomy and my head aches a little. I made coffee. I think I need to step away from the screen for a bit.

I'll check back to see how you are doing Lila (and anyone else!)

SubC, I am home today sick, so will read your serial posts if you keep making them! It sounds like a lovely time with Bean and Dd. How nice!

I am having a slow morning. But had some time with Tot, and reading. I am about to go in my bedroom and try to work for a bit, with a donate box, a trash bag, and an empty bin. I think I need a snack first.

I will clearly be serial posting today.

I did it! Brownie a la mode!

I have one more section to check. I think I will actually wait and eat my treat after that. Right now I am going to have a lunch break.

The housework I accomplished was another load of laundry put away, wet clothes moved to the dryer, and a new load started.

It is really yucky and overcast today, so I am super proud of myself.

Hello again, here is today's system (nothing gets me excited like a new system):

Though process - if this was a school day, by 9:30 I would have chores done, be ready for school (mostly), drive to school, and set up my room. (Sometimes breakfast and exercise)

So, for today I told myself by 9:30, dressed, chores done and great room cleaned up from yesterday and set up for checking projects. Done. Also ate breakfast. I divided the projects to be checked into 5 sections.

9:30- 11 is my first class. So I decided the lesson plan for the first class was check some projects, break for minor housekeeping task, check some projects, break..

I finished checking 2 sections, emptied the dishwasher, loaded the dishwasher, started the dishwasher, put away a load of laundry, and started a load of laundry - by 11:10.

Second class period is 11 to 12:15. I'm going to use the same system and try to complete another section. I took a brownie out of the freezer. If I succeed I get the brownie with some of the ice cream Bean and I made. If not, just the brownie will be my reward when I finish checking the work.

Gotta run!

Oh Lila, I so wish I could help you.

I don't know what it's possible to get done in a day. Sometimes a lot. Sometimes nothing. I think if you are truly fed up it can help.

I'm not sure you need the badger you might need something gentler. Like Mrs Tiggy-Winkle.

I think because there is more stuff than space, the best answer is to start somewhere you are likely to be able to let go of something and then make sure all the somethings actually leave today. Second guessing is our enemy.

The toys and things are getting easier for me as Bean gets bigger. I have literally thousands of dollars worth of toys, games, and books in this house. Yesterday Bean played inside really happily for a couple of hours with a few matchbox cars, a yardstick, a plastic bowl, and a half pint of shelled beans.

Also, ask yourself, is this a toy (thing that your grandchildren can use, enjoy, and possibly use up because things wear out) or a souvenir of someone's childhood? How many souvenirs do you need? Don't let your past fill your life to the point where there is no room for your future.

CM your comments on watching your roommate declutter were really insightful. That stopping and starting thing is incredibly hard. I think it's why school has always worked so well for me. - there is this strong, external schedule about when to start and stop different things that is being enforced on everybody at the same time. When I try to impose something like that on myself at home, I always fail.

Also the mental list. My mental list is loud and chaotic and makes me feel exhausted and horrible about myself. Then I dump it all out on paper and it stops for a while, but I can't remember any of it without the paper.

I skipped my class last night. Bean and I were having such a fun and productive time in the yard, and the weather was so nice. I messaged Dd and asked if she would be willing to pick him up any time after work and I would skip class, and she said yes.

Then she showed up, cooked dinner, and stayed until his bedtime because she was having a really difficult mental health day. It really breaks my heart watching her struggle. Being pregnant makes it so much worse for her. Her Dh took the opportunity to go to a movie with a friend last night. I'm glad he got a break. Being primary parent for a three year old plus primary support person for my daughter is a lot! I am just hoping that in six months they will have a healthy baby and Dd will be able to find some medicine that helps her.

I did take time after they left to finish cleaning up the things Bean and I used in the yard and take down the things on the clothesline. This morning I was really pleased with myself about that because when I got up, it was raining.

I turned my alarm off twice and I still feel like I have been hit by a truck. I think yesterday was more physically and emotionally demanding than I realized.

I will check back later.

Lila, go find something you can do in your room. Or the storage room.

Nighttime post -

How much do you think it is possible to do in one day? Do you think it is possible for me to get my bedroom all done in one day? I have probably one more day at home sick before returning to work, and I am considering doing an all-in bedroom attack. More and more things I need are getting lost, and it has become unacceptable. Things I have to have!

Literally it is just piles with barely a walking path in there. I keep throwing stuff in there because Acorn is literally into everything, and at a year and a half old does not really understand which things not to touch, so I have to keep putting things up high or in my room. All the up high spots are over-filled. I might be able to box things up in a bin and move to the garage. But a lot of it, I really probably just need to let go of and stop holding onto for 25+ years.

I think the only reason, I KNOW the only reason I was able to get the whole downstairs and garage purged is because of my son helping me and a pressing need. This I cannot have help with. My bedroom has a lot of personal things. I don't even want my kids in there going through it.

The little bedroom that was a staging area is even more piled than my room, with NO room to walk. I am so ashamed of the whole situation, just piles 3 - 4 feet high and I walk in and get so frozen I can't get rid of anything.

Help? Badger? Something...

Nighttime post -

How much do you think it is possible to do in one day? Do you think it is possible for me to get my bedroom all done in one day? I have probably one more day at home sick before returning to work, and I am considering doing an all-in bedroom attack. More and more things I need are getting lost, and it has become unacceptable. Things I have to have!

Literally it is just piles with barely a walking path in there. I keep throwing stuff in there because Acorn is literally into everything, and at a year and a half old does not really understand which things not to touch, so I have to keep putting things up high or in my room. All the up high spots are over-filled. I might be able to box things up in a bin and move to the garage. But a lot of it, I really probably just need to let go of and stop holding onto for 25+ years.

I think the only reason, I KNOW the only reason I was able to get the whole downstairs and garage purged is because of my son helping me and a pressing need. This I cannot have help with. My bedroom has a lot of personal things. I don't even want my kids in there going through it.

The little bedroom that was a staging area is even more piled than my room, with NO room to walk. I am so ashamed of the whole situation, just piles 3 - 4 feet high and I walk in and get so frozen I can't get rid of anything.

Help? Badger? Something...

hi friends. It is a beautiful day and inside I feel grey. I will spend some time out on the deck in the sun to help with that. I am now on antibiotics, so hopefully will get better soon. I am tired. Missing more and more work.

Today I:
-loaded the dishwasher and it is running
- picked up some trash and stuff to put in its place in the living room
- put away some teas and food from the crazy bar/counter
- sorted and tossed out some mail
- put away, like, 3 things in my bedroom
- took out the trash from my bathroom and picked up any trash near my bed to go in it

So that is something, not much, but something, plus feeding dogs, reading to kids, holding the baby, talking to Tot, feeding Teen something. And trying to read a book.

Two items on the Daily Tally. I will keep picking away at things but I feel like I need adderall or something to get any motivation.

Yeah, SubC, I do anticipate roommate's getting some of her books off the bookshelves in my bedroom, though it will be piecemeal. It will still help.

It's interesting to watch a non-ADHD person declutter. I'm trying to figure out what is different and see if some of it will rub off. Most likely the biggest difference is that she can much more easily use small bits of time to do tasks because a) she doesn't struggle with starting and stopping and getting going again nearly as much, and b) she has a sort of running mental list from which she quickly selects a task to fill an impromptu available amount of time - and does this using good prioritizing that is in line with her overall goals, without getting stuck in indecision. It's all pretty amazing to observe. And I have been asking her questions about her process, picking her brain as it were. Some of it doesn't compute, but some of it I think I can latch onto and implement.

Lila, I hope you can soon be out of the sickness pattern.

I had one Breyer horse but I sold it many years ago.

I must go and color my hair - roommate kindly fetched me the conditioner because I'd forgotten to get a new tube, because it was on the shopping list in my old phone that got deleted. I had been about to start the whole process when I discovered this. Glad I didn't have my head all wet and sloppy with color.

Good morning.

Calm before the storm here. Dh has gone to work out and Bean is sleeping.

So many options today - filling the green stalk (tall pot thing) and planting strawberry plants, pulling weeds, digging a trench for grapevine starts, preparing seed potatoes, washing feed bags for tarps,

And my friend brought me milk from her cow (A2A2) so I prepped custard last night to freeze today. - a very excited Bean chose "Vanilla!"

Plus the usual toys and games.

And laundry, and bath, and I have class tonight.

Basically today is just a "trying to keep up" day.

Yay Tatoulia!

I made some more progress in the studio and got two pots decorated with feathers and two little hatching dragons glazed and ready to fire, I'll probably put them on my Instagram next week.

Bean is here now. His mom took a bin of clothes and most of my plastic eggs for their egg hunt next week. The eggs will (mostly) come back.

She said she doesn't remember about the horses and just do whatever her sister says.

Okay second suitcase tackled. It didn't have much in it and now I'm done with it. Will need to take it to goodwill.

I have those mom dresses that I washed. I am going to out them in the American Tourister for now. The American Tourister I will take to the consignment shop but for now I need to put the mom dresses somewhere.

So I made some space and it was painless so honestly. We ca all finish that sentence for ourselves.

The concert and the walk sound lovely, SubC.

If the neighbor doesn't take the car, I have two more people to ask if they want it. One is another neighbor who I watched grow up and one is somebody who I don't know but seems like she could use a boost. She's young and once said something about needing a car. At Christmas she had no plans whatsoever and so i gave her a card with a gift card in it. It was well after hours. She cried and cried. Since I was t having Christmas here, I could not invite her to my festivities and told her so.

I will call the garage people and see if they can let me stay another month at the old cost (new contract April 1 is $90 higher). I don't anticipate a problem with that. I'm unwilling to do that with the original neighbor because I've offered to help with the insurance. If no one wants it (and I get it, we are talking about city living here) my friend in the suburbs said I can park it at her place and sell it from there. It's a Toyota with 103k miles, garage-parked, so it has a lot of time left on it.

I'm not worried about it. Yet

Today I'd like to consider going to goodwill if I can get a bag together. Best way to do that? Open the other suitcase!

Post in two parts because I lost one yesterday.

Lila,

I think you are just exhausted. Stress and lack of rest are really hard on your immune system. You do so much and you have had so many changes and challenges. Could one of the people in your house maybe make stir fry or soup (for veggies) or fruit smoothies out of your ingredients?

You need a vacation week like I claimed in June.

(I am actually thinking about trying to do that every year)

Good morning!

Tatoulia,

Yay for an easy win on the recycling! Will you sell the car if the neighbor doesn't want it? Will you be able to find a place to park it?

Funny story - my parents and my in-laws visited New York City the same year.

My dad drove the old beat up car he had been trying unload for months but couldn't sell for anything near it's blue book, parked on the street, and left it unlocked (my dad habitually leaves his car unlocked, he was an insurance agent and his philosophy is - leave nothing in your car. If it's the car itself they want, the lock won't help.) My parents travel light. My Dad likes to eat out, and when my mom says "what if I need?" My Dad says "I'll buy you one."

My in-laws generally try to do everything as cheaply as possible, but they sprung for a parking garage. They also packed all of their food for the day, brought gear for every change of weather, and carry tools in case something goes wrong with the car (my fil knows how to fix most "somethings") my mother in law locks everything and triple checks. If you go out to your car to get something, she locks you out of the house while you're doing it.

Guess whose car was stolen. My Dad said it was so unfair.

Badger wants another suitcase.

CM, IIRC, it's the getting things away from walls and creating access that is the really stressful part of the termite check? I remember that from every time we've had anything done in our basement. You have my sympathy. Maybe the process will turn up something that can go..

The concert last night was really good. We couldn't park in our usual garage because there was also a soccer game. Instead we ended up parking by the library and walking four blocks and then cutting through the park. It was a nice walk even though it was cold and windy. I can totally see not having a car if you lived in the city. Ours has a free street trolley as well as busses.

I didn't get to bed until almost midnight, but still woke up at 5:30. Bean is spending the night tonight, so the two of us will probably go to bed at the same time.

Before that I plan to get back out to the pottery studio, clean up a bit more, and actually make something today.

Hi everyone! Lila, I am so sorry you are suffering from serial illnesses! Really terrible. Cm! Good to hear from you! The termite inspection won't take too long, I hope. But the anxiety leading up to it must be great. You'll be okay, just keep breathing!

Good work on the horses, SubC, esp being able to throw out the broken one.

We have had torrential rain all day. I slept most of the day but I opened one suitcase and everything in it can go to recycling. It was my friend's promotional materials for one of her books and the publisher went belly up so I can get rid of them. She'd need to get all new since the IBSN number would change. Before BF left we found a couple of boxes of her stuff and we had never opened them and one of the boxes had the promotional materials for someone else's book. I'd previously had a drawer full of her stuff for a different book and I put it in recycling. So that was easy and that was something. Still have not opened mom's suitcase. The one I opened is a funny old American Tourister suitcase that I should try to sell.

I don't know what's going on with the car. I think the neighbor truly cannot afford it. I sent him a long text yesterday telling him I don't want them making a bad decision and that they really need to think about it

Living without a car is very freeing for me, CM. I went 16 years without one and I remember when I did buy one, my boss said how he always found me so breezy because I didn't own a car. I am glad I finally did get one because that's how I met my BF. I would have never met him but for renting a garage space next to his business.

I am afraid at my age that I need to walk as much as possible. I don't want to get too sedentary.

So that's the news. I'm making the smallest progress possible but again, it was a really small badger.

You are doing good with the horses. SubC. I too have horses from my childhood, most of them arranged on top of my wardrobe. They are Breyer horses. I sold all but my favorites when I was 18. Maybe my grandkids will play with these. But they feel like a connection to my childhood.

I am sicker today and feeling so tired and icky. It is already almost 3pm and I feel like I just crawled out of bed. I have done literally nothing. Looks like I will miss work again tomorrow.

I don't know what is up with my getting sick over and over, but my family also catches the same things, just not all of them. I mean, Son got the cold but not the vomiting. Teen got the vomiting but not the cold. I got the virus before that. How do I get to where I stop getting sick?

I am too tired to do anything, and the ingredients I bought for recipes are rotting in the fridge because I am too tired and sick to cook them, no one else wants to, and I can barely taste anyway.

Not sure how to get out of this funk.

CM, we will both need a do over on the equinox. Or maybe better luck next year.

Ten cubic feet is a lot and you do get some credit. I am hoping that as your roommate keeps decluttering, , things that are hers will move out of your room, giving you more space to move around and work on your things. I know it doesn't always work like that though.

Dh and I worked out in the pottery studio barn. I don't have any items except the three horses listed in the tally thread, but a lot of things got sorted out and put away properly and we created two paper ream boxes of recycling and a plastic grocery bag of trash, so that is progress.

The remaining horses are drying on my counter. There are three that will get put away elsewhere because they are the wrong scale, a horse, a pony, and a baby pony that were mine that will go back in the barn, two horses that were my girls' that will go back in the barn unless they object, two horses that were my girls' that I want them to take or let me get rid of (I will pack dd2's in her bins for now if she asks) and two horses that are going to the kids resale shop. The barn has 4 stalls. If you add it up, there were 15 horses stuffed in it.

I could only find one of the stockings I wanted to wear tonight. I now want to take everything out of my closet, clean it, and put back the things I want to keep neatly. Except I know that half my clothes don't fit and I want to loose more weight first so that everything in the closet fits. Sigh. Also, this really is not where I need to focus right now - which is probably why I want to do it.

Hi, days went by faster than I could keep up with them. I barely marked the equinox which was also St. Joseph's Day. In years where I'm more on the ball I probably would have gone to Mass because I really love St. Joseph and I need his help with so many things. Took a class about him in 2021, which Pope Francis had declared the Year of St. Joseph. Well, at least on that day I did have my Bible study class, the last one of this session. The group has bonded and some of us will try and get together informally over the summer plus the leader will hopefully have something new put together by fall. I so missed the in person faith group thing during the post Covid last couple of years.

It was a busy week overall. And unfortunately next week will be so as well, and with a juxtaposition I'd rather not have, and other challenges.

The juxtaposition: We have to prepare for termite inspection which is always a huge hassle - and it's Holy Week which I would love to have as a quieter, reflective time. This doesn't happen most years, because the inspection is always in March and Easter is usually in April. And usually the inspection was more during spring break week but somehow this time it was the last week of the month.

The other challenges are that the weather turned colder again - that sort of winter trying to hang on a bit phenomenon. And some of our preparation for the inspection will be outside in the detached garage. Sigh. It's been very changeable overall and probably will be for awhile.

So I'm just like blah :P but trying to not let it bug me too much or make me grouchy. Roommate has been doing a lot of decluttering of papers and we took 10 cubic feet of her stuff to the thrift shop. Do I get partial credit for that since I drove? I want to let her doings inspire me to do more of my own. We've had bunny events and I'm still sort of regrouping.

The badger - can't remember who initiated the running joke, could've been SubC or Tillie, or even yours truly. I know had at one point I had made and posted a meme of it, but I don't know if I can remember when that wa, or how to repost it. I seem to have forgotten how to make images upload and display here. But if I figure it out I'll repost the picture. Or maybe make us a photo bucket type thing for pictures. I definitely miss emojis here since they quit working.

SubC I guess Useless is not entirely useless if his single one can make him a daddy, lol.

Lila, I hope soon you get well for good! I totally understand the bit about trying to make your room into a peaceful sanctuary whilst living with other people, and how hard that can be.

Tatoulia, I am very opposite of you, I can't imagine life without a vehicle of my own, especially when one has to walk in bad weather, and I'm too agoraphobic to walk very far. I feel too vulnerable or something. And many areas used to be safer than they are now. But you are probably more used to walking in a large urban environment. In any case, I hope it goes well rehoming the car.

I'm not sure how much time I'll get to post before Easter but maybe I can pop in here and there. Wish me luck getting ready for the bug man.

Slept ten hours last night and had a lazy morning.

Chores are done, breakfast eaten, and the heat is warming up the pottery studio.

There is a toy barn that has been stashed near my pottery area for years - it was mine, and my kids played with it. I keep thinking "I should clean that and fix the railings and let Bean play with it. I wonder where the horses are?"

So I opened it. The horses were piled inside. In a non-climate controlled space. Where there is clay dust and diesel exhaust and a wide range of humidity. Also, there ar more horses than stalls.

I grabbed the three off the top:
1) White pony I loved as a kid - broken. Sigh. - into trash
2) brown pony, washed ok, but not that great a horse - donate bin
3) Large Breyer Gelding I remember from my childhood, washed great, drying on counter for Bean.

Lila, I hope you are feeling better today.

Tatoulia - BADGER!

CM, check in with at least a "hi" if you stop by.

Off to grab some more horses..

Hi ladies!

Lila, you are doing a lot! But I know the feeling of frustration with respect to how much more needs to be done. Tillie used to tell us that once we got space to guard it. Spend time each day guarding it. I have not followed this to a T by any measure, but it has helped me quite a bit.

I got up early to take my cat to the vet for blood work. It's pouring rain. I feel that every time that I take her we are having massive weather. And it is round trip one mile of walking. So she's mad and wet.

I was supposed to meet BF's niece for coffee today and I just asked her if she wants to move due to the torrential rains and she agreed to wait til next week to catch up. She's so lovely and accomplished. Not really his niece but that's his way of talking. The girls call him uncle.

I am going to make breakfast and start laundry. And then I'm going to look within my soul and see if the badger is staring back.

Aww, Lila, I'm sorry you were lonely. I hate that.

We did post this morning.

It was a full day for me - morning chores, getting ready for school, dropping recycling off, making copies and a short conference, teaching, loading the kiln, dropping books off, dinner with Dh, a long conversation with dd2, compost out and evening chores.

Tired.

You were quite productive.

Yes, the buck is named Useless. I didn't want to use him for breeding, so he had no purpose here. I try not to give names to the ones I am planning to sell, but I couldn't sell him because he has an undescended testicle, and he was here so long his nickname became his name. Now I haven't found a new buck and just need to freshen my does,so he ended up being useful after all..

Tatoulia, I am picturing the badger crouched in your closet between a bin and a suitcase. Hope your evaluation went well.

I'm yawning the top of my head off, so I will check back tomorrow.

Awww nobody posted today.

What did I get done today? Feels like nothing at all, so I will list it.

- Washed a few dishes that were in the sink.
- ordered some medicines and stuff from the store
- paid all the bills online
- deposited some checks I had sitting here
- folded a few bath towels and put them away
- asked my son to pick up prescriptions for me (he did)
- made a change to an autopay thing online
- found 2 items to add to the Daily Tally

I think that's it, besides feeding the dogs and letting them out and doing some reading. Watched tv, ate junk, made a couple phone calls

Badger badger!! Looking at you, Tatoulia!

I do remember mention of a badger some time ago but never the picture.

Oh I am tired. Your goat's name is Useless, SubC? lol... funny!

Where is Road, where are some more people? Maybe CM will come around.

I am home sicker, Teen got the stomach bug, poor thing, it's terrible. Son (youngest son) got the cold I have and has to work from home. I have today and tomorrow off. I have been sick so much I never have a day off where I can get anything done. But I will try. I forgot it is trash day.

My bedroom is very difficult to navigate. The small bedroom which is now storage is worse, piled high, you can't get in. The other small bedroom upstairs is the play room and toys are everywhere, and my nephew is coming for Easter and will need to sleep in there, so I will have to clean up the toys or ask Tot to do it. She is pretty helpful.

I don't know where to begin.

There is just so much.