Hi CriticalMass
We posted about the same time.
"Clink!"

GREAT! game plan you have outlined!!!
Wishing you all the strength you need to follow through.
We are here for you, win or lose.

When you see a yard sale sign tell yourself not to bother looking.
Say it's all useless, broken, damaged, man type stuff you have no need for or attraction to.
And do NOT slowly drive by "just to look".

Hello Everybody

Hi Tatoulia
Thank you :D

WOW! a clear open shelf to keep the blanket!
YEA!!!!
So nice to have a place to use and not just store.

That's unfortunate that nutritionist talked about so much that was NOT diet related.
Your issue is not improper food, it's needing to know the foods to avoid.
It is very surprising sometimes what chemical compounds some wholesome nutritious organic foods naturally contain.

Hope your mall walking with a friend was fun. :D


Hi Subclinical
YEA! for your basement plan.
Is your basement cool in the Summer? I hope so.
OK, here is my plan for your emotional eating...
I know it's not the same as the usual "Go-To".
Have on hand and all ready to grab & go
crunchy carrots, celery, radishes, etc...
Cherry tomatoes, grapes (frozen is fun), cherries & berries, etc...
Try to eat a filling breakfast of granola or oatmeal, etc...
Have a nice sandwich when you break for lunch.
Plan a supper of meat & veg and potatoes, rice or pasta.
Then before bed eat a tub of ice cream.

How's that? ;D

WAY TO GO!!! you have been doing fantastic!
61!

Thank you for sharing that sweet story about the outfits. (((hug)))

Hi CriticalMass

4:30pm here now.
When it cools down a little outside I will water lilac hedge.
Trees are all watered.
I made French toast.
Tomorrow is a holiday so I will just enjoy myself, all caught up today on "have-Tos".

Survived the garage sale day, and the occasional moodswings that accompanied it. I did buy the doll that was the same size as Wellie Wishers - it's a new size, 14", that I want to make clothes for along with 18" American Girl and Barbie, Ken, and other fashion dolls. The 14" doll was only 50 cents and in good shape.

I also bought some bagged Barbies. They are from times when the bodies were made better, could bend knees, etc. Lots of hardcore Barbie people swap heads and bodies to give prettier dolls more articulation. The downside is you do end up with depressing piles of spare parts, ugly frizzy haired heads for example. I chucked those in a small box and will deal with them soon - pair up what I can and donate to thrift shop and be done with that. There's more, which I will explain below.

In answer to your question regarding the sewing table, SubC, no, my roommate doesn't or wouldn't reclutter it. I'm actually the worse offender with that. Her main craft is knitting, and I admit to some envy that she can just pick up the knitting bag, resume where she left off, and put it away again at the end of a session. But she does want to start sewing too, and I did promise not to monopolize the table.

However, she does have (forgive my hypocritical judgmentalness here) so much visual and space filling clutter throughout the house and garage in terms of home gadgets, cleaning products, garden products, etc., that never get used, and a lot of duplication because she forgerts she bought stuff and buys more of the same thing, or people foist their extra stuff off on her. We have gotten rid of some, but if I nag, it causes defensiveness - weird having the shoe on the other foot. I'm ashamed of how I get fussy when it isn't my house. I'm working on keeping my mouth shut...

Unlike hers, my creative projects tend to sprawl, be messy, need time for wet things to dry/set up sometimes, and since a lot of my supplies can't fit under the same roof as where I live, it's difficult to gather. I spend time and energy just getting started on something only to have to put it away which is depressing and often keeps me feeling like why start.

Looming things and ambivalences are weighing on my mind too - this black gravity pit of dread. The bunny club event, trying to keep track of planning for that; and anticipating the need to save money for sensible but unexciting things like a grownup. Those include auto body work where I discovered hidden rust - this brings sadness like reliving the nightmare of my old money pit van. July is also my month for tags and taxes, and I still need to get a used rim and have the spare tire mounted. But unlike Tatoulia, I like having my own vehicle, and am creeped out by public transport or walking - so I just have to put on the big girl panties abd maintain this nicer vehicle, which I know has been a blessing.

Tatoulia, by the way - many thanks for the sharing of relatable frustrations in your decluttering journey, although of course I wish none of us had to go through them. I'm glad the broken dryer is fixed and no longer on your list of aggravations.

Tillie, thanks for just everything, as always, especially the "just Scooter's toy not a scorpion" story. 😸

Okay, will wrap up, but one last important order of business.

Regarding my Barbie and other doll addiction - I'm gonna make a goal to counter the negative, so I can "spark joy" instead of worry. You all can help me. First baby step: resume taking my nutritional supplements such as Omega 3s which do calm my ADD and overall mood.

Second step: Get exercise in a way that lifts my spirit. The hard part will be duscussing with the YMCA admins about security, then hopefully feeling safe enough to resume going there. I love my solitary, meditative routine of a little cardio, weights, and a swim.

Third action step: I'll make a structured discipline system regarding my social media doll groups. Certain of my Facebook Barbie groups show people with huge collections. This feeds the monster - even when i dont want a huge collection myself! I'm going to take a break from those. I will make smaller doll social media activity a reward for doing those things that are harder to motivate mtself to do. And I'll set a timer even when I do use that as a reward.

Weather here is trending hot, which isn't pleasant
but makes garage saleing not fun either, so that should help me keep these resolutions. I'm copying all this into a document so I'll remember the game plan.

ICED TEA CLINKS

Hi Tillie!

I am going to finish this giant pile in the basement this summer.

Hopefully without gaining 20 lbs from emotional eating.

I have been moving back and forth between the basement and my closet. I found two little flower pots, a bowl, a fancy candle in a jar and 16 picture frames to get rid of. So, I am over my 50.

I also found a knit top. 61.

But the top has a backstory. When my cousin and I were kids, our grandparents - whom we adored - used to buy us matching or coordinating outfits. Which was not always kind, because I was fat and she was thin as a rail. But they thought we were adorable.

We got our last matching outfit in high school - long skirt, jersey knit top, came as a set. Looked good on me. Hers was wine and mine was navy. It dressed up, it dressed down and I wore it a lot. When my grandfather died, we were in our 40s. we were told not to wear black to the funeral. My cousin wore brown. And I wore that outfit. When she saw me, she smiled. She said "I almost wore that. But I decided it was too faded. The wine didn't hold up as well as the navy."

I came home and I put it in my closet and I have not worn it since. So today I tried it on. And the chest is just little tight, and the sleeves are just a little short. I don't know if it shrunk, or if the sleeves have always been on the short side - I have long arms and trouble finding sleeves. And yes, it's just a little faded. But the skirt still looks nice. So I paired it with a different top for a different look, and I put the original top in the donate bin.

And now, I just want to eat ice cream.

Tatoulia, i'm sorry the nutritionist wasn't prepared for you. Do you go back? Maybe take a list of questions?

Wow! Great work, Tillie! You did so much heavy cleaning, I'm not surprised you have neck/head pain. Glad the caffeine and ibuprofen are doing the trick! Congratulations on keeping a tidy house and scaring away any creepy crawlers!

Oh I used to find a little cat toy in my shoe. She doesn't do it anymore and that's fine.

SubC great decision making on your dresses!!! I love it! I have a white belt you can have. It's funny, it almost fits me again and I'm giving it a month or so to fit, then another month to see if I wear it, then it is relocated.

I forgot to tell you something that's making me very happy about my bedroom closet (I have organized three or four drawers and six shelves). I have an empty shelf that I put my blanket on when I make my bed. I run the AC pretty cool and even though I have the quilt at the end of my bed to help, sometimes I need a blanket, too. So now I have a shelf for it. Take out at bedtime, put back in AM. It is making me very, very happy.

I have the life skills right now to do the right thing about eating I'd like guidance on low sodium and low potassium beyond what I find online. I'd like to discuss it with somebody. I don't want to say mean things about my very nice nutritionist yesterday, but I learned more about her than she learned about me. I know who she's dating, that she's divorced, she has a sister, a daughter in her 30s, that she prefers salty foods over sugar, etc. pretty much not helpful. She's on high blood pressure meds, etc. WHY DO I KNOW THIS? I shouldn't know this. I know nothing about the woman I spent $1000 on last year and I've seen her six times. I know her credentials and that she used to be in the military. All of that I learned on line. She never mentioned herself. I need to make an appointment with her. I think I'll call her to get an estimate as to the cost. It will be money well spent.

So I'll talk to dr but I need to be gentle. I cannot say bad things about yesterday's session. She is trying to be helpful but I need advanced help. She'd be great if she were dealing with someone who eats fast food and needs education on proteins and veggies and fruits vs fruit juices, processed vs minimally processed, etc. the basics. She said, well you already know this stuff so step up your exercise. She also started to suggest some frozen meals and I said, I can't eat frozen meals, too salty. Again, she'd be best with people who drink sodas and stuff like that. I'm already doing at least 4 liters of water a day.

I'm meeting a friend tonight to walk the mall. We will do at 5 PM.

WAY TO GO!!!! Subclinical!

Dresses done all by yourself with good logical decisions!

Good luck making a ribbon sash for the dress.

Good Morning Everybody
"Clink!"

Hi CriticalMass
Like Subclinical said, make no promises, just keep a positive attitude. (((hug)))

Hi Subclinical
YEA! for dropped off case wrap!

WTG! making dinner!
Makes it worth it when it is appreciated.

Wishing you a pleasant non-hectic day.

Hi Tatoulia
WTG! grabbing that repair man and sending him in the right direction!!!

Good luck filling up those bags.

Your iced tea sounds refreshing.
Lately I have just been juicing 2 lemons and adding that to a gallon of water.
Not really lemonade because I don't add any sweetener.

As long as the first nutritionist helps you establish a healthy balanced eating plan following strict guidelines for your health issues, it would be worth it.
You seemed to enjoy eating the recommended foods.
If we don't enjoy the food, we don't eat it.


Last day of Spring...
I feel good about all the deep Spring cleaning I have done this week.
Today I will just water trees & lilacs and wash dishes.
My neck was stiff causing a headache this morning but the highly caffeinated tea and ibuprofen is helping.

Cleaning all the edges and behind furniture I found NO bugs or evidence there had been any.
Around here it is not uncommon to find things like black widow spiders, scorpions or other nasty critters in homes.
A very good reason not to have any clutter for them to hide in.
I always check my shoes for scorpions before sticking my feet in them and often find Scooter has put his toys in them.


OK, Summer is upon us...
Lets list a few of our goals, plans and dreams for the season.

Hooray for a working dryer!

I am working on my closet again. I did dresses all by myself. I kept four that are too small (one is just a tiny bit too small and dh had picked it for a date a couple of weeks ago, but I felt squished in it.) The other three are sentimental, high quality, and look great on me when they fit. But that will be ten pounds from now. I found four to get rid of. And I have 13 that fit. Some seasonal colors, and different levels of dressy and warm, except two that are completely interchangeable, but I couldn't pick. They will both be too big and drapey if I lose ten pounds, so meanwhile, they can wear out more slowly. There is one dress that I literally only wear for Christmas parties, but I love it for that, so I can wear it every year and never have to make a decision about what to wear.

I think I need a white belt because one dress has lost it's self belt and nothing I have works. Belts are $2 at goodwill, so I will start looking for one when I have finished going through my closet. Or maybe I will go through my sewing/ ribbon stash and make a belt.

Later I need to get feed.

Well, my laziness paid off (I do not recommend making this s motto, however). The dryer guy came, and left, due to confusion as to where the dryer is kept. I saw him leaving and ran out to the truck and I steered him to the laundry area and now we have a working dryer! In honor of the occasion, I've stripped my bed and I'm doing my sheets.

I am also doing my dishes and I'm going to make iced tea today. I have some nice herbal peach tea that I think I'll combine with black tea and make my first pitcher of the season!

It is garbage night so I'd like to see myself get a lot out tonight. I always have papers to shred.

Going to set up a bag for donations so I can meet my one bag challenge.

What are you doing today?

I ended up working from home today. I'm feeling sluggish. I ate poorly last night. OH THE IRONY as I'd seen nutritionist yesterday. She was a nice lady but there's a big difference between the one I paid for last year out of pocket and the one covered by insurance. I may go back to my one. Money well spent.

I can feel your frustration CM and I have been there and will be there again. I get so angry with myself. Sometimes the chaos of the stuff makes it hard to just start. I try to remember that I need to start where I am. My mind puts up obstacles.

A year ago when my friend was here, I'd said, let's work on the apt on Monday and she said, nope, we are doing it today (Friday). And with that, she changed my life. She told me to get cleaners and played the It WIll Be Healthier For Your Cat Card. So sometimes I have to say to myself, start where you are.

With that in mind, and with SubC's inspiring words, I will reduce my possessions today. I need to fill a bag. Anything can go in the bag, so long as it is filled.

As Tillie helps me to remember, the humidity makes me hate my house. And myself. And I can't have that

Good morning CM, I hope you are still feeling centered and calm.

Promises can be bad because they can set us up to fail. A positive attitude can be more helpful.

Does your roommate reclutter areas with her stuff when you clean yours off?

Try to think about where things will go before you bring them home (I know that doesn't always work - my meditation bowl is still sitting on the counter in my old kitchen. That counter is a dumping ground.)

Tillie, I am smiling at the thought of you in clean, fresh spaces.

I made dinner last night. Dh was very appreciative. I think I will do some baking or cheesemaking today. I need to make a feed run, and I also want to stop at the farmer's market.

I stopped at the grocery yesterday and dropped off the case wrap. It was just in my car for two days!

I'm calmer now. Not going to make definitive promises about tomorrow, but I will try to go slow and stay centered.

Frustration with this living situation is at the root of a lot, and frustration with my phobias and other mental health crap that have made jobs so intimidating. Else I would've already gotten one, if I could risk getting off disability, or known how to juggle a part time one so the Medicaid QMB help wouldn't be taken away, making me have to earn an equivalent amount just to get to the starting point. And if I could earn enough, rent a house or decent sized apartment.

The sewing table isn't even mine. It's supposed to be shared. And when the other is a former child from a hoarded impoverished home, and though she tries, she too keeps a ton of stuff... it's just hard to make a space functional.

Okay, no more self pity. Just venting the last bit. Deep breath. Calm. We'll see how it goes.

Good Evening everyone

Hi CriticalMass
Summer begins at the end of this week.
There are so many temptations out there when the weather is warm and dry.
Bazaars, rummage sales, tag sales, the fairs, outdoor concerts, swimming, picnics, baseball games, etc.
I want you to get out and have wonderful experiences.
I want you to eat sweet fruit and listen to music.


Hi Tatoulia
(((HUG)))

Hi Subclinical
I like hearing about what you bring home and your plans for the items.
And when you go to the food bank it's such a relief when you report bringing home just what you two can eat and you aren't trying to save too much from going to waste.


Watered the garden & grass this evening.
Tomorrow need to water the trees and lilacs.
I am very tired.
But my livingroom area is so clean!

CM, reading SubC ?s advice is giving me strength I won't dilute it by adding my own two cents. We are here for you and we can do this. We are so strong together.

Hi CM!

It is always so good to see you here!

Except for the whisks, I just window shopped. The thing was, they had bags and bags and bags of fabric scraps. Ten, twenty times what I have in my basement. $5 a bag. So, if I didn't have fabric scraps, I could go down there and buy a $5 bag when I had project to work on. It was sobering.

So, I am going to ask you to do something - take a deep breath and think about what you actually NEED, right now.

The churches will all have sales next year. And there will probably be more barbies. Why do you collect the barbies? Be honest because we will not judge you. I am an over collector of dolls and I love them, and I have multiples of a couple of dolls, that were cheap, and I thought I would keep the best accessories of each on the best doll, but then, they were used, so their faces/hair weren't exactly the same....

But I think you are wanting to make clothes for them. And if you don't stop collecting, at least for a while, you won't get to the sewing part.

I'm assuming you paid for your pile and brought it home?

If not, I would suggest not buying books for someone else. Take just enough money for your wellie and your cds and go help.

Or, if yes, either take no money and just go help, or stay home. If you stay home, you can put on your cds of favorite hymns and work on making a space to sew doll clothes.

When you are not feeling strong is not a time to put yourself in the way of temptation.

You can have 100 morebarbies if you want them. But not today. Today you want space in your room. Today you want to put that Barbie money aside for the next bill, so that when it comes, you can pay it easily. Or for your first and last month rent on your own place. If you add to it every time you are tempted to shop, it will add up fast.

Go to your storage area. Immerse yourself in your treasures and make discoveries there. You can do this. We are with you. Write our names on your hand, or on a slip of paper and rubber band it to your wallet.

I tell you guys every single thing I bring home (except consumables) knowing I am going to have to tell you about a thing has helped me make better decisions. Let us help you.

Hi

At the library using my tablet on the wifi. Was on my laptop at home earlier, so I don't know as I want to go through logging in and adjusting settings on a regular computer; doubt if I'll be here long.

Plumbing got snaked today. The church sent out a text saying they needed help with the garage sale but when I got there they were hurrying to finish up. One gal said that message meant the need help help tomorrow. There was a link in the text, which may have explained that, but not having a smartphone I couldn't click on it.

I saw lots of stuff I wanted to look at. I'll be honest, my ADD hoarder brain makes me act and feel like an 8-year-old in situations like that. Other "church ladies" are so mature, so task oriented and focused. Then I start feeling old feelings of being weird among peers, then telling myself I don't care, I'll always be too quirky but that's just how I am. Self acceptance may not be bad, but sometimes I then feel guilty because my attempts to help are rather awkward and inefficient. Ack. 😦

Here's the deal: I made a small stack - books for a girlfriend, one doll that might be a Wellie Wishers (they are pricey), and a couple of CDs of favorite hymns. But I saw bags of Barbies. Should have just grabbed them - about 3 dolls per bag and I only want 1 or 2 individuals, so I could buy then rebag and re-donate. Well, it may not happen as the sale starts at 7:00 a.m. I will get there to help but probs not that early...

Further complicating matters, at least in my silly head, is the fact that two other nearby churches are having their sales starting tomorrow! And they have good stuff usually.

I'm not feeling that strong against temptation.
That pathetic addiction to the dopamine rush of "the hunt" when it is rewarded by a "find" - intermittent reinforcement, just like the slot machines in Vegas, how they hook people... It's pathetic. But I'm not gonna lie about how it's pulling at me.

Really feel like if I could make the big changes like securing my own place to live and not having so many money insecurities, these quick fixes would be easier to resist. I may be wrong, or I may be correct - no way to check at this time. Sigh. Hoping this is some summer doldrum stuff and will pass. Enough about it for now.

Tatoulia, I'm really sorry about Tigger. Great that he enjoyed a long life though.

Tillie - I had those same thoughts about my dad's DNA when we cleaned his dresser drawers etc. after he died.

Hi SubC - hope you have a good shopping trip and no regrets!

WAY TO GO!!!!
40!
Fantastic! Subclinical :D

I understand about your DH's mother.
Mine would of hated you too because she hated everybody.
She had made up her mind to never be happy, no matter what.
So she died miserable, just the way she liked it.

I'm like a MIL to Nate's wife.
We like each other and get along great.

How wonderful that thrift shop has what you may need whenever it is that you need it.


Livingroom area is ALL washed & vacuumed.
Taking a break before I polish the wood.
But otherwise it's done, except the inside of the glass enclosed display case of my secretary desk.
That's where I keep my most precious things.
Beautiful things from my Great Grandmother passed along to me by my Grandmother.
I prefer to do that on a day when I am doing nothing else and can concentrate.

Maybe tomorrow I will take the day off but I only have the hallway and the area off the livingroom between the back door & bathroom door.
Small spaces, only "clutter" is the litter box & container of litter.
My room will be done after the ceiling is fixed & that's after the roof is fixed...
Steven says he is working on that.
I don't know what he did to the roofer that was set up to fix it. >:(

Oh Tillie, I didn't see your post. I am sorry about Steven. I hope Jack eats him.

Tatoulia, I am so sorry about tigger. I think mr. kitty is confused about all the extra pets he is getting today. I can't pet your kitty, so I am petting mine. Holding you all in my thoughts. You too Tillie.

Tillie, I told my dh this morning about what I had been thinking about, and he reminded me that his mother doesn't like Anyone.

I am a mil twice over, and I think my new kids like me. I know I like them. They make my birth children happy. And they are cool people in their own rights.

I took the stuff to the thrift store. They did not have my blender, but I spent a lot of time looking around. They have completely redone everything since I was last there, and it is amazing. So much more stuff and better selection and prices than goodwill! I think knowing I could shop there will help me thin out - picture frames for example. I have boxes of picture frames in the basement, but they had two aisles of them that were varied and nice. Bags of fabric for only a few dollars. They had some shaped tube baking pans that I have been saving since dd's 12 birthday (10 years) for only a dollar each. I thought about buying some new shapes. Then I thought about getting rid of the ones I have. We'll see.

I did buy a package of 3 whisks because my big one is bent and often dirty when I want to use it. I don't know if I will keep all 3. But I tossed six headbands in the bag right before I left, so up to 40 net!

Giggling....
Thank you for that story.

Many times I have been laying on the floor having passed out from the pain or still unconscious from a convulsion and Steven just says mean degrading things and steps over me.
He has never helped me.

Then he complains when I act as if I really don't care about his health issues because I really do NOT care.

My kitties were always right there with me.
Poohkie would lick the end of my nose until I came to.

Tillie you are so sweet. We are going in on Monday. BF isn't ready. But I'm pretty sure Tigger is. Bf called a little while ago to say we will be bringing him back on Monday. I was just reassuring and told him that I'll support him no matter what. But he's a good man with integrity and compassion and I know he'll do what's best for the kitty. I don't need to struggle with him. I need him to get used to it and he will.

I'm sorry to bring up the flood of emotions. And I grateful for your support.

Leaving for dr soon. I'm pretty excited to get my health together.

SubC i always likes my friend's mothers. They are so comforting and interesting. I'm grateful that a girlfriend at work is so kind and loving to my mother. In fact, she's inviting us over for tea to see her new place. This friend just blended into my life so easily. I'm a bit older but only by maybe two or three years. She went to mom's Christmas party with me and she corresponds with my mom.

Mother in laws must be very tricky. My BF's mother is gone, she went after we met but before we started dating. One old, old BF's parents were so good to me. I'd been in Europe and contracted a parasite and they took care of me. I stayed in their house and the mom made me old fashioned homemade chicken broth and she was so kind. I think the BF was traveling or something and anyway he would've made for a lousy caretaker. I would've been better off alone. He really made my life hell. Bringing me home from the ER. I remember it so vividly. There was a 24 hour pharmacy, Phillips, at the foot of Charles Street. I'd been at Massachusetts General Hospital and I was so sick. He picked me up and I needed Imodium and something else, maybe a prescription of some sort. I was sitting in the car and it was the middle of the night. I was desperately ill and had a fever, etc and I was missing the IV fluids which had been so soothing in keeping me hydrated. And this idiot kept coming back to the car to ask me questions (liquid or pills, extra strength or regular, etc, each question a separate trip to the car) and I couldn't understand why he was prolonging my misery and then it hit me. He didn't want anyone in the pharmacy to think he had diarrhea. That's cool, because I ended up pooping my pants right in front of him. He deserved that. My concierge (I lived in a concierge building on Beacon Hill) likely did not deserve to witness it.

Oh the hilarity. Forgive my digression. There's lots more to that story but I'll leave it right there. Anyway his parents took care of me and nursed me back to health. A girlfriend bought me diapers so I could make the trip out to Lexington to their house.

Hi Subclinical
That's exactly what I wanted to know.
I expected you to be flooded with memories and bad thoughts.
PLEASE be extra kind to yourself.
And yes, that is all on your DH's mom, it's nothing about you. (((HUG)))

Tatoulia
what you wrote brought all my grief to the surface.
This is such a hard time for you & BF.
You are doing the right thing for Tigger.
But DAMN!, it's hard, not for Tigger but for you both.
(((((HUGS)))))

the rainbow bridge

Please tell Tigger I love him.

Thanks for looking at my pictures! I appreciate it! I'll get a front view for you today. Bear in mind they need a chance to grow! The first few weeks are the hardest! Those are my steps!

Oh I couldn't believe it when she set those next to me. She's a bit of a pill. She finds out someone's dieting and she turns it on High. So I keep to myself but she's obviously noticed that I've lost weight. If I don't eat something, she goes on about how it's low in calories, or how I have to treat myself even once, etc. I've tried saying, oh I'd rather treat myself when I'm out with BF or treating myself ?once' got me into this situation but I've found it best to say nothing. So I didn't eat any of the food that day and she started to explain something about the food to me and I said, I have to go find Maria and I left. It's easier. And I couldn't say anything about the treats being moved from the kitchen and to the spot next to me. If I said something, then she would've won. So I said nothing and I let them sit there. Jerk move. I wasn't mad, I was in a state of shock.

SubC you are doing hard work!! You'll feel the relief. Sometimes when I'm clearing and making decisions and it is hard and frustrating and upsetting, my inner mean girl says, this is what you get for abusing stuff. So I have to chase her away my chasing away the stuff.

I am getting much better on fighting the "but I loved that" knee-jerk reaction. What's actually more painful is admitting that I never loved something.

I didn't get my evening walk in last night. It got too late, even for me. Even BF said it was too late. Today I'll walk partially to hospital then all the way home. This evening I have a lecture at an auction house (free) that is in the opposite direction of the hospital. On the way home I can go in the mall and walk around. It will be early so there will be people to navigate but that's okay. A step is a step.

Tillie the kitty doesn't seem to mind it when I smell like other cats. She's very compliant with things like that. Even if I've been on a trip, she's always happy to see me. I think she lacks the confidence to be standoffish.

I will do a load of delicates today, there's no resolution on the dryer that I know of. I hang my delicates (wish they were hanging in Tillie's yard!).

Bf just called. We have to put Tigger to sleep. He's asked me to make a vet appt to get the vet's opinion. I'll make it for Monday so it will give him time to adjust. He's never had an old cat before and he had an old cat. I'll adjust over the next few days, too.

I would have eaten all the goodies.

The flowers are lovely! I like seeing your steps too, I am imagining you turning up them to come home.

Speaking of steps - 12 flights is amazing! Good luck with the nutritionist.

Tillie, the hangers won't leave until the friend comes over - probably in two weeks. They have been in the basement ever since dd2's clothes got too big for them, because I didn't know what to do with plastic hangers.

Nothing about this is relaxing. I am working from deep storage out, so everything gets messy and churned. Mostly I notice how the available storage space is shrinking much faster than the pile of stuff. The stuff gets harder and harder instead of easier. I am being flooded with memories and sometimes thoughts I don't like.

Sometimes insights too. Yesterday I took a mental trip with my best friend since college, I remembered the semester I lived with his parents (now deceased). I loved his mom so much. And I was remembering the easy, comfortable conversations we used to have, and I realized, Moms liked me. My friends' moms liked me, my dates' moms liked me. The mom of the guy I dated in high school still asks about me and sends greetings when she sees my mom around town and reminds my mom how much she liked me (she loves her daughter in law, she just liked me too.) moms liked me. Dh mom has never liked me. That is her deal, not mine.

My donate bin is full, so I am thinking I will take a shower and drive down to donate it today. It will be good to get the shelf gone too.

I am going to go into the shop. I need an electric hand mixer for school.

Good Evening

Saw a photo of a beautiful flower box.
But that other photo is torture!
I want to fix a plate with one of everything!!! ;D

Hi Tatoulia

Does Miss Kitty sniff you when you come home after baby sitting?
WAY TO GO! for getting in all that walking!


Hi Subclinical
FANTASTIC! progress in the basement!!!


WAY TO GO! for 37 items total!
And a bag of plastic hangers too?
You and Tatoulia both did great with excess hangers this week.

So, how does it feel?
Are you relaxing into all the newness of your spaces?



If I still feel alright tomorrow I will start on the deep cleaning in the livingroom area.
Washing everything removes more trace DNA than just dusting and vacuuming.
Cleaning baseboards removes any last remaining fur.

How nice to see everyone's newsy posts!

SubC that is good advice about not bringing $ to the sale. Now that I don't carry a credit card (I do, but it has a very low limit and I use it for groceries, exclusively, AND only when I don't have cash. It has eliminated my need to buy sh&t. It really has. The one with the big limit is currently in a drawer in my office. Not even available to me. And I've deleted it from my amazon acct. This is helping me immeasurably. Well, it's probably measurable.

Tillie very sad to lose the traces of your dear cats. I can smell the Murphy oil soap from here and it is a lovely, fresh feeling.

SubC once again you are doing amazing work. Such an inspiration.

Cm I am so envious of your thought to take a look at the pipe! I am not handy in those ways. I hope it can be fixed soon and with minimal disruption to you, your roommate and your wallet.

Work was pretty good today. Oh! I posted a picture of one of my flower boxes.

Now I'm at my neighbors and I have a cat sprawled over me. I am in heaven.

Spoke with my dr today and he feels things are going okay for now. I see the nutritionist tmr.

So humid today. Grey, rainy and humid. I'm still going to go walk. I have to, my body needs it. I did walk to and from office today, then midday I walked around the building. I also walked up and down 12 flights at work. Every bit helps.

Good evening!

Tatoulia, i'm Glad you are sleeping better.

Tillie, nice job on the dining room! I know it is hard, but It is better to remember your friends with positive memories than the mess they left behind.

CM, sorry about your pipes!

About the sale - I would like to gently suggest that you leave all of your money at home. It may be hard if you miss out on something you would really like to have, but right now it is probably better. I have been there. Eventually I had to stop even looking at eBay and other doll opportunities, because it was just to hard.

I know you will get to the point where you can make clothes again, and we will all be so excited for you! Try to keep that in the front if your mind when you are tempted.

I made some progress on the dishes today and am pretty much caught up on the washer and dryer. I remade the guest bed with clean sheets.

I worked in the basement as well. I now have a clear space between the cabinets and the folding table that is wider than the table. Under the table is filled with empty bins and contain ears, and on top of the table is covered with things I took out of the cupboards and have not put back yet.

I found a mixing bowl, a cookie cutter, three sets of language tapes, 8 books, a plate, a vase, and a radio that can go.

Total is now 37.

And dd's best friend wants my grocery bag if plastic children's hangers for her daughters.

Good Afternoon Everyone
Only 2:30pm here.

Hi CriticalMass
Great to "see" you!

YEA! bunny responded to your tender care. ;)

Yeah, get those plants safely planted so you can enjoy them.

What a bummer about the sink clog.
Hope it's not too difficult to fix.
What I do to keep drains maintained, especially in the bathroom...
Every month or two I dump baking soda in the hole then pour a bunch of vinegar down there.
After all the fizzing is finished I turn on the hot water and let it run for a minute or two.

This helps keep the nasty scummy crap from getting too thick down there.

Hope your doll fascination doesn't derail your budget.
I would like to hear you have been making clothes for the ones you have. (((hug)))


The dining area here is squeaky clean.
All the furnishings have been washed, baseboards and lower third of the walls are washed, things that "live" there have all been washed, carpet vacuumed all the way to the edges.

Taking a break then I will polish all the furniture and put on the clean table cloths.
It smells lovely in here from the Murphy's oil soap.

Didn't want to do all this cleaning because I feel that I am removing every trace of my babies who died, and this makes me so very sad.

It was a crazy morning but it's better now. The bathroom sink wasn't draining. Roommate had already left for work. I got under there and removed the J pipe and got some gross smelly stuff out, and the floor and me wet. But it wasn't the full extent of the problem, so we're going to have to do more. I think it's clogged in the pipe that goes out of sight. Above my pay grade.

I washed the bathmat that got stinky water splashed on it and threw in a couple large towels to keep it company - which reduces my laundry pile.

Then I went to feed cats and bunnies, and roommate's boy bunny didn't dive for his food and seemed lacking in muscle tone. So I gave him two kinds of medicine. In 45 minutes he was chowing down his pellets acting totally normal. He could've just been sleepy, but the meds won't hurt and I'm just glad he's okay.

Was going to help with church sale prep. Maybe tomorrow. Sale starts Thursday. I will do my best to be good. Still on a doll kick. But I hit Pause, mainly due to realization my money was dwindling too fast.

Also been buying some clearanced flowers - mainly vincas. Roommate saw and wanted some so I got her some too. She said "Looks like the Vinca Fairy has been here." I said we are Vincaholics. We need a 12 step program - 12 steps to the bag of potting soil and get those babies planted so they can be happy and grow! 🌸🌸🌸

SubC, your friend Now is probably a cousin of my friend Momentarily! 😂

Tillie, wish you could give Steven a cookie and plop him in front of the TV as needed.

Tatoulia, WTG with the walking. I'm dropping a little weight by tightening up my sloppy areas - night snacking, etc.

Good Morning Everybody
Another cool quiet morning here, Mourning Dove cooing in the garden.


Hi Subclinical
Wishing you sunshine and dry earth (((HUG)))

YEA!!! for bags & egg cartons delivered!
Seaweed snacks are tasty.
You did good on what you brought home.

WTG! for now having enough non aisle space to set up that folding table!
I like the post-it designation for what goes where.

Sorting out, cleaning, decluttering...
all those decisions are tiring and stressful.
And keeping up with dishes and laundry is put on the back burner so as not to distract you from your mission.

You have really been doing a fantastic job of sorting out and organizing the basement.
Make sure to take breaks and to take care of your needs. (((HUG)))

Thank you for addressing the 9 year old's problem.
Your experience and view point is priceless.


Hi Tatoulia
Wonderful to know you are feeling good (((HUG)))
So happy you are able to enjoy the Summer.

Bathroom is still clean!
Plan for today is to 100% clean dining area.
Murphy's Oil soap the furniture, vacuum edges, clean ceiling light fixture.
It's a small space with few furnishings and the only clutter is all of Scooter's toys.

I used to be able to clean the whole house all in one day.
Now I can only manage to do a good job focusing on one room/area a day so I don't suffer for it.
So happy I minimized the garden so I have energy to do more than just water & weed in a week.

It is a tough balance, SubC. I'm amazed at how much you accomplished! You do so much in a day! Truly my hero. Great job getting things out of the house, helping at the good bank, reducing waste, and taking care of your home! You spent 24 hours and did a great job! You'll find the balance where you can take care of your weight, too. You will.

It is expensive to have my laundry done for me. I wouldn't want it every week. Way too much $$. Plus, I like to dry my things on low and I bet they use high. But it's a good service to have when there's a problem here and it keeps me from being frustrated. So I'm adapting and then should be back to normal in a day or two.

Off to work soon.

I am sleeping (and waking!) so much better now that I'm walking at night. It clears out my brain and my body feels so much better.

Need to finish getting ready for work, then off I go!

Have a great day, everyone! We are expecting rain today. SubC these grey days are so tough. See if the music can help today. Tillie, I hope you're not sore or aching from the rigorous bathroom clean yesterday.

Tatoulia, good for you walking! I hope your dryer is fixed soon. I know you are trying to not spend money because of paying yourself back from the debt, but I am happy to see you spending money on making your life easier with fluff and fold and your cleaners instead of on things.

Tillie, i'm glad you got the bathroom cleaned. Sorry for the resistance. I am enjoying your yard from afar. Mine is soggy and under a layer of water again, with rain predicted every day in the ten day forecast.

I went to volunteer at the food bank yesterday. I had a huge pile of bags and egg cartons I had collected for them, and I wanted it out of my house. (It took me two trips to carry it all in)

I also took them 8 little bottles of fancy shower gel one of my kids had gifted me. They were all sealed. It was good timing, because they were out of hygiene supplies except for laundry detergent and dish soap. So the first 8 families at least got a shower gel.

I brought home two plastic grocery bags stuffed with case wrap to drop at the plastic recycling at the grocery store, one plastic grocery bag of seaweed snacks that they were sure nobody wanted because they weren't being taken and they were "best by" today (I like them, and they are crazy expensive) one bag of pita bread (used a piece for my sandwich) three oranges for dh lunch (they had two cases and they told all the volunteers to take some because they weren't going very fast and they have been sorting out spoiled ones for a week) and four 1-2 serving clamshells of sliced up fruit or fruit salad that they were going to throw out because they didn't think it would make it to Thursday.

I cleaned up a little in my pottery studio and freed a folding table to carry down to the basement (I have enough non aisle space to set up a long folding table in the basement!) and started sorting out cabinets. I didn't discard anything but trash though.

I am putting post it's on the cabinet doors to identify what goes in there. Nothing "for now". "Now" has to get his own storage. His stuff goes in the messy pile on the floor. I asked dh about putting cabinets up over my chest freezer (we will eventually be removing cabinets from the old kitchen) and he is thinking about it, so I stuck two post-it's to the wall that say "freezer containers" and "lightbulbs" (might add "paper towels" - dh uses those)

I am snacking a lot from the stress of cleaning out and I have not been exercising. It seems like I can only handle one area of my life at a time. My weight is climbing again and I am stalling out on my closet. And I am getting behind on dishes and laundry. I will try to catch up on those today.

Mostly I am in the "crash" phase that comes after progress. The lack of sunlight is not helping. I need to remember to put music on.

Malls are great places to get in walking.

WTG! for the hangers out for picking!
I'm sure they were snapped up immediately.

Having fluff & fold available while the dryer is down is wonderful,
but it costs more than doing it yourself and you have no problem doing it yourself when there is a working washer & dryer.
I think you have been doing great keeping things all washed and I'm sure you know how to fluff when they come out of the dryer.

;D

I enjoy bringing in the laundry, fluffing and folding it and smelling how good it smells.

Cleaned under the bathroom sink and the kitchen sink today.
Did a bit in the garden, some plant food and watering & a little chewing bug (cut worms) eliminating.
Hosed off the honeysuckle because spiders made webs ALL over it and the Russian Olive tree dropped a million flower petals on the webs and it looked terrible.

I went for my walk early tonight. I'm sweating. It is definitely a little boring in the mall but I do think it's the easiest. I'm not crossing streets, there are plenty of stairs to climb, etc.

Ok to the shower. Garbage out, kitty's box has been cleaned and I've taken the recycling out.

Yesterday I worked on my hangers. I have lots of nice hangers but honestly too many. They crowd the rod and are empty. So I made a nice bag of hangers, plastic. And put in a clear bag and out back. I'm sure they are gone by now. People go through the garbage and I make sure things are nicely done if the intent is to have people take them. If not, the clear bag and the hangers will be taken by the recycling people.

The dryer guy didn't come today. I'm so glad I've made peace with it. Thank just don't want to get lazy and always have my sheets and towels done for me. But it is tempting.

WTG on overcoming the obstacles and getting the bathroom clean!!

Good suggestion for the boxes-i will get some next time I'm near a garden store or a Home Depot. Just a little filler

Each box has a bright pink geranium, two white with pink tips geraniums, a little painted plant (green and pink) and two ivy. I'll tqke photos but they look empty right now.

Hi Tatoulia
YEA!!! for flower boxes!
What kinds and what colors?
Alyssum is a good kind of flower bed filler.

WTG! keeping up at the "fluff & Fold" while the dryer is being fixed!


Honestly, it should NOT be so difficult to get a bathroom clean!!! >:(

Steven kept wanting in the bathroom and in my way all around.

I swear a toddler is so much easier to deal with.
Just give them a cookie and sit them down in front of Sesame Street and they leave you alone long enough to clean the bathroom.

That is the reason I let the bathroom go for so long.

But it's done now.
Even took down & washed the shower curtain.

I dropped off my towels and terry bathrobe yo be washed & dried. Big relief off of my shoulders.

Hello everyone!

I bet the moon was beautiful. I've planted my window boxes. I could use a few little plants to put in there so may try to find today.

Much better on the humidity today, which is a relief. I'm going to check downstairs to see if the dryer had been fixed. If not, I'm taking my towels down to the fluff and fold.

Will report back in a bit!!

Good Morning Everybody

Another quiet cool morning here.
Drinking my tea, Scooter right next to me.
Soon as I am done here I will clean the bathroom.
Not a quick clean but a real good all around scrubbing & wiping down.
Then the bathroom will be back to only needing a daily tidying up for a while.
Then I will see if I want to work on/in another area.

Hello
I should be sleeping but the moon is too beautiful and bright.

I think cats like that rich loamy smell of potting soil, I know that I do.

You're welcome Subclinical (((hug)))


Tatoulia, glad there were people standing around on the street so you weren't all alone on your walk.

You have developed a lot of great life habits.
Dishes and laundry are things that are easy when we keep up with them but can become big monsters when let go for too long.

I like to stay caught up on them so that if I'm too sick for 3 days it's not too hard for me to get caught back up.
Not much worse than laying sick in bed worrying about a huge mess waiting for me.

Ok I did take my walk and it was fine. Still a surprising number of people out. I bet because of father's day. People were outside of bars, having cigarettes. I walked down to the mall and then just strolled between the two, then walked back. I needed it.

SubC it is remarkable how far you've come! So proud of you!

Tillie that is so true. Some days we have to count even feeding the cat as an accomplishment! No argument here.!
I picked up my sheets from the laundry today. I may drop off my towels tmr. I'll get back with the swing once the dryer is fixed. For now, I just want it done. Clean laundry and I can think. I feel that way about the dishes now, too.

😊 thanks Tillie.

Tatoulia, I am glad you have your flowers. Mr. kitty can go outside whenever he wants, and he STILL digs in potting soil when he finds it. Wonder what they like about it....

Hi Tatoulia

A dark rainy Sunday night without all the other usual people out & about is not a smart time to take a stroll alone.

YEA!!! for the flowers & bag of potting soil!!!
Looking forward to reading about your gardening adventures.

Cats love the feel of quality dirt through their fingers.

WTG! helping your Mom have her Summertime clothes and bedspread!

Many days I have to count dishes, laundry, cat tasks because at least I am keeping up with something and not just falling behind.

I still need to catch up on some house cleaning.
The tidying up things is great but after a while it's just not enough and I need to do more.

Great plan, SubC! And I understand about not "counting" certain things. For me, doing the dishes and doing laundry aren't really achievements since they are now ingrained in my system. But there are still days where I need to count them!

Very rainy, very humid today. I really want to go for a walk now but I don't know if BF will object. I hope not. He can't join me and I don't know if he'll feel that a rainy Sunday night is too desolate. I trust his judgment.

I bought my flowers! They are out in the hallway and I'll plant them tmr. The dirt is also in the hallway. Kitty will open the bag of dirt and dig through it, like she's trying to tunnel her way out.

I helped mom get her summer bedspread out today as well as her summer clothes.

Will catch you all later.

Well, I managed to get the new cookie molds tucked into the cabinet with the old cookie molds, but that whole cabinet is slated for a clean out.

I had actually sorted through the collection and pared it down about two years ago. My original idea was to hang about four of them at a time over the kitchen window and switch them every season (get up on a step stool, switch the molds, dust the molding, wash the window...) but I think most of them are too big to fit in the space now that the molding is up. Also, I have not yet run the idea past dh.

I like the two new ones. There were two other ones I didn't buy. I might able to get rid of some I saved on the last go round, but i'm going to deal with that when I get to the cabinet.

Tillie, I am only counting things that are in the house because I am working on getting the house in order, and I am not counting things that should have been recycled a long time ago, because those things aren't really hard any more. The things should be a little bit hard so that I feel like I accomplished something. (Otherwise, I could go eat the bag of candy in my desk, throw away the candy wrappers, and be done. ;) )

I am tired tonight because of not sleeping well with the tornado warning last night.

Hi Tatoulia :)

I was thinking she may lay out all the cookie molds.
Rate them from most absolute favorite down to Ho-Hum.
Then maybe what she keeps would all work in the kitchen space she wants to decorate with them.


???????????????

WTG SubC!!! You are doing GREAT! So proud of you! If you don't have any use for the new cookie molds could you just donate back again? I've been known to do that. I used to buy tons of dishes, not all would make it out of the car, so I'd go ahead and donate back. JUST A THOUGHT and not taking away from your accomplishments !

Tillie you are so clever. I love you so much.