Togetherness really counts when the world is upside down. The human connection is meaningful and real.

Tillie you have enriched my life immensely. Everyone here has. You've helped me tackle things and face things and make myself better. You helped me see that I was miserable and it wasn't just a matter of, "well I need to put those things away and it will be fine". You've helped me open up my eyes and get me to a place where I don't hate myself and I don't hate my house.

True connection. True friendship. You are just what my heart needed.

Hi Tatoulia :)
WOW! I sure can believe those sconces still had gas! :D
LOL Happy that I wasn't the only one who still had gaslight.

When the marathon bombing happened I had my TV on and was devastated as the news came in.
Sat and watched in horror for a little while then walked over to my neighbor friend's house.
We put the TV on there since they had not heard and comforted each other as the news kept coming in.
I really hate being all alone when things happen like both space shuttles and 9-11 and big earthquakes and volcanos and the 1972 Olympics and other tragedies.
Times like these is when we really need community and together we can begin to heal.
(((HUGS)))

Tillie a brownstone I lived in once, many years ago, still had gas in the sconces above one of the fireplaces. Can you imagine that? Much like your lamppost!

I do appreciate your checking in with me last night. We were scared and upset and worried.

When the marathon bombing happened, we were not at the marathon due to the fact I had to take kitty to vet. After dropping her at home, BF went to park his car in the garage and I ran to mom's to drop off something for her. I was supposed the call him when I was done so we could walk over to watch the race (it's an all-day event here) and my phone wouldn't work. Couldn't make a call. So I started to walk up to him and I saw all sorts of emergency vehicles flying down the street. Motorcycles, ambulances, fire, everything. So I walked up to his work and I was already crying and he put the police radio on and the tv. Do you know the first two people to contact us were 1) a young girl across the street and 2) a man in Oman. The closest and the furthest. We finally had to send multiple group texts because so many people were trying to find us, as we are big marathon fans. I heard from one old BF by email who said, you don't have to talk to me, just send the word "safe." The next few days were terrifying, but one thing that was oddly comforting were the armed forces on my street.

The days that followed were horrific, esp the chaos that included the shootout and manhunt. I had watched it unfold til 2:30 AM and that situation (murder of a police officer, carjacking, shoot out) hadn't yet been publicly connected to the marathon bombing so I was just a terrible wreck. The next day I begged BF not to go to work (city was on lockdown/no subways, no one was to be on streets, etc) and BF went to office and kept lights off til a police officer gave him a thumb's up. Various neighbors went to spend the day with him and were so grateful to have a safe place to sit and have a coffee and just feel normal. Somebody even sent him a thank you note (a male neighbor) who said that when he saw BF at work, he knew everything would be OK.

I haven't thought about that in a while. But I felt so loved and cared for then, as I did this AM, when I saw you checking in on me. Thank you.

Hi Again

Just now 2:00pm
I managed to do two loads of laundry, it's drying on the line.
Watered the lilacs.
Did all cat related tasks.
Very pleasant day today. Partially cloudy, 75 degrees in here right now, no wind.
All four cats are in the livingroom taking naps.
One on the couch with me, one in the rocking chair, Scooter on the window ledge and Poohkie in a sunbeam on the floor.
Should find something to do but don't wanna do nothin.
Just ate lunch and maybe after I rest a bit I will be more energetic. :)

Hello Everybody :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
Yes, this happened so very close to Boston, within 60 miles or less.
And it all happened so fast too, one home right after the other.

Hope it is all over with now & will never happen again.
I would want to switch out to all electric but our gas company has already redone all the lines here.
Mine were so old and corroded that there was a long standing "seep" into the ground next to the house.
Back when gas companies first started bringing gas lines into residential neighborhoods they would install a gas lamplight on the property.
I STILL HAD THE ORIGINAL GASLAMP OUT FRONT!
That's how old our lines were.
They had shut off the lamp but it was still attached to the gas line.
Now I have the gas lamp wired for electric and out beside my walkway next to the lilac hedge.

Tillie thank you so much. I used to regularly travel to Lawrence in ny previous job. Absolutely terrifying.

(((HUG)))

So glad you are alright!
I am assuming that all your loved ones are too.
Yes, I saw no brownstones in the video but I didn't know where you were when it all was happening.
(((HUG)))

I don't know why the word bike was there. I'm so upset and scared. I am in Boston Proper so a distance away. Can you imagine. I am scared and heartbroken

All safe here. I was glued to tv and didn't get on line.

Thank you. I'm going to go put on TV. what a terrible bike thing. So terrible and unable to wrap my head around it.

I wish Tatoulia would check in.
I'm worrying about all those Massachusetts gas explosions and house fires near Boston.
((((HUGS))))

Scooter is such a jerk.
When any cat shows any interest in the new cat perch/scratch post
he jumps up on it and hisses at them, scares them away.

Good Afternoon Everyone

Hi Subclinical :)
Yeah, those "stash & dash" boxes from quick tidying up for company can contain an amazing assortment of assorted items.
WAY TO GO! for dishes, compost out and especially those two pounds! YEA!!!!!
How wonderful your long awaited project is coming together.
"I played guitar and had a snack and didn't clean up" fairy.
Are you sure that was a fairy? LOL ;D


Went shopping this morning.
First stop was the thrift shop.
Found a new (TAGS STILL ON) carpeted & sisal cat perch/scratching post.
Originally 32.00 but I got it for 8:00 and Scooter approves.
Then I went grocery shopping.
Got Poohkie a cereal/kibble that she loves and I remembered it was easier on her tummy (less scarf & barf) and did not give her the runs.
Problem is it is expensive, comes in a very small bag and ALL the other cats pigged out on it and ate it all gone in two days.
This time I will keep it under lock and key away from the other cats for her.
Bought myself a bag of peanut M&Ms.
Been doing so good on the no extra sugar that I felt it wouldn't hurt to splurge a little.
Starting to get cold here so I bought some oatmeal and Malto-Meal.
Also bought nuts and chocolate chips so I will be all prepared to bake during the first Winter storm.
The produce was discouraging but I managed to find a few things that didn't look like they would completely spoil before I got them home.

Good morning all!

Having a slow start with my coffee this morning. I'm feeling a little falling behind, but then I just checked my last post and I DID wash a load of dishes and take the compost out yesterday.

Tatoulia, I hope you get your medicine straightened out quickly! It sounds like a really tough struggle.

I enjoying hearing about your cleaning crew and imagining them working their way through your house. How lovely to have the cleaning fairies come while you slept!

I was very tired last night and went to bed early and the "I played guitar and had a snack and didn't clean up" fairy came. Oh well. He's making dinner tonight.

Tillie, did you get your groceries?

We call those bins "random boxes" at one point I had over 100 random boxes. I got it down to two or three, but I think it is up again. Mostly in the studio. I tend to make random boxes when I am trying to clean up a space really fast. (I'm betting dd's discards will end up in random boxes so I can get the guest room ready for the in-laws.) although, that is sort of a category.

I'm taking one thing from her pile to one of her old teachers today. (It's a nice souvenir from something Dd and the teacher's daughter did and the teacher wants it)

CM, I am pulling for your kitty! Poor little girl. I know she is miserable and that has to weigh on you and make everything else harder.

Good job on getting rid of the not fitting clothes!

I am still keeping my not fitting clothes, but they are a size or two too small, and it is an act of faith.

Checked my blood pressure after school again yesterday and it was down to 111/70! I have a major project at work I have been pushing for two years and it is coming together finally! I am excited.

I plan to start swimming again after work today. It is hard to block off the time, but I have to remind myself that I get more done when I feel better.

And, I have been waiting to tell you this because it is such small progress, but it has been holding steady all week, so - I have lost 2 lbs.

Good Evening Everyone

Hi CriticalMass :)
Thank you for the wonderful post filling us in all going on in your life. :D
Poor Kitty,
that procedure they performed is extremely irritating and would be very painful when she peed.
Poor baby (((HUGS Kitty)))
Fingers crossed this gets resolved quickly this time.

I have been doing some experimenting with different cat kibble/cereal and found one that has greatly reduced the amount of scarf & barf but now my girl kitty has the runs, so I will keep experimenting.
Her main problem is that she's a blue eyed albino with several recessive genes and a delicate constitution.

To me Peter Davison will always remind me of Tristan Farnan from the BBC production of "All Creatures Great And Small" even though I enjoyed him as "Dr. Who" too.

Junk bunkers is what Steven does best.
He gets those plastic bins, assorted boxes and other containers and fills them with assorted stuff then labels them "STUFF".



Hi Tatoulia :)
Thank you for the gift of rain.
Hope you are able to flush that medication out of your system quickly and are able to get back to normal again.
Have fun at the volunteer work!
My plan is to shop tomorrow, hoping to get better sleep tonight and be more "with it".
One thing I have noticed with the reduced amount of sugar in my system I am more awake and feeling less nappy during the day, even with a bad night's sleep.

Hi,

I've wanted to post the last couple of days but been caught up in the whirlwind of life. I'm glad I'm keeping up better with posting here though, and reading what everyone's been up to.

I was tired Monday, due to shorted sleep. Then yesterday being 9/11, I wanted to go to noon Mass as a spiritual way of honoring the day. I had a busy schedule, but overall the day went off well. We watched a show about 9/11 in the evening - sobering but I never want to forget, and I wish this country could be more unified like we were after that happened.

I had also taken girl kitty into the vet first thing yesterday so they could try to get a urine sample straight from her bladder with a needle (ouch!). But by today, we'd gotten calls that they had no luck so now she has to go to a different place where they have an ultrasound. That will be Friday, because of a funeral I am going to tomorrow and the way these vets seem to keep weird hours, that was the soonest we could get an appointment. And I sure hope she doesn't have to spend the weekend! Poor baby was SO upset today when I picked her up, and she's got to be in pain because she peed in the carrier - and made a couple of really unearthly cries when she did.

Today was just nervous breakdown day for me trying to coordinate the appointment. Had my roommate communicating with two vets, then texting or calling me, and me trying to see what would work with the funeral and with a friend I'd said I would drive to her doctor's on Friday. That is the sort of thing that really grinds my ADHD brain's gears, and from there we crash into anxiety and rage territory.

SubC, I can so relate to the crying jag - although since I don't have a hubby or my mom or someone to hold me when I cry, sometimes it stays bottled up, which doesn't help at all. Sometimes I can hold my bunny and sob into his fur! Or at least just be calmed by his softness.

I also understand the thing about showers. It's been hard not having my own bathroom for one thing, where I can keep the items needed instead of having to carry them in and out (and inevitably forget things and have to dart back nekkid to get them!). And where the dog isn't allowed at all, so I don't have to worry about getting black dog hairs all over my towel, my bare feet, etc. If I can ever get these crazy broken up weeks to go more smoothly so I can get to the gym, weirdly enough I do pretty well taking showers there because they're roomy and I have everything I need in my bag I take.

Take care of that elbow - I had tendonitis in the base of my thumb a few years back from using a non-ergonomic quilting rotary cutter, and it's stubborn to get rid of and prone to return as I'm sure you know. Bromelain enzyme (it's in fresh pineapple, or tablets) and vegetarian glucosamine help some. Ice sometimes can help, or ice/warmth alternated.

Oh, and my total sympathies on the new computer thing. I don't learn well from videos at all - I prefer written, perhaps with hands-on or having someone to ask (like in crocheting). Hope you can get it sorted without excess anguish.

I'll say ixnay on the apple/garlic/cinnamon/onion bagels as well, being as I'm already a picky eater, LOL.

Tatoulia, I confess to having been one who would do that thing with dishes of putting water in them but leaving them for days/weeks till they were stinky. That's one area where having roommates has helped me - learning to wash and rinse after each meal. I think I'll keep doing that even when I'm back out on my own; it seems ingrained enough now.

Let's see, a few more miscellaneous things and then I'll say goodnight -

It does feel SO good to donate too-large clothes - last week I took a couple pairs of pre-surgery sized jeans to the thrift shop. I hope to re-lose the few of my 30 lbs. that I regained last winter, then attack the goal of losing the next 30. That should put me to the point where I can assess what "fine tuning" may or may not be needed. The numbers on the scale vs. bone density, muscle mass, etc. will have changed since the last time I was down that far. But first I have to lose the weight! Wish me luck!

Boy kitty still is doing some scarf & barf - with the new food he seems to be more prone to it.

We've been watching a show on BritBox - "The Last Detective" starring Peter Davison (aka the 5th Doctor Who). He's the one we met at the Doctor Who con in 2016. I'll watch pretty much anything he stars in!

Tillie, glad Steven moved something, anything, and hope he will be willing to do more. The 7-ft cabinet sounds like what one of my decluttering expert authors, Don Aslett, would call a "Junk Bunker." I hope I don't have too many "junk bunkers" in my life - it can sometimes be a fine line between organizing with containers the right way and having junk bunkers.

Anyone on the east coast, where the hurricane approacheth - be safe!

Tillie we've been having a lot of rain. I don't mind these days but I do wish I could send some of it your way to reduce the fire dangers.

I've been so fatigued I even checked my coffee to see if I bought decaf by mistake! I just woke up and I am drinking huge amounts of water so I can flush it out of my system. I am not calling dr just yet as he is new and I don't have the strength. It's funny, I was making a hair appt for Friday and I thought: how can I possibly stay awake.

I hope you got your groceries tonight! BF called me when he left for grocery store but I couldn't wake up enough to go with him. I too need some things but my brain is a little foggy. I know I'll feel better tomorrow. I have volunteer work tomorrow night til 7 and I'm going to have to be awake for it.

SubC I hope you had a good day. I am missing Mar, CM, Tess and Anony. Remember, we always are here for you no matter what's been going on. Here to support you!!

Your new weight is definitely something that must be factored in when taking medications.
So many other things change beside the dress size.

You being to the point of now having a cleaning lady in is something that has us all ecstatic!
You give me hope. (((HUG)))

More cloud cover and much windier.
Another RED FLAG wildfire danger day.

Have my grocery list made up, checking to make sure I have it all written down.
Nothing worse than getting home then remembering something you absolutely need to have but didn't get.

Tillie I looked up the med's side effects and the muscle cramps (had over the weekend), the headaches and the fatigue are all lisyed. I've taken these meds before but I'm different now. Started them on Thursday and I haven't been right since.

.My thyroid should be accurate so I'm not worried about that. If anything, my weight loss would put me in hyper not hypo so I think it's the new, non-thyroid med. even BF said today there's something wrong. So I'm going to stop the med and see how I fare. I can't be at work and having my head drop to my desk (which again sounds like thyroid). I've tried taking a walk and caffeine with no luck. And couple that with the environmental dust and allergens. Total wreck.

Cat and I are going to lay down.

Tillie you and everyone here got me to the cleaning lady point in my life. I am grateful for that.

Hi Tatoulia
YEA!!! WTG!!! for a CLEAN home!!! ;D
Happy Dance that that cabinet is ALL DONE!

Do a search of your medication and see if this may be a side effect.
Sometimes message boards where people on the same drug have better input about side effects than the very tiny printed paper inserts that usually come with the medication.

YEA! for BF getting her in to tidy up his home too.

Now I want to lay down & take a nap hoping that when I wake up the cleaning fairy will have visited me too. ;)

No throttling, Tillie, unless you want to throttle the seamstress for me!

House clean, CABINET CLEAN. so nice. So nice. I wasn't feeling well so I took a nap while they were here and I was like Wizard of Oz, I woke up and my house was sparkling.

Oh she is itching to clean my bedroom. Sounds good to me. Next time.

My BF is going to hire her. I'm thrilled with that. He works so hard.

I also wonder if my new meds are making me sick. I'm stopping one of them for a week. I am so tired I can't keep my head up. I know the grit in my throat and eyes is masonry dust. But this extreme exhaustion made no sense.

It's nice having people in who really and truly want to clean my house.

Good Morning Everyone

Hi Subclinical :)
Wishing you a great school day! :D

Overcast and breezy out this morning.
Been enjoying looking out through the clean windows & screens.
That storm brewing off the east coast looks like it is going to be a bad one.
Planning today to do a few things around here and tomorrow go to the grocery store, maybe.
Seems lately whenever I go out there is at least one person I encounter who goes out of their way to aggravate me.
Rude inconsiderate and just plain nasty.
They do not know how lucky they are that I have managed to keep my mouth shut or have not throttled them. ;P

Mar, the important thing is that you are not giving up. You are making progress. I know it's hard to see in the middle of everything, but just keep focusing on one spot at a time. The kitchen is a great place to start.

Tatoulia, masonry dust is very bad. If you are walking through it or or is getting into your house, you want to shower and wash your hair and wipe down surfaces with damp cloths - swiffer , don't sweep.

Today is a long day at school. I need to get dishes done and compost out at minimum.

Hi Tatoulia
I am very sure it's the masonry dust.
Whine away!
That dust also has all sorts of old nasty things caught up in it too from the big city environment.
Do whatever it takes to minimize your exposure to it.
Drink plenty to help wash it out of your body.
A Neti-pot would help wash it out of your sinuses.
Cough, sneeze and blow often to help get it out too.
Do not take anything (antihistamine) to stop your nose and eyes from running and dry you up.
That is your body's defense against the irritating dust to flush it out.

Have fun tomorrow at lunch with friend & baby.
I would strangle that seamstress then write up reviews about the way she conducts business.

Hello dear friends

SubC I am grateful someone at work can help you! That is why you have friends! I am also grateful for the love and support your husband provides you.

Tillie you did a good job making dinner and keeping up with things! I am either coming down with something or I have terrible allergies. I feel lousy. I had an extra juice at work today. And I slept when I got home.

Mar, keep the faith. You are doing this, bit by bit. And we are all cheering you on and supporting you.

I am taking a few hours off tomorrow to have breakfast with a friend and her new baby.

My cleaners come tomorrow. Then my house will be fresh and new. I am busily trying to get the pillow lady to do my pillows already. I gave her the fabric, paid half of her fee, and I've done nothing but chase her ever since. I did have a moment of clarity which is clearly this is the way she works. Whenever I email her she writes back, a day or two later, to say she's on a deadline and will get back to me. Then she doesn't. Then I tell her we need to set a firm date and once she called me days later to say she would call me back in five minutes and she did not. . Two weeks ago she said the first week of September and so I said great and still nothing. Over the weekend she said this week for certain and it's been radio silent ever since.
At first I was pretty frustrated but now I realize, this is her work pattern. She needs to be nagged. Well I'll do it now but I will not use her again. I don't know how she can live with the chaos.

I'm praying I'm just suffering from allergies. I do not want to be sick. And all the dust from the masonry. That's probably the issue. There is dust all over the place. Ok now I'm whining

Well Subclinical
I suppose she could show you how to do roll call and emails.
Hopefully that will not be too hard.
Then just shine on all the other BS features.

Hi Mar
Congratulate yourself for what you HAVE done there.
WAY TO GO! for washing dishes, working on the fridge and sorting out a place to put the dishes!!! :D


I washed dishes and did cat related tasks.
Then I was hungry and made myself tostadas con queso & salsa, dos.
Then I washed up those dishes too.
Very nice day, cold in the morning, now cool in the shade but hot in direct sunlight with a gentle little breeze.

Hi to everyone!

I've wanted to come here for several days, but couldn't until now.

Daily activities surpass me. Usually I love cooking, but with stress and soooo many things to do, I feel cooking & eating like a waste of time. And to have to do it at least 3 times a day is the last straw.

I've been washing and washing dishes, but unable to finish all in one day, they accumulate. And after each meal, surprise! More dishes! X( Disposable ones? Never!

I feel discouraged.

Dad has a cold. He can't help.

Among so many washed dishes, I realized we need a good place to save them. So, I've also rehabilitating the drawers of the cabinet where mom used to put them.

It's time I've NOT finished with the fridge. It's already working, but a tray is still needed to disinfect. I do things desperately slowly :(

I hope to write more later. I hope...

I complained to another teacher.

She said "this is why you have friends. I'll show you. It's no big deal."

Hi Subclinical

How upsetting!
Is there anyone you can take your list of legitimate grievances to?
You have your class to teach but you also have a whole other home/volunteer life to live too.
I have always hated when someone who knows squat about a job is put in a position to dictate how the people who actually do the job should operate.

I do not blame you at all for deleting their emails and refusing to participate except on your own terms.
(((HUG)))

Tillie, while a candied orange makes a lovely dessert, it is not enough food for a person for a week!

I have a situation with my job that is causing me a lot of stress.

Basically, a new computer system is being implemented it will be the third computer system in 5 years. I am not a computer person. I learned the last two systems. This one is very complicated. It appears to do two things I need to do at work - send e-mail and take attendance. And a lit of other things I do not need to do.

It is being driven by a person who is not my boss but does serve on our board of directors. This person is asking that we take hours of video training online to learn this new system on our own time. I am paid hourly. Not fir planning time for my classes or for administrative/evaluative duties (except an hour a week), not for time spent obtaining class materials - only for time I am in my room with my students. Supervision has shifted this year such that I am obligated to outing a few extra minutes every sh on supervision - minutes thawill add up to about ten unpaid hours over the course of the year.

My "benefits" consist of two paid sick days per year. I must provide lesson plans and arrange my own sub (they will pay the sub) on those days.

I do not learn from videos (I have tried to teach myselfv things on YouTube). The training classes are free but at specific times - they are distance learning classes. If you have questions, you type them in and a ta answers. I type very slowly. By the time I hav two exchanges with the ta, the class will go half over and I will be too lost to catch up.

I am not going to do this. I have started deleting the person's e-mails so that I don't have to see them, because they stress me out. I love my job. I love my kids. But this is my limit. Someone can hand walk me through e-mail and attendance at a time that works for me. And if they insist on anything else, they are going to have to fire me. I have been fired before.

Or I will come sit in the office at work and take the classes. And they can pay me for my time. It will be a lot of time. Because I will have to take every session at least twice, plus practice, plus adding all the unneeded and relatively useless things to each of my classes.

Good Morning Everyone

Hi Subclinical
Wishing you a peaceful day today.
Happy you have your DH and class this afternoon.
(((HUG)))

Slept poorly last night.
Physical issues and bad dreams/memories about the distant past kept me up.
Today I need to wash some dishes. There's not too many, I can do this.
Been a long time since I went grocery shopping, running low on food again.
Will think about writing up a list, really do not want to go, cats still have enough food, snacks and litter to last more than a week.
But there is only an orange and some ginger root in my veggie bin.

Tatoulia, you are inspirational. I'm glad no one is being mean to your mom. She sounds like a sweet mom.

Tillie, you accomplished something. You took a shower. Some days it can be very hard to take a shower.

I fell apart last night. Dh got home very late and all I could do was cry. He was very good to me. He reminded me that I should call him when I feel like that and not sit hone all alone with the voices in my head.

Today I guess I am better. I still feel a little sad, but I am cried out. It is another day and I have class this afternoon....

Good Evening Everybody

Hi Tatoulia :)
A cold rainy night with some hot mulled apple juice and a frozen chocolate glazed donut would be so heavenly.

Very glad brother was not being mean to your Mom, just cuckoo.


The nice thing about not having too much stuff is that you can then truly appreciate those things that you do have so much more than you could ever have appreciated things when you had so much that you couldn't see, use or enjoy them all.
Like those lovely silver forks hidden in that drawer where you now keep the bags.


Today I accomplished nothing.
Did cat related tasks, took a shower, watched "Fear The Walking Dead".
Last night I watched a BBC production on PBS called "The Miniaturist", part one.
Now I have to wait and try to find when they will show part two.
My TV shows me a daily line up of programs and part two is not on tonight but if I am awake at 2am I can watch part one again.

It's based on a book that I have not read but the reviews say that the BBC production took liberties with the story line several times.

Tillie I am glad he did something. Honestly the attachment to items. I suffer too but of course Mr Hoarder's don't make the kind of sense.....of course MINE made sense......well at least I've largely broken my attachment. I feel connected to my mom, my sweet BF, my kittycat and my friends, meaning you all. I am trying to embrace the other things in my life as ephemera.

I am glad that Tillie is keeping an eye on your elbow. I know how much you use it SubC and that is the nature of your life.

I would very much enjoy a frozen chocolate glazed donut, please. No need to defrost, I'll enjoy as is!

We are having steady rain and it's fairly cold. I love it! I took up mom's groceries I'd gotten her last night. She said brother wasn't mean but he was cuckoo.

I love her. She's great.

Alright Subclinical
But please really consider a brace and then wear it as often as possible. :)
Happy you do not take pain pills.
Pain is a good way to know when to stop.

Don't worry Tillie, I know what the elbow is. It's chronic tendinitis. I am a potter and I have a farm, and I have had issues with elbows and wrists and shoulders for years. I have been in a sling before. I don't have time for that. So, when it hurts, I try to rest it. I am considering a brace. I would still take it off for some things, but it would keep me from hurting it doing stupid unnecessary things.

It bothers me so much because I don't use any pain meds so that I will know when to quit.

Hi Subclinical

OKAY... Enough already with this sore elbow!
I want you to get it stabilized in a brace that makes it impossible for you to exert it.
Having it properly evaluated would be nice.
If you were here I would have you in a sling.
You may be doing further damage to it, we don't really know do we?
It may just need to rest for a month or two to heal?

Oh YEAH, I would pass too on those apple garlic cinnamon onion bagels.
Good thing the chickens are adventurous.

The garden cart is in the carport not the garage, thank goodness.
He has made the narrow little goat path too narrow to roll it out of there.
I could get it out if I could lift it above my head and carry it out.
The main obstacle is a nasty old falling apart particle board "wardrobe" that's huge and about 7 feet tall.
He claims this is exactly what he needs to get this hoard all sorted out, organized and in a neat tidy little collection.
The wasps have built a nest in there. That's all that's in it, a wasp nest.
The thing is so warped the doors don't open.
I parked my garden cart in the carport because I don't want it to sit out in the elements and get any more rusty than it already is.
Steven did once bring me home a different garden cart but I do not use that one.
It is very small, actually a vintage metal child's toy. I have to stoop low over it to push it along and it only holds a few handfuls.

Tatoulia and Tillie, thank you for the praise. I needed it.

Still no sun and I am tired and a little sore from working on the drainage ditch from the run in. And my elbow hurts again. Stupid elbow. The drainage is much better, but not all fixed. Dh really doesn't understand how much trouble he caused me in just a few minutes with the tractor bucket when he regraded the yard.

I thought I would do the ditch and stalls and pottery today. I am so amusing...

And I need a shower, and a goat chewed up the sleeve of one of my favorite old sweatshirts. I think it will still be ok to work in, but not to wear anywhere.

I went ahead and gave the chickens all the bagels - when I opened the boxes, there were only 6 to a box. We would have picked up the donuts, but I don't know what we would have done about packaging. The health department won't let us take anything that isn't packaged except whole produce. Maybe he could have stapled them into paper bags for us? Sometimes we get bread stapled or taped in bags.

The donuts and bagels we get are store bakery - at the end f the day they pack them into boxed assortments and try to sell them the next day at a discount. Then they give them to us if they don't sell and take a tax write off. Often nobody takes the bagels at the food bank for the same reasons they didn't sell at the store - they are stale, and their stupid assortments have sweet and savory mixed together and nobody likes bagels that taste like apple garlic cinnamon onion.

Tillie, i'm Glad you got something! Can you get your cart out?

Tatoulia, I too am glad you are free.

Hello everybody

Hi Subclinical :)
OK, you did good.
I had a friend who owned & operated a donut shop.
He contacted all the food kitchens/pantries and homeless shelters, etc. in the area and told them if they came by at closing time they could have all the fresh daily made donuts that were left over.
Only thing was they would have to bring their own boxes/containers for them because his boxes were costly and for paying customer's orders.
Well, they all refused. They insisted that the donuts be boxed up and delivered to them.
My friend was trying to do a good thing but ended up having to dump all the donuts in the dumpster every evening.
When ever I visited the shop I brought my own containers and froze dozens.

Hi Tatoulia :)
Consider it smoked and thoroughly enjoyed.
Isn't it WONDERFUL that since you are no longer caught up in all that unnecessary drama how clearly you can see it now?
So happy you are free!



Well, I did get up and get dressed.
Cleaned up the "scarf & Barf" under my bed.
Went out into the garage...
OK, he did move some stuff.
He moved the tallest fattest and heaviest heap out of my way.
Still a lot of smaller stuff and a whole lot of garbage cluttering up the area.
This is still better than what I had expected to find.

Well we are scarf and barfers here too. I didn't know the cat's hobby had a name!

Tillie you sound happier and for that I am grateful. I'd be even more grateful if you'd smoke a cigarette for me.

SubC before I eat in restaurants I look at the on line menu and decide what to get. It helps me to make reasonable choices before I'm hungry and before I hear what other people are getting. A lot like what you did at the food bank today. I applaud you for not over agonizing on the individually wrapped cakes. You made a good choice.

I've cleaned kitty's litter box area and food area. I wanted to stop by mom's but brother is going by. He'd asked her to pick up his prescriptions (she can barely walk) and we didn't. I was supposed to drive her there, find non-existent parking, get her walker out, have her go in, etc, etc THEN drive mom to his house to drop them off. We did not do that. He insists on using a pharmacy up by us instead of the probably 16 pharmacies he has to pass on the way up here. I always saw it as being so controlling. Used to wear me out. Especially on the days where he had a paper rx and I'd go get him, we'd drop it off, there'd be no parking and he'd be a real #%+^ and would refuse to go in, then after spending a truly hellish and harrowingly my day with him, I'd get to repeat the procedure and still have to drive him home. Just thinking about it makes me mad. What a $&&!?&&?7&. This strengthens my resolve, which, by the way, has not weakened an iota in the last four months. I'm free.

Okay off the subject. So I have my garbage ready, I did two small loads of laundry, my mail is shredded and the recycling is gathered. Pretty good day.

Tatoulia, hooray for too big clothes! And for you for keeping them moving! I hope the dish situation works out.

Tillie, i'm Crossing my fingers for you.

I brought home 4 dozen bagels in 4 cardboard boxes, plus a bag of fresh green beans to cook tonight and a package of garlic naan - which I ate half of with leftover soup for my lunch.

I could have brought home another little cake, but we had donuts this weekend.

A lot of individually wrapped things went into the dumpster, which was very hard at the time, but now, an hour later, I am feeling less stress about the waste and more relief at not needing to unwrap them all.

I did my 5 minute timer tidy. A few more things to leave for school.

Good Monday Morning Everybody :)

Hi CriticalMass :)
A day without any cat vomit to clean up here is a GOOD day.
The proper terminology for this is "scarf & barf".
This is the only hobby any of my cats are interested in doing.
WTG! for getting the kitty sample. Fingers crossed that this time around she takes her meds easily and gets all better.


Hi Subclinical :)
Great that you are making up your mind before being faced with decision making while at the food bank.
Good luck with keeping only one box.

Hi Tatoulia :)
The amazing shrinking person!
When Steven was still using my dishes he would hoard them dirty, full of food scraps, then sneak them out to the kitchen sink and dribble water all over them.
It was a nightmare for me to have to clean up that mess and I kept telling him to scrape the dishes and rinse them well then stack them by the sink as he used them, but he refused to do that.
Somethings were so disgustingly gross that I accidently "broke" them rather than try to clean them.
I am so happy that now he doesn't use my dishes any more, just paper plates and he keeps them out in the garage.
I think your Mom's kitchen would stay nice with dish washing twice a week.
That would only be three days worth to clean up.


Still just sitting here in my bed, drinking tea, on the laptop.
At 10:00am I will get up and maybe even venture out into the garage to see if he did do what I had asked.
Maybe I won't, don't want to get myself upset.
Right now I am in a good mood, thinking about cats taking up tatting and pencil puzzles.

Mom called and I asked her if it was nice waking up to a clean kitchen. So I'll try to maintain it for her. I know it's too hard for her to stand. I'll just make it a point to wash it down for her. The cleaning guy does it but if the counters are filled with dishes, then he won't be moving the dishes to keep the area clean. Plus she adds water to all of her dishes, sets them on the counter, puts more dishes on top, adds silverware, etc so it's one putrid mess. The stuff on the stove had cooked foods, then water then more dishes on top. Very disgusting. I talked with her about storing her dirty dishes dry vs adding water and letting them develop s world unto themselves. She won't. I know who too well, but I tried.

Good morning! Good to hear from you all and thanks for the chuckle on cats and their hobbies! Hoping the infections get cleared up soon, CM, for everyone's sake!

SubC, that is a great idea. If mom gets someone in once a week on dishes, I will do once a week. What I'm not willing to do is have mom do them and I do them once a week. I need her to accept help. I won't tell her this as I do not want her to feel bad. Her former cleaning lady loved her and would do the dishes and the cat box, which was beyond her scope. The new guy does what he is supposed to. He was doing the hallways yesterday and was very kind, helping me with the garbage, etc.

I'm home today. I do wish the cleaners were coming but the main lady has a dentist appt so she will come the afternoon of Wednesday. I thought it was really cute that she remembered my schedule and asked if Wednesday would be okay.

The clothes I wore this weekend are too big. I will wash and put in a donation bag. I brought a blouse to someone at mom's yesterday. The weekend stuff will go to goodwill.

We are having cool, fall weather. Wondering if it will last. So lovely.

Tillie I'm glad you enjoyed a nap!

Oh Tatoulia! That was so much!

Anyone would be tired after that!

I am glad your mother has you and amazed at you for getting through it. I hope you will be able to get someone in to do the dishes. Really, once a week is probably not enough. Will you do them once a week also?

CM, I had a cat who was very interested in bobbin lace, but we could never agree on the pattern. Also, she wanted to do lots of crosses and twists, but refused to move the pins.

Food bank today. I am so busy this week. One box. Maybe. No more.

Just a bedtime shoutout - everyone has accomplished great things today, so give yourselves hugs or else I will! That is a threat not a promise - LOL!

Our great accomplishments here were: Isolation of girl kitty and successful obtaining of urine sample, a few errands, and dog walk while the cooler weather is still around. Then naps. It's been a good day.

Boy kitty just upchucked his supper, have no idea why except that cats every now and then puke for recreational purposes. I've had zero luck trying to convince them to take up sudoku or tatting instead.

Hello

Hi Subclinical :)
YEA! for him vacuuming the upholstery!

Hi Tatoulia :)
GREAT BIG HUG! for all you did today.
Looking forward to that cabinet getting finished Wednesday.

Still have not ventured out into the garage.
Maybe tomorrow?
Did take a short nap today.

Good evening everyone. I'm exhausted. I've read all of your posts and hope you'll forgive one giant Brava in place of addressing you and your solid accomplishments individually.

I went to mom's today and I cleaned her kitchenette. It was terrible. Dishes in all sorts of decay and I can't discuss some of what I found. She begged me not to tell my BF and I will respect that. But I stayed until every dish was washed, dried, and put away. I completely cleaned cat's eating area. There were places and things that were so far gone that I offered to clean the litter box as a "palate cleanser". HAH! We laughed the whole time. Laughed and talked and some serious talks about life and death and I forged ahead. When I found a particularly disgusting area with mold (underneath a heavy wooden chopping board), she suggested I toss the chopping board. So that was good/no argument on that. She kept trying to get me to leave and she got a bit nervous so then I told her I have cleaners now and she was so happy to hear that. I took out between four and five bags of trash and I didn't even approach the fridge. That poor thing. We again talked about getting someone to do her dishes at least once a week. I cleaned out stuff I hope never to see the likes of which again. I worked four hours on a tiny kitchenette. Four. She has all these tiny flies which she called fruit flies but were bigger. I found their home/ecosystem and destroyed it. As I cleaned some of her dishes and pots and pans, I kept wondering if Horton Hears a Who lived in any of them.

She was embarrassed but luckily I kept her laughing. At one point she asked me not to vomit on her floor. I honestly didn't have a choice on that one. I was wretching.

She's great and I feel good. I came home, showered and washed my hair, then I needed to return some dresses I bought on line.

Ladies I am so tired these days. Since Friday.

Love you all.
Ps my cleaner is coming Wednesday this week. She cannot do tmr. That's fine.

When I worked and he went to school, and when the kids were little, he did all the vacuuming. When the kids got bigger and started helping with the housework and he was working and I was at home, the kids and I took over the vacuuming.

Sonehow, when the kids moved out, I got to keep the vacuuming. But I did the floors and he did the upholstery today, and it looks good.

We cooked dinner together and the timer just went off.

Hi Subclinical
Thank you
Those dark gray overcast cloudy days really mess up plans.
Without the sunlight our brains have no way to think straight.

Why doesn't DH vacuum any more?
Maybe there could be a compromise where the two of you could share that task?

WTG! for finding more stuff for the resale shop!


Treated myself to a pancake brunch.
Cleared the slow draining bathtub drain and washed a load of rags.
Think that's all the work I have in me for today.
Maybe I'll take a nap on the couch with a cat or four.

Yay Tillie!

You did the thing!

It was a genuinely hard thing too. Not just a personally hard thing! I hope you are enjoying beautiful sunlight!

I am still struggling.

The addition is all cleaned up (but not "clean" - I miss the days when dh did all the vacuuming...) and I found a little more yarn for the resale store.

But I feel asleep, or underwater, or something. I am having trouble with my sense of time because of the lack of light.