Tatoulia, I am very proud of you for laying your whole bill! Little things like that build on each other.

Sorry about the village though.

We did not do any work on getting the barn ready for my in-laws. My bil called today and said he heard that we might not be coming east this year. I confirmed that we are not, since his parents will be here for several days right before Christmas and he replied "well, that completely changes our Christmas plans." He did not elaborate, and I decided that his plans were not my issue and did not ask. I did invite him to come see us, and he declined.

We got our Christmas tree this morning with the girls. I have half the lights on. I have one strand of lights ready to leave because I have used up all the bulbs as replacement bulbs.

I bought an adorable garland with 16 little stockings on it at the tree farm, so is that about even? I have also found one ornament I think I am ready to give away.

Poor mousie and scooter.

Good morning! It's afternoon here, actually. I didn't go to friend's house today. I'm disappointed but I can feel the storm in the air.

Still wrapping gifts. All the tea towels and Swedish sponges are wrapped. I have to start on the jams next. Kitty has been "helping."

My only challenge for December is the no spend. Are your bills paid? Why no, they are not. I'm going to be making my short-term life extra difficult by paying complete auto insurance in order to get the discount. I paid part of homeowners and I'll pay part of umbrella policy.

I will tip my cleaners and I will tip one of the aides and one of the maintenance people at mom's. I have to decide on the amounts. Her new maintenance person is nothing like the old one so I'm thinking less. But he is nice and kind to her.

Oooh Tillie a nice quiet snow! I'm excited about your ceiling tiles! Just take your time and don't overdo.

I think we will be snowed out of the Enchanted Village tmr. So I'll make us a lasagna and we'll decorate our gingerbread house or we'll write out mom's Christmas cards.

Today I'd like to decorate my bedroom for Christmas. I'm trying to decide what to use and what would look pretty. I'll post pictures.

December 1st 2019
Good Morning Everybody

Must have silently snowed over night since there is so much snow out there this morning.
If/when the sun rises/breaks through the clouds I will need to clear the front porch and walkway.
Scooter will no longer have his mousie to play with no matter how hard he cries, I'm very tired of that water bowl game.
Going to start working on the ceiling in my room today.

Should have been/wasn't. I usually keep the sharpie in the junk kitchen drawer. But I've cleaned out most of it and not in there.

Got mom's groceries done, cleaned the litter box and played with the cat. Meanwhile my little kitty lost another tooth today. Poor kitty. She's 15 and starting to look it.

If you google the Enchanted Village Boston you'll learn a bit about it. I like the old shops and the homes. The moving figures mean less to me. It's wonderful.

But I think the snow will win. I can't take anymore time off this year. Too many people on vacation and I offered to hold down the fort for our unit. I like to take mom to the Enchanted Village early and on a Monday to avoid crowds. Well God willing we will go next year.

Mousse is pretty active and a dedicated swimmer.

Goodnight. So tired.

Good Evening

Hi Subclinical
Hope the studio barn isn't too big of a task to make it ready.
I guess all they really need is a made up bed and paths wide enough to walk to it.
Good luck with the back hall floor.

Hi Tatoulia
An enchanted village!
Sure do hope you two get there!!!
Shouldn't your Sharpie be in your desk? Just askin..


The sun never got through today.
It was dark & dreary and slightly foggy all day.
This morning mousie was still dry & sleeping in my bed.
This afternoon he was at the bottom of the water bowl.
Did a lot of this & that here & there today.
Mostly to keep moving to try to stay warm.

The pie would definitely be tasty, SubC! Thanks for the offer!

Tillie isn't it amazing how we notice something previously unnoticed once it is gone? I don't notice a change in how I feel with my depression lamp except when I realize I don't feel the seasonal depression, mainly just the regular stuff. I went to grad school with a guy and I exclaimed, you grew a mustache! And he said, no I shaved my beard! So there you have my life, in a nutshell.

Cm I'm sorry you lost your post!

I am still wrapping my meager gifts but I'm almost there. I did get the two gifts to the post office and mailed. Not til today because yesterday I couldn't find my sharpie. I grabbed one from BF's house.

I put some gas in my car. I'm supposed to go to a friend's house for our annual gingerbread house decorating. In the Olsen day's, we would bake our houses and decorate. Now we buy them pre-assembled and her kids join in the fun. My car has all we need for our fun day.

We are expecting a storm so depending on how it looks to be materializing, we may need to reschedule our plans.

I'm taking Monday off too in order for mom and I to do our annual Christmas visit to the Enchanted Village. We may not be able to go so I have a backup plan in place.

I washed mom's summer bedspread today abs it's ready to be put away til then. I did see them once already today but I still need to do her grocery shopping.

I'm exhausted but for no good reason. I'm amazed thsr by taking Monday off, I'm getting five full days off of work. Pretty snazzy!

Tillie, usually I would try to combine all the glue bottles and then wash the bottles out and recycle them. But I am trying to remember that my time is also a resource and I need to focus it where it is most important. Since I can take the bottles to school and let the kids use up the glue (delaying the purchase of more glue bottles and saving a small amount of supply money) I will do that.

I'm looking forward to hearing your ceiling is done!

My extra challenge for December is to make the studio barn decent for my inlaws before they come to visit. And to survive the visit. Hopefully I will also finish cleaning up the floor in the back hall.

CM, I am sure you will get the computer thing figured out.

We are going to sit down to dinner in a minute. Wish you could all share the pie!

Good Morning Everybody
"Clink!

Last day of the month.
Does anybody have any extra goals or challenges for December?

Subclinical has her family gatherings and celebrations.
Tatoulia has her family and friends gatherings and celebrations plus NO spending.
CriticalMass has her writing and learning her new computer skills.

My main goal is to try to stay happy and positive.
To enjoy the creatures and snow.
To ignore anybody who tries to put all their negativity and nasty attitude onto me.
Later in December I plan to make a carrot cake with cream cheese icing for my 66th. BDay

Also maybe tear down the damaged parts of the ceiling in my room and fix it so I can put up my ceiling tiles.
Working with my arms over my head makes my spine hurt but maybe if I go slow enough I will be able to do this.
With the new roof my room sounds very quiet now. Amazing that I didn't realize it was not so quiet before. ;D

Good Evening Everybody

Hi CriticalMass
Sorry about a lost post :(
Soon you will get the new computer all figured out and only experience the usual frustrations all computers cause.
Black Friday isn't so bad when we stay out of stores, don't watch any ads or look at any online. ;)
Enjoy your sunshine tomorrow.

Hi Subclinical
Pecan pie is my absolute favorite! :)
WTG! for washing dishes!

Can you consolidate by putting glue from one half empty bottle into another half empty bottle?
Better yet, hand the task over to someone who needs some busy work.

Ten percent is a GREAT amount to recycle, donate, relocate or toss!!!
You did good :D


Dishes are all washed, kitchen wiped up.
Last few weeks Twinkles has taken to always following me into the bathroom.
He constantly talks and flirts with me in there, wanting me to pet & scratch him.
If I manage to get the door shut before he gets in he sits just outside the door and waits for me to come out.
I think he has figured out I am a captive audience in there. ;p

Snow all melted except in the sheltered edges.
Sun is supposed to shine tomorrow before the next snow storm.

I am having some issues with the new computer, and a post got eaten. It made me sad so I will wait to try again. But just wanted to say Hi anyway.

The computer issues will get worked out - I found help for the one, and I know it's just growing pains.

It's been overcast and rainy/drizzly here. Tomorrow the sun will be out and that will help me a lot.

I loathe Black Friday. That is all.

TTYL

I want to go to the sale too!

Although I should probably just shop my house and pretend I am at the sale.

I remember fiddle-faddle!

Tillie, I am baking here too. Pumpkin pie in the oven and pecan goes in next.

I have been working on the scullery and back hall. They look much better, but I'm afraid I have created a maze in the basement. Maybe ten percent of what I have cleaned up is stuff to go - and even the "go" stuff has to be moved somewhere as I have no trash service or charity or recycling pick ups.

I will have a very full carload of recycling to drop on Tuesday. Plus things to take to school. I found a bunch of half filled glue bottles that want to go live with all the other half full glue bottles in the building.

The dishes are caught up! (Except the ones I am using to make pie)

My parents never had anything fun in the house but at Granma's there was always fun stuff to snack on. :D
Then when I was older I would introduce her to some of the new stuff on the market.
One time I thought I killed her with a Sweet-tart LOL...

I sooooo want to go to that sale with you!!!!!

Good luck finding the perfect tv table.

The Robins are wonderful to watch and every cat around here knows that I protect them viciously.


Been baking today. Warms the house nicely & smells heavenly.
Krustez muffin mix, cranberry orange.
Fudge brownies.
Pigs in blankets, with cheese.
These things all freeze nicely and now I will have some ready made stuff on hand.

Screaming Yellow Zonkers!!! Wow that is taking me back. I never ate any of these things as popcorn upset my stomach but boy do I remember them!!! We only had something like that occasionally at the house. Maybe if we were moving or if there was something else going on. And just like that, I'm transported to Dekalb, IL, having a very happy childhood.

The sale is pretty neat. It's at a ritzy assisted living and the things have been donated by the residents. The aides do their Christmas shopping and the proceeds go into a fund for the aides. Most of the aides are Haitian or Irish so, if something happens and they have to go home (birth of a grandchild, sick parent, etc) the fund supplies the plane fare. So it's great for everyone! So much fun. BF loves the crystal and anything French, so if there's Limoges to be had, he's scooping it up.

I don't need any furniture but mom wants a new table for her TV and I can't blame her. So I'll measure before I go. Measure twice!

I bet the robins look so cute (and tasty, kitties) in the snow.

I'll have to go get Tigger's medicine soon.

Good Morning Everyone

Tatoulia
I soooo want to go to that sale with you!
Of course you should keep that ring and other things that you are enjoying wearing and using.
That is the whole point of stuff.
It's all the unused unworn unnecessary excess that has to go to clear up space to make life more enjoyable while using and wearing the keepers. ;)

Eating fiddle faddle always reminds me of eating it in Michigan with my Granma.
Then I showed her some "screaming yellow zonkers" and she ate the whole box. :D

You sure do have a big stash of wrapping and accessories.
Just stay from the after XMas half off sales and you will be alright.

WTG! for waddling the trash out and making up the bed. ;)

After you have secured a nest egg you can start budgeting out to be able to pay all insurance & taxes all in full to avoid having to pay the fees for partial payments.

Bless Tigger's heart. (((HUGS)))


About an inch of snow all over everything this morning.
So pretty.
Both cats have been spending lots of time looking at it from the window.
Have been having a flock of about 20 Robins in my yard.
Yes, the Robins Winter here, have babies in the Spring, stay all Summer but leave for just a few weeks in the fall before returning.

Fiddle faddle!!!! Blast from my midwestern past, Tillie!!!! Dinner sounds delicious!

I think about the grave-robbing a lot when I'm at the Museum. I do better in the oil paintings and such than the others. I am still going to return to the Ancient Nubia Now Exhibit because I need more time with the newer school of thought on it.

I got the garbage out and the bed made. I'm about to hop into bed now. I don't think I can actually hop. Let's keep waddle in the sentences!

Our neighbors are joining for Christmas Eve. I'm happy about that.

I am not done wrapping the gifts but I'm happy with my progress. Tillie, I'll still have plenty of wrappings for next year! But I may get through a good deal of holiday cards!

I have to wrap and take my sister's sponge to the P.O. this weekend and ditto family friend's tea towel. I bought hers at The Wayside Inn since we ate there together last year on mom's birthday, when she flew in to stay with me.

I got two loads of laundry done today too and it's folded and put away. Tmr I also need to get Tigger's medicine. I saw him after dinner and by God he's hanging in there.

I have figured out my next paycheck. I'm going to pay my entire year of car insurance. I can save around $50 if I pay all at once. It will make for a lean 2 weeks but I will do so. With lots of parties coming up, I don't really need a lot of money the next two weeks.

I am seriously going to get my savings built up. I can't keep living like this. I know I did it to myself so that means I can undo it.

I am taking off Monday to do something Christmas-y with mom. It's free except I buy us coffee and muffins. Then Friday I have a half day for the sale I go to each year. I've told BF that if he's buying me a Christmas gift, he can get it for me there and he can spend up to $20. (Which he will automatically double). I have my own $20 to spend there but I need to go carefully with it because I plan to go both days. The second day I can generally get over to the jewelry. It's usually too crowded to get to on Friday, esp since everyone is using walkers. That's how I got my sapphire and platinum eternity band for $1.50 last year. I had half a mind to hock it but not yet. I like wearing it. The other ring I bought $0.50) turned out to be nothing (I took to pawn shop last week just to double check). I do love my 75 cent Pyrex bowl from several years ago. I use it at least twice a week. So I'm happy to spend $20 there. I've budgeted. And since I don't need anything, and I have no emotional attachment to it, I don't need to keep forever. I will steer clear of Christmas decorations, cards, etc.

So tmr my goal is to get to the post office and mail those gifts. I also need to wrap my Switzerland presents and get those mailed. I can't send just yet as I need to get some stuff from her publishers to send to her.

Ok now I'm just babbling

Hi Ya'll

Hi Subclinical
How wonderful that area must be now all opened up!
It amazed me how removing just the one useless cupboard above the fridge made a huge difference in here.

Hi Tatoulia
Glad you all had a lovely time, you waddling roly-poly. ;)
Hope you got the trash out and your bed made.
Poor Mom's kitty, hope she forgives you for not stopping in.


I have orders that I am to be cremated, ashes scattered.
The bodies in museums are because of grave robbing in the name of archeology.
The lovely artifacts displayed are grave goods buried with dead.

I always say how you would like it if I dug up your relatives and put them on display?
They say that would be horrible, illegal and they would hate it, but, but, but...
they do it in the name of science/education >:/

Tribes have been fighting for years in courts to reclaim their ancestors remains and artifacts.
Fortunately they have been able to prove their cases and win more than ever before. :)

It has been gently snowing all afternoon.
Bitterly cold so the snow is lasting on the ground.
Great day to stay home.
Cats have been hibernating most all day.
Made a toasted cheese sandwich for supper with fresh raw veggies on the side.
Then had some Fiddle Faddle.

What an upsetting story, Tillie. Not properly burying her (likely dug up improperly) then putting her on display. Haunting.

SubC your fire sounds so nice.

I am roly-poly from dinner. We had a young Chinese girl join us and she was absolutely delightful company. Mom was in good spirits, too. I was too full to stop in to see her cat. Now I'm home with my little one.

My cleaning fairy wrote to thank me for believing in her and trusting her. She's very, very sweet.

I haven't finished making my bed and I need to get out at least Monday's garbage. It is very very cold and very very windy. And I'm waddling I'm so full.

Tillie, my dad wants to be cremated specifically because he does not want his body to ever be an archeological exhibit. I was always cast as an "Indian" in the school plays because even though I am "Caucasian" (my grandfather's family is a mystery) I was one of the few brownish kids in the class (in summer I tanned so dark people asked my fair skinned mom if I was adopted). I liked it because the clothes were a lot better and I got to braid my hair. But I was always angry that I never got lines.

My homeschooled kids got the whole story (everyone still remembers the traumatic Columbus Day when Grandma was visiting and tried to tell the kids about Christopher Columbus and mom exploded) but I do like the idea of a day to spend time with family and think about all that you have to be thankful for.

Also, I never could resist a good harvest celebration.

You all are super nice about the pottery.

Dh got inspired to take down all the empty wall cabinets in the scullery! The walls are scarred and only primed, but it still looks so much better and brighter in there!

I cleaned off most of the counters too. Now the big counter is clear, the smaller corner section has mostly things that are drying, and the little counter that used to be between the hole where we took the range out and the garage door is gone! Also the stack of drawers under it. So much nicer to go in and out.

I caught back up on the laundry too.

Now Dh and I are relaxing by the fire with some music and he is cooking a "just regular" dinner.

Good Afternoon Everyone

Hi Tatoulia
Sorry, but I think I could win in a fight with you for that pottery. ;)

WAY TO GO! for using all your wrapping supplies you have there!
Think of how much fun it will be next year when you shop for new responsibly sourced ecologically friendly items.

YEA! for a fresh clean bed to climb into tonight.

Not offended :)
Thankful that it has been slowly turning away from the white washed lies and people are now acknowledging the holocaust that the indigenous people here suffered and the atrocities visited upon innocent enslaved people.
As a very young child I was visiting the University of Arizona's campus museum with my class.
There was a mummified dead lady holding her tiny dead newborn baby on display in a glass case.
I was horrified and cried hysterically at the site wondering if she was my Great Granma or other relative.
It was traumatic for me. I was inconsolable. I made a big scene and the rest of my school class joined in with me.
The museum curator removed the display once he realized that it was inappropriate to expose so many local native American children to something like that.
They did not rebury her but still kept her in their storage room for many years.
Last I heard her people claimed her and properly reburied her.

I am thankful for all of you here. I need to pop in the shower, we will be having dinner at 4 PM. I know that we are starting to look at Thanksgiving in a more appropriate lens now but we are still not there. I do think of you and your ancestors, Tillie, and I hope you won't find it offensive that we will be observing with dinner tonight. It's hard to realize how white-washed our history is and has been. At a recent lecture at the Museum of Fine Arts, they were discussing putting their objects in more of a historical context, such as having objects and paintings involving the sugar trade put in the context of the horrible crime of slavery.

I would love a SubC pot as a white elephant! I'd fight like the dickens for it!

I've finally started wrapping the Christmas gifts and I'm pleased that I'm using every bit and bobble I have. I've stripped the bed and done two loads of laundry. Now I need to pop into the shower and get the show on the road.

Good Morning Everybody
"Clink!"

Hi Subclinical
YEA! for a good shopping excursion!
So much fun looking at baby things :)

Good luck finding a white elephant.
Personally, I would enjoy getting a piece of your pottery.

What a shame that branch did that :(
And it was such a good day to hang wash out on the line too.

Enjoy your day ;)


Woke up to a light sprinkling of snow covering the world.
Still haven't had any that sticks around for long.
The mountain passes are treacherous and lots of people are trying to travel through them.

Good morning all!

Tillie, I'm glad you were able to rescue mousie in time.

Tatulia, I'm glad you enjoyed the symphony. I often fall asleep in the car on the way home when we go. Fortunately dh is a night owl, so I don't worry about him driving.

You are taking good care of your mom and her kitty.

Score! on the jewelry! And Great job not spending!

Our shopping went well yesterday. We decided each kid will get an individual item, a pair of socks and a nice sweater (except ds's "sweater" is a couple of new shirts for work) and we only have one sweater left to buy. All the "sweaters" were on sale. Dds was 50% off. We also did two of the individual items, so three of those left.

I found many cute things for our babies, but only put one on my future grandchild shopping list - they still make a toy we had that was in constant use for about six years. I need to get a couple of board books and I will be done there.

Dh told me we need a white elephant for his work party. I am going to try to find one in the house, but I have been so good about taking things to the thrift store... I suggested wrapping up a piece of pottery that didn't sell if I don't find something else, because I really don't want to buy a white elephant, but he didn't look excited.

He is very pleased with the pretty dining porch.

There was a splendid wind yesterday and I hung things on my line. Unfortunately, the wind blew a big branch out of the tree right onto it and brought the whole thing down into the mud. Sigh.

So, more laundry today. Dh and I just plan to stay home and be thankful. We will do the traditional family dinner Saturday with our girls. (Last year we visited ds).

Good Evening Everybody

Hi Tatoulia
Boy! You sure have been busy!!!
The Boston Symphony in person...
What a lovely treat :)

So glad you and Mom have been doing cards and planning future fun activities together.
Her kitty sounds like such a wonderful playful sweet little thing :D

WTG! for getting so much for that unwanted jewelry!
YEA! for adding it to savings too.
I also have all my sold jewelry money saved. It will serve me so much better than the shiny stuff just sitting neglected in a box.

So fantastic you haven't bought a thing and are also "shopping" at home to use up your stash.
So nice to treat your older gentleman friend with cards too.
"Are your bills paid?" is such a spot on question.

Good thing trash collectors work holidays. Make sure to get yours out. ;)


Did a whole lot of this & that today.
Stuff I had put off with the roof work going on and usual stuff that I do cause if I don't everything falls to crap in here.

Mousie was beside the water bowl so I put him somewhere safer before he jumps in. ;p

I miss you all so much! I've been tired these days. Last night, I went to hear the Boston Symphony. This is my Tuesday before Thanksgiving ritual. I buy a $10 rush seat and relax. My ticket last night was fantastic. The first half was lovely, and there was an unbelievable violinist-18 year old male. He was like no one is ever heard before. I could tell he was young but didn't find out til intermission that he is 18. I felt extremely tired and decided after intermission to just go home. I had enjoyed a lovely evening, it was already 9:20, and the program looked full for the second half. BF has gone home for the evening and at 10:10 he texted me to say he was at Symphony Hall to walk me home, but if didn't look like it had gotten out yet! And I said, I'm home in my pjs, I left after intermission. So I made the right decision. I was very tired.

End of the year brings a lot of work at the office. I've been working a lot but truthfully my job isn't very hard and it isn't very stressful. Working from home certainly helps.

SubC! Great work getting your house ready! I am so impressed with all that you've done. I do hope the girls can help you. I want you to be able to enjoy the holidays.

Tillie!!! I've missed you so much!!! Congratulations on the good report from the hygienist! Yay for the workers being gone! The mousie enjoys a good swim.

Cm good work on the quilting magazines. Mom also has trouble getting rid of magazines. She enjoys one called Piecework. Luckily we were able to break her New Yorker habit several years ago. One issue a week was pretty rough.

It's been warm here, with some rainy days and some sunny days. I'm taking good care of mom. We joke about how I tolerate her little kitty. She is so cute and she loves to play. She doesn't hide when I come in and instead meow three times and starts looking for a toy. She's turned out so nice.

We are eating out tomorrow. We have one of BFs employees joining us. I'm pretty excited for the food.

It's been tough getting tired so quickly. Today we closed at 2 but I worked til 4 and then I took the subway home instead of walking. Then I came home and slept.

Tillie I got $190 for my jewelry! I was hoping for $30-60. He didn't take my freshwater pearls so I'll give them to the cleaning lady. He just paid based on weight. So good to get rid of everything.

And....I immediately put into my savings account. I also earned my $100 on the walking challenge and instead of getting gift card, I asked for it to be direct deposited in my account. I also won a side bet at work on the walking challenge for $30, which I sent to the Boston Rescue Mission to provide meals for our neighbors. My company will match so I turned that into $60!

I haven't bought a thing. I should have enough Christmas cards in my stash for both mom and I to send out. I made a mixed envelope of about 15 for the older gentleman who I took for his state ID last year. He likes different ones for his bingo friends. So I'm reducing my possessions. I'm using them up! The way we are supposed to! And no money is being spent. I'm amazed at the power of asking myself "are your bills paid?" I don't want to buy a thing when I put that in context. It's shocking.

Mom and I did write out her Thanksgiving cards on Sunday, I believe it was. I've been taking good care of her and in a quiet way, not making too much of a big deal and just reminding her of our fun stuff coming up.

That's the news from here. I missed the garbage Tuesday AM. This is why I generally do on Monday nights. But Monday we ran errands and I got to mom's late and then home late, etc. so tomorrow night it needs to go! I was able to get the recycling out.

I'm going to need help being productive on Friday and Saturday. I want to get things done. A very vague plan.

Good Morning Everybody

HI TATOULIA :D

Hi Subclinical
Bad, bad mouse!
Hope Mr. Kitty has been informed that his skills are needed inside the house.

WAY TO GO! For all that straightening up and cleaning you got done!
And especially for getting that linen closet all clean & organized.

YEA! for getting babies to shop for off the angel tree.

Thank you for encouraging the rain to move this way :)


Hi CriticalMass
You sure did have a very busy & full week.
WTG! for the inspiration for rehoming the quilt magazines!

Wonderful that you feel motivated to tackle some dust & grime and sort out cluttered jumbles.
A wet rag will do wonders removing dust and that will go a long way in helping to reduce allergens.

So good to read about all the things you have been doing (((HUG)))


So far none of the tiny snow flakes have lasted very long on the ground.
My plan for today is to do a bit of dusting, did a bit yesterday too.
Only clutter in the house (except Steven's bedroom) is Scooter's toys that are strewn everywhere.
Can't hang linens out but did wash a load of my clothes last night and have them drying on the rack and hangers inside.
When they are dry & put away I plan to wash a load of kitchen linens and dry them on the rack.

CM!

Great job reducing your magazines! I'm glad you are feeling better. You sound very upbeat.

It rained all night here, so everything is muck. These days I say "thank you for the rain, now please take the rest to Tillie." We are thinking about getting our Christmas tree this weekend, but it is supposed to rain then too.

Dh and I will probably go shopping this afternoon (we stay home on Black Friday!) for our angel tree children and ideas for our family. This year I picked babies off the tree - a boy and a girl, so I can indulge my baby shopping impulse without buying Dd things she doesn't need or want.

Time to check in

I'm continuing to return to normal physically, pretty much there. Took the last antibiotic pill this evening.

Busy weekend. Sunday especially was very busy - church feastday with special prayers after Mass, then I hurried across town to the bunny club meeting, then back to church for the concluding prayers and the annual dinner.

During the dinner I got a text from the daughter of the lady I sit with asking if I could come Monday 8:00-1:00, because the scheduled person called in sick. I agreed, and on my way home had to stop at the grocery store for a suitable lunch to take along, and get prepared.

I don't dislike sitting with the lady but I find it difficult to deal with abrupt changes in plans. Yesterday I had wanted the whole day to chill and start some more ambitious decluttering plans. But it still sort of worked out.

When I got home in the afternoon I cleaned my boy bunny's litterbox. That had desperately needed doing. Then in the evening I went to the branch library for a NaNoWriMo session. The tiredness hit me hard midway through.

I realized too that I'd duplicated character names in two different stories. That won't work; it'll be too confusing. So I need to pick one story's characters whose names I will change. Spent the rest of the time typing notes and brainstorms about that sort of thing rather than actually writing on the manuscripts.

It's okay, though, since I was so tired; that was probably more productive than it seemed as it'll help me nail down more about those characters and the stories' plots when I write at a time when I'm more awake!

I realized also how I really need to take a little time to organize some of the new laptop data files. The computer place got what it could off the hard drive. I noticed a few files were corrupted, and was momentarily worried, then realized I had the backups on flash drives so no problem.

Today I made it to quilting at church in the morning. Glad to be back in the saddle there as I've been sick so many times. Especially since they had already decided not to quilt tomorrow because of the holiday.

As I was getting ready in the morning, I had a quick inspiration - went into my bedroom and got a box of quilting magazines I've been meaning to flip through and leave for the other ladies. I just took the whole box, and ate my lunch in the quilting room. Managed to get through about 10 magazines.

Have the box in my van but am going to do this same thing the next 2 or 3 times I go to quilting and in no time at all I'll be rid of about 1.5 cubic feet of stuff from the bedroom in a way that's easy and enjoyable. Then I'll bring the box home to recycle.

I'm starting to see more empty space in the bedroom! It's feeling doable after all, this goal of getting the bedroom liveable. I've been back out on the living room couch at nights; had hoped to return to the bedroom but with various things like the bunny being ill a few days ago, it got pushed back. Soon, though. And my hope is that by the time I return there it will actually feel like a happy thing if I've cleared the amount of room I hope to.

There are just many, many areas in this house where I have stuff, or my roommate has stuff, that we want to work on but get held up. And things happen, as we all know - dust accumulates, stacks of things fall over, etc.

I am feeling determined to push back against that sort of entropy. I'm going to find things I can finish and finish them. Find a dusty grimy area and clean it. Find stuff to discard. Find a jumble of things, straighten it. Etc.

Not only do I want things to look nicer, those I can control (my stuff or communal stuff; I can't mess with her stuff that's clearly hers, of course). And we have had such a time with allergies, that if I can get a wet cleaning rag and just remove some dust and lint and so on, maybe we'll both be healthier too.

On nice days, there are some things I can do in the yard that I've said I'd do, just bagging up sticks and stuff. I'm so much more concerned about the house, but I can balance it. We have had some nice days, though this afternoon strong winds arrived which is leading into tomorrow when a colder forecast will make its presence felt.

Anyway, good to check in and see how everyone is doing.

Good evening!

The guest room is clean and the bed made. I will have to move a chair and throw rug out on Saturday when the dog comes.

The dining porch is clean and pretty with table cloths. There are a few extra items in the scullery and basement. I had to do three extra loads of laundry because i discovered a mouse had stored kitty cereal between some of my towels and the curtains I had never hung. - that linen closet is now clean and organized.

Good Morning Everyone

Hi Subclinical
YES! ask your girls to help!
Working together you all could make fast work of it.

Glad you vegged out, rested and watched videos. :D
WTG! for ALL that laundry you got sorted out!!!
The side table sounds lovely and ready for the holidays. :)

That's an awful lot of thinking, plotting and figuring out about the travel/visiting.
Good luck. ;)

Have no idea what the weather here will be doing today, other than being cold.
Clear sky this morning but that could change at any time.
Had some small snow flurries yesterday afternoon.
The mountains are heavily snow covered to the east of here.
Have no place I have to go, no workmen scheduled to work here.
YEA!!! I have my life back! ;D

Goid morning all!

Here is where I am.

I cleaned off the little side table and cleaned the floor around it. I decorated it with a red tablecloth and a pretty fall scarf. I can just take the scarf away and it is ready for Christmas.

I cleared of about 1/4 of the dining table, but the rest is school related papers and is going to take a long time. I am going to start with the smallest piles and resort to grab and dump (in the basement) this evening if I don't get done. I want the tablecloth on before bed.

I put away three baskets of laundry from the guest room and the dirty laundry now fits in our hamper basket again. The bed and chair are still buried in stuff.

I got tired and binge watched videos half the afternoon.

My inlaws are coming to stay with us right before Christmas (they invited themselves because they want to see our kids.) Dh says I can't say no, but we don't have to go east to their house when his family is there. But if we don't go east, I don't get to see my parents. I am torn. We can't go east and just see my parents because his will be offended. (The two houses are an hour and a half apart) I also feel bad because I feel like I am keeping him from seeing his brother. He pointed out that in the last 23 years, his brother has travelled to see us twice. I might go by myself to see my parents in January, but then I would probably fly and I hate flying. It terrifies me.

Anyway, his parents will be staying in the barn loft because my house will be full of my kids. So I have to do a bunch of cleaning up in there this week because the following three weeks I'll be teaching. I might ask my girls to help me a little this weekend. It's partly their fault I'm being subjected to this.

Good Afternoon Everybody

Hi Subclinical
YEA! for an overall good sale!
WAY TO GO! for dosing all the goats!!!
Good job using your robot slaves. ;)

If you keep chipping away at that dining porch
eventually it will get to where you are satisfied with it.
Best wishes for all your deMOOPing plans.

Got an A+ from the dental hygienist this morning.
On the drive home noticed the livestock feed & supply shop has chicks and bunnies to sell.
I did not stop there, too dangerous. ;p

Woke up to a light dusting of snow today.
Mousie was in the water bowl...
There is a light wind and it is bitterly bone chilling cold.
Too cloudy, so no sunshine. Chance of rain or snow.
I have enough food stuff to get me through until next week.
No need to leave home again till then! :D

So slow, so tired, so bad at prioritizing?

My robots gave washed a load of dishes and two loads of clothes and dried one. They are now waiting for me to do my part so they can get back to work.

I have done chores, given the goats routine medicine (14 goats at about 5 minutes a goat), and cleaned one small part of the dining porch. We hardly ever use the dining porch any more. But that is one of the reasons I never get to it and I am trying to do more than the quick tidy this place gets about once a week. I would like to finish the dining porch and the guest room today, but I feel like if I don't start with the dining porch, I won't do it at all.

Good morning ladies!

Tatoulia, good plan on the not shopping. Keep it up, you can do it!

I hope you and your mom feel better soon. I am going to work on tidying my house today, so I will think of you.

Tillie, good luck at the dentist.

Thank you for the sale idea, but mostly men come by with a woman dragging them. It was just not the right crowd for fruit bowls and platters this weekend. That is ok.

The sale turned out well overall. I came out close to my goal, maybe even a little over it, and managed to load up afterwards in under an hour.

I didn't keep track as well as I usually do, so I could be surprised by my check (this sale is single register and they take a commission and cut you a check) but I think I know pretty close.

At some point today I need to unload everything from my car. I don't have another sale until March.

My main focus today is to "deMOOP" the house. I will start by getting the laundry and dishes started so that my robot slaves can help as much as possible. Then I think I will move to the guest room dd and sil will be using on Saturday. It is full of laundry and other out of place items. I haven't been able to teach the laundry robots to fold, hang, and put away.

I'll check back in later.

Enjoy your rain ;)

Do you have plans to go to the lady's house again and make cookies?
You said Mom had a lovely time there.

Perfect advice, Tillie! I haven't left my house all day yet plan to visit mom soon. Rained all day and I heard some thunder.

Good Afternoon Everybody

Hi Tatoulia
Glad you located a jeweler to take the stuff to.
I feel so good and lighter about all the random jewelry I let go of.
Only piece I have but don't wear is my Granma's white gold & diamond Bulova wrist watch because I never wear a watch.

My suggestion is to box up some of your Mom's clutter just so you can do a little decorating.
Better to have her have the cheerful holiday display to help with her depression.
Even if she still is holding on tight to the hundreds of magazines and other random stuff.
Don't mention decluttering, just tidying and getting the decorations displayed.
She does NOT want to let anything go. The thought of it makes her sad.
She would be happy with a wall of boxes stacked up to the ceiling.
Don't mention decluttering anything. She might tell you that something can go as she sees the decorations. (?)
I believe you are dealing with a mental health issue right now, not a clutter/squalor problem.
Humor her, love her, let her know you accept her even with a messy home. ((((HUGS))))

Sept. 1st is a great goal date.
Learn to get a thrill watching your savings account grow.
;)

Great idea on the platters as a gift! Great sales technique Tillie!

Thank you for the idea with mom. I think I'll do the linen closet today. I think she'll enjoy seeing the open space and the clean. That's an area that she doesn't ?work on' (she's always claiming to be working on an area or two) and it could help her feel lighter.

I'll get her the therapy lamp. I don't mind. Small thing to see if it helps. And if it doesn't, I will use at office. Mom probably enjoy Christmas Vacation (I've never seen it). It's on Amazon prime.

We have out Thanksgiving cards to write out tonight too. I'm trying to keep her looking forward to things.

Great advice re maybe an infection. ESP where she is in diapers full time. I wonder if they check her skin down there to make sure no breakdown or rashes.

Tillie when I didn't see you posting I knew you were in pain. And naturally I was thinking of you.

Oh and for crying out loud, Steven. Enough already.

SubC sending you some energy today! I think you are doing a great job! Letting the parents shop while amusing the kids! Wonderful idea! You are doing great.

I'm an extrovert and I find it exhausting to be me. Generally at a conference or other large energy-output, I need to take some time to be myself. I require heavy alone time. But I'm the one that knows 450 people out of a 600 person company and knows half the people we run into in any setting. And it is exhausting.

I mis wrote last night and remembered after I went to bed. I ask myself: are your bills paid? Not is your debt paid. Knocks the cuteness right out of whatever stupid thing I'm looking at.

Tillie, I went through my jewelry yesterday and gathered broken gold and other stuff to sell. The pearls and gold I've been carrying around is unbroken pieces I was trying to sell. Now I've gone through and made a big bag of stuff to sell. I have some heavy silver bracelets that I received as gifts probably 30 years ago. a broken gold chain a BF in highschool found, gave to me, then took back, and somehow I have it now and it's broken. I've identified a little shop on Bromfield Street to take it to. I think they are only open during the week.

I'm so dismayed at my mother's depression. I know first-hand how awful it is to live with a bunch of stuff and in a dirty home. But she doesn't know that. She doesn't know how it got In the final years of dealing with my brother. And I was able to hide it during holidays and stuff. I was able to hide my despair. Plus, I had a huge storage space. But she is blaming her sadness on me, to some extent. I know I can make her apartment pretty. And she can keep her treasures. Not the rest.

I'm going to have to gauge this in a careful way. But she needs action. I know she does. I need to be able to decorate her apartment for Christmas to make her happy. I'll see how I can do this. I can't follow small steps. I'm worried about her and she's running out of time. We all are.

I met my new financial planner this week and he's terrific. I haven't liked my interim one. He has praised me for paying off my mortgage and paying off my credit card debt. He wants me to get the 6 months of expenses in the bank. We set a September 1 date. It's ambitious but he said he knows I like to set goals for myself. So this is helping me.

Good Morning Everybody
"Clink!"

Hi Subclinical
Should a man come by explain to him how a platter or fruit bowl works and is a very useful piece to own or gift to a female, like his wife or mother.
Many men need a little nudge.
Good luck today!
Your tiny bird bath sounds adorable.
I'm sure you will find the perfect place and use for it.


Hi Tatoulia
First I would make sure Mom is healthy, no underlying medical issues like a low grade infection.
Something like a urinary tract infection can go undiagnosed for a long time and cause mental health problems.
Then I would see if her insurance would pay for a therapy lamp.
At her age I would never recommend giving her any "happy pills".
Since she is depressed she is in no mood to declutter anything so I would not push the matter.
But I would insist on doing a tiny bit of cleaning.
Personally I would insist on clearing off and wiping down one small flat surface that's where she will be able to see it from her chair.
Then I would put everything back on the surface asking her for her opinion of the placement.
This is just a way of getting her involved and also a starting point that might motivate her to allow more tidying up.
Go slow. Do not stress the clutter and squalor.
Focus on the depression and ways to get her out of it.
Tell her the tiny cleaning is for the health and safety of the kitty.
Find movies on Roku that she would enjoy like those old black & white XMas musicals.
"Holiday Inn", "It's a Wonderful Life", "Scrooge", etc.
This is a depressing time of year. Lack of sunlight and memories of how things used to be and all the people who are gone now.
A little sadness/melancholy is alright.


Mousie is in the water bowl.
Steven left pools of blood all over the floor.
He's on blood thinners and said he stubbed his toe.
But of course he didn't clean it up, left it for me to have to do.
Tomorrow I have a dental cleaning.
Yesterday I was too sick to do anything but rest and nap.

Tatoulia, I'm sorry you are struggling.

I don't have any ideas for how to help your mom.

My sale went pretty well yesterday,

I am exhausted though. I enjoy the sales but I am an introvert and the long day engaging with the public takes a lot out of me. Random adults are much harder than my kids. (I tend to engage with people's kids at the sales. It works pretty well, because half the time the kids are bored and fidgety, and the parents are trying to look around and supervise them in a room full of stuff that's breaks, and then I ask the kid if they want to hear how my chicken helped me make this pot, and the kid gets engaged and the parent can shop. And I don't have to talk to an adult.)

I came home completely wiped out and then stayed up half awake until 9:15 because I had chores to do and dh was talking to me. I planned to sleep a little longer this morning, but my body insisted on waking up at 5.

I have a headache and even though more sleep would probably help the headache, I figured that by the time I actually git back to sleep, it would be too close to six and I'd have to wake right back up feeling groggy and disoriented.

I'm not sure how I'm going to make it through today. Actually, I'm pretty sure the energy of the sale (the environment, the other potters...) will pick me up during the day, but then I have to load up, drive home, and do chores...

I would love to sell 4 or 5 big pieces today. Besides the income it would help a lot with the packing up. Yesterday people mostly went for the easy to pack smaller items. - like, a stack of eight $10 dishes that just gets wrapped in one piece of bubble wrap and set in the box became a stack of seven. Same effort. I sold a bunch of hippos, but the hippos just get tossed in a shoe box....

Maybe I should talk to people who look like they need a fancy platter or fruit bowl instead of to small children... sigh.

I bought a little bird bath from another potter. It was very inexpensive and cute. It isn't for real birds, and it's a little too big for my dollhouse. It's more Barbie scale (I thought of you CM) It has glass "water" in it and it just spoke to me. I don't know if it will end up on my dresser or in the little doll cabinet.... it could be a "ring dish" but I am trying to teach myself to actually put my jewelry away when I take it off. Maybe I will put it in my studio and park my wedding ring in it when I throw instead of sticking it in my pocket. The potter made them as party favors for her 50th wedding anniversary and this one was left over, so that seems like good luck.

The coffee is helping my headache, so perhaps I will survive.

Hello everyone. Took a nice long walk tonight. We shall get through this. The depression lamp is definitely doing its job. I just still have struggles.

No extra money being spent! I've found the magic words: is your debt paid off? And that has completely killed any desire to buy anything. I have that one loan that I'd love to get paid off. It's a low interest rate, but I would love to see it go. I have to think about this a bit. I could put my vacation days money (assuming I have days to cash in - I have nine right now so I just need to stay healthy and for mom to stay healthy) on the loan. Originally I was going to put it to build an emergency fund. But I'd be happier without the loan.

I need all December and all January to be focused on, is your debt paid off? Then no, you don't be buying that. I can eat out once a month. That's it. Since I do not drink, it's a cheap night for me.


I love it. I took mom to home sense today - it's like a home goods/Marshall's type store. I thought she'd enjoy seeing the Christmas things and she did! We both did! And we spent not one penny today.

I also stopped by to see her on my way out walking.

Mom is depressed. And I'm seeing her at least once a day. It's tough and it's affecting me.

I wish she'd let me clean her house. It is filthy. She won't let me take even one thing out. If I throw out garbage, I have to prove several times that it's garbage. I know she'd be happier with a cleaner space. She's agreed to the linen closet (really just shelves in the bathroom) organization but right now, the home good stores have mainly Christmas themed boxes and baskets. So I'll see if she'll let me cull the sheets and towels and organize without the frills right now. I know first hand that she will be happier in a less chaotic space but I don't think she'll let me get her there. If she'd even let me throw out/recycle a couple hundred magazines, we'd be in business. Very sad situation

She keeps talking about how she always kept a beautiful home and I say, so let's do that again. We can make this work.

What do you suggest??

I think I'll make her a deal that if she's not happier, I'll refund her misery. But I'll need to do this carefully. I can't offend her. She's fragile.

Ok I'm not caught up on anyone's posts. SubC I hope you are well. CM I hope your meds are fighting the infection and Tillie I don't know if you've had a chance to put your ceiling tiles up or not.
Goodnight my friends.

Hello Everyone. I'm struggling with depression right now. We too have a bright sunny day here Tillie but it's nice and warm-about 46F.

I'll write more in a bit.

Good Morning Everybody
"Clink!"

Nice sunny day but very cold.
Have no idea what I'll get up to today.
Mousie is not in the water bowl, don't know where it is.

Hi Tatoulia
Hi CriticalMass
Hi Subclinical
:)

Hi Subclinical

Best wishes at the show!!!!

How wonderful about the young man.
Sometimes all it takes is the right people or person having faith in them.

Wishing you a great Fall break.
Make sure to schedule in rest and recreation. ;)

Good Evening Everyone

Hi CriticalMass
Happy you are well on the mend. :D

Cats can be so hard to dose. Good at least boy kitty took his.

Once I had a litter of 5 newborn puppies to mother and bottle feed.
They always acted like they were starving and greedily slurped at the bottle.
To help with the air/gas I would place them on my shoulder and burp them just like with a human baby.
Baby puppies can burp very loudly.
Never had any issues of gas, bloating or colic.
Would bunny like to be burped? Can bunnies even burp?

Rest and take it easy on yourself as you recuperate.
Sleep well. :)


Today I cleaned kitchen cupboards inside and out.
Washed/rinsed all the dishes and put them back in neatly.
The cabinets will have to wait a little, my back is achy.
Cabinets are dustier than the cupboards were so I'll get to them soon.
Times like this I appreciate there is only things I really like and enjoy using stored away in the kitchen.

Poor mousie! At least he got a break to rest.

CM, I'm glad you are on the mend.

All set up for the show tomorrow. I got a fantastic spot!

School is now officially on fall break for a week.

A former student came by to visit me at lunch. He is so much happier and more together. It was really good to see. He said everybody keeps saying how impressed they are with how well he is doing and he wishes they would stop. I said, well, they are happy for you. I am happy for you too. But I knew you would be alright. I knew you would be fine when you were 11. And he laughed and said "we'll, that's one of us." He was a very angry kid when he walked into my room.

Iced tea clinks!

I really am feeling better! :)

Took the first pill about 8:00 last night, and by bedtime had already noticed a difference. No bad side effects. Just that drowsiness, so I called it a night at 9:30.

But had to get up a couple hours later and care for roommate's wee boy bunny. He had tummy gas again. Looking into what may be behind it. We will try cutting back his pellet food and getting him to eat more hay. He eats everything well, as a rescued rabbit found along a bike path might do - the food insecurity thing may cause him to eat too fast also. That may mean he swallows air.

So, I checked on him in the night, gave follow up doses of gas meds and warmed a towel for him. He is doing better today. And this morning we were able to get girl kitty into the back of the house and boy kitty up front. Wet food with sedative for both. Boy refused at first then ate his.

Girl is having none of it, and is quite unhappy. I'm doing laundry on my side of the barricaded door and I hear protests and see a little arm and paw under the door. Poor baby. She's not a fan of wet food anyway. I guess, though, if only one of them takes the sedative, better that it's him. He has been snoozing away on the cat tree for hours.

And a cat nap is on my agenda as well. We have some intermittent snow here but it's light with 30s temps and melts when it lands.

Good Morning

YEA! CriticalMass
So glad you are on the road to recovery!
Get as much rest as you can.
Good luck living with the vengeful kitties. ;)

Mousie is back in the water bowl this morning, ;p

Hi Tatoulia :)
Hi Subclinical :)

No plans yet for the day.

Quick check in to say I'm proud of you, CM! I need to see you feeling better!

Sending love to all.

Got to doctor, she phoned Rx in. Then went to bunny shelter house to do mani pedis. So many rabbits now that I'll have to do round 2 next week.

Picked up Rx on way home. Took 1st pill w/supper. Watching Star Trek realized I think the stuff makes me drowsy. Maybe that'll wear off when I get used to them. Glad I'm getting something that is really going to work, though. More than ready to be over this illness.

Roommate will have to sequester each cat in a separate part of the house tomorrow morning & give them sedative in wet food in anticipation of Saturday vet visit. I hope things don't get too wild & crazy. I plan to do laundry and toss some papers while kitties plot revenge.