Hi Subclinical :)

WAY TO GO! for bringing home only those few necessities. :D
Happy you got the flea treatment.
Fleas sometimes are impossible to eradicate without it.
OK, new coworker is the old coworker. Maybe this time around they will be like a whole new person?
I have been on this message board for years and so many people have come and gone.
It makes me sad when someone I have grown to know just disappears forever. :(


Went to town this morning.
Visited with people.
Got some things from the dollar store, food & cleaning stuff. Spent 20.00
This evening I went grocery shopping and got the rest of the ingredients to make my bean salad.
Also got cat food and cat treats.
Bought fruit & veg & nuts for myself and DID NOT buy any cookies, candy, cake, donuts, etc...
I was very good even though all the Halloween candy is everywhere in the store. ;D

Why is Anony making you cry?

Full, exhausting day.

Highlight - vet gave me flea treatment for rabbit. (Gave up on combing)

Lowlight - too many, but I pick surprise discovery that former coworker who moved away is now new coworker who moved back.

Only brought home feed and animal medicine.

Good Morning Everybody! :D

Hi CriticalMass :)
WAY TO GO! for all the hard work and sacrifice medicating the kitty! :D
YEA!!! for a successful bunny fund raiser!
That's fantastic!
So kind of you helping your friend. Wishing you more peaceful less trying drives with her through the rest of her health condition.
Good luck fixing the sewing machine and I'm sure you will get the hang of that binding, even if it takes a few different tries. ;D

Hi Subclinical :)
Wishing you a better rest of today and a great success tomorrow with your To-Dos. (((hug)))

Hi Tatoulia :)
I sure do understand what you went through driving with your brother.(((hugs)))
I had to tell Steven to find someone else to drive him to his Dr.'s appointments in Reno because I just could not take being in a car with him for all those hours any more.

HELLO ANONYMONIKER
please stop making me cry. :(

Well, I am going into town today because it's been way too long since I spoke to any humans and I sometimes need to see happy smiling people to help me remember I am a member of the human race.
Plan to stop by the dollar store and get some canned vegetables because I want to make 3 bean salad and canned veggies are cheaper there than at the grocery store.
Scooter just will not quit screaming at little black porch kitty whenever he sees him, day or night.
Scooter gets his fur all puffed up and is very angry and hostile and will not listen to me at all and won't move away from the window.
I can not physically move him for fear of losing a lot of skin and blood.
Scooter is having territory issues and he fears this kitty will take away all his good stuff. ;P lol

Hello everyone! Quick drive by?
Hello CM and Tess! So happy to hear from you! Great work on the weight loss! Tess, keep the faith on the weight loss. I had a sort of unusual day too yesterday where I ate more than usual and had a bad belly all day too, I have 42 lbs to go so really we are in the same boat. We can do this!

CM oh I know that walking on eggshells feeling. Any chance you can just put on some music and sing or get a book cd or comedy cd from the library? Or will that just make it worse. When I was still friends with my brother I could say the wrong thing without even knowing it but I'd find out soon enough. Naturally his was an extreme situation as he'd yell and call me dirty names or throw stuff or threaten, etc. but I found that when we drove past certain areas we could discuss a particular house or field. Of course, he was mentally ill, violent and had other health issues. I'm not sure if you can do much more than meditate before picking her up.

Tillie great work. Scooter/approved cat toy reduction! Good kitty. SubC wishing you a great day!

OK ANONY any chance for a drive by?? We'd like to be the band back together!!!

CM, we are happy to hear your pop in updates!

Awesome that you are able to pay it forward on the transportation help. Try not to let it get too emotionally tiring though.

Tess. Nice start on the weight loss! Over 10% to goal, and you are moving in the right direction!

I am tired and still stalling on the things I need to do for school. Today is very full, so I will probably try a big push tomorrow.

So far I have not gotten off to a very good start on the day.

I did drop some stuff at the reuse store yesterday.

Seems like all I can give are brief disjointed updates these days but at least it keeps the connection with you fantastic people.

Girl kitty had her last "official" dose of antibiotic tonight and I have the scars to prove she's had a week's worth. Well, in actuality the walls, and my and my roommate's skin have had some of it too.

We try to smear what we can of the "high and outside, ball one" pitches onto kitty's fur in hopes that it'll be groomed off. The stuff was more of a liquid, vanilla flavored, than a paste. We're going to finish out the bottle which may contain another dose or two, to make up for the misfires. Looking forward to more adventures in blood loss!

Bunny club had the fundraiser and we topped our goal! Everything came together pretty well. And now that we've done one, the next one will be easier.

I've gone to the church twice this week in an attempt to get the binding sewn onto my quilt. But it's been a time of hitches and glitches, including my machine needing the foot pedal rewired again. I'm helping drive a friend to places because she has a health condition that has grounded her for a couple of months. Hoping it's getting resolved soon.

This poor gal and I have been friends a long time but sometimes we're like siblings and get on each other's nerves though we don't mean to. And she's been dealing with an aging parent's health problems so she's maxed out on stress.

It makes me feel like I'm walking on eggshells somewhat. I keep praying for patience! Having gone through the elder care minefield a decade ago and survived, at least I know not to take anything personally. The difficulty lies more in not upsetting her because she is one of those super sensitive emo types - gets feelings hurt easily, reacts strongly to unexpected things like crazy drivers - which I do too - this town has so many people who, were it within my power, would have their licenses revoked!

So anyway, I get kinda fried after an outing with her but I want to help if I can. And it's not all tense - sometimes we have a really good time.

Hopefully I'll get a good night's sleep tonight, get up feeling like a human being, and be able to fix the sewing machine pedal and hustle myself to church and put in a good day sewing. Oh, and I forgot to mention that yesterday I had started to pin the binding onto the quilt then halfway through discovered I was doing it all wrong! #NewbieProblems Better to find out before sewing though.

Needless to say, decluttering is really on the back burner at present...

Hi Tess :)

WAY TO GO! for those 6 pounds lost! :D
Yeah, it is hard staying strong and trying to break habits.
The only thing that works for me is to not have any temptation in the house so I don't eat it.

Right now the fires are enough miles away from me so I'm safe for all except the smoke.
First it was smoke from California and lately smoke from some fires here in Nevada.
But so far the Nevada fires are nothing like the California fires in size and viciousness.

Tillie - are you safe from the fires? It's scary reading about the fires

You all sound like you are doing well with the diets. I'm trying to eat a low carb/low fat diet. It goes super well for a while and then I just fall off the wagon. Just like with house cleaning lol! I've only lost 6 lbs this summer, but I'll take it. I have like 50 to go. Sigh

Hi :D

Been having a good day today.
Vacuumed the carpet real good, moved furniture out of the way and got under it too.
Went through all the cat toys and reduced their volume by almost half.
Scooter supervised and approved of my keep choices. ;)
Washed my hair.
Scooped litter boxes and swept floors.
Have the kitchen sink all scoured and ready for dish washing and will get to that soon.
Feeling good about having the house tidied up.
Thinking tomorrow I may go out to town.
Supposed to only get into the high 80s tomorrow.

Good Morning Everyone :)

Hi Subclinical :)
What a great use of recyclables to make a cooler for the milk in your recycled jars! :D
I love seeing females working in what has been "traditionally" male positions.
WTG! for your Dd! ;D
When I was a locksmith there was a lot of prejudice by male customers even though the other guy locksmiths admitted that I was just as good if not better at it than they were.
Your home being messy again can wait until after you are up and running with school.
Nicest thing will be that it will be easier to straighten up again since you have done so much already to get things organized. (((HUGS)))

Hi Tatoulia :)
I am so happy that you no longer have to worry about the "what ifs". (((HUG)))
Making my decision and plans to reduce the garden and the work involved with it has been a big load off my mind.
And after it's done it will once again be a pleasure and a joy to look at. ;)

At sunrise this morning Scooter woke me up by growling through the window screen at the little black cat who has been living in my yard since Spring.
Finally got Scooter to stop and was able to fall back to sleep.
Slept until 10:30!
Really needed that sleep.
About the black kitty, I make sure he has water and give him kibble.
He sleeps on the porches, front and back.
Won't let me touch him but comes very close to me.
If he's still here when it starts getting cold I will make him up a warm box to sleep in on the back porch. ;)

Nice reuse on the styrofoam, SubC! And think how grateful your friend and her daughter must be for fresh, wholesome milk!

Once your letter and syllabi are done, you can go back to looking at the house and what needs to be tidied up so your mind can be calmed. Remember, you are a great writer and a great communicator so the letter will go well.

Tillie, I feel a hint of what you are feeling. When I shredded my diaries, I felt I had made my life more ready for an emergency, even if the emergency is just having to move due to not being able to take the stairs anymore. By making my place more normal, I no longer lay in bed wondering, if I need an ambulance, what will they think of me. Stuff like that. I do want my life to be easier and the key for me will be less stuff.

Glad you and the kitties had a good romp! I'm late for work already.

Funny, two of my kids have worked in construction (one still does) and now when I walk or drive past, my reaction is to look and try to see what they are actually doing (and assess their safety precautions - mom reflex) also to scan for women, as my Dd is part of a tiny minority.

My house is getting messy again, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed. This isn't good because I need to go into the school year feeling like I am on solid ground.

I have put off writing class syllabi and welcome letters all summer, and now I have to finish them so I can print out and photocopy as many as possible TOMORROW.

Dh made dinner last night.

I sent my friend home with a bunch of milk for her and her Dd. I froze it in some of the jars mom gave me and then built her a "cooler" out of a cardboard box and a bunch of styrofoam diverted from the school dumpster.

Good Evening Everybody :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
When I think of a group of men working in the city, I always think there may be something as I walk by. :/
That's nice your company would have matched the benefit had they paid it.

Thank you for the offer and your treasured friendship. (((HUG)))
But it's not necessary.
I just need to simplify the yardwork.

We all need to think about how much can change due to age or sickness or injury.
I have decluttered and simplified the inside of the house, except his bedroom which is not my problem anyway.
The garden was set up over 20 years ago and has been added to over the years.
I used to be able to handle inside the house and the garden area.
But things change and I know I can no longer do it all, something has to give.
Once I have reduced and redone/undone things it will be so much easier to keep looking good, neat & tidy.
Which is so very important to me because the entire rest of the property is totally not maintained and is filled with stuff.

After I removed all his clutter from inside the house and parts of the garden area I have to keep these cleared areas clear or he will start to pile stuff there again.
And I can't live that way, I just can't.

The 4 cats and I went out into the garden together again early evening and all had a good time.
:D

Gosh that's really, really hot weather, Tillie.

Our workers don't do anything awful thank goodness. But I think you've hit upon something, I've been conditioned to think that might happen and thus I cringe.

White Kitty looked different!!!

Tillie if there is anything health-wise you need, please let me know. You can set up an amazon wishlist with your address hidden and I can purchase for you. No strings attached.

I even called ins co to see if they'd give me the weight loss benefit of $150 (which my company would match) and they wouldn't agree to it. I thought if they'd just help me even a little it would be good. It's okay, being healthier and happier is worth its weight in gold.

Forgot to mention...
Last night on the news they said that this was the hottest Summer ever recorded in Nevada.
July was the hottest July ever recorded and that this Summer had the most days with temperatures over 100 degrees ever recorded.

So, it wasn't just me, it really WAS hot!. ;P

Good Morning Everyone :)

Hi Subclinical :)
I'm glad you allow yourself to enjoy treats every now & again.
I think it helps remind us as to why we don't eat certain things more often. ;D
Happy you had a nice visit with your friend.
You and your girls would fit right in here with the majority of the local females. (((hug)))

Hi Tatoulia :)
WTG! for finding donations!
Many places collect nice work clothes for women to help them gain independence from abusive relationships by finding good jobs.
Do the workers out front make cat calls at passersby?
You would think insurance companies would pay for people to do something to stay healthy. Not paying never made any sense to me.
I never developed a taste for alcohol of any kind so I have never been a drinker.
One big reason is my muther was an alcoholic all my life and I hated the smell of it on her.
When I had chowder at the beach that is all I had, chowder, since it was so good and very filling. ;D

Last evening 3 cats were behaving but Scooter wanted to start trouble with Poohkie.
She is pure white but had rolled around in the soft loose dirt I had just dug up and was looking like a totally different cat and he tried to start a fight with her. LOL
The reason the garden has to get smaller is my health and physical condition has greatly deteriorated.
Didn't post about it but there are days when I am unable to even walk.
Taking even a little care of the garden this Summer has used up my strength to the point that the inside of the house is being neglected. Not being cleaned as often or as good as I think/know it should be.
Right now the main garden/herb plot is full of overgrown grass, weeds and alfalfa. Looks horrid.
My new plan will have smaller groupings of plants with that ground weed barrier cloth between them.
So a much smaller area to weed and fewer other areas to weed too. :D

Good morning!

That's hard work, Tillie! Great that you got so much done! SubC I'm glad you had a nice time with your friend! Wine and donuts and friendship!

Our clam chowder is milk/cream based and so delicious! If I have chowder in a restaurant, I generally have it with a salad. I can't have chowder as an appetizer and then eat a meal?it's delicious and filling with a salad!

Big rainy day heer but I think it's supposed to clear up at some point. I'd like to get to the bank today. It is so hard to force myself out of the house on my work from home days. I'm also intimidated by all of the workers out front.

I'm 5'2" with a small frame. With the weight I have about fourteen double chins and I'm round. Pretty terrible. But the nutritionist was the best money I've spent. She can work with my thyroid disease. She works on behaviors and messaging, etc. She wasn't covered by my insurance and I don't care. It was the first thing I treated myself to after shedding the heavy burden of my brother. I feel strong and much healthier. I am lucky that water is my beverage of choice and I no longer drink alcohol so that's been a blessing too. I stopped all alcohol about 14 years ago. No real reason other than it wasn't for me. I enjoyed it in my 20s and 30s and found it just too much in my 40s. One drink and I'd be exhausted.

Kitty is sound asleep and I could just cry she is so cute. Tillie I bet the four cats were really cute outside.

Gathering up more clothes to donate. They are having a suit drive at work and I have two suits that are large and were only worn a few times.

Tatoulia,

I bet you are eating better now with your nutritionist!

I don't always eat healthy. Yesterday I accepted and enjoyed a free sugary boxed donut. And my friend and I drank a whole bottle of wine last night.

But I find I mostly feel better and feel better about myself when most of my diet is "real food". And my taste buds are adjusted to that, so I like it. The donut got overwhelmingly sweet by the last bite, but I had a big drink of water to dilute the sugar.

I am 5'8" with solid bone structure and wide hips. a friend once described me as "built for bearing". I cannot wear a lot of women's clothing because I have arm muscles and a wide rib cage (I gave my bones to my girls, one of whom complained as a teenager "do you know how hard it is to find a decent bra in a 38A?")

Tillie, your garden story makes me a little sad, but I am glad you are getting it done for you. I know how hard it is to watch something fade out after you have put a lot of effort into it, so a "clean sweep" is much better.

I used to keep my toaster put away, but it doesn't work as well in the new kitchen.

Hello :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
I knew you had access to good seafood there.
But I have wondered about the clam chowder.
At Pismo Beach I had some in a cream sauce that was delightful.
Is the chowder there red or white? ;D lol
So happy the nutritionist is working for you.
We all want you to be healthy and happy. (((HUG)))
How Tall are you?
I'm 5 foot 4 inches tall with very slender bones.
My brothers used to tease me that if I ever broke any bones I would need to see an ornithologist to fix it.

This evening was warm but nice outside, no smoke.
So I opened the door and went out with all 4 cats.
While they did cat things I removed a 5 foot long flower bed by the front of the house.
Using a shovel and rake I managed to remove the decorative tile border and the non-blooming iris rhizomes and some penny royal.
Smoothed the area over.
All done.
Still need to load up the stuff in the garden cart and put it into the compost heap.
The border tiles will probably used somewhere in the area I am keeping.
Felt good to start this project and it was not hard to do either.
If I Tackle it one small section at a time I feel confident that I can physically do this. :D

Great cabinet work, Tillie! I too made a dr appt today! I think mine is on the 4th. New dr. I hope he likes me. My last dr is going on to a cardiology fellowship. I am in touch with her by email.

SubC and Tillie you both eat so much healthier than I do. I am impressed! Being in Boston we do get excellent seafood.

In highschool I weighed 99 lbs. yes I'm short. Right now I'm looking forward to being 20 lbs down. I'm shedding the weight at about a pound a week. Safe and easy. I now crave vegetables and fruits, oddly enough. Praying on this as I want to be healthy.

Hope you had a nice time with your friend, SubC!

YEA! for making the Dr. appt! :D
Glad you were able to work some in your classroom today.
Have fun with your visitor. :)

After I finished all my everyday morning tasks
I decided to empty the cabinet where I keep all my cooking dishes, colander, cookie cutters.
I keep the toaster in there too because it fits in nicely and gets it off the counter.
But I tend to worry because toasters have crumbs that may attract undesirables.
Good news is I saw no evidence of any intruders. :D
Also have some more drawer/shelf liner and have been redoing a few drawers and shelves.
Just ate lunch (2:00pm) and having a little break now.

Made the doctors appointment.

Took care of some furniture changes in my classroom and got some paperwork signed.

Dropped trash and recycling.

Bought wine.

Friend should be here in a few minutes.

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Subclinical :)
Please do make a doctor appointment.
I'm sure modern medicine has something to help ease all your discomforts. ((((HUGS))))
Sure do understand the seafood issues there.
I do not eat seafood here in the middle of the desert but used to eat a lot when I lived in the San Francisco bay area.
I knew you would follow a very clean and healthy diet avoiding HFCS and chemicals. ;D
Have a fantastic visit today with your friend! :D

There are two fires nearby west of here.
Near Reno and Carson City.
That's what has been causing the latest smoke.
Have no pans yet for today, still thinking about what to do.
Think my computer may be wanting to crash, so if you don't hear from me that's why.
But I've had this laptop for a while now and will just find a new one somewhere.

Tatoulia,
I think it would have been nice to have you over for dinner.
Dh had leftover pizza and I had an eggplant from the food bank landslide. Nothing wrong with it, we just needed the fridge space for milk and eggplant hardly ever goes.

I was 120 in high school. Very early in high school. I must be taller than you because at 130 I start losing muscle mass - I got very sick and hit that once several years back.

Dh is a string bean and even though he is taller than I am has always weighed less. Once when the family was here we were talking about something Dd and sil were doing that was relevant to weight, (house improvement and a load bearing set up maybe?) and Dd said "[sil] weighs less than I do" and he looked shocked. She said "oh, it's fine. We all grew up assuming women weigh more than men."

Tillie,
The thought of changing my diet overwhelms me. I am already vegetarian and cow dairy free. Plus I severely limit processed food (packaging) and avoid HFCS whenever I can see the label. And I have been trying to cut back on "added sugar" (mostly desserts but also refined breads) because of my weight struggle.

I have been eating a lot more nuts lately - I think I am craving more protein in my diet. I have cut back on the milk and cheese because of the fat content, but the nuts might be just as bad or worse. I say "vegetarian" but I am actually piscatarian - I will eat most seafood if it is served in a social situation where not eating it would be awkward or leave me really hungry, or when I am "home" (where I grew up). My parents fed me a lot of seafood when I was there, and I did not miss the nuts or drink most of the goat milk I brought with me. So I should probably examine my lean protein consumption. But I live in the Midwest and the seafood here is not the same as "at home" - the best stuff here is the flash frozen. At home it was still in the water that morning. Also, i'm Not sure I am comfortable eating that much seafood.

Anyway, I got a severe talking to last night (my skin has become drier and thinner and itchy and I scratched myself until I bled) and will call my dr. Today.

Also today, my friend is coming. :) and I will keep cleaning up the old kitchen/mud room from the landslide. Maybe my friend will take some food home.

Hello :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
You may just be really thirsty, that happens. ;)
Your fudge recipe sounds exactly like mine.
Mine came off the can of Hershey's cocoa powder.
Milk, sugar, cocoa.
Boil to softball stage, about 110.
Put in butter & vanilla, stir until it loses it's gloss.
So true about living in a small space.
Everything out is right there in your face all day.
OOHHH Ice Cream YUMMM
I will have ice cream again someday.
And cookies and fudge.
But I thought I should at least try to get my sugar consumption under control and then I can once again have treats, but not too much too often.
I am waiting to see if there any physical benefits from doing this.
So far I haven't noticed any except that my moods/emotions are more stable, not better, just sort of flat lined ------.
But that may not be related.

Hello everyone. Going to bed now. Still thirsty from my dinner although it was not overly salty, it was by my standards.

God help me I need your fudge recipe, Tillie. Mom and I always used the Betty Crocker recipe. Heating to soft ball stage, then adding butter and waiting for it to cook at a certain temp (I seem to recall 110 but who knows) then beating it just until it lost its gloss. Fabulous recipe.

I haven't had ice cream or other sweets recently. It doesn't much occur to me. I am a sweet fanatic and formerly ate a quart of ice cream a night. I'd love some now. But I'm working on going in the other direction right now. I'll have some ice cream soon. Haven't had pizza either. I want to go to DubC's house for dinner and I'm totally good with the idea of the placemats being out! My place is so small. Every little thing makes a difference.

Goodnight dear friends.

Hello :)

Hi Subclinical :)
Weight gain and menopause go hand in hand.
Our metabolisms change so much and some foods we could easily digest before can now cause grief.
I went through it all without any medical help what-so-ever.
I had always consumed a lot of dairy all my life but decided to eliminate it for a while to see if that would make me feel better.
Well, it did. Something about the natural cow hormones in the milk.
So then I tried soy milk.
BIG mistake. Did not know until then that I am allergic to soy.
Go figure.
Next I tried almond milk and it was just right! :D
I do still have a bit of cheese now and then but removing the dairy milk from my diet made me feel so much better.
And now I know to avoid soy and edamame.
Anyways...
There are other things I avoid or strictly limit and this has really helped.
So maybe you could do a test run on eliminating certain foods from your diet for a few weeks and see if you get any relief.
Wheat, eggs, sugars, etc...
(((((HUGS)))))

Hi Tatoulia :)
WTG! for all the trash & recycling out! :D
WOW! you sure have been busy and did a LOT today!
HAPPY DANCING about that cabinet being ALL done!!!
Every night before I go to bed I look around and see if there is something/anything out of place and put it away.
Have always done this and it makes mornings so much easier. (((hug)))

The smoke today has been medium thick making me cough. >:(
It's hot but nothing drastic.
Got all the 6 trees watered.
I turn the hose on real slow and put it down in the tree well.
Set the timer for one hour and move the hose to the next tree.
Unfortunately, my well is ancient, deep but very narrow.
If you run water outside you can not run water inside at the same time or it will reduce the water level to below the ballcock and you lose the prime and have to prime the well pump to make it draw up water again.
Big pain in the butt.
Doing good on about avoiding processed sugars.
But I still have cravings. Mostly for my homemade chocolate chip pecan cookies and fudge.
But I am being good and don't even have all those ingredients to make them in the house.

Ok, three bags of garbage out. I have no idea how that happened. Big bag of recycling out too. Washed kitty's box. Vacuumed the bedroom and swept up bathroom and hallway. Made dinner. Just showered. I'm going to have a big glass of water then do dinner dishes and put away vacuum.

Another nice day here. No humidity and cooler temps.

Hello, All,

I was 120 when I first started dating BF. I've put on some weight, lost some weight, back and forth. I'm currently enormous. But, here's something interesting that has happened since I went to nutritionist: in recent years when dieting, I've thought, if I can get to 140 or 136, I'll be fine. Since meeting with her so intensively, I know have my goal at 120. Might as well! BF never mentions my weight but I can tell he hates it. He is silent on the topic.

SubC I'm glad that you got some yummy stuff for yourself at the food bank and I'm sure the chickens will appreciate all the food you got them! I admire your composting efforts and how much time you devote to the planet.

Tillie I love your garden/yard ideas! You put a lot of thought into that!

My scary cabinet is no longer scary and next week I'll have it scrubbed by the cleaners. I haven't done second layer yet but I am extremely pleased with looking at my house and saying, the lotion needs to go back into my purse, not sitting on the end table.

When the family friend visits she will clean. She can't be still. I may think up a project or two. She enjoys doing it and I would enjoy it too. Meaning, I'd enjoy the results.

I am hungry as a bear, so I'm going to make something to eat.

Tillie,

I am glad about the trees. I was afraid it was getting too hard to water them.

Tatoulia, that is great about your weight!

When dh took me to buy shoes, he left me sitting on a bench outside of the men's room for a few minutes. When he cane out, I said "thank you, I feel less fat."

I spend most of my time in places with people who are mostly not overweight, but looking around the outlet center, I was average. I am still overweight (the average American is after all) but it was nice not to feel like that was one of my defining characteristics in the group.

Dh wants me to call my doctor and make an appointment and talk about the struggles I am having with menopause and my weight. Not because he is upset that I am fat, just because he wants me to feel better. I told him (joking) "she's going to say "eat more ice cream." He said "if eating ice cream makes you feel healthy, eat ice cream!"

The filled my car with veggies at the food bank today. FILLED. I have unloaded the car, and I have put the yummy things in the fridge, but I have not dealt with the excess of chicken food and the "honestly this is compost" yet.

I just.... we pay to empty the dumpster. So we are paying to have stuff landfilled that can be returned to the soil. And it's crazy to me. But I have to open the packages to put the food in the compost. (And then I have to put the packaging in a plastic bag and take it to the grocery store and throw it away)

And I suppose there are better things I could be doing with my time, but there are also worse things that I do with my time already. I struggle.

My friend is coming tomorrow. She is coming into town to drop her ds at college, and then spending the night here. She is the sort of friend who you can let look in your scary cabinet (and then she will say "this is not so bad, you should see MY scary cabinet." And take everything out and wash it.)

Got to clean a stall before the storm!

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
WAY TO GO!!!
A whole size smaller and done in a healthy way! :D
Somebody will be very happy to find the clothes you are donating.
So wonderful that you are overcoming the "clutter blindness".
So strange how our brains can become accustomed to just not seeing the clutter.
That's why sometimes simply moving clutter to a new location can help us to finally actually see what it is and deal with it.
Life gets so much simpler when everything has a place.
Plastic bags in a drawer, kitty litter in a closet
Out of sight but still easy to access. (((hug)))
I would tell you not to worry about your friend's visit but...
Anyways, I am sure that it will be fine and everybody will have a good time. ;)

Hi Subclinical :)
About my trees...
as long as they keep living I plan to keep them.
The lilac hedge and honeysuckle too.
Here in the desert the deeper rooted plants do better than the more shallow rooted plants.
There are beds of iris and daffodils that refuse to bloom any more, Bee Balm that really suffers and is a pain to look at, that all will go.
The laurels look good in the Spring but get every kind of sap sucking bug in creation, making them too challenging to keep healthy without resorting to toxic chemicals that hurt wildlife.
Some rose bushes that get sun burned will be moved.
I plan to transplant roses, chrysanthemums, lavender and hyacinth all closer together in a smaller grouping.
Then have only catmint (catnip) at the edges.
Only smaller flower that does well is the marigold so I will allow them to stay sprinkled around where ever they choose to grow.
The flower beds at the front of the house will be reduced/eliminated down to just one hardy plant that returns every year, don't know what it's called but it's pretty.
Anyways, that's my plan so far. :)
SIMPLIFY

Love you all! I am working hard against the clutter creep and it feels good. I need to practice this daily-how does the room look? I do automatically put dishes away and do other things along those lines but I hadn't really seen my desk as being a mess. I just need to tune into these little things.

Sweet story about the art, SubC.

My table looks nicer without the placemat on it.

I like be having that one drawer for my reusable grocery bags. Just so easy. And having the extra kitty litter in the linen closet instead of just sitting around. I'm trying to revel in the positive changes so I can keep moving forward with them.

I keep worrying about the friend's trip which is ridiculous since it is two months away. I need to live now and in this moment.

I am feeling very proud of the weight I've shed. I'm down a size starting today. I'd bought a casual cotton button down shirt and a pair of jeans just before seeing the nutritionist. I don't wear casual clothes well or often. These were bought in the next size down and as of today, they fit! I'm very excited. Already put the bigger jeans in the donation bag. I'll need to put the bigger button down shirt in there too. That has been too big for a while but I've continued to wear it. Now it too will find a new home, I hope!

Goodnight dear friends. Thinking that someone would not appreciate a child's art is very painful.

I was able to figure it out without the translation. ;D

You were so sweet to hang his art!
I know that it meant a lot to the little boy your husband was.
((((HUGS))))

Yes, my entire family is a bunch of very horrid people.
That's why I cut them all out of my life.
I have been so much healthier and happier since doing that. :D

WAY TO GO! for working a bit on the kitchen and running the dish washer! :D

Sleep well and sweet dreams. ;)

One place mat. Not old place at.

Get a lot done. Not " lit robe"

Tatoulia, you are funny (I mean that with affection.) I would leave my old place at out. I would be like "what? You're in my house and you don't know I live here alone?" Also, some days I get a lit robe, but my progress on the dehoarding and ordering us still glacial. When I read about all you are doing in your home, I am impressed!

Tillie, I meant to say that I know it was along time ago, but I still feel bad for your son. I think your family was horrid to do that.

When dh was a kid and brought holiday decorations or art home, his mother put them in a box - right away, not even on the fridge for one day! Nothing he made was good enough to display in her house. When we got married, she gave me the box.

I decorated the apartment out of the box until Dd started replacing things with her art. Even then I kept some of it. Dh thought it was silly at first, but I told him "I love you. And I love that you were this creative little kid and that even though I missed that part of your life, I get to share it now!" After a while he started telling me stories about making some of the things.

We didn't have ice cream. Ice cream goes in the freezer tomorrow.

The kitchen is not all cleaned up, but the dishwasher is running and the laundry is dried or hanging.

I need to set up the coffee maker as my gift to tomorrow's subclinical so her day starts off smoothly, and then I can go to bed. It has been a long day.

OK Subclinical
I was worrying that he would install it first then you would have to stain it.
Good to know I had it all backward and that it can be an out of the house staining project. :D

I love home made pizza but I have never made it totally from scratch like that!
In fact, I have never made cheese of any kind.
AND you even made the dessert too. ;D

WAY TO GO! for all you accomplished today!
I think homemade pizza and ice cream make up for having a messy kitchen to clean. (((hug)))


WAY TO GO!!! Tatoulia
for all your puttering, wiping down, shredding and generally getting it done! :D

So glad Kitty accepts the pillow case on the chair.
Makes it so much easier to get the fur up. :D


Twinkles is acting healthier that he has since Marty passed.
He still naps on Marty's grave but he is no longer acting so sad. :)

SubC you are remarkable. I admire you so much.

I have not gone to Level 2 on the cabinets. I am tidying up those things I couldn't see. I'm wiping down surfaces, shredding, etc as I go forward. This was a good eye opener for me. I need to look at each room.

I cannot leave my placemat out only because I use exactly one at a time! So it's loserville here. BF went home to take a nap. I have dishwasher running and I'm so happy puttering and taking care of things. Kitty has gone back to her chair and is sleeping like an angel.

Glad bunny is doing well!!

HELLO ANONY, TESS, CM, MAR,JOAN,DIANE,DIANNE, LR PORTER.

Tatoulia, I hope your mom gets her skirt.
Way to go on the cabinets!

My place mats stay out all the time.

Tillie, I hope you won't lose any of your trees at least!

when the wood comes, I will have to stain it. I will do it on saw horses in the big studio barn. I can open the door. As long as it stays in the mid 50s and 60s it will be fine. We have been working on this addition so long!

We're having pizza for dinner tonight. When I was growing up, that meant mom called the order in, half an hour later somebody picked the pizza up, and 15 minutes after that, we ate it out of the box.

Here it meant at 4:15 I made pizza dough and let it start rising. Then I skimmed some milk, set the cream aside for ice cream, and made mozerrella cheese. Used the whey to make ricotta, picked some veggies from the garden, and a few minutes ago (an hour and 40 minutes after I started) I took the pizza out to cool a bit so we don't burn ourselves. It is so worth the extra hour!

I cleaned a stall today (used up some cardboard), spent some time with the bunny, trimmed one pot, did dishes, and washed a lad of laundry.

Laundry isn't dry yet, and still a big mess to clean up in the kitchen.

I find it a fun pastime to just look at patterns and fabric even though I don't ever actually make anything.
Just the thinking about it is good enough.

WAY TO GO! for dancing and decluttering! :D

WAY TO GO! Miss Kitty keeping those birds busy! ;D

Tillie, mom did not find a pattern she liked. But it was good bonding time for us! I am not convinced she has what it takes to make a skirt but I'm not going to be negative in front of her.

I fully support the idea on the garden. You need to enjoy it and not be stressed! Music is on and I'm doing the room decluttering right now. It feels good. Laundry is hung and I'll fold the other load I did. Kitty is in window and doing a great job keeping the birds on their toes!

Love you all so much.

Hello Tatoulia :)

I was able to decipher it. ;)
Thank you for being here for me. ((((HUGS))))

WAY TO GO!!! for all that cabinet progress!!! :D

So happy you have removed the donations from the home, soon to be donated.

So wonderful that you notice those little tidying up tasks.
Left unnoticed, they really tend to pile up before we realize.

So nice you had quality time with Mom today.
So, will there be a new skirt made?


At this point in my life I need to make my life easier.
Some days I physically just can't do what needs to be done other than the usual daily cat chores.
I still want and need my little garden oasis to help keep my spirits happy.
But I can still have it if I make it a lot more simple, fewer kinds of plants and in a more concentrated area.
As it is now all I have been able to manage this Summer is to keep it watered.
It looks dreadful and it stresses me out even thinking of maintaining it as it is laid out now.

Plus I feel it is disrespectful since it is also my pet cemetery.

Tillie you do such hard work trying to pare down even more. (Corrected that)

Hello Subclinical :)

Yes, I do understand how all those demands on your limited time is so very overwhelming when you look at it all written down. (((HUG)))
I'm glad you are evaluating your priorities today.

I remember when Martha Stewart was just getting started.
All her projects were making gifts and décor out of trash.
She used way too much gold spray paint in my personal opinion but some of her projects were cute.

Can we please put staining and finishing the new addition wood on the way back burner for now?
In my opinion you can still entertain guests and celebrate the holidays with the wood still unfinished.
Thinking the Spring would be a better time because you want the whole house open for fresh air as you stain it.

I guess right now the number one priorities would be the farm & animals and school.
Then finding and making your recycled gifts along with making things for the show and sale.

The best gifts I ever made were windchimes made of seashells and drift wood that I gathered from the beach with my young son.
My entire family said they did not want that cheap tourist trap crap and chucked them back at my son.
Broke his heart. :(

And WAY TO GO! for cleaning up as you go!
At least that way you won't fall behind and lose the ground you have gained. (((HUG)))

Tillie you fo such hard work trying to late down even more. I admire you yet I feel sad. I'm on your side from her to eternity. I do hope your cooler weather is on the way. It's beautiful here and I have my back windows open and my ceiling fan on.

SubC you have such a rich life. I simply refuse to believe that school is about to start! Yes a chart for the rest of the year!

Ok, badger report: I'll go start on second layer right now! Second layer of upper cabinets. And re: lower cabinet, I took out the things for donation today and put in car.

Lovely lovely lovely time with mom today. We went to a fabric store and looked at skirt patterns and then I did her grocery shopping.

Doing a load of dark laundry right now. And just like that, it's time to put on some music to putter by. OH! When BF carried in my groceries I realized my house isn't as clutter-free as I've been giving it credit for. Although rushes completely done, I still had my placecloth and cloth napkin on my table. And a few other things along those lines. My desk. I need to declutter the desk.

Oh yeah, the cabinet.

Is there a plan Tatoulia?

I am feeling a little overwhelmed in general and haven't gotten very far on my surfaces, but I am holding the days together.

I feel like maybe I need to make a goal chart and break it back - possibly stretching all the way to Christmas. (If I am going to make gifts, I have just over 4 months, which seems like a lot, but it's not exactly four months of uninterrupted time.

I've been doing a lot of research online about art from trash for one of the classes i'll be teaching, and I now kind of want to make every person on my list something out of "garbage".

I'm taking another class, i'm going to be teaching 11, I still have the farm, I have a show and sale in the fall, my parents may be coming to visit in October, dh ordered wood to start finishing the addition, and I will have to stain it....

Suddenly there is no time.

I'm still trying to focus on "what is most important today?" "Is this item needed?" And "clean up as you go."

Good Morning Everybody
"Clink!" :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
Have a nice visit today with your Mom.
YEA! for lovely weather! :D
Since I haven't read anything about it...
Badger, badger, badger...
;)

Still sitting here in bed, reading online articles, drinking tea.
There are things I should be doing right now but "I don't wanna."

I came to the conclusion two years ago that my little garden/oasis area was just too much for me to handle any longer.
That I needed to reduce the amount of plants and simplify the layout.
But my neighbor friends pleaded with me not to, so I didn't.
Been thinking long and hard about it this Summer and have accepted the fact that I can no longer keep it up.
Been mentally figuring out what to let go of and the best way for me to arrange it to make it less work.
The whole thing looks a mess right now because I just can't physically maintain it like I used to.

I am happy with my decisions and looking forward to cooler temperatures when I can start to carry out my plans. ;D

SubC with God as my witness, I thought it was your 28th anniversary! I love Lebanese food! So delicious and healthy! Shoes are important! Taking care of your feet is important! I believe that anything is possible if you're wearing the right footwear. I wear walking shoes all over the city, bringing heels in my bag if I'm going somewhere where I want to be dressier. I also have heels in the closet at work. I carry my rainshoes when we are expecting a downpour, etc. nothing worse than not being able to do something because your feet hurt!!!

Tillie I am thinking of you today! We have cooler weather and I have my back windows open and ceiling fan on. Cannot do a thing with the front windows but I know in two months the scaffolding will be down (fingers crossed). They are working six days a week and seem to be making solid progress but what do I know. Perfect weather to hang out clothes!!

Going to hop in shower and go see mom. She's up and at ?dm today, having called me at 9:15.

Good Evening :)

Hi Subclinical :)
Sounds like a very nice way you two spent your 28 year anniversary. :)
You deserve to have new shoes.
Every once in a while being thrifty is not necessary because you have already saved so much money with your smart purchasing.
Wear and enjoy them in good health. (((HUG)))
Seems like you both needed the new shelves.
Him for his speakers and you to get your stools back, plus it's a nice place for some of your pottery to be displayed. :)


Hi Tatoulia :)
WTG! for the laundry :)
Hope you get some better tasting food tomorrow.
Twinkles is the easiest cat in the world to medicate.
Any of the spilled drops have been all my fault.
And he doesn't try to spit it out like all other cats do.
Funny thing is that Scooter watches me give Twinkles his medicine and then he starts mewing and begging for some too.
But whenever he has needed to take medicine he fights me tooth and nail. ;P

Tatoulia, i'm Sorry about the night call!

28 years.

My parents sent us some money and we decided to spend it on some little ikea shelves to go under his speakers in the addition. Right now they are on the stools I used to have in my pottery studio and would like back. Dh is putting them together, and then I get to put some of my pottery on the shelves.

On the way to ikea dh surprised me with a detour to buy me new shoes for school. I have sticker shock, but I really like them. He swears they were not too expensive. It's hard for me because I so rarely buy anything new at real stores except small things like underwear or garden/art tools and supplies.

On the way home we stopped by the library, and then had appetizers for dinner at a Lebanese place we really like.

Dh says he's up for another year.

I've done two loads of laundry/one of pjs and stuff and one load of delicates. I'm going to put clean sheets on the bed now. My lunch was not satisfying in a tastebud sense but I'm full enough. I'll grt ingredients tomorrow.

I'm glad you got Twinkles medicated, Tillie. And I'm grateful that the medicine is working for our little buddy.