Good Morning Everybody :)

Been watching the snow fall this morning.
Storm clouds on the horizon promising more to come.

Hi Anonymoniker :)
Marty (the cat's) favorite nap spot is in my dirty clothes hamper.
Yea, same here, lots of their toys are not really cat toys, just crap they think is wonderful.
Over the years my clothing style has changed a bit too.
Something's that looked good before just don't suit me now.
Only one clothing item I have kept since 1968 because it goes with everything and I still love it and wear it occasionally.
A suede vest with long fringe that goes down below my knees.
Genuine vintage Hippy chick. :D

What I do with clothes decluttering...
I stand before a long mirror and try the items on.
First, they must fit properly. Comfort is high on my list of priorities.
Second, do they flatter me or do they make me look silly.
Also, they have to be in good repair, not torn or tattered or stained.
Do they look sad, too worn out?
Then I look at all the "keepers" and see just how many of a kind do I have.
example...
20 white, long sleeve blouses are too many so I then choose my favorites and let the least favorite ones go.

It is very hard to know when our thinking is logical or just rationalizing to allow the hoarding to continue.
This is when it is great if you have a trusted friend to help you sort out your true wants, needs and desires.


Wishing Everybody a wonderful and safe holiday. :D

Hello to all hoarders-into-re-orderers!
Tillie, you are quite the inspiration!
It sounds like you have a great system & good for you for not being a slave to holiday meals!
Yes, as ive gotten my shop(storage) trailer clearer, its seeming like i dont want to give up the space by removing the trailer, like id once planned? I hadnt thought about things that i now could do with the space. Sometimes its hard to know if that kind of thinking is actually logical, or just rationalizing for more hoarding behavior? Ive tried to first just toss things that are obvious. If i feel mixed, then i keep it. That has worked well so far, especially since waiting till most of it has decayed beyond recognition! ha ha
I also have a ton of cat toys everywhere & feel guilty throwing them away! Ive even got things that they 'turned into' toys or beds that i never picked back up so they could use them for their purpose from then on, like a roll of carpet, as a scratching post, boxes of clothes as beds & laundry baskets!
As far as the clothes in my bedroom, i also need a box of summer tops that are too young for me now...even if i manage to get my teenager flat tummy back(ha ha) i am too old to wear certain things now, and that fact has hindered my clearing out clothes, somewhat..ha ha

Good Morning :)

HI Karl :)
Sorry about the computer difficulties.
Sure is nice though that we can still get online using the library. :D

Today there is a 70 percent chance of rain.
Tomorrow there is a 90 percent chance of snow.
Looks like I will get to make my thanksgiving day snowman this year. :D
Been putting out carrots daily for the cottontail bunny and he shows up every day now waiting for his treat.
Been putting out bread crumbs and other stuff under the big tree for the birds.
Wood peckers love Bartlett pears.
Today I will bake two deep dish pumpkin pies
then re-clean the kitchen.
So nice to have something good smelling baking when it is cold and dark outside.
Warms the house too. :)

TTYL :)

Hi Anonymoniker :)

The reason I can get the house all cleaned in a few hours is that it is a VERY small house and I do not allow him to clutter up anywhere except in his bedroom.
The floors are so small that I just use a rag to wash them instead of bothering with a mop.
I keep the items in here down to a tolerable level which means I have very few knickknacks and furniture.
The cats have way too many toys though but every time I try to toss any of them they grab at the toys saying "NOOOOOOOO! I needs that! It's my very favorite!" ;)

I think using the trailer as a half way place would work.
That would give you some space to work in the bedroom.
You would have to set a time limit on the items that don't come back into the house.
After the time is up you would need to make sure they are all donated or whatever.

As for thanksgiving cooking.
I did that for forty years so I feel that I have served my time in kitchen he!! :D

Hello to all of you!!!
Tillie, it sounds like you get a lot done?! Itd take me weeks to accomplish your goal for today!
And i love your observation about the cats' first nap of the day! ha ha
It is fantastic you arent getting pulled into all that Thanksgiving cooking! It seems to be a trend for people to bypass that and just enjoy the day!
Im hoping to get somewhere in getting my bedroom cleared out some. Now that the shop trailer(storage) is clearer, i could use it as kind of a mid-stop-storage. The logic being that if what is out there doesnt get worn/used that itll be easier to then toss out...but that could backfire....hmmmm...?

Hello...

Been busy here.
Had to get out my big down comforter since it is getting down in the 20s over night now.
Today I need to clean the bathroom, wash floors, vacuum carpet and all that.
Might have drop in guests at times this week.
All I ever cook any more for this holiday is my fabulous pumpkin pie.
Never did like turkey and trimmings and all the hard work involved in making it, but do like the pie.
Might make that tomorrow.

Bye ;)

Good Morning Everyone :)

Beautiful sunny day here today.
Expecting snow again by Sunday.
Have no place to go, no promises to keep.
Cats have been fed and are taking their first naps of the day.

TTYS :)

Good Morning Everybody :)

HI Tatoulia! :D
WAY TO GO! for getting to eat out! :D
Years ago I put my foot down too. LOL :D

When life gets too busy that's when I find that if I do just a few minutes tidying up it makes a world of difference.
I don't write lists or make plans, I just get up and tackle something, some small annoying thing very quickly.
Good enough really is good enough.
(((hugs)))

TTYS :)

Hello Everyone!

So proud of your accomplishments and posts and ability to keep plugging away! I have had an unusually busy time lately--some good, some bad-- very disappointed in myself for not doing anything with respect to the house. I have papers piled high up on my coffee table. This is not the way I want to live. The house is filthy and I don't seem to do anything about it.

I will set goals for this weekend and for next week-- three day work week although we will be getting out early on Wednesday. I put my foot down and kept it down--am eating out this year for Thanksgiving! I still have to clean the kitchen and cook for my shut-ins but it's not like I have to entertain! Will cook the turkey and its accoutrements on Wednesday.

I miss you all terribly, and only have myself to blame. Although I am being sincere when I say it's been very, very busy for me the past few weeks. Have something work-related almost every night and haven't even been able to work at home lately. That's okay, it will all be sorted out soon enough.

Thinking of you all.

Thank you LR2014 :)

Sorry about your PTD, Tillie (physical technical difficulties)! I hope you're feeling much better soon! Tea and cookies sound great, by the way.

Good Morning Everybody :)

Yes, it is still morning here, 10:40am.

Hi LR2014 :)
Lovely to hear from you! :D
You are always welcome to come have supper with me or even just tea and cookies. ;)
WTG! for all you keep doing on the vehicle! :D
With what you always need to keep on hand in there, containerizing is the smart way to go.

Not doing much today.
Been having physical technical difficulties since yesterday.
Get so dizzy at times with the room spinning wildly around.
Weird. Think that I have some sort of "bug" that has not completely manifested yet.
Rest and hydration and eating to keep the blood sugars balanced.
The cats have been keeping me well snuggled. :)

TTYS :)

Hi to everyone! Sorry about the sleep issues, Roxie. Tillie, I can't eat chicken, but the hamburger/noodle/squash meal sounded very appealing; wish I could have joined you for that!

I have been reading a lot of the posts this month, although I am behind on some of the most recent posts. I was surprised to note that my last post was in October! I'm not sure if that was really the last time I posted or if I wrote a post that never showed up. I'll monitor this one to make sure it does show up.

Thanks, Cory, for all your work to deal with the spam!

I've spent quite a bit of time over the past few weeks doing outdoor work. Speaking of outdoors, we've had lots and lots of rain in my area over the past few weeks; I wish I could send some of it to those of you on the west coast!

My "vehicle project" still has a lot of work left to go on it, but at least I am working on it. One thing I've been doing over the past few weeks has been to work on my vehicle (out in the parking lot area) while doing laundry at a local coin-op laundry place. That has worked out well for me. There are some things (some supplies of various sorts) that I intend to keep in my vehicle, and I recently bought some organizer gadgets to help me keep those supplies in better order and to keep them more accessible when needed. So far, I'm happy with the way those containers are working for me.

Looking forward to catching up on more posts!

Hi Roxie :)
"Clink!"

Sorry that sleep eluded you. (((hugs)))
Good luck getting the laundry ready and bills paid. :)

Today the cats & I are just trying to stay warm.
Roasted a chicken yesterday & will make myself sandwiches with it but the cats say I must share the chicken with them. :D
They already ate all the giblets.

Miss all you missing persons. :(

Hi Roxie :)

"Clink!"
Good luck today with your errands (((hugs)))


We had that same dispute years ago about our city hall displays and decorations along Main street.
They always have erected a huge tree in the very center of Main street but now they call it a holiday tree instead of a Christmas tree.
The night they light it up is always a huge celebration where everyone gathers, drink cocoa, eat cookies and generally wish everyone a joyous season as the band plays on.
There are sleigh rides with huge draught horses and santa hands out candy.
This is a very small and old farming/ranching community and we all enjoy these old traditions.
Even though that huge tree in the very center of Main street makes it difficult to drive. LOL :D

Today I plan to cook some real food for myself.
Some sort of hamburger, noodle dish and a butternut squash.

TTYS :)

Hi Cory :D

FANTASTIC! WTG! CORY!
for sending those spammers packing!!! :D

The message board has always had a glitch where sometimes our posts will just disappear.
I always copy my posts before posting so that I can then paste them in and try reposting them should that happen.
Sometimes we have to refresh the page a few times to see if our posts posted or not so sometimes we end up double posting.

:)

Hi Roxie :D
"clink!"
WTG! on the book roundup! :)
Hope the new pill eventually helps you to feel less tired/more rested.
Good to hear your weight is holding.
I found that having Carnation instant breakfast or an Ensure type drink a couple times a day along with regular food helped me.
So good to "see" you & sorry your other post didn't post. (((hugs)))

Been just hanging out today with the cats.
Another snow storm is starting to make it's way here.
Thinking about doing something creative today since there is nothing much else to do around here.
Tomorrow I will do the general house cleaning so today is for fun. :D

TTYS :)

Hi Greta :)
So nice to see you! :D

I got two loads of laundry washed and hung out on the clothes line already this morning.
Should warm up into the mid forties sometime today and it should dry out there.
Right now it's below thirty degrees and my hands froze. :/
Still haven't decided what I will do with the rest of the day.

Why is everybody M.I.A. ?
I am so very lonely. :(

Just wanted to say hello to everyone I haven't been on here in a while I seem to need more hours in the day like everyone does my mom is still trying to hoard some I try not to let it bother me (not good at that) time seems to be flying by some forgot to tell me I am having fun lol. Hope all is going well for everyone I do miss reading/ writing on here. Hopefully I can check back soon

Hi :)
Been up since before 4am, it's now 6am.
Going to the charity thrift shop to drop off a few donations.
Just clothes that I don't want any more.

Good Morning Everybody :)

So glad I went and got groceries the other day!
Last night it was gently raining and I woke up this morning to find the world deeply covered in snow.

Hi Anonymoniker :)
It doesn't matter how we do it and trusting someone else to do it for us is still a "WTG!" for you. :D

Hi AbiYah :)
WAY TO GO!!! for cleaning the under sink area and doing so much more to make your home a place you are so happy about. (((hugs)))
Very happy there wasn't a leak.
I don't do XMas either and the commercialism drives me crazy.
Starbucks is really enjoying all the free publicity they are getting from their cups. LOL :D

The cats say they don't want to go outside this morning.
They say they are happy just sitting in their beds.
I should throw all of them out in the snow because it's really funny to watch cats walk in deep snow. :D
But I won't....
Think I will take it easy today and play with my crafts while I watch movies on Netflix.
OH, and I have some Swiss Miss cocoa and will make some buttered toast. :D

I love how fresh and clean the snow makes even the nastiest/dirtiest hoarded yards look.

Oh! And Anonymoniker! That control thang! Both my husband and I are still fairly newly retired, he has been so kind about doing things around the house that I once did myself. I am having to learn to give up control, too. Fortunately, he never brings up my control issues, but he listens when I do. I'm learning. It is s freeing to let go!

Well, just wiped out what I was writing . . . .

It turned out that I don't have a leak under my sink, but this concern made me clean out that area and get rid of a hoard I had not thought about. Cleaned it up and put tings back together. Think I'll spray in there with hydrogen peroxide occasionally just to make sure I don't develop a mold or mildew problem.

I agree with Anonymoniker re the Christmas fuss that seems to be taking over Internet social media. And good night! So Starbucks has a red cup without Xmas stuff on it. Get over it! Admittedly, however, I don't do Christmas, so I have no strong connection with it some others do.

Haven't started taking care of my bee collection yet. But oh, my house is starting to look so CLEAN!! Loving that!

Actually, Tillie, my wonderful new boyfriend has been clearing the weeds in my yard & fixing it up by rearranging the rocks around the trees and stuff. I cant take credit for that! As silly as this may sound tho, its taken a bit of trust and loosening up on needing to be in control to let him do all that! I trust his judgement and sense of esthetics, tho!...(sigh)....im madly in love!!! ~♡~

WAY TO GO!!! Anonymoniker
for doing such a FANTASTIC job on your yard! :D

I have the vacuum out and today I WILL vacuum those fridge coils even if that is the only thing I do today. :)

Good for you, Tillie!!!
Those coils being cleaned regularly cuts down on one of the top, major fire risks in the home!
I cant believe how early stores have started pushing Christmas, now?! Im sure Jesus would just love the way people celebrate him these days....geeeez?!!
My yard is looking fantastic! Ive been dancing around in it, now that its clear of weeds, stickers and junk! The shop is getting emptier by the day! I could not be happier! :D

Hi Everybody :)

Hi AbiYah :)
Yes, that bathroom cabinet does seem to be a priority. Hope you don't have a leak.
I keep the under sink areas pretty minimal on stuff just to keep it easier to check for leaks.

About making "plans"
What I do is sit quietly and think about what around in here bugs me the most.
If it really bothers me, then doing it is my plan.
Right now it is the refrigerator coils needing vacuuming/dusting.
Easy to put that off since I can't see it but I know a build up of dust will make the fridge run harder and die sooner.
What I hate most about cleaning those coils is they are underneath the fridge and I have to lay down on the floor with a flashlight, the vacuum and a special brush.
It's a real pain in the neck.

I made myself go to the grocery store today.
I pretty much have my agoraphobia under control except when the stores start putting out all that XMas stuff and playing XMas music.
The stores get more and more crowded and hectic as December 24th grows closer and they start putting out XMas stuff earlier and earlier every year.
So anyway, WTG! me, for going. :D

I admire those of you who make a plan, then do all you can to make it work, although circumstances sometimes knock some things off the track. I am not there yet -- not even to try to plan. I am still sporadic, undisciplined.

Here it is Sunday already, and I haven't begun the bees. At least the ducks are done . . . I think. :) (You know what I mean.)

Tillie wrote, "I believe that by thinning the collections down we make the few extremely special ones all that more of a precious memento of a specific time in our lives."

You are So Right! Before, I thought, I had to gather around me tons of each of my collections. A motley collection. Now, I am beginning to understand what you wrote.

I have a cabinet under my bathroom sink that I think needs attention before I really start on the bees. There may be a lite leak there, and regardless, it needs a good cleaning.

I just wrote this to my daughter:
"Oh, Jennifer. I have two vicious beasts in me: one called Hoarder and one called Order. They have been at war with me, especially since your father died. Order, however, is winning now. I have gotten rid of So Much Stuff and I'm in the midst of bringing order to what is left. I have three pantries, and can now find what I need in all of them, although I am still working on them."

My daughter does so much better than I do -- not a hoarder at all. My sister calls herself a collector; however it's very controlled: she will only collect one item -- that's enough for her.

I am learning! I love the order I am starting to see in our home!

Well, catch up with y'all later to read what you already wrote.....

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Karl :)
I agree...
"A stitch in time saves nine".
What that translates to is mend a hole while it is still small cause it will just keep getting bigger in time.

Looks like another nice day here.
Yesterday turned out to be so lovely that the cats and I spent several hours playing outside.
I don't want to go into town today. Just want to stick around home.
There is some food here so I won't starve, just no more fresh fruit & veggies or almond milk.

Would love to hear how you all are doing. :)

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Karl :)
That all would be frustrating, but now you know how the trains in that area run. ;)
About the chain wear on your jeans...
I used to use a big rubber band to keep my pant leg away from the chain.
Would that work for you too?

Got three loads of laundry hung out to dry.
Supposed to get almost all the way up to near 50 degrees today.
No clouds and just a small breeze and the frost has already melted away. It should all pretty much dry out there.
Need to go grocery shopping but don't feel like it today.
Will just hang around home and watch the laundry dry today.
Maybe I will go into town tomorrow.
We'll see :D

TTYS :)

Good Morning :)

Hi AbiYah :)
I really love the story about the Bumble Bee. :D
I believe that by thinning the collections down
we make the few extremely special ones all that more of a precious memento of a specific time in our lives.
Good luck with the duck & bee projects! :D

Hi Karl :)
WAY TO GO!!! :D
Your scheduled tasks seem to be working great for you.
Good Luck with your plans for today!

Got down to 20 degrees over night.
I really enjoy wearing my summer dresses but think that today I will have to start wearing my jeans. :(
Oh Well.......
Have a headache and other pain issues from cleaning the cupboards yesterday.
But they are all dustless and tidy now.
Also washed down the kitchen walls/ceiling/light fixture/fridge/water cooler
which isn't saying much since the kitchen is so tiny.

TTYS :)

Good morning, everybody!

Karl, I, too, am sorry that the plans didn't work out. It's harder when w even make back-up plans, and they don't work. I like the idea of setting a timer. Wonder if that would work for my bedroom.

Tillie and Tatoulia, I worked on the ducks and told my husband I only had @ 50 left. I lied! I counted this morning and found a whole bunch more. I still have about 100, and I plan to take care of them today. I'll have about 70 left when I'm through, but many of those are knick-knacks, not rubber.

So I told my husband I will finish the ducks, then I need to start on my collection of bees. He asked, "Are you ready for that?" I answered, "Yes."

The bees. Both my husband and I were brought up in a cult -- an abusive cult. But it was all we knew. Several years ago, my husband saw how depressed I was and suggested that we go to the ocean. Keeping this short, what happened was a fuzzy bumble bee decided it would walk up and down my arm, and it stayed with me, on a windy beach, for over an hour. It only left me because I took it to where there were other bees on some flowers. But wow! The experience was magical!

So I started collecting bees. When I get through with the ducks, it's time for the bees.

Good Morning :)

Hi AbiYah :)
Good Luck! with the duckies! :D
I actually hadn't really been to the dentist in over 10 years but broke a molar and desperately needed to get it crowned.
My check up went very well, no cavities or other major issues.
Hope you schedule yourself an appointment in the near future. :D

Hi Karl :)
Hope you feel better. (((hugs))
Sorry your plans all fell through.
How's your cleaning up schedule going?

Today I have the energy and ambition to do some deep cleaning in the kitchen.
The cupboards are dusty inside and out.

Hoping to hear from you all, miss you when you don't keep in touch (((HUGS)))

Rained all day here, too, yesterday, with snow on the distant outskirts. Company gone as of Sunday late afternoon.

We retired persons also need occasional days off, so Monday was sort of a day off, then I learned my husband was going down to see his father today (Tues), so I am sort of taking it off, too.

But you, Tatoulia and Tillie, have been so encouraging to me to get started on the duck collection that I am going to get at least a start on them -- in a few minutes. After "Pit Bulls and Parolees" is over.

Thinking about who I should give the rubber ducks to. Thinking I may give them to children I see along my way. Will make sure they are very clean and germ-free. The only time they have been in water has been when I've occasionally cleaned them -- mainly, they've been on display and have, thus, gotten dusty.

Tillie, I actually put off going to the dentist -- I'm overdue now. Already go a light-weight lecture recently from my husband. :D

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
Thank you. I survived but was tired and went to bed early.
Today I am feeling no after effects. :D

Sometimes I think I would rather take a freak.
It would be a different kind of break from always keeping my emotions under control. ;D

Going to put my Halloween decorations away today.
Don't have many, only seven.
Since I don't decorate for any other holiday they are easy to manage. :)
Today I will prepare some food and since I didn't eat much yesterday I am really looking forward to it.
Rained hard all day yesterday and through the night.
Areas nearby got lots of snow.
Overcast this morning but looks like clearer skies are on the horizon.
Good day to stay inside. :)

TTYS :)

Take a BREAK not a freak. But freaking out is probably more accurate !!! I'm using iPhone and don't always proofread my posts!!!!!

Hope you are doing okay, Tillie. I know how anxious you are at the DDS. Abi, with the ducks, start with the easy ones. Once you put in bag, do not go back! Do the easy ones first. I suspect that when you start, the easy ones will be few and far between. But as you continue to go through, your thinking will change and you'll be able to get rid of more and more. Tillie and some of the others call this something like building up your muscles. You may find you actually feel stronger as you go through them.

Be sure to drink plenty of water and just take a freak if you start to feel overwhelmed. It will get easier, I promise.

Oh! One thing I try to ask myself is whether I have lived something enough. Dometinrs it's nice to let done ken else love it for a while. If I find I'm keeping something because I used to love it, the. I pause and ask myself, have I lived it enough? If yes, then off it goes. If I still love it, then it stays. For now.

Keep us posted! Much love to all. Will write more later. Vacuumed living room and library tonight. Washed cat blankets, except the one she's sleeping on. Dear heart

Good Morning Everybody :)

Glad you liked it AbiYah :D

Well, have to eat something and get ready to go to the dentist.
Hate being hungry after the dentist when my mouth is all stupid and numb.
Planning to stop on my way back home and pick up a few items at the grocery store.
It's been raining since a little after midnight.
Dark rainy days are great times to bake cookies but I can't do that today. Bummer :(

TTYL :)

LOVE it, Tillie! You're cute!

Start by getting all your ducks in a row.
Walk by them saying
"duck, duck, duck, goose".
Chase that goose away.
;D



Sorry, I have been eating way too much sugar this weekend.