Hi Tillie!
I'm also sure that you will be feeling better soon. You are very resilient.
Sorry to hear about your toilet situation. It is always amazes me what really simple and solvable difficulties people can have when there is no-one to help. Of course, there would be more people in my life if people, generally, WERE helpful. . .

Hi Porter. Sorry to hear you're going through a lot, and feeling abandoned right now. I hope that you use the time to get to know yourself even better. Getting to know yourself is really the name of the game. Hah, yes, and then you can introduce yourself to others as your "best friend".

Hi Tat. You sound like you are taking things in stride. Good.

Hi Anony.

Hi SubC.

I am awake. I had a stomach ache when I decided to write a post, but I took a remedy and already it is better. I was hoping the remedy would help, but did not realize how badly I needed it. I spend most of my time paying attention to how I am doing, and keeping myself balanced out with an array of remedies, Rx, and supplements. It keeps me well enough to cover survival tasks, and most importantly, improves my health over the long run.

What I really need now is a new batch of allergy drops. The allergy drops that I began last fall have proved to be a key component of my health-improvement regimen. They affect almost all my difficulties very profoundly, not just what people think of as allergies. They affect my sleep, my mood, my digestion, my ability to eat more foods and not get sick - the list is endless. The drops need to be custom-made, and they have a new bookkeeper at the doctor's office who is asleep at the wheel. So there was some delay getting my order started. Drops should be ready very soon.

There is very little on TV. I really depend on TV a lot, not because I want to, but because of health issues. Yesterday I began watching the Einstein series (Genius show on the History channel). It is excellent. Big Brother is starting Wednesday. I enjoy following Big Brother in the doldrums of summer.

Take care everyone.

Very bored with nothing to do and no one doing anything either.

spent the day working om the Cobb wall machine concept.
I'm very pleased with what I came up with.
I potentially came up with a concept could definately reduce co2 on a global scale.

It amazes me . When I was occupied with my clutter I rarely came up with original thought.

to bad tillie you can't harvest hot rocks in an insulated cooler at the end of the day and keep in the insulated box until the room cools to 62 then open the cooler near you.

Once I had no gas heat but had electricity.
I made tea water, just the water . Funneled into 2 liter bottles they are extremely warm especially under a house coat. I believe the same would work for ice water also but never needed to try it.

Great work on the trash & recycling! Also, congrats on finding a dress for your mom! I hope it fits and she likes it! That's exciting that your son is getting married soon! I think you mentioned it before but maybe it didn't sink in.

I didn't do much here today but tonight at mom's I changed her sheets and worked on her laundry and brought the rest of her laundry here. We had a very pleasant evening together and I'm thinking about taking Tuesday off and taking her to the art museum. We shall see.

Getting rid of the lamps is fine. I'm trying not to form too many attachments to things. I'm trying to say that I've loved things enough. These lamps I liked but not loved. Plus I have no room once the new ones are here. I'm very excited about my new ones. I think we'll be picking them up on Tuesday. I'm ready in any event.

I'm showered and have clean sheets. Think I'll climb into bed.

I don't know if we will ever be finished but we're trying, right? I have so much artwork to sort through and hang. I think I'd feel a lot better if I could make some decisions on my art right now.

Tatoulia, that is very good with the lamps. I would have a hard time getting rid of the ones I liked.

The biggest step for me is not getting things in the first place. It has been easier the last couple of years because my parents and in laws - who are gifts people - have been willing to give us gifts for the addition - dedicated checks for specific parts of the job - which has been really helpful. If we built the addition more slowly, it would cost us less I guess, but we are already on year three (we are doing a lot of the work ourselves) one or two more Christmases and it will be done.

I went to the grocery store today. I stocked up on hot cereal for winter (2 bags) and spaghetti sauce (6 jars) because they were really cheap and had far away expiration dates. Besides that I stuck to my list.

I dropped off three big boxes of recycling on the way there and took a plastic grocery bag of trash.

I also stopped in the thrift store. I need a dress for my son's wedding in September. I didn't find one for me, but I found one I think my mom will like (she is trying to find one too) and bought it ($2.66) I am going to take it to her next week, so it doesn't really count as an in.

I cleaned up the kitchen and put some things into the landfill bag. (why is there so much plastic on food?!)

I put the laundry away and I found a scarf I can give up.

Sometimes the slow pace wears me down. I really believe it is getting better, but at this rate, when will I feel done? Ever?

Tillie, I'm doing a little bit not a lot. Please don't be sad--it is hot where you are and you'll have the time to clean!

I am drinking lots of water and trying to get some small stuff done.

I got a bag to donation center yesterday. That was satisfying.

I have changed my sheets and decided to take one of the layers off. I like the weight of more layers but I need to be realistic too.

I'll take the quilt to the laundromat snd have them wash it for me.

I'm getting two lamps tomorrow-a pair, so I need to box up the two lamps in my bedroom for the consignment shop. The two I'm getting are beautiful. I really like the lamps in my bedroom but they must go. I don't have my car today--loaned it to a neighbor--so I won't be able to get the lamps to the shop this weekend. That is what next weekend is for. We have a long weekend due to holiday--Monday & Tiesday off. We will likely have a short day on Friday but I'll stay late anyway. End of quarter and I have a lot to do before I start in on my reports.

I'm pushing thru the frustration.

Good Morning! :D

Hi Porter :)
So many changes in your and your daughter's lives.
Please do go out and find another rescue cat.
You and the cat need each other. (((HUGS)))

Hi Subclinical :)
GREAT! that the bins are all nicely sorted out to contain only all of one type of things!
Wonderful organization! ;D
So nice that your daughter came by and enjoyed your studio.

Hi Anonymoniker :)
Hi CriticalMass :)
Hi Joan :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
I am frustrated that you are frustrated (((HUGS)))
The evaporative cooler gets turned on about 10:00am and stays on until after 8:00pm.
The ceiling fan is used off and on all day & night.
Hoping that you are able to stay out of the heat and that your humidity doesn't get too overwhelming.

I am tired...
There is so much needing to get done around here but I just do not have the energy to do anything about it.
This makes me sad.
I'm sure that soon I will be feeling better physically and all the house cleaning and weed pulling will get done, eventually ;)

I'm playing music to putter by but I'm feeling really frustrated and I don't feel like doing anything. I am super frustrated and going to try to push throughout it.

Hello everyone!

Porter I'm sorry about your family situation. I'm not sure why your wife doesn't want to see you and I encourage you to keep the door open, just in case she changes her mind. This is s difficult time for everyone and I wish you much peace.

SubC, I take the train to work and then walk home. Generally on Tuesdays my BF picks me up and drives me home, otherwise I walk. It's more than a mile but under two miles. I have trouble once it's hot out so generally stay at work til about 7/8 before walking home. Bear in mind I work from home a minimum of two days a week, which is a very nice benefit. Congrats on having your daughter compliment your space!

Anony keep up the good work. It's a struggle but we are doing it!

CM I hope your stomach is better.

Tillie, the never ending need to kitty litter! It's sometimes the only thing that gets me out of the house. The temp swings are terrible and stressful. Oh, to be 40F right now! Love the cool weather. I don't know how you survive the triple digits and hope you are using your evaporative cooler.

Time with brother was short today and it didn't get too difficult. Then I came home and slept. Going to make dinner then maybe get dressed and go visit mom. I can tell the humidity has passed. BF was going to go home today and do some cooking and cleaning. We will spend time together tomorrow. The air was very heavy this AM and afternoon.

Porter, I'm sorry. I hope your daughter will come back, at least to visit. She may just feel like she needs her aunt right now. I assume you will still have legal custody?

Meanwhile, it sounds like you are taking a healthy approach to settling in. I'm glad your coworkers are keeping you company.

Tillie,

I have a skunk too! Mine hangs out in the barn and sometimes eats my eggs. I've been fattening him up on the free bread. Those temperature swings sound awful!

I haven't been worrying about the bin labels right now since I may not have to move them. They don't need labels inside because they are uniform. If you open one and see Legos - it is all Legos. If you see mohair, it's mohair all the way down...

I got to the bottom of the stack of playmobil I've been carrying in from the studio barn, and when I picked the bin up, it didn't feel right. I opened it and it was K'nex. The good news is I was able to redistribute the contents to other bins so that they would fit in the space already given to K'nex - and I got an empty bin! I think the label fell off and somebody stuck it back on the wrong bin.

Anony,

sorry about all the bugs! My friend moved to Texas and released a chameleon in her house to catch her bugs.

Today my dd2 was able to come out to my studio, take a 3 minute tour including which materials she could help herself to, and throw pots for two hours. That made me feel really good! She also complimented me on the shelving.

Hi gang.
bittersweet move completed.
We took the chance of moving to another home for the three of us. One I finally got it all in, all put away, all organized.
They are both gone.
My wife has left orders that i may not visit her.
My daughter left me a note that she is moving to her aunts.
Its like grief and heartache.

when i try to write about it i just get chocked up.
I'm sorry i haven't been on. I've purged alot of things that if we were still together neither of us would let go, but knowing she won't be back I just walk it out to the bin.

I know ill go on, but it hurts. I haven't been alone in a very long time. I can barely afford my place. I know ill eventually feel better, but I'm just bummed out for now.

my male coworkers are planning a card game at my house.
it's what I used to do. But I'd trade that for having my family home again. I'm basically leaving daughters room as is .
and if she wants to come back for week ends or something I'll let her.

I'll wait till my wife passes before removing anything else.
I've spent alot of time building the shelving in the closet and kitchen spaces. I have alot of appliances, and tools. I put in alot more effort than nessasary. And my new place feels like home already.

I plan to get a cat.
A spade female kitten. I'll wait to name the cat until I actually bring one home. I'll wait to see if the cat name fits that daughter and I had for a stray we knew was abandoned and we adopted. Kamere Kitty aka KK.
I still have most of the toys from former pets.

In my solitude. I plan to work on both my hobbies.
a clay wall machine, and the flying bike. I think I love to develop and the share the flying bike concept.
but the wall building machine I think would become a business with much less competition and danger a hoverbike. Both could help eliminate co2 issues so they equally important to us all. So i look forward to doing some real modeling and prototypes at scale. I think the worst thing i could do is get lost in tv habits or partying with friends to often. My thinking is sure we know how to build hoses, and get around, but we're choking the planet and will continue to do so until something comes forth that's much better but also clean energy.

So I think I will pour myself into this work for short period.
and if it fizzles out. I'll sell everything and buy a boat that can sail from Alaska to Hawaii and live out my life pursuing that dream.

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi CriticalMass :)
Hope you have found a comfortable place to be on your computer.
When I am reading/posting here, I am standing at the kitchen counter.
Found that by being able to stand up straight, bend and generally fidget around keeps my back from aching.
Good luck on all your organizing & decluttering at home away from the heat and I hope you find the time to enjoy doing your beading. :D

Hi Subclinical :)
Have you found some way to stick the labels on your bins yet?
Along with labeling the outside of them, tuck a label on the inside of each bin and that way if the label falls off you can easily peek inside to know what all is in it.
WAY TO GO! for all those little decluttering/organizing tasks!
Every little bit will all add up to make a big difference over time. :D

Hi Anonymoniker :)
WAY TO GO! for standing there and enjoying the sight and ease of your nice clean cupboard!
(((HUGS)))
YEA!!! for refreshing iced coffee! :D
Sorry the bug invasion has begun but keep beautifying your home area by area in spite of them.

Hi Tatoulia :)
I never do Facebook either.
I found it too creepy and invasive of my privacy the way they tap into our contact list.
WAY TO GO!!!! for all you do to keep up the house!
Take it easy on yourself and don't over do while the weather is so hot & humid. (((HUGS)))

Going from temperatures in the 40s to three digit temps has taken a toll on me, the cats and the garden plants/grass.
Keeping up with the bare minimum here.
Cat stuff gets done. Scooter has been vomiting a lot & I clean that up as it happens.
Even watering outside every other day all the stuff still is having a hard time not wilting/browning.
Last night I had a visitor, a big skunk in the yard. :D
Still have not gone grocery shopping or left the house.
Will need to go soon, running low on kitty litter and kibble.

TTYS ;D

~♡~Good Morning!~♡~
Tillie, i am now sipping on some ice coffee that i made a pot of yesterday, as youd suggested to someone! What a treat!
....i never vacuumed the porch last night....there were crickets jumping out of everything i moved....and SubC, i literally have bugs not even discovered yet....2nd only to the Amazon in new insect species...during the daytime heat i think night will be easier, then at night the bugs are overwhelming...early morning is the only time & is the hardest to function for me...
I hope we all are happy with our achievements by the end of today!~♡~

Hi tatoulia,

Did you get dinner? Do you usually walk to/from work? Or take a bus?

Anony,

Lots of progress on your home! What kind of bugs are you fighting?

I finished the drawer. We had 23 decks of cards. When I sent the photo of the discard pile out to the kids, I held a guessing contest and dd1 was spot on. The other two were way too low. 3 decks got thrown out because they were missing cards and nine are going to goodwill. So we still have way too many cards, but if I got rid of half of everything in this house it would be amazing.

I purged two card based games, one of two old maid decks, two slinkies,three puzzles, and a magic trick. Ds wants one of the puzzles.

The drawer is still full, but it now opens and closes easily and you can get anything out by moving no more than one extra thing.

I slept really late this morning, but I feel less tired. And the sun is out.

I am hoping the painted shelf put back in the kitchen, with the new sofa on the screen porch, will be a whole new pretty direction to look in! Im gonna vacuum it tonight!
SubC, i used to have quite a slinky collection...even a really cute Slinky phone...a landline...i had extensive collections of that sort of stuff...they can be fun....☆
☆.....hopefully, i can get some stuff done tonight, in spite of the huge freaky bugs everywhere....*

Hello everyone! Good yo read your posts!

Anony getting unstuck is a thing of wonder. How nice that you can admire your clean cupboard! I feel that way myself sometimes, and it's a good reminder to take a step back and appreciate the fruits of your labor. I know it's hard.

SubC you are very organized re your closets--great work! I have a bag here ready to be donated and I'm pretty excited about that.

Very humid here. Just got home from work. I was fortunate that someone offered me a ride. I need to make dinner and then relax.

Anony, I am not "friends" with my mom because I don't have a Facebook account. That's why I use hers to see my kids' photos. Everybody knows and is ok with that.

I love that feeling you are talking about from your cupboard.

Do you think you can make the porch feel that way? Is it a big job?

I wanted to go to the studio where I take classes today, but I am feeling overwhelmed and pinned down by the rain and the dark.

I switched out all the colored hangers in my closet for white, which made it look nicer, but I also realized I really need to go through my clothes again.

I didn't buy the white hangers. I had hangers left over from the last time I cleaned out my closet, and the person who runs the community closet at the food bank said I could trade hangers.

I do still have 4 red hangers in my closet - those are the "too small but I have not given up" clothes.

I have also dumped a drawer of card games and puzzles all over the living room floor. How many packs of regular playing cards do you think a family needs? We do not have bridge parties.

Also, I think I should get rid of the slinky. You can still buy metal slinkies, and this one has a very small stretch. You can even get a fancy brass slinky in a pretty wooden box. I am not going to, but knowing that I could helps.

Dd2 went shopping after work yesterday and bought more clothes. She says she is going to get rid of old clothes, but she already has too many clothes. She says, "but shopping and getting something new makes me happy." I told her that is the dopamine hit from the hoarding gene - "you know how your sister can't drink? (Begin sarcastic tone) I gave you guys great genes. (End sarcasm.) I'm sorry."

~☆~Hello, Happy Hoarders!~☆~
Im enjoying my new experience of both sleeping different hours, and being facebook-free! ...tho i kinda messed today up by sleeping too late...
Even tho im not progressing like a 'normal' person would, ive finally gotten through the stuck point my screen porch was at! Without facebook, there is no interruption in decisions. It is an amazing difference! SubC, why arent you 'friends' with your Mom?
One thing that has been a really nice glimpse into normal-ness, is when i either get a dish out, or put a mug away in my clean cupboard, ill often just stand there, with all its beauty & simplicity, and just stare at it! Its big enough to encompass my whole field of vision! Its wonderful! :D
~☆~♡~☆~ ~☆~♡~☆~ ~☆~♡~☆~

~☆~Hello, Happy Hoarders!~☆~
Im enjoying my new experience of both sleeping different hours, and being facebook-free! ...tho i kinda messed today up by sleeping too late...
Even tho im not progressing like a 'normal' person would, ive finally gotten through the stuck point my screen porch was at! Without facebook, there is no interruption in decisions. It is an amazing difference! SubC, why arent you 'friends' with your Mom?
One thing that has been a really nice glimpse into normal-ness, is when i either get a dish out, or put a mug away in my clean cupboard, ill often just stand there, with all its beauty & simplicity, and just stare at it! Its big enough to encompass my whole field of vision! Its wonderful! :D
~☆~♡~☆~ ~☆~♡~☆~ ~☆~♡~☆~

Ok, I did a respectable amount of shredding, I changed the
Cat box, I vacuumed the living room/den area and I dusted the bookshelves. Very humid. Very uncomfortable. I am going to go open up a brand new can of food for the kittycat to thank her for being so good. I'm also going to out the shredder away and out away the vacuum.

I've showered and out the AC on in the bedroom. I def worked up a sweat.

Great work, SubC -- congratulations on getting so much done!

I'm going to vacuum before I take the garbage out tonight. I know it will upset the kitty but it needs to be done. Plus her upset lasts only as long as the vacuuming; she doesn't suffer beyond that.

Time to put on some music and get going!

I don't know what happened to the beginning of my post.

I HAVE LABELLED my bins
The LABELS keep falling off
MASKING TAPE
STICK ONS
Have AT LEAST a temporary reprieve

Hi everyone!

Tillie, I hav l shelled my bins but not all of them. The laels keep falling off from temp and humidity changes. I' tried masking roe, packing tape, and stick one.

It looks like I am going to have set leat a temporary reprieve from the duct work, so that is good.

The area where you live sounds really interesting.

Anony, I am definitely not a clean freak! If you could see my house, you would think I never to housework.

It sounds like you are making good progress with your home too. Sometimes I log on to Facebook using my mom's account so I can see pictures my kids post. My mom is only "friends" with my 3 kids and my cousin.

CM, I hope you feel better soon! I don't think it matters where you work on your stuff, as long as you are making progress. A better place to work is definitely progress.

I started my day by putting away the dry tools and washing some more and reloading the shelf.

Today I have three accomplishments -

1) I recycled two magazines - so I'm down one for the month.
2) I cleaned out a drawer and threw away all the saved rubber bands because I know I have plenty of rubber bands in another drawer, (I started to check them each for stretch, and then I thought I would just check the pretty colors or really sturdy looking ones, and then, I just threw them all out!) and recycled my deceased cat's rabies tags
3) I took the cans to the recycling center. That is a really big one. I stopped drinking soda in December and cans started accumulating very slowly after that. I did the math on the time to crush them and realized that recycling cans paid less than half minimum wage, and I decided that after I took all the ones on hand, I would just toss them in with the regular recycling.

But then I didn't make the trip, AND I stopped crushing. But today, I crushed six paper grocery bags of cans, drove to the recycling drop (a short trip past picking blueberries at a friend's house) and turned in four big garbage bags of crushed cans. I am going to set the $12.60 aside for thrift shop buys that will help organize my studio, and now, I am done sorting out the cans.

Then this evening I helped at the food bank. People.

I am tired.

Sorry to hear about your continuing back pain, CM. YES get a clear space for the laptop. Glad bunny's rumble funny is better and hope you are 100% soon.

I think that's a very good idea re storage space. You can work on your living quarters, so it won't be as if you are losing time or losing ground.

I'm shredding today too. Garbage night. Much cooler here today/much more livable. Decided to work from home rather than go in.

Hi everyone, happy belated solstice. I usually like to mark the occasion by going out to watch lightning bugs. But it's been kind of a disjointed week. In addition to my backache, I got the stomach rumbles this week. And one of the bunnies had stomach trouble too! I had to hand feed her. She is doing much better and I'm doing mostly better.

In between all that, I had my various activities of quilt guild, etc. This afternoon and tomorrow I sit with my elderly lady and I wanted to make sure I had some lunch and snack things to take along, so the grocery store was another thing. And laundry.

Yesterday was also my clutter club - I told the social worker I'll just work on decluttering at the place where I live through the hot summer and then we can resume the plan to move the storage unit in the fall. Sounds like all of us are just settling in to endure the heat in our own way, doesn't it.

Tillie, I've been reorganizing my beads too. A friend of mine wants me to put together some bracelets and I have some of my own that need restringing. So beads are in my immediate future. That and continuing to get paperwork done and shredded etc. I need to clear a space to work on my laptop seated comfortably. I've been working in bed and that's not helping my backache one bit. Also want to get my sewing machine set back up. I think there are places for both, but paper and stuff occupies them now. So my goal is to dispatch that.

I'll say Happy Weekend today in case I get busy and don't get back to it beforehand.

Great work, Anony! I never did use Facebook because I have enough things wasting my time! Plus, working in an office, your co-workers make friend requests and that invariably leads to someone complaining to somebody about something or the other. Esp if the person posts while out sick or on disability, etc, or something political. So I've steered well away from that, luckily.

I am hardly a clean freak but I'm plugging away. As you know, if I don't post, I find I don't do anything. I need the reinforcement and support and cheers. I also feel good about seeing what I've done in black and white.

So pleased to hear from you, Anony! You are doing a great job!

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Anonymoniker :)
WAY TO GO!!!! for working on that furniture.
I tend to eat more lately too.
The trick is to have lots of "healthy" type stuff around to munch on.
My favorite is nuts, all & any kinds of nuts. :D
But I also need to have some sort of chocolate for when that craving crops up.

Hi Tatoulia :)
So, what are you thinking about cooking?
I boiled some potatoes, carrots, onion & cabbage in broth.
Already had some cooked & sliced corned beef in the freezer to go with it.
It's all in the fridge and I just heat up a dish whenever I get hungry.

Knew that I would need to get out early today and water trying to beat the heat.
So, last night I went out and watered.
Today I don't need to venture out there.
Problem with watering after dark is trying not to step on any snakes.
I have 2 rolls of that nice "Contac" shelf liner, the kind that is not so sticky.
Thinking today I will reline some pantry shelves.
Also a good time to sorta dust, evaluate and arrange the shelf stuff since it will be moved around anyways.
Thinking of quiet, easy & cool things to do inside instead of vegging out watching Youtube/Netflix all day. :D

~Good Morning!~
I know ive said this before, but reading y'all's posts honestly sounds like this could be a forum for compulsive clean freaks?! Y'all are getting a lot done! Each of you is seeming to have a good grasp getting done what you need to do with your home space?!
Between the heat wave & my facebook feed gone, im noticing i have much better focus. I say the heat wave, cuz i have to work around the heat, so i have to carry out plans, or its just too miserable later. I finally put plastic bags around my feet with shoes, and painted that shelf. That seems obvious now! Im going to assemble one of the new screen porch sofas today, hopefully.
Its funny how bored i get without facebook. And im eating WAY more, almost as if id quit smoking cigarettes...ha ha...its good! I like these new changes! I may clean off my night table today?!
~♡~Stay cool & happy, everyone!~♡~

~Good Morning!~
I know ive said this before, but reading y'all's posts honestly sounds like this could be a forum for compulsive clean freaks?! Y'all are getting a lot done! Each of you is seeming to have a good grasp getting done what you need to do with your home space?!
Between the heat wave & my facebook feed gone, im noticing i have much better focus. I say the heat wave, cuz i have to work around the heat, so i have to carry out plans, or its just too miserable later. I finally put plastic bags around my feet with shoes, and painted that shelf. That seems obvious now! Im going to assemble one of the new screen porch sofas today, hopefully.
Its funny how bored i get without facebook. And im eating WAY more, almost as if id quit smoking cigarettes...ha ha...its good! I like these new changes! I may clean off my night table today?!
~♡~Stay cool & happy, everyone!~♡~

I love the vision of the house--I have known people with full kitchens in their basements. Oh how I loved monster movies on Saturday afternoons! I spent part of my childhood in Illinois--very happy memories.

I need to do some cooking one of these days. I haven't cooked in a while and I'm hungry just thinking about it.

Hi Subclinical :)
Porter explained how he labeled all his storage bins so they would be easy to get back into the correct order after being moved.
This red rose bush is one of those old fashioned heritage species. The kind with the large blousy heavenly scented blooms.
I gathered all the petals and have them in a bowl on my dresser now.
I too tend to find myself flitting from one task to another all day long.
Sometimes it can't be helped when other things, people or animals demand your immediate attention.

Hi Tatoulia :)
Granma had a huge basement that we spent all our time in in the summer when it was hot.
But being in Michigan it was always so humid.
Her basement had a full kitchen, a pool table and player piano. Couches & chairs & tables & a TV.
Sometimes I would get my pillow and sleep on the pool table while watching monster movies on TV. ;D
My house here started life as a one room, no plumbing or electric home stead in a nearby town that is now an official mining ghost town.
So, absolutely no insulation with the 2 main windows facing directly west.
Thankfully I have a ceiling fan and a swamp cooler or I would die. :)

Decided all the cat's laundry needed to be washed today.
They are all happy now to have it back fresh & clean.
Did a little food cooking so I will have something to eat whenever I get hungry.
All in all it's been a nice puttering around day.

*very not berry!

SubC thank you for describing your activities--gives me a berry good visual!

I live in a floor-through in an old Victorian townhouse. I have very high ceilings and very tall windows. I get great sunshine. My ceiling fans do a good job of keeping the air moving and when need to, I use the AC. I'm not a fan of summer and wish I had a pool to jump into or a nice cool basement.

I have fond memories of growing up in a house with both a pool and a nice cool basement. I'd tumble rocks and make candles and do woodworking and other projects. To this day just the smell of a basement can bring a tear to my eye. This year at Christmas my sister sent me a box of wood shavings. She'd been somewhere and there were curly wood shavings from someone planing, and she sent me a handful just to bring back memories. I enjoyed them for a week and then tossed. )I'm getting better!).

Once the sun goes down I plan to put on some puttering music and like you, start this thing and start that thing and I will feel greatly satisfied. I just need to sun to go down a bit, it is streaming in the back of my place right now. Bedroom is cool and dark as I've left the drapes closed all day.

Happy solstice!

I loves firsts and beginnings and fresh starts. :)

Tillie, I am sorry about your roses. I keep trying to grow roses, but they always freeze. I don't want those "knock out roses" I want something old fashioned and charming. I'm going to try again when the addition is done because I have a south facing, sheltered concrete wall.

I love lavender too.

I can't imagine not speaking to a human for weeks! Actually, it sounds a bit appealing. Just having the drywall guy (who is very nice) here every day is wearing me down.

I'm afraid the stuff in the basement will just get unorganized. It's organized by being grouped in distinct locations, so I'm concerned that the moving with mix things up.


Tatoulia, how are your papers? When it is hot here I tend to work in the studio or basement because they are cool. I don't feel like I get a lot done, but I often have trouble focusing and tend to bounce around a lot. It drives dh nuts. He will " clean the kitchen" and then move on. I will empty the dish drainer, and then go do something else, and empty the dishwasher, and go do something else, and take the compost out, and do something else, etc, etc, etc.

There is an example of this from my studio project today. The tools get used and laid down, not usually washed and put away. So I emptied this nice 8 drawer rolling cart, and I decided to try to put most of the tools away - instead of having sponges or wooden knives everywhere and grabbing the nearest one and washing it, I could have a drawer full of clean ones and then maybe a jar of assorted relevant clean tools at each dedicated work station! (Mostly I don't put things away because I don't know where "away" is - the thing doesn't have a place)

I found a wire shelf, propped it up at an angle, and started looking for tools. The rare clean ones I put away, and the rest I washed as I found them and then laid them out on the wire shelf to dry. When the shelf got full, I quit and moved on to something different.

I have a pile of plaster molds that need to be washed. I had nowhere to put them, but now I have nicely lined (with salvaged drywall) shelves ready for them. So I grabbed one, brought it in, washed it, and set it on a towel in the corner of the porch to dry. I'll wash another one when this one is dry and put away, and eventually the pile will be done.

Today I have given about two paper grocery bags worth of stuff places. Also sorting and cleaning.

Hi Tillie! Hope you can get to the grocery store! I bet the lavender is beautiful. It is significantly less humid here but still warm. I just ran a bag of kitty litter up to mom and I brought her some cool water and a turkey dinner. Much hotter out than I expected. I am wearing a cool cotton dress breeze kept blowing it up.

I cleaned the area where kitty eats today and I'm working on kitchen counters. As long as I'm puttering, I feel positive. I will wait till tonight to shred papers. I literally have sweat on my face from my walk.

I was up at 3:15 AM because I was at too warm, even with ceiling fan on. I may just have to sleep with AC on tonight. Good sleep is worth it
Back to work for now, wishing everyone a wonderful day. We can do this!

HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE!
Today is the first day of Summer.

Hi Tatoulia :)
Good luck shredding the papers.
Hoping you and kitty are nice and cool inside. (((HUGS)))

Hi Subclinical :)
We have been experiencing many years of drought here so when it does rain I enjoy every drop.
Sorry you will have to relocate the basement stuff but it will be easier to manage now that you have it organized.

Hi Porter :)
Hi CriticalMass :)
Hi Joan :)
Hi Anonymoniker :)

Been enjoying this beautiful cool morning here.
My lavender that I grew from seeds is all in bloom.
Stupid white chrysanthemum (gift from neighbor friends last year) is blooming too.
It's a Fall flower and supposed to wait till Autumn.
Will need to go grocery shopping soon but worry about the heat.
Thinking I may need to consider going very early in the morning, like about 6:00am.
Fortunately, there is nothing I need to look for at the thrift shop and I NEVER go to yard sales. :D
I have enough beads and beading supplies to keep me busy this summer.
Hoping Netflix gets more videos I would like to watch. Lately they have been posting way too many foreign language movies. :(
It's been weeks since I last spoke to a human.
With neighbor friends gone and Nate & Mrs. Nate moved to Washington state, I am all alone, except for all the cats, birds, bunnies, lizards & snakes here. ;P

I can picture the big raindrops, Tillie! SubC you get a lot done in a day! I tend to make very few plans in the summer due to my intolerance for heat and humidity.

cm--way to go! Getting those small projects out of the way!

My goal today is to shred papers. They are piling up.

Have a wonderful day everyone!! Keep up the good work!

Hi :D

The day before yesterday my rosebush had 12 huge beautiful red blooms on it.
The intense heat cooked them into black shriveled sadness.
This evening another thunderstorm happened and it was truly amazing.
Strong cooling winds blowing furious and constant from the south.
Lots of beautiful rain here.
The drops were big and sorta hurt when they hit me as I stood barefoot out in the grass getting soaked. :D

CM, I'm glad you're feeling better!

And good for you for tackling your projects! I feel like mine just keep piling up. Also today I committed to a thing that involves getting up very early so I can do my chores, drive a long distance, and volunteer all morning in a place full of people before driving another long distance to my next class. I will be working with kids though. It's not until July.

Also in July I will be painting our addition because the drywall is supposed to be done next week.

Tillie, I definitely think the recycling is the easiest. I found another box full working in the studio today. The box would hold 40lbs of clay (about a 5 gallon sized box.)

Did you get your rain? We get plenty of rain here in June and I don't really like to be wet unless I'm swimming, so I would not stand in it.

Dh had the hvac guy come to talk about changing some ductwork today. I'm going to have to move a lot of stuff I just organized in the basement. It's discouraging.

Porter how are you doing?

And everyone else, but I'm amazed by the move and furious for updates.

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
WTG! getting trash & recycling out!
I think that's the easiest task with the greatest results around here. ;)

Hi Subclinical :)
WTG! for getting trash and recycling out! :D
It was good that you didn't buy the divided tray the first time, but after careful consideration returned and got it because it was exactly what you needed. :D

Hi CriticalMass :)
WTG! tackling those little neglected tasks!
I find it amazing how doing just a few of them really adds greatly to my mood and general outlook. (((HUGS)))

Yesterday it was 100 degrees and the heat brewed up an early evening thunderstorm.
Very few drops fell here but it made it cool enough that I went out and watered everything.
Today it's supposed to get even hotter.
Doing laundry right now. Dries almost as fast as I hang it out. :D
Plan for today is to just lay low inside with the cats.
Hoping for a thunderstorm with LOTS of rain drops here.
If it does rain, I will go out and stand in it. ;D

Hi all,

Tatoulia, I think vacuuming is just one of those clumsy hot stressful things to do. Maybe it'd be okay if one lived in a place with nothing but large empty rooms. But the dragging the machine out, navigating around furniture, wondering why either a) it doesn't seem to be picking up well, or b) what that acrid burnt rubber stench might mean - I exaggerate a little but I can tell you vacuuming sure isn't my fave pastime either!

Tillie, you're so right about how we hoarders procrastinate and let problems get out of hand. Even though I'm working against my own inertia, it's still a battle at times. He is definitely hardcore so I can see how it escalated to such an extreme over time. Keep fighting for your right to a functional toilet.

Subclinical, good work on several fronts there. And great the kids are on board with it.

I'm feeling better after my weekend mental crash. Got some sleep and am starting on my resolution to clear the backlog of several months - projects that wouldn't have taken much time at all but life kept pulling me away and the projects kept stacking up.

The good news is that the projects don't take that much time apiece. I just had to decide which one to start with. Got one all done today! On to the next one.

A fair amount of the projects are entering information from paperwork into the computer then the paper can go away. I'm cramped for space and have a backache. It started from not properly warming up for swimming Friday. I didn't want to get in the warm pool and stretch first; it was such a hot day I just wanted right in the cool pool. Bad idea. Then I think I slept on it wrong. Anyway, it motivates me to figure out a more ergonomic way to do the computer stuff.

I'm standing firm about being committed to not getting overcommitted.

Yay for vacuuming!

Our cat hates the shredder noise.

Tillie, I am so sorry about your bathroom! Trees? Ug!

Most of my daily triage list is focused on avoiding situations like that. So many turn up on a farm.

I filled the back of my car with recycling and dropped it off. Also took three plastic grocery bags of garbage to various places I shopped today (I toss them in the parking lot cans - I buy the trash at the stores, I take the trash back to the stores.)

Class, quick grocery run, and I bought a divided tray at the thrift store to sort and store some of my tools. That's an in, but I resisted it last time I was there and then regretted it when I was organizing, so I bought it today.

Short because I'm trying to get to bed by ten!

Thanks Tillie! I was smarter than the cat.... This time!

Got all my trash out. I need to do major paper shredding this week. Once again it is out of control. Maybe Wednesday--I'll be working from home and likely can find some time to do it. Cat-permitting, of course!

WAY TO GO! Tatoulia :)

See how the cat tried to thwart your vacuuming plans?
HaHaHaHa ;D

Vacuumed the bedroom! Took NO time. What is the matter with me?

Funny, cat woke up and ran into bedroom, but as I brought the vacuum into bedroom, she scooted back to her carrier. Dingdong.

Hi Tillie--so so sorry about the toilet situation. I am so sorry. Your 'rants' are so tame compared to where my rant level would be. I am so sorry.

I blame miss kitty for my lack of vacuuming butbtruth he told, she hasnt been in my bedroom all day. She's been here with me, sleeping in her carrier. Her carrier has a mesh top and the little thing has been sleeping in it since her return from BF's house. I don't have the heart to put it away. She must feel safe and cool in it. She's never been a box cat but this thing thrills here.

I did get a bag of ice and I took my recycling out. I will see if I can just pull out the vacuum and get it done. There is nothing on the floor to prevent me from doing it/don't need to pick up anything.

Thanks for helping me analyze the situation. The only thing stopping me is ME.

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Cory :)
Hope you had a wonderful family time (((HUGS)))

Hi Subclinical :)
WAY TO GO! on getting things sorted out and reduced!
Great that the kids are helping with the letting go too.

Hi Tatoulia :)
About the resistance to vacuuming...
Is there a bad memory of past vacuuming keeping you stuck?
Is there something you must do first before you vacuum that you hate doing?
Is it the vacuum it's self that you don't like?
Is it the cat encouraging you not to vacuum?
I know why I resist regularly vacuuming my room
it's the cats who all love my room and are always in there.
About coffee/tea...
I never drink hot things any more since "the change".
I brew enough tea for three days and keep it in the fridge.
It's a gallon of chai masala and a gallon of green tea with fresh squeezed lemon.
You could also brew a batch of coffee and keep it in your fridge.
I also bought ice cube trays at Dollar Tree and now have lots & lots of lovely ice cubes in a large baggie right next to all my freezer pops.
We must do whatever it takes to survive the Summer heat. (((HUGS)))

Friday I left a short letter sitting on his computer keyboard about the toilet issue.
He did not speak to me all weekend.
But he did take all his old nasty dirty bug infested scraps of carpet to the dump.
Then he filled the newly cleared out space with an assortment of random clutter.
I will continue the fight for a flushing toilet.

Warning...
unpleasant rant coming...
He is so very resistant because years ago the wax seal failed on the toilet allowing water to constantly seep onto the flooring.
The linoleum tiles lost their stickiness and fell away leaving the bare wood exposed.
The wood flooring has rotted from the constant water.
There is a large deep crack running along side the toilet in the flooring.
Trees sometimes grow through there.
The wood is squishy and the toilet rocks.
Someday it will fall through.
We had lots of fights when the wax seal first failed.
He would not lift out the toilet so I could replace the seal.
I can not lift a toilet, he can.
He has wax toilet seals in his hoard and kept saying he wanted to keep them in case we needed them someday.
I kept saying that this was the day.
He did eventually use one of his precious wax seals but all the damage was already done after so many years.
Now the floor and sub flooring all need to be fixed/replaced and he can't do that so we need to hire a contractor for the job.
All because he was saving the 2.50 wax seal for "some day".
Hoarding is expensive when things can be put right for pennies but are left so long that it takes hundreds/thousands to fix them later on.
Rant over...
Thanks for listening...

This is why I am so resistant to cleaning the bathroom.
There are lots of other issues with the bathroom too.
Why bother :(

Good morning SubC, Cory, Tillie, Joan, Anony. Porter, CM and everyone else! Hope I didn't leave anyone out!

Great work SubC!!

I took one item to consignment shop yesterday. The shop was very, very full and was difficult for mom to navigate. They have not sold the piece that is similar to the big piece I want to get out. One of the workers suggested I use Craig's List to get rid of the item--will likely sell better in an urban environment rather than out in the suburbs where the shop is. I'll have to see if I can move it to the common area for a short period of time as I will not want people coming into my home.

I am hoping, despite the terrible humidity, to dust the bedroom and vacuum it today. I have so many excuses on the vacuuming which is ridiculous since it is at most a ten minute endeavor.

I need to get a bag of ice today and switch to iced tea. No more coffee during these hot terrible days.

We had a nice dinner with the girls and our son in law.

I hope everyone else had a good day.

Yesterday I emptied and rinsed out three mostly used quart bottles of casting slip. I tossed them in the recycling. I also handed dd1 a stack of cards from when she was a kid and she sorted them in the spot. She took 2, I kept 3 post cards for the international stamps (I have a stamp collection box and it isn't full) and the rest went in the recycling. I did not save them for scrap paper or to use the pictures or anything!

The girls agreed that I can get rid of all the playdo, and any accessories except the barber shop. Dd2 really wants to keep the barber shop. So that will empty a couple of two gallon pails, plus whatever else I find as I clean out the cabinets the playdo is in.

Today I have class and I am going to haul away the recycling and some garbage so I should be able to see more improvement.

Yes! Happy Father's Day!!!!

CM thank you for your descriptive post--I could picture your struggles and I am glad you had a friend there yo help you out. I'm also pleased to see that you recognize that you need to take a step back and give yourself a break. You'd be able to tell a friend to just find some relaxation and it's good to see that you are able to tell yourself that.

As to me, I have done precious little other than sleep. I feel so rested. Did laundry this AM and now about to go see mom.

I know I do a lot of laundry, bearing in mind I have an apt sized washer and dryer,

Sheets & pillow cases = 2-3 loads each week
Cat blankets/sheets= 2 loads each week
Towels = 2 loads each week
Pjs= one load
General clothing=. 2 loads


Now that I've learned to fold & put away, I don't have to look st piles of laundry.

The dishwasher I need to run at least twice a week.

Cat box is completely changed out twice a week.

The above are my bare minimums each week and I do it. I need to expand:am doing a good job on gifting the bedroom but not as diligent with the vacuuming.