Wow, Tillie! That's a lot of work!! Oh for some homemade potato salad! You once gave me your grandmother's recipe and I'm not sure where I put it. Any chance you'd tell me again?

I have to agree that the dryer is so hard on clothes. I only use low setting and I take out before completely dry. I tend to hang (in my bathroom) my pillow cases. I never use fabric softener, with the sole exception being for kitty's things. I need the dryer sheets to help with the fur.

I've cleaned her box and taken the trash out. I've showered and washed my hair and I'm making dinner. AC is blasting and I'm listening to some tunes. I'll hopefully do some more maintenance once I've eaten. It's goid to have bedroom dusted and vacuumed. Once a week and it looks great. Of course this is week two so let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Good Afternoon Everyone :)

Hi Subclinical :)
YEA!!! a whole shelf free now!
Wishing your dd everything wonderful in this new phase of her life. (((hug)))
Hope you get your dry days.

Hi Anonymoniker :)
No snake. It was hiding under the doll crib cat bed in the dining room last Summer and Scooter told me about it so I made Steven put the snake back outside.
When the cats are outside with me I leave the screen door propped open so they can come & go on their own & that's how the snake came in.
I have found that things dried in a clothes dryer wear out faster than line drying even in the Winter.
Hot & tumbling around, like how river stones get all smooth in the ever running stream.
Good luck with that dump run, should you decide to do that.
Just don't get over heated and drink lots of water. (((hugs)))

Hi Tatoulia :)
WAY TO GO! for peaceful easy weekends (((HUGS)))

Was going to make potato salad today since I bought fixins yesterday.
But with all that beautiful blessing of rain last night I knew today I could light the burn barrel.
Had a lot of stuff to burn since it had been so long with wildfire danger.
Then I got a "bee in my bonnet" about the back porch.
The porch was covered in dust, debris, cobwebs, etc.
Steven has his hoard all surrounding it and even some stuff heaped on it.
Been asking him since last Spring to move all that crap so I can wash the porch.
Well, I moved all his junk off there except the two mini fridges.
I washed/hosed the door mats, swept the porch floor/walls/ceiling and then fixed a bucket of hot soapy water.
Using a brush I washed the walls & screen door and then used the broom to scrub the floor.
Then I used the hose to hose it ALL down.
It is so very nice now. :D
Yes, Steven's stuff did get sorta/kinda wet but it gets wet anyways out there. ;P
Temps didn't even get up to 80 until 1:00pm so it was real nice outside.
Maybe when I rest up I will feel up to making my potato salad. Decided this time I will use sweet pickles. ;)
I asked Scooter to sniff the porch and he said there was nothing to sniff about it.

Thanks Anony for the reinforcement on the sibling situation! I've reached a new level with it. Last week I had breakfast with a friend and he was horrified to learn what I've been living under. And it's prompted me to examine it a bit and I see that it's been decades of abuse that I've happily ignored and compartmentalized in the name of his mental illness. So I'm viewing it a little differently now. I see that my desperate wish that he weren't sick has given him free reign over my life, my time and my money. So I'm staying strong and thank goodness it's been easy so far.

I just dusted and vacuumed bedroom. All laundry in house is done and put away. I got some done on Saturday and finished the rest today including kitty stuff. She's shedding up a storm and the brush is no match.

Good for you Anony for speaking to the cat family.

I need to clean cat box and get trash ready for tonight.

~♡~Good morning & coffee clinks!~♡~
SubC, i laughed so hard at 'rescue produce' ha ha. :D
Tillie, you have a snake in the livingroom?!? Im glad you got some of that enzyme spray! I dont hang laundry out in the winter freezes any more cuz its so hard on the fabric & seems to wear the clothes out faster?
Tatoulia, i am so proud of you staying on track with the sibling! That is a wonderful accomplishment & im so glad you are appreciating an abuse-free life now!
I went yesterday to talk to my neighbors with the bully cat & it went well! He seemed more cooperative than she did, but thats ok. They have like 10 kids, who all listened intently to the crazy cat lady from the woods next door talk about 'fixing' their cat....i can imagine the questions when i left...ha ha
Today i may take my trash to the dump. Id rather collect yard junk, but the trash needs to go & im on my own to load it this time & it will be super gross in this heat! Itll be nice to do it myself, tho....kinda...ha ha

Forgive my absence! Everyone is doing so well. I e been doing maintenance only which is a shame because I want to continue with the drawer/shelf challenge and I still haven't fully prepared my floors for my new floor cloth. Ugh.

We are going to have very humid and soupy weather this week. Glad you got rain, Tillie. SubC congratulations on your ribbons! It makes perfect sense to give the ribbons back! I hope daughter's move goes well and that's fantastic that she took her brother's stuff out of the house!

Glad you got rain, Tillie! Scooter is doing a good job of monitoring the household.

Anony and CM good morning!

Let's see if I can't get myself back on track here. I've had a good, peaceful weekend. It having sibling in my life has made a profound difference.

Tillie, I am glad you hit rain!

We are supposed to NOT get rain today, for the first time since Tuesday (drying things outside is often challenging for me - but my cantaloupe is looking good!)

Scooter is a good help.

Today is my dd's last day at her old job. Tomorrow she is moving some belongings up to her new temporary home (she is renting a room from a friend of a family friend until she finds a roommate close to her age) then Thursday she is heading off to visit her brother. AND she is taking him a carload of his childhood belongings! I will get to reclaim a whole shelf in my studio.

She will go straight from her brother's house to her new digs and I don't know when she will be back. (I will still be storing a lot of her stuff, because for now she is only taking personal items, not household items.)

Hello :)

Hi Subclinical :)
Good luck getting some rescue produce so you won't need to go to the store! ;D

Hi Anonymoniker :)
True, female cats AND female dogs are pig headed and bossy and obstinate and will pee just to tick you off. ;P
You can dry clothes outside year round, just not when it is actively raining or snowing.
Wintertime here the stuff will freeze but eventually will get dry, "freeze dried".

Was going to take a very needed shower this evening but a huge lightning/thunder storm blew in so I had to wait until it moved on before I could shower.
WE GOT RAIN!!! ;D
So lovely, refreshing and welcome.

Asked Scooter if he smelled any cat pee around the door.
He said that the door & floor were alright but the insulation strip on the side of the doorway was "sniffy".
So I sprayed some enzyme spray on it, let it dry and then asked Scooter again and he said that nothing was "sniffy" any more.

Scooter is a tattle tail, tells me about the snake in the diningroom and about big spiders and when something is scratching around in Steven's dresser and if something is "sniffy" and when there is an animal in the yard and when one of the other cats is doing something.

Yes, I explained why, AND I told them that I had come in and taken pictures of all the items with the ribbons on them. I wanted to sure they knew that I appreciated winning and the time they took to adorn my items with ribbons.

Tillie, I am glad you have produce!

I think I can make dinner tomorrow, and maybe Tuesday, but I will have to go to the store Wednesday unless I bring home a lot of "rescue produce" (leftover stuff that won't make it until Thursday) from the food bank.

~Beer clinks!~
SubC, while you might seem 'weird' or going overboard to some about waste & recycling ideas, you are introducing many good ideas about reducing waste, even if some may not realize that now. When you gave the ribbons back(i love that!), did you explain why?
I finally can do a load of laundry, now that its dry enough for my outside washing machine. Ive been really needing to for a while & it makes me feel so grateful for water & a machine! I still havent taken the dryer apart to check for rat nests(grrr!), but i can hang stuff up till wintertime, so im very happy!
Tillie, i too try to stretch my food to avoid going out to restock. This new food bank has made me get more creative, too!
A vet told me she has noticed fixed female cats are the biggest sprayers...well, i laughed under my breath until i saw that myself!
....right now im procrastinating going over to my neighbors to discuss their bully cat....at least im not procrastinating stuff with my place, right? ha ha ha
~♡~I love you all & so very grateful for this forum & each of you!~♡~

Good Afternoon
About 2:30pm now ;)

Hi Subclinical :)
YEA! WTG! for winning fair ribbons! :D
Great! you got 45 cents picking up fair leftovers.
I too used to go down to the beach when I lived on an island after all the people had gone back home.
It was like I was reclaiming it for myself.
You have been doing fantastic listing non-consumables here and your reasoning for them has been sound. (((hug)))

Well, I did it.
Put on my big girl panties and going to town dress and went to the grocery store.
I knew I would never feel up to going so I just did it.
Have lots of lovely produce now! ;D
Also wanted to get some of that enzyme spray Anonymoniker talked about.
Pooh kitty was mad last night about something and sprayed the back door again.
I knew I should not have talked about her doing that. Knock on wood ;P
That was one of the morning chores I had to do today. >:(
She is the only girl cat here and she is so bossy and pig headed and obstinate and #@*&%$.
When I inform her that I plan to wring her neck she just innocently looks up at me with her big blue eyes and says "no you won't".
Anyways...
Happy I have food and won't need to leave home for at least a week.

Hi all!

This support group is really important to me.

I come here every day, even if I only read, and I try to post every single thing I bring home that is not consumable (like, I don't Piet "carrots" or even "ginger plant"

It helps keep me honest and focused.

I picked up my fair entries. I have not unloaded the car yet. I think I missed pulling off some of the tiny ribbons, but I turned in all of the full sized ones. I had things in lots of sections and some of the fair people appreciated having the ribbons back and I think some of them thought I was weird.

After I got my stuff. I went for a walk around the empty fairgrounds. I like to do that every year. There is just something about it. I think it's because I grew up with grandparents in a resort community and I used to go visit after the tourist season and wander the beaches and boardwalk when everything was quiet and mostly closed.

I ended up picking up an empty cardboard box and filling it with recyclable plastic bottles that had been left lying around. Also a couple of plastic spoons, three pens, a Mardi Gras style necklace, a plastic comb, a leather bracelet (nowhere to turn it in), one costume earring, and 45 cents.

Tatoulia, you have been busy! How did the shopping go?

CM, I hope the kitty situation resolved quickly and you can get back to progress.

Anony, yay dump! (I can like the idea of you cleaning out and taking things to the dump as long as I don't try to visualize what is going in the truck. :) )Yay paint!

Tillie, glad you can avoid the going out. I have gone out every day this week, and it has been so much! Going again tomorrow - food bank and probably pottery class studio.

Today I have been mostly quiet with laundry and dishes.

Good Morning Everybody
Still morning here ;D

Hi Anonymoniker :)
YES! please make the time to paint!
A little splash of fresh paint anywhere always lightens my mood.

Every one posting here is so important to me, keeps me sane and moving forward. (((((HUGS)))))

YEA! for a dump run in the new vehicle!
Every little bit less laying around opens up more space to enjoy.
Good luck with negotiations about the bully cat.

Did a whole bunch of things already this morning.
Really didn't want to do any of them but could not live with them in the state they were in.
Mostly outdoor like hosing off the door mats and reclaiming the front porch for humanity.
Need food. Don't want to go to the store.
Maybe by tomorrow I will be up to going.
Have some wild rice and corn kernels all cooked and in the fridge so I won't starve today.
Cats still have plenty of provisions.

So, what are you all up to today? ;)

~Coffee clinks!~
....about cat spray, those enzyme sprays are really good for areas that cant just be washed, since it eats the cat spray & then just dries without needing to be rinsed, etc.
Tillie, ive been wondering how my progress would be without this website with all of yall...i dont think itd be as good! I go around & around on feeling i need outside help...this site is not complicated like outside help would be, that is for sure! (((HUGS TO ALL!!!))
The bully neighbor cat showed up again. Im gonna try to go talk to its humans about it...
The rains have let up some, so im anxious to get some loads to the dump in my new truck! Im also looking forward to painting the panels this week. I may paint some color on something outside soon, too....that always lifts my spirits!
~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

Hi Anonymoniker :)

It is very important to get the smell of urine out of the house.
Even if the Kitty is feeling all better just smelling urine somewhere will give him an urge to mark the area again.
Immediately after Marty died I had a big problem with my girl kitty peeing out of the box.
Mostly it was on the back door or the outside surface of the litter box near that door.
I eventually had to paint the entire bottom of the door with "Kilz" to seal the old weathered wood to remove the lingering scent and make it easier to wash any future urine scent off of it.
I also bought "Febreze" odor eliminator to use in the washing machine.
Also bought her a new litter box and a totally different brand of litter.
Also bought some deterrent spray but I wonder if it really works???
Her issue was psychological/emotional and she finally adjusted to Marty being gone.

Good luck with all your plans on catching up and getting some decluttering done. (((HUGS)))

Happy Saturday with iced tea clinks! Read through the posts and picked up several good tidbits - thanks to SubC re the Woolite, Anony re the Science Diet, and all of you just for being your wonderful selves and sharing.

I agree that we can usually judge for ourselves whether therapy is necessary. As long as we're motivated, which everyone of the regulars here is. Friendship and trust may even be better. I went to a lot of therapy in the past that helped some but in other ways led me down the rabbit hole and wasted time and money, and for awhile took me further from the things I really needed to dig in and deal with. Of course everyone's mileage may vary.

The clutter meeting this week was more like they used to be, save for the unappealing setting. But with a nice helpful bunch of ladies who were eager to help one another, the drab setting literally faded into the background.

I've got to deal with the unpleasantness of kitty's urine which I realized had gotten on more items in my bedroom near where I first discovered it. Aggravating. But I don't think there's new urine, I just should've been more thorough checking how big an area "ground zero" was.

Threw out items not replaceable or superfluous (a little mourning for one art bag that I liked, but I'll live). Googled how to launder the socks and a towel with traces of lingering odor. Bagged those things and stuck them out in the garage till I can do the proper procedures next week. Roommate uses the machines on the weekend.

Weather here hit the 100s this past week with lots of humidity. Pretty nasty, and I had to be out in it. A cool front and storm brought rain last night and things are slightly better.

Really want to hit it hard both on decluttering and general catching up, things that weren't easy to do when I didn't have a vehicle. I know it's going to take time and patience, but I know where and what needs tackling first. Too bad we had to have the kitty pee on top of the existing problem, but glad we got him to the vet and treatment begun or it could've been a lot worse.

Good Morning Everybody :)
Ice tea "Clink!"

Hi Tatoulia :)
WAY TO GO! for having a lovely and busy social life.
And congratulations for the healthy weight loss! :D
So wonderful to read that this Summer you are in such a much better place than last Summer. (((HUGS)))

I know what you mean about doing laundry, just laundry all day. I tend to do that too while everything else goes to heck in a hand basket. :D

There are many "experts" in the field of helping people who hoard or squalor who insist that this message board format does not work.
That people need a more hands on approach and special therapy.
But I seriously believe that when someone is truly ready all they need is nonjudgmental encouragement and a few helpful tips or suggestions.
Yes, it does take time doing it all by yourself (except for Porter who is a special kind of man).
But many people don't want someone else in the home, don't want to work it on someone else's schedule.
I honestly believe that here we can make lasting changes for the better, changes that will last a lifetime.
((((HUGS))))

Today I need to wash dishes, again.
But I'm all caught up on watering until tomorrow so that frees up today to do something fun.
Too hot to play outside so I will play inside. :D

Good morning! Coffee clinks!

I've been socially busy the past few days! Breakfast with a friend, dinner with two girlfriends, lunch with a girlfriend then date with BF to the art museum, which is open til 10PM on Friday nights! I'm feeling satisfied with my focus. My weight is continuing to drop and I feel great.

I have some tasks for today. This is our last day in the forecast without killer humidity so I need to look alive.

This summer is going a great deal better since I don't hate myself and hate my house. Tillie, having it cleaner, clearer, and better organized has really changed it up for me. I find I'm just cleaning and wiping up as I go. And my new trash can, divided between recycling and trash, has proved to be a winner! And it bears reinforcing Tillie's sage advice: do not buy organizing things until you've cleared out. If I'd bought this a year ago it would've been a failure and I would have probably donated it by now.

SubC you have been doing great work! I adore your idea to recycle the ribbons! In a similar vein, most conferences I go to know leave a basket or table for people to leave their plastic name badges. The host takes out the paper piece and reuses the plastic for the next event. I hope kitty is doing better, Anony. And CM just sending you some love! I agree that there is a difference between people trying to clear out and people bring forced to clear out. Mindset is completely different. And having sympathy for those being ordered to get it together doesn't equal sharing time together to work on clutter!

I have some stuff I want to do today including shopping for clothes and checking out the fabric store. With respect to clothes, just looking for a few items to help round out the summer. Nothing dramatic.

My vinyl rug should be here soon so I'll need to sweep and Murphy oil soap my floors. I'm purposefully not doing laundry today as that sometimes ends up being a hindrance. I'll feel like I've accomplished when in reality, I'm just standing still.

Love you all.

Hi Everyone ;)

Well this morning I watered the flower/herb beds.
Then I hosed off the car, looks sooooo much better now, especially without all the half eaten apricots off of it.
Killed 3 yellow jacket wasp nests nestled in his yard clutter.
Did 4 loads of laundry.
Took care of all cat related tasks.
Did some tidying up and sweeping too.
And I washed my hair. ;)
The air was tinted yellow from the far away wildfire smoke and now it's dark as twilight because the smoke and clouds have joined forces.
That's ok because it is making it a bit cooler. ;D

Anony, if you were actually around me, you might be annoyed. A lot of people seem to be.

Paul Wheaton developed a scale for envoronmentalists and said that people one or two levels above you are cool, but after that, they become varying levels of crazy. Most people I know have me firmly in the crazy zone.

The floor has developed a few issues. Nothin I can't resolve in an hour or so, and not all my stuff.

I bought a small tool at pottery class last night because my studio is still too messy and I couldn't find the one I already own.

~Iced coffee clinks!~
Tillie, i hope it cools down soon. Im glad youre cool & comfortable inside! Big spiders inside are a motivator for me to go to bed early in the summer...ha ha...i wish my cats liked to hunt them?!
Tatoulia, i bet youre not needing as much sleep cuz your world has lightened up in such a nice way with all you have done in that direction? Its often that way for me?!
I had a super positive exchange with my Mom about her next visit. I requested for my bday that she just accept im gonna drive back & forth from her hotel to feed my cats, rather than have someone else care for them. She went for it & has not put any head trips on me which is a HUGE weight off my shoulders! In my notebook i use for my posts on here, i accidently ran across a nightmare id had & written down about this situation, that i had 3 years ago this week! Thats how long its been going on till this really obvious(now) idea hit me & it worked!!! I feel so much better about it now! She may still get snitty or make sarcastic comments about it, but i requested no guilt trips as a part of the bday gift, so i can try reminder her of that if necessary~☆♡☆~
SubC, im so impressed with your concern & commitment to recycling & reducing waste! It is such a noble cause & you have gotten me much more aware of it in my day to day habits, too!
Im gonna collect beans again today, for the animals. It is such a joy to do it this way!
~☆~♡~☆~

Good Morning Everyone :)

Hi Anonymoniker :)
YEA! for the livingroom!
Yeah, finding a system that works for us really helps. :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
Hope you got a great night's sleep. :)

Been hiding from the heat but it is supposed to start slowing inching down now.
Being inundated with HUGE spiders outside and one even got inside the other night.
But Scooter pointed it out to me and we were able to hunt it down and successfully kill it.
Planning to hose off the car and go grocery shopping sometime soon, maybe tomorrow evening.
:)

Hello everyone! Busy schedule these days. I need to go to bed now for I am exhausted. I've been waking up late again. I need to get back in the groove of getting up early.
Good to read your posts and see all the wonderful work you are doing!

I shredded papers tonight.

Goodnight everyone. See you tomorrow.

~Coffee clinks & Good Morning to all!~
My living room is starting to get better! Ive got a system that seems to be working well & im very pleased! Looking around & picking what to do or clean or toss, first, has helped! I now have my spot on the sofa back, so i can play my drum inside to music, again! The rain is taking a break & im glad it didnt collapse my roof or walls in any serious way this time! Im gonna collect beans today & tomorrow for the rescue animals at the food bank! Its the perfect thing to do with them!
~♡~May yall each have a wonderful day, filled with lots of fun & getting lots done!~♡~

CM, I hope your kitty is better and you get to reclaim your clutter group. A good support group is really important.

Anony, I hope you have seen the last of the skunk rats.

I understood what you were saying. I don't like the smell of woolite.

Yay for living room progress!

I had a much better day at the fair yesterday. I stuck a plastic bag in my tote, and I gave myself permission to pick up clean looking water bottles or cans that had been left on the ground, walls, benches, etc. Not all of them - I could have spent all day!- but just a few to fight off the overwhelmingness. I also told the people I know "i'll Recycle that for you." When I saw them finishing off a water bottle. They all handed them over.

I did buy a big pile of fried potatoes to share with Dd, and it came on a styrofoam tray with a paper liner. The paper liner got soaked with grease so the whole thing was trash, but I brought home the two plastic utensils we acquired to wash, and I remembered my refillable frozen lemonaid cup and saved $1.

I have been contemplating my freezer needs and decided to invest in a set of four reusable silicon freezer bags someone suggested on a sustainability site. They are supposed to arrive tomorrow. I reuse regular plastic ziplocks, but they wear out. I thought I would see how these do. I can recycle the regular ones with my grocery bags (have to cut the zipper off) when they are no good any more. I'm not sure about the silicone....

I did well in the fair so I get a funnel cake tomorrow night. Today I will be at home and at the studio again for independent work and class.

Hi Anonymoniker :)

WAY TO GO! working on your livingroom! ;D

About some generic drugs...
I knew a woman who was taking a generic drug to help control her seizures that she began having after a car accident where she hit her head.
Lets just say "she had issues".
Then one time the pharmacist did not have the generic version of the drug and gave her the name brand drug.
There was a HUGE difference in how she was.
She was no longer a stupid illogical drugged out idiot who spent a lot of time just sitting and staring out into space!

Great! that the skunks may have moved out!
Since you closed the all you can eat cat food buffet that is probably their motivation to pack up and get out.

We can say all the brand names we want to here. ;)

YEA! for all your new fresh vegetation!
All my weeds are tall and dry and inedible with the heat and no rain.


Went out this evening and started watering the grass with the sprinkler.
Now that the grass is all wet it helps cool down the yard and house. :)
Checked my piss ant bait traps and there are no ants dining there tonight.
I moved the traps to new locations when the ants would all disappear.
There had been millions of ants eating at each trap before.
So happy that the traps seem to have worked to kill off the entire nests. ;D

CORRECTION: SubC, DONT USE WOOLITE on your bathing suits!!!

~♡~Beer clinks!~☆~
Tatoulia, that is pretty shocking about the generic pills being so noticeably worse?!? I would not have thought that?!?
SubC, just use Woolite(i hope its ok to say a brand name on here?) on your bathing suits? It destroys them(the lyrca), which i found out after ruining many. The clorine isnt even as damaging as Woolite!
CM, Science Diet for urinary tract infections seemed to cause more urinary tract infections with my cat than before?! Just jn case it doesnt seem to help?
Tillie, your enthusiastic support is amazing as always!
Ive been doing good & getting my living room cleaned up! I hit a low point & had to improve things! Im feeling much more hopeful now!~I decided exactly what i want to do to improve it each day ahead of time & its perfect for the hot part of the day with music on!
The skunk-rats seem to have moved out or something. Putting the cat food out of their reach may have changed their wanting to live here! Id heard mice really liked Reeses Cups(im really throwing brand names around today? ha ha), but these things did not seem interested the ones in the trap, even tho they do like both peanut butter AND chocolate? I dont know what to do or where they are?!
Ive got a ton of edible greens growing with all the rain! Ive been collectjng mesquite beans for the rescue animals at the food bank. It sure is easier than doing it for humans at about 5 cents an hour...ha ha ~♡~☆♡☆~♡~

Hi Tillie,

I will give kitty that hug. He has been sleeping awhile on my bed at nights since coming back from the scary vet's.

Sure wish we could find a more aesthetically pleasant place to meet. Can't return to the cafeteria because the agency moved clear to a different building. Somewhat further away, too, but not enough to mind if the ambience was better! Maybe I need to bring a bouquet of fresh flowers, a couple of scented candles, a bottle of wine... LOL

Good Morning Everyone :)
Iced chai masala "Clink!"

Hi Subclinical :)
So very happy that you went to the studio! :D
You need the bathing suits. You need the time in the water. (((hug)))
Yes, sorry about all the chlorine in public pools but there are so very many nasty kinds of germs in the human population and the standards are set high to try to protect you from them.
Now even that brain eating ameba is becoming more prevalent in untreated/natural swimming holes.

Good luck on all your fair entries! ;D
Hope you have lots of ribbons to donate back.

Loved reading your "book".
Please write as much as you want to here. (((HUG)))

Hi CriticalMass :)
Give Kitty a big (((HUG))) from me and I hope the medicine does the trick in making him all better.
Boy kitties are more prone to urinary tract infections due to the way their bodies are designed.

You are right, people who do not want to declutter and are being forced to should not be in a group of people who are truly motivated to.
It gets to be very de-motivating and depressing having to constantly listen to them and all their flimsy excuses as to why they can't.
Also, I would go stir crazy having to spend any time all boxed up in a tiny conference room.
Maybe they could allow the motivated people to return to the cafeteria?
Hang in there. Crossing my fingers that the people in charge will listen. ((((HUGS))))

Today is supposed to be the hottest day this week.
It was 95 degrees in the shade on the back porch at 10:00am.
Watered some plants and bushes this morning and will water more things this evening.
Plan for today is to vacuum and then wash the "cat cube" then run the vacuum around on the carpet.
Twinkles has very long thick fur and is shedding badly.
But all the other cats are shedding a lot too and it's just that Twinkles fuzz is easier to see.

Hi, been caught up in the business with boy kitty, who does indeed have a urinary tract infection. Getting the sample was a difficult business. He spent two nights at the vet's and produced nothing except once in the night and it dried up. We couldn't stand the worry so we brought him home for the weekend.

At first we tried this supposedly non-absorbent cat litter, but it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Then I remembered something I'd bought for my artwork - little clear acrylic bubble thingies. I was going to use them for shine and texture in mixed media painting. They came from the wedding section of Hobby Lobby - meant to be used in flower vases the way you'd use glass marbles, only these are small, about the size of split peas. And completely non-absorbent.

So off we went to Hobby Lobby and the next day we had our urine sample! Next step: Get kitty to eat Science Diet food laced with medicine. Took a couple days but now he's eating it like a champ.

When we were in the thick of it all though, it was kind of disruptive, the having to separate the two cats and go outside and around to the back door to get to him then back around to the front, etc.

So now things are smoothing out and I can tend to my business of whatever where I left off. Today is my clutter club meeting. I will be eager to share my good news about the van. Last few times I was rather grumpy and unenthused.

The venue has also changed because the agency on aging that helps us out moved to a different building. The old meeting place was a roomy cafeteria with windows, and had a casual feel. The new place is a small interior conference room several floors up. Not my cup of tea.

I'm very aware of the influence of place on my mood. I'm sure that is common among folks like us. Even when our stuff is overwhelming and making our surroundings unpleasant, somehow it all got to be how it is as a reflection of our hopes and tragedies and busy lives and what-all. And our downsizing and organizing the same way. For me, the "corporate" feel of a sterile conference room deadens my soul.

We've also had people come to the meetings who were court ordered due to city/county code enforcement situations. While we can all empathize to some degree with those folks, who are defensive and upset, their presence among those of us who are more motivated tends to be disruptive. They monopolize the conversation to vent their grievances, excuses, etc.

Our leader went to whoever was sending them and asked for a special group to be set up more tailored to their needs. Hopefully it will work and maybe they'll "graduate" from the remedial class and be ready to join our group and kick clutter butt because they genuinely want to.

So, we'll see how it goes.

Tillie, I hope the house is just a very echo-y mouse and one of the kittties will have it for a snack.

I am sorry about your friend. We have flash flooding here and I spent a lot of time pounding "never drive through water" into my teenager's heads. Our driveway has a bridge in it, and sometimes people who come in the summer laugh at the giant overbuilt bridge that spans the little trickle of a creek. Then in the spring we hope it won't be taken out by a floating tree or a piece of moving rock or concrete. The creek brings us things in the spring. It brings us uprooted trees that are a couple feet in diameter. Once it brought me the whole roof of someone's shed. I've only been flooded in twice in 15 years though - it's a good bridge.

You guys s have had very rough weather! Ours has been hot and humid, but just regular hot and humid. Today is supposed to be nice - only in the mid 80's and no rain.

Tatoulia, I am enjoying hearing about you working on "finishing touches". It actually does help me a lot to know that I have made you think about the plastic.

I went to the studio yesterday. People I like were there and I got some good work done. My favorite spot at the new table by the fan was open, so I took it over for 5 hours. The class i'm taking is very different from my usual work, and I laughed because a sort of friend (we are friends when we are both there, but that is all) is taking a class that is more my style. She says we switched places. It's fun to learn new things though.

A met a new student who had invented a hack for a very expensive tool using an old, damaged bat, the base of a springform pan from the thrift store, scraps from repairing his storm door and some other home improvement work, and magnets. He had to buy the magnets new. It was pretty cool. The woman at the other side of the table drank her water, used her glass for a circle cutter, and then rinsed it off and put more water in it. These are my people.

I also picked up my two new bathing suits yesterday. When I am swimming regularly I "wear out" a bathing suit every year or two. I really wish there wasn't so much chlorine in the pool! When I was a kid, we swam in the ocean, and my cousin and I always had "hand me down" bathing suits in great shape. Anyway, there is a particular brand of suit that fits me really well, but is expensive, and the store had a good online sale, so I ordered two. Maybe if I switch back and forth and soak them to get the chlorine out, they will last longer.

Today I am going back to the fair. I am taking eggs to be judged, and all of the things that I entered earlier in the week were judged yesterday, so I can see how I did. They have a section for dolls and I usually do very well in that, and also ceramics. Garden products and antiques are more competitive. The antiques are really nice this year, so I expect to win nothing there. I am happy to see all the beautiful things instead. The fair has small cash prizes, and I usually win enough to pay for my ticket and a couple of midway snack splurges. (Usually funnel cake, fries, and frozen lemonade - not on the same day) If I win less, I eat less junk.

Last year I discovered that I could remove the ribbons and give them back for reuse because they are not dated. That made me really happy. I take pictures of my items with the ribbons on displayed with the other entries during the week, so I don't need the ribbons. I do keep the rosettes if I win best in show though. Once in herbs and often in Ceramics. The dolls are a subset of hobbies, so I never win there - it always goes to someone whose hobby is hand work of some kind - which I approve.

Sorry I wrote a book!

Stay cool and dry and carry on with the impressive homemaking!

(((HUGS))) Little Kitty
Happy your lady is home to comfort you.

That's fantastic Tatoulia :)
Feels so good to get those little stragglers all sorted out and taken care of doesn't it? ;D

Please be very careful with the storms.
Don't take any chances getting caught out unexpectedly.

I had a very dear friend since I was in kindergarten who died in a flash flood when I was a junior in high school.
I'm still broken hearted. Her name is Terry.

Scooter was in Steven's bedroom again today and I asked him if he heard any sounds from the dresser and he said "no".
I'm hoping that whatever it is will just go away all on it's own.
Probably just one of Anonymoniker's skunks. LOL ;P

Got the property tax bill in the mail today.
I owe 424.45 for the whole year.
This should give you an idea of just how crappy this place really is. HaHaHaHa

Great work, SubC! I used to have a terrible time resisting freebies. Congratulations! If it makes any difference, you have opened my eyes even wider when it comes to plastics. And for that, I thank you. I'm glad your daughter did the dishes! What a nice treat!

Tillie I'm glad that you and the flat cats are keeping cool. That is something about hearing a creature in Steven's dresser. Really scary.

Yes I am so pleased with my home this summer. Still lots to go but my habits are improving immeasurably. I am actually getting there. I cleaned my coffee table tonight and polished it. I had to do some relocation of scraps of stuff. I will deal with the relocated items tomorrow. I actually made a list of projects involving stragglers and loiterers. Stuff that's hanging around and needs to move on. I'd like all of them to be gone by the time the weekend is over. Small things that will make me very happy. Finishing up the coffee table tonight is one box checked.

We had giant rains tonight. Giant. My rain shoes must've had an inch of water in them. I took the train home but still had about ten blocks to walk home. My legs had all sorts of twigs and leaves and dirt on them. Pouring with flash floods. I hopped in shower as soon as I got home. Poor kitty was terrified due to the thunder. Luckily the thunder started after I got home.

Goodnight dear friends. I am exhausted.

Hi again :)

Did some cat laundry and it dried super quick.
Got the kitchen all clean and back to "normal".
Surfed around on the internets and watched some videos on ROKU.
Been keeping it cool in the house.
Rummaging through some Wintertime cat blankets to get them folded better for storage.

Iced tea and Ice water "Clinks!" ;)

Good Morning :)

Hi Subclinical :)
WTG! for not getting those "freebies"!
YEA! for Dd2 washing dishes! :D
You should go to the pottery studio and have a creative outlet rather than the fair since it is stressing you out.
I really do understand that hopeless feeling when we see how so many others don't even care about
"reduce/reuse/recycle" and the impact it has on the planet. (((HUG)))

Hi Tatoulia :)
Have you been feeling less stressed in your home this Summer?
You have done such a fantastic amount of work this past year just to have a more relaxing home when the Summer heated up. (((HUG)))

Plan to do some laundry this morning and as always I need to clean the kitchen, again.
Bought some ant bait traps the other week and am enjoying seeing all the piss ants in my garden starting to lay around in large dead heaps.
I think the Spring rains we had caused the colonies to grow and spread rapidly.
Unfortunately, nothing kills the large mean biting/stinging red ants.

There is something in Steven's chest of drawers that makes little scratching/gnawing sounds!
Scooter pointed this out to me the other night.
I'm too afraid to open the drawers and investigate.

The cats and I will spend another hot Summer afternoon watching movies and taking naps.
A thousand "ICED TEA CLINKS!" ;D

Tillie, not only is that hot, that us a huge temperature swing!

I went to the county fair yesterday. Turned my entries in and watched the goat showmanship.

I didn't bring home any "freebies". I walked through the freebie tent, but just stayed down the center and glanced to see who had displays - nothing I needed to engage with.

So many plastic bottles in the trash cans. It stressed me out. It makes me feel like nothing I do will ever make a difference.

Normally I go to the fair all week, but I missed Sunday because my girls were coming/here, and then I will miss Thursday because I have a class. I am thinking about going down to the pottery studio where I have class to do some out of class work today instead of to the fair.

The house is pretty much on hold all week. Dd2 did dishes for me last night!

Garbage and recycling are out. Kitty's box is clean. I'm sweating miserably. Some due to health and some due to humidity. I've kept my windows closed all day. I'll need AC soon.

Glad you are okay, Tillie. Your little melted marshmallows! My friend has been okay today. I need to put her sheet back on the couch. It's cotton percale so very cool to the touch.

I have to make dinner.

Hi Tatoulia :)

YEA!!! for laundry done! :D
So great that you even vacuumed the couch.
Thanks for having that extra water for me, it really helps.
Go ahead and complain about the heat, it's nice when we can all complain about the same thing.

Watched some Youtube videos featuring baby goats.
I love driving by this one field where they put lots of baby goats and watching them frolic about.
Sad thing is that the field is next to a butcher shop and the goats slowly disappear over time.

Have everything watered well outside so they will be ready for tomorrow's heat.
At 4:00pm here the high was only 103.
Have found lots to do inside that has been fun and not strenuous, so I'm not hot at all.
The cats look like melted candles but should revive by sundown.

Just checking in on everyone!

I've done all the laundry including cat laundry. I've also vacuumed the couches.

Hot here but I'm in no position to complain.

Oh my goodness that is severe. Good thing you have some fruit to keep you cool.

I am doing laundry today. So far one load of towels and now I'm doing my sheets. Would love to do a load of kitty stuff too. We shall see how I feel as the day goes on.

Iced tea clinks!! I'll drink an extra glass of water in your honor, Tillie.

Good Morning Everybody :)


Hi Tatoulia :)
Hope all your laundry wishes come true for today ;)


Well!
I am watering EVERYTHING because I got this warning in my weather forecast...


Heat Advisory issued July 16 at 3:03AM PDT until July 19 at 9:00PM PDT by NWS Reno
Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area; Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TUESDAY TO 9 PM PDT
THURSDAY...
* High Temperatures: 100 to 108 Tuesday through Thursday.
* Low Temperatures: 65 to 75 Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
* Impacts: Hot temperatures and limited relief overnight will
increase chances for heat related illness, especially for
sensitive groups and people without access to air
conditioning. Heat stress is also possible for livestock and
outdoor pets.
Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside.

The temperature reading comes from the airport and is always a few degrees cooler than what my thermometers here read.
The "airport" here just has crop dusters, small Cessna's and a few gliders anyways...

It's a pleasant 75 right now at 8:00am.
Definitely will NOT be going to the grocery store.
Still have one cantaloupe, four plums, a peach and a nectarine plus 2 cans of pineapple.
That should hold me over till it cools down a little.

Lots of Iced Tea "Clinks!: ;D

I do love my Roku, Tillie. Has changed my life and mom's life!

In fact, after we ate we watched a stupid show together on Hulu then I walked down to the market to do her shopping. I'm going to have to take another shower as I am very sweaty.

My overseas friend loves how I've pared down the dresser. She's very pleased, as am I.

I'm envious of your four loads of laundry and, as usual, hanging them out to dry. I didn't do any today. But I'm working from home tomorrow so will hopefully get some done!

Hi Tatoulia :)

I will be fine here inside, out of the heat as long as there isn't a power outage.
But ever since they updated all the power lines in this area, we have only had one power failure due to a drunk idiot running into a power pole and they got us back online in an hour.

WAY TO GO!!!!
For making good decisions and being happy and content with them.
(((HUGS)))

Decluttering is really like peeling an onion, one layer at a time.
But every layer we remove changes things within us and our environment.
By the time we are finally down to the "pearl onion"
we have just exactly what we need, love and find beautiful left.

Have a lovely dinner with Mom and enjoy those wonderful po'boys! :D
Then enjoy your tidy clean bedroom tonight!


I washed 4 loads of laundry and as one load was ready to hang out the previous was ready to bring in.
Haven't done much else but I have watched Youtube videos and now I have a movie from "Popcorn" playing.
Always something available and interesting with the ROKU.

Bedroom dusted. I vacuumed on Friday. Clean sheets, bed made. I'm really happy with my choices today. They were all good ones.

Oh Tillie I know you will take care of yourself in this heat but I still need to say it. Take good care. You are important to me.

I've reached a new level. I'm now just puttering and saying goodbye to stuff I hadn't even considered getting rid of and I feel great. I'm going to shower soon and take mom a grilled shrimp po boy. . We will have a late lunch together. I just sent BF after picture of my dresser (bear in mind, my friend had cleared it off and made a lot of changes. I've taken more than half off from there).

Good Morning :)

Hi Subclinical :)
Sorry about the moldy goat food.
Have fun with the fair. ;)

Hi Tatoulia :)
I know that light free feeling.
Just because something is beautiful, useable, valuable or I have owned it for decades,
I do not need to be the keeper of it forever more.
I am free to travel through my life with fewer items to care for.
Less things to clean and clean around.
Less time taken up by making sure they are properly and safely stored away in my home.
More time in a day to just be in the here and now.


Triple digit temperatures for at least the next 10 days.
Garden plants are looking stressed even with lots of watering.
Might be forced to leave home later this week to buy more fresh produce.
The car is a big mess of pollen, sap, and half eaten apricots.
Yes, it's under my apricot tree and the birds are leaving half eaten apricots all over it. ;P

I'm getting a lot done today. Making a lot of decisions. Decisions I didn't realize needed to be made. It's going great!

Cool breeze coming through.

SubC it can be hard to keep up. Please be kind to yourself. That is aggravating that you need to return the feed.

Tillie I'm glad you are making it a Netflix day!

I had a wonderful day yesterday. I ran errands, alone, and it was so pleasant. I stopped for a coffee and a bagel, picked up a piece from the frame shop (my overseas friend had something framed) then I went to the consignment shop to pick up my check. Meager amount but it's mine! I hope my other stuff sells. Not necessarily for the money but just to have it gone. I bought two very nice lamps for my dresser, then I came home and re-evaluated my dresser and took more things off, including taking the glass case and putting in the consignment bag. The glass case is very sweet and I displayed little things in it. I'm good with saying goodbye to it. I bought it at an antique fair somewhere in Texas many, many years ago on one of my yearly vacations with mom.

Yesterday I got all of my extra baking pans out to goodwill. Then in the evening BF and I ran errands. So it was a very good, productive day. I don't know if I mentioned this but I've taken down the other Craigslist posting. Dealing with people has been too stressful. The guy yesterday was lovely but last weekend someone got hostile with me over the email. The other piece can sit in our common space til I feel like listing it again.

Looking forward to taking mom out today.

I feel lighter. Getting rid of even stuff I like and use makes me feel lighter.

Kitty is sipping her water. I love it when cats are drinking water.