Hi Tatoulia,

I gained so much weight in November and December that that three pounds is mostly noise, but at least it means I am putting the brakes on. I go back to swimming with my girl this evening as part of my "getting in shape plan" but what that probably means is that I will restore lost muscle, increase my appetite, and gain a little back this week.

Baking cookies sounds like fun. But I would eat too many!

CM, I am so excited about your project! I found myself wanting to come help make an assembly line for handing out books. Very curious about this painting.

I hope somebody takes the desk.

Tillie, I hope today is a better day.

All I have to do for my classes this morning is gather up some books and materials and make a few copies at school.
We are starting poetry in my language arts classes. I am excited about sharing some of my favorite poets.

I know that tonight I will be tired.

Hello Everybody

Hi Subclinical
YEA! for being ready for school 'cause you know what you'll be doing even though you aren't quite ready.

WAY TO GO! for just simply tossing those candy wrappers!!! :D

Good bye recycling.

Hi Tatoulia
YEA! for birthday cookie baking!
WTG! for kitchen clean up & cat box cleaning & garbage out! :D

Hi CriticalMass
I love those books and the BBC series too.

That is a big major project going on there.
Seems like a big complex shuffle going on but all that hard work will really pay off in the end.
WAY TO GO!!! bath of you (((HUG)))!


Didn't do anything ever since the internet fiasco started.
He is such a drama queen and sucks all the will to live out of everyone.
Hope tomorrow I have the will to go on living and actually do somethings.

Today I decluttered the notion that I should try to do something constructive when all I can do is curl up in the fetal position and just try to survive, somehow.

These are busy days!

My roommate's office is really changing! We have assembled and rolled in two wire shelving units now, and disassembled and gotten OUT one big computer desk.

The desk is out on the curb with a FREE sign on it; however, I may have to reassemble it to attract a taker. That wouldn't take long, since I took it apart and remember how to put it back together.

In my bedroom, I removed one shelf's worth of books and handed them through to her. But stuff was threatening to topple, I was tired, and I started to get aggravated, so we took a break.

Today I was able to pull the big painting from behind other stuff - and out of its even bigger box. There's quite a story about this painting. I'll tell the rest of it later. I think the big box can go away, because it is TOO big, and I may be taking the painting out of its frame. I never wanted it framed behind glass in the first place. That's the long story.

I'm sleeping out on the couch in the living room again until this project gets to where I don't have to pile things on the bed. Don't worry, I know this won't drag out very long, and it's all going to be very worth it.

This evening I got a phone call from a friend whom I love dearly but who can easily frustrate me. But I feel better now, after we watched an episode of "All Creatures Great and Small." I love those books and that show. All the actors are good. Peter Davison was in it before he became the 5th Doctor Who. He's the one we got to meet at the Doctor Who convention in 2016. :) That was fun.

Getting major clutter backlog is helping me feel hopeful about being able to be more productive on my creative endeavors, though once in awhile it also brings some sad feels - like how long will it take, will I really conquer clutter, will I ever be able to earn enough money to get a place of my own...

But overall, more good than bad - this living situation will be a lot less stressful on both me and my roommate for our having done this work. And we have more projects, bit by bit. Time keeps rolling on. It's less than 2 months till my church's quilt bingo! And spring is not that far off. Longer days, more energy - though we're not doing too badly right now.

Best wrap it up and start to prepare to bed down the bunnies and myself, and mister kitty will be along to share the couch, I'm sure.

I will read and respond to all the posts when the busy-ness settles just a bit.

Hello! A lot of posts to catch up on. I ready about half.

Congratulations CM! I'm pleased that your roommate made good progress! I hope it's contagious because I need to make progress!

SubC I like your bathrobe collection. I have four. Two summer, two winter. One of each is terry so I can wrap up in it after a shower. Summer is a short terry.

Tillie the dress sounds very nice! I'm sorry about the router problems and not sure if they've been resolved as I haven't finished reading.

SubC I am jealous of your weight loss. I'm a bit bloated from the holidays. I think I'll go do my relaxation tape and try to get back in track. I did walk around the city tonight. 35F and not windy. Absolutely beautiful. Perfect.

I baked cookies for my neighbor today. He turns 88 tomorrow. The cookies came out great and I took a bunch to BF and a few to mom. Sour cream sugar cookies. Very tasty.

Garbage out and cleaned litter box here and at mom's.

I cleaned up most of the kitchen after baking. Have one cookie sheet to wash.

Here is hoping on the router!

I am not ready for school. But I will be fine. I know what I want to do for classes and I will get it together in time.

Recycling is in the car.

Today I let go of sorting the candy wrappers and trying to save the foil and just put them in the trash bag.

OK
Some months back he picked up a router in it's original box.

Did not want to try using it because he would have to read the manual to get it up & running.
Since he acquired it not too long ago it was not buried too deeply in the hoard.

So, anyways...
he brought it in, looked at the small thin manual and connected it.
There was a password printed on the manual that I typed into my Roku and laptop.
It has been streaming beautifully for the last 4 hours.

Lets hope the router drama is finally over.

Good Monday Morning

Are you ready for school Subclinical?

Yesterday the queen and I had a lovely visit ;p
Have no idea if he will buy a new router or keep digging through the hoard for another old broken one.

He believes he is saving money by buying questionable electronics at thrift shops, yard sales or digging them out of dumpsters.
Then even when they prove to be garbage he still keeps them believing they have valuable parts that he can use to fix other broken electronics.
He does this with lawn mowers, weed eaters, vehicles, air conditioners, radios/stereos, space heaters, etc. anything...
He is not any good at fixing things even if they are fixable.
So all this stuff just sits here collecting dirt and providing shelter for insects, rodents and reptiles.
In reality his hoard is expensive and costs money, time, quality of life and risks our health.
But he protects and defends it viciously believing that it is prudent and valuable.


heavy sigh

LOL Subclinical :D

Yep, made Jack that warm bed on the porch with a down comforter that had seen better days but was still warm. ;)

Perfect spot for that owl.

Any bit of added insulation will help in some way.
WTG! DH!

YEA! for that clear path!!! :D


Almost noon.
Did all my every day cat chores and swept too.
Need to eat.
Internet connection still sucks. He's not here.
Doubt he will return with a new router. >:(

Tillie,

Let us know how the queen likes your new dress! ;)

Dh decided to spend the morning putting insulation in along the top of the wall of the basement section under the addition. Hopefully that will keep the floor warmer, and maybe the basement and maybe cut our heat bill a little.

To get to that job, he had to walk through my part of the basement (and yes, the path is still there.) on his way, he noticed a little clay owl sculpture that I made as an example for my class. He scooped it up and installed it on top of one of the kitchen cabinets so it is perched up there looking out over the room.

I am back on the letting go path. I have been doing laundry and making up the guest beds. I decided that an old feather/down comforter that is too much feather and not enough down can go. It has feathers with sharp shafts that work their way out of the batting When you wash it. I will take it to the thrift shop and maybe someone will buy it, if not for a bed, it would be good for a dog. my mother would give the dog old worn out blankets to make a nest in the doghouse all winter and then throw them out in the spring.

Good Morning Everybody

Hi Subclinical
YEA! for having a "company" robe And still get to wear the old favorites.
Giant fat Elmo LOL :D

Rosemary tree sounds nice.
Hope it lasts.
I gave up on potted plants but my cactus is still alive, kinda sorta.

WTG! for deleting all but water, tea & coffee weekdays and no eating after 8pm and losing some weight!
Simple little changes like that make a huge difference and aren't too hard to stick to.

YEA! for marathon shopping yesterday and getting good food for the critters and you. ;D


Hi CriticalMass
YEA! for roommate and for you helping her!
The sooner she gets rearranged in there the sooner you get that shelf space in your room. :D

Even with the distractions keep your chin up and do what you can today.
Feeling out of sorts in the beginning of January is very common.
Get as much rest, sunlight and nourishing food as you can.
The longer days will start to improve everybody's outlook soon. (((HUG)))


Maybe today I can start alterations?
Maybe today he will go buy a NEW router and quit digging out old outdated used sketchy thrift shop ones from his hoard???
Maybe today I'll have tea with the queen :P

Sunny & no precipitation the next few days.
No yardwork to do but should get outside a little anyways for the vitamin D.

Yay Tatoulia for finding your gloves!

So good to hear about how you are taking care of yourself.

I actually have four bathrobes - a faded light cotton summer robe that I have had for 30 years - this is the one dh was hoping the kids would replace, a cotton terry robe that used to be dh's that I wear when my hair is wet, and a warm red fleece robe a size too big that I got at the thrift store that makes me look like a giant fat Elmo but is still good. Plus, now have a very pretty grey and white fleece robe with a shawl collar that is my size. We are calling that my "company robe".

Tillie,
we like the same kind of dresses! I keep resolving to never buy another dress or skirt without pockets, but then I will get tempted....

I have hope for the town. The chamber of commerce is trying very hard, but there are a lot of personalities. I am not good at interpersonal politics, so I have been trying to get involved while keeping my head down. Yesterday I bought feed and had the most delicious pancakes for breakfast! We also picked up two of the last spaghetti squash. He said there might be greenhouse broccoli next week!

I am very sorry about your router and internet troubles.

CM, that is great progress!

I hope you get all your payday things straightened out today. You reminded me that I need to get receipts in order to turn in when school starts back on Tuesday.

I did not do the letting go yesterday. In fact, I bought three new animal cookie cutters for my studio at the big grocery store (it has a kitchenwares section)

Basically I accomplished nothing except the trip to the grocery store. I don't think I can adequately describe how huge and overwhelming that place is. It is like the mall of America of grocery stores. But we got many yummy foods and dh fixed me a dinner fit for a queen. Very healthy too.

I lost three pounds last week by reducing my drinking to water, tea, and coffee on weekdays, not eating after 8pm, and asking dh to cut back on pasta and potatoes in our meals. We bought two kinds of pasta made from legumes at the store to try, in addition to the spaghetti squash.

I also got a rosemary Christmas tree on clearance that I am going to repot and try to keep alive (by that point I was too exhausted and glazed over to remember not to take on a new project) and probably too much delicious bakery bread. I think I will put some of the bread (parts of loaves) in the freezer for later.

5 of my books came in the mail (still waiting on my teacher's guide) one of them looks like I won't be able to teach it after all (not appropriate for the age level I had planned) but I enjoyed reading it last night.

Today - house in order, decorations cleaned up, and school prep. The weatherman promises sun this afternoon, so I will try to do a couple of hours outside. I'm sure that has been good for my weight as well.

VERY quick post

My roommate got a whole bunch of stuff eliminated from her office this afternoon/evening! I helped sort the recycling and donations.

I'm so happy for her. And it will help me keep the enthusiasm to do mine.

Right now I'm dealing with the aftermath of payday yesterday - since I only get paid once a month and money is tight, there are always loose ends of making sure I track how much I've spent, and things I had in mind to get (like protective case for my new phone, etc.) but waited till payday and need to order online, etc.

And her car is being repaired so I drove us to get storage boxes and stuff, and I've been tired, edgy, cranky. Dozed off late afternoon/early evening.

I hope tomorrow I can get the loose ends done, though I'm not totally holding my breath. There are a lot of distractions - to a good end, I know, but distractions nonetheless.

Oh yeah,
Keeping up with the January challenge of decluttering one thing every day...

Last two days I have decluttered my diet.
Rather than grabbing something unhealthy or fattening I have eaten some rice & veggie dish I cooked and/or grabbed a pear instead of snacking on that left over mini Snickers from Halloween.

At the grocery store yesterday I bought bananas & oranges and already had pears and apples at home.

Good Late Afternoon/Early Evening Everybody

Been having bad internet issues today.
All started the other day after we had the power outage.
Called tech support guy and he said he would come by on Monday.
Then he showed up about an hour ready after checking things out on his end.
He wanted to change up & update the boxes on the outside wall & did that.
Told Steven to go buy a new router since the one here was no longer connecting.
Told him not to use the ones he buys at thrift shops or yard sales.
So Steven dug out an old used one from his hoard and connected that.
Anyways...
My internet connection is back but is really sketchy, comes & goes. >:(

About my new dress...
It's a size "M" and fits perfectly, needs no alterations.

Was planning on starting altering the other ones today but other crap has been going on and I only got to iron then & put them away till next time. :(

Good Morning Everyone
"Clink"!

Hi Subclinical
Well, that is sad and I hope someday that area has a come back from this. :(
They have been trying to bring back our downtown area but the rents are insane big city high.
Old timer family long ago bought up all the property there and are just sitting on it as the town rots away.
But we do still have a movie theater, oldest still running in the state that shows new movies.
Saw all three "Lord Of The Rings" there opening day during the first matinee showing for three dollars a ticket.
Brought my own candy. ;p

Our cattle ranchers are doing alright but the drought has really hurt the alfalfa growers.

You have a wonderful day today back out in the Stream of Life. :D


Hi Tatoulia
YEA! for finding the gloves right where you put them! ;D

WTG! for cleaning fairies!!!
Best money you spend on your self.

Cotton batik print in pale/light brown with black and a little white.
My favorite Summer stay at home dress style has a small bodice with short flowy sleeves.
Then the body/skirt is free flowing, no waist and it has pockets in the side seams.
Kinda almost could be called a muumuu, but not quite.
Did I explain that clearly??? LOL :D

I only ever shop at the charity thrift shops and never even enter the for profit ones.
I love knowing that as I purchase that my money goes to good causes right in my community.
Plus the donors are extra generous when giving so there is often new merchandise from regular (big city) stores offloading merchandise.
And local products too made by people on their farms & ranches.
I have found & bought local made goat milk soap there and loved every bit of it.
So many lovely new never used before things that I get to have and enjoy.
The shops also have lots of racks of coats, sweaters, gloves, warm clothes, etc. that are all free to anyone in need of them.
And all bibles, books of Mormon, etc. are always free.

SubC, I loved your descriptive post! Thank you so much! I could picture the towns and the shops and the changes and everything. Thank you for that snapshot!

I'm glad you can keep both bathrobes. I generally have two going at a time. One I use truly for after baths-terry cloth and absorbent and one I wear for warmth over my pjs or to throw on over my pjs if I need to answer the door. I am trying harder to decide, when I get new bathrobes, whether to keep or donate. It's hard sometimes. But ultimately worth it.

My cleaners came over while I was at work yesterday. Pure bliss upon getting home. I showered, put on my new (purchased as a Christmas gift from my mom by my BF) organic cotton pjs, used some lavender lotion received as a gift and slept a fantastic sleep in my professionally made bed. Pretty sweet.

SubC I am going to be avoiding Amazon purchase for most things this year and instead focus on Etsy and local stores. For about a year, maybe longer, I've only purchased my bath and hand soaps through Etsy. I like bar soaps and there are some nice sellers with good soaps. I don't like the bar soaps at Whole Foods, despite touting their ingredients, they are simply too harsh for my skin. So I wish you well with the soap-making and would definitely support you if you ever go on Etsy!

Tillie YAY for new dress! Tell me more about it, including the style and fabric! I love hearing about your finds!

I am peaceful this AM, sitting with a kitty next to me, and my therapy lamp on. I have bills to pay and a few more things to work on to being more peace to my home.

My cleaners left me a lovely note yesterday, thanking me for my affection and trust. Very, very kind.

I can't believe what we are doing to improve my life.

OH! I found my gloves! Two pair! They were in a grocery bag. I had pulled out some bags to go groceries and there they were!

Good morning all!

Tillie, I'm glad they were good about your water!

"quaint" is not always good. The three mile town is a healthy community, farmers and people who have jobs somewhere else, and the cafe is both a social anchor and a draw (it has live music in the evenings and the owners get really good local bands. I can now explain where I live to some people in the city by telling them it is three miles from the cafe!)

But the nine mile town is not. Things have gone downhill since the train stopped running 30 years ago. The county took their school and the grocery store and lumber yard closed, the donut shop closed, and there is a lot of unemployment and drug and alcohol abuse. The ice cream shop where my dd2 worked during high school closed because the owner had cancer and couldn't find a buyer. He was a great guy - he believed the shop existed to provide job training for local teenagers. Most of the shops are resale or crafty/home things. There are two places to get clothes in town - the hole in the wall for profit thrift store that smells like mildew and smoke, and the mission. Last time I was there someone had crashed into the side of the drive through beverage barn (you can buy cold beer without leaving your car - brilliant plan, right?)

The library tries really hard.

There are some bright spots - the bar and grill that put a big sign on their door some years ago that said "for service speak English." Went out of business, and the place that replaced it I hear serves a better variety of food and recently expanded a really attractive outdoor eating area. (We have never gone there) the Pakistani family that bought the quick stop gas station from the locals did not go out of business in spite of dropping their liquor license, (closest gas to my house) and the feed store does well even though the manager is a complete jerk.

A grocery store would be really nice though. Even a dollar general. Maybe a 2nd run movie theatre?

I have hope for the "arts center" the yoga/kids dance studio seems to be finding customers somewhere, and our farmers are determined. Also the shop where we bought our table is doing well.

Anyway. Here you get a bus if you have to walk more than a mile. Except for the three years there were no busses because the county had no money.

So, today I will go out and about and get back into the stream of life.

GOOD!
So glad nobody wants to take away any of your bathrobes!!! :D

Yep, I knew that was tongue in cheek about the nine miles.
For two years in junior high school (7th & 8th) I had to walk 4 and a half miles both ways every day.
I did the math and thought walking 9 miles every single day was a long way.
Kids who lived farther out got school busses. :p

Your goat milk soap sounds nice.
Bet with a bit of oatmeal it would feel real soothing in the bath.

Your closest nearby towns sound quaint.
Hope no big companies move in to ruin them like they did near here (WallyWorld).

Hope you at least got a good start on your homework tonight.

Good luck stocking up on critter chow and human chow at the big fancy store too.


At the water depot today I was due some change back and the machine acted like it was out of money.
When I came home I wrote an email and explained what happened.
She contacted me back and said they would refund my lost change AND send me 2 vouchers for 5 gallon fill ups too.
So nice. :)

Yay for a new dress!

Glad you got to talk to people too.

Dh says I can keep my old bathrobe AND my new bathrobe.

I have 14 chicks.

You know I was kidding about the nine miles being long, right? The closest town is three miles, and it has a cafe (open thurs-Sunday for lunch and dinner), a church, a post office and a tractor store/repair shop. The cafe shares a parking lot with the church, so it opens late on Sunday.

The nine mile trip is the next closest town. It has more businesses including places to shop, eat, and buy gas, and police, a library, and a dentist, but no grocery store or school. No chain stores either, except subway. The old school building is being turned into an "arts center" and we go most saturdays to get breakfast and buy veggies from the organic farm couple who rented one of the spaces (there are a variety of tenants that I can't figure out what they have to do with "arts"). That parking lot is the site of the "last Saturday market" sales I started selling pottery at this fall.

This week I need to take them a bar of soap because they asked if I might be interested in doing goat milk soap for them, and I want them to try it and see if that is what they are looking for. I also need to ask the guy if he was serious about taking my rooster chicks and how soon I can drop them off.

The feed store is two blocks away and I will need goat feed as well as chick. I thought that would be my big trip until school starts back up, but dh wants to go to the super cool grocery store in the city in the afternoon. We are low on or out of many unusual ingredients. (Chapati flour, udon noodles, miso, figs...)

All of which means I won't get anything done for school tomorrow, so I will try to do a little tonight.

Good Afternoon Everyone

Subclinical.....
OK, for today you can put off the schoolwork
but you need to work on it this weekend.

WAY TO GO!!!!
ALL the candle and ALL the beading stuff is now properly stored on the shelf!!!!!!
YEA! for that freed up floor space! :D

A basket & a tackle box too.
No longer needed to hold things.

You did GREAT! Really you did. :D

How many chicks do you have?
Sorry you have to drive those 9 miles tomorrow to buy them their chow.


Had a very good time.
Conversations with humans.
Found a wear at home Summer dress in the style I like best of all and it's new, never worn before too.
Now I feel alright tossing out my old ratty raggedy one.
Grocery shopped, didn't need much since I fully stocked my pantry last Fall, just needed some fresh stuff.

It is raining.

I decided the chicks could make it to tomorrow.

I puttered in the basement. I got all the candle stuff together on a shelf and all the bead stuff together on a shelf. They were both on the floor before Dd took the bins.

I let go of a basket and a tackle box.

I don't want to do my school stuff.

Good Morning Everybody

Hi CriticalMass
WOW!
You two sure have been busy!!!!

Nope, we did not know that there was her stuff in your room.
Thought it was just your stuff in there.
That would make a HUGE difference if she could move her stuff and free up that space for you to use.
GOOD LUCK and best wishes the rearranging works out for both of you. (((HUG)))

Hi Subclinical
WAY TO GO! for all you have been getting planned, sorted out, cleaned and organized there.

How wonderful to have a soft warm snuggle bunny. :D
A play pen in the studio would be great and it would depend on what that dust consists of.
If just some normal every day dust it's ok.

Have a good day today. :D

Hi Tatoulia
Have a good day at work!
Hope the weather is agreeable. Dress warmly and stay dry. :D

Woke up a little before 5am.
It's just now a little after 6am.
Will putter around here a while and then head in to town around 10am.

CM!!! Great work! WTG CM and Roommate! You are doing great!

Tillie-angora phobia. I snorted!!!!

SubC! I took off the bows and put in my donation bag. They are fantastic and beautiful and in great shape! At first I was going to save them because I love them and they are in my colors and luckily about an hour later, I'd bagged them up.

I have to run to work. Everyone let's keep the momentum! Tillie I would love to go thrifting with you today! And the water sounds refreshing.

Oh CM, that sounds like a fantastic plan! I had no idea that you had someone else's stuff in your room. Having that out will make such a difference.

I say - if you keep the lazer printer, just use it until it runs out if ink, then donate or recycle and share the other printer. Ink is expensive, but space is dear.
L
Good job getting that slip of paper typed in. It's the little jobs that pile up and kill us.

You would not believe how much my little Winter boy has grown in two weeks! He is such a snuggle bunny! I'm very glad I got him.

I'm thinking about indoor play pens for the bunnies to go in the studio once I get the space cleared out more. Then they could get more exercise time in bad weather. But I worry because it is dusty. Do you think it would hurt them?

Tillie, I hope you get to town today. I have the exact same trouble if wanting to leave home less and less the longer I don't go anywhere. But I laughed at your angora-phobia - it sounds like you are afraid of my bunnies.

Tatoulia, yay for shredding and recycling! I am sad about the wreaths. I have been scheming about how to snag some dead wreaths with nice metal frames that I can use to make new ones for my house every year. I have one, but could use about three more. I will be watching people's trash for those. Here you could at least pull off any bows and fake additions to donate to a thrift shop.

Here we carry the tree out to the barn and feed it to the boy goats. The girls can't have it unless I am keeping them open because too much evergreen can make them miscarry. Then the trunk goes into the ravine to help fight erosion. The cedar branches from the wreathes go in the ravine too. No one is a big fan of cedar. They will eat it, but it is not their first choice.

Today I might have to go to the feed store because the possum ate a bunch of my chick feed and I don't think there is enough to wait until tomorrow. I might give them goat feed though, because I have plans to go to that town tomorrow. (It is nine miles. Such a long trip!🙄)

Must get my school stuff together more today and planning to spend a little more time on the basement, plus putting away decorations. Everything but the tree has to be cleaned up by Monday, but dh said I can have an extra week of the tree.

Well, this evening my roommate and I got a big chonky computer desk in her office shoved aside. Then we got a new set of metal shelves on casters assembled and rolled in there where the computer desk had been.

The shelves will hold things like the printer and paper and other stuff she has. She's going to get the stuff off the computer desk - like me, she will be divesting her life of much paper - yay! We are inspiring each other.

I may have mentioned about some of these plans awhile back. The computer desk will go bye-bye as soon as she gets the stuff on it gone. I may inherit her older laser printer which is still good, if it can fit in my room*.

Another set of wire shelves awaits assembly when the computer desk is gone. It will go in the office - which she's turning into more of a library.

This in turn will allow the books she has on bookcases in my bedroom to go in there. I will in turn put my art supplies and a few books and some of my Barbies and whatever on those bookcase shelves. My stuff has been living on plastic shelves "double parked" in front of those bookcases.

The plastic shelves will be disassembled most likely, perhaps given away if they're not needed elsewhere. We can decide that as we go along with this project.

The aesthetic and practical improvement in my room will be much welcomed. Of course I must do my part in continuing to get rid of stuff and not be a slob, etc. Which I will gladly do!

*The old laser printer she doesn't like because she prefers wireless, but I don't mind one cord to plug into my laptop - it's not like the old days of huge desktop computers with a zillion cords for this and that. So - IF IT FITS on the vacated bookshelves, I may keep it, or if not we'll donate it I guess.

This was supposed to be a very quick post to follow up on my earlier one - we did some good stuff tonight, and I'm tired! I guess reading and replying and more posting will have to wait, but at least you can know this is what I've been up to.

I downloaded Instagram to my new phone and took one picture of dolls - this new Ken who looks like a surfer dude, a Barbie, and a couple of Chelsea girls. This is the first one I've done with the phone and the app; hopefully I did it right. I still need to redo those other pictures that were too big for the frame and cut off heads.

There's so much to do, and I'm just thankful that my energy has been decent lately for this time of year. Weather helps - highs in 50s and sunny fairly often. I wrote an outline for a novel scene just before getting online here - well, typed it so I could shred the scrap of paper it was jotted on. Still, that counts "in my book," LOL!

I need to go feed my bunnies and get to bed. Night!

WAY TO GO!!!!!1 Tatoulia!!!!

Trash out and a giant box of shreds to recycling!
WOOHOO!!!

Glad you got out for a little fresh air and grocery shopped for Mom too.

That is sad they don't use the evergreens there.
Here we can send them off to be put in lakes for habitat for the fishes.

Keep up this great momentum getting things put away or ready to go out! :D


OK...
Planning on going into town tomorrow.
The longer I stay home the more my anxiety about going out gets.
I call it "Angora-phobia" fear of leaving the cat. ;p
Have my shopping list all made up.
The empty water bottles are in the car.
Will visit the thrift shop and talk to nice friendly people.
Might buy something if it's something I need, most times I leave empty handed.
I have a mental list of things that I need and if I see something that's perfect I'll buy it.
So few stores out here and with limited merchandise.
Bless the generous thrift shop donors.

WTG Tillie and SubC! Amazing work! You are helping me! I've been shredding and getting rid of papers! Giant box to go to recycling! All of my trash is out! I did mom's groceries.

I'm still working away here! We have all aligned like planets and we are getting things done!

Excellent work!!!

SubC my weight is up, up, up.

Tillie I'm thrilled you liked the photos! Beautiful exhibit Kay Nielsen. Beautiful work and very well curated.

Back to work!!! Gotta keep shredding my papers and putting things away! My wreaths are down. Unfortunately we do not recycle wreaths in the city. I'm sad about that.

WAY TO GO!!!
So wonderful Halloween décor is put away!!!!

Now that's out of your way and sight! :D

I decided that a big chunk of the problem was all the Halloween stuff I never packed away. So I did that.

It looks better, but not better than the before pictures.

Tatoulia
Those photos are absolutely gorgeous! :D

Hi Subclinical
WTG! for all you have gotten done
especially for all the good thinking you have been doing!

It all starts in the thinking. ;)

Not bad, 4 cards up.
I'm sure they will be put to good use soon.


Been thinking...
Now that my tiny room has been salvaged and returned to a sweet little tidy quiet place
and the yardwork is done for a few months
I can now do some dress alterations.
Really wanted to do this all this time but had too many pestering disturbances going on around here.
Periodically I will take breaks from altering/sewing and do a bit of the usual always present housework.

Kitchen is all cleanagain.
Really need to shower now because the yardwork has made me all itchy. :/

How is it going tatoulia? Don't forget to recycle ;).

I started putting stuff in the crate.

I have written all 26 thank you notes.

I also have a new theory about why I gained so much weight in December.

I bought two boxes of 15 cards to write the notes on, so I am up by four cards. That is a tiny thing, but part of being honest.

I also have another class I want to pitch if my boss asks me to teach 4 days, because I ran across something really cool on my mid-thank you note break. I told dh about it and he said "if that would make you happy."

Not sure what I'm going to get into next.

Howdy Ya'll

Today the cats and I decluttered a gardening chore.

I trimmed back all the Honeysuckle bushes.
Then pruned off some small scraggly low hanging branches from the apricot and Russian Olive tree.

Can't do these tasks until the plants go to sleep in the Autumn/Winter and must have them done before the Spring wakes them up.

Garden is all up to date until early Spring now! :D

Ate lunch and am resting up for a few before I wash dishes & clean the kitchen.
Cats are sleeping.

Congratulations CM!!! Wow!!! You are doing GREAT!!!! Keep it up! You are motivating me to move forward! Tonight is trash night and I want as much as possible out so that the cleaning ladies can worry only about cleaning.

You are my inspiration today!

Hello CM! Hello Tillie!

WAY TO GO!!!!!
Subclinical! :D

Wonderful thinking and planning!

Yes! a box to gather candle making things until they are all together!

Knowing you have no interest or need to carve, that there are enough crafts/arts you are already enjoying doing.

A whole big bag ready for donating!!!

The file crate has been located and is now ready to be put to use!

((((HUG)))) We knew you could do it. :D

CM! I am excited for the update. Don't forget!

Ok, I went down to the basement and I started cleaning up yarn and finding all the candle making stuff. The candle making stuff doesn't quite fit on the empty space I intended to use on the shelf, so for now I put a box in front of the shelf. I think I will find more candle making stuff, so I will wait until I am done to reorganize. (I will be making candles with three of my classes before the end of February.)

It looks a little bit better.

I found two books I can part with (8 more to break even - sigh.)

And I found four little carving kits to do with children. I got them in my homeschooling days and the kids never got interested in carving.
So:
these have been rejected by three kids.
My son in law is a woodworker.
While I have several toy animals lovingly made for me by my grandfather, I do not, and have never, carved. I think I was seduced by the emotion around my grandfather's carvings. My new grandchild will have the walnut pull duck that flaps its wings and was inscribed by him for my daughter. And any other children can share that or have beautiful things made by the uncle they know and love.
I knit. I sculpt. I sew. There is no reason for me to learn to carve.
I am not starting new projects.

I put the kits in the goodwill bag with the puppets. I also added The baby clothes I decided could go and a bread pan. It is a paper grocery bag, and it is full.

While I was cleaning up, I found the hanging file crate I was looking for the other day because I wanted to use it to organize materials for two of my classes. So doing that is now on my list.

Good Morning and Happy New Year to you too CriticalMass :D

Good Morning Everyone

Hi Tatoulia
Thank you :)

Evergreen needles love to choke vacuums. ;p

WTG! for eliminating guilt.
It was unnecessary unwarranted and pointless. (((HUG)))

Have a great day working from home!

OK, even I sometimes have those "OMG!" what do I do? moments of having too much stuff that must be sorted out and taken care of.
Some days I pull out things and get busy on projects and one thing leads to another and then other things demand my attention.
That is called life.
Life happens and can be overwhelming at times.
We just need to put on our big girl panties and start with the most, the worst looking mess we have made.
No "stash and dash" where we just shove the mess out of sight.
Mostly the stuff just needs to be put back where it belongs, trash taken out, dishes washed, laundry done.

I am wearing an old ratty favorite robe because it is comfy and warm and I have never found a new one that has all the same qualities as this one.

Decided not to go to town today, maybe tomorrow?

Happy Belated New Year!

Lots going on with you all, so exciting to hear about. And the difficulties as well, we all want to know because we're gonna conquer them together! Enlisting the help of Badger too when necessary.

I have lots of stuff to tell as well, so I'll come back later for longer posting. My roommate has been thinking about tackling her office and Tuesday while I was out all day she kicked butt. The continuation of this has far-reaching implications, which I'll detail.

I also worked on one of my novels these past few days, getting structure outlined, which felt good.

Roommate gave me a little play money for the fabric store yesterday. I made selections of a few versatile multicolored batik and tie-dye fabrics that can go in one quilt I'm partway in the planning of, and scraps used with whatever other stash I need those colors to make blocks with.

Okay, need to go do some household stuff and a quick errand. More later.

Thank you Subclinical (((hug)))

Your basement is the "catch-all" place for things from everywhere else.

I am glad you took photos of it because someday it will show that you have made a huge difference there.

Remember that your life is going through a major transition right now.
From Mom with kids at home to just you and DH and now onto Granma.

You have saved things for the kids down there.
You have things and materials for other projects you plan to return to some day.

Last Summer you did a fantastic job working down there.
Yes, you still have too much stuff but you did eliminate things that you felt could go, at that time.
Decluttering all by yourself takes time and is like peeling away the layers of an onion, one layer at a time.

Also you are very sentimental and that makes it even harder for you.
You kept baby clothes, toys, books and games from your children.
Plus other things from the past.
That basement is a huge memory box and should be tackled slowly.
The new "just for now" stuff that has been shoved down there is where you need to start sorting and putting it away right or eliminated if not needed.

All that work you did last Summer is still there and it's still good.

You have done very, very well with your acquiring this year.
Basement overload is stuff that has always been on the property, just relocated, delayed decisions.

WEAR YOUR OLD BATHROBE UNTIL IT ROTS AND FALLS TO SHREADS.
It's your robe and you still find comfort in it ((((HUG))))

Read the new books, wear the new shoes, burn the centerpiece candles.

It's not all too hard.
You CAN do this, but it will take you some time because you need to do it one box, bag, bin at a time.
You are cleaning up, remodeling and decluttering years and years worth of your other life, the one with kids at home.
Keep that vision/dream of your new future life front and foremost in your thoughts.

We believe in you (((HUG))) ;D

Hello everyone! SubC I can relate to your frustration! I truly can! I look around here and see papers and stuff scattered and I think, how can this be? I am doing such a good job but to look at it, I'm not. How could I have gotten rid of scores of bags and boxes, and there is still too much stuff? How can this possibly be?

As to the old bathrobe-I too struggle with getting rid of bedclothes. They are comfy and I love them. I know from expat that once I start wearing the new stuff, I don't go back to the old. It's a tough lesson and I hate this lesson but it's real for me. I force myself to be realistic. Could you try the new one and see how you like it?

Today I'm taking my wreaths down. Cleaners come tmr and I want them to vacuum the needles. I have to take down from the inside.

Tillie you take great care of the cats. And us.

I am grateful for being home today. Good ease back into work. I was having work anxiety dreams today and then my character remembered I am working from home today!

I am letting go of the guilt I feel about my brother.

Tillie,

You take good care of the cats!

Cats are citizens. They have their own lives and they make bargains with us. We can give them the best we have to offer, but eventually age, accident, or illness will find them as it finds us all.

I am feeling discouraged. I normally do not take pictures in or of my hoarded areas. But when I put in the new bookshelves in the basement, I got inspired and I took basement pictures of the hoard, thinking I would have before and after shots.

Your comment about my basement got me thinking, and last night I found the pictures. They are before and after - before I worked on the problem for two months, and after I rummaged and dumped for the entire fall.

The basement is worse. Definitely much worse. I have listed here every single thing I have brought home - so you know I am not piling in boxes of new "treasures". But it is much more crowded and messy.

I KNOW I got rid of things, but it sure looks like I've done nothing but add and churn.

Part of that is failure to clean up and put things away properly down there. And part of it is that over the summer and fall I moved a lot of things that didn't belong in the studio to the basement. (But of course, I don't have before pictures of the studio.) and part of it is bin "fluffing"

But the whole situation is very discouraging. The studio isn't actually done, the basement is still a mess, and I clearly still have carloads and carloads too much. It takes so much energy just to try to break even.

I need a big thing to tip the momentum. Even five bins of baby stuff didn't help. How can I get rid of five bins of stuff and have it still look so bad?

And there is all the Christmas stuff - shoes, my robe, books - there are three candles in the centerpiece my aunt sent.

And I ordered 6 more books for teaching.

I don't really want to get rid of my old bathrobe. :(

It all feels too hard.

Hi Subclinical
Thank you.
The laundry finished drying nicely on the rack.

WTG! for ordering that teacher's guide and workbook.
Sounds like something that has the bones and you get to add all the meat & potatoes.
Happy you let go of doing it all from scratch.

Today I let go of some worry.
Was worried about Jack. He was not eating and seemed to have pain.
Would want me to pet him but then frantically run away and cower.
This morning He showed up for breakfast was his old self again and ate his food.
He looked good and was his happy purring self again.
Think he may have had a burr in his mouth but managed to work it out.

Gave up some guilt that no matter how hard I may try I am just a failure at taking care of the cats.
No matter what I could do I am helpless against cancers, kidney failure and other such diseases that take them.

Tillie, I am sorry about your laundry. Hopefully tomorrow will be dry.

What did you let go of today?

I let go of trying to do all my lesson plans from scratch and I ordered a book with a teacher's guide and workbook for my least favorite class. It looks like a very good book, and I won't just do the workbook, but it will give me something solid and structured to riff on.

YEA!
Guess that possum didn't like the goat invasion. :D

That's very good reasoning on tying up loose ends on what you have going on there.
Your priorities are spot on.

WTG! for another pottery class! :D



Well....
It sprinkled.
Laundry was almost dry so I have it on the rack inside to finish up.

Reviewing my life chores & have-tos
I am doing alright and am on schedule.
My tasks are all manageable since I minimized what I have to and want to do.
The garden is still a joy but so much easier to maintain.
My expectations of what I should be doing are no longer hard and exhausting.
Using "the Gentle Art Of Swedish Cleaning has helped me to better evaluate what things I feel that I need to keep.
Like nobody around to share cookies with so I have eliminated the cookie cutters and cookie press that I used to make fancy decorated time consuming cookies with.
Drop cookies are just fine if I need cookies.
I no longer cook for anybody but myself so I no longer feel that I need to cook anything elaborate.
I am happy with simple dishes.
The kitchen and pantry easily hold what I need.
All my clothing, linens, bedding, craft supplies, etc. fit easily in my room.
All so easy to keep clean and tidy.

And here I sit with this massive filthy dangerous hoard surrounding me.
Nothing I can do about any of that.
So I will just focus on what I have control over.

Well, the possum was gone this morning and everything was alive. But I forgot to chain a gate and the goat were loose in the barn all night, so everything was chaos.

It is sunny and 40s today, so I cleared a few more blackberries. I also worked on stuff for my favorite class (order and preparation) but I promised myself 20 minutes on the least favorite and I need to write my thank you notes.

I felt like I had so much time and now I feel like I have none!

Tatoulia, maybe you should wash your dollar gloves and tuck them in a drawer at work at the end of the season.

Another board I read sometimes has a thread about "what three things do you want to finish this year?" I thought about it a little - the number of unfinished projects in my life is legion, but I won't join the thread. For one thing, it's already 4 pages long and veering off topic(I can't keep up with that!), and for another, I think this is like dehoarding my house. FIRST I need to stop starting new things.

I am already committed to my most important and exciting new roll this year - caring for my grandchild on Mondays. And I have already asked for three classes I have never taught before, although two are super simple and one is dear to my heart. But there are many places I can stop.

I can not start any new knitting projects until I finish or give away the started ones.

I can not clear any new land or start any new garden beds until I finish reclaiming the old ones and have them under control.

I already signed up for a pottery class in two weeks, and I will have to buy some new clay for it because of temperature demands, but I can focus on using up clay and glaze that I have whenever possible. And I can definitely use the toys and tools I already have!

And no matter how good an idea I have, I can not bring home materials, even free materials, for projects that are not started. And that includes books with ideas!

Good Morning Everybody
Wrote a nice long post but internet hiccupped and swallowed it.
Power went out just as I was getting up this morning for about an hour too.

Hi Subclinical
Wishing you tons of sunshine today (((HUG)))
Hope you find a good solution for the possum.

Hi Tatoulia
Happy you had such a lovely evening.
Maybe you need "idiot gloves"? The ones with the string that holds them on together through the jacket sleeves.

So sweet of him to mention that your place is so clean you would have noticed the gloves there.


Linens are on the clothesline.
Cats had their breakfast and are now napping.
Kitchen counter is clear and clean but I will need to cook sometime today but will clean it up again.

Happy New Year! It's almost 1PM. Just finished my coffee and a bagel. It's bright outside but I still used my therapy lamp!

I need to gain more control of my surroundings this year! Keep moving forward! I am excited about all of it.

We had a lovely dinner last night, got home about 2AM. Lovely evening. Just my sweetheart and me; the way I am happiest on NYE. Now I'm in my jammies and have a tiny cat next to me. She's brought me intense joy since 2005.

Tillie that bored and lonely feeling is terrible. I get cranky with myself when I feel that way.

Well despite not wanting to do this, I am getting dressed and going to go outside.

SubC I am so excited that the cabinets went to Habitat! Fantastic!

I've lost all my gloves this year. All of them. Cheap, expensive, and all in between. BF checked my car and his car for them last night, as I was really cold on way in and home from work yesterday. And he said, my house is so clean I would've noticed if they were there. I love him so much.

They could still be at mom's. My ear muffs are missing too. I only gave the ear muffs that are too old and ratty looking. I'll wear them, but they are slated for goodwill. BF said he'll order me a dozen of those foolish dollar gloves for me to keep at work. He did that a few years ago and it was incredibly helpful, then I washed them up and donated them once I was done.

Tillie, I am sorry your year ended bored and lonely!

I hope you do get into town and you figure out the eating mystery.

I am not a huge fan of "drive it out into the country" I am the country. There's an even chance catch and release is how the possum or it's momma got here in the first place. I think I should drive it into the suburbs where it can eat garbage and not bother anybody. (Kidding, but not entirely)

I grew up in suburbs that people considered country (4 acre lots, chip surfaced roads, neighbor farmed the 8 acres across the street) and was taught to love possums. They eat ticks and don't bother anybody. My dad (who owns a truck farm and a wood lot in the real country near where I grew up) would always get excited and come get us when he found wildlife. Bats, possums, skunks raccoons, turtles, snakes, tree frogs, so many birds, and of course rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, toads etc.

The only creatures he had it in for were groundhogs and deer. He couldn't coexist with them because they destroyed everything in their path.

The sun might come out today.

We'll see how I do.

CM, take your medicine. I forgot mine last night.

10:30pm December 31st. 2019

I am bored and a bit lonely.
Scooter just decided to snuggle with me, it's nice.

This morning after the sun had warmed up the world a little
I went outside and removed all the spent dried out seed pods from the lilac bushes.
Also trimmed some new branches off that were too tall.
About 8/9 feet is tall enough and when they grow too tall they tend to be scrawny and I want/need fuller bushes to help stop the dust clouds blowing in.

Might get out and cut the honeysuckle down tomorrow.
Starts to look ratty when you don't remove the thin tentacles to allow the new growth take over next Spring.

Will be hanging out sheets and pillow cases tomorrow morning.
Scant chance of rain and temps predicted to be upper 40s.

Definitely need to go into town later this week.
Need to find and talk to friendly people, the human type.
Also need to figure out what kind of food I should eat.
For a while now so many things just make me feel ill. :p

Happy New Year Subclinical

WTG! old kitchen cabinets off to habitat!!!
WTG! for organizing evaluation information and recycling lots of paper!

If you don't have a humane trap see if a veterinarian or the wildlife department have one they will lend you.

Bait it with something tasty and place it out near the cat carrier.
Check it regularly and when you catch her take her for a long drive out into the country.
Trap & release is a win win for all involved.