Thank you, dear Tillie. Thank you so much for your unwavering support. Greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Good Morning everybody 🙂

September 15th. already.
Where does the time go?
Doing some laundry today.
Have my list of 10 tasks that I want to accomplish by the end of this month right here.
I allow myself to pick and choose which ones, if any, to do each day.
This way the only pressure on me to do them is the goal of having them all completed by the end of the month.
It's all Seasonal type stuff dealing with the change from Summer to Autumn.

Keep up all the FANTASTIC progress you all have been making! 😀

WAY TO GO!!!!!
Tatoulia! 😀
FANTASTIC!!!!
YOU"VE GOT IT!!! 😀

I'm on a roll! Working in the shelves in my dining room closet. I can't believe how much I've cleared out. I'm really happy right now.

One thing that has worked for me is that I no longer keep stuff that maybe so-and-so would like. I just donate it. If it's a family item I run by my sister and if she says no, then I donate. My ability to let go of things has been to re-wire my thinking. I no longer think in terms of gifts for someone, I don't buy multiples, I don't keep things I used to love (I've decided I've given the object enough love and time to move on--if I still love it I keep it, I don't keep past loves), and I don't decide to keep things that some other person could use or might like. That has made a huge difference for me. And it's in full force tonight.

So thrilled. Thanks for all of your support and encouragement. This is a group effort, to be sure,

Hello everyone,

I didn't pay close enoug attn and my post here from earlier today didn't show up. I Hodp you are feeling okay Tillie--it sounded like the wedding was a lot of fun! Good catching up on all of the posts. You are doing great, Anony! Keep it up!

I got rid of two large bags of stuff today--took a third pass at my hardcover books and in less than 10 minutes got a big bag together. Already went to goodwill with it. Have also hung some beautiful artwork I just inherited. Have gone through costume jewelry and donated. I am forging ahead. Making room.

Bought one thing this weekend--but it's a g fit for my BF. I like to buy the stuff when I see it so that Christmas doesn't take it out of my hide,

Thanks for the reminder that it is the new year! Seems early this year -- Life starts anew when it gets crisp in the fall.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

It is overcast and very lightly sprinkling this morning.
My covey of Quail must have become very scattered fleeing the hunters.
Last night they all managed to gather all back together and there are still about 80 of them.
Was good to see that the majority survived the hunt. 😀
Even thought today I am extremely depressed due to situations yesterday, my plan is to clean the house this morning.
Sweep floors & porches
clean the bathroom
generally wipe off surfaces & stuff
vacuum the carpet
Maybe being depressed in a clean house will help lift my mood better than moping in a dirty house.
Today is Rosh Hashanah, so Happy New Year! 😀

The really upsetting pictures were of animals not cared for...but the really extreme hoards definitely pushed buttons for me, too!

WAY TO GO! tossing that thing! 😀

So, what pictures did you see?
The terribly filthy clutter ones or the crime scene clean up ones?

....I was gonna pop in to just say I'd thrown out this stupid thing hanging in the kitchen and how nice it looks now, but I accident my clicked into the website and saw some really disturbing pictures......?!!?

Thank you, Tillie!! 😀
His allergies from all the cats and dust are really bothering him! I feel so bad, but he insists he goes thru this a lot. He's gonna start wearing my good mask for chemicals. It is kind of a reality jolt for me to have him wearing that thing in here cuz it's so filthy!

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂

That is the best kind of help!
Someone there with you who you trust, to help you see things through fresh eyes.
Wish everyone had that kind of help.
Have a WONDERFUL time visiting your friend, relax and renew and come home to your clean house with a fresh new perspective.
Great big (((HUGS))) to the Stepson for all he has been doing. 🙂

Correction again: just him standing there will very likely help me get rid of more stuff. Then later he can straight clean! (That was an important part, so I wanted to get it typed right!)

Correction: this auto-correct is frustrating. He is gonna help me to thru some areas of my house and get rid of some stuff.

Hi all! I hope everyone is getting lots done!
Tillie, the wedding sounds like it was wonderful! What a nice celebration for you and everyone!
I am really breaking thru some barriers lately, with my stepson here! I think seeing things thru his eyes,especially seeing how well he's handling letting go of old things that no longer work, and embracing new, positive things, has really helped me to do the same! He is practicing for his road trip by setting up his camp in my woods and it's beautiful! He made this gorgeous winding path to his tent and it shows me how possible nice change is! He's gonna help me to thus some areas of my house and just him standing there will likely help me let good more junk! Then next weekend I'm taking a trip to visit my good friend in CA while he cares for my cats and does just straight cleaning! I really think it'll be a good shift for me, and I love how much this is all helping my stepson, too!
I'm also knowing that I'll come back with a fresh perspective and very likely be more ready to change old attachments at my place, and break thru some stuck-ness!
I hope you all get goals met and breakthroughs in some stuck-ness, as well!!! 😀

The wedding was so much fun!!! 😀
Got to see a lot of people I haven't seen in a very long time and got to see other people that I have seen more recently but always enjoy seeing.
The food was GREAT and there was so much that that I was forced to bring home a bunch.
Right now I am on a sugar high from eating cake, drinking Coke and eating M&Ms.
It was outdoors under canopies, with a DJ.
I think what I liked the best of all was hugging and being hugged by so many people I love. 😀
(((HUGS)))

Good Morning Everyone 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
YEA!! WAY TO GO!!! Stepson! 😀
Hope his next new camping/hiking/road trip adventure is a GREAT one!
The best revenge really is living well. ;p

Going to putter around here this morning then get ready and go to the wedding this afternoon.
I post appointments and dates on the refrigerator so they are right there visible reminders.
Now that I have taken down the wedding invitation there are no more important dates to remember till November.
Nice! 😀

TTYL 🙂

Hey there, recovering clutterers!
Yesterday I can home to a much cleaner house! My stepson cleared and cleaned the deck to paint, but it rained, so he did cleaning inside instead! It's better! It seems more hopeful for sure! His allergies did flare up, so I feel like he shouldn't be doing it, but I'm paying him for the help so he can go on a new adventure road trip soon! He's collecting camping equipment and is excited about it!
Roxie-Yes, he's doing great with moving towards new positive experiences, instead of revenge or bitterness. Congratulations on getting your financial papers squared away! YIPEE!
Tillie- I love your Gramma story! It's funny how thats what I'm doing, too! I looked up the psychology of turquoise and it was just what I need now!
The new shelf sounds nice! I can certainly understand how wanting something dumpster dived would seem like justification for it all, but at least it can be beneficial?!
Tatoulia- Its awesome that you are keeping your non-shopping commitment! You could shift like me and turn sour from it naturally after getting away from it? I hope so!
Happy De-hoarding to all!!!

Good Morning 🙂

Hi Roxie 🙂
"clink!"
WAY TO GO! for jumping through all those hoops and getting over the hurdles that the bank has thrown in front of you. They really have set up way too much red tape in the way of issuing you your checks.
True, all companies really should have ways we can pay them online in this computer age.

Hi Karl 🙂
We have that same feature through our credit union.

Since the onset of Quail hunting season my covey has been nervous and tend to try sneaking around.
Until last evening they were good at avoiding the hunters.
They were scattered all around and over night managed to group back up but their numbers have been greatly reduced.
There is a new batch of baby cottontail bunnies that come out of hiding in the evenings and scurry about. 🙂
The air is thick with wildfire smoke making me and the cats miserable.
The "Burning Man" festival that is held nearby is always a fun time to go into town and see the participants as they travel through the area.
They come from all over the world and are very interesting people to talk to. 🙂
Tomorrow there is a wedding I need to attend. Will be nice seeing everybody there. 🙂
The "Cantaloupe Festival" what we call our county fair, will be happening soon.
Today my plan is to putter round doing "this and that".

So, what's happening in your neck of the woods?

Using my bank's Bill Pay feature, I can have them send a check to any address on my behalf, so I don't need to deal with writing it myself and finding an envelope and a stamp. The only time I ever have to send mail myself is when I'm returning a paper form of some kind.

Hello, all. Enjoying my first cup of coffee, so yes, I slept until mid afternoon. I've been taking the sleeping pills but they haven't been working. I talked to the pharmacist yesterday, and determined what adjustments I can make and will now try that.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
WAY TO GO!!!
Fantastic that you will have a beautifully freshly painted front deck! 😀
You remind me of a summer I spent with my Granma out at her little cottage on the shore of a small lake.
She had a gallon of turquoise enamel paint and had me paint almost everything in the yard with it. She even had me paint the pink flamingo in the flower bed turquoise. Looked so nice, but Granpa was not impressed. 😀

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
CONGRATULATIONS!
on the FANTASTIC strength you are showing in this no purchasing challenge! (((hugs)))

Thanks All 🙂
Been up since 6:30 and got a lot accomplished already today, and it's not even 10:00 yet. 🙂

There is only one thing that I hate even more than I hate all his dumpster diving and that's when he drags home something nice that I really have a use for.
Doesn't happen very often.
Once he had a wooden library book shelf that I needed for the pantry.
Have enjoyed using it for many years in there.
Yesterday he brought home an even nicer library book shelf.
I have been needing/wanting another one for my room to consolidate my stuff all together into one location in there.
He had no immediate use for it or space in the garage and had just dumped it in the yard where it would have been rained/snowed/peed on.
It is smaller than the shelf in the pantry which makes it perfect.
I asked him if I could have it and he said "sure".
So now it is all washed, polished and in my room where it neatly and tidily contains my stuff.
Bottom shelf has my vinyl LP records and some reference books.
Next shelf up has my 4 small baskets containing my shampoo and other toiletries.
Third self up from bottom has my DVDs.
Top shelf has my CDs and some pretty rocks.
The top has a tiny cabinet that holds my essential oils and a bowl containing some pretty rocks.
Now my room looks so much nicer. 😀

Only 12 more days till Summer is officially over and Autumn begins. ENJOY! 🙂

Congratulations Tatoulia!!! Learning to control your shopping is a big challenge!!! It's great you're making headway on that important step!!! 😀

Sounds like a great project, Anony! Pleased for you!

Congrats on the good report from the dds, Tillie, w it's a special congrats on the awesome dental insurance!

As to buying clothes, I don't have a lot to start with. I could have easily justified buying the blouse but I felt that if I didn't find a coordinating cardigan, it could end up being another thing I don't wear. I also worried about shopping again. A deal is a deal, and I so want to keep myself at just the necessary paper products and food products. I don't want to make exceptions. If I do make an exception (also known as cheating) I will fess up. It was fairly easy to put down a fall blouse when it is in the 90s here!

It's good to show restraint. I really want to practice seeing things and not buying. You are helping me immensely.

Goodnight from me and my tiny cat, who is sprawled out across the floor.

YEA! My stepson suggested painting the front deck! That'd look gorgeous! Turquoise works miracles!

Hi fellow declutterers!
Tillie, I hope you will be able to get comfortable with your situation? That must be difficult? I'm glad you're getting your teeth improved!
Yea, Tatoulia on getting more bags out!
My stepson has been cleaning and fixing my quad, which I need to mow paths thru the tall weeds!(Tillie, that's my lawn mower!)
I've been struggling to make some decisions while hes here to help?!!
If I knew what I wanted done now it'd be a perfect opportunity!
I have a new phone now, so my 'procrastination devise' is back in full swing!
I wish I had more words of wisdom for my stepson. His wife was cheating on him and he's devistated...
If I had some projects for us to work on, it'd help us both?!! I keep trying to push to getting clear on what I want to do?!!?
The nice cooler weather will be nice for working in!

Good Morning Everyone 🙂

I Tatoulia 🙂
WAY TO GO!!!
You are doing FANTASTIC! 😀
Once you get stuff organized and the amount of stuff just the way you like it, you can then do what I do to keep all my stuff to a reasonably manageable amount.
New one in, older one out.
I have one drawer for blouses and they are not so tightly crammed in that it is hard to grab the exact one I want.
When I see a blouse that I think I might want to buy I have to think about what I have at home and ask myself, "am I willing to let go of what I already have to add this one?"
I could easily cram 50 to 60 blouses into this drawer but then I would be unhappy with the hard to manage storage and the blouses would get wrinkled and many would never be worn. lol 🙂

D.D.S. appointment went well. No dental caries, no major work needs doing.
Do have to have some restorations done but no big hurry and I already knew that needed doing.
There is some erosion of some teeth near the gum line that has caused small "pockets" that need to be filled.
Made an appointment for November to have the right side done and will have the left side done at a later date.
Then my teeth will all be in great condition!
Happy Dance 😀
I owe it all to regular brushing and flossing every day.
With the insurance I purchased from the dental office for only 93.00 a year, the cost is very do-able and next year I get the senior discount of only paying 62.00 a year. 😀
It had been 10 years since I last saw my dentist. LOL

Lawn mowers....
There are at least 6 lawn mowers on the property, but none of them work.
The reason he has for keeping them all is for "parts" to fix lawn mowers.
But none of the parts are the right parts to fix any of these lawn mowers.
So, the grass keeps growing taller in my little garden/lawn area because the last lawn mower died and has now been added to the dead lawn mower graveyard.
Years ago he got rid of my push mower because it was taking up space that he needed to store all his other stuff.

Wednesday! lets all enjoy these last few days of summer. 🙂

Hi Tillie! I hope it went okay at the dds yesterday. I am desperate for an apt but feel that I can't deal (financially) with the consequences.

Still faithful to my no purchases pledge. Had a blouse inmyhandlast week--I do not have a lot of clothes and I do need to be dressed for work-- but put back.

Am working on getting things in better shape around my apt. I feel better when it's not chaotic.

Wishing everyone a good day today!

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Thank you (((HUGS)))
FANTASTIC! job you have been doing! 😀

Have to get dressed now and go to my dental appointment.
Just a general check up but I'm scared he might find something needs fixing.
Fingers crossed X. 😀

TTYL 🙂

Hi Tillie. I am sorry about the state of affairs. A Nintendo fan! Who knew? Pull them out, enjoy them, find some good chill time.

I get it. You're worn out and the futility is...not sure what...but I hear the resignation in your voice and support you 100%.

For me, I've made a big bag of things from linen closet, just waiting to go to Goodwill. Ant have a car this week so will do on weekend. Cleaned toilet. Kept up with dishes and have cleaned kitchen counters. Just took out huge bag of trash and recyclables. Working in bag of " keep or shred" and shredded a lot.

The sweat is pouring off of me. Will take a shower and head into bed soon.

Tillie, the kitties love you and appreciate you for your hard work. (As do I). Oodles, congrats on the hard work--not sure if you were talking work-work or hoard-work.

Roxie, I'm about to pour an orange juice in your honor.

Everyone else, keep up the good work.

Good Morning Everyone

WAY TO GO!
For all your accomplishments/achievements, plan making and general, overall dealings with life.

Last century, way back in the 1990s, when I decluttered inside the house, I packed up all my Nintendo games and stored them away.
There was no more time for me to enjoy playing them while working on keeping my "No Clutter Zones" clear and clean and trying to get some major home repairs done.
Well, I have given up entirely now on him ever decluttering the property, carport, garage or his bedroom or letting me get contractors in to do some very necessary repairs.
I have brought back out my game systems, hooked them up and plan to spend time replaying all my favorites.
It is a great way to "zone out" and ignore the realities of life.
I will continue to maintain my areas though and do all the cat care.
Still planning on also doing my crafts and hobbies and watching stuff on Netflix.
But for now, no longer will I try to get any more areas here decluttered or repaired.
I will still do everything possible to keep the mice, rats, snakes, spiders and scorpions out of the house.
I have quit many times before and this seems to motivate him a tiny little bit to declutter but it never lasts very long.
🙂