Hello 🙂

LOL Subclinical 😀

Hi Tatoulia (AKA ?)
Happy theatre was excellent!

Lets see...
Hard to explain since I don't know the proper names of these things.
Not new drapes, same old ones that the cats haven't snagged up too bad.
Drapes are gold with a lot of green leafy foliage.
What's new is what the drapes hang from, whatever they are called.
Two attractive "wall sconces" attached at either side of the window.
A long pole with finials on the ends goes through the "sconces".
On the pole I put round wooden rings and the curtain hooks attach to them to hang the drapes.
What I had before were larger and darker.
The new arrangement is light and silvery and looks refreshing.

That's the one problem with buying everything at the thrift shop.
When you really need something, you get whatever you can find to use until you finally find something that is exactly what you want. 😀

Oh you two just made me feel so much better! Thank you SubC and Tillie! I actually identified myself as Tillie's friend when speaking with Cory!

Tillie what do your new curtains look like? I would love a description!

SubC I hope you are feeling better. I know you have been weary both mentally and physically. I'm thinking of you. I'll make you an honorary member of the club knowing my first and last name (can you believe I posted my last name too?!). I was mortified. But then I knew that you all would protect me. And console me.

Theatre was excellent. Going to set up my coffee now. I made some progress today--cleared off the little table next to the couch.

Well, I was feeling a little sad that I didn't get to be in the secret "I will never reveal tatoulia's true identity" club, but if Tillie isn't in it, it's not much of a club.

No news, carry on.

OH! Tatoulia!
So glad you contacted Cory to remove that post!
I have contacted him before to remove posts of other's who had posted too much personal information.
I did NOT see your post. (((hugs)))

Anonymoniker is having the same issues as you with viewing & posting here.

I have to sweep the area by the back door and the bathroom every day because the cats have sticky gummy little feet and carry kitty litter all over around the litter boxes.
I gave up putting the broom away and just keep it right there all the time now because I seem to need to sweep all through out the day just to keep the litter from tracking all through the house.
But I do have a few more cats than you. 😉

Have a wonderful time tonight at the theatre! 😀

I did a little of this and that today.
Have a bag ready for donation, mostly the old drapery hanging up stuff.
The new set up looks so much nicer than what I had up.
Got all caught up on the usual daily tidying up and tomorrow I plan to spend more time playing. ;D

Ok a lot of news here. One/I posted with my real name/first and last so if anybody saw it, let's keep it our secret. Two/I spoke with Cory! a real treat. He fixed my post. We talked a lot about the site problems and it looks fine to him but not to me. He wants to know if it's weird for anyone else and if so, we need to let him know.

Good idea to contact Cory. I'm trying to find a way to define the problem--then I will get in touch. I'm keeping up with papers today. And laundry. I'm maintaining my clean areas. I may have to learn to sweep every day. Tiny cat carries the litter around in her paws. Plus the city is really grimy. I have theatre tonight so will just concentrate on work/work. Your thrift shop/food bank is lovely--warms my heart.

Well unfortunately I used my real name in the below post. I'm upset but it's out of my hands.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Subclinical 🙂
Our food bank is also the charity thrift shop.
Thursdays they pass out the food to the people who show up for it, over 120 people.
They often get more food donated than they can pass out so they put it in the thrift shop.
Perishable foods, like produce, are given out for free and they sell non perishable stuff extremely inexpensively.
They always have wonderful generous donations from people and businesses so I can always find what I need for the home and my personal needs there.
Their prices are extremely affordable and they always have 50% off sales.
The money I spend shopping in the thrift shop is then used to buy any foods the food bank needs.
And if someone is down on their luck and needs a coat or shoes etc. they just give it to them.
They also will come out to a home where someone has died and load up and take whatever the family has decided to donate.
Plus, the people working there are very nice and we spend a lot of time chatting and catching up with each other. 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
YEA!!! WAY TO GO!!! for being greeted by that clear and clean happy area when you came in from work! (((hugs))) 😀

Since I am not experiencing any format difficulties
Maybe one of you who are could talk to Cory and explain what the problem is?
He might be able to fix it for us. 🙂

Bitterly cold today but mostly sunny. Tomorrow the snow/ice storm returns.
Too cold to hang out laundry, needs to be above 32 for at least 4 hours to dry stuff.
Did wash the cleaning rags and some clothes last night and they dried on the racks inside.
Today I will put up the new drape bar and also do some cooking, thinking about making some spaghetti. 😉
Then clean the kitchen again.

Good morning! Coffee clinks!

I had meetings last night after a fairly stressful day at work. I got home and was so happy to walk into my house and see the area that I had cleaned and cleared. I need to build momentum.

Then, after I made dinner, I felt happy when I read everyone's posts. There was some sad stuff but I was happy to see so many people posting.

I am struggling with the format here. I will power up my iPad and see if Joan's suggestion helps me out.

Will post more later.

I didn't bring home all of the spaghetti - we shared it around. I have about 5 pounds. Still a lot for 2 people.

Tillie, i'm Glad you had a good day. And Joan, it's great that you were able to get some laundry done.

Elise, I hope you were able to make the call for help. It's really brave of you to reach out.

I got to the store yesterday and I accomplished dinner, using up the kale before it all went bad (I did have to set some aside for the chickens)

Good Evening Everybody 🙂

Hi Subclinical 🙂
So sorry about those voices (((HUGS)))
WTG! for disbudding and inoculating!
That's sure a LOT of spaghetti ;D
But it does keep well and can be very versatile.

Hi Elise 🙂
Please do set up a meeting with those folks.
I know how scary it can be but it would really help you out.
The professionals understand how hard this is for you and they have ways to help make you feel more comfortable allowing them into your home and life.
(((HUGS)))

Hi Joan 🙂
WAY TO GO!!!! for washing the blanket and sweater and especially for clean underwear!!! ;D
Hope you manage to shake that virus real quick. (((HUGS)))

Well, got up this morning and decided to go into town since it was not snowing or raining today, just bitterly cold & breezy.
Wanted a new curtain rod and end bits for the new wall paint and was able to find a lovely set at the thrift shop for 5.00. YEA!!!
Also have been wanting a new pair of SAS sandals and always keep a look out for them.
The thrift shop had 3 pairs, all new never worn and all in my size, 30.00 each pair.
I chose the light blue suede pair and that saved me 100.00 off the true cost of these sandals. 😀
Also went to the water depot and refilled 2 bottles. Found 5 pennies on the ground there.
Then I went grocery shopping.
It was a Good day. 🙂

Hi Tillie! Hi Tat! Thanks for the shoutouts, everyone.

Because of my health issues, I only manage to do about one load of laundry every couple of months. It is difficult, because many things have to be moved to get to the washer, and then moved back after laundry is done, etc. Laundry day was supposed to be last week, but I had that cold, which has now moved into my bronchial tubes. The infection makes me tired but is otherwise quite manageable.

So I undertook to do laundry today, and am still finishing up. For extra credit, I washed my top blanket, and also the sweater I wear almost every day. I only go out for medical appts. and wear the same few clothes as I have for years. The house is full of new clothes, but the illness makes it too overwhelming to deal with more than a few clothing items, so clothes are stashed in many locales. The blanket and sweater have not been washed in at least ten years, the sweater probably since it was new. It is a momentous occasion.

Nothing quite as good for morale as clean underwear.

4:56PM. Just had a micro power failure at the conclusion of writing this post. Had to figure out how to get back onto my network. Tat, try powering up your iPad and then hitting the HOME button. My iPad was playing dead for a while there after powering him up, but he wanted me to go HOME. 4:58PM.

captcha MUNSTER FOR SALE (?!?!?!)

Hello again everyone:

Thanks for the welcome and thoughtful responses. I've enjoyed reading all of your posts and can relate in many ways so it's good to not feel judged and such.

I'm sorry to delay my own posts but I suffer rather severe anxiety issues and my current situation is a bit of a Catch-22 nightmare that's gotten me going in circles. So I'll try to share as I'm able.

My story is a very convoluted and complex one so I'll just start with the basics:
I'm in Georgia in a small house divided into three units (mine is just a one-bedroom, three rooms total not counting the bathroom) so not much space here. I do have a lot of clutter and such but it's clean in the sense there's no dirt/bugs/mold/spoiled food etc. I'm very sensitive to smell and have allergies so I have to be careful about dust mites, etc.
I have two grown sons (one just moved in for a bit), no pets but I dog-sit my older son's elderly Chihuahua on occasion. I also took in a homeless man over Thanksgiving, so I've had to get creative despite the piles of stuff everywhere.

I have contacted the folks here who do cleaning and organizing as well as counseling, and they have responded with a request to come see my place and do an assessment. I really need this help but I'm also scared because I have a lot of psychological issues involved, as well as OCD and ADD, which do NOT go well together! :-/ A lot of my issues have to do with my past and my current "identity crisis" for lack of a better explanation.

I'm building my courage to set up a visit, but I hope I'll be able to master the guts to send them an answer today.

There is a little quote I have on a small plaque that helps me keep my focus on moving forward. Maybe it will help someone else here as well, since a lot of the struggle can involve letting go of things that represent both wonderful and painful memories yet are preventing growth and living for the present and a better future:

"Never let your memories become greater than your dreams."

Cheers,
Elise 🦋

Hi anony!

Wonderful about your garden fence! I'm sorry you are having format difficulties. I am on an iPad and did not notice a change, but I have been frustrated by such things elsewhere.

Tatoulia, I think you are doing very well! I gave up on the idea of "caught up" years ago. Now I just channel my Paternal grandmother who always said "good enough." She died relatively young, and now sometimes I think "if I had another 15 years, I could spend them staging my life or living it." She definitely chose the second one.

My other grandmother loved all the grace notes, and I remember holidays done to the nines at her home. Christmas was a wonderland of food and decorations and fancy presents - I loved it, but I loved Christmas at Mom mom's too - where it was loud and messy and nobody ever told you not to eat pie with your fingers or feed the dog from your plate. Or even insisted on a plate.

I spent years trying to be a magazine ready mom, but i'm realizing i'm going to be a toy cars on the stairs kind of grandmother and I just need to embrace it.

Interestingly, the "everything is perfect" grandmother was the hoarder - a very clean, organized, hoarder with a huge home. She adored us, but she was very "thing" focused - "I love you, so I will shower you with gifts" the other grandmother was very people focused - "I love you, so you can use my kitchen implements to make imaginary food in the backyard and jump on the couch and sure you can eat the rest of the jam out of the jar - have a spoon."

I've been trying to remove "should" from my vocabulary.

So, I brought home a bunch of bread for the chickens yesterday and a bunch of spaghetti for me (the bags all came unsealed when we unpacked them, so we ended up with a couple dozen pounds of spaghetti in open sleeves - only choices were toss or give to volunteers.)

Dh brought home dinner because I failed to cope with it - again. My weight is up today. The voices in my head are loud, but I am working to silence them.

Yesterday I finished immunizations and disbudding, which were the two most important things in the barn. Now the most important thing is stalls, but I don't think I will finish today. I did do a little stall work and use some more cardboard yesterday.

I need some things from the grocery store today for packing dh lunch. I also want to achieve dinner.

Hello 😀

Hi Joan 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
WTG! for filling the donation bag! 😀
Being "caught up" means that there is nothing nagging at me, well except the cats. LOL ;D
When I'm all caught up I can relax and not feel pressured.
When caught up I can finally play and enjoy other things without feeling like I should be doing something else.
My life is easier and more enjoyable with more possibilities for creativeness.
Yes, being all caught up gives us so much more breathing space.
(((HUGS)))

One thing that helps me in getting caught up more quickly is to prioritize.
I want things to be easy to finish up so I am picky about what I will or won't do.
I do not want to spend more than a few minutes dusting knickknacks so I have very few but very treasured knickknacks.
I don't want to spend a lot of time moving furniture or things out of my way when I vacuum so I have only the furniture I like and use and do not allow random piles of things to lay around on the floor.
I like being able to fold/hang and put away laundry easily, so I don't allow the shelves & drawers to get overly stuffed full.
I decide on a certain number of each item I should have and do the "One In/One Out" rule to keep it under control.
If there is something in the house that causes me frustration because it's difficult, unmanageable or time consuming. I try to make it easier to deal with.
Being able to put things away easily is a major concern for me.
If it's hard to get out to use and hard to put away then I have to think of a better way.

It takes time to get a house all sorted out and organized to be easy to get & stay caught up.
You all have so many decisions to make about so many things.
Only difference between you and me is that I have already done the deciding.
Every day I still have to make more decisions.
What is garbage, what is worn out, broken beyond repair, to recycle/donate or is it just trash?
House work is never done & finished forever because we live and play in our homes.
When I go to a store I have to ask myself a million questions before buying something.
And believe me, I see so much nice, pretty, wonderful stuff and have to keep myself in check because I know how having too much stuff would make my life harder.
I am in no way a hard core minimalist. I have lots of nice things.
But I keep it all at a level that does not make it hard for me to keep it clean, organized, nicely displayed or put away.
I can be sick for a week or more but can get all caught up in one day.
Please believe that if you all keep working at it, making all those decisions, you too can and will have an easier home life a lot sooner than you think. (((HUGS)))

Hello Joan! I agree--good to hear from Anony! I hope we hear from some others tonight too.

My energy is good. I have the garbage and recycling out. I also got rid of the last of my old portable heaters and I put the new one in a clear plastic bag and in my closet.

I put a pair of shoes (very pretty--red suede pumps) as well as several sets of pjs in the donation bag. I haven't worn the shoes in quite a while. I want the pjs but frankly they aren't that flattering on. I bought a pair this weekend that is exactly the style and fabric I like and I've worn them two nights now/washed them today and will wear them again tonight. So I need to get rid of some pjs to "make room". Trying to be good and responsible.

I've completely cleared off dining room table and have dusted it. I did have to move stuff but I swear it's not churning. It's consolidating. Because the more I can see the clear the more I'll crave it. I've also polished two silver trays, have shredded, shredded, shredded and have kept that one kitchen counter clear. I've swept dining area and hallway.

Working away. Having more springlike weather helps. But mostly, it's having all of you here.

So happy to hear from you, Anony! ! !

I'm plugging my away. I had a big cup of coffee in the afternoon. I'm trying to get things done here.

I am continuing with laundry. Have my duvet cover in the washer right now. Kitty finally settled down and she's asleep next to me, in her little bed. Actually she's still kneading do she's not quite asleep.

I've got some energy so I'm shredding papers. I'm also making a goodwill donation bag. I've got to let go.

Tillie is it a good thing to be caught up? It's been so long I don't remember. I'm not being cute, im earnestly trying to tell myself that being caught up will be good for me. I'll be able to breathe.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂
"Clink!"

Hi Ena 🙂
WAY TO GO! for not adding new clutter and keeping on top of the cleaning! ;D
One thing I have noticed living with a hoarder is that even the smallest changes have been hard for him to adjust to.
But over time he has gotten a lot better at accepting and appreciating the changes.
Think about all the positive aspects of your new changes and in time I am sure you will get used to the newness of it all. 🙂

Hi Subclinical 🙂
Please take things slower as you regain your strength. (((hugs)))
Set only "high" priority tasks and if you do more, give yourself a big WTG! 🙂

HI ANONYMONIKER!!! 😀
I didn't know there was a format change since my laptop is still the same format. 🙁
So WONDERFUL to hear from you.
Please post when you can, we really miss you (((HUGS)))

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
YEA! for a good mattress buying excursion! 😀
I'm a bit fussy too when it comes to sorting out laundry. Too hard to go against all the washing/drying rules my Granma taught me. 😉
WAY TO GO!!! for getting to wear that dress again! WOOHOO! ;D

Yesterday was such a welcome break in the weather but we are back to freezing cold, cloudy overcast and snow rain and ice again today.
Don't feel like doing much of anything but maybe after I finish drinking my tea I will feel like doing something.
It's only 8:30am here, the day is still young.

Anony!!! SubC!!! Coffe clinks!

Anony the new format is terrible on my phone. Really hard to read. My iPad is locked for some reason and I only have a work computer so I too am struggling with the format. I'm sorry about your car but excited about your fence! Please don't wait for a long post--just a drive by would be nice--I miss you when you're not here! And even a drive-by is helpful!

SubC I'm so impressed with all that you do. I am sending you strength. I'm glad you are using up the cardboard! I know those foam puzzle pieces--I hope they end up being yours! Will be a forgiving surface to stand on.

My windows are open today. It's probably 50F which is nice. I'm going to see if washer is open.

I know I generate a lot of laundry for one person. I do my sheets separately from my towels since they dry differently. I do jeans and fleece separately from pjs since the fabric textures are different. I don't know, I just split things up the way my mom did.

I have to run to drycleaner to pick up a dress I want to wear tomorrow. Going out for a nice lunch to celebrate a retirement. It's a dress I haven't been able to wear in a few years due to weight so I'm excited.

Right now I'm at a plateau. Haven't gained/haven't lost. But I'll lose the next 20. I know I will.

Hi all!! Ive been trying to figure out this new format. Its really hard to use on a phone...or maybe its just my phone, but its all different now. Before the site changed i was putting off posting till i had something accomplished to tell about. Anyway, i see there are several new people & yall seem to be doing well in making improvements & getting things better! YEA! Good progress! Im currently very depressed about my place. I just go round & round. I do finally have my garden fence finished, which is like a gift from God! I love it! Im hoping itll help me feel better about cleaning. Id like to be able to read yalls posts easier? Hopefully, ill find a button to put it into mobile phone format again? I lost 5th gear in my car, so not being able to do much should make it easier to stay here & keep working on my place. I miss this site. I love yall! ~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

Hi all, so busy in here. Nice going!

Tatoulia, you are a terrific daughter. I hope you get a chance to ge5 your own space the way you want it.

Ena, I think you will get used to your "new" home. I get very anxious when I make a big change in a space, but it gets better over time.

Tillie and KSD, i'm Glad you have good wether. It has thawed here and won't stop rain8ng so everything is muck.

Criticalmass, I am glad you came by to update. I really hope you get your van back soon.

Porter and Joan, you are inspiring me with your exercise. I had lost 9 pounds, but gained a few back last week when th8nfs were really bad. I am starting again, at least not from scratch.

Elise, hi! I am well into a slow multi year clean out the kids are almost moved out (last one might come back for a bit after she graduates in May) and dh and I have been renovating/expanding the house. The project was carefully planned for light and gathering space and minimizing storage (which frustrates me). The living areas are pretty good most of the time. I come here and report my ins and outs.

I am functioning ok again. Yesterday I set myself a bunch of unacheivable goals and then felt bad when I didn't achieve them. I did start cleaning out in the barn, and immunize and disbud almost half the baby goats. I revised my goals to finish a stall and the rest of the babies by the time I leave for work tomorrow. I am still weak and slow.

I did use up more of the cardboard stored in the studio yesterday as underlayment when I was putting down the used bedding. I think that by the time I finish the stall, I will have used all the cardboard leaning against the side wall. Then I will start on the cardboard I stacked on the floor.

The floor cardboard currently provides me with some cushioning and insulation from the concrete floor when I am working in the studio for a long time. But, my school has a bunch of puzzle mat pieces that the facilities manager pulled out of a storage closet and sent out a "last call" on. She says if no one claims them for a classroom, they are mine. So, better than cardboard and good timing.

I bought a "new" immersible blender for my classroom last week at goodwill.

Back to the food bank today. Ena, I do it for myself, it gives me a sense of being able to have some impact, even if it is very small, on something that is wrong in my world.

Hi Ena! I hope after the shock wears off you can feel comfortable in your home. I don't know why I waste so much time instead of doing more cleaning. Some tasks take such little time and yet I procrastinate.

Mattress shopping went well. I told mom I had a number I wanted to stay below but I want her to get what she wants, so if the right one went above the number, we'd just wait and pick up another time. When we got there I told the guy the number. After she found the bed she liked, I had her then go up a level to compare. Luckily she liked the one within my budget. It gets delivered on Friday. This is a very nice furniture store and they really put the effort into finding the correct bed rather than working on up selling or playing games. It's more expensive but a very pleasant, respectful process. So I am very happy. And she was thrilled.

I hAvent done a thing in my house all day. I slept after getting home. Tillie we had a lot of rain today. In the 30s and milder weather heading our way this week.

Kitty is sound asleep on the corner of the couch. I love watching her sleep. Just so sweet. She doesn't sleep with me but that's okay. She'll come in during the night if she has something to tell me.

Tillie

Congrats on getting ur painting finished! It sound like it went great! Man it sounds soooo cold where u r.

Subclinical

Good for you for helping at a food bank that's really great.

Joan

Plants r tough to keep alive, not something I'm talented at. Feel better!!

CriticalMass

Not having ur own transportation is difficult, where I live there is no good public transport. Fingers crossed for ur vans soon return.

Porter

Congrats on your workout progress!! That's super impressive. It's super hard to b motivated to get started but even harder to stick with it but it sounds like ur doing great.

Elsie

Hey! I've only recently started reading and commenting here, maybe two/three weeks. It's been super helpful to know I'm not alone in this struggle.

Tatoulia

I'm glad u had a good visit with ur brother.

KSD

It's hard letting go of sentimental things.

Sorry it's been a while. I was trying for a second part time job this past week... I didn't get it. Oh well I'll have to start looking again.

I thought they would have at least started fixing my floor from what the complex manager said. But it's not been touched yet. Maybe this week.

I've been on top of my cleaning and not adding new clutter so far. Fingers crossed I can make this a habit. It's kind of disturbing to walk into my apartment and not see all my stuff. I'm not sure I'll get used to it.

Good Afternoon Everybody 🙂

Hi Joan 🙂
Hope your cold is all gone now 😀

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
YEA! for mattress shopping and I think a very wise decision not to talk finances with your Mom. (((HUGS)))

Hi KSD 🙂
Great getting out for a walk since the weather permits.
To know or not to know...
It doesn't really matter who they ever belonged to, they belong to you now. 😉

Beautifully sunny day but still chilly.
The sunshine coming in through the windows and storm door have really warmed up the whole house.
70 degrees in here without any heaters on. 😀
Just been doing a little of this and that today.
Just sort of a laid back lazy Sunday. ;D

I am going to go for a walk to the bank. Sunshine and unseasonable warm weather. Snow melted away leaving the mess in the back yard on view - so thinking about how to plan an exterior clean-up. For now though, happy that a couple of weeks ago, we actually had someone over - main rooms clear enough to entertain without embarrassment. Huge effort....but worth it. Just spent 1/2 an hour going through my mother's old jewelry box - 1980's - 1990's earrings - why can't I let those go? And then the old rings - I don't know which great grandmother they are from any more. Did I ever know? I wonder if it is worse to know or not know?

Coffee clinks! I'm up early today because I forgot to put phone on silent and I could hear a lot of texts coming in. Friend's baby was born!

Another mild day here but with rain. Yesterday was in the fifties. Will take mom shopping for a new mattress today. I discovered that a spring has sprung while making her bed last week.

All these demands on my money. Well worth it, naturally, but still a bit distressing. I act like it's nothing in front of mom.

Hello everyone!

Elsie, start where you need to! We are glad you are here! I live alone, in a city, with one cat. I have a small apartment. For a lot of reasons I have too much stuff. I have gotten rid of countless bags and boxes (mainly donated as I don't have bugs/rodents/water flooding/mold). Books are an issue and I have gotten rid of over 20 boxes of books since coming on this site. I was also big on owning multiples of things and buying in quantity when things went on sale. I also wanted to be a hero--if anyone needed something, I wanted to rush to sVe the day because I'd have the thing. I continue to struggle but not like I used to. I am still trying to let go of things. My bedroom is neat and clean although I struggle with other areas of my house. So that's me, in a nutshell.

Joan! You've had a cold but you still are going to yoga?! You are remarkable.

Tillie your dollhouse must give you so much pleasure.

Well today with brother went very well. No tension and he was pleasant. When I stopped for gas he automatically jumped out of the car to pump the gas. So he was really pretty good all around. I did take him to see my BF and to see mom. Then BF and I ran some errands and did a little shopping. Now he's at work and I'm doing laundry. Just changed my sheets. Dishwasher is running.

As soon as I can get my second load out of the dryer I will take a shower and go to bed. In the meantime I need to put on some music to putter by.

Hi everyone!

Welcome Elise. We feel free to say most anything we want to say here.

You bring up a good point: Hoarding and isolation go hand-in-hand. Even hoarders who do not end up in an isolated living situation (like the Hikkomori in Japan, a subject that fascinates me), hoarders face daily hurdles that only fellow hoarders can understand. This board is a great way for hoarders to connect, and to know that others face similar difficulties in life.

I have had - GAK❗️ a cold this last week which is just now winding down. I have had piles of serious health conditions, but this was my first cold in years. I am feeling more optimistic about life after yoga class this morning.

Porter, I too have a replacement front tooth! Had a bad bike accident at the age of 9, and the tooth finally needed to be replaced in my early 50s.

Tillie, your dining room must look great. Tat, good to hear from you. Hi SubC, CM! Anony, where are you? With Car 54?

(captcha 7400 INTERNET)