Chores done, dinner eaten, dishwasher loaded and started.

Dh should be home soon.

His work schedule is just ridiculous.

I checked the weather and it has been updated to give me the weekend to dig my sweet potatoes - yay!

Good evening!

Road, I'm glad you are back posting! I hope you will go to tge doctor and get a good answer. I don't want you to suffer!

Another long day. Not hard, just long. School went well. And just now I finished the fencing work just as it got too dark to see. It is all ready for the fence guys - who will be here tomorrow, or next week, (or in November..)

I could have dug up some sweet potatoes if I hadn't made a stop on the way home, but honestly, that might have bern too much physical labor for one day. Tge fence was hard work.

What stop you ask? - goodwill. I bought a new cozy, thick men's flannel shirt to wear as a sweater/smock in my classroom. One of the ones I have is really getting too ratty, and I have decided I am tired of a courderoy one I used to wear, so that will go to the donate pile. Therefor, there is balance of shirts. (The ratty one will stay for home use)

Need to go do chores before it is truly dark, but wanted to check in and confess my shirt.

Carry on!

Good morning errbody. I've been up since 3:30 but I went to bed early so it's my usual amt of sleep, which is never enough. I have to go wake my son up in a minute. It's so early but I have to chuckle because I did it to myself. I fought to keep his foot in the door at the high school so my punishment is it's first period so we have to keep getting up at 6 instead of 8! Haha oh well.

Monday we went to the forest preserve with my brother and walked around the lake. Very pretty. I didn't eat any of the donuts or apples I brought because I keep having these crazy attacks... one theory is it's a birch pollen allergy that's attacking my gut instead of OAS, which is the way it's usually described. I have had reactions to plums, cherries, and now apples. I start to feel pain pressure in my chest that becomes severe over several hours. It sounds kind of like an esophageal spasm but not quite. I seem to get some relief from taking Benadryl and anti-gas OTC, but then it seems to repeat a few hours later and then I am wiped out for a day. Another theory is hiatal hernia? I had an er visit when I was up in Wisconsin and I suggested allergies and they went with that but I still don't really know what it is. Of course I need to go to the doc but * sigh * I hate them so much. Well, I gotta go wake up the kid. Hope to be back later,

Good morning! Where is everybody?

This is the 1000 post on this thread. I feel like it should be momentous, but it won't be.

I brought home ten pots last night from class. Some are good, some are ok, some I don't particularly like. I need to get a special blade for Dh dremel tool to fix some of them where there was dripping and sticking. One fell over.

My bp is still "let's keep an eye on it." My weight is 4 lbs higher at the doctor's office. I got a flu shot. I'm shrinking. I glazed my piece for the gas kiln. My classes are still fun and I am still tired.

Yesterday half of one class was absent. The other half is my beloved seniors. We were having a conversation that is not necessarily school appropriate - while they were working on projects (these kids ask me all kinds of things!) when one of them went out in the hall to get a drink and came back to report that a tour group was approaching. I said "right. So who wants to learn to use the angle cutter?" Because I was about to use it on something I was prepping for a demo in another class. They actually came up and gathered round and the tour group (and the admin staff leading them) got to see me doing a demo for a group of very intent teenagers. We were all very proud of ourselves and then one of them actually used the angle cutter on his project!

My two big tasks still remaining this week are to dig the rest of the sweet potatoes and finish disconnecting the fence line. It is supposed to rain all evening today. Maybe I will make pots or go to the studio after school and glaze. I signed up for the fall sale. I need to make a LOT of Christmas ornaments - they are my best seller and I think I am out. The sale is fast approaching!

Good morning. Obviously didn't proofread the last!

Finished the online thing last night.

School stuff together and ready to go in the car.

7 hours of sleep.

I need to put my new barn coat on, venture out in the cold, and get my chores done.

Then off to the doctor and school. Let's take a vote - will all the coffee I'm drinking to wake up and the worry about getting to school on time after my appointment help with my blood pressure?

After school I have the last session of my Tuesday class - kiln to unload and hopefully one thing to glaze for the gas kiln.

Home, chores, crash, another full school day tomorrow.

Tatoulua,

Of course it's ok. I would have laughed if he hadn't been so clearly distressed by it.

Good job on the laundry! I hope you gave a goid visit with your mom!

I ran a load of dishes, put half the laundry away, order some bulks nuts I need, and took care of part of a thing I need to do online.

Made Dh food - he's working overtime again, and dug sweet potatoes until it got too dark to tell the potatoes from the rocks.

Chores to do. Have to leave by 7:10 tomorrow with chores done, showered, and packed and ready for my whole day.

Ack! No time!

Yes I'm back this quickly. I did my sheets, towels, pjs, one light delicates and one load of dark delicates. The delegates are all hung up to dry. I'll have to fold my laundry and put it away.

One of the first things I learned here is the power of putting away the laundry. Life-changing.

I've emptied the dishwasher.

I will find the strength to go to mom's. I have to change the cat box and take my recycling out. So there's plenty of reason to do early. I also have to run up to BF's former business and maybe I'll stop by my car to put in the stuff for hazardous waste day (my old modem router thing that my internet company just replaced with a newer version. So far using the shredder at work is working out for me. I'm glad that at least for now, I have one fewer thing here. I feel sturdier but knowing I can use the city shredding every other month and use the shredder at work. One fewer appliance that is made cheaply and designed to break.

Im hoping to hear from my dr soon so I can start the injections.

The nurse at mom's facility just called. She said her place was broken into twice last night, and the person left a confession. She brought the confession with her and it was a note from my friend dated Febr 2021 and talking about the weather. Poor mom.

Okay I hope it's okay that I chuckled at your grandson not liking the tablecloth!

Road, I'm so grateful for the update! Good work!

Today I am working. I'm trying to find the strength to go visit mom after work. I really just want to lie down.

It's a little dark today. I have the fireplace on for kitty. I brought her bed out a week or so ago and she didn't like it. Last night she started cuddling in it and so I've moved the chair by the fireplace up give her a cozy place to nap. She breaks my heart.

My chicken pot pie is in the oven. I know I have to see mom. I just get so worn out but truly for no reason.

Fifth load of laundry is bring done as we speak. Fifth. I'm feeling strong.

Road, thanks for the lovely long update!

I'm so glad things are going well for your son! And wow! What a lot of progress!

When Dh is mad at me, everything is wrong. And we just couldn't seem to communicate to fix it. Today he is sorry. (I was sorry yesterday, but it doesn't do me any good to be sorry by myself.) I am also exhausted today. Bean is sleeping and there are a million things I should be doing, but I really just want to rest.

Bean and I did chores and went to the feed store, where the manager let him "drive" the forklift again. And we picked the big green pumpkin (the vine was killed by frost)and did some digging and a lot of reading. But he also threw a 30 minute tantrum because he doesn't like my new tablecloth.

Sigh. Something. Anything. One thing. Here I go..

Hi all, we are doing pretty well. The main updates are my son is living his best life with lots of extra curriculars & Rec activities. He starts his day at the high school for an acting class, then goes to the other school where they have a short daily community Outing which he loves. He went to the homecoming game and dance and got a kiss from his sweetheart. So cute. Health care for him is a mixed bag. I'm on top of some things, working on others, and totally dropping the ball on others. Same with my health. I have stayed on the kidney safe way of eating (with a few exceptions over vacay) but continuing to lose a little weight. But I have dropped the ball On follow ups with drs. As that triggers a lot of anxiety and avoidance.

Cleaning wise, there are some major shifts. I joined a couple Facebook hoarding clean up groups and started taking a lot of process photos which helps me a lot with motivation and accountability. Also one day I started stripping my sheets and the next thing I knew I wAs upending my room Moving the bed out, and the broken standing desk from the"back 40" to the front and just generally creating 86 more instant projects for myself... but no regrets! Sometimes I think the energy (and dust) gets so stale you just have to whip it up and get a fresh start. The H had to help then and we got my bed into my sons, threw his terrible mattress out, and I am still trying to figure out what to replace mine with - maybe a twin. As I sit now, on my right is my closet and dresser full of clean clothes, some folded, some hanging (what?!) and ok some in a pile on a little table. There's even a laundry basket (?!) with dirty clothes in it. On. My left is the repaired standing desk (just a 6' folding table on bed risers). It is fully functioning as an office and organizing space. Working printer, office supplies, Wall space I have to walk by 18x a day to tape things up I can't forget, and everything I need for my brain to have its best chance at working. I have my stitching stuff in one place, and all my genealogy stuff is in one place (my two hobbies)... the rest of the room would appear trashed to a normal person but it's actually a vast improvement... and there's a clear path to the door. That's where I started. I can still hear in my head "DEFEND the cleared spaces! HOLD THE LINE!!" Which of you geniuses said that? So key. Lastly, in the land of shared living spaces, I am making a lot of progress working on some adulting habits of daily cleaning tasks and mini projects. This is my focus right now rather than reducing the stored hoard. I am taking before and after pictures almost every day of the kitchen and working on dishes, or the fridge, or washing things down, or whatever... that's going really really well. And it's having some other beneficial effects I hadn't anticipated which is nice. I have had a little slide on over buying (needlework supplies & some unnecessary "deals" on school supplies) but as a result of sorting out my desk, I'm now back to tracking spending so I think that will help to check that. Oh, we also started using Truebill (my initiative to get the H off my back - haha) and within a few months discovered to my horror that I've been paying for two ink subscriptions as well as several subscriptions to things I had no idea I had. Hundreds of $$$ down the drain. Ugh. But so happy I caught it now. Could have gone on years!

So that's me in (as usual) a long winded tome.

Lila, sorry about your poor knee. Hope it gets better quickly. So discouraging when you're on a roll and you get side lined. Cm, I read back far enough to see there were exciting projects afoot at your house. Yeah! Subc, glad things are resolving with your mate. You guys are close I know and I'm sure that's even more upsetting when there's a rift. Tatoulia, you are so good with your mom. And glad to hear a little update on your day to day goings on.

Hope everyone here has a wonderful day!

Ella! Something you can try - I know it helps both Lila & myself - is to do something and then post what you did here. Doesn't matter, big or small. When I do that for some reason I am motivated to be able to say I did something and so I do it. I don't even think it's for positive reinforcement, it just helps to externalize the process a little - makes it more concrete for me? Touch base and let us know what you're thinking about today.

ROAD!!! Good to see you! How are you? How is your son?

I bet the flowers are pretty, SubC! What a nice thing. I'm glad your husband has stopped fighting.

Lila! NOOOOO! I am so sorry about your leg!

I didn't do a thing today in terms of housework. BF and I got together and went for a nice walk out of the city. Really nice day. We stopped at a farm stand and got apples and chicken pot pies. Then we went to his house and he made us sandwiches. I'll have my pot pie tmr. We also stopped to get mom a few supplies and went up to see her. She's now lost her purse in addition to losing her keys. I can't tell if she's lost it or if she's squirreled it away. Her place is so small, I don't know where it would be. I told her not to worry and she seemed okay.

Ok I'm truly going to try to go to bed early. We do not have tmr off. We now get Juneteenth off instead of Indigenous Peoples Day and I'm good with it.

Oh Lila,

I hope you heal quickly! My high functioning autistic kids are capable of understanding and doing the socially appropriate thing when told. I feel like someone needs to explain to your teen the very practical and honestly self serving reasons to help you.

Dh and I had several fights today, but he finally decided he didn't want to be mad at me anymore around dinner time.

In spite of fighting, we managed to get most of the fence work done, and I washed but didn't put away four loads of laundry, and washed and put away a load of dishes and washed another, and cleaned up the kitchen, but buried the scullery counter.

Some of my students gave me a pretty fall flower arrangement on Friday, and I have put the fall tablecloth on the table and it looks very nice.

Bean and I have a lot of baking and garden work to do tomorrow.

Okay. That was my update post. Now here is my productivity and accountability post.

Needs to be done but I cannot with the injury:
- mow lawn
- do laundry (stairs)

Needs to be done and I can do it pretty easily:
- paperwork
- emails, calls
- finish processing that produce so it doesn;t go bad after all that work I did! I made a spinach smoothie already. I will cook the greens so they don't get icky.
- put the rest of the cilantro and parsley away in a way they will stay fresh (need to pick out anything not great looking)

Needs to be done and maybe Son can help me:
- clip dog's nails, at least the front. I can't get down on the floor to do back paws
-brush dog

Also will ask Son to vacuum and fold towels.

I really hope I am not hurt for a long time.

hi Ella, and welcome! It is a complicated process, but for me, I always, always start with overt trash. I find it easiest to start with an empty kitchen trash bag or even grocery bag and just wander around each room putting trash in there. I am talking about stuff I have no emotional ties to and that is basically useless: wrappers, used tissues, empty cans or bottles, boxes. Just trash. Note, I do not recycle because you have to pay to recycle here (I do take large boxes and cardboard to the drop off site which is free) AND more importantly because I think it would cause me to save more things. I cannot add anything to my "reasons to save something" plate, so it all goes to trash. After that I glance around for things that feel easiest to donate and put them in a box and move it to my car. Sometimes I don't find anything. I also think it is good to start in the most impactful area, which might be kitchen, living room, bathroom or bedroom, depending on what you need and what is the worst. I hope you find this board helpful!

Road hi!! I hope you will fill us in on how you and your son are doing. We missed you!

Hello to Tatoulia and SubC! Glad to be back catching up with you. SubC, I hope DH has a heart softening and stops being mad at you. That's so draining.

I fell on Friday and am in a leg brace and in pain. It made me so sad. I was on a roll getting things done and had 2 days off to keep working. Now I lost those days, being at the ER and in pain and just exhausted, and now I am sorting what I can do and what I can't, and trying to get kids to help.

I had a grocery list made and Tot's dad went and got a few things for me. He also is picking up the pet food today and bringing it over.

Son 2 works evenings so sleeps a lot in the day and it is sooo hard for me because I need help and he is asleep. Teen also is asleep in the day a lot. This morning Teen was up but about to go to bed. I asked them to help me with a few things: ice for my leg, bring up laundry, get me a few things. They did it, but with the most exasperated, annoyed, inconvenienced stomping eye rolling attitude that when they went down to go to bed, I sat here and cried. It feels so terribly lonely to have two kids living here and yet I am dragging my leg around trying to feed dogs and let them out, and Teen can't be the slightest bit compassionate and is so irritated to have to do anything for me. I know it's the autism I guess but I feel so alone. For someone whose life revolves around helping everyone else in need and taking care of others, it is a crushing sadness to be alone and in pain and need a glass of water and no one is here to get it for me.

Okay, enough of the whining, I will be fine and when my son wakes up I know he will help me.

Road!

Don't worry about catching up, just tell us what us up with you!

A couple of sentences is fine if you don't have time!

Tatoulia, yay on the medication approval!

It's a gorgeous day, but I am miserable because Dh is mad at me.

It was a nice surprise to come here and see road.

Hey guys, just checking in. I miss you all. I am making pretty good progress.life is lifey! Welcome to Ella. 💕 I haven't been around for a few months so no clue what's going on with everyone. Hugs all around.

Lila, congratulations on the successful stove situation! Wow! I know that was stressful and I'm so pleased with the outcome!

What a kind thing for you to say, SubC. I do tend to out my mind to things and get them done. I cannot believe that I went from a lot of credit card debt (I'm afraid to say the number but huge, HUGE) to no credit card debt, no mortgage, and a healthy savings account. From a disgustingly cluttered and dirty apartment to a lovely home. Although my hoarding tendencies go back a really long time, my apartment was hellish for about six years, I think. Maybe seven. Cluttered before that but not hellish. Glad that is back behind me where it belongs.

I will put my mind to losing the weight. I received a call and an email from my health plan saying that a medication had been approved. That must be the shots right? My doctor hasn't called me yet so I do not know where any of this stands. But it will come together next week, I have confidence.

I slept most of the day. I don't know why. I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday, which I attributed to the flu shot. So I had a hard time getting up even when BF tried at 1130. I did get up but even coffee and juice didn't help So I fed the kitty and slept the rest of the day. I got up around 7 to go get some things for mom and had her meet me downstairs so I could stay away. Now I'm showered and ready for bed.

Good morning!

Crispy fall day and I really just want to build a fire and curl up inside and rest a while, but I need to head back to the wood kiln in an hour. And at least start the laundry before I go.

Meeting with the fence guy went well - he might not start until next week, which will be fine. I'm pretty excited about the fence.

Lila, I really hope your teen stays inspired by the new clean space. I'm sure there will be some backsliding, but it would be wonderful if the two of you could work together toward keeping things up. It would free up so much of your energy! And how nice tgat you got positive feedback and quality time!

Produce always takes longer than you think, and I'm impressed that you cleaned up as you went!

I am not excited by garbage trucks. Garbage is still the biggest stumbling block for me - garbage = failure in my mind, I either allowed myself to acquire a thing that was wasteful or I failed to care for a thing that could have been kept in use or recycled. In an ideal world, everything that I was done with would be composted, recycled, or passed on to someone else who could use it.

Tatoulia, I believe you will reconquer the weight. You always impress me when you set your mind to something.

Welcome, Ella. Listen, I'm on Hoarding Maintenance. It is definitely possible. I have cleaning ladies every week. I do no cleaning. My only job is to make sure that more stuff goes out than comes in. Over 4 years of maintenance. It's possible.

Dear Lila and SubC, I'll catch up with you soon.

Lila, you did great!

I just have a minute, so I want to greet Ella!

Ella, start anywhere! Maybe you need to stop or slow the inflow, maybe you need one small clean space, maybe you just need to get rid of one item, or clean out a drawer, or make a path.

Wherever you are, whatever seems manageable or rewarding, start there. Just start! No job is too small! Come back and tell us about it and we will cheer you on!

Hi,please help! this is my first time here. Just found this site and chat room today.
So. wouldn't it be nice to just know where to start, cleaning up, purging, and managing?
Wouldn't it be nice to just briefly, finitely, acknowledge there's been some crap going on, then _shift_? As in shift to a balanced, productive perspective that helps get the cleanup done?
I'm so impressed by what you all are doing and saying! I need to re-start my cleanup of my apartment, after backsliding. Well really it's been 2 backslides. Just wish I could prevail over whatever is in my head or heart that results in these full-house messes! After reading some of the pages on the main part of hoardingcleanup.com, it's easy to agree about the triggers and risk factors. which definitely describe me. But then, what will work.
I started down the slippery slope of filling up my condo too much. That was over fifteen years ago, and started after a divorce, deaths in the family, illness, custody suits, and more. After working with some pros, during a couple of different phases, I backslid. I wish this was like Weightwatchers where you reach your goal and then you get to switch to their maintenance program and it mostly works (free or almost free!).
These past five weeks I've been healing from some intense recent things: falling-related injuries, a vicious dog attack (miraculously I didn't get bitten), a fibro-/chronic fatigue flare-up and finding ways to win out over a constant fainting issue. Well, really just halfway fainting, which is slightly less menacing but halfway blacking out constantly is something I've made progress with lately. Big, big gratitude here. This recent one-month backslide is just after working with a pro organizer off-and-on, which was maybe just a 15-20-25% cleanout. Oh boy I do I not like admitting this stuff. Ugh.
So. wouldn't it be nice to just know where to start, with cleaning up, purging, and managing?
Wouldn't it be nice to just briefly, finitely, acknowledge there's been some crap - triggers - going on, then _shift_? As in shift to a balanced, productive perspective that helps get the cleanup done? We all or almost all have setbacks in life yet some of us seem to have a slow learning curve with this stuff.
Would anyone have anything to say as to where to start? Or how to win out over whatever's in one's head or heart that is related to the hoarding?

Progess update:

Here's what I've done since the last post:

- Got ALL the produce out of the fridge and boxes
- sadly, tossed a few things too far gone
- pulled bad leaves off lettuce, cabbage, greens, herbs
- took all bad stuff out of fridge. Filled the trash can and asked son to take it out
- wiped out the fridge shelves and organized it
-made a grocery list
- posted some of the extra produce for free online and a lady is coming to pick it up. I am about to box it for her
- trimmed collards and they are soaking in the sink
- sorted cabbages and found a cabbage soup recipe
- cut ends of wilted herbs and put them in a glass of water to refresh them
- kept the kitchen clean as I did all this

Hey that's a lot of progress!

Does anyone else get excited and run to the window when they hear the garbage truck coming? Every week I run over and feel almost gleeful as the full bins get dumped. It feels like I am losing weight! And now there are fresh empty bins waiting to be filled!

Today's progress:

This morning I:
- took out the kitchen trash, bathroom trash, and a box and put the bins by the road for pickup

-went outside and trimmed the roses and other plants, picked up a few branches and stuff and filled the other bin with them

- unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher
- did a swipe of the counters to keep them nice
- decided to run the Self Clean option on the stove to see if it gets the terrible inside clean. It takes hours so it is still running.

I am struggling with focus and goals, so I am going to have some breakfast and coffee and then:

- find recipes for the extra produce I have and make some soup and stuff, probably using the crockpots

- get my separation paperwork started. I have been putting this off and ex says it has to be done now.

- calls, emails, etc that need to be done before the weekend

What are you all doing today?

Your birthday sounds lovely, SubC. I'm glad your family took good care of you!

I too have had SAD in the winter. When I moved north (here) it was very bad. I started taking D3 every fall (and a bit in summer to keep it up), and got a Day Light I used to eat breakfast in front of, and that helped. Now I don't need the Day Light, but I got a Sunrise Clock that I can set to gradually light up my room over 30 or 60 minutes until it is bright like the sun. It is GREAT in the winter and wakes me up much earlier than I would otherwise. I start using it usually around November.

So sorry about the health stuff Tatoulia. I too need to lose weight. You know SubC and I were posting on the other thread, Decluttering your waistline. Maybe we all 3 could start posting there again for support.

I threw everything into boxes and put them in the guest room, washed down all the counters, wiped appliances, burned a candle... it was a mad stash and dash but I was done approx 1 minute before the stove guy knocked on the door! And he did bring his wife so THANK GOODNESS I cleaned. It still looks like I've let things go. Cabinets need cleaned, walls, etc, but it was presentable.

After they left, Teen came upstairs and walked into the dining/kitchen and said "This is amazing!"

Now I have informed both Teen and Son that they will HAVE to keep it like this, that there are NO dishes allowed overnight in bedrooms, and that they MUST put all their dirty dishes in the dishwasher every day so I can run it at night and unload it in the morning. I told Teen that if this rule is not followed, all the dishes will go back into my bedroom and they will get one plate one bowl one cup. I brought out most of the dishes from my room (only the plastic ones... still not ready for breakables) and they were so happy we made brownies together. AND cleaned up the mess together.

I hope we can keep it this way. They totally clean kitchen table and bar/counter are so so nice.

We shall see what happens, SubC. I'm nervous about all of it and yet excited to get my life back.

Just cleaned kitty's box and will leave for work. See you all later! Keep up the good work!

And no, I won't have any clothes to wear to work this winter. But I'll go slowly with this.

Oh dear Tatoulia!

I am worried that your doctor was that concerned and at the cost. I hope your insurance will pay for it.

I go for my physical next week. Technically it should be my "annual" physical, but it is actually my first visit since the original covid quarantine. I'm a bit nervous about how my bp is going to look.

My house is a bit of a mess from my "party" last night. Dishes and toys. But I need to get ready for school.

Straight from school to my woodfiring for class and home late. Tomorrow is fence guy and another woodfiring shift, and Sunday we've got to get the rest of the fence down, so things show no hope of slowing..

I'm just going all in on people and things that won't come back around this year.

Yesterday I was driving home and thought that I could make a small detour and visit goodwill for a 1/2 off birthday shopping trip. Then I thought that I could also use the daylight to work on fence tear down. I asked myself what the odds were that there would be something at goodwill that I wanted more than I want that fence done. And I kept driving.

This is week 5 of school. I only have 31 more weeks with my seniors! It is flying.

Happy birthday, SubC! Sounds like you had a great day!

I took the afternoon off and went for annual physical. My weight is atrocious. So much more than I imagined and the hugest ever. Truly frightening. Doctor us suggesting I take weekly injections, that's how bad my weight is. She's seeing if my insurance will pay. If not, they are $900 (not sure of the increment, is that one week or one month) and money I am nit prepared to spend. I already have one med that I pay 165 a month for. We shall see.

I got my flu shot, had my pelvic exam, and my blood drawn. They didn't have the latest covid booster. I'll have to try to get that soon. She told me I can skip the mammogram if I like.

At least I walked to and from dr, which gave me 4 miles. I met boyfriend afterward and then we visited mom. She was downstairs, having someone give her my phone number because she forgot it. She'd also lost her keys, so while she and BF talked, I went up to her apartment. No luck on the keys but I changed the cat box and took out her garbage.

I feel so sorry for her. I'll try to stop by tmr night and watch a show. Her apt was boiling hot. She didn't realize she had the heat on. She did have a window open and the fan on. I don't know where she hid her keys. BF and I put some money in her purse so she can go to the cafe next door and get bagels with lox.

Lila, praying the stove situation goes well for you. I feel your pain.

Oh, on the days - are you familiar with seasonal effective disorder? It's something I struggle with and might be worth talking to your gp about.

In my case b vitamins, diet, and lights help somewhat - getting outside as much as possible too.

Thanks Lila,

I hope you got sone rest.

I had a very good day.

Talked to the fence guy this morning and he will be coming Saturday morning to finalize plans and starting some time next week.

My mom sent a lovely card and a check to take myself shopping (technically from my dad too, but he had more to do with the check than the card. He's not a birthday guy.)

Classes went well, staff appreciated the cake, afternoon classes enjoyed the cake, a former student came by and hung out for a bit.

Dh gave Dd a "blank check" and she picked up and assembled dinner and dessert at several lovely little local shops after work and then the boys (dh, dsil, bean) all joined us here for dinner. (Not excessive, but very nice - Dd knows how to shop. We even had a discount bottle of Champaign.) She said "I saw this and it was on clearance and has bubbles in it and I thought - perfect for Mom's birthday!" Besides dinner I was gifted three baby holly trees dsil potted up for me from volunteers.

Fed Bean way too much sugar, played with him for a couple of hours, and then kissed him and sent him home.

Ds and ❤️Dd called, and my best friend sent the traditional long birthday email. (His bday is exactly six months from mine, so we keep up with each other with long updates back and forth in the month after our birthdays, post Christmas greetings, and the occasional summer contact.)

Now I am tired and not prepared for tomorrow, but as always I'm sure I'll figure it out and it will be fine.

Happy birthday SubC!! I hope you have a good day. I get very tired in the late fall and winter as the light gets less. Do you think that's part of it? I have to take vitamin D3 or I get pretty depressed.

The stove guy is not an actual stove guy or I wouldn't care. He is a friend, and his wife is a friend, and whether she comes with him or not, I would be appalled to have him know how bad I let me house get. He is the kind of guy who might even go put together a 'work party' of my OTHER friends and tell them I need help cleaning my house - without asking me. So I have to make it decent.

I worked for hours already, he will be here in 45 minutes. I am so tired. It is a lot better but still well below what I would call "standard" clean for most people. The stove itself is at about 90% on the outside. The inside is terrible. I wiped the door but don't have time to actually clean it. I have the table 75% cleared off but not the counter/bar. I sat down to take a 5 minute break, but I am getting boxes and throwing everything from the bar/counter in them and shoving them all in the guest room (which was my son's room but he switched so now it is about to become a storage room). Here goes a massive stash n dash! All I want to do is have an empty surface that I can wash off. Ugh I need to burn candles in here or something, too.