Yay Lila!

I am very proud of you for working on the den!
Won't it feel good if you get it all done today?

I have been working very hard.

I attacked a pile in the scullery to see if there was anything else to go out to my studio.

I found a partly completed project tgat I am never going to finish and put it in the trash can!

I also found a bucket full of teacher gifts. Things were so stressful at the end of the year that I forgot all about them completely. I reread and bravely recycled the cards, put some things away, ate two pieces of candy, put one thing that is just not me in the donate pile, and set two tea towels on my dryer to wash before using (I have a bleach load running)

Note: the tea towels are the only things on my dryer!

I emptied the chest freezer into coolers, got the gaur dryer from my studio (place where it is most often used) and melted all the ice out (not a frost free freezer - used to do this once a year, haven't done it since pre covid.)

I wiped out the inside of the freezer and plugged it back in.

Now it is time to be brave and refill it with only things that we will actually eat that have been in there less than 3 years. (Dated 2020 or later depending on substance - caramel syrup for example keeps a really long time, bread not so much.)

back again,

My August is almost planned out. I have to find out about a couple of appointments, but am marking days OFF where I can just be home... even if I do have to do some work from home. But I am trying to make every Friday a day with zero work, and Saturday too.

Good job making appointments, SubC. And getting things done, too. I like that balls in the air picture. I am thinking about which bounce now. I have some shattery ones I am throwing in the air too much... I also look at the square with the Important and Urgent quadrants to help me decide what to do next.

In fact, the 'checking through the den' became the most Urgent AND Important thing, so I spent over an hour in there this morning and went through like 8 tubs of paper and found the ones with my name or my kids names that I need to have, and a few other papers. Just a very small stack under an inch, but things I need. There is one or two more tubs I need to look through later today and then it will be done. I also put empty boxes in there, moved his books in there, and took the smaller bookshelf out of there because I want to keep it. He can keep the bigger one. If he makes a big deal about it he can have both, I don't care that much.

Now I need to eat something.Then will figure out the next Urgent AND Important thing. However, cleaning the kitchen is pretty important but never seems urgent to me... so, I really should do that as well.

Welcome to the next act of the subc and Lila show!

I hope acorn has a light case and is better quickly! Usually babies don't have it too badly, so I will cross my fingers that that holds.

Good job making use of your cool weather!

My car is at the shop and is unfortunately racking up a hefty bill. I have to have a safe car to drive Bean though. (I have personally found myself on the side of the road more than once, or twice, but never with a child.)

I weeded a little in the garden and cut some basil (lemon and licorice) and filled the dehydrator. I've also cleaned off the bathroom counter and washed it. There is still too much on the counter, but it is clean and neat.

In a minute I will go top up water for the critters and carry some things out to the "go to school" pile in my studio.

I haven't found a trash or a donate item yet today, but I still have time.

post 2 today -

SubC, I did not even get to look through the den but since he is coming SOON I will do it this morning, and make sure I got anything I need. I also have some boxes I will put in there for him to use as he moves things out. My dream is that he will come with a moving van or a trailer, but it is more likely he is going to just take a couple things. I don't think he has a permanent place yet.

I hope to sit down and talk with him about getting legal paperwork filed. I am willing to give him, say, 2 or 3 months to get things out. I don't know if he would agree to that... we'll see. There is a terrible, ratty couch he brought here from across the country when we got married and I hate it. One of our pets actually died on that couch and I always think of that when I see it. I want it GONE but he has never let me do that. He needs to take it. Also remember the old, beat up recliner I put on the curb months ago because it was the old dog's recliner, smelled like dog, and has actual holes in it a foot wide?? Guess what, it is in his den in pieces. He has got to take that with him too. I will talk to him about it.

Teen is about as angry as usual, intermittantly, and says they never want to speak to Dad again. As far as I know, ex has not reached out or spoken to them at all since he left. He has not spoken to me, either. Just email or text. But not even that with teen. He is a jerk to do that to teen.

I am so happy you have Bean. I will smile about that as I miss my Tot.

I will come back and respond to the other posts and let you know what I am doing after I go do some things!

Gee, it's been the SubC and Lila show around here lately... come back everyone else! SubC, thank you for coming and posting... I need the company.

My rest days have not been so restful, but I am working on my attitude. Teen is angry and this morning was running around slamming windows so hard I thought they might break. I did say something about it but then they just went and slammed doors too. It is exhausting, but now they went back to bed so I have peace. Also, Acorn has covid and I am beside myself with worry. And missing my little grands. I guess I won't see them for a week or so. I had them over last week so I stayed home yesterday and today working from home. I have a zoom meeting tonight, and tomorrow I have a class I lead but I will take a covid test before I go. I think the Tots were exposed Saturday and I saw them Friday but I am being careful.

Today so far:
did some reading on the porch
took pizza boxes out to the trash
pulled a few weeds
watered the flowers
went through my car and took out all the trash, brought in things that needed to come in, and made a stack to take in to work when I go back.

All of this was stuff it has been too hot to do but it was cool this morning.

The table and counter are piled up and the kitchen is bad but I am going to clean it today.

What are you up to?

I have a load in the washing machine and a load in the dryer and all the clean, dry laundry is put away.

I picked up the winter blanket from the floor in the corner of my room and folded it and put it away on a shelf - I managed to make space on the shelf!

I was listening to a podcast while I was putting away laundry and the podcaster said "you can't keep all the balls in the air all the time. The trick is knowing which balls bounce and which balls shatter."

Today I feel like I am doing ok with not shattering any balls. I'm trying to do things that will make my environment more functional, my body healthier, and tomorrow easier. I definitely bounced eating today though. (Sometimes - ever since my kids were little - I go through the day chanting "food, clothing, shelter" in my head - trying to be sure I hit at least the minimum in all three areas.)

It's a little bit lonely here.

Here are things I did today that were hard:
Made a dr apt for me.
Made a service apt for my car
Left a message with the fence guy.

Did not eat all of the remaining chocolate cake.

All the new stuff that has come into the house today is produce. I am working on the produce.

I put away two pints of dehydrated spicy beans.
I labelled them.
I cleaned the dehydrator and left it ready to use.

I took out the compost. I made two quarts of lemon basil tea and decided I don't like it very much, so I won't make it again, (unless Dh surprises me by liking it) but I will drink what I made. I ran the dishwasher. I did some laundry and I am going to try to see if I can get all the clean put away before bed time.

I put a thing in the landfill bag and a thing in the donate pile.

Good morning again.

Lila, do you have august all planned out?

I got a bunch of beans into the dehydrator last night, but I didn't meet my getting to bed goal.

I didn't find anything in the house to get rid of yesterday, and my Dd1 brought me a bag of razor blades that she tried and doesn't like (the part of the bag she didn't use) plus the handle.

I did drop off the plastic bag recycling while I was out getting Bean.

I'm going to try to work outside as much as possible today. The garden still needs a lot of work and so does the barn. If I get too hot I may try to do something in the basement.

Good morning!

Lila, 12 hours is a long day! I'm glad you're blocking out time for yourself.

I hope you got a good look through the den and found what you need.

Does the ex have a new place so that he can actually take all of his stuff? I'm wondering if you will have to put a deadline in your legal agreement so you have a date when you can just toss whatever is left.

How is teen doing with all of this?

Today is a Bean day. I pick him up early because his mama is working on a site today.

I am working on an evening routine - but last night I started at 8 and with chores, dishes, and start a load of laundry, I did not get done before 9:30. I will keep working on it.

Hello to Tatoulia, CM, Becky, May May, and Road!

Road, I miss you - hope everything is ok!

Yesterday I worked 12 hours. Then had to get up early and work 4 more. Now I am home and exhausted and going NO WHERE else today. Tomorrow I work a few hours in the afternoon, but can rest in the morning, so I have this whole evening and tomorrow morning to relax, clean or organize, whatever. Right now I am eating cookies and watching mindless tv because I am too tired to do anything else.

I love the work I do, but I need a break. A big break. So today, last day of July, I am going to map out my August. I want to take at least 3 days off each week, and pick one week where I do nothing at all work related unless there is a crisis call. This means I have to work hard this week so I can be caught up. But, I am taking Weds and Friday off this week to just be home.

My ex is coming here in a few days to get some of his things. I would like to make sure there is nothing in his den I need (paperwork) because he could take it all. So, I will go in and look through one last time and pull any paperwork I may need later. It is all hoarded up so almost impossible to find, but, if he takes things I know I will never see them again.

How are you all today?

Can't find the stuff. Way past diminishing returns. Done for the day!

My second 50lb feed bag is half full.

Some of it I could wash and recycle, but the time investment is too high.

I'm just going to keep trying to ask myself "what will happen to this when I am done with it?" And "will this use make this trash?" And "don't buy plastic (where practical)."

Good afternoon!

I was hoping someone would have been by, but here is my update - I did not get out to the studio until ten. From ten to noon I sorted pretty efficiently. From noon to one I moved things to the locations where they belonged - including washing off a few things, at one, I remembered that the original point of this exercise was to find some stuff I am missing and that I had not addressed any of the areas where it might be hiding. I then shuffled things around I effectively for 20 minutes until I realized I should stop and eat lunch.

So now I have had lunch and a bit of a rest. Besides putting things in better locations, I have a 50lb feed bag full for the landfill, a box partly filled with mixed recycling, a box of stuff to go to school, and a new item to donate.

I am going to go back out and focus on finding my missing stuff.

Today I brought home a candle and a key - neither of which I can explain without a long tangent related to my sad thread, but I need them, and found a small gadget in my kitchen that can go.

I am pretty wiped out at the moment, but tomorrow I am going to put my key on a chain around my neck for strength and go attack my home studio.

That is a cool website SubC, thanks!!

Grandbabies are the best! We had a great time for 4 or 5 hours and then I took her home for a bit. They are all coming back for dinner soon. My table is covered with stuff being sorted so we will eat in the living room.

This morning I got things done:
took trash cans to the road
put branches in the compost can
made a couple of medical appointments
Talked to a couple friends on the phone
prepped some cilantro for a dish teen wants to make
cleaned off the stove and 1 counter
emptied the ex's kitchen shelf - I will use it for food items I only use once in a while
called about prescriptions and stuff like that

Then had Tot over and played and hung out and stuff.

I am tired now, and after dinner will chill. I need to sort prescriptions... again.

Lila, you might be able to plant a few fall vegetables in a pot now. If you go to
https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates
And type in your zip code it will tell you your first frost date and I will tell you what you can plant.

It makes me smile tgat we are both having grandbaby dats.

Bean is 2 now, so I got out some new toys and he has been having a blast. We also made "hot bread" and a "cake for papa". The potatoes were not as exciting as I had hoped, but he had fun in the garden with his rake. Now he is napping. I should be prepping some beans for the dehydrator, but "Grammie lazy" as he says when I don't want to do something.

hello all,

SubC, you are getting stuff done. I envy your gardening. When I lived in the country, we planted and always had plenty of fresh food. I don't like living in the suburbs, where I am now... not much room to garden, BUT, in all honesty, it is more of a time/energy issue. Maybe in the spring when it is time to get ready to plant, you can remind me, and I could try to plant a few things next year. It would make me happy.

Yesterday I worked alllll day and by 5 I was feeling rather unwell, like I was at the end of my energy, but I had a program I am in charge of from 6 to 9. I thought about bailing on it but I knew I needed to be there, so I stayed, and I am so glad I did. It was wonderful and I felt so good when I got home, although ready to fall into bed. But then teen was having a crisis and I stayed up until 1:00 am with them, but I'm glad I did.

This morning I feel a LOT better. Slept in, had a bagel and am drinking iced coffee.

Going to pick up Tot. Back to report in later!

My storage rack has bins, not bibs.

I dropped off a bag of garbage and four bags of recycling.

I threw five worn out molds from my classroom into the dumpster.

I have more molds I want to get rid of because the kids don't use them, but they are still good and I don't know what to do with them.

One of my shelves apparently was glued to the floor with floor wax four years ago when they redid my floor. I tried to move it today. Now the shelf is broken and there is a piece of particle board shelving stuck to the floor. This is a problem. I sent a note to the building manager.

I am very tired. Just put Bean to bed. Tomorrow we will dig potatoes.

Hello again!

A storage rack with bibs is in my car to go to my classroom.

Recycling is in the car.

Bean's car seat is in the car (it had to be washed, dsil is going to reassemble and reinstall it when I pick Bean up.)

Chores are done.

I pulled some weeds in the garden, and I am going to go tie up a couple of tomatoes and plant a few fall veggies.

Good morning!

Lila, I'm sorry about your car! Sounds like you took the whole qtoz trip too.

Dh said the potato salad was good.

Today I am going in to my classroom. I will have sil call me when Bean gets up from his nap, and I will go pick him up and bring him home to spend the night.

I have a little time at home first - I will let you know what I get done.

Road - how are you? I hope you are just wrapped up in doing fun stuff with your son!

Hi May May, Becky if you are still here, CM, and Tatoulia!

SubC it always takes sooo much more work than we think, or than other people expect! It is never JUST do xyz. It is always do qrstuvwxyz and then some. I am glad you got so much done! And I hope it was yummy.

And my day was rough,some good, some bad. I got pretty much nothing done on my prior list because after I was happily visiting friends and about to come home in the early afternoon, my car stopped working. I spent some miserable hours getting it to a shop, having them tell me it's the battery but blah blah we dont have it and blah blah they don't even make that one anymore and blah blah you will have to pay this amount ("but it's under warranty!") yada yada, some back in a few days when we can order a good one, or let us install this weaker, crappier battery for $80. NO.

After an hour of that I got them to jump my car and I drove to a different place, which was packed with people but had the battery. I stayed there and waited a loong time but they did replace it FOR FREE because of the warranty, so worth it.

But I got home after 7 and am hot and exhausted.

I finished all the potato salad related things.

Yes, that is the speed at which I am moving.

I made potato salad.

This required many steps:

Realizing something smelled bad in the kitchen
Finding the bag of potatoes Dh bought some time before vacation and never used.
Sorting the potatoes into compost, wash and use now and wash and store.

Searching for the potato salad recipe, which involved:
Moving/cleaning up the pile of stuff in front of the cookbook shelf
Sweeping around the cookbook shelf
Rummaging through cookbooks and finding a 16 y.o. School telephone directory and some printed out recipes to recycle and one cookbook to get rid of
Not finding the potato salad recipe

Peeling and cooking potatoes

Waiting for the rain to ease up enough to go pick carrots
Washing, peeling, and grating carrots.

Peeling and chopping hardboiled eggs (cooked yesterday)

Chopping up tiny garden onions that are too small to cure and store.

Mixing all the ingredients together with spices

Trying to find space in the fridge - moving things around and removing an adjustable shelf that needs to be washed.

Next steps are:
washing the adjustable shelf
Taking egg shells to the chickens
Taking carrot tops to the rabbit
Taking compost to the compost bin.

I also cleaned out one drawer of my desk today and found a few bits of paper to recycle and a pencil case to get rid of.

hi guys, hows it going today? Please post what you are doing, or what you want to be doing, or your goals.

Today is my day "off," sort of, meaning, no meetings. I am getting together with a couple of friends for lunch, and afterwards might go visit a couple of elderly friends as well. Aside from that, I am home, doing as I please, which may include a small amount of enjoyable 'work' stuff.

I will be working on the kitchen and bar area, getting 2 more clothing returns ready, and just puttering around doing small tasks. I have to call for appointments and such, too. I find this kind of day most enjoyable!

Will be back with an update on what I get done, and I hope some of you 'drive by' and share your day!

Good work, Lila! You are making progress!

Off to the office today.

Hello SubC, Road, MayMay, CM and anyone that I have missed!

I posted about my bad thing on another thread.

I don't expect anybody to read it. Please don't if you are worried that it might pull up bad things for you. I'm not going to talk about it in this thread anymore.

Another overcast day with potential rain - more garden work to do and puttering in the house. Meeting youngest Dd for dinner

Will post any progress later.

Lila, good luck using up the cleaners! And good job on the dog treats - remember to not buy more until they all fit in the container and it is getting low.

SubC, I am so sorry about the bad thing and how you found out. That's hard!! I hope you can get some rest and find peace about it at some point. And yes, its very hard when kids move away. I have one very far away and don't like it.

CM, I'm alway glad to see you post, so thank you for coming and updating. We are all stuck in some way...

Hi Tatoulia. Where is Road?

Tired. Yesterday I "worked on" the bar/counter which means I took things off it and put them on the dining room table. LOL. Why do I do that?? I have always done it. It helps a little... I put like with like. All the Keep papers are in a stack, and the "do now" papers are next to me in a bin. All the cleaners are on the table in one area, all the dog brushes in another area. Now the table is covered in (organized) stuff, and the counter still looks awful. I did throw a few things away and put a few things away. Tomorrow I will make shelf space for the cleaners and use up the 2 bottles that have very little in them - by cleaning windows and dusting with them until they are empty.

I did also put 2 bags of dog treats into the dog treat jar so that helped.

I also loaded and unloaded the dishwasher.

Ex is coming for more of his things in a week. I moved most of his stuff from around the house into his room and I hope he TAKES IT instead of being mad I did that. Before he comes I will double check the house and stick everything else of his in there. Hopefully he will take the hint to get it out of here, but I doubt it.

I also pulled some weeds today.

Hi CM!

Thanks.

I took a long time to come back. The day has been hot and overcast with some drizzle, so it is being sad with me and it makes it hard to get things done.

I am sweaty and dirty. I worked in the garden - mostly weeding, some things died while I was gone, but it's ok. I really needed that vacation.

I ran the dishwasher and I cleaned a moldy jar out of the fridge and I recycled a few pieces of paper and put an item in the trash can.

My youngest child is going to move to Colorado. 18 hours away! That is not the bad thing - it is a good thing for her, but it is hard to get my head around. She will go in less than a month.

She has started deep cleaning her apartment and purging her stuff. I told her that if she doesn't love it or need it, she shouldn't move it.

Why can't I apply that to my house?!?!

SubC, my sympathies about the upsetting thing.

I'm going to pray for all you ladies. Unfortunately, I have once again gotten more behind in reading posts in detail. But I skim what I can, and glean that we're all going through a lot these days.

I'm waiting on a new development to see how it's going to go, and then there are other things, my roommate's that affect me and my own problems and/or plans. Things go in a direction for a bit, then stall out or take unexpected detours. It's a weird and unsettled waiting game.

There are obligations to deal with meanwhile, such as a bunny club newsletter and event, which I wouldn't mind except that my brain is trying to deal with all the big stuff. My computer purchase is still awaiting some financial information on other things; I don't want to just take the leap without knowing how it'll shake out.

I know when I post it's kind of all the same thing, that's the sort of holding pattern I'm in right now. Give it a couple weeks, some things may be more clear.

Good morning.

Lila, I think you have been doing a really great job.

Tatoulia, I am glad the ac is working for you and I hope a scrapper finds the old one if you have those where you live. Here it would be gone quickly!

I had hoped to apply my well rested self and my new perspective to my life today, but I am no longer well rested.

My plan is to take the tears and associated headache as background noise and "do it anyway." I'll report back in, even if I end up talking to myself.

I'm sorry, SubC. I'm so sorry.

Lila, I'm glad you got the load of towels done! That must've been hard work getting the new dryer installed. I'm proud of you.

I saw Mom and her beautiful cat tonight. Bf and his friend took the broken ac out today. I put a sign on it that the city is picking up. Sometimes people write whether or not something works. This is only good for scrap I think.