Ok. I am placing the second empty Ragu pasta sauce jar, the valuable widemouth Tostito sauce jar and the valuable widemouth Kraft parmesan cheese jar in recycle. My save spaces for the "Valuable" jars are full.

(Or yachting in some woods. I guess the Great North Woods are east of you.)

Tillie
Thank you for your special efforts at acknowledging and encouraging folks.

re:Coffee. Back at ya.

Maybe he will give you a new car and boat along with dark chocolate.

We will see you yachting in the Great North Woods this summer! ( 🙂 )

Coffee salute!

I can see my own tendencies. For instance, at home I made my own little "nest" on my bed so things I need regularly (like medicine) is handy. Doing that here, too, but am trying to observe and deal with it. I still want things right there when I wake up (med and nebulization routines)

Good morning

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Wonderful post!
You have come so far in your journey here.
Such wonderful progress you have made with your thought processes. (((hugs)))

Hi Diane 🙂
Your yard sounds wonderful. You have done so much there.
Thinking of you out there this Spring/Summer/Autumn just enjoying it all. 😀
Whenever I get pine pitch all over me I use paint thinner to remove it but that is dangerous because then you are flammable.

Hi Dave 🙂
WAY TO GO!!! with keeping up with the kitchen!!!
I know it is a tedious job but it makes such a huge difference in the quality of life for you and your family. (((hugs)))
Good luck with the pasta jar project. 😉

for tomorrow and following, I have Flexible Spending Account, Income Taxes and clearing out stuff.

For now, I think I will stop there. Best wishes to all.

Wow, great to see a post from Cory, things to ponder------. I enjoy reading all posts on here, and watching my reactions, helps me see areas where I need to look at. I have felt a big gut wrenching ouch reading some posts. Taking the high road, I have attempted to not get involved, just focus on improving my behavior. I do learn from hoarders and those affected by hoarding, nice to see both sides. Helps me see how my hoard has affected others. I appreciate all the support I have gotten on here and in chat for progress made.
Thanks to Cory for making this site for all of us.
Today I chopped and burned yard stuff, almost done, reclaimed a large area that juniper shrub had taken over, now can walk all the way around my beautiful blue spruce, I love my tree, cut lower branches off so can sit under it this summer, cleaned debris from under too. Now need to wash dishes. Got pitch in my hair, cut big chunks out, now plan to oil my hair to try to disolve pitch, then shower wash hair, and put clean sheets on bed. Reading your clean sheet posts, inspired me. I appreciate your posts on this thread, each one is dear to me

How nice to read everyone's posts. Fun to see a post from you Dave. And nice to have Roxie back! Just get some help on the bedding. No need to push your physical limits!

Diane has your freezer room kept up with the winter weather?

For me, I have done nothing to improve my clutter. On Thursday (fingers crossed weather cooperates) I will see my sister for lunch and I will send her off with some things. She is worried re time crunch, but if I can give her one bin I'll be happy. We can clear the remainder of stuff from BF's basement once Spring has sprung. The stuff in BF's basement falls in two categories: stuff that needs to be gone through and taken to its final resting place (donation or keepers) and a few things I'd like stored for me. Stuff in my house for my sister is antique dishes and glassware from my mother and grandmothers, and I am giving to sister outright for her to enjoy. A year ago I couldn't have shared or let go of any of this stuff and I certainly couldn't send a box of unknown stuff out into the world. Thank goodness for all of you. Letting go of the control--the control I want over stuff but in fact the stuff has over me--is critical.

Would love an update from Mel and LR and Dianne and others. Til then, I will continue to celebrate my resolve.

Thank you Tillie and Dave and Diane and Roxie and everyone else. Glass is raised! Time for a toast!

Good morning 🙂

Hi Tatoulia and tiny cat 🙂
Spring is right around the corner with all it's greenery and colorful blooms. 😀

Hi Diane 🙂
Sorry to hear your sleep schedule is messed up.
Go easy on yourself. Get some R&R and hopefully some sun beams.

Hi Dave 🙂
That is my favorite childhood movie and I can still remember the words to all the songs. 😀

Hi Roxie 🙂
WAY TO GO!! getting the bed cleared off!
The quilt sounds lovely and yes those denim ones are very heavy.
Please ask for some help with it. 🙂

The cats have had their breakfast.
Soon I will get dressed and do the usual Monday morning cleaning.
Have to keep my tiny oasis in the middle of all this chaos clean and tidy to prevent it being re-hoarded.
The cotton tail rabbits are back nesting in the hoard in the carport.
The desert pack rats still live under the house, chewing everything.
All the deer mice partying in the floor to ceiling hoard in the garage will soon be disposed of when all the snakes that live everywhere in the massive clutter come out of hibernation.
At least all these creatures including the snakes are docile, with live & let live attitudes.
The wasps and black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders and scorpions are not friendly.
They will soon wake up from their winter sleep.
I am ready to take on the battle, have spray cans at the ready. 😉

Good morning Tat, Diane, Tillie and Dave. Good to see you all here. 🙂

where the wind blows __ sounds like mary poppins.

Diane I too struggle with sleep and have my entire life. Thank you for a fresh perspective--greatly appreciated.

Snowing here again. But it's March 1st, and I have you all here, and there's a tiny cat sitting next to me. Life is good.

Happy March to you, wonderful women. Nice to read your posts. Did not sleep well last night, darn it. When I felt crappy, just reminded myself it was not permanent, just one bad night, and do the best I could today, to enjoy the day. Tomorrow will be better. visualizing hugs

Happy March, dear Tillie!

Good Morning Everybody! 😀

So nice to catch up with you all while I drink my tea. 😀

Yesterday was all dark clouds and rain and snow.
This morning is clear blue sunny skies but that could change as the day progresses.
Cats have had their breakfast. Soon I will get dressed and make my bed.
That's as far as I have planned for today. 🙂
Will mostly do/go where ever the wind blows me.

Happy March! 😀

Ah, Roxie, how I love clean sheets! I like to take a shower, put on clean PJs and then just sink in to a nice clean bed. Even at its worst, when it was hard to even walk into my bedroom, I kept up with the sheets. For my trash-hoarder friend, he frequently just slept on a dirty mattress or brought his dirty blanket into the couch with him. But no matter where any of us fall on the spectrum, there is very little that beats the feeling of clean sheets.

Raising my coffee cup for a toast!

Coffee "clink" all around.

Thinking of you

So it is the February blahs-----tomorrow will need a new excuse, March. Good to see your posts. I have been out in the sun but it is so cold with the wind. Did my 15 + minutes cleaning in kitchen this morning. No motivation, set the timer and just did it. I can see it could be a habit, if I can just keep doing it daily. Yesterday jumped from project to project, then this morning had to stop myself for being critical. I have to take Friday to jump around after stressful job on Thursday. This morning moved wood on deck closer to door, because so cold, make it easier to get inside. Forgot to call for tax appt, so have to do that Monday.
When I went to bank she checked ID, and said license was expired since November. Went to DMV and they said sine I did not renew my CDL (commercial drivers license with new medical card) they canceled my license. So have been driving without a license since November, oh boy. They did not charge late fee because it was a weird thing that I had been cancelled for such a strange reason, so just $40 to renew. Relief it is done.

Hi Roxie 🙂

Wonderful to hear what you are doing. 😀
Happy you had a nice visit with your cousin.
Socializing is very tiring both mentally and physically, but it is a good kind of tired. 😉

Tea toast "clink"

It is so invigorating to find new posts here. I guess the February doldrums have hit some of us?

Coffee toast.

Good morning 🙂

WOW! just WOW!
Such beautiful inspiring posts to read this morning!

WAY TO GO! 😀

Tat, dear Tat, what a wonderful, informative post, reading it made me happy to see your progress in many areas!!!! Thanks for opening your heart to us and others. Happy, happy, (14) days of birthday celebration.
You have helped me get rid of so many boxes, thank you. See you soon

Holding a glass of cranberry juice and toasting us all! Good to hear from you, Roxie, Diane and Tillie. All of you here have helped me so much, and with a birthday approaching (I like to celebrate at least a week before and a week or so after), I find myself reflecting on the past year. And how the positives in my life, in large part, come from everyone here--the frequent and infrequent posters, the current and past posters. And a giant thank you for that. And your help has had some surprising results.

I talk ad naseum re the obvious accomplishments and the continuing struggles, but there are more subtle things. I am making plans with my sister for next week--she and I were never friends, not even while growing up, and at times I didn't care how many years would pass til we'd see each other again. And yet, after swearing I'd never write or email or call again, I mentioned that I had a giant storage space and I needed help to get rid of it. She borrowed a car and drove here two or three times and took back loads of stuff. She helped me figure out keepers and what to get rid of. She described a large shed on her property as "our shed." And just like that, we formed an easy, let's have a casual bite to eat, friendship. It's easy and not forced at all. I don't think we will ever delve any deeper than sharing pictures of cats, but thanks to the internet and its never-ending supply of cats in baskets, I don't think we will need to. And this is all due to finally facing my hoard. Thank you.

Another lasting benefit is boxes. I got rid of every cute and shiny and precious and perfect gift box. Dozens and dozens of them. This store, that store. Filene's, Bonwit Teller, McCurdy's. Long gone stores but not forgotten. And to this day, I reject boxes as soon as they enter my house. Even yesterday, a client gave me a clever little gift and the box was remarkable. Yet useless. I kept the gift and got rid of the box.

I don't buy multiples. I have only slipped twice recently where I couldn't resist a sale and bought things as gifts for other people. And I learned something there, too. It's not a bargain if I'm buying it as a gift with no one in mind and then I need to wrack my brain just to give a gift to someone I normally wouldn't buy for.

So, for the piles on my coffee table and the wrapping paper in the trunk of my car, their time will come. For now, I thank you for opening my eyes and giving me friendship and support. I have made great strides but let us speak the truth, it was a group effort.

So Tillie, dear Diane and Roxie, I raise my cranberry juice to you and to us! Much love from Tatoulia, with the hope that my friends Bitsy and LR and Dianne and all of the others who comprise the "we" in "we can do it" read this.

Hi Roxie, so happy to hear of your progress. So grateful you moved in with brother.
Tillie, yes, I am surrounded by neighbors that smoke so am paranoid a fire could be started, since they all smoke outside, so taking all dead things off trees and bushes gives me comfort, also took branches off that hang over wood fence where a neighbor smokes. Most of fencing is wire, so make a clear area inside and out of fence.
Work today was so much better today than last week. I was determined to respond with a cheerful voice no matter what was said to me or how it was said. Looking at it like a challenge, to be loving to each patient and staff, no matter what. I still felt drained when I got home so took an hour outside looking for more things to fill trash cart, got it full from stuff in here and yard, hooray.I have to be to work before 7am and would you believe I washed dishes before work so could come home to clean sink.
Sooooooo happy I get to stay home tomorrow. Supposed to rain so will have lots of fun doing paperwork tomorrow.

Hi Roxie 😀

GREAT to hear good news on the health issues.
Keep up the WONDERFUL progress.
YEA!!! for having some more clothes to choose from! 😀
Toasting you with my tea to your coffee. (((hugs)))

It was good to wake up and see Tat, Diane and Tillie posting. Waving coffee cup in salute.

Not much else. My brother brought in about five bags of clothes and stuff that were designated for me. I had fun sorting and folding or hanging, getting some sense of organization and what I might wear. phew! for having more clothes to wear!

Good morning 🙂

Hi Diane 🙂
Sounds like you had LOTS of fun!
WTG! for all you got done too.
Looking forward to burning stuff here soon.

Keeping defendable space is the only way to survive wild fires and you are doing fantastic!

Thinking about getting out today to do more garden area sprucing up.
Need to decide where I will put out the bird baths and other yard knickknacks.
Also want to start another spooky book.
Good day to sit outside and read. 😀

Hi Tillie, sounds like you had lots of fun and can see great results, nice you feel content. Did, dishes, prepared food for work tomorrow, 1 load laundry washed and hung. I stained the sides of my large rounds of wood, and a few fence boards. I burned, and burned, all the stuff I trimmed yesterday and today, now I smell like a fire, so have to shower tonight. Was nice to clean up all the debris I cut off trees and shrubs. Neighbors didn't think it was as much fun as I did!!

Good Morning 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Soon your snow will melt away to reveal daffodils and tulips in your neck of the woods. 😀

Hi Diane 🙂
WTG! on all you accomplished! 😀
A tree fort to sit in and watch the world go by! 😀
NICE!

Yesterday turned out to be beautiful here.
Stayed out raking a lot longer than I had planned but the results are GREAT.
Now when I look out to my garden oasis I feel peace and contentment rather than dread.
Looking forward to accomplishing lots more out there, but not today.
Need to let this old body rest and recuperate a few days. lol 😀
My neighbor friend gave me six paper back books and I started reading one. Plan to finish it today. Good and spooky Dean Koontz. 🙂
But first out to hang some laundry on the clothes line.

TTYL 😀