Good morning!

Ds is flying back today (he bought a round trip ticket) but he is not taking his family h9me tomorrow, only his dogs.  The water situation is still uncertain.  Hopefully the second test will come back safe and ddil and Birdy will fly home midweek.  I am enjoying having them here, but ddil really wants her life back.  And Birdy is missing swim classes and other fun summer activities he was signed up for.

ds has been trying to make it worthwhile by focusing all of his extra time on projects around the house he hasn’t been able to get  to.  He sent her a picture of the finally completed stairway two days ago.  It has been functional but not cosmetically finished for over two years.

i no longer remember what I planned to do with my July.  I’ve pretty much just been hanging out with Birdy and trying (with mixed success) to do yoga every day and work on pottery during nap.  House is still falling behind, but not too fast.

ddil is planning to take Birdy to meet some of her family for an activity tomorrow afternoon and I am going to the city studio to work on pieces for an all day club event next Saturday.  Then on Monday she and Birdy are spending most of the day with them.

ds is taking home a few more small things from my house (I think)

Good morning!

Lila, I have been trying to not be gone, but frequently the post button doesn’t work.  When it persists, I email Cory.  I have learned to copy my post before I try to submit it.

i woke up with a migraine this morning and have done nothing but take medicine and sip coffee.  It is a bit better, but I think I will go take more meds - I start with a half dose because that is usually enough.

yesterday we had a very busy day with  Buddy and Birdy, and Birdy and his mom are still asleep.  The house is a wreck!

today we are just staying home with Birdy, so I will try to clean it up a little.  So far we think daddy is flying back on Saturday and taking everyone home on Sunday.  But it will depend on the water test.

SubC! messi! Yay! So glad you are back. I am just so excited I had to post. I will read and catch up and hope to share more!

Good evening!

post from this morning:

ds flew home yesterday to work all week - water won’t be approved until at least Thursday and a friend offered him the use of his apartment.  Ddil, Birdy, and the dogs are staying here and he will fly back to get them on Saturday.

dd has been out with her boys for part of every day and made dinner twice.

i am falling behind on laundry, the counter, and dishes, but very slowly, and somehow, the more meals everyone eats here, the more full my refrigerator gets.  There is absolutely no more room.  Today’s menu is “leftovers”.  We are managing to do a little vacuuming, but the house is covered in dog hair and will need a serious cleaning when everyone leaves.  Lila - it is much harder with kids here!

today no one is coming over.  Dh is working from home, ddil is going to go out and run an errand, and i will have a quiet day with just Birdy at home.

ddil and I FaceTimed dd2 and sorted through the four bins of saved girl clothes.  Apparently tastes have changed, buttons are dangerous, and thrift stores are abundant.  Ddil is taking one grocery bag of clothes (to be fair she already has a lot of unisex clothes - “unisex” being a broad category since Birdy’s favorite color is pink). Dd2 has one bin to be saved in case she has a girl, and the rest can go.  I will deal with the “go” ones later.  I stacked them in a corner of the basement.

having all the boys here is helping a little to focus me differently on what needs to be in my spaces and how they are used.  Not that I have time to adjust anything!  Next summer there will be five grandchildren!  Two will be crawling!

Sorry about the frustration everyone. The old site was no longer able able to be sustained so we had to move it to a new site and re-create everything. That’s the reason the website completely changed if you notice any other issues, please continue to email me so we can make it perfect

Testing the reply functionality

test 2

this is the post I tried to post yesterday, but the button wasn’t working.

Good morning.

i am wondering if the new board with email required drove Messi away.

Lila are you still here?

I am making slow progress on my house.  The great room is under control and the scullery is still good, although it has only been a few days.  I am trying to focus on completing jobs/cleaning up after myself, and then also making things better for 20 minutes.  And I have restarted yoga again again.

Yesterday I confirmed my teaching schedule for the year with my administration.  One of my classes got cancelled, leaving me with only one class on Tu/th.  That is two hours of driving for an hour and a half of teaching.  So I negotiated.  The description for that class has been changed and I will not have to do the dreaded evaluations!  Also, I will not have to do assignments and lesson plans (but I will have to do prep).  The class will be student driven and I get to spend my time just working with the kids on the projects they want to do.  I will provide ideas and examples and get their materials ready.  No “what are we going to do this week?  Have you finished your…” just “Where are you on your projects?  Ok, next week I’ll show you how to do the handle, bring you a couple of examples of possible surface texture, and you’ll be glazing - do you know what color you want?…..”  JOY!  If this goes well it may be the only class I teach from now until I retire.

i thought that I was gong to have to pick bean up after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, (and Mondays, and most Fridays) but his mom decided that his Wednesday option was not ideal, and got concerned about the days I would be gone when the twins are born, and signed him up for an after school program that looks really good.  So I CAN pick him up, but I don’t have to.  Same with Buddy on Tu/th. (Mondays and Fridays in the fall buddy will be with me all day).  My plan was to get back to swimming after school, then pick bean up.  But now, I can still swim after school, but I also have the option of going to the pottery studio, taking and afternoon class on one of those days, running my errands, or whatever else comes up.  I really need to get back to the swimming.  My body is in nearly as bad shape as my house.

but, at least they are meeting in the middle?  My laundry is clean and put away, except the load currently in the wash and a basket that doesn’t have a full load.  My dishes are all in the running dishwasher, and my scullery counter is clean.  Next challenge - the dining porch. Today I am going to spend most of the day at the downtown pottery studio getting ready for my last raku class.  I may also stop by school to work on my classroom.

new development - my kids in WI had their water shut off yesterday because their well tested positive for E. coli.  Everyone is fine, but they came down here until it is fixed - arriving after midnight last night.  It will be at least until Monday, so I get to spend 4th of July with all of my grandsons!

also - it only took two hours to make the house ok for them and their dogs! (There was some stashing)

Test

Hi anyone who is still here.

i cleared the counter of doom again today.

Test 2

Test 1

testing

hi SubC, just trying to post and see if it goes as the newest post. Trying to figure out how to read here.

Good evening!

Also Lila, it is a lot easier to clean up after just yourself!

Messi, I hope you got to enjoy your morning.

I spent a whole bunch of time in the studio today doing clean and prep work to get ready for camp next week (did I tell you I am GOING to camp?). I signed up for what is basically a four day pottery day camp for adults. I'm excited. They are going to pamper us - the staff does all the hard stuff, like loading wood into the soda kiln to keep it going all night, and we just have to bring our pots and glaze them and go to seminars and do the fun parts of the firing.

Anyway, I have at least nine pots I need to make and get dried and fired by next Thursday, and they need to be different kinds of clay. I mostly use low fire, which is a hazard (think peanut butter or gluten, and the pots made from high fire clay are allergic - they crack or melt if any gets on them) and I never really clean up. So i threw and trimmed my pots for my regular class this week, and then deep cleaned my wheel and my wedging table and my handbuilding table (well, a part of my handbuilding table) and I wedged up some clay to let it rest overnight so I can throw tomorrow. It took most of my day, but it looks so much better!

My house is also still slowly getting better. Some books I ordered did come today - 3, but I decided to throw away a tool that keep failing me in the studio, so I am calling that one out for a net in of 2.

I also called my mom and chatted with her for a bit. She had just been to a funeral for one of my favorite teachers. Which was sad but unfortunately not unexpected. She said at the end of the service they played "the wheels on the bus" and many people looked confused, but mom thought it was perfect. Me too.

and it hard to do all the things on your own.

Thank you messi, I appreciate that so much.

I agree we want to have more time to enjoy life, so maybe part of it IS to enjoy the journey somehow. I will try to be better about that myself.

I am working today and SO TIRED. I need time to work on my health too (meaning, taking time to prep healthier food and exercise).

Good evening!

Lila, I don't know about "normal people" but how often do you think you should do these things?

" dusting
mopping
cleaning the windows
cleaning out the filthy sliding door track
cleaning spatters off the walls from kids
cleaning light fixtures
cleaning 2 bathrooms
pulling weeds
sweeping the porch
cleaning out the car"

These are my goals for those jobs:
dusting - when it looks bad and company is coming - maybe once a month
mopping - in spring - as needed or biweekly if it went that long.
cleaning the windows - every year
cleaning out the filthy sliding door track - also every year (or if the door is sticking)
cleaning spatters off the walls from kids - as needed
cleaning light fixtures - when the bulb burns out and needs changed
cleaning 2 bathrooms - weekly but almost never succeed
pulling weeds - as needed
sweeping the porch - as needed
cleaning out the car - every week (and by "cleaning out" I mean completely unloading, not actual cleaning.)

Those are my GOALS, not my routine.

Talk about you all you want! I like to hear about you.

Messi, I'm glad my 20 minute idea is helping you.

It was helping me, but I have been on full on vacation the last 48 hours. I put my dishes in the dishwasher as soon as I eat and I have been wearing the same shorts and t-shirt for two days (I changed my unders. The closest I came to cooking was steaming some broccoli.

I've spent time in the garden, played with my Legos, read, and enjoyed the near silence and complete absence of people. Unfortunately I've also stayed up way too late because I can't seem to fall asleep when Dh is not there.

I was going to go to the downtown studio today so I could get some stuff fired, but i played with Legos instead of making it. I can do pottery tomorrow and fire it myself for about the same price as gas to go down and back.

Tomorrow I am going to try to be a little more productive, but I love being able to completely ignore the clock and not have to think about anyone else's schedule.

Good morning!

I am in a great mood. I'm feeling semi-productive today, but also, I made a mistake about a week ago that could have cost me $250. I've been waiting to see how it would resolve, and very good news today - $0!

So far today I did chores, exercised, made myself breakfast, remembered to take my vitamins, worked in the scullery, cut back the dead flower heads that were overtaking the front walk (as they fell over) and generally cleaned up after myself. I am going to do a bit more yard work, some pottery, and maybe walk up to the mailbox. I also want to spend a little bit of time planning the rest of the summer.

SubC - Fabulous! Enjoy the day!

It is a beautiful morning; I am trying not to lose it all before going to work. I did get the garbage out, the screen is in place. I will walk dogs and maybe get to something before work.

SubC, thank you for sharing your goals for those things! It helps me to see what other people who I like actually think is okay. Like you would not think I am a complete slob for not cleaning all those things daily or weekly. I think it is getting better for me, and will continue to improve over time. I had been thinking how awful it might be when everyone is moved out and I am alone - I have never lived alone, or even with just 1 other person, in my life. But lately, when TotsDad is at work and TotsFam is away for the day, I enjoy the quiet so much and I think, this would not be bad at all. And if I am lonely I can go where there are people or invite someone over. I think I will be just fine.

Good to see you too messi! I am glad we are here, and doing relatively well 🙂

Popping in. - did my 20 minutes. Part of the scullery counter is clear. Just a tiny part, but still something.

The twins are girls. First granddaughters for us! I'm rather glad they are twins and it is both of them. I don't know how long it will be until/if dd2 has children and there is a 50% chance of a boy each time. Everyone else says they are done. I think it might be lonely to be the only little girl with a bunch of older boy cousins.

hello. Twin girls!! very exciting!! twice the spice!!

Congrats on the 20 min in the scullery! I hope to do that later, plus 20 min in the bedroom of doom, where clothes go to lie. For now, 20 mins (!?) of trying to fix a screen for the window of the bedroom of doom. We have had rain so now we will have bugs.

My cold is not quite gone so still a few bouts of cough and fatigue. Not getting too much done. The other day my dog and I went to my brother's, an hour away, to get his help looking at my broken microwave. Before we could do that, my dog jumped his gate and got sprayed by a skunk she was chasing. The next hours were spent trying to bathe the dog. No microwave repair, but I do have a car and dog that still smell like skunk. The dog and car have had baths since, but to minimal effect. that took quite a bit of the energy.

Good morning!

Messi, how did your 20 minutes go?

Here the disruption continues.

I am leaving in an hour to pick up the boys because dsil has to go formalize his long term sub contract - which means he will start work August 10. Which means I will start picking up the boys at 7:30 45 minutes from my house on August 10. I will have Bean all week until he starts school on the 19th, and Buddy on Monday and Friday into November. (Buddy has been enrolled 3 days a week in a preschool/daycare program beginning August 11.)

My class went well last night. I have ten new pots to add to my tally from the last couple of weeks.

hi all,

I finally have another day off. I am enjoying getting things done around the house today.

SubC and messi, I did put in the tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets in the back yard, and took time to show the grandkids and explain not to touch them. I put tomato cages as well, but they are not going to keep them out as they only have 3 upright posts. So we will see.. the front ones are not showing much activity, but I am faithfully watering them twice a day. I wish ddil would think to have them fix it - and I was too frustrated to do a good job showing them myself that day. Hopefully it will not recur. They are still planning to move out by fall.

Did you guys see the post from the site owner saying they are about to release a new, rebuilt website here? I am kind of afraid all our history of messages here will be gone forever, and possibly even worse, what if we can't find each other again after it is changed? Thoughts on this?

Back later.

Hi All,
Don't worry about your messages being lost. This is why this rebuild and migration has taken so long because we DID NOT want to lose all these messages! The only messages that may be lost are ones posted in the past 12 hours. We are migrating all of these last few messages over now, so if you post anything today after this, it may be lost, but everything else we were able to save. We appreciate you all very much and love having this place for you, so saving the past was critical and non negotiable.

Thank you Cory. I am grateful every day for the gift of this place.

good morning.

Lila, I'm glad you had a day off. I hope your tomatoes perk up.

SubC, ten pots! Nice! and all that coming boys-time.

I did 20 min in the scullery last night. it was helpful.

Previously, I had done 20 min in the b.r. of doom, but it was hard to tell, lol. did some dishes, laundry. The screen needed more than 20 min so I hope to finish macgyvering it tonight.

the weather is being great. another week til solstice change, so i want to appreciate these long days.

Thank you Cory! That is reassuring. I especially love the Daily Tally thread, where I can look back thru and see all the progress we have made. It encourages me to keep going.

I have today off as well, so will continue on working on things.

My issue is that I am not keeping up with the basic housework, so am struggling to get to decluttering or deep cleaning projects. It seems to be a lot harder with no help, since Son moved out. At least he cared for the dogs and vacuumed, took trash out and mowed. Things like that.

Yesterday though, I worked all day intermittently.
I got most of the laundry done, small part of the vacuuming done, the stove cleaned off except for the part that I need to find a razor to scrape off. I watered the plants, took out the trash, picked up here and there, washed my sheets and re-made the bed.

And yet I did not even catch up on the basics. Today I will brush the dogs, finish vacuuming, try to find a razor to finish the stove top, do a load of "dog laundry", water plants.

Yet I have not even toughed the things that have not been done in weeks:
dusting
mopping
cleaning the windows
cleaning out the filthy sliding door track
cleaning spatters off the walls from kids
cleaning light fixtures
cleaning 2 bathrooms
pulling weeds
sweeping the porch
cleaning out the car (omg it is bad)

And then how do I fit in decluttering and organization? medical appointments and document management?

Is this just a time management issue? How do normal people even keep up? Am I going to spend my whole 3 weeks vacation just cleaning??

Cory if you read this, I would love to have a section on this website with time management tools, cleaning and decluttering ideas or suggested schedules, tips, encouragement...

Sorry I just talked about me, SubC and messi. I hope you are doing well.

Lila, the things you talked about are exactly what i need to hear and think about because those are my issues and worries also. Your sharing is very helpful.

You have been doing so much. More power to you. it is my not keeping up with things that has created and exacerbated my mess. So more power to you in working on things, basic or otherwise, and inspiring me. I see you making progress. Also, the point to all this is to get to a place to enjoy more, so we should be sure to enjoy along the way. part of the goal

Recently, SubC's resolves for 20 min of work has helped me get going/appreciate each piece/see progress "atomic" step by step. Cuz I feel overwhelmed and feel like I don't know how to manage time and space and things.