post 2 today -

having a bit of an emotional day. Or moment maybe.

Someone gave me some new seeds and they go in the fridge, so I wanted to make space for them by the chia and flax seeds in the fridge door.

So I started pulling everything out of that shelf, threw a couple of expired things away, and saw that the shelf was really dirty. So I pulled it out and started to wash it.

For some reason this made me incredibly sad. I know I have not cleaned that shelf in over a year and several months. I kept thinking about the pets and people I lost last year. It felt like I was washing away any trace of them.

I don't know why that shelf would provoke those feelings but I had a hard time holding back tears.

I did get the shelf washed, and the little butter holder shelf above it as well. I have sprayed down the door itself (interior) and cleaning that. I am not doing the lower shelves right now... this is enough.

So I am taking a break while the washed shelf and butter holder drip dry a bit. Then will put them back and put the seeds and other items back in there.

I just wanted to process it. Maybe someone else will relate someday. Grief is a funny thing.

So, here is my progress so far today - I've been moving around, but mostly working in the studio.

8 things put in the "go to school forever" bag
9 unfinished projects smashed (so I don't change my mind and try to save them)
11 items in the donate bin,

I have also disassembled one plastic shelf that was against the wall that is going to be opened up for finish work (moving power and adding lights) when we put the lean-to on.

I am also cleaning out a closet and washing coats (optimistically)

Back to work

hi SubC, you are making good progress! I also am taking a week of vacation in April to work on the clutter and do some cleaning. So I hope to get a LOT done.

I am chipping away at things, bit by bit, a few things on the Tally, cleaning some here and there. I am not feeling like it will EVER get done at this rate, but I am not giving up. It is a lot better than it used to be.

Hope to see more folks come back and post, too! It is getting lonely here.

Hi Lila, I hope more people come back also.

I wonder if Tatoulia decided she had reached the point where spending time here was just a gift to us and figured we'd be ok without her. I could understand that, but I wish she'd stop by anyway. I always worry about people who just disappear.

I still haven't decided about the doll club, but I told them "if I don't come back, it isn't because I didn't like you. This was fun and I enjoyed meeting everyone, but I have a lot of demands on my time and I may have to decide I can't add this right now."

Today I worked on some boxes with years written on them.

I recycled a noticeable amount and made a small stack for each kid and put four things in the donate bin - which I am now declaring full.- when I take it to the thrift store, I will have met my cubic space removal goal for February.

I have selected a new donate bin. I have to do two more to be on target for March.

Right now I'm going to pop back out to the studio because I think it's good for my brain to switch around what I'm doing.

Good afternoon.

I keep forgetting to hit post.!

Yesterday I finished sorting out two boxes of saved things. Recycled a bit more, kids piles are a bit taller, one more item in the donate bin.

I cleared off and wiped down a surface in the studio because I want to do some actual making today. I glazed two things.

It all feels really slow.

Sometimes I look at a thing and I think "I could...". Then I stop myself. If the sentence doesn't end with "use this to (fix something right now/finish a project that is underway but stalled/solve an existing problem)". I change the sentence to "someone could." and put it in the donate bin.

The weather got nice and I spent two hours working outside and another hour on a walk with Dh. Now I'm tired.

Good morning!

Happy spring! Today's forecast - cloudy, with a high of 72.

I realized I have been drifting around a lot picking at things and not really feeling like I am accomplishing anything, so I made a list of specific tasks for today. They are two big things and a lot of small ones, but the important thing is that they are s.m.a.r.t. goals, so at the end of the day I will be able to say "I DID these things" rather than "I worked on."

I am also wishing that the piles I have made that have to go to various places would be gone, but none of the places are less than 30 minutes away (except the grocery store or gas station for small trash bags) and the longer I stay home, the less I want to drive. We are starting to need a few grocery items though. Dh has been going places, but he won't stop to get them. Not even when he keeps complaining that he is out of milk.

The other part is that I keep thinking "well, the car won't be completely full, and I'm going to keep finding more things that have to go to these places.."

Soon though, i may going to need the boost of having stuff actually gone. Maybe if I fill the second bin I started? That would put me halfway through target for March. That drive is a long trip to the thrift store, and stops at the farm store for some goat supplies I need and the grocery store on the way home.

I made a new appointment at the offsite craft storage shop for donations in April. They usually only take two bags or boxes per person per day, but I talked to the lady, and she gave me a waiver to double that if I sort it out (for example - I have one bag that is entirely fake flowers - which she wants.). I may have been a bit of a jerk, because I tried to sign up for two appointments on the same day to take the larger amount, because it is a long drive, and they told me no. So I said "I understand, but that means I can only bring you things no one else will take, because I need to get this stuff out of my house." And she said "well, what do you have..."

I have a box of ribbon and a drawer of paint I need to sort down as well. I have been working on emptying out paper ream boxes, so hopefully I will have 4 of those (I have one so far, plus one that didn't have a lid, so it gets recycled) I think 4 paper ream boxes = one large bin.

I am still buying myself "rewards" which is probably a bad system, but I think it is helping more than it hurts. I bought a used Lego tree set that was less than half retail even after tax and shipping, and it arrived last night, so that balances out the one thing in the box I didn't tally. I do know exactly where I am going to put my little Lego man's world when I get it set up, so I don't feel too bad. I ordered a few extra brick pieces (very few, I promise! A window, some colored tiles, two patterned bricks, and a ladder.) to change the design up and they seem to be (perhaps literally) on a slow boat from China as my mom used to say, so whenever they get here, I will set a task and reward myself with time to play with that. (The shipping is untracked and may take "up to 28 business days")

I will be back to check in later..

The Legos sound so fun! I am glad you are having a wonderful time with your family. And thank you for warning us that you might disappear but will be okay, so we don't panic!

I have 2 days off and it is nice outside. I am doing as much as I can since my house has been pretty stagnant since I was sick and then working a ton.

Today I:
-loaded and ran dishwasher
-put in a load of wash
-took my car for an oil change (it is still there)
-started cleaning and decluttering, mainly the master bath so far

Will be working on finishing the bathroom, cleaning the dog yard, the kitchen, and making soup.

Good morning.

Yesterday I got so much done. Lots of laundry, trash out, cleaned the master bathroom, brushed dogs, worked in the yard, vacuumed, made soup, took car for an oil change, and more. I was so tired at the end of the day but my house feels livable again.

Today I plan to wrap up the things from yesterday:
- finish cleaning the dog yard and take poo to the bin
- finish wiping down the master bathroom floor
- take out the master bathroom trash and a bag of trash on the dining room table
- brush the dogs one more time and finish vacuuming (edges and hard floors)
- freeze some of the soup

I also have some new things to get done:
- give dogs monthly flea/tick meds
- cut the dogs' nails
- add info to the car maintenance file

Then, I am going to start decluttering! I think I will work in the small storage bedroom while it is sunny out and bright enough to work in there with no light. And will take a box of donations out to my car.

Doing good, getting things done. How are you guys?

Lila, you are doing such a great job! Especially in that little room, the hard room, with the light not even fixed. Your report on the master bathroom and other things on your list are motivating me. Thanks.
I only got a few things done today, not anything out, really. I am suffering from a reaction to my allergy shots and had to just not move for a few hours. I am still quite uncomfortable. I did go to the laundromat and also trimmed some bushes. Walked the dogs, the day was so lovely.

Hi, SubC!

Hi Messi! Hi Lila!

Had all three boys yesterday. My house is wall to wall toys and books, there is popcorn in the couch cushions, and we had a great day! Bean and I started some seeds and played Lego while the little ones napped.

Today Birdy and i are meeting dsil and the cousins for library story time. We have to stop at the grocery store again for milk and bread.

I have a list of things I need to get done during his nap time - fortunately he is a good napper.

hi SubC and messi, Tatoulia, CM, Road, everyone else we miss!

Today I finally have a day off again. Worked very long hours and am working tomorrow as well. So today is cleaning and decluttering day.

Yesterday I did take a box full of donations to the car, where 2 other boxes already were, and I took them to the thrift store. So that is done.

Today it is raining so no yard work. So far I have not done much. Just eat, read, care for dogs.

Plans for the day will be
- laundry
- kitchen
- bedroom

Not sure what else. I am thinking about moving some items from the small storage bedroom the the coat closet shelf so I can use one shelf in that bedroom as a small pantry shelf to free up some kitchen space.

I really need to do another no-spend month. I have been failing at that, ordering groceries etc every week. Anyone else want to do a no-spend month with me? Maybe from like 3/15 to 4/15?

Hope you are feeling better, messi, and hope you have had more fun with your family, SubC. Will check in later.

Good morning!

My boys headed out this morning. I'm feeling a little sad. It was great to have so much time with Birdy though. And Ds was a big help. They left with an empty plastic 3 drawer bin and an entire bin of blocks and Legos - we found ds's castle blocks, furniture, and people, and the girls and I decided Birdy should have most of the smaller colored ones.

I have nine days (plus two days with bean and Buddy) until school starts again, and I am going to try really hard to make good use of them.

So far I have been to the feed store and loaded the dishwasher.

Good afternoon!

I went to a doll club meeting in a not-so-nearby suburb.

I gave away all my waifs and accident victims. They gave me cake in honor of Barbie's birthday. CM, I thought of you - wherever you are.

I think that's a decent start on my clearing out week - that and the bin my son took this morning. The people were generally nice, but I'm tired from the hustle and bustle of getting my son off and the socializing.

I want to get a little more done today, but the sun is out so I don't want to go in the basement or the studio. I suppose I could accomplish something in the yard or barn. Or maybe bring a bin up. It isn't warm, just sunny.

Feel free to come cheer me on.

I am cheering you on SubC!! I hear you on the sunny day. I went out and cleaned the whole dog yard. And then I keep trying to go sit in the sun on the deck, but every time I go out, the sun goes behind clouds and it gets breezy. Too chilly for me!

I will try to get the vacuuming done today.

Good morning!

Today I woke up with a migraine, but after a slow start I have made some progress.

It is very warm and windy today, so it is a good drying day.

I took the bin Ds and I found that had a moth problem outside, and I washed all the toy gnomes, blocks, and accessories - fabric, plastic, metal, wood, in very hot water and soap. I soaked the fabric items completely under soapy water for two hours to drown anything before the washing. My porch is covered with drying toys. Most of them survived well, although the cloth ones need a little repair because of the moths. When they are dry I will send photos to the kids so they can choose one of three options - take, mom fix and then take, throw away/donate.

I opened the box with my honey hill bunch dolls in it. The tree canopy disintegrated. The dolls were dirty. I washed everything. Most of it washed really well. I will have to do a few small fixes there as well though. One doll did not survive. It has been disposed of and a replacement ordered from eBay. Unfortunately the best price on the doll in good condition included duplicates of two other dolls. Let's be honest, I will keep them. At least for now.

I have washed three feed bags to pack up recycling to take to the recycling drop. I have done two loads of laundry and one of dishes. I have vacuumed some spaces where I worked.

I am trying to focus not on best or optimal use/destiny of items, but on optimal use and destination of relevant items right now in my life as it is. So, I am not washing everything I can possibly wash because it is a good drying day. Historically I would do that, but then some of the items would get put where they would get dirty again before use. (Example - kiddy pool is dirty. It will be 34 on Monday, we will not use the kiddy pool this week. I am not washing it.). I am just washing things that will improve my life if they are clean as I come across them. I am using the rest of my time for other tasks.

Another example is the bag of hardwood shavings I just dumped in my chicken coop. I have been saving them forever to do raku at home, but not finding time to do raku at home. I do raku at the studio. They provide wood shavings. Also, I can purchase cedar or pine if I need to.

Right now I need space in my studio. I need to pack it up for the lean-to studio construction project (did I tell you guys about that? I am so excited!)

Also, not having a muddy chicken coop makes my life easier. I could go buy pine shavings, but it makes more sense to use what I have and stop storing it and then buy pine shavings if I need shavings later. They are not as good, but the difference isn't worth the gas, errand time, and storage space right now.

Ok, back to the basement.

Good evening.

My basement feels more organized. Progress is happening

I found eight more things to add to the donate bin today. Six of them were things I have added to my life in the last year, so I guess I am still making bad choices, but otoh, at least maybe I have learned not to hang on to things when they are not right?

I made a donation appointment at the offsite craft storage, and tomorrow when I take my boys home I will drop trash and recycling and maybe stop at school and leave some things there.

Does using the wood shavings count as something leaving my house (studio)? It was a big bag. I didn't go anywhere, so there wasn't another way to actually get rid of anything, it was just a using up day.

Good morning!

I'll be posting more this week because I'm on vacation and trying to make progress.

We got snow last night! Fortunately I had brought all the gnomes in to finish drying in the house.

I dropped trash and recycling when I took the boys home and took some things to school and stuck them in the teacher supply closet - nothing that really counts as an "out" but freed up a bit of space to keep working.

I have ordered some books this month. I have a "saved for later" list on ThriftBooks and when a gifting occasion comes up or a free book is about to expire, I put together a minimum order. Three arrived yesterday, so that will be +3 items on my tally list.

hi SubC, messi, Tatoulia.

Been working long hours every day. I am having a bad day today. I had planned to work on decluttering today after some work, but sad things happened and I am sad. Trying to just have a quiet hour or rest, and then hopefully I will snap out of it and try to get some things done. It is beautiful and sunny.

The small storage bedroom light is a saga all in itself. Son installed the new light and it started flashing. He has a friend who is a licensed electrician and he came and couldn't figure it out, replaced all the outlets and the switch, still flashing. Then he replaced the outlets in my bedroom (omg), still flashing. By then it was late, I told him to come back another day. He did ask if we had a different new light to try, since the one TotsDad got is some weird fancy dimmable motion sensor one, so I have ordered a simple ceiling light AND a new ceiling fan/light for the living room since it has 2 burned out things the bulbs go in (it is close to 30 years old). When those come, he will install them. In the meanwhile, I can only work in that storage bedroom in the daytime when I can see. He said not to use the flashing light.

Maybe I will do some stuff and come back and post, and try to add to the Daily Tally. I have 2 days off.

Good morning!

Lila, I'm sorry about the sad things.

I'm also sorry you have had such a struggle with your electricity! Hopefully because it was your son's friend all that work is not crushingly expensive.

I am having a great time with Birdy and his daddy. Our days are full but fun and relaxed. Birdy is a delight. It has been raining almost nonstop, so we have basically been in the house, but later this morning it is supposed to be partly sunny and 70 degrees, so I plan to take him out and let him play in the mud puddles.

My son has cooked us dinner twice - and cleaned the kitchen after! When he gets done with work, we've been sorting through the legos in the playroom while playing with Birdy, and he has put three of his Lego Star Wars ships from when he was a kid together to take home. There have been a few missing parts, but we have managed to sub out or work around them. Sometimes we find them later and he goes back and fixes it. Sometimes not. I'm not counting these as out.

Yesterday Birdy found a Lego Ewok and it was love at first sight. The Ewok visited the troll house, took over driving the little orange car from the "man man", had some food in the toy kitchen, drove on the Brio train track, rode around in the stroller with the "baby" and required the getting down of the fisher price little people house. He has also gotten many kisses. Ewok will definitely be leaving next week.

I bought another, larger Lego set for me because I had been coveting it and it was on sale. It arrived yesterday - I don't think I ever recorded the bulletin board, but that will be a wash. I am not going to open it until I get caught up on the basement project - hopefully over spring break.

I don't know if i will get to post again in the next week, but I am not gone. I will be back at it working hard after the 14th.

Good evening.

Lila, you are doing well. My heart aches for you over teen. I hope you will find peace eventually. Losing a child is such a terrible thing. I am sad for her as well.

I am typing this on a new iPad. Mine fell off the dresser yesterday and unfortunately could not be restarted or accessed. Also, my pictures hadn't been backed up since November, so I have lost all of Christmas and the ones I took of bean and Buddy in January and February. I know it is a small loss, but I am a little sad over it. Also I am tired of suffering consequences that are my fault. I would really like to be a better person.

I lost my day to a trip to the Apple Store. And my budget is blown for February. The iPad is my only computer. My phone just makes calls.

Tomorrow I have Bean and Buddy again. And class in the evening.

I am still keeping up with my counter.

Thanks, SubC, I am coming to terms with it.

Today is a paid holiday for me, so I am taking this time to relax as well as finish some paperwork and clean. So far today I am doing really well with this:

- loaded and ran the dishwasher
- hand washed some dishes
- put things away in the kitchen
- scraped burned stuff off stovetop and cleaned it
- wiped some of the counters

This plus have been caring for the dogs and heated up some soup and made tea. I am really DONE with sickness and I refuse to stay sick anymore!

I claim wellness!

I plan to do a bit of sorting as well, and get the donation boxes moved out to my car once it stops raining (they are on the dining room table, still).

Quick stop.

The counter of doom is clear, the dishes are all loaded and running and I put a few things in the donate and recycling piles today, but nothing worth counting. Not working on the basement, but keeping up with the house and recentering.

Thinking about you all.

Hello. Just a late night moment to try to catch up to you all. I am not catching up with much else, alas.

SubC - nice work with the clear counter of doom. It's inspiration for working on mine. I did a little bit this evening, but it is not clear. And, of course, there is also the desk of doom and a "top-of-the-dog-cage" of doom upstairs. You give me hope to keep working on these things.
I'm sorry about your ipad. You are a wonderful person.

Lila - my thoughts are with you in your moving through the sadness. I admire your strength and wish you peace.

I hope you are feeling better. You really did a lot on presidents' day! Bravo!

Good morning!

Messi, I keep telling myself there is a finite amount of stuff.

Sorting out the school Legos was really good for me, because I can look at the bins and think "there were thousands of pieces! But it was a finite amount of stuff. And I got it done." My house is also a finite amount of stuff. If I keep working on it, it will get done.

Also, taking my time off this week to mostly focus on Lego has been good for me - it uses my brain differently and helps me reset. I finished my plan for the little house yesterday and made an order for the pieces I need plus little treats (Lego sells individual pieces like penny candy, but if your order is less than $14, they charge you a $7 "picking" fee.). I added some trees, cats, a butterfly, and a bunny instead of paying the picking fee. I will add them to the little garden.

I just realized that I have skipped over one of the most significant parts of the Lego adventure - I can play with my Lego and walk away and come back because - I HAVE A CLEAN PROJECT TABLE IN THE SLEEPING PORCH. It has been cleared off since right before Birdy came at Christmas and all that is on it are my Legos and two fabric bins of 1) papers to sort and 2) unfinished projects.

I will move the bins back to the dining porch and clean up/move the Lego before he comes back at the end of the month.

Yesterday I worked in the barn a little bit and discovered just how out of shape I am. I need to work harder on getting exercise.

I also took out the compost, cleaned up the great room, made dinner, and did the dishes (I told you that). And I worked a little on the backlog bin - the stuff I just scooped off of the counter of doom back in October when my in-laws were coming.

I am finding I am able to throw some of it in the trash if it does not have an immediate and obvious solution. I ask myself "Do you want this? Or more Lego time?" Also, I have to remind myself that I cannot optimize everything on the planet. I have a bag of trash and two of recycling to take today.

Messi - I don't know if you know this - I don't have trash or recycling service. Everything that leaves my property leaves in my car or truck. I drop my trash off one plastic grocery bag at a time usually in the can next to the gas pump or grocery carts (most of my trash is unrecyclable materials bought attached to things I got at the grocery store) or in the trash can at the park where I drop my recycling in the mixed materials dumpster (the township that provides the dumpster collects taxes from my paycheck, so it seems fair to use it). Diapers go back to Buddy's house and straight in their outside can. And several times a year I make a trip into the city to drop off recycling that can't go in single stream. Plus, we make a scrap metal run with the truck every so often.

Ok, I need to do yoga and chores, get my lesson plans together, and go to school.

hi SubC and messi.

Good thought SubC, about the stuff being finite. It doesn't feel like it some days. But if we are careful about bringing in less stuff (which we are), then the stuff WILL get sorted and done.

My son is putting a new light in the small storage bedroom today, so that is a win. It needs badly to be decluttered but it does not have enough light in there since the fixture died almost 2 months ago.

It is a stomach-ache bedroom but it simply has to be done. I will pick a day next week, when I am less busy, and take in a donation box, a trash bag, and a tote (for stomach ache things I do not feel I can get rid of) so I can put the tote in the garage. Then it will no longer be a stomach ache area in that bedroom and it will become useful again.

Hope you all are doing well! I am still coughing and very tired but working. I really need to get all the way better.

Good morning!

Lila, after I posted that about the Lego - a coworker brought me another bin of Lego found in a closet! "Done" is relative.

I'm glad you are getting a new light and can't wait to hear about your progress on the bedroom!

My life is getting very full lately and I am tired and having trouble keeping up with things. I have not met any of my basement goals for February, and it doesn't look likely, since my only "open" day this week is Thursday, and I also need to get ready for my son and out of state grandson to come stay for two weeks. (Ds will be working remotely the first week and traveling the second, so I will have Birdy to myself.)

I did turn in my full allowance of pottery pieces for my class this session, although many of them were small and simple.

Dh has a second round of oral surgery tomorrow. This time I will be better prepared - I know the waiting room is freezing and I will be there for hours, so I will take a lot of paperwork to catch up on.

Today is the boys and my class in the evening, and I need to get moving so I will be ready for them.

Good morning!

Tatoulia, I hope you are safe and warm in the snow!

My parents lost power for almost 24 hours, and a tree fell on their shed, but they are ok. We only got light snow here.

I had a good day with the boys yesterday. Now I need to focus on getting myself together for this morning.

Maybe I will find some time to work on the house when we get home.

What is everyone else doing?

Good morning crickets!

I hope everyone is doing ok!

Today is my day to clean up and get ready for my visiting boys.

I am really looking forward to having my son and grandson under my roof for a while.

I think the open house at school went well last night. I got a swag bag that someone left on my desk. It's a little canvas tote with our logo on it and a keychain/bag charm and sticker. I brought it down at the end and told admin "this was on my desk" and she said "then it's yours." I am going to put the charm in my Christmas stocking gift box. But the bag is a plus one. I also had another little box of Lego arrive yesterday, so that is a second item. The tiny cats and bunnies are so cute!

Challenge - get real house in order. Do not play with tiny Lego house all day. Tiny Lego house is for spring break after boys leave.

Good morning.

Here we are at the end of February and I have done very little on my basement. In fact I received an eBay order of Lego yesterday - partial sets and accessories that came in two bags, so I will call it 2. My little man will be getting a tiny greenhouse, a streetlight, a picnic table (with picnic), and a car. Bean will love the car. There are various other tiny accessories too.

It is definitely time to put the brakes on the Lego habit though. Spring will help. I need to start seeds. I got seeds in the mail too, but they are consumable, so I will not count them in.

I am also getting paid less in March because I am taking time off to spend with Birdy.

My son and Birdy arrive today! This morning I need to clean up the playroom, put some laundry away, and reclear the counter of doom. I also have some barn work I need to get out of the way, so better get moving!

Hello. February just disappeared. The sun was out today and it was not cold, so that was quite a boost. Birds and the promise of spring. I have been discouraged this past month, not getting much done, not keeping up. Seems like the month was spent on tires and car problems and more appliances quitting, Nothing too terrible but it takes more time and energy to get things done, i have to re-organize my time. This week, though, I was able to do some laundry at the laundromat, prepare a compost drop-off, and drop off some recycling. These extra daylight hours are a blessing.

SubC - I like hearing about legos and glad you have time with Birdy, Enjoy.

Lila - I hope you ae feeling better and that there is light in your small bedroom.