glad you are feeling better today, CM and glad you can find things to do without harming yourself physically.

I didn't do much today but was feeling better after cleaning up cat's food area and running dishwasher. I took out recycling and have plenty of garbage to take out tomorrow. I also got rid of a screen I couldn't seem to part with. My front windows don't have screens, so two decades ago I bought screens that fit in while window is open. Later I found better, taller screens which allow for better flow. But I kept the two shorter ones. Then ten years ago I got rid of one of the two. Today, I realized that Justin Case never happened and I threw it out.
Felt good.

Helloooo Tillie and I hope you are well. Anony, you can start phase Six of this so buttons will appear. I can't figure out the fields.

Me too on the better attitude today. I wonder if we all have a case of the winter blahs.

Take care everybody!

Hi everyone. I'm trying to be more positive today. Thanks for putting up with me! Greatly appreciated. I can do this!!!

Hi everyone, Hi Anony. If you make your screen bigger you'll see the tiny buttons. I was going to start Phase Six, which would cure the problem but I couldn't figure out how to fill out the fields. Tillie would you mind making a Phase Six?

Well I vacuumed the bedroom and cleaned two of the tables. I also started to purge heavily. My weight has ballooned something awful and I was upset so I started to purge things in my closet. Although I was panicking and upset, I do feel better.

I had a Christmas party tonight, just over a mile from my house and it was a nice brisk walk. I didn't overeat, which was a good thing. I had brought shoes to change into and the heels were too high and I was having trouble walking--kept me away from the food tables! HAH!

Had a very fun time at the Christmas Party. I get invited to a lot of parties through work and this is the only one I go to. It's always a wonderful evening.

I am feeling better AND motivated so I will work from home again tomorrow to hopefully find time to do cleaning and purging. Even 20 minutes here or there' helps a lot.

Thank you everyone for your support. Sorry to be in a foul mood. I try not to be so upset but it piles up. (Inadvertent pun/yup its all the piles around here that are killing me)

Hi Tillie, Hi CM.

GIANT HUGS! Group hug!

CM, now is not the time to beat yourself up. You are recovering from surgery and rest is the best thing to do for yourself. It's easy to start with the self-loathing (raising my hand here) and we need to break out of it! I too am completely disgusted with myself. We own too much stuff. But taking care of ourselves needs to come first. Baby steps. I don't know re go-fund-me, as people are seemingly fatigued from all the go-fund-me requests. I live in an urban area and work in a big company and there are a lot of accounts out there. Not trying to discourage you, just trying to set some realistic expectations. If I were near you, I'd help in a minute.

Tillie oh boy. New kittens in the house. It is scary that the shelters get full-up. I guess it happens with people shelters too but it's always so shocking to me.

So it looks like the three of us are headed to a nervous breakdown. I am sick over the mess here. Sick. Yet am I doing anything?

Okay, I'm working from home today. I'm actually going to take a lunch for a change and DO SOMETHING. I'm yellling at myself here. I got one bag of recyclables to donation center but other bag broke. I will report back soon to you all. I feel so blah and terrible. I think anything I do will be an improvement in my mood and house.

Hello 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂

Been running ragged here.
Finally caught the kittens and have been trying to find some "no kill" shelter or foster home that will take them.
They all claim to be all filled up, no room.
This means they are in this tiny house with my 5 indoor cats who do NOT want them here so they are acting up badly.
Well, Twinkles likes them a little and I have him baby sitting them as I write this.
Anyways...
I feel on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Another day, another time to try making more phone calls.
Please wish me luck. 😀

Not too much to tell . . . I am facing some discouragement right now with the storage unit and other things. I've been out there looking for specific items, which I can never find, but there is no shortage of STUFF. Which bugs me no end.

My poor tortured postoperative digestive system did some minor acting up this weekend. I'm not sure of the cause. I can think of 2-3 possibilities. It wasn't really bad, just odd, but I get nervous when anything starts to get hinky, fearing that it means something's going wrong.

Today it's better. The fluffy kitty has come in and slept with me these couple of nights. Don't know if he just feels sorry for me or really likes it on my bed!

I'm glad my tummy is better today and pray it continues to be! The storage unit, though, feels like a small corner of hell . . . I know I'm behind because of losing weeks of time to recuperation. Trying not to fear it's going to be impossible to ever get where I want to be with all of it. Wonder how much it costs to hire minions and if I could do a GoFundMe . . .

Hoping everyone has a happy day; I'll try not to be so gloomy next time, but I needed to get it off my chest . . . thanks for being here . . . life's ups and downs, you know.

Kitties!! There little tails are so cute! Nice work in keeping them fed, Tillie. graat work.

I slept all day. It was my day and I decided to sleep and it was great. Now it's nearly 6:30 PM & im still in pjs. I may get dressed and take the recycling out.

I am still working to get rid of stuff. It is difficult. I have to get my donation bags to the center. I am taking tomorrow off yo spend with Mom to do some Christmassy stuff together. Not shopping, just going to enjoy a few things

I am keeping up with laundry but not much more. I think I will get some music on and get going. Music is the most helpful thing when I need to putter.

Every evening about sundown I bring in the outside kibble bowl to prevent encouraging skunks.
Every morning I put the kibble bowl back out on the porch for my feral kitties.
This morning I did not refresh the water bowl as usual since it was 22 degrees and it would just freeze again.
Got busy doing "stuff" around inside and later took a break to look out the window.
There were three kittens eating the kibble and licking the ice in the water bowl!!!
They are about two months old (8 weeks).
After they ate all the kibble I stepped outside to refill the bowl and put out fresh water.
They all scattered and hid, I went back inside.
After a while they returned and ate & drank.
When finished, they went into the carport and are now hiding among all the hoard out there.
They look healthy, a little under nourished but their eyes are clear & bright.
They all have the sweetest little kitty faces. 😀

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
WTG! for fresh clean sheets! ;D

Woke up at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep.
Getting used to seeing the sunrise every day.
Oh well.

Quick drive by. Going to climb into bed--clean sheets!

Good to hear from you all. Tillie, CM & KC.

I always copy my posts so that when they do not show up I can paste them and re-post.
Posts not posting is a very common problem with this message board.

Hi KC 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
YEA! that you plan to join in the December challenge! 😀
Very happy to hear you are recuperating well and also taking good care of your health in general.
(((HUGS)))

Went grocery shopping.
Have food again. 🙂
Been looking for a "cat perch" for a while.
WallyWorld finally had one that would work for my lardass cats.
Assembled it, rubbed it down with fresh cat nip and the cats say they like it ok.
So maybe now they will cut me some slack being cooped up in here day after day during the cold Winter months.
Yeah, right 😛

KC, I see your post from today. The site has been a bit hinky lately though. I've had some double posts as you can see. Next time you post, put a code word in for the next poster. Like, say, "today's code word is 'banana'." And if your post shows up, let the next poster type "banana" to show that yours posted.

My posts aren't showing up?

My posts aren't showing up?

Correction - the word in the title of the TED Talk should be "multipotentialites." I can't seem to type it right, sorry!

Happy Weekend!

So I'll decide what it's going to be and post it later and then post when it's done. Or maybe both at the same time.

Yesterday I had my followup appointment with my surgeon, finally. He noticed my weight loss, which I am so pleased with, but he was worried that maybe I was not getting enough nutrients to heal, especially protein, and that the muscles would suffer.

I told him I have been conscious of protein as being important and have been incorporating it. I asked how many grams a day he recommends. The number sounded like eating a side of beef a day! But I'll work towards it if that's what my body needs. Certainly don't want to mess up any of this. Also asked about when and what exercises to do.

It's good to have all this concrete information - I don't do well with vagueness and guesswork on stuff like this. So I'm going to sit down and make lists of foods I like in the various food groups (I know it really doesn't all have to be meat - beans and stuff are good too) and how many protein grams are in the servings, then I can keep track of my intake.

After my appointment I went out to the storage unit to pay the rent and I looked in my unit. This time it was discouraging - I saw the disarray and the things stacked precariously, I saw how much there was still left rather than the progress. I've also been backsliding a bit on "acquisitions" - I think being free to drive again and having been cooped up tempts me into that "hunter gatherer" frame of mind, on the prowl for shiny objects.

But - I'm aware of it and working on the self talk and the "one in, one out" concept. Hoping today to get out and do errands for supplies. Weather's not great, but passable, and if I can get pet supplies, groceries, etc. then I will be needing to go out less and less. During the holiday traffic and crowds time, going out becomes less and less appealing the closer it gets to Christmas. So that should balance out the restless urges. And I have so much to do at home, particularly laundry. Also much catching up on my blogging.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating - we who struggle with hoarding urges are often such creative people with many interests, and have trouble choosing just one, and we love "gear" for any new pastime we take up. This gets us in a lot of trouble! This TED Talk about "multipotentiates" describes me to a T. If you're interested, watch it and let me know if it describes you also:

Emilie Wapnick TED Talk - Multipotentiates

Good Morning 🙂

Haven't been to the grocery store in a while.
Still have some bread and peanut butter, made Jello with canned peaches yesterday.
But really missing fresh produce. 🙁
As much as I hate grocery shopping especially in December, I think I should go.
Maybe this afternoon.
Almost out of cat snax and that can be dangerous.
Need a few more ingredients to make some menu selections using stuff already on hand here.
My shopping list is all made up.
I just need to find the courage now. ;D

Hello! 😀

Hi Joan 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
YEA! Tatoulia!
Thanks for joining in the end of the year challenge!!! 😀

Since we have rural route USPS mail delivery and the box is out across the road from my house
I kept an eye out for the letter carrier so I would be ready to go out and get my delivery this morning.
Nice that there is the online update for parcels so I know when they are being delivered. ;D
While waiting I went through all the items he has in the freezer on the fridge.
He has it totally packed with food and some of it was dated 2014.
I took the liberty of tossing that and some stuff that had lots of freezer frost on it.
He won't notice.
I use the deep freezer for my stuff and he has the whole fridge freezer for his stuff.
He buys meat that is reduced for quick sale because the use by date is up.
Then he puts it in the fridge freezer and never uses it anyway.
After it's two years old I toss it because the freezer on the fridge is not a deep freeze and doesn't preserve foods forever.

😀

Hi Tillie. Hi Joan. Quick drive by. Need to leave for work. Like your ide Tillie--what can I shed before end of year--what nagging thing do I want to see gone!?!

There is a great yoga pose for resting your back, called "shavasana". Lay on your back on the floor, with blankets underneath you and on top of you, and something comfy under your head. Then put your knees, shins, and feet up on the seat of a chair. Quite addictive❗️

DECEMBER 1st. already!

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Thank you (((HUGS)))
My blind cocker spaniel used to sit under the clothes line waiting for her blanket to dry.
WTG! for getting errands done even in the cold rain. 🙂

December, the last month of 2016.
I challenge you all to do one small little thing that you have been putting off so that you don't have to carry this task into the new year.
Not talking about any huge major complicated thing.
It can be as simple as straightening out your sock drawer.

The cupboards in my kitchen do not go all the way up to the ceiling.
I have lined the tops with newspaper to make dust clean up easier/quicker.
I have a few items displayed up there.
This month, sometime, I will get up there, remove the things and papers and wipe down that area, wash the displayed things and put them back up.
It's an easy area to ignore so I spend a lot of time ignoring it. ;D

You set a great example for us, Tillie.

Kitty was so thrilled when her main blanket came out of the dryer WARM. She was pretty cute.

Despite the cold & very rainy day, I did get to mom''s and the pharmacy.

Time for bed. GREAT work, Tillie! Relax your back. And mind and spirit. You need some relaxation time!

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Hope Kitty has forgiven you for washing her blankets.
Wishing your plans for today went smoothly. 🙂

Well, the fridge is all clean.
I am tired and my back hurts but I have accomplished a lot this week.
Only reason I did all this is because I told you here that I would do it.
It needed to be done anyway but I really did not want to do it.
LOL 😛

Great job in the pantry, Tillie! So glad to hear no critters found their way in! Nice to hear from you CM! Great work on the storage bin! I too am very tired these days. I need to face the fact that less sunshine really does mean less energy for me. For you, the surgery is for sure taking it out of you. I concur with Tillie's suggestion to schedule in some fun time.

I am working from home today. Am washing kitty's blankets and she has her nose out of joint.
I need to force myself to go to pharmacy to get meds today and I need to drop some things off at mom's.

Have a good day everyone!!

Good Morning Everyone 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
WAY TO GO!!! on all you got done at the storage unit and for getting things off to donation!!! 😀
You have done a FANTASTIC job of clearing space in the storage.
Please get more/better rest for a while yet.
It takes a long time to fully recover from major abdominal surgery.
(((HUGS)))
How about scheduling in some time to do your creative projects.
Maybe something relaxing you can do in the afternoon or evening?

It's 22 degrees outside this morning 🙁
My plan for today is to empty out and thoroughly clean the fridge.
I want to do this now because it's practically empty.
Veggie bins have only one onion and a little bit of fresh ginger.
Not much of anything else on the shelves too.
So much easier to clean it when I don't have much to pull out. ;D

It took me a bit longer again than I meant to to get back here. Probably would've posted on Saturday but a sudden change of plans (not initiated by me) got me in a bit of a snit. I had gone to the storage unit and done a bit of good there - being as careful as I could not to overdo any lifting due to my recent surgery.

It'd take too long to go into the details of how I got all off track that day, and it doesn't matter anyway since I'm now getting back on track and yesterday I got the stuff I pulled out of storage off to the thrift stores. Sadly, the centralized thrift bookstore isn't making it and will close soon, but they said the thrift stores will still accept books. I know I'll have more books I want to get rid of. The library also maintains a sale bookstore, so I can also donate them there.

I'm going through some clothes as well, and other miscellaneous. Just bit by bit as my time, energy, etc. permit. I've been kind of tired and I don't know if that's long-term surgery recovery, a touch of winter blahs, or what. I want to work on creative projects as well as decluttering, but my mind is unfocused. Hoping a bit more rest will fix that.

Welcome to the gang, KC - I love your motivational goals - that's the way to do it! Sometimes we can feel like we're trying to drain the ocean with a teaspoon, but we just gotta keep going! I noticed in my storage I can now get from one end of it to the other - it's a narrow, jagged path, but last year I could only get about 2/3 of the way before running into the "Pile from Hell"! LOL! So that is encouraging, and you'll discover similar victories as you go.

Hi 😀
Almost noon here already!

Woke up this morning determined to finish the pantry today.
Emptied out the left side while still in my nightgown & robe.
Have the area in there all washed and waiting for it to dry now.
Great thing is that there was absolutely NO evidence of insect or rodent activity in there! ;D
Just a thin layer of dust covering everything.
I can now take my time wiping off all the items and getting them back where they go.
I will also be writing up an inventory list of what I have and use that to plan some meals with what I have in the freezer.

Wishing you all the best of luck getting your challenges conquered this week.
(((HUGS)))

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
WAY TO GO! for doing trash, recycling and laundry!!!
No emails in my inbox, I purposely went to the only online store I ever shop to see what they had going on.
I could not resist 16 inch strands of gemstone beads for 25 to 45 cents each.
This will go a long way to my finishing another beaded doorway creation.

Sleep well Sweetie 😀 (((HUGS)))

Hi Guys 🙂

Got the right side of the pantry all done by just a little before noon.
Took a sit down rest and then showered and washed my hair.
Ate some lunch while I watched the latest episode of "The Walking Dead".
Then I did some online "Cyber Monday" shopping at my favorite outlet for gemstone beads.
Been a long time since I bought any beads and they had such wonderful deals.
Spending <50> dollars is my reward to myself for all that work I did to help my friends downsize, pack up and move into their RV.

Left side of the pantry still needs to be done.
No promises that I will do it tomorrow but I swear that it will be done this week. 🙂
That side is hard because there is an old solid wood library book shelf with 5 shelves and the top where I have glass jars that I keep all dry type food stuff in. 60 glass jars of all sizes.
Beyond that against the back wall is a small narrow shelf. The first 3 shelves I store food that comes in cans, bottles & jars.
The bottom 2 shelves is where I keep cleaning products, lamp oil & bug spray.
Everything must be removed, shelves pulled away from the wall & cleaned under & behind.
Then I need to wipe dust off the items as I put them all back.
Then the pantry will be all clean except that the freezer needs to be defrosted.
I do this in the winter because I can easily keep everything frozen solid in boxes on the back porch.
So, that will be a task for later on. ;D