CM, I think we posted at the same time last night!

So Candlemass, that is a Catholic holiday? And the others are Celtic right? It is interesting to learn of different traditions. I never even knew what Lent was until a few years ago. Our church has a special Ash Wednesday and then before Easter, a Maundy Thursday event which I never heard of either. I thought it was all pretty weird, but now I enjoy it, and the marking of the seasons.

TotsDad is bringing more things today. He said the goal is for them to be all moved in by Sunday. It is all very exciting and Tot is thrilled. She is ALWAYS asking if she can spend the night here and I often say no because I have to work in the morning, but now she will get to spend the night every night! They have not told her about that yet.. she is going to be so happy, lol. It is nice to be so loved.

That said, my kitchen is pretty clean. The table and counter/bar are piled high and I have to get those done this weekend so we can all eat together. It is piled high with stuff that was in the huge room we cleared. It is the last of the sorting from downstairs and the garage... so, for some reason I am quite resistant to it. Please encourage me!

I hope people will be posting today. I'll be back!

I got my one load of laundry done. There is another one; I wasn't sure how much there was until I started pulling stuff from the bag and it fluffed. The remainder is low priority.

Still took around four hours, perhaps more; roommate's new machine is one of those "high efficiency" numbers which means it moves at the pace of plate tectonics. The dryer she uses on a low heat setting which has a sensor but it seems slow too. I asked her if I could start trying out the timed settings instead.

I'm feeling better each day, not 100 percent ready to run a marathon but I guess coming along. It was still chilly this morning but later the sun came out.

Learned today that the bierock, sandwich, and coffee shop nearby which a couple years ago I had intended to make a writing hangout but which a few months ago went to only food trucks, is reopening the coffee shop. I will make a point to get there more often.

FYI, I started a new thread called Lost and Found. Check it out!

Good job on the laundry CM. What do you do while it is running?

Don't forget to buy something at your coffee shop sonit will stay open.

My original plan was to work on grading this morning until it got warm outside, but after doing chores, I am feeling somewhat energetic, and I slept late this morning so I am well rested. I think I will go out and focus this energy on some progress while it is not raining and I am not tired rather than trying to force myself to sit still and grade work.

update for Friday -

The kitchen table is about halfway cleared. Mostly, I moved things to other spaces, which is annoying. I did make space in a closet for some things, but I also took stuff off the table and literally opened the door to my bedroom and threw it in on top of a pile, to be sorted later. I also took things and stuck them in the little storage bedroom, again, for later sorting. Sigh.

But, I also threw out some papers and such, and put a few items where they actually belong. I made a stack of reusable grocery bags to put into my car for shopping.

I also had an experience I never want to have again - I baked some brie fresh out of the package, but expired... and took a bite on a cracker. It was spoiled and SO VILE. It did not smell bad but it was horrid. Ack!

What are you all up to today? I'm going back to working on the hoard piles.

Hello! I am new here but just doing what I can to keep myself motivated. I am doing 15 minutes of decluttering each hour. Today I have done 2 rounds so far and am donating a box of books and a box of DVDs which came from my grandparents' house--without going through and keeping any of it. Both of my grandparents have passed, so it is hard for me to get rid of anything that belonged to them, but I have to. Thanks for the support!

Hi CM!

Did you get to go to mass?

Lila, I'm sorry I didn't come by today. We seem to have opposing busy days.

You did a lot today. Sorry about teen messing up your kitchen, but I am excited for tot!

Sometimes you just have to move the piles so you can function. It is ok. You have accomplished so much! Just keep putting things away after you use them, try not to bring things in, and work on the piles when you can. It isn't worth giving up the family meals you would miss if you worked straight from the table.

I taught all day, cleaned up my classroom, dropped off some books, started a fire because the house was cold, did my chores, and cooked myself dinner. Now I am trying to relax a bit.

Yes, Imbolc is Celtic/pagan originally (Neolithic period - end of the stone age) it was celebrated on the actual astronomical cross quarter. Now it has become Neo-pagan/Wiccan and is pegged to February 1. I am neither Pagan nor Wiccan, (nor anything with a capital letter) but I do feel tied to the earth and the seasons and the natural world and I like to observe the quarters and cross quarters to mark the rhythms of the year and to honor some of the traditions associated with them that seem to run a common thread of human experience through so many religious traditions.

This is the cross quarter of new beginnings, fresh starts, and hope. The lighting of candles in the darkness, the purification of the Virgin Mary, the first planting of seeds.. (I will start some peppers on Sunday) winter will end. Spring will come.

Welcome, Cab!!! you are doing great! We are so glad you are here!

Yes it is really hard to get rid of things and you are doing well! We are here to support you.

Well I had a nice note from my sister today who said that after being in my nice uncluttered apt with so much space, it has motivated her to get rid of stuff!!! That will help me tonight to declutter stuff I brought here from mom's. Just the boost I needed!!!

Didn't get to do anything today because the covid test was positive. Bleah! 😛

Feeling kind of brain fogged. For the last day and a half the symptoms were vague but now they are becoming more clear, though I don't foresee this being any worse than the time in December. I have a regular doctor's appointment next week after the quarantine time and I'll ask her when I should get a new shot.

The only obvious place I may have caught it was the bunny house and I notified them. This time of year it's everywhere I suppose.

Roommate is still fighting off her crud and we are distancing. I sure hope we both feel a whole lot better very soon! Once again we will each have to regroup on our goals. That gets frustratingly time consuming just figuring out where one left off and what one had intended to do before everything crashed. The regrouping time is necessary yet it doesn't bring the satisfaction of actual accomplishment. Sigh...

Hi cab! Welcome!

Sounds like a good start!

Tatoulia, that's great about the note from your sister.

I just taught today.

And I broke a thing in my classroom that belongs to me and I threw it away - does that count? I think there was a time when I would have tried to fix it or salvage it, but instead I just looked at it and thought "oh well. I don't really need this."

Oh no CM, I'm sorry you are sick again. Can you get the paxwhatever to make you get better faster?

Today's accomplishment - there was a webinar I wanted to watch, but I couldn't justify spending an hour and 45 minutes online watching a webinar. Especially on a nice day. However, after an hour and a half cutting brush, going inside for a while started to look good.

So I set up my iPad, turned on the webinar, and started digging into the counter of doom. The counter is very badly fluffed, so it looks far worse than when I started, but I know how much progress I made, and after all of the recycling I spread out to dry is collected into bags, it will look much better!

Spring will come. Yes!!! Hopeful!

CM argh! I am sorry you have covid. Get enough rest. I hope it's not too bad.

Totsdad and Tot showed up a couple of hours ago. I fed Tot, we watched some tv, read some books, played. Now she is running around helping her dad, who has brought the beds and dressers so they really are all sleeping here tonight. Wow! It's really happening. He is on his third load of stuff he is bringing in his truck.

This is going to be a whole new world!

The kitchen table has everything off it except Son's monitor he needs to move, a box of toy training stuff I am giving to a friend, and 2 cans of soup that need to be put in the pantry. Then I will wash the table, and we can have dinner tomorrow night.

The bar/counter is a whole 'nother matter!

My bedroom has a path from the door, to my bedside, to the bathroom. I cannot get to the closet or anything. The desk is piled with stuff.

The little bedroom that is storage is soo piled up you cannot take 3 steps, much less get to the bed or the closet or anything else.

I also worked on the recliner and got about half the stuff that was on it, put away (aka thrown madly into another room).

Good work, SubC!

I had the cleaners here today. I can't smell,a thing but I'm sure it smells nice and fresh. I opened the windows while they were here and we all wore masks. I ran an errand today to the post office and that felt good. The sunshine felt good on my head and I was glad to get the package out of my house. One of my neighbors moved out and they received a package. It's been in here for a couple of weeks and getting it mailed to them today felt very good.

I have not made any additions to my donation bags but I've been thinking about what will be going in so that's a start of some sort. I'll rent a zip car this weekend and take a bag to goodwill and I will also get seltzer and juice. I'm running low on both.

After work, I fell asleep with my face firmly planted on the couch. I fell sound asleep, face down. So odd.

So I'll have to find time tmr to get a bag or two together. I don't want to squander the car rental and getting things to goodwill. I will do this, one or more bags at a time. I need to feel the peace with my home. The peace before mom's stuff got here.

Wow CM I did not know you were here back then! Wow. We've known each other a long time!

I'm feeling sluggish too with no real reason. I had yesterday off for a big dental appt (getting there!) and afterward I had a number of plans but instead I came here and slept. Til after 8 PM

this AM I took my little grandma cat to the vet. She was an angel during the walk there despite the cold drizzle, an absolute monster the entire time at the vet, and sweet as sugar on the walk home. She has been asleep ever since. She had two vaccinations, had her blood drawn, and had a catheter for a urine sample. She's worn out.

My cleaners came today. I can tell that they see I've made no progress on mom's stuff. In other news, I've been focused and non-stressed at work.

How are you SubC, Lila, Hope?

Good morning!

How is everyone?

Tatoulia, did Emiko help you last night?

Lila, what is the news on totfam?

Hi CM, hi Hope!

Bean and I went to library story time yesterday because his momma left for work from my house and I picked him up from his daddy a bit later than usual. It was ok. (His fever went away on Sunday)

Bean was not interested in the fingerplays and insisted on watching the playing with silk scarves activity from the doorway, but he was polite and attentive during the stories. A lot of the children were wandering around talking.

I had a little trouble telling if some of the women were moms or grandmothers (sometimes people think I am Bean's mom) But the three younger ones who each brought a child in, dropped all their stuff on the floor next to their chair, and immediately got on their phones never to look up again were definitely moms. They just wanted a break.

I signed up for the March/April session of classes at the downtown studio yesterday. I'm taking a sculpture class from an incredibly talented instructor. I'm a bit nervous, but I'm trying to push myself. It will be Monday nights, so I will take Bean all the way home (he lives seven minutes from the studio) his parents will like that.

It is still raining too much here and my pasture is flooded. The ducks are incredibly happy but the rest of the livestock are just annoyed.

I'm hoping to make some kind of progress in the house today, as well as working in my studio.

Yesterday was mostly eaten up by doing the mail merge for tax letters that the bunny rescue sends out to past year donors. I was overall proud of myself for diving in and figuring out how to do it, to set up the fields in Word and have it pull the data from the Excel spreadsheet. But there were many fiddly things and frustrations at times, and I may or may not have done some screaming and at one point had to make myself lay my phone down because I wanted to throw it out the window (because of a friend texting me non emergency messages right when I was having the worst struggle).

But I think I got the letters all done, and emailed them to HQ for printing. I'm going to call and check. Roommate has been doing the spreadsheets and reports over the last few months. The ladies who are trying to keep up with the boots on the ground bunny care tasks day in and day out barely have time for the clerical aspects, and they are also dyslexic, so roommate and I being data and computer savvy helps. I will get better at things like mail merge; it's just that I hadn't done much of it since the 90s and software is more complex now. I suppose in the near future we will have AI doing it all anyway, for better or worse.

Today roommate and I go swimming. I can use a good physical exercise time to work out frustrations and pass the time for part of today while it's still dreary outdoors. Tomorrow will be too, but we have an outing planned with another friend to stores across town (I'm not buying anything I don't need, which is easier to stick to given the way my mind looks ahead to decluttering projects I intend to tackle soon at home, and in spring at the storage place).

Learned the other day that my church quilting guild has some ladies out of commission due to illness or other things going on. Tuesday mornings had been my time to go quilt, but there have been some security issues with the church building, street person got in and spent the night in the basement which is where our quilting room is, so I don't feel comfortable going by myself. It's just in limbo for now. The other time is Thursday evenings but I don't want to do the night driving at this time. Roommate has expressed interest in going, though, in which case I might.

I do hope this situation is only temporary. My Lenten group will start up in a few weeks and maybe I can ask around and see if anyone there might like to learn to quilt... can't hurt to ask.

How all this ties in with decluttering is that if it becomes clear that my parish really won't be able to sustain the quilting, I will need to either find another outlet for using up the fabric I have, or bite the bullet and start getting rid of it. I'm ready to be more decisive about such things.

It is dark (overcast)
It is cold
It is wet outside.

Somebody come talk t9 me!

I can't find the Manila folders. Did I get rid of the Manila folders?

I did find the piano book I've wanted for Bean for two weeks that I finally told Bean I probably gave away.

I did add a couple of books to the out pile.

I did recycle four old fairbooks that I found in a file drawer while I was search8ng for Manila folders.

Full disclaimer, I tore a page out of three of them, because my kid was on fairboard those years. I did not tear out the grainy, basically unrecognizable picture of my other kid who was the reason I was keeping the 4th book. Also, I recycled the feedback page from his poultry project when he was ten. I'm giving myself half credit on the "things out" list.

I have a fire going in the wood stove, but it's not enough.

Tatoulia, you got me curious so I went looking and found my original introductory post (it mentions that I posted on other small threads too but the timeframe would've been close enough for whatever the date was of my very first post).

Introducing... CriticalMass! 😀

There were several people whom we no longer hear from, the most memorable of course being Tillie. I've long wished this message board had more features, so that we could search by username, and go back and edit our posts, have avatars and emojis and other bells and whistles. Though I do like forums that at least aren't the "endless scroll" type such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.

My old introductory thread dated May 30, 2015 - curious as to whether copy pasting the link will work...

https://hoardingcleanup.com/message-board/?msgbrd=1&topic=12435

I don't know if I was writing this today if I would say I actually have depression, I believe I was just on stress overload. PTSD likewise I doubt if I would say; not that I never had a few unhappy or scary things happen, but I don't know if it's full blown like a diagnosis. Maybe I'm just wrestling with the whole labeling thing. Meh. I go through times of reconsidering the narrative; probably lots of us do as life perspectives shift and change. We do the best we can generally, and try to find what might work better than what came before.

That's deep enough for now!

The last few days have still been harder to get going on much, but it will pick up again. Yesterday I did do a huge cleanup of the bunny cages and litterboxes. Roommate has been sick; thank God it's not covid. Could be severe allergies or just a bad cold. I'm fine so far. The cleanup of the bunny area should help both of us - and the bunnies.

Tomorrow I need to go to the bunny rescue house again and do more bunny care and computer stuff; then I should be able to do most of the computer part from home (or perhaps the library - it has been forever since I've had a productive library session).

Now that the weather doldrums have lifted, I do intend to get back on track with other projects that I had been doing 3-4 weeks ago.

I'm behind on everyone's posts too, hope to catch up soon. I prefer to post in response to what you all say, not just my isolated monologue, but better that than no post at all.

Hello hello!

I made it through a week of long hours and intense work, and now I get today and tomorrow off! REALLY off, not doing any work work. I missed you guys, so nice to read about what's going on with you three who have been posting! SubC, Bean sounds like a delight! He likes you people, ha! When dil first left To with me, I texted her a picture of Tot being happy, here and there. Made her feel better.

SubC, what was hard about TotsDad finishing those 2 rooms is seeing them almost completely empty. When they were packed full before. All my STUFF gone. I have not seen the huge room this empty in over 15 years. Which is about when we had the addition built.

Totsfam has not moved in yet, not sure why as I was too busy to talk to them for a few days but they have keys. I would guess he will move their furniture in today. We had snow and ice so maybe that's the delay.

So my kitchen by last night was an abomination! I worked, and Teen made huge messes you would not believe. It's no use setting boundaries, they just get plowed through. That is why I had so many of my dishes locked in my room. I will try and talk to them about it again today.

My kitchen was clean (you're welcome) less than a week ago. Last night every dish was dirty (crusted with dried food) and Teen had started eating out of mixing bowls and storage containers and Tot's plates, leaving actual food on them and leaving them in the sink, on the stove counter, etc. So every surface had spills, crumbs, dirty dishes, actual trash and wrappers... omg. WE HAVE A DISHWASHER.

Last night I loaded, ran, unloaded the dishwasher twice. I loaded it again at bedtime and unloaded it this morning.

I washed some larger bowls and pots last night. put them away this morning, washed some more this morning.

Loaded the dishwasher again this morning. Sprayed down the stove and scraped the food off.

Threw away trash and food bits.

Washed out one side of the sink. Took out the trash.

Put spices and things away.

Also the very elderly dog had a number 1 and number 2 potty accident in the night, which I woke up to. It only happens 2 or 3 times a year, she is just old. I had to clean up all that, use disinfectant, then use the carpet cleaner.

I would like to get the table cleared off today so we can eat - good suggestion (was it SubC?)

I ate oatmeal and am drinking coffee.

Will be back to share progress and hope you guys will too!

CM, thanks for posting no matter what. It helps me feel less alone.

I have two things to say about the depression etc. - 1) sometimes, when I am feeling better, I look back and think it wasn't so bad. But I live with a person who has physically moved me around and verbally directed me to eat and wash and he objectively informs me that it was in fact so bad. 2) I also am not so fond of labels - having named myself over the fact that I have never sought an official label due to my faith that "it's not really that bad."

Or, as I tell people "the only thing I've ever been diagnosed with is anemia. Otoh, the only things I've ever been tested for are hypothyroid and anemia."

School day today. Maybe I will drop the recycling and take the books.

Good morn8ng.

Doing well. Been busy.

Poor little grandma cat. I hope she is feeling rested today.

Good job doing errands a driving CM! I hope you enjoyed swimming. And that your quilting works out. I'm going to go read your introduction in a bit.

Lila, I understand about the empty! I always find newly empty or cleared spaces a bit unsettling. Hopefully in a few days it will be full of your loves!

The kitchen sounds overwhelming. Perhaps having more family there to help will stop it from getting so bad again. One can hope.

I'm sorry about poor doggy.

Dd1 spend the night here last night because Bean developed a high fever after she left for work. She might be pregnant, and after the last two miscarriages, they don't want to take ANY chances. Bean is doing ok and his Daddy is taking good care of him. We got a picture of him last night curled up in a nest that looked like it might have been made from every pillow and blanket in the house with his baby and his book.

We didn't see much of her last night because while I was at work Dh made plans for us to go out to dinner with our best couple friends. So I went there right from work. I was early and the upscale consignment next door was still open, so I went in to shop. I discovered that I have little to no interest in most of what is considered stylish at the moment. But, I did treat myself to a sweater. It is just a tiny bit big on me, which makes me feel good considering how tight all my clothes are right now, and it is a style and cut that can be worn "oversized" if I do lose the weight.

I told Dh I bought a "purple alpaca sweater" and he asked "is it made from alpaca, or does it have purple alpacas on it?" Dd said "fair question." But it's the first. And they both liked it.

Today I'm going to get out in the studio and Dh and I have a date tonight. I don't know what else.

Good evening.

I dropped off the recycling. The books are still in my car because 1) there was no parking anywhere near the door and 2) there was a woman going in with an entire shopping cart of books and I did not want to wait behind her.

Tomorrow starts a long "weekend" of holidays - imbolc on the first, Candlemas and Groundhog Day on the second, and the cross quarter at 2:38 a.m. on the 4th. CM, are you doing anything special?

I have a long list for tomorrow. I will try to get through as much of it as I can. It is definitely too long, but it is varied, so whatever mood I'm in there should be something productive I can get into.

lol, SubC, purple alpacas on it would be fun...

I did not get much done around the house yesterday. Went out and ran errands. Read emails. Read books. Cleaned up a little. Cooked soup with Teen and then made dessert.

Today I had an idea. I made a list of things I need to get done. I decided I have to do one thing per hour (I may not finish the thing 100%, but give a good effort). So every hour I look at the lust and choose a thing.

I admit I spend a lot of time sitting, reading, watching tv when I am home.

So far today I:
- Unloaded and re-loaded the dishwasher
- Washed a couple of pots, let them air dry, put them away
- then washed some cookie sheets and a glass dish, which are air drying
- carried my laundry from my bedroom to the top of the stairs
- put a few things away
- deposited a check

Some of the things on my list include clearing the kitchen table and the recliner, which are both piled with stuff from downstairs.

I need more hours in a day.

Been sick with full blown covid. Starting to feel human again. First time having covid. It was terrible.

another hour...

- prepped artichokes and they are in the steamer pot right now for lunch
- put my laundry in the washing machine
- put a few things away from the kitchen table

poco a poco, right?

Hi Tatoulia!

I'm so sorry you were sick!

I'm glad you could check in, and I hope you have a quick and full recovery!

I worked in the yard some today. I was mostly reminded that I have very little stamina. No house, school, or pottery progress was made, but no real set backs either. A few dishes and a bit of laundry accumulated.

My back is sore.

... and another couple hours:

- ate one artichoke and saved the other for tomorrow
- washed another 2 rounds of dishes, cookie sheets etc (I am telling you, every dish was dirty)
- went through the fridge and froze some things that needed to be saved

I still feel like I am not getting enough done, as each hour I have mainly worked on the kitchen.

But not the kitchen table, or my bedroom.

Tatoulia, I'm sorry you had covid - it's the pits. Right now I have a "something that isn't nothing but surely not covid again" whilst roommate has been dealing with her super bad cold, hopefully by tomorrow beginning to get better. She tested negative for covid at the height of it. Could be that I have allergies or a lesser version of the cold. Winter sickness season, bah!

I'll probably do a test in the morning. I'd wanted to go to Mass for Candlemas but everything is so up in the air. Maybe watch it on TV.

Didn't expect things to become disorganized and weird again so quickly. Thought I'd been doing well in early January. Now things seem confusing and stalled out. Hoping this slump won't last.