Everyone, I'm only a third of the way through the posts. The Bible verses were very sweet, SubC. I enjoyed reading them.

Was derailed last week with an infection that covered about a third of my face including one eye and my cheek. I am much better now. Had a telehealth on Monday and then an in-person Dr appointment on Thursday. I WFH all week, which was both good and bad. Good because I didn't have to take sick time but bad because I felt alone.

Going to go clean the cat boxes. It's always something.

Lila, Messi, SubC keep up the good work! You are doing great!

Ha. it is much later than I want, and it took a chocolate bar to do it, but I cleared some things from around the water meter. I took your suggestion, SubC, to move maybe just one thing, but then I needed a space to move that one thing to, so I had to create that space, and then I moved a few more things. I didn't have a space to move a set of empty sterlite plastic shelves to, so I decided to put them in the bathtub. But then I realized I would need to take a shower there before bed (especially after moving things in the dusty, damp basement(how can it be both?)) so I just set the shelves in the bathroom but not in the tub, finished moving other things, took a shower (divine!) and now the sterlite shelves are back in the bathtub. I hope to clean them there tomorrow? in order for them to become a repository for sewing supplies.

SubC, your lamp sounds so charming!
Omygosh, You did so much today. (Thursday) You are really going after that basement space. Great! and yay! for the wallpaper find. Finding something you are looking for can be so encouraging.

Good morning!

Messi, sometimes a chocolate bar is required. Good job moving stuff!

I don't know how basements are damp and dusty, but they are.

I hope you get the Sterlite shelves washed today. Once you put the sewing stuff in them, they will take up only a little more space than the sewing stuff did by itself - magic! Maybe you will even find a sewing thing that is not "drawer worthy" and have a little less.

Please note that I did not DO anything on the alcove yesterday except find the wallpaper. The other things I said about it are just added to the job list. All I did was the washing.

I also did not do my school prep. I had a fight with Dh instead. Because he decided it was a good time to help me do something I was not ready to do. I NEEDED his help, and I NEEDED the thing done, but I did not WANT his help (what I wanted was to ignore the thing) and I did not have the energy for it, and I ended up crying and exhausted. We made up over dinner, but I was done for the day.

So I will need to do school prep today. I am having a fake "get ready for school" morning to practice my routine before I have to actually get back on the clock, so I must go now.

Lila, how is the bedroom project coming?

Tatoulia, how are things there?

CM, we miss you!

Good morning! So glad to see you both engaging here this week, SubC and Messi!

Glad I could be inspiring to you, Messi. I think that is one strong value of this forum. We inspire one another to keep going. SubC and Tatoulia have been very helpful and encouraging to me as well. I hope you have a fun time at the wedding! Also, lol at the chocolate bar - I have been known to bribe myself into doing things!

SubC, good job on the diet sodas. They are really addictive. I was able to switch to flavored (unsweetened) sparkling water for the rare occasion I crave a soda. They just are carbonated water and a hint of fruit essence. But yeah, the cans too!
Haha, I love the director's comment about you!! They see your resourcefulness!

I worked hard all week (13.5 hours one day, which was a lot) and today is a REAL day off, NO work, just enjoying being home with my dog in the peace. I find the trash and laundry chores that I do on my day off kind of settling. Like it feels good to know that every Friday I am doing laundry, taking out extra trash, sorting out the fridge. I did all those things (still working on laundry) and am going to clean up the kitchen a bit too.

I did not do any more work on my bedroom/desk/bathroom. I think the dog hair issue derailed me, plus I had to go to court to get my restraining order renewed, which sucked, is very emotional, and took 3+ hours. But today I feel good, and ready to work on my room and desk again.

Let me make a goal right now to let go of 20 items today, either into the donate bin or into the trash. Messi, I personally don't count actual trash in my Daily Tally but I do count things I have been saving that no one else would have a use for. Like a broken toy I saved for 3 years to mend but never did, or an item that is really obsolete or personalized. So I'll be posting on the Daily Tally and will do my best. It's funny how much harder it SEEMS to get rid of things after I have sorted an area multiple times, but, each time I sort, a few more things can go, when I am in the right mindset.

See you later!

Good evening!

Right up front, let me start by confessing that I am treating myself to a diet soda. I did not drink any for three days, and I have been letting myself have more sugar instead and I just really wanted one. I've been working really hard on sorting through papers getting stuff ready for school and I only have so much willpower.

I am noticing that the flavor is not as enticing after the sweets, but also, the sweets are an issue because I am fighting my weight. I am just going to have to work on healthy choices the way I work on the house - little by little and forgive myself for backsliding.

Lila, how are you doing on your goals? I hope you are feeling rested and relaxed. That was a long work day!

My fake get ready for school morning went smoothly.

I have been working my way through piles and piles of materials I saved for planning. I am finding stuff from 2020. Maybe there are good ideas in there, but if i got this far without them, I don't need to sift through a year of lesson plans to find them. More good ideas will come along. I have recycled so much paper! And there is so much more I have to go through. Unfortunately I have to look at it. Sometimes I can easily toss a whole file, but sometimes the papers are so mixed up I have to look at them one by one. Personal stuff is mixed in with the school stuff. I found the first drawing Birdy made for me, and the folder for my business taxes -
Which if i don't get them straightened out by Sept 10, they are going to fine me $50.- so you see I have to look.

I have basic plans ready for three of my four classes Wednesday. They could be fleshed out more, but I can also wing it from here. The fourth class is going to require a lot more prep, but it will be mostly fun. Two of the classes will repeat with a different group on Friday, but I will need new plans for two Friday classes.

Dh has gone to buy parts for my lamp. I was planning to buy an old lamp at a thrift store and cannibalize it, but he said "no. Let's just buy the things we actually need new and do it right." Since he is the electrician, there we are.

Ok, soda is gone. Back to work. It will be really good if I can get through all of the stuff on the table at least once before I go to bed tonight. (Some of it is going into a pile I call "need/want this, but not this week", and some of it is going into a pile that I really do think I will use for planning this year.)

Update,

I have sorted through everything that was piled on the big dining table except one portable file box that I am pretty sure is all personal. When I get to the taxes I may need to attack it.

You can see parts of the table.

And my lamp works!

It still needs a shade and I need to sand a few spots, add cork to the bottom, and do something about the crack, but when the light is on it illuminates all the inner surfaces and peep holes just the way I wanted!

Nice work on the sorting and recycling, SubC! That does sound like a lot!

I came to a halt when I tried to work in my room, mainly because other things I HAD to do today, and some that felt more urgent and doable, were in my head. So all I did in my room was vacuum a bit. I hope to work on it tomorrow.

What I did get done today:
- trash out to trash can, 3x
- sorted the fridge and tossed anything old
- unloaded, loaded, and ran the dishwasher including the coffee pot parts and dog dishes
- hand washed the dog's elevated dish holder and wiped the floor that was under it
- ordered some groceries online to be delivered
- washed 2 loads of work things (tablecloths and aprons and towels, because I am the program director and the usual volunteers who do this were not there)
- washed 2 loads of my clothes and towels
- dried and folded everything, and will put my clothes away since they are on my bed
- brushed my dog and played with her

I also sat outside to read, made coffee and a nice breakfast of eggs and toast, worked on filling out my new planner which starts in September, took a few calls, paid bills

AND

researched my health insurance choices, talked to 3 brokers, and selected a plan. That was my #1 priority for today!

Oh! And I bought a new thing that I have wanted for about 2 years but could not justify spending $79 on it. It is a spinning cleaning tool with 6 different brushes and polishers on it, an extension wand, and it has a rechargeable battery in it! It was on sale for $39! I am excited because it runs for an hour and a half, and it is just what I wanted to clean those tough areas that need to be scrubbed. Like tiles, corners, sinks, baseboards. Scrubbing hurts my hands, so I think this will be so fun when I use it for my fall cleaning (maybe next weekend!)

I also relaxed and watched tv and stuff. I had a pretty nice and productive day overall.

Good morning!

I slept late today.

Lila, I'm glad you have health insurance. And I hope the cleaner is everything you hope. I have a really good vacuum that makes a big difference for me.

Does your house feel better this morning with all that cleaning done?

Let us know if you do some bedroom work. Remember, if you hit a hard thing like the dog hair - secure it and set it aside. You can circle back later!

Today I plan to scrub the basement floor
Work on lesson plans
And
Clear off the small table on the dining porch (some stuff will go out to the studio, some stuff will move to the dining table, some may go)

I may also
Do some outside work
Do some work on alcove shelves
Do some laundry

We shall see...

Second post of the day.

I am cleaning up after myself.
Also, basement floor washed
Laundry running
Little table 30"*42" clear (can see slightly less of dining table surface, but that's ok)
More of the dining porch floor is clean.

So far, no diet soda. Or extra sugar.

How are you doing Lila?

Good morning!

I painted the first section of the alcove and made some progress on lesson plans yesterday afternoon. No sodas, extra sugar.

Bean's family arrived late in the afternoon to camp in our yard and I spent time with them. They are still (asleep?) out in their tent and Dh has left for golf. I slept really badly last night, which is an issue because Bean and Buddy are spending the night tonight while their parents travel for a special anniversary party. I will have Tuesday to recover and finish getting ready for school...

Lila, how did your day go yesterday?

My only goal for this morning (before the kids leave) is to finish as much as possible of my lesson plans for this last class I'm not prepared for. I basically need to have the whole month of September sketched out before we start on this one..

O my goodness! Such a lot of inspiration from Lila and Subclinical! and much needed. This is a difficult time of year for me, so i need a lot of help to stay on task. Today I need to finish a task for a friend that got derailed earlier this year. That is priority aside from dogs and a meeting. I did sweep out a section of floor in the bedroom this morning - must have been inspired by Lila even before seeing her posts. Ty.

Hi Messi!

You a have a clean section of floor! Guard it ferociously! Go look at it when you feel overwhelmed. You did that!

Keep an eye out for anything you can do around the edges of that space to help it grow and spread. If you are tempted to put something in that space, try to stop yourself. Imagine how nice it will be when your whole bedroom floor is clean! You can do that. It doesn't have to happen all at once, but little by little it can happen!

Good luck on your task.

thanks for all the reinforcement and good suggestions for maintaining and maybe creating another small piece of order. I get very overwhelmed, distracted, and discouraged, but now I can think back to your words and keep working on change, little by little. Recently I try use the mantra "One by One, things will get done" to help me focus when I start chasing my tail.
The task for my friend took two days instead of one, yesterday and today, so I didn't get to my task for today. Which Is - clear out a space in the basement by the water meter because I have to get a new house shut-off valve for the water. which will make it possible to address other plumbing issues in the house. This is My goal for the week, but I have to prepare things for my friend's daughter's wedding this coming weekend and go out of town Saturday. Those things come first. Tonight, trash and recycling out to the curb. ty

Good morning!

Messi, did the trash and recycling go out? How is your bedroom spot?

The wedding sounds exciting. Can you move one thing away from your water meter today so you know you started? Any small thing.

I spent the day with the boys yesterday and picked up my finally fired lamp project from the studio in town. It cracked in the glaze firing, but I still love it. The crack is really bad - but mostly on the bottom where it doesn't show. I think I can work with the part that cracked on the side- it is toward the back and this has always been planned as a multimedia project.

Today is supposed to be cool and pleasant - finally! So a good day for working outside.

I also need to do the next step on the basement project and take care of some of this looming paperwork. It's a staying home day.

I slept late because I have just been really tired lately and I'm doing more physically demanding stuff. I'm also trying to cut back on/eliminate the diet colas again (so less caffeine) I was drinking way too many and I did the math on how much it costs in a year if I drink even 2 a day (O8)! (that's an emoji, not a number) I read a humorous post about diet and exercise in which the author referred to diet sodas as "fridge cigarettes". Now when I want one I chant that in my head a bunch of times. It is helping. But it has only been 3 days. My count has been zero, one, zero. The reduction in cans will also slow the recycling pile up.

Dh is gone until late tonight, so all I have to do to wake up tomorrow ahead of where I am this morning is clean up after myself, process any mail that comes in, and take care of one additional item. (Well, and some laundry I guess, because he will throw his dirty clothes in the hamper when he gets home.)

That should be easy, right?

Good morning!

I ended up not working outside at all yesterday. I did not walk down to get the mail.

I did do the next step on my basement project and I made a small dent in the paperwork (it's mostly not "paper" actually) some online health care stuff, emailing someone about information I needed (she got back to me right away!), ordering some basic supplies I'm out of, and I found a missing (paper) check.

I mostly cleaned up after myself, but I at least cleaned up more than I messed up (there are some dishes from yesterday in the sink, but I ran the dishwasher twice), I washed and dried a load of laundry that is still in the dryer, but I put two other clean loads away...

On the dining porch I cleared and swept the section of floor where my little office area is (inspired by Messi) and I sorted out a stack of actual paper and recycled a lot of it. I have my little Japanese table and mat all ready to do some more work this morning. A hummingbird came to visit while I was working. I found three items to part with (already tallied)

My biggest use of energy was resisting diet soda all day. (Which is part of why I didn't get outside to work - my body kept saying "I'm tired, give me caffeine!" And i kept saying no.)

Today is a school prep and errands day, but I will keep trying to clean up as I go.

good morning. I tried to post last night but just had to go to bed. too tired.
SubC - you realy attacked a lot of areas! Great on continuing with the basement project. and going after "paperwork" AND sorting Real paper, omg, lots of credit there.
It was exciting to hear about your lamp. What kind/color of glazing did you use? Is it a lamp that will be electrically wired? Have fun with the creatiivity of continuing and working with the crack.

I did get the trash and recycling out. The spot in the bedroom is still clear. Last night I did get food waste(!) to the city compost drop off.

Good afternoon!

Messi it makes me happy to hear that you have and use city composting. A lot of my hoarding issues came from a desire to save everything. I'm still trying to find a balance.

Once at work the building manager asked the director what she should do with a thing, and the director replied "I don't know, ask (Subclinical)" and the building manager replied "I did, but she didn't know." To which the director responded - "well if SHE can't think of anything to do with it, it's TRASH."

This morning I have done yoga and my chores, unloaded the dishwasher, made a snack cake, and organized some information on my calendar. I also pressure washed nine more mats and a small runner for the basement project. There is a section of floor I need to scrub after tomorrow night (I treated it with a cleaner that is supposed to soak 24-48 hours) and then when it is dry I can start putting things into place.

I am working on creating a shelf in an alcove in the basement and I wanted to line it with some wallpaper I had. I looked and looked and finally decided sadly that I had gotten rid of it in the original "great basement purge" but then, totally by accident, I found it in a pile of stuff shoved behind a box! So now I am happy because I like it, and I am going to use it, and then it won't be in a pile anymore! I did find out I need to prime the wall first - so one more step in the project. I am resolved to take my time and do this right.

The lamp is shaped like a stump with empty knotholes and little ledges inside the knotholes and mushrooms growing on the outside. The top is open with a branch to hold the bulb so that the light will shine out into the room, but also down inside the stump. I am going to create little vignettes on the ledges. Dh said he would wire it for me.

Ok, school prep to do so I don't panic on Tuesday.

Good morning!

Go Lila!
Be sure to have nice big containers for trash and recycling when you tackle that desk!

I worked in my classroom for 7 hours yesterday with a two hour break to buy a supply I needed and have a lovely long lunch with heartdaughter. Near the end my Dd stopped by with Bean and I said "I need to tackle this desk. Dd said "looks easy. Grab the trash can and the recycling bin. Pick something up. Ask yourself "does this recycle?" If the answer is yes, recycling bin. If the answer is no, trash. Keep going until the desk is empty - there is nothing there you need." I told her "not helpful."

She did then carry items from the desk to locations I requested while I did in fact recycle and trash a bunch of stuff. Well, it felt like a lot, but when she took the trash out for me, the bag was only about the size of a full plastic grocery bag.

Meanwhile, the building manager decided she was going to take DD's approach to the hallways and gathered up almost every remaining thing teachers had left out for other teachers to take to throw it in the dumpster so the school would look nice for open house. My car is full. Including a high traffic area rug for my basement that I took OUT of the dumpster. (It needs to be power washed. I have a power washer. The school doesn't.) We now have a "rug service" that will switch out our rugs every two weeks and bring them back clean two weeks later - so the building manager threw all the old rugs in the dumpster. The one I took is green. The rest are black. I would have taken more of them, but they are heavy and hard to get out of a dumpster, and my car was full. Most of what I took will go to the thrift store or recycling/reuse hub. Any thing I keep (like the rug) I will claim in the tally later.

Today is a home and errand day. Unload car, feed store, library returns, drop truck off for body work (somebody hit us, their insurance is paying, but we'll be truckless for a bit) various paperwork tasks, dishes, laundry, prep for open house and visit from boys - I will be bringing them back after open house to spend the night. This will be Buddy's first overnight without momma!

ohhh we are desk sisters, SubC! I just worked on my desk for one hour. And around it.

I was able to get donate 4 items. I also sorted ALL the papers, even in the folders piled on my desk, and I am sure I threw away more than half of the papers.

However, it was very emotionally draining. There were a lot of papers regarding Teen, and my dog that passed away, and my former husband. And under it all, dog hair. Of the dog I lost in March, my heart boy. I am not over it, I am still in a lot of pain about it, and I just could not cope. I left the hair there. I have a thing about throwing it all away so there is no trace of him anywhere in my house. I got over it enough to vacuum the whole house. I saved some of his hairs in a box. I almost never find a hair of his anywhere. This is probably the last 'organic' trace. I just can't. I might have to wipe it all into an envelope or something so I can clean the rest of the desk. I can save the envelope and deal with it later.

But, it was all overwhelming, and I am taking a lunch break now.

I am proud of myself for sorting every item on my desk, and it will be nice when it gets all cleaned off.

Lila, great job on your desk!

Mine was just my work desk, so the hardest choices were things like "do I recycle this scrap paper or save it for notes?" "If I walk this little piece of pipe cleaner down the hall to the supply closet will anyone ever use it, or should I just throw it away?"

Definitely put the hair in an envelope. Label the envelope and keep going! Do not let this derail you from a clear and clean desk!

I stopped at an adoption tent today when I got feed. As soon as I touched the first kitten I was like "nope. Not yet."

I have pressure washed all the blue puzzle mat pieces from my basement floor, plus 11 more that were in the stack of puzzle mat pieces I brought home from school one year when (yup) the building manager was throwing them out because they were dirty and worn.

I have also pressure washed my green rug. It was filthy and took quite a while! I measured and it will fit perfectly. Plus I really wanted green because it will be fields and yards for Bean when he sets up trains or playmobil.

I did a couple of loads of laundry (but didn't put them away) and ran the dishwasher. I also unloaded my car, got feed, and returned my library books.

I haven't done any of my paperwork. Dh wants to wait and drop the truck tomorrow evening so he can use it tomorrow. It just has to be there by Monday morning.

Good morning!

Dd called yesterday to cancel the overnight because buddy is cutting a tooth and very clingy and sad.

But I still have open house today.

I sorted out the bag from school yesterday. I am keeping the rug, an unopened pack of construction paper (doesn't count - consumable) and maybe some number of magnetic pouches (I need to wash them and see how they work to hold bean's fridge letters and magnet "paper dolls" (animals, cars, scenery, people..)

This morning I am getting ready to go to open house and puttering about. It's nice and cool, but everything is still covered in dew and I don't want to work in the garden because I will need another shower before open house.

WooHoo SubC and Lila! Changes! Yikes and Yays! for me, i came here to report i got rid of 4 things from the refrigerator that had been there too long, doing that as a prelude to walking the dogs. I'm off before it gets too dark. Thanks!

Good evening!

Messi, good job on the fridge. Also yay for walking the dog. Do you have any goals or spots you'd like to work on that will make you feel better?

Lila, you are DEFINITELY worth good quality clothes. Also, cheap quality things are usually more expensive the long run. Plus, you can get good quality cheap if you watch for sales and shop second hand.

Look around to see what you like. Take yourself shopping somewhere you can't afford and try things on. No one will stop you. If the sales people get pushy, tell them, oh, I'm not buying today. I'm making a list for my friend who is helping me update my wardrobe. She couldn't come with me today because she lives in Ohio. Make notes about what you like - brands, stores, styles, fabric, colors, and come tell us about them.

I you can sometimes buy a $75 top off a clearance rack for $20. One $20 top you love is a cheaper and better choice than a $10 top and a couple of $6 tops that don't make you happy. And it would take up less space and probably last longer.

Right now my closet is my favorite "room" in my house. It is a walk in and I actually go stand in it when I need a lift. I don't miss any of the clothes I got rid of, because I wasn't wearing them anyway.

What did you do in your bedroom today?

I did go to the thrift store. I did not find a rug. But I did find some work mats (large square napkins) for 40 cents each for my class and a small six drawer steel cabinet for me for $5.

I came home and puttered around a little more and found four things that can go - one is a gallon+ sized bag of beads I am taking to one of the other art teachers at school tomorrow. The others are small, but two of them were hard because they were sentimental, but I've realized I don't need them to keep the memories or the feelings.

Tomorrow is our first teacher day. We have an all staff meeting at lunch time.

Subclinical - Good luck with the first teacher day of the year. I hope you have a great teaching year!

oh, first teacher day! I hope it went well SubC!

Good job on the fridge and dogs, Messi!

In my room, what I did:
- folded the towels that have been in a basket on the floor for a month, and put them all away
- put the empty basket downstairs
- took an empty Kleenex box out to the trash
- threw away some old dried out dog treats that have been sitting on my desk for months
- found my grounding mat under a pile and put it back on my bed and plugged it in

It's not much, but it's a start. I had to go to work.

I will be working on this on my days off, Fri and Sat.

Lila - thanks for posting about what you did and give yourself points from me. Those things are a great start, they changed something, and reading about it encourages me to do those smaller things that totally improve the big picture.

Good morning!

We got some interesting news about the possible long term future of the school at the staff meeting yesterday. Nothing is going to happen for a year or two, but there are some possibilities I may want to be a part of.

I did almost nothing I had planned to do during our work hours. There was a large, good quality shelf being removed from a storage area and I said "can I have that?" It fits perfectly under my windows and holds a lot of items that were in a hodgepodge of storage solutions. But I had to unload everything that was there and remove the things that were leaving. I also had to haul the shelf upstairs (using the freight elevator and a cart).

So I got the kiln unloaded - planned
Got the old storage emptied and removed - not planned
Put the shelf in place - not planned
Went to a two hour lunch meeting - planned
Started filling the shelf mindfully - not planned

I have to go back tomorrow and glue tiles to the wall, finish organizing my stuff (my desk is BURIED), print out welcome packets, exchange a work table (they tried to fix one of mine but it is still too wobbly. I found a replacement in storage), carry the small wheel back up to my room and set it up again, and set my room up for open house.

i had planned to do all of that except the work table yesterday. Also yesterday I was expecting the stuff organizing to be a much smaller task.

Today I am at home and have another much too long list, including typing up everything that has to be printed out for the welcome packets for eight classes.

The current situation with my basement is feeling very overwhelming because it is well into the "worse before it gets better" stage but likely to continue downhill for a bit.

Bright spot - Dh is signing us up for the health center at his job again. I had to go get my BP taken by them yesterday and it was 113/67. First time in a long time I have had a good reading not at home. If my gp clears me (I'm a bit concerned because I haven't been to the gp in years - like, some time precovid) I will be able to start swimming after school. If my gp says "who?" I don't know what I will need to do. The last time I saw them, they made me fill out new patient paperwork because I hadn't been in so long. Basically the gp is where I get my tetanus shots. (My eye doctor and gyno pretty much cover all of my actual health concerns - I suggested they contact the gyno, but just embarrassed the boy taking my blood pressure who said," no, I'm sure the gp will be fine"

Messi and Lila, keep up the good work!

Hi Tatoulia!

We miss you CM!

Thank you Messi, I am glad this was encouraging to you!

SubC, you are doing a lot. Yay on the good blood pressure and the good shelf!! Do you find your motivation or energy is better this time of year? Mine is the worst in winter.

Today I worked, went to a funeral, and walked dogs at the shelter and almost got bit. Strays can be unpredictable, sadly, but I did not get bit. I was in a sad mood due to the funeral and some grief that bubbled back up about my other dogs and Teen (who is no longer a teen, how sad is that, that I missed her 20th birthday? She is in an institution now). Anyway I stopped everything early and came home because I felt overwhelmed and needed to just decompress, but when I got here TotsMom had TWO extra kids here, older kids and it was complete chaos. I got a headache and an upset stomach from the stress but now they have left to go somewhere else but now I just want to sit and cry. I am usually okay, and better lately, but sometimes, the grief is just bubbling up again.

Anyway, the room.

Tonight I am "preparing" to have a good day tomorrow. I am
- loading the dishwasher and will run it before bed
- hand washing the cookie sheets etc
- throwing out trash as tomorrow is trash day
- putting dirty clothes in the basket to wash tomorrow

Tomorrow my goal is to get my room halfway done or more. Even if I pack it all in boxes and move it to sorting space, I want to have an organized, decluttered, clean bedroom by Sunday. Big goal - it looks like a thrift store after an earthquake - but I am going to try.

Somehow it is easier to throw half the clothes into a box for "later" than to donate it. But I will try to donate things and not just move it all around. But really, the goal is to have a clean room for the first time in like 15 years or something.

Quick drive by to say hello. Welcome, Messi!

Good morning!

Tatoulia, thanks for the check in!

Messi, how are you doing with dog walking? Trash? Do you feel ok about your fridge?

I usually address you guys first, but I'm popping back up to talk about my day before my note to Lila, because I want her to end reading this focused on herself.

I did not get most of my stuff done yesterday because I spent the entire afternoon online and on the phone - mostly with automated systems, trying unsuccessfully to get help with a medical records mess triggered by this whole swimming thing (short version- my primary care practice dropped me and I can't access my health records from before 2024). At one point I got so frustrated that the actual human I had finally reached (who couldn't help me) had trouble understanding me because I started crying. I gave up when everything closed for the day. I did a little sorting in the basement to try to soothe my nervous system. (Isn't that a change!)

Today I am going to focus on school and try to meet my heartdaughter, whom I haven't seen all summer, for lunch or dinner.

Lila, usually "back to school" time gives me a huge surge of energy. I'm feeling a little discouraged this year that I can't seem to find my usual level of enthusiasm. It makes me wonder if I've been teaching too long. Especially because I have two new coworkers this year whom I taught as children! Hopefully it's just that the heat has been particularly hard on my all summer and the cooler weather will snap me out of it.

I'm sorry yesterday was so hard. I think about teen sometimes and I hope that the place she is is helping her.

Here is my encouragement for "project bedroom":

Do you have a place to donate to that gives items to those in need or sells them to help people in need like St. Vincent's or the Salvation Army? My Mom takes everything to a church thrift called Halo.

I'm asking because I know that you are a Christian and that the Bible is a source of encouragement for you in this task. I was trying to look up the story about the servant who buried his talent (resources) in the ground to keep it safe instead of investing it for his master, to see if it could help you with not boxing things, but I found these:

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. - Hebrews 13:16

Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. - Luke 12:33

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. - Luke 6:38

But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. - Luke 11:41

I particularly like the last one in this situation!

The Bible tells people to give of what they have:

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. - Romans 12:4-8

You have been struggling so hard to give time and energy that you do not have to spare, because you can't give generously in money. But you have a generous supply of stuff. So much stuff that you can afford to box it up and stash it away. So I am hoping that you have a place that can turn your extra stuff into good in the world and that this will help inspire you to let the stuff go as you work to follow the encouragement to "keep your house in order".

Bless others with the things you don't need now and trust that the blessings will return to you when you need them.