.....that 'future-frisbee' of mine wont let me even see the pics i took of my Mom when she came out for her 80th birthday unless i keep buying 'money cards' for it!!! ....grrrr!!!
I think im gonna just first go through all my clothes and throw out what is fairly obvious...that might be enough....i hope.....ha ha 😀

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Went to town yesterday to get cat snacks and a few other food items.
Spent 48.00
But I did not want to go straight back home.
Wanted to be out and around people.
Went to several locations and got all caught up with folks.
Had a real good time socializing 😀
Have a little bit of tidying up around here to do today.
Other than that I can relax and watch this next storm blow in.

😀

Stuck in second gear sometimes here lately. Dumb stuff happening that puts me behind, plus I'm not sure what to do first. Also I'm semi-sick with sinus congestion and allergies. My sympathies to those of you also under the weather.

Thinking about dealing with my mess right now feels like attempting to drain an ocean with a teaspoon. I do think I'll have a better outlook when I have more energy. Seriously considering a nap. Really the only reason I'm debating is that I worry about being that much further behind later. Yet, I'm not on a strict deadline. But I also know how I procrastinate, so . . .

See how my mind works?

But I'm still checking in with you all and I am going to have faith that that is a sign I'm committed to this. 😉

Stuck in second gear sometimes here lately. Dumb stuff happening that puts me behind, plus I'm not sure what to do first. Also I'm semi-sick with sinus congestion and allergies. My sympathies to those of you also under the weather.

Thinking about dealing with my mess right now feels like attempting to drain an ocean with a teaspoon. I do think I'll have a better outlook when I have more energy. Seriously considering a nap. Really the only reason I'm debating is that I worry about being that much further behind later. Yet, I'm not on a strict deadline. But I also know how I procrastinate, so . . .

See how my mind works?

But I'm still checking in with you all and I am going to have faith that that is a sign I'm committed to this. 😉

Hope you feel better soon, Tatoulia. Thanks so much for watching the video... I'll be making more. (A new habit I'm working on putting into consistent practice!)

Good Morning 🙂

Hi Karl 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Feel better real soon (((hugs)))

Hi STS 🙂

Since Saturday I defrosted & cleaned the big freezer, Sunday I cooked & froze a bunch of food & cleaned the kitchen, Monday I cleaned the house up real good...
I decided to take Tuesday off from life. 😀
Really have to go to the store today, we are quickly running out of cat snacks and I am afraid of what the cats will do to me without their snacks.
I will look at the produce while I'm there.
The sun is shining and the sky is clear and blue. 😀
This is the calm before the next snow storm.

BBL 🙂

I like the idea of a phone that's attached to a person rather than a location, but I don't want to pay each month just to make that happen. (I estimate that it's roughly once every three months that I find myself thinking, "Gee, it would be nice if I had a phone on me right now.") I've been looking into a way to get a cheap phone and free service, but the last two attempts have failed for reasons not well understood.

I have nearly zero interest in using it as a handheld computer with such a tiny screen. Even with the medium-sized screens on the free iPads at the airport, I couldn't figure out how to get them to display what I wanted.

Have been battling a bad stomach bug so haven't caught up on any posts and my garbage is overflowing. Missed last garbage pickup and stuck with it til Thursday night. BUT, I watched ShedtheShame's video and way to go, STS! Fantastic! And thank you!

Will catch up with everyone soon. Hope everyone is staying well.

Hi all,

I loved my Samsung Galaxy Android tablet when I got it in December 2014. Though I still have my trusty old laptop, on which I'm typing this, I was hoping the Galaxy would be like a "mini computer" I could carry around and that on it I'd make immense leaps in progress on my writing and digital art. Plus I started keeping my checking register on it using a spreadsheet app instead of having messy paper registers. And at first it seemed to be working well, I was staying more organized without a million little pieces of paper with chicken scratchings on them.

I also downloaded a ton of games and fun apps. Those provided entertainment when I was done being Miss Efficient for the day, LOL.

Well, little did I know that the tablet's operating system, as well as the apps themselves, would constantly download updates and nearly fill the tablet's available storage space in less than a year! I've deleted stuff, tried to transfer stuff onto an SD card, etc., etc., etc. but I'm fast approaching (wait for it) CRITICAL MASS there too! :O

There is a procedure called "rooting" for these tablets and for smartphones to free up memory that I'm looking into, but it's risky. There are days I wonder if my tablet will be a Frisbee too. It really bugs me that something I had such high hopes for has turned into this complicated thing.

LOLOLOLOL You Two! 😀

Yes, I have often wondered just how far that tablet of mine would fly.

ROTFLMAO 😀

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Yes!
And I was given a tiny Android iPad thingy that frustrates the heck out of me and I find absolutely useless.
It now has a thick layer of dust on it because I hate it too much to even bother dusting it.

Soon as I finish drinking my tea I plan to start cleaning the house.
Bathroom, floors, vacuum, dust...
Hoping that having these things cleaned will improve my mood.
Been trapped inside for far too long due to it being Winter.

Later... 🙂

Yes Tillie, i also got one of those stupid tablet things...mine came close to becoming a frisbee over the river! ha ha I like my phone!
...im still trying to develop a plan for my clothes...i need to go into it with an approach...

Tillie, it's true most of us older folks like lap tops but not cell phones. Im one of the few that is the other way around! I end up angry, frustrated or in tears, if not all 3 every time i try to use a computer at the library! One time a friend & i decided to do a lesson trade at the library. When i tried to show him how to use his cell phone, he got uptight, complaining how it doesnt make sense, etc. When it was my turn, i reacted the same way about the ridiculous computer! Then i looked around and everyone was laughing at us! ha ha I never keep the ring volume up on my phone, so i never am bothered by it. I will check texts, tho. I do love texting! Occasionally, if im expecting an important call, ill turn up the ringer and half the time i cant figure out where that music is coming from and i miss their call! ha ha 😀

Good Morning 🙂

Fantastic! Karl 😀
You will have your new room all set up in no time.

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Sorry!
I thought you were on a laptop or something.
I have absolutely no idea how a cell phone works.
I refuse to have one with their tiny fussy buttons and teeny little screens.
Plus people can call you anytime or any place.
Sounds so horrible to me.
Good luck with your clean laundry project! 😀

Got the freezer all defrosted and cleaned yesterday.
Today I plan to make a big batch of "spaghetti" sauce.
Some will be used today on this curly type pasta and the rest will be frozen for use later.
While that is simmering I will clean up the kitchen.
Tomorrow I really MUST clean the house. It is really getting squalorous with all of us locked inside day after day due to the snow that keeps falling.
At least the snow stopped long enough yesterday that my laundry was able to dry on the clothes line. 😀

TTYL 🙂

Box shelves are good now. Game bins are properly arranged, too. The new place has a hanging closet organizer with five compartments; I've found things to put in three of them so far. More empty space keeps becoming available as I clear stuff off of the floor.

WAT TO GO, KARL!!! HOW EXCITING!!!
...im hoping to get some clean laundry put away today....

To copy...
Put the cursor to the left of the very first word.
While holding down the "left click" button, drag the cursor down highlighting all the text in blue.
Then click on control "ctrl" and c at the same time.
Your text should all be saved.
To paste...
Place the cursor in the text box, that's the space here where we write.
Then click on control "ctrl" and v at the same time.
Your text should appear all in tack right here.

Go ahead and try practicing here, it's ok, honest. 😀

I'm no computer whiz and I learned because it drove me crazy when I kept losing my posts.

Tillie, i think those directions must be for a computer. Even if the were for a cell phone, id be too scared of it programming something weird and me having to go back down to the cell phone store and beg them to fix it for me or ill end up having yet another meltdown in their store...ha ha Thank you anyway, tho! ha ha 😀 ;D 😀

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Karl 🙂
Good luck finding the center of gravity with your stacked box shelving. 😀

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
After I write a post I always "copy" it before I try to post my reply.
Many times the first try does not work for me but having "copied" it first I then only need to "paste" my post in the writing space before reposting it again.
Many of us have learned to do this due to there being this glitch with this system.

Light snowfall around sunup this morning.
Now the sky is clear and blue.
Hung out some laundry on the clothesline to freeze dry.
Had some company while I was out there hanging laundry, the resident skunk came by then slowly ambled off.
Thinking about defrosting the freezer today.
It is a small upright deep freezer located in my pantry.
This is the best time of year to do this because all the frozen food stays frozen in a box on the porch.

TTYS 🙂

Hey Karl? Are the boxes unstable cuz of carpet on the floor? I had that happen once & just put down a board under them.and it stabilized the stacks!
Tillie, i am so low-tech, i havent a clue how to copy or paste?!! I end up at my cell phone store almost every month cuz i cant put the card on my phone! ha ha

.....i just spent almost an hour typing a post that wouldnt take...then i shortened it, in case it was too long...that didnt work either....dangit...lets see if this one takes...hi to all! I like the sound of everyone's new projects and ideas! 😀

Having some trouble restarting "Project Vertical" at the new place -- the box shelves seem to not be very stable. I'll try reordering them by weight.

Good to have some new folks aboard - welcome Arggg and ShedThe Shame.

Tillie, glad to hear Marty is doing better. I love cats and hate dentistry, so I feel for him! Give him a pat for me.

Arggg, I get the winter depression too, especially when too many days in a row are cloudy and dreary, as they have been lately. This is the time, where I live, when that weather pattern can settle in - though sometimes we are blessed with sunny days to break it up. Next week's forecast looks better here; I'm glad about that. Hope you also get a weather break and a lifting of depression soon. 🙂

Some people think I'm an empath, but I think I'm just empathetic and too sentimental for my own good. I definitely attach too much emotional weight to cards and gifts and mementoes, to the point where now I try to discourage folks from giving me any. Dealing with the ones I already have is going to be the hardest part of this journey, methinks.

ShedTheShame, I have a friend who goes to decluttering group with me who is big into recycling and struggles with that environmental worry. I have done some recycling in the past, but right now it's not my first priority, though hopefully I don't generate a whole lot of recyclables. I do try to pass along things such as magazines to the library bookstore or the thrift store, and clothing and miscellaneous to the thrift store. Having a home of my own again, which is my huge and far-off dream at this point, might be an opportunity to do more diligent recycling in the future.

My "thing for today" is laundry - two loads, in process as I type this, and while they are going, I plan to work on my financial records which have been frustratingly behind, leading me to not know what checks are pending and get nasty surprises when I check my bank account online. 😛

I may not get a chance to post till early next week as I'm going on a road trip over the weekend, but I'll be back. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Thanks for the welcome ^_^

Go, Marty ☺ One of my two cats is going in next week for a big dental cleaning. He'll be feeling the pain in his mouth; I'll be feeling it in my wallet.

Yesterday I made a little video about what I do at the beginning of the year to try to keep track of payment due dates, if anyone's interested.

Preparing for the New Year

Tatoulia, the video I made previous to the one above is about the kitchen sink ☺ It is amazing how a clean sink can improve your mindset so much. Keep it up!

I find that if I go for stretches of time without tossing things in the trash, it's really challenging for me to do again.

So now I have a goal to toss at least one item a day that is difficult for me to discard. Put an app on my phone called "Don't Break the Chain." It's used to visually track your daily goal. Each day you meet your goal, an "X" goes over the calendar date. The idea is that once you see the chain of red Xs growing, you're less likely to break it.

Naturally, I look for something on the easier end to discard 😉 But if I keep this up, over time I'll be forced to choose from more difficult items.

Hope it works!

Sorry the depression and anxiety are hitting you hard, Arggg. Winter weather doesn't help my depression at all.

Good that you took on the drawer of emotionally-charged items. Earlier this week I just spoke to a researcher in area of hoarding, and he described what you did: concern with the feelings of objects. I fall in the other camp, ethical concerns such as "What am doing to the world/environment?"

If you don't mind my asking... when you put an item into the shredder, do you feel bad for it? Like you're hurting the item?

Often I think we're the victims of our own sensitivity and thoughtfulness. Too much of what are generally considered admirable qualities, I suppose.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂
Wrote a post yesterday but before I finished my internet went down and I lost the post.
Then I got busy taking care of Marty (the cat) and doing other stuff.
Sorry 🙁

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Wishing your Mom well and how wonderful that the Aides are helping keep down the clutter. (((hugs)))
WAY TO GO!
For all your hard work! And keeping the sink clean does make things easier as well as looking good too. 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
Keep calm and carry on. 😉
It does get frustrating when too many things demand our attention in all different directions.
All we can do is try to handle the most critical/urgent things first and hope to get to the lesser ones eventually.

Hi Arggg 🙂
Way to go! tackling that drawer.
Good luck with all your plans.

Hi ShedTheShame .:)

Snowed most all day yesterday.
Probably why the internet here went down.
Marty (the cat) has been eating well and is recuperating nicely. 🙂
Few minutes ago a huge Hawk hit the house while capturing his breakfast. He caught it and doesn't seem to have injured himself in the process.
But all the cats are fascinated watching him from the windows! 😀

TTYS 🙂

Making an effort to be calmer yet more productive. In the last couple of weeks, I was very wired. A combination of post-holiday overload, a surge in creative ideas which was fun but dizzying, and the usual day-to-day. Yesterday and today were at a less frenzied pace and I'm trying to just take one thing at a time now and get it done, then move on to the next thing in the queue.

So, today, I shall get the trash out, do a small errand run, maybe make some phone calls, and after that decide what of the rest to tackle. There's a lot of "the rest" and it's a jumble. But I really want to work on not being thrown into a tizzy by the number of things to attend to.

I don't mind some multitasking if I initiate it - doing something while the laundry washes, for example. What gets me rattled is when I need to do stuff away from home and at home at the same time. Or stuff at the computer and housework at the same time. Then it's harder to decide where to start.

Doing what I do every day - making a Herculean effort to fight depression and anxiety. It's not going so well today. Cabin fever from the snow, partly.

I've been concentrating on one drawer and it's full of emotionally charged stuff - letters, cards, etc. I want to throw most of them away. Still, I feel terrible. Though I'm technicallly a hoarder, I don't feel emotional attachment to things the way some people do, but I feel emotions coming from the objects themselves. I believe I'm an "empath" - someone who absorbs feelings from people, objects, and places. I don't know how to control it. Hopefully I'll learn.

I have a shredder and today, all of that junk in my drawer is going into the shredder, into the garbage, or into a thrift store donation box. Once it's gone, it will be out of my mind. A very few items will be saved and stored.

Boy, it feels good to talk about it, anyway!

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year!

Congratulations, Karl on your new home!

Sending love to all of you including dear Marty the Cat.

Working away on getting rid of stuff. Feeling better all around. Mother has been sick and in the hospital. She is home now and her aides are doing a good job of getting rid of her papers and trash and other stuff that piles up, so that's been an unexpected bonus of having mom's house less cluttered.

Have been keeping the kitchen sink clean and clear of dishes. Absolutely amazing how having a clear sink has improved my mood. My life seems easier with a clean sink. Who knew?!?

Hi 🙂

TTYL