The thing that makes me crazy is that the case didn't go to mental health court. The boy has been waiting trial in a secure program. He can't leave for anything. His grandfather died and he was not allowed to go to the service. He has no internet or phone, tv is limited and communal, books have to be approved. His mail is opened. his visitors have to be adults approved by his treatment team in designated rooms/areas (visits were by iPad during covid). He has a lead role in working the gardens on "campus" that help feed the patients, and he is doing well there. The maximum penalty in mental health court could have been much longer, but it would have been served where he is.

Dh is still working on the dishwasher. He thinks I might be able to use it this weekend.

Tatoulia,I ?my sure you are overwhelmed with two jobs! I hope you find a good candidate soon.

The visit from your friend sounds fun and promising.

CM, I am very glad you got your shot!

I for one do not want to go back to "normal". The old "Normal" is too much for me. I was just starting to be able to manage the new "normal". All I want back is my students, pottery classes, and the ability to feel safe in a store or an art fair - with masks is fine with me. I can't read people's facial expressions most of the time anyway - with masks that is forgiven. I guess I would also like restaurants, but not as often as Dh wants to go. I like take out. I can already have my family in my house. I can wait a few more years for non-family.

My dreams last night were focused on getting rid of stuff. Somehow my mother still lived in the house my parents built in the 60s and she was moving and we had to tackle stuff.

Yesterday I did start a bag for goodwill. Pajamas and other stuff. I should fill it up today and take it with the other two bags in my car to goodwill.

Make that will, not should. I will fill it up and go to goodwill today. I am guaranteed to feel so much lighter.

The dishwasher is fixed.

I ran it 4 times.

Most of the laundry is clean and most of the clean, dry laundry is put away.

The kids came out this evening with Bean. They took home the baby backpack for hiking (to carry the baby, not for him to wear.)

My extra son's mom also came by today and I sent him a dozen ferns. (Bean's parents took 10, and my friend is taking 10 tomorrow, so that leaves 68 to plant.)

Hello everybody!

I did get a bag out to the car of things to donate! I'm busy but keeping up with the basics. Cleaners come tomorrow!

I hope everyone is doing okay. I miss you all and of course, I miss Tillie.

Tatoulia,
Two weeks ago, you replied to my Hoarded a childhood Memories post under Daily Chat. Thanks for your reply. I responded a week later, sorry I took so long. I appreciate your sympathy. I don't think you saw my reply. Just wanted you to see it, and know I appreciate you responding to my post. (From now on on message boards, I am going to call myself "Marie".). Thanks, Tatoulia. (Hope I spelled ur name right.)

I'm just kind of slow and I think of posting then the day gets late so I say I will the next day, rinse and repeat.

Have done a little with my quilting fabric, reducing big tubs into smaller ones, and finding a few pieces I know I won't use that can go. Putting together what I can envision going into this or that quilt idea, pulling from disparate lots of stash fabric and hoping to do several quilts that will consume the bulk of the stash. Then I'll do scrappy quilts from the remainder and/or give away some of it.

The weather is still being pretty uncooperative. With the fabric so I'm having to find workaround strategies for the storage unit - the fabric I sorted this week I literally put in my van, along with the boxes, and brought home instead of trying to deal with it there with wind blowing and so on. If I don't get some sort of momentum going, I'll have another season go by without getting much done, and that just can't keep happening.

The middle of the unit is occupied by a mountain of piled books, which looks intimidating but will be easier to go through if I can get some tables set up. Which again I may have to do in a different way, like sort of scoot things and clear a space well inside the unit, pull the door halfway down to block wind, etc., instead of setting up tables on the cement between my van and the entrance.

In addition to being frequently windy, the weather has also been chillier. Not cold, but not as warm as I had thought it'd be. The last week of this month it should be pleasant. The last weekend/beginning of May I'm going to spend at the bunny shelter helping the mom care for the foster rabbits so the daughter can go to some event out of town. It should be a busy time but with bunny snuggles and a change of scenery, which might be good for me.

Hi again. Sorry for the sporadic drop-ins and posts. I get discouraged and stop thinking about it for awhile and then get motivated and want to do something. I don't remember if I shared this, but I had one of those big papasan chairs, the giant sized expensive ones with a cushion. My kid I bought it for decided it was too big for her room. It is NICE so I hung onto it for like 5 more years. I has sat on the guest bed all that time. I finally posted it on Craigslist and sold it for over $100! It feels good for something BIG to be gone.

I really need to work on my upstairs. I have "lost" some important things in my bedroom: a coupon for a free large bag of dog food that will expire soon, and a $50 gift card to a coffee shop that is going out of business. I need to find these so that is my main motivation to get my bedroom decluttered. It is terrible in there even with all the work I have done in the past. I also need to find envelopes in there.

What I could use help with is how to get this done. I took some of your tips before like sorting paper piles and moving the weights out of there. But I walk in and am just overwhelmed. Do you think I should do, like, goals of areas in there? Because the whole room is just paralyzing to me. Maybe do something like, Northeast corner. Southeast corner. North wall, South wall. and so on? Under bed... closet... and inside cabinets.

I have thought I could deal with it as if I were moving to a new home. Have any of you tried that? Actually packing a room? If I packed everything I would move, then do a deep clean and get rid of everything else, maybe that would work? I would like to hear your experiences. I need to start today.

Lila, doing a good job with in will really pay off. It makes a big difference to get to a point where the net flow is out.

I'm very proud of you about the papasan chair.

Right now I am focusing on small things - looking through the baby/kid stuff as we pull things out for Bean (I found a plastic whistle to get rid of. Why in the world did I save a plastic whistle?) papers, sometimes books. Trying to make good day to day judgement calls in my everyday life and using/using up things I have saved for "later". I'm 52. It's later.

I'm also starting to actually remove things from my house that i set aside to get rid of, but didn't because I couldn't go to the place to get rid of them.

Bean and family came over this afternoon. The kids helped Dh clear some brush, so I got a lot of time with Bean and not much done.

Dishes are a lot better though, but not the laundry. And the bucks have their annual vaccines, and are wormed and out in the new pasture with freshly trimmed hooves. That was a big challenge today. I need to buy another collar because I did not have a 22" in the correct color for the biggest buck. The color coding is important to help me keep track of bloodlines. For now he has the wrong color because his old collar was too small, but I have to change that before I forget.

Hello everyone! Hope you had a beautiful Easter!

It's nice having a clean home. Our dinner was moved up to a few hours earlier than I planned and it merely required me to set the table and put out clean towels in the bathroom.

One thing I've been actively working on is my mindset. When I pick something up, I take it all the way to where it is going. I know I've mentioned this before and I am now at the point where my brain says, put it in the cabinet not on the counter. Don't just put in bedroom put in drawer. It has helped me quite a bit to change the narrative in my head.

Ok off the work!

Hello and good morning!

I have a lot of work work to do yet wanted to check in. My friend left early this am. She ended up staying an extra night.

So last night She helped me with a lot of papers. Lila, we are getting a shredding truck on Friday to come to my boyfriend's business to shred old papers. In his basement, I found four work boxes, from a job I left many years ago and those will be going as part of his business records clean out. I'm also going through stuff here to include in the giant mobile shredder that will be at his work on Friday. My friend and I cleaned out my closet file cabinet, two other filing areas, then she cleaned and cleared one shelf in my closet. We have two giant bags for donation. It was hard. It was very hard work.

One thing we did was emotionally tough for both of us. I had a file from a friend's suicide in 2003. We were able to get rid of most of it. I think in the end I kept two pictures and the note he left me. I think the rest we got rid of. We enjoyed some of it I had cards he'd sent me over the years and I only kept one. I may be able to go through and further cut down on what I saved. Maybe five pieces of paper and two pictures. I may let the two pictures go. I had a bunch of him but for what. We threw out the various obituaries.

So I now have a completely clear shelf in my closet. It looks so nice.

A lot of work last night. I can't remember how we got started on it. We were trying to keep things light and pretending we were on Hoarders and so at one point I said this is where I'm going to need some alone time with Robin Zasio, or this is where Cory tells me we only have two days. We did it. Giant trash bag, giant recycling bag, two huge shredding bags and two bags for donation.

That's what I've been working on. I had to work really hard to stay hydrated.

My friend left early this AM; not sure when she'll be back. She'll have to pick up her cat once she's figured out where she will live. Her cat is at a different friend's house.

Tatoulia,

You are doing a great job keeping up with your home!

Right now these are the things I am trying to do:
Keep goats, rabbits, and chickens
Plant a big family feeding garden
Keep up with my house, dishes, and laundry
Be a hands on grandmother
Get ready for my parents to visit
Teach
Clean out and catch up from quarantine

I mean, wifing and pottery and doing something about this body didn't even make the list and I can't keep up!

The bunnies desperately need brushing and a spring trim, the barn is a mess, the flower beds are getting weedy, I'm behind on planting, the bed my parents will be sleeping in is covered with clean laundry, the bed my Dd will be sleeping in is covered in random stuff that has nowhere to go, the scullery is full of dirty dishes and moop, there are piles along the hallway, and I am behind on lesson plans again.

I didn't even keep up with today (fell behind on dishes and laundry and didn't completely clean up after Bean.)

Although - I had a great day with Bean. I took some containers for dsil and a bag of trash when I dropped Bean off (did I tell you all the Mondays are officially back on!?) (they let me use their trash now and then) I made Irish tea bread, I repotted a dozen tomatoes, I ran a load of wash, I picked up supplies for school at the studio shop, and I ran the dishwasher.

Yesterday I finished planting the strawberries and had a lovely afternoon with Bean.

I am good at babies.

Also - dsil gave me some black plastic to solarium part of my garden when I dropped Bean, so net about even.

I will get a good night sleep and try again tomorrow.

Checking in when I have had time to read.

Lila! Excellent work on getting the chair ready for sale! Very proud of you!

I love hearing about your plantings, SubC. Great that you got some time with your grandson!

I did just two loads of laundry today. I've done a good job of keeping the towels clean while friend was here bi haven't done her bedding yet. I can put her pillows away for now. Will need to wash her comforter.

I'm still working. Have a lot to do in order to be ready gor my new role. Have agreed to do both roles for now. We are hoping to hire my replacement ASAP.

Going to bed now. Kitty is sweet but definitely getting older. I have the fireplace on for her tonight.

Garbage out recycling out and clean kitty box. Swept up too.

Tatoulia, you got a lot accomplished and did a very hard thing!

I like your "imagine I'm on hoarders" game.

Btw Lila, a lot of us watch episodes for inspiration!

I got Bean all to myself again yesterday. 🙂 I love this, but I'm going to have to get more focused and efficient. I'm not really ready for school today.

I did almost catch up with the dishes, get half the clean laundry put away, wash two loads and dry one. I'm remembering the rhythm of life with a baby - but it's harder at 52 than 24!

I also have to lose some weight. I'm already almost 15 pounds heavier than my knees would like, and adding a 22lb baby on my hip does not help. Yesterday we took water to the goats and I realized I was carrying and extra 46lbs on top of my "extra" 15.

I post about all this other stuff because it relates to routine, executive function, and organization - working on getting control of my day to day life helps with getting control of my environment and vice versa.

This morning I think I will go to the used book store before work and take a pile of books to sell and see if I can find one or two good choices for Bean's basket.

We cross posted! Yay for the wonderful day and you did a lot! Great getting the trash out! You do so much I don't know how you do it! You are amazing!

I purposely didn't do laundry tonight because I didn't want to fold it. Pretty funny, right?

I got a notice from the state that I will receive a link tmr for my vaccine! Hope I can get an appt. have 24 hours to schedule. Fingers crossed!

SubC I am huge. I don't have any clothes that fit. First, I started baking with the pandemic. Second the pandemic has been a year. I think I've covered my reasons.

Going to do some laundry in a bit. I slept really well last night. After work I got the garbage out and my two donation bags to the car. I didn't take out my large recycling bag because it was very windy and I didnt want it to fly all over the place. I can take it to our bin later. I also did mom's groceries.

Today it's just been work.

What's going on everyone? Lila? CM? Any word from Tillie?

Good evening!

Tatoulia, I hope you got your appointment!

I am so tired, I want to go plant things, but I cannot find the energy. Got home from work almost two hours ago and all I have done is eat, read, and clean up the dishes.

I pulled off my lesson plans today and launched something that will give me a boost for the next few weeks. I vaccinated two goats and trimmed their hooves - two left to go for spring. I put away one load of laundry. I took the compost out.

Wednesday is my long school day, I don't have my stuff together for tomorrow, and tomorrow I start milking - looking forward to milk!

Ok, there is some daylight left - chores and whatever I can squeeze in.

Tatoulia, it's the pain.

It makes me feel so stupid - it's like the stuff - i need less stuff to make my space and life more functional, and I need less weight to make my knee more functional - and yet, I eat the cake knowing it will make my knee hurt, just like I used to bring things home knowing I had nowhere to put them.

Goid job with kaundry, garbage, and donations!

I took an armload of books to the store (I have more) and I bought two new books for Bean's basket. One about a vegetable garden and one about a sparkly dragon - with real sparkles.

I did chores and got one piece of black plastic laid out in the garden. I think I need to turn it, but it will do for now.

P.s. Tillie - my peach tree is blooming.

Tonight I am not eating the cake - literally.

Also I returned the incubator to school (where it belongs) and set it up in my classroom with a bunch of eggs. I'm not giving the eggs good odds because the chickens climbed in the nest with muddy feet, so the eggs all have muddy footprints on them, but it is what I have, and I talked with the kids about it. (You can't wash hatching eggs). If it doesn't work, we have time to try again. We set 21 eggs. I'll be happy if 7 hatch.

And I found the examples I needed for another class and took them in too, but they will come back to my studio again.

And I cleaned up a bunch of little things from the scullery counter and started the dishwasher.

You got a lot accomplished! Great job!

I hope your long day goes okay for you n

Took about two minutes to get my vaccine appt! Friday after work and within walking distance! I'm nervous. Hope it's the one-dose but someone told me it's the Pfizer two-dose.

We shall see.

Good day at work then ran errands with BF. Mom called me up, depressed and angry. I was kind and understanding. I did have to ask her to stop yelling at me.

I haven't told her about my promotion or my vaccine. I just let her talk.

Good morning.

I have three large bins packed with stuffed animals in my basement. Some of them were mine, some belonged to my kids but were not their favorites, and some, well...

Goodwill used to have big plastic trash bags of stuffed animals that they would sell unopened for $5 a bag as a way to clear out when they got too many. And I used to buy them. Because $5! The fun of discovery alone was worth $5! I would run them all through the washing machine and dryer on sanicycle. Any that didn't survive that treatment or come clean went to fabric recycling. The rest were either set aside to use as gifts (generally for my kids) or decorations - rabbits! Easter!, or redonated later when I noticed there were no bags and fewer animals on the shelves (the itemized deduction returned part of the $5 and I was helping with inventory control!)

But there were a number that never got gifted or donated. So, this morning I went downstairs to see if I could find a little cat for Bean's Easter basket (he loves cats) no cats. But I found him a little baby safe fist sized lamb. AND I chose three animals to donate (I'm going to do a drop on the way to school today to be sure I keep my resolve) and three that might make good classroom prizes. (My students love prizes) so, a reduction if 2 per bin, plus the lamb.

Good morning!

Tatoulia, my parents and three of my kids got Pfizer. None of them has had any bad reactions (the kids haven't had their second shot yet) and two weeks after the first shot it is just as good as J&J, but then it gets better.

I got an email from a former student and she is coming to see me on my planning period today. I kind of need my planning period for planning, but I want to see her, so I will enjoy that and figure out the rest later.

I put a little more laundry away last night. Trying to get this place decent before my parents come.

Little drive by

Weather was a pain last week; it's improving. We had some days with a tremendous amount of wind, even into this week. Can't work in the storage unit when it's like that. Plus I was having flare ups of that pain in my face, jaw, and even down to my collarbone. Dr. Google and I are discussing what it might be.

I think it's getting a little better, gradually. The wind might've been part of the problem, and the mask elastic which I've been trying to put on very loosely until I can get around to fixing it to something softer. And trying not to clench my jaws in my sleep, that does me no favors.

Just embarking on my observances of Holy Week with the Thursday liturgy tonight and Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and Easter morning. But I'll try to hop in on Sunday, like a bunny. More later!

Belated Happy Easter ✝️🐣🐥💐🐇

Slow start to this week after my weekend of church services (social distancing was still in effect), and chilly damp weather back today.

Feeling frustrated at my inability to collect my thoughts, much less figure out how and when to get going at the storage unit again. But I had been so tired on Easter that I took a long afternoon nap, which felt nice, but ever since I've succumbed to temptation and stayed up too late. So now in a sleep deficit most likely.

My goal of becoming a minimalist seems so far off, and the road so obscure. And there are these "new developments" that I don't feel ready to mention here but that definitely are intertwined with any plans I will make and with my overall mental state.

I need to talk about it all with God, which I have been doing and will continue to do. I also think it might help to talk it over with two hypothetical people. The first would be someone who knows me, some friend or family member, and at least somewhat knows my quirks (like anxiety). But is not judgmental.

The second would be someone objective yet kind, who doesn't know me, so could give a fresh perspective.

For now, I wrote a few thoughts down in my tablet.

Roommate gets 2nd Moderna shot Saturday.

FINALLY GOT my stimulus check today. About went broke waiting for it. Now if I can just hold onto at least some of it... 😐

Hi CM!

Good morning all!

CM, I'm glad your jaw us doing a little better. I hope it keeps improving.

Enjoy your weekend. I know this us a very special time for you. But also please be careful. I worry about all the people gathering at churches right now and I hope that yours will continue to keep you safe!

Yesterday I dropped off a big pile of goodwill stuff - the attendants no longer come out of the building and speak to you - you can just put your stuff in a bin and go. They have pre-signed receipts taped to the window. I know this could be a fraud concern, but I love the not talking to anyone part. I didn't even take a receipt because Dh just takes the standard deduction now.

I also dropped 4 paper bags of recycling and 5 plastic bags of plastic bags. The car left full and came home with two small bags of groceries - fruit, bakery bread, and chips and cookies for dh. The grocery store is still a lot for me, but it was better this time.

It got down to 22F last night. One of my apple trees was blooming, and I don't know how the daffodils will take it, but I think everything else will be all right. The tulips are still tightly closed. It's actually not supposed to get above freezing until after I leave for school today.

After school I get to go to Bean's house and take him his Easter basket.

I'm glad you received your check, CM! I hope that means my family will receive theirs.

My shot is Friday! Tomorrow!

Went for a nice long walk with BF after work tonight. Now I'm ready for bed. I haven't done my dishes and not sure I can muster the strength. Goodnight, dear friends. Goodnight, Tillie and Joan.

Good morning.

The monk is beautiful today.

Tatoulia - how much interest are you paying on the loan? If the loan interest is more than you would earn by saving the money, you should pay it off. If it is less, save the money.

Dishes are so piled up here. My plan is to work at home in the morning and then go to see Bean. Dd says I can come in the house now because I am fully vaccinated and they have their first shots.

Yesterday I went into the grocery store for the first time since April. (Not counting the evening Dh got his shot - that was not shopping and it was super stressful)

It was ok. Their were a few people wearing their masks incorrectly, but I stayed away from them. It was nice to be able to buy produce that looked good - and a loaf of bread from the bakery.

I also dropped off five plastic grocery bags full of plastic grocery bags to be recycled. I used one new plastic grocery bag because I used the "you scan" I thing I will be taking 5 bags to drop for recycling every week through April. The curbside pick up used so many plastic bags!

Then I went into the hardware store and got potting soil. Also ok.

I double masked both places. I think the fourth wave has started in the US, it is just going to be much more uneven this time. Also, I won't really feel comfortable until I am no longer teaching. (In June, not retired) because I spend most of my days around people who cannot get vaccinated.

Dh is already talking about going to a restaurant. I haven't told him yet that it won't be until June.

One of my students is a 15 y.o. diabetic, and my behavior choices are currently based on "how much risk does this expose that person to?"

There are 9 more weeks of school.

I think next week I will go to the used book store and take some books I have set aside to sell and shop for some books for Bean's Easter basket.

Excellent work, SubC! Very impressed with what you've been able to reduce! WTG! Tell bean that I too love kitties. My mother used to have the candy maker make me a chocolate kitty for Easter.

Cm Happy Easter.

The shredding truck came today. We kept thinking we'd go to a third bin but we didn't even fill one! But apparently came close. BF was very happy with the service. Quick.

I had my house cleaned today. Really want to do this every week. I'll think about it.

Good morning!

So much good news!

I am tired and overwhelmed, behind on my garden and my house is still mostly a mess, but pretty good for me.

Yesterday my dishwasher dropped dead. We will be hand washing a lot of dishes this weekend.

Because when I get home from work, my parents will be in my house! With my Dd and dsil and Bean!

In 2019, for the first time ever, we decided not to get together at Christmas. So I have not seen my parents since early fall of 2019. Over a year and a half.

It is going to be hard to concentrate at school today.