I have covid, again. My aunt also has covid again and another friend. And we are all vaccinated. How can you be vaccinated, get covid, and then get it again?? I don't know. But my brain hurts, I am very tired and it is hard to think. I have so much to catch up on. Back later after I drink coffee and try to wake my brain up.

Oh no, Lila! I am so sorry. Do you feel ill? Or mainly mad that you're having to deal with it again? I wonder how many people have gotten it multiple times and just didn't know they had it the first time. Sending hugs.

Good morning.

Lol on the sub Road.

Half of my classes actually have excellent sub plans. Because I teach pottery, I created a sub plan that can be stretched over three days, stands alone, and can be "taught" by someone who knows nothing about pottery. It also says "if any students want to finish something they are already doing and can do so independently - let them." it has been the same plan for 11 years. As long as I'm not absent in September it works. (It uses the first skills I teach them and assumes the kids can find stuff in the room.)

Two of my classes are evolving and semi-student directed, so the sub plan can't be written until the end of the class before, and the other seven - yikes. For the animal studies class my plan is "find a teacher who knows about horses and have them talk about horses." (Because horse people are common here and I am not one) there is some science-y horse info for them to throw in. And for Dungeons and Dragons my plan is pretty much "teach from hospital bed remotely." Alternately - "find an adult who plays and have them run a one shot. If they can't run a one shot, they don't actually play." In a real emergency, get an art friendly sub and have them draw their characters or invent a monster or magic item.

Road, is the stuff in your room stuff that had no home, or does your Dh just throw everything in your room because he doesn't want to put it away or doesn't know where it goes? And is the rest of your house actually clean now?

Tatoulia did not spend money! Yay Tatoulia!

Lesson plans, finishing extra work, and teaching today. Also trying to make house one step better. I have a small box of things to take in to school, so actually, if I clean up after myself today, that will do it.

Great work, SubC, and thanks for the support.

I saw BF, stopped by mom's to drop off some stuff, but due to active covid in the building, they wouldn't let me up. I had suspected that as they were shutting down the dining room last night as I arrived. . I was still willing to go in with my two masks just to see her. But they've closed the building and I had to respect that. Good thing I had her place cleaned on Wednesday. It is so much nicer not having crumbs and other stuff collect on the floor. I'm sure she feels better, too.

I worked tonight and right now I'm waiting for fleece items, including a blanket, to dry. I showered and put on pjs.

I have my place very warm right now (too warm for me) but it is going to be bitterly cold on Tuesday so I feel like I have to keep it as warm as possible now. It is very drafty and very cold in my apt. The 12' ceilings don't help. But it's very warm for kitty.

Good morning.

Our semester ends a week from Friday. Evaluations are due the following Tuesday. I have just realized that with the number of students I have this year, it is going to take me about 40 hours to write all the evaluations (mostly unpaid) since I cannot do 40 hours of work between Friday evening and Tuesday morning (Monday being a Bean day) and I can only do so many in a row before I start to burn out, I need to start writing these ASAP (before the semester actually ends.) I hate evaluations.

AND this week they want me to set up virtual access for kids who are sick or in quarantine. Which will also involve alternative lesson plans, packing materials kits, and a bunch of other stuff I swore I wasn't going to do (but not for entire classes.)

Ok.

I have a plan.

Today Tatoulia and Lila are going to spend no money (and Lila is going to do her goal things including decluttering something), Road is going to remember her laundry, CM is going to find a little peace and order in her day. And Subclinical is going to make peace with her circumstances and dig in to some of the administrative €>@? that goes along with her job (after she plays with Bean and while taking care of her animals and making her house just a little better.)

Go!

I can do this! Thank you!

Good morning all. Thank you for thinking of me. I read all your updates. It sounds like there is a lot of good going on! Little bits of decluttering here and there really add up.

Yesterday was long. A whole bunch of people I know have covid. I am delivering groceries and such to some families today (porch drop) and I cancelled a work meeting because both people I was supposed to meet with have covid.

I am not sleeping well at all, and I am tired. My dog barked several times last night. He doesn't usually. Plus I tossed and turned a lot.

I feel very unmotivated today and surely would waaste my day sitting here watching tv if I did not have my volunteer obligations, so I am thankful for that, even though I don't feel like doing them. I will feel better when I get out.

My last 2 days were totally plant based and I feel good about that. This morning I have a very storng craving for scrambled eggs but I dunno. I am trying to just hold out. I should get busy. I am waiting for people to text me their grocery lists.

Yesterday I decluttered some vegetables (that counts, right?) I had a huge bag of carrots from a garden that needed to be sorted, washed and put away.

I feel so blah. I hope I feel better soon. I have a coffee date this afternoon as well.

Hi all, I'm reading through the posts. I always come back here think I missed a day and it's always 3,5, 7! Lol oh well.

Still waiting to hear from doc. But the results of the MRI seem to be ok, lab work is mostly normal, still not sure on the neck.pretty low mood last few days and. Hoping for a better day tomorrow. I will try to pop back on later...

So how did it go?

Lila, decluttering vegetables helps. And thank you for delivering people groceries!

I did very well on the playing with Bean part. Also did well on the taking care of animals and my house is a little better than it was this morning.

I spent three hours doing the NEW stuff the administration threw at me today and responding to parent emails. I also have lesson plans for 2 out of 3 classes.

I discovered I can't setup virtual classrooms at home, so I will need to do that at school tomorrow - probably stealing time from my kids who are actually in class so that the tech guy will be around to help me in case I run into trouble. Robbing Peter to pay Paul..

I have done nothing for evaluations except experience stress.

My house is a little better..

Subc, you will appreciate this - the H took off Friday to come to the mri appt. was hesitant to take a day since staffing is tight right now due to Covid. Turned out one of the teachers on his team is out with Covid and guess who was subbing for her - the district superintendent. This is a Covid only phenomenon, we are a very large unit school district with 20 schools, pre-K-12. I said, does she keep up with her lesson plans and he said she was meticulous. I said, good thing he wasn't subbing for you! But it's good for these administrators - who inevitably have very limited classroom experience - to get in the trenches so to speak...

Tatoulia, the dining room at my parents place shut down last week I think. So they bring all the meals to each residents door now as they did for awhile last year. Are you concerned at not being able to physically visit your mom? I hope that doesn't need to last for too long.

I use Almost all white sheets, towels, comforters, (and dishes too)... it's just easier I think and you can use bleach if you need to. But I do use gray washcloths in the car and downstairs bathroom because my son is murder on towels.

Lila, my Facebook feed has been full of friends and acquaintances testing positive also. Way more than any other week since it started.

When I was in a better place quite a few years ago now, jeesh - I developed these fairly elaborate worksheets to use every day to plan, track activity, money spent, creative endeavors, diet and health goal tracking... the works. I used someone else's form as a jumping off point and then customized it completely. I wish I had an operational computer set up right now to update the forms but for now I'm just using old ones. If/when I update them I'd add a clearing category to track garbage and donations out and specific projects and progress.

Had a bit of a set back over the weekend as the H went on a frenzied cleaning spree right after he blew up at me for what. The condition of the house I assume. I've blocked it out now. The problem with this well ingrained pattern - well, there are so many things wrong with it. But I end up shutting down and just want to crawl in a hole. But anyway, so a bunch of stuff ended up coming back in my room and now it's as full as it was a few weeks ago. I'm telling myself eventually there will be less out of place to get dumped in my room, and there will be less in my room so if he does that it won't overwhelm the space (and me).

I think I will hit send and try to come back again.

Hi everyone. It certainly is understandable to feel blah right now.

I fell asleep after work. Like you, SubC, a bunch of things just landed on my work lap when I was already overtaxed. I fell asleep after work.

Accomplishments, small as they may be
1. I got a donation bag to my car (over the weekend accomplishment)
2 I took the wreaths off of my windows and I have them out back with the trash
3. Trash out/clean kitty box

That sums it up. I'm going to work on my dishes now.

The bitter cold arrives tonight.

What a good feeling to have your house in better shape than it was on NY day and this AM! Great work! SubC I love the look of solid and patterned towels together! I do live out my ideas of pretty colors and patterns in my purchases for mom's towels and bedding. Brings me great happiness. When I veer off from a white bed at home, my happiness wanes. Before I started de hoarding, I would change my bedding into various colors and patterns (although always white sheets) and it turned out I was housing six or seven duvets, comforters, bedspreads, etc. insanity.

Lila, I buy cheap white washcloths for my face. Not super cheap but not the usual LaCoste brand I purchase for the towels. And I swap them out fairly frequently. I cannot get my makeup off of them. Before anyone comes over, I change all the towels in the bathroom and I squirrel away the washcloth in the tub. When my friend was living here, she had a very specific face care regimen that didn't require my face cloths. When i had one of my mother's friends visiting, I bought her a set of different colored towels, which I ultimately donated. So if I thought my sister was coming for a visit, I'd buy towels that I think she'd like, and then I'd probably send them home with her.

At Christmas Eve, I had three different white hand towels out and I told BF and friend to decide which one they were using. BF shouted, I'm using the one with the alligator, which is pretty funny since each of them have the LaCoste alligator on them.

Good morning - I suppose.

Today was one of the few days I can sleep in, but I woke at 5:30 from horrible dreams. Mr. kitty is quite glad because he was outside all night and was eager to come in. The temperature is up to 41, but he would like me to turn off the rain.

I am not rushing out to the barn because nobody will want to go outside, and their water won't be frozen. I forgot I had to go to the feed store yesterday, and it is closed today. So the chickens will have to eat goat feed for dinner. They will be terribly sad (actually they will be delighted - but goat feed is more expensive.)

I cannot keep all the balls in the air at once.

Actually, my brain is very quiet this morning now that I have escaped from my dreams. It's a strange feeling. I'm not sure what I will get into today, but I will report back.

Good morning, SubC. I'm sorry about your vivid dreams. Never good. Try to give yourself some breathing room and don't be hard on yourself. This pandemic makes it very hard to keep things together. You also had a very hard week. Embrace the quiet and know that you are not alone.

Good afternoon.

So far I have been pretty lazy. I did bake biscuits and Irish tea bread, but I have not cleaned up the baking things.

Dh took down the outside lights and I removed extraneous objects from the little front porch and swept the leaves off of it.

When I was cleaning out that closet I found a box marked "fragile" it was part of a very fancy child's tea set. 4 plates, 4 saucers, a sugar bowl and teapot - both with lids, 3 cups, and a chipped creamer. It belonged to my mom's mom. I called Mom today and we agreed that I should get rid of the chipped creamer and one of the plates - which was cracked and stained in the crack. I'm not sure how much that helps since for now I'm just going to wrap the rest back up and put it back in the same box. But it's something?

I also realized I forgot all about the new aprons ds and ddil gave me for Christmas for pottery - they were tucked out of the way on a bench - so I've tossed those in the wash and will take them to school Tuesday.

This morning I had huge ambitions of getting all my lesson plans ready for the week - which is still what I should be doing, but all I want to do is sit by the fire and read or do puzzles.

Dd is bringing Bean here tomorrow and working from our porch again because her office is closed due to covid. I really need to clean the table off for her.

SubC I'm still in my pjs. Okay about the getting rid of two broken things but still the same box. You got rid of two things. You are lighter. It's volume and weight. Plus, your ability to get rid of the two broken ones shows how far you've done and shines a light on your future. Congratulations!

Me again. I'm going to have to extend my no spend to February 13. This will coincide with my credit card closing period. My credit card is paid in full each month but I need to have some months where it is below $2000 or even better, below $1500.

Tatoulia, thank you for posting. I came back for a break and it really helped to have a response.

You can make it on the no spend! We will help and support you!

Instead of working on my lesson plans (which are the one thing I assigned myself today) I have been working on clearing the dining porch table for dd to work tomorrow.

Some of it has been extremely hard as it included records and notes and class plans and various ephemera from the horrible year of hybrid teaching and not getting to see my kids. I have set some of that aside to file for use in planning future classes, but most has been recycled. I have four more class folders to work through.

Some things I have managed to put away in their actual home, and some (a good chunk!) have been tossed in the recycle bag. But, I have to confess that I have been making a pile in a chair. The pile is entitled "things with no obvious or easily accessible destination that I do not need this week". I know that I am supposed to have stopped piling things on chairs. I will put the pile back on the dining table after Dd goes home tomorrow? Maybe in two or three sections so that it doesn't fall over, but there were five piles half as tall as my chair pile when I started, plus other stuff. So I feel like this is ok?

I have been trying to move as fast as possible while I feel like I have the strength for this.

Ok.

The dining table is clear. (The chair is not)

*All the clean laundry is put away.

The dishwasher is running and the kitchen is clean, but there are some dishes waiting in the scullery sink.

My house is DEFINITELY better than it was this morning.

And I did *yoga and my *daily reflection/planning.

*'d items are on my new habits list.

I did not do lesson plans (as usual for weekends. I just can't seem to get it together.) - I actually got out my little folding desk and put some stuff on it, but now I will just have a short time in the morning before I need to put it all away when Bean comes.

For now - chores and bed!

Lila, I think 12 habits is too many.

I am the queen of biting off more than I can chew. Over and over I set out ambitious goals and lists and then I slowly fail. Almost everyday I make a "to do" list that I fail to "do".

That is why I am trying something new this year. Starting 50 new habits is a lot more than I have ever attempted, but I am simply trying to START them by the end of the year. I actually started with two, and I think the daily reflection has been the most important one - as I am working on my reflections, I am being honest with myself. And as a result, there have been several days when I have only put the things I actually NEED to do on my to do list. (I made another list we shall call the "maybe get around to" list) I do check the mgatl every day in case something needs to move to the other list.

I also have a list of "habits I might want to add" but I am adding no more than two a week, with zero being a possibility if I feel like I need more time to consolidate the other habits. This way I can focus on a few things at a time until they actually BECOME habits and don't need much focus.

Today I am working on dog training and my health. I need to find something to declutter, also. And take a shower.

Everyone is coming down with covid around here. I don't really want to go out. I am working tomorrow unless things get cancelled. There are so many covid cases that it could happen.

Today I drank just coffee with a little soy creamer in the morning. Lunch was a kale smoothie which tasted about as good as it sounds, but I'd rather drink it than chew it. So I got that into me. Next up is my vitamin and more water and maybe a carrot or an orange. Not sure what's for dinner. I have some "cauliflower rice" in the freezer but not sure what to make with it. Anyone have a good/easy rice dish?

What are you all doing today?

Lila, I think health and dog training are good things. They will both pay dividends. If your health improves you will have more energy to apply to other things. And if your dog gets trained, he will need less energy and also cause fewer problems, which will use less time and energy (and possibly money)

Are those two of your 12? I went back to Christmas and couldn't find your list. Maybe I missed it, or maybe you didn't share it. Do you want to share it?

My house is better than it was when I got up this morning.

The dishwasher is running with only one bowl that didn't fit (there will be dinner dishes later).

There are zero loads of laundry waiting to be put away, one load in the dryer, one in the wash, and zero (not zero laundry, just zero loads) in the dirty basket. The new towels are washed and hung up, and all 3 new comforters are washed and on the beds.

I chose one antique quilt for the double bed, and it looks really nice. I put a knitted afghan and matching pillows on one queen, and I am waiting to do the other queen bed another day. It will be a treat for me to get the quilts out of the chest and choose one. I might even lay out a couple and zoom my mom to help me choose - her grandmother made them and she is lonely and bored because of covid.

Dh and I were supposed to go to a concert tonight, but his stomach is bothering him. He hasn't been anywhere since the kids left last week except to visit his friend who hasn't been anywhere except our DD's house.

SubC, I didn't share, but they are on my habits list. Getting healthier is subdivided though. Here are my habits

drink a veggie smoothie
use the stepper
take a walk
dog training
declutter something
take vitamins
floss
plant based diet
memorize Bible verses
learn Spanish
yard work
online classes

That's my dozen, plus I am just making an effort to drink more water. Some of these I aim to do every day while others I want to do regularly. Like the yard work is nearly impossible right now so I don't feel bad for not marking it daily, although one day I did go out in the snow and trim back some plants. Online classes is kind of a work in progress.

I have been pretty slow today, mostly sitting. One of my main issues is motivation and if I could just make myself get up and do something I would feel better but I don't wanna.

Ok, here are my suggestions - I see six health based. I have four days I try to do yoga, but my goal is three days a week. I try to give myself some slack.

I think you should choose train dog and vitamin and do one other health thing and I think you should concentrate on accomplishing that every day.

That doesn't mean you can't try to do all the health things, it means you focus on the one, and if you do it, you have succeeded. You do it EVERY day so it becomes a habit.

I am also trying not to forget my vitamins, but it is not on my list. It was not the most important to me. I forgot once last week - and also tonight, brb..ok. but the other things are more important right now because they make a bigger difference. I don't have "set up coffee maker" on my list, even though it makes a difference to my morning, because it is a habit. I almost never forget.

Hey Road, check your laundry! 😁

Once those three things become habits integrated into your life, go back to the list and choose whatever is most important and add it. Even if you only add one a month, you will be doing them all by the end of the year.

My new pajamas arrived - gonna go switch over the laundry and start a fresh load to wash them.

SubC I am excited for your new comforters, towels and pjs. My favorite things! And naturally I adore the use of your great-grandmother's quilts

All of my bedding and towels are white. I do have some sheets that are white with blue stripes, i make a few exceptions for some blue in my sheets. I love the look of other people's beds with color and quilts. So pretty. I'm glad you have new towels!

I woke up late today after being up twice in the night. Once around 3:30 AM so I unloaded the dishwasher, and again at 5:30 so I fed the kitty and had some water.

I had a good long phone call with a friend today. Then I got outside to get some groceries for mom. The supermarket was crowded with lines going down the aisles. I didn't get everything she asked for because I just wanted to get out of there. When I got to her place, they were shutting down the dining room due to covid. I gave her groceries to an aide and came home and showered. I just made dinner (which I will give only a C+ to) and now I'm reading. We have the fireplace on and kitty has gone back to bed.

Lila good for you on the water! I drink an insane amount of water. Really astounding. I have been thirsty my entire life. My parents used to make a big thermos of koolaid to keep in the car for me. I was just so thirsty. People tend to be shocked at my intake. One meal could easily require two liters of water. I also drink juice and coffee and tea but it's water that I need the most

I might go to bed early again tonight. I'm tired.

Tatoulia, I tried to switch to all white towels a few years ago. As we needed more, we bought only white, and then donated the torn/threadbare colored ones. But what has happened is my daughter and her friends who come sleep over used a whole stack of washcloths and hand towels in her bathroom to wash off makeup. They did this with a while stack before I noticed and they threw them in the wash with all this black makeup on them. I assume eye liner and mascara, probably waterproof. Now I have all of these white towels with black stains. I tried hot water with bleach added, and stain spray, but no luck. Ideas?

SubC, thank you for the suggestions. I think you're right and it's a bit much. As I already have them written into my planner for all of January, I think I will just highlight the ones I am prioritizing this week. Vitamin, dog training, smoothie. Then if I do others I can mark them, even though they are not the priority yet. I did all 3 of those today.

I also ate no meat products today so was totally plant based. My cardiologist wanted me to do this although he said fish is fine.

Today I managed to put all the dogs' water and food bowls through the dishwasher so those are clean.

I am sitting here working on the banking/budget stuff right now.

I have to work tomorrow and wish I did not, but I will keep it minimal.

Oh dear Lila,

I have no idea how to get make up off of anything - I don't use it.

I think highlighting the main goals and leaving the rest to check off as bonus is a great idea!

You did well today!

I was not plant based today because I had an apple muffin made with butter and eggs.

I like a mix of solids and patterns for towels. Most of my walls are white. Not designer white - the actual white paint before they put any colors in it to tint it - so, basically primer. I like to change up the colors in the room by changing the things that are out. Especially now that more of them are out on purpose..

My pajamas and some unmentionables are drying and everything else that was washed is dry and put away.

The dirty dishes are all in the dishwasher.

I cleaned up everything that was new today except the mail. The house is better than it was when I got up this morning. And also better than New Year's Day.

SubC, I'd feel sad too but you didn't fail the child, or the school, or yourself. Just remember that.

Road I am thinking about you.

Lila I love the way you are thinking. You decided these pants make me unhappy. Isn't that an amazing lesson? I learned that here. If something aggravates me every time I interact with it, then time to go.

CM I am so sorry about your roommate getting sick. I wasn't clear why you slept in the back (I don't think you share a room) and then I thought, stomach bug, plumbing problems, and it all came into focus.

I am shredding papers today. I had stashed some at Christmas and now they are spread out in my dining table, which drives me nuts. I like walking into my hime and seeing a nice clean table. So these will be taken care of very soon.

It's not lost in me that i had my friend put my Christmas stuff away, which is pretty arrogant. But I thought about it ahead of time and I knew I'd hate it and I figured she'd not mind and would probably love it. But again it seems like I've gotten a little too good at outsourcing my tasks. BUT I did the dishes while she was here and cleaned the kitchen and swept the floor, which is something that she usually does. Okay I'm doing a terrible job trying to justify my laziness. SCREAMING NEON GIAT SOCKS

Giant hugs to all!

That's good Road! Let us know when you're home and can decompress.

Tatoullia, I learned that here too. Even though they were newish and I need pants, I don't need pants that aggravate me. There was nothing I could do to the pants to make them tolerable so out they go. Someone here also said, the money is not wasted when you donate or throw it out. The money was already wasted/spent when you bought the item. That helps me a lot.

I ran a few errands and took that box with the pants etc and donated it. I have been second guessing a few items in that box and I wanted to get it gone before I started pulling things back out.

I washed my sheets and they are in the dryer. Blanket is in the wash. Unloaded the dishwasher and re-loaded it and am running it a second time.

I am trying really hard not to waste my day.

CM. I hope you had fun sewing tonight. And that you get some rest.

Also hoping all is peace and at least some relief at the road household by now. Just waiting on the all clear.

Lila, I am so proud of you for sending those donations off! Bravo! I think you are making very good spending decisions as well. Amazing progress lady. And so nice that the gift card turned up to reward you.

Tatoulia,
It is lovely that your friend helps out when she visits. Don't be so hard on yourself.

The screaming goat socks are lime green. I just thought you needed to know that.

I sent two students home for not feeling well today. One of them is a friend of ❤️Gs - who was absent but I did not get a note why and ❤️Dd is not answering her phone - a bit concerned there.

My student who left my class was replaced from the waiting list by a very sweet new child today.

I pulled off some last minute lesson plans that involved a lot of independent seatwork so I could have some downtime today. The kids seemed to enjoy it. I didn't even get any complaints in the two classes where some of them had to take the projects tbc as homework.

I don't know if I will make much progress on my house tonight, but Dh did some dishes, and I have been gone, so it won't take much to at least be better than it was when I woke up. Tomorrow I will try to dig in again and clear the backlog from Wednesday.