Hi CM! Keeping my fingers crossed for you re the tires. I'm waiting gor plumber and his plumber to come fix my bathroom sink. Been without it since before Christmas but cannot push because I don't want to pay the kind of prices that pushing would entail!

I'm puttering and dancing. Changing sheets and puttering. Puttering is the best for me.

Glad you continue to heal and thank you for your support. The support here is crucial to my future successes.

I finished all the laundry!

I feel sort of like that, yeah, that it's a chronic thing rather than actual decluttering per se - but I will say that when it's piled up I am discouraged about the other piles around and under it. So I think keeping it caught up does help me in that respect. Reduces the visual clutter and discouragement.

And while I'm still waiting on the tires I can't go out and do storage unit stuff. I can declutter here, of course, and I will. I did hear from my mechanic earlier this afternoon but now am not hearing anything further. And I sure hope I can get those tires put on because I have an opportunity to cat sit from Wed-Sun - but on the other side of town! So I NEED reliable tires!

If I can just get them I will be doing such a happy dance!

I do loads of laundry each week. It makes no difference in the cleanliness of my home. It is something that info automatically. I can't count it as progress. Like changing my sheets, which I go a minimum of once a week. Those things can't count and don't represent progress for me.

Since I've written I've puttered, gotten the recycling out and taken some stuff to boyfriend that I thought he and his employees could consume (I received a large number of gift baskets this year--did not keep any of the baskets). I'm working on a donation bag (including shoes I couldn't give up before) and I'm trying to consolidate Christmas stuff. I've visited mom and now I'm back home, ready to keep moving in the right direction.

GO!!!! Tatoulia 😀

We posted st the same time, Tillie! Going to work on my grubby house now. So tired of it.

Happy New Year! Great to read your posts! I am going to put on music and get to work. I'm tired of the house looking this way.

Loved reading all of your posts--inspirational.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
Hi Joan 🙂
Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Hi Anonymoniker 🙂

Wonderful to read all your posts! 😀
Still sick here but I think I am getting better.
Every day I did manage to scoop litter boxes and feed & water the cats.
Kitchen is a mess of pots & bowls & etc...
House is sorta grubby too.
But that will all have to wait till I'm a little better.
Need to get some more food someday. Really want more oranges.
Worst part of being sick is all the catching up to do once I feel better.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Lets all make this the best one ever! 😀
(((HUGS)))

Well, I couldn't pass up wishing everyone a great New Year! Here in Central Standard Time we've still got about an hour of 2016 to go. I will not be sad to say goodbye to it; as years go, it was too crazy and stressful. I feel optimistic about 2017.

Tillie, I sure hope this finds you feeling better, and others who are catching this stuff this winter. My housemate's allergies had been real bad, she had to go to the doctor, and I wonder if some parts of the country didn't get a hard enough freeze to kill pollens and stuff. Well, whatever it is, everybody get well and stay well!

Oh, and so cool that you had the opportunity to work with George Lucas! I saw Star Wars in 1977 and that led to my being a sci-fi fan and to a love of writing. I haven't seen Rogue One yet, waiting for the crowds to thin out. And for the money! It's really mind blowing about Debbie Reynolds too, yet understandable - the mother daughter bond, and the stress. RIP Carrie & Debbie.

I've still been in limbo with my mechanic and not gotten the new tires - he had his own medical issues and is going to have to have surgery, but the plan at the moment is for the tires to go on tomorrow. Pray it happens! A few days ago he had to come out to where I was visiting a friend and put on the "spare" which is not in good shape either but the tire it replaced had completely given way between the treads and was starting to go flat. I am SO thankful the vehicle was parked and I noticed it, instead of having it blow out in last minute Christmas shopping traffic that day!

I've caught up this weekend on 2/3 of the laundry, sewn buttons on a sweater, logged some financial records on the computer, and best of all did some acrylic painting! Where I live it has been hard to set up for that but since I'm by myself this weekend I managed it. And somehow I'm going to find a way to keep going, because it's one of my major passions and I've missed doing it for a long time.

Plenty of other ambitions in my little noggin for 2017 as well - more ideas for how I can chip away at the clutter, and feeling renewed zeal for my various projects. My recovery from the October surgery seems to really be kicking into high gear, too. Energy is returning and the little pain twinges of things knitting together inside are diminishing, mostly gone in fact. I had hoped to start my gym workouts this month with gentle walks, swims, etc. but the tire problem hindered that. Hoping in January to start.

Anony, if you were in Harry Potter, would your Patronus be a skunk? LOL! 🙂 I know mine would be a bunny because bunnies are my favorite animal. Kitties are a very close second, of course.

Hey, I am sniffly tonight. Tillie, I think I am catching your cold! Ahhhhhhh, the dangers of the Internet. . .

Have a great New Year's, everyone. Anony, your jacket sounds so fun!

~☆~Happy New Years Eve, All!!!~☆~
Tatoulia, sleeping may be the best thing for you now, while you have the chance? It may help you process new solutions & give you new insights & make priorities clearer, as well as the rest being good for you?!
I washed my vintage opera coat & have it hanging up to dry in here with the heater, but it smells really yucky...its a smell a lot of my clothes have aquired over the years...im thinking of smudging it with sage...ha ha...i really dont like perfume, plus were going to a hippy town tonight, so sage smoke smell is already very...um...fashionable...ha ha

Waking up to one clean kitchen counter was such a joy. I need to wake up to all clean kitchen counters.

Dreamt I moved into an old, furnished apartment and it was so clean. The drapes and furniture were definitely used and yet the place was clean.

I can do better than I'm doing. I'm sleeping instead of doing.

Hi Joan, glad you are doing better! Hi Anony, your cape sounds beautiful. I hope the skunk didn't ruin it.

Hi Tillie, oh being sick is no fun. Keep resting and fluids.

We had a short day at work today and after napping, im going to do some cleaning here. I don't want to see this stuff in the new year.

Joan, that is really interesting to me & ive been thinking about it a lot all day. Do you know what tradition its symbolism comes from? Totems sounds kind of Native? Is it?
Its especially weird cuz im looking for dressy black & white clothes for this event! The whole time i can smell the skunk's scent! Im finally going to have an opportunity to wear the vintage black velvet with white silk lining opera coat that i got in New York whole visiting my sister last century!!! YIPEEEE!!! 😀 😀 😀
....another full sized skunk that comes around, but not inside, is the most beautiful, fluffy & exotic, clean skunk ive seen in years! It defies all skunk stereotypes!!! ha ha ;D

Yes, that is the point, Anony.

Skunks command respect. They come around you to teach you to do the same. That is why skunk is one of your totems.

Have a great weekend and New Year‼️

Hi Everybody

Hoping today is the worst of it.
Still in bed here at 2:30pm.
But otherwise I'm still alive ;/
Take care & I will be back as soon as possible.
(((hug)))

.......but youre right, Joan. Im not respected. I rarely ever lie, but am usually not believed...even about my own experiences....these skunks could not have disrespected me more...but its true, im not respected by humans, either....

Hi Joan! Im glad to hear your health is improving!
Its interesting about skunks representing disrespect, cuz they are absolutely oblivious to my space, and im sure that holds true for many other creatures' space as well! What tradition is that symbolism in? Its funny cuz in many ways they remind me of the human race; having no respect for other life or boundaries. I think they are the real Kings Of The Jungle, not the lion...everything, regardless of size runs from them...except cars! At least with these little mini-skunks...they will chase you while aiming their butt at you, running on their front legs! They are a whole new level of bold!
I think today i will clean out those drawers it trashed, or maybe the area i want to store canned foods!
~Have an awesome day everyone!~

Anony, the spirit of the skunk is still with you. Skunk may be one of your totems. Skunk is about respect, getting respect.

Health isuues still take up my time. Garbage and mulch are both moving through pretty regularly at last. I am in an urban area, but cannot throw food remains down the drain, so I save them in my fridge and mulch them at the food store (Whole Foods). Plastic (bags, etc.) get recycled, and there is a recycling bin for plastic containers and paper.

Still choking with saved containers and too much paper. The allergy drops I began a couple of months ago are enabling me to EAT again. I was down to 3 or 4 foods, and still coughing all night. Medication gave me bad stomach pain. It was becoming another desperate situation. Now I am eating more foods and still not coughing most nights.

Saved again. . .I've lost count.

Everybody be well in the new year. It is the first year of the one in the new energy, so bodacious new beginnings to all❗️❗️❗️

Wow, Tillie, working with George Lucus sounds exciting!
I just had to send the skunk in my winter clothes drawer to be with his other family members. It feels aweful, but necessary. Now i can clean out the mess in that drawer & also finally find an outfit for the New Years Eve Black & White Ball...i just feel sad about it...he trusted me...Black & White Ball...ha ha...i hadnt even thought about the skunk being in a black & white 'outfit' too till now...ha ha...(sigh)

Glad you are taking good care of yourself, Tillie! I bet your nose is sore from all the Kleenex!

Got a lot of laundry done today. Going to finish up one more load then go to bed.

Hope everyone is doing ok.

I miss Diane, LR, Roxie, Bitsy and everyone else. I don't need to name you to miss you.

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Hi Everybody 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
WAY TO GO!!! Start 2017 without that stuff! 😀
Yep, I did work for George Lucas. 😀
Nice that you can work from home sometimes and spend your break times doing things there.

So far so good with this head cold.
Only used half a box of 120 count tissues today. ;P
Sat and stared at nothing a lot.
Had 8 cups of noodle soup, 2 bananas, yoghurt and lots of tea with lemon and honey.
Scooped litter boxes and took out the trash, YEA!
Been applying Vicks VapoRub to my neck area and I can't even smell it. But the cats are staying away from me. ;D
Nice because usually they snuggle when I'm feverish and they make me too hot. LOL

and today Debbie Reynolds dies 🙁

losing Carrie just broke her heart.

Oooh Tillie--you worked with George Lucas! Star Wars is something I do with my brother. He is hooked and when we go see one of the movies, he talks about it for days. We saw Rogue One just before Christmas.

Tillie I hope you can fight off any illness. I do rest and liquids.

Am going to work from home tomorrow. I have plenty to keep me st work but I just want to be home. Will get more Christmas boxes out and I have a bin of Christmas stuff that I need to find homes for the contents. I do not want this in my hallway in 2017. end of year challenge accepted, dear Tillie.

Take care of yourselves, everyone.

Hi to all Happy Hoarders! 😀
Tillie, yes, i have several of those feral shelters in each outbuilding, that i made a few years ago. Im more concerned with the ferals bullying my current cats, and of course, a feral having kittens here...and i saw that new black kitty again yesterday, kind of close up, and it didnt run off...it may be a stray, in other words tame, and if it does have kittens, theyll be easier to tame if their Mom is not afraid of me....if it doesnt happen too fast...im hoping its just a neighbor cat that likes the gourmet food my cats have?!
The skunk made noise all night. I just wasnt up to dealing with it. Its always somewhat traumatic at Christmas time cuz of the dynamics with my human-birth-family. My Mom told me in her Christmas card that i jyst got that she became a Great-grandmother last fall. Weve emailed a lot since then but she never mentioned that cuz im sure my sister didnt want me to know. I honored our Dad-s wishes in his will over covering for her embezzling ex-husband....id really, REALLY like to know how she wouldve handled the impossible situation she put me in. Ok. End of rant. I cried all day yesterday. Today will be focused on happy things! I read about making dirtbag homes & im thinking about doing that? So, instead of living in a dirty home, i can build one where the dirt is in bags, creating the walls?! ha haha ha ;D ~♡~

Good Morning Everyone 🙂

Yes, very sad.
"May the force be with you" Carrie.

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
I've seen all the Star Wars movies and enjoyed them all too.
One day as I was working for George Lucas he asked me what I thought of the latest one and was very happy to find that I was a true fan of the films. 😀

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Thank you (((hug)))
YEA!!! for white mountains!
Unfortunately, when doing a big decluttering project some things get tossed in the heat of the moment that maybe should have been kept.
But it will be ok.
You will find a replacement and maybe even a better one than the original one.
Youtube has videos titled "feral cat shelters".
They may give you some ideas. 😉

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
YEA!!! for sharing pizza! 😀
WAY TO GO!!! for having gotten so much garbage out of your home! (((HUGS)))

Yesterday evening started feeling sorta sickly.
A nasty head cold coming on. 🙁
Will drink lots of liquids, take ibuprofen, netipot, warm salt water gargles and wait it out.
Otherwise, I am just fine and dandy. ;P
Planned to wash out litter boxes today, light the burn barrel, etc.
Maybe tomorrow. 🙂

Hello Everyone--agreed so sad re Carrie Fisher. What a loss.
Good to hear from you, CM. Anony how nice to have snow! We were above 50F today if you can believe it!

I way overslept today and got to work at ten. Such is life.

Am making dinner (got a take n bake pizza, Tillie, to celebrate with you). Just unloaded the dishwasher. Was so pleased to have so much of the garbage out of my house.

Need to keep moving forward!

~☆~Happy Holidays to all!~☆~
We had snow on Christmas Eve & woke up to white mountains in every direction! YEA!!! ~♡~
My kitties are all still safe & my well is fixed from drawing animals, so im grateful! I still have water bowls near the house for my cats & the birds, etc., and their food bowls, which im going to make sure arent out after dark with food in them. Im not sure how else i could care for the feral cats? Its funny cuz this skunk doesnt bother me so much now, in comparison to the animals that could kill my cats. One thing tho, is i finally threw away the lid to my kitchen trash can, after years of it sitting behind the can, and now im trying to barricade it with other stuff, from the skunk! Ive actually had regrets about throwing things out, kind of frequently. It has mainly been things i had to push myself to toss, not things i was clear about. Fortunately, i can dig through the pile & probably find it...ha ha
Im glad y'all are cozy & enjoying life! 😀 ~♡~

Was going to post about decluttering then saw the headline . . . as a Star Wars fan from way back, please indulge me:

R.I.P. Carrie Fisher - thanks for the memories

I thought surely she'd pull through - yet I did think it odd there hadn't been much in the way of updates. And one announcement from the family had said no good or bad to report or something like that.

Thank You Tatoulia (((HUGS))) 😀

WAY TO GO!!! for getting some things done and out of your way! 😀
Rainy and foggy weather is fun, unless you need to drive, but otherwise it's great. ;D

The day here is frigid and frosty.
Great day to stay warm inside and watch movies and just generally play.
Laying out some fabric choices to see if I want to use them in my next rug.
Have some beading all laid out, a work in progress.
Cats have had their breakfast and have quit hanging on me.
They still need fresh water and boxes scooped but that's all I will do today.
Today I won't even think about any To-Dos
only live in the moment. 😀

Happy birthday to Tillie! ❤🐈 🎉 🎈 🎂