Hello 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Good luck with your peanut butter bait.
Moist sand or moist hard packed dirt in the shade, both are cool.

Hi Subclinical 🙂
Good luck finding your jeans.
I wondered if they included the children's clothes in the 1950s tally.
Children grow and constantly need new stuff.
Plus back then more people (mostly women) than not still made their own clothes and their families clothing.
And they were very big on always having "Hand Me Downs".
If my clothes/shoes weren't home made they were from a cousin or neighbor girl.
And Granma would find me nice things from neighborhood tag sales and alter them to fit.
I was the only girl in my 4th grade class in 1964 with an authentic, almost vintage "Poodle Skirt".

Most all my life I have been wearing almost all secondhand clothes.
Sometimes though I have needed to buy some things new.
Very few times I have found underwear in thrift shops that is the right size & style & cotton with the labels still on them.
But when we need them we have to do what ever we can to get them, even buying retail.

Almost everything I own is second hand.
Clothes, shoes, linens, dishes, furniture, craft supplies, cat things, etc...
The smaller charity thrift shops located in more rural areas with a connection to a church or community outreach program tend to have the better quality items and at better prices.

The best thing I love about only buying previously owned things is because the slave owners who own the companies that make our clothes and mistreat the workers never get a single cent of my money.
The charity thrift shop gets my money.

But it does take time and patience to get what you like.

~ice water clinks!~
SubC, i can not imagine wearing wool underwear?!? Is there such a thing?!? That sounds horrid! If there were, im sure my Mom would have a whole closet full! She loves wool & tortured me in it my entire infanthood & childhood till i was able to buy my own clothes. Even still i get wool gifts every holiday & b-day & my telling her i was alergic to it made no difference. In recent years ive realized it was likely a lot of the mysterious reason behind my crying as a baby that they couldnt figure out....ok, end of rant. 😀
The reason i cant use my oak bureau is cuz skunks climb in the back into the drawers & chew up my clothes, sleep there & poop all over them, plus it wakes me up, so ive had those plastic drawers for years cuz they cant get in them.
The skunk left the kitchen & i rearranged things so it cant get on the counters. My whole house is upside down cuz of these #@*&#@#! disgusting critters! And it walking upside down looks like it is decapitated, which i would like to do to it! ...sorry, but its true....grrrrr!!!!!

*oak, not ink

Oh, and can I ask why you can't use your ink bureau? If you told us, I forgot.

Anony, the goats scratch down to bare earth to lie on it in the heat.

There were some good ideas in there, and I guess the thrift store clothing is better than new no matter what it's made of, since it already exists. But I am not sure where I am supposed to get the clothes I need and can't find at the thrift shop. Also, underwear - I usually buy all cotton underwear. I am allergic to wool. Silk underwear? Linen?

I'm sorry, this is one of my crazies.

Dh and I cleaned off the front porch and set up the glider - that counts as a floor, right? It is outside, but above ground and roofed, and there were things on the part you walk on.

~Ice coffee clinks!~
That video was really interesting! I have absolutely noticed that my clothes, towels & sheets from decades ago, purchased at high quality stores, have lasted & stayed in nice shape far better than the newer, cheaper things! I dont wash them after each use, unless necessary, so i know that makes a difference, and now with my dryer possibly being a fire hazard, ive been hanging them to dry more. I dont buy many clothes any more, partly financial, but also cuz i have no room, especially with the skunk situation & my oak bureau that i now cant use! I did buy a few things i love at a thrift shop last week, including a bathing suit that i love for $1.50! 😀 I now feel more inspired to create new combos with my current closet of things after seeing that video! 😀
I was just wondering about the mulch vs hard dirt ground in watering under my vehicles. There isnt any sand under anything except the far end of the trailer. Does sand stay cooler when wet, than regular dirt or mulch?
The skunk is now inside behind the stove. Im hoping it likes peanut butter....

~Ice coffee clinks!~
That video was really interesting! I have absolutely noticed that my clothes, towels & sheets from decades ago, purchased at high quality stores, have lasted & stayed in nice shape far better than the newer, cheaper things! I dont wash them after each use, unless necessary, so i know that makes a difference, and now with my dryer possibly being a fire hazard, ive been hanging them to dry more. I dont buy many clothes any more, partly financial, but also cuz i have no room, especially with the skunk situation & my oak bureau that i now cant use! I did buy a few things i love at a thrift shop last week, including a bathing suit that i love for $1.50! 😀 I now feel more inspired to create new combos with my current closet of things after seeing that video! 😀
I was just wondering about the mulch vs hard dirt ground in watering under my vehicles. There isnt any sand under anything except the far end of the trailer. Does sand stay cooler when wet, than regular dirt or mulch?
The skunk is now inside behind the stove. Im hoping it likes peanut butter....

Well. That was discouraging.

Also very fast and dense. I think I will have to watch it again.

The thing that really stuck in my head was the part about the average person buying 25 pieces of clothing a year in 1950 - which was supposed to be low.

In the past year I bought (new) a dress, two t-shirts, and 7 pairs of socks. I received two pairs of socks, a cape, and a pair of slippers as gifts. I'm fuzzy on my thrift store finds, but I think it was a skirt, two pairs of jeans, two sweaters, and two shirts. That's 21 items (counting socks pairs as an item) I feel like that was a huge amount of clothing. Mostly because I had bought very few socks for years. I was just thinking this morning that I need to keep an eye on yard sales, because I am probably going to need a pair of jeans (two if I don't lose some weight) and a new pair of shoes before school starts back up in the fall.

Interesting video about clothing

Youtube video

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Since it's now hot outside, you need to take advantage of the night and very early morning.
Stay safe and well hydrated. (((HUG)))
That sand underneath things that never gets warmed by direct sunshine feels cool to animals so kitty will be happy there.
But that was very nice of you to try with the ice jugs. ;D
As long as all the creatures have shade and plenty of fresh water they should all survive Summertime.

~Iced coffee clinks to all!~
Tillie, the rattlesnake was delicious, in spite of all the bones! I sure got laughed at for not knowing about the bones, tho! Maybe next time ill try it again? And ive heard about how tasty javalina is. Theyd have to be a threat for me to eat one, tho...and theres some kind of gland to avoid or it releases something that ruins the meat? Sorry SubC!
SubC,i actually do have a fence, but due to a tragedy with a deer that didnt jump high enough years ago, i have been leaving the gates open, which causes cows to wander in & not find there way back out. I havent figured out a solution yet. Years ago when i was desperate poor, a herd was in my yard & i was out there with a flashlight looking for brands or ear tags cuz i needed money & food but i could not do it... And i have laundry baskets all over my house filled with important things that were on my bed at the time i changed the sheets. Maybe i should go through them all?
Tatoulia, i hope your Mom can come to the same conclusion that you have regarding your brother & his abuse. It is possible, depending on his mental capacity, that this will give him the chance to change, as well. And in the south, we made our macaroni salad with mayo & sweet relish!
We are having a serious heat wave here! I always worry about animals in weather extremes. My kitty in the RV was annoyed at me cleaning, so i stopped. I also tried to make a cool place for her by putting frozen jugs under the sink, so she could lay in the sink, but kitty wisdom prevailed, in that, it stayed way cooler under the vehicles & trailers, etc., especially from me watering them. I dont know what im gonna do today...just try to stay cool & keep water outside for animals....tho that loud skunk has a Skunk Heaven Vehicle set....hopefully to deliver it soon...

~Iced coffee clinks to all!~
Tillie, the rattlesnake was delicious, in spite of all the bones! I sure got laughed at for not knowing about the bones, tho! Maybe next time ill try it again? And ive heard about how tasty javalina is. Theyd have to be a threat for me to eat one, tho...and theres some kind of gland to avoid or it releases something that ruins the meat? Sorry SubC!
SubC,i actually do have a fence, but due to a tragedy with a deer that didnt jump high enough years ago, i have been leaving the gates open, which causes cows to wander in & not find there way back out. I havent figured out a solution yet. Years ago when i was desperate poor, a herd was in my yard & i was out there with a flashlight looking for brands or ear tags cuz i needed money & food but i could not do it... And i have laundry baskets all over my house filled with important things that were on my bed at the time i changed the sheets. Maybe i should go through them all?
Tatoulia, i hope your Mom can come to the same conclusion that you have regarding your brother & his abuse. It is possible, depending on his mental capacity, that this will give him the chance to change, as well. And in the south, we made our macaroni salad with mayo & sweet relish!
We are having a serious heat wave here! I always worry about animals in weather extremes. My kitty in the RV was annoyed at me cleaning, so i stopped. I also tried to make a cool place for her by putting frozen jugs under the sink, so she could lay in the sink, but kitty wisdom prevailed, in that, it stayed way cooler under the vehicles & trailers, etc., especially from me watering them. I dont know what im gonna do today...just try to stay cool & keep water outside for animals....tho that loud skunk has a Skunk Heaven Vehicle set....hopefully to deliver it soon...

P.S. on the macaroni salad
I most times also hard boil some eggs
slice them in half and have them with it.
Makes a more complete meal. 😉

Good Morning Everyone 🙂

Hi Subclinical 🙂
I understand how frustrating it is when others in the home don't respect the systems in place.
Did you know that a lot of other people also just keep clean laundry in the basket?
It can be a good system for easily knowing where what you want is. 😉

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
"The Boy" is about a nanny all alone in a mansion
baby sitting a stupid doll for some old couple.
Then strange things happen...
Good enough but too predictable.
Macaroni salad...
Granma and I used to always have it when we spent time together at our cottage on the shore of a small lake in Michigan. Sentimental memories.
Salad macaroni
scallions
celery
tiny canned shrimp
mayonnaise or miracle whip dressing
salt & pepper to taste
olives or pickles, your choice sweet or dill
Poor little Kitty will adjust to the new changes and I know she will eventually decide she likes it. ;D

Very quiet morning except for all the birds talking and Scooter causing havoc running around in here annoying the cats.
Going to get into the low 90s today.
Yesterday as Steven was preparing to go into town to do his usual thrift store shopping I told him about something there that if it was on sale I wanted.
It was still there and half price so he got it for me.
A stack of 40 large multicolored honeycomb beeswax sheets for making into candles.
I already have some wick and think it will be a fun activity for the Summer since the sheets need to be slightly warm to work with.
Maybe today I will make a candle? ;D

I get it on the laundry, SubC. Plus I only have laundry for me so I don't even have one laundry basket, let alone the several you have to keep. Don't get discouraged! You are doing great things!

Beautiful breeze right now. Enjoying a cup of coffee and doing a little straightening up before the Big Day tomorrow. I made a bag of jewelry to consign and I'm taking it today.

Tatoulia, i'm Sorry that your sibling is still affecting your mom.

I try to put the laundry away, but the dirty laundry is confined to the dirty basket/floor, and the clean laundry goes into completely different baskets, so if I don't put it away, the worst thing that happens is I have to wander off to find the basket and get dressed there. The only time they are in places they can get mixed up is if I leave a clean basket in the laundry room and dh throws dirty laundry on top of it (because apparently he can't understand the completely different baskets or the fact that the dirty basket never leaves the bathroom.)

So, putting the laundry away tends to slide down the to do list.

I am still thinking about porter's year. I have a vision, but I thhave no it is more than a year and I am trying to come up with a reasonable vision.

Hello everyone!

I took mom out for a nice lunch today. She isn't feeling well due to anger and abuse by sibling. So I took her for a proper, civilized meal at a nice restaurant. As she put it, he has no place to put his anger now that I'm out of the situation. She did ask one of the nurses where she lives for some help. I am glad she is reaching out.

WTG SubC for sticking with the Floor Plan! A few years back, due to my work on this site, I started the idea of folding and putting away my laundry and honestly it is now a habit. I fold and put away without thinking. I used to end up with piles of laundry and I couldn't make head nor tails out of it and I'd end up mixing old and new and it was a never-ending cycle.

Anony! Great plan for the next year! Let's do this!

Tillie thanks for all the hugs. You are the best. Would you tell me how you make your macaroni salad? What vegetables do you use and do you use mayonnaise as the base? It sounds so delicious and summery and I'd love to make some for my mother. (And me). What was the premise of The Boy and did you like it?

I came home from being out with mom and one of her friends had just come outside, getting ready to go to church. And I asked her if she had a ride and she said no, so I said, hop in! (This woman introduces me to people as her daughter and writes me very loving notes on my birthday and at Christmas). I did ask her about how she was planning to get to church and she said she wouldve taken the bus and then said something about first getting change for the bus. I couldn't follow her entirely so I opened the thingie in my car where I stash my ?hot chocolate money' and gave her $2 for the ride back. Boy was she ever grateful. I will get her a bunch of dollar coins for the future.

Bf then drove me and my large number of cleaning items home. I went to sleep with AC on because I really needed a nap. I just got up to spend some time with kitty and now I'm back in bed. Kitty is extremely unhappy with the furniture changes. Poor little thing.

Hi Subclinical 🙂
That's A GREAT! start!
WAY TO GO!
You are getting things sorted out and making plans for dealing with them too.
Yes, it is a brain shift to change up the ways we have always done things in the past and start consciously stopping ourselves to do it another way.
Laundry on the bed will remind you to put it away before you want to sleep.
Anonymoniker gets cows because they are "open Range cattle" and are allowed to roam & wander where ever they want.
That is why branding is so important.
So the cowboys can tell what cow is their cow.
And any unbranded adult cow "a maverick" is finders keepers.
Also, it's one reason I have barbed wire on my fence, to keep the cows & Mustang out.

I'm going to skip the conversation on eating the wildlife.

Although I do really wonder how Anony gets cows in her yard.

Today I did not add anything to the floor - although dh added a lot of packaging that I have not cleaned up yet because he bought lawnmower parts by mail. I did leave a laundry basket full of clean laundry on a bed.

This is definitely a brain shift.

And I worked in my studio, starting in the back corner where the glaze area is. I put a small amount in the trash can (a pint maybe?) and filled half a paper bag with recycling. I set two items aside to donate and I filled a 14" cube box with items that are ready to return to my classroom. I revealed a small additional patch of floor and removed all the non-glaze items from the glaze shelf. Dh was pleased enough to buy me two new work lights to brighten up the corner so I will continue.

It's a tiny start, but it is a start.

I need to run the dishwasher.

Hello again Everybody 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
The trick to eating rattle snake is in knowing how to fillet them.
Then I like to dredge them in flour seasoned with just salt & pepper and drop the pieces into very hot sizzling oil.
YUM! ;P
If you ever get the chance, without poaching, you really must taste some properly cooked javalina.
Kind of like the sweetest tastiest pork ever!
YEA!!! that the site is easier for you to use now. 😀

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Your friend is a true treasure ((((HUGS Friend))))
It has been such a pleasure working along side you and seeing all your progress.
You've come such a long way.
((((HUGS Tatoulia))))

Well got everything except the grass watered and will do that after the intense sun has moved toward the West horizon.
Lit the burn barrel, got that all done.
Took a shower and washed my hair.
Getting the stuff ready to assemble my macaroni salad now while watching "The Boy" on Netflix.

~Good Morning to all!~
The layout of this site is now easier to use on my phone! YEA!
Tillie, i come across javalina hunters along my fence periodically & when i was in severe poverty i was tempted to hunt one to feed my cats. Ive heard its really good! I also got some javalina-proof bins for the dry cat food. I kinda like the idea of eating predators that are too close, or animals that damage my place. I did that once with a rattlesnake, not knowing itd be full of bones & ribs. I thought itd be like a long hot dog...ha ha...it was good tho, in a Thia coconut curry sauce!
Tatoulia, i am so proud of you! Youre really making progress! Youve made great inner and outter progress!
SubC, i laughed so hard about the things on your couch. I can so relate! The stuff from my bed is now in a box on my couch, so theres nowhere to sit & play my drum to my new stereo system. The bins are stacked up on the floor from the skunk scene. I want to be choosy about what i keep, but move some bins of stuff into my storage trailer.
I think im going to write a funny poem about my place for gratitude, about what it is & isnt~☆~ha ha~♡~
Next im going to clean more in my kitty's RV. Not the vacuum yet. She has been laying on the trash bag in the most disgusting place. Cats are so mysterious?!? Im not gonna stir up the yucky stuff till she goes out for the afternoon to sleep wherever it is she goes.
Porter, i made a list of what i want to have accomplished in a year.
* new porch couch covers
* new kayak cover
* cleaned under trailer & sand
* garden fence decor
* panels on front & decor
~☆♡☆~ Happy Homing to all my Homies!~☆♡☆~

This is what friend just emailed me.:

"Do what you can today and we'll tackle the rest on Monday and make a clean sweep of it. If you think you'll be needing any cleaning gear, stock up on that and we'll give it a good going over. This way it will be clean and fresh and healthier for you and kitty and you'll be able to keep it that way more easily."

Can you believe this? She is in US for two weeks and she's putting all this time and effort into improving my life.

Hello hello! SubC great work on the floors! And moving to an area that will bug you and that you will notice is a good idea!

Tillie, when I was reading SubC's post and her comment that she couldn't do this, I was thinking about what a process this has been and how this process put me where I am today. And then you wrote about it! It hasn't been a quick or easy fix but together we are doing this. Letting go feels good.

Thank you all so much for your support, which got me to this point, and the support that will continue to drive me. Honestly while I am not lamenting the foolish purchases I have made, (no point), this has been a lesson i am able to apply while in a store. That has been a relief.

Well off to finish making my bed with fresh linens. On my third load of laundry.

OH she asked me about microwave and I said I want to toss it. So we will do that Monday.night.

Good very early morning Everybody 🙂
Chai masala "Clink!"

Hi Subclinical 🙂
WAY TO GO!
Great start on the June Challenge!
Really good progress to already be able to see what type of things you need to find a proper place to get them. 😀

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
How absolutely wonderful!!!
In such a short amount of time you and your friend have done so much and have made so many solid decisions and plans for your home.
You have been working so long and hard on getting your home in order.
Best of all is you have been doing all the taxing mental work to be where you are today.
That's the hardest part about decluttering and you have done it. (((((HUGS)))))
You are ready.
Ready to move forward.
Words can not express how extremely proud of you I am.

Just going on 5:00am here.
Been awake since 3:30.
Couldn't fall back to sleep so I got up.
Today I need to get out and water trees & stuff soon as the sun comes up.
Going to be warm today and hot on Sunday and Monday.
Will light the burn barrel while I'm out there.
Then I will wash my hair to get the dust and burn barrel smoke off of me. ;P
Still need to make my macaroni salad too.
So that's all I'll be doing today.

Tatoulia, I am certain I could not do what you are doing. I think it's amazing and I hope you love your results.

I didn't put anything on the floor yesterday. I also put away the two baskets of laundry that were sitting on the floor if the den, so the den floor is now item free.

I have changed to putting things on the couch. Clearly this is not a permanent solution, but things on the couch actually bother me, and it is already becoming clear the type of things that are going to need a place to go.

Coffe clinks! Just enjoyed your posts!

Tillie WOW you did a lot! Great work! Anony I had to look up javelina. I'm glad your panels are ordered and that you have found a way to compost without javelina interference.

Ok I'm going to have to decide what to work on this AM before I do anything else. It is very early here. And humid. I'm washing my sheets now.

Good morning! Thank you so much for the praise and support! I kept telling her ?not today' and she kept telling me, let's get to work. Boy what an eye she has. Moving oil paintings, grouping stuff, arranging, etc. she had very detailed drawings of my house together with paint samples, color ideas, etc. we didn't spend much time with those because she just walked in, talked about how much she loved the drapes and the chandelier then she started moving furniture.
She loves both my couches and is no longer suggesting that we slipcover them.

My desk looks so great in its new place. She loved how the seat covers look. Hidden shame: I still have one chair to do.

We were here two hours. (I was parked on the street and had only two hours). She took down my tapestry, relocated it to bedroom, took this thing and that thing, etc. remarkable.

Now she's taking on The Purge. That is Monday. I'm just going to let it go.

I have a beautiful carved table with granite top in my bedroom. As she was rearranging bedroom art, I out of the blue said, should I get rid of that table and she said yes. So I'll see if BF wants it otherwise I'll consign. But I jest, he will want it. I'm looking at things differently. I have one chair that is non-negotiable and she was good with that. Even though we both know I could sell for pretty good money (solid, hand made mid century modern). It is the one piece that reminds me of both my parents. I do not have a lot that reminds me of my father and absolutely nothing that reminds me of the both of them. She said fine, could we add a cushion?

We've decided on wallpaper for one wall in bedroom and paint color. I'll be getting new closet doors for bedroom.

The best part is she's making me get rid of stuff. I didn't once say anything along the lines of, guess how much I've gotten rid of in the past five years. . We are talking now, going forward. What I have or haven't done in the past is irrelevant.

WAY TO GO! Tatoulia!!!

Sleep well, sweet dreams (((HUGS)))

Tatoulia, you are amazing!

Really.

Amazing!

We did it. She came over to my filthy house and we moved furniture and hung artwork and swept up dust bunnies and the house looks much better. We made huge progress. She's coming over one day with bags and boxes to clear out stuff. Just get rid of things. And I'm good with it.

I am tired. Forgive me for not reading the posts. I am tired.

Hello again 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Yea! for a javalina proof composter!
Javalina is still my most favorite meat.
Ribs slowly BBQed over a mesquite fire. ;D
Looking forward to hearing all about the progress with your panels.

Well I did it...
Cleaned that back door area thoroughly, 100%.
Took outside all 3 litter boxes and scrubbed, scoured & sanitized them.
Also vacuumed the carpet everywhere except I did not pull out the couch & big stuff like that.
While I was at it I cleaned the toilet inside & out and since I was down on my knees anyways I washed the bathroom floor too.
Also changed out the vacuum cleaner bag, it was time.
Just ate some lunch, it's 3:30pm.
🙂