HI Anonymoniker 😀

Good luck with that job prospect!
So happy to hear that your improvements are cheering for you (((HUGS)))

Temperature is staying just at or below 100 degrees today.
I actually found the time to make up the fixins for been burritos and I actually had time to sit down and eat one!
Got all cat chores accomplished, swept the floor and washed all the dishes & wiped down the kitchen.
Have a wash load of rags soaking in hot water.
Just now 12:00noon and I am ready to go back to bed. ;P

~Coffee clinks!~
CM, your quilt sounds wonderful! Im really tending towards wanting to keep all memories right now. All my crazy attempts at letting go have me feeling even more insecure & nostalgic.
Tillie, saving baby birds is a huge challenge! WOW! Even without cats around! I am regularly faced with little critters that are likely maimed by one of my cats, and not wanting them to just suffer then die, but not knowing if theyll be ok.
Today im seeing about a possible new income. It could be really good....except my ex is nearby...so far, the only thing that has made me miss him is dating anyone else....
I must say that the few improvements ive made have really been uplifting for me!
Tatoulia & Tillie, im so glad letting the jewelry items go has been a positive thing. I keep trying to imagine that! ~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
WTG! for the quilt!
Once I salvaged some lovely orphaned and abandoned quilt blocks and made them into a small quilt.
I really do understand not wanting them to forever languish in a box somewhere forgotten.

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Hope you get some milk. 😉
WAY TO GO!!! for all you are doing!.
Keeping things clean and filling donation bags.

I'm tired.
Been too busy the last few days, no time to rest or eat.
I have to do all the yard work myself and all the cat things myself and all the house cleaning myself.
At the store I have to buy and tote home all the cat food & litter myself.
Wouldn't be so frustrating if I lived all alone.

Yesterday afternoon I found a baby Sparrow had fallen from the nest.
The nest is too high up to put him back.
He has just begun to open his eyes and get tiny feathers on the wings and tail.
He survived the night and had his 1st breakfast already.
Soon as I post this I will feed him his 2nd. breakfast.
I was professionally trained as a baby/injured bird rescuer and have successfully done this many times before.
But never with so many cats in the house.
I can train and keep an eye on one cat but with four cats it's real hard.

Iced tea clinks! I would've loved a cup of coffee but I forgot to buy milk last night.

I am puttering away and making space and putting things into my donation bag. I'm keeping up with all cleaned and cleared spaces. I'd like to get a little something extra done before I leave for nutritionist.

So, what are you doing today?

Cm! You are having an amazing day. I love that you rescued those blocks and that you are working on a quilt! I like getting hearing about your quilting bees and other church activities. AND I'm really glad you are finding the time to post more.

Yikes on the weather, Tillie and CM!

Good for you, Tillie, for the donations and for selling your jewelry! I recently consigned jewelry that was given to me and must of it I never even wore. Some of it I wore but I wouldn't wear it today. I even polished up a pair of sterling silver earrings that I likely wore every day while in my 20s and they sold for $38! Oh how I loved those earrings. I paid $5 for them and literally wore them all the time.

Tillie you did a good, hard job.

Well guess who found herself sweeping up before she went to the office today? It was ME! Just sweeping up a little.

I just got back from a board meeting. I started on the board (volunteer) in January. It's not terribly interesting to me and I don't always understand what's going on but I was nominated to be a co-chair today. Why not?

Shout out to SubC and Anony! I'm a little wound up. Have nutritionist tomorrow. I can tell I've lost weight by how my clothes fit. Well I am going to work on house a bit more. Terrible heat and humidity on the way. Tonight is gorgeous so I'll try to get a few more chores done. I have an outdoor baby shower on Saturday. I saw the expectant mother today and she told me not today go if it's hot and miserable. I thought that was really sweet.

Hi all

Tillie - 105?! This is the first week we're predicted to hit 100-101. You have my sympathy!

Tatoulia, sounds like you're getting lots accomplished.

I'm at the church awaiting my roommate and ride home. On Tuesdays I come early, attend the morning Mass, quilt for 3 hours, then after the others leave I eat my brown bag lunch and piddle around. I have a holy hour from 3:00-4:00. Sometimes I can get a ride from someone after that, but not always.

But though I have had the longer wait today, I made good use of the time. I'm designing a quilt around 4 orphaned embroidered blocks someone made. They will be the four corners, and I'll make a big central panel incorporating the same colors and motifs. I matched the floss colors, plus I'm going to add a few extra. Then I do the math to make the smaller and bigger blocks come together into a quilt of the size desired.

I made progress even though math isn't my favorite thing - but I don't mind it as much when I'm wearing my Crafting Rockstar Designer hat, LOL!

I know you all will get a kick out of the fact that I am designing this quilt because my hoarder self couldn't stand not to rescue those 4 blocks from languishing in a drawer forever! But I do think it's going to be a pretty cool quilt.

Sport water bottle clink!

Hello Everybody 😀
Iced tea "Clink!"

Another very busy day today.
Only 2:30pm and I have done a LOT already.
Got up early to try to beat the heat.
It's a lovely two degrees cooler today. ;P
Went into town first thing.
Sold all the silver charm bracelets and some chains at the pawn shop.
Then went to the thrift shop and donated half the back seat full of stuff.
Realized that everything I offloaded today was not anything I personally bought for myself.
Either it was inherited or gifts.
For way too long I felt obliged to be the keeper of these things.
Well, I did my time and have now freed myself of the obligation. ;D
Got home and had a lot of chores to do, mostly cat related.
Started to slow water the trees.
I turn the hose on to flow very slowly and set my timer to return and put the hose into a different tree well every one or two hours.
I need to eat something.
Yesterday I didn't eat cause being busy takes away my appetite and I should not fast two days in a row, no matter how busy I am today.
Still have tasks to accomplish inside here where it's nice and cool (76 degrees) with the cooler and ceiling fan both on. 😉

~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

Hi Newlywoke. Another book I found really helpful was "Stuff : compulsive hoarding and the meaning of things"

Don't be afraid to be honest and list your weak areas. There is a lot of great support here and this is a kind group.

Hi CM! It is good to see you. Do you have a plan for how you will list your "flipped" dolls? Don't get too far ahead on the inventory - you run the risk of getting attached.

Anony, do you have any way to bring income in using the internet? I am just trying to think of a way you could reach outside of your community and pull resources in - it's really hard when everyone is struggling.

I was supposed to gave a friend over today, but she had to cancel. I will try to use the time to work on more cleaning/organizing.

Good morning! Coffee clinks!

Tillie that is just so hot. I hope your evaporative cooler is working. I'm sure you and the kitties are positively wilted.

I'm up and having a cup of coffee. I only have enough milk for this cup so I'll go enjoy it now. It's beautiful and cool here.

Ive gotten a lot closer now that my gloves and winter things have a home. My cat litter is looking for a home, as are my shopping bags. But we are edging closer. And my life is easier.

Hello Everybody 🙂

Sorry that this is just a drive by.
Been busy ALL day long and it was 105 degrees in the shade!
Have to finish up watering outside right now at 9:02pm because it was just too hot to be out.
Right now I'm watering the Laurels then I need to water the lilac hedge.
Will finish up by watering the trees tomorrow.
I'm too old for this. ;P

Welcome, NewlyWoke! I am glad you are here. What types of things are you hoarding and how can we help you? We post here often to share tips, advice, emotions, successes, etc. I am working to make my house more livable for me. I find posting is a big help.

CM! So very happy to hear from you! I do hope there's a car solution in the future for you. That is bizarre with all the changes going on! Things really do change with the blink of an eye.

Okay I've made space for my purses and they have been put away. I've wrapped up some glasses to go to goodwill. Very pretty but impractical and they are taking up too much room.

I am going to get my garbage gathered and clean kitty's box. Get that all out so I can just breathe a bit.

My dinner with a friend was lovely. I dropped off some table cloths and napkins to be drycleaned and I picked up my clothes.

I will go shred today's mail and get the garbage done.

Hi everyone, been thinking of posting yet slow getting to it. My mood is better with summer and longer days. I'm still antsy without a vehicle, though. There may soon be news on that front, but I don't want to count any chickens so that's all I'll say for now.

My antsiness can go either way. Sometimes I accomplish a decluttering or other task. Other times I shop for Barbie dolls on Ebay. I am wanting to build a little business and sell crafts and, as part of that, flip dolls the way some flip houses or cars, so it's partly legit. I have also found a few I want for my own collection. Mostly inexpensive ones, fixer uppers that I can clean and make clothes for, thank goodness. But I won't lie and say I haven't been a little addictive about it too.

I think I mentioned before how in these six months when I've been dependent upon others for rides, I haven't gotten to see various places in my own hometown as often, and how weird it feels. I startled one friend the other day when I went "On my gosh!" because we were at the grocery store and I saw that a whole row of buildings in the shopping center had been demolished. It's maybe a mile from where I live and I had no clue.

So I guess I've been a bit silly with my little "community" of Barbie dolls and photographing them to post on Facebook. It's like they're company. But I'm not losing my grip on reality or anything, I promise! I suspect that once I have wheels, the hobby will be just that, in perspective, fun but dialed down on the level of obsession. Let's hope!

Hi newlywoke, ee haven't met. Welcome! I think Buried In Treasures was one of the better books, and I've read a slew of them! I also like Don Aslett's books, which are like classics in the genre by now. Cut the Clutter and Stow the Stuff provides a good structure. Hmmm, maybe we should have a favorite clutter books thread.

I'll post more...

Hi. I just realized 2 or 3 days ago that I am a hoarder. It's like duh, i cant move in my room to get to the door, but i have been making excuses as in i only live in 1 room and have no other place to put anything but once i heard on a tv show something about it 3 days ago it kinda clicked that i am a hoarder. i dont understand why i can help other ppl so much but i cant help myself clean. I guess bc of the fear and the emotions attached to letting go? anyhow, i need to get healthy and am hoping this is a step in the right direction. i think i hide from the world in my 5 foot tall room of crap but i hate it and feel better when i am not here. it is weird. any books on the feelings i have i can read that has helped others? the Declutter book my dr suggested was too simplistic. it was a famous book by a Japanese author. Is buried in treasure good?

Every day I tell the kitty, you are the only one I love. Whether that is true or not, well. we are not saying.

~Wine clinks!~
Tatoulia, thank you so much for your words. Im sure you do know what this is like, cuz youre clearly a kind, giver. Im also terrified about money cuz i know what is out there. I do have what remains from my out of state land sale, but im spending too fast. The only difference now is that i have glasses to see to drive at night, so i could try for a night shift job. When i went through this before, i had hope of getting something, figuring i could always work at McDonalds, if nothing else...until even they wouldnt hire me cuz i was too old. This is the poorest county in the country, there is not much here, especially for someone like me with no job history in this century, computer illiterate, old & with no skills or experience that is not now obsolete. Ok, enough whining...ill just be creative & i want the gap that ive created from those that just take, in my life, to be filled with people that understand & respect me....but my cats are the real light beam in my life~♡~

I truly know that feeling, Anony. I am not in that situation now but I do recall situations where I was the only one looking the other way, giving benefit of the doubt, apologizing even though I was the one who was owed the apology. I am well familiar and am so sorry that is your situation right now.

I wish I could say something so that people would be more reliable in your life. It can be terribly lonesome and isolating to be around takers, unreliable sorts and critics.

Our weather has broken and it is sunny and beautiful with a breeze enhanced by my ceiling fans. I have folded all my laundry and have implemented my new hamper. I've showered and I'm doing a little puttering. I am meeting a friend for dinner and I need to stop by my dry cleaners on the way there to pick up and to drop off. Then I'll stop at BF's office, drop off my clean dry cleaning then proceed to restaurant.

I need to get garbage out tonight. I'll gather up and take some out when I go for dinner.

Tatoulia, its all of the above, plus...people in my life are dropping by the wayside left & right. I think your brother was a very clear situation. Mine are not all so obvious, but im tired of just letting stuff slide...i dont know what will become of any of it...im tired of always being the giver...

Anony if it is any consolation, I find it deeply painful letting go of my sibling. One day I was so gutted that I cried all day long at work. I told people I had allergies and to ignore my "symptoms". At times it is unimaginable pain but mainly I feel good and free. Human emotions are tricky. So we do our best.

I don't know if your post references your friends, your mechanic, or a love interest, but it is difficult work. Time changes our perspectives, so it's worth doing the hard work.

I feel so different now that I have a largely clean and clear home. And I truly cannot say that I regret getting rid of anything. I'm at the point where I'm proud and not in mourning (for the things).

~♡~Love & coffee clinks to all!~♡~
Well, im just as bad at 'letting go' of people, as i am at letting go of stuff....(sigh)
Yall are all doing great with everything!
~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

I washed my old kitchen trash can, which is silver and blue, and I'm going to see if I can use it as a hamper in my bedroom. I have always just used my washer as my hamper but now I'm not using my washer and my kitchen redesign will be eliminating my washer/dryer (I've come so far!). So I'll see how it looks/fits behind my bedroom door and see if that is a solution to just putting it all in a bag on the floor.

I'm doing laundry right now. It's a funny cloudy slightly humid day here.

I was happy to read your post, SubC. Nice work on the grocery bags and counters! I still am stuck in the habit of putting things on my floor. I'll break it. I know I will!
I wish you and your dear one a wonderful visit today.

I'm up and logged in. I didn't get up super early as I have been. I hope today is merely an aberration and that tomorrow I'll be up very early again. I've been enjoying being on a more sane, less rushed, schedule.

Popping in. Still struggling, but need to stay connected. Dh is being great.

Went to the grocery store - put the bags on the counter to unload instead of the floor because the counter was clean!

Took recycling to drop when I went out.

Tatoulia, yay for linen boxes! I enjoy all your posts.

Heartgrandson comes back for the whole day tomorrow. That will be good.

Ok back from the office. The bins are nice. I was also able to fit my duvet cover in with the scarves. The mittens and gloves bin is pretty full. So far I've hoisted one to my top self and now I'll try to get the other one onto the top shelf in my closet. I am very please with this purchase but not sure I'll need any more. They will only fit on my top shelf. My other shelves are not as tall.

When July hits I'll work on the five drawers in my closet. Two of them are disaster areas and one falls in the category of wishful thinking.

For now, it's getting my groceries off the floor. All my bags are lined up, waiting to be emptied.

Hi Tillie! Nothing like watermelon to cool you down from the inside out on hot days. I never liked it as a kid or even as an adult, but the last decade or so, I've learned to love it as a refreshing treat.

I'm glad you either your way through those tough decisions.

I ordered some linen storage boxes, with an eye toward putting my scarves and gloves and other winter wear in them. The are roomier than I imagined. Everything's been washed so I'll give this a try.

I took mom out today, for a nice long drive then I got her groceries. I'm sorry waiting for BF to take me to my office so I can get my computer.

It's been muggy here but it has cooled down significantly. Oh BF just called so I'll fill the box later.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂
Still morning here, 11:00am
"Clink!"

WAY TO GO!!! Tatoulia!
Fantastic job you did there sorting out and organizing cleaning stuff & tools!!! ;D
So happy you now get to enjoy your precious book plate. Things like that need to be out and enjoyed.
Quit apologizing for posting.
Post ALL you want, we love hearing about your goings ons.
A drawer & shelf challenge would be good for me.
I will also do a "reduce my processed sugar consumption" challenge at the same time. ;P

Hi Subclinical 🙂
Wonderful! WAY TO GO! making that wooded area nicer to enjoy having (((hug)))
Yes, cherry wood is very dense and heavy but burns hot for a long time.
WAY TO GO! for still working on floors.
Tatoulia and I are still doing that too. 😉

Got up very early and went into town to buy groceries.
Bought LOTS of fruit including a HUGE watermelon.
Came home, put the almond milk away and since it was still relatively cool out, I went out and did a little fence mending.
Came back inside and finished putting away the groceries.
Soon I will eat something, probably finish up a few little leftovers in the fridge.
Going to be a hot day, no chance of rain. ;P
I feel so good about my decluttering decisions I made the last few days.
Thank you all for your reinforcement (((HUGS)))

Great yard work, SubC! Well done! I bet the path looks beautiful.

No need to look so far ahead. And sometimes with a challenge it's nice to do Part II, where we continue with the prior month. That said, as I frequently say to myself, let us just live through today.

I'm going to try to relax for another hour before making my coffee.

Yay tatoulia! I'm so glad your rod worked!

And Tillie, I love the story about the "maple" leaf!

I helped dh do some clearing in the woods around the house (he chainsawed fallen logs from the paths and I moved them, then he mowed the paths. It looks nice.

When we were done, he finally cut down the horrible twisted, grafted, ornamental cherry in our front yard. He says I have to haul it off myself though, and it is heavy and I was tired, so it is waiting for another day.

I am still working on floors! I can't think about July yet.

The tension rod is perfect! I'd seen this done someplace. It's fantastic. I feel so much better about everything.

What do people think about a drawer and shelf challenge for July?

My little book plate looks so lovely. I remember when I bought it and how much I loved it. And a few years back I felt a little sick because I didn't know where it was.

Ok I'm sorry I posted so much today. I'm just so glad I accomplished some things today. Big things that made my life easier. And my home nicer.