That is priceless, Tillie. Absolutely priceless.

I picked up my artwork and also got a tension rod. I'm excited and satisfied with my day. I'm glad to have dramatically reduced the number of cleaning supplies, to have them organized and easy to reach, and for having made a logical space for my tools. Let's see if the tension rod works the way I am picturing it

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Good luck with your next step in trying to resolve the cat problem! (((hug)))
Good plan not messing up the skunks familiar hidey hole until you have evicted them.

Hi Subclinical 🙂
Thank you so much for your feedback! 😀
WAY TO GO! getting the tires gone!
I think it is a GREAT plan to gather up all the Styrofoam, make plans for fun things to do by that town where you can unload it all.
Win, win in my opinion. 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
WAY TO GO!!! WOOHOO!!!
Happy dancing that you are in the cleaning groove! ;D

Looking at the charms deciding what to keep for myself there is one that brings back a really funny time.
Granma would get charms and then ask me to attach them to her bracelet.
I cautiously questioned her about this new leaf charm I needed to attach.
My Canadian Granma said it was a maple leaf.
I educated her in the fact that it was actually a marijuana leaf.
We had a lot of laughs about this, real fun day.
She said "well, it looks like a maple leaf to me."
So, I attached her Canadian "maple" leaf to her bracelet.
That is definitely a charm that I am keeping, already attached it to my charm bracelet.

That is not crazy, SubC! Not at all. Combining things like that will be terrific! Congrats on getting rid of the tires! Woo hoo!!

Anony, my rug may be a vinyl rug rather than an oil cloth. But they both do the same thing. They are pieces of vinyl or oil cloth with a decorative pattern (frequently with vintage designs) that lay absolutely flat against your actual floor. They are decorative and can easily spiff up a place. I got one for my kitchen and my designer friend and I have picked out a large one for my living space, to go over the hardwood floors. I have to custom order that. But I'm likely going to wait until after I order my fireplace as I do not want any delivery or installation to rip it. I just wash it carefully with a sponge. It's beautiful, the one I got for the kitchen. I love it.

Tillie, yup I'm feeling human.

So?I cleaned the ceiling fan in the bedroom, changed my bed, did a load of towels, vacuumed the bedroom. BF said he'd go with me later to get the art work. He should be free around 3:30. Place closes at 5. If we miss it, we miss it. I decided, since I'm on a roll with cleaning, to see mom tomorrow. It's a rare day where I'm just getting things done, but you all are familiar enough with me to know how hard it is for me. Psychologically hard.

Wow, you guys are cruising!

Anony, I hope you get all the skunks.

Tillie, I love the charm bracelet solution.

Tatoulia - you mopped your kitchen floor! There is NOTHING on you kitchen floor! And how wonderful to be able to bring your art home and just hang it up!

We took the tires. I am happy to have them out of the yard. The lady told dh where he can take latex paint too.

I wish we had somewhere to take styrofoam. The nearest place is two hours and 15 minutes away.

Styrofoam is such a big one for me that I have been contemplating finding something special to do in or near that town and just planning a day trip when I have enough styrofoam to completely fill my car. Is that crazy?

~Ice coffee & cacao clinks!~
Tatoulia, what is an oil cloth rug?!?
I think ive come to a next step for the bully cat. I think ill go over there & just very politely ask what they suggest i do? My farmer neighbor did that for me when his dog kept eating my cat's food & it worked, cuz he knows his dog. I think that would also reassure them, as well as let them know this is a very real problem for me....getting him fixed would probably help...maybe they will offer that...i also want them to know i dont blame them....whew...i feel a bit better~
After the lot of skunk rats are gone, i will clean under those sink cabnets...the level of disgust has to stay so they feel at home enough to trust the traps...for now....

Thank you so much for your feedback on my plan!
It really does help having others to talk about these kinds of things with.
(((HUGS)))

Not really all that weird.
When this place gets out of control
I always say that I am working to reclaim it for humanity. ;P

Have a GREAT day!

I love the decision and resolution for the charm bracelets, Tillie! Wonderful decision-making!

YES drawer challenge for July!

Honestly you and Anony inspired me to take care of the under the sink area. I feel free. And human. Is that weird? Ok a little.

I'm going to see mom tmr. I want to continue what I'm doing here. Moving forward.

Good Morning Everyone 🙂
Iced tea "Clink!"

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
I totally understand not snuffing cats, even if they are being horrid creatures. (((HUG)))

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
WHOOPIE! for tackling that under sink area! 😀
I just did mine last Monday and it's easy when there is not too much stuff.
Just the basics.
Maybe for July we can do a drawer challenge?

Remember I talked about that Swedish Death Cleaning?
It's about thinning things out while we are still alive and not leaving a heap of unappreciated so-so stuff behind when we go.
Well, I inherited 5 silver charm bracelets from my Granma's stuff.
Never have worn them. They mostly are charms from the places she visited, she loved to travel around the U.S. and Canada.
When I was still a girl she gave me a charm bracelet with 2 charms on it. I still have it but the kitty charm got lost.
Did some serious thinking and decided to unload/sell Granma's bracelets.

But first I want to remove some charms that mean something to me and put them on my charm bracelet that Granma gave to me over 50 years ago.

This way I will have unloaded something I don't want/need/appreciate and at the same time keep what does mean something to me.

A lot of hard little decisions but I feel very good about this. 😉

It would be easy if I had a bunch of children to hand things down to.

Hi again Tatoulia 😀
WTG! for floor mopping!!!
Have fun picking up your print. ;D

Second pot of coffee brewing as we speak! I mopped kitchen floor. As soon as it dries completely, I will put my new oil cloth rug back in there. I've showered.

Anony, we stand by your side and send support. I'm am so sorry that your funds are so restricted. It is a very difficult situation. I am fortunate that I can and do work full time for a solid company. Of course I live in fear of jinxing myself. I am hoping beyond hope to get rid of my debt so I can just live and breathe.

I'm going to pick up a piece I had framed. I've owned it for a long time, maybe 20 years and I just love it. It's a darling book plate from 1903 (if memory serves) and it's just so pretty. Book plate isn't the right word. It's this lovely little hand printed art nouveau piece celebrating the new year by one of the publishing houses in Boston. Not only have I finally had it framed, but my designer friend has already put up the nail where it is to hang.

I'll see if mom wants to go with me.

~Iced coffee clinks!~
Tatoulia, i like your idea about hanging up spray bottles under the sink. Im realizing ill likely continue to have mini skunks invade my home & if i can keep the floor of the cabnets under the sinks clear enough for traps, it could make it much easier to deal with?! Unfortunately, my finances arent going to improve once they are gone tho...i wish itd be that easy...they are an extreme hassle & disturbance, but dont really cost money.
I went to sleep before dark again last night. Im so distraught about how to deal with the bully neighbor cat. If it were any other animal, id send it to the next dimension, to defend my loved ones~♡~

Absolutely disgusting.

Ok I put the tools in first, after cleaning out underneath and scrubbing it. (I have a giant contractor's bag filled with junk fir trash day). Then I put cleaning supplies in. Unopened stuff such as boxes of SOS pads went into donation bag. I am going to get a tension rod so I can hang my spray bottle cleaners.

I will have to clean out that dreaded kitchen drawer so I can store my reusable shopping bags. I can also take some up to the car.

If something doesn't fit, then it means I have too much stuff. I'm not going to redistribute to other places in house. It can fit or it can go.

Coffee clinks! I brewed a pot this AM instead of pouring iced tea. The weather is cloudy and somewhat cool. I love it like this!

Anony that is so scary about the critters! I am proud of you for tackling that tough job! Your finances may ease up once you are able to stop spending money on getting rid of your four legged visitors. Wishing you well today and sending you much strength.

Tillie, you made hard decisions on little stuff. I'm letting that sink in for a while.

I decided last night to do something about the mess under my kitchen sink (before I knew that was Anony's project). I have too much under there and if I can clean it out, then maybe my tools can go there too. My tools used to go in the dining room closet but now that space is gone. I could also be brave and go into one of my kitchen drawers but not now. Let me get through the cleaning supplies and other detritus under the sink.

~Coffee Clinks!~
Tillie, im glad you are getting things done!
Next im going to clear a spot under the kitchen sink for more rat traps. Its obvious they are getting in this area & there are at least 2, probably a whole litter, but i have a good plan im preparing for, so im not feeling as freaked out by them.
I do realize how much of my decisions are affected by finances. I dont know what to do about that. It will be a tricky road getting my place better on the inside. The outside is much clearer to figure out & work on.
~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~

Good Evening Everybody 🙂

Hi Subclinical 🙂
Really like your meditation for today! 😀
It is good to periodically meditate on what are priorities are.
Sometimes life gets hectic and we tend to forget just what is important to us.
WAY TO GO! for not taking any more food than you can actually use!

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
YEA!!! for being so close that you can actually see the finish line! 😀

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
WAY TO GO!!! clearing out a big bag of stuff from the hallway & bathroom!!!
Wishing you all the best of luck dealing with all the random critters. (((hug)))

Soon as I got up this morning I went out and started watering stuff.
Since I was out there anyways I decided to work on the pump house.
Found some things that can go away and organized stuff a little better.
Then spent the rest of the day futzing around inside, out of the heat.
Made some hard decisions about some small things.
To keep or not to keep, that is the question.

~♡~Good morning!~♡~
SubC, that is what im afraid of, is that the bully cat will claim dominance, like the dad of my cat getting beat up did years ago. And yes, if i could get my neighbors to neuter him it would likely help. Id have to ask them. I came close last summer when i thought he was a stray & he had a bad gash on his chin. That was when he let me pet him. Last night something got in the bed & a fight occurred with my cat. It couldve even been a mini skunk.
I cleared a heavy garbage bag of stuff from my hallway & under the bathroom sink, so i will get big rat traps for the mini skunks. I was so upset yesterday i took a nap & didnt wake up till midnight & those things were making all kinds of noise & were in the kitchen, too!
Tillie, i know what you mean about just pretending about your place & creating a fantasy. I do that too. It helps.
Tatoulia, i would love some pajama shorts! Congrats on your pile!
I was torn between focusing on building a mud hut, or trying to patch up this trailer, and now im needing to look for ways to earn money, instead...

Great work SubC! That is fantastic! For not treating your life like a garbage dump! Strong work at the food bank yesterday!!

Tillie I crave the contentment. I'm close and I am thrilled. I'm going to take a picture of The Pile so I can see my progress.

Off to work, iced tea clinks!

Anony, there may be nothing you can do about the cat. Cats have definitive territories established with other cats. It's possible that the best you can hope for is that your cat lost the fight so badly that he now recognizes the other cat as dominant and won't fight any more.

Tatoulia, I am glad you are making such great progress. I'm sure you will have your living room done by the time the week end is over! Just keep working at it! I know those "one hour" jobs can be deceptive - people assume that all you have to do it pick up each item and put it in a new location that is waiting for it - but often there is a lot of behind the scenes work. My son used to work building parking lots. It's amazing how much has to be done before any gravel even goes down. Our work is like that.

I am working through a book of meditations that I got as a teacher gift (I think I forgot to list my teacher gifts as ins - two books, two pretty little desk top flowerpots - the flowers are now dead, a few cards with notes that I will keep.) anyway, the book is called "Present not perfect" and today's meditation is "make room for what matters" it is a drawing of concentric circles and I am supposed to put the thing that is most important to me right now in the center of the circle and then add things moving out rough the rings. Things I can let go of go outside of the circles.

I know that it means non-physical things, but it is a good metaphor for the work we do. - when healing our spaces, we need to arrange them with what is most important to us first, and then, when the spaces are full, whatever is left, we need to let go of.

I went to the food bank yesterday. Jim had his truck completely full of bread and spoiled vegetables. It had been raining and all the boxes were soggy. He told me I should take what I wanted because he had way too much and he was going to just toss the load in the dump. It was very very hard, but I got a dry box, pulled out enough to fill it, and left the rest. That is all I will use in one week. I don't need to spend my time processing the rest into compost, recycling, trash and wildlife food. I have other things I need to do this week. I am one person. I do my best.

Good Evening 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
You wrote
" I'm so glad you are at a happy & satisfied point with things right now!"
This is because I have accepted the things that I cannot change and focus solely only on things that make me happy & content.
I live in my mind in a wonderful fantasy place.
I know everything about this house is nasty and falling down around my head but choose to escape into my mind since I cannot do what needs to be done to make things right.
Rather than stress myself into a major nervous breakdown.
Sorry about that jerk neighbor cat.
I've been through that myself with my cats getting hurt too and the stupid jerk cats always kept coming back. 🙁

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
WAY TO GO! asking the coworker about your pile!
That was very brave of you to show a picture too. 🙂
YEA!!! for all you accomplished today!
Appreciating the sunset was very important and I'm glad you watched it.

I had a wonderful day today.
Decided that I would not make any plans and just move through life as the mood hit.
I did a little of this and a little of that and a lot of somethings else.
Only chores were the everyday cat related tasks. ;D

Okay I'm going to bed. Not done but I am feeling like it is possible. I just need to get rid of some stuff to make room. I need to cull the Christmas herd but not yet. I'll wait til October so I can maximize any consignment opportunities. I know the shelves in bedroom closet could yield more space in the meantime.

I can finish this tomorrow. Then I'll work on making space. I need to feel the drive to see my living room finished.

Ok it's taking longer than an hour but in my defense I did go visit boyfriend and we marveled at the late sunset. And I am doing my laundry. Some cat related, and now some non-car related.

But I'm working on my pile and there is definite improvement.

Hello everyone!

Thanks for helping me with that dream. I have never her. In space that cluttered and it was suffocating me. Time for action here!

I hope you went swimming today, Anony. Question: has your cat been neutered? Because that helps them stay in and not fight. When I lived in the Midwest there was a big bully cat that used to fight with my male cat. Now that I think if it, my cat had been neutered. I remember our neighbors used to say they were going to trap the bully and have it neutered. Well there's some useless advice.

Cats are hard to deter, I'm afraid.

Well I am wearing pajama shorts and working on my pile. OH! I took a picture and showed a co-worker. She is wealthy and very stylish and interested in design, very wise, very good with advice, , etc. she's a great person so I figured, what the heck, show her my pile and she said, that would take you an hour. She's right. So I'm doing it now.

....and that #@&*%#! cat just comes right back! I have larengitis from screaming at it! Shots in the ground make no difference. I dont know what to do. They are the only neighbors i know & he is the only good cop in this area & im grateful to have him there cuz of all ive been through, but now my loved ones are in danger from that thing! ....sorry for venting...

~Ice coffee clinks!~
Tillie, i hadnt thought about terra being the same basic word as Tara?!? Im sure its connected...and maybe terror is, too.....those days of being terrorized & in danger here are long since past tho, thank God~ Im so glad you are at a happy & satisfied point with things right now! You so deserve that!
Im going to start my garbage bag under the bathroom sink to clear space for rat traps for the mini skunks!
I just text my neighbor about their cat hurting mine badly, just that the gunfire is only into the ground next to me as a deterant(sp?!?)....my new phone doesnt help me with spelling.

HAPPY SOLSTICE! 😀
Iced tea "Clink!"

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
I'm looking forward too to the day you have only dailys. 😀
I have noticed the changing furniture trends too.
When my neighbor friends were moving out, at the yard sale all the modern furniture sold but nobody even looked at the lovely antique chest of drawers.

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Good luck with your plan to get together a bag from inside today.
I think a swim would be exactly what you need! (((HUGS)))
I grew up in a place named "Terra Del Sol". 😉

Today I am going to relax and play!
So happy I got that pantry shelf done yesterday so I don't feel guilty any more.
Beautiful quiet warm morning here.
The birds are singing, Robins and Mourning Doves.
Going to be hot again today and probably will be until September.
Next time I get groceries I will get a watermelon.
I've been enjoying making honeycomb beeswax candles but only make one to burn at a time rather than making them all at once.
Today I'll make a taper candle using the purple wax. 🙂

~☆~Happy Summer Solstice!~☆~
Tatoulia, i think that dream is a good sign? Generally, those type of dreams happen once you are out of a situation & dread going back to it?! And i know what you mean about it being bad, but used to be worse! When someone sees it, ive had decide whether to say that or not?!
My kitty just told me that neighbor cat was out there & he was! I think he knows i know thats what happened to his tail, now. I need a new plan.
Im sure its politically incorrect now, but i watched 'Gone With The Wind' again last night & im still madly in love with Rhett Butler....♡....i think Big, on Sex & The City is a modern incarnation of him, but i will always love Rhett....♡
Its gonna be super hot today. I think ill do 1 garbage bag of inside 'letting go'...☆....and i may go to the pool to swim....Scarlette's place was called Tara...mine is more like Terror....ha ha. ;D
~♡~(((HUGS TO ALL)))~♡~

Happy Summer Solstice!

Thank you for the support and reminders, Tillie. I am almost there in terms of piles in living room. Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to the daily tasks. Daily realizing what I need and don't need.

I took a bag from the house to the car yesterday. Stuff to consign. I've had no bites on my piece of furniture that I put on Craig's list. It's not the price, it's the changing attitudes and trends toward furniture. I'll keep in hallway for now and keep posting it. I may see if an auction house wants it.

I'm having iced tea and thinking about my day.

Wishing everyone a great day.

Hi Tatoulia 🙂

WAY TO GO!!! for making even tiny progress!
When we first start to declutter, organize & clean it is easier because there is a lot of very easy decisions to make about what to toss and donate.
It is harder when we get near the end because the things are not all broken, dirty, ugly, annoying or otherwise undesirable junk.

Then when we get it all sorted out and organized and cleaned, it's not over.
It is never all over...
I have to regularly weed out things and I always have to clean.
But by me regularly letting things go
it never becomes an overwhelming hoard.

It's mainly "One In/One Out"
and clean before things become too dirty or squalorous.
And everything needs a home, a place to put it.
A tiny tidying up every day to maintain what I cleaned.

About your dream...
How horrible.
When something like that happens it is called "Ghost Squalor".
It is really quite common (((HUGS)))

That is a lot of work, Tillie! absolutely amazing work. And it pays off by not having any little visitors. Scooter! Airing out!

I am actually making tiny progress in the living room. I did take a picture and I'll try to post it tomorrow. It's not pretty but it's not terrible.

I fell asleep this afternoon and at the end of one of my dreams I realized I was in a hoarded house/hallways difficult to pass/couldn't close bathroom door/that sort of stuff and I panicked.

I'm awake and going to put a few things away. I've brewed a fresh pitcher of iced tea and I'm running the dishwasher.

Goodnight dear friends.

Hello Everyone 🙂

Hi Subclinical 🙂
WOOHOO!!! fantastic!
Hope this venture all works out well for you! 😀
WTG! for finding all those jeans!
Fingers crossed that the shoes turn up at a great deal too.

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
It does not matter what anybody would classify any of us by.
We are all here because we need the support and encouragement and friendship to work on making our homes better and easier to live in. (((HUGS)))

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Before pictures are always good because after a while we forget what it was like after we have been working on it for weeks or months.
YEA!!! for weight loss program! 😉

Very hot this afternoon.
Scooter is on his back with his hind legs all sprawled out.
Today I completely cleaned the large bookcase in the pantry.
Nothing else in there got cleaned just the bookcase and the jars I store all my dry foods in.
I pulled the shelf away from the wall and washed behind and under it too.
There were absolutely no signs of any bugs or rodents! ;D
I took my time putting on new shelf liner and washing the exterior of every jar as I replaced them.
This is what was keeping me from "doing the pantry".
It's a large wooden bookcase the library was throwing out.
It has 5 shelves and also the top of the case.
I have a LOT of those glass jars that close with the wire clasps.
To keep bugs and rodents out of my house I always put any food that comes in a bag or a box or a bag in a box into one of these jars.
I don't allow any food to be accessible to the pests and this system seems to be working great. 😉

Congratulations SubC! Your art is being appreciated! And great work at the thrift store!!! Anony I like your thought-process regarding your mother. Thank you for that. Tillie you've done a lot! Time to relax!

I still have piles of sh&t and other things to deal with. I still have more to get rid of. I may take up Mar's suggestion and lost a before picture. As long as everyone understands it used to be significantly worse.

Back from weight loss appt. it went well.