Yeah, went to the store. Out to lunch first because roommate wanted to - I suggested a café not too far away. Roads were okay. But more snow was forecast, and we just beat it home, and now it's all on the trees, kind of pretty as long as it's doesn't weigh down the branches too much or power lines. The schools will be closed again tomorrow. I had had a routine doctor appointment set for tomorrow, but earlier in the week decided to cancel it and reschedule; glad I did.

If I start to feel sorry for myself, I think of those poor folks out in California. Devastating.

Good evening!

CM, did you go to the store?

We had school yesterday (and today but I was off). I worked on my evaluations and some laundry and dishes and kept the house warm and cozy and water thawed in the barn and filled all the wood boxes because we're getting snow again tomorrow and closing at lunch time. Not seeing a lot of my students this week is complicating my evaluations.

The counter is clean.

In one week buddy will be through his surgery.

Kinda fighting the cabin fever. We may get more snow. But also tomorrow may trundle our way down to the grocery store, which is thankfully not terriblly far. The rabbits will need lettuce. This is the first day that the public schools have been opened although a lot of people have kept their kids home. My cousin works in the mornings for a small school getting breakfast for students.

The clear vinyl I helped staple on the screen porch makes it almost nice out there at times, and keeps roommate's plants going. I should probably go out for a few minutes to get some Vitamin D. I still feel like the days are way too short, and I've been sleeping in in the mornings which doesn't help with that but I feel like I need it.

So many things I dragged in from the van like my CDs (yes, I still have a CD player in my vehicle, call me old school but I enjoy it) so they wouldn't freeze and crack. So that has made more mess and disarray and cramped space inside the house. But what can a person do when storms like this come in on short notice? It'll get taken care of, I'm just griping because I don't like winter weather in general, lol. Even the hot summer doesn't keep a person so confined. Going to the grocery store is not my favorite thing to do, but it may feel like a treat of sorts tomorrow if it's not too annoying. I wonder if they've even had time to restock after the rush last Friday.

Good morning!

Made some progress on the evaluations yesterday. Really not enough.

The hvac tech came out, looked at our plowed driveway, called his office and said it was too dangerous and too far to walk and left. Dh got mad and fixed the heat pump. Cost - power for heat gun. - I know I am very lucky. But also, sometimes I am concerned about the work ethic in this country. I remember my Dd talking about getting trucks unloaded on her first job- they were behind schedule and her guys told her it was going to take 2 days (a ridiculous amount of time) to unload the trucks. She told them, "I will be here at 7 a.m., and we will unload those trucks." She put her little 5'6" 150 lb curvy girl body in the line and made them keep up with her. The trucks were unloaded by lunch.

Back to school today, so I need to get moving.

The counter is still clear.

Hi everyone! Checking in! Very cold here in the Northeast but no snow in my parts.

I'm doing better around the house, and that is helping with my mood. Very stressful at work but I'm trying not to freak out

CM! Glad you are safe! You are so smart with setting up the cars that way. I too would love a handy husband! Glad you got yours, SubC!

Habitat Restore will sell the items. Their store is nice. I picked up at least two tables for my mom there and I forget what else I've purchased there. Very nice furniture at excellent prices! They set up the Chiba and the glassware in nice shelves. It's a good place to go.

I'll talk to you later!!

CM,

I'm glad you are safe and warm.

The very useful husband is definitely one of my best acquisitions. Today he put chains on the tractor and plowed us out. He also plowed from the house to both barns because he decided the snow was too deep for me to wade through. <3

There is no school tomorrow, which is good, because my evaluations are very slow going! Also our heat pump froze up, but we are cozy by the fire. This is getting to be a very expensive month - Dh car also needs an expensive safety issue repair he can't do.

Tatoulia, I'm glad you at least feel comfortable with your china decision. Will habitat sell it? I love to think of someone being set up in housekeeping and setting the table in their first home with beautiful China..

Very little progress today, but the counter is still clear except for six eggs.

Out into the cold to do chores..

P.S. SubC I did think about your rural setting and being used to the vagaries of weather a lot more, and having at least something of a community of others like yourself. I have accepted that I'm more of a semi-suburban gal than I realized. The outer limits of suburbia here are expanded out several miles from where they were when I was growing up so now this same general area is the "old" suburbs.

In any case, it's harder if one doesn't have a truck or SUV, and a garage, and sorry if this sounds old fashioned but I could really go for a nice husband who has practical skills with cars and home repairs. My roommate and I joke about the two perfect husbands who surely are out there somewhere, but must have gotten delayed in finding us. 😉

Thankfully, the power stayed on. We aren't in the part of the state that was hardest hit, with highway closures and such. First time I ever recall getting a screeching emergency alert on my phone to not travel (wasn't planning to, prayed for those who had to and first responders, etc.). The governor declared a disaster emergency so as to facilitate relief efforts.

I had backed my roommate's car and my van into the driveway on Friday so that they would face south. Today the sun is out here and it has melted the ice off mine pretty well but roommate's will need another day; I had to clear snow off the windshields and hers is more between the houses so it gets fewer hours of sun. The days may be getting longer but they aren't long.

We've been sort of vegging, resting in the daytime and watching sitcoms in the evening.

Hope everyone is hanging in there with whatever weather and other things where you are.

Lila, I know you are at work today. You've been doing so much at home! Yes! Schedule that pedicure! I started getting pedicures again over the summer, I think. I used to get a manicure ince a week and a pedicure once a month. I'm back to the monthly pedicure and it is very relaxing. And my feet are so nice.

My friend is coming Friday to pack up my Christmas stuff. I've removed two of the items and put them in a donation bag. I've filled the donation bag with other things to get rid of and I'm pretty pleased.

SubC! I checked replacements and they have a lot of my mother's Minton china so I don't think they'd offer very much for it. Plus I'd have to pay shipping. I also checked eBay and there is quite a bit of her pattern there, too. So I'll box up 2/3 and donate to habitat for humanity restore. I'll reserve a car.

I've started to move my Christmas things to the dining table, so my friend can pack it up from there.

That is a lot of work to write all of those evaluations, SubC. I have to write the ones for my direct reports. So not students but still something to do. They are due this week.

Had dinner with my brother tonight. I had a funny feeling that I wouldn't see him again so I held on tight when I said goodbye. I hope it was just a weird feeling and not an indication that something would happen to one of us.

Oh! Decorated for Christmas!

My decorations will be staying up for a very long time this year because Bean wants to help take the tree down. He won't be back until January 15.

I have just realized that although evaluations are due Jan 20, I have to finish them by the 13th, because my next week will be entirely taken up with Bean and his family. So I will start those today - it will be 20-30 hours of work.

The next week will be a success if I get those done, do yoga, keep the counter clean, and keep up on the laundry and dishes. Any real additional progress will need to wait for February.

CM, the storm looks bad in Kansas. I hope you are warm, safe, and have power!

My friend went through my Christmas items and decorated my house with them. Not all,which is good. She created a little village with my paper houses and a Christmas tree from Switzerland and little battery operated votives and other things including a Santa my mother got before she even met my father. Very very cute. She put things amongst the books on the shelves. In my bedroom she put out the angel that belonged to the parents of the friend I just saw in Switzerland.

I do need to go through my things. She will help me.

I will check replacements. I haven't looked at their site in years. Would love it if they will outright buy the stuff as opposed to my keeping it here until it sells. I don't want to store it. I'll report back!

CM I am thinking about you!

Still moving slow and sleepy today,

BUT

The counter is clear and clean!

(There is still a box of very old stuff from it that I need to work on, but I will do that. - I may add that to the tally - days or items)

Setting your priorities is a priority SubC 🙂

We will all make progress this year in whatever way we focus.

This morning I:
- spent time reading
- unloaded and loaded the dishwasher
- hand washed dishes, washed out the sink
- put away some things from the kitchen to where they belong
- did a bit of picking up

I also made a list of errands for today and made an appointment for a pedicure. It has been awhile, and I feel like a little pampering will do me good. I think in the spring, I will bring Tot along with me so she can also get a pedi. A fun outing for a little girl!

I hope when I get back from my errands to do a few things to add to the new tally/organizing threads. I want to get started on my new goals!

See you again soon. I go back to work tomorrow and it is going to be a busy week.

The kids said the blood drive went well. Now Dd needs another distraction for the next 13 days.

Tatoulia, I wasn't clear on the decorating. She decorated your house with things you already have? Or did she add things? I think your reduction focus is good. And I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation!

Have you tried a resale place like replacements limited for the china? I know they don't pay a lot and sell pretty dearly, but they do connect pieces with people who are happy to have them. I like to think of all the people who were delighted to find the missing piece they needed when we sold a lot of my gram's china there. There was just too much for the family - she entertained so much in a different time...

Lila, you are cooking with gas! I will visit your other threads, but I am still working on figuring out where my focus needs to be right now and how to manage things so they support each other. (Like the grocery budget and losing some weight.)

Arg, I was half done posting and Bean called to say goodnight and it went away.

CM, I hope your weather stays ok. Here we are supposed to get ten inches of snow Sunday into Monday with ice, but we are fine for whatever. I probably won't make it to Bean's house on Monday, but if we lose power, it will be cold, so I can use outside for a freezer. And we have plenty of food, eggs and milk on tap, emergency water, a woodstove, and plenty of candles and blankets. I do have to do my regular feed run tomorrow, so hopefully it won't be too crowded. I think in general farm people are more sensible and have more resources than suburban people. I've lost power for over a week in the winter in both settings and in the suburbs it was awful and we had to move out of our house. Here is was more like a vacation honestly.

More after I do chores..

p.s.

I posted some new threads for goals in 2025.
- Organizing What's Left
- Cleaning What's Dirty
- Daily Tally

We also have a "decluttering your waistline" thread that mainly SubC and I have been posting on.

I hope you all will check them out and use them in whatever way will help you. I know it helps me tremendously to set some kind of goal, but you can post without a goal if that works better for you! It's nice to hear the success of others and encourage each other. So join in or just read if you find it helpful.

I'm so glad you got a nice vacation, Tatoulia! And that you came home to a cute, decorated space. I think we all need refreshing once in awhile!

CM, I hope the weather is good for you and you don't lose power. That really can be disruptive. I have a chair near two large windows and if we lose power in the day, I sit there and read. But at night it kind of sucks.

Praying for you and your family, SubC. And also I am encouraged by your planning for a less cluttered space.

Today I:
- washed and dried a load of clothes
- enjoyed some peaceful reading time in the morning

I am thankful to have today and tomorrow off. Sunday I am back to work, full steam. I have a big event I am directing Monday morning. Hoping it goes well! It will last through the end of March, once a week, and the very first week is the hardest because I have no idea if it will be 50 people or 5. Probably, if I had to guess, 30ish might come. We will see. But I have to prepare for 50+ just in case, since it could be as many as 100.

I did not get everything done I wanted to on my vacation, such as dealing with the old computer towers sitting on my bar/counter, but that's ok. I did get my room much better, and I relaxed and had plenty of time to be with family. That's what's important. I will work on my bedroom a bit more today.

I think I will start a new thread for organizing. I stated before, after 90% of your stuff in a space is decluttered, I think the new challenge is organizing what's left. So I am making a goal to organize spaces. Like, flat surfaces, or drawers or whatever. Stuff might not go out of the house, but it CAN be put into an organized place so I can find the things I need. Please come join me on the new thread if you like!

Hello everyone! That's very nice about the blood drive for dear little buddy. Wish you didn't need it. CM, will be thinking of you are the storm comes in. Lila! Keep up the good work!

So I felt very disorganized before and after my trip. I felt like there was so much stuff and I kept losing things and driving myself crazy. I feel better now. I don't know if I told you this but my friend decorated my house while I was gone and I came home to a lot of cuteness.

I am making a bag of stuff for goodwill. I'm concentrating on things that are fine but make me feel bad. For example, one of BF's neighbors gave something very cute but broken and I don't know why I'm keeping it. It was broken when I got it. And it aggravates me. I still think it's worth donating since other people might not be aggravated by its small flaw. It's one of the decorations that my friend put out. So that's going. I'm going to concentrate on my feelings and not the objects.

I still need to split up mom's wedding china. I cannot have this many place settings. But they need to go someplace nicer than goodwill.

I slept most of New Year's Day. I've been sleeping a lot since my trip solely because I was sick. Now I'm just sluggish from the holidays.

I got all of my shredding into the office yesterday. It had piled up since I hadn't been in the office since dec 3.

Taking my first real vacation in 20 years was extraordinary. The cats were well cared for and I had a simply beautiful time. Will go back next December.

Hi ladies, found this new thread. Sorry my huge photo blew up the previous one but it's kind of nice and neat to start a new year with a new thread anyway.

We are getting some pretty dire winter weather predictions and I am rather stressed about it. I just seem to be more and more anxious about such things every winter. It is just so potentially disruptive... I just pray the power stays on, no big tree branches fall, etc. The predictions are still in flux though. Maybe we'll get lucky.

On the positive side... my bunny who is 12 years old, on Sunday night was dragging a hind leg. I feared maybe he had had a stroke. But then a couple days later he began improving and is now doing better. So we don't need to try and hurry him to the vet during the harsh weather. And we have a small power bank for phone charging.

Anyway, prayers would be welcome and if power stays on maybe I can pop in here just to say Hi. Don't know if I'll get ambitious with decluttering (perhaps some small sorting project that doesn't require a lot of space could work). But maybe I'll just hibernate.

Wasn't how I planned to get in the swing of a new year but here we are. Stay safe and warm where you are and we'll see what happens.

Happy new year Tatoulia! Good morning!

Lila, good for you making those small steady changes to improve your fitness. And for getting all those things out of your house! You didn't say, but I hope you enjoyed your dinner.

I am trying to slowly add things back after my long vacation and make choices that will help me pare down.

On the first I added yoga and working on my counter (which got buried again during all the company)
Yesterday I continued with the yoga and counter and added journaling. I also did school work (updated my class lists and wrote my thank you notes - recycling some paper and using cards from my desk). Plus I caught up with laundry.

Today I go to Bean's house to watch the boys (the church is having a blood drive for Buddy and Dd and dsil are working it) I'll drop the recycling on the way and also some trash since I have to get gas. I'm staying late so the kids can go out to dinner and get some downtime and a chance to talk where Bean can't overhear them.

By the end of the weekend I want to be caught up on the counter, the laundry, the dishes, and planning for school for the week. I also need to get feed. The accumulation of feedbags in my barn is becoming absurd so I think the next routine I need to add is regularly cleaning those for recycling. It is easier in the summer, but I did not make the time. Step one will be finding an easy space to clean them in when it is cold outside. (In the absence of trash service, throwing them "away" is harder and more complicated than cleaning and recycling)

Happy New Year!

Lila, thanks for the new thread!

Today I:

- unloaded, loaded, and ran the dishwasher
- washed 2 loads of laundry
- went to the thrift store and dropped off two boxes of donations
- went to the library and donated a box of books (they sell used books)
- went to work briefly to clean my office, since I have a meeting there in a few days

I am proud of myself for carrying all of the boxes of stuff out to the car myself, a whole flight of stairs. I usually ask someone to carry things for me, but this year I am trying to build my stamina. I also carried the laundry up and down the stairs myself.

How you guys doing?

I'm glad you got to read the whole book! That will be one item out.

I have had such a nice day. TotsDad and my dil helped me clean and move things around. He vacuumed, took trashes out, moved furniture around, fixed my broken table, washed the dining room table, and cleaned the entry way. It is so much better! I helped with moving things etc.

I placed a grocery pickup order and am leaving soon to get it so I can make dinner. They are going to help me cook, and my son and his gf will come over for dinner (we will have 10 people here). I am about to bake a pie as well.

I am thrilled I have had so much time off and finally feel like it was enough. And tomorrow is another day off which is great. I will work on my goals and my decluttering and cleaning tomorrow too.

I also dyed my hair this morning. I am trying to find a balance between leaving it natural grey and dying it a light blonde... the issue is when I let it go a really long time my hair is basically white, and I think it makes me look way older. So, we'll see what I end up doing but for now the light blonde is okay.

Happy new year!

I have been lazy today. Cleaned up a little, but mostly read a book (the whole book) I am not going to keep the book, so, that is progress.

Working on some planning for January. It is definitely going to be a month I need to get ahead of. Also some goal setting.

Dh goes back to work tomorrow. I go to Bean's house on Friday and back to school next week. I need to take Bean's family some things they forgot and some extra food.

Today I am starting off the new year right!

- slept in
- thawed meat for dinner
- changed the water filters on the faucet and in the drinking pitcher
- did some reading
- loaded and ran the dishwasher

I will be relaxing, celebrating, cooking, maybe running to the store, putting random items away, and working on new goals.