Good morning 🙂

Wishing you all a warm and enjoyable day. (((HUGS)))

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it.

Thanks for the sweet wishes Dianne and Tillie, and Merry Christmas to you.
Today was sunny and no wind so I worked in bedroom a few hours then was outside the rest of the day. I chopped a big bin full of kindling. Hauled plenty of firewood up to the deck. Picked up some junk in the yard. Sat in the warm sunshine and enjoyed it so much. Noticed neighbors making several store runs, so happy I didn't have to go anywhere. Another nice day tomorrow, hope we all have fun and don't feel bad because we don't have what others have, whether it is family, money or whatever, instead lets focus on the good in our life.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

with love to all ~~ Dianne

Good morning everybody! 😀

Hi Dave 🙂
WAY TO GO!!!!! emptying that storage pod!!! 😀
Good luck with paring down till what's left all easily fits and is organized and easy to find when needed.

Hi Karl 🙂
WAY TO GO!!! on finding the spare glasses! 😀
I find it interesting that you get to experience hoarding from both sides now. First your own overflowing possessions and neglected maintenance and now living with someone elses.
YEA!!!!! for getting some icecream! 😀

Wishing all who observe the present holiday peace and good times. 🙂

Nothing going on here today.
Already did the daily maintenance type stuff & cat care.
Hoping he will fill a trash can or two for tomorrow's pick up.
Today would be a great day to build a huge bonfire, there is enough out there to keep it burning for days & days. ;D

My wish for today is that all of you have at least one of your wishes granted. 🙂

Watching to see if Santa makes it to Christmas Island.

I had an omelette before heading out for the day. Cheese only, since the housemate has been getting upset about my consuming the meat without replenishing it. The bloodmobile was busy, and turning away people who showed up without appointments. I finished up and went to take care of some banking business, and also picked up a pint of Baskin Robbins using one of those coupons that I mentioned in the "Lost" thread a while back. (I was considering five flavors; I eventually settled on Cherries Jubilee.) I made a brief stop back home to put that into the freezer before going out again.

From there, I went to volunteer my talents at affixing labels to newsletters. The hosts had offered holiday cookies and drinks, which may have tipped the balance between my going there or to a games event. On the way home, I went past my old turf and did grocery shopping there -- I think it's cheaper than what's now local to me. I bought a "family size" package of chicken legs; I hope my housemate is satisfied that I'm contributing to the grocery stockpile now.

Finally. the storage pod is empty after 4 months. It will be out of the driveway tomorrow. I won't be able to have the car in the garage tomorrow. I would guess I have to get rid of about 80% of the stuff I've been moving around. I'm not sure how long it is going to take me to rearrange the space again for the little I get to keep and to go through the boxes and force myself to get rid of the rest. (Yes, I'm whining.)

The box mine has generated the hoarder's equivalent of Christmas luminara, a sidewalk lined with boxes! When I can see tomorrow, I expect most of the output has to go to the tailing pile in the backyard where I have to flatten them and work them into the recycle dumpster over the rest of the winter.

In the morning I will see if rock salt has cleaned up the drive enough that the pod moving truck can get in. The ice was a much bigger project than I imagined.

Diane 🙂
I don't know about normal people but I have to organize stuff and then reorganize stuff and then put it somewhere only to have to move it all somewhere else.
Takes a while to get the stuff all organized and put away where it will best suit my needs.
Then I will later decide that I could organize that stuff better and keep it in a different/better place.
What works for us and our needs one day can change over night and we have to rethink our strategy for where to put stuff, how to fold the stuff and best way to organize it.
😀

Until we get the stuff into an area, we can't really tell if that is the best place for it till we live with it a little while.
So we end up rearranging stuff several times till we are happy with the results.

So happy to hear you had fun today Tillie, and that it was warm and sunny. It was overcast and windy most of the day here, tomorrow will be sunny, so I will be sure to get out and enjoy it tomorrow. Nice you could have door open and cats got to explore.
Tillie, after I organized stuff then decided to move it all, seemed like I wasted time, cause I spent so much time moving stuff around. Do normal people know where they want stuff the first time around? Seems like I am working as fast as I can, but everything seems to take hours to complete.

WAY TO GO Diane !!! 😀
for all you got done today!
Wish you could share some cake with me too. 🙂
I had fun today cooking lots of stuff and got the kitchen all cleaned up too. 😀
It was so nice sunny & warm here again today.
He spent the afternoon outside & raked a few leaves.
I let all the cats go outside to play and had to keep shooing them out of the house.
Silly things keep coming inside to use the litter box. :/

I repacked the area where first pipe broke, with more fiberglass and some creative ways to keep rocks out and hopefully cold out. I think I did a terrific job. Worked out there on organizing stuff, until was too cold. Warmed up, then went back out to do pipes under trailer. I cleaned up some stuff under there then decided I was too tired. Closed it up and came in. Worked on moving stuff I organized yesterday, did not like where it was. I worked several hours, but you would never know it by looking!! I got out felted wool to make something fun, but here I sit exhausted. Did bring in firewood and made a fire, and it is getting warm enough now, to get up and make food.
Tillie sure hope you can cope with your hoarder being there. Sounds like you are having fun cooking today. Yum, sure would like to eat cake with you on your birthday.
I will shower soon, got fiberglass on arms.
Good to hear from you roxie, dave and dianne

I have about 6 hours. In addition to finishing emptying the storage pod, that I'd planned on, I've just been informed I have to de-snow and de-ice around it too. It promises to be an entertaining afternoon, in which I will pay the price for lack of motivation for significant parts of the last couple of days!

I'm now going out to see if I can get into the cars (that are in the way) to see if I can get them open so I can get them cleaned up.

(Karl, i hope you got plenty of orange juice and nice treats.)

Tillie,
I hope you can find peace in your heart and small pleasures amidst the turmoil.

Good morning everybody 🙂

He will still be off work 24/7 until January 2nd.
He has done nothing with all his free time.

Anyways.....
Today I plan to do lots of stuff in the kitchen.
I will cook and freeze several meals and side dishes and I will bake my birthday cake too, just because.
I have nobody to share the cake with so I will just cut it up, wrap it and freeze that too.
I will also make another gallon of the herbal/lemon/honey tea.

Cats have been fed. Planning to wash & sanitize litter boxes today and wash all their dishes too.

Lovely bright sunny day here again today. 😀

Well, there's always working on your tax return. If you worked during this year and have a refund coming, that has some practical application.

I've been listening to some library books on cds when I have tasks in one place like washing dishes.

I am unemployed right now too, but the desperation that comes with long term unemployment is not fresh in my mind and I can't recapture states of mind from that time. One thing that gave me a bit of escape during some of those times was church. All my problems were there when I went in the door and were waiting for me when I came out, but for an hour or so I could engage in a worship service and for some part of that time I could usually forget about the problems.

Hi everyone,
I gave my mother the web address to this site and she might be posting here, who knows.
She is going to be in defense mode defending everything I ever said about her.

She might claim that she's protecting me from things or that she has told us what to do as for living situations but grant the job situation today, there isn't much I can do except wait and keep applying for a job and pray for an interview and get a job.

I still have to wait until May for the ideal job but am still applying for other jobs in the mean time.

With no job and no money and no sorce of income, what would you do besides bide your time and apply for jobs?

FLASH!
Dad is currently heading for the Tums, unsure of whether it was yesterday's grease or the hamburger. Oh well, the trash can has to make a living too.

When it's older like that, Dad might actually lay it out on the cutting board and trim the edges off. (Assuming it's a kind of cheese that Dad likes.) That makes some recovery of the cost.

(Dad is currently pushing his luck with some expired hamburger.)

Haha Karl!! That is exactly what my parents would have done.

It's "only" 1:30am but I need to get to bed real soon; I got way less sleep than I needed last night, and then had multiple demands on my time... Monday is going to be busy, too: between donating blood and going to a newsletter mailing event, I'd like to get some groceries, stop at the bank, and maybe eat some dinner at some point.

Yesterday I found a package of cheese, still sealed, but several months past expiration; some parts of it had visible mold. I asked my brother what's the right thing to do with that. He says Mom would probably throw it out, while Dad would scrape off the mold and eat the cheese.

Just got up from a long nap. That felt good even though I am groggy.

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Hi Everybody,

Tillie isn't your birthday soon?

Good morning 🙂

Had a wonderful and peaceful Winter Solstice celebration.
Many different kinds of birds came and feasted under the huge evergreen in my garden.
I ate lots of tasty things, drank Martinelli's sparkling apple cider (nonalcoholic) and took a nice nap with my cat. 😀

Yesterday was so nice and warm that all the icicles fell off the house and lots of snow melted in areas that aren't shaded.

Thinking I'll just lay low again today,
watch some movies & pop some popcorn.

If you venture out today stay safe. 🙂

It was so great having warmer weather yesterday, I had a great day. Bought more insulation, what could be more fun than that! It was fun just driving around, lots of frantic drivers, I was enjoying it all. There are benefits of being a loner, no need to rush and buy presents! I did 2 loads laundry, dishes, cleaned counters, took garbage out, bought groceries, put them away.
Today I hope to finish packing garage pipe that broke with new insulation. I bought a head thing you wear in cold weather, goes over head and neck with opening for face, so when go under trailer, won't have a head full of spiders. I may go under and do pipes today, only if I feel motivated too, I am taking the time off from all the work. I will for sure bring more firewood up to deck.
Tillie how did Soltice celebration go?
Roxie, so happy you got so much done.
And where are the rest of you? I know if you have families, there is a lot of demands on your time, and I sincerely hope it is pleasant for you.

Happy Solstice Tillie!! Roxie, thanks for sharing your gratitude, helps me focus on gratitude. Sounds like you are doing great, and so sorry about your son, this is a difficult time for our troups.
Today I am grateful, it is already 40 degrees and sunny, going to get out and enjoy it. I am grateful to have running water, 2 toilets that flush, and all the fresh water I can drink. I am grateful to have a car that is reliable and the freedom to go wherever I want. Grateful to be born an American and for all the freedoms I enjoy. Grateful I have dealt with one of the most difficult months of my life and developed more coping skills. grateful I am at peace today and feel good again. I actually feel joy today, it has been awhile. I actually feel like I can be around people again, shocked how good I woke up feeling, actually forgot I could feel good. Thanks to all of you. Looking forward to chat tomorrow.

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE

Hey, yesterday I was able to do two loads of laundry so I have some clean clothes to wear!! Yea! I even folded or hung them all. The folded ones are in the basket still but will get put away today when I, finally, take a bath! I've been putting that off since I had no clean pants.

That's frustrating to have stuff get away from you like that.

Well, I hope you are being able to make some progress on getting your room organized.

I had such a setup on my LAN at my prior home... I imagine that the switcher box is in the same packing box as the other equipment that I'm missing.

Saturday and Sunday are both going to be somewhat busy, but I think I'll be here for the chat session. Monday I've got a blood donation, but I'll also have use of a car.