I took a load of stuff to the Humane Society shelter last night and stayed two hours helping set up for big garage sale. I left a bin that belongs to garbage company that I took donations in, so went back this morning to retrieve it. I spent $15 on junk that I should not have purchased. I felt the old rush of bargain shopping and couldn't seem to stop, didn't want to stop. I brought more home than I delivered. First slip in almost 4 months, feeling shame and guilt and excitement. I needed paddles for my boat, so was so happy to get them.
If I stopped with just paddles, it would have been perfect, but had to look and see what I might find. I can see how after getting rid of excess, could buy something I need, with the thought of getting rid of equal amount that I buy, but to buy before I am at that point, is not good for me. Darn it, thought I was done with the shopping addiction, but it was definitely in full swing. Don't need any criticism, I know it was not good, just saying the truth, and that I am going to keep working on getting rid of stuff.
I went to a class today, "Good Grief", went to please a friend and meet her brother, I actually learned and enjoyed the information. So now I am resting. Hope everyone is more productive than me today!!

Great job Karl, taking care of the mess. I've been trying to do that too by keeping paper towels close at hand in every room where cats go. If somebody pukes a hairball or food we can get it right away instead of when we feel like it.

Back to the basement. 😛

Good morning 🙂

WTG! Karl 😀
"Never neglect a mess"
is one of the rules for staying out of squalor. ;D
Sounds like you are making proper use out of that closet shelving.

My Honeysuckle has come back beautifully and is once again covered in blooms.
The scent is one of the pleasures of summertime. 😀

After I tend to the cats needs my plan for today is to get rid of this sick headache.

Hoping everybody is doing well today. 😀

Earlier this week while sitting down to a meal, I shook the bottle of BBQ sauce, and suddenly became aware that the cap wasn't screwed on. Bits of sauce splashed across the table and onto various table items.

I allowed myself to finish the meal first, but then I made sure that I didn't leave until everything was properly cleaned up. I've learned that "I can take care of it later" is dangerous.

Tonight, I got out the ice cream for the usual reward (along with some cake this time), and started in on the hall closet. I use this one for linens, light bulbs, and assorted tools. I took everything out of the top two shelves, dusted them, and repacked with a bit more organization. I'd never noticed that I'd left most of the top shelf empty. I'm now using that one for light bulbs, and for various items that I don't expect to need anytime soon. The other shelf has candles and matches, a spare wall clock, household tools (most of which are now standing in a glass jar, though I might try looking for a better container later), and duct tape. And half that shelf is now empty.

Lavenders are such pretty, calming shades.

The heat is moving back into this area tomorrow so it will be good to work in a cool basement.

Some years ago when I painted my kitchen area I chose Lavender.
Never regretted my decision. 😀
The kitten tried to help me paint today but I managed to keep him out of the wet paint.
I am pretty sure that not all his hoarded paint is still viable but by making him open the cans and look at it maybe he will toss the crap ones and that will reduce his hoard a little.

He tends to hoard home improvement/repair items and then lets them sit till they are no longer any good. Like his caulk that all dried up while it could have been used around the house.
Whenever I asked if I could use it he always said "NO, I am saving it in case we need it some day."
Well, we needed it then at that very moment.

To be honest, I am very resentful/angry/totally pizzed off about living this way.
But I will keep taking deep/calming breaths and keep trying to get him to see the world differently.

So happy Tillie is getting excited about using up old paint, it makes my day. I got some boards out to paint today, for fun. A friend wanted to paint her house a shade of purple/lavender, so gave me , the quarts of the ones she didn't like. I am going to paint the ladder going up to storage in garage.
Each rung will be a different color of purple.
Today I got up at 5am, couldn't sleep so got up and
worked in walkway, and room off walkway, still a section in that room that has junk, want to get junk out and vacuum up mouse droppings. I am getting backlog of dishes done, one done, will put away, and do another load. Sure liked it when I was doing daily. How is the ankle today Dianne? Roxie, I appreciate all your insight and explaining how you feel. I have never been a slow waker upper, I wake up, jump up and get going, the bad part is, if it is after 5 hours asleep, still can't go back to sleep. Fun to learn about differences and similarities.
Molly didn't eat much for a few days, when she was so bad, now she has eaten all her food today, and laid a gigantic log, her eyes are happier today. I am thinking she may have had a kidney stone that passed, not sure. She doesn't look near death today, I am a little afraid to get my hopes up, just so relieved to see her more comfortable today. Thank you all for your support this week, sure made life better.
I need to go pick up a prescription, so hot out, don't want to get in hot car.
Looking forward to hearing how your day is going.

Hi, everyone. Good to read your posts and to have you check in. I'm just now starting my day, so I'm having coffee and trying to wake up. It takes me awhile. I can sure relate to Karl on that!

Tillie, great paint plans! Look at all that "free" paint you have access to. For individual jobs you can mix and make your own color so long as the type matches. Once I bought discounted cans of paint of different colors and painted each wall in the cat shelter a different color. It was fun and looked great.

I really ought to be getting some work done, either employment-type or cleaning, but I'm having problems with sleep...

If I'm up in time, I'll check the chat room for the unofficial Friday session (Noon PDT, 1pm MDT, 2pm CDT, 3pm EDT; this is 8pm British Summer Time for Kara's benefit).

Hi
Hope everybody is feeling better.
Talked with my hoarder about all the paint he is hoarding in the pumphouse.
He agreed with me that I should be allowed to use it before it all goes to waste by drying out.
He stirred and straigned lumps out of some white enamel for me.
It was only 2 gallons of paint in a 5 gallon bucket.
Tomorrow I plan to freshen up the cabinet area under the kitchen sink. 🙂
Should be interesting with a curious over active kitten helping me. Right now he is an orange tabby with no white markings.

Next I will look for a paint suitable to paint the hallway.
As I empty these paint cans his paint hoard will slowly get smaller. 😀
Got this idea fron Diane using up all her paints.

Hey Dianne,
I totally forgot to put this in my previous post...so sorry to hear about your ankle. I hope it feels better soon. 🙂

Hi Dianne,
Actually I've always had really bad cramps; ever since I first started my period when I was 12 years old. I think it has something to do with my "Polycystic Ovary Syndrome" that I was diagnosed with when I was 14 years old.

MayMay, I know you hate going to the doctor but you may need to break down and see an ob/gyn. My daughter had severe pain with her periods when she was in her early 20's. She had endometriosis and it was really bad. It had spread so much that her doctor told her it was unlikely she'd have kids.

So with all the crap around here you'd think I would have fallen at some point. But nooo, I have to go and fall down 1 step outside today. Not sure how but I twisted my ankle and landed on the top of my foot. It's not bad. It's just enough to be a good excuse to prop my foot up and read outside instead of work. 🙂

I have been out in the walkway all morning, actually got to furthest corner today, first time in 20 years!! Talk about dirt, well my mission was to find enough to fill 95 gallon cart for garbage pickup tomorrow, still a little more to go but 97 degrees is too darn hot. I swept then vacuumed cement out there, then wiped down walls, had music on. I can walk to back yard now without injury. Still have to go through a bunch of junk, but the tiny goat trail took growth hormones, and now is several feet wide, and clean. I have lost my motivation for thrift store donations, just finding things that can be thrown away for now, some that could have been cleaned and donated are going to the dump. Found two huge bundles of clothes wrapped in big sheets, from when I moved to Bend for a few years. I will start going through them tonight or tomorrow. really enough nice clothes in the bundles for a full closet and then some, really sad how much shopping filled my life for so many years. Haven't been shopping in over 3 months, except for things I actually need, like food. We are so lucky to have this site to process our thoughts. My dog is doing a little better, not sure what is different, she actually went down steps this morning by herself to pee in yard. Thank you all for your kindness through this difficult week. I looked on bichon site and said they live 12-15 years on average, she is 14, I have known several that lived to 18 so just thought that was the normal age to die, reassured me that it is nothing I did wrong.

Hi Roxie,
Actually whenever I have cramps, they are always really really really PAINFUL. They are so painful that whenever I have them I get totally paralyzed and I can't do anything. I remember once, back when I was in Highschool, I had really bad cramps while I was in gym class. And I remember, they were so bad that I ended up falling to the ground and just laying on the floor crying because I was in so much pain. 🙁

MayMay, try yoga stretches next time...it seemed to help me when I had cramps decades ago. ;d

Karl, that was really good feedback from your landlord. You can be proud of what you've accomplished. I know we're proud of you!

Tillie, hope to hear you back at conquering your world, sis!

Dianne, it's good to hear you get outside and enjoy nature for awhile.

Kara, that sounds like an exciting project. I'd like to know more about the Finnish therapy to which you referred.

Janie, I did develop a dish washing system, as I think of it. When I'm on the computer (or in your case, maybe, studying) I fill the kitchen sink with very hot water and dish wash liquid, and put the cruddy dishes in to soak. At least 10 minutes. But then I take a computer break, wash that load of dishes, and rinse them and put them in the other sink to dry. Put in the next cruddy load to soak. Return to computer. Repeat until dishes are done and counters/stove wiped. It makes it pretty painless all around.

I can do the same thing for sweeping or vacuuming or other minor chores.

Diane, how are you and your pup today?

Ali, you are most fortunate to have supportive family to help you recover. Please keep us posted, okay?

I woke up very late again today after a late bedtime. Same old same old. Got teeth brushed yesterday and some mail sorted. Minimal stuff.

So beautiful here, finally a break from high heat and humidity.

Ali, isn't it lovely to have a daughter take care of you?

Karl BIG congrats on all the work you've done!

Good morning 🙂
I'm still here.
Today I am going to try to clean the kitchen after I finish all the cat tasks.

🙂

Diane, Dianne & Roxie - Thanks for the encouragement!! Hoping to have this exam done by the second week of August.

It seems that studying is making me more tired than cleaning. Tuesday night I fell asleep right after dinner. (We eat late, so this was about 9pm) Woke up to plates, glasses and leftover pizza sitting on the coffee table. Usually my DH would take this into the kitchen before he went upstairs to sleep, but apparently he was too tired also. At least there was no dinner clean-up other than the pizza pan. Same thing happened last night, but DH did get the plates and glasses to the kitchen counter. Now I'm sitting here looking at dried up orzo pasta, a covered dish with a little bit of veggies left in it, and a dirty pan that I used to bake fish in, all sitting on the stovetop. I had planned to clean up and study more after dinner, just couldn't keep my eyes open. Thought I would just close my eyes for 15 minutes... and woke up at 5am this morning. I'm still sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee, but will make myself clean up the stovetop and load the dishwasher before I leave for work. I have to go into the office this morning, and then plan to get kitchen maintenance done before I start studying again. If I can get the kitchen back in shape I'll be happy for today.

Hi Roxie, everyone. Feeling exhausted after 2 days of filming course.

As I have filled in the questionnaire and awaiting assessment, when will I be assessed? in 6 months?

Thanks diane,
I'm feeling a lot better. I took 2 ibuprofens a little over 2 hours ago; and they helped a lot. Thanks for making me smile. 🙂

Hi MayMay, hope you are feeling better tonight. I can visualize you all curled up crying one day and prancing around in your swimsuit the next day!! Trying to get a smile out of you. Do hope you are feeling your fiesty self tomorrow

Hi everyone. 🙂

Sorry I haven't been posting a lot lately. 🙁

I've just been super busy. And today I haven't been feeling very well. I've been having really bad stomach cramps all day. Earlier today the cramps were so bad; and all I did was lay in the fetal position on my bed and cry. 🙁

50 household uses for baking soda

Right, I never got around to posting that here. I passed the inspection, and the landlords didn't complain about little stuff -- they were happy with it being generally clean and clutter-free. I got this email from Mrs Landlord afterwards:

She doesn't seem to have noticed that the 17th actually is four weeks after, and three weeks would be the 10th. But I think I should be able to make an early deadline of the 10th, even. It'll be for bathroom, hallway, and closets.

I've already been doing work in the bathroom; the cupboards are half-organized, though I'll want to move a few items around yet. The hallway area is small, I can vacuum it when I do the living room; I'll just have to find better locations for the stuff that's currently stacked there. I think the closets are pretty close to being OK as-is, but I'll empty and repack each of them to make sure, and also vacuum the inside. The linen closet has blankets and stuff -- someone (Tillie?) suggested I can store unused blankets between the box spring and mattress of my bed; that sounds like an excellent space-saver.

Ali, so good to see your posting again. Here's to a smooth and quick recovery!

Janie, sounds like you are making a great decision to focus on work and studying. As long as you keep
the living area liveable, I think it is fine to do maintenance every couple of days, if you see it getting out of hand, you can put in the time to keep it as you now have it. You have given a lot of time and thought to responding to all of our posts and revealing lots of info about yourself, which I thank you for. I will really miss your posts, and am happy you are doing the right think to nurture yourself. Good you noticed you felt overwhelmed early enough that you could change routine before you had an accident or got sick, which we seem to do to slow us down! Looking forward to hearing how things are going. Maybe you could just post about your life so won't take much time. Thanks again for all you have given us. Hugs and congrats

Janie, totally understandable. There are plenty of times things come up that demand time and energy that throws life out of balance. It won't last forever and you already have a great base with all the work you've done in the main rooms you use. The upstairs can wait with no real ill effects.

The 3 loads of laundry that I picked up from the kids bathroom floor have all been double-washed and put away. Towels in the linen closet, clothes in plastic totes to keep in the laundry room for now.

Waving at Roxie, MayMay, AnneW, Karl, Ali, and Kara.....