Coffee salute. Another upside down night as I didn't take the sleeping pill. Maybe tonight. Feeling okay at the moment, just tired and groggy.

The doctor has ordered an at-home sleep study using a pulse ox thing and I presume recordings. The company will set it up. We'll see how that goes. I continue to do my meds and respiratory therapy even though I haven't quite smoking. 🙁

Hello everyone, took a vacation day today and went to a swearing in ceremony and am now waiting for my BF at a restaurant. Congratulations Barb on your cleaning and maintenance! What a terrific feeling this must be for you, and an inspiration and an aspiration for many of us!

I will work some more in kitchen tonight. I don't have much trash in house, just stuff, stuff, stuff. I take care of someone who is very sick and he was a trash hoarder. I cleaned out his place in a six week period, just taking out bags and bags of trash. Nothing salvageable. After working for almost three years, I had secured him new housing. He moved on May 19th. It took me six weeks, every night and both weekend days to throw out his apartment leading up to the move. Trash, flooding, wet clothes, smelly stuff, crumbs, rotten food, pizza boxes.... It was disgusting. I'm pleased to say he has kept up with the trash at the new place and is doing his laundry and dishes now. Now that I don't have his old apt to look at, I can see the hoarder in myself.

Thank you everyone! Let me know how you are!

Good morning, all.
The kids are finishing up mowing. I am sure that they will argue with me for not paying as much today, but they used my mower and my gas and did not trim or sweep afterward. I don't think I am being stingy. They may not want to mow again, but fair is fair.
I slept in a bit this morning. I got to the bank, but haven't been out to get Frank Kitty yet. The dogs and I miss him. Little Cranky Franky adds excitement to our lives.
We are going to have highs in the 70s all week. That means I need to take advantage of the cooler weather and get some work done outside. I have weeding and trimming and painting to do. The garden got neglected last week and little trees are trying to grow next to the foundation again. It would be perfect weather to clean out the garage, but I don't think I'm going to have time for that.
The first priority every day is to maintain the areas I have livable: the kitchen, entry, main bathroom, and part of the living room. The second priority is to continue to get areas ready for the plumber and floor installer.
The third priority is to work outside. Because I enjoy being outside much more than inside, especially when the weather is this nice, I will need to set a timer. Otherwise, I will just stay out there all day, neglecting to eat or get other things accomplished.
The kids are finished and I am signing off to go and get Frank.
Have a good day, everyone.

Just a quick note to say hello to everyone and to quickly answer Roxie's question....I am greatly supported by BF. He understands how overwhelmed I've been the last ten years taking care of very ill family member and my aging mother. He helps immensely with both of them and never criticizes my house. He has on a few occasions gotten on my case re mom's assisted living apt (she too loves her clutter) since she is now at the age where she falls a lot. Luckily my sister came down twice and cleaned out the clutter one day while mom was at lunch. Has made a huge difference. Now my sister is helping me with family ' treasures'. Feeling this support, although sporadic, (sister lives out of state) has been what has gotten the "bee in my bonnet" to finally admit I am a hoarder and to actively, for hours at a time, deal with it.

Right now have TWO kitchen counters clear AND clean, which is remarkable, since I mainly did fun stuff til 3 today and then took care of mom with some problems she was having.

Thank you all--I know we can do this! If I haven't acknowledged anyone specifically, it is my failing, not yours. I draw tremendous strength reading through all of your posts.

Sweet dreams-- praying for your sleep, Roxie.

Well, I browsed "stinking thinking" and saw lots of links. after all it is "the flavor of the day". positive thinking is a helpful tool. but NOT the only useful tool. I did find an interesting article.

Sorry this is so long but I keep trying to share ideas here and struggle with fear of finding any real help. because my thinking is so "all Wrong". maybe someone will read this and get some understanding from it .

Rethinking "Stinking Thinking"
From <http://counsellingresource.com/features/2012/02/01/stinking-thinking/>

"(odd how it's always easier to see others' negative thinking than our own)"

"In practice, CBT therapists run into a number of roadblocks. The first is that thoughts are now sorted into "good thoughts" and "bad thoughts." For a client struggling with low self-image, it may be an additional blow to be informed that he's infested with unworthy thoughts.

By providing a list of "bad" thoughts, Ellis also opens the door for a kind of mental rigidity in therapy. If a thought matches the definition of "stinking thinking" of one kind or another, then it is bad and false. However, as Joseph Heller once quipped, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you." There are cases when a thought will be both stinky and true..

Because stinking thinking sorts thoughts into good thoughts and bad thoughts, there is a risk that a therapist may use CBT to push an agenda other than the client's well-being..

Acceptance of all phenomena, both physical and mental, is one core concept in mindfulness-based therapy. So whether a thought is "stinky" or not, it's still a thought that needs to be noticed and accepted, not as true, or helpful, or useful, but simply as a real thought that's really happening right now. From a mindfulness perspective, what is resisted grows stronger, so resisting stinking thinking risks embedding those unhelpful thoughts more strongly in the mind..

By refusing to label a thought as good or bad, false or true, the client retains the ability to extract useful intuitions from even irrational, disturbing thoughts and emotions.

Yet like all tools, stinking thinking has both limitations and misuses. Mindfulness-based therapy offers a different viewpoint that illuminates the limitations and pitfalls of CBT and suggests new methods to move beyond them."

Not a lot has changed in the last 30 years since I worked as a "Psych Aide III" in a State Research Hospital (mental health institution). Behavior Therapy was popular then, too, but it was more Pavlovian back then (would you believe tokens and M and M's).

Hope you all enjoy chat tonite.

Coffee salute to all. I didn't go to sleep until 5:30 am so my day is upside down. I may take one of my few sleeping pills tonight to try to get back to a better sleep pattern. Feeling okay so far today!

I rounded up more debris from around the house and put it in my indoor garbage bags. Two bags to go to the outdoor garbage. If I remember, I'll try to drop by group tonight. I just always forget or get caught up in tv.

Hi everyone! Have been busy doing fun stuff today. Will try to join chat. In the meantime I hope everyone is well. I appreciate all of your support and encouragement! We can do this!

Hi Everybody 🙂

Been a bit scatter brained/in a fog the last few days.
Right now doing some of his laundry even though the rain clouds are gathering.
I don't really care if it rains on his laundry, it will eventually dry.
Got to sleep in this morning. Really needed to catch up on my sleep.
Looking forward to tonight's chat and catching up with you all. 😀

TTYL 🙂

Good morning, everyone. Iced tea clinks, Roxie.

Been enjoying reading everybody's posts. Still having some physical issues of various sorts and haven't gotten a lot of cleaning or decluttering done the past few days. Spent much of yesterday out of town to go see a declining (and much-loved) older relative. Of all my "treasures," she's one of the best. (She has "our" issue, by the way.)

Plans for today include spending time with nearby family members, adding to my gratitude list, getting some exercise (walking), and doing several very small maintenance tasks. I will probably be at the chat, but I might show up later than usual.

Hugs.

Another day gone.
I spent most of the day online reading. I read every quote on the quote thread. I had to copy and save some of them. And I "had" to copy, save, and RE-FORMAT the Desiderata. Also I talked to myself and the computer and a book of short stories I am reading. and there was a box with "new" knock-down shelves in it, that was in the "living room", close to the "path". Shelves to get organized. Bought before some of the badder things happened. Never put together. Either one of the cats or my son has managed to tear the box open. I couldn't find the box tape so I made him buy more so he could tape the box back up...
3 steps back.
But
I did take most of my medicine including the generic Pravastatin horse-size pill.
I did pay the rest of this month's bills.
I did drive son to and from work, and around to do errands.
I did laugh out loud at least 3 times while reading and enjoyed some good music.
I may search my email in a few to see if my mathematician friend has sent anything.
I am feeling sleepy so maybe can sleep good tonite.
Tomorrow is another day.

Forgive me, Diane. Roxie has the helpful neighbor. I don't know where you live but many times big apt buildings or even office buildings have Jacks Of All Trades and they are generally interested in picking up some side work. The handyman at the building where I park my car has helped me with everything from fixing my dryer (he's a master electrician) to putting in a new side mirror on my car to moving an outlet in my bathroom. Just an idea.

Honestly Diane, nothing gets my blood boiling more than to get hit on when you're just trying to do business with the person. That angers me no end. We deserve better than this. Perhaps your helpful neighbor might know of a handyman.

Congratulations on your very hard work today. And thank you for being my friend. 19 years of junk here, and I'm getting it done. For the first time. Bless you all.

Hi Ladies,
Yes Tat, like everyone else, I am very impressed with all that you do daily and found time for loved ones.
Tillie thanks for suggestions.
Roxie, so happy you have your pills ready to take and have had two good days.
Today I worked on area I have been talking about. I scraped and sanded the wood. Had to say, it is old wood, never will look good, stop, clean up, fill the holes, then paint while still cool tomorrow morning.
That wall looks like crap now that steps look so good and shades are so nice and ugly umbrellas are no longer hiding that wall. It is the outside wall in entry way, that connects garage to insulated room. On other side of this wall is the freezer and hole in the cement floor that had broken pipes. When my friend brought over dog we looked at options. She and her deceased husband owned rentals and she helped with them, so she had some good insights. It is good enough now. Still debating whether to pressure wash before painting, then realized better to just finish it, maybe next year I will put real siding on it, so no sense trying to make it look better than I already have. It is old plywood they used as outside wall. Has many imperfections. Plan to paint in morning then work on cracked cement. I did email the guy that helped me with pipes last winter. He was interested in me romantically and does not want to help me since I was not interested in him. oh well
Plugged freezer in yesterday and it works great so now still need to go fill it up.
Yes Tillie I am lucky to have a grocery outlet in my town. They now have a bag of crumbled raspberries, blueberries and blackberries (2nds)
that is mostly raspberries, and makes the best smoothies. I had last smoothie today so may just go to that store and get more soymilk, instead of costco. We will see, if I paint tonight, could go first thing tomorrow and beat the heat
watered this morning
did 1/2 of dirty dishes, 2 loads laundry, hung out on line. I enjoyed my day, just didn't do as much as I would have liked. did not sleep well last night
Tonight, may do some painting, actually I worked most of the day starting at 6am, need to just relax, difficult when there is so much to do. In heat need to take breaks, drink cold water. I perhaps, ran on too long, thanks for being here with me in spirit

Roxie, congratulations on getting the medications sorted and congratulations on a few good days. I hope you continue to have good health. How nice of your neighbor to help with the yard. There really are wonderful people all around us. Hope all is going well, Diane. I don't quite understand your house/soil problems (I'm a city dweller) but I'm glad you are addressing them. Sending you positive thoughts and energy. Thank you all--I had a terrific day working on the kitchen and finding time to spend with my mother and my sweetheart. He is working today and tonight so I'm busily dealing with another cabinet and starting on another donation bag and another recycling bag. Decided to go through my juice glasses and am only keeping four out of a set of six. So good to find I can keep what I love, just not as much. Thank you all for helping me.

Roxie
you seem so amazing to me! thanks for posting

I am just trying to stay focused enough to pay a couple bills...

slainte! to y'all

First coffee of the day, so cheers to all. I'm enjoying reading your thought processes and endeavors. I second Tilie's comment about Tat's dishes. Use them and really enjoy them. I think it comes down to paring things to a happier level and really using what you've got, then selling or giving to someone else what is not part of your newer, happier home.

God bless the angels among us.

As I sit here waiting for my brother to take me to goodwill, I realize that I bought a lot of my glassware and dishes to project a certain image at different times in my life. And I'm chuckling now, because all I'm projecting is "I'm a hoarder!" Not having an emotionally bad time the last couple of days--I'm just getting through it. There's enough stuff in my kitchen that doesn't have any emotional hold on me. Take care, dear friends. As always, thank you.

Good morning my friends! Thanks Tillie for the encouragement and thank you everyone for being here. We can do it! You are all helping me so much! I thought keeping just four of the two sizes of plates was a good solution but then was feeling brave -- please I don't want any of my friends here to think I was putting my decision burdens on you!

Tillie my kitty has her cereal (the dry stuff) in vintage Bunnykins bowls. I found a lot of Bunnykins last night (not donating any -- I love it). and have selected a few pieces to give my sister for her cat. Glad to hear that I'm not the one who that likes special little dishes for the cats.

Have a great day, everyone. I think you are wonderful! And hello to Barb, we haven't met yet but we will!

Hi 🙂

Hi Barb 🙂
Thank you for checking in! 😀
Sounds like you are having a really good time.
Take care, see you soon 😀

I've been working on kitchen tonight. Pretty grossed out. Not going to be able to eat tonight (this is like a little prize, quite frankly). Have many bags for goodwill. Have a set of vintage dishes (no sentimental value, bought many years ago at a yard sale, varying number of plates, saucers, cups, etc). but I love them. After worrying about them, I decided to keep four salad plates and four dinner plates. The bread plates were long ago donated, as I used them for kitty's food and I would put them in dishwasher and eventually the pattern was gone.

So I'm pleased I found a solution. Got the silver polished, put away. Working on clearing another cabinet so the "keepers" have a place to go.

Thank you everyone for helping me through my struggle. I stayed hydrated! So headache not terrible.
Ps if you think I should get rid of the rest of the dishes please tell me and I will.

Hi, all,
I have been trying to catch up reading your posts from this week.
Roxie, I hope you can get all your meds straightened out and an oxygen tank for home.
The baseball games have been fun. Our team is 2-2. Final bracket games start tomorrow. We had no games today and spent some time exploring the city including the Studebaker antique car museum. South Bend is a beautiful city, especially Notre Dame and the surrounding area. It has been pretty easy to find and get to places by car.
I'm not sure when we will be able to leave on Sunday. It depends on how well we do on Saturday and if and when we are eliminated.
If I get home in time, I'll log on to the chat group.
Have a good weekend.

hi ladies---Tat you are doing so great, good visual of being in a bad neighborhood, humor does help!
Tillie, I would like to join you in a fantacy world, have always been a task master, and do not let myself escape, even mentally being mean to myself is a waste of time, why not use that time to have a fun mental time, I appreciate your sharing your way of thinking.
I had some ugly umbrellas in entry and two dilapidated gutters. all down now. I put up a sun shade up that rolls out and is new from two years ago that I never got around to putting up. Well it took less time to put up the proper shade than all the time I spent on umbrellas and securing them. It looks so much better now. I started scraping the old paint off from where gutters have been for years, it is pretty bad, some wood looks rotten, I quit for now. I said what is the priority. Well priority is figuring out a solution for cracked cement where water dripped in and froze pipes. Not sure how to fix it. Not sure if I need to putting awning up that won;t leak, or actually patch the cement. Since I took all the dirt and rock out from under the cement in little room, the cement outside sunk. It is stuffed with insulation but guess it needs more bulk so it doesn't sink more. Since it sunk, water from entire area drains down to that area, which is not where it should be------guess I will start online later, if still can't figure it out will go to Lowes or home depot and ask for suggestions of how to fill area but remain accessible.
Scraped area under gutters, tried to sand by hand, will need to use electric sander. Then paint the area, might put metal brace on corner of rotten wood and see if that is enough support, it is a big board to replace, and already have all the braces I need. Still have not gone to costco, should go today since tomorrow it gets hot again, but tired, and friday traffic sucks. Tanner is coming tomorrow so have to tidy up areas. I think I need some relaxation time, out to the deck I go

Oh Roxie I'm sorry about the continued health problems. I was praying that you got your meds straightened out. I take care of a disabled family member and know first hand how hard it can be to straighten out the meds. Please post when you can.

LR, I hope your shoulder continues to improve. It sounds like you've been successful in staying positive and not letting this set you back mentally -- despite the physical set back.

Diane, how wonderful that you are already making plans to enjoy your freezer. Congratulations!

And dear Tillie, I cannot imagine how frustrating it must be to live with a hoarder. Brava for keeping a smile in your face and for keeping us all feeling like we are worthwhile, even though we are hoarders.

As for me, I can see my kitchen counter! (Just the one right now). I have washed the glassware I am keeping and tonight will polish the silver and put into one of my clean cabinets. Started to work on kitchen drawers last night but I felt like I'd just walked into a bad neighborhood so made only small progress before having to get out! Multiple bags are ready to go to goodwill and took out two bags of trash this AM.

Keep up the good work everyone and thank you for helping me through all of this. I'm a hoarder. I had no idea.

Good Morning 🙂

Still morning here, for ten more minutes.
Got out and did some watering this morning.
Washed some dishes.
Took care of the cat stuff.
In a few, planning to wash my hair.

All ready for another weekend. Have no hopes that he will take advantage of the time to do anything around here to improve the condition of the place.

Off now to return to my fantasy world where I only notice the positive things I can see. 😀

Roxie: I'm so sorry that you are having those physical problems. It's good that you were finally able to call an ambulance and get help. Hope you were able to get the missing meds without too much hassle.

Tillie: Thanks for all the well-wishes for all of us.

Me: Although my shoulder is still giving me problems, I felt I should get out to that rural area this morning to check on things. (Everything was fine.) I made a point to get there very, very early (near daybreak) and to do only those things out there that wouldn't aggravate my soreness. Now I'm fixing something yummy for lunch. One-armed hug to everybody!

Good Morning Everybody! 😀

Nice and cool this morning. No pressing chores for me to tackle so I am enjoying my tea and surfing the interwebs. 😀
Thinking of cooking some beef & brocoli over rice for my dinner.
I look forward to the day when you all are uncluttered.
Your homes will be so much easier to clean and keep clean.
You won't have the heavy burdon of making all those hard decisions on what to keep or let go of.
You will have time to think wonderful/deep/inspirational thoughts, create beautiful projects and enjoy living in the moment, the here & now.
You will have freedom. Freedom to do what you want to do.
Freedom from all the stuff. (((HUGS)))

Roxie 🙂
(((HUGS)))
Take care, rest, take all meds on schedule.
Yes, I too think oxygen at home.
Thank you for taking the time to update us.
Again (((HUGS)))

Yesterday was not so good. After early morning getting up, I laid down again and slept until noon. I skipped the meds while sleeping, intending to take them when I got up again.

Better today. Coffee clinks.

Good morning.

Iced tea clink, Roxie.

diane: I'm glad you ran across your registration information and that you were able to get it taken care of. Yea! It's great that the TV in the kitchen is helping. Glad everything is progressing well with your freezer. I hope your phone calls go well.

Tatoulia: I really agree with your statement that progress breeds positivity. I'm glad that you found a good way to solve the shelf paper issue and that you're making good progress on the kitchen cabinets.

Tillie: I hope your soreness goes away soon. Yea that there still are no ants in your areas!

Me: Yesterday, it "so happened" that a friend wanted to get together to talk. Since I'd already put aside other plans because of my shoulder, that worked out perfectly.

My shoulder is a tiny, tiny bit better but still giving me trouble, so if I get much done today in terms of cleaning and clutter issues, it will probably be one-handed work. (One-shouldered work?) I started a work-at-your-own-pace online course a while back. I might work on that some more today, since I don't think I need my shoulder too much for that.

Have a great day!

Congrats Tat for turning your day around, and I love the idea of seeing your cloth napkins as shelf liners, nice
It is cool here today, yeah, and worked in yard a few minutes, then rain. Worked a little more in freezer area, looks better now.
Thought, bad weather, perfect time to boil some eggs and do laundry, since it is cool. After that, thought I would follow LR and do some paperwork and get all bills together. Surprise, my car registration expired today. So happy LR reports paper work, or I would have missed registration deadline. I finished some things then went to DMV and paid for new tags. Then went to bank and cashed 3 checks from dog sitting, 2 I found in paperwork today, thought I had already cashed them. Then I went to Grocery Outlet and and bought a few things, did not have time to go to Costco today, darn dmv. So will plug in freezer tomorrow then go to Costco, probably. Was so happy I made soup last night, so nice to have soup on this chilly day. Really helps to have tv in kitchen to distract me, so easier to do dishes and cook. Have to look and see where my containers are to put soup in for freezer. I got rid of many of them earlier, sure I stashed some somewhere. I have freezer paper and freezer bags I will use if do not find containers, not buying more. All in all, a good day. Have some phone calls tomorrow that I must make.