Barb so happy you slept and are feeling good, yes planning is the easy part, starting is tricky for us, and especially following through and finishing.
I am great at 1/2 finished projects.
Tillie, so more heat and humidity for you, darn summers. Is it always that hot there? It is rare that we have 20 days in a row 90-100 degrees, don't ever remember it in the 20 years I have been here. Wow your property tax is low, mine is $1000 and I live in a throw away trailer and 1/2 the land you do. Beads=fun
LR great to hear from you.
Anyone hear from Roxie? I think of her daily and hope she is doing ok.
I got up and worked in the yard all morning then wasted a few hours making more shade outside. Yes Tillie, anything other than do dishes and clean craft room up. I did call 811 yesterday to have them come and tell me where the water runs underground. Meter is on another street, and don't know how it gets up here, after the frozen pipes this winter, I am wanting to know the pipes path incase it freezes and breaks under ground. I have put fence posts in and every time, I worry about hitting a water pipe, so it is time to find out. Since one pipe froze under the cement definitely need to know the direction of pipe so can know where cement has to be removed if it breaks further out.
Smoke has gotten worse as winds pick up today. It was pretty clear this morning, loved it.
Ok, I did not get on chat support yesterday, was afraid I would have to do dishes, kidding.
I sure appreciate this site and group, I would feel so alone without you fellow organizers. ok, enough from me, will report back when I actually do some work in here!!

Hi friends,
I slept in this morning. That felt good. I woke up refreshed and relaxed.
I need to get busy cleaning and decluttering. I want to go downtown to "Dancing in the Streets" tonight and the band I want to hear starts at 4:30.
Today I need to wash some T shirts and underwear for my trip next week. Since I will be at the ball field most of the time, packing should be pretty easy.
I've been trying to spend a little extra time with the dogs and the cat. I really hate being separated from them.
I like reading all your posts and seeing what you are getting accomplished. I am better at the planning phase than I am the actual starting and following through phases. You all keep me motivated and moving toward my own goals and vision of a clean and comfortable home.
When I am where I want to be and back on a regular home maintenance schedule, I would like to brainstorm with you all on a way to help a lot of these people who want to get started but have no local resources or funding. I know that mental health associations are strapped right now with the new regulations that stripped funding from outpatient and day centered programs, but I would like to see them offer some kind of support groups where we can get together and talk honestly about our successes and failures. We need to have better solutions than arresting people and condemning their homes.

Good Morning 🙂

Have a fun & safe day.
Remember to add play time to your To-Do lists. 😀

Good morning!

diane: Glad that you're happy with the yard work. Sorry you're having to deal with all that smoke. Best wishes with your dishes! (I relate to what you were saying about that.)

Tillie: I, too, am glad you were feeling better yesterday and that you got some rest. Hope you had some fun, too!

Barb: Yea for your upcoming trip, and yea for how the home projects are coming along! Looking forward to hearing more updates.

Me: I did get some work done (emphasis on the word "some") Thursday and Friday in that section of the living/dining area that I wrote about on Thursday. Some of the work that I got done Thursday was with the help of others on chat; again, thank you! One of the things I did during the chat was to work on yet another overstuffed drawer; I found some needed items in the process. (Yea!)

I have some away-from-home plans for most of the morning. How much I get done this afternoon depends in part on how early I end up getting back home. Some definite goals are to add to my gratitude list and to spend at least twenty minutes on bills and paperwork. I will save the rest of my goal-setting for when I return home.

Happy Saturday!

Hi Tillie. Happy to hear you feel better. I had lots more energy today. worked in the yard all morning. Smoke is getting thicker, wind has really picked up.
I did so great keeping dishes done last week, guess I thought they would wash themselves this week.
Now will be under 90 so hopefully will get more done soon.
Pretty happy with what I accomplished in yard today.
Guess I will have to join chat to get the dishes done, sometimes a person needs help.

Good Morning 🙂

Hope you are all well and doing fine. (((hugs)))

Hi Barb and Tillie, brilliant minds think alike, we all posted at the same time!!!

Hi Barb 🙂
WAY TO GO! getting things rolling! 😀
Have fun on your mini vacation. 🙂

Hi Diane 🙂
We were posting at the same time 😀
Hope the smoke doean't get too thick at your house.
Fortunately for me the wildfires are far enough away and the winds are blowing the smoke the other directions.
WTG! doing a locely, welcomung job on the steps.
Have fun with Tanner. 😀

Hi everyone.
I received the cost estimate from the plumber. The dishwasher I ordered came in and the appliance store will hold it for me until the plumber is ready to put it in. The woman I talked to at the plumbing supply house is on vacation this week. I will go in Monday morning and order the fixtures and get a cost estimate for those. My plumber will pick them up.
My plumber told me that if I want to replace the flooring in the guest bathroom, I need to have that done BEFORE they put in the toilet, so today I picked up 3 samples of linoleum to bring home.
Decluttering has slowed some the past few days. I have made a list of everything that absolutely has to be completed before the workmen start.
Next week is the week I go to chaperone my nephew's baseball team. I leave on Tuesday morning and return late Sunday night. I am ready for another break away from the house. My brother is paying for the hotel. It will be nice to stay in a nice clean, uncluttered place where someone else does the cooking and cleaning for a few days. I know at the end of the week I will be ready to come home and start in afresh.
I was amused by the post today from Mary and her ad. I think she has come to the wrong place. Just what we hoarders need---more temptation to purchase more stuff---NOT!
Have a great evening, everyone. It is clear and cool here today; perfect for sitting outside with a glass of iced tea.

Hi Everybody 🙂

Today I have been so tired and sleepy all day.
Got sleep last night and still kept falling asleep all day today.
Took care of the cat's needs and nothing else.
Looking forward to bed time.

Hope you all are doing well today. 🙂

Hello all. Tillie, thanks for the reminder not to move lilacs in the heat!
We have wildfires in every directions and the wind is kicking the firmens butts, 25mph winds, gusting to 30+. Not enough people or equipment because so many burning.
Tanner got here at 9am, nice to have him here, although he mostly does his own thing. Hi mom said my front steps and front area are "very welcoming" now, I felt proud that I did such a good job on it.
Organized a couple of cabinets and drawers in garage this morning. Moved several rocks to area in yard that I have been cleaning up. Felt good to work in yard. Have a sink full of dishes talking to me. Feel tired today, will be good to have temperatures under 90 starting tomorrow. I have lots of work planned, hopefully more energy tomorrow. Thinking of everyone, hoping you are having lots of fun cleaning today.

Good morning!

Roxie: Thinking about you. Iced tea clink!

diane: I hope you have a great time with Tanner!

Tillie: I'm glad to hear you got a good night's rest Tuesday night. I hope you slept well last night also.

Me: I did do my goals for yesterday. I also got several other things done with the help of people in chat room yesterday afternoon.
One of my main goals for today is to continue to work on a certain section of my living/dining area that is particularly cluttered at the moment. I found a very odd assortment of items when I was working on that section yesterday, including a belated birthday card I'd purchased for someone. Now I don't remember whose birthday I had forgotten!

Have a great day, everyone.

Hi Barb 🙂
How's it going getting things ready there?

Hi LR2014 🙂

WTG! finding that list so fast! 😀

Hi 🙂

When I moved in here there were three very sad looking lilac bushes in different locations around the property.
They were very old and had lots of branches with little roots.
I dug them up and separated them out. They looked like sticks.
I planted all these sticks in a row and with water & manure they started to grow big & leafy very quickly.
They are all very tall now.
They get seeds and some seeds grow into new lilac bushes.
Some are in the hedge row so I leave them. Others grow where ever in the yard and I allow my friends to take them for their yards.
The transplants do very well but it is important not to move them when it is hot or they will just die.
Best to move them in early Spring.

Best lilac bush I have ever seen was in Virginia City.
It is very old, next to one of the original old houses there.
The house is two stories and the lilac is just as tall as the house. 😀

Thanks Tillie, I cooked it with lid off that must be why it was like eating a tough tongue!! Will try with lid.
98 degrees is hot. Smokey too. I pulled weeds and grass, trimmed edges of lawn. Picked up things in yard for garbage. Still have not put away some things in here, just not much motivation in the heat, good today is hottest day of the week. 92 might feel better tomorrow. Might get down to high 80's this weekend.
Tomorrow at 9am Tanner comes to visit for 4 days, looking forward to my little pooch friend being here. I watered some this morning, worked outside from 6am to 1pm today, slow motion but did get some things done. I have a crocheted blanket and some string lights that go on outdoor umbrella ready to go away, have a really big black bag and would like to fill it this week, with donations.
Tiillie did you transplant lilacs to form your row or did they just march to next spot. I see mine are popping up in new places.
was thinking it would be good to move some to east side of big deck so I have shade next summer, well will take a few years to get that big, but my tacky shade cloth I put up on top of big umbrellas on deck today, made me think trees would be a lot better and prettier. I was cleaning that area of yard today and realized it is just bare dirt and would look so much better with trees there.

Good morning 🙂

Got the watering done already.
Finally got a good night's sleep last night. Was totally exhausted.
Need to eat actual real food today and not just snack on fruit, chips & chocolate.
Just a few things to tidy up around here and the house will be good enough.
Cats have all already started melting, drapped all limp on window sills, dressers & back of couch, napping.
Looking forward to watching movies on Netflix and playing with my beads & sewing projects.
So, what are you all up to today? 🙂

Good morning.

Well, I did end up being able to meet my posted goals yesterday. I was happy that I was able to find that address list within my ten-minute time frame. (Yea!)

Some of my minimum goals for today are to put away laundry I dried yesterday, take out trash, load the dishwasher, and spend some more time (at least fifteen minutes) working on some clutter in a certain section of my living/dining room area.

Have a great day!

Hi Diane 🙂
Great plans you have for working around this heat.
Sorry you have wildfire smoke too to deal with.
Weather report here lied, temps up to 108 today not the cool 100 they promised.
Whenever I have cooked chicken breast in the microwave I have put it into a lidded casserole type bowl.
Uncovered it will dry up.
Depending on the size of the chicken and the power of the microwave it is best to cook it for 5 to 10 minutes, check, then another 5 to 10 minutes till no more pink.

I don't eat chicken but one winter had a Robin who had been shot living here till she recovered and was able to fly again.
I fed her lots of different foods but she loved chicken.
She decided she would no longer eat anything except chicken.
So I cooked chicken for her.
Then she decided that she only wanted white meat.
So I cooked her chicken breasts.
Eventually her wing healed and she regained her strength.
Her leg was crippled but she was able to use it well enough to stand or perch or hop around.
When it was time to let her go she really didn't want to leave.
She had to think about it for hours before she finally flew out the open door.
😀

Hello everyone. Tillie, I am with you, the heat is taking a tole on me too. I stayed outside longer today, feel like a mole in a hole with all the shades pulled etc, being outside even in the heat was good, until too hot. Watered, messed around with shades still not up outside. Several fires in surrounding areas, smoke. Thousands of lightening strikes, several fires started, fire fighters are stretched thin, must be so difficult to work in the heat, God Bless firefighters.
I arranged several strips of fabric by color outside so had enough light to clearly see what goes together, fun in the shade, til too hot.
Did wash all dishes. My goals today are slim to none. Already spent an hour in big bedroom insulating around window air conditioner, and organizing stuff. Light is good in there so really want to work some more in there until more floor is available, with window ac, and good lighting in there, plan to set up table in there and sew in there. Really want all craft stuff out of living room.
I rarely read, except at night to fall asleep, would like to read some today for pleasure. 15 minutes on paperwork.
How do you cook chicken breast in microwave?

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Take care & stay hydrated. 🙂

Good morning, everybody.

Following up on yesterday: I did my posted goals, except that I spent only half as much time working on that bedroom as I'd originally planned. I appreciate the help of those who were in the chat room yesterday while I was there.

Some of my minimum goals for today: I plan to go to the Laundromat to dry the clothes I washed yesterday. I also plan to add to my gratitude list, get a bill or two paid, work on that bedroom some more, and spend at least ten minutes looking for an old address list that has some contact information I wish to have. I will not spend too much time looking for it, because it may have been one of the items that got ruined when a plumbing problem occurred here a few months back.

Have a great day, everyone.

Barb: I am glad things are progressing with your work estimates and that you are pleased with this plumber so far. (I hope you are also pleased with the estimate.) I relate to the comment about how things "migrate" when they're not contained. As for your overall plans, in case I didn't say it already, I think you're really going to enjoy all these repairs and updates when you're finished with them! I'm excited for you!

diane: I'm really glad you had fun at the festival. Good idea to take the camera with you for those clothing ideas. Yea for clean clothes, clean dishes, good self care, and . . . yea for fun skirts! I was really glad to hear you say you were able to see how much progress you had made when you were able to see it from up high. I hope you're having a blast today! Go, diane!

Tillie: I hope you have a fun "playdate" with your beads today! With all this talk about watering and gardening and all that, I was thinking that maybe fun could be thought of as "fertilizer for the soul." Ha. (I don't know . . . maybe "watering the soul" sounds better.)

bitsy: Even though you have messes, be sure you still have some fun.

Roxie: Thinking about you! Hugs!

Me: I did end up getting together with family for part of the day yesterday. That was nice. By now, I've forgotten what all I did get done at home. I know I did get some laundry put away and some cleaning done in one of the bathrooms (the one that had the leak last week).

I got out fairly early this morning and did some work in that rural area of which I often speak. Sprayed some invasive trees and cleaned out a small water tank that I didn't finish cleaning out last week. Cleared away some tall grass at the entrance to the property. Also did some weed-eating in an in-town yard. Wanted to get all that work done (especially the tree spraying) before rains hit later this week. (Yea for rain in July!)

Goals for later today: Wash a load of laundry. Spend twenty minutes sorting some items in one of my bedrooms. Get some bills ready to be paid. Add to my gratitude list.

Hugs to everybody!

Congrats Barb on getting the hoard out of plumbers way, and actually having him come in and make a plan for repairs, I would love to do the same, good to see you hire help.

I just wrote a long good morning note and my computer shut down to install some dumb thing for windows.
Anyway, went out to garage and organized some more, found more cotton knits to cut up. Got the outdoor shades down from rafters, dusty critters. From up high I realized I really have made lots of progress, still lots to do. Looked at all the cabinets I painted, and most are still empty, have to decide what would be most convenient to put in cabinets and label them. Went in insulated room, did some organizing and put nuts in an empty cabinet. Moved lots of stuff off floor in both, vertical space use thanks to Karl.
Did not put shades up, have to let go of guilt for that, but worked hours already, tired of it.
NOW-------the fun begins. Brought table and cutting board in from garage, and all the knits I found out there, most were in rag bag cause have paint or tar on them, perfect for practice cutting sewing.
Table up, ready to start cutting, may do it all day. Want to give myself permission to just mindlessly cut all the seams out, not worrying about how I will use them, just cut panels for now. Rare to give myself a day just to play, and today is the day, after reading about tillie playing with beads, and how that lifts her spirits. Happy I have all I need, to eat, create, drink, can just have fun this week in the heat. I plan to clean up my craft mess when I am done.
Thanks all for chat last night, I feel much more positive today after saying my affirmations to start my day. Sunday chat is helpful, I learn so much about what others are dealing with, and get so much support.

The plumber came today to do the estimate. I was able to get areas clear for him to access. He was very courteous, asked lots of questions, and answered many of mine. I think they will do a good job. I will know how much it costs in a day or two. The next step is to finalize all the fixtures and get them ordered. He also suggested that I have the new flooring put in the bathroom before I put in the toilet.
The cat went into the garage and the dogs went outside while he was here so they would not get in the way. After he left and the dogs were back inside, the sky opened up and it poured. Oh, Tillie, I wish I could send you some of this rain to help cool things off.
I have two bins of projects to do. (1) the material, thread, etc. for the living room curtains (2) tile, mastic, grout, sealer, and applicators to do the kitchen backsplash. I want to have the living room completely decluttered before I sew the curtains and the new plumbing done in the kitchen before I start working on the backsplash.
I will also need to have bins to contain the items from under all 3 sinks when the plumber comes.
The bad thing about being a hoarder and clutter is that items tend to migrate and get lost in the mess. If they are in bins with lids on, everything at least stays together.
Have a great day and take care of yourselves, friends.

Good morning 🙂

I am up early watering.
Really need to after yesterday's 110 degrees.
Will do some dishes and shower & shampoo when the watering is all done.
Then back to playing with my beads. 😀
Cats still can't go out, too many baby bunnies in the grass.

Have a GREAT day!
Make time to do something fun. (((hugs)))

diane
your project sounds so fun!
doing creative things is what used to keep me going. I haven't been able to do much of anything lately and I miss it. Maybe after I manage to take care of my messes I will be able to enjoy something like that again.

Yesterday I had a great time at the Summer Street Festival. The two booths that had upcycled clothes were both there again this year. Both women were pleasant and talked at length about their process, and let me take pictures. They both live in a big city and go to Goodwill and get old t shirts by the pound, cut up and make skirts, tops, pants out of different combinations of t'shirts. Last few years I forgot how the things looked when I got home so took camera this year. I went to a thrift store that has clothes in a 25 cent bin. I found a few t-shirts 100%cotton, good quality, great colors. Washed today and hung out to dry. now will cut them up. Then make a pattern of skirt with several sections. Put different pieces of shirts in unique design. So last night and today, went through my closets and found plenty of tshirts and other knit things that can be cut up and used. Shirts that I couldn't part with, will now be used in a fun new way. Sure did not need to buy more at thrift store, thought I had given my old tshirts away, well there were still plenty. Hard to believe I really do have everything I need, sometimes, silly me.
So now there are piles of tshirts by color in living room, need to pick the one color spectrum I will work on first and put all the others away. When this much stuff is out, am immobilized.
Got the dishes done a few hours ago. Watered lots of things outside this morning. Ate vegetables and took my vitamins. Cut toenails, which haven"t been cut in ages. Still need to shower before chat. I am excited about my new project and willing to make a pattern, so I can perfect the fit. The trick for me is to do a craft project and not leave stuff all over the place.
Did great keeping dishes done this week, clean clothes, more self care, and now found a way to have fun in the heat. mowed my tiny lawn, now will clean up my cotton supply and start working on making a pattern for my fun skirts.