Hello!
Well no rest here as yet another coworker has a sad life event. I am at work already filling in for the hostess. Another coworker will be in soon to fill in for another waitress. I am reminded to pause with gratitude that right now my family seems to be happy and healthy.
As my busy work schedule continues I've been very conscious of making time for my husband. Last night after I got home we took a short nap then went to Denver for dinner and a movie. It was nice but I didn't get any of my gear unpacked from the 3 AM trip yesterday.
This morning I got up and did as many things as I could before I had to leave for work. I made the bed folded laundry unpack my stuff and washed all my new veggies. Credit. It will make a big difference when I get home today since I have to turn around and go down to Denver again.
I actually have 3 days off (technically 2) since my sis flies in from Hawaii Friday morning. Kirk's DD is supposed to come up so we can order stuff online for her wedding. It's snowing hard so that may not happen but I'm going to act as if it is.
On my first pass through this morning I'm amazed that the current clutter has really been kept up with....except in my office. I'm going to start there today and see if I can get it back in shape.
Current clutter-done
old clutter-office
clean-wash all hardwood floors since the baby is coming up.
First, thanks to everyone for holding down the fort.
My Looloo cat has been gone 6 days now. we still have some washing to do, big blankets and comforters, from when she peed everywhere but everything else is done. I have, however, not put the clean stuff away and today when I was getting ready for a job interview, it annoyed me that the clean stuff is with the dirty stuff and geez, is this underwear clean or dirty? I can live without these questions. A waste of my life energy.
Also, this is May. Landlord Maz will be in in about 4 weeks to turn on the air conditioner. I have made a few inquiries about storage units. I know, not the ideal solution, but I am anxious to get this place looking normal and even if I reduce the boxes by half, I know I have more stuff than I have space for. I am considering getting the smallest size, a 5' x 5' box and committing to using it only thorugh the summer, with a deadline to empty it/assimilate it by September 1st. Here, it's still all over the place. I am finding it all very depressing and demoralizing and my schedule is picking up too so I just feel pushed from all directions.
So, that's how things stand with me, my house and my decluttering. It's not great but looking at it again helps more than ignoring it, so *credit* for that anyway.
OnebyOne, Sorry for your loss. You certainly showed such compassion and love towards the final weeks of her life. She was lucky to have you.
I woke up this morning and thought I can't let things get back out of hand. My house looks fairly good until you hit my office.
Lexxiss: Thanks for mentioning the office --I have committed 2 hours over the weekend to bring it back into shape.
Both my kids won awards for outstanding students. I realized that they are operating from a "Healthy Work Capacity Standpoint". I realized that I need to shift back into this gear and keep my things at a level of excellence. Not perfect-- but to be intentional to do my best with what is my responsibility.
I give myself credit for "looking around" and starting a new focused list.
Taking Drum set down in son's room.
Cleaning all bathrooms today.
Working in my office 1/2 hour today.
Last edited by helping rachel; 05-03-2013 at 09:15 AM.
Before I leave for a week I want to get the dishes done and the floor cleared in the kitchen. I promised DH I'd make him a stew in the crockpot before I leave so he'll have vittles for two days. We're making wings tonight and there will be leftovers of that too. He gets fed for free at work so he's set for lunches. Our money is supertight until his next pay (thanks be for having a steady paycheck). I am still considering a storage unit and think I will go for it. I need to set this place up right.
It's DDay...a week early, I might add. Our renovation project was supposed to start NEXT Wednesday and a call from our contractor friends moved it up to tomorrow. They will arrive today with construction trailer and then head to denver to see if they can purchase a camper. If they don't find one then they will reside in our tv room for the next 4 nights. Either way, we will be sharing our home with them.
I'm so grateful I've been keeping up with everything. This morning was full of chores as I have to work, but it was manageable. Thx to all of you for supporting me in this process. A year ago someone showing up with a day's notice would have been a disaster, to put it mildly.
I don't know if I'm going to be posting much for the next few days. Internet has been painfully slow which has not made it easy to "sneak in".
Hey everyone,
Just a quick check in...closets were done in our place next week so it's time for me to go through them and declutter all the stuff. Also found out that there will be a huge mobile shredder sponsored by the city on May 19 in my neighborhood, so this is motivation for me to go through all my old files and put stuff aside to shred. Hope everyone is doing well. I'm busy at work, so have to keep this short.
Old clutter: go through hall closet
New clutter: go through papers that fell off the bulletin board (which broke)
Cleaning: I meant to do some windows with my new glass wax but it's raining for the next week so that will have to wait.
Hi! Our renovation project was supposed to start NEXT Wednesday and a call from our contractor friends moved it up to tomorrow. A year ago someone showing up with a day's notice would have been a disaster, to put it mildly. I don't know if I'm going to be posting much for the next few days. Internet has been painfully slow which has not made it easy to "sneak in".
Good luck!!! Pretty impressive you can handle something being moved up a week!
For everyone else - been swamped with some projects & not able to post - but think of you chicks often!!!
Last edited by Mountain Mamma; 05-08-2013 at 02:14 PM.
Well I am excited to report that we made major headway on the project despite a glitch which will have to be resolved before we can continue. The new water/sewer service from the street will have to be completed before we can continue indoors. I'm meeting with the guy today.
Before they left, we loaded up their pickup with ALL the rubble from the project and got it to the dump. My sis and I agreed that they could have a hutch which neither of us want and so they'll take it away when they come back through on Monday. credit. It feels so good to "let go".
On the homefront, I am really amazed to find that we seem to achieved a "new normal". Our friends only spent one night but even after the big mess we made at the project we all came home and cleaned up after ourselves. As I look through the house this morning there's not much to catch up on. credit.
Now my car is a different subject. I have at least 3 boxes that need to come into the house....and additionally the car is just a big "Spring" disaster.
So:
Today:
old clutter-bring boxes in AND deal with all the contents
current clutter-deal with it
clean-THE CAR *OUCH*
Well, here I am, back in the supportive fold that is the Beck decluttering forum. I'm glad to have a space to figure out these next few months ahead of me and my home.
It looks like my mother will be moved from her care facility in Ottawa, to here where I live. It feels heavy to me but it makes no sense to move her within the city she is in as my siblings who live there never visit her anyway. They don't call, visit or take her for rides in a car or out for a bite or anything. I suppose I can't be 100% sure of this, but they don't sign in or out of the book when everyone is supposed to when someone visits or takes a residence out. They don't do the chores they agreed to do for our mother, instead the head nurse has picked up the slack. The staff never sees them there. There just is no visible sign they are involved. I am just so disappointed that we can't all share the work of keeping our mother happy.
I am sure they will get angry with me about this somehow. I know that will somehow happen and yet it's not about anyone but my mothe. She can't stay where she is at as her facitlity is going downhill with the new management, and trusted hardworking staff who have been there 10+ years are leaving, including the head nurse who looks out for my mom.
So, if she's here then she'll be at my place and so my place must be comfortable and ready for her to come by for visits.
I have to say, I am mildly depressed about this turn of events. DH's mom, 20 years younger than my mom, is having rotator cuff surgery in the fall. Her right arm will be immobilized. I'm anticipating extra demands on me from her, and now my mom who weighs on me. OTOH it's not forever. It's not that bad. It's a day at a time. And she's not living with us.
So, real, live, reasons to get my house in order. Time to make another detailed to-do list.
onebyone, I look forward to your new list. It always helps me, too, to see what someone else is doing. It sounds like a new challenge as your mother moves nearer to you. Will you and your Florida sister make some decisions together? I'm wondering how far away your MIL is? I wasn't aware that she lives alone. At least her surgery isn't until Fall.
I looked back to see just when it was that I brought the boxes of old clutter into the house from the car. It was Friday. It seems it has been an eternity as it has really clogged my formerly pleasant decluttered space. I have been working on the contents but life has been happening, too. I'm tired, too.
Day off today and I didn't feel like doing anything. Sometimes I have to give myself a little push and do something anyway. credit.
So:
old clutter-emptied all the boxes and took them to the basement. I put some items in thrift and found spots for other things. I *hope* I can finish the items tomorrow before work and return to normlacy.
current clutter-picked up in the kitchen, office and bedroom...made bed, did laundry and folded/put away clothes.
clean-actually cleaned in the yard......raked all the pinecones from the big tree into one large pile which made the rest of the yard look nicer.
Wednesday morning I leave here at 3am to take sis to the airport then will switch cars and drive over the hill to our other home. I hope it will be an enjoyable several days off.
Well I haven't made my cleaning/clearing out list yet. I think I am going to tackle this next great leap forward slightly differently.
Since I still am not looking forward to doing the decluttering work, I am going to begin with a wish list for my place. Then I want to create a set of goals to bring these wishes into reality. And the goals will be composed of to do lists. So, a step at a time. I have until the end of August I think. If I can get there sooner, great. The purpose of the wish list to to allow me to see that *I* can make my wishes come true. It's not magic. It's directed, perisistent, activity. Thes esorts of thigns make a chore exciting for me. I'm not just doing druge work. I am making real changes for a reason. It makes all the difference to me when I am lost in the details and feeling overwhelmed.
I guess I'll try to avoid the crutch of a storage locker if I am able to. I know that stashing things in there just delays the process of dealing with that stuff. I will allow myself the locker though if it turns out I simply do have too many things I need/want/must save. I suspect though that we have really inefficiently used our space in here and will probably figure out ways to cope with it all when I can actually see what I have.
The primary goal is to have an oasis. A comfortable retreat from the world. A place that helps us (me and DH) relax, feel uplifted and optimistic. I'm going to try to figure out what exactly this meanas to me and I need to get DH to put his brain there as well so I can provide for him the things he would want. I am certain a few things overlap, but not everything.
And that's where I am at today.
I'm ready to move forward once again.
lexxiss so thrilled to read you have a few days off in a row. I hope you can get some uninterrupted recharge-your-batteries time!
Mountain Mamma how are things?
Mmckellen Hello. How's your decluttering going?
helping rachel Hi to you too! How are you doing with the decluttering at your place?
[QUOTE=onebyone;4741530] Mountain Mamma how are things?
1x1, You are so sweet to ask. Thank you, I appreciate it so much as I know I haven't been holding up my end here. But ask in two weeks. Because then I'll be on vacation! Whooo.
Until then, crazy person! (But good crazy - family, visitors, children moving in, moving out, graduating, getting employed, projects, and a couple milestone birthday celebs to boot.) All Good Happy stuff, but everyone is at 6's & 7's and even my lists have lists - as in, OMG as I write I really better get off & go childproof my house - a baby will soon be amongst my company!!!! (Now where did I put those outlet plugs?????)
Sorry to hear about the problems with your mom's residence, 1x1. Lexxis, good luck renovating. McKellen, I also wondered about the glass wax . . .
You all are a great group! I promise to come back later.
thanks for posting
So sorry.
before I leave for my trip tomorrow
Mountain Mamma!
I have at least 3 boxes that need to come into the house....and additionally the car is just a big "Spring" disaster.
days off and days waaaayyyyyy off
(But good crazy - family, visitors, children moving in, moving out, graduating, getting employed, projects, and a couple milestone birthday celebs to boot.) All Good Happy stuff, but everyone is at 6's & 7's and even my lists have lists - as in, OMG as I write I really better get off & go childproof my house - a baby will soon be amongst my company!!!! (Now where did I put those outlet plugs?????)