Yay gardenerjoy!
I'm noticing that I'm noticing now that you've started posting a daily list. Thx! What great progress you are making.

I'm noticing the small things I have left undone.
Wed-cleaned out freezer and pulled out unprocessed chokecherries.
Thurs-processed the above mentioned
Fri-strained as much juice as I could before leaving for work and cleaned up the mess.

We got to look at a rental of moms for the first time on Wednesday. Sadly, it has been destroyed by cats. We're pulling the carpet today. It just makes me notice my own habits a bit more and encourages me to be more mindful. I am grateful for the home I am creating on a daily basis.

Off to work!

I did the two relatively easy and short tasks, but I fully completed the chores they represented, so I'm happy with that.

Saturday is a good day for organizing. I'd like to clear all the stacks in the office and the mail which is piling up downstairs while my office isn't in a state to take it in.

October daily household task log:
15: reorganize mud room
16: straighten up before cleaning crew
17: plastic container back to MiL's
18: cleared In Box and Tickler
19: start setting up structure for organizing tasks
20: finished setting up structure for organizing tasks
21: clean up & reorganize under the kitchen sink
22: clear tomato plants
23: move cookbooks from box to shelves
24: cleared one stack
25: cleared two stacks

I keep setting my goals higher than I'm able to meet. Mildly frustrated but not a problem if I choose not to make it one. So, today, I cleared 6 stacks. Tomorrow, I hope to finish them all and clear the mail that's piling up in the kitchen.

October daily household task log:
15: reorganize mud room
16: straighten up before cleaning crew
17: plastic container back to MiL's
18: cleared In Box and Tickler
19: start setting up structure for organizing tasks
20: finished setting up structure for organizing tasks
21: clean up & reorganize under the kitchen sink
22: clear tomato plants
23: move cookbooks from box to shelves
24: cleared one stack
25: cleared two stacks
26: cleared six stacks

Cleared seven more stacks and I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Tomorrow should be a good day for this sort of work so aiming (as I have the last three days!) to clear all the stacks and the mail that's been piling up.

October daily household task log:
15: reorganize mud room
16: straighten up before cleaning crew
17: plastic container back to MiL's
18: cleared In Box and Tickler
19: start setting up structure for organizing tasks
20: finished setting up structure for organizing tasks
21: clean up & reorganize under the kitchen sink
22: clear tomato plants
23: move cookbooks from box to shelves
24: cleared one stack
25: cleared two stacks
26: cleared six stacks
27: cleared seven stacks

My stacks are cleared. Woohoo! That feels good. I have a ridiculous day tomorrow, but I'm also feeling ridiculous that it's been over a week since I've processed the mail. So, I'll make that my goal for tomorrow.

October daily household task log:
15: reorganize mud room
16: straighten up before cleaning crew
17: plastic container back to MiL's
18: cleared In Box and Tickler
19: start setting up structure for organizing tasks
20: finished setting up structure for organizing tasks
21: clean up & reorganize under the kitchen sink
22: clear tomato plants
23: move cookbooks from box to shelves
24: cleared one stack
25: cleared two stacks
26: cleared six stacks
27: cleared seven stacks
28: cleared rest of stacks

Well, I processed the mail to some degree, but the bits that need action are now in my In Box. The Cleaning Crew comes tomorrow, so I'll have to get ready for them, but I really want to clear my In Box again -- so two tasks for tomorrow. It's a day that can handle that.

October daily household task log:
15: reorganize mud room
16: straighten up before cleaning crew
17: plastic container back to MiL's
18: cleared In Box and Tickler
19: start setting up structure for organizing tasks
20: finished setting up structure for organizing tasks
21: clean up & reorganize under the kitchen sink
22: clear tomato plants
23: move cookbooks from box to shelves
24: cleared one stack
25: cleared two stacks
26: cleared six stacks
27: cleared seven stacks
28: cleared rest of stacks
29: cleared mail from kitchen

I completed both of my tasks, clearing the In Box and prepping for the cleaning crew. The owner of the cleaning business chatted with my husband and said we're one of the favorite customers because we straighten up before they come and because we're nice. He asked a little more and apparently "nice" is about not looking down on the people who clean our house. Which we don't -- a job best left to the professionals in our case because we really suck at it.

I need a goal for tomorrow that already has a pretty long to do list. My main focus tomorrow is my writing which I've been ignoring for a month, so I'm going to go through all my writing stuff and get it organized. That will be a good way to get re-oriented.

October daily household task log:
15: reorganize mud room
16: straighten up before cleaning crew
17: plastic container back to MiL's
18: cleared In Box and Tickler
19: start setting up structure for organizing tasks
20: finished setting up structure for organizing tasks
21: clean up & reorganize under the kitchen sink
22: clear tomato plants
23: move cookbooks from box to shelves
24: cleared one stack
25: cleared two stacks
26: cleared six stacks
27: cleared seven stacks
28: cleared rest of stacks
29: cleared mail from kitchen
30: prepped for cleaning crew, emptied In Box

I continue to love looking at your list, gardenerjoy! It's such a great reminder of just how much the accomplishments add up when we make a commitment to do a small task every day. It's been the basis of my continued success.

I've had very little internet time lately but I continue to keep caught up at home, which takes a little more effort right now, since I'm constantly overwhelmed with the rental projects I have going on. I caught a cold so I'm staying in today. My strategy is to do a little bit...lie down...do a little bit...lie down. That way I'll get caught up with just a little effort.

gardenerjoy, your office tasks spurred me on this morning. It took about 1/2 hour but I unsubscribed from dozens of emails I'm getting that just aren't pertinent right now. credit. Funny, I got an email from one of them telling me I unsubscribed. Delete. lol

I got a good start on my project for organizing the writing in advance of a new push on that this month. But there's more to do on that today!

October daily household task log:
15: reorganize mud room
16: straighten up before cleaning crew
17: plastic container back to MiL's
18: cleared In Box and Tickler
19: start setting up structure for organizing tasks
20: finished setting up structure for organizing tasks
21: clean up & reorganize under the kitchen sink
22: clear tomato plants
23: move cookbooks from box to shelves
24: cleared one stack
25: cleared two stacks
26: cleared six stacks
27: cleared seven stacks
28: cleared rest of stacks
29: cleared mail from kitchen
30: prepped for cleaning crew, emptied In Box
31: started organizing the writing stuff

I made good progress organizing the writing stuff today. Just a little more to feel done with that tomorrow. Then, I want to use this new-found understanding of the "stuff" to set some goals for this month and the rest of the year.

November organizing tasks log:
1. Organize writing stuff

Well, my house is still cluttered, but my efforts on my mother's house are paying off. Two bedrooms have been completely cleared and scoured. One of the bedrooms has been redecorated and is ready for Thanksgiving house guests.

I seem to LOVE this sort of work! I guess I love managing the project. All the electrical work is done, as is the plumbing and installation of new appliances. This coming week, a handyman is coming out for repairs, and the following week the house is getting pasteurized to remove odors, mold and termites.

Today, my younger son and I are loading the boxes I packed and are taking them to a storage unit. I need them out of the way before we can continue with the work. Hoping that by the end of the weekend all the clutter will be gone from the inside of the house. It really opened my eyes about how much we accumulate over the course of a lifetime. And how much waste we accrue. I am seeing a change is how I spend money. Not going to buy anything unless it's something I can use up now or reuse over and over again for a long time.

I made good progress on my organizing project today. Tomorrow, I should finally be able to fully implement my new scheme for keeping myself organized.

November organizing tasks log:
1. Organize writing stuff
2. Finish organizing writing stuff

gardenerjoy, I am speechless with admiration--major credits to you!

Most of our mess is hidden, but today I got it in my head that I should spend some time in the "warehouse" (which is what DH calls the huge unfinished area of our basement).

I cleared off one of the large gorilla-type shelving units (5 shelf unit, 4' x 2'), and went through multiple boxes, separating into 'give away', 'this belongs to DH so I'm shoving it out of the way', 'unpack and put somewhere' and 'go through'.

And I did go through them. I still had teaching materials from 18-25 years ago. It's been that long since I've taught--none of my class notes would be current at all--so lots of stuff got dumped.

I gathered up all the gift wrap/gift bags/ribbon. I could start a store--I have no idea why I'd accumulated so much other than that it wasn't all together so I didn't know how much I had. It's now all together, one plastic bin of flat and tube wrapping paper, a smaller one (but not small) of gift bags, another one of tissue, and a box of ribbons. (Yeah--it's that much) It's also now accessible, so I won't find myself buying things I've already got!

I also arranged everything from the volunteer job that I picked up in the spring when my friend passed. I had his files and various boxes on the floor, all spread out, and now they're neatly on a shelving unit and labeled.

There's plenty more to do down there but I made incredible progress and feel really good about it.

I also found a plastic bin with some pants in it. If I'd found that tote earlier, I'd have worn the capris this summer--they're just a bit big right now. Another pair of pants (down there because they were too small) are too big. One pair fit but is too out of style to keep.

I also now have an incredible quantity of plastic bins. I love plastic bins. As we go through the second pass on the basement, many things in boxes will end up in plastic bins and the boxes recycled. I'm moving in that direction.

Each time I spend time on this, I feel more and more organized! I knew all of you would understand.

Yay, bethfromDayton! That sounds like very satisfying work!

I got my new organizational scheme functional today. I'm very pleased so far. It worked well enough to figure out what I'm doing this week and tomorrow. I'm starting a big filing project tomorrow. It's been hard to get going on it, so I've given myself permission to work on it just 10 minutes a day. We'll see how that works.

November organizing tasks log:
1. Organize writing stuff
2. Finish organizing writing stuff
3. Implement new scheme for time management

I worked on my filing project for 10 minutes -- only because I said I was going to here. It was enough to get a start on it. I'll aim for that again tomorrow.

November organizing tasks log:
1. Organize writing stuff
2. Finish organizing writing stuff
3. Implement new scheme for time management
4. 10 minutes filing project

It's great when accountability leads us to accomplishing a task, even when it seems small. A small task completed is progress forward.

DH and I are battling common colds, which doesn't fit well with working in dirty/dusty rentals. Today we would just be "finding something to keep busy with" because the drywallers haven't finished so we could do some major painting. Rats!

We went to bed early last eve and when I woke I thought things through and committed to small, attainable projects today which will move me forward.

I've spent several hours in the office filing...getting rid of sticky notes and sending off some checks. I took time to mend a bra and it's back in it's drawer. I had a heating pad I was about to pitch (didn't work) and I fixed it. credit. Now it can go back in it's place, too.

I've identified other things I can accomplish today
~household stuff to recycle
~project stuff to recycle
~get a birthday box in the mail

I noticed this morning that as I plowed through my unfinished stuff in the office that some other pressing business felt "easier to accomplish".
That's the time when I know that this continuous decluttering really works in my life.

Following gardenerjoy's example :), I'll start building a November log. Today I'll empty and put away the suitcases and other bags.

I like looking at Gardenerjoys list. I'm going to keep a project log since its where I really need to make daily progress right now. I had helpers today and didn't really feel like going up (still sick) but I did it anyway. Credit.

November "Project" Daily Log (rental #1, #2, #3)
1.change locks(#3),wash all floor vents(#2), test floor stain(#2)
2. Drive up and check heat after work (real job)
3. Same as day 2 plus email contractor and make two addl. calls regarding carpet installation
4.drive up after work then call contractor to ask why they didn't show up, contacted helper to discuss bathroom issue(#2)
5. Drive up with helper to look at bathroom(#2), remove couch and mattress and tear out carpet/pad (#3)
ETA-listed to piano which was left at(#2) with local free cycle group

Lexxiss: You're making terrific progress. It is kind of motivating to see it all in a list, isn't it?

silverbirch: unpacking and putting away suitcases is a huge thing for me -- not getting that done can derail me for weeks after a trip. So I've become quite determined to do it as quickly as possible.

I did my filing today -- I even spent longer than planned so that I reached a good stopping point. More tomorrow.

November organizing tasks log:
1. Organize writing stuff
2. Finish organizing writing stuff
3. Implement new scheme for time management
4. 10 minutes filing project
5. 18 minutes filing project

Lexxiss, you're doing so well. Having three rentals to sort out all at once is challenging. Let us know what happens to the piano!

Gardenerjoy, are you throwing away as well as filing or have you done that part?

We had the sitting room replastered when we were away (to get rid of horrible textured paint which attracted lots of dust). Everywhere is slightly grimy and there's a lot to do. Today I'll clean the sitting room window and window ledge.

Yesterday turned rather busy as I had to rush out and collect a fish (long story) but I made myself do the suitcases by the end of the day. And that was because I'd told you I would. Credit.

5 - Emptied and put away the suitcases and other bags.

holding the fort
 

Decluttering Chums!

Hi everyone. Finally I am getting grounded again and after the Big Birthday and this week's Big Event I am truly free. I have had some major success with making my household liveable:

-we cleared out enough stuff from the back room/spare room/DH's room that we were able to have my childhood friend stay over
and sleep in a room of her own where she could close the door. Awesome! I NEVER envisioned making that much progress in this apartment that the back room could be used as a second bedroom. *credit*

I still have Box Mountain V2.0 in the dining room. My plan is to start dealing with it on the weekend. My goal is to have it dealt with by the end of this month, before I leave for Florida the first week of December. I think I will be back for xmas so I want this space usable with a table and chairs and everything -- maybe even xmas dinner at my house. Who knows?

My clothes are a disaster though. I have too many laundry baskets of all things! And each one is full all the time meaning I am not putting things away and partly cause the dresser I use is obstructed by... the laundry and the laundry baskets. The solution will be to cull the clothing herd.

So those are the highlights. So much good, continuing work going on here with everyone. [

Lexxiss a special shout out to you and your three rentals and two houses (is this right?) Sorry about the cold :( I think of you often :hug:

My filing project deals with all the masses of paperwork generated by my husband's family's business, since the early 1980s. I've already done a lot of work (and thrown away a lot of newspaper clippings) when I organized everything chronologically in order to up date some records. Now that the records project is done, the material needs to be re-filed by topic so it can be found without someone having to remember what year something happened.

With the records project done, I'm also finding that I'm comfortable throwing away more. Today, much of my filing time went into de-duplicating what I filed the two previous days. Everybody in the family gave me their files, so I have multiple copies of meeting notes and financial reports when we really only need one.

Thanks for asking, silverbirch!

I'll be continuing this project tomorrow.

November organizing tasks log:
1. Organize writing stuff
2. Finish organizing writing stuff
3. Implement new scheme for time management
4. 10 minutes filing project
5. 18 minutes filing project
6. 10 minutes filing project

:wave:

onebyone, good to hear your highlights, especially that you've now got a spare bedroom! That Box Mountain V2.0 was only ever a temporary installation, wasn't it? Time to take it down and make room for the next piece of art.

Gardenerjoy, thank you very much for explaining your filing project. So interesting. I think hearing about detail can encourage us in our endeavours. I was an ardent taker of newspaper cuttings before the web got going. We used to laugh that my office had information on any subject you cared to ask about. It was my USP. Now, any fool can call themselves a researcher* and I am binning a lot of material unless it's clearly of historical interest, in which I include old typefaces and pictures of daily life.

*Please forgive my lack of charity today. I'm rather cross about being so under-employed in terms of paid work.

Once again, I squeezed in yesterday's task in the evening to be sure of doing it. Today I'll reconcile my bank account and do the outstanding sewing. Pieces of school uniform which arrived late have to be labelled and a shirt has to be mended. This will mean that several cubic feet of clothing can be put away.

5 - Emptied and put away the suitcases and other bags.
6 - cleaned sitting room window and window ledge

Welcome back, onebyone!

My DH is feeling better and today we will attempt painting walls (#1) since drywallers still havent shown. DD will clean (#3) and another helper will continue prepping floors for carpet(Kilz application) (#3)

I'm going to homedepot soon to get paint reshaken/buy Kilz and pick out carpet. One day at a time.


November "Project" Daily Log (rental #1, #2, #3)
1.change locks(#3),wash all floor vents(#2), test floor stain(#2)
2. Drive up and check heat after work (real job)
3. Same as day 2 plus email contractor and make two addl. calls regarding carpet installation
4.drive up after work then call contractor to ask why they didn't show up, contacted helper to discuss bathroom issue(#2)
5. Drive up with helper to look at bathroom(#2), remove couch and mattress and tear out carpet/pad (#3)
ETA-listed to piano which was left at(#2) with local free cycle group
6. Figured out new configuration for carpet/linoleum replacement (#3)

As of yesterday, all the bedrooms and bathrooms of my mother's house are cleared out. OMG! I filled a whole recycling can with junk mail alone! I don't know why my parents hung on to all that paper. And I'm angry with those people who send out all the junk mail. I hope they make it with recycled paper, but really, all the energy that goes in to recycling paper, and the chemicals for the inks too. There has got to be a more cost-efficient and energy-efficient way to do this.

Really an eye-opening lesson for me, going through my mother's house. I don't care to make life so hard on my sons when I'm old. I'd rather they wanted to spend time with me rather than clear out my house someday. I've hired a man to take away all the bags of garbage now piling up in my mother's backyard. I think I'm going to include a few bags from my house in the pile.

Still continuing my filing project. This is going to take awhile. But it's going, now, after just sitting there for months, so I'm thrilled.

November organizing tasks log:
1. Organize writing stuff
2. Finish organizing writing stuff
3. Implement new scheme for time management
4. 10 minutes filing project
5. 18 minutes filing project
6. 10 minutes filing project
7. 10 minutes filing project

We're all doing so well!

Georgia, my mother (now 88) has had similar experiences to you and holds your view. She's been rationalising her belongings for a number of years now.

Today I'll sort out the little freezer. The plasterer turned off the electricity last week and there's too much ice in it. I may also implement a system (with labels!) to make sure different things go in different drawers. Any ideas about what would work in labelling freezer drawers? I have a feeling that stick-on labels would fall off and writing on the drawers themselves would smudge. Though perhaps not, if the drawer was dry to start with and the writing was in an out-of-the-way place.

5 - emptied and put away the suitcases and other bags
6 - cleaned sitting room window and window ledge
7 - reconciled bank account, did all the sewing

Feeling positive!
 

silverbirch, I mark items in my freezer with masking tape/permanent marker. I don't have drawers, though, so I'm marking each individual container/item when it goes in. The masking tape comes off easily when I'm ready to use a new container and it stays on while in the freezer. I write the ingredient and month/year.

Today we will continue painting/cleaning. I will make an appt. to discuss carpet and make a trip to a "restore" to look for materials. We got alot done yesterday and I'm noting how positive I feel about the process right now and am remembering how great it felt when I dealt with something at home everyday, too. My home continues to stay organized and clean during this rental process and I note, too, how much easier it is to go out and get things accomplished when I have a clean and organized home to return to. credit.

November "Project" Daily Log (rental #1, #2, #3)
1.change locks(#3),wash all floor vents(#2), test floor stain(#2)
2. Drive up and check heat after work (real job)
3. Same as day 2 plus email contractor and make two addl. calls regarding carpet installation
4.drive up after work then call contractor to ask why they didn't show up, contacted helper to discuss bathroom issue(#2)
5. Drive up with helper to look at bathroom(#2), remove couch and mattress and tear out carpet/pad (#3)
ETA-listed to piano which was left at(#2) with local free cycle group
6. Figured out new configuration for carpet/linoleum replacement (#3)
7. 3 helpers today! We painted 4 rooms (#1) and continued cleaning ceiling (#3). I made 2 more connections regarding piano and contacted another tenant regarding a perspective renter.

silverbirch: I've used these for food labels -- they stay on forever and they're erasable: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/?productId=10009870 I'm not sure if you can get them in the UK. I bought them from The Container Store, but these on Amazon look like the same thing: http://www.amazon.com/Jokari-47826-E.../dp/B002MPH4OG

I did my filing for today -- but only because I wanted to report it here. I haven't made a plan for tomorrow, but I just put filing on the sheet where I will make a plan.

November organizing tasks log:
1. Organize writing stuff
2. Finish organizing writing stuff
3. Implement new scheme for time management
4. 10 minutes filing project
5. 18 minutes filing project
6. 10 minutes filing project
7. 10 minutes filing project

Sketchy internet....lost my post. I accomplished my goals yesterday and will update later. Today I work my real job and my only task afterwards will be to drive to the project and assess the painting that will happen on the floor today in preparation for new carpet.

Thanks for your suggestions about freezer labels. We're good about labelling everything which goes into the freezer but I want to label the drawers to read things like "bread" "fish" "meat" "veg" and so on.

Today I'll cook the Seville oranges I took out of the freezer, as the first step towards making marmalade.

5 - emptied and put away the suitcases and other bags
6 - cleaned sitting room window and window ledge
7 - reconciled bank account, did all the sewing
8 - sorted out little freezer

Tomorrow (Sunday) I'll make the marmalade. It's going to be ginger marmalade. I've never made it in two steps like this. It feels remarkably relaxed - that's a feeling I like a lot!

5 - emptied and put away the suitcases and other bags
6 - cleaned sitting room window and window ledge
7 - reconciled bank account, did all the sewing
8 - sorted out little freezer
9 - cooked Seville oranges (and also bought the crystallised ginger for the marmalade)

I almost skipped my filing today. I did skip most of my other normal routines and structures after a an overindulgent night and very little sleep. But I reached a point in the day where it just made sense, so I did it -- I even went long because I let a TV show I was watching play in the background and I kept going until it was finished.

More filing tomorrow because this is working!

November organizing tasks log:
1. Organize writing stuff
2. Finish organizing writing stuff
3. Implement new scheme for time management
4. 10 minutes filing project
5. 18 minutes filing project
6. 10 minutes filing project
7. 10 minutes filing project
8. 20 minutes filing project

I updated progress on my "log". I did get something done I didn't think I would yesterday. credit. Today I "work" again and don't think I'll do more than go up and check on things. I'm keeping my home picked up; kitchen clean, laundry done, bed made. Those simple things do help my home to be a "sanctuary" when I come home from these complex and seemingly never ending projects.credit.

November "Project" Daily Log (rental #1, #2, #3)
1.change locks(#3),wash all floor vents(#2), test floor stain(#2)
2. Drive up and check heat after work (real job)
3. Same as day 2 plus email contractor and make two addl. calls regarding carpet installation
4.drive up after work then call contractor to ask why they didn't show up, contacted helper to discuss bathroom issue(#2)
5. Drive up with helper to look at bathroom(#2), remove couch and mattress and tear out carpet/pad (#3)
ETA-listed to piano which was left at(#2) with local free cycle group
6. Figured out new configuration for carpet/linoleum replacement (#3)
7. 3 helpers today! We painted 4 rooms (#1) and continued cleaning ceiling (#3). I made 2 more connections regarding piano and contacted another tenant regarding a perspective renter
8. carpet process started...we picked out carpet and got set up in the system for our measure, visited restore and picked up some electrical covers, dropped curtains off for drycleaning and had 3 helpers cleaning/painting
9. worked at restaurant but did go up after work and did initial tear out in bathroom that needs complete tear out.

I had DH get down 3 plastic bins from the upper closet shelves for me. I think 4 items went in the wash, 1 item (the leather A-line skirt I can't bring myself to part with even though it is out of style and doesn't fit) went back up high, and the rest got donated.

I had a large bag's worth of clothes accumulating in the closet (the ones that get piled up when I try to wear it in the morning and discover it's too big for me) and another large bag from this morning's work. I had 3 boxes from the basement work I did last weekend--and now all of that stuff is out of the house forever.

I also caught up on my inbox yesterday, so the paperwork is up to date.

I feel pretty productive.

A friend called and talked for an hour today. Fortunately, about ten minutes in, I realized I could work on the filing. It wasn't the most efficient work, but I managed to get quite a lot done in that time.

I'm going to take a few days off filing in order to handle some other chores. Tomorrow's big job is to go out to the cabin (almost an hour each way) and winterize it before the freeze this week.

November organizing tasks log:
1. Organize writing stuff
2. Finish organizing writing stuff
3. Implement new scheme for time management
4. 10 minutes filing project
5. 18 minutes filing project
6. 10 minutes filing project
7. 10 minutes filing project
8. 10 minutes filing project
9: 20 minutes filing project
10: 50 minutes filing project

I didn't manage to make the marmalade as I had a rush editing/translation job to do. I'll make it today - or at least take the next step. The DB has offered to help me and we've got chili con carne from the freezer for tea (also made by him, come to think of it - I'll keep him!)

5 - emptied and put away the suitcases and other bags
6 - cleaned sitting room window and window ledge
7 - reconciled bank account, did all the sewing
8 - sorted out little freezer
9 - cooked Seville oranges (and also bought the crystallised ginger for the marmalade
10 - unplanned editing and translation

wow. very inspiring.
 

Hello Everyone.

I love the on-going list-making going on here! *credit for all the *credits* being taken! I totally relate to this kind of chunking down of chores. It is the only method that has ever worked for me as I get lost in the big picture very easily and even more quickly, demoralized by the vastness of it all! Awesome.

I got word that my new studio walls have been erected. 8' of drywall on my one major wall and then another 4 or so feet at right angles to it. I now have two expanses of smooth surfaces I can work on. The plan is to keep these spaces EMPTY except for ongoing artwork. I need somewhere to tack up large sheets of paper to draw on, and also to pin up prints as I create them to see what they are trying to tell me. VERY EXCITED this is now done. Can't wait to see the walls tomorrow.

This now brings me to the task of *removing what is not needed right now* from the studio. I'm going to get a locker afterall. I have sorted through the studio stuff 3x now and I also have the additional problem of where to keep the new work I will produce. It's just not great to be rolling everything up all the time. DH is now filling the empty spaces I created in the apartment. He even has pvc pipe lying in the hallway--no wonder we've been together 23 years--we're kind of the same. So, I mention this only to say there is no room for anything of mine to come back into the apartment. I will re-assess the storage locker after 6 months.

Our bedroom is ridiculous right now as well re: clothes and baskets of clothes. I just haven't taken the hour or two that it needs to put everything away and to sort the rest.

And, still, box mountain 2.0 remains for me to deal with.

My goal for the bulk of these projects is Dec 4th. I leave for Florida Dec 5th. I want to come back to an organized place and not to have these issues still dogging me -- though if it takes until Dec 31st that's ok too. I'm happy to be focusing here again once more.

silverbirch where are the seville oranges from? Did you get them in Seville??

Yesterday I called homedepotcredit and made necessary changes to the account. I accomplished it before work or it wouldn't have happened. We traveled last night and I'm taking a few days off....much needed. I will accomplish something each day while I'm here. No matter what project I'm working on even the small stuff keeps me moving forward.

November "Project" Daily Log (rental #1, #2, #3)
1.change locks(#3),wash all floor vents(#2), test floor stain(#2)
2. Drive up and check heat after work (real job)
3. Same as day 2 plus email contractor and make two addl. calls regarding carpet installation
4.drive up after work then call contractor to ask why they didn't show up, contacted helper to discuss bathroom issue(#2)
5. Drive up with helper to look at bathroom(#2), remove couch and mattress and tear out carpet/pad (#3)
ETA-listed to piano which was left at(#2) with local free cycle group
6. Figured out new configuration for carpet/linoleum replacement (#3)
7. 3 helpers today! We painted 4 rooms (#1) and continued cleaning ceiling (#3). I made 2 more connections regarding piano and contacted another tenant regarding a perspective renter
8. carpet process started...we picked out carpet and got set up in the system for our measure, visited restore and picked up some electrical covers, dropped curtains off for drycleaning and had 3 helpers cleaning/painting
9. worked at restaurant but did go up after work and did initial tear out in bathroom that needs complete tear out.
10. did home chores before work. Sunday....no work at the rental projects
11. Called homedepotcredit before work to order addl. card and change mailing address. Went up after work and checked each vacant rental to make sure heat/water was ok for my leaving. Noticed heating vents hadn't been put back in after floor painting so I put them back before leaving.

Another rush editing/translation job to do yesterday. I'm working on the marmalade today.

onebyone, Seville oranges are the name we give to bitter oranges for marmalade. They arrive here from Seville (Spain) in late January, February and I buy them to freeze for when I've got time to make marmalade. They're only around for a couple of weeks so you have to move fast. I've made some this year but things got away from me rather as the months progressed. This is the last but one bag I'm dealing with now. Oranges lose their pectin in the freezer so I'll have to add lemon juice to make it set.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_orange

ETA I've sliced the peel and simmered the pith and pips to get more pectin out. Realistically, I can't do any more today as I'll be away at a funeral for two days and have to get ready. Also take the DB for a haircut this pm. Will put it back in freezer till the weekend. Credit for realism.

5 - emptied and put away the suitcases and other bags
6 - cleaned sitting room window and window ledge
7 - reconciled bank account, did all the sewing
8 - sorted out little freezer
9 - cooked Seville oranges (and also bought the crystallised ginger for the marmalade)
10 - unplanned editing and translation
11 - unplanned editing and translation