Thanks, silverbirch. Lovely to hear from you!

The basement has been on my list. It gets neglected when I spend time outside during summer months. This morning I spent 15 minutes downstairs. I put some things back in place and brought an entire bag upstairs for "filing"....trash, recycle, etc. It looks better already. I will continue in small increments and it will get done. For me, the 15 minute space is so doable. I'm always super busy and don't find hours to dedicate to projects yet this way I do make progress.

Today
 

Hi

My sister is coming to visit for a week. She arrives sometime tonight. I will hear from here when she is checked in at the hotel and then I'll go visit and our week will fill up with activities.

Today I want to clear the living room and clean the edges of the bathroom where the walls meet the floor. It's caught a lot of "stuff" somehow in there and it looks really yukky.I found something to pop in to the crockpot for supper so that's taken care of. And I do need to make progress on this one large art piece before I get cleaning. It takes priority right now. If I can get it finished before I am on the whirlwind ride that is my sister's visit I will be ahead of the curve come next Sunday when I get my life completely back and can focus on completing my artwork for my show.

This is a decent plan for today. I will start now. Will check in later.

pick up the tools and move forward
 

I'm checking in just to check in and reconnect to my desire for an uncluttered, calm peaceful, beautiful home. During this whole week my sister did not come to my apartment at all. I didn't declutter the chaise. The dishes got done but a visitor isn't going to marvel at that. Visitors need clean clear spaces to sit down on and not the chaotic random sprawl that are the small rooms of my apartment. My sister mentioned that she and her husband may both come in December (not a Christmas thing though) so he can visit with my mother who has Alzheimer's which is moving, once more, downhill. I would like to be able to cook for them, or have them in the apartment at least once. Or even if they are just here to pick me up or whatever, I want them to be comfortable and I want ME to BE OVER THIS.

And so we pick up the tools and move forward. Kitchen sink, counters and kitchen table clean up on schedule for today.

I was able to find new homes for a wonderful table/chairs (folding set) that I brought with me from my folks, when we cleared everything out. I find, though, that I use it so infrequently, that the space use doesn't have a payoff. Passed on an antique mirror as well to the same family ... Now DH is buying a weight set to go in that room with the exercise bike and so we'll rearrange furniture (sewing machine table and bookcase) to better fit the space need this weekend. I hate to add more in there, but he's wanted one for a while and now with his success on this food plan, he's really excited about getting back in good shape. We're talking about doing some reno on our kitchen to build in a counter where there is a small low ledge and he'd like to move the sliding glass door to the dining room instead of the kitchen and redo the kitchen door area into a bank of windows with cabinets below. I am hesitant because it will cut out a lot of light and windows above cabinets never get opened in my view. We'll see. Down the line anyway... I just want the kitchen door replaced now :)

More items to drop at Goodwill and will do that this weekend.

I picked up stuff this morning and folded my laundry. Looked at the pile of stuff I had brought in from Costco and decided it all needed a home, even though it's temporary. I have an aversion now to stashing stuff where it doesn't belong but have little choice. I can't store food in the basement because of the potential for lil' mice. I found spots for all and the living room looks better. Some baby stuff had to come out of closets so I took pictures and loaded them on my FB garage sale site. If they don't sell I will donate.

I've been working in the yard and cleaned out two more beds. It's been raining and I don't feel like hauling heavy dirt so I will come up with another project soon.

It's light out. I may go out and survey.

gut instinct right again!
 

So. When I started this thread I had no idea that on Sept 22nd (today) I would get a txt from my landlord telling me we were going to have a (surprise!) home inspection done by a home appraiser tomorrow at 5. Yikes. My place isn't close to presentable at an inspection level AND I am getting ready for an important craft show on Saturday so many things are out in the open.

Piles on piles.
No decisions made about what to keep, give away, throw away. Or even where to put it away.

In a panic, after I took care of the pressing details I had to this morning, I drove straight to the storage locker place around the corner and rented a small unit AGAIN (so mad) and I have already taken the boxes I was supposed to sort through over the winter (yep) and dropped them off in there. They have one month to live whatever lands in that storage space. ALl I know is I need to get stiff out of here in order to make it presentable. DH, who I thought would hit the roof, didn't. He knows it needs to get out of here too. AND (bonus points here) HE brought up moving having talked to a friend and where they recently moved. I mentioned the co-op housing which is a way better deal and he's now game. Imagine that. AWESOME.

Long night and day ahead tomorrow but my goal is to have a clean place to have the guild ladies over to finally watch the pottery show. Man, that would be fantastic.

New thread starts tomorrow.

Congrats, onebyone, for a calm response to an impossible situation.

I've never heard of landlord inspections around here. Is this just his Odd Duck thing?