2023 Declutter & Organize Your Life

[finnime]

Good for you, Sharon. Sounds like you're making a lot of progress. I'm rooting for your mom.

[debthaven]

Thinking of you and your family Sharon . Can you stay at your mom's part of the time so you don't have to go back and forth too often?  

[debthaven]

Today is three weeks without cigarettes. I'm still vaping constantly and wearing nicotine patches, but that's fine. I have no intention of stopping either for the foreseeable future.

Being at school two weeks ago was hard. I go back to both schools next week for the rest of the semester. I'm sort of dreading it. 

I'm extremely antisocial these days. I make an effort for my kids but not for anyone else. That's fine with me too.

[debthaven]

Today DS2 asked us to come have lunch with him and a friend in town. We had so much fun! Her parents recently retired to the south so she jokingly told us she's lonely and available on Sundays now LOL. (We've known her for years, but not very well.)

I've worked very little these past 3 weeks. The less I do, the less I want to do. My schedule changes every few weeks in Spring Semester, so I'm thinking in "chunks" again. Three weeks to this next "chunk". My regular classes end in late April this year instead of in mid-June! 

I'm going to start posting lists again, because I need to get Stuff done. I've been WAY too lazy. Plus our cleaner is away for 2 weeks, so we're on our own.

This week
- pharmacy/Mon
- call E for lessons/Mon
- baby gift?

(I need a baby gift, but there's no rush. I won't go to the mall just for that.)  

[Sharon]

Feb 25, 2023 14:35:36 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Thinking of you and your family Sharon . Can you stay at your mom's part of the time so you don't have to go back and forth too often?  

I'm not sure that Mom's internet would support my remote work, plus I can't really do more than a day with just my laptop screen.  On a normal day I use two good size screens and my laptop screen.  I've been calling Mom every day and I can tell she is getting stronger.  Her voice sounds stronger and she isn't coughing as much.

This weekend was a very productive weekend and I have the best son in law.  Yesterday we got the old animal shed torn down and two loads of the debris hauled off.  DSIL also made sure that the animals couldn't get back into where the shed was, we need to make sure all the nails etc are picked up.  Today they returned and finished loading up the pickup with the rest of the debris plus all the random pieces of wood that I hauled out of my shop and added to the stack.  In the end that made a third pick up load of wood and metal debris he hauled off. 

In one corner of the pasture instead of fencing there was a gate over to the neighbors pasture but it wasn't even on hinges it was just held in place with ropes.  He removed that and fenced in that that 5 or 6 foot section.  Then he decided that it would be much easier for me for day to day access to the pasture for feeding and filling the water trough if I had a man gate instead of having to use the huge heavy gate to the pasture.  He moved the man gate that part of access to a corral that isn't really used and placed it where I will have easy access.  It certainly is easier to unlatch and open than that big gate that keeps sagging.

To complete the above gate moving he had to make a trip to Home Depot and while he was there he picked up some supplies to fix the two sprinkler heads that need repairing.  The sprinkler head repairs are for another day.

It feels so good to get some of those big projects done.  The old chicken coop and animal shed were just nasty and not a safe place for animals to be.  I'm also thrilled to have that random stack of wood gone from the shop.  Now I'm going to call some people that were advertising on facebook that have a bob cat and advertise that they do yard and pasture clean up to get rid of all the chicken poop since the previous owners never ever cleaned their chicken coop.

[finnime]

Wow, Sharon. That's a real transformation. Good for you.

[debthaven]

Glad your mom is doing better Sharon . How incredibly kind and helpful your DSIL is! 

This week
- pharmacy/Mon
- call E/Tues
- baby gift?

[Iggy aka IG]

Hi there!  We were snowed in last Friday.  Yay for the home office!  Over the weekend:

~5 loads laundry including our sheets and a few throw blankets
~Made a scrumptious beef roast topped with a jar of gifted green tomato jam
~Leftover meat above made for tasty wonton filling
~Emptied and refilled the dishwasher twice
~Refilled the ice trays, napkins and Keurig
~Scrubbed all toilets
~Planned suppers for the week
~Began planning details for an upcoming trip
~Watched college ball and a few DVR programs
~Made muffins for the neighbors
~Tossed a few things from the medicine cabinet
~Washed the pill container I take on vacation
~Moved several things from the kitchen pantry to the back pantry, organized two shelves, and took inventory
~Been exercising almost daily
~Ran errands this morning to beat the next incoming storm  

Have a fantastic week, everyone.

[debthaven]

Glad you're enjoying the home office Iggy aka IG ! 

[seriousthistime]

Feb 25, 2023 17:53:28 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Today is three weeks without cigarettes. I'm still vaping constantly and wearing nicotine patches, but that's fine. I have no intention of stopping either for the foreseeable future.

Congratulations!  I can't like this enough!

[debthaven]

Aww thank you seriousthistime .   

Thank you all for your support, it means so much to me! 

PS. One of the reasons I went to the pharmacy today was to buy more nicotine patches. The pharmacist thought she was out of the strongest ones (turns out she wasn't). She kept trying to get me to buy the lower-dosed ones instead. I kept refusing.

She finally said, frankly, it's bad for you to use the strongest ones and keep on smoking. I said, but I don't smoke anymore. She's known me for 20 years ... she nearly died of shock LOL. She promised to order me the strongest ones for tomorrow (which was fine, I have a few left), then saw on the computer that she still had 3 boxes in stock.

She tore the place apart but she found them for me! (They'd been put away badly.) 

[Sharon]

I have a new one for the group.  Today I had a guy out to haul away all the chicken poop.  He took two pick up loads to the that totaled 2000lbs, yep a ton of chicken poop.  His pickup was pretty full for the third time when he left today.  That area looks so good back there now.  This guy was also willing to come and gravel the back area when I have the gravel delivered.

[ners]

Feb 27, 2023 17:30:30 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

Feb 25, 2023 17:53:28 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Today is three weeks without cigarettes. I'm still vaping constantly and wearing nicotine patches, but that's fine. I have no intention of stopping either for the foreseeable future.

Congratulations!  I can't like this enough!

[ners]

Feb 27, 2023 19:23:55 GMT -5 Sharon said:

I have a new one for the group.  Today I had a guy out to haul away all the chicken poop.  He took two pick up loads to the that totaled 2000lbs, yep a ton of chicken poop.  His pickup was pretty full for the third time when he left today.  That area looks so good back there now.  This guy was also willing to come and gravel the back area when I have the gravel delivered.

I was going to like this, however more for he willing to come back when the gravel is delivered, not 2000 lbs of chicken poop.

[debthaven]

Holy cow Sharon !  

[finnime]

I was just noticing, since we moved and discarded several truckloads of Stuff in the process, this home is much much Much MUCH easier to keep clean. Which it should be, of course. We have no one else living with the two of us. But it is nice to be without clutter. (except for the basement, where I store things that have no better place to go.)

[debthaven]

This week is a VERY full week, but we'll be on Zoom again next week because of more strikes.   I can make it in relatively easily, but the minute you tell the students they are allowed to be on Zoom, they ALL opt to do so. I don't see the point in killing myself to get to school to find I'm the ONLY person in the classroom! (It happens a lot!) So when we have the choice, I opt to be all on Zoom rather than hybrid (some people physically in class, and some people on Zoom).

Some teachers are cancelling because they don't want their students to have to do presentations on Zoom. I don't get that! I think they are doing their students a HUGE disservice! Zoom is part of life these days, and it's important for them to be able to manage a Zoom. (I help, obviously. I even offer to do a "Zoom rehearsal" with them.)

I had the usual 5 presentations at Job 1 this semester. Two were just dire. One was OK. One was very good. The ONLY stellar one was on Zoom!!!

Interestingly, my boss didn't cancel her class next week either. She asked her students if they wanted her to postpone. They said no, they're fine with Zoom. 

I didn't even bother asking, because I knew what my students would say LOL. 

[debthaven]

The French are striking (yet again) because the government wants to raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64.

That's still among the youngest retirement age in Europe. It may even still be the youngest, but I'm not sure.

As y'all know I retired at 63, but I'm still working (albeit less). I definitely plan to work till 64, and probably beyond that. 

[TheOtherMe]

Full retirement age here is 67.   Minimum is 62 but it does greatly affect your benefit amount.

[debthaven]

Full retirement age here is 67. Minimum is 62 but it does greatly affect your benefit amount.

It affects it here too TheOtherMe . FRA is 67 here too, but the strikes are about raising the minimum age from 62 to 64. 

[Iggy aka IG]

debthaven I am so proud of you for not smoking and hope you treat yourself to something very nice with the money you are saving.    Interesting to hear about the minimum age strike.  I hope the strike goes smoothly with no incidents.

Sharon as Debt said, holy cow!  Or holy chickens as it were.  

finnime agreed, it is easier to clean with less stuff lying about.

TheOtherMe I hope your leg is doing well.

Working from the home office again today due to road conditions.  It is L's day to be here so I texted her beforehand and said, "I know, less chatting, LOL."

Similar to others, I like to straighten things up before her arrival.  I mean, I do have some capabilities and some pride and the kitchen was getting a bit messy.  Since I worked from home yesterday, I had extra time on my hands:

~Emptied, refilled, started, and emptied the dishwasher again.
~Handwashed some items including inside and outside the wooden fruit bowl, air fryer, slow cooker and food processor.
~Stored the above small appliances.
~"Cleaned" the cast iron skillet and put it away.
~Soaked and scrubbed the stovetop and grates.
~Swept the kitchen floor.

I also:
~Processed produce for lunches.
~Refilled the Keurig, ice trays, bottled water, and hand soap.

The kitchen looks really good.  

[debthaven]

Iggy aka IG I'll be treating myself to new windows and shutters. 

[moneysquirrel]

All of you have gotten a lot done.  I am the same old same old.  


debthaven -- Very glad that your quest to quit smoking is working.  And a small treat for you is needed not just the windowns and shutters.

Sharon -- That is a lot of shuff removed from the property.

TheOtherMe -- Glad that your leg is healing.  

Iggy aka IG -- So glad that the home office is working well for you.


finnime -- I find that now that must items have their homes that my house is easier to pick up as well. Some areas still require a little more time -- like my craft room-- because I am usually pulling items and working in there.  But I usually can pull it together in a shorter period of time than before.

startsmart -- Glad that you made it home safely,

[debthaven]

A quick update on DH ... he hasn't been doing great, but he finally saw the surgeon today. The surgeon told him it was normal that the pain set in later (too bad they didn't tell him that before!). DH can start PT again! (He had started but he was then told to stop because he did too much too soon.) And he only needs PT once a week!

He's allowed to to anything he wants now (ie ride his bike). The surgeon chastized him for using crutches until DH explained he uses them mainly on public transport to keep people from getting too close. 

We are greatly relieved!!!

[Iggy aka IG]

Mar 1, 2023 13:21:37 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Iggy aka IG I'll be treating myself to new windows and shutters. 

[startsmart]

So I set some new goals this month, primarily to do 1 task from my monthly cleaning list per day so I don’t have a long list the last few days and then end up never mopping my floors.

Today I cleaned the stovetop and then the toilet. I cut some more fabric from my trip and did 8 miles on my bike. Next up is a barre class I’m trying out online.

Tomorrow I need to drop off a donation at the food bank and have hours of back to back meetings. Fun times! The cats are currently roaming upstairs so I added a litter box up there that they are using. I just can’t forget to clean it every few days.

[moneysquirrel]

Decided to update that running list:  

>Halloween -- 1 to 3 more pairs of earrings.  (Need to check my supplies to see if I have the beads I need to finish these. If not, I have enough to start the craft show season.
>Bracelets -- 6  -- Pretty sure I have enough supplies to get these done.
>Pins -- These are of a Christmas design -- Need to order the beads to make these -- On Hold for now.
>Simple Necklaces -- Finished my goal but  I may get a few more done as I have the materials and I might as well when I need a quick project.

May also try to add some other one of a kind projects to this list.

Upcoming are several retreats and vacation so my intent is to get as much of this list completed before I come home with several challenging designs to complete.  
Classes have restarted so my time is more structured now.  That helps a lot more than one thinks.  

[Sharon]

Today was a very productive day.  I called the chicken poop scooper guy and he and his brother will be out tomorrow to tackle a private that is off my she shed.  Two owners ago the husband was a pastor and I think he used that shed as an office.  It has a laminate floor, phone jacks etc.  Then it also has this little private patio that is fenced.  A small garden that is part of that patio is overgrown and there are a ton of tree sprouts.  These guys are going to dig out all the tree sprouts and all the overgrown bushes and remove the wooden fence.  They are also going to a run for me of some large things that I can't lift.

My shop lights finally came in and the electrician came out today and got those installed.  They are so nice and really light up the shop.  The best part is they are led lights so they shouldn't need to be changed for some time.  I also did a large cardboard recycling run and got rid of a bunch of boxes.  I also picked up a yard debris permit so if it is too windy for those guys to burn tomorrow we can take the yard debris to the free of charge.  Because I pay for garbage service this is available to me.  I also got the litter box changed and the garage floor swept.

This week I have also been making broth.  It takes over 24 hours in the crock pot for a batch of broth.  My freezer is full of stuff that just needs to be made into broth and then canned.  The last two days I have been making beef broth.  Today's batch is sitting the fridge overnight for the fat to harden and tomorrow I will pressure cook both batches in pint jars.  Tonight I start the first batch of turkey broth.  There will probably be two batches of turkey.  Then up will be 4 batches of chicken and one batch of ham.  Hopefully I can keep the momentum going and get all that stuff cleaned out of the freezer.

[debthaven]

You're on a roll Sharon ! Your property sounds really lovely. 

This weekend
- baby gift/Fri
- call E
- change bedding/Sat

[Iggy aka IG]

Excellent progress, everyone!

Day ? of working from home.  I finally ventured off the mesa this morning, went to the bank, stopped at the mailbox, and did the minimum at the office because it started to snow (again!).  So, I gathered what I needed to and headed back here.  Everyone, including myself, is over this winter.  We have four feet of snow in some places here at the house.

Speaking of my home office, I decided to go ahead and move my desk next to the window.  Currently my back is towards it, and I look forward to the outside view.  Plus, it will be an excellent excuse to finally go through the stacks stored underneath the desk.  

Have a fantastic weekend, friends.