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Post by def6 on Oct 6, 2016 13:35:57 GMT -5
Hello UnswampingThank you! It looks as if Matthew is skirting up the east coast of of Florida and I'm in almost (what we call) "Lower Alabama" ...Pensacola, Fl But we have plenty of people heading our way to seek refuge. Positive vibes thoughts and prayers to those in the path.
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Post by creativechaos on Oct 7, 2016 21:05:47 GMT -5
hey Unswamping, if you want to pm me i will tell you how to deal with the dahlias or better yet, i'll send you a link to a good instruction sheet! thanks def6 for the nice thoughts about my crafting. glad that's done! i hope you are safe. have been to pensacola once as a teenager; very pretty beaches, although a heavy undertow. i made some progress with digging the dahlias; got a nice weather break today, after our windstorm last night (luckily the rain was light) and dug 15; that took 7 hrs although i also did some weeding. my back is screaming and yelling at me. the nice thing is that because of the dry weather, the tubers don't have the usual awful clay mud clinging to them - but that all is about to change- the heavier rains are on their way, so i am eager to keep going and get them out! worked for about 7 hrs on it today, no wonder i hurt! and did some yesterday too; dug 6. so, halfway there. 20 or so more to go. the apartment is not great. i took a few things back to storage. have not kept up on maintenance or dishes, but i hope to get some done tonight before my long soak in the tub. i signed up to volunteer for two full day shifts this weekend, so i may not get too much time in the garden but going to try on Sunday for a few hours. hoping the bad rains will hold off until they're all out of the ground.
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Post by creativechaos on Oct 20, 2016 23:09:08 GMT -5
time for a new list. things are falling apart and i need to stop that backward direction before things get any worse. some of these are ongoing maintenance i should be doing; others of these are because i have too much stuff and have not done the maintenance i needed to do to manage it. i like papermoon's habit buiding approach but i am not her and nowhere near having her discipline. so for now, this list. tomorrow it may be something different. kitchen:dishes small counter stove top oven - clean with baking soda (dreading) fridge food clean-out recycle trash out floor piles sweep floor liv room:piles by loveseat sprawl on loveseat table bedroom (the worst stuff, in the worst room) floor mountain at foot of bed is growing again, beat it back chair mountain by bed and on floor surrounding - beat it back so - called art table - is it or isn't it?! bathroom:clean up counter sprawl dust fan sweep floor entry hall:vanquish spreading floor piles corral pile on top of bookshelf there walk in closet:hang stray clothes 2nd art show at 2nd bank:do or don't do but make up mind and let them know miscellaneous:consign fall and winter clothes make donation bag of clothes paperwork - 20 min a day keep shoes corralled hang up clothes laundry xerox masters (blanks) for 2017 calendar monthly grids fill in days of the months and lunar phases on calendar grids all this is just "for starters." i give myself two weeks to turn it around, while working on art at the same time; they both kind of cancel each other out. it might be more effective to just list things i accomplish for awhile so i can feel a lot of "ta da" instead of hopeless tiredness and dread.
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Post by Arid on Oct 21, 2016 3:02:00 GMT -5
Way to go, cc!!!
Arid
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Post by creativechaos on Oct 21, 2016 16:55:46 GMT -5
thanks for the cheers, Arid - that really helps! working on finishing up the large stack of dishes now. Got errands all done so can be home for the evening. i hope to check a lot more stuff off (the easy stuff) and then get to work on painting or sewing tonight.
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Post by Unswamping on Oct 21, 2016 19:27:07 GMT -5
Great job on the dishes creativechaos. You can do this! I think listing the ta das is a good idea. Huge lists of to dos can be paralyzing. I try to select three things and just focus on getting those done. I havent posted much here lately. I gave been backsliding in the acquistions department really badly. I had three doctors appointment in one week a couple of weeks ago. Each time, on my way back, i stopped at my favorite thread store and bought a bunch of stuff. Not just one or two things. More than one or two bags. Of course, because i wasnt feeling well, everything just got dropped wherever. Finally when i started feeling better, i stashed most of it in the doom room so i would have some room to work (and walk). Today i had another doctor appointment. I stopped at the thrift store, telling myself i am just going to buy one type of item, very specific, one type, one brand of doll, if they had them. If not, i would just leave. Turns out they were having a special sale and everything in the store was half off. It was a mad house, there was a line for baskets and shopping carts. The checkout line snaked through the entire store. I looked for my specific item and found a few. I also found some other items and grabbed those. Before i knew it my arms where overloaded with stuff. I would up getting a cart, which i had to carefully pack to fit everything in. I checked out and wound up leaving the store with a kitchen trash bag full of stuff plus two boxes. Thank goodness the staff helped me to the car. I still havent dealt with the previous purchases and now i brought in all this? My house is bursting at the seams. I still have all that stuff to donate sitting in the foyer. I didnt drop it off because i was running late this morning and barely got to my appointment on time (i dont do well with early am appointments). I was tired because i didnt get enough sleep last night, hungry because i didnt have time to eat before i went out and in pain. All triggers and recipes for overshopping. Tonight im going to see if i can get the mountain of dishes washed.
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Post by grace on Nov 7, 2016 17:29:09 GMT -5
Thank you for this thread CC! I loved on the first page where you casually listed "baked a pie" in your accomplishments. WOW! I've never made a pie!
I used wits today to try and get a starting grip on my house. It does feel good to focus on specific tasks and not let myself freak out about others as I move around the house.
At one point, about a year ago, I had my house 'clean' and those around me were so positive about how I should be happy I was done. I was super happy to be maintaining clean, BUT I knew that nothing had been thoroughly minimized. I knew it wasn't done, but help by other family members stopped. I'm not a perfectionist, I just realistically know how quickly it goes back 5 steps when the job isn't completed.
So here I am feeling like I'm starting over. So much has acumulated in baskets or bags or piles ๐
Once again I have company coming over for holiday events and I'm terrified I won't be ready.
SO you will see me around a bit.
๐Grace๐
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Post by creativechaos on Nov 12, 2016 3:02:39 GMT -5
i welcome the company, grace. you can do this! i haven't been on the boards much. i will be on here as much as possible the next several days, in between other commitments. thanks for checking in Unswamping! you are doing great in your once and done blog! i'm going to try a to do list again but i will focus on the tadas. i just need to do a brain dump of things i need to remember to accomplish in the next 4 or 5 days. i would LIKE to have the apt. in much better shape than it is currently. between senseless and uncontrolled acquisition and lack of good maintenance habits, things have gotten bad again - getting to be a high level two again in some place - that is unacceptable. TADAS yesterday and today:got almost all the month grid and the pictures for my calendars xeroxed at the office place. made one rather large mistake i need to fix - misprinted 50 color xeroxes. planted 6 echinacea in the garden; 3 dk pink, two red-orange, and one yellow one. took some paintings i started, that i never worked on for the art show, back to storage. did a pile of dishes; more to go. purged 6 quilting magazines (clipped a few tutorials and inspirations out of them first) did 1 hr weeding work-trade for my storage. next steps for making my calendars: correct the error, (print more of one month i screwed up) punch holes in all 50 calendars put ribbons through all the holes and tie ribbons. bag-up the calendars and give half to the office supply place (my trade to them for making them for me - they sell those) - gave those to the office store, now need to make up some for giftsgeneral stuff: keep picking up flotsam all around the appartment. (PEEP) water back deck plants and outdoor plants under eaves; clean up any dead leaves water indoor plants file what papers are ready for filing sort more papers hang up clothes that i threw around and dropped keep up with laundry do better with hygiene eat more vegies and fruit get more sleep
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Post by creativechaos on Nov 15, 2016 1:39:02 GMT -5
yesterday was decent, in terms of work done. today was a complete fail. have a mile long list for tomorrow and wed morning! got to do better! hit all kinds of roadblocks today. TO DO:PRIORITY ESSENTIALS:make pack list pack vitamins (this takes awhile) research TSA website on what can be carried onto an airplane have tickets and itineraries printed (office supply store) have cat care instructions printed (office supply store) finish assembling and bagging more calendars find important papers, I.D., and contact info. transfer into travel address book (will take awhile) eat up perishables in fridge and give away the rest call DSHS to be sure they got my letter drop car at the repair shop (Wed p.m.) clean tools and valuables out of car THINGS I'D LIKE TO GET DONE BUT NOT ESSENTIAL:sort some papers file what papers can be filed clean up as much as possible in the apt clean out car so it's not such an embarrassment much more than what's listed here....
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Post by creativechaos on Dec 11, 2016 21:48:01 GMT -5
wow, it's been almost a month since i posted on this list. i was away visiting family for two weeks but it took me this long to get back here. i was doing bunny care the past 10 days so not around here much. will post the tadas to try to get motivated. tada:worked in storage unit today, cleared a path so i can sort again. sorted some stuff into a donation box at storage and put some things in trash brought home christmas lights, wool socks, and an extra heater (for the next cold snap coming) went to garden (it's flooded again) and picked some celery and kale got fuel for car. discovered tire very low but air hose was broken at gas station; what to do? put up lights outdoors but can't find extension cord to test them did food shopping to do:a dinner that actually includes vegetables dishes, always dishes... 2 sinks full mostly done. finish putting groceries away fold up grocery bags bake some cookies finish anchoring outdoor christmas lights with push pins find extension cord and test lights (hope they work!) start a donation box work on papers at least 15 min. hmmm... i keep avoiding the papers and eating my vegetables!
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Post by creativechaos on Dec 13, 2016 22:55:24 GMT -5
i suppose i should make another list. i keep putting dishes on it because i don't do them as often as i should. i got some things done; not too many though. paid balance i owed for the january quilt retreats at our local "y" camp. no money to buy meals but that is ok. i can bring food and go home for dinner. this to-do list is for several days or more:dishes work on christmas decoration for door keep sorting through and putting away fabric gather all social security stuff gather 2015 tax papers gather all papers i need to deal with by year's end. pile all those gathered papers into an area where i can work on them! put away laundry hang clothes and coats 15 minutes a day at least on papers! 30 would be better! woo hoo! i think i did a couple of hrs on that today!finish assembling and bagging last of calendars - have a lot to make so this will get done gradually mix up some "yes" paste for greeting cards glue some greeting cards find Christmas cards (hoping they'e not in storage!) decide if i want to make a letter to go into the christmas cards (leaning toward NOT) start writing Christmas cards find photo i want to blow up into a large print sweep some areas of the floor (cat hair!) keep filling donation box add more clothing to consignment box and bag important emails to send water indoor plants that need it sand front door to get it ready to paint. i CANNOT live with "poop" brown anymore! get air in front left tire (slow leak) will add on and change list as i get some of the one-time things done.
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Post by creativechaos on Dec 14, 2016 22:45:57 GMT -5
happy with the work i did on the papers today. chat was good and people were working! going to reprint the "not done" part of the above list so that it's shorter. finish assembling and bagging last of calendars - have a lot to make so this will get done gradually mix up some "yes" paste for greeting cards glue some greeting cards find Christmas cards (hoping they'e not in storage!) used something else, didn't waste time lookingdecide if i want to make a letter to go into the christmas cards (leaning toward NOT)start writing Christmas cards find photo i want to blow up into a large print didn't find but found a tiny one to scan for printing at office supply storesweep some areas of the floor (cat hair!) keep filling donation box add more clothing to consignment box and bag important emails to send water indoor plants that need it sand front door to get it ready to paint. i CANNOT live with "poop" brown anymore! get air in front left tire (slow leak)
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Post by creativechaos on Dec 26, 2016 21:22:53 GMT -5
it's been a difficult day today. last night was hard and today was hard - got more bad news and got into an altercation with a difficult neighbor (no doubt he also views me as difficult ). i felt so crappy that i actually put up and decorated my tree, just so i'd have something happy to look at. in doing so, i broke a beautiful stone statue of Ganesha. then got some really bad news today. so sitting here depressed is not going to help me out of depression! doing stuff is. it's really windy and stormy here so i hope we don't lose power! tadas: put two boxes of stuff and a tool box into laundry room for giveaway got rid of a big bag of packing material from storage decorated tree said "NO" to people wanting me to volunteer for stuff. watered indoor and outdoor plants did social stuff both on Xmas eve and Xmas day and survived it - actually enjoyed most of it. called some friends and had a few quality conversations new list of to-dos: find flashlight and power outage stuff make chicken soup out of chicken.dishes sweep up cat hair on floors put together a small box of ornaments to donate put more things in donation box play with my cooped-up cat he went out, it stopped blowing and rainingclean up desk finish sewing decorative door hanger (christmas/winter) pillowcase and quilt door hanger will add more as i think of it
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Post by Unswamping on Dec 27, 2016 13:20:30 GMT -5
creativechaos i hope you didnt lose power last night. Been awhile since i posted here too. sorry about all the news. Had a bad night myself last night and today didnt start well either. I like what you said about sitting here depressed isnt going to help me out of my depression. I need to take some action today, move myself out of this foul mood im in. So i am starting to clean up the foulness in this house.
Ta das Cleaned cat litter Took a shower (umm, yeah, last one was like last monday and i dont mean yesterday) Set my hair in rollers (not sure why, my hair is naturally curly) Stacked the dishes, filled a basin with stuff to soak Scrubbed out the sink pudding after i tossed the moldy banana peels and broken egg shells.
To do Start working on the dishes (i cant remember if it was last tuesday or the tuesday before that i last did them. I do remember it was trash night). Check the frig, toss old stuff Get the kitchen trash out
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Post by creativechaos on Dec 27, 2016 14:07:15 GMT -5
Excellent job on all your tadas already accomplished, Unswamping! i'm sorry your night was rough and your day got off to a bad start. hugs. good job getting up and doing this maintenance, which will make the rest of your day go better! please give yourself a pat on the back for taking care of your cats, your bodily needs, and the sink pudding. You accomplished a lot!
i couldn't sleep last night and up at first light, so will need a nap later or an earlier bedtime. did a few dishes this morning and sorted through some papers; that's about it. i have to go out, but will be back here to work on my list in a couple of hrs or less, and will cheer you on.
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