ANNIVERSARIES ARE SPECIAL TO ME. Today we celebrate 47 years of marriage. Seems unreal to me as I recall our wedding day in Marion, Kansas 1974. Hallelujah, we made it. Praying that we have many more years together and that they be very HAPPY ones.
CAME ACROSS THIS ARTICLE and thought it was helpful. Perhaps it can help someone you know.
https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/how-to-downsize-your-home
I worked over at the COTTAGE Sunday afternoon. I made headway in the Master Bedroom. Still NOT done. sigh. Needed to drive HOME as it was getting dark outside. I left the COTTAGE a bit overwhelmed.
I am okay turning loose of much. I am doing this thing.
I will begin to group items over at the main house on tables in the screened-in porch. I'm wondering if we should have an auction to let go of larger pieces of furniture that I know will not fit in the COTTAGE? Shall give this more thought. It's a bit daunting for me.
Whether we stay or go, we have to downsize and have order no matter what.
I wish we were already done. The journey continues.
Feeling somewhat uneasy,
~d👵
WAKING IN THE MORNING TO GREY SKIES, it rained a teeny tiny bit. Grey skies and cooler temps in the morning. Once again the Church bells chimed announcing that the neighborhood Church service would be starting soon. Today, the one ringing the bells only chimed three times. That's short.
The skies are overcast and pleasant to see from my chair. A drive later today to get out of the house. After high temps this past week, a cooler climate is heavenly. On those days when entering into the out of doors, it's as if a tropical heat wave has taken over the atmosphere. It's enough to take one's breath away. Stifling.
Today is different for the time being. Heat will return tomorrow.
The afternoon is upon me. Needing to run over to the COTTAGE to use the clothes dryer. While I'm there, I'll work some in the Master Bedroom. I hope I finish cleaning this room. I so hope so.
OLD LIVES MATTER...all lives matter, but I thought this image was cute. With so much turmoil in the world, it's easy to forget all lives matter. We matter. You matter.
Preparing for the coming week.
1) Hair appointment with myself to trim my thick hair.
2) Planning on getting more baby clothes laundered. Unbelievable how much there is. I have gone through three huge boxes, sorting Spring/Summer from Autumn/Winter clothing and now the washing begins. Have washed three loads of denim articles. They are darling to look at. So tiny.
3) More paper to go through. ugh.
4) Clean on the COTTAGE. Celebrate.
5) Celebrate my 47th Wedding Anniversary! Celebrate.
6) Hubby finished digging the new flowerbeds at the COTTAGE! I have to put an exclamation point behind that one. I'm so happy he completed the dig. Now to add additional soil and peat to fill in the beds then rototill it all up making conditions good for planting Irises. We'll start popping Irises later this week in September. When they are in the ground, I will take a deep breath and sigh. Pause and clap. So thankful this will be completed. I think we have around 600 Irises to relocate. Reading old calendars is when I read that we had planted our Irises here at the main house 4 years ago in September. Seems like yesterday we did that. Then onto working on the COTTAGE Bathroom. She's being gutted and some plumbing needs done.
7) Hope to go visit my Sister and Mom. Sis is staying with Mom and I hope we can get a bite to eat and shop the Thrift Store.
September will be here before I know it. I will deliberately take some time to gaze out at the trees and slow down admiring God's nature. The trees will begin to change. Fall will be in the air. Making plans now figuring where the Geraniums and Coleus will Winter. OCTOBER will not be far behind when early frost can do these lovely plants in.
The last three weeks have been overly busy with going back and forth between the main house and the COTTAGE. I can be alright with this knowing that I am working on making the COTTAGE livable to retire in her. We were living in her before we purchased this house 4 years ago and knew at the time that we were not ready to down size to her just yet. SHE IS EXTREMELY TINY. As we have gotten a little older, the both of us recovering from Thyroid Cancer, suffering Gall Bladder surgery, Hubby finding out he has non-hodgkins lymphoma and both of us being diabetic, we have decided that the COTTAGE will be our next pit stop in LIFE. A decent place to call HOME after she is refreshed and made suitable for humans.
In the mean time, I am clearing out ALL THE CLUTTER. ALL and I mean ALL THE CLUTTER in both locations. Everything from Nic-nacs to clothing, dishes to dolls, books to magazines, old receipts to bill statements, cook books to pots 'n pans, etc. I have to do this in stages and phases though. I wish it were behind me, but then I'd miss the dance. grins.
When I tackle the basement is a mystery. Christmas items down there. Just what do I need to keep for the Holidays? The Carriage House as well. If I don't slow my thinking down, I get overwhelmed. O v e r w h e l m e d. Paralyzed to move forward. So I must go at a pace that works for me. Quickly, but not quick enough when the mind starts to gear up. Slow down... and think, breathe and pray.
I have boxes starting to fill up with things to let go of. Staying focused is necessary.
On a different note, I've been watching You Tube vids on Living in Tiny Houses, Living off the Grid, Getting Organized, What to have in the pantry, Prepper Princess, Makeovers, etc. A very helpful tool to have plus it's entertaining. I have made peace about not watching religious programs, countless church services and talk radio. It is truly possible to get hooked on something. I was a junkie. I can say that now. There was a time, I would have cast the devil out of you even if you didn't have any demons.
I have my peace with God and I have time doing my own Bible Studies. There was a time that I was what I would call a Religious Junkie. My ear was glued to the radio. My eyes were glued to religious television programs. Conference hopping every chance I got. Religious organizations were a plenty. Bible study here. Bible study there. Money was spent foolishly on a ton of books and tapes by false teachers and prophets. There's a pattern here about me being a JUNKIE of some sort. A balance is better. I am better.
For now, my HOBBY is decluttering, downsizing, remodeling a COTTAGE and making plans for a good future. Lord willing, we will see this come to fruition. Lord willing.
Off I go to unload the washing machine and put another load in. Lunch and time out for a drive across the landscape.
BREAKFAST: Organic Fruit Smoothie (milk, yogurt, blueberries, strawberries and banana)
LUNCH: 2 cups of organic Moroccan Sweet Potato Soup (260 calories) with organic crackers (140 calories)
SUPPER: Turkey patties, organic salad and vegetables.
Weighed myself and I'm holding my own. By the end of this day, I will have had fruits, yogurt and milk (dairy), sweet potato (vegetable) with chick pea (legume), protein and vegetables. Using My Fitness Pal has been a blessing to use as I type out what I have ate and it calculates the calories. I print off my day and have a paper copy to look at. More paper I know, but for now I need the help.
I believe I need to get busy being productive. I have no staff or cleaning crew to assist me and Hubby. It's just you and me, kid.
Sunday is here and so are we.
~d 👵
The resurrection power of Jesus Christ is inside of you when you are born again through him. You may not be walking on water, walking through walls, raising the dead, or giving sight to the blind man, but you have power inside of you to tackle tough things. To change. The ambition and ability to get things done will rise up inside of you.
Right now the parting of the Red Sea in my life is in the down sizing and turning loose of stuff. Putting order where it is needed is a GODLY characteristic. I do not need to fear what I am going through. The drive to tackle all the messes in the house, downsizing and remodeling a much smaller living habitat are what I am challenged with right now in my life.
Yesterday, I tackled sorting through piles of old magazines I still have in my possession. Only a few will go with me when I begin living in the COTTAGE. For the present, I am keeping my VICTORIA magazines and TEA TIME. I have downsized big time compared to what I had. Oh my goodness, have I downsized the mags.
I am a magazine junkie that has slowly done away with years of Martha Stewart LIVING Magazines, COUNTRY LIVING, COUNTRY HOME, TRADITIONAL HOME, BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, THIS OLD HOUSE, SOUTHERN LIVING, TASTE OF HOME...etc.
A small achievement to some, but a huge, most difficult one for me. For having some kind of fetish or addiction to magazines, I had so many old magazines piled in stacks just waiting for someone to read them. Oh my goodness. I have changed for the better. I could have given them to Nursing Homes or Grade School teachers for their classes to cut out pretty pictures for art projects. Or given them to some organization like Scouts to make gifts out of them. Wrapping paper or something. That jogs my memory.
It sounds stupid to me now to be so attached to paper and ink. When I parted with MARTHA a few years ago, I told myself, "Self, these magazines are not sacred." Not sacred. Get rid of them and be SET FREE OF THIS BONDAGE that has a hold on you. So I gathered up years worth of old Marthas and donated to Thrift Shop then pitched the rest. The day I actually trashed so many magazines was life changing. I did it! and have more to do.
Decent article about donating old magazines to others:
https://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/donate-magazines.html
There have been times I thought I could have sold them. I have let that go. If any money would have come from these old magazines, it wouldn't have been worth all the years I had put into hoarding them. They've taken up space in my HOME for years. I don't believe I would have made that much money to make it worth the hassle of even messing with it. Let it go. Clearing out and cleaning up the space is better use of LIFE.
I seldom (and I do mean seldom) went back through the magazines getting ideas for present day living. Can I say I felt a ton of weight lifted from my shoulders when I turned loose of them? No. The answer is no. I don't miss the paper and ink, but I did not feel empowered. Perhaps later I will. I'm still processing that I hung on to so much stuff for reasons I don't know of. Something was broken in me, but the LORD has mended this patch work of emotions I had attached to magazines. He has set me free of the junk.
Was I trying to have a stash of stuff on file where I could catalog what I had like a LIBRARY or a Museum? No. So why was I hanging onto these old magazines? Not sure. Perhaps I had attached good memories to these magazines and was trying to hang onto good memories. I don't miss any of the magazines I have parted with. That's good and a step forward to being a healthier me.
Another round of turning loose of more magazines and books. Today I threw away more magazines. I came across some slightly stained books that were in our 2016 house fire. Dumped them today. They're gone.
I didn't have the energy to throw these slightly stained books away after the fire. They have sat in the corner of a room taking up space. Not once did I pick up one of these books to read or use for reference in 4 and a half years. I think I can let go now.
Has it taken me almost 5 years to deal with these? Yes. We went through so much damaged stuff after the fire that I just couldn't continue at the pace we were going to complete the entire task.
I took a long break. I am now ready to tackle this mammoth beast that hasn't disappeared from needing attention. I cannot ignore it forever or I will be a full blown hoarder with so much junk about me. I can see how hoarders get to where they are. I don't want to go there. Little by little I am getting MY ACT TOGETHER once again. I could put myself down forever, but I choose not to. Let it go. Forge ahead and be healed. Turn loose of the damaged past and be refreshed.
We are only on this planet for a short time. Our lives are like vapors. Why should I go up in smoke hanging onto old books and magazines that are not sacred? The messes have held me in a type of bondage and I desire to be more relaxed and care-free. My part in all of this is to receive peace by turning loose. Putting time and energy into more important things than being a hoarder. No fear.
SO today, I have turned loose of much. Old magazines and books trashed. Washed baby clothes in WOOLITE and air drying. Giving thought to how to decorate this lovely old house and remodel the COTTAGE at the same time.
I'm not finished with the clearing out of the storage boxes that are in the COTTAGE Master Bedroom. Tomorrow perhaps will be the day. Hubby finished digging the long flowerbed in the backyard at the COTTAGE. A huge accomplishment. Huge. He'll rototill the beds next adding extra soil and peat. Hoping to pop the Irises we have at the main house and plant at the COTTAGE in early September. This has been a lengthy ordeal. Almost completed. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
A few days ago, we were at MENARDS looking at tile, flooring and marble. We noticed a very good UNadvertised special on some marble tile. We need to replace the tile that's in the entry way of the main house as it has the initial of the previous owners in the middle of the floor. 4 years we have enjoyed the black and white tile in the entry way, but the "P" has got to go. We thought about the price of the marble, took measurements, gathered up the cash and drove back to purchase the pretty marble. We loaded it in our tiny PT Cruiser and drove HOME with our purchase.
The load of marble tile was heavy to say the least. Hubby rested before unloading it from the car and placing it on a dolly to transport it from the car to the entry way.
Turning loose of things that are no longer needed in my life has been laborious and difficult for me. I have been praying for strength and discipline to do this. Not only are bad habits involved, but also a changed behavior is needed. Here I go. Another round of decluttering and turning loose.
Remember when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years? I think I have been wandering in a type of wilderness also with too much baggage and unbelief. I desire to downsize and be orderly. There is HOPE. It's called change.
One day closer to being there,
~d
UPDATE: TODAY, I worked over at the COTTAGE going through more boxes each filled with a multitude of papers. Threw away much and put a small amount of the papers I desire to still keep in one single box instead of three.
I threw away old medical papers with PAID IN FULL written across the page. Many, many bills PAID IN FULL. The thick notebook I had the bill statements in were stained from the 2016 house fire smoke. They didn't stink since they had been ozoned. Still, I needed to part with them and I did. More boxes and papers running out my ears.
I got choked up after looking at so many pictures and pages making me emotional. I still haven't cried gut wrenching sobs for all the damage the house fire did to us. It misplaced us from our house that we had been working on for 10 years making us live someplace else then where we had been. SO much was damaged and destroyed. The main thing is that no one was injured or killed. Some people say, it's just things that can be replaced. They don't take into account that these were OUR things. Our things that took years to acquire. Sacrifices made so we could have these things. Lovely gifts that loved ones gave us.
It's different when it happens to those that say it's just things. Until you have experienced loss like we did, these things are missed. So different. Insurance helped us and I'm thankful we had insurance. Many lessons were learned from this awful experience.
When we hit our 5 year anniversary in October since the fire, I am so hoping that all of the things that still need to be gone through are finally gone through. Close the book on the recovery and be at peace that GOD got us through this ordeal.
Today, did clear out the COTTAGE closet that had more old books. OK...I got the closet cleared out. The bedroom overall still has more things to deal with. It will be early September before the room is empty. Disappointed, but being realistic. It is going to take a few more days to empty out this room. Just the way it is.
Continuing to launder baby clothes in WOOLITE. Working on the clothing that are Autumn and Winter appropriate. They are darling little articles of clothing that some little girl will be wearing soon. Working on this at a speedy pace.
Between decluttering the main house and the COTTAGE that is full of things, plus laundering tiny clothing articles, I am made aware of how important it is to not hang onto so much. Stay on top of it if you can. Not sure I will be a minimalist when this is all said and done, but sure know that I am changing at lightening the load. I hope I can continue to change for the better.
I do not want to hang onto to so much paperwork, books, collections, or things now. SO I am downsizing, downsizing, downsizing. I'll be alright.
~d
Prairie HOMEMAKER here. 👵
How ya doin'?
For meals and snacks on the go or staying at HOME, sometimes (almost all the time) I need a nudge to fix healthy, balanced dishes.
Easy to snag images to help me out.
With wanting to be a healthier human, lose weight and be better at preparing nutritionally dense foods, I have taken to looking into knowing what to eat. It's been life changing,
~d
HERE I SIT catching my breath. Spending time here allows me to operate our HOME office, use the internet/computer, study and research health issues etc., thumb through magazines and books, write letters/correspondences, go through boxes in my lap, watch movies, day dream and think about what needs done around here and the COTTAGE. Talk on the telephone. Fold laundry. Polish my fingernails, put make-up on and curl my hair. Work on the budget. Write out checks. Plan meals, visit with my Sweet Heart, decorate in my head, draw, write books, sew, think and pray. Also take naps. All in one location.
It's possible to multi-task. I'm doing it.
The area around my recliner needs tidied up in the worse way. So I will clean today. To the right of my chair are a couple of LONGABERGER Baskets that hold bills, receipts, files, calendar, bill book, books and magazines to read, notebooks. Another basket for incoming and outgoing mail. Another basket holds medicines.
Cleaning away. It looks so much better that I can pat myself on ze back and say out loud, "Good job, dd!"
I'm sorting through old papers and more greeting cards. Scanned the newspaper, decluttered some about my reading chair. Watered the screened-in porch plants.
One could say that I am very lazy to do so much while sitting instead of walking about the house all day long. I have a history of having a bad back so standing is challenging. My feet still hurt, but are much better. There was a period of 20 months where I could hardly walk. After I got the September 2020 flu shot, my back decided to hurt so badly I could not stand more than 5 minutes. It hurt beyond words. Sitting in my recliner was when I was not in plan. So what's a Lady to do, but sit and work while sitting.
With my health issues, I have to sit a great deal, but stay busy. Need to get things done. I need not apologize to others for being active as I sit. I do what I can.
When it comes to chores, I have to do them during little windows of time. For example, last night after being gone all day, I cleaned the powder room toilet and wiped the tile floor around the toilet before going to sit in my chair. Mark that off the list of things to do.
At the present, I can not clean an entire room in a day. So I may get the cleaning products out for the next day of deep cleaning. Clean for 20 minutes then move to the chair. Sort the laundry, but not get to it until the next day. Write out a grocery list and hang onto to it for a couple of days before actually going to market. The purchased canned goods may stay in their bags until the next day. This was a suggested way to deal with canned goods during the pandemic, so I did something right without trying.
Women are known to be great multi-takers even when elderly. God wired us this way. We can accomplish much even when sitting.
This morning, before sitting, I put some grocery items away and stared at the disarray in the small pantry. The order seems to have vanished. Another day I'll tidy this back into what it should be. A load of laundry is washing in the miniature washing machine that I hooked up to the kitchen faucet. I'll hang the items later and let them air dry.
The pile of laundry has grown as I came across boxes of children's clothing when I was working over at the COTTAGE. I will launder all items refreshing them with WOOLITE and see about getting them into the hands of someone who needs them.
Laundry would go so much faster if I spent a couple of hours at the local Laundromat. Maybe I should just get on with it and do a multitude of loads there and dry them as well. I haven't been to the local Laundromat since 2020 when the Pandemic flared up. We purchased a miniature washing machine so I could do laundry at HOME. No dryer. There's a rack in the Kitchen to hang wet items on. Skipping using the clothes dryer skips the way the dryer fluffs up the items.
Clothing seem to dry so much nicer with a clothes dryer. If you have a clothesline to hang items on, bed sheets, blankets, tablecloths and cloth diapers dry so nicely, but in my opinion towels seem too stiff when dried on a clothesline. Hard as cardboard when they should be soft to the touch.
Staying inside today as the heat index is 103. The air conditioner is blowing inside. No walk today. Dishes to wash, another load of laundry to do.
No breakfast. Lunch was organic Butternut Squash soup with plant based crackers. Supper will be a large vegetable salad with boiled eggs. Better get the eggs boiled.
Life on the Prairie is good. I am blessed to be at HOME.
~d
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| I'm wearing blue on the front row and my Sister is in the grey coat. Mom and two of my cousins. Guessing it's the Winter of 1961. |
VENTURED OUT EARLY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING knowing it was suppose to hit 100 degrees in the afternoon. It hit 102 on Tuesday. I postponed going to town yesterday and stayed inside doing laundry. Thought if we get around earlier today than we could escape part of the impending afternoon heat.
Post Office drop. Headed over to Topeka. Paid the Natural Gas bill at the Dillons Grocery store with a Starbucks Coffee Shop. I got my GREEN ICED TEA! Off to God's Storehouse where I only spent $1 plus tax for 2 bracelets. Red Robin for Lunch. Menards to look at tile and marble. Bought half gallon Mason jars, 3 small storage boxes for Children's Christmas Ornaments, bottled spring water, some Watkins products. Sams for coffee pods, coffee cups, grass fed beef, some chicken, ground turkey, insulated grocery bags, Cologne for Hubby's Anniversary gift, etc. etc. etc. Natural Grocers for organic soup, crackers, juices, veggies, fruit. Aldi to milk the cow. Time to depart and stop off at the COTTAGE to check up on the indoor temperature. Then HOME across the river and through the woods. Sandwiches for supper.
By this time I was wearing down in need of putting my feet up. Driving makes me tired. After parking the car, I placed my camera in my handbag and wouldn't you know that as I sat in the car, the camera jumped out and hit the gravel driveway. That's going to leave a mark and it did. Not sure how that happened. Helped carry groceries to the house. It's a balancing act when I do this.
It didn't get as HOT as predicted. This was a nice surprise.
I noticed that prices in the stores have gone up. Makes me continue to think of ways to make the money go further. Again. I looked at thrift blue jeans for $7.50 a pair. Even tried one on. My first thought was, this is too high priced for a used jeans. They didn't fit the best, so I didn't buy them. I was proud of myself for only spending a dollar today at the Storehouse. I looked about and was contented to not buy anything else.
It was a different story when it came to buying groceries. We bought groceries. I don't think we were out of line with what we bought. My thinking was we are buying two months worth of meat and a two week supply of veggies and fruits. It is a art form buying enough groceries with the money we have to work with. One must be creative. I am not very creative. sigh.
Hubby will continue digging new flowerbeds over at the COTTAGE. He's getting close to completing all the digging needed then add some soil and peat to the beds. We will need to get some metal edging and plant it along the outside edge of the beds to prevent grass from invading the beds. This week-end, we'll be popping Irises!
I need to work on more laundry then clear out more boxes in the Cottage Master bedroom. Hopefully, the bedroom will be completely cleared out this week-end. Dear Lord, please.
September is nearing and I still haven't got the main house Dining room painted. This will be my September goal. grins. Cross my fingers.
Getting ready to go through piles of magazines I have saved through the years. I'd like to keep my VICTORIA magazines. Also Tea Time. I have turned loose of my old Martha Stewart mags, Country Living, Country Home, some others. I can pat myself on ze back and carry on.
The decluttering continues. Pause. Take a deep breath and have HOPE that one day soon this downsizing, decluttering and getting better organized will become a reality. Praise the LORD. I don't care to have so much around me catching dust. This part of Kansas has its share of dust and dirt. Not sure why, but it does have a lot of it.
If dust were in demand, we'd have plenty to share.
What ever your challenges are today, may you have victory over them.
~d
WHILE HEADING HOME TO KANSAS, we decided to detour to Pawhuska, Oklahoma shopping at Ree Drummond's Mercantile. Been a few years since visiting. Twas a nice mini-vacay stopping by.
I'm not usually an early riser, but on Monday morning I was up around 5am ready to hit the road to Pawhuska. We were able to go inside the restaurant to eat breakfast by 10 minutes til 7. Sat and had some water, 3 pieces of bacon and half of a Maple Pecan Scone.
Pleasant was what an old tired, worn-out gramma needed. Sitting across the table from hubby was refreshing to me. Pleasant to sit and admire the surroundings.
