METALWARE

BEFORE I BOXED UP MY METALWARE for the move, I polished the pieces so when they do come out of the packing box they'll be shinny for displaying.  The set polished up well.  There's just something to the polishing that I like to do.  Think it's how pretty the metal looks afterwards going from one color to another.  

This set was one of the fine THRIFT purchases I came across thinking I got a steal.  I'll display this set on top of my antique china cabinet.  It'll look nice there when the dining room is up and running.

With THANKSGIVING in about 7 weeks, I hope we are settled to where I can comfortably have company in the COTTAGE.  Daughter offered her HOME for the big meal where I will provide the food.  Think this is a great thing to take her up on.  

I worked on doing laundry at the COTTAGE yesterday and had time to sit in the COTTAGE looking at what will need to be done after we have left the our larger house.  The boxes are a plenty.  At one point I told myself, "Self, it's not so bad.  It all depends on how you look at things." 

This little house does have a utility room.  At the present, it is a tight squeeze getting in there though with all of the boxes and objects sitting about.  I'd think I'd be more limber after walking through this place and doing laundry in a crowded space.  I have to remind myself this is just a phase and it will improve!  For the moment, we look like hoarders in the worst way.    

Being so tired seems to make things harder than needed.  I managed to get four loads of laundry finished, go through some boxes, unload more boxes from the car, water the porch and inside plants, thumb through old magazines, do a lot of wishing that this place was in order.  

Hubby is coming along on the main house clean-up.  He's painting the small hallway between the living room and dining room.  Painted the ceiling white, hung some crown molding that was missing, hung a different light fixture, sanded the gold/white circus stripes off of the wall and painted the first coat of paint.  It's looking lovely.

This week, I'll load the car up with more boxes to haul.  Just about finished with hauling all the boxes out of the house!  Praise the Lord.  It's been a minute.  I noticed that I cannot carry the heavy boxes very well from the car to the house even with the walking distance being short.  The weight tears up my back.  I'll have to remember that I need to use smaller boxes as I am old now. Which makes me think that storage boxes need to downsize as well like the storage tubs used for Christmas decorations.  Small is good.   

When did moving get so tedious?  It's something else when you do it yourself at a older age.  All the packing requires going through everything which isn't a bad thing, but much needed.  This helps me thin out things we no longer need to keep.  

BACK TO THE COTTAGE.  I need to clear a pathway into the Cottage bedrooms so I can put more boxes in these rooms in the house.  Heave-ho and get 'er done. 

HEALTH.  Our Thyroid appointments will take place this week.  The blood work and ultrasounds were done a few weeks ago in preparations for the big event.  Through the health portal we can read our results.  Mine were good.  Hubby's will be of more interest.

ORGANIC IS THE WAY FOR US TO GO.  I need to get some more organic veggies and fruit while in Topeka this week.  Thoughts of a small garden come to mind when thinking about where I should go with one at the Cottage.  May try to grow some cherry tomatoes in patio pots next Spring and Summer.  I'd like to plant some rhubarb and asparagus along side the house where they will not be disturbed for a few years as it will take that amount of time getting the plants established. 

I have no shortage of ideas on what we need to do to make the Cottage better.  It is a fixer-upper. Mental work-out.  More like mental olympics.  I guess it's good for keeping my brain active.  

I'll continue studying up, reading and watching videos about ways to improve health issues.  This is an ongoing endeavor.    

Avoiding highly processed foods is our number one thing we're keeping in mind.  Learning ways to cut back on the carbs.  Cutting back on sugars is challenging.  If I deliberately avoid it, it seems to be hidden in sauces, dressings, foods, etc.  Tis sneaky how it is hidden in so many things including medicines.  

Blessings,
~d

 

EARLY MORNING

UP AND AT IT.  I woke before the alarm went off and the nice thing about this was I felt refreshed when I woke up.  REFRESHED! Gosh, that's a great way to wake up when there have been times that when waking up in the mornings I was overly groggy lacking get up and go power.  Got around because I needed to drive to TOPEKA for labs, stop in at GOD'S STOREHOUSE and go to HOME DEPOT.  Afterwards, we drove to the COTTAGE and I baked a cauliflower crust pizza. 

Hubby watered the outside plants well and I fixed LUNCH.  We ate.  First time to have a pizza crust made of cauliflower tasting really good.  

Afterwards, I gathered all my silver-plated metalware into a group deciding which few pieces I'd keep turning loose of all the other pieces.  All the other pieces.  All.  No hoarding.  

I guess I have collected silver-plated metal pieces for over 30 years?  I said good-bye to the pieces that I really don't have room for anymore.  I saved the large serving trays, the Tea/Coffee servers plus their complimenting pieces like creamer and sugar bowl.  I think I have three sets and that's plenty.  The large trays are used for decorating purposes as well as to hold the sets.  

It took some doing to load the other pieces into plastic tubs and scoot them onto the porch due to their weight.  While I was doing this, Hubby went to the cellar to work on leveling the COTTAGE.  He has managed to level the house a half of a inch.  Doesn't sound like much, but in house years of settling this is quite a bit.  It needs to go another inch or so which will take time to manipulate the leveling jacks when you're really not suppose to go more than 1/8 inch per day.  He cranks it every other day or so.  It's a very slow process.

When he finished for the day, he carried the tubs of metal to our tiny car so I could make a trip to donate them ASAP.  DROVE to Manhattan to get rid of my stash with the metal rattling in the back of the car.  Dropped them off at GOODWILL.  70 pieces went away all in a matter of about an hour.  

Just like that, they were gone out of my sight.  How do I feel about it?  I WASN'T SAD.  I'm contented to be done with them.  I admit, it looked like I was a bit of a hoarder.  DOWNSIZING at her best is taking place.  

Also needed to stop at DOLLAR TREE and Harbor Freight.  My dear Husband wanted a steak for supper so we went to TEXAS ROADHOUSE.  I will have to diet tomorrow to make up for all the calories I consumed.  

Went HOME and planted purple petunia plants in the front porch urns.  Put a smile on my face.  I went right to it knowing that if I sat before planting I would be done for the evening and I would sit until bedtime not getting this completed.  She's done.    

Two magenta colored geraniums went into a galvanized container on a cart.  The cart will go over to the COTTAGE tomorrow.  I want to locate two large patio containers holding mint plants as well.  These will be heavy and take up space in our little car.  I'll need help loading these in the car.  The sooner they get over to the COTTAGE, the better.  

I will be scooting and shuffling boxes and furniture tomorrow in the COTTAGE to make room for pieces of furniture that will be moved over to the COTTAGE soon.  LOTS of shuffling, lifting and carrying.  Makes me very tired.  Have to do this in order to forge ahead.  I haven't worked this hard in a very long time.  Sigh.  I can either celebrate or retaliate.  

I chose to celebrate and keep in motion.  

~d

Isaiah 40:8 - The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.