DEBT IS AWFUL

NATURE CALLED MY NAME waking me at 4:11.  Toilet breaks are ever so important. Instead of returning to bed, I sat in my blue wing chair and read.  I could hear cars passing by in the street outside my front door traveling to wherever.  The sound of water being splashed by their rubber tires confirmed it had rained during the night hours.  Wet pavement.  Chilly weather.  Rain plus freezing weather causes icey conditions.  Not safe to travel on.

I wasn't expecting rain until later in the day.  This for sure changes my plans.  I'll have to wait until it stops raining before carrying cardboard boxes to the cellar for storage.  Not a biggie as I have plenty to do inside.  I continue to make headway with unpacking.

The Bathroom is nearly vacant of all the boxes that were stacked about.  I can work in the Kitchen.  

BANKING BUSINESS.  Early morning phone calls were made to check on credit card balances because today is the day that they will be seriously paid down.  I'll leave a $50 balance on the cards so a paper statement for my records is mailed to me next month providing proof the cards are paid way down.  This has been a hellish ride in my marriage with carrying such high balances.  It has been a burden to carry.  One that I have not wanted to have.  Juggling bills is awfully tiring.  I have hated it.  With debt, one eventually has to pay the piper with interest. Credit cards are like an addictive drug of finances.  Like being a meth addict that is at the mercy of the horrible drug.  It is so very unhealthy to run up the balances of credit cards and carry debt. It can break your back to where you cannot move about freely and cripple your emotions.  A prisoner to the lender.

What is it the Bible says about debt?

The credit card companies are like a mafia.  Once you have a high balance that was put there when carrying a low percentage rate, it disappears and they have you on a hook.  You still have a balance to pay off and they have done a switch.er.roo on the percentage rate.  The low interest rates disappear and a much ridiculously higher rate kicks in.  Our cards have interest rates in the double digits now.  I stared at the interest rates and screamed with anxiety that we are carrying balances with these rates.  I swore years ago, I would never use a card or take out a loan with a interest rate higher than 10%.  Will excuse me...10% was a long time ago.   

Hubby and I are finally on the same page about NOT having debt.  I pray it stays this way as we have not always been singing the same tune when it came to the finances.  I confess, over the years, I found myself crying out loud with desperation that I was alone with my feelings of frustration with this journey paved with a plastic road that should be forbidden to go down. 

With having moved, our 2024 finances will be different.  I pray we heal and can be much healthier in the financial realm.

I will stay HOME today and work about our tiny COTTAGE giving God praises we have this roof over our heads and it's paid for.  After 49 years of marriage, we have no mortgage payment nor rent.  Yes, there are taxes to pay, insurance, utilities and upkeep, but we have some cushion now to live like we should...out of debt after a lifetime of owing others so much money.  Honoring one's debt is a honest way to live.  It is wicked to not pay your debt.  

Frugal living is a must.    

Dear Lord, I pray you will help us stay debt free.

~D  

LUNCH WITH THE GIRLS

I'VE KNOWN THESE LADIES for about 15 years as we use to sing together at Nursing Homes, rehearse together and of course always chat together.  Each of us has full lives sharing the details with one another.

LAST MONTH we celebrated the 75th birthday of one of us and had so much fun we celebrated another's 67th birthday today plus exchanged Christmas presents.

I wore my red velour blouse.  It still is in very good shape and one I have kept for Christmas attire.  I wore this exact blouse last year to our December get together.  grins.  I am getting old and so are my clothing.  

ONE OF THE MAIN TOPICS OF CONVERSATION was about health issues and getting forgetful. It makes me wonder what is going on to where we are all getting so forgetful.  Not all of the original singing group was present, but our ages vary from 75, 68, 67, 65, 43 and our mascot 16.  

The stories we can tell would make an interesting book?  Everything from religion to babies is talked about with the conversations flowing freely.  We take turns talking then each of us chimes in.  Like a river, the words flow.  Questions are asked and comments made.  The sharing of our details is where we bond in a common comfort zone.  

LUNCH.  I ate a COBB SALAD for lunch and drank water.  Chips and Guacamole Dip were complementary.  We chatted for 5 hours in the restaurant.  11 to 4.  When I went to the car to leave, my Hubby was waiting inside of it.  I had dropped him off at the mechanics to pick up our car before I went to eat with the girls and when he got to the mechanics he was told more work needed to be completed on the car.  So when I thought he had already driven HOME while I had lunch with the girls, he actually was wondering the streets of the town.

My heart sank a tad as there will be more expenses on our car.  Over $3000.oo worth already. We thought we would get the car fixed and drive it until it craters allowing us time to save money for purchasing a different, newer car.  SO we bit the bullet with having it repaired, but if this continues to cost more money, the cash used should have gone into a newer car?  I hope we have not made a huge mistake spending so much on such an old car in the first place, but the Cadillac has so many nice features.  

Things are expensive these days, it makes me cringe.

LUNCH with the girls was wonderful and I hope we are allowed to have many more times to get together.  Nowadays, we meet about 3 to 4 times a year to play catch up taking up where we left off.  OUR special fellowship and bond is something money cannot buy. 

THIS DECEMBER we gathered and had our CHRISTMAS as friends.  One's son.in.law had back surgery just that morning.  Another's husband is waiting to have hip replacement and a Grandson was married.  One is noticing serious memory loss.  I am going through moving.  If we are so fortunate to meet again, it will be altogether different as our stories change each time like the weather.

CHRISTMAS is coming.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  We have common ground with one another through HIM.

AS I SAID MERRY CHRISTMAS TO MY FRIENDS,   

I wish you one as well.  

Merry Christmas!

~d  

   

THRIFTING ON A WEDNESDAY

UP EARLY DOING PAPERWORK and researching health issues.  Got around so we could eat Breakfast at THE BIG BISCUIT in Topeka.  There's that drive again.  I had rye toast with jelly, Turkey and Spinach Omelet with some Hash Browns.  Drank WATER.  Filled our tanks up before heading over to the medical complex.  I'd like to go to TOPEKA shopping at least once a week.    

THE TOPEKA MEDICAL APPOINTMENT WENT WELL.  Scheduled to go back in 6 months.  I have this place on my bottom eye lid skin that is precancerous and will be watched. 

AFTERWARDS, we did a little shopping and ate lunch.  
Menards.
Home Depot.
Target.
Thrifting at GOD's STOREHOUSE.  No Senior Discounts on Wednesdays, but still I look for bargains.  Walking through their store is an adventure to me as one never knows exactly what will be found.  I picked up a Pottery Barn red lumbar Christmas Pillow with Santa, a small white PIPKA Starcoat Santa Ornament, a Barbie Ornament, Laura Ingalls Wilder's book Little House in the Ozarks, a retro neck tie, a glasses case, a shiny Clinique holder.

While at Menard's, I bought some stick pretzels and hope to melt white chocolate to dip the pretzels in.  This may be all the candy making I get done this season.     

Returned HOME to rest before going to a city meeting.  

Somewhere this week, I'd like to make white chocolate covered  pretzels and write out Christmas Cards.  Christmas is fast approaching!  Let it come.  

Figuring out what to get done.  One day soon, I'm going to have a sabbath day and JUST REST. No running errands.  Just rest at HOME and chill.  Perhaps before CHRISTMAS or between CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR's.

I'm craving this REST as I have struggled with fatigue.

THURSDAY is chocked full of things to do.  I'll take some time to sit and sip hot tea in between activities.  Sometimes just sitting is the best thing one can do for their HEALTH and PEACE OF MIND.

*We still have some CHRISTMAS tubs in the LIVING ROOM that need taken to the cellar then I can vacuum the carpet where they sat.  
*We have two Henredon chairs and two Morris chairs that will go to the storage unit.  
*The two brown recliners need to be brought HOME.  
*A window Air Conditioner needs to come out of the window.  
*I'll work in the Kitchen and take breaks going through boxes in the Dining room to unpack my china for the china cabinet.  

Slowly, we make progress. 

Before CHRISTMAS, the Dining room should become an actual Dining room once again.  Like a vision it will morph where there is a table and chairs in the center of the room instead of boxes. 

Being so busy with what we are doing makes the days pass quickly.  I can see where there will be a day when we are settled.  Not sure when that will be, but I have to tell myself to not give up. KEEP GOING.  Stay the course.  

If anything, all this activity informs me
that things have to be taken care of,
time passes quickly
and I LOVE THRIFTING!

~d

COTTAGE DWELLER and PANS

VICTORY!  The THINGS on the portable table in KITCHEN disappeared and the table was turned in the room so it's easier getting about to work.  Thanks to my sidekick.  

I started gathering pots 'n pans, lids, baking dishes, and cookware to sit on the portable table.  I have more than I imagined.  Now to cook up a large order of organization and rethink where to go with these nice things I have.

The floor to ceiling cabinet which my hubby built a few years back has gone from storing overflow daily dishes to small appliances.  Now, I think for the time being, I will fill the cabinet with ALL the pots 'n pans, etc.  The small bottom cabinet to the right of the stove will house the small appliances that I frequently use like the toaster, Ninja blender, crock pot, air fryer.  This may change as I am morphing the KITCHEN as I go.

The overflow of small appliances will be boxed up, marked and stacked in the Utility room for now.  Pictures as I go for NOTEBOOK.  A cabinet will be built later in the UTILITY ROOM for storage.  This is a morphing kind of lifestyle.  I guess I have to stay flexible and see where this goes.  I know my KITCHEN is tiny and I have to figure this out as I go. 

How can something so simple be so exhausting to think about?  Problem is, it's like trying to fit a 400# woman in a size two dress.  It just doesn't work.  Go on a strict diet or wear much larger clothing.

On my second cup of hot tea this afternoon taking a break while I figure this thing out.  I have plans of going through the tubs on the porch to inventory the CHRISTMAS GREENERY so it can be stored in the cellar and I know what I have for decorating.  Having it written down with pictures will HELP me each future season.

More tubs need to go the cellar today.  This is taking way longer than it should. Between medical appointments, meals, naps, social interaction with family and friends, errands...I'm running way behind on having all the tubs out of the storage shed and refilling the shed with the overflow of COTTAGE things.  It's like a three ring circus around here and I'm the monkey that doesn't know where to go.  Eating peanuts and a banana might help.  

STAY WITH ME and watch me morph into a functioning COTTAGE DWELLER,
~d

update:  
Successfully I went through the HOLIDAY tubs on the porch with all the HOLIDAY garland and greenery,
wrote down inventory,
will type up list,
took pics,
will print off for a notebook.
Tubs to cellar!

While I was doing this, Hubby finished clearing out the storage shed and took the rest of the HOLIDAY tubs to cellar.  Mission accomplished!  Storage shed is now ready to hold the overflow of COTTAGE things until we can spend more time sorting through the boxes.

Kitchen portable table cleared and turned.
Pots 'n pans placed on table.

THIS WEEK I have two very important medical appointments out of town to go to.
One for Cataracts and one for pre-cancerous spot on eye lid.
When I can, this week will be dedicated to getting the KITCHEN ORGANIZED for a functioning home.
Christmas cards worked on.

Shall see how it all goes.
THE KITCHEN may take longer than this week to complete.  If so, I will stay the course until it is finished.  

OUR MOVING IN HAS BEEN EXTREMELY CHALLENGING as the floor space is crowded with boxes and the need to put things away is still there.  It sounds so simple and yet it isn't because the COTTAGE is tiny and every square inch of space has to be use very wisely.  Things have to be stored just so so.  

ALREADY THE 13th of December.  Sigh.  Be of good cheer, things could be worse.

   

LET CHRISTMAS CONTINUE

STARTED THE MORNING OFF BY WORKING on the portable table contents. When I look at this table sit up in the KITCHEN covered with THINGS, I just about shut down.  It screams for attention and I don't know where to go with it all. 

I pick up an item, deal with it then go off to do something else.  Each time I walk by the table an item is dealt with.  This is a slow way to work on this, but it is a way.  A pace I'm going by.

I don't know where the things are going to go in my TINY KITCHEN.  Stop and think about it. Baby steps.  

MY GOAL TODAY, is to get the table completely cleared off, turn the table and begin to gather ALL the pots 'n pans, bakeware, and cookware placing them in a orderly fashion to see just what I do have to deal with.  THEN write the inventory down and take some pictures, printing the images off on paper making up a notebook.

This could get INTERESTING deciding where everything should go.  After I get this far, I can continue sorting through the boxes on the floor until they are no more.  At the rate I am going, it'll be SPRING before I have cleared all the boxes.  SPRING is in about 100 days.  Wonderful.  I look forward to Spring flowers popping up after a long WINTER.  

My CHRISTMAS decorating is finished for the year.  The Nativity Scene is displayed in the Living room.  The lit faux garland is hung in the doorway.  Miniature trees are on the ledge of the Kitchen window.  The front porch has a few things on it for the season.  A couple of lamps on a table, a Christmas pillow on the church pew, some large containers of greens on the porch steps. That's it and that's enough for this year.  Christmas is about celebrating the earthly birth of our SAVIOR and not so much about the festivities of decorating.  Although the decorating warms my soul during such cold weather and the splashes of color add interest to the otherwise dreary color palette.  The meager things we do to draw attention to JESUS have their place and I love CHRISTMAS TIME.   

CHRISTMAS cards and letters this week.  I'll have to stretch the time out that it takes to complete.  Once again I have not gotten the cards sent early in the month.  Some cookies and candy will be made next week.  Gifts in the mail.  

A HOME full of joyful sounds is wonderful.
Playing CHRISTMAS MUSIC continues and oh how I enjoy it.

Let CHRISTMAS continue,

~d

CATARACTS

TIRED EYES AND BODY.  It was a very long day.  I had an eye appointment to see what was going on with cataracts.  Scheduled for surgery in March.

I was checked nearly two years ago when I was told they were not bad enough yet.  I had wondered just how bad they had to get before being bad enough to have removed.

Different doctor and two years down the road, I am ready to have these cataracts removed.

Tests, measurements and pictures, eyes dilated.  I walked out of their office wearing rolled sunglasses behind my regular glasses.  Very classy looking...NOT.  grins.  My eyesight is terribly blurry due to the drops that were placed in my eyes and having them dilated.

Hubby drove as I wasn't comfortable driving where the lights appeared as sunbursts and rays.  With it getting darker outside, the lights were overwhelming.  Thankful he drove the car and I drifted off to sleep waking as we enter our city limits. 

Rested a bit then went ahead twisting faux greenery around the extension rod hanging in the doorway.  I like how it turned out.  Some CHRISTMAS CHEER.  For having no tree this year, it helps lift my spirits.  Now to get after the BOXES in the rest of the house to unpack them.  I'm hoping come New Year's Eve that the COTTAGE looks like someone lives here and cares about it.   

Calling it a day in which I am truly tired.  May TUESDAY be a productive day, but a restful one.

Let there be Christmas,
~d

      

DAILY RAMBLE

LIL MISS ASKED ME TO GO SHOPPING WITH HER as she had CHRISTMAS shopping to do for her family.  We went to JO-ANN, JIMMY JOHNS for lunch, TARGET and WALMART.  Great fun and conversation.  Time flew and when returning HOME, my daughter was there with Mister C visiting with Hubby.

Nice to see them.

While shopping, I bought some CHRISTMAS towels at JO-ANN, a cafe rod for hanging greenery in the window and miniature glass CHRISTMAS TREES from TARGET to sit on the window ledge plus Starbuck's green tea and plastic shoe boxes from WALMART. 

When I was at TARGET, I was looking for more miniature white CHRISTMAS TREES like I bought last year which they did not have.  Instead they had different colored glass ones, wood and ceramic so I purchased some for CHRISTMAS CHEER on the window ledges.

An affordable way to decorate.  Easy, pretty and very affordable at a dollar a tree.  

THESE SMALL TREES can remain on the window ledge even after CHRISTMAS has passed.  January and February.  I'll store them altogether in a shoebox and place on a storage shelf.  

With such limited decorating space, the window ledge will be used for SEASONAL CHEER.  This will be fun for me to look at as I hand wash dishes and other eating utensils.

I plan on hanging some cafe rods and decorating with greenery in the windows before CHRISTMAS gets here.  After the HOLIDAY SEASON, I will use the rods for valances.  Giving that some thought as to what printed design will be in the valance.  A small touch can add a great deal of enjoyment.  AINT DAT SPECIAL???

As CHRISTMAS nears, I am needing to get into the CHRISTMAS SPIRIT of things and think about our beautiful gift, the earthly birth of the LORD JESUS.  OUR REDEEMER.  The light of the world.  The Savior.  A Savior that you can have a real relationship with through the Holy Spirit by being born again.

~d

CINNAMON SCENTED PINECONES

THE AROMA OF THESE CINNAMON SCENTED PINECONES FILLS THE ROOM in which IT ATTRACTS ME.  I had the pinecones in a Longaberger Basket at first, but switched for this old casserole dish without a lid.  

The dish was in the 2016 house fire that smoke damaged the container.  I hung onto it all these years and finally cleaned it in which the smoke stains came off  except along the top edge where some damage remains.

The smoke stains that I couldn't remove can be a reminder that sometimes we go through the fires of LIFE receiving damage, but can be cleaned up to still function and be used for other things. 

I plan on using older dishes in the Dining room to decorate with as wall decor.  Perhaps it will give an old vibe to those who see the room with old china hanging on the walls.  

Use what you have.  I am going to relax about the direction I am headed in the COTTAGE.

Merry CHRISTMAS and a very Blessed New Year.
Shall be an adventure,

~d   

THE LONE NUTCRACKER IN THE WINDOW

MY COLLECTION OF NUTCRACKERS are staying in storage containers this year as the COTTAGE is in terrible disarray from our move-in.  I like using them in the DINING ROOM at CHRISTMAS TIME.  This year is a bit off as we are still getting settled.  

I did come across this one and thought I'd like to sit it in the KITCHEN window since he has gingerbread cookies on a plate.   On the ledge it went.

May your CHRISTMAS be bright,

~d

THIRD HALLELUJAH DAY

THE CAMERA ANGLE IS KINDA WONKY, but that's alright.  The house sold and we closed FRIDAY,  December 8th.  The first full day of Hanukkah.  At 11 in the morning as we were having our morning coffee/tea, the phone rang with our realtor congratulating us on the sell.  The buyers had finished their side of the transaction and we could pick up our check that afternoon.

IT WAS A HALLELUJAH KIND OF DAY.  We will not have to WINTER the house with it on the market.  She is now someone else's baby.  We can now deal with only one house instead of two.  I am getting to the place that I am alright with having turned loose of the property.  The utility companies were notified of needing to read a final reading for us.  This is lightening the load of having so many bills.  Praise the LORD.  

We picked up the check and went to our bank to make a deposit and then we went to a different bank to make another deposit.  DONE.

Praise the LORD!

To celebrate we went to the LONGHORN STEAK HOUSE in Manhattan.  I ordered an actual steak which came with a side salad, baked potato and bread 'n butter with a raspberry lemonade to drink.  The service was excellent and so was the food, but there was a screaming baby across the room that continued to scream for nearly 30 minutes.  30 m i n u t e s.

When the floor manager came by to check on us about the food, my husband mentioned the screaming child.  She said this was not her department.  I asked whose was it then and she walked away.  I suggested to my hubby that we box up our expensive celebration meal and go home to finish eating it.  

I understand that babies cry, but when at a restaurant, I believe the guardian of the child should be sensitive enough to remove the child from the dining room.  The manager did not address this with the adult.  I believe a letter to headquarters is in order.  Sooooo...it shall take place.  

At any rate, I did not want this to undue our celebration.  We traveled HOME and ate while watching a movie.  

STILL A HALLELUJAH DAY!!!
I believe we will continue on getting settled in the COTTAGE.  The weather is suppose to be decent and we have plans of emptying the rest of the shed and filling it with the excess from inside the COTTAGE.  Clearing the COTTAGE out will make the place more like a HOME than a warehouse.  I pray we can work quickly and make huge progress.  I must get very serious about turning loose of more.  Work at a steady pace and be free of what holds me in bondage.  Get rid of the excess.  SO as I am going through the boxes, the car will be loaded with the access and away it will go.

Planning on another HALLELUJAH DAY.  
That will be four in a row.  Wowzer.

~d

THIS DAY DIDN'T GO AS PLANNED, but I hear a HALLELUJAH ANYWAYS

THE DAY DIDN'T GO AS PLANNED, but it did go.  The day was a good one.  Turned out to be another HALLELUJAH DAY!!!  Hallelujah, what a good day it was after all even with our plans being changed.  

The whole idea was to go over to the main house we're selling and get the old Cadillac off the premises as we are closing on the property and as of 9 AM on Friday EVERYTHING of ours is to be completely off the place.  Our old Cadillac on the property had to be jumped started as the battery was dead.  After we got her up and going, Hubby drove her over to the mechanics as it has much work needed to be done on it.  

We planned to wait until the house sold so the financial burden of getting the car fixed would be easier on our pocket book.  Repairs on this car will choke a horse.  Maybe two horses.  A neigh, a whinny and a bray come out of my mouth.  I fell over when the estimate was given to us, so we had to wait this one out for timing that will work for us.  Merry Christmas, DARLING.  Here's your gift.  Better make that Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Valentine's Day, Happy Saint Pat's Day, Blessed Easter, Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.  ALL TOGETHER now.  There goes the money for gifts.

My morning started out really slow as I had slept in.  Again my night didn't go so well as I woke at 1 and couldn't fall back to sleep.  After 4:30 rolled around, I fell asleep and slept til 9:30 which is late for me.  I drank a V8 and ate three large grapes.  Worked on paperwork and banking.  We hope and pray to be completely out of debt by the end of the month.  This has been a long time coming.  PAUSE.  PAUSE.  PAUSE.

Our plans changed for the day as we had planned to take care of the car and load up what was to be removed from the property then drive to ST. MARYS for an almond milk steamer, go on to TOPEKA and exchange some house slippers which were too small.  Couldn't find the RECEIPT. Changed our plans to taking care of the Cadillac and loading up our things to going to the storage unit to gather some CHRISTMAS PIPKAS that will go into the cellar with the other CHRISTMAS DECOR then drive over to Manhattan to eat a early Supper and pick up some items from Walmart.  After the bedroom gets her bookshelves built next year, the Santas will be on display for Christmas 2024.  As fast as this year went, they'll be out before I know it.

After leaving the storage unit, Hubby received a text message from our Realtor about the details concerning the selling of the main house.  When we were sitting at IHOP eating, we went over the message and signed electronically.  While we were eating, the couple buying our house was doing a final walk through early.  This was a SURPRISE as we thought they would be doing it on Friday morning.  This meant our closing time was bumped up.  After eating and shopping we drove on over to the main house to say GOOD-BYE.  

I feel like I'm ready to turn loose of her as much as I LOVE HER and move toward a different direction.  A young family with three children and a dog are becoming the new owners.  I suppose after they sign the papers on Friday morning, they will begin moving into the house.  It will be theirs.  We will be paid and go from there.  Seems like a dream that we ever lived in the 1883 house with lots of crown molding, high ceilings and wood floors on the large corner lot with mature trees at Poplar and 5th Street.  A dream.  I hope the new owners will be very happy there.  

We drove through the City Park to look at Christmas lights then drove to the COTTAGE to unload our spoils and rest.  I managed to get a tension rod for decorating the door way with greenery, ribbon and ornaments.  Looking forward to doing this. 

Those heavily cinnamon scented pinecones called my name at Walmart.  The aroma overtakes me and I bought a sack of them.  What else?  A flat of large Mason Jars for continued organizing purposes.  Jars of pickles for the pickle juice to help with feet and leg cramps.  Steak Fries, mayo and bar.b.que sauce for celebrating the selling of our house.  

We checked out, headed to Starbucks for green tea and made the track to go by the house we're selling in the morning.  We talked about what we had done to the house while we lived there for 6 and a half years.  As I walked through the entire house today, I needed to pause and say good-bye room by room.  I am ready to let go.  

The LORD has been kind to us and I am grateful that we were allowed to live in this particular two story house in the Historic area of the town.  New houses are chartered to go up in 2024, but there is just something about this house that spoke to me for a long time.  I take away with me ideas to use in our fixer upper COTTAGE we are now living in.

In comparison, the pink bedroom in the Cottage is about the same size as one of the bedrooms in the main house and the Cottage's front bedroom is about the same size as another one of the bedrooms, but the main house has four bedrooms where this Cottage only has two.  The Cottage Dining room is slightly larger than the main house's.  The Cottage Kitchen is about the same size as the main house's, but the Living room is tiny compared to the oversized one with a fireplace in the main house.  The Cottage bathroom is larger than the main house's main bathroom.  This tiny Cottage has a Utility room on ground level and a small walk-in pantry.  The main house has 7 closets as this Cottage has only 2 very small ones plus one in the Bathroom.  The Cottage does not have an entryway or screened-in porch.  The lot is much larger than the Cottage's.  The main house has rather ornate windows as this Cottage does not.  We do not have a full basement here in the Cottage, but a cellar with a cement floor.    

It is now time to say, I once lived there for 6 and a half years.  Time to forge ahead and be blessed where we are.  NEW ideas come to mind as to what we will do to this 1900 Folk Victorian COTTAGE. 

Looking at the calendar, Hanukkah started at sunset on Thursday.  We will have sold our house on the first day of Hanukkah.  This is a blessing.  Thank you, Lord for helping us sell this house and get out of debt as you want us to owe no man anything, but love.  

It was a HALLELUJAH DAY
and I didn't mind it one bit,

~d       

A HALLELUJAH KIND OF DAY

WE MADE HEADWAY ON CLEARING OUT THE STORAGE SHED! Hallelujah.  Progress.  Not done, but almost.  This evening we hauled a carload of donations to GOODWILL.  That always feels good.

Taking steps to downsizing to where we fit into this COTTAGE.  All the HOLIDAY DECOR is being moved to the cellar to free up room for items from inside the COTTAGE.  We're aiming to have the inside of the house looking like civilize people live here THEN we will return to dealing with what is in the shed and also give attention to the storage units we have rented.  THIS IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF MOVE and it's not an easy one.  By SPRING I'm hoping we're where we should be as two elderly people who have downsized in their earthly possessions.    

WHY ON EARTH move into something so tiny it doesn't hold everything?  Because we're downsizing.  Not every time one moves can they bring along everything they had.  This is one of those times.

As we cleared out the shed, I found the beautiful lifelike garland that will be placed about the house.  A nice find!  I might put some over the the tops of the windows, above the bathroom mirror and above the Victorian headboard.  Maybe.  No CHRISTMAS tree this year because the moving boxes occupy the floor space so I may buy a tension curtain rod to decorate and place at the top of the door way.  

 

My stash of Christmas cards...found!!!  I found some gift wrapped packages I made up last year and had forgotten about.  grins.  This way when I get together with my singing buddies I have a Christmas gift for them already to go.  December luncheon coming.      

We made progress removing the CHRISTMAS TUBS out of the storage shed, making piles outside then loading a dolly to wheel them across the yard to the cellar door, making another pile.  Hubby took the tubs down the steps one at a time and stacked them inside the cellar with a cement floor.  Tomorrow we'll continue clearing out the shed.

When the shed is completely cleared of all the tubs then we will begin hauling boxes out of the COTTAGE to stack on the muscle racks until we have time to deal with the excess.  Just like the CHRISTMAS TUBS, I'll peek inside each box to see if I can part with any of it.  The downsizing of CHRISTMAS DECOR has taken place in stages, now to deal with dishes and such.

There's a portable table set up in the Kitchen that I need to clear off and place all my pots and pans on it plus the bakeware.  Then I can take inventory and thin out some of it.  The cabinet space is very limited.  It will take a wizard to figure this all out. 

 

This is a very slow operation.  Very slow.  I need to stay with it and make progress.  

The old corner cabinet that is in the Dining room needs a back placed on it.  For Christmas I think my Husband will complete this and then I can begin to fill it with antique dishes.  As we clear out the Dining room of boxes, it will begin to feel like a HOME instead of a warehouse. THE HOARDER LOOK will disappear.  

This process has been challenging.  Not easy on the nerves.

WHAT WOULD A WEEK OF HALLELUJAH DAYS BE LIKE?  Oh, how I wish I knew.

~d