First Day of Pause

ok well the second since Friday was the first day. Close enough

It only took til noon until I started to feel guilty not connecting with my kids' and their families. We were told to take the week and try to think of ways to keep interest in learning online, but mostly the week is for us.

So I unpacked some books, put a few more things away and started to make a list of things I could do so I wouldn't go crazy.

I am still trying to keep the bills straight between the houses, and the dates they are due.

I spent some time adjusting my budget to reflect 2 power bills, 2 water bills etc.  At some point we will get the boys to kick in but let's wait and see.  It shouldn't be so hard to keep it organized but it feels like a mess for me. Hopefully it will get better.


DS2 is up with his gf and experiencing that same pause. Except for her, she's only been teaching less than 3 months so she doesn't have that wealth of experiences and materials to draw upon.

DS1 is surviving and finding himself sneezing a lot from the cat hair. We've cleaned a lot but it's still there. I suspect the furnace vents all need cleaning.

I definitely need to figure out a rhythm for the days ahead.

confessions

Since I started this blog in 2008, one of my most proud accomplishments was my organization of the household paperwork. I proudly set up my blue filing tub with labels and things were filed dutifully.

I was on top of it.

Need my last Credit rating? no problem

Need that MC statement for those tires I bought? here ya go

The last year everything in my world fell apart, including my filing.

Now bills still got paid, but there was more than one occasion where I was paying off my MC and I accidentally sent the money to my VISA, without realizing until it was too late.

Then I wasn't able to find papers - bills, the house transfer papers - the receipt for the new water heater to prove it was still under warrantee.

The more exhausted and stressful my world became, the worse the paper work organizing was. Things got shoved. On top of the fridge. In drawers.

And then moving when I was so sick did not help matters. Things were shoved in boxes and bags and laundry baskets.

Nor did having two power bills, two water bills, two phone bills for two different houses.

and yes I still get paper bills, and I will until I feel I have things under control.

All this online with different account numbers and different passwords because they have different requirements is overwhelming.

and I didn't have the brain energy to focus long enough to begin, without also feeling overwhelmed. I would say this is a product of the grief and depression.

Slowly, as I start to find me again, I am finding paperwork.

I started by emptying everything out of my filing tub and sorting into piles. Then I shredded the things I no longer need.  The night before last I made new labels for the tubs.

Power bills for each house, water bills, tax, etc

And then I began getting paper sorted and into the correct piles.

With each pile done, I felt more and more in control and could literally feel the stress leave my body bit by bit.

I called DH downstairs to the office to proudly show off the clean desk ( mom's desk) and went through where everything is kept so he knows too.

With each box I slowly unpack I find bits here and there and I stop and get those filed right away so I know where everything is.

Taxes forms are coming in for all of us and for dad's estate and I don't want to misplace a thing.

I may be taking a long time to unpack but it's a fine line juggling what was left here from mom and dad and putting my stuff in where it feels right so that the blend they wanted, eventually happens.

It felt really good to see that sorted and organized bill tub.

Garage Sale Success

I would have to say the sale was a success in all sorts of ways.

Clutter - we got rid of a TON of  items that were big and taking up space in the garage or the shed. Things we haven't used in forever. That's a win for those spaces, who now have some elbow room.

Family time - I got to spend some good family time with the boys while they helped me run in

Money - We made over $400 on just clearing out clutter. It went immediately to a lump sum payment on the College Line of Credit.

I am glad to get this task off my Summer to do list

Clutter clean up in progress

I had supper tonight with two friends from High School. We had a great time catching up and updating each other. We all live in the same town but paths just never seem to cross.

I came home to find my back lawn covered. DS1 made it home and had emptied one of the two sheds we have in the back yard. This one is mostly full of camping items. 

I was really impressed with DS. He had it all laid out in categories. Tents in one spot. Cooking devices in another. Xmas stuff in another.

He was incredibly patient with DH, who hates getting rid of anything. When DS2 got home he joined us. We probably tossed about 10 big garbage bags full of broken or unusable items. Dad's trash is getting picked up in the morning and he has a lot of room in his bin so DS2 ran over to fill that.

The items for garage sale were dumped in our garage (it was getting late). DS and I will go through it tomorrow and price it and then move full tubs to my dad's (where we will have the sale). The items that were still relevant and part of our lives went back in the shed. You can actually see the floor and walls of the shed now. I could feel it sigh in relief as only about 1/3 to 1/2 ended up going back in.

DS1 certainly seems to be on a cleaning roll. I love it.

We also went to CAA and booked his flight to Europe. I have exactly a month tomorrow until he leaves me for a new life. His flight will get reimbursed by the team so we splurged and paid extra for leg room for the two longest parts of the flights. 

Garage Sale Prep

If I peek back in this blog I believe the last garage sale we had was 7 or 8 years ago. I know we used the proceeds for the last bit needed to buy my new sectional downstairs. It has been well appreciated btw.

As we begin to think about how much 'stuff' is at mom and dad's house and how it will all have to eventually go, it draws my eyes to my own house. And how tiny it is. And how much 'stuff' is tucked here and there.

And I ask myself why I am holding onto things that I don't even pull out seasonally to use.

So the plan is in the works to have a garage sale.

I thought we had more to be honest. DH and I pulled down several tubs from the attic above the garage (much of which has been up there since the last garage sale).   Now I am wondering if we even have enough for  a decent garage sale.

I have a box of books. There are old skis and boots that are a 'free to a good home'. Some misc things, but a lot of it is junk. not even things we could donate. Just........stuff that did its time and is done now. 

A lot of it represents a life we wanted but didn't want enough to have. Like the kites we never flew. The snowshoes we never used. Duck hunting decoys my husband has been holding onto for decades but he never goes duck hunting.

DS1 stopped through on his way home from the lake and I had him go through the tons of hockey equipment we have. He was wonderfully ruthless. One bag to keep for here. One bag that we might be able to sell for cheap at a garage sale. One bag that isn't worth anything and is super worn so it went to the trash. He had to be the one to make the decisions though. While I purchased it all, they were his memories.

I realize that this purge may be more about throwing things out than raking in cash at a sale, and I am ok with that.   With DS moving to Europe it's a clear line that our lives are changing and it's a good moment to ease up the weight in my house.

Anything that doesn't sell will go to a donation bin if it's worth it. If it's not, then it will go to the landfill.

Any money that comes in from this will make a wee lump sum payment on DS's college LOC

My house won't visibly look any less full, but the secret recesses and nooks and crannies will heave a sigh of relief.

5 out and $70 in

As part of my procrastinatory - I can't believe I go back to work next week - momentum, I found a sports bag downstairs and wasn't sure of the contents. Inside I found DS1's hockey ref jersey and 2 pair of pants from when he was about 13 and was reffing for a bit of side income.

I posted it on our local facebook buy and sell and had a hit immediately. All 5 items, including the bag, went to a young man who will be doing his first year of reffing this winter.

$70 went into my snowflake for the month.

woo hoo

5 a day challenge to be cont

Remember my 5 a day challenge?

It was my low effort attempt to get rid of clutter in my home by removing 5 things a day.

I have been pretty good about keeping up with it. Some days zero and then next 10.

Well DS1 knocked it out of the block tonight.

He is packing for his senior year and has SO many clothes. He brought pretty much everything home in the spring as someone was subletting his room in the house.

Tonight he says "Would you mind if I went through all my drawers and cleaned them out?"

My face lit up like a Christmas tree :-)

Heck ya! Let's do it

He ended up with 4 piles.

• Things he was taking back to the US
• Things he wanted but was leaving behind here
• Things that were garbage
• Things that he no longer wanted but was leaving for DS2 to go through to see if he wanted them

I know a good chunk of  pile 4 will be too big for DS2 or he won't care for, but we will try.

When all is said and done I will have over a month's worth of  '5 a day' just from tonight. 

None of it is visible clutter, but his drawers are breathing a sigh of relief.

5 a day

fruits and veggies?  no
minutes of meditation? no
glasses of water? nope


I started this mid May. At the end of the day I plop a little check mark on the calendar and seeing them all on there makes me smile.

It's making DH twitch. This sort of things bugs him in some deep rooted - must have come from his childhood-blame his mother or father - kinda way.

It's not onerous. Not threatening. Doesn't even feel like a commitment.

One day alone doesn't make a visible difference.  Or even a week.

But I know.

and it makes me smile.


Every day I go to wherever is my target and eliminate 5 things from my home.  Maybe a drawer. Maybe a closet.

Could be as small as a pen in the 'drawer of doom' that no longer works or bigger, like three winter jackets that no longer fit the boys.


I have a bag ready to go if it is a clothing donation.

The bin is in the garage for recycling.

Or trash.

The other day DS2 let me throw out 15 pairs of socks that have stretched beyond belief or have more holes than space. He hates getting rid of things. I felt like I had won the lottery.  Earned my little check mark in less than 2 minutes.

Would anyone look around my home and notice a change. Nope

But I do.

First week of holidays...

...went so fast.

I wish a work week went that fast :-)

It was a quiet week off. To many, a boring week off.

For me, it was restful. I did baby walks outside (10 min ones seem to be the 'safe' distance before colitis wants to play). I dusted off treadmill and walked there too. I realize how sick I was. How weak. (and even more overweight). I think of the hour or more walks I used to do and feel sad that those are not currently in my wheelhouse.

I cleaned out many of those clutter collector spots: top of fridge, junk drawer, top of my dresser. Amazing how much crap collects there.

I had to send off copies of my tax form to my colitis med provider so they will (hopefully) continue to pay for the almost $4000 a shot med.

I sat out and had coffee at my little patio and felt the breeze and heard the birds.

I got to catch up on my blog reading.

I cut our lawn, twice. I cut my mom and dad's as well. Thought I was going to pass out (refer back to incredibly weak from illness and out of shape from.............yeah anyways).

I got the oil changed in my car.

I read and read and read.

I hung laundry on the line and watched it blow in the breeze.

I talked to two of my neighbours. Not much time for more than a wave during the school year.

I started watching Nashville on Netflix.

I did NOT crack a school book.  A record for me I think.

I ate fresh fruit and veggies. If I have to stay close to the bathroom I might as well enjoy!

I drank a  ton of water.

I lost weight.

I am very appreciative of this past week.

A cleaning weekend

(Not really a financial post unless you count the money spent on clothes that never got worn)

 

 

What prompted this?

Well Sask Energy was coming to install a new piece to our gas meter in the basement that let's them do auto reads without having to come into the house. Let's hope they don't catch fire like the infamous Sask Power ones last year!!

The access to this is a storage area with tubs and boxes and luggage and piles of clothes. Obviously it all had to be cleared out so the guy could access it.

A good chunk of it was DH's so he had to be involved in the process. DH has serious issues getting rid of things.  I tried to make it as low pressure as possible. I just said, let's just make piles: work, winter, good condition, rough condition etc.  So we started with that.

Then he was able to see the quantity all piled up on the recroom floor. He tossed 2 big garbage bags full of clothes that were past their prime. Another bag full went into the donate pile. He had far too many Scout camp t shirts from when they went to various camps across Canada. Those he couldn't get rid of but he was willing to put them in  a tub where they didn't take up day to day space, but they were still there.

Then he could see "wow I have 11 pairs of grey sweats. do I really need them all?"  and more purging began. He did really well, for him and I did praise him for that.

Myself? I had two big tubs of clothes that used to fit when I was lighter. I paired it down to 3/4 of one tub and disposed of/donated the rest.

I wish the Diabetes truck was coming by this week instead of next week, so I could get rid of these bags, just waiting. But maybe I can find more things to get rid of before then.

We have too much luggage. We had four sets of three, for a trip we went on in 2006. Since then, the boys each have new luggage from aunties/grandparents they got for their Europe trip/grad. So we can get rid of two of the other sets. I have posted them on a local buy and sell page. They are in good shape. No bites so far. If no one takes them by the time the Diabetes truck comes, I will send them off.

July Goals

You know me....have to have a goal list or a to do list as a push to move forwards. 

Here goes:

• 25 large garbage bags of stuff out of my house ( trash, recycle, donate)
• 46.5 KM walked or an ave of 1.5 km a day. I am still weak physically and need to get my energy levels up
• 25 books donated to our library
• 2 books read for school
• 7 pounds lost
• use my jars for my variable expenses
• my new room unpacked and organized
• find DS2 a place to live in college town
• snowflake $490 to meet mini goal

Canada Day was a good start. DS2 left for his camp (sad mom). DS1 was off work and his girlfriend came in by noon to spend the day and night. They went for lunch together.

DH and I started on the garage. It always becomes a dumping ground for everything. DS2's camp stuff. DS1's hockey stuff. All my stuff that was not going to my new room, or the materials I wanted to be able to look at, at home. Just a big mess.

We got the remainder of the bottles sorted and put in my car to take into the recycle depot today. All the newspapers and empty boxes were taken to the paper recycle bin. We went  through the shoe shelves, which had really spread all over the floors below them and purged. DH is incredibly unwilling to get rid of things even if he doesn't use them. Ex - ugly, orange sneakers he bought when we went to Europe in 2006, that he has never worn. Won't let them go. Five pairs of summer sandals that I have never seen him wear, but they all  have to stay. My stuff.....he was ready to toss left and right. 

When we were done we had floor space in the one car garage (that won't fit my vehicle). It was very exciting. Our garbage was full of things that couldn't be recycled or donated. I borrowed space in my parents' bin as well, since they never fill theirs up.  

We just have too much stuff!

I also let go of my collection of FRIENDS series. all 10. It was very important to me at one point that I have them all and I paid far too much for them. I really had no desire to put them on  a buy and sell site, though I could have gotten $ for them. I tried a couple people to see if they would give them a home, but they had them. I remembered that DS's girlfriend's sister (convoluted chain here lol) enjoyed the show so we texted her and she was excited to have them. Score! Off to the car they went to get them immediately out of my house.

We had a nice BBQ last night of souvlaki kebobs, roasted potatoes and asparagus. The daughter likes them and wanted to try bbq'ing them.

The evening ended with Canada Day fireworks.

Total garbage bags (or their equivalent) removed from my house...7. Ahhhh that feels good.