Me Time

I'm one of those moms who never takes time for herself.

I stopped taking long baths because the water is too expensive (don't ask about our water bills.... being on city water is awful where we live).

I stopped wearing makeup because for a long time any makeup was causing awful allergic reactions.
I stopped doing my nails because my hands are always in the dirt in the garden, or in water from cleaning.  Manicures, gardening, and canning do not mix.

As a result, I also stopped taking care of my health.  I started to put on weight, and other weird symptoms started to show up, too.  Hot flashes, given my age, I thought were normal.  But then I realized that I was hot all the time, not just in flashes.  I would sweat, even though I wasn't working particularly hard, or feel that hot.  My heart would race.  Anxiety would literally make me incapacitated.  I looked tired all the time, even after sleeping for twelve hours straight.

I then decided it was time to try to lose some weight.  I started eating a lot healthier, and a lot less.  I walked every night.  I worked harder in the garden.  I bought a pedometer and started tracking my steps.  Even after a month of doing all these things, which normally would send my weight plummeting downward, didn't help.  In fact, I started to gain more weight.

I.  Got.  Scared.

I was seriously scared that there was something seriously wrong with me.  I called my doctor to schedule a regular physical because I hadn't had one in over 3 years.  I started to talk to the nurse about my symptoms, and she told me that I needed to be seen THIS WEEK.  I told her there was really no rush.  She said that I should have been seen at least year ago when the symptoms started.
So, today, I'm going in to see my doctor.  Not for a regular physical, like I thought I needed.  I'm going to have my thyroid and adrenal glands checked.  The regular physical will come later.  But the potential thyroid problems need to be addressed now.

I'm still concerned about what all the test results will show.  I'm concerned that I won't be able to get the help I need.  All the normal concerns.  But I'm taking steps, because even as imperfect as my life is, I need to be in at least better health than I am.  My family needs me, and they need me to take better care of myself.

I'll let you know what the doctors say.  It's now time for me to take care of me.

New Year, With a Difference

So this morning I managed to sleep through my alarm.  Both of them.  And my husband trying to wake me up.  I'm blaming the rainy weather.

Trying to get back into some sort of schedule after two weeks of almost no schedule is really hard.

Yesterday I also took the time to sync up all the calendars in the house.  I look at the month  ahead and discover just exactly how busy I am.  Every day.  For a woman who is suppose to be a "work from home mom", I seem to be never home anymore.   Karate practice, basketball practice, basketball game, doctor's appointments, teaching at the school...  Pretty much, each one of those things takes up one day, and the entire day's schedule must revolve around just that one event.

The upside is that since I'm a writer, I can pretty much write anywhere.  I don't need a computer to do it, I can use a pencil and paper, and then add it into any document later on, when I get home.  This is especially awesome since where the kids have basketball and karate has no wi-fi.  Strange in this day and age, I know.  At the doctor's office I can get wi-fi, but even the guest accounts need passwords and pins and stuff like that.  So, I drop back to a small notebook in which to jot ideas and use my microcassette recorder in the car.

Yeah, remember microcassette recorders?  For those of you too young to remember, it's what we used before we had tablets and phones that could double as a voice recorder.  Mine was really advanced, and could be set to record only when someone was speaking.  That was to save tape space and batteries.  I set mine on voice activation when I'm in the car, which means it runs all the time between the kids and radio.  But I still do manage to get some ideas onto it.  I also set it up to record when I'm in the shower.  Why do I always get my best ideas in the shower?  I don't know.  Once I remember planning out an entire series of novels when I was rinsing dye out of my hair.  I pretty much even had the first couple of chapters outlined out.  It was awesome.  I didn't have a recorder going at the time, so I lost it all.  Taught me a lesson, let me tell you.

At any rate, I'm trying to schedule better, and I'm planning on trying to get more stuff out of the way on Saturdays and Sundays.  I still need to get my dinners planned out for the coming months.   Soon it will be time to hit the cupboards and freezer to do just that.  We'll see how all this goes.

I wish you all luck in the new year for a imperfectly perfect year.  Or at least the next couple of days.

;-)  

15 Minutes

So.... I'm trying something new (as always).

Over the past couple of months I have come to, once again, truly fall in love with Writing.  Of course, as with any relationship, we have our ups and downs.  There are days we go without speaking to each other.  There are times where we aggravate each other to no end.  I sometimes want to kick Writing out of my life forever.

I actually thought I had.  I thought I had kicked Writing to the curb, after many years in school, and doing almost nothing but writing.  (A Bachelors in History requires a LOT of writing.)

Now I'm having to come at it from a completely different angle.  When I was in school, I didn't have kids, and I was single.  It was so much easier then.

Now I have kids, a husband, a house, and everything that entails, which is a LOT.  A lot of responsibility, a lot fitting things in.

So, now that I have taken upon this new career as a ghostwriter, I'm trying to fit something new and different into my already hectic schedule.  It hasn't been working so great.  I hadn't been able to find the balance needed to accomplish everything, until I read this really great article.  And now, I'm actually trying it.

At first, I thought "Oh cripes.  What am I going to write about in my blog for 15 mins?"  Well, since I'm trying a new schedule, I can certainly write about that, right?  Yeah.  

I'll admit it, I was going to start yesterday.

That didn't go quite as I had planned it, but what does these days?

I slept through my alarm, woke up late, had to get the kids ready for school with barely enough coffee in me to get my eyes open.  So, the whole "get up, get dressed, and write for 15 minutes" was SERIOUSLY not going to happen.

My breakfast was nonexistent. I know I was busy doing something when I should have been eating breakfast, but I can't remember what it was.

And then, instead of spending a day toiling away in front of a computer screen, I spent the at my kids' school, helping out at the Christmas party, which was a lot of fun, but really productive, writing-wise.

And then the nap monster attacked me when got home.  And then household chores took over once I woke up.

But you know what?  I'm not beating myself up over it.  I figured all I could do is try again.

So here I am, on a Saturday morning, when I could be sleeping in.  Instead I'm trying to get myself on a productive schedule.  We'll see how it works.

If I can spend 15 minutes every morning writing in this here blog, though, I think I'll be making a good start.

Will the schedule listed in the above article work for me?  Who knows?  But I'm willing to try, and work with it until it is perfect for me and my family.

Until tomorrow, keep it imperfectly perfect!

The Year Challenge

School has been out for over a month now, and it has been HECTIC.

This year, the end of the school year means one thing:  The One Year Challenge

The challenge was thrown down by one of my friends, and because I can't seem to say no to a challenge, this is what I'm doing for the rest of the year.  My house is on the verge of becoming painfully cluttered and disorganized.  Really disorganized.  I have one year to get it cleaned up and straightened up and stuff gone that I don't need anymore.  Thank goodness there is enough to do that I can keep switching off jobs, and I won't get bored. 

There are bookshelves to go through, clothes to be sorted, painting to be done, floor tile to be replaced, furniture to be re-done, furniture to be thrown out and replaced...... Well, you get the picture.  And all of these things need to be sandwiched in between gardening, canning, dental appointments, visits from family, and the kids' summer activities.  Plus, planning for the new school year, which starts in just over a month. 

Yes, it's less fun than a vacation.  

However, I think I will find it MUCH more satisfactory.  If I went on vacation now, I wouldn't be able to relax, because I would keep thinking about the horror that is my house.  We're planning on going on vacation next year.  This year, we're concentrating on getting our house cleaned out and organized in one year.  

So far, we have managed to blow through sorting out the kids' clothing (a HUGE job), and a small section of my clothing (an even bigger job!).   I organized my canning supplies already, so that was a big job out of the way, and by organizing those supplies, I was able to organize my pantry a little more.  Or at least find space for most some of my empty jars. But I swear these things multiply at night, when no one is looking.

I have a list of things that need to be done.  It's an ever-growing list.  It's probably never going to end.  I'll just keep adding things as they come up.  I've actually started to hum a little song to myself whenever I add things to it:

The more it grows (tiddly pom) the more it goes (tiddly pom) the more it goes (tiddly pom) on growing.  

And nobody knows (tiddly pom) how long it grows (tiddly pom) how long it grows (tiddly pom) there's no knowing.

I'm looking forward to this process, actually.  A lot of people deem it necessary to try to find a schedule, and stick to it.  My life is constrained enough.  I need the freedom to be able to jump from one project to another, and not feel like I'm doing it in the wrong order.  Some days I'm ready for dealing with clothing.  Some days I want to work in my kitchen.  Some days I want to paint.  Some days I want to be a handyman and do repair work.  As long as I get one thing done a day that needs to be done, I'm okay with that.  It might make things kind of chaotic, but I'm okay with that too.  My life is chaotic.  It probably always will be.  But that's what makes it perfectly imperfect.

Cart For My Canning

Over the last few months, I have acquired a new hobby that is taking up a huge amount of space in my tiny little kitchen.  It's a worthwhile hobby, which is leading to other new hobbies for me.  The best part about these hobbies is that they will (hopefully) be saving my family money, in a lot of different ways.

The original new hobby is canning.  Yep.  I'm a canner and I'm not ashamed of it.  I'm slowly emptying out my chest freezer and canning everything in there that I am able to.  Money saving benefit of this is:  as I empty out my freezer, I won't need such a big, electricity hog, and will be able to invest in a smaller one.  My ultimate goal is to only need it to store milk, baked goods, and flat frozen freezer meals.  It's coming along.  However, I digress.  

The canning equipment is space consuming.  Canning pots (I have a water bath canner and a pressure canner) are BIG.  Really BIG.  They take up a lot of space, and that is space that is better used for food that has been canned, or dry ingredients, or just about anything else.  And then there are the towels, the funnels, the lid lifters, the lids and rings themselves, the jar lifters, the pectin, canning salt, citric acid...... The list is really endless.  And it took over my pantry space quite rapidly.  

Since I have been challenged by one of my friends to get my house cleaned up and organized before the end of the year, I figured this was a good place to start.  I had been on a hunt for a decent cart that can support a lot of weight (that pressure canner is heavy), and store a lot of stuff.  And it had to fit into an area that is about 30in x 25 in.  It had to be under $100.  It had to be sturdy and long lasting.  It had to look decent.  

TALLY HO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The hunt is on!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a couple of months of searching, something appeared at Overstock.com. (No, this is NOT a paid advertisement for them.  I'm not getting anything from them for mentioning them.  This just happened to be where we found the cart.)  Now, Overstock is not my usual go-to place for shopping (thrift stores are really more in my price range), but my mom pointed me in the direction of a really cool cart that just about met all my requirements.  

On Friday, it arrived (three days sooner than originally expected.  Awesome job Overstock!), and was put together.  

 It came with a handle, but I really didn't need it so we didn't put it on.  If there comes a time when I do need it, we still have it tucked away, and will be able to use it.  But it's just perfect handle-less.  

I also had that set of three clear plastic drawers tucked away in a closet, and had used them for some sort of craft supply, but I cleaned it out and am putting it to MUCH better use.   

The three drawers store my funnels, lid lifters, jar lifters, pectins of varying sorts, lid tightener, cheese cloth and jelly bag.  I'm probably going to replace the drawer pulls to something a little cuter, because that's how I roll.  

I also found two small crates when I was cleaning out, These crates are perfect for sorting my rings and plastic lids.  

I can now organize them according to size (wide mouth and regular) which will also speed up the process a little bit.  It was a troublesome having all the rings and lids in one box, and forever trying to sort through them.  Also, the crates aren't enclosed, so if the rings are still damp from being washed, they will be less inclined to rust, because the air flow is better.  Labels for these two crates are coming, and when the arrive and are attached, I will be showing them off.

I already had my lids (also known as "flats") sorted into plastic CD boxes I got from our local dollar store.  I sort them according to "Used" or "New".  The "used" lids are not used for canning, but kept on hand in case some sort of weird crafting bug strikes me, or I want a lid on a jar, but don't want to seal it.  I can use one of the used lids for that.  

I will be properly labeling the boxes later on.  These boxes are stackable, so when my supply of new lids gets out of control (and it will), I can have one box for wide mouth lids and one for regular lids.  

The top shelf is reserved for my "babies".  I actually took down all the large stock pots I use in canning and fit them into the large water bath canning pot on the right.  The lid rests on a pot on the second shelf.  Moving all my big pots to one location freed up space for my empty jars that are currently waiting to be filled with produce from the garden we are putting in (one of my other new hobbies, but that's a future post).  

I now have room under my pantry shelves for my 5 gallon buckets of bread flour and all purpose flour, which is great.  I also have an extra small bucket down there for empty bags or for berries when I get on a berry canning roll.  (It's easier to put unwashed and unprepped berries into the small bucket while prepping them for canning.  But more on that in a future post, when strawberries are ripe.)

So that's pretty much it.  It's a just another chapter in my perfectly imperfect life. I'm loving it, and it's coming along in an awesome way.

Files, Files Everywhere

For years, before I was married, I was a receptionist/secretary.  I also was a film librarian.  (Yes, it's a job.  Basically, I filed a LOT of x-ray, sonogram, mammogram and CT scan films.)  Most of my work experience has been filing.  Making files, filing work orders, bills, payments, x-rays, you name it.  I know my filing.

One of the greatest arguments between me and my husband was about the filing.  He didn't like the way I filed things, or the way I set the files up.  So, I told him to take care of it.  I stopped doing any of the filing.  Everything started to pile up.  At last check, we had THREE YEARS of unfiled papers laying around the house.  I was done.  

So, now that I'm taking control of the filing again, I decided I had to get the filing cabinet out of the guest room/man cave/playroom and into the living room, so I would have better access to it.  When I did that, I realized that an ugly black filing cabinet isn't really going to fit into the style of the living room.  

So now, the projected goal is to paint the file cabinet, and organize all the files in it.  I'm planning on painting it a high gloss white, which will help to lighten up the living room some.   

It's not pretty, but it's functional.  And I will be able to make do.  A fresh coat of paint, and some wonderful vinyl decals or labels from Sunhoney Studio  will certainly give it a great lift.  Maybe I'll even switch out the handles, if I can get them off the drawer front.  

I've got it all laid out in my mind.  It's just going to take a little time, and some cooperation from the weather.  Spray painting on a porch when it's raining outside don't really mix very well.  

I'm excited to show you the progress as it comes along.  Right now, I'm being impressed that I moved the full (overly full) filing cabinet from a very tight corner in the playroom to the living room, all by myself, without injury.  

Always keep moving forward, and when life tries to throw glitches at you, run right over those suckers!  

Holiday Traditions: Easter

"Easter is coming... The goose is getting fat...Please to put a penny in the old man's hat...."
Wait.  That's not right... Sorry.  Lost my head in the holiday confusion again.
I love Easter.  I love the fact that spring weather is right around the corner, that everything is just starting to turn green, the weather is starting to warm up.  It's just awesome.
Holidays always make me think of traditions, and how they are carried forward from generation to generation, and how each generation changes or adds to holiday traditions.
Here at the Landow house, we will start tonight by dying the requisite Easter Eggs, a messy and fun tradition.  We don't go crazy and color with food coloring, or all natural dyes, or anything like that.  I'm a traditionalist.  I like the PAAS egg dying kits that I grew up with, and now my kids are growing up with.  We still manage to get pretty creative with them.

When Sunday morning rolls around this year, the Easter Egg hunt at our house will probably be pretty small.  I'll be having to take pictures of both boys searching and finding eggs, since my husband couldn't get the day off from work.  Their Easter baskets will be the same baskets that they have used for the last eight Easters.  Small, yes, but so very precious to us, because they were made by my dad.  This year, instead of using the highly annoying plastic Easter grass that winds up getting everywhere, (who's still finding pine needles from their Christmas tree in weird spots?  Be honest....)  I'm going to line the baskets with a bright, cheery piece of fabric. 
See?  A new tradition will be born.

After the egg hunt at our house, we will meet my mom at church, for Easter Mass, another tradition that dates back generations.  The parish we attend might change, but the ritual of dressing up and celebrating Easter at Mass doesn't.  After Mass there will be another egg hunt, with all the children from the parish.  They do this every year, rain or shine, and it gives the kids the opportunity to burn off a little of the sugar they have consumed. 
Then it's over to my mom's house.  This year, we're probably having brisket for dinner, instead of the usual (dare I say, traditional?) ham. And that's okay.  It might not be perfect for some, but for us?  It is perfect.  Perfectly wonderful.

I hope this Easter brings you all lots of blessings, lots of peace, and lots of joy.  And lots of perfection that is perfect JUST FOR YOU!

Spring Break? What Spring Break?

Ahhhh, spring break... a time for a quick family getaway, or a fun filled week getting ready for Easter.  Time to relax and have fun.
Right? 
Seriously? 
The only thing different different about Spring  Break for me is the kids are home from school. 
The time around major holidays are not a time when my husband can easily take off from work, so it is pretty much status quo around here.  The only real difference is Frick and Frack will be helping me get the work done.  I hope.

My goal for spring break this year is to work in the morning, and have time in the afternoon for something fun.  So far, we haven't quite made it.  But we're working on it. 

Today I'm having Frick and Frack go through their bookshelf and get rid of all the magazines that are in bad shape, separate out any books that are too young for them, and basically tidying up that area. 

MUCH more neat and tidy... Now, to get rid of the trash.

I need for them to help me make some room for the pegboard I'm going to be hanging in there for their backpacks, so we aren't tripping over them at the front door anymore.  

They just don't stay on the pegs.  Plus, the pegs are falling out.

This is soooo much better!  And out of my way!

I'm really happy with the way it has turned out.  One side is red, for Frick, and one side is blue, for Frack.  I have a friend who makes vinyl wall decals and sells them on Etsy in her shop, Sunhoney Studio.  She will be receiving a custom order from me for two sets with the kids' names, one for where their backpacks hang, and then one for where their coats/seasonal jackets will hang. I can't wait to see order them and see them!  (Shhhh..... if the boys are still into Minecraft around Christmas time, I'm also going to be ordering some wall decals in a Minecraft theme for them. But don't tell!) 

Tomorrow I will be taking Frick and Frack to the library to drop a bunch of stuff off for the summer program.  They needed a bunch of stuff (tee shirts, fake flowers, embroidery floss....) that I happen to no longer need, so I'm more than willing to donate supplies and stuff to that cause.  (Just wait until I really clean out my craft closet and go through all my beads and stuff.  They are going to have much more than they know what to do with.  Just saying.)  

All in all, we're planning on having a productive spring break.  Some fun, some work.  We're on a time limit for our house, and plan to put it on the market in 3 years, so we have a LOT of work to do before we can do that, so everyday has to be a concentrated effort on one or two projects of home improvement.  It might not always be a perfect way to live for some people, but it's perfect for us.  

Stay perfectly you!

One Change and Why

Our house is the perfect starter home.  Or a home for someone who is downsizing.   But for a family of four, it is less than perfect.   If I could make one change to it, it would be to open up the kitchen so I can see into the living room. 
I love to cook, but my kitchen is tiny.  If two people are in my kitchen, there is no chance of doing something like opening the oven door, or the dishwasher.  Everything is very.....compact, to say the very least.  The other problem is that it is very closed off from the rest of the house.  I can't see what my family is doing in the living room, or talk to them without yelling. 
Sometimes isolating myself in the kitchen is a good thing.  I can lose myself in cooking up a storm, trying a new recipe, making a mess, and not having to answer to anyone.   However, most of the time, after a long, quiet day at home by myself, I'm more than ready for some interaction with other humans.  
I guess the thing I would want would be a mostly open kitchen, but one I  could shut off if need be.  (After all, I don't want to give away all my secret recipes and stuff.) 
The main problem with trying to break through the wall dividing the living room and kitchen is the fact that it is a dreaded, very useful load bearing wall. You know, one of those walls that can't be taken down be, because it helps hold the house up.  It can always be worked around, but it is expensive and incredibly time consuming. 
On my wishlist for my next house, I want a more open concept for my living room and kitchen.  With a lot of light.  A LOT of light. 
What would you change in you house?

Organization? What's That?

Today I was asked what my five favorite organization tips are.
(Insert blank stare.)
My only thought was "Five?  I don't even have ONE!"
And then the real fun started. 
I make Rosaries and bags for my church every year for the First Communion class.  It's something I enjoy doing, and feel honored that they ask me to do it.  And you would think that I would know to make extras, for last minute kids that join the class, or move into the area, or whatever.  But I never do. (Trust me..... this is leading to a point)
This year, when the end of year extras came in, I literally had to dig through  mounds of beads and findings and tools and papers (well, you get the point)  to find my rosary making supplies. 

It was not fun, and cut into the the time that could have been spent actually making the darn things.  Everything was scattered throughout my living room, hither and yon in quite a disturbing manner.
After 4 hours of searching, I finally found all the supplies I am going to need, and figured out what I am going to need to order.   I also found one of my old jewelry making cases that will be perfect for storing just those supplies in.  

It's large enough to hold everything, but small enough to be portable.  (Rosaries are great for working on while I am waiting at doctors offices, watching th kids at  Tae Kwon Do, and places like that.)   

  It has a box for tools, one for black beads, one for white beads,











two for other supplies,

and some space left over in the bag for the bagged Rosaries.

 As long as I keep my act together,  I shouldn't have any problem keeping these things in their case, nice and neat, and most importantly,  knowing where they are when I need them.  (See, I told you I would get back to the organization part of this...)

So now, when someone asks me what my five favorite organization tips are, I can tell them about this one, and be satisfied.  One bit of organizing is better than a blank look, after all.

Fast Forward: Where I Want to Be in a Year

Now that 2015 has settled somewhat comfortably around me, it's time for me to figure out where I want to be in a year. 
I'm hoping for better health, once my painful dental problems are cleared up.  (Side piece of advice, kids take care of your teeth.... dentists are your friends, and so is dental floss.)  I'm hoping for less pain, everytime I breathe in.  I'm hoping for no more teeth falling out... You get the picture. 

I'm working towards finishing many works in progress for my house:  the crocheted t shirt yarn rug for my kids room, walls repaired and painted,  bathrooms repaired,  and clutter out of the house.  There are so many projects I've got my fingers into right now, and the number is growing (as always), and I spend most of my time just trying to keep up.  

In a year, I'm hoping that things might be on more of an even keel.  Yes, I know that life will always be chaotic because of my husband's work schedule, my schedule, and the children's schedules.  I'm hopeful, but I'm always realistic.  I'm just hoping that we won't be lurching from one crises to the next, always feeling like the rug is being pulled out from underneath us.

I'm hoping that the garden I put in this spring will be fruitful, and I will be able to put up a lot of veggies for my family, reducing our food bill.   I'm hoping that the weather this spring and summer creates an optimum growing season for all the fruits and berries in the area, so I can make a lot of yummy treats for my children and husband.  I want to spend my summer canning all the fruits and veggies I can so that we will have enough next winter.  

I will sort peacefully through my recipes and get them organized, into binders and folders.  

Basically, in a year, I want to be more organized, on a better financial path, and healthier than I am now.  

Funny, though.... I think that's what I wanted last year, too.

The Law of the Land(ows)

I always used to think the expression "If Mommy isn't happy, then nobody is happy" was pretty silly.
 
Then I became a wife and mother and realized it is nothing but the plain truth.

Not only am I the one to set most of the rules in the house, I'm the one who sets the punishments, too.  There have been a few struggles in our house over things like money and chores over the years, but my family has learned that my ideas are sound, my rules are fair.

My husband and I have had struggles about punishments for the children, stemming from one time when he forbid them to play with their Legos for a weekend.  Since that was their favorite toy, it because a serious bone of contention.  It was winter, very cold and yucky outside, meaning the kids couldn't go outside to play.  I was trapped in the house with two boys, who couldn't play with their favorite toys, and in the end, who really suffered?  It wasn't them.  It was me.  So I told my husband that the new rule was that all punishments had to be okayed by me. There was no point in making me suffer more than the kids were. I was the one who was having to come up with things for them to do.

 Money has also become my domain, and what I say, goes.  If there is a big a purchase we want/need to make, we talk it over, and figure out how to budget it.  If it is just a want, then there is a lot of compromise that has to go on. We learned that from what I refer to as the "XBox 360 Incident".  The XBox became a serious issue for us, because it was bought without any discussion, and caused us some financial issues, that we are still digging out of, over 5 years later.  It wasn't the main thing that caused the issue, but even though it was a fraction of the problem, it didn't help matters.  It was at that time I came up with the rule that all major purchases had to be okayed by me, especially if they were for pleasure, not home improvement.  

We're still learning, because our kids are growing, and circumstances are changing all the time around us, so the rules have to be as fluid as our lives are.  Old rules go away.  New rules come into play.  It's a learning experience for all us, and it is just perfect.  For us.  

Housekeeping is NOT My Thing

I might be a housewife, but I will fully admit that I abhor housework.
Seriously.  I really do.
There are so many more interesting things to do in the world.   Paint a picture,  read a book, bake, cook, crochet, embroidery,  take a nap.... oooh.  A nap sounds nice. All warm and cozy on the couch, under my favorite blanket...  oh.  Sorry.  I got distracted.  I'm back.

Housework. 

About once a month, I wind up reaching some sort of limit as to the level of mess I can handle.  At this time, I go a little nuts, and get a lot of cleaning done at once.  Once a month,  or thereabouts,  I wind up doing a mini deep clean on whichever particular room has reached critical mass.  I have to admit, however, that since I decided to close my business, I find myself concentrating more on my house.

Now when I move or clean off a piece of furniture, it stays cleaned off, more or less.   I find that I am more willing to throw things out.  I'm willing to part with more of the crap that has built up over the years.  I'm finding that I am more willing to take the time to organize and clear stuff out.  It's going to be a long haul.  Things like this don't change overnight.  But I'm glad it is happening, and I'm looking forward to sharing the changes with you.