I feel like an anthropologist trying to uncover a lost temple.Annette, on FlyLady's Facebook thread, "Flight Plan for Wednesday, July 21, 2010." She was talking about her bedroom. I'm talking about my house.
Showing posts with label FlyLady. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FlyLady. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Anthropologist
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New Year's resolutions
I spent the day in bed today. I didn't even get dressed. I left the house once to go out to the car to see if I could find my Christmas book & to find the sack of meds I picked up from the pharmacy on Thursday. Even to do that I put on boots & a coat. Now, to most people that would be a no-brainer, but for me? That was a biggie. I've been known to run outside in the snow barefooted.
But if people die in bed, that's the best place to die. In your own bed. Why die in a hospital bed? I've had something sinus going on. Runny nose, that wouldn't stop. Dizziness, a cough, off & on. Headache. Aches & pains. Now Nick tells me he's had a sore shoulder for 2 weeks & I still haven't done anything about it. What do you do for a sore shoulder???
It's finally Saturday. I don't know what day it felt like, but it didn't feel like Saturday. Don had to work. They called Thursday or Friday & asked which day he wanted a no work for. It is, after all, January. And at RR Donnelly, January is just one big work-a-thon. They work every day. Since he had a choice, he took Sunday off.
I got up this evening & Don handed me a lawsuit that had just been served. We have five days from the receipt of this lawsuit to contact them & make payment arrangements. We've been served with 3 of them in the past few weeks, sigh. Merry Christmas!! Guess where Don's January overtime pay is going?
Well, on to happier things, new year's resolutions. These are my 2006 resolutions. Four years later & it doesn't look like things have changed.
So, in checking my email I found one from Guideposts Personal Change. When did I sign up for that newsletter? The subject was 6 Tips for Keeping Your New Year's Resolutions. Uh, ya, ok, let's see what I need to do to keep my resolutions.
This article is by Alex Ferreyra, sounds like Ferrari, but I don't think I'll try pronouncing Alex's last name.
Reading: Haven't even started, so 144 books to go.
Weight: 30 lb. to go
Declutter: The lawsuit just added another layer.
Finances: Sliding further down the hill
Mother's finances: No progress
But if people die in bed, that's the best place to die. In your own bed. Why die in a hospital bed? I've had something sinus going on. Runny nose, that wouldn't stop. Dizziness, a cough, off & on. Headache. Aches & pains. Now Nick tells me he's had a sore shoulder for 2 weeks & I still haven't done anything about it. What do you do for a sore shoulder???
It's finally Saturday. I don't know what day it felt like, but it didn't feel like Saturday. Don had to work. They called Thursday or Friday & asked which day he wanted a no work for. It is, after all, January. And at RR Donnelly, January is just one big work-a-thon. They work every day. Since he had a choice, he took Sunday off.
I got up this evening & Don handed me a lawsuit that had just been served. We have five days from the receipt of this lawsuit to contact them & make payment arrangements. We've been served with 3 of them in the past few weeks, sigh. Merry Christmas!! Guess where Don's January overtime pay is going?
- I still need to lose 30 pounds
- I really need to FACE our finances, argh! FACE is an acronym from FlyLady that means Financial Awareness Continuously Empowers
- Declutter house, uh, ya!
- Mother's affairs. I've been very poor steward of Mother's financial affairs, sigh.
So, in checking my email I found one from Guideposts Personal Change. When did I sign up for that newsletter? The subject was 6 Tips for Keeping Your New Year's Resolutions. Uh, ya, ok, let's see what I need to do to keep my resolutions.
This article is by Alex Ferreyra, sounds like Ferrari, but I don't think I'll try pronouncing Alex's last name.
- Start early. Do you think 2006 is early enough??? I even started my 144 books in 2010 early too. "It's essential to make plans, not have good intentions."
- Keep it real. Don't make "grandiose" plans. "Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint." Well, I know I can't lose 50 pounds by next week, nor can I get finances in order or read 144 books in a "nanosecond."
- Be specific. "Vague resolutions beget vague attempts," University of Scranton psychology professor John C. Norcross, Ph.D. In other words I need to make a plan like I did for my 144 books, hmmm, food for thought.
- Buddy up. It helps to have someone encourage you. Someone to keep you motivated. The reading group on Goodreads can help me with my reading goal. The weight loss forum on Parenting Bipolar Kids can help me with the weight & Clutterbugs can help me with my decluttering, as well as FlyLady on Facebook. Maybe, thinking aloud right now. I think Don & I had better buddy up on the finances.
- Go for something new. If one way doesn't work, go a different route. Hmmmm, that's more food for thought.
- Write what you sow. "Keep track of your highs and lows." As Norcross puts it, "Keeping a journal helps you measure what you're doing over time, which increases the success rate." So, my blog will become my "journal."
Reading: Haven't even started, so 144 books to go.
Weight: 30 lb. to go
Declutter: The lawsuit just added another layer.
Finances: Sliding further down the hill
Mother's finances: No progress
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Voting results
Jessi had to go in last night & finish up the newspaper so that the voting results would be in today's paper. I hope she didn't have to drag Keziah out too late.
Only one of the councilmen that I voted for got in, the other one didn't. The hospital bond failed too, darn!!! Well, I at least have the right to complain now, LOL.
How'd I do on my To Do list?? Not too good. Only one more item ticked off, sigh. Mother's protime/INR level was "perfect" today, 3.0.
The focus this month on Flylady is to plan your menus. I started doing this in 1991 or 1992 & have kept up with it for most of the last 17 or 18 years. Some months I'm not as diligent as I should be, but Don does his a month at a time too. He is very diligent.
When we lived in Grace (1991-93), I dsicovered a book called "Sidetracked Home Executives: From Pigpen to Paradise." This book is where Flylady originated from.
Only one of the councilmen that I voted for got in, the other one didn't. The hospital bond failed too, darn!!! Well, I at least have the right to complain now, LOL.
How'd I do on my To Do list?? Not too good. Only one more item ticked off, sigh. Mother's protime/INR level was "perfect" today, 3.0.
The focus this month on Flylady is to plan your menus. I started doing this in 1991 or 1992 & have kept up with it for most of the last 17 or 18 years. Some months I'm not as diligent as I should be, but Don does his a month at a time too. He is very diligent.
When we lived in Grace (1991-93), I dsicovered a book called "Sidetracked Home Executives: From Pigpen to Paradise." This book is where Flylady originated from.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
October's habit and other stuff
Flylady's habit for October is paper clutter. I did so good the first day. I spent the 15 minutes, but then the next 5 days were a total bust. Tomorrow is a day off, yippee!! Maybe I can do some catch up. I need to go over to Mother's & do some mending. A domestic engineer I'm not.
I love to read updates on others blogs, but usually by the time I've caught up on Facebook, Parenting Bipolar Kids & played my online games, it's time to go to bed, or past time & I've not checked email.
Today was my 2 week check up for my gall bladder surgery. I have 3 little incisions & then a slightly larger one in my belly button. It used to bulge, now it puckers. Dr. Broadbent told me that by the time I see him in 6 weeks for my cancer check up, my belly button will be a nice "inny." The puckers & swelling will be gone. He didn't staple me, he sutured me & my incisions are bright red with inflammation. They are not infected. There were a couple that were infected but I washed them with soap & water 2x a day & used Watkins "tit salve" (petro carbo salve) on them. Don told me it would probably be better if I used triple antibiotic salve. So, since I didn't have any, I bought some. The infection cleared up, but Dr. Broadbent said I must be allergic to the sutures he used. Same thing happened when I had the port-a-cath implanted. I don't remember the incision being infected when I had the port removed.
Mother's blood just gets thicker by a point or two every time we go. Now, she's telling me she has lumps. She had me feel one & it didn't feel like a lump to me. She has a doctor's appt with Dr. Carlson next Thursday, which isn't any too soon for me. She also has a recheck on the INR level on Tuesday.
Mufasa has a spiffy new dog house over at Kents. It's made of cinder block & the door faces south. He won't stay in the kennel though, so they've had to chain him up. It's been so wet & rainy & Zach has the flu, so they haven't been able to fix it. We actually can't see how he gets out. Don thinks he jumps the fence.
He looks so good with his coat clipped. I asked that it be left about 2 inches so that he could grow out his winter coat before the snow flies. They quoted me 35$. I warned them that he is a big dog & was extremely unkempt, read matted. It took her 4 hours to clip him because he was so matted. When I went to pay, it was 70$!! I asked to see him. The receptionist told me that she had to lock the door because he had gotten out of the kennel & came wandering out into the reception area. I laughed & said that is why we call him Houdini. We got back to the kennel room, yes room, & he was in a large kennel. I don't know how he got out, but he had not only got out of the kennel, which was wire to the ceiling, but out the door.
I love to read updates on others blogs, but usually by the time I've caught up on Facebook, Parenting Bipolar Kids & played my online games, it's time to go to bed, or past time & I've not checked email.
Today was my 2 week check up for my gall bladder surgery. I have 3 little incisions & then a slightly larger one in my belly button. It used to bulge, now it puckers. Dr. Broadbent told me that by the time I see him in 6 weeks for my cancer check up, my belly button will be a nice "inny." The puckers & swelling will be gone. He didn't staple me, he sutured me & my incisions are bright red with inflammation. They are not infected. There were a couple that were infected but I washed them with soap & water 2x a day & used Watkins "tit salve" (petro carbo salve) on them. Don told me it would probably be better if I used triple antibiotic salve. So, since I didn't have any, I bought some. The infection cleared up, but Dr. Broadbent said I must be allergic to the sutures he used. Same thing happened when I had the port-a-cath implanted. I don't remember the incision being infected when I had the port removed.
Mother's blood just gets thicker by a point or two every time we go. Now, she's telling me she has lumps. She had me feel one & it didn't feel like a lump to me. She has a doctor's appt with Dr. Carlson next Thursday, which isn't any too soon for me. She also has a recheck on the INR level on Tuesday.
Mufasa has a spiffy new dog house over at Kents. It's made of cinder block & the door faces south. He won't stay in the kennel though, so they've had to chain him up. It's been so wet & rainy & Zach has the flu, so they haven't been able to fix it. We actually can't see how he gets out. Don thinks he jumps the fence.
He looks so good with his coat clipped. I asked that it be left about 2 inches so that he could grow out his winter coat before the snow flies. They quoted me 35$. I warned them that he is a big dog & was extremely unkempt, read matted. It took her 4 hours to clip him because he was so matted. When I went to pay, it was 70$!! I asked to see him. The receptionist told me that she had to lock the door because he had gotten out of the kennel & came wandering out into the reception area. I laughed & said that is why we call him Houdini. We got back to the kennel room, yes room, & he was in a large kennel. I don't know how he got out, but he had not only got out of the kennel, which was wire to the ceiling, but out the door.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Mt. Washmore
Ugh! Fly Lady's habit for August is laundry!!!!! OK, I have to admit that laundry is not one of my favorite activities. I have a batch of laundry that got left in the washer & soured. These clothes are still sour-smelling several washings later.
I do better with the washer & dryer on the same level. When we lived in Woodruff, Utah, near Evanston, Wyo., it would be days before I'd remember the laundry because the laundry "room" was in the basement. But, I still have a hard time with laundry. Out of sight, out of mind, until, of course, I've run out of pants &/or underwear.
So, for August I will try to get on top of Mt. Washmore & stay on top. Rebooting is my big problem. Wish the washer had a buzzer button on it, like the dryer does. Buzzzzzzz, your load is finished, time to take it out.
A quick recap of July's habit, swishing & swiping. Started out great & slipped quite a bit, but I'm aware of it & I swish & swipe more than I don't, LOL.
On another note, a few entries ago, I talked about reverse SAD here and here. In reading a friend's blog I found an interesting e-book, Brighten Your Life. Never knew too much light could cause mania. See Chapter 7, "Side Effects of Bright Light." Maybe that's why in June I was so depressed. Not enough sunlight. Flashing lights will give me a headache faster than anything, but causing mania???
I do better with the washer & dryer on the same level. When we lived in Woodruff, Utah, near Evanston, Wyo., it would be days before I'd remember the laundry because the laundry "room" was in the basement. But, I still have a hard time with laundry. Out of sight, out of mind, until, of course, I've run out of pants &/or underwear.
So, for August I will try to get on top of Mt. Washmore & stay on top. Rebooting is my big problem. Wish the washer had a buzzer button on it, like the dryer does. Buzzzzzzz, your load is finished, time to take it out.
A quick recap of July's habit, swishing & swiping. Started out great & slipped quite a bit, but I'm aware of it & I swish & swipe more than I don't, LOL.
On another note, a few entries ago, I talked about reverse SAD here and here. In reading a friend's blog I found an interesting e-book, Brighten Your Life. Never knew too much light could cause mania. See Chapter 7, "Side Effects of Bright Light." Maybe that's why in June I was so depressed. Not enough sunlight. Flashing lights will give me a headache faster than anything, but causing mania???
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Swishing & swiping in July
FlyLady's habit for July is to swish & swipe the bathroom every morning. This is not going to be a hard one, I don't think. I already do it, not daily like I did for a while, but I was looking at the toilet this morning thinking I needed to start doing this again.
I don't know what harsh cleanser Don used when he cleaned the tub & wash basin a few months ago, but it sure did a number on them. There are lines now on the basin where it dripped down. I gave up after he did that. It doesn't matter what I do, it still looks bad. I shouldn't be complaining because he cleaned it. The finish is also compromised on the tub - ack! I know you can get porcelain stuff to spray on it, but ... that costs money & it doesn't seem like we ever get ahead enough to buy something like that.
Anyway, I have some Lysol wipes & I can do this
I don't know what harsh cleanser Don used when he cleaned the tub & wash basin a few months ago, but it sure did a number on them. There are lines now on the basin where it dripped down. I gave up after he did that. It doesn't matter what I do, it still looks bad. I shouldn't be complaining because he cleaned it. The finish is also compromised on the tub - ack! I know you can get porcelain stuff to spray on it, but ... that costs money & it doesn't seem like we ever get ahead enough to buy something like that.
Anyway, I have some Lysol wipes & I can do this
July 1
The year is half over. So hard to believe. It was warm today. I haven't checked to see what Fly Lady's habit for July is. I'm waiting up for Nick to come home from Dayton. He installed the internet for Kents.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Not posting much
So, I missed some comments, sorry about that ladies. Since the April Rose fiasco, I put some restraints on my blog. I think I'll take off the comment moderation though.
FlyLady's habit for June was to drink water. I was going to find my stainless steel water bottle, but no luck, even though I have half-heartedly looked. I think I need to look a little harder for it & for a few other things.
Today I took my mom to Ogden for an audiology appt. to have her hearing checked, wax cleaned out & renew the insurance on her hearing aids. I have had an outstanding balance of $49.95 since last June there. About six weeks ago, the secretary/bookkeeper asked me to please pay. I said I would. I pulled money out of my savings, had 3 money orders made out, one for McKenzie Law Office for the Cache Valley Specialty Hospital, one for the plumber, & one for audiology. I didn't send the audiology one. So, today, first thing before she even said hi, was to ask for payment. I said I planned on paying it, then she was all gushy & friendly. Made me mad, then dang it, I couldn't find the stupid money order. Where oh where did it go? I wrote out a check on Mother's account. Dr. James took the check so I wouldn't have to deal with the secretary. I've GOT to find that money order to repay Mother. Otherwise it's like I lost $50 cash.
The secretary was barely civil to me when I made the appt for Mother. I didn't want to risk trying to make an appt for me & be told I couldn't be seen until I had paid my balance. Today I said I'd find another audiologist. I also told Dr. James that a doctor is only as good as their support staff.
The good news is, I was able to drive all the way to Ogden & back without getting sleepy. Which is a major accomplishment for me. We went through Weston Canyon, which I think adds about 40 miles, but we didn't have to go down through Logan. Since it was a new route for us, it was more interesting.
Mother didn't sleep either. Usually she nods off & sleeps, but she enjoyed the scenery. By the time I got home though, I was nearly batty after listening to the puff-puff of the portable oxygen. I told Don I could still hear it when I got home.
Nick had told us that we had a bald tire & Mother was nearly sick with worry about it blowing out on us. I had looked at the tires, every single one of them have tread. I told Mother to pray then, because we didn't have time to get new tires today.
FlyLady's habit for June was to drink water. I was going to find my stainless steel water bottle, but no luck, even though I have half-heartedly looked. I think I need to look a little harder for it & for a few other things.
Today I took my mom to Ogden for an audiology appt. to have her hearing checked, wax cleaned out & renew the insurance on her hearing aids. I have had an outstanding balance of $49.95 since last June there. About six weeks ago, the secretary/bookkeeper asked me to please pay. I said I would. I pulled money out of my savings, had 3 money orders made out, one for McKenzie Law Office for the Cache Valley Specialty Hospital, one for the plumber, & one for audiology. I didn't send the audiology one. So, today, first thing before she even said hi, was to ask for payment. I said I planned on paying it, then she was all gushy & friendly. Made me mad, then dang it, I couldn't find the stupid money order. Where oh where did it go? I wrote out a check on Mother's account. Dr. James took the check so I wouldn't have to deal with the secretary. I've GOT to find that money order to repay Mother. Otherwise it's like I lost $50 cash.
The secretary was barely civil to me when I made the appt for Mother. I didn't want to risk trying to make an appt for me & be told I couldn't be seen until I had paid my balance. Today I said I'd find another audiologist. I also told Dr. James that a doctor is only as good as their support staff.
The good news is, I was able to drive all the way to Ogden & back without getting sleepy. Which is a major accomplishment for me. We went through Weston Canyon, which I think adds about 40 miles, but we didn't have to go down through Logan. Since it was a new route for us, it was more interesting.
Mother didn't sleep either. Usually she nods off & sleeps, but she enjoyed the scenery. By the time I got home though, I was nearly batty after listening to the puff-puff of the portable oxygen. I told Don I could still hear it when I got home.
Nick had told us that we had a bald tire & Mother was nearly sick with worry about it blowing out on us. I had looked at the tires, every single one of them have tread. I told Mother to pray then, because we didn't have time to get new tires today.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
One more day of moving in May
Can you believe May is almost gone? I can't. The good news is - there are 5 Sundays in May & Don-Mike gets to cook tomorrow. He's taking the easy way out - a picnic up the canyon, probably Willow Flat. He's going to grill hot dogs & hamburgers. I'd be tired to death of grilling, that's his daily job. But, at least he'll be outside. Now, let's hope the weather cooperates.
Anyway, no formal walking the last couple of days. Today I just didn't feel like it. We went to the Franklin County High School graduation last night. Zach Kent graduated. OMG, the flashes from the cameras were deadly. I knew I wouldn't make it through the night without a migraine once those cameras started flashing. Sure enough, I got one. One particularly lethal flash happened when I was looking directly at a camera. It was dark & I didn't know there was someone lurking over there that was going to blind me. I have known for years that flashing lights trigger a migraine. I wanted to see what was going on, so I didn't shade my eyes. I was wearing a hat, but ... the idiots were taking pictures of the slide show!!!
Fly Lady's habit for June is drinking water. I need to find my stainless steel water bottle that an online friend, Terri from Colorado, gave me one year for Christmas. Fly Lady gave an idea of putting ice cubes in the stainless steel water bottle. What a clever idea! Why didn't I think of that? For one reason, we don't have any ice trays in our freezer, sigh. I guess I'll have to put ice trays on my to do list. If I put ice trays in the freezer that means I have to clean out the freezer in order to put the ice trays in there. I don't want to do anything drastic, LOL.
Today, I have a hangover. It feels like someone bashed me in the head & I'm nauseous. I didn't sleep well last night either, sigh.
Anyway, no formal walking the last couple of days. Today I just didn't feel like it. We went to the Franklin County High School graduation last night. Zach Kent graduated. OMG, the flashes from the cameras were deadly. I knew I wouldn't make it through the night without a migraine once those cameras started flashing. Sure enough, I got one. One particularly lethal flash happened when I was looking directly at a camera. It was dark & I didn't know there was someone lurking over there that was going to blind me. I have known for years that flashing lights trigger a migraine. I wanted to see what was going on, so I didn't shade my eyes. I was wearing a hat, but ... the idiots were taking pictures of the slide show!!!
Fly Lady's habit for June is drinking water. I need to find my stainless steel water bottle that an online friend, Terri from Colorado, gave me one year for Christmas. Fly Lady gave an idea of putting ice cubes in the stainless steel water bottle. What a clever idea! Why didn't I think of that? For one reason, we don't have any ice trays in our freezer, sigh. I guess I'll have to put ice trays on my to do list. If I put ice trays in the freezer that means I have to clean out the freezer in order to put the ice trays in there. I don't want to do anything drastic, LOL.
Today, I have a hangover. It feels like someone bashed me in the head & I'm nauseous. I didn't sleep well last night either, sigh.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Moving in May
FlyLady's habit for May is going to be moving for 15 minutes a day.
Here's an update on making the bed every day. It has been done. Maybe some days it's not as neat as it could be, but the covers are pulled up, the CPAP reservoir has been filled and my pillow has been fluffed. It's kind of hard to make a bed with cats piled on it. We walk by the bedroom & check to see how many cats are on the bed & who they are, LOL.
Bedtime, I'm still trying to do this, it's still around midnight, but not nearly as late as it used to be.
We're watching American Idol tonight. I like Kris. I still don't have a favorite this season. I was so disappointed last year when David Cook won & not David Archuleta. I'm afraid Adam Lambert will win, but then he's good, so why not?
I just found out today one of my online friends died in FEBRUARY!! And we just found out!!! The good news is she didn't die alone and we found out. It's just that I've known this lady for almost 10 years & even though we didn't email every day, we could go for months, usually my fault for not staying connected. She would reach out to me & now she's gone & I didn't even realize I hadn't heard from her for a while. Of course, now I'm worrying about Junior, her cat. She lived alone, what about the cat & the rabbit in the back yard? Mother thinks the cat was probably turned loose.
We are going to have a virtual walk around the world visiting 89 countries that represent where FlyLady members are from.Am I ready for this? This means not only am I going to have to walk or exercise for 15 minutes a day, but check into my FlyLady account, sigh. The arch of my left foot hurts. It could be plantar fascitis. I'm not going to the doctor or the nurse practitioner to check on it. I've been wearing some support on that foot & it helps. I'm also trying not to wear the shoes that caused it. I will definitely try moving or exercising.
Here's an update on making the bed every day. It has been done. Maybe some days it's not as neat as it could be, but the covers are pulled up, the CPAP reservoir has been filled and my pillow has been fluffed. It's kind of hard to make a bed with cats piled on it. We walk by the bedroom & check to see how many cats are on the bed & who they are, LOL.
Bedtime, I'm still trying to do this, it's still around midnight, but not nearly as late as it used to be.
We're watching American Idol tonight. I like Kris. I still don't have a favorite this season. I was so disappointed last year when David Cook won & not David Archuleta. I'm afraid Adam Lambert will win, but then he's good, so why not?
I just found out today one of my online friends died in FEBRUARY!! And we just found out!!! The good news is she didn't die alone and we found out. It's just that I've known this lady for almost 10 years & even though we didn't email every day, we could go for months, usually my fault for not staying connected. She would reach out to me & now she's gone & I didn't even realize I hadn't heard from her for a while. Of course, now I'm worrying about Junior, her cat. She lived alone, what about the cat & the rabbit in the back yard? Mother thinks the cat was probably turned loose.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter Sunday
I woke up this morning about 5 in pain. I ached all over, I thought I might throw up, then wondered if it was diarrhea. Nothing that easy, just pain. I came out in the front room & sat in the swivel rocker/recliner. I swiveled it away from the bright light from the network server & sat there dozing fitfully until Don got up, gave me some ibuprofen & I went back to bed.
Nick woke me up about noon to tell me that I wasn't needed in the library. Don had called & said it was "covered." Instead of going back to bed, I got up & put the roast on. I bought a 5 pound pork roast last night. Eddie has gone home, so I don't have to worry about having dinner ready & over by the time he has to be home. I'm using a recipe that is appearing in the Citizen this coming week, Coca-Cola brisket or something like that. They didn't have a brisket at the store last night, not that I would have been able to afford it anyway.
So, my new "project" for the month is to continue striving to make it to bed "on time." But I'm changing my bedtime to midnight. Also, I've been a FlyLady fan for a long time & the monthly habit for April is making your bed every day. That is something I've pretty much mastered. Even if I go back to bed in the middle of the day, even though people die in bed, I get up & remake the bed. I have a selfish reason for that. Our bed is "catland."
As you can see by the picture, our cats share the bed with me in the morning. Here I am working on a daily to-do list & Jae is practically on my lap; Prissy is on my right side, against my knee; Sammy, the yellow cat; Brackin, at the end; and Marsha, the gray cat sitting up.
Nick woke me up about noon to tell me that I wasn't needed in the library. Don had called & said it was "covered." Instead of going back to bed, I got up & put the roast on. I bought a 5 pound pork roast last night. Eddie has gone home, so I don't have to worry about having dinner ready & over by the time he has to be home. I'm using a recipe that is appearing in the Citizen this coming week, Coca-Cola brisket or something like that. They didn't have a brisket at the store last night, not that I would have been able to afford it anyway.
So, my new "project" for the month is to continue striving to make it to bed "on time." But I'm changing my bedtime to midnight. Also, I've been a FlyLady fan for a long time & the monthly habit for April is making your bed every day. That is something I've pretty much mastered. Even if I go back to bed in the middle of the day, even though people die in bed, I get up & remake the bed. I have a selfish reason for that. Our bed is "catland."
As you can see by the picture, our cats share the bed with me in the morning. Here I am working on a daily to-do list & Jae is practically on my lap; Prissy is on my right side, against my knee; Sammy, the yellow cat; Brackin, at the end; and Marsha, the gray cat sitting up.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Lent, Day 14
I was reading testimonials & emails from the inbox on my FlyLady email account. I have an email account just for FlyLady. Anyway, one of the subject lines caught my eye & I decided to read it instead of filing it somewhere. "Fighting Fatigue." That's what I do ALL the time.
Last night I was ready to turn out the light & go to bed at 11:30. I had done everything I needed to be in bed by 11:30 for the first time since I started this, but ... you knew there was a "but" didn't you? Sammy was laying in front of my pillow. He came in hurt tonight, he could barely limp. Brackin was down further, but both cats were on my side of the bed & I hated to move them. Finally, I scooted Sammy over a little bit & crawled in bed. I covered Sammy & moved my legs around Brackin. They both were purring, but I wasn't very comfortable. Finally, I put the CPAP mask on & went to sleep. I woke up when Don came to bed. He puts the cats in the laundry room when he goes to bed. So, I knew I could stretch out & be comfortable. I woke up at 9:35 again this morning. I got up after 10. What is this with 9:35??
Back to the FlyLady email on fighting fatigue. A FlyBaby from Pennsylvania had written in explaining Lent & she said:
Don-Mike came by on his way home. He had driven Nan's Am, his Trans Am, to work today & came over to say good-night & get his Mustang. He parks Nan's Am here, out by the old garage, & the Mustang is garaged at his house. When he bought the Trans Am I said it must be a keeper, it has a name. He bought it from a lady named Nannette & it was already named.
Last night I was ready to turn out the light & go to bed at 11:30. I had done everything I needed to be in bed by 11:30 for the first time since I started this, but ... you knew there was a "but" didn't you? Sammy was laying in front of my pillow. He came in hurt tonight, he could barely limp. Brackin was down further, but both cats were on my side of the bed & I hated to move them. Finally, I scooted Sammy over a little bit & crawled in bed. I covered Sammy & moved my legs around Brackin. They both were purring, but I wasn't very comfortable. Finally, I put the CPAP mask on & went to sleep. I woke up when Don came to bed. He puts the cats in the laundry room when he goes to bed. So, I knew I could stretch out & be comfortable. I woke up at 9:35 again this morning. I got up after 10. What is this with 9:35??
Back to the FlyLady email on fighting fatigue. A FlyBaby from Pennsylvania had written in explaining Lent & she said:
My Lenten commitment this year is also related to FLYing. I've been doing part of your system but not all of it. I finally realized that the biggest hindrance for me is fatigue. I've never really committed to an evening routine, I stay up too late (my "me" time), and I'm always tired. I know my body, and my family, deserve better. You've said time and time again how important the evening routine is, but some of us are just stubborn, I guess.I guess I need to see what a FlyLady evening routine is. I obviously have one, don't we all? Mine just isn't written down.
So, for Lent I'm giving up going to bed late. And I'll build my evening routine (in babysteps!)
Don-Mike came by on his way home. He had driven Nan's Am, his Trans Am, to work today & came over to say good-night & get his Mustang. He parks Nan's Am here, out by the old garage, & the Mustang is garaged at his house. When he bought the Trans Am I said it must be a keeper, it has a name. He bought it from a lady named Nannette & it was already named.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Lent, Day 2
Ok, last night I turned the computer off at 11:30. The idea is to be in bed by 11:30, not start getting ready for bed at 11:30. I turned off the light & crawled into bed at 11:50. I had to take my meds, get my pajamas on.
I had to FIND the bed before I could crawl into it. Remember my Lent project is 2-pronged. I will declutter, give up junk, AND get to bed earlier, give up late nights. In this first part of my project, cleaning & decluttering the end of the bed is supposed to help me get to bed easier.
Yesterday morning I pulled out a box & put it on the bed. I didn't do much with it, & then needed to get it off the bed so we could go to bed. As I put the box back, I took the clothes that I had found beneath it & put them in the dirty clothes. They were clean when they were tossed there, but who knows how long they've been there & whether cats have laid on them or spiders have crawled in them. They were on the floor, therefore they are dirty.
This morning, I pulled the same box back on the bed, only this time I emptied it. I'm almost afraid to tell you how long I think it's been there. The box has fancy embroidered towels from Don's mother's house. She died in August of 2007.
This is the fanciest, but they all have some sort of crocheting on them. It has crocheting on the bottom of the towel & that is a wash cloth tucked in the basket. It also has some of her plastic canvas things from her front room, still with pens & stuff in one of them that hasn't been looked at or cleaned out.
FlyLady says you can't organize clutter, but I think you can at least give it a home. I have a lot of homeless stuff. Some of that stuff needs to find a home in the landfill, but not all of it. And you need to know what you have before you can find a home for it.
So, I got off the computer at 11 tonight, but when I went in to clean off the end of the bed again, this is what I found. Sammy had found the empty box & was giving himself a bath.
Two of the girls, Jae & Marsha, were on the bed. Jae still sleeping & Marsha had sat up to see what was going on.
So, it is now 11:20, but I'll finish this entry & try again. This morning, I didn't wake up until 9:30 & finally crawled out of bed at 10. I have to work tomorrow, so I hope I'm up before then. I have to be to work by 9.
I had to FIND the bed before I could crawl into it. Remember my Lent project is 2-pronged. I will declutter, give up junk, AND get to bed earlier, give up late nights. In this first part of my project, cleaning & decluttering the end of the bed is supposed to help me get to bed easier.
Yesterday morning I pulled out a box & put it on the bed. I didn't do much with it, & then needed to get it off the bed so we could go to bed. As I put the box back, I took the clothes that I had found beneath it & put them in the dirty clothes. They were clean when they were tossed there, but who knows how long they've been there & whether cats have laid on them or spiders have crawled in them. They were on the floor, therefore they are dirty.
This morning, I pulled the same box back on the bed, only this time I emptied it. I'm almost afraid to tell you how long I think it's been there. The box has fancy embroidered towels from Don's mother's house. She died in August of 2007.
This is the fanciest, but they all have some sort of crocheting on them. It has crocheting on the bottom of the towel & that is a wash cloth tucked in the basket. It also has some of her plastic canvas things from her front room, still with pens & stuff in one of them that hasn't been looked at or cleaned out.FlyLady says you can't organize clutter, but I think you can at least give it a home. I have a lot of homeless stuff. Some of that stuff needs to find a home in the landfill, but not all of it. And you need to know what you have before you can find a home for it.
So, I got off the computer at 11 tonight, but when I went in to clean off the end of the bed again, this is what I found. Sammy had found the empty box & was giving himself a bath.Two of the girls, Jae & Marsha, were on the bed. Jae still sleeping & Marsha had sat up to see what was going on.
So, it is now 11:20, but I'll finish this entry & try again. This morning, I didn't wake up until 9:30 & finally crawled out of bed at 10. I have to work tomorrow, so I hope I'm up before then. I have to be to work by 9.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Lenten season
One of my favorite sites is FlyLady.net I have subscribed to her emails for years. Before FlyLady I tried the Sidetracked Home Executive (SHE) card file system. Some of the things make sense. I've used the menu system for almost 20 years. But we still live in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome).
FlyLady seldom sends out anything Christian in nature. Last year she sent out an email about Lent & she did again this year. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we do not celebrate the Lenten season.
I have always thought Easter was way overdone. We, our family, haven't celebrated Easter for years as the rest of the world does. We don't do the Easter eggs or the fancy Easter dinner. I did not want to lie to my children about the so-called Easter bunny like we did for Santa Claus. I figured one stressful holiday was enough.
I've always liked the Advent calendar & the 12 days of Christmas. Maybe it fits in with my OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). I can do things for a certain amount of time, but to do it for any length of time is just incomprehensible to me.
I'm doing pretty good on my morning routine. I get up, make my side of the bed (Don's already made his side of the bed), fill my CPAP humidifier with water so I don't have to do it just before I go to bed, get dressed to my shoes, comb my hair, feed & water the cats & take my meds.
Bedtime is another story, sigh.
Anyway, I digress, as usual. She sent out an email from a lady that had just come from church & was thanking FlyLady & saying she was going to declutter for Lent. FlyLady emailed her back & said she had written a book about decluttering. The FlyBaby replied:
So, FlyLady sent out a request for FlyBabies to send their ideas for things to give up for Lent. She's not saying you have to give up anything for Lent, but she planted a seed.
Instead of giving UP something for Lent, one lady said:
Again, I digress. I've decided I'm going to add something to my life for the next 46 days & I'm going to sacrifice something for the traditional 40 days of Lent.
I'm going to set a bedtime & stick to it. Now, that's a novel idea, go to bed at the same time. Me, go to bed at the same time? I haven't decided when I'm going to bed, after all, I've still got 2-3 days to think about it. But it should be at a decent hour & before midnight.
Now, the sacrifice. I liked this:
Stay tuned ..........
FlyLady seldom sends out anything Christian in nature. Last year she sent out an email about Lent & she did again this year. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we do not celebrate the Lenten season.
I have always thought Easter was way overdone. We, our family, haven't celebrated Easter for years as the rest of the world does. We don't do the Easter eggs or the fancy Easter dinner. I did not want to lie to my children about the so-called Easter bunny like we did for Santa Claus. I figured one stressful holiday was enough.
I've always liked the Advent calendar & the 12 days of Christmas. Maybe it fits in with my OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). I can do things for a certain amount of time, but to do it for any length of time is just incomprehensible to me.
I'm doing pretty good on my morning routine. I get up, make my side of the bed (Don's already made his side of the bed), fill my CPAP humidifier with water so I don't have to do it just before I go to bed, get dressed to my shoes, comb my hair, feed & water the cats & take my meds.
Bedtime is another story, sigh.
Anyway, I digress, as usual. She sent out an email from a lady that had just come from church & was thanking FlyLady & saying she was going to declutter for Lent. FlyLady emailed her back & said she had written a book about decluttering. The FlyBaby replied:
I have it and have partly read it .. its lost in my clutter LoLShe could be describing me. I have it, have partly read it & it is lost in my clutter, or my storage unit, or Mother's storage unit, or maybe it is in Don-Mike's storage unit, or did I mention it might just be lost in my clutter??
So, FlyLady sent out a request for FlyBabies to send their ideas for things to give up for Lent. She's not saying you have to give up anything for Lent, but she planted a seed.
Instead of giving UP something for Lent, one lady said:
I decided that instead of giving up something for Lent, I would ADD something healthy to my life.Ok, the Lenten season is to commemorate the time Christ spent in the wilderness & was tempted by Satan, I thought. Another interesting thing that I just found out as I searched the Internet for Lent is that it depends on where you live & what denomination you belong to as to how Lent is calculated!! Western Christianity calculates Lent as starting on Ash Wednesday & goes to Holy Saturday (btw, I've never even heard of Holy Saturday), leaving Sunday out! So, Lent is actually 46 days, not just 40.
Again, I digress. I've decided I'm going to add something to my life for the next 46 days & I'm going to sacrifice something for the traditional 40 days of Lent.
I'm going to set a bedtime & stick to it. Now, that's a novel idea, go to bed at the same time. Me, go to bed at the same time? I haven't decided when I'm going to bed, after all, I've still got 2-3 days to think about it. But it should be at a decent hour & before midnight.
Now, the sacrifice. I liked this:
Dear FlyLady,So, I am publicly posting this on my blog so that I will be accountable. I will make an entry each day to report my success and/or my failure on my endeavor(s).
I picked up this handout at church recently: The Forty Trash Bag Challenge. It looked like a great idea, and it fit right in with the Decluttering for Lent email I just got in my inbox. Here is the Forty Trash Bag Challenge:
Every day during Lent this year, empty one bag of 'stuff' that is no longer needed from your house, totaling a loss of forty bags of stuff!
Then there were 5 ideas & it ended with this paragraph:
As the family accepts this challenge together, bonds will be created that will last a lifetime. Lessons are also learned not just by saying, but by putting it into practice. Here, the simple lesson will last throughout life that having fewer things can lead to a greater contentment in life.
(Credit due to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for this handout on vocations and family faith formation)
Stay tuned ..........
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
BratFactor.com
I checked my Freecycle group tonight, firstly to say that I had received two bags of winter clothing for the Kiwanis Club Coats for Kids Drive. Secondly, to offer a black & red computer keyboard that Nick is going to throw away because it is cheap & the legs on the bottom are broken off. While on that email account, I checked the emails from FlyLady.net, BratFactor.com, Every Day Cheapskate, Living on a Dime, & Heroic Stories, five newsletters that share that email account.
At Brat Factor I signed up for Pam Young's 365 Surprise. Every day she sends a short email. I got behind on them because I wasn't checking that email account every day until I added Freecycle to that account. I knew the emails from Freecycle would get lost in the clutter on raynib9@yahoo.com. So, now I check that account everyday. I'm down to 50 unread surprises. Seldom do I throw one of those surprises away. I've subscribed now for almost 3 years & she seems to send out the same ones every year. Every so often I'll search to make sure I haven't saved duplicate messages.
So, why am I blogging about this? The first email I opened today was Oct. 7 & she asked what kind of thoughts you have when you fill up at the gas station. She said she caught herself thinking, "What if ..." thoughts of fear one day as she was filling up her gas tank; thoughts about inflation & how that would inevitably lead to a file in her brain filled with past thoughts of financial struggles.
Today, as I filled up the tank & watched the numbers whirl, I was grateful that we weren't paying $4.12 a gallon as we were in July. A man at the pump across the island from me was telling me that now crude oil production is being cut back so that the price of gas will go up again. I've always been afraid of filling up a car. These thoughts & fears go back over 30 years to my days of living in Salt Lake City & the fear I had of stopping at a strange gas station & having to go in & pay for the gas. I would run out of gas rather than stop & buy gas. I had a hard time going from Cache Valley to the big impersonal world of a city. It was a constant struggle. I've always been full of static electricity & would get shocked when I touched a gas pump. I was always afraid the gas pump would blow up because I touched it.
It's only been the last few years that I haven't been afraid to fill up the gas tank. My family gets the credit for helping me with that fear. I still drive until the empty light comes on. One reason being that I don't bother to check my gas gauge. I forget.
Pam quoted Caroline Myss in the Oct. 7 email:
Tonight I picked up a box that came from somewhere. Things at my house just seem to suddenly appear, bubble up out of the black hole. Kind of reminds me of the musical, "Brigadoon." I took the box in the bedroom, sat down on the bed & started going through the box. I found a sack of scrapbook supplies from an October scrapbooking seminar a few years ago. I found a planner that I had started to make with laminated pictures & favorite quotes with a few entries from 2001. It wasn't finished & I hadn't finished using it. The only thing I can surmise is that it went missing & now, seven years later, it has bubbled to the surface again. I didn't want to throw it away, but wondered what I could do with the thoughts & pictures. I thought about dismantling the planner & making myself a small booklet of those pictures & thoughts to look at while I was filling up the car.
If I put the box back where I found it, it will probably go missing again with only one or two things thrown away & one thing rescued. Then I wonder why there are so many boxes & messes, sigh.
At Brat Factor I signed up for Pam Young's 365 Surprise. Every day she sends a short email. I got behind on them because I wasn't checking that email account every day until I added Freecycle to that account. I knew the emails from Freecycle would get lost in the clutter on raynib9@yahoo.com. So, now I check that account everyday. I'm down to 50 unread surprises. Seldom do I throw one of those surprises away. I've subscribed now for almost 3 years & she seems to send out the same ones every year. Every so often I'll search to make sure I haven't saved duplicate messages.
So, why am I blogging about this? The first email I opened today was Oct. 7 & she asked what kind of thoughts you have when you fill up at the gas station. She said she caught herself thinking, "What if ..." thoughts of fear one day as she was filling up her gas tank; thoughts about inflation & how that would inevitably lead to a file in her brain filled with past thoughts of financial struggles.
Today, as I filled up the tank & watched the numbers whirl, I was grateful that we weren't paying $4.12 a gallon as we were in July. A man at the pump across the island from me was telling me that now crude oil production is being cut back so that the price of gas will go up again. I've always been afraid of filling up a car. These thoughts & fears go back over 30 years to my days of living in Salt Lake City & the fear I had of stopping at a strange gas station & having to go in & pay for the gas. I would run out of gas rather than stop & buy gas. I had a hard time going from Cache Valley to the big impersonal world of a city. It was a constant struggle. I've always been full of static electricity & would get shocked when I touched a gas pump. I was always afraid the gas pump would blow up because I touched it.
It's only been the last few years that I haven't been afraid to fill up the gas tank. My family gets the credit for helping me with that fear. I still drive until the empty light comes on. One reason being that I don't bother to check my gas gauge. I forget.
Pam quoted Caroline Myss in the Oct. 7 email:
"What drains your spirit drains your body.She said she made out a 3"x5" card with an uplifting message that she will take out when she fuels her car to read to keep those "What if ..." thoughts at bay.
What fuels your spirit fuels your body."
Tonight I picked up a box that came from somewhere. Things at my house just seem to suddenly appear, bubble up out of the black hole. Kind of reminds me of the musical, "Brigadoon." I took the box in the bedroom, sat down on the bed & started going through the box. I found a sack of scrapbook supplies from an October scrapbooking seminar a few years ago. I found a planner that I had started to make with laminated pictures & favorite quotes with a few entries from 2001. It wasn't finished & I hadn't finished using it. The only thing I can surmise is that it went missing & now, seven years later, it has bubbled to the surface again. I didn't want to throw it away, but wondered what I could do with the thoughts & pictures. I thought about dismantling the planner & making myself a small booklet of those pictures & thoughts to look at while I was filling up the car.
If I put the box back where I found it, it will probably go missing again with only one or two things thrown away & one thing rescued. Then I wonder why there are so many boxes & messes, sigh.
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