Coffee and chocolate

miggy

I'm stuck for where to start. I sense a list in the offing.

[STRIKE]Choose clothes I want to keep out of loft and replace others[/STRIKE]
set laundry rolling - decided this is tomorrow's job
[STRIKE]get bird feeder out of loft[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]smuggle breadmaker down[/STRIKE] and poke about in it :rotfl:
[STRIKE]any other clothes to pack in loft for next month or so[/STRIKE] - I need space
find and update my list on here of friends to keep up with (sorry about grammar)

miggy

FW is askig on her diary, "What three things are needed to change your life around completely?"

That's a really difficult question. A year ago I would have said something about Mum's situation changing but now that has changed - and yes it's made a tremendous difference. I still get small anxiety attacks but nothing like I did. I would probably also have said a different job - essentially I have the same job but going onto nights has made it quite a bit better.

So what would make a difference - in a positive way, I mean, not the roof falling in or an invasion of giant spiders?

Here is a list which I won't attempt to keep to three or prioritise just now:

Freedom from (onerous) responsibility - beginning to tackle the things to do for mum's house has triggered the anxiety again. Deal with by...? Possibly look at some more CBT.
Learn to drive
Lose 1 stone 3.5lbs (not been there for ages!)
do something that makes me feel successful - this could be the decluttering, which in turn might free me to do other things
grow veg!
get my cholesterol down to a good level
clutter-free environment

ani_26

Ermm, can you not write in small print, or is it so i can't read it ?

miggy

LOL, you're quite welcome to read - it's just me trying to make the main points stand out while not losing any possibly-useful thoughts.

Quite a fruitful evening - in the middle of being distracted from the list above, I moved the trampoline and used it as a platform to trim back some of an overhanging tree, so very gradually I feel we're winning, or at least not losing so drasticly to this beautiful little giant. I fetched the afore-mentioned birdfeeder from the loft and put it together. It looks like a Victorian Gaslight and rather to my amazement seems to have been acccepted by the men-folk. It's now hanging by the back door - exactly as a similar one, which came off a Christmas Card, used to hang on my dolls' house, 40 years ago.


(One day I will re-do the dolls' house, I really will.)

I dragged the green bin round to the back and attacked some brambles and sundry overgrowth (leaving the blackberries of course). I've taken a cutting of a blackcurrant bush which I need to stick in water overnight. There are a couple of sapling trying to get a hold by the fence and currently protected by a tide of geraniums and grass, but they're grown four feet in the last year so I gave then a hair cut. Far too close to the house for safety so when I get organised they are going (said she ruthlessly).

The breadmaker is out of the loft and a thick layer of plaster dust came with it. However between the tree pruning and the loft I looked like an extra for one of these films where survivors trek through the jungle, I wonder if the idea came from a similar escapade? - so I gave up on dirty jobs and went for a shower.

DS1 and friend are playing Fifa upstairs, DD has texted to say she'll be home from her holibobs tomorrow and DS2 is bored. Happy summer.

miggy

I asked DH "What three things are needed to change your life around completely?"

One of the ones he came up with was the ability to time-travel. Either he doesn't know the rules or he's a step ahead of the rest of us.

ani_26

Trampoline? Youv'e no excuse for not keeping fit.


I'll be round tomorrow.

miggy

Tomorrow night and the night after, I'm at work. In fact my line manager asked me if I might be available for a couple of days early next week and I said I would so there just might be a few more hours to come before hols.

My German has advanced not an inch in the last couple of days!

Ani - it's about mid-way between Zurich and Lucerne.

DH and DS2 are both at home tomorrow, DD is back from her holiday, I need to visit Mum and I want to take a good look at my winter coats while the weather is warm enough to be making plans to wash them!

In prep for holidays I need to ensure the fridge and fish tank are both cleaned, and there are written instructions for the older children about feeding animals, using the washing machine and dishwasher and emergency contacts. I have started to lay in a stock of teenager food: pasta and chicken feature heavily. DS1 is hoping for a discount on his bills as he will have to get some of his own food and he has a holiday and car insurance to fork out for soon... I don't think any discount is going to make up for that!

I was thinking about my 'three things' list and decluttering really is important. It will make us feel better about our home, more relaxed and able to have people round more easily. I'm not someone who can just chuck stuff out but I need to make progress in this direction. Someone else on Firewalker's thread mentioned only focusing on one thing at once so I shouldn't be impatient but at long last I feel ready to lose a bit of weight as well. In fact that would probably be easier than the decluttering. Why do I hold onto stuff when it doesn't make me happy and I never need most of it?

miggy

It's raining. The sorting winter coats is therefore on hold as there won't be anywhere to dry them after I've done the ordinary washing.

The agenda for today therefore needs to be

1) prep for holiday
2) declutter

The first is okay, apart from DH worrying about things I don't worry about. I guess that helps us cover all bases though. He is concerned that the suitcases won't be the right size. I say that as we're only going for a week, how much stuff do we actually need? I'm glad I got my other summer clothes out though: not only can I feel pretty but I can steal a march on the others by starting to pack and thus removing a source of stress from DH!

No gardening today unless the weather clears, but I promised I'd visit Mum which will take about 3 hours if it goes as usual.

Weather for Zurich - rain and more rain! Packing an umbrella...:)

The real 'frog' is the decluttering so I will come back here and update this post keep myself accountable.

Tidying progress:
DD's clothes rail and shoes
The 'mum' bag - things I take too & from hers
dining table

Decluttering progress:
Serious procrastination going on here.

miggy

Oh dear, the only progress I've made is to clear the dining table! Still, progress is progress. At this rate though the house will never be how we want it.

On the plus side a good visit to Mum, and I got a bag of seed for the 'new' bird feeder. DD has just arrived safely home and Dh is cooking tea.

The garden has grown another 8" or so since this time yesterday, helped by rain, humidity, rain again, more humidity...

Dinner now then work overnight, catch up tomorrow.

ani_26

Has DS been zorbing yet, and if so, what did YOU think of it? :rotfl:


When you think about it, i did similar, donkeys ago, with wooden barrels.


Have a good days night x