Hoarding - A New Start

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

blossomhill wrote: »

It just goes to show that extreme abusers can be hoarders and hoarders can be abusers ... but one doesn't necessarily mean the other is inevitable

Yup. And hoarding can be used as a hidden, subtle form of abuse or become a form of abuse, whether with or without evil intent behind it. But it can be stopped at any point and that will halt further damage being done - everyone here who has cleared out one item they would ordinarily have kept proves this - it's not a one way journey unless you choose it to be.

Nobody has to be a hoarder, anyone can choose to be someone who values what is truly worth it, whilst learning to appreciate things for their transience as well, without trying to force them to become permanent.


*********

I've been pottering around today and not doing much. I'm feeling a bit under the weather and I'm on a bunch of antibiotics (and 3 different antiemetics) because my bloods came back a bit dodgy and I've got sore and painful gums, so I'm flossing (one of my most hated things) and using tons of mouthwash in case it's the start of oral candida.



I've copperfoiled all the glass pieces for soldering next week, run out of washing to do, dumped a few tatty bits of clothing (although the binmen haven't been around for nearly 3 weeks now, so there's no space to put it into the bin on the offchance they turn up within the month, so it's sitting by the kitchen bin annoying me), done the dishwasher and unless I want to upset the cat with some vacuuming (which I really CBA with, to be honest), I've got nothing else to do.




Anyhow, I've come to realise that I'm a bit bored. So does anybody know of a good and cheap GCSE maths course of books? I did OK at GCSE but it was a long time ago, and I think I would need to do it all again before I considered registering on an AS level course next summer. I also need plain language if I can't get a tutor, as I need to be able to 'see' things before I can understand them, and lots of books just don't do this, they burble along and I just glaze over. I'd even go through answering all the questions, just like you do at school. But it needs to do the initial teaching bit that a person would ordinarily do, as school workbooks usually leave that bit out.



At the same time, I'm thinking of registering for a ceramics short course. It's hard to decide, but I can almost feel my brain turning to mush. I have to do something!

tibawo

Not been on for a while. I am into last box in my room. Have kept on top of not dumping in living room and have to clear table in dining room and do daily jobs tonight whilstbgirlsat brownies.

One thing positive about the snow is I've had to walk to work and enjoyed it.. More so dd2 asked if we could walk. Hopefully this will help with weight and budget!

Not sure which area to tackle next. I'm thinking of getting sewing machine out to do the curtains I bought yonks ago. I even bought all the bits to go with them. Once done that frees up my big wheeled bag to put my craft fair bits in which then has a further knock on effect as these are benign hoarded and need sorting!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

tibawo wrote: »

Not been on for a while. I am into last box in my room. Have kept on top of not dumping in living room and have to clear table in dining room and do daily jobs tonight whilstbgirlsat brownies.

One thing positive about the snow is I've had to walk to work and enjoyed it.. More so dd2 asked if we could walk. Hopefully this will help with weight and budget!

Not sure which area to tackle next. I'm thinking of getting sewing machine out to do the curtains I bought yonks ago. I even bought all the bits to go with them. Once done that frees up my big wheeled bag to put my craft fair bits in which then has a further knock on effect as these are benign hoarded and need sorting!

Is the surface you'll do the curtains on clear?

If it is, that sounds like a good idea, as curtains never seem to take as long as you think they will - it's always 'why did I leave it for so long?', probably because it's usually just a few straight lines on nice straight, flat, even fabric. Not much faffing around.

And then hang them straight up! Don't think 'oh, I'll put them up at the weekend', do it straight away and you can see the results of your work and get them out of the way! And put the sewing stuff back where it belongs, too. That way you have a clear table, no curtains loitering around and you have something nice at the window.

JayneC

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Anyhow, I've come to realise that I'm a bit bored. So does anybody know of a good and cheap GCSE maths course of books? I did OK at GCSE but it was a long time ago, and I think I would need to do it all again before I considered registering on an AS level course next summer. I also need plain language if I can't get a tutor, as I need to be able to 'see' things before I can understand them, and lots of books just don't do this, they burble along and I just glaze over. I'd even go through answering all the questions, just like you do at school. But it needs to do the initial teaching bit that a person would ordinarily do, as school workbooks usually leave that bit out.

Try this http://www.khanacademy.org my DS has been using it as I was Home Educating him (he's just gone back to school now though) and he thought it was great, has lots of subjects as well as Maths (but is US so the history is interesting;)

More stuff Freegled - I'm on a roll and put up my 'blanket blind' in the bedroom (trying to make it a bit warmer) and rehung some pictures, last jobs in there done:D

Forgot to say - loved the IKEA ad...

lostinrates

Panic.....

I went to put on a favourite elastic ated beaded bracelet and one of the strands snapped. I don't have the dexterity to fix this but neither do I want to get rid of it.....

What do i do?

Keep it, see if dh can fix it? Keep the one bit I really love the most?

blossomhill_2

lir
any chance of a "before" photo of the bracelet so I can see how complex the beading is? or a link to a similar one online?
Jewellers would restring for a price, or if it is costume jewellery may be a case of finding a local beading course and asking the participants if one would be willing to repair

JayneC

lostinrates wrote: »

Panic.....

I went to put on a favourite elastic ated beaded bracelet and one of the strands snapped. I don't have the dexterity to fix this but neither do I want to get rid of it.....

What do i do?

Keep it, see if dh can fix it? Keep the one bit I really love the most?

Perhaps it may help to ask these questions -
Will your DH realistically be able to mend it?
Will he actually get round to mending it?
How likely are you to take it elsewhere to repair it?
If you keep it, where will you keep it - or bit of it?
If stuffed in a drawer, what is the point of keeping it? Won't it just make you sad everytime you see it?

I say this as someone who has finally disposed of pieces of broken bracelet that I was going to 'mend' they had been in a box for years, no good to me...

Broomstick

(((((rosieben))))), hugs, I've had a bit of a cry today as well.

frizz2 wrote: »

So I like to look forward and focus on one of my favourite saying "Life rewards Action." I like this because then I can focus on moving forward.

Thank you. Those three words are now written down and stuck on the notice board right in front of me.

B x

Goldiegirl

I've been reading about people's childhood experiences.

I knew I was lucky with my parents, and when I realise what some of us on this thread had to deal with as children, it has re-inforced that knowledge.

I had a very happy childhood. My parents were not extreme hoarders, but they weren't the sort of people to throw things away either. I put it down to their youth during the war - make do and mend and all that.

I remember that I gave toys to younger cousins when I felt I had grown out of them, but there was never any pressure to get of things. In fact, they would probably have been quite happy for me never to get rid of anything at all.

So in adult life, if we got something new, maybe like a TV for example, I would never get rid of the old TV, it would go up into the loft. So although my house itself was quite tidy looking, just open a cupboard or venture into the loft, and there was all sorts of old junk lying around, because it just didn't occur to get rid of it.

Then, when my parents died, I felt it was very difficult to give away things that I associated with happy memories, so I brought home far too much stuff, which resided in the loft.

So, I think my childhood has influenced my feelings about possessions, but obviously, my experiences have been very different to some that have been mentioned.

About 3 years ago, I started a major decluttering programme which is still going on. The things that are left are in the category 'I didn't even think about getting rid of those'. Having read other people's postings, I have been challenging that view, and have realised there are indeed things that can go.

This thread is so helpful, I wish I'd joined MSE earlier

blossomhill_2

Goldiegirl wrote: »

So in adult life, if we got something new, maybe like a TV for example, I would never get rid of the old TV, it would go up into the loft. So although my house itself was quite tidy looking, just open a cupboard or venture into the loft, and there was all sorts of old junk lying around, because it just didn't occur to get rid of it

Brilliant, this was like my parents' life too, all in the loft

In later years my widowed mum would buy something new she needed and I'd go round and she'd say "they delivered my new microwave today, and do you know the best thing? ((beaming smile)) They took the old one away!". She was as pleased about that as having a new one, and I didn't quite understand until after she died ... and we found everything they'd ever owned while my dad was alive, stashed in the loft by him.

I've been working out what I can eBy that fits in an envelope - as I have found about 5 years supply of envelopes - if you receive anything in a My Little Pony envelope from the 80s - that's me!