KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Charly27

Aww Pooky take care. Reach for the 02 first, in other words look after yourself as you can't take of anyone else with the flu. GQ same goes for you, often it's when you stop doing all the practical stuff that it then hits you like a train. Mrs MP so sorry about you son's phone. Would he even know your landline number to have called. So many of us don't anymore. At least he's all right despite lack of sleep and all the worry. Grrrr!
We have Kondoed ingredients (including allotment leeks from last year) into a batch of carrot, ginger and coconut soup (8 servings), spiced butternut squash soup (another 8 servings) and a small vat of Tex Mex beef (probably four dinners for the two of us). Just some bolognese to do tomorrow (sorry to any genuine Italians, I know it owes nothing to Italy)! I've cleaned downstairs and KM'd a magazine and a couple of flyers and a lot of dog hair! Just got to take some bulbs, plants and tools round to DD and DS and collect washing machine for DSS and DIL. (£60 on gumtree) They exchanged today so will definitely be helping them move Friday. Then we're going to auction to look for beds for them. They'll still have to buy mattress so we'll see what the reserves are.
I will also try to finish my marking so I can take several boxes back to work tomorrow. I found one solitary saffron crocus this morning. I need to grab those stamens before we have more rain. No idea what happened to the others! Take care all.

mrs-moneypenny

Charly you are probably right everyone store numbers to their sim or phone memory now instead of in their heads don't they.

Kondoed bag of DVDs into the staff room at lunchtime, more mags from the attic out in recycling and a bag of cushions down from attic ready to go to the CS on the next visit.

A saying I like is "you can't pour from an empty jug-take care of yourself first" in other words if you don't take care of yourself you'll have no strength or energy to look after others.

Going to go and juggle some books now to try and make the 'to be read' ones that won't fit on the bookcases neater and more accessible

GreyQueen

Afternoon all.

A very good proverb about the empty jug, I shall bear that in mind and take the rest of the day off, apart from some very basic washing of dishes. I'm extremely tired. Today has been taxing and made more so by various IT problems. Everything my team does is on the 'pooter, so when the pooters are poorly, we're struggling.

Gosh, I mean, I had to answer a phone call today by pressing an actual button on an actual phone, rather than by using the mouse on the pooter. It was ....... I dunno ........ so 20th century.:rotfl:

Aunt and I played nicely for most of yesterday apart from one point when she chose to take a swipe at Cousin (her DD), who wasn't arriving to help until mid-afternoon. As in, what was Cousin doing that was more important than finishing up at the bungalow?

I pointed out, somewhat waspishly, that Cousin works full-time, has osteo and rhumatoid arthritis, spent 5 hours doing very hard work the day before on top of a hard work week (manual job) which was itself on top of working very hard the weekend before which was on top of another hard work week. And that she will be back at the job on Monday and was having a morning off and a pub lunch with her family before coming over.

I think she got the picture. I could have pointed out the Cousin's younger brother has done squat towards this whole process, his dear wife also, but I didn't even think of that.

:mad: I honestly think Aunt (last in the workforce in the early 1960s), hasn't a clue about modern women's commitments. She worked for 8 years from 15 to 23, whilst living in parental home, married and then had Cousin and never hired out her labour after signing her marriage lines. And not because they couldn't have done with the money.

*and breathe*

Funny asides:

Me to Mum, brandishing a damp teatowel we'd been using for last mug washing at bungalow: This is like those other two I'm having but it's sopping wet. Can I leave it here for washing and pick it up next time?

Mum Of course. But we've lost Summer.

Me: ????????

Mum; they're a set, you've got Autumn and Winter, this is Spring but Summer got used and worn up. I think it's a rag somewhere.

I've always been one sandwich short of a picnic but now I am officially one season short of annual teatowel heaven. It's like Gary the Towel all over again.

Me: Who's David Brady?

Mum; How the hell should I know?

Me; the pillowcase on the back bedroom bed has got his name tape sewn into it.

Mum; Probably got it secondhand somewhere.*

If anyone knows DB, and he's lost a polycotton pillowslip of 1970s type design, please apologise on my mother's behalf.

* Actually, I hope we got it secondhand, I wouldn't like to think we'd been nicking our linens of the Brady Bunch's washline.:rotfl:

mrs-moneypenny

Lol, Dh has got a t-shirt with a name tape sewn in(not his name) -its a Land Rover one he swapped someone at work for. I'll apologise now if I'm the only slattern of a wife who doesn't label her DHs clothing -but really how many grown men have proper embroidered name tapes in clothes? I suppose I really should have taken it out by now he's had it a few years.

I've just been in the music/DVD/bookcase room and kondoed a load of books into a box for the CS along with some other stuff that called out that it no longer wanted to live here if it wasn't being used- things do that now.
We might have to do a CS run at the weekend as there will be at least 3 bags/boxes by then. Plus planned visit to my mum will result in 2 big bags of Christmas presents and a carrier of books and DVDs leaving the house

Floss

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

... I'll apologise now if I'm the only slattern of a wife who doesn't label her DHs clothing -but really how many grown men have proper embroidered name tapes in clothes?

My DS2 has his school name label inside his wedding suit jacket - they were an "I don't need these now he's yours" gift to his bride just before the wedding and she sewed one in so he'd know which jacket was his at the end of the night :rotfl::D

MMF007

Yipee! The videos have left the house.
Last evening DH asked me if I had a bag for stuff gojng to CS.
Certainly, what do you want to put in it?
A book.
Here's the bag, feel free! :T

just one book added by DH so far but it may call to its 'relatives' and more may be added to bag if I leave it in a prominent place...

I mentioned to a client that I was calling at tip on the way home and she asked me to pop a worn out pair of shoes in there too. Happy to oblige

Although off topic you may enjoy this as much as I did:
Client's DH is quite a way along the road with dementia and often reads to me or shows me photos when I visit, although he cannot quite remember who the folk are (I am getting better at not asking him now. I comment on how lovely they look or the garden they are in, etc, rather than ask something he simply won't be able to recall).
Well today he was reading to himself and I was sorting the washing out nearby.
He said, 'You have done it perfectly'.
Aw, thanks, sez I.
A minute later he said, 'You really have done it so well'.
I knew he couldn't actually see me so curiosity got the better of me and I asked him what I had
done so well.
His reply was, 'Created the earth'.

I assume he was reading the bible at the time so I shan't put it on my CV :rotfl:

GreyQueen

MMF007 wrote: »

He said, 'You have done it perfectly'.
Aw, thanks, sez I.
A minute later he said, 'You really have done it so well'.
I knew he couldn't actually see me so curiosity got the better of me and I asked him what I had
done so well.
His reply was, 'Created the earth'.

I assume he was reading the bible at the time so I shan't put it on my CV :rotfl:

I dunno, MMF007, I think you'd make a fair fist of it. Imagine how tidy and uncluttered a post-kondo world would be.

Spent an hour running this evening around town in pal's car hunting YS labels (it started so innocently with me offering her a pillar candle from Nan's and went downhill from there). All home now - with groceries. Heavily discounted groceries; what's not to like?:rotfl:

Just before finishing at the bungalow, the last tiny bits of detritus were being scooped up including one little thing from the hearth which nearly went in the bin. Closer examination revealed it to be my great-grandad's dog tag from WW1 (Nan's father). No one could recall ever having seen it before but it had his name and regiment on it. We're putting it in the display case with his medals and other ephemera which will be handed to the care of the next eldest sister down, and then to her daughter and grandson, all of whom have expressed interest in being the custodians.

I've thought about my GGD in the past few days. He was in the Somme, winning the military medal for gallantry for rescuing the wounded under fire. We have a pay book of his with its cover ripped to pieces by the shrapnel which it caught when in his chest pocket (and the bit of shrapnel).

I wonder what he would have thought if, in all that hell, someone could have told him that he would live into the 1970s, be able to hold the great-grandson named after him and meet a gaggle of great-grandchildren? I expect at the time he barely thought he'd live to see the end of the week, let alone make old bones. He was one of four brothers out there. Two died, two lived.

Humbling thoughts.

PollyWollyDoodle

Haha - good to know he thinks so highly of you!

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

some other stuff that called out that it no longer wanted to live here if it wasn't being used- things do that now.

I love that idea. I think I need to start listening more closely to my Stuff.

kboss2010

I'm a serial hoarder and more and more I'm realising it's an emotional thing - fear of being without and not being able to replace things I may need. I understand where it comes from but it's irrational, unnecessary and needs to stop because it isn't doing me any good mentally.

As I'm clearing space and not filling it again, I can feel myself being able to breathe better. Very odd feeling.

My latest attempt at losing the junk is my collection of candles. I love candles and have just decorated my flat so I've decided to start actually burning the many, many candles I've collected over the years. I have decorative candles I've had sitting on my shelves since I was a teenager (some are 15 years old!), scented ones that are favourites that are no longer made and various assorted bargains from charity shop clearances and gifts. They're all being burned and, in my attempt to not be wasteful, the remnants of wax and shells with no wick left are broken down, melted in an old Yankee candle jar and made into a new candle.

Small steps.

MMF007

GQ, humbling indeed. I cannot help but shed tears every Remberance Day, the suffering and the loss is almost incomprehensible.

Mrs MP, that is a great way of putting it, 'things that no longer want to live here'. I like that

Kboss2010, not easy to start with but believe me it gets so much easier with practice, you do feel less anxious and 'lighter' / less burdened. I had a lot to give the joy test to and a lot to release. It's taken me a year and a bit so far but I reached a real tipping point (oh, a pun!) about 10 days ago and now I can't stop peeking jnto kondo'd drawers and rooms and grinning So start where you are and keep going with it, we're all rooting for you! :T

M