Debt and Caring

WelshmansDaughter

Ah the tidying one place only to find that stuff has magically gone somewhere else conundrum, I know it well. 
The flat looks atrocious just now SH, I have a car boot sale pile and everything else has just been dumped on the floor 🤦‍♀️

I have so far filled two cardboard boxes with books for ziffit for the grand total of £36.20. 
I have one more box of books and a box of cds to sort. 
This morning I spoke to the mortgage company and have agreed a 5 year fix which should in theory reduce the amount I pay monthly by £120. I'm awaiting the paperwork.

Currently in the loos at the Maritime Museum, no matter where I go I am always most excited to see the loos. I should just adopt them as my new office. 

For drawing people: 
I covet this drafting table. 

Cherryfudge

You could make a name for yourself reviewing loos on Tr!padvisor.  

Lovely piece of draughtsmanship in your photo. My Dad was a draughtsman so I admire a good drawing. I have a few pieces of his work: they are Treasure with a capital T.

Outside of the loos (!), fantastic progress! I did a bit of decluttering this morning but you are way ahead of me. Amazing mortgage reduction, too. That will help the art supplies fund a lot (or maybe the takeaways, you choose).

WelshmansDaughter

One of their exhibitions is of naval architecture, Cherry, the room is filled with drawings of the innards of ships. They also had a display of draughtsman tools. Which I also coveted.

Cherryfudge

That sounds fascinating! I'm not sure I'd understand it in terms of the ships, but a good tech drawing is a work of art as well as science.

Have you tried Googling for 'building that looks like a ship'?

weenancyinAmerica

Our local library was Library of the Year for all of the United States a couple of years ago and One of the top International Libraries of the Year this year. We have a very active staff trying all sorts of things. I enjoy being President of the Friends of the Library that helps pay for this. Even though putting on a large book sale every month and keeping our book store stocked is a lot of work especially when only 7 people are doing all of the work, we keep going because it has been very rewarding. We now have 6 branches, 2 bookmobiles, a Steam mobile (taking science and history kits to be checked out into the neighborhoods), and a book vending machine in our local transportation hub (bus and train). And our our online resources can be "checked" out internationally. And as of this week three of our libraries have increased hours to include being open 7 days a week. The other 4 branches are now open 6 days a week. We were also lucky to get a new mayor who loves libraries. All this from a library that 25 years ago didn't even meet the minimum standards for libraries here.

WelshmansDaughter

Having googled it I am not sure that buildings should be ship shape.
<Giggles madly to herself>
I think the V and A in Dundee is meant to be boat related in some way.
It was great to see the drawings as they are the style I want to use while drawing for the flat.

I am very jealous of your library, it sounds amazing. I especially want the sunday opening as that is just the perfect day for library-ing.

WelshmansDaughter

I am now at the grand total of 49.10 on ziffit. Most of my books are 10 or 20p 😭 save for two at 4.20 and 3.60. 
Car boot sale pile is looking healthy. Ahem.
I shall wave the white flag for today though as the mustiness has gone right up my nose and I am downright spacey. 

savingholmes

White flag accepted. 

You are making great progress. Good luck with the sales. 

I have to keep reminding myself - my goals is a clear space - and only keeping things that enhance that space - useful, beautiful etc - and that money for me right now is the lesser priority. Still a Work in Progress.

WelshmansDaughter

It is quite tempting to focus on money, I keep thinking to myself I could try and sell these myself and make a bit more. But I have no intention of setting myself up as a bookseller, I have no space to store them and most importantly, I would like to do something else with the space and my time.
Too easy to rely on old rules. 

Now the decluttering is secondary to the idea of curation. I am pruning my collection of books down to their purpose and building a reference library. I have books that don't fit this purpose that I want to read so they have a section. 

I get my inspiration from all over, if only there was a Monty Don of interiors sigh... But actually the biggest insight came from Jeremy Clarkson of all people. He captured it perfectly when he said how frustrating it is not to have the skills to do something you have made up your mind to do (something along those lines). 

The problem has never been hoarding. It has been a lack of understanding of what I was trying to achieve. And thus lack of motivation to keep going, loss of energy and so on.

WelshmansDaughter

Deliveroo has saved me money for a change. I tried to order Starbucks and it kicked me out after my payment declined and wouldn't let me back in. Then pret came back open with no filter coffee and I swear I cried like my nephew when he thought the bus was going without him. 

Abandoned it and resigned myself to no treats and just ate porridge with peanut butter and honey, which was surprisingly delicious. So maybe I was just hungry? 

And in the meantime someone has offered 25 for the other bike and will come round in an hour. So I may have treats after all. And by treats I mean going to buy instant coffee and some more teabags as I've just reused one.