Courage! Oh, My!

I know it does not look like
much, but I got the drawers
of my dresser emptied,
organised and closed.

Hard to feel encouraged when it is this
bad.  Oh, well.  I did something, rather
than going back to bed and trying to
forget about it.
(Also got some laundry & dishes done,
some bills paid, supper cooked
and a tiny bit of scrubbing on
our dirty siding.
It was a perfect day for scrubbing,
but anything involving lifting has
to be done in "little bites," for me.)

Project Trimming

It was a dull Monday morning.

I thought I should get to work on
something.  (Dull!  Dull!  Dull!)
Well, I usually start with the dishes.

It's not that the dishes weren't
screaming to be done.

The bedroom's piteous moans
had finally penetrated my Monday
gray haze.

Hey, I could make an entire blog post
about the stuff on the bed that doesn't
belong there, why it is there and what
I should do about it.
Now, this crewel embroidery kit is
listed on eBay.  I must not lose it.

Well, THAT was a process!
It is now in the box with the
other things that are listed for sale.

If I do that with everything it could
be a funny post, but how much
actual improvement would I see
today?

So, I have trimmed my project from
"I've got to clean this room!"
to
I'll clean off the bed, sort the stuff
and put it away.
That could take a lot of time,
not to mention physical
and mental energy.

Too much trimming.

Strip the bed!
OK, it looks better, already.
Oh, the mattress cover is wearing out.
Well, I'm not going to go get a
new one, right now.
I should wash it
(and hope it doesn't get worse.)
THEN when will the bed get done?

(think think think)

Yup, that's true.
Back to work.

There is no way I deserve to have
such pretty sheets!

BUT
I will not punish myself or postpone
the pleasure of using these.

Well, that did not take long.
It looks kind of nice...

if I don't look around!

Note:  I was so tickled to find
the folding bookcase
(really cheaply at a thrift store)
to put within reach of the bed!
I stopped congratulating
myself when I loaded it up
(temporarily, of course)
and discovered I had placed
it too close to the table.
I'm starting to forget what
is in that drawer... :)

So, by trimming my project
from cleaning and reorganising
the whole room to making
the bed look pretty good,
I actually got to a sense of
accomplishment
AND
supper is all ready.

My inclination is to look
around and see what
still needs to be done
(and wonder how I can
ever do it.)

Perhaps I'm learning something.

Perhaps. 

Baby Step

It is hot, but there is a fan in the
kitchen.  With it blowing directly
on me I was able to do a few dishes.

Not a huge improvement,
but something got done.

I think this picture symbolises a part
of my difficulty.  Fact is, I'm kind of
picky.  The dishcloth, knit by my Mom,
is just not enough.  I also use the plastic
scrubbie and the little off brand eraser
thing helps tremendously with finger-
prints, lip prints & other filmy yuckies.
I think, part of the reason I don't get
as much done as I would like may
be that I want them done well - and
my way!  Learning to let go of this
is a process.  Oh, is it ever a process!

One of the things that help me keep
from utter despair, when it comes
to my housekeeping, are the
glimpses of beauty that lighten my
heart.  :)

Inspired by a Friend

I cleaned an organised one cupboard.

Seems like there might be a better
solution for my bagged foods
and maybe for that handy
hand blender, too.

Baby Step

OK, it's ridiculous.
OK, it's overwhelming.
Will one tiny step even help?

Well, yes.

I Did...

1. got my breakfast and medications down
2. got a package prepared and put it, along with the one I prepared yesterday, out for pick up.
3. filled the ice cube tray
4. started a load of laundry
5. got dressed
6. chatted online with a dear woman who can use my support, now and then

If, dear reader, this list looks strange to you, you probably have not been faced with my kind of depression or anxiety or what ever this is.

I awoke, this morning, feeling good.  The long list of things I need to do did not oppress me.  I felt like I could do them all -- in a single bound!  By eleven o'clock I wanted to crawl back into bed.  I forced myself to do a little more, including starting that laundry load (modern conveniences are such a blessing in the household chores arena) then, since one of my tasks is to send an email and I had sat for an hour, in I came.  I wrote (typed?) the above list to remind myself that I actually had done something, this morning.  I didn't even bother with the fact that I put away a few dishes from the drainer. 

Seeing so much to be done often overwhelms me.  I feel there is no point in doing the little nibbles that I know I can do, because there is so much more to do.  I think I need to start celebrating the tiny triumphs; the little clear area, the meal cooked, the box straightened and put away!  Perhaps then I won't feel quite so worthless, when it comes to my housekeeping.  If I don't feel so worthless, maybe I will get more done.  We shall see.  It can't hurt to try, can it?

I'm Still Here... Happy St. Valentine's Day

I may not be doing much but I'm still
interested in having my house look pretty,
be comfortable and function well.
This is in the bathroom!

Progress...

My dear husband wanted to know
what I wanted to do, today.

I told him I wanted to get the
Christmas tree down,
the dishes done,
dinner made
and
for him to put together the
second set of book cases
I bought on clearance
quite some time ago.

The tree came down when
I brushed by it.
I took off the rest of the
decorations
and Uncle Si (DH)
took the tree out of the
stand and carried the
tree outside, for me.

THEN
he put together that pesky
book case.
He and Oneson carried
it up to the attic, too.

So, the tall blue box, right foreground,
in this picture from December,
is now waiting for recycling day,
rather than leaning on the
wall where we walk into the living room
collecting other boxes.

The dishes?

Well, I filled the drainer twice.
They are not all done.

(Progress,
not perfection.)

...and the chili was good.

I'm Not Fussin'

We were rather ill and my
clean up project got slowed
down.  I was determined
to add some "pretty" among
the stuff, anyway.

So, even though I wanted to have it
look nicer, in here, I'm satisfied, on
most levels.  We had a nice day.
Some things looked nice.
We had a simple meal and
some nice treats -
not as many as I sometimes have made.
I think we all were relaxed
and had a nice time.

Good enough!

Happy Christmas!

Trying to Focus

on the good parts.
The tree.

The table.



And not the stacks...



... and stacks...

... of things that are not
getting done.
I'm less miserable, anyway.
I will get them done.
Rome wasn't built in a day.
Slow and steady wins the race.

ok,
then...

Progress is not Fast Enough! Perfection, Now!! (pant, pant)

This is how my living room looks, now.
Well, right now my sister is sitting in that chair, as we both do some catching up online, so it actually looks much better than this.  My sisters (I have three) brighten up any room.
Anyway, I want it all done!  Right now!  I'm laughing at myself.  I have been having a period of physical discomfort, family has been around (yippee) at my Dad's, next door and Oneson and my DH have been passing a nasty little cold around.  These are not good enough excuses for my impatient self.  I still want more on the tree and less on the floor!

This is Thanksgiving Day.  I think progress has been made.  I have to see the glass as half full -- and the living room as half empty!  Now, I am really amusing myself.

Christmas Decorating - Day One

My new motto:
Not perfection; progress!
or
Progress, not perfection!

So, not only did I affix a pair of skates
and some greenery to the
front door
(which needs sprucing up) 
Ouch!  Pun not intended!
I also put a couple of cloths on the table
 (although the dishes are not all done)
 and hung the seasonal curtains in the bathroom.

Close up shows the "compote" hiding
the hole and part of the stain
on my mother's tablecloth.

Thankful for Encouragement!

OK, project has taken priority.

How are we going to celebrate Thanksgiving
in this mess?!

With help from Si and Son.

Not perfect,
but
progress.

There was room to sit and talk.

There was a pretty uncluttered table.

There was food to eat.

There was giving of thanks!

How blessed I am!

A Little Progress

It may not seem like much to some
people, but the fact that I could set a
pretty table for my guys without
hours of work clearing the room
and the table was a big
encouragement, to me.
The occasion was a birthday dinner
for my son.  Fortunately,one
of his favorite meals
could be made to fit into
my Dad's stringent diet.

Claiming the Blame -- and a Little Encouragement

Today, I lay weakly upon my bed and cried.

I knew I should get at the mess, but I was discouraged.

Even the sink and counter that I had kept up with for a few days, was a mess again.

The hall has not got clogged, much.

There is only one extraneous bag on the old table, if you don't look at the "to be filed" tub.



The chair remains open, but the floor space is shrinking, again.



Begun, but not done, still describes the further wall cleanup and beautifying project.

The top of the piano looks fine to me, but oh, how am I to ever just sit down and play away?

At least the bathroom is not bad.

My poor bedroom!

Oh, dear!

Well, some progress has been made.
I haven't done much, lately.
Wouldn't it be lovely to get it all
done quickly?!

Looking back, I can see some small improvements.
What had begun as a confession of guilt, ended up encouraging me just a little bit, after all.