Organizing the house

 Organization has never been my strong suit.  I always have the best of intentions, but my follow through stinks.  I get easily overwhelmed and decide to put things off until later.  And, as I look around my house, I realize that I keep creating more piles of stuff here and there. Now, the piles are organized into categories so I suppose that's something.  But, no.  That's just an excuse.  In my head, I know that I do better when things are organized.  I'm more relaxed and I spend less time looking for things because I know exactly where they are.  

One thing that I have come to realize about this entire process is that I can't do it all right now.  I do not need to expect organizing things to be immediate.  I take on too much and, like I said before, get overwhelmed and walk away.  What I need to do is focus on one thing to get organized.  I believe that if I work on it that way, I will actually get it done.  

So, with that in mind, it's time to choose what I need to get organized first.  There are so many choices!!  Scary, isn't it?  And being a sentimental person does not help either.  I like to keep things that bring back wonderful memories.  There is NOTHING wrong with that either.  We live in a world that always seems to be about down sizing and "Less is More".  That works for some people but not for me.  I like my stuff.  I just let it get in my way sometimes.  I recently went through a box of papers from my adolescence and loved looking at all of it.  I don't want to throw it out.  I will leave that job to someone else after I'm gone.  And I apologize ahead of time for that LOL.  

As I look around at everything that needs organizing, I also need to take into account the costs of organizing.  Somethings are going to require storage bins of some kind, such as for the papers I just mentioned.  Somethings are going to need some kind of shelving such as my record collection.  I will be on the hunt for good bargains to obtain these items and will work on organizing based on that.  Maybe that's where I should start.  Who knows LOL

But I'm going to enjoy this process because I know that the outcome will be so beneficial to my mental health.  And the house will look better.  

That is all.

Keeping Up With Things

 

I'm learning in my journey through life that keeping up with things is an important aspect of being an adult.  Now, when I talk about keeping up with things, I am referring to my life.  I am not talking about news and current events.  I will admit that I don't really keep up with those because it's just too damn depressing.  I know that I should, but I don't.  Anyway, that's fodder for another blog.  I'm talking about keeping up with myself right now and things like bills and car maintenance and such.  Sometimes I find myself even being ahead of things and that's an awesome feeling as well.

I was thinking about this morning as I sat at the mechanic's, waiting on my car to get inspected.  I had added a possible tune up to my appointment just to make sure that everything is running properly.  As it turns out, I did not need any kind of tune up.  I have been keeping up, with guidance from my garage, with everything my car needs.  I was prepared to put any repairs needed onto my car credit card but it ends up I only had to pay for the inspection because everything else was up to date.  I have to admit that was an awesome feeling.  And it took a load off my shoulders.  It was a lot of money that I did not have to spend because I've been keeping up with the car like I should.

And with my bills, I have started paying them...usually...well in advance of their due date.  I do this because I have to budget right now and that is fine.  I don't find myself scraping like I used to because I am paying attention and staying on top of things.  Sometimes I do get forgetful about things and pay the bills on their due date, but I have not had to pay a bill late in a very long time. It's nice to have the feeling of accomplishment simply because I am able to manage my money better by paying attention and keeping up with the due dates.  The little things here, people!

Now, I want to work on keeping up with my house better.  I do ok and circumstances right now with Squirt keep some things at bay rather than on a regular basis.  But I work hard during the week and I want my weekends to be about me.  In order to do that, I need to keep up with my household duties more during the week.  Growing up, Saturday mornings were always for chores....after cartoons and cereal.  I think I can manage doing some of that, but I'd like to have my Saturdays freer than they are now, so I gotta get it in gear during the week.  We shall see.

There is a definite feeling of relief that comes with staying on top of things.  I am enjoying this side of myself and proud that I am able to do it.  It has greatly reduced my stress levels and gives me a realistic outlook of the possibilities.  Yay!

That is all. 

Showtunes Friends

 I had a chat last night with a friend about showtunes.  He asked me to share some with him as he missed having that in his life on a regular basis.  We went to college together (my first time around) and I told him how much I missed that too.  I miss having someone to share that kind of music with.  It helped keep me up to date on current shows.  I am so far behind on anything that's come along in the past 20 years as far as theatre goes.  And one of the main reasons for that is I don't have anything in my immediate circle to share it with.  Now, I will say that Lois and I will sometimes listen to showtunes when we have our Sunday porch times, but that's as background music.  I'm talking about sitting and listening intensely to this music.  Sharing specific songs with each other.  And, nowadays, that would also include videos as well since they are so readily available.

It was a fun part of my life that I am ready to get back.  Maybe I need to get involved in a theatrical circle here locally and I could find some music friends there.  Either way, I would love to explore some music with people.  Discover new (to me) pieces and revisit the classics.  Back in the day I could call someone up because I'd just gotten the latest cast album on cd and they would be just as excited as I was.  Several times we had listening parties and a bunch of us just sat around and drank and listened to showtunes.  Those were good times.  I want that again.  

So, if you want to listen to some theatre music, hit me up.  I'm more than ready!!

Fears of being a student

 When I went back to school in 2014 to get my undergraduate degree, I was very excited but also very apprehensive about it.  I was worried that things had changed too much in the decades that I had been in the workforce that I would not be able to keep up with everyone else.  Luckily, I was wrong.  I did just fine.  My classes were mostly in person, with a few online and that worked out well.  But for the first semester, it was always in the back of my head that I might not be able to do it.  But, again, those fears never came to fruition.  And the further I got in my education, the better I got at being a student again.

Coming into this graduate program, I had that same fear about  not being able to keep up.  This time, though, it wasn't because of the length of time in between degrees.  It was because this degree is entirely online.  I looked at it as a challenge.  I knew I was up for the challenge but it did scare me some because I am not, and I have said this before, the most technology savvy person in the world.  I made it through and did well.  I was/am proud of all that I accomplished my first semester.

I am looking forward to my summer break.  It's been a hard year so far, in good and bad ways, and I could use some time just to not be focused.  But earlier today, I did have that fear creep up again.  Will I forget how to be a student over my summer break?  It sounds like an essay I might have written in middle school.  LOL.  I know that it's all in my mind and once the semester begins in the fall, I will be fine.  The anticipation of it is what stresses me out sometimes.  So, I just need to let that go.  I've worked hard and I'm good student.  Taking a few months off will not change that.  I will not give myself more than I can handle because life is too short for that sort of thing.  Ah, well.  Just rambling today about my educational worries.  It's good for me to get them out.  That is all.

Prayer of St. Francis

 I remember singing this in youth choir at FBC in Monroe.  Such a beautiful hymn and an even more beautiful message.  I think this prayer, more than any other, exemplifies what this world needs right now.  Its words are powerful.  Let the words sink in and guide us all.

Quote of the Week

 As I sat this afternoon going through photos and writings and letters that belonged to my Great Aunt Billie, it made me rediscover my love for family history.  Billie has no direct descendants.  Her only child, a son called QB (Quincy Belle Jr.) died unexpectedly in the early 60s.  He was only in his early 30s.  There are so many wonderful pictures of him in this collection.  Pictures that could potentially go unnoticed because most of the family doesn't know him.  They know his name, but that's about all.  I don't want my family's legacy to disappear.  There are important stories to be told and handed down.  I have no descendants.  And even though I don't have much of a legacy to leave right now, I definitely do not want to be forgotten.  That is all.

Excited About Cleaning Products

 These days, I am finding myself getting excited about cleaning products.  I think it may because the end result from using said products is very self satisfying and I will take all of that I can get!  It reminds of Christmas when I would receive a gift of a new set of cookware or something else for the house.  Put that under the tree anytime and I will be totally satisfied!  Anyway, now that I'm doing...or at least trying to do...more cleaning on my own, I am always on the look out for new products and also revisiting old ones.

One of my coworkers told me about this paste called "The Pink Stuff".  She uses it all the time and it's good for most all surfaces.  And I definitely need that, especially in places like the shower.  Admittedly, I'm not good about cleaning my shower on a regular basis and I totally have to get over that...but that's a story for another time.  Anyway, I trust Bowanna (my coworker) especially when it comes to cleaning.  She's always cleaning something, either at home or at work. So, I bought a small container of The Pink Stuff.  It sat under my sink for a few weeks and then, yesterday, I decided to give it a try.  Not in the shower, but on my stove top.  Cleaning my stove top just happened to be on my Saturday list, so there you go.  Let me tell you, this stuff is great!  It did not take much paste to get the job done and the stove top looks fantastic.  Well, it looks fantastic to me, but it will need regular cleanings to keep up.  I can do that, right?  Hmmmmm I see another list in my future LOL  So, check that one out!

I also treated myself to a new mop and absolutely love it!  Most of you know that I have an elderly dog and frankly, he pees a lot.  I try my best to clean up after him but it's a constant job.  Michael had gotten us a steamer for the floors years ago and, while it works well, it doesn't always take care of things as much as I'd like.  Sometimes, after using it, the kitchen just smells like hot piss.  Oh well.  I don't mean to sound unsanitary, but that's life with an elderly dog and I would NOT have it any other way right now.  Anyhow, a new mop was in order and Bowanna, again, gave me this recommendation.  It's so easy to use and did a great job.  The hardest part of it was emptying out the bucket when I was done.  Luckily the bath tub is big enough that I can dump it all out without having dirty water all over the floor. Another score for cleaning!

I also bought some rug deodorizer for the living room rug.  Same reason, but again, I'm taking care of it as best I can.  This was also extremely easy to use.  The smell is reminiscent of baby powder, but that's fine with me.  I don't mind at all.  And it worked.  I think I may need to use it on a more regular basis because Squirt's been peeing on pads on that rug for awhile now, but yes it definitely works.

And now that Michael has his own apartment, I have been able to start using Pledge again.  I do enjoy a nice furniture polish!  It's citrus scented and I love the smell of it.  It does a fantastic job of making the furniture look better and takes away so much dust!  Michael has a hard time with artificial smells and I could never use it.  Now that he's not here, I can and I love it.  The only problem is that it can be very slick.  I was polishing a drop leaf table and some of the Pledge got on the floor.  Let me tell you, every time I walked on that section of the floor I had to be careful or I'd slip and fall!  

So, it seems like the older I get, the more I am enthralled with a new cleaning product!  Or revisiting a beloved one from years ago LOL  Now I want to search for a good toilet bowl cleaner! It's the little things that matter right now.  And I'll take that!  

That is all.