Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Resolutions 2016 - Lets Take A Look Back At August



Resolutions 2016 - Lets Take A Look Back

You maybe be thinking "Resolutions! this woman is crazy!" because so many people make them but let them slide after a couple of months, or we just totally forget what out life goals were for the year by getting caught up in work and daily family life, this happens but you still have plenty of time.

I learned to write down what I want to get accomplished and place it where it can be seen more often than not, A refrigerator door is a good place, or a bedroom mirror.

How am I doing? Lets see. For the eighth month of the year- August.

One - Stop shopping so much and use up the stockpile. 

I am very proud to say "accomplished" for the month of August. I have to think back but I can only see the mayonnaise and pineapple. However, I did buy cases of home canning jars to put up my own home grown vegetables and fruits. I am out of stock with Dog food and I am low of toilet paper. Other than that the pantry is going to be a work of art, so to speak, with jars of the goods I have left and will not restock as they were before. This year this room had transformed.

Two - Start a new business.

This one was going very strong for the first six months of the year and then the other two businesses/ jobs got in the way. Maybe, just maybe I can bounce back this fall and winter but its not looking good for the produce and plant business, I do have many house plants growing and they are getting full and nice, so who knows, Maybe this was a starter year and not really a full business. A fail for this one in August.

Three- Replace the old worn out, things and thoughts.

It seems I am a magnet for certain types of people. The crazier, the more they cling to me and I have no idea why. Then they turn my life upside down with their drama and its like a field day for them because they insist on more attention by putting me down. Yes I have gotten rid of a couple more of those toxic people, toxic to me anyways.

I have taken away more old junk. I have began to look at things as not a want, I am learning to view things as a need to live instead of a want for something pretty to look at. August was a good month for cleaning out an old life that does not exist anymore, its been gone for seven years.

But I this will take awhile but I am up for this challenge, so this one is a complete accomplishment for the month of August.

Four - Be more selfish and do more for myself. 

I knew this resolution would be the hardest ever for me because I am always the one taking care of others But ya know what? I am beginning to say no, a little more. I am beginning to turn off the phones till I wake. I began to buy me a new shirt instead of someone else. I began to " listen" and know that I am being used and controlled and I am cutting my loss and walking away.

I am trying my best to not be so sensitive. Although people hurt my feelings often I am not going to show it. I will just walk away because I can do without that in my life.

So Number four is an accomplishment for the month of August.


Three out of four is not bad at all! And I still have four months to go.

How about you? Have you changed your life any this year?

By Andria Perry
Photo By Andria Perry


Sunday, August 28, 2016

My Minimal Hoarding Life - Day Two




My Minimal Hoarding Life - Day Two

August 28, 2016 

I decided to go to work today after Church because its was not going to rain and I could get the help I needed, Tony drove his truck and would supervise the roof repair since he is feeling much better and I do not like climbing a ladder. 

Last night I figured up about how many 1 x 6 x 12`s  that was needed but I did not know the price of these, a roll of felt roofing, two pounds of 8 penny nails, two pounds of 16 penny nails and one pound of 20 penny nails. One heavy duty facial mask for the inside work.

Me and Tony went to Lowe`s home improvement store and when I seen the cost of one piece of lumber my heart sank to the floor, it was $8.48. I only had $75 on me today. I already have the felt roofing and the nails and mask and that was $30 without tax.

Tony seen this stack of lumber that had something wrong with it and he told me to wait right there he would be right back. I did. He came back with one of the employees and he said " sure I will see how much." Tony told me that sometimes they will sell the bad stuff cheap and then I remember once before and all they wanted to reduce it was half price so I told him not to get his hopes up. 

The employee came back with another man and he counted it up and said " How about $20?" Tony said " okay" and we headed to check out. Tony seen three 2 x 4 x 8`s and had chunks out on the side and he said " how much for those?" The man said " Ah, I will throw those in."  At this moment I am holding back  cause I want to run and hug and kiss this man and thank him for selling all this for that cheap!

I had to do 2 Transactions and that was fine by me, the first was $35. The employee told the cashier to ring up every piece of lumber and he would fix it afterwards. It all rang up to $168!! He came over and scanned his card, did the over ride and scrolled down to cull and just like that it was $20 plus tax , $22.00

I was beyond happy! My prayers were answered. For months I have prayed for God to send me help and the materials to fix this roof so it would not ruin the house, $203 worth of material for $57! Thank you God!

I got the material at the house, the help had cut out a bad spot in the roof, Tony supervising, I tossed the lumber up on the front porch roof and handed them the nails, they got to work.

I worked inside cleaning. I used the mask because of asthma and the dust, plus I took down some of the ceiling that had water spots and it had leaked there, that was a mess.

I did get rid of more junk but for the most part I cleaned the living room and I moved all the furniture into the bedroom, except one chair and a small table and lamp.

Next I am wiping down the walls.

That was my Sunday, how was yours?


By Andria Perry
Photo By Andria Perry

Saturday, August 27, 2016

My Minimal Hoarding Life - Making Progress Slowly



My Minimal Hoarding Life - Making Progress Slowly


August 27,2016

Since I spent the most of my week working, for pay, I decided to do work for me today, a Saturday, at the old home place.

But when I take the help with me they are getting confusing, jumping here and there and not finishing anything before beginning something else.

I have to get the roof on first, there is no question about that so Tony walked around the place and seen where I could salvage lumber and not have to buy those pieces. But.... Then the help wants to check out prices at the lumber mill verses Lowe`s home improvement store or home depot home improvement store. 

WAIT! 

First I want them on the roof to see what lumber has to be replaced, if any! I put the brakes on that. That is the plan for the next working day there at the old home place. On the roof, with paper and pen. Write down where and how much will have to be replaced, then I will go from there.

As for me I mowed the grass but it was not really that bad and did not take to long so I began to get rid of more junk, well its trash. I loaded the trash can up half way.  I also tossed a huge stack of magazines that were old and smelled musty.

I plugged up the refrigerator and put some Diet cokes and water there so that we all have something to drink, its still hot in central Alabama, within minutes you are soaking went with sweat.

I realized that I also need to write a plan out for myself, I did a mental list on the way home of what I need to take with me, a biggie is a face mask so not to inhale all the dust.

I have a feeling Tony wants this house fixed back for me because he is in fear of dying, so that I might down size and move back in if need be, or if he is in the hospital a long time I will have a place closer, this house is 3 minutes from the hospital.

I am ready to get this house cleaned up and painted. I have furniture already there so I would just have to take back a few pieces.

 I feel comfortable being there anyways, I lived there for around 23 years.

Have you started another new project, or are you like me and have a long term project to get cleaned up and organized?

By Andria Perry
Photo By Andria Perry

Monday, August 1, 2016

My Minimal Hoarding Life - Last Saturday


 
 
Ever have one of those days, or weeks, the more you clean the less it looks like you did anything? That was my Saturday.

The "everyone" bathroom was disgusting, the sink was nasty and the toilet was awful! I made sure I cleaned this room first, if I were a visitor I would have ran. Why was it so dirty? Tony decided that was his and I was not to use it, but he did not clean it at all. I told him today the deal is off because it was so bad. I made sure it got mopped and I cleaned every single item out from under the sink and wiped it out. I wiped down the door, inside and out and wiped down the vanity with fantastic with scrubbing bubbles. Cleaned the mirror.

Since it was pouring rain I washed the laundry and used the electric dryer instead of hanging them out on the clothesline, I have only used it a few times since May so its all good. I got two loads of laundry washed and dried, That included changing all the bed sheets.

I took out a car load of recyclables to drop this evening at the donation bin.

I disposed of all the trash that is not recyclable and dumped a bucket full of peelings into the compost pile.

Next I had to deal with the pantry, I had a mouse come in ( R.I.P.) and it chewed holes in two bags of gluten free crackers, the crumbs were everywhere. I cleaned up that mess and then I began the switch. I am switching out the dishes that are in the top of the kitchen cabinets that I don`t use often, mostly holidays, with the boxed foods and cracker, etc. so that IF another mouse finds its way in it can`t party down on my food. I also bought small clear tubs for many of the other products I have in my stockpile. I just can`t deal with mice walking on my food.

After dinner I cleaned the kitchen and I mopped that floor.

Sometimes I have to let the normal vacuuming and dusting go to get other things accomplished in the house. I got a lot finished today.

I did buy new small clear storage tubs today but it was not to hoard things but to protect my food from future rodents. I am not a mouse lover at all.


By Andria Perry
Photos by Andria Perry