Saturday, July 22, 2017

My Minimal Hoarding Life - Do One Thing and Do It Right



July 22, 2017

A couple of weeks ago I declared defeat. This place, this life defeated me. 

After an entire day in bed sleeping off the exhaustion I got up the next day, whined a little more about how my muscles were aching and got on with life, I had hit bottom and now it was time to climb back up to the top. 

Its been nearly a year of working two jobs, thank God one has been slow and easy, and with that and taking care of the outside and insides took its toll on me. I was needed inside to care for someone, I was needed outside to mow the grass by push mower, the rider was broken down, and tend to the animals. I was needed to clean and wash load after load of laundry. The calls from one business and having to stop and go all the way into work, sometimes for only 1/2 hour but still it interrupted the whole day of "at home" duties. I had stopped writing because there was no time for it at all. Overwhelmed is what happened, the chaos was to much. 

SO I QUIT!

That is right!  I quit worrying about getting every thing done. Stood back and took a good look around.



I decided to let the outside go. With having only a push mower running and the rain every few days the grass was already out of control, mow an area close to the house and let the rest go till I get what I need to get that job done, either the rider fixed or a new one. So far neither has happened.

What I did was made the plan to mow one evening a couple hours each week and call it quits. I cannot afford to kill myself mowing because this year it would be a non stop daily job, if the rain permitted. 

Writing 

I stopped writing, I took a couple hours ( or one) before bed to be social and that was it, once a week I wrote one blog because I needed to get what I needed done here, a clean home. I kept up one blog and only one.

For more on the blog click here : The Homestead  

Inside My Home

Well, when you are divided five ways, and you take a minute for this and a minute for that nothing is done right, nothing is really clean. 

I began in one end of the house deep cleaning and worked my way to the other side. It really helped when some of the medical equipment was no longer needed and returned, I did not have to move all that and dust anymore. 

Next I took a couple days to organize the stocked home canning, I needed to know what I had for the Winter and what I need. I  wrote down the list and labeled each box for quick picks when cooking. 


I do have one more room to super clean and that is this office, I am glad it does not have much in it so its the easier room, besides my bedroom, and I will clean it next week.

The kitchen upper cabinets are still in need of a good scrubbing so that is on my list of to get done.

What am I getting rid of? 

I have a laundry basket fill with odds and ends that will go today and on the next rainy day I plan to tackle the closet and put away/ get rid of all the clothes that Tony no longer wears, and for me, I have to try on and toss many shirts that I don`t need. 

I also took a car load of house plants and gave them away, I had good intentions of having a greenhouse and selling plants but right now is not the time, so I gave them away, no need to wait and bring them inside later this fall for Winter. I still need to give away another half and just keep around 10 plants, if that many.

I really, really need to sell three cars, I am tired of them setting and the grass growing up around them. Its a shame that each one only needs minor repairs but come with a high price tag to get fixed.

New Plans? 

I am getting closer and closer to making a decision, thinking about down sizing because this place may be to much for me to handle and I may move, its been a long time since I have moved. I need a smaller house with a basement for the canned goods so I think I will start looking for a nice rental house till I see if I want to be grounded again. 

How is your life? Minimal? 

By Andria Perry
Photos By Andria Perry

Monday, July 3, 2017

The 2017 Resolutions - Check In For June- What Did I Accomplish?



July 4,2017

While June was a rainy month here in central Alabama it does not mean that a lot got done inside the house, seems when the rain sets in so does the lounging and movies or a good novel.

Now lets tale a look back at the month of June and see just what I did get done toward my resolutions for the year, remember I make two easy and two hard each year, sometimes I make them all but more than likely its three out of four.

This year I also picked a word for my year, what I wish to accomplish. My word for the year is : Satisfaction. I picked this word because I want to feel satisfied with everything I do in the year 2017.

My 2017 resolutions are :

1 - Buy Solar Panels and the accessories - Get off the grid

I have done absolutely nothing toward this resolution BUT..... Yes there is that three letter word, I have been reading more and watching more real life situations with solar power and wind power.

I also have to report that although June was a hot month, regardless of rain, the power bill only rose $30. I was not expecting the bill to be only $159. Now I must cross my finger that it`ll stay the same for July. 

Failed with this resolution for June.

2- Write more- Finish the book and write another. Blog more for money


Writing more means more alone time, time to let my thoughts come out and on the paper, to match photos with the story. 

Unfortunately I have not had much quiet time for me, and absolutely no alone time. 

However, while I was mowing the grass I had one of those ding ding moments, one of my blogging friends has told me more than once to write a book instead of giving away what I do but I was thinking " there are so many books already out there on this subject" but I got something that would be different than what is already on the market but will be almost like what they are talking about.

No blogging for money at the moment. My heart has not been into it right now. 

I will say this is a 50-50 not that I have written but I have the first part, the idea and how to lay it out.


3 - Lose 25 pounds and get back on a vegetarian diet

Seems I am not losing any more weight. I lost 8 pounds and I am at a stand still, I will admit I have not been trying, but I have not gained anything back.

I am getting so much better at not eating red meat, however I do eat chicken and turkey, fish and anything from the ocean.

To help curb the want for different meats from time to time I did buy 4 packs of Morning Star farms, its fake meat but it`l do the trick for me.

I am sure my problem is my sweet tooth, okay I know it is! That I have to work on and I mean get serious fast. Being diabetic is no fun, losing eye sight or kidneys most certainly wont be fun.

I will say this is a 50-50, I am making an effort to help myself.


4 - Learn to ask people for help

Like I have said before, this is a hard one for me. I have been on my own doing for myself so long that when I do need help I will just forget what I need and move on or have to pay big money for something I should get for free.

I had to raise these walls around myself for protection, so many were only wanting to harm me that I could not trust anyone. That is why sometimes paying a stranger worked out better.

I actually had a friend tell me she would help me when I need her and I think I will take her up on that one in August. She is a new friend I made with my new life, not any of the so called old friends from my old home place.

I will say this is a 50-50, Once again I am making an effort to help myself.

That is how my life is shaping up, my resolutions /Goals for the year 2017, now that the seventh month of the year is here and most things with work has slowed down, maybe I can make a few more of these happen but improvement on three out of four is better than nothing.

Always room for improvement in everyone`s life.

How about yours? 

For more about last month click here : Life in the fast lane 

By Andria Perry
Photo By Andria Perry