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