Hi Guys,
My daughter is now all moved out and as life has it I am now busy for the next 4 weekends in a row.
How on earth am I going to manage to move into that spare room? I could, but it needs to be painted first while it is relatively empty. This is where one has to have a lot of patience. Time, duties, work and commitments get in the way of doing what you really want to do.
My daughter and her bloke came over last night and we will be going to see some dear friends from way back when who I haven't seen for some years next Saturday together and then after that we will get stuck into the room.
At long last we have a Paint Date!
First, I have to decide on colours and buy said paint, brushes, rollers and so on to be ready to start next Saturday! I have heaps of Sugar Soap and my son and I will start washing down the walls tomorrow.
All very excitement if you ask me.
Once the room is done, dry and dusted and the bed and so forth are in place it will be my old room's turn next. This one I will be eager to get done as this is where the Sulcs Domino Effect truely takes shape. I hope to get this one painted as soon as possible to then set up the study room that then means I get the dining table back at last.
In my mind the house is starting to look pretty good and even good enough to start having visitors over! BBQ anyone? Maybe later.
This is already sounding time consuming and only looks like happening in October. Would be nice to have this all sorted by Christmas. I was hoping to have at least the boxes under the carport sorted before this, but now doesn't look likely. I have to rethink my timeframe.
Must remember to breathe in breathe out and take it in my stride. No point stressing and putting myself under undue pressure. I want to make sure I do it once by doing it properly first time round.
Afterall it is just 'stuff'.
I did see that 60 Minutes programme had a severe hoarder featured a week or so ago. I did watch parts of it, but this poor chappy was to the Richter scale extreme case of hoarding. He really was trying to hold onto his families love. Very sad. I also could see in him all the classic hallmarks of a hoarder.
The trouble with hoarders is we see use in most things or dislike waste and are the original ones that really recycled or being spendthrifty. Now what could be wrong with that? Plenty when it gets out of hand. When the scales tip over into being a tip. Not a good feeling. One mixed with loss and heartache in there.
The trick is to know what to and what not to hang onto! With the disclaimer of as long as you have the room to store it appropriately.
Being that I had alot of stuff to start off with when I inherited all of my Mum's stuff along with mounds of material and knitting wool that was Grandmum's as well is what tipped me over the edge into the abyss of a hoarders hell.
I don't blame my Mum or my Grandmum. It is what it is. There should be no blame, just understanding.
I understand that Grandmum was forced to walk away from all her worldly possessions due to WWII and had just a few items by the time she got through that War, Displacement Persons Camp in Germany to when she arrived here in WA, Australia all those years ago. To her, what she accrued was her wealth and didn't want to lose it again and didn't want to spend unnecessary extra dollars on items you already had. I come from an ethnic family that recycled everything before it was know as recycled. We see use in everything. To me it was normal for stockings to have 10 uses and so on. Nothing gets or got wasted and kept for that rainy day just in case.
I understand that Mum was of the same ilk as Grandmum, but by the time she inherited her Mum's stuff she was in her late 60s and felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff. My Mum fully intended to go through it all and I watched while helping her to just struggle with this, but it all became too much. The difference is my Mum packed it in such a way that it was neatly crammed in. So it didn't appear to be too much. The line between her stuff and what she kept of her mothers became blurred. She even took a male friends stuff as she couldn't bear the thought of it being tossed. Now that task of finding his family to pass on his few treasures and photos is left to me to do.
Mum knew what a daunting task she was passing onto me and what I was about to go through and encounter. While she was in palliative she constantly would say to me with tears in her eyes how sorry she was that she didn't get the time to deal with it herself and had left it for me. Really, it should have been Grandmum that dealt with it. But like I said, there is no blame here. It is what it is. Mum knew that my one sister was going to put me through hell with the Will and with all the stuff on top of it along with 2 children with one with medical needs and an ex who left me high and dry that I had too much on my plate to soon be dealing with it all alone.
Ready or not I got what I got. I got an older sister who I love die not long after Mum died. I got the other older sister who was vile and toxic towards me without thought for anything other than herself. I got to be all alone without the emotional support that I had been blessed with till then. I got to come to terms with and work past the overwhelming sheer volume of stuff that I was presented with and live amongst. I had no other choice. I got to know who really loves you. I got to know who lives the truth to your face.
In other words I got to grow up.
It was either that or wallow and I wasn't about to go there.
This journey has lasted longer that I would have hoped. I am so glad that I got to tell Mum that it was OK that I got to do all the work and am glad that I did as now looking back, no matter how hard it has been and it has been, I know Mum is resting peacefully knowing she left her worldly possessions in good hands to be dealt with love.
I am glad that I get to do what Mum would have found far more difficult than me to do. All the material, christmas paper, knitting wool and so on would still be here if Mum was still alive. Of this I am sure. All has gone to the Salvation Army long ago. There are some items I wish I hadn't gotten rid of I will admit, but I don't dwell on that as much any more. I use this when going through what is now so that I don't regret. Amazingly, this has meant I toss more not less. True!
This massive learning curve thrust upon me has in some ways been the best and worst thing in my life. I do not, nor care to unwish it. The only thing I would wish for is the energy required to do what is left in a shorter time. A gal can wish can't she?
Well there you go. Next week will be the painting duds on and roller up and start cutting in with the brushes.
All systems a go...
Chiz all
Anita who will have her tool belt on very soon!
Friday, 31 August 2012
Friday, 17 August 2012
The 'Sulcs Domino Effect' versus the 'Domino Theory'!
Hi Guys,
I have news of much importance.
Both sad and glad mixed in there together.
My daughter and her boyfriend announced to us the other day that she will be moving out earlier than anticipated, which was meant to be in January next year. Hence the sad and glad.
The race will be on and out of the blocks.
So why is this important you ask.
Well!
This means the 'Sulcs Domino Effect' is about to take a tumble.
As Eisenhouser related the 'Domino Theory' to what can happen with communism ... and see how that worked out for them back then. Conspiracies abounded and all sorts of antics to thwart said invasion.
Well, instead of 'Theory' mine will be the 'Sulcs Domino Effect' in reverse.
Once this happens in September, I will have to take advantage and paint the room, which is much needed. Then I move into said room and then paint my room, hence the domino. Then we get the last items from my neighbours garage and can use the table for the new computer room. The computer moves from the Dining Room table to the computer room. All paperwork gets placed into said computer room to be sorted, discarded and dealt with and only what is important goes into the filing cabinet. No more, no less.
And it just keeps on going. Items will be moved, which makes more room elsewhere. Gotta love this!
Now when I deal with the last of my boxes, I will be able to trully get more ruthless with discarding as I know what I want where.
I can hear some of my pals laugh at me stating that I will be 'ruthless'. Oh, ye of little faith! But you shall see the results in the end with a partee to end all partees! This will be my reward at the end for me and all my supporters and helpers. Something other than decluttering to look forward to. A reward that is pleasurable.
This move forward will be welcome, as this means this Christmas we will be using the Dining Room for the first time since Mum died in 2007.
She will be pleased that at long last all this is starting to take shape. Mum knew the mess she had left me with and kept apologising to me over and over again the last few months of her life.
I didn't want her to feel bad, but rather proud that she had achieved so much with a life that traversed continents, experienced war at the epicentre and suffered losses beyond comprehension and still made a family home and 3 well fed and loved children, 2 of which appreciated her fully at the end. I reassured her I would be fine. But she knew. She was no fool. She even warned and prepared me for my one sister. Surprisingly, Mum was 100% accurate about this. A mother knows her children and you cannot hide from that. I knew Mum had been working her way through the 'stuff' herself, albeit much slower and had not intended to leave the bulk of the work to me. Cancer robbed her of 15 to 20 years off her life.
Here we are in the lounge room. I love this shot as Mum looks so good and we all look goofy. Behind us on one side is a Stereo Unit from the 60s that I still have that is one of the items in the neighbours garage and plan to keep. The other you will spot a 60s lamp which has a table lower down that looks very the Jetsons Cartoon era and takes pride of place in the Dining Room. Very retro!
Here is a shot of us about a year or so before the worst hit us like a ton of bricks.
You work all your life and you would expect to be of reasonable health afterwards wouldn't you!
Not for my gorgeous Mum. A chemical she worked with gave her liver cancer that slowly kills you. Very like Asbestos does to the lungs this particular chemical goes straight for the liver. To think you work to make a life and the very company you work for for years knowingly lets you work with a chemical (carbo tetra chloro ethaline) without any protection of any kind that then robs you of your twilight years of around 15 to 20 years. Beggers disbelief.
This chemical shortens your life dramatically and the end is not peaceful or kind. Just freaking revolting. To say I am mad as hell is an understatement. However, there is little we could do as Mum had to be alive to make any legal battle stick and we only had months left by the time we found out what had happened and been done to her. The said company executives knew all those years ago and even went off shore to avoid litigation like the asbestos guys... let's hope karma weaves it's work its way to those who decided to ignore.
But these were the cards we were dealt with and we just have to play what we got the best way we could and knew how.
Also, update on the hard rubbish. All gone as of 3 days ago. First the chairs got taken. Secondly the airconditioner went. Thirdly anything metal went. Funny thing is as I mentioned before my mound grew a chair, keyboards, gloves and so forth. But it all went. Feels good.
Next as you know will be getting the garden back into shape.
I will be one busy gal with both inside and the outside to contend with. It will be all worth it in the end.
In amongst all this, I still need to move the lounge room around to work better for easier flow through. All fun, but still means more work.
One good thing is we now have a functioning laundry, which is really working well as to how I have currently set it up. Will have to still rejig as we go, but that can go on the back burner for now.
The last bastion to tackle will be the Kitchen/Dining Room.
I think I will get my house whisperer Kim to come back to assist me with ideas as this area is still very much ruled by Mum's presence and does my head in. I will let Kim know how I would like the kitchen to be as she seems to be able to translate your end thought very well with what is there and still get rid of much. But till we get through all of the above that will just have to wait also.
Being that we now have hot water and proper heating it would be nice to have a stove that works propery as well. Boy, am I wishing for alot! Again, this will have to wait till I save some much needed dosh for it. Something to work towards though.
As you can tell the 'Sulcs Domino Effect' effects everything and is forever ongoing and relentless and always has offshutes to other things to get done.
More than likely there will be many mini posts over this flurry period.
And am going to love and hate it all at the same time. The process that is.
Learning to 'let it go' is never easy, but the pain is certainly worth it. I am just glad that I decided to be kind to myself by going at my pace as time and energy allowed and let it all hang out for all to see.
It isn't as bad as one would think. People knowing that is. Many have come up to me at all sorts of functions and places and say and always quitely how much they admire my openess about 'clutter' and about 'hoarding'. I hope in some way I am destigmatising this. But like Mental Illness we feel compelled to hide it as we 'think' we will be shunned.
To me this is a one day at a time situation. People in general will either be kind or not, which just tells me more about who they are. Very revealing if you ask me.
One day you could be rich and the next day lost it all. Who is still at your side after that? Amazing what one finds out when it happens.
Since starting this blog to 'let it all hang out' and also keep me motivated through the mountain of stuff that was Mt. Everest huge and also to help destigmatise the word 'hoarders' as well, I haven't looked back or felt put down ever.
Not all hoarders are to the severe end of the scale. But no matter at what end you are it can be done by just taking it in your stride.
After this next flurry I still have mountains of boxes to go through. These are all in the shed and in the attic. The shed first and attic last. Then and only then am I done. I predict at least a few more years of 'stuff' to get through. Yeesch!
Oh well, I will just keep on blogging then.
This was going to be short, but I got sidetracked. Apols for that.
Till next time guys.
Cheers
Anita
I have news of much importance.
Both sad and glad mixed in there together.
My daughter and her boyfriend announced to us the other day that she will be moving out earlier than anticipated, which was meant to be in January next year. Hence the sad and glad.
The race will be on and out of the blocks.
So why is this important you ask.
Well!
This means the 'Sulcs Domino Effect' is about to take a tumble.
As Eisenhouser related the 'Domino Theory' to what can happen with communism ... and see how that worked out for them back then. Conspiracies abounded and all sorts of antics to thwart said invasion.
Well, instead of 'Theory' mine will be the 'Sulcs Domino Effect' in reverse.
Once this happens in September, I will have to take advantage and paint the room, which is much needed. Then I move into said room and then paint my room, hence the domino. Then we get the last items from my neighbours garage and can use the table for the new computer room. The computer moves from the Dining Room table to the computer room. All paperwork gets placed into said computer room to be sorted, discarded and dealt with and only what is important goes into the filing cabinet. No more, no less.
And it just keeps on going. Items will be moved, which makes more room elsewhere. Gotta love this!
Now when I deal with the last of my boxes, I will be able to trully get more ruthless with discarding as I know what I want where.
I can hear some of my pals laugh at me stating that I will be 'ruthless'. Oh, ye of little faith! But you shall see the results in the end with a partee to end all partees! This will be my reward at the end for me and all my supporters and helpers. Something other than decluttering to look forward to. A reward that is pleasurable.
This move forward will be welcome, as this means this Christmas we will be using the Dining Room for the first time since Mum died in 2007.
She will be pleased that at long last all this is starting to take shape. Mum knew the mess she had left me with and kept apologising to me over and over again the last few months of her life.
I didn't want her to feel bad, but rather proud that she had achieved so much with a life that traversed continents, experienced war at the epicentre and suffered losses beyond comprehension and still made a family home and 3 well fed and loved children, 2 of which appreciated her fully at the end. I reassured her I would be fine. But she knew. She was no fool. She even warned and prepared me for my one sister. Surprisingly, Mum was 100% accurate about this. A mother knows her children and you cannot hide from that. I knew Mum had been working her way through the 'stuff' herself, albeit much slower and had not intended to leave the bulk of the work to me. Cancer robbed her of 15 to 20 years off her life.
Here we are in the lounge room. I love this shot as Mum looks so good and we all look goofy. Behind us on one side is a Stereo Unit from the 60s that I still have that is one of the items in the neighbours garage and plan to keep. The other you will spot a 60s lamp which has a table lower down that looks very the Jetsons Cartoon era and takes pride of place in the Dining Room. Very retro!
Here is a shot of us about a year or so before the worst hit us like a ton of bricks.
You work all your life and you would expect to be of reasonable health afterwards wouldn't you!
Not for my gorgeous Mum. A chemical she worked with gave her liver cancer that slowly kills you. Very like Asbestos does to the lungs this particular chemical goes straight for the liver. To think you work to make a life and the very company you work for for years knowingly lets you work with a chemical (carbo tetra chloro ethaline) without any protection of any kind that then robs you of your twilight years of around 15 to 20 years. Beggers disbelief.
This chemical shortens your life dramatically and the end is not peaceful or kind. Just freaking revolting. To say I am mad as hell is an understatement. However, there is little we could do as Mum had to be alive to make any legal battle stick and we only had months left by the time we found out what had happened and been done to her. The said company executives knew all those years ago and even went off shore to avoid litigation like the asbestos guys... let's hope karma weaves it's work its way to those who decided to ignore.
But these were the cards we were dealt with and we just have to play what we got the best way we could and knew how.
Also, update on the hard rubbish. All gone as of 3 days ago. First the chairs got taken. Secondly the airconditioner went. Thirdly anything metal went. Funny thing is as I mentioned before my mound grew a chair, keyboards, gloves and so forth. But it all went. Feels good.
Next as you know will be getting the garden back into shape.
I will be one busy gal with both inside and the outside to contend with. It will be all worth it in the end.
In amongst all this, I still need to move the lounge room around to work better for easier flow through. All fun, but still means more work.
One good thing is we now have a functioning laundry, which is really working well as to how I have currently set it up. Will have to still rejig as we go, but that can go on the back burner for now.
The last bastion to tackle will be the Kitchen/Dining Room.
I think I will get my house whisperer Kim to come back to assist me with ideas as this area is still very much ruled by Mum's presence and does my head in. I will let Kim know how I would like the kitchen to be as she seems to be able to translate your end thought very well with what is there and still get rid of much. But till we get through all of the above that will just have to wait also.
Being that we now have hot water and proper heating it would be nice to have a stove that works propery as well. Boy, am I wishing for alot! Again, this will have to wait till I save some much needed dosh for it. Something to work towards though.
As you can tell the 'Sulcs Domino Effect' effects everything and is forever ongoing and relentless and always has offshutes to other things to get done.
More than likely there will be many mini posts over this flurry period.
And am going to love and hate it all at the same time. The process that is.
Learning to 'let it go' is never easy, but the pain is certainly worth it. I am just glad that I decided to be kind to myself by going at my pace as time and energy allowed and let it all hang out for all to see.
It isn't as bad as one would think. People knowing that is. Many have come up to me at all sorts of functions and places and say and always quitely how much they admire my openess about 'clutter' and about 'hoarding'. I hope in some way I am destigmatising this. But like Mental Illness we feel compelled to hide it as we 'think' we will be shunned.
To me this is a one day at a time situation. People in general will either be kind or not, which just tells me more about who they are. Very revealing if you ask me.
One day you could be rich and the next day lost it all. Who is still at your side after that? Amazing what one finds out when it happens.
Since starting this blog to 'let it all hang out' and also keep me motivated through the mountain of stuff that was Mt. Everest huge and also to help destigmatise the word 'hoarders' as well, I haven't looked back or felt put down ever.
Not all hoarders are to the severe end of the scale. But no matter at what end you are it can be done by just taking it in your stride.
After this next flurry I still have mountains of boxes to go through. These are all in the shed and in the attic. The shed first and attic last. Then and only then am I done. I predict at least a few more years of 'stuff' to get through. Yeesch!
Oh well, I will just keep on blogging then.
This was going to be short, but I got sidetracked. Apols for that.
Till next time guys.
Cheers
Anita
Sunday, 5 August 2012
Funny what one discovers!
Hi Guys,
Had to do a mini update on my last blog.
This will be brief and sweet.
Remember that Triffid that was taking over my backyard. Well it has been tamed.
Here is a reminder of what was a 'take over'!
Well, here is the same space after clearing out said Triffid...
Looks weird for starters and I had totally forgotten about the pathway that has not been seen since the year after Dad passed away early 2002. He would be pleased. Mum would be to a point, but not about the plants being drastically cut back.
Same pozy from the side of Dad's handy work with cement.
My daughter's boyfriend was hacking away and luckily stopped to investigate and didn't smash this next find. My Dragon!
Happy and lucky that my Dragon was finally uncovered.
Mum and Dad really had one main argument and that was 'to prune or not to prune'.
Dad was the radical pruner (he was from the city). Mum less harsh a pruner (she was more country seaside).
This line of where to 'cut' was always discussed vigorously and on the odd occasion almost heatedly.
At least now we can use the back door once more.
What started all this was my daughter's boyfriend came to finish placing the remaining items out onto the hard rubbish collection and got sidetracked at wanting to get the one pathway free to use! Little did we know. Some items are still in the backyard due to a sudden downpour, but there is still one last opportunity to finish it off and that is next weekend.
After which it will be a long long one year wait till the next collection organised by this council.
Things are starting to take shape.
Soon we rearrange the lounge to better utilise the space and we will be making a start on the bones of the outside after the rubbish is taken away.
By the way all plastic chairs got 'taken' the very night they were put out. Next to go was the innards of the air conditioner.
Strange thing is my pile has grown over the last week.
It really is a miracle!
That is the power of rubbish. However, why said people cannot place it outside their own homes as it will be collected anyway baffles me!
Did you know all Lama's deficate in the same communal spot! Just an interesting point.
Still hard at work with my new day job with little time to expand at this moment.
Till the next instalment.
Cheers
Anita who has tamed her Triffid!
Had to do a mini update on my last blog.
This will be brief and sweet.
Remember that Triffid that was taking over my backyard. Well it has been tamed.
Here is a reminder of what was a 'take over'!
Well, here is the same space after clearing out said Triffid...
Looks weird for starters and I had totally forgotten about the pathway that has not been seen since the year after Dad passed away early 2002. He would be pleased. Mum would be to a point, but not about the plants being drastically cut back.
Same pozy from the side of Dad's handy work with cement.
My daughter's boyfriend was hacking away and luckily stopped to investigate and didn't smash this next find. My Dragon!
Happy and lucky that my Dragon was finally uncovered.
Mum and Dad really had one main argument and that was 'to prune or not to prune'.
Dad was the radical pruner (he was from the city). Mum less harsh a pruner (she was more country seaside).
This line of where to 'cut' was always discussed vigorously and on the odd occasion almost heatedly.
At least now we can use the back door once more.
What started all this was my daughter's boyfriend came to finish placing the remaining items out onto the hard rubbish collection and got sidetracked at wanting to get the one pathway free to use! Little did we know. Some items are still in the backyard due to a sudden downpour, but there is still one last opportunity to finish it off and that is next weekend.
After which it will be a long long one year wait till the next collection organised by this council.
Things are starting to take shape.
Soon we rearrange the lounge to better utilise the space and we will be making a start on the bones of the outside after the rubbish is taken away.
By the way all plastic chairs got 'taken' the very night they were put out. Next to go was the innards of the air conditioner.
Strange thing is my pile has grown over the last week.
It really is a miracle!
That is the power of rubbish. However, why said people cannot place it outside their own homes as it will be collected anyway baffles me!
Did you know all Lama's deficate in the same communal spot! Just an interesting point.
Still hard at work with my new day job with little time to expand at this moment.
Till the next instalment.
Cheers
Anita who has tamed her Triffid!
Saturday, 28 July 2012
You have a BBQ!!!
Hi Guys,
That time again... and fortunately I have some time to sit and write for a change.
This new job has me coming and going from hither to nither and I must say the tiredness has not waned a jot.
However, I am glad to be gainfully employed. Things could be worse as many are losing there jobs right now with a very uncertain future. I have been there at the steps of uncertainty for years now and like the fact that this time round I am not on that Merry-Go-Round. But that can all change within a heartbeat as I well know by personal experience.
Now what's this title all about ... 'you have a BBQ!!!'.
Well, I found this quite amusing and perplexing all at the same time.
Peoples perceptions can be vastly differing to your own and when you realise that it can be either very liberating and interesting or downright confronting.
Let's go back to earlier today, which my dear friend Sue came to help me with my laundry top cupboards, which had all the blankets placed there just before my Mum died. It was Sue who helped me while Mum told both of us the story of each item as we went at that very time with Mum. Mum doing this held us up, but we listened patiently with due respect to my Mum's stories all the same and I am so pleased now that we did.
One of the blankets up there was from the war years in Europe. I think I have mentioned this before about this blanket. During her time at the end of the war Mum and Grandmum ended up in a German Displacement Persons Camp. They were given basics, but some items were extremely uncomfortable to say the least. Blankets were no exception. No goose feathers here. Grandmum somehow managed to get some cotton sheets to make the very rough army blankets they had been given into a quilt so that they could use without being scratched to death by the coarse blankets to be able to sleep more comfortably in the confined quarters after WWII. She sewed them together and to see it now fills me with wonder about the life that had to endure and the moments that they escaped from and somehow lived to tell the tale.
I am so grateful to my friend who calmly and quietly set about getting these blankets down. I got rid of most of the blankets except for 2 pure woollen Onkaparinka blankets, one Mohair tartan and another from Albany Australia. The rest have gone to the Salvation Army already as I write this. Many warm blankets going to good families.
As for the Quilt from WWII I will take that to the Immigration Museum and see if they have any interest in its story along with a picture of my Mum and Grandmum in said Displacement German Camp. If not I will keep it with the story attached to it for the family future generations. Maybe it will survive. Maybe it wont. But, at least it will be there for a little while longer.
I will have to take a picture and add at a later date. Have put it back up and have no way of getting it now that all the tall people have gone for the day.
Sue and I then tackled the Christmas decorations in the corridor to place up in said laundry top cupboard. We first tackled items under the carport. Collapsing empty boxes and going through the plastic containers I had, which then made more bags for the Sallies. With 2 containers and the right sized boxes in hand we boxed up the Christmas decorations, Christmas paraphanalia such as hats (I have many different ones that I like to keep and rotate and use as each chrissy passes by) along with the small Christmas Tree and lights as well as a box with presents that I have bought to be given in the future. They all now with a spot to live in.
Here is where they have been since the last clear out waiting for the laundry area to be dealt with.
Poof... now they are gone!!!
I also placed my beach stuff up there and will also place my camping gear up there. Seasonal items that we all use, but on an annual basis. Being that I don't have a garage it makes sense to place these items in this space till I get up into the attic, which will be last to tackle.
After that was done, my daughters boyfriend came to check out the front and back yard situation.
Now, here is where I got the title for this instalment.
My daughter says to her boyfriend could he come and have a look at our backyard BBQ to check that it is still in operational condition and if not to be put out with the Hard Rubbish Collection. To which he responded in a somewhat higher pitch '... you have a BBQ?...'.
I had to laugh as the backyard is a jungle now and being in desperate need for help to turn the tide of nature.
This is some of how the triffids have taken over...
And this particular plant is still in it's pot!
We walked around discussing my 'wants' and what was required to get the place back into ship shape, including guttering and the roofing and the chopping and lopping and the pruning and the turfing and the list goes on and on and on. But we have a starting point now and we also can achieve it in a few weekends!
That first BBQ is looking good as apparently the BBQ is salvagable.
We then set our sights on placing items on the nature strip for the up and coming Council Hard Rubbish Collection. Sue, myself, my daughter and her boyfriend piled the gear that had piled up under my carport and front lawn onto the front nature strip. We even managed some stuff from the backyard. Photos further down.
Here is a picture of daughter's boyfriend pondering what he has got himself into.
Here are some before and afters with the removal of rubbish.
From the above to the below where I now can park my car further up under the carport.
OK, I know what you are thinking... 'but it's not all done!'. True. But I take my wins where and when I can. What is behind all that lot is my eBay stuff. I would like to make a little cash out of all my hard earns if I can. Otherwise, off to the Sallies it goes anyway.
More before and afters of the front nature strip and front yard.
From that to this and you can see where my beautiful daughter left her calling card from her car... grrr... anyhoo to this...
and in preparation for Council Hard Rubbish Collection
more hohum...
Missy is trying to get in on the act by helping with the rubbish bags, but that window keeps getting in the way...
Sue has helped and on her way with her birthday gifts from Aija and set a time for the dinner for a belated celebration. You can see more rubbish has piled up to be placed in bins as the weeks go by, but some nice neighbour may allow me to use their space if I ask nicely...
Well I am echoing bucket loads...
Just love Ladybugs... no other reason for this picture...
Now I am concentrating more on 'times' that make me happy.
I will love and leave you with that one.
Cheers to you all till next time,
Anita
.... who is still getting there!
That time again... and fortunately I have some time to sit and write for a change.
This new job has me coming and going from hither to nither and I must say the tiredness has not waned a jot.
However, I am glad to be gainfully employed. Things could be worse as many are losing there jobs right now with a very uncertain future. I have been there at the steps of uncertainty for years now and like the fact that this time round I am not on that Merry-Go-Round. But that can all change within a heartbeat as I well know by personal experience.
Now what's this title all about ... 'you have a BBQ!!!'.
Well, I found this quite amusing and perplexing all at the same time.
Peoples perceptions can be vastly differing to your own and when you realise that it can be either very liberating and interesting or downright confronting.
Let's go back to earlier today, which my dear friend Sue came to help me with my laundry top cupboards, which had all the blankets placed there just before my Mum died. It was Sue who helped me while Mum told both of us the story of each item as we went at that very time with Mum. Mum doing this held us up, but we listened patiently with due respect to my Mum's stories all the same and I am so pleased now that we did.
One of the blankets up there was from the war years in Europe. I think I have mentioned this before about this blanket. During her time at the end of the war Mum and Grandmum ended up in a German Displacement Persons Camp. They were given basics, but some items were extremely uncomfortable to say the least. Blankets were no exception. No goose feathers here. Grandmum somehow managed to get some cotton sheets to make the very rough army blankets they had been given into a quilt so that they could use without being scratched to death by the coarse blankets to be able to sleep more comfortably in the confined quarters after WWII. She sewed them together and to see it now fills me with wonder about the life that had to endure and the moments that they escaped from and somehow lived to tell the tale.
I am so grateful to my friend who calmly and quietly set about getting these blankets down. I got rid of most of the blankets except for 2 pure woollen Onkaparinka blankets, one Mohair tartan and another from Albany Australia. The rest have gone to the Salvation Army already as I write this. Many warm blankets going to good families.
As for the Quilt from WWII I will take that to the Immigration Museum and see if they have any interest in its story along with a picture of my Mum and Grandmum in said Displacement German Camp. If not I will keep it with the story attached to it for the family future generations. Maybe it will survive. Maybe it wont. But, at least it will be there for a little while longer.
I will have to take a picture and add at a later date. Have put it back up and have no way of getting it now that all the tall people have gone for the day.
Sue and I then tackled the Christmas decorations in the corridor to place up in said laundry top cupboard. We first tackled items under the carport. Collapsing empty boxes and going through the plastic containers I had, which then made more bags for the Sallies. With 2 containers and the right sized boxes in hand we boxed up the Christmas decorations, Christmas paraphanalia such as hats (I have many different ones that I like to keep and rotate and use as each chrissy passes by) along with the small Christmas Tree and lights as well as a box with presents that I have bought to be given in the future. They all now with a spot to live in.
Here is where they have been since the last clear out waiting for the laundry area to be dealt with.
I also placed my beach stuff up there and will also place my camping gear up there. Seasonal items that we all use, but on an annual basis. Being that I don't have a garage it makes sense to place these items in this space till I get up into the attic, which will be last to tackle.
After that was done, my daughters boyfriend came to check out the front and back yard situation.
Now, here is where I got the title for this instalment.
My daughter says to her boyfriend could he come and have a look at our backyard BBQ to check that it is still in operational condition and if not to be put out with the Hard Rubbish Collection. To which he responded in a somewhat higher pitch '... you have a BBQ?...'.
I had to laugh as the backyard is a jungle now and being in desperate need for help to turn the tide of nature.
This is some of how the triffids have taken over...
And this particular plant is still in it's pot!
We walked around discussing my 'wants' and what was required to get the place back into ship shape, including guttering and the roofing and the chopping and lopping and the pruning and the turfing and the list goes on and on and on. But we have a starting point now and we also can achieve it in a few weekends!
That first BBQ is looking good as apparently the BBQ is salvagable.
We then set our sights on placing items on the nature strip for the up and coming Council Hard Rubbish Collection. Sue, myself, my daughter and her boyfriend piled the gear that had piled up under my carport and front lawn onto the front nature strip. We even managed some stuff from the backyard. Photos further down.
Here is a picture of daughter's boyfriend pondering what he has got himself into.
Here are some before and afters with the removal of rubbish.
From the above to the below where I now can park my car further up under the carport.
OK, I know what you are thinking... 'but it's not all done!'. True. But I take my wins where and when I can. What is behind all that lot is my eBay stuff. I would like to make a little cash out of all my hard earns if I can. Otherwise, off to the Sallies it goes anyway.
More before and afters of the front nature strip and front yard.
From that to this and you can see where my beautiful daughter left her calling card from her car... grrr... anyhoo to this...
and in preparation for Council Hard Rubbish Collection
from this to hohum...
more hohum...
Missy is trying to get in on the act by helping with the rubbish bags, but that window keeps getting in the way...
Sue has helped and on her way with her birthday gifts from Aija and set a time for the dinner for a belated celebration. You can see more rubbish has piled up to be placed in bins as the weeks go by, but some nice neighbour may allow me to use their space if I ask nicely...
That about wraps it up for this time round.
Will be putting out more rubbish from the backyard next week and booking dates to get the yard back into order.
After cleaning and dealing with inside my daughter feels it is now time for the hoarder whisperer to come back to help me in the lounge room. So glad she is beginning to see the picture of the domino effect and that it does take time and bucket loads of patience.
My shoulders are sore and my heart is content.
And so my journey continues.
Till next time guys. Life is but a journey.
How long we have or how far we go and what we choose to do it with is all up to sheer luck and our choices.
Well I am echoing bucket loads...
Just love Ladybugs... no other reason for this picture...
Now I am concentrating more on 'times' that make me happy.
I will love and leave you with that one.
Cheers to you all till next time,
Anita
.... who is still getting there!
Friday, 13 July 2012
Where did the last year go?
Hi Guys,
Well, well, well, well, well!
Went to the local council offices the other day to get the rates put into my name. It had been since Mum died in 'The Late Estate of Zaiga and so forth' and since I have finalised the Will 18 months earlier than required, this meant there are many changes to be made.
Very excitment!
While there, I enquired when the next hard rubbish collection was slated. I cannot tell you the enthusiasm of the said council receptionist had, other than to drone.. '... youuu willll beee sent a noticeeee soooon...'!
I mean, there I am, standing in front of her, flabberghasted that she couldn't look up a list to say such and such a date for that address of which I had said out loud. I looked behind me to check if she was distracted by some event happing, but no, nothing and I looked at her and asked politely once more '... whennnn issss theee nexxxt harrrrd rubbbbbish collection going to beeee for such and such an addresssss.....'. At this point my over enthusiastic receptionist just keeps looking at me and we continue to stare at each other.
I won.
Finally, after a lifetime of minutes, she looks to her computer ever so slowly (this is a passive aggressive tactic) and types in the address and then states.... '.... it will be 11 August....'...!!!!!
Ye gads, that is only 4 weeks away ... when the hell were they going to notify the residants... I need time to prepare... time to ask and organise help... no wonder many places complain about the council to the council... now there's an oxymoron if I ever heard one... complaining to the very people you are complaining about!
OK. There we have it. I am now officially sent into a tailspin.
The reason why is I have a show that I am working on being held next week, which will take me at least a week to recover from and that weekend was to be my recouperating weekend, which now has gone with the wind.
I need time to digest, think, strategies, organise and then put into action all that I plan and have to do to take advantage of the 'ONE AND ONLY' hard rubbish collections for the year.
Lucky I asked!
I mean, I missed the last one and cannot afford to miss this one. Well, I think I did.
I really want to stop looking like 'steptoe and son' personified. It all takes time and also money of which I have very little of both right now. So this hard rubbish collection is important not to miss. On the 4th and 5th of August I will try and get some strong pals to come along and help me get the gear on the front nature strip in a neat and tidy fashion. I may even be able to get some to help with pruning as well while we are at it.
Yet another step closer to my final vision.
In the meantime, my daughter helped me last weekend clearing out the entire junk in the laundry and I did a cursory cull behind the cupboard doors as well. At the very top, which is very high up were some air bagged blankets that my Mum insisted on keeping and my friend Sue and I had placed now just over 5 years ago while Mum was with us just before she went into palliative care.
Aija just didn't have the heart to deal with this right now as one of the blankets was my Mum and Grandmum's blanket from the German Displaced Person's Camp they were in that they had stitched together to make a quilt of sorts. I plan to go to the Immigration Museum here in Melbourne CBD and see if they are interested in having it along with pictures of my Mum and Grandmum in said camp era. There is also a crochetted blanket from my sister Sylvia she gave me a long time ago. It is Queen size with black border and multi colour internal squares, which I shall keep. Apart from those the rest can go to the Sallies.
I did take a photo of Aija helping me as she looked so funny with her makeshift face protector from dust. But I am banned from showing it as I was told there would be dire consequences if I did. I did take some without her in them and will share next time with you all.
Sue has since offered to help me get them down as she is much taller than me to make space for the chrissy tree plus decorations and things like those other once a year items such as camping gear etc.
I now have the 3 baskets set up to place the dirty washing in as you go and only have put back into the laundry what belongs in the laundry. Due to this it made more room in the lounge room and corridor. We were left with 4 huge garden rubbish bin bags full to the brim and one for the Sallies and some for eBay. All now under the ever growing carport spillage. Most of which has to be placed on the nature strip for the hard rubbish collection.
This eBay pile is getting bigger by the minute as we;; and I will have to make time to place on either eBay or Gumtree to get that moving out to fund the much needed home repairs. But finding that precious time is proving more difficult than I would like.
All this work I am doing is snowballing into more work!
Now how does that work?
This working 5 days a week is doing my head and strength in. It has been 2 months now and am still not yet in a proper routine.
But all this pain will be all worth it in the end.
In the meantime, one of my 'new' pals calls me last week in tears.
It turns out a 'nice thoughtful' neighbour had complained to their local council, where upon 2 burly council men turn up to her door unannounced demanding to search her property inside and out. Which she declined. Now this is uncalled for if you ask me. I do not know what this friends situation is or how it looks, but I do know and understand at how helpless and powerless we can be at doing anything speedily about the situation.
People in our situation usually don't have the strength physically or mentally or emotionally to do the work entirely on our own and need help and this bully tactics just made matters worse and made her even feel more alone and reclusive. Imagine 2 huge male strangers coming to your door making all sorts of accusations and demands. It would scare the life out of you is what.
All I can say is I am thankful that my neighbours understand the plight I inherited and was placed in and have been extremely supportive ever since. I mean, not even robbers have bothered to look at my junk. Like I said, I am not sure to be glad about that or highly insulted!
It would be nice if this so called 'do gooder' neighbour saw and recognised her struggle and offered to lend a hand or a shoulder rather than this underhanded and outright nasty behaviour of hiding behind a 'letter of complaint' cloaked in secrecy!
I am not able to do much for my friend who lives in another state, but I sure as hell can lend my emotional support. I have offered to write a draft letter to the council asking for help as these men have scared the crap out of my friend and now lives in fear. I am in the process of drafting this for her right now, of which I will send when I get the multitude of everything else done. But this person I must help.
Life is a journey. How we choose to behave and treat others is a true measure of who we are not what is around us and how it is placed.
And as to how we act, doesn't always tell all what is truly going on inside.
![]()
To all the dibby dobbers, I say, just take a minute to think if it were you in that situation and what you would like to happen to you before this was done to you before doing this to another and how it effects them. The time you took to write a letter of complaint or make that call to complain you could have gone over and knocked on that door and asked... 'how can I help you?' ... 'would you like a few hands to assist you at the next hard rubbish collection?' ... 'could we prune some of the overgrowth and place it in the recyle bin for you?'... anything would be better than pointing the finger of scorn.
I know I sound idealistic here and people are people after all, but this would be my personal preference all the same.
I help my elderly neighbour from time to time as I know she can no longer do these things for herself. She has some help from what little family she has, but it is nice for her to see a human soul from time to time as she said once to me that there are days when she sees no one. It doesn't take much to 'think' what one can do.
Afterall, we all live on the same one and only unique planet that we know of so far. We may as well get along.
![]()
I know I need help and am learning to 'ask'. I also can see where help is needed and don't hesitate to offer what I am capable of doing where I can.
If we all help each other in a small way every so often, then we would have less hardship for many to suffer.
Here's the drum. I have the Wrokdown show to put on next week, then regather myself and then spend the following weekend getting the hard rubbish out and then the following week a 'friends and family' gathering of sorts. Not sure if I will survive all this!!! May need a break at a resort of some sort. That or an all over 2 hour massage would do.
I certainly have my work cut out for me for the next month. You may not hear from me till after that, but I will be sure to take photos of the process. See Kezza... I took notice.
This is usually how I have operated much of my life...
![]()
In the end I will get it done albeit even if it is at the last minute.
Like I said. Life is a journey and I plan to enjoy what is left and leave the stress and angst behind...
Cheers till next time...
Anita
Well, well, well, well, well!
Went to the local council offices the other day to get the rates put into my name. It had been since Mum died in 'The Late Estate of Zaiga and so forth' and since I have finalised the Will 18 months earlier than required, this meant there are many changes to be made.
Very excitment!
While there, I enquired when the next hard rubbish collection was slated. I cannot tell you the enthusiasm of the said council receptionist had, other than to drone.. '... youuu willll beee sent a noticeeee soooon...'!
I mean, there I am, standing in front of her, flabberghasted that she couldn't look up a list to say such and such a date for that address of which I had said out loud. I looked behind me to check if she was distracted by some event happing, but no, nothing and I looked at her and asked politely once more '... whennnn issss theee nexxxt harrrrd rubbbbbish collection going to beeee for such and such an addresssss.....'. At this point my over enthusiastic receptionist just keeps looking at me and we continue to stare at each other.
I won.
Finally, after a lifetime of minutes, she looks to her computer ever so slowly (this is a passive aggressive tactic) and types in the address and then states.... '.... it will be 11 August....'...!!!!!
Ye gads, that is only 4 weeks away ... when the hell were they going to notify the residants... I need time to prepare... time to ask and organise help... no wonder many places complain about the council to the council... now there's an oxymoron if I ever heard one... complaining to the very people you are complaining about!
OK. There we have it. I am now officially sent into a tailspin.
The reason why is I have a show that I am working on being held next week, which will take me at least a week to recover from and that weekend was to be my recouperating weekend, which now has gone with the wind.
I need time to digest, think, strategies, organise and then put into action all that I plan and have to do to take advantage of the 'ONE AND ONLY' hard rubbish collections for the year.
Lucky I asked!
I mean, I missed the last one and cannot afford to miss this one. Well, I think I did.
I really want to stop looking like 'steptoe and son' personified. It all takes time and also money of which I have very little of both right now. So this hard rubbish collection is important not to miss. On the 4th and 5th of August I will try and get some strong pals to come along and help me get the gear on the front nature strip in a neat and tidy fashion. I may even be able to get some to help with pruning as well while we are at it.
Yet another step closer to my final vision.
In the meantime, my daughter helped me last weekend clearing out the entire junk in the laundry and I did a cursory cull behind the cupboard doors as well. At the very top, which is very high up were some air bagged blankets that my Mum insisted on keeping and my friend Sue and I had placed now just over 5 years ago while Mum was with us just before she went into palliative care.
Aija just didn't have the heart to deal with this right now as one of the blankets was my Mum and Grandmum's blanket from the German Displaced Person's Camp they were in that they had stitched together to make a quilt of sorts. I plan to go to the Immigration Museum here in Melbourne CBD and see if they are interested in having it along with pictures of my Mum and Grandmum in said camp era. There is also a crochetted blanket from my sister Sylvia she gave me a long time ago. It is Queen size with black border and multi colour internal squares, which I shall keep. Apart from those the rest can go to the Sallies.
I did take a photo of Aija helping me as she looked so funny with her makeshift face protector from dust. But I am banned from showing it as I was told there would be dire consequences if I did. I did take some without her in them and will share next time with you all.
Sue has since offered to help me get them down as she is much taller than me to make space for the chrissy tree plus decorations and things like those other once a year items such as camping gear etc.
I now have the 3 baskets set up to place the dirty washing in as you go and only have put back into the laundry what belongs in the laundry. Due to this it made more room in the lounge room and corridor. We were left with 4 huge garden rubbish bin bags full to the brim and one for the Sallies and some for eBay. All now under the ever growing carport spillage. Most of which has to be placed on the nature strip for the hard rubbish collection.
This eBay pile is getting bigger by the minute as we;; and I will have to make time to place on either eBay or Gumtree to get that moving out to fund the much needed home repairs. But finding that precious time is proving more difficult than I would like.
All this work I am doing is snowballing into more work!
Now how does that work?
This working 5 days a week is doing my head and strength in. It has been 2 months now and am still not yet in a proper routine.
But all this pain will be all worth it in the end.
In the meantime, one of my 'new' pals calls me last week in tears.
It turns out a 'nice thoughtful' neighbour had complained to their local council, where upon 2 burly council men turn up to her door unannounced demanding to search her property inside and out. Which she declined. Now this is uncalled for if you ask me. I do not know what this friends situation is or how it looks, but I do know and understand at how helpless and powerless we can be at doing anything speedily about the situation.
People in our situation usually don't have the strength physically or mentally or emotionally to do the work entirely on our own and need help and this bully tactics just made matters worse and made her even feel more alone and reclusive. Imagine 2 huge male strangers coming to your door making all sorts of accusations and demands. It would scare the life out of you is what.
All I can say is I am thankful that my neighbours understand the plight I inherited and was placed in and have been extremely supportive ever since. I mean, not even robbers have bothered to look at my junk. Like I said, I am not sure to be glad about that or highly insulted!
It would be nice if this so called 'do gooder' neighbour saw and recognised her struggle and offered to lend a hand or a shoulder rather than this underhanded and outright nasty behaviour of hiding behind a 'letter of complaint' cloaked in secrecy!
I am not able to do much for my friend who lives in another state, but I sure as hell can lend my emotional support. I have offered to write a draft letter to the council asking for help as these men have scared the crap out of my friend and now lives in fear. I am in the process of drafting this for her right now, of which I will send when I get the multitude of everything else done. But this person I must help.
Life is a journey. How we choose to behave and treat others is a true measure of who we are not what is around us and how it is placed.
And as to how we act, doesn't always tell all what is truly going on inside.
To all the dibby dobbers, I say, just take a minute to think if it were you in that situation and what you would like to happen to you before this was done to you before doing this to another and how it effects them. The time you took to write a letter of complaint or make that call to complain you could have gone over and knocked on that door and asked... 'how can I help you?' ... 'would you like a few hands to assist you at the next hard rubbish collection?' ... 'could we prune some of the overgrowth and place it in the recyle bin for you?'... anything would be better than pointing the finger of scorn.
I know I sound idealistic here and people are people after all, but this would be my personal preference all the same.
I help my elderly neighbour from time to time as I know she can no longer do these things for herself. She has some help from what little family she has, but it is nice for her to see a human soul from time to time as she said once to me that there are days when she sees no one. It doesn't take much to 'think' what one can do.
Afterall, we all live on the same one and only unique planet that we know of so far. We may as well get along.
I know I need help and am learning to 'ask'. I also can see where help is needed and don't hesitate to offer what I am capable of doing where I can.
If we all help each other in a small way every so often, then we would have less hardship for many to suffer.
Here's the drum. I have the Wrokdown show to put on next week, then regather myself and then spend the following weekend getting the hard rubbish out and then the following week a 'friends and family' gathering of sorts. Not sure if I will survive all this!!! May need a break at a resort of some sort. That or an all over 2 hour massage would do.
I certainly have my work cut out for me for the next month. You may not hear from me till after that, but I will be sure to take photos of the process. See Kezza... I took notice.
This is usually how I have operated much of my life...
In the end I will get it done albeit even if it is at the last minute.
Like I said. Life is a journey and I plan to enjoy what is left and leave the stress and angst behind...
Cheers till next time...
Anita
Saturday, 30 June 2012
BOO! I'M BAAAACK!!!
Hi Guys,
Was I lost? I have been gone for some time. So what happened to me to be away from here so long? Well, what hasn't happened to me!
For starters I started that job I mentioned I had an interview for in the last blog and this time FULL TIME!!! I cannot cope! It is too much! Four days work and 3 day weekend was just perfect. That extra day gone is doing me in to no end.
Not only do I have less pay and for more days I also took on a new territory - the North/West whereas I used to do South/East. So not only will I have new products to learn, I will be learning a whole new territory, the people, the parking and so on.
First off, I have yet another confession to make, I promised to take photos last time of the before and after shots from when the Declutter Whisperer was here - the wonderful Kim. I must admit when she sent them to me I kind of, sort of, well..... didn't want to post them. Hopefully, by the time I finish writing this I can find the 'hutspah' to share them with you here. OooAah, this is more confronting than I first thought. This letting it all hang out isn't what I thought it would be cracked up to be ... hope that makes sense!
Anyway, this is what has transpired since last I posted. Now where do I begin....
It has been almost 2 months and am determined to do at least one blog for June end, which is only hours away by now.
Well, I had plans of putting in the heating only first and stagger the jobs to make the money last longer and build up as I go so I had a buffer. Best laid plans never go to plan! Do they now? Well, not for me.
As luck or timing had it the old original copper boiler in the ceiling from 1961 decided to give up the ghost. Did I dare say that Heating would win first... well the hot water system had other ideas in store for me.
I had no idea till I called the plumber that water was pouring out of a pipe at the side of the house as to how serious it was till he ordered me to turn off the water immediately and fortunately for me, Ray came to our rescue the very next day. Sure we lived without water for a few days, but it could have been worse. Due to the fact that he was here anyway and also installs split systems, I decided to do all the jobs at once and put in the HWS and Heating along with hooking up the toilet to utilise the tank water as well as the washing machine, which can use mains or tank as the need suits.
This has meant dust and plenty of it. Dust everywhere. So over the dust.
My daughter was spared all this pain as she was overseas enjoying herself in the sun. Boy was she ever lucky.
As with all jobs one problem usually shows up many more and I found out the pipe behind the toilet system was about to burst so yet more expenditure. Also, I have been slowing paying back smaller debts that have been outstanding for some time with some very patient debtors.
I was hemorrhaging money left, right and centre.
But the pressure of the water has been worth the pain. And as for the heating!!! Unbelievable. I just hope it will end up cheaper to run that the oil column heaters that I have had to use all these years in this house. The next bill will tell all. Here's hoping.
I will get more solar panels put on the roof at some stage to help reduce the electricity bill. But that will have to wait a little while longer now. Will get a quote to see if it is doable now or as I suspect later on.
I haven't drawn breathe since Kim was here to assist me in decluttering the lounge room, which is where we decided to start. After this experience I will have her back again in blocks as she really was a gun. At one stage I think she looked a tad overwhelmed, but forged on forth without complaint. She was onto all my tricks and niggles and allowed me some of my more 'emotive' moments. I in return let her do her thing so I could see the final 'canvas' most of which I have left as I like it that much.
We worked together solidly for nearly 5 hours. She achieved much more than I ever could have in as many months. By trusting her I got alot done. There was stuff for the bins, stuff for the sallies and stuff to go to specific areas. It felt good and better still it looked good.
The surprising thing was my children's reactions when they saw what we achieved. They were truly blown away. My daughter's boyfriend wanted to know if I had been robbed! Now that was hilarious.
She actually listened to what I had to say and as to how I wanted it to feel like in the end. We will do this in stages as most hinges on when my daughter moves out early next year. Like a domino effect.
When my daughter does move out, I paint that room and move in. Then I paint my old room and move all the computer and other furniture that is to go in there making more room in the lounge and dining room area instantly. I then plan to paint the corridor, bathroom, laundry and toilet areas. The last will be lounge and then the kitchen/dining area. This will take years, but I don't mind.
This coming weekend I will attack the laundry area and then only put back in there what belongs. Then what is left in the corridor most of will then go to the Sallies. Her boyfriend will in late July start helping me srt out alot of the major pruning of the garden in stages and hopefully wont need to pay a huge amount for a gardener. I so want that BBQ area set up by Spring to enjoy finally.
Ray the plumber had an electrician here who quoted me for some fix up jobs and a friend a carpenter to fix the attic surround and then I should be done for a while. There goes my holiday for the moment. But it will be all worth it.
In the meantime, I start my new full time job and my head is spinning. I also had to attend a conference at the Gold Coast so I really was turned upside down in my day to day routine.
OK... I will be brave and show you my before and after shots of the lounge room, which still is a work in progress.
This is of the book shelf area near the kitchen... the heater you see is an old oil heater that is no longer in use. Just there for decoration now.
Before
After
This is looking from the dining room area into the lounge area where I keep all my DVD's, VHS's (and yes I still do use them), CDs etc and you get to see my Mum's old Tredle Sewing Machine. This will go into my room once I get to move into the main bedroom once my daughter leaves, hence waiting, waiting and more waiting. But I have waited this long I don't mind helping my daughter get back up on her feet once more.
Before
After
Since this area has been decluttered the cat now curls up in that bowl!
Well that wasn't so bad was it? Well yes, but I have to share in order to let go and move on.
For the time being I will have to get myself used to working full time, the product information and the huge amounts of kilometres in travel. I am still managing to participate with Wrokdown at least, which is my love job. We have a show for 21 July. Just a little something else to do.
I am glad that the Will has been finalised, but it still has twinges of bittersweet feelings wrapped up the whole saga.
I have lost my Dad some years ago who I miss dearly. I have lost my Mum closely followed by my much loved sister in crime not all that long ago. My remaining older sibling who never liked me took this opportunity to crucify me and place me on the outer of her family and my much loved sisters daughter. How could this happen. Quite easily really if one holds enough loathing within them.
I miss all three who I was extremely close to and have finally accepted there is nothing I can do about the living and the breathing relo left standing. This next picture is of a quote that I find profoundly fitting.
Life is way too short to pander to the demands and bullish behaviour of a so called blood relative. So I have finally chosen not to and in so doing have lifted the gloom and doom from my life.
This part saddens me to no end, but I cannot any longer allow it to dictate my day to day life or future. Time is finite. I have way too much still to do and achieve without this worry. Saying goodbye is never easy. However, there is no other way.
To recap I haven't done all that much, but I have done much.
Hopefully, the job and my energies will settle in and I will be able to call upon Kim's talents once more to instigate phase 2 of the lounge room reorder. This time it will be 'what is behind those cupboard doors'? Will post those picture next time.
Well, I at least intend to.
Will not leave it so long next time till my next post.
Cheers to one and all.
Anita
x
Was I lost? I have been gone for some time. So what happened to me to be away from here so long? Well, what hasn't happened to me!
For starters I started that job I mentioned I had an interview for in the last blog and this time FULL TIME!!! I cannot cope! It is too much! Four days work and 3 day weekend was just perfect. That extra day gone is doing me in to no end.
Not only do I have less pay and for more days I also took on a new territory - the North/West whereas I used to do South/East. So not only will I have new products to learn, I will be learning a whole new territory, the people, the parking and so on.
First off, I have yet another confession to make, I promised to take photos last time of the before and after shots from when the Declutter Whisperer was here - the wonderful Kim. I must admit when she sent them to me I kind of, sort of, well..... didn't want to post them. Hopefully, by the time I finish writing this I can find the 'hutspah' to share them with you here. OooAah, this is more confronting than I first thought. This letting it all hang out isn't what I thought it would be cracked up to be ... hope that makes sense!
Anyway, this is what has transpired since last I posted. Now where do I begin....
It has been almost 2 months and am determined to do at least one blog for June end, which is only hours away by now.
Well, I had plans of putting in the heating only first and stagger the jobs to make the money last longer and build up as I go so I had a buffer. Best laid plans never go to plan! Do they now? Well, not for me.
As luck or timing had it the old original copper boiler in the ceiling from 1961 decided to give up the ghost. Did I dare say that Heating would win first... well the hot water system had other ideas in store for me.
I had no idea till I called the plumber that water was pouring out of a pipe at the side of the house as to how serious it was till he ordered me to turn off the water immediately and fortunately for me, Ray came to our rescue the very next day. Sure we lived without water for a few days, but it could have been worse. Due to the fact that he was here anyway and also installs split systems, I decided to do all the jobs at once and put in the HWS and Heating along with hooking up the toilet to utilise the tank water as well as the washing machine, which can use mains or tank as the need suits.
This has meant dust and plenty of it. Dust everywhere. So over the dust.
My daughter was spared all this pain as she was overseas enjoying herself in the sun. Boy was she ever lucky.
As with all jobs one problem usually shows up many more and I found out the pipe behind the toilet system was about to burst so yet more expenditure. Also, I have been slowing paying back smaller debts that have been outstanding for some time with some very patient debtors.
I was hemorrhaging money left, right and centre.
But the pressure of the water has been worth the pain. And as for the heating!!! Unbelievable. I just hope it will end up cheaper to run that the oil column heaters that I have had to use all these years in this house. The next bill will tell all. Here's hoping.
I will get more solar panels put on the roof at some stage to help reduce the electricity bill. But that will have to wait a little while longer now. Will get a quote to see if it is doable now or as I suspect later on.
I haven't drawn breathe since Kim was here to assist me in decluttering the lounge room, which is where we decided to start. After this experience I will have her back again in blocks as she really was a gun. At one stage I think she looked a tad overwhelmed, but forged on forth without complaint. She was onto all my tricks and niggles and allowed me some of my more 'emotive' moments. I in return let her do her thing so I could see the final 'canvas' most of which I have left as I like it that much.
We worked together solidly for nearly 5 hours. She achieved much more than I ever could have in as many months. By trusting her I got alot done. There was stuff for the bins, stuff for the sallies and stuff to go to specific areas. It felt good and better still it looked good.
The surprising thing was my children's reactions when they saw what we achieved. They were truly blown away. My daughter's boyfriend wanted to know if I had been robbed! Now that was hilarious.
She actually listened to what I had to say and as to how I wanted it to feel like in the end. We will do this in stages as most hinges on when my daughter moves out early next year. Like a domino effect.
When my daughter does move out, I paint that room and move in. Then I paint my old room and move all the computer and other furniture that is to go in there making more room in the lounge and dining room area instantly. I then plan to paint the corridor, bathroom, laundry and toilet areas. The last will be lounge and then the kitchen/dining area. This will take years, but I don't mind.
This coming weekend I will attack the laundry area and then only put back in there what belongs. Then what is left in the corridor most of will then go to the Sallies. Her boyfriend will in late July start helping me srt out alot of the major pruning of the garden in stages and hopefully wont need to pay a huge amount for a gardener. I so want that BBQ area set up by Spring to enjoy finally.
Ray the plumber had an electrician here who quoted me for some fix up jobs and a friend a carpenter to fix the attic surround and then I should be done for a while. There goes my holiday for the moment. But it will be all worth it.
In the meantime, I start my new full time job and my head is spinning. I also had to attend a conference at the Gold Coast so I really was turned upside down in my day to day routine.
OK... I will be brave and show you my before and after shots of the lounge room, which still is a work in progress.
This is of the book shelf area near the kitchen... the heater you see is an old oil heater that is no longer in use. Just there for decoration now.
Before
After
This is looking from the dining room area into the lounge area where I keep all my DVD's, VHS's (and yes I still do use them), CDs etc and you get to see my Mum's old Tredle Sewing Machine. This will go into my room once I get to move into the main bedroom once my daughter leaves, hence waiting, waiting and more waiting. But I have waited this long I don't mind helping my daughter get back up on her feet once more.
Before
After
Since this area has been decluttered the cat now curls up in that bowl!
Well that wasn't so bad was it? Well yes, but I have to share in order to let go and move on.
For the time being I will have to get myself used to working full time, the product information and the huge amounts of kilometres in travel. I am still managing to participate with Wrokdown at least, which is my love job. We have a show for 21 July. Just a little something else to do.
I am glad that the Will has been finalised, but it still has twinges of bittersweet feelings wrapped up the whole saga.
I have lost my Dad some years ago who I miss dearly. I have lost my Mum closely followed by my much loved sister in crime not all that long ago. My remaining older sibling who never liked me took this opportunity to crucify me and place me on the outer of her family and my much loved sisters daughter. How could this happen. Quite easily really if one holds enough loathing within them.
I miss all three who I was extremely close to and have finally accepted there is nothing I can do about the living and the breathing relo left standing. This next picture is of a quote that I find profoundly fitting.
Life is way too short to pander to the demands and bullish behaviour of a so called blood relative. So I have finally chosen not to and in so doing have lifted the gloom and doom from my life.
This part saddens me to no end, but I cannot any longer allow it to dictate my day to day life or future. Time is finite. I have way too much still to do and achieve without this worry. Saying goodbye is never easy. However, there is no other way.
To recap I haven't done all that much, but I have done much.
Hopefully, the job and my energies will settle in and I will be able to call upon Kim's talents once more to instigate phase 2 of the lounge room reorder. This time it will be 'what is behind those cupboard doors'? Will post those picture next time.
Well, I at least intend to.
Will not leave it so long next time till my next post.
Cheers to one and all.
Anita
x
Monday, 7 May 2012
Who came first! The Tortoise or the Hare?
Hi Guys,
Well we all know who won that race now, don't we!
I have procrastinated throughout this whole last month regarding all things to do with decluttering.
The finalising of the Will and then the settlement all took it's toll on me. That and the weather suddenly turned decidedly icy cold. Never bodes well for enthusiasm.
I am not sure which one I am. The Tortoise? Or the Hare? More likely the Hare as I have run around and gotten nothing done. Sound familiar?
I have been so busy with everything else except decluttering that I have decided that I resembled the Hare. But how could I? All that precious time, gone, wasted.
First off, the State Revenue Office sat on the Title for some weeks and finally stamped it 'non-dutable'. Now that was a relief.
Secondly, the settlement had to be booked in, which went like clock work last week.
Now the 2 recipients will receive their cheques and that will be the end of that chapter. Done and dusted. This also means all my debts are now consolidated into one home loan. I can breathe once more.
There have been so many surprising incidental costs, which are still adding up and eating away at my so called buffer. Well, I suppose I had that buffer for a reason, didn't I? I am still waiting on one more cost before I start planning what to do first. Heating in the house for the first time in years or the Hot Water Service. Being that winter is upon us, I have no doubt heating will win out first.
I will also finally intern Mum and Dad's ashes out at the family cemetery plot.
I plan to get an organiser in to help me with the kitchen and last part of the lounge room. Along with a trusty gardener to get the triffids back in line.
In the meantime, I have finally sorted through all the guff Centrelink had me do and have had a few job interviews.
As you can see I have had 'NO time for DECLUTTERING'! Still actively being done in my brain however!
It is a nice feeling to know that these bricks and mortar within which I live now belong to me. This big mess is now truly all mine. Somehow, this does change the way I feel and it has been a relief to have the Will finished finally. Bring on the new chapter. No more bitterness. No more negativity. From here on in only sincere friendly people in my life. I have released the few toxic persons from my family ranks and have let them go for my own health. Incredibly satisfying moment and one that I am still savouring.
Goodbye crapola and Hello world.
I have a job interview today and it is looking very good. Just to put a spanner into my plans this one is full time. Yep, I better get a jiggle on with all my crapola then!
Zigis did get that 16th birthday bash at Luna Park and a good day was had by all.
The crew outside Luna Park 'just for fun' St. Kilda.
Proud Mama.
Big sis.
That Carousel.
Aija and Keith organised a unique gift for Zigis. They got a street sign made up in his name, which was made by the official company that makes all street signs for Victoria. All we have to find now is a street or way to attach it to!
Way to go Zigis!
Zigis was very happy to say the least. He spent all day and well into the night with his mates. The pain has been well worth it.
As for the garden, well now that I have a little cash on the side, I will have to get quotes and start doing one job at a time to get the garden back on track and more in line with LOW maintenance in mind.
I am ready to purge, but just don't have the energy to do it.
Just called a professional organiser who is coming this Friday. I will see how the first 4 or 5 hour block goes and may need to do more over a period of time. Now I am excited.
Well, my work is done for today. I like this 'let the fingers do the work' for you.
Anyone who says money doesn't bring you happiness needs a serious reality check. It certainly helps to bring comfort, stability and choice into the equation.
As for Kim who is coming to start my decluttering once more, I will get her to help me in the kitchen and lounge areas. I think she is in for a big surprise. Or not. We shall see. Hope I achieve what I want, which is a pleasant easy going home again. One that reflects that lived in family feel like I used to have. I can dream can't I?
Well folks there you have it. Will take photos of the before and afters for you to see. I guess we will attack it one section at a time. Should be interesting. Kind of scary allowing a total stranger to help you. On the other hand it has less strings attached. Hopefully soon this house will be liberated of the stuff that is consuming it and be a home once more within the next few months.
That next chapter has begun.
Will do a blog after her first visit.
Chookas for now,
Anita
ps... just breathe in breathe out... getting prepared for that next step... leap... jump... oh you know what I mean.
Well we all know who won that race now, don't we!
I have procrastinated throughout this whole last month regarding all things to do with decluttering.
The finalising of the Will and then the settlement all took it's toll on me. That and the weather suddenly turned decidedly icy cold. Never bodes well for enthusiasm.
I am not sure which one I am. The Tortoise? Or the Hare? More likely the Hare as I have run around and gotten nothing done. Sound familiar?
I have been so busy with everything else except decluttering that I have decided that I resembled the Hare. But how could I? All that precious time, gone, wasted.
First off, the State Revenue Office sat on the Title for some weeks and finally stamped it 'non-dutable'. Now that was a relief.
Secondly, the settlement had to be booked in, which went like clock work last week.
Now the 2 recipients will receive their cheques and that will be the end of that chapter. Done and dusted. This also means all my debts are now consolidated into one home loan. I can breathe once more.
There have been so many surprising incidental costs, which are still adding up and eating away at my so called buffer. Well, I suppose I had that buffer for a reason, didn't I? I am still waiting on one more cost before I start planning what to do first. Heating in the house for the first time in years or the Hot Water Service. Being that winter is upon us, I have no doubt heating will win out first.
I will also finally intern Mum and Dad's ashes out at the family cemetery plot.
I plan to get an organiser in to help me with the kitchen and last part of the lounge room. Along with a trusty gardener to get the triffids back in line.
In the meantime, I have finally sorted through all the guff Centrelink had me do and have had a few job interviews.
As you can see I have had 'NO time for DECLUTTERING'! Still actively being done in my brain however!
It is a nice feeling to know that these bricks and mortar within which I live now belong to me. This big mess is now truly all mine. Somehow, this does change the way I feel and it has been a relief to have the Will finished finally. Bring on the new chapter. No more bitterness. No more negativity. From here on in only sincere friendly people in my life. I have released the few toxic persons from my family ranks and have let them go for my own health. Incredibly satisfying moment and one that I am still savouring.
Goodbye crapola and Hello world.
I have a job interview today and it is looking very good. Just to put a spanner into my plans this one is full time. Yep, I better get a jiggle on with all my crapola then!
Zigis did get that 16th birthday bash at Luna Park and a good day was had by all.
The crew outside Luna Park 'just for fun' St. Kilda.
Da boys before being let loose.
Proud Mama.
Big sis.
That Carousel.
Aija and Keith organised a unique gift for Zigis. They got a street sign made up in his name, which was made by the official company that makes all street signs for Victoria. All we have to find now is a street or way to attach it to!
Way to go Zigis!
Zigis was very happy to say the least. He spent all day and well into the night with his mates. The pain has been well worth it.
As for the garden, well now that I have a little cash on the side, I will have to get quotes and start doing one job at a time to get the garden back on track and more in line with LOW maintenance in mind.
I am ready to purge, but just don't have the energy to do it.
Just called a professional organiser who is coming this Friday. I will see how the first 4 or 5 hour block goes and may need to do more over a period of time. Now I am excited.
Well, my work is done for today. I like this 'let the fingers do the work' for you.
Anyone who says money doesn't bring you happiness needs a serious reality check. It certainly helps to bring comfort, stability and choice into the equation.
As for Kim who is coming to start my decluttering once more, I will get her to help me in the kitchen and lounge areas. I think she is in for a big surprise. Or not. We shall see. Hope I achieve what I want, which is a pleasant easy going home again. One that reflects that lived in family feel like I used to have. I can dream can't I?
Well folks there you have it. Will take photos of the before and afters for you to see. I guess we will attack it one section at a time. Should be interesting. Kind of scary allowing a total stranger to help you. On the other hand it has less strings attached. Hopefully soon this house will be liberated of the stuff that is consuming it and be a home once more within the next few months.
That next chapter has begun.
Will do a blog after her first visit.
Chookas for now,
Anita
ps... just breathe in breathe out... getting prepared for that next step... leap... jump... oh you know what I mean.
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