Bogging Down...Springing Back!

Like Dawn at The Feathered Nest, I have bogged down a bit. Have made more messes and not been working very hard at the big downsize I spoke about last time. But it's only a small setback, I think! My foot is healing and I'm finally getting around better-one crutch (sometimes none!) is better than a wheelchair.

Today I had a spurt of energy (could it be the Prednisone I'm taking?) Spent a few hours cleaning and organizing the kitchen. Made squash/sweet potato/yellow beet/apple/garlic soup. Yummy previously roasted veggies and chopped apples in chicken broth with ginger and green curry powder, pureed. Coconut milk would have been good here, but I was out of it. I usually like soups to be more tasty and savory, but this is velvety and soothing. A nice change from the norm! I've been concentrating on my diet, as Winter can take a toll on my nails, hair, skin, etc. I'm making my own fresh sprouts for a daily salad, and keeping the sweets to a minimum. I love sprouting. I am my own local grower of fresh live food in the winter!

It has been a weird winter (still!) We've had very little snow, and what we get is usually melted off by noon. The nights are cool or cold and the days often above freezing. I don't know how this bodes for Spring or Summer water issues-or if we will have a good season for maple sugaring. Waiting to see, and looking forward to my first digging in the big flowerpots in early April.

I spent time today exploring my friend Jennifer's new blog, alotomaterial about her farm and the exploits of her goats, horses and chickens, experiments with goat cheeses, etc. She has a great sense of humor and is so full of energy, making the farm her full-time job at 50!  Visit her and check it out! Jennifer is the one who got me started on Pinterest, which I am enjoying immensely! Who needs TV with all this great computer networking and entertainment? This may actually help me taper off on the magazine buying....Hmmm.

Yes, those magazines. I spent at least 3 weeks tearing up old magazines and recycling the remaining parts. I have years' worth of Country Home and Mary Englebreit's Home Companion that I can't part with, so I tore out all the 2 sided ad pages. (obsessive? excessive?) I have not finished, but it is an ongoing project, that I know!

So one night last week after computing for hours, losing at hearts and solitaire till my eyes bugged out, I actually opened a new notebook, got out my purple pen and started planning the way to reducing my belongings by 50%, my goal for the year. I actually wrote a plan for every room and what to get rid of and how. I drew in new plans for shelving and storage and made a space (on paper) in my "walk-in-closet" (old bedroom) for my exercise bike and treadmill. I don't have a place I can use them now, and they are in the way. I need to get into shape after such an inactive winter!

Well, that spurt of creative energy spawned another idea, which had been trying to develop in my head. Rustique Resale! If I rearrange and neaten up the "Warehouse" I could have weekly tag sales in it! I thought of making an event of the first one to get people interested-advertising, balloons, signs, refreshments, etc. I could do April - October, as the room is not heated for winter use. I think it would be sweet to have a little store right here, surrounded by my garden out the screen door. I had originally turned it into a screen-porch by screening in the garage door that used to serve as a loading dock. I need to talk to the town clerk and see what is involved-permitting, etc. The building is zoned commercial, so that should be okay. Now to keep my energy up for it! I have a few friends who are slightly interested in doing it with me. I think they are just waiting for me to actually get it up and running first!

I've done a couple of collages in the last week, one to prepare for the collage class I "taught" at the Senior Center, and the one I did there. The first one was fun, but I didn't edit enough. It is sort of a mishmash. The second one, though simple, is rather sweet, I think. I will hang it with twisted purple wire. I want to do more paper creation to get ready for fall craft fairs this year. I've been thinking about maps a lot...and banners and sheet music and birds... Action, Action!

Hope you all have a lovely week, and remember that Spring will be here sooner than we think!

Hugs,

Sherry

Sitting On My Butt, but...

6 weeks I've been sitting on my butt...thinking about my nest and my clutter. Yes, I had foot surgery and have had to stay off the foot for 6 weeks. I learned that I don't really want to sleep all day or read all night. That I don't have to gain 20 lbs or eat take out. That I don't like a dirty kitchen. That the cat box doesn't need to stink. That I can put in a pretty good day's work in a wheelchair!

Still sitting

I was just reading this post by Cindy of Cottage Instincts, which is just what I needed to get going with my big project for 2012: getting rid of 1/2 of my stuff! Cindy says to keep what you LOVE, and teaches us how to distinguish the LOVES from the LIKES. Thank you, Cindy, for inspiring me with your decorating blog! We certainly LOVE the same sort of things. I have so much great stuff that I LIKE--collections of art, dishes, nicknacks, furniture, craft stuff and clothes! I can't get my hands on enough magazines, paper ephemera, old postcards, old books, pictures, sheet music,,,...etc. to keep me satisfied. Then there is so much stuff, I can't get rid of it...How do I decide what to keep?  My name is Sherry and I'm a paper hoarder.

Speaking of magazines, all of my Somerset Magazines are non-negotiable--I may keep them forever! I read, reread, dogear the pages, whip off my glasses, and turn up the lights--I don't want to miss a single detail. I used to be the same about Country Home and Mary Englebreit's Home Companion, I miss them! (rumor has it that Mary is bringing back the magazine!) Country Living is an old standby, but I am sure missing COLOR! I like the white room here and there, but lately it seems that they feature 2 or 3 white-interior homes per issue! Give me some green and some purple! Give me robins egg blue and sunny yellow! Please...?  Still speaking of magazines, have you seen MaryJane's Farm Mag? It's sweet!

So, getting back to my story...as I looked around me, stuck at home like I have been, I realized that I could not escape the mess. I couldn't just drive off with my camera and be gone all day. I couldn't while away hours at Barnes & Noble or Homegoods. I had to start cleaning out the corners. I'm sick of avalanches everywhere I turn.

Love the couch, like the table, love the rug, like the art...

I started by volunteering to host Christmas eve dinner at my "house." Which made me look at the place through someone else's eyes. Most people like my place and the ambiance (while they secretly flinch at the quantity of stuff!) They love the little vignettes and the collections. There's something to look at everywhere! I have such neat stuff!  I made that? I'm so talented....Sigh. All I could see was stuff, no style.

Okay, so what stuff is unnecessary? I got rid of piles and piles of paper. I went through 5 boxes and stored what remained in 1 storage box with room to spare. I found things I have not seen in years, and must not have needed! So I got rid of them. I started putting things with other like things, descattering the clutter.

It was worse than this!

I needed to do some crafting and couldn't even get near the craft area with my wheelchair. The houseplants were overwhelming the room and I can't seem to stop propagating them. So I rearranged them all so I could reach them to trim and water them. I cut the babies off and gave them away, I threw away tons of cuttings, only saving a few of the best to start more. Pulled all the dead leaves off them and fertilized them all. Then I moved a few more inches into the craft "room" and started weeding out the clutter. In one afternoon I got into the room and found the materials I needed to begin making and wrapping gifts.

I attacked my desk and moved the printers into better positions and threw out another ton of paper. I made a paper cutting area on a small folding table. I organized the drawers. I took down the same old pictures and hung some sweet bird prints with robins' egg blue background. Nice. My Buddhist altar area was neat, so I didn't have to do anything there except vacuum. And vacuum I did! I dug out the huge pet hair remover upright and vacuumed everything I could reach. I had to empty that baby 3 times! Between the dried leaves, dead flies and wasps, the newish wool rug and the cats, the place had been less than hygienic! Wow! What a change.

Harlequin Ware--Interested?

Then I tackled my kitchen. I rearranged a couple of pieces of kitchen furniture (I have very few real cabinets) and I filled 2 carpenter clean-up bags with recyclables! I like to think I can "do something" with those soup boxes and plastic bags and nice glass jars. Maybe I can do something with a couple of them, but not hundreds! What was I thinking?  Rearranging things showed me how dirty my habits had become! Yech-major cleaning! Then I got rid of a big dark hutch full of a ton of Harlequin Ware (a Homer Laughlin collection of colorful dishes from the early-mid 20th century). I picked out 4 place settings in the 4 colors I love and took pictures of what was left so I can list it on ebay. Then I packed them up and moved them out. I have an unheated "shed" type room attached to my space. It is becoming my warehouse. I rearranged my cabinets and shelves to fit more stuff inside for a later purge, finessed the art wall, put on my Christmas tablecloth and got ready to party. Christmas eve dinner was a nice pot-luck and all was well.

Lush plants, Lovely colors

My brother Jim wonders how you can vacuum in a wheelchair. He had some wild idea of my putting the handle between my knees and rolling the chair back and forth. I did call him a rude name for that picture. I find vacuuming in a wheelchair to be quite easy, and I don't even break a sweat! Meanwhile the houseplants are looking lush and the living room is still clean and neat. I'm maintaining the kitchen and keep coming up with more ideas like covering tins with scrapbook paper for matching storage bins. The craft room needs more work, though yesterday I did expose the sewing machine and hem my new sweat pants.

Yes, I sat on my butt for 6 weeks, but I did all that too! My 16-year old niece came in every day and asked what she could do. She helped with the things that I couldn't do and I gave her a few dollars a week. It is hard to find work around here! My brother kindly took the trash to the dump. It filled his whole van. My nephew moved the hutch into the warehouse.

How it could look

Now I plan to use Cindy's advice and look at everything I own. Do I like it? Do I LOVE it? We should surround ourselves with things we love. We should use our treasures every day. My new mantra is, "just because someone gave this to me doesn't mean I have to keep it forever!" Toss!  I plan to own 50 % less by next January. And I will LOVE everything I keep!

"This place" (left) -- I live in an old lumber store

This year is going to be life-changing for me. I've been unemployed since April 2011 and can't find any full-time work. I never thought I could retire early, but it looks like my best option at this time. I do pick up some part time work from time to time and I can keep doing that. I hope to be able to sell my warehouse of stuff on line or by tag sales. My brother may be selling this place, in which case I will move in with Mom. We both should benefit from that move. She could use the help and she has room for me if I stick to my plan. I look forward to living in a real house for a change! Who was it who said, "Be the change you wish to see"? I am learning to embrace change in the quest for a happier life.

Keep on Chirping!

Hugs,

Sherry

85% Finished

Yes, 85%. That is my answer, and I'm sticking to it. The Craft Room redo, that is. I worked on it all weekend except when I went out to lunch Friday and Saturday, had people over Sunday evening and discovered an old friend on Facebook that I had to chat with for hours. Hello Lil Suzie!

First thing, was the mold on the corner of the ceiling, under the roof leak. I know, you're supposed to fix the roof leak first! Well Jim is an Olde Yankee, and they never ask for help.  He has worked on that section of roof 2 or 3 times now, and it still leaks. He can't fix the ceiling till the roof stops leaking, and it's winter and dangerous, etc. I was going to bleach it. But the more I thought of bleaching over my head, the less appealing that sounded. So I covered it with plastic (on a slant, so any new drips would drain off) and I covered the plastic with a white sheet. Clever? (slipshod, I know.)

Moving the furniture was damn near impossible, and even though I live with my brother and nephew and niece, I wouldn't think of asking for help! (see a trend here?) There was no place to put anything in my living room, so I moved things mostly filled, rather than unloading everything. Those Ikea shelves weigh a ton when loaded and don't like to be moved! And those old tables, well they are great, cause the tops are enameled and can be scraped with a razor blade. But the legs are all wobbly and the leaves want to fall off, and the floor is way crooked! So I shimmied and shoved and grunted and groaned till they were in place, then I took Tylenol and slept in the recliner till my knees wanted to work again.
 
Saturday I finished moving the tables and started to organize the stuff, which is a process of discovery: every piece of paper has to be checked out; everything has to be dusted and read and examined; every gadget and geegaw has to be placed with other gadgets and geegaws; everything that can goes into containers that go onto the shelves; everything else is stacked and awaiting classification. And the magazines have to be looked at again. Trash needs to be hauled out. It's HUGE!  So, I'm about 85 percent done. I seem to have lost the camera in the mess, so I had my computer take the picture. It is mirror image, so it is backwards, but here you go!

 What I have learned from the Studio Redo:

I have too much stuff

Don't spray bleach on the ceiling

Staple guns are not made for human hands

I'm not as strong as I think I am

I need a crew

I have too much stuff

My favorite ivy has scales!

I'm stronger than I think I am

Good enough is good enough

It will never look like a magazine redo

I have too much stuff

On the upside:
The room is flooded with light in the winter, as it faces south. It's cool in the summer, as the other part of the roof shades it in the afternoon. I will have a big L-shaped work surface under a window looking out at the woods and the river. I have tons of ephemera and all kinds of projects waiting to be made and I will have ready access to all my STUFF! Now I can get to work. (well, after that 15 percent next weekend!)

Here's the best part: You All!  Thank you all for visiting me and encouraging me in all my endeavors! As I have mentioned before, I'm so thankful to have found this community of wonderful people who want to exchange ideas, art and encouragement.  I love seeing what you do--the art, the beautiful pictures, the flea market finds, the furniture refinishing, the decorating and projects you are working on, and best of all, your wonderful spirits. I am inspired and empowered every day!  Thank you so much!

P.S. Part two of the Dream Vacation should be out next weekend!