Understanding Change

I realized that this season is the first time since I was about twelve years old or before that I did not have to take care of anyone else and I can take care of me. It was really freeing to think about what I want and or need. 

People say if you need anything. I asked for flowers with roots  because I liked to garden.

This is a process of healing. 

The dog is great company for me also a great listener a great companion on my walks and exercise, and in the garden. 

With everything that going on this year it's different. I am be happy just getting the house in order and letting go of things that have been kicking around past their time and letting go. It has been very healthy for me. 

I have enjoyed a zoom class and what I liked was after this free class it was saved so I could go back 

later to get the part I missed in the beginning. Gotta love some of this new technology. 

I am learning what direction I am going on the journey that I am on this year. I've sorted out craft supplies from the other stuff to shred. That really helped me to box those up and getting them out of the way. I have a dresser of painting supplies to empty out next as I need to paint that dresser. 

I am getting the things sorted out that need to be given away, let go of and out of storage. I realized I needed to get to the closets that are not in specific rooms like the linen closet and coat closet at opposite ends of the hallway. 

Tips

Tips Some of the things I have done in the past.
After a family member found water in the basement in another part of the country.

I have been going down stairs and doing a daily check in that room where the hot water tank is.
I like to do three trips up and down the stairs for exercise each day as well so this works as some 

of my daily goal for steps.

Fill the mower the night before or get a family member to do it for you.
Set aside a few min. each day for desk duty so it is not so overwhelming all at one time.

Do segments of time on bigger tasks like 15 min. of sorting paper taming cleaning 

then take a break and come back to it again and do another round or two, 

I did this last month working on office organization and getting the order needed in that room.

Aug. Prep.

I am getting ready for Aug. making plans and going over my notes. Setting up my Journals and planners. I got a new planner it was too small so I am using it as a health tracker, food, meds, and exercise. I am a type one diabetic and do better when I track that stuff.

I got the bigger size planner, for weekly chores the only thing is that it has a black border on the top of the pages so I will have to try my gel pens there in gold or other colors gel to write there for the stuff I would track in that spot. washi tape or something. I can always get other pages but I do not have the punch for it to put the holes in the pages.

I love this time of year when the school supplies are out. We have not heard if they have made a decision on school this fall or not. I tried some new gel pens by sharpie this week I did not like them as well as 

the other brands that I have been using. They are not always in stock. 

I had some estate stuff to deal with last week it is on going this month for a while longer.

My granddaughter has been here and I am trying to think about how I would be if they do not have regular school schedule. We still do not know the schedule or plan for this school year, I got some journals and books with that in mind just in case. One is in Spanish. on the title and blank unlined journal. My grand daughter is learning spanish on her phone I thought she might be interested in using that one. We will see. I had a few other things on hand I rounded up, comp. notebook, pack of pens, tissues, etc. that might come in handy. I found a list on line for her grade that included tissues, and wipes. Had those too I have a book bag so I will put things in it for her to use here or where ever. 

I was tickled to find some lined blank journals for me to use I was delighted to find several. They were on my wish list before I went in. I stopped by my favorite local taco stand, their till was whacky I said I would be back for my order the thrift shop was nearby, I had ordered food to go far an early dinner.

I did some gardening this morning and got some cherry tomatoes for a snack that I had grown.
Growing your own veggies takes all the fun out of going to the farmer's market! It was over by the time I was done with my errands anyway.  My zucchini did better last year than this year. Cukes are not doing anything again this year 2nd year on a row for that.  

I am trying to get back on track with my routines in Aug. I sorted journals I am done with and some other books. I have an idea for some crafting book covers and such, I need to clear the photos I took out of the dresser so I can use the table in the rec. room. Then I can consider painting that dresser. And using the folding table the photos are on. 

I have some zone work to consider like the sewing area this quarter. I have been down sizing photo albums that is quite a relief to have done some progress on, not one of the tasks I enjoy and rather dread it if I am honest about it. 

Hot weather in the triple digits here makes working in the cool basement more desirable than other 

times of the year. 

Plans for a new month.

Aug. set up and plans are in my head and on my mind. It is hot here and not as much fun to get outside to draw and or sketch. I slept in today an missed the morning cool walk. Did some decluttering and counted going up and down the stairs as I sorted things from two dressers. One is completely empty so I can paint it next mo. or in Sept. The other dresser I weeded out some items and got half of the drawers cleaned out.

I was over town at the time JoAnn's was open doing an errand so went in with the dog the dog picked out a toy while she was there. I found a glittery pink planner I have had my eye on clearance. Sort of sad because I was like two days late to use a coupon that came on my  new phone.  Oh well I was happy to find some things I love the med. glitter discs for happy planner notes the leopard spot design on the cover. 

My daily pages journal is full, I am using my notebook 5 x 7 binder, and the classic size line journal
for bujo and doing full sentences instead of lists I dis - like this but the handwriting practice is needed.
Having my plans from various happy planners in one is not my favorite but I am sticking with it.
I am pretty sure they will go back to the previous way. I had one I was inking and drawing in and that got overlooked this month. I miss doing that each week.

One thing that has surprised me is the budget stuff in a spiral notebook like kids use for school is actually working for me.

I did find replacements for my daily pages journals they were out earlier in the month. School supplies are back in stock. I found pens also.  I am still looking for a TN style cover for my fav. size of journal lined or dot pages.

I am a total fail at doing any planning on a phone or digital device, I have been doing without my phone reminders for Rx.

My granddaughter's phone is like mine but hers talks back to her mine just gives me websites so I need to tweak more settings. But that had to wait as I had to do the chromebook tech. stuff.

I am getting a routine of sorts back this summer, but ... you know stuff happens and it is not set in stone and remaining flexible is a good thing.

I need to remember to get a pen case now while school supplies are out, I like the ones with a zipper that kids use, I use one for pens and another for meds so I need to get two of them one of mine the zipper died and had to use a different makeup one because they were out of stock.

One thing that was the most successful for me recently was my What Have I Been Putting Off List. I worked on that and felt very successful getting some of that done. Other things come up but I did about half of those things it was a relief to tackle some of those things yea me!

Making a list of shows I'd seen made me realize I could use my time better especially in the mornings! 

New Day New Week

It is a new day and a new week. I got some of the morning stuff done working on my routines. Weekly stuff is under way now. I've gotten trash ready for trash pick up day this week. The yard is looking better. I do better when I get out and do some yard work a couple of times a day. The small market had coins when I was there earlier.

I made good progress on my current scrap yarn project of odds and ends yarn a granny square that keeps growing. My shoulder is sore so I had to rest it today. I've been trying out my new knitting
needles on my continuing dish cloths of cotton yarn. They help me relax when I knit on them.

I bottom of the basket I painted last now matches I got the rest of it painted to match, I put it outside
to dry and hung it in the plant cage when I harvest herbs fruit and vegetables out of the garden it will come in handy and it a good size.

Trying to get better at house stuff, it is too hot to garden this afternoon. But the birds still
need fresh cool water in the bird bath.

Got a travelers notebook I am using now, and journal soft cover with dotted paper. School supplies
are in! Just sayin' that might be one of my weaknesses. Got my notes for how to do a travelers note book TN put in it just for fun and ideas for lists. My "what have I been putting off" list has been very productive for me. I want some pages for drawing also!

More Tears

I had more tears this week, I learned my nephew died on a motorcycle when a truck hit him. My sister called and let me know, he was her oldest son. We are shocked and heartbroken. He was only 38 years old he loved to fish and had just gotten a boat fixed and running he was a mechanic. He was in the navy after collage.  This week has been a rough one needless to say.

We have wind here again this evening. I mowed today. Walked the dog. I got to the weekly tasks this week.

I have been working on some yarn projects, and did some painting. I painted a desk and did some musical furniture getting it it in the office after I took the one I was using. My daughter and grand daughter helped me move them.

I mowed and did some gardening this week.

I took some down time to rest and regroup with the news of the most recent death in the family.

I had good success finding some of the items I needed in the craft department that I had not been able to find yea! Got some paint, got some of my favorite pens that were back in stock as well. Found a traveler's notebook. The cheapie one but when it get grungie I can just toss is and get a different one when school supplies are in stock. I have been considering making one.

Tech. and more

I have been doing tech. stuff this week getting my tablet to sync. and my pc needed some help had to use the power wash setting seems all good except getting my gmail on the pc. It has taken a unreal amount of time now I know why if a pc guy has to do it that can take a week.

It is another reason I like pen and paper planning in case a tech. device is down.
It is funny bc according to my phone I have less screen time this week down from last week. I am only using it for texting and calling. I might need to turn that notice off.

I learned to date pw info. because that will help to know if it is a previous one or not! I have been combing through settings on my pc never could find the problem but figured out where a lot of stuff was for settings.

One book July has been interesting, I have not been using my planner because I've been so focused on this tech. stuff. I am going scripted planning in my bujo just to change it up and practice my handwriting. I learned putting all the various pages from this and that planner in one did not work as I did not even look at it!

I had to take a break and did a bit of painting on a wooden basket, and did a bit of picking up outside in the yard it is starting to look better now that helps. I have some odds and ends tucked here and there that I am not actually using so I have been picking those up some will be for the bbq or camp firewood when camping. My tall sticks were great for staking up the apple tree weighted down with fruit. I am thinking twice about going to the field to hike again after that wildlife experience seeing the badger.

I knitted with a friend, knitting group has restarted but I still have some things
I am dealing with here that need done about hubby's estate before I re book my weeks full. It just takes time.

I want to move the desk I painted upstairs and use it because it has shelves in it that will be handy. I am rethinking the color and might repaint it to go in that room if I have the paint color for the top of the desk. I will have to clear off the current one. I knew it would be temporary until I was done sorting.

I am wondering if I can get away with a smaller dining table. Got another load delivered to the thrift shop yesterday. Just a few things that I had set aside when the shutdown prevented me from taking those items in. I have decided that I like having them unload it.

I am rethinking the "good china" it was our wedding china as well. So as I do each zone I am discovering things I can pare down. I am supposed to be doing the sewing zone this month. But I keep finding other projects & areas outside that need my attn. Because of summer I am outside more. I have to remind myself I am making progress.

Game Trail!

I was on my weekly hike with the dog in the field, I heard a hissing sound looked and saw a honey badger in the center of the trail ahead of me. The badger went one way and the dog and I backed up and went the opposite direction. That was more of a nature trail than I anticipated! That got my heart rate up! I turned around and came back home, a bit later finished our walk on a different route.

My Joy Returned!

My joy returned today after it went to town today. I got donations delivered and cleaned some in the small shop. I am working on it making progress. It feels great to get the piles of stuff by the landing zone in the kitchen and dining room. Yea for progress. When I rounded up those items doing my last round of de cluttering the thrift shop were not open. I am learning the drill now, the employee got the items out of the back of the truck while he took those inside I set the other items from the cab on the tail gate and stood back while he loaded them up.

I found the first two cherry tomatoes out of my garden today.yum! I enjoyed seeing the flowers in the yard. I found baby squash also when I was watering.

Looking forward I want to get in the sewing room load some bobbins and hem up some more of the bandanads other projects. Christmas in July projects are progressing slowly.

Emotions go up and down have you ever noticed through out the day how that will happen? What happens if you are having a great day then some thing happens you get a call, or misplace the car keys, or you cannot find important paperwork what happens does the good mood evaporate?

Or you are having a rough day and you find a new flower in bloom, or find the first rip fruit, or new baby veggies in the garden? Does that lift your mood?

Moods can change, life can change the sun still come up in the morning and the birds still sing! A good thing to remember, life goes on.

The three D's

I have been discouraged down in the dumps and disappointed. I am feeling like a post holiday let down has happened. I have been here with the dog this weekend no family gathering happened.

I tried listening to some parotic music that made me cry thinking of the family gatherings we had as kids and that made me sad so I had to change that channel.

They had fireworks displays but no one was there to cheer because they closed off the stands, bleachers were empty. Home fire works were loud and obnoxious. The dog and I were unsettled.

We went to the basement and I painted a desk until I ran out of paint. First coat is pretty much done.

I remembered how Brother Lawerence had a medative way of doing regular daily tasks as a medation and I did that this morning while I picked up and put away things around here and swept the hard surfaces. Glad for that improvement it looked better. I saw my verse reminder that comes each week. Thinking on that I am going to get to writing out verses on my planner pages. The timing of that reminder was perfect!
I have heard of folks that have verses come through out the day I am not sure I want that many coming in my phone, updates can be irritating to me.

This afternoon I dug out two walnut trees they were not very big, I have learned to get them before the get over a foot tall they are much easier that way. I am alergic to tree nuts so do not need those here.

I could not find paint in stock for the paint project so did not waste a trip to get that. I may just change color and mix up what I have here shade of blue I have on hand. I did not paint because I could not decide on the color I wanted to use.

I was trying to find a journal cover and sketch book then remembered that I had one of each in the book case and got those out now a couple of  pages are full.

Got out my lined journal for daily diary type of entries when I realized that the one I am in will be done in a couple of days. I will be using the one with vintage pattern designs on the cover I got a while back.

I did not run the ac today 60*- 83* today's temps did not seem so bad.
I still need to walk the dog it will cool off in a bit.

Painted a desk. Messed up my computer sigh might have to take a break from this and my on line fav. sites. Only using my tablet now. Getting security updated making progress on that but it is a slow process for me.

The Sky Is Falling.

We had rain all morning. I got my new phone screen savers changed had success at one thing I suppose, log in set up then tried to get and app to work and it would not acept my pass work and my bday was wrong, so frustrating. I had to change my chosen pass word on two sites. I did get the google browser working so I can listen to books, or what ever that was good. I had to do five different pass words on two different sites I have burn out on thinking of new ones. I need to remember my one step at a time motto.

The other site had so many hoops to jump through I had high hopes it would work with this phone but nope.  Any way   I reached my hour long attempt, I do not do well if it takes me more than an hour to set up. At least I did not shed tears over it but I was close so had to let it sit a while to regroup.

I have been trying to get some news on the status of our state and area and the sky is falling poop news channel is acting like all the increase is news when we all saw that coming. Even our area is getting a bit of increase by one.

We had rain most of the morning here but it cleared a bit and I was able to walk the dog that helped me clear my head.

Got success at the shredding and the clean up after a couple of rounds of that today, and then I reclaimed the table yea! Empty boxes got moved out of there as well.

I have a couple of other boxes to deal with but it will have to wait until after trash day. I am trying to go back and pick up the aftermath of sorting and cleaning is messy and needs a bit of attn. on my sorting tables.

I need to get to the store before it gets too busy over the fourth. Some fireworks have been going off just occasionally.

OBJ / One Book July

Digital Planning / Learning apple Iph8
what makes sence to me.
setting up calandar and planning to be digital.
Learned how to get access and setting up
phone
reminders
calendar
clock
alarms
Alexia
bday
Rx
Appt.
sync. w google if possible
produtivity
notes / one note
learn icloud
random picker
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Other planners
Monthly Happy Planner this is your year to shine not cutting it for me with just list pages so I will be adding more to it. Soon as I get the pages out for next year to make room in it. I revamped my master groc. list yesterday with just me here I have been shopping differently these days. Figured out on the month I can add in important stuff at the end of the mo. that I want to keep track of. I have not been using it.

My Dream Planner happy planner discs with a hard bound cover set in teal. Odds and ends of notes lists ideas info. I've needed plans as I move forward this spring as every thing is different now after hubby passed away.

I have a budget planner not using I set it up but have a spirial note book I use instead instead.

I am missing TN for art fun and I need some of those I am currently out so will try adding them.

I have a five by seven inch note book with gold roses on the cover I am using for a brian dump from the books and e-mail course on griving it is about half full. I dis like the fact that it is at an angle and does not stack well with other books planners etc.

Daily journal morning pages in a diff. blank lined journal that is nearly full will be by the end of the month. I color code inks with specific colors for various days, in my journal it is easier to tell when one day ends and the next one begins.

BuJo classic size hard bound blank dot grid journal, not all dot grids are created equal.

Just saw a new way of planning called the scripting method that intreagues me with a line or two instead of task lists or to do lists something I will try out.

I think of things as quarterly and doing that kind of plans help me with forward thinking like in the way I used to decorate for fall sorting things in totes out, holiday meals fill the freezer I will be sorting through that and rethinking all of that this fall when it gets here.

Spiritual Journaling is in my Happy Planner faith edition for note Bible study scripture writing etc. I got an undated one and added the faith packet.

I have one I call my gardening planner for notes of things in the yard, I need to add the way h. and dson did fertilizing.

I have one with a cactus on it that I have been drawing in doing some of the art from a video course and book on simple drawings. I have done the inking on those for last month.

I need to revamp meals and menus that is sort of ongoing, meal planning is where ever chicken fish beef pork breakfast for dinner that's it, what ever day I want. Not much cooking going on here this summer.

Today I have been taking pages out of various planner and putting them in the your year to shine planner with the lists this helps. I took out pages for next year to make room. I have Faith planner pages in it for notes when I do Bible Study, and household week pages for home stuff from the homebody planner. So I am glad for a smaller stack that is way more managable now! Yea! The small pages from mini planner can go in the classis size one as well. I just have my two writing journals not in it but so much better gotta love that!

Food for One or Two.

I was sharing with a family member how we had delt with the issue of things going bad in the kitchen. Like the half loaf of mouldy bread, old hot dogs getting tossed out, and milk spoiling in the fridge.

It was time for me to re~evaluate some shopping habits afr er the kids left home. We did not eat cereal for breakfast and did not need a gallon of milk each week, it cut it back to half a gallon, then a quart and finally realized we do not drink milk! Light bulb moment and I was just using it occasionally in some baking. 

We put bread  and bread products in the freeze and just got out a slice or two as needed. It thawed on the counter as meal prep happened. 

I flash froze hot dogs, lunch meat etc. By placing them on a cookie sheet before bagging them up it was easy to get out one or two as needed this way. It also works for fruits and berries.

Cooking up six eggs to devil for one is what I have been doing. 

Starting Small

I am starting small today. I cleared off the landing zone in the kitchen by the door where stuff accumulated. Odd and ends to be put away or go to the basement. Gloves to go in the glove drawer. Tools to be put away. A small box of items to sort and put away, twine to use in tieing up the tomatoes that need staked. I sorted another small box in the creativity room. Sunrise was lovely today.

A small motif to knit on I got started had to redo part of it before I figured out the pattern for the prayer shawl project.

I have started my Christmas in July project as well. I have some odds and ends of yarn so I am going to crochet that up in granny squares some fun things to do. Trying to do round knit coasters but they are on a learning curve for me.

I have sewing to begin and have been looking forward to some fun crafting projects. I cannot find pre loaded bobbins any where.

One of the reasons I worked so hard on the decluttering last month was to free up time and space in my life for more fun crafting, inking on paper and fun things that I enjoy doing.

I need to mow and get out in the garden I enjoy that as well.

Fighting w log in again today grr! Cannot get there from my pc, my tablet is just trying to load circling, some thing has changed and will not let me in. There are days.... okay turns out to use apple apps prog you have to complete the form rolling my eyes! LOL!

One Book July

I am getting ready for One Book July. I set up my first pages for it with the cover page theme page did a bit of drawing. I am using my dream big hard cover classic size journal the says be yourself on the front of it.

This will work out great as the first part of this one has plans and stuff for the first of the year that I stall out on because of every thing going on this year.

The One Thing a book that is part of some of this and I was glad to find it read aloud on line. I could do paper sorting while I listened to this.

I remembered that  I love to do Charistmas in July, sorting and organizing totes from Christmas pupa [pick up and put away] just shoved in conatiners. I did that this spring my grand daughter helped while we were under the shut down.

I do have a project in mind to get going on before the crush of fall projects and business of the season starts. It is a crochet project some granny squares or mile a minute type strips.

I am also learning my new phone, some of it is not that different that my tablet.