Signs of Spring at my house

Pink and Green Thread in the Serger

Uni on and ready for Spring Training

Leash Ready for a Walk

Thoughts of Quilts Turn to Bright and Light from Dark and Flannel-Pink and Green Predominate
(Pictures from quilting magazines and books)

Ideas of Spring Closet Cleaning Start Dancing in my Head

Notions of Pruning the Plants Creep into my Thoughts

But all these plans for Spring and fresh starts overwhelm us!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:San Carlos

Decluttering for February

Progress has definately slowed but not stopped.

Feb 1-Recycled cardboard and cleaned up old plants in backyard
Feb 4-Cleaned out drawer in bathroom. Many more to come, but it felt good to get started.
Feb 5-Threw out expired canned food in the pantry
Feb 5-Recycled old glass jars in cupboard
Feb 5-Composted old dried beans in the pantry (it's a good day)
Feb 7-Threw out old Rx pill bottle (what was I thinking to have saved that?)
Feb 10-Made chicken soup with stock in freezer since Thanksgiving 2011. Homemade stock made very good soup!
Feb 23-Used old shoebox for Box of Sox to donate to homeless

Feb 24-Made 10 fleece blankets for homeless and used 'saved' cardboard box to deliver them for donation

Feb 29-Cleaned out under kitchen sink in preparation for new dishwasher. Threw out a lot of junk! Now the cabinet under the sink looks great and inspires me to continue.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rosewood Ave,San Carlos,United States

Growing in my yard

Drought tolerant plant-or the remnants of it. I acquired it when Sheila and Audre were my roommates. This year with no rain makes this plant an important one to keep growing.

Cymbidium from Ann from her mom from her friend Jenny. A long chain of people until it came to me.

Slime mold growing on my compost pile. I spend way too much time watching my yard waste and kitchen scraps decompose. But I dearly love the slime mold that suddenly and colorfully appears at this time of year. Suddenly it's slime mold!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:San Carlos

Spencer at the beach

Decluttering for January

Some people in our lives are better than BFF's.  They are gifts that inspire, give us many things to thunder, and provide encouragement and sound advice.  Wendy is such a friend.  She turned me on to websites devoted to decluttering (yes, there are such things) and has given me the spark to get started organizing my life.  Here is a list of the clutter removed from my house this past month.  It's a series of highs and lows, ups and downs, but generally the progress is encouraging.

Declutter List January 2012

Jan 10-Recycled all pens in quart-sized yogurt container 
Jan 10-Donated 6 quilts
Jan 11-Cleaned up old plants in front yard and put in yard waste
Jan 12-Donated 1 quilt
Jan 13-Filed papers, receipts, etc. Note to Self: clean out old files
Jan 14-Put photos in albums
Jan 15-Mailed 2 birthday cards (thereby reducing my stock of cards--really reaching here)
Jan 16-Cleaned out 1/2 of an inbox (it's just too hard--whining now!)
Jan 17-Threw away old camisole
Jan 18-Got rid of 2 old jars of crystallized honey
Jan 18-Donated clothes from Sally's, Mother's and my closets
Jan 19-Nothing (losing steam)
Jan 20-Nothing (going downhill fast!)
Jan 21-Started gathering items for church jumble sale (small hope I can recover)
Jan 22-Donated 6 reasonably sized boxes and 1 ironing board to church jumble sale (Sadly donation makes only a small ding in my disgusting mess. Nevertheless, it's a start and hope is renewed.)
Jan 23-Jan 28-Rested on the laurels of 6 boxes
Jan 29-Recycled junk mail
Jan 30-Got rid of old jar of bath salts.  (I never take a bath and person who gave them to me died last year.)
Jan 31-Paid bills and recycled paper.

Raking Leaves

I once read some advice from a Buddhist monk about dealing with depression. I only remember two things: wash your head (hair) and sweep your front porch. Washing your hair, I believe has the benefits of massaging your scalp, warming your body, and doing something to take care of yourself.

Today I raked leaves and I believe it has the same benefits as sweeping. Though I must admit I only have a small yard and only rake the leaves that the neighbor's big oak tree deposits on my side of the fence. If I lived in an area with bigger yards and more deciduous trees I might have another opinion. Here are the benefits as I see them:

>First, there is the nice repetitive sound of rake-rake-rake (the activity sounds like the word); it is like chanting a mantra or an ohm. I don't see that benefit with leaf-blowers, quite frankly.

> Raking is also moderate exercise that keeps your mind occupied with the movement and away from other matters. It keeps you in the present moment and not anticipating the next disaster. Though, this year with no rain the leaves are dry and light, not heavy with moisture, so the amount of exercise and distraction that raking provides is somewhat reduced.

> And then there is bending and stooping to pick up the piles of raked leaves. The benefits are described in the old Shaker hymn 'Tis the Gift to be Simple' When true simplicity is gained to bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed, to turn, turn, will be our delight till by turning, turning we come round right.

Finally, there is the satisfaction of accomplishing a chore. You don't have to be perfect, because you can always rake again tomorrow, but the yard looks much better after you are done. The leaves are non-judgmental; they don't care if you miss some, and whatever you get done makes a difference.

So, today I raked and felt the benefits. And I may repeat the activity tomorrow.

Location:Home

Staying Healthy?

And another retirement MYTH is realized. I pinched a nerve in my neck and now my left arm has tingly feelings, has become weak and just plain HURTS! Sometimes it's my right arm that tingles, so I must have done a number on my neck. I have no patience, not enough to wait for the left arm to get strong again. That plus the arthritis in my mid-back is bad today. It's hard to exercise or do yoga with numb arms and now a bad back. How to stay healthy when you can't exercise? This has been going on for more than 6 weeks. Patience! I wish I knew what I did to cause the pinched nerve. Or what causes the arthritis to flare. It's a mystery. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad