Me On A Monday - June 26th

 Good Morning. I trust everyone was able to stay dry & cool over the weekend.  We had our first "funnel cloud" warning over the weekend, which wasn't a full on tornado watch or warning, but funnel clouds can still wreck havoc with the winds.  Thankfully we only got to witness the storm as it moved north of us. We really need the rains from these storms

Currently Reading: Hotel On  The Corner of Bitter & Sweet, by James Ford.  From the inside flap of the book; This novel is set during one of the most conflicted & volatile times in American history; it is an extraordinary story of commitment & enduring hope.  Characters Henry & Keiko are an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness & the human heart.  The story moves back &  forth between 1942 & 1986. 

Henry & Keiko, are 2nd generation children living in California at the time of the US joining (1942) into WWII, just after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. At the time the US imprisoned thousands of their Japanese(American) citizens into camps, in fear of them performing acts of treason. On the the saddest parts for me, was reading about how the Japanese families were burning all their old family photos & memorabilia to distant themselves from their origins, to demonstrate that they were American. 

I am also reading The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin, (thanks Karen for the referral). This is an easy read & it talks about creativity as a gift, one that we can either accept or not.  One of the lines in the book mentions that we should adopt the belief that The Universe is on our side.  It also talks about how The Universe is constantly creating & sends inspiration to us all the time, we just have to (1) be aware (2) accepting.  If we choose not to accept the idea, The Universe will move on & find someone who is willing to accept & do the work necessary to bring the idea to being.  How many times have we seen our idea "stolen" by someone else. The Universe gave us the chance but we did nothing with the inspiration. This book is not just for those that are artists that paint, or sculpt, but that all of us are a form of being creative in cooking, keeping house, coding a new software program or repairing one.  All of life is an expression of creativity.

 

So I hope you all get the chance to pull out your life crayons & make some colourful life art today, me I'll be "colouring" in my garden.

Me On A Monday - March 28th

 

Good Morning. I trust & hope that all is well with you.

It's nearly month end & the end of the first quarter of my OLW - Reduce (Release).  How did I do with this one word as a guiding thought for the first 3 months of 2022?  

SOURCE: Internet

I would say overall it has been a success.  Mr Man & I made great headway with reducing & releasing things.  We also worked with the idea of silent to do's & tolerances (life & things).  The prime areas of focus were; health; creativity; spiritual & (our) environment. 

I found a few new to me minimalists & de-clutter-er specialists on uTube to inspire. I also found a few books & websites about clutter in our emotional life.

We spent some time in several rooms of our house, noting separately what worked in the room for us, what didn't work & what changes could we agree upon. Our lists were almost identical for each room. 

We started in one of the most used rooms in our house, the Family Room, aka, tv room.  Changes we agreed on, were the room needed more evening lighting, the big reclining sofa no longer worked, (other than for the cats as a scratching post) & the layout of furniture didn't flow. We both agreed the room needed to be more than for watching tv. We also did not want to buy anything more for the changes & that we wanted to shop within the home for things to work with the changes we wanted to make.  

The big sofa was released (donated) on the 18th & has been replaced with two reclining chairs that were originally intended for the patio/porch & are made of natural & "manufactured" wicker (our cats don't like wicker so won't scratch). The seats & backs of the chair have big comfortable cushions; we re-arranged two other chairs to make a reading nook in one corner; we reduced a lot of books, which freed up some shelf space to bring out a special horse ornament that had been hidden away while the fur girls were kittens (they will be 8 this summer); we did some general de-cluttering of old remotes & gadgets; we brought two lamps from another area of the house that really didn't need them, which is providing some much needed night time light in the Family Room.  Overall the room feels a little cozier & yet more open as the furniture flow works better. It's nice to have a place to sit & read & enjoy with the fireplace on. We had snow on Saturday/Sunday, so yes the fireplace is still getting some use!!

The next room we worked on was the kitchen & it received a lot of thought about what needed releasing & reducing.  A lot of duplicates, especially in those propagating plastic containers. We went through all the food stuffs in both cupboards & frig to reduce items beyond their sell by dates; released a lot of glassware. Our goal was to reduce enough things in the kitchen that the top shelves in the cupboards could be empty. The biggest surprise in this room's reducing was that we had two waffle/sandwich makers!  I swear my kitchen is a portal to someone else's cupboard.

The third room on our quarterly reduce & release purge, was the dining room.  We haven't finished yet as this become a source of great emotional reluctance on both our parts for some sentimental items.  We have decided that this room has been reduced as much as we are comfortable with for now.  One of the found things we have kept rather than reducing, were fabric napkins so that we reduce our use of paper napkins. We have been eating our meals more regularly, especially dinner, at the dining room table rather than in front of the tv. We are reducing the mindless eating (health) & increasing conversations (relationships).

As for Reducing or Releasing stress, well that's a work in progress. I am working with a sleep coach from the University. I bought a weighted blanket & although I don't sleep with it on at night, I do use it on my "prescribed" rest & breathing break mid-day. Hopefully, soon the ice & snow will be no more so I can return to outdoor walks - the treadmill is great but there's nothing like outdoors for stress release.  Latest research says that it's not just walking that is beneficial but change of locations that boost mental well being.  I've also signed up for my sleep coach's new workshop - COVID (emotional) Recovery which will begin later in April. 

Craft Stash Reducing has been an ongoing success - a box of old papers/stickers went to my bible study's group nursery - the kids are loving the assortment of papers & stickers to create works of art for Mom/Dad.  I have gone through each colour themed storage case with the intention of reducing by 25% - there's also been some success there.  The 100 Day Project is helping to stimulate my crafting & as Ruth says, a little every day; I'm moving through the UFOs.  I also decided in aid of reducing "which" stress in scrapbooking, to pick one double page layout sketch  to use for two months in my garden album. This way I have only 6 decisions to make & I've already got 8 layouts made with January/February's sketch. The paper & embellishment changes make the layouts unique for that month. As I've said & will say again, for me, it is about completion not comparison. And stash busting is the bonus.

January's Garden Layout

I am particularly pleased with this embellishment cluster I made for a page about Mr Man's snow blowing & shoveling adventures. The jar & snow person are stamped, the snowflakes & leaves are die cuts. I learnt to tie bunny ear bows!

So what's the next quarter's OLW? I don't think we are entirely done with Reduce, but it will not be the focus in the next quarter.  I'll share next week what OLW I've settled on for the next quarter,(April to June). I've been tossing & rolling about a few words (again it's a year of RE words).

As of March 21st in Ontario, the mask mandate & other pandemic restrictions in our region have been lifted. Masks are still required on public transit, hospitals & long term care homes. As new case numbers, even the sanitized numbers, are rising as are hospitalizations, it is doubtful that we are ready to return, yet, to indoor dining, or for indoor entertainments like the theatre. I had hoped to feel a little more comfortable with the idea of in person shopping, but I'm still not feeling all the confident or comfortable.  I will note that about 80-90% of people are still wearing their masks when indoor shopping. Never let it be said we rush in where fools dare to tread! 

This Thursday is the last day for the WPSH - are you ready to link in with Eileen at Bracelet of Days?  I'll be posting on Friday & will share the link.

I'll leave you with this cartoon thought ...

                                    

Me On Monday - January 31st

Good Morning Readers.  I trust everyone is doing well. I for one, find it simply amazing that it is already the end of the month, January 2022 already done & ready to turn the page to a new month.  Time is certainly traveling at the speed of light in my dimension. So let's take a little tea & scone break together, while I fill you in on what's been happening here.

 

Currently Watching: new to me series from the library DVD collection; The Village, Series 1. Not sure yet if I like, I've watched only 2 episodes.  Mr Man gave up after the first one. We also got the mini drama, Doctor Thorne, & we are two episodes into this one & we are both hooked, but then again unbeknownst to me when I reserved, it's a Julian Fellows production - so of course it is a winner.

Speaking of warming up to ... we are really enjoying the 2nd season of All Creatures Great & Small on PBS Sunday nights.  I do like the actors playing all the roles.  

Currently Waiting On: several book requests to come through from the library. I'm number one on the list for The Authenticity Project.

Currently Celebrating Mr Man Eye Update:  we (he) got very good news at Friday's follow up appointment.  This procedure has done what it was suppose to do.  YEAH.  The only bump was that we were not aware, but there's a part two of this particular type of procedure, but that's about 8 weeks away.  We'll take the break in the drama.

Currently Worried:  I've had friends develop COVID-Omicron. Two of the three (families) were able to get the rapid tests to "prove" they had. One friend called her doctor & her doctor said, you've got 2-3 of the typical symptoms, so assume you have & behave accordingly! Thankfully she & her family are moving through most of the illness fairly quickly & without any major upset.  Unfortunately one other friend is struggling with a nasty cough & shortness of breath; she's got to test her blood oxygen 3 times a day & if it drops more than 4 points, she is to get herself to the hospital. She has that little finger gadget that takes the reading. She's scared, so we talk several times a day. On the upside, she's young, she's very healthy. Her husband has seemed to come through unscathed. Grateful all have been vaccinated & boosted.  

SOURCE: Internet

Current & First Check-In Of My OLW:  First quarter word of Reduce. I am happy to report that so far this word is working for me.  NOTE: the above photo is not of my Reducing, it is a photo gleaned from the internet - I thought a good representation of my own process though.

First Up to be Reduced:  Mr Man & I have gone through all our CDS, sorted & put back into category order & made a large pile of CDs we no longer listen to or don't even know who or why we bought.  We are waiting to hear if a 2nd hand store will take the CDS & give us credit for future purchases. One CD that will go in the garbage is from a friend's wedding.  All guests got a copy of their playlist from the reception.  They were divorced after 2 years of marriage, so not a reminder anyone wants.

One area that I sorted & Reduced on was (flower) vases.  I could not believe how many I have acquired over the years.  In the end it was 4 boxes of assorted sizes & shapes of vases.  What I am most happy about this sort through is that I was able to find a good home for them.  One of the ladies in my bible study group has recently started her own floral arranging & floral workshop business.  When I called her to ask if she'd like, she enthusiastically said yes, helps cut costs for the workshops.  I like the idea of supporting, even if in a small way, another woman brave enough to venture into her own business.

Another area I have Reduced on, are 20 years worth of Gratitude Journals - all shredded & sent to recycling.  I cannot believe how much space these old journals were taking up.  I think I'll shred my gratitude journals every 3 years rather than let it build up again.

And the final Reducing area for the month was all my acquired cookbooks. Four I was a contributor to.  I wasn't sure how or where to dispose of these, but I read an online F/B post about an animal charity looking for puzzles & book donations for their fund raiser.  So not only did I box up the cookbooks, but I sorted through 2 shelves of old bookclub novels.  The lady at the drop off got very excited when she spotted the full set of the Twilight series & my paperback Harry Potter series.  She asked if she could take out of the donation box.  She told me her daughter is a social worker that is currently working with the Toronto Police Services & they had just "rescued" about 6 young girls ages 14-18 from a sex/human trafficking situation & the young girls, while waiting in a safe house, wanted books to read.  I was only to happy that she take the books.

So all in all my OLW - First Quarter Word of Reduce has been successful.  My plans for Reduce in February is to tackle more of the books ... Mr Man is encouraged to sort through his books with me.  In spite of years of "no buying" books, I still have shelves & shelves of books.  Some I will keep, ones like my hardcover Harry Potter books & of course I'll not part with my all time favourite The Thirteen Tale. 

I'll leave you with this thought for the week; " I am going to start talking to myself  the same way I talk to cats or dogs, hey sweet girl, what a clever girl, want a treat."

Me On A Monday - January 17th

 

Good Morning.  It has been very cold here in the last 4-5 days.  Saturday we woke to -22 & -31 with the wind chill.  Needless to say, the treadmill has been called into play!

Currently Reading: I just finished The Midnight Library. It was a most interesting read, lots to think about after the last page was read.  

I've also read a lot of online articles, especially around the psychology of decluttering & creating comforts of home.  Some of this interest was sparked by Sandie Cottee's F/B link about the "Silent To Do's" (huge impact) & Alexa's recent blog post about Anese Cavanaugh's "tolerances"(another big impact).  Then my article reading sparked several long discussions with Mr Man about our home. Which sparked a surge of successful decluttering efforts. There's more to do, but both of us have a new emotional & mental attitude about dealing with home tolerances & the silent to do's.

Currently Feeling: I'm using a veterinary term used for indoor cats, Captivity Stress.  In Ontario we are once again in a form of pandemic lockdown/restrictions until 26th of January. Although the powers to be, are already telling us, not to expect a re-opening on the 26th ... it will be stages of who & what can have more people present.  Schools other than universities are set to return to in-class learning today, unless the forecast snow storm puts that on hold.

Currently there is no indoor dining, shops are at 50% capacity, gyms, theatres, fitness classes all closed.  Church weddings & funerals can only have a maximum of 10 people, social gatherings can only have 6 indoors, 10 outdoors.  Yes captivity stress has settled in for the foreseeable future ...

Currently Working On: My outline for 2022's One Little Word (OLW).  If you are hoping to read about the official methods & choice of one word for the year, please read no further ... this year I've gone rogue (& just saying that makes me feel rather adventurous).  Last year I did not settle on any OLW & being wordless for a year felt quite the rebellious move. In 2020 I tried to use Nourish. I had some success, but we really didn't dance much together throughout the year, which made me feel rather a failure.

So to OLW 2022. Starting back in later October/early November, I kept having a particular phrase about Change show up in my F/B feeds, my online feeds & the once all too many email notifications.  The Three C's of Life: choices, chances, change.  Along with the Universe's notification about change, I kept hearing in conversations & reading words that would ping a feeling in me when looking to change things.  Words like, reduce, restore, revisit, redefine, renew, recover, reclaim, respond, resistant, ... you see where this is going ... then the thought occurred to me, RE is my OLW. I wouldn't just settle on one, (reduce for a whole year?!?!). I decided on breaking down my OLW need into chunks of time & I settled on quarterly OLW.  My first quarter, January to March, committed word is Reduce; reduce clutter which I hope reduces anxiety which will  reduce weight because I'll reduce the amount of comfort mindless eating.  I am also reducing pressure on myself to do it all. The next quarter's OLW could be Restore or Recover, as we come out of winter lockdown. And in the 3rd quarter as weather improves, & most importantly, COVID numbers are dropping to management levels, I'll want to revisit, renew or reclaim my sense of freedom & adventure.   I have lots of RE words to play with;   Reduce; revisit; restore; renew, resistant, redirect, repair, resolve, relax, redo, review, refresh, release, reconciliation, remember, rekindle, rediscover, rebuild, readjust, rejoin, reflect, respect.

I was very interested to see that a few of you are also using RE words this year for your OLW. 

And I'll leave you with this thought ... "happiness lies in the joy of achievement & the thrill of creative effort."  Franklin D. Rosevelt