Clarity

Yay for finishing antibiotics. My head is clearing, and I seem to be thinking more clearly. I'm so thankful! I'm feeling a bit better physically today, too, so I'm very hopeful for next week and how I'll be feeling then.

I was able to work on laundry yesterday and today. I didn't count how many loads I did, but I'd guess it was about 10. I'm satisfied with that. I also got most all of them sorted and was able to part with things that I've struggled with for years. The clarity was finally back today, so the decision making was much easier. I was able to get 7 bags of clothes ready to donate, and I think there's probably another full bag in the dryer.

I still struggle with making certain decisions, though. For example, when Scooter had back surgery almost 4 years ago, she needed to wear a custom made brace for several months. The brace was hot and uncomfortable, so we bought little undershirts for her to wear underneath to help keep her more comfortable. I gave most of them away a few years ago, but I did keep a few, because they come in handy. They're nice in cold weather or for her to wear under a shirt like a camisole.

Because the undershirts were between her and the brace, they were somewhat protected from wear and tear, so they still look like new. Except for one. Overall, it still looks brand new. However, it has rust stains on it. I'm not sure where the rust came from, but it very well could be from the washing machine itself. We've had problems with rust in the washer over the years. This particular undershirt has had the rust stain almost as long as we've had it.

I've struggled for 4 years as to what to do with it.

I couldn't bring myself to have her wear it under her brace, because of the stain. I was afraid someone else might see it and judge me a horrible mother, because I let her wear something stained. I also couldn't bring myself to throw it away, because it still has so much life in it. I couldn't send it to the thrift store. They wouldn't be able to sell it. I've decided to cut it into pieces to use as rags. I'd rather have it as a rag than throw it away, because we can always use another rag, and eventually it will be thrown anyway. At least this way it will get a little use and 4 years of struggling are finally over.

I was also able to bring myself to throw away some clothing that I realized nobody will ever wear, because it's either stained or not worth mending and that won't work for rags. Things that come to mind are Scooter's favorite pair of leggings that she wore so much the was a huge hole in the behind. In fact, one leg had gone completely through the leg when I took them out of the wash. She's pretty much forgotten about them, so I tossed them without her knowing.

There were other pieces of clothing I've had waiting in the wings for me to make a decision about for years that I finally got around to today. The thrift store is going to be getting a lot of little girls' hats and purses in the next few days, and my load will be so much lighter as a result.

I also got a good start on painting the table tops white. I sanded them well yesterday and got the 1st coat of paint on them today. The 2nd coat will either be applied tomorrow or Sunday. I'm hoping 2 coats will be enough, but I'm prepared to put a 3rd coat on later in the week, if need be.

I'm just thrilled to have finally had a couple of productive days complete with little breakthroughs after what feels like an eternity of not being able to do anything. I look forward to seeing what the weekend brings.