Swirling thoughts aren't necessarily rambling.

I sit here tonight with words swirling in my head not knowing where to start. I want to be able to talk about how I was affected by hoarding growing up, but I want to do it with respect for those in my life who have tendencies towards hoarding. So I'll work on it when I can and probably think about it for awhile before I push the publish button.

I was able to be a bit productive today in spite of the back spasms that have been bothering me for the last several days. I was able to get 2 full coats of paint on the cubbies that will go above the stove and refrigerator in the kitchen. I'm using latex paint on them, so it dries much more quickly than the oil based paint does. I think I may still need to paint one final coat tomorrow, but I'm thrilled that they'll be done, and I'll be able to get stuff put where it goes very soon.

I'm not really satisfied with how the baskets we bought last year to go in the cubbies fit, but we'll use them for now. Eventually, I'll likely replace them with something that fits better and use the baskets I currently have elsewhere. In the post I linked to above, I commented about how it's harder to build a box than it may seem. At least for us. And there really were only two ways we could build this. They both had their downfalls. We had to choose one and get started on it, so I didn't take the opportunity to really think it through like I should have before we started.

We could either put the back on in between the top and bottom boards, or we could put it in behind them. We put it in between. However, the back takes up about 3/4" of space that the baskets needed to fit properly front to back this way. As a result, the larger baskets hang over the edge of the cubbies about 1/2". If we'd have done it the other way, it would have taken space out of the height of the cubbies. If I'd have thought about it a little more clearly, I would have done it the later way, so the baskets would fit more properly, but we can live with it like this for awhile.

We didn't do a perfect job on the cubbies, but we did well enough that we'll be able to live with it. Up close, I can see all the imperfections that would normally drive me insane. But we won't be up close to these on a regular basis, because they will hang above the stove and refrigerator in place of the cabinets we tore down. They won't be viewed up close, and they'll likely look just fine from a distance. I can live with that.

The Hubster took care of some problems we were having with the tarps on the back porch, today, too. The strings and duct tape weren't holding them at the top quite as securely as we were hoping, so they allow for a lot of leaves to blow in when the wind picks up. He put some hooks through the grommets and attached them to the metal awning of the porch. It made all the difference in the world. I'm feel so fortunate to have a workshop I can use to finish up on projects over the next few months!

I was able to get a couple loads of laundry done today, too, so I feel satisfied to have accomplished as much as I did today. Often, when my back is spasming like it was today, I can't seem to get anything done. So I won't complain about today's accomplishments.

I'll take what I can get.