Compulsive hoarding is a mental disorder that is just beginning to be understood. As a hoarder, I have acquired things over the years with a specific purpose in mind at the time of the acquisition, used some of those items for their intended purposes, forgotten the goal for different objects, but now that I find that they have outlived their purpose in my life I am struggling to rid myself of those same things.

You can read the start of my journey here.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Yay! for Ramblings

11 pairs of jeans
6 gloves
1 backpack
1 pair of jean shorts
3 shammi cleaning cloths
and room for the girls' denim jackets, even though I didn't include them.

That was what was in the first load of laundry in our new washing machine, and even though we had a pretty big top loader before, there's no way I could have fit that many clothes in one load before. I'm in shock at how much I can wash at once, and I'm thrilled! It's already cut the time I've spent in the laundry room down drastically, and we just got the machines on Saturday. I think I'm finally going to be able to get caught up and stay caught up on my laundry now. 

Yay!

Because the new washing machine is a front loader, it uses much less water, so our water bill will go down. But the best part is that because it uses so much less water, there is less water to drain out of the tub, which  means there is less water going down the drain. I know you're wondering how long it took me to realize all that, but I really was getting to a point. The fact that there is less water being drained out means that the overflowing drainage pipe behind the washing machine should be a thing of the past!

Double Yay!

I'm still walking on the treadmill. Haven't missed a day. Started Week 7 on Saturday. The first week, I pushed myself hard and was able to complete a total of 1 hour 46 minutes. It was so hard. My fibro flared non-stop, and there were many times I wanted to give up and skip it, but I am important enough to do it for me. So I kept on keepin' on. I just ended the 6th week on Friday. I'd done 6 hours 40 minutes and 9.3 miles total. I'm going to do my best to do no less than an hour a day from now on. I'll keep it at an hour for a couple of weeks before adding anymore time, but I'll be trying to increase the mileage each week. 

So. Yeah. I'm happy about that. 

Yay! Again.

I've been feeling my age, though. Got my first pair of bifocals almost 2 weeks ago. They're going back today, and I'm going to get a single vision lens. I can't handle them. Every time I wear them, I end up with a horrible headache and a watering eye that drips down my face, not to mention the nausea. I'm thinking that progressive bifocals are just not for me. I may try lined bifocals at some point in the future, but for now, I think I'll just get a pair of reading glasses to use in conjunction with my regular glasses. 

The lack of nausea, headaches and drippy eyes will be yet another yay!

Never finished cutting the trees down in the backyard, but I can't breathe around the molds, mildews and pollens that rear their ugly heads this time of year. I don't know when it will happen, but we will get them done. 

I got the tomatoes all prepped to freeze and then forgot them in the fridge when everyone was sick. They had to go in the compost bin. But I did get the apples all processed and ended up with 10 pints+ of yummy goodness for my effort. We'll be enjoying them for awhile.

Yay!

And besides it being the time for turkeys and holiday celebrations and such, it's the perfect time for homemade soups. It seems like every year I forget how good homemade soup is, and I get to experience the yumminess anew every Fall. We enjoyed our first homemade soup last week, and it was, well, yummy.

Yay!


I also just hung up the phone. Someone is interested in the bunk beds I've had up on Craigslist for a few weeks. It will be so nice to have the room they're taking up in the garage!

Um. Yay!

And I'm done rambling for now, but I'll be back.

Yay!








Friday, November 2, 2012

Forever in our hearts.

They, whoever 'they' are, say that time heals all wounds. It may heal wounds on the outside, but I don't know that it does. I think there are some things that one just never, ever gets over. 

The edges of the wound may start to come together and form a scar, but it's still tender. It still hurts. And no matter what you put on the wound to soften the scar to make it less noticeable, no matter how much it fades, it's still there. The scar reminds you of the original trauma when you feel it as the wind blows or the sun hits it just right, when you feel it as you get dressed or bump it on the doorway. 

Eventually, a certain amount of numbness creeps in. It's as though you're in a constant state of shock. It's hard to feel anything but the pain. It never really gets better. It never, ever goes away.

It's still as fresh today as it was when I wrote this post 2 years ago about the loss of my nephew, Edward, to suicide.  It's still as fresh as it was when we lost him 5 years ago. Still just as senseless today as it was then.

Please don't choose a permanent solution for a temporary problem. It really will get better. 

Edward, we will always love you and miss you.