Showing posts with label Christmas Miracles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas Miracles. Show all posts
Friday, June 15, 2012
Hello!
I'm back.
Sort of.
We returned late Sunday night after 6.5 weeks back home. Thankfully, Mom is doing very well after she had her surgery, and she's finally home. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers! We're all so very grateful and very relieved she's doing so well. I am incredibly thankful the girls and I were able to be able to stay as long as we did, (Christmas Miracles revisted!!), but it was hard saying goodbye.
In spite of the fact we left in such a huge hurry, and the house is a disaster area, it's wonderful to be home again. We've all been exhausted since we got back. I think a lot of it is due to the higher elevation. That, and something about being gone so long under stressful circumstances wears a person out. I'm hoping we'll feel rested by next week. Sadly, the house isn't going to clean itself.
I'm hoping that as I get back into the swing of things I'll get back to blogging again. I've really missed it and the people behind the screen.
:::waves hello to the people behind the screen::::
I hope to see you around!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Santa has left the building.
Christmas is finally over for the family who lives in the Closet.
Mom left for home Sunday.
It's amazing how empty the house is without her and her adorable little dog, but we will be eternally grateful to have had her here for so long! I am incredibly blessed to count her as one of my best friends. Ever.
She encouraged me to keep going, even when I felt like I had no more to give while cleaning out the different rooms, and I'm so thankful for that. We accomplished so much while she was here, and I have every intention of keeping on keeping on.
At Mom's urging, I started keeping track of the loads of laundry I did after we found the boxes of laundry in the garage. I started working on them back on April 4th. In the last 15 days, I've done 73 loads. Of those 73 loads, 7 or so were bedding, towels or clothing we use day to day.
And just when I thought I was done, I wasn't. Shortly after The Hubster left to take Mom home, I went to the laundry room to get a load started in the washer. I looked around the room to assess what I still had to do when I spotted a box I'd seen in there but hadn't really paid it any attention.
We'd brought some Christmas things in from the garage to put away with the holiday decorations. I've mentioned before that the laundry room is also where we store the decorations behind sliding closet doors and the box was sitting by the closet. The box was sitting on a large tote of Christmas wrap that had been brought in from the garage, so when I saw it sitting there, I assumed it was decorations.
You know what they say about assuming.
I opened the flaps of the box expecting to find ornaments when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a box full of laundry that meant something dear. I laughed out loud at the absurdity of it all. Here I'd thought I'd finished the last of the laundry from years ago except for the 2 dresses I had left that needed to be washed separately from the other clothing.
Instead, I found the box is full of clothes from my childhood. I took the time to sort it today after finishing up the girls' bedding in the wash and got the first load started to soak. I squealed when I saw my Holly Hobbie pillowcases from when I was a child. I adored Holly Hobbie, and finding the pillowcases, both the one my parents bought for me and the one Mom made me just made me happy inside and out.
There were also some of my favorite shirts from high school which will work for Scooter and her eclectic choices that make up her mix and match style. One of my favorite outfits Mom made me as a kid was in there, too. Not only did she make me the shirt and pants that matched, but she made shorts as well. I remember feeling so special when I wore that little outfit! And while my girls are too big to wear it, I am saving it. If we have no granddaughters to wear it eventually, I will save some of it for a quilt I have planned to make from a few of my favorite things.
I also found the vest my grandmother lovingly knit for me when I was about 10. It's yummy robin's egg blue with a pretty pink accent. Gramma always knitted vests or scarves or hats for us kids. We loved getting her packages in the mail and could hardly wait to try them on. Many a school picture was taken in a vest Gramma knitted for us. Seeing the vest brought back many happy memories in an instant. There was also an olive green shawl with a salmon pink accent that I'm sure Gramma knitted. I'll have to ask Mom. She'll remember.
Needless to say, this last box of clothing opened a floodgate of memories for me. I had mixed emotions, but by and large they were happy memories. I'm anxious to see how well they clean up, what I'll decide to save, what I'll have to toss, and what will be in good enough shape to donate.
Speaking of donations...
I've been donating the clothes we're getting rid of to a local thrift store. Well, it's sort of a thrift store. They have all sorts of items in there that they sell, but they don't actually sell the clothes. They give them away to whomever might come in and need them. Last Friday, I took 49 bags of clothes down to them. It was so nice to get them out of the house and even nicer knowing that they will help out people who need clothes for their families.
There were several bags of clothes that went to the trash after they were torn up in the washing machine, or I couldn't get the stains out. But there were actually very few things that remained stained once I was done with them, and some things came clean that I'd never in a million years expect to get clean.
For example a hoodie that had set in stains for the last 18 years:
Was I ever surprised when this is how it looked when I was all done with it!
Mom thinks I should send the last two pictures to the makers of Shout, Era Laundry Detergent, OxiClean and Clorox to give them an idea of what their products together can accomplish.
In every load of clothes I washed that came from the garage, I started out filling the washing machine with hot water, adding a large scoop or two (it depended on how dirty the clothes were) of OxiClean, a cup of Clorox, half a cup of Era and then I sprayed the stains until they were wet with Shout. I followed this routine no matter what color the clothes were. Where the clothes had been stored so long, and there was evidence of mice, I wasn't willing to take any chances with not getting them clean. After a few minutes of dissolving the cleaning products in the hot water, I changed the water temp from hot to warm or cold and would then run the washing machine on the longest cycle it has. I was in shock at how many clothes came out perfect right away.
Those that still had stains went into the sink that held OxiClean water to soak the clothes for a few days. Ninety-nine percent of the stains came out after soaking, if they didn't come out in the first wash. Of the clothes that were donated, there were maybe 5 pieces that had stains no bigger than my little fingernail. The rest looked new.
Most are gone now, and the ones I have left are either being used or packed away for Bugster and Bubster's future babies.
Best of all? As soon as I finish the last few loads of laundry from the box I just discovered, I will be completely caught up on laundry for the first time in 20 years.
How unbelievably freeing!
Mom left for home Sunday.
It's amazing how empty the house is without her and her adorable little dog, but we will be eternally grateful to have had her here for so long! I am incredibly blessed to count her as one of my best friends. Ever.
She encouraged me to keep going, even when I felt like I had no more to give while cleaning out the different rooms, and I'm so thankful for that. We accomplished so much while she was here, and I have every intention of keeping on keeping on.
At Mom's urging, I started keeping track of the loads of laundry I did after we found the boxes of laundry in the garage. I started working on them back on April 4th. In the last 15 days, I've done 73 loads. Of those 73 loads, 7 or so were bedding, towels or clothing we use day to day.
And just when I thought I was done, I wasn't. Shortly after The Hubster left to take Mom home, I went to the laundry room to get a load started in the washer. I looked around the room to assess what I still had to do when I spotted a box I'd seen in there but hadn't really paid it any attention.
We'd brought some Christmas things in from the garage to put away with the holiday decorations. I've mentioned before that the laundry room is also where we store the decorations behind sliding closet doors and the box was sitting by the closet. The box was sitting on a large tote of Christmas wrap that had been brought in from the garage, so when I saw it sitting there, I assumed it was decorations.
You know what they say about assuming.
I opened the flaps of the box expecting to find ornaments when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a box full of laundry that meant something dear. I laughed out loud at the absurdity of it all. Here I'd thought I'd finished the last of the laundry from years ago except for the 2 dresses I had left that needed to be washed separately from the other clothing.
Instead, I found the box is full of clothes from my childhood. I took the time to sort it today after finishing up the girls' bedding in the wash and got the first load started to soak. I squealed when I saw my Holly Hobbie pillowcases from when I was a child. I adored Holly Hobbie, and finding the pillowcases, both the one my parents bought for me and the one Mom made me just made me happy inside and out.
There were also some of my favorite shirts from high school which will work for Scooter and her eclectic choices that make up her mix and match style. One of my favorite outfits Mom made me as a kid was in there, too. Not only did she make me the shirt and pants that matched, but she made shorts as well. I remember feeling so special when I wore that little outfit! And while my girls are too big to wear it, I am saving it. If we have no granddaughters to wear it eventually, I will save some of it for a quilt I have planned to make from a few of my favorite things.
I also found the vest my grandmother lovingly knit for me when I was about 10. It's yummy robin's egg blue with a pretty pink accent. Gramma always knitted vests or scarves or hats for us kids. We loved getting her packages in the mail and could hardly wait to try them on. Many a school picture was taken in a vest Gramma knitted for us. Seeing the vest brought back many happy memories in an instant. There was also an olive green shawl with a salmon pink accent that I'm sure Gramma knitted. I'll have to ask Mom. She'll remember.
Needless to say, this last box of clothing opened a floodgate of memories for me. I had mixed emotions, but by and large they were happy memories. I'm anxious to see how well they clean up, what I'll decide to save, what I'll have to toss, and what will be in good enough shape to donate.
Speaking of donations...
I've been donating the clothes we're getting rid of to a local thrift store. Well, it's sort of a thrift store. They have all sorts of items in there that they sell, but they don't actually sell the clothes. They give them away to whomever might come in and need them. Last Friday, I took 49 bags of clothes down to them. It was so nice to get them out of the house and even nicer knowing that they will help out people who need clothes for their families.
 |
| 40 of the 49 bags of clothes that were donated. |
For example a hoodie that had set in stains for the last 18 years:
 |
| NEVER in a MILLION years!! |
Was I ever surprised when this is how it looked when I was all done with it!
 | |
| Some little girl is going to love this hoodie! |
In every load of clothes I washed that came from the garage, I started out filling the washing machine with hot water, adding a large scoop or two (it depended on how dirty the clothes were) of OxiClean, a cup of Clorox, half a cup of Era and then I sprayed the stains until they were wet with Shout. I followed this routine no matter what color the clothes were. Where the clothes had been stored so long, and there was evidence of mice, I wasn't willing to take any chances with not getting them clean. After a few minutes of dissolving the cleaning products in the hot water, I changed the water temp from hot to warm or cold and would then run the washing machine on the longest cycle it has. I was in shock at how many clothes came out perfect right away.
Those that still had stains went into the sink that held OxiClean water to soak the clothes for a few days. Ninety-nine percent of the stains came out after soaking, if they didn't come out in the first wash. Of the clothes that were donated, there were maybe 5 pieces that had stains no bigger than my little fingernail. The rest looked new.
Most are gone now, and the ones I have left are either being used or packed away for Bugster and Bubster's future babies.
Best of all? As soon as I finish the last few loads of laundry from the box I just discovered, I will be completely caught up on laundry for the first time in 20 years.
How unbelievably freeing!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
When in doubt, punt.
Christmas has never lasted so long as it has this year. We've experienced yet another Christmas Miracle. Mom is staying another week, and we are so happy she is! There are high wind warnings all the way from our house to hers, along with snow and rain. It's just not safe for her to head home right now. She thought about heading home in the middle of the week, but she said she'd stay until next weekend, if we tackled the garage while she's still here.
Today, we were in the middle of a full out blitz.
Tonight, we're exhausted, but feeling good at what we've accomplished so far.
I'm also feeling a bit overwhelmed at what awaits.
Besides the customary tools, dust and mouse poop that are in the majority of garages in America, we found boxes of toys, paperwork and laundry.
Yes. I. Said. Laundry.
Lots and lots of laundry. So that 50 loads or so I did last week? It doesn't even compare to what lies ahead. I'm guessing I have 50 to 75 loads of laundry to do. I'm hoping I'm overestimating, but only time will tell. I will be keeping score.
In the deep, dark recesses of my mind I vaguely remembered there was laundry to do in the garage. However, it's been there so long that it just became part of the landscape. Just a dot on the horizon that's not really noticeable in the big scheme of things that is the garage.
What I didn't realize was just how big that dot actually was. Turned out it wasn't just a shadow on the horizon. It was the mountain rising up in the distance. Even though it wasn't totally unexpected to find the laundry in the garage, I have to admit that even I was surprised at exactly how much there was waiting for me or how long it had been waiting.
There was one box that had been sealed up and sent through the Postal Service from my parents' house to the house we rented in North Carolina when I was pregnant with Scooter and The Hubster was still on active duty. Scooter will be 18 this summer. The box was still sealed with the original tape.
Let's just say that life became exceptionally overwhelming during that pregnancy and didn't really slow down until recently. Truth be told, I'm not sure that life really slowed down as much as I have been able to speed up. I'll eventually blog about what life was like in more detail, but all that talk about speeding up? Yeah. It's it's a minute by minute thing. In fact, at this moment, I'm slowing down considerably and am having a rough time staying awake.
On that note, I think I'll go crawl into bed, so I'll be ready to go in the morning. And while I know we won't finish everything in there tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to making an even bigger dent in the mess and getting started on the laundry on Monday that Mom has so graciously sorted for me.
I'm sure I'll be dreaming of a winning game plan all night long.
Today, we were in the middle of a full out blitz.
Tonight, we're exhausted, but feeling good at what we've accomplished so far.
I'm also feeling a bit overwhelmed at what awaits.
Besides the customary tools, dust and mouse poop that are in the majority of garages in America, we found boxes of toys, paperwork and laundry.
Yes. I. Said. Laundry.
Lots and lots of laundry. So that 50 loads or so I did last week? It doesn't even compare to what lies ahead. I'm guessing I have 50 to 75 loads of laundry to do. I'm hoping I'm overestimating, but only time will tell. I will be keeping score.
In the deep, dark recesses of my mind I vaguely remembered there was laundry to do in the garage. However, it's been there so long that it just became part of the landscape. Just a dot on the horizon that's not really noticeable in the big scheme of things that is the garage.
What I didn't realize was just how big that dot actually was. Turned out it wasn't just a shadow on the horizon. It was the mountain rising up in the distance. Even though it wasn't totally unexpected to find the laundry in the garage, I have to admit that even I was surprised at exactly how much there was waiting for me or how long it had been waiting.
There was one box that had been sealed up and sent through the Postal Service from my parents' house to the house we rented in North Carolina when I was pregnant with Scooter and The Hubster was still on active duty. Scooter will be 18 this summer. The box was still sealed with the original tape.
Let's just say that life became exceptionally overwhelming during that pregnancy and didn't really slow down until recently. Truth be told, I'm not sure that life really slowed down as much as I have been able to speed up. I'll eventually blog about what life was like in more detail, but all that talk about speeding up? Yeah. It's it's a minute by minute thing. In fact, at this moment, I'm slowing down considerably and am having a rough time staying awake.
On that note, I think I'll go crawl into bed, so I'll be ready to go in the morning. And while I know we won't finish everything in there tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to making an even bigger dent in the mess and getting started on the laundry on Monday that Mom has so graciously sorted for me.
I'm sure I'll be dreaming of a winning game plan all night long.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Another Christmas Miracle.
When Mom came down to help me with my surgery back on December 1, she planned on going home before Christmas. I jokingly told her that I'd be praying for snow, so she couldn't go home. Then, I promised her that I wouldn't tell her, "Yay! A Christmas Miracle!!" when the snow would keep her here.
Well, the snow didn't keep her here the first week or two. The infection I got post-op did, though. And since it wasn't the snow that kept here here, I teased her that it was a Christmas Miracle. We've had a lot of Christmas Miracles in the last several months...
There's been the infection. And the snow. And logistics, because sometimes there are just scheduling conflicts with the person who is supposed to meet us to take Mom the rest of the way home, because meeting someone almost 350 miles away takes coordinating schedules. There's The Hubster's back injury. And then there's Mom's generous and sacrificing love and her wanting to stay and help me get as much as possible done while she's here.
And so, we've experienced yet another Christmas Miracle on St. Patrick's Day.
Mom is staying one more week to help me finish up as much as possible before The In-laws get here the week after next. They're driving through after visiting The Hubster's brother's family down in Florida. They want to stop by and see the progress we've made and to visit us.
I'm stressing over it. Because although I know Mom and I have kicked butt getting things done since she's been here, and that Hubster and I kicked butt before that and got tons done, I know it's not going to be enough. Plus, this whole thing makes me feel like I'm back in high school and working really hard to study for a test I know I'm never going to pass, even though I always passed all my tests in high school with flying colors.
I feel, however unrealistic the feeling may be, that they're coming for an inspection. Like landlords. Like we owe it to them somehow to have our house in order. I mean, that's one of the major benefits of home ownership. You no longer have to answer to someone else about what color you paint the walls or how long the grass has gotten.
You answer to yourself.
And that's what this journey has been about all along. It's been about us owning up to and processing exactly why we are where we are in this situation. And somehow, up until now, I haven't been stressing over it. I've been working on things. Processing things one at a time, and dealing with the what, why and how of my hoarding. Because it's my hoarding. It's my problem. And I'm proud of the progress I've made. I've done an amazing job. I'm not finished yet, but I know I will get there.
I am taking back ownership of the situation. Of my feelings. I refuse to be stressed. To be judged and graded as though I'm completing an assignment in high school for a very harsh teacher. If it's something that happens, then it's on those who do the judging. It's not on me.
Mom and I will get as much done while she's here as possible. Not because there will be any sort of test. Not to prove anything to anybody else. We will accomplish as much as possible, because Mom is staying to help out of the goodness of her heart. And because not accomplishing anything, when that's why she is staying and giving us another Christmas Miracle, would be wasting that miracle.
And miracles should be appreciated and relished.
Not wasted.
Well, the snow didn't keep her here the first week or two. The infection I got post-op did, though. And since it wasn't the snow that kept here here, I teased her that it was a Christmas Miracle. We've had a lot of Christmas Miracles in the last several months...
There's been the infection. And the snow. And logistics, because sometimes there are just scheduling conflicts with the person who is supposed to meet us to take Mom the rest of the way home, because meeting someone almost 350 miles away takes coordinating schedules. There's The Hubster's back injury. And then there's Mom's generous and sacrificing love and her wanting to stay and help me get as much as possible done while she's here.
And so, we've experienced yet another Christmas Miracle on St. Patrick's Day.
Mom is staying one more week to help me finish up as much as possible before The In-laws get here the week after next. They're driving through after visiting The Hubster's brother's family down in Florida. They want to stop by and see the progress we've made and to visit us.
I'm stressing over it. Because although I know Mom and I have kicked butt getting things done since she's been here, and that Hubster and I kicked butt before that and got tons done, I know it's not going to be enough. Plus, this whole thing makes me feel like I'm back in high school and working really hard to study for a test I know I'm never going to pass, even though I always passed all my tests in high school with flying colors.
I feel, however unrealistic the feeling may be, that they're coming for an inspection. Like landlords. Like we owe it to them somehow to have our house in order. I mean, that's one of the major benefits of home ownership. You no longer have to answer to someone else about what color you paint the walls or how long the grass has gotten.
You answer to yourself.
And that's what this journey has been about all along. It's been about us owning up to and processing exactly why we are where we are in this situation. And somehow, up until now, I haven't been stressing over it. I've been working on things. Processing things one at a time, and dealing with the what, why and how of my hoarding. Because it's my hoarding. It's my problem. And I'm proud of the progress I've made. I've done an amazing job. I'm not finished yet, but I know I will get there.
I am taking back ownership of the situation. Of my feelings. I refuse to be stressed. To be judged and graded as though I'm completing an assignment in high school for a very harsh teacher. If it's something that happens, then it's on those who do the judging. It's not on me.
Mom and I will get as much done while she's here as possible. Not because there will be any sort of test. Not to prove anything to anybody else. We will accomplish as much as possible, because Mom is staying to help out of the goodness of her heart. And because not accomplishing anything, when that's why she is staying and giving us another Christmas Miracle, would be wasting that miracle.
And miracles should be appreciated and relished.
Not wasted.
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