Keeping Busy

 Today I kept busy.  As of 7 p.m. I walked 12,500 steps or 5.2 miles.  I also attacked a few of the shelves in the sewing room.  I did not take a before pictures but the messy top shelf of the rack is what it looked like.  The picture is what some of the work today. A lot of skeins and kits were organized.  I also work on the closet organizing   I also filled 1 1/2 boxes with yarn, fiber and weaving supplies.  I am hoping that the friend who took the box last week will take these also.  

I spent part of the afternoon spinning.  First some pencil roving. Then some alpaca with silk.  I can say that I did keep myself to busy to think.  I am exhausted an so I am hoping to sleep tonight.  Then more tomorrow.  

This and That

 Did you ever have one of those days when your busy all day long and at the end of the day feeling like nothing got done.  I felt that way today, but I finished weaving a scarf. Organized the craft room and found I needed 2 less jumbo tote bags to store yarn in.  I guess I did use more yarn than I thought, but with over 100 completed projects this year, I should not be surprised.  The down side to organizing the craft room is I have all these knitting projects that I wanted to knit but must wait until January.  The down side of a better functioning hand is letting it heal after surgery  

Also on the list was washing and twacking yarn. The to wash basket is almost empty.  I spent about an hour detangling a skein of yarn. By the way I found the skein while cleaning the craft room.  I tinked a knitting project and decided the yarn would be a better warp.  I put away knitting needles. I still have not found the missing spindle.  Maybe the next round of cleaning. So for the next dozen or so scarf’s there will be very colorful warp.   Below is the scarf that I did the finishing work on today.  It is already in the bag to leave the house.  

Waiting for Supplies

 I am spending about 2 1/2 hours a day cleaning up the mess I made by wanting a second shoe rack and storage boxes.  Today I organized my shawl collection, I really think I need to knit other things. I found a place on the shelf’s for my double pointed knitting needles. Put smaller project bags in a repurposed hanging shoe bag. 

In addition to cleaning, I filled up the back of my car with snacks for Eric’s old day program and dropped them off. After lunch John and I made a Goodwill run.  The the rest of the day was spent on laundry and knitting.  

All and all a good day.  

The Dangers of Shoe Racks

 If you give a mom a shoe rack.

She will find that not all of her shoes fit.

She will want another shoe rack.

So she will have to clean her closet to make room.

She will have to find a new home for her drop spindles. 

Then rearrange another closet before she can move things.

She will find enough stuff to fill three boxes for charity.

She will make the dad drop it off that very day.

Then she will have to organize two baskets full of fiber and a three drawer basket cart full of fiber.

She will find a missing Turkish Drop Spindle.

This will lead to a bedspread needing to be washed, but that's another story.

The cart fits where it is supposed to go. Happy dance!

But wait, there is a pile of stuff that needs new homes, both in and out of the house. 

After two and a half hours mom is too tired to move.

There is still not enough room in the closet for a shoe rack.

One room is clean.

One room is a big mess in progress, watch where you step and turn on the light before you enter.

Just who's idea was it to let mom have a new shoe rack anyway?

We might as well let mom have the second shoe rack.

Let's just wait and see what leaves the house to make room for the second shoe rack. 

More on The Dangers of Shoe Racks tomorrow. 

Zenning My Closet

 Today I tackled part of my closet and put a new and bigger shoe rack in.  The sad news is all my shoes did not fit. So tomorrow I will do another round of zenning to see if I can make room for another shoe rack.  In the meantime I have filled another box for Goodwill.  

My drop spindles have found a new home along side or rather above the computer  I really think I need to order some wood conditioner for them too, some are in need of a good polishing  

I am feeling a little better each day.  I have tweaked my diet again.  I think it is working, although I should really give it a solid month to know for sure. 

Finally

We finally got rain today. The bulk of the rain fell in about a half an hour. In that half an hour we got an inch and a half of rain and by dinner time the total was 2 inches of rain. It was a little bit too muggy to do any knitting today. So I spent the morning vacuuming up the dust bunnies and doing some deep cleaning. A lot of Zenning was started. This afternoon I worked on organizing the craft/storage room. I found some yarn that I didn’t even know I had. I also found a couple of projects that I lost. I started a new load of stuff for Goodwill too.   I am sure that I have a volunteer to drop it off for me. Tomorrow I’ll get out the big loom and start a shawl.  

More Deep Cleaning

Today I did what every empty Nester should be doing. I went through a box of old paperwork and got rid of it. Don’t tell John but I plan on using the empty box for fiber stuff.  I landed up filling five bags of recycling and getting it out of the house. If you are an empty Nester, I challenge you to get rid of all your old paperwork and shred it.  After all do you really need the donation letters from when the kids were in elementary school or high school?

I really couldn’t get into knitting or spinning today. So I guess deep cleaning was progress of some sort.

Really Deep Cleaning

I spent the last hour and half going through my fiber stash.  Don’t worry it will have a new home with a fellow fiber artist. I am hoping she likes the gift.  I really hope she has room.  Now I must decide what to do with my new found space. To give you an idea of how much space that I will gain, there is a double laundry basket to the brim, 2 xxl ziplock storage bag and a twin blanket bag.  I just have to get enough boxes and large shipping bags to mail it.  

I think it is snack time now.

Yeah for Zenning

More stuff gone. Today I filled the entire back of my car with socks, hats, books and bibs for a charity run. Then when John came home we filled it again for a Bookman’s run tomorrow. Yeah for Zenning. Less stuff. Did I mention that I also filled and entire box for Bookman’s today while I was putting other things away?

More Socks

Yes, I am still zenning the house.  This is yesterday’s sock haul from Bookman’s NW. Five pairs of socks for the Flowing Wells School District Clothing Bank. I am really grateful that I can turn my house decluttering into something very useful. I really like the Yoda socks.

New Years Resolutions

Every time I go buy smaller size clothing people are always asking for my “miracle diet tips” everyone wants a fast easy way to lose weight and inches. I would like to say that I am not perfect. I have awful seasonal cravings. I don’t always make my step goal. I also know I just need to brush off the crumbs and resume my healthier lifestyle. It’s not about diets, it’s all about life style changes. I have been working on this gradually since June 2009.  It’s not fast in any way. There are blog post about this too.

So with this disclaimer:  I am not a medical professional. This is what works for me. Always talk to your doctor or other medical professional before making major lifestyle changes.

For me it’s about getting the bad for me stuff out of my life. These include high fructose corn syrup, artificial sugars, 80% of the regular sugars. White potatoes and white rice. I have also eliminated most soda, I had 1 bottle of soda since June 2018.  I had a really sudden and bad migraine and needed to drive across town in a few hours. I am not perfect by any means.  Perfection in lifestyle is an ugly facade.  It’s also about drinking more water or unsweetened teas.

Next it’s about moving your body.  You don’t need to buy an expensive gym membership, unless of course you want to. I got a pedometer and did a two week base line, of 2,500 steps a day. Yes, really. Once that was established I would increase my step goal by no more than 10% when I felt I could handle more exercise. My current goal is 8,080 steps a day.  You can find me walking in circles or figure 8’s around the house if the weather is not ideal or I am having a bad body day.  I also started deep cleaning the house. Small things like emptying the linen closet, deciding what to keep and what to get rid of.  Fold all the keepers and putting them back. Drawer by drawer. Closet by closet.  Until there was less.  I recommend Zenning in 5 minutes a Day.  Then start doing things like sweeping the floors on a regular basis.  Take over the vacuuming.  Do 30 minutes of housework a day.  It might sound really silly, but there is a method to my madness. The more you move and do things the more muscles you will build.  The more muscles you build the more calories your body uses, the more lean mass you build the more inches you will lose.  For more details on this ask your doctor.

Since June 2018 I have been trying to follow the low glycemic diet with 45 grams of carbs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With snacks only if I am hungry. Again check with your doctor about this. I buy whole grain bread, fresh fruit and vegetables. I try to eat lean meat and eat fish several times a week.

So this is my invitation for you to join me on the slow trip to a thinner you.  The ultimate goal is better health no matter what size you end up at the end of your journey.

Family Time

I am really enjoying some much needed family time.  This first holiday season without Eric is a lot rougher than I thought it would be and I knew it was going to be very hard.  To alleviate some of the stress I have been cleaning and purging stuff.  I also have some extra help which is nice.  I see a few Bookman’s and Goodwill runs in our future.

I have also been working on the blanket pattern that got sidelined when Eric went into hospice. I am almost done knitting the “wings”. Then just 4 corner blocks and the crochet edging.  Figuring out the yardage. Pictures and typing up the pattern.

Since I did not sleep well last night, I am going to bed early.

The Impossible Dream

I have created the impossible dream.  I have zenned enough to make the guest room closet suitable for hanging clothes again.  Gone is the Fiber McGee closet*.  I swear that this is a true fact,  just ask Teri and John. I also have made 3 drawers, yes you read that right. Three drawers available for company after we pull the guest bed linen out of 2 of the drawers. I personally think that Teri and John never thought that this would happen.  

Yes I do find it very hard to get to this level of cleaning.  I made a personal vow to myself that I would never leave 60 year old boxes to be empty by someone else, unless of course it is a time capsule. So I challenged myself on a regular basis to let go of a few more things.  This process was compounded by the loss of Eric and moving faster than I like to go.  Progress is hard and painful at times.  A less cluttered house is better.

Progress must be made.  Always move forward and never backwards. If I look back too much all I will do is cry.


* For the younger set, Fibber McGee and Molly was an old time radio show.  Fibber McGee was know to have a closet’s so full that when a door was open things came tumbling out.  I really doubt that the millennial’s in my readership would understand because they move so often. The less things that they have the easier that the moves are.   If you can find an old recording it is well worth making the time to listen. I always found it fun to listen to.  Maybe some lager media company will bring them back.

The Word of the Day is Zenning

As more stuff leaves the house, the house seems bigger to me.  Yes, the house is the same size, but there is less clutter.  We are now entering the less is more stage of our lives.  I am sure that this will bring great joy to Teri too.

I have found stores of odd things like toilet paper buried deep in the back of a cabinet behind swim towels. This was my before breakfast Zenning project.  I now have a bag of old but still usable towels that will make its way to the animal shelter.  I found 3/4 of a bolt of fabric for Eric projects that has been cut into dog pillows size pieces. Now to find the black thread and start making pillows. I think I have enough scraps for at least 6. After 6 I will have to go buy more poly fill.  I wonder if I can fill the whole center section of the van with pillows?

I have the next Bookman’s run ready to go.  I also have the next bag for Goodwill ready.  I think I need more large trash bags too.    I have a huge pile of books to go to Flowing Wells School District. The bibs are next.  That will make 1 whole shelf available for John.  I have a hard time reaching it unless I am in high heels.  I wonder why I waited so long to do this shelf.  No, not really.

Once I am through with this round of Zenning,I will start the major reorganization of the house. I will also get my hat patterns written.  Wish me luck.

Fantastic Zenning

Today was a fantastic Zenning day.  I now have enough in trade credits at Bookman’s to get 2 dozen more pairs of socks for my favorite charity project. Which is fantastic because they need more socks from little kids feet to high school size feet. My Zenning is on a roll.  I did not get much else done today. Unless you count a thee hour nap.  As you know I find the actual act of Zenning exhausting. It’s 9:30 and I am ready to call it a night.

Please consider sending a gift card to the Flowing Wells School District so the staff can fill in what is needed in the clothing bank. Target and Walmart gift cards work out well. Please include a note saying what you want the donation to go to.

Please mail to:
Flowing Wells Schools
Iola Frans Administration Center
Attention Superintendents Office
1556 West Prince Road
Tucson Az 85705-3087

Thank you in advance.

Sheri.

A Score

John and I went to Bookman’s today. We traded some of my Zenning  to replace 3 coffee cups that were stolen a while back. This was a hard to find item because they were from my first set of dishes I ever bought way back in the late 1970’s and were removed from the Cornelle line in the mid 1990’s.  I had given up ever replacing them.

We also scored 5 pairs of socks for the clothing bank.  Before bed tonight I refilled the Bookman’s bag.  Truth be told I only zenned for 5 minutes today. I am totally exhausted. My arthritis has kicked in with vengeance like I have not seen in a while. So a 2 1/2 hour nap instead of knitting was needed. I am also going to turn in early tonight. Tomorrow is going to be better.

A Little of This and A Little of That

Today I was all over the place in terms of getting things done.  This morning before lunch I wove about 25 inches more on the scarf I started a few day ago.  I did 4 very small loads of laundry, John and I don’t make much.  I think Eric’s washing machine is missing him.  Yes, we bought it, but Eric claimed it as his own.

Then it was off to knitting.  To help my student start her next block.  A nice lady with questions on a hat.  She did come to the right person. I also got to show a knit front, knit back, knit front in the same stitch for a bobble ( kfbf ). It’s not a stitch that I like but can demonstrate it as necessary.  I am also working on the pattern for 4 of 3 a shawl study.

John took me out for dinner and then we came home. I spent 20 minutes in Eric’s room and filled a bag for Bookman’s and another for Goodwill.  After all that I was to tired to knit or weave tonight.  Well it is almost tomorrow so it’s time to say goodnight.

In A Rut

I have to admit that I am still having a rough patch right now. Although going away for the Thanksgiving weekend to hang out with Teri and Tej helped a lot. I loved their new couch.  As soon as I sat down I was sleeping. I am sure I needed the sleep as the general comments were that family members have not seen me sleep so much in years.

I am still trying to deep clean the house 5 minutes at a time. I need to do another Bookman’s run. I have a whole lot of errands and all the time in the world, but none of the energy. People tell me that this will take time.

I did get the loom warped tonight..my only plan for the design is to use up the yarn currently on the shuttle’s. I got a little over 3 inches woven tonight. I also got the bead out to make some earrings.

More Zenning or Walking

After dinner I got the brilliant idea that because I needed about 1,200 more step to reach my step goal, I should clean out Eric’s 3 travel bags.  Which lead to a full trash can, 3 bags for Goodwill, more things for Taglit and a small pile of towels for the humane society.  Did I mention the 6th load of laundry for the day? This left me emotionally exhausted, but I did reach my step goal for the day.

I wonder if I can fill one more bag for Goodwill before I drive all over Tucson dropping things off.  I am not sure where the day went, but I should try to get to sleep before to comes in 7 minutes.

De Stash

This is today’s de stash project. All these magazines are going to a friend who sells vintage.   A lot are over a decade old, this is vintage in the knitting world where the yarn companies try to bring out new yarn every 3 months.  A lot of them I bought before I knew how much I disliked knitting socks.  Others because I no longer need a pattern to knit hats, blankets  and scarfs.  Some of the styles will not a look good on my older self.  So out they go.  I decided not to count them, but I did put them into a box that I don’t have the lid for.  If I give the box with the Magazine’s does this count as de stash too?

On ward with more deep cleaning.  Zen on.