2014 - Juggling Life Club (formerly New Leaf Club)

[Katybarstool]

Mrs BUcky

You inspired me! On my non work day yesterday I shredded two bins full of old pay slips. Then I recycled all my mum's old newspapers.

Mum is still not well: a shadow has been found on her lung and she is having some heart problems. I'm co-ordinating siblings to call in on her on a rota basis, and doing what I can.  My achievement yesterday was helping her to bathe.

Onwards and upwards.

Kathyx

[Velcro]

Katy that's a great achievement!

Bucky, in my house, hubs is in charge of all the filing of bills and such.  We both work very well together in "sharing" responsibilities but I told him since I do paperwork all day long at work, there was no way I was coming home and doing it to!

I'm being a slacker this week but I truly do have a good reason.  I decided to surprise hubby for valentine's day with a pin up/boudoir photo book.  I have a friend who is a photographer and was doing them this weekend.  It's been on my bucket list and something to do before I get much older.  I have been running around during my lunch breaks and after work trying to gather up outfits and everything that I need to do this for him.  I didn't realize how much stuff I needed!  And then I've been going home and practicing hair styles and makeup before he gets home!  But I'll get back on track next week.

P.S.  I did throw out a bunch of my old makeup while I was doing this....so I guess that counts?

[Katybarstool]

Velcro

That sounds really exciting - and very daring

Kathyx

[Bucky]

genko_b - I'm sure you were one busy beaver tending to your yard.  Your beautiful landscape and flowers show from all the TLC they receive from you.

Cardboard boxes seem to multiply like rabbits, don't they?     I've got some knocked down sitting in the garage awaiting a trip to town (along with the newspapers) to the recycle bins.

Kathyx - I'm sorry your mum isn't feeling well.  I know from experience how it feels to be worrying about a sick parent, tending to your ill parent as best you can while trying to work, taking care of family, home, etc.

I'm sure your mum appreciates all you do for her.

I decided to surprise hubby for valentine's day with a pin up/boudoir photo book.

Oh, va-va-voom . . . . I think your husband will be pleasantly surprised and happy with his Valentine's gift!   

One time, years ago, they had this place in the mall called Glamour Shots where they did your make-up, hair, and you picked these clothes and accessories for photo shoots.  My niece wanted to go, but didn't want to go alone, so she asked me to go along, her treat.  It was fun!  I had one of the pictures blown up and gave to my husband as a surprise for Christmas (he didn't know I had gone to this and it was given to him at a family Christmas)  His mouth dropped to the floor when he opened this picture of me in an off-the-shoulder top w/pearls and a mink stole, complete with long black gloves and my "glamour shot".

I did throw out a bunch of my old makeup while I was doing this....so I guess that counts?

Absolutely!!  I threw some out the other day too!

Bucky

[Velcro]

I remember those Bucky!  We had them around here too.  I never did one of those but I remember seeing them and they were really good.

Well this one started off as I was just going to do the pin up shots, in a 40's to 50's type dress.  My hubs loves the old style classy pin ups so I thought that would be cool and that's about as daring as I could get.  She has now talked me into doing that plus some boudoir type shots as well.  I'm really not that daring Katy normally but she assured me we could do them, but still keep them classy.  I didn't want "porno" type shots.  I promise I wouldn't even be considering it if this wasn't a friend doing it and she hadn't been working on me for a week! Ha ha. 

[Bucky]

Today's been a good day!   

I loaded up six bags of newspapers, a bunch of cardboard, and a stack of phone books and dropped them off at the recycle bins in town.  Yay . . . that's done!  Now, all I have to do is finish the small pile of newspapers still left in the dining room and the pile by the couch in the living room and then I am all caught up on the newspaper clutter.  My plan is to "get 'er done" this weekend!

What thrilled me even more than getting that clutter out of the house was when I asked my son if he wanted to go to lunch with me today at Logan's Roadhouse, my treat, and he said YES!!  Wow, I couldn't believe it!!  Being a "typical" teenager, lots of times he's too busy to do stuff with mom and dad.  It brightened my day to have lunch with him and to have a chance to talk about things one-on-one with no cell phone interruptions, etc. 

I'll take these kind of days ANY day.   

Bucky

[susanep]

Well, I have got some clutter together Friday, and yes I am still up and it's now Saturday.
I did some sweeping up of accumulated paper mostly clutter on the floor, and took a box that my husband had stuff in that hasn't been used in I don't know how long, and went through it.

I put his stuff for the moment in two of my boots. hehe.. Well, I didn't have much energy and they were sitting there. So this way, I got up some papers, trash, and got it put in the box that had been sitting there a long time. It is now in the garbage.

I have been also going through some of my accumulated fabric scraps, and putting them into a big Christmas tin box that my sister brought us at Christmas time filled with popcorn. Great having the huge tin for another organizing thing.

I got a load of laundry done. We took a dog left at our doorstep to die to get her spayed on Thursday. She is a full blooded black lab. We have fed her, wormed her, and also her rabies shot. She is a sweet loving big old dog. She sure eats a lot. She is now added to the brood of dogs we have.

I have been taking care of her for a couple of days now to make sure she heals well.

I plan to go later today to see my dad. He just got a little part chihuahua. Dang, I can't spell that word. hehe. Ok, spell check I think got it. The big thing is dad is keeping it in the house, even though he told us all he will never have one in the house. It is a great thing for him to have since mom died. He will have a little puppy to take care of.

All of you are doing great things. We ail will get some things done, and they can be done a bit here and a bit there as we can.

We can can can do it!

susanep

[Katybarstool]

Susan

That dear old do had sure found herself/himself a very caring home. How many dogs do you have now?

Mum sounded chirpier when I spoke to her today. I'm hoping to take her to mass in the morning, and then out to my son's for lunch. Fingers crossed.

Velcro, your pictures sound very nice. I'm sure your hubby will be delighted with them.

Mrs Bucky - 6 bags of papers? Well done you! And lunch with your son, that certainly is the icing on the cake. We've had dinner with our eldest boy, his wife and two kids tonight. I just love seeing them, although at 5 and 8 they think they are too old for grandma kisses

I'm going to attempt to empty some drawers tomorrow.

Kathyx

[slccom]

We had just the score of "The Night is Young (And You're So Beautiful)" for swing band. I just finished using some software to transfer every single note, dynamic indicator, rehearsal letter, first and second ending, accent, and breath mark for every single part (five saxes, four trumpets, tuba, string bass, drums, piano and guitar)!

That was the easy part. The hard part was the proofreading. I always said that would be my nightmare job, and here I am doing it!

But I'm done now. Just going to print out a whole bunch of sets.

I don't know how long I've taken, but we worked on it from before Christmas. Turning it in tomorrow! And we had better play it for the Potentate's Ball in April! Or else!

Sharon

Sharon

[susanep]

All of you are doing great things. Kathy we have 5 doggies now. Smallest is a part Yorkie, very courageous like a lion, up to the big ole baby we took in at our doorstep, a black lab who is truly a gentle giant.

This black lab (Bella) not only was left to die, but she literally adopted us. When she was first here, she left a bit to go roam I guess, and this man called us, and told us she was at his house. Hubby told him what happened, and he wanted her.

She hadn't been here long, and we knew he was a good person who would take good care of her, so hubby said he would give her to him, because we have 4 other dogs. Didn't do any good. She visited him, but came back here. lol...

Ok, I recovered my Yorkie (Bonnie's) crate pad, and yesterday made her a little girly red striped pillow. Her crate is all cleaned out too. I think I will move in it. lol...

Hubby put up a few more things, and I finished going through my fabric scraps to put up.

Today, I am going to do my best to load up a few boxes of more un-needed things, to put out in trash. This will be so nice.

Keep up the great things everyone.

We can do it, we can do it. A bit here, a bit there. Some bit out of the house today, was in it yesterday. Some new thing you did today, you have been wanting too, is no longer just wanting to.

We can do it, we can do it!

Hugs, All
susanep

[quietdynamics]

I finally got to a Tax Agent regarding Estate issues.
It is complex and there are docs. missing, but, now at least I actually 'know' exactly which ones.
It has been a blurr of masses of white papers...which I look forward to shedding one day and using for mulch...really.

Right around Dec. 16th or so I headed into a flare vortex that lasted about a month.

So will post questions for advice in a few days regarding that, as I would like to tap into the new GP I have in a productive manner.
I thought it was going to be another another 2-3 day flare...but, it took off.
So just back up these last days since Thurs. (So about a month..geesh)
Now a month of catch up to do. And the realtor is calling to list Mothers' house in March.

Going to get ready now for a car ride...get out of the house. I hope.

Best to all.

[Katybarstool]

QD - Well done on your white paper sorting. You've done amazing, considering your health over the last month or so. 

Susan - those fur babies certainly know where they are well off, don't they? How did the adopter react when the doggie came back to you? We are hoping for a little dog when we move house. We live in Yorkshire, so a Yorkie might be an option. Does your little fellow make a lot of noise. If we move nto an apartment we can take a dog, as long as it doesn't make a lot of noise.

Well, I never got my drawers cleared out this weekend. I chilled, and visited my son and grandchildren instead. I'll see what I can do this week.

I've got a challenging day tomorrow, apologising to my boss for agreeing to help her with interviews, and now I've discovered I'm on leave the days concerned and having a proctogram in the afternoon - even more embarrassing.

Kathyx

Kathyx

[Carolina]

Ok, I always read this group as the "Juggling CLUB LIFE"....and I wonder who is going to the clubs, and what they are like?

Is there Karaoke?   

I never turn over new leaves, or make resolutions, or Juggle Life.  I let the pieces fall where they may.

Oh that's not quite true.  I like things to be organized in a way that is logical. 

Like the cups and coffee should be in the cupboard above the coffee maker.  The Peanut butter should be above the toaster. I'm always shocked when someone has a coffee maker on one counter and the cups in a cupboard across the room!

That sort of thing.  So most of my drawers are pretty well organized.  Those are MY DRAWERS.  There are a lot of drawers and boxes in our house, and an entire workshop and garage that are not part of my domain.

They are my husband's.  His workshop is messy (sawdust and stuff) and full of the most amazing c**p.  Everything I've ever tried to throw away or give to Goodwill (like artificial flowers and vases and bought to 'decorate' a house we were trying to sell, and all the c88p his students have given him over the years, and and and) winds up in his workshop!

And the boxes and drawers are full of random stuff and he never opens them, EVER.  But he's attached to stuff.  It's a family thing...genetic I think.  Not quite at the hoarding level, but surely valuing things for what they meant to him once, and not for their usefulness at this point.

I also like to make lists, and make sure that I buy another of whatever before the one we use runs out.  And of course there's a back up one that goes out next.  In other words there's usually two of everything, like laundry soap, or paper towel supplies, or dishwasher detergent.

It seems that cleaning house is mainly moving things from one place to another, endlessly.

Is it that way for everyone else?   

I love my lists, and some things are on the list forever:  Like clean out the cars.  I don't think the cars get cleaned out more than once a year if that!   I try to take stuff with me when I leave each time, so that helps.  But dust and dirt do accumulate.

When I was more agile (my osteoarthritis and my peripheral neuropathy really limit me now) I would love to clean out the cars.  I like cleaning the interior.

Our son moved out after living here for 6 months, with his 3 kids here a great deal of the time.  I still have to reorganize my own stuff back into the rooms.  And decide what we want to do with the rooms.  One is a spare bedroom, and the other is our office, and also had a double bed in it, and then bunk beds.

Now it has lots of space.  I hate the carpet, and want to take it up and have laminate hardwood floor laid.  But of course, I don't do that, my husband does.  And right  now he's remodeling the kitchen.

That produced the most amazing amount of dust, taking up the old tile, especially. 

I always wish my house were spotless at all times, not for other people, but because it rather calms me to have things orderly and clean.

But of course, I've given up on that long ago.  I'll just settle for some idea of organization.

But I really was hoping to hear about CLUB LIFE. 

Hugs,  Elaine

[Bucky]

Is there Karaoke?   

It seems that cleaning house is mainly moving things from one place to another, endlessly.

Is it that way for everyone else?   

But I really was hoping to hear about CLUB LIFE.

Carolina - yes, there CAN be karaoke if you would like to sing along as you are making your lists and keeping your house all organized.   

Oh, yes - endlessly moving things from one place to another.  I'm really good at that!   

CLUB LIFE - well, I can tell you about club life, but I'm sure it's not the same club life you are referring to.  You see, I work at a golf course/restaurant/banquet venue - so we have lots of CLUBS there - although, all of them are in hibernation right now for the winter.  The golfers are all anxious to get back out on the greens with their clubs!

I'm quite proud that within the last three days I have lost 37 pounds!  Yes, I said 37 pounds.  I wish it could have been 37 pounds of body weight, but it was 37 pounds of newspapers and magazines that are heading to the recycle bins in town.  (yes, I got the scale out and weighed the bags . . must have been because I was watching The Biggest Loser at the same time . . LOL)

I finally tackled that pile of newspapers sitting on the floor over by the couch.  I'm embarrassed to say that some of the newspapers were dated 2012!    It's in a corner, out of the way, and a nice place to "move" papers to when I need to vacuum the living room floor.

I've also tried to sort the mail as it comes in each day and throw out the junk stuff right then and there and not pile it on the kitchen counter.  I love having a cleaner counter.   

Everyone is doing a great job with all your little projects.  There will be days (or weeks or longer) where we aren't able to work on anything and that's okay -  work on it when you can.

I got a phone call this afternoon that the furnace man is coming tomorrow to check on our new furnace they installed in October to make sure everything is running like it should be.  I'm going to have to straighten some things up before he gets here . . . hmmm, should I bag/box and hide stuff in the car??  ha ha . . . nah, not this time.  I figure, Mr., I am not here to entertain you - if you can walk in the door and down to the basement without falling and breaking your neck on my "stuff" - then we're good to go!!  LOL

For those of you in "snow country" - hope things aren't too bad for you.  Stay warm!

Bucky

[Velcro]

CLUB LIFE - well, I can tell you about club life, but I'm sure it's not the same club life you are referring to.  You see, I work at a golf course/restaurant/banquet venue - so we have lots of CLUBS there - although, all of them are in hibernation right now for the winter.  The golfers are all anxious to get back out on the greens with their clubs!

Well then you will be especially proud to know that my Scleroderma Support group is hosting their first annual golf tournament to benefit Scleroderma research in May!  After asking if there will be windmills and dinosaurs involved, they wrote me down to drive a beverage cart.........