New Year's Resolutions

So it is now December 30, 2010 and just two days away from 2011.  I know that it is said NOT to make resolutions because all you will do is disappoint yourself because you do not keep them.  Well I am going to make goals, knowing that even if I only complete 1/2 of them, that is a 50% success rate.  I am not necessarily happy with only 50%; I mean in school that would be an F, right?  I want an A for sure, but I am also realistic that life happens and we have to adjust our earthly life to fit.  I mean, your life gets sidetracked in many ways and we have to deal with changes that must occur because of those new things.  Sometimes they are just short jaunts to the side and then you are back on your original journey.  Other times, it changes the journey in a whole different direction and you start on a new path for your life.

So I am going to list my goals for the year here and try and keep up my progress.  Some of my goals are items that I just want to see if I can really do it and others are for my spiritual growth and life health.  I know goals must be specific, so I will try my best in that endeavor.

2011 Goals

• Lose 32.2 pounds
• Read 52 books
• Put away 3 months of expenses
• Keep track of all grocery spending
• See how much I can save by keeping all $1 bills and coins in a jar.
• Deposit money bi-weekly
• Keep my house clean using a weekly chore list

Let's see what happens in the new year.

Halloween (NOT!)

So we are doing our normal hiding in the back of the house.  The thing is, no one is even trick or treating.  It is kind of nice that this "holiday" doesn't seem to be that big any more.  Oh, sure there are the parties at different places, but people just don't go door to door much any more. 

So we are sitting here watching game 4 of the World Series.  O.k. I should say that hubby is watching it and I am in the same room.  It is not that I dislike baseball, but I am just not much of a sports fan.  I have spent time watching tennis and gymnastics, but that was because I was involved in those sports because family played.  I will go to an occasional game, but really I could probably live the rest of my life not watching sports.

So tomorrow starts a new month.  I have only gotten to post one other time this month.  I have such good intentions, but life just seems to happen.  This thing is, I notice that when I get busy I tend to forget about doing the important things in my life like my Bible reading, time to pray, and spending time with family. 

This last week our son and I went to Disneyland for the day.  Hubby had a class nearby, so we met him for dinner, stayed over night and drove home the next day while my husband went to class.  It was a nice relaxing day.  I made sandwiches, took chips, and water.  We spent $4 on a frozen lemonade, but that was our expense for the day.  (We have season passes, so the entrance and parking we paid for in September.)  We hope to go again in November with dad along this next time.

November is already starting to fill up with meetings and a planned weekend to visit my sister and mom.  It will be nice to get away from the hectic life going on around here.  I love to be busy, but it does get a little crazy.  Even though I don't work outside the home for pay, there is a lot to running a home on a tight budget, volunteer commitments, and family things that continually come up.

Living simply comes in many flavors I have come to realize.  I have yet to figure out what my simple living is, but I am going to figure it out someday.  I just have to keep trying.

Starting Over AGAIN

I can't believe I totally missed all of September on blogging.  Life just seems to fly by these days.  We have added so much into our weekly schedule.  We are hosting a small group in our home on Mondays and coordinating a Financial Peace class on Tuesdays.  That means every Monday I have to make sure my house is at least in order and the kitchen is clean for our meal together.  Then on Tuesday I have to make sure dinner is ready early so we can take it with us and eat during the video at the class.

Also in my weekly schedule is a women's Bible study on Friday mornings.  We are going through the book of Philippians right now, having just finished up Galatians and Ephesians.

I have also taken on the task of volunteering at church to help with some of the financial computer work.  I do love to work with numbers, so it is a true joy for me to do that kind of work and to be doing it in service to my church and God makes it that much better.  Of course, everything we do should be "as if for the Lord", but I do tend to forget that much of the time.

We are in the process of painting the outside of our home.  It has needed it for some time now.  We have been saving for a while and finally were able to come up with the amount we needed.  I'm not sure what color.  I would probably go with white again, but we may go with a light shade of gray.  We really need to figure it out soon, since a lot of the prep work will be finished next week and the painting to start the following week.

Off to do more work around the house.

Deep Cleaning

So my son and husband left yesterday for a men's retreat in Yosemite.  It is strange in a couple of ways.  First, the fact that my son is actually an adult male that can go on a men's retreat.  Second, that fact that there are no men in the house.  It is not that there are always a male here, but while they may have been out at during the day working or such, they were here at night.

Anyway, with everyone gone, I decided that I should do some cleaning.  I started on my kitchen and cleaned half of my wood cabinets, wiped down counters and backsplash, washed dishes, rearranged things on the walls, and inside some of the cabinets.  I put some caulking stuff in the casement window that I don't open to help with air leaks.  There is so much more that I want to do in there. The problem is I don't have a direction.

So here is a list of things I want to do in there:

• Inventory pantry items
• Clean out all the drawers
• Clean cabinets out and get rid of excess items
• Clean the carpet
• Clean the other half of the cabinets on the outside
• Clean the oven
• Clean the stovetop
• Clean all the windows and window sills
• Put up new items on the walls

For bigger projects:

• Put in new flooring (which would include a hallway, laundry, and bathroom too)
• Paint walls
• Put up new curtains
• Replace windows
• Re-do counter tops
• Refinish cabinets and drawers
• Get a new dishwasher

Each room in my house is the same way.  Having an older home has such charm, but there is so much that needs to be done.  I know just owning a home there are things to be done, but having lived here for 16 years and some of these projects were things we were going to do a year or two after moving in.  Well, I'm really ready to start now.

Tomorrow is church and then in the afternoon I will tackle more of my kitchen.  I plan on wiping down the rest of the cabinets, cleaning the stove and oven, and rearranging what is out on the counters.  It seems like every horizontal surface tends to gather stuff.  The only way to keep this from happening is to get out of the habit of saying I'll put something away later.  I need to just put things away when they come into the house.  If it doesn't have a place then I need to make one or not keep it at all.

My goal is to clean the carpets sometime this next week.  And then start on the office/dining room area.  Wonder if I will actually be able to do it.

Growing Up

Life just seems to be happening before my eyes.  Our son turned 18 on the 3rd.  He will always be our baby boy, but wow, he is 18!!  When we brought him home from the hospital he weighed 4 pounds and 2 ounces and I never could even dream of a time when he would be a legal adult, but it has happened.  Our daughter will be 20 next month and officially out of the teen years.  Where did the time fly?

I am so very lucky to have my family.  I praise God for them, even if I have had some heartache concerning them.  My life would not be where it is today without them.  I thank God for bringing my husband and then my children into my life.

I attend a Bible Study on Friday mornings and we just started the book of Ephesians.  All we talked about today was the first chapter.  For two hours we talked and could of talked more.  God has given us so much already, we just need to take the time to realize it and to allow Him to work through us.  He is so powerful and could do it all, but He wants us to feel that power too.  What a powerful message that first chapter has. 

I am growing up in my relationship with my heavenly father.  I know he wants the best for us and has promised that to us.  What a way to see everyday, as a gift and a promise.  A promise that we have been redeemed and that what we see here on earth is only a glimpse of His glory.

Where does the time go?

So another month seems to have just flown by.  Last month was filled with the regular daily activities, a trip to Stanford for my husband's health, and buying a new to us car.

Daily activities seem to change daily, but there are so many things that are just routine.  I do not even think about them, just do them.  Straightening up messes, cooking meals, and the never ending pile of dishes that I think breed when I'm not looking.  I can wash every dish that I can find in the house and within 30 minutes there is a glass or spoon or plate or all 3 in the sink again waiting for my next round of dishwashing.  An amazing fact of life.

Our Stanford trip was eventful in that we now know what is going on with hubby and what they want to do to help him.  He has always been a person who snores, but it has gotten worse and put that with his asthma, he is a walking miracle.  Apparently the part of his anatomy where air goes in and out is about the size of a drinking straw.  Put that with the genetic fact of him having a small jaw, throat, and all the structures around that area, the doctor wants to perform 2 different surgeries.  They are major surgeries that I won't go into detail about, but the recovery period of the first is 6 months to a year.  And that is the "easy" surgery.  The second one involves the breaking of bones and adding titanium to lengthen out his jaws.  The recovery period of that one is at least a year.  Not at all what we were expecting.  We pray that the surgeries do what the doctors say and he can breath again and not be at such a high risk of heart attack or stroke.

The new to us car was totally unexpected.  We have been putting money aside for a couple of years to replace our 1997 Plymouth Voyager.  Well, our son was driving our 2004 Prius when it overheated.  This car has been a money pit for us since we got it.  We repaired it again, to the tune of another $500, and then decided we needed to start looking to replace the newer car.  So we went out after hubby got off work and looked at a couple of places.  I was not expecting to buy anything, but we came home with a 2007 Lexus RX 350.  We got it for $12,000 off their asking price and paid cash with the money we have been saving.  It is a type of car I never ever considered owning, much less paying cash for it.  Makes me so very thankful for following Dave Ramsey and his teaching for financial peace. 

I bought Dave Ramey's book in the fall of 2007.  We started following it in October 2007.  We are now out of all consumer debt and have 4 months worth of expenses saved in an emergeny fund.  We are saving for retirement, helping our daughter with college, and paying off our house as fast as we can.  We still have a ways to go with the house, but we're making progress.

I need to be better about posting on my blog.  I also need to get back to clearing out my house of clutter.  I have a bag in my room ready to go and a few things stacked, but also ready to go out the door. 

Today I will plan my week and start the ball rolling again on the simplifying road again.  There are going to be changes in the plan, there always are, but moving forward is always a good thing.

What next!!

For nearly two years my husband has been going to the doctor for asthma and breathing problems.  He has had asthma since he was a child, but his breathing has gotten a lot worse.  Well, about two months ago, his pulmonologist said he wanted to send him for additional tests.  What he said is that he has extra structures in his throat.  So what does that mean? 

We will be heading out of town on Friday to go to Stanford Medical Center in California.  Our doctor informed us that they had lots of new technology and can really see what is going on before any surgery is done.  What kind of surgery we do not know.  My husband teaches for a living.  One concern that we have is that the surgery will cause problems with his ability to speak very loudly.  That would cause major problems as a lot of his teaching is done out of doors.  I guess we will just have to see what the doctors say and what kind of treatment is suggested.

I just do not know what is going to happen next.  It seems like there is no just normal week or even day around here.  I know that God never gives you more than you can handle, so we just have to pray for guidance and accept God's plan for our lives.  We do not know what it is, but he will be there with us through it all.

Simplifying again

Well, as things have started to settle back down to "normal", I have started to get the stuff out of my house again.  I took 4 bags of clothes to two different charities today.  One charity supports cancer patients and specializes in upscale clothing and items.  I took many of my old work clothes (wool suits, office dresses, etc.) to them.  I have not worked outside the home in nearly twenty years, but I was still clinging to the past.  Well not any more.  They are out of here.  Not only will I never be that small a size again, but I have changed from that person.  I am no longer the corporate ladder climber that I was before I had my kids.  Nor do I want to return to that life.

That is not to say that my college education has done nothing for me.  A numbers person is who I am and always will be.  I run the family budget and keep everything going around here during the good times and bad.  I have used a lot of what I learned from college and running a household to facilitate Financial Peace classes with my husband.  I completely consult with my husband on the monthly budget, but since he is in charge of eight budgets at work, one less to worry about is wonderful for him.  He knows it is my strength and that I like doing it.

Anyway, I'm not sure where I am going to purge in my house next, but look out charities more is on the way.

Returning to normal

What is normal?  I do not know anymore.  The last six months of my father-in-laws life was a whirlwind of activity, silence, and prayers.  In the midst of his short illness (if you call 6 months short), we had so many changes within our own family. 

June brought the end of our homeschooling with the "graduation" of our youngest. We have homeschooled for eleven years.  This summer will not be spent gathering item to use next year, but will be spent selling and purging items we have used over the years.  The floors in my house will groan with the weight that is going to be lifted off of them.  Books weigh a lot!!  We have shelves and rooms full of books.  There is not one room that is spared from a bookshelf full of books.

Tonight is the last event for gymnastics for our son.  It is an end of year banquet that is done annually for the athletes of the previous season.  With this dinner, our life of gymnastics is over.  Our son still works at the gym, but since he drives, he is able to get there and home on his own.  My responsibility is basically over.  No more weekends out of town, no more driving to the gym 6 days a week, it is simply done.

Our daughter and son made certian choices that will forever change them. Some good, some bad, but every choice anyone makes will change them. It is the free will that God has given us, even though He knows what will happen with each choice given.
Our daughter has slowly been stretching her wings.  She is working and spending more time with friends.  She will be transferring to a 4 year college in the fall and will most likely move out permanently in the next year or so.
 
Our son is working, but unsure of his future.  I was always so sure of what I wanted, but then that changed too.  He will find his place, I just have to remember it is in God's time, not my time, that He will show our son what his destiny will be.

So what is normal for me anymore?  I'm not really sure.  I still clean the house and make the meals.  I attend Bible study with my husband of Tuesdays and with a group of women of Fridays.  But my normal included so much with my kids and then with my father-in-law.  I am floundering a little these days.  After the funeral last Friday and the emotional turmoil, I am starting to know that I need to find my new normal.  Life changes and life stays the same.  I still have my husband of 24 years at my side.  He will be retiring in the next couple of years, and then things will change again.

So I ask again, what is normal?  I think it is taking each day that God gives us and being the best we can be for that day.  Remembering what is important and not letting the world get the best of us.  There is so much to be thankful for and I think that is the normal.  Thanking God for our daily life and giving us the strength when things get tough.

May you be blessed in your daily life.

An end and a beginning

Yesterday was a day of an ending and a beginning in our family.  It was filled with tears of joy and tears of sadness.  Our life as we know it will forever be changed and I thank God for his wisdom and fullfilling his will for our family.

At 12:33pm yesterday, my father-in-law took his last breath on this earth.  My husband, his son, was holding his hand, my mother-in-law was holding his other hand, and my sister-in-law was standing at the foot of his bed.  Our minister was saying a prayer when he took his last breath.  He went peacefully and calmly from this life into the next.

Our children and I had gone over earlier in the morning knowing that the end was near.  His temperature had spiked up to 105 and hospice told us this was end stage and to be prepared for him leaving us soon.  We were able to say our goodbyes and talked him through a video that we had made for our son who was graduating high school later in the day.

At 2pm yesterday, our son graduated high school.  We have homeschooled and put together a small, but very nice graduation for him and another family who homeschooled.  We had videos of the kids and the other graduate did a song to sign language.  The youth minister said a short message and then our children were given the charge of learning to pray and keep God as their own.

Our son was unaware until after the graduation that his grandfather had passed on from this world.  He was glad that we waited to tell him, but thankful that he saw him earlier in the day.

A short biography was read about our son at the graduation.  Below is his biography and Bible verse that was read just before he graduated.

Michael was born August 3, 1992 weighing a whopping 3 pounds 10 ounces. He came home to his adoptive parents, David and Suzie, at two weeks of age with the expectation that he would someday learn to rollover. Learning to walk just before he turned two years old was nothing short of a miracle. His mom enrolled him in gymnastics the month he turned four just to “get some of his energy out.” That was the beginning of years of gymnastics including being a competitor in the Junior Nationals in 2006 and a member of the Southern California State team in 2008. After 10 years of competitions, traveling from Hawaii to Michigan, he finished his competitive career as a Level 10 gymnast in April 2010 in San Diego at the Region 1 Men’s Gymnastics Association competition. He will continue to be involved with gymnastics as a coach.

Michael attended the Marine Corp Devil Pup program at Camp Pendleton in August of 2009. His proudest moment was making it to the top of “Ol’ Smokey” and receiving his Devil Pup Challenge Coin.

Michael enjoys video recording and editing, skateboarding, playing guitar and drums, and spending time with friends, family, and especially his sister, Tricia.

He is inspired by Philippians 3:12-14.

“I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.”

Serving others

Life has been very hectic this last week.  We have been working hard decluttering and cleaning at my in-laws house, so we could bring home my father-in-law with hospice care.  Well, today we finally did it.  We got him home and settled.  He was very happy to be home after 4 months in the hospital. 

It was a bittersweet homecoming because the entire reason for hospice is to make him comfortable.  We will no longer be trying to make him well.  Now that is not to say that he couldn't rally and be around for a while.  But the final outcome is known.  He has become a very caring person and telling us how much he loves us all.  He was never a man of words, but he is now telling us these things.

I may not get to post much in the next few weeks.  There will be daily trips to their home to support and help as much as I can.  It my pleasure to be able to serve them and others.  As a Christian, it is as much a blessing to me to be able to help them, as I am a blessing to them.  I am so glad that God has given me the ability to help and support them. 

Please keep our family in your prayers.

Wednesday completion and Thursday's List

Not a bad day yesterday.  I got all of the things done on my list.  For lunch we had taco cups (taco meat on top of biscuits and then baked with some cheese on top) and for dinner we had baked potatoes with meat, tomato, and mozzarella cheese on top called Pizza Potatoes.  So Wednesday's completed list:

• Find phone number and call mother-in-law to give it to her
• Help son with school work
• Feed pets
• Make bread
• Make all meals at home
• Laundry
• Vacuum living room and family room
• Put up new towels in bathrooms
• Take out the garbage and recycling
• Work on financial information
• Take garbage cans to street
• Pick up husband's perscriptions
• Wipe counters
• Load, run, unload dishwasher
• Wipe out bathrooms sinks

Today's list is below. There are some things that are on there every day, but those are things that need to be done every day.  And they do take up time and energy to get them done. 

• Take son to orthodontist appointment
• Do mending
• Clean out the cars (2 cars)
• Clean out the toaster tray
• Vacuum kitchen (Yes, we have carpet in the kitchen.)
• Dust family and living rooms
• Do all the dishes
• Make all meals at home
• Feed pets
• Wipe off kitchen counters
• Take out trash and recycling
• Help son with school work
• Read

Off to get my list completed.

Wednesday list and other accomplishments

So I did not get Monday or Tuesday lists posted, but here is what I was able to accomplish on those two days.

• Did 10 loads of laundry (this included sheets, blankets, towels, and clothing)
• Dishes (reloaded dishwasher and ran it twice)
• Wiped off counters
• Made all meals at home (breakfast, lunch and dinner for both days)
• Weeded in the garden
• Trimmed bushes
• Helped son with school work
• Fed and gave water to the animals (2 dogs and 1 cat)
• Helped at church

So my list for Wednesday looks like this:

1. Find phone number and call mother-in-law with it
2. Help son with school work
3. Feed pets
4. Make bread
5. Make all meals at home
6. Laundry
7. Vacuum living room and family room
8. Put up new towels in bathrooms
9. Take out the garbage
10. Work on financial information
11. Take garbage cans to street
12. Pick up husband's perscriptions
13. Wipe counters
14. Load, run, unload dishwasher
15. Wipe out bathrooms sinks

There are a lot of items, but many of them are not hard things to do.  I really want to start to add in things that I have on my big list.  Some are going to have to wait until it warms up.  Our weather has been just crazy this year.  We will have a couple of days in the 80s and then it is back in the 60s.  We have had rain clear into May with more expected.  When the rain comes, it brings lots of wind too.  Not just a simple spring shower, but a real storm.  So starting next week, I am going to add one thing off my major big project list.  Hopefully, I will then see my big life changing of simplifying around here.

Off to get started on my list for today.

Saturday Results

Well I got a lot done today.  For lunch we had delicious potato leek soup that I had started last night.  It was nice and easy and just ready to add my half and half and some seasonings.  Lightly toasted homemade bread topped off a great lunch and gave us a great break in the middle of the day.

So here is what I got done:

1. Pick up my fruit and vegetables from our organic produce group
2. Wash and prepare fruit and vegetables for the week
3. Juice all the oranges and freeze in ice trays
4. Make a batch of kiwi preserves and can it.
5. Go buy fruit for Sunday morning services
6. Prepare fruit for Sunday morning services
7. Make 5 dozen muffins for Sunday morning services
8. Clean kitchen after all the food prep and cooking
9. Get pictures done of son (Appointment is 12-2pm)
10. Wash and dry sheets

Normal list done:

1. Feed the animals
2. Make lunch
3. Make dinner
4. Clean up after each meal
5. Take out the trash
6. Clean the sinks
7. Read my Bible

Boy am I tired.  No I did not get my kitchen fully cleaned back up.  I did run the dishwasher twice and do some dishes by hand, but there are still a few that are in the sink. And because there are dishes in the sink, I cannot clean that either.  I will read my bible before I go to bed.  I try to do that every night.

Well I am off to go read and get off of my feet.  They are a little bit tired after today.  I was bad and did not wear the correct shoes for being on my feet all day.  Flip-flops or barefoot were not a good idea.  My feet are definitely yelling at me right now for being so stupid.

Tomorrow will be busy, but I will be at church and that is always a good thing. It is just so great to know that you are loved by the One who created us.

Busy Saturday

So today's list is really full.  Saturdays are spent mainly in the kitchen, which is why I needed to get it cleaned up yesterday.  I love cooking and the goodies produced from my cooking, but the clean up is always the hard part.

My mom is coming to help.  Many hands make light work and good conversation.  My mom and I live really close, but we don't see each other that often.  We are close however and she is my sounding board for all my problems.  My husband is also, but he sees things from a man's perspective and, as everyone knows, men think about things differently.  So she and my step-mom are always the ones who I can get real motherly advise and I know will be there for me.  It is really great to have two moms.

Anyway, here is my Saturday list:

1. Pick up my fruit and vegetables from our organic produce group
2. Wash and prepare fruit and vegetables for the week
3. Juice all the oranges and freeze in ice trays
4. Make a batch of kiwi preserves and can it.
5. Go buy fruit for Sunday morning services
6. Prepare fruit for Sunday morning services
7. Make 5 dozen muffins for Sunday morning services
8. Clean kitchen after all the food prep and cooking
9. Get pictures done of son (Appointment is 12-2pm)
10. Wash and dry sheets

There are also the normal things like:

• Feed the animals
• Make everyone lunch
• Make everyone dinner
• Clean up after each meal
• Take out the trash
• Clean the sinks
• Read my Bible

This doesn't actually sound like I'm living a simple life, but really it is.  I love that I can and cook at home.  I'm not spending money on things that I can make and I am spending time with someone I love.  It is really a relaxing thing as we sit at the table preparing food.  Now there is the extra of making food for church tomorrow, but that is only once a month and I do get enjoyment out of cooking.  If I did not enjoy doing something then it would become a chore and not a simple thing.  I think that the enjoyment of things makes them simple, not the fact that you do not do anything.

List of Accomplishments

Here are my accomplishments of my list for today:

1. Make my big project list that I want to complete by September 1st
2. Clean up the counters in my kitchen
3. Make veggie tray for baby shower
4. Go to baby shower
5. Do the dishes and put them away
6. Do a load of laundry
7. Make dinner
8. Clean up after dinner
9. Post on my blog my results

So I got all but the big list done on my list for today.  I also added in making potato leek soup for lunch tomorrow that I will just have to heat and serve.  For dinner we had asparagus and cheese wrapped in chicken with salad and potatoes.  Pretty good for having been gone in the middle of the day.  I will continue to work on my "big" list tonight.  Lots of plans for tomorrow, so I need to get to bed.  I do feel better about getting my list almost all done, but I'm still exhausted just because it was a long day.

Making Lists

I am great at making plans and having a list of things to do, but life just seems to happen.  I am reading a book called Keeping Life Simple: 7 Guiding Principles & 500 Tips & Ideas by Karen Levine.  One of its suggestions is to make a list, but only put on things that you know you can accomplish that day because not getting your list done is frustrating and exhausting.  I can completely relate to the exhausting part.  I am a list maker and have been since I was a child.  It keeps my sanity on most days, but I never finish everything on my list.

So here is my plan.  I am going to make a huge overall list of things I want to accomplish by September 1st.  Then I am going to break it down into smaller and smaller lists until they look managable.  I will also make sure I add in things that I do on a regular basis, like go to the bank, so that I don't make one day too big or put a project on that would be a problem to disrupt once I got started on it.

I will not post my huge list, but I hope to publish my little lists each day with what I did and if I was able to complete my list.

So my project for today is to start my overall list.  Of course, I do have a baby shower luncheon today, so that will take a big chunk out of the middle of the day, but I think I can get a pretty good list going today.

My short list for today is:

1. Make my big project list that I want to complete by September 1st
2. Clean up the counters in my kitchen
3. Make veggie tray for baby shower
4. Go to baby shower
5. Do the dishes and put away the dishes
6. Do a load of laundry
7. Make dinner
8. Clean up after dinner
9. Post on my blog my results

Not too much as you can see.  I'm going to think positively and say "I know I can get this list done."  Off to start working on it.

More things out the door

Well, I got three bags of books out the door. I did not count, but my guess is that each bag had between 20 and 25 books. Many of them were ones that I had gotten when my grandmother passed away in 1993. For 17 years I have moved these books and not once read any of them. I have about 50 more books already stacked and ready to go.

The big problem is that I love books.  I still have probably 1500 books in my house.  Really.  That is not a joke.  I have a room that has built in books cases plus 6 more book cases that I have bought.  And I still have books laying on the floor and in boxes in the garage.  I just love books.  I like to read and I like the way they look on shelves.  My dream job would be to work in a book store or library.

But I have started to simplify and books are one of the areas that seem to be taking over, so out they go.  Not all of them, but I hope to cut down about half of them.  How I get rid of them will vary, but they need to get out of the house that much I know.

Love working

Has it really been a week since I last posted.  Wow time does fly.  I have been trying to slow down a bit.  I have taken time to read daily; sometimes my Bible, sometimes just a book.  I just finished reading The Telling by Beverly Lewis.  It was predictable story, but since I had read the first two in the series I wanted to read this one to finish up the series.

I have gotten a couple of canning books from the library.  I have just scanned them, but they look like there are many recipes I can use.  I will see if I want to invest in purchasing any of them.  I do love to can.  It is a lot of work, but not unenjoyable.  My mom helps me and it is a great time of just talking a spending time with a woman I love a great deal.  She has been there for me through it all.

I enjoy working around the house. I would hate not being able to do work.  It is a blessing to be able to work.  I can see where I am a much more contented person when I am doing something to help my family and friends.  The way it works with a simple life it that it completes my life, not competes with my life.  One of my new favorite verses from the Bible is James 2:26, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

I do need to get back to getting the "stuff" out of my house.  I actually have a couple of boxes of books and 3 more bags of clothes.  I just need to list the items and get them gone.  Our local SPCA is having a book sale starting soon, so I will take the books to them and the clothes will go to Goodwill.  That is my project for this evening.  For today I will be baking bread and just general straightening and cleaning.

Simplifying Grocery Shopping

Today I spent exactly one hour in the grocery store to get groceries for the next two weeks.  I had a budget of $154 and spent only $136.  I am planning on cooking tomorrow and Saturday.  Then I will not have to do anything but pull stuff out of the freezer and get it ready for dinner.  I have things for easy lunches and breakfast items too.  It is my goal to not eat out during the next two weeks.

The nice part about the shopping was that I was able to print a map of my local store.  Then I highlighted the sections I needed to go to and had my grocery list set up in sections like produce, frozen, dairy, meat, etc.  It worked like a charm.  In this store the customer even bags their own groceries, so that hour included my time to get everything out of the cart, have the cashier check it, pay for it in cash, and bag it back up.  I was amazed that with just a little pre-planning it was so quick.

I will get fresh produce on Saturday from our local produce co-op, but other than that I am done with buying groceries.

My first real step in simplifying life was to organize my grocery shopping.  One down and about a hundred more things to take care of to get my life simpler.

Saying Goodbye to an old friend

Tonight I am sleeping with my old dog.  She is 16 years old and I knew the day was coming when we were going to have to say goodbye.  Today and tonight are those times.  Hannah is resting now, but her legs are no longer moving and she has quit eating and drinking.  She looks so peaceful.  Her breathing is smooth and even.  She does not seem to be in any pain unless you touch her somewhere on her legs.  I have shed tears for several hours, but am now coming to terms with what I know tomorrow will bring.

Life has a beginning and an end here on earth.  Do dogs go to heaven?  I sure hope so because Hannah had a rough beginning.  She was nothing but skin and bones, covered in fleas and ticks, but there was just something about her when she hopped into my mom's car 15 years ago.  She sat there as if she knew this was the family that would be hers and she immediately became a part of it.  While she did live with my mom, we live 3 houses away and all our pets are part of both houses.  My mom is currently on deployment with the Red Cross in southern California near Mexico because of the earthquakes.  She is shedding many tears tonight too.

Hannah you will forever be in our hearts.

Rain, Rain Go Away

It has rained on and off all day.  And not just those little April showers, but huge down pours of water.  My poor garden is getting drowned.  I'm sure I am going to have to replant my peas and beans because it has gotten so cold too.  The mountains surrounding us are covered in snow.  It's April for crying out loud, not January.  We just don't get this kind of weather here.

So anyway, it is my birthday today too and I do love the rain, so I guess it is my gift from God that I have gotten to sit here by the window and look at the rain all day.  I had to run a few errands, but was able to do that without rain each time.

One of my errands was to drop off 2 bags of clothes.  So below you can see my updated chart.  I have several more things that I need to catalog and bag out of what I have pulled out of closets already.  I am ready to get my life simpler and the junk out of my bedroom at least.

Cleaning and simplifying

Well, I started getting a list ready of what I need to do in my master bedroom.  I have been reading a couple of books and I'm ready to start. The one that has really gotten me excited was For Packrats Only by Don Aslett.  It really has shown me how my life is totally out of control because of stuff.  So I started a game plan and I am working on my master bedroom.  I already have two bags logged and ready to head out the door.  I have enough for at least 4 more bags and that is before I really get into my closets and drawers. 

Living in an older home, they really gave you lots of storage space.  Well I have totally used up every inch of space in all the rooms and I have stuff piled because it either doesn't have a home or there is no more room in the area I set up as the home for that type item.  Yikes!!  I never really thought about the things I have held on to or even why.  A lot of them are because I feel if I get rid of it, I will need it someday or I paid good money for that, so I need to keep it.

Reading this book really got me to thinking about what was controlling me and to not feel guilty about getting rid of the stuff and organizing what we will keep.  I have a long way to go with the clutter, but already I feel like I am getting in control.  Having gone through Financial Peace, I got my spending under control and I don't shop like I used to.  Everything I buy now has a purpose, but trying to put that into a house that is full of things that no loner have a purpose for us it not working.  Yes, most of the things others can use.  It is time to let things go and move on.

Taking time

I got several things into the garden on Saturday.  I planted some peas and beans, to add to the squash, tomatoes, and potatoes that are already in the ground.  We got a surprise rain today, so they got a good soaking without me having to go out and water. I was really happy about that because my allergies have decided that they are going to run wild on me today.  I think I have been through a whole box of tissue.  Thank goodness for the soft lotion ones I bought the other day.

So what did I get done today?  I got a lot of laundry done.  Pulled a few clothing items out of my closet to get rid of, I still have the box from last week that I did not get to charity, so I will definitely try to get that one and another one out the door this week.  I am trying hard to get my house in order and simplify at the same time.  I found a book on simplifying your life.  I am going to look at it and see if it will be something I can make a plan off of.  I did not recently buy the book, but found it on my shelf just waiting for me to come back to it.

I have started to take time to slow down.  My son and I played a game called Tilt.  It is an old game of marbles and the board game has to balance and moves as the marbles go from one side of the game board to the other.  Sometimes it is a good thing for your marble as it gets you closer to your goal and other times it practically takes you back to the start.  It is dated from 1974 and really was fun. 

We also played the old dice game of Yatzhee.  And yes it was an old game too.  I know you can still buy it, but this one was from my grandmother's things. He had a great time winning both games.  It was really nice not having the tv on and just enjoying time together.

Slowing down towards simplicity.  I am loving it.

Good Friday

Today started out good, then got bad, and ended the way it should.  Going to church and remembering who is really in charge and what He did for us.  Good Friday is not the beginning of the end, but the beginning of the beginning.  He died for our sins, so that we could worship Him.  He gives us life and purpose to love Him.  So many times we get wrapped up in situations that are hard, or even painful, that we forget our purpose.  He taught us the way to handle life's little problems and to rejoice in the true meaning of our mission while we live in this world, but not of this world.

My journey to simplicity is also a journey of learning to live according to what I have heard in the Word.  That spiritual simplicity; that living life within His teaching; learning to give it to Him.  That is probably the best goal in learning to live a simple life.

I hate weeds

So I started working in the yard today.  The weeds have totally taken over.  I got an area about 4 feet wide by 12 feet long weeded and planted with some potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, squash and marigolds.  I don't know why, but I have always put marigolds near my tomato plants.  My potatoes are planted in a potato bag.  My mom bought it for me from Gardern's Supply Company. You can see it here at potato grow bag.  It looks nice, but boy am I tired. I hope to get out there tomorrow too.  I want to put in some more veggies.  It is getting late to plant here, so I am just putting in plants from the nursery.  Not nearly as economical as seeds, but we should get a good harvest anyway.

As for my 41 bags, I have another one ready to go.  I hope to take it to charity tomorrow or Saturday, then I will be down to just 39 more things to get out of my house.

101 in 1001

I joined a site where you complete 101 things in 1001 days. You make a list of 101 things you want to do or accomplish in 1001 days. I made my list and it was rather hard to come up with 101 things. I may change it, but you can check it out at http://dayzeroproject.com/user/slost. Check the directory for all kinds of lists.

Food Preparation

So a friend of mine wrote an ebook called Co-op Cuisine. It is a great resource you can get from the website 30-Day Gourmet.  There are a lot of e-books there for you depending on what you want and how you cook.  So we started doing this about a year ago.  It started with just 4 of us, had as many as 8, and today there were 7 of us.  We each had chosen a meal, prepared it 7 times, and came together today to switch with the others to get 6 new meals.  Sounds a little complex, but purchase of her book if you are interested, it really lays it all out and includes recipes too.

So now I have 7 meals sitting in my freezer ready to just thaw, heat and eat.  What could be more simple than that.  I won't have to "cook" for a week or so and then there are the leftovers that we usually have for lunch.  It will usually feed me and my son or I can even send some with hubby for his lunch.

I also picked up my box of fresh organic produce today.  I have fresh produce that will last us all week.  It was all picked on Thursday, boxed on Friday, and delivered today.  Talk about the simplicity of that.  No extra packaging, it is all fairly local, withing a 100 miles or so, and so good.  We have learned to eat so many new things and it is really fun to learn to prepare all the different varieties of fruits and vegetables.  During the summer I buy extra, can some of it and make jams or jellies.  I dry the herbs we get in my dehydrator.  We use some of it and some I give to people as gifts.  People love them. 

No one seems to take the time to home prepare their food anymore.  If there is one area that is really easy for me to keep simple, it is food preparation.  I have always made menus and had a plan, so it keeps things simple.  It is amazing what a plan will do for you in keeping your life simplified.

Day 3 of Simplicity and illness

How come every time I get fired up to do something life seems to happen. Yesterday I got my bag of clothes to my charity and today I woke up sick. Then because of that, I forgot an eye appointment for our son. All my plans to get things done today and get another bag started to get out of my house came to a screeching halt. I wanted to get some cleaning done, so that I can get on top of that part of my life too. Simplicity takes a lot of work it seems.

However...

it caused me to slow down. Isn't that what simplicity means? Slow down and take time. It is not just learning how to pare down or become more self-sufficient, but to slow down and enjoy the life you have. I have spent some time on the internet and watched a movie. I am going to start re-reading Eclipse before the movie comes out in June. My son has planned a movie night and pizza with me and my mom here, so it will be a relaxing evening too.

So even though I'm sick, I am learning to slow down.

First Step - 41 bags of stuff

So I have decided that I want to live a more simple life.  Hubby and the kids are just going to have to tag along on this ride.  Of course, the kids are 17 and 19, they are pretty much adults anyway, but they do both still live at home, so they are going to have to come along if they are going to live around here.

The first step is to keep my daily life managable.  I need to keep the surfaces clear and get rid of all the stuff I do not, will not, and cannot use.  Last night I decided I would count the number of weeks left in the year and get rid of one box, bag, or larger item every week.  There are 41 weeks left in 2010, so I started on my first bag.

Getting rid of stuff was a lot harder than I imagined.  I figured the easiet place to start was my extra closet of clothes.  I have one closet of clothes that I never or rarely wear.  I started going through them and realized most of them I had not worn in nearly 20 years!!  I left corporate America in 1990, just before my oldest was born.  I still have all my nice wool suits, travel clothes, and office dresses in my closet.  Yes, I know I wore a few of them in the last 20 years, but not many.  More to the point, I am not that size anymore.  I could not get one thing on.  (And yes I did try, even though I knew I would never wear that type of clothing.)  So I folded and placed clothes in a bag until it was full.  I have more, but I just could not take it anymore.  I never thought it would be so hard and emotional.  It was like losing a part of me even though it had not been me for 20 years.

I cataloged my clothes and they are ready to go to the Discovery Shop. It is our American Cancer Society thrift store.  I will be driving right by there today and I will take my first step toward my 41 bags of stuff.  And really it is just stuff.  Those clothes have not been a part of my life for a long time and they could really be nice for someone else starting their way on the corporate ladder that I decided to jump off of and not pursue.

Watch out people, I'm learning to simplify.

Where to begin to live simply?

So I have been reading a lot about living a simple life.  There are a lot of blogs, websites, and books on the subject.  My blog is just one more in the sea of information that is floating around in cyberspace.  My wish for this blog is to share the ups and downs of trying to find my way to simplicity.  To get rid of things that complicate my world and find peace within both my physical and spiritual life.  While my life is not as complicated as it used to be, there are still many family responsibilities, money issues, and daily living needs.  I would love to be able to find time for everything, but I really want to learn to be content with what I do accomplish and satisfied that I am making an effort without feeling stressed that I did not do it all.


The first part of our simplifying journey began over two years ago when my husband and myself found Dave Ramsey.  We started using his program October 1, 2007.
We made our first real budget in 21 years of marriage and have been making monthly budgets ever since.  While many feel budgets are constraining they have made our life so much easier.  It has simplified our bill paying and there is a plan for where our money is going to be spent before it ever comes into the house.  The most important part of this however is that we have paid off over $33,000 in debt.  We have not used credit for the purchase of anything since January of 2008.  Cash is the most simple way to live financially.  It gives you much more freedom that we ever imagined.