Flatten those boxes!

OK -- -so you are all way smarter than I am about my own stuff. I have a Shop-Vac! DUH!! So yes -- that set of black vacuum attachments belongs to that! Good grief  - that doesn't say much for me! I own too many things and do not use them often; one forgets what one has!

I'm happy to report that most floors are vacuumed and washed. A bit more furniture has to be moved before I can vacuum and wash the remainder. The cleaning lady is coming today, so she will vacuum and wash. I'll try to get some of the furniture moved today, but if not, that's a job for tomorrow. I'm good with that. I think we will have most of the dust off the floors by the end of today or tomorrow. 

The furnace filter -- YES -- I must remember to change that. Or clean it since I think it's a reusable one. We got a new furnace two years ago, and I can't remember. It also needs a service, so that's going on the list of things to do. 

It looks and feels significantly better in the house after my cleaning efforts yesterday, and I gained extra steps from it, and it just so happened that several people called me, so while I washed floors, I got to chat! Bonus all around!

Then I had a dentist appointment in the afternoon. Hmmm -- not sure if honesty is a good idea and admit that I haven't been flossing. Although super cheery, I swear that the hygienist was digging for gold in my gums. OK -- so the hint is taken, I MUST floss more often and try to brush more as well. 

But the dentist is on my daily walk, so I just timed it to get to the dentist on time. I had to stop at the bank, and it's in the same parking lot as the dentist. I HATE that parking lot as it's tiny and always a pain to find a spot to park. Well, I haven't had to worry about that in years!

OK -- so here's another pet peeve of mine. I'm sorry to be so picky, but it drives me nuts when people don't care and treat garbage workers like their staff. It was recycling day yesterday. We only put our cart out when it's full, and since it's a truck that picks it up, no one needs to pick up a heavy bin. Since the recycling is clean, I don't see a problem storing it in the garage until it needs to go out. 

But I know many people put their recycling out every week. That's OK, but their bins are always full, which is also good. But did you know that if you FLATTEN all your boxes, that the bin will not fill up so fast? And therefore doesn't need to be taken to the curb as often? Of course, we rarely buy any food packaged in a box, and I suspect that most of the recycling these days is frozen or packaged food or shipping boxes, little of which comes into our house. 

I will confess that if I were shopping, there would be a bit more processed food - OH -- if I were cooking, that is. But DH is way worse than I am and will NOT buy anything in a box! Still -- if you buy something in a box, then flatten the box. I can't believe that people are so "lazy" that they can't or don't know how to flatten a box, so the lids on their recycling containers don't have to be open. And even if there is room, flatten the box -- it makes for more space in the truck. God -- I'm old and crotchety -- just like my Mom, who flattened EVERYTHING!

And people put so much in the recycling that doesn't belong -- but I won't go there. 

I passed these two houses yesterday, and I just shook my head. 

Seriously???

Hey people -- did you know that you can FLATTEN huge boxes and bundle them up to make it EASIER for the garbage workers to pick this stuff up? And have it fit in the truck better, so it takes less space? People are so lazy, and like I said, they just put stuff to the curb and let someone else deal with their mess. Sigh....................

And as I mentioned, it was RECYCLING yesterday. This person mixed up garbage with recycling. Again --- why do they think the garbage workers are their servants to clean up their mess? It's a sad state of affairs, to say the least. 

Garbage and recycling

I focused on the master bedroom yesterday. There isn't much furniture in this giant room, which is a total waste of space, but I'm not going there. There was a headboard and footboard that we haven't used in years. I asked DH to help me bring it downstairs, and he looked at me like I was an idiot. Why? Why? We haven't used it in years -- that's why! 

It's a large wood one with big posts. I love it -- well, I loved it. I bought the entire bedroom set almost forty years ago, but no one wants that kind of thing these days. I might post a picture on the Facebook marketplace to see if someone wants the wood. Otherwise, I'll get someone to cut it in half so I can take it to the recycling depot and dump it in the wood bin. 

I'll move it to the garage this morning. 

Then I went through everything else, and vases filled with flowers got moved to the main floor. The dried flowers are long past their prime, and those will go in the garbage, and the vases will be donated. I washed what I could and might go to the laundry mat tomorrow to wash the larger stuff. 

I got a couple of awesome GUND bears when I volunteered at a Telethon for a Children's Hospital years ago! Probably 30 years and these no longer need to sit in that room collecting dust. The small T-shirts are washed, and the bears are now naked. No one will want them, so guess who gets them? Yep -- Murphy has two new bears!

Excess stuff to deal with

DH has a bit of cleaning to do. He is the worst. Piles of books on the nightstand. Why? If you are not actively reading them, they do not need to be there. We have bookshelves for unread books. Or if he cleaned the drawers of the JUNK that he has in there, he would have plenty of room to actually put them away. 

I mean, seriously -- we have a cleaning lady, but don't expect her to move your crap so she can clean. She cleans AROUND everything, and he does not seem to understand that. 

Let's see how that room gets put back together later today. I still have some jewelry boxes to deal with in the bathroom, and I don't wear most of that jewelry. I really need to go through it and see if I can find cool stuff to do artwork with, but to wear it as jewelry? Not going to happen. There's no sense keeping it. 

And that would leave the closet. I've been through the closet once before, and I might in the new year do it again. For the moment, all the clothes are neat and tidy, so they will stay as is. 

God -- I'm becoming ruthless! And that's part of the issue with this online shopping. People are buying so much stuff, and then someone will have to deal with it at some point. Me -- I'm NOT buying anything that I can't justify. If I can reuse or repair it, I'll do that before I buy something new. 

I know -- the economy wouldn't do well with people like me. But it would find a different direction, and that's honestly what needs to happen. 

Anyway, I managed to get this block for Enchanted Autumn DONE despite all that!!! 

One more block for Enchanted Autumn

That leaves FIVE blocks left to applique. The one above was the largest and had the most pieces by a couple of pieces. I also managed to make good progress on the next block, but there is still much work to do with the remaining blocks. If I can get at least one done a day, could it be possible that I'll finish before Christmas? Well, mathematically, no, but I might be able to get more than one done in a day. I need to be working on something else, but it seems that something needs to be done every day. Today, I have to take MIL to the dentist. 

Look at all the thread ends!!!

Thread ends

Speaking of Christmas Day, we usually go to the movies, and I could have booked tickets a couple of days ago, but when I actually went in to book the tickets, there are NO movies booked from today to January 1. I'll give them a call and see what's happening. It's all these silly restrictions. I know I say silly, and that's all I'm going to say. I think they shut the VIP theatres down. GRRRRR!!!

On that note, it's time for spin class. Seriously -- I can't believe that I get up early so I can get to the gym and sweat my butt off. Then into the steam room for more sweat. And we call this fun? Well, it's not fun - but actually, I don't mind it. Now that my legs are stronger, it's not so bad. And you feel great afterward!!!

Don't forget there' a Virtual Retreat on Sunday, December 26. It starts at 10 AM and goes on until whenever. As usual, it's going to be loads of fun, and I suspect with the restrictions that many of us will be at home with not much to do. I would have been home anyway! So let's embrace the "found" time and get some sewing done. Hopefully, you'll all be done with Christmas gifts so you can start on your UFOs. 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81623159049?pwd=d0M2MmVrb1owQTZVelNrakIvbktndz09 Meeting ID: 816 2315 9049 Passcode: 799934

Don't forget to set those goals!! I have several areas to deal with. My mental and physical health, my UFOs, and others. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!