And so this happens....................

I swear there's a gremlin in my house and it loves to eat computers!

Now keep in mind that I'm not the best computer user. I NEVER shut my computer off. Good grief - what's the point? I'm on the darn thing on and off all day. There just doesn't seem to be a point in turning it off. To give it a rest? To save electricity? I don't see any reason. However, it does need to be restarted from time to time if for no other reason than to clear the memory. I know that and I'm not good at it. I should try and remember to restart first thing in the morning when I get up or just before going to bed.

When I got up this morning, the screen had awakened when it shouldn't have. I tried to shut it down but it kept popping open. So I hit the power switch hard - well, I pressed it hard and it shut down. However, when I went to turn the computer back on again - the darn thing has hung!!!!  Oh dear. I've just checked online how to reboot the darn thing.

In the meantime, I got out my iPad so I could blog. Dead - it's now charging on the kitchen counter. Got out the laptop. Dead! I plugged it in and that's what I'm using. So no editing abilities for pictures and I took lots to share with you. Drat - have to wait for another day.

Since that's the case, let's talk about tidying up this morning. The world is on a rampage for tidying up. While there are tons of books, magazines, and websites on organizing and tidying up, it would appear that Marie Kondo's book - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up has hit the world by storm. This book came out in 2014. I read it several years ago. Yes - there are some good ideas in the book, and now Netflix has made it into a TV show.

I don't watch TV (almost 10 years now) and I won't be persuaded to watch the show. I don't care how my T-shirts are folded or that I could fit more things into the drawer if I folded differently. I probably have way too many clothes but they are pretty darn organized - to the point that there are spaces for short sleeve tops with bicycles on them, short sleeve tops without bicycles on them, long sleeved tops, etc. and do not in any way crowd the space in which they reside. Don't get me wrong. I care that I have a place to put my clothes. I care that I can get into my closets. And I can. Yes - I probably have a few too many clothes (studio excluded from this conversation) - but other than this crazy office, we're doing pretty fine here.

It's like a crazy hoarder lives in the office and a normal sane person lives in the rest of the house!

If it takes me a few seconds extra to find a T-shirt because I have to go through the stack - that's OK. I usually grab the first one so it doesn't really matter!

But it isn't my friends telling me about Marie that bothers me. The topic is great fodder for conversation and I love conversing about things. What bugs me is the HUGE number of people that are capitalizing on HER techniques.  I saw a video the other day - how to fold fabric the Marie Kondo way. Eight tips - I learned from Marie Kondo. All that hoopla just drives me crazy. It means that none of us can think for ourselves. I get it that nothing is original and they say that copying is the finest form of flattery, but we need to do things that work for each of us, not something that someone else thought up. Especially the fabric folding thing!

I like to give advice - we all do, but seriously, I don't expect everyone to copy me exactly. I would hope that people take my advice and the next quilt teacher's advice and mix it up and come up with a plan that works for them.

I get it that we all need to tidy up our houses, but what we are missing here is a very important lesson. Why do we have so much stuff? Because we're buying it that's why! We need to nip this "material obsession" in the bud. Stop buying - then you can stop tidying up! It's pretty simple. How many times have you seen or heard of a hoarder - they get the room/house clean and tidy and next day/week/month - BAM - the place is a huge mess again. We need habits - good habits - we need to learn to say NO to acquiring new things.

Case in point - when I was at that guild meeting last week and the Downsizing Divas were doing their presentation, it was apparent from the comments, groans and grins in the audience that NONE (well a good many of them) had no intention to stop buying fabric, tools and such. I get it - I like to buy as well. But if we're buying because there's a sale? Well, what's the point? If we don't have room in our houses and we're storing fabric under the beds, in the closets or wherever then that's a HUGE problem. That's not the case at my house. I do have homes for my stuff. I'm near the limit so I've curbed my buying enormously. Now I shop at my house before going to shop at a store.

Don't get me started on the number of giveaways there are online. Half of the stuff is not worth having or isn't my taste and it's all a gimmick to spread the word of their product and to buy your loyalty. I will not ever participate in those giveaways. I do NOT need more stuff.

I was out shopping yesterday with someone and I did buy some materials - not quilting cotton. I took pictures - you'll see when I get the computer back up and running. It's for a very specific project. My friend was very disciplined. She had a remnant in her hand. It was $4. Then on the way to the cash, she decided that she didn't really need that remnant and left it in the store. That's what we need to be focusing on. I do the same thing now. Do I really need to buy that? Should I spend that much money? I'm starting to feel guilty when I buy more quilting cotton. Should I? You bet - it's not a responsible way to spend money when I already have so much. I'll buy if I need, but not if I don't.

We need to curb our spending habits. This past week was Bell Let's Talk Day which heightens the awareness of mental health issues. I truly believe that overspending/shopping is a form of a mental health issue. We're buying because something is lacking in our life. We're not satisfied and we think the next fix (of fabric or clothing) will make us feel better. Just like an alcoholic or a drug addict. It doesn't work that way.

What we need to be doing - is spending more time with family or friends. Call up someone you haven't seen or heard from in a while. Ask them over for coffee or go visit them. I plan to do that once a month this year. There are a number of people that I don't get to see very often and I would like to keep the relationship going. Yesterday was a good example. I went to lunch with my friend and we had a good visit. Then we hit Ottawa Street in Hamilton where we both had a few things to pick up. Doesn't need to take hours!

We also need to learn to stop being influenced by marketing which is what Canada's Food Guide is all about. Stop being influenced by how that can of pop will make you feel young and energized which is a bunch of crock. Stop seeing all those happy people drinking beer or eating out. It's a COMMERCIAL and those people got paid big dollars to make it happen.

Not saying all that is bad, but as we all should know by now - the almighty dollar rules the world. If you bow down to spending your dollars how someone else would like you to spend those dollars - then go for it. Me? I'm going to spend my dollars and my time on things that I have made a conscious decision to buy. Not because I'm influenced by friends/family/commercials. Notice that I do not and will never have ads on my blog page. If ever there are some there, they are not put on by me!

Now wasn't that an earful to hear this morning. Now run and roll or fold your T-shirts. My biggest problem with the vertical folds - the drawer has to be full in order for them to stay orderly. Does that mean I have to do laundry every day? What if I don't have enough shirts to make them all stack up - do I have to buy more? So the vertical thing is NOT happening at my house! I want to live a life without having to worry that the walls are marked, or the clothes aren't super organized. That's obsessiveness. Can't deal with that either!

I forgot to mention the blog post on QUILTsocial yesterday. Here's the link to that. You absolutely must check it out. It's something amazing that you can do if you have the right technology. It's not for everyone - I'm not selling you anything. I know that sounds like an oxymoron after my little diatribe above. You decide!   And be sure to check out the link for today's blog post. I am determined to get my homework done for our group UFO and I talk about it in the blog post on QUILTsocial.

I'm thinking I could set up an online UFO group if anyone is interested. All that will be required is that you send me money upfront. Then if you get your assignment done ON TIME, you get money back. I didn't think $10 a month was enough incentive, but oh boy - it is. I was madly working on the second block for my homework this morning and trying to figure out how to get the entire quilt done by the end of the year. I WILL NOT give up any money!!!!  And it's easy since I'm the one setting the goals for ME!!!!  We're each in control of the homework for the month based on our availability. I will encourage others to take on more responsibilities if I think they're slacking off. But I know what their end goal is for the year and my job is to guide them there!

I think we've all see that picture of those five little girls in ballet class. Four of them are standing up and looking at the teacher. The fifth one is hanging upside down on the bar. That fifth girl is me. I don't want to be like everyone else!

On that note, I'm off to do some tech troubleshooting. Wish me luck!!!

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

PS -- I'm not knocking Marie's techniques or how you spend your money. Please do not take offense. This is NOT directed to anyone - just general observations as I see and hear comments from numerous people that have crossed my path recently. We must do what works for us!!!!