Well, I'm not doing too well with my summer goals. MUST get crackin. I haven't come close to throwing/freeing 1,000 things and I know it doesn't have to be done this summer but really, sholdn't I have done more than 25 this month? I've been careful not to bring unnecessary "stuff" into the house and I have tossed and replaced a few things, but still. I'm getting better at time management and have decided that my biggest time sucker (besides the innernet) is dinner. SO my new goal for the weekend, after I get everything else done of couse, is to sit down and not only make a menu with accompaning recipies, but to then actually make them. I love my crock pot eventhough it is a little old I am going to commit to the next 2 weekends because lets not get lofty goals of cooking in it both saturday and sunday in the hopes that we will have enough leftovers for the rest of the week. stay tuned

Trolls and Bullies

Well, I haven't figured out what title to use yet but I feel compeled to write something about the Yarn Harlot and recent developments - and man just the hateful nature of some people. While all her fans are supporting her 1 million percent and I am one of them, it just floors me about how mean people can be. We'll not go into the curiosity factor that some of us have not been able to reign in even though YH asked us to . . . human nature and all that. And those of us blogging about it are not honoring her request either. But then that is what freedom of speech is all about isn't it? Religion has no real place here either. I believe that the panopticon wrote a wonderful blog about his experience with religion and a train ride a few months ago. LOVED IT. And really ladies/gentlemenn, let's not bicker amongst ourselves - really.

I haven't gotten on the troll's website, and will try very hard not to. She is still JUST a bully. That means she can and will eventually go away because her needs at some point will not be met. She will move on to someone else and we should all be prepared to be her next victim. How do people get the idea that it is okay to attack another person? Bullies baffle me. They will be the first to hide behing the bible, the Cnstitution and their right of free speech. They are also the ones who hate war/soldiers/government etc. They are allowed to go on their merry way and I certainly don't know the answer on how to deal with them.

But I do know that that it is much easier to be kind and to take the high road. Not the snotty, stuck up high road. But the belief that rising above any kind of personal atacker is the better way to go and the belief that what goes around comes around. In this light I tend to igore the items/people who I can't agree with or events that I just plain don't want to know about. Except for the very personal nature of this woman's belief/attack, she is not much different from the agressive driver or the person in line and the market who keeps shoving her basket into the back of your foot because you aren't moving fast enough for him/her. But that is a rant for another day.

So, lets all move on. Go back to the happier days of last week. There is a sock summitt to prepare for (of which I'm not going becuase I really don't like making socks) so I didn't even sign up, but if I lived closer I'd go shop :) and let the sun shine once more.

I will continue to read comments in Ravelry and on the Harlot's blog becuase I'll admit I'm curious, and I will try very hard to refrain from mentioning said troll an future blogs. Which won't be too difficult becuase obviously I don't post so often. This too shall pass

Stepping off my own soap box now.

Vet/Pediatrician

My cats have become my children. My children say they feel replaced. hmmm.. Nah, the cat can't reach things off the top shelf for me. Nor do they write drunken messages to their friends on facebook in the middle of the night. But that I believe is for another day.

cranky cat less cranky cat

We went to our annual vet check this morning. I had two very unhappy cats in my car. Stanley went right into his crate without a word. I didn't hear from him until he got on the back seat. He has a pathetic cry. Jack you would of thought I was putting into a sink full of water. He fought, growled and was generally very unhappy from the moment I zipped him in. Thankfully I saw his tail before the zipper caught it. So we are all healthy - yea! Something got Stanley's nose a few weeks ago but it is healing nicely and the vet said it was probably a spider - that he stuck his nose somewhere he shouldn't. Jack is good and contrary to what everyone says, he isn't overweight, he looks fat but for his size he is just fine. (and I already knew his teeth were good). They are now basking in the warmth of the front yard and they may never come in again.

1,000 Things and More

I need to make a list of things to do. Then I need to remember to look at it.

I started tossing. I have 3 weeks to get my knitting room reorganized and get my son's room back to his room. arggggg. I did throw out the old clothes drying rack that was rusty, too small and half broken. I also bought a new one so that doesn't count as truly decluttering. I've gotten two swap boxes in the past two weeks. I sent two out as well so those don't count either. BUT I've made progress in other areas. If I'd get off the computer, I could spent 15 minutes cleaning my desk and count each piece of paper towards my 1,000 items. do the M&M's I ate count?

Insects

We discovered this the other morning. I'm not fond of bugs that aren't lady bugs, fireflies or crawly things that turn into pretty butterflies. This home is definately not a friendly neighbor and out it went.

1,000 Things and Flylady

I've been reading/getting flylady for oh, 6 or 7 years now. Love the concept, have a hard time getting into the routines. I make my bed (military dad, that one was pretty mandatory), clean my kitchen because I finally learned the wisdome and joy of having a clean kitchen. Do laundry pretty much every day, because once when my kids were little and my parents came to visit, by the time I got home the entire livingroom was full of clean folded clothes, and my mother said she felt like she was working in a chinese laundry. After that, the laundry never got quite so bad (oh the shame) and she wasn't even criticizing. Swish and Swipe I'm getting, good on my bathroom, good on the basement bathroom. Son's bathroom, well he'll figure it out - although I was in there today and it DEFINATELY needs mom's hand, sigh.

Now, I've been turned on to 1,000. Get rid of 1,000 items in a year. And there is a story about a guy who only owns 75 things, and before he can bring something new in, he has to get rid of something old. I can actually see this happening. Well, maybe not the 75 things, but using the 1,000 number as a starting point. As I look around the family room, I can see a good number of items that can GO. but not jack cuz he's so cute sleeping on the footstool, which he fell off of a few minutes ago when he stretched.

So, tomorrow I'll start tossing. Why tomorrow? Well, it is late now and way past my bedtime, and tomorrow is trash day so I can put things straight into the dumpster then roll it out. Will have to remember to list all the crap as it goes. . . . yeah right.

I spent a lazy weekend piddling around the house, being sad that my boy is far away, but proud that he is serving his country, and finally getting around to cleaning and recovering the dining room chairs. Okay only 2 because I am doing them one at a time, and doing other things in between. This may take the entire month of July to finish. I also washed the curtains in my bedroom, took the extra big quilt to the laundrymat to wash and dry in the big machine and caught all the dust bunnies under my bed (but there won't be pictures of that)!

I found out how much my cats really hate 4th of July and the noise. For the first time in 24 years, we did not do fireworks at our house. In the past about 4 families and various miscellaneous friends (and even a few years the cops) have gathered in our front yard for a celebration, everyone bring pretty things. Now the neighbor kids (and mine) have grown, moved on and there is a new generation of neighbors. It is fun to see the little ones running around, or being pushed in strollers, so it is time to pass the batton so to speak. I noticed the family next door had a group so let it be their turn. I will continue to watch from my window for a few minutes, then go to bed at a decent hour. I believe it usually took us 3-4 hours to get through all the fireworks.