Top Three Priorities Thursday

[Lady Maverick]

Today's decluttering was a success! While I didn't fill a 50-gallon trash bag, I did manage to fill the gorilla wagon four times with stuff and haul it away. Two pickup trucks are now loaded, along with a line of items by the road marked "FREE." DS17's pickup load of items (pool supplies & chemicals, fifty 5-gallon buckets with lids, and a power washer on wheels) will go to various friends who want them, while DH's pickup load will be taken to the city dumpster when it opens to the public tomorrow afternoon.

It's unbelievable how 52 years of accumulated stuff adds up. I remind myself that letting go of this is a gift to my kids and grandkids so they won't have to deal with it later. Unfortunately, I'm not quite done decluttering the hot tub room yet; I have another one or two days of sorting to do. And to think, this was supposed to be the easy spot to start!

[Nancy]

After lunch activities.
Wash three loads today one done.
Two more going now.
Sheets are folded and back upstairs now.
Folded the next load last one in the dryer now.
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Sewed up a mat with up cycled jean legs and a towel.
Doggo got a bath had to mop the bathroom after that.
Started rug & towels load it's in the dryer now.
Trash got dumped.
Had to rest & dried off the dog.
Did up dishes.
Got the clothes dealt with.
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I will Swiffer X listen to a class.
Swish & swipe has happened yea!
Vacuumed upstairs.
Need to cook up dinner. X

Dusting will wait till it's lite out I can see it better.
Have a great nite everyone!

[CathyS]

I dealt with "Government" paperwork this morning. Going to an office to ask a question and leaving the filled in form there. It will be sent to another office to be dealt with.

Dropped off some tax stuff at new accountant's office. Of course he wasn't there. I said if he had questions, he could call me and I left my number.

I also dealt with a "Government" phone call. I called them, so there were numerous buttons to be pushed on the phone. "For service in english, push 1" etc. Now they are sending yet another form to be filled out and returned. Oh well, at least it's done.

While I was out I picked up a few things at a grocery store. Dh was out of soda.

[lucylee]

I really don't know what my top priorities are right now...
apparently, spending time with ds, ddil, and dgrands is about it.
I need to think about this.

Today, I got out of bed at 11:00 a.m. s2s, (washed hair!) and started Bible reading, and then dmom called, so devotional time was cut short, and I didn't have time to vacuum the carpet & rugs before bug lady arrived.
As always, I truly enjoyed visiting with her. She is just a wonderful lady.
Now... need to get something to eat (I've had pb crackers and banana). I'm going to the grocery store to get the crackers Wmart did not have yesterday, and I may pick up a shrimp salad at the Mexican restaurant next door. That can be an early supper for me.

Priorities. What IS important to me now? Since dh passed, I feel like I'm just kinda coasting through life -- doing what HAS to be done and sleeping or just zoning with my phone and/or the tv.

Are we talking about LIFE priorities or THIS DAY, THIS WEEK priorities?

[Twins' Mom]

I had a good workout as always. I did lots of stretching and some strength and a little balance work. I realized at 4:25 that I hadn't put my Zoom mentee meeting today on the calendar, so I rushed upstairs to connect. Was there ahead of her, so it was okay. I wish she would edit more - she's waiting for two pieces of clarification on some of her facts. I'd use the time for additional edits, reworking, etc. but she doesn't feel it's needed. Whatever. I can't tell her what to do obviously.

Ddog has been walked. Such a pretty day - nearly 80 earlier but with a light breeze. We went up to the top of the hill on the other side to give me a little more exercise and the dog additional "enrichment." She's outside enjoying the nice weather. Once she's ready to come in, or until I lose patience and bring her in, I'll go back upstairs for awhile.

The webinars start tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. There's a 15 minute break at 12:30, then a break 1:45 to 3:30, another 15 minute break at 4:30. The last one I'm signed up for starts at 4:45 but I'll have to cut it short if we're going to temple - services there start at 6 p.m. And there's one that begins at 6 p.m. and is another hour, but I didn't sign up, figuring I'd be ready to be done. The lectures are recorded so I can watch later too.

In the one day at a time category, I am speaking at the public library here on Saturday at 10 a.m. Would be nice to do some prep. I'm afraid I'll do it during the lectures. It's not a formal talk, just imparting some info and then a Q and A.

[lucylee]

Hooray! The main part of the house is vacuumed and dusted, and the bathrooms are s/s. I didn't get it done before the bug lady arrived, but it is done now. And it has been a long while since both were done within the same week!
I also had the grilled shrimp salad for lunch and it was VERY good.
The ant killer has worked well, LadyM. Bug lady confirmed my opinion that the mounds I treated are now dead. (She said if I got tired of doing it myself, she could treat them also, but she would not charge $85/quarter! I didn't know they did any outdoor work, but I was glad to hear it. But right now, I am fine with checking periodically (monthly?) and doing my own treatment.

Did I tell y'all I went to a chair yoga class yesterday? A lady is leading it at our church free of charge. There were nine of us there yesterday; all except me were from the Sunday School class that is the older group -- I'm still in the "young adult" SS class but only a couple of them are younger than me, and I'll be on Medicare this year, LOL. All we did yesterday was stretching exercises (I guess that's basically what yoga is though) but it was nice. I plan to go back.
OTOH, I came home and slept all day afterwards. It starts at 10:00 a.m.

Tomorrow, I am having lunch with Dfriend, and then will be going to football game with DS & DGD -- ddil is going to meet us there.
BTW -- Harriet -- there was no punishment for the fighting; DGS said the coach didn't even mention it. As I've said before, this guy seems like a different sort of fellow. Having been married to a coach, I feel so sorry for him, since this year is not going so well. I think there are three more games left (including tomorrow.)

LadyM, I am so sorry about the fish! (((HUGS)))

Blessed, clutter is becoming a problem here too... I have a bunch of stuff piled on top of the ironing board in my bedroom, and a bunch of boxes of photos (in envelopes) plus scrapbook things piled in the computer room. And there's a bunch of paper on top of the printer. It's just hard for me to motivate myself to get in there and decide where it should really be put away, or to declutter.

I am trying to establish WHB habits before returning to zone work -- isn't that what Flylady says we should do? Well, really, I think she says DECLUTTER before anything -- but I can't stand to to get into the decluttering when everything is covered with dust.
I also still have "outdoors" in my mind as a priority, I guess, because I need to be watering the new trees, and I need to finish painting the patio and porch furniture.
I am also very interested in the $99 power washer I have seen advertised on tv -- have any of y'all seen that? It attached to the water hose and works just like a regular power washer. But I'm trying to be more cautious with my money until I get past property taxes and Christmas. Sigh.

I should also make health a priority, exercise and eating better.
I need to make reading something besides Facebook a priority, and stop playing games on the phone all the time. Magazines and books are piling up.
I have that NokBox I bought and have not even opened -- it's a set of files to get things in order for your Next Of Kin.
Still haven't found the sad poetry I wrote back in the day... and I need to go through some other things (happened upon some letters I had written dh also back in the day, and I need to probably shred some of that before DS has to clean out my belongings. Nothing explicit -- just some things referring to family problems between dmom and dad, and I'd prefer DS not to know all their troubles. They got past it, and dmom wants to leave it in the past.)

Tonight however -- I just remembered I did not dust the computer room, and I need to fold laundry that is in the dryer!
EDITING: Dusted, folded.

[Harriet]

I'm glad so many of you guys have had productive days. Good job.

Not very productive around here, I'm afraid. Sleeping isn't happening well. Just going to bed earlier doesn't seem to do it. I stared at the ceiling thinking about everything from my will to the buttonholes on the cardigan I'm making, and none of my go-to-sleep tricks worked very well at all.

Those around me have their own concerns. Dd27 isn't feeling well, ddolder is having some discouragement, ds has been on the phone to me with some worries, too.

Dd27 says that she is almost sure she and dsonil can come by to see us sometime over the weekend, which would be great if it happened. She says 100 percent chance she will at least have a long talk with us by phone.

Tomorrow I'll be away until rather late and just hope we get back from dr's appts before really bad commuter traffic.

[Harriet]

Thought provoking topic. Agreeing with Cathy and lucylee that each day (or week, season, or portion of a day?) must be allowed to let priorities guide differently. A top priority for me from now until end of year might be holiday doings, but no holiday takes so much attention during other seasons of the year. Today I have to accept some limitations and consider self-care, but let's hope that on an upcoming day soon I'll be back to creativity and a deep dive into housework as I have been for many recent days. Tomorrow's info from drs and tests may have an impact on priorities, and although I'd like to say I'll not be sidetracked, it could be that I'll do best if I follow some direction.

It is freeing to give yourself some grace when you look back and recognize that you didn't have the ability to prioritize everything, so you chose as wisely as you could, without self-criticism. Cards or other reminders nudge us to stay in our lanes though, so to speak, and align with our own aims again when we can.

[lucylee]

Thanks for that last paragraph, Harriet.
But maybe I’ve given myself grace long enough?
Is 18 months long enough? Shouldn’t I be past the exhaustion and bad sleep habits and just general lethargy?
I don’t have any priorities because I don’t have any goals.
But I am glad the house is clean.

Ds will be 42 Monday, but we have another church meeting, so we’re celebrating on Tuesday. I don’t dread it as much as I did last year, but I don’t look forward to it.

I hope everything goes well tomorrow, Harriet, and that you sleep well tonight! And I hope all the concerns of dd and ds turn out just fine. (((Hugs)))