Wednesday and Random Thoughts - books/Scrapbook/Journal/Ephemera

Another dreary start to the day. I did go for a walk. My friend and I were about ten minutes away from our cars when the rain started to come complete with wind. I got a little bit wet. Sigh. This afternoon brought a few brief glimpses of sun between rain showers. Not nearly enough though!

I did my food shop, and I did get to the library to renew my library card and to drop off the books/DVDs I've been decluttering. I did have to go inside to renew my card and was going to stop at the library bookshop, but it didn't open until 12 and I was there at about 11.15! A little bit of me was disappointed, but I was also pleased as I wasn't tempted! 

I came home and did some house stuff and a little bit of sorting and even more procrastinating!

A bit of a random twist in the post but these thoughts evolved from my thinking about decluttering. 

I enjoy nature journals. If I could draw at all I'd have lots of them. As it is I take photos, and I enjoy creating nature journals. I keep an eye out for interesting bird/flower/nature books at secondhand shops with plans that I can use the illustrations in journals and notebooks.  However, I'm struggling with pulling them apart, using them. Anyone else or is this just a part of my funny brain's thinking? It isn't just the old books. I have several previous planners by Marjolein Bastin that I can't seem to cut up and use. If you don't know who she is, google her, she does the most wonderful nature sketches. I love her planners! It shouldn't be hard to at least pull those apart!

It's another lot of things I have to decide what I'm going to do with. Do you have any trouble pulling apart books or magazines or such? 

Photo today - one of the beavers being busy before winter comes!

Tuesday Already

This week is just flying by!

I was behind on comments (as usual). I think I'm all caught up. Thanks for all the comments on the decluttering. It's definitely ongoing! I hope to have a list of things at the end of the week. Perhaps I won't get rid of as much as I did last week but there are some things I am finding a lot easier to get rid of.  Sue mentioned perhaps moving would make me declutter. I'd love to move once Husband retires, but it's more a dream than anything lol. I do, however, think about what I would take with me if I was moving to a two-bedroom cabin in the woods and that helps with the decluttering efforts. 

It's been a dreary start to the week, well Sunday was dreary too! Ugh. I am not ready to face another season lacking sunshine. I don't mind the cold or the snow (well, I don't exactly love it) but I would find it easier to tolerate if we got a decent amount of sunshine. There. That's my moan for the day!

I managed to get out for a walk yesterday and today, though I got a little soggy both days! It was a bit drizzly. Everywhere is so very brown right now. It certainly affects my mood a little, I think. It's this time of year that I should really get reading some of those books filling up the bookshelves so I can let them go to new homes. There are still far too many books around here. I tell myself that really isn't a bad thing, but if I want to have space around me I have to let go of a few. 

The weather doesn't look great tomorrow. I'm hoping to get out for a quick walk before the rain comes. I also am hoping that I can get downtown to the library as I need to renew my library card - apparently you have to do it every couple of years for some stupid unknown reason - and to drop off 2 boxes of books/DVDs to the library bookshop. Hopefully I will resist temptation and not add to the bookshelves! I am going to tell myself that if I bring anything home, I have to let go of something too. I also have to go food shopping. I have a menu planned for the week, had some things on hand but now need to get the rest of the shopping done for the needed items - there aren't a lot of things I need to get. 

Couple photos from yesterday's walk

De-cluttering Update (week)

I did get up this morning and take a rather dull walk. The beavers were out doing their thing which was rather nice and there weren't many people around. I sat on my log, watched and listened as the gathered geese honked and took off and just made a lot of noise. It was really rather...well, peaceful for all that noise. 

Holes in trees like this made me think of my childhood reading Enid Blyton and imagining all kinds of wonderful, fantastical creatures that lived in the woods. 

I came home and did a bit more sorting. This week I've managed to get back on it again. I am really pleased with the progress I've made.  

Here are some of the things I've managed (well, those I remembered to make note of!)

    * 33 Music CDs

    * bunch cards

    * 4 audio books

    * silicone teacup molds

    * 2 rolls curling ribbon

    * 7 miscellaneous items

    * 35 books

    * 76 DVDs (wowwww!)

I am SO pleased with what I got accomplished this week. Sadly, it doesn't even seem to have made a dent, but I shall plod on as the more I get rid of the more I'll be able to see the results!

Is anyone else decluttering? Is it an ongoing process or something you do once in a while? 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend

It's the Weekend...well, almost

Friday night. Another dismal day. The forecast last night didn't look too bad, well not bad temps and the clouds, well, there are always more cloudy days than sunny ones at this time of year. I got up with the alarm, bounced got out of bed, had a bit of caffeine before dressing and heading out. It still looked really dark out. I opened the back door and well, heard the patter of a steady rain. I looked at the forecast on my phone and on the computer. No rain in sight. So 'they' said. Ok, maybe it was just a blip. I got dressed and headed out. It was a bit drizzly, but no rain, right? 

I got wet on my walk. It was horrible. Luckily, my raincoat was in the car and I had the good sense to put it on. My friend did show up for the walk and we managed once around the park. We had a good natter, didn't see many people (or birds for that matter!). There weren't many people around - a bonus! At least I got out for a walk, right? 

Everything just looks so dismal. 

This afternoon I chatted with my sister and I started sorting DVDs. Both my sons were around so I checked with them and husband about the DVDs and there is a pile ready to donate. There are a few I might stick on Ebay (just for a month) and see if there are any sales. Those are the ones that aren't on streaming services and are hard to find. I'll give you a count on donations tomorrow. There is quite a pile! I have sorted a few I want to watch once more before donating too. The bad thing is the DVD player has gone bad (well, it's been broken for a while) so I've ordered a new one. This is a 2-in-1 that plays both US DVDs and UK ones so I'll be able to get rid of the other player too. I think there has to be a limited on how long some of the other DVDs stay around. 

Tomorrow - it's supposed to be cloudy again (I miss the sunshine!) - but hopefully it won't be drizzly and I can get out for a walk. 

Do you have plans for the weekend? 

Do you have a lot of DVDs or have you got rid of them all? 

Thursday

This week seems to have gone by quite quickly considering how much I was dreading the dentist! It's Thursday night already and I feel as though I'm running on that hamster wheel and getting nowhere. It was a horrible wet and grey day today. I woke up normal time, but didn't go for a walk. It just kept raining and drizzling. I really should have been more productive than I was, but, well, I'm a procrastinator and the day just seemed to have got away from me. I did my usual Thursday stuff and got a couple of extra things done, but no sorting. I did start on different mags as I have sorted my way through most of the photography ones. 

Oh, I did have my hair cut. Just a trim. It will be the New Year before I have another haircut, that's how close we are to the holiday season. I just can't seem to get into it. I haven't bought a thing yet. Sad, but true. I shall probably be in a mad rush at the last minute. I can't believe that this time last year I was anticipating being at daughter's house awaiting the arrival of Baby A. I'm a little sad that I'll be missing her first Christmas. I'm a little sad that I miss so much of her growing up. Sigh. 

Tomorrow will hopefully be brighter. The weather might cooperate, and I'll go for a walk. It's my day to chat/message with sister so I'll look forward to that. 

Ugh Dentist Day and Thinking of Little Things That Bring Me Joy

I had a dentist appointment today. Anybody who has read this blog knows how much I like the dentist. Yes, in the big scheme of things and what some people have to deal with it doesn't seem like a lot, but to me it's a huge ball of anxiety that keeps me awake at night for days before an appointment and can make me really stressed. I had to have a crown today. It went...well, it went okay. As I laid there in the chair with my laughing gas (really, it's not that funny) I thought of Mum who always used to cheer me on for these appointments which she understood and never told me I was being silly. I imagined her there sitting beside me. It comforted me at the time, but afterwards it made me a little sad. I also brought forward memories of Granddaughter and her smile and the joy she brings me.

Sometimes it's the little things that get you through those times you find hard. 

I didn't do much for the remainder of the day. The appointment was at 11.20 and by the time I was home it was almost 2pm. 

I did go for a joyful walk in the morning. It was wonderful watching the beavers out and about, the geese honking and making lots of noise as they flew overhead. 

This evening I had a Asylum Lake meeting. 

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a more productive (decluttering) day but I have a hair appointment in the middle of the day - rescheduled from today when I scheduled the dentist and the hair appointment on the same day at the same time!

From this morning. 

Back tomorrow!

Procrastinating. Decluttering. The Art of Letting Go

What a post title! Just a few of the thoughts running around in my head. 

I was doing well with the decluttering but left for daughter's early and it all came to a screeching halt. I wasn't gone long, and I've been back a week but am struggling to jump back into it again. So, I've been putting off doing any sorting and decluttering. I've been thinking a bit about why I hold onto things. Is it memories? The cost of what I spent? The thought that I might need something? Want to read or watch or listen to it again? Why do we hold onto things and why do we struggle to let things go? If I understand the reason why, will it be easier to let go? 

I did sort out some CDs today. I don't play them. I suppose I could find a streaming service and listen to them, but why would I spend money for that when I've already bought the CD? Shaking my head at the thoughts running around in my head. The thing is, most of the things I've got rid of (99%) I don't even miss! So why am I struggling? 

I sorted the CDs and, no I didn't let them all go, I kept a few favourites, but I did get rid of 33 CDs today. I'm quite pleased. I have some more to go through and I'm sure I will get rid of more. I must have taken a bunch out of their cases and put in an organiser, so now I have to find the cases of those before donating. For now, there are 33 in the donate box and I'm pleased with that.  I also tossed in 4 DVDs but only because they were in with the CDs lol. DVDs are a whole other problem!

Time Flies - walking and procrastinating

It seems the days are drifting by and I'm in bed before I even think about posting. I've been in one of my blah moods the last few days. Enough said. I'm trying to keep upbeat and focus on the good in the world. Had a nice video chat with daughter and Baby A. She is so funny. She waved to me, chatted on, and today even blew me a kiss! Wow, that's something new! She also has another two teeth coming in! So much changes with her in so little time!

I've been going out walking each day. Being in nature gives me time to reset and just enjoy my surroundings. It's quiet after the first morning burst. I go early and sit by the beavers' lodge. They know winter is coming and it seems that each day there are more logs and branches by the lodge. Throughout the week they have been busy first thing bringing things back to the lodge. They seem to stick goodies below the water that will be easy to reach and feed on when the lake starts to ice over. There are plenty of geese staying over at the lake at night and, first thing in the morning, they start to honk and fly away in flocks. It is so noisy there in the morning!

After that first burst, when the sun comes up, things seem to be quiet. There aren't too many birds around right now, though we were lucky enough to see a Hooded Merganser at the lake earlier in the week. I've got so many photos to sort through!

Behind the Beavers' Lodge

I walked again this morning, just by myself. It was really quite peaceful. The beavers were out in force, several of them around the lodge. I stood and watched one eating for ages. They didn't seem bothered by me at all. It's strange as some seem bothered when I'm near, others couldn't care less. 

I came home and didn't do much of anything. I have been working on photos on the computer. While I was in Minnesota I did some photos for daughter, son-in-law and Baby A. I have to look through them, do some basic edits and send them back to them. I don't take a lot of people photos. I did a couple of maternity shoots for them that turned out okay. Baby A did not want to cooperate this time so I'm hoping we got at least a few useable ones!

My mind has been wandering too. I need to do some more decluttering but I'm stuck on where to start - again! Once I jump in I get along okay. I guess I just need to take a leap and start somewhere. I want something a little more...well, less. 

Hopefully back tomorrow!

Scarecrows - just a bit of fun!

While I was in Minnesota visiting daughter and Baby A my daughter took a day off work and just the two of us took a trip to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. It's not the best time of year to go, but they had a bunch of scarecrows people had designed and we wanted to go take a look and also have a bit of a walk around. It is a lovely place. They have lots of separate gardens and a maze. It's some place we are hoping to go back to next year when we visit in warmer weather. There was also a three-mile drive and a three-mile walk. We did both. They aren't the same thing lol. We got a little turned around on the three-mile walk and ended up doing a bit more than that! 

Luckily, we were able to rest up in the cafe and have a bit of Apple Pie. It was delicious. It had more of a crumb topping on the top rather than the traditional pie crust but there was pie crust on the bottom. 

The scarecrows were wonderful. I had a really good time looking around at them. I got some ideas! I might try making one next year for the garden just for fun. 

I liked this one, an ET one.

These three were my favourites, one made with a rake and a hose, one with a teapot as a face and the lady just because she looks so fabulous and free!

They made me smile. Daughter and I had a fabulous time, and it was nice to get a bit of just us time. 

Back from Minnesota

I got back from Minnesota Monday evening. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. We don't have any more trips planned until the New Year, so hopefully things will settle down into something a little more normal.

I was so glad that I was able to fly out and help daughter and son-in-law with Baby A. She was off daycare all week, so I was able to look after her while the adults worked.  She wasn't sickly in herself so was a joy to be with. I just made sure I washed my hands a lot and cleaned all the toys when she was done with them. She has such a funny personality now. She is crawling everywhere, and she can move really fast! She is also pulling herself up and standing and walking around the furniture. She can walk a little bit with a walker, but she is still quite wobbly. She turned 10 months while I was there. I can't believe how time has flown by and how fast she is growing. She has six teeth now and more on the way. 

Unfortunately, while I was there my son-in-law ended up with strep and Hand, Foot and Mouth disease! It was good I was able to help out as he tried to stay away from daughter and baby. Thankfully, everyone is better now. 

My husband and son drove down as planned so it was good they were able to spend a long weekend there too. 

I got to spend Granddaughter's first Halloween with her. She dressed up and stayed outside (for just a bit) while daughter and son-in-law handed out sweets. She really found it funny when the kids came up dressed in costumes. She would laugh and clap her hands. It was really cold that day so she wasn't out for long. It actually snowed in Minnesota on Halloween! 

The dogs really liked it, but I don't think anybody else did! I was certainly not ready for it. 

Back tomorrow.