Bumpy Start to the Week

I had plans to tackle a few things this week, but the beginning of the week has got off to a bumpy start. Yesterday, middle son (J) rang and said that his internet was out, and he needed to come over to the house to work. It was off all day, so he was at the house, and it threw me a little off schedule. I just thought I could do some of the things I'd planned today, only when I was out walking, he rang again to say that his apartment building had a gas leak and they had to evacuate! He had been sleeping. He quickly got dressed, grabbed his cat and left the building! He was at the house all day again today, only this time he had his cat. Poor cat just hid behind the curtains most of the day. Son had to miss work as he hadn't grabbed his computer. I'm behind on everything. He finally got the all-clear to go back to his apartment only to receive a text (just as he was leaving our house) to say that the internet was out again!!! I might yet see him again tomorrow. Thankfully, both days we've had enough dinner to share the meal. 

So, I haven't got as much done this week, so far, as I had hoped! 

Yesterday was my Asylum Lake meeting. It went okay. I debated whether to go or not, but I'd feel guilty (don't know why!) if I didn't go. I might not go as much in the winter (depending on the weather) so thought I'd better attend while I can. I always feel as though we have a productive meeting when I do go and I didn't feel quite as out of place as usual. I'm in charge of social media and though I'm not doing a fantastic job I am doing okay. It takes quite a bit to build up a following and I'm still finding my footing.

Spending/Budget - thank you so much for everyone who took the time to send me comments! I feel as though writing things down is the way to go. This will probably wait until after I get back from England. Husband is hoping to retire in three years, and I am really need to get the budget under control. We want to be able to still do the things we enjoy. We aren't big spenders eating out and such, but we do have a few subscriptions and buying things on a whim is something we admittedly still do.

Photo for the day

Walking the fields. The heat is beginning to build again! 

The Weekend

It's been a bit cooler here over the weekend though it's going to heat up again tomorrow and onward. Still, I have enjoyed it while I could. Saturday I was actually up in the craft room. There was a lot of moving things around from one spot to another, but I did sort out a small pile that I'm willing to get rid of. I am in the process of clearing off the desk, so I'll at least have a spot to work. I'm hoping that once I start creating, I can see what brings me enjoyment and what I can decide to get rid of. At least that's the plan! It isn't a big room but, if it wasn't for all the stuff in there, it would be enough for me. 

Today husband and I went out for the morning. We did stop by the beach. It was quite pleasant as we were there when it was fairly cool. There is still smoke in the air, so the sun wasn't really hot. There weren't a lot of people around either (which I particularly enjoyed lol). There were quite a few people fishing. After we had stopped there, we drove along the lakeshore a bit and stopped at another park. That was also quiet (at least for a while). We sat on an old bit of concrete (think it used to be part of a pier) and enjoyed looking at the lake and hearing the gentle lap of the water. I really miss the sound of waves on the beach, but there was a tiny breeze so a little bit of sound!

This afternoon I chatted with daughter and Baby A. They are all feeling so much better now. Baby A was her usual funny self. I so enjoy spending time with her. Even at her age (while it holds her attention) she's good at carrying the phone around and even propping it up so I can watch her lol. 

This week I have to really work on the budget. Last month was quite a strain on finances. This month I need to buckle back down. I am really debating whether I should start writing down everything that we spend. Do you do that? I'm sure I'd find out some things that we spend more on than we should.

Phone Photos for today - 

All-in-all it hasn't been a bad weekend. I've been pretty productive too! How was your weekend? 

August Already - July Decluttering Totals

Wow this month has just flown by! I think I've been saying that for a while, but I really don't know where time has gone. The decluttering is still plodding along. The totals aren't great this month, but there has been other stuff going on and I'm (sort of) okay with that. I think anything that leaves the house is better than nothing! Over the last couple of days, the weather has turned cooler and, although things are supposed to heat up again, tomorrow doesn't look to be a bad day and I plan on going up to the craft room for a while. It's certainly beginning to take on a hoarder vibe and I'm not okay with that. Something has to change!

Anyway, here are the totals

Craft Items - 28

Magazines - 5

Books - 41

Misc - 7

Definitely not the strongest month! 

I am pleased that last month the goal of the front porch was reached and Baby A really enjoyed it. Definitely worth the work!

Plans for August - I really am not putting any pressure on myself to get rid of things this month. I am leaving on August 15th for a three week visit to my sister in England. I'm so excited! I'm sure there will be a few things leaving the house - but no pressure :) I just want to leave the main areas of the house tidy and somewhat organised so the menfolk just have the minimum to do after work to keep things on track. 

Are you still decluttering? How is it going? Are there things you are struggling with? 

Photo today - berries collected for my friend while we were out walking. 

Have a great weekend!

Mid-Week

 I was going to post yesterday but later in the day I started feeling a bit off, like I had a touch of the chills and a bit achy. The same tonight though not so bad. I'm feeling ok in the daytime. It's just in the evening it's happening. Not sure if it's the heat or what. Currently it is raining and I'm not complaining as the temperature has dropped to 70F/21C which I think is the lowest it has been day or night in a little while. It's been too hot for my taste and I'm not the only one moaning about it lol. The humidity in the mornings has been about 99% which means it's sticky and sweaty without even moving. The walks have been shorter. 

There was a lovely sunrise the other morning and this morning some lovely cloud formations

It makes going outside when it's that sticky worth it. 

Inside the house not a lot is happening. I have been popping up to the craft room but it's just too hot up there to do much of anything or stay for long. I am still getting rid of things, though admittedly I think the totals are down this month. I was going to make a last-minute dash to get rid of things this month, but I don't think it will be happening. 

I can't remember if I shared or not, but poor daughter has the dreaded Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. She has sores in her mouth and a terribly sore throat. Baby A is still home from daycare. I do hope they will feel better soon! 

How is your week going? 

Sunday

It's been another hot one here in my part of Southwest Michigan. I do wish it would cool down just a little bit. I can't say I feel like doing much of anything when the heat is bad. We did go out for a little bit this morning though nothing seems to have gone right and we didn't stay out long. To be honest, when I got home I didn't do a lot of anything! I have made a list for tomorrow and I shall get back into doing things tomorrow. It's supposed to be another hot one but there may be some relief in a few days! I would love to get up in the craft room but it's boiling up there and I can't stand it for long. 

This week I need to get back on track with the budget. We splurged a little last week so now it's back to watching pennies so I can get back on track. There is still quite a bit of food in the freezer so I'm going to root around and see what I can come up with regarding a meal plan and buying limited food. I find it a bit of a struggle to cook when it's hot hot hot! I think we have some lettuce left and maybe a couple of cucumbers so maybe some sort of salad will be a side. Husband bought a couple of fresh cucumbers off somebody at work. They are just lovely! This person at work has a garden and last year shared some produce with us. I told husband to ask if he was willing to sell some of his extra produce to us if he had some which he said he would have extra. 

I thought I'd have to share a photo of a favourite summer snack - there's not a lot left here!

What's your favourite summer snack? 

A phone photo from the bit of beach we managed to see lol. 

Hope everyone has had a good weekend!

Back

We had a lovely visit with Baby A and her family. She has grown so much! We blew lots of bubbles together and looked out the window to the birds and the squirrels. She's starting to say a few words and she would wave to the squirrels and say (her version of) Hi, Mr. Squirrel. It was adorable. We did go outside for a little while but it was quite hot so we couldn't be out there for long. On the cooler days we took her to a local park and Lake Michigan. She wasn't a big fan of the water, but she did like playing in the sand. 

It was hard to say goodbye. This week was definitely a roller coaster of emotions - happy to see daughter and Baby A, sad to say goodbye, happy to spend time with them. This week was also the anniversary of when we lost Mum. Four years. I can't believe that much time has passed! She would have really adored Aurora. She always enjoyed the grandchildren and Great-grandchildren. My sister went to Felixstowe to her bench and laid some flowers, she took a bunch from me. I always find it a really emotional time of year. I'm trying to keep busy so I don't think about missing baby A and Mum!

Poor Baby A, she had a runny nose the whole time they were here and later in the week a low fever. Apparently, she has hand, foot and mouth disease again! Daughter and SIL were going to take her to daycare on Friday (they left on Thursday) so they could have a day out together. This is when they were told the slight rash she had (that we all thought was because of teething dribble) was hand, foot and mouth. The daycare had a case last week that they didn't bother to tell daughter about! She wasn't too happy. 

Here are a couple of photos

Flowers at Mum's bench

Baby A trying on her Mum's glasses

The banana split Baby A and I shared - yum! We did make a bit of a mess lol

Sierra (top) and Sasha say travelling is such hard work! 

Sigh. Now it's time to get back into the groove for a little while!

Where Has the Week Gone?

The week seems to have flown by and I'm not sure where it's gone! The last I posted it was only Tuesday. I take a breath, and Friday has rolled around again. I am happy to report that things in the house are coming along nicely. I'm really pleased with how things have progressed. There is still a bit too much clutter (mainly knick-knacks) on a couple of surfaces for my liking but otherwise I'm really pleased with how things are looking. Now it's a matter of keeping it as tidy as it is. The sad thing is that there are many other areas of the house that need attention BUT for now I'm enjoying the tidiness of the main living space. It's quite relaxing. 

This afternoon I messaged with sister. Time seems to go by so quickly when we message. Sometimes I wonder what we're going to talk about. My life is very, well, uneventful so I don't have a lot to report to her, but before I know it three hours have passed by and it's time to say goodbye for another week. There are only four weeks until I go visit, as she reminded me! I'm so excited. I love these visits home. They seem to reset things and give me pause to get out of routines and just enjoy things without being on a schedule. I'm so thankful that sister lets me stay with her. I think I would have felt lost without her. 

What is going on for the weekend? Well, I'm really happy to say that daughter, son-in-law, baby A and two dogs are coming to visit for a few days! I'm so very excited to see them all again! I'm going to try to post a time or two (they will be here until next Thursday) but it will be as time permits. We don't get to see them very often and I want to enjoy every moment. Also, daughter has asked if she can borrow my laptop while she is here as she has to study. She has just started a master's degree. Of course, I said yes.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. 

A phone photo from my walk today. There were four deer on the path today. They barely paid attention to me at all!

 

Productive Days

 I certainly feel a bit more productive lately. The heat plods on but I'm trying not to let it stop me from getting things done. I overheat at some points (think heat and menopause lol) but I just sit for a while in front of the fan until things regulate again lol. The main rooms are coming along nicely. It's about time to tackle some of the knick-knacks that are displayed. I think I'm ready to let some go. I'm telling myself that it's better to pass them on to someone else who will enjoy them instead of them cluttering up my house and annoying me (which they are starting to do). I won't be getting rid of everything, but I will be thinning out. The memories aren't in objects. At least that's what I'm trying to remind myself. 

I don't think I mentioned this before, but the ceilings in my kitchen really needing cleaning. I don't cook with a lot of grease, but they still seem to get grease on them! I usually get up and down on the ladder, pull my back as I bend backwards to scrub and just end up making a horrible mess. I decided to see if there was a better way. I ended up ordering a thing on Amazon, sort of a mop for ceilings and walls. Very light and easy to use. It arrived on Sunday, and I gave it a go on Monday. I absolutely love it! I should have got one ages ago! It was less than $20 (I hesitated spending that much on something for the ceiling) but well worth every penny. It will make cleaning the kitchen ceiling and walls really easy and something that I won't hesitate to do on a more regular basis. 

I've got a list for tomorrow, one of the items is sorting out the large bookshelf by my chair. There is room on it, but the books are sitting rather haphazardly and need a bit of reorgnasing. Hopefully it will make things look a bit tidier! I want to get as much done as possible as Thursday is supposed to be (FINALLY!) a cool day so I want to use it to get up in the craft room, do a bit of sorting and (maybe) a bit of crafting!

Bit of colour this morning over Asylum Lake. 

Weekend

It wasn't a bad weekend. Quite productive. I did some walking, some relaxing and some sorting/cleaning. I did actually get up in the craft room (despite the heat) and although the worktable isn't all cleared off there is some space to work on. Hopefully I'll be able to get up there again this week. 

On Friday husband took the donation boxes to the charity shop. I have started to fill up another bag, but I don't want it sitting around too long so the plan is to fill it up and then drop it off. There is only a little bit more to sort in the living/dining room and then I will be (sort of) happy with the way things are. 

On Saturday, I went for my normal walk. It was quiet and peaceful. Today husband and I took a little visit to the beach and a walk along the lakeshore. It started to get a bit hot, so we didn't last too long lol. On our way back home I found a Sunday Farmer's Market and I really fancy some fresh tomatoes, so we stopped there and picked up a couple, some fresh eggs, a cucumber and some radishes. Not the cheapest, but both the eggs and the tomatoes were so good! The tomatoes actually had some flavour which I find the ones I find in the shops not to have. I really need to grow some next year!

This week - I have a list made for tomorrow. I do need to make a menu plan. It's on the list to do. I want to make sure to use some items from the freezer in the meal plan. I don't think there will be a lot of food I'll need to buy this week, but I'll make a list and go on Tuesday. 

A couple of phone photos from today

It was actually quite peaceful early in the morning, only a few people around. 

Are There Photos of New Buys?

The answer is no. Lol

I did manage a tiny walk this morning. I almost didn't. I got up and the weather did not look good. I almost stayed home. Then I looked out of the window and saw a tiny bit of blue. In a way I would have felt a little guilty if I didn't at least try so out I went. It spat for a bit, drizzled and light rain. I did a little bit of a walk and then headed back to the car. It was nice and quiet. Yes, I got a little wet but not drenched. 

The skies were rather pretty. 

I did find some pillows. I didn't find curtains. Sigh. Not pleased. I feel this is going to be something I'll have trouble finding. There was quite a bit of cleaning done today. So that was a plus. I also had a lovely video chat with Baby A this evening.