The Days are Moving So Fast!

Hope everyone out there had a nice Father's Day!

My husband and I went on a short 3 hour kayak float on a nearby river.  It was only the 2nd time I have ever been in a kayak on a river.  Last Saturday I went with a group of about 20 on a larger river about 2 hours away.  It is a pretty well known river - The Buffalo River - in Arkansas.  It is actually the first National River designated in the US.  Here is the wiki link.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_National_River  It is a beautiful area.

Some parts of this river are pretty dangerous due to the narrowing curves and the rocks.  Not so much the rapids, as such.  There are areas where the river descends enough so that is a big of a challenge too.  A year or two ago there is a large sinkhole where a man drowned.  He was pretty experienced kayaker from what I recall.

I did an easy section last Saturday with some very experienced people.  We all are older and non drinkers/partiers.  I would not want to take a chance with people who were not experienced or who were drinking.  In 1995 when I was going to school in Arkansas, I did the challenging section...with an experienced outdoorsman, in a duel canoe.  We did flip over once, but were fine.  We were also in our 20's!

My friend and I felt my DH would enjoy a shorter kayak and made plans to go Sunday with him.  I am so glad we did.  We enjoyed so much the pretty scenery and the animals we saw (birds, turtles, frogs, a snake, etc).  DH had a blast.  The river we did yesterday was getting low.  They say parts of the Buffalo (the lower) are getting low too.  We had a lot of rain in March - April but it has slowed considerably.  It usually does, but more towards late July.  This is a little early for our lawn to be turning brown.  We really don't have very good grass, so I am not going to worry much about it.  As I finish diff landscaping projects, I will worry about yard next.  I read that a good time to seed is around Labor Day.  It is good and warm, the dry hot weather may be easing by then...can plant seed and it will be mature enough for me to weed and feed next spring.  I am just going to work on very small portion of lawn in the backyard to perfect it before I expand to the front.

I did have my bonfire Friday evening.  I scanned ALL my photos, scrapebooks, memorabilia, even yearbooks to my computer and burned all the originals, except what i am keeping for family (neice and nephews).  I love the feeling of getting rid of stuff so my house is not stuffed.  My in laws think i am crazy for getting rid of originals.  We had dinner with the in laws Saturday evening for Father's Day.  But my DH and his family are very much into antiques and keepsakes, just stuff.  Not me.  I used to be in my younger years, but the older i get the less around me I want to deal with.

Now that I have been retired (semi retired) for close to 2 years, I know more about what stuff I will keep and use and what is just extra volume that I won't need (clothes, shoes, jewelry).  In a recent purge, I cleaned out a bunch of my costume jewelry and got rid of my large jewelry case.  At a local consignment store I found a small chest that fits under the counter in my bathroom where the vanity is.

I love the smaller one.  It is in my bath now instead of my bedroom and the lighting is much better.
Today it is pretty warm but this is late June.  I usu get up and work for an hour, then feed the dogs and when i let them out into the bigger yard, i water my vegetables.  My lettuce still going strong but growing to seed in next few weeks.  My spinach and kale is winding down.  My chard is about the same.  My tomatoes have tiny fruit and i am watching them close!

Have a great Monday!

hump day

Well I am really enjoying these longer days and warm evenings and so are my tomatoes!

I just hope they actually produce some good tomatoes.  I learned the hard way last year not to get water on the leaves and burned up my tomatoes last summer.  We just got a few really puny ones.  But our cherry tomatoes have always produced by the bucket-full.  This year our cherry tomatoes (on our deck) aren't doing anything.  I would have figured it was the frost we got in late April, but we also bought some decorative grass from same store that is not doing anything either.

Has been pretty hot and humid until late last week.  The heat and the work computer being down all last week promted me to find something inside to work on.  I have been wanting to streamline my home and reduce clutter (have been doing this for 10 years!).  I have a nice sized home, and love our high ceilings, but we still have to much stuff to comfortably store/access/clean around...so I have been doing another round of clearing stuff out. I work in a tiny office and am lucky to have high shelves, but wanted to put extra throw pillows way up high...so I had do something with the heavy boxes of pictures/letters/cards on the higher shelves.  Plus, I am liking my idea of storing light stuff up high.  

So I decided to go through the boxes and scan the photos and keepsakes I want to retain electronically and other than a very few printed out photos, burn all the originals.  I know it would be impossible for some people to do this - burn a picture.  But DH and I have no children so pass this on to.  Most of it is just personal stuff for me.  But photos of relatives and my family I am passing on to my sister and my niece and nephew.  

I even did my school year books, all 13.  I am only going to retain my senior scrap book and yearbook until my 40 high school reunion (God willing).  It has been a long job.  I just did a little everyday.  But I am going to have a cathartic burn pile when I am finished this week!

This plus another crate I will burn in my fire pit Friday or Saturday.  This is all I have left to go, a small pile of photos/cards and 4 more year books.  

I have gone from 4 of these big heavy boxes to 2.  One for me and one for DH.  His is FULL.

I am taking another car load to my sister in laws store to sell.  The house is looking clearer and more streamlined, easier to clean around and all the rooms function in at least one way - some two.  For example in my sitting room I can do yoga, or crafts, or just sit and watch TV.  The closet in that room is my "office".  I took the door off and fashioned a "desk" out of the lowest shelf.  Above the shelf to save space a strung led string lights.  2 shelves above that are my office supplies and the unit hanging behind my paper/envelope holder.  I have a chalk/board/metal magnet holder and a cork board next to it.  I LOVE the coziness.  Anyway, I usually work in the breakfast nook in the mornings enjoying the east view and the yard/birds/watching my dogs play.  Then in the afternoon I move to my closet and can darken it and have the ceiling fan to help keep that room really cool.

Hope you are staying cool and enjoying some fresh produce!  I cooked up a big bunch of rainbow chard last night.  Tonight we are having salad.  The lettuce is going crazy and will wind down in the next couple weeks.

Appreciate Each Day

Wellness challenge for today is to unsubscribe from unnec emails.  Already done.  To me, electronic clutter is just as bad as actual clutter.  I keep off many mailing lists as much as possible, physical mailing (no catalogs, no magazines).  I always unsubscribe email lists.  When they ask at the store, my friend gave me a good idea for a response.  I just politely say "decline" when they ask for email or phone number.

The phone trolling is just out of control.  DH and I are getting 2-6 calls a day from unknown phones.  We don't answer.  I am convinced they more you answer, the more you get.
I have done some cooking making and baking.  2 fails.  One new recipe and one old.  I will just freeze and eat this winter when I am desperate for baked coods and too lazy.  My DH said I must be distracted.  I am pretty preoccupied with my online sales.  I am thinking this is not a fit for me.  This first year of retirement may be a big exercise in just what is right for me - and I will gladly take that.

Yesterday DH and I took the pup and went to a state park the next state over, we could not believe how cool this area was.  We were the only ones there for quite a while, making Tuesdays a natural exploration day going forward.  There was a large waterfall and the trails all around it where made to explore it at all different heights.  It was quite a find!  Then I dropped my phone and cracked the screen.  God's way of telling me to stop taking photos and just be in the moment.  That was what our instructor was telling us in yoga class Monday night.  Message received.  Could explain my "baking" fails too.

Another way this message is being driven home for me...another of our childhood friends has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.  I need to enjoy each day to the fullest.
Getting ready to cook some pork chops for DH before he leaves to drive to the city to play golf with his brother and take our SUV that we are selling.  Wish me luck!  I am having kitchen challenges!

Goodbye Ugly Deck Structure

So, my BIL was down to visit his folks recently and stopped by our house to see our progress.  I remember both BIL's being very impressed with the quality of home we found in the small town 225 miles away we were retiring too.  Both BIL's are handy and can build.

I mentioned to BIL 2 how much I dislike the ugly metal structure over the deck.  The past owners would prop it up in the middle of the deck with three 2 x 4's and strap an enormous tarp on and have parties, I guess.  Well we were not digging it.  It is an eyesore and cuts into our view when we look out of window and look out over our yard from the back patio.  Plus, we are getting our patio screened in someday and won't use/need the huge tarp over the entire deck. 

Well, BIL2 wheels start turning and he is thinking it could use this structure to make a carport.  He only has single car garage and it is full.  He and DH both remark how much money they past owners spent on all this metal.  Well, we tell BIL2, if you want it - feel free to come and get it.  So, he took this week off work and is going to go get it!  whooopieeeeeeee!  More before and after photos!

So, here it is with the horrid metal structure and here it is without.  DH and I LOVE the uncluttered look without and will have better view of our back yard and the sky between our oak trees and the flag.  So much better. 

Another Load Done

Back to "what I did today to prepare for our move".  We took the load of all the garage stuff that had been in the SUV for two weeks and unloaded.  We are seriously running out of room!  But I think we have about 1 more large stuff (grill, outside iron chairs, ladders, file cabinets, occasional tables, golf bags etc) we will move with bikes/trailer.  And then we should just have about 2 more full loads of misc kitchen, personal effects, clothing).  So, the light at the end of the tunnel...as they say.
We had friends I have known since middle school who stopped by RH on their way from my hometown (his mother passed, they had memorial and worked on decluttering her lake house).  So, we did not get as much done as we usu do, but we had a nice visit and stayed up way too late enjoying a firepit night. 
We briefly visited with my sister in law and her husband (road our ATV's by their house/through their field).  They both seem really tired and both are tired/stressed from dealing with his mother's home/estate - 3 hours away.  Brother in law had a lot in common with my friend from middle school - he is now going through the very same thing - smaller in scale (friend's mom was not quite a hoarded).  But friend is a single child and they live 20 hours away in another state.  It sure does make me think about 1)  how I will deal with my own estate (lifetime of decluttering/purging).  Either I will kick it in gear if DH goes before me, or I will not have to worry as much - as he will be forced to deal with it.  Either way...I am looking at my belongings in a whole new way.
I am interested in hearing other peoples thoughts on this.  Or just what you did this past weekend?  Summer plans?

Anxiety

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/?m=1
I am going to try and do April A to Z challenge this year.   I am not totally up on the technology, but I will give it a shot.
My theme is rightsize.
A for me stands for Anxiety.  Marrying another person who collects lead us to accumulate.  11 years in our house lead to lots of stuff.  In 2 to 6 months we are moving.  I have been purging for 2 years.
2 houses has lead to excitement and anxiety.  Too much stuff = anxiety.  Too much stuff means too much physical, but also too much mental.  I feel like I have been dealing too much for the last couple of years with "stuff" and not as much on personal experiences with people who matter to me.  Some weekends I tell me husband "stuff is winning".  But, I know that my perspective has shifted and now my actions follow and soon, it will all be worth it.  Out of necessity - selling one house means I have to get rid of a bunch, over half our stuff.  But, also out of a desire for something different.  I think it will be a lifelong process, but one that I am willing to put in the hard work. 
Happy Monday everyone!  Today it is gray and snowy here in the Midwest.  We won't see the sun till Wednesday.  Some April Fool, Mother Nature!  Do you all have any good April Fools jokes?  Once I had a co worker who always played jokes on people.  I am not good at practical jokes.  I cannot keep a straight face and on the phone, I laugh.  But one year I enlisted the help of a 3rd friend to call joking friend and tell joking friend that his vehicle that was at the mechanics was going to cost $1000.  He about had a fit!  The fun thing was, I worked with him.  So when 3rd friend called joking friend, myself and a couple other co workers were in the other room listening to it play out.  It was so fun!  Tell me some of your experiences, I can always use more ideas!  HAHA