Again, 100 things

Yes, more out the door!  Gifted away 7, which includes 3 lengths of fabric and the equivalent of 4 rolls of film.  This time was a big deal.  I went thru my stash of pictures which haven't made it  into the photo albums (since 2nd child was in grade school, hmm).  I have decided to create separate albums so the kids won't have to do it in the future, but will keep them with me.  I thru out pictures measuring 10 inches high equally approximately 25 rolls of film with about 36 pictures to a roll.  I was hoarding bad pictures.  Small items that still carry weight.

update on 100 thing . . .

. . .  out of the house!  11th attack.  This one includes a re-purpose, gift away (a dry sink), and selling of 11 books.  I actually loved the dry sink and it would be good in a potting shed but I am swimming in furniture.

Keeping busy

I have had some productive days!  Yeah!  This week I have emptied 2 more boxes in the basement and redistributed a bin in a 3rd floor so it can be put to better use made bone broth from 9 chicken carcasses )from the freezer). Today I made a list (a short one) and  crossed off every line.  Library, vacuum,  wash canning jars that have been stored too long (with dust and bugs), repack my 3 new bins down to 2 (for now) and start filling the 3rd with canning jars.  One of the 5 pieces of furniture also went to Habitat for humaity.  Happy dance!  This year is starting out much better than my efforts of last year. 

More sacks of  'stuff' to the charity AND another 100 'things' out of the house.  Must have the garage sale this year, for sure.  I need the designated sale stuff out of the house, too.

A positive start to a new year

100 items out the door challenge #8, delivered to the 2nd hand truck up the street, the garbage part down in the basement all tidy and waiting for the next trip to the dump. I am happy!  I am also determined to tackle my goals, it feels so good to simplify my surroundings (also hard).

Yeah !!

Filled my son's truck with garbage.  What was left from my last sort and toss, some house garbage and some from outside.  We came back and loaded 6 bags of pop cans, his aluminum scraps and steel scraps.  He made $24 and I made $20.  There is regular recycling and some stuff for Habitat for Humanity left to take.  (The truck loads are always in a small truck)  The basement is getting better!

Update
We took one load out of the basement a couple days later.  Half to H. for H. and half to Goodwill!

It will never happen fast enough . . .

. . .  but my community had a town sponsored spring clean event at which you could dump for free.  I don't mind the dump fees but it is the electronics that can cost money to get rid of.  Since I don't have a truck available my little car was filled with 2 medium sized TV's, 2 old CPU's and 2 monitors.  More out the basement.  Now I need a truck for 3 dressers and a desk.  My husband said NO to putting them out in front of the house (it's done a lot around here).  Maybe I will put one out and see what happens!

Progress

100 things challenge number 7 out the door.  Woohoo!  I delivered a trunk full to the goodwill truck, today (and took a truck load to the dump, last week, this includes regular garbage also).  I have a few big pieces for my son to take to the Habitat for Humanity store that sells construction leftovers (the profits support the building of houses for low income families).

You would think that everything is pretty much gone!  NOT.  We have here an accumulation of STUFF over many years.  And I'm not counting everything individually, for instance a stack of papers as one count, every 2-3 magazines as 1 count.  Some things I am not currently using but can't let go are quart canning jars and gardening equipment.  I have 2 bench seats from a van we sold, a desk, a chest of drawers (tall), a bulky bedroom vanity and a lowboy.  All in the basement taking up more room than I realize because of not really "seeing" them.  They need to go and I need to decide if they have any value because furniture is good to have for a garage sale.  I am keeping another desk; it is delicate, a ladies desk and it was my grandmothers.  We also have an old tube radio from the 30's maybe and I don't really want it anymore but hubby has to be in on that decision!

What you don't know is that the daylight basement is huge with the single garage in it (no walls to separate it from the basement.  This house was built in 1939.

Spring is calling!  For over a week the song birds have found their voices and are multiplying.  I noticed the grass in the field is 6 inches high and sparkling green, the crocuses are blooming (my most favorite spring flower).  The morning sun is warm and inviting and a few sunsets havebeen colorful.  I love the rebirth of spring!

A good way to start . . .

. . .  the new year!
I did a '100 things to purge from the home' weekend challenge! The 6th one.  It's fuuny, when down to the last few items to look for, I must get a bee in my bonnet because my keep boxes get revisited and purged some more.  All good because I can't keep everything!  I have decided not to do the sack a day which sounds like a good idea but the daily motivation was not there.  It is amazing the amount of stuff that accumulates over the years and with the moves every 7 - 10 years the unpacked boxes have grown, these are what I have concentrated 75% of the purges from.  I get excited after each challenge (rushing out to deliver the goodwill sacks).  Yeah!  The dump runs have to wait for a truck full (went last week) because it's wasteful otherwise (I have a list of bigger items to go on the next run),  generally most everything goes to the goodwill.

This is not always the easiest process.  I have let go of many things that would have a good use in the future.  What is even harder is the things that are in the toss pile that get taken back out, by my husband ("it's useful to me").  After years of sitting in garages and basements much of our stuff is mildewed, had rats or mice in the boxes (these have been OLD houses) or become junk thru non-use and becoming outdated.  Some I have hid under piles but most of the rest has been mine.  A did go thru the "can't decide, set aside pile and to goodwill more stuff did go!

Anyway, my basement is a mess BUT progress is being made!  I am feeling lighter and daylight can be seen.

Amazing!

Instead of being overwhelmed with down sizing the whole house, I am using a pinterest idea of  '100 things'.  Two days ago I finished my 2nd 100 things and today was my 3rd 100 things. This all came from our main living spaces NOT the frightful abyss downstairs.  Tomorrow I will deliver 4 sacks to donate, a small amount went into garbage and garage sale boxes.  This is exciting and so easy to 'feel' the progress! 

I started a different pattern/look for a jean bucket that came from pinterest also.  It's half done so I will post on it later.

I think the February can be a beautiful month, with 3 days now of warm sun, cold air and frosty nights so far. The mountains have been at their best, so clear you can see the valleys and the sun glints off the snow on the peaks like diamonds.  I wish the camera could capture the beauty I see!  I hear opinions that it feels like spring.  To me it's a promise of spring to come, that here in the PNW after days and weeks of rain and gloom the days are longer and it's time to plan for the garden!

I bottled my kombucha yesterday in to three jars and drank the fourth one right away, very good andwith no added flavor or juice!  It's was mild, I only brewed it 12 days and my house is cold.  So now it's the 3 - 5 day wait for fizz to build up.  Keeping up with brewing will take some juggling because it's so good and buying it is a little expensive ($3.50 for 16oz).  This is one of my  goals  (to learn new skills this year).

I had a great weekend starting with a quiet visit with E and the grandgirls, playing games and watching a movie.  My sister in law called me for an overnight, we had a ball. Lot's of laughs, wine and helping a little with putting her house in order after they put down new floors.  Then back to E's house to watch the girls while she went to an appointment.  We spent a couple hours outside gardening, pulling new weeds from the vegie beds and pulling compost from the bottom of the pile to the top.  I guess V. fell asleep on the floor (she is 3) after a very busy day.  She is the one who stuck with me thru all the weeding.  J helped thru half which is still pretty good.While locking up the chickens, J pointed out the full moon coming up behind the bare trees, another beautiful picture! At 7 yrs, she takes on the responsiblity of the chickens and goats like I haven't seen in a girls new to animals. She is amazing! I was holding V. and noticed the sunkissed cheeks, what a good day! And to my darling daughter, you're smile today is beautiful!

Beau-ti-ful !!!

My favorite kind of day: cold, crisp, blue sky, SUN !!!  When coming home today, from a particular point on the road I can see Mt. Baker - Mt. Rainier - Mt. Pilchuck, Three Sisters and the multitude of mountains surrounding them.  All glowing in the mid afternoon sun and from my kitshen window I see the Olympics in beautiful shadows against the setting sun with a colorful sunset.

I am thinking that one of the goals for this year is to implement 'changes' in how we eat.  We like oatmeal and cream of wheat but I woud like to take it further.  For instance, using brown rice not white.  I love brown rice, it will be the thought put into meals that needs working on because of cooking times, etc.  Instead of listing goals I will create a 'living list' (making the list as changes are incorporated into meals.

Good Food!

I made ham bone and beans today!  Brings back memories of Mom's soup, so good!  I boiled the bone (with plenty of meat left on it) with an onion and garlic for an hour then took it out to cool for shredding. Then I cooked the Anasazi beans, they cook in about 1 hour and originate from the Southwest. Nice, huh!  When the beans were done, I combined them with the meat, broth and a packet of Knorr Vegetable soup mix simmering for 10 minutes. OMG, so good!  My soup is more like a chowder, very thick.

For brunch, I made Bannocks (Scottish pancakes) using sourdough and rolled wheat flakes (I didn't have oatmeal).  The wheat didn't absorb the moisture well and so I will try again with the oatmeal.  Good but could be better!  Both these meals left me full and satisfied for hours with no heartburn that I have been experiencing lately.  Flour, cream of wheat, sugar so far seem to be the culprits.

I have a challenge on Pinterest, getting rid of 100 things.  Five garbage bag liners full, 4 grocery bags and 1 box went to the Goodwill box, Yeah!  Going to work on another 100 items!