Tuesday, December 30

Tuesday I walked into the living room and realized there is very little to declutter. I just needed to go through the old videos which are in an antique "thing" for lack of a better word. The thing was behind a Christmas tree, so I had to scratch that idea.

Moved on to the kitchen, and after about five minutes' work, I was summoned to the basement, where I ended up staying the rest of the day.

Bob was amazing. He has thousands of books, and got rid of hundreds. The library is going to love us. I have two small book cases and one tall one in the basement, and I went through the two small and bagged up about 75% of my books for the library. The big case is behind the train table and I can't reach it -- yet.

I wish that we saved boxes and grocery bags. We don't. And we have run out of things to put the book donations in. There is a big bin for recycling grocery bags at one of our stores, and the next time I go I'll ask if I can have some to bag up the books. The library is closed due to the holiday, so we won't be able to get the donations there until next week.

The Epilepsy Foundation will not be coming to my town for donation pick up until March. MARCH. I am so bummed about this! It's not that there's anything wrong with the Salvation Army, because it's a lovely organization, but I would have preferred donating to EF since it touches our lives. sigh I'm not keeping the goods here until March, though. Will load the van next week to take donations to the Salvation Army. (Another big, amazing haul.)

Last night we loaded up an exercise pen, two dog crates and two large bags of dog food and delivered them to the animal shelter. Always lovely to make donations there, and that was an expensive haul (crates and ex-pen aren't cheap) and the dog food was Chicken Lover's, so expensive, too. (We tried switching our dogs' food due to local availability, but Tesla couldn't stomach the new food, even with a very gradual introduction. He has a sensitive tummy. Back to Canidae for us.)

The dumpster is being filled. When I look out my kitchen window, I can see trash in it now. Imagine bringing us a dumpster, in December, in Minnesota, with NO lid! Good grief.

I'm working on the laundry/craft/junk room today and making great headway. The more I work, the more tired I get, and the more I get motivated to get finished. The house is kind of a wreck. It's amazing how that happens. You make a mess while cleaning up, but it is soon to be remedied!

I need to find a box or something to put my chemicals into. I have some cleaners I won't use that need to be taken to the trash place. Paint, too.

I'm feeling excited, energized yet exhausted at the same time, and ready to be done. Life goes on, and we're making big changes here while at the same time hoping to get back to normal. I'm ready to get back to our normal school routine, in our nice clean school room. I am envisioning lovely school days, looking out the window at the birds taking delight at our bird feeder. I am also excited to finish up a huge photo project I've been working on. I have scanned a couple thousand photos that were in my Mom and Dad's albums. There were 8 albums and I've scanned 5 1/2 of them. It will be wonderful to finish that project up, distribute the originals, and be able to actually enjoy looking at the photos at my leisure.

I had to add some more tunes to my iPod. I figured it's my payment for all my hard work. A couple more Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, Joe Walsh and The Mamas and the Papas. It's amazing to me, the music I have selected, because I usually love harder music, more energetic. My selections are warm, though, and folksy. They make me feel good, which is the whole point.

Back to work!