What a Way to Start a Year!

Boy oh boy! This year is not off to a good start but I still have a feeling it will be a good year despite one thing (illness) after another. I may as well get them out of the way now. Started with a cold which I still have. Then, I was exposed to Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease (which I was lucky not to get so far although I am still not over the incubation period). I love my grandson but come to the conclusion that little ones are walking disease factories (and I mean that in a loving way).

Then on Tuesday I woke up unable to move without extreme pain in my lower back. I am talking the kind of pain that takes your breath away and although it is in my back, just moving my arms makes it hurt to the point of tears. Sitting in a chair doesn't help it either which I find odd since I am not standing but anyways, I couldn't even walk and it still continues today. I tried everything to get rid of it and found the only way is to lay flat on my back (on heating pad) in bed with a pillow under my knees and it eases the pain to the point where I don't feel it at all but as soon as I stand up it comes back. The longer I stand or try and walk the worse it gets until I reach the point I have to go back and lay down on the heating pad to start the whole cycle over again. I don't know about you but there is only so long I can lay in bed and do nothing!

Needless to say, I haven't done much scrapping but I did manage to do this page. What makes this page so unique is that Damien don't wear hats. He hates them! However, Damien loves the camera so he put on his Grandpa's hat and grabbed my camera to hand to me so I can take his picture.

My Goal of Uncluttering Starts with the Basement

So I started my goal of unclutttering. As much as I would love to start in the house/living area of the house, there is so much stuff in the basement that there is no room to put anything I may want. Now mind you,these things are not things I acquired or saved. They were here when I met my husband and always were in the house. I just moved them years ago to the basement. Well, time for them to go so they were all boxed up and donated.

I know it don't look like much but I can't post every picture, just a representation of what I am dealing with at the moment. This particular group of pictures is the 3rd Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo full that went. Just boxes and boxes of these collectible glass items.

I know, you may be thinking that I am exaggerating about the basement so I just took a picture of it. Remember, this is after 3 loads already left and part of it is straightened up. As you can tell from the picture, I have a long way to go.

At least I have a path to get to the washing machine without knocking into everything! 

Now the problem is I, after only two days of basement work, caught one heck of a cold so all work has stopped. I am itching to get down there but just feel so miserable...maybe tomorrow....

First Day of a New Year!

In a way I am glad to say good-bye to 2014 and welcome a new year. A new start, hopefully a better one than the last year was. I wish the same for all of you.....a better year than last year was.

Sure there were things that happened last year that I am so thankful for. I am not saying it was all bad. I just hope this year is better health wise, financially, and in other ways as well.

I think this year I will focus on one the one word challenge by SNAP. Don't know what it is? Check it out here. So, my word is.....

Unclutter

I want to unclutter my life...my thoughts, my surroundings, my life. There is just too much clutter around to cause stress, slow progress, and just get in the way. I need to unclutter. 

I am tired of the 'drama' of others. I don't like drama and when I do need some, I will read a book or watch the soaps on TV. I am done being the one stressed out over problems others have/made for themselves and suddenly I am the one feeling bad or running to the rescue. No more! Now there is ObamaCare so there is no excuse, see a therapist!

I am tired of living in a tiny house (our house is not even 900 sq. ft.) yet surrounded by furniture and stuff that is designed to fill a mansion. I don't collect anything (but money) and yet having to hang on to all these 'things' that aren't even mine. Done! It is all going out. I am done walking in a maze to bring my laundry to the machine and not being able to fine my winter clothes as I freeze because there is a hope chest in the way. I am done. It is all getting thrown out or given away. 

I also am tired of having things in my way so I need to find a spot for everything and put everything in its spot. I am sure you know what it is like when you're making a card or a scrap page and you can't find room to even put your paper down on the desk (even though mine is 6 ft. long and I still have no room). That needs to end too. I want to do my crafts and not spend two hours trying to make room and dig out my dies and all. No need for it when I could have spent them two hours scrapping. 

I need to unclutter my thoughts as well. I have so many things running through my head and worrying about what if I don't do this or what if I don't do that, then what will this person do or that person do? I understand a mom is a mom for life, even when her kids are adults but I did all I can do and I can't do no more. It is now my time. I raised my family, time for you to raise yours and let me be grandma. I do not mean I don't want you to be part of my life because I certainly do, just not my whole life. I need to do things I want to do. 

Are you going to take the challenge? What is your word?