amazing stuff....

as I do NOT believe in coincidence, i do want to give God the glory for all of these little and new discoveries. First...thanks, for the loan of the dog crate. I really appreciate it! 2nd...I was cleaning out my car and found a check for $46. Wahoo....that will go in the "found money" jar. I also found about $2 in change. Next...I was worrying about how to keep the money embargo in effect as I travel to Michigan....especially while hanging out in the Philly airport...I found a Starbucks gift card!!!!! How grand is that???? Little things, but VERY, VERY important as I work on stopping the money hemorrhage and work on establishing sanity in my home and life. :) Thank you Lord, for being aware of the little things that are going on in my life.

day 6 post 2

i am hoping today will be and odds and ends day...what does that mean? There are a myriad of things that are just odds and ends that need to be dealt with in my house...lightbulbs burnt out, switch plate covers that need to be put on...a cupboard door that needs to get fastened on...drawer pulls that are missing. all little things, but things I think will add up and help. the biggest hold up in this??? Not sure where tools are etc. I have to go pick up the dog crate and then I will see what i can do.....

day 6 8/6 post 1

the sixth day of the money moratorium. I am still pleased, of course...it it only 9am and I haven't headed out of the house yet....but i am still aware of how many places I might have stopped and spent...and I DID NOT. I even found a dog crate to borrow which is a happy thing....much happier than spending $60 for a new one. more later....

day 5 post 1

an update...I am pleased with the spending moratorium so far....very pleased. I have caught myself MANY times when i could have bought coffee/lunch/gone shopping etc. I didn't do any of that. I am PLEASED.

day 4...post 2 Not just a house issue...

You see, at this point, the house is secondary. Instead, it is the thinking that got my house and me into the pickles I'm in that I am truly trying to address. That is why a spending moratorium is in effect...it's not about money, it's not about lack of organization...it's a matter of thinking....

Day 4 (8/4) post 1

Feeling rather despondent this morning.....can't really go into it......however, we shall press on. I do have to make one "purchase"...nothing for me, but I must pay the postage for the item I sold on ebay yesterday. I have the cash set aside, so that is good. TIme to make my lunch for our workshop today. Other than that, nothing exciting, except my new little dog is asleep on my purse.....don't even know what to say about that....except she sure is cute when she is asleep!!!!!

day 3 (8/3) poat 3

ok....here are some items we are going to be adding up: today, 1 laundry basket emptied, 1 tub emptied. Please understand...this is not "current stuff" that is being emptied...not current laundry....this is "stashed stuff". 43 cents discovered. One contractor size trash bag, one regular size trash bag and one full canister for the trash company to pick up. Maybe I'll keep a running total....then I can do something like the 12 days of christmas....but maybe it will be the 12 tons of trash....could be catchy......Oh...and I think it is only fair to share some of the most unusual items discovered: One dolphin shaped "snow globe" ....obviously never made it to school. AND this is very fun to do with 2 little dogs sticking their little noses into EVERYTHING i get into. Maybe I should measure how many feet I can now walk into various rooms???????? ha ha ha...you don't know if I"m kidding or not!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Day 3, post 2 8/3

ps...i've sold two items of ebay in the past couple of days....

Day 3, post 1 8/3

Well, so far so good, but not without a couple of trip ups....well, not really trip ups....just a little bit of frustration. I was in a workship today from 8:30-3. I carried my lunch and felt rather virtuous as most everyone else pitched in to order pizza...but I honestly was quite content. So...afterward, I had time to kill before a pseudo appt. I normally would have "hung out" at Ollies, or paid a vist to Kmart, but I came home and let the dogs out instead. I went to the appt. which was to supposedly meet someone who was interested in buying my 12-string guitar. He didn't show which was aggravating. So...I came home and got another message....he was waiting, could I come back?? So, I went back and he wasn't there again. Well...you can probably imagine some of the words that were bouncing around in my head this time, especially since I got caught in that HUGE downpour. Anyway, chalk it up to no loss, no gain, no biggie. Good try and I'll try again. If you know of anyone who would like to buy a very nice 12 string guitar I can help them out!!!! BTW....I found a GREAT planter on my porch which will be dandy for the plant I need to re-pot. Once, the rain blows past, I'm going to see how many bags of trash I can set out for the trash pick up tomorrow. Exciting, huh???????

Day 2, post 1

well, by 7:02 this morning, my mind had already decided I "needed" to get a couple of things. One was patio blocks to go under my swing. The grass grows high and it's icky. Yes, it does need attention. That's why I have a lovely container of roundup. WHich I'll spray on there this afternoon. The other thing was that I got a dandy pack of pens for $1 at walmart yesterday. (before the grand social experiment started) THere are several colors in it and I like them a lot. So, as I was opening them, my thought was..." I NEED to go back and get several more packs". Why do I need several more packs? Yes, they are nice and I'm tickled to have them. BUt I bought 2 packs and each one has 10 pens. I honestly think that will hold me for awhile. Do you see what is going on????? I am going to have to retrain my thinking. I am going to a store today. BUT...that is to return something.That's all for now.

Day 1, post 2

Day1, post 2. First mental challenge: I had purchased a plant to go in my dining room. I THOUGHT I had a regular pot in there already with an artificial plant in it which i could use. I don't. First thought..."Oh, I need to get......" Nope. I don't need to "get." I have all sorts of beautiful containers in this house and shed. THink I'll go find one.

A GRAND SOCIAL EXPERIMENT PART I

To any and all who are reading this....I've been away for awhile...both literally and figuratively. Facebook has been my primary mode of communication, but I decided this was too heady and involved to write about in notes on facebook.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....with that said, here goes.

Today is August 1st. For the next month I will spend nothing except on consumables...IE food and medicine and gasoline. (Except for bills of course) I must put in a couple of caveats...1st...remy does have a vet appt in 3 weeks and 2nd I am going to Michigan for a few days and that might mess things up a bit. I also reserve the right to have a screen door put on my back porch if I can find one, get a haircut and I have to get a battery for my blue car. Other than that, the list of prohibited purchases includes but is NOT limited to...clothing...especially clothing, "stuff," (Ollies, I"m sorry...I'm taking a break) nothing for the secret shop, nothing for Logan, no anysoldier stuff, no housewares, nothing on ebay, no electronics, no BOOKS!!!!!...that will be the hardest...I love books...no furniture, no stuff for the house, no ladders, no staplers, no pots and pans, no movies, no BOOKS....did I already say books? No sheets, no blankets, no storage containers, no tools, no spray bottles, no make up, no lotion, no dishes, no musical instruments. WHY????? Because I already have all of that stuff...but I lose it in this insanity of a house and then I buy more. NOT THIS MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!! Money will NOT be spent on any fast food. WHEW.....I think that covers it. I will blog about my progress. You might wonder why part I? Well, because this will lead to part II which is this. Using the concept of reduce, reuse, recycle I intend to transform my house ONLY USING WHAT I ALREADY OWN. No new storage units, no new bookshelves, no new nothing. I am turning myself into a HGTV experiment. When I get to part II, I will post some pics and explain as I go. Should be quite an adventure. OK...that's it for now. I am excited about this...at least for the moment. I'll keep you posted.....

8/1 Day one. This is the day this profound experiment came to me. How and why? I was sitting out in the back on my swing at 7 this morning watching the dogs. It was beautiful....I realized how ungrateful I am for all that I have and how I have been a poor steward of so many things. I'm sooooo very tired of dealing with the same issues over and over....house, money, mess etc. When I was at Westminster this summer, someone said the definition of insanity was to keep doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. I do that a lot. No comment on my level of sanity or lack there of. I try to "fix" things, especially the mess and myself by buying cures of whatever type i think will work. SOOOOOOOOOO....that is what led to the first step. The money moratorium. Stay tuned......

A bit much....

Ok...I have several questions, and I'm hoping somebody, somewhere can answer them. #1 When the country is in the midst of a financial crisis, isn't it just a tad ostentatious, for the 8 year old daughter of the president of the united states to celebrate her birthday in PARIS???? I mean, c'mon...What is wrong with Chucky Cheese???? We have families who are losing their homes all over the country and they are celebrating her bday in paris. Even if they paid for everything like airfare and hotels etc. etc., what about the secret service protection that was needed there? I have a feeling that it was probably a tad more involved than if they went somewhere in the states. I'm sorry...I just think this is WRONG.

Another fuss....

Actually, I'm just quietly appalled. Our new president, took advantage of a frail, old lady to promote his political stance on stem cell research. Make me PUKE. It was a charming sight to see the president sitting at his desk, while tiny, frail Nancy Regan stood there as he signed something "in honor"???? of President Regan. Then he stood there with her hand in the crook of his arm,while he thanked her for her support. So, he used some honor or something to rope in Mrs. Regan into standing there next to him, to make his own case. Shame on him. Talk about a cheap photo op. Phooey.

A double edged sword.....

I guess that is pretty much what I use this blog for...fuss, fuss, fuss. HOWEVER....with that being said, here is my latest frustration. Susan Boyle. She does not frustrate me. What frustrates me is the world. Plain and simple. The world. At the moment, she is supposedly suffering from exhaustion and is in a hospital. Well...good....I'm glad she was able to get the care she needed...now, would everybody kindly back off of her? She had enough pressure just with the competition. She had a huge disapointment coming in 2nd. BUT...doesn't anybody else see the double whammy this whole thing must be playing on her brain and spirit????? GOOD GRIEF. The whole thing has been such a huge deal, and why????????? Because everyone is so taken that such a homely woman could have a lovely voice. So, that is just great. Because everytime they are saying, "Oh my gosh, I would never have expected you to have such a beautiful voice"...They are really saying, "Oh my gosh, I would never have expected you to have such a beautiful voice because you are sooooooooooooooooooooooo ugly. " So, every compliment has a dagger in the middle of it. So, to accept the compliments, she is really agreeing with them, by saying, "Yes, isn't it a wonder...how CAN I sing so prettily when I look like THIS?" and she is therefore insulting herself while being complimented. I'm not sure if this makes any sense...maybe you'd have to be unattractive to know what I mean...it is hard to be judged by outward appearances. Now, if people really thought about it, why wouldn't it dawn on them that not every pretty woman has a lovely voice. Some are horrible singers. But noone seems to get all shook up about that. Just this......