OneGuyFromBarlick

Morning

Its a dark morning this morning, and still a few weeks of the says getting shorter. So yesterdays update was short to match the length of daylight. I think today will be the same. I did do some art in the afternoon , but was most disappointed with it, not the effect I wanted, so may try again today in pastels. My third pair of jeans arrived in the morning, they too did not fit, whilst a perfect fit in the body, they were far too wide round the thighs. I think I am fighting a losing battle here and am beginning to remember why I buy my jeans from Sainsbury! Whilst browsing facebook and my emails I received an offer for another course. I fancied the INTRODUCTION TO THE CELTS as a follow up to my archaeology course, but did not want to pay the full price of £127, any way I have got it for £29 , like my last two. There are a lot of history courses in this series that I fancy doing, and they will keep me entertained throughout the darker months . They are not in depth but are enough to stimulate further reading if I so desire. My restless leg syndrome was really bad yesterday evening so I was in bed at 10.00pm, read till 10.30 pm and asleep shortly afterwards. I woke at 7.00 am, a good nights sleep.

So today is pilates at 10.00, its a part of my daily routine that I now look forward to. We have a nice chat on zoom before we start, and by the time it is over, I have got changed and had a cup of tea, its time for lunch! This afternoon we shall walk down to the local HERMES shop to return my jeans and depending on the weather may walk further. Otherwise I will probably tackle my art project.

Have a good day, think positive, keep busy , stay cheerful.

Yesterday went down hill. Initially planned to dig some compost out then it started raining a lazy day looked on the cards. The change of plan to do nothing went belly up when it started sun shinning. Damn it. 14 wheelbarrows spread out with another 14ish to go. With a bit of luck it could be raining again.

I feel a rain dance coming on...

Oh I know it gets addictive Stanley, I’ve been at it for years, not done much the last year or three though, thought I’d have a catch up, and I’m off again. Might as well make use of being in lockdown, and it gets me out of too much housework.

plaques wrote: ↑16 Nov 2020, 08:05 Yesterday went down hill. Initially planned to dig some compost out then it started raining a lazy day looked on the cards. The change of plan to do nothing went belly up when it started sun shinning. Damn it. 14 wheelbarrows spread out with another 14ish to go. With a bit of luck it could be raining again.

Ha ha, I know that feeling. You should be feeling very virtuous

He's a masochist! They never feel virtuous, only guilty.
I know because I have the same complaint.



This is masochism.

Ha ha Stanley. My activities are curtailed, no gardening in the rain today and sewing machine having a rest after one short repair to do. I must contact Keith about the service, he may still be doing that. He lives in Rochdale ( or used to ) so may collect. Its worth a try

Sorted, I can take my machine to the loading bay during limited hours, where it will be collected from me and returned the same way a week later. Excellent news

Cleaned out my shoe cupboard. Didn’t know I had so many! Quite a few I can’t wear now and likely never will again, so I got rid.
I’ve got another 2 pair to chuck once the weather warms up a little bit more.
I do love a good clean out. I have discovered that not only do I have slight OCD, I also have OCS ( Obsessive Compulsive Spartanism). Yes it is a genuine thing ( and I am a classic case), though I don’t have it as bad as some folk do. In extreme cases, they don’t only discard their own things, they discard other family members things also. I don’t do that and never will.
It gets a bit difficult, as I live with a man who can’t part with anything, though thankfully he is tidy.
Our garage overwhelms me just walking into it. All hubby’s junk - bits of old fencing and bits of wood, paint cans etc...nothing organised as I would organise it anyway. I would love to get a big skip and spend an afternoon filling it, but instead we just don’t talk about it because he obviously feels comfortable in there. He remarked once, that I could knock myself out chucking stuff away when he is gone!
It was quite a relief to find there are others out there just like me, but I don’t feel the need to join any online blogs.

Funny how people vary, I enjoy what some see as mess and clutter because everything holds a memory for me and has value. I once contacted a childhood friend offering to send him files of my pics of his mother which I had digitised and he replied that he didn't hoard clutter like that. I suppose it's a point of view but not mine!



Four generations in 1936 is not clutter to me.
Today I am aiming for the shed and Margaret's engine. I am making steady progress!

I do love your great gran, Stanley. I love the twinkle in her eye. I think she has tales to tell...and I see a sense of humour.
Just imagine how much work those hands have done. Just imagine the times she lived through. Just imagine what she would like to say. ( I would love to sit and chat with her)

Great grandma Shaw.....

Her and I would have CLICKED, I reckon...despite the decades...

Maz, be grateful that you only have a garage full, we have a large barn and an equally large workshop full of stuff that might come in useful one day.....

Does it worry you, Wendy? Do you find it a mental burden? Do you worry who will have to clear all this one day?
I ask, because I think this is at the root of all people with OCS. Some inherit such a stash of rubbish that it triggers the condition. To me, with OCS, I will not let the rubbish through the door in the first place ( haven’t allowed junk mail into my home for 30+ years now). I keep saying to our kids that I don’t want to own anything by the time I die. I ban Christmas presents and Birthday gifts as I don’t want anything ( though a bottle of Red won’t be wasted, or a meal out etc...anything that does not have to be accumulated).
My hubby has a wardrobe that contains clothes he will never wear again, yet I can only occasionally suggest he may want to do a review. He can’t part with things. I get that. But it is very very difficult for me to cope with....( I have a mental list of stuff that has to GO!)

It does worry me Maz and it keeps me awake at night! I do enjoy a clear out, but I also like to live amongst my own clutter! Talking of being awake at night, I had my best night's sleep for ages last night, managing an almost solid 8 hours.

Wendyf wrote: ↑17 Nov 2020, 07:12 Maz, be grateful that you only have a garage full, we have a large barn and an equally large workshop full of stuff that might come in useful one day.....

Morning
I am tidy, but do save things of sentimental value. Once a year ( more often for my sewing and art room) I have a good sort through , tidy and throw away. I wish Bob would. He is like my Dad, keeps neat piles of things, which do not seem to be sorted very often. I go through the pile and throw away what will not be missed, but the pile remains. I just have to turn a blind eye. We hope to decorate the study imminently, I am looking forward to having a really good clear out in there. We have a large wardrobe for our hobby stuff. I keep sewing and knitting patterns plus my sewing machines on my side, all sorted thoroughly during the last lockdown. The rest of the space is Bobs or joint. We have endless envelopes and packaging for reuse, but I think a lot can go, and odd rolls of wrapping paper which could do with a clear out....there is no-one going to have babies or get married now in our family

Yesterday I organised the service of my sewing machine, so whilst it is still clean and defluffed after my marathon sewing event , I shall take it to to Keith Lord today and drop it off at the service entrance as instructed. This was an opportunity to sweep and clean behind the sewing cabinet as I have closed it all up whilst the machine is away . I know there are a few plastic bobbins around the floor there but they did not turn up so I think they must have rolled to a more inaccessible spot. I spent most of the rest of the day doing my art project which was in pastels. I don’t normally do pastels at home as they are rather messy, so I covered the kitchen table with an old sheet that I use for art, and myself in an old shirt. Afterwards I just put it all in the washing machine. We did have one short walk down to the Hermes shop and did a two mile circular back via Tesco express for an aubergine that they did not have! We shall try a larger store today, as we want one to make moussaka for tea with left over lamb from Sunday.

Today will be the drive over to Oswaldtwistle, with the machine. I know it is a non essential journey but we shall go and come straight home, meeting no one but them. We are actually keeping a small business in work...I have no other plans so may actually do some archaeology and complete assessment 6 . I have some old English to tackle too. My friend Wendy has lent me the language book with the intention of joining the U3A group on zoom on Monday afternoons , but I think there is far too much to learn to catch up.

Its pilates and yoga this evening to round off my day.

Have a good day everyone, think positive, keep busy ( I shall try) and stay cheerful

I have no problems sleeping, unless I have pain. Going through a good patch at present and am asleep as soon as I hit the pillow. It has been very light by 5 am here, so I tend to wake early and lay quietly waiting for hubby to wake. ( good thinking time for me)

I suppose this would be seen by some as clutter. To me it's a bit more gentle progress towards a running engine for Margaret. Tomorrow I shall be making parts in the front room which I suppose is the ultimate definition of untidy clutter.

Marilyn wrote: ↑17 Nov 2020, 07:31 Does it worry you, Wendy? Do you find it a mental burden? Do you worry who will have to clear all this one day?
I ask, because I think this is at the root of all people with OCS. Some inherit such a stash of rubbish that it triggers the condition. To me, with OCS, I will not let the rubbish through the door in the first place ( haven’t allowed junk mail into my home for 30+ years now). I keep saying to our kids that I don’t want to own anything by the time I die. I ban Christmas presents and Birthday gifts as I don’t want anything ( though a bottle of Red won’t be wasted, or a meal out etc...anything that does not have to be accumulated).
My hubby has a wardrobe that contains clothes he will never wear again, yet I can only occasionally suggest he may want to do a review. He can’t part with things. I get that. But it is very very difficult for me to cope with....( I have a mental list of stuff that has to GO!)

As I used to share a teaching staffroom with 25 other people I had to learn to turn a blind eye to other peoples rubbish and clutter. It took a long time to do so, but Once one of these people decided to bully me( long story) and when I had left for my summer break, everything tidy and in order, she went through my stuff and threw things away she deemed not relevant.

Now as it happens that year I had a student who only completed half her exams due to ill health and the exam board wanted her mock exam paper. I was asked if I could go into college and locate it. I could not locate it because it had been moved as had a lot of my teaching resources, which were stored in large boxes in a shared cupboard. What a nightmare, that was. So e of which she had given to another teacher in another staffroom! It taught me a thing or too also, leave well alone . It brought the bullying to a head, an even longer story. I became a very strong person after that, and reasonably tolerant of other peoples mess.

Starting to feel like Sisyphus shoving his boulder up hill but in my case its wheelbarrows full of muck. Another 14 barrows yesterday it doesn't seem much but 50 yards and 12 ft rise then back down for another soon loses it attraction. Another four barrows should see the pen empty then its filling it up again with potential compost.
My garage is absolutely overflowing with junk. Mrs P claims I can't find anything in there. "I'd clear it all out"! Yes I can its exactly where I put it eight years ago. Then virtually every week "have you got something to mend / which I could just..... "

Bullying... That sounds lousy Sue. I like the way you say you got stronger. I was bullied once when I was young but as time went on and I got a sense of my own powers I became unbullyable (I've just made that word up....) and I suspect you did as well. Isn't it a nice feeling...
I get the feeling Ken is either being bullied or is a victim of some seriously submissive thinking. Whatever, I shall rest easier when he has got the first pen empty..... (Is there still such a thing as Bob a Job Week?)

I can’t, and won’t, throw anyone else’s stuff away.
I did go through our medicine/first aid box the other day and threw away some Dettol and Betadine that was well out of date. But I did explain this to hubby, and they are on the shopping list for this week. I think he understands the need to keep such things up to date. I try very hard not to upset him too much. But if MY life was at stake for a bit of antiseptic, I would like it not to be 5 years past its best.

Stanley wrote: ↑17 Nov 2020, 08:48 Bullying... That sounds lousy Sue. I like the way you say you got stronger. I was bullied once when I was young but as time went on and I got a sense of my own powers I became unbullyable (I've just made that word up....) and I suspect you did as well. Isn't it a nice feeling...
I get the feeling Ken is either being bullied or is a victim of some seriously submissive thinking. Whatever, I shall rest easier when he has got the first pen empty..... (Is there still such a thing as Bob a Job Week?)

Its always BOB’s JOB Week round here.

As for all that barrowing, it reminds me of all those piles of soil and compost we shifted in France in March to May. It was relentless, day in day out. Thats the Royal WE by the way, for that read, I shifted. Bob was busy cutting hedges, trees etc. It was good for the soul when it was all done, and I lost weight, lots of it and became pretty fit

As for the bullying, she kicked when I was down as they say. I had had a couple of years of poor health from ME, and was slowly recovering, at the same time as Bob started to work away, and my Mum and Bobs Dad started to be really ill with lymphoma and cancer respectively. Bobs dad also had a major heart attack. It was a nightmare time personally but I was coping till SHE arrived. Even my closest friends didn’t see what was happening, she set me up to fail in certain important situations, and everyone thought I was losing it. She would make up all sorts if things I was supposed to have said by slightly twisting my words and then telling my boss and above. I really thought I was losing it and sought help from my GP as I kept thinking I must have said these things. Oh I could go on for a very long time . Of course Bob was working away all week and I was trying to support daughters through GCSE and A levels, and sick parents and i was sinking fast.

Marilyn wrote: ↑17 Nov 2020, 09:02 I can’t, and won’t, throw anyone else’s stuff away.
I did go through our medicine/first aid box the other day and threw away some Dettol and Betadine that was well out of date. But I did explain this to hubby, and they are on the shopping list for this week. I think he understands the need to keep such things up to date. I try very hard not to upset him too much. But if MY life was at stake for a bit of antiseptic, I would like it not to be 5 years past its best.

I agree completely.