This isn't the half of it!

I don't know that I've ever been as relieved for nightfall as I was tonight. I spent the entire day sifting through and sorting out 16 yrs woth of collections, clothing, toys, and various other items, way, way, way too numerous to mention!

The big blue box car in front of my house is now much emptier thanks to the effort. I dare say I thought about torching it more than once. I am overwhelmed with all that we've saved over the years. There were good intentions as I figured someday I'd have a use for all these things but the day has yet to arrive!

I've held on to a lot simply because I'm sentimental. I know I'll never wear my high school rodeo jacket that says, "Robyn--Goat Tying" but heck, I still think it's a cool item. I also won't part with the Great Grandmotherd old hats and purse. I never met the woman but from what I can see, she had excellent taste!
And then there's the baby stuff: Dear God, what memories. I feel like I'm throwing my babies out with just the thought of pitching the wee little cowboy boots or the darling pink poodle coat. I just want to put the kids in those items one more time and then squeeze the daylights out of them! I actually tried today and I can also report, I've reaffirmed that their questioning of my sanity. Those tears falling down my cheeks were not just a result of allergies, I miss those precious baby years. I don't miss loosing sleep!

I wish I could report that I am nearing the end but I'm not even close. My plan tomorrow is to attach the myriad of totes and go through each one. I am dreading the Christmas ones the most. Again, too much has accumulated and at the end of every season I just plunked it all back in. Yes. I am paying for my shopping sins......all month perhaps.

I will go through every room in the house by the time this is done. Life is to shoet to be cleaning around all this stuff all the time. My plan at the end includes very little. I want spaciousness and I will be living ONLY with what I love. The top level has been relatively easy to clean and organize after the last detox.
My wish is the same for the lowe level. I have visions of hanging out with the kids, crafting and creating with the girls, putting puzzles together on the table, entertaining friends on a Friday night, watching a movie and best of all sneaking downstairs to stretch out on the couch with a great book!

What aspirations, huh?! I am looking forward to being able to do this without having to navigate through trails of clutter! And who knows, if I get REALLY lucky, there just might be a little white jewel at the end!!! Its been hiding in a box for over a year......most people call it a toilet, I'll refer to it as a throne! Its installation will no longer require steps up the stairs through the house and back down the stairs again (shouldn't I be a smaller jeans size by now?) Enough distractions already, I've got to get this deal done!!!

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Rare Sight: a nearly empty shelf!

I'm taking a break from organizing the craft room to clean up the lunch buffet.

My goal to use up leftovers, create less waste and keep my fridge clean is getting closer! I haven't been to the store in over a week. Between Easter dinner leftovers and a big batch of lasagna, I didn't do much cooking this week. And today's meal was quite the patchwork: Pake, a pbj, Parker rest of the lasagna, Pryce, a salad with cheese, Me, the rest of the tomato soup and Chad....an assortment of goodies, parmesan biscuits, chicken noodle soup and cheese slices.

Hamburger is set out for supper, along with green beans and sweet corn.

I like not wasting food. But.....I am wasting time. Back to the trenches. If you don't see another post for a while, do come look for me.....it means I fell under an avalance of JUNK and I need rescued!

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Nothin like an outdoor fire!

Where I go to relax!

I've been so absolutely busy that I've almost forgotten about having a nearly finished basement. My attention and energies have been focused primarily on the top level.

I subbed at MPS today and though my work-aholic self has intentions of sorting through the gianormous storage unit in front of the basement picture window, my body has other plans.

I remember now that this space was created as a place to land, rest, relax and refocus in. Its messy too and that is probably why I've avoided it! However the couch looked awfully inviting and I decided not to pass it up. So here I sit, taking a time out, releasing my instinct to push on as "daylight's burnin"! One of my children is joining me, surely the other two and the pooches will join me! Its nice to relax with the people and pets you love.

I have plans to attack the storage unit........soon. That's my April goal. This represents the last frontier of my clutter issue. I'm ready to lighten the load and simplify. Anyone interested in some wonderful treasures? C'mon by. I'm selling it all---rock bottom prices! I want my view of the canyon back!

My New Favorite Mag!

What happens to Easter eggs @ my house!

Due to the fact that Chad didn't want to eat egg salad for a week, he gave me the brilliant idea of pickling them for my brother's belated birthday gift.

I jazzed them up a bit by adding dill, mustard seeds, cayenne, garlic and jalapenos, and celery salt. I have no idea how it will taste. If they are good, I suspect more requests will come to me.

I'd say my canning horizons are expanding. I can also promise there will never pigs feet in those jars.......ever! Sorry Carl, I know my limits! They'll be shipped soon!

PS Save the jars for the next round!

Compost This

                                                           My Compost Buddy!

Been Waiting a long time for this!

The CHALLENGE: Keeping these two out of trouble.................a FULL time job!


Back in the saddle once again! After taking nearly two weeks to recover from our travels, I'm back to updating the blog. Thanks everyone for the messages and reminders that I hadn't posted in a while. You'll are awesome! Things have been busy here on the Rafter Lazy H.....spring does that. Too much to do and not enough time to get it all done in.

One of the intentions I've had on my list for a long time is to buy and actually use a composter. I do have a compost pile behind the barn, which is really a shorter way of saying "Robyn's dumping ground for things that didn't get used in the fridge in time". Its a fine pile that the dogs and a few brave coyotes LOVE to forage through. The wind speads the seeds and occassionally I will get a renegade squash decides to grow.

I'd been looking at several options for composting. Specifically I wanted one with a lid and one that was small enough to go on my deck. I knew that it would have to be handy, otherwise I would not use it. Our garden is close to the house but time is precious folks and if I get behind, its just way to easy to put scraps in the trash can rather than a compost bucket that takes up space on my counter (and we all know how I feel about having cleared, free counter space! see previous flung shui post if you're new to this blog or if you need a refrehser!)

In my search for chicken and goat supplies I came across a compost jr. This is just what I was searching for and cheaper than most of the others that I'd seen on the interet. Tractor Supply $119.00. The best part is that I can dump my days scraps, walking out only a few steps from the kitchen. When its full, I can roll it right through the living room, out the front door, down the steps and straight to the garden. Cool!

The best part is that the kids are involved. I have a list of compost items that go in, though they are really good about asking first. I also purchased a mini-paper shredder (for a paper making project/future post) that helps to recycle homework papers and credit card offers. In addition, we are composting cardboard, toilet paper tubes, tissues (thank you pollen!) coffee grounds, veggie peelings, tea leaves and egg shells. Some of our cooked food scraps go to our outside dogs and cats, though the idea is to use up our leftovers. I want less waste and less processed foods. I only work outside of our home on occassion so I have no excuse for convenience foods. Its not like I don't know how to cook, my challenge is planning ahead.

Within a month or so, we should have wonderful compost to bring to our garden in about 4 weeks. I'll share the experince, including any mistakes along the way. It can't be that hard to make dirt, can it?