I thought I better do another post to get all those photos of me off your sidebars, and I couldn't resist sharing my cute little pumpkins with you. A silly little 59p purchase but they make me smile every time I see them ... which is worth every penny.
Autumn, it came in windy and wet, it quickly turned too warm for jumpers and then just sunny enough to make us want to make plans and then reverted this morning to cold, windy and wet. My first job this morning was to follow Alan to the garage as his car is being serviced, just so that I could give him a lift home. On a fair day he doesn't mind the walk back, but today is definitely not a fine day.
I've missed this blog while I've been over on my other one, so it's a happy relief to be back ... although not a lot apart from rationing has been going on. Well, I suppose really quite a lot has gone on but it's like when you ask your children on that walk home from school 'What did you do today?' and they just say 'nothing' ... at first my mind just goes blank.
Last week we helped Mum with lots of little jobs that needed doing after the deep clean of her bungalow, then we had Alan's sister and her partner who live in Scotland, to stay for the weekend and had a lovely catch up with them. Yesterday we started the process for Mum of her ongoing Care Package. Her NHS funded four visits a day which have been needed less and less are instead to be replaced with one paid for visit a day. She chose teatime as the best time for someone to call on her, they will check her tablets etc and perhaps do the washing up for the day and any other little medical or non-medical things that Mum needs help with. It works for her and sounds sensible, oh and she has now got a cleaner who will call every Monday for a couple of hours.
On top of this I have been busy sorting out my things.
I keep thinking it will be for the last time but does sorting out and decluttering ever end? I keep realising that there are still things that I don't need so I'm sticking a price sticker on them and putting them into the large plastic boxes we bought many years ago and used to move house with.
We are booked into a table-top sale for this Sunday. We did one at the same village venue earlier this year and the girl who runs it asked if we would be interested in doing another one in October as they are raising money for charity. At the time we said that we would think about it as we didn't have much stuff left really, and what we did have we sold as a job lot on Facebook Marketplace the day after the sale. When she rang out of the blue while Mum was in hospital and said they had planned one for this coming weekend I couldn't picture what I had left to sell, but something made me accept the table. I just knew it would push me to be super ruthless.
So that's what I am being at the moment, super ruthless. Even with things bought quite recently, I have had another of my must live more minimally mindsets going on ... and you would be super surprised if you saw how many books I have decided to jettison.
So now I'm off to be brave, lift the storage bed up and see what is hiding under there that simply will not be there next week.
Sue xx
Sounds like your Mum is now sorted, which must be a relief for you. Good luck with the sorting. I got rid of a binbagful of clothes the other day, I now need to tackle the shoes, both mine and husband's. He's got twice as many as me, unusually!
ReplyDeleteI have quite a few pairs of shoes, around 12 pairs I think, but I'm hanging onto them for now ... hopefully my feet will stay the same size ;-)
DeleteIt sounds as though you have your mum's routine sorted brilliantly now. A cleaner once a week is always a good idea too, as it's another person to pop in. My father-in-law had one and he really used to look forward to her visit and a chat.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how much 'stuff' we accumulate again, Sue, however often we declutter. Hope the sale goes well on Sunday :)
It went really well; we astounded a lot of the other stall holders by almost selling out completely.
DeleteForgot to say that I LOVE your Autumn display shelf!
ReplyDeleteThank you, I don't usually do that sort of thing, but those little pumpkins were just too cute to resist!
DeleteWhat a nice Autumn display. I am smiling at your small pumpkins as well. It sounds as if your Mom is all set up. I need to be more ruthless when it comes to getting decluttered.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
They are just so cute aren't they.
DeleteYour Mum sounds as if she knows exactly what's needed to help and thank goodness you moved a bit closer than N Wales.
ReplyDeleteYes, being that half an hour nearer has definintely helped over the past couple of years.
DeleteYou are inspiring me with your ruthless de cluttering! I've booked a table at a small local sale in a couple of weeks time and have been feeling distinctly wobbly about getting rid of 'stuff' - but I know I'll feel better once some of it has gone, so I'm going to up my efforts to go through dusty stashes of this that and the other. Good news that your mum is doing well.
ReplyDeleteI was so ruthless, and I am glad that I was. Seeing all the cupboards with clear tops instead of baskets and plants has made a real difference ... and knowing that there's no dust up there now is absolutely brilliant.
DeleteIt's spring here in southern Australia so I'm trying really hard to de clutter. My husband is a bit of a hoarder and seems to be getting worse as we age. It's so much easier to care for everything if you only have things around you use or really love.Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteLife is so much simpler with less to clean and think about for sure. I'm loving the new clearer tops of my cupboards and bookshelves already.
DeleteYou never need to declutter if you go by the " one in one out " rule.
ReplyDeleteOh I agree, but I'm just not quite that organised, and I seem to veer from one extreme to the other. I guess I'm too old to change now ... and I wouldn't want to. :-)
DeleteI am so glad to hear how your Mum is doing, and how nicely her care has worked out. I envy tbe way the English care for their elderly. My Aunt Grace in Sawtry is 101 and still in her own home because of the excellent care arrangements available.
ReplyDeleteAs for decluttering, I follow a "get rid od 10 rhibg" routine. Several times a month i sort somewhere and put at least 10 things into the tote for the thrift or the trash. It really does work for me.
Getting rid of ten things every month is a pretty good idea. Very achievable and quickly done. I might have a go at that way of keeping myself a bit more under control.
DeleteAlmost November and I am now giving away things on the local FB page that may be useful for christmas crafts. Had to buy some hardback books for my craft class to make book crackers-oh, the irony of that purchase! Catriona
ReplyDeleteBook crackers ... now that sounds interesting!
DeleteThat's a lovely photo. I love those cute pumpkins.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your mum is being well cared for, it must be a huge relief.
I hope you do really well at the table top sale! xxx
They were just too cute not to buy!!
DeleteHow nice that your Mom is taken care of now. I thought you might add some declutter from her home to your pile. Good luck with your sales!
ReplyDeleteNo, I wouldn't sell anything of Mum's, every time we have done that in the past, she has asked for things back a year or so later!!
DeleteYou know my best decluttering trick? Really? I put a laundry basket in the quiet corner, and as I go about my week, I just drop things I don't need into it as I find them. Every week, I put everything into bags and drop it off at the thrift store. I've been quite impressed at the difference the basket makes!
ReplyDeleteWhat a good idea that laundry basket is - would definitely work for me. Me and my sister have been chuckers-out all our lives. Our mantra: “If in doubt, throw it out”
DeleteWhat a good idea Debby, unfortunately it wouldn't work in my tiny home to have a dedicated space just for an extra laundry basket ... plus I sold the laundry basket that I did have many moons ago when I stopped ironing and sold the iron. :-)
Delete'If in doubt, throw it out' is a brilliant mantra to have Anne, and one that I am often saying to myself when I'm having a good sort out.
Hi, Sue - just to let you know the raffle prize has arrived and I love it all, including the card and the message. Thank you so very much. I hope you're having a lovely weekend. xx
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, I'm glad it arrived safely. :-)
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