Worked Hard Today

[Janet]

I did something I never ever do......I slept in until 8:30 am. Then around 9:30 I headed out to the garage to start cleaning it out. I threw so much crap out ...lol. Rick has a tendency to just drop whatever in my garage instead of taking it on out to his. So he was quite willing to help haul the stuff out. He'll volunteer to do that just to make sure I don't throw something out he wants...lolol

Anyway the garage looks so nice. My sister-in-law had some stuff stored in my garage so I will be contacting her to come get it or out it will go.

Mom was a little upset that I spent most the day outside...too bad. I've decided if I have things that need done....she'll have to entertain herself.

Then I got brave.....around 2:00 I called my brother and said that Rick and I wanted to go out and eat and could he come and stay with Mom. To my surprise, he said yes, but had a dinner date at 8:15. I said that we'd be back by then.
We went to a liitle town just 15 minutes away. I had catfish curls, fries, jalapeño pops, slaw, garlic bread and 2 ice cold beers. Not real healthy, but boy was it good!

Tomorrow I may clean out my van and do laundry.....maybe, depends on how sore I'll be when I get up.

[judy]

Good for you! It sounds like you are taking control of your life again. And, dinner sounds delicious!

[Janet]

I don't know how much control I'm gaining, but my garage sure looks bigger and better...lol. I've been wanting to do it for some time now and I'm glad it's done. I have so much that needs to be done. I usually have all my spring cleaning done and a garage sale by now. I've got to get some closets cleaned out and finally throw out things I know, now, that I'll never fit into again, no matter how much I want to.

I need to get my carpets cleaned so bad, but I really think I need to have them professionally cleaned. I've never had that done before, I've always cleaned them myself. So much that needs done and so little time AND money...lolol.

[DianaB]

Wow!!! You did get a lot done!!! I don't know how you do that!!!! Didn't your SIL have stuff stored in your garage when I was there? I'd be calling her to come and get it too!!!

I imagine that it's been a little harder to get things done with your Mom going in and out of the hospital.....you may have to do things as they come a long. This year just may be different than you're used to.....but just enjoy being with your Mom. Everything will get done in it's own time!!!!

[Janet]

My SIL has 3 tubs of things stored in our garage. They are waiting for her by the door. I'm texting her tomorrow to come get it or it will be disposed of. Haven't heard from her for a couple years so we're done being her storage unit.

It is definitely harder getting things done with Mom here, but I've been wanting the garage cleaned out for so long. I'll get the things done that I need to but it's getting harder to enjoy Mom, just more difficult. Glad that we have the help, but it won't last forever. Wish things were a bit different so you could come visit.

[gja1000]

It feels so good to get things cleaned out, especially the garage. We have boxes in our garage again and we don't like it. We have all the stuff that we take camping in the garage right now. Since we aren't going camping, we will move it back to the storage shed with my John Deere :D. That will help the garage immensely. Lots of the boxes are empty and when we get rid of them that will help too.

Janet, I always hate to clean the garage so I know you are happy. My problem is keeping it clean. :p

[DianaB]

Gayle, I know you......you'll have everything put away in a flash!!! You guys get so much accomplished!!! I wish that I did that!!!

I am feeling better and not as tired.......Glen's Mom had a cpap machine and Glen insisted that I use it and I do feel a lot better and not as tired. I did know that I had a problem but I just hated to admit it!!!! I guess I'm stubborn!!!

Glen keeps our garage cleaned out!! All I have to do is invite company over and.....voila'.....he chips in and cleans the garage!!! That's his idea of helping me out!!! Company spends probably 30 seconds each way going through the garage!!!!! LOL

[gja1000]

Well at least you get a clean garage out of the deal. :D it would be nice if the guys would help out more in the house. Even though Gary doesn't feel well all the time, he could help out more. He will do what I ask him, but I wish he'd do some things on his own without being asked. Sigh.

[DianaB]

Oh well.....we still love them!!!

[gja1000]

Yes we do!

[Janet]

I love a clean garage where there is room to pull in and room to open the doors. Things are easier to get to, but I've been the only one to ever clean it out. I'm also the only one who has cleaned out the shed and the bigger garage. The two I have decided to never do again. Rick is somewhat of a hoarder, hider, and junk collector so his garage stays clean for about a week. Too much work to clean it again....he can do it....like that will ever happen..lol.

[DianaB]

Rick has his space....you have your space......and never the twain shall meet!!!!! LOL

[gja1000]

Gary is a bit of a hoarder too. I call it accumulating. He accumulates LOTS of things so his garage/shop/shed gets very messy too. Now that he has a shop and two sheds, I'm determined to keep my garage clean. :rolleyes:

[judy]

My ex was also somewhat of a hoarder. I also ignored it for the most part, and every so often, I would gather his stuff and put it in his closet. I don't think he ever knew!

Steve told me that Joel is now a hoarder for real! Not garbage and food, like you see on TV, but stuff all over the place. Once again, Thank God I'm not with him anymore!!!:):):)

[gja1000]

Gary's hoarding is things he might need like cups full of nuts and bolts, or balls of string or pieces of wood he might use to fix something. Now, he hasn't "fixed" anything in years. He also has to have every tool that he might need. He has a really hard time letting go of anything. We purged LOTS of things when we moved and I intend to keep things weeded out. I may have to do it in the middle of the night. LOL!

[DianaB]

Gary would be in Seventh Heaven in Glen's shop!!!!!

[gja1000]

I bet he would Diana! He is the type of person who would have loved farming. I'm grateful that was not his occupation (or anything where he was self employed) because with his health, he needs all the good insurance he can get.

Oh and I forgot to mention that he has to have anything that he might need to go fishing. Now there's river fishing for catfish, fresh water fishing for bass, crapie and the like, fly fishing and salt water fishing. You needs some different gear for each and he's got it all!

[judy]

Men and their tools! I don't think men can be faulted for their tool hoards or their fishing gear. If only they kept them neat!

[gja1000]

Men and their tools! I don't think men can be faulted for their tool hoards or their fishing gear. If only they kept them neat!

THAT'S the key Judy, if only they kept them neat!!! LOL!!

[Janet]

I don't think men can do that can they? keep things neat? I know neither guy here has a clue on how to do that.

[gja1000]

I worked hard yesterday too! I started watering the yard at 6:00AM and by 8:00AM Gary and I were in Home Depot. The back porch light bulb was burned out and when I tried to change it, I couldn't figure out how to get to it. Gary couldn't either, so we had to break out a pane of glass to get to the bulbs. So, we went to Home Depot to get another fixture. We also got a solar light for the side of the house. It is really dark around there and we don't have any kind of light. We talked about having an electrician come and put in a light, but we just decided to try a solar light for now.

I also worked in my garden beds some. The bed by the house does not have amended soil and so my okra came up but didn't grow. I l love okra so I got some good garden soil and began digging out the bad soil. I didn't get finished, but will today or tomorrow. I'll put in some good garden soil and replant my okra.

I puttered around outside the house all day. When you have a big yard and out buildings like we do now, there is always something to do. It was very very hot here yesterday and will be the rest of the week and I guess, the rest of the summer. I tell you I sweat like PIG - or maybe I smelled like a pig - not sure pigs even sweat! LOL!

I also got a new bird feeder - a finch feeder. I had to move one of our existing feeders so I could put the finch feeder in a spot where I could see them from the house. They are so tiny I wanted their feeder closest to the house. We have seen finches on the big feeders, but so far none have come to the new feeder. I hope they find it soon.

Then I planted rock rose moss in the big pots out in front of the house. We had roses in them and they did fine and bloomed beautifully in March/April, then they just died. I'm not sure why. I had them for a year in the pots and they did fine. Oh well, it was a pain to water them - so now the rock rose moss won't need to be watered very much.

I unloaded some more things from the pickup - from the trip - we had only unloaded what we really needed when we got home Friday because it was so hot. Then I had to put things away in the house, all the while running outside to change the water or do something else. It was a fun and busy day, but like Janet, I WORKED HARD!!!

[DianaB]

Wow!!! You were busy!!! I have some small solar lights in the front yard and I just love them. You do have to make sure that they get sun so the batteries can charge.

I don't understand what you mean about "amending soil". I've never heard tha phrase. Whatever.....I hope it works for you!! I just love okra!!!!

[gja1000]

I don't understand what you mean about "amending soil". I've never heard tha phrase. Whatever.....I hope it works for you!! I just love okra!!!!

Amending the soil - well that means making it better. We have very thick heavy clay soil so it is hard for tender roots to grow through it, plus when it dries out, it is like a brick. So, I dug some of it out and then loosened up the rest. Then I bought 4 bags of rich loose garden soil and put it on top of the heavy clay that was already there. I turned the soil with a pitch fork just a little, to mix in a little of the clay with the good rich garden soil and viola, the soil is amended or made better (at least I hope so! LOL!) Another example is potting soil - it has various things in it to make it better, e.g., peat moss, vermiculite, compost, etc.

[Janet]

I didn't work hard today at all... :) The HHA came this morning and gave Mom a bath. I trimmed her toenails and that was about it for the morning. This afternoon I did my last route for this school year and haven't done much since. Kind of tired. Didn't sleep real well last night, but a little later I think than I should have been. Going to bed early tonight so I can get up early and start cleaning out the bus. I hope to have it ready to take back to school by tomorrow afternoon or Sunday. Be nice to have more of our driveway again.

[DianaB]

Amending the soil - well that means making it better. We have very thick heavy clay soil so it is hard for tender roots to grow through it, plus when it dries out, it is like a brick. So, I dug some of it out and then loosened up the rest. Then I bought 4 bags of rich loose garden soil and put it on top of the heavy clay that was already there. I turned the soil with a pitch fork just a little, to mix in a little of the clay with the good rich garden soil and viola, the soil is amended or made better (at least I hope so! LOL!) Another example is potting soil - it has various things in it to make it better, e.g., peat moss, vermiculite, compost, etc.

I read an article in a gardening magazine this morning and it talked about "amending" the soil and explained what it was. So funny since I had just asked you about it!! I can completely understand making the soil lighter and better for the roots to be able to grow. Thanks, Gayle!!!

[Gina]

Gayle you are a busy little gardner.... Janet it does feel great cleaning and getting rid of. I have a two car garage and its packed with my daughters stuff in which I can't get rid of just as of yet. She has two more years of school left and then we will have a clean up party.. I can't wait!!!


I am not a hoarder and I hate having my garage packed, I am always giving bags of clothes to the needy. It has been unbearably hot so the garage is off limits until the fall. Janet once I get into closets I start dumping.. It feels so good to have clean closets.. lol

[Janet]

I feel that way too Gina. I'm so ready to get rid of some things. I do have some nice clothes and some really nice clothes that belonged to my mother-in-law that I would like to donate to the tornado victims. I just need to find a church that is taking donations.

When my closets are clean...it just makes me feel like I have room again...lol. Right now I have two that are packed....it's time to get them cleaned out.