Out out damn clutter

I slept in today and I haven't done that in so long... that is what Saturday mornings are meant for!

I didn't know where to start this weekend, since I am so behind on my cleaning. I had no plan to start with my closet, but lo and behold, before I knew it I was taking everything out of it and all my clothes are now all on top of my bed! I am just taking a quick break now, and I will return to organize my closet and get it all set with winter clothes. When it is done, I will be thrilled to have it all organized and then it will be a matter of time before I stop putting things away so carefully and everything is all mixed up again. I do that. I never seem to take the time to keep things neat and organized, then have to devote an entire day to getting things back in order.

My disorganization can get me down. I know I feel better emotionally and perform better when things are organized and neat, yet my nature is to be in a rush all the time and throw things all over until it gets on my nerves and I need to clean things up.

So I am once again trying to stop the clutter and I am trying not to let these feelings lead to despair. I get so overwhelmed sometimes with the clutter that I feel paralyzed. I start to clean and I don't know what to do with stuff. I am a pack rat at heart I guess, but now that we have been married for over 30 years we have accumulated so many things. We are both bad about letting our stuff go.

I have read that when you can rid your home of stuff you don't need, that the energy in the house opens up and you create a better living environment. I am all for that, and a true believer.

Today, I am working on throwing clothes out that I haven't worn in forever or fit into in forever.

I am going to also do the same with all the stuff in my room.

One room at a time, I am going to try change this pattern.

Quote of the day

"I take nothing for granted. I now have only good days or great days."

~ Lance Armstrong, 21st century cyclist and 7 time Tour de France winner

This & That

Thursday night and my favorite show, The Office. I just love it so much because it makes me laugh out loud and reminds me of so many situations of offices past and present. Sometimes Michael is over the top, but he isn't really one of my favorite characters anyways. I like the rest of the cast a lot more, Dwight, Angela, Kelly, Pam, Jim, Toby, Phyllis, they all crack me up. The show is back to its half hour format and I think that works best.

Surprised to hear that Rosie was in talks with MSNBC for her own talk show. I am disappointed that it did not pan out, yet it may be a blessing in disguise. The media would have twisted her every word and made her a target again. Her message would be lost.

I wish I had seen her and Roseanne at Lincoln Center. I thought about getting tickets and making the trek because I knew I would have tripled loved it, but I am so lazy about making plans to go out of state, especially on a work day. The write-ups were fantastic, so I regret not making the effort.

There was sure a nip in the air today. I didn't expect it to be so chilly and I didn't really dress for it. I was cold all day. Guess I have to give in to wearing the fall/winter clothes from now on.

Speaking of clothes... NEWSFLASH..... it is acceptable to wear white and cream color clothing after Labor day now!! As long as the fabrics are heavy for winter. It must be true because I heard it today on the Oprah show! Some fashion expert said that the "fashion law" of no white after Labor day started down south and it pertained to shoes, but as news traveled around all white and cream colors for shoes and clothes became frowned upon after labor day.

Fashion rules make me crazy! How important are they? Who really cares? They were going on making up new fashion rules on the show today, like sneakers should only be worn at the gym and not in public. I turned off the TV, I don't want to be told how to dress, what colors I can wear and that I can't wear my sneakers!!! Oprah is too much into beauty and fashion lately... I hardly watch her anymore.

A three day weekend is coming up... yippee!

Feldenkrais

Today was a good catch up day at work. I was able to get a handle on all my work which was piling up because I had to spend so much time on the keynote event. I am so glad that event is over and that it went off as well as it did.

I stayed an extra hour after work to finish cleaning up and organizing my office before I went to class. No sense going home and coming back in to town when my class was only up the street.

I have started taking Feldenkrais classes and today was my second one. I am hoping that the movement classes will help with my range of movement and even help me with some pain management. I know for the exercises to really benefit me, I will need to practice them at home. I plan to try to do some every day. Just after a half hour session today, I could tell that they made a difference in my range of movement. It is all about awareness of bad habits and learning not to make the body do so much work to move. The biggest thing I realized is how I tense up my body so much, and that will be the number one thing I aim to change.

Sunday night and all is family

My husband's mother collapsed the other day and ended up in the hospital undergoing all sorts of tests to see what caused this incident. She is home now with a newly diagnosed condition, but it is manageable and she will be OK.

We are what is called the sandwich generation, baby boomers with elderly parents and our own grown children all of whom need our attention and support.

Both sets of parents are well into their 80's and are in relatively good enough health to be living in their homes and leading independent lives for the most part, but they still need lots of looking in on and a fair amount of help with household chores. We feel so lucky to have both sets of parents able to be in their own homes and still able to enjoy so many memory making family gatherings.

So today was a day to catch up with both sides of the family. We did some grocery shopping for the in-laws and spent a little while at their house. Then we drove across town to have lunch with my family and help out with some chores for my dad. While my husband was down the cellar doing the chores, my dad stood at the top of the stairs in his walker calling down to him. I was a bit nervous with him so close to the top of the stairs being so unsteady on his feet, but I didn't say a word to him. I know he wanted to go down stairs so badly to help out my husband. My dad misses doing those simple house hold chores for himself. He is tired of sitting around all day, not being as productive as he used to be.

We did our best to visit and help out with both sides of the family, and give them some company. We know that although our parents have their spouses, it still gets lonely for the both of them all week and they love when any of us "kids" come over to visit.

So now I am back at home to get ready for the work week. I have my lunch already made and now I will spend time doing the laundry for the week.

I don't know why on some of my posts, that the spaces between the paragraphs don't hold when I publish. My blog looks sloppy and I don't know how to fix it.

Joni Mitchell

Woke up it was a Sunday morning and the first thing on my mind was that Joni was going to be on CBS Sunday Morning. Me and Joni go way back. Over 30 years ago I was about to be a blushing bride and as I planned my wedding, I decided that no one other than Joni Mitchell should sing at my wedding. I wrote her a letter to ask her if she would come and do just that.

Hey, I was 21 and naive about marriage and everything else for that matter. She never wrote me back, so I had to go to plan B. My brother -in-law had a friend who sang and played guitar so we hired her to sing that day. I wanted her to sing The Beatles song, In My Life, but I didn't like her arrangement, so instead we went with a Hoyt Axton song, I am Less Than the Song I am Singing. The chorus went something like this: So come stand by my side where I'm going, take my hand if I stumble to fall, it's the strength that we share when we're growing that gives me what I need most of all. Gives me what I need most of all.

Ours was not typical wedding song, but it fit who we were at the time, and it continues to hold true for us 32 years later.

Anyways, back to Joni... so I loved her albums and sat many a night in the dark in my room at my parent's house with the record player blaring so loudly, my father would yell for me to turn it down.

I have been meaning to go to Starbucks to buy her new CD Shine since it came out, but never seem to get there. In the spring my boss gave us gift cards to Starbucks and since I don't drink coffee, I used it to purchase the CD.

So here I am on a Sunday night, writing on my blog, and listening to a new CD of Joni. She sounds divine and the music gives me healing chills. I haven't bought a new CD in forever, and it is so much more than a treat... it is an absolute necessity for the soul.

My husband introduced me to Joni back in high school as well as many other vocalists and bands. I was a Pop 40 girl when he met me and he turned me on to the deeper things in life.

In the interview this morning Joni said she was done with music a few years back, but after a while the songs for this CD came to her leading her to return to recording.

Joni is inspiring on all levels, I am in awe of her and since I have been a fan for so long, I am very proud of her.

THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE

It could have happened.
It had to happen.
It happened sooner. Later.
Nearer. Farther.
It happened not to you.

You survived because you were the first.
You survived because you were the last.
Because you were alone. Because of the people.
Because you turned left. Because you turned right.
Because the rain fell. Because a shadow fell.
Because sunny weather prevailed.

Luckily there was a wood.
Luckily there were no trees.
Luckily there was a rail, a hook, a beam, a brake,
a frame, a bend, a millimeter, a second.
Luckily a straw was floating on the surface.

Thanks to, because, and yet, in spite of.
What would have happened had not a hand, a foot, by a step, a hairsbreadth
by sheer coincidence.

So you're here? Straight from a moment still ajar?
The net had one eye hole, and you got through it?
There's no end to my wonder, my silence.
Listen
how fast your heart beats in me.

-Wislawa Szymborska