Mission Organziation HELP #2

Okay, new thread continued from here: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/532162/

Darius, the measurements are 24' down the side and 22' across the front. That's 528SF in the apartment?

My kitchen and bath run across the back and the kitchen floor is 4'deep and the bath is a little over 6' deep I have to go sideways to use either one of them. LOL
Pati

Yep, 528 sq. ft.

My apartment is 900 sq. ft but I only use the front half due to mold, so about the same size.

I missed? something? what do you need to know sq footage for Pati? you gonna get new carpet all 'round? is you finally gonna get a new roof instead of a blue roof?

The Insurance Co says I have 1200?? sq feet and it's divided into 6 rooms, 2 halls and a bath. and the closets are inordinately deep but not deep enough to use the extra space well. Hand made houses are like that, yeah they are.

Actually Blooms, it was just curiosity. There is a new program on MTV about decorating small spaces and when I saw it I thought, "These people don't know small!" When I moved here I bought some books on the same subject. The writers of those books don't live in the real world either. LOL
Pati

Yeah, I know from small, my bedrooms are all under 8x12 LOL but I doo have multiple rooms and know I'm lucky one.

I watch those small spaces things on tv and in mags too. I don't have a wall in my living room that will hold a full size couch. Much less one of these modern ones that stick out four feet into the room from the back to the seat edge. But boy do I know how to cram stuff in the space available.

A friend once said, you don't have a house - you have a shop. because of all the stuff I collect. more laughter here.

Blooms, I'd probably love your space!

Blooms
When I moved in, the room other than the bath and kitchen was just one big room with two posts down the middle. I built a wall between them about 6' tall, not to the ceiling so the A/C could circulate. On the LR side it's solid and my two recliners with a table them between sit. On the BR side it's all bookcases. On the opposite LR wall is my computer desk and my TV in a mahogany cabinet. All in all it worked out fine. If I ever get it presentable I post some pictures. (Don't hold your breath! LOL)
Pati

Well, finally I am home, and DeWayne is back at my mom's (a sigh of relief as horrid as that seems). Went to the PO to mail some trades, and the IDIOT at the counter couldn't accept my debit card, so I had to drive 5 miles home and 5 miles back to get my checkbook. My child support gets added to a debit card every 2 weeks, so I hardly ever used my checkbook except to pay the rent. I was FUMING! It wasn't that my card wasn't accepted, he doesn't have the correct code to run it through the machine or some such. Then I couldn't get my money orders, because you can't write a check for a money order. I thought the top of my head was gonna fly off :( GRRRRRRRR

i ended up sending 2 people checks... I know they are good, but GEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZ

Made the mistake of sending a book and flower seeds in the same package, so then I couldn't send it media mail. OMG LOL I hardly ever go to that PO, now I remember why. I have 2 others the same distance away in different directions, I know I won't be going back there for a while.

Haven't gotten anything done arund the house, but I have been gone so its ok :) I know what we are having for dinner (garlic chicken and garlic potatoes and probably corn) so at least that is taken care of.

Ok we were talking space. We have a little over 1100 sq ft uptairs and 800+ down, but it simply isn't livable down there. I would like to get some professionals in, have the house jacked up, and a new foundation walls and drain system down there, but that will be a while. Maybe someday, then we should be able to use at least some of that wasted space. We will have to put some kind of drainage all around the outside of the house tho, because of the run off from the hill behind us.
Looks like its gonna rain so I"m holding off on watering outside, but have to do my porch baskets. My game plan for tonight is to get 2 baskets of laundry folded, probably mine and Jeffs and mine put away. I have to get some more in the wash also. Need to do a 5 min rescue on my desk too, cause its a major hot spot.

I'll talk to you all in a bit, gonna go see what is goin on elsewhere :)

Janis

Thanks Darius for starting the new thread. I thought about it last night laying in bed trying to sleep. I don't know what's wrong with me but I can't sleep or I wake up early and I'm having terrible headaches during the day. Really zapped of energy too. Maybe it's just the heat. We've still gotten no rain and it's miserable.

Whew = I had a lot to catch up on here - what did I start? LOL!

I haven't got much done the last couple of days either - but as soon as I finish here - I'm going to feed and medicate the cats and do 15 minutes in the kitchen and reboot the laundry. And - I've still got to take pictures don't I.....

So - I'll be back!

Betsy, "Medicate the cats" Thanks for reminding me. I am constantly forgetting Oscar's hair ball stuff, gonna put it on the calendar right now :) Got dinner in the oven, boy does it smell good.

We had a blessing this afternoon. We have gone all summer with no AC in the upstairs. We have 2 down stairs, and the girls the heat up there in the evenings doesn't seem to bother them, but the littlest one (Bubby) gets all choked up and wheezes, so he has been sleeping with us, all summer :( I was otside talking to Jeff this evening when he got home, when our neighbors called over and asked if we knew anyone that could recharge an A/C. I told them my uncle could I thought, so they gave us an A/C that looks brand new, said they paid $500 for it a few years back but it wasn't blowing cold, and their new double wide has central air, so "Take it if you want it" Jeff carried it over, plugged it in, and it does blow cold air. He is putting it in Bubby's room as I type LOL !!!!! I am so happy. Bubby has "promised" to sleep all night in his room now :) * doing the happy dance*

And, the way the water from the AC upstairs runs, I"ll get some of my flowers watered as long as the AC is running LOL

I need to clean off the kids computer desk this evening it looks terrible, but DeWayne is do messy :( He left pop cans and plates and bowls everywhere. I think that is one of the reasons it was so hard to FLY with him here. I'd make progress, and I kind of expect to have to pick up some after the little ones, but they are geting better if I remind them, and not yell. Jeff is actually very good at picking up after himself except in the bedroom (he leaves his dirty clothes in a pile and wonders why they don't get washed LOL and pop bottles on the dresser) DeWayne was here 2 days, I had twice as many dirty dishes, arguments constantly, and just garbage and dirty laundry and plates and cups everywhere. Makes it hard to want to even try. But he is back at mom's and if she lets him get away with that I'll be shocked. All he wanted to do here was play on his computer and on the internet. She won't let him have his video games or a computer there LOL. (I love it) if he needs the internet, he has to come here or to the library or the nieghbors up there.

I rebooted my laundry :( I let it sit and it started to smell sour so I am rewashing that load. I should have thrown it in the dryer this AM, and knew that but I didn't . BABY STEPS.

Ok, got to go check on the chicken and potatoes :)

hugs to all,
Janis

Hmmm - Saint, you described my place when you were speaking of your messy apt you used to have. Unfortunately, I still have it! Gee, can rationalize too - work F/T, school F/T, then law school F/T, single mom, bad back, etc... But, I am soooo tired of it! Your place looks excellent now, congrats!!

Darius - you may be paying that for rent, but you are really paying that for only 1/2 sq footage, since other half is un-usable! I echo the worry about you in the unsafe mold too! Can you find someone to share a safer place w/? Senior housing? Apt mgr - esp since you are so handy!?!?! Brainstorm it, see if there is anything you can think of. I agree, being broke and at mercy of others sucks! I hope your situation can change for the better!!

We used to have a small place in TX, maybe 20x20 - $75 a month. Great until it rained as it leaked from the paving they did in pkg lot. It followed a path from the bedroom thru LR to the front door, unless torrential rain, IF you didn't have anything on the floor. If you did - major yuck! Two 4-plexes, but they never did anything with them, except collect rent and spray for bugs couple times a summer. And the A/C window unit, used to frost over daily unless kept it set really low!

Woofens - It would take several of the 15 min cleaning episodes for me to get up to your "dirty" photo! I just got the digital and took several "before" photos. Scary!! It was so bad, it broke the camera (memory full) LOL

Blooms - I can relate totally to your place!! Messiness is quite similar to mine... My step mother came to visit me - I met them an hour north of here, took her to wild animal park, Niagara Falls and took her back home. House certainly was not up to visitors!! Saw her last weekend. She told my DB and DSIL that she came all the way to visit us and got to stay in 2 dif hotels - in 2 states!! She figured I hadn't cleaned.

Gee, I have just started walking, losing a few pounds, eating healthier, etc, am I ready for cleaning the house up too??!! Actually I took off and this is my vacation, even though car is in the shop!

Wanted to clean up the house this week, back is just recovering and 19 y/o was supposed to help... yea, right!! I did open up the FlyLady and MA sites you linked to... read the first thread through and will look at the sites, if I don't scare myself off!! Later ~ Suzi :)

Suzi, Thanks.

I am looking into ALL avenues, including Sec. 8 housing. I'm in a bit of a spot federally as my SS is above the federal poverty level and NC follows that to a T for assistance. Plus, I live in a sparsely populated county (lowest in the state) and not much chance of a housemate situation. The Sec. 8 apartments in my town are smaller than what I have now, and utilities are extra. I'd end up maybe about $50 cheaper per month but have no garden space, and less overall space. Plus, paying someone to move me. I use the unliveable space here for storage. Half is a huge walk-in pantry.

Two folks on DG have made me attractive offers, but not where I want to live. No point in moving where the climate and elements eat me up. I cannot begin to tolerate what I did at 30, or even 50. Aging has its drawbacks.

Aging may have its drawbacks, as I have been experiencing as well, but aging is preferrable to the alternative!! ~ Suzi ♥

LOL, ya got that right!

I haven't done my 15 minutes today, but did make my bed, got dressed, and the kitchen sink is almost clean and shiny.

Well, I have accomplishes absolutely nothing this evening, except spending time (desperately needed time) with Jeff. The way he is working, he is in bed hours before me, and up at 3 AM. I usually get to bed around 2. LOL we dont see much of each other.

I'm gonna shine my sink, maybe fold some clothes not sure yet.

Briar Rose, its taken me time to get mine to look likethis too, but with 3 or 4 kids here all the time, I have to keep everything hidden away LOL Before we lost everything in the basement and storage room, it was scary. I just try to chip at it a little each day. I need to run the vaccuum more often, cause this carpet shows everything, and i would love to repaint, but don't see it happening right now. I kind of rebeled against cleaning for a long time, cause that is all my mom ever did. The house I grew up in was spotless 24/7. She scrubbed the floor and ran the vaccuum at least 3x a week. I hated that house, still do even tho my sis lives there. I spend as little time there as possible. I think that is why I just never cared how mine looked, for the longest time. I associated a clean house with an unloving one. The more stuff that was scattered through the house, then you could "tell" that there was a family there does that make any sense? I have finally realized that you can feel the love in a home even if it is clean. Just took me 33 years to realize it LOL Better now than never tho.

I really just want to go crawl into bed, but I am gonna make myself shine my sink, if I don't it will really get me down in the morning and I don't need that. I need to switch laundry too, I am gonna do that, so I don't have to rewash them again LOL

Ok, I"ll check back before bed :)

Where is everyone tonight??
Janis

I did several 15-minute spurts today: vacuumed hairy hardwood floors (small house, thank God), emptied the dishwasher, wiped down the kitchen counters, did a little de-cluttering and shined the sink.

Janis, just little steps.... we'll ALL get there!

as tempting as it was to just crawl into bed last night, I forced myself to go do the dishes and shine the sink :) When it was done I felt so good about it. I stood there for a long time looking at them, thinking I can jsut stack them up on the side of the sink, wipe out and shine the sinks, and do them in the morning. Then I looked around and thought, If I wait until morning I'll have these and the kids breakfast dishes. It doesn't look like many, but I have to do them. In the end, dishes, setting up the coffee pot, making Jeffs lunch, and wiping off counters and tables, and shining the sink took 30-40 minutes. It was a great feeling when I was done.

It is beautiful here today, nice and cool, bit of a breeze, kind of overcast. not sure if we are expecting rain, but today is the kind of day to curl up on the couch and watch movies with the kids LOL

Talk to you all later

Janis

Where is everyone today??

Janis

Trying to do wash so I can repack, calling the doctor to get my RX refilled (thank the stars for insurance..I want stock in nexium!) taking pictures of the baby in her new sunglasses and trying to make flight plans for Chile to use the flyer miles for Delta goes toes up.

I've been here, just lurking since I had nothing to say/add at the moment!

I'd like to remind (or inform new people) to check out some of the Feng Shui suggestions I made near the bottom of the first thread. (link is above in the first post.) Those who are unfamiliar with Feng Shui will laugh and/ir scoff, but I'm here to say it works! SOP much about energy that we just don't understand.

I think it's the energy created in us by a shiny sink that gets us motivated to do more cleaning and de-cluttering, however slow the pace may be.

Ok so your busy :) No one has been around today :(

Have a good trip

Janis

Darius,
I told Jeff last night, I want to do this and this and this (the red ribbons, something purple, and the crystal in the window) to start with, and he just looked at me. I said WHAT? he is just looking at me. I said, I know some of the same stuff you believe right? he just nodded..... a few minutes later, he said, I'll help you. So I guess we are on the right track :)

Now, I''ve got to call the Elec co and see if they will push my payment due date from the 23rd to the26th. If they will, I can take a little money tomorrow and buy some school clothes, at least enough to get a start on the girls stuff :)

Jnais

Janis, I'm not quite sure what the red ribbons on the sink traps do... and my feng shui books are packed. But I put them on anyway. Heck, what's a few inches of ribbon?

My checkbook has a red ribbon through the cover, and some chinese coins strung on it. A friend did it for me 3 years ago, and I've not been overdrawn since, nor bounced a check. Have come very close, though! LOL.

Darius,
I'll try anything :)

We have tons of school traffic in the mornings and afternoons. We get alot of HS kids that drive to school, and the buses pass here going to the elementary school, and of course the HS buses too. I need to try the one on the checkbook too. Thanks!

Janis

Janis, if you get that much traffic past your front door, get a mirror and put it outside by the door. The negative energy flow (pulled out by passing traffic) will be lessened. I found my mirror worked that way, and an extra bonus was that I could lift up my boots to see how much mud was on them before tracking it into the house!

I wonder where I could find a Feng Shui book, quick? Got any good suggestions?

I'm gonna do the mirrir

Janis

Go to the library first, or check Amazon.com, and look for used ones, usually MUCH cheaper!

I know there's one called Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui and another the same author wrote, Creating Sacred Space With Feng Shui: Learn the Art of Space Clearing and Bring New Energy into Your Life but I haven't read either one so I have no opinion on them yet.

Public library is the first, FREEest place.
I bet there are Feng Shui sites too.
I have several, not that you could tell by my house.
I did have the cement sidewalk that went out the door to the street removed. That is supposed to stop $$s flowing strait out the door to the street.
I will be putting a mirror out soon.
I also practice a Suzie Orman mantra,
"I'm happy, I'm healthy, and I have more money than I'll ever need. I say this daily and have made ends meet ever since I started saying it as my "new truth".
sidney

Sidney, ain't it great how "energy" works... from within and from without!

Yes em it sure is.
sidney

Here is what from my brief look is a good site, http://www.artoffengshuiinc.com/
Hope that helps.
;)

Thanks you guys :)

I bookmarked that page Sidny, and I'm gonna check amazon soon. The local libriarian and I have issues so I go there very seldom :)

Joys of small town life

Janis

Anyone want a very cute but very mouthy and about to get banished 3 almost 4 year old? If I get called a poopy hed or a stinky mommy one more time today
OMG now he is throwing stuff
off to bed he goes

Janis

Fun site, sidney. Although... I think their prices for Feng Shui tools are ridiculous.

didn't even look at it, I was dodging the books and crayons that were turned into ammunition. He is sleeping. I really will give him to someone :)He is very cute and potty trained :)

Janis
(LOL)

WOO HOO again. have a friend that is gonna loan me the money for school clothes until Jeff gets paid friday :)

I'll bbl, going shopping!!

Janis

Yea, but don't over-spend! They grow out of fashions so quickly.

Here's a site about the principles of feng shui
http://www.fastfengshui.com/index.htm

going to read up on it. I believe in universal energy that we all came from and we all go back to - why I've never looked into this I have no idea....

Gonna go look now.

M.

ps just read "Earth is good when you
need to slow down and relax." about elements - maybe this is why we love gardening so much?

This message was edited Aug 19, 2005 4:16 PM