Monthly Archives: June 2016

Daily routines and simplifying

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We dropped a small load off at Goodwill and then took some very nice cookbooks to the ASPCA bookstore and those white dishes to their thrift store. I really like taking the nicer stuff to the Pet thrift store. They seem to have a very nice collection and seem to be doing well. I already have a few more things loaded into the van and if I’m up to it , I’ll go thru some more stuff in the barn. I know I’m going to get rid of more Christmas stuff and Life magazines  but when is the question.

My daily routine  started when I did Flylady. It’s still the same for the most part. having a daily routine ,morning for me, but some people do morning and evening,keeps the house and laundry tidy and organized.  If you do a daily routine it really helps  in the flow of the day. I make the bed(of course), empty the dishwasher if it hasn’t been done the night before, take out laundry and wipe the  bathroom with Costco wipes. If I need to prep for dinner such as crockpot Thursday I do that in the morning too. I make sure the counters are clear and things put away.  Also, put things away that might be out of place. Of course, we don’t have young children so it does make it easier.

Minimalizing has been a huge part of how simple my daily routine is since there’s not a lot of things to dust, or put away or maintain. I would completely advise minimalizing your things so as to simplify your life.  It’s certainly a journey and a process. But as I go layers of stuff and layers of my self a lot is revealed and let go of.  It’s interesting how different decluttering books speak to different parts of oneself.  the Don Aslett books are really fun and kinda quirky, but they Do get the message across. You really don’t need 12 rusty screwdrivers.  Or that family heirloom you think one day will be valuable. Then, of course, the Kondo way of does it spark joy.  Then now imageI’m working on the concept of ,if we moved would we take it.  It does force you to look at things differently. Of course, some things we wouldn’t take but still need now. So it’s all a process.

For me, the bottom line is I want a minimalistic home, lots of white space, and  more room.

 

Weekend stuff

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Our weather is spectacular right now. Quite cool but still nice enough to sit by the outside fire at night.

Last night was Friday night pizza. I made a spinach, feta one, a pepperoni, and a pizza margarite. All Yummy. Lots of leftovers.

Today, I’m going to work out in the barn and move some stuff and get rid of some things. I’m mostly wanting to organize some as things are scattered. I finished the laundry room and did get rid of some old fall decorations. I may get rid of the rest and then this fall just get some orange lights.( I really like the orange color in the fall). Right now I have a tangle of lights in a bin so that may just go.

My office space has worked out great, and I’m quite happy with the minimal stuff.

We’re hoping to redone B’s office space with a new Ikea desk that fits in a corner. He doesn’t have a lot of room where his desk is and this would make it more efficient.  Plus moving stuff out really gets things moving and is a good motivator.

Dinner tonight is a BBQ pork roast thing, potatoes, and a veggie quiche.

A Slow day….

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Dex must have knocked me out for today. I did go to town to shop for… wait for it …. CAT  FOOD!!!!  No, I knew I wasn’t going to make it to Costco, so I went to Bel Air and got some basics, milk, cat food, WINE( very basic need), yogurt, and whatever else was on the list.

Also, went to the bank to get cash for B’s gas and fun money. Some other blogger who I won’t mention was really bi****n about her  giving her husband $40 and then he spent t in 2 days. Well, it’s his fun money or spending money or whatever you want to call it and there should be no questions asked. The problem is he will need to wait till the next week to get his next $40, so maybe that’s how he learns. Who knows.

It’s really important in a budget to give some sort of fun money or allowance to do with what you want.  Otherwise ,there’s no fun. Well, I’m certainly not the budget expert so…

I was freaked that B didn’t  have his bonus come in but hopefully next time. Patience…

it just means using more out of the EF till that comes in and the whole bonus will go back in. ugh, why can’t it ever be easy…..

I received my new walking shoes and their very comfortable. I also called to see how much a new pair of orthotics inserts would be since I have the mold. well, shock.. $400. … so forget that. I’ll just have to make do.

 

Well, dinner tonight, a new recipe fro the Ruth Reichl book, tandoori chicken organic long grain rice with cabbage salad, our very own carrots , and radishes with a peanut dressing.

 

 

 

 

Decluttering continues

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IMG_0023IMG_0015I’ve been on a new decluttering kick. Going thru things again and letting go of more layers. It’s amazing once you aren’t sentimental about something how easy it is to let go. Plus, I’ve been asking myself ‘if I was moving would I take it’?  So I got rid of 4 more cookbooks since I actually have never made anything out of them, just like the pictures. So if I was moving ,no I wouldn’t take them…Decluttering even more our laundry area. This is a small room built off the back of our house. maybe a little hokey and if we ever were going to sell I’m not sure how it would be viewed. But it is a nice space for our washer and dryer  and small chest freezer which, has been one of best purchases ever. plus, there’s shelves for storage.  I’ve managed to reduce the Waldorf stuff to 2 small bins and will go thru them even more. I don’t need to keep those cute books for my adult children. I took out the old rug and am going to get something else at Home Depot but for now ,I have the extra bathroom mat I’ll put down. Also , hanging on 2 pegs are our emergency packs with items that would be useful if there was ever an evacuation like a fire.

This is a set of some English china. I haven’t used them in a few years yet they were hanging out with my other white dishes. So, off they go to the pet thrift store.

I also went thru another box of photos and threw out a bag of duplicates, fuzzy pictures and ones that just weren’t interesting. In total it was probably 1/2 a garbage bags worth between  2 boxes. Also, I’m consolidating our tools we keep in the house to just one drawer in my ‘new office space’. I need a few things more but I repurposed a plastic bin to hold the screw drivers. Still need something for batteries. It seemed I was all over yesterday but I felt productive.

Today I’m off to Sacramento for my next shot. I’m not shopping today as pay day isn’t till tomorrow.  So it  should be a quick trip down and back. We still haven’t heard anything on our Harp refi, so I emailed the guy and asked what’s up ? it doesn’t take 4 weeks to get a subordination on our second.  If I don’t hear today, I’ll email again. I may check with our credit union as to whether they do refi’s with the Harp program. Since its a loan that doesn’t require income doc, appraisal or other things not sure if they do.

Dinner tonight is leftover taco meat and beans together, so Chili!! with tortillas.

 

June

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June is not a happy memory month for me. June 15 ,2005 was my official diagnosis day. I’d had the bone biopsy the week prior with the neurosurgeon. I was pretty devastated. Plus the way the doctors went about getting the diagnosis was really half-assed.  Why not just do the related blood tests?? I think the one sports doctor that I had gone to see about kyphoplasty  just didn’t know how to deal with this. He was really awful. Well, the past is the past but I’m sure all of you can relate to that day, where you were when they said ,”you have cancer, multiple myeloma”. Geez, I hardly ever even been to a doctor, didn’t take antibiotics, used herbs and natural healing, spiritual healing. So to start this journey into radiation, chemo, SCT, was pretty weird, to say the least. But now, I’m a pretty seasoned cancer patient. I take it in stride and do what’s necessary.

Today in our little town it’s Pioneer day. A parade and then food int he park, lots of kid activities. We always went with our 2 children. Last year, we didn’t go and today is super hot, so I doubt I’m going.  It’s a great community event though with lots of people.

This week B will be in Portland for a food show all week. I have my Velcade shot on Wednesday and that’s about it.  I’m going to keep things watered( a lot of work actually), but now we’ve got the timers set up, I just need to go around and turn them on. I’m going to declutter and clean the laundry room which is actually outside our house in the back. I mostly just want to tidy and get rid of a few things. I’ll wash some windows too. I think our hot weather is going to diminish as the week goes on. I don’ have any shopping plans and I think my daughter and I will just eat simple dinners maybe sandwiches or salads.

i have to get my labs tomorrow and go to the bank.

Tonight is curried tofu with jasmine rice and a cabbage cucumber salad with a peanut dressing. It’s mostly the dressing I want to try fro the ‘plated’ cookbook.

Thursday Budget stuff

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IMG_0009Before June budget stuff here’s a picture of Donner Lake.IMG_0014And here’s another. It’s very warm here in Northern California with not a lot of change over the next week. Tomorrow and Saturday are even hotter. So we will need to put in our window air conditioners. This will raise our electric bill but it’s too hot not too use them.

Yesterday’s doctor visit was quite good. We decided not to do a maintenance of every 2 weeks for now. Also, I won’t see him for 2 months but will get monthly labs to see what’s going on.  I’m sure this is a gamble but I think if I have the chance to be drug-free for a short while it will be worth it. I still have 3 Velcade shots so not till July. I’m feeling positive about my decision though. My numbers have never increased radically and hopefully this  will stay the same so future relapse will show it self early on.

Onward to the budget. June is still starting out at a deficit so I will need to transfer a little money to cover a few things. But overall our June budget should show that we need $700 less due to a few things.  I’m hoping the numbers even out by B’s first paycheck of the month. Electric has gone down, but we’re on the balance pay program so it’s balanced based on the year so it’s still at $200. But that should drop once it gets recalibrated.

Also, school money won’t be going out and a few other things will drop too. July will even be better when the Harp refi takes effect ( I hope).  this was of course, a tough decision but with the increased % by October under the previous modification we really don’t have a choice. After much thinking and discussion, the way I have come to see this: we don’t want to move, we will never pay off the mortgage in retirement, so we need to look at getting the mortgage to be an amount that is like a ‘rent’. This refi will do that so I’m pleased with that. When one of us goes to the great beyond then that other person can decide to sell or stay. Unfortunately with my diagnosis, I can’t get life insurance, but many years ago B had me get life insurance ( a small amount ) thru his work. But it would be enough to help. One thing I am concerned about and maybe someone knows the answer to this.. Is when B retires from this company would my life insurance policy just stop? Or would we be able to keep it and keep paying on it?? does anyone know the answer to this?

Well, dinner is crockpot Thursday chicken. Since I’m on dex today, that’s a good thing as I don’t feel much like cooking.

Speaking of cooking, I’m reading the new Ruth Reichel’s book,My Kitchen year  it is so great. I’d highly recommend it.  Of course, I don’t think she would consider crockpot chicken, but then again she’s not on dexamethasone.