bing, boing, zap

Do you ever feel like there is a bullseye mark on your body?  Recently, I'm beginning to think I have one square in the middle of my soul. BING!

Recently I wrote about karma gone wrong; well guess what?  It continues... boing...Boing...  BOING!!!!

Here is the latest....
 The wiring in the house is --------wait for it------------

u.n.g.r.o.u.n.d.e.d.! 

All of it.  So that means that the Strawberry Patch will be turned upside down, gutted in some places, and overall havoc....chaos....Strawberry losing her mind.

I have begun the process of de-cluttering, remember?  I've been taking it kind of slow and steady.  It seems to me that I should be thinking in terms of a sprint rather than cross-country!  Pretty soon, it will be a mad dash to de-clutter, to pack up things, to pull books out of bookshelves and move the furniture to the middle of the room! Oy vey.  Thankfully the Flylady system has a chapter specifically for crazy cleaning.

The race is on!

Sink still Shiny!

Graini-aunt turned me on to Doc Martin ( a British comedy/drama).  While watching reruns on Netflix (until I was kicked off due to "too many users" ahem....children!!!), I cleaned out some of the clutter in the bookshelves.  As a Christian educator I have many books and pamphlets; as a former seminary student I have many books and notebooks and loose papers.  I didn't want to lose them in a filing cabinet so I kept them in arms reach while studying.  BUT NOW!!!  I no longer need to have those things out and cluttering up the bookshelves.  Yesterday I probably recycled a whole ream of papers.  It felt good to get them out of the house.  I still have work to do but little by little it I am feeling good.

I also went through my drawers (sounds funny since my Grandmother used to call underwear "drawers").  Pulling out old t-shirts-- you know...the ones you save in case you stain the furniture?  Or wash the dog?  My t-shirts are the frumpy kind....the old stretched out ones to stain furniture....or wash the dog...or clean toilets.  Let's face it, you don't have to go all June Cleaver with the pearls but really I'm not that messy of a house-cleaner that I have to change clothes that many times!  One frumpy old stretched out t-shirt is sufficient.  My drawers can finally breath.

And guess what?  The crockpot is filled and cooking.  I tweaked the old WW Vegetable Soup recipe and either lunch or dinner or lunch AND dinner is cooking.

celery, onions, bell peppers, carrots, diced tomatoes and tomato paste all rolled into one! YUM

The zucchini and cabbage is waiting their turn to be added.  I really don't like mushy cabbage and zucchini.  Can't wait!!

What's for lunch or dinner at your Strawberry Patch?

AND ....drum roll.....my sink is still shining away.

P.S. Loved seeing Banana this past weekend.  And Congratulations again on winning that drawing!!!

She wants you to know the card has already been used up!

grunt, groan, zzzzzz

Where does the time go? Why can't I get everything done in a day?  Why do we need to fall back and spring forward?  Why is my body so sluggish???? Questions, questions, and more questions.

I had a physical.  I'm fine.  My girls got tested and my hoo hoo was tested and all is fine....so why am I without energy?  My thyroid is working as it should (thanks to meds) so that isn't it!

Dr. Oz recently had a segment about the adrenal glands.  Three women  were interviewed and I found myself bobbing my head (my kind of exercise) in agreement with all their symptoms.  Yes, I wake up feeling tired.  Yes, I lose my temper at the drop of a hat. Yes, yes, yes!!!  I'm not alone!!!!

The guest Hormone Dr. suggested eating protein for breakfast, protein for lunch, whey for a 4:00 p.m. snack, and good carbs for dinner.  So far I've been able to eat a cheese stick for breakfast and then my day shoots out like a horse race.  Round and round and round I go and before I know it it is evening and I've forgotten all about good carbs and protein and what the hell is "whey?"  and WHY?

Whey is found in those powdered energy shake containers.  I think I would prefer Greek yogurt.  Oh and one more thing: eat vitamin C at every meal.  Oranges are not the only source.  Broccoli also has vitamin c and a whole lot more that I can't remember, but it is on the internet. Look it up!

So that's about it for today, Grainiacs.  Eat protein, whey, good carbs, and vitamin c.

It's only 10:30 a.m. and I'm already yawning.  Goodness I need a vacation!!

Karma gone wrong

Whoever coined the phrase "man's best friend" obviously did not know Lucian.  Lucian is Lucian's best friend.  This morning I wanted to read my Bible study book; Lucian wanted to play or sit in my lap.  This morning I wanted to keep on my de-cluttering journey.  Lucian wanted to antagonize Cosmos or chase the cat or basically get on my last nerve.  This morning I vacuumed up all the dog/cat fur; Lucian peed on the floor.

Wasn't taking in a stray cat AND dog supposed to up my karma thermometer?  Shouldn't the planets and stars align and utopia be realized?

I bet you are jealous you don't have a cat on your shoulders when you pee!

I can't even go to the bathroom alone! (Kat Karma)

And now to our previously scheduled talk.

I started writing down my day; yes, I'm scheduling.  I usually shy away from lists or schedules but I've begun a new journey and it just seemed right.

 Hubby kept forgetting to let American Express know we did NOT want their calendar.  Seemed like a good notebook for my Flylady de-cluttering.

Although I don't like lists, it does feel good to check off completed activities.  I could get in to this list-making life.  You'll notice "challenge check-in;" I am challenging myself so I schedule it in my day so I don't forget.

My day has been crazy, Grainiacs.  Sorry to get this out so late, but that's the reality of today.  I'm going to bed right after "Castle."  ;)

Let's Get Physical

I bought a new cardio workout DVD.  I plugged it in and worked out to the warm-up and watched the rest!  Yep, I am definitely out.of.shape! Big Time!!!  I'm thinking my yoga workout is not strenuous enough to prep me for cardio.  Okay.  I'm a big girl.  I know what I have to do.  Keep at it.  My goal will be to get through the warm-up and move to the next portion...maybe not ALL of the next portion but at least farther along than the warm-up for devil's sake.  I....can....do....this.

Something else I am taking baby steps to do is my house.  My zone is still bathroom.  Once I de-clutter the sink, shower stall (I had over nine different shampoos and body washes on the floor of my shower.  I'm not that dirty!!!!!  I do not need 5 different shampoos and conditioners.  Pick one, Strawberry, use it up and move on), I can de-clutter the non-visual areas.  Unless you are nosy and picking in my non-visual area!!!  So, the sink, floors, toilets, showers, counters are clean and will remain clean.  If I have time this week, I will tackle cabinets.  If not (that warm-up video really took it out of me!), next month I will work on de-cluttering the cabinets.  And this process will continue until every room in my house is clean.  Flylady said it took her nine months to get her house rid of things that did not bring pleasure or were not used.  I'm thinkin' it's gonna take me A LOT longer!!!  But that's okay.

Looking ahead, next week is the master bedroom.  That is a ginormous undertaking for this Strawberry.  My first project will be to clear off the flat surfaces.  I have things I don't want to deal with on top of the dresser, the vanity, the beside tables, not to mention the floors.  So most of the week will be dealing with clutter on top of things.  Of course when I clear off the dressers, etc. it is an open invitation for the cats to jump and nest.  "What's this pretty thing in my new spot?"  Swat! Crash!  I have a feeling my bedroom will be a minimalist paradise and home to the cats.

So here's the low-down.

Bathrooms still clean.

Sink still shiny.

See! I AM taking different photos of my shiny sink!

OOOOHHHH, and I finally cleared College Boy's crap out of the living room.

Still don't like that coffee table!

And the birds are fed!  And it isn't even 10 a.m.!!!  Who am I???

Did I mention Lucian is a bird dog??!!  See pretty birdies/ Fly away pretty birdies, here comes BP!!!

It's the weekend, Grainiacs!  Take care and rest.  I know I will.

Bathrrrrrrrrrrrrooms

In Rural OK we had 2 bathrooms for 3 or 4 people and Moana complained "I have to wait!"  Now in Cucaracha-ville we have 3 bathrooms for 2 people and Moana complains "I have to clean all three????"  How do three bathrooms get so dirty?  We are 2015 people.  Why don't we have self-cleaning bathrooms?  The Jetsons lied.

This week in Flylady our zone is bathroom and one other room.  Well I'm cleaning 2 bathrooms and one other bathroom!  The goal is to go through these rooms and de-clutter 27 things at a time.  Remember my last post: do you love it, does it bring a smile to your face, have you used it in a year?  That is the de-cluttering method of cleaning and organizing your life.  So far I have cleaned Boy's bathroom.

Can we say "minimalist?"

Third bathroom: done!

Ain't she pretty??

And I'm still working on cleaning master bath so that is for a different post.

Now the program says keep de-cluttering till everything is something you love or something that puts a smile on your face or something that you use.

Looking at Boy's bathroom: There isn't much to look at, love--except maybe the tub and toilet and sink and the extra toilet papers stored in the chest. So yeah, we LOVE those things and we actually use them!  CHECK.

In my third bathroom, the same...sans the tub.  But everything in there is something that I added to get that look.

My job is to keep these rooms looking exactly as they are now while next week adding a new zone.  Does that make sense?  So, next month when the zone is bathroom again, my bathroom should still be clean and clutter free on the outside but then I'll tackle the cabinets and de-clutter those until Hallelujah all bathrooms are clutter-free on the inside and out!

The whole premise of the program is babysteps.  And isn't that just like weight loss?  The house didn't clutter itself.  Nope, that took years and years and many people doing that.  The same with weight.  It took years and years and many people living in my head to do that.  Although Moana will still be there, I am aware; just as I am aware of what I am putting in my mouth.

And.......

the sink is still shiny!

Yes! I am a new picture and not just the same one shown over and over!!!

The weekend is a hop, skip, and a jump away.  Have a great day, Grainiacs.

Going in a different direction here

I'm a mess.  I know it.  You know it.  I've debated whether I'm ADD because I just have such a hard time concentrating on one thing before something else pops in my mind and before I know it, I've forgotten all about the first "said" thing.  I've always chalked it up to being a fun, spontaneous girl (which I am!) but it makes for a hard time completing something.  like my weight    or   the   house   or the backyard   or finishing a project for youth    or .....well, you get my drift.

This blog was set up to chronicle my weight loss (ahem) journey.  It didn't work so well in the weight loss, but it has given me a journal of the struggle.  It is ongoing, folks.  You can't turn your attention to something else and totally forget about the healthy lifestyle or the weight loss or the diet (whatever you want to call it).  It starts with an attitude change that says "I will NOT put that poison in my body."

Just recently I gave up diet cokes.  Yes, I know you have heard this before and I have succeeded before, but there was always a little voice in the back of my head saying-- but you are still young and can give it up in another year or two and still be okay--- Did you hear her?  Moana was sabotaging my success.  The voice of "reason" was a whiny little 2 year old thinking only of her needs at that moment...not the grown-up Strawberry taking charge and stopping the madness.

I don't remember what day I stopped.  It wasn't a planned event.  Just like Forest Gump, I just started (not running...oh hell no, not running!).  So Day One, whenever that was, I just said "no."  It was a struggle...believe me.  I wanted to run out and get one and say "okay, just this one."  But I fought it and focused on something else.  Day 2 I thought "just one."  But then I remembered I hadn't had one the day before and focused on something else.  Day 3 and so on....and well, here I am on Day Whatever and Diet Coke Free.  One of those days Hubby and I went out for breakfast.  My stomach was a little upset and I wanted something bubbly.  I asked for a Sprite Zero.  "Don't have Sprite Zero, just Diet Coke" was the reply.  Hmmmmm  I didn't know how many days I had been DC Free so I didn't want to break the streak.  I ordered water instead, ate a bland breakfast, and was fine.  There will always be challenges and struggles.  Lord, we wouldn't be alive now, would we?  But along this journey I want to keep it real.  Losing weight will be a lifelong thing for me now because I didn't change my habits when I was younger to make them HABITS now.  grrrrrr

I remember attending a Weight Watchers meeting years (and years) ago.  There was a cartoon of two little ladies viewing their friend at a wake.  One said to other, "Yes and to think, she was only 5 pounds away from goal."  I do not want to be that person in the coffin and people "tsk tsk"-ing about my weight journey.

I am making changes.  I have to continue blogging about my weight....I'm sorry.  I know it is boring and you'll think "Sheesh! Doesn't she have anything else to talk about?"  Glad you asked.  Yes I do.  I have one more struggle to chronicle and that is my horrible house cleaning skills!  LOL

So in addition to weight loss, you get to follow my house cleaning woes.

This cracks me up every time CeCe sends it to me!!!!  LOL

 It is October...the month of scary things.  Don't let this post spook you...as always I hope my struggles will be humorous and helpful.  Life is too short to let it get me down.  I would much rather laugh with you along this journey.

Peace...out, Grainiacs.  Love y'all.

roll call

Who all was up at 2 a.m. thinking it was almost 5 a.m.?  This strawberry, that's who.  I would have called y'all but I realize this might be the ONE night you slept!  I tossed and turned and thought "oh heck, house clean....yes, truly that is what I thought.  I have recently resumed the Flylady system for cleaning and organizing and de-cluttering.  Yesterday I started back and shined my sink.

well, the photo didn't copy well. oh well (how many "wells" can you get in a sentence?)

It really IS shiny and pretty and turquoise-y.  Washed/ dried/ put away towels; changed the sheets AND washed the dirty ones. De-cluttered 27 items--it's some Feng Shui thing... By the way, have you heard of the new book (maybe it's old, but new to me!) called The Life Changing Method of Tidying Up"- The KonMari Method?  It reminds me of the Flylady system but of course it is new and everyone is like Wow!!  Here is a snippet from an article in the Huffington Post:  Kondo's philosophy emphasizes the mental attachment we have to our possessions and her approach is quite simple: declutter first, then store. To declutter a space, she asks her clients to go through every item in their possession and question whether those items "spark joy." If a certain object fails to do so, chuck it.  And I'm thinking  FLYLADY.  So here's the clincher: just do it, Strawberry.  P.S. I didn't buy another clean up book because it is just more clutter!

So what to do at 2 a.m.? What else, clean a bathroom because that is the Flylady "zone" for this week.  Time to sweep and mop...why stop there...sweep and mop down the hall and the entryway.

Doggone it...now I'm hungry.  I'm watching On Demand The Big Bang Theory re-runs and before each episode there is a Bush Beans commercial describing White Bean Chili...oh my beany goodness, it looks so scrumptious! 

Guess what?  It is now 5 a.m. The time I thought it was 3 hours ago.  My my how time flies when you are having fun and washing clothes.  I see a long nap in my afternoon future...unfortunately the dogs will probably be ready to play.

This insomnia is for the dogs birds.

Time to fold clothes.

Have a wonderful Tuesday, Grainiacs.

Who ate my mini-wheats?

It wasn't me! I promise it wasn't me!!!!

Do you ever put an item you've bought specially for yourself in a certain spot...only to find it moved?  And then you get suspicious and think "whodunit?"

This morning I had one of those moments.  My low-cal frosted mini-wheats box was moved from it's normal spot.  I wouldn't have noticed had it not been so prominently moved from one side of the top of the refrigerator to the other.

I was ready to blame Boy-- after all he has been coming home every weekend to do laundry and well....eat.  It wouldn't have been so bad except I opened the box and found the dregs of the frosted mini-wheats left.  I don't know about you, but my favorite part is the mini-wheats and not the little poops the mini-wheats leave behind.

a bag of mini-wheat poops

So what's the saying: when life hands you a bag of mini-wheat poops, make baked chicken!

P.S.  It was not Boy who got the munchies over the weekend, it was Hubby getting munchies last night!