Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Decluttering Update

Since I've posted several times about my decluttering/purging goals I thought I'd give you an update. 

You know I met my goal of purging 1000 items from December 1 thru December 31 in the first quarter of 2015?

I haven't stopped. We had long term house guests in June and several boxes and bags found their way out of the house. After they returned home we unloaded some big items that we needed to unload. I now hate holding onto something that I don't use and someone else might not only use, but could be blessed by receiving it.  We have a ministry thrift shop down the road plus a homeless shelter in a neighboring city that need and want our stuff and they use it to help. So it's a win. Win. 

My closet population continues to diminish. I haven't followed the ruthless advice of those who say pull every item out and make three piles. I have too many things I wear infrequently, or need to keep on hand. NEED is a word that I have to consider and act on, ehhh? 

I have taken to looking at an item I pull out of the hanging rack, try on, or put back and ruthlessly decide right then and there if this item does anything for my life. If it doesn't, it goes right into the bag in my closet. Right now I have two of them that are half full. Here's the kicker. When that item goes, so does the hanger. If something comes into my house that needs a hanger, something already living here goes so I don't have to put out any new hangers. 

While Rob was hospitalized and I was visiting I also did something I've been thinking about doing for months. I have too many scarves. Yes. (I also love purses, note the one, the RED and ADORABLE one in the giveaway bag...it doesn't work anymore for my life. So it has to go.) I decided I'd wear them if they were infinity scarves. 

So I shoved them in a big bag with two colors of thread, needles a thimble and scissors and simply stitched the two ends together in a blanket or hem or hidden stitch. I got most of them done in the first two days and they are all infinity scarves now. If you think that's useful, make sure they are long enough or you'll just be annoyed. Compare them to the favorite infinity scarf length to be sure. Now, if I don't wear them I either donate as is, or I snip the simple stitches, pull them out and give them away for someone else to wear. Win. 

Again. I have to say I have very few items I even remember to miss. Purging has been excellent for soul and house. Cleaning is easier because I have space to put things away where they belong. I do kind of want to get rid of kitchen bowls and pans and crockpots because I have multiples of each. But just when I get brave something big comes up and I'm glad I have all those duplicates. Darn. And I keep looking at Tiny House stuff on the computer. I'd love a 700 sq foot or slightly less house with 2-3 bedrooms. Oddly, our first purchased house was a duplex and we lived in 900-1000 sq ft and were very comfortable even with 2 kids. And our current house started out at about 1100 sq ft when we moved in and we were cramped but comfortable with 5 of us under one roof. The second story was a great thing. But two of us do not need that much room. Hmmm we'll just have to see what happens with that. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Restating the Obvious

Lately, I've had a few opportunities to try to help people tell the difference between Gladys and Gertrude. It's so obvious to me that sometimes I'm like whaaaa? Seriously? 

But I get it. They share the same coloring. Red, white and blue errr black with polka dots. Of course. And they are both Beagles. There's that.

So here are a few random snapshots of them living their lives. 

Gertrude is kind of a classic Beagle. 

 And Gladys is kind of a cartoon Beagle. Am I right? 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Faux No

Call me brain fried. I'll answer. Maybe. 

Last week was Rob's surgery and all those details, AND new computer system training at the office on Friday. 

Eight hours of behind-in-chair time at work. Takeaway? About 45 minutes of pertinent information that applied to my job. (Some of that was what I gleaned from co-workers during breaks.) 

The best part of the day was coming up with creative "patient" names that I might use for practice sessions. Friday's main practice patient was Mr. Test Tester. At our last computer upheaval training 12 years ago we used Fake Patient. 

Both are worthy names. And clearly Faux enough that we wouldn't be deceived into thinking either was a real deal patient. 

Which brings me to to my ideas. 

If I wanted to create a profile for a difficult patient I could go for Test Testy. Either gender works. We have enough cranky folks in both genders represented in our practice. 

Then the temptation is to go with a French flair. Faux Test is an idea, or Faux Testes... that one has merit. 

Like I said, I might be a little crazy. So it's probably time to remove myself from this page before I type something really ridiculous. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Good Dogs...

Spending so much time at the hospital while Rob is recovering has given me a peek into my dogs's maturity level. 

They get lonely and bored when alone for hours at a time. As much as I hate it, I've been dropping in for an hour after work, to let them burn off energy (SQUIRREL), get some cuddle and potty time in. Then I leave for another six or so hours. They've done a good job being minimally crazed even though they are really glad to see me. The boredom issues have been no biggie, they got hold of a couple wood shims and made toothpicks. A dog bed took a beating but they had already begun unstuffing it. 

They get lots of outdoor time when I am home where they run and chase and bark. Last night they ate dinner on the back patio. It was a late dinner. After the mosquitos made their appearance we went in and snuggled. And watched Tiny House videos on Youtube. Yes. I said Tiny House. They are so cute. And I can't even begin to imagine downsizing to that level. But it's fascinating. 

He comes home this afternoon. So the experiment is over. We are all relieved. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Dog Toy Ideas...

So my Gladys/Gert girls are real content to steal recyclable items from the bin and confettize whatever they grab hold of. We've also got toys that are mere bits and pieces of their former glory. So I'm guessing both those are signs we could use some more dog toys.

I found some great hints here....

Cool ideas....Going to put some old t-shirts to work for me. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Monday Funday

Rob has/had an iffy knee decide to go East, as in his left leg began to bow. This trick saved us a little bit of money. Not that I recommend it as an idea to save a buck...kind of extreme, ya know? Anyhow, because his knee was so clearly trashed he didn't have a need for excess imaging for diagnosis nor did he need physical therapy in an attempt to avoid surgery.


So yesterday he got a new knee. He is bionic now. Cool on so many levels until the bill comes, or the numbness wears off. Ha Ha. 

A few of the highlights are pictured. 

A) My discovery upon seeing my legs in brilliant white lighting that I did not apply my self tanner evenly. Awkward. 

B) It's somewhat comforting to know that everyone who touches your loved one is obsessed about which body part they will be touching. The Sharpie YES on his hairy thigh was a nice touch. 

C) The kids love that Dad who may or may not be prone to accidents now has a bright yellow wristband labeling him as a fall risk 

D) The unpleasant flock of circling buzzards over the hospital. EWW

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ GMA Purse

If you are a mom you have to remember (or still experience) Mama purse. That is where your purse is not your own, but becomes the receptacle for everyone in the family's stuff. When my kids entered the teen years I went through a rebellious stage where my purses went tiny. The girls had purses of their own and the boy was a strapping fellow and able to carry his own crap. The husband? Well, he just had to deal. Just sayin. 

But after my annoyance and payback was achieved, I decided tiny purses are just a pain. I have stuff of my own that I want to shove in a purse, quite a bit, actually. So my purses have grown in size over the past few years. I'm not back at the beach bag stage but I can carry a book and a wallet and a few other necessities in my normal and reasonable sized handbag. 

On Sunday we took the g-kids out to eat at Qdoba. There were a few moments of tension and earned timeouts awarded while the adults stood patiently in line and the hangry little stinkers decided to act out.  But we all survived the outing. Whew. 

On Monday, I was digging around in my front pocket on my purse. I found a handful of cardstock hitchhikers. That explains that moment of silence. And also concerns me that we may have some future pickpockets in the family! 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Something to Laugh At.. Don't Judge Me

I love cats and their attitudes. I found link in my inbox so I had to click on it. Felines of New York. Little glimpses into the lives of cats in the Big Apple. How could anything be any more amusing than a cat with a New York attitude? 

Warning. Some of the kitties have potty mouths. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Not a Puppy Video...hehehee

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Ooops. Decision Made.

I have been debating whether or not to get rid of a pair of sandals. They are cuteish. Red. Win. Win. Right? 

Well. The faux red leather is flaking off a bit. The strap over my pinkie toes doesn't keep my pinkies contained. (This is not a new problem. My pinky toes are rebellious and squatty.) And the sandals are NOT comfortable. 

So I wore them yesterday and was annoyed at how unpleasant they are so I took them off and kicked them under the table. 

Today, this happened. 

Decision made. And the additional decision whether to toss them or donate them if I chose to give them the boot. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Awwww So Cute Wednesday

Happy Day. I found another cute dog to visit often. Of course he's a beagle. Meet Maymo, Cute dog, Maymo. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Vegan Thai Coleslaw

Thai Coleslaw

1 16 ounce bag of coleslaw shreds (this is about 5 handfuls if you like to shred your own cabbage)

½ Red pepper thinly sliced and chopped into 2 -3 inch pieces. (So slice pepper lengthwise then chop in half.)

2-3 TBSP finely chopped fresh cilantro

3-4 (use all of it, not just the green part) green onions/scallions, chopped

1 tsp lime zest

1 TBSP lime juice

1 TBSP rice wine vinegar

⅓ Cup Vegan mayo

¼ Cup peanut butter

1 Cup coconut milk (I used canned full fat without chilling)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1-2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes (use to taste, I used 2 and it was a nice burn)

Optional:

1 Cup peanuts

1 Cup chopped meatless chicken if desired

Prep, rinse, chop all your veggies.

In a large bowl pour in coconut milk, add peanut butter and mayo and stir until combined. Add salt, garlic powder, pepper flakes, lime juice, vinegar and lime zest. Finally stir in all the vegetables and add-ins and mix until coated.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Nuff Said

 My brain is empty of interesting things to say. What was that? Well, of course that isn't a new problem. Anyhow. I got puppies so I could just post a picture of them when I can't be clever. Here you go.