A Secular Bible

Have you heard of the Jefferson Bible?

Books I've Read Recently

In no particular order, here are the books I've read most recently. All except American Gods I got at the library.

Going Cold Turkey

Where does that expression come from, anyway? Wikipedia to the rescue!

CB says to go cold turkey on thrift store shopping. She's right, she's right, I know she's right (props to whoever gets that reference), but it's hard. I love the treasure hunt, finding that special deal. It's so much fun. And I don't like most regular stores--department stores have too much stuff, specialty stores are too pricey.

If I could always stick to a list, perhaps. But it's the thrill of being there that's the problem. The feeling "what cool thing will I find today?", that's what I need to avoid. I am complete, I need nothing. Repeat until the message sinks in. Then repeat again.

Missing Blogger

One of my favourite bloggers has disappeared. No website, email returned to sender. Where are you, Seattle Simplicity?

Successful Donation Run

I made two trips tonight to the local thrift store, trunk loaded up with donations. Here's a before of my pile:

And here's the after:

The two paper bags on the ground in the 'after' are going to the baby corner at my church; the other things? Well, it's stuff I'm on the fence about. Those bags were at the back of the pile and I think I just ran out of emotional energy by then.

Freak out of the week

Try browsing in a thrift shop and seeing things you've donated hanging on the racks. It happened to me the other day, at the second branch of the store I usually donate to. OK, so they think they can get $4.99 for that kids' sundress? $3.99 for the leotard? Seeing MY things priced and for sale was not fun. It felt like a violation, which tells you what a disease this is.

In other news, CB has threatened me with a visit. I am to be brave and send off my pile of donations without cataloging each individual item. Apparently, it's good enough for the IRS to say 'x bags of household goods' on my taxes. That was my big excuse. What now? How can I say good-bye properly?

...she did promise me a Krispy Kreme original glazed, so I might be able to find the strength...

Stuck, Very Very Stuck

Husband has been frustrated lately with the state of the house, and our lives in general. I reminded him of what the Flylady always says "start with yourself". Fact is, he doesn't know how to keep a house any better than me. At least, he doesn't do it with his stuff. Piles accumulate (less than mine, because he isn't a hoarder, but still).

In the past few days, every member of the (human) family has been down with a nasty little gastroenteritis virus. First Older Daughter, and since it was over so quickly (a night spent puking & enduring diarhhea, but still just one night), we assumed food poisoning. That assumption went out the window Thursday night when Younger Daughter and Husband were struck. Nothing so cute & pathetic as a three year old carrying around her own puke bucket. Poor kid.

I got it the next night. Misery. The only bright spot? My dear cat stayed by my side, snuggling and purring as needed. What a good boy!

Being stuck in the house for essentially days, you either get used to it or feel oppressed. Husband began to feel oppressed, and thus, out came the frustration.

I don't know what to do. It feels hopeless. If I can't let go of the stuff, I am stuck? I can't seem to get the will to sell it, donating seems like giving up, what other options are there?

So Much Yet to Do and Mental Clutter

Unfinished, waiting tasks from August. AUGUST. Yes, I did have a house guest, and yes school started, which breaks up my day in odd ways as I often drop off and always pick up Older Daughter. But that's no excuse for failing to:

• catalog and deliver donations (from the immense pile in the garage)


• list the furniture we want to sell on Craig's List


• make a stab at the piles and piles of paperwork--some is important, some is just recycling


• purge the toys, again

I have reverted to my old ways with paperwork. No, let me correct that. I never got to a clear, even, organized happy point with paperwork. There's a lovely book called Getting Things Done that lays out a simple system for dealing with life's tasks. I've had access to it for almost two years. I haven't yet finished it. Anyway, my point is, without a basic system to fall back on, I am limping along without any clear notions of how to keep up with the paper of today. I tend to use the "wait until it's expired, then recycle" system, but that doesn't work with bills, with taxes, with school permission slips.

Three Words

Cake for breakfast.
'nuff said.

One Word

Friends.

Let me just say that my day yesterday got better and better.

And a huge shout out to my sister, who sent me a fabulous gift, a sweet text message, and cards that made me cry.

A touch of sadness that my mom didn't call. She sent me lovely cards and a gift, but even a voice message would have meant a lot.

Birthday

Today is my birthday. It sort of snuck up on me. Due to trying to avoid clutter Husband and I agreed no cards for each other. And low on presents too. But...I've realized those things are important, because I am now feeling it's less of a celebration. A real victory would be to be able to recycle the card after an appropriate amount of time has passed (i.e. a month).

No one made me coffee. All there was time for before getting the kids ready for school and preschool was a microwaved cup from yesterday. Not so good.

I think I hate birthdays. Getting older, more things one hasn't accomplished, same routines, nothing new. What's the point?

It's supposed to be a celebration of life. Yet, yet...it's also another step toward death.

Maybe I'll start celebrating UnBirthdays. There are more of those, so it won't be so stressful!

* * *

I did finally realize what I wanted for my birthday: a functioning car stereo!

This Is So Hard

This is a devious ailment. It requires constant vigilence. Strength. And just plain hard work.

...and then I come across a blog like Walk Slowly Live Wildly. She, along with her husband and toddler, downsized from a two-story house to a 478 square foot apartment. One bedroom apartment. Take a look at her photo gallery. Oh, the envy! Everything in its place. A place for everything. She has friggin' SPACE in her cupboards!

It's beautiful and seems as far away as the moon to me. No, make that Pluto.

Some New Blogs to Recommend

You may have noticed there are a few more links in the sidebar. I added a couple new Personal Finance blogs that I enjoy. Make Love, Not Debt is a chronicle of an engaged couple's journey out of debt and into marriage. The delightfully named Stop Buying Crap focuses on just that: avoiding stupid spending.

Enjoy and Happy Sunday!

Stuff In, Stuff Out

So, I've been needing to find some long-sleeved dresses for Older Daughter for the fall. Buying new would be nice, but I just can't bring myself to spend $20 or $30 for a dress that'll be stained within an hour of its first wearing. So used is the way to go.

Problem: I have a hard time going into a thrift store and coming out empty handed. Even if nothing meets my needs, something usually finds its way into my basket. That's why I really tried going cold turkey on them. It's not a bargain if I buy things other than what's on my list, and add to my house's clutter.

Here's what I bought: Four dresses for Older Daughter, two long-sleeved, two short (but so darned cute). She likes them all, and can wear one of the short-sleeved ones now as it's still quite warm. The other short-sleeved it a bit big; it'll be saved for next spring. One game, a pirate game by the excellent German game company Ravensburger. All the pieces are there, as well as the rules. It looks like fun. Another game will go out the door in exchange for it. Six books for Older Daughter. She loves to read, and getting books for .69 or .99 sure beats new. One book for me. One pair of cold weather short boots for Older Daughter. She's grown out of her shoes recently and needed one more pair. A like new pair of Keen shoes that I'll sell. A bible with fancy tabs for my mom, who's been wanting one like that.

I had an essay in the works on the subject of bargains. Some people can bargain hunt and come out ahead. I suspect, however, that most people end up spending as much or more than they would have had they just bought the one item they needed new and otherwise stayed away from the thrift stores, the garage sales, the clearance racks. Would I have come out ahead? I spent about $40 on everything listed above. What there did I actually NEED? The two long-sleeved dresses and the boots. Retail price for the equivilent quality? About $55. So, did I come out ahead? Perhaps. You tell me which was the better deal!

Donations Out the Door

I took a small truck load of donations to the thrift store today. About ten large bags of items--clothes, toys, books, etc. There's still more to go, but I had to take a break. Too much emotion going into it all.

Petite Progress

Today, I did some thinking, and I helped Clutter Buddy with some moving preparation. I have some ideas for an essay I want to write. Need to actually sit down and do the writing.

Thanks to My Money Blog, I have $105.00 more than I did two weeks ago. Check out the link in the Financial Section.

One of Those Days

Today feels like one of those days where, at the end, I feel like I've done nothing. So, here's a list, mostly for myself, so I don't feel empty at bedtime.
Today I:

• Unloaded, reloaded and ran the dishwasher


• Folded two loads of laundry


• Swept the master bedroom and the dining room


• Watered the cats


• Took out recycling and compost


• Emptied the kitchen garbage


• Worked on the website I maintain

New Fun Site

OK, so I love my coffee. And when I say "coffee" I don't mean a latte or a mocha or anything like that (although I have been known to drink those too). Coffee=coffee, black, hot, very strong. I like Starbucks. It's hot, strong, and dependable. And don't try to tell me any stories about how it's 'corporate' or 'burnt'. Not true.

Today, I found a delightful site that I would have loved back in my barista days. See the latest addition to the Sites I Follow sidebar to have a look for yourself.

And on the Financial Fitness topic (and clutter reduction as well), this tip from a blog I recently found called Get Rich Slowly

Sick

Please send me some get fully better very soon vibes. I have a wretched sinus infection, and it's awful and icky. Better than Sunday, when I first got sick, but I don't want to be sick forever (which is how I feel right now).

There are miscellaneous piles of stuff building up around the house. I cleaned out my purse yesterday, and that pile is still sitting where I left it. If feels...stale.

My Uncle and the dear Husband have gone South to visit my mom, Uncle's big sister, and for Husband to visit his dad. The kids and I will either a) hang out and watch movies and try to get better or b) clean the house

Which do you vote for???

Busy Busy

I've been busy with family recently. My visiting Uncle, Older Daughter starting school, Younger starting her new year of preschool...lots going on.

Here's the good: I haven't added anything to the house. Well, I did buy one Battlestar Galactica magazine, but I'll send that on to a friend once I'm done reading it. It's one of my vices, I can't help it. Gotta love Edward James Olmos--what an amazing actor!

But back to topic here. I read most of a book on finance yesterday called All Your Worth, by Elizabeth Warren and her daughter, Amelia Warren Tyagi. It's a back-to-basics, but look at the big picture finance book. Worth a look (ha ha) if you feel overwhelmed by the advice in most finance books. These authors also wrote a book called The Two Income Trap, which is on my to-be-read pile, courtesy of the library.