Year three of the elephant

[Chicken lady]

WE PASSED!

After 2 years and 8 months we are now done consulting with the county. The bank and the insurance company still feel the right to be involved.

dh is assembling my cart/island

[nswef]

congratulations!!!!!!!!

[mschrisgo2]

Congratulations!!! What a huge accomplishment!

And I notice final inspection was passed more than 5 weeks prior to the goal of Thanksgiving completion. And, in fact, you have exceeded most of your recent goals. So- I predict you will be seeing the floors in sooner than you expect, too.Well done, very well done.

[Chicken lady]

The floors are a budget issue. The other stuff has been time. Dh employer imposed a 3 year wage freeze, and my pay changes only in Septembers. Since my “extra earning potential” from subbing is up to $120/week and usually $0, I don’t see a floor in the near future. Spring. Maybe summer.

but now, if you remember the original elephant thread - my elephant wasn’t “building an addition” it was “ fitting into my house” right sizing the house was only half of that.

i have been working on right sizing the stuff, but this is the part where the focus swings more in that direction. Today I plan to take a load to goodwill.

[Teacher Terry]

Wage freezes are so bad. When I worked for the state we took pay cuts for a number of years and by the time I retired I was making less $ then 7 years before. Luckily it did not effect my retirement because they were furloughs so my pension was based on what i should have been earning. Great job on getting rid of stuff.

[mschrisgo2]

Congratulations on the load to Goodwill. I suspect with the house now right-sized, the right-sizing of the stuff will progress smoothly. In fact, here is to Ease of finishing off the elephant!

[Chicken lady]

Well, i’m not sure how easy it will be. I am still struggling with the hoarding. But I have found a really good on-line support group. I check in with them every day, often several times. It helps me stay honest with myself and keeps me accountable. It is frighteningly easy to acquire huge quantities of stuff in our society while spending little or no money or effort.

being a teacher probably doesn’t help. Yesterday I acquired a cute little drawstring bag - made by a student and filled with apples.

meanwhile, this week we are mostly playing around with rearranging furniture.

[mschrisgo2]

"It is frighteningly easy to acquire huge quantities of stuff in our society while spending little or no money or effort."

So very true! It does help to see that, doesn't it? You don't even have to seek it, it just happens.

I have noticed it even more since I retired in June- people are always trying to give me things! I have a donation bag in my car, I try not to let stuff even come into the house. But if I hadn't spent so much energy right-sizing and were kind of oblivious, I would be drowning in stuff again.

[sweetana3]

I also had to learn the word "no" when people kept trying to give me stuff. I quilt and make donation quilts and had several people offer me fabric. I have no more room for storage and don't want to stuff my house full. So I suggest a guild for the sewing stuff and have a favorite thrift shop to suggest to others.

[Chicken lady]

Last night, dinner, two adult kids and a puppy.
Three people cooking in the kitchen at the same time!
Sitting on a couch that doesn’t face a television, watching with my son in law as my husband ran through the woods with the puppy.
getting up to a clean kitchen in which to fix breakfast this morning because the dishes that didn’t fit in the dishwasher last night are piled in the other sink.