Declutter Hangover

I have been on a total decluttering kick over the last year. About every three months or so, I will just get SICK of a specific mess, and then proceed to go about decluttering the entire house.
Sometimes I sell whatever I am getting rid of on consignment, sometimes we just donate it all to Mustard Seed or another charitable donation bin.

Moving in with someone after living alone for years means that the combined amount of stuff is far beyond necessity. We just had not gone through everything all at once. Not only that, but with my unpredictable health, my weight fluctuates considerably. I tend to have a lot of clothing, but only a certain amount that actually fits. Because of this, it also means that my clothing tends to last for a particularly long while, so I never have the nerve to just toss clothes that are in really great shape. Even now I still WEAR dresses, shoes, and even pants from as far back as grade seven. Seriously. Right now it all fits - actually I was a bit heavier in grade seven than I am right now.
So every few months, I try on clothing that is on the list to be next discarded, and see if it is something I should be saying goodbye to.
This time I have been a little more cutthroat. I said goodbye to over 10 pairs of shoes, countless clothes, even towels, dishes, cutlery, baking pans, music books, even small furnishings and novels.
Total purge.
There is still lots to go through, but I made a lot of progress over the past two weeks, so today I am 'hungover' from organizing.
I had major insomnia last night and I am simply additionally exhausted today.

That means that I am curled up in bed with a nice throw, reading a chapter here and there throughout the day, and about to pick up my colouring books while I watch a Hallowe'en-y movie. Like Hotel Transylvania. That sounds pretty perfect.

Ooh and I scheduled another meet-and-greet with another potential family physician. In the meantime I still require refills, so I ALSO have an appointment with my current family physician. AND I have my second cortisone injection tomorrow afternoon. (Hence the cleaning spree and rambling).

Pride and Accomplishments

It is amazing how different 'levels' of accomplishments garner a sense of pride at different moments in a person's life.
When you are little, pouring a cup of milk straight from the jug into a real glass was a feat to be ecstatically proud of.
As you get older, your goals and plans and accomplishments become more grand. Before you know it, you feel pride less and less from accomplishments that would have had you fully celebrating for days when you were younger. Soon, what felt like accomplishments at one time now seem like failures.
When something happens, when we become injured or develop illness, we can get so caught up in thinking about what we used to be able to do that we forget to give ourselves a break - and a little bit of credit.

Today I am giving myself credit for what I was able to accomplish today, despite how horrendous I am feeling.
We spent a couple of days with my parents and friends, and although it involved mostly sitting and talking, it was still busy. My pouch is irate with me and showing its anger VERY clearly, my joints are protesting every single position and movement, and I now have a migraine - most likely from the drastic weather changes.
So when we got home, I went IMMEDIATELY to the bedroom and crawled under the covers wishing that I could cuddle away all of the pain and nausea and bathroom issues.
After a three hour sick sleep, I wasn't sure I would get anything done.
But then I thought:
RJ is just as exhausted as I am and he is working tonight. He has a procedure coming up and we both have a busy week. I need to be a good little housewife and do something productive.

So - I rolled myself out of my blanket cocoon, diffused a few fresh-scented oils, splashed water on my face and vowed to get moving.
• I emptied the dishwasher.
• I unpacked both of our bags.
• I put a load of laundry in (and accidentally washed some money which is now airing out)
• I made a batch of Marbled Brownies & Blondies
• I washed all of the dishes that I used to bake the batch of brownies.

Those are really small accomplishments in the grand scheme of things. But the thought that RJ will come home to an empty dishwasher, clean clothes, everything unpacked and organized, and a clean kitchen? Not only that but that having these things done means that we can BOTH sleep in tomorrow - this feels damn good. Add in how awful I really am feeling and I am definitely filled with pride.
My goal is to be a good housewife.
Today I achieved that goal.
💙