What was she thinking? – I picked up my Starbucks mocha the other day. I had ordered ahead but I had to wait a few minutes. Inside the store, a woman was hacking up a hairball under her mask. It went on for the entire time I was in the store. Ok, maybe it wasn’t covid-19. Maybe it was allergies or a normal run of the mill cold but seriously? Everyone moved away from her. The drive-through was not busy. She could have used that if she needed her fix. Common sense folks. You can create a stampede with a cough.
Speaking of strange medical things – Occasionally during normal times, my skin breaks out. I have a skin routine and sometimes if it gets bad, I’ll get a treatment at the dermatologist. Despite all the stress of 2020, my skin has never been healthier. No breakouts despite wearing a mask when I’m out. Nothing makes sense this year! Nothing!
I started packing – The thing about packing is you are cleaning out at the same time but you can’t quit. Eventually everything has to fit into boxes to be carted to a new house. When I started I was thinking maybe this or that would work at the new house. Before you know it, if it didn’t fit in the damn box I tossed it. I have a couple of piles – donate to unsuspecting strangers, things that I will make family or friends take and real junk. I feel like I’m opening a time capsule.
Something I learned packing – You are walking through a wormhole into a different dimension. My life is different. Some of my dishes are large for big gatherings. I don’t do that anymore. Some have to be hand washed. Those were forced on family. Sometimes the decision to get rid of something is easy and sometimes we fight it. It’s like the candlewax that I moved four times before I gave it to a friend. There was a time I made candles but that is in the very distant rear view mirror with no interest of ever visiting it again yet it took me ten years to shed that load. Slow learner.
Packing freaks out the cats – They know something is up but not quite what. We are boxing in the basement and each cat came down to gingerly walk around and smell everything. Since the boxes were from the liquor store maybe there was something to smell! Then again boxes…cats…maybe they thought they were in heaven.
So how was your week?
I would be up a creek if I had to pack up. There are dishes and glassware not used in eons and they just remain on the very high shelves since I would have to climb up to retrieve them – not practical. I only entertain myself – not much entertainment there. My mom loved soft-boiled eggs – me, not so much. I ordered four egg cups from a catalog years ago- they are ceramic and look like half an egg and they stand on short legs with feet. Good thing they don’t take up much room as I look at them sometimes – no, can’t get rid of them, though I’ll likely never eat a soft-boiled egg in my lifetime. I only had soft-boiled eggs to be polite and not dirty a frying pan. 🙂
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Although I love eggs in most every form, I do not like soft boiled eggs. My mom did too but we didn’t have special dishes for them.
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Same here – I like any kind of eggs. When we had soft-boiled eggs, I had to leave mine in a few more minutes so it wasn’t runny. Mom would say “who wants a soft-boiled egg that is not dippable with your toast?” Me. 🙂
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Well, if you want dippy eggs (which I do like) you should fry them! In butter of course! Or maybe bacon grease that’s even worse! 🙂
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I absolutely hate packing for a move.
But once it’s done – I love the organization and the purging.
Sending good packing vibes your way! 😀
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Yesterday I tossed a stack of cookbooks. I had cleaned out the ones I didn’t like a couple years ago so it was a hard purge. The reality is that I use the same recipe all the time and if I want something different I go to the internet so having a lot of cookbooks I never used was useless. Still hard though!
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Cats do like their boxes. That lady was rude to go into a place when she had a cough. Thanks for the kind words you left for me on the loss of Jinx. XO
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I miss my Mollie. They stay in our hearts forever.
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I’ve been having fun browsing some of your older posts I didn’t have a chance to read on a more timely basis. Your writing is always entertaining in one way or another. Thank you for some lively reading!
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Thank you so much! It’s always nice to get a compliment.
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Thank goodness that I haven’t had to pack up a house for years. Of course that means I have more stuff here and there, but you’ve inspired me to be better about letting things go.
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I thought I was better yet I found 5 crockpots. One of which was old enough to have grandchildren! Lots of expired dates on products too.
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I guess there is a benefit to not having a basement. Lots of that stuff would become out of sight, out of mind.
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Exactly! If you don’t need the space you don’t clear it out!
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“nothing makes sense” So true. It’s the year of nothing making sense. Packing just intensifies the “worm hole to another dimension”…really is time travel ( and I am dreading it…it would make sense to go ahead and start shedding stuff…but this is the year nothing makes sense!)
Glad you’re making progress and have some time.
The cats probably do suspect..and hope you realize they are expecting a big time Christmas with lots of presents like catnip and feathery toys to bat in all those boxes.
Jingle on
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They are hoping we keep some of those boxes too!
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The cats probably think they have stumble on surprises for them: cat caves and cat tunnels galore!
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Gracie in particular loves hidey spots. Today she took down a basket and took a nap in it.
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I like your header picture.
I have things in my closet and drawers that I have boxed and carried around several times. I never use them and never will. I can’t decide if it is a sentimental feeling or that I’m just too lazy to get rid of it all.
My husband is even worse. But we have been saved several times because he didn’t toss some old paper from years ago.
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Let me edit that about the header picture. I now see many different pics. All cuter than the others.
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That’s always the fear. At least now most things are on line so I’ve gotten rid of a lot of books and paper statements. Mostly it’s the old hobbies and cooking stuff that needs tossing. I’m getting rid of a crock pot that’s old enough to have grandchildren. I upgraded years ago but didn’t toss the old one because it still works. My header is a series of rotating pictures of the cats so I never know what people see.
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We use our crock pot twice weekly and every Thursday.
All good pictures! You might put a “surprise picture” in there some time and see if anyone comments or just silently blushes. 😉
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Like a cat butt? 🙂 I use the crock pot too but not as frequently as you do. I still have 3 all different sizes.
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YES! lol
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When I see more than a box or two, I think it’s a trap. Like I’m about to be ambushed and taken to the vet or something equally awful, like moved.
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I’m sure that’s what they are thinking!
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I hate moving. But my best experience with moving was when I did a deliberate downsize. For a good while after I felt so much lighter. All the stuff is like weight. It’s hard to downsize but the end result is wonderful.
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I always worry that something I’m tossing will work in the new place and it never does. I have kept a coffee table from my last house. It’s a sleigh and I love it but it was too big for here. I’m sure I can use it there. I may get rid of my dining room furniture but it’s really beautiful and I love it. As Marie Kondo would say, it brings me joy. However our trash is monumental these days.
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I like your description of opening up a time capsule. I’m sure I have lots of time capsules to open, and I’m dreading it. I’m not moving, but I do need to weed out. I’ve lived in this house for 17 years. It’s the longest time I’ve lived anywhere.
My mom must have lived in her house for about 40 years. She had lots of hobbies and saved all the necessary component parts. My sister and I packed for her, and it took ages. I don’t know how many times she objected that she might need the thing we wanted to get rid of.
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When my mom died, I cleaned out her house. She had paint that was old enough to vote!
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My husband has sneezing fits. He’s had them for years and years. If he sneezes once, I know it’s going to happen another 6-10 times. I’ve told him if he feels the first one coming on, he better get outside or someone will call 911 to have him picked up. 🙂 Good luck on the packing. Does Starbucks have your photo on the wall as their best customer? They should. 🙂
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Sadly they don’t but they know me by name!
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Moving and packing really are just hard. Unless you’re a minimalist, or moving is something you do a lot, it’s a serious chore! Hang in there!
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I haven’t moved in 17 years so it’s hard. Today I cleaned out a lot of stuff. Our recycling container has been overflowing for over a week now.
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I bet! The last time we did a big move, we wound up getting a dumpster and filled it twice! As well as forcing a lot of stuff on friends and family members and giving a lot to charity.
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We are on our way there. No dumpster but the trashmen will earn their keep over the next few weeks.
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I was (fortunately) sitting in the car in a parking lot, and I watched a guy take off his mask to sneeze. It makes sense in some respects: I mean, who wants a wet mask full of your own sneeze? But on a whole other level, even though it was in a parking lot, I still thought it was thoughtless. Keep the mask on while you sneeze! – Marty
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Did he at least sneeze in his elbow? Not a good time for any of that!
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You are smart to get packing before you have that drop dead date. The last time we moved (24 years ago) I was 5 months pregnant and had two small kids. We tried to do it all in one weekend, taking no time off work. Mistake! No purging was done.
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I packed what I can but it’s too early to back essentials so I purged a lot. Expired products, things we don’t use anymore or won’t need where we are going. Our trash is going to be overflowing for the next couple of weeks.
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Wearing mask makes my nose run like a dripping faucet and a coughing fit. I’ve cleared the grocery aisle from coughing. Oh well.
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Maybe it is from the mask. Allergy?
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I am one of those women who sometimes hacks up a hairball in a public place. I can’t predict it and I do my best to avoid it by trying to keep my throat moist by chewing gum or sucking on a mint when I am in a store. But despite my best efforts, it can happen and the more I try to quell the cough the more intense it gets and my throat actually starts going into spasm. It can get so bad that tears stream down my face (and snot streams from my nose – thankfully behind my mask!) and I can’t catch my breath. I wish the floor would open up and swallow me when this occurs, especially now. It’s happened to me twice in public since the pandemic started. I’m not sick so I can’t explain what causes this. I thought it might be allergies…but lately I found out I have a hiatal hernia and this can also contribute (acid from stomach irritating the throat). I feel for the woman you encountered. I’m almost 100% certain she couldn’t predict this would happen and felt terrible that it did.
Deb
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I suspected that she didn’t have covid but she did get everyone excited. She was already hacking when I came in so I don’t know if it started after she ordered. It’s a really bad time for spasms. I can get them but very rarely and it’s usually in a place where the air is very dry.
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Unlucky me, it comes on me quickly and with no warning and I am usually far from an exit or a bathroom when it happens so I have no choice but to deal with it where I am. I end up apologizing and reassuring anyone nearby when I can speak again. So far people have been gracious.
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I get it in the middle of a walk. I walk without water or anything to drink as I only go out for 30 to 40 minutes at a time. Sometimes you just lean against a tree and pray to die.
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Masks just make my nose run after a short while – it drives me crazy. And I feel like my vision is wonky – why masks seem to complicate me using is a mystery. I just try to move fast and get out to the car quickly as possible – people are so worried right now.
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Just about anything makes my nose run these days, including mask-wearing. I call it “old lady nose” and I now understand why I found tissues in the pockets of every jacket and sweater belonging to my late mother! 😁
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As we get older we understand our moms so much better! 🙂 There have been a lot of revelations in the past few years.
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Packing up is a good lesson in (a) organization and (b) letting go. Two things I’m clearly deficient in. I can’t think there is any amount of coffee/caffeine that would keep me in a store where a coughing fit was unfolding. At least not without making some sort of scene at the offender. Good grief-I swear we have lost our minds and our sense of common consideration and decency! I wouldn’t have done that even before the panDAMNic.
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I likely would have stepped out until it subsided. SB is the only place other than the grocery store where I go in and our numbers are so bad I even think twice about that.
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Sounds like you’re making real progress, Kate. Like life, packing is a process . . . you can only pack one box at a time. Good luck!
We have moved 10 times in the past 40 years. And every time I’m surprised at the accumulated detritus in our life, especially since we’ve been downsizing and clutter busting for over 20 years. Socks are about the only thing that disappear on their own.
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Like you I am always decluttering or so I think. It’s a big surprise when I have to pack what I have. Yes on socks.
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Andy lives to get rid of stuff, but he’s never gotten the hang of actually starting a project such as going through the kid’s drawers and pulling out everything that doesn’t fit. He was good about taking boxes to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, but then I learned how sadly transphobic those organizations are. A friend’s church does donations to Native Americans in need and that’s where we donate now.
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I’ve gotten to the point where I will donate to anyone who picks up especially now. Clothing is the easiest thing to downsize. Interests come and go but the clutter they create seems to stay. I think my husband had every Times Life book series on anything he was interested in. In truth we mostly go to the internet for information now.
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I dread having to move. I know it is silly but I enjoy weeding in the garden so if I need to sort out stuff I do an hour’s weeding first. It is silly I know what plants I want but not which kitchen gadgets.
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I know. I always think that some things may change when I move and I’ll use different stuff than I do now. I haven’t moved in 17 years so that doesn’t help either. Another layer of useless stuff to sort through.
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OhMyGosh, so funny… “if it didn’t fit in the damn box I tossed it”… I wish I’d had that gem of a plan when I was packing! You crack me up!
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As the day got longer I got very weird. I threw out my Chinese painting supplies. All of them. I had taken classes in the late 80s. The paint was probably hard and if I haven’t done it in 30 years it’s unlikely I’ll do anytime soon. I’m still undecided about my cookie cutters. I don’t make cut out cookies. What to do, what to do.
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I am still on the couch giggling and getting ready to read your post to SSNS.
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🙂
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It’s been over 20 years since I moved but I remember it being fairly easy at the time…..keep this, dump that, box the good stuff up and move. I’m SURE my next (last) move will be hideous. But I also think that by the time I do THAT move, I won’t be quite as attached to my “stuff” – we have no family – and our friends are the same age as we are and feel the same way about “stuff”. It’s very freeing getting rid of things (and you also have more room for new things if you get rid of the old!).
Hugs, Pam
p.s. I agree that naps are a GOOD thing……..!
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I know all that in my head but sometimes when it comes to practice, I’m not as good. I could easily pack for someone else. I’m looking at this as my last move (unless there is a nursing home in my future and that move won’t count at all) so anything that doesn’t work at the new house is history.
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Attagirl!!!!
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I’m a slow learner, too, when it comes to “letting go.” I knew I needed to do something during the last move. I realized that the boxes of “might need that one day” stuff that I had moved from one basement to the next and then to the next had never been opened. To the curb, they went.
Really odd, but in a good way, about the skin improvement. We are funny beasts, eh?
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This will go down as a very bizarre year for us in many ways.
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Sending you good energy. Packing to move is a bitter0sweet experience. But you WILL get through it. Pace yourself and take naps. Naps are a good thing.
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Since I’m much older than any of my other moves, I’m finding that 5 hours working on it is just about my limit. Even that is pushing it. Yesterday when I was done, I sat in a chair and in 5 minutes I was fast asleep! We haven’t sold our home so we don’t have a drop dead date we have to get out.
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