Even the garden is saying 'enough already.' We may have a bit of a break in the rain today -- just itching to get out there and pull some weeds and get things in shape again.
Pom-pom central. It looks like a winter-time scene, doesn't it? June. Crazy.
Ah. My clean closet. Just -- let's see -- five or six others I should also clean out.

Won't be getting to it this weekend, though. Catching up on other stuff today and then tomorrow's the Confederations Cup final. US v. Brazil. It's an odd feeling -- we went in to the US/Spain game believing that the US had no hope and looking forward to seeing Spain continue on to win the whole thing. Now that the US team has done the unthinkable and beaten Spain, we wonder about Brazil (even though we lost to them in the early rounds). Well, even to take 2nd place would be an amazing accomplishment so we'll enjoy the match no matter what. Aside from the bloody vuvuzelas.

Here comes the sun? Please?

I don't live in Seattle, nor anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. This is by choice. Oh sure, there's a lot to recommend the area, and I've enjoyed visiting (my mom lives in Seattle and my sister's in a town outside the city). But the weather. Oy. I'm not cut out for all that dreary rainy misty cloudy weather.

I understand from my mom that they've been having an unusually dry, sunny spring. I think that's because all the rain is HERE. In New England. Where it is not supposed to be. Where I suspect we're having a record for spring rain. And gloom. Have we seen the sun more than 5 times in the past month? I'd be surprised.
Not that there aren't discoveries to be made, walks to be taken, activities to go forward with despite the rain. But really. I could do with a little bit more exposure to the sun.

Meanwhile, Dean and I have been doing our best to take advantage of the lack of other things to do. I (drum roll, please) cleaned out the tupperware/appliance closet yesterday, took Dean's outgrown clothes in to a resale shop, and got the car inspected (we're forced to do this every year in Massachusetts -- a very inconvenient racket). I'm going to vacuum and wash all the first floor of the house today. Really I am. After Dean's done with his computer time. I'm caught up on laundry AND ironing. Wonders, apparently, shall never cease.

I need to take pictures of the pom-pom pet Dean made for Ken for father's day; he talked me into getting him this book
and he's got plans for many more. Good stuff. Every child should, I believe, go through a pom-pom phase -- they are just so easy and rewarding to make.

With that I think I'll put on some music and do a little crafting myself. Before I do more cleaning.

Flashback Friday

To be honest, I am not entirely sure how a photo of James Whitmore came to be in my possession. This wardrobe still was for the production of The Great Diamond Robbery (a movie I haven't seen, but perhaps I should check it out). My grandfather on my dad's side was in fact a movie still photographer, but he worked in Chicago and I don't want to claim he worked on that film, but it might be the answer as to how this got tucked in with other family photos (a colleague may have given it to him?). When people hear "movie still photographer" they generally think of publicity stills that are used in advertising (and that used to go up in glass-fronted cases at the movie theater to advertise upcoming films). But wardrobe and set still photography (the work my grandfather did) was intended to keep an exact record so that actors could be dressed, and sets could be prepared, exactly as they had been during the last filming for continuity. Every detail of Mr. Whitmore's collar, and pocket handkerchief, and boutonniere had to match day-to-day as they filmed -- so stills were taken.

Meanwhile, I'm at work at my own year-in-review-in-photos that I hope to be able to post in the next few days. I'm chosing one photo per month and am chosing things that I don't believe I've posted previously, mostly as my own exercise in remembering the highlights and details of 2008. The great clean up continues around the house, although not with quite the same energy nor enthusiasm (yet). And baby, it's cold outside. Just had to say it. Our driveway is under a solid inch-plus coating of ice. I'm trying to focus on why I need the winter, on what it does for me, what it reminds me, how it shapes me. I know I'd miss it if it were gone, so I'm trying to appreciate it rather than resent it.

Clean and shiny: during, day 2

Well.

Yesterday went south on me with a trip to Ken's parents; I thought we'd be back in time for me to do a little more and post again, but no such luck. I'm at it again today, though, with big plans and some fiddle music on to get me hopping (Traditional Fiddle Music of Kentucky -- Up the Ohio and Licking Rivers; available on iTunes).

1:02 p.m. I'm at my least favorite point in this whole business; lots of stuff necessarily pulled apart to be sorted out and cleaned, but in process that creates an even bigger mess. If you don't think I've made progress, check out the 'before' picture and get back to me. I just have miles to go before I sleep. So far today I haven't had anything other than 2 cups of coffee and a banana, and Ken's convinced me to take a lunch break by making my lunch so I'll be back shortly.

4:12 p.m.


Not 100% done, but it feels 100% better (if that's possible; conversational mathematics not my specialty). The stack on the ironing board isn't nearly as high as I thought it would be. I can both work on projects and continue to clean, so no time will be wasted in here (she said, optimistically). I'm tired now, and utterly, utterly shocked that the 2 week winter vacation has ended. Too bad it's just been Christmas because I do feel about ready to face it now.

Did you see all Helen got done? And she's trading, and giving away over there so you should definitely take a look. Now, to the dishes....

Clean and shiny: during

Good morning! This is the start of a day (well, it's really going to be two days) of cleaning up and finishing up, shared by Helen over in England, Natalie in California, perhaps by Gina in South Wales (if she decides to start her redecorating project), and by Laura Jane in spirit (but it's waaaay too hot in Australia just now to be cleaning up a small room). If you'd like to check something off your to-do list, why not say so here and get in on the action?

I had to start by clearing off my desk top; my hope is that I can take more pictures from further back, soon, to show progress over the horrors that I posted yesterday for your viewing pleasure.

I'll update this post as I go.

Progress: 9:27 a.m.
I can walk to and from my computer table unimpeded! That desk top surface is (still) clean!

The sewing table has been cleaned! I won't get to the vacuuming until tomorrow, most likely, when more of the general cleaning has been done.You might feel that my various shelves and bookcases are not tidied up to your liking. I understand. I've learned, however, with these areas that are in constant use, there's no point beyond having things where they belong and accessible because if I neaten them all up to make everything fit perfectly, it comes undone the moment I take anything out and then I get discouraged.

How's your day coming along?

Next update: 11:02 a.m.
This is too. funny. So we've got to leave shortly to spend a Christmas visit with Ken's parents -- long story short, today's the day that got rescheduled. All week, I've been asking Ken to get his gifts wrapped. Didn't do it. Just now? He tries to set himself up at my newly cleaned sewing table to do his wrapping? Ah, no sir. Dining room table for you!

I'll be back this afternoon with more updates. Wish me luck with the relations.

Clean and shiny: before

I guess that in order to get clean, I have to come clean. Helen, my partner in "use as much time as you can this weekend to clean up or catch up on a project, knowing that you have a blog friend urging you on," insists that I must post my "before" photos, and I find myself generally doing what Helen tells me to do. I bet she has that effect on a lot of people.

Anyway, to my great shame I show you the condition of my craft room (aka the spare bedroom). Let me say in my defense that it is the universal place that Ken and Dean dump things that they don't know what to do with (but that, ah, generally belong to me) and also the room where all the Christmas presents got wrapped and where all the ironing goes to lie in wait until hell freezes over or I get to iron (whichever comes first).


This photo (above) is particularly sad to me, since I had this whole business cleaned up earlier in the year but it didn't stay that way "forever," as I had intended.
Yes, actually, I DO have to climb carefully over quite a bit to get to the computer -- thanks for asking! Know anyone who needs a bed rail in perfect condition? Dean outgrew the need for this one ages ago.
You get the picture. Natalie says she's going to pick a clean-up project to join in, and Gina has a bedroom redecorating project that she said she'd trade me for (but that was before she knew the size of my mess). Please do go give them some encouragement, too, and let me know if you'd like to join in with a project of your own.

Meanwhile, I have continued my sewing projects from Christmas; I finished the new robe for Dean today and will try to get him to model for me tomorrow, and I made Biscuit's stocking (only way to be sure we'll be ready for next year). I see I'll have to straighten that cuff a bit, and of course Biscuit will have to try to be good enough to deserve anything in his stocking next year.

[Edited to add: this is, of course, exactly why I get myself into such trouble. On January 2, I'd rather spend time making a stocking for a dog than cleaning my house or ironing or putting laundry away or doing any of those much more legitimate tasks. The first step is admitting that you have a problem.]

Flashback Friday

This happy little new year's baby is Louise Morhoff, and the photo was taken around the turn of the last century. She's from my great-grandmother's photo album. The Morhoff's seem to have been friends; it's not a name I'm familiar with and I don't believe they are related to us. Interestingly, my great-grandmother seems to have been more careful to label the photos of people who weren't family -- makes sense since you know you won't forget your own family members as you look through an album and it's just difficult to imagine that any future family member wouldn't know everything you know about who's who in the family. Anyway, this little winter time baby seemed just right for welcoming the new year.

What are you doing tomorrow? Care to join me and Helen in getting some tasks checked off your to-do list? Pick a project, take "before" photos if so inclined, and post updates during the day as you get your work done -- and let us know about it in the comments section here (I'll include a link in tomorrow's post if you do want to work along with us). We did this once before and although I should be too ashamed to admit it, I've got the same problems to tackle this time (meaning, I didn't keep it up after getting it in shape). However, hope does spring eternal.

Flashback Friday

First day of school, September 2002

First day of school, September 2008

So, okay, where did my baby go? How did all this happen, and how did it happen so quickly? Dean is finishing up his first week back to school and is loving it just as much, if not more, than he did when he first started. More, really -- loving it more.

I'm making the transition, too, back to all our routines and establishing the new ones we need. Not quite caught up yet but I feel good about the progress I'm making. Gosh but I love a fresh start.

Summer is still here in spirit, in weather, anyway. Natalie wrote beautifully about the Southern California summer and I have to agree with her that September here, too, feels more like summer than fall. I try to pick a favorite season but I never can; I think what I love most are all the transitions from one season to another. I love reveling in the tail-end of one and anticipating the next. I love the different feelings, foods, opportunities, holidays, skies, stars, and landscapes of each season. I love that today is kind of hot and sticky in a way I wouldn't love it the same in July, because today I can treasure it as amongst the last and know that cool crisp days are coming. My biggest challenge lately has been appreciating the season that's just passing for all that we DID do, and not seeing it only in terms of what we did not do -- and I am working on that.

I'm also trying to get on (stay on?) more of an efficiency kick, and to that end I'm going to go now and clean the upstairs bathroom and fold the piles of laundry and maybe (gasp!) even vacuum a little before going to pick up Dean and one of his friends from school. Gotta feed 'em and get 'em ready for and over to soccer practice later this afternoon. I feel lucky to be here now, to have these tasks to do (ok, I'd rather not clean the bathroom, but you know what I mean). I feel optimistic and hopeful and ready.

You can't get there from here

Early reports indicate that there could be signs of actual sewing, crafting, appearing here in the near future. Hope you don't give up on me before then. The closet Helen helped me to clean back in February had to be completely pulled apart again because of some work we had done on the house. One result is that the whole section of shelves are now shorter -- less deep -- so less stuff can go back on them. I'm telling myself I either need to DO something with some of that fabric or else get rid of it; I'll report back on how I make out.
We've compared the summer "fun things to do" list against the days remaining. Time to make choices and let go of the rest.
Another year, another sock tan line. Dean says he doesn't want to go to the beach because the beach we love in Maine is so much better than the beaches we can reach here in Massachusetts (Cape Cod has lovely beaches, but I'm not even going to attempt those in the summer since it would mean more time sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic than on the sand). I'm not sure that's a good reason not to go, but the reality is that there really isn't time to fit it in. Maybe I can talk the guys into a trip in October (September's already booked, can you believe it?) and we can take a nice long walk on a deserted beach and bring a thermos of hot chocolate. But in the meantime, we need to make the most of what we've got left.

Oh!

ABC-Along 2008 runs down toward the back half of the alphabet; here is the letter 'O' and
"'O' is for 'ocean.'" Both photos taken in Maine, in Acadia National Park.

This weekend we went into Boston to see, at Dean's request, "El Greco to Velazquez: Art during the Reign of Phillip III" at the Museum of Fine Arts. He'd seen a billboard for the show earlier in the month and was intrigued. I am so delighted when he has an interest in art and museum-going that I'm willing to have the experience in the way that works for him -- wandering through galleries, pausing and reading and looking when something catches his (or my) eye.

I do always steer him toward at least one gallery that I know he may not pick but that has things I know will interest him; he's interested in the Revolutionary War and Paul Revere so I brought him to see the collection of silver items made by Revere himself as well as Copley's portrait of Revere. Ken remarked that the gallery made the streets and neighborhoods of Boston come alive; it doesn't take long to see namesakes' portraits or work. It's a great exercise in a city to question who a street or neighborhood is named for, especially in an "old" city like Boston. This is one reason why I kinda hate the suburbs -- it's either names like "Elm" or "Birch" everywhere, or you get the streets named for the developer's family members ("Mindy Lou Circle").

Anyway, our day of culture was rounded out with a day of cleaning and the new atmosphere of minimalism is helping us clear out bags and bags worth of stuff. It's hard for me to let go sometimes; I am a collector, an archivist by nature. We work with Dean to clear out his room and closet of the things he no longer plays with and I see a childhood passing right by. I inadvertently made a smart move that's helped me -- I completely cleaned out the kitchen and got rid of the extraneous stuff on the counters. The result is that it feels great to walk in there, and so the room has become my reminder of the upside of downsizing. Someday -- soon -- I plan to have enough room to do some sewing again. The holidays are coming, you know.

A few things to share

I realized that my final post from yesterday now reads from the bottom up, which is a little confusing. Sorry about that! The end of day photos and comments are first, and then the last part is what I wrote at the start of the day.

One of many benefits of the clean out was coming across a few things I'd been looking for. One was a box of old photos I'd bought in Chicago -- a town where you still find lots of neighborhood junk/"antique" stores where you can pick up a nice stack of vintage photos for a few dollars. I'll share some over the coming days; for starters, here are a couple of great ones:


Next, I did post my letter form "C" to the ABC-Along:

I'm having trouble finding something out there that begins with the letter "C;" Dean keeps saying 'cardinal!' and I keep explaining how unlikely I will see one when I have my camera and am able to get close enough for a decent shot, but we'll see. I realized today that one unexpected result of my project will be a seasonal record of the year -- with luck by the time I am on "G" or "H" the pictures will start showing signs of spring.

If you're interested in receiving something from my clean up project (a quilting or sewing pattern? cross stitch kit? ribbon? fabric?) leave me a comment and make sure there's a way I can get in touch to get your address. I'm waiting to hear from some of the people who left me comments yesterday and hope to take some things to the post office tomorrow.

Clean up!

Be careful what you say to a lawyer; Helen's making me fess up about the fabric situation. These 2 photos were taken in my bedroom; the rest of the stash is IN the closet and in the attic. I've got tomorrow's work cut out for me.




Vast improvement:

Break time!




Good morning! It's 6:50 a.m. here, I'm finishing up my cuppa joe, and getting ready to spend the next 5 hours cleaning up in my craft room. I was doing some organizing yesterday afternoon and Ken said, "aren't you cheating?" -- no dear, it is not a contest, and it's going to take me way more than 5 hours to tame this beast. How about you? Have you got something you're going to work on today? Leave me a comment, hop over and see what Helen is up to, and let's see what we can accomplish today.

Natalie won the quilting book giveaway, and I can tell you already that I've got lots of stuff to send out into the world. Leave a comment today and be sure to include a method for me to contact you, and odds are good you'll end up with a little something.

Get cracking!

Countdown to clean up

Not the best photo, but I did accomplish a few things last year and one was finishing and hanging this quilt that I had, ah, begun as a baby quilt for friends who were expecting. The child is something like 16 years old now (we gave an alternate gift at the time) so it hangs in our bedroom instead. It is a true square, and the colors are richer/deeper, but there you go.

Are you joining me and Helen for clean-up day this Saturday, Feb. 9? I'll be here, posting from time to time between 7 a.m. and 12 noon EST; Helen will clock in on her blog from 12 noon to 5 p.m. on -- gosh, is it Greenwich Mean? Well, the time by the clocks in England, in any case. Let us know if you're catching up on some of your own projects -- cleaning, completing WIPs, whatever's your fancy. Helen sent me some inspiration in the form of chocolate-covered "mint cake" which is not really cake but more candy -- wonderful stuff.

I've shown you all my messes, and I have been making progress every day. Ironing the pile of linens that's been waiting (napkins, tablecloths, table runners, place mats), picking up, sorting out, throwing out, giving away as I go. Facing all the issues of how I get myself into this situation in the first place has been tough, but worthwhile. And I WILL still come clean on the fabric front -- just need a brighter day to take some better photos. For your information, the rest of my home is not a disaster; my issue is that I put my effort elsewhere, almost always, and rarely into taking care of things for myself. No more, I say. Well, I also say, given that we've got a puppy coming I'm yet again taking on something that will take me away from my own pursuits.... So it goes. Tell me what you're working on and what your goals are.

Progress and a puppy

We have a winner!

Beverly, whose birthday mojo is already clearly working, is the winner of the rubber stamps. The next item I am giving away is the book Seasons of the Heart and Home; Quilts for a Winter's Day which you may check out at Amazon and then come back and leave me a comment on this post by 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 7 if you'd like to be included in the drawing.

Fabric. Oh, fabric. Fabric will be coming -- both in terms of pictures of the bins of it all over my house, and in terms of some that I will give away in the spirit of cleaning up. I am proud to be able to report that I AM making interim progress and will have narrowed down at least somewhat my to-do list for next Saturday's transatlantic clean-a-thon.

Meanwhile, well, we got a puppy. We won't be bringing him home until the 15th; that's the start of 10 days at home for us. (New England schools typically get the third week in February off as "winter break" and then a week again in April for "spring break." Crazy, but we'll take it.) We've got about a million Legos to get up off the floor before the puppy comes home. We've been talking for the last few years about getting a dog, and Dean's upcoming 10th birthday (in April) was the incentive to go ahead. We all put a lot of effort into researching breeds and options, and settled on an Irish Jack Russell, which is the smaller, less hyperactive, less yappy and non-hunting relative of the Parsons or standard Jack Russell. It's one of those decisions that I know I will spend some time regretting, but the regret will be outweighed by loving the new member of the family. A dog changes everything, including the boy who grows up with one.

Week of shame, entry 4

Why is it so hard to move photos around in Blogger after you upload them? I can't get these two photos to switch places....

So then first is my computer table "nook" (which, just for your laughing pleasure, I would describe as being currently "cleaned up"):

And then here's Dean, working away on one of his projects on a bit of room I made for him on my "work table." This is where I set up my sewing machine when I'm using it. Especially late afternoons, as when this photo was taken, Dean likes to be with me in my craft room with each of us working on our own projects and generally listening to a story tape together. My computer table nook is to his right, the heinous closet mess is to the right of this nook, and the big scrapbooking table would be behind Dean and to his left.

Helen continues to give me the good, stiff advice I need, and I am very much appreciating all the suggestions and encouragement. I've already tipped my hand to Helen, but can anyone else identify what's been missing from all this mess? The supply you'd expect to be seeing more of, given the point of the original project? Tune in tomorrow....

Week of shame, entry 3

A close-up view of some of the shelves from yesterday's photo of the left-hand side of my closet disaster. Helen asked me if she spotted "polystrene baubles" and I'm wondering if that's another way of saying "styrofoam balls"? That's what they are, in any case, and they could go downstairs in Dean's craft closet. Well, yes, at this point his closet is nearly as bad, but I do take the time to clean his out a couple of times a year. But I'm not going there now, I'm just trying to stay a little focused.
And then this beauty is the right-hand side of the same closet. I've appreciated the advice about not getting caught up in projects and ideas as I clean. For me, the place I get stuck is when I pick something up and then have absolutely no idea what to do with it and end up walking around in circles. Even though it means greater pain before any gain, I think my game plan will be to take everything out and sort it into piles, decide what should be in this closet, put that stuff back in an orderly way, and with luck end up with a big pile of stuff to get rid of and hopefully a smaller pile of stuff that just needs to go elsewhere. Learning to get rid of stuff is big for me; I hang on to the "someday I may need this" mentality and forget that "someday" I may never be able to find the thing, or that my energy for making stuff is sapped by the mess so I'd be better off clearing stuff out and facing the possibility of replacing something I once had at the point I do need it. Another issue is that I feel I truly need a filing cabinet and yet I need to find solutions without one (no place to put it, and I'd rather not spend the money). With this project, too, I don't want to end up buying stuff to put stuff in (especially plastic stuff -- I honestly don't want more plastic coming in to my house) so I'm hoping to make use of what I have.

Week of shame, entry 2, some progress, and a giveaway

We move from one side of the room to another, this time to the closet, and the spill-over on the floor in front of it. A number of years ago, we had this closet totally fitted out with shelves, for me, so I could get "organized" and store my craft supplies. Yes, it IS as bad as it looks -- stuff in there willy-nilly, little or no organization at all, and of course the mess on the floor in front. I *may* spend all of my cooperative work day with Helen (see below) on the closet; haven't decided yet.
Now, this updated photo from yesterday has both good and bad points. The good, if you can see, is that I did go through and totally organize my rubber stamps -- there is now order to the shelves on the right. But now you can see what's under and around the table. Not good. Helen made me laugh out loud, really, with her comment yesterday ("I do query how many pairs of scissors with coloured handles a girl needs"); those are scrapbooking scissors and each cuts with a different blade for different decorative edge and they were a Christmas gift from Ken last year so there you go. But maybe I should check to make sure that they ARE all different....
Meanwhile, I've decided to use this opportunity to share the wealth (or get stuff out of my house, depending on your point of view). As I clean up and out, I will give away various bits and pieces. If you leave an encouraging comment on this post by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on this Saturday, February 2, I will draw one winner for this VERY eclectic assortment of rubber stamps. Some are cute, some are not, all are used, but all are still usable. I really appreciate the kind comments so far and I do hope you'll keep checking back and that you'll stop by on the big clean-up day which is February 9. You'll also want to hop over to see what Helen's working on that day as well.

Week of shame, entry 1

Helen is making me do this. Really, I am fortunate to have her friendship, because she is the kind of friend who is pushing me in the way I need to be pushed. She has worked out this great transatlantic method of getting me to get my act together so that instead of merely telling her all the time how impressed I am by how productive she is, she's going to get me in shape so that I can be productive, too.

Here's the story: last summer, I posted about a quilt I'd started years ago that I really wanted to finish. Helen gave me some friendly prompts -- how's that quilt coming along? Well, I did get a different project completed but sewed nary a stitch on that first one. And Helen was good enough to remember and to remind me about it recently. So I had to come clean: my craft room is such a horrific, out-of-control mess that I can't even find the fabrics I need to get going on that quilt. Helen proposed a cleaning/WIP day -- we'll pick 5 or 6 hours on a given day when, with the time difference, we'd both be home and able to work on our projects. We'll check in regularly via email on our progress, chat a little during some break times, and see what we can get accomplished. She thinks I'm exaggerating my mess. I said I'd start posting pictures here of JUST how awful things are so that I'd have the added pressure of public humiliation to push me forward.

This week, then, I'll show you the mess. Up there is my scrapbooking/card making/collage making table, and I've yet to show you the rat's nest underneath it. No surprise that I can't find supplies when I need them nor that I need to spend time pushing piles of stuff around just to scrape out a few inches of open space on the table before I can do anything. It's like that for every craft -- supplies scattered to the four winds and completely without organization so it's a chore just to find what I need, no space to do any work, and effort required to make room to do anything. It means I mistakenly buy things I already have (although less of this lately, since I haven't been buying) or finding too late the perfect thing for a project that's come and gone. But mostly it means years and years worth of WIPs, since if something doesn't get finished then it and its attendant supplies get pushed away in so many different places that it's almost impossible to bring them together again.

Wish me luck.