Dirty dishes in the sink. I don't like to see that ... even more, I can't stand to see that! How many times do I have to ask people to NOT put their dirty dishes in the sink?
I pull them out and place them in some form of organization. Dirty cups here, dirty plates stacked up by size, bowls together, etc ... silverware! If there is some dirty silverware ALREADY placed in a container beside the sink and the silverware is facing downward ... can't you understand that you are to place your used silverware in the same container AND place it downward?
There is a method to placing clean dishes in the strainer to dry, also. Mom places the dishes in the strainer in such a way to make them easy to reach (if you should need to retrieve them), and also in a manner that allows for maximum dishes to be dried at one time. You see this system every day. You retrieve clean dishes from the strainer on a daily basis (often more than once a day) ... and yet, you are clueless as to how to use these methods when you wash the dishes. This irritates me. Is this a symptom of OCD?
And the kitchen towels ... please remember that there are specific towels, not to be confused with one another. There is the clean (current) dish rag (hanging over the sink) to use to wash dishes and to wipe up messes on the table or kitchen counters. There is the "water wiping" towel which hangs on the cabinet door handle to the right of the sink. This towel is for wiping/drying water only (except for water on the floor). The hand drying towel is located on the drawer pull just beneath the sink and to the right. And last of all, on the oven handle is the "old" hand drying towel from yesterday. This towel can be used for any spills on the floor. All of these towels are changed daily and are not to be used for any purpose other than their assigned purpose. This system has been in effect for YEARS .... but is still not ingrained into the minds of everyone. Is my towel regime a symptom of OCD?
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
I can dream, can't I ?
I thought about taking all the boxes of books I have to sell ... and donating them ... somewhere. The thought of not seeing the stacks of white banker's boxes in my dining room anymore .... awwwww... until my husband reminded me that he is out of work ... which means no income ... which means, I need to get back to listing and posting the books for sale.
Open Space
We have a vacant room in our house. I called an informal family gathering to share ideas for this open space. My daughter immediately said, without a blink of the eye, "I thought it would be your scrapbooking room." I noticed my husband wince. "Or a workout room," she added. He said "a workout room." Funny how no one asked me what I thought. So I spoke up and said I had some ideas too.
"It could be a guest room with a bed and our grandchildren could use it when they spend the night. We could put the toys and their things in there. Or we could put shelves from the ceiling to the floor and place ALL of our books in there. It could be our library. Or it could be our dining room. We could put our table and the china hutch in there." The wincing became louder with each of my suggestions.
It will become a workout room ... one of these days. My husband plans to pull up the carpet, scrape the popcorn ceiling, paint the walls and add some sort of special flooring. We have some exercise equipment already (that's the good part).
"It could be a guest room with a bed and our grandchildren could use it when they spend the night. We could put the toys and their things in there. Or we could put shelves from the ceiling to the floor and place ALL of our books in there. It could be our library. Or it could be our dining room. We could put our table and the china hutch in there." The wincing became louder with each of my suggestions.
It will become a workout room ... one of these days. My husband plans to pull up the carpet, scrape the popcorn ceiling, paint the walls and add some sort of special flooring. We have some exercise equipment already (that's the good part).
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Blah
I'm surrounded with STUFF ... everywhere, too much stuff. Stuff on counters, stuff on the table, stuff on the desk top, stuff in boxes, stuff on shelves, stuff on the floor, even stuff inside stuff. You can't see our fireplace because of stuff. I have to move stuff to be able to reach stuff. Good stuff is forgotten about because I can't see it. Good stuff may become stuff that "used to be good stuff" if it gets ruined because it was out. For example, our water crock (that sits on a kitchen counter) sprung a leak in the night. This morning a lot of stuff was water damaged. Some of that stuff is still sitting around this evening (even though it's already "no good" stuff).
We have stuff that doesn't work anymore, stuff that is missing a part, stuff that we enjoyed using (once or many years ago), stuff we intend to use some day, stuff that was a good deal, stuff that someone gave us, stuff that should be stored away, stuff that belongs to someone else, stuff that needs to be put away, stuff that should be thrown away, stuff that we don't know where we got it or what it is ... but it looks like a piece of good stuff, stuff to sell at a yard sale, stuff we bought at a yard sale and still have in the bag, stuff to fix, stuff to clean, stuff to file and stuff to return.
Do you know why model homes appear so spacious and so lovely? There's no STUFF in them. Think about it ... there's no stuff in the closets, under the beds, in the cabinets, in the garage, stacked on the floor, on the counters, on top of the toilet, around the bathtub, in the shower, on the floor of the laundry room, or at the bottom of the stairs! If you live in a house with a staircase you know darn well that there is STUFF at the bottom (and probably at the top) of the stairs. It's stuff that needs to go up (or down) stairs the next time someone goes that way, right?
We have stuff that doesn't work anymore, stuff that is missing a part, stuff that we enjoyed using (once or many years ago), stuff we intend to use some day, stuff that was a good deal, stuff that someone gave us, stuff that should be stored away, stuff that belongs to someone else, stuff that needs to be put away, stuff that should be thrown away, stuff that we don't know where we got it or what it is ... but it looks like a piece of good stuff, stuff to sell at a yard sale, stuff we bought at a yard sale and still have in the bag, stuff to fix, stuff to clean, stuff to file and stuff to return.
Do you know why model homes appear so spacious and so lovely? There's no STUFF in them. Think about it ... there's no stuff in the closets, under the beds, in the cabinets, in the garage, stacked on the floor, on the counters, on top of the toilet, around the bathtub, in the shower, on the floor of the laundry room, or at the bottom of the stairs! If you live in a house with a staircase you know darn well that there is STUFF at the bottom (and probably at the top) of the stairs. It's stuff that needs to go up (or down) stairs the next time someone goes that way, right?
Monday, August 23, 2010
Today
I don't function well in disorder. I live in disorder. The disorder occurs because things/stuff can't be put away, because there's no place to put it.
I wash my clothes. Some of the clean clothes can't be put away (don't ask). Those particular clothes stay in a laundry basket in my bedroom. My husband doesn't have space to put away all of his clean clothes either. Those end up in a pile on the floor on his side of the bed.
It's a vicious cycle. This (whatever it is) can't be put there because there (that space) is full of (whatever). Whatever can't be moved any place else because every where else is full. If you're not a hoarder, you don't understand how depressing this cycle is.
I live in disorder + I don't function well in disorder = I don't function well. That's my story. I don't like it, but I continue to live it.
I wash my clothes. Some of the clean clothes can't be put away (don't ask). Those particular clothes stay in a laundry basket in my bedroom. My husband doesn't have space to put away all of his clean clothes either. Those end up in a pile on the floor on his side of the bed.
It's a vicious cycle. This (whatever it is) can't be put there because there (that space) is full of (whatever). Whatever can't be moved any place else because every where else is full. If you're not a hoarder, you don't understand how depressing this cycle is.
I live in disorder + I don't function well in disorder = I don't function well. That's my story. I don't like it, but I continue to live it.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Blue Monday
This is a melancholy morning. Last Friday was the last day that I babysat three of my grandsons. Starting today, I will have just one (of the four). The little one I will be caring for is in preschool four mornings a week. I will have him in the afternoon. My daughter started school today. Yesterday we put our dog down. It's so quiet in the house.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Something New in My Life
I am babysitting grandchildren (one to four boys) everyday, Monday through Friday. I have them for up to ten hours a day. The fact that I can manage this task, is remarkable. I couldn't have done it last year, or even six months ago. It is a sign of much progress in my recovery.
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