2nd Storage, Guest Room and Front Closet

 

We had to pause and jump ahead to place Tigger's litter box and we finally settled on the front door closet.  We didn't want it just out in the livingroom or diningroom and we had to move it from the guest room.  

So we paused took everything out from the closet, purged and sorted.  Washed the walls and carpet and then placed her box with the litter catcher in front.  Since she is very insistent the litter is cleaned after she is done her business we have no worries about smell or anything else.  We clear it once she is finished.  She got pushy about that once she turned 10.

Once we finished moving that out of the guest room we turned our attention to our linen and blankets.  They were in the guest closet and dresser but needed a new home so it could be DD's room.  

The middle storage closet was emptied and we had a plan where we wanted to put linen and blankets.  The other stuff worked around it with a lot of purging.  Hubby has passed on a lot of tools and work benches because that is not something he wants to do anymore.  One of the last things he made was these shelves in the closet to hold our stuff.  He always said it was not a big deal but I think he did a great job making those shelves. 

Each closet was a day each.  When we finished we were done for the day.  Finally the guest room was emptied and ready to be made into DD's room.  We planned to take all pictures down so that when her's arrives she can put up what she wants.  We plan on putting in a litter box for her cat and food and perhaps a condo so that when Licorice arrives she will have a safe space to calm down, rest and recover from travelling in the cargo area of the plane.  The space where DD is turned out to be too small for Licorice and so she has to be in cargo.  We plan on introducing the cats very slowly as both are use to being alone.  

The closet was now empty and the curtains all washed.  The only apartment thing that will be in her closet will be the A/C unit when it comes out of the window for the season as it is the only place it will fit.  She can always set her shoes on it.  

 Under the bed was cleared as well and the walls washed and the window too.  Bed was made and we picked up some extra pillows for her since none of her stuff will be here until the middle of October or so.  

Lastly, the carpet was washed and cleaned so the room is now changed from a guest room to a room that DD can settle in and make her own until she gets back on her feet.  

Onward and upward, only one more storage closet and then the big job of the kitchen which now takes several days to do.  

Have a great Monday!

 

1st Storage Area - Water Heater Closet then Bathroom

 

Once we finished our bedroom we moved to a small project.  It is important not to feel overwhelmed with just all the big stuff.  This cupboard had a lot of junk that needed sorting plus the workout bench.  Paper products and the carpet washers and cleaners were in the guest room closet.  That needed to move so it would be a closet for DD.  

We cleared and purged the top shelf from all extra stuff.  Bathroom stuff went into the bathroom.  The workout bench had been put into our room to make it easier for our workouts.  That made space for all the vacuum stuff to go into this cupboard. Of course as you can see the paper products went onto the top shelf.  

Of course, before everything was placed in here the walls were washed along with the shelf, the water heater and the carpet below.  

This was a quick morning job and gave us a lot of satisfaction getting stuff out of the guest room and purging a lot of the stuff that one just stuffs someplace for now.  

Next day we moved onto the bathroom.  

This room is a little trickier as being small only one person can really work in here at a time.  So, since hubby and I work super well together as he loves the main washing, cleaning part and I love the sorting purging part we could work in separate areas.  

I pulled everything out and into another room to sort and purge.  Checking expiration dates on over the counter stuff as well as stuff we no longer use (non-medical stuff).  The drawers and cupboards got washed out and put back with everything being put in a better order.  That included the things that were stuffed in the water heater closet because there was now room for those things.  

I cleaned pictures and mirrors while hubby did the walls and floor.  Once again this was a single day job, a bit longer than the storage closet but certainly not more than a few hours.  

So, that meant one bedroom, one storage cupboard and the bathroom purged, cleaned and finished.  

I made a Meatzza pizza for supper that night just to celebrate a great start to the fall cleaning.  

And so that is it for today with more of the fall purge/cleaning tomorrow.

A Break for Lunch

 

We got our second chance to get together with my sister and her wonderful hubby for lunch once more.  

We did it last year and this year was the same fun time.  They come up to this area either for a gig or just vacation and cross the border in Windsor and we head out from Simcoe and drive down to meet them at this Kelseys behind us and have lunch/supper.  It is so great to spend time with them both and catch up on all the news even to the point of chatting about favourite movies and tv shows.  For us it is a nice drive to Windsor as the traffic lightens up on the 401 after London and we take the back roads till we get pass London traffic.  After a several hour lunch we head out in opposite directions, they heading back to Florida with stops along the way.  We share our locations on google maps so we watch as we get farther apart once more with promises of getting together soon.  

We had hoped for October around Norfolk County Fair time but the hurricane Helene has changed those plans with lots of damage to their area and they are not able to get home except by boat if they rent one so they are busy assessing the damage and cleaning things up - no trips for awhile.  

I really do think we are so blest to have video chats that are basically free from the days of long distance calls that you had to wait until after 6 pm and still it cost a fortune if you talked too long.  

Morning walks are still on with my foot no longer bothering me although this week I had smelled smoke just past our corner store and thought at first that someone had started their fireplace pretty early but as I was walking down this tiny side street I saw where the smell was coming from.

 It was still smoldering on Friday and it does look like work has begun to clear all the mess.  Pretty sure that it is a complete loss, I truly hope they had house insurance it will never cover such a sad loss but at least it will help.

 One side doesn't look so bad but the other is completely gutted and black.

Anyway, I will be getting back to the purging and cleaning story but wanted to take a moment to mention having a lovely time with my sister and my sad discovery on my morning walk.  

Hope you have a lovely Saturday.

  

The Incentive

 

So hiding behind this large leaf is our reason for our fall cleaning.  Mind you, we really needed one because while taking care of Mom's place and such we kinda left our home to the basic weekly clean and really didn't go that deep.  

After our DD and her boyfriend broke up and she spent time on her own and with her Florida family she realized that she missed home and being closer to us.   She decided to move back to Ontario from British Columbia.  We were pretty happy to hear that plan because really we did miss her a lot but tried to be as supportive as we could.  After talking it over with hubby we were happy to offer our guest room for her to stay when she moved back until she got back on her feet and settled back into Ontario.  It would make it easier than jumping into a situation that might not work out for the best.  Our home would give her the space she needs to make smart moves.  So it was time to do the fall cleaning and making the guest room empty and ready for DD to move some of her things there so that she could feel at home with us and not just a guest waiting to move.  

The guest room was pretty full with the computer, storage stuff, Tigger's litter and pretty much anything that didn't fit some place else.  Now when guests came Tigger's box moved into our room but that would not work on a full time basis so that meant each and every room had to be looked at, cleaned and purged so that DD and her kitty had a place to stay.  

We started in our room.  I know it looks odd but hubby's back likes the floor better than beds so we adapt.  Walls were washed, windows and curtains cleaned.  Closets and dressers were cleared and cleaned and purged.  One nightstand moved into the guest room and the narrow dresser and large dresser were swapped out so that DD would have a proper nightstand and dresser.  

Hubby's workout bench moved into the room and so did Tigger's carrier which she likes to sleep in from time to time.  We soon found her there sleeping so moving it was a success.  

This clearing out took several days which was expected since neither of us are spring chickens.  We also planned to do a big area and then a small area so that we wouldn't get overwhelmed.  

And so it began... and more to come.

Yup, purging them too - LOL

Til next time.

Hey There - I'm Back

 

Hello Family and Friends!

I know it has been pretty much the whole spirng and summer since I had anything to write about in life and of course I was letting my hands get a bit better.  They will never be 100% but they are not bad.  As you can see from the photo I am back out for my early morning first thing walks.  I have kept the time to just 30 minutes but that is the perfect amount of time to get juice in the joints for the day.  

So many things to write about once more and at first I thought this would just overwhelm the first entry and then of course I caught my breath a realized that I can make lots of post as I want to.  

Overview of things going on is that we have done a full fall cleaning and purging of our home to prepare of our DD to be returning from BC and staying with us until she gets back on her feet and settled into the area.  Got mom's stuff settled and done as well.  All those detail things I will go into a lot more as well as exploring more too.  I think DD is going to be a huge help for us to get out and about once more and out of the rut we kinda fell into.  I do think part of the rut was because both hubby and I were tired from all the care we put into mom's stuff and needed to rest.  

 I saw this house along my morning walk.  I was really impressed with the size of the giant skeletons and how well they were set up.  To me, it seemed done and simple which I always like.  

At the end of the week I banged my toe hard enough to think that I might have broken it so I had to forgo my early morning walks for a few days.  Lucky for me I found that it was just badly bruised and after three days of rest I was able to get back out for my early morning 'juice in the joints rosary walk'  

I went by the skeleton house again to find that they were not going to keep it simple and it had been added to.  I was impressed by the two displays but sad that it was not the simple display anymore.  

 As you can see lots going on now.  I was very impressed by the detail but thought each on could have stood on it's own but then again that is my taste when it comes to decorations.  

So here I am back again and ready to write as well, so I think you will see me a bit more often.  

Blessings

Alicia