Archive for the ‘home’ Category

Binge and Purge

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

Today I’ve launched into spring cleaning mode. I purchased new cleaners yesterday, stacks of storage and organizational tools and today commenced my cleaning. I began with the kitchen, wiping down cupboards and window sills, cleaning off the many pieces of paper stuck to the fridge, cleaning under things that hadn’t been moved in some time and deciding to toss others.

I noticed yesterday that others had been purging as well. Cardboard boxes littered the lawns of many of the homes near us, the boxes typically featuring the word FREE on the side in black Sharpie and containing an assortment of junk that could possibly be considered treasure to someone else but was likely destined for the landfill.

I spent the afternoon cleaning various closets, purging items and packaging other items into storage bins to prepare them for storage in the basement. Other items that were too good to throw away, but no longer wanted by our family I sat down and posted on Freecycle. I’ve mentioned Freecycle before in other posts and I still swear it’s a wonderful way to encourage recycling and keep things out of the landfill until they’ve received their maximum amount of use. I’ve never received anything via Freecycle, but I’ve used it often to eliminate items from my home including a large storefront awning that was abandoned in our backyard when we purchased our home, and various bits of baby and kid stuff. If you haven’t yet tried Freecycle I really recommend it, especially during the spring cleaning season.

What do your spring cleaning rituals look like? Do you purge? Scrub down the house? Focus on the outdoor tasks? Or all of the above?

Do You Know Your Neighbors?

Friday, February 20th, 2009

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I’m sitting here watching my neighbors pack their belongings into a U-haul. I can only make the assumption that they are preparing to move out of their home. There’s been no indication before now that they’ve been intending to leave, the absence of a for sale sign in front of their house makes me wonder if the house is rental property. I could be nosy and go over there and start a conversation, but unfortunately I hardly know them. Other than a few rare occasions when they’ve brought us a piece of misdelivered mail we’ve never seen them up close. We don’t even know their name.

I realize that I don’t know any of my neighbors, and to some degree I find that unnerving. I grew up with neighbors that were close friends with my parents. They were included in family parties, took turns babysitting and shared fresh produce and meat. I know nothing of my neighbors. What a different world we live in!

I sometimes think back to the time that we moved into our home two and a half years ago. There was no welcome wagon, no neighbors coming to introduce themselves, baring casseroles as I’d always been told would happen. To be fair though, I didn’t go knocking on doors introducing myself either…even though I probably should have. While it seems a little late now to do so, I also wonder how many years I can live in a residence without at least knowing their name?

I wonder if others have had the same experience we have? Have the days of friendly neighborhoods raising children passed? Do we all prefer anonymity and isolation instead?

Ghosts of Christmas Past 2008

Thursday, December 18th, 2008

Here’s a link to last year’s post I did featuring photos from our previous Christmas’. All of the photos were in the digital era.

Here’s an update with photos from last year’s Christmas as we anxiously (some of us more than others!) await Christmas 2008.

Max Counts ALL the Christmas Candles

Catherine Wraps a Present for Papa

Catherine Wraps a Present for Papa

Catherine Studies the Tree

Catherine Studies the Tree

Decorated House

Decorated House

The Kiddos Build Their 1st Snowman

The Kiddos Build Their 1st Snowman

Cat & Papa with Aunt Pennies Gingerbread House

Cat & Papa with Aunt Pennie's Gingerbread House

Before Settling Down For The Night

Before Settling Down For The Night

Cookies and Beer for Santa

Cookies and Beer for Santa

Santa Came!

Santa Came!

Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning

Santa Brought a Train Table!

Santa Brought a Train Table!

Opening Stockings!

Opening Stockings!

A Race Track!

A Race Track!

Max Uses a Drill to Open His Presents

Max Uses a Drill to Open His Presents

The Kids Tear Into Presents at Grandmas

The Kids Tear Into Presents at Grandma's

We host our first Christmas Dinner

Family Plays Games at Our House. We hosted our First Christmas Dinner.

Will it really be fine in 2009?

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

2009

Last year I wrote this post about 2008. I wasn’t sure  what the year had in store for me, but I did know a few basic things. Overall it has been a good year, although admittedly the last month or two have been a bit rocky with budget woes at work.

This year I can think of the following:

  1. My baby will turn 3 years old on February 2nd! He is a real kid with personality, opinions and conversation!
  2. I will turn 31 on April Fool’s Day
  3. I will have a new niece or nephew in May! Yay!
  4. I will finally finish our statewide conference in April and remind myself not to ever sign up for such an endeavor again.
  5. Cat will begin kindergarten in September. Suddenly when I’m in a school building and see school aged kids they don’t seem so big to me anymore.
  6. Cat will turn 5 on October 1.
  7. Chuck will turn the big 35 on June 21st
  8. We will have been in our house for 3 years already. That’s usually the longest we ever stay anywhere…hmmmm..
  9. John will start his junior year of college
  10. Phil and Allison will celebrate their first wedding anniversary
  11. We will pay off several loans and one vehicle.
  12. My parents will be married for 52 years, my inlaws for nearly 40. Yikes!

There are many unknowns. I won’t say with certainty that I know about either one of our jobs, the economy is too rocky to make a steadfast prediction. Whatever 2008 brings I hope that I find the strength to meet the challenges ahead and that I enjoy the milestones along the way.