Getting My Prospective On

 The past couple of years of reading blogs has led me to do some comparing and in my mind I  did not always measure up as I wondered why I just couldn't get the things done that  I wanted to just like others were doing (this was a bad habit I developed very young as I compared my more athletic  5'2" self to the extremely tall and stick thin models on pages of Flare and Vogue).  And then it has finally dawned on me. Every person is so very unique in our physical and emotional being and while there are those who can go on 4- 6 hours sleep, there are also those of us who need 10 and some who are blessed with absolutely perfect health and some who have health challenges.  I am the later on both those parts and  cannot accomplish even with perfect health the same things as the 4-6 hour people  in a shorter time span.  So I will go easy on myself, especially now while I try to get back on my feet.

And so as of today I am done with that. I will be 47 years young in a few weeks and as an early birthday present  to myself, I am releasing my soul  from that mental energy robbing burden.

 Although my blog may not be a whirlwind of renovation checklists getting crossed off in record time for the world to watch in shock and awe,  it will be one that I can look back on and see just how far I have come and that will be the only gauge I will ever need from now on.

So in my new resolve, instead of stewing  about all the larger things that cannot be accomplished right now like painting a room etc I have opted to do some very light organizing.

Every time I open a cupboard that is jammed with stuff  that  should not be there or should have been pitched or donated I  loose a bit of myself mentally. It reminds me of my physical inability to keep on top of the day to day things. So  I tackled at a very leisurely pace (which I need to do so as to not over do it) of just one area per day, the mudroom cabinet, the basement stairway , and a kitchen cabinet and oh my gosh it feels so good.

I lined the mudroom sink cabinet shelves  and used baskets to organize laundry supplies and store onions and root vegetables

All this stuff came out of and will not return  to

 the bottom shelf of this kitchen cabinet

The basement stairway will one day get  built-ins and beadboard but for now this cabinet that was previously above our washer and dryer in the mudroom is recycled here  for great storage. Paint cans , beer empties, and everything else that never made it's way down to the basement had piled up below the upper cabinet and  after clearing it all I added a wipeable shelf liner.

Just a quick little sketch (not to scale) of the idea of new cabinets I want to do in this area.  One day when we get another pooch it will be a great dog food storage area. I will have to come up with a nicer way to disguise the lovely blue recycle bin though. 

I can't even remember all the stuff that was in here but now there is oodles of space for all my cleaning supplies and extra paper towels with room to stock up on more when I find them on sale. Someone once told me a wise person  never  ever pays full price for paper towel or toilet paper!  

Just a few screws to hang the often used items and I decided to keep a few tools on the ledge that we always seem to be looking for. My basket of plastic bags is wedged conveniently between the studs. It's not a necessarily a pretty site  but function first works for me right now.

Yikes! of course this is not an after shot, how awful, can you believe it has been this way for years. Love the original wallpaper, don't you?

oh and another! I have a feeling that this one may not look too much different after I'm done with it.

So tell me, do you have secrets in your closets or are you a Martha clone?

Have a great day!

Sandra