Turn Out The Lights!

First off, yes, it's a white Christmas tree. I know that it is a little tacky maybe, but, I like it. And yes, I put butterflies on it, red ones to be exact. And I like that too.

As usual for me, when I start a new endeavor, my brain races with a thousand other ideas that I should do. Heaven forbid if I only have one project at a time. All of the voices are constantly giving me the opinions of how to start, what to start, what to do first, how it should be done and so on. Each believing that they are more important than the others. All of them say they have all the angles on how I can do it all, and usually have me thinking, why not? Of course, I can do it all! After all, who do they think they are dealing with?

The one constant with all of them is that none of them tell me how to "complete" any one of the projects, let alone all of them. No suggestions of what would be the best way to stick with it or good strategies for completing any of them. The worse part is, they all know how I am. That I do have trouble with follow through and focus. That, when, I start one new task, I have an over whelming desire and need to start many. All of these great ideas are spewing out of my brain, and, in my opinion, they are all great and obviously need and should be done. Yep, all of them, all at the same time. That's what I do, I believe that I can and will do them all. The simple fact is, nobody, can do it all. A very sad realization that I am forced to come to grips with at times like this.

This time is no different. Once again, I have committed to several projects. This one, of course, signed up at the local gym, cooking and trying to eat more healthy, even raw once more. You would think that if you are eating raw, it would be simple. Nothing that is cooked, right? Nope, nothing is that simple! There is so much prep work if you want variety. Soaking this, marinading that, and then there is the dehydrating. It takes a couple of days to dehydrate most things. So, if you want variety, and believe me, you do, this takes fore thought, organization, and time. Anyway, back to the organizing.

My first task was the Christmas decorations, and get it done during my days off. I planned on getting them down and packed (neatly) away. I even went as far as to buy some of those large plastic totes, red for Christmas. I was very proud of myself, got the bins, starting packing, then I the other ideas starting creeping back into my brain. So I did what I always do, I stopped packing decorations and started making raw oatmeal and raw lasagna. I blame it all on my daughter, she is the vegan, and started this whole idea. I figured if I got all the prep work done, while it was all marinading and soaking, I would complete the original job of the decorations. And since I was trying to get this completed during my days off, I also had the usual chores to be done. The laundry, bills and housekeeping. Plus whatever other family stuff that comes up.

After long, long days off, I did finally get the Christmas decorations down and packed in my shiny red new bins, and put them out in the garage. Just barely in the garage, but technically they are out of the house and in the garage. (Which is another totally different project, at a later time.) The house looks bare, just like the tree after all the presents, that you worked so hard on wrapping, are gone from under it. All the lights off, the shiny objects put away, and the festive atmosphere gone. Strangely, I miss it. Not!

I feel good that I got my first task completed, finished. Yeah! Victory is mine. Now I have to decide on my next task. Should it be the closets? Pantry? Drawers? Guest bedroom (store room)? So many choices, it will be tough to decide. You will be the first to know.

And, in case you were wondering.......

The raw lasagna and oatmeat is complete and very tasty. The laundry done, along with the other usual house stuff. Not bad, undecorated, packed, cooking or non cooking, and I even managed to squeeze in a movie. A three hour one, Avatar. It was very good, but made me sad. And makes me think to be kinder and gentler with the world.

In The Beginning.......

My name is Gayle. I like to believe that I am a fairly average, middle-aged, over worked and under paid person. I am, among other things, which you will find out later, a very good procrastinator and collector of clutter, or crap, as I call it. I excel at it and have perfected it. It speaks, no yells, at me constantly wanting my attention. Demanding to be dealt with, organized, made all pretty. Everywhere I look, there is a pile of stuff calling my name. It has become a monster, my worst nightmare. And I have had some that are really, really scary. The voices are always there. Reminding and nagging me. Come do this. Did you do that? What about tomorrow? What needs to be done again, still? What happens if this, or that? Me next. No me, no me, pick me. On and on, never ending array of voices beckoning me, guilting me, antagonizing, name calling, threatening. Well, you can get the picture. And yes, I alone, created it. (I probably had some help from kids and husband.) As always, I have good intentions of getting to it and organizing, straightening and tossing out. (You know what they say about good intentions.)


This will be my story. A story of my journey down this never before travelled road. It is an idea that will take the shape of a year long commitment on my part starting January 1, 2010. Did I say commitment? Oh, god! It will also be a strange mixture of my desires, passions and ideologies, that hopefully, will be part lifestyle change and part science experiment. My intent is to find peace and to calm the voices. Get healthy. And along the way clear all the crap that has become a huge, seemingly insurmountable mountain in my home and life.


I read a quote that says...."Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts." I expect that there will be a lot of those in this year. I welcome you to follow my progress, trials and tribulations on this journey. Hopefully, it will be encouraging to those of us who are crippled by this affliction, odd and strangely funny to those who aren't. So, here I go, the reluctant organizer, on my trip into the dark and scary unknown. To calm the voices and clear the crap.