The Devil is in the Details

How true it is. I am changing my life - I'm on a mission to Live Well - and doing anything I can to be on my right path for sanity's sake.

Part of what I'm changing is what foods I eat and portions and all that contributes to weight loss. It's not a hard push, I'm not restricting myself, just being aware and doing my best to make good choices that will result in a healthier me.

I'm also changing what I dislike most about my home: our pack-rat lifestyle. Thanks to my friend, Sherry, I have a book that helps me do that  as much and as often as I'd like, on my own schedule, and my house still gets clean. I've managed to keep the main spaces tidy so now I'm taking on the clutter spaces and well-used surfaces that sort of muck up the look and feel of everything. You know, those catch-alls where everybody puts things and nobody looks at again?

Those spots in my house have been overwhelming. OVERWHELMING to look at, let alone do something about. But why?

Because the devil is in the details.

Ridding of one pile of mess seems futile in the face of all the piles of mess that surround me. And when I look at a pile individually there are usually books and clothes and pieces of mail for who knows who, stuff to BE mailed to people I love and just never bother to take to the post office, things my kid no longer plays with (and hasn't for umpteen years), things I meant to nail to one of our walls and just haven't. Small stuff. Details. Hard work. Or is it?

I'm going to remove some clutter from a cubby in my kitchen today - taking out all the unnecessary stuff, doing something WITH that stuff, and THEN I'm going to move the cubby to a more obvious space in the room so that it will be EVEN MORE unsightly should it get tucked full of unnecessary stuff.

It is one of those jobs that looks boring and there is some stuff stuck in there that I don't even know what I'll do with. Details. Ugh! But, I'd rather do something than nothing these days (and I thank the death of my mom for that!) and by this afternoon I will be glad I bothered.

And just to keep myself from being distracted and bugging off of the job, I've got my teenage friend Morgan coming over for motivational support - and I'm paying her a few bucks to help me sort stuff (but really it is just to have someone to talk to and be around.) It works out because she wants money for her mission trip and I want an organized cubby in my kitchen.

So there you have it....proof that I will stop at nothing (even if it costs me $10) to get this crap done.

Argh! My Apple Is Gross!

I like eating an apple a day. I don't always remember to bring one with me, but I'm generally happy having one for a mid-morning snack because it tides me over very well and I don't feel guilty eating it. This morning's apple is a yucky mess inside. There are no visible signs of this on the outside - no bruises, no little worm holes, nothing! I'm writing a post because I'm doing my damndest to stay away from the vending machine full of non-natural-sugar-stuff and all that is made in salt heaven. I'm hungry though.

Some good news: My high school friend, Mary, is going to visit. She's on her way today. My house is a disaster, but I don't think she'll mind. Mary's (thankfully) the kind of person who will relax in any (literally ANY) environment and still keep a cheerful conversation going. I think she can handle the strewn laundry, dust beagles (I don't own any bunnies), scattered papers and things (read: boxes full of stuff, mattress set, TOYS TOYS TOYS) pulled up from the basement while people work on turning that unfinished space into a room. And even though she's pretty great, I'll try to keep her in the kitchen or out of the house until Sunday when she has to head home.

I'm excited Mary's coming. I may have to drag her to the gym if she gets in by then. What a welcome, right? "Hi, nice to see you after your 5-6 hour road trip. Are you ready to walk for a half hour? Let's go!" Yep. I'm going whether she's here or not. I owe it to myself for missing the gym and EVERYTHING I PLANNED TO GET DONE Wednesday and having a really sucky time trying to catch up ever since. So, gym time is for me. I hate going there. I hate walking for thirty minutes, but I love blogging that I did it when I'm done. My reward is telling you. :)