Day 10 in the Year of Our Lord 2012

The only thing I got done around the house today was the dishes and I mopped the kitchen floor tonight.  We spent the day on the road. 

I was up until 3 a.m. to finish this book.  I got to within 16 pages and just could not focus on any more words.  But I finished it this afternoon, so instead of the book becoming clutter, I will pass it on for others to read.  The first one to re-read it will be one of the ladies who shared in the giving of the gift to me for Christmas.  And, since I've been gone most of the day, I don't have a layout, so this picture will suffice for my decluttering today.....but I have to say that I don't really consider this sort of thing as clutter!  But, I'm happy to share it!  I've always known it, but after reading her story of going through the communist prison camps, witnessing the whole while, and the suffering she went through as a Christian Romanian Jew.....and her husband.....we American Christians are soooooooooooooo soft!  We wouldn't survive what she went through!

That brings me to today's quote by Helen Steiner Rice:
Show me the way, not to fortune or fame,
Not to win laurels or praise for my name...
But show me the way to spread the great story
That Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory.

"To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary."  Psalm 63:2
Today concentrate on ways to spread the Good News.


Our weather for Wednesday is supposed to be rainy, so while we were out making our shut-in and sick visits today, we decided that today would be our thrifting day since we are leaving town on Thursday for a Bible conference in FL.

This picture is most of the clutter I've decluttered this week and last, except for the few items Liz wanted and Kim, my sister wanted.  I also added the 2 mops you see (aqua and green handles).

I found some material bargains today that I could not pass up (even tho I just said that I needed to NOT buy any more til I used what I had)!  This material will be used for some of the items I make for Liz's shop.  Those packs of neatly bound "fat quarters" would have cost me $12 at AC Moore.  My price.......$1!  Now that's what you call a bargain!  It is flannel material and I am hoping to make some cute gowns and pjs with it.  Haven't decided what I'll do with the other materials yet.  One is a DIY quilt kit with lots of fat quarters in it, too.  Lots of blues, so I'll have fun creating with it!  I paid more for it than I probably should have, but since it was brand new and had never been opened, I was willing to pay the $5 for it.  The other piece of material is probably 3 yards of material that I got for $1.  Also, 2 5x7 frames, brand new and still has the plastic cover on them for .99 cents each.  So, what you see cost us $10.

This evening we were invited to the Martin's house for dinner, members of our church.  It was in the 60's today and he grilled steaks for dinner.  They were delicious and we brought a doggy bag home!

Tomorrow I will be doing laundry and packing to get ready for our trip.  Until then.....

Day 9 in the Year of Our Lord 2012

I signed up for a newsletter from "My Simpler Life" and received a Declutter Calendar.  Not sure if that was a special deal when I signed up for it or not, but maybe you can check it out if you want.  It is an Adobe PDF file that includes 12 monthly calendars and each is set up with a daily decluttering item.  I won't be following it specifically, but if I get stuck, I thought it would give me some ideas for items to declutter.

Today's clutter came from my kitchen cabinets:  a 2-qt beverage container, 2 drink bottles,  crystal candle holders, decorative pumpkin dish, fall decorative simmer pot, citronella candles and 2 sets of picnic tablecloth holders. 

Once again, family, if you want any of it, first come, first served!

Well, we ate the last of the pumpkin pie tonight.  I told Tim that since the pie was gone, he might as well eat the rest of the whipped cream, too.  He took me at my word.......

Until tomorrow.....

Day 8 in the Year of Our Lord 2012

Stop wishing for things
You complain you have not,
And start making the best
Of all that you've got.

says Helen Steiner Rice!  I think the "have nots" is what gets me into CLUTTER trouble!  I have to confess that when I was paper scrapping, I bought "stuff" just because it was cute!  Did I use it in my scrapbooking?  Very little of it did I actually use!  Mainly because I switched over to all digital.........but the DUMB thing was that I still bought the "cute" stuff!  Go figure!  So, when we left Buffalo I gave a TON of stuff to one of the scrapbookers at Buffalo Baptist.  I'm talking paper boxes full!  I sure hope she has been able to put it to good use!

And now that we hit the thrift stores every week, I am buying yarn, material, yada yada yada!  I need to STOP doing that, too.............at least until I use up what I already have!  Liz is going to have a shop for kids stuff that I am going to start working on making items for that will use up some of the yarn and material!  So, that will take care of that portion of my clutter.

Yesterday's clutter came (mostly) from the laundry room.  Here's a layout I did of the "little" pile of stuff.  And, by the way, I'm storing this decluttered stuff on my bench in the dining room until we can make a run to Goodwill.....I may have to make 2 trips!  :D  I've done pretty well this week, so I'm taking today off from my decluttering!  Day 8 page is at the bottom.  Until tomorrow.....

TODAY be happy with what you have - not discontent with what you don't have!

My pile consists of unused baskets, frames, a sun visor, wire hangers and a small tote bag.  I was hanging laundry back up in the bedroom and spied a couple pairs of flip flops that I decided to add to the pile.  I don't think I have to worry too much about anyone wanting any of this, but if you do, just let me know!

I will now show you some of the yarn and material I have to work on to get rid of!  Tim's mom donated alot of it and I have used lots of what she gave me, too!  But, I've added probably as much as she gave me.  Here's some of it that is stored not only in the laundry room, but my computer room.  I've been printing patterns galore to work up for the shop, Liz!  Now, to get started on them!  :D


Yarn in the computer room closet and material on shelves in the laundry room

More yarn in the laundry room in totes, on shelves and in drawers!  I've got my work cut out for me!  :D

And, here's my decluttering page for today.......a different kind of decluttering!  I used my "Love, the Greatest of These" page kit.

Day 7 in the Year of Our Lord 2012

The first week of the year will be over after today.  The weather is absolutely beautiful!  It is to be 65, the sun is shining and the sky is beautiful!

I told you yesterday that I was taking on a new 365 project this year of Decluttering.  Here is the blog you can visit if you are interested:  365 Less Things.  I have a designing friend, who has since retired from designing so that she can work in a ministry with her son's family.  I read her blog and she is the one that I got the 365 Less Things blog link from.  Take a look at her blog sometime.  It is Living Real.

So, for my first day of decluttering, I was in the kitchen fixing dinner to put in the oven when I "discovered" my first project.  Here is the layout I did.  I'll post the pictures below that and give you a run-down of the items in the piles.

Credits:  Bits and pieces from "A Fresh Start" kit, sampler and add-on

1st picture:  glass snowman cake plate and serving knife and a biscuit basket underneath
middle picture:  3 metal picnic "tents" to keep the flies off your food, 1 pizza "stone" and various metal serving trays
3rd picture:  punch bowl, cake plate, cookie plate, big Christmas serving tray.....all of these items are glass as you can see

So, if you have any interest in any of these (I'll save them for family til I see you next.......otherwise you will have to pay for the shipping) let me know and I'll save them from Goodwill for you!

One last picture to share with you.  This is how Tim likes to eat his pumpkin pie.....a little bit of pie with a WHOLE LOT of whipped cream!  :D

Today is laundry day, so I'm thinking my clutter will come from that room for today's decluttering!  Until tomorrow.......

Day 6 in the Year of Our Lord 2012

Today I begin a new adventure through 2012.......decluttering one item a day from my "stuff."  I'm taking the challenge from Colleen's blog.  I will share the declutter item here.  If you want it, speak up before it goes in the trash or to Good Will!

My heart is heavy for my daughter today.  I have a special quote from Helen S Rice for her as she is troubled about having to leave her babies and go back to work because she wants to be a stay-at-home mom so very badly.  Her husband is out of work and has been for almost a year, so she has to go back two weeks earlier than she had planned.  Please say a prayer for her when you think of her.  Pray the Lord will see fit to give her husband a good job so she can live her dream.....all of this, if the Lord wills.

Trouble is only a challenge
To spur you on to achieve
The best that God has to offer
If you have the faith to believe!

A verse:  "And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."  Mark 9:24

The man in this verse had a son that had been demon possessed since he was a child.  Can you imagine how hard that would be to watch your child go through?  He would foam at the mouth and go into convulsions.  He would fall into the fire and into the water as the demon tried to destroy him and claim his soul.  No wonder this father cried out in tears.  He wanted to believe the Lord could heal his son but think of all the doctors this man probably had taken his son to and they couldn't do anything.....the disciples couldn't do anything even though Jesus had given them power to cast out demons.  All of this would cause doubt that your child would ever be healed, no matter what you had heard about how good your next prospective doctor (or Healer, in this case) was.  As long as your child is alive, you never give up hope that something might be done some day to cure whatever ills they have, be it troubles of their own making or some dreaded sickness they had no control over. But the longer you go without answers to your specific prayer, the more doubt there is that creeps in.  The good news to this story, the Lord came "just in time" to heal the child!

The Lord understands our concerns and our human limitations, that's why he didn't rebuke the man for his unbelief!  I told my daughter to "cry out" to the Lord and then wait on Him to work things out in His time.  He is never too late!  Obviously it is not His will for her to be at home just yet.  I'm praying that the Lord gives her peace and contentment in her circumstances of the moment.  Will you pray with me, asking the Lord's will be done?


It is to be 60* here today!  I thought I would share some "warm" pictures with you as I know some of you who will be reading this have much colder temps than that.......even snow!  Until tomorrow.......

My "pinks" are blooming again!  Look how green the plants are!

 I haven't taken any picture of "us" in awhile, so here ya go!  (I'm kind of hoping the only snowflakes we see this year are the ones on my sweater!  However, I would not be upset with ONE good snow!  That means 2-3 inches collected on the ground AT MOST!  :D  )

 Our garden is still growing!  These are onions!  Even the frosty nights have not hurt them!