Clutter is Making You Sick

Yes, in your own home, clutter is making you sick with so many health problems. The answer is an uncluttered, stress free home says this lady.

I found this video that is well researched and straight to the point.  People in cluttered homes are not nearly as healthy as those whose homes are organized and free of excess "stuff".    Hmm.. lots to think of here but each must do their own thing.

   

Haiku and Peace of Mind #13

Winter Storm (photo taken on my property)

Over the wintry

forest, winds howl in  rage

with no leaves to blow.

  ----Haiku by Natsume Soseki (1275-1351)

Japanese haiku and brush painting are good for what ails you.
They calm the mind and bring order to thinking just as Mozart brings on an orderly mind and enables your intelligence to bloom.
The pure simplicity is freeing for mind and body. Simplicity is one key to a good life.
This includes simplicity in your home and surroundings and in your dealings with people
Put on the Mozart, throw out the clutter, organize your space, simplify your life and home and you will see the difference that it will make.
Why not begin by clearing out a cluttered corner in your house? Things seem to accumulate in certain corners and play with your mind psychologically. Once they are cleared you will feel lightness.

Here are some key elements to keeping a clean house:
1. Dump out the junk drawer.  It's junk. Get rid of it.
2. If you buy something new, throw something out. Don't be a pack rat
.If you can't throw something out, then you don't need something new!
3. As you cook, clean up as you go, don't wait until later.
4.  If you mess it up, clean it up right away.
5. If you use it, put it away as soon as you are done.  Don't wait.
6. Clean something in the house every day. Don't let things build up.
7. Make you bed every day. Put clothing in hamper or back on a hanger as soon as you take it off.
8. Never let laundry pile up.
9. Put things back in their proper place each and every time you use them.

 

Managing the Closet

When I find interesting things I like to share them with friends. Sharon Danley is a very interesting woman with excellent advice on all kinds of things, especially makeup, wardrobe and yes, even life tips for people of all ages.
She has worked on Canada's CBC for major television programs and done the makeup  of countless famous people including Brian Mulroney former Prime Minister of Canada.
She also offers tips on how to make the most of your speaking voice.
 Here is a link to her YouTube  Channel.
I hope you will enjoy her videos as much as I do.


If you find it helpful, or if you put her ideas into practice, as I am going to, let me know, will you? Maybe even do a post about it if you are feeling
enterprising.

The Tiny Room

This room has heard a lot of laughter and seen a lot of smiles.
It has known good times and good food and the occasional sad time as well.
When fully expanded, the oak table holds a ton of happy people who gather round and talk for hours.
Though small, the tiny room has held children, elderly, dogs, cats and teen parties and did a good job each time, never complaining. It didn't say a word when one of it's lovely chairs was replaced by a highchair several times or when the piano bench was hauled in for extra guests.
It's hosted formal dinners with  glittering silver and crystal and beautiful tablecloths,
but it didn't mind the cardboard boxes of pizza or the endless games of Clue, Candy Land, chess and Monopoly.

It has seen more than it's share of homework and projects .  It doubles as a counter-top for cookie and pasta making  and even the chairs are patient when they hold long strings of freshly made pasta to dry!

Even small rooms can do great big things and make wonderful memories.

My little dining room

Seaside/Home Side photos for Friday Foto Friends

If you are interested in AF Ablation surgery or ever need it done, this article does a good job of describing what it entails and how you could feel after.     Some breeze on through. Others, like myself, not so much.

Did you know that sea birds are the fastest birds over all flying over 100 MPH? And the Peregrine Falcon is fastest of all at 200 Miles per hour.I found that fact whilst looking up the name of birds that fly fast by the bay here. (Swallows)

Friday is time for Foto Friends and this is my effort for the week.. though they are all photos taken at other times. I have not been out to do any photography since last week and I will probably not get out too much for a couple of weeks.  
Also, I do hope you will read my post here and let me know your thoughts.

Join in at Debbie's blog.     It is a lot of fun.

I am sleeping a lot. The doctor advised 10 hours a night...I am happy to do it. I am worn out.

In the bathroom, I use an old short dresser to hold some washcloths, hand towels etc.

This Aloe plant was my mothers. It has lost a good deal of its volume ...it was huge, but it was from the 1970s and still going. Some people have it's children

kitchen needs painting again. This looks greenish.. and I really like it. In reality it is yellow. I think I will go with green.

I am drinking Decaf for now...Relax by 8 O'Clock Coffee

  Vincent Youman's song Tea for Two was in my head so I took this photo.The song reminds me of The Duchess of Windsor. I  will explain  another time.

Two Views of one of my favorite places in the neighborhood

A place of peace and quiet

A close up of the bay on a quiet afternoon

A bit blurry but you get the idea.  Another from one of my favorite places around town.

I can see Sea Side and Island Beach State Park across from me  on the ocean side. See it in the distance? It was a hazy day so not too clear. In the other direction is Long Beach Island and Barnegat Light. You can see them as well. The bay is narrow.

A storm was coming in and it was hazy/cloudy

the cove  I love so much at twilight. Quick little swallows fly around then.

You can just see the setting sun at the photo' s bottom.

 Sunset at the end of an August day 2017

I hope you enjoyed these photos and I do hope you will add your own or one's that interest you to your own blog so we can see them too.
Good night... I am up too long now.

Annie ( self portrait)

My House ....Friday Foto Friends

Joining with Debbie for Friday Foto Friends once again.

Here are some photos around my home you might like to see.

It is a very tiny house needing repair. Things are old, worn and used but it is my home and that's fine with me.  As long as it is clean and neat I am satisfied.

You can click on the photos to make them full size.

Our House

𝄞 ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ " I'll light the fire
You put the flowers in the vase that you bought today
Staring at the fire for hours and hours while I listen to you
Play your love songs all night long for me, only for me

Come to me now and rest your head for just five minutes, everything is good
Such a cozy room, the windows are illuminated by the
Sunshine through them, fiery gems for you, only for you

Our house is a very, very, very fine house with two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy 'cause of you"  ♯♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ ♭

 Crosby, Stills & Nash

I put a pumpkin on the buffet and the bittersweet colored runner.There's a tablecloth to match and a runner for the piano.Side chair are from an old set I no longer have. The Samovar is from Russia. The glass basket was my mother's and is filled with little tea spoons.

Behind the Amish picture is a hole in the wall for a stove pipe.  It is covered by a bunch of  paper plates made stiff and hard by layers of paint. It once housed a coal stove.

Things in the house reflect our heritage.

The chair needs a new seat cover again. The seat cushions are an addition since the actual chair seat was not separate and is uncomfortable now, so I put some foam on it.. I am looking online for fabric to match. Its hard since the fabric is a real Civil war era pattern.
This is the gentleman's chair. The lady's chair has wide sides for hoop skirts and is in the office.

I like this corner. I put fall flowers in the metal envelope on the wall.

The clock on the wall needs to go in for repair.

An old martini set ,alabaster and silver. I like looking at them .

 My mother's Hummels from Germany interspersed with my china. More china is stored at my daughter's house. I need to get it back and put it in the China Cabinet soon.

 I like these little golden birds. They keep watch on things.

My Thanksgiving china waits patiently for the big day.It was bought cheaply at Home Goods. Home Goods and TJ Maxx are wonderful!

Hanging around on the wall

I put some flowers and an owl in a basket on the dining room table.

The sign are the towns in my county. Boxes on the floor contain photographs.

Moose in the front Window...Lights on the lawn. I love the warmth.

I have had this clock since I was 20 years old .  It runs by weights like a grandfather clock and chimes on the hour and half hour.  Can you read what it says?

"Hark, whats the cry: Prepare to meet thy God today"

This is the other living room clock. It strikes hours, halves and quarters.

I grew up with chime clocks in the house and can't do without them.

In the evening it is nice to see warm yellowy lights in people's windows. So warm and cozy.

 My dresser houses another chiming clock. It has triple Chines. Whittington , Westminster and St Michael's.  I saved for a year to buy it when I was 20 years old.
I think you can see I really love perfume. There's more in a drawer.

 A nightstand in my bedroom holds just a few things.

On the side of my dresser is a photo of my mother and my uncle at a Tom Thumb wedding back in the day.. long ago. 

I made a shell wreath and hung it in the hallway . The giant rabbit covers my vacuum cleaner.Her ears need ironing.  She is sewed by hand since I don't have a sewing machine. Her apron and cap are in the laundry. Poor thing, Ive neglected her!

My mother did the needlepoint on the bench. She was very good at
needlepoint and tatting lace.
 The bench is over 100 years old or more and was from my grandmothers piano. She was a professional Pipe organist and piano teacher.

The side chair is from the Civil War era. I have a couple like this and they were my mother's as well.

The picture was from my daughter and is an original Leonid Afremov.

The piano is something I love very much. I have played all my life.

I hope you enjoyed seeing a bit of my home and I hope you will take some photos around your house to show.

Daybook.. a journal of life by the sea

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out of my window:

Rugosa or beach rose is still partially in bloom. A few days ago it was covered with blossoms.

Rugosa with wisteria tendril photo bombing...

I am thinking:

About friends and family

One of my favorite things:

feet in sand and salt water, gulls talking overhead

I am wearing 

A T shirt that says "Run Like It's Midnight"
from the Little's Elementary school production of Cinderella.

I am creating

A clean organized laundry room.
Shelves need painting.
I need to organize the shelves better but since I can't lift anything I will need to corral a volunteer! ;)
The walls need to be painted as well.
I think the basket should be white.

a tiny back room in need of paint , new flooring and neater shelves.One wall lacks sheet rock!

I am watching

Saw PLL with girls last night.
The series if almost over and we still have no idea who AD is!!!

I am reading:

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand.
Takes place on Tuckernuck Island off Massachusetts and is about a family that comes together with happy endings!
It is my third time reading it.
I really need to get to Barnes and Noble and buy books!

on the night stand

I am listening

To birds and children playing. Boats on the bay.

In the garden:

Wisteria has overgrown the big pond. The waterfall is choked by Peppermint and the Scotch Broom needs serious pruning.
The fish have unpotted a reed that can be seen floating around in the photo.

I am learning

About some authors and their writing.

In the kitchen:

Made homemade taco seasoning for last night's dinner.
Shared a recipe for Strawberry Champagne Cake on Rock & Roll Cafe.. my other blog.

Shared quote

A moment from my day

about to sit down and play for a while

Post Script:

Stop listening to yourself.
Stop and hear God for a change.
His words are in his book.
Read it.. believe it.. do it.