Taxes, Retirement & Condo Living

I'm happy this week is almost over and I've managed to complete my tax returns for another year. I've  actually completed them just over a month early but can't file just yet. I have to wait for one final receipt and it will be at least another two weeks before I get it in the mail.  So I will just have to wait.

I dread tax filing every year.  I always want to have oodles of time to work on the taxes and just do it all in a leisurely way.  So I often put it off and in the meantime the task hovers over my conscience like a bad dream.

I  usually have to hunt around for receipts that come in during the year.  Though I do keep the paperwork in a bit of order, there always seems to at least once receipt that comes in much later than the others or doesn't arrive at all so it isn't only a question of when I want to work on the return. It is often a question on waiting on others.  I'm not so patient when it comes to these things.

Some receipts are only available on line, some are only receivable by mail and others are available on line and/or through the mail.  Each year there are also countless medical receipts that have to be kept, sorted and tallied to see if they can be used as a tax deduction.  Despite a lot of money being spent on prescriptions and dental work, it never seems to add up to enough to be useful on the tax return.  Likewise with charitable receipts.  Much of my giving is to grassroots charities in other countries.  Our government does not recognize these as charitable donations and only accepts donations from charities registered in Canada.

Then there are receipts for contributions to registered retirement savings plans. This is tricky because one has to have enough contributions to make sure you don't over contribute, or under contribute, such that you owe more taxes. I do save throughout the year for these contributions but it never seems to be enough.  So I have to try and find the funds in my budget to do a top up before the deadline.  Overall, as you can see, I get a lot of receipts.  Though it is time consuming to deal with all the receipts and keep on top of it all, it isn't actually that complicated to prepare the tax returns.  Especially if one has the right on-line tools for tax preparation..

In addition to these financial challenges, this is the time of year when our Strata has it's Annual General Meeting.  Like clock work, there is an inevitable increase in the overall budget of the Strata.  We usually have increases of up to 20% and it is a bit ridiculous.  These  increases to the Strata budget means increases to the personal budgets of each and every owner to cover the Strata's budget plan.  I have ever yet to receive a 20% increase in pay to compensate for these kinds of increases.  This is one thing I detest about living in a condo.  The complete inability to limit the expenses related to the overall condominium structure or limit the fees I have to pay every month.  On the other hand, I do not like the idea of living in a fully detached home (house) and all that that entails.

About 3 months ago a  long time neighbour who lives down the hall told me he was trying to sell his apartment.  He was going to take his condo unit off of the market because he was having difficulty selling.   Today he told me that he sold his unit and is moving in two weeks time back to the city where he grew up.  He also told me that 3 other owners on my floor have sold their properties and are moving!  Actually, it is more like two owners moving out because one of them simply sold his unit to move to a larger one on my floor.

Over the years I've heard many resident owners say they will not be able to retire and continue living in the suites in my building if the monthly condo fees keep going up.  This might explain the reason for so many owners moving now or they may have other reasons like retirement, job changes, growing families, etc.  Though I've thoroughly enjoyed living where I am,  I too have begun to consider the possibilities of moving on. Especially now that I know the Strata Council will be levying large fees next year to cover the cost of  re-piping the other half of the building.  Owners just paid multiple thousands each for re-piping the half of the building where I live the year before last. To be honest, I've lost track of the countless numbers of special assessments over the past decade. That is why I'm starting to think of the possibility of moving.  Also, my property taxes go up each and every year.  Even though property values went down in 2012 in my city, my property taxes still went up. That is what I call a fraud.  For now, I don't have definite plans of moving.  I will still enjoy the convenience of where I live and the beautiful mountains I get to see almost every day.

It wasn't my intention to write a complaint post but I'm being real. I'm saying just how much I find this time of year challenging, especially falling so closely on Christmas.  Dealing with financial matters and financial planning and trying to stay ahead of things is a never ending task for most of us.  Personally I find it a chore and it isn't my favourite thing but it must be done.

I'm just grateful that I have the capability to use my mind and skills to do what needs to be done.  The ability to use the computer and computer software for this purpose is another huge help and blessing. I know many who still are not able to take advantage of these helps like a few of my senior women friends.  When I started using an on line tax preparation program several years ago, my spending decreased from $130 Canadian a year (to get someone else to prepare my taxes), to $15.95 a year.  It sounds like a small thing.  But for all the increases in bills annually, one has to find savings somewhere.  These days, I also have the ability to minimize taxes by using the on line program to forecast taxes owing or refundable, based on the level of retirement savings contributions I make.  That is something I could not do when I went to an outside tax preparer.  I am more empowered now that I handle all these tasks myself.

 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 

How about your dear reader?  How do you cope with taxes and retirement planning? Do you enjoy the number crunching or not?



 I need to take some photos concerning my giveaway before I can post the details.  I hope you will all join in.  Stay tuned!

A Blessing

Hello friends, soon I shall be announcing a giveaway but not just quite yet. This week is a busy week of appointments, tax filings and errands and then I can get to the giveaway details. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you this wonderful South African blessing I came across on line here. 

South African Blessing*

Walk tall, walk well, walk safe, walk free
And may harm never come to thee.

Walk wise, walk good, walk proud, walk true
And may the sun always smile on you.

Walk prayer, walk hope, walk faith, walk light
And may peace always guide you right.

Walk joy, walk brave, walk love, walk strong
And may life always give you song.

*Author, Patricia Schonstein.

February Sky

I've felt that we've had a lot of gray skies and too much rain this winter. It might be a poor memory but that is how it seems to me. Once in a blue moon we got some clear skies and bit of sun.

Early in February I captured these photos. I hope you enjoy the photos. I hope to see you again soon as I am hosting a giveaway and will be posting all the details here on  my blog. Enjoy your weekend.

Please join others from around the globe who share their sky photos with us every week. Thanks to Sandy who hosted this meme for many years and to Yogi our new host and Sylvia, his co-host.

Busy Hands

 If I could tell the world just one thing it would be we're all okay, and not to worry cause worry is wasteful and useless in times like these. I won't be made useless, won't be idle with despair, I will gather myself around my faith.  Light does the darkness most fear.

Jewel, American singer/songwriter

Hi friends,

While I've been house bound, I've been working on a few things besides my decluttering  project.

For example, I've been knitting lots of dishcloths for my Etsy shop.  All proceeds from my shop go to Kenyan missions.  I find the knitting allows me to relax and think and pray about things on my mind.  It also helps me feel like I am doing something useful and something that may yet be helpful to the missions in the country I hold dear.

I made my rug out of old pajamas which you can see here.

Another project that I've started is a Wizard of Oz quilt that I was originally planning to make for a Christmas gift.  I ran out of time so now I am making it for a summer birthday gift.

It is a simple quilt and the quilt layers are being secured by hand with yarn ties instead of machine stitching.  I'll also add a few rows of machine stitching just to make the blanket extra secure.

I still need to cut off the edges and make a binding to sew around the edges.

There are a few birthdays in February and early March so I've been working on some small gift packages.   One for a local friend and and one for an aunt who lives out of town.

My friend turned 69 years of age on February 11th.  Since she has become a senior citizen we don't get together as often as we used to and her health has been fragile for some time.  This year we were going to celebrate her birthday by going out to high tea.  But she came down with pneumonia a few days before her birthday and quarantined herself while on a course of strong antibiotics. I told her to take it easy and not push herself at this time so she can get better and I was relieved to hear her sounding much better over the phone a few days later.

This is part of the gift for my friend, Rose. I've made her two red dishcloths and thought this lovely china cup would be a nice cup from which to drink her tea.

Next month my aunt will celebrate her 67th birthday.   I made her two dishcloths in shades of green and blue and included some note paper, a nice pen with floral designs on it and some funds so she could treat herself to a meal out in a restaurant.

I hope my aunt likes her small gift.

Now and then  it is lovely to be remembered by someone else.  Do you agree? I don't think your remembrance has to be anything huge or expensive. I think my friend and my aunt will both feel remembered when they receive their gift packages.

(My apologies for the poor photos. It was late at night when I took them.)

I hope you will come back soon.  I am planning a giveaway which I haven't done for awhile. I will post all the details right here.

Enjoy your week.

A Fun Project

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

Proverbs 31:13

Old night clothes after washing.

Cutting up the clothing for trope or tarn.

Trope/tarn turned into this....

The finished product after a bit of steaming. It looks wider on the bottom but that is an illusion.

It measures approx. 19 inches from top to bottom and 21 and a half inches from side to side. I could have added more trope/tarn but didn't feel like making more trope/tarn.

I think the rug is ample enough for my two feet. I'm thinking I will put it by my bedside or give it to someone. (Pardon my see through sock, he he).

I am quite happy with how the rug turned out. I didn't follow a pattern, instead making one up as I went along and adding stitches to the corners as needed to try and keep a more or less, even shape. To make the trope/tarn needed for this project I used 4 pajama tops and 1 leg off of one bottom. Ideally, you should use t-shirts and in particular,  those without side seams. This will make your trope or yarn much stronger. My trope has a lot of joined sections which I can see peeking out in different stitches and it may not be quite as secure as it could be. That is quite okay with me.  I don't mind the more rustic look and this rug is likely going to be for my own use.  I decided against using green or orange coloured pajamas so I could make my rug in shades of pink, purple and  light blue. That means I will probably make another rug but first have to cut up the rest of my green coloured nighties.
 
Jessie, a missionary to the deaf in Kenya, is the one who inspired me to make tarn and the rug.  I followed her example here for attaching the strands of tarn.

If you want to learn more about how this kind of project is done, there are several youtube videos that teach you how to cut t-shirts (or in my case, pajamas) for trope or tarn. I'm posting the video I followed but there are others out there with different methods. Choose one that works best for you!  I will be posting soon about some other creative projects so come back and visit again sometime. I like hearing from crafters and would be crafters.

I'd love to know if you decide to make your own project after making your own trope/tarn.

Enjoy.

If you missed my last post, please read here. I'd love to read your comments especially if you already help on the mission field or are a missionary. It might encourage someone else to step forward ;)

Happenings on the Mission Field

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 7:12

Hello friends,

I want to thank all of you who have given and prayed for Little Linet while she was alive and for her family after her passing. As I mentioned in my last post, the family left for her final resting place on Friday from Nakuru, Kenya to Kisumu, Kenya to the Luo Tribal home land.  It broke my heart to see them leave on their journey and to know that they were leaving with few funds in their pockets.  But God is gracious.  Through the loving prayers of many of you, the family has now completed it's journey and is back home in Nakuru where they will try to carry on without their little girl.

Mama Linet and her husband, are both impoverished and have very little education. To top it off they are living far from their home territory and they live in the slums where there is little opportunity for anyone.  Life is extremely hard in Kenya for people with this background. We pray that the small charcoal business which we helped the mother to start will bear some fruit so that she can help provide for her family. She does have another small child who is younger than Little Linet was.  We know the hardships of children in developing countries where the life expectancy for a child is low.  Little Linet had not yet reached 5 years of age when she died of malaria.

In most poor countries, mortality is highest among young children (below the age of 5), especially infants (below 1 year). Once children reach the fifth birthday, their chances to live a long life improve dramatically.

In general Kenyans do not have a long life expectancy.  If you look on the graph below you will see how much less a Kenyan might live compared to most people in the world, including the Chinese.

My hope is that through my efforts and yours,  someone, or several someones, will have a better chance at a long and better life. That is one of the reasons I have been focussing on medical interventions for children in Kenya.  Though my efforts are modest in comparison to a non-government organization (NGO). I want to do my part to raise awareness of the needs there and the hardships for the people in that country.

I hope you will join me on the journey to raise awareness and to take action to help others who are less blessed than we are.  Your actions, however small or large, have impact and mean something to someone.  One day you will know the fruit of your labours.  How many of you would turn away a starving child who came to your door? It is like that when we hear of and see starving and hurting children who live a world away from us. They are real and they need you. Please consider how you can help. If you truly cannot help, then I understand. But there are many people who still do not go without indulging their every desire for the best and the latest, in technology, clothes, vacations, etc. not only for themselves but for their children. I've been in homes of people who are not very wealthy but yet I stumble over the toys strewn about the entire living area; toys that belong to one child.  I do believe in providing for children but there are only so many toys or possessions that any one human being, including children, can appreciate.

Of course, if you work and want things, that is okay.  After all, that is what most people work for; things that make them happy.  I am only asking that you consider helping a small child or two in Africa if you can.  Moreover, I am challenging you to consider their needs as your own.  I always say, there but for the grace of God, go I.  I could have been one born in Africa without the blessings that God has given me in Canada. It could have happened to any one of you who are reading this in Australia, Canada, United States, or Europe.  Please remember that.  God has been gracious to each one of us.  Let us be gracious in turn, to those whose mothers and grandmothers (and fathers) hearts break over the fact that they cannot provide for their children or grandchildren; simply because of the circumstances into which they were born.

It takes a whole village to raise a child. 

Igbo and Yoruba (Nigeria) Proverb 

Source: World Bank computations based on WDI

In other news of Africa, I am excited to announce that I have added two other children to my family.  I welcome Linunda and Hiness, both of whom are in grade 6 and live in the African country of Zambia.  I am going to help them with school tuition, food and clothing. They go to a Christian School and the are blessed to have good people overseeing the school.  I am happy to welcome them to my family of sponsored boys in Kenya (Peter 8 years old and  John 9 years old) and Ethiopia (Haile 21 years old).

Lindunda is 15 years of age.  The way he holds his mouth in an impish grin, reminds me so much of a young nephew when he was the same age.

This young girl's name is Hiness and she is 12. She is a beautiful young girl with a bright eyed intelligence about her.


  If I can encourage you to sponsor a child and you have some questions about doing so, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to contact me at any time if I can answer your questions or encourage you to support a child in Africa.  If you would like to know of opportunities for sponsorship in Africa, please click here.

I'm linking up with Our World Tuesday this week. A big 'thank you' to those who host this meme! It's always great to see what others around the world are doing.

Update ~ One More Day with Little Linet

Dear friends,

Thank you to those of you who sent your prayers and your donations for little Linet and her family. Your continued prayers for this family's needs are very much needed. (For the background story read here and here).

Since Little Linet has passed from this life, her body has been at the morgue in Nakuru. Funds sent to her family have been used to pay for her casket ($100) and for morgue fees ($60). The balance of funds has been used to help the family to defray food costs.

As is the custom they have had to host relatives and friends which also includes feeding them over these past six days.  Since Little Linet is from the Luo tribe she will be returned to Luo territory near Kisumu which is also the custom. But first her family will sit with her for one night at their family home near Nakuru.

This past week has been very hard on Little Linet's mother and father. We have tried to be supportive and bring them practical helps like food to help meet the needs of those that have come to show their last respects.

Please pray for this couple.  There are still many unmet needs and they are scheduled to depart for Kisumu with Little Linet's body on Friday.  We are trusting in God with whom all things are possible.

Helping this little one move from this life to the next will be our Valentine's Day gift to her and her family. May God richly bless them and comfort them in this grievous time, and may He give them the joy and the hope that they will one day be reunited with their Little Linet. 

Update ~ Friday, February 15, 2013

Mama Linet and about 20 people left for the long journey to Kisumu. They've had to go by matatu (shared taxis which are the least expensive form of city or inter-city travel). When people in Kenya die they are generally laid to rest in their tribal homeland. Mama Linet and her husband are from the Luo area near Kisumu which is why they are headed there.  See map here.

Once they arrive they will have to build a temporary shelter, feed the mourners and undertake some cultural rites related to the burial. All of this is very costly for such poor people and we ask for your prayers for their every need to be met.

 We have helped them as best before they embarked on the journey.  There is still time to help them if you are moved to do so. We can send the funds by M-Pesa (mobile money transfer). This is an innovative form of transferring money within the country of Kenya, especially to rural places.

The matatu is being loaded for the journey (with Little Linet)  to her final resting place.

(Anyone who wishes to donate may do so by sending a Pay Pal donation to the email on my blog profile). 


Please continue to keep this family in your prayers.

Linet's Final Rest

  . . . to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. 

 Isaiah 61:3

Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and
my burden is light.

Matthew 11: 28-30

Dear friends,

I mentioned in my last post that Little Linet has passed on to her eternal rest.  Jonah visited Linet's family and learned that on Wednesday they will travel from near Nakuru, Kenya to Kisumu, Kenya in the far west of Kenya to the traditional home land of the Luo Tribe.

Although the distance between Nakuru and Kisumu does not look so far on this map, it is a distance of many hours journey that the family will have to make to lay little Linet to rest.

Mama Linet (in orange). Jonah took her a gift of some food and some funds to help with the travel.

Please keep this family in your prayers as they travel and prepare for the funeral.
God bless.

Gone too Soon

God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort.

 Matthew 5:4

My heart is very sad today.

I heard the news that someone I love has died.

The little girl I knew as Little Linet has lost this earthly battle for her life.

I was first introduced to her by my friend Jonah who voluntarily undertook missions in Kenya for many years before recently stopping for a time of transition. He learned about Little Linet while he was going to university.  She was wasting away and unable to eat due to her cleft palate problem.  He took her for medical help and she was eventually able to resume eating and she regained some weight. Then I started trying to help her with her medical issues with the ultimate aim of getting her through cleft palate surgery.  Some of my lovely readers helped me with that. I am very grateful for your help. Rest in the knowledge with me that we tried to make her life and her small family's life a little brighter and to lessen their suffering.

We helped Mama Linet start a charcoal business, helped a bit with food needs and got Little Linet to the doctor twice for different medical treatments and also for a round of testing. She was declared a candidate for cleft palate surgery. That is where our help ended as we did not have enough to carry out the surgery.  I was still trying to save  money for that need.

Linet is gone too soon. Her poor family has one less child to care for but that does not alleviate their sorrow. I mourn for her right now. I mourn for the hugs and kisses she will never again receive from her mom and dad, the laughter and games she will not be able to partake in , the sunsets and sunrises she will never see again and never getting to hold her myself. I mourn for the joy she brought that will never be again.  But life is very difficult in Kenya for those that are very poor. That is one reason we wanted to help her get cleft palate surgery. At least if she had the surgery she would be marriageable and she would not have to fend for herself. There would be someone to help her provide food and she might have children some day of her own. Now all that is not to be.

I am grieving today.  But her loving family and Jonah who had the privilege of serving Little Linet and her family as best he could grieve more so.  Jonah got to know the family fairly well while he was a student in their town.  Now he is living back at his home but they called him just very recently and he rushed to Nakuru area where the family lives to see how he might help. Little Linet was very sick. Jonah rushed to her but it was already too late.  Sadly, Little Linet succumbed to the ravages of malaria. There was nothing that could be done to help her after he got there. It is very sad and we will try to do something to help with funeral arrangements and costs.  The burden of funeral needs and costs is a real hardship there in the poor slums and villages as it is anywhere else. That is the least that can be done for them at this difficult time.

Dear Little Linet, now you may rest in peace in the arms of our loving heavenly Father.

I hope one day to meet and share the hugs and laughter we could not share on this earth. 

Gone too soon my dear little angel. 

I will remember you.

(Please pray for Linet's family at this time).

Spring is Coming

Every year the crocuses push up from the ground.  It is always a source of delight.


¹⁰ My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
¹¹ For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
¹² The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
¹³ The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Song of Solomon 2: 10-13 


Join in with Skywatch Friday here. Thanks to Alan of Yogi's Den for agreeing to take over hosting duties for this wonderful meme!

Solutions

Hi dear friends,

I hope you are all doing great! It is still cloudy and raining where I live but in a few days we are expecting sunshine for a few days. Last weekend the weather report was also for sunshine for two days and though it did stop raining it didn't really shine all that much. I hope they are right this time!

I continue to nurse my leg. It is really up and down with the pain levels. On my good days I get outside for some errands. Those days aren't as often as I'd like but today the leg is feeling better and I can walk straighter than usual without a side to side gait. I am trying out this new-to-me infrared heating pad.These pads are very pricey but I got it on a significant discount.  I still had to think twice before buying it but the free shipping was the clincher. This one is on a trial basis for a few weeks.  It had many good testimonials from arthritic pain sufferers but for my knee it didn't seem to do much. Last night I also had an aching back and sciatic pain from sitting so much. I decided to use the heating pad on my back and neck before I went to sleep. Boy did it work like a charm. Today I have far less pain in my back and muscles than I did yesterday. I will try it again tonight.

It's a little hard to see the heating pad as it is black against my brown footstool.

While I've been doing all this sitting I have managed to get a lot of knitting done.  I take a break here and there for laundry, tidying, cooking, etc. I'm knitting the same pattern over and over and I'm not tired of it yet.  I expect that I will be ready to move on from this in a few days when I expect my cotton yarn will be used up as well.  Knitting for so many hours leads to some issues with the balls of yarn which can roll all over the place.  I made myself a yarn holder which saved me a good deal of money.  The cost of yarn holders varies as does what they are made of, but I saw one medium sized plastic model which cost approximately $15.00 Canadian.

I poked a hole in the top of this plastic container and it works great. I would recommend you place a piece of masking tape over the centre of the lid where you want to make the hold. Use a drill with a larger size bit if you want to make this otherwise you may crack the lid in places you don't want (like I did).  I used a sharp pointed object and it made several cracks in the lid. The yarn will get stuck in the cracks and fray if you are not careful.

My yarn holder cost me nothing and saved the container from the garbage pile. I saved about $15.00 and it holds several small, rolled cotton balls. I keep 2 or 3 in the plastic jar. Just the ones I'm using for the project I'm knitting.

I have a question for any of you avid crafters out there. I have a lot of negatives from the old days before digital cameras. I was going to throw them out but lately have been thinking it would be good to use them in a creative project if I can find the right project.  These are negatives of a lot of photos I no longer want to keep so I don't want to highlight them in something like a lamp, nor do I want to make a tote bag out of them. If any of you have some ideas as to what I can use them for please let me know.

Joy

From the Meriam Webster Dictionary

¹joy

noun \ˈjȯi\

Definition of JOY

1

a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight

b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety

2

: a state of happiness or felicity : bliss

3

: a source or cause of delight

— joy·less adjective

— joy·less·ly adverb

— joy·less·ness noun

 
I am feeling joy today. I had my  Hemoglobin A1C test done last week to determine my average blood sugar level over the previous 3 months.  I am so happy to report that my average blood sugar was 6.6 % and less than 7 % which is the target. Normal level is 4.5-6.0 so I still have a little ways to go in getting it back to normal. 

I've been working very hard since October and taking not only my pharmaceuticals and newly prescribed pharmaceuticals, but alternative medicines as well. I've also cut my food intake in about half. I eat half at one meal and the other half at the next meal or the next day. Exercise is key also.  But due to the pain levels in the knee(s), I simply haven't been up to it. It is hard exercise just getting around the house and going out of the house for the odd errand or appointment.  I do intend to get back to exercise of the official kind as soon as I am able. Another thing I am doing is making sure I consistently take my medication and at more or less the same time every day. I admit I had become quite lax in that regard. I pray I can sustain my renewed efforts and get back to normal sugar levels soon.

I'm also feeling some joy over completing a simple household chore. I cleaned and re-organized a cupboard and a drawer Saturday and managed to get my bags of flour off of the floor and into the cupboard. I decided that for now I do not need an airtight container taking up my limited floor space.  I don't have any pests so this should work out fine. 

I've put the flour into one of the very few of my cupboards that is deep enough.  I'll just have to be careful when I want to take flour out of the bag so I don't spill it all over the place. I could purchase glass or plastic containers and fill them with flour before putting them into the cupboard.  But I've already got so many containers in use and I really don't want to add  any more.  I will try this new approach for awhile and see how it works out. I see that I also need to re-arrange my other cupboards soon for greater efficiency. I know there are things in there that I no longer need and can give away.  It seems there is always something that needs cleaning. I'm sure it is like that at your house too.

All the oil (for cooking) and vinegar for cleaning is on the top shelf. I buy big jugs of olive oil, canola oil and vinegar and then decant them into smaller containers for ease of use. At the very back of this shelf is where I store my thermoses (not in the photo).   On the bottom of the cupboard are my bags of white flour and whole wheat flour.  In front of the flour bags is a small basket  where I keep an apron or two, some cloth serviettes and extra boxes of plastic baggies.

This drawer used to hold my good cutlery in a storage box which has been moved to the top of the kitchen cabinets because they aren't used so often. I now store all my baggies (which used to be where my flour bags now rests) and some tea towels and "good" linens which were gifted to me behind all the baggies. I don't have a linen closet or a pantry and so you can see that finding appropriate storage for everything is a challenge.

I posted my giveaways on Freecycle on Saturday and within an hour or two my toiletries and books were spoken for but not the kitchen items. Perhaps when I wake there will be some expressions of interest for those items too. By today (Sunday) I hope to have most of my giveaways out the door. Not bad since I only put them together the day before yesterday. I have more purging to do. I think one more good round of purging (maybe two) ought to do me for quite awhile. Then I need to finish the paperwork on which I made a good start a few months ago. 

Lessons Learned:

For those that have followed my blog for awhile, you will know I've been doing giveaways on Freecycle and to the local charity shops for awhile now.  I would say that I've been at this major decluttering project for at least a two and a half year period of fairly steady going.  It started after the fire two floors above me and after having to move out of my home and into a hotel for four months.  (While in the hotel I started my blog  as a way of trying to keep positive through illness, fires and family sickness).   Living in the hotel with only the barest of essentials, I began to realize just how llittle of what we own is actually used, needed or missed when you don't see it.  I was also struck by the overabundance of  my "stuff" as compared to many in Africa where I had travelled not so long before the fire. I also had to move my mother into a nursing home and had  to deal with disposing of all her stuff. Years and years of accumulated stuff which she never wanted to get rid of for various reasons, many of them sentimental (I've inherited some of her ways, ha!). It was ironic that someone who wouldn't let anyone go through and organize or help her sort, had to completely rely on someone else to sort it all and make decisions when the time came.

I decided that I needed to offload a lot of my stuff and start to live more simply.  There were multiple  reasons for making this decision including:  to have a greater sense of freedom when I no longer had to maintain or look after so much"stuff", to live gratefully for what I have and more mindfully about what God has given me and how he wants me to use it, to live more frugally so that I could be of greater help to my family, charities that I value, and the missions in Kenya through my friends and contacts there.

It has taken me a lot longer to go through my things than I originally thought. due to a variety of reasons. In the  meantime I've also inherited quite a lot of "stuff" from my mother and previous to that I have "stuff" from my sister and all of that needs to be sorted as well.  Much of what remains is photos and paperwork which requires more of my time to carefully scrutinize and decide what to keep and how to organize it. From my mother I also have a lot of crafting items which I don't want to get rid of though I have gotten rid of her yarns, patterns and a lot of fabric. I've kept more fabric than I reasonably have room for which explains part of my feeling so "crowded. I do want to use as much of the fabric as I can and I have several projects in mind. I just need time.

I'll be so glad when it's all finished though I realize that keeping on top the clutter is a never ending cycle.  I don't think I will ever again be undertaking such a huge purge as I've just done, especially after I finish the paperwork.  From this entire process I've learned about my weak spots (books, toiletries, clothing and paperwork) and where I need to keep a watchful eye in future (spending and accumulating).   I've also learned that I do not need to keep years and years of paperwork or every single photo or keepsake that was ever in my hands or in the family hands. I've learned that I need to keep those things most meaningful and let go of the rest though that process takes lots of time and organization. I've also learned that some things can be turned into memories (example, some of my sister's clothing will be incorporated into a quilt or two for her children) and some of mom's fabrics can be turned into quilts for her use and for other members of the family. I can also make some photo albums with select photos for key family members and get rid of the rest. I've learned a lot through this process. I've probably missed out a few lessons learned but these are the ones that come to mind at this moment.  Within the next year I hope to have made more gains and gradually get rid of things currently being stored (photos, books, fabrics, craft supplies, papers).

In conclusion, this whole process has been a very long and sometimes challenging journey. But there is "joy" in the journey also. It is a simple joy borne of overcoming challenges. Clutter. Who knew it held so many lessons for me?

A Busy Week at Home

What I'm working on....

Using up my cotton yarn stash. Lots more to go. These always make great gifts and I go through a lot of them myself.

 What I'm reading.....

Winner of the Booker Prize, this book is an easy read.  Something I call "fluff" reading after the lengthy books I've recently finished and all the dates and details they included, this book is easy on the brain.

I picked this book up last year at a second hand shop. I am decluttering again and that means going through my books to get rid of what I won't read. this was going to go in the pile to give away but I started reading it instead and I'm enjoying it. When I read I try to keep track of new vocabulary in the open book with page marker. I learned to do this from Linda. Visit her blog by clicking the link to "Grandma's Letters" in the African Blog Love widget (sidebar).

What I'm decluttering...

Kitchen stuff in a big wicker basket.

Books!  I've still got a lot of books so I have plenty of reading material.

Bathroom products. These seem to accumulate so easily. It also seems they are a popular item for freecycling.

As you can see, I've been busy and making progress despite limited mobility. I've still got too much of a lot of things. I will get rid of more as I see what needs to go. I have found success in giving things away through my local chapter of Freecycle.

I hope you've all had a busy and productive, or fun week too.

One Sunny Day

A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition. ~ 

William Arthur Ward 

The weather report was for SUNNY skies today and tomorrow. 

As you can see from the photos it wasn't exactly sunny but I'll take it over the rain!

See the weather in the skies all around the world by joining Sky Watch Friday here. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for visiting.