Currently Doing & Reading

Hi friends and fellow bloggers,

There isn't much to report here other than it continues to be quite hot and that saps my energy and what I can accomplish.   I've also been taking it easy since my last post because I wasn't feeling well. I'm starting to feel a bit better.

The interior repairs and exterior patio renovations are getting near completion. Indoors the ceiling and walls need to be painted, the carpet underlay replaced, closet doors returned and a bathroom exhaust fan replaced.  I'm not sure if the contractor is going to be washing the carpets. He is sticking very rigidly to the insurance parametres because he doesn't get paid for 'extras'. It's appalling what insurance considers a restorative job. Even so, I've managed to work with the company that is overseeing the project and they have approved small extensions to the work here and there for which I'm grateful. I have my own carpet cleaner and if the job won't be done by the contractor, I will wash the carpets myself before I ask the moving company to delivery my furniture from storage.

There are several issues with the patio work but it's a bit harder to deal with since the issues affect all patios not just mine so we'll see how things go over time.  The project manager is betwixt a rock and hard place since he has his marching orders though he knows that it might be better to do things differently.  Overseeing all the work which has been ongoing for long is quite a tiresome process but soon it will all be over and there will be a scramble to try and return everything to normal and enjoy what is left of the decent weather.

In between the renovations and doing the normal day to day things, I've been reading.  These are the latest books.

Highly recommended

Just completed Reckless Daughter which I highly recommend to Joni Mitchell fans.

Just starting the book on the Vagus Nerve

Just starting the E George book, a crime novel.

I also go for a walk in the evening when the sun is not quite as hot.

I treated myself to dinner out on Friday night.

I won't be travelling at all this summer.  My brother was supposed to visit in July with his wife and the plan was to travel to WA state for a short visit.  That plan is now scrapped.  They hope to come in September and I also hope to have my niece visit in September. Hopefully we can all meet up in Vancouver if travel schedules allow.

Drop me a note in the comments about what you're doing this summer.

Wednesday's Progress

Hello friends and fellow bloggers, Happy Thursday to you! I trust all is well in your world.

I continued to be busy all week with the condo water damage issue. I fluctuated between moving out completely or staying put during the completion of the damage assessment. In the end, I think we've decided to fully move out the belongings in the master bedroom where the majority of the damage is located. We decided to stay put while the work is going on. Primarily because it seems that the work itself may not take that long though we don't know that for certain.

Wednesday I started packing up all the clothing, shoes, projects and so on that I may need for the summer months just in case things drag on as they have a habit of doing. One of the factors that made me lean toward staying at home is all the projects I want to make progress on including more decluttering and also craft projects. I'm hoping to make a lot of progress since my theme word for 2024 was 'create' but I haven't had much time to create unless you count being creative with the meal planning and meal ideas.

During this hectic time, I continue to make meals and use up the foods we have had on hand for awhile.  Of course, I've had to supplement with fresh or frozen vegetables as well but I'm trying to keep food purchases to a minimum to minimize food and money wastage. I have a tendency of buying more than I need and I'm really working on changing old habits. The meals in the photos were made Tuesday and Wednesday night. 

Tilapia fish, fried potatoes and mixed salad greens

Stuffed green peppers stuffed with salmon/rice/veggies

Chicken and rice soup

Much progress was made on the paper decluttering though I still have a lot more to do. I can't believe how much paper and other things I still have because I've already shredded so much.  I've decided to stop saving receipts for the remainder of the year in order to reduce paper build up.  I'd been saving all receipts for the past 2 years.  I planned to log them all into an excel spreadsheet  & track my spending in different categories. I just never got around to it and there were so many receipts, especially for groceries.  I'll consider saving and tracking receipts in 2025 once I'm caught up to all the paper decluttering but only if I have time to input the information to a spreadsheet.  I do still keep receipts for anything I buy that I might need to return. I've very much cut down on buying since I'm trying to minimize what I have. My new approach is to buy nothing unless I know I'm going to be using it in short order.  Most of what I have purchased are clothing because of weight loss over the years. I've also purchased a number of work tools to help with small DIYs around the house.

Wednesday's paper trash 

I wondered when I would ever start to notice any progress for all my decluttering efforts. Now that I got rid of a few large pieces like a large screen television and a large stationary bike, I can definitely notice a difference is being made.  Friends were delighted to get the stationary bike because they were recently talking about buying one.  Several friends wanted the television but it wasn't possible for any of them to pick it up in a timely fashion so it went to a local charity.

Last, but not least, I had a meeting with one of my doctors today. He was investigating some spots found on my liver in some other recent tests.  The most recent CT scan I had showed that there was nothing to be concerned about after all. I felt enormously relieved.  I already have so much on my plate with both the indoor and outdoor renovations work that needs to be done. 

Though it may not be ideal to remain at home while renovations are being done, I'm looking at it in a positive light. If I remain at home, I'll be able to see the work that is being done and raise any concerns I might have as they happen.  If there are no concerns, then I'll benefit by feeling good about what is being done.   Another benefit is keeping my eye on patio renovation work and getting the patio set up when the work is completed at the anticipated time of end of June. I'm also hoping to get more decluttering and reorganizing done in the front rooms while work is ongoing.  Of course I don't plan on working every day. I hope to enjoy some time outside in the garden and with other outings.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you can come again soon. xx

Skywatch Friday ~ January 27, 2024

It's the last Friday of the month!  I hope it been a good month for you.

As for me, it's taken me awhile to hit my stride but that is not out of the ordinary for me.  Each year it takes me a while to really get going no matter how organized I may be.

We've had heavy rainfall for a few days and thankfully it's melted all the snow.  Today (Friday), the sky cleared for a bit and enabled us to clear the patio deck for the renovations that start next week.  The preparations have taken long to get to this point. I'll be glad when it's all over and done and I look forward to a new patio and garden.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday this week. 

Have a great weekend. 

Renovations

I've been making good progress on my goals this year.  Some of the obvious progress has been on my hobbies (reading, crafts and more recently the garden) but I've also made progress on my spiritual goals, home and family, health & lifestyle and financial goals. It's been hard work but I've managed to pay off two debts and make a very modest increase to my savings and my giving to the mission field. I've only been able to do the latter by eliminating debt. I hope to be able to continue in this vein in the coming years by continuing to do careful shopping, watch my spending and not incur new debts. It is a challenge.  I have some huge financial goals to reach before I hit the magic age of 65.

One big goal I had for this year is to cost out some modest renovations.  This week I will have a renovator come in for a consultation and let me know how much it would cost to attend to the large and small projects I have. The renovator is also an architect and so he can do drawings in addition to the actual work. He came recommended by a woman from my women's group.  His rates are incredibly reasonable because he works alone and as a bit of a hobby after his day job.  I've seen some of his prior work in photos and will try to speak to some of his past clients too.

After the fire a few years ago, all the interior walls of the condo had to be torn down and reconstructed and the insulation replaced. New carpeting had to be laid also.

I've been living in my place now for several years and the cabinetry, tiles and fixtures in many of the living areas are looking rather old and tired. I'm spurred on by the local downturn in the real estate market.  If you want to appeal to today's buyer and make sure your property is highly saleable, then you really need to make upgrades that are more in keeping with the fresh, modern look that most of the buyers are after.

This is what renovations looked like a few years ago.  The main bathroom was the only room that got a major overhaul  (new light fixtures, new tub tiles and flooring tiles) but I don't have a current photo. I don't like the tile flooring we selected so may change this and a few smaller things.

I also want to make the changes for my own sake.  I have never liked the finishing that many condos are made with, such as stock white kitchen cabinetry that are made of some kind of pressed board, marble surround fireplaces, laminate counter tops and tile floors (which are cold and very hard on the feet).  One of my bathrooms was updated after the fire several years ago but the master bathroom was not. It will be a chance to find out what kinds of less expensive changes I can make to give it new life.

Once my reno guy comes over, he will draw up some plans and cost estimates.  I will then know what I can actually move forward with in the coming months and what might have to wait until next year.  I will try to remember to take before and after photos as I think things are going to look very different. I'm excited although it will be a bit of a challenge to "sandwich" the renovations in between travels and visitors.

In preparation for my consultation, I'm decluttering once again. I'm finally getting rid of a lot of fabric I inherited. After holding onto it for 2 1/2 years I know I won't likely be using it. Actually some of the fabric I bought myself quite a long while ago and I no longer  wish to make whatever it was I had in mind. I've also got more books to offload and yarns and crochet thread to someone who can make use of them. Slowly and bit by bit I'm getting through the clutter but still have more to get rid of especially in the crafting department. In this area, I like to sort carefully because it is expensive to replace everything and sometimes hard to find certain things.  The decluttering never really stops as one is always buying something.  But slowly, I am retraining myself not to spend what I don't need to and eventually I'm hoping to get to the point of a more streamlined household.