Reorganizing can clear one's head

I don't know about you, but I'm a creative person. Which means - I'm kind of a messy and cluttered person.

Sometimes this makes me nuts. And like most messy people, I look at the mess and think 'I've got to DO something about this!' 

And then I procrastinate. It sounds like too much work. Pain and suffering. Ugh! Not having it.

Not today!

So the mess continues to make me crazy.

Until I lose it and decide to REALLY do something. 

Here is what was making me crazy:

So pretty!

This is where most of my tatting and other hobby materials exist. Mind you, I live in a flat with limited storage - and this is the one and only hall I have. And it's the thing you have to pass to come in.

Obviously MUCH has been dumped in these shelves. And not just tatting - work things, sewing and knitting/crochet tools, and a ton of miscellaneous junk.

(I'm not going to discuss my Pez dispensers now. I collect them because they amuse me. Sue me.)

A couple of those boxes on lower shelves were full of tatting thread and other supplies. 

So.... I finally got off my arse and went to work.

Corralling the thread

First I took charge of my thread - which was WAY outta control! I sorted it by brand, size, and color combination. Some time ago I got these nice boxes from Handy Hands and they are now a big help. I labeled all the boxes on the ends. The crochet sized balls went into other containers.

Then I looked at the beads and findings. Most were dumped into a big plastic container but there were a bunch in other locations. I didn't need everything so I contacted a friend who is a beader and have shipped her a box full. She should be happy!

A tiny selection of the beads

I put all the UFOs together.(Be honest - we all have UFOs.) I found I have a ton of tatting bags so I put those together too. Then I got all my shuttles in one box and found another to put tatting tools like picot gauges and crochet hooks. 

I never need to buy any crochet hooks again. And probably not any shuttles either. It will be a very long time until I need to get thread. 

And I sorted through all the miscellaneous stuff, giving some away and throwing out an ginormous amount of trash and junk.

Tidy!

Ta-da! SO MUCH BETTER! I freed up two whole shelves and several big containers! 

More importantly - I can FIND things when I need them. 

And I feel a big weight off. Whew!

Now onto the Pez collection....

Sorry I've been away

I've had a lot to do at home, and not much time for anything else lately.

Some updates:

Moe has started back to school, his sophomore year in high school. I'm very pleased with his schedule (which he chose!) of Honors Math, World History, 10th grade Lit, French II, Chorus, AP Biology, Modern Military History, and Computer Apps. Excellent schedule. He's also now leading all the Scout troop meetings as SPL, and has to run the annual planning workshop this weekend. (He's nervous about this, but the troop's adult leadership will make sure he'll be successful.)

Sunday night, I gleefully mowed Moe's hair with the clippers. It looked attrocious before! Now it's a nice, tidy 3-guard length.

Larry is finally back at work, doing light duty. He started back last Tuesday. He's not getting many hours, but at least this is wedging him OUT of my basement. He's going back to class later this month, hurrah!

Larry does have a pretty funny sense of humor. This is a tableau he set up, with Power Rangers and Godzilla, sipping tea. Please note the tea cups.

Curly is back IN our house, after having massive roommate issues and finance problems, most of which were not his fault. He's car has been giving him fits - he spent all weekend working on it and is pretty happy with it now. He's only supposed to be in the house until September 1, but I suspect it will be longer, as he's had to spend a LOT of money on car parts. He's a better boy than the one that left though, much more considerate and willing to help. I'm so glad.

I have to take DH to have outpatient surgery on Monday, getting yet another basal cell carcinoma removed. The one on Monday is on his lower leg and is the size of a quarter. He has 4 more to come off on the 27th, none are as big. DH is paying the price for growing up outside in Florida sans sunscreen.

I've been enjoying the bears, but many times I need the calm of watching the fish. OMMMMMMM.

I did make it to my knitting/crochet/tatting group. They always have things to show off. I'm trying to get them to come to Tat Days!

Did you this month would be Julia Child's 100th birthday? She was the best.

Cisco doesn't care about Julia Child. He just wants more petting.

Today I hate work

I've had a no-good-very-bad-horrible day today at work. 

(Ha!  In my writing dyslexia, 'today' came out 'toady'.  I knows me some toadies.)

By 9 am, I was already frustrated to the point of tears.  I'm buried at work and things aren't so hot at home.  I seem the only one who can make things happen either place.  Aarrrgh!

Yesterday I got a curt invitation to a meeting about a software project I'm involved in, an invitation with no details.  (I'm the tech person for the project, doing installation and configuration and support.  And the person who is the project manager has ditched, leaving me holding the bag.)  I went to the meeting and was ambushed with questions from 25 people.  I handled myself well, but I will not go to one of those meetings again without knowing the agenda.  I don't like bows and arrows pointed at me.   I like to be prepared, with answers shielding me.  Next time, I will decline this invitation.  And this may slow down how the progress on this project.  (Translation - this group needs to not bite the hand that feeds them.)

My company is insanely political.  I don't do office politics well.  I can't lie or suck up.  I don't keep a file on everyone I work with. Instead, I have this unreasonable expectation that I will do a good job, and if I do good work, I won't get kicked in the teeth for it.  Yes, it's crazy, I know.  But that's the kind of gal I am.

I need some time off fiercely.  Some ALONE time.  No work crap, no home crap.

And to top it off, the access to blogs at work has been severely restricted.  How dare they restrict my little bit of fun!  So I'm not reading Jane or Melissa or Martha or Heather or Jen or ANYONE until I get home.  Damn.  I mean, I need to get my snark on before lunch!  What's a girl to do?

On the home front, Curly is recovering.  His arm is very sore.  I tried to get him to hold still for a picture of his scabby arm, but he wouldn't do it.  He went to his psychologist yesterday, which is better than not going.  Now if I could take him to his psychiatrist and then force feed him his meds, we'd all feel better.  (My dad used to go off his meds periodically.  It was BAD.  I used to ask Mom if she could slip him some Zoloft in his coffee....)

And I'm mindlessly crocheting, still.  It's all my little mind can manage.  It's soothing.

Why can't I just relax?

PS This made me laugh and laugh.

It's official

Hand to God - or to a kid's butt.