I wish so much I could clear out the clutter. Trying hard this week. Finished cleaning our bedroom and the guest bedroom today. A lot of time on my hands and knees cleaning the hard wood floors. Washed down all the furniture, took out anything that was extra and both look so much better. Tomorrow the plan is to start taking on the bathroom. Shall see how that turns out. When this is done I will start painting the doors. Those darn ones that are made of cheap fiberboard all have stains on them from dampness etc. so I am going to paint them all. One at a time until they are all done. D is doing the windows outside on the school house and they are looking good so I am happy.
http://organizedhome.com/cut-clutter/declutter-101-strategies-cut-clutter?page=2 strategies to declutter. At home I like to put things in boxes, take them to the basement and if I don’t need anything in the box for a year out it goes. Have not done that in the last year so next January should be an interesting month of cleaning out again. Up here we are slowly accumulating more and more “stuff” Old paint, cleaners, clothing, books and building materials. I plan by September to clear out most of that “clutter’. I did some of that over the last two days as well. Hang paintings or pass them on!!!! Have two new walls to hang some of the antique paintings of my mom’s. Funny finishing one room and clearing out others.
Not complaining because I do hate the heat but it is a little cool these days especially when the wind is blowing. Suppose to get rain again tonight. Wish I had a garden as the plants would be growing like crazy. Few days of sunshine and then some rain, perfect for growing veggies. That is the plan for next summer.
Figured out there are only 5 or 6 cousins under the age of 70 now. They were the little kids when we were growing up. Hard to believe we are all that old! And at the moment no news of anyone having any deadly diseases. For so a stretch there around 2000 – 2006 it seems we were going to funerals every year of a cousin or sibling who had cancer. It was the saddest time in my memory. Talk about depression and fear. There were five families of cousins. Ours, Norah’s, has four living, Margaret’s has 5, Maurices has 3, Ferg has 3 and Eileens has one. Not bad to have 15 cousins and they are all darn nice people that I am happy to be related to. And I still have three of my siblings which is pretty good seeing as I am the fourth. I guess they are correct that we are living longer, I see those folks and they don’t look that old to me. All active and busy people. Hope we have the good genes of our elders. My mom lived to be 92 and lived longer than her father. That was what she wanted to do I have decided. Once she was older than he was she quit eating and said goodbye. I wonder if I could do that? I would like to think that I could decide when I had had enough. Life is easy until you reach old age, no joke, I did not have it easy in my life at times but the aches and pains and losses of old age can be pretty tough. Guess it is all in attitude?
Could not find a picture of all of us cousins but here are three of the families. Could not find pictures of the other two.
Better we read some of Aunt Sheila’s letters.
sent by air mail / postmarked Debert NS May 25,1944 at 4 PM M.P.O. 603
24 May 1944
Dear Mom + Dad,
Well last night I had a letter from Mom + Mary. It was the 2nd one from Mother and I loved them all very much, then to-day I got my rubbers + stockings and a very cute note from Mary, thanks very much.
I can’t seem to remember when I last wrote or what exactly I wrote about but we are still having a good time and to-night Transit Camp is going to throw a big party for us at the Y Camp – so we are all on beds just relaxing.
We had pay parcels to-day and I got $27 so that leaves me $53 left so I think I should that will do me for awhile.
-later-
Just got back from confession and we are going to Mass + communion at 4:45 this afternoon and then they are having a special Mass for us to-morrow morning at 7:00. We also left him $1 to have him say Mass for us.
I just received Dad’s very cute letter and loved it. Mail seems to mean so gosh darn much more down here, than ever before.
Doug Paul gave me the hugest bottle of UI-P..t. (sp) tablets, 1000 I think so I’ll have lots of that stuff. He also gave me A.P.-C.+C. and codeine qt(sp) because last Thurs I kept the ward awake at 3:00 AM looking for someone with some drugs. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that of all things. So now I’m all set.
I bet the 3rd floor will look lovely when you get it all finished – the cupboards + tables will help alot.
As yet we still haven’t drilled or anything, we just loaf around and do nothing. Now Doylie, Mary Kennedy + I are sitting on the back steps in the sun all writing letters.
Last night Doug + I went for a long walking and saw a beautiful sunset, much like the kind we use to see at camp. It is funny the way I think of so many things down here that I had never thought of before such as the camp days etc.
Well I think this is all for now. I miss you all and shall write as often as I am now.
Love + kisses,
Sheila
My Blog: LIving Every Day As An Adventure 