END OF YEAR CONTEMPLATIONS

To close my blog for 2011, I shall look ahead to 2012. Since arriving 2 years ago, I have 'housekeepered' quite a bit - but not as much as I would have liked. I aimed to get the place spotless for dad. However, since his hospitalization, I have been a FT carer and not had enough time over for spring cleaning as much as I would like. I also aimed to have my black ceiling repainted, since it was removed and turned gray, to my dislike...

I can sigh over what has not been done or I can smile at what has been accomplished. We have a brand new shed, the first shower this house has seen in its 60+ years of existence, new bathroom flooring, a floor-runner vac, and a neat pantry among other delights. Thanks to my son, we managed to move Dad's bed and some other large pieces of furniture around. This made it a three bedroom home instead of 2, as we have used the lounge as an extra bedroom and outhouse/diningroom/darts room as a storeroom/unused lounge.

Looking ahead, what would I like to accomplish in 2012? Well, I would like to get some painting done for a start - the bathroom, toilet, my room and kitchen, perhaps. The upper rooms are probably in my color choice, as nobody else lives upstairs now my son has left - but the kitchen will be dad's color choice.

I would also like to smash out the kitchen side-of-sink closet and install a new sturdy piece to house the plastic draining board, buy a new kitchen table, and get myself a computer desk so I don't bump my knees every time I type....

The latter will wait til I earn some cash though, so here are them latest items I am throwing out of my room into the hands of whoever wishes to buy them!

for sale link

Finally, I will leave you with a couple of photos of my efforts to save my father's knees - a sucess with which he is pleased.

UNDER THE SINK - EW, GROTTY!

Dad's knees necessitated a change of plan. I have not yet thrown out the pile of dramatic stories I wrote as a teenager or misc. junk from my dressing table, nor have I painted my ceiling black or laid the lino on the toilet floor - first things first - dad's knees!

Using the kitchen as a bathroom in the morning, I can easily whip the washing up drainer out of the way and place tooth cleaning and shaving articles on the plastic draining board. I can pull the towel rail into place, amass items required for use on the table, and lay a bathroom mat on the floor in front of the bathing chair for elderly people. What I cannot currently do is ensure dad's knees fit under the sink enabling him to sit face on rather than sideways.

Looking inside this grotty white cupboard, we see a rather nasty task ahead of me...

 

I cleaned the floor under the grotty compost tub that I admittedly do not empty as often as I perhaps should. I have a new tub ready.... It only remains for me to remove the closet door, clean the walls as well as floor, and replace the compost tub with the new one - and Dad's knees will be happier. The remainder of these tasks are on tommorrow's agenda!

THE COLLECTIBLE MUGS

The mug collection actually occurred first on my list, due to my son asking if he could have one as a souvenir to take back to Australia with him. Naturally I agreed, and consequently arranged to empty the garlic and Kalanchoe plants from my windowsill into the yard, wash the mugs I had used to house these plants, and present him with those he desired.

 

This done, my son was presented with the two required mugs to return to Aussie with (although as it turns out he didnt have room and left them behind) and I was left with 7 'unwanted pieces of clutter'. They are therefore next on my list of 'stuff to sell' after the white vacuum. If any reader is interested - please get in touch via comments below or my Facebook album for sales items -

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150410358909141.365973.508649140&type=1&l=df58e6fa33

- if not, it is over to Facebook, then Craigslist & Gumtree, and finally onto Ebay...

I have also listed the vacuum cleaner and a few books at my Facebook 'For Sale' album and intend to delete the pictures as these items are sold, and add a few more items monthly until my teenage bedroom is empty of the old me and livable in by the middle-aged me!