Household Cleaning (Putting off Chores) and an Update

Good morning! Happy Saturday! Here’s this week’s video in which I catch up on some house cleaning projects, many of which I’ve been ignoring. Also make that blueberry zucchini bread I’ve been talking about. Oh it was so good. You can watch it HERE.

Updates:

I blogged earlier in the week so not a lot extra to say. But here’s a few things.

• I started eating a few gluten free things which I do think helped me not to feel so stuffed after eating it. No I was not gluten free all week, and frankly probably will never be perfectly that. I know some of you have made a complete commitment to the gluten free lifestyle. I’m not there yet. But I have come to the conclusion that I will continue to improve the diet. It has to be a slow change for me. So please no posts about how I’m doing it all wrong.
• I appreciate those that are helping me, just know that I have a mind of my own and I’m not where you are yet. So no judgment or preaching zones allowed. I always appreciate the help, and instruction, just don’t preach or judge my eating. We are all different how we handle things, our situations are different, we are wired differently, and our approach will be different. I will also be inconsistent, my statements about eating will conflict each other. And you know what? That is ok.
• I can commit to doing better but I won’t commit to doing it perfectly and if that is not good enough, it’s my choice, right? I need to know that I’m improving. And I have come a long way. You may not know that. I know I eat too much carbs. I might eat more sugar than you do but let me tell you —all that said—I do soooooo much better than I did.
• I don’t want to be made to feel that I’m doing it all wrong, when I’ve come such a LONG way from where I was, you know? We have improved so much. We have a lot left to improve. But I have to do it slowly. I can’t and won’t dive in head first because I will fail and be discouraged. And at some points this week I wanted to give up. Matter of fact I did give up a few days because I was so discouraged. I even quit walking this week as we were busy anyway and I was told exercising doesn’t help because I’m eating all wrong. So don’t shame me please. It makes me go backwards.
• I have found it is usually best not to declare that you are doing a journey of improvement because family or anyone will say “oh I thought you were gluten free” why are you eating that homemade biscuit? lol. Of course family hears you order it and then gives you the low down when you eat of bite of something with gluten. Makes your eyes just want to roll so far back in your head they get stuck.
• Again, help and encouragement is fine, but telling me “oh you are approaching this wrong, or you are not doing it right, or you can’t do it that way” is not – again, NOT helping me. It makes me defensive and angry. Right or wrong, it just does. I was wired to be defensive and have anxiety and then I have to overcome THAT. Sorry, I can’t help it. It’s just the way I’m wired. I wish I was not. I have trouble taking even the best of criticism. It was the way I was wired. It’s hard for me.
• So a review? Help and instruction and ideas are great. Like I have a follower/friend that gave me a lot of advice on eating, shows to help me, and even items to buy at Costco and that I appreciate so much. That is helpful. And that person realizes I hope, that it’s a journey for me, that I won’t be perfect.
• I’ve discovered that most of the things I’ve eaten as the gluten free choice was not bad. The bun at Jersey MIke’s though- ughhhh! Just no. The pizza crust though – rocked at Painturo’s.

• Elmo the stray cat came back. He was last seen in late winter/early spring, I think. We missed the little bugger. I was coming up the steps and saw Little Bit on the steps and another black cat on the porch. I did a double take. I was like – wait there are two Little Bits. I got excited when I realized it was Elmo. So he’s been back about 5 days to a week now. I’ve lost count but we think he is a neighbor’s cat not far away, but not entirely sure. We’ve debated about how to handle this cat and what our responsibility should be. We were considering taking him to the vet for shots and making sure he was neutered, but you hate to spend money on a cat that is a stray if he is going to be an outside cat. But we want our dogs and cat protected. So I don’t know, we just don’t have money we want to throw around, but we’ll see what happens. No judgment on that either, I tell you! lol. But it was good to see him anyway

Well, Mom has agreed to at least go TOUR an assisted living facility – the one our church supports where she would get a discount. I told her we needed to at least know or be familiar with the process and how easy or hard it will be to get her in there and how much it costs etc. Because at the time she needs one she will have to go where there is an opening. I’m not pushing her to go yet because she can still shower, eat, etc. But she is not doing well at home ownership – she needs someone to do all the things and it’s getting to where she will have to hire someone to do all the things. Already she’s hired a housecleaner if she ever comes over and cleans it – supposedly she has back trouble. I have a contact for her if she wants it. We can’t keep up two houses and so we do little odd job things – especially George as he is a handyman and I’m not. But I’ve already told her I can’t keep up with the cleaning in two houses. Even at 62, I’m tired for just getting up in the morning at times so I do good getting a few tasks done around here. lol. So I will book a tour for us on a week we don’t have much else going on. So we can at least go and see it and know how much it costs.

But at the point she cannot bathe, fix herself something to eat, or even if she can’t get the cleaner to come over – something will have to give. So we’ll see if the cleaner can come. If not, we may have to make her go so that she is properly cared for and living in a clean house. Ants had come in last week and we had to combat that. I just can’t keep two houses and it’s getting to a point in which SOMETHING is going to have to happen. If the cleaner can’t come and we don’t have help in the house then she’s going to have to go where help is and that is just the way it is.

How do you go about getting home health care or people that will come in and fix a meal or wait on her. I’m sure she’d love that, lol. Who do you call? Where to start? Maybe they can come to her. The lady next door had someone at one point (deceased now) that would help her every day from like 10-2 and would clean a bit and make lunch. I’ve just never been through all this before and I’m left dumbfounded. I’m better at a desk and computer than I am at handling real life personal situations. lol That is a fact. I’m just a nerd I guess. And I’m losing that some too.

Ok over and out. Got a lot to do today and George’s pick for dinner tonight is to go eat Sushi. They have other things. I’ll be going with other things, lol. Take care ya’ll and if you want to watch the video, you can watch it HERE.