Serious thoughts on garage sales

The one serious conviction that a man should have is that nothing is to be taken too seriously. – Nicholas Butler

Week #41 - 49 Weeks ‘til I’m 50 – Ready, Set, it’s all about A FOCUSed plan to get there!  Only 8 weeks left.

Welcome Back – Never fear, even if I’m not here writing a post, I’m thinking about doing so.  But then I get too serious and want to write something profound and can’t think of a single thing, so I walk away.  One of these days, maybe I should figure out how to blog from my smart phone instead of my trusty computer.  

On with the random thoughts for the day!  As one approaches 50, there's a strong desire to let go of things that are simply consuming too much of your time or space.  Letting go of stuff just feels right. 

The last few weeks in our spare time (LOL – as I write that, it’s hard not to chuckle, as spare time is pretty rare) my husband and I have been getting ready for a garage sale.  A last ditch effort to clear out some stuff before the winter season sets in.  High hopes to clear out stuff.  In our past, we’ve always had HUGE sales and big responses by shoppers.  So of course, the serious side of me set out to sell a ton of stuff!

Preparing for a thrift sale is a great way to let go of your serious side, let go of stuff you’ve been hanging on for too long, and let go of being afraid of wasting time.  There is someone out there who will seriously want your stuff, they will pay you a low dollar for it, but you will be FREE of the item and the space it was consuming in your life.  Try it…I dare you, you never know, you might just like it…seriously!

First step – get stuff ready.  This is the time consuming part.  Finding stuff, letting go, working through all the emotions related to it is kind of like getting ready to turn 50.  In fact, it is the perfect time in life.  You still have enough energy to do the work.  Your kids have likely flown the nest and you can clear out things you were hanging on for them, they seriously need some extra cash as they venture off into life and have outgrown the stuff.  Careful though…you’ll feel your life flash before you.  You’ll realize that you’ve held on to the past in hopes of what?  What is it?  What is it?

Change it up, think about what letting go will bring into your life instead of what holding on to things will take away from your life.  Ah…now we’re on to something!

Time to let go and move on to bigger and better things!  FOCUS – get rid of stuff! 

Serious FOCUS Method #1:  This is where you get rid of things that cause you stress.  There is no reason to hang on to things that you don’t love or enjoy or that you’re hanging onto because of ______.

• Find
• Objects
• Causing
• Undo
• Stress

Serious FOCUS Method #2:  This is where you get rid of things that have been sitting around just collecting dust or lurking in spaces that you forgot we’re even there.  If you haven’t needed it or used it in a long time, why are you hanging on to it?

• Free
• Obstacles
• Creating
• Unique
• Space

Serious FOCUS Method #3:  This is where you dig deep into drawers or under items.  Seriously, why have you been holding on to items that are taking up valuable space, especially spaces where you end up leaving things out because something you don’t use is taking up the space. 

• Free
• Objects
• Covered
• Under
• Stuff

After you’ve sorted, organized, and priced all the treasures (I’m by no means an expert on the pricing…just know there is someone out there who will buy it at the price you’ve set).  The big day will come.  The anticipation builds and then the day unfolds.  This is where the true test of your ability not to take things too seriously really comes in.  You’ve practiced and practiced as you let go of items.  Are you ready? 

Wait...here's a test to really see.  Are you ready? You’ll have to be patient and tolerant of:

People who want to take less than the price you’ve tagged the item for?  Seriously…breathe, just breathe…

People who tell you they don’t have any smaller bills, will you take $____?  Seriously…breathe, just breathe…

People who buy the item you thought would never sell!  Seriously…whew, a recovery breath…

People won’t buy the item you thought was the hottest deal!  Seriously…do I have bad taste or what?

People who actually touch every item and rearrange your whole set-up?  Seriously…oh well, at least there’s something to do during the long down time.

People who stop and don’t buy a darn thing!  Seriously…there are plenty of choices, it’s like a mini mall here…really…

People who find that one item you had no idea the value and they will resell on eBay for a high dollar!  Seriously…let it go…let it go…

People who have a story about why they are buying the item…Seriously, this is my favorite part, it helps the time fly by and helps you feel better about letting go by helping someone else. 

On a final serious note:  Must do item!  When you’re done, don’t bring the stuff back in the house!!! – DONATE what’s left…or seriously pack up what you’ll try to sell the next go around!  

That reminds me, now I know what I’ll be doing for a few more days.  Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy your serious moments of not taking life so seriously!  We’re in the home stretch to turning 50, practice, practice, practice moments of not taking life too seriously.  

PS – photo moments.  This is my favorite part of photography.  Just letting go, seeing what random things I can find and capture in a different way. 

Some THING for everyone!

Seriously...I thought the books would sell!

There's plenty of down time to play with the
camera!

Let it go...at least the view is gorgeous!

Oh no...the next project bee removal!

Ah...the simple things in life!  

Ugh - so I saw it on Pinterest, and tried it

Ugh – an interjection exclaiming disgust, horror or the like.  – My version of a dictionary definition.  It also describes what I did while it rained on this Labor Day holiday.

Week #37 + 1 day - 49 Weeks ‘til I’m 50 – Ready, Set, it’s all about A FOCUSed plan to get there!  Only 12ish weeks left.

As females age, we start to notice personal things we wish we could reverse.  How about these two biggies – skin and teeth?  Just rub your hand on your arms or legs, are they soft and smooth or do you notice some rough patches or wish your skin was softer?   Take a close look at your teeth, unless you already whiten your teeth with chemicals, are they less white than you’d like?  There must be natural ways to deal with both of these things?  Enter in Pinterest. 

Gotta love this day and age – everything you ever wanted to know you can find on the web.  Or, if you’re like me, Pinterest has some interesting ideas/things that you can try.  Some things at first glance make me sigh, “Ugh!”    

One of my time wasting hobbies is pinning things from Pinterest.  Right, I know, UGH fits!  Unfortunately some days I can waste way more time than is definitely appropriate.  But, occasionally, I find something that might just be worth trying, and perhaps make the time spent no longer wasted. Or should I say, I wonder if people ever really try the things they see on Pinterest?  Especially the pictures you see that give you the desire to scream UGH!  When I saw these two things, I thought UGH at first, but then the more I thought about it, I wanted to test them out myself.  My ultimate excuse, (that which makes it okay to do today) it’s a rainy holiday...

What the heck…let’s be adventurous as a way to kick off the last twelve weeks of our adventure to 50.  Plus, if you happened to see these things on Pinterest and didn’t dare try, I can fill you in on what I discovered about the true facts, you know, a real life testimony.  

Pin #1 – Homemade exfoliating rub.

Must have’s to make this work: 

• Either a tripod (or an extremely willing spouse) to photo you trying this mixture on for proof you actually did the pin! 
• Coffee Grounds (about 2/3 cup) – since I couldn’t really tell on the pin if it was fresh coffee grounds or the grounds after you make coffee, I used a little of both, more of the after coffee mix since I didn’t want to waste good coffee if this didn’t really work.
• Brown sugar (about ¼ cup)
• Olive Oil (splash, give or take)

Mix all together to make a paste.  I made the concoction two days in a row.  First day I didn’t use the fresh coffee grounds, and I think I liked it better it’s more soupy instead of rough paste.  But, both versions do the trick.  If you can stand the mess in your tub, and the lingering coffee smell you carry with you the rest of the day, it is true you end up with very soft skin indeed!  I even used it on my face, not sure if I was supposed to but it worked.

I don't think you really have to measure,
I didn't either time, and both worked.

Ugh, am I really going to try this?

It's hard to get on your back, if the camera man
wasn't busy taking pictures, perhaps he
could have helped???

Yes, it is messy - that's the part they don't tell
you on the pins - the mess!  Oh well, it's natural
and washes away with soap and water.

Pin #2 – Activated Charcoal for a natural way to whiter teeth.  

The theory behind it is that the charcoal absorbs the tannins left behind on your teeth from coffee, tea and wine stains.  I told a friend about it and she said that she was told that your teeth will only whiten as much as the whites of your eyes.  Okay, not sure if that’s true, or not, but we’ll see.  I don’t care for the cost or the chemicals in the whitening strips, so if it's a natural way to whiten teeth, I’m game to see if this works!   After two days, I do notice a difference.  Don’t worry – your mouth doesn’t stay black, and it doesn’t stain anything, and if you accidentally swallow some it won’t hurt you.  

Must have’s to make this work:

• Activated charcoal capsule (1), break open capsule into bowl
• Glass bowl to catch the slurry
• Small spoon to stir up the slurry (you'll add just a little bit of water to the bowl and stir)
• A timer (you swish the slurry in your mouth for 5 minutes)
• A camera – to capture photos of you trying this.  If you don’t you won’t know if it really works or not.  I think the pin on Pinterest does a great job explaining everything.  I’ve only done this twice but I did notice a difference in whiteness immediately.  I would recommend not going dry red wine tasting after your first try at this, but that’s just a bit of unsolicited advice! 

Before shot - creepy!  

Oh, no, this IS creepy - see how the charcoal
attaches to the stains

Sure hope it comes off my lips, this isn't
my best color of lipstick!  

After 5 minutes, ready to rinse.

A perfect selfie opportunity...am I really this insane?

Does make the tongue black - just brush your
tongue and it goes away!

Ok...I see a difference, definitely no longer black!  I
think I'll try a few more times just to see if it
really does work!  Ugh...

Best pricing found was through Swanson's

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy your UGH moments...they might just give you something new to try!  See you soon!!

PS – Photo lessons – doing these silly things from Pinterest is a great way to practice selfies and gives you plenty of things to randomly photograph.  Copper feels a little left out, here we are staring out at the rain.

Uniqueness and breaking free

We can raise our sights high when we’re willing to break free from being conformists who live a conventional life simply because we are too afraid to express our uniqueness. – Alexandra Stoddard

Week #35 - 49 Weeks ‘til I’m 50 – Ready, Set, it’s all about A FOCUSed plan to get there!  Only 14 weeks left.  

Here I am again, taking another random moment to report in on the status of my FOCUSed plan.  Sobering moment realizing how rapidly it is closing in on the end.  I’m not going to focus on the end yet.  Even though the goal is to successfully welcome in the big moment, there’s still time left.  I’m going to encourage myself, and you, to continue to make the journey unique.   

I’m inspired by very special people in my life that are the going through their own unique journeys.  They are inspiring to me, because, they aren’t afraid to say things like, “This is my stress, don’t you worry about my stress, you have enough of your own to deal with, I’ll be okay, just let me do it my way” or “I’ve always wanted one, it marks the turning point in life, I’m letting go of the past and moving forward.”  Those are the defining moments that hit home for me.  I need to recognize each person’s uniqueness, as well as my own and let go.

Doing our own thing is the difference maker in a successful journey.  When we try to copy or replicate what others have done without embracing how we can do it on our own, we bring on undo pressures and take a path with underlying stress.

At this stage in life, as I look around, I can be guilty as charged for taking on undo pressures.  I’ve hung on to things that I’m afraid to let go.   I tend to be afraid to let go of people (aka, my children), simply because, I have all this knowledge about what they don’t know about growing up.  When the rational person in me steps in, I remember that’s what I had to do.  I had to take my own journey and go through all the trials to get me to the place I am today.  I didn’t do it the way I was necessarily told to do.  I was most definitely not a conformist.  I survived, and so will they.  It is kind of fun to watch them take their own unique paths.  I am very proud of them in their ability to say, “No thanks, that’s not for me” or “It’s okay to let it go.” 

“Let it go…but it was free.”  Oh boy, it is a continual work in progress to get over this little fear.  The fear of letting go of stuff, especially “stuff” that might mean something at a day later in their lives.   This empty nest phase is a perfect time to clean house and clear out clutter.  As I watched my youngest, strategically ponder what she wanted to take with her to her first apartment, I had to repeatedly remind myself it is her unique journey, not mine! 

My plan at this stage in the 49 weeks is to clear out unwanted, unneeded and undesirable items.  The original plan was to do that before she moved away, but time flew too quickly.  Now the true test will be if I can be as ruthless as my kids are in getting rid of stuff?  Can I let go of the fear of “they might really wish I hadn’t gotten rid of it, or just hang on a bit longer?”  As I gear up the courage to let go.  I’m trying to not be a conformist and find my own path.  I realize I did take more stuff than I really would have chosen to take.  If only I would have been more selective at the time I might not be in this struggle.

Turning 50 is a perfect time to clean out the old stuff.  Keep only the things you truly love.  As I look at some of the stuff I’ve accumulated, I know I've kept it because it was free.  But I want to be free too.  Free from some gifts from our wedding 25 years ago.  Free from the stuff my mom left behind.  Free from items that I bought on a “good deal” sale or when I was thrift sale shopping years ago.  This is going to be cathartic and freeing.  I’m hopeful that my kids won’t look back and wish I had kept it, whatever the “it” may be as I clear it out.  I know, without a shadow of a doubt, they do not want to be stuck with my stuff at a later date.  

So…let’s get some inspiration going.  I really like the quote above.  When I saw her name, I remembered that when my kids were younger, I read the book, “Creating a Beautiful Home” by Alexandra Stoddard. 
http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Beaut-Home-Alexandra-Stoddard/dp/B001PO657C  

A book I love.  A bear my mom
treasured and left behind.  A chair
pad she left that I never wanted.
A blanket too good to throw...

Imagine that, I still have the book.  I love the book, so I’m keeping it as one of my unique treasures.  Looking at the link above, I see I’ve kept it long enough the copy available now has a different cover.  Do you think the book is a collectable now or worth something?  Screeeeech!  Stop that thinking right now!  Time to get to the real work, stop conforming, and break free.  Free at 50, yep, sounds good to me!  

Thanks for stopping by – enjoy the moments of discovering your own freedom in finding uniqueness!

PS -  Unique photography moments.  All of my flowers are in bloom in their own unique ways.  I absolutely love the glads, but as my husband says, "They are truly a stupid design."  This year my morning glories are struggling to break free from each other to find their own path.  I'm continually amazed at all the opportunities to find unique pictures when breaking free to find a different perspective.  

Yes, a top heavy plant is a strange design.

Upside down angle.

Using the fence to grow.

She sure likes to stick her nose in the frame

Using a fellow garden buddy to get to new heights.

Every which way.

This one used the tiger lily to find its way to the top.

Even a blade of grass as a support.

A lone ranger.

Such pretty flowers when they bloom and stand
out on their own.

Too many cooks in the kitchen, no one can
find their way.

Ah yes, a strange design for sure!

Another day, another adventure just waiting
to be discovered.

Fascinated by uncertainty

Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating. – Karl von Clausewitz

Week #31 - 49 Weeks ‘til I’m 50 – Ready, Set, it’s all about A FOCUSed plan to get there!   Wow, only 18 weeks left.   

Here I am again, randomly deciding to blog about my FOCUSed plan of being ready to turn 50.  I’ve read to be a successful blogger, you’re not supposed to post randomly.  You are supposed to be a steady eddy.  I guess that’s a bummer for me, and you, especially if you are trying to follow this blog for certainty about how to be successful turning 50.  Hopefully you can appreciate the uncertainty of when I’ll be back. 

By nature, the closer I get to 50, the happier I am to blog randomly versus every Sunday at 9:15 am.  I enjoy moments in life where I cut myself some slack.  The nagging reminder of the original clarity of my plan loses out to the frequency of uncertainty about what to write about.   Maybe the certainty of blogging about turning 50 every week is too much of a reminder I will be 50, sooner rather than later.  Yikes, what if that is it?!  Let's just say jumping in to post randomly is more exciting for a random person like me.

What are my thoughts about turning 50 today?  I certainly have my doubts that turning 50 will be any different than how I feel today at the age of 49.  I do keep wondering if there will be some drastic change the day I turn 50?  The uncertainty of the big change is outweighed by some clear thoughts about a few things. 

1. After much thought I’m betting that I’ll still have hair that is continuing on its quest for total grey. There are days I think of the movie, The Santa Clause with Tim Allen.  You know the scene where he tries to color his hair and it turns back to white every time.  All my threats with my hairdresser that we’ll both forgo coloring from that point forward will likely lose steam. I’ll probably still color my hair. 
2. I’m positive that I’ll have a few more wrinkles despite the fact that I’ve found some great skin care products.  I’m hopeful that exfoliating and moisturizing will continue to delay the wrinkle process.  My favorites are from the http://naturals.neutrogena.com/products.  I love these two products:  http://naturals.neutrogena.com/products/pore-scrub and http://naturals.neutrogena.com/products/moisturizer.
3. I’m hopeful my choice to take probiotics will continue on with lessening the effects of hot flashes.  I’m truly amazed at how they have diminished the frequency and intensity of hot flashes.  While I could be totally wrong that there is any connection to them, I’d highly recommend taking probiotics to anyone: http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-probiotics-ultimate-probiotic-formula-3-pack-3-30-ct-bottles-veg-drcaps.  If you’ve had the opportunity to experience hot flashes I bet you can attest to the fact that they don’t really have a pattern and they are definitely annoying and unpredictable.  So I'm betting anything that can potentially minimize them, is worth a shot.  Are you game for the uncertainty and willing to give them a try? 

That’s enough thoughts for one day.  Intellectually, I confess, I am curious about what it will be like to be 50.  All in all, I’m going to hold on to the uncertainty of what it will be like to turn 50 since that is the fascinating part to me.  I do know that even when I arrive at the big 50, there will remain moments of uncertainty in life.  I’m positive they will be balanced by intense moments of clarity.  I intend to make every moment worth it, regardless of the level of clarity. 

Thanks for stopping by ~ may you find joy and clarity in your moments of uncertainty in life.

PS – Photography thoughts for the day.  When in doubt about uncertainty and lack of clarity in my life, I’m triggered to grab my camera and search outside to find something fascinating in nature.   I find that just wandering around the yard to randomly seek out unique angles, or things in nature releases me from the longing to find clarity.  Seasons in Wisconsin change quickly.  As I walk around the yard, I remind myself that in 18 weeks when I turn 50 all the beautiful greens of the yard and corn field will be brown and quickly thereafter snowy white.  Just that realization gives me incentive to spend as much time as I can outside enjoying the growth of this season.  Intellectually, I always want some clarity about what to take pictures of.  But...it is way more fascinating to randomly shoot in the RAW!

I clearly need to buy my daughter some
new shoes!

Photo bombed by Copper

How about a clear and simple marigold?

Clearly I focused not on the flower!

Oops forgot to reset the ISO

A random stick...

I clearly need to weed this garden!

It is windy today!

This corn is loving the weather!

Ah...I love the greens of the season.

Copper trotting back to see what I've found.

Now there's a dog who is clearly
fascinated with the uncertainty of adventure!

A commitment to imagination

The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment. – Tony Robbins

Week #28 - 49 Weeks ‘til I’m 50 – Ready, Set, it’s all about A FOCUSed plan to get there! 

Four weeks flew by again! Here I am again committing some time to blog.  Rather, I’m making time to evaluate where I’m at in my FOCUSed plan.  There’s no doubt in my mind I have commitment to follow-through with the plan.  I don’t know if it is the pace of life or the lack of imagination to write about something that blocks me more some days.  Probably both!  

Let’s just go with imagination today.  I have to remind myself I don’t necessarily have to know what I’m going to write about, sometimes I just have to start and see what happens.  I think that’s why I love discovering photography so much.  I’m feeling brave about trying different manual settings on the camera.  I can now commit myself to trying more imaginative ways to hold the camera and see what the impact is from the different angles.  Sometimes just playing with the camera gets my imagination going. 

That’s what it is like as I approach 50.  Looking at it from a commitment to use imaginative ways to embrace the change is one way to keep focused on the positives.  Last time I wrote about my vision test.  I’ve since picked up my new glasses.  I’m happy to report that the choice to jump full steam ahead into lined bifocals was a positive choice.  I would definitely recommend them for anyone who has issues with the progressive lenses.  

On the flip side, what I didn’t expect but have found out quickly is, the lined bifocals are extremely frustrating for arm’s length vision.  Everyday activities like washing and putting away dishes, picking out clothing, shopping in the store, etc. take on a whole different level of blur.   The new blur factor brings about a new meaning to personal space.  If anyone is within arm’s length, they are blurry.  Lucky for me, my husband also has lined bifocals – we don’t mind seeing each other in the blur zone.  Being able to clearly see the computer screen is practically impossible.  I can’t get close enough with the bifocal or if I back up far enough, I can’t see the small print.  

Thankfully, there’s a solution though for those of us who work with computers – occupational lenses.  Perhaps I would have been better off with the trifocals after all?  One step at a time, I’m committed to making this combination work.  I absolutely love having my peripheral vision in the lined bifocals.  I can learn to tolerate the blur zones. 

After all these years, discovering ways to stay committed to accepting changes as they come makes life much easier to deal with.  There’s often something just beyond what we can see that becomes clearer.  Sometimes it brings about the opportunity to be more imaginative.  Just let yourself go with the flow and see what happens.  Occasionally, the blurs in life aren’t that bad after all.  What have you committed to that’s helped you find an imaginative way to make it work? 

Thanks for stopping by – enjoy your commitments, enjoy your imagination, the combination of the two might just surprise you! 

PS – photography moments for the day.  When I was blocked for writing, I just grabbed the camera and asked Copper to join me and we went out for some early morning shots.  I’ve typically tried to not take pictures into the sunlight, today, I purposely did so…a different perspective, a few new discoveries.  I remain amazed at what the camera lenses focus on and blur at the same time. 

The dew on the grass is pretty in the sunlight

What about ground level?

Closer to the ground

Focus on a couple blades

Tipped the camera some

Focused on the middle

Copper joined the fun

Sun went under a cloud

Copper is in focus

Wonder what he saw?

Copper is blurry, close grass is in focus.

Time for another adventure.  Every one of the above
pictures were taken at arm's length and I wasn't
even looking in the viewfinder.  How's that
for imagination?