MaryLou's time2cre8

I'm frazzled! And that's saying a lot, because I don't often admit to being frazzled. There are just so many things going on right now that I feel like one of those guys in the circus with all the spinning plates... and what I hear is the sound of breaking glass. I like to think that I can do absolutely everything (don't we all?), but every once in awhile I find that even the most talented of multi-taskers (that would be me) struggles with all the tasks at hand.

The frazzledness is being caused by our impending move. We have no deadline. We're not really in a hurry, except that we'd really like to be gone before the winter. But there's a lot to do.

This is part of the list:
1. Pack things that will be moved with us. This involves deciding what we're going to keep, as we've decided to eliminate a LOT of our belongings. We just don't need it all! And because I'm a bit of a fanatic when it comes to packing, everything being packed is being recorded in a spreadsheet. Honestly, that makes it easier for me. I know. I'm weird.
2. Sell "stuff" on eBay. This involves doing some research first (I'm not going to take the time to photograph and describe something that'll sell for a quarter). If the research indicates that it's worth selling, I have to take photos and write up the listings. Then I have to figure out where to put the "stuff" until it sells.
3. Sell bigger "stuff" on craigslist. So far, so good with this one. Our Adirondack style lawn chairs are all gone. So's the chain link fencing that was around our dog pen. I ran into a snag with this today, though. Lots of big stuff was dragged out into the yard for photographing, and I was happily listing away. And then craigslist wouldn't let me list any more. I haven't used it very much, and I wasn't aware that there are limits to the number of things you can list in any 48-hour period. Pooey. There's LOTS of big stuff, though... a full living room set, entertainment center, bedroom set, lots of bookshelves, sofa and loveseat, electronic drum set, ping pong table, dining room set, chest of drawers, darkroom equipment... Whew!
4. Donate to charities. We've donated a LOT already, but we're continuing to gather things for the Cancer Federation, Vietnam Vets, and Purple Hearts. Once again, this means gathering all the stuff together into one place until it's picked up.
5. Yardwork. The lawn needs work. The weeds are growing up through the mulch that was spread last year, so there's weed pulling to be done. Overgrown shrubs have been cut down and the stumps dug up, and now there's cleanup to be done where they were. Flowers need to be transplanted to other locations. Several trees need to have the grass cleared from around them so mulch can be put there (it's just too hard to mow around the trees). We're waiting for three truckloads of mulch to be spread next to the fence and in a few areas around the house. It's been really rainy, so it's been tough to get the yardwork done.
6. Get house ready to sell. We can't tackle much of this until some of the stuff has been cleared out. Oddly enough, getting the house ready to sell will probably be the easiest part of this whole thing! We need to regrout the kitchen floor, paint some of the rooms, have the carpets cleaned, and do just a few minor fixes. We both like building and construction, though, so fixing the stuff in the house will be the most fun.

I know a list of six things doesn't seem overwhelming, and it certainly doesn't merit being frazzled; but each of those six things really involves many many steps. In between all those things I'm trying to make sure we have clean clothes, food to eat (although I'll admit to asking that we go out to eat several times a week), keep up with my Etsy shop, AND have a little fun along the way.

Because... when all's said and done, I really believe we should be able to spend a significant portion of our lives enjoying ourselves. For me, enjoyment is creating, so it's important to me to be able to spend time every day creating something. Beadweaving. Art. Stationery. Knitting. Crocheting. SOMETHING! Enjoyment is also reading, so there's time set aside every day for some reading.

So although I'm a bit frazzled right now, it'll pass. No one's putting pressure on me except myself, so I just have to tell myself to relax. It'll all get done. Eventually. And if it doesn't, it's not the end of the world.

There.

I have just talked myself out of being frazzled.

Life's too short to do that to myself. I'm going to do some beadweaving and watch a movie!
:-)