Surviving Small, Living Large with Deana

 As planned I have gotten all the things done I had on my 2-do list. Purged stuff and got my storage downsized to a smaller unit. Eventually I will go through it all once again with getting down to a meager 5X5 unit as my goal. I also purchased what I felt like I might need to really be "living" here. That was mostly little kitchen things, gadgets. In fact....I actually made a whole meal down here in my little apartment the other night. I can always bounce upstairs and use my sisters kitchen, her stove, her microwave and such but I really just wanna feel like I'm on my own. Things appear a bit messy but see.... My new goal is to shut out the rest of the world for the next, maybe 2 months and write. Oh, I'll still participate in a few things here and there but I'm ready to utilize this space for what I've dreamed for it to be for the last year. All too soon I will be returning to work and therefore these free days are going to be most valuable to me. I know the...

 I've added just a few more things but I think I'm done now and ready to relax and just enjoy my little apartment. I've given myself the rest of the week to do any more tweeking that I might feel needs being done and then I'm ready to get my story out and write. I want to catch up on some reading as well. And Tip, well she brought me not one, but two toys last night as she just wants some attention. I enjoy hearing her in the other room rummaging around in her basket that holds her toys. I do go out with her from time to time but it's just been too hot for us to stay long. So here's the additions: There was this little bit of space and I just felt I needed extra space to maybe mix things up and I also needed some where to put a paper towel holder. SOOO this little cabinet was added. And yes, my sister and I are still friends even after working together putting it together. I will say, she was the brains of our efforts and I know I couldn't have accomplished ...

 ...as I find things in storage AND that big storage that I was trying to downsize into a smaller, that has been accomplished. Oh there are a few things that need to come out of it still, like empty tubs and a few empty boxes but for the most part that job is done. Now to get the final, final touches done to my little apartment and hopefully get to my book. Writing and reading - those are my goals. I will slowly go through once again the smaller storage and hopefully go to an even smaller unit. I have to decide what I'm gonna do with all my crafting supplies. I have a TON, an absolute TON. There will be room for some things here with me but not all and I need to decide what goes. I also have some bigger things that might sell at a garage sale. They keep talking about having one here in the complex where I live but it's been all talk so far. The lady at the Peace Pantry (like a Goodwill Store) knows me real well at this point. Almost every day last week I was bringing in another...

 walls.  Thought I was ready to go ahead, although I heard the voice of my father saying, "I want you to leave stuff off the walls at least for a month or so." That was his words to us after he had finished as we had finally talked him into painting our room, or Mama talked him into a fresh coat somewhere in the house. Painting was not his favorite thing to do so I think he just enjoyed seeing those nice walls for a while.  I invited my friend Lynn over and she did not disappoint as we discussed where to hang things and then she did the hanging. (Thank you so much Lynn.) I've never hung things on my own so her knowledge was needed and appreciated. I purchased what I thought would go great above the entrances (doors) of my space. Nope....we found much better places for them. I really, really like not having anything in that space now, and I got to use what I found as well. In the bedroom:  I forgot I had a small collection of birdhouses. Not sure I will be able to use...

 As I may have mentioned earlier I've moved all my stuff from the room I occupied upstairs to either my new living space or out into the garage. I've brought only a few things from storage. I said all that to say this....I'm not there yet, but I'm getting there. They installed my bathroom door today and I wanted to share that but first, some other things been happening as well.  Lots of lose ends here that still need put away, or thrown away. I'm terrible about collecting sayings, or pictures and looking at it for a few days then putting it away somewhere to be discovered again at a later time. Like the words I found today and had to tack up under my You just have to keep pushing yourself picture. It says: WRITE what should NOT BE forgotten. That is forever my goal but truthfully I'm sure I write lots of trivial things too.  I found my Pray reminder that was a gift and Lynn do you remember us making the frames at your house? And which cup to use for pens...the o...

 It has been a good day and maybe what I'd consider Living Large, well actually living blessed, perhaps being intentional about recognizing God's blessings. I had an appointment in a neighboring town that's of good size. I took advantage of that by stopping at, once again, Bulbs and Batteries. I've been going through stuff, moving in to my little studio apartment and one thing I found was my wrist watches. I don't have a fancy, expensive one. Just ones I've bought for a little of nothing - but I've always loved having a wrist watch on....that is until the battery is done. You can no longer get Walmart to replace them unless you can prove the watch was purchased there. BUT....Bulbs and Batteries will sell and install a watch battery for you. I took a couple in last week and then found another just yesterday I wanted up and running. I returned to the store. The young fellow waiting on me asked for my phone number then said, "No charge." I said, ...