As I have been once again decluttering I have been questioning if I still needed to discard more than I already have. Living a more old fashioned life as we do requires more kitchen equipment to preserve food as do many of the things of long ago so it is sometimes difficult trying to live more like the past in this modern world.
If we really lived in the past we would not have a computer or printers and such as this and this takes up space where something from the past would most likely be placed.
My goal is for a looser feeling around the house where the drawers and cabinets are not so full and I have been working on this for quite awhile. Then the covid virus became a problem and there is a need to hold on to some items I may have considered donating or discarding.
My goal is not bare or perfect, it is just practical and easy to clean. So I decided to roll up my sleeves and told myself today is the day and so is tomorrow.
So earlier this week I first walked around the house and decided to at my leisure, pick up items that are out of place and put them back where they belong.
Then I walked around with a box and picked up things that need a space or a larger space. And that is where I started.
As I get older many things are painful to do so I am learning how to do some of these things a different way than I did when I was younger.
After I picked up the items I felt better and that led me to removing everything from the small refrigerator we have and defrosting the freezer and removing that chunk of ice in the back of the fridge.
That was one thing that had been put off doing and now done.
I decided this week I would not rush to do anything at all but to keep doing something. So I washed Charles fall vests to have them ready for the cool weather to come.
Just one at a time, slow and deliberate. If this is the only thing that is an extra done this day then this is what it is.
But this is not how it worked out. I then moved on to cleaning the summer fans and took them apart and hand washed the grills and fan blades. I took the air conditioner front off and filter and washed them and then took a tooth brush and some soapy water and carefully cleaned the parts I could reach.
Each day I did these things at my leisure. I have decided that I do not want to rush anymore. Why do we rush so much these days?
It is funny that because I have taken a stand on not rushing anymore I am getting more done. I have been trying to improve our diet and sometimes that means change and unlearning old ways and embracing new ways which sometimes is not easy after a certain age.
I have made many changes this year.
As some of you may know that read my blog I have a disease called Meniere's disease (ear disease) and a bonus ear disease that is called Hyperacusis that is a word I cannot pronounce but it means EVERYTHING IS LOUD! So loud that it is deafening. It is actually painful because all sounds are loud mixed in with ear noises, such as a wind sound and a motor running, all the while the tinnitus is ringing but the tinnitus is the lease of the sounds.
It is a miserable thing to have and I wish I could find a doctor that actually has this LOUD disease just to find out how the doctor copes. But in the meantime I am doing my own thing.
I am not talking about having this to make anyone feel sorry for me but to bring awareness that we can find ways to cope with chronic conditions. This is not new to me, I have had this problem for several years now but it seems to be getting worse. So I try to take any steps I can to adjust to situations and we should never stop trying.
I bought two wood plates and two wood bowls made out of maple wood to lessen the noise while eating. Wood plates and bowls are very expensive but this became necessary. For this to work, Charles has to eat on the wood plate or bowl as well. This helps to eat quieter I can use my regular stainless steel fork with a wood plate and there is no harsh sound.
It becomes very tiring to wear ear plugs or headsets all the time and when I can make things more quiet in the home I try and do this.
Some days we use the regular plates, I am trying to adjust to switching. There are different types of wood but I narrowed it between olive and maple, I ended up choosing maple wood.
Some wood can be toxic or unhealthy and some wood bowls and plates have a toxic coating they use to finish it with so I have had to do a lot of research on this. I found that wood plates and bowls are becoming more popular but this is a big decision to switch to wood due to cost.
I am setting the table with the wood plates more often now and it is starting to feel like a very earthy thing to do and I wanted to explain the change you see wood plates in by blog posts. They wood plates cannot be soaked in water and need to be washed right away and drained properly so they do not warp. It is much less noise to wash a wood plate too and that is good for me.
I have tried everything I know to shield my ears from sound. I have contractors head set, airplane soft noise head set, foam ear plugs, I have cut off ear buds from the cord and use them, I have used cotton and winter ear muffs, that swimmers ear waxy plug things and all kinds of things. I have bought ear warmers, and am now going to crochet a head band with ear attachments with ear pads inside since winter is coming and I wont look like a crazy person.
I just do what is needed to be done.
I do get a reprieve at times but for only a few hours and occasionally a few days. I did have it to go into remission for a few months but came back several months ago which caused me to go into my bedroom and hibernate in my quiet place until I could figure out how to cope again.
So what I do is stay busy, when the Meniere's disease is not acting up, the Meniere's disease is different from the LOUD disease. So I am the crazy lady that staggers around her house with contractors head set on wearing aprons. That makes me who I am right? I have decided I need some boots to go with this look.
Humor with tears is the only thing I can say that is attached to this remedy.
I am so excited because my sourdough starter named Pascal has come back to life. I tried to make a new sourdough started that did well for only a short time. When I was cleaning out the freezer I found a extra chunk of sourdough starter in a freezer bag that was pushed to the back of the freezer. It was Pascal!, my eleven year old starter that has been my trusty starter. I tried to revive pascal twice that was dried but just did not do right. But pascal has risen to the challenge once again :)
We are trying new ways of cooking with a new type of flour and now that Pascal has revived we are trying to adjust the recipes to incorporate the fermentation of sourdough.
When I cook I always wear my large headset over my ears so I can just not be bothered with the sound. I finally quit fretting about this and this is just my way of life as it is. The noise of pots and pans clanging a bowls clicking together actually causes pain that goes into my ear and I feel it all the way into my teeth. So When it is time to cook or wash dishes I am the old lady in the kitchen in her apron with the black spray painted head set because I did not like the color of royal blue on my head.
Stop Laughing Dell! (The only person in this world that understands this because she lives with a slightly lesser version of this) If we both ever got together people would always think we have just left the pub.)
I have been trying to make breakfast more creative and healthy. Stir fry and scrambled eggs.
Look at all the buds that are about to pop open, Oh the joy of fall!
This morning I went out front and planted some parsley in the new herb garden around the front walkway where we removed the wheelchair ramp.
This is the ceiling that we have just redone. Well, it is not finished, we have to paint it. Our bathroom ceiling was painted in the 1960s with a light brown old oil based paint that sheds regular ceiling paint. We have needed to fix this problem for years.
So picture two "older" people, in a small bathroom, with a ladder, one with meniere's and wearing a head set, as the "helper". Charles made a long stick with a board attached at one end for me to use to help hold the other end of the boards. We figured out how to do this job.
It has taken all week to recover from the soreness, especially Charles going up and down the ladder and cutting the boards and all the looking up. I am still trying to get my neck and shoulder muscles to loosen up.
This is pascal all fed and ready to be used to make some pizza crust.
Even though those little beads are troublesome for my ears, I feel that pretty things, that are also interesting are a helpful distraction.
I have other health issues and like many people we just have to deal with them. People can be resilient, even when some of our most worse situations feel like we will never recover. I cannot tell you how many times that something that I thought would never get better did so I am hopeful.
When is the last time you challenged yourself? Have you learned how to do something that you have never done before?
Have you ever sewn something completely by hand?
Have you ever grown a herb in a pot?
Have you ever soaked your feet outside on a porch? Don't forget the towel :)
If you are struggling with something right now, try doing something different to change things up so you can get a different perspective because it might just help.
If you have a situation that is holding you back, try to figure out a solution. If there is something you need and don't have the money then start a money envelope and start saving a week or month at a time because that week or month is going to come and go anyway.
Grandma Donna
