tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post5262705704883258656..comments2024-02-23T02:03:23.020-07:00Comments on The Eco Cat Lady Speaks: Independence DayEcoCatLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-45461143324665004422016-09-08T01:03:15.926-06:002016-09-08T01:03:15.926-06:00Yay for giving the books to someone who will use t...Yay for giving the books to someone who will use them! It is really hard to let go of things like that though - sort of like letting go of a part of your life. But you know what they say, you have to let go of old things to make room for new.<br /><br />I was just playing with the cats in the living room - which has sooo much more space in it now that the recliner and lots of other things are gone. The cats were having a ball running and jumping in all of the free space. Made me feel really happy about creating space for them.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-3597205460560499752016-09-07T20:13:17.723-06:002016-09-07T20:13:17.723-06:00I got rid of over 300 books this year thank you. I...I got rid of over 300 books this year thank you. I used to have a childcare and I had such a hard time letting go of the children's books because so many memories were attached. However I live in a condo with no basement and no garage not a 4 bedroom house with living room and a family room (like I used to) One of my neighbors is a social worker and she took the books to give to children that did not have books. I kept about 10 in case a little one comes by. It feels nice to let go. Step by step, little<br />by little.<br />PattiPrecious People Preschoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02284398084100195331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-57479124695156330032016-08-10T02:42:54.422-06:002016-08-10T02:42:54.422-06:00Honestly, I think a good first step with the photo...Honestly, I think a good first step with the photos would be to delete all of the out of focus and otherwise worthless ones! EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-74565154597753232442016-08-09T20:42:46.835-06:002016-08-09T20:42:46.835-06:00Maybe that's why I can't enjoy knitting. W...Maybe that's why I can't enjoy knitting. When I crochet I can do it by feel and can watch a movie or game while working but knitting I couldn't get it and I had to watch what I was doing. Not relaxing at all.<br /><br />When you find a good solution to storing photos let me knowAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00557087787515295447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-70096581880527727072016-07-24T00:15:10.817-06:002016-07-24T00:15:10.817-06:00Awww, thanks so much for taking the time to visit ...Awww, thanks so much for taking the time to visit and write. I really wasn't trying to stand up for the fellow because he was obviously being a total jerk - but I do understand the frustration of being a religious minority. It sometimes feels like people are speaking in code, or that everyone has a rule book that I wasn't given - and I'm often fearful that people will hate me once they find out I'm not a Christian. Obviously not all Christians are Bible thumpers, but it's sometimes hard for people like me to figure out who's who.<br /><br />Anyhow, I'm really impressed that you were able to let go of the need to "keep up baking appearances" first time out of the shoot! I think life would be so much easier if we all just decided to be OK with who we really are.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-26400262073864227012016-07-23T22:58:22.569-06:002016-07-23T22:58:22.569-06:00Purging is so liberating and freeing and really yo...Purging is so liberating and freeing and really you are doing a great service to those that might have to go through your things when you pass. Believe you me, after clearing up over 30,000 pounds of stuff (I kid you not) after hubby's parents died, I "swore" I would never do that to my children. I have really nothing, hubby still is holding on to a lot of stuff but getting better in releasing it so to speak. <br /><br />I had to laugh about your sewing machine and realizing you hated it. I felt that way about baking. My sister and mom were great bakers and would bake this and that at holiday times. I felt I had to duplicate that to make it feel like the holidays. My first holiday as a married woman I was getting everything ready to bake the breads and cookies my mom/sister would and I thought "I really don't want to do this." And didn't. Haven't since that day and that was over 35 years ago. It is freeing to just be us and not feel like we have to do something. Hats off to you for the purging you are doing!<br /><br />(I didn't have your email address, but I did want to say your comment on my recent blog post did not offend me. In fact it enlightened me. Made me think about how people might feel when confronted by someone who is trying to share a belief the person has no interesting in hearing about. I personally detest those religions that do door to door evangelizing like that. I'm not sure how effective it is other than to cause strife where there should be peace. So I'm glad you were willing to write the comment you did and to share your side of your feelings.)<br /><br />bettybettyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06323135450742337670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-15736446464868295112016-07-21T02:02:09.624-06:002016-07-21T02:02:09.624-06:00I think maybe I'm just too goal oriented to en...I think maybe I'm just too goal oriented to enjoy crafts. People who really like knitting seem to find the process relaxing and meditative - it just gave me a headache! Perhaps having bad eyes is a contributing factor, I dunno. Whatever the case, I think I'll stick to things that actually do relax me!<br /><br />Pictures... oy! I inherited all of my grandmother's old photos, and I've scanned some, but not nearly all. And there are apparently several boxes from my mother's estate coming my way one of these days. I'm hopeful that I can make some progress on them, but honestly, I need a better system for storing the digital images because I have literally THOUSANDS of them!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-63159579743759409742016-07-16T20:47:08.930-06:002016-07-16T20:47:08.930-06:00Funny you should say "I want an actual happy ...Funny you should say "I want an actual happy life, not a picture of a happy life." Pictures are another thing we hoard and I'm just as guilty. Instead of having photo albums or stacks of photos waiting to go into them I have them on the computer and seriously need to address those next.<br /><br />Thanks for admitting you hated knitting too. Everyone who knits talks about how much they love it but no one seems to want to admit they hate it. I think I may have taken this "I can do anything" mentality a bit far when I tried to force knitting on myself. I also admitted I don't like quilting and other than supplies for basic (ie, easy) quilt I've passed on all my patterns this week to a quilt group. I'm much better with diy than crafts. Lois@Living In Denimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368939902298894344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-32339653677585706392016-07-14T01:44:35.873-06:002016-07-14T01:44:35.873-06:00Yay!! Congratulations on letting yourself not enjo...Yay!! Congratulations on letting yourself not enjoy knitting! When I lived in Norway ALL of the girls were into knitting. Seriously, if there was a 5 minute break, everyone would reach into their bag and soon they'd be happily clicking away. I tried... oh, how I tried, but honestly, it just made me crazy. I got half way through a scarf (or maybe it was a sweater) anyhow, I gave up in frustration. I did, of course, have to lug the half finished thing across the planet with me several times before I could let it go, but I did finally give it away several purges ago.<br /><br />It's so funny the things we hang onto, isn't it? Sometimes I think we're holding onto a picture of ourselves more than anything else. But, as I have found in so many aspects of my life, the only way to expose the reality of something is to throw the pretty pictures in the garbage. In the end, I want an actual happy life, not a picture of a happy life.<br /><br />EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-87371569128274856612016-07-13T20:41:47.671-06:002016-07-13T20:41:47.671-06:00You have inspired me today too. Last year I decid...You have inspired me today too. Last year I decided one of the things I was going to master was knitting. I love the different looks knitting produces over crocheting. I was so determined to master knitting I bought an entire set of needles. I just can't do it and get frustrated after only a short time. I began reorganizing my room, where I keep most of my storage and there sat those needles. I put them on the craft shelf in the closet but after reading this I'm going to pass them on. If I hate it so much why am I being so mean to force myself to master an activity I am not enjoying at all. They are now in the box of items to donate.Lois@Living In Denimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368939902298894344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-47011519381624851232016-07-12T13:06:02.209-06:002016-07-12T13:06:02.209-06:00I'm still on the fence about the sewing machin...I'm still on the fence about the sewing machine itself. I'll probably keep it for the moment, but we'll see. And you're totally right - it's not pioneer days anymore and the truth is, unless you need something really specialized, it's generally cheaper to buy it used at a thrift store than it is to try to make it. I just need to get over my Laura Ingalls Wilder complex! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-78797028616551379862016-07-12T13:02:25.729-06:002016-07-12T13:02:25.729-06:00I got rid of almost all of them, and it feels GREA...I got rid of almost all of them, and it feels GREAT! I even got rid of a pile of the cookbooks because honestly, I really only use 3 of them - the rest just languish. And truth be told, there aren't many recipes one can't find on the web these days!<br /><br />Good luck with your book purge!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-31842040400721341952016-07-09T22:25:05.612-06:002016-07-09T22:25:05.612-06:00Same here on books. I love cozy mysteries but my ...Same here on books. I love cozy mysteries but my asperational reading is really getting out of hand. I finally realized there were series I just wasn't going to read. My bookshelves are about to get lighter by half, and I am thrilled. Mrs. GVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06131389157437066237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-21860010746432910862016-07-09T14:17:54.127-06:002016-07-09T14:17:54.127-06:00My sewing machine is very hard to get to, so I'...My sewing machine is very hard to get to, so I've been doing all my sewing and mending by hand. I do this at "craft night" with friends and in front of the TV watching movies, so the fact that it's a bit time-consuming is no big deal.<br /><br />I just mention this because it sounds like it might be a good idea for you to get rid of the sewing machine, too. (Ah, I see later related comments. It's much easier to set up a needle and thread than a sewing machine. Though if you're actually sewing a thing from scratch with all the same thread, then it's worth it.)<br /><br />And/or you may know someone with a sewing machine who will let you come over and use it occasionally.<br /><br />I like how you're figuring which great ideas are not great ideas for you. These are really hard to let go of. It's not like you never do any projects! You do plenty of things that other people hate doing; it's okay to not do things that other people love doing. It's not pioneer days--we don't have to do everything ourselves!<br /><br />And there are so many activities available to us we couldn't do them all if we wanted to. We may as well focus on the best combination of most useful and most fun.Debbie Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-68730151517305343102016-07-09T11:33:31.608-06:002016-07-09T11:33:31.608-06:00You're right, hand sewing takes forever. But I...You're right, hand sewing takes forever. But I vastly prefer it over the machine when I have to mend something!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-45691239577960213232016-07-07T03:12:25.293-06:002016-07-07T03:12:25.293-06:00Yes! The machine makes it too much like work.
Alth...Yes! The machine makes it too much like work.<br />Although hand sewing does take ages, so I'm not sure that's the solution either ;)NicolaBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01542310810409358114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-56557296036123533132016-07-06T22:00:37.218-06:002016-07-06T22:00:37.218-06:00I think you've nailed it - sewing is the quint...I think you've nailed it - sewing is the quintessential "eco" activity - in both meanings of the prefix (environmental and economy.)<br /><br />But I share your feelings about the machine - it's just such a fuss to deal with, and the experience of sitting at a table actively working on something is quite different from sitting in an easy chair relaxing whilst knitting or something like that.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-84304365747973903842016-07-06T15:03:08.088-06:002016-07-06T15:03:08.088-06:00Is sewing some sort of ultimate thrify, useful act...Is sewing some sort of ultimate thrify, useful activity that is good for the budget/environment etc etc?! (Or at least, is that how we all see it?!)<br /><br />I have learnt to spin fleece into yarn recently and will spend hours knitting, but sewing 'takes too long'- I think it is the faff of setting up the machine. Also I am good at knitting, I find seeing too hard to enjoy it!NicolaBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01542310810409358114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-81162230333976780402016-07-06T00:35:24.929-06:002016-07-06T00:35:24.929-06:00Oh, the mixed blessing of home ec class. I'm g...Oh, the mixed blessing of home ec class. I'm grateful to have learned some of those basic skills, but honestly I don't understand the domestic goddess head trip that had to accompany the whole thing!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-69747300622904264312016-07-06T00:34:26.990-06:002016-07-06T00:34:26.990-06:00I have to say it feels great to stop being ruled b...I have to say it feels great to stop being ruled by decisions and projects that I took on decades ago. Let the future begin!!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-16767970474088887022016-07-06T00:33:05.638-06:002016-07-06T00:33:05.638-06:00Rachel - I really hope you don't need a beetle...Rachel - I really hope you don't need a beetle infestation to get into the decluttering space. It's funny though - when I started out I felt like the beetles were "making" me get rid of stuff, and now somehow I feel like what they've done is give me permission to let go. Very interesting...<br /><br />And Nicola's right - why do we all feel so much pressure to like sewing? How bizarre is that?EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-59722649908052706262016-07-06T00:31:02.954-06:002016-07-06T00:31:02.954-06:00I think our society has perfected the art of emoti...I think our society has perfected the art of emotional escapism. At least that's heretofore been my excuse for not decluttering sooner! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-555633043402272662016-07-05T22:39:29.856-06:002016-07-05T22:39:29.856-06:00Most of our 'ought to' selves seem to be r...Most of our 'ought to' selves seem to be really into sewing...NicolaBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01542310810409358114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-43663407230543748962016-07-05T18:28:54.898-06:002016-07-05T18:28:54.898-06:00I too learned to hate sewing thanks to home ec cla...I too learned to hate sewing thanks to home ec class. I'm all for losing the crap that makes you feel bad. Keep up the good work!!min hushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09460666548836420815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-89321170554945556302016-07-05T17:35:26.731-06:002016-07-05T17:35:26.731-06:00I love the feeling I get after getting rid of stuf...I love the feeling I get after getting rid of stuff and your posts are putting me in the mood for a purge! :D And I am so happy you got rid of those half-finished projects that were zapping your energy and making you feel bad. You're better off without them.Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05307066665335899370noreply@blogger.com