Heading to the Shanti

Best made plans...

Did not make it down to the Shanti Friday night but I am going to head out now. Woke up with a major headache and am now just feeling alive enough to drive for 3 hrs.

Hoping to get the grass mowed now that I have a riding mower.

Peace,
Pam

Rather stay home!

It has been really hard to get up this morning and get motivated to get ready and leave for work. I much rather stay home and relax and do things here. I am soo behind on everything that I cannot even see the end of the tunnel.

Here is wishing more motivation and less work.

Peace,
Pam

Weekend chores and stuff

Well the weekend is almost here and I have a crap load of stuff to do. Gotta lot of yard work to do and lots of stuff in the house. I got to get things organized and really get moving on stuff. Might see if I can drum up some help.

Also dealing with niece drama. She wants help but thinks it has to be on her conditions and does not respect that those helping her need to be able to make certain ground rules. Make me crazy and I hate what she is doing to my Mom and that is the last thing Mom needs. She is still having a hard time still with Dad being gone.

Time to get organized and moving.

Peace,
Pam

Trigger Points

I have been having a rough time with trigger points in my thighs which causes problems with my knees. It makes it hard to walk and do things.

I have been working on the knots and hope that I can get them worked out and get the problems with my knees. I guess it is good that I know what is the problem instead of assuming that the problems are in my knee joints.

There is so much that I need to do and I am so behind it is crazy. I am going to have to skip the work weekend and get things organized and painted and mowed in Marion and then I can move down to the Shanti without all of this stuff hanging over my head.

Time for bed. Gotta get up early and head into the office. Need to start working earlier in the morning so I have time to do things in the evening or I could get up early and do things before leaving for work. Need to see which works better for me.

Peace.

Basement time.

Well time to stop drinking coffee and get moving cleaning the basement. Looks like I might be doing this in the rain but it has to be done and I cannot miss the opportunity to be able to get it all done and hauled away.

This is helping me get things ready to finish painting and stuff to put the house on the market. Still lost of things to do. Getting the clutter and stuff out of here is making a big difference with getting this place ready to move.

Gotta get moving. Time to purge.

Peace.

One down lots more to go

Well I spent the day cleaning out the garage and the backyard of stuff that needed to be junked or given away. I am happy with the progress of today and plan on working on the basement and the rest of the house tomorrow. The neighborhood clean up works out really well since they bring dumpsters and pick up everything. The garbage folks even came today and emptied the dumpsters. I think most of the stuff was mine.

So time to get some rest and get ready for another day of cleaning out stuff. I was afraid I was going to have to rent a dumpster to get everything cleaned out to get the house on the market. The timing could not be better. Get all of the junk out and finish cleaning and painting and get it on the market and hope to get the price I need to out of it.

Peace,
Pam

Looking forward to the weekend

Well I won't be going to the Shanti this weekend. I have so much too do so I can move for the season and maybe full time. I was glad to see that this weekend is the neighborhood clean up and that there will be dumpsters placed in a park not far from my house. Time to do some major purging and get it down there to be picked up. Might have to get my dad's truck and use it to haul stuff down.

Drama drama drama

Well life never stays boring for long. My niece is still making some bad choices. I don't know how to help her get her life on track. She is really having issues with her parents. Part of it is clearly what she is doing but her parents are not really helping the situation. I had a long deep conversation with my sister today and hopefully she took some of it too heart but who knows.

I am trying to decide on how much help I can give my niece or how much I am willing to do. I worry about who she is hanging with and what they do and how much they are affecting her behavior.

Gonna do a reading tonight or tomorrow and see if the cards can help with focusing my energy and how I can best help her.

Peace.

Busy weekend

Well spent most of the day at my oldest sister's house with all of the family for Easter. Today was supposed to be the nicer of the two days but that was not the case. It was really windy and cloudy but it cleared up later today. Drama revolving around my youngest niece and her parents. Just want to knock some sense into all of them.

I plan on spending Sunday working on my yard and stuff to get it cleaned up and looking nice. Curb appeal is important. I will probably see if Karen can come over and give me some advice on what I should do to help that. I am not a flower bed type of person but they are here so I need to make them look good.

Peace.

Busy weekend ahead

This weekend is going to be full of doing things to the house. My sister Karen is coming over on Saturday to help paint. I just need to decide which room I need the most help with. I am leaning toward the kitchen with all of the cabinets being cleaned and painted.

If it is nice enough I want to try and get out and work on the yard.

My mom is asking if I am going to put my house on the market and I told her probably. At first I was going to just to get rid of it and move to the Shanti now I am thinking on selling it because my knees and fibro are causing too many issues with having to take care of it and going up and down all of the stairs.

My fibro seems to be doing ok with the new meds. I am a little short tempered but not too much. I don't think I am having any of the other side effects. I hope it will help for a long time, at least though the summer.

Peace.

SPRING!!!

Happy Spring. I am so glad that Spring is officially here. I am ready for the warming of the days and more sunlight.

Time to start Spring cleaning. While I am not a cleaning fan I am ready to get rid of things and get ready for the season. Hopefully I can get out and do some yardwork today since tomorrow is going to be cooler and might rain.

I will have to get my list (yes I am a list maker) made and organized in what I want to do today. I seem to work better and get more done if I take the time to make a list and then can mark things off as they get done.

So enough chatting gotta get to working (after another cup of coffee).

Peace.

So far so good

Well I started my new fibro treatment Monday night. So far I have not experienced any side effects that I can pin to the treatment. Some of what I normally deal with are on the list of side effects so who knows. But I have not gotten the upset stomach.

So I think I am feeling better and seem to be sleeping better. Now my knees are both hurting and am having trouble with them. I wonder if they are getting worse or just that the fibro is doing better and I am noticing the pain in the knees. I wonder why the pain pills don't seem to help with the knees. I don't understand how they are supposed to work on pain but don't seem to help with other pain.

So I am hoping that everything is under control and that I can get a bunch of things done this weekend. The weather is supposed to be nice on Saturday so I hope to get out and do some yard work and get it ready for Spring.

Just going to play everything by ear.

Peace

Started new treatment for Fibromyalgia

Well I just started a new treatment for fibro. I have tried all kinds of other treatments and meds. I just started Savella which was approved last year for Fibromyalgia.

So I am hopeful that this will help. I have been so tired and in pain since my dad got ill and passed over that I am just exhausted. I need to the energy to get my dreams on track and to get things moving to get my house in shape to move.

Wish me luck.

Peace.

Weekend at Shanti

I sent a really great weekend at the Shanti. It was chilly and rainy but it was nice to be on the land and at the house. I spent Saturday in meetings for the business and getting ready for the event season and then enjoyed the evening with a small fire to take the chill off the house reading and watching movies.

Sunday I spent the morning outside cleaning out dead grass and plants from a couple of planting beds. Lots of compost material when I got done. Still lots more to do but really enjoyed working on it even as wet and chilly as it was. After that I had a pb&j for lunch and then started to do some cleaning in the house.

Fred, my cocker spaniel, loved being outside in the wet but Buford, the chijuajua mix, was not happy about it and stayed in the house most of the time.

I took several breaks to read Gaia's Garden and just enjoyed the day puttering around.

Would have liked to have stayed but had to head home. Soon I will be there for the season and hopefully permanently if I can get things worked out.

Peace.

In a funk

I am in a major funk and I need to get my ass out of it and get things done. I am not certain why but I really need to get out of it and focus.

I have so much that I need to do in order to get the house on the market and to get things ready to move to the Shanti but I just have zero motivation right now and I don't know why. I am just dragging my feet for some reason.

I am going to work to change that starting today. I am just going to make myself do things even if I really don't want to mess with it. Maybe action is what I need and once I get going I will be fine. At least that is my hope.

So off to get moving and get things done.

Peace.

Looking forward to the weekend

It looks like this is going to be a nice weekend up the 40s. I am ready to open the windows and air out the house from the winter. Probably won't be warm enough for that but might get the car cleaned out from all the crap that stacks up over the winter.

Fibro has been acting up but when it gets warmer it gets a little better so I will just stick it out and hope for the best. Just makes doing things harder but still gotta function.

I need think about what I want to try and grow this season. Not too many things but a nice mix of things. I am also going to try some different growing techniques and see how they work and which one I like the best.

Peace.

Snowed in?

There was lots of blowing snow last night. I made it to my garage but I don't know if I will be able to make it out. So I guess that means working on projects in the house for awhile and then out to shovel some snow and see if I can get out of the alley.

Luckily I don't really need to go any where but I did tell my mom I would be over some time today. That may or may not happen.

I can spend the day working on the house and get it in shape to sell or rent. I would rather sale it and be done but with the current housing market I don't know if that is going to happen or not. Might check with the bank about a short sale and how that works. Might be the only want to sale it.

I definitely need to make certain I have some way to move snow when I move to the Shanti. Probably need to get a blade for my Blazer or a truck with a blade or a really big snow blower. Otherwise I will not get out.

Later.

Feeling like crap!

I guess it was too much to ask to make it through the winter without getting sick. Started getting sick yesterday and it continues into today. Going to go wrap up in a blanket and be miserable until it goes away.

Too much stuff

It always surprises me how much stuff you can gather without even trying. I am going to need to get rid of a bunch of stuff when I move to the Shanti. I won't have room for all of it and most of it I don't even use now.

I kind of miss the time before I bought this house. I would move every couple of years and would purge each time so I never ended up with a bunch of useless stuff. When you settle in one place for awhile things just add up and you don't think about it until you start either running out of room or are thinking about moving.

Well back to the purging and cleaning. Supposed to get more snow today and tonight. So I plan on staying in and working on my house.

Pam

Long weekend

Well gotta 3 day weekend and I am going to spend it working on the house. I have major cleaning to do and if I get time I am going to start painting some of the rooms a more neutral color so I can get it on the market. I love using color to change the feeling of a room so I have some pretty strong colors that I need to paint over.

I have a list of things that need to get done before I can even think about selling my place. I probably need to call the mortgage company and see what I owe and try to figure out what I should price the house at. I am not looking to make anything but just to get out from the mortgage payment so I can move to Shantikunja (aka the Shanti). Once I can get out from the mortgage I can do some major work on the Shanti. First and foremost is getting more solar power and to get the wiring done in the house.

My fibro is acting up and I am really having a hard time getting motivated to work. I feel pretty good while I am doing physical labor but man do I feel it when I stop. I am going to have to set it aside for now and just do the work and worry about how I feel when I am done. One thing I noticed, at least during the summer, I felt really good while I was at the Shanti and working around there. I wonder if it was the weather or just that doing physical stuff makes me better able to deal with the fibro. I am hoping that it continues when I am living there full time.

One good thing is that we are not expecting more snow for a couple of days and I don't have to worry about shoveling for a while. I am so ready for the weather to get warmer. I do know that when I move to the Shanti I am going to have to either hire someone or get a plow or something to do the road from the house to the road otherwise I will never get out.

Well time to get off my butt and work.

Lots of snow

Well I hope we are finished with snow for awhile. I don't know how many inches we got but I have a Buddha that is over a foot high and is sitting on a 2-3 inch slab of rock and you can only see his head.

I shoveled the sidewalks and my car out this afternoon. Still pretty clean but we are supposed to get some high winds tonight. I hope it does not drift too bad. I have to go into the office Thursday and hopefully the roads will be pretty good since we are not getting more snow. Just have to worry about the drifting.

Peace.

Snow sucks

Well I got out and shoveled the snow off the walks and drive. It didn't take too long and I felt pretty good while I was working. I know I will pay for it after I sit down for a while. Took some pain meds and muscle relaxers to see if I can hold it back for a little bit. Gods it sucks having chronic pain it seems like there are times when any little physical activity just makes it 100 times worse. You don't even get to enjoy the sore muscles from a physical activity. It makes it harder to get motivated to doing things because you know what is coming after you are done.

I wonder if I would feel differently if I was at the Shanti. I will have to have a plow or a big snow blower to clear the road from the house to the road. There wouldn't be much to shovel by hand. Just from the house to the wood pile and around the vehicles. The rest would be plowed. I just seem to have a different outlook when I am at the Shanti. I seem to have more energy and the physical activity does not seem to be as hard on me. This is one of the reasons I want to be there. Gotta make it happen.

Peace.

Is it Spring yet?

I have not been around for awhile. Not much happening with me. Just going to work and coming home. I really need to get off my ass and get things moving. It is really hard to get moving when the weather is cold and dark.

I am not certain why I am in such a rut but I am. I need to shake off the snow and get moving things are not going to happen by themselves. Maybe if my fibro was not acting up I would be more motivated to get things done. I feel pretty good once I get moving but I pay for it after I am done which makes me hesitant to do things. But I have to do it or pay for it and I don't want to spend the money on something that I can do for myself.

So time to stop whining and start moving. My first move is to get outside and shovel some snow.

Peace.

Tired of Winter

I am soo ready for spring to come. I am ready to start my projects and to be outside. I have lots of plans for the Shanti and I want to be there working on them.

I am going to meet with a friend to discuss bees and I hope to start a hive this spring. I would like to eventually have several hives but I will have to wait and see how I do with them before I add to them.

But for now I have to focus on what needs to be done at my house in Marion. Need to get it in shape and either put it on the market or think about renting it out. Not certain which would be the best thing to do. Gotta do so research.

Later,
Pam

Motivated to clean and organize

I have had a fairly productive morning. Did some cleaning and I have a roast in the crockpot. I love my crockpot. It allows me to cook some really good food that I will have for several meals and it makes the house smell so good throughout the day as it cooks. Definetly going to have to make certain I have enough solar power to be able to use at the Shanti.

I am going to work on some more cleaning and organizing. It never seems to end or get done. Once I get the every day cleaning and such out of the way I can focus on the cleaning, organizing and updating to get my house on the market. It is going to take some work so I might see if I can draft some family members to help me out.

Gotta keep my eyes on the prize of getting this place sold and moving to the Shanti full time.

Back to work.

Peace.

Bummed out.

Well, I did not get to have dinner with my friend. Her mom is having lots of medical issues and she need to be with her tonight. We are going to try again next week.

Not getting much done tonight. I worked on paper work related to my Dad's estate. Dad passed over December 15, 2009. The family is still trying to adjust to losing him. Mom seems to have her good days and bad ones.

Well back to doing some paperwork.

Slow going.

Well I have started making changes in my life in what I am eating. It is going to be a slow change. It is hard to start eating local when you did not put up veggies and fruit from the prior summer/fall. So I will do what I can and am going to pick up things at the local farmer's market and when I do shop at stores I will try to get things that are at least grown in the USA.

Not making much progress with getting my house organized and in shape to sell. I need to get off my ass and get moving. Not certain what the block is on this one.

Tonight I am going to go out to dinner with my friend Melanie. I have not seen her since this summer. We have both been really busy but I need to make time to hook up with my friends. So that will be fun.

Well gotta get moving and get to work.

Later.

I made it to the farmer's market on Saturday. I puchased some turkey, chicken and beef. I also got some honey and lotion made with honey that smells great and works really well.

I did not have any luck in finding baking pans at the thrift stores but I did pick up some really nice sweaters, needed them for the winter and to wear to work. I am going to put a message on a local freecycle list to see if I have any luck there in finding some pans.

Got to get moving and get things organized and cleaned and then make a plan to get my house on the market. I just need to take the rooms one at a time like I did when I fixed up a house years ago. Each weekend was dedicated to one room and a list of tasks that needed to get done that weekend. Doing things this way worked really well and I did not get overwhelmed. So I am going to do the same thing with my house.

Well not working today because of the holiday so I need to get moving on some projects and to make my list for what needs to be done each weekend.

Peace.

Going to the Columbus Winter Farmer's Market

Well I am getting ready to head to the farmer's market that is held at a UU Church in Columbus. I am hoping to pick up some meats and breads while I am there.

I am a little worried about the costs as I am sure the meats will cost more than I am used to spending. I have decided to start limiting the amount of meat that I eat and try to go back to the way people ate before meat became so cheap. So the cost should be offset because I won't be buying a lot but better quality. That is my hope at least.

Another thing I want to follow is to see how changing my eating habits and getting sustainably grown and better quality food will effect my fibromyalgia. I am hoping that the change in food will benefit me in that area as well. Having tried everything else to deal with it, I can only hope that this change will help.

So that is the game plan for this morning. After the farmer's market I might hit up some thrift stores to see if I can get some baking pans. I want to try and learn to make bread and I have no baking pans other than a pizza pan. Does that tell you anything about my baking skills.

Phase one has begun and changing what I eat is just one step in a bigger plan.

Peace.

New beginnings in 2010

Lots have happened in the last couple of months, more on that later. My goal to having a blog is to share the changes I am making in my life. The big areas are where I live, how I live and what food I am purchasing and putting in my body.



I want to change the way I shop for food and start to purchase food grown locally and sustainably. This is a big change from my normal habits as I was not really picky about what I purchased or ate. I am doing a lot of research and reading on what goes into getting food, how animals are treated and what they are feed. I just need to control myself and not try to do too much and then drop the change. I also want to start providing my own food by having a garden this spring and summer. So wish me luck.



The really big change that I want to make is to sale my house in Marion and move to Shantikunja, my house at Wisteria (more on Wisteria later). Shantikunja (Shanti) is about 900 sq ft and is off the grid. I have a small solar panel and 4 batteries. It provides enough to have energy for lights and a TV with a DVD player.



There are several reasons for wanting to make the move this year instead of waiting for a couple of years. One is that I am having physical issues that make living in a 2 story (3 if you count the basement) house really painful. Both knees are in bad shape and my fibromyalgia has really been kicking my butt and managing stairs have just gotten really hard for me. I never expected to be at this stage when I purchased my house 6 years ago. I also just feel more relaxed and happy when I am at the Shanti. The downside is that I would be about 3 hours away from my family and I will miss being around them all of the time. But it is not like I am going to be on the other side of the country.



So this blog will cover, among other things, my plotting, planning and actions to make the move possible. I will also discuss my issues with fibromyalgia and how that works with the changes I am going to make in my life. I hope to stay on track and maybe this will help keep me accountable to making it happen. It will talk about what I am doing at my home in Marion to get it sold, moving to the Shanti, sustainable foods, gardening, fibromyalgia and living off the grid.

More later.