Purging and Poetry

I took today off. A rare 'clear' day on my calendar (no meetings...well, there was one meeting but I moved it to tomorrow... - thus proving that you CAN create a clear day when you need one). I've been working hard on cleaning up the study. Making steady progress...though it's the snowball effect. I need to move things that should be in a bathroom (because I share a bathroom with the kids most morning and doing makeup in there is impossible so my makeup area has been my desk and that means I'm not using it as a desk, I'm using it as a vanity - so when I need a desk, there isn't one and stuff just gets piled high everywhere...you get the picture) TO the bathroom, which led to cleaning out the medicine cabinet. Which led to cleaning out other areas. I have taken 4 bins of recycling out to the outside bin- purging files, etc. to make room for 'new' files, etc. It's been a productive day and while the desk area is far from 'spotless', it is somewhat improving. Not 'done' but getting there. And I have most of my makeup/cosmetic things in the bathroom on a little rolling shelf unit. So that should work.

My purging resulted in culling out some files - old school stuff of the kids. I tossed 'menus' and notices from 2002-03, forward. Just crap that has been here forever that we will never need nor want.

I unearthed a couple treasures....among them, a poem written by B., I think...though it could be H. H. is the family poet - having been 'published' in an anthology in 5th grade. But B. is also an excellent poet...and I came across this poem - a tribute to Snow's brother, Klink. I will reproduce it here as it is on the paper, spelling as is and in the 'paragraph' form he wrote it.

Meow Proud

He knows me, he know my
family, yet he meows proud, and
while sitting strait on his perch
as if gaurding the house, he meows
proud, and even though he hogs his
brothers food, he meows proud, he
doesn't always let me pet him, but he
meows proud.

Klink is missing his brother - crying to us more than usual and also seeking company more than usual. He bit J. the other evening - a little 'love nip' that turned into a 4-teeth marked wound that required band aids and Neosporin. He's always been a nipper - but this event was a 'new' level. He was usually 'aggressive' and firm with his brother and now that Snow's not around to dominate, seems Klink is moving on to the only other 'things' in the house he can assert his authority. We're trying to be as 'there' for him as we can - whilst now being a bit skittish around him since becoming a 'biter' is not a good thing for any of us. Him included. We probably should take HIM to the vet for a checkup - but having just spent $500+ on the Snow thing over the past couple months, we're holding off for a bit. He doesn't seem sick - continues to eat like a horse - so why create issues? But if he keeps biting, we'll have to do something....

I also went to Smart and Final to pick up coffee syrups and a bag of lettuce - and $107.71 later, I left with a cart full. I was going to stop and get a mini-meal at McDonald's while I was running an errand for my Lion's group - but the McDonald's near my destination was closed for remodeling. I took that as a sign that I should just eat at home - totally forgetting, though, that going to S&F hungry is ill-advised. I bought fixings for 4-5 dinners plus syrups, fruit, salad fixings, snack food and cookies. Yikes. That was one expensive, calorie-filled visit. I phoned J. on the way home and said 'I am never to set foot in S&F alone again. You are the sole person in the house that can go there for coffee syrup and leave with ONLY coffee syrups. I do not have the willpower for that errand.' On a positive note, though, we have Claim Jumper (frozen) chicken and noodles baking in the oven right NOW for dinner - and it will be delicious and was on sale!!

Back to the massive culling project....to my friend J. - sorry you had to read (again) about my clutter-ish nature.....I'm attempting to reform. :-)