So, today is Tuesday. Did you move that stuff yesterday like you had planned? If not, go march it out to the car and do it first thing tomorrow morning.

Practigal! I love your tone; please keep it up! Seriously. I need motivation. I get so overwhelmed at times I feel paralyzed.

I put two, small, out-of-place items away correctly, but then I got sidetracked with a little trip to the hospital.

I had mild but classic "chest, neck, jaw" pains with a mild headache on the right side. I've been taking it easy since coming home.

The chest episode wasn't as bad as I've experienced in the past, but after it had lasted for three or four days, I thought I should go in.

They did an EKG, blood work, chest X-ray, etc. and said I was not having a heart attack (always good news!) and I should follow up with my primary care doctor this coming week. I think she'll do a stress test.

I had an angioplasty a few years ago at the same hospital; they couldn't find a record of it. It figures. At that time the test showed open and clear arteries, but I do have mitral valve prolapse and had rheumatic fever as a child. I've been having some tooth issues, so I think a trip to the dentist is warranted. I'd be embarrassed, but happy, to find out the jaw issue was tooth related.

I try to be as healthy as a worn-out, diabetic, 60-year-old can be, and have set my sights for 100.

I spent the morning clearing out and re-arranging the paperwork, manuals, receipts, and various info on my sewing machines.

I have one more label to add and the binder will be back on its shelf and off of the top of DH's dresser. Win-win for everyone.

I love sewing, quilting, and vintage machines. That's why I must get the 12x12 room back in working order. I have four machines:

- 1975 Singer 252 Fashion mate, (a gift from my Grandmother back in the day. It's not a reliable machine at all, but I'll never part with it!)

- 1954 Singer 15-91, (a steal of a deal from a local thrift store and it sews perfectly.)

- 1952 Pfaff 130-6, (free from FreeCycle and included its original storage cabinet, all the original paperwork, and nearly every foot/accessory Pfaff offered at the time. I am so blessed. I offered the couple money for it but they both chimed "Freecycle is Free!")

- Bernina 230PE Activa, (a birthday gift and total surprise from DH and wonderful for when I am feeling "modern")

- A Pfaff Serger 4874. (another total Surprise! from DH) I guess that makes five machines! This one is overwhelming, but I keep plugging away on it.

I have most, or all, of the original paperwork for these machines, plus, and the paperwork for the buttonholers, zigzaggers, and various bits and pieces. Everything is now all on one large binder divided by machine.

And a bag of old papers is going out to the car before I eat lunch.

"First chore - pull out the bags and bags of papers marked "to be burned," call Office Max to see if they will shred them, and haul them down there tomorrow."

Can you find a document disposal service that does home pickup? Getting them ALL out of there in one swoop would be a major step forward - big payoff and little effort. If it's not hideously expensive it might be money well-spent.

Have you heard of the "3-box" method? It's to keep you from getting side-tracked because you wandered out of the room to put something away that didn't belong in the room you were cleaning. And never came back.

The woman who explained it does one drawer or shelf at a time.

Figure out what you want in the room ... make yourself a little map if necessary.

Box/can 1 = TRASH

Box 2 = external clutter, which is defined as stuff that doesn't belong in this room.

Box 3 = local clutter, which is stuff that belongs in this room, just not in the drawer or closet I'm working on.

Bring in your cleaning supplies. Pull everything out of the area you are cleaning - it can be as small as a single drawer or shelf or as big as a closet - and clean the area with whatever cleaning products seem appropriate. I found that if I use cheap furniture polish inside the drawers they are easier to clean the next time.

As you return stuff to that newly cleaned area, it goes in one of the three boxes, OR back where it belongs within the room if you can do it quickly.

Then take out the trash and stroll through the house returning the strayed things to their proper room ... she recommended having one container - a box or basket or drawer in each room for "clutter" things that are supposed to be in the room but that have no designated place yet.

The advantages are that you don't stray from the task and never come back.

I was in Germany! Sorry!

I love your list of sewing machines--so great. And I'm jealous of your 1950s babies.

So sorry to hear about your health scares!

It sounds like you're pretty focused on a single area and don't need to stroll around much; that will hopefully help. Good luck getting that excess paper out.

(I will confess that I personally don't worry much about whether to shred stuff; my DH is obsessive about it, but I'm not. I yield to him bcs we live in a big city, and our paper goes out onto the street in clear bags for pickup, and I don't want to tempt someone, but I really don't worry much.)

Now that the manuals are done, and the paper's out to be discarded, what's next?

what's the next big category to tackle?

Oh, and me? I have to tackle my son's/daughter's room. My DD has been away at college, and hasn't felt comfortable bcs they still are sharing a room, and DS tended to hog it, for hanging-out time, which left DD perched on the sofa.

Now DS is off at college, and DD's summer "bunk" may be coming to an end, and I want to get his piles of stuff out of there so it can become mostly her room. (I've been in "eyes closed" mode w/ his room for a couple of years.)