Day #1 of sort-out

It happened again! I'd just about finished this blog when it completely disappeared. The gremlins in the computer do this sometimes with emails, too. I could scream.

I'll be very brief now, as I don't want to write it all over again. In my first attempt at a sort-out, I've hung some of my winter clothes on the line in the sun. Lots of my summer clothes are too big, so they'll be going out. Don't quite know what to do with them, as even the charity shops are overflowing with stuff and don't want any more.

Several pairs of boots are covered in mould. Mr Google said to wipe them over with white vinegar, so I've done that, and put them in the sun, too. I've started putting a fan in my walk-in wardrobe. Hope that helps. It's strange that I've been here for 9 years and have never had mould before. I wonder what the difference is.

I'm in desperate need of an organiser

I'm 76 years old and my life is still a huge mess. It seems I'll never learn how to organise things. When I look round the living room, for instance, I see piles of things that need attention: Japanese books, French lessons, English lessons, reading lessons, cats' toys, photos, games, CDs, books to be sorted (and read), cards (when do you throw them out?), nicknacks, newspapers, iPad (crossword to do), windows to be cleaned, surfaces to be dusted, floor to be vacuumed...not to mention my lovely big TV screen (mainly Netflix and YouTube to be watched.) It shows everybody's bad skin - lots of pimples and blackheads!

Then there's the bathroom. It's glaringly obvious (especially to me) that I have far too much stuff. But honestly, I do use it all! Creams for feet, hands, body, neck, face, eyes, scalp. I seriously wonder why all these things should be used in specific places only - what would happen, for instance, if I put hand cream on my feet or feet cream on my hands?? 

No need to describe the rest. You've all got it, but maybe not in such vast quantities. 

There are enough cleaning products in the lower section to last the dirtiest person three lifetimes.

Then we turn to look at the shower recess. The seven shampoos (+ one body wash) are on the floor because the  two shelves higher up are full. Why, I hear you ask, does a person with one head need 97 shampoos?

I hardly dare mention the bedroom, where I keep my computer and filing cabinets. Ancestry alone can take hours at a time, and cause thousands of pages to be spread all over the bed and can lead to visits to cousins in Queensland, and cousins from USA coming here (Wonderful!!). Hours are spent, too, on updating and printing my reading books for my students, and attempting to answer the almost 4,000 mails in my Inbox. Oh, I almost forgot to mention my favourite thing - online jigsaw puzzles! I have been know to do at least 50 in a day.

One of the worst problems is gifts. Just look here at the foot of my bed:

I appreciate the lovely things people give me, but don't quite know what to do with them. (The large bag full of art books was returned to me after I'd given them away to somebody else!)

Gremlins in the computer. For no apparent reason, the alignment has changed itself and refuses to go back. Time to stop before I get too cranky.

Be still my beating heart

A funny thing happened to me yesterday. Emma wanted me to buy corn syrup so she could make toffee apples. I looked in Coles, and asked for help, but still I couldn't find it, and had to rush off to meet a friend. (I had asked Mr Google, and discovered corn syrup is the same as glucose syrup - both terribly unhealthy.)

After coffee with my friend, I decided to keep looking, and, as Woolworths was closer, I went there and asked at the front desk. A young man came to help me. When I told him I'd already been to Coles (the opposition), he said in mock horror, 'Be still my beating heart.'

I thought that was an absolute scream. It illustrates beautifully how not-class-conscious we are in Australia. He could be doing a PhD in literature for all I knew or cared, not a 'mere' supermarket employee. That's the thing I like most about Australia - respect for everybody.

He took me off to search and we ended up with glucose syrup and Emma made her toffee apples.