2026 OneThing #12 - Get Rid of Stuff

Technically, I'm writing this one day early . . . but I hope to get rid of even more stuff!

 

I donated a bag of clothing, two bags of miscellaneous stuff, a rice cooker, a sprinkler, a spreader (for disbursing seed, fertilizer, etc.), and my mother-in-law's old thank you cards.

 

They went to a Goodwill, Hands of Friendship in New Prague, a co-worker, one of my sons, a random person in the neighborhood, and the recycling bin. I have five things out by the curb with a "Free Stuff" sign right now, but it's a chilly and windy morning. I posted on Craigslist but not Facebook (yet). It feels so good to get rid of stuff!

 

Right now, I can't find photos of the things I got rid of . . . I hope I deleted them! Here's what's currently out at the curb (because I love to include photos): 

 

This is from the 1960s! Our kids enjoyed it and so have our grandchildren. It just takes up too much space. But they have had some fun with this! I had it for sale on Craigslist, but no nibbles. I hope it gets to the home of someone with little kids who will love it.

We picked this combo grill / smoker up for free off a curb two years ago and have never used it! Louie has enough grills and smokers and he is okay with it just going away.

We have SO many plant and garden things and we don't really do much in the way of gardening . . . this doesn't even represent half of what is piled in our garage for if we ever do want or need some plant pots.

We got this for free when our young friends were getting new bikes for their kids. Joshua enjoyed riding it when he was four. Benjamin didn't seem that interested in it. We're ready for it to go away.

I don't remember the story behind the unicycle, but it has lived in our garage for many, many years and Louie was okay with it going.

 

 

 

 

 

As always, my focus is on progress, not perfection. If these things are still sitting around on Monday afternoon (the weather is supposed to be better tomorrow and really great on Monday), I'll just donate or toss them. Here's hoping someone wants them! But I am also cognizant of needing to celebrate success . . . and I got rid of seven things this week!

 

Oh - my mother-in-law's cards. I'm going through things she had saved, then my father-in-law had saved. Cards from people still in our family - I'm putting into file folders for those people. They can do what they want with them. Cards from others (church friends, etc.) I'm putting into a file folder for a family gathering. If anyone wants to read through them or keep them, fine! But I finally hit a point where I put a bunch into my recycling bin. I've spent waaaaaay too much time sorting through other people's stuff. So I'm calling this week a big success. It feels good to get rid of things. 

2026 OneThing #11 Be a Blessing

This probably seems like a weird goal for the week, but it made sense for me. I knew I had a lot going on (though last weekend's blizzard gave me some extra time at home that I really enjoyed!) and I didn't want to set myself up for too much of a goal. I always want to be a blessing, but setting it as my one thing made me cognizant of my choices - my words, my actions, . . . and I tried to be a blessing to others around me.

 

I was in a really good state of mind all week. Subbing, co-hosting the quilt retreat at MQ, watching my grandsons, . . . it was all good. Since I love to post pictures, I'll include this one here:

 

 

This quilter was at her very first MQ in-town retreat. She was lovely! She finished this quilt top for a four year old neighbor. (Incidentally, I finished all 88 log cabin blocks for Morgan's and Angela's wedding anniversary quilt. I got a few other small things done as well.)

 

 

 

 

I had lots of fun with the grands this weekend! Joshua's favorite picture was of him doing a silly face (it's mostly his nostrils), but I like this one better:

 

 

 

 

2026 OneThing #10 - Decrease Fleece

This one was a "progress not perfection" thing . . . I started with four boxes of fleece. I cut many 12 1/2" squares to make a couple of baby blankets, but wasn't happy with the way the layout was going. My main goal is to use up the fleece! Secondary was to have a few finished baby blankets to give as gifts when occasions arise. 

 

I consulted with my sister Louise over the phone, but she and I don't always speak the same language . . . and she is amazing at color and design. So I boxed it up to meet with her in person to help me figure out how to arrange the pieces. I had made one of these for Joshua when he was born (seven years ago!) and I made one for my daughter-in-law's nephew. But I think I started with a larger block . . . like 14" square. 

 

Once you sew an X across two pieces, then sew the pieces together and cut the fringey parts, the blocks are much smaller. I got the idea online, but apparently didn't keep track of where I found it! 

 

You sew two squares of fabric together with a big X, then sew all of these together with the seams all to one side of the blanket. Then you use a scissors to cut fringe. This step is the one that takes a really long time! You end up with one side being relatively flat and the other being fringe-y and much more dynamic! It's pretty easy to make and will use up a fair amount of fleece.

 

Once I was done with cutting the squares, my remaining fleece fit mostly in three boxes . . . with a few bigger pieces on top. So my OneThing wasn't achieved the way I envisioned. I hope to get two baby blankets done this week, but that still leaves a lot of fleece. At some point, I plan to make a bunch of mittens. And perhaps I should just toss the smallest pieces . . . 

 

Because I love photos, here's some of what I sent my sister:

 

2026 OneThing #9 - Blog about Costa Rica

We went to Costa Rica with Brad and Amy Gustafson in April 2023. It was fabulous! I kept a journal while we were there, but I also had a little pile of maps, wrappers, and miscellaneous stuff that I kept intending to deal with. So even though it certainly isn't time-sensitive, I decided to set it as my OneThing and finally do it! We had Brad and Amy over yesterday (Saturday, March 7) but it wasn't completely done then for me to share with them. Here I am, on Sunday, March 8th, 2026, ready to wrap this up and move on.

 

My only "regret" from the trip is that I didn't go on a coffee plantation tour. None of the others were interested, so it will remain on a "Someday" list for me. I did thoroughly enjoy the coffee, though! Every single day. I have finally thrown away the bag from the beans we brought home. (Since then, Brad has given us another bag of Costa Rican coffee beans!)

 

I have pictures of all four sides of this bag in my Vacation / Costa Rica file. I have hundreds of pictures in there!

 

 

Only one part of a story from my journal (I'm so glad I wrote each day!):

Monday, 4/24/2023

 

We were trying to figure out where to go to get a boat tour. Our map isn't very detailed. Thankfully, Amy knows more Spanish than the rest of us and we were on our way. As we drove, a guy on a motorcycle pulled out in front of us! Later, he pulled off (to see a horse, I thought), and we passed him. Later, he passed us and waved us to follow. There was a big building with lots of tour buses and vans, but the guy kept driving and we kept following. I was confident we could have gotten boat tour tickets there, but I wasn't in charge. (Thankfully!)

We were laughing so hard at the notion we were following a complete stranger into a National Reserve . . . but then we saw the parking area, bathrooms, and pier into the river with boats!

Oh! We were at Villas Sol Resort in Guanacaste, and we did two days of the "all inclusive" option. If you tell me I can eat and drink as much as I like . . . oh my goodness! Did I ever indulge.

 

 

From my notes:

Fly in to Liberia

Resort is Villas Sol in Guanacaste

An overnight in Monteverde (pic at left)

Jenifer stayed at Dreams Las Mareas earlier in April 2023! (further north on the west coast from us)

We flew down from MSP to Houston (IAH) on flight #UA2345, then IAH to Liberia (LIR) on #UA1737.

Our return trip was #UA1516 from LIR to IAH and #UA1491 from IAH to MSP.

Brad booked the flights for all of us!

 

Videos:

Shuttle Bus Trip Top to Bottom (7:03)

Shuttle Bus Trip to Restaurant, Beach, and Front Desk (5:48)

Shuttle Bus Trip from Front Desk to Our Villa (2:00)

Random Monkey Video (:17)

 

I'm realizing that there is so much more I could include here (stories, photos, memories, etc.) But this is enough. I have my file folder with maps, a postcard I sent to myself, a Costa Rica wildlife guide, etc. And I have my journal, filled with stories and memories. One more photo here (because I do love photos) and then I'm calling this done. 

2026 OneThing #8 - Finish Sorting Cards and Envelopes

Praise God! I was able to complete the sorting and matching last Sunday afternoon! While we were doing our taxes, I sorted. I kept the cards I wanted to use. I filled a big envelope with Christmas cards and matching envelopes, another with birthday greetings, a third with miscellaneous special occasion cards, and a fourth with cards missing matching size envelopes along with extra envelopes. Woohoo!

 

These cards were in Lou's papers. There was a mix of cards that had been sent to Betty and Lou, blank cards, and random envelopes. It was a lot of stuff to sort through and took up a good sized space on the pool table.

 

Then on Wednesday after teaching, I went to Mala Strana in New Prague and found a lovely person in the assisted living portion of the building who was happy to take the cards! She also accepted a box of random "medical" stuff from Lou's possessions. It makes me feel lighter and happier to get rid of stuff.

So on Sunday, I set a new OneThing for the past week: Sort through recipe box. This one took me longer. I had a shoebox FILLED with recipes that I hadn't touched in over a decade. I don't even try new recipes very often! Right now, my recycle bag is filled with newspaper clippings, recipe cards, magazine pages, etc. I have a file folder with some recipes I'd genuinely like to try. I have a small stack of recipe booklets to put in my donate bag. I wrote a letter to my friend Kathy on the back of a printed out recipe (for molten lemon lava cakes - sound delicious, but I'm unlikely to try making it!). 

I'm not printing a photo of the box (before or after), but this has freed up approximately one cubic feet of space in the household closet in my studio. I feel good! (And I have a file folder of recipes to try. Perhaps I'll go through my cookbooks next.)

2026 OneThing #7 - Fix and Sell or Donate Cowboy Picture

One of my father-in-law's pictures was this interesting looking cowboy on a bucking horse in a rough wooden frame. The pieces that hold the backing on to the frame had all fallen off, so it stayed at our house when I got rid of other artwork. 

 

I knew I had a busy week coming up, so I set this as one small thing I could do to get something out of our basement.

Of course, that didn't work out! I did a little research on the artist Frederic Remington. I had hoped maybe this would be worth some money, but I was pretty sure it's just a print. It's also a bit water damaged. So it's just a question of putting it together and giving it away, right?

 

(BTW, it's called A "Sun Fisher" and was painted in 1895. It's a lithograph in a private collection. This is just a print.)

When I went to clean the glass, I noticed that the frame was a little shaky. One joint seemed to be coming apart. My husband is willing to repair it . . . but needs new wood glue. (Our bottles of it have congealed.) It is not a "today" thing, so I will have to be content with it being in progress instead of DONE.

I told him that although I think it's a neat looking piece of art, I would love to give it to his sister who actually has horses. And who might appreciate the connection to their dad (and possibly Aunt Barbara?) because we think it might have come from her place in Arizona. But honestly, if he wants to keep it and display it, that's fine with me.

So this One Thing isn't finished, but it's toward the top of the queue. I had a good week, but it was pretty busy. I'll have to choose carefully for next week's OneThing and see if it's something I can actually get done! 

 

(BTW, last week's dog bed is sitting around, waiting to be donated. That's also not a today thing.)

2026 OneThing #6 Sew Dog Bed to Donate

I use a "bag" made of flannel sheet to line a basket in my sewing room. Any random small scraps, threads, batting, etc. get tossed in there. It has taken a few years, but I've filled it up. (Actually, I think it has been several years. It has definitely been since pre-Covid that I filled one.)

I sewed it shut with my serger then decided to make a sturdy outer bag with a zipper. It's not very elegant, but I hope to donate it next weekend at a pet adoption event. 

 

 

 

This is my "new" scrap collection container.

 

 

 

 

This is the full bag, ready for me to stitch closed.

 

 

 

 

This is the finished bag and the stuffed bag, ready to be put together.

Titus didn't climb onto the finished bed, which surprised me. But he "posed" with it for scale.

That gets some stuff out of my sewing space. Now I just need to donate it (along with some gently used toys Titus doesn't really care for.) Getting rid of things! That's my game.