A Six-Year Mission: Decluttering One Box at a Time

A Six-Year Mission: Decluttering One Box at a Time

We’re on a six-year mission to declutter the house—a mission that began when a broken pipe flooded and destroyed our entire first floor.

We had to box up everything salvageable and move it to the garage while the renovations were underway. Just as the construction was finally completed and we were allowed back in, COVID hit. Suddenly, four adults and a dog were working and living full-time in a house that still wasn’t organized. Computers were everywhere. The boxes? Still in the garage.

Our two-car garage quickly became a one-car-plus-boxes garage. For the past couple of  years, we stared at those boxes, inventing every excuse not to deal with them. It’s too cold. It’s too hot. I’m tired. My leg hurts. Any excuse, valid or not, was enough.

But this past year, we finally started. Every weekend, we tackle one box. This weekend’s box? Flat sheets.

I hate flat sheets. I know people use them as a barrier between themselves and the comforter, but I find them cumbersome and annoying. I donated some, but we’d kept extras in the garage “just in case”—for painting, protecting furniture, or other projects.

We pulled them all out, washed them, sorted them. Now we’re asking: what do we really need? Maybe two or three. The rest? Donate or sell.

We don’t always see progress when we take small steps. The garage isn’t clean or organized yet—but there’s one less box to tackle, and one small shelf that’s now empty and clean.

I saw a post today that said: “There’s nothing too small to celebrate.” And so, I’m celebrating one less box, and a decluttering journey that’s still moving forward.

I’m a Prepper—But Not the Doomsday Kind

I’m a Prepper—But Not the Doomsday Kind

I’m a prepper. Not the doomsday, bunker-digging kind—but the worst-case-scenario type. I always have a contingency plan, and honestly, I blame my engineer husband for that. I used to be a carefree human being. But after almost forty years together, I’ve been… optimized. Ruined, if you ask me.

They say you eventually start to look like your dog or your spouse. Mine are both tall and hairy—I am still neither. But I have adopted my husband’s practical, forward-thinking mindset, even if I haven’t grown a beard.

I love to joke that it’s all his fault, but truthfully, it’s not. It’s life. Being a mother while my husband traveled ninety percent of the time meant I had to be prepared and self-reliant. And that’s not even counting the ever-present car stash: snacks, spare clothes, and vomit bags—just in case.

To this day, my car still holds extra water, a blanket, a coat (even though I live in Southern California), and random supplies I might never use—but might need. That’s just who I am now.

Of course, it wasn’t just motherhood that turned me into a prepper. Chronic health issues played a big role. With IBS, I learned to identify clean bathrooms in any location, faster than a GPS could. With Celiac disease, I memorized every gluten-free menu within a 20-mile radius. And now, as my hearing declines, I’m prepping for a future where my job might need to adapt to my changing abilities.

I started researching careers that suit people with hearing challenges—something less dependent on constant interaction. Coding and accounting popped up frequently, but both sound painfully boring to me. Living in near silence is one thing; adding tedium on top of it feels unnecessarily cruel.

Then I fell into the rabbit hole of side hustles: everything from selling foot pics (a hard no) to flipping items on Poshmark, eBay, and Mercari, or trying affiliate marketing, blogging, or becoming an influencer.

Influencing sounded promising—until I realized I dislike makeup tutorials and find most influencer videos kind of annoying. So much for that.

But I did start a Poshmark closet—and surprisingly, I’m enjoying it. It’s fun, but not easy. Finding good deals to resell takes patience, organization, research, and planning. A lot more work than people assume.

Blogging? That’s also enjoyable, but creativity doesn’t always clock in when I do. Some weeks, my brain just refuses to show up. And without a clear niche, it’s easy to feel stuck.

Someone recently asked me why I’m exploring all these side hustles. I told them: I’m prepping. I’m prepping for the day when my hearing aids stop working well enough. I’m prepping for retirement. I’m prepping for life—whatever it throws at me.

Because that’s what I do. I’m a prepper.

And honestly? It’s not a bad thing.

No One Gave Me a Dragon


I woke up with a panic attack at 1 a.m. last night. It took me three hours to calm down and fall asleep again. Needless to say, I’m exhausted this morning.
My husband asked me what was bothering me, and it took me a while to figure it out. I had to retrace all my steps from the day before. Eventually, I remembered a conversation I had with a coworker—we were talking about that odd feeling you get when you return to work after a long vacation.
I told him that ever since my husband started his new job, he no longer experiences that “back to work” anxiety. For those of us who dread Monday even after a regular weekend, that kind of peace feels like a distant dream.
My husband was laid off at the beginning of 2024 from one of those massive high-tech companies. It was the kind of job that felt like it would never end—6 a.m. and 10 p.m. meetings with overseas teams, constant Slack pings, nonstop reporting. He didn’t like it, even though the pay was great. Honestly, he was pretty unhappy.
When the layoffs began, they crept closer and closer to his division—until they finally reached him.
It took some time, but he eventually found a new job. It doesn’t come with high-tech pay, but it does come with something better: boundaries. Normal working hours. The ability to mentally switch from work mode to home mode.
He recently returned from a ten-day bike trip in Europe with our son—and went back to work without any stress or anxiety. It’s really nice to see him like this.
Unfortunately, that’s not how things feel for me.
Some days, my work feels like a Game of Thrones episode—but no one is giving me a dragon. And honestly, I really want a dragon.
Office politics aren’t my favorite. Working with toxic coworkers? Even less so. But the worst part is waking up in the middle of the night with a work-related panic attack.
I don’t have the answers yet about what comes next. I need time to think. I’ll figure it out eventually—dragon or no dragon.

#WorkAnxiety #BurnoutIsReal #MentalHealthMatters #WorkLifeBalance #BlogPost #GameOfThronesMood

Late to Class, Right on Time for Perspective

Late to Class, Right on Time for Perspective

I was almost late to my Pilates class the other day. I like to get there early to grab my favorite reformer—it’s perfectly positioned under the air conditioning and to the right side of the room, which works best for my non-functioning ear. (I’m 98% deaf in my left ear, but let’s be honest—98%, 100%, it’s all the same. I hear nothing.)

But alas, I was distracted and arrived just a minute before class started. My usual spot was taken, and I ended up in the back, squeezed between two other reformers. Not ideal. But class was great regardless, and I was happy I made it.

There’s a nice mix of women in the class—some younger, some older. Some wear those perfectly coordinated Pilates-girlie sets, others show up in whatever they grabbed from their closet that morning. I usually fall into the latter camp. That day was no different.

I admire the cute outfits, but I rarely wear them. They don’t work well for my body. I was born with Spina Bifida, and it’s visible if I wear low-rise pants or crop tops. It looks like a belly button on my back—I’m used to it, but other people, not so much.

Over the years, I’ve been poked, prodded, and asked more questions than I can count. Most people are just curious and mean no harm, but sometimes the questions are too much. So, I often opt for clothes that cover it all up. It’s not just about comfort—it’s about avoiding attention, avoiding questions.

My reformer choice is also influenced by who ends up next to me. If I’m not early enough to choose my spot, I sometimes spend half the class adjusting my shirt to keep my lower back covered. That morning was no different—I kept tugging at my top between movements, trying to stay hidden.

But then, somewhere mid-class, I looked around. Both women beside me were completely focused on their own breath, their own bodies. Not looking at me. Not noticing my back. Not thinking twice.

And it hit me—maybe it’s me. Maybe I’ve been the one too self-conscious all this time. Maybe I’ve spent fifty-plus years worried about exposing something no one is actually paying attention to. I’ve avoided cute outfits, backless tops, anything that might show “too much,” thinking it would invite questions or judgment. But what if it wouldn’t? What if people are more focused on their own stuff—just like I am?

So maybe next time, I won’t worry so much about the reformer, or the waistband of my pants, or who might be glancing at my back. Maybe I’ll wear the outfit I’ve always liked but always avoided. Maybe I’ll let myself breathe a little easier, like the women on either side of me did—focused on their own journey, not mine.

Because the truth is, no one’s looking as hard as I think they are. And even if they are, maybe it’s time I stop hiding the parts of me that have carried me through life so powerfully. Spina Bifida, a late arrival, a back-row reformer—they’re all part of the story, but none of them get to define the joy I feel when I show up fully, as I am.

Maybe showing up is the cute outfit after all.

 Why do toxic workplaces exist in the first place?

 Is it poor leadership? Bad hiring choices? Or is it simply a case of management being unaware of what’s actually going on?

A friend of mine recently shared a situation that really illustrates the issue. Her boss approached her and said that someone had spoken to a higher-up, complaining that she had prevented them from raising an issue or making a change. This incident, supposedly, happened months ago. No name was given. No date. No written complaint. Just vague hearsay.

Here’s the kicker—my friend wasn’t even involved in the situation the complaint was about. She’s not responsible for the area in question and has no authority over it. Plus, her office promotes an “open door” policy—everyone has everyone’s contact info. So why was this brought up at all, and in such an unclear way?

What upset her most was the lack of clarity and transparency. She couldn’t defend herself because there were no facts to respond to—just a murky accusation floating in the air. Now, she’s left wondering which colleague might be talking behind her back, and whether leadership believes the claim. Trust has eroded.

This, to me, is a perfect example of what toxic environments look like in action—not just overt bullying or blatant discrimination, but subtle moments that breed fear, mistrust, and isolation.

When leadership fails to address conflict with transparency, and instead spreads vague complaints with no accountability, they don’t solve problems—they create them.

Have you experienced something like this in your workplace? How do you think companies can do better?

#ToxicWorkplace #OfficePolitics #WorkplaceTransparency #EmployeeStories #LeadershipMatters #TrustAtWork #WorkLife

You Found My Blog. Here’s What I Think

I write because I love writing, I always did. It is a great hobby that you can take anywhere with you. All I need is a piece of paper and a writing utensil. When I have inspiration you can find my writings on napkins, sticky notes and scribbles everywhere and wherever I am.

I am also a shy introvert, at least this is how I see myself. So all my social media is under a pseudonym not because I am hiding my identity but because I am shy and I value my privacy.

My dogs have a great tik tok and instagram and my public tiktok and instagram are ok as well, both of them do not even have any postings with my face or my name, again I am an introvert who lives her public persona through her dogs and blog.

I post about what I feel like and I write about what I want to or care about, family life, dogs, food, travel and work, yes work.  I was told at work recently that corporate did not appreciate one of my blog posts. I found that interesting as I never ever mention where I work and even on my professional work related social media it does not name any of my work places. 

They did not dispute what I wrote, but rather did not appreciate it. I typically  do not write about anything that I have not written in the employee surveys  and yet in those I was ignored. But someone had some spare time on their hands and found a blog that does not mention them or references them in any way on a social media platform that does not even have my name on.

After that first thought the second thought was – is this a veil threat? I do not like to be threatened and I do not like to be censored so I asked and was told no. But still the message that I got was just to know  we follow your writing so in actuality it is a threat even if it was not meant that way.

This all goes back to what message you are giving your employees, the message I got was not positive and left a bad taste in my mouth. So if it was meant to be different it was surely handled wrong. 

And I will continue writing about what I want, and if I write about my place of employment I promise to not to use its name and hopefully they will not provide me with anything major to write about. However, this is a free country.

So my message to corporate- Since you know who I am, you can always call me. I will be happy to tell you in person what I think and I am always happy to help and you are welcome to use my talents. I appreciate you reading my blog, I earned  a big amount of twenty five cents from you going there and am closer to drinking a lava flow on a tropical beach. Feel free to add some likes or comments and for heaven’s sake finally fix the air conditioner.

  • #CorporateLife #WorkThoughts #RealTalk #OfficePolitics #FreeSpeech
    #RespectWriters #VoiceMatters

Do Size and Shape Matter? In Salads—and Marriage—Maybe They Do

Do Size and Shape Matter? In Salads—and Marriage—Maybe They Do

I love salads—real salads with vegetables in them. Not the kind often served in the United States, which usually means a pile of lettuce and two or three tiny pieces of tomato. Where I come from, some of these leafy greens are considered butcher counter decoration!

My salads are filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes—all chopped into good-sized chunks so you can actually tell what you’re biting into. My husband, on the other hand, loves his lettuce, and he prefers all his vegetables cut into small, even pieces. To be honest, his salads are a display of care and engineering. Everywhere we’re invited, people ask him to make the salad!

My husband is an engineer, and he looks the part—organized, symmetrical, and precise. I’m a little different. I find things that are too orderly boring and unstimulating. So, naturally, my salads (and fruit cutting) reflect that—slightly uneven and far from perfect.

That’s why I usually let him cut the vegetables and fruit—because he gets annoyed with the way I do it! Truthfully, it makes my life easier. He’s technically in charge of prep work and dinner, and I’m more than happy to do the dishes.

When he complained this morning about the “variety of styles” I used to cut the watermelon last week, I laughed and asked if it affected the taste. He agreed it didn’t—but still had to point out that he prefers even sizes.

But, as with most things in marriage, life is a compromise. I cut veggies into big chunks, and he cuts them into small, very even ones. The taste is the same, the complaints are the same—but this is our little dance, and we enjoy it.

When Fireworks No Longer Spark Joy

When Fireworks No Longer Spark Joy

The Fourth of July has always been one of my favorite U.S. holidays. For years, I’d buy my kids those iconic Old Navy 4th of July T-shirts, and we all loved the fireworks, parades, and festive fun that came with the day.

But several years ago, my love for fireworks changed.

The last Fourth of July I could still hear was during the height of the COVID pandemic. That year, it felt like everyone in the neighborhood had their own personal fireworks stash. The noise was relentless, and the dogs were not happy.

And “not happy” is an understatement—they were terrified. The fireworks didn’t stop for days. Our Airedale, Sage, went from a dog who loved long walks to one who would only go outside for the bare minimum, then rush back inside immediately.

This pattern continued for several years. As the holiday approached, so did Sage’s anxiety. What was once a cheerful, barky dog became increasingly withdrawn. Last year, just a day before the Fourth, she passed away from a heart attack. We believe the ongoing stress from the fireworks played a role.

Sage wasn’t alone—our other dogs hated them too. Every year, we’d shut all the windows, crank up the TVs and radios, turn on white noise machines—anything to help calm the pack. We even timed walks carefully to avoid dusk or random fireworks going off early.

For the past five years, someone in the family always stayed home with the dogs on the night of the Fourth. This year, that person was me. My husband and adult son were biking through Europe, and the other kids had plans. I was happy to stay home and keep the dogs company.

I did manage to attend the neighborhood parade, which was a joy. Seeing kids with their decorated bikes, full of excitement and laughter, brought back good memories.

But then night came—and it was miserable.

The fireworks didn’t stop until 1 a.m. Even without my hearing aids, I could hear them. The poor schnauzer was inconsolable, hiding in the shower or buried in the closet under my clothes. Shuki, our Airedale, wasn’t doing much better. None of us slept until silence finally arrived around 2 a.m.

As I tried to comfort the dogs, I couldn’t stop thinking about veterans and others with PTSD. How do they cope with this night? Fireworks are beautiful, yes—but they’re also loud, jarring, and triggering for many.

So I find myself wondering: should cities still sponsor fireworks displays? Is there a better way? Could we move fireworks to more remote, open areas? Or use drones and silent light shows in more densely populated neighborhoods?

I’m pondering all of this today, sleep-deprived, with two dogs still glued to my side.#FourthOfJuly, #PetSafety, #FireworksDebate, #PTSDawareness, #DogLovers.

They Found Me. My Dog’s Still Free.

I recently had to change a picture on my blog—not because of copyright issues, but for privacy reasons.

It was an old photo of me, one I really liked. It showed my face clearly, and it was a genuinely good picture. But the thing is, I’m a private and somewhat shy person. I work in a customer service role, and most of our customers live in the same area I do. That means I often run into them—at the gym, the grocery store, out walking the dogs, or even at dinner.

I try to stay as under-the-radar as possible: hat, sunglasses, sitting in the back, and minding my own business. Still, people have stopped me in public before to ask work-related questions. I usually manage to steer the conversation away, but there was one time a parent stopped me in the feminine product aisle at Target, with her teenage son, to ask me about work. My daughter, a teen at the time, and the boy were both so mortified that it was honestly kind of hilarious.

Recently, my anonymous pseudonym somehow ended up on corporate’s radar—again. There’s no mention of my name, employer, or location on the blog, but corporate still managed to find it. They didn’t like what I wrote. Ironically, they didn’t dispute anything I said; they just wanted me to know they were watching.

So this past weekend turned into a whirlwind of blocking people on social media, locking down my LinkedIn (which doesn’t even list my employer), and generally trying to cut off access to “Big Brother.” Unfortunately, that meant taking down the really good picture of myself, too.

The silver lining? My dog’s profile is still public.

#DigitalPrivacy #OnlineAnonymity #PrivacyMatters #LivingIncognito #BoundariesMatter #OfflineIsOkay #WorkLifeBalance #CorporateCulture
#OutsideOfOfficeHours#NotAtWork#FoundByCorporate#LifeBeyondWor#BlogLife
#WriterLife#PersonalBlog#RealTalk#WritingThroughIt#TrueStory

Broken Hearing Aid? Worse—A Broken Ear

The Only Thing Scarier Than a Broken Hearing Aid

There is nothing more frightening to a hearing aid wearer than a broken hearing aid—or so I thought.

Yesterday, I had severe issues with my hearing aid. I couldn’t hear anything in my left ear. I kept adjusting the settings, raising and lowering the volume. I deleted the app on my phone, reinstalled it—nothing worked.

When my hearing aid doesn’t function, I can always tell. Besides the obvious issue of not being able to hear, my tinnitus gets noticeably worse.

I tried everything: turned the hearing aid off and on, charged it fully, even put in my old hearing aid. That’s when I realized—it wasn’t the hearing aid that was broken. It was my ear.

I had lost all hearing in my left ear.

And that is even scarier than a malfunctioning device. A hearing aid can be fixed. A non-functioning ear? That’s a different issue altogether. Sometimes, even the best technology money can buy isn’t enough.

After that realization, I made an urgent phone call to my audiologist and scheduled a dreaded appointment. Then, I made the mistake of checking with Dr. Google—and that was not a good idea. Dr. Google is very scary.

Work today was a challenge. Not being able to converse or understand what people are saying to you is incredibly isolating. But my coworkers were understanding. They adapted things so I could still work, and I really appreciated that.

Today was not a good day.
I hope tomorrow will be better.

#hearingloss #brokenhearingaid #toughday #phonak