Jeanne, I will be working in the basement where there is a sink and a toilet. lol! Gotta have a potty close by! I want to put my old microwave down there and a little fridge so I can practically live down there. Right now I'm waiting for my DH to finish fiddling with the electricity to the garage. The pipe that connects the wires to the garage is in my storage room where I want to put all my craft supplies. Now that the basement has been painted and the moldy drywall taken out, it doesn't bother me any more. I could take pictures with my phone but I'm not sure where the plug-in is to hook it up to my computer. If I were electronically savvy, I could probably send pictures from my phone to my email. Once I do find my camera, I will take pictures of my great finds.

Wow Glynis, you really are walking a tightrope. Above all, you need to protect your safety. Any actions you take should be made anonymously. But, in my opinion, you should take action. I don't know if you do this already, but when I went on my crusade to oust Pig People, I kept a journel of every incident. Led Zeppelin tribute concert, 2:00 a.m. Mon. Crack deal in street, 8:00 p.m. Sat Escaped inmate pees in front yard 11:00 a.m. Sun. I logged in every time I contacted the police, the landlord, code enforcement, and HUD. I groused to anyone who would listen. In the process, I found out there were many agencies and programs that were available to help me. I was even encouraged to contact the FBI and ATF if I had strong reason to believe there was serious drug activity. In your case, with this deranged 15 year old, I would think a percautionary ringy-dingy to the FBI wouldn't be such a bad idea. I really hesitate advising you to meddle so deaply into this family's affairs, but something has to give. You shouldn't have to live like this. There was one program offered by the city called Street Beat. It was great while it lasted. Basically, it involved an officer coming to a neighborhood meeting and explaining ways you could help them help you. The officers then spent several hours each week walking the neighborhood, talking with folks. It was very effective and reduced loitering and graffiti. Alas, the city had to scrap the program this year due to budget cuts. But do pay a visit to city hall and the police to find out what all of your options are. What you said about your neighborhood being awsome but it was street by street really struck a chord. Ours is exactly the same way. Beautiful old homes and wonderful streets, pockmarked with bits of nasty. The city has made great steps and I have high hopes. Unfortunely, this sub-prime mortgage mess is going to make our efforts more difficult for a while. Two homes on this block have foreclosed. Two rentals sit empty. The market adjustment has stripped nearly all of our equity away. All we can do is sit tight and wait for the rebound. And stay vigilant towards those who would Pig against us. Be strong but be very, very careful GGG. Yours in solidarity, Steven

Blast, I can't find a rolling red carpet or ermine cape anywhere. Who needs 'em? But let us all sit at the great table (check out the silverware) and welcome Queen of the Month Heather. May she reign supreme in good health and humor and getteth ample rest with the royal babe in tow. I have senteth a priority box today to HRH Heather's castle and hope it finds her well and ready to decree something profound like "I AM QUEEN, YEAH BABY, YEAH!" I am the slightest bit concerned about former Queen Treesa. Has anyone heard from her? We need a supervisor to keep us in good stead. I will run amok for sure without a Queen Mother. Treesa, come back. You still rule in our hearts and minds! Sit and ponder your future rule... enjoy the bounty of Spring (if you don't have snow falling still) and don't forget Queen of the Month, Heather Waiting at the Mailbox XII. Din Din at the Queen's- oh hey, looks just like my house!

I just read a BRILLIANT blog entry that pretty much sums up for me what decluttering is all about-why it's so hard and a great tip on how to move forward. I am copying out all of it so the attribution is clear. Love this. Your Awesome Stuff? It's Just Stuff Musings on Decluttering from The Non-Consumer Advocate by Katy Decluttering. Overwhelming, yet boring. Anxiety producing yet cathartic. Simple yet multi-tiered. Why, oh why is is so much harder to get rid of stuff, than it is to acquire it in the first place?! I'll tell you why. Because once you bring something into your home it imprints on you. It becomes your responsibility, and that sense of responsibility takes over. "Can't just throw this advertising ball-point pen away, I have to make sure it goes to someone who can use it." or "This enormous platter probably has some value. I should open an eBay account and sell it." or "My great aunt Ethel gave me this set of cheese forks as a wedding gifts. I love her, therefore I should love the cheese forks, even though I've never used them in twenty years of marriage." or "I should keep this huge pile of scrappy towels, as I might need to clean up something messy some day." Multiply this by a thousand, and you've got an insane number of decisions to make. And if it takes you an hour to get rid of each and every unused and cluttery item in your house, you will never get to the point of a decluttered home. How do I know this? Because I have gone through this, and continue to go this this mindset. I see potential in less than perfect items. Those thin magnets that come attached to the phone books? They would look cute Mod-Podged with old maps. And that wobbly dresser I plucked from a curb? It would be super easy to re-glue and turn it into something spectacular. The creative mindset that sees potential in everything is the same mindset that creates a home overfilled with stuff. The answer for me lies in being hard on myself. This may sound borderline masochistic, but being my own taskmaster is the only method that works. I've even noticed that being in a bad mood actually aids the process, as it cuts the sentimentality in half. (Not that I'm ever in a bad mood, as puppy dogs, butterflies and baby unicorns usually float through my clutter-free home. Oh, who am I kidding?) And once I get an area decluttered with a system for order in place, I want to keep it that way. My bedroom closet, with its matching Goodwill wooden hangers is a pleasure to behold. Everything is easy to find, and easy to keep clean. And that drawer organizer that I made for my desk? It's as tidy as the day I first placed the sharpies into their own special cubby. Hello, lover . . . Do I have an answer or specific advice for wannabe declutterers? Yes. Recognize that the stuff in your home is just that. Stuff. Some of it useful, some of it beautiful and some of it with potential. But it's still just stuff. And what would happen if you did get rid of something that you later needed, would the world come to an end? Or would it be possible to borrow that infrequently used item from a friend, neighbor or family member. This is all coming from me, the woman who salivates over the perfect lamp, the perfectly textured cloth napkin and studies the weather forecast for possible spray paint friendly days. (FYI: between 50 and 90.) I love my stuff, but I know it's just stuff. And after countless donated loads of stuff to my local Goodwill, I have zero regrets. Because once it's out of my house, its no longer my responsibility. Ahhh . . . Do you have a hard time getting rid of stuff once it enters your house? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Katy Wolk-Stanley "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."