15 Minute Projects

/ rachelgoes262 / 1 Comment

Even though I’ve been on a minimalist journey for years, I’m pretty sure a few years ago I decided I was “done” minimalizing and was simply in maintenance phase. After going through a very hectic and high stress cross-state move last year, I can tell you that idea was very wrong.

When I moved from my apartment to my first house, it took me an entire day to move. I had 3 other parties with their vehicles helping me. Even then, there was still one load of large furniture items that had to be moved about a week later. I didn’t think I had that much stuff in my 2-bedroom apartment, but after 14 years there, I did.

In my first house, I was determined to minimize, but of course, you spread things out and acclimate to the space you have. In addition to numerous donations runs to various donation drop-offs and the animal shelter, I got rid of two truckloads of stuff before moving out of my first house.

It all paid off last year when the men I hired to load the moving truck were able to fit everything into the 15-foot cube truck with room to spare. Not only was there floor space to spare, but there weren’t any boxes stacked more than two high. Almost everything was on level with no stacking involved.

In the new house, my goal has been to be a good steward of my space. I need to be a strict gatekeeper on what comes home. This house is about half the size of my old house. Even though I fit everything into a 15-foot cube van, I still have a LOT of stuff for such a small house.

To decrease clutter, I use one room upstairs for storage. It should also be noted that there are no closets in this house (well, there is technically one upstairs, but that’s not usable and another story). The first floor is our living space. I try to keep our living space as neat as possible. My goal anyplace I live at is to leave as much open floor space as I can for the cats to run and play. I try to only have furniture items I really need.

I have a seasonal box I use to rotate items between summer and winter, as needed. The cats have their own seasonal box. I try diligently to keep everything contained to its space. It the blanket box is full of blankets, then I obviously don’t need anymore.

To keep things minimized and organized in our new house, I have brought back the idea of 15-minute projects. 15-minute projects are perfect for this house for many reasons.

First, we are now in the foothills of the Adirondacks. This is a great area to be outside, and I love being outside. I don’t want to be stuck in the house. For many of us, in the North Country, home is our launching pad for playing outside. We are stuck inside when buried under 6-feet of snow, but that’s another story.

I don’t want to waste my time on home projects. We are very happy here. I want to live life and optimize my time. 15-minute projects are perfect so that I can get things done and still enjoy my life. Especially with Jude and Flower passing away roughly a year from each other, I want to spend as much quality time with Simon and Jolene as I can.

A second reason why 15-minute projects work so well for our new house is because this house is so small. I have almost the entire house sorted into zones. For example, in the main room of the house, the living room, there is an entryway zone, a couch zone, a work zone, and an entertainment zone. That’s 4 zones in one room. Using 15-minute projects, I can attack one zone at a time, so things are not overwhelming.

That second reason gets to the meat and potatoes behind the 15-minute project concept. Sometimes the idea of minimizing one room can be overwhelming, even in a small house. By setting a 15-minute timer and focusing on one area, you can make a huge difference in your everyday life.

Here are some examples of some 15-minute projects that can make a huge impact in your living space:

The junk drawer. Admit it. We all have one. It’s typically in the kitchen. Mine is the one that has the plastic wrap, Ziploc bags, etc. I also pulled out a pen, scissors, a screwdriver, mason jar lids, and space blankets. Set the 15-minute timer and attack the junk drawer.

Your workspace. Whether you work from home or are just looking at the desk where you pay your bills – clean it out. I know, we all hate paying bills. We want to leave work at work. It’s an area easily cluttered because we don’t want to deal with it. Just set the timer for 15-minutes. Go through the drawers. Make a shred pile. Relocate things that have been shoved in those drawers that don’t belong. They are pits of items you don’t want to deal with just like the kitchen junk drawer.

Your entryway. The entryway is the drop point for everything that comes into the home. Yes, there are hooks. The coat and keys are hanging. But there is also a table, maybe a chair? Some sort of surface? Yup, and it’s cluttered. This is the drop point for library books, mail, and whatever else comes and goes from the house. Set the 15-minute timer and attack your entryway.

A separate 15-minute project can be your purse. 15 minutes. Clean that out. It’s full of old receipts and maybe some melted gum. Cleaning out your purse can be its own 15-minute project separate from the entryway.

The entertainment area. If you are in a harsh climate like we are (yes, we did get 6 feet of snow last January), then your entertainment area is needed for winter. Set your 15-minute timer and be sure you are ready. Books you’ve read can be donated to the Little Free Libraries. Do you have enough books, puzzles, music, etc. to get through this winter. Don’t just stare there when you are buried in snow lamenting there is “nothing to do.” Now is the time to turn your entertainment area into a 15-minute project to be sure it is organized and stocked for the coming winter.

The medicine cabinet. This is another great 15-minute project before winter. Do you have enough Tylenol, band-aids, etc. for the winter season? Better stock up now in case you are not feeling up to going out or physically can’t get out due to snow. Is everything fresh? Are there any out-of-date items that need to go to medication disposal?

I tend to do a lot of my minimizing in winter when I am stuck inside. Then, in the spring, I take all the items and donate them where they need to go. I have a donation box upstairs all the time that I can put things in as needed.

One 15-minute project that I did recently was to go through that donation box and pull out any clothing or sort item to be put in a plastic garbage bag instead of the box. We have two clothing drop-off points in my area that require items to be dropped off in plastic grocery bags. So sometimes I spend 15-minutes going through the donation box and packaging things how they need to be packaged for where they are going.

I have a separate box upstairs for donation items that I think the animal shelter can use.

15-minute projects are also a great way to break up your day and provided variety. It only takes a short burst of energy to complete a 15-minute project. Sometimes that’s all you need. It’s something different to do. 15-minute projects are just another way to turn minimizing and organizing into a game.

The other way I am implementing 15-minute projects is with cleaning. Yes, I clean my house. I keep on up it. But there are some parts of the house that need to be deep cleaned every once in awhile.

I know, I know. We see the phrase “deep clean,” and collectively groan inside. The idea of “deep clean” is both unappealing and overwhelming. So instead of thinking, I should really deep clean my bathroom instead of maintenance clean it, I am tackling one extra item as a 15-minute project.

Examples of 15-minute cleaning projects:

Deep cleaning the shower head.

Cleaning one wall to prep it for painting.

The microwave. Yeah, I know, you wipe it out with the dishcloth every once in a while, but set a 15-minute timer and deep clean it.

The coffee maker. Again, I know you wash it every day but set the 15-minute timer and do a deep clean.

The ceiling fan blades. Especially if you are reversing their direction for temperature changes, clean the ceiling fan blades. Set the 15-minute timer. Yes, they are typically done in maintenance cleaning but admit it. You forget. I know I don’t get to them every time. I forget to look up if I’m cleaning in a hurry.

Right now, 15-minute projects are my favorite thing. We will see how long this lasts. But for now, it’s working for both minimizing and extra cleaning items.

Do you have any ideas for 15-minute projects?

Happy 12th Birthday, Jolene!

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Today (August 24) the Queen turns 12. We always take Jolene’s birthday as a reminder to adopt the moms. Jolene was dumped at outside the shelter in a box with her kittens when she was 5 years old. She watched all her kittens be adopted and then was there for several months before she picked me out. Kittens are cute but look at the moms also. 

Jolene is the life of our household. She is strongly bonded to Simon. It is very noticeable if Jolene does not feel well because the life just drains out of the house. Jolene is friendly, playful and keeps things interesting.

She enjoys moving her favorite stuffies around daily. In the new house, Jolene likes to transport carrot and the large yellow mouse that a friend had made for Flower. Jolene will move her toys from room to room, depending on where she thinks they need to be that day.

Jolene is our Lead Hedgewatch-er and caught her first live mouse in June. I sometimes caught mice in the live traps in the basement. This was the first time a mouse was brave enough to enter our living space. Jolene was on cat cam with the mouse in her mouth. She tried to put it in a toy box and seemed quite surprised when her toy jumped out and began to be interactive.

The mouse successfully escaped two cats (Jolene and Simon – Flower was sleeping in the bed with me). I’m sure that mouse is legend with its tale of escape. Hopefully all its little friends got the message not to come into our living space due to the fierce Hedgewatch-er who lives here. 

Jolene must know everything that goes on inside and outside the house. She supervises our neighbors who help with the snow in winter. She runs to the window to watch the school bus go by so all the children can wave at her. She looks for her “boyfriend” Snowball (lives 2 houses down) out the window in the summer.

Jolene brings so much life and love to our home. She was very closely bonded with Jude until his passing. I truly had a bonded trio with Jude, Simon and Jolene. Now that it is just Jolene and Simon, they continue to be closely bonded. When Flower was alive, Jolene had a healthy respect for Flower. She knew to keep her distance, as Flower did not like them close to her. However, Jolene would look for Flower at certain times of day and still try to be as near to Flower as she would tolerate. 

I truly think Jolene would have been even more closely bonded to Flower if Flower would have let them near her. I do have some photos of the girls touching noses and both of them were ok with it. 

With Simon being 10, Simon is still the baby. Now that Jolene is 12 and both Jude and Flower have passed, Jolene is the oldest cat in this house. 

Jolene alternates between sleeping with me at night and patrolling the house. She has to keep an eye on things. She is very loving and is a true cuddle bug. She does perform coworker duty still now that Jude is gone.

Jolene is the only one curious enough to fully explore our new home. She has had supervised time in the basement to explore. She was the one to successfully identify the mouse point of entry. Jolene has also expressed interest in the attached garage and has had some brief supervised time there also. 

At the vet office, Jolene comes right out of her carrier like she owns the place. Jolene is there to be adored by all the staff and she knows it. She uses her cuteness to try to get out of things she doesn’t like (such as getting her nails cut). When that doesn’t work, she wiggles like Houdini to try to escape whatever it is she doesn’t like. 

If Simon brings the love to the house, Jolene brings the LIFE. She is the Queen of the house. We love you, Jolene! Happy 12th Birthday! 

Our Precious Flower

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Flower Sunday Anderson passed away on August 14, 2026, in her loving mom’s arms after a long, dignified battle with numerous health issues. Flower was born on April 9, 2010, and her Gotcha Day was November 3, 2024. Flower was outside for at least 6 years before she decided to trust a human enough to be trapped and loved.

Flower is survived by her mom, Rachel, siblings: Simon Freckles Anderson and Jolene Mamba Anderson. Flower is predeceased by her brother Jude Raymond Anderson. 

Flower was an American bobtail. She looked like a skunk from the back and a cow from the side. Her name came from the movie Bambi. The first time I saw her, I thought she was a skunk. Flower also mimicked some baby skunk behaviors, including her infamous Flower Stomp that she would do towards her siblings in an act of play.

Flower’s middle name comes from the fact that she was trapped on a Sunday. She also enjoyed the song “Easy” by The Commodores. She listened to her song as she passed away. Flower truly was easy like Sunday morning. She was so easy to care for and love. 

Flower does Flower things. This is a famous phrase used to describe Flower, along with Flower lives in her own little world. Flower was unlike any cat I have ever known. She was grace under pressure. Despite the cruelty she experienced in her life, Flower was gentle and loving. There was not a mean bone in her body. I will miss her little chirps for breakfast and seeing her play with her favorite catnip toys.

Flower was loved by thousands across the globe. As part of the Hedgewatch team, Flower’s job was Senior Santa Tracker. Flower loved to watch Santa on NORAD on the laptop on Christmas Eve. In socializing Flower, she would watch videos on the laptop. 

Another key part of Flower’s socialization was her bedtime story. Every night, I would read her a book so that she could look at the pictures and have mental stimulation since her mobility issues limited her ability to play. Flower’s favorite stories were the Frog and Toad books and Goodnight Moon. Flower knew when it was bedtime and would walk up her ramp and get into bed to wait for her story. 

Flower knew baby sign language and was carrier trained. She is one of the smartest cats I have ever known. It is truly one of the greatest honors of my life that she chose me as her human. I told Flower I would not leave that house I was in without her and I kept my promise. We were able to get to a place of safety for Flower to live out her final year.

Flower loved sun puddles. She liked the heat to help with her arthritis. Flower loved her warming mats, warming disc, and had a friend make her a customized cape for winter without arm sleeves due to her arthritis. She loved her cat beds and blankets. Her favorite toys were her catnip banana, catnip pumpkin, and catnip peppermint. She would often rub herself on things as her way of playing. 

Flower allowed all handling and it was my honor to provide all her grooming in her final months including brushing, ears and nails. Flower loved to be brushed and would purr and lean into it. 

The family would like to express our gratitude to the numerous people who have helped with Flower – from the person who bought her very first cat bed, to the person who handmade her blankets, the person who handmade her cape, and the many, many people who provided other ways of support. Most importantly, thank you for your joy and delight in watching Flower these past few years. It is your emotional support that has been invaluable. Flower was so loved.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please donate to your local library “In Memory of Flower, Who Loved Story Time,”  Since Flower loved story time and children’s books were so integral in her socialization. You are also invited to continue the tradition of Flower Day on April 9 and do a random Act of Kindness in her memory to combat all the evil she experienced in life. 

It was truly an honor to have been chosen by Flower to be the human that she trusted. It was the greatest gift of my life. Thank you to everyone for sharing in her story. 

If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever. 

Signature Scent, Part Two

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About four years ago, I posted about a signature scent. You can click on that link to read the original post. At the time, I did a total splurge and had a small bottle of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. I enjoyed that perfume. The bottle lasted me an entire year. 

Looking back, I think that the foray into such an expensive signature scent was an attempt to self-soothe or provide some level of comfort during the abuse we were experiencing from the neighbors. I remember in 2022 was when I started finding the spray-painted cats that were being used as bait by the dog fighting ring.

Due to the expense, I only had that one bottle of Coco Mademoiselle. I loved it, but I’m not about to pay for it again. Over the past few years, I have experimented with some Bath & Body Works scents again but have not found one that has really stuck with me since my Secret Wonderland era. 

To be honest, I have been craving Country Apple, but it is one of their discontinued scents. 

For Christmas, I got new socks and body lotion. I had a bottle of Champagne Honey and Apple. It was a nice scent but did not fulfill my want for Country Apple. It did not impress me enough to buy it again. 

Once the Champagne Apple bottle was gone, I ended up just grabbing a bottle of lotion from the store. By chance, I happened upon cocoa butter. I didn’t really care what type of lotion I was getting. I just needed lotion and it was on sale. 

Turns out, cocoa butter lotion is the best I have ever used. It meets my moisturizing needs in ways no other lotion ever has. I smell faintly like a piece of chocolate. It’s nice. It’s a steady, comforting smell.

Ladies and gentlemen, here is my new signature scent.

It doesn’t have to be this brand. I had a bottle of store brand cocoa butter lotion. That was fine too. Lotion is something I use every day. Having a lotion as a signature scent means one less thing I must deal with every day. No more perfume. No more worrying about getting unscented lotion so that my soap, shampoo, or lotion do not clash with the perfume. 

The lotion is the perfume. What a great minimalist concept. I have one product doing double duty.

When I grabbed that first bottle of cocoa butter lotion back in February, it was my first time ever trying cocoa butter lotion. I was missing out all these years. I always went for unscented lotion so as not to clash with whatever perfume I was wearing.

Cocoa butter lotion is much less expensive than perfume. It’s also widely available at most stores and pharmacies. I don’t need a specific brand. It has a great price point. 

I’m moisturized, hydrated, in my lane, and smelling lightly like a piece of chocolate. Perfect.

Since I have never used cocoa butter lotion before this year, it is now a positive new memory with our new house. When I smell cocoa butter lotion, I think of us being in this house where we are now safe.

Having a gentler scent seems to agree with the cats also. They don’t seem to mind the cocoa butter lotion. They did seem bothered sometimes by my perfume. Cats are sensitive to scents. 

Who knew a new signature scent would come from grabbing a random bottle of body lotion at the store? To be honest, I didn’t realize it wasn’t unscented. I just saw white bottle of body lotion, figured it to be unscented and grabbed it. I wasn’t really paying attention. I just needed lotion. What a happy accident. 

Not only does it smell nice, but its ability to moisturize is what seals the deal. I have dealt with extremely dry skin for years and tried all sorts of scent-free lotions, even the ones for eczema and ones claiming to be deep hydration. Cocoa butter wins, hands down. I wish I had known this years ago. 

My signature scent is now cocoa butter lotion. Any brand is fine. Just grab whatever is available. It’s simple and easy. 

Here’s to smelling like a piece of chocolate. It brings me joy. 

The Little Things

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Now that we are safe in our new home, it is much easier for me to focus on things both big and small. In the old house, I was simply surviving. I was in a constant state of having to respond to whatever crisis the neighbors inflicted on us for the day. Their attacks with the boom cars and other methods of harassment were daily.

There were times when I would be cooking food on the stove, and I would have to turn off the food, and we had to go to the basement for safety. The food often spoiled. There were times when I could not eat because it was not safe enough for me to be in the kitchen long enough to cook something due to active gunfire or other threats.

Aside from upgrading all the plumbing in that house from galvanized steel, everything else that was done to that house was repairs from deliberate damage that was done by the neighbors. That house has new front steps and a new porch from when they drove their truck through the front. It had repair work to the chimney from fireworks damage due to attempted arson. That’s just some of the damage I repaired.

In the new house, no one is deliberately damaging this house. No one is physically attacking and injuring us. We are safe. This gives me freedom to live life. I’m no longer just trying to survive and avoid daily threats to our physical safety.

This means I can make actual upgrades to the new house. I can respond to needs both big and small. This house had plumbing issues that were supposed to be addressed by the sellers before we moved in. They were not addressed. I ended up replacing the toilet and fixing the shower drain that was leaking into the basement. 

This spring, I had the septic tank pumped. It was long overdue and on the verge of being an emergency. This is my first time living someplace that has a septic and is not on municipal sewer. I was very proud that I was able to correctly ascertain it needed to be done before it became an emergency and that I was able to locate where they needed to dig before I called for service.

As mentioned in a previous post, the furnace died. I had the furnace replaced and converted from oil to propane. That was a very big project. It is not completely done yet. I still must get the oil and oil tank out of the basement. But we do now have a working furnace again so when it cools down, we will have heat.

For such a big project, I was able to take it in stride. If that had happened at the old house, it would have been a major crisis that I probably would not have been able to deal with. Every single day in that old house, I had to alter my behavior and all my plans based on when the neighbors decided to start attacking us. A broken furnace would not have been something I would have been able to deal with when we were fighting for physical safety every single day.

I now have the ability to address the little things too. 

The ring pulls on the top drawer of my dresser broke a few years ago when we were in the old house. The ring on the left was partially broken and hanging precariously. The ring on the right was completely gone. Without the ring pulls, I was left trying to open that drawer by pulling it open from the bottom. It was a pain. It made it hard to get to my clothes. 

Broken ring pulls was not something I could handle when our lives were literally being threatened daily at the old house. I was constantly either trying to recover from injuries they inflicted or hiding in the basement with the cats to avoid being injured again or worse. 

Now that we are safe in the new house, I have time and energy to fix small things like my top dresser drawer. Instead of the ring pulls, I decided to install knobs. Now that the drawer has two well attached knobs, it is very easy for me to open the drawer to access my clothes. 

I even had the time and energy to be thoughtful about the knobs I installed. I chose knobs that I enjoy that go with my décor. They are not only functional, but they delight me as well. It is making me happy to see them. 

If I wanted to go the extra mile and find vintage ring pulls to install instead, I have the time and energy to do that. I could even try to track down a set of ring pulls to replace the exact ones that were on the dresser originally. I have the freedom to do that if I want.

 I decided to upgrade to drawer knobs instead of trying to find vintage replacement ring pulls. It may sound small, but this is living. It is not just surviving. Sometimes living can look like an inch and a half piece of mint colored wood. I am no longer just surviving with a broken dresser because I am too exhausted from daily neighbor attacks. 

I vividly remember this time last year. Every single night, the neighbors would pound on the door, scream “FIRE!”, and run away. It was all on my security cameras. They did it every single night from July 7, 2025 until the day in August when we left for safe housing. I never knew what time they were going to pound on the door and ring the doorbell screaming “FIRE!” until they did it. It could be 10 pm, 2 am, 3 am. That was the whole point.

The point was to prevent me from sleeping. 

In some countries, preventing someone from sleeping is a form of torture. In the USA, it’s just another day. When I was growing up, if someone yelled “FIRE!” in a movie theatre when there was no fire, it was illegal. Yet, it is perfectly legal to pound on a house door every single night screaming “FIRE!” when there was no fire. The local sheriff department there said there is nothing preventing people from knocking on your door. They have that right. 

Besides, I always had to ascertain if there was a fire or not. They tried repeatedly to burn the house down and even lit parts of the tree in front on fire in their attempts. I could not just go back to sleep after they pounded on the door. I literally had to check the house everywhere to see if they had lit it on fire or not. There was fire damage to the exterior of that house that was flagged in the final inspection when I sold it. 

It just got to the point where I could not keep up with the property damage they were causing and try to get us all out of there safely before we were murdered. I only broke even when I sold that house due to all the damage I had to repair. 

Being safe in our new home, I can respond to the little things. The big things are still challenging, but they are not a crisis. No one is damaging this house. Things I am fixing are maintenance items that need to be fixed due to normal wear and tear of living in a home. 

I can repair things in a way that I enjoy and delight me like the dresser drawer knobs. When the furnace died, I was able to research and decide to convert from oil to propane. I can make better choices because I am not trying to keep us safe from physical injuries every day. 

Even walking down the street here is safe. I no longer have children chasing me on bicycles and throwing rocks at me like they did at the old house (they were children of the house that attempted arson). Children here wave at me. I even helped one with air in their bicycle tire last week. I was outside at the same time they were, and they were trying to walk the bike with a flat tire. I have the air machine for my car, and it works for bicycles too. The child is riding the bike again instead of pushing it home. 

Helping with a child’s bicycle tire is another one of the little things I can do now that we live someplace safe and are not being attacked daily by the people across the street. 

The little things like bicycle tires and drawer pulls are precious. I did not have this freedom before. It reminds me of what life was like before those problem neighbors started. All because I reported their dog fighting ring. 

I have no regrets. 

Another positive of little things is connected to minimalism. I have one dresser for clothes. When the ring pulls broke, I was able to repair the drawer. When you are a minimalist, you have fewer items. You can have higher quality items because you have less of them. You can also take better care of things when you have less. 

I can imagine that if someone had three or four dressers and a drawer broke, they would probably just get rid of the entire dresser or replace the entire dresser. I repaired the drawer and kept the same unit. 

The dresser has been with me for over 20 years. They don’t make them like that anymore. It’s been good to me. So, I repaired the drawer. I kept the unit and now it delights me. 

The little things are a luxury when you have the freedom to enjoy life and not just survive. May you know this freedom. 

Yellow House in the North Country: Heat

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It’s the middle of July. We are currently in a heat dome and are drenched in wildfire smoke from Canada. Naturally, you would think this post would be about summer heat. It’s not. 

This post is about winter heat.

Before the furniture even moved into the new house back in September, I had someone out to service the furnace for winter. It was already getting down to freezing at night, and I turned the heat on low so that the pipes would not freeze. Our previous house had natural gas. The new house has oil.

To my surprise, the annual maintenance for an oil furnace not only took much longer than the annual maintenance for my natural gas furnace, but it was also a lot more expensive. I chalked it all up to a learning experience. When I purchased this house, I was told that the furnace was new within the past 5 years.

When touring the house, the furnace looked older than 5 years to me. However, I am unfamiliar with oil heat. From what I heard, oil runs “dirty.” I attributed the fact that the furnace looked older than 5 years to be due to the fact that it was an oil furnace running dirty that had not been serviced in a while.

 The furnace has issues. After that initial service call for annual maintenance in September, I then had a total of three emergency calls this winter for various issues. By chance, one of the techs who came out for pne of the emergency calls told me he had worked on this furnace for years. “Years?” I asked. “They told me this furnace was new within 5 years. The tech laughed. “It’s at least 25 years old.” He said.

Given that the furnace was having so many issues this past winter, I was thinking I need a new one. The last thing I needed was for that furnace to quit when we were buried under 6 feet of snow. No one would be able to get to it to take it out and replace it. Not to mention, we would be without heat.

If I was going to put in a new furnace, I decided I needed to convert from oil to propane. It is very, very hard to get house insurance with oil heat. It’s easier to get house insurance with propane heat. Natural gas is not available in the Adirondacks. We are “off grid.” 

I got an estimate for the conversion. I decided to move ahead with it. The HVAC company doing the conversion told me to run my oil tank out of oil prior to the conversion to make the oil tank easier to remove. It made sense to me. 

The oil furnace was really struggling even more so starting in March. Every day I wondered if it was going to die. It persisted.

Sometime in May, the furnace stopped working. Either I ran the tank out of oil, or the furnace died. I scheduled my conversion for July. The float on the oik tank said I still have ¼ tank of oil left. I’m pretty sure that float is not accurate. It had been on ¼ of a tank for several weeks. 

Once the furnace stopped, we did have some chilly nights. It was still getting down in the 40s at night. There was nothing that could be done. We just piled on extra blankets and waited for summer to come. 

The handyman who helps me said that he thought I should wait until the oil furnace “shit the bed” to convert to get as much use out of it as possible. While it made sense to me, I also did not want to be stuck without heat in winter when no one can get to it to repair or replace. 

I found out from the neighbor next door that the people who sold the house KNEW the furnace had issues. They had rigged a lamp to it. When the furnace quit, the lamp would glow red and the neighbor knew to call the kids for repair. The woman who owned this house died and her kids inherited it, so it sat empty for a year. They had it priced way too high. 

When they sold this house, they said that furnace was 5 years old. It was 25 years old and had issues. They knew it had issues because they had that lamp rigged to it so that the neighbor could call for service when it quit.

The conversion from oil to propane is currently on day two of a three-day process.

They took my oil furnace out on day one. I did not, in fact, run the oil tank out of oil. The oil furnace died. It legitimately “Shit the bed,” as the handyman suggested I wait for. Thankfully, it shit the bed in May instead of in January when we got 6 feet of snow over 5 days. 

What was wrong with the furnace? Well, it had a cracked converter. If you know anything about furnaces, you know that a cracked converter is a HUGE issue. First, a cracked converter is not something that can be fixed. It is the death punch to a furnace. Second, a cracked converter is not only a huge fire exposure but also a huge carbon monoxide hazard. We are SO, SO lucky we did not have either the smoke alarms, the carbon monoxide alarms, or both going off at any point this winter up until that thing died.

I truly think Angel Jude has been watching over us. The neighbors at the old house attempted to burn down our house in July 2025 and then pounded on the door every single night screaming “Fire!” I have major PTSD over anything fire related. If either the smoke alarms or the carbon monoxide alarms go off in this new house, I would have major meltdown. First, I would need to get all the cats out of the house. But I would have major meltdown.

I would not feel safe in our new house if one of those alarms had gone off because the furnace was dying. I am still trying to overcome the trauma of attempted arson from our old house last year. 

I am really glad I decided to move forward and schedule the conversion when I did.

The conversion Is challenging due to the layout of the house. The technicians are excellent. 

As I said, we are on day two of conversion right now. They are currently working.

On day three of conversion, our propane tanks will be delivered. The gas company will hook everything up, check all the lines for leaks, fire up the new furnace, and be sure we have heat. They will do al their safety inspections. Then the HVAC company will come back and do all their safety inspections once it has the propane to run. 

I have all brand-new carbon monoxide and smoke alarms installed in this new house too. 

Say a little prayer that all goes well. This is the largest home project I have ever done.

When we were in the old house, I had plans to do upgrades and projects there too. I did do some of the upgrades. I upgraded all the plumbing in that house. It had galvanized steel piping that was over 100 years old that I replaced. Other than that, I ended up spending almost $17,000 to repair intentional damage that the neighbors caused to that house. 

I didn’t get to do any more upgrades to the house I sold because I was constantly repairing damage that they had caused. No, I did not put in claims on my home insurance. I know better. If I had, I never would have been able to sell that house because there would have been an open lawsuit for intentional damage. Not to mention, anytime I made a report, their behavior escalated. If I had put claims on my house insurance for the damage they caused, we would not have been able to sell. We would not have been able to leave.

Paying $17,000 to repair the intentional damages they caused is part of the reason why I was only able to break even on that house. 

In our new home here in the North County, we are safe. No one is causing intentional damage to this house. That means that when I fix something, I am either taking care of maintenance or doing an upgrade. I can actually plan and dream in this house.

One thing I wanted to do in the old house and never got to do was to paint rooms. I have never painted a room in my life. I never got the chance in that house. I was constantly scrambling with harassment, damages, and injuries inflicted upon me by those neighbors.

In this new house, I want to paint a room. I have never done it before. 

The first room I paint will be one of the upstairs rooms. I don’t go upstairs much. That way if I don’t do a good job of it, I won’t have to see it every day. I want to have the experience of being able to do some things myself without having to try to hire and pay people.

If painting an upstairs room goes well, then I really want to paint one wall (an “accent” wall) in my bathroom. I am thinking either mint green or sage green.

Both rooms upstairs are dark colors. One is a dark brown! I want to paint it something light and brighten it up. That way it looks bigger too. 

I won’t do any painting projects until next year. I already have my hands full this year with the oil to propane conversion and plumbing and electric work I had to have done when we first moved in. 

Once our new furnace is up and going, I am done with house projects for 2026. I need to rest and save money. I will save the painting for 2027. 

That’s not entirely true. I think I may need to try to stain my deck this fall. We will see. 

For now, we are on day two of three for our oil to propane conversion. Please hold us in your thoughts that it all goes well and that we have heat with no problems this winter. 

I will say that this house is the warmest house I have ever lived in during the winter. I’m hoping we have good luck when we are on propane this year instead of on oil. I don’t want to have any service calls. I definitely don’t want any alarms going off. 

In the middle of a heat dome, we are making sure we will have heat for our second Noth Country winter. 

Furniture and Settling

/ rachelgoes262 / Leave a comment

Everyone rearranges their home differently. Furniture placement often depends on how the room is laid out. The placement of windows, doors and electrical outlets can dictate how you set up a room. For me specifically, I set mine up in a way that maximizes cat comfort. That means access to all windows and plenty of play space.

When we were in the apartment and later in the old house, I have always had my window AC unit in my bedroom. I need it to be able to sleep at night in the summer. The bedroom is also typically a smaller room that is easier to cool than the living room or other large rooms in the house. 

In the new house, room layout has made it so that my window AC unit cannot be in the bedroom (for multiple reasons). It must be in some other room. I narrowed down the options to one of two windows. One window in the sunroom and one window in the living room. The AC unit is in the living room.

A few weeks ago, when we were under the first heat dome of the summer, I was struggling to sleep because the AC unit is not in the bedroom. I have a fan in the bedroom, but it is not enough. I decided that I wanted to pull the bed out of the couch and sleep in the living room near the AC unit for a few nights.

The way my living room is currently set up for everyday use does not leave enough space to pull the bed out of the couch. I had to rearrange the furniture to be able to do that.

It sounds simple enough. Somehow, when I went to do it, rearranging furniture was not simple. It was simple to physically do, but not emotionally. 

You see, in the old house. My furniture placement was dictated by the neighbors. Yes, I know. It sounds crazy. But when the people across the street drive their truck into the front of your house, you seriously reconsider furniture placement.

When they drove the truck into the front of the old house, they drove up over the curb, over the sidewalk, into the bushes in front of the house, and into the front porch before stopping. I was woken up in the night by the crash. Luckily, I was sleeping in my bed in my bedroom. It was not a night when I had fallen asleep on the couch watching a movie. If that truck had come into the house any farther, it would have been in my living room. 

The sheriff officer who responded even mentioned that I might want to be careful using my living room because it would probably happen again. I emptied the entire living room. I rearranged all the furniture in my house in way that if they drove into the house again and came in further, we would be safe. I started actively discouraging the cats from being in that room. 

Anyone who came into my house thought the furniture was set up weird. That’s because the neighbors drove into the front of my house. The Sheriff told me to expect it to happen again. 

There was half a house I could not use at the old house due to neighbor issues. It wasn’t safe. In addition to the vehicles driving into the house, there was the gunfire and the deliberate aiming of fireworks at the house that all happened on the side of the house facing those bad neighbors. 

When I went back to the old house at the end of August 2025 with the moving truck to take everything out before the sale, the one neighbor across the street threatened the two men I had hired to load the truck for me. It was a nerve-wracking move. It was so nerve wracking that I completely forgot all the items in the garage and one item in the basement that I had wanted to take with me. Things were left behind (like all my snow shovels).

I was fortunate in that kind people helped with our Amazon wish list once we were in the new house and replaced some of the items that got left behind like the snow shovels. I did not intend to leave items behind. It’s just that we were trying to get everything out of that house as fast as possible before that neighbor escalated and there was gunfire or police involvement (not that they would have responded).

The men who loaded the truck held their ground with the threatening neighbor. They made sure I left first and they followed me. They did tell me after that they were close to calling the troopers due to his behavior but wanted to just get the truck loaded and out of there as quickly as possible.

In the new house, it has been hard to overcome that programming from the old house that I have to keep everything as contained as possible and cannot spread out in my own house for safety reasons. 

When I rearranged the furniture so I could pull the bed out of the couch, that was hard emotionally. In fact, I only slept on the couch one night. I did not sleep well. I was scared. I know we are safe here and that no one here will drive into the front of the house, but I was still scared.

The other challenge in all this is that I have not really used the garage or the basement in the new house due to the experience we had with moving. 

I do have some items in the garage. Part of the issue with the garage is that when I bought this house, there was a lot of stuff left in it from the previous owner. I have all that stuff piled in the garage. I am working with someone (a “junk” truck) to come and take all that stuff from the prior owner out of my garage. So, I do have things, like the lawnmower and the roof rake, that I want to put in the garage and are currently in my sunroom due to the fact there is no room in the garage to put them. 

Once all the stuff from the prior owner is gone, I have things I want to put in the garage. I will put them there.

The basement is a harder location for me to handle. So many times, when the neighbors at the old house were being abusive, the basement is where we had to hide. It was the safest place from the booming and from the bullets. 

Now that we are safe in the new house, I don’t want to go to the basement. I go down every morning to check the live mouse traps and that is it. 

Right before the heat dome started this summer, I did put a few things in the basement that needed to be kept cooler. I put the WD-40 and a few other items down there. So, I am finally using the basement in this house. There is one tote bin of items in the basement.

Obviously, it’s going to take time to settle into this house. I have a lot of traumas with the daily neighbor harassment, boom cars, and attempted arson that we lived through. We are grateful to finally live someplace safe where we are not being harassed daily. I can finally sleep through the night without someone pounding on my door at all hours of the night. 

Rearranging furniture is an issue I need to work though. I can arrange my furniture in any way I want. We can safely use this entire house. We no longer must live in fear of people driving their truck into the front of the house or of fireworks being deliberately shot at the house from directly in front of it. 

We are so grateful to now live in a house we can safely use. I just need to get used to the idea that I am safe to sleep in my living room if I want. 

June is Pet Preparedness Month

/ rachelgoes262 / Leave a comment

June is Pet Emergency Preparedness Month. If you have pets, you need to be sure that they are included in your emergency plan. Do not leave them behind. Be sure you have supplies for your pets for an emergency. Everyone should be carrier trained. 

As you may know if you follow my cats on social media, Simon was the most difficult to carrier train. When we were at the old house and a tornado stopped a mile and a half from the house, he was the only cat I could not get to the basement in time. He hid in the cupboard under the kitchen sink. He was right above the basement, but I was very worried. 

Since that tornado, I focused specifically on carrier training Simon. 

When Jude was alive, he was carrier trained. He was the first one to be carrier trained. With Jude, it was easy. He was very food motivated. I started carrier training Jude when Kitty was alive. Kitty was a senior (he passed from cancer at age 19) and ate slowly. Jude would try to steal Kitty’s food. So, I started putting Jude’s food dish in his carrier at mealtimes. He went right inside. I closed the door. I let him out once Kitty was done eating so he could not steal Kitty’s food. When Jude, wanted food, he went in his carrier. 

Jude also enjoyed touring the basement at the old house. If I opened the basement door, he would go down with me. So it was easy to get Jude in the basement for a tornado. It was easy to get Jude in a carrier if we needed to leave the house. 

Jolene was also easy. Jolene is glued to me. She follows me everywhere. She has separation anxiety when I am out of the house. That’s a story for another day. But Jolene would follow me to the basement. If I walk to her carrier, she follows me. I just pick her up and put her right in. 

Simon was the most difficult to train. When I trapped Flower, I made sure that I carrier trained her also. Flower was trained in a different way than Simon. Flower was easier to train. 

Many people have asked me how I managed to train Simon and Flower, so I will share that here. Keep in mind, that while this worked for Simon and Flower, it may not work with your cat. This is just my experience. 

Starting with Simon, let me first say that consistency is key. You literally need to practice every single day. It can take months. Since we have been in the new house, I have not been practicing with Simon, and you can tell. I have not been practicing with them because I have been trying to give them all time to decompress from the trauma we experienced with the repeated neighbor attacks and physical injuries. We lived the emergency. Now we are trying to recover from it. 

The one thing I do with all my cats is that I leave all the carriers out all of the time. This way the carriers are familiar objects in their environment. They are not scary. They do not associate them solely with vet visits. There is a comfortable blanket inside the carrier and one on top. They can go in and out of them at will. They can sit on top. They think of the carriers as part of their play space. 

If you have multiple cats, you may not have space to leave all the carriers out all the time especially if you have children and a family. In this case, leave out just one. We are fortunate that we have the space, so each cat’s carrier is out all the time. 

The cat carriers are always in the same space. They are in their feeding area. They eat in front of their carrier. This helps them become familiar with the carrier and associate it with something positive (food).

Simon is timid and shy. For him, the carrier is a scary place, even if it is a permanent fixture in his environment. For Simon, I started with the lid and door off the carrier. The only part of his carrier that was out was the bottom part. 

For a few weeks, Simon would eat his food in front of the carrier with the lid off. He was comfortable. I gradually started putting the dish closer to the carrier. Eventually, I put his food dish inside the carrier (all of this is with lid off). I went at Simon’s pace. Sometimes it was one step forward and two steps back. If I put the food dish inside the carrier and he acted scared, would not approach his food dish or enter the carrier bottom, then I took the food dish back out and put it just outside the carrier again.

This was all at Simon’s pace. Of course, it took weeks and months. You need to be consistent. It takes a lot of patience. 

Going at Simon’s pace, he finally got to the point where he was comfortable with having at least half of his body inside the bottom part of the cat carrier eating his food. I just kept putting the dish a little closer to the back part to get him to go inside. Again, this is all with the lid off.

When he finally got to the point where eating inside the bottom part of the carrier with the lid off was routine, I put the lid back on. I left the door off. Lid on, door off. This was again one step forward, two steps back.

With the lid on and the door off, I started at the beginning. I had to. Putting the lid on was scary for him. We started with eating right in front of the carrier. Slowly putting the dish closer to the carrier. Putting the dish just inside the carrier. Exact same process until he finally got to the point where his body was at least halfway in the carrier to eat. 

Once he was comfortable eating in the carrier with the lid on, I put the door back on. Repeat process. Putting the door back on was the most challenging part, but we got there. 

Once he became comfortable eating inside the carrier fully assembled, then I started closing the door behind him. Just for a little bit. Then opened to let him out. It was only for very small periods of time so he did not get stressed.

You gradually increase the time until you get to a point where he is comfortable enough in there that you can pick up the carrier with him inside and set it back down a few feet away. Let him out of the carrier. This helps him to learn that it is ok to be inside with the door closed, it is ok for someone to pick it up and move you. The door will open again, and he came right back out. We went on small “trips” from one end of the room to the other. 

Months of training paid off. The last tornado warning we had at the old house, I was able to get Simon into his carrier and take him to the basement. 

I went to the food cupboard for treats. Put the treats inside the carrier. He went inside for the treats. I shut the door and carried him to the basement. It worked.

In the new house, we have not been practicing since we are all decompressing from the abusive neighbors at the old house. However, he does still eat every meal in front of his carrier, so it is not a scary place. Sometimes he does go in there voluntarily and lays down and takes a nap. 

Carrier training them was very helpful when we had to leave the old house for the Drive to Freedom and then spent several weeks in temporary safe housing. Simon knew that his carrier was an ok place. He was not scared. 

Training Flower was different than training Simon. With Flower, I had been using treats as rewards for socialization. I would make a trail of treats to try to get her out of her safe area to come to me to interact. If she appeared for pets, she got treats. I also started using the treats to train Flower in baby sign language to give her something to do to stimulate her brain. Flower has physical disabilities so she cannot play a lot. She needed something to keep her active and interested. 

Using baby sign language and treats, Flower learned the sign for in. She learned if she went inside the carrier when I made the sign, she got treats. 

As Flower progressed in her socialization and comfort level in her home, I was trying to get her to go downstairs to be with the rest of the family in our living space instead of being by herself upstairs. 

In the mornings, I would sign in for Flower to go in her carrier. I carried her in her carrier downstairs, and she had breakfast inside her carrier with the rest of the family. Then I took her back upstairs to her safe place. Flower eventually learned that if she went into her carrier, the “magic box” would take her downstairs (or upstairs if she was already down). She learned if she went inside, she would get food. 

Flower learned to associate the carrier with positive things. As Flower has progressed with handling, I can now just pick her up and put her right in the carrier. She does not struggle or protest. It’s honestly easier to just pick her up and put her in there in the new house. She is now fine with all handling.

Even though she is carrier trained, Flower no longer goes near her carrier in the new house. In the new house, the entire first floor of this house is her territory. Her world is a lot bigger here than it was in the old house when she pretty much did a little loop between her cat bed, carrier and cat pan. 

A few times when Flower is out and about and near her carrier, I have done the sign for in. Flower sees the sign, has gone in the carrier, and get treats for remembering what to do. 

However you do it, carrier training your pets is important in case there is an emergency. Include your pets in your emergency plans. Do not leave them behind. They will not survive without you. They rely on you for so much. 

One Bear

/ rachelgoes262 / 1 Comment

When the neighbors at the old house started with their daily harassment and attacks that resulted in physical injuries to myself and the cats, I was scared. As we all know, the police did nothing. Everything was my fault because I “don’t know how to take a joke.”

Due to my fear, I sought solace in false security. I felt trapped. I was not safe in my own home. Often, I could not even leave my home because I was physically prevented from leaving by the neighbors. 

The false security I found was in stuffies. Specifically, squishmallows. To be honest, I am not quite sure how many squishmallows I had. I did get rid of a bunch as part of downsizing for the move. 

For the Ride to Freedom when we left the old house for temporary safe housing, I took one squishmallow with me for comfort. It was one of only two sentimental items I took on that initial trip that was not an essential item. 

The squishmallow I chose to take to the temporary safe housing was my pineapple. When I first bought that house in the Village of Evil, I had decorated the house with a pineapple theme because pineapples have the meaning of welcome. When I moved to the Village of Evil, I was an active participant in the community. I started the book club at the library. I had submitted a business plan to start a small business on Main St. Of course, that all stopped when the neighbor harassment started.  

Now that we are very safe in our new home, I see that I moved a total of 5 squishmallows with me. This house is very small. It is half the size of our old house. There is not any room for clutter. Five stuffed animals for one person is ridiculous. I am only counting stuffed animals solely for me. I am not counting the little lamb chops that the cats have and like to snuggle with. I’m not counting the beanie babies the girls have (they each have one) or the giant stuffed mouse that Jolene takes all over the house. 

As much as I like the squishmallows, I decided they need to leave. They are clutter I don’t need in a small house. They have bad memories attached to them. I was using them for false security when I was terrified in my own house because the neighbors at the old house threatened my life and attempted to burn the house down. 

I will be donating all five squishmallows I have in this house. May they bring some child joy and happy memories. They served their purpose. That pineapple was a comfort when we were in temporary safe housing. It was something that helped life feel normal in the chaos. 

Now that we are living in a very safe place, I don’t need false security. We have real security and it is priceless. 

However, I did decide that I want a comfort item. I thought about keeping just one of the squishmallows and getting rid of the other four so that would reduce the clutter and the bad memories. However, I realized that whichever one I kept would still have those memories and that I wanted something new. I wanted a teddy bear. 

I was just going to try to find a teddy bear for $5 or $10 at the store. However, many teddy bears today either have ribbons or bows or wear clothes. I am very particular about teddy bears. I like them to be naked. That is probably why I was so drawn to squishmallows. They are soft stuffies who do not have bows or clothes attached to them. 

Somehow, on the internet, I happened to see a Bartholomew bear and started doing some research on it. They are very popular. They are naked. They are soft. 

I hesitated for a long time due to the expense. Those bears are very expensive. But the more I looked … it is very hard to find a naked teddy bear that was soft. People on the internet rave about the Bartholomew bears. They have some sort of following. 

So I decided to spring for the medium size bear. 

I do not like the name Bartholomew, maybe because of the association with Bart Simpson. I don’t know. I just don’t like the name. 

My bear’s name is Mabel.

Here are my thoughts on this one bear that now graces my life as my sole stuffie for a comfort item.

First, it took forever to arrive. I thought it would take 3-5 days like most things I ordered. No. It took almost 3 weeks to get here. Honestly, by the time it arrived, I felt like I was over it. I wasn’t excited any more. I’m like, oh, the bear is here. 

Upon opening the package, I see the damn thing came from London. No wonder it took so long to get here! It came from another country! I thought when I was on the web site, it said USA. I had no idea. I guess I need to be more careful when I am shopping online. Luckily, this item is a legitimate purchase from a reputable company. 

Second, when I opened the package, the bear was much smaller than I thought it would be for the price. I guess I didn’t understand the measurements and the sizing very well. I purchased medium size because it seemed affordable for what they were selling. 

Now that Mabel has been here a few days, I can tell you I am delighted with my bear. My thoughts were unfounded. Yes, the bear is smaller than I expected, but it is the perfect size for my needs. In fact, I am impressed with its size. It meets my needs and is small enough that it would be very easy to pack in a backpack if I decided to take it someplace with me. This bear is much easier to transport than moving with 5 squishmallows that took up a large trash bag. 

When I slept with Mabel, I found she is the perfect size to cuddle. She is not too small. She is very soft. I am also impressed that when I hug the bear, her arm drapes over mine like she is hugging me back. She stays put in bed with me. She is not big and rolly like a squishmallow that would either roll out of bed or not leave enough room for the cats.  She does not take up a lot of space like a squishmallow. Last night I had all 3 cats and the bear in bed with me, and everyone was comfortable. 

I am very pleased with the choice to have Mabel the Bear as my one comfort item moving forward. If I do travel in the future, she will be much easier to take with me than a squishmallow. 

In the new house, we have real security. We are safe here. It is a relief. I am so happy. The cats are happy. But occasionally, you want a comfort item. Whether it’s’ bad news or a bad day, sometimes you just want something soft. Yes, I have the cats. But they are all living beings with minds of their own. Sometimes they don’t want to cuddle when I want to cuddle. 

I am very happy with Mabel as my one bear, sole stuffie and comfort item. 

Do you have a comfort item? How many comfort items? Any other Bartholomew Bear fans out there want to share their thoughts on the medium bear? 

Happy 10th Birthday, Simon!

/ rachelgoes262 / 3 Comments

Today, May 16, the baby turns 10! Even though he is now in double digits, Simon will always be the baby. He is the definition of innocence.

Simon may be the youngest cat in this house, but he is the one who has been with me the longest. Simon was only age 1.5 when he was adopted. I had said I could not handle kittens again and wanted an older cat. But Simon’s disposition is so sweet, I adopted him even though he was younger than what I was looking for. His personality has been a perfect fit. 

Simon was with Jude for a very long time until Jude passed away last year. They were very strongly bonded. For 5 years, I had a bonded trio of Jude, Simon and Jolene. With Jude gone, Simon is most closely bonded with Jolene. 

Simon tries to interact with Flower, but Flower only tolerates him. Simon is our Chief Cuddler. Everyone who meets Simon falls in love. He is the sweetest, most loving cat. He is perfectly behaved at the vet office.

Every night, Simon sleeps in the bed with me next to my pillow. If I need to get up in the night to go to the bathroom, he follows me there and back to bed to be sure I am ok. 

With Jude’s passing, Simon is now the only boy in the house with the two girls. For me, it’s so strange to just have one boy. I had four boys before Jolene, who was my first girl. Of the six cats that have chosen me to be their person, I have had four boys and two girls. 

In the new house, Simon is very alert to mice and will meow if there is a mouse in the live trap in the basement. His favorite toys are the toy mice. He likes to pick them up by the tail and fling them around. I’m glad he has not had the chance to try that with a real mouse! 

His confidence has grown in the new house now that we are safe away from the neighbors that were harassing us daily. Simon likes to patrol the house and be sure everything is safe. He enjoys his Hedgewatch out the windows looking at birds and bunnies. 

He enjoys hanging out in cat tents and running up and down the stairs. Simon frequently plays with Jolene. They are both strongly bonded and groom each other often. 

No matter how old he gets, Simon will always be my baby. He has been with me longer than both girls. He was so young when he was adopted. His personality has a perfect fit with Jude and then with Jolene. Simon is not discouraged in trying to win over Flower. He still tries to engage her. 

A frequent phrase in our home is “Simon is a good baby.” It is very true. Simon is the picture of pure innocence. 

Happy Birthday, Simon! We love you!