Declutter & Fitness November 2011

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: mouldy
Date: 24 Nov 11 - 03:53 AM

I got the builder onto them (they are sub-contracted to him), and things are now starting to happen. The joiners arrived today and said that apparently the plumber was waiting for them to fit the counter tops and sinks, so that he could plumb the taps and wastes in, along with doing some of the other jobs that are pending. This would have been resolved earlier, but the joiner who was working in the kitchen had been dragged temporarily onto another job to do some barrowing of concrete (they had to do the same for this job when my floor went in, because of the awkward access).

Anyway, I daresay I will see the plumber by early next week, if not, perhaps, tomorrow. I don't know why the electrician wasn't answering his phone. We were praying he hadn't hurt his back again, as the last time, he was laid up for 6 months. The one joiner, who came for a few hours yesterday afternoon, said he couldn't understand it, as the guy was the most rerliable electrician he had worked with.

Anyway, the builder said that his mother in law lived next but one to him, and he'd find out what was going on. later that evening I received a message telling me he would be coming on Saturday. It's a good job I hadn't anything planned for the first half of the weekend!

The job has got to the fiddly stage where all the different trades are having to juggle around each other, and their other job commitments. It will all suddenly drop into place.

Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving to all you Stateside people!

Andrea

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 23 Nov 11 - 11:40 PM

Went to the country yesterday to avoid predicted precipitation today. Missed folk dancing but got some work done in the studio. Did detox bath and early to bed. Today - six inches of lovely white stuff. Threw about 35 mugs and did some other tasks. Came back to city by 7:30 but took the main roads as the back one was nasty.

Definitely need to consolidate clay and glazes to save on heating. The space is huge and most of it does not need heating. Still cogitating on the how of it.

Sure was nice to wake up in the trees - decorated with white stuff. One of the perks of the trip is crossing the St. Lawrence River. In the summer, I was impressed by the tree-lined shores. Even though it is built up on both sides, each shore was completely green. Imagine how beautiful it was when the French arrived in the 1500's - and thought they had found China! Hence, Lachine (la Chine). The Lachine rapids were too much for their ships. Later led to the building of the Lachine Canal - now the historic Lachine Canal with a bike/walking path and parkland on both sides!

Will go back down tomorrow to trim and put handles on the mugs so they can dry, get fired and be ready to go to the shop end of next week. Incredible bluesman Bat Taylor, in concert Sat night!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 11 - 07:44 PM

Today was lovely so I dug up weeds in the garden (the soil was perfect after rain yesterday) in about a 2 square yard area. The way to get through all of it is not to see the whole area as something I'll never finish, but give myself the task to dig up a certain spot and then stop. So I dug it up, toted the weeds to the compost, planted some more broccoli and some cabbage bedding plants in a different more active bed, and called it a day. The okra was trimmed down to the living parts, as were the eggplant, and I may get a few more veggies out of those if the next freeze holds off. Sometimes it isn't until mid-December or later before it gets cold enough to kill it all.

I'll go cut some chard for dinner, and I have a very quiet evening and tomorrow morning since I'm not doing any more than baking rolls. It seems so strange. I picked up a turkey breast to cook on Friday - I must have leftovers even if I create them separate from the meal.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 11 - 09:56 AM

Andrea, it's a little chilly here also. I have my new thermostat but I don't have it completely programmed. I think I'll have to take the batteries out and start over. I was taking my time and I think I have to work through the program from beginning to end all at once. You need to perhaps start leaning on these guys a little, suggesting that they can make or break your holiday season by making heat and a place to cook available. And repay them with baked goods - creates lots of goodwill and may move the job along faster. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: mouldy
Date: 23 Nov 11 - 06:34 AM

STILL no workmen. I wasn't expecting the joiners today, anyway. The builder is chasing up the electrician and the plumber. They are starting to hold things up. The floorings come in 2 weeks.
I can't nip out anywhere in case one or other of the tradesmen turns up, and it isn't that pleasant sitting amidst all this mess. Not only that, some of the interior ironwork fell down in my old stove yesterday afternoon, and I can't quite get it back properly. I may need Ernie, and at the moment there is no way his little rotund body is going to be able to comfortably work in front of the stove. So if the weather gets colder, so do I, at the back of the house.
Now, if the plumber was to come and get the central heating on....

Grumpy old woman mode engaged. Writing Christmas cards out for something to do. 63 done so far...

Andrea

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 09:06 PM

Silly me- I use kitchen shears to cut grapes, and the cake breaker looks like something to pick up fish or use with spaghetti . . . in some way or other.

Finished shopping, I think. I have avoided the worst of the rush. I have been in consultation with my daughter about staging the holiday dinner - knowing what you need to start early, what can cool, what needs to come out and be served immediately, and if she has enough cooking things to do all of this. She didn't want to disclose her plans, and said she thought they had plenty of cooking devices. Then I got a text inquiring about a convection oven that I bought in case one of the kids would need it (found for $5 at a garage sale, it hadn't been used much at all). I'll take that up with me. After 33 years of cooking Thanksgiving dinners (the first I remember cooking was in 1979 for friends at our apartment in New York City) I can't just turn it off. It's funny - I've thought of myself as still trying to get the hang of it the way my mother did it, and time has flown, and this many years have passed and now my daughter is starting to cook Thanksgiving dinner. Wow.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 08:10 PM

They are really neat, freda. I found mine on eBay.

Here's a just for fun video from Kovel's antiques. I thought it would be fun for those of us who may have inherited odd bits of silver/serving ware and might be thinking of using some of them for the holidays: Click Here.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: freda underhill
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 07:56 PM

That CD changer looks good - I've never seen one in Australia. Am putting together the next CD shelf today!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 04:00 PM

I'd swear I looked for this a while back and couldn't find it. Thank you! I'll have to see if this is my exact model, but it looks like this site will have the exact one.

An eBay package was handed over to my postal carrier and is now hurtling on it's way to Australia, and I need to list more.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 02:58 PM

Betty, THANK YOU!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Bettynh
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 01:36 PM

That manual is here (scroll down to User Manual)


The complete list is here

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 01:23 PM

Kat, if you find the manual, let me know - I could use a copy. I bought one at a garage sale and need to know something of the programming before I start setting it up. I need to run speaker wires and use the A/B setup on my receiver to run music out to the garage or to other parts of the house.

Michelle, I also have to use a flashlight to see the buttons on some of my black electronics.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 01:07 PM

Night Owl and I both use CD changers like THIS ONE. It works well as a storage container and, with speaker placement, can be heard anywhere in our small house. I love that it keeps them dust free and I don't have to handle them. When you enter the information about each one you can categorize them so that when you want to you can program it to play only certain ones for as long as you like, etc. it's really neat. I have to get a new manual for it. I have forgotten how to erase programming and start over and would like to alphabetize them which I did not do at first. I'm pretty sure they also have them with the capacity to hold 600 CDs.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: LilyFestre
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 12:17 PM

We keep a small flashlight near the CD collection and the stereo as well. I like the look of the black equipment but it's miserable to see sometimes!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 12:06 PM

I've paid out a lot of cash this month to repair type people, but it has resulted in several improvements. Several years ago I had the electrician put a plug on my front porch and move one in the hall - every time I use those there is a little endorphin spike because I'm reminded of some change I had made that really needed to be done and made things easier. It will be the same with the thermostat and the plug for the greenhouse. So many things in our lives have stories - the work I did in this house when I moved in (I turned the original garage into two rooms and a hall and built a new one in the back yard - though I don't live in a historic district or structure like Andrea so I had to simply meet code). Those stories, when someone asks the question, can result in some great conversations.

Freda, I have yet to solve the problem of carrying CDs all around the house. I have some in my office, I have some in my bedroom, I have most of them in my living room. If I'm looking for a specific disc I sometimes have to hunt around in all of those places. :-/

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: freda underhill
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 05:36 AM

Thanks SRS for the advice re placing CDs in a well lit spot. I had a great day yesterday putting together another CD storage unit and then putting CDs in it. Already the space here is much improved, another 120 CDs neatly stored.

That led me on to a spurt of sorting out documents = bills, letters, newsletters.

Lilyfestre and mouldy, the flower beds sound wonderful!


freda

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: mouldy
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 05:03 AM

I know an artist locally who planted a mass of golden daffodils to spell "HOST" at an installation in Scotland. This autumn he's planted "yellow" in blue bulbs, and vice-versa.

10 am. Not a tradesman in sight, although yesterday's joiner will be here this afternoon (I think) - he's fitting a couple of doors a few miles away this morning. I daren't go anywhere in case somebody turns up.

No WW for me this week, as I am off to Newcastle on Thursday to see "Time Gentlemen Please" - English trad meets street dance, from what I've seen.

Andrea

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 12:58 AM

Dorothy, Alice and Katlaughing have beautiful Etsy shops. It's a place where crafts folks can sell directly to the public without some of the fuss of eBay.

Susan we haven't forgotten you. It must be difficult, the work you're doing. Keep your head up and try to remember to do your own exercises while you're helping your sister.

My son has been hard to reach on the phone (he has a time of day that is okay for calls, but I never remember and call too early.) We chatted on facebook this evening - happily, he is spending Thanksgiving at a friend's house! I knew he'd eventually meet people who would take him home for the holiday. :) I suggested he take one of the banana bread loaves as on offering to the household - I don't know if he'll do that, but tomorrow I'll write again and suggest he take something. I'm kind of glad that he has such a soft spot for my banana bread that he doesn't want to share it.

It's raining and thundering out, but I haven't heard any hail. I'll leave the truck out and hope we don't have an early-hours hailstone assault. Putting the truck in the garage involves bringing dogs into the house (so Zeke doesn't charge out of the garage door). That sounds like it should be easy, doesn't it? :-/

I made a batch of tortillas tonight, trying out the new griddle. There were some cool spots, but I'll fine-tune it next time. I ate two, the rest are in the freezer.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: LilyFestre
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 12:13 AM

I just finished painting letters that spell out H~O~P~E in a bright yellow. Over Thanksgiving weekend I am going to plant my favorite spring bulbs and create a HOPE Garden. :) The letters should be dry by Friday or Saturday.

I will be planting dark purple crocus, daffodils, hyacinths, and grape hyacinths. Nice brightly colored flowers to look forward to!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 07:01 PM

SRS: Etsy??? I have heard of it! But I am not yet geared to the concept of selling on line. It is totally daunting right now. I have, however, designed and produced business cards - french on one side, english on the other - which look OK. And today I sold 14 mugs to a coffee shop for cash. I am happy to wholesale, having long since learned about the high costs of craft shows, including the many hours of sitting rather than producing. So, having decided to make mugs with an attitude of meditation/mindfulness. They were long ago determined to be a loss leader as they are so time consuming; I have time and if the shop can sell them.... I look forward to playing with shapes and colours while sticking to the size needed for those pre-packaged individual servings - 8 oz and a litle leeway.

Some other good things may come out of the Fair: individual lessons, and a better kiln which the woman at the next both is wanting to sell - cheaply. Called her earlier but no response; will try again soon.

Having determined the cycle of start to finish takes seven days (if I push it), I hope to start a new batch on Wednesday - Tuesday is dancing! Weather report indicates I may need to go to country right after dancing to avoid nasty roads on Weds. Weather just below freezing most of this week. I need to consolidate materials in the studio which need to be kept from freezing -   Get them into one small area that can be easily heated.

R came in for lunch about 3 and brought a guest. We shared the ample meal with a francophone from the seniors residence around the corner. He was looking for help moving some of his worldly goods so I guess we will be doing that. After R left, he asked to use the phone -----for over an hour then asked I could give him some bread for his supper. All OK except that I could not communicate with him and I felt a bit invaded but mostly because of his fragrance - some after shave or something that was quite sickening to me. Otherwise he was fairly OK. I do hope he does not make a habit of coming back and "panhandling". I really cannot afford it. And I am terribly uncomfortable about not being able to communicate clearly.

Dancing tonight - if I feel up to it by 7:30. I feel more like bedtime!

Oh yeah! The resident mouse! Still with us. Nothing entices it into the trap - none of the suggestions I have tried. We caught a lesser mouse in the garbage a few days ago== "Quick R, take the garbage out!" He was loathe to exile the little guy! One down but .... still have the smart one. I actually felt it run along my arm in bed one morning! We store food carefully but I do tend to leave it little bits on the floor. We have some affection for this critter but I won't be buying it any African violets!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: mouldy
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 06:38 PM

Cookie reset.
No more guys came. The joiner said he quite liked working on his own like that. He won't be here till tomorrow afternoon, but he said his work partner, Neil, might be here in the morning. No news from the plumber or the sparks. I just keep telling myself it won't be for much longer. The tradesmen are all giving me very old fashioned looks when I tell them the floor coverings are coming on 7th.

Andrea

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: LilyFestre
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 04:44 PM

I spent most of today in my kitchen taking care of little piles of things that are here and there and driving me crazy. I also cleaned the top cabinet doors, the jelly cupboards and did some dusting. I sorted out papers, threw out a ton of stuff (recipes I've been clipping but never, ever look at afterwards), cleaned up toys in the living room and did a few loads of laundry.

Jeremiah and I made a few Thanksgiving cards today...our first real craft project and we both loved it!!! YAY!!!

I've been slacking big time in the department of weight loss and I feel lousy about that. Today I restarted my WW at Week 1.

I'm also working on my Thanksgiving menu. We decided to keep it small and basic this year. Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, squash, corn, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie for Pete and apple pie for my mom. I have a recipe for pumpkin fluff that would be 0 points if I used Fat Free Cool Whip. Since I don't like that, I'll be using the Lite Cool Whip. Lots of flavor, not all the fat, etc.

I'm not crazy about stuffing so my meal won't really be terribly unhealthy. I'm a mashed potato nut but since my mom makes them from scratch (she does the stuffing too), she uses skim milk and very little butter at my request (thanks Mom!!).

How about the rest of you...any plans for Thanksgiving?

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 02:25 PM

Box delivered, shopping done (had to pick up the Martinelli Sparkling Cider for the holidays!), back at the house just as the rain is starting.

Any luck on more workmen straggling in, Andrea?

Disappointing about the craft show, Dorothy. Have you sold any of your work on Etsy? Several of our declutter folks use it.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 09:01 AM

Here we all are waiting for service or repair folks. It's too early to call my heating guy, but after 8 or 9 I'll try. Andrea, I'm sure your place will be so worth the wait when they all finished! This reminds me that I haven't seen new photos of my sister's new basement. They dug through concrete in specific places and put in new lower footers and support members then dug out all of rest of the concrete and lowered the dirt and poured a new floor. This was meant initially because she had to put in a new sewer line, but it also worked to get rid of the squeak in the floor above and to give six more inches headspace in the basement.

A care package full of banana bread is packed and ready for the post office this morning, and I'll drop it off on my way to an appointment.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 04:36 AM

Well so far I only have a single joiner here. I have no idea if/when the plumber and electrician will be coming. Nothing was 100% promised, and the plumber could be on a call-out to somebody's leak/busted boiler. Getting the electrician to commit to come is even harder. My builder said on Thursday that he had been told they would probably come today. Ah well, it's only 9.30!

I'm getting a little frustrated now because I can see the thing coming together at last, and it seems to have slowed again. The place is a huge dusty mess, and I am in the mood to get it right for the festive season (and my guests). I will need to shampoo carpets, and at the moment I can't even SEE the machine under the piles of stuff in the corner of the dining room. I would at least vac, but there's not much floor on view, partly due to the boxes of tiles stacked up in the living room doorway. My body has forgotten what it's like not to have to sashay its way round piles of whatever!

Andrea

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Penny S.
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 04:03 AM

I'm down another pound this morning! I do weigh every day, because if I don't, I'll get out of the habit. I've been on a plateau for several days, but not worrying about it. It does that, then jumps down. So long as it doesn't go up again, I'm happy. Quite surprised today, in fact, because I ate biggish meals over the weekend, and an extra one yesterday because I felt very hungry in the evening.

I've been recluttering. Since the money is coming in at last, I took the opportunity of a promotion day at John Lewis to buy a new Freeview decoder/recorder. I have got so fed up with the software on the old one. Every so-called "upgrade" reduces the faciilities it offers me. So the loss of a favourites list means I have to scroll through drivel and dirt channels I don't want in the house, and the timing system seizes things up and now chops off the final punchline of programmes. And every week it pushes adverts for its pay-to-view sports channels ontot the hard drive and the screen. I don't like the assumption that the default watcher is male, and wants a) sport, and b) porn, with the on-line documentation pointing out that this will not show up on bank statements as what it is. It isn't moral. So the new system will not be tied up with a company like this. I'm not sure what to do with the old one. Is it moral to sell it, when it is encouraging men to keep secret from their families what they are watching? Answer - no. More money written off. I can't even give it away to charity.

The only good thing that has come out of it is that while scrolling through the shopping channels, which, hitherto, I had regarded with some scorn, I came across a version of the Remoska I needed to replace. It was a) cheaper than the recently much increased price at the original source, and b) had improved features. If I had wiped it off the choices, I would not have made that saving. So I can set it off against the loss on the decoder.

But then there's the extra decoder I had to buy while it wan't working properly to balance against it, as well. Oh well.

Penny

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 12:07 AM

A small note: eBay is such an odd place at times to do business. I've had a discussion going with a woman today who offered a low-ball bid on an auction that had a lot of followers but didn't sell. I've relisted rather than take her snotty offer, and my research and price are sound. At the same time I was able to assure a woman in Australia that the eBay shipping calculation on a package she wants is way lower than the shipping wizard gave her. So she's really happy that she bought the item, while the other one has offered a rather churlish demeanor. I choose to take energy from my happy bidder than let the snotty one ruin my day. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Nov 11 - 09:22 PM

Dorothy, It's a simple matter of labeling the wires (sticky labels were provided) as you take them off of the original wall plate, then lining them up with those spots on the new plate. But there is an extra wire leftover and an extra hole that asks for a different wire that I don't have. So I will have the furnace guys tell me where the W2 wire goes.

Made an interesting dinner tonight - took a can of stewed tomatoes, cut up a 1/4 pound link of smoked sausage and warmed it in a skillet, boiled a small amount of pasta, sprinkled in some cheese, a little wine, and stirred it all together. Kind of a bulky tomato soup. It was pretty good - but I'd do the cheese differently next time. I mixed it in early and should have mixed it in after it was hot. This is my Atkins approach - low glycemic index stuff (the pasta is whole wheat) and hoping to take another 3 pounds off next month.

All of the laundry is finished. I'm going to run the dishwasher in a while, when I finish baking, and leave it at that. Another loaf of banana bread is in the oven and will go in the box and be mailed tomorrow morning. I was going to wait to get the new box spring and mattress but the rain held off so I did pick it up (from my ex's garage). I had two loaves of banana bread made yesterday and I gave one to him as a thanks for driving over to help unload these into the daughter/guest bedroom.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 20 Nov 11 - 07:38 PM

SRS: look at the directions again! My son did mine in about ten minutes. Your computer expertise boggles my mind. Surely you can do a thermostat.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 20 Nov 11 - 07:35 PM

Andrea! You are getting there!!
Claire: we who have been there, walk with you.

I am having lots of tired eye syndrome and only can stay on computer for short times. So I am missing a great deal both here and on my raccoon sites, and elsewhere.

The Craft Fair on Saturday was OK but disappointing. I had hoped for more but we really did not get the people where I was that they had on the main floor. However, something is better than nothing. It was a great deal of work getting ready and now I need more places to peddle pots. I did have some nice chats with people and some interest in lessons and doing something in a school.

So I am going to focus on mugs for a couple venues - trying out shapes and colours and sizes. This has required getting over the "I HATE making mugs!" syndrome and viewing mug-making as a sort of meditation. I am looking forward to it now.

Just had a visit from "bro". He blithered on and on and I finally ascertained that he had been doing something on R's cell and "I'll give it to you when I get this straight". R got out of the vehicle in front of the house and "Isn't he here" . Well I guess you upset him and he went for a walk. "Well, I...................." Basically, he was meant to meet R about 1 pm to get some specific, need daylight, things done and showed up about 5, by which time R had come home for lunch - and it is dark. So he blithers on about what he was doing and has to do and I keep saying "I don't need to hear this." And finally, "You smell of petroleum products and its making me sick!!" So he left R's phone with me. I put it to charge and expect R will show up after he decompresses. Meanwhile important things did not get done and bro acts as tho he did a day's work when all he did was totally mess up R's day. All gone.

In Quaker meeting this morning, this surfaced: How many fragilities each of us has; how difficult it is to recognize, accept, respond, if necessary, in a neutral or positive manner to those fragilities of others when we are dealing with our own - some of which we may not even have recognized or accepted and have trouble dealing with in ourselves.

And this arose out of my early morning fury and despair that, once again, he did not wash before getting into bed, in spite of 2 and a half years of my reciting about my environmental problems and my fear of getting sicker and ongoing attempts to stay healthy, to be healthy. His work environments are filled with dusts, sawdust, machinery, things that exude odours which get on his clothes... So I tried once again when he was having lunch to calmly and clearly ...

He came home last night about midnight and then went out to a birthday party. I was snoring at the time so he did not awaken me. If he could have let me know in advance, I would have liked to go, partly because he gave P a picture I found at a yard sale - an architects rendition of an ice palace in Montreal a hundred years ago. P, a retired professor of architecture, was delighted. Well, at least it is one less piece of clutter here!

OK, so I focussed on pottery and now I guess I will continue to do so for another couple weeks. Then I will give up on waiting for R's input and focus on getting the cabin the rest of the way organized. The public areas are just fine but the other two rooms and books onto shelves, pictures onto walls, more room for clothing to be organized for winter. Repair the lovely little chest of drawers for the BR. And more organization of tools and pottery stuff in the studio. Getting the traffic flow (of pots) as efficient as possible.

The city house is so discouraging, I just come and go and ignore the chaos. The dishes and clothes get washed, meals made - at least breakfast tog. most days, the plants fed and watered and not much else. I feel faced with another winter of not feeling I want any company in here and certainly not for a meal.

Dance 2/week until the winter break; the more I dance the better I feel.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Nov 11 - 07:26 PM

I've used that newly-designed page some, it's working well. I had one with just simple links in a table but this one is more visually appealing. I moved those links over and added a couple of other things to it, changed the fonts, etc.

This afternoon I decided to finally wire my new programmable thermostat on my heat pump. It went well, but there is one wire left over. Darn. I don't need the furnace on tonight so I'll leave the power off and call the furnace folks in the morning for their advice. They may well say to double it up with another line, but I may have to pay for a service call for them to look at it for sure.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Nov 11 - 12:45 PM

I've been designing a personal start page to live on my computer. I really like most of the iGoogle page, but the bookmark application is seriously flawed and no one is repairing it. It keeps losing my bookmarks on my home page (different that bookmarks you save in the browser at the top of the page, these live at Google and can be reached from any computer when I log on). I'll set the browsers to open the page I made and the iGoogle page at the same time.

Washer is running, some kitchen chores finished, and rain has threatened but it never comes. I suspect that as soon as I go out to do something in the yard the storm will start. :-/

Looks like a good week to take an extra day or two off, if I can get everything out of the way tomorrow. That's a tall order, but I'm motivated!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Nov 11 - 12:41 AM

Thanks, Maggie. I'll take a look at some of those tutorials. The banana bread sounds delicious. I remember when my older sister was in college they weren't allowed to have any kind of food or cooking appliances at all in their rooms, except for a popcorn popper. The old-fashioned kind that had a base with a metal coil, it was electric, and a metal pot that sat on top for the popcorn, and of course it had a lid. She used it to cook all kinds of things besides popcorn including soup.

We invited Morgan over this morning to give him his birthday present, a Mudcat T-shirt. We had a lot of fun. I found an online 3-D animation program for him using Legos which he was just starting to learn when it was time for him to go home. it looks like a lot of fun. While Roger went to buy us lunch, Morgan decided it would be a nice way to say thank you to Papa if he were to take out the trash. so that is one weekend chore Rog won't have to do. while we were working on the computer we listened to the This Is Us – Sky CD. It's the first time Morgan really has listened to it closely. He really enjoyed it and had a quiet smile at the end when he heard himself.

I boxed up of about 30 books from the paperback swap shelf, with Roger's help. I deleted them from my paperback swap account and we will donate those to one of the pet rescue places.

In between doing all that and having to run out to a remote live shot for the television station, Roger also changed the thermostat in our car this afternoon. it was chilly work as it has been overcast and no higher than about 49° today. It's supposed to get down to 32° tonight.

Tomorrow we'll go buy more birdseed and a few other things. There are the floors and dishes to clean and clothes to fold and put away. Just the usual. We will be also sorting out various sound devices on my computer including the microphone. At the moment I have to turn it on manually each time I want to use it and turn down the volume of everything else. But Roger knows what to do and has promised to make it a priority. I told him I'm putting it in writing here LOL!

Hope you all have had a good weekend and haven't had to be too busy unless it was a fun busy. Take care,

kat

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Nov 11 - 11:14 PM

Productive day. I mowed the front yard and paused in the mowing to pull all of my soaker hoses from the foundation and garden in the side and front yard. I left two hoses for watering vegetables. I was able to use the mower to knock down the tall grass at the edges, but I'll have to find and order a fuel line for my line trimmer. For now it looks okay.

Banana bread is in the oven, ready to mail on Monday to my son. This will be part of a care package for over the Thanksgiving break. He's not coming home, he has plans to play "Skyrim," a new Elder Scrolls game that is in a series he loves. I'll mail a Priority package on Monday that will arrive hopefully on Wednesday. There is no food service on campus, but since he has been there for over a year he knows how to ride a bus to restaurants, or to pick up fast food nearby. And bread for in his room. We get him for almost a month over the holiday break and I'm looking forward to that.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Nov 11 - 11:57 AM

Kat, there are lots of videos if you go to the Adobe tutorials, and there are lots of print answers if you go to the help pages.

Nice surprise this morning when I stepped on the scale. Down about three pounds. I haven't weighed myself for a while, because daily weighing can get a bit depressing if no change registers.

I've moved all of my houseplants into the sun room and cleaned them (plucked dry African violet leaves, etc) and need to see if I can't encourage my christmas cactus to bloom this year. I thought I saw some little buds, but they're not there now. I think they bloomed in January last year. Anyway, moving them clears up the counter of my kitchen queen (aka Hoosier kitchen) and I want that empty so I can use it as a staging area for whatever kind of holiday meal happens this week.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Nov 11 - 11:05 AM

Good luck on the ebay and relaxing weekend, SRS.

I have a program I can do that in, but it only saves proprietary format, so I'd have to print, scan, then save to jpeg. I don't remember half of what I ever knew to do in Photoshop, but will play around and see what I can come up with...I vaguely recall doing layers a few year ago.:-) Tks for ideas!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Nov 11 - 12:26 AM

Freda, word of warming: I had to not only put my CDs where they were in sight, with my aging eyes and bifocal glasses I also had to put a good lamp next to the shelves so I can read the spines on all of my great CDs.

Tonight I revised one of my eBay items. I noticed that someone put up another used phone like the one I have, but they asked $5 less. Except when you look at my shipping versus theirs, they are gouging by charging $5 more to ship, so they aren't really asking any less. I said as much in a new paragraph in my auction. Stinky business, hiding the price difference, the least I could do is point it out.

Good meeting this evening, the photos I need to process soon, but probably not until Monday. I'm going to enjoy the weekend, I hope.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: freda underhill
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 10:27 PM

ClaireBear - I'm very sorry to hear about the house fire, the sudden changes to your life, and the wusband. But pleased to hear about the good things that you saved, the tent and your courage in managing it all.

I should come to this thread more, particularly since I have created a chaotic environment here since travelling. I came home, travelled a bit more (to Tasmania) and then started pulling things apart with the idea of putting it all back together again, differently. ..

I had a beautiful dark wooden box in the living room which I decided to replace with an low, small table. I sold the box, and a large cabinet, to a friend. Out of the box came quilts, summer clothes, shawls and sewing projects (half finished).

I've managed to reorganise all the box contents into other storage - but the cabinet was full of CDs DVDs and books, and they are still all over my table and books are in piles on the floor. I had decided I use the CDs more when I canm see them (hence selling the cabinet) but..

I've bought some wooden CD containers, and have put two together (like bookshelves, but CD sized) but need to put two more together. Each one contains 150 CDs and 20 DVDs. I'll have two for my American CDs, one each for Australian and UK ones. Books - I'll have to plan them next.

I have the third shelf on the floor now, screwdriver and bits and pieces all waiting for me to finish it....

thanks for the inspiration everyone

freda

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: LilyFestre
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 08:56 PM

I got a LOT done today and I have to say, it feels SOOOO GOOD!!!

XOXOXOXO

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 06:21 PM

The surreal effect of the colors would distract from the lower contrast on the image, and it could be quite lovely. Use your artist's eye - and maybe let Morgan give you a hand. You'd need to figure the transparency level so the photo shows through, or maybe do several layers, one per color, so you can adjust them at will.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 03:21 PM

Oh! That sounds very interesting!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 03:15 PM

I've seen too much sepia tone over the years - many years ago my boss told us (those developing print projects) that he didn't want to see any more sepia, so we always had to made a good case for using it. I'd be tempted to save that as a gif or keep it as a png and try hand coloring it, make it look like the old post cards. Blue sky, green or gold grass, etc. Enlarge it great big and use a small brush to stay in the lines. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 02:55 PM

Be nice to get the loos back in!

Maggie, thanks! Another Mudder thought it might be interesting to see how it looks in sepia tone, too. I can do that here, just to see if I like it or not. I'll let you know, okay?

I got a lot of walking in this morning. We went to the health food store, Goodwill, ReStore, and Sally Army stores. All to no avail, though we did get a maybe Christmas present for Morgan (drum set with USB connector!)

This afternoon we are dealing with our son's car sale (hope it goes through)and probably a bit of laundry, etc.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: mouldy
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 02:16 PM

Plastering done, kitchen carcases nearly all fitted, all upstairs architraves and skirtings fitted, new boiler in (but not running yet). Upstairs cupboards to be finished yet, worktops to be fitted, decorating still to do, utility to be fitted. Loos and basins to be fitted, plus most radiators. Electrician hopefully coming on Monday, along with plumber and joiners.

The floorings are ordered and being fitted on 7th December. At some point, the outside space and the garden gate need to be sorted.

Once I can get stuff into the kitchen cupboards, I think there may be more de-cluttering needed! For once, I can't wait!

In one way or another, I think we've been a fairly active bunch!

Andrea

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: ClaireBear
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 02:15 PM

I'm lucky; most of my photos were in one closed box on a very low shelf in my room, so they didn't get smoke damaged. They're being stored, with everything else, until the house is restored to wholeness.

I only wish I were a more prolific photographer -- not much memorable was in there! I can never be bothered to take photos.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 01:54 PM

Claire, how about photos? Have you found and rescued any of those? As for the toys, I think you'll find that the ones you have now can serve as mnemonic devices for remembering the previous toys.

I listed more on eBay - lots of watchers but no bids yet on stuff listed a few days ago.

We haven't heard from Susan for a while - take it easy in all of that family stuff - keep yourself intact for when you go home to your own family!

Looking forward to a productive weekend here.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: ClaireBear
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 12:46 PM

Yesterday while I was at work, my neighbor and her (adult) children built me a tent platform and erected my tent. It's not furnished yet, but it will be soon, which means I'll have someplace private to go when I can no longer stand the level of conviviality that's prevalent in my neighbors' house. I'm fairly reclusive by nature, so it's been really hard having noplace to go other than their one-room house.

Good thing I had practice with tent living last winter, when I had a choice! That will make it easier this year.

I went to the motor home this morning (that's where my soon-to-be-ex will be sleeping, once he gets heat for it...yeah, he's a wimp) and pulled out some bedding and -- yay! -- some surviving stuffed animals for Martin (OK, for me too); most of his (and mine) were thrown out by the cleaning crew due to smoke damage, which made both of us really sad. One of my lamented stuffed critters (Terry Bear) was given to me by my grandmother when I was about 2. Sniff.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: LilyFestre
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 11:53 AM

It's a beautiful early winter day here...bright blue skies, fluffy clouds and a dusting of twinkly snow. I love days like this!!!!

I've been busy putting away groceries, rearranging a few cupboards, cleaned everything off the top of our fridge and decided to use it for appliance storage (Nesco Cooker, Ninja, Iced Tea Maker, Mixer, etc. I put the things I use most in easily reachable places and am liking it. :) I am using the cupboard where I had some of these appliances stored for canned items. I also rearranged the contents of one of the jelly cupboards in the kitchen which should make finding things a LOT easier. I have a ton of dishes to do but that wait until the baby takes a nap. He likes to *help* when I load the dishwasher and we both end up frustrated. It's just easier to do it when he is napping or otherwise occupied. :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 10:14 AM

The thread quieted and almost fell of the page, but now this morning here is a burst of activity - houses selling, trees trimming, cars being built and books and jewelry on the horizon. Kat, that was a real fast job on that photo, just to show you what was possible. I have some work I'm finishing for Bobert this weekend and I'll take time and make that fence look a little more like the rest of it, and see about making the contrast a little better.

I have been hunting for my good pruning shears (the variety we used to call "loppers" when I worked for the Forest Service). I fear they may have disappeared or been buried during the garage sale adventure. If they don't turn up I'll use a saw and take out the dead okra so I can put in some more broccoli and a couple of cabbage plants. And I need to dig the beds where later my Irish potatoes will go.

Last week my electrician didn't put on the new thermostat, he said that's something the furnace and A/C folks would do, but I have instructions for it and will give it a try this weekend. It's time to turn on the heat and this is the part of the year I need the programming to operate.

Claire, how long do you think it will take to work pulling items from the house? Is anyone offering deadlines, or is it your call? How is the weather there now?

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Penny S.
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 05:29 AM

We've exchanged contracts on Dad's house, so I went and ordered a new car, a Skoda Fabia, due in March after being specially built with my extras near Prague.
My own sale has been glitched, since the solicitors have changed and moved my business to Ashford which is about 50 miles away. I haven't heard anything since a phone call telling me the buyers had raised queries.
I'm watching a tree surgeon trimming a tree which is near death and has been since I moved here. He seems to be working alone on a rope, gradually removing side branches. No, there's someone else below now. I have a few photos. They've done a lot of trimming back at the last place. All the trees I liked to look out at from my bedroom have been reduced to poles. Another good reason not to be there.
I have caterpillars in my new place, on the top floor. A couple appeared on my bedroom walls a few weeks ago, about a quarter of an inch long, dark brown and furry. Then three or four, about half an inch, the other side of the house, trapped in the bath, followed by one on the bathroom windowsill, and another smaller one on the basin. This morning another half inch one legging it across my bedroom floor. I don't know what they are eating. In the bathroom are plants, an African violet, a Christmas cactus, another succulent, and an
Aloe vera. There was what appeared to be frass under the cactus the other day, but I can't see any on the plant. I would expect them to have been much closer together, not spread out across two rooms. I haven't see any on the landing or in the other rooms.

Penny