DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: keberoxu
Date: 04 Feb 24 - 07:18 PM

As to vaccinations:
I'm caught up on pneumonia.
I still have not had the RSV vaccine,
and I need to take the second dose
of the shingrix vaccine against the shingles.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Feb 24 - 10:40 AM

Good for you, Keb! Are you all caught up on the vaccinations? RSV and pneumonia - I think we are many of us "of an age" when those all can be issues. Stay healthy!

It is early February and I have concluded it is time to mow the weedy grass on both front and back lawns. It's too wet today, but if no rain for a while then later this week. Before that I need to change the mower spark plug, change the oil, and clean the air filter. I promised myself I would do the tuneup before I started mowing again. (I need to figure out if the gap on the spark plug is set properly - I don't want to buy the whole gap tool just for this one. I bought it in the lawn mower section at Home Depot, so I hope so.)

I'm feeding cats for a few days, with two of them needing more medical attention this week. They need a probiotic (to prevent the trots) given without other meds within an hour before or after. I swing by to give it then head over to the gym and 90 minutes later return to feed dinner. It gets me to the gym more often.

Friends are coming over for lunch on the 11th - since none of us watches football it doesn't matter that the stuporbowl is sometime during the day with all of the festivities around it. A week to finish cleaning house.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: keberoxu
Date: 03 Feb 24 - 08:33 PM

Yesterday I finally got a COVID-19 booster shot.
After having COVID about six weeks ago,
better to avoid catching it again soon.

No negative reaction to the shot, either.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Feb 24 - 12:14 PM

I understand about the rocks, Patty! When I was in college I worked for the Forest Service and the job took us to interesting areas via logging roads with roadcuts and creek beds that revealed minerals and crystals and formations worthy of taking samples. At one point there were two of us interested in geology and I remember a day when a boss walked up to our crew carrier in the office parking lot, opened the door, and made some disgusted remark about all of the rocks on the floor of the truck. We always took them home at the end of each shift, so it had apparently been a good haul that day. :)

Thunderstorms overnight had the blue heeler drooling and cowering around the house. I mopped up a couple of puddles, and at one point had to go out to the breaker box and restore the switch for my office. I have to get an electrician out to replace that ground fault switch (from when this used to be part of the garage) to a regular breaker. Often times storms have this affect on it. The list of wiring things needing doing is almost long enough to make an appointment.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: pattyClink
Date: 02 Feb 24 - 11:26 PM

Lurker check-in: Doing well this winter. Just concluded a little loop to San Diego County, California, to a mineral conference. Lovely weather (well except for the hurricane winds up on a mountainy mineral hunt), got to drive through some shards of remaining Old California at orange harvest time. Spent time swimming in mineral waters at Agua Caliente county park. Acquired yet another couple of boxes of specimens, and I have just got to get a home base, if only to stop rolling with 200 pounds of rocks.   

Quartzsite was the usual craziness, good to see old friends around campfires. This weekend I'll head east across the Tohono O'odham saguaro country, and on to Deming, New Mexico. Where the home base hunt resumes. I've found a few people I can sing and play with in real life who are living there, and real estate prices are not nuts. So we'll see. Probably in the next three days some corporate landlord will have snapped up what's available.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 24 - 12:55 PM

Sounds like the drive worked out well, Dorothy, each driving your favorite stretch of road.

I switched over to the beginner class last night, it gives more exercise value because she's going through all of the steps in the repertoire; the intermediate class is meant to use a few of the steps to learn a particular dance. I realized over the course of the week in reviewing our work last Thursday that she was going to have to re-teach me every step. I'd taken that class because I had done the beginner class several times a few years ago and the dance that all of the beginners used to perform is a bit of an earworm. It turns out it is no longer part of the summer Hafla so I don't need to worry about that tune in my head for the next few months. My arms and shoulders are feeling the workout today.

Now is the beginning of clearing and cleaning for another of our university retiree group lunches soon. The horizontal surfaces are my first challenge. I need to move all of the eBay-destined glassware off of the kitchen peninsula.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 01 Feb 24 - 07:51 PM

Dupont:

Ok: So! we did go to Beaver - Left here about 8:30 am on Saturday and I drove. Stopped in Madoc and R begged to go to a thrift shop "I've never been to..." - "Only a few minutes!" Almost an hour, then we took time to stop for a "lunch" at a newish resto in the middle of nowhere. That was OK and I do try to make these quick trips a bit of an adventure for him.

He drove the last hour or so and we got home to a 4C house, thanks to neighbour who got the fire going!We perked it up, turned on the electric blanket!!!! YAY!! And went on to LAke St. Peter for the event which was well worth the trip - conversations, info, connections, chess... R had to be dragged away from the chess so everyone could go home! 8 pm - children and dark night and older folks - from almost newborn to my age or more.

Home was warmer and I popped into warm bed - happy to have seen a bunch of good folks! Quiet Sunday, mostly reading, I cleared part of path to wood and let R bring in enough to fill the bays for next time. BF was some bread bought at lunch stop - apple/cinnamon. "Lupper" at Curry House. R went to grocery for - something to do? and came home with some off-beat veggies and V-8 juice. We left without the veggies but neighbour Sue responded to texts and re-homed the fresh veggies. She was helping with the wood share program and asked someone, "Is there anything else you need?" "YES!- Food!" Community at its best!

R drove first part of trip home - his preferred route which I detest. Then I drove the second part - that he detests. We even managed to pick up some business related items. And got home in good time to a home meal.

HAve done very little since. A trip to bakery, library (LGL) and groceries - and sitting with computer - between emails/news based and FB - also lots of news. Apparently we had a minor earthquake about 9:30 this morning - We didn't notice. I see we are in the middle of the solar eclipse in April. I remember experiencing one in Cape May NJ in my teens. I think we used old negatives to protect our eyes.

The house could be vacuumed - if I felt like it. Otherwise things are OK. Or maybe I have just gotten used to - for example - piles of books everywhere. When I beg the right way, boxes full go to the basement, replaced almost immediately by more!

I am still suffering the travesties of Apple - my phone and computer seem to be different each day. Everytime I go to make a call, it is VERY carefully as things are never the way they were and I really have to struggle not to put my finger in the wrong place and "call" someone I don't even know. Today's fantasy is suing Apple for all the trauma and hours of time it is taking me to find what I really want - Siri be $%^&. I want my life back but that is not going to happen so I just muddle along. I even have to re-find the instructions that I was working my way through until they disappeared. ARGHHHHHH!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Feb 24 - 05:28 PM

Doing business with Amazon and its subsidiaries is easier if you keep it all in one country. When Audible first reached into Canada, one just used the American website and lived with the hassles of doing business internationally. That was back about 2008. When Audible.ca came along, a few years ago, I was too preoccupied with other things to concern myself -- and besides, despite their promises, I was fairly sure the transfer process would not be simple or easy.

But maintaining two Amazon personas became problematic with the advent of two-factor verification -- I have only one telephone number! So I decided to consolidate all my Amazon business on the Canadian side of the border.

And then one thing led to another.

The Amazon experience is designed for Americans. The rest of us may take part, but we have to accept that everything we do is an exception to a system built for the United States.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Feb 24 - 03:01 PM

Makes sense about the brain chemistry. And sociopath stuff doesn't help. That doesn't seem to be fixable.

The recipe is essentially the same as the one in the New York Times. Cranberry Nut Bread

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Donuel
Date: 01 Feb 24 - 01:01 PM

In my private practice I only had two gambling addiction clients and both failed to improve. Today I would replace the dopamine high with Adderal and disincentivize gambling with PHS at trigger points. It has a biochemical component that is tough to break.

I'm cranberry crazy whether it's scones cupcakes or whole soft dried cranberries trail mix. Some like it at Thanksgiving but I like it year round. Since they grow in bogs so they make sodium benzoate to stay fresh.

My finger can already make a fist so I didn't tear ligaments like I thought. It isn't Bach-worthy yet but slow jazz like Natureboy is OK

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Feb 24 - 11:54 AM

I've resisted Audible but I wish you good luck in restoring the account. (Why was the shift needed? Did the company offer or compel the move?) I have a few books on the site I read on Kindle, so I'm not free of those accounts, though I only read my own eBooks on the app or read their free stuff. My library also shares eBooks via Kindle that go away once they are due. I have the idea that I'd like my kids to poke through the physical copies of my books when I'm gone and maybe decide to read a few. The rest will go to Half Price Books. eBooks aren't transferable, but the only ones I have on my tablet are current topical books that will be out of date (hopefully) by the time they would look at them.

The Quicken problem is completely understood. I used Microsoft Money and preferred it, but the death knell came when they stopped supporting it. I get the cheapest Quicken Classic Starter edition every year - it talks to my bank (except when it doesn't - I feel your pain.) My local credit union is usually the one that crashes, and Quicken updates itself all of the time. Between the two I sometimes have to go in and add stuff manually until one or the other gets its mind back.

Here in the world of a credit card expiring in three months comes the first of the nags about updating it. This card is from a credit union that doesn't send it out way early, so I'll be watching the nags for the next probably 2.5 months before I get the next card. Back at the time of knee surgery I decided to set up most of my accounts to autopay, and so far they haven't gone crazy and racked up inappropriate bills. But they do need tending.

Lovely weather this week, meaning it is time to get into the garden. Meanwhile, a friend has sent his recipe for Cranberry Bread and it looks like a good one try this week. It's a small loaf with just 2 cups of flour at the base. Easily doubled to make in a larger pan or two small ones (I like to make a small loaf for now and put one in the freezer.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Feb 24 - 11:20 AM

Amazon agony continues.

Yesterday, I tried to have my Audible account "migrated" (as they say) from the US Amazon system to its Canadian analogue. I initiated the process with the American side, not knowing any better, and the agent at the other end of an absolutely terrible connection seemed to have achieved the objective after what felt like hours of twiddling but was actually about 20 minutes.

Today, I have no Canadian Audible account, no credits, and no library. Over more than 15 years of dealing with Audible, Edmund and I accumulated more than 1,000 audiobooks, and they all seem to have vanished into the ether.

The Canadian customer service agent has a magnificent Jamaican accent. His American colleague is a mush-mouthed individual whose accent I can't place, and can barely understand unless he speaks very, very slowly.

I'm very tired of Audible's hold music, about 16 bars of a complicated piano concerto that requires at least another 16 bars to come to some kind of resolution.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, my bank has stopped communicating with Quicken, the money-tracking software I use.

I am very tired of the 21st century. I would like to go back to, say, 1981 for a nice rest.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Jan 24 - 04:04 PM

Grrrr. Twice in a week now I've seen friends or their relatives' obituaries in the hometown newspaper, and both times the estranged sibling has posted remarks in the comments that have nothing to do with the deceased. Most recently was a teacher I really liked in middle school; he piped up to say he knew her daughter in high school. I'd have liked to post and share a photo. A few days ago he was rhapsodic about the long-dead neighbor we all knew who was the aunt of the dearly departed (who none of us ever met.) I wouldn't post there but I was going to share it as a really interesting and detailed obit. Trying to prevent readers there, or in my online places, from making the family connection means I'm biting my tongue. He's toxic.

Gambling is an ugly addiction. A lot of family furnishings and heirlooms went to the pawn shop and last time I checked he lost two houses and a condo because of gambling debts. Again . . . grrrr.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 31 Jan 24 - 02:08 PM

I am trying to disembarrass myself of an excess Amazon account. It's not going well.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Jan 24 - 11:56 PM

My get up and go fluctuates, but this evening my dander is up. For the second time in six months someone at my doctor's office called in the wrong prescription formula to my compounding pharmacy. After many years I switched the format from capsule to a topical cream, but whoever picked up my folder to renew it called in capsules. A 90-day supply will again be destroyed by the pharmacy and they'll compound the cream.

I dug out the doctor's fax number to send a letter with a photo of the label from the current (empty) tube. This way there is no possibility of misunderstood words or numbers in a message or phone call. The refill was ordered 12 days ago. I love these folks, but this is unacceptable.

Two boxes of glasses were listed on eBay this afternoon and another one is packed and ready to list once the photos are processed (download from camera and resize). There are three more sets to photograph and pack of that size glass. Dishes done, a batch of chicken and rice finished for the rest of the week, and the stovetop cleaned (chicken thighs sauteed before adding to the rice cooker splattered).

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Jan 24 - 06:49 PM

My get-up-and-go hasn't even gotten up.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 30 Jan 24 - 04:54 PM

The weather continues gloomy and damp in Stratford; we’ve had less than five hours of actual sunlight in the last ten days.

I did the laundry — including bed linen and towels — and put it all away. The dishes are done and the groceries bought and stowed. Having achieved that much, however, I have come to a grinding halt despite the continuing presence of cat-hair-enhanced cobwebs garlanding the dining-room curtain rod. I also have choir board meeting minutes to write. But my get-up-and-go has got up and gone.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Jan 24 - 12:00 PM

Yesterday may have been a lesson for future tax filings - I have multiple modest revenue streams and all four issue 1099s; this number of documents doesn't align with what the free fillable forms software knows how to work with. I also realized that the social security worksheet in the 1040 book is a bunch of hooey. Instead, look at the 1099 doc that SS mailed out - it has a simple formula - if your other income is less than X, half of your SS is taxable. If you make more than X, then 85% is taxable (thank you Ronald Reagan for that gift. We were already taxed on our earnings once, and here we are again.) Trump supposedly "simplified" tax forms, but all they did was remove deductions for charitable donations, meaning charitable organization incomes went way down. Just what he wanted. And as I mentioned before, the commercial tax preparation companies want taxes to stay complicated so people will turn to them. It's a billion dollar business.

Yesterday's little list had six items on it and only one got done. I'll work today to do stuff on my own behalf, with one small thing already - carrying pruners into the backyard to trim low branches off of the Mexican plum near the porch. The lower twigs tangle in my hair when I walk the dogs out at night. Not ordinarily a problem except that these plums have long sharp thorns.

Still working on switching to a high protein breakfast; it does seem to help control the urge to snack during the day. I don't want to go full keto, but rearranging what I eat when helps. A bowl of cereal for dinner is a better time to get that fiber and carbs.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Jan 24 - 10:34 PM

I keep getting the same error message when I tweak and resubmit my taxes through the IRS Free Fillable Forms site. It is asking me to place numbers where the form won't let me put them. I'll look at it again in the morning then may simply print and mail it. Effing nonsense. There are free versions of TurboTax, but I don't want to use or support those companies that keep things difficult (lobbying the House and Senate and contributing to campaigns to keep the difficulty factor high so people use those services). I only get $60 back, I just want to be finished with this early.

The den floor is a thatch of chewed up sticks. I'm having friends over on the weekend, so I need to tackle dog world in a way to remove the sticks and keep up with washing bedding and rugs so it doesn't start smelling like dog world.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Mrrzy
Date: 29 Jan 24 - 02:26 PM

In this case, teaching, developmental psych, pitched to grandparents. I am glad I didn't book my trip to Europe as originally planned, I'd've missed my own last class!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Jan 24 - 11:38 AM

Mrrzy, what is your class schedule? Taking or teaching? What is your subject?

Decluttered my schedule of a meeting this morning that was going to involve complicated parking and access to the building. This after I realized it was a follow-up lecture to an event that already happened. That opens up the morning for stuff in the sunny yard.

Time to test the new battery-operated rotating scrub brush. After a wet week the floor is caked with muddy footprints by the dog door.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Jan 24 - 01:04 PM

Income taxes have been calculated, and once again I'm glad my past self went in and increased the withholding on the pension from the ex. The tax refund will be small, but most importantly, I'm not having to pay more out of pocket. I don't always calculate them this early, but with the pension finally landing in the bank in a lump sum I figured I'd better see what the tax damage was.

Today's goal is to clear the various colored drinking glass sets off of my kitchen counter. They need to be photographed. Where I have multiple boxes of identical glassware I'm color-coding the sets with some small plastic keychain things set in the background. Since my photos are part of the description on eBay this helps avoid a box mixup when I ship.

Great night's sleep last night in a bed with just blankets - and I am going to declutter my closet of the down comforter. It's too bulky, and the duvet magnifies the difficulties. I'll offer the comforter to my son in the colder climate, but if he doesn't want it, I'll look at my other options. The duvet is coming off and possibly taken apart (it is two large top sheets stitched around the outside edges.) I have another smaller down comforter in the guest room closet for really cold weather (but I also have down sleeping bags, so perhaps all down comforters should just go away.) Does anyone know how old is too old for down to still be up to the job? I've had these sleeping bags and comforters for decades (they've been cleaned properly on occasion).

I'm noticing pronounced improvement in the dermatitis after eliminating wine from the diet for a few weeks. A thought occurs - I had picked up boxes of wine lately, but I wonder if that storage method has more preservative than bottled? More research ahead.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Mrrzy
Date: 27 Jan 24 - 10:26 PM

I just noticed my class schedule was a week off from the catalog... going with the catalog.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Jan 24 - 02:36 PM

senior moment?? - I had 2 recently - gloom, desolation

I turned up 24 hours early for the first Craft group of the year, & a few days before rushed out for noon lunch - no time to get to the Post Office to post an urgent letter & of course no stamps in my wallet - & arrived 30 mins early. So I went to the Post Office the next day - no letter in my bag!! Finally posted it the following day ...

Sandra - closing in on Three Score & Twelve

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Jan 24 - 01:22 PM

Mrrzy, that sounds like a classic senior moment (glad to read you're healing well). Too bad you didn't put on your robe while you made the search, you'd have saved a few steps! When I got rid of the house phone I ported it to a cell phone and then ported it to Google Voice (you can't go directly from landline to Google, they only port from cellular phone companies). I use the desktop or tablet's Chrome browser where Voice turns phone numbers on web pages into links it will call, forwarding it to my cell phone. As long as it is ringing on my phone the call hasn't gone through, so I find it, answer, then hang up immediately before it connects.

Despite it still being January it is time to declutter my bedding of the down comforter. It's too cumbersome, and now that it isn't quite as cold out, I overheat any time the furnace comes on during the night. Back to layers of blankets and the quilt.

It's time to do some planting. Potatoes can go in, and if I get an area cleared near the kitchen door, onion sets. (I usually put onions in the same general area as herbs and garlic. Garlic was planted last fall and there is year-round oregano and thyme in the ground).

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Mrrzy
Date: 27 Jan 24 - 11:40 AM

Things are actually pretty organized around here, so of course I spent a loooooong time today and yesterday looking for things.

Today I wanted a particular vest (I have many), and while I haven't been hanging them back in the closet while recovering from that neck surgery, they were almost all missing. Eventually remembered the (neat) pile of vests I'd collected from around the house, but not yet hung up, sitting in the clean laundry basket under other clean laundry folded but not yet put away...

Yesterday, could not find my phone. It had been RIGHT HERE before my shower, after, was nowhere. This is why I have a landline, but my ringer was off from work, earlier, so picture nekkidity in long wet hair (no hat) calling, then running over to sit on the couch, or the bed, or... to see if I could feel them vibrate. Eventually located in the pocket of my bathrobe. Sigh.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Jan 24 - 01:22 AM

Aw. Practicing what? What instrument do you play? (I play piano, and hate to try to remember the last time I sat down at the keyboard.) This account of sulfites is another dermatitis reaction; breathing isn't an issue. I'll have to backtrack to see why I was looking into it before, but it may turn out that I was not yet sure that coconut was my primary allergy problem. Sulfites are a sub problem.

NetFlix finally caught up with our family sharing plan today. Because of this I added a family member for $8, and now I can't see his named profile and he can't see mine, but he doesn't lose years worth of lists and viewing history on his profile. (Through high school he streamed various programs as he did his homework in his bedroom, then kept the account through college three states away - I asked NetFlix if this was ok and they said yes - and just for pure stubbornness we kept it up. He is almost 31 and still on my NetFlix account.)

We're nearing the end of January. What are our lurkers doing? Jon, we haven't heard from you in a while - how is your health, how are your parents, and what are you working on? Patty, where are you these days? In Arizona for the winter or some other southern state? Jennie and Maryanne and others - what's up?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Donuel
Date: 26 Jan 24 - 10:16 PM

Sulfites can cause one to try to breathe but can't. A high dose will kill but low doses resemble mild asthma. Some preservative huh?

I won't be practicing every other day until a finger heals but it may take a long time. The first day of an injury doesn't tell me much except ow.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jan 24 - 02:27 PM

Class was . . . interesting. A community recreation center is a well-used space and trying to hold an evening dance class in a room with a clean floor is a challenge. Using the restrooms for changing is a no-go, so dressing for class at home and walking through the parking lot in dance gear is the best bet. And it seems this will only happen for another month or so, then will move to the next town over (where I used to work). The new location is a few miles closer than the university, but it is something to take under consideration (there is a lot of road construction making a detour necessary). It has been several years since I took the classes so I need to do a lot of review. The first class was a nice workout. And even if the classes move out of that facility, the fitness rooms are still there to be used.

Seeing movement on eBay; an item sold and ships today. It's one I revised a little and that was enough to attract interest. More listings going up later today.

Meanwhile, I've been watching the PBS sewing and quilting programs and one program offered an interesting technique for making the quilting part of a project look good, especially for beginners. Calling it "sloppy woppy" they use a backing fabric with an interesting pattern that can be followed (around the edges) using free motion quilting. The result is the bobbin thread ends up on the top and an attractive pattern appears in the quilting. To remember this technique I picked up a couple of yards of fabric that would work for this, and I'll add my note and the episode information. Something to follow up on.

Next door to the fabric shop is the liquor store, and I stepped in to ask about low or non-sulfite wines. They used to have a section of them, but had only one bottle now that has the claim that sulfites are removed. A very helpful staff member reminded me that in the US they add sulfites to wine as a preservative. All wines have some sulfites, but European wines aren't supposed to be adulterated; none are added. I used to know this. I'll look into the comparable levels and see if switching to European wines would solve the allergic reaction I think sulfites are causing. Stopping wine for now seems to help, so if the lower levels are still too much, wine will be infrequent on my menu.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jan 24 - 10:28 PM

This evening I signed up for a weekly class starting tomorrow evening. This rec center is an easy mile away and I may add a couple of other classes later. After I had signed up I stepped into the back room where a stretching class was going tonight, same instructor, and it was old home week - three friends from the old studio. This is going to be good socially as well as for exercise. (Interestingly, everyone has lost weight since we were last together - we all seem to have been working on our health and fitness despite the setbacks of COVID in recent years.)

The items now on eBay are packed for shipping and stacked on the sideboard in the den; tomorrow I'll get a few more boxes and add listings.

In dog world these days I'm walking out into the backyard two or three times a day, luring them out with peanuts or other treats, though usually they just follow me because that's what they do. The dog door is there but by the time the old guy realizes he needs to head out he doesn't always get outside in time. Yet another accommodation for a really old dog.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: keberoxu
Date: 24 Jan 24 - 08:00 PM

I have yet to declutter myself of the cough.
It has subsided to be a mild annoyance.

I am hoping for the best over the next months;
I have spoken to so many people, a few of them physicians,
who testify to a cough that persists months after the rest of the symptoms clear.
But eventually the cough clears up as well, it just takes a long time.

So I am staying away from inhalers for now,
and nursing the cough with medicated cough drops.
It's worst in the evening,
and best in the morning.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Jan 24 - 09:48 PM

No snow down here, only rain, so no need for anyone to bail water out of my driveway. Has your cough cleared up completely, Keb?

On Thursday I'm going to restart dance class. The studio I went to before I retired closed during COVID, and I had knee issues so didn't try to find a new place. Last year the instructor moved to the nearby rec center two evenings a week. I've learned that my Silver Sneakers account gets me into the center free (no penalty for living out of the city limits and the class cost is modest). Thursday is when there are a back-to-back classes and I'll choose to either re-do Beginners or get back into the Intermediate group. Since I won't have an annual fee to join the center I put that money into some gear for the class. This center also has fitness rooms so I'll also start going there for the treadmill and recumbent bike. I'll still go to the other gym; it has the pool and a lot of other stuff, plus much longer hours, but I won't go as often.

There was good luck today with eBay research, the discovery that a $5 Goodwill find is a Sheffield silver plate tureen. Those stamped hallmarks are difficult to figure out and I had been looking at it upside down, but I found the exact maker. There is silver plate, and then there is Sheffield silverplate.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Jan 24 - 07:05 PM

Snow has arrived in southwestern New England as well,
and may turn to freezing rain (ugh)
as the temperatures rise in the next day or two.
At least we have temperatures above freezing now,
for a week or so it had been bitterly cold here.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 23 Jan 24 - 10:51 AM

Snowing again — or still? — in Stratford. All the snow that should have fallen between Remembrance Day and New Year’s has arrived late and brought friends.

Another bag of Goodwill-bound clag will leave the house this afternoon, after the nice lad from Nick’s Snow Removal has cleared my driveway.

I swear that’s the best $650.00 I spend in any given year.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jan 24 - 03:59 PM

Today's advance research shows no sales with large numbers of glasses going at once, they tend to be sold in lots of 2, 3, or 4; very few sold individually. The good news is that smaller boxes are easier to pack and ship. eBay gets a discount for sellers regardless of the shipper, and I usually ship USPS, but will keep similar sized un-branded boxes handy in case someone wants to ship UPS. (I offer both on my sales.)

I mentioned buying a bag of flour at the dollar store on xmas eve because I was almost out and would have no other time to shop before my family event; that flour was a help but I didn't use much. Since then baking with it reveals that it's pretty awful. Rolls don't rise as well, it's hard to mix into batter (lumpy) even after sifting. The final straw was a deflated batch of dinner rolls on Saturday—I tossed the rolls then tossed the rest of the flour and have Costco organic flour to make more rolls today. Such a disappointment (but the dogs got lucky and each ate a couple of rolls.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jan 24 - 11:47 PM

About 10 years ago I got rid of a futon that was well built and had a great full-size mattress - in hindsight, though it was large and in the way, I wish I'd kept it. I could cover it with a tarp and then rough blankets and use it for the dogs. That said, I was tired of stubbing my toes on it.

More eBay glassware is going through the dishwasher; I'll leave it in the top rack and run it a couple of more times to clear up any limestone that might have settled on them in their previous home. Then to list these. I'd used some of my canning jar cases to store them and ended up with no place for some of my canning jars, just in regular flats in the pantry. Perhaps I can streamline those now. Moving these cases from the front room clears the space beside the small table and I may soon be able to set up the photo cube and do some of that listing work in there again. Tomorrow: selecting boxes large enough to safely pack these glasses for shipping. There will probably be a half-dozen listings (I won't sell glasses individually, only in lots.)

I washed small area rugs and mats that have been in the dog crate today; tomorrow will be the covers of dog mats and gently washing the foam orthopedic fillers in the tub. When you have a couple of old dogs, this is a frequent activity.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Mrrzy
Date: 21 Jan 24 - 04:33 PM

Cleaning guy skipped this week so so did I...

Luckily I have a mah jongg game. THAT room is clean. Now.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 21 Jan 24 - 02:23 PM

Indeed, Stilly. Those three one-cubes fit neatly into the car boot with the cargo lid down, leaving room for a load of groceries.

In fact, I have nearly nine shelf-metres of CDs still to cull, in the hope of cutting back to no more than 2.4 shelf-metres (arbitrarily selected quantity). This level of precision is possible because I keep them in two 60-cm IKEA Billy bookcases with inserts on the shelves to double their CD storage capacity.

Yesterday, I also parted with eight chardonnay glasses and six bottles of wine, soon to feature as lots in a silent auction fund-raiser for the concert choir. This week, I will compose another lot with four Danish porcelain demitasses and a Bialetti moka pot.

I’ve had a nibble for Edmund’s enormous futon sofa that has been in the basement since 2017. With any luck, I’ll be rid of that soon.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jan 24 - 10:33 AM

An afterthought: three 1' cubes of CDs isn't the same volume as a 3' by 3' by 3' cube. Exponentially the 3' cube is 9X the amount of three 1' cubes.

The dogs have got the hang of these mornings with the dog flap closed until 5am. No impatient barking in the den today and I woke a couple of minutes before the alarm (so I'm also growing accustomed to this early morning date at the fence for a dog treat).

Tons to do today, I have a list, but I'm happy to report one small chronic issue had a simple solution. My desktop computer hums along and the side panel of the case started an annoying vibration last summer. I reach out to touch it and it stops for a while. This week I finally put a 2" piece of Scotch tape across the seam at the top edge of that panel and it stopped. Now it all issues around the house were so easily solved. The rest of my list will take a bit more time and effort.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jan 24 - 08:05 PM

The books I buy these days are usually discussed on podcasts or radio shows, and sometimes purchases are simply in solidarity with the authors. Occasionally I buy on paper to read, but it takes me a while. I get most books via the library Libby app, and while I occasionally borrow their eBooks to read on a tablet, I most often listen to unabridged audio versions. I've thinned out my bookcases a lot in the last few years. (The ceiling fell in the office back before the pandemic and I moved so many books around before the repairs that I managed to sort and discard a lot.)

I reread your discussion of three cubic feet of CDs. That's a HUGE number of CDs! I bought a 33-gallon bin of CDs a dozen years ago (a story told several times on Mudcat) that might have been about half that amount - it was over 300 discs and took two people to lift into my SUV. (An estate sale bargain - all classical - purchased for $20 for the lot. A true windfall, and I still have most of those.) You bought a lot of music over the years!

Congrats on return of your chair - I have a Mission Oak rocker that needs a reupholstered seat and the back panel; last time I asked was told it would be about $750, so it will wait till another day.

Dorothy, stay warm and comfortable and I hope you find a good book!

Another cold blast is on the way so I made a batch of chicken soup tonight.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 19 Jan 24 - 02:40 PM

No, the Merrell boots can stay for a while yet. Besides, I wear orthotic insoles in them and their original insoles are long gone.

But I am determined to continue the clearance of stuff that I don't use, an accumulation that includes rather a lot of CDs. True child of the aspiring artistic middle class, I grew up with the assumption that all the best people maintain large libraries of both books and recorded music But the fact is that my reading and listening tastes and habits have changed radically over the last 15 years, and that's okay. Cutting back the bookcases won't cost me my intellectual credentials -- and just might help me fit myself into a two-bedroom condo when I have to.

Recorded music is a particular case in point. I see no virtue in retaining CDs as objects on shelves when I have the entire collection stored on iTunes on my computer and backed up in the cloud. If Apple goes away someday and takes my music library with it, I imagine the world will be sufficiently screwed up that I will have more urgent problems to worry about.

Preparing to decamp from this house is an "eat the elephant" project: I have to do it one bite (or carload) at a time. Today it was three cubic feet of CDs I haven't listened to since the iPod came into my life.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, my wicker armchair is back from furniture rehab with beautiful new cushions custom-made for it by the upholsterer next door to the vet. That reminds me -- gotta book the cats' needle parade.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jan 24 - 11:12 AM

That's always interesting, when you get to review your past decisions like that. Are they headed to the Goodwill again?

I have a pair of my father's neoprene Wellington boots that aren't a bruised or cold-feet problem because they're so large I can literally step into them wearing some of my own lightweight sneakers. I rarely wear them, but when I do they are absolutely the right boot for the job. The next few days are supposed to be cold and sloppy so this is their kind of weather.

More kitchen puttering and now the peninsula counter has only things on it that are supposed to be there; 2 large Sam Scott ceramic bowls for holding fruit, onions, potatoes, etc., and the cutting board. The tray with tea stuff is tucked beside the toaster oven, and a vase holding two bunches of roses ($5 at my discount grocery) is smack in the middle cheering the whole the room.

Vintage colorful Libbey glassware is making a couple of trips through the dishwasher (to remove any limestone scale) before listing on eBay.

It's time to plant potatoes, and I have a bag of the remainder of my last crop in the fridge. It looks like after next week's rain will be the time to work the soil and plant these. It's too damned cold right now. I'll plop the asparagus roots into a bed at the same time (they've lived in my wheelbarrow for several weeks since I dug them out of the front bed, they need to move now or they'll dry up too much to use.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 19 Jan 24 - 10:19 AM

Three 1-cu boxes of CDs and DVDs are in the boot of the car, on their way to Goodwill.

While clearing those sections of basement shelf, I found the lace-up Merrell boots that I thought accidentally-maybe-on-purpose donated to Goodwill last winter. I felt a pang of buyer's remorse for the new boots I bought this winter, but recovered quickly when I remembered how chilly the rubber feet of the Merrell boots are. All those Maine hunting shoe clones have the same fault: the leather uppers are great, but the rubber bottoms conduct cold in a way that makes them unsuitable for wear in temperatures below minus 10 Celsius.

My new winter boots (purchased in Ottawa) are leather all the way to the soles, and fully lined with sheepskin. In Stratford's wussy winter I don't need them often, but nothing else will do in that one week, maybe two, when the thermometer takes a deep dive even here in the peach belt.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jan 24 - 02:38 PM

Dorothy, have you read any of Laura Lippman's mysteries? She is known for the Tess Monaghan series, about a Baltimore private detective (who was a journalist first). The link is to information about her and it does help to read them in sequence. She herself was a journalist for 20 years before changing careers to write mysteries, and it's a family thing—her husband is David Simon who is famous for detective programs like The Wire. (I only saw a bit of that - it seemed to be really hard boiled and violent.)

Puttering so far has resulted in steamed vegetables for the dogs, a batch of Egyptian style lentil soup and much of the paper clutter in the kitchen shredded, recycled, or filed.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 18 Jan 24 - 01:16 PM

dupont:

SRS: a little free library seems a great idea for you. Rarely went to Pikes Market. Green tea is specific to helping me deal with the barometer dropping which used to involve raging headaches. The Little Green Library (LGL), funded by the adjacent municipalities and run by volunteers has a great selection of books (FR/ENG), movies, a children's program and a large room of books for sale. Top notch!

Today: So far I have managed to get out of bed and have porridge for BF, wrote a fairly long "spirit guided" message/poem? to a friend; trying to heal from meltdown resulting from birthday 87 when I was blindsided by the last 60 years of my life - not what I wanted! The Grief group on Monday got the full effect. How do we heal?

So I am in recovery. Which is not much different from the last months of doing nothing.I pat myself on the back each time I do a little something. And cancel that which will not help me feel better. A Louise Penny book would be helpful but I have read them all. MAybe I'll go to the local library. MAybe try St. John's Wort - it usually helps - I just have to think of these things! Too cold and windy for a walk.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jan 24 - 11:15 AM

Sandra, my daughter learned lots of sewing tricks in her years of studying costume design and construction. I showed her the tons of old colorful thread from my mother's house, but she unrolled bits of thread from the wooden spools and gave it a quick yank - when they broke easily it meant they were too brittle for sewing. That said, I listed all of those old attractive spools on eBay with the note that they were too old for sewing and someone still bought them. I went through my old thread then and discarded a number of less-charismatic styrofoam and plastic spools.

Yesterday I picked up a bottle of my favorite Scotch and toasted our late friend gnu, but since alcohol was a significant contributor to his health problems, I will acknowledge that by resuming a dry January. I also need to work on a clean January - the house is suffering from too much dog hair and sticks dragged in through the dog door and chewed to pieces. And my own problem of things on most horizontal surfaces.

This morning while searching a couple of my usual storage places for Costco bulk OTC medications (cupboard for small things, pantry for big things) I came across a few really old Rx bottles. I was certain I'd finally tossed the old stuff last year, but nope. These are from when the kids lived here (they're in their 30s now). Those will go in the Rx disposal bin next time I'm at the pharmacy.

The anniversary of moving into this house is Valentines Day, it will be 22 years. Last week we passed Zeke's "gotcha" date (when my friend was injured he moved in with us and never left.) The friend has made a substantial recovery (head injury) over those last 12 years and we've loved having the dog (he was too strong for her so this is a win/win situation). I should get things cleaned up and have her over to celebrate.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 18 Jan 24 - 02:32 AM

today I bought an 800 metre reel of Guterman ecru sewing cotton, bloke asked if I wanted the 250M reel. I said I hoped I'd live long enough to use it up, dunno how long I took using up the last reel, tho I do know I run out of the black reel during lockdown but was able to do a click & collect sale as the craft shop was nearby. What is left of these reels will go to the craft charity shop along with all my other stuff!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jan 24 - 01:45 AM

Decluttering kayaks! That's one I haven't heard before! I've considered getting a kayak so I can putter around the pond in the creek in my backyard to grab the plastic trash lodged in roots and branches. It washes downstream every time there is a heavy rain. Why haven't I bought one? Because if I had to roll it over back there I'd hate to end up a body in my own backyard. I'll probably find a portable canoe instead, I grew up with those on the lake where we had a cabin when I was a kid. Anyway - if I'm remembering our FB names correctly, harpgirl does a lot of magnet fishing - and that would also be a great activity for my creek. Seriously. I've picked up some interesting things that have washed downstream on the small beach, but who knows what is under water? I know there are freshwater oysters, I keep finding the shells, but there is probably a lot of metal also.

Dorothy, I'm testing/tasting a half-dozen types of herbal teas (tisanes) sent at xmas by my son. Two of them so far are on my "get more" list, and as I try each I put them in a glass jar (he mailed them in ziplock bags with the name written in Sharpie). Have you ever bought tea from the folks in Seattle at Market Spice? It's one of the first shops you run into if you walk into the Pike Place Market from Pine Street (they are to the left of the big fish market, if things haven't moved in the last 10 years).

Dorothy also mentioned the green library - probably unrelated to the Little Free Library movement over the last 20 years, but I have more books to take to the little library my neighbor keeps in her yard. I just looked at the map - she has her library listed on the site. Maybe I should build one of my own. Related to this, I'm feeling quite rich with the doubling of the online libraries I have access to now. I could add a couple of QR codes to the case to share links to Libby (there are Reddit groups that actually have people sharing their library cards to get books across systems).

This evening has been a bit of a standstill - I visited gnu's Facebook account and did some wallowing, and grabbed a few of the photos he posted. So many times I was tagged in his posts, and now that has come to an end. He died Monday, according to his nephew. Since he was posting last week it looks like whatever killed him was fast. He was in palliative care for such a short time that I hope it was also peaceful. He was two years younger than me, which adds another perspective to his passing.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: harpgirl
Date: 17 Jan 24 - 11:13 PM

well SRS and meself still interact quite a bit on Facebuns but here’s today’s story. I found some girls interested in my kayaks so I offered three of them free. I’ve accumulated five over the years. They took a red, a yellow, and a green kayak. The green fishing kayak had a terrible smell. While strapping it to the trailer, they looked into the bow hatch only to find a dead and very smelly squirrel. The yaks had been up against my fence in the backyard for several years. I was very embarrassed but hey, three free kayaks? Just squirt it out! I swear I didn’t know about it!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 17 Jan 24 - 10:39 PM

Dupont:

I have been doing the absolute minimum for ... No sense of time!
3X Saturday BF which have been fun. A couple trips down to see Geri and give support as someone hit her car broadside and we needed to determine whether an 18 year old car is worth repairing. No! but she can still drive it after R got a window closed - permanently! So the rain could not enter! We found a car she could have bought but I backed off and left it for her to do, or not. It was only about 3 blocks away. Also had a short visit with Rita and the bonus of her daughter and grandson arriving before I left.

All the house stuff is just fine - not terrific but fine! I read a couple terrific books. HAd a second visit with the neighbour. Today was too cold to bother going out the door.

Early this aft I was wondering why I felt lousy and kind of sick in a sort of way - and realized this malaise - about a week now - seems to have started with the new green tea from the Japanese market. I reverted to the previous and started feeling better. ????

Almost 11PM and no sign of R! I am hoping for a trip to Beaver this weekend - both of us so short!
Pick up mail! and attend a community social gathering. I can take a bunch of stuff for the "take what you want Table".

Check with Steve re plowing of Driveway - lots of snow up there! And maybe ask Larry to put a fire in stove.

Have to go down to the Little Green Library tomorrow to return books! And a visit with Geri; Rita if she is not busy.