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BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records*
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Subject: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 May 11 - 12:51 PM To give the thread a fresh look (aren't we starting our third year now?) I changed the wording a little. We can have an elf change it if there is a riot in the streets, but we are all working toward better fitness and decluttered homes, so there it is in the title. It's a rainy day for me here in Texas, I've heard from a friend that it is a stunningly bright beautiful day in New York City. The good thing about rainy days is that it makes me look around the house and stay indoors to work on some of those projects, or else I'd always be out in the yard. Yesterday I did a lot of the heavy lifting required to take apart an ornamental wall built up against the side of the house (there is still one more wall to take down). I'll use those stones in a new wall in the yard, in front of a berm I've been building up for a while. This is the ultimate in reuse/recycling. Meanwhile, on this rainy day I've turned the calendar page and realize my son will be home in a couple of weeks, and I need to finish clearing out the sewing room (I was reorganizing craft materials from the sun room, putting them in the sewing room) and I need to then finish wiring a couple of rooms for the last of the cable and data plugs I've been meaning to run. Spring and fall are the times of year to go into the attic for that work, so I'll get it done this week. And then the old computer from his bedroom goes into the guest/sewing room and makes room for the computer he took to college. It's an embarrassment of riches, all of the computers around this house now. Here is the April 2011 thread. Some of our regular discussion contributors are in the middle of house renovation projects or have moved recently, we have occasional yurt and garden reports, and we have a whole bunch of people out there walking to their hearts' delight. Pedometers optional. Let us know how you're doing! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 01 May 11 - 01:10 PM Sleepy today after a late night car run returning a friend home, but I did manage to dig up a lot of vinca major. If you don't know it, it is a periwinkle, a plant with blue flowers and evergreen glossy dark green leaves. It propagates by runners and is very invasive. It's good if you want ground cover somewhere big where maintenance isn't a problem. I see it is a problem over the pond as well. Invasive plant Currently, we have not had rain for ages, so the clay is hard as bricks, and I had to plan ahead and water the ground thoroughly yesterday. More water today, and the plant became quite easy to fork up. I could only manage half an hour though, more boredom than physical tiredness, I think. I've an equal amount more to shift, in more difficult spots to reach. Then over to plant it in the old garden, which is big, and left to go to wild, along with an invasive geranium, very pretty, but it's taking over. Meanwhile, I've been emptying out bird feeders which have not been visited - yesterday, niger seed which was supposed to attract goldfinches, which visited once. I poured it on one of the steps I built, where it attracted two pigeons and a woodmouse. Almost gone now. I've had to cover my lettuces with netting since the pigeons were finding them attractive. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 01 May 11 - 01:15 PM I have started writing down what I'm eating and am considering rejoining WW. I stopped because I just wasn't having the oomph it required to get up and out of the house for a very early meeting plus it's an expensive adventure if you really aren't committing yourself, which I wasn't. I have signed up for early morning yoga classes 4 days a week and have found a local church that has exercise activities during the week as well as play time for the babies. Maybe I'm shooting a little high and fast but the Y is also offering Zumba (with childcare)....I just have to find the energy to get out of this house. Once I'm out, I'm good...but sometimes that motivation is hard to find. Maybe this is a secret that the rest of the world already knows and I am just figuring out but coffee (just one cup) makes my belly feel full for hours. HOURS. I know drinking water and such fills you up but this is different...at least it is for me! :) The longer days are having a big effect on my energy levels too...it never used to bother me but it has this year. I also have an appointment this month with and endocrinologist to see if they can straighten out my ongoing, forever changing thyroid issue....I have high hopes! On the house front, our yard is MUD. I mean deep, up over the tops of your boots, suck the shoes off your feet kind of MUD. ARG. We have 2 dogs in the house and of course they drag it in with them. They do have thier own room but to get to it, they track through the kitchen and down the hall. So...I am doing lots of sweeping and mopping. We decided to hold off on the yard sale until later so I have that in the back of my head as well. I have a ton of stuff to mark and get ready...mostly baby clothes, swings, etc. When Jeremiah has outgrown his high chair, I'll be donating that to my church which has a really old, unstable high chair (not really useable)...but otherwise, I'll be selling most of the stuff. Bumba chair, a bobby, swing, jumpy, etc. and let's not forget the CLOTHES! Oh wait, I already said that, huh? LOL OK..so for me this month, writing down what I eat, making an effort to get out of this house and to make it to a few *formal* exercise things each week. And my house...just to keep doing what I've been doing and to add yard and garden work as it dries up outside! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 01 May 11 - 02:50 PM [taking a breath] I just took a fresh look at an old memory and finally realized, some 35 years later, that I'm gonna have to Take Back the Night (and the daytime as well). If you do not know what that means-- don't comment on it please. Being an old hand at deep personal work (AFGO), I know how to deal with this and how it's connected to Just About Everything Else. Oh my. I had remembered all the childhood stuff and worked on THAT. Now there's this later event. AFGO. TBTG for AFGO's [snarlingly smiling] Of course I'm a tad angry. Perhaps I can use that to fuel jaunts out to the mailbox (and farther) on the days when I'd rather not. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 May 11 - 04:04 PM Laundry running, several things underway. I've missed trash pickup for a couple of weeks now; we have 2x weekly, but two of those overnights involved high winds and rain, and I didn't want my trash out in the street. Two other times I just forgot. I recycle so much, throw out so little that it still won't fill the smallish metal can I use. But I'm rounding up trash to finally get it to the curb tonight. Folding laundry finally. Dusting. I could spend a whole day just dusting around here, I do it so rarely. And I'm thawing ingredients for a casserole this evening. Once it is assembled and baking (takes 2 1/2 hours) I'll work around the house. I have some web stuff to do also, probably this evening. Andrea, how goes it with stonemasons and carpenters? I was speaking to my ex yesterday about dismantling a wall - and was reminded of Jude the Obscure. I asked, he hasn't listened to the recorded book, so I told him I wouldn't spoil the end, but that it is probably one of the most depressing novels in the English language. . . and it probably attaches some unintended baggage to those who do stonework. :-/ SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 May 11 - 04:08 PM Oops - P.S. Michelle, do you know the song Housewife's Lament? My dad used to sing this one, it was a family favorite, and lines from it occur to me when I have conditions like you describe in your yard today. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,pattyClink Date: 01 May 11 - 09:08 PM Sounds like you all are willing to entertain a few guests, so I'll chime in. I started a major decluttering push April 16, and so far have removed exactly 300 things from the place, either by donation or trash. (I'm finding it really helpful to keep a count, and I just wrapped up my second-week goal of 150 things. Stuff has just been accumulating for too long because we haven't moved in a really long time, and I would really like a simpler, less crowded house where there is space for what we want to do rather than space for what we used to think was important 10 years ago. I think about how much of the square footage of the mortgage is basically just paying for a big storage locker! And it's not going to get out of here in one weekend or 2 weeks, it's going to take a long time, so I'm just chipping away the best I can. It feels really good to start taking control of the situation, although the change is barely noticeable so far. Anybody else just starting out with this thing? |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 01 May 11 - 09:13 PM Oh we're all just starting out-- every day. :~) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 01 May 11 - 09:39 PM Yep...I wake up thinking about what I need to do on this day...I try to do it and then the cycle repeats itself. Sometimes things get started or finished and sometimes they don't....but I have seen an increase in my own life in how much I move my body, how I pay attention to what goes in my mouth and the shape my house is in. I keep hearing Susan telling me that she has helped to clean out nightstands of people who have passed and the things she has found. So....maybe this sounds silly, but that's where this started for me. If I were to die on this night, what would my husband or family have to sort through. What if they couldn't bring themselves to do it and someone from my church (like Susan) was to come in to help....what would she find? Would I be embarrassed about my mess? My dust? My things in the nightstand? Hmmm. I did some cleaning this evening because I attended new church this morning and fully expect visitors sometime this week. It's a good motivator for me to keep things as best as I can because my natural state of being at this time in my life is to linger around, read, play with my baby or snuggle in with my beloved husband. Yep. I NEED that kind of motivation! Blabber, blabber, blabber. ;) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: maire-aine Date: 01 May 11 - 09:48 PM Hi, all! I haven't posted much during April, because I haven't done much. The house is in pretty good shape because I've had folks over for meetings a couple of times. My right knee has been hurting a lot for the past couple of weeks. It feels like somebody is driving a spike into it. The rain & cold weather hasn't helped, either. I haven't gone to the doctor, because I figure he'll just tell me that it's because I'm fat, and to lose weight. I already know tha-at! But for the last few (3) days, I've managed to keep my carbs below my 180g daily target. Every time I get up to go to the kitchen, my knee hurts so bad that it reminds me not to eat. So I ought to see some results by the end of the week, if I keep at it. Tomorrow I start my new part-time job, doing some bookkeeping for a local non-profit. I should be able to manage with 8-12 hours a week, once I get into a routine. I hope to be able to plant my broccoli seedlings next week. They say May 15th is the last day for o'night frost. Goodnight folks. Maryanne |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 01 May 11 - 09:51 PM LOL, if it helps to motivate you, then yes, LF, if asked I would come help at your house. I don't think it's too LIKELY, but you can scare yourself with me if it's helpful. :~) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 01 May 11 - 11:12 PM Rest easy Susan, Pete would never ask you to come here for any reason. Besides, my nightstand isn't of any concern. It has 4 drawers, the first is full of pens, some of my Nana's things, the 2nd drawer has my bible and some books, the last 2 drawers are saved cards, another bible and some books. On the floor are a few newspapers,a couple books, some dust bunnies and socks. How exciting! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 May 11 - 02:32 AM I can think of a few things that I would ask someone close to me to take care of, rather than be inventoried in an estate process - that is enough to scare a lot of people. I've run into that in other estates. I've come closer to finishing clearing the stuff off of the bed in my daughter's room/guest/sewing room. Also worked on the cupboard in the sun room in conjunction with that work. Also, finally, got the trash out to the curb (but it is blowing and pouring out, so it might head down the street on it's own). Patty, you asked about any of us starting out - those of us who have been at it a while no doubt envy you the easier early days when you can see and remove the "low hanging fruit" of easy to get rid of stuff. Keep up the good work! News finally wound down, and so have I. Night, all! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 02 May 11 - 07:37 AM I can think of a few things that I would ask someone close to me to take care of, rather than be inventoried in an estate process - that is enough to scare a lot of people. [squeam alert] Yes, there are a lot of things that are a normal part of the pastoral relationship that people find uncomfortable-- until they are the ones asking for the help. That's what makes it a pastoral relationship! :~) I think of several dear souls whose spouses were SURE s/he could NEVER leave their dear one's side in the sickbed-- till s/he was offered a couple of hours to take a short break if someone else could stay. Any hospice volunteer knows how THAT one works: there are people who can be there without causing that discomfort. They often wear collars. :~) Not surprisingly, occasionally they find that people's discomforts resume once the crisis has passed. (More often they call us, again!) I'll tell you what can break that "no one can see my house" thing. Have a little housefire and come home to find your place crawling with strangers who put the fire out (and felt their way thru your bedrooms to make sure your kids were not asleep in their beds in all the midst of the mess and the smoke). After that a little clutter is magically not a barrier to people being in your house! The cleaners who came after our fire-- thank God for insurance-- said that some houses are so bad (and some people so nervous about their stuff) that they often-- OFTEN-- have had to wipe smoke off one piece of paper at a time and put it back in its disordered "order" for hours on end. (Because a fire will really freak you out!) Those are another kind of folks that people know to call, when the time comes that they are needed. And the people doing that job are ordinary neighbors-- good people who stepped up to do that work. Me, I worry about things that might actually happen. I worry that it will be me on the news being winched out when my heart finally gives out and my body's too heavy to come downstairs on a gurney. I have a feeling, though, that the people who come THEN will know what to do in ways I can't even imagine. We all know who to call-- even the most isolated of us has people we will know to call when we need them. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 02 May 11 - 07:47 AM PS ydy's ped 3175, yay! My discernment committee BTW has urged that I share MORE of my experience as a clergy spouse. I know that some of you are not going to think it's OK to do it-- I get PMs encouraging it and crap for it in the threads-- but I have some pretty good guidelines to follow. Our Bishop will get all the reports. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 May 11 - 01:35 PM The sewing materials are organized now, in clear bins with carrying case lids to keep out dust. I love being able to see the contents. Gradually clearing stuff on the staging area, aka bed, and have continued to draw down the contents of the sun room shelves and move them into the cubbies in this shelving unit I built. This is part of a quiet morning/afternoon here after a dentist trip for a couple of fillings; my face is still numb on one side. I also stopped at my eye doctor's establishment to order (finally!) a pair of sunglasses with bifocal lenses. That's enough medical expense for the day. We've had steady rain and intermittent thunderstorms for the last couple of days, so no work on the wall today and no dog walk. I have enough dried bread to make a bread pudding this afternoon (soft food for 24 hours is an excuse for pudding, don't you think?) and it's a great rainy weather comfort food. I'm hungry now but I'm going to wait till I can feel more to eat. It was a productive weekend. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 02 May 11 - 05:26 PM Our once a month grocery shopping extravaganza is done!!! All the refridgerated things are in the fridge or the freezer! Yay!! I used a wheelbarrow to get it down in one trip. I have one more trip to get the non-perishables but they can wait...even until tomorrow if need be. It feels like it may open up and pour anytime with some thunder storms added. Besides...the mud is RIDICULOUS and the wheel barrow will only go so far in the mud! I am tuckered! So is the baby! I had company today so that made the trip twice as nice!!! Ok. Break time. Catch ya later! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 02 May 11 - 06:47 PM I know what Penny means - I've been getting rid of Vinca Major too! Tomorrow's task is to contact an archaeologist to draw up a schedule for the "watching brief" on the build. It's been suggested 10 working days. Basically, it's because I live across the road from the church and in the heart of the village, and nobody knows for sure where the centre of the mediaeval settlement was. There's nothing to see, and the place, like so many round here, was regularly flattened by the Scots in the Border Wars. Just another couple of things after that to get into writing, and the contract to be drawn up, and then we may be able to start. I've asked Ernie from the stove shop to come and assess the chimney breast in the dining room with regards to opening it up. I was going to leave it till next year because of the mess, but if the heating's not up and running by the time the colder weather comes, I'll need something in there. Exercise is sporadic. I was out at dawn yesterday on Lindisfarne Causeway with the morris. I'm out again tomorrow evening. Then I have the first of what may be a monthly clog stepping class on Weds. Zumba Thursday. I need to get to grips with big digging in the garden, but that's on hold till next year. Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 02 May 11 - 07:38 PM Andrea, How do you like Zumba? Wish we could get in the garden here but it's all still mud. I imagine it will be for a few more weeks. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 May 11 - 12:14 AM I've moved more craft stuff into the sewing room, but I've stopped at the paints, crayons, and pencils. No particular reason, though they're classic kid stuff and the rest in the sewing room is more grownup crafts. My daughter's things that she didn't take to college are in her closet hanging, or in boxes. I'll have to compress the crayons and probably leave them on a lower shelf in the cupboard. There are a few projects from my mother's house to work with. She had completed one latch hook rug piece but didn't mount it. There was another one she selected for me and we discussed, but she barely started it. I'm not into latch hook myself, but I'll hold onto it. I t would be nice to mount and display the one she finished. I also have a portion of a braided rug she was making. I always loved those, and she made several when I was a kid, I remember helping with the braiding. She has the first section of one finished, and I may go ahead and work on that. Are they a lost art now? They're easy and beautiful. I went to the dentist this morning, and though I wasn't in the chair for a full hour I felt it until mid-afternoon. Until anesthesia wore off I was hungry and careful not to bite myself. It was the most disconcerting tingle and tickle - you can imagine I didn't get much work done. On my way home I stopped at my eye doctor's office and ordered a pair of Rx sunglasses. If I'm going to drive back and forth in the desert southwest, I need good sunglasses, and this time I had them made as bifocals. Another expensive month. I made a bread pudding this evening, and as a late dessert I spooned several of my home canned peach slices into a bowl, then added the warm pudding on top. Mmmmm! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 03 May 11 - 03:55 AM The nice thing about the vinca is that the top spreads out from a small base, so I only have to dig up a few sets of roots to clear quite a large area of ground. Yesterday evening I had a few minutes in the study, and tipped out a lidded basket of stationery stuff which I put into a cupboard. Some is still on the floor, I admit. I will not need to buy another envelope for years. I inherited some of my Dad's business white DL ones, though the glue has dried. The basket will be used for some of the fabric stash in the spare bedroom/box room, so I can separate half finished things from pristine material. I've inherited a part done patchwork quilt from my Mum, rather sad, as I found that she had made mistakes in her pattern at the end before abandoning it - she had a brain tumour, which she kept hidden for a long time, but this must have been one of the signs. I'm going to carry on with it for my niece, who liked the one I have had bequeathed to me. Mum had worked hexagons into rhomboid pieces, and I don't know whether she intended to make a sort of starburst with them in the centre, or put them together in interlocked rows. I'll have to see how the colours develop. I'm going to the dentist (I'll have to ring the surgery to check which day, as I have it today on one calendar, and tomorrow on another.) I lost a white filling between my two uppr front teeth a couple of weeks ago. And I have a problem with the amalgam filling in a molar. I was hoping to put this off until some house money came in. Ho Hum. It used to be that pensioners had their work done free, but I don't expect it would cover nice white fillings outof sight round the back. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 03 May 11 - 05:42 AM Zumba is a good laugh. I don't know if ours is as intense as perhaps it would be in a posh gym, but we have a very enthusiastic instructor. I certainly work a sweat up! It's a cross between low impact aerobics and dancing. The music is all well known mainstream stuff, mingles with salsa and a touch of belly dance. We did one routine to "Rawhide" last week! Found a few small boxes in the spare bedroom this morning which will need relocating to the annexe. This sorting out is only to prepare the room for getting virtually every coat I possess, and stuff I won't need or can't fit into the dining room, dumped into it shortly! Vinca does cover nicely, but it had been left to "layer" itself and get invasive. Pity it had to go because it was the white flowered variety. At my last house I had the variegated blue flowered one. That's very pretty, but just as invasive! It's very good at working its way under paving and in between stuff! Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 03 May 11 - 05:49 AM Dentists tomorrow. Car service and MOT (government test of fitness for road) on Thursday so I can renew road fund disc. Found lots of sticky labels and 5X4 file cards. And assorted notebooks. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 03 May 11 - 11:15 AM Yesterday was way too many hours sitting (long trip, meetings, ride back, etc), but it was punctuated by 3440 steps, painlessly, and I picked up a consulting gig for later this month at one stop, quite unanticipated. (WITH a bed to sleep in, instead of the boondocker.) So return-to-work appears not to have been derailed by the painful memory that came up this week, and I'm doing well with not being distracted with anything. TBTG for the nice PMs I got-- from people who know who they are. At one stop I jotted out what will soon be a news-report at the diocesan website, within an area for which I report. (Hardi got pix and I also field-recorded audio.) At another, minutes of a sensitive Commission meeting to type up and send along to participants and up the chain of command-- a long-overdue meeting finally able to occur now that one of the co-chairs has recovered from a health scare. At that meeting, the group also picked up two more probable members for that commission, which is tasked with rebuilding itself and its leadership resources as we work towards resources and certification to present a training program required of ordinands. So I have some good work to do in the rest of the week and, hopefully, the printer will work. Oh and the first use of the GPS in fast-changing H'burg highway traffic went well. And I didn't hit the semi when I missed a lane ending, in the fog, as I merged, in an unfamiliar car with side mirrors blinding me I could not re-angle. TBTG! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 03 May 11 - 11:17 AM Oh! And at one stop I found a lady who will SEW for me, who can use the bucks to GET herself and hubby to the Commission meetings! winwinwinwin ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 May 11 - 11:21 AM Vinca minor (as opposed to major) was used as groundcover in the Puget Sound area where I grew up. We can't get any vinca to grow as annuals here - there is an ornamental plant, taller, not spreading, that is sold in nurseries but that is commonly impacted by a plant virus that turns them yellow, then they die. Sounds like lots of us are untangling our mothers' sewing or crafts projects. Let these serve as a reminder to us to keep our sewing baskets in good order and finish what we start. ;-) Penny, I also inherited office supplies from my Dad that I've used for years. He had a box of tractor feed envelopes for the old dot matrix printers, and I worked out a template in Word so I can tear off one of the tractor pages and put it sideways through my laser hand feed door and use these. If the glue is dry on yours use a glue stick or tape them - It's nice when you can continue to use these things. It's a reminder for me of my Dad every time I use one of his envelopes. There is a growing pile of small shoe boxes and other cardboard resulting from organizing the cupboard and shelves. I have for too long been subject to the tyranny of the "useful box." Keep it, I might need it for something else. I have so many I kept now, it's embarrassing. Time for some of them to get recycled. I decided to reassign my newly-emptied kitchen-sized trash cans that fit in the bottom of my cupboard in the sun room. My eBay stuff for shipping has been in trash bags under a table. One of the trash cans is now full of styrofoam peanuts (didn't know I had so many!) and another holds the various sheets of bubble wrap that came in packages. A third holds various sponges and chunks of styrofoam that can be so handy when stabilizing things for shipping. It took only the time for a cup of tea to brew to step in there and empty one of the trash bags into these bins, and it will clear up a lot of floor space. I had 2 trash bags under the table - I can slide some of the boxed sales items under there now and clear up a lot of floor space. Back to work now that I've not only cleared up some bulk, I've made my sunroom more efficient. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 03 May 11 - 11:28 AM Don't know what spurred this one, but I was up at 6 this morning, moving about the house, organising my day and doing some cleaning! Two loads of laundry done, dishes put in to soak, cleared and straightened the dining/kitchen table/Rog's desk, cleared my desk of extra stuff, put away all kinds of things lying about here and there. Made a couple of business phone calls and am now off to do some more paperwork. Went to exercise yesterday. Still feels good!:-) I will have Morgan Wed. afternoon, all day Thursday and Friday! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 03 May 11 - 11:37 AM I'm wishing I kept some biscuit tins for the mint in the garden. I was in the local Oxfam shop and saw a latch kit for a rug in the shape of an Old English sheep dog, as used by my great grandfather on the Sussex Downs, where we scattered Dad's ashes. Someone had bought it on Ebay, all the way from the States, and then donated it. I am tempted. My home is full of Dad's latched rugs - he took it up when he retired and filled their home, and gave us all rugs as well. We didn't feel we could give them to charity shops - some are worn a bit - so I have them. I have some self assembly boxes which I used during the move, and am now using for storing out of season clothes. Exactly four boxes fit between the shelf in the built in wardrobe and the ceiling, and exactly three along the length. Oddly, I am currently two lids short. I am in the process of washing the winter things before putting them away. I have finished copying out recipes from a book of things to cook in the Remoska so I can take it to the shop. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 03 May 11 - 01:19 PM Into the middle of trip recovery activity, a "crisis ministry" case came up that will involve us both (and maybe our house) for the week. But when I got off the hourlong chain of phone calls and came back from putting the knickers I'd wanted to wear ydy into the dryer, LOL, the "lost" pedometer turned up with 1960 steps from the day it popped off. Good to know I have it handy to add to the day's insanity and that when it popped I was and had been moving! I put it on a larger-size strap so it won't cut off swollen knee tendons, and went to get my fresh cuppa. That foreging paragraph will become part of a Commission on Ministry question to which we ask ordination candidates to respond: "Please take a breath after you hear the following, and then tell us how you would prioritize the following simultaneous events on your day off:" ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 May 11 - 03:20 PM I took a few minutes to empty the second bag of eBay packaging materials. More styrofoam peanuts, chunks and sponges, and wads of tissue paper from inside shoes. I didn't realized I'd tossed those into the bag, but there are times when a wad of paper is just what you need to keep something from bouncing around in a shipping box. All organized in four bins, and a lot of plastic bags are now ready to recycle at the grocery store and some of the paper is going into the paper bin. Anything beyond these four bins is more than I need so it's not going back under the table. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 03 May 11 - 05:13 PM I happened to walk by an antique drop-leaf desk my dad's cousin gave me when I was thirteen and thought, "Why not clean it out?" I have had so much fun. Only "special" things have been saved in it, but it has been stuffed and hasn't really been used as a desk in quite a while. I used to love it when I was a kid, wrote letters on it, sealed them with wax, etc. Anyway, I have emptied it of a lot of paper stuff which I no longer needed to keep; read over the wonderful handmade book Alba made for me with copies of everyone's good wishes from when I had heart surgery; found the enamelled fish tiles I made in a college class; and a bunch of other treasures. I have just a little bit more to go and it will be nice and neat, ready for Morgan or I to sit down and use. Next, I've been eyeing the horribly dusty books in the LR. That might be a good project for Morgan and I, though we'd both have to wear masks; it's thick! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 03 May 11 - 05:53 PM It's been an interesting day and I'm thankful for the flexibility for everyone involved. Some things just work out better with Plan B. Jeremiah is officially cutting teeth! Dr. says we should see them in about 2 weeks. She suspects that all 4 will pop out at the same time. Poor little guy is hurting. I'm making something new for dinner tonight and am looking forward to what my husband thinks of it. :) In the meantime, dishes need to be done, laundry is going and I have some decisions to make for this weekend. One last thing...I got my first Mother's Day card in the mail today!!! Can you see my smile from where you are??!?! :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 03 May 11 - 06:39 PM Oh, that's right! Happy First Mother's Day, Michelle! I had two things left on my To Do list for today: dishes and qi gong. Have just done both. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 03 May 11 - 09:55 PM Pedometer only 1800 today, lot of chair sitting to keep feet up. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,pattyClink Date: 03 May 11 - 10:50 PM Yesterday I hauled off 6 boxes of stuff to 2 different places. That felt good when it was over, but I'm really not fond of the whole process. Can't do that after every weekend effort. Which means I've got to set up a 'staging area' where things collect til being driven away. Perhaps the last remaining open wall area in the garage will do for the first batch. Then it's on to the next group of clutter, the dreaded full closet of 'inactive' files and projects and stuff. After a huge purge, some will need to go to 'dead' storage in the attic. Ah, but there's the rub, there's no more planking in the attic. So I've got to get some quarter sheets of plywood or something up there. I did at least pull out one large 'pass-along' item today and stick it in himself's car for him to pass along. Which is progress on the do-it-now front. It's the chain reactions that really bog one down. Can't clear this til that area has room, can't do that until there's space in the attic...yada yada. The Chain-Reaction Clutter syndrome. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 May 11 - 12:14 AM A lot of stuff near the doorway that will go to recycling tomorrow. I've started moving glass and crystal from the over-crowded shelves in the living room into the sun room cabinet. Tons of stuff at work tomorrow, so I probably won't be online much. Looks like it will be a lovely day, so it'll be nice to get out. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST Date: 04 May 11 - 04:35 AM (Not Really a Nameless Guest - just Andrea sans cookie)
The dunnock's nest is empty, so I took it out of the tree (I've kept it, it is so sweet) and will take some more branches out of that tree later today. I'm off to Berwick tomorrow morning, so I can take them to the tip then. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 04 May 11 - 10:04 AM The Chain-Reaction Clutter syndrome. Patty, I like that! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,pattyClink Date: 04 May 11 - 11:43 AM To name the problem is to start dealing with it, I guess! It also seems to work in reverse in the recluttering phase, doesn't it. Can't fit something in a drawer it ought to go in, so it sits on top of the chest, displacing whatever would normally go there, and suddenly all flat surfaces and even a bit of the floor start to disappear. This morning Himself drove off with 12 things to pass along. I guess I can include those in my count since I helped him load up! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 04 May 11 - 11:52 AM I also like your idea of counting things sent on. Wish I'd started that sooner, but shall from now. Thanks! I will be going to exercise class late this morning, then home for a quick bite and then go pick up Morgan-the Grandson for Early Release Day. For the first time (that's becoming a familiar phrase) since sometime last Nov., I will be driving myself. Previously, due to weakness and sleepy-producing meds, I didn't feel safe driving for any length of time. It's been added stress on my Rog, so it's good I am able to do this. I put away the dishes, this morning, which I washed, yesterday. I think I'll go scrub the bathroom. I am also printing out all 298 pages of Prairie Child for the final copy edit, etc. before I submit it to Amazon's Create Space. Anyone heard from Dorothy? I hope she is having a fun time nesting in the country. kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,Stilly River Sage Date: 04 May 11 - 03:06 PM Taking a minute to check in before we head out to inventory books in the library. I have several sessions of it this month. We have 1.2 million individual volumes and each one has to be accounted for. It's taking a year and we're pacing ourselves between departments. Now with a job as big as this, a year seems reasonable. But my house is going and going as I handle and deal with individual items and hopefully there aren't 1.2 million of them! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 04 May 11 - 05:50 PM cookie back! Didn't prune the tree back, practiced the melodeon instead. Then I went for a run out to Bamburgh, and after a snack I went to a clog dance workshop (beginners) at a village about half an hour's drive away. The class is going to run once a month (the lass teaching it comes by train up from Newcastle) but the practicing should be good exercise if I apply myself. Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 04 May 11 - 06:51 PM DP often on FB. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 04 May 11 - 10:39 PM Got OCD CBT referrals and ins. info today while cleaning up another ins. issue. Got porch boondocker-gear dept reconfigured to hold more gear out of the rain. Got dishes and laundry caught up and put away. Got 2 excellent print books for bedtime stash (cheep). Got some FC stuff expedited. Got a scholarship to a Mennonite AR event for later this month. Split remaining time between puder work, crisis ministry sitch, and very brief legs-up chairtime. Pedometer 1800 and new scrip for water pill to to drain legs ordered but not yet rec'd. Did make mailbox and other outdoor forays-- short steps were indoor chores missed due to crisis min and scholarship submission correspondence. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 May 11 - 11:14 PM Busy week. The semester is wrapping up, finals next week, so we're all scrambling to finish work and get ready for the summer sessions. Looks like tomorrow I'll be sorting out stuff that didn't happen the way I hoped today. A prescription that was going to be called in wasn't, and another thing wasn't ready. Foolish me for not calling first to find out if they were ready. Found a new jar of acidophilus after realizing the stuff I had here was way past the shelf date. The antibiotics from a couple of weeks ago played havoc with the internal flora. Ugg. I'm working on decluttering the aftereffects. I hope to get a lot done this weekend, and I need to take the truck into the shop on Friday, so I need to have materials here to work with while I wait on the repair in case it goes over the weekend. Life revolves around a couple of lists I have in my pocket. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 04 May 11 - 11:35 PM That's a lot on your plate, SRS. Good luck and be sure to take a breather or two, eh?!:-) I did it! Left at 11a to go to exercise class, started warm up there at 1130. Did four stations and cool down for a total of an hour's+ work and I was out of there at 1250p, just time to get home, grab a cup of orange juice and get the front of the line parking spot to pick Morgan up at 150p. Spent the time parked visiting on the phone with a couple of friends. It's a nice way to just stop, rest, and catch up. Morgan and I ate a late lunch, then I tossed the ball for him to hit with his bat, plus we "played spies" which means I sat, told him his "mission," went over the imaginary maps, weapons, enemies, goal, etc. as he played them out over the front yard. His swing set became a precarious bridge to cross over, the trees a mountain to go round, etc. He has so much fun. Our grass is actually long enough, what there is of it, that he crouched down behind his "shield" and made his way back safely to HQ. He loves it when we play imaginary games, ever since I read him one of my chapters in PC about one of my playtimes like that. It's so much fun. He will be here at 730a tomorrow. Oh, boy! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 05 May 11 - 08:06 AM HOORAY Kat!!!!!! :) :) :) I was up by 7:00 this morning, cleaned up the kitchen, folded a load of laundry, started another load, picked up toys that were all over the place and made a pot of coffee. Yard sale on Saturday so I'll be spending all day gathering and pricing. Also, taking Jeremiah to a play group at church. Let the day begin!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 05 May 11 - 08:50 AM Wow, I'm a little freaked out this week-- the van I've put over a hundred thousand miles on, at top speed, is on a recall we had not yet heard about-- rear axle can break! That means that after the expensive engine repairs we just invested in, I get two whole days to set it up for my next foray before it has to go to the dealer for a repair job (at no cost to us TBTG). Fortunately it's finally sunny and warm at the same time, but OMG! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 05 May 11 - 11:40 AM Kat, that kind of creative play is so good for kids. It goes to the heart of their imaginations. WSY, There's no fooling with a possibly faulty axle. Gotta do that ASAP, but you know that. Michelle, you're going to have a great mother's day. I looked at your thread for a couple of posts. First, there was this one: Subject: RE: LilyFestre-one more week then last chemo coming up But this is the follow-up that is so sweet to read:
Just a tiny reminder of the great stuff in your pink book. You are going to have a fabulous mother's day! Beautiful day, lots to do here. This is when unintentional procrastination can happen, picking the easy things to do when the harder ones might be more urgent. Must make a list, and order the items by importance. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 05 May 11 - 12:24 PM Yes, SRS, I do know. The van came home slowly and carefully from the one shop, toward the only dealer here, where our house is along the route. It is now parked at our house to unload/figure next packing job, and going nowhere but the dealer, next, on Monday. Tho I have driven worse, long ago, when I drove broken down beaters for a cleaning service, around Chicagoland-- in my checkered yoot! (I'm grateful to still be on the planet.) ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 05 May 11 - 05:30 PM SRS, That pretty pink book sits just where I can see it from my chair. I look through it from time to time...it's like a bad dream mixed with some really good stuff!!! Your post made me cry. :) Jeremiah is a blessing to us in so many ways. This year, as we celebrate his *Gotcha Day* we will also be attending a celebration for survivors....I think those two things go together spendidly!!! Thanks for the Mother's Day wishes Everybody!!! :) Michelle, One of the Happiest Mommy's on Earth!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 05 May 11 - 10:45 PM But those are absolutely good tears! I remember crying when I first read it. Susan, my ex had an axle break on his car - he was lucky that it happened in slow motion, I think he was backing out of a space and "Thump!" there he was, a lump of metal awaiting a tow truck. He was very lucky - you may have heard the descriptions the buys on Car Talk give when they think someone has to take a car in for an important repair right now. They don't spare the graphic details of what can happen. Weeded some today, but I was at the office a half day and then running around to take care of errands. I finally have a pair of bifocal Rx sunglasses. The glasses for distance only were torturous because I had to keep taking them off to look at anything close. Several other errands as well. And tomorrow the truck goes in the shop early to get that oil leak. My neighbor across the street called to tell me she made a last-minute decision to do a garage sale this weekend. I have some stuff I can sell that I'm tripping over here. Good timing! We always do these things together, whoever set it up. Photocopier didn't sell, but the cartridge did. The photocopier still works, but is so heavy to ship that that's why it didn't sell. If I hadn't just sold the cartridge in another auction, I could add them to the garage sale. :-/ Timing is everything! I'll poke around, select a few things, pick up some small change. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 05 May 11 - 11:10 PM SRS, yup. I'm freaked because of all the miles I've already gone on it. Yikes. Pedometer was about 1800 when I took it off before dinner. Very active evening, I'm thinking it was about 2600 for the day incl several forays on steps-- one of those church-function evenings in a large space on top of an active day, might have been more like 3000. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 05 May 11 - 11:17 PM Well, I got plenty of exercise, today, but not much decluttering. Did send a couple of small things home with Morgan and he and I sort of finished cleaning out my little desk where he then sat and asked me to tell him a story which he wrote down, word for word. It's good practice for his writing and spelling. We dug out some really old books which I've been saving for when he was ready, old Uncle Wiggly's and Billy Whiskers (one of which will be 100 in 2013, he was impressed by that.) Exercise included an indoor-modified small ball soccer, then we moved outside with a regular sized ball, but I didn't do a lot except kick the ball back to him and try to block it coming at my chair. Ha!We also played baseball with a lightweight red ball and cushioned bat he's had for year. Again, he hit it clear over to the neighbour's yard, got it stuck in the branches of one of our big trees, and hit it over the roof of our house to the backyard. I finally had to tell him I am not a seven year old playmate and we'd have to chill for a bit. He was sweet and good, but eight hours had me worn out. A good supper with a nice shower after has restored me, though and I am eager for tomorrow. Rog is planning on working in the front yard, getting weeds knocked down, grass mowed, etc. before it gets too hot. Morgan and I will help. Then it's off to exercise class and coumadin clinic, the grocery store and home. G'night, kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 06 May 11 - 05:32 AM Yesterday I took the car in for its MOT test and service, and then walked off towards the town, stopping for a breakfast baguette en route. walked around the local market, but didn't buy anything there, only some smetana at a Polish shop which has opened up. Then the bus to Bluewater, the nearby mall. I wasn't wearing a pedometer, but getting pretty worn out. Bought some groceries at Marks and Spencer and John Lewis food halls - those of you not in the UK need to know that these are definitely NOT Walmart equivalent. Also a remnant of net curtaining so I can shade the bit of my living room window that lets the setting sun into our eyes. I was going to look for a folding screen, but by this time I had had the estimate from the garage. I still have some 1970s poster hangers, which I will use to fix it up. I do have curtains from Dad's, but the house vendor took the rails (without notice - I would have thought they came under fixtures and fittings and should have been left), and I can't spend out for new until one or other of the properties on the market have sold. The car cost about £650, with a new cam chain, and fixing the electric loom in the tailgate, which is moe than I would get for it in exchange for a new one, which I can't do until.... This morning I have done more swapping of winter and summer clothes. I found I could fit 16 boxes in the wardrobe instead of 12 by turning them round 90 degrees, so have put away more sweaters. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 06 May 11 - 05:49 AM And I'm exhausted, and wishing I could edit out that intrusive apostrophe in the last post. Penny Think I got the one you meant. If not, let me know. kat-mod |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 06 May 11 - 08:58 AM I took some odd and ends down to the village charity shop this morning - and came back with a tiny folding Indian table, an incense burner and a short sleeved yellow cardigan. Oh well! I am trying to get hold of my "occasional" builder, as I have decided to open up the dining room chimney breast sooner rather than later. I want to get on with it before the work starts in earnest on the rest of the back. Not only that, I have seen a wonderful old stove in the stove shop. It's newly in, and unrestored. It looks 1920s, and appears to have been made in England for the French market, in that it is quite ornate, and has the indications that it is a multi-fuel stove in French on the sides. It won't be super-efficient on the heat side, I hope, as the room is smaller than my lounge, and it would be quite close to the dining table. However, what sold it to me is the hinged filigree top, which lifts to show a hotplate! My hope is that he hasn't earmarked it for somebody else, because I have fallen in love with it, and I really want it to fit. The flue pipe comes out of the back, which may make it come out too forward, which is why I want to get the chimney opened up asap and see what space there is. Plan B is a smaller modern one, maybe... Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 06 May 11 - 12:02 PM Cot now holds me and is packed for travel the 13th thru the end of May-- to put into the van I hope I can drive safely by then. Off now to measure/fit the rest of the gear for a trip that brings me home in good order. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 06 May 11 - 12:24 PM Better news than I feared-- you can measure and measure, but until you start to load the gear you do not really know how it will fit and move once in use. The mini-dresser fits, YAY! The portapotti will fit, YAY! Inside in case of rain or outside if not too wet. The longest stay is just about set now to be on a farm, where I will sleep like a baby at home AND have room to set up the "privacy" outbuilding. These are pieces I have tried to pull together for years and it looks like I will get to do it. Good thing we had room to collect the needed parts to make these last purchases work! Another stop will be with new friends, book-ending a jaunt over to VA. She sews, they need money, and I've seen her work-- OMG/good. Gonna take her all the pieces piling up in the closet to be taken in, and a box of pins! A few porchy things to do over the next week that require neither van nor sunshine, then I'm off, hopefully. Booking Ade to put in two ACs while I am gone-- looks like a hot summer. Another payday in the mailbox-- now THAT's motivation to take those steps! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 06 May 11 - 05:20 PM The stove is mine! Ernie came round this afternoon, just as I was starting to rip off the wallpaper to see what I could find...we found the sandstone lintel. It's the full width of the chimney (6ft) and about 8 inches thick. The opening will be 5 feet wide. He's left me a stone dressing hammer to get the plaster and pitch off it. Not hard, but slow work, especially as I am doing it a little bit at a time because of my shoulder. The builder I want to open the fireplace up is in Ibiza till Thursday. Ali, the builder who is doing the extension, came round too. If we can get all the paperwork sorted, he'd like to start work in a couple of weeks. So tomorrow will probably be spent chipping away at the lintel. Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: gnu Date: 06 May 11 - 05:28 PM Yesterday, 1.6 pounds away from 100. I am waisted. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 06 May 11 - 06:08 PM Ped. at 2490 already, more to come this evening. Picked up a FC bag of clothes-- perfect dressy teenwear for Bianca, who will accompany me to Dio. Convention this year. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 May 11 - 06:45 PM You all make me tired just reading this! Penny, we (I, at least) knew about Marks and Spencer, but only some smetana at a Polish shop throws me for a loop. The only Smetana (capital S) is the composer of The Bartered Bride and Ma Vlast, etc. What is a lower case smetana? Andrea, I hope you are going to take photos of this work. I have an idea of what you're doing, but it's hard to visualize these old English fireplaces. I took my truck to the Chevy dealer for oil leaks and it turns out there has been a slow coolant leak that is more serious than the oil leaks. Never hits the ground because it only leaks under pressure and the moisture evaporates on the hot block, leaving a residue of dried coolant. I haven't looked at the coolant level in a long time, I've gotten lazy with the messages the truck sends. It didn't say it was low on coolant yet, but I can guess the sustained drive to Arizona planned later this month might bring that on. Ouch on the price tag - much higher that Penny's bill (even taking into account pounds and dollars). I'll live very frugally for a while. I took a few things over to the garage sale, and sold some. Not high dollar, but I've removed a few things that were in my way here. I am going to work on that tonight and take a lot more over (I hope) for tomorrow morning. I was exhausted when I came in - took a long nap. A dog walk this evening and then I'll work on the sun room, identifying and pricing things that I could have sold on eBay or can sell in a garage sale. The things that can't be easily shipped are better sold here. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 May 11 - 06:46 PM That was supposed to say "the only Smetana I know." I didn't hit preview first this time. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 06 May 11 - 07:45 PM Well, I have been an idiot. The perfect, no-cost home business has been staring me in the face for, oh, years--- since '94! Better late than never: Exercise I can do that I'll get PAID to do!!!! From home! Near the 'puder where I do my vol. work! Endless supplies on hand to market! Local regs...... check. Local zoning..... check! How to handle sales when I am not at home.... check!!!! I win! TBTG! Mah MONEEZ! Mah MINNISTREEZ! Can begin tomorrow! Will have name for it by then, signage to follow. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 May 11 - 10:44 PM Neighbors were out there till about 3pm today, and they're really tired, so I don't know if they'll do the garage sale again in the morning. I'll pull out items and I suppose I could set them up in my driveway for a while - I don't think anyone from the village is out patrolling on the weekend to see if permits have been pulled. I might try it, but I'd have to hustle to get enough stuff out to make it worthwhile. I don't have my pickup back, and I'm out of mower gas, so I didn't get much of the back yard mowed today, just the front. I mowed enough of the back to have a space where I can set up the kiddie pool for the dogs. I hope the truck will be ready in the 1/2 day they're open tomorrow, otherwise I'm without wheels until Monday morning sometime. I suppose someone would run me to the store if I need, and someone will probably offer. But I have plenty to do here without setting foot off of the property. I've been pulling more cardboard and packing materials out of the sun room this evening. I think I could make a trip to the recycle bin and have that room looking a lot better, garage sale or no. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 06 May 11 - 11:53 PM We had a very busy day. Started out with Morgan at 730a, breakfast, then out to the front yard where Rog whacked down the tall grass, what there is of it, while Morgan and I pulled weeds and cleaned up the perennial garden as best we could. It still needs work, but it looks a lot better. He also filled the wheelbarrow with that detritus and a pile of leaves and debris he'd raked up a few weeks ago. Took it all back to a place in the huge backyard which is fenced off and has been the preferred place for such things for years. He also swept the sidewalk. Good kid. We paid him for helping. Then we left for town. I went to exercise class and the coumadin clinic. They picked me up, we came home, ate a late lunch. He went home and Rog and I went grocery shopping. All in all, I logged in over 5,000 steps, today, plus all of the other exercise I got, including another game of "baseball." Morgan got 4 points to my 2. He hit the ball across the street, twice, today. Everything is sore, but not as much as a week ago when I started and it is a good-I-know-I-am-getting-better sore. Rog got called in to work at 830p this evening. Some important piece of equipment broke down. That's two Fridays in a row, they've called him in on his day off. I'll be glad when his new "asst." gets here in late May/early June. G'night, kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 07 May 11 - 12:25 AM 3440 |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 07 May 11 - 12:40 AM I was absolutely exhausted this morning. I slept all night but I just couldn't seem to wake up this morning. Thankfully today was a day that Pete could work from home. I went back to bed this morning and slept until around 1:00pm. UNHEARD OF! The baby also took 2 very long naps today...guess we've just been more busy than usual. Two family emergencies involving the ER in the past 2 days will be keeping me busy for the next few days. Both are serious but one far more than the other. So...I'm busy finishing up laundry, dishes are being run through the dishwasher, the kitchen table has been found, floors swept and most things packed. The car is absolutely cleaned out and ready to go. It's amazing how much gear needs to travel with you when there's a baby involved. My gear fits in a backpack!!! I know a few parks along the way so that the baby and I can get out for some wiggle time on an otherwise longish trip. He loves to swing and go down small slides! And guess who can walk quite well if he has the security of Mommy's hands to just barely hang onto? *Proud smile* Oh how I love that little boy!!! And oh how I love that man of mine too!!! He's a fantastic daddy!!! I should try and get some sleep. Sweet dreams everybody! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 07 May 11 - 12:42 AM PS. On Monday I have been asked to speak during an adoption session to other folks who are interested in adopting! We are excited to share our story!!! Ok, really..I'm off to bed. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 07 May 11 - 03:46 AM Sorry about the smetana. Smetana I came across it in supermarkets some time ago, but it was discontinued after I had got used to it. I like it on waffles with banana - the tang in it works like lemon juice on pancakes. I see from the article that I can serve it with the peirogi (stuffed dumplings)I have in the freezer. I do like sampling other people's cuisine, and Lidl is a good way to do it, but it's sometimes difficult to know quite how to use things. The dumplings need some sort of sauce on them, but the pack does not advise what. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 07 May 11 - 08:07 AM Penny, I like to do pirogies with the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray, a little salt and lots of garlic! YUM! I never heard of using lemon on pancakes and will have to give that a try! I love lemon on broccoli!! And I know this sounds odd, but I really like Manwich (just the sauce) on cauliflower....gives it some zip and isn't terribly bad for me! :) I'm off to finish packing. Have a great day Everybody!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: maeve Date: 07 May 11 - 08:27 AM "Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: gnu - PM Date: 06 May 11 - 05:28 PM Yesterday, 1.6 pounds away from 100. I am waisted. " ************************************************** Friend gnu, that is amazing. My hat's off to you for such an amazing and carefully managed weight reduction! Maeve |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 May 11 - 09:25 AM I saw gnu's message yesterday, and was going to ask about that. Are you playing with words also? Waisted - how many inches have you lost from your waist? And is it 100 pounds from when you started dieting? I didn't realize how tired I was yesterday evening until I saw the time when I was headed to bed. The Mudcat clock registers an hour ahead (eastern daylight time) of here, and I was gone after that last post, much earlier than I usual. I was up early today, but since I had advance warning, wasn't surprised that the neighbors called off day two of the sale. They're in their 70s and she in particular has some breathing and circulation problems, so a one-day garage sale was as much as they were up to. I'll work instead on listing a few eBay items this morning. Maybe make the same sort of sales I would out in the driveway, over a longer time span. Fingers crossed they get my truck finished, I have things to do that involve some driving, but I also have a lot to keep me busy here. Kat, good to see you're up and around again. Penny, I know I could have looked that up, but I was curious to see what the UK description was going to be. I use sour cream in cooking here, and have realized that as much as I like it, it is something I would to very well to pace myself with. I'm trying to eat healthier fats (though when I buy sour cream, I get the U.S. Daisy brand, which is JUST sour cream, not all of the additives and thickeners). Guacamole instead of sour cream, for example, in Mexican food is a great source of Omega 3s. I have a full day of laundry, cleaning, and yard work, in addition to some web work for my office to do since I was out in the yard all day yesterday. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 07 May 11 - 10:28 AM My daughter woke up at 7a to see if we could take Morgan to his soccer game, today. She has to take his dad to the "docs on call" as he hurt his back, badly by the sounds of it, at work yesterday. So, we're off in about an hour to take him and watch the game, etc. It is supposed to get to 86 (yuck!!!) today, but by noon it will only be 76, so I think I'll be okay. It's out in a huge open park with tons of sunshine and no shade. I'll have my umbrella with me and sunscreen. I burn easily as it is, but a couple of meds compound that. It's more the heat that gets to me, though. SO, there's my walk for the day.:-) kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 07 May 11 - 11:27 AM Signage materials on hand for $$, check. Opening stock inventoried and sorted, check. Additional stock on the way, check. Equipment needed, shopping the house underway, check. Goal: zero purchasing. Essential purchasing at Sallie's, period. Ethical policies in place, check. May's existing travel commitments = plan and set up now, open June 1. "Fitness" as a category includes financial fitness. Last vacay ended with a goal for that, which I seldom write about here, but which has been in progress. Decluttering ALSO can lead to it, duh! :~) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 May 11 - 12:28 PM I poked around and found something on the eBay table that has been quickly and easily listed and might bring in as much as all of those hours sitting in the sun yesterday did. Something I hadn't thought about, but there it is. Waiting to hear from Chevy. Waiting for the mail carrier. At least I'm not waiting for Godot. . . :) Guess I'd better finish the yard work out front. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 May 11 - 02:02 PM Whew. Bill was $500 less than appraisal because water pump (an associated work) was under warranty still. Still a high bill, but not into the stratosphere as was expected. Off to run around. I came back to get my phone, left on the charger. Years ago it was all pay phones - now I feel naked without the cell phone in my pocket. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 07 May 11 - 03:48 PM Michelle, don't forget the sugar. I've dug a new patch in the middle of the garden for rosemary and thyme, which did not do at all where I put them last year. I transplanted the sage there, too, as it was doing so well it was blocking the path. I've had to buy new seeds for peas and beans as I've had nearly zero germination - the one pea that sprouted died soon after. I've also had to spray my wild rose which has developed mildew for some reason - it's a very tough plant, and did very well on the dry chalk stuff at the old place. But not here, in shade, next to my angelica, and under the shade of a neighbour's bush. I'm feeling really sleepy much of the time, too. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 07 May 11 - 03:56 PM And having checked the reference for Manwich, I suspect you are not thinking of the same sort of pancake as I am. The pan-sized crepe, rolled over the lemon juice and sugar, and then more juice and sugar on the outside. This is the traditional way of serving on Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 May 11 - 06:51 PM As usual, separated by a common language. :) Took the pickup for a test drive, seems to be okay. Ran a couple of errands, have to do a bit more today. Came in to eat, then I am out again. I see that today's eBay listing has already has as many looks in a few hours as the last two listings had together in a week. I hope this is a good sign! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 07 May 11 - 06:53 PM We thought we'd sleep in this morning after Rog not getting home until almost 11p last night. Our daughter called at 7a. "Oh, you're asleep?" LOL..anyway, she had to take her husband to the doc who wasn't open until 9a, and asked us to take Morgan to his soccer game. So, up she rises. There we were...I walked out to the right field and back after the game, which they won, 8-1! Came home and Morgan and I cleaned out our car, then he went home. Rog and I took the car to the car wash and vacuumed it out. We were so incapacitated last winter, it still had fir needles in it from our Christmas tree! Rog got called out to work, again, this afternoon. I was prompted by the Muleskinner thread up top, to go look through my four drawer file cabinet for an article my great-uncle wrote. Didn't know I was going to do this, but I wound up going through every drawer, sorting, throwing, stacking for shredding, etc. stuff from ALL four drawers, all packed solid. Two hours later, I found the article in the last drawer! Feels good to have done it and to have found the article. So far, I have 5500 steps for the day, so hope I finish up with close to 6,000. kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: gnu Date: 07 May 11 - 07:09 PM m... thanks! SRS... yup... 100 pounds in 2.5 years. When they say no more than 2 to 3 pounds a week, they are right. Slow and easy is healthy. The slower the better as it means you don't lose as much muscle mass. I didn't know that 15 to 20% of weight loss in a human is muscle and NOT fat! It's just the way it is. I researched it when I noticed my arm and leg muscles were shinking... I was taken aback as I used to have BIG arms and legs. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 07 May 11 - 10:13 PM 2940 |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,pattyClink Date: 07 May 11 - 10:53 PM I lurked during those weekdays admiring what all everyone has gotten done! All I did was go to work and squeeze in 3 workouts, no decluttering. Today, well the yard needed a lot of decluttering, so with the weather truly stupendous it was a no-brainer to work on that instead of the old closet from hell which awaited. I set out to pull a ton of weeds out from under the muscadines; my main objective was jillions of plants which leave little tiny sticker-balls in the cat, but I wound up pruning the muskies, pulling up lots of grass and strange weeds, lopping a lot of little trees which insist on flourishing despite being whacked back over and over, snipping down a lot of daylilies which have become weeds, and then there was a brush with poison oak, which I simply snipped and refused to deal with any further. Actual decluttering on the closet; only got in a half an hour before it was time to deal with the kitchen, mostly bundling up big awkward stuff and hauling off some empty boxes. Not even a dent so far. Hope to make a better stab tomorrow. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 07 May 11 - 11:48 PM Sounds like a lot of dents, imo, Patty! Today's total step= 6694 (=/- 10% according to the manufacturer) |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 May 11 - 11:02 AM Last night I loaded up various yard and garden stuff at Home Depot, and today I'll back the truck out of the garage and unload it. I need to wash my truck (no needles, Kat, because I didn't get a tree, but the rest holds true - it has been a while.) Weather is warming and drying, I need to make sure all of my watering apparatus is set up and in order. Need to lay one soaker hose along the south side of the house, do the weed whacker trimming, etc. I've been moving glass into the cupboard in the sun room - it looks lovely and it will allow me to rotate what is on display on the shelves in the living room. Flattened cardboard, and I'm going to take that to the recycle bin and donate the copier. No takers on it via eBay, but the Goodwill folks may decide to fix it and sell it - it does work, it just has this little glitch every so often. It's Mother's Day here in the U.S. None of my kids are nearby, but today is also the anniversary I observe for when my pooch Cinnamon wandered up the driveway and into our lives. Six years now (and the vet guessed she was about 1 year old at the time). I guess I'll have to make or pick up some dog treats and have a little party! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 08 May 11 - 11:29 AM TBTG the brain designed the new layout of the van for boondocking, in the background, while I did other stuff. This is the third time setup time has been truncated the week before an important trip, with repairs, etc.! But there is a rug in there that needs to come out anyway, upon which I can mock up and tweak the interior right on my front porch. And aren't brains amazing-- mine solved some really pesky aspects of the whole thing between sleep cycles last night! When I depart I can just throw it all in, knowing how to make my life and work easier! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 May 11 - 03:17 PM Finished a blog post, then had to edit quickly when I realized I'd used some of the same stuff last time, though there was a lot new. Wasn't keeping track. Out to the yard now. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST Date: 08 May 11 - 04:58 PM Bought my tomato plants; the city has a "flower day" downtown. But I won't put them outside until the end of the month. I did plant most of my herbs (except the basil). We had a beautiful day, but I only got half of the lawn cut. Hope it will be dry on Tuesday so I can finish mowing. Tomorrow I start my first official day of my new job. Lots to learn. The software (Quickbooks) is easy enough, but it's all about the due-dates and the categories/classes to post things in. Wish me well. My knees (esp. the right one) are killing me still. I've been watching my diet very closely, staying under my 180g carb target for the last 2 weeks, but still haven't lost enough to be noticeable. Very frustrating. It's a vicious circle: can't go walking until I lose enough weight to take the pressure off my knees, and can't lose weight without exercise. Arrghhh! Maryanne |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: maire-aine Date: 08 May 11 - 05:49 PM Oops. Lost my cookie there. M |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 08 May 11 - 05:55 PM A new household record. From nightie to out the door in appropriate pastorwife garb, 1 minute! As long as Hardi drives, that is-- so I can finish my "twilight." It equals his record for collaring up and out when I drive-- yay SuperCloset! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,mg Date: 08 May 11 - 06:51 PM About weight loss and carbs..there is no way to say this gently..if you are sensitive to carbs,180 is way way too high to expect to lose weight. Everyone has a different point at which they will, if they have metabolic syndrome, and they say most people who are overweight do have it. I can not lose weight unless I go to almost zero..at 40 or 50 grams per day I will maintain and above that I will gain. Needless to say, I maintain, lose a little and slip. I find that the higher fat I eat, especially bacon, the more easily I can say within a very low carb regimen and lose weight and keep my blood sugar out of diabetic ranges. I would read books by Dr. Robert Thompson, a metabolic specialist in Seattle...I see him for my personal doctor and he is really great. If you are sensitive to carbs, unless you moonlight as a lumberjack, 180 carbs per day, no matter what a nutritionist or doctor or other white coat tells you, is way too high for most people with this problem to lose weight. I would cut back to 100, eliminate all white and other flours, keep one piece of fruit, no fruit juice, perhaps a small amount of oats, brown rice, spelt, buckwheat..and frankly the less of those the better. Enjoy meat, cheese, butter...if your carbs are low enough to avoid too much insulin, and you are sensitive to carbs and insulin, and etc. etc...you should lose weight, with or without exercising. Actually I don't think most people lwith metabolic syndrome or insulin sensitivity or whatever will lose weight at 100 grams...that is just a starting point..you can keep cutting back and you do not need to count calories (usually) or fat. It would help if you got your insulin levels checked. I don't have any trouble with the food part of it..it is the logisitics for me that are a pain..so I maintain pretty well but really need to step it up to lose..and not slip. I have convinced myself now there are no exception days for carbs..can still have other treats like chocolate, cheesecake, high fat ice cream. I could eat a pound of butter and two pounds of bacon a day and not gain weight, and essentially two slices of the healthiest bread your Russian grandmother used to make will cause me to gain weight... We are given very bad and incorrect and in fact malpractice information. The information is out there, but you have to believe it more than you believe your doctor, which we are not trained to do..so good luck. mg |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 08 May 11 - 11:38 PM 3040 |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 09 May 11 - 12:17 AM Guess an earlier post didn't "take." In response to mg's posting: if one has any kind of kidney issues, that much protein could cause problems. FWIW Rog found ergonomic door handles and changed out all of our doorknobs for them, today. He also took me for a nice ride this morning. Had nice calls from all my kids and Morgan came over and watched Toy Story 3 with me as well as gave me a "valentine" a heart drawing with an "I Love you, Mama" on it, plus his soccer card with his picture and "stats" on the back. we did not clean house or do much else, but it's been a nice day. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 May 11 - 12:25 AM I thought 180 grams was high also, even without mg's expertise. I remember a 60-carb diet being a mainstay in the 1970s, and it worked for me. I should keep that in mind now - way too many carbs in my day, and some days I do work like a lumberjack! I have a tight schedule this week; I've been finishing a couple of projects and am taking vacation time to aid in that work. Today I did some shopping for one project in particular (the low wall out front) but didn't get beyond tamping down the sand and concrete bricks that it will sit on. A few days ago I mixed up a couple of bags of cement to make a platform for each end, and in between is sand and bricks. It isn't meant to hold up a house, it is meant to be ornamental. I have some great stones to work with, and I can see already that I'm going to have to round up some of the small stones to make it work (I moved them into a stack by the driveway, but I'll bring them back). I have 3 bags of mortar to start with. I've photographed a couple of things that didn't sell in the garage sale, and I'll donated them to Goodwill. I can carry over last year's donations with this, so maybe I'll have enough this year to make a dent in the taxes. Runs to the Goodwill and the recycle center tomorrow. Had a great walk with Susie and Zeke. I thought they'd be out of town, but they delayed their trip, so she brought Zeke to my house to start our walk so my ex, who was visiting, could meet both of them. He grew up in Brooklyn, she grew up in Queens. They had a few places in common to talk about as the dogs sat under a tree patiently and waited for the people to stop chatting. :) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 May 11 - 10:19 AM Andrea posted some photos on her facebook page. The fireplace in the dining room is beginning to reveal itself. Tons to do today, will report later. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 09 May 11 - 12:32 PM Notes to self-- a productive, "harvesting" morning I do not want to lose as the day busies up. Just back in from front porch tea/exercise... 1. The bad hip is still very weak but making myself take the first step on it (on stairs) is strengthening it. Still need cane to do it. (Soon it will be like attic room steps-- trot up and ease down. Must remember to make myself do this at bedtime/office time, on steps to BRs, too.) 2. The first dry-fit of the cot in the van's footprint (on a free rug that "happened" to perfectly fit within the van's sidewalls) has gone great. The mods I made to the cot, great. 3. The underbed gear lockers DO fit and can be accessed when I flip up either end-- the cot still has three quite-stable legs on the ground when I flip one end up. The anti-flip properties of the gear lockers keep the bed stable too. I need to add one more tie-strap to hold those two center legs fully extended. 4. There IS room underneath for my music gearbag and the autoharop will again have to ride up front. (If I have a passenger they can hold it on their lap!) 5. The toiletries bag is yet to place. Have to measure van doors to see where there is room to step into this palace, and place that bag from there-- near portapotti of course. There should be a few inches for it where the teensiest-fridge is now sitting-- it can come out for this trip (no hookups). Ditto kitchen bag-- a small zip cooler inside an insulated store bag which worked well on the last foray. 6. There IS room for the portapotti which is so much more stable than a bucket, and which can be used by one person without a cleanout for 2 weeks' time. Its enzyme/chems have proven fine during vacay's-- no adverse reactions and no odors either. 7. The drawer unit's drawers CAN be turned around to open from either the open hatch or bedside. (Leave the ones turned out to the hatch the most rain-tight.) 8. This WILL all transfer "easily" into parish halls' hospitality. A friend found one for one of the stops in the pending foray. 9. The gear lockers which are presently underbed can be stacked on top of the bed so that I can fold one end of the bed up, to put the scooter in, for forays that require scooter. (The upcoming one does not.) Still to get is the tarp to protect the scooter-- I'd have to unload it to sleep. 10. The underbed locker by the driver's seat WILL hold sensitive electronics, etc., better not left on public display. The one by the hatch will be my clothes closet. I can pack it now. I carry laundry soap so I can bring just two changes of clothes. 11. The casebook of songs I can lead solo is off to the printer-- oops, gotta go phone 'em with instrux. === Apparently my ability to construct first in inner-vision, accurately, IS intact from childhood and from chairbound days-- all pre-strokes. === "Biz" ethics policies have been affirmed by Older Person With Prior Experience who will hold documentation for future reference. Stored safely in online storage. === Local garden supply friend has my herbs in; exploring how to get with no vehicle, before I leave Saturday. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 09 May 11 - 01:08 PM I am still here. As Susan says, I have been on FB but that is lighter reading and easier for my poor poisoned brain. Ever since the Friday night, about a month ago, when I was exposed to toxins at the Cafe, I have been having difficulty. My environmental sensitivity has kicked in big time. I have had few days with energy. Reading and absorbing what I read is very bad. The chronic anger is horrific and I have had a couple of terrifying episodes. A friend got on my case about "the anger doesn't help" while holding me prisoner in a toxic room. I thought I had gotten across to her that the anger is not optional; it is my brain dysfunction screaming in protest that it is being hurt. Then I went to the dentist on 4 May and whatever toxins that entailed had me drugged for two days. That night and the next morning I could not get out of bed. I have been taking one or two detox baths a day depending on what else must be done. etc, etc... We had two good weekends in the country and part of another. In spite of the other, things were coming along nicely until the dentist hit. Now I am a limp noodle, unable to express what I need to say, unable to do more than the bare essentials and living with other people being annoyed at my "anger" over which I have very minimal control. Hard on me, hard on Robin, hard on others. AFter one episode, I was told by two "friends" that I should just stay home. I am doing everything possible. Phoned my health consultant last monday; emailed her last night. It seems ridiculous at one level. It is not life threatening but it is really a disability - an invisible disability. People do not understand that I have been studying on this for almost 12 years, Connie for almost 20 - since her son was poisoned. A friend has sent me a link to an environmental health org which is holding a conference here in Montreal on Thurs, with instant translation. But unless Robin can go with me, I won't understand much. My auditory processing is at a very low level. Oh dear, that is all I can write. This too will pass. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 09 May 11 - 01:25 PM I forgot. Some of what was said above, causes me to remind people that overweight is linked to environmental toxins. Toxins are stored in fat. This is a two-edged sword. It is hard to lose weight if our bodies are full of toxins but it is important to loss the fat to get rid of the toxins. This is, I believe, why I cannot lose weight unless I get clear of the toxins - as evidenced that I was able to lose 40 pounds after my big de-tox several years ago. I just found the log book from that period. That "diet" which was not the least bit difficult at the time (AD!) was totally restricted: Brekkie: one piece of good german rye bread toasted, with tahini. lunch: salad - lettuce, lots of humous. supper: large bowl of broccoli and a broiled breast of chicken. HONEST! On Sundays, at brunch with friends - cheese omelete, home fries -- and a double choc muffin which I usually saved for later; it often lasted until Tuesday! I could not manage that right now ----I was going to say "if my life depended on it". Now, if I could somehow convince myself that my life does depend on it>>>???? We'll see. I am drinking miso cup of soup - a couple times a day but then I get hungry..... IT was lovely to read about the appearance of Jeremiah! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 09 May 11 - 01:44 PM I've put some plastic trellis over my spring onions and carrots after the cat had damaged the rows again. We've had some rain, and the slugs have gone for the lettuces. I've put out a beer trap, and some "organic" granules from Oxfam. It's iron phosphate, so not as horrible as the metaldehyde stuff. Today's task was to put up the first book shelves, but that was a bit disappointing. Though I have drilled holes in brick before, no problems, my hand drill really struggled here. I bought a new bit, but it was no better. Then, after I had done two and a half holes of the three I needed for the track, I realised that I had two sorts of track with different hole patterns, and I had drilled for the sort I only have three of, and not the ones I have twelve of. So now I have to drill seven more holes before I can put up shelves, and it is such hard work. I will be having my Dad's power drill, so I can't buy a new one. I think I'll have to wait for the shelves. The gauze curtain I've rigged up to deal with the evening sun is working well. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 09 May 11 - 03:24 PM Hi DP! (((DP))) A loose hug for a smart lady. Van now at dealer for 3 recall notices. If not done I get a free loaner for the trip. It had one MORE recall item I had not known it needed-- wiring harness for cruise control! I DEPEND on cruise control to save my knees!!! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 May 11 - 05:39 PM It's getting hot down here, so I've been doing some of my outdoor tasks slowly with indoor breaks. I finished the trimming (the code enforcement guys put these stupid neon announcements on your front door if your yard isn't up to their specs, so this is more for them than for me). The grass is off of the curb and all is swept. I've been moving rocks. I came in to read up a little on the project and am going to redo part of what I set up, not a big deal, but it might make it easier. I hope toxic rooms and vehicles are a thing of the past for everyone here. I was listening to Nate Berkus for a while today, one of the "declutter" items that the guest suggested also was "toxic people." Now there's an idea, Dorothy! Next time that person buttonholes you, push the virtual "delete" button and wish them well, but goodbye. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 09 May 11 - 07:35 PM SRS: That person truly was trying to be helpful. And, fortunately, I was too sick to just kick her out of the way and I sure did not want to scream at her. When I am feeling better I will email her with a better explanation. I have found Temple Grandin's book, Thinking in Pictures, which has a good explanation of the auditory processing problem. And the site on environmental health has a clear statement on the difficulty of finding medical help- since my word is not good enough for some people. I realize now that I did not explain things in a way she could understand, which made sense to her. I will try again. In spite of trying, I do not yet understand what part of the brain is afflicted but I have found the same sensitivity to sounds in people with autism, MR and brain damage from hypoxia. Two weeks ago, a certain noise felt like a knife in my brain and caused me to scream in pain. I scared myself and upset a lot of others. I did not recover for four days. It has never happened before and I hope it never does again. But this is definitely the sort of thing that happens to some people with certain symptoms of autism. I'll bet Daniel Amen and Oliver Sacks would know. When I have more energy, I will check their sites. We are not through with toxic homes and vehicles until all chemicals are eliminated or declared safe by non-corporate studies. I know they tried to do renovations to the cafe in a safe manner. We suspect the "ALL Natural" floor oil. We need to be aware that all natural is not necessarily safe - arsenic, hemlock, sassafras tea, etc. I have gotten ill in buildings that were clean and odour free ----In one, they exterminated for bugs and the residual chemicals were enough to give me nausea and headache in 30 minutes. And that was on one of my very good days! Today, getting off the sofa is an effort. I believe this is sill the effect of the dentist. R phoned today to give a heads up so, hopefully, wednesday's appt is not a repeat. I would like to be in good shape for the weekend Quaker Gathering when we will be considering discernment and the appropriate use of the words consideration and/or discussion, a strong concern of mine. Still a limp noodle. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 09 May 11 - 09:38 PM 3535 incredibly painful trudges. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 09 May 11 - 10:07 PM Well. I completely blew today out of the water. It was a good day (weeded 2 flower beds for my nana, drove 200 miles on a beautiful day, got something that helped Jeremiah with his teething and spoke at an adoption forum this evening) but not a nutritionally good day. Good thing there's healthy food in the fridge for tomorrow!!! Ugh. Crap food makes me feel like crap. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 May 11 - 10:46 PM I put down the first row of stones in the front, and figured that it might take as much as two bags of mortar per row. Of course this first one had a lot of mortar in the hole for the first rocks to rest in, so the rest of the rows might use a bit less. It looks good, though I know what I want it to end up like - to anyone else, it looks like a ragged row of rocks. I cleaned the truck, took my recycling over to the village collection point, and hauled some of the compost leaves (in bags I picked up on trash day at other peoples' houses) to the back yard. Getting ready to make a batch of banana bread, and I did a little shopping. Now I need a shower to scrape off the sweat, dust, and mortar. :-/ SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 May 11 - 12:29 AM This week I've been finding things that seemed long gone. A knife, and now a pair of glasses. The spare pair that was a previous Rx. My current frames were replaced just a couple of months before I needed my next exam, so I reused them. The older pair is now my spare again. Banana bread cupcakes out of the oven - they smell wonderful! Decluttering the freezer of some frozen bananas this evening. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 10 May 11 - 11:38 AM Hard to believe, but I actually got the van back this AM already-- axle not cracked, so regulation (risk mgmt) reinforcing kit installed. Several other recalls we had never heard about-- also checked/fixed. (Frame!?!?!?!?) I decided to make a non-customary grocery stop for the vittles I'll take on board. Delighted to find a conversion van sitting out in front when I came out, of an age we could afford, and with nice people inside. They indulged me in a great Q&A supporting my contention that a used one in good shape CAN be found, affordably, and that is DOES make a HUGE difference to be able to stand all the way up, inside it as the 5'11" driver assured me! Theirs even came WITH a foldout bed!!! They'd paid $2,000 at 125,000 miles on it. It now has close to 180,000 and has not needed any major engine or transmission work. Frabjous joy! And no they were not selling it-- wouldn't part with 'er. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 May 11 - 11:58 AM Dishes all finished, trash out. Laundry folded, put away. Garden watered. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 10 May 11 - 12:48 PM Dishes done, floors swept, rug vacuumed, counters clean, table found, all baby things, baby now down for a nap and I'm off to clean out the car from this weekend's emergency trip. I'll be doing laundry the rest of the day...clothes, rugs, blankets, etc. I have new curtains to be hung in the living room and a new shower curtain too. Nutrition is MUCH better today. Breakfast: FF Cottage Cheese, Mandarin oranges, rinsed well. Lunch: 2 small tortillas, 2 slices swiss cheese, 6oz. FF Greek Yogurt. A beautiful salad is ready for munching on later if I get hungry, plenty left to enjoy with dinner too. Dinner: Grilled chicken, curried couscous, green beans, salad. YAY! Emergency trip = eating on the road = total crap for 3 days. Yes, I know salads are available but I needed fast. I did get in some fruit but the rest of it was ick. I'm paying for it too. Time to clean out the car and get the mail which for us, is 1/10th of a mile one way. It's a beautiful day to be outside! Later Gators! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 10 May 11 - 03:12 PM Emergency trip = eating on the road = total crap for 3 days. Yes, I know salads are available but I needed fast. I did get in some fruit but the rest of it was ick. I'm paying for it too. Planning is just needed. Your bag, baby's bag. (Mommies first, remember?) We have some good tricks. Subway has the oat bread and of course you can customize. The BEST McD diabetic meal-- it happens!-- has been the 4-pct Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal (no sauce), with Apple Dippers (no sauce) and unsweet iced tea. Purists crack off the breading. For lo-sugar moments, we split the oatmeal cookies. Sweet, but 1/2-cookie is about right (and we put the rest away where we cannot see them). (McD does not care how old the Happy Meal consumer may be, and you get a car toy!) When I travel, I stop to stretch the legs and grab fresh fruit to go with the non-refrig-type tofu on board. It keeps about 6 hours after you open it and can be sprinkled with ramen noodle packets. I also carry Chicken a la King (it's in a poptop) and eat it as a dip, with rice cakes-- it has fat and protein but little/no carb. No cookem's. Hardi's preferred staple is a thick PB san on oat, cut and squished and buried in a backpack-- ziploc w/ 4 dry, bar-shaped mouthfuls. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 10 May 11 - 03:30 PM Michelle, I make up my own trail mix using dried fruit sans msg, nuts, and sometimes 3-4 m&ms. I know you probably can't do the m&ms, but you can plan out the rest, plus there are some good drinks out now with 2-3 day's portion of veggies and/or fruit which are handy and filling. Also, string cheese, WW's brand is only 100 calories or thereabouts. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,mg Date: 10 May 11 - 03:35 PM The rice cakes are high in carbs..about 14 for 2 brown ones. They are also exploded grains, which are supposedly worse because of surface area or something. They are one of the things we are told to avoid if we have metabolic syndrome. mg |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 10 May 11 - 03:36 PM I suppose I did it backwards but my first instinct was to make sure I had everything I needed for Jeremiah. Bottles. Diapers. Food. Wipes. Clothes. Then for me: Insulin. Meds. Toothbrush. Deo. He had food, I did not. I really didn't have time to come up with stuff to take other than apples. I did have 3 chicken breasts, rice and baby carrots cooked and in the fridge but I left those for Pete so he wouldn't have to fuss with making lunch for himself while I was away. I got snacks for Jeremiah at the hospital cafeteria...yogurt, a banana, Cheerios and milk. And for Mommy? A bottle of water. I don't know..I was stressed, tired, worried about everyone but me. The thought for better eating was there but not the energy to follow through. The good news is that I'm home and will make better choices today and hopefully in the days to come. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 10 May 11 - 03:39 PM I found a drill bit which is up to the job of the local brick, and put up two sections of aluminium shelf support track, and four book shelves, now loaded. Several cardboard boxes now empty, but the books are in anything but Dewey order, or even the alphabetical version suggested by my nasty ex-neighbour as if it were ridiculous. History of various periods, science, religion, children's literature, guide books... In the boxes they were sorted by size alone. I have one lot which I have realised I will never get round to reading, which will go to Oxfam, and another which I won't need to keep after reading, so they are in a basket going upstairs. The cat has been on the garden again - well, not actually BEEN, but done a bit of scraping. And something has squashed some lettuces. Under netting. The rose I saved from the last place has mildew, and is looking very sorry for itself. It may be a mistake that it is in shade, but I can get a replacement. Oddly, in the same place, a branch of the angelica is looking peaky, and the neighbour's shrub, hanging over the fence, had a dead part. I have sprayed the rose with anti-fungal spray, and keep it watered. The buds are ready to open, but looking a bit slow. When they have bloomed - if they do - I am going to cut it hard back, and move it to a sunny spot. The place where the cat has destroyed the onions and carrots might well do! Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 10 May 11 - 04:23 PM I am trying to get hold of some rockery stone - there was a small-ad in the local press for 3 cwt free. But no-one ever answers the phone. It's our local hard stuff, Kentish Rag, a limestone cemented sandstone which comes in irregular chunks. It is now difficult to source, so I was rather pleased to see the ad, and intend to pay the owners if it hasn't already gone. The stone I have in the garden is a mishmash of the previous owner's rock specimens, and mine, and a load of smashed concrete. I did look up how to make hypertufa, but decided that the concrete - known among geologists as "urban conglomerate" or "wimpeyite" (Wimpey's being a major construction company) was very similar, especially if mossy. However, it will be difficult to construct a rockery which looks like a natural outcrop. Ragstone would be much easier. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 10 May 11 - 04:58 PM Played outside with Jeremiah. He loves to swing! While he was swinging, I was picking up nearby downed branches/pieces of branches and started a pile of them. We collect them each spring to use as kindling for campfires or for next winter when the fire has died down. There are A LOT of them this year! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,mg Date: 10 May 11 - 06:14 PM Next time I hope you take the chicken breasts and leave husband to fend for himself..he can go out to eat at a Chinese restaurant or whatever if there is not much at home. You could hard boil some eggs (yuck), take the chicken breasts, have cans of tuna and salmon, jars of peanuts (big costco ones and leave in the car), other nuts, grab cheese from refer as you go, soy nuts..don't be afraid of McDonald's..you can eat hamburgers or chicken minus buns, they have some nice meat salads. It is more important that you as a diabetic driver with a baby have food on hand, and some stashed in the car, than your husband not be inconvenienced... |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 10 May 11 - 07:24 PM Wait a minute. I had access to food. I just didn't make the best choices for myself. Sure I could have taken the chicken, rice and carrots for myself but I WANTED to make sure my husband had decent food and not have to mess with cooking. He is a WONDERFUL cook and is more than capable for fending for himself...I didn't want him to have to do that. He works hard enough. I did not put myself or the baby in any kind of danger. If push came to shove, I had 6 apples in the car, 6 jars of baby food, baggies of animal crackers and Cheerios. I was just pointing out that I opted for crap food (McDonald's hamburgers, a fruit smoothie, small fries) because it was easy and fast which is what I needed because I waited until I was starving to eat. There was too much going on and I was exhausted. It happens. And when you eat crap, you feel like crap. My sugars were a little high but nothing over 150. I REALLY don't like the implication that I was putting the baby at risk. I absolutely was NOT. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,mg Date: 10 May 11 - 08:23 PM OK..I will only speak for myself. If I wait until I am starving, which I rarely feel because I get way too symptomatic of low blood sugar (really never that low, just symptoms are same)...and am exhausted, I am in no shape to drive. I don't have the mental acuity or sharpness. I drive too fast, my reactions are not good. I should not be on the road when I have not eaten, and there are no symptoms of hunger, just increasing confusion. Hopefully I am the only person on the road who gets like that. I had to have it written in my personnel file that I can stop the state car and eat when I need to, because usually we are not supposed to do that. In my own car, and I am without a car right now, I keep lots of peanuts for sure, a few cans of chili. I thank God every day for McDonald's because it is pretty standard and has the protein and fat that my body needs, sometimes very quickly without much warning, as my schedule changes mean changes to my metabolism. mg |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: maeve Date: 10 May 11 - 09:43 PM Many of us want to be helpful to each other here. Inevitably, as I think Maggie has pointed out in the past, we only see the part of the picture someone's words paint, interpreted by our personal experience. I appreciate that Mary focused her later observations on her own solution for herself. That leaves others free to take or leave her observations based on their personal situation. You're a wonderful mother, Michelle. You are generous to keep a window open for us to share glimpses of your life. I've pretty much closed my virtual window. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 10 May 11 - 10:56 PM 2966, and on this HR0-lowering med, I am NOT seeing ANY training effect on wind. My muscles feel it, my metabolism feels it, but my wind? Zilch. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 10 May 11 - 10:58 PM Maeve, Thank you!!!!! Mg, I can appreciate your post but please know that exhaustion does not always mean low blood sugar nor does it mean I am on the verge of falling asleep (I WISH!!!) I am exhausted frequently as the chemo continues to work it's way out. It's just part of my life. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 10 May 11 - 11:04 PM Very well said, maeve. Thank you and, Michelle, I agree, you are a wonderful mother. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 May 11 - 01:29 AM I'm mostly away from the computer for a couple of days, I'll check in as I can. Breathe and relax! :-) You're all doing fine, just a little mis-communication there. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 11 May 11 - 05:06 AM Just being a mother is enough to exhaust anybody (I've had 3) even without any health issues on top. The usual format is see to the little ones, and then grab what you can lay your hands on in the time available for yourself. The fireplace surround is almost exposed, but I am having a bit of a lazy day today. There's only the bottom of the side bits to clear now, and I have decided not to chip every little bit of pitch and plaster off, as they are all part of its story. I'm trying to pull together the admin strands of the imminent build, as the builder and I want to get started asap. The archaeologist assures me he will be dealing with it today. I also need the planning dept to tell me exactly what they need me to do as regards fulfilling the conditions. The builder hopes he won't be dumping stuff on all of my garden, but he'll have to use what he needs, so I'm still not planning much until the work's finished. I think today's main task will be to just go through the front bed with a hoe and sort out the chickweed that may be appearing. Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 11 May 11 - 08:41 AM Working upstairs this morning, going for a walk, a stop at the park and then an evening meeting that I am very much looking forward to. HELLO SUNSHINE!!!!! Have a great day everybody! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 May 11 - 09:00 AM Woke at my normal time, though I'm taking the day off. You'd think your brain knows it can take a little extra time to sleep. Oh, well. I can use the time. SRS |
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Subject: Family Systems a la Mudcat From: wysiwyg Date: 11 May 11 - 10:34 AM Speaking in love and in truth to power.... "Take the best and leave the rest" seems to be obsolete at Mudcat these days, as if adults are not capable of thinking and discerning for themselves what is needful. There seems to be a fear that crisis is just around the corner, when, in fact, we are all actually doing a whole lot better that we thought we might. Increasing one's isolation is never health. Choosing to change one's viewpoints or one's time involvement, on the other hand, usually is. When I think of the folks who we don't see around here much anymore, with some of whom I remain in contact elsewhere, I see healthy individuals. Increasingly I am one of them. Increasingly, I find this fear-based paradigm at Mudcat toxic. It won't change as people are driven away by it. Only changing that paradigm will change it. A "family systems" consultant would have a field day at Mudcat. I would hope that Mudcatters familiar with that model might think about applying it here-- not "at" other folks (and thereby increasing their own isolation inside it), but to their own behavior. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 11 May 11 - 10:36 AM Thanks for the desk yoga link, SRS. That's great! Yesterday - qi gong 30 minutes Today - maybe exercise class, depends on if I get a nap in. Had Morgan over at 430a as his dad had to go to the ER. They're all home now, so I hope to rest enough to go to class. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 11 May 11 - 11:43 AM I really enjoyed that link and meant to say so too!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 11 May 11 - 11:44 AM And as for a recent post, I find it HYSTERICAL that this thread currently follows this thread: Recognising Psychobabble BUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *SNORT* Gasping for air... LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 11 May 11 - 11:49 AM Whew. Ok. Composure regained...somewhat *GRIN* I didn't do what I had planned regarding working upstairs. Jeremiah was most content playing with his toys in the living room so I dusted and picked up in there. I got the dishes all done, more laundry going and I wiped down his larger toys (smaller ones set to soak in a little bleach water) with Lysol wipes. I got them for a great price plus I had coupons for them. I hadn't ever purchased them before but decided to go ahead and get about 6 of them. Man..they are SLICK! They have a side that is textured so it's great for scrubbing. I'll be watching for those to go on sale again...they are absolutely perfect for wiping down little riding cars, activity centers and the like. Onward! The baby is napping, the sun is still shining and I'm going to finish some things up before our walk and time in the park! I'm looking forward to it!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 11 May 11 - 02:20 PM Hm, 58 years old and just learning how to hang up my clothes. Not learning TO do it, but the HOW-- to keep 'em ON the hangers. When the dry-cleaner here went out of business, we lost access to foam-padded wire hangers. But now-- larger, heavier padded ones are available locally so I'm getting rid of the old, nasty wire hangers. And I discovered that if I fold them into thirds, vertically-- right on the hanger, as it I were folding them on a flat table-- I can clothes-pin the underarms together in back. It all hangs stgraight, leaves no marks where they will show, can be packed in tight without wrinkling, and the resulting tension on the shoulder part of the sleeve holds it from shifting, too. FINALLY! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 11 May 11 - 07:54 PM Well, I have most of my brain back. Took almost a week after the dentist chemicals, added to the other toxins, did me in. We finally thought to phone the dentist in Pennsylvania to find out what he used on me. Wonderful people! Told Robin what would be OK and also that I had a lot of work done with NO anesthetic. Not knowing what today would bring, I took the 4 NAC recommended by my health consultant and went off to brave the dentist. Robin had prepped the staff on the call to PA. The Dr. informed me wer are only doing fillings today to give me a break. I informed her we could do that without A. She accepted this and we did four. Oh joy. The list is shortening. She assured me she had the required chem and in a couple weeks we will do the next root canal. So I sorted out more of the shed. We are planning to make a concerted effort to clear it completely in the next couple weeks - take it to the country - so we can take it down and SEE the back yard. I am delighted by what is coming up. Want to get the two dozen tomatoes and pepper plants into the ground as soon as shed is gone. Light at the end of the tunnel and it's not a freight train coming through. I am content for people to make their comments, suggestions, whatever. Sometimes they are helpful, sometimes reminders, and if they are not applicable, I do what I do. Connie is my "bottom line" for health matters; I trust her implicitly. Found an "Environmental Working Group" on line today which has good info. We hope to go to a conference tomorrow eve on environmental health, held by a Montreal group. It is heartening to find these things. I feel less alone. Still sorting out the cell phone problem - does not work at country - in the house. Tomorrow I will resolve that, I think. I only try to do one away from home thing each day, or two easy ones. The weekend is a Quaker gathering near Ottawa. The site is environmentally challenging but there are lots of windows to open. I survived last year. Guess I'll be sure and take the NAC. Glad R is going. He helps so much, explaining to people when I cannot. He also translates when I can not process what is happening. AND I think he will enjoy the group of people who will be there. He has only met the Montreal group so far. And, in spite of his fluent French, he appreciates being where he can count on people speaking English. It is good to have my brain back as the weekend theme was my suggestion; I want to be on top of it. I have a concern for the right use of words in a Quaker context. Obit for Kate Swift adds to my repertoire of the importance of word-usage. She seems to have been a bit of a pioneer in the use of non-sexist language. And so, life muddles on. Good to hear what others are accomplishing. I think I have gotten R to understand the clutter-fear I have developed as he drags in stuff from every yard sale he sees and from whatever looks interesting on trash day! The country house seems to have given him permission to escalate. I blew a couple days ago - I DON"T WANT CLUTTER!!! Today's find came in apologetically - a lovely, good quality brass floor lamp for which I have a shade at hand! Living with one another is definitely challenging! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 11 May 11 - 11:03 PM 2595 |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 12 May 11 - 09:52 AM This morning, as I listened to the morning radio programme, I heard about a project for people to record what they do through today, so I'm noting down everything. In case I find out where to submit it. I've hung a long mirror which came from Dad's house in the hall, sowed some bean, pea and lettuce seeds, and bought some bean plants in case the new batch fail to germinate lake the last. I've looked up what has affected my rose bush - powdery mildew, and I need to eradicate the plant. And dispose of it at the dump in the household department where it will be incinerated. And clean the secateurs with disinfectant. I have planted it in exactly the wrong place. It's a good thing I still have access to a healthy one. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 12 May 11 - 10:14 AM Pack the Van Day I today-- cot and loo. (The tricky parts.) Wash the dresser and add that. Out, ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 12 May 11 - 03:13 PM Spring cleaning bedrooms today. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 12 May 11 - 03:26 PM Ya know how the essential things never really happen until they are supposed to happen? For years I've wanted a hitch-mounted cargo carrier. The same moment I was confronting the reality of all the things I cannot carry inside the van, and also still sleep comfortably in it as the demands of my ministry seem to require-- from the front porch I saw the mail carrier, who was delivering a birthday check--- and it turned out to be about 10 times bigger than this one relative usually sends for my birthday. I had allocated what she usually sends to reimburse this trip's ministry travel expenses, and was just so grateful THAT amount had come in time for this foray. The place I wanted the carrier from IS open til 9 and DOES have it in stock. And it is STILL on sale and there is enough $$ to also get the water-resistant cover that fits it! Winwinwin! (And they have a really affordable carrier, as well, for my scooter-- another pesky problem long in the solving!) A popular saying at our house: "Gee I love it when a plan comes together!" and TBTG. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 12 May 11 - 07:16 PM Packing up for a trip to the hospital tomorrow...port accessed, exam & test. Be well everybody! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 12 May 11 - 08:56 PM Oh joy!! A good day. I am back to my self. Cleaned up BR, packed for weekend, hemmed three pairs of R's pants and roughly mended a work pair, packed a plastic container with winter stuff and put it with the rest in the back yard, straightened up more of the shed, ready to start the last big move of pottery stuff and other to the country - more storage space there. Groceries, a lengthy phone conversation to sort out part of cell phone situation, more tomorrow. A conversation with the man who wanted me to deal with the lack of neutering clinics in Montreal; there was a wonderful news item about a new group working on better ways to deal with the 50,000 abandoned animals each year. I suggested he get involved! Seriously sorting papers, some into recycling, others into correct categories and appropriate niches. Did not get to the conference on Environmental Sensitivity. Rob is too busy and I would not get much out of it on my own. But it is wonderful to find the group, and a group fighting pesticides. Still need to finish the chili for tomorrow;s potluck - better if it season's for awhile. Rain this weekend so I have to check the shed for ways to keep the rain out of what is still there. Tomorrow... |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 12 May 11 - 10:03 PM 3470 |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 12 May 11 - 10:08 PM Goodonya DP! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 13 May 11 - 12:05 PM OK, it's last-day-to-pack when what is really important is obvious-- last emails, last-learned priorities, key things to bring to meet them. A huge area of relief for us has been that as the house gets more and more organized, there is less and less BS about packing-- and that includes leaving things at home as we wish to find them when we walk back in. This is an outcome to which we can all look forward, even when we are buried beneath impossible tasks. It DOES actually get you somewhere. And whether IRL or virtually-- where it gets you is OUT. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 13 May 11 - 06:32 PM I've sowed some radish seed, and moved my potato bags from their starter positions, on flagstones balanced on flower pots, like old fashioned staddle stones, to make sure the mouse didn't eat the seed potatoes. I've had to hack at the virginia creeper which is in fast growing phase. I've made a stack of the flagstones to stand strawberry pots on, matching one I had already built. I won't be getting the Kentish Rag, which had already gone. Yesterday I went into Oxfam, and was astonished to find a pair of books I had taken in now in their locked display, one priced at £35. Rather a surprise. The books were "Quest for Orion" and "The Tower of the Stars" by Rosemary Harris, a dystopic adventure for children in which a neo-stalinist totalitarian Europe is defeated by children in a reconstituted Templar/Teutonic order, guided through the psychic powers of one boy. Weird. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 13 May 11 - 06:48 PM It's all out on the porch now for mega-loadup. 2950 and rising. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 13 May 11 - 07:47 PM Port easily accessed. Fantastic nurse! Check up: Great!! Test: Not required! WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!! Grocery shopping and 180 miles later, I'm exhausted. Night everybody! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 13 May 11 - 07:51 PM Wonderful, Michelle!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 13 May 11 - 10:25 PM 3920, hip better, TBTG for Hardi's help-- loaded for 8AM departure! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 May 11 - 12:43 AM I dropped hints, and for the last 4 days sent photos to facebook and twitter via my phone. I've dropped to the bottom of the thread now to say "I'm back!" I left on May 10 and drove to Tucson over two days. Stopped the night in El Paso. On May 11 in the afternoon I delivered my son his packing materials (plastic bins with attached covers, cleaning materials, and a roll of contractor-weight plastic trash bags for things that wouldn't fit anything else). I spent the night at a friend's house, catching up (my daughter is named for her). Drove back into Tucson the next morning, picked up my son who had checked out of his dorm, and after running a couple of errands, we hit the road. Got a nice dinner at a historic Mexican restaurant in La Mesilla, NM, and after stopping the night in Van Horn, Texas, stopped at the Monahan Sandhill State Park for a quick drive through the beautiful site. Drove in this evening, and he's headed over to his Dad's house because most of his high school friends live in that neighborhood. He'll go back and forth between the houses this summer. I hope he gets a job for spending money. He learned about a job on campus next fall, but that won't cover spending this summer. Lots of rain here over the days I was gone so my garden has grown. I have to finish unpacking the truck tomorrow and need to do some laundry. But I have the weekend to work on stuff, so I'll be rested for work on Monday. I'll catch up reading the thread tomorrow and pick up from there. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 14 May 11 - 10:37 AM Welcome back, SRS. Maybe the kid should help unload the car?**bg** |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 May 11 - 11:45 AM Kat, he did help unload a lot of the stuff in the car. What's left is things that would have taken up space in the laundry room, etc. I will do our commingled laundry then as I finish cleanging stuff or sorting, will store his things for school next fall in his bedroom. We were all tired and didn't feel any more like fooling with the pickup. The work on the truck before I left was a good move. No gust of hot oil smell every time I parked somewhere. That, and the purchase of new bifocal Rx sunglasses made this trip very comfortable. The dogs get their annual shots at the village fire hall this morning, so I'll walk them over and back. We can all use the exercise. A windfall of the return trip is that my son didn't use his little Vizio 19" television much. His monitor is also a receiver, and he mostly watched NetFlix and stories via online, not television. So this little set is now mine. I've looked at where it could go and think I'll mount it on the wall to keep it off of the counter. I have my living room arranged in such a way so I can see the LR television from the kitchen, but it isn't the best arrangement. Now I can rethink the positioning of all of the furniture. I think I may end up with the dining room table over near the fireplace and the television in a more cozy arrangement on the opposite side of the room. I want a seating area for just talking and the television in its own area. Or maybe even move it into a different room. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 May 11 - 08:18 PM Penny, in future, you can spray straight commercial strength (in the grocery store it is usually 3%) hydrogen peroxide on the plants with powdery mildew. It does a great job of getting rid of it. I've also used a dried potassium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to get rid of it. You might want to spray one week, wait, and go spray again, see if it helps. Also of you soak cornmeal in water and then spray the water, that's a great anti-fungal. You can also sprinkle corn meal on the ground - it acts both like an antifungal and a fertilizer. Mildew and bugs mean the plant is in distress, it is stressed by something in the environment. Is the drainage wrong or the sunlight wrong where you've planted things? Look to the conditions and you might find why the pests have come in to clear out the dying plant. Daughter was down for our belated mother's day lunch. We're negotiating the swapping out of devices this week - my son used my mp3 player when I was driving (his died last fall), but I ended up giving mine to my daughter this weekend. I use it for the radio, mostly, and hers (same model, smaller capacity) has been in use for at least 3 years and small and almost kaput. Her brother in the meantime has used and killed 3 of them, and wants something different next time (he's careful, but he uses them so much they wear out). Meanwhile, my son has a small 10mpx camera graduation gift that he never uses. He's giving that to his sister - we can't afford to have these things around and not use them, and she uses a camera a lot. And I have a small LCD television that he took for his dorm room but never used. It's in my kitchen. A long dog walk is in order this evening. The girls got their annual immunizations today and were good girls for that (a shot clinic held in the village one day a year). I'm caught up now - I'll try to keep my posts more readable. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 14 May 11 - 09:05 PM I definitely planted it in the wrong place. It's by the fence on the south west side of the garden, so doesn't get direct sunlight; and I put the angelica next to it, which is overshadowing it; and the neighbour has a bush which is hanging over the fence and shading it more. We've had the wrong weather for it, too, no rain. It looks as if the flower buds aren't going to open, so I might as well go for it now. The new growth is clean and not distorted, so I think it should be OK if I cut hard back the affected stuff, dig up the roots and put it where it will get the sun. The rose from my grandparents' home will have to be in a similar place, as it is susceptible - I might put them growing through each other. Thanks for the advice about spraying - I do have a commercial one, but can't use it often. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 May 11 - 11:55 PM The commercial ones can be worse than the diseases or insects they're trying to remedy. If you visit Dirt Doctor and look for the "library" link you'll be able to look up lots of problems and solutions alphabetically. I've emptied the pickup and have a second load of laundry ready to dry. I'll put the boxes and their contents in his room and in the next few days I'll have him tell me what he actually used out of what we sent. We'll set those things aside and have them ready for the August trip. I taught my daughter a bit about automotive diagnosis this evening. While she was here in town the Check Engine light in her friend's car came on. I showed her how to open the hood and to check the oil, the transmission fluid level, the coolant level, and what the other tanks and parts were. They'll have to get the car worked on - an oxygen sensor out of whack can be enough to trip the CE light, but putting it on the computer will help diagnose it. She got home okay. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 15 May 11 - 12:48 AM Sounds like a busy, productive time for you and your kids, SRS. Good for you for showing your daughter around an engine. I learned so much from my first husband, but that was when there were carburettors...a lot different from today's cars, though, of course, checking the oil, etc. is still the same. Back then, I changed out my own starters and a generator for my sister one time. That's neat that you can get the dogs' shots close by, too. I've been resting my hands (index fingers, mostly) from the computer, but have been busy otherwise. On Friday, I had a great doc's visit with my PCP...we both really, really like him. He's very pleased with how I am doing, esp. with weight loss. Last time he saw me, in late March, he had to tell me I could die at any moment without getting pulmonary hypertension under control. He was very compassionate and encouraging about treatments which he thought would help so it was neat to show him things were working so well. After that appt., we ran home for lunch, then went off for past-due eye check-ups. Both of us were pronounced to have very healthy eyes and only a slight correction needed in one eye each, otherwise things were the same. Then, we did a bit of shopping at Target; had to pick up an on sale HP printer as mine quit working. By the time we were done there and other stores, we were both exhausted, came home and dropped. My O2 tank weighs 12 lbs when full. I packed it in and out of a lot of places that day, so got some good exercise. OH! Thursday night we took Morgan to his First Grade concert - 4 first grades and they were all so adorable, but of course, HE was the cutest, esp. when his class danced and sang the Turkey Tango. He was out front leading the way for the line he was in. They were all so earnest and singing their hearts out. This morning, Rog mowed and weed-whacked in the front and side yards and on the street along our dilapidated white picket fence. I pulled a few weeds, watered, and moved small stuff out of his way. I even walked the mower as far as my O2 line would reach..a couple of passes close to the front steps. After a little rest, we went to my fav. garden center where I picked up some stocks, gorgeous HUGE purple pansies, some ruffled yellow and purple mixed pansies, Johnny Jump Ups, and orange violets. Plus we got a couple of tomato plants, the little, extra sweet kinds we love. And, Rog noticed the catnip so we picked up a couple of plants of it, too. This year, I think I will grow it in hanging pots to keep the neighbourhood cats from trying to get to it. I used to have a tin grid kind of thing wrapped around it, but it made it hard to pick any and they grabbed it through the holes anyway. Tomorrow, Rog is going to do what he can with the huge backyard...mow a bit and weed-whack a bit, as well as make a dump pile, I hope. Morgan may come over to help. We have to get some potting soil, then I'll pot the annuals, though I also HAVE to get the house picked up. It's driving me bats. It's been so nice out, I didn't want to work inside whilst Rog was having all the "fun" outside!:-) Oh, and Morgan's soccer team won their last game, he scored a goal and they all got trophies! Okay, that's about it for catch-up and my fingers. kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 15 May 11 - 11:48 AM Kat, dilapidated fence can be very charming, especially if there are beautiful flowers growing carelessly around it. Lovely morning here. I took time to post a link Dirt Doctor personal blog. Now I'm headed into the yard. The door is open letting fresh air in, something the house has needed after being closed for several days. Slowly working my way through laundry and moving boxes into my son's room. I want him to still be able to move around in there, so I'll compress the stuff into one area. Headed over to the nursery to get some replacement plants for my seedlings that have been eaten up. We had rain this week, and I wasn't here to guard my plant babies when the snails came out. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 15 May 11 - 11:56 AM Go Kat! You HAVE been busy! Well, everybody has, really. Apart from shifting the dryer yesterday into the dining room/soon-to-be-kitchen, I haven't really done a lot, apart from clearing the ironing. Great news from Michelle as well. We all seem to be in a positive way at the moment! The archaeologist is coming on Wednesday to do his preliminary measuring, etc, but I am still waiting for the go-ahead from the planning department, who may also be waiting for his work schedule... Seriously, though, the council has to approve the stone, mortar, and use of my garden as a compound. And they are not known for their speed! The builder is just about ready to start, and the archaeologist is freeing time up too, but the beaurocratic wheels turn very slowly! Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 15 May 11 - 01:44 PM I have conquered the kid-returning-from-college-clutter that piled up inside the doorway from when I unloaded the truck yesterday. Lots of stuff to go to recycling, kind of amazing that he brought home a case of empty salsa jars because he didn't figure out a way to recycle them there. :) Digging up rocks today, picking up more mortar, and preparing to mow, once some of these rocks are out of the way. I'll pick up bedding plants to fill in crop gaps in the garden. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 15 May 11 - 04:16 PM Couldn't get those rocks to come out without a major struggle, so I've moved on to the next set of more easily liberated stone. Running out for bags of mortar to get some more into place this afternoon, along with bedding plants. I'll put plants in the garden, then start piling dirt behind the wall. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 15 May 11 - 06:27 PM Nursery has been vacuumed and clothes put away. I put the shirt and pants/shorts together to make an easy match in the morning with a wiggly boy in my arms. Three days of dishes done. Laundry is going. Paid some bills. The rest of the day we have all been napping on and off. It's a rainy Sunday...perfect for napping! Pete says Jeremiah and I simply have run out of gas. I think he may be right! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 15 May 11 - 06:57 PM Changed cell phone companies after hours of conferring. Then could not cancel the old one because I had already reengaged the new one. Had a wonderful customer service woman tell me, "Tell them I want to talk to the manager!" I still waited over an hour and gave advice about environmental poisoning and, finally the in store woman told me to go and she would hone me next week. I needed to get home to finish preps for the weekend. Ended up rushed but we got off/ Good Quaker weekend with new people and long not-seen people. My efforts appreciated. Excellent consideration of the terms: discernment, clearness committees and consideration. Looking toward writing an article for the Canadian Friend. I drove the just over two hours there on Friday while R slept - he had worked most of the night before to be able to leave. He drove back - while HE slept! I had to keep a sharp eye out! We delivered two passengers and came home. He went to bed. I unloaded car. THAT is division of labour! Exciting email, forwarded by raccoon rehabbers; A woman close by who has a baby raccoon; We will meet on Tuesday to share info and see if we can generate more interest, maybe form a group for Quebec. This is terrific; I am no longer the only one - that I know. Now home in recuperation mode. Everything else can wait until tomorrow. There is ready made Indian on rice or chili when he wakes up. I did peanut butter on good whole grain bread. It feels good to be home, such as it is, it is our space with our food and our bed! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,PattyClink Date: 15 May 11 - 07:40 PM I'm exhausted reading what everyone accomplished this week and the challenges people deal with. Wow. Not as exciting around here, I'm afraid. I did do some evening decluttering, purging old writings and trying to put the good stuff in proper binders. It's rare for me to overcome evening after-work inertia to do this sort of thing, so that was great progress although it's not 'finished'. Realized several inches of the shelf was actually old stuff other people wrote, certainly don't need to archive any of that. Hopefully I can report in one day on how many inches of paper went for recycling and trash. I actually put in 6 workouts this week: 2 walks of a mile, 2 weights workouts at the gym, 1 lap-swimming thing, and a ton of yardwork yesterday. I don't remember ever staying that consistent before, felt good to do that. One thing I hope will help with the decluttering-- I researched where to haul things like the CRT and other ancient electronics, etc. Stuff I sort-of-knew, and stuff I didn't know, about where to parcel out the various kinds of pass-ons and trash. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 16 May 11 - 12:25 AM Patty, where are you? If you look back through some of the threads you'll find a lot of references (by me) to books by Don Aslett. His most helpful one was Clutter's Last Stand and you can probably find it in a used book store. It's very helpful - he's quite a philosopher. I spent money. I need to stop doing that. I did find a check for freelance work I did last month that I deposited, but I also spent some. I picked up a simple wall-mount for the television my son brought back from college. If he decides next fall to take a TV, this one will stay put and he'll have to get another small one, but he mostly watches NetFlix on his computer. And now I can watch this smaller set from where it is perched on the wall (out of food splash way). I stopped at my friend's house and we had quite a struggle getting his new phone activated. It was a combination of factors - his doors were open, he lives by a street, and a fire truck came by, along with lots of other traffic. The woman on the other end had a quiet voice with an accent and we couldn't figure out which screen to look at on the phone. It was a comedy of errors. She finally switched me to a supervisor with an American accent (I usually don't have a problem, but I think she just wasn't speaking up.) I told him we didn't need a 12-year-old to come in and set this up for us, we just needed to become familiar with the phone and which screen to use. If you use the keyboard and they tell you to enter ## you have to use the function key. But if you use the front touch screen, it behaves properly. [slaps forehead] I've done a lot of laundry, but I didn't finish the rock work. I did get more mortar, so I'll take some time off tomorrow and work on that. I spoke with a neighbor this evening, and it seems I'm not the only one unhappy with the 6" step down into my "den." It's a pain in the butt for moving furniture, for people tripping or stubbing toes, etc. He said people have filled them in, and he build a sub floor and then put a wood floor down over it. I would go for concrete. The room is 22" x 16". It would be wonderful to level the floor - that moves to the top of my list of expensive things to do! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 16 May 11 - 08:27 AM Well. My intention of a lazy Sunday went out the window. I could only sit and nap for so long. After dinner I did more laundry, emptied the dishwasher, loaded up the dinner dishes, peeled and cut up 5 pounds of carrots for carrot and craisin salad as well as carrot coins to cook up for dinner (and for later in the week). I got potatoes cleaned up and ready to bake, table set for breakfast, breakfast food ready. I'm up and ready to go this morning, well rested and ready to take on the day!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 16 May 11 - 12:28 PM I have had an email from the planners - er - it sounds like we can go ahead... I was told to let them know when we start so that they can send a conservation officer (probably to approve the stone on-site). I have forwarded it on to the builder, so I am now awaiting a start date. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Bought a new heavy plastic coated tablecloth this morning, so that I can use my dining table to cook on and prep food. Still waiting to hear when the guy is coming to do the work on the chimney breast. Now need to start and box up cupboard contents and get the camping toilet moved into the house, plus anything else I'll need in the camping line over the summer, before the building work stops me getting at the shed! I can see it being a summer of minimalist camping this year! Maybe the re-boxing of the kitchen crocks and stuff might encourage me to shed some more... Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: pattyClink Date: 16 May 11 - 04:06 PM Hi SRS, where am I physically? Deep South, and very jealous of your recent trip around the southwest, would love to see some wide open spaces right now. Where am I on the journey? Just getting started on undoing several years of neglect on the house due to circumstances beyond my control. My main problem is we haven't moved for a long long time and if you don't pack up and move, you have to do very serious purging after a few years. I do have "Clutter's Last Stand", if I didn't declutter it week before last. Lots of good stuff in it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 16 May 11 - 04:15 PM Wow, Andrea. People have built whole houses in the time it has taken you to get all the permissions, etc. It is rather nice that they are picky about keeping the old houses looking - old. Our neighbour, who painted some of the beautiful stone on her facade - orange, sky blue, and black - had a visit from the keepers of old houses in Montreal. What had been beautiful grey stone is now painted grey. Cleaning up kitchen counters this morning, I viewed it as "cleaning up mouse's feeding area". Our resident mouse is just that. I have come to accept that it will not go into the trap no matter what cheese I use! It would be nice if it were to move out for the summer but I have learned to live with it. So K is as clean as it gets, laundry is done, took a detox bath to recover from weekend toxins, worked on catch-up on the computer and cleared water off droopier and droopier shed roof. Going to book launch tonight: Refusing to Be Enemies by Maxine ( oh darn). This is a what is her name NOW! It is about people working on peace in Israel/Palestine. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,Bizibod Date: 16 May 11 - 05:00 PM Dorothy, try chocolate rather than cheese- works for our visiting marauders.We have one of those humane tip-up traps so you can safely transport the living mouse a decent distance away from your house before releasing it.I did check - it's not the same mouse coming back for more chocolate, but word may be getting around! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,LilyFestre Date: 16 May 11 - 05:28 PM We have really good luck with peanut butter. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Jeri Date: 16 May 11 - 05:42 PM Contrary to popular opinion and years of cartoons, mice aren't that crazy about cheese. Smear a little (JUST a little) peanut butter on the far back of the trap. The mice here sometimes manage to lick it off before the door closes, but it just trains them where the food is, and eventually, I get 'em. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 16 May 11 - 07:06 PM Andrea, there is nothing like camping out in your own house that makes it seem a more luxurious for years after the work is finished. I put in a few bedding plants, filling in gaps in the garden today. I'm going to transplant some shrubs into the back yard that are in the way in the front but I don't want to discard. I'll have to position it or protect it so the dogs leave it alone until established. I've been working on the wall out front; stopped when my ex came over to pick up a table for our son to use over at his house for his computer. Looks like he plans to move in there over the summer (no easy rides anywhere from me, and not the same home cooking, but it does give my electric and water bill a sigh of relief. I'll have him come over for dinner at least once a week.) Back to the wall in a few minutes. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 16 May 11 - 07:14 PM That last post sat on the screen for a while so I didn't see the mouse trap discussion. I've had luck with peanut butter, but even better luck with salami or pepperoni - you sometimes have to wedge it into the tongue of the trap with the end of a toothpick so they're sure to give it a tug to pick it up. The Wilderness Rangers in the Forest Service years ago used to use a bucket full to within a couple inches of the top of water, and the bail was propped in the upright position. They had taken a small can and pierced a hole in the center of the lid on either end and slid it over the bail so it would roll and tied something around the bail on either side so the can stayed in the zenith position on the bail. The whole thing was propped so it would stay up. The can was smeared with peanut butter and a stick (like a paint stick) was propped from the edge of the bucket to the bail. Any mouse that stepped onto the can was rolled off and into the water. When the water was so full of dead mice that the new ones could escape on the bodies of their companions, someone got up and emptied the bucket of mice. Yup. Major problem in some of those wilderness cabins. I've seen this thing, that's why I can describe it. It works. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 16 May 11 - 10:27 PM Well, after the mouse got into a partly opened jar of tahini,I put that in the trap- to no avail. Much as I hate to sacrifice a morsel of chocolate.... I did discover the twerp had gotten into my carry bag and eaten the choc in there. OK, next try choc. It is a good trap. There were two but I cannot remember where I put the other one. But we only caught one mouse. One I caught by the tail and was concerned it was sick so I flushed it. And two succumbed under the cushions of the love seat, we found when we moved it to the country. Poor things. I guess we sat on them. The book launch was excellent. I did not realize I had been there two hours until I got back in the car. I did end up buying the book so Maxine could autograph it. (I've known her about 35 years.) R will read it. I don't feel the need after her good lecture! Must email her and tell her. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 17 May 11 - 12:09 AM Drove a friend to and from the doctor (180 miles round trip) and then attended a Relay For Life Team Meeting that proved to be very productive (I love productive meetings). It's about 16 hours since my day has started and I'm tuckered but happy. YAY. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 17 May 11 - 03:34 AM The builder is now wondering if he should go ahead and order the stone anyway... the conservation officer suggested grey and yellow, and the quarry people have suggested mixing a little of the local red sandstone in as well. I think I had better ask the planning officer if we would be ok to order it! I think if anyone actually dared to paint the stone on a listed building, and it got damaged, they might find themselves hauled into court. Especially here in Northumberland, who have one of the stricted planning departments in the country, from what I can gather! Mind you, the council is strapped for cash, so can't always afford to prosecute. Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 17 May 11 - 11:17 AM Clearly a week for discussing stone work! I have to note here that the Procrastinator's book (yes, I'm still reading it, but took time off during my drive last week) was a help. I made a short mental list of the things I would need to do to take advantage of the dirt that the neighbors sent my way last month. It has been a number of stages, but it is moving along. Berm (tires, dirt, compost, weeds). This photo was taken last year. Wall, incomplete, I've begun filling dirt behind the lower stage. Stone wall and stone house front for comparison I'm trying to put this together to mimic the pattern on the house. The back three walls of the house is brick, and when I have the money I'll seal the brick and paint it a light neutral color that emphasizes the limestone front. This morning I went out and shoveled some of the pile of dirt that came from the next door back yard with their new patio construction. This was what propelled me to do the job - I needed the dirt, but didn't want another pile of dirt in the front. I'm going to put another row of rock on at least, after stepping and tamping down the dirt in back. The wall isn't meant to be self supporting, though I am building it to stand on its own. I want it to be able to slow down a vehicle if it comes flying down the street that intersects with my yard at this point. I'm not making this taller than about 3 feet, and I plan to build a level top so I can sit or put pots on it. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 17 May 11 - 04:49 PM I recently listed one of my kayaks for sale on Facebook and Craigslist. I'm happy to say that within the hour I had someone interested. There have been 5 other inquiries too. That little kayak went home with it's new owners about an hour ago. :) Kitchen floor mopped this morning, laundry and dishes going, car cleaned out, table cleared and I picked up some space bags today to store a mountain of blankets in. I love blankets but have far too many and can't bear to part with them. They take up soo much space so maybe this will help and keep them clean too! I'm contemplating doing something with my hair which has come in very thick and curly. It's getting to have a life of it's own. If I had a pick, I bet I could make a nice afro. Crazy chemo curls. Love 'em! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 17 May 11 - 08:15 PM Working hard, moving a lot. Staying now with a friend with only one loo-- upstairs! Had a 4200 day yesterday, not wearing ped each day, not sure whaty evg has been. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 17 May 11 - 11:50 PM Michelle, I've heard others comment on the different texture of their hair growing back after chemo. I suspect it will relax after a little while. Library inventory a couple of days this week - we fought our way through a couple of those shelves this afternoon that were out of order and required reading before we could proceed. I'm working with an accountant, who, upon seeing a PN 1252 D595 come before a PN 1252 D6 asks if this is right. She has to be told "yes," and "they're not real numbers." Then she's okay. :) I'm going to take off Friday and have a 4-day weekend next week. In the meantime, I'm struggling to get yard work done in cooler weather and after recent rains, so the soil is still moist. I may take a long weekend this week also, to finish that wall and shoveling dirt. More work on the wall tomorrow. Meanwhile, dishes are done in the kitchen, but the livingroom needs liberation from laundry that needs folding. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 18 May 11 - 04:10 AM My mother in law used to say that her hair grew back the same as it was when she was a girl - but grey, due to her age. I remember it being soft and wavy. I contacted the planning officer, who said to order the stone. The builder contacted me and said that the architect had forgotten to put the dimensions of the windows on the plans, so I guess we'll need that in order to work out the area of stone needed. Archaeologist's first visit this afternoon. It's all getting real now! I bet we start work by the start of June (I hope so anyway). Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 May 11 - 09:58 AM Andrea, you seem to thrive on these building projects. You went through all of this in the last house, then sold it. I see a future for you . . . Overcast today, but good for working out doors. I'm going to put in a morning on library work then spend a couple of hours on the wall, then finish library work this evening. This is the beauty of flex time. I've been rearranging some of the cupboard contents in the kitchen, and am aiming at completely clearing stuff from the kitchen island. It always looks so good when it's down to just a few items. My neighbors have been out of town for a week, and in the meantime the new patio cover that is reminiscent of a woodland lodge has nearly finished. I'm going to print up a sign to put on their front door "Welcome to Lost Grizzly Lodge" or something like that. It's a gorgeous structure to look at from the driveway side of my house. It inspires me to clear out over there and maybe tidy the fence a bit. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 18 May 11 - 10:18 AM All furniture skooched out of the living room. New 8 x 12 rug put down. Furniture skooched back. Ah yes. This is MUCH better. It looks great and will be easier to keep clean (love my vacuum) making a better space for the baby to play. Softer on bare feet too. Dogs will go in and out of the mudroom entrance and stay there until they are dry before coming out into the main house. Mud season will end. It will. I have complete faith that it will end....sometime!!! Busy day ahead with regular chores, a little grocery shopping, prepping food for a luncheon tomorrow and then a meeting this evening. Add Jeremiah who is active (guess who took his first steps last night?!?!?!) and teething. He's a moving, chewing, drooling, uncomfortable baby boy. Per doctor's suggestion, he's taking Advil and I've been swabbing orajel on his gums as needed. He's finally agreeable to cold teethers. He also seems to really love chewing on his little Fisher Price dump truck. If it helps him, I'm all for it!!! Gonna go play with my baby!!! :) The other stuff can wait until nap time! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 May 11 - 01:04 PM First steps - what fun! (Now watch how fast he goes from zero to sixty!) I need to make myself a list, I'm drifting this morning. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 May 11 - 03:16 PM A note for others who use eBay: I've noticed in the last couple of transactions that while eBay calculates the postage they don't add in the cost of the compulsory tracking fee (not a bad option, and it's only 19 cents, but still, it isn't included). I'm going to start adding a handling fee to my eBay sales to cover some of the tape, box, and confirmation fees. The old postal calculation used to leave a little extra over that I applied to those costs. My de-clutter via eBay is started up again. Two boxes out of the house this week. I have a couple of more things to list and will slowly and surely push some of this out and hopefully build up my PayPal account. I sold a toner cartridge, donated the copier, and I've sold a couple of non-working mp3 players for repair or parts. And there's a lot more where that came from. I've been looking around this morning - it looks like it's time to wash the windows--definitely need to declutter some dirt. Ugg. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 18 May 11 - 03:37 PM This week has been busy. I've been trying out different allergy pills, finally found one that seems to work, Allegra. Went to exercise on Monday, watered the garden and trees, did the dishes and started writing a letter to the hospital. It's been cooking in my brain for awhile. There were a lot of mistakes made, potentially life-threatening. I called and asked for a sit-down mtg., but after one call, they've never called back, so on to the next stage. I have 79 more pages of PC to copy-edit. Went to exercise today and had a great hour-long session. Today is early release day, so Morgan is coming over about 2p. It is very chilly, windy, and rainy so I think I'll talk him into a game of canasta or Monopoly. What fun! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 May 11 - 04:30 PM My mother had us play 500 rummy, and we counted face value, didn't do the rounding to 5 and 10 like some players do. It was a great trick for getting us to add and subtract. If it's just the two of you, gin rummy gives the same math opportunity. :) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 18 May 11 - 07:30 PM The archaeologist is a great laugh - he's warned me he has a nasty habit of unearthing skeletons! In actual fact he is doubtful anything mediaeval will turn up, as he thinks the groundworks won't go deep enough. However, we spent a few hours this afternoon trying to unravel the puzzle that is this house. He's going to try and get a look at old maps of the village to see what buildings are marked pre-1820, if possible. He agrees with me that it looks like there may be an older, smaller building incorporated into the 19th century structure. Yes, I did get some sort of masochistic pleasure from the last building project. I think if I had the available cash I'd like to take on buildings that nobody else wanted to do up, and bring them back to life. However, unless you are a builder and have endless spare time, you need endless cash instead! Once this build's done, I will have to see what's left for the other jobs that need doing! I've started to empty the kitchen cupboards and box the food up. Talk about deja vu! Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 18 May 11 - 10:53 PM Neglected to mention that, although Friday night and Saturday morning went well and my concepts were well-received, Saturday afternoon was a total loss. I thought I was just going to read for a while but - the windows in the lodge had been closed due to cool weather and the toxins must have gotten me as I felt drugged and could not even get up at 4 for the business meeting. Spent the evening in front of a partially open window - no one sat near me! On internet all day - raccoon sites, FB conversations, connecting with some new people, writing emails, and looking for a good copy of the Peace Testimony - caused Word to freeze up so I shall have to restart computer to get back on track. Also did some laundry - need to remake bed SOON! Oh and this week's trip to dentist - more fillings, no drugs, no problem. Then some groceries and returned four books to library. After spending the morning making sure rain cleared the roof of shed. Hope we can clear the shed soon. It is almost falling down - propped up with boards. And the mouse has not gone for chocolate either. Have not seen it today though. It usually wanders through the LR sometime during the evening - just to thumb its nose at me? |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 18 May 11 - 11:43 PM He beat me hands down at Canasta, going out with two canastas. We only played one round as he was anxious to get to the Monopoly. He made me go bankrupt as I landed on a property with a hotel...the rent was $1000 and I had about $500 in cash. Could've mortgage my deeds, but I was ready to send him home and take a short nap, so I let him chortle all the way about beating the socks off "mama" AND, he read all of the Chance and Community Chest cards by himself, as well being a wiz at math with the dice. I haven't played gin rummy since I was probably 13. Will have to look into that. Thanks! I read Rog the hospital letter tonight. He reminded me of the timeline; I was in such a daze and so ill, I'd forgotten a couple of things. So I will finish it tomorrow morning. I also have an anklet I need to make for a friend who sent me the stones she picked out, rose quartz, very good energy. P.S. Forgot to say he was also the banker and did a great job of making change, paying out, and collecting monies! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 May 11 - 11:31 AM No inventory today, I got a call saying that we'd all made so much progress that the folks working this morning would probably finish the shelves we'd been assigned. So I'm scanning instead. This morning I'll go shovel some more dirt behind the wall, though I think I'll also dig out one spot and sink a supporting rock with mortar - learn as I go on this. Overcast with a chance of rain today. Lovely for working outside because it's comfortable, not too warm. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 19 May 11 - 12:03 PM Found the local day centre for the elderly is having a table-top sale on Saturday morning, so I've booked a table. Trouble is, I'm finding it very hard to sort anything out. I'm going to put a few bits of my salt dough on too, and perhaps thin that out a bit... I must have done a damn good sort out before, and just after the move! I think I offloaded most of my surplus stuff into the local charity shop when I first came here. Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST,wys-away Date: 19 May 11 - 01:44 PM Steps remain in the hi 3000's and lo 4's. HIP SO MUCH BETTER-- SLEEPING EARLY AND LATE AND CATnapping in between. Restorative sleep all of it. (No TV here.) Trashy novels, yay! damn capslock! On to next stop later today. A lot of long drives between now and home. Richmond, VA sidetrip, not looking fwd to drive or mtg. Oh well! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 19 May 11 - 03:31 PM Threatened rain held off until just after lunch, today, so I was able to get a few more annuals potted up, outside. Poor things were practically drowned from the past few days of rain and chilly weather. Just as I was getting ready to do the last 3 six-plants-per-packets, here came the promised rain. Typical Colorado, it's pouring buckets, here, while the sun shines over other parts of the valley. Also pulled a few weeds around my sweetpeas outside the picket fence by the front gate. Have six more books to list on paperbackswap.com and one to send to my sister and two to my niece. Also worked on the Letter more this morning; emptied the trash bins in the house; and, did a load of laundry. Just got the third book in a series, so the afternoon is perfect for curling up with it and the kitties. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 May 11 - 01:27 AM I put a few more rocks on the wall out front, and as I was looking through photos from New Mexico last week, I saw how they finish the tops of their walls to make them level - they mortar the top. So easy, and it looks good. I may just do that. Or use concrete to make it a bit harder. They're about the same, I'll do a little research first. I worked on filling the keyhole garden soil up to the level I want. I'm going to plant it this weekend and I hope to have a wondrous and prolific garden out there this summer. On Nate Berkus yesterday the guy who comes on to give organizing tips was a guest, and he talked about how much time we spend looking for things when we have cluttered houses. One entire year of our lives spent looking for things. I need to accelerate this de-clutter process! I want to, one of these days, walk in and just enjoy the house without the feeling that I have to keep working on the stuff piled up somewhere. A goal for the top of my list! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 20 May 11 - 04:03 AM As I go through things, I write lists of what is in cupboards on labels on the inside of the doors. In the garage, I wrote directly on the door of the old filing cabinet the vendor left. I also have an inventory spreadsheet on the computer in the study. I have found that leaving time between sessions is fatal for remembering the tidy place I have filed things! And I have had to leave time because of other obligations. In the garden, I have built a structure of stacked flags, two towers nine and seven flags high, with steps on each of two half flags, as a wall beside the steps up to the veggie part, on which I have placed the pits with strawberries. I have removed most of the vinca, which, it turns out, may be an invader from next door. The last will have to wait until I have fixed the bramble stems to the fence - my arms are scratched! I have borrowed a friend's mattock to trench the plot for beans and peas and discovered that what I thought was Flints-with-Clay subsoil is actually builders' rubble - the brick was a bit of a give-away. I'm using a Cornish mine/quarry technique (on a very small scale!) to help with the bricklike clay, washing (or "hushing") the flint out, and allowing the clay to loosen up with the soaking before digging it the next day. I have very low germination with the peas and beans, so I've bought in some dwarf runner bean plants. I have to pot up some bedding plant bulbs and corms my friend's mother has given me, and scatter some seed which is supposed to cover 15 sq yards - which I haven't got. I wish people would ask before choosing garden gifts! My potted dwarf peach is putting on lots of leaves, but the flowers that bloomed early in the season don't seem to have set fruit - no trace that flowers were ever there! The angelica doesn't seem to fit expectations - though the bees like it. There doesn't seem anything attractive about it, contrary to web descriptions of pleasant aromatics throughout the plant. The flowers smell of pee, the leaves of non-descript greenstuff, and the stems of generic umbellifers, like cow-parsley. I've checked descriptions, and physically it looks like angelica, rather than, for example, giant hogweed. I'm wondering if it would have developed more aromatic compounds if in more sun. Bluetits found whatever it was that was eating lower leaves, so it's been good for wildlife, if not for bottling in syrup and cooking with rhubarb. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 May 11 - 01:42 PM I formally planted something in the keyhole garden this morning, four slips of sweet potato. I've never grown it before, so this is an experiment. A pot of beans is simmering and a loaf of bread is baking. The house smells wonderful. Rain is predicted for the evening and maybe tomorrow, so I'll do what I can outside then move to indoor decluttering. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 20 May 11 - 02:49 PM Still struggling to fill my table. However, I dropped by with 4 of my applehead dolls just to show Nell in the Belford Craft Gallery what I'd been talking about, and she insisted on putting them up for sale! She thinks she'll have no trouble selling them because, for the UK, they are unusual. I've a few more in a box, but nowhere to make any more until the kitchen, and subsequently my work room, are sorted. I had put them on my stall before, but I had never thought they were of a sufficient standard for a proper shop. Just as well I didn't take any salt dough... I had an email from the archaeologist, who says he's going to try and get hold of the old tithe maps and see what that turns up as regards dwellings on this site. My Egyptian/Walking/Tree/Society Onion bulbs came today. I have set them in a pot to get them going. Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 20 May 11 - 03:28 PM Mopped the bathroom floor last night but wasn't happy with what I did so this morning I scrubbed it on my hands and knees. Dishes done. Floors swept. Toys picked up. Table found. Had a friend and her daughter over today for a play date (and she's moving closer, hopefully this summer..YAY), went to a nearby Relay For Life and walked around the track 4 times. I'm not feeling so hot....haven't been for the last 3 days. Hoping it's just a bug. I wish we had delivery out here, I'd be ordering out tonight for sure. As soon as the baby settles into a nap, I'm going to take one myself. Happy Friday Everybody! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 20 May 11 - 04:05 PM Jeepers, Michelle, when one doesn't feel so hot, it's okay to not do so much!:-) My head spins at how much you get done. Hope you have a good nap. We have a few minutes of sunshine, right now, but it has been raining all night and day. Supposed to be more of the same for a week! Had an echocardiogram this morning. The tech said it looked as though the pressures were down, which is GOOD, and he though the doc would be pleased. In the meantime, the doc left me a message wanting to know when I was going to have the echo! He's going to look at it and call me back. I expect nothing but more good news. My regular doc's office just called to let me know all blood tests for all arthritis(es) came back negative. Another Good! Exercise class later this morning was good. We are now home and promised Morgan we'd get him from school and bring him over for awhile. I don't think I'll be getting much else done. Did get the three books sent out, plus one more which was requested this morning on paperbackswap.com. Slowly, but surely... kat (Penny, I hope we get to see pix, sometime. Your descriptions are very intriguing! Andrea, congrats on your applehead dolls and all your other "gumption" whilst living among the upheaval. I'd love to see the old tithe records!) |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 20 May 11 - 04:39 PM I'm hoping that he takes copies. If I get any, I'll make sure you get to see them, Kat. Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 May 11 - 09:26 PM We all need to post photos of what we're working on. I use Photobucket and Picasa, but am seriously considering setting up a web site and doing the blogging and photos from there. Kat, I heard from my boss today; they're on vacation near Durango, CO and there is a foot of snow on the ground! I shipped that copier cartridge, wrapped snuggly in cellophane, but it still apparently leaked quite a bit. I should have taped it, but I worried the tape residue would cause problem. They got it for such a low price, there isn't much cause to complain and he said it works. Good thing I'm not selling any more of them! Must fold laundry, clear up the house. List more on eBay. Do so many things. It was a very muggy dog walk this evening (and all three dogs took a dump so we were both carrying plastic bags home) but I did get in a little excerise after a heavy rain storm. I'll see about mowing or rock work tomorrow. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 20 May 11 - 10:11 PM Thanks, Andrea. SRS, you're right about the pix, but mine won't be very dramatic compared to what a lot of what you all are doing. Your rock work looks great, btw. I posted this to my good thoughts thread, but I am still so joy-filled, I'll put it here, too. The doc called me back, said there was "humongous improvement" and to do a Victory Dance. Fantastic news and I think he was very impressed/surprised and pleased as am I! Thanks for all of your support. kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 21 May 11 - 11:18 AM We could tell you were doing better, we didn't need the doctor's pronouncement to get that message! Keep it up, Kat! Lovely day outside after an inch of rain yesterday. Lots of plant volunteers that need transplanting (tomatoes, basil, squash, etc came up in inconvenient places, and they're so tiny a transplant is no big deal.) Laundry and the usual chores around the house today. I hope to finish the stone work on the wall today, and maybe mow. I need to move the rocks before I mow, so these tasks do have to come in the proper order. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 21 May 11 - 01:50 PM I really like the idea of a place to post photos of our projects and progress we are making!!! It's a day of rest and play here....HOORAY!!! Pete took us to town and got me a beautiful hanging basket, a fishing license and a blueberry bush for Mother's Day. I'm also going to be picking out a tree....I'm thinking of a Weeping Cherry but I'm not sure. I love the flowers in the early spring but I'm also a HUGE fan of maple trees...so I'll have to think on it. Hmmm.......... I'm in the mood to dig in the dirt but it's still much too wet here. I'm feeling better (thank goodness) but am going to keep an eye on things. I'm not 100% yet and of course the lingering what if the cancer has come back is part of that. I really do think I just have a bug. So..time to kick back with a tall glass of cold water, turn the fan on low and fire up the Kindle. :) HOORAY for lazy days with the family! Love to all, Michelle PS. Kat....lots more ***HAPPY DANCES*** going on here for you!!! I'm so thankful that things are looking up!!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: pattyClink Date: 21 May 11 - 05:09 PM Penny, what a good idea to keep track of what is where with lists in the same location. I am still purging a lot of stuff and keeping track of what is going out the door, it will nice when I can concentrate on what is left and 'where it goes'. My progress for the week was getting a few things done on workdays so yay for that. Had my first Toxic Thursday; there is a place I can take poisons and paints and electronics but they have limited hours. So that's an incentive to have a few things in the trunk on any given Thursday morning, it is right on the road to work. So far I disposed of a huge and non-functioning CRT that must have weighed 50 pounds. Felt Good!! Told a few other people about the place, it is a fairly well-kept secret with no sign, and needs to be saving more nasty crap from the landfill than it does. Took 45 pots and windowboxes to the charity resale shop along with a few other bulky things, and that Felt Good!! Foisted off an old scientific instrument that needs tweaking to a collector who is capable of doing that tweaking, and that Felt Good!! 633 things have left the house either to a better home or a trashy destination. Feels Good!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 21 May 11 - 05:18 PM I haven't got my mind round posting piccies yet! And I managed to do something to my back with yesterday's mattocking - resting today. It isn't too bad, but I don't want to push it too much. What I am finding is almost, but not quite, the sort of thing that needs a pointing trowel and a grid - not just a half brick, but the odd bit of slate, a glass sherd, and the rim of a glazed pot. Also a lens of sand, and some dusty soil which won't wet. This yard is 50 years a garden, and it isn't soil yet. It wouldn't have happened earlier last century. Mind you, it does explain why so many local "gardens" have been paved over. It's easier. On the other hand, it doesn't explain why my precursors here paved over the good stuff. I've assembled a raised bed frame - but haven't enough soil to fill it. I'll half fill it for this year, (I have a hole which I am excavating in the soil rich part) and top it up when the money comes in and I can get a big builders' bag of soil to make up the levels. The blackbirds are showing an interest in the developing strawberries, so I'll have to net them. Yesterday I had a whole brood of newly fledged bluetits being shown the local feeding points about in the morning. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 21 May 11 - 07:08 PM I harvested a few of my potatoes, the first ones I've grown. I'm going out to look for a couple more new potatoes (the rest are large) and have them for dinner tonight. This is exciting - I wasn't sure how they would turn out, but they seem to be happy here! Hot and as humid as a sauna, because we had a little flurry of rain about an hour ago. I need to go work in the yard again, the dog walk will come later tonight when it cools down more. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 22 May 11 - 03:50 AM Woke to rain! g#Gone now, though. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 May 11 - 10:42 AM I managed to get the front yard mowed, it was the classic mow-by-streetlight finish, but the grass was deep and thick because of our rains. Today I'll tackled the back yard. I have a plank and level I'm going to take out to the front and use with a level to see how the wall would look if I level it. My choices are to take into account the slope of the yard and make it level, or let it slope at the same gradual slope of the yard, and see how noticable the level wall would be. I'll stage the top row of rocks (place them, without mortar) and walk around and see which looks best. In the house I have another eBay listing ready to place today, and then it's the usual laundry and dishes and sweeping. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 May 11 - 12:24 PM Arrrr! All set to list my next item on eBay, but Photobucket is down. Finally found a little information on Twitter. That seems to be the way to get micro-news these days. I've used Twitter for a couple of years, but more and more it's where the news breaks. Well, when they get the servers up and running I'll try again. Out into the garden for now. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 22 May 11 - 01:34 PM Yesterday, Morgan came over in the morning and helped me plant some more annuals, then we went and bought more! Lots of fun. Rog and I did the weekly grocery shopping and not much else. Oh, Rog did mount two hanging plant brackets on either side of the front door where we have the catnip in hanging planters, out of reach of the neighbourhood cats. This morning, we've put away all the clean clothes, two more loads are in the washer and dryer, did the trash, I scrubbed the bathroom and did some straightening up in the office. I have the old desk/jewellery-making area cleared enough to make that anklet I owe a friend. Rog also brought in three empty boxes so we can go through more books to give away. I really want to do some major dusting, but need to get a mask first. Just getting allergies under control and do not want to stir them up, again.:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 May 11 - 01:54 PM Went out and put mulch under the potatoes in my garden. It helps prevent the green spots (you have to cut those off, they are somewhat toxic) that can form on potatoes that break through the surface and are exposed to the sun. I had several like that I'll need to trim before cooking. Hot hot hot and muggy out there today. I'll see how much I can accomplish without getting overheated. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 22 May 11 - 04:50 PM Activity: A small bit of a hike and some majorly FUN FUN FUN fishing!!! Fresh crappie and bluegill for dinner tonight!!! I can't tell you when I had so much fun!!! XOXOXO Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 22 May 11 - 04:59 PM :-)@Michelle I planted the rest of the annuals, swept the house, and put away more things which had been left here and there throughout the week. Rog scrubbed the tub/shower for me. He also did the litter boxes, as usual on Sundays. I've had three more books requested, so have them wrapped, postage on and ready to send out the door, tomorrow morning. It's been a good and satisfying weekend, but I think I am going to give up on organising our kitchen etc. due to lack of space and funds to change it. I know I may get inspired, again, soon, but for now I am living with it, and okay with that. I will have Morgan everyday after next week, so there will projects we can do together, but I have to get my books edited and ready to publish. He's on notice that "Mama" will be working part-time when he is here which means he will read, play with his toys, etc. for that time period. Wish me luck!**bg** (I think his parents are signing him up for summer school reading classes and maybe a day camp or two.) |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 22 May 11 - 05:46 PM It's official-- the boondocker's new cot and underbed storage system worked GREAT. Plenty of room for the portapotti, so no need to step out in rain, snow, cold-- or bad neighborhoods-- overnight. Room for a dog, too, if I can find one. Room as well to sit on the bed, and the plastic-drawers dresser I added for groceries was great-- next time, a tiny folding table to eat from or make a sandwich upon. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 May 11 - 06:49 PM You've all been busy. Michelle, I love fresh fish like that - lucky you. Susan, did you lose your dogs? I moved rocks around - ending the work on this wall is much more difficult than beginning it. I'm close to level and am about to the point to add small rocks then mortar over the top. I weeded the side garden by the kitchen door, it took about 90 minutes of back breaking work to weed around everything out there. I found asparagus! I had some from this winter that I didn't get planted and last month I thought "what the hell" and dug a trench and put the dried out roots in it. My next door neighbor says they look pretty awful anyway, but this was really dry. But I have a handful of pretty little sprouts so I filled up around them some as the package said, and I'll do it again until I have a mound around them. Next time I'll use compost to make it really rich. I picked another potato (apparently those that push through the soil into the sun get a green spot that needs to be trimmed off - it's like the eyes, somewhat toxic) and mulched the beds until I'm ready to pick the rest. This makes about 5 pounds of potatoes and that was only a casual, exploratory harvest. There's more for later. I ate a plate of simmered then sauteed in butter new potatoes last night and they were wonderful! It's getting really dark out there - I came in to rest for a few minutes but I think I'd better scramble and dump my wheelbarrow of weeds and put it away before the storm hits. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 22 May 11 - 09:47 PM SRS, no, I'm looking for a travel dog-- Enid. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 May 11 - 11:23 PM The rain was hard but didn't last too long. The dogs have come to expect to come into the house during heavy weather, so they lay on the floor in the kitchen while it poured and while I made a batch of fresh guacamole that is now in ice cube trays, ready to accompany future meals. I also made a batch of beans this weekend, and a lot of laundry was washed and folded. This, on top of the lawn and wall, mean I will sleep very well tonight! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 23 May 11 - 10:55 AM The dogs get guac?!?!?!? :~) Back on the pedometer to being as I mean to go on, post-foray. The yard went bazerko while I was gone, oy! And so much to catch up on and unload! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 23 May 11 - 02:15 PM ZUMBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went with a friend and we had such a great time that we are going again tomorrow night!!! I don't think I've sweat this much in months! WOO WHEEE!!! I had FUN!!! And can you say Hip Action? LOL Can't get to yoga anymore due to child care issues but they have child care right there at the YMCA!!! Excellent!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 May 11 - 02:53 PM No, the dogs don't get guacamole, partly because it has onion (I don't think dogs are supposed to eat them) and because it would be a great waste of guacamole. They're happy with many other foods. We had another heavy-duty rain and hail storm roll over the top of us this morning, but since the girls were still tucked away in their beds in the garage, they stayed put. I kept an eye on the door in case they decided on a change of venue. My front yard wall is getting closer to completion. I went out last night before that thunderstorm and shoveled several buckets of dirt to fill in behind the wall to the level it has reached. I tamped it down by walking on it, and filled some more. I'm to the point where I can use small stones to fill in gaps and level it out, and that will happen when it dries a bit. Once it looks good, then I'll go over the top with a coat of mortar to give it a uniform appearance. My eBay listing has a bid and watchers; it's a low-dollar item, but nice to see movement. I'll list more today - it looks like a day for indoor work. The yard had standing puddles this morning - I don't know if I'll try much work out there until mid-week. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 23 May 11 - 05:04 PM I'm glad you enjoyed the Zumba. We laugh a lot at ours too! We even have a man who occasionally comes when his work shifts permit (he's a paramedic). He also has no real sense of rhythm, but still enjoys it. Sometimes there's only about 5 of us, others there's about 15. The work on the kitchen etc won't be starting for about 4 weeks now, but brian is coming very early tomorrow to start and open the chimney breast up. I reckon he wants to get all of the hammering and rubble removal done in one day. Ernie the stove man should be back from his holiday in the States in a couple of weeks, so it will all hopefully dovetail together nicely, and any cement etc in the fireplace will have dried out. I did a tabletop sale on Saturday morning in the village, and managed to get rid of the high chair, which is redundant now that I have a booster seat. Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 23 May 11 - 07:20 PM Saturday: Let the garage sale begin! Today I began organizing the space and gathering merch while I planned signage and logistics. It will be set up like an outdoor living room on the front porch, except that the furniture will also be for sale. I have tarps, etc. already on hand to cover anything that needs to be covered. I have work to do out there while I sit the sale. The first batch of clothing is hung and the first batch of linens is folded. It all continues tomorrow. As I unload the van Wednesday I'll store its contents in the waiting out-of-sight containers, some of which will convert to horizontal spaces to lay things out; half the porch-- the narrow section in front of the windows-- will be off-limits storage and the large square section will be the for-sale space. One of the policies is that it will not draw from any items gotten via our parish thrift shop-- we have plenty of other stuff to sell and the plan always has been that if it came from there, it goes back there when we move out of this house if we do not take it with us. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 23 May 11 - 07:22 PM PS, pedometer was already at pre-foray all-day numbers before supper. This plan also will involve lots of trips up and down the several staircases here, so it's good muscle work too. Not so much gardening this year. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 23 May 11 - 07:45 PM Saturday Yard Sales! We'll have to stop by! Planning 2 yard sales here...one for at the end of June and the other for a weekend in July! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 23 May 11 - 10:34 PM Pedometer 4110 ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 24 May 11 - 11:48 AM Girl's Day Out!!!!! YAY! Going to get a manicure and a pedicure!!! Zumba later tonight!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 24 May 11 - 06:58 PM Ended up having an extended Girl's Day out, Zumba scheduled for next week. I got my exercise during the pedicure. OMG my feet are SO ticklish!!!! We had such a blast that it's going to become a monthly treat!!! :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 24 May 11 - 10:08 PM Measly 2000-ish pedometer-- sick. Good thing I didn't pay for a classified on that sale-- now way can I be ready. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 May 11 - 01:25 AM My evening was spent watching the weather reports, and at one point I called in the dogs, put on their leashes like for a walk, and had them settle down on their beds in the hall. They were confused, but soon were asleep as I listened to a live Internet feed of a local TV station weather broadcast on the laptop as I sat in the hall. My daughter photographed a tornado out her back door; we had no such excitement, but I suspect the garden will beg to differ in the morning. Last night I had an "aha!" moment and revised my eBay listing to include that small vintage luggage case under dolls and collectibles. More views, more watchers and one bid. Interesting how those work when you get the correct audience. Tomorrow I'll give the yard a quick once-over then I need to finish some scanning for work. I have a full weekend ahead of me, even if it is a long one. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 25 May 11 - 05:47 AM We've had scarily high winds over the last couple of days. a couple of people have been killed by falling trees. I think there are more high winds forecast for tomorrow. The fireplace is opened up. Brian is here again today and is busy mixing sand, cement and lime to re-point it. Then i will be laying new stone for the hearth. There are a few curiosities emerging - the smokey channel on the top right hand side, which curves upwards towards the central flue opening being the main one. This was obscured by a small brick pillar, which had obviously been used to make the opening smaller at one time...in fact we know exactly when, because somebody had thought to slip in some dating evidence: a copy of "The Evangelist" from September 1907! That must have been when the first closed range went in. There is a rubble filled area on the left wall, which suggests that there was maybe a draw off to something that required heat - it's only a guess. There was a sprag of wood in there, and another the other side, which mirrored it. The plaster dragged off a couple of bits from the edge of the lintel, but Brian says a scutching hammer will blend it in. The lintel is about a foot thick, but the side pieces are only a couple of inches, and are obviously just there as facing pieces.Behind the left hand one is a massive piece of stone as the main support. The right hand side support is composed of a few large lumps of rock. Because the opening is only 2 feet deep, I'm extending the hearth a few inches into the room. Pictures will be on the renovation album on FB soon! Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 25 May 11 - 08:03 AM A day at the hospital for me. Lots of walking. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 May 11 - 12:27 PM I hope everyone is well, Michelle - was this tests or checkups? Andrea, I'm looking forward to those photos. The yard is lovely today, and in the next couple of days I may be able to finish fitting small stones on the top of the wall in preparation for cementing the top. The small stones will level it out. I've drifted a bit this week. I need to finish reading the procrastination book - it's still handy for reading a page at a time - I will get through it! And I need to keep making short lists for a set time, that seems to be the best way to get things done. Also not always having facebook up in a browser window. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 25 May 11 - 03:34 PM I am not sure what is wrong with me. Whole lotta sleeping going on, over the last several weeks. (A 2-hour nap this morning after only being up 2 hours?!?!?) But I got the van mostly unloaded. On to re-arranging that front porch, as soon as Hardi has a minute. (I had done what was out there but now I want to change the whole layout and add stuff.) ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST Date: 25 May 11 - 05:48 PM Poster is Dorothy Parshall SRS: what about a covering of straw on those potatoes? I have been tired also. I think some of it is weather changes and a lot is the recent poisoning which I have finally (almost) recovered from - enough to write a letter to editor on EMS this morning and comment on a couple news items re wildlife. So that is a good sign. See I have not posted in a week. Surprised but it has been hectic. Long weekend in country- three music events, visit from Ontario friends and about 40 yard sales - only useful items, well, except for 3 small stuffed animals for our next raccoon (she has hopes). Wonderful meeting with a young raccoon lover here in the city. I am hoping we can share the development of a raccoon network. Still no operative cell phone. Need more research on boosting aerial for house? Spent time today in shed. Brought as many boxes as possible inside - on their way to vehicle. We want to get shed cleared and gone within a week. My shade garden is beautiful but we can barely see it! The stunted rhubarb is coming up healthier this year. Clematis look healthy and I am hoping for good bloom this year as they grow up the willow fencing. Most of last year's sun-side perennials are up, including the hibiscus - slow but elegant when it blooms. And over 25 tomato and pepper plants waiting to go in the ground - SOON! Maybe some tonight yet. Interesting walks on the weekend, instigated by our visitors, - on "pavement barren" - this rock formation is unique to very few areas one of which is a mile from our country home. When we got home, we googled it and find it fascinating. The bedrock of sandstone is so smooth and so close to the surface it looks from a distance as though the area is paved. Better still, the walking we did improved my hip which had been hurting for a couple weeks - TOO much sitting. RAIN for tonight - back to shed to waterproof remaining boxes! OK, Back to it! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: GUEST Date: 25 May 11 - 06:22 PM I am not Guest. I am Dorothy and I seem to be having technical difficulties for reasons best known to someone else. Dorothy, if you don't want to log in, but type your name in the "From:" block, your messages won't be deleted.I will un-delete your previous message. --Mod |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 May 11 - 06:42 PM You've also lost your cookie. Ripping a few CD Recorded Books to load into the Walkman. I'm waiting on a protective cover for it; I ordered one then found it didn't fit. There was more to the model number than the E Series designation, and the don't have the acrylic one I want. A silicone one should arrive one of these days, and I'll return the parts of the order that I can't use. (Some of it is the same - car and wall charge plugs, etc.) I'm looking forward to getting back to listening to recorded books again. I'm thinking about going ahead and using Library Thing to organize my library, and if I do, I'll weed the books some more. There are a lot in there I know I'll simply never read and that are occupying valuable space. I was going through a stack of papers and found the printout for that site that is here to remind me to look into it. We have a holiday on Monday, so I'm going to make it a long weekend and take Friday off also. Looking forward to finishing several projects in those days. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 May 11 - 06:44 PM And you can see that my screen with my message sat there for a while before I sent it. (I stepped away for a minute, getting myself some iced tea, and while in the kitchen, washed the dishes). I'm planning to clean and clear the surfaces in the kitchen and dining room this evening - I'm close to having finished now. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: maire-aine Date: 25 May 11 - 07:02 PM Andrea, the pictures on FB are great. Seeing it from start to finish shows just what a big job it's been. Maryanne |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 25 May 11 - 09:33 PM Doctor appointment went well...gonna have to make some adjustments but that's ok!!! Between the hospital (2 hours one way), a trip to Sam's Club and another complex, I got in plenty of walking. Speaking of walking....guess who walked across the living room all by himself tonight? He even brought Mommy a toy!! There goes my heart toddling into the world....... :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 25 May 11 - 10:10 PM Ped 2172 |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 25 May 11 - 10:34 PM It's been busy here, too. Rog may have to work if anything goes wrong with the JUCO (Junior College World Series) live shot set-up; otherwise he has a four-day weekend. We hope to get at least one major task completed...maybe go through our closet, get rid of a lot, and reorganise it. Or, maybe we'll get through the rest of the books. SRS, I love Library Thing. I'd love to go to New Castle and visit my ancestors' and mom's graves, take flowers up, but I don't think it's quite time for that, yet, even though I'd love to take Morgan. He went with us when he must've been four and was fascinated and enjoyed putting pansies on each grave. Morgan and I talked today about "Mama's Elementary" when he asked me to teach him what he "needs to know for second grade!" I went to exercise this morning and they told me it would be okay for him to come with me, so that is good. If it is a small class, Paul even said they might do weights with him, etc. He'll love it. I think he is also signing up for swim classes, again. I hope to employ him to help me with simple tasks around the house. "Jobs" he can do while I work on my editing, etc. Our days will be busy, regardless. So, it's an hour of exercise M-W-F and in between gardening, etc. My friend who does our floors once per month is coming tomorrow, so I'll do some straightening up while she is here. I am still checking in, just won't be posting as much. kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 May 11 - 12:37 AM I haven't been shopping for a while so I went out this evening. Got some fruit, a few essentials, and I find that in the evening Kroger marks their rotisserie chicken down to $2.99 after about 8pm. They're still hot and fresh, but the last couple of the day. I've picked up a couple of those this week. They're not as salty as the Sam's Club chicken, and they're not as big, but they're very nice. Had good conversation with a friend who is an English professor in North Dakota. She's from Illinois and spends 9 months a year at the job and heads home for holidays and for the summer. She's working on a new class that will include literature, music, and art. So many interesting possibilities. As we spoke I named a few names and kept referring to mudcat. I shudder to think of her finding my alter-ego here (some of the squabbling days are so far back that they're probably buried.) Anyway, I'm going to be going through some of my tapes and CDs and making copies, or sending YouTube links. I told her about Art Thieme, Jean Ritchie, and others. My dining area is completely cleared, but the counter still needs work. A load of laundry is finished. Not a hugely productive day, but not bad. Kat, having Morgan for the summer sounds like it will be a lot of fun. And Michelle, that toddler will keep you on your toes, no doubt about it. Enjoy every minute of it! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 26 May 11 - 08:27 AM This morning I decided to clean out my car before it gets hot again (yesterday at the hospital reached 91 degrees). I had a giant box of toys that a friend gave me for Jeremiah, about 15 bags of Tupperware (that will be delivered TODAY..thank goodness), a case of diapers, 2 cases of wipes, a Sam's Club sized container of animal crackers, 2 gallons of water, 3 bags of just STUFF (mostly baby toys, some RFL materials, egg cartons...people save them for me). It's not only unloaded but it's in the house. I took 9 trips up the hill to the car...it's already humid out there. UGH. I am not a hot and humid weather kind of girl. (Although I do love the sunshine and all the green trees!) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 26 May 11 - 10:30 AM Plus-100 on today's ped reading ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 26 May 11 - 02:48 PM Just waiting for the mortar to dry on the fireplace now. Ali, the guy doing my extension, wants to start on 20th June, but has asked if I can get rid of the kitchen units first, otherwise we will have to hire a skip for them. He says I could probably adverise them in the local paper and sell them, as long as the buyer will come and remove them. Alternatively, I could offer them to a friend (for free) who is a woodworker, and is setting up a workshop. At least I can start and organise the kitchen into the dining room now... Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 May 11 - 04:54 PM Andrea, you've hardly had time to get settled in this new house, have you? Sounds interesting, though. This afternoon I mowed my front lawn, but left the trimming for another day. When I finish the wall the yard around it will be looking good, and I can address landscaping around it. Before that, though, I need to organize more of my pots and garden stuff. I have the planks for making an outdoor table thing, and I'll build that this weekend. I need potting soil for some transplants (that work will happen on the new table thing once it is built) and I need to do some more clearing out and organizing in my garage. I think I'm going to sell the huge old tiller - it's a workhorse, but I haven't used it because I can't get the darned thing started by myself. It's taking up space and should be saleable. It's late in the season for gardeners here, but still probably would move on Craig's list. My neighbor gave it to me and I had it reconditioned, but he's elderly and can't run it either. I see quite a few for sale, one much like mine but his doesn't work. Mine works. I have a pump out there that I should use, but I've had it for years and it's still in the box. [sigh] SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: maire-aine Date: 26 May 11 - 10:46 PM Yet another day of rain, so I spent the day going thru a box of photo albums left to me by my aunt (Dad's sister-in-law). No other relatives in her family that I know of, so that's how I ended up with them. Collected about 2 dozen photos of my dad & his brothers/sisters, plus 3 of my grandmother (I never met her). I'll save & scan them, and pitch the rest. There's nothing historically significant or anything. Gave my poor plants a pep-talk today. Told them to hang on for one more day, and then they'd have sunshine (I hope, I hope). m |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 May 11 - 11:22 PM This afternoon we let my dogs and Zeke (the chocolate lab) off of their leashes in my back yard. I kept Poppy by me for a few minutes, and Cinnamon so clearly wanted Poppy with her that I finally let her go. Cinnamon is the one that was actually in Zeke's face so much that he was growling. I think, in hindsight, that he didn't recognize the dominant female was trying to get him to roll over. I finally hosed them all, and it settled down. Cinnamon and Zeke each took a energetic dip in her wading pool- it was funny to watch him creep up to it, take a drink, dip a paw in, then climb in and joyfully roll around. We walked them back up the street when Susie took Zeke home - a nice experiment. Susie was surprised at how large my back yard is - a great space for these guys to run around. There were a few of those mad-dash laps run out there today. :) It was too late to mix another bucket of mortar this evening (I started this wall by mixing it by the wheelbarrow full, now I'm mixing it in a regular bucket and doing smaller and smaller adjustments) and I didn't think I had the time or enough perfect-shaped rocks to finish the wall. Instead, I cleaned up the yard a bit, hauling one load of the old gray mortar from the second wing wall (where I'm getting some of the rocks I need for the front wall) out back. Then I filled the wheelbarrow with weeds pulled off of one side of the berm. When the wall is finishing the landscaping will begin, so I figured a load of weeds to the compost would give me a head start. I'm taking off tomorrow to add to a three day weekend for some important spring work around the house and yard. I find some areas of my activity are still experiencing procrastination, but in others I've been able to get past it. It is important to finish the wall project that I started, and I think it'll give me an emotional boost for other work. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 May 11 - 11:53 AM Off to get free mulch, then work in the yard, with cool-down periods built in. Should have been out earlier, but slept in, felt nice. My eBay item has perked a little interest and bids. Nice for an item I picked up for $1 at a garage sale a couple of months ago. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 27 May 11 - 02:41 PM I worked out that after the next edition of the weekly paper comes out, I will be away for 5 days, so I rang my friend and offered him the units on condition he helps me get the stuff he doesn't want to the tip! I've about a 10 or 12 day slot for him to come and remove them. Spent this afternoon moving more of the kitchen into the dining room, and trying to hoover the muck out of the mainly filthy beige carpet. When all the hassle is over, I'll shampoo the whole lot, and see how it turns out. You can hardly move at the moment, let alone manoeuvre a big machine! Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 May 11 - 04:38 PM Cool-down and bowl of ice cream break here. I completed the items on the list in my pocket. Recycled household stuff, picked up free mulch, then swung by Home Depot for items for current jobs and around the house. As a trial I bought one of those new-fangled LED lights to put in the fan light fixture in my sun room. I'll see how it looks there, or if I want to maybe get some of the smaller ones and put them in each of the three ornamental glass covers. They last forever but they are expensive. I'll have one bulb going to start with, just to see how it looks. I picked up humus and top soil to mix for transplanting stuff this weekend, I picked up cypress mulch to mark the walking areas in my gardens, and I picked up a bag of cedar mulch to use in a few specialized areas just because it smells so good. One of my few non-organic products here is the wasp spray, for use on those nests that are too close to a door way. I hate to knock them off because they are beneficial, but the sting is so very painful that I need to have a boundary and a fast-acting repellent. Time for a short nap, then back out to the yard. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 27 May 11 - 10:05 PM Tornadoes, big thunderstorms and massive amounts of rain here in northern Pennsylvania the last 2 days. We were without power for about 26 hours. I am thankful that the power is back on. I can do without the tv, the computer and the lights but I seriously missed my fans. The air is just too stagnant and humid without them! More storming....bit lightening...gotta go. XOOXXOOX Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 May 11 - 11:11 PM Michelle, sounds like our weather from a couple of days ago has reached you. Though I caught myself procrastinating by weeding in the garden, I make myself mix the last 1/4 bag of mortar and finish more or less leveling the wall out front. This isn't the final finishing layer, this is attaching the important stones to the structure. I have a couple of more to put in place and then I can decide about the finishing layer of mortar. I think it is beautiful, but this is what all mothers think about their children, isn't it? ;-D Tonight for dinner it was leftover chicken along with some pan-fried pieces of my garden potatoes and a bowl of green beans. My beans got clobbered by hail, so these are from the grocery. But anyway, it is coming along. I was at Home Depot today looking at the pre-fab cabinets. Thinking about how to use one, with a cooler attached, as a faux root cellar. It would be nice to "invent" such a thing that I could manufacture and sell. Who knows? I've been looking to see if anyone else has one out there. It isn't a fridge - that isn't good for potatoes or onions or probably lots of other garden produce. I'm thinking about size, adaptability, and power supply right now. This is a food storage unit for those of us who live in warm climates who don't have basements or root cellars. My Internet is slow to connect this evening. Running diagnostics. Also finishing ripping Recorded Books so I can return these to the library tomorrow. They were wonderful to listen to on my drive to Arizona. I now have a new mp3 player and am working on loading them into it. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 27 May 11 - 11:13 PM I was off to exercise this morning, then home to have lunch with Rog, then back out to see the specialist who was do happy with the echo last week. Met his wife and almost-4 year old twins AND have never seen a doc so happy. He was just about walking on air, he's so pleased, actually the term "gobsmacked" comes to mind, at my progress. I laughingly said "I'm your Star Pupil" and he agreed and gave me a big hug. It was so funny and joyful to talk with him. He just kept saying things about how well it all is going and in such a short time, etc. There's more, but that's the gist and I walked out on air, too. I then drove to the O2 place to pick up a collapsible trolley for the O2 tank I carry - it's 12 lbs when full, stopped at Walgreen's for anti-allergy supplies, and celebrated with a stop at Sonic, first fast food stop since January, and had a freshly squeezed lemon slush with an order of small, no-salt french fries. Also, tried to get a new ear-bud wired headset for my cellphone, but the store was out of them. Can't find the bluetooth I have but didn't want to use.:-) Oh, well. So far, Rog worked today and has all set up so he shouldn't have to go in this weekend, we hope. We want to get some things done around here. May have Morgan for a sleepover tomorrow. Oh joy!:-) Michelle, I hope you all stay safe! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 May 11 - 11:14 PM I wish the Internet was working better here tonight. I couldn't get the preview feature to work on my last entry. Perhaps you can tell? |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 28 May 11 - 04:51 AM More kitchen shifting today. seems a bit weird, really, because I bet it doesn't get removed for a couple of weeks! At the moment, the food's all in the dining room, and the means to cook it (apart from the combi-microwave) is still in the kitchen. The camping cooker is in situ, on top of the tumble dryer, but not set up yet. Due to the paucity of electrical sockets, I'll boil kettles on that most of the time, rather than use the electric one. The trouble is, I'm conscious that Ernie will be coming in at some time with the stove, and will need room to work as well, including sweeping the flue. I'll leave a message for him at the shop saying when I'm around, and then we can sort out a time, once he's back from the States. Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 28 May 11 - 12:41 PM Finishing ripping a few recorded book CDs to the computer for the mp3 player. They're due today, so the Library is on my list of things to do. These books (the ones I listened to so far) were a lifesaver as far as making the miles fly past on the drive to Arizona. Hot all weekend, and it was already hot when I first went out this morning. I need to mow the back, and I'll get out my back porch shower head, my summer tradition. It's there for emergency use, but it's also wonderful to step outside on a completely dark night when the hose water is tepid and take a shower. This is the time of year I wish my shade trees were better established. Out front I have a shaded view from my office, but the trees in the back, while attractive, have been slower to grow large enough to block the sun beating down on the glass doors. I need to fertilize the back trees and soak it in, encourage a growth spurt this year. eBay is perking along, and I have a good box for my next listing. I've also dug out the research I did for the tiller; I'll list it later today, I think. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 28 May 11 - 01:58 PM Four loads of laundry done and hanging on the line. Dishes done, kitchen cleaned up somewhat (still need to do floors and wipe down the cupboards) and next on the list is to vacuum the living room as soon as DH brings the vacuum downstairs and the baby is up from his nap. He does NOT sleep through that sound! My 25th class reunion is today. We are not going to the Alumni Banquet or the bar afterwards but we will be attending a class family picnic tomorrow! Still trying to decide what to wear. I think khaki capris and a black top....casual but not too casual and something I can get down on the ground with to play with the baby and other children (yep...I'm not the only 43 year old Mommy of a baby!). Have a great day everyone! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 28 May 11 - 10:06 PM Power out, here, Thursday evening thru about 5PM tonight-- camping in the house gets old! But I proved a theory I wondered about when I was in serious poverty-- that being poor eats the clock. Living rough makes everything take so much longer. And the pedometer bore it out. In a day when I did not accomplish more than an average day of late, the ped numbers were doubled what they would have been if the mod cons had been working. Oh well. (Why my camping activity level is always higher.) We had our requisite 40 gallons of water on hand as we always do-- our house electrics go down about once a month for an evening or more. This just was a tad longer than usual. Another good reason not to have had the yard sale this weekend! :~) All the neighbors were unpowered as well, and no one went much of anywhere except for urgent supplies. The tornadoes did not hit us (just one window broke and some treelimbs fell in the grass-- no biggie) but there were some real bad road wrecks and I heard someone got crushed by a tree going down in a park, too. We were very lucky TBTG. Kudos to local radio KC-101 for running updates on various things, with a generator powering their broadcast. And TBTG my MP3 player was charged enough to give me FM radio to hear them. Hardi had a neat thingie we used-- but that's for later. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 28 May 11 - 11:50 PM Kat, I missed your post before; we cross-posted. Good news indeed if your doctor is so gleeful! Is Morgan out of school for the summer yet? I finished mowing the back yard this evening; I started in the afternoon and mowed about 1/2, then paused to do some other chores. This is the second time in a week I've mowed both the front and the back, it's because of all of these storms we had. I composted the last of the bags of lawn clippings from neighbors that I'd picked up then stashed behind my garage-side fence. Now so I can mow and tidy that area. And I pulled out and photographed the tiller. I wish I remembered what year - I'll have to look through my files, because I know the guy at the repair shop told me. It's one of those big old monster tillers the people love to have. What drives me nuts is that I am not strong enough to pull the cord to get it started by myself. I now shop specifically for "easy start" tools. This is code for "we made it possible for women to start this by themselves." I could simultaneously list it on eBay and Craig's list, and take down whichever ad doesn't sell. Local pickup only for eBay (this sucker is Heav-eee), cash only for Craig's list. It's a long bank holiday, but if someone wants it I'm sure we can work things out to wait until Tuesday for payment. Sometimes Craig's list items sell very quickly. Had a great conversation with a woman up the street this evening when I was out walking the dogs. She has been working on a new house (new to her - built probably in the 1970s - she bought the house next door; it needed work, but it had a wonderful garden room with a 12' window - that is what sold her on it.) Her mother still lives in her first house, and she sleeps there at night. Anyway, she has been learning how to do all of the work on it since last September, so when she said "I've been watching you build your wall, it's beautiful" I responded that I've had to do it in stages. "Of course!" was her answer - a kindred spirit who knows you have to do these as you have the time. Looks like a barbecue for tomorrow evening is falling into place. I have a few takers and will make my sauce ahead of time. I'll use my roaster oven to pre-cook the ribs and I'll pre-bake the chicken, then put them on the small charcoal grill in turns to give the meat that barbecue flavor. It'll be perfect timing since I finished mowing, the yard will look great. I'd better spend some time picking up in the house, though I think the yard will be the star. One of the friends coming over is another woman close to my age who does a lot of work on her house and yard, and has discovered the joys of a reciprocating saw. She's using it on the limbs and extra trees in her back yard. I told her she can bring it over here if she wants to show it off- I have lots of work! I may take a page from her book and think about one of those instead of a chain saw (which I could use, but the Sawzall can be used for more things than the chainsaw can.) Whew. Time to stop! Hope the weekend is going well, that the weather clears up, and that you all are able to have a nice break with friends and family over this holiday weekend. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 29 May 11 - 02:29 AM I can't sleep so I've swept the kitchen, bathroom and hallway, cleared the table, filled in Jeremiah's 2nd year baby calendar, completely emptied the diaper bag and restocked it, wrote 2 letters, emptied a large bag that I had taken to my mom's house the other day when we didn't have power...I had to go out that evening so I took 2 outfits (couldn't make up my mind), hair gear, makeup, etc. as well as baby gear for that day. I put away things picked up at the store this evening, packed the fishing box (permanent items such as sunscreen, bug spray, my small tackle bag and anti-bacterial wipes (ewww...fishy hands) so it's ready to go when we get the urge to go fish (hopefully that will be part of tomorrow!) I had my nails repolished today so they are pretty for the reunion tomorrow. Hmmm...oh yeah..brought in the laundry from the line, folded what was dry and hung the rest on the rack or in odd spots around the house. I imagine it will all be dry by morning...that's my hope anyway. I have a Zumba partner, actually someone I met a year or two ago and our friendship has been getting closer and closer. She lost her sister as a child and has longed for a sister ever since. She asked me if I would be her sister. I was so honored! Anyway, she came to a Relay For Life event last night. It was supposed to be a mini luminary ceremony in the town park but at the time we were to set up, tornado warnings came across the radio and a mean storm blew through. So, in the end, it was canceled but AB and I got to spend some time together and that made us both happy. When she initially arrived, she was yelling to me across the street, waving her arms. She made her way over to my car where I was loading things up and I stopped to tell her how happy I was that she came for the event and I gave her a hug. She was practically giddy hugging me and then she planted about 5 kisses on my cheek! I shrieked and laughed....what a nut...I had NOT been expecting that!! I think I am going to like having a sister very much. :) My point? Just that I have a partner to go to Zumba with so I have been much more inclined to actually get to class. Does anyone else here do Zumba? Does anyone find themselves getting kinda nauseous with all the hip twisting and movement? I was feeling a bit green for a little bit.... Overall, I really like it. I like that it's all shapes, sizes and ages of people....all of us shaking our booty, dancing around like we know what we are doing, clapping, etc. It's just FUN! :) I should be in bed but this reunion thing is on my mind. I'm sure it will be fun and just fine, if not, the fishing gear will be in the truck and we can head over early and spend time on the lake. I haven't seen some of these people in 25 years. Others I have been connecting with on facebook but not in person...at least not yet. One friend came from Iowa and she brought her grandaughter who is a month younger than Jeremiah....can't wait to see her and Little Allie Mae. Ok. I'm going to go lay in the dark and daydream myself to sleep. Sweet Dreams Everybody! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 29 May 11 - 05:28 AM Yesterday I worked on the raised bed, making it level, but not filling it. I pulled the last of the leeks and browned them ready to freeze. While working on the bed, I managed a minor boob - cutting not only my own redundant TV cable, but also my neighbour's! There was a corrugated plastic tube lying just under the surface across the bed site, which I knew was the conduit for the cable, which my vendor had pulled out and left across the garden. I intended to re-use the conduit for the power for the water feature I will eventually install. I dug it up as far as I could go before it dipped down too deep, and hacked through it w3ith the mattock. Surprisingly, there was cable inside it, so I got my wire cutters and cut it, before I suddenly realised there were two cables. Round to my neighbour, who told me he had his own cable, which he wasn't using as the company had ceased supplying what he wanted - diminished range, same price, so he had switched to satellite. Despite the local controls which demand cable, and ban any sort of aerial - no-one seems to observe this! Back to the conduit, where I find at the other end it dips down to his side of the fence! If cable ever returns, we'll both have to have a new run - which I will insist is not only three inches under my veg plot! Back to my neighbour, who is not bothered. I've managed to find corsican mint - or my sister has, at a local little nursery. It does smell slightly different from the previous plants, with a chemical odour a bit like some sort of solvent. Still, I wasn't planning to eat it, or make creme de menthe. I've got to put the tomatoes out in grow bags, and have the first strawberries ready for picking today. I've netted them from the blackbirds, who were getting interested, and I hope put them out of the way of the mouse! I don't know if any of you across the pond can elucidate something for me - I read a lot of sites about the corsican mint, and posters were referring to being in Zone 5, or Zone 6, or other numbers. Any dea what this means? I assume it's about areas being dry or rainy, cold or warm, low or high altitude. Took some more books to Oxfam. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 29 May 11 - 08:42 AM My May summary is that despite the lack of breath from this damned medication, my activity level is increasing. Not sure of June goals yet. The item Hardi had that was so much easier than a generator is a car-battery-starter. It's shaped like a small canister vac but about he size of a car battery. It has jumper cables to connect to a car battery but it ALSO has an outlet for a cigarette lighter and we had an adaptor to make that into a regular electric-outlet-type connector. So to recharge a phone, an MP3 player, or run a lamp for a little while if bright light is needed-- very helpful when we finally figured out how to employ it. It had some charge left in it from using it years ago for a car that had frequent winter starting problems, and then it went away to recharge and Hardi brought me home "a cup of electricity." :~) Not much use for winter heat in an ice storm, I'm sure, but for warm weather power outages, a great asset. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 May 11 - 11:25 AM Penny, visit this site for a good example of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Hardiness Zone map. You can Google "USDA growing zone map" and find all sorts of them. I am in zone 8A (north Texas, not to be confused with the Texas panhandle). When you buy a lot of plants, you'll find they might indicate a zone on the planting stick thing, or when you research plants online, they'll often tell you the zones they'll thrive in. You should be able to look at the color coded chart below and figure from the high and low temperatures what your zone is. We strained that lower threshold this year, with a low of 9oF a couple of days last winter. It killed some tender shrubs. This morning the dishes are all out of the sink, and I've used the rinse water (I rinse in a plastic tub in the sink) dumped into buckets and carried out to the yard to selectively water. The wash water sometimes gets poured on the compost to give more food particles to help it perk along. I don't think the soap is a problem. I'm trying not to run much water out of a hose to water the garden this year if I can avoid it. I will finish clearing off the kitchen counter and get my sauce made, and then I'll step outside and clear away the piles of rocks and pots beside the house. An hour spent transplanting stuff and then an hour rearranging rocks should give me a pretty area for this evening. I have this wrought iron sofa thing that needs the seat reinforced that is in the back that I need to move to the side. That'll give the dogs more room and one less obstacle when they're running around out there. (Dog world as we know it doesn't include a porch, just a 60/40 cloth covered patio and a few chairs and a table.) My eBay sale ends today, it has crept up to near $10. It's good to see this little case go to someone who wants it, and it is a nice return on my $1 investment. Would that I could do this all of the time, I could earn a tidy little sum on the side, eh? SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 29 May 11 - 11:30 AM Penny, the zones do have to do with temperatures, etc. and rates plants as to their "hardiness." Here is a map with zones, etc. for the UK. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 29 May 11 - 05:47 PM I got news today of a fabulous project I'm invited to work on, and a deeper level of involvement on an existing one. TBTG Hardi just got me a new laptop. The one Dan gave us will go to a colleague who needs less media but has been unable even to email for several weeks, so a trip to the post office is in the offing. Off to see if the new one will fit into the old case--- ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 29 May 11 - 07:08 PM Beautiful day for a class reunion family picnic!!! Got to see several people who I love and haven't seen in a long time!!! Great conversation, laughter, a walk and time on the playground pushing the baby on the swing. :) It's been a lovely day!!! Tomorrow....we FISH! :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: katlaughing Date: 29 May 11 - 07:59 PM Yes, SRS, Morgan's last day of school was Friday past. We didn't have him over last night, but he did come over about 1015a this morning to help us with a huge project.:-) And, he did call me for a chat, last night. Went on and on telling knock knock jokes and other stuff. It was pretty funny. Kudos on the compliments about your wall! We tore apart our bedroom, got the mattresses (a futon with Select Comfort air bed on top) out of the way, took up the crates and plywood they rest on and cleaned out years of cat hair, toys, cat barf, dirt, tons and tons of dirt, etc. There were some very tough spots the mop just couldn't get, so Morgan, who was full of energy and was being paid for his "extra" work today, took a scrub cloth to them, on his hands and knees, and did an outstanding job! Couldn't have been better if Rog or I had done it. The cleanest looking part of the floor was where Morgan accidentally backed into the full mop bucket, not once, but twice, spilling it. All available towels were used to mop up. They are now in the dryer after being washed. Rog took the three Roman window shades down for me. We draped them over some office grid stand thingies in the shower and I hosed them all down. They had a lot of dust on them and one hangs right by my head at night. We also washed all of our bedding, then, finally made the bed. We started at about 830a and didn't stop 'til 2p, though we sent Morgan home after feeding him lunch and paying him. He and I wrote out an "employment contract" between the three of us for the summer. He will help with certain chores and earn at least ten bucks per week. That was after he did some wheeling and dealing negotiating price! We explained the "trading out" concept, too, which fits our budget better.:-) I hope, by attacking the dust, one room at a time, we might alleviate some of the allergy symptoms we've both been having, though the doc said it's mostly cottonwood and other pollen, etc. in the air. Of course, today, half of Utah was blown across the border to our valley with high wind warnings all afternoon and evening. The sky is an ugly brown and the mountains, etc. obliterated from view. Good day to stay inside with the evaporative cooler on to dampen the air before we draw it in. It really feels good to have done such deep cleaning. I hope we can stay on top of it now. Michelle, glad you had a great day! kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 29 May 11 - 08:05 PM Kat and SRS, thank you for the links. Today I had a friend round, but first I managed to plant out leeks and celery. Five ripe strawberries! Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 29 May 11 - 08:10 PM I'm 8b, but must bear in mind the longer period of colder temperatures than 8b in the USA Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 29 May 11 - 11:07 PM AC in the bedroom, IN and no circuit breakers popped! That means if a guest wants our sleeping attic all year round, they can have it! It also means I can finally get back to the structured schedule the winter killed, hooray! It includes lots of trips up the stairs. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 30 May 11 - 12:27 AM Kat, that kind of cleaning kind of creeps up on you - when you decide to move stuff the dust and hair can be a real surprise. I have some under-bed zipper bags that I need to fill with wool throws I had around the house during the cold months. I'll clean under the bed, then move the bed, then rearrange the furniture, then put the under-bed bags back. Today I swept leaves and built up debris, and I know I am destroying a great habitat for a lot of beneficial critters. But when I finish leaves can build up again. Dinner is over, the kitchen is clean. My ex brought some videos on his mp3 player and with a special cable he was able to connect to the little LCD TV on the kitchen wall. They stood around it laughing at downloaded bits he brought along. I usually have a movie running early in our get-togethers (no one tends to watch, but it is a great conversation starter). This time the movie/s were imported. Tomorrow will be a great day to finish work in the yard. I'll also list that tiller - I decided to wait until people could have access to banks if they decide impulsively they want to buy this. It's a great old machine and I'm probably underpricing it, but I can use the space and the cash. :) Michelle, I saw your photos from the picnic. Jeremiah clearly LOVES the swing! I remember spending long hours in the park with my kids when they were tiny, trying the various rides. My favorite kid/park episode was when my son turned six. We invited a handful of his friends from Montessori and a few of the kids from the neighborhood to a party in the local park that is set up for handicapped use. I was so proud of it, it was developed during my term on the park board--handicapped parents or children could move through the ramps and passages and no longer did parents sit in wheelchairs and watch from afar. And children in wheelchairs joined the able-bodied kids in the play structure. It was an interesting dynamic; as parents we knew the value of free time for the kids to play, but also wanted to keep an eye out. I realized that we had naturally spaced ourselves out, standing in clumps of two or three, ringing the structure; visiting yet keeping an eye on the play and also able to see other clusters of parents on either side of us. Kids would appear and disappear, and gales of laughter were a great sign of the party's success. I was poor, so our meal was simple: I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on homemade bread, cut each sandwich in 1/4 and wrapped them all with cellophane. We had fruit cups or cut up fruit, and individually wrapped Hostess cupcakes. The kids would kind of swarm out of the structure to eat then head back. Happened a couple of times, then we were finished. In this modern day and age you can let kids have the space to play and explore, and I'm sure Jeremiah will have some kinds of parties like that that he will remember for the fun and the play, and that you'll remember because your plans worked out exactly as laid out. I started a blog entry, but I think I'll save it and finish tomorrow. I've made enough notes so I'll remember what inspired me to start it. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 30 May 11 - 03:23 AM I'm enjoying reading about the wonderfful activities you have all been doing. I will own up to having been a bit lazy this weekend. The dining room is getting really cluttered with the kitchen stuff, and Ernie won't be able to put the stove in for at least 10 days - he isn't back from the US till Saturday, and I am away until the following Tuesday. I will then have to take my turn with the other work that has piled up. Meanwhile, I will be needing to store crockery and pans somewhere. At least the bulk of them can go away into a shed or the annexe, as I will only need the minimum. Today's plan? Flower festival across the road in the church, and a village food and craft fair up the road at Ford. Lots of nice plants and handmade soapy things there. Might look for a present for a new friend of mine from this area, whose mum died yesterday (very peacefully) after a long, hard battle with Parkinson's disease. Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 30 May 11 - 07:15 AM William R. Bradford said, "A cluttered life is a life that you do not have control of. I have learned that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to declutter one's life by starting at the top of the pile with the idea that the solution is to just get things sorted and better organized. It is nice to get better organized, but that is not enough. Much has to be discarded. We must actually get rid of it." ("Unclutter Your Life," Ensign, May 1992, 27) Today is Memorial Day and Pete has the day off. We are giving each other the gift of uninterrupted time. I will keep the baby for 2 hours and then he will take the baby for 2 hours. Do you know how much I can get done in 2 hours of uninterrupted time? Sounds crazy but I am ready for my 2 hours to begin...I want to get started rearranging my office!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 30 May 11 - 07:35 AM AC masked and light control underway. Spare bedroom window unscrewed and fan in, lovely early morning light and cool air. Porch work delayed by power outage on for today, in the midst of picnic. Friend whose power STILL not yet on now has our magic electricity gadget-- "Have a cup of electricity, neighbor?" New litter pans in place-- HEAVEN.... New editing project underway, PRICELESS. Prepping for Convention jobs (That's June 10.) TBTG, ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 30 May 11 - 08:15 AM So....the baby is sleeping in and Pete went out to do his chores. I got a head start on my office which is going to be turned into a quiet reading area/guest room/mommy's time out room. I have a TON of stuff for the yard sale and can't wait to get rid of it!!! I took some before photos and will set up a site so you guys can see it (still loving SRS's idea of having a spot to post photos of our progress). While the living areas of our home are in decent shape, my office and really, Pete's office too...have become catch all clutter rooms. You know, the kind of room where I don't have the time or oomph to put this where it should go so I'll just throw it in here. Uh huh. It's bad. So....when you see the pictures, just know that we all have to start somewhere. And I started today!!! And that does NOT include the 2 hours of uninterrupted time Pete has promised me!!! YAY!!!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 30 May 11 - 08:52 AM Here is where I will begin to document my efforts: Changing My Life One Room At A Time Gotta start somewhere...right? :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 30 May 11 - 08:53 AM Hmmm...that didn't work. Here's the web address: www.changingmylifeoneroomatatime.wordpress.com Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: maeve Date: 30 May 11 - 09:10 AM The http:// prefix had been decluttered! :) http://www.changingmylifeoneroomatatime.wordpress.com |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 30 May 11 - 09:50 AM Maeve, *MWAH* Thank you!!!! XOXOXOX Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 30 May 11 - 10:48 AM I picked it apart before I saw maeve's corrected link. And I've subscribed to your blog. I have a couple of WordPress blogs running, one for the organic gardening, one for everything else. I probably should combine all of that into the threatened (proposed?) one blog and have a garden section and an everything else section. Then I wouldn't have to host my photos elsewhere (not wanting to fill it up so much that it runs out of space, but I should probably just buy that space - there are several possibilities). Now, I've had my cuppa tea so it's time to change into grubby clothes and head into the yard. It's overcast this morning, keeping it slightly cooler. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 30 May 11 - 02:56 PM It's very warm out there now. I came in for lunch, but when I went back outside trying to work in that heat with a full stomach didn't feel good. I'll let it digest longer before heading out again. My rock wall is coming along beside the house. This is simply stacked rocks, not mortared like out front. This line of rocks there to conceal the concrete (former driveway) that goes all the way up to the side of the house. With the line of sight broken up by this low wall and potted plants the house doesn't look like it has a converted garage. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: wysiwyg Date: 30 May 11 - 05:24 PM Not sure how to quantify this but the afternoon's activity was a lot like riding a somewhat sedate horse for 1/2 an hour, which I used to do for hours and hours, to go scootering where and how we do it. You can sit there like a lump and bumpo along like a sack of potatoes, or you can ride actively, just like on a horse, and tho there is not quite as much leg action there can be quite a bit more than I had thought-- on the model I have now you can stand up without having it conk out. So 1/2 hour of scootering, as a pace for a few weeks, because on the last scooter 1/2 hour was way too much. It was OK on this one but I will feel it later, esp. in my back, butt, and thighs-- hopefully not so badly that I can't ALSO do the same amount of walking I've been doing. But it was a move in the right direction. We have a new paradigm. If the two really do become one flesh like the Bible says, then I suppose it would be a sin of omission not to exercise together, even if we do not do the same exercises and activities. It should be interesting, seeing how this affects both our workout times. I also learned a lot about how to load and unload this big scooter by myself. Will need a rope to pull it out, and some steering straps. An odd irony was that I was considered the most knowledgable person on the trail today because I could estimate the pace of the walkers, to answer their questions about how far they may have gone, and to warn them that they had probably done way too much for a first day out as they clearly were doing. I guess the old girl is still a coach when needed. So strange! Must have been that competitive look I was wearing, that I had no idea I was wearing. They used to tell me I looked like that in the pool, too, especially after they had failed to be able to keep up with me in aqua-sprinting (interval-training). ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 30 May 11 - 10:03 PM I made serious progress in my office and may put up some photos later on. I moved the bed, sorted a bunch of stuff, tossed a bunch of stuff (mostly old paperwork) and did some organizing, dusting, etc. Best bonus of the day? I found a tape one of my very best friends made for me in 1991. He happened to work at WCNN (DJ turned engineer) so he had full access to everything in the studio. The best part, he made the commercials and did the announcing himself. He died in 1999. It was sooo good to hear his voice today. I've been looking for that tape for a long time. Found it tucked in a walkman....that should tell you how long it's been since I've heard his voice!!! Love & Misses John. XOXOXOXOXO Night Everybody! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: LilyFestre Date: 30 May 11 - 10:15 PM Going to be taking a break from online communities for a for a bit for anyone who might wonder where I've gone. I might blog and add some updates but maybe not too. I just need a breather. Everything is good, no worries. :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 31 May 11 - 05:38 PM Michelle, in the summer my writing goes in spurts because I'm outside more. It's so hot here that I can't keep going without stop, so I check in when I'm cooling off. Woke up with terrible leg cramps last night, and realized I'd probably become dehydrated. A teaspoon of mustard (a suggestion from the Graedons of The People's Pharmacy) and a big drink of water and I felt much better and back to bed. I'm sure it came from not drinking enough as I toted rocks around the yard yesterday. I'll pay more attention - that's no way to wake up. I am waiting for the eBayer to pay and then I can get this box out of here. I have a couple of more things to list, and I need to set up my ad for the tiller tonight. Tomorrow is payday, so tomorrow I'll list this on Craig's List. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Penny S. Date: 31 May 11 - 08:01 PM Woke early, and went to the study to install another length of shelf support and more shelves. Emptied a few more boxes of books and considered that I need a run of some sort of cupboard for "not books". Sorted out some for Oxfam. Took an armchair up two flights of stairs to the room where I will be working on it to replace the webbing. Took the chair which has been living in that room downstairs and photographed it to see if Oxfam could take it. Went to Oxfam and found that one of my previous donations of books had gone, separating two which belonged together, so that the purchaser won't know the end of the story. Since the second had been priced at £35, it isn't a surprise. They could take the chair, but when I got back I realised they couldn't. It would need a fire certificate. I could re-cover it myself, but not certificate it. Proper upholstery would cost £70. But I don't have the space any more. I went to the village office to find out about the cable company, and they have ended the service, so I don't suppose the cable ends are live. Then I went to the dump to get rid of the cardboard boxes, and found a woman dumping two Ikea wooden boxes and a stair basket, which I now have. The boxes will do for the "not-books" until I can manage better. That justified the petrol, which I had worried about. I dropped into the supermarket on the way back, and met the woman from the cherry farm, which is starting to sell tomorrow! Hooray! I planted out the tomatoes in growbags, topped up the slowest potato bag, and planted out the courgette in a heap of compost. Something had sought out my bought in dwarf runner beans and chewed them, but I'm not ready to plant them out - the bed needs building up some more. I'm going to have to buy in anyway, as I have managed to kill off some more seeds in the propagator. Fortunately the garden centre is near the cherry farm. The slugs, active now it has rained, are ignoring the beer trap, but I have some organic pellets which are safe for other life which I am trying. I suspect them of chewing my carrots, which I will need to reseed. The cat did for some of them. I have spoken to the owner, who doesn't quite believe he is guilty, as he uses a spot in their garden, but he is the one I have seen. There is a new cat about though, which I will have to watch out for. Ginger is called Douglas - a Just William connection, maybe. It sounds as though it is territory rather than needing a toilet spot which brings him in, though. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: maire-aine Date: 31 May 11 - 09:58 PM My laptop now has a 4G connection, so I'm sailing thru the web-- even youtube videos. This will save a lot of time & aggravation, and money too, as my montly rate will go down. Got my first paycheck today from my new part-time job. Yey. M |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: mouldy Date: 01 Jun 11 - 03:54 AM After a day or two of merely pottering about, dental appointments etc, I am spending today sorting out the last of the kitchen stuff, and the dining room. I am off down south via Yorkshire for the Wychwood festival in Cheltenham, and I won't be back up here until Tuesday. Hopefully the kitchen cupboards (or some of the at least) will be coming out shortly afterwards. It's a case of pulling camping gear I may need over the summer out of the shed and dumping it in the hall, then filling the space left in the shed with the majority of the pots/pans/appliances from the kitchen. Oh well - better get started, I suppose.... Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: May 2011 Declutter & Fitness Records* From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 Jun 11 - 07:54 PM You've all made a big move into summer work! I just started a June thread. SRS |
