BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11

Subject: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 11 - 04:27 PM

Time for a new one! (Here's the old one.)

Been working on photos all day and making posters to promote library events. Now I'm taking a break, running some errands, heading over to help with the move and packing.

Today I decluttered my bank account - paid a bunch of bills. And this time on my mortgage payment I paid in a little extra toward the principal. I'm going to make that a part of my austerity plan - save money later by paying down the house a little faster now.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 01 Sep 11 - 05:56 PM

Phoned motel we stayed in last November, praised their environmentally safe rooms, made her day (the manager/owner). Phoned the company from which they purchase their cleaning materials; chemist will email me lists tomorrow of safe cleaning products for home use and, hopefully, for cleaning raccoon cages to eliminate nasty viruses and other vicious problems. Chlorine is soooo toxic.

Sent tentative info to SPCA for its website, emailed the raccoon person about several items. Next project a fall press release to help the public to animal and cold-proof their buildings, garbage bins,etc and learn to live more effectively/comfortably with our urban wildlife.

Up to date on laundry and Chili. R had to replace a circuit breaker in pottery (it had failed when I tried to fire); Hope to be able to fire some pottery this weekend. Gearing up to next music festival - to offer clay play and, hopefully, sell a few pots. Cannot keep making them without getting rid of them!

Weather is quickly cooling. Hoping for nice Indian summer!

Had wonderful time on Saturday with a NYS rehabber and her husband. Hope to see them again soon. Reservations made for wildlife conferences in Sept in Toronto and November in NYS. Expecting company end of october: The current editor of The Canadian Friend; I am a former one. We love to chat.

Refinishing the first of two doors for front of city house (it was a duplex). Tough going - lots of paint on 100 year old pine doors! And some of it is tough as nails!

Had a second wonderful visit to NW Quebec and a delicious apfel kuchen. It has almost inspired me to bake something.

Recovering from a very bum right leg; felt crippled for about two weeks - 110 years old! Finally quit wearing a certain pair of shoes. Recovery almost complete in 24 hours!

Emails are now quite manageable and much more fun. Whew!

R brought employee home for lunch today. That's a first. Chili, bread, cheese, cookies. And a lecture on raccoons and how wonderful and intelligent they are - with pictures. I am an ambassador for the Raccoon Nation!

So, I turned on the TV just now for he news and ---well, I guess we no longer have TV. I thought CBC was going to stay another year but maybe that is just in the boonies? Oh, well!

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Sep 11 - 06:18 PM

Dorothy, that all sounds wonderful. Go Raccoon Nation! Plain old vinegar is a wonderful household cleanser, for all kinds of things including germs:

Vinegar Tips and,

more about it in THIS BLOG and,

A Canadian FAQS site.

Having said that, I just sent Rog to the store to get me a new gallon and forgot to tell him white so I have a gallon of cider vinegar! It is the only thing I wash my clothes in, now, as the doc reckons I have had an allergic reaction to something, possibly soap!

I've done nothing today but ride along on a couple of errands with Rog. Didn't sleep well last night. He had the day off until about 330p. Had to go in to cover the engineering feed for some ball game and won't be home until later. I think I'll watch some netflix.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: SINSULL
Date: 01 Sep 11 - 07:02 PM

You may remember a few years back when my friend Thomas went missing. He was "gone: for weeks until his cousin stumbled across a letter from me in his belongings. Thomas had died on his way to the bus station to join us in Maine for a lobster boil.
Well, one of our cleaning staff has gone missing now. He was in chemo for lung cancer, came out of the hospital and hasn't been seen since. Hios neighbors and sister have no idea where he is. Keep Dan in your thoughts. He is a good man. We all miss him - he had out bathroom and claning schedules down to a science. The new guy keeps screwing with our trash cans.
I am serious. We really miss Dan and need him back.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Sep 11 - 07:19 PM

May he be found, well and healing, Sins.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: ragdall
Date: 01 Sep 11 - 08:45 PM

Mary, Best wishes for finding Dan, safely recovering with someone who cares about him.

I'm heading down to the basement to manufacture a pant leg collection bag pocket and sew it into yet another pair of pants for my husband. I found some inexpensive cargo pants with baggy pant legs that should make fitting the bags into his pant leg pocket easier for the ol' fellow.   Next week it will be 4 months since the medical experts left a hole in his kidney. The urologist removed the first tube from him two weeks ago, but decided it was too soon and arranged to have another catheter inserted yesterday. He's very discouraged and plenty uncomfortable too. We very much want to get off this emotional roller coaster. Just when we think the end is in sight it takes us for another loop.

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 11 - 09:11 PM

I had wondered if you were still doing the pocket thing under the trousers. I hope the kidney heals quickly.

Tried an inexpensive experiment today, I don't think it worked, or at least, it was a wash, no gain or loss. I had a few ugly silver jewelry pieces from my great aunt's estate and a funky little gold thing that no one would ever wear. I stopped by a little antique store and looked at her tray of used rings and found 3 little sterling rings that were equally ugly and bundled this together and stopped by a gold exchange. I didn't go to the same one as before (though in hindsight I think they were nicer) and I think I broke even on what I got for it. Not at lot, not a little. But it was an experiment. I have beautiful heavy silver pieces here that I wouldn't consider selling - they're in the category of art, and the workmanship is so lovely. I suppose those need to be put where they won't tempt a thief who might peek in a window.

My friend has made a lot of progress, and he and his current roommate are hoping to move on Monday after his roommate and another friend do some looking. Since my friend's credit is shot his roommate and friend will visit apartments (where they want to hold your ID while you look, and where they run a credit check on you) and when they find one then my friend's name will be placed on the lease. They just need a foot in the door. Foreclosure fries your credit.

Not as tired today as yesterday, I did some wrap stuff in newspaper and pack it in boxes packing for my friend, and left before it got very late. I'll putter here around the house and garden this evening. We're under heavy water restrictions now, so I have to hand water my garden because I can't set up a sprinkler until Saturday.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 12:03 AM

I hope Dan is found safe and sound. :(

Tomorrow I will pick up the remaining supplies we need to start canning. It's going to be a weekend full of cooking, canning and freezing here. Corn, beans, tomatoes and peaches.

Our mailbox was bombed last night. An explosion. An over sized mailbox blown into the trees...turned inside out. The door and back are nowhere to be found. We did find the top to the explosive and got some great tire tracks. We filed a police report. Not much else to do. The good news, if you can call it that, is that we were not the only ones targeted so more than likely it was a bunch of kids having *fun*.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 12:09 AM

Garden is watered, sink full of dishes (for the morning--don't feel like it tonight) and laundry is finished. And I went ahead and connected my house number with Google Voice. Now my voicemail will go to both Google and Sprint. After a few more months when the penalty isn't so bad (it goes down $10 a month till the end of the 2 year contract) I'll port the house phone to Google and drop the Sprint part of it. Best of both worlds - kind of.

I called my sister and asked about her use of the Roku box. She likes it. I saw one on sale (1 day only on Saturday) that I will probably pick up next sale. I won't go back to cable any time soon, but some of the news you can get through Roku channels would be nice.

I echo the sentiments that Dan returns safely - hoping for good news on that front. SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 12:13 AM

Cross-posted: Michelle, where I lived in the country years ago the weapon of choice against mail boxes seemed to be a 2x4, wielded by a rider in the back of a pickup. The post office takes this stuff seriously, so if your police or sheriff doesn't help, call the post office.

That canning sounds marvelous!!! I am freezing the little bit that I get right now (eggplant) and drying herbs. I hope for a fall crop if the temps cool and we get some rain.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 12:30 AM

I would be so unsettled if it been a bat or even a shotgun...but an explosive? The police said it was a summary offense punishable by a maximum of $300.00 and up to 30 days in jail. I called the post office to have our mail held and the guy asked if I had filled out a form. I said no but our mailbox had been blown right off it's post. He said he'd hold it until we let them know otherwise and contacted our carrier who had left for the day. She brought today's mail right to the house.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 12:34 AM

Photos of the mailbox vandalism have been posted to Facebook.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 06:27 AM

Nasty! Where are they getting hold of that stuff?

Joined WW again last night...same weight as I started at before! (13st 1lb = 183lb). Now trying to transfer my mindset from the old points to the new.

Latest news on the build - Neil will be coming on Tuesday, weather permitting. NOBODY is to do any rain dances!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Tinker
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 08:08 AM

Going to consolidate today and finish the small workshop area of the basement.... might have been a still room once upon a time. Reminding myself that the goal is to clean it to safety... not organize everything at once. Way too overloading the other way.

I've be letting the scrubbing lugging and stair climbing count as my daily exercise cause I figure if new muscles are complaining I'm definitely doing something. My weight loss has slowed way down as I approach the lst ten pounds.... Most weeks I've still lost 1 lb but it definitely seems like much more effort for less and less results.But I am down to my lowest point in over 10 years so I'll just keep plugging.

Sending Dan light to guide him home.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 10:25 AM

I'm going to have to prop my eyes open with toothpicks, today.:-) Rog got home about midnight, we went to bed about 1a, but I couldn't settle, so was up 'til 2a, woke promptly at 6! Arrgghh. Fell back asleep until time for Morgan, who came cheerily into our bedroom at 748a, "Time for school!" Sent him out back to exercise the dog and himself, dragged ourselves out of bed and have now delivered him unto learning.

We will do grocery shopping and a few small things around the house. I now have 8 books going out to Mudcatters and the box of books to my son, today. Am also going to rearrange my desk space a bit. Then, I suspect, we shall both take naps.:-)

katblearyeyed

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 11:46 AM

I took a break from dog walking yesterday, but we were out there bright and early this morning. For my two and especially for Zeke, it is a way to re-assert each day that I am the pack leader. They're just generally happier when they've been out of the yard for a little walk.

High temp today is supposed to be at 100, and the numbers are slowly dropping. The drought is still with us so even if it is a little cooler the misery persists. I had to hand water today because though it is an even-date for my even-house-number, we've now switched to a very rigid county-wide watering ban with huge fines for mistakes. My watering days (sprinklers) are Wednesday and Saturday and I can hand water other times except there is no watering of any kind on Mondays.

My friend is clearing his fridge this morning to sell it to someone who will pick it up at noon. He still has a small bar fridge for food essentials. I suggested he should also sell the air conditioner and other equipment he can disconnect. I just heard from him - he has a plastic garden shed that is quite large that I asked him for. I need to disassemble it and probably rent a larger truck from Home Depot to pickup and deliver the largest pieces to my house. It will require a good chunk of rope and driving slower on back roads to be sure it gets here without flying off on the highway.

I guess I'd better get my self in gear and head over pretty soon.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 02:10 PM

The only thing that's been de-cluttered today is the inside of the cat: I decided he could have his shots a little early (2-3 weeks)this year, and get it over with. I have 9 miles to the vet. My cat gets travel sick....

It's a good job I put some old cloth on top of the mat in the box, and that I usually carry refuse bags in the car!

I have 2 points left to use today. I think strawberries and yogurt sounds like a plan.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 06:05 PM

Kat: I put a bit of apple cider vinegar in my drinking water a lot of the time. AND I am glad you mentioned it because it often helps what ails me. Strangely, it is said to keep the ph balanced. Think I will go do that!

I use white vinegar all the time but I am trying to work on other folks who may have a psychological need for "products"!!

Michelle! Down in southern PA they used a baseball bat. Our neighbour replaced his with a BRICK one!!

R brought home a wonderful metal shelf unit for the country- so heavy we had to enlist a passerby to help get it into the alley behind out gate. It had to come out of the truck for the rest of today's work. It will be areal boon for organizing in the garage/studio.

Never went out this week, since we came back Sunday. Staying on hand to be here when a hungry man comes in. Eating helps keep the stress level almost manageable. And Drink something, too!

Crisis in the RAccoon World yesterday was grueling for everyone. I have this strange idea that if someone ASKS for help and is offered help, they have a responsibility to let people - who would like to go to bed knowing that guy is safe - know they have accepted that help and the situation is being resolved. I told the helpee that at 9:30 pm, his mother (I did not know he lived with his aging, ailing mother) at 11:30 pm because he had still not phoned the WAITING helper - who had worked 14 hours cleaning a house exterior and was still willing to drive several hours to rescue the raccoon.

Ended up with him in a fury with me - because of his mother - and me suggesting firmly but kindly that he needs serious therapy. At least I meant it kindly. He is a bleeding idiot who has jeopardized the life of the raccoon he claims to love, a hysteric and an ANGRY man. Seriously passive-aggressive also, I suspect. I hope he gives up the raccoon to a safe home. His state does not permit them as pets - at all. HE is lucky the police did not shoot it last night. No, I will have NOTHING more to do with him!!!! Do not fear!

I realize that it what has screwed up most of today and now I shall let go of it and go to the cafe!! Thank you all. HAve a great wee.kend --or the best possible weekend, in any case. Tornados, hurricanes flooding, droughts 100 degree weather and... notwithstanding

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 06:16 PM

My dogs and Zeke the visiting dog got into a box in the garage and chewed up a 30-year old preserved alligator gar head (I'd cooked the meat off and used the head for ranger talks - it was from a 75lb fish at one of the lakes I used to patrol.) Now the remainder is in the trash, but tons of bone and sharp little teeth are going through dog guts. I'll keep an eye on them.

My brother called today to say his dog died overnight. 9-year-old German shorthaired pointer who had wonderful adventures in her too-short life.

I didn't go over to my friend's house today, I ended up not taking the day off, but I'll be over there this weekend. I think I'm going to rent a U-Haul trailer to bring the big plastic greenhouse over here. It really is a wonderful building. I may move the dog kennel and put it there, or may put it down near the back of the yard. Except for it to be a greenhouse it needs more light than at the back. Ideally I'll put it where the folks from the village won't see it and insist I get a permit to set it up. The one pain about trailers is backing them and my driveway is not straight. Ugg.

I hope you all have a great weekend, and those in the US, enjoy your long weekend!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: SINSULL
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 06:23 PM

Lily,
I am trying very hard not to wish evil on your vandals. It is very hard given that the three animals who attacked a co-worker a few months back walked by today banging on the windows, pulling at the door handle and spitting on our windows repeatedly. This is not the first time.
I know that they are part of the broken masses expressing their frustrations at what they see as the enemy - people who sit behind desks and work - but I am fed up with them.
They will, of course,spit at the wrong person or smash the wrong mailbox and pay the price. Still it is hard not to be vengeful in my thought.
A group of similar losers destroyed a pumpkin patch belonging to a seriously disabled boy, about eight years old, in Maine. The field was clearly marked as a project for this young man.
My only hope is that when they all grow up they will recognize the seriousness of what they have done and make amends any way they can.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 06:46 PM

Depressing criminal sorts getting discussed on both sides of the pond this week on Mudcat. Ugg.

I'm starting a care package for my son next week, I'll probably mail it by the middle of the month. I'll give him time to ponder what else he wants me to add to the initial list before I mail it.

I had a booklet to mail to OldDude if needed - I let Jacqui know what it was and she told me she already sent him a copy (a Joys of Jello cookbook). Anyone need a copy of it?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Tinker
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 10:11 PM

Special town pick up for water damaged items at the curb tomorrow. Everything had to be curb side before 6 am. So today was a major de-clutter day.

The roofer began the slate repair today -- hopefully my bedroom will no longer leak. I've gotten a claim number,and a promise of a call from an adjuster, but they are really swamped. the previous guy who did slate repair for me obviously cut corners, the new contractor has explained why the replaced slate has all fallen... copper brackets(too soft) nailed not screwed, cut about half required length.... and slightly too narrow.... I'm not a roofer, but the work today is much prettier. I'm trying not to remember how much I paid the very nice Irishmen who previously fixed my roof.

I'm almost done with the piles of soggies the end is in sight. My yard no longer resembles a bombing at a yard sale.

I have a diocese wide teacher training to put together for next Saturday so next week will be all out at work... obviously nothing I planned to do this week got done.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 10:52 PM

That's interesting about the roof, Tinker, but sad that earlier guy made such a concerted effort to cut corners. Any of the day-to-day decluttering we're doing doesn't touch the shifting of things you're having to do. Remember to tighten your abdomen when you lift things, and bend your knees.

Shopping this evening - I'm going to start stocking up on beef roasts, cut them into 1-pound chunks and wrap and freeze them. Beef is supposed to go up after this season of ranchers selling off their beef because they've run out of water or can't afford the feed this time of year. I don't eat as much beef now as I used to.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Tinker
Date: 02 Sep 11 - 11:59 PM

Today I put on music appropo for the speakeasy and decided to Shake your wicked knees

It kept me moving and smiling. I got each of the kids to help with the larger pieces so the job was more doable. I've been trying to remember to get these things to the curb on bulk day ... but we are scheduled on Wednesdays and only the 2nd or 4th week of the month .... Well it's all gone now...

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Sep 11 - 12:24 AM

Great music pix, Tink. Wonder if that speakeasy had any of those pieces played there in its hey-day. Sorry you've had to do so much, but it's good to get it out and taken away.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Bettynh
Date: 03 Sep 11 - 12:15 PM

I've been picking through stuff to sell at a yardsale scheduled for today. However, my sone can't help, so it'll be next week. Lots of scrubbing old dishes and kitchen stuff, washing dusty tee shirts, etc. I took a jar of coins to the local market and put them through a coin sorter (charge is 20% now, ouch). It kicked out a quarter and dime, both dated 1963, and I got to thinking. The internet is a wonderful thing. I found this . Good grief, when did this happen?? Most of the coins minted now are worth less than half their value in metals. But silver coins before 1963 are worth much more. Nickles generally are worth 6 cents in metal and the price of nickle is rising. So I sorted coins in another jar last night in front of the tv. I found a couple Kennedy half-dollars, a dozen or so wheat-ear pennies, a few dimes and quarters pre-1963, and a teacup full of pre-1982 pennies. The wheat-ear pennies will go into the yardsale. I'll probably ask $3 for the dozen, and let them talk me down to $1.50 if necessary. I'll just hang onto the older coins and nickles and take the modern coins to the sorter. But this has me creeped out and I have a story about that. ;)

In 1994 I took the kids to see the solar eclipse in Chile. (There are other stories about why and how) After the eclipse we went to Macchu Picchu, since it wasn't (relatively) far away. When we arrived in Peru, the airport was full of vendors of jewelry with heavy round dangles. We passed them by. As we travelled and looked around Peru, it was obvious that they had just gone through a disastrous money crisis. Inflation had become SO bad that they had had to replace all thier money with new money. I still have one bill for 5 million that was worth 5 in the new money. After the fact, I realized that those heavy round pendants were the old coins. I wish now that I had bought one, not for the fashion, but for the lesson in it. Money and value are different things, and you have to be careful.

So I'm off to the coin sorter again, and then back to sorting and deciding.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 03 Sep 11 - 12:48 PM

Thanks for the music nudge, Tinker!! Great stuff.

I've been in purge mode for about a year now. Streamlined, and feeling good. Some last little bits to go, but the feng shui has never been better.

Now, my only major project left, you have reminded me, is my piano. I have a trash-picked (literally) very old upright that makes me happy every day. But I'd be happier if I could play it!

Probably no universal accident that the first room I am renting out in this new project is the one with the piano. So, it'll have to be moved into my bedroom, won't fit anywhere else, where I will have to stare at it until I learn to play the damn thing : )

Dani

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 03 Sep 11 - 01:58 PM

Down 0.4 this week.
Every little bit is good!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Bettynh
Date: 03 Sep 11 - 02:23 PM

Dani, this looks like a reasonable place to start.

I also remember Leonard Bernstein's music theory lectures fondly, although he's always a bit stuffy. It was a revelation to me to find out that there's more to the scale than that it just "sounds right."

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Sep 11 - 03:18 PM

It seems the "light at the end of the tunnel" has a nice smell more than a bright light-- at least for decluttering. A lemony vanilla smell. We're treating ourselves to nice cleaning products from now on.

Details:

The LR's slow progress has resulted in a room the housecleaner is about to pretty-clean, Monday. The timing is all God's, and I love it-- MIL arrives to clean house and relaxed hosts, another friend due for Sept. visit in an improved upstairs bedroom, and my office is workable but due for a cabinet build with Ade to increase intentional storage and to absorb the 4 workshop go-bins for existing Diocesan responsibilities.

The fam financial office has moved successfully upstairs from the room I had prepped for a tenant or our adult son's uni return, which now provides a gracious home for a friend and housemate who is giving us all the boxes as she unpacks-- a housemate with an endless supply of great-sized cardboard boxes from work, YAY! I have no clutter to fill them-- only planned archives of records and yard sale items to display/categorize.

Hardi's contribution to the early-Oct. yard sale project is all that is needed to price and sell a front porchful of pass-alongs, and when that is over there will be FreeCycle and then the landfill-- all before winter freeze-up. So we will have a clear and lovely front porch in the spring to house a summer chill tub. There is actually room for both a chill tub for me and a fall/spring hot one for Hardi. And we have the wading pools already on hand to do it.

THIS is what I've worked so hard on, for the last several years, so I could be OUT and so that when we are at home we can CHILL.

The next smell will be LR paint and probably kitchen paint as well.

TBTG!

I know that some of you here are not my friends, but please at least take note from my example that decluttering CAN actually be done and CAN result in your goals-- keep decluttering!!!


All the best,

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 03 Sep 11 - 03:52 PM

Very nice! Rank beginner! Count me in.

Dani

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 11 - 07:14 PM

Companions, even if we don't know each other in person to be friends, Susan!

Today I spent four or five hours emptying all of the crud that had been dumped and stored in the big plastic greenhouse in my friend's back yard. I took out the shelves and some supports and a counter and all of that is in the pickup and will be in the garage soon. I also brought some terracotta pots for the greenhouse and a few kitchen things to store in the house. Tomorrow I begin disassembling the building and stacking the panels in the pickup and making a drive back and forth a several times. I will put it in my back yard where the dog kennel is now and move the kennel over several feet.

As I cleaned and began taking it apart I thought about the various things that can go in there. With the shelves the way they are there is storage underneath on both sides and I'll be able to keep garage items like my mower and some of the bins of things (corn gluten meal, dry molasses, etc.) in there, and I have some gardening things in my sun room that will also go in there. This will be a lovely dedicated gardening shed that can double on one side as a greenhouse.

The inside of this thing was filled with animal signs - the doors have been open so squirrels dragged lots of pecans in there to eat and leave the shells. There are birds, and rats and mice in the neighborhood (there is a school across the street with a dumpster that is the source of the population) and there were things in there from when they had a pet rabbit. So tons of dusty stuff that isn't good for anyone. I tried to take it easy with the dust, and when I came home I used the neti pot and I gargled. If I feel at all like I'm catching something I'm heading over to my doctor ASAP.

I've been working on my decluttering for a long time now and have made great progress. My home looks light and airy compared to when I look at my friend's house and see all of the seasonal stuff - so much for each holiday that it is over the top - and all of the excess in so many things in that small house, crammed into closets, spare rooms, the yard, the garage, etc. I know I'm not bad. My friend's late partner was the borderline hoarder (collector of things that resulted in a hoard, at any rate). There has been a lot of packing going on and many trips to the storage locker for him, but a lot of it is going to goodwill, to consignment shops, or to the dump.

Ideally I'd like to race through the dismantling and bring it over here and simply put it back together on this spot without a piled up not-doing-anything stage in between. I need to trim around the kennel to disentangle the grass from the bottom of the cyclone fencing, and drag it sideways. And before I take this apart any more I'm going to photograph the inside and out so I have that to go with along with the booklet of instructions.

My weekend is going to be crammed full of stuff. I'll be glad to go back to work next week just to rest up!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Sep 11 - 01:06 AM

I hope you feel better Maggie!!!! And soon!!! It's goldenrod season here which means I'm sneezing my fool head of for most of the morning and rubbing my eyes until I think they are going to pop out of my head. It eases in the afternoon and then starts to tickle again as the sun goes down.

For whatever reason, I'm finding that I really prefer to clean, sort and make my lists late at night when everyone is sleeping. It goes without saying that cleaning while the baby sleeps makes things go much quicker and I can get something done all at once. I guess I just prefer the quiet time to myself for a bit.

When I came home from Weight Watchers, Pete had done the dishes in the sink, swept the floor and picked up all the baby toys. This lasted for maybe 45 minutes..LOL. We definitely have a lived in house! I spent the later part of my evening doing up today's dishes, almost TOTALLY clearing off the counter (except for baby bottle dryer stand, coffee maker and bread machine) in anticipation of doing a great deal of canning and freezing (which means blanching time) tomorrow. We have 100 ears of corn, 2 baskets of green beans, 1 basket of yellow beans, a giant box of tomatoes with more needing to be picked in the morning and also a box of cucumbers waiting to be made into bread and butter pickles. We'll be freezing maybe half of the beans and making the rest into Dilly Green Beans, which are my favorite! On Monday, our favorite orchard will be open for picking pears. We plan to can at least 3 bushels. Also, for the first time ever, Pete planted carrots so I'm toying with the idea of canning some of those...not too sure about that yet as I love them just fresh out of the garden and won't have any difficulty using them up!

There was a wicked thunderstorm here this afternoon. I had Jeremiah out in the pool and the skies were blue...not a dark cloud in sight and no prediction for rain. I heard the thunder in the distance and got the baby in the house (oh was he mad at me!!!) and not long after this freak storm came upon our house. It rained really hard, there was hail, the thunder was shaking our house and the lightening was wicked. It hit a tree in our woods, then it hit the electric fence charger in the barn and blew it right out of the barn (that was SO loud) and then another strike in our field. Thankfully, the house, barn and animals are all ok.

I finished reading, The Help today and really enjoyed the book. I hear the movie is good too so I might have to make my way there sometime this week.

Anyway, the floors are swept, the kitchen is ready for our marathon canning and freezing sessions and I'm looking forward to that time with Pete. :)

Goodnight Everybody. I hope you feel better Maggie and that Dan has found his way back to where he belongs.

Sweet Dreams to All,

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Sep 11 - 09:47 AM

Michelle, I feel fine - I was saying that because of the exposure to dried rodent feces I was going to be very careful if I didn't feel good any time soon. I haven't heard about Hanta virus in Tarrant County, TX. I just looked it up:

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is caused by a virus carried by wild rodents, primarily deer mice. The 1st signs of illness in humans are similar to flu symptoms and include fatigue, fever and muscle aches. They can also include headache, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

I don't think that describes the rodents we have here, and the two cases in Texas were in far west desert counties, but I don't want to become the exception to that rule. I didn't spray down the shed with disinfectant, but I tried to not stir up too much dust.

Today was a lovely morning to the dogs - not humid and not hot. Not cool, either - no sweaters are coming out of the closet, but it was nice. I'm killing a little time before I head over to my friend's house so I don't disturb him if he's sleeping late with this wonderful weather. (I love to sleep when it's cooler out but have made myself get up early all summer to take advantage of the only time during the day when you can get much done outside.)

I was a bit stiff when I got up this morning, and though I think today's work will be easier overall, there will still be a fair amount of stretching and lifting. I'll probably drive back and forth several times in the next two days. I'll see about taking a nap during the afternoon to give myself a bit of a break. I'm really looking forward to this building being here, so I'll have to pace myself at getting it dismantled and not clobber myself in the process.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Bettynh
Date: 04 Sep 11 - 10:02 AM

Michelle, you're lucky to have pears. We have orchards all around, but none seems to have pears. When I was a kid, we had pear trees. Canned pears were always made with a tablespoon of crushed pineapple to each jar (keeps them light colored, and reduces the need for sugar). Seckle pears, the little sweet late variety, were each stuck with a few whole cloves and canned whole. We did that with crabapples, too. They weren't pretty (they came out brown), but they were a favorite treat and sooo easy to can. If you can find an Asian market, they sell cloves by the pound for fairly reasonable rates.

It's hot and humid again (well, relatively, SRS, it might hit 90 today). I think I'll haul down and wash up one of the full sets of dishes my mom set aside.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Sep 11 - 10:08 AM

I forgot to mention - I love pears and when I was a kid we had a great fruit tree in the back yard. Mom canned a lot of pears for us every year. They grow down here, there's a large tree a few streets away and I keep meaning to ask if I can pick some. You'll be busy canning, but it is so wonderful when you open that gift to your future self next winter or spring!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Sep 11 - 04:27 PM

In for a breather. I brought a load of plastic garden shed parts and before unloading it I dragged my 7' x 13' kennel several feet to the side and then unloaded the parts into the kennel. That will keep the dogs from climbing around on them and I can stack them easily in the order I took them apart. What comes home last gets used first when I reconstruct it.

High today is mid-90s, an improvement. Tomorrow is supposed to be mid-80s and that will be marvelous!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 04 Sep 11 - 04:39 PM

I have been told that one of the builders should be with me on Tuesday, weather permitting. Anyhow, Ali says that once they crack on, I will be astounded at how fast it grows!
Bearing that in mind, I went and reserved a cooker and extractor this afternoon. The store will hold the order for me as long as I need. I just have to allow 2 weeks for delivery. The August sale price was still on the cooker, and it only cost just over double the price of the extractor. It's a good make, is cream and black, double oven plus grill and pan storage, with 4 regular gas burners, a wok burner, and a small ceramic hotplate. A proper big range cooker! The ovens are electric, and A-rated for energy.

Kinda makes a mockery of me being on a diet, really!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Sep 11 - 05:28 PM

97 ears of corn shucked, blanched, packed, labeled and frozen.

Several pints of beans are ready for blanching as well.

Breaktime!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Sep 11 - 11:41 PM

Sounds like a lot of work, Michelle! I'm waiting on the washer to finish the load that has my long jeans in it and I'll drop it in the dryer and head for bed. You're probably already asleep. These hard days to make for a great night's snooze!

The shed is completely disassembled. I brought 2 loads over today, and in the morning will get another in my pickup, then decide how I want to go about moving the last of it. Someone may have a trailer I can borrow, or else I'll see if U-Haul has something local for the last minute. I have a trailer hitch and the wiring for the trailer lights and such. I don't use it often, but it is very nice to have it for when you need it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 11 - 09:09 AM

Oooooh! Today is cool outside! It got down to the 50s! The dogs are racing around enjoying and I'm going to move another load of garden shed walls.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Penny S.
Date: 05 Sep 11 - 05:23 PM

Yesterday I collected some windfalls from the village orchard, and worked out how to gather some mirabelle plumlets with a picker bag on a pole. Also found a not quite ready eating apple - the rest are cookers. I will be back.
Today I spent time in the garden. Pruned the forsythia (wrong time, but it had put on far too much growth since the post flowering cut and was shading things too much). Trimmed the village hedge where it had grown over the fence, and a bit off the neighbour's shrub (with permission) where that had encroached. Rebuilt the wooden compost container and toppped it up with trimmings and some kitchen waste (also mostly from the garden). Moved the bag the mushroom compost had come in, which now holds the mature compost from the bottom of the plastic bin, and found it occupied by a large frog (that's British large, about 5 inches, legs extended). Then, when pruning the shrub, I moved a paving slab and found a toad crawling away from it (same body size, but shorter legs). I'm going to have to be very careful out there with all these amphibians. The other day I disturbed one under a potato bag. Think I saw another crawling along under the courgette leaves (zucchini). Feast on those slugs, guys! Also trimmed the virginia creeper again. The rate that grows is phenomenal. Matched only by the bramble, which has taken off at last. Neither of them need time lapse photography to show the extension, just a chair and a long afternoon. Weeded a patch where there is going to be a rockery, but where I hope at the moment my erigeron is seeding for next year. This came from my last home, before that from my Mum, and before that from a garden in Northiam, Sussex, laid out by the gardener Christopher Lloyd. Pulled up a lot of willowherb, too late to stop it seeding!

The vinca is back. And the ground ivy.

The cat had made an attempted entry the other day, despite my putting wobbly trellis along the gate top - now strengthened, and it had sprayed the compost bin, by the smell. I sprinkled some lion poo about, and have had no visit since.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 11 - 07:21 PM

The shed is here, in pieces, but it is all here. I rented a truck from Home Depot - they have a very simple arrangement and a lot less fuss and bother than U-Haul. I rented it for 2 1/2 hours and paid $40 ($19 for the first 75 minutes, $10 an hour after that, or $69 a day), but it was so much easier than any other option. I wasn't able to take the cover off of my pickup (the bolts have rusted) so this was my second choice.

Zeke has gone home, the long weekend is over. I need to rest up from it this week. I'll start soaking a pot of beans to cook tomorrow (pretending it'll stay cool for a while) and fold the laundry covering the living room couch, wash another load of laundry, but anything I do this evening will be simple, straightforward, and when I feel tired, it stops where it is and I head for bed. These days of lifting and hefting and dragging really are a good workout. And they generated a lot of thought.

It was abundantly clear after these last couple of weeks of packing, sorting, discarding, setting aside to sell on eBay or setting aside for Goodwill or garage sale that his partner was ill. This was a hoarder's house. There is a huge difference between a hoarder's house and a house that has a bit too much stuff in general. We talked about it - I know there has been anger at the exquisite waste on collectible trinkets, that the cash in the clutter could have paid off the house. But he still does want to remember his partner fondly, so it will time time for this past few weeks to settle out of the forefront of everyone's thoughts.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Sep 11 - 09:53 PM

Wonderful day with housecleaner. My goodness she is GOOD. House gleaming. Vanilla-lemon-lavender.

Hardi and I added a new pair of curtain panels to replace thew 15-yr old sun-rotted pair I finally threw "out" (saved for other purposes LOL), last year. Not as nice as the ones he will sew when we paint, but good with the bird wallpaper we will be painting over.

It's a great thing when what I CAN do allows me to have someon else's paid help to do what they can do better than we can, and MUCH better than the very little my PT presently allows me to do.

Our system (begun with the Dec. 2000 fire/smoke cleanup) is that we outline the goals, then they're the boss and I'm on their crew. Whether it's putting in a fence or cleaning, and anything in between, I'm that second pair of hands and Hardi knows where all hidden tools can be found, LOL. So THAT part-- being the lowliest member on the crew-- is part of my PT program.

Today I can claim the same 10 hours we just paid her for, because I started hours before she arrived and crapped out (by the same number of hours) before she finished. Ten hours of thank-God-for-pain-meds hopping and bopping--carrying loads of stuff from point A to point B and whatever was at B to C, etc.-- with stuff I can do seated in between. Lots of movement, lots of strength work, lots of walking on flat surfaces per orders. (It probably doesn't sound like a lot unless you know that this crumbling old 1800's farmhouse is big enough to sleep 35.)

Faulkner-dog pre-approves all who work here. And the peeps we choose to work with totally get the concept of bossing me, and reading my face to see when I am getting past my limit. So during their boss-time I get to NOT be in charge, and in that mode I am able to do much more than I might have thought I could do, while knowing that when I have to knock off they will be more than able to carry the task forward on their own.

Katy thinks she can get back here about every 2 weeks for a half day, and that is just about what we really need. Adrian can come ahead of her to do carpentry projects or the heavy-lifting cleaning Katy then finish-cleans.

And we can focus on the more private UPstairs, while the main floor on this plan should now stay company-ready. I'm gonna need solar walkway lights from driveway to step, very soon! I saw THAT done a neat way at one campground-- they stuck them in PVC pipes pounded deep, raising the lights by a few inches and also enlarging the base so the mower doesn't cut off the otherwise-low lights. I can buy 'em one at a time-- and they don't need to match!

Think we got us'ns a parlor now!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 11 - 10:24 PM

I had a housecleaner come in for a half-day every other week when I was in graduate school and it made a huge difference for me in being able to keep things together the rest of the time. It is money well-spent.

Kitchen is clean. I'll fold some laundry and take it in with when I head for bed in a few minutes, but it won't all be folded. Motrin is my friend after all of that lifting and pushing today, so I'll take one and leave the bottle out for when I roll out of bed tomorrow. I also have several little blister spots from the repetitive motion of unscrewing everything to separate the sections of the greenhouse yesterday.

I did a little yard work this evening before dark - my sunflowers (the native Texas type that get huge and then slowly tip over, usually in the most inconvenient direction) needed trimming so I lopped off a bunch of branches in the driveway and they're piled at the curb for the trash guys tomorrow. Lots left for the birds to enjoy here.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Sep 11 - 02:30 AM

Hello chapses!

I am still alive, the cats are still around, I have failed miserably in decluttering the house and in fact, have added more stuff!

Have managed to declutter my choral society's music store though, hence the huge pile of files cluttering the dining room. Sooner I get them catalogued, the sooner they can go to their new homes and hopefully raise some money for East London Chorus.

Rejoice in the small triumphs and the larger things won't seem so bad.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: ragdall
Date: 06 Sep 11 - 03:33 AM

I cut out and hemmed three more "pockets" to hold 500 ml drain/catheter collection bags inside pant legs. The new catheter malfunctioned the first two days in use. Adjustments were made that seem to have corrected the problem. Pants will now have a bag pocket inside each leg to give each collection bag its own place and a more direct route for the catheter tubing.

Then I headed out into the yard to cut the lawns. Drops of rain began to fall soon after I got out there and continued to fall until I was finished using the lawnmower. They never amounted to much so I was able to keep going. I used the edger to do some extra clean up in areas that I usually ignore, cut back all the daisies in the backyard, deadheaded poppies, pulled weeds and cut out some of the young shrubs that are springing up everywhere. Then I clean out the bird baths and pools are refilled them with fresh water.

My hands and joints are very sore tonight. I'd like to think it was worth it but I can't see much improvement out there.

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: SINSULL
Date: 06 Sep 11 - 09:10 AM

September begins my time of year. I love the fall.
Weekend spent sorting and cleaning. I finally found a missing $20 winning scratch off ticket and my manicure kit - both went missing when I decided to hide the clutter in boxes.
Plus I am sticking to WW. My first weigh in is next Monday and I expect I will have lost something. We'll see.
The house looks so different. Minimal clutter and clean floors.
But no word of Dan. This is not looking good.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Tinker
Date: 06 Sep 11 - 09:10 AM

Ah Dani I'm heading back out of Durham (in the rain) and there wasn't even time for coffee.... Drove Julienne here after the saga of the on again, delay again, on again, off again flight, and the no excuses first ever law school paper. Slept and vegged all day yesterday, back on the road today.

Hopefully we haven't flooded again by the time I get home.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Sep 11 - 11:00 AM

I hope your husband can finish with those bags and catheters pretty soon, rags. Liz, good to see you pop up again, and Mary, this is a good time of year for WW because you feel more energetic with the cool air. Trouble for me is, I also feel more like cooking with the cool air. Let us know if you hear from your friend Dan.

My muscles are achy this morning - upper arms in particular, from all of the lifting and moving stuff. Motrin is still my friend. I did a small load of laundry each day this weekend so I could wear the same jeans while I worked moving stuff. The jeans were a big help but I can look in the mirror and see signs of my work in the form of bruises accumulated over the last week.

Today spare time will be spent simply putting things away. I'm sure I'll need a nap.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 06 Sep 11 - 03:11 PM

Today I am cleaning up little piles of this and that in the corners of my kitchen. A canner. Jugs that need to be recyled. A pile to go to the Salvation Army tomorrow. Dishes are done, oversized corn pot is soaking, beans are cut and ready to blanch when I get the pot clean (they are so awkward to clean because they are SO BIG), 3rd load of laundry is going...putter, putter, putter. :)

Yoga tonight.

Soft yoga.

Stretchy yoga.

A class I requested to happen for my post chemo body.

Ahhhhhhhhhh. I love my yoga teacher & I love my yoga!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Sep 11 - 06:07 PM

The annual dog-linens, this year at the Laundromat. Big mistake-- needed a helper I forgot to invite, so now cannot walk. But by golly I got 'em done! Three chockful, heavy trash bags. Now, meds!

A few other items came to light for the pending Porch Sale. In a few days the housemate and I will go thru all the old Mudcat Attic Dorm linens to purge for the sale-- lot of memories in those fabrics and colors. I think I may keep the pillowcases for a quilt and sell the rest.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Sep 11 - 08:38 PM

I have to empty the back of my pickup of garage sale stuff from my friend's house. I was bushed yesterday, but this evening I'm thinking about making a quick trip for a few bags of topsoil and sand to level the place where the greenhouse will go.

Beans are simmering - it cooled off enough last night to kick my "must cook" gene into action.

I have dog things to attend to also. Baths and Revolution (for fleas, ticks, and heart worm) and to set their dog houses up again. They've had a big pile of hay in their stall, but they do like their dog houses when it's cooler out.

Michelle, how big is your farm, what do you grow, and is that your family business? Is your garden just for you, separate from what else you grow or raise? You talked about the barn lightning hit and the animals being okay - what all animals?

Maggie

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 07 Sep 11 - 09:23 AM

SRS,

   We have a small homestead, several gardens for food production, 2 steer, 2 pigs and a bunch of chickens. We do this for ourselves and it is not our family business. We grow a variety of things and try something new each year. This year our new thing was garlic (planted last fall). We also have potatoes, tomatoes, peas, beans, carrots, summer squash, winter squash, pumpkins, melons, herbs and corn. We also have a small orchard started with apples, peaches, pears and cherries. Then there's the blueberry patch and 4 rows of grapes, started just for fun to see what we can do.
   
   Today didn't start out well for me. Let's hope the day gets better.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Sep 11 - 09:51 AM

Hope your day gets better, Michelle.
Meantime, word of Dan. He is OK. Apparently, he stayed with a friend to recoup but didn't let anyone know. All is well until his next chemo treatment.
Thank you for the thoughts and prayers.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 07 Sep 11 - 10:20 AM

Sins,

   That's great news about Dan!!! I'm so glad he finally let someone know where he was. I imagine lots of folks are very relieved.

The baby is just starting to wake up (what a GREAT day to sleep in...gray, cool, rainy) and I have the dishwasher going, a load of clothes in the washing machine, all hardwood floors have been swept, ALL toys that are downstairs are IN the playpen and I'll be vacuuming soon.

I have put half of Jeremiah's toys in a tote and taken them to my office, the rest remain downstairs. Please somebody tell me that I am not alone in the toy clutter making me want to pull my hair out!!! I don't mind some, really, I don't...but his current favorite are Legos and he takes them all over the house. I love to see him playing happily but every time I step on one of those little plastic lovelies, I'd like to pitch every single one of them into outer space!!!

*Whew* Ok. Rant over. I feel better. :)   I really do love watching him play and connect the blocks...just wish they could be kept in one area.

Oh and I stepped out of our bedroom this morning to find a nice pile of cat poop. GREAT. I wonder what prompted THAT. They never do that!!!! The cat box is clean, they have food and water, lots of love...what gives?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!? D~i~s~g~u~s~t~i~n~g!!!!

I hear happy chatter coming from the nursery so it's time for me to go!

Enjoy the day everybody!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Sep 11 - 10:22 AM

Michelle, it sounds like a great setup for a little custom gardening on the side - you read about the restaurants that serve specialty salads or dishes from local farmers - any opportunity to branch out a little in your growing and improve the food quality in your community? If I ever get my garden to a point where I can consistently produce extra, I'm going to see about sending it to our local food bank. Or set up a fruit stand at the bottom of my driveway. ;-D

My ex has been patiently waiting to see how my sweet potato growing experiment worked, hoping that as with the Irish potato experiment, there will be extra to go around. Yesterday we took a spade fork out and I dug a little closer to the middle of one plant and we found a few of the potatoes. I covered them back over and I'll harvest them after the vines die way back, well before the first frost. Something is eating up all of my cantaloupes - I'm going to have to get a rat trap and see what it is. Rat, squirrel, some other rodent. Possum? It could be just about anything.

Another lovely cool morning. I took a hoe to the area where the kennel used to stand and leveled out a few built up spots where the fire ants had piled dirt. Didn't get the bagged top soil yet, maybe today. I need to fill in a few dog holes first so I don't break an ankle back there.

I'm glad you heard from your friend, Mary.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Sep 11 - 01:36 PM

I have a family reputation for giving toys with thousands of tiny parts. LOL Sorry.
As to the cat poop - if you figure out what the cat was thinking, let me know. Mine occasionally use the bathroom sink. Most embarrassing when company is around.
M

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Bill D
Date: 07 Sep 11 - 04:30 PM

THIS IS NOT BILL IT IS TINKER.

The second half of my trip last night only made it as far as Silver Springs. Bill and Rita rescued me after 8 hours of driving last night and this morning the car refused to start.

The tow truck was 3 hours late, the mechanic can no longer squeeze it in... it'll be morning before I no when and what is going on...

Mudcat friends are the best.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 12:19 AM

Tink, you landed in a warm, safe place! And Bill D likes good beer, so check out the man's fridge. :)

My posters for work turned out great and after delivering them I stopped by my friend's house. He is resigned to the move, waiting for the other shoe to drop now that it's hurry up and a wait. Since the driving route to the place I picked up my posters went through the area his roommate wants to look for an apartment I got a look - convenient location, tons of apartments. They have to compete with each other for tenants, so they keep them up.

I drifted away, distracted by other web sites. Time to call it a night and see if I can get my topsoil tomorrow. This evening I ended up in the high-end grocery and spent more than I intended, but I only get there very 4 to 6 weeks now, so it will average out to be not too bad a hit. (I go a little crazy in the produce and fish sections of the store).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: SINSULL
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 08:12 AM

Stay dry Tink. I hope your basement does too.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 09:18 AM

The morning is lovely but it's one of those days that feels a bit "off." The dogs were happy but kept getting tangled as they forgot to just walk and kept playing with Zeke and jumping on Susie. Zeke got into trouble at his house by raiding trash and getting into his food bin. Along the way there was a dog out who is simply NEVER out (he wasn't a problem, he stayed in his yard, but considering how careful this family is when they walk him or keep him in the back, this was odd.) Silly signs but the whole walk felt a little off-kilter. Maybe we're due for an earthquake? We aren't due a storm though we sure could use one (with the absolute exception of a firestorm)!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 10:56 AM

Sins, so glad to hear that Dan is okay!

Tink, enjoy the company and stay dry! It will come out in divine time...sometimes there's just no rushing such things.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Tinker
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 11:32 AM

Jarius woke me up this morning (by phone) to find out where I left the pumps.   Less than 24 hours after putting in a new hot water heater it is wet again.... But the men will deal with it.

Then my feet went squish as I got out of bed.

Bill and I have picked up the wet carpet and raised up the need items from the little seepage here.

Know that there is a problem with the ignition coil, now waiting to see if that fixes it or if there is more of a problem...


YEAH! Car is ready !!! Time to drive on through the storm.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: SINSULL
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 11:38 AM

How high's the water Momma?
Five feet high and risin'


Sunshine this weekend.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 03:37 PM

So it's flooding at Bill's house also?

Michelle has posted some links to impressive photos on her facebook page. Looks like the end of summer in PA is a sodden mess, not the lovely beginning of fall when people are on the lookout for the colors to start changing.

Not much to report except that stuff is piling up around here, but once I get started I can draw down the stacks of clutter. It's just getting started that is the trick. Today I'm tired, but I don't think this is symptomatic of my excavation of animal droppings last weekend. I think I just got to bed late last night.

Kat, is your weather cooling off? You'll probably be out doing your drives through the countryside to look at the Aspen turn. If Michelle can't supply good fall colors this year, you'll have to pick up the task. :) Here in Texas the color is brown. Unrelieved brown. Or black where it burned. Nothing to brag about usually, but this year is worse.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 04:37 PM

We had 'relatively' minor seepage in one end of what we laughingly call the 'guest room', where Tinker slept. It was dry beside her bed, but a bit soggy by the far wall. Tinker, bless her heart, moved a few things before I even woke up, and helped me sort out the damp throw rugs & carpet samples. Then I drove her to get her car. (She is about as easy a guest to have as any you'll meet...good company and clever. *grin*)

I now have 3 fans and the dehumidifier running, and will probably be back to vaguely normal by Sat. morning..(good Lord willin' and the creeks don't rise ☺). Tinker will likely have more to cope with when she gets home than I did!.

Weather maps look slightly better for next few days...for us, anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Tinker
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 05:49 PM

Came home to only wet floors and no clean up -- Well aside from the fans and dehumidifier It is tropically damp down there. But it is unseasonably cool. I did see a patch of sun and blue skies for about half an hour on my way home.

I am going to have a long soak in a hot tub courtesy of my new hot water heater tonight. Anything else can wait til tomorrow.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 07:35 PM

I turned the water heater tank thermostat way down this summer, but when we get to cooler days I'll turn it up so I can have satisfactorily hot baths.

When it rains hard here the creek rises in the bottom of the yard and in the street out front. We keep our fingers crossed that it doesn't reach the house, but we do pay flood insurance. I have only one room has wall-to-wall, because I didn't know when I moved in here what the odds would be that they'd get wet. It turned out that the only times the house did get wet were when the gutter on the back of the house was attached wrong and it fed water into the chimney bricks and puddled in front of the fireplace.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 08:24 PM

*sigh*..My basement area was a wee bit damper than I thought. The water that barely reached one carpet managed to 'wick' across and under almost to the other wall. Had to move some furniture and drape dampish carpets over plastic tables and turn the fan on them.
The place looks like we were just moving in. It was tedious, but I don't want to think about how it would go in a few days, if I hadn't noticed. I 'think' I can dry it all with fans overnight, then turning carpets over tomorrow.

Then I get to put it BACK in time for company Sat. night!

I hereby bequeath all rain for the next month to Texas!

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 11:18 PM

Thank you. We'll try to take delivery on it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Bettynh
Date: 09 Sep 11 - 11:05 AM

Yard sale tomorrow. I mined the attic and came out with a folding carpet rocker (needs carpet), wicker rocker, box of tuned metal bars that would be a xylophone if put together right, and a school chair (the kind that bolts to the floor). That should pull in the antiquers. While I was there, I found my grandmother's trunk. Notebook from her (high school, about 1898) physics class, a certificate from WW1 about her brother(?) signing up for National Guard, a photo of unknown men in front of a Civil War-looking tent, some clothes, 2 albums of postcards, all on the first layer. It'll take weeks of sorting, looking, thinking about, and deciding what to do with all that stuff. There are more very old books and magazines up there, too.

I hope to sell off 2 partial sets of china (1950-60s), the bowling ball that was in my son's closet when he moved into his apartment, a pile of assorted tupperware and kitchen gizmos (NO ONE needs more than one potato masher) and several boxes of little stuff for the quarter table.

I'm trying something new with all my sci-fi books. Packed them in plastic supermarket bags, 15 to a bag, and selling for $1.50 a bag. I've decided a Kindle is in my future. Hopefully someone who likes sci-fi will need a winters' reading.

The big problem this week is the old books, though. I can't bring myself to sell them for a dime apiece, and, really, I don't want to burden someone else with interesting boat anchors. They're heavy, and that's the worst problem. I doubt I can convince my son to bring them back in if they don't sell. I did list a few separately in my craigslisting, so there may be hope.

I'll load the front porch and back of the truck with stuff for the sale, so I can start setting up (in the driveway) before my son gets here at 7:30 to drag boxes out of the front door and set out signs. He gets upset when folks arrive early looking for a deal, but they can carry boxes, too. They have to pay whatever price I set, though. My rule is NO bargaining before the signs go out. I'm not a morning person.

Meanwhile, empty boxes, wrapping papers, and boxes of things I actually decided to keep are sitting in the middle of the kitchen.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 09 Sep 11 - 11:24 AM

Rock on Betty!!!

Cleaned the guest room today, vacuumed the nursery and dusted, scrubbed the bathroom (did the floor on my hands and knees), 2 loads of laundry are done and on the line and soon I'll tidy up the kitchen and living room.

Can't wait to see my friend...she'll be here in about 6 hours!!! YAHOO!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Sep 11 - 12:49 PM

It took three 40-pound bags of topsoil to fill two of the dog-dug holes in the back yard. One near the faucet was going to cause an accident, same with the one by the edge of the patio. The others are out in open areas and not problematic. The rest of my topsoil (five more bags) is to level the area for the greenhouse shed.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Sep 11 - 12:55 PM

Betty, sounds like the kind of garage sale I love to visit! Good luck and good weather!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 09 Sep 11 - 03:20 PM

Well the builders have been absent for the rest of this week, due to the jobs they are having to finish (last one today, I believe). The planners have approved the addition of a small roof light (in principle) but drawings and measurements will have to be done by the architect for a "minor materials amendment application". The builder's going to get hold of him next week, when HE (architect) gets back from holiday. It's all very frustrating, but should be worth all the hassle. It's the downside of owning a listed building in a conservation area!

Anyway, I have shed the first 2lb at WW....went to a beer festival this afternoon! However, I have only strayed 1pt into my "extras". Going to a food festival tomorrow, as I want to get something to take to a buffet on Sunday, (seeing as I'm not in a good way for making stuff). Now THAT is going to be torture!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Sep 11 - 12:21 AM

I turned on the old computer in the kitchen, the one that uses the flat screen television on the wall as the monitor, and played a movie in its' DVD player. While it ran I washed all of the dishes, cleaned the counter, cooked a late dinner, then ate and put the extra away. The movie ended as the dining table was cleared (and I found the Sept. issue of a magazine that I was thinking hadn't been delivered) and tomorrow it will be lovely to wake and walk into a completely clean kitchen.

Ciao! (I watched Under the Tuscan Sun)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Sep 11 - 09:41 AM

Lovely morning. I've packed up a couple of things to put in the mail and have moved sprinklers during our day of allowed watering. Last night I started working out the position of the greenhouse by putting the floor pieces down and checking to see if they were level. They're not, so I'll be doing some work with a hoe and shovel first thing.

Michelle, I hope you had a good visit! Betty, I hope the yard sale is going well! I'm hoping I can have enough stuff in place by Oct 8 to do one then. Oct 1 might be even better, but that will happen only if I've managed to sort the garage gardening stuff into the new shed so I can start staging the garage sale. I'd love to advertise one and have it called for rain (we haven't had rain for so long that we'll do just about anything to tempt the weather to come along and ruin plans!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Bettynh
Date: 10 Sep 11 - 02:45 PM

Sale is done, and I made $142. I still have the carpet chair and wicker rocker. The xylophone went to a young woman who knows a musician and works with children. ;-) The wheat pennies went to a 7-year-old who just discovered old coins. He was thrilled to have a coin more than 100 years old (one penny was 1910). The old books were pretty popular. I sold two of the biggest (and heaviest) sets, both histories, and the huge book of bound art magazines (1885). The Civil War memoirs are gone. I'm a bit surprised that I sold a book of hymn lyrics and psalms, but not the Zane Grey. There is just no predicting... And the sci-fi came back in. I think all the books, including the sci-fi will go into the next sale, in 2-3 weeks. Ditto with the china and bowling ball. On the front lawn are a kitchen chair (all alone, needing a new cover for the seat), a wire closet organizer, and a box of assorted stuff, mostly jelly glasses, with a "FREE" sign. I really hope the chair, at least, disappears. Salvation Army is so stuffed that they reject less-than-perfect furniture and the dump has closed the shed where you could leave useful stuff (too many pickers, fighting?). It's a good chair, solid maple. It just needs a piece of plastic and a stapler to make it a perfect (single) chair.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 10 Sep 11 - 02:52 PM

Front porch now stuffed with things ejected as the main floor was deep-cleaned (missed last year's). Probably about half is trash or recyclables and half is yard-sale worthy. Now I know what that oddly-located front door is really for--ejections!

In the midst of MIL visiting I am working now on the guest room for an anticipated September guest, and that leads to an office project looming. Then I leave this house in order and head to Chicago to organize the sick relative's probable need for live-in care for a few months.

Friend at another forum I frequent have some fun signatures-- here's one that applies to the surprises in a busy life: "I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me."

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Sep 11 - 05:18 PM

;-)

Moving wheelbarrows full of dirt, and contemplating ways to tamp it down without renting a thing to tamp it down. I can simply walk on it, or I can use a bucket of water or rocks and lift and place it. I'll moisten the dirt a bit when I finish. I'm using a long 2x4 and a level to be sure that the surface of this dirt is indeed level. I have some bags of gravel that I am planning to put down around the edges of the dirt to help stabilize it more once the floor of the shed is down.

I'm not getting a permit for this; it doesn't require a foundation, no plumbing, no wiring, and I'm making sure it isn't in the right-of-way. It also will be pretty close to the house and blocked from view by the fence so I'm hoping the village folks don't pay attention and ask about it. It's a temporary building at most.

Am going out to dinner with a friend tonight, so I need to find a logical stopping point and come in for a shower. We'll meet at the restaurant so I don't need to clean house first, or I'd have to stop the outdoors stuff now and scramble. :-D

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Sep 11 - 09:28 AM

Dinner was good, I didn't last long after I got home. Yesterdays wheelbarrow work wore me out. More of it today, but on a finer scale. Gotta run to Home Depot for some more screws and a couple of bags of sand.

I do have other stuff to get done around here, so I'll pace myself today.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Sep 11 - 03:45 PM

Darn. It's getting hot again. This week it's supposed to spike up to 102^o. Like we need any more reminders of the miserable summer that is almost past.

After tweaking the level floor for the greenhouse I've got it ready to put the structure in place. I'll lay out some of that and do it this evening when it's a bit cooler. This is probably a project that won't finish until next week, much as I'd love to have it over with today. I've sorted all of the various construction bits into different containers and I did find the right size and type of screw to replace some old rusty ones.

There are some boxes on the floor in the sunroom that came from my friend's house - some cookbooks I'll examine and shelve in the kitchen, and with others I'll make a Goodwill. Though it seems like I'm doing an awful lot on behalf of a friend, this work does benefit both of us.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 11 Sep 11 - 11:00 PM

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. - Douglas Adams

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Sep 11 - 11:27 PM

I like Douglas Adams!

I got the walls of the greenhouse up, but need to get a couple of pieces of lumber to place inside in the middle to support one part of the roof that is the "weakest link" in the structure. That should also make putting the roof on somewhat easier.

Load of laundry in, the rest of it folded. The kitchen is clean. All of that construction wore me out - I've accomplished a lot this weekend.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 07:54 AM

You are all making me feel exhausted with your activity! I just wish I could get into my garden.
However, the builders ARE back, and the windowsills of the ground floor are in!

The diet went out of the window this weekend after my visit to the local food fair and beer festival on Saturday, followed by a lovely buffet at a neighbour's party yesterday afternoon. It's zero pts soup for me today!

The remnant of Hurricane Katya has decided to visit us, and my little Norway Spruce outside the front of my house has overturned, and the pot has smashed. At least where the builders are working out back is sheltered.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Penny S.
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 08:42 AM

I added to my clutter yesterday - there was astreet party in aid of L'Arche, and people had little stalls with various items for sale, and one was selling off someone's yarn stash. I firmly refused to buy some lovely cotton yarn, but did buy some string type yarn to use with a circular knitting frame I bought from a charity shop the other week. I have made a string bag, which Oxfam reckons they could use more of, and can do it while Swedish Wallander is on TV, still watching the subtitles. I don't like just sitting, and that and the original Killing are rather inhibiting.
I am now supplying Oxfam with bags made from skirts from them - cheap, with jeans type styling and small sized. I fold up the hem inside and make pockets there, with a concealed one behind the front zip. Put a zip from my mother's recycling stash in along the top, where suitable, or Velcro. Use old belts, or spare fabric for the shoulder strap, with curtain rings to adjust length.
And I've also started making digitally edited photos to mount in old frames they sell for 99p.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 09:38 AM

Penny, please post photos of those bags - they sound wonderful! And I agree, I don't usually just sit and watch TV or movies, I like to be doing something else. That's a great occupation that you can take the garments and convert them into a value-added product for the charity. I'm not ready to move the sewing machine to the living room yet, but I've done it in the past and for most programs it is enough to listen and glance up every so often. Radio with an occasional picture.

Andrea, unless your spruce was broken, severing the stem from the root ball, you can rescue it. Soak the rootball in a tub and let all of the dirt work free (this requires a bit of work!) and straighten out the roots as much as you can, and then either replant in a larger pot with new soil or put it in the ground in a hole only as deep as is needed to spread out the roots. Be sure the root "flare," the wide part of the tree at the base of the stem, is exposed. They suffer when they're planted too deep in the ground and bare root planting is actually better for them than preserving a root-bound ball.

I'm contemplating my lumber support this afternoon, and then I'll proceed with the roof on the greenhouse. I have a couple of helpers in mind, and with a support it should be much easier* (*that's the goal, anyway.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Bettynh
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 10:52 AM

That chair is still on the lawn. :::sigh::: Ok, new plan... the son from Brattleboro is coming next week to visit. Maybe the dump there has a swap space. It seems so silly, but it makes me physically sick to think of sending it to the landfill.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 11:37 AM

I tried taking a structurally sound chair to a consignment store - someone could buy it and reupholster it the way they wanted. They said I'd have to reupholster it myself before they would take it - I guess they figure their shoppers have no imagination.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 02:19 PM

Same here, except for one antique rocker. Most charities will not take anything with a few tears, etc. which may mean reupholstering. WE put a wingback chair out by the post box this Sat. past. with a free sign on it. It was gone in thirty minutes.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 03:07 PM

Someone could start a business for rescuing and reupholstering chairs. Selling them afterward is the trick, eh?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Penny S.
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 04:38 PM

The problem with chairs over here is that they have to be certificated as fire resistant, and individuals cannot do this. We had to dump one of my father's chairs because of this, because no charity would take them - and then we found the label which he had cut off!

I tried to get the local upholsterers to re-web another chair, and have had to do it myself because it had webbing which was hard to get. Except my sister found a shop on the internet whichy had the stuff. I haven't finished yet, because I can't get it tight enough.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 10:09 PM

Dr. Pain (PT) got me good today-- she is continuing to find new muscles. There is a structural orthopedic thingie I have always known about (causing bilateral imbalance/weakness) that never caused serious dysfunction till now (due to age/weight), so she is retraining my bones to move the way they probably always should have, and that's where the newly sore muscles are coming from-=- not places that used to be strong and are not now, but places I never developed at all from birth.

I have progressed to a new level of PT, where I can now add land-based versions of some of the things we do in the pool, because I discovered one night quite spontaneously that I could do one of them lying in bed which I had not been able to do on land at all, so she gave me a great pictorial worksheet to work from to keep those new muscles engaged properly (counterintuitively).

Today I made a poolside counter so I can keep better track of how many reps/sets I'm at. People keep talking to me while I work and I lose my count (strokebrain thingie).

I was able to start this year's studies today, and boy did THAT feel good. A colleague unexpectedly received a set of used books that she wanted to aim my way, and (TBTG!!!) it's just exactly the book I could not have afforded yet.

MIL is here and I am so enjoying my clean house. It's much easier to keep it that way when it starts REALLY clean.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Sep 11 - 09:22 AM

We're due the last hurrah of the summer this week as the high temperature today is supposed to break a record for the day at around 105^o. Later in the week it will cool, so later in the week people will come help me with my greenhouse roof. No point in sweating over the job if we don't have to. I have a 4x4" post (it's a pretty Douglas fir beam) that I'll stain and use as the support, and I have a cedar plank that I'll use for the footer and header.

Laundry and dishes out of the way this morning. I need to file some papers and make a run to the Goodwill. I'm keeping the decluttering activities minimal this week because I have a lot of stuff to do for work and I have a couple of events to photograph.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 13 Sep 11 - 04:31 PM

Hosted a guest for 3 days and had a BLAST! We walked and talked until our legs couldn't do any more, up until 5:30am just giggling and reminiscing. :) Wonderful!!! :)

Ran errands this morning, picked up ingredients to make rye bread (this will be a first), picked up a few bushels of fresh pears to can this weekend and did a little grocery shopping. Jeremiah and I hung out in the sunshine (he swam in his little pool while I read with my feet dipped in the water) and I have a pot roast in the crock pot. Dishes are done, table is set, counter is clear, clothes ready to be washed (plug fell out and I can't get at it), toys are picked up and there is a pot roast in the crock pot. Soon I will be off to Y~O~G~A!!! YAY!

It's been a productive day here. Hope everyone is well!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Sep 11 - 10:03 PM

This evening I listed an item at eBay (a "lot" of pretty gold chains) for my friend. Testing the waters for what are basically left-over estate items. Pretty, but he doesn't have anyone to give this women's jewelry. The gold merchants looked at it carefully before passing it over when he took some good over to the gold exchange a while back. The books I listed a couple of days ago have barely been looked at the but chains already have one watcher. I dug around in my fabric stash and found a rich red piece of cloth to use behind a close scan of the pieces to give it a richer feel. Lots of people list things, but if you don't make them look good and put up photos so people can see detail people are less likely to give it a second look (I thought one was 10K gold plate but in my photo I saw that it was 14K so I revised it to correct it.)

In the yard, I went out near dark with my lopper and cut down three of the huge sunflowers that have dried up and toppled over during the summer. Only one remains - and two of the stems were so large that I couldn't cut them with the pruning tool, so I'll wait till it's light and chop them down. (Yes, these sunflowers are the size of small trees.)

Another early night, I think.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Sep 11 - 09:26 AM

Looks like our Michelle is going to combine Yoga and port maintenance later this week. We can measure the time back to her cancer surgery by how old Jeremiah is - what a great yardstick! I hope you can have that port out pretty soon, pretty Michelle, and then just focus on yoga!

We had a few drops of rain this morning and it is overcast, but the chance is very low so I will still water my yard unless it rains outright.

I've worked out a footer for my 4" x 4" beam (8 feet long) that will support the greenhouse roof (the existing system has some cracks but is otherwise in great shape). This weekend, I think, we'll make the push to put the roof sections on. I can hardly WAIT to move stuff out of the garage - the bin with the corn gluten meal and rock powders (greensand and lava sand) and the potting table in my sun room and the mower . . . I'll get such a thrill from having that space emptied and then I can put it to better use with things more appropriate for my sun room and my garage. My neighbor is going to hand down their old grill (he received a new one for his birthday a few months ago so the old one is an orphan out in the yard.) It needs a little work, but I can handle that. I haven't grilled meat for months because of our fire danger. That grill can live in the garage where the corn gluten meal bin is now sitting.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Sep 11 - 05:53 PM

PT is tracking that stuff, it's 3x per week, but started land stuff this AM as well for me to track:

Clams and side extensions, 2 sets of 10

New Rx from doc for new PT cycle, to begin Friday.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Sep 11 - 08:00 PM

Heavily overcast today and not nearly so hot. Tried to rain a couple of times, but didn't manage it. I'll continue to put water in the bird baths.

Tomorrow evening I'm going to try to get the roof put up on the greenhouse. My ex and a friend will be over to help, and this evening I'll put together my support beam so we can slide it into place when it's needed. I'll move a table over into the greenhouse because it is super sturdy and someone can stand on it to help when maneuvering the roof. This evening I can go out with the shovel and wheelbarrow full of dirt and fill in along the outer edges of the greenhouse, the parts that extend past the level pad I worked on to put it up. I'll probably also put a few bricks under the edge if they fit.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: pdq
Date: 14 Sep 11 - 10:41 PM

Iris is in the eye of the beholder.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Sep 11 - 11:16 PM

. . . and?

I can't say we got any rain here, but Weather Underground report rain in Amarillo. Trouble is, just 'cause Amarillo is in Texas doesn't mean the rest of the state got wet. It's like the equivalent of a state away if you were in any other state in the union. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Penny S.
Date: 15 Sep 11 - 03:37 AM

I was given an Australian aborigine string bag a while back, and have been puzzling for ages how it was made - I now know it was made on a frame of some sort, because what I am making has the same stitch pattern. I was interested to find that it also used the cast off row as the base, because it is firmer than the cast on. This means that the stitch isn't immediately obvious, because if you assume that work goes from the base up, it doesn't make sense. It has a different handle structure, which I am going to try - I've been using crochet where the aborigines used blanket stitch around a bundle of threads.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Sep 11 - 10:37 AM

Sounds interesting!

Air quality here is very low because there is a compost fire smoldering about a half-mile north of us. I think it'll take a while to put out the fire, so my plans to work in the yard this evening are on hold. Who knows how long this kind of mop-up will take - and it is the worst part of the fire fighting job.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Sep 11 - 10:47 AM

:~( A monthly luncheon I had planned to resume attending today with MIL-- she missed seeing a bunch of folks Sunday when she was sick and missed church-- has been canceled today due to rain. It's unusually cold here suddenly so I hope we can get this on the calendar in the next few weeks before real winter arrives, but it's too bad Mom will miss it.

MY Mom told me ydy that Augmentin had given her some nasty hallucinaions-- she'd thought she was at the ER witnessing a man who brought his son in because he needed to pull out the javelin he'd thrown thru his son's heart!!! This from the sanest person I know! Apparently confusion is a side effect.... Who knew-- I take it all the time for bladder infections! ???

So nice to resume daily studies. I'm working with a priest to organize a class for clergy spouses, YAY, that will partly be online and partly in person. Our schedules just do not allow for the more usual type of class scheduling.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 15 Sep 11 - 12:10 PM

The builders/joiners have been at some point every day this week - don't know about tomorrow, and the foreast is bad - but anyway, I have the joists and floor boarding of the upper floor in situ. it has been sheeted against any rain, and the downpipe that was throwing all that water just outside my door has been diverted onto the shed roof. There are no windows yet, or door, but for the first time in a while I am even more watertight. I think!

Maybe the stonemasons will come tomorrow and add some more to the walls...

It's quite autumnal today, with quite a nip in the air. The weather was glorious yesterday, but a bit breezy, and the clear sky last night dropped the temperature a bit, to about 8C. Today hasn't been quite as sunny, and at a guess, I bet it's not been more than 16C.

WW this evening. had a bit of an "off track" weekend, so we'll see.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 15 Sep 11 - 12:49 PM

I was going to make apple crisp early this morning for a Ladies Guild picnic/lunch/meeting with a group of lovely ladies....a few of us decided to cancel vs. getting together at the church. I'm kinda glad because it is cold and rainy and I am happy to stay home today and putter.

I love to bake when it's icky and chilly outside so I'm making rye bread, corn chowder and apple crisp for home. :)

Both our toilet and dryer have bit the dust. Well, the toilet still works but not as it should so yesterday the Love of My Life came home with a new potty! It's sitting on our front porch at the moment until he has time to put it in! YAY!!! And this morning at breakfast he informed me that I will have a new dryer soon...hopefully the end of the week! I love hanging stuff on the line but it's been so rainy that it takes a few days for the stuff on the line to dry. I have an inside rack but that is also full at the moment and that takes a few days to dry as well. So.....I'm looking forward to both of those things being installed!

Regular chore stuff is done except for the floors which I'll do when the Wee One winds down for his nap.

Speaking of the Wee One, he is beginning to talk and follow multiple step requests!!! This morning he gave us both kisses (first time ever)!!! I thought my heart was going to pop right out of my chest...soooo sweet to have that precious little face lean in, all puckered up!!! He says, "Mmmmmmwah!" LOL

The day before yesterday he a check up at the doctor and the necessary booster shots. He's gained 3 inches and 2 pounds over the summer!!! He also has 8 teeth now!! The doctor was asking me about things Jeremiah can do or say and I told him that Jeremiah can identify colors. Blue, red, yellow, green and purple. He can't say them (well...he can say purple and yellow is getting there) but if I hold 2 Legos out to him and ask which one is yellow, he will take the correct colored Lego from me!!! :) Last night he started putting his toys away when I said, "In the basket." He put them ALL in and even piled his beloved boxes on top!!! :)

Anyway, that's what I've been up to!

Enjoy the Day Everybody!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Bettynh
Date: 15 Sep 11 - 01:37 PM

Awww... I loved my boys as babies, but they were most fun for me when they started talking and walking. I can still see in my mind Virgil lying in his crib at naptime, playing with his toes and saying "sister" over and over, for the pure joy of saying the word - ssssisssster! ;-)

I used the body-halter and leash arrangement on long walks when they were little. My guys were independent from the start, heading in different directions, but they loved the fact that a tumble would leave them dangling safe and sound, and not flat on the ground and perhaps hurt. It may have looked like I was playing puppet master, but that's not what was happening at all.

Laundry is on hold while a weather front goes through today. I'm off to the dairy, which is almost 15 miles away, but Trader Joe's is on the way, so I'll get some food shopping done, too. Later, I've got to dig through dishes. I found a set of 18 cups, saucers, and dessert plates, with no dinner plates in one pattern. I hope to find them under the plates in the boxes of other patterns upstairs.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Sep 11 - 09:49 PM

Popped something behind my knee setting my PT back a coupla days. SO discouraging-- but I do have things I can do around here while it heals up.

Half the grocery budget this week went to cleaning/laundry supplies. Gosh I ate it when they all need to be bought the same week, but there ya go.

Flea baths Saturday for cats and dogs. Happyhappyhappy I found a leftover kitty trank previously prescribed for the kitty who will need it, and I also bought her a harness so I can hang onto her slippery, soapy self.

Three generations of women at the dinner table tonight, THAT was REALLY neat. War stories about know-it-all kids in their post-18 certainties/help calls! ;~)

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: GUEST,999
Date: 15 Sep 11 - 11:05 PM

Sister Susan, repeat after me: feats don't fail me now.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Sep 11 - 11:09 PM

Betty, I like your description of the harness and lead arrangement with toddlers. It worked that way for us also - it gave the child a feeling of independence but also of security if they looked like they were going to tumble. Until they were each 2 1/2 they were both nursing (primarily at naps and bedtime when they got older) so there was always the cuddling reinforcement to compliment the independence.

The fire was doused by mid-afternoon so this evening we struggled and strained and lifted and pounded and got the roof sections onto the greenhouse. Before it was finished there were five of us in the yard - the heavy lifting fell to me and my ex, but Cecil and Jackie came over from next door and my friend Susie (who owns Zeke the chocolate lab) dropped by. They were here mostly to nudge with a plank and direct our pushing so the grooves met and the notches fit. The roof is on and now the rest of the shell can be completed by just me - I put the doors on one side just to see how they go, but the windows and other doors are a job for tomorrow. It isn't completely level, that is why some of it was difficult, so I'll be nudging the sides and cramming rocks and bricks under then filling with dirt. And I'll use gravel in the door ways.

I'll also put in a little French drain from the roof of the garage past the greenhouse so water doesn't wash out the platform I struggled to put into place. I will put a gutter on the garage to solve that and put in water collecting tanks (also brought from my friend's house.) I'm hoping the village officials don't notice this structure and come asking to inspect or tell me I need to pay for a permit. But it could happen, so I won't be surprised.

The kitchen is clean after a wonderful simple dinner of salmon, fried potatoes and cauliflower. I made a big bowl of guacamole and froze it for future use, then washed the dishes. I'm drinking a couple of extra glasses of water to compensate for all of the heavy lifting as I do a little computer work and watch an episode of Masterpiece Theater streaming via Internet. I'd rather not wake up to leg cramps. Earlier this afternoon I finally motivated myself to file a whole bunch of papers and old bills, so I'm fairly well caught up on general household stuff.

Tomorrow is a long day work-wise, but I'll spend morning time in the greenhouse. I'll photograph a couple of events this weekend and spend time processing photos, but I'll still have time to empty my side yard of greenhouse stuff and hopefully empty my garage of stuff that can be stored in the greenhouse.

A lot of typing, and I'm at the end of my energy for the evening. Catch you all as time allows. I think the cooler temperatures are giving everyone a lot more energy. Kat, we haven't heard from you. How's it going there?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 16 Sep 11 - 05:59 AM

Grey, damp, drizzly day here, and no builders. Have just watched the All Blacks hammer Japan in the Rugby World Cup, so I had now better gather a couple of bags of laundry and head of down to the launderette. I found I'd gained half a pound at WW last night. Could have been worse, I suppose...

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Sep 11 - 10:01 AM

Andrea, will they be able to finish your house before the really cold weather arrives? Are they in the home stretch, now that all of the digging and footers are in place and approved?

We have a few days of 20 and 30 percent chance of rain, and today is overcast, but it is still very dry. Cooler, but dry.

Lots to do here, but I can't predict what will present itself as most in need of doing once I get the greenhouse assembled. The laundry is caught up and the dishes are done, so I'll be able to work on other more interesting chores.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 16 Sep 11 - 10:31 AM

It's laundry day here on the mountain top. I will hang what I can and tomorrow we are getting a new dryer!! YAY!!!!!

Pills have been sorted out for the week and I've vacuumed too. I still have dishes to do and then I'll be making vegetable soup from the left over pot roast. The price of beef roasts has dropped dramatically here so I purchased quite a few this week. I'll put another roast in the crock pot for today or tomorrow and freeze the rest. I also will be cleaning out the fridge today. I'm digging on the idea of some baked apples too. We have crates full of them! I'm hoping to find a canning recipe for apple pie filling and then all the rest will be made into applesauce for the rest of the year. There are also 2 bushels of pears sitting in my kitchen waiting to be canned. They aren't quite ripe yet so maybe that will happen on Monday.

I have a tumor marker check early next week and am starting to feel a bit anxious about it so I think keeping busy is the best thing for me to do right now.

Later Gators!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 16 Sep 11 - 12:09 PM

They should get it done before the weather really grinds into winter. At least I hope they do! It will be wind and watertight by then anyway. A lot will depend on how soon I get the drawing from the architect that the planners need, with the completed planning forms, so that I can add a small roof-light.

Beaurocracy is alive and well!

Nobody's been today, but I have seen them finishing (I hope) a job just up the road, which they would have gone onto yesterday when the joiners were here.
Anyway, it's grey, blowy and rainy. At least I got the washing done, and it's in the dryer now.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Sep 11 - 03:41 PM

This afternoon I spent a couple of hours struggling with the window portion of the green house. Bugger to put together, but I think I got it. Nothing will fall out, anyway, and I'll tweak it over the weekend. It was a lot of hard, sweaty work. Now I can relax and go to work for a while (to photograph an evening event).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 16 Sep 11 - 09:25 PM

Hey niner, Sister Susan, repeat after me: feats don't fail me now.

SO on point you do not know! Thanks bud!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Sep 11 - 11:58 PM

Bruce, that was cute. :-)

During the meeting tonight I heard the unusual noise of rain on the skylights of the library. And it kept on and on - this wasn't a little sprinkle, but rain of a couple of hours. I returned home to find 1 1/2 inches of water in the dog bowls on the porch (my informal rain gauges). We had a couple of hours of rain about six weeks ago, and before that we had gone months without. This was really nice.

I had left stuff in the greenhouse that is dry, but there is a wheelbarrow of dirt for shoveling underneath that will be a bit moist for work tomorrow, but that probably is fine. More compacted to begin with this way.

We'll see how the work out there goes tomorrow. My event I thought I'd photograph tomorrow was (!) last week - I completely missed it. There wasn't a conflict at all, except in my paper calendar.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Sep 11 - 09:35 AM

This morning is warm and humid but the soil smells wonderful with 1-2 inches of rain sunk in. My keyboard is acting up so I'll restart my system after a scan. A virtual decluttering may be called for.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 17 Sep 11 - 11:46 AM

It was a chilly, damp 40 degrees on our front porch this morning. I've been up and to town. I'm feeling organized (not my house...good grief, it doesn't take long to be a mess), focused and inspired today!

Enjoy the day!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Sep 11 - 12:03 PM

Is your new dryer there yet, Michelle?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 17 Sep 11 - 09:55 PM

The dryer has been ordered and will be here Tuesday night!!!   YAY!!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Sep 11 - 10:19 PM

We're in a holding pattern today as we wait to see if Zeke, the wandering lab, returns home. Susie left the house at about 9:30 this morning and got home at 2:30pm. At some point Zeke pushed a window screen out and hasn't been seen since. We hoped he'd come down to see my girls, but nothing. Put an ad on Craigslist, and Susie will put an ad in the newspaper online. We have a few other places to check daily if he doesn't turn up tomorrow.

I finished putting the greenhouse together. It needs some tweaking to get the doors to close because it isn't completely level. I picked up a string of LED lights to run along the ceiling in there for some nice evening lighting (might as well - it's so cute!) and I need to work on the top of the support beam - put a topper on it that will allow the beam to stay put as a passive support. It might not need it, but I'll be happier with it in place.

Laundry done, not many dishes to do. House is looking okay, in general.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Sep 11 - 10:23 PM

Good thoughts for Zeke's safe and swift return home, SRS.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Sep 11 - 10:12 AM

This morning signs were put up at the entrances to the village and my phone (with a local area code and exchange) is the prominent number, along with Susie's (her cell phone still has a Houston area code). I pulled up a photo from last summer and cropped out Zeke and we printed in grayscale to add to her signs.

Working on the greenhouse today. Must run an extension cord and set up a fan out there. It's pretty humid after our big rain on Friday night so moving air is essential.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Sep 11 - 01:27 PM

Susie got a call from a woman who saw a sign on her way out for a couple of hours. We'll find out for sure if it is Zeke when she gets back home. Soon - what a little neighborhood drama this has been!

The extension cord is in place, a fan runs, now I need a little radio. There used to be a little one I would plug in on the porch when I gardened in the front yard - maybe it's still here (one thing I probably wouldn't have decluttered out.)

For accountability, I had a nice lunch today - half a chicken breast (these days they're are so big - they easily feed two people) and a handful of my pan friend home-grown potatoes, finished off with a big bowl of home-grown cantaloupe. I'm starting to get a serious okra crop, so soon that will be a regular part of many meals, and it freezes beautifully. I'm getting lots of exercise, though it is the lifting and hefting and hauling variety mostly. My legs ached for a couple of days after all of the work to put the roof on the greenhouse.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Sep 11 - 11:34 PM

MIL left for Chicagoland Friday and I just about have the LR back to pet-friendly layout and cushion covers, despite going back on the way-high BP med that takes my breath and leaves me freezing and tired.

Cat bath ydy was fun!

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Sep 11 - 12:32 AM

Found the radio, now my greenhouse has a fan and a radio. No light yet, my next step. LED are more for mood than actual lighting and they're not in place yet. Since the building is up I've been needing to shore up around the edges - would you believe, it has rained twice - on Friday and this evening. I need to do that work before my dirt platform is warped by moisture or simply washed away. It has been dry for months and now I can't turn my back on this thing? I should have put it up in June!

The drama of the missing dog (Zeke) resolved itself today - life resumes as normal tomorrow.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Sep 11 - 12:03 PM

Laundry is on the couch, needs folding. There are a few dishes in the sink that need washing. There is a lot more room in the sun room and the garage and I'll be compressing stuff in both of these places in the coming days.

Zeke is coming down for a couple of days so I'll park my truck outside (he always runs out of the dog stall into the garage and into the driveway when I open the door. I need to rebuild the end of the stall so they can't exit into the larger garage unless I want them to.) The weather is so much nicer now that the dogs have a lot of energy. I also feel much more energetic when I can go through mild exertions and not end up dripping sweat.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: SINSULL
Date: 19 Sep 11 - 06:34 PM

Welcome back, Zeke, although I suspect you didn't realize you were missing. Labs!
Inch by inch; row by row.
I am gaining control of my living space. one box at a time. Sall Ann will be grateful.
Took a mental health day today so I am missing WW. Maybe i can find a local place to weigh in.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 19 Sep 11 - 10:06 PM

8 loads of laundry
2 loads of dishes (one here and one at Mom's house)
3 meals made
1 batch of Pumpkin Spice cookies made

All on 3 hours of sleep.

I'm beat.

Night Everybody.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Sep 11 - 10:49 PM

Wow.

Michelle, I wonder every so often about that woman who invited you and Jeremiah in during the snow storm last winter. Have you seen her again? I hope so - she sounded like a great person to know more about and include in activities.

Today Zeke made another break for it at Susie's, pushing the front glass door open, but she realized it after just a few minutes. We found him a couple of blocks away, but it was stressful for her as she was getting ready to leave to take her husband down for doctors appointments and chemo. Zeke is here now, and this evening I went out and made a tag for him with his name, her name, address, and phone. His collar was trying to fall off (it did the other day on one of our walks) so I got him a new one of those also. She had made a necklace for me (she has a small kiln and does the glass work on the big piece) so it was a little dog bling in exchange for a little human bling. :-)

I have a pair of loafers that are in such bad shape I'm embarrassed to take them off in public, so I got a new pair today. Time to toss the old (my shoe rule - new pair comes in, old pair goes out.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Sep 11 - 11:35 PM

SRS, it's so good of you to help with Zeke and the human *bling* is beautiful. I am plugging along. Will be able to post more after wed. when i get my new dragon naturally speaking and get it trained.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Sep 11 - 11:37 AM

Ooo! Kat, please do report on that - I've been tempted to try it (if you want to read a lot more about it, Don Firth has described his use of it in many posts here at Mudcat).

Lovely morning here. I figured I could wait and walk the dogs later, because the pavement is no longer too hot for them to walk on in the evenings. We've been out playing fetch, and they're happy in the cool weather racing and wrestling. I think part of Zeke's wandering is that he longs for other dogs to play with.

The fall energy season is beginning to make itself apparent. I'm having thoughts of cooking again- things more complex that fried eggs or grilled cheese (though grilled cheese is a great cool weather comfort food and I picked up some nice cheddar yesterday). The first day I have to put a sweater on when I head out to the yard I'll be doing a happy dance!

Michelle, let us know how your day has gone - I know this is one of those stressful times, but I suspect they are going to be fewer and farther between.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Sep 11 - 12:16 PM

I will, SRS. Don just posted more about it in the resource writers thread.

last Sunday - yoga 40 minutes
today - yoga 40 minutes, qi gong 30 minutes

i am putting my physical body first most mornings now, before the computer work, the dog play, the laundry, the myriad of things which have kept me from taking care of my "body temple" which, of course, carries over to mental and spiritual wellness, too and dovetails nicely with the therapy stretches, etc. for hands and feet. it feels good.

I received much validation from the ortho doc about my decision to stop using the cardio-rehab machines for exercise. Both my osteo and family physician agree, too!

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: GUEST,LilyFestre
Date: 20 Sep 11 - 08:07 PM

Today went well. My port didn't want to work so they had to take blood from my arm. They tell me that I have a fibroid sheath on my port which is blocking the blood return. So...the remedy to this was simple. They left tubes and syringe hanging out of my chest/port after putting some kind of medicine in that was to break up the sheath. It takes 45 minutes to see if it worked so in the meantime, I saw my oncologist and the initial basic labwork was back and everything looked good. I won't know about my tumor markers until tomorrow. I am anxious about it but decided to talk to my doctor today about the big WHAT IF questions. What if it comes back? What would be the next step? How is it treated? What should I expect. He was absolutely straight forward and wonderful with me. I love him. I love him. I love him. He knows how to talk to me. After my appointment, I ran into my dear friend Tracy who was there to get her results from her tests last week and she invited me to sit in with her at her appointment (tubes still hanging out of my chest and all). I am THRILLED to tell you that she is GREAT and has NO sign of any kind of recurrance! Afterwards, I went to have my port tested and it worked like a charm!!! Next, I was supposed to meet a friend for lunch at the hospital. Her 3 year old is the PICU and has been for 5 weeks...it's not good. Because of the extra stuff I had to have done today I missed her but I was able to see her son. I gowned up and watched him sleeping very peacefully, said a prayer over him, wished I could hug and kiss him and left. Maybe I'll be able to see his beautiful eyes tomorrow after my next appointment.

I did some shopping and treated myself (really treated myself) to some new clothes. I'm tired of the Mommy look..the washed out, dressed badly, over tired woman woman in shorts and a tshirt. I feel like a girl for a change! Also, today was the first time I've been for a check up without my mom. She always comes along when I see the oncologist but wasn't able to today....so I treated myself for being able to go alone.

The manager of the House of Care has a friend coming over in about an hour and we are going to do yoga in front of a giant stone fireplace. I brought my mat and can't wait to be in bare feet and lose myself in my breath for a little bit.

I'm tired and stressed. Had myself a good cry. It's ok...I just needed to do it.

Moving on.

Love to all.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Sep 11 - 08:12 PM

This evening I put a florescent light in the greenhouse, one that my friend had been using out there before. I figured out a switch for it so I don't have to plug and unplug it. There is more to carry into the greenhouse - I'll do a little of that this evening. I need to arrange the empty terracotta pots under some of the shelves, and figure out how to best use the upper shelves (over the doors - nothing heavy up there, I don't want to drop anything on myself that might hurt). I took a string of LED lights out and will see about running them up and down the middle at the top.

I've been working on more eBay stuff, scanning some more antique costume jewelry. I'll keep the stuff that I find more interesting, but some of it is rather fine looking but I never wear it. And an old laptop from my friend's house. The things that came from his house we'll split the proceeds on if they sell.

Time to feed dogs and fix dinner for myself. And I need to saute then freeze more eggplant.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 21 Sep 11 - 04:16 AM

I have scaffolding! Lower floor is built. I hope the building inspector approves.

At the moment 3 lads are here and manhandling stone up to the higher level. I've dropped a note through next door's door to let him know that they are going to need to scaffold his side of the wall too. I just need to fill in the planning forms so that I can put the roof light in. the architect turned up on Monday with new drawings.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Sep 11 - 11:20 AM

that's exciting, Andrea!

20 minutes yoga
10 - dog play

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Sep 11 - 11:29 AM

Andrea - if you can find your way around the new nonsense at facebook, please post new photos!

Treating dogs with punctures this morning. Poppy and Cinnamon seem to have had a dust-up; happens once or twice a year. Poppy has a tooth puncture on a back leg (and now is doing the classic leg in the air limp) and Cinnamon has a scrape on her muzzle near her eye. Poppy connected this time at any rate. Warm wash cloth, hydrogen peroxide to clean the spots, and their triple antibiotic veterinary ointment. They're both rather contrite and Cinnamon keeps going into the stall to give Poppy kisses. Poppy may need a but more attention but I'll give it a day or two to clear up or get worse.

Shopping this week loaded me up with more fresh fruit and veggies. Breakfast of bran cereal and an apple, other meals a mix of protein, healthy whole grain carbs, and fruit. As the weather cools I hope I'll be able to burn more calories and lose a little more weight before the winter cooking season starts. :)

I mentioned earlier that got a couple of pairs of very comfortable loafers and the tattered pair needs to be discarded. The upper is scuffed, but it is the inside that is a mess. They've been my "outdoor" pair for a while now, and I'm thinking I'll put them in a bag in my truck for an emergency switch if I find I need to preserve good shoes in bad weather. That way they'll be out of the house (out of the closet where I have occasionally put them on in the morning to run out to get the paper and then forgotten to change into a nicer pair before heading to work).

SRS, trying to remember to look business-like!

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 21 Sep 11 - 07:44 PM

Somewhere between potting like mad in late July and ???? I lost ALL my energy and my right hip and knee went weird. Clearly a connection. The knee got better and then worser and I finally phoned my health consultant . A magnesium deficiency, she said. So I have been ingesting magnesium and taking more baths with epsom salt. The hip started healing first and the knee is WAY better, up to 95% today! One day, I thought I was stuck in the bathtub 'til R came home but I extricated myself, painfully.

Interestingly: 1. I remember a very nice man approaching me in a parking lot a few weeks ago and telling me about magnesium deficiency; I did not pay much attention! 2. Although we take cal/mag daily, I only realized yesterday that the current vitamins do not include minerals. 3. I pay far more attention to what R needs in that department (supplements) than what I need.

I am going to miss out on the wildlife conference I was looking forward to this Friday - in Toronto, 6 hour drive! I thought R would go and we would visit several friends but he is too busy. Today is the firs day I have driven around without increasing knee pain - from sitting in car. 6 hours? I guess not.

On the plus side, I have gotten positive forms filled out by MD and eye doctor for renewal of my driver's license. No sign of cataracts or other nasty eye troubles! The clothes and dishes are clean. The tomatoes get harvested, and the oregano. One door is partly de-painted but I may need stronger stuff as a lot of the paint does not budge, soften or anything!

The pottery has not gotten fired. I shall have to spend 2-3 14 hour days in the country to get things glaze-fired before the Festival on 1 October! The cabin is still a joy; we are not there enough but greatly appreciate when we are. Another plus is that R recognized out loud that summer is gone and he did not have much of a relaxing time. I suggested next year... "I'm working on it." - said firmly!

I know the mag is helping because I can tell when I need more - rather like pain pills. The knee reminds me and I take another 100 mg, more or less, of powdered mag with a couple spoonfuls of yogurt. About 200/day. (The RDA is 3-400/day.) Researching it, I find the symptoms of too much are similar to those for too little but too little leads to high BP and too much to low BP. Actually, it was the high, for me, BP which caused me to make the phone call. Mine has always been very low.

Terrific band at the Cafe this Friday will be my consolation for not getting to meet people in Ontario - make new friends and visit old friends.

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Sep 11 - 08:03 PM

We've begun collecting HR stats in PT to see how aquatics and the BP meds affect it. Right now my top HR possible-- on these meds (chiefly 100mg of Toprol)-- is 69, which is enough for aquatic walking/exercise but not land walking/exercise. Various tests indicate that the BP measures of the last 2 years have not been accurate-- if they were I'd be dead, long since-- so the doc has OKd a reduction of dosage and we will continue to monitor HR in PT to see how the dosage change improves breath to sustain land exercise.

FINALLY!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Sep 11 - 09:16 PM

Hit submit too soon....

A big project before MIL came was the completion of the decluttering of the dnstrs. It's nice and it will stay nice. (It HAS stayed nice.) The last batches of stuff that belonged in the upstrs ofc went up then, along with misc yard sale crap to sort from trash crap-- a few smallish boxes of each.

Some of it ended up in the landing room outside our BR which became the bill-paying ofc when the housemate moved in (we had been using the attic dorm and a nice filebox). So ydy that landing room was reclaimed, as stuff that did not belong there was sent along either to the yard sale room, the loo closet, or the hall outside the office.

Today the hall outside the ofc got sorted and boxed, and the ofc got cleared up a bit-- Adrian will soon be building me more storage for that ofc, so I need to clear space for him to work. Some of the ofc stuff and the ofc boxes I sorted tdy will move farther down the weird "hall to nowhere" that is outside the ofc, pending Ade's building day and move-back of all that stuff into the storage he will build.

A friend is coming to stay a weekend soon and while we chat we will price all that yard sale stuff; probably Ade will help me move it out to the porch where there is already quite a stash accumulating.

All this is in good timing-- the PT has shown me a whole new way to do stairs, and there WILL be a lot of them for this next round.

In the meantime the dnstrs is set for a good cleaning tmrw, courtesy of housemate, whose turn to clean it is. Some of the paid help will no doubt be involved in helping me make the upstrs real pretty for the houseguest and, soon, US.

(Then it's off to Chicago to see my terminally ill sister, before snow, for a possibly-extended "visit.")

TBTG for strength and focus, and help of the right kind at the right time.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Sep 11 - 11:12 PM

I spent the afternoon at work taking photos of co-workers with various favorite "Banned or Challenged" books. After each set of photos (bracketing, to be sure eyes were open, etc.) I let them take a look on the camera monitor and they chose the one they liked best. They feel like they have control on a project that people already love because this lets them hold up a favorite book. I took some from my library this morning and I'll probably tote in a few tomorrow. Banned book week is next week and these will be added to an existing photo exhibit we did last year.

Dishes out of the way, nice dinner cooked and leftovers (chicken breast and a side of sauteed zucchini in my eggplant tomato sauce with mozzarella on top) packed away so I have another full (identical) meal awaiting, or ingredients for another one. Whichever.

Lots of walking around today, and standing. Not much to raise the pulse but at least I was moving!

I stopped at a thrift store near work and for $25 I picked up 2 good looking pairs of slacks, 2 cotton blouses, 4 knit tops, and a woven plaid vest. Any one of these new could have cost that much. I tried on a lot more than I bought - there was a woman with her granddaughter in the next dressing room and we had a great conversation about thrift stores. Her granddaughter is 14 and is learning early that they're a wonderful place to find great stuff to express yourself. She's also learning to sew - and things that are in the thrift store are just waiting to be modified.

So, a little laundry tonight and tomorrow I'll dress for success at work. Today I wore a blouse with a great neckline so I could wear my new necklace, then forgot to put it on before I left the house! I'll try again tomorrow. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Sep 11 - 10:31 AM

Lots of okra this morning because I forgot to pick yesterday evening. Must do it twice a day now. Into the freeze it will go for a while, replacing my supply.

Caught up with the neighbor across the street - had wondered if he was okay (elderly) but was simply zigging when I zagged and we missed each other.

Our afternoons are hot but our mornings are nice. Tomorrow I'll spend some morning time mowing, I need to go to my office today and must finish things before I go. But it's a time of year that is much easier on North Texas inhabitants than that horrible summer heat.

Several new garments laundered and into my wardrobe. I have a few existing things that need to be discarded, I never actually wear them though they seemed like a good idea at the time I picked them up.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Sep 11 - 01:16 PM

yoga - 30 minutes
qi gong - 30 minutes

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Sep 11 - 07:33 PM

Took a long nap after a busy day of running around - though I woke up non-sleepy I was achy. I need to start a stretching routine, I think, just to help with flexibility. A friend sent a few pages from a book that he does for just back stretching, but do any of you have routines you do for all-over general stretching? I still have a few tapes and an old VCR - I could always put in a Richard Simmons tape, I suppose!

For those of you who wonder if our attention to the slow tidying and decluttering of our households is normal, there is this. I think we're pretty normal! ;)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Sep 11 - 10:04 AM

Poppy was putting weight on her back foot this morning so we went for a short walk, around a couple of blocks. I didn't want her to go so far she'd limp again. The morning air was cool and we were all frisky.

I'm going to prepare some of the terracotta pots for planting - I don't know what was planted in the ones that came from my friend's house or if they had any plant diseases, so I'll make a bucket of water with some bleach and soak them for a few minutes then mix up a new batch of soil. I'll start some fall plants and if I can't get them into the ground I'll let them grow in the greenhouse this winter, see how it works. I'm still moving and arranging things back there; this weekend I think I'll finish clearing the stuff from beside the garage in front (where I initially offloaded and store related materials).

Fruit smoothie for breakfast (banana, strawberry, and yogurt) with a cantaloupe chaser (finished the last of my garden fruit). It's finally cooling enough that I feel inspired to cook again. I need a batch of tortillas and may make some lefse. And I can make several loaves of banana bread since I picked up a bag of ripe bananas yesterday (Albertson's bags the "overripe" ones for $.99 a bag that holds about 5 pounds). Thank-yous for helping with the greenhouse roof.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 23 Sep 11 - 10:19 AM

SRS,

   Are you looking for floor stretches? I can write up some of the things we do in yoga that leave you feeling very stretched and sometimes longer!!!

   Dishes are done and laundry is going. I should do something with the floors here today too...we'll see. I finally have a dryer so laundry is at the top of my list...can't wait to get everything done and put away!!! It's driving me crazy!!!!

Later today I have been asked to be part of a Survivor calendar...not sure what month I am going to be but I am thrilled to have been asked. So....photo shoot later today!!! Should be fun!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Sep 11 - 01:45 PM

Standing, sitting, lying down - I'm just thinking general stretching to limber me up.

Lovely cool day today. I've been out talking with a neighbor, lots of folks passing by to wave hello. The neighborhood has been deadly quiet with the heat, so this is very welcome.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Sep 11 - 08:42 PM

My right arm got a lot of exercise this evening trying to get my "easy start" trimmer going. It wouldn't stay running except on half-choke so I think it's time to clean it out. But I did get the grass growing in the garden around the okra and eggplants so picking will be easier. If we get another inch of rain the weeding out there will be good, but it isn't easy now. Before the trimmer I got exercise with the spade fork attacking the tall grass and weeds.

Time to finally watch my NetFlix DVDs and send them back. I'm going to drop the BluRay feature - I can only watch those in one room in the house and I'd like to watch my movies in my office or on the laptop. So that'll reduce the cost a little. And I'm going to have to switch my son to his own streaming account. Virtual tidying.

It feels wonderful this evening, so I'm going to clear the kitchen counter and see if I have time to make a batch of tortillas. I also need to cook and freeze some more eggplant. I picked a bucket full today, gave a couple away, but still have something over 5 pounds of them to process.

I hope you all had a good week and will have a great weekend! Michelle, are you feeling any better today? You may need to have a pampered weekend - let Pete and Jeremiah bring you breakfast in bed tomorrow. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Sep 11 - 11:27 PM

SRS, I am doing this using Dragon NaturallySpeaking, but I haven't figured out all of the editing commands so please excuse any typos.

You asked about stretching exercises. I have found the ones from that link that you sent me being aligned to be well linked to be quite good . Also, the ones I am using right now are excellent, especially for stretching warm-up exercises. That one is called yoga for the rest of us by P EGGY C a PPY. The other one I've been using is Q I G0NG by Lee HOLDEN.

I've noticed that the stretching exercises I do using a strap as in yoga as Sean in the align to be well to really help with tight leg muscles and the yoga one really helps with tight shoulders, arms, and neck. They really get you warmed up and ready for all that fantastic work you do.

Your new greenhouse looks wonderful and I am in awe of your abilities.

Michelle, really really glad to hear your good news!

I did a little bit of walking today with Roger as we shopped. Getting a little tired of not being able to drive myself, but the therapy is helping. Tomorrow we may go for drive to another town about it to an half-hour trip all the way round. That should read about eight to and no didn't get that one either. T WO and one half hour trip is what it should say. In the morning, Morgan will be coming over for breakfast and to try his hand at Dragon NaturallySpeaking and play with Luna. About that it's spelled your name right that's not what I said. What I said was, how about that it's spelled your name her name right. LOL… I'll have to practice on the tutorials to figure out the editing on this program. It's pretty amazing how quickly that has understood my way of speaking though. I've only done the minimum of training to set up my profile and I think it's done a pretty good job. I also need to learn how to use it to navigate the web and post directly to my cat… Okay I'll have to spell it out it looks like… To post directly to MUDC a T. LOL… Not sure what's up with the capitalization and non-caps anyway I will figure it out and catch up with y'all later.

LUVYAKAT… Sorry for the caps, not really shouting!

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Sep 11 - 12:42 AM

It's different, speaking and writing, isn't it?

I finished my tortillas, used one to make a bean burrito with some of the chicken from last night and finished the cheese in a bag in the fridge. Totally leftover and totally delicious. The rest of the batch is in the freezer for upcoming meals. It doesn't take long to make them when you're cooking, but once you start you have to keep up the pace and be careful not to burn them.

Looking forward to a lovely weekend, though I do have to finish some photos for work in the morning. I had a setting wrong on the camera, and another one I need to get checked out. I guess I need to pull out the instructions and see if that will help. When all else fails . . .

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Sep 11 - 02:16 PM

Lovely morning but hot this afternoon. Good time to wash the dogs and hang some laundry.

I'll get some exercise out working in the yard and greenhouse. It doesn't entirely feel like fall yet, but I want to be ready! I am ready in the sense that I feel like cooking. (I just need to be careful in the "feel like eating" part that I don't get too many carbs and calories!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: SINSULL
Date: 24 Sep 11 - 02:41 PM

We moved our department over a few rows and I managed to sprain my toe while connecting computer wires. One helpful co-worker suggested I should have let someone else do it. My response was that if I have to admit to myself that I can't get down on my hands and knees I will just give up.
So now I am hobbling around occasionally wincing and in general being annoyed at my carelessness.
WHINE!
Maybe some WINE too. It will probably helpIt was a very stupid thing to do.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Sep 11 - 03:56 PM

The dogs are clean and shiny, laundry is in.

Mary, take care that you don't trip or stub your toe on anything because reinjuring it will hurt more and it will take longer to heal. Ask me now I know . . .

Kat, I read your exchange with your son about the books - what a great treat that he likes them so much! And what a great mom you are to have sent them to him. My kids aren't ready for too much stuff yet, they don't have the room, but I hope I'll be able to pass along things they can use when they can use them and not make them wait till I'm gone and they have their own houses full of furniture that they'd need to fit mine into.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Sep 11 - 09:19 PM

The center support is now finished (I had to put a large notch in the top end) and level in the greenhouse. That was the last of the things to be sure this is stable, an addition that my friend and I discussed when I was dismantling it at his house. (He, by the way, is a new grandfather - his step son and girlfriend had a baby boy last week. At least that's a big bright spot in an otherwise grim summer and fall!)

I've been thinking about how to put in place covers over the vents when it gets cold. I think putting an angled nail at both ends of a padded board and simply hooking it over the top leuvers will do. My friend tried stuffing all of the slots with insulating foam and cloth and such - made a mess I had to clear out. I'll work on that system now while it's warm and be ready for winter.

Today also I've been finishing up food preparation, stuff on trays in the freezer is bagged, new stuff will go in. I picked a bunch of basil and it is cleaned and drying. The freezer is filling up and the pantry shelves will be holding more herbs as the fall progresses.

Laundry is out of the way, another batch needs to run later tonight. I can still line dry because it is Texas, after all. Gonna watch a movie and send it back to NetFlix. About time, I've had it forever. Good thing my son gets a lot of use out of the account, though I have to redo it and give him his own.

The grandchildren of my next door neighbors came over this afternoon and each picked an eggplant to take home to their mother. My neighbor assures me their mother likes and cooks it. :) I told them if their mom doesn't want them they can bring them back. Little kids are so much fun to take into the garden - it makes such an impression on them.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Sep 11 - 11:28 PM

SRS, I hadn't thought to share my son's reaction to the box of books I sent him on here, but it's a neat thing to see after having been so careful about what I did with my old books. So, here it is. For the rest of you, this is what my son had to say when he received a box of old family books, part of my recent decluttering efforts:

"Mom, thanks!
I opened the corona beer box of books and when I removed the foam stuffing and saw the books, I was taken aback. The value of these books hit me. Stuff from my grandpa's collection, and others also, they are all great books. before I even picked them up I thought wow, cool! What a great library this would be in the 19th century western plains! The text in Two Years Before The Mast is a neat connection with our ancestors. Thanks again, Im psyched!"

30 min. of qi gong during our trip today.

Marigold, take very good care of that toe. My daughter stubbed hers on the leg of a coffee table and it caused her quite a bit of trouble. But then she's too young to have taken good care from the get-go and we all know with age comes sagacity, right? LOL

LUV why a cat( this program keeps coming up with the most inventive ways of my signoff! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 12:04 AM

You'll need to set up an exception of some sort to let it use your usual signoff run together. There are probably a couple of keystrokes or a word you can use that will drop in a particular word or phrase you want.

Work is done, fooling with facebook. Sent a young woman, a friend of my daughter's, this Leonard Cohen song (Dance Me to the End of Love). She's newly engaged. This song may simply swamp her, but it's so beautiful.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 01:15 PM

Managed to lose 3lbs last week at fat club.
I'm not going this time because I am going down south for a charty lunch in Surrey, which will include a get together with my old flatmates from my college days. (One of them, a breast cancer survivor, is the organiser of the lunch).

I have handed the planning paperwork back ovcer to the architect, as he is used to the long-winded forms, and which bits of them need ignoring for what is a mere small addition to the plans.

There will be more photos up on FB soon.

I'm starting to get a bit frustrated with not being able to get sorting out the back garden. I suppose it will mean I have something to keep me occupied over the winter months!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 01:27 PM

I put a couple of greenhouse and garden photos up on my facebook page. I'll load them on Google+ also.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 04:28 PM

Stubbed toes...YOUCH!!!!!!!!   

I have no decluttering news or exercise to report but we did do something exciting today....

***Drum roll please...****

We purchased a camper!!!!!!   

YAY!!!

Good times ahead!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 05:32 PM

What kind? Goes on the back of a pickup, a trailer, a pop-up? I used to have a double-axle Aljo trailer that I loved but my now ex talked me into selling. I always regretted that. I was always a tent camper, but trailers have a lot of interesting uses and can make a trip much easier if you're not going places too difficult to park or drive.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 07:21 PM

We purchased a Coleman Pop-Up. It's lightweight, easy to tow, really easy to set up and a great starter camper for us! I have to learn how to back it up though....

It's going to be a lesson in patience, I can just tell!!! ;)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 08:42 PM

Put your steering hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and push it the direction you want the trailer to go. You want the trailer to move to the right, hold the wheel on the bottom and push it toward the right. I don't like baking trailers, but I had to do it over the years. That was a trick that someone taught me (I learned it when I was baking a trailer bear trap in the national park campground where I worked).

I have a few pots of soil with seeds in them for fall things in the garden - chard and I'll see if I can get a few beans, they usually grow well in the fall. I tidied up the garage, and I moved some stuff out and it will go to recycling or trash. I need to do a garage sale pretty soon and I've found a few items for that also.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 26 Sep 11 - 01:47 AM

Dishes done, 2 loads of laundry done, high chair got the deluxe wipe down, the table has been found, got rid of a bunch of junk mail and old newspapers (I swear those things procreate a few times daily), grocery list made for the week, toys are ALL picked up (YAY!) so the floor will be ready to sweep, mop and vacuum first thing in the morning. Tomorrow I have no plans except to stay home and catch up on laundry and to can pears. I have 2 bushels to do. Pete and I were going to do them together this weekend but we ended up being swamped with a few things. No matter just so long as they get done.

I could probably go for a few more hours but I know I have to be up early in the morning.

Sweet dreams everybody!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 26 Sep 11 - 07:39 AM

That sounds like what we over here call a trailer tent. I too am a wary one when it comes to trailer manoeuvring!

Anyway, at the moment I am not going anywhere because the clutch cylinder is leaking on my car, and the garage have got to source a new one, then drop out the gearbox to get at the blasted thing. Law of sod in action again - I need it to go down south in a couple of days!

The roof trusses came today, but the walls aren't ready for them yet. There's another piece of scaffold needed from next door so that they can get at the upper part of the back wall. This was supposed to go up last week, and now it is expected today! There are no builders actually building at the moment because of this.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Sep 11 - 03:13 PM

Andrea, are they using pre-fabricated trusses, delivered ready to put into place? That is an option that is excellent when people know about it - the factory ones are a lot stronger, according to an engineer friend of mine. He designed some trusses for a garage he was building, sent the order in to a place that manufactured them and delivered them to his property.

Michelle, the first time we took my daughter camping (in a tent) was in a park about 90 minutes from home. We played in the campground, ate, all sorts of things she enjoyed, but she was 2 years old and didn't understand about not going home to go to bed. I set up the big mattress we put our bedding on (roll up foam and we took sheets and blankets, it was too warm still for sleeping bags) and she was confused, over-tired but not wanting to go to bed. I lay down with her after reading and she cried real hard for a couple of minutes then fell asleep and slept all night. The next day she was up and as happy as can be and didn't have any more problems adjusting to camping. And of course, when her brother came along and we went camping, he modeled his behavior on hers and was just fine with it.

Dishes washed, drained, and put away. Laundry and clothes taken care of, a healthy breakfast and lunch eaten. It's time to work on the diet again, watching carbs and with good proteins, but I'll adopt the Weight Watchers policy about fruit and veggies - as much as I want. I just learned that my class will do a 40-year high school reunion in August next year. Spending the next 11 months taking off the weight is a reasonable amount of time for this much weight (30 pounds) and it's a great goal, to feel like I'm looking my best to go see friends I haven't seen in all of these years. I didn't go to my 20th because I'd had my son a few months earlier, he was nursing, I hadn't lost the baby weight, I felt like a lump and would have had to take my son with me for the whole thing. This time I hope to go and enjoy myself.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 26 Sep 11 - 04:05 PM

Thanks for the backing up tips Maggie!

I'm sure Jeremiah will have an issue at bedtime but he always does unless he is in his own bed. He has stayed overnight with his Nana and also with me when I'm traveling...if it's not his own bed, he has to be WORN OUT COMPLETELY before we should even think about settling him in for the night. I'm sure he will LOVE the rest of it though as he is an outside boy to be sure!!!

I have the last batch of pears in the canner, 2 loads of laundry done (not put away yet though), floors swept, carpet vacuumed...need to mop but I'm about tuckered out at the moment. I got a whopping 4 hours of sleep last night, if that. Just me being awake.

Anyway, it's been a productive day. I've also done some planning for an upcoming trip. I'm hoping to connect with one of my best college friends who I haven't seen in FAR too many years!!!

About losing weight for your class reunion....if that motivates you, it works!!! I will tell you that I went to my 25th class reunion this year with the baby and my goofy hair and my weight gain and I was greeted with hugs and kisses all around. Not one person said anything or even looked at me funny. I think everyone is self conscious about themselves and also really too busy enjoying chatting with everyone to care about that stuff (ok..there may be one or two people...but seriously..who cares about that?). You are beautiful as is Maggie...inside and out!!! Make sure you take that weight off for YOU and YOU alone.

Love to all,

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Sep 11 - 05:15 PM

I know, Michelle, but I think I have been looking for something to motivate me. I won't beat myself up if I don't get there, but I am looking forward to it and would love to have the full enjoyment of not only seeing old friends, but of being pleased with myself for how I know I can look in my slimmer clothes. Plus, it'll be in August, nice months in the northwest for hiking, and I'd like to get out and do some without the burden of extra weight slowing me down.

Working on a design project this afternoon, one with a lot of elements to collect and then organize. It's the kind of job that makes you suddenly feel real tired - and take a power nap that helps sort out the design. I think I'm getting close to what I want it to look like.

My next door neighbor has hired a crew to come work on her yard today. Digging out gardens, mulching, raking, planting - I will start burning a few calories by heading into my yard to work on similar projects in the next couple of weeks. Weeding is on the top of the list.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 26 Sep 11 - 05:18 PM

Yes, they are prefabricated. They are now stacked against the back wall of the garden until needed.

Still no news of the car...

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Sep 11 - 10:36 AM

We were supposed to have a cold front come through - but I think what passed through meant that yesterday was 90^o and not 95^o - still waiting for a consistently cool crisp fall day.

Andrea, do you have buses and trains in your area, or is it exclusively car travel?

Kat, hows the automated program working?

Michelle, do you have a photo from your calendar shoot you can share?

Susan, how's the PT and the office organizing working?

Okay, enough procrastination, back to the poster I'm designing.

Maggie

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 27 Sep 11 - 05:42 PM

I won't have the calendar photo for awhile but will share it when I can! Because Jeremiah's story and mine intertwine, the photographer wanted a photo of us together...fine by me!! We had our picture taken in front of a Christmas tree and will be the December models. :)

Dishes and laundry are done for the day (well, might do another load of laundry). The water tank in the toilet overflowed and flooded the bathroom. I have it as cleaned up enough for now and I will mop it again tonight after the floor has a chance to dry up a bit more. Jeremiah was wanting to help...he brought be both a broom and the vacuum cleaner!! When he wasn't helping, he was emptying the soup cupboard into the back of a little car he has (it's a walker/rider kind of thing). I can't help but laugh!

Pete is coming home early tonight so I can go to a local book club. A Mommy night out!!

I have dinner in the oven waiting for Pete: Ham, scalloped potatoes and Harvard beets. He'll be happy. :)

I am loving these fall temperatures!!! At the moment, the sunlight on the fields is absolutely stunning!!

Have a great evening everybody!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: LilyFestre
Date: 28 Sep 11 - 01:06 PM

I moved an old CD player into the kitchen, grabbed a random CD and danced all over the kitchen with Jeremiah this morning for about half an hour...FUN!   Video being uploaded to FB as I type!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: mouldy
Date: 28 Sep 11 - 03:54 PM

We do have buses here, and I can get to a railway station on them However, rail travel is extortionately expensive, especially at short notice, and I would have about a 300 mile trip to make each way to get down to Hertfordshire, which is Friday's destination. My plan was to go down (today) to Yorkshire, and spend some time with mu daughter, them go down further south on Friday afternoon to arrive when my friend gets back from work.

However, as long as I get the car tomorrow sometime, this is a possibility. I called the garage yesterday afternoon, and they had been sent the wrong part. They have had to strip loads off the underneath of the car to even get at the gearbox and clutch, and when they get the right part, which was due to be sometime around midday today, all being well, it's all got to go back. They said they couldn't guarantee it for today, but that I'd hopefully get it tomorrow.

Anyway, the scaffolders have been, and the existing scaffolding has been raised, and I hope the other bit may have been put up too next door.
I've put more photos onto FB.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Sep 11 - 06:41 PM

Nice work! It's kind of hard to believe that at one time the older part of your house looked as crisp as that new part looks now. Give it all fifty years and it will match perfectly.

I was dressed in office clothes today or I'd have stopped at my friend's house to help him clear out junk in his back yard. The guy who gave me the greenhouse - as we sorted stuff that was no good for anything, a pile of trash grew, that would eventually be cleaned up. It's behind a fence, not visible from the street. But either the nosy next door neighbor OR the new owner of the house complained to Code Enforcement and he now has to move that trash out of view of the side gate by Friday or get a $1000 fine. When it rains, it pours. He has until Oct. 16 to move, apparently, and the new owner, whoever, doesn't factor into it, apparently. I'll go over tomorrow after he gets home from work to help.

Gotta put some more stuff on eBay. Clutter in the sun room destined to go out the door one way or another.

There's a lot of tidying to do around here, but at least I took care of one little eyesore- the unviewed NetFlix movies. They've been here for a couple of months. I watch streaming, my son watches streaming, but when I set up my BluRay player for streaming, they upped my account to BluRay and have been sending BluRay disks. Thing is, there is only one BluRay player in the house and I don't always watch movies there. I watch them on the computer in the kitchen, on the TV/DVD combo in my sewing room, on my office computer, even in my bedroom - and I could never make myself sit down to watch those stupid things in the living room, I was too busy. So I sent them back and stopped the BluRay delivery. I'm fine with DVD, my player does the up-sizing anyway and there isn't much difference between regular DVD and the BluRay.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Sep 11 - 11:00 PM

The new program is going pretty well, SRS, thanks for asking.

There have been some changes around here, most of all, Morgan will be in enrichment classes after school until December break, so I won't be seeing much of him except on the weekends. He seems to be really happy with it and need the extra help with reading. He's doing kind of what is mom did she has not photographic memory but audio graphics memory and until second grade everyone thought that she was reading because she could tell you read a book so to speak verbatim after hearing a one-time. He's not doing exactly that but he's rushing he's always in a hurry to read and it infers pretty much exactly what it's supposed to be saying but is skipping words and major thing they're going to be working with them on is slowing down. He was very excited about the first couple of days because he got to read to kindergartner and also helped her swing on the playground. As he has no siblings-that's good for him.

Other than that I've been continuing hand and finger therapy, Got the TENS unit to circumvent some pain patterns and so far, it seems to have helped.

I have also started uploading chapter by chapter my book WindWords of Wyoming to become an e-book available toa myriad of readers and online outlets. So far it's looking good. I am doing it through the new company I wrote about in the thread for writers resources recently, that is www.bookBrewer.com.so far the process is a heck of a lot easier than what create space is like at Amazon. I may still release that there is a hardcopy but we'll see how this goes with the other company first. The neat thing is it will be very easy and quick for me to get my other novels up as e-books. I find that very exciting. I hope I can get at least two of them up before NaNoWriMo starts in November.

Other than that, Roger did a great job of getting the a bunch of trash out of the driveway before the trash pickup came last Friday and Morgan came over Sunday and did a fabulous job of vacuuming the sofa after the dirty little dog and playing with her and even did a little mopping.I continue with the daily laundry several loads it seems like throughout the week and exercising the dog, Ms. Luna. She is an aerial artiste! You should see her jump up up on off of all 4 feet and capture the frisbee! She is quite an Acrobat.the only problem we've had with her lately his new neighbours with a very yappy little dog. She has taken to chiming on which is going to require little work but nothing that we can't handle; she trains very easily and continues to make us laugh and enjoy our evenings with her plus she gets me out of the house during the day.

I'll be dropping by now and then to post, but please know I am reading this thread if none other, everyday. You are all doing a great job and I'll talk you soon.

luvyakat ( almost have it trained to sign off correctly.I forgot to turn off the automatic capitalization of the first letter. LOL)

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 02:41 PM

Susan, how's the PT and the office organizing working?

PT is great and the upstrs organizing is going slowly but well. The dnstrs is still more organized and clear/clean than not, tho maintenance is a challenge in the busiest time of the Diocesan calendar for both of us. That's because most Dio. meetings are 3 hours away, each way, and the day after is just so tough after my legs have swelled up like balloons.

I'm paring down expectations on the upstairs because I may need to get to Chicago (for my sister) sooner than I had thought. Also I can't afford Adrian this next month at all-- the ca. 1979 cooktop finally died at the same time 2 tires on the van died.

But a set of books for my studies just arrived, thanks to a generous donor who passed along someone else's books, and I am getting in a good study segment each morning.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 06:20 PM

Almost to the end of the month! And what a month. Today topped out at 100^o. The Internet seems to be heating up and keeping track of anything on facebook with all of the changes they've made is tough. I need to turn off the computer and read a book.

For a while I won't be posting links to photos of my projects here, just the usual topical links to articles and resources. You'll find my photos in facebook and can send me a PM if you need that URL. It's just easier for now.

Gotta go help my friend clean up his back yard. It needs some T.L.C. or the Code Enforcement folks will charge a big F.I.N.E.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 10:57 AM

I helped in my friend's yard - it was full of roaches under the pile of trash - major YUCK! factor. I'm a park naturalist, I know they're just insects, but still, to get one racing up the inside of your pants let - eewwwww! One of those times when I will squeal like a girl and jump all around. The "deal" he has with the bank is that when his house was listed for sale on the courthouse steps it didn't sell, so the bank still owns it. They offered him $2000 if by Oct. 16 he has the house "broom clean," so he's tackling this code enforcement thing then waiting for payday to get a 30-yard dumpster to empty the house of things he can't use and doesn't want to fool with a garage sale. He's looking at moving to some marginal housing in as Section 8 neighborhood, a roof over his head. He'll have to build his credit back and go from there so as long as he has a door he can shut and lock at the end of the day, I think that's the minimum he's hoping for.

This would be a perfect weekend for a garage sale, but I'm not ready yet. We may push it clear till next month and hope for good weather in the first weekend of November.

It feels like the weekend to make a move into major fall cleaning mode is about here. The garden is looking happier and we had a little rain last night, so I may do some weeding and turn the compost.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Fall feats-Declutter & Exercise SEPT '11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 06:46 PM

Here's the next thread. Onward and downward (weight-wise!)

SRS