Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 10:33 AM

I am mindful of all those criteria I laid out for choosing my next doc, about the practice philosophy and office vibe? It turned out time did not allow me to explore it before I landed there last month in great need. But they have been spoiling me ever since, which is how prayer often works for me. And which is why I have labs all ordered pre-physical, so that when I get there for the annual physical next week, the doc will already have fresh lab results to rock with that will allow another important thing to occur about a week later. Which is another example of life in this community-- if one is paying attention and if one gives good attention as one goes about in it.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 12:09 AM

I've been working on a newsletter all afternoon and evening, but I did have time to clear up the kitchen. Penny, you've been quite resourceful in dealing with your bugs, but what a lot of work!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Penny S.
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 12:51 PM

My freezer is full of frozen food, so I can't use it on my woollens either, for moths.

Everything likely has been heated, and the little bugs have disappeared from stuff they were crawling on.

I've nearly gone through everything now, and hopefully killed the little ... beetles. Two plastic boxes of assorted foodstuffs to go. And the corner cupboard which I don't think has anything vulnerable in it, but it's another day's work. As I have to stay in for a delivery of a futon, and the electrician, who is replacing the timer switch for the water heater, which stopped yesterday, this won't be a problem.

My cupboards are beginning to look like an ad for sealable plastic boxes. (I can't get the original make over here, they have decided to stop their parties. Shame.) And everything in packets is now also in two layers of plastic bag, with a bay leaf and some clove oil in between the layers. Regular checking is to be instituted, so I catch them at the larval stage - which I have never seen.

The very odd thing about these pests is that they can only, apparently, eat milled grain, not whole grains. So what on earth were they eating before humans started milling flour? And how can they gnaw through packaging?

Penny

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 09:34 AM

PS, 330.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 09:31 AM

I'm now down a total of 20 pounds from the thyroid treatment. That Leptin Diet is awesome!

Ydy we got the scooter unloaded from the van's camping-mode loading and set it out for daily (maybe) scootering with Faulkner the Service Dog. The road is not really safe but whaddayagonna do? Orange flag aloft I will set out-- we piloted the safest routes by car already. It's great back exercise-- managing a hard-pulling dog and scootering on unlevel shoulders-- plus Faulkner insists.

While we prepped the place the scooter will sit we worked together to identify "purge-now" and "keep-for-now" stuff stored there. Between our stuff and some construction trash left by the landlord's crew, it's a van load headed to the dump-- and the van now has room, because the scooter is out of that until winter.

Estate matters left the Life Binder this week, for longterm (office) storage. A new "now-focus" item has been put into that tab. Chairside, their now also sits the HOTSTUFF clipboard I found in my mom's effects, with my own hot stuff (the week's priority notes).

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 03:16 PM

Oops. I was writing a response and accidentally closed the browser window.

Penny, have you tried putting the beetle-prone foods in the freezer? I put anything weevils might hit in the freezer. I think a few days is enough, but I usually leave things in until I need them. Be sure to wrap flour in plastic so it defrosts without absorbing water/condensation and gumming it up.

Kat, I saw a Yoga special on PBS (it's pledge drive) and it looked so healthful and peaceful. Are you still exercising?

During the pledge drive they play a variety of health programs - including lots of healthy eating tips. I'm using that as the reminder to move to the next phase of my food plan, adding more roughage and micro-nutrients. I've eliminated a number of foods that seemed to cause problems, and now I'm adding in those that are beneficial. Today at lunch I had a ham and bagel sandwich, but it was slathered with my homemade pickles and I also had an ear of corn and a few asparagus from the garden. I need to eat more of whatever is available and green.

Clearing my office of old papers and putting the ones I need where they belong as I prepare for the new school year. Clear surfaces and useful files - nice! I've figured out where to put up a small television in the office and use a splitter to run the antenna signal to my computer. The computer receiver is not very good, missing a lot of channels (it isn't a scanner type so I can't "rescan" to fix it), but the things I record most often (using the computer as a DVR) are on PBS, which comes in fine. And this will help make the office look better.

Today is lovely, another unusual summer day in August in the mid-80s! I'll take the dogs for a long walk this evening before dinner.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 02:43 PM

Morgan started third grade, today. We listened to THIS last week and decided it was a good song for starting school.

I am decompressing.:-) We've been keeping up with the usual chores, Rog doing the bulk of them. We did take a load to Goodwill...six bags of clothes, linene, etc. and a couple of boxes of books. Morgan did a good job, Friday, taking down his corner "tent" (old blankets and cothespins) and all of the stuff he had in it over the past month,

I tried walking the grocery store this weekend. Had to sit down half-way and wait for Rog to finish. My cousin & her husband will be stopping in for an hour or two, tomorrow, so we did a bit more than usual, yesterday, cleaning-wise.

I am enjoying reading along.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Penny S.
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 01:50 PM

My harvest is paltry. first bag of potatoes has yielded six very nice small new potatoes, less weight than the seed potatoes put in. The slugs and snails are doing very well, crossing grit and gel barriers, ignoring pellest, and eating away merrily on bought in brassicas. Noting their liking for cruciferae, I bought a load of mustard green manure seeds, to give them a barrier they could eat so not reaching the crops. They don't like it!

Brambles are doing very well, and a few peaches are fattening up. The courgettes are growing like mad. Tomatoes scarce, and the outdoor ones have succumbed to blight. 'Taters, too.

Today I found a frog trapped in the old water tank, it being too deep and the water too far down for him to get out. I managed to sweep him into a bucket and tip him out on the garden - but I cannot work out how he got there. It's two foot tall. If he could climb up the fence onto the plastic chute for water and emulate Tom Daley, maybe, but it's the climbing I doubt.

My chief problem is in the kitchen - flour beetles - the red variety, since some fly. (The others are, apparently, confused.)I had them in the last kitchen, but thought that with cleaning things out and packaging well I might have left them behind. But no. They have demolished a pack of chocolate cake mix, some chocolate sprinkles, and the sauce mix inside packs of pasta and dried potato in my emergency stuff.

I've been heating flour and sieving it and packing it in sealed containers with bay leaves, and unopened packs inside double plastic bags with bay and clove oil. I have also been very naughtily spraying insecticide in the cupboards. And I am very tired of standing. The kitchen is floury, and the water heater switch has packed up.

Penny

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 11:19 PM

These missed the dogs also! It took a while for Mr. Malina to get over there to take all three out of the yard but he did come by to take the limbs down from the tree so they couldn't fall and crush the fence. My dogs got to where they were dashing in and out of the piles of brush like it was a new dog obstacle course.

I finished mowing the front and the back yards. I forgot to sweep until a few minutes ago so went out with the broom and made the motions along the street at the curb so hopefully there isn't too much for the code enforcement guys to grouse about. The grass is a lot easier to sweep once it is dried.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: ragdall
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 04:57 PM

SRS,
The limbs that broke off are huge. Luckily, they seem to have missed your fence. I'm glad that I didn't have anything that size to deal with.

rags

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 01:50 PM

No oil in trays, but I have been pulling herb leaves off of the stem then putting them in good quality zip lock bags. I flatten the air out and pop them in the freezer - it's really remarkable. You have a few moments when you pull it out of the freezer to open the bag, crumble what you need into your dish, then close it and back into the freezer.

My garden is rather dormant until the fall cooler growing season kicks in. All of the rain we had yesterday should hurry it along.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: LilyFestre
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 12:46 PM

So far we have cut up enough tomatoes that they should cook down to about 5 quarts of sauce. I cut beans for quite some time, plenty for lunch and dinner and some left uncut for later in the week when I have LOADS more. We are experimenting with the corn on the cob...I'm going to roast 6 ears on the grill and boil the other 6 to see which we like best. The corn is so good right now that I don't think it will matter either way...it will be delicious!

And SRS, have you ever taken your herbs and put them in ice cube trays, filled each section with olive oil and popped them in the freezer for later use? I'm thinking of trying that.

I've also got what I need to make some sourdough starter...quick and easy (needed white flour..only had wheat here). I'm looking forward to that tangy smell and yummy bread later in the week or next week. :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 11:05 AM

Michelle, I really love making meals with all of my own ingredients and herbs. It sometimes seems almost magical that all of these different materials and flavors came out of the dirt in my yard.

Maryanne, I've trimmed small branches like that but this year the limbs were the size of regular trees, and since the tree they fell out of belonged to the next door neighbors, they paid a guy to come take them out. Now that I know about him if I need more tree work done I'll call him. A set on Flickr of the photos from this summer. If you're a friend on Flickr you can see them. Send me a PM here at Mudcat and send me your Flickr account so I can add you as a friend if you want to see them. I can also put them up in Opera for Kat to see if you don't have a Flickr account since I have a rarely used account there.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: LilyFestre
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 09:56 AM

Today is the official beginning of canning season here on the farm! YAHOO!!!

Also in line for today is laundry and yoga!

And something I'm really excited about? Everything we are having for meals today came directly from our own garden and our own meat!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 07:54 AM

Since nothing in the line of straightening or cleaning got accomplished yesterday, have some frantic spiffification to work on before the arrival of two of Tom's high school classmates early this afternoon.

I don't want to scare them too much...

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: ragdall
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 03:15 AM

I had to move a lot of partially full paint cans in the cupboard to find the white enamel Mr. rags needed for the deck railings. As I couldn't remember buying any of them and the last time I did any major interior painting was 20 years ago, while they were all spread out on the floor, I put them into my car instead of back into the cupboard. http://www.flickr.com/photos/diffuse/7801422356/ They had a lovely ride to the paint disposal/recycling depot. When I came home, I used the empty space to store tile left over from my recent shower project, decluttering my work bench in the process.

Thursday evening, just as I was ready to leave to join other nature club members for a walk, a noise in the back yard caught my attention. A trunk of a Mountain Ash beside my house had bent so far under the weight of this year's bumper crop of berries, that it decluttered itself. It cracked about 15 feet from the top and toppled onto my clothesline and bird feeders, still attached to the tree by a three inch long strip of bark. http://www.flickr.com/photos/diffuse/7799931690/ I skipped the walk to liberate the clothesline and bird feeders by cutting off as much of the dangling treetop as I could reach from an eight foot tall step ladder. Today I summoned the courage to climb the 20 foot long extension ladder and cut the remaining seven feet of trunk loose. http://www.flickr.com/photos/diffuse/7813134580/ I'd planned to saw the ragged top of the broken trunk straight across after the cutting the hanging piece free, but decided to climb down from the ladder while I was still in one piece, instead.

rags

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Aug 12 - 10:50 PM

Welcome back, Susan. I hope you had a good vacation.

Rain rain rain today. I should have mowed in the morning after I walked the dogs - by noon it started and though there was a lull a while later, it has rained steadily ever since. Quite unusual for Texas in August! My grass is tall and is going to be a mess by the time it is dry enough to mow.

I made progress in the house today, cleared out some gardening tools inside the side door, then I was up and down to the attic to set up the television antennas. One was in place but I reworked the cable to one television in the kitchen and put up a second amplified antenna in the attic and ran it down to the computer. I am coming to the conclusion that the receiver in the television isn't very good - the signal reaches the other devices just fine. I have a load of laundry to put in then early to bed to listen to the rain as I go to sleep. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Aug 12 - 05:30 PM

I enjoyed reading most of the foregoing posts during vacay but never got enough 'net access to submit a comment. Keep up all the good work!

Upon return from vacay, I cleared my calendar Sept. 15 - Dec. 31, 2012 for a number of personal and traveling commitments. I will be available by email/cellphone. So my posting at the Cat will likely be increasingly sporadic.

Also upon return, I spontaneously began pitching items on sight that do NOT go with retirement... Hardi's internal retirement clock has not started ticking yet but mine has begun sounding regular alarms.

Thyroid meds continue very cool!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Aug 12 - 10:50 AM

Started the day by walking the dogs - I took them over to the woods they love this morning. If this evening cools some we'll go for a walk around a few blocks - that walk will be more for me, but since I have to mow today, I didn't need to make the morning walk a cardiovascular exercise.

After a quick check-in at a couple of places I'll get out the mower. The grass is back tall and filled-out now that we've had several rains over the last couple of weeks. Sometimes I don't have to mow for a couple of months in the summer because it stops growing in the high heat/drought. Not this year.

How's everyone doing in their various eco-zones? How is your summer progressing?

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Aug 12 - 10:56 PM

The bonus of having house guests is that you've had to clear up a bit so after company leaves the house is looking better than before. It's still awash with too much stuff, I have no "decor" style in place, I'm lucky to have cleared surfaces. :) It was a very nice visit.

There was some great sounding thunder and lightning this evening and a little rain. If I have time to get into the garden this weekend I'll be able to do some real weeding. It's time to start looking to the fall crops, plant broccoli, etc. I might have planted that earlier, but I don't want aphids and sometimes in warm weather they're a problem.

Laundry from the trip is finished, folded, put away, kitchen looking good, my office has a few extra stacks of paper moved in during the clearing up in other rooms so that needs sorting and tossing if needed. It's August in Texas so fall isn't here, but the quality of light is shifting now, we can tell that the heat will probably be finished in another six weeks. It isn't time to get out any fall clothes yet, but it's time to think about the clothes I'd like to wear and see if that will motivate me to lose some weight finally! I have a dress I'd love to wear to the holiday meeting in the library, but that would take a major push on my part. It could be done.

Tomorrow is the meeting of my high school reunion - I decided not to go. I have too many goals that involve not spending all of that money, and I didn't know many of the names in the list.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 17 Aug 12 - 11:10 AM

Have to head for Portsmouth early today; Tom has another follow-up with Dr. Harvey to further tweak his new dentures.

So I haven't a lot of time to do much today -- still trying to beat the house and deck into submission for a visit on Sunday from several of Tom's high school classmates, one from Wolfeboro, NH and the other coming up from Boston. They've never been to our place and I don't want to shock them too much -- plus Tom is still camping out downstairs using our main living area as his bedroom and bathroom.

Spent time while Tom's physical therapist was here going through an accumulation of letters from the 1990s -- sorting out some information for my "calendar" (which is more of a series of chronological notes or diary) and other ephemera for my chronological binders. (It's not easy being German; makes me a compulsive archivist...or maybe it's "pack rat".)

But...afterwards I finished getting the snow shovels to the cellar, moved some stuff off the deck and leveled the area where the grill is and put the concrete pavers that had been stacked on the deck (in between uses) under the grill. Looks more "finished" (which is totally opposite everything else in the house and garden) and is probably more practical, too.

Tom's in the process of making the bacon for our early lunch BLTs -- got a couple tomatoes at a farm stand yesterday as ours aren't ripe yet.

Probably won't get much else accomplished before heading to Portsmouth. Then we'll have time to kill between Dr. Harvey and the Press Room session. Maybe I can drop the optical magazines off at my former place of employment...

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: LilyFestre
Date: 16 Aug 12 - 02:29 PM

I went for a walk with Jeremiah yesterday. I brought along his little bike which has a handle on the back for pushing in case he got tired. He insisted on walking along pushing his own bike...not interested in riding it yesterday. Walks are so much more fun with him being a little older...he notices everything and loves to tell me all about it and I love to hear it!!!! :)

Down a few more pounds this week.

Last night I hosted a Coping With Cancer/Survivors picnic for about 60 people (everyone brought a dish to pass). Despite our musician canceling at the last minute, a good time was had by all!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Aug 12 - 11:00 AM

Cool day (relatively) today and it turns out we had probably 2-3 inches overnight the night before last. I'll be getting some weeding in on the weekend because the weeds will come out roots and all. Much of the summer weeding is very difficult because the ground is hard as cement.

Progress in clearing in my son's room. Washed throw rugs, swept and mopped. Small stuff, the rest will wait for the weekend.

Also this weekend I'm going to begin work on that chandelier to sell. There was an identical fixture with more commonplace prisms that sold for $650 after the listing ran for a couple of weeks. I may start at $750 - the prisms alone are worth $700 in the replacement marketplace, at $10 a pop (that's the lowest price after a lot of searching - most places sell those prisms for $16 - $20.)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 10:47 PM

Office/reading glasses ordered, probably ready tomorrow. It will be nice to have a pair for computer and reading. The current pair is only mid-range for the screen so I sometimes have to take them off to see printed material on the desk in front of me.

Picking up around the house this evening and rearranging my son's room. Laundry is running. I've been clearing up in the kitchen, sipping a glass of cranberry juice while I work. Trying to be sure that no health-issue follow-up to the long drive over the weekend, like the last three long drives.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 01:13 PM

I crossed almost everything off my list yesterday...and even added a couple things that I accomplished so I could cross them off. (Somehow if I don't do that, I get to the end of the day and don't feel as if I've done anything.)

The one thing I didn't do was pull out the old magazines I plan to sell and then call the guy who buys them to set up an appointment. I do remember that they're not his preferred purchase (old movie magazines), but there are many years of Horticulture, so there is somewhat of a market.

Probably Archaeology and some film (not "movie") magazines, too.

Tom's dentist's office called early and rescheduled his denture followup to later this afternoon, so I was able to start dealing with the stacks of stuff on the bedroom floor. I was able to get over to the sagging built-in bookcase (the cause of all the piles on the floor) and better assess how to correct the situation. (Which will also deal with most of the books in those piles -- and encourage me to dispose of the others.) Still need to clear the way (and, fer-pete's-sake, keep it clear) to the closet...small bookcase...storage cubbyhole/linen closet. I need to figure out where is the best place to keep my 33+ 3-inch 3-ring binders with the chronological ephemera of Tom's and my life (and a defacto Press Room and sessions history) so I can easily work on them.

It's never done.

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 12:56 PM

We had a wonderful heavy rain overnight and it is much cooler today. At noon I'll take the dogs for a walk - usually if you don't get out before 8am it's already too hot. :)

I decluttered myself of the last two big credit card bills today. That's it. Now I have just the mortgage on the house (refinanced down to 3% for 15 years) and will become a saving machine to pay myself back and have cash available for large purchases instead of putting it on the card and paying it over a long time.

Laundry in, getting stuff moved around in the current guest room (my son's room because that has the newer larger bed). Have to sweep and mop in the rest of the house and clear off the kitchen table.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 01:23 AM

I think the easiest way to get rid of the sofa bed in my son's room is to call the Salvation Army and have them pick it up. I offered the television in that room to his father - it's larger and possibly a bit newer (it was from a neighbor whose mother died in a nursing home and she didn't want to just leave it at the nursing home, so she gave it to my son for his video gaming.) It's an old CRT, but the ex has cable and doesn't care that he's way behind the times in his viewing. ;) My son isn't going to be using this room any time soon and by the time he finishes school, should he be back here, we can work out a much lighter and probably better monitor or television for his XBox and such.

So, once I know for sure the ex doesn't want the telly, I'll donate that also. Or take it to Goodwill - they sell them all, CRT or not.

Working on clearing out the hallway into the sun room and house, so I can welcome guests on Thursday. This is exciting!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 05:35 PM

A look back at my almost do nothing week notes a bunch of reorganized items and a sense of some accomplishment. Notions are gradually being washed, sorted and boxed into a clear plastic container with lid. A corner of the BR was cleared and the clothes closet better organized. Yesterday a dozen pots were thrown. And other chores completed as needed. Today, animal chores a little more thorough, dishes cleared, clay prepared for throwing but then too tired to throw, yesterday's pots not dry enough to trim. The weather continues to be heavy and damp as before the rain that does not come. A second pot of green tea today to deal with weather.

Been doing stuff all day but a lot of online time. Found I had yellow ink for printer and printed out the citizenship app so I can show the Canadian border officers; I am tired of being harassed and have put off going down to New York where I need to visit and get more vaccines for the animals and mail a package of four mugs to Wisconsin for a friend's fund raiser - SOON. That will declutter my poor brain which is heavy with these things needing to be done. Also copied an area map for in car use. We keep wearing them out.

Not to NY tomorrow because I expect R to be here for the final phase of purchasing the "saw mill", a very exciting event for us. Barring a glitch, we can celebrate - a new venue for our window manufacturer friend, for a pottery studio - on the main road, for storage of machinery, AND the removal of the collected stuff from here to there! YAY!! OK, it will declutter here and clutter there - but "there" is for him to deal with.

THEN, we can give serious consideration to the purchase of a country home - where my size nine feet will firmly stand against any clutter coming in the door - "take it to the sawmill!"

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 11:29 AM

Must scramble to clear up the house - a couple of Mudcatters are coming by later in the week! Motivation really helps get the job done!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 10:06 PM

Just realized I missed out on seeing Dean (Frogprince) and Judy. Darn. Time flies by even when I am not doing much.

The music at St. Isidore, after the open mike, was not to my liking. Phoned R and went on into city; I was half way. Unfortunately, did not have foresight to take the laundry so it continues to build. Did a few quick errands in the city in the am and got back to feed the critters, etc. Still fooled around with organizing stuffs. When it poured in the early eve, I cancelled my farm market date. It was supposed to rain and I was tired. Just did not feel like it.

Music at the cafe on Friday was ditto, but we hung in. It is, after all, a major social event.   

Saturday we went looking at a couple more properties and to a very poorly attended auction. R bought a couple table saws for a couple bucks each, a riding mower for $125 and purchased the lower part of a roll top desk for $25 from the man who bought it for $5! A lovely golden oak that has been partly painted - another rehab job. He has the top part. We left the machines at the "saw mill" which, barring, further catastrophes, he will own on Weds. We had to go back to the cabin for the truck as the desk did not fit in my car. The mower will stay at the auctioneers home until R can move it to the S.M.

It was nice to see the other "plan B" property is not yet sold. I could really see living there and with less difficulties than "A". We talked about it and R may also be leaning in that direction. House A is darkish inside and there is a great deal to deal with - barns, old greenhouses (5000 sf without glass), OLD tennis court, OLD swimming pool. It is a sort of fantasy. I would get caught up in wanting to restore it all. I console myself with the flowers outside - zillions of lovely daffodils and primrose and who knows what else, as the once were wonderful gardens needs serious cleaning up.

When we got back, the corn roast the auctioneer was having to thank faithful clients, was in swing. Live country music, folks dancing. BIG tent with wood dance floor and stage. Very cool! It poured rain but all was well. The band played on - until the corn was ready, then there was a feast. He provided the corn, people brought salads and desserts. There was no a soul there we knew, except our host, but we chatted with the volunteer fire fighter across from us. A fun day. An early night.

Sunday was a work day for R. He spent 12 hours writing two legal documents. I provided periodic food, editing and moral support. The critters provided good breaks. They enjoyed the corn we brought them. We enjoyed watching them get the idea of this new food.

Today, I managed to throw a dozen or so pots between animal chores and emails/FB/ etc.

Linn's definition of "retired" is good for me. I keep saying I am retired but I seem to always have things needing to be done. But not the stress of a frustrating job with a not so great person to deal with, no one to keep changing the rules and adding more useless paperwork. I AM retired. No matter how much there is to do. Most of the choices are mine.

Now, I will choose to go to bed with a book.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 01:09 AM

It was a lot of driving but I'm back home after delivering my son to his university town again and getting him moved into the house he'll share with three others. They sound like nice computer-geek guys, with one nursing student in the mix. It was an expensive trip, the shift from dorm room to house, but hopefully I won't have to move any more of this stuff until two years pass.

We talked about some of the stuff here at the house that I'd like to unload - and some that is in his room that I'll ask him about because while I don't think he cares I'll feel better to get his okay.

I'll clean the truck in the morning. It's full of bottles and ice tea cups from fast food places. And the last stop at Dairy Queen in Abilene offered up a dose of road food revenge. I could feel my gut churning as I was a few miles from the house - and it still churns. I suspect they put packaged shredded lettuce on the grilled chicken sandwich. It is treated with something to keep it from wilting or turning brown. Something that doesn't agree with me.

A load of laundry is ready to go, work week starts tomorrow, and plans are in my head soon to be acted upon to clear out some of the extra furniture here. A futon or sofa couch will go, offering a way to rearrange some of the other kind of crowded furniture. And maybe I can get rid of an old CRT tube TV that my son doesn't use any more (was here for games only).

There might be Mudcat company rolling through town this week. Incentive to get things cleared up around here!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 07:50 AM

"Retired" only means that I don't have to venture forth to do battle with my stressful job of the past 4 years and a district manager trying to make things miserable for me so I'll disappear. A couple levels of stress removed so I can deal with the levels of stress around everything else I'm responsible for.

Tom is becoming more mobile (though still needing the living room to be his bedroom and bath) and may even start to take over some of his responsibilities soon but he'll still be visually impaired and unable to do a lot of what he used to.

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 02:36 AM

Emptied the truck of the stuff we loaded yesterday; tomorrow we'll see about a bed, a washer and dryer, a kitchen table and chairs, a microwave. The guys are chipping in, but I have the pickup and a couple of good thrift stores to head to.

Virtual decluttering has been effective this week.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 06:27 PM

What does "retired" mean?

I seem to have taken this week mostly "off" as far as pottery is concerned. But I have done some organizing and errands and exploring. Made the mistake of going into a fabric store yesterday. It was a fascinating warehouse sort of place with all manner of interesting, and not interesting, materials. I ended up back in a corner where there were left overs of all sorts and the staff gave me an amazing scrap of indescribable material. About the right size for a bureau cover. I told her I could put a piece of braid around the edges - that I bought about 20 years ago for ???? Then on the way out, I could not resist a half metre of a colourful striped material- suitable for a lawn chair or ????

So today, after the animal chores, I found my "notions" bin and brought it in. When I started sorting it out, I actually found this braid, still in the store's bag! Just the right length to do up a beautiful runner. I cleared about half the bin, washed some, threw out some and put the rest on the porch because the odour started to bother me.

Also mended a hammock for the critters and started a second one but ran out of steam.

OH, YAY! - RAINING!!!

So I have cleared space for glaze materials and sorted various items and cleared up long sitting there for no reason stuffs. And found out how to change the wiring in my new wheel to right handed, spent hours looking through properties on line and checked out a couple, did some groceries; the young lad at Super C came through for me! He talked to the bread manager and she ordered extra and there it was on the shelf - two for me and three for anyone else!

Had visit from neighbour, checked out wind turbine info, hand fed the guys grapes one at a time! They LOVE grapes. I usually just put them in their bowls but it was fun to interact. Speaking of interacting, they were delighted with their repaired hammock and were very helpful while I was putting it up! They are also enjoying the teeter-totter we added on the weekend. They are now large enough to make it rock.

Time to check out the musician at St. Isidore tonight. Maybe a good idea to go there rather than sit home and read the fourth book this week.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 01:42 AM

How can you take a day off if you're retired? :)

I left the house looking pretty good this morning. Forgot to lock the back door, but the ex will be over to feed the pooches and will lock it after himself. I called, told him it was open but that I have three dogs guarding the door. He thought the idea of "guarding" is a bit of a stretch for this pack. They bark. That's it. There will be people coming and going all day long over there (mostly garden stuff) and the dogs know them all. They'll enjoy the company.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 08 Aug 12 - 05:59 PM

I took today off. I went back to bed after I made breakfast for Tom and me. Read. Napped. Didn't do anything except finish the book.

Oh, I did harvest some basil so Tom could make pesto. And late this afternoon I went out to the car to bring in two bottles of fizzy water I bought yesterday and didn't have the energy to bring in.

I think I feel better.

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 07 Aug 12 - 07:18 PM

Is this extreme muscle fatigue and lack of stamina (I seem to have to force myself to do ANYthing; I have no energy) plus slight dizziness or lightheadedness still the after effects of both the meds allergy and prednisone?

My taste is back to normal, but I really could just sleep or read the day away if I'd let myself. I'm also sweating way more than I should be -- today was not that hot and a lot less humid than it's been.

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Aug 12 - 08:46 AM

Understood, Linn!

I got up this morning and cleaned up in the kitchen; Susie was going to stop by but I think she forgot. I'll see her this evening then, so I'll try to keep the counter clean until then. ;)

Kat, are you still getting out and driving? Andrea, what are you up to these days? Wandering the countryside now that you don't have to supervise workman at the house and yard any more? Maryanne, what's going on in your neck of the woods? We know Michelle is going full-tilt, as usual. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 07 Aug 12 - 07:45 AM

I think yesterday I was still throwing off the effects of the allergy and the prednisone -- I had to absolutely force myself to do anything.

But I managed to fix the kitchen drawer (the front fell off) after I got home from paying the mortgage and doing a bit of shopping. I DID sort of take a nap late morning...or did I take a sort of nap?

At one point in the afternoon after taking out the kitchen compost, I decided it was such a nice day that, tired or not, I wanted to be out in it...productively. So I pulled some more thorn bushes and cut them up and bagged them to go out in today's trash. Then, while sitting on the deck with Tom (and I was so physically tired I could barely move), I started musing about getting rid of the burning bush (too big AND an invasive species) and so grabbed the hand pruner (of all things) and went back and started cutting. Amazing how much can be accomplished in just a few minutes, once you start. And then I walked back to the deck via the back of the flower bed under the hemlocks... Honest, I swear, all I was going to do was figure out the feasibility of cutting the branches that turned my full sun flower bed into full shade...

Sure enough, made a major dent and with a hand pruner, too, not the lopper or a tree saw.

Oh, and I wantonly murdered wasps that had set up housekeeping in the grill next to the deck. I'm still a bit pissed off at wasps.

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 06 Aug 12 - 09:30 PM

The newer kiln did get installed and works wonderfully well. What a nice change! I spent hours on line figuring out how to use it as it is "automatic" and unlike any I have ever seen. Some potters' threads and supply house web sites and eventually it was clear how simple it is. It was a shock to look at the control for the first time and realize I had just assumed a kiln is a kiln. I prefer a stick shift vehicle to automatic. Now I am entrusting my pots to an automatic kiln. So far so good. I cannot help wondering what I can do if it malfunctions --- far in the future, I hope. Or maybe never, or not in my life time. It looks brand new even though the company gave out in 1997.

So I had beautiful new pots for the market on Saturday and the newly mixed green glaze is perfect. I screwed up the burgundy due to lack of a gram scale. (I can tell it is not right as it should be a certain shade of green.) R has a collection of scales and may be able to find me one. Maybe I need to make friends with the local chemistry teacher. I need one to mix test glazes = after I order some missing ingredients.

Spent time looking for ingredients and not finding some essentials for the newbies I want to try. Have a plan to totally organize a new "materials area" on shelf units already in place but being used for variety of stuffs. Having all the materials in that one area would expedite matters.

Sat down to new wheel on Saturday morning at the market and -----oops! It turns the wrong direction. The supplier is closed on Saturdays in August. I thought there might be an adjustment but could not find one. Spent time on internet on Sunday investigating. It can be ordered cw or ccw but there is no indication on the box or the wheel of which it is so it seems to have simply turned out to be WRONG! Sent email to the supplier. I did manage to throw 8 small objects "left handed"! And sold some pots.

Drove all over on a wild goose chase after the market - looking for an auction in R's HOT truck on a dreadful hot day and finally has lunch at Subway about 4. In the process we found that property "B" was sold. NO plan "B". Then found out the man with whom we are hoping to partner on plan "A" is up in the James Bay area until 12 August. Double Arghhhh! (James Bay is up there somewhere near the Arctic Circle.

We went and walked back most of the length of the property anyway. R figures it is about a mile deep and 900 feet wide - why we need a partner. Great raccoon habitat!

WE got back to the cabin very hot and tired but had a decent supper and I went to bed about nine, sorry to be too late and too tired to attend the dance party at the cafe. And upset about the real estate situation.

Could not sleep Saturday night so I searched for and found a new supplement site and ordered needed stuff. It meant telling brain - if the site does not have Dr. Bronner's you can get it elsewhere - then I could move forward.

Today: cool and breezy, low humidity and I still did not feel like getting out of bed. I was so enjoying the sound of the wind in the trees, I made my tea and toast and just stayed in bed - for comfort - and read and internetted. After all, I am retired.

Got up and fed critters, communed with them and cleaned the cage. Finally decided I was not going to get anything done here so I took the 25 mile trip to the nearest large town/ branch of "my " bank and - got pics done and MAILED the citizenship app! Dropped off rent check on way. Made deposit and paid bills at the bank and bought a few groceries - good bread.

Stopped at the local grocery on the way home to find out WHEN they will start carrying the local meat. Sounds like about a month. So tomorrow will be a trip to butcher shop. Also look at a property near there that was on line a couple days ago. I am getting alerts from two sites for houses in the "area" as well as pottery wheels and kilns, though I guess I could cancel the latter two. They do interest me and are not often, so not time consuming.

Still lobbying for a washing machine but not too forcefully. R has too much on his plate.

Tomorrow, I will start a potting cycle again - throwing as much as I can, trimming the few I made on Saturday. And determining what I need to order.   

Need to package and mail - from the US - four mugs for raccoon guru who is having a fund raiser in Wisconsin. I tried to get the guys to walk on damp clay for a nifty paw print "plate" but they were more interested in digging in it so that did not work. Breaking thought! Maybe if I put a piece of thin fabric over the clay??? Tomorrow. Might work!

A glorious night for sleeping, and listening to the night sounds, My "day off" was productive.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Aug 12 - 08:07 PM

I have a bunch of recorded books after renewing my library card yesterday. I'm going to clutter my mp3 player with some good mysteries!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Aug 12 - 11:16 PM

Going in lots of directions today, accomplishing many small tasks. Dragging hoses because there is so much stuff in the garden so hand watering is less practical - I need everything to get a good soak since the root systems are large now.

Recycling, trash, dishes, laundry, the basics. When it's hot I don't feel like a lot of extra activity.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Aug 12 - 12:57 PM

I'm going to drag a soaker hose through the old tomato patch to keep it alive until fall when it should set more fruit. It's too hot for hand watering now, unless I go dressed so I can hose myself down during the watering.

Packing up stuff for the kid - a big push that I hope results in no more long drives unless I want to. Flying and renting a car is much easier! He starts school in a couple of weeks. The summer just flew by!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 11:37 PM

Penny, I read somewhere recently that melons are a natural diuretic.

I'm glad you had a great day on the water, Michelle! I hope you got a few photos while you were out there, but will understand if your hands were so full that there wasn't an opportunity.

I cleaned up in the yard today - moved the brush from the top of the old compost (put it on the other side of the back fence) and shoveled the great finished compost from that pile on top of the other compost pile that is also finished. I'll have some great soil to work with this fall and next spring. I'm hoping that Zeke will decide that the old compost site is the next place to dig and I can fill in around the patio where he has put in a couple of major trenches.

There was a large native sunflower that I took down to make room in that bed for fall stuff. I have a couple of grape tomatoes to see if I can get some good sauce this year. The earlier ones were for general use and I diced most of them.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 05:44 PM

A full day of kayaking and all the lugging of gear that goes with it. Absolutely stellar day.

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Jeri
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 12:08 PM

Most natural diuretics are fairly mild. I find green tea is a little more aggressive. Watch out for sodium, too.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 11:30 AM

I'll do some decluttering this weekend as I pull out possible furnishing pieces for my son to take away to college with him. He sounds interested in a office desk that I bought years ago to use around the house. Visualize two desk type table-tops, the larger of the two has the drawer that pulls out for office supplies. The smaller one also has a tray, for the keyboard, but it is a custom tray on sliders that I put on (picked up the pieces at the hardware store). There is a triangular metal desktop link that, when it is all assembled, means this desk fits in a corner and has a work surface on either side. We don't know how large his room will be, but all of this surface area (and if we play our cards right, I can possibly fabricate a hutch to put over one side of it) in one place. Storage underneath at the back as long as we leave leg room. Part of the desk is in use at his Dad's house (he has his computer on it) and part is at my house. I'll have to find the triangular bit and all of the nuts and bolts.

Instead of renting a trailer to haul a bed out there I'll buy the bed there (and the cost will be about the same but the drive will be a lot easier.)

Enough thinking out loud. I need to clear out a staging area so we can collect stuff to see if we have all he needs to take.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Penny S.
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 11:02 AM

Just looked up natural diuretic foods - and I've been eating most of them in salads!

Penny

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Penny S.
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 10:59 AM

I've been feeling odd for the past few days, a bit dopey, and have had to miss seeing a friend I have to do a lot of driving to meet. Yesterday, I felt better, and had meeting set up for today, but now the feeling is back. I think I may have a bit of an idea what's up, as I've noticed that the bad days coincided with an unexplained jump in weight (not been eating more of anything excessively fattening), whereas the good couple of days were associated with a drop. My ankles are a bit swollen, as are my feet, so I suspect water retention, which I know can affect the brain as well as the ankles.

So I'm elevating my legs, wearing elasticated tubular bandage, drinking extra water, and working towards the dandelion coffee to see if that helps.

Not sure what brought it on - I had the problem on the cruise in the heat of the Mediterranean, and have had it before when it was helped by Chinese leg massage - but I'm not getting into their clutches again. The temperature in my house is about 75 F. Every now and then I get a smidgen of feeling internally hot (and that business was over long ago) but don't have a temperature when I do.

Penny

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fittness ** 2012/ AUGUST
From: Jeri
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 07:40 PM

The allergic reaction can screw you up, Prednisone can screw you up, and this stupid heat isn't helping anything. The allergy and Prednisone are finite, though.

I'm just tired. Stayed a half-hour late last night and an hour tonight, and there's work on Monday. Project was supposed to end today. I also have a tall lawn to mow--there isnt that much grass there, but there are a couple black-eyed susans and some less attractive weeds, but ask my if I give a crap in this heat. I plan on sleeping until when-the-hell-ever tomorrow, and I hope you can do that too.