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Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter!
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 24 Jun 14 - 08:43 AM Maynooth, Ontario: Great sign, SRS! Linn: A quote from Elizabeth Kubler Ross:was on FB but now I cannot find it! Sort of saying how we never get over it but build a new life/self around the hole the loss left in our life. I would say stuff leaks out of that hole but perhaps less and less. Such as my re-experiencing the loss of my dad after visiting my young friend who just lost hers. Losing others on top of your so-recent loss will drain your energy. I was fairly useless on Sunday and my dad died in 1962. I woke up with lots of energy at 6:30 Monday and started my day in the country. R had gone back to city on Sunday to "get things done" so I had bf and read and computered and expected I would be ready to pot by 9. Instead, I was so sleepy I snuggled back under the covers. I regained consciousness about 11 having been through a period more hallucinatory than dreaming. On FB, as I tried to regain balance, a friend posted a pic of my fav eatery here, in the area that was home for 17 years- 1981-99. I got so homesick and I was so stunned by the morning and scared it might have been caused by crop spraying, that by 1 pm, I was on my way; a five hour drive to the area. I had phoned a friend; she could not put me up - house full of grand kids but mentioned a friend of mine might have died. I usually stop at that home on the way so I did and no one was around and I left a note. Then I stopped at the next friend and a total stranger informed me she had died two years ago! I left my card; her husband phoned and I will meet this afternoon. Whew! So I had a short visit with friend #1 and family; I'll visit her today. Connected with a few on FB and making dates with a few more. Will get to see fav musician in concert on Weds. I really wanted to be there! and supper with his daughter before hand. I had been wanting to go to this but thought I had missed it. One YAY, in the midst of... Still lacking a place to lay my head, I came up to Maynooth thinking this is where people would be - all the "hippies" are around here. The "hotel"/bar was closed but as I started to drive out the back, there is a sign: "Sleep cheap". I parked and found a door ajar and went in, heard voices, shouted "hello!" A body stooped down at the top of the long stairs and said, "That looks like Dorothy Parshall." I peered up and returned, "That looks like Wayne Elliott!" My credentials confirmed, I went up and met two other persons: including the current owner of the local hotel, the Arlington. A 3-story box of antique hotel - bar on the first floor. Tin ceilings, lovely moldings and a lot of rooms, roughly furnished as a sort of hostel. with wifi. We managed to find me a safe room - windows that open! a cool breeze and light rain this morning. $35. I had brought a quilt and used that rather than sheets that might have been washed in a toxic detergent. And Wayne confirmed the death of my other friend. Whew! Now, it is almost time for stores to open: I left the mill with two extra pairs of socks, two of underpants and 3 T-shirts. No comb, toothbrush, nighty, or charger for phone. But I brought the computer!! with charger! Off to the thrift shop, dollar store and whole food store - and gas station down in Bancroft, then to my friend in Highland Grove and back to B-croft to meet with my friend's husband. And whatever happens next. Still hoping to find a friend with a sofa but I may be back here tonight. So I too am dealing with the shock of losing two of my favourite people, a potter and an environmentalist. Yoicks! And a friend I am to phone this eve lost her husband, another dear person, a couple years ago. One of the negatives of my many moves: I feel badly that I was not there for certain people as they went through rough times. There are no crops up here to be sprayed- only trees, rocks and mosquitoes, maybe black flies but they should be over by now. But I am still coughing. I had hoped... Maybe tomorrow. |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 Jun 14 - 11:17 PM A little private insurrection at work today. While construction is underway there are two plywood corridors leading from the library front doors to two of our elevators to go to the rest of the building not under refurbishment. The powers that be decided to make this a place for approved student graffiti. Lots of chalk and markers supplied. Today a version of this statement appeared right in the middle of the wall as you walk in the front door. A co-worker and I walked to the elevator with this thing, the back covered with Elmer's glue, and when I pointed out an upper spot to the side without much writing, my co-worker (a talented web designer and fashion maven who has a flare for drama) said "no, this is where it needs to go" and walked to the front and pointed at a spot about 4' up. So I plastered it on and we kept on moving. I walked back around the circuit of the covered corridor and picked up a copy of the student newspaper on a stand nearby. This was pressed it against the glue-backed sign and pushed more into place. By late this afternoon someone had pulled the top corner away from the wall, so I got tape from a nearby desk and pushed it flat again. It was still in place when I left for the evening. You should see the glee in co-workers faces when they read those words. We learned today of two more of our top-flight staff leaving because they were moved out of the jobs that brought them to this library. They were no longer chairs of departments, so they moved on. I expect the sign won't stay there long, but signs can be replaced. Easily. And with sticker substances next time. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Bat Goddess Date: 23 Jun 14 - 06:58 PM For some reason, I'm exhausted and sleepier than I have any right to be... Really didn't do much that was physically demanding today (and didn't bring any of the slate tiles up from the cellar), although I got a lot accomplished, including tearing up most of the bathroom vinyl. Not sure I'll get all the boxes cut up tomorrow morning in order to bag the pieces for the trash, but...well, I'll worry about that tomorrow morning. After taking a bunch of stuff to the post office to be mailed, I figured while I was out I'd get some spray bottles at the hardware store and pick up a few groceries at Market Basket at the other end of the shopping center. But while I was at the hardware store, I went to investigate the garden wagon (four wheels, flat with sides, and it tips like a dump truck!!!) at the end of the row of wheelbarrows. Ended up buying it. It will work a LOT better for my purposes than my wheelbarrow which needs a new tire or something, and a minor repair. Think the wheelbarrow will make its way to the head of the driveway with a "FREE" sign on it before too much longer. Bavarian beef soup (with bacon, mushrooms, onions, and spinach) simmering on the stove, but I just ate a bowl of popcorn and I think THAT'S going to be supper... Added a couple small pieces of the rhubarb/cream cheese bars that are left. They seem to be okay. And I'll drink some of the bottle of Nottingham Orchards hard cider that I opened the other evening. I bought it at the end of last summer at the Portsmouth Farmers' Market for Tom and I to try. Been alternating today between being on the verge of tears, feeling over-extended, and, well, feeling just fine. I AM juggling about as many things as can be juggled, but they're all necessary things (even the fun stuff) and, well, keeping busy is good. And if I can keep busy and make things easier for me in the future, so much the better. Some stuff (yard work) has been added to the mix simply because of the weather -- it'll be winter again far too soon and there's so much I need to accomplish to reclaim the yard and flower beds. That's the reason for the over-extendedness feeling. And I've got to get a start on the PMFF printed matter, too (not to mention redoing Tom's and my music business card into a session card, and redoing the sea music sing with my email on it instead of Tom's). On the verge of tears...well, why not? I lost two friends last week (one of them 'Spaw) and on Saturday found out that a woman I'd worked with seven years ago, with whom I last share lunch and phone calls about a year and a half or two years ago, passed away last July after a stroke and a move to a nursing home. As with my friend Linda who died last week after many years of illness and whom I hadn't seen for several years but thought of her every time I drove past her house (where she wasn't living -- but I drove past almost every day) and meant to find out what facility she was in and get in touch, it just reminded me of how much time and energy it took to take care of Tom the past three years. So the tears...a bit of regret, definitely a bit of sadness...and missing Tom, too, of course especially because I'm feeling over-extended because I now have to do everything alone. I'm not whining. I'm just explaining to myself, I guess, why I'm in the mood(s) I'm in today. And probably why I'm feeling so tired. And now that I've explained it to somebody else (you, all -- my support group), I feel better. Better go put the soup in a container and get it into the fridge. The laundry can dry tomorrow morning. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 Jun 14 - 12:18 AM Though it did clear up a bit this evening I stuck with the indoor work. I completely filled two large baking sheets with diced onions. On those evenings after work when I walk in the door, knowing I need to fix myself dinner and not wanting to fuss with lots of steps, I can grab a handful of frozen onions, a handful of frozen peppers, drop them into a skillet with a little olive oil and an Italian sausage, add a jar of my canned diced tomatoes, a garlic press squeeze of my home-grown garlic, a few herbs from the garden, and have a quick marinara ready for a plate of spaghetti. My future self will be so thankful that this summer I diced and froze these onions! There are still enough onions to fill three or four more baking sheets. I'll hold out enough for a batch of beans (I cooked the beans today, I'll add all of the seasoning and the sausage tomorrow) but the rest are going into the freezer. I think there are still a few onion escapees in the garden to tide me over vis-à-vis fresh onions (in a spot where I planted them and I haven't weeded lately). I also now have five eBay items listed, and a couple of watchers have shown interest. Let's hope they're actual shoppers and not just people with their own similar listings watching to see how I do. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Bat Goddess Date: 22 Jun 14 - 06:21 PM Well, I'm eating in front of the computer again... (low-fat beef burger, sautéed mushrooms, slice of cheese on top of salad greens with a dab of mayo). But, as tired as I am today (didn't sleep well last night and had to make a few mad dashes to the bathroom), I DID finally throw some clothes on, put my contacts in, and unbox and set up the anti-grav recliner up in the hemlock "room" on the bank above the back flower bed. And read for a little bit. And remembered how much I enjoyed lounging there in a hammock back many years ago when I actually HAD both weekends and a hammock. Moved a few leaves around, too, and piled a few more branches on a brush pile. And before I came in I started cutting up the box to go out in Tuesday's trash. Nick Noble posted some photographs from yesterday's sea music sing and Friday's weekly trad session at a Facebook group called "Press Room Gang and Clan", if anybody's interested. It's going to be an early night, though. A very early one... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 Jun 14 - 04:28 PM Linn, I'm glad to see those photos. You have so much space to work with, but I see with the woods crowding around and the weather that your gardening time is limited and your planting choices must be specialized to the weather and shade. There was a time when I living in a northern climate and had similar choices. Now I struggle to create shade. I'm back into the eBay business as of this afternoon. One item up, several more to list. I cleared off the onion crop in the kitchen, cleaned and peeled the outer skins from a lot of them. The littlest ones dry up fast so I'll go ahead and peel and chop coarsely for the freezer. Bagged chopped onions are a great time saver, same as with peppers. It looks like another batch of storms, these bigger and noisier, are coming through. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Bat Goddess Date: 22 Jun 14 - 03:11 PM Okay... Posted the rest of the yard photos at Facebook (so maybe you can get a better feel for the amount of work that needs to be done and the fact that it's all on land wrested away from the woods and on a fairly steep slope) and posted the playlist and crew of yesterday's Press Room sea music and Barry Finn memorial sing, ate lunch (leftover carbonara just doesn't reheat well...) and petted a very demanding black cat. I slept very poorly and, despite a 20 minute nap this morning, I'm really not feeling particularly energetic. But since it's the middle of a lovely afternoon, I SHOULD go upstairs, get dressed, put my contacts in and go outside. If I get the lounge chair out of the box and set up in the hemlock room on the bank behind the flower bed, I can read a fluffy mystery and drink some San Pellegrino lemon soda. I'm not up for anything else. Maybe a visit with my up the hill neighbor a bit later since she called earlier. We've been having the damnedest time getting together,,, Linn |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 Jun 14 - 11:12 AM You have been very busy Dorothy. I'm glad you were able to visit with your younger friend. Friday I raced around the yard, yesterday I was busy in and out of the house, and today the rain (!) says its a morning for working inside. It looks like more is coming. If it clears by afternoon I may mow the front yard, otherwise I'll head to work early tomorrow and mow when I get home in the evening. It's drizzle now so I will go out for a little while to put in some supports for the cucumbers. They're starting to climb. I have a stack of stuff to go on eBay, I think today is the day. I also have some baking to do, also a good activity when I'm in the house and hear timers. Last night I made a batch of pizza dough, had a pizza for dinner and the rest of the dough made three small pizza crusts baked for 3 minutes (on my baking stone in a 500o oven) that will be frozen until they're needed. Yesterday I started vacuuming and I need to continue with that. There is dog hair everywhere. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 21 Jun 14 - 07:41 PM Country: Remember when we thought computers would help the paper problem? HAH! What a constant struggle! I do think I am saving a great deal less. The archives remain to be sorted but they do not take up more than 3 boxes and can be thrown out when I am gone. Oops! Make that recycled! Yesterday I got an early start in getting here but drove out to the West Island in hopes of obtaining a decent wood "hutch" from Craigslistfree. I phoned the woman before leaving and left a message. I called when I was in the vicinity and left a message, then went to the upscale thrift shop (West Island is fairly upscale and this one is for the visiting nurses). I ended up with very nice set of loop draperies in heavy white cotton - wonderful for the sun room. Then a call and I dashed to get the hutch a few blocks away. The nice young woman and a male friend put it in the car. It needs some cosmetic work but I love it. Then back to finish perusing the shop: a cordless mini-vacuum, a lovely ceramic box, large enough for a good sized loaf of bread, in white with a blue dove and leaves; and a pair of need-work, lined drapes in a fabulous heavy white fabric with a woven in dimensional pattern, the likes of which I have never seen. Then wended my way to the mill where I off loaded, ate, and not much else until time to go to Cafe. R did not try to come down but ended up spending the time saved giving support to a friend whose father was dying. And, again today, he took her to brunch and her dad died this afternoon. R may never reno the house but he is a good listener. This morning I was a slow starter and looking through FB saw a friend was having visiting time re father dying this week - while awaiting a transplant. Googled site and decided I wanted to do this 45 minute trip to give her a hug. Planning that, I remembered there is a craft show/flea market in same town. Off I went. I arrived in town early so went to show first. This thing was daunting - acres and acres of parking. I found a spot and headed directly toward the nearest booths, walked between two and saw cutting boards. These were the folks who gave me Banjo, the raccoon, two years ago! So we talked about Banjo at length. They were so glad to hear he did well. Then it was time to see Mel and give her hugs. I only met her once, when she brought me a rescued squirrel, but we talked and talked that day and are friends on FB. I told her that day that she was a member of my family; wonderful young woman. She was delighted I came and we exchanged a few words and a number of hugs. My dad died at 58; hers was 61. I was about her age. My eyes got moist and remained so as I processed on the way back to the mill. Glad I went. Dropped off a book from Sundays gatherings with a quilting friend who was quite excited by it - Australian patterns. Then returned to mill to do next to nothing; a bit drained, I think. Now making cauliflower soup for later and soon to leave for Durham County Poets concert five minutes away. R is on his way. An excellent day. |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 21 Jun 14 - 12:31 PM I emptied bathroom cupboards of the old products that I'll never use. A few will remain for visitors, but I've have a grocery bag of aged shampoo, conditioner, liquid soaps, and lotions, all with ingredients I am avoiding. I also found a good shampoo I'd forgotten. Old shampoo can be used in the garden but the rest I'll pour into a bag of paper shreds. This way I can toss the products and recycle the bottles. The finishing touches are going into a box for the friends who helped me with the car troubles last month. I'll put it in the mail on Monday. Laundry is ready for the line, then into the garden to put up climbing fences for my cucumbers. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 Jun 14 - 06:24 PM I'm doing three things at once this afternoon - I cleared some branches so I could mow the far back of the yard - cleared by running them through the chipper. And the mowing is starting on the north side of the yard near the clothesline so I can hang up the laundered dog bedding. In for a cool down now, then out with the bedding and after it's up I'll finish mowing. I have a bag of chips beside the front gate to use in the garden later on. I didn't put the chipper away, I may do another bag before I am finished this afternoon. Looking online for shade cloth, a sturdy outdoor fabric for letting some light through. I have 60/40 cloth on top of my patio cover, and I'd like to make some roll-up blinds with it to hang from the sunny side of the patio cover. Summer is here, it's time to put that in place. The house stays a lot cooler and the electric bill is lower with a shade out there. I think I'll end up ordering from Lowes. Once the sun is down I still have stuff to do, mostly declutter - paper to file, eBay things to organize and pack. It's time to get stuff listed again. Keeping my eye on the Catspaw thread. He's fought the good fight, he's come back to charm us again and again, but this time I think he's beyond medical reach. Rest in peace, Pat. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Bat Goddess Date: 20 Jun 14 - 01:25 PM Maggie, just took and downloaded a bunch of photos of the flower beds, yard, and house (including gargoyles), but I won't have time to post them at Facebook until tomorrow. Right now I've got to eat a salad and head off to Portsmouth -- got a lot of errands before I land at the session. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 Jun 14 - 11:18 AM Dorothy, I have papers beginning to make a beachhead in my office. I must fight them back myself. I have a loveseat bench in the sunroon for sitting on to change shoes and it regularly is heaped with things that are coming and going. It's a challenge to keep it free for sitting on. I've examined the lemongrass stalks I put in water earlier this spring - they're more than ready to plant. And I did some research - I can grow it outside but it won't survive the winters here, so it looks like I'll put this in a large pot that will be outdoors in the summer and move indoors before the cold. http://www.gardeningblog.net/how-to-grow/lemongrass/. And here. The video puts them too close together for good production outdoors, and I probably wouldn't put them so close in a pot for indoors, though they won't grow as tall or as fast indoors. And this link offers a little bit of the science behind the plant's uses. No medical intentions with this, I'm interested in the flavor for cooking and for tea. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 19 Jun 14 - 07:56 PM City: The raked back yard is as civil as it is going to get for a while. It occurred to me today that the first step in reno needs to be the garden shed in the back corner - a place to put stuff from the house for the duration. Also, will need to move the herb bed and some day lilies if, as I am hoping, a sunroom becomes a reality, and a bunch of perennials to make room for garden shed. In the meantime, I went off for plain yogurt and came home with a shades of red petunias hanging basket, a nice addition to the back yard and easily movable! There is a large pile of garden refuse that needs to be bagged - next week! It is out of the line of sight! Two loads of laundry today and need to remake the bed. Have triaged a bunch of stuff to take to mill - just to clear bits of non-essentials. Actually got R to take the dead grass snipper to the trash!!! HE came home last night and flopped on the love seat without even noticing that I had cleared it of papers! Looked horrified when I pointed out that his (precious) papers were now laid out neatly on the desk. IF they are so bloomin' important -DO something with them. (I did not say out loud!) The LR is somewhat more civil. The celery soup was just in time for our late supper; it is served in a bowl with a piece of toast topped with cheese, which of course melts, and bits of sausage or Ikea meatballs. Could have pieces of hard boiled egg instead of meat. Yummy. Now have black beans cooking for - whatever. Maybe a soup of a different flavour - with salsa added. Made blueberry pancakes for bf with rice flour instead of buckwheat; we agreed buckwheat is much nicer. It was a gorgeous day - sunny, cool, breezy. We are due a few more. I could live with this all year round! Guess most of us could! |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Jun 14 - 05:24 PM Linn, wearing yourself out with work is another well-known form of grief therapy. Sleep soundly after a hard days work, and have the bonus of waking to see your accomplishments through fresh eyes. Something fuzzy in the bottom with triple sec, I'd avoid. If it's a good food-quality vinegar you may have something cloudy/fuzzy called the "mother." I can't imagine champagne vinegar being so commonplace, though. :) Moonglow is within a few minutes of landing in her flight back from Tokyo. A few hours at LAX then she's on a flight to DFW. I'm looking forward to a gush of phone photos, and since I loaned her my compact 15X lens Nikon I hope we'll have an evening soon with all of the photos on a disk or thumbdrive and we can view them on the big TV in the living room with color commentary from Caroline and her fellow travelers Jeremy and Brittney. Perhaps we should do a Japanese themed meal - she'd have to take care of it - the only Japanese food around my house very often is soy and seaweed crackers. I'm sure if I pick up some good salmon she'll think of something to do with it, and go from there. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Bat Goddess Date: 19 Jun 14 - 05:10 PM Just verified that I must have gotten rid of my antique lawn lounge (which I rescued from the dump and rewebbed back in the '70s), so I guess a newer one to put on the far side of the back flower bed in the hemlock "room" may be in order. I'm going to a Friends of Portsmouth Lighthouses talk on Portsmouth Harbor Light and (my favorite) Whaleback Light tonight at the Portsmouth library. Maybe I'll stop at Ocean State Job Lots and get one. Maybe not, and save it for tomorrow on my way to The Press Room. I'm probably doing too much. I know I'm juggling a lot of stuff at the same time and, if I stop to think about it, I'm a bit overwhelmed/over-extended. I'm really too tired (another exerting day in the yard) to go to the lighthouse talk 25 miles away, but I'm also making up for lost time. And keeping busy probably isn't a bad thing. I'm making headway on things around the house and I'm also going to interesting music events, Portsmouth and Nottingham library events, Portsmouth Athenaeum events that I haven't been able to go to before -- for the past two years I had to take care of Tom, and for the years just before that, hold down a retail job with strange hours AND get Tom to his doctors' appointments, etcet. I couldn't even enjoy the Press Room sessions because of the strain and anxiety of getting Tom safely there and home again. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Jeri Date: 19 Jun 14 - 12:40 PM The directions I've read say to store it in a cool, dark place, up to 6 months. I'm not concerned about bacteria, it being vinegar. I think the worst thing that can happen is it will lose its flavor. I used champagne vinegar, and it's in a glass bottle with a ceramic-lined lid, and it's tasty and gorgeous. Of course, I mixed up some margeritas a few years ago, and the tequila/lime juice/triple sec has something fuzzy in the bottom. I didn't think it was supposed to grow its own "worm"... |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Jun 14 - 10:14 AM My fourth long day in my compressed week - I decided to get it over with earlier today so got up when the dogs indicated they wanted out (way ahead of my alarm). How long do you keep that vinegar, once it has the chive flower flavor? And do you refrigerate it? I've been thinking about putting some stepping stones into an area that is a natural path from the driveway to the front door. I would recess them enough that they'd be flush with the ground and the mower could go over them, and grass could grow over them but they would be uncovered by the string trimmer. This is a long-established way to make paths, I just happened to spot a photo in a recent Martha Stewart Living that provided the "aha!" moment. Like Linn and her slate tiles, I have put off doing a new bathroom floor forever, thinking I need to plan to do the whole bathroom (take out the cabinets, put in new, along with a new low-flow commode). But I think I should just go ahead and do the floor and have enough tiles that I can put more down if I do ever take out this ugly cabinet and replace it with something with a different footprint. It means scraping up the linoleum adhesive, but when it comes to doing the floor the room is so small it would only take a couple of boxes of tile. I'd also like to put down tile on the front porch. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Bat Goddess Date: 19 Jun 14 - 07:50 AM Chive blossom vinegar (you can do it with light olive oil, too) just involves infusing chive blossoms in vinegar--I prefer white wine vinegar but plain white vinegar works, too. Turns the vinegar an amazing color! Some recipes call for the vinegar to be heated, but I don't. Just let the blossoms steep until you like the color and flavor. Usual caveats...don't let the vinegar touch a metal lid. Great in salad dressings or marinades. The sundial garden came into existence because I had a sundial, a pillar base for it, a bunch. Of salvaged bricks and a strong desire to eliminate as much grass that would Ned mowing as possible. It's gone through a lot of incarnations...first mostly artemisia, then I discovered the bonica rose loved it. I need to replace the border of lambs ears because the hummingbirds loved them. Tall bearded iris, Siberian iris (I think that migrated there on its own from the other stand, and a precursor to foxglove that the hummingbirds also like. Oh, chives because I've got chives all over the place. I wonder if any chamomile survived? Today, besides getting some cards in the mail (birthday, sympathy...I'm getting really sick of sending sympathy cards...I HAVE to organize the slate tiles for the bathroom. The new composting toilet arrives on Monday. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 18 Jun 14 - 09:31 PM City: Monday, I reloaded kiln and fired. Tuesday I took out a load of mostly nice pots. The other tests were: Those two are terrible and go in the scrap bucket. Those two are nice; just wish I knew what they are! Have to go through my notebooks again. And those 4 are good and I know what they are!!! Trimmed all the pots - except forgot a couple that were well hidden! Have lids to fit little jars - finally! Almost a kiln load but maybe not quite. Try to do some more on Friday - need big mugs, even beer stein size. Then off to writers' group. OH, lengthy project on Monday was making posters and mini hand outs for next open mike! Took me forever; I am sure I do not know enough. Then back to city. Today was busy: picked up the new filters for my air cleaner at Purolator - in an obscure spot. Then decided to find my way back a different way. Ended up in a nifty residential area and began to think of "the man who never came back". Asked a couple of woman who were chatting on the sidewalk if there was any way out of here! They noted that people who find a place to live there never want to move! They gave me directions which eventually worked. There were a couple places for rent and I was tempted to check them out. A great neighbourhood tucked into the city! Bit the bullet and bought an electric grass snipper. No way I was doing the kitchen scissors thing again! Then went to massage appointment (some muscles in bad shape need to do more!) and home to lunch - 2:30. Muddled through the rest of the afternoon: Cleaned up the LR, moving R's papers from love seat to my - cleared - desk, swept the floor, moved the exercycle to a better spot and used it briefly, spent some time on FB, cleared emails, put the grass thingy together and just finished the grass before dark and pruned the columbine and ripped out a bunch of Virginia creeper. Tomorrow I can rake (remembered the rake!) the mess and the back yard will look almost civilized. Note: pick rhubarb for R's bf. Still triaging stuff to take to the mill to clear the house for impending reno - she says hopefully. (Sometimes I wonder if it is just a pipe dream.) The love seat was looking like a "shoe" cartoon - "That's not a sofa. That's a pile of paper that looks like a sofa!" I saved that one! So nice to have energy again: I just found myself wondering what else I can do before the 10:00 news! Make celery soup! |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Jun 14 - 07:07 PM You don't have to deal with mosquitoes when the sun starts going down? I like being out to see the lightning bugs, but the mosquitoes take some of the pleasure out of the viewing. Chive blossom vinegar? Sounds interesting. Tell us more about that? SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Jeri Date: 18 Jun 14 - 04:41 PM I finished the first front lawn mowing on Sunday, went to the gym yesterday. The Child's grave thyme has spread quite a bit, and was hiding under the hay field. I still have to cut a swathe through the back yard. Today, I managed to spend 15 minutes outside cutting impertinent grass. Maybe it's because it got really warm yesterday and stayed that way last night, but I have zero energy. I even considered going to the singing session Bat Goddess mentioned above, but I'm not sure I have the energy to put real clothes on. I also have chive blossom vinegar that I need to strain. Now, that I may have enough energy for. Of course, when the sun starts going down, I'm going to start feeling like doing more gardening... |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Jun 14 - 04:22 PM Why can't you stand it, Q? Is it bulky or ugly or broken? Is there a place where it can be out of sight that is acceptable? Is there something you would be willing to get rid of also if said piece of furniture went away? Is there another member of the family who would take it so it isn't completely "gone?" Sounds like negotiations are in order. A sundial garden sounds wonderful! I was going to do a garden with a birdbath at the center but the dogs kept standing on their back feet and resting their front feet on the edge to sniff and/or drink from the basin. I was afraid someone would tip the basin off of the stand and get badly hurt. I moved it out of the back and now it sits in a shady area that gets a lot of bird visits. These 10-hour days at work are harder that they at first seemed. It's difficult to get much of anything done before or after work, so I have to plan to try to do maybe one thing and keep it simple. The three days are great once they're here. This is a summer-time program only. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 18 Jun 14 - 03:52 PM I know this can't be answered by anyone but my wife, but how to convince her to part with a piece of furniture that is useless and that I can't stand. Sundial garden- sounds nice. |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Bat Goddess Date: 18 Jun 14 - 02:57 PM Yeehah! Let there be light! Got a lot of branchery and small trees removed (thanks, Drew) and now my back flower beds actually have sunlight again. Over the years the back bed had gone from full sun to full shade. Mix that with 8 years of forced neglect (combination of the demands of work and taking care of Tom) and a smothering layer of leaf mulch, it's amazing I had any flowers left. Lost some, but I've been replacing those, weeding the others, moving the mallow and lemon balm from their volunteeer position in what passes for lawn (I have very little that's ever been grass, and now most of it is wild strawberries) into the bed behind the house. Making headway... I yanked out a lot of greater celandine and a precursor of foxglove and raked and dumped a bunch more leaves while Drew cut limbs and small trees, then trucked them off. And I started excavating the brick circle around the sundial garden... I'm done with physical stuff for today, but we accomplished a lot. Now, too, I can restore the bed on the north side of the house along the driveway (mostly by filling in more topsoil) and plant hostas -- they'll make it look "finished" without needed a barrier. Drew removed the last of the stacked 6x6s that used to define that bed before it was totally destroyed when the old underground oil tank was removed. Now I've got another major indoor matter to take care of and then I can relax a bit before going to a singing session tonight. I ache, but it's a good ache. And it's getting me closer to being in shape again, too. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 17 Jun 14 - 05:52 PM Linn, I love the kind of yard work where you putter all day long, and when you get up the next morning and walk over to the door with your cuppa tea, the morning yard looks fresh and park-like. Liz the Squeak was having a lot of work done in her yard last year, and Andrea was doing a lot of building on her house then switched to her yard. Alice as a lovely yard (minus a deer antler lately) and Maryanne and . . . I think gardening is a common thread for all of us. The friend I delivered pots to today is an avid gardener - and I've invited her over to pillage and sample in my yard because I have a lot of stuff that needs thinning. She's moving from the house she's in (and has been moving a lot of landscape material) to a new place. Apparently her neighborhood is being torn down by developers who bought out property owners to build housing for the university where we work. There is so much at her house to try to save - stained glass, tiles and rocks in the yard, plants, solar panels - oy! She has a new place she has been slowly moving things over to for the last 8 months. I detect another large declutter operation. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Bat Goddess Date: 17 Jun 14 - 05:37 PM Just got in from a lot of thorn pulling, raking and leaf schlepping, and cutting up and disposing of said thorns in plastic trash bags for next week's trash. I should walk up to the head of the driveway with the clippers and get rid of a bush that's regrown and is now interfering with my view down the road at the head of the driveway...but I think I ache too much. I might stand in a hot shower for the rest of the evening. Tomorrow my neighbor will come over to lop off a bunch of branches and bring some sunlight back to a few flower beds. And cut down the small stuff on the south side of the house, a branch at the head of the driveway, and, eventually, all of the stuff smaller than 6 inches in diameter out back. The woods has been reclaiming the cleared area behind the house for years and I HAVE to do something about it. What I was doing today is great exercise...AND I can see what I'm doing; it does make a difference. But I ache...which, I guess, just shows me that the exercise is making a difference, too. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 17 Jun 14 - 12:35 PM Last night I finished digging up some seedlings in the yard, got them into pots, and decided it was too late to finish mowing (started two evenings ago). I'm going to have to start over because the mown area is still growing pretty well (we had a good rain last week, and that usually means mowing twice a week in the summer). I then adjourned to the kitchen and made a yellow squash casserole thing (with sausage and pasta and onions and peppers and tomatoes) and a pan of my burrito meat with black beans. They'll both work for lunch or dinner this week, and I have a growing number of things in the yard to pick and eat or preserve. I transported the three pots today - one plant looked great, the other two are in shock from transplant, but the friend who will use them is a gardener who will be able to revive them gently. Not overwater, and give them plenty of mulch to keep them happy. I've been gathering stuff for a care package for the friends who put me up during the transmission repair out in West Texas. I hope in the next couple of days the last bits that go in the box will get here. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: LilyFestre Date: 17 Jun 14 - 08:11 AM The yard sale went great however most of the people were not looking for baby gear/clothes/toys which is mostly what I had. As a result, I am going to have another yard sale...this time at my mom's house which is right on the main road into town. We will advertise this time (my friend's house was right across from a major event going on and she felt it was not necessary to advertise) so I'm thinking we'll get the folks that are interested in what we have to offer. With that being said, I have about 3 weeks to get ready (the last one I had only a few days) so I'm going to go room by room to get ready. Today I will tackle the living room. I think I'll end up cleaning more than getting actual items but that's ok...this is where I want to start. :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 16 Jun 14 - 08:57 PM Country: After posting Friday, I really could not just sit and read so I went and threw pots until I "had" to get ready to go to Cafe. That felt so good - to have the energy insisting that I DO something. Cafe was fairly empty due to Ormstown Fair but some folks came and went back to Fair. Good music anyway. Saturday I was up by 7 and loaded car for Market and left about 8, leaving R to sleep. Sold a few pots, R brought us a breakfast sub at Subway and after I packed up, we headed to St. Eustache for the wheel - in his truck. Took longer - 1.5 hours but we arrived to a lovely family with two marvellous dogs. I was as delighted by the dogs as by my almost new wheel! The biggest Newfie I have ever seen and a lovely Heinz 57 in black and of a decent size - more than knee high. I think the family was delighted by response to both dogs and wheel. Then we went to Ile Perrot for a 60 inch TV which was a time consuming project to get onto the trailer. We arrived at the wonderful Dasfest about 6:30 - it started about 3 and I was concerned that I missed the Road Scholars BUT!... Sheryl had had to work and they went on as we arrived!!! And did a wonderfully long set! Lots of other good groups at this fundraiser in memory of... We left when it became way to loud - about 10:30. A long day. Sunday we offloaded the wheel and TV. I unloaded my car which we remembered to pick up on the way to the mill Sat night! We headed down into the Adirondacks for a day with our friends on their 63 acres of woods with 2000 feet of gorgeous riverfront and an OLD house in need of much repair. We had a picnic lunch at the picnic table; I could not go in the house. Then walked down to the river with the 6!!! dogs (all rescued) - less than knee high. R gave Barry a lot of support and info re needful stuff and Amy and I talked dogs, raccoons, and her concern for getting the house fit to live in - which requires major effort on Barry's part as she is not a handy woman. R may go down and help for a day. Unfortunately, they are equally liable to go off task. Of course R has not time for our stuff but it is so much more fun... Solution to the red tiles at the apt: a piece of thin plywood cut to fit, painted flat black and I will affix beautiful pictures from a 1986 calendar of ancient Japanese screens, covered with a thin clear plastic as yet undetermined.. They will blend nicely with the bamboo counters and I can remove it when we leave. Amy thinks black cupboards sound wonderful. I never figured that out. I want a light colour so I can see if they get dirty. Maybe she just cleans assiduously regardless. Well, this morning I dashed to the stored for milk so we could have French toast - yummy with maple syrup, raspberries and yogurt. Then R inspected the kiln and between us we realized it is probably OK. For some reason the cone broke and turned it off but testing the elements again, they seemed fine. I reloaded this aft and it has stayed on so tomorrow I am hoping for good news. Both the tests from last week have been very well received - MAKE MORE! And both are sold. So I have done a bit of this and that today. Including a two hour nap! My peas are up and the broccoli and cauliflower and squash plants are flourishing. The perennial bed also. I guess that is as far as my gardening will get this year. Rather too late to start anything else. We have had lots of rain. The river is high and fields are wet. Looks like more tonight. Finding more leaks in the mill roof - one in middle of studio. |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 16 Jun 14 - 06:33 PM Decluttering a few seedling trees in my yard this week. I have several requests for vitex (purple chaste) - I wish I hadn't been so ruthless in weeding them out earlier this spring. I have one in a pot, one in the ground in the back, and I'll hunt around for any I missed. The big trees drop billions of seeds but usually they just get mowed away. A few land in flower beds and I transplant them the give away. I thought I'd given away as many as I could so lately haven't done much transplanting. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Bat Goddess Date: 16 Jun 14 - 06:06 AM Sunday was a lecture with song by Marya Danihel at the Portsmouth Athenaeum...Victorian parlor songs and domestic music. This morning is my memoir writers group at the Portsmouth library. Woke up a bit too early, though... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 15 Jun 14 - 07:36 PM I need to start processing garden stuff as soon as I bring it in. There are a bunch of small onions that I'll dice this evening and freeze so I can scoop from the bag for cooking. I'm beginning to enter the time when all of the counters and surfaces are covered with crops in various stages of drying or waiting to be canned. I tested the new skillet this morning - with bacon. Mmmmm! Enough of the back yard is mowed so I can hang laundry (better to mow before hanging than to try to mow while the laundry is in place!) Out to the front yard now, and then to finish the rest of the back yard. I picked up a mat to put inside the back door to catch some of the dirt off of dog feet, and I've left the little rarely-used carpet sweeper nearby. This is a test. Monday tomorrow. All day. Gotta get something made tonight to take for lunch tomorrow. I found three bricks of bananas in the freezer when I was clearing out the old frozen veggies so I may make a loaf of banana nut bread to take in for my co-workers. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 15 Jun 14 - 01:45 AM Our conversation got me started really looking for an egg/mushroom slicer. Tonight I looked at the Target (KitchenAid) egg slicer but it doesn't make as many slices as I like. Some of the ads I saw listed the number of slices; KitchenAid may be too chunky. This one at Amazon looks pretty good - 11 slices per egg. KitchenAid ($7 at Target, $15 at Amazon) only managed 9 slices. Shop around. Some of these slicers are over-engineered - movable bases so you can slice or dice. Integrated hard plastic and wire devices. Click the link on this page to play video. Long warranties but you'll lose the receipt and packaging when you need it so never buy these for the warranty. Westmark looks closest to the old fashioned egg slicer (maybe I should go buy one at the Goodwill?) I added the "NEW Commercial Egg Slicer, Mushroom Slicer, Garnish Slicer, Aluminum . . ." one to my cart for $5.98 and it has free shipping. It isn't the price that dictates this choice, though, it's how it is made and how it looks like it will work. The cheap one isn't embellished and will do the job. Less is more. I didn't plan to buy many things on the trip out this evening, but I stumbled upon a couple of things I've been looking for. Several years ago I bought a good set of pans from a restaurant supply store and I left the skillet on a hot burner too long and destroyed the heavy bottom layer. I have the rest of the set, but couldn't replace just the skillet. I was at Tuesday Morning (if it isn't in your area, it's like a high-end TGIF or Ross) and I found a 3 quart Calphalon skillet the same size as my defunct one for $40. If you know about Tuesday Morning then you know that not everything has the same price, it depends on when it came into the store. If they got items at a really low price, then their markup is such that's it's still pretty low. When something identical that comes in later if it cost them more, it will cost the shopper more. I poked around the back of the shelf and found an identical 3qt skillet for $25. Bagged it. The clerk was even impressed at the price. And so the day went. I was looking for one thing and found another instead. I bought an LED light for over my kitchen counter - a "daylight" bulb that is dimmable and I think it's way too blue so I'll exchange it or use it somewhere else. I love that skillet. I use cast iron a lot, but stainless has great properties also. I rarely ever use coated surfaces for cooking. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 Jun 14 - 07:25 PM That is funny, Linn! There are indeed some at Staples. I have so far just looked in stores, but online (searching "egg mushroom slicer") I see different designs these days. This reminds me that I have an aluminum and steel wire potato ricer - the slices would be a little thin, but it might work. Amazon, Target, Williams and Sonoma, Sur le Table, I see several egg slicers out there. I guess you would put the mushroom in top down and slice down the stem and onto the cap. The old style slicers had the mushroom sideways. Target has the Kitchen Aid one for about half of what other places sell it for. That Norpro seems to be all over the place. Add egg slicer to my shopping list this evening! I finished weeding a bed, pulled out the last of the onions, dug out grass from around some squash and cucumbers, then mulched that bed, and emptied a lot of old freezer stuff into a big tub that I lugged to the compost. I dug a hole in the compost pile, dumped the frozen food in, emptied my little kitchen compost bin, then poured on the dog droppings and the wheelbarrow full of weeds. The sprinkler ran on top of it for a while to get it working (if you want hot compost you have to water it regularly). That chore took care of several things on my "to do" list. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Bat Goddess Date: 14 Jun 14 - 06:11 PM It's been a decent week. On Tuesday, after doing a few things (and cataloging my DVDs), I got back to sleep and ended up feeling okay. Went to a friend's book signing at the Portsmouth Athenaeum, and talk. The book is "Testimonies and Secrets: The Story of a Nova Scotia Family, 1844-1977" -- Testimonies and Secrets After the talk and socializing, I left the Athenaeum and was immediately accosted by my friends Justine and Carol who had been walking towards the river. While we stood talking, Dave and his wife Chris converged on us. All of Portsmouth seemed to be in Market Square... Dave and Chris went on their way and Justine and Carol kidnapped me and forced me to go to The Rosa with them and guzzle pinot grigio and eat antipasto. Then they forced me into chocolate raspberry cake because I hadn't had a birthday cake. Wednesday I had the initial dental appointment for x-rays and stuff. I haven't been to a dentist in about five years, so there was a lot to assess. And I get a start on the deep cleaning, crowns, and fillings in July (or is it late June?). Thursday I drove to Tilton, New Hampshire to see an old friend. She and I have been in touch but we haven't been in the same room together for about twenty years. Last time I saw her, her son had been a toddler. Today he's married, divorced, and been to Afghanistan and back with the Army. We talked, and talked, and had lunch at the Tilton Diner and talked, and came back and talked. Picked up right where we left off. And last night at the weekly session we had a couple visitors from Missippippi, brought along by our own MrSippy. So the usual Anglo/Celtic mix got a bit more diluted with more bluegrassishness tossed in than usual. Had a party of young men become totally entranced -- sort of a peripatetic stag party. One of them got married today. One of the party even added B.B. King to our mix...and I think we did a pretty good job of accompanying him. Today I've declared a pajama day. But I did some laundry, ran the dishes through, cleaned up the sink area, called my recently widowed aunt in Kentucky, and made rhubarb/cream cheese bars. Oh, and I made major inroads in one of the books I'm reading and I petted a cat... Still in my nightshirt at 6 p.m. and never put my contacts in, so it IS a pajama day! Stilly, I've been looking for an egg slicer, too... I just did a quick google. Looks like you can get them online (and there's even free shipping to Staples...yeah, Staples; that's where I look for egg slicers...) but I've not been able to find them in stores or supermarkets. I don't know if I mentioned that I had a bittersweet birthday on Monday...spent the day (before Jeri took me to Newick's) reading my Mudcat birthday threads that Tom had started over the years, and the thread on my broken arm, with comments by Tom, katlaughing, Barry Finn... All in all, my birthday was better than I expected...more sweet than bittersweet. I think I'll go back to my book... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 Jun 14 - 02:15 PM I have some cranberry fruit in the freezer, left from making cranberry juice in the steam juicer last year. I need to use them, and this is a recipe I'll use. I've made it before, they're very good. I can make and freeze them in small packages to use in my lunch. The okra and some other stuff are going to the compost, but the cranberry is too good (and too expensive) to waste. The wheelbarrow is full of weeds from the front yesterday and I need to go police the back yard for dog droppings then mix the droppings with the frozen food and pile the new weeds on top of the compost. My famous dog-discouraging parfait. :) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 Jun 14 - 12:36 AM I harvested a small bin of onions tonight and weeded around the new asparagus and into the bed where the basil usually comes up. There are only a few plants so and I may need to seed some more in. They come back every year, but it was a very hard winter. Tomorrow is a big freezer I have to build some climbing supports in the garden for cucumbers this weekend. I transplanted some "mystery" cucubits from the compost a couple of weeks ago - one of them is cucumber, the rest are some kind of squash. I also have some cukes and squash started in 4" x 4" pots that I can put in the garden soon. I'll put up some posts with chicken wire for them to climb. With a windfall of 4 cases of quart canning jars I want to make the most of the cucumbers and zucchini pickle-wise. Recycling put off till tomorrow. I decided not to go anywhere this evening. The dogs have been hanging out with me (and doing tricks for Wheat Thins) and I've brushed them. Cinnamon has no need to be brushed but she loves it so much that after going over Zeke and Poppy I rub the "furminator" over her a few times so she doesn't feel left out. Nice evening. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Jun 14 - 05:20 PM My friend Susie seems to go through kilns also, Dorothy. They have hard work to do. She has some small ones for glass art, not just the big ceramic ones. A couple of garden declutter chores down, and I came into the house to do a quick Google on the next one (double-checking what I thought I remembered about concrete in a bucket for a post). I have some cannas that are spreading out of their bed, but that same bed saw some die-off close to the house this last winter. I've dug and moved a few back into the bed. When it's full they keep weeds out by shading them, so I needed to fill in the back. Now to run the soaker hose and get those new ones watered in. I haven't eaten much today, and all of it soft. I learned my lesson yesterday. In addition to tender gums my jaw is still stiff from the long time it took for the work (when things are jammed into your mouth and you sit there for two hours like that as they come and go). A trip to the recycle bins is in the cards later today, along with gas and the post office. Even though the smaller car gets better mileage I still try to make several stops in a circuit when I run errands. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 13 Jun 14 - 05:11 PM Country: HAH! no such thing as too many kilns! With great anticipation, I opened the kiln I had left on Tuesday. Don't tell! We are never supposed to leave a kiln unattended but this one has been doing so well. And the others, I always left as they got up to heat. The kiln sitter would turn them off. Well it was off. It had gotten hot - very hot but not near hot enough. The bottoms of pots were black but the glazes were un-melted. In testing, I found the bottom elements were not functioning at all. The top ones must have tried hard to no avail. The cone in the sitter broke and the kiln went off after only a couple hours. Had I gone back after the meeting, I would have seen and might have stayed over to deal with it. SO disappointed as I was looking forward to seeing the new tests and the few pots I had done in the new glazes. I have been contemplating the situation for about two hours, coming to the conclusion that I am powerless because I neglected to get the info on how to turn off the power to the kiln line. That bottom line meant that even if I could have gotten someone to help me move the new Paragon to the right place (two of me could do it fairly easily), I would NOT unplug in the dead kiln or plug in the new one - not with the power on! Tomorrow after the Market... Now: How many pottery wheels are "too many"? I got an alert for one like the one I have that is missing a seat. We have agreed to purchase it for $250 and R will pick it up tomorrow while I am at the Market. He has something else to pick up in that area as well. I love this wheel and am very excited to have another in really good condition. There was one on line last month for $1000! I have plenty of room for it and it will be designated for the speckled buff clay which I have not used in years. I love it and bought some last year; this will help me get into using it again. I am simply not big on cleaning a wheel between colours of clay. Colour me spoiled! I could have spent this time throwing but I will do that at the Market tomorrow. Perhaps being more careful of my energy than necessary; still getting used to having it. I cannot just sit here reading for two hours.... |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Jun 14 - 11:24 AM Your glazes sound amazing, Dorothy. My father had a favorite potter he bought from over the years - a guy in Seattle named Sam Scott. I have received it as gifts over the years and kept a fair amount from his house after he died. Yesterday was the worst as far as the apres-dentist discomfort. My gums are still tender from both the injection sites of the anesthesia and because they had to push some sort of material between the tooth and gum in order to get a good cast of a dry tooth. By the end of the day the whole left side of my face hurt. Silly me, trying to eat again. Today is my day off and I see tall grass all around me - I'll be mowing front and back, and since we had a robust rain yesterday I'll have to mow again in a couple of days. In the house I need to revive my eBay activity. All of that car stuff last month meant I might have been away when a sale ended. The trick to eBay is not only to describe items well, post good photos, and ask a fair price and reasonable shipping, it's to be able to send it ASAP once payment is received. Slow delivery can result in cranky feedback. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 12 Jun 14 - 09:50 PM City: Monday brought a continued energy level and I measured out three new glazes. Tired of not being able to remember what test was on what pot, I put numbers on the bottoms of nine small bowls and the same numbers on glazes to be tested - and get it right this time! I figure if the bowls get to be sold, people will be delighted to be told , "Oh I used it to test that glaze..." Won't that be nice to have the first...! In any case, I was happy to take pots out of the kiln on Tuesday and know what glaze I was examining. Two wonderful, and totally different "turquoise" glazes: One is a deep satin blue green that is slightly lighter over my lovely white glaze. The other is a bright shiny light green-blue. They are very different; the one elegant, the other lively. Each an excellent glaze. The third test needs to be re-done. . I may not have stirred it well enough. The rest of the firing was good. I started another firing on Tuesday afternoon, containing the other six tests, a couple more items in the new glazes and a test tile for a new batch of burgundy, made with city water in hopes that this time it will be my good old burgundy rather than the mess I got from using the high iron country water. I'll find out on Friday. Between times, I managed a bit more sorting and organizing. Took the two new pots to my writers group to see which one was preferred - 50-50! Both are well received. Then back to the city, where I and pots were well received. Weds I went to bank an income tax refund and check out a pharmacy which was said to carry homeopathic remedies. It was rather farther than the one I knew of and connected to it but things must be ordered. So good info is to stick with the known and closer. Wended my way back and after lunch spent some time on computer until it was down to 25%. I had left the essential part of power cord at the mill! So today, having to go in yet another direction a good distance to arrange to cancel an life insurance policy ( a good decision), and get the remaining value by cheque, I stopped at the Apple store and told a young staff my sad tale. He went in the back and returned, handed me the errant piece, "It's a gift!" Tech had a few lying around. I had suggested there might be some in recycling as, when my previous cord died, I gave it to them to recycle, never thinking of keeping that piece. Happiness is being able to come home and catch up with emails and all the rest! I really wanted to let the woman who had posted that elegant glaze know how well received it has been. Two others had missed her post and, after I described it, asked me to send them the recipe, which I did. From the Mall, I went across town to visit the friend who wanted me to have a turquoise glaze. She was delighted with the dark one. Her mom (Parkinson's but mind was good today) liked them both. I gave Hannah a lovely cobalt/white would have been casserole that was damaged in my wind encounter last month. She showed me her collection of Dorothy pots! I knew this family - parents, and adult daughter and family and unmarried son- living separately in same triplex- are my very best customers! Her collection goes back years - maybe 20. No wonder I let her tell me what she wants and try to find it. She takes it very seriously. The next test will be another she may like - a denim grey-blue. Weighing out grams of glaze materials is both time consuming and tiring; those three took me about 2 hours. The burgundy near an hour. The newly organized glazing area, with the rolling table, made it so much easier. With a spotlight on the scale and the materials right behind me, mostly within arms' length, it went as well as possible, with careful checking and re-checking of amounts. Very exciting to be getting these things accomplished. The rest of today was catch up and tomorrow will be back to the country to see what the kiln offers and prepare for Farmers' Market on Saturday. I plan to arrange the new glazes to get comments, votes as it were! |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: LilyFestre Date: 12 Jun 14 - 04:04 PM LOL! Thanks SRS! How about taking back the rain that is being called for in tomorrow's forecast? Hmm? Most things are marked...maybe a half hour of marking left to do tonight. I'm dreading it. BLAH. I don't mind collecting all the stuff but I really don't like pricing it. Weigh in was today, down a little bit when in reality I shouldn't be down at all. I did not behave myself last week. Today I am off to a MUCH better start for the upcoming week ahead! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 12 Jun 14 - 12:52 PM Scratch the garden work, we woke to another thunderstorm this morning. It sounds like Michelle's garage sale may be washed out because of the rain that hit me Monday and moved into her area yesterday and today. The storm here today doesn't look as big as the one earlier in the week, so I don't think I'll be sharing this rain with Michelle. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 12 Jun 14 - 12:42 AM The kitchen is cleaned up, a load of laundry is finished. I plan a little garden work tomorrow morning before work, and may go in early enough to have time to go out for lunch with a friend in town. With the "compressed week" schedule I'm working (four 10-hour days) I don't have much time on my work days for anything but work, but I will have a three-day weekend each week. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: LilyFestre Date: 11 Jun 14 - 03:02 PM I am hanging signs for pricing the clothes...for example...All shirts .50¢ unless otherwise marked. I sorted everything by size. Toys are marked individually...or at least I hope they will be by tonight! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Jun 14 - 10:01 AM I haven't decluttered a great deal but I did clear off (not just move but actually filed or recycled) the stuff on my kitchen counter. One item of interest was a box of clothespins. While in the Davis Mountains last month I did laundry a couple of times and the only drying is on a line. She had the most amazing sturdy wooden pins by Penley, from Maine (made in China, but to the larger specs). I searched out that brand and ordered two 50-count bags. What arrived was another brand of regular ol' clothespins. I contacted the seller (through Amazon) and pointed out they'd sent the wrong type. I hoped to exchange them, but they don't have any of what I ordered, and simply refunded the price and shipping. Said to keep these. So I have lots of the smaller pins, but would sure like to get my hands on some of the Penley sort. Those pin bags were on the counter waiting to be shipped, but now they're in the laundry room. And the pile of paperwork from the transmission has been filed. What an expensive month the last four weeks have amounted to. Jaw and tongue are a bit tender. Taking soft food for lunch today. Spring is here - how are each of your gardens looking now? Any other veggie gardeners? I've dug potatoes and onions and been picking squash and peppers. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 Jun 14 - 07:11 PM I've seen garage sales where everything on a certain table is X price - no tags. It does mean you have to collect the cash at each table, though. Or color code the table and put a sticker of the same color on each item, without writing anything. How do you price them? My lower jaw is beginning to throb after a couple of hours in the dentist chair in preparation for a crown on a back molar. The temporary is in place now. Time for motrin and a power nap. I still want to get to sleep tonight. I've spent a few minutes each evening this week working on those New Yorker labels and watching television. I also finished the NetFlix discs that have been here for a while. They're finally on their way back. When I finish these covers I'll list them and be able to clear off my dining room table - again. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: LilyFestre Date: 10 Jun 14 - 02:56 PM I have far too much stuff..toys and clothes for Jeremiah, in particular. I have been sorting and sorting..who is going to come help me get all this stuff downstairs??? And tomorrow will be a day full of pricing...Good grief...it just is overwhelming. The yard sale starts on Friday....not sure I will ever be ready! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Summer 2014 Exercise the right to declutter! From: Bat Goddess Date: 10 Jun 14 - 06:27 AM No good day goes unpunished... Woke up at 2:30 a.m. Tried to get back to sleep several times (with and without reading by flashlight in between). Didn't work. Finally said to hell with it, turned on the light and started doing something useful. Organized a couple things and then catalogued my DVDs, so I can make a digital list. And NOW (6:24 a.m.), I'm going back to bed...HOPING to fall asleep. (Or the day will be a total loss.) Wish me luck. Linn |
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