Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014

Subject: Autumnal clearing out & fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Aug 14 - 10:57 AM

These threads continue largely as an homage to Katlaughing who started them and in the end read along even when she wasn't able to participate, and partly because there are lurkers who occasionally report in that they have made progress on some small personal goal and want to share the news. The successful diet, the renovation of a room or a house, the setting of a personal goal and finishing the project (or being underway and needing motivation) - having a place to occasionally report back is helpful.

Susan has used these old threads to keep track of all sorts of her moving works in progress, Dorothy regularly reports in about the renovation of one house, one mill, and the search for the perfect piece of real estate with comfy digs. Linn has made headway on renovations needed in her kit home on a heavily-wooded hillside in New England. Michelle has hit a sweet spot with good health, a growing family, an active interest in quilting, and all sorts of cooking and canning that feed her family year round. Liz is clearing out estate items - something that when approached as a routine will eventually result in clearing out your storage areas and letting you see the surfaces of tables and counters again.

Others who garden, who are dieting, who are struggling with health issues and know that sticking with fitness programs and/or losing weight are needed can report in. Share tips. I sell lots of odds and ends on eBay, it's how I've cleared out the clutter of estate items that are too specialized to sell in a garage sale and are small enough to ship. I've talked several people through the early stages of learning about eBay. Not everyone can afford to bundle up extra stuff and donate to thrift shops, the extra income is a welcome windfall. To that end there are several of us involved with eBay and Craigslist and Freecycle (Susan seems to be the queen of freecycle swaps!) who can answer questions.

Here is the summer 2014 thread and anyone wanting to read backward will discover that most of these are linked to the previous thread.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Aug 14 - 11:37 AM

This could lead to declutter if you do some swapping - Harbor Freight has great sales on the holidays and their web site has coupons. Over the Fourth of July I went by the store several times I got some free LED flashlights. When I got home the old D-cell flashlights were immediately dropped in the donate bin for the Goodwill.

This weekend they have some more small LCD lights free with another purchase. There's also a pair of multipurpose scissors that I need some for the greenhouse and garden. I would think twice before buying a cheap power strip, but glance down the page and you might be interested in the inexpensive reciprocating saw. I've watched for these sales because a friend of mine has one she uses in the yard - it saves a lot of elbow grease when trimming tree limbs or cutting up modest sized branches, old fence slats, etc. Linn, this saw is something that you in particular might find useful (if you don't already have one).

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: LilyFestre
Date: 31 Aug 14 - 12:45 PM

I love the recap Stilly!

Today one half cord of wood has been delivered with one more to go. There is a 16 year old boy who helped to unload earlier which was a nice gesture but I was kind of disappointed to NOT get my upper body workout in. Maybe I'll get it on the second delivery.

I was not able to make my weigh in this week as I was out painting the barn quilts (which a local business has now requested that I make so they can sell them..YAHOO) however my scale reads another 3 pounds down. Since the WW scale and mine are super close, I'm going to say that I'm officially down 26 pounds. YAY! I am most happy with that! My hope is to be down another 25 pounds by Christmas. It's doable and darn it, I am motivated! :)

On the decluttering front, the second yard sale never did happen...life got in the way and that's ok. I have several larger items that I will sell on one of the many Facebook yard sale sites..things like a train table, changing table, a backpack to carry a child while hiking (plus the umbrella for it), etc.

Gotta go...Jeremiah just asked me to do a workbook page with him.

XOXOXO

Michelle

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Aug 14 - 07:10 PM

I finished a circuit of shopping this afternoon and in the process I finally found a place with a good dog food brand that actually has three varieties that I can give to my chocolate lab. He's allergic to wheat and chicken that is so commonly found in most dogfood. The other dogs will eat anything, so I'll probably switch all of them to this one variety. I'll introduce them by mixing a little in with their current food so they get the taste of it. Who knew - the store is Tractor Supply.

While I was at it I found heavy-duty feed grade 2-gallon buckets to replace a couple of whimpey plastic buckets that are cracked and ready for retirement to the greenhouse or recycle bin. The dogs now have a new steel bucket for water (replacing a galvanized tub that has started leaking). There always seems to be a need for containers in the greenhouse, and they don't need to be watertight. I'll see if there is anything out there that can be recycled because I do try to send as much out of the house as comes into it these days.

Chopping veggies for the freezer this evening, then more eBay listings. Nice to have tomorrow off so I may put in a movie to watch while I'm doing all of this and work late.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: mg
Date: 31 Aug 14 - 07:41 PM

i AM going to round up every bit of old flashlights, parts and all, and check all the old batteries at work and home to see if any have a bit of charge, put them all in a bag and put in the free bag at the gift shop. I need good, dependable flashlights because I walk on a dangerous road at night. The ones that were best had the batteries locked in and were called fireman's flashlights or something like that. Easy to hold and long-lasting. I want more but stores seem to not stock them. Any ideas...they are designed to fit in your hand, sort of rectangular.

I am also going to add the tupperware diet to my evening food intake..just chop up allthe food you should eat for a meal or two, put in tupperware and eat like a forager..get those extra vegs and fruits and add some meat and cheese and nuts and bed of lettuce, kale spinach etc.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Aug 14 - 08:15 PM

Mary, I stayed with friends in June (that impromptu stay in the Davis Mountains when my transmission was being rebuilt) and they have a lot of power flickering and occasional outages. I realized that they have switched to the most efficient flashlights (LED are now quite bright and they last a long time because they only produce light, they don't waste energy giving off heat). I've been able to participate in sales to get a half-dozen small lights to replace the clunky ones. My power is more reliable, but there is no reason not to also have a good supply of emergency flashlights.

The bucket swap has been accomplished. They're very pretty - these farmer's buckets come in bright jewel tones.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 07:55 AM

Good recap, SRS.

On the Hoarder TV shows, "I will use this later" means "I just want to keep this. "The janitorial service, which I called for help to do the heavy cleaning that went overdue after surgery recovery took longer than anticipated, seems to have us confused with the TV shows because on the day they saw the house for an estimate, I was still in mid-move-mode. They didn't seem to believe that a master plan was being executed-- 1/3 of the items in a 3-fam house going to furnish a 1-fam house. But we ARE using all the items I have carefully collected-- this house has been my hope chest!!! And there is a lot of dust and dirt under the stuff being removed that just "needs cleaned."

Problem is, time's running out on days before MIL arrives. The janitorial service referred me to a housecleaning lady who is apparently away this weekend.... more phoning to do.

OK. Recast job needed. Describe to new personnel in sq. feet and actual needs.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 08:17 AM

I had someone helping me for a while when the kids were little and I was working and in school. I opted for a "baseline" level of work she could help with. She came over every other week for four hours (we scheduled it so she would already be in the area because of another job to save her gas) and she took care of the floors, washed down bathrooms and the kitchen. We did our rooms ourselves, but to simply have someone come in and regularly run the vacuum and mop the floors was a luxury. Alas, she became ill and stopped working and I never went through the process of finding someone else I liked to do the same work. My sister has a service that sends a crew one morning a month. Though she is a busy executive type, she spends that morning at home supervising on general principals because she doesn't know these people.

Susan, something that occurred to me as I was shopping buckets yesterday was that these two-gallon buckets are actually about a gallon smaller than those flimsy ones I was replacing and they'll be good because they are quite easy to lift when they're nearly full. It seems that some of the standard sizes of accouterments for jobs around the house make jobs difficult because they're not to scale for the strength of the users. I still lug around all of the heavy buckets and boxes and tools, but I might work faster and more easily if some of these things were a little lighter. If you're still fighting with some of the "stroke brain" things to do with dexterity or strength when approaching these jobs as you move, take a look at some of the non-standard sizes I found at Tractor Supply. It means taking buckets meant for feeding horses and using them around the house instead. But heck - they're much prettier than the old Rubbermaid variety, and they are very sturdy.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 09:27 AM

Just don't make my mistake and buy buckets that are not wide enough to accommodate the business end of your floor mop.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 11:09 AM

We have no moppable floors. I have no pretty buckets. Issue is back, not buckets.

Also in our recap it is very important to know that what Hardi and I (and the doc at that time) thought was stroke brain was HYPOTHYROID brain, and that a relatively recent diagnosis 50 years after its onset is a daily issue of adaptation for me. Thanks to the new doc, I have all the energy in the world now and a clear mind to go with-- but my spine is fried and very fragile. 353 pounds of hypothyroid weight became 300 with the fall 2012 surgery, and thanks to the meds it is very easy to stay at that weight and lose slowly-- but again, the spine is the issue with activity level.

And today we discovered that quarterly meat sale is next week-- a huge amount of spine-stressing work in CLEANING WEEK.

So today we do what we can and then vamoose to a day AWAY. With a possible new bed to pick up along the way.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 11:17 AM

That's great about the new doctor and a proper diagnosis!

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 12:21 PM

I've been posting abt it for quite awhile. It's everything.

~S~

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 12:25 PM

It has been several months since you were discussing it, though, and I think "stroke brain" just got stuck in my head. It is, unfortunately, a catchy concept.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: LilyFestre
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 04:29 PM

I added to our stash today instead of removing BUT to be fair, we frequently use our toaster oven for toast and baking as I don't like to heat up the house with the regular oven....so anyway...you know things aren't built to last anymore. With that said, a good friend of mine posted a convection oven on one of the yard sale sites for $35.00. She had it for maybe 2 months while their oven was being repaired and then repaired again. I did some research about the quality, read the reviews, checked the prices and it normally sells from $120.00 to $145.00ish. Because she's my friend, she gave it to me for $25.00!!! It is in mint condition and I will store it away until our current toaster oven gives out. The new one came with several pans, a rotisserie, the manual and a pizza stone. Very cool and I am most happy. While we were there they treated us to stories about wildlife they encountered while living in Alaska for a year and then on the way out, the husband GAVE Pete a BRAND NEW truck tire (the size Pete uses on his truck....which are extra heavy duty to accommodate the firewood we lug around) and the rim....well over $300.00 worth of tire...and he just gave it to Pete. They had been trying to sell it for awhile and then got rid of the truck it had been purchased for (to use as a spare on their way back here from Alaska) so they just wanted it out of the shed. SCORE!!!! :) We have no need for it right now but there will come a time when it will come in handy!!! Then we went out for lunch and the best ice cream of the summer for our Labor Day treat/outing. We are now in for the day but have some catching up of things to do around here and then it's back into the regular school year routine. This year Jeremiah has to be there a certain early hour and we are all doing our best to adjust.

In other news, I swept up enough dog hair last night to make two small dogs, did a few loads of laundry and picked up in general.

Tomorrow I am getting my hair cut so that it actually has some style, highlights and a teal streak. Happy Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month to me! :)

Love to all,

Michelle

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 04:32 PM

One cleaning woman wanted $20 an hour! The going rate here is half that plus tips. Fortunately a friend's helper is coming tmrw AM. It's abt 700 sq feet but because the celings are so high the vertical pix n kitsch make for mucho dusting.

Subject: Declut
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 09:26 PM

So I decided that since the Ohio house is about 1,000 sq. feet x 10' ceilings, which so far I have been able to keep clean when there-- except that there has been little or no dusting (central air = few shelves/horizontal surfaces/decor) and it's been too lightly used to vacuum the master BR-- that this 700 sq. ft. x 11 foot ceilings in PA can be my "training wheels" to get up to speed on being able to clean ALL of the Ohio house on my own, including vacuuming all rooms and dusting in all rooms.

I have a schedule/plan for each of the 5 possible cleaning days before MIL arrives. I have a paid helper for some of tomorrow and another day or days to be negotiated tomorrow-- and a few calls still to get back on other helpers in case tomorrow's can't schedule another time when we're here to help.

This AM:

Hardi and I took down all the uber-dusty, pretty, FRAGILE Priscilla curtains from LR and D... 7 pairs. A dry cleaner mistakenly washed them... and dried them too hot and damaged them. They're a cotton-poly blend, with the poly dryer-burnt just at the melting/curling point, i.e. to the point where I dare not wash them again. But I CAN run them thru the dryer one at a time on low, with dryer sheets to freshen them and get the dust out.

He also began decluttering his stuff in the DR-- bit of a packrat, the dear-- and by both our efforts the last of the Ohio boxes left the LR this AM along with a few loose items (floor lamp, a curtain panel matching one in Ohio, a couple of folding chairs).

We rearranged some upstairs-- where his tall BR dresser had been till it came down to the LR, now sits a lady's dressing chair, in a corner suddenly devoid of bedding and nighties that had piled up. A place to oil itchy legs YAY! We changed the king bed, and that netted me a mattress pad for the camper in Ohio also-- there were two on the bed for softness after surgery, that I do not need now that nerve tissue where I lie down has regenerated as much as it's probably going to.


Whew! TBTG for cell phones-- all of the afternoon's calls and posts happened while we got outta Dodge for a few hours and had a MUCH-needed picnic.

Tomorrow, the LR loses its nursing home look.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 09:49 PM

City:
Got back to the city about 6 pm and R managed to come home and we went out for a supper with very little interference from the phone. Now peacefully at home: R reading Stephen Pinker - almost to page 650!

Saturday was busy with "Maynooth Madness" which included a parade, highland games, a special art show in the municipal gym, the farm market. (I did not have a booth this week.) VERY busy. Then I went to the Art Gallery opening in Bancroft and connected with friends, part of the community centered around the gallery and my status as a new volunteer. Saw the art of a couple friends at the newly opened "A Place for the Arts" and delighted in the incredible progress in their abilities. Then back to M to visit with friends in various places and then to a potluck in the woods and met new people. Bed by 10 - exhausted.

Sunday was the big Dragonfly meeting and it went well, with the use of a talking stick. An agenda was developed for the meeting on 12 October (Canadian T-giving weekend). I did a "first": drove someone to the beer store and back. It gave me an opportunity to talk with him, emphasizing the importance of sticking to NOW and forgoing ancient history, of looking at the best possible ways of moving forward rather than getting bogged down in recriminations. It worked. I sure was uncomfortable driving an alcoholic to the beer store! He was sober for the meeting and behaved well.

A rest was in order after. Then two of the group came by the house for a visit and we talked about the way forward and other things. Another early night!

This morning, I got an early start and popped in to visit friends who were at bf. I had hoped to see their daughter but she had already gone back to the city to get ready for teaching on Tuesday. Now I was off track for the next chore but I wended my way south and bought a map of eastern Ontario! I went to look at the 1982 Westfalia van. R had talked with the owner about mechanics. I looked at the body and interior which are amazingly nice - fairly new upholstery and paint job. So I waited while R and the owner conferred and gave him a deposit. Now we must figure out how to transfer ownership etc. It is 4 hours from Montreal! I am thinking I would like to have an Ontario address and register and insure it there if one of my friends will share their address with me. Of course, then I would have to change all my other ID; that could be complicated. This requires thought by an uncluttered brain. Tomorrow, maybe.

Coming back to Quebec - I did not want to. I would be happy never to see Quebec again. I have greatly complicated my life by re-connecting with my life in Ontario. I, too, need to seek the best way forward.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 09:58 PM

Too bad about the curtains - I'm glad you're at least able to get the dust out of them with the dryer. That's a careless mistake for a commercial dry cleaner to make.

I nearly put my eye out this afternoon while trimming with the weed whacker. I usually wear safety glasses and I forgot (I wear regular glasses, and have to remember to change them out). POW! in the corner of the eye with a chunk of grass stem. I am okay, and I immediately headed into the house for goggles.

The garden is looking good now that I pulled out tall grass and spiderwort, and trimmed pathways between some crops. I need to cut up some peppers to freeze this evening, and tomorrow I'll pick a couple of eggplant to take with me to work. I accidentally cut down a poor poblano pepper plant that had been transplanted a couple of times and was covered in the grass. I have two other plants and will try to coax them into a fall crop.

Washing a few dishes and an early night.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 11:35 AM

At sunset last night I made a few passes in the back yard with the mower to trim the grass in a zone out to about 15' out from the house. I don't water the entire yard, but I keep this green for the dogs. It looked lovely this morning at dawn. Yesterday I also ran the long hose back to the compost and watered for an hour or more to get it working. A wheelbarrow full of moist green weeds yesterday is what will help it start cooking now.

Still bringing lunch from home this month so I assembled some meal-like materials. I still have a bit of shopping left to restock the freezer for this month. It's still hot here, in the mid-90s during the day, but the quality of the light in the morning and evening is different and I'm beginning to feel like loading up on things that require longer cooking. Crock pot meals, braised and roasted meats, and baking. Mmmmm! I was officially "over" summer about two weeks ago. Now we just endure the last few hot weeks and pay happy attention to the signs of cooling and the arrival of fall.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Rumncoke
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 02:48 PM

I made a start on the sorting of yarn - oh boy is there a lot of it.
There are unfinished projects too.

I thought that I had bought two bins, but I found I'd bought one large and two smaller ones.

I should have bought lots of them - I might go and see if there are any left in the shop. The smaller ones are actually the better option, as I can move them when they are full - unlike the large one which is just too heavy.

I have some large clear bags for larger amounts of balled yarn - enough for a garment, the bins for cones, but a lot of stuff was left in the black bags - oddments which need further sorting   

I think I'll see if I can get a folding chair up into the roof space - then I can sit with a bag on my knee and sort through the contents to separate thick, medium and thin yarns. This is going to be my project for the cooler months, I can see.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: LilyFestre
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 03:34 PM

Fabulous day here...got my hair cut, highlighted and some teal streaks added. The streaks were placed on the side behind my ear...doesn't show as much as I'd hoped so my stylist sent the teal coloring home with me so I'm going to have some fun time!!! *GRIN*   I'm off to get dishes caught up and anything else that requires much water as we are supposed to get a doozie of a thunderstorm shortly and I like to have all that washing done. Even if it doesn't storm and we don't lose power it will be nice to have it done! Tacos are on the menu for dinner... I have 2 bottles of Pete's favorite beer in the fridge, some of Jeremiah's favorite kid coolers (a treat around here) and some Beringer's is chilling for me....just enough for a nice glass later on. Yum.

The heat is oppressive today and I have the AC on in the kitchen and 6 other fans circulating the air around so at least there is some movement. Since my instant menopause status and the meds I take, I just don't tolerate the heat well....especially not hot, stagnant air. ICK.

I'm off to do the dishes and get my little man from school!

Later Gators!


Michelle

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 03:51 PM

City:
At the 5th grocery store, I finally managed to obtain choc chip mint ice cream. R finished what was here while I was away - and ate not much else at home! I had been trying to get the frig uncluttered but the bargains at the 4th store ... I shopped from about 11 to 2 so I have had a bit of lunch and am recovering. The heat and humidity are oppressive. The AC in the house is struggling. The K is impossibly hot; I will try organizing in "The cool of the eve" - if it ever comes.

We spent some conversation time this morning trying to get our heads around the logistics of our "new" van. Another complication in our lives. Where to park it -NOT in the city! I am hoping for up in Ontario in someone's safe yard. Then we can cruise northern Ontario for starters - a sort of getting used to it trip. It occurs to me that $4500 would pay for a lot of motel rooms. I hope the sense of freedom is worth it.

I am not doing a very good job of de-cluttering any part of life right now. I can say that I am feeling healthier, stronger, and happier, and my weight is not increasing.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 04:41 PM

Helper Amber today was a dream. Young and energetic! We slew much dirt all around the dirtiest parts of the downstairs-- the perimeter full of dog hair and dead flies, many widowsills, and furniture set against the walls. Fam portraits down from walls, wiped, replaced. How dirty? Backs as filthy as fronts. Flies inside the glassed and matted frames. Ick!

DR rugs removed and rolled for move to K.

Bathroom woodwork and several louvered doors. The pre-wetted cloths were GREAT.

Thursday she returns for finish polishing and moving furniture while I vacuum rugs. Before then I will stage each horizontal surface and lay fresh rugs in DR and kitchen. (That will kick up more dust for a quick polishing. )

About two bags of trash created.

On my own I de-grimed under the cat box and the inside surface of a very dirty front door.

~S~

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 09:37 AM

Yesterday I shopped and found whole chicken on sale for about fifty cents off a pound. Four of them are now seal-a-mealed in the freezer, three of them cut in halves and one of them quartered. Gone are the days when cooking a whole chicken would feed the household for a couple of days at the most.

Garden pests somewhat decluttered - it is a weekly process to spray or pour water with soap to knock out ants and aphids, and follow up with dry puffs of diatomaceous earth. A fall garden can make a huge difference in the amount of preserved food in the house. It's almost time to make another batch of pickles. Okra is beginning to bloom and I'm planning to eat it as it comes in, in small batches, probably coated in Zataran's fish fry and fried, a gardener's guilty pleasure. ;-)

SRS

Subject: Decluttering
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 09:55 AM

SRS (BTW), isn't this the first thread in the series that does not mention "declutter" in the title? I've always liked being able to filter-search up the list to review stuff-- any way to work it in?

===

Hardi has still not set a retirement date so it's still a few years off, but as we move some of the kids' stuff down to our retirement house in Ohio (vacay hse til then), their rooms are starting to empty out. I'm mindful of past landlord/tenant experiences... I always ran a "good stuff to know" list for the owner/next occupants, because there are many things about a house that you can't really understand until you've lived in it for awhile.

So I've asked the landlord's family (it's a fam-owned set of extensive farm holdings that happens to have as many houses as there are now adult sons) what the long-term strategy for this house is as I start that list-- and as we contemplate which appliances we might leave here... there is some duplication with Ohio-house appliances so I'll need to know ahead what to take, sell, or leave.

An example for the list-- after the 2000 fire the wiring in part of the upstairs was never replaced, so two rooms lack electricity. The rest of the upstairs outlets have wiring, but need the outlets themselves replaced. The landlord might remember that the two rooms "need wired," but might appreciate a heads-up on what won't be obvious till a new occupant tries to plug in their electric blanket.


My body must know things my mind doesn't know yet-- because my instinct is to start that list. It's like nesting before the baby arrives only in reverse-- I'm instinctively de-nesting.

~S~

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 10:49 AM

The title change was a bit intentional. I always trace the threads I know I want to visit again, so it pops up on my home screen. I hadn't thought about how people might filter these threads other than to tag them when they first turn up.

The daily temperature is still pushing to the high-90s, but the mornings have a *hint* of fall in them. My garden is starting to rouse itself and the fall crops are growing to fill places where spring crop plants have been removed.

Another eBay item listed and a couple of them have watchers. I was up early today and had time to put a new set of doll furniture up since I'm using a template for these that requires very little adjustment with each new listing. In the corner of the sunroom there is a file box full of padded envelopes awaiting their turn in the U.S. mail.

SRS

Subject: Decluttering
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 10:58 AM

I Trace 'em only as long as they're current, otherwise my Traced list would be way too long. I try to keep it Decluttered! :-)

~S~

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 01:10 PM

City:
De-cluttering my life by no longer going to the writers' group. The trip to the country on a Tuesday seems an added nuisance what with the 5 hour trips to Ontario. Plus, I rarely understand much and, although I like the people a lot, one of them is incapable of being quiet and her chronic comments add to my failure to understand. In my mind, I am no longer in southern Quebec. I will finish my commitments there at the end of September. In my mind, I am in Ontario. And, perforce, in Montreal.

The logistics of the new van need consideration. The logistics of Dragonfly are "not my circus, not my monkeys!" but I will continue to be supportive and see where it goes.

R just brought a piece of plywood for the K floor and that is a big improvement. It covers the section that has been deteriorating the worst. Such a shame. This would never have happened had there not been powder post beetles in the NON-kiln dried flooring. He thought he had beautiful cherry floors and, for a few years, he did. The ineradicable beetles have destroyed the floors, joists, probably studs.... That is why the reno is so major. Not going to happen soon.

Today I am gradually sorting out the frig and top freezer. There is more space and I will cook some and freeze some of yesterday's bounty. Beautiful breezy day with low pollution so I have doors open and am able to do some work in the back yard and in the studio.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 03:17 PM

I posted but it apparently didn't stick.

Dorothy, re: the writers' group, is it your hearing, or the room acoustics, or the level of conversation that is the problem? I loved going to a group for years, until I got too busy (being a writer). And too too bad about that lovely floor. It sounds like those beetles are going to bring the house down.

Just back at my desk after another going away reception for a departing librarian. They're going at the rate of about 2 a month. The university powers that be must have noticed something is terribly wrong here, but the first step to fixing it is getting rid of the dean who dismantled our wonderful institution.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: LilyFestre
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 05:06 PM

Dorothy,

   That is my current motto: Not my circus, Not my monkeys. :)

I the first part of the day working in the kitchen and the second part at a friend's house catching up as she has been travelling extensively over the last few months. She made an awesome lunch, very Weight Watcher friendly that was both beautiful and yummy!

We had a great time! Bonus? She taught Jeremiah how to use a scooter and then let us borrow hers for an upcoming trip!

Next up? Yoga. Simple stretching out. Ahhhhhhhh.

XOXOXO

Michelle

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 09:20 AM

Last night's bread pudding took forever to set up in the roaster, but I had a bowl for breakfast and it was wonderful.

I'm loading up a lot of parcels to take with me to work today - 3 pounds of cucumbers for Dean for more pickles, six 4" vitex transplants for co-workers, and returning library books. I'll look like a bag lady heading up to the office today.

The days are still hot here, but there is a shift in the quality of light in the mornings now that tells me autumn is around the corner. Maybe it is the sun passing over and through the tattered leaves of the woods across the road. In spring they're so fresh and green and the light comes through accordingly, but now they're tough, darkening, some of them crisp from heat and ready to fall. The light that passes through those is more sepia, warmer, a different wavelength that registers in my brain.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 10:53 AM

Mango chutney and peach jam are on today's agenda, thus clearing the kitchen of a great deal of ripe fruit. It occurs to me that, each summer, I use something like five kilos of white sugar in August and September, and less than 500 grams over the rest of the year.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Rumncoke
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 12:05 PM

I went out to pick up the meds for my husband and went across the main road to visit a charity shop. I found five 'old willow' pattern small plates - the same as the set I had and only one of the small plates from that is left. They are the same make and identical, so now I have the six again.

I do have a posher set of 'Eternal Beau' pottery, but I like the old willow pattern for every day.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 03:24 PM

Down 2.2 this week! :)

I'm off to put groceries away!

XOXOXO

Michelle

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 04:16 PM

City:
I think the beetles are now confined to the K area though I don't know how. I have decided that this house is also "Not my circus..." A great mantra!

I am delighted with my plywood floor. R somehow managed to trip and turn his ankle last night. MAYBE he will come home with a saw and do what is necessary to make it safer for him. I carefully step in the right places!

Today I have worked in the back yard for pieces of time, rested, then gone at it a bit more. Actually making a difference. However, when I decided to move the poor rhubarb to a sunnier spot, I could not get the shovel in 3 inches! All gravel and no soil. Where it is was good but now, thanks to Manitoba maple, is too shady for it and for the herb bed as well. Not a chance the tree will be cut back soon. The whole yard is full of gravel from when it was a horse stable. Grass and creeping jenny do fine. Someone worked on the two side beds - both now shady. Thinking.... Maybe when R comes home with a saw, he can get rid of some of that tree. Maybe I will bring a pick back from the mill and sieve enough soil to make the sunny area useable - with added peat and manure. A COOL day project.

Getting hotter again so AC is on but I can go out for short times and come back in and cool off.

Going to start a pork roast with veggies. The K is closed off from cool part of house and door is open to outdoors. No exhaust fan.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 05:00 PM

I have to do some tree trimming this weekend, limbs leaning against the roofline in front. And the new reciprocating saw will be put to use to remove some cemented in wood fenceposts that no longer support fences. I'll cut them off just above ground level and use those (they are also the things used as landscaping timbers) along the fence to keep visiting dogs next door from pushing under the fence at a couple of places where the slats don't reach the ground.

Rum, it has been my experience that when I finally decide a set is so depleted that it can't be used, I donate what I have and then run across what I needed the next week at a garage sale. Never fails. You got lucky!

Making pickles this weekend. And jelly.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Rumncoke
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 05:55 PM

It was one of those fey moments - they must have been calling to me. I usually go to the clinic and back either on my bicycle and just whizz along, or saunter along on the most direct pathway - and today I did neither.

In addition, the plates were 50 pence each. I have seen them for far more, as it is one of those classic patterns which never seem to lose popularity.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 05 Sep 14 - 10:09 AM

City:
SRS: When I was environmentally poisoned in 2000, it created brain differences. I have trouble discriminating sounds - if there is more than one. Background music precludes me understanding much of anything. Movies are a struggle; R has to explain any finer points after we get home. If a person speaks to me directly, I can usually understand. If they put their hand on their chin, it changes the sounds. So do mustaches.

I hear too well and am hypersensitive to loud sounds, hence I no longer go to the cafe on Friday nights; since the beer and wine license, people speak loudly and so they turn up the music to compensate. It literally made my body physically hurt the last time I was there. I once had a brain damaged client (from hypoxia) who would come home complaining, "Those people on the school bus make my whole body hurt." I know how she felt.

My #1 son was bugging me about my hearing and told him if he spoke clearly and softly I would understand. He did; I did and he stopped bugging me. I can turn the TV up to no avail; the only way is closed captions, though I sometimes understand the CanadianBC news people. Temple Grandin explains the problem of auditory processing and discrimination in Thinking in Pictures. I believe it is a major cause of children with autism being non-verbal. If verbal sounds have no meaning because they cannot discriminate or process them, then how can they learn to use them? I have a book, Like Sound Under Water, which I bought in a grocery store bin; the name jumped out at me because that is how it often feels. A young mother explains how her, apparently non-autistic, toddler had to be trained to learn to discriminate sounds. She was fortunate to find this assistance.

Lots of people have trouble with auditory processing disorder (APD). I always had it to a degree but before the poisoning, I was a newspaper reporter for 6 years and understood easily. I was noted for the correctness of my reporting. I could not do that now.

The back yard looks better and I must have worked more than I thought because I am feeling it! R came home at midnight; I was in bed but awake. He came in and asked, jokingly, what's for dinner? I told him it was on the counter so he made himself a plate and sat on the bed to eat, telling me how good it was! When I phoned him just after 9, he had said he would be home "soon"!

I had almost an hour on the phone last night with my dear friend (1968) who is a rabbi in MD. This is the busiest month of his year - 3 weeks to Rosh Hashanah. It is uncanny how I think of him most at the time he is busiest. I had left him a rather plaintive, "I miss you" message a few days ago. We caught up.

Time to trim a few pots and and go to the mill. A two day craft show this weekend. The Roxham Woolgathering, at a marvellous old farm in the middle of nowhere Quebec. Hundreds of people travel 50 miles or more to come to the event!

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 14 - 10:43 AM

Thanks, Dorothy. I'm sure it took a while to sort out just what exactly was happening with your hearing after that started.

I'm hearing lots of people working outside, reminding me that I must mow parts of the front lawn that get sprinkler water and are now tall and green. The rest is dry and dormant brown.

I've managed another three-day weekend. There won't be another break till Thanksgiving. The cooler weather of autumn will give me more energy and I'll get more done on my days off (fall and spring are short here, don't blink).

Puttering today, and having lunch with a friend.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 14 - 03:43 PM

I stopped by the store "Tuesday Morning" today and found a lovely selection of holiday cards. They have some of the 3D types, with layers or attractive shapes added to embellish the face of the card. They were quite affordable - I picked up a simple card, 20 for $6, but some of the embellished ones were 10 or 15 for $6 and $7. Not overtly religious, with a good selection of "happy holidays" and not all naming a particular holiday. I've been using up cards over the years and am getting close to drawing down the backlog. I don't send nearly as many cards as I used to, sad to say I've lost track of a lot of people. I suppose I ought to Google a few of them this year.

At lunch today we had an inexperienced waitress. Lots of returns to the table with questions and a couple of mistakes on the order. I spoke to the manager on the way out, telling him we could tell that she's new at this but to give her more time. Jobs like this tend to just "click" at some point and become much easier. He said she's a college student, so she's probably busy learning new stuff all day long. I think there was a reason we were seated in her small section - they put motherly types in there who would be patient as she learns. That's okay.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 05 Sep 14 - 05:55 PM

Mill:
I am melting. 31C too hot to bother seeing what that is in F. Think I will go soak myself with the hose right in the building - where the roof used to leak so I know it goes into the concrete and disappears somehow. Cannot get to it outside due to large puddle. But first need to find something to keep bugs out as I foolishly left the portable screen door in the city. Supposed to rain tonight. Bugs know! So grateful for AC in car on way down!

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: mg
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 03:38 AM

Bugs are. Not pleasant. I have tree frogs getting in my toilet and shower..some say they drop down from vent..easy to catch..i dont mind them on occasion but dont want more coming..

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 08:29 AM

I have native toads and lizards and introduced Mediterranean house geckos around the house and in the yard eating pests. They occasionally get in and I can usually catch them. Sometimes not, and sometimes they turn up dried out behind some piece of furniture. More often I expect they find an exit.

Last night all of us had gone to bed and Cinnamon was asleep on her bed on the floor when she got up and stood by the door. I opened it and followed her into the living room where Zeke was eating something. Turns out he pulled one of 2 eggplants off of the kitchen counter. Busted by Cinnamon. Now I'm one down for the dish I was going to make, but I have more almost ready in the garden.

A day dedicated to generally decluttering, dusting, and vacuuming. And I've found a program I'm going to stream via NetFlix from the beginning.

Hoping for rain today. I'm doing my laundry early and will hang out on the line this morning. Afternoon showers are predicted.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 11:49 AM

I had two days of very energetic cleaning help and Hardi and I have been working very hard to do our parts. Today is divvying up the Meat Sale. Only one item this time needed to be cooked before freezing and I did that already. Most of the rest will go quickly.

The cleaner and I made a deal that when I get back from Ohio she will come every month to boss me around and team-clean with me, till I can do it on my own. Yay!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 05:06 PM

I've managed to lure the rain into the area. We hear thunder and have got a few fat raindrops. The radar says most of the activity is still in the next county to our west. I had one last outdoor chore before the weather - I have a long branch trimmer to trim some of the branches on the vitex in the front yard. I'm seeing ants in the house and I think they were climbing the vitex and coming in the attic vents. It's that time of year.

I was outside more than I expected to be today and could make up for some of the things I need to do this evening, but Susie called to invite me out to dinner. She's wanting something mild so we'll head over to a French restaurant with a mix of mild and rich to choose from. I'm craving some of their French onion soup. We'll go out around 7 and by then the storm may have passed.

Several watchers on the eBay items, and I'll keep listing more. I need to look around and get a little more variety. It's mostly just antique doll house furniture now.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Sep 14 - 08:57 AM

There is now a bid on one set of doll furniture. I think I've priced them pretty reasonably - I don't expect the final amount to end up more than the opening bid on most of them - so hopefully this will translate into more watchers and sales.

I have my first "schoolhouse" lily this weekend, and a couple of more stems sprouting. A friend at work gave the bulbs to me over a year ago. She said to plant them and forget them, they'd put up foliage then die, then come September when the kids are back in school, suddenly you'd see these lovely red flowers in the garden. The first has opened.

I need another cup of tea, and this looks like a good morning to walk the dogs. This is a "fasting day" in my alternate day fasting, and exercise along with the modified fast (one meal or a couple of light snacks totalling about 500 calories) is the way to make it work.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 07 Sep 14 - 03:45 PM

well this morning I had a garter snake in the bathroom. I went back into try to catch it, without letting it escape..but could not find it. A fish and wildlife friend from church came over and she could not find it either. I think it went back to wherever it came from and I am hoping it could not have slithered under door..which fits very tightly...oh dear.

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 07 Sep 14 - 07:38 PM

Besides getting stuff accomplished to cobble this place back together so it doesn't fall down around my ears, I've been using the de-clutter thread du jour as my support group through Tom's illnesses and my journey into widowhood.

Sorry I've been away for a couple weeks; I HAVE been busy.

And, after I read the end of the last thread and the beginning of this one, I'll actually post a few accomplishments.

Right now I need to put the almost-chicken-stew in the fridge to finish tomorrow evening, and take a drink upstairs, settle in, and read and critique two pieces for tomorrow's memoir writers group.

It's been a lovely and accomplished day. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow...

Linn

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Sep 14 - 10:23 PM

Same here. Things accomplished, and now a relaxing glass of Shiraz and checking in before heading to bed to read for a little while. I made two batches of mustang grape jelly this afternoon, clearing out the 2 litre container of juice and several smaller things from the fridge. I have batches of rice and of kung pao chicken to use for lunch this week.

I also finally found one of the longer running programs on television that streams from the very beginning via NetFlix. I have been aware of the program Bones but never watched it - I like to see a series from the beginning, to pick up the backstory and relationships. I watched seven episodes while I worked in the kitchen this afternoon and evening. I also made a loaf of bread during this binge of cooking and murder mysteries. Via disk I'm going to start watching The Big Bang Theory. The tasks I have been assigned at work are so colossally boring that that the others doing these jobs stream videos while they work. It's the only way to keep your butt in the chair and have something to focus on. Not the job I accepted when I was hired 17 years ago, and not the job I intend to do much longer if I can help it.

So, nice to get to meet new characters, this program has the same mix of drama and mystery and comic relief as the British mystery New Tricks. That works for me. A couple laugh out loud moments means they've really thought out the intricacies and can plan them in several directions. When did I ever laugh watching one of the CSI or Law and Order mysteries? None that I can think of. Though the Jeff Goldblum detective in Criminal Intent made me smile a few times.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumnal clearing out and fitness 2014
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 08 Sep 14 - 09:04 AM

I've only watched the first two seasons of "Big Bang Theory" but laughed my way through them and look forward to seeing the rest some time.

I haven't watched regular television since 1983 (when I couldn't schedule seeing one of the middle episodes of "Brideshead Revisited"), but my sister passes on full run of the show DVDs so I've learned the joys of binge watching. Loved "Boston Legal" and I'm currently through the first four seasons of "White Collar" which I've REALLY been enjoying.

Breakfast eaten, PMFF biz taken care of, I'll be off to my memoir writers group in about a half an hour.

Had what turned out to be a minor cat crisis this morning. Sabine has taken to sitting in the corner on the kitchen stove. I've been trying to persuade her that it's NOT a great idea, even if there are no burners on. This morning she was there (and in shadow so I didn't see her) when I took a pan off the front opposite burner to drain the pasta. Before I got the drained pasta back into the pan and onto the still hot but cooling electric burner, she started to walk across the stove and across that burner. She skidded slightly and, I think from the smell, singed some hair. I don't think she burned herself, but she DID realize that burners are sometimes hot. I sincerely hope this will dissuade her from perching in the corner!

She's been driving me crazy lately (and I shouldn't make it sound like an all day trip). She's 18, sleeps a lot, and no longer comes upstairs to snuggle with me on the bed. So when I come into the kitchen, she's very demanding and, understandably, wants to be petted, cossetted and cuddled. But she insists on being RIGHT THERE no matter what I'm preparing and fighting me for it. (Ever try to make a sandwich when the cat wants to sit on the plate, lick the mayo jar, lick the butter, stick her nose into whatever whatever you're cutting up to put in it, etcet etcet?) And then Rufus attacks my plate from whatever angle he can when I'm eating at the computer (as I'm really trying not to do, but it's not working). He doesn't even LIKE people food! And I realize exactly how close to the edge I've been since Tom died because it annoys me way out of proportion to what they're doing.

I hope I put both my patience and my vocabulary in a safe place and I can retrieve them both again some day...

Linn