Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: LilyFestre
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 09:20 PM

I cleaned out our medicine cabinet yesterday and also a tote of hair accessories I've had for what seems like forever. The sink/vanity has been cleaned up too. Also, our washer and dryer are in the bathroom. The top of the dryer had become a collection of clothes that hadn't been put away with a towel thrown overtop as the cat likes to sleep there. All the clothes have been taken care of, the shelf overhead organized somewhat and the floor has been swept.

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 09:15 PM

On kitchen fixtures, I argueably did the house a favour when I put my knee through the ceiling. I'd gone up to do some plumbing job, a badly corroded joint just snapped and somehow I slipped. We had soggy plasteboard coming down in the kitchen. Parents got someone in to replace the whole ceiling in there.

Before, it had 3 downlights and a central light but the chaps doing the ceiling suggested the row of GU10 spots on a bar. It turned out better and as I said before is even better with the LED bulbs in.

Kitchen btw is own room where the lights are turned on and off by sensors. Corridor is the other one. It's quite handy especially as we eat in the living room. There is no need to worry about turning lights on and off when carrying plates.

I also use a sensor in the living room. It's a cheap foscam web cam clone. Seems better at detecting occupancy. It just sends emails to a server that I managed to cobble up in Python. The system uses that as a motion trigger. It's main use has been to shut the lighting down if no ones in for 30 minutes. Pre LED, there were 4 x 60W candle, 3 x 60W table lights and 4 x 35W MR16 spots. It shuts things down to one table light (now 10W) on.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 07:57 PM

Jon, these lamps have rheostat switches so I don't usually turn them on full power. There is one large room with a high ceiling where they work well when I want to light the entire room. I usually use area lamps in zones.

I find I forgot about replacing bulbs in the fan fixture in the front room I don't go into much so I'll pick up more this week. The bathrooms and kitchen have fluorescent fixtures that I'm not ready to replace now because I'd have to paint the ceilings (assuming new fixtures wouldn't fit exactly where the old fixtures went).

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 02:52 PM

Blimey, SRS. I use the straight R7s 300W halogen bulb in the current outdoor flood lights but can't imagine them in an indoor light. Have you got really big rooms?

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 02:32 PM

This morning I moved some paint cans out of a lower kitchen cupboard and put them along the back of a laundry room cupboard where I can see the cans even after placing smaller items on the shelf in front of them. The thought is that I'll now remember where the paint is but it doesn't prevent me from keeping things used more frequently in the same space. I need to put a couple of sliding baskets on each of the bottom shelves in that kitchen cupboard so I can store small appliances that aren't used often.

I rewired one of two halogen torchiere lamps that needed new switches. They use the straight 300watt halogen bulbs and work well in a couple of rooms in the house. One of these days I also need to dismantle two non-working table lamps to see what type of switch they have (they're touch lamps) and replace those.

It rained overnight so no mowing the front today. No garden digging today either, but I picked up tomato bedding plants yesterday. The plants will stay in their 4" pots for a little while longer, the soil is too cold to plant directly but the feed store that carries this variety always run out by the time I'm ready to plant, so I have to shop ahead.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 12:28 PM

City:
I neglected to mention that the accused was convicted on all four counts of assault. Now we await the sentence....... We are glad of the conviction. With testimony by a judge, lawyer, court reporter, .... It would have been a serious mistake had he not been!

Today I am back to sitting here wondering why I feel blue all of a sudden. And that was before I wrote a lengthy email to the DF group re a negative situation in that community.

I have choices: sit here on computer and do, basically, nothing, drive to the country and get stuff done - that glazing and firing, go upstairs and throw pots. Door 3 sounds good. Thank you!

It is Sunday and R has dashed of to work - But it's Sunday!? Oh well. Door 3 beckons. I need a whole bunch of small stuff to fill the next bisque kiln - right now I only have the lovely big bowls.

You see, having written that, I will fill more need to do it.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 07 Mar 15 - 09:58 PM

City:
The pots came out good!! Not great but... As I packed them up, I realized there were only 6 plates and I knew I had made extra; what had I done???? I had glazed them and forgotten to fire them. If I have the energy, I may go back and try to gather enough for another glaze firing. I was still VERY tired today from yesterday and only did the bare essentials and came back to city. Did mix a new blue glaze to try in next firing. IT only took about 20 minutes - dif materials. The burgundy and dk Blue is attractive; I'm sure someone will love it. Watered plants well in case I do not get back for 10 days.

Got back about 4 and have been mostly on computer- except long phone call - very nice - and made salads for supper. R came home to eat, not having had anything since BF! Then went back to work about 8.

Watching Kijiji for frig - one for new house and one for Dragonfly. Ontario has a deficit of used friges as there was a program for people to upgrade to more efficient ones and the company gave a rebate. Need a stove also; it will come. Remembered to take cash from ATM for deposit on trailer in case we can go there tomorrow. Still really tired and brain not working that well.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 07 Mar 15 - 03:43 PM

We are going through LED conversion at the moment SRS. Part of the problem is that the old HomeEasy switches are not compatible and I'm working towards converting to LightwaveRF. My good deed for the household this year... I've only got as far as doing the bigest users. Kitchen had a row of 6 x 50/35W (mixed) bulbs in and I've cut that down to around 40W. For that room, and given all our eysights. I went for the daylight bulbs. We all really like this clearer light in there. Next project is likely to be replacing the 2 x 300W halogen floods outside. I have some of the bits now but am waiting for the junction boxes.


I've never been any good at selling anything. Hoard and give away on the very rare occasion that I find someone wanting something I've discarded is more my way. But that's just me...

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Mar 15 - 03:25 PM

patty, that "ask yourself if it gives you joy" question sums up my approach to what to sell on eBay. I learned something, now I don't need to keep it any more. Someone who actually uses or collects these things can take them off my hands - and it is REMARKABLE just what all you can sell on eBay.

I picked up a sock organizer that does that kind of "upright" thing for socks, but I use it to sort my seed packets instead. I am gradually building a pile of organizing materials that are not in use right now, and if I don't find a new use they'll probably be donated.

Over the past few years I have gradually updated the lights in my house to LED bulbs and today I made a big push to finish that job. Years ago I bought some halogen bulbs on sale that are still in their multipacks, and I may make a mixed lot of new and used bulbs and list them so low on eBay that someone will make a bid. That would free up storage space in a cupboard in my laundry room.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: pattyClink
Date: 07 Mar 15 - 10:34 AM

I did check in during the big server problem but Mudcat ate my post!

Main accomplishment on the declutter front was scanning and purging many files, shredding the sensitive stuff. Unfortunately it 'doesn't show' since they were all hidden away.

I started on the visible pile and got led down a garden path of health research, making one folder fatter rather than disappearing! But that's okay, it needed doing too.   

I read an odd little book by a Japanese lady: "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up". She's got some crazy ideas I don't subscribe to, but has a few very good insights to share.   One is to fold clothes so they 'stand up' in the drawer and you can readily see everything you have, instead of making little layer-cake piles. This is great.

A key concept she has is that as you sort your things, hold each item in your hand and ask yourself if it gives you joy. If not, thank it for its service to you, and bid it goodbye, then send it on its journey to a new home where it can be of use to someone else, even if it's at the landfill or recycling mill.   

Basically she uses this to thin the herd of things down to things she uses and loves, and therefore there is plenty of room in the house for everything to have its place.   Sounds so simple, hope I can eventually get there!

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Mar 15 - 10:29 AM

A nice weekend after a crappy week means I have so much to do and only two days to get started in. Top of this week's list, make the guest room habitable because my son will soon be home for a few days. I hope to have him sort and toss some of the stuff in there (his room is now the guest room since his sister's room is also my sewing and craft room and is too crowded for someone other than his sister to enjoy sleeping in there when she comes for a visit).

My reading room is full of the winter-time dog sleeping arrangements (they have a cot so they're up off the floor and feeling pampered). I have to set up a reading lamp because I moved the one that was in there to where I'm doing crafts. I have one that needs a switch replaced (I have the switch) that I can probably repair and move in there. It's halogen so it puts out a lot of heat with the light and I'm mostly switched to LED lights now, but it's what is here so I'll use it.

I must turn my attention to the front lawn. With the winter weeds it looks unkempt, like no one lives here. That was the state in Feb, 2005 when the house was burglarized during a work day. A neighbor spotted them and interrupted what could have been a much worse situation, but it still took over a year to recover from it. The sheriff could see that they pulled into the drive, walked across the lawn to the front door and rang the bell to see if someone was home. They then kicked in the side door and got electronics before being spotted. I worked at home more back then, and there were several times when young men (without mowers) rang the bell and asked if I wanted my lawn mowed - I realize now that until that point the house looked like a good target and I was in fact looking into the faces of would-be burglars. I've put up security doors since then, but I still don't want the lawn to offer up an open invitation to give it a try.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 06 Mar 15 - 08:29 PM

City.
YAY!!! going above freezing Monday - to Thurs at least. And not getting really cold tonight. This is imp because I have to turn off the heat in the studio to run the kiln. Today when I got there it was only a few degrees above freezing. I turned the heat on and waited for the studio to warm some before getting to work - had lunch, watered plants - pansies and geranium blooming!

Mixed a new batch of green glaze - took almost 3 hours of hard labour. Then I unloaded bisque kiln, waxed bottoms, stirred that darn midnight blue glaze as I have not yet found - not true! I think I can make a dif one but did not have the energy to do another glaze so I used the difficult one. I stirred and stirred and it seemed to go better today; I stirred and glazed and stirred and glazed - a whole batch of stuff.... - an hour later it had settled again and I said #$%^& but stirred it again because there was room in the kiln and I wanted to try some blue/burgundy pots. I had done a small sample and it was interesting... Then I did a couple with the fresh glaze. Finished loading just before 6.

Left the studio, cold, tired, hungry and aching. But the kiln is firing. Had soup and some home fries and choc cake and cheese. Too hungry to wait for cooked veg. Tomorrow I have to drive back out to open kiln and turn heat back on! Now, It is computer and TV - maybe a hot bath.

The little trailer/mobile pottery workshop is a go. We may be able to pick it up on the weekend and take it to the mill until time to take it to Ontario. It will be useful for taking a load of stuff. I am starting to triage what needs to go first.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Mar 15 - 05:03 PM

I carried a couple of bags of e-waste (old car charger plugs, various cables for electronics I no longer own, phone chargers, etc.) and deposited them in the e-waste recycle bin in the library. And I found that we do indeed have a shredder capable of destroying CDs and DVDs, so that stack has been disposed of. Those were old computer backups from when Symantec Ghost had you store onto disks, not onto an external hard drive. Times have changed! My final task was to destroy some old floppies. I'd already deleted the contents but didn't bother to format them. I simply destroyed each with a heavy duty staple through the case and disk, and those also went into the e-waste.

This weekend it looks like Saturday will be the nicest weather so I'll make a start in the garden, my primary focus to dig the beds for potatoes. If the lawn is dried out enough I'll mow, it's looking horrible right now with winter weeds popping up all over.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Mar 15 - 10:28 AM

One package in the mail (handed over to the mail carrier yesterday on our cold and sloppy snow day). That is banana bread for my son, hopefully arriving on his birthday. Tami, I'll probably mail your's early next week.

Yesterday I found a one-day online and in-store sale at Fry's, where I buy a lot of my for-fee software. They had several versions of Quicken with deep sale price and a hefty rebate. I looked at the versions and got the simplest one (no, Quicken, I don't want you advising me on my investing and I don't want to use the Intuit software bundled in some of the offers). After the rebate it will cost about $9. I've been meaning to update this for a couple of years. The old one still works, but keeps giving me error messages and they don't support it much. I never replace these every year, but I think I got about 5 years out of the last one, and that will do. I'm going to uninstall the old program before putting it in, and hope to not let it try to monitor as many accounts as it used it. It never let me simply delete accounts that no longer existed, which sometimes caused problems. I think this one lets you scan in receipts, which I might try.

On Saturday night I made a peach coffee cake, and I'm taking half of it to work with me today to share with others. It's very rich and not something I want to eat by myself, but it is a good way to use a pint of canned peaches. I won't can any this year, I did last summer and have enough to last for a couple of years.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 05 Mar 15 - 07:01 PM

City:
Got to the mill, loaded a bisque kiln, turned it on, had a nice lunch, thawed soup, phoned a potter I met on line yesterday and arranged to visit - about an hour from the mill but a bit closer to the city.

Drove to the potter's studio, via the good butcher where I picked up some all natural, and interesting, sausages - one has blueberries! - and grain fed, hormone free chicken breasts. The potter and his studio were fascinating, pots beautiful, studio post and beam construction with lots of windows, etc. We talked for about 90 min and then it was time to get back to the city before rush hour. I want to take R to meet this guy when we are crises free - well more so than now.

Four hours driving, an hour in studio, 1.5 talking, while standing. So much better than sitting here wanting to go back to bed.

Evidence that R came in while I was away, nuked a bowl of chili I had left in frig!!! Wow!

I had a nice healthy, mostly veg, supper. Dessert????? The rest of eve will be resting/computering/TV.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: LilyFestre
Date: 05 Mar 15 - 01:16 PM

I did a few loads of laundry this morning and took one sweet young man to kindergarten registration where he had fun and I now have a baseline for where he is academically...looking good!

To celebrate, we picked up some Chinese food at a local place where the lunch specials are large enough for two adults....so we are sharing and there will be leftovers!

I won't have to really do much cooking for dinner as we have leftover beef stew, left over pork chops and potatoes, left over veggies and now left over Chinese!

And Stilly, you are right....things will taste SO much better when I can smell things! *sniff* I'm not quite there yet.

Be well All!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Mar 15 - 12:39 PM

A beautiful snowfall of about 3 inches overnight - enough to completely cover the lawn and leave a white world, not one studded with the tops of blades of grass. I suspect a slippery layer under the snow, so am staying put indoors until it warms. Bright sunshine and blue sky.

Banana bread ready to put in the mail, assuming the postal carrier is coming along as usual. They really do have that all-season motto, but they may be a little later today.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 05 Mar 15 - 09:56 AM

City:
Leaving shortly for the mill. MUST get some firing done so I shall commute. Today a bisque and maybe do a bunch of glazing. Hope that I can find some energy once I get away from here and start doing something. No doubt this morning that the stress has gotten me down and it is so much easier to stare at the computer. Not that that is totally frivolous; I am finding ideas and info for dragonfly and sharing good ideas.

The trial should be over today and R should be getting a call about it - soon we hope.

NOW! out of here.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Mar 15 - 02:15 AM

Michelle, all of that great food will taste much better once you can smell it!

My chicken stew was delicious, but I didn't make pie crust this time, just ate it with a slice of buttered toast on the side.

I found more of my CV (academic resume) material online and have emailed it to myself. The fact that I can find it on a database easier than in a file drawer in my office tells you something. My materials are scattered around, and part of this declutter work has been to try to confine related materials to the same general area.

Benedryl tonight because of the histamine activity today, though I think the snow has coated everything for now and the pollen is stopped for the time being. Not gone, just on hold, alas.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Mar 15 - 06:24 PM

Laying low around here as Jeremiah and I have caught ourselves a cold. He seems to be just about through with it but mine is lingering and I am getting through my days and nights with some Advil Cold and Sinus. Works great but I can tell when it wears off very quickly. I did some dishes today, made egg salad for future lunches, made some black bean and rice bowls with added cooked carrots, cubed up leftover steak, some cilantro and sour cream was added when served. Tonight I am baking some pork chops to go with boiled red potatoes and a salad. Maybe some green beans or corn too. We'll see.

I can't wait to be able to breathe through my nose again.

Michelle

PS. Jeremiah registers for Kindergarten tomorrow!

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 04 Mar 15 - 05:40 PM

City:
Chili is almost made but in two parts - I will have to put it into my largest bowl to mix together, then into containers for frig or freezer.

But - I had lunch - cheese, shortcake cookies and some choc. Guess I better go make a salad. I was really hungry. Soup on hand is a better option but I could not even wait to warm that!

Then read my way through lengthy intentional community info. More to go...

Anyway, it was a sunny, melting day. Now it will get cold for a few days, then a few melty days. May yet see the ground!

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Mar 15 - 03:58 PM

I have another batch of chicken stock simmering in the roaster pan in the oven. This comes out best, and maybe I'll make another batch of chicken pot pie. The one last week was perfect.

More paper tracked down and shredded, filed, or corralled this afternoon. I'm finding duplicates to toss, making sure the one I keep is well-marked and logically placed. We're under another winter weather advisory so the dogs are in again and I need to keep all trash cans up off the floor or Zeke will toss them looking for food scraps, etc. Even the paper trash in the office. A couple of file folders are up off the floor, the contents stashed in a magazine holder on a shelf (keeping all of my published materials in one place so I can refer to it or pull out samples if needed).

Dance class tonight is cancelled and it was last week also, so I haven't missed the new steps and moves that she introduces each week.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 04 Mar 15 - 03:31 PM

City STILL:
Total inertia. Have not even eaten since BF - delicious ricotta/raspberrycrepes. Did spend a bunch of time on finding stuff to help Dragonfly toward a document of some sort that anarchists can agree on as a guide to giving some structure to a 35 year old community that staggers along. Lots of questions. Few answers. But a few of the younger generation pushing it along - maybe.

In the process, I went through a whole bunch of my docs and read quite a bit, deleted a number. Well, guess that was worth something.

As far as feeding that poor man! He eats out quite a bit so I have to have food that can be warmed/reheated at - well, sometime after 8 pm, as late as midnight. That's why soups are good. Often a salad with Feta/tomato/sweet pepper as I figure he needs the greens after a day of "a burger" or "McDonald's"... Sometimes he "had a big meal". If he is hungry, I can usually manage a pork chop, salad and stewed apples - veggies take too long. Last night it was "just a piece of toast and cheese and OJ". I used to cook nice meals - a roast something and veggies, then feed myself and hope he got home eventually. Most roasts do keep OK but not the veggies. My Dad came home for supper at 5 pm! Always!

Maybe I shall go put on beans for the veggie chili. I have not made that for a while. And I am sure not doing anything else!

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Mar 15 - 01:08 PM

Dorothy, make that man some comfort food! Split pea soup or beef stew or grilled cheese sandwich and cream of tomato soup on the side. Something to help him get that inner sense of well-being back into place.

Rum, I'm glad to see someone else has entire rooms dedicated to specific tasks! I have a sewing room and the sunroom is exclusively eBay and in the window, houseplants. It at least helps keep that stuff out of the rest of the house (except that I have some craft stuff set up on my dining room table right now).

Since daylight savings time is looming (next weekend, I believe), I've made a point of getting to bed earlier so the transition isn't too hard to recover from. I hate the time change in the spring.

Someone who posts only as a guest started a new "hoarder" thread that I'm going to dovetail into this one later on today. I've given notice over there so they know where to look for it. Might as well keep everyone with this kind of task on the same page.

I have dance class tonight but sleet and snow are due. I live only a few blocks away, but the walk isn't reasonable - it would either be through open prairie, crossing railroad tracks, and skirting a light industrial site, or walking part of the way beside a high-speed freeway feeder that has no sidewalks. So hopefully it will still be driveable this evening. (I'm assuming the instructor will be there all day and into the evening, but I should check her facebook page to be sure).

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 04 Mar 15 - 10:30 AM

City:
Rumncoke!! Hope for the best!!

R is totally stressed. He is running on something close to empty. He just keeps on because he must. Overwhelmed, he still negotiated the little trailer for me. Then dashed off to work, apparently with most of the possible helpers unavailable - and a ton - actually hundreds of tons - of machinery to move - with deadline approaching.

Me? I just want to go back to bed and cover my head. Prob what he would like to do also. I have a bit of a deadline also. Need to get those pots completed for my son's b-day gift and shipped before mid March.

Looking at the positive: Going up to 36 F today and again early next week - both here and in Ontario. Sugaring off time!

Since I am unlikely to get anything done here, I will check on road conditions - after last nights few inches. Maybe go down to mill and load the kiln and fire.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Rumncoke
Date: 04 Mar 15 - 09:53 AM

What can go wrong is leaving the ice cream in the car overnight. I have put it into the freezer to see if it can be restored, as it was fairly cold overnight.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Rumncoke
Date: 04 Mar 15 - 06:41 AM

A larger firm have contacted my husband's little partnership with a view to having some work done - they said they would pay, didn't do so by the deadline, but now some money has trickled through but it might be too little too late. If so they might close down and he will be retired.

This Saturday is the annual machine knitting exhibition at a local school, which I attend and have a whole room for doing demonstrations. It is great fun, but exhausting. I must prepare for it, starting today, though I have an unusual number of calls on my time at the moment - it seems that it is either feast or famine, never a steady flow of work.

Prioritise - that's the way to go. I went out last night and bought ice cream - what can go wrong now?

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 03 Mar 15 - 09:51 PM

City:
Computer slow as molasses. Me not doing much. Snowing out there, a couple inches so far. R came in from court, ate a light meal, changed into work clothes and went out. I have eaten enough choc and cookies for a month. Did some useful emailing, a lot of sometimes useful FB and had a 40 min phone call from a friend in Ontario.

This was terrifically imp to me because I did not get around to call her- afraid of choosing the wrong time. I am delighted that she phoned. We were once very close but not in the last 20 years or more. R and I visited her on one of our stays up there - because she had called our friends a couple times trying to connect. Tonight, we had a good long talk, renewing our friendship - which is super since we will be close neighbours. She is "content" with her life, her self. How wonderful!

Now R is home and time for the news.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 03 Mar 15 - 02:41 PM

City:
Thinking of how much worse for those in the South, these unusual - for them - storms are.

I was up to my wrists in clay, in the middle of the first pot after doing a bunch of clay prep, when the phone rang. Answer phone without drowning it in clay! R forgot the papers I copied last night. So I changed clothes, jumped in car, managed the bloomin' parking machine with the help of the guy who needed it next, and took R the papers.

I sat in the court room thinking they would soon break for lunch and, eventually they did. Then I realized I had not won the battle as I only had gotten until 12:17 and it was already 12:35. I dashed back to the car and -WHEW!- no ticket, put more time in it and rushed back to the courthouse. Searched all over for R to no avail so I came back to the house. He had had his phone off. As I walked up to the door, my phone rang; he had thought to turn his on and saw I had called.... I had really been looking forward to having lunch with him -otherwise why would I sit through a bunch of French... Oh well.

So I got a bunch of exercise! Now a bowl of veggies and maybe I will feel like getting back to the abandoned pot. Maybe not...

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Mar 15 - 10:18 AM

I got the tires sorted out, there was a nail in the one that had the slow leak. Simple this time.

We have another winter storm headed this way tomorrow, so I need to finish my running around and be set to hunker down for a day or two.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 03 Mar 15 - 10:09 AM

City:
Already 3 March! I still have made no pots. Like Michelle I feel like sleeping and eating. The house is the way the house is. Laundry and dishes under control. I have done some clay prep and took a another hot bath yesterday - if I am not going to get anything else done.... Also did some grocery shopping at Market - cheeses and organic apples and celery - and at a grocery store - mayo and other stuffs.

Begged R to consolidate papers from all over the LR. But this court thing is all-consuming. He came home about 5-6 last night and sat. I had made: celery soup so we had a nice meal; I served it with toast w Gruyere on the bottom and Ikea meatballs on top. We each spent time on phone in lengthy conversations - always good to talk things over with friends. I gave him custody of the computer which keeps him entertained. He found articles about the psychiatrist who is supposed to testify for the defense today - he has been legally stopped from practicing several times, and is highly controversial... I was delighted that my newly installed printer worked wirelessly and printed out the articles for him! YAY!

R has gone off to court. Impossible not to want to know what is happening. He is too worn out/stressed by this to go back out and move machinery after court.

This business of people dying is a toughie. People often do not want to face it and then afterwards wish they had.... Never forgiving oneself is a nasty spot. Where do we draw the line between pushing and letting the other be responsible for their own actions - esp when we are going to be the ones who have to live with the -"I should have..."

"Sometimes success is just getting the laundry into the dryer before the mildew sets in." (On FB this am!)

Now to get dressed and go to pot.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Mar 15 - 12:37 AM

Going through my book of various online accounts and finding that some of the very old ones don't exist any more. And if I can't remember what it is or why I joined, it's time to close or shred that account.

I need to bake a loaf of banana or pumpkin bread and get it in the mail near the end of the week in time for my son's birthday, coming up soon. And what I really need to do is finish sewing his small comforter. Maybe that would be a good thing for Wednesday after dance class, I'll be full of energy when I get home.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Mar 15 - 10:37 AM

Tami, I think you've moved since the last address I had for you. Please send it by PM or message me on facebook and I'll see about mailing this box to you this week.

All yesterday afternoon and evening I washed dog bedding. I also raked some of the icy stuff off of a couple of areas in the back and they did tend to hang out on that more. Now the ice is mostly gone but it is still cold and at that stage with a particularly viscous mud that gets tracked everywhere. I wanted the bedding to be clean so they are as comfortable as possible in their garage stall when I'm at work. There is an oil heater out there for them also.

My electric bill is going to be through the roof this month.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: ranger1
Date: 02 Mar 15 - 07:40 AM

Maggie, thanks for putting into words what I was trying to last night. Michelle, I never got to say goodbye to my dad and his body had been sent to the crematorium by the time I got there. It makes it all that much harder after they've gone. I hope all works out for the best.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Mar 15 - 12:27 AM

Michelle, Pete needs to say goodbye and to tell her he loves her. You do also. How you manage that, given your ability to cope with complex issues, I don't know, but I sure you can.

My mother was in the hospital and then skilled care nursing on her way to hospice when she died. I saw her a couple of weeks before she died, and though I had plans to fly back, I was a day late. The day that my brother and I each had to fly back home was so hard on my sister (who was in the room and her main care giver), when my brother and I had to return to our homes for a little while, because she knew we were probably saying goodbye for the last time. You have to weigh a lot of issues now, the needs of the dying and of the living. Good luck with this, and we're here if you need us.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: LilyFestre
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 10:26 PM

It seems that the bitter cold temperatures have thrown me into hibernaton mode. All I want to do is eat and sleep. My house has been a cluttered mess. I worked on it some today and it made a remarkable difference but I have some work to do.

I should be getting ready for bed but I am a bundle of nerves this evening as my mother-in-law was transported to the hospital via ambulance. While I have known that she has some serious health issues, I didn't know exactly how serious until today and even then, I don't have a clear picture of what's going on. She has cancer and a degenerative bone disease. Her spine is basically falling in on itself and because of this, the tumor cannot be removed surgically. She doesn't say much about it so that's basically all I have at the moment. However, her best friend called here tonight to let us know that Pete's mom had been taken to the hospital. Her friend said she had been vomiting and right away, I was thinking the flu and not wanting to take Jeremiah to the hospital where he might get sick but he friend said no, it wasn't the flu and quite frankly, there were surprised she is still alive. The doctors didn't think she would see Valentine's Day.

I didn't know. Pete didn't know. And now she's in the hospital and I am trying to get him to go see his mom but he says she doesn't like people to see her in the hospital and if she wants to be alone, he will honor her wishes. I respect that he wants to honor her wishes and I certainly won't go if she doesn't want to see people but I think Pete should go. Just to say that he's praying for his mom and that he loves her. He said no. I will respect his answer and her desires but I don't understand why. Family dynamics are strange in this family, as with many families and this is just one of those things I don't understand. In the meantime, my stomach is in knots and I am full of nervous energy so I think I'll go scrub the bathroom floor or something.

Feeling sad and nervous,

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: ranger1
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 05:40 PM

Correction - FOUR minutes faster than my time for the other race! And, due to some people not paying attention and going the wrong way, I officially finished 54th out of 58.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: ranger1
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 04:46 PM

Five mile snowshoe race is run. I finished 56th out of 58 runners, with a time of one hour, thirty-five minutes, and change. Two minutes faster than my time in the 4.25 mile race. Trail conditions were awesome, weather was amazing, and, most importantly, I had fun. Even with the steep ups and downs and the minor asthma issues. I will definitely be doing this again next year.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 12:42 PM

It's melting out there now, but if it hasn't cleared more in the next couple of hours I'll take out a garden rake and clear an area for them. I need to spend time in the greenhouse, organizing the hoses that are currently in a pile on the floor, and get equipment ready for the spring cleanup. The rakes and shovels are in the corner blocked by the hoses.

I found an old photo of myself doing a ranger program back in the early-1980s. One to scan and file before it gets lost. This office clean-out has yielded some great stuff that was buried for way too long.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 10:20 AM

City:
R has gone off to a funeral with bro and Dan; business assoc/friend, esophageal cancer., non-smoker.

Anyway, I guess I have a block of time to pot and a friend just requested a "heart bowl", so, just having gotten here, I think a stint at the wheel is a great idea on a cold, sunny day.

Someone on FB recently suggested putting down a tarp on a yard spot that you can lift when the critters need to do something - that is what caused me to suggest a tent. I have a wee "sun shade" tent, floorless, which I got for about $10 that would do the job nicely.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: ranger1
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 07:24 AM

It's all still snow here, Maggie. Hasn't gotten above freezing since...I can't remember. One of the coldest Februaries on record.

I was out on the trails behind my house for the first time in a while yesterday. They're all packed nicely and the dog was able to get out and run for a bit for the first time since the first blizzard. After he had his walk, I went out again on my wooden snowshoes and had a much longer, faster walk on my own. Even jogged a bit and realized that I am in better shape than I expected from all the lazing around I've done since the snow got so deep.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 01:53 AM

Dorothy, your adventures in real estate and wandering around the northern countryside finding things and meeting people never ceases to amaze me. And that was a great gesture with the mug (it sounds lovely)! I'd love to have a glassed in room at the back of the house (one with those insulated and louvered panes so you can block the light without having to put up blinds, shutters, etc.)

My office is at the front of the house so when cars pass I can hear that the street is still crunchy. The paperwork is paying off and I finally found the conference proceedings for another paper: through the process of elimination I have matched up most of the papers to the conferences where they were delivered. I surprised myself at how many of these I wrote (and attended).

Now to lure the dogs out the back door with the offer of a treat so they can take one last potty break. That is about the only way to get the pitbull to go outside in this weather. She simply detests the slick cold crunchy surface on the lawn.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 06:30 PM

City:
Tami and her snow shoe races! All I want is to stay warm!! It was alleged to be only 21 F today. R could not do much at work so we went to look at a storage shed - very cute wooden one (about 10x13) that he has ascertained can be taken apart and taken on flat bed trailer ( he has) up to Ontario to our new property to replace the falling down shed there. It will make a terrific pottery studio!! He got the woman down to $100! it will be a lot of work moving it and she escapes paying someone to remove it. But I dug around in the car and found a nice cobalt blue mug to give her. She was thrilled and asked where she could take lessons so we helped her with that. ALSO, they are ripping the one side of their house apart in the spring - because she does not want to go outside to get to the car - HONEST! We might be able to get the entire glassed in room (about 6 or 8X10 or 12), nice wooden garage doors and........... You would drool over her house - BIG, OLD, granite - about a million$ or more. And they want it bigger???? OH well! I get a studio and maybe a sun room...

THEN, we drove west of the city to Pincourt on the lake/river to look at the small trailer. about 6x9, it is just about right for a mobile Clay Play facility. Room for a table, two wheels and materials, insulated, plenty of windows so people can stand outside and look in, or come in and give it a try. The non-fun part was walking a couple hundred yards through lots of snow on top of the ice amongst the ice fishing community - humans really are crazy! The wind was biting! We were very glad to get back in the car.

We drove back to city via a thrift shop where I dropped off a large bag of shoes I had found this morning on the sidewalk near the house. I put on blinders - dashed in and dropped the bag in their bin and left, lest I should see anything I must have! Had some lunch and R is sleeping in a chair, waiting for a generator to be repaired so he can go move machinery. I posted on a special North Hastings community bulletin board site on FB about the mobile Clay Play idea to see if anyone is interested. R thinks my car can pull it from place to place BUT I do not do well with backing up with a trailer! I am hoping that friends with trucks will help.

I am ready got bed, myself.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 05:49 PM

Each pass through the files looking for CV stuff lets me thin out more old printouts of articles, printed email conversations to do with old classes, and early drafts of conference papers. There will be manila folders and other office supplies going into the donation bin this evening.

The poor dogs stagger around on the crusty surface of the snow in the back yard, but dopey Zeke is all energy and wants to fetch something. I'm afraid of a torn ACL if they start racing on that, so after one fetch we stopped.

The upper 2/3 of the eastern half of the US seems to be a sheet of ice (Smithsonian ran a graphic) today. Everyone stay safe, and Tami, good luck in your snowshoe race tomorrow!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: ranger1
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 02:27 PM

I'll happily take all 25. My broken ones can go to the recycle trailer instead.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 02:07 PM

Yes, these are the older sturdy standard jewel cases. I figured no one would want them so I didn't ask, but better to be reused before recycled. I have a box of around 25 of them. Is that too many?

Banana bread wrapped up and way out of reach or in the freezer. Laundry next, then vacuuming. Dogs in the house all day long for many days leads to drifts of hair in halls and near the back door. I'm not going to bother to scrub the limestone-colored tile in the living room until the snow is gone and the mud has dried.

For the moment, back to the CV. I need it for work soon and since I've gotten this far I'd really like to finish it (to this point in time, at any rate).

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: ranger1
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 12:27 PM

Maggie - are those CD cases the standard jewel cases? If you want to get rid of some, I'd give them a happy home and would reimburse for postage. The CDs that get a lot of use in the car tend to have busted up cases because the CD crate would go on the floor in the back if I had a passenger and then the 85 pound lab/hound mix would inevitably find a way to stomp all over it.

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 12:06 PM

Three loaves of banana bread are cooling on a high shelf so I can let the dogs back into the house on this frozen snowy (and sleet forecast) day. Comfort food. I agree, Dorothy, the products with the fewest ingredients are the ones I favor. Why, for example, buy yogurt with emulsifiers and gum thickeners? The point of good yogurt is that the culture makes it thick. I cook mostly from scratch, not because I save money (though I probably do) but because I know what is in the food.

I made progress in the home office yesterday when I discovered and cleared out old CD and DVD computer backups from 10 and 15 years ago. The cases will recycle and the disks will go to a shredder (since they are computer backups!) I have a growing stack of empty baskets and small bins that may or may not find a new occupation around the office or the house. In the flux of cluttered then clear, the office is relatively cluttered, but there are empty shelves that will soon house the things that are deemed useful and keepable.

I didn't make it to dance class this week - the times I could go are Wednesday evening or Saturday morning. I was home on Weds., could have gone, but was in the middle of something so decided to wait till today. But today the streets are a frozen mess. I hope she reviews well next week, I suspect I'm not the only one who missed out. I do have the music and the list of steps so I can still get some fitness activity by practicing at home. Now to make myself do it!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 05:35 PM

City:

I brought the working distiller to the city but left the cord at the mill, thinking I had one here. Found I had none - none that I could find, anyway. So this morning, the situation became critical for me as I was running out of distilled water. Trying to find a source in the city to buy a new one, I phoned a supplier in Vancouver, or maybe Vermont? Super nice woman, upon understanding the problem, said she would talk to tech and phone me. She did so and informed me I should be able to get one in a local hardware store.

SO! I moved out of the doldrums and into gear, went to the closest good hardware and the nice folks there quickly found me the needed cord. So happy, I went to the Market for cheeses and bought R a very small piece of an expensive one he particularly likes and picked up packets of curry powder and Ginger powder. I picked up two tubs of good cream cheese - for bagels - and when I got to cash, the nice woman suggested the other cream cheese. I told her I try not to eat chemicals - potassium sorbate in this case - and I was surprised they had they sort of thing in the store. She told me it was a mistake!

Then to a grocery for orange juice - and some other stuff; it actually had some super good bread marked down so I bought all 3 loaves for frig and freezer. Came home and got my fav (closest) parking space, put things away, started distiller and had a couple small pieces of "Muesli" toast with a not very exciting but nice cheese.

Not going to cafe tonight. R has a meeting and, with such a week and all that needs doing, seems a good idea to stay in the city. Hopefully, he will be able to function adequately and clear some stuff -- and his over-loaded brain - the most important de-cluttering of all!

Subject: RE: Declutter & fitness-Jan-Mar-Google Cache
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Feb 15 - 11:47 PM

The weather forecast changes every day - initially it was ice early in the week then clearing out, but it has been cold and wet and tomorrow perhaps snow again with the high not over freezing. I realize this is only the edge of someone else's huge storm, but we're finally getting some winter here in Texas.

I took a bag of stuff to work today that will go to special collections (the remainder of my old photos and files from when I was the media person for the library) and some electronic cables that I brought home to test a theory and am returning before they become part of my clutter. Tomorrow I have another bag, this time of e-waste for the recycle bin. I did bring one thing home - a copy of the book I worked on for the last few months. That will go in my CV as a design project. Apparently the CV is necessary at work for a grant they are applying for, so my timing is good, even if I was doing it for my own reasons and not theirs.

I have a couple of shelves with space that will be filled as I rearrange books in here. That is a task for this weekend. And for fitness, I'll be going to my dance class (I skipped Wednesday this week with plans to go this weekend instead - thinking the weather would be nicer by the weekend. Oh, well.) I'm going to sigh up for twice a week next month so I can learn the steps better and get more exercise.

SRS