Declutter and Fitness in early 2014

Subject: re-entry
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 10:39 AM

Back from the tidy little vacay home I set up, I arrived home to see all the clutter I've accumulated with fresh eyes after a very NONcluttered 2 weeks that felt so good. It's a lot easier to maintain that with one floor living and no TV!
,
So as bedtime sleep meds wear off, I'm trying to prioritize what I need to do next... after brekky n straightening the kitchen, I started with laundry-- clean clothes and linens for the vacay house-- and getting the pile of moving boxes we got just before I left (via FC) out of the snowy porch area so they can be used for packing items I listed while at Camp Ridgebury (CR). With the local Ohio radio on a fone app and no TV till evening break time with my honeh!

♥♡♥

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 10:15 PM

Sounds lovely. Have you ever thought of selling a fundraising quilt for Mudcat in the auction?

This afternoon I spent some time picking up dog droppings, and realized the grass was getting a bit too tall to find it all. After 2 buckets (it has been a while) I mowed the front lawn, swept leaves from the gutter onto the lawn to mulch them in, then mowed the back yard. After the back yard I picked up another bucket of droppings. All of that goes in the compost, by the way, and I commingle dog poop with kitchen waste so the dogs leave it alone.

I did a lot of other stuff today also. After cleaning out more boxes in the sunroom I recycled cardboard and plastics and took several bags to donate at the Goodwill. I'm going to spend some time in the car now and figure out how to program the locks - it is on the default setting that I don't like - as soon as I put the HHR in park all of the locks unlock. No way is that safe - in my pickup I programmed it so they did nothing, and I've found the instructions to program this one the same way. It has all sorts of great safety features, lots of air bags, a low tire pressure sensor, etc. And it has OnStar, but I won't be using that.

Aspirin at bedtime, to help combat the stiff muscles I know will be there in the morning. I can feel them begin to set in now.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: LilyFestre
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 05:49 PM

I haven't been doing much in the line of decluttering lately...mostly just keeping up with the household chores. Jeremiah has been pretty sick so I kept him home from school all week. He goes back to school tomorrow.

In the Fitness line, I'm just working on walking. I've got a schedule for the treadmill to keep me on target for the Color Run.

I've been doing a lot of sewing lately. Photos going up on Facebook later tonight or tomorrow of the tumbler quilt that is now at a standstill until I have money to purchase fabric for the borders, back and binding. I've started another quilt top that will be raffled off as part of a fund raiser for my Relay For Life team. We'll have it up at each community event we do and even possibly at a local restaurant that often has photos up from local photographers. The owner is on my team and even goes so far as to have a block party to raise funds...so maybe....we'll see. It's only going to be maybe 50 x 70....a good snuggling in your chair kind of size. The colors are deep, rich primitive colors...dark green, navy blue, maroon, a dark orange and several shades of wheat color and a little bit of a heather purple....I'm loving the colors...might have to make another one just for us!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 11:15 AM

I'm planning to make another batch of split pea soup this afternoon, though it isn't to ward off the cold, it's there for lunches and to use up some ingredients (I have some ham that I don't like as well as I thought I would served as a slice beside my eggs, but I think it will work well in a small dice in the soup.) I won't eat Lima beans either - but there are many other admirable varieties out there that taste much better. I use a lot of red kidney beans and black beans, and on occasion, pigeon peas (gandules).

Last week at work they had a monthly birthday cake and it was white, so I tasted and then ate a slice. I don't eat chocolate and I have to be careful to figure out if white has coconut - I think there must have been some form in it even though I didn't detect any flakes. My hands have cracked badly and this has made a lot of the heavy lifting difficult that I want to do this weekend. I'll use some of the steroid cream, wear vinyl gloves for a little while to help soothe and heal - and I guess I just won't eat any cake at work any more. They buy these from commercial bakeries and I don't have a way to read a label of ingredients.

It's a bank and postal holiday today but I can still work on preparing a couple of items for mailing tomorrow. And I need to continue the work to flatten and recycle a lot of cardboard around the house. And walk the dogs. And cook my soup and work in the yard. It has warmed up now, so I'm into my yard shoes and out the door.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Charmion
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 08:03 AM

Cold and snowing in Ottawa, not the kind of weather that makes me long for the great outdoors, but I must hie myself to the gym today nevertheless. Before the New Asthma Dope, any temperature below about -12C would make me cough, but now my main problems in cold weather are numb hands and frost on the spectacles. This week we're back in the deep freeze, with highs just nudging above -20.

Over the weekend, I made two large batches of soup -- one lentil and leek, the other bean and kale -- to take me through CET's next absence; on Wednesday, he's off to Petawawa for at least a week, possibly two. Life is much less stressful if the freezer is full of mostly-veg dishes that combine with a bit of bread and cheese for a filling, tasty, mindlessly easy meal that is also consistent with my diet. Cutting back on meat for the sake of both calories and my middle-aged digestion has piqued my interest in beans, only to discover that CET has "bean issues" -- life-long prejudices against varieties that I consider highly desirable. We've been married 15 years, and I just found out that he won't eat lima beans! Not fair -- that should have been covered in the Diocese of Ottawa compulsory pre-marriage course.

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 10:57 PM

Even if you didn't DO a lot Linn, you obviously thought a lot about things you have to do!

This afternoon I went to a visitation for a man who was at a Friends of the Library meeting I attended about 10 days ago. He died suddenly on Thursday. I wanted to give his wife a disk of photos I've taken over the years, and in particular there are a couple of lovely informal photos of the two of them together.

Tonight I cleared all of the little things off of the window sill over the kitchen sink. Marbles, paper clips, toothpicks, crystals, and tons of other tiny things accumulate in little containers. I'm the worst when I comes to saving letting seeds dry there - then remain in little plastic cups of all sorts. I kept the most recent batch and the rest will get one last chance because they're now in the compost.

I've also started tackling cardboard. I made one trip to the recycle bins today with the usual household stuff and tomorrow it will be flattened boxes, after I use what I need to encapsulate an old rusty anchor that I'm going to mail to my brother. It is probably something my Dad used with his Boston Whaler, and my brother has a boat not much larger than that. It's an old family keepsake and my brother should have it, whether he uses it or decorates with it.

In apparent anticipation of the anchor going out, my sister sent a box of stuff this week. She must have an endless storage room in her house somewhere - these boxes come a couple of times a year. This one had some of Mom's old 3.5" floppies that I copied to files and sent back to her via my dropbox file. It also has baby and children's clothes that Mom made for us and that later were used for doll clothes. The tyranny of the antique and the keepsake. Unless I'm going to tell my kids what they are and the stories that go with them, there is no point in keeping them. I'll make a point of sharing stories next time the kids are here together.

Dishwasher is running, I've about run out of steam. I agree with Linn - it's a good evening for reading.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 06:09 PM

Lazed around in bed this morning after making some tea -- almost finished Dave Van Ronk's "Mayor of MacDougal Street" (hope to later), checking Mudcat and Facebook with my iPad but mostly reading and listening to Dave Van Ronk and others at Pandora.

Guess I deserved a little bit of laziness after the tedious driving in snow yesterday. (And it was still spitting snow this morning.) It was gorgeous outside...but it felt more like a cocooning day rather than going out to clear the car and deck off yet again.

De-accessioned some stuff later (got to make a Goodwill trip sometime this week -- after my neighbor takes a look at the warm jacket), used rather than cutting up a box (that also works for getting it out of the house). Hacked away at clearing the floor in the bedroom. Emptied the dishwasher. Wrapped up another month transcribing my calendar/journal (but I'm getting close to Tom's last two hospitalizations and death, and I'm not sure I'm up for that that right now...), but didn't get back to finishing the index of Tom's freelance articles. I don't have that much left to finish up and maybe I can work on that and let the calendar sit for a little while.

But I did get the play list from yesterday's session posted on the thread.

Had a good, productive talk with an old friend. Not only getting caught up on his current legal hassles and life in general, but reminiscing about and reviewing some old (c. 1978) projects we'd come up with and made some new plans for monetizing a few of them.

Too late to call Tom's elderly cousin, but I think I'll call my sister.

Tomorrow I'll go down cellar and see if I've got 150 gray slate squares to do the bathroom floor, which needs replacing (it's just a well worn vinyl remnant now) before installing the new composting toilet I haven't ordered yet.

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 02:13 PM

Looks like fun, Michelle. Do you wear goggles to keep your vision clear, or are people pretty good about aiming for the shirt? :)

I did a lot of running around yesterday, hopefully finally have the right sized box for that chandelier and I have a mirror box to ship a small anchor to my brother. It came from my father's estate and I didn't want to leave it behind, and my brother now lives out at the same beach where Dad did, so it's his once I can get it to him.

I spent the morning searching and cropping photos after an email came out that a long time member of the Friends of the Library died suddenly on Thursday. The family visitation is today, the funeral tomorrow. I'll burn a disk of photos for his wife (and I found a few photos of the two of them together that are lovely) and give her this afternoon. I've put a few up for the marketing folks to use if the need to put a note about him in any library newsletters. I imagine there are quite a few people who will want to know about this.

So, I have some work hours accrued today that I'll take off next week. No working overtime now - that's my rule for myself. They're not taking advantage of my skills so I'm not donating any hours to them. I'm going to drive over to the visitation this afternoon very briefly - dress up a pair of jeans with boots and a blouse and walk in long enough to give Jeanne the disk of photos.

I parked the HHR in the garage (I need to keep naming it so I can remember what the darned thing is called! I'd never heard of them before last Friday - it is a Chevy knockoff of the PT Cruiser) and am astonished at how much room there is. There was six inches between the pickup bumper and the garage door. Now I have at least 4 feet.

It's a lovely afternoon here - I hope everyone else is having a great day. This evening I'll finish some of the dusting and mopping I started this morning, and I am going to make some runs to the recycle bin at city hall. I can't put everything in the car like I could in the truck. I was spoiled by the amount of space.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: GUEST,LilyFestre
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 01:46 PM

I am registered for The Color Run and did a mile on my treadmill this morning. :) YAY

I feel FABULOUS!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 09:05 AM

The sky is a monochromatic pale gray! Snaow falling so light that have to look closely. About half an inch. 24F. Due for flurries today and tomorrow then sun the rest of the week with the temp going down as far a 1F. Now our Jan thaw is definitely over. Sure was nice!

Feeling good today and hoping I can get myself into the studio before long. I keep in mind that I turned the heat up yesterday so it is already warm. Encouraging! Up at 7 am; love that! Finishing the wake up and face the world process. Cosy in bed with book and computer, not feeling very motivated to move on.

I did get it, finally!, that this heater blows right into my face so I got up and turned it away. An improvement! AND I thought to post my weight in my desk calendar - my latest effort to keep track. Used he pendulum the last couple days to determine the supplements - type and number of each; attribute improvement to this. Just one of the things I have been neglecting.

I tend to feel that I deserve to just enjoy my comfort. I have worked hard and done lots and now must accept that my body is no longer willing to do much of what would have once been "nothing" to me. I told my friend that I could put shingles on the roof of the wee house if it needed to be done. She thought not, emphatically. She is correct because my right arm would not be able to wield a hammer for long. Anyway, now people use air guns and I would hate the noise. Looking forward to seeing it tomorrow - a cabin in the woods.

Anyway, I shall start to feel badly if I do not get some pots made so.... soon. Want to focus on pots first, sewing projects later. Three weeks to next Farmer's Market.

Congratulations to Michelle on her latest endeavour - an encouragement for her!

And to Maggie for so quickly replacing the truck with a more economical vehicle. Happy transitioning! (One friend just replaced his truck with a car - everyone wanted to borrow the truck!) There comes a time...

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: LilyFestre
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 10:34 PM

I have been invited to a Color Run in June which is 5k. It's perfect timing and motivation for me to use the heck out of my treadmill to do some training while the weather is icky outside. I'm meeting my partner for coffee tomorrow morning to finalize the plans and send in our registration...I am PSYCHED!!!!   

Take a look: Color Run

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 06:54 PM

I've always found a made bed makes the whole room look better. Of course, the goal is for the whole room to be tidy... A nice goal!

Gorgeous day - but there will be no daffodils poking up until late March! I walked out on top of the snow crust to put up thermometer but when I came inside I realized the screen door would hit it so I retrieved it. Needs to be somewhere the sun does not hit. The solar gain in the sun room made it hot! Lovely!

The music at the cafe last night was good but the indoor air ... and my new filters have not arrived yet so I became less and less sociable as I felt worse and worse. Home by 10:30 and fell into bed.

I finally could no longer stand the suspense so, today, I weighed myself fully clothed. Delighted that 160 is close enough to the 155 I had gotten down to, so I can now strive from there. Today, when I regained sufficient consciousness to get up for real - not just because nature called again - I actually felt good! That was 8:30 this morning and now, at 6 pm, I am ready to re-collapse but shall persevere a while longer. My cough continues, my nose is streaming, my sinuses are alternately clogged and clearing (They have only cleared completely a couple times in my life.) My arm is tolerable as long as I am very careful how I move it. This is a very good day.

I washed my hair and trimmed it without looking - no mirror!. Used the same water to wash a few undies. Sorted through the sewing containers and arranged projects - iron on patches, hand mend, machine hem, new elastic/razor blade to remove old elastic. The scrap I bought for the little bench just too small - darn!; I shall wait until I can look at my fabrics that are packed. I did find a piece of foam to use! Can use one scrap to make a case for a heating pad to help with cold feet. May yet DO at least one of these little projects tonight.

Then went off to town (only 3 km) for waxed paper, stopped at library to return a book - this author is now on my "none by her" list, filled six jugs with water at the thrift shop, and stopped by the restaurant to see if my friend was there; we had a visit. And a trip back to dollar store for iron on patches; I have some - out there.... Looked for cookie sheet to no avail and I know I had it since we came here. Looked for good winter jacket to no avail. Did not look for extra bobbins ... Tomorrow. Out there is challenging to find anything, esp since the re-organization on Sunday!

R has not made it back down. Crises abound. Hopefully tomorrow. The appointment to see the wee house is Monday.

My one fuschia blossom is fully opened! They are so neat! This one is very pale pink.

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jan 14 - 01:47 PM

Second load of laundry is in, beds have been made through the house, and in the guest rooms I've covered the pillows so they don't collect dust since these beds aren't used often. I was reading one of those recent declutter lists that made the rounds after the new year and it said to make the bed first, to give the room a neat anchor to work around. I've always done that, just never articulated that it was what I was doing.

Getting back to alternate fasting. Today is a regular eating day, and I'm making a point of breakfast and lunch larger and a light dinner. This was a tip my physician suggested when I told her about the alternate fasting - that between two groups eating the same number of calories with the goal of losing weight, those who ate a smaller dinner lost more weight.

Much to do today, and getting accustomed to the new vehicle is part of it. I haven't finished reading the owner's manual for the new SUV - I still don't know how many gallons of gas it holds. I sorted out the baskets full of stuff that came out of the pickup and will assemble a small box of things to go in this vehicle - I miss having three charger spots (the thing like the lighter goes in) because I have a number of devices that operate off of it. I have been so accustomed to just chucking things in the back of the truck, now I have to figure out how to get things to fit.

Beautiful sunny day here - I hope everyone else is thawing and past some of the worst mud of all of the ice and snow. I have daffodils poking up through the leaf litter. Any day now I'll be surprised by a bright yellow flower bobbing in the sun.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 10:46 PM

Moving
Under the
Influence

~♥~

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 10:21 PM

I found a little Chevy SUV HHR - a vehicle that was on the low end of the SUV marketplace but this one was a high end for that model. 2009 is nine years younger than my deceased pickup, which I think has gone straight to the wholesaler. Alas. It will become a project for someone to repair (it runs great, there is nothing wrong with it except the body work - but it can't be safely driven because another accident would make the hood not buckle, it would be pushed back through the windshield.) Whoever is lucky enough to get this truck will replace the hood, the grill, the front bumper, and do the work to attach the bumper to the body properly. I got $1500 for trade-in.

Taking today off was not planned, but it ends up making a four day weekend with the Monday holiday. Lots to do, and lots to put away (the stuff that was in the pickup - when I cleaned it out I think there must have been at least five umbrellas in it!) and errands to run. I am astonished at how much larger the garage looks when this small vehicle is parked in it. The truck had only about six inches to spare behind the back bumper. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 06:26 PM

Still at the mill:
I have not concerned myself with my weight over these months of malaise but I found the scale and it is in a bag to o back to the city where I can take hot baths and weigh myself in a warm place. I suspect I may have gained.

"MUI", susan?????

Found the fabric at the shop. I wanted crinkled cotton which I knew they did not have so poked around and found a cotton gauze, 84 inches wide! 12 meters will give a fulness across the window wall and I shall only have to hem the two ends and make a pocket across the top. When it needs to be washed, it will come out wrinkled and I can live with that.

I also purchased 1.5 meter of a striped fabric that I have been looking at for a while and a couple of the scraps which they sell by the pound. The latter are, well, one will make a top for a small bench with beautiful hardwood, Queen Anne legs - once a dressing table bench I believe. The others simply insisted I take them home - another piece of upholstered furniture - a foot rest - can use a sprucing up and left over could be a very nice shopping bag. The stripe? Table cloth? runners? I just plain could not leave without it. I really tried. In fact, I actually drove back for two of the scraps as I could not live without them.

When I came back the first time, I went into the storage and brought sewing stuffs into the LR, including the bench, so I can think about getting things done. Also washed the dishes of the last two weeks! There were none left to use. Fetched more water. Now have four empty jugs - tomorrow.

Picked up a desk calendar and a wall calendar at the dollar store to start organizing the year. Visited with Vanessa at her office -a nifty youth drop in centre; she needed cheering. Checked the steps at a market venue and decided I could live with them - carrying boxes of pots up stairs is not my forte; maybe people will help. They usually do. Stopped by the voc school and left my card; they want to consider the possibility of pottery classes of some sort. Having finished my list (!!), I came back and worked on calendar, emails, and now this.

I felt good most of the day with intermittent periods of not so good. Hopeful that I get make this pass and get on with life. No pots made this week - bummer. But the weather is still around and above freezing so still thawing some during the day and the snow has only been tiny flurries.

And the lid of my dear little tea pot did not fall to the concrete and break - just now when I went to pour the last bit of tea and the lid fell off. Love this little guy - bought it for about a dollar at a thrift shop and it has that nifty strainer in it. I am inspired to try making some similar in size - trying to get them right size to use a strainer will be challenging.

Off to cafe.

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Charmion
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 03:10 PM

A major decluttering of my closet is currently under way, as I finish sorting out the clothes that are now too big for me but are still potentially useful to others. The Canadian Diabetes Society does periodic sweeps with a five-ton truck picking up donations of clothing, books and household stuff, so I can unload redundant stuff before it gets too grungy to appeal to the discriminatong Value Village shopper. I swear it's the Diabetes people who keep us out of the ranks of storage-locker renters.

I have started a new phase of my fitness program: strengthening my feet and ankles so I can start running when Spring finally rolls around. My husband has signed us both up for the Perth Kilt Run in July and I intend to cover the distance (five miles) in less than an hour, so I must raise my game, as they say. I have zero inclination to let my weight start creeping up again, so these little adventures are part of my foreseeable future.

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 02:30 PM

Somehow it seems not quite right that in the new house, one of my tasks was to declutter THEIR stuff they left behind!!! Stuff in and around house done About 12 bins with Hardi bext month in the garage!

But I did gain an unopened classic coke in the old classic bottle, a tiny Batman with Batmobile, a bulletin board, a bag of nice stuffed animals (which niece/neph will love when they visit for playdates), and 4 rum dbl-shots. According to one I am now a Marine. According to me sellers were MUI.

~♡~

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 10:17 AM

I have been thinking for a long time about getting another vehicle, a smaller one for daily driving around and keeping the pickup for pickup sorts of things. But I'm not at that point, I just got myself to the point where I was going to pay off some bills, and then I can look at maybe financing a newer vehicle. So I'll get a used vehicle for the driving around and wait and do the pickup thing later.

Mostly I'm just kicking myself for being so stupid as to clobber a sign and mess up my truck. It's an undignified way to go. :-( The dealer will be able to repair it and make some money, probably, but going the retail route of repairing for an insurance company isn't the way it will get fixed.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 09:17 AM

Oh, OUCH, SRS!!!! Good luck with this one.

I am going to do a quickie here then dash off to the fabric store's 30% off everything in the store sale!! Then check out the steps at the church hall where the MArch market will be held. I do not like carrying boxes of pots up steps! I need to register for the three winter markets - or only two. The other two are in stair-free venues.

Time moves apace. I was up at 7 and took the garbage bin out, discovering a beautiful sunrise further east , behind the house across the road. Realized I could not put a name to the colours!

I dragged out another bag of garbage and a bucket of broken glass. Left one bag that I deem too heavy. Made a pot of tea and my toast and started the distiller. I was getting short of water. The distiller here has a problem so I was happy to discover that the cordless electric drill up against the switch prevents it turning off before completion -but does not prevent it turning off when it is finished? ! However, the fun part of the K is that I can only use one appliance at a time, hence the ordering of things. I can unplug the still if I need to use - the toaster oven or tea kettle....

After finishing my lengthy missive here yesterday, I found that I needed to vet an article on my environmental illness. I sent material to the ed months ago asking her to tell me what she thought was approp. Instead she spent 3 hours making an article out of it. I felt terrible and although she did an excellent job and I only wanted tiny changes, it was not the thrust I would have taken. It took me quite a while, in any case.

Then I did the email/delete thing and read a good chunk of Against Medical Advice, finishing before collapsing into bed last night - the whole book in one day. A horror story about a family's increasingly desperate seeking help for their child's unique - Tourette's? OCD? .....

The writer's group was lively but I never did figure out what we were supposed to write about. I kept asking and people kept trying to tell me but too many at once and even the woman next to me... I need to write something to give each person so they can better understand my difficulty in discriminating sounds. I was too tired to get frustrated - which I have mostly given up anyway. But there is a fine line between giving up being frustrated and just giving up and falling into depression.

I woke up this morning with much on my mind and things need to be written. Insights in several directions need to be looked over and not over-looked. During the gathering, I remembered my goal of years ago to write about Marie Corelli. So that is back on my list!

As chaotic as the group seems to me, it is also of value. I came home with a mixture of thoughts and feelings swirling through my brain, finished to book and slept between coughing spells.

Now, to the fabric store!

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 12:51 AM

I'll backtrack a couple of entries tomorrow - this evening I've done other than read Mudcat - I researched vehicles because, alas, in the university parking lot as I planned to go out a different exit than usual I put a big crimp in the front of my pickup.

I was making a loop from where I usually park that involved going around a row of parked cars (the lines are painted so alternate rows were parked diagonally pointed in different directions) and with the sunset in my eyes I was looking to the left and missed seeing a handicapped parking stanchion at the head of the row in front of me. I wasn't moving fast but I nailed it with my bumper and put a crease in the grill and nose of the hood. Enough to require body work - and enough to mean the truck would probably be totalled by the insurance company. The high price on the Kelly Blue Book is almost $5000 but with a crease like this, only a couple of thousand. I may call the insurance company to ask about this, but I may also simply speak to the used car folks at the nearby dealer.

I've looked online at the vehicles for sale there - they have a standard transmission Toyota that would work for me, so I'll see if I can work out an exchange as a substantial down payment. I will eventually end up with a pickup truck, but for now a car will work in a pinch.

Thursday just became this week's Friday. And a long (but possibly expensive) weekend looms. I'll keep you all posted.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 16 Jan 14 - 10:08 AM

From the mill while lying in cosy bed (very comfortable futon which keeps this room a LR, not a BR!
JiK: What a project! Rather awesome, imo.
SRS: You could google 2986 route 138, Godmanchester, Quebec. It usually does not place the red arrow in quite the correct space but the "highway" is there and gives you an idea of the area. Fairly flat down here near NYS with the foot hills of the Adirondacks starting along the border. Hence, a ghastly row of wind turbines with flashing red lights along the ridge in NYS which are highly offensive to those in Quebec who view them across the fields - corn and soya - and lovely woods left where the soil was too rocky or the terrain too rough for planting crops or apple orchards and vineyards. The latter are across the bottom of the ridge.

The cabin was rented and the son of the owner wanted to live there.We miss it! It has been a very rough period of adjustment from that lovely spot in the woods. It was also on the edge of the "pavement barrens", a unique ecosystem occurring 22 places in the world. We googled that and were fascinated by it and loved being close to it. Our group that formed to fight the turbines on "our road" informed the municipal council about this, unknown to them, special place and also the larger council (akin to the county level). This was a part of what convinced the "MRC" to request bigger set backs from the province to protect our natural environment. YAY!! Now there is no place in our MRC for any commercial turbines! We only have to see the ones in NYS. Not hear them.

We had also become a part of a small community and moving has put us into a different small community. We miss the previous one even as we become part of the new one. The cafe in Ormstown is in the middle and, still a centre for us it has given us a base of friends down here.

We did not have the resources to purchase any of the places we liked 2 years ago (all sold) so, having bought the "old saw mill" as a business venture, R moved us in here - 20,000 sf building on 4 A of land so permeated with fist sized river stone that I cannot even dig a hole to plant a flower! The rock was trucked in to form a firm base for the heavy trucks that brought logs. I need to develop raised beds. Instead of looking out at trees, the view is of the road, the three neighbouring homes, and surrounding corn fields and, in the distance, the wind turbines but far enough that I can ignore them. Hence, I focus on the sky and how amazing it is as it changes - solidly soft blue grey today at the moment.

This property is zoned agricultural and cannot have a "home" on it. This also restricts the sort of activities - wood and metal transformation are OK because that was here before and the tree nursery a friend is developing in the field. We also have ten beehives coming in the spring via a company looking for placements. My pottery studio did not cause any problem - WHEW! A window manufacturer is supposed to be moving in - last year! - and R is putting in a wood working shop and a fine wood working shop - with appropriate venting and dust collection!

R believes the municipality would like to change the zoning to commercial - higher taxes! He is working to keep the lower taxes!

Being old - but not old enough to be interesting, and vacant for several years, the building is full of mold and sawdust and dust and stinks of old oil spills... But less and less. Hence, the reason I have been sick ever since they sprayed the fields in late May, painted some of the interior of the building with alkyd paint in June and we started sleeping here 1 July. Now, with the living space fully separated by walls and with an air cleaner hard at work, I was almost done coughing. Then, my unutterably stupid failure to wear a respirator when we worked on organizing the stuff out side the living space.

Well, that is done, not without words being shouted, and the living space has been approved as "a lounge and snack area for staff" and R can move on to his next (business) crisis. And I, having learned a great deal over the last months am healing quickly but the cough, I suspect, will linger for a few weeks yet, even if I am careful.

What we have is a sun room in the space which, last May, was full of an old furnace - what a transformation - two walls of recycled patio doors. A K with beautiful recycled cabinets ($650), the very nice stove (I love it!) which came with the free K R removed for someone and a frig. We also have a small freezer in the storage area - which has not had to work very hard in this cold weather! No running water yet but that is permissible and will come when R has time. The LR (lounge) has a big picture window facing south east, hence the sun rise, bureaus for our clothes, the very nice futon, a couple chairs and two large plants. Not beautiful with the concrete floor and not painted yet.

Oh, the feature which may have caused our problem: The inner wall of the LR, separating it from the storage area is comprised of six french doors cut short into windows. This was done to allow light into the back area, the workshop-to-be. It is a striking feature and if the guy from the ministry looked in the front window and saw that, undoubtedly!, we realized THAT was the cause!   We will be putting semi-opaque drapes to reduce the view but still permit light. Eventually, there will also be windows in the north wall of that space. When the weather is warm.

The fact of not being able to put a BR here (I was delighted!) has made R more amenable to the idea of purchasing, things having improved somewhat in the finances. We are looking forward to looking at this property on the weekend, only 15 minutes away, which is a "cabin in the woods" in bad shape but people are living in it so - livable. On a high spot with surrounding woods - and a great view of the Adirondacks/wind turbines off to the SE - across a zillion acres of corn fields, then the orchard area, then the beginning of the ridge up to the border. The price is right (and R is not a Scot for nothing!) and the woods are lovely and 3 A is adequate. I am looking forward to seeing it.   

Yesterday: took a few books (donation) to the library, the latest lot of stuff to the thrift shop where I purchased terrific shirts for R and 4 tuques for $1 just in case and a heating pad that does not stink. I will donate the smelly one back; six months is long enough, purchased a thermometer to put on an outside window so I don't have to turn on the computer to find the outdoor temp! and a few other items for use in pottery.

Then picked up back issues of local paper from friend to whose address they are sent since we left the cabin as no mail box at mill. Visited for a couple hours. She keeps telling me I should wrie a book (I just did!?) Then I told her a couple chapters of my life. "What chapter is that," I asked.

Then I picked up meat at the organic butcher and stopped at the municipal office for this year's trash and recycling schedule. While there the building inspector came out of her office and said she wanted to send R a letter of confirmation; what address... I told her she needed to send it to the city as we have not been permitted a post box at the mill. The "boss" came out and excused herself for over-hearing but vehemently told me we are entitled to a mail box and R can go bcak to the post office and talk to them again and if they give him trouble, they should call HER! She is here to take care of the people of Godmanchester!! And that is what a small community can be like at its best.

THEN, I completed my list at the IGA and came back to the mill feeling it had been a day well spent. Emailed R with new info. And spent until about 2 am on the computer, mostly on FB invited people to "like" the International Wildlife Rehabilitation page. Wore out my wrist inviting folks to the "Second Annual Pay it Forward weekend". Wrote a piece on that page clarifying the meaning of this. It is important to me. Unfortunately, something caused my computer to freeze and I spent the next couple hours, alternately reading while the rainbow twirled and then making small movements until, I managed to open a new FB page and ascertain my post had, indeed made it. Then I went to bed and slept rather more than I coughed, waking at the usual 7ish. And here I have been ever since. Now that I am almost awake - have been drinking Pau d'Arco tea - it is time for green tea and toast accompanied by the next book in the pile.

The sum has come out!!!!

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jan 14 - 09:59 AM

We pay people do to that kind of work here in the library, John. Maybe you can hire yourself out to your local library when you finish your books. And you should encourage LiK to rejoin our discussion - I miss hearing what she's up to. I have a room full of most of the sewing stuff (it used to be spread around more) and I at this point do have all of my books on shelves. Several years ago I took all of the books off of all of the shelves and made a big sorting are a on the large tiles of my living room floor. The A, B, C, etc tiles were piled high but not precarious, and I used extra tiles for M, N, S, T, that had more authors. This allowed me to finally sort and remove duplicates of books and I took several boxes of said dups over to my local half price bookstore to sell.

Finishing a cuppa tea before heading to work. I've assembled a lunch for this, an alternate day, so it's an assemblage that is probably under 500 calories. We keep having cold, almost freezing nights that still engender the metabolic response of "eat, it's cold out," but not as bad a few weeks ago.

My office is looking better now that I look around this morning. I was able to get enough stuff off of a couple of flat surfaces that I can 1) see the desktop in front of my monitor and 2) see the stacks on the other desktop that had so much stuff there that there were piles on top of piles. Now it is a single layer of stacks. This may seem a non-distinct distinction, but I can see a difference.

Tea finished, out the door. Tonight I'm going to scan some of the newspaper articles I sorted and selected last night. They're some of my above-the-fold stories from my years as a reporter, needed for another job applications.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 16 Jan 14 - 03:41 AM

Stilly - (13 Jan 14 - 12:37 AM)

The books I've been scanning are just what's on the bookshelf. Unfortunately we have lots less shelf than books. Any that I might want for reference come apart and go through the scanner. A 500 page book in very good condition takes an hour or two to make a pdf. The ones in "less than good" condition may need a fair amount of cleanup, but seldom more than another hour or so. Most of them are "out of print" textbooks, or rare and obsolete references, although a few might be still "buyable." Very few are available in ebook form.

My "little scanner" runs around ten sheets per minute, but scans both sides in a single pass, so it (theoretically) gets 20 ppm. Epson makes a "big brother just like it that claims 80 sheets per min, but it's about $800 and I can't feed the pages that fast anyway.

Anything wider than 8.5" wide (narrowest way) has to go through the big scanner that only runs one side at a time, around 6 pages per minute at "publishing resolution" (300 dpi). Theoretically the big one can turn the original over and scan the other side, but that cuts the speed to about 3 pages per minute and it eats about one page out of ten in the turnover, for old books in the condition of most I have. I can generally get 500 pages through in just a little over an hour and a half(?) depending on how many rescans are needed. The big one can handle about 11.8" wide by approx 19" long, so "coffee table" books are mostly doable.

My ONLY purpose is to keep what's in "my books" and get them off the shelves. So far I've eliminated about 160 ft of shelf needed for the ones I've scanned, but LiK keeps putting her junk that used to be piled on the floor back up as more shelve get visible. (We started with over 308 feet of shelves in the old house, and still had piles on the floor. We only had room for about 220 ft of shelves in our new house, and LiK has "sewing materials" on a little over 30 ft of that.) "Her" books, of course, are mostly "too valuable" to take apart.

A side benefit is that the pdfs are "searchable"** (which has been a big help in the seven volume 3900 page "maintenance manual" for my truck - which had a totally inadequate Index.)

So far the books I've scanned are only about 405 GB, all in a little HD 3.5" x 5/5" x 0.8" instead of 160 ft of book shelf. (actually also on about three backup drives, but they're still small enough to carry along to the care home when I go.)

** Except for The Dictionary of Egyptian Hieroglyphics Vol I which totally baffled the OCR.

John

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Jan 14 - 11:49 PM

Made headway on the paper clutter, filed some, recycled more of it. The dishes are in the sink from today, they'll go in the dishwasher in the morning. A hot bath felt great and I'm headed to bed to read some then a relatively early night.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Jan 14 - 10:17 AM

Damn, just lost my last entry. I usually remember to copy so I can paste if needed.

Dorothy, will you describe the rural area where you had the cabin and the mill and are now looking at another wooded cottage? Were you and Robert renting the mill or was it a purchase? And since the bedroom and bathroom can't be built, this will be sold? Is it a historic building that limits remodeling or is it a structural restriction (that you might appeal if some accommodation is made such as extra supports put in?) Is this area where you head out of town to actually in the country or is it a less populace suburb? I read your posts and have a mental idea of what the area looks like, then some new clue comes along and blows the image in my mind's eye out of the picture.

My job here now is to file papers. Since it is tax paper accumulation season that will be easier if everything else is picked up and filed or shredded.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 15 Jan 14 - 08:54 AM

A good start to this day: I watched the sky turn pretty colours - and the cloud cover become almost solid! Made the trek (99 steps) to the toilet. Realized my sinuses felt like hoover dam was in there and my brain said "xclear". I have not used it in years but noticed it when I was sorting through supplements. Within a few minutes the dam was cleared and continues to clear.

I made a pot of Pau d'Arco tea and feel like life is possible today. Started placing an order for more supplements and checked email. Love that delete button! But one email was from drugstore.com offering an extra discount for my "anniversary, hence the order.

Another pot of tea (green this time) and a piece of toast, then I believe I shall be able to go do Monday's errands before the snow starts. Getting back on track...

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 14 Jan 14 - 10:06 PM

R came back from the city last night so it ended up not being an early night but I was glad to see him and gave him the tour. The little bit of change I had made - he pronounced it wonderful??? So I fed him and went to bed.

More stuff had to be put away this morning before the by-law enforcement officer arrived. she was very nice and took pics which she will send to the ministry of agriculture. R also needs to phone. However, all R's great plans for a BR and fancy bath are not going to be permitted. We can have a bathroom but must keep it low key. I really do not like living here so I said, Oh, good! So, the incredibly big stressor he had made out of this is now done with and we can move on to the next crisis.

After she left, R phoned a realtor about a small house for sale about 15 minutes away. It is on 3 wooded acres and surrounded by other woods. R refers to it as a "cabin in the woods", thinking of it as similar to the one we were renting. It could be, although it is said to be in rough shape. We will be able to see it on the weekend.

Then, before he left to go back to the city, he unloaded my car and brought it around to the front door for me. He also repaired Vanessa's pottery wheel! I had a really do nothing day as the dust of Sunday hit full force today. Remind me to wear a respirator in future- even if it does not seem as though I need it. I ordered 10 new filters for the little one as the filter it came with seems to have lost its efficacy. Even so, it would have been better than nothing.

symptoms: hots and colds, sinuses full of stuff, nose running, mild headache, general malaise. Similar to a flu or cold but I know from experience that it is the dust. I have only to sweep a floor to end up with itchy, runny eyes and nose. I also have gotten a bit stiff from all the moving of stuff on Sunday. Consider it exercise!

Ate very little today- rice and chicken broth and tea. Hopefully I will be better tomorrow and can get rid of stuff for the thrift shop. Told R I would stay here until I feel better. (The dust is out in the storage area. I have a powerful air cleaner in the "living space".)

Our January thaw is over. The temp is dropping to 18 tonight and the cold will continue for the next while. It sure did get rid of a lot of snow! Now the cycle begins again - some snow tomorrow. Plan to do errands in the am. Need lots of veggies!

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Jan 14 - 03:57 PM

The dogs and I went for a lovely mid-morning walk before I got ready to come to work (late day today). They do love the walk, and I needed to continue to work on resetting my brain with sun on my face and getting the mile walk in. After about four weeks of not much alternate day fasting, of mostly just trying to keep my eating moderate, I have probably gained a few pounds but not enough to make my clothes not fit, one pair of pants is a bit snut. Now that I can get outside on warm days and the sun it is much easier to resume the alternate fast. And so I have today.

I decluttered myself of one annoying piece of technology - I dropped my old Samsung Nexus S into the recycle cell phones bin in the library foyer. I'm still adjusting to the new phone - figuring out how to make it do everything in WiFi so I don't use the data except for when I'm completely away from hot spots.

SRS.

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 13 Jan 14 - 08:18 PM

Went to studio and did a couple hours of looking, thinking, fine tuning, and decided the man needs a guided tour. Aside from the lack of shelves to really fine tune it, the flow is just fine. It is organized to the best of what is there. Did not get anything made as I still have no energy after yesterday's ordeal. My arm does not preclude making pots - some anyway. Tomorrow is another first day of....

I dug my heels in and left car unloading, opening of garage door, and errands for tomorrow. R can do the heavy work. I refuse to live in pain unnecessarily. So, after a nice, light supper, I am on the sofa with a cosy mohair throw and a book and computer. Looking at an early night.

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 13 Jan 14 - 06:47 PM

Dorothy, I just posted my impressions of the film in the " 'Insight' Llewyn Davis" thread.

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 13 Jan 14 - 12:49 PM

SRS! Does that mean one can computer while on the treadmill? I really doubt I could do both at once. Brain plagues me with lack of function. Sometimes I try to make sure I have not just given up. but some days are better.


Point: Lost it completely last night when R mentioned for the ...time how "disorganized" is my studio. Have barely spoken to him since. He, I finally realize, does not have (or want to) a clue how sick I have been most of the last 7 months. I try to keep up my end of things to be done but there were still a few days when I could not even get up to feed him meals. Then, he built the studio without consulting me and I have lots of place for shelves but no shelves yet because I cannot do it his way - screw a zillion little brackets in place to hold the lovely shelves he bought. So, NO! nothing is organized and I HATE not being organized and I am living in two "homes" neither of which can I organize to my satisfaction. As soon as I clear a space, he clutters it. So, yeah, I lost it!

Although my arm has been improving since the fall, the work of moving stuff around yesterday, set it back and that was bothering me as well. My cough which has been almost gone came back after he came to bed without washing adequately. All that dust from moving stuff and sweeping and in a few minutes I was sitting up coughing - for what seemed a very long time maybe 30 minutes. It eventually settled down to a small cough every few minutes. I did not get much sleep and was totally out of it when he left at 8 am for the city.

Plumbing: I wish for, here in the country, running water to the K and a toilet within a reasonable distance. At least it is warm enough. Ah, reminder - right now I am going to turn up heat in the studio... Done.

So here I am on a - was sunny for a while - day, cooler than yesterday but still 46 so lots of melt still happening! Gradually waking and getting my brain and body into gear. 12;30! Need a plan: Have a garbage bag and more to take to thrift shop. Have 7 empty gallon jugs for water - fill at thrift shop. Trip to the good butcher for local meat. After I get into studio for a couple hours to get some pots made.

I asked R to unload my car Saturday am as it is still full of boxes of pots. I am daunted by - it is still full and in the "garage" so I shall have to open the very heavy door to go anywhere. Oh, my shoulder. I have trouble picking up a cup of tea. Lest you think I complain muchly. This business of feeling a lack of ability to function has me right down. And you are helping me figure out how to get it together to get through this day in the best possible way. Getting dressed and having lunch seems a good couple steps. Thank you.

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jan 14 - 12:37 AM

John, are you disassembling books and scanning them that way? I hope at least it feeds them in and does it at a high speed, like in my library? And are these books not available digitally via Google Books, etc?

Plumbing bills can gut your savings. Good luck in managing repairs. I have a drippy faucet in the kitchen that could use a new cylinder of some sort ("washerless" doesn't mean they don't need some mechanism to keep them from dripping, it just doesn't have washers) or replacement. The sink has had a crack since (I think) the carpenter stood in it to work over the sink. It hasn't grown larger but one of these days . . .

New phone in hand, I spent the evening decluttering default settings and working on how to streamline it so it doesn't ding and whistle and try to alert me any time someone sends an email. And it doesn't need to monitor facebook and Google+ and such. I turned all of that off on the last phone, this one I hope to set so it won't try to do all of that beyond WiFi range because I've picked up the lowest data plan. I expect most of my phone activity will be in WiFi range.

I didn't get the baking done, except 2 sweet potatoes, but I did make a batch of my taco filling for meals this week.

The dog bedding is back in the dog houses in the garage where it belongs, and they were happily curled up in their area last time I checked, though they've been indoors enough this winter they often ask to come in at night even though they don't need to. They are outdoor dogs for the most part, with their cushy digs in the garage available anytime they want in there.

Those of you with treadmills or exercise machines, good job getting going! We have two computer desks at treadmills in the library and I keep meaning to go up and work there for some time during the week in addition to my exercise of climbing stairs. I haven't yet, but I will and will report back.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 12 Jan 14 - 11:36 PM

Making some more progress on clearing out our excessive accumulation of books (mine at least) with about 8,000 pages worth (18 books) scanned to pdf and rid of the hard copies in past week. Most of these are older references type stuff.

We have minor maintenance outdoors that needs attention, but weather has been incompatible with our physical condition, so it's mostly on hold.

We are making plans for some small plumbing fixes, but still need another month or to two sequester funds for the bigger ones. Some savings expected from lumping the little ones in with the bigger ones and letting the hired help manage them for us. (I can still crawl around under the pipes -- I only have a problem with getting back up when I get something done.)

For the most part I'm following the advice in one of the management theory books I scanned yesterday:

"The quicker you get behind, the more time you have to catch up."

John

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 12 Jan 14 - 09:52 PM

Linn: would love to hear how you like inside Llewyn Davis.

I have been managing at least a few minutes almost every day on exercycle in the last couple weeks. Promised R if I did not use it, we would get it out of the LR. Only can tolerate it if watching TV.

Fri I did the dreaded trip to Laval for clay I had ordered. Actually found the place with no trouble- at last! Yesterday, a chat with a potter north of Montreal resulted in her suggestion we meet in ----Laval! - sometime! Get used to it, Dorothy!

I came down directly to the mill and Vanessa unloaded the clay - very careful on the snow, turning to ice in the rain. Went to music at cafe after eating and eating. Good music.

Saturday, nice brekkie and off to look at small property for sale nearby. I would so like to have a real house - even needing repairs to this. Just did drive-by to check location - excellent, right next door to a property we rather regret missing last year. Good wooded area and this house, on 3 A. is right in the trees, just far enough from the road. I emailed the agent.

After supper we went to music and had a fun evening, networking with local friends. Would I demo at the event in September? - yes. And R caught up with someone he had been meant to visit.

Today has been a nightmare of trying to reorganize stuff in storage area so it looks less like personal storage and more like the workshop area it is meant to be - eventually. Caught between the local municipality which does not mind and the Ministry of Agriculture which does. Zoned agricultural means we cannot "live" here. Believe me, this is not living! But the staff person took umbrage. We can have wood working shops and agricultural related stuff but Ken's trees in the upper field are not very visible with all the snow and the bee people are not coming until spring.

Anyway, we managed to sort out the stuff that is "heading out" and R is moving stuff with pallet truck to various resting places. Vanessa came to pot but her wheel misbehaved and R could not fix it immediately so she went home with some epsom salt (I buy by 50 pound bag) for a hot bath. (I wish!)

A friend came by for a visit in late aft and R took a short break and she helped a little. I had plumb run out of energy. I would have curled up in a quilt with hot water bottle - if I could find the latter. I felt cold to the core so I drank warm water instead.

So here I am on computer and R is back at it after an after supper nap. By-law enforcement officer is coming on Tuesday and R has to go to the city and come back. I am staying here and hope to get pots made tomorrow. HOPE!!!! Maybe even organize to mix some more test glazes.

The weather has been above freezing the last couple days and the next couple so snow is melting, river is rising. It would have been even worse working in the storage if it were terribly cold.

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: LilyFestre
Date: 12 Jan 14 - 04:59 PM

The treadmill is UP! YES!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jan 14 - 04:22 PM

Sounds like a good plan for the evening, Linn!

I dug in the gumbo of the garden for about an hour so I have had a good workout, but it is slow going when the soil sticks to the mattock as I work. We had rain late in the week so it needs to dry a little more to be at it's optimum working consistency.

It took the last couple of days in the sunny weather to reset my internal clock. I no longer feel like it will never warm up again, I've been out in the sunshine for a couple of hours soaking in the heat and the rays. It was probably 70, but very windy, so I worked in a sheltered area.

Laundry is almost finished as far a dog beds. My laundry will go in after I give the washer and dryer a thorough wipe-down to pick up any hair left behind. And tonight I'll bake bread and make stuff for meals this week. Mmmmm!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 12 Jan 14 - 01:45 PM

Plumbing in the bathroom is fixed and it's even better than it had been. The plumber brought the line inside (it was inside the south wall of the house) earlier so more of it will benefit from the heat inside the house. I think the materials are better, too. And he insulated more inside the wall. Be basically replaced everything from where the pipes came up next to the chimney all the way over to the tub and shower.

Since he's trying to catch up lost time yesterday when a fatal accident on Rte. 16 north of here tied him up in traffic for three hours, we'll worry about replacing the shutoffs in the cellar in a few weeks.

There are a lot of things about this house that I would have done differently if I had known Tom then and been involved in building it. It's a post and beam KIT and it was built by Tom, his friends, and students from Whittier Reg. Voc Tech (with the supervision of their teachers). It's still not actually "finished"...(I'd kill for a real floor rather than subflooring downstairs). I'd have designed all the plumbing in a central core, especially since the house was intended to be heated primarily with a woodstove. I DID finally (after going through several clothes washers) get Tom to change the arrangement of the washer and dryer so the plumbing wasn't on the coldest wall in the house. Couldn't do anything about the kitchen sink and the bathtub/shower and the pipes to it. Thank goodness we have a composting toilet so I never had to worry about THAT freezing up!

Of course, Tom built this house when he was in his prime, able to do most of the plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and everything else himself. AND carry in firewood and keep the fire going all winter. Not to mention cleaning the chimney every year. He and his first wife were chimney sweeps and Tom was the first president of the Chimney Sweep Guild of NH.

But I love this house and its location in the middle of the woods and in a wonderful little town where I know everyone at town hall and my mortgage is small. And I certainly couldn't afford even a spot under a bridge in Portsmouth.

I'm taking the rest of the weekend off... Friends are picking me up in about 15 minutes and we're going to see "Inside Llewyn Davis" which is playing in Bedford.

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jan 14 - 01:24 PM

It was a great walk! We were all so in need of the exercise and getting out of the yard.

Eating the last of the split pea soup for lunch and I'll use a few other leftovers later. I have stuff for pumpkin bread - some thawed pumpkin, recently purchased chopped dates, plus some homemade applesauce to cut down the amount of fat in the recipe. I've used up the last of the loaf of whole wheat bread so it looks like a baking evening. I'm also going to fix a batch of my taco/burrito meat (with lots of my home-grown peppers out of the freezer, along with a pound of chuck pot roast to grind) for meals this week.

The wheelbarrow is filled with various tools. Must still dig out the pruning sheers to take the tops off of the asparagus before transplanting the crowns. Transplanting asparagus is a lot of work, but it's worth it and the price is right. My original bed has been in for about five years now.

The kitchen counter is cleared, as is the kitchen table. Stuff for consideration for donation has been sitting out for a while and it is now sorted and either back in the cupboard or in the bag for the Goodwill.

A load of laundry is in. Now out to the yard.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jan 14 - 10:33 AM

The BluRay disc of The King's Speech won't load in my player - it gives the upcoming attractions then stops. I'd rewatched an old Charlie Rose interview with Firth and the director and was primed to watch - good thing I remembered seeing that it streams from NetFlix. Good save! (I always want to play Beethoven's 7th Symphony after watching it - they use the second movement so effectively during the speech itself.)

Lovely weather, good day for gardening and I'm going to start the day by walking the dogs. They get more attention today - I'll wash their bedding and police the grounds. I'll have lots of weeds from the garden to toss on top of their droppings and anything from the kitchen compost bucket.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jan 14 - 11:36 PM

The procedure is under anesthesia - it is the self-induced cleanse the night before that is so brutal.

Did some more research after asking questions at the phone store this afternoon. I couldn't talk my son into going out to the place with onion soup - he wanted breakfast - so we came home and I fixed breakfast at 3 in the afternoon. :)

Kicking back this evening, planning for a busy day tomorrow.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 11 Jan 14 - 06:41 PM

I am missing something in the colonoscopy dept. I had one about 9 years ago and remember it as a non-event. The only part I remember is the physician telling me, as I was going under, "Tell all your friends to have... We can cure colon cancer!" I believed him.

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jan 14 - 01:47 PM

That's good news if the plumber knows what you want re: the shutoffs and such. No one likes to stop what they're doing to run to the store, probably not even plumbers.

Waiting on my son's call - he's a late sleeper when he's not working or in school. I'll get my gardening materials set up, chances are good (Murphy's Law) that once I'm ready to start that he'll call and I'll have to drop what I'm doing.

I did read some of those lists in the last couple of days. Time for a few small things this morning - I tossed out the various sponges in play in the kitchen and bathrooms and replaced with fresh. I got out a new toothbrush, and need to buy a few more (spares for guests who forget theirs.) I suppose I could also change out razors, consolidate shampoo bottles, etc. I have a load of recycling ready to drop off, and I should finish the xmas light string cull and drop those off as well.

Martha Stewart's PBS cooking program this afternoon is making French Onion Soup. Crave crave crave . . . maybe I'll get a bowl after the phone shopping. There is a wonderful French restaurant near where we'll be going.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 11 Jan 14 - 12:21 PM

My plumber replaced the old shutoffs (only one worked) in the bathroom last spring with ball valves. Thank God! Otherwise Wednesday would have been a disaster and I'd not had any water at all available in the house.

He knows that I'd like to replace all the shutoffs in the cellar either today or soon. It depends on how much time he has after fixing the broken pipes.

Gotta go schlep some more stuff out of his way in the closet area.

I drove up the driveway to get yesterday's mail and then turned around just up the road. Glad I didn't attempt the 50+ mile round trip yesterday to The Press Room...

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jan 14 - 12:02 PM

Linn, the last time I had to have a plumber come out I went by the Ace hardware on my way home and I bought an assortment. The plumber said the ball valves are best (I think so - and so easy to use!) and it saved a trip because he didn't have any with him in the truck. I returned the ones I didn't need to Ace the next day.

We need to form our own little mutual support society for the colonoscopy. I need to go for the initial appointment and then schedule it when someone can give me a ride home. They won't let you drive yourself, it's a rule.

Alice posted a link on facebook to a page with various declutter ideas - lots of those popping up this time of year - and there is a photo of a huge closet. It seems like clutter would be less of a problem with a huge closet. My modest walk-in is under control, but I walked in yesterday morning to dress for both work and and evening event and had the thought that I should toss all of it and start over. I need to keep an eye on the sales at the Dillard's clearance outlet (a nice high-end department store in the US) and go in when their tops are on sale, get an array of new, and toss the various beginning-to-look-a-bit-worn tops. Then do it with pants. Get a couple of nice jackets or blazers to mix and match with tops and pants, etc. When they have a sale it is stupendous. Items that cost $200 are now $20, etc.

I'm not doing much of the alternate day fasting because I find the run of extremely cold weather has reset my internal clock and metabolism - I feel it more blood-sugar wise because my system is saying "eat carbs to stay warm." I stood in the morning sun for a few minutes and felt better - and I need to work in the yard today to see if I can't get past this cold-weather phase. I also need the exercise. This week I climbed the stairs at work several times a day (all six floors) to get started and I'll dig up the garden today for a general workout. And walk the dogs - poor things, they haven't been out of the yard for ages and they do love their walks.

Down to the last family phone on my cell plan, and today my son and I will meet to let him buy a new phone and set up a plan. I'll see how it goes - some of the big carriers offer a no-contract service, but the phones they couple with that plan are low-end. I want to know if I could buy a current phone (if I buy a quad core perhaps it will still operate after a couple of years - my most recent experience is that the dual core Android upgrades were pushed out to my single core phone until it was totally bogged down, then they stopped upgrading.) My son and I are on the same wavelength as far as how we want this to work, so I'll listen closely as he asks his questions today before we port out his number from my plan to one he pays for himself. I'm so ready for a change!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 11 Jan 14 - 11:08 AM

I've got a colonoscopy scheduled for Feb. 6. I'd rescheduled from Jan. 6 -- which definitely would have been way too much to deal with at that point. I'm thinking about rescheduling again as I seem to still have so much to do in the next couple weeks.

I'm feeling very much over-extended right now. I didn't go to the session last night (MY session, fer-pete's-sake!) because of a combination of weather and extreme fatigue. I was asleep before the session would have been ending. But I needed that music and the friends and...and I missed it. From the photos posted at FB, looks like it was a really good session, and there were some new people and I really SHOULD have been there.

Right now I'm running dishes through the dishwasher. If there's a plumbing problem, then the plumber will be able to fix it this afternoon when he comes to fix the broken pipes in the bathroom.

Cleaning out the bedroom closet and having to do it RIGHT NOW has been both a good thing and a bad thing. I'm physically exhausted from schlepping sheetrock, a shelf unit, bags of what is now trash, boxes of videotapes, and bags of stuff to go to Goodwill. I've put on a lot of mileage up and down stairs (as my knees are reminding me).

But it's also gotten me closer to being able to fix a problem on the other side of the room involving moving major pieces of furniture in order to access and clean out where Sabine has been showing her displeasure with Rufus usurping her private litter box. (They each have a separate litter box and Sabine's was placed where she'd have some privacy. Alas, Rufus has insisted on using BOTH of them. So on top of everything else, I have to be a cat shrink.)

I've also been up and down stairs often to check for leaks. I'll feel a lot better when the current problem is taken care of and all of the shutoffs are replaced with ball valves.

I also got some of the little niggling pieces of paperwork finished and mailed off. Not a lot of money, but a couple hundred dollars is a couple hundred dollars.

Still have some more to do in the bedroom and closet before the plumber gets here. Need to put my contacts in. Need to make sure there's no problem with the dishwasher and related plumbing.

Maybe I can relax tomorrow...and maybe shake this feeling of being over-extended. And the what must be mild depression. Unlike last Saturday, I can't just embrace it. Got too much stuff to do.

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Jan 14 - 11:20 AM

As it happens, both Michelle and I have had cancer, but hers was a lot harder to get through. The colonoscopy is awful, Michelle has it right about the prep. I did one five years ago, they said do it every five years now.

Have been in communication limbo for a while as I rebuild the connectivity of my office computer. I don't have a smart phone right now either - amazing how much you learn to do with the things that you don't notice until you go back to the old flip cell phone. I'll get a new phone once both kids have moved off of my existing plan. Soon.

It's Friday, there is a meeting tonight that is a group I've been active with for years. Supposedly one of my replacement folks is going to be there to take photos, but I doubt it, so I have my camera at work in case. This will be a well-attended meeting because of the speaker and I don't want to see it ignored. It'll go into my photo collection in Special Collections. Late night, so I'm treating it that way for my work day.

It finally warmed up some here, it's moist and humid, it feels good, but it's dangerously foggy. This weekend is supposed to be much more typical for this time of year, up to 70^o!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 09 Jan 14 - 08:28 PM

Hot bath was a good idea. No electric upstairs now. The new heater must have blown a fuse and they really are fuses and I cannot see a thing, even with a flashllight. So no heat up there and it is cooling. So, I decided to drwon my sorrows in choc chip cookies. In the middle of the second one I started coughing - badly. I coughed after eating the small brownie after lunch. Experiment - is it the choc or th other ingredients? Eating choc chips now; not coughing. End of experiment - before I get nauseous! who? me? a chocaholic?

I think I will just watch TV and hope for the energy to clean under the K sink - something I carefully ignored for almost 4 years - until R took everything out to warm the pipes. Now there is a possibility of cleaning and organizing under there!! One more baby step. If I find the energy. No pots made again today. Blich! Thank heavens for Big Bang Theory.

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: LilyFestre
Date: 09 Jan 14 - 08:02 PM

I'm sure no one is super excited to see if they have cancer.

Subject: RE: Declutter and Fitness in early 2014
From: maeve
Date: 09 Jan 14 - 07:15 PM

Michelle- I doubt Maggie wants to have her procedure done either...but you and she have the option and you got 'er done.

And thanks.