DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Aug 24 - 10:48 AM

Charmion, I thought you had a new furnace in that house?

I need to schedule the annual service call for my heat pumps and at that time I need him to rework the line from my sump pump - there is condensation under the rubber cover around the cold line and it has been dripping back down onto the outside of the sump. My little plastic container trimmed to fit the spot isn't doing a great job of catching condensate.

This morning is for finishing the drivers course then heading over to re-wrap the self-adhesive bandage on my friend's arm, followed by some of my usual lunch and museum stuff. The friend with the bandage is bin diving in her building and has things to send for donation (rather than going into the trash stream). I suspect I'll also be making a run with some of that to Goodwill. It's an impromptu occupation for an unemployed person, the modern version of rag picking and tinker to put things back into play. She does it via freecycle and the Facebook marketplace, and I hope the sales are helpful.

My hairdresser appointment is this week and it's then that I make my big shopping loop past the Halal market and the Asian grocery with my list and requests from family members.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Aug 24 - 09:55 AM

The now-annual furnace crisis began on Friday: fan and condensate pump inactive, water on the cellar floor, indoor conditions uncomfortably warm and sticky. This never happens on a Tuesday in May; no, the correct time for a furnace crisis is Christmas Eve or the Friday afternoon before the August statutory holiday.

The HVAC technician is due before noon, and this time I expect to hear that the furnace wants to turn up its toes and shuffle off this mortal coil. I can hardly wait.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Aug 24 - 11:59 PM

Dermatologist says my skin is in good shape, and I now have an annual check scheduled for next year.

I worked through another hour of the course, and have about that much left for tomorrow. Ugg. I did get other stuff done today, but I'd be hard-pressed to tell you what it was. Beyond washing a load of dishes. And a nap.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Aug 24 - 12:11 PM

The fridge has a good-sized filter that is changed twice a year, so that helps. And the coil of hose is long enough that I could move the fridge probably 10 feet from the wall and it would stay connected. What I have to remember is to pull off the bottom front kick plate and vacuum the coils underneath; I called a repairman during COVID and learned it was just that there was too much hair built up underneath.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 05 Aug 24 - 12:00 PM

Keb — yes, Chlorox and Javex are chemically identical. The trade name Javex is derived from “eau de Javel”, the original French name for chlorine bleach.

A 40% price cut might have allayed my misgivings enough to convince me, but the water here is so mineral-rich that I’m sure I would have come to regret it by now. Also, I like to move the refrigerator out of its niche occasionally to clean under and behind it, and a water line would prevent that. Just think of the plethora of cat toys that can accumulate in the footprint of a typical North American refrigerator!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Aug 24 - 11:39 AM

Javex -- we call it Clorox in the US -- I think it's the same thing.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Aug 24 - 11:39 AM

I resisted ice makers for a long time for the same reason. The old fridge at my ex's house was purchased without one (it would also have been a nuisance to run a copper line to plumb it to water). He replaced it after about 25 years and though his current fridge has an ice maker, it still isn't plumbed to water.

My fridge was a windfall; I bought this house right before the Sears announced it was closing at the mall closest to us. They don't move merchandise to a new store, they sell it all deeply discounted. I think this fridge was 40% off (it was a floor model). I picked up a number of tools and appliances there that spring. Fridge manufacturers have re-tooled ice makers over the years, this is pretty sturdy (knock wood!) Since I was moving here from an apartment I stayed in the for a couple of extra months to do remodeling in the house and had appliances delivered and set out of the way until time to set up a kitchen and laundry.

Two hours left of the defensive driving course, then I can send the certificate to the insurance company for three years of discounts on my auto policy. It's worth the boredom of the course, but they have some poorly written questions in their chapter end quizzes. I paid $5 extra to get the audio version of the course that plays with each chapter, but it is out of sync with the text and sometimes departs so radically from what is on the screen that I have to pause the audio, read the page, then listen to the audio and hope that I've got the information from one source or the other for the test.

Dermatologist appointment this afternoon. I haven't been in years. It's time for a quick look to see if there is anything I should have been paying attention to.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 05 Aug 24 - 09:19 AM

Your ice-dispenser situation is one of the several reasons why I won’t have one in the house. When we were equipping our new kitchen back in ‘17, the salesman was shocked when I interrupted his spiel to say that the top-selling refrigerator he was pushing us to buy was not a candidate because of this feature. “But everyone wants that!” he protested. Not me; an ice-cube tray doesn’t freeze up or leak, and you can disinfect it with Javex or stick it in the dishwasher.

The refrigerator we bought had to be specially ordered without the ice dispenser. It took weeks to arrive.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Aug 24 - 06:39 PM

This afternoon was the midsummer equivalent of defrosting your way into the car in midwinter. The fridge ice maker was turning but nothing was coming out, so I removed the compartment, decanted the cubes into a large bowl, then worked with a wooden spoon handle, a table knife, and the sink hose and water to defrost the ice blockage that had formed in the bottom of the case. There is water everywhere now since it involved splashing and dropping pieces of ice. I'll stay out of the kitchen until any ice on the floor has melted, then walk carefully with a mop to get any puddles.

Being several hours into the defensive driving course with several more to go, the ice maker challenge was a welcome distraction.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Aug 24 - 10:34 PM

Hatch chiles are in season and I picked up four pounds that this evening were grilled on the new-to-me grill. Much easier than the last time when I set up the charcoal grill and was in and out of the house for what seemed like ages. They're now in the freezer on trays to be bagged later. When I pull them out for use I'll peel off the charred skins and scrape out the seeds. They are so delicious. Many area stores sell them already roasted; they have big gas roasting cages that turn the peppers as the flame hits them - their parking lots smell amazing. In those instances you can buy them by the case (about 25 pounds) but I don't that many.

There are also now frozen cored and cut up strawberries and whole raspberries. Fresh blueberries for a couple of days and some to freeze. Lots of other stuff for the freezer or to eat this week. My bill would have been ridiculously low after all of that except that I also bought honey (for making my granola) and it is never inexpensive, anywhere.

We had surprise rain overnight that I slept through. A friend tells me it was a noisy thunderstorm but I didn't hear a peep. We still have an air quality warning through tomorrow. A typical mixed-bag for the summer.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Aug 24 - 11:54 AM

I didn't go back to see the total number when I answered, but still, she lost close enough to half of the shipment that it was a disaster as far as packing. Good luck with that.

We had rain overnight and I didn't hear it this time, but it's nice to see this morning. I'm going to take the daffodil bulbs out of the bed next to the front path, and possibly put them in someplace where it doesn't look so bad when the place fills up with grass later. I end up not doing much with the bed rest of the year because of the bulbs, and it looks weedy much of the year. I'll clear it so I can put in flowering plants with a longer bloom period. And I can put my banners there, close to the house (so less likely to be vandalized by passers-by.)

I have to go by my acquaintance's apartment this morning to help adjust the bandage wrap. She says it rolled down her arm again. We don't want something like that constricting the circulation.

Shopping for produce today also. The bandage re-wrap will be part of the trip.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 03 Aug 24 - 11:36 AM

The EBay seller told me to request a refund, so I did. If I’m told to return the five surviving glasses, I’ll do it — using the same packing material.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Aug 24 - 08:52 PM

My surgery friend is feeling much better, but said her bandage was rolling out of place on the upper end (she does have very beefy arms, so that will happen). And she is a bit nuts (in a good way) - she's a dedicated dumpster diver and she couldn't resist visiting all of the apartment building trash rooms on each floor this afternoon. Tells me she "hit a motherlode." So I pulled out my self-stick bandages and drove up to put some on for now to hold the Ace bandage in place over the wound dressing. It'll have to be replaced again, the bandage stays on for 12 days. Thing is, I bought this batch of rolls to keep Zeke from chewing off his surgical bandage so it is bright green and says "No Chew" all over it. She thought that was hilarious (I hoped for that reaction). It's possible to buy a non-bitter-tasting variety for humans and we'll use that in the future. I should wash my hands - if I recall, if I touch my mouth I'll taste that bitter apple for a while, from handling the tape.

Silliness can be healthy, so a good laugh this evening probably helped both of us. :)

I haven't worked on the sewing machine today, I'll resume that work tomorrow. I'm curious to see what I end up with once I have it packed in a way that I think is best. (Good thing I'm not also listing goblets in that sale!)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Aug 24 - 04:58 PM

Charmion, there isn't a short answer, but I hope the following helps.

You have several options. Are the rest of the glasses in tip top condition, meeting your requirements as far as what you were looking for? If they are perfect and you would like to keep them, then keep in mind that she also gets to write a review of you as the the customer. Will what she says impact your score (and does it matter)? You're trying to sell china, so if there a ding on your score, than can make it more difficult to sell.

If I sell a single item, for example a used leather handbag, and it turns out to be not in as good a condition as I thought (this happened one time) - the buyer wanted a refund. I sell things with a buy-it-now price plus shipping (no gouging, it's just the eBay calculation of the USPS cost, and it is discounted for eBay). The way I set up sales, is that the buyer pays the return shipping, and I refund the purchase price only and the original shipping, not the return shipping. But those rules are made to be broken if you want to negotiate. This is what I have done two or three times when something like that happens:

If an item is rejected, I'm not going to sell it again so I don't want it back. The cost of mailing things back to me is usually enough to eliminate the frivolous shoppers (they can't buy something and return it and get all their money back, costing me shipping both ways. I'm not Zappos.) When I am convinced that it was my error, as with that handbag (my enlarged photo showed me the part they complained about) then I offer to let them keep the item (don't return it, don't incur that shipping cost for themselves) and the refund I offer is close to 100%, just enough reduced to cover the eBay fee for the sale. It saves them an additional expense so we both do better when they don't have to return it.

If I had sold those glasses (I'd have packed them better!) and they were broken, then in the US the USPS shipping cost includes insurance up to $100. I would have the party photograph the whole box, all of the glasses, broken and intact, and I think to get the insurance coverage for what was broken in the mail, some kind of document needs to be filed by me, possibly with photos, to the USPS (since I have the shipping receipt). Or else I send the shipping receipt to the buyer and let them file. Not sure which. I've never had to do it. I don't know if Canadian shipping is the same, (or if you bought from someone in the US?) For the seller, it's better for her to go the insurance route so she isn't out the cost of the glasses.

If none of that fits your scenario and you want to keep the three good glasses, then the $90 from her is a reasonable offer. If you wanted to return the whole box for a refund, see the discourse above (I included it for a reason). What happens if you return it? Do you pay the shipping and is it refunded? The three unbroken glasses have to arrive in the same condition or she can reduce the refund. It all seems in this instance to come down to the shipping costs. She won't want the broken glasses back. So if the deal is to meet your price or you'll return the whole thing for a refund and she's paying to ship broken glasses she can't sell . . .

I'm going to be extra careful with my next batch of glasses, after reading through all of the possibilities!

Dorothy, for someone who portrays herself at death's door, you're still very active. (I'm glad!) Good luck getting help with the hearing aids. Pulling weeds! It's probably good for you. :-)

I spent the morning down at a surgical center where an acquaintance was having something done along the lines of carpal tunnel surgery (a pinched nerve thing.) She was groggier after than she thought she'd be and I told her I wasn't going to just drop her off and let her fend for herself, though that is what she had planned. On the way to her home we went by the grocery where her pharmacy is and while she got that taken care of I bought two rotisserie chickens to put in her fridge. She's on a budget, gets Meals on Wheels, and eats a lot of frozen TV dinners. The chicken will be a few days of something else. She has four cats and two cat boxes that are usually horrible. They don't get changed enough, and I knew she'd need help with only one working hand right now. I emptied both, washed them out, then refilled them and carted several bags of used cat litter down to the trash room (she has a bin that she scoops into during the week and empties it all at once so the stinky litter smell is always there.)

She can call me if she needs help and I'll plan to stop by tomorrow to check on her on my way out to my discount grocery (great produce for sale on Saturday).

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 02 Aug 24 - 01:03 PM

Hey, Stilly: I'm calling on your experience as a seller on EBay.

The set of eight Waterford iced beverage glasses I bought arrived on Tuesday. The seller did a terrible job of packing (inappropriate material and not nearly enough of it), and three of the eight were broken. In restitution, she has offered to refund $90, to which I replied that she should round it up to $100 and we would have a deal. Then she wrote back, saying that the price of the three broken glasses and a proportionate amount of the shipping charge came to $87, she had already rounded it up, and she thought that fair. Frankly peeved, I wrote back to say that she had failed to consider my inconvenience, and she should think again.

If she balks again, I may well submit a review warning others not to buy anything fragile from her because she probably won't pack it properly.

Now my question: Am I be the asshole?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 01 Aug 24 - 10:07 PM

Dupont:
Where oh where has Dorothy been? Barely moving in this heat! Doing almost nothing but breathing. Still no hearing aids but a new appointment with the clinic: This time I want to go on my own and be the one to talk with the person. I don't care how much it costs, I NEED to hear! (I can say that as I do have enough money for them. Cannot wait for Quebec health card - 1 October! If I am less than 3 feet away and R is looking straight at me and speaks clearly!!! At the grocery store: "I'm sorry. I cannot hear anything!"

The new meds arrived by mail today. I am going to put off starting than until after the trip to Toronto on 8th - to hear Colin and Jay Linden. I have no idea how they might affect my body and I do not want any glitches! With a bod that is in iffy shape, I am trying hard to foresee and forestall glitches. Especially coughing. bought some cough syrup at a drugstore today - asked for "something to kill a cough" so I don't have to leave. Also have the challenge of keeping gut happy!   

Friends packed up all my pottery that was in the shop in Ontario. It is in the LR at Beaver awaiting our visit after the concert. I will bring it back here for the "Antique" sale/show at end of August.

Totally by luck, I now have alerts on phone. Must not change any setting!!

So, I manage to do groceries, cook enough to keep us fed, do laundry as necessary. Pulled some weeds today although nurse is dubious about that re osteoporosis; I did the bare essential! MY neglected garden has two small zukes coming along and a few cherry tomatoes. It is still being watered with the soaker hose.

One might say I have not been feeling well. I realized a couple days ago that I have been getting ready to die and avoiding life. I did not want a med that might put me into remission. But R and my son are not of that mind and I have changed my view to doing what is necessary to keep on. R was happy to be so informed. I shall just have to take it as it comes rather than be fearful of what it might come to pain wise. The fractured vertebrae was horrendous pain but there was morphine and if it comes to the end of the line, it doesn't matter what the side effects are. The End of the Line is one of Jay Linden's beautiful songs - in memory of his older brother. Jay writes beautiful songs.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Aug 24 - 03:35 PM

Stay safe in those winds and the heat. Are you going straight through, and do you have times of day you prefer to drive (aside from the usual avoiding driving into the sun at dawn or dusk)?

I waited to shower today until after I do a little yard work, though I was distracted from that work by a group of wasps hovering around the bed I wanted to turn over. Their nest dropped off of the front soffit (I've tried for days to be non-chemical and spray it with soapy water; remarkably they seem impervious to the wasp spray I used one time) and once it fell they started trying new spots to build. When they sting, they do it as a group, and I've been stung several times over the years. As Patty says, that's a big Nope.

In the closet this morning I evicted a half-dozen knit tops that I won't be wearing because they have cap or other very short sleeves. My arms just don't look good in those any more (one problem with losing weight!) I've ordered a couple of new colors in blouse styles with 3/4 sleeves I tried recently. Two knit tops I had lost track of (buried on the shelves) are in the laundry and I did some mending, adding buttons to one shirt that I have no idea why it was hanging up when it had lost three buttons. I also ordered a t-shirt with the graphic KAM47A (you can visualize the tilted 4 and 7 being an upside down L).

Tomorrow I'm headed out early to be the backup for an acquaintance who has outpatient surgery. They won't proceed until they know she has someone who will stay with her after because of anesthesia. She said "you can lie, I'm always ok after," but I'll take her home and spend a few hours just to be sure she is fine. She's the one whose mobility chair needs a cover to protect from door handles, so I'll start working on that here tonight and take stuff to finish by hand if need be tomorrow. I also need to get a kit of eBay essentials together for her because she has discovered her building is a dumpster diving heaven and can sell a lot of the small things she finds. Having a setup is part of being able to do it, so tape, a small scale, labels, and some shipping envelopes and padding will go in one bin. For someone living on a SSI shoestring the extra income via eBay would be welcome.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: pattyClink
Date: 01 Aug 24 - 09:05 AM

Slogging across country with miserable heat. Where there aren't crazy high winds, there is suffocating humidity. Not good for getting in walks. One place had a pool, but my hand was sticky after I stuck it in to test water temp. Noped right out of there.

Well, nothing to do but do better. Looks like an inside workout is on the agenda for this morning, and cleaning those carrots so they'll be handy.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Jul 24 - 10:05 PM

Dry gelatin keeps, and I can still mix it into my hot tea to work on the nails. It'd be a waste of tomatoes to make aspic.

I have Taubes' Case for Keto, but I'm still reading Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control, and Disease. It's a hefty book with lots of citations and references.

Still working on the sewing machine listing; it's almost 100 years old but clean and I had the wiring replaced, so it's in much better than what I'm seeing in eBay listings. I'll start high and may have to price it down, but this machine is a gem.

The fridge has plenty of space today, as I use up produce for myself and the pooches. It looks like time for a run to the discount grocery, but also to Costco. They have the best frozen wild sockeye salmon, and I've run out. This is the kind of demarcation point I use when deciding when to go shopping.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 31 Jul 24 - 04:27 PM

If you have a bowl, Stilly, you can make aspic. It doesn’t have to be a fancy shape.

My weight is still going down. Since 7 April, I have lost 10.6 Kg, which is about 23 pounds. Most of it has come off back, belly and legs, which is why I will need new trousers for winter. I still have maybe 4 Kg to go — max. More than that will make me scrawny, a condition that does not look good on an aging woman.

That chapter in the Taubes book (I assume you’re reading “The Case for Keto”) was a major eye-opener for me, causing a complete re-think of every assumption I ever had about “healthy” food. I’m still kinda shocked at how much the medical profession does not know about nutrition, metabolism, or hormonal effects. At my most recent visit to the allergy doc (yesterday), he casually admitted that he doesn’t know much about relationships between diet and the immune system — really!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Jul 24 - 12:07 PM

JennieG, are you still doing PT? Did you tell us how you broke it (maybe in another thread?) As a seven-year-old I broke my leg (I think it was the right, but I can hardly visualize the cast any more) and wore the cast for three months, followed by more informal PT (my parents bought me a tricycle for the exercise). I walked with a limp for a long time and years later when I met my now-ex he told me I had an odd gait, probably leftover. Here's hoping your dexterity returns much sooner!

Down another pound this morning, and I'm understanding the science behind the type of calories at a more granular level. In a nutshell, even if you eat the same number of calories (I stick to ~ 1200/day) if fewer of them are carbohydrates your body processes foods differently. The carbs initiate an insulin response and those calories are parked for future use. If you eat more protein or fat it is used without the insulin and you burn more adipose. Most sugars and highly processed carbs, particularly from wheat, turbo-charges the insulin effect. Insulin is not your friend when trying to lose weight and stay healthy. Some of those rapidly digestible carbs (of whatever source, if they don't have a lot of fiber and liquid along with them) set us up for diabetes. I'm in the Taubes chapter about the myth of obesity, examining how it exists in the world and who is most impacted. Damn scary stuff.

My fingernails seem to be stronger as time passes on this low-carb eating; ironic that last week I sold those aspic molds, since I have a pound jar of dry gelatin that I was taking every day to help strengthen my nails (it wasn't working very well). I could have made aspic.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: JennieG
Date: 31 Jul 24 - 02:17 AM

I'm still here, still lurking. Each week brings more things that I can do as my arm, and particularly my hand and fingers, heal.

You don't realise how much you need both hands to do something until suddenly you only have one, and it's the non-dominant one at that.

Decluttering will happen when the weather warms up, it has been quite a chilly (by Oz standards) July. We have a wood stove, so once it's not needed a spring clean can happen.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Jul 24 - 11:13 PM

This evening I made a quiche, adapting features from a couple of recipe books. No crust, as is my usual version now. I have a half-sized pan that makes three portions - a reasonable amount so I'm not tired of when I finish it. I'm doing low carb but I still eat dairy so it has the fats and proteins that I'm looking for. It's Emmentaler and ham with finely chopped onion, eggs, cream, and milk, and sliced almonds sprinkled on top. Here it is saved on My Fitness Pal. (If you can't open it I can post the recipe later.)

I found a particularly good workout on Essentrics this afternoon, one I haven't seen before so it was nice to do a new routine, and it was great for my back ahead of spending 45 minutes bent over the sunroom table setting out a new 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Photos are finished for listing the old rotary White sewing machine; it's a work of art from 1927 and it works. Now if anyone wants to buy an iron ingot of a machine that should probably be shipped via freight, we shall see.

And wonder of wonders - The Mother of All BS thread is working. Now that is a form of clutter that might not stick around for long.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 30 Jul 24 - 07:31 AM

Don't forget the Bloc Québécois, Charmion. They're using a "bleu celeste."

I don't recall what the late, unlamented Reform Party used as their colour.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Jul 24 - 06:55 PM

For all but the top few candidates I also look to the literature for information. What they send out on glossy postcards through the mail is rarely helpful, but the non-partisan League of Women Voters maintains election information for all candidates, and a questionnaire they can fill out with their background, skills, past seats, etc. The fact that some candidates blow off that site speaks volumes when their data space is empty. It sometimes takes a bit of searching for the truth when they have gimmicky phrases as their slogans.

Another eBay item photographed, packed up, and listed. I am trying for one new listing a day this week. I have so many projects going on right now that sounds ambitious, but other projects would be so much easier if I get some of this stuff sold. (If Patty wants a bed she can have it - no sale required!)

I have finally gotten past that sore throat that bothered me on and off for over a week. It must be allergies this time of year. The thing that finally helped me turn the corner was using one of those ear cleaning kits - a few drops of oil in each ear, followed by several syringes of warm water. Stuffy ears and a sore throat

Since I've mentioned making the necklace with the lapis disk I'm thinking about some of my other jewelry making resources. I have a lot of freshwater pearls, and Kamala loves pearls. Perhaps it's time to do some more of the design I worked out several years ago. It's like this, but I added small dark red garnet beads between each pearl. I've used the purple and the almost-black ones. I will confess that the idea came from the jewelry worn in the early season of Bones, when they had Emily Deschanel wearing some wonderful anthropologist-looking jewelry. I don't see the particular one (in an image search) that I loved, but I found a funny remark on Reddit: "The chunky necklace and belt budget in the first few seasons must have been astronomical." Using some of my beads now would justify keeping them when I haven't done much for long time.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 29 Jul 24 - 02:39 PM

Yet another way Canada varies from the United States: here, the Conservatives are blue, and the Liberals are red.

And the New Democratic Party is orange, and the Greens are -- believe it or not -- green.

As a largely rural riding in southwestern Ontario, Perth-Wellington is deep indigo Conservative, and has been since it was formed in the redistribution after the 2001 census. Perth County, with its seat at Stratford, has voted Conservative since Confederation. The riding has been represented by a Liberal MP only during periods when its boundaries reached into the suburbs of Waterloo and Kitchener.

That puts me into an almost negligible political minority here. In more than 50 years as a voter I have cast my ballot for a Conservative exactly once: in (I think) 1981, for Flora Macdonald in Kingston and the Islands.

Nowadays, I can never make up my mind which of the major non-Conservative parties I favour this week, as I spent so much of my working life in politically non-aligned military or government service. Besides, they're all centre-left, varying in their social roots and policy focus. At every election, I have to read the campaign literature carefully to decide which losing candidate will get my support!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Jul 24 - 12:17 PM

Drive safe, Patty, and have good visits while you're there! If you don't find anything in your shopping I have antique bedroom furniture from my great aunt's home (the family home in Connecticut). I'm going to have to sell it or give it away, because I don't think the kids will want it (they don't at this point, at any rate). Double-sized, headboard and footboard, and planks from side to side to support the box spring and mattress. I even have one of these! (It goes with the headboard that is in my bedroom propped against the wall by my modern bed. It's so rare I should probably use it as a room divider or mount it on a wall.) There are I think four antique beds here, some of the headboards tucked away (one is behind the piano in the front room). Swing by and pick up a bed frame! :)

We're back into heat advisory weather so the Igloo cooler with bottles of water is back on the porch. I was out a few minutes ago to collect the mail - I ordered a smallish (~8mm) blue bead (lapis) on a chain to wear casually with t-shirts. I already had a pair of lapis earrings, and these will be my political statement on occasion (as a blue dot in a red state). I've also ordered a larger lapis disk that I'll make into a necklace myself. This is an expansion of my quietly political jewelry, that I assign meaning to. I have a pair of silver tree-of-life shaped earrings that I bought in late 2016, sure that Hillary was going to win and they were my celebratory gift to myself. Since the popular vote wasn't sufficient (still isn't - we have to fix that) but I knew the cause was good I kept wearing them, until I lost one. I ordered another pair and just about as they arrived I found the missing one down beside the seat in the SUV. So I explained the history of these earrings and gave the spare pair to my daughter. One day recently we met for lunch and grinned at the realization of our both having chosen those earrings for the day (it was right after Biden endorsed Harris.) There are lots of "blue dots" being discussed in one of the groups I belong to, signified by blue beads worn by women who are in the same situation. If the disk works out well I may get a few more and make necklaces for the women in the family.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: pattyClink
Date: 28 Jul 24 - 09:50 PM

On the road today, skirted the edges of a bad thunderstorm out of Alamagordo area, and the phone alerts for more flash floods in Ruidoso turned out to not be on my path, so lucked out with that.

I just have this one trip to make to clean out storage in the southeast, and while east I'll see a few people and catch a couple of events music and mineral related. It's not a fit time for rockhounding anywhere south of the 40th parallel, I'm afraid. Perhaps I'll search for the elusive bedstead, there may be better pickings on vintage furniture that in the west.

Have cleared out a few cabinets and a lot of the 'basement' storage so that I can tuck in some of the poundage in storage. There are lots of hatches and cubbies to make use of, and may target those for the more heat sensitive items to stay cooler.

Today I tried to follow a zoom class while driving--got off to a great start, but stupidly laid the tablet on the dash, and after 10 minutes in the sun it overheated and went blank. By the time I held it next to the a/c vents and cooled it off, I was headed into no-signal territory in mountains. Oh well, I tried. Hard to schedule travel around classes and sessions.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Jul 24 - 07:18 PM

Since you ask, Stilly, the stitches came out. There is still some residual inflammation from the original infection, but the surgery site has healed well and feels good.

Like you, I am concerned for Jon Freeman and for Senoufou, both of whom we have not heard from for some time now. They both had plenty of things to worry about. I wonder if matters have gotten better or worse.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Jul 24 - 11:24 AM

Patty, now that you have a home base what kind of trip are you taking? Is this more of your rockhound rambling or are you going to go back and forth to empty the SE storage locker? Do you have anything stored in other locations?

I trimmed around the back door last week and this morning went out to sweep the grass off of the porch before dropping a couple of composition rug and hard rubber mats out there to knock dirt out of before I them hose off. I washed several small rugs yesterday and will sweep and mop the floor in the den and kitchen. I need to do the whole house, but that's where I'm starting. The swept up dog hair, demolished parts of chewed sticks, etc. can go in the trash for tomorrow.

Yesterday I brewed a little pot of decaf black tea but it was forgotten for a long time. I added a little stevia and poured it into a jar to use as iced tea in the evening. I think the long brew intensified any remaining caffeine; it took me a while to get to sleep (now that I've removed it from the diet I feel it when I do get it.) I'll remember to save a mix like that for the morning hours.

Keb, how are you feeling now after the scalp surgery? Do you have stitches that must come out? Dorothy, what is up with address changes and working on the various properties? Sandra, how is your craft material decluttering proceeding, or did you finish that project? How about some of our lurkers who decide to declutter and do the job quickly (instead of reporting out during a slow ongoing project)?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jul 24 - 11:34 AM

Years ago I used a travel trailer for housing in a couple of NPS jobs. Remembering to get all of the steps taken care of before moving it was so important. At least it had a jack on the hitch to make keeping it level and hook up easier. I kept a padlock on the jack end so someone would be less likely to back up to it to steal it. On your trailer if the hitch end was on the ground it's a default security setup (unless some beefy guy comes along and just lifts it).

That reminds me that I have a jack stand in the garage and I can't remember what I was using it for. Something else to donate.

Motorhomes and travel trailers are a lot like cabin cruiser boats - efficient storage tucked into lots of places. A friend had an Alaskan camper on her pickup truck, and one day she was going through all of the storage places to find a smell. She finally turned up a bag of rotten tomatoes tucked into one of the big locking drawers that opened from outside on the back.

Lots of stuff has to be finished this month but the online defensive driving course is on the top of my list.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: pattyClink
Date: 25 Jul 24 - 10:25 PM

Well I thought hauling a couple of small trailer loads and putting the stuff in the house was quite a bit of work. But yesterday I emptied out a lot of the stuff I've been hauling in the motorhome. Yikes. Must have pulled 500 pounds of seldom-used stuff out of there. Then filled the water tank from the spidery pumphouse, sprayed the RV off, and day was winding down.

Figured I could then hitch up quickly, but no, it turned into a 30-minute sweatfest. Problem, the cargo trailer had tipped up off its hitch block the other day when I emptied it and walked onto the exit ramp, and then came down crooked onto bare ground. I was able to right it and re-set it on its block, (by reaching into the garden for heavy stones to weigh down the door, then reset the block, then let it come down. Kind of like "Why Paddy's Not at Work Today".   Unfortunately, it wound up at a rakish angle, and that made it difficult to line up for hitching.

Well it's done, and the load-out of stuff for the trip is just going to have to wait til morning. Sometimes things just take as long as they take.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jul 24 - 12:00 PM

No more seating for unexpected guests at Keb's house!

I'm about to tackle a large (heavy) listing for eBay - an antique sewing machine. Packing it will be the challenge, keeping small parts from possibly shifting (bending or breaking). I have some styrofoam chunks that will serve (carve them into the correct shapes or adding slots to go over contours. Tape, a roll of UHaul plastic wrap to stabilize things, styro or cornstarch packing peanuts, and a box within a box. I need a nap after just considering this project.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: keberoxu
Date: 25 Jul 24 - 09:58 AM

My apartment has been decluttered of four small matching chairs.
I loaded all four chairs in my car (told you they were small)
and drove to the Goodwill store to donate them.
Lots more still to do, but still, one more thing done.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 25 Jul 24 - 09:12 AM

Stilly, my fingernails have always been brittle, and my skin dry to the point of damage. The keto diet has definitely improved my skin, which is far less itchy than it has been in years, but I don’t see any change in finger- or toenails. I assume this is because nails grow very slowly compared to skin, and are “dead” material. I believe the skin improvement can best be attributed to the high fat content of keto (rather than its protein content), and to the anti-inflammatory effect of its low carbohydrate content.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jul 24 - 12:07 AM

It occurs to me that I should explain about kicking a path through the dogs - it doesn't mean taking aim and letting fly. It means as I approach the door and they are underfoot and behind me, I give a backward kick without knowing who is back there, a more active equivalent of accidentally stepping on a dog. It usually means coming in contact with the chest of one of the dogs who is too close and making a fuss. They understand that this is what happens when they follow too close, it isn't personal. And unlike dogs getting too close to horses or mules that can kill them with a kick, they're just getting a thud from me that says "back off."

The kitchen is clean this evening, dishes washed, sink scrubbed, various items that usually sit out (silicone sink pads, dog water pan, etc.) ran through the dishwasher and now back in place.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jul 24 - 07:00 PM

I've changed out the payment system on ActBlue for my political donations - I was using PayPal with it, but Act Blue doesn't give you the option of choosing where they draw funds from, they go straight for the PayPal balance. I use my balance for my eBay stuff and was surprised this morning to see PayPal dipping into the bank account for eBay postage - because my last donation through ActBlue emptied the balance. In almost every other kind of online purchase transaction, when you choose PayPal you see a screen to let you say where to get the funds, and I have PayPal by default connected to a VISA card that they just blow right past. Not polite, and I suspect more than a few people will make this discovery soon.

My PA at the doctor's office says no strep, no Covid, that's good (they swab you the parking lot and 15 minutes later call with results, then you can go inside.) This throat thing seems to be a combination of allergies hitting my sinuses and my adjusting to the new dental device.

I bought some nice beef on sale (from the last chance bin at Albertsons) and today am testing a new brand of vacuum sealer bags (it arrives as a long roll). The brand I had used for several years seemed to be a bit thinner each time I ordered more and were failing fairly often, so I paid more but got what looks like better material.

I'm still thinking about this higher protein diet, and wondering if it will strengthen my fingernails. Have you noticed any change, Charmion?

One trip tonight and two tomorrow to finish feeding my friend's cats. We're all ready for this week trip to wrap up. The cash is nice, but I have to keep stopping things I'm doing to drive off to mealtime. I stopped at the Supermercado on the way home yesterday and picked up a small container of their fresh ceviche and guacamole, and for dinner I used small tortilla scoops with a dab of avocado and a couple of pieces of fish and vegetables for a lovely summer dinner. I am planning to do the same tomorrow after kitty lunch and bring it home for my lunch.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jul 24 - 02:07 PM

I think aluminum has been cleared of the theory (for a few decades) that it might contribute to health issues, but I still don't use it often.

I'm in to cool for a few minutes; I've mowed about 3/4 of the front yard and decided to get a drink before I collapsed behind the mower.

I was out earlier to see what crows were up to in the street - they are bullies and attack owls and hawks. I'm pretty sure they were ganging up on an owl but I couldn't get out fast enough to see. I had to literally kick my way past Pepper at the door who wasn't letting me get it open and out. I'm going to have to put the shock collar on for a couple of days and zap her when she does that. I'm still the boss of the front door around here, even if she's the one who alerts about the mail carrier.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 24 Jul 24 - 12:31 PM

I made it through pool class and brunch at my favourite diner before running out of gas. Now I’m back in the comfy chair, under the cat and unlikely to do anything else demanding for the rest of the day.

Aspic is a love-or-loathe-it dish. My mother used to make a tomato aspic that was okay — i.e., not actively repellent — but my grandmother’s jellied brawn simply would not go down my throat. I’m pretty sure the issue was texture, at least for me. When I discovered a really neat lemon pudding that combines jelly and custard, I thought at first that I would gag on the jelly part but didn’t; maybe I’ve grown out of that childhood reaction. Also, I quite like headcheese, which is just the suave, commercial version of Grandma’s jellied brawn.

There’s no accounting for tastes, especially over a 60-year span of time.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jul 24 - 11:31 AM

It seems to want sentences instead of phrases and it favors pronouns.

My throat feels better today (of course it does since I made an appointment for this afternoon) but I'll still go down there; I can feel remnant tenderness and in case it is something that shows up in a culture, I'd like to know.

The lawn needs mowing but we've had a couple of wonderful rainy days and the dew hasn't dried yet. Later today.

This morning I forgot to put an eBay box on the porch for the mail carrier; he comes past the house two more times on the route so Pepper will alert me when the vehicle is close and I'll walk it out. A dozen aspic molds are headed to someone in San Diego. I never liked it as a kid (at every holiday meal) and there is no other use I can think of putting these aluminum molds to. (Would the AI hack end a sentence with a preposition? I'm not going to test it.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Jul 24 - 10:20 AM

it is certainly not a Creative Writer!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Jul 24 - 09:40 PM

The sore throat isn't going away, so I have an appointment tomorrow for a couple of cultures and a checkup. The Covid test was negative.

That stupid "help me write" thing popped up so I tried it. This is the result:
I have a sore throat that isn't going away, so I have an appointment tomorrow for a couple of cultures and a checkup. I took a Covid test and it was negative.

Color me underwhelmed.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jul 24 - 10:23 PM

We've had air quality issues here since late last week and I have a sore throat. I don't know if those two things are related. I also have a new "night guard" retainer that I've worn for a few nights and I'm wondering if there is a connection in that direction. This evening I've deployed motrin and a decongestant to see if it helps.

Cat sitting continues and gets me out of the house to do my own things during the day. I unloaded the boxes that cat-lady friend saved for me and loaded the big 5-gallon gas can to take to fill non-ethanol gas for the mower and other gas-powered equipment, a chore so easy now that Walmart built a gas station six blocks from my house and they carry that kind of gas (no one else in town has this - I previously had a 50-mile round trip to the next county to get it.)

Goddamned Google is trying insert it's AI script via Chrome - a message next to the cursor just popped up and suggested I needed help writing. Like they know what we're discussing here? I don't think so.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 22 Jul 24 - 10:05 AM

The garage has been decluttered of at least a year’s accumulation of cardboard boxes, all carefully flattened as per municipal ordinance and inserted into the approved blue bins. With them went all manner of plastic and styrofoam packing materials, enough to fill a bin liner to full stretch. I kept exactly two sturdy book-size boxes and a carton full of styrofoam packing peanuts.

Now I’m tired out, asprawl with the cat in the comfy chair with Astor Piazzola (El Mestro del Tango) piped into my ears from iTunes. I had intended to go to pool class today, having ceased to be a threat to the commonweal, but I coughed half the night and I’m obviously not ready for anything even vaguely resembling real exercise.

It’s a fine, steamy day in southwestern Ontario. When I have recombobulated enough to face a shower, I will sally forth to the post office with a box bound for Toronto. The box contains a heck of a lot of packing peanuts and three crystal wine glasses, each with a flea-bite chip in the rim. Yes, I finally found a person who repairs crystal! And of course she’s in Toronto, where I strongly prefer not to go in person. So fingers crossed.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jul 24 - 12:02 AM

Oooo, Patty! If you have tarantula wasps, you probably have tarantulas! Keep your eye open for them, and keep a plastic container and a piece of cardboard handy so you can capture any that get into the house and release them in the yard. (Drop the container over the top then slide the cardboard underneath.) They are quite delicate, if you swat one you're liable to kill it. Better to move them, they're beneficial (and a sign that the yard is a healthy place without toxic chemicals.) Congratulations on getting moved into the house and I'm glad you have a friend in the area to participate in the process. Good luck getting a bed you like!

Having lived in the desert SW for a number of years (in Arizona, and I almost moved to NM), I know the kind of house and furniture you're describing. If you can find anyplace that sells the solid pine furniture that is made in Mexico I think you might enjoy some of the quality and solid pieces they produce. The place that used to sell that here finally closed, but I'm sure the pine furniture is still made and imported. I have some of that furniture here in my house in Texas.

Recycling managed this weekend, kitchen cleaned, and small things like a bit of bleach in a mug to soak out tea stains and also dip my tea strainers in to clean them. Laundry set to run in the wee hours (when power is less in demand) and trash is at the curb (and litter from the street curb area picked up). I had a productive weekend (including the museum tour as a volunteer extra) and lunch planned tomorrow with my daughter.

I decluttered my wallet this afternoon in a push to promote Kamala Harris and I see that others had the same idea. I'm sorry to see Joe step down - he had a plan and work left to do, but it will continue with a new younger leader. Act Blue, the organization that funnels donations to Democratic candidates and causes, raised nearly $50M for her campaign today.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: pattyClink
Date: 21 Jul 24 - 10:52 PM

Moved into the house yesterday, after picking up a mattress in a box to stick on the floor. Walmart is always my last choice and a rare visit, but after efforts to shop local fail, sometimes they have a solution. The ideal bedframe and box will just have to come later.

But, on the fruitless bed-shopping trip, discovered a really lovely large gateleg table in honey colored real wood (increasingly rare in these days of laminate) and got a great deal on it and its chairs (used). Looks like it was made for the place, and can serve as both desk and table for now. Took a friend who is much more into style and decor on the foray, and she helped me make some good decisions. I learned some new things about sofa shopping. Biggest obstacle right now on stuffed furniture--the stuff on clearance is all not the tweeds but the low nap stuff; cozy in winter but in this heat it makes me want to run for the hills. (Glad Fort Worth is having a little cool snap, we are also due for a monsoon-season break).

I may indeed shut off the water heater per SRS advice, but for tonight I want guaranteed hot water in my first shower here.

Meanwhile, enjoying the yard; there was quite an array of birds swooping around the porch as I stepped out this morning, rabbits, a huge thing I learned is a tarantula wasp, lovely clean breezes, assorted blooming weeds from recent rains. This evening an impressive cloud and sunset show, mountains for a backdrop. Grateful for such a retreat!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 21 Jul 24 - 02:30 PM

Yes, Stilly, the cabinet will be a bit less crowded. I’ve decided to enjoy the space and let it be.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jul 24 - 02:22 PM

Good job getting over it to the non-contagious point. Now to get over the rest of the getting over it part.

During the night I woke up a couple of times to a strange sound, and realized it was a hard rain, a couple of episodes of it. We got at least an inch and today is cool and comfortable. For late July this is miraculous! There's a good chance for more rain again overnight tonight. Then maybe I'll till the garden for fall.

Steamed a batch of broccoli and baked chicken for a few meals this week (and the dogs share the broccoli with me). When I made marinara sauce a couple of days ago I didn't have bell peppers so used poblano. It is missing the sweetness of the bell pepper, but isn't bad. Not spicy hot like you might expect. I have bells now so will saute a little bit and mix it into the jar I'm using now. I'm figuring out how to get the fiber of my granola without as many calories. I use about half of a normal serving of the granola and sprinkle it over the top of a bowl of strawberries (sweetened with monk fruit and vanilla sweetener) and non-fat plain Greek yogurt. The probiotic yogurt is healthier than plain milk and the granola is mostly nuts, so a great topping.

I'm getting ready to set up a backup HDD drive in the closet, connected to the router. I'll map it to the big computer and use it for a fresh backup. I haven't been pestered by Microsoft about updating to Win11 for a while, but if I do make the change I want the full backup so I can restore back to 10 if I want to. (In theory that is possible, at any rate.) My current hard drive is connected directly to the computer, and is getting pretty full. The point of putting one in the closet is more for security; no one plans on a burglary, but we had one here about 20 years ago, and they got all of the computer stuff and drives. The drive in the closet would be out of sight and preserve my data to restore to a new computer if need be.

How much space does your Bohemian crystal take up? Is it going to be an even exchange for when your newer glasses arrive or will there be extra space? A friend of mine has been buying a brand of frozen cat food that comes in well-insulated boxes that she saves for me and I use for shipping glasses. The company uses large pieces of insulated packing made of the same cornstarch as dissolvable packing peanuts. Whoever receives them can toss them into the compost or the sink and let them dissolve if they aren't reused.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 21 Jul 24 - 11:13 AM

COVID negative.

Now I can go to the Post Office and the supermarket! Wheee!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER *hoards *bad habits *toxic stuff - 2024
From: Charmion
Date: 21 Jul 24 - 09:53 AM

This morning, my space-age Fitbit scale informed me that my body-mass index is now officially out of the “overweight” class, and that my body-fat percentage is only about five points above the level said to be ideal for a woman of my age. I realize that BMI is a widely debunked standard, and that five seconds of contact between an electronic gadget and the soles of my feet is hardly a foolproof way to assess fatness, but I nevertheless believe that I have reached a preliminary objective.

Closet contents are thinning, too. I will definitely need smaller trousers for winter, and I can zip up my undergraduate jacket, a cowhide item designed for a young man with hips like a trout.

On the COVID front, I’m still hosting the cough from Hell, but olfactory functions are gradually returning — I could almost taste my coffee this morning. I will do another test when the cat decides to get off my lap.

The Römertopf method for cooking lamb shanks is most definitely a winner, improved still more by browning the shanks before baking, and using the same skillet to reduce the sauce after the pot came out of the oven. I’ll eat the second shank later in the week when I can taste it properly, but last night’s had the right sweet-bitter balance with just enough acid bite from the tomatoes.