DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**

Subject: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Mar 26 - 09:32 AM

Here is the previous Declutter thread. Now that BS threads (at least, MOST BS threads) have an upper limit of 700 posts, this is the time to start a new one before the old one is decluttered from the face of Mudcat. The old one will be closed so it isn't accidentally posted over it's limit and so this thread can be discovered by infrequent participants.

Today the laundry room flooring underlayment will be painted on in a strategic patch (behind where the washer is now pulled far away from the wall.) I've measured the space so that once this first couple of rows of vinyl tiles are in place and had time to set (and the edging and quarter round put back) the washer can be moved on top of it and I'll work outward from there into the rest of the room. This home DIY approach to flooring and painting without emptying everything is equivalent to Mr. Bean's swimsuit.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 23 Mar 26 - 11:29 AM

The cats are in fine fettle at Cats' Paradise -- I called up to check. Watson socializes; Isobel maintains a strategic distance. No, I did not drive out there; it's way out on the fringe of Almonte and the price of fuel in my neighbourhood has reached $1.78 per litre. Besides, my guts do not feel ready for an hour and a half in the car (45 minutes each way) in mostly high-speed traffic.

The worst of the virus has passed, but I'm not well yet. I can eat only small amounts of a few foods, and I tire quickly. But I have regained 1.5 kg of the 2.75 kg that fell off me between Thursday and Sunday, so I'm probably just about rehydrated. Also, my knees have ceased to wobble. If I never drink apple juice again, I'll be good with that.

The sun is shining vigorously as if to make up for last week, and my so-called Christmas cactus is covered with buds. It will bloom in the middle of Holy Week.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 23 Mar 26 - 06:01 PM

yah! to getting rehydrated, & a another YAH to buds on Christmas cactus. My north facing window contains 5 elderly cacti, some flower at Christmas, others in our winter, & only one flowered in July (a pitiful display!) & none have since! I have a sheer lace curtain + 2 thin bright gold curtains & when the sun is at the correct angle, it is a thing of beauty & I've been taking photos for years! I put some of my photos in my phone & planned to ask someone at the Community Garden for advice, but I tend to take my compost over before the gardeners arrive!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Mar 26 - 11:11 AM

The first set of tiles are down and while they may eventually stay exactly where I put them, the process isn't perfect. For a little while they're movable when pushed on. The instructions say to use a roller but they're expensive. Reddit offers answers. I stood and leaned into each tile then used a rolling pin over the top of a cleaning rag to lean into the process of sealing the adhesive to the treated floor. Today I'll paint the trim and quarter round then put those back around the washer side of the room. Once I can finally return all of the stuff to that space (culling never-used items in the process) I can advance to the next part of the job. I'd like to finish it this week, but Thursday is the big immovable lump on my calendar - jury duty. Hoping to be dismissed quickly, and sometimes they email to say the case was settled at the last minute.

When I moved into this house there were a couple of funky old trash cans, a large plastic bin (long gone) and a 30-gallon galvanized can with an equally rusty lid. I haven't used it in years and today it dawned on me that the can would easily fit into the new city bin, so farewell little metal trash bin, thank you for your service. Some things simply can't be given away or reused for anything else.

The painter has been notified that I'd like to have him do the job (the bid will satisfy the insurance company that my deductible has been met - and then some). Now to find a door to go in the back entrance to the garage and choose the colors for the house. I buy the door, the repairs part of the bid will cover putting it up.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 25 Mar 26 - 06:19 AM

From previous incarnation of this thread:

> nesting cardinals

What sound do they make? plainchant?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 25 Mar 26 - 10:10 AM

Cardinals (the avian kind) have a considerable repertoire of trills, cheeps and whistles. In nesting season, they announce their seizure of certain territory — i.e., a suitable branch in a suitably shrubby tree — with a call that starts with a noise like a slide-whistle and moves into a chuckling trill. Those who interpret such things say it sounds like “Sweeeet birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie!”

I have never heard the song of the clerical kind of cardinal, no surprise as I am an Anglican.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 26 - 11:13 AM

Around here I haven't heard the cardinals for a long time but they have a distinctive flight pattern, as they travel from point A to point B. They swoop up and down along the route in a kind of jerky avian sine wave.

I need to get into the yard to work but have been tied down by a combination of indoor projects. My rule for myself regarding what goes in the laundry room, as I return the items that live there: if I haven't used it in forever, it gets readied for donation and leaves the house. I've organized a small wire shelf better for tools on top and various laundry products (most rarely used) down below. Now I need to slowly turn and face the maelstrom that is the stuff packed in all around and above the dryer. . .

I've received two texts this week from the County reminding me that tomorrow is jury duty. The process of getting into the courthouse is onerous enough that if I have to stick around past the lunch break I don't want to try to leave and find a small restaurant for lunch (eating gluten free off of an unfamiliar menu), or heaven forbid stay and deal with the vending machines. I'm preparing the ingredients for a packed lunch. And a note about entering government buildings with security: they don't allow pocket knives. I had to step off of the federal property and ditch my knife in a planter for the duration of helping my friend at her hearing. I took the knife out of my pocket yesterday and while I'll miss it today, I'm not going to have to worry when I put my pocket stuff in a clean pair of black jeans tomorrow.

patty, how is the property doing this spring? Are the weeds fighting the good fight or have you found a way to mow them down and keep them down with the vinegar mix?

Dorothy, are you still reading along occasionally?

Donuel, what are you building or shifting around? We haven't heard from Jon in forever, and there are many others who sometimes step up and offer reports.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 26 - 05:19 PM

I have about half of the back yard mowed, but with really tall grass it is a slog, so I'm in for a cool-down and wait till much later this evening to finish. The mower was quite heavy the last time I used it and today I realized the grass catch bag was full, after the mulch/bag lever wiggled lose enough last time to let it fill. Mowing today was much easier from the weight standpoint.

The bed linens were changed today and as of the end of March I have all of the cold weather covers off and am down to a simple sheet and one waffle-weave thermal blanket, with a small lap quilt to pull over the top if it gets cool by morning.

The floor in the laundry room hall has gotten the scrubber treatment. I may be able to put down a couple more rows of the tiles before heading to bed this evening (that would advance the tile into the middle of the passageway between the kitchen and sunroom). Bulky items moved from the dryer side of the room will act as dog barriers to keep them out of the work zone.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 25 Mar 26 - 06:06 PM

Busy time of year here, had several rock shows and music projects. I have been hacking down four-foot tall rocket (greens) plants that went berserk this year for some reason. Some have stalks so thick as to require loppers and others can be weed-whacked, left to dry, and baled up. The goatheads are not apparent yet, but neighbors to the south see them sprouting already, months ahead of schedule.

Today I have spent hours extracting the control board from a washer, very difficult process which should have been very easy, but manufacturers seem to delight in making things very hard to get to and hard to maintain. I ordered a tiny part which a welder friend will solder on if he can get the board's housing plastic off--I did not attempt it because it looks like it will require 5 hands holding screwdrivers at once. None of this is 'just call a repairman' territory; aside from them being far away, this is a case of known bad design, where so many units fail, you can no longer buy the control boards, they don't have any more. Well, some fellow in Morocco is selling them on ebay but what are the chances it would have the same fatal flaw I'm trying to fix?

Working hard to get lots of things done so I can hit the road early April for a loop through the South.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 26 - 07:47 PM

Being consistent at keeping the weeds down will help, but if you're planning to leave can you contract with someone to swing by and mow them for you in your absence? Will your loop through the South bring you through North Texas? The guest room is always ready!

Late this afternoon an email arrived from the county saying I wasn't needed for jury duty tomorrow and my service is concluded. All of a sudden I have tomorrow open again for stuff that is keeping me busy. I'd made hardboiled eggs for tomorrow, and they can happily go on a chef's salad instead.

One of yesterday's eBay listings has already sold and ships tomorrow.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 26 Mar 26 - 10:50 AM

Now Marc the contractor is down with a first run of the gastro virus, SIL No. 1 is soldiering through her second bout of gastrointestinal, and I am into my third day of a messy head cold that has deprived me of most of my olfactory functions. No work was done on my renovation yesterday and I doubt that anything will be done today. The stone is due to be delivered and installed tomorrow.

In hope of reducing the extreme coryza that came with this cold, I bought some Dayquil and Nyquil capsules at the drugstore yesterday. I took them as directed, and today my nose is running less but I am dizzy and weak -- again reduced to a goat on skates. Consequently, it's just another day amid the muddle at home. Since SIL No. 1 is so poorly today, I'll probably stagger to Tim's for a sandwich later.

As this is Thursday, our little family bubble has been sick for a week, currently with no end in sight.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Mar 26 - 11:47 AM

Awwww. You're looking at overlapping bubbles - the contractor's family will now also have to stage their comings and goings. Is everything in place for the stone countertops, or will that wait?

This reminds me, I haven't heard from my handyman about removing the patio cover this week.

Emptying the dryer side of the laundry room is underway; there is a lot more stuff packed in than ever was on the other side. I did a load of laundry last night and after another this morning I'll have a week's worth of underwear and be able to completely move the dryer out of the spot for the next few days (it's much lighter than the washer, for starters).

Part of the back yard was mowed yesterday, and I have the mower owner's manual out to see the instructions for replacing the blades. It discusses using a torque wrench (don't have one, looking into it) and the pounds of torque for proper tightening. This may involve doing all of the work then going to an "authorized dealer" to have them tighten it properly. Even with safety boots there is no way a flying mower blade is something I want to encounter.

Yogurt is underway, and will be ready by bedtime (I let it sit for 12 hours before chilling).