DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26

Subject: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress -
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Jul 25 - 02:35 PM

In a few posts we'll be up against the Mudcat limit for long threads, so I'm starting this to continue the discussion. I'll change the date so it's noticeable and will close the other one so it can still be opened for reading.

DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - 2025 is the previous thread.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 31 Jul 25 - 06:26 PM

Dupont:

Well, hope I am correct here.

The weather is more to my liking today and I managed to plant a couple small plants that have been hanging in for weeks - in a pan of shallow water. Sort of brown eyed Susans from an environmental group which offered them at a nearby municipal park- very nice park with one small building - they may have workshops, and trails - only mildly developed so people can actually walk through the woods.

I could plant the other two but not wanting to do more than the back will endure. I am amazingly able to walk without hobbling today - the weather Is fantastic! Is this the only proof I need that the weather is my biggest problem. I did not walk to the river today as on Thursday am, the good bread is delivered to the produce store and, remembering that, I headed out, before BF and got a loaf of the sort R likes and a small round pumpernickel - that I like. And a few other groceries. Everyone seemed cheered by the cooler weather!

Then I came home and made myself a big BF - shocking!: a small amount of bacon, 2 small eggs scrambled with sharp cheese, and the 3 smallest pieces of pumpernickel- warmed in the hot frying pan. Terrific!

Then the planting, then reading an interesting novel - Heartwood by Amity Gaige. I am having trouble finding books at this library. I shall have to pay it a call later today or tomorrow. and search harder. I think it is closed on weekends? I could go to the one an hour away on Friday if I feel up to it, and pick up more food at the Bakery.

OK! So I had lots of veggies and a chunk of veggie Lasagna for "lupper". - after a nap. Maybe I could still walk down to the river as it is starting to cool!

Looks like Charmion has a new home! Considering the amount of clutter she has disposed of, it could be a much easier move.

Is there any reason not to let an oak seedling grow up in the front yard - 25 feet from the house? There are at least two out there I had not noticed until recently (due to my illness?) - about 18 inches tall with new growth! It would be nice if they could be moved to the back yard which could use more trees. We do not really have enough to be a buffer between us and the already in progress development. North side of house: evergreens would be best!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Jul 25 - 07:34 PM

Dorothy, if you want to move those trees do it now, don't wait. The longer they grow the harder they are to transplant.

Making my granola this evening, with a bit left on the side for a friend (without the powdered milk) to test if it helps her gut health. Now that I don't have to stop what I'm doing several times a day to run feed cats I can get a few projects taken care off, and tomorrow is a day off. Shopping and lunch with a friend probably.

A long weekend ahead and I'll see in that time how much I can clear off of the horizontal surfaces to improve the appearance of the den at least. Today was an eye-opener.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 31 Jul 25 - 08:58 PM

Dupont:

Feeling a bit elated: after my mini successes at feeling better today, and in a cooling evening!: I ventured into the little potting roomth see what I need to do to make it functional. There is clay ready to use! and I started another loaf. Neither are labeled so I shall have to fill a kiln and fire to see what is what. Once in a while, for some small things, I am organized but this last two years has not had that! I am delighted to see what I do have and recognize the possibility of actually making some pots as the weather permits. Perhaps I can, once again, Dwell in Possibilities!! Let's see what tomorrow says!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Mary G
Date: 31 Jul 25 - 09:22 PM

help. could someone please explain facebook messenger to me? I have a very important message to get off and I have found several old messages. I have groked and googled and it seems to require some huge pin from a decade ago. i hate messenger in general but this is horrible to figure out although most 8 year olds have done it.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Aug 25 - 12:15 AM

Mary, I just looked at the messages we exchanged under the last Mudcat ID you used and see we corresponded about Facebook Messenger in 2020. You were extremely leery of Facebook and not answering messages. At the time your account was somehow compromised. And I can't remember what the oddball name was you were using instead of your own for your Facebook account.

If you are on a computer and can open Facebook then you can see the Messenger symbol at the top right of any page. It's the little text balloon with the angular squiggle.

How are the security settings on your Facebook account set? If you have it as "friends only" who can read your Facebook posts and have access set (for example) so only you can see your friends, then those are the people who are most likely to use Messenger to communicate privately.

Messenger is its own freestanding app in phones and tablets, but it is wedded to Facebook on computers. Where are you using it (somehow I don't visualize you texting a lot on a smartphone)? It is connected to your Facebook account so anyone who is a friend there can contact you. You can also communicate with others outside of your friends from posts you read on Facebook.

Is any of this at all helpful? Your best bet is to sit down side-by-side with someone well-versed in this and pull up your Facebook account and have them help you with the particulars.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Aug 25 - 08:19 AM

I am sitting out the 24 hours the sellers of my chosen house have to accept or reject my offer. If they accept, I will have Filipino neighbours — nice!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Aug 25 - 03:46 PM

Good cooking ahead, indeed, Charmion!

Mary, Messenger recently (as in, early this year) set up a more robust security system on Messenger with a one-time pin. Do you have a smart phone? The Facebook app is where they have parked most of the security stuff, so if, for example, you need a code to confirm you are you on any device, there is a security section on the phone's FB app to which you need to navigate to get the code. I think they wanted a six-digit pin.

Struck out again at the discount grocery as far as produce, they had that warehouse closed. More eggs on sale (I'll be eating a lot of them for a while), and they had some nice sausage links and some gluten-free buns. I love a sausage in a bun with my homemade relish or sauerkraut. In this instance, I'll be putting my fresh pickle slices on as the garnish (as much pickle or relish as meat - it can serve as a vegetable serving that way.)

On a totally non-declutter note, we've gone full-circle in our end of the neighborhood. When I first moved in (2002) the next door neighbors invited me over to dinner with their kids and the new grandbaby, Audrey. Today when I stepped next door to deliver some flowers and ripe tomatoes, I met Audrey's baby boy, six months old. How time flies in our village!

Earlier today it looked like we had weather heading our way (the ex, in his usual contrarian approach, said "it's all weather, clear or cloudy." This is one of the reasons we're better as friends and not living in the same house. He can drive me nuts). The clouds dissipated, but might form again as evening approaches. If it doesn't rain, I'm going to go spray a clay whitewash (Surround WP - "wettable powder") on my garden to help deflect the damage from the bright sun. That would be easier than the floating row cover to act as a shade cloth.

There was a huge cucumber in the garden yesterday, hiding in plain sight that should have been picked about two days earlier. I gave it to my daughter at our lunch today; she can choose to eat it herself or cut it into large pieces and skewer on a thing on a chain for the chicken run, like a large cucumber piñata. They love it and it is not only good for them, it's entertaining. (She described having to treat some kinds of wounds on her birds' feet and it had me thinking of the time I had to buy vodka and a medication to euthanize a fish that a friend of hers had somehow convinced her to care for and she passed it to me. And it was dying. I didn't want to flush it, so - anyway, now she's discovering the joys of addressing pet issues. Good thing her cat is in robust health.)

My goal for the weekend is to clear horizontal surfaces. And possibly a run to Goodwill.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Aug 25 - 07:18 PM

The house is mine. Jeff the realtor will visit tomorrow to pick up my deposit cheque, so thank goodness I remembered to bring my chequebook. The building inspection is next.

Then back to Stratford to shed the excess tools from the garage and garden shed, and get ready for another Great Upheaval.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Aug 25 - 08:15 PM

Congratulations! This is all moving very quickly, and it's going to feel like an avalanche in the next 6-8 weeks. We'll watch in awe as you navigate all of it.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 Aug 25 - 08:38 PM

I'm watching!!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Mary G
Date: 01 Aug 25 - 09:27 PM

i am planning to see computer guy on monday, but i might not need to. i uploaded messenger app and seem to be getting messages, some about an apartment i am interested in Centralia, WA. I will be moving there in a few months or even perhaps immediately. I need to be off the peninsula with a dubious car and closer to family emergencies, which there will be. I am corresponding with someone with a too good to be true apartment and I need to figure out if it might be a scam and I would get trafficked to Cairo or somewhere. anyway, thanks for the suggestions.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Aug 25 - 10:30 PM

Mary, do you have the address of the apartment? Look it up on one of the sites like Zillow or Realtor.com. You can even google an address and see something about the history. And if you have the name of the potential landlord, enter their name into Google, or pay for one of the identity sites to give you more information. A free one that has a lot of information is https://www.fastpeoplesearch.com/.

Definitely pay attention to your instincts if you think it's "too good to be true." You might not end up in Cairo, but your bank account could be emptied or your credit compromised.

We're to the point in the summer when my feet are feeling pretty dry and rough. Soaking them in a tub of hot water with some fancy salts (a gift from a friend who knows I never buy these things for myself) and a scrub with a rough wash cloth and they feel so good. A little self-care in a week that has been nothing but running around for other people.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: keberoxu
Date: 02 Aug 25 - 08:06 AM

Charmion, having been through my own Great Upheaval recently,
I kind of groan thinking of yours to come.
But the outcome will be good: family and friends nearby.
Sending strengthening thoughts your way.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 02 Aug 25 - 02:45 PM

Thanks, keb. All of us here have moved too often, so we get it. I’m very lucky to have help, and enough money! Even the cats will be taken care of, tucked up at Canada’s best feline boarding establishment. I slept well last night for the first time in months.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Aug 25 - 04:54 PM

I did most of my moving around in my late-teens through my early-30s. Seasonal work involved moving 2-3 times a year with household goods in pickup trucks (each had a steel camper shell). Then a few years with a travel trailer. Some apartments, crew houses, and dorms along the way. Fewer but bigger moves once there were inherited family antiques. Unless one is wiped out by a flood, fire, or tornado, stuff has a major influence on how we move and where it fits. How does the new place line up with the contents you have in the current house?

Food prep today on several fronts. Garden stuff that needs to be used before it spoils, marinara sauce because I've run out, the same with my crispy pecan batch. This morning I mailed a few cups of my granola to a friend who wants to try it in her continuing goal toward gut health. I may can (process in a hot water bath) a few whole tomatoes today, a pint at a time using the asparagus steamer so it doesn't involve the huge stockpot and a steam room in the kitchen. It's a point of pride to say I canned tomatoes each year, even if only a few. It means frequent washups between projects. Canning jars will go through the dishwasher in a few minutes.

I still have my eye on clearing horizontal surfaces this weekend, but it hasn't happened yet.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Aug 25 - 11:28 PM

Hours later I have finished a lot of work in the kitchen, including a cucumber/tomato/feta salad working its magic in the fridge overnight and a batch of babaghanouj is cooling. I delivered eggplant and tomatoes to a neighbor across the street, and another neighbor was walking past (her brother lives next door to me) and asked if I had any tomatoes (because her brother told her I'd given them a few). Word gets around. The table is a bit better (horizontal surface), but mostly I've addressed the fresh produce situation. Mostly, it was a day of work away from social media.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 03 Aug 25 - 01:00 PM

I admire all the produce-processing you are doing, it is time consuming and sounds like you have streamlined things as much as possible.

I had a small culinary step forward yesterday. Figured out how to make that pork-green-chili-potato thing that I've loved the few times I had it, and do it mostly in a little crockpot after some skillet prep, with a minimum of ingredients and fuss. Delicious.

One drawback were the chiles, bought roasted in a frozen pack from a local farm, turned out to be more 'hot' than 'medium'. I don't know if it was lazy packing on their part, or if you really just can't control an even sort of hotness in any given Hatch variety.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Aug 25 - 01:32 PM

I have some Hatch chilis that I grilled last summer then froze, I use them sparingly so they last till the next season. And agreed - "hot" is a variable quality in those peppers. I'd love to hear more about that recipe you like! A friend in Albuquerque made a green chili stew for me on a visit (it's more like a soup) that may be similar to your dish.

This morning two token pints of tomatoes were processed, and the marinara sauce is under way. When the tomatoes have any insect damage or big cracks they aren't used for canning but they're perfect for sauce. I couldn't get all of it done yesterday (too much overlap in simultaneous projects can lead to mistakes.) In yesterday's list I should have included the batch of the crispy pecans. I have to measure them out in small portions, not just eat out of the jar or I wouldn't stop, they're so addictive.

A series of checkups coming up this month. Insurance covers it, but who knows what costs or coverage will look like in the future with lunatics running the FDA, CDC, and NIH. I'm due for another COVID booster so I'll get it while I can.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Aug 25 - 05:14 PM

When starting to cook and can tomatoes, one must round them up from all of the places they get stashed. In several bowls in the fridge, containers when they've been cut up, on the window sill, in the flat on the counter. The fridge is so roomy now! A saucepan is simmering with peeled cut up blemished tomatoes to use for sauce. I still have tomatoes ripening and a selection to use for BLTs or give to people.

There was a sudden burst of thunder this afternoon announcing a gully-washer of a storm that dropped at least an inch of rain in about 20 minutes. An extra mat in front of the dog door and I'll be mopping this week. This is the Texas version of a SW desert monsoon.

Another eBay listing online and the finished box in the shelves I moved to the front hall. This new system is working well.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 03 Aug 25 - 09:00 PM

Good news is the peppers mellowed overnight, so the leftovers weren't too hot. Looks like it's called "caldillo" and can be done either with pork or beef. I was just reverse-engineering what I've had and hoping for the best, no official recipe was used.

Brown some pork stew meat in olive oil, put in a small crock pot if just using one pound. Cut an onion (or more for a larger batch) (vidalia this time) in vertical strips rather than rings, saute in a bit more oil til partly caramelized. Add (peeled) hatch chilis cut in large bites, no seeds, perhaps 1/2 cup worth. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, a little dried red chili (pure not chili powder), ditto ground cumin. No added liquid was necessary. Stir, set on low, walk away, 6 hours on low seemed to work fine. If you think your ingredients might be dry check on it, make sure it doesn't need a bit of water or tomato for liquid.

Serving time: either bake or steam a white potato. Scoop out of the skin, cut into chunks, stick in a soup bowl, pour the stuff over. (you could include the taters in the crock earlier,but I like the texture of this method better).

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Aug 25 - 08:48 AM

I’m back in Stratford recombobulating after a stressful but rewarding week in Ottawa with Brother Andrew, SIL No. 1, and Jeff the super-realtor. The drive across southern Ontario doesn’t get easier with practice; I felt beaten with sticks when I clambered out of the car at supper-time yesterday.

The hard part is the long haul around Toronto, non-stop from the east side of Peterborough to the Cambridge North services plaza on Highway 401. The confluence of the comparatively empty (because expensive) 407 toll road with the jam-packed 401 is always difficult to navigate, not only because of the stop-and-go traffic but also because my bum bones hurt like the dickens and I would dearly like a chance to pee. Yesterday was Sunday, so the 401 was not as choked as it could be, but it was still an advanced-class challenge.

I always expect to find at least a couple of arseholes on the 401, but they weren’t in the crowd at the choke point. Driver after driver gracefully made way for others changing lanes to avoid a sub-compact sedan that had rear-ended a dead-heading truck cab (the tractor part of a tractor-trailer combination). Nobody was moving faster than 40 kph, and I’m sure everyone else was as tired and exasperated as I was, but the traffic stream flowed smoothly around the wreckage like creek water around a rock. Nobody honked.

The cat-visitor must have done a good job while I was gone. When I came in the front door, Watson and Isobel were curled up together in the comfy chair. They looked up and blinked at me as if I had been out half an hour, not a week.

SIL 1 put up a big travelling lunch for me with dried sausage, boiled eggs, cheese, nuts, cut-up veg and a salad kit for supper — perfect for a low-carb diet. I ate only about half of it yesterday, which is a good thing because the supermarkets are closed today for the Lammastide statutory holiday (not called that but the timing is unmistakable). I’m not ready to face the world again anyway; I need a day of feline company and orchestral music on the radio.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Aug 25 - 10:09 AM

feline company and orchestral music - an excellent idea.

3 weeks ago I tripped on a typical inner city path (probably 100+ years old, patched, tree roots etc) & landed on my left eyebrow & left hand & slightly grazed my left knee! The arm of my glasses broke off & they ended up elsewhere, but probably saved my eye from horrible damage. I couldn't see properly but as my eye specialist said a few days later it would pass & it did. I also had, & maybe still have, mild concussion, I still get tired & exhausted (how strange), especially climbing up my 38 stairs.

I fell at 5.45 on a dark path on a wintery day, with street lights on the other side of the street. My friend called an ambulance, lit by the phone of a passing stranger who stayed until the crew arrived (bless his little cotton socks.) We left around 2am after I was scanned (head!) & x-rayed (hand & body), stitched (3!) etc then got a taxi up the road to my place, & she emailed me when she got home at 2.14am. I live in Sydney's entertainment quarter & the taxi driver at the rank outside a bar was very pleased to see a respectable older lady who needed a ride! He ignored people in the queue & if they were also respectable, rather than under the influence, they wouldn't have minded!

Life has been a bit quieter than normal, I've missed craft groups (eeek, I can't knit, but I can sew)! done a bit of sewing, a lot of reading & paper crosswords, adding my usual on-line jigsaws when my mouse hand wasn't so sore. And been to 2 folk clubs.

I don't know when my hand will get back to normal as I've had a bit of arthritis in both hands for years.

sandra

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Aug 25 - 11:22 AM

Yowch, Sandra. Do you play fretted instruments? A fall like that could stop you playing for weeks, if not months.

Though you’re lucky to have avoided a Pott’s fracture of the wrist. They happen all the time to respectable older Canadian ladies, especially in winter when there’s ice everywhere.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Aug 25 - 12:25 PM

Sandra, that is an adventure you never want to repeat! And alas, it is where any of us could find ourselves with a simple wrong step. New glasses in the mix also, unless you had spares; please don't tell us you've taped the old arm onto the frame and are wearing them! I hope your arm and concussion (!) are feeling better soon.

This highlights why I don't wear sandals much any more, the depth of the sole (more than regular flats) means I sometimes kick things I meant to step above.

Once again Charmion's post has me pulling up Google maps to take a look at that drive. You'll have to give us the new address once the transaction is complete (no sense in jinxing it by giving it early) so I can relocate the pink heart on my map from Stratford. You're made of stern stuff to take on that drive in broad daylight any day of the week. In the times I've had to drive past Los Angeles, hemmed in by the Pacific Ocean to the west and mountains to the east and a whole lotta traffic I don't want to fool with, I usually time it by getting up in the wee hours and driving through at 4am or late late on a weekend (and the last couple of trips I was pulling a camper trailer.)

Edmund's ashes are in Ottawa, aren't they? That was a beautiful cemetery, you shared photos with us at one point on Facebook. A peaceful place to visit with a musical instrument occasionally.

Yesterday my 90-year-old across the street neighbor (the one I take cooked eggplant and okra to) called to say her son had been killed in a pedestrian/auto accident the day before. He lived in an apartment a 1/2 mile from here, just north of the freeway, and didn't have a vehicle; we frequently saw him walking down here to visit his mother so the neighbors all knew him by sight and occasional conversations (our routine is to stand in the shade of the oak in their front yard and talk, waving to cars that pass by or adding other walkers to the conversation). There is usually a lot of food offered to families at times of funerals so I'll hold off on the eggplant, but keep in touch and see what she does need. Mostly just an ear and a box of Kleenex.

The kitchen is clean this morning after a weekend of cooking, the least I can do for myself after going through so many bowls and pans and canning devices. The output is small but satisfying, and today I'll pick up the green peppers I need to make the marinara that will be frozen in 1/2 pint jars. I had to set the clock on the stove again after another heavy thunderstorm flickered the power in pre-dawn hours. So much for letting the garden dry out a bit.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Aug 25 - 06:44 PM

The left arm broke off & as they are sepia coloured plastic my friend couldn't find it in the undergrowth, only the rest!! I had a spare pair at home as I bought my glasses under a two-for-one offer from an Australian company that sells one design of frames in 4 sizes - frames & lenses all Australian made & they replaced my frames in seconds!

I also wear orthotics & my sandals (expensive well built scuff-types meant for wearing with orthotics) stayed on my feet, but I did land on my front & toes! We've just gone thru (fingers crossed) a very wet period & I've been wearing my walkers more than my sandals.

I forgot to mention my physio worked on my hand yesterday & gave me some exercises. Now I just need patience.

Charmion, I'm not a musician, "just" a chorus singer (I can't hold a tune on my own & forget words!) but the folk world needs chorus singers who can sing & hum along!

Maggie, how horrible for you neighbour & you are a good neighbour & friend.

sandra

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Aug 25 - 08:50 PM

The building inspection goes down on Thursday morning, and Jeff the realtor will set up a Facetime call so I can get the results directly.

Thirty years ago, I would drive that route as you suggest, Stilly, but not now. Despite the cataract surgery of 2015 and the recent laser treatment, my night vision isn’t great, and most of the loooong stretch of Highway 7 from Carleton Place to Peterborough is two-lane blacktop with deep ditches on each side. Much of it goes through bush country, with appearances by the occasional moose or black bear. Not doin’ that in the dark, no way.

If I took the 401 all the way from Kitchener to the 416 junction near Prescott, I would get no relief from the traffic even in the small hours of the morning; it rolls like the tide, 24 / 7 / 365.

Sandra, singers are musicians, too. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Aug 25 - 12:28 PM

Knock wood - so far I've been lucky with night vision being fine. I have several friends who won't drive at night any more so I am the designated driver for evening events.

As for musicians, I can read music and sing along but don't ask me to lead anything. I am always in awe of those actors and singers who can play bad singers intentionally (Meryl Streep comes to mind).

Marinara sauce accomplished with fresh and frozen ingredients. Tomatoes, onion, green pepper, garlic, herbs and seasonings, frozen sliced mushrooms, and a dollop of wine from the freezer (I keep some in there for this kind of cooking so I don't have to open a new bottle for one small use. I don't drink much wine now I know the sulfites make my skin break out.) Smells wonderful and will soon be bottled and into the freezer, in six half-pint jars.

School starts in a few days. I drove past a sign "Meet your teacher August 11" and that explains why Costco was a zoo yesterday. What do I have here that can be donated as far as school supplies? I'll look around.

The next door neighbor has paid the regular handyman/landscaper to mow the lawn of the neighbors across the street (who lost the son) - since one of the things that happens is a lot of people come to the house, that's a great offer. I've reached out to the daughter to let her know that if they do a funeral I'll plant myself out on the front swing and conspicuously watch the house. (Better out there and in view than in the house; she is a smoker and the house gets to my sinuses in a hurry.) They're not Catholic, so it wouldn't be as long a day as for the last house I watched.

At an annual check yesterday my dermatologist suggested Nutrafol for hair and nails, but that stuff is expensive (they sell it at the office, probably not at a discount). I read a few labels of that and similar products and it looks like the main ingredient in all of them in large amounts is Biotin, which can be purchased much less expensively in knockoff formulas of the proprietary blend or by itself.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 05 Aug 25 - 08:18 PM

Be careful with biotin and all the B-vitamins. For some bizarre reason companies are now stuffing their pills/capsules with amounts on the order of 10,000% of RDA. We all know the RDAs can sometimes be pitifully low and more is often needed, but these amounts are insane, and can give really bad side effects.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Aug 25 - 10:56 PM

Yes - agreed. I saw the large doses, and selected one close to the amount in the named formula, more than enough. Overdoing it is also a problem with iron. There is very little actually needed as a supplement, and those high doses just cause constipation. Your note is a good reminder that while the dermatologist suggested this, my GP needs to know all of my supplements.

Two more pints of tomatoes processing this evening, and the marinara is in the freezer, the lids tightened now that they're frozen. A jar of pickles and a baggie of okra delivered next door. The insanity of gardening—I could go to the grocery and buy cases of tomatoes and eggplant and cucumbers for probably less than I'll spend on the additional water that goes in the garden this summer, and without all of the work, but the satisfaction of picking and sharing and how much better it tastes (tomatoes in particular) is the motivation. I suppose it's like music or other hobbies - I can do it myself or buy it (kind of riffing on Sandra's remark about singing along and Charmion's response.)

When I went out in the back after dark to reset the sprinkler I stepped near the far end of the patio to see if that spider had her web up yet, and almost walked into the darned thing. It's huge! Clearly she has figured out the paths the dogs follow to avoid their hitting it. Earlier today the front porch spider had what looked like a small wasp. I'll have to take several looks out back to see what that one is aiming for.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Aug 25 - 12:59 AM

When I worked on the fridge I scrubbed dust off of the top of it, so I decided to continue that work at the window over the sink. The miniblinds were very dusty and after a dip in the bathtub and scrubbing each slat it looks much better and is back in place (window also washed). The sill is dusted and cleared and I worked my way around the sink area, throwing out a lot of small things, including lots of little containers of seeds I collected but now can't remember what they all are. It's disappointing at this hour to not be able to see much difference, but morning light should show the improvement.

An eBay box left the porch with the postal carrier this afternoon as I am making more progress photographing, packing, and listing these items.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 07 Aug 25 - 07:45 PM

Building inspection this morning — no red flags or showstoppers, but a few projects. Only one appliance doesn’t work, the gas fireplace. The building inspector could not get it to light up, so we will ask the sellers to have it cleaned and serviced before closing.

For those who like to visit on line, the address is 141 Inverkip Avenue in Ottawa.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Aug 25 - 11:39 PM

Nice!

I feel like I washed laundry and dishes all day, loading and emptying machines off and on several times, but the kitchen doesn't look a lot better. A contractor trash bag full of recycling was dumped off. It included the purge of plastic yogurt tubs from the potting bench that has the entry into the sunroom looking less cluttered.

We've had ozone action days with "orange" air quality so I haven't been out doing the trimming and mowing that needs doing. Right now the air quality is listed as good, so maybe tomorrow will be good to start a little in the morning (because in the afternoon it will be over 100^o).

Sandra, how is your hand feeling?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Aug 25 - 06:07 AM

still sore at times. The Imaging company sent me a link to my scans - blackish shapes on blackish background, oooohhh! I'll see my Dr next week to get her eagle-eyed diagnosis.

I went to Craft group today, first time in a month! Sewing is easy, but I did more chatting & catching up than work. I undid what I sewed as it hadn't worked & started again when I got home. I've recently been turning beautiful teatowels (dishcloths) into wall hangings & the hanging sleeve was in the wrong place.

Last week I discovered I couldn't knit & had to ask a friend to finish something off for me. I make coathanger covers (12 stitches, plain knitting shoulder width) for a friend who volunteers in a hospital shop. Why should patients take home dying flowers if they can take home a handknit or something handsewn?

I started covering coathangers in the 90s & making them for the hospital shop when I met her in 2006 after I retired. Last month I sat at my folk club & COULDN'T KNIT!!!! I'm not the only knitter, but Cathy makes socks for friends or fancy stuff for her granddaughters (she doesn't need to look at what she is doing, unlike me!) & I just sat & listened & took photos.

Most of the time my hand is ok, but occasionally I knock it (usually ouch, rather than agony) but it can get sore when I clench or move it.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Aug 25 - 11:48 AM

I don't usually look at my phone if I use the bathroom before it's time to get up, but this morning very early I read a New York Times newsletter and it kept me awake for a while. I recognized myself, and my mother (where the practice came from), in the discussion about giving advice. There is a line about "doling out advice" feeling generous, "But unsolicited advice can backfire, said Alexandra Solomon, a clinical psychologist and host of the 'Reimagining Love' podcast. 'In its simplest form, it's a boundary violation,' Dr. Solomon said. You've involved yourself without an invitation, she added."

Without offering excuses or examples, I see myself here, and the combination of help and harm in relationships over the years. Why does it sometimes take so long for a clear explanation of what we're doing to come along and (hopefully!) effect change?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Aug 25 - 04:45 PM

As a moderator of a Freecycle group I was reading some of the organization's material about doing promotions each month. Like doing a back to school promotion now. I'm going to write it up and suggest the Welman Project along with putting things up for others to ask for (it needs to be worded carefully because the system looks for "hot words" in text on offers and requests).

That got me thinking about the donations I make to the Welman Project and what I have around here now. I've had a White rotary sewing machine, refurbished, on eBay for ages and the only one who wanted to buy it asked me to drop the price and pay for shipping - essentially giving it to them. I'll donate it to the teachers instead (I discussed it with my daughter, who has an SCA group who might take it if the warehouse doesn't). And there are a few other things around here that would work as classroom or break room items. My appointment to drop off is in three weeks so I'll see if local friends have things to add. I have taken over quite a bit of cloth and craft stuff in the last year, one from a house declutter (an intervention by the kids) and another from an art teacher moving out of state.

It feels good to have made a decision about this, because the box is big and in the way in the den, and this move seems to have let me look again at what's here and find more stuff that would be suitable. Such as a box with a bunch of freezer paper that weighs a ton but they might be able to distribute it a few yards at a time. What was I thinking when I struggled it to the car? It was cheap ($8) but I can't lift it by myself. Duh. I have stuff in the pantry that I use slowly but will still be there forever if I don't give some away. Ziplock baggies - something every art classroom needs. Those extra boxes of waxed paper, etc. I always forget they're in the pantry and buy more, so now there is a lot.

Charmion, a question about one of those "few projects." I think I read you don't want wall-to-wall carpets in the upstairs. What will you put down in their place? Wood, vinyl, or tile?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 08 Aug 25 - 08:23 PM

BEAVER:
Came back on Weds, saw the two sisters briefly as it was late for them- they needed to do their grocery shopping and go home, I sent out notices that I was back.

I shall keep this very short as it is uncomfortable working in the car... changed to passenger side -much better! We had rain lightly for an hour today! It is comfortably cool and humid. I have gotten the house a bit cleaner; have more energy! Long consult with my helpful neighbour Larry re him getting started on firing the lots of pots he has produced in the last while! Very exciting! And made some suggestions, including checking out the website for Harlan House, a world class pottery who lives not too far from here - an hour! Then, on this stint at the library using the internet, I read the whole thing/biography - over 70 pages! I took a weeklong course from him years ago; a marvellous person!

Now, plumb wore out - going home to read, eat more, take pills and go to bed - tomorrow is farm markets and visits. Hope to get potting on Sunday!

Condolences to your bereft neighbour, SRS. The worst thing to lose a child!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 09 Aug 25 - 08:48 AM

Hardwood, Stilly. Pre-finished red oak, to be specific. That’s what’s on the ground floor. It’s very common in eastern Ontario, so it’s always available at good prices.

I like wood. I like it a lot, and I’m willing to pay for it when the species is right (please, no pine on the floor!) and the craftsmanship is good. A hardwood floor always looks fine, and it’s easy to maintain with minimal care and attention. Cat hair doesn’t cling to it, and it shows off my lovely Oriental rugs.

Why not vinyl? It’s plastic. Yuk. Tile? Great for kitchens, bathrooms, and spaces where wet footwear is put on and taken off, but too hard and cold for bedrooms in this hard, cold country.

I’ve been thinking about the death of your neighbour’s son. Struck and killed by a motorist, on the street where he was just minding his own pedestrian business. I’ll bet money that street has no curbs or sidewalks. So cruel, so thoughtless, so wrong.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Aug 25 - 11:54 AM

I also prefer hardwood floors, but since this house is in a flood zone, it made more sense to put in ceramic tile. And yes, with vinyl I'd be researching to find out if there is off-gassing and such, depending on hardness. I have a lot of area rugs on the tile (at the moment I have a small rug on the floor under my desk for when I kick off my shoes but Cookie has decided she must sleep on that rug, so gets nudged off of it several times a day.)

Thanks for the thoughts about Richard. The county coroner finally listed his incident. The information is less complete than it was a few years ago so there is no incident location, he died at the hospital, but I believe it is as you suggest, he was walking along a highway frontage road with no sidewalk and wasn't up on the rough beside the pavement.

The kitchen is creeping toward a more organized and less-cluttered look. I have a couple more bags of things to donate and items to offer on the Buy Nothing FB page.

I've realized that it's time to bump finishing the back yard fence (and adding a gate) to the top of my to-do list, despite the heat. It would be convenient to both households to be able to go through a gate in the back, in particular when the neighbor gives the dogs their treats. If I finish that gate, he could feed them more easily if I go out of town (going into my house via the side door means they'd gang up on him at the door, but in the yard their collars keep them a few feet back from the fence and he could feed them without being jumped on.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Aug 25 - 05:37 PM

Even with all of the robust padding in the boxes, one of the glasses in the last eBay sale broke en route. Partial refund delivered. And the next batch will have to be a separate box for each glass inside the outer box. I don't know what the post office is doing with these things to jostle them to such a degree that they break. I'll recheck the packing on any other glasses as they sell and before they ship.

This afternoon I made myself finally watch a couple of episodes of a mystery series in which I missed a few near the end of the run. I'm not good at just sitting without doing something else, so pulled out a jar of coins to count and roll, about $170 of pennies to quarters. They are now in a heavy bag to take to the bank, though as I remember from before it's difficult to just cash them in. I'll call the credit union and ask. Perhaps I can make a deposit? I am frugal enough I refuse to pour them into one of those coin counters in the grocery store that keeps about 10% of the haul. I'm out of coins and still have a few more episodes to watch, so maybe next time I'll set up in the sewing studio and work on a couple of projects. (I had thought of making $5 in coins plastic bags to hand to panhandlers at corners, along with a bottle of water, but that would probably feel like a cruel trick to them.)

The kitchen cleaning has reached a point where I can see results, so am motivated to keep going, and I'm still working on making the den worthy of visitors.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 09 Aug 25 - 06:44 PM

Beaver:
Two farm markets - not much I needed or wanted. Bought 4 Somosas from two young lads and ate two for lunch - then had a long nap! Too much! Stopped in to visit my friend at the Carriage House- where she sells my pottery - still has quite a bit so best I did not bring more!   We had a good visit - first in a long while. Then I stopped at the first Market on way home and got some nice green beans - "I need something green!" They were packing up and glad to sell one more thing.   At one market I was chatting with a fellow who lives near where I used to - cousin to my two sister/friends. His family are long term, prob a couple hundred years - I knew his parents - think I wrote up their 50the wedding anniversary for the local paper - in the 90s! He has taken on the old family farm and is rehabbing it and is raising and selling pork and beef. Guess I can get the scoop on Weds when I see the sisters/cousins.

The house is getting a bit more organized. Larry checked before he left: Does anything need fixing? He fixed the door that would not stay shut - Sue asked him! I was not worried. Good neighbours!! I realized yesterday that anyone passing on the road - 20 feet away - can look in the front window and see right through and out the back windows. That would be less than 6 a day who pass by! And nothing in the house that could not be bought at a thrift shop for $20!   The computer is not there unless I am! I have lived in an unlocked house most of my life - in rural areas. This area is still OK.

Glad that Charmion can put red oak floors in her new home - that it is still available. I remember putting it in the home we built in 1961. Got it down in time to put up a nice big Christmas tree -for the house my Dad and I designed and that we all participated in the building. I can still pick up things that drop on the floor - very carefully! But not lay a floor!

It has "cooled to 28C! Sitting in car with door open- slight, not too hot breeze. Just tolerable!

Still hoping that tomorrow will be a day for potting - first thing in the am - in the cool of the morning!

Those oak trees - may get moved; I cannot. It would be nice if they could get moved to the back yard; the bit of woods and field that were there have been decimated in prep for an oncoming development of condos.

If anyone is curious about the wedding of my grandson, pics are posted on the FB page of Sarah Bacerra, my granddaughter. I have not managed it.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: keberoxu
Date: 09 Aug 25 - 07:47 PM

I feel a little bit emotional reading Stilly's post from August 8 about giving advice, and about the boundaries thing.
There is certainly some truth in what the NYT printed.
At the same time, what seems intrusive on some occasions
can be welcome, and received gratefully, on others.
A lot depends on the person, as well,
like if you have goodwill towards the person who offers the advice.
To me, Stilly wouldn't be Stilly without the concern for others
and the closeness and intimacy she offers.

My problem is the opposite -- I keep a distance, and freeze people out.
And I envy people for whom it is natural to reach out to others.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 09 Aug 25 - 11:17 PM

Yes, it can be tricky knowing when to advise and when to wait for questions. I have learned to keep still a lot of the time.
And sometimes I fail to express curiosity and interest, in the spirit of not being nosy. Clearly SRS means only to be helpful so it's hard to get prickly.

Anyway, on the big bag of change. Another option, if you ever use self-checkout when going thru a big store with just a few items, you can feed in currency and coin just as you can a plastic payment card. So you might set out to use the coin up that way. The machine doesn't get annoyed if you feed in 40 quarters instead of a tenner.

If you're morally opposed to self-check, just include some of the loot in your payment to the cashier. Lots of times they can even accept 'multiple tender' where you can pay part with a card or check, part with currency.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Aug 25 - 12:37 AM

Thanks, all! I haven't followed the links in the post to the further remarks about boundaries, and one podcaster alone is one opinion, but I found the short piece instructive.

Patty, I've tried the coin thing in self-checkout, if I remember to take them with me, and so far I think Kroger down here is the only one that most often has a kind of bowl where you can most easily drop in coins. I don't shop there often, but I occasionally go in to look for the otherwise expensive cuts of beef in the last-chance bin (as a friend who used to be a butcher pointed out, it is just a bit more aged.) A couple of rolls of coins in the pocketbook make it a lot heavier in a hurry! (Does anyone else remember the old Cary Grant movie where he plays a tough guy courting a society woman? At one point a man has been threatening her - Cary takes him aside, and offscreen we hear a thud and see a bunch of nickels bounce down the stairs, from the roll he keeps in his pocket like an impromptu brass knuckles.)

Dorothy, there you are up front and center in those wedding photos! Looking good!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Aug 25 - 12:47 PM

I fed my cat-sitting friend BLTs yesterday, handed over some garden produce and a box of exam gloves that I was given that I don't use but she can use with her cat activities. A small decluttering.

The dogs pulled a bone-headed move while she was here. They're jealous of each other getting attention, and at one point when someone's ear was being scratched the other responded and they broke into a noisy scuffle under the kitchen table, clobbering it enough to knock over my friend's iced tea glass and drench mostly the floor and chair and her a little bit. What's remarkable is that this is the second story of a former university library colleague here for lunch who has had iced tea spilled on them at that table. (The first time I knocked it over.)

Some days I have trouble motivating myself to get moving, and this seems to be one of them. The end of dog days is today, but the heat will continue for at least a month or more. Yesterday I assigned myself a task for this week - finishing the fence. First, work on the leaning post, and then make decisions from there. You'd think a decision would boost my energy, but since it is a the last five feet of fence in a hot yard, not so much. I have appointments today so will start tomorrow by taking down the existing fence and taking a look at things.

The PMR has subsided, so now to keep the stress down and figure out when to start tapering the steroids. I'd really hate to be on these for the next 3.5 years. If some event should occur that would turn that new ballroom into a mausoleum, I would celebrate. Not relax, there is too much to repair, but definitely celebrate.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Mary G
Date: 11 Aug 25 - 06:35 PM

i am seriously packing for my move to centralia, wa, midway between seattle and portland. mostly for family reasons, but also i hate being where tsunamis are predicted. they also changed bus schedule so badly i can barely get out of town by bus i have a car but it is for local trips only. I do not have much -- giving away 2 exercise machines. Left with multiple bins, some vacuumed bags of clothes and bedding, and misc. things like cleaning supplies. One nice office chair is major furniture. i decided long ago i was going to live so it was easy to move..costco folding tables, twist apart microwave carts etc. I find I am as attached to my dollar tree plastic junk as i ever was to nice furniture. IT MATCHES. I hate getting rid of matching stuff worth $1 a piece. I am hoping for a nice apt in centralia that might open up soon.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Aug 25 - 12:25 AM

Mary, you sound like a candidate for shopping thrift stores once you get relocated with the little bit you've stored in bins, etc. I hope you were able to retrieve the Messenger messages you needed.

Today's trip for a doctor's appointment and a couple of friends visits resulted in four bags of art and school supplies that will go in the stash to take over to the Welman Project at the end of the month.

Tomorrow and Wednesday there is a modest chance of rain, and it continues that way over the next 10 days. It has been a peculiarly rainy summer, all things considered. I'm not complaining, just making note.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 12 Aug 25 - 09:49 AM

Yesterday was another day of major clearance, this time in the garage and the garden shed. My friend Rose, a fellow mandolin picker, is plugged in with many local organizations, including the Stratford Horticultural Society and the Avon Trail Society as well as all things trad music. She comes from a large Dutch farming family, so sharing and passing on useful stuff is in her DNA.

In the blazing heat of the afternoon, Rose made two trips to help me gather up the plethora of tools that I won't need in my next abode, from the splitting axe, rip saw and bow saw to a hose reel (with 60 feet of top-quality hose) and a bouquet of long-handled shovels, rakes and other implements of cultivation and destruction. She was particularly delighted with the mattock. We loaded all of it into her SUV and off she went with my last great accumulation of extra stuff.

I kept the small hand tools, including trowels, secateurs, clippers and loppers, that I can use without batteries or instruction manuals. I also kept the lawn sprinkler and the other hose reel with its 100 feet of hose, also of excellent quality. (I hate a cheap hose. lt's never worth the money.)

Today I started giving notice to the various utility companies. Bell Canada, Canada Post, and the local internet provider (which wants its router back) will have to wait until my last couple of days in Stratford, just to add to the complications of that already fraught week.

The big job today is a trip to London to pay Faith's school fees. Moving expenses -- especially the $10K deposit on the Ottawa house -- have put a big, fat crimp in my cash flow, so I can cover only one term now; the rest will have to wait until after the end of the month, when the money for the Stratford house lands. The university likes to be paid early, however, so Faith's tuition is going on MasterCard, which is a thing.

Meanwhile, in Ottawa, Jeff the realtor and SIL No. 1 are engaging a painter and a flooring guy, and ordering pre-finished hardwood. As quickly as it flows in, the money will flow right back out again.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Aug 25 - 11:08 AM

Charmion, you are a single woman central bank these days, keeping the Canadian economy supple and strong. And I agree with your friend Rose—the mattock, along with the spade fork, are my two favorite garden hand tools. (When it comes to big bills like tuition on the VISA or MC, I pay them that way, then pay the credit card bill in full when it comes due. Same money, but I get some points on the card rewards that way. Advice from my money savvy sister.)

Patty, how is the house and the yard and have you established a room where you can do all of those craft and hobby things, or will it be spread out in the main living area? (I'm still spread out in the den, but in a couple of weeks when two large boxes leave, I intend to finish arranging furniture and moving my eBay stuff out of that living space.)

Keb, are you comfortable with the furniture and bedding in your new apartment? Sorry to read about the paper plates and such in the dining hall, that is such a waste of materials. I'm so stingy here it may take two to three months to go through a roll of paper towels because I mostly use old wash cloths, the tattered dish towels for cleaning and small bathroom hand towels for under the dog water bucket.

Dorothy, did you get any firing of pottery done on this trip? Do you have any of your work in view on your Facebook page?

The humidity shot up this morning and a storm is moving through the region, but it looks like we're on the very bottom edge and I fear we may get only overcast skies, not rain.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 12 Aug 25 - 02:12 PM

Hi SRS, I am hot and covered with sweat and bits of grass. Been weedwhacking for hours, til both batteries wore out.

A whole grove of pigweed has gotten as much as 5 feet tall in one area, and is just rampant small plants everywhere else. The caltrop/goathead is on the back burner til I can get the small pigweeds either pulled up or at least whack the flower spires off before they can set a jillion seeds for next year. I did buy a gallon of industrial strength vinegar and will be experimenting with that (I will not use roundup or chemicals since I am directly above my well).

Dodder showed its ugly face last week, so I did a blitz to get that picked up before it got near the oleander etc.

Trying to save what 'good' plants I can, there is some wild portulaca that I like, some copper globe mallow, the silver nightshade, the yellow clumps of desert who-knows-what, chinese lantern.

My experiments with transplanting little chunks of cholla and prickly pear are bearing fruit, fun to see new little ears appearing on the baby plants as well as the established ones.   Hard to remember not to step on the babies as I constantly have to pull the bad weeds out the two little 'garden' beds.