BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter

Subject: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 11:29 AM

Here's the old thread.

Maybe the energizing effect of the cooling after summer will inspire some of us to get more done. I always find fall to feel so good after the heat of summer that I'm amazed not only at how much more I can get done when the days cool, but at how I managed to keep moving at all when it was so hot out. :-/

Several folks are moving in or out of new houses. If we can be the cheering section to help them in the process, that would be great. A few questions to those moving: Are you boxing it all up and going to sort it out when you get there? Let me tell you from experience: it doesn't work as a "system." The less you let into your new house, the better. If you can at least sort and pack things according to "sell later" and "keep," you'll do yourself a favor. I couldn't afford to just dump stuff I don't need, I'm slowly selling it off. I just wish I'd started selling it a long time ago.

And consider the avenues of getting rid of it. Here in the U.S. for many of us who have mortgages and can do itemized taxes, donating stuff (keep a record!) and claiming the eBay or Resale shop price or Thrift Shop price, depending on where you would have sold it if you'd taken the trouble, can add up to considerable savings at tax time.

I have to do a lot of gardening stuff this fall, and I've made progress in added to my home canned supply and to what I have in my freezer. I decluttered in there when I defrosted a while back. Fall is a great time to load the freezer for winter, if you pace yourself.

Good luck all! Keep up the de-cluttering, and make sure that your preparations for the coming seasons don't add to the problem, that they just add to your efficiency!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 11:24 PM

It's still been in the nineties here plus we are inundated with smoke from the California fires. The Bookcliffs, the Grand Mesa, and the Colorado National Monument rise up thousands of feets above three sides of the desert valley here, but you wouldn't know it the past few days...all you can see are faint outlines behind an ugly yellow miasma of smoke. They've issued health warnings.

Still, inside is not too bad. Morgan moved a couple of small tables in the living room, setting up the small music keyboard on one of them, by an outlet, so he can play more easily; the other table is his child-sized card table, in his corner now for easy access for art projects, etc. Still his stuff spills over. I have three baskets on an old trunk, each of them handy receptacles for his little toys, etc. which seem to proliferate.:-)

I soaked the dishes two days ago..the smoke has been getting to me, so I haven't done them, yet. Maybe by tomorrow. Have done laundry, at least.

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: JennieG
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 07:45 AM

We intend to have The Big Cleanout before we pack to move - it's less to take with us. We are moving 6 hours' drive away next year, the timetable at this stage is to list our house for sale at the end of January. We have started in a small way and really need to get cracking more. But with every box of donated items that go to the local Salvos op shop (Salvation Army thrift shop) we are gradually whittling 'stuff' down.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: LilyFestre
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 09:23 AM

I am spending today canning and freezing. This means all the canning equipment will (hopefully) be put away at the end of the day so I can have my kitchen back. If not, at least the cases of empty canning jars will be filled and tucked away in the pantry to enjoy during the fall.

    Late this afternoon I will undoubtedly be tired from all the kitchen stuff I have planned for today and will spend my rest time sitting in the living room sorting out old magazines. Do I REALLY ever go back to read them? In short, NO. So they are going OUT.

Later gators.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: mouldy
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 11:13 AM

Hopefully I will have this place on the market around April. That gives me 6-7 months to get it finished and looking (relatively) uncluttered. However, at the moment I am staring at bare cement floors, damp patches, new wiring conduits (had to have an electrician in this morning after old, damaged wiring was found behind some plaster. I got him to fit more sockets while we have the place in a mess.

Peter has been and put the damp proofing stuff into the holes he drilled yesterday. Hopefully he can start and put some rendering back up tomorrow, and perhaps in a week or two I may be able to order carpets etc. he put my washing machine back in yesterday, as the floor will be the last thing he does, and I am behind with laundry. It didn't help having the power knocked off for a couple of hours today!

When this lot is sorted, I have to tackle 2 more rooms. One has ceiling to floor book shelves, and I keep getting rid of books, but they don't seem to get any less!
Oh well, at least I've got today's mess and rubble swept up!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 12:19 PM

Maryann, I wanted to comment on your state fair trip. I have a friend who has entered preserves for years and in the last two has won several blue ribbons and some ribbons for runners up. I always thought that looked like a lot of fun when I was a kid, but I've never competed. I wonder, with the economy constricting the way it is, if those home arts might enjoy a resurgence? This year I'll probably actually go to the State Fair of Texas--I hate to drive over there, I hate to pay to park, I hate to be tired and have to drive home again. But now the commuter line finally will go over to the fair, starting in a couple of weeks. I'll be on it! I can take a train from downtown Fort Worth and step across the track in Dallas to take the new line out to Fair Park. My kids have been over there many times on field trips, but I haven't. So I'm looking forward to it!

Meanwhile, I think the ragweed is out. I'm decluttering my nose with sneezing. Bleh.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: MAG
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 01:30 PM

Got rid of another box of 3x clothes through freecycle.

I have another bag ready for Helpline.

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Penny S.
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 02:41 PM

People are definitely doing bottling round here. The shop I went to for some more jars had none, and told me they get a new delivery each day, which is cleared each day.

Over here, there is a process called Gift Aid, which allows charities to claim rebates on tax paid to them, and this can also apply to donations to the shops.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 03:39 PM

Last Saturday or was it Sunday, while I was sorting out the papers that had been piling up, I found little box of rings I thought lost. 1 gold and jade, 1 diamond engagement, 1 diamond cocktail and one platinum/emerald/diamond ring. Most inherited, rarely or never worn so didn't worry me too much when I thought them lost.

I have now put them away somewhere else that I am sure to forget in the next few months. Ready to surprise me the next time I have a clear out.

Must organise my beads and other crafty things into nice donate-able packs to take to area schools and playgroups. Don't think I will take up the beading now I can do music again. It was good to have when music hurt too much.

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: maire-aine
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 05:26 PM

I shredded a pile of branches that were sitting in front of the garage door. Also cleared some space inside, so I can put the car in the garage. I'll be wanted to do that one of these days. I moved one of my purple coneflowers and planted my new red lily. Cleaned the bathroom, too.

Maryanne

PS: have fun at the fair, Maggie.

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: mouldy
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 04:04 AM

ooh! ooh! please can I find some pretty rings too?

Going to spend the day sorting stuff upstairs and being strict with myself...I hope.

Peter should be here any minute to start rendering the walls, so it's going to be cold and messy down here - the back door will be open, and it's very breezy and rainy.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 10:54 AM

I picked up a heavy metal end table at my neighbors right before the garbage truck pulled onto our block. It's in the back of the pickup, and will remain there until I go by Goodwill. I am sure I could find a place to put it but that doesn't mean I need to find a place for it. But it is in good shape and someone else can use it. I didn't pick up the funky old Mr. Coffee or sewing machine, but too bad the metal, glass, and plastic can't be recycled, not buried in the landfill.

We have a long weekend coming up, and this month is when my side of our village gets the bulky waste pickup down at the curb (probably during the week next week). I should go take out some of the limbs in back and pile them at the curb, and this might be the best time, with the extra day off. If I leave branches piled in the yard for months it ends up with grass and weeds in it and is harder to move later. But this is just a thought.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: maire-aine
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 03:26 PM

I called a mover and had the old refrigerator in the basement hauled away. Cost a bit, but I'm glad to have it out. It was the one left behind by the previous owners, and I kept it in the basement for over-flow, but it's been unplugged for many years. Edison has a recycling program, but it's only for appliances that work; I plugged it in but it wouldn't run, so it didn't qualify.

m

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Penny S.
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 04:50 PM

I took a load of assorted rubbish to the dump, and some card tubes to school, where I found people unpacking A4 exercise books from cardboard boxes just the right size for books. Also reclaimed some shoeboxes I took in last week, and have subsequently found the right size to fit in some packing cases.

Tuesday and Wednesday I had the outside timber painted, so the place looks very good from outside. They got the door paint the wrong colour by one block on the sample sheet, so instead of a slightly orangey brown warm yellow, it looks like yellow lines on the road. It wasn't their fault, but the mixer, I think, and as I am selling, it isn't critical to me.

The storage place I investigated rang me again to see if I wanted to rent a place - they must be desperate - but I think I can cope without. Still no completion date.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 05:44 PM

One of the fastest growing businesses in this part of the country (and probably others, but I haven't been around to take a look) is storage lockers. I had to use a couple after my parents died and when I was in the process of moving from a house to an apartment and then back to a house. They have been very useful, and in the instance of the one I used for my Dad's stuff, it was a good "cooling off" place to park things. By the time I was ready to move the stuff the pain of his sudden death had begun to subside and I could move forward.

I have resolved to never use one just to store junk I don't have room for in the house. If I'm moving, that's one thing, but if it's for junk, then it's time to get rid of junk.

I'm looking into the trunks I have here from my great aunt's estate. I need to move out enough contents from a couple of those and move each trunk itself out. My kids don't need to be fooling with all of this old stuff, as interesting as it is. I'll let them look through what I'm planning to sell so I don't get rid of something they have to have, but most of it is interesting but it's okay with all of us to sell.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 07:02 PM

I called my sisters and asked them if they could come down the holiday weekend to get their stuff out of our driveway. It's been there for over a year and the tarps are all ratty with stuff spilled out. Our driveway looks like white trash live here and it is depressing. This was a big deal, my calling them. They don't have enough money to get here, so it will probably wind up with us having to take it all to the dump, unless I can find someone with energy to go through it all. It's a touchy subject because I had told them it didn't matter until about a month ago when I suggested I have a pet charity send someone over to take what they could use in exchange for hauling off the rest. The one who answered the phone, today, angers easily and predictably got mad and hung up on me after saying they would talk about it and call back. Ugghhh.

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 07:10 PM

Well no sooner did I write that and she called back, quite reasonable. Looks like I will have to recruit some help and go through it, but it will be worth it.

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 10:19 PM

As of tonight, our son is supposed to come over Saturday morning and help us clear the driveway! (As long as the dump is open to take the load to.)

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 11:01 PM

That sounds great! You'll feel like you have a new yard with all of that cleared away.

Four of my son's six video games have bids this evening, and all of them have watchers. I'm going to see if I can't list something from a trunk this weekend, shift eBay into high gear for the autumn.

This evening it feels almost autunmal out. The weather has turned stormy, with big gashes of lightning and thunder in the distance (don't you just love those, as long as they don't tear the place up?) It's still hot and muggy during the day, but it's cooling more at night, down to the 60s sometimes. The dogs are sleeping in the garage at night now, not flopped out on the lawn wherever they happened to get tired. I'll clean out their stall this weekend and put new coastal hay in their dog houses. They had baths today so are quite nice smelling (they're going to the vet for checkups tomorrow, and since I just cleaned the truck, I thought I'd put clean dogs in it.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: mouldy
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 04:06 PM

I love it when the outside gets cleared. Unfortunately, me being me, it soon fills up again!

The first coat of a damp resistant grey slurry has been painted onto the exposed brickwork near the damp course. The bricks, however, are extremely old. I knew the lower courses of both the interior walls and the inner layer of the outer walls looked like the builders had reused bricks from the 18th century barn that was on the site, but last night I spoke to the guy who used to live in the old farmhouse next door, and he said they had traced it back to 1713! So there is Peter this morning trying to brush this grey gunk onto porous handmade bricks that are trying to chuck down more brick dust, as they are probably nearly 300 years old! he managed it, and will put a second coat on top on Monday, followed by render, then plaster and an epoxy membrane painted on the floors and up the walls a bit. Then, once he's put new skirting boards on, I can get some new floor coverings, and begin to put furniture back.

Should only be a week or two! The trick is going to be not replacing the clutter!
Then I can start on the remaining 2 rooms!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 04:56 PM

Any pictures? I"d love to see the old bricks before and after.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 05:16 PM

Bricks that old over here, people would sell them on eBay as antiques! :)

Long weekend ahead for the U.S. folks on the list; let's see if we can each report at least one significant improvement in our clutter arrangement or number by Monday. A challenge to each of us.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Penny S.
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 05:35 PM

I've taken an old chair apart - I had tried to give it away to an upholstery class, but without luck. It was a gift from a friend when I was starting out, and I had to throw its partner away a few years ago when it broke. When I got the sitting part out, I could see the frame (teak) would work as the frame of a low sling type chair if I put in a canvas base, and a cushion over the top. The canvas would cost about £30, and a cushion as much again, but I remembered the old eiderdowns at Dad's, and will use one of those.

Middle of chair to dump, with old door knocker, biscuit tin, and assorted junk. Bin men collected paper etc.

I fitted new brass flap to door, plus pull handle.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: maire-aine
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 09:07 PM

I dug around in the garage and found my old nylon line grass trimmer, which still works. I ran it around the edge of the flower bed, but it took longer to untangle the 100-ft cord that it did to do the trimming. Also took the shop-vac down to the basement and vacuumed in the places I couldn't reach before. Really kicked up a lot of dust though.

Bought some tapestry material (a remnant on sale) and foam to re-cover my footstool. Will try to do that over the weekend. Lots of end-of-summer festivals around town, and the cider mills are opening.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Penny S.
Date: 05 Sep 09 - 05:14 AM

Packed some duvets and pillows from the airing cupboard into one of those plastic zip bags that markets sell, and you see refugees carrying, in order to reach the one really rubbish old pillow due to go to the dump. This filling up the floor even more. Soon I will not be able to move.

Call from bottle shop, they're in.

Going up into the loft later when a friend is here to remove last of the stuff - box of old jars being one thing.

Got rid of some play sand from the garage to the school yesterday, and some more card tubes. Picked up some more book boxes. One of the teaching assistants asked if I really needed the books. I can't quite get along with that idea, and I hope my surprise showed. I have been ferrying old fiction and other stuff to Oxfam, stickered for Gift Aid, but it hasn't made much difference.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 09 - 11:11 AM

It feels like time for some Fall Cleaning.

I finally got some of the all-fabric bleach I use but for some reason forgot to buy for ages. I'm going through some of my white towels that aren't as bright as they could be and doing a pre-soak and wash then I'll hang them on the line in the sun for a while. I'll swap them out with some of the towels that have been in the linen cupboard for a while and do the same to those, so I have sunny, fresh smelling towels for springing into fall. I should also decide if I really want to keep all of the bedding I have in there. Some of it is handy for covering furniture, it's not used on beds. So if I don't intend to actually use it in the house, maybe there is a bin in the garage where I can store it? (When I moved family antiques from Pennsylvania many years ago some of these things came along, wrapped around antique headboards and such).

This is where the de-clutterer can shoot herself in the foot--if it is something that has an occasional use, something you wouldn't want use your good bedding for, then there is a reason for keeping it. But finding the place to store it so it doesn't become one big mouse nest or something, that is the challenge, isn't it?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Penny S.
Date: 05 Sep 09 - 06:09 PM

What about those bags that you suck the air out of with a vacuum cleaner - I haven't been impressed with how well they keep the air out, but they would keep things clean?

I have got the stuff from the loft. Two boxes of jars - not preserving ones, but some nice shapes for kitchen use, and some jam jars which I will keep. We went to the bottle bank to lob them in and smash them up. One box with some china - the set I had at college, and some from a landlady who decluttered in my direction when I moved. That will go to Oxfam. A load of old wallpaper, which I will secrete in the school art room. Some which can be used to refresh my bedroom walls. Some offcuts of carpet - the dump, andschool for the larger pieces. Shoe boxes.

The problem up there is the old doors and things I used as flooring, and some old wood I don't know about at all. It'll need to come down if I have more insulation put in, but I can't do it. The companies need the place fully prepared first. Maybe if I plead age and singleness.... as they are supposed to do it for free for people over 70, they must have a way round it.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: maire-aine
Date: 05 Sep 09 - 07:16 PM

A couple days ago SRS mentioned "those home arts might enjoy a resurgence?". I'd love to do more of that stuff. I might even start sewing again. While I was cleaning out a chest-of-drawers in the basement, I found "The Last Whole Earth Catalog (c. 1971, I think) & The Next Whole Earth Catalog (c. 1980). Weren't those the days....

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Sep 09 - 12:58 AM

I remember giving a couple of newer editions of those to my (then) husband. It is probably long gone. If it started today it would be a fabulous web site, don't you think?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Sep 09 - 01:12 AM

We started at 9a with my brother coming over to help with the driveway pile of my sisters' stuff. It took two loads to the dump, and a full load to my brother's in his car, for us to really get most of it out of here and we didn't get done until 1p, so it was a l-o-n-g, hot, tiring morning, but it looks better.

There are a few empty crates and other stuff to clean up, but the side of our house is now visible and we didn't find a bunch of bugs or mice in anything, thank goodness. I guess the loose neighbour cat must've chased them away.

I feel ashamed to say we did throw out some books; there was just too much for the three of us to through and a lot of damage, though some were okay. Most I think were out-dated teaching supply books and/or religious ones which they haven't seen or used in years. Most of those were marked up so not able to sell them. It would have been better if they were able to come down, go through it all, and find other teachers to give stuff to, but it is over with now, so I am letting it go and know we did our best. I am also resolved that our children will not have to do the same with our stuff! I'll burn it first!

We may run away tomorrow for a drive to a transmitter in the mtns. If not, we will putter, finish the driveway and made whack some weeds. Cleaning up the drive has done wonders for some situational depression!

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: mouldy
Date: 06 Sep 09 - 01:25 PM

Kat, I'm about to take some piccies of bricks and the general state of stuff, and mail 'em to you.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Sep 09 - 06:24 PM

Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Sep 09 - 09:39 PM

Will you put them up on your photo site then, Kat? Or do you have a photobucket or flickr account, Andrea?

My front yard is mowed. It's miserably muggy out and was mid-90s so I took a long break in the middle, but managed to finish it up. Tomorrow I'll do the back and spread out the workout.

I picked up the wire I need to do the attic, and I solved a problem about having to redo a wire I put in over the holiday. It stretches from point A to point C, bypassing point B. It isn't long enough to pull over to point B, I have to cut it and drag one end to point B, and then splice on a new chunk of wire so the other piece reaches point B.

I asked the guy at Home Depot about splicing the wires and he handed me a container with these cute little plastic buttons that you slide the wires into and pinch it closed to make the connection. Since there are four pair in the cat 5 cable I'm using I'll end up with 8 of these little things. He said there's no need to wrap it or anything like that. I did pick up a small box that isn't a junction box but that will work as a place to attach to a truss and at least keep the wires and these little thingies out of harms way. This is a job to do in the morning while the attic is still cool. I just laid down for a "power nap" and it came to me how to arrange these in the closet and I've drawn a little diagram so I remember it. Ah, the power of naps!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: LilyFestre
Date: 06 Sep 09 - 09:49 PM

Ten more pints of pickles canned and 4 quarts of yellow beans processed too! My husband, however, cluttered up the kitchen with 2 more 5 gallon buckets full of zucchini, another 5 gallon bucket full of summer squash and 7 1/2 gallons of potatoes he dug up today. I'll have to work a bit more at decluttering my kitchen in the morning!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: maire-aine
Date: 06 Sep 09 - 11:40 PM

I picked up several extra bunches of carrots at the farmers market, so I peeled, cut & pre-cooked them, then bagged them up for the freezer. They'll taste better than the shipped-in ones in the winter.

Maggie, you're so handy with all the wiring and network building; I envy you.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 12:26 AM

myopera where I've already got some from Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: mouldy
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 03:56 AM

Hope they arrived ok. The first sending wimped out half way through, so I reduced the number. Seemed still to take an awful long time!

Got Freya again today, so when she has her nap, I'm going to start and go through my craft work bits and bobs to see what I can sling out. a lot is boxed up in the loft, but to be honest, salt dough ain't kind to steel cutters, even if you do wash them, and so I am only going to keep my most frequently used ones.It also has a nasty habit of fraying plastic cutters too! It's probably going to be a year or two before I really swing back into it like before, and so I may then invest in some new ones, rip-off priced though they may be! (A lot of mine are sugarcraft ones).

Peter can't come till this afternoon - he's chair of governors at a local church school, and he's got to deal with school business this morning. I sometimes wonder how that guy earns a living. Good job his wife works!(Mind you he isn't cheap!)

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: MAG
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 11:17 AM

Yes, some of you are really talented at the home maintenace thing.

I couldn't do any of that stuff with a map.

I did get all the odd little piles of unmatched into one bigger box and got some pairs reunited.

Somebody peed on what was left, so through the washer with a big dose of odormute (I find it works best).

Listed some stuff on freecycle. I always do it strictly first come, first serve. Beyond me to do lists and call the enxt person after a no-show. (I accidentally gave away one of my Seattle Folklife shirts, sob sob -- it was inside out and I just looed at the tab which said 3x, so into the box it went.

She later emailed to say she especially liked the black one with the pretty picture on the front saying
...annual folklife festival.

I am wondering if I should list my baby Weber grill. I haven't used it in years.

MA

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: mouldy
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 03:39 PM

Well I looked through the boxes in the loft and realised I had already sorted through them. So I made my way into Ruth's room and stripped the bedlinen. She's visiting this weekend for a couple of days, and seems incapable of doing the job herself.

Shortly afterwards, I had just gone into the little spare room (aka the dumping ground) and got into the craft bits and bobs stored there when Freya woke up early, probably due to my stomping about.

So I didn't get a lot done today.

Peter came round after lunch, and we found that there is now actual water sitting on top of some of the damp proof coating where it's horizontal (floor). Hopefully it's residual damp in the bricks forcing its way up and out...or there actually IS a leaky heating pipe under the floor. He's coming back in a couple of days to see if it's dried out at all. If not, it's dig up part of the floor time.
So it's going to be 2 or 3 weeks, at a guess, before I can think about getting new flooring.

However, I did get a large bag of clothes sorted out at the end of last week to go to the charity shop. My daughter has raided it already! She went to a pharmaceutical committee meeting today, wearing one of my old skirts. Looked fabulous.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Penny S.
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 04:27 PM

Old wallpaper and carpet into school, where I got offered a one-day a week job. That will cover the mortgage nicely.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: MAG
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 05:52 PM

I had some proactiv left over from menopause when (to my great surprise) I got zits -- amazing what you learn.

I listed it on freecycle a couple hours ago and it is already gone, one box per person.

I LOVE freecycle.

MA

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 07:15 PM

Maryann, I'm changing my meds since one I have been taking is going off the market. I'm going into a little mini-menopause as I drop one ingredient. It isn't pleasant, and is rather distracting.

And what size t-shirt do you wear? I have a pile of various Seattle Folklife and Folklore Society and Song Circle and such shirts piled in my closet that were my fathers. I could send you one--Hobson's Choice would give you a nice surprise, or you could describe the one gone missing and I can see if I have it. He died in 1997, so I don't have anything recent. I kept them because when my kids were little they used them for sleep shirts, but they have since outgrown using their grandfather's folk shirts. He wore size large.

I have battled some lethargy this weekend, I'm sure it is the medication adjustment. I did get moving this afternoon and trimmed the tree outside my office window and moved around some bulky stuff that was in the way in the garage. One big plastic toy chest that is in great shape is coming back into the house and into my daughter's closet. I'm going to fill it with her seldom-used costume supplies so it can keep them out of sight and out of harm's way. We have an old cat who every so often decides to pee in closets and he sometime hits clothing left on the ground. He's an old fart, about 15 now, so mostly we try to keep him away from those places where he tends to misbehave.

I've pulled out some stuff from the garden that isn't producing (didn't get a single squash this year) and the chard is huge but over the hot summer has gotten bitter. I'm going to plant onions and chard by seed in the old spot, after I trim back the oregano a little bit. It is a robust ground cover here. I was thinking about putting a bird house in that same garden, the purple martin house, but if I do they might eat my pollinators and june bugs. We have toads to take care of june bugs. Maybe the bird house should go in the back where I know we have lots of mosquitoes.

I went to see Julie and Julia last night. I wasn't sure if I'd like it as well as I did, because I had read about some mixed reviews (I won't say more), but it really is quite a charming movie. And the food! I must get out my Mom's copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and make something. Not aspic, or duck, nothing hugely fancy, but something. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: maire-aine
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 09:43 PM

I saw Julie & Julia a couple weeks ago, and enjoyed it-- esp. the food. Funny thing is, I've tried almost every used bookstore in town, and there's not a single copy of "Mastering" to be found.

m

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 11:08 PM

Tinctures of motherwort, dandelion root, and hawthorne berries got me through peri-men. and menopause. I put a few drops of each, together, in a small amount of good water, usually about 4-5 times per day. Worked well. I had some night sweats, so had to start wearing pyjamas again as it was easier to wash them every day rather than strip the bed everyday.:-)I considered that a small trade off from taking any drugs, esp. any which, at that time, were still being made from pregnant mare's urine.

Sorry I was so terse earlier, SRS. The past week must've been from hell, but it is over and done with now, so I am back to some extent.

Take care, ya'll!

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 11:17 PM

Andrea, forgot to say I never received any photos. Maybe resend?

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: mouldy
Date: 08 Sep 09 - 05:22 AM

Will do

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Sep 09 - 10:13 AM

Got them. I'll put them up later today/tonight. Thanks,those are OLD bricks!:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Sep 09 - 10:38 AM

The sleeping attic was started on closure for winter, yesterday, with bed change, trash and laundry removal, and a review of conditions up there for planned Fall or Spring (if Fall is too busy) projects for next year. A priority up there will continue to be stowing things into practical and attractive storage, not least of which are the huge cardboard boxes I've been stockpiling for underbed storage behind the dust ruffles hanging from raised beds.

Hardi bought us two chairside full-spectrum floor lamps for the LR, which sends the fluorescent tower I've used for years up to the home office for great winter light up there in my workspace. That room already has huge south and west windows, so this additional light will be great on gray days and I believe one of the windowsills is actually deep enough to hold the tower, to simulate window light from its usual source.

A mini-fridge (it holds a sixpack of soda cans) moved from the sleeping attic up to the home office which also features a mini-kitchen to make trips downstairs unnecessary when I'm in grant-writing mode-- 'round the clock writing as the deadlines and inspiration drive the writing. This mini-fridge easily holds opened cans of whatever, to stay fresh till being taken downstairs on the next trip down. A great help when either of us need a mid-night snack, too, without waking up ALL the way by coming downstairs where stay-awake temptations abound. The kitchen section of that home office looks more like our camper kitchen than like an office kitchen, and it reminds me of camping fun past and future.

Maybe I'll tell you how I decluttered milk gallons from my grocery shopping. We make our own now.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 09 - 11:25 AM

Linn (Bat Goddess) has been reporting some of her de-cluttering progress over on Facebook. I hope she'll rejoin us, if she has time. She's dealing with a lot with Curmudgeon's throat cancer, but joining familiar groups and experiencing success and moral support will help. If and when she's ready, I'll be glad to see her back in our monthly endeavors.

The toy box was a tight squeeze through the narrow closet door, but it is in and toys we wanted to keep but no one plays with ("for the grandkids") are stowed, as are some extra costume stuff and after many months gone-to-college clutter, the floor is clear. Her room looks nice, though not entirely traditional as a bedroom because I did move in some sewing furniture a while back.

The garage is roomy again; not that much was thrown out, it was simply arranged better.

Aren't we a silly group of de-clutterers--waiting in anticipation of photographs of old bricks. I have to chuckle at us sometimes. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spring into Fall: Sept. 2009 declutter
From: Penny S.
Date: 08 Sep 09 - 02:02 PM

Discussion with a colleague revealed that we both have the same problem in our lofts - broken up wardrobes belonging to the previous occupants - and not used as boards for improvised floors.

Penny