DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 May 26 - 11:29 AM

I was mulling that same thing about letters as I wrote the last post, it must have broadcast through the ether. I'm looking at old letters in the computer now thinking "is anyone going to want to see this?" not "will it make a difference in the world?" Also the daughter of a librarian hoarder of information and my own decades of work in the library had me thinking "that could be interesting later." Now I ask "to whom?"

I have fewer filing cabinets (two down from four). And their most important job is to hold up the plank of furniture-grade plywood that serves as the desktop for the old computer and the digital equipment if I ever get around to digitizing my Dad's many cassette tapes. (Those WILL go to a university archive, so it is what I should be doing now.)

We (Mudcatters) donated a couple of computers to Art Thieme over the years and he put them to good use, digitizing all of his song recordings. Bob Nelson (Deckman) also. I need to take a page from that book and do the same and then clear out all of these shelves of stuff that I never even notice any more but that take up a lot of wall space behind me in the office.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 May 26 - 03:26 PM

I'm pacing myself today on the yard work because it's hot out there, but I've made progress on the first long raised bed. Next trip out will extend the length. I'm combining a couple of them and cutting a new path between the two that will result (where there were three). I'm in for an iced tea cool-down break, then back to the driveway. I hope this evening to run the tiller and get the bedding plants all put in place. A trip to pick up free mulch will be required soon but I have a few bags from last fall to use first. The really rotten old planks from the edges are broken and slipped into the trash bin alongside the juniper branches. Other old siding pieces (not rotten but less robust than what is going in now) will be cut to length and lay down on that new path I'm digging through the bed area.

In the cleanup of duplicate files in the old HP I find that it still has a working version of the old Google Picasa photo organizing tool. I had no idea it would work but clicked on the icon and there it went, cataloging all of the thousands of photos. I'll have to see if I can make some use of it now.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 09 May 26 - 05:00 PM

A bit of mental decluttering: I subscribe to The Observatory and Astronomy and Geophysics from the Royal Astronomical Society, and realised recently that I'm a few issues short of both. Today, I finally e-mailed RAS to ask whether my subscription has date-expired, or if the postie's eaten them. So that particular Round Tuit has landed, or is at least in flight.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 May 26 - 09:45 PM

I could go out and plant tonight but I'm tired and the mosquitoes will be out (though lightning bugs are also out and they're a delight). I've tilled one now-elongated bed and am ready to till the next (it needs more planks on the far end, but 2/3 of it is looking good). The routine today was to wheelbarrow various tools in and out of the garage and work for about an hour until I felt uncomfortably hot, then rolled it all back and drank iced tea in the house for an hour. This was strenuous enough and engaging enough that it was a great departure from screen time and the politics that ooze through.

Time for a shower and a good night's sleep.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 10 May 26 - 08:39 AM

Up early — 0538 hr — after a broken night of coughing. I still can’t talk, let alone sing. This is driving me nuts.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 10 May 26 - 12:01 PM

Got out early to start tackling the yard while it's not crazy hot. Sinuses are very angry right now, but hopefully they will settle down.

Job one is removing the tumbleweeds. They are green, soft, and pliable now, but will turn into large, hard, thorny monsters if I let them go. I think I whined here previously about how each one had to be disassembled with loppers into many thorny pieces for bagging. Not going there again!

Job two is removing miscellaneous weeds in what I laughingly call 'the garden areas'. Never knew it would be so hard to keep two small plots with cacti, dry dirt, and rocks from being overridden. Well, at least my late mom would be happy to see me out 'puttering in the garden' today, as she used to enjoy doing.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 May 26 - 06:02 PM

patty, we were on the same wavelength today. I struggled with a computer task for a while but knew it was killing my garden time so said 'fuck it' and went outside. I finished shaping the beds and putting sturdy board edges (most from the former patio cover.) Good move to get the tumbleweed out of the way while it's soft, and if you have tender weeds to kill now would be the time to try the strong vinegar.

I had some old cans of sardines and mackerel (from a buy nothing group) for a bowl of fish slurry that went a dollop per plant as I put in the bedding plants I picked up last week. Then the bags of mulch from last fall that were still in the garage (burlap would rot if I left them outside). So there's more room in the garage, the gardens look good, and I'm hoping the forecast rain comes soon or I'll have to water (the hose is in place). There's room left for planting okra and cucumbers. I've wanted to upgrade these beds for a while and had other things to finish before I got to it this year (this is the latest I've put in the garden since I can remember). Today I was able to work without breaks because it's in the mid-60s. Yesterday was up to 90.

Since the tiller and mattock were used for this my feet stayed safe in the steel toed books, but after several hours they are tired. The boots are pretty much broken in, but as heavy as they are it takes some conditioning to get used to them. A soak in a tub of hot water this evening will feel great.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 May 26 - 10:10 AM

The garden looks good - the plants are tiny at this point relative to how they'll look in a month or six month's time, but the weeds are also down so I can see the contours out the kitchen window. The garage has more room along one wall where a lot of garden stuff was stored that is now in place in the yard.

A stack of jigsaw puzzles will go into the SUV for distribution to a friend and what she doesn't need will go to the charity shop where I often buy used puzzles. I'm headed to a retirement reception and will drop these off; I'm in town twice this week so what I miss today I'll make up on Friday.

Last night at bedtime Mango hunkered down on the stack of dog beds in the den and made it clear she wanted to sleep there, not in the crate (that has a very nice cushioned dog bed inside). I told her she had to be on her best behavior, no romping at 3am and no outdoor barking or skunks, and she did very well.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 11 May 26 - 06:57 PM

Today is Day 12 of speechlessness, so I went to see the doc. “Lots of inflammation, too low in the respiratory tract to be affected by anything topical.” Yeah, doc, I know. He suggested something radical: a short (7 days), stiff (40 mg per day) course of Prednisone to take down the swelling. It may or may not work. Fortunately, Prednisone is cheap and it’s only a week. We’ll see.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 May 26 - 08:00 PM

It's a miracle drug in many ways but there are side effects. Make notes for yourself, it hits short-term memory hard.

Today I went through tutorials and ran the contents of a podcast through the Microsoft ClipChamp program. It's the modern-day version of Movie Maker but they don't promote it as far as I can tell. I had to go looking for software to do this work and stumble upon it.

Dinnertime for pooches is at 7pm and they're on the ball - at 6:59 they came gushing into the office to remind me that it's time. And there's time before sunset so I after feeding them I may run over to the city parks compost bunker and get some free mulch for the garden.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 May 26 - 11:07 AM

When a carpenter or contractor works on a house like at Charmion's for the kitchen and deck, he talks to her and to his sub-contractors and things get scheduled. When a corporation sets up work at a house they have disparate parts and I've had to nudge them along every step of the way. Today I called and said that August 6 was not an acceptable date for the door delivery (apparently a random computer generated date), so they've set it for tomorrow. (I've just realized from the confirmation email that it isn't a delivery from the store five miles from me, it's from 45 miles away in the next county.) The installation folks should call within two days of that. They were supposed to call within two days of the measurements last week and never did.

There was a fee in the invoice for the removal of the old door and I'm going to see if I can get them to also take another spare door that has been propped in the garage forever. That would be an excellent declutter. When tomorrow's guys deliver I need to make sure this large blister-wrapped door and trim isn't something left on the front porch, I need them to haul it to the garage for me. I guess I'd better move a few things to make room (my wheelbarrow and a utility cart are in the spot where it needs to be stored.)

Fence repair, decorative iron painting, more garden work . . . so much to choose from today.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 12 May 26 - 03:40 PM

The barbecue has arrived! The gas man has to come and hook it up though, and that will happen tomorrow.

Beee-YOO-tiful sunshine today, almost warm. I’ll have a nice walk in the park.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 May 26 - 04:58 PM

Enjoy that grill, Charmion! I grill various things, but my favorites are spatchcocked chicken for the flavor and crisp skin and lamb or beef shishkabob for the smoky flavor of the grilled tomatoes, peppers, and onions between the pieces of meat.

Testing one of the vintage electronics today (a Kenwood receiver) has allowed me to conclude that the large AIWA speakers (from a unit I once owned) will go to Goodwill this afternoon. They weren't helpful for testing and I have no other use for them. I ended up setting it on top of my current receiver and plugging those speakers and antenna into it. It works. I have a box for shipping, but before I work on that I'll offload e-waste electronics at Goodwill then make a run for more mulch.

Tomorrow's delivery of the door is a period (so far) from 8am to 8pm; in the morning they should text with a three-hour window.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 May 26 - 06:51 PM

Six burlap bags of mulch almost covered the rest of the new garden area. Traffic was bad on the way to the compost bunker so I'll wait till morning (and go before 8am when Lowes window starts the countdown). That batch will be used as needed as I continue to work new beds.

eWaste dropped off, clearing space in the den for more eBay listings.

The yard is beautiful right now after spring rains and I've had a chance to mow and trim. I've sent a note to the painter to see if they're about ready to start, he said early May and the early part is over. I figure a few of the plants looking good will get trampled, but I'll flag and protect them as much as possible.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 13 May 26 - 10:03 AM

Still speechless. Not a peep.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 May 26 - 10:45 AM

yesterday one of my largest remaining collections left! 12 or 14 boxes (size of sneakers/small boots) of vintage sewing boxes/baskets/needlework tools. Tomorrow if will be on it's way to a dance/craft weekend where I suggested people can donate something to the organisers of the weekend.

Friend who took them away was also listed to get 2 other collections (Ladies of fashion - 18" dolls in period costume, & the mohair teddies I made) now it will be 3 as she sent me a pic of a miniature greenhouse she assembled & I have a dolls house that will need a home when I pop off the twig - or maybe even earlier as I really get off me bum & start to downsize properly.

Well done me!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 May 26 - 10:50 AM

Wow. Sounds like it's time to up your game and visit an ENT (not the Tolkien variety). Is there a possible allergy in effect? Have you added any new foods in the last few weeks? Is there a product used in the installation of the new cabinets and countertops that might be off-gassing and having an effect?

Timing on the door delivery is midday, so I'll step into the garage to rearrange planks and boxes and bring in the mulch after the door is leaned against the wall.

patty, how is the yard coming along? Did you get your washer put back together? Have you unloaded the stuff you probably brought back from your trip? Is this to the place where you had stuff in storage at one point? Is there still stuff there or has it all been moved?

How is everyone else?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 13 May 26 - 11:54 AM

The yard (and everyone) is stressed with high heat and dryness right now. Soaked the desert willow and gave it a bit of fertilizer. The cow-tongue cactus is puckering which is a sign it is stressed; yet it has been putting out new ears, maybe that's why it's stressed--it got rain in March, expanded its operations, and then nature's tap shut off for several weeks.

But, after doing life support to get the yucca cluster through last winter's terrible drought, and waiting 2 full years, there are finally bloom spikes starting to make buds!! So it's going to need some water posthaste.

I am unpacking in bits at a time, bearing in mind I'll be repacking for two more trips this month. But I'll carry less stuff than I needed for a complicated month's journey in dicier weather.   

Re-assembled the washer which took a while, it worked for one half a cycle and then failed in the same way. It's possible many of the pressure sensors are just 'bad' and the one we installed failed just like the original. As would a complete control board replacement, if one were available. I am SO done with tossing any money Whirlpool's way. They had the brass cojones to whine to Wall Street that revenues are down because of the economy. No, I don't think so. Make bad washers for a few years and karma comes for you.   

So, took lots of laundry and bedding to the laundromat. I'll rely on that until late June, when I can shop for a new washer and have someone haul off the old one.

Behind? Cluttered? Weedy? You betcha. Also having a blast with the new guitar and making the effort to connect with friends, so sue me.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 May 26 - 12:25 PM

Speed Queen. Costs a fortune, lasts forever. New guitar! Sounds like you're using your money well! (How many instruments do you have?)

My garage is now somewhat tidier, and I wore a face mask for the work and sweeping out dirt, leaves, and mouse droppings (with Hantavirus in the news). Lots of cardboard in the recycle bag headed to the village bins later today. And out front of the garage a garden discovery - a hole dug under one tomato cage put in place so I'd know where I planted one of the potatoes. No more tuber in the hole, and it was probably the fish under it that was the real attractant. I've buried another potato in the same spot, no more fish. (I have a bag of red lasoda potatoes that need to be eaten or planted.)

This is the next stop for the delivery truck. It's "in your town" which could be miles away, so I'm not waiting in the driveway for it.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 13 May 26 - 04:27 PM

Stilly, those hoofbeats are not zebras. What’s wrong with my throat is just months of forceful coughing caused by asthma, which is the trailing edge of the bronchitis I had before Easter, which hit me when I was still coughing forcefully after the bronchitis I had before Christmas. Plain old post-viral respiratory misery.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 May 26 - 07:41 PM

That's a very long time to cough. {{{hugs}}}

Several large cardboard boxes recycled before picking up quarts of samples of paint. Now to figure out what part of the house is easiest to reach to put on enough to get a look at. One of the samples I asked for requires a special base that only comes in gallons, so if I want to to try it I'll end up with a lot extra if it isn't chosen. It's the brightest of the three yellows I'm looking at; I can pick some up later in the week if what I got already doesn't seem perfect.

More bags of mulch picked up today and I spoke with three other visitors to the compost bunker who stopped by to take a look; they had questions when they saw me at work loading bags. "What kind of trees do you think these were?" kind of surprised me, but I was able to give some answers about the wood based on the color and stringy qualities or chunks and the amount of leafy material in some piles. All of it is generated by forestry work in city parks. Some of it would be good added to a compost pile, other as mulch in bed top-dressing. Advice about the equipment to bring to do the work included goggles (you don't want these bits of wood in your eyes), gloves, a digging tool, and figure out how much you want to carry at a time as far as bags, buckets, etc. Once an interpretive naturalist, always an interpreter, even of compost.

Another spot found excavated in the garden, beside a tomato. Clearly going after the fish in the bottom of the hole. There's a stray cat that hangs around next door and I've seen it in the garden, it could also be a culprit.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 14 May 26 - 10:23 AM

I hope one of your paints turns out to be perfect, and hope you still have plenty of cardboard around so you can put samples up against your walls and look at them in all kinds of light during the day. That was the only way I could get a good idea of what they would look like--large painted posterboards.

I have two inexpensive guitars, but this new purchase is my first stage-worthy one. A pro guitarist suggested the Maton brand, it's very hard to get ahold of one because they are made in Australia. I called a dealer when I was near Nashville and he had just gotten in a batch of the 'mini' size, which is what I use being of short stature. So I took a deep breath and secured one. I've already 'leveled up' in what I sound like, because of the top-drawer pickup system it has built in.

It's not like keeping the dollars invested elsewhere is any wiser at this point in time.