BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: MAG
Date: 05 Feb 09 - 11:21 PM

Took a sick-of-work day and decluttered all housecleaning supplies into a new ($!) large bucket and trashed the various liquid-soaked cardboard containers they were in. Yes, I was careful to keep bleach and ammonia separate.

Washed more peed on shirts; stains won't come out; got new stain removal stuff and will try again. Found wool jackets (2) in a closet which are almost too big. Still looking for the missing box of size 18s.

Had just a 1 lb. bag of carrot nibs for lunch: 200 calories.

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Feb 09 - 11:42 PM

Kat, I see that your jewelry pieces are close enough that you'll not only have to crop the photos to isolate each piece, you'll have to Photoshop them to erase the stuff you don't want in each shot.

MAG, I've been clearing out some of the now-extra cat stuff around the house. We're down to one box, one food bowl. I still keep an extra water dish in the bathroom (if the dogs come in for the night they know it's there). There are barf stains on the floor and window sill I'll have to slowly soak out, scrub off, or paint over. The one still here is known for peeing on the carpet, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. He has also hit long curtains.

Our dinner tonight wasn't particularly diet-like--chicken strips, baked potato, broccoli. But it was a de-clutter kind of meal. I found a plastic bag of the chicken tenders fairly badly freezer burned. I thawed and moistened them, then floured and dipped them in egg and bread crumbs, and turned them into one of my son's favorite foods. They taste just as good as "normal" if you disguise the surface damage. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: maire-aine
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 12:17 AM

I took 2 big bags of books to the library today, then did some grocery shopping. It's been beautiful here, but still VERY cold. But, it's suppposed to warm up tomorrow. The forecast is for temps to reach the 40's all next week. I've got a lot of newspapers/magazines to drop off at the recycling center, so I'll try to do that tomorrow.

The painters are supposed to come on Monday, so I can't do much de-cluttering until after they're done.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 12:26 AM

Yes, I will Maggie. I was in a hurry to get them up, today. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: mouldy
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 04:03 AM

Well the surveyor's coming in a couple of hours, so let's just say it now bye-bye kitchen flooring - especially when my friend's husband comes to drag it out from under the appliances. It's a 15' x 13' kitchen, so that's a lot of lino!

Seriously though, He'll need to get behind the dishwasher for a look because there's a big damp bit where the water riser and stop valve is.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: mouldy
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 09:57 AM

The surveyor has been.

Good news: the yard doesn't have to be excavated.
Bad news: even to do a belt and braces job on the problem, I have to have my kitchen completely removed, and have a membrane fitted under boards to both kitchen and dining room, as well as a load of remedial plastering.

My "man who does" was here at the time, fitting some lights, and I think he's going to do the job. It would be good if he could get on with the bulk of it for the 3-4 weeks I am in New Zealand, then he can stack the kitchen in the living room.

Looks like the kitchen de-clutter had better start soon!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 01:47 PM

I need to try once again to de-clutter the ice in my freezer. The drain is plugged so as it "defrosts" itself the water pools in the bottom of the freezer section.

That's a big job for that fellow. When you say the kitchen "completely removed," does that mean knock it off the house, or mean take out all appliances and cabinets and pull up the flooring?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 10:46 PM

I have the extra cat box soaking, before putting it out in the garage to store. And when I'm out in the garage tomorrow I'm going to look for the cut tiles that are left over from doing floors in the bedrooms and office. It won't take many of them to finish the dressing room, and it is way past time to finish that. And one of these days I'll buy some more of the same pattern and put them down in the closet also.

The kitchen is cleaned up tonight and ready to go for the weekend. I've pushed the fridge away from the wall and will empty it and try one more time to defrost the freezer and finally clear the drain. I'll have to use a squirt bottle with hot water, I think.

I've been finishing up some work for work this evening, getting it out of the way. My new IBM Selectric-style keyboard is on order and is supposed to arrive Tuesday. I'll be a typing fiend after that. :)

My desktop isn't completely stable, but I can set the proper profile after I turn it on and it's okay until the next time I turn it off and on. I may finally find a way to get Windows to recognize that profile and remember to load it.

The next couple of days are supposed to be nice, up to about 75, so I may be working outside some also.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 11:30 PM

I had kind of a blah day. Did a little bit of laundry, went out to get lunch and brought it back. Haven't done a thing around here to declutter, today. Had to do bills this morning. My glass piece didn't sell on ebay, so I have to decide whether to relist it and if I should drop the initial bid price. I think I probably will. I had 65 hits on it.

We have a lot of clutter to clean up, tomorrow, as well as errands to run, i.e. grocery store, etc. I have the sewing table out and ready for my dau. to take this weekend, so that will help. I think I will ask Rog to bring in boxes, finally, so I can start going through the books in the LR, empty that wall for painting and box up the books I want to keep. The rest will come to the office to be put online in my bookstore at biblio.

Bright spot was picking up Morgan to go get dog and cat food and go to Walgreen's. He insisted on carrying both bags of pet food, one on each shoulder. He was so darn cute! Carried them all the way out to the car, too!

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 12:32 AM

Sometimes the second time around is the lucky one at eBay. It takes a little while for buyers to discover unique items.

I've finished folding and putting away laundry. I have errands tomorrow also (recycling, picking up mulch, etc.). I could use some child labor to help. :)

I realized today that tomorrow is a month from my son's birthday. And one year from that birthday he turns 18. At the end of the school year the child support ends. I have to sit down now and look at my finances and be sure I have everything in place for losing that much income (almost 1/3 of what we live on) when he graduates. I'll probably have to find a part-time job next year, or go back to freelance writing.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 12:59 AM

Yikes. Will it continue if he goes to college? Good luck with that. I am sure, as resourceful as oyu are, you will figure it out.

I remember your saying that about ebay; I think I will list it again. Thanks.

Wonder if Morgan would like Texas.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to do housework
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 04:24 AM

Decluttered the coffee table earlier... it's amazing the amount of catalogues and out of date newspapers and community magazines that build up. I've been trying to avoid knocking a whole pile of stuff off the table for weeks now... turns out I can recycle it all - including the leaflet from the council about recycling!

Manitas is just about to leave on a book case hunt. I've decided on 3 matching shelves to replace 3 mismatched items so that will instigate a good clear out. The shelves that are being removed will be put elsewhere with one lot going into the loft to hold sewing magazines that I don't really want to throw away but refer to so infrequently, it's pointless storing them in a 'prime location'.

Limpit does not look pleased at the prospect as it's mostly her stuff!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: mouldy
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 05:15 AM

SRS - it means the units have to come out. Ideally the floor should be completely torn up and relaid, but the surveyor says that as I intend to move the expense (several 1000s of quids) would be too much. He is going to send me a report, specifying certain products to use, and basically there will be a membrane laid on the existing floor in the kitchen and dining room, as it's sound, and then board laid on top of that, followed by new fancy flooring, after the units are back. Also the walls where the damp shows are to be taken back to brick and specialist plasters used. We will have to find a way of grading in the height differences in floors between the dining and living areas, and also the dining room and the hall. The kitchen is 15' x 13' approx, with units/appliances around 3 sides. It's a lot of storage to store!

I can see a few knock-on jobs!

However Peter, my "man who does" has left a large trailer for me to declutter into, which he will then take to the tip for me when it's full. All he asks is that I do garden declutter separately. I am going to ask him to get the window out and remove my sofa for me when he comes to do the kitchen in the spring. Then there will be more space to store the units. I was going to get rid of my suite anyway, as it's far too big and brown (it was Ian's choice). By then I should have room for it in the garage, prior to selling it.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 06:38 AM

Took three TVs to the tip yesterday. Geoff has been rewiring the roof aerial and had to go into the cupboard unde the stairs in Maddie's room. Couldn't believe the ammount of stuff in there (most of it predates her)There wasn't time to sort it properly but with half term coming up I think I know what we'll be doing.

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 12:38 PM

Yesterday I did some cleaning around the house that is on a small scale but still noticeable.

The ill kitty spent a lot of time in Moonglow's room, and it is now being de-cluttered to be used as a guest room. I'm going to pack up some of the little things on display in several cabinet shelves--several years ago I built a cabinet with square cubbies, five cubbies wide and six tall. The ones at eye height were used for display, those are the ones I'm packing. Her desk was piled high with all sorts of clutter. I've put some of those clothes into the dresser and moved some stuffed toys and big pillows around. It was heaped high, but now this will go on top of the shelving, onto the bed, or into the cubbies.

I still need to run some cables to that room. A phone line and a co-axial port, though it won't be attached to anything yet. Eventually I may put an antenna on the roof that could run into the bedrooms. My plan with room wiring is to have cables available for us or future buyers, so I may also run a data port there, though I'll leave the line curled up in the attic, labeled as to where it goes but not attached. If I decide to run a computer line in there, it could be done fairly easily.

In my room I have a lovely bentwood library chair with a tie-on seat cushion that the calico used to always sleep on. It needed hand-washing, and then I ran it on spin only in the washer. Much improved. And I found other things around the house that needed attention, like a few containers in the kitchen that catch scraps for the compost, and bedroom trash cans. A few minutes with some bleach and they look like new. I need to wash some windows also. It's beginning to look like spring cleaning, isn't it?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: mouldy
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 04:46 PM

I have decided to take the very old kitchen units from before the current lot (aka the workbenches) out of the garage and get rid of a million spanners, wrenches, nuts, bolts, screws, cans of old paint, etc. I'll keep a select few tools and bits, and get a proper tool container for them. This will make sure there is room for the 3 piece suite to go, while I decide what to do with it.
I hardly think I need half the old gear that has been hung on to. We even used to have an arc welder, but that went to my son in law after the last clear out. My daughter says she'll give me a hand to do it.

Knowing I have GOT to empty my kitchen out has made me think of what I am going to throw out, rather than what I am going to keep.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 11:49 PM

I'm spending a few minutes catching up while my small container of thinset cures a little. I'll "butter" the backs of all of the bits of tile I've been cutting this afternoon and evening. I cut tile for the dressing room and a couple of doorways that had a piece of cut tile left to lay down. I had to get out the undercut saw, a simple device but one that does tire you, with those short little moves as you cut a tiny little piece of wood at the bottom of a door or corner where a tile needs to slide under. I'd left a few cuts to do when I put down the trowel ages ago.

I still have to cut tiles for the hall, but I figured I'll stick down what I've cut for now just to get them out of the way, finally. More tomorrow, maybe.

I also bathed the dogs today. They're soft and sweet smelling right now. Of course as soon as you let them out the door they roll on the lawn and drag themselves along the chain link of their kennel fence to put back some of the smell that went down the drain.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 01:01 AM

I underestimated how much I needed so tomorrow I'll mix another batch of thinset and stick the last three pieces down in the dressing room. I did the doorway pieces and several others. I'll cut some tiles for the hall before I make the batch and I'll stick those down also. I've been meaning to get back to this literally for years.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: mouldy
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 01:13 PM

I slung a lot of stuff out of the garage units this morning, although you'd never guess, as it's now largely stacked on or around the (now empty) units! It's amazing how much "might come in useful/I paid for it so I'm not throwing it out" rubbish my dear departed other half hung onto, including left over bits of coving, wooden beading and battens and lengths of bath sealing plastic strip. And this after my son in law had a good go through it all about 18 months ago!

Looks like I will be buying a new drill - I had forgotten the old one wasn't working, until I found it on the shelf with the plug removed.

I just need to get what I'm keeping into some sort of storage, and then I can rip the units out.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to do housework
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 02:33 PM

Spent the day filling the bookshelves that Manitas bought yesterday - and it's a vast improvement! That whole corner looks so much lighter and less tatty... there are two holes left to fill but I've already made a whole lot more space upstairs for the books there to expand to fit. Plus I reclaimed a quarter of a shelf in the dining room for future craft book purchases.

Limpit and I cleared two of her boxes and we've generated a bag of rubbish and two bags of recycling between us. We also have a small bag of animals to pass on to a little chap fast approaching his second birthday... hope he likes frogs!

Been a bit of a productive weekend all round really, in spite of feeling generally mangled this week.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 02:53 PM

I'm breaking the tile job into a couple of sections. I doubled the amount of thinset I made (it's curing right now) and will put down tiles until I run out, then decide if it is worth cutting more tiles or if I want to move onto another chore. If I finish cutting the tile I can then put the wet saw out in the garage, which would be good. I've left it in the hall next to the freezer forever, but I'd like to have that tripping hazard and dust collector gone.

Moonglow's room got a little more tweaking this morning. I rearranged some books in her big cabinet and emptied a cubbie. Now I need to find a box to fill with the contents of a couple of other cubbies, lable, and put into the now empty one. The Chinese puzzle, in real life. I'll photograph the contents of the cubbies I pack up and tape prints to the box so she can see what is in there.

I must do a little shopping, make bread, the usual. I'm drawing down the freezer this time of year, getting set for the growing season. I already dug up part of the veggie garden this morning, and found what I was looking for--the pupa of the tobacco hornworm that devoured some of my plants last summer. The sphinx moth they become is an important pollinator, but that is only if the thing they pollinate hasn't been eaten to a nubbin by the caterpillar stage! I tossed the guy across the road into the woods. Come back when you can fly. . .

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: MAG
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 02:57 PM

A bit chilly to be outside, but trashcan is half full and every last rose is pruned until spring. (gotta see how much died back from December's deep freeze.)

More done inside since giving up and coming in: more of the spare room boxed up, vacuumed floor. More papers into the file box.

2 loads laundry so far.

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 04:30 PM

I tossed the guy across the road into the woods.

Sorry, Maggie, but I can't help but say that's a fine way to treat your neighbours!**bg**

Laundry and more, today. Rog got me some boxes for the LR books, so I am about to go dig in. I think I'd better put on a bandanna as the dust is terrible on them!

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 06:00 PM

This is the guy tossed across the road. That left-hand caterpiller has a black object dropping away from it--that is the ingots of poop that run through it really fast. You'll know they're around if you pay attention to the soil in the garden and spot the poop. The critter itself blends in so well it's hard to see.

Off to shop, then see what else I can get done around here this evening.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 09:25 PM

I didn't make enough grout to even finish the dressing room. I didn't feel like making a huge batch of it, I wanted to see how far that would go. But I'm getting there.

Chicken and rice cooking, after defrosting my frost-free freezer in the fridge. It took THREE tries to find chicken stock in the freezer. First two I pulled out were turkey. I guess I should label them. :-/   The first one was so old I decided not to use or keep it, but the second one was from the one I brined a couple of months ago, so I put it back and dug in again. Browned chicken tenders, canned mushrooms, browned pasta and rice, all cooked together in a big dutch oven in the soup stock--a great quick meal. Veggies on the side.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 03:49 AM

I was supposed to go to work today but life has conspired against me again and now it's too late... even leaving this instant I'd be at work for as long as I was travelling, to get home in time to take Limpit to her piano lesson.

SO... it's shifting the books upstairs today. Hopefully that will leave me with half an empty shelf for future purchases.

I may even decide I can part with a few duplicate copies... although that is rather like putting aside old friends... I may need some help with this guys!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 10:28 AM

Why the long travel time--is there still snow and ice? Or something else?

Mudcat auction is a good place for a few duplicates if they're something you think Mudcatters can help with. I have a couple I need to list there.

This is one of those weeks when I need to go to work to rest up from my days off. I'm stiff and sore from all of the tile work. I'll wash off the grout again this morning then leave the rest for another day.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: maire-aine
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 10:36 AM

Well, the painters are working downstairs, and I'm hiding out upstairs in my bedroom. Some previous owner had put up acoustic panels on the diningroom ceiling, and I've never liked them. I told the painter that I wanted them removed & to do whatever was needed to fix it. So, they pulled the panels down, and there wasn't any ceiling at all, just the bare wood structure. So they're bringing in drywall and building me a new ceiling. They're also taking down a "picture molding" that goes all around the main floor; I've always hated it, because it always looked dirty. I've got Little One safely stowed in the guest bedroom (really her room), so I don't have to worry about her getting out. I'm just having them paint the whole place creamy white, keeping it simple. Fortunately, the weather is mild today, so I can turn the heat off while they're going in and out.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 11:03 AM

That sounds lovely, Maryanne. Our kitchen and DR have that kind of ceiling and I'd love to see it go!

Maggie, you have been busy!

I have another box of books to list in my bookstore. I managed to go through the first shelf, yesterday, of the bookshelves in the LR, with Rog's input. Some of them were his books, so I had to find out if he wanted to get rid of them or not. It was hard, at first, but once I got started it was easier.

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 12:06 PM

My father's house had that kind of acoustical tile you describe, and when the woman who bought the house was getting ready to put in a cathedral ceiling she tore that stuff down, only to find some beautiful rough boards as the ceiling. She decided to keep those and it made the place look so much warmer. If Dad had only known!

That paint job sounds lovely. My painter is also a contractor and has done a lot of drywall, and he's the one who remodeled in the house and built my new garage. I have picture rails around my living room and I love them, but the living room has elegant wood paneling (more like picture frames, not the ubiquitous 1970s embossed wood paneling that seemed to go hand in hand with shag rugs). When I bought this house I'd driven past it many times--it was on my list as the right size and price, but the outside was so ugly. The sellers slapped on paint that was an awful color. Who knew the inside had such buried treasure? I painted the house finally a couple of years ago and it looks much better. :)

I'm moving slow today, with sore muscles and a few tender spots on my hands. I didn't wear gloves the whole time I did the tile, and thinset and grout are hard on skin.

Good news (knock wood) is that I think I've managed to get rid of the setting that was messing up my computer monitors. I had too many monitor settings possible, too many drivers, so a competing program that kept trying to install itself. I disabled the non-functioning settings and it loaded first try today.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 03:05 PM

I'd love it if we found neat old boards, but I think, this being an early 50s house, it's probably not to be. Though we did find hardwood flooring in the LR under some very ugly carpet.

I relisted my glass piece and dropped the starting bid down. I already have one watcher, so I hope this time round it sells.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: maire-aine
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 04:12 PM

The guys are starting to wrap up for the day. The put up the drywall in the diningroom & mud-ed it. They've been smoothing out the rough places/cracks in the livingroom, too. They carried my 3 bookcases upstairs for me, so I've been loading them with books. There are still a dozen boxes of books in the living room, but they'll stay there until the guys are done. I'm not sure which ones are coming upstairs and which are staying downstairs. I don't want to lug them upstairs if I'm going to turn around and get rid of them.

Little One has been under the bed all day, but I took some food in for her and she ate it. Once the guys leave, I'll let her out. I just hope I'll be able to catch her in the morning. She's going to be a very unhappy kitty for a while.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 11:41 PM

Cats and wet paint--you might want to think twice about letting her loose in the house. I have a cat close to the color you describe, but even then, grooming paint from fur isn't fun.

I've resolved to try to get more sleep. I've been dragging the last couple of days, and there has been a bug going around. I'll let some of the chores wait overnight. And tomorrow I have a meeting at the office, I want to be well-rested and running on all cylinders. I spent the day today getting software set up so I can hit the ground running--we may be rethinking our publications and going to all web instead of sending out print editions. That's fine with me, I'd like to just do the work when I want to and not wait for two other offices (publications and the print shop) to finish with it (late, as usual) for it to finally be available. I have software and settings all in place. Let's see if the new and improved computer (de-cluttered, of course!) is up to the task.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: maire-aine
Date: 10 Feb 09 - 07:48 AM

Little One came into bed with me last night, so she's not angry with me. And I got her into the bedroom this morning. Even though she spends 75% of the day in there, she's not happy being stuck in there.

The painters are going to start with trim today.

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to work
Date: 10 Feb 09 - 08:21 AM

Stilly - the travel is an hour each way (8 miles, door to door, the joys of public transport) and during busy times can take longer. To make it worthwhile, I need to be at work for more than 3 hours but to get home in time to take Limpit to her piano lesson, I would have been at work for as long as it takes me to get there and back.

We discovered the beautiful Victorian panel doors under hardboard and beading that had turned them into nasty 1970's flush doors. They're still good, solid doors and the panels are much more interesting than the plain ones were. If only the previous occupants had been as forgiving with the plasterwork.

I did manage to shuffle the books around, didn't manage to discard any duplicates but I do have a whole half shelf to spare, which I daresay will be filled by summertime. I'm still fairly wiped by the flu I had last week, I was dozing by 3.00pm and I'm trying hard here at work to resist that temptation.

I'm still stunned at the accumulated 6 bags of rubbish/recycling that we've generated in the last 10 days... I never knew I had that much crap!

LTS

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Feb 09 - 11:02 AM

I'm finally up and running to do some web design, and I was able to de-clutter some words from a friend's web page that was causing some confusion to his clients.

I have a fresh copy of my ex's water bill to put in the truck so I can take recycling over to the facility near here. I live in a little village completely surrounded by Fort Worth. I can take my household recycling over even without the water bill, but sometimes I take over other things, and for those I need to show that I'm a resident. Ha! Anyway, I'll be taking some stuff over there next weekend. No one turned me away with the old bill, but just on general principles I don't want it to be more than two or three months old.

It's very wet and warm here today, getting ready for some thunderstorms. I think this wouldn't be good painting weather, but nothing wrong with tiling under these circumstances. I need to do my grout tonight, then assess the remainder of tile to be cut and placed.

I'm about halfway through digging up my garden outside the kitchen door, and next weekend I'll put some compost in there, I'll bail out the coastal hay in the dogs' stall and put it on top, and get the dogs some new hay. I love getting a couple of different uses out of the hay. It is an excellent mulch for a couple of months.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: maire-aine
Date: 10 Feb 09 - 04:02 PM

I've brought 16 boxes of books upstairs (about half) and I'm putting them on the bookshelves. The guys tell me that they may finish by the end of day tomorrow. Then I'll wash/polish the floor before I move the furniture back. It's not as warm as yesterday, but I'm still able to open the windows for a while. The trim paint is oil-based, and smells kind of strong.

The snow is slowly disappearing. Some of the heather/winter heath plants have emerged from under the snowpack. If it stays nice for a while, they may begin to bloom.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Feb 09 - 11:03 PM

Sixteen boxes. That's pretty heavy! Amazing the workout you'll get moving all of those books around. :)

Tomorrow is going to require some cleanup in the yard. High winds and thunderstorms raced through the area tonight. Darned Catahoula got herself into the truck portion (versus the dog portion) of the garage again tonight. I heard her out there barking and after the rain slowed I went and let her out through the gate she must have pushed past. Damned dog is a sweetheart, but she is such an airhead.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Feb 09 - 11:48 PM

Wow, that's a lot of books. I was lucky Morgan and I pushed one box of books down the hallway to the office, today.:-) It was heavy.

I have been and will be having him for 4-6+ hours each day this week, so my house is pleasantly cluttered with art projects for now. We made Valentines today and will do more, tomorrow.

It as too funny today when Morgan looked around and said he saw "hair" and that he would vacuum. I said, okay, but he didn't have much time as his dad was on the way to get him. He put his hands on his hips and said, "Man, we gotta get this house cleaned up!" Made me laugh!

I hope I can do some things this weekend. I have a ton of books to get listed online. Sold the one I had on ebay, but only one bidder for the minimum. The good news is biblio says overall sales for their indie booksellers have gone up this Jan. compared to last.

In the meantime the new novel needs my editing and keeps getting shoved to the side.

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: mouldy
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 04:19 AM

While I was out in Scunthorpe yesterday, killing 5+ hours while my friend's husband got his cataract done, the trailer fairy (aka Peter) came and removed all the stuff I lobbed out at the weekend, and then parked it up again so's I can carry on and fill it again. What a gent! It'll be the garden rubbish next, I think.

On the other hand, as a clergyman, it might be part of his "helping widows and orphans" remit! ;-)

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: maire-aine
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 08:41 AM

The temp has been mild overnight, and it's raining a little now, so all the snow has disappeared from the front yard (the sunny side). Lots of snow still in the back.

The painter got here at 8am. All the trim is done, so today they'll sand the walls, vacuum as much dust as they can, and paint the walls. Hopefully he'll finish today, but his partner is under the weather, so he's by himself.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 04:30 PM

I've had a stiff neck because of twisting to watch the television in my office. It is just enough of an angle that I'm feeling the same kind of discomfort I experienced when I was wearing bifocals to work on the computer (and tipping my head back to see the screen through the bottom of the lens). This awkward position works against you, so I rearranged my office this morning. And in the process I cleared a lot of clutter from my computer desk. Much of it went into the trash, but a fair amount is over on my work desk--how many times have I cleared this thing off now? I'll be filing a lot of the stuff that is on it this time.

I sorted out the data CDs from work (backup files, etc.) from the home CDs (photos, writing) and from music. I sorted out the zip disks (I'll probably delete a lot of their duplicated contents and have them for storage) and there are still quite a few floppy disks around also. All are in their own baskets and neatly shelved. I cleared off some of the book shelves on the wall (where I keep a lot of music CDs, cassette tapes, and music books along with recording and playback equipment). I found some great CDs I'd forgotten I had.

There's more room in here now, and I'm not rolling my chair into that cracked tile (I still need to fix that).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: maire-aine
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 04:37 PM

My one painter guy just finished; his partner was sick. He sanded all of the walls & he cleaned up pretty well, but there is still fine white dust everywhere. He'll be back tomorrow, and hopefully finish most of the painting.

It's been raining most of the day, and the snow in the back yard is almost gone. Now I'm beginning to think about yard work, altho the actual doing of it is still 2 months away. The snow may be going, but the ground is still frozen.

M

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Penny S.
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 05:47 PM

A very small job today after a day supply teaching, and trying to find resources I had husbanded over the years, and others hadn't since I left.
I took a plastic tub that had accumulated some odds and sods in the living room and distributed them to proper homes, then used the box the collect stuff belonging to a friend which I can put out of the way in the spare room. He declutters his place by leaving things here!

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Feb 09 - 10:17 AM

I was so tired last night that I didn't try to drag this thread back to the top. I think all of my cleaning stirred up dust, and I spent the evening sneezing. After early to bed I feel more like my old self--I was afraid I was catching a bug. I'll use the neti pot this morning to keep things clear.

My office is always in a state of flux; today it is easier to sit at my desk. There are objects sitting around that might look really interesting if I find just the right place to put them. I partially blocked the window, and there is one USB cord that is going to be a tripping hazard if I don't reposition my flatbed scanner. I want to have more access to the window and I need to be able to see the release lever for the ornamental bars over the window, so there is more work to do.

I've collected some interesting little lamps over the years--a lava lamp with blood-red corpuscles in a clear fluid, and a couple of LED lamps. I lately have been able to use one of these at a time, but I plan to arrange them so I can pick and choose to use any or all of them if I feel like it. They'll be on that work desk I need to clear up.

The other de-clutter job, long overdue, was organizing my shoulder pack (in lieu of a pocketbook). Ever since I was stuck in a black subway tunnel in New York City I've always carried a small flashlight. I won't get rid of that, though I might find a smaller LED type to replace it. I don't need a calculator because my phone has that function. I weeded out a few cough drops, an extra chapstick, etc., I put two pairs of glasses (sun and office) in one glasses case. The compact folding umbrella will stay. It's streamlined and lighter now. I like wearing a smaller fanny pack, and when I wear a one carry fewer items, but there are times when I often have to carry the rest in something else (I usually end up wearing the fanny pack AND carrying the shoulder pack).

To borrow from the credit card commercial, "What's in your pocketbook?"

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: maire-aine
Date: 12 Feb 09 - 03:46 PM

Ahhhh! It's finished. The painting is finished and the last guy just left. It really does look great, and I'm glad I had it done, but I don't think I'll do this big of a project again. The walls are creamy white and the trim is a slightly whiter white, and it is very pretty, and clean!

I couldn't catch Little One to put her in the guestroom, so I kept her in my bedroom. She's been remarkably calm about this whole experience.

I went out for lunch about 1pm and got back about 2:30pm. They had mopped up the wood floors and put most of the furniture back about where it came from. One of the guys helped me carry the last few boxes of books upstairs.

But I feel worn out just looking at everything that still needs to be done. The floor needs to be washed again and polished. And there is still a thick coat of white plaster dust on most of the furniture. I'm going to be dusting all summer. I'll have to decide where I'm going to re-hang the pictures and put them back up. And all the knick-knacks have to be taken out of the boxes and put back up, maybe.

Everything in the kitchen (which is mostly open shelves) will need to be washed, or at least dusted, and that floor scrubbed. Once that's done, I can turn my attention to the music/computer room. I've still got to shelve all of those books so that I can use the center of the room. I need to get my laptop out of my bedroom. Whew! And by the time I finish this, it will be time to start cleaning up the yard.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Feb 09 - 04:48 PM

This house had the most glum drab brown inside the cabinets when I moved in. If you have to take down and wash all of the kitchen stuff, it sounds like a good time to evaluate the collection, and how you arrange it, and maybe repaper the shelves or paint the insides of the cabinets. Takes off her Martha Stewart hat. . .

I think I need to make another pass through the books in here. Or at least rearrange some of the boxes on the shelves dedicated to my Dad's music. I'm looking more directly at those shelves now that I moved my desk. And I need to start scanning and transcribing a lot of the paper in his files. I'd still keep the paper, for posterity, but I could pack it way more efficiently and access the data more easily if it is on disks or a hard drive.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 12 Feb 09 - 07:01 PM

Working tomorrow but Saturday I think will be the 'sort the kitchen' day... I intend to replace the shelf that fell down about 3 weeks ago, sort out the cupboard under the sink and see exactly how many plastic pots don't have lids, then chuck out the ones that don't!

It can only improve things...

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: maire-aine
Date: 12 Feb 09 - 07:50 PM

I went out an re-stocked my cleaning supplies, and while I was at it it bought a cheap DVD starring George Clooney and a cheap bottle of wine to go with it. So tomorrow I'll have an incentive to work hard and then relax.

Cheers,
M

Subject: RE: BS: February Declutter - keep the faith!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Feb 09 - 10:42 PM

Sounds nice!

It took me a while to find the last bit I needed to finish my taxes. I know, I wanted to do them in January, but I'm doing them now. Anyway, I couldn't find last year's return. That's always my starting point--what forms did I fill out last year, and do I need them again this year? I forgot, in my efficiency, that I had moved my taxes to a more "logical" place. A file cabinet in my office (versus the cabinet in the living room where all of my bills get paid, over in one corner out of the way). But now I'm set. I'm impressed with all of the donations I generated over the year, nearly $2000 in cloths, objects, books, journals, and such. I have documents for all of it.

Have I gushed here yet about how much I'm enjoying my old-fashioned IBM Selectric keyboard, made for computers? (Unicomp out of Kentucky makes them.) It is a bit louder than any I've used for a long time, but the brain and the fingers work so well together with this thing, it is worth the $78 (including shipping) to get it here. More expensive than my last keyboard (about $35) but a lot less than some of the fancy gaming boards (they go up to $200 and more). I'll keep my Microsoft keyboard (not bad, all things considered, and better than most if you're a touch typist) as a spare, and I'll find a logical place to put it. That'll help clear a little of the stuff off of that work desk across the room.

SRS