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BS: De-cluttering - part two
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Liz the Squeak Date: 20 May 08 - 05:34 AM "your family members wouldn't have wanted to leave you things that you didn't want or were in the way." Obviously the good Mr Aslett does not posses family members like mine... By the time the vultures that are my eldest aunt and her daughters had finished, all that was left of my Grandmother's estate was a large dresser that they wouldn't take because it didn't fit in their houses. I have it now and it's perfect for the dining room alcove. If I could bear to part with all the odd glasses in it, it would be great for putting my china in! LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: wysiwyg Date: 20 May 08 - 09:12 AM Had a great MP3 player/recorder that promised to "listen" to tapes and make 'em MP3s, but when I tried it, the recorder froze up and I had a hell of a time getting it to play songs again. Yet other same-model recorders and the one that froze could record hour-long live sound. So I bit the bullet yesterday, having bought several of these units for my aquatics clients, and did up a much-beloved (and until recently long-lost) tape. Of course it came out fine and the recorder behaved itself. So now I am taking aim at that boxful of caseless audiocassettes moldering away in storage, now that I can Copy with Confidence. I may actually load them up and take them along on vacation to do them at leisure. I also have learned how to transfer sound files off one unit and onto another. One of the units I'd bought is a 1-GB model, and I also have an oddball 4 GB model that may sync also..... this year's vacay will entail less aquatics and more sitting in my camping recliner while Hardi goes road cycling, so this will make a nice brainless and vacationless harvesting project. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Bat Goddess Date: 20 May 08 - 03:10 PM Not much so far today but I was busy with physical therapy, fainting over the cost of filling my gas tank, and applying for a couple jobs. But I did bring some more cardboard upstairs, tear it up and bag it. And then I went outside and cut brush on the high side of the driveway -- tricky footing, so I had to be careful. Don't want to break anything else! I'm not done, but that's a decluttering task where I can actually see immediate results. Amazing how fast that stuff grows when you have no time to hack it down. Linn |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 May 08 - 03:14 PM I've been busy trying to clear my desk of work-related stuff, but today I finished something from the weekend. I rediscovered a treasure, a box with my old college botany herbarium. I emptied out the papers of plants long since forgotten and cleaned it up. Collecting and identification and mounting of plants is a hobby I used to enjoy that perhaps I will share with the kids. We can collect blooming wildflowers in the woods across the street. I did de-clutter the oddball stuff I found in the box underneath the herbarium--old check registers to shred, an ashtray from a Reno casino (I never smoked, so it probably isn't mine), etc. I have a rocking chair that belonged to my great grandmother (I have a photo of her sitting in it). It is beautiful and comfortable, but it was coming unglued when I moved it to Texas 25 years ago. My ex took it apart. He did that to a number of pieces of furniture, but only completed one of these projects of his (had my kitchen chairs dipped and refinished). I need to sand the dowels and reglue it and put it back into service. It's in the garage and is a keepsake I really would like to use. Aslett is clear that not everything is junk, and by getting rid of the clutter you can rediscover those treasures. It is too bad this has been set aside for so long. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Catherine Jayne Date: 20 May 08 - 04:03 PM We've started boxing up stuff for the impending move to a bigger house....although I don't want to fill the new place with too much tut! I'm doing one room at a time and it's not going to badly as alot of things weren't unpacked from the last move and I had a major declutter back then. It was Harry's birthday yesterday and I have kind of managed to get rid of some of the wrapping paper and toy boxes to the recyling without him seeing!...who needs toys when a box and a bit of paper will do?!! *G* All of his small clothes are packed away in vaccuum sealed bags as we will be needing them again. I suppose I should sort out the material pile and the wool pile at somepoint soon. |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 May 08 - 05:22 PM You've got it, Khat, the box is usually better than the toy. The stuff in that box I just mentioned included a 1974 Seattle Times clipping about a rummage sale find, a book by Harriet Hubbard Ayer, called Complete and Authentic Treatise on the Laws of Health and Beauty, published in 1902. I don't know why I kept the clipping, but it is pretty interesting. I did a search and found a modest page with some information about Ayer, sponsored by a descendant of hers: http://www.harriethubbardayer.org/. She led a rather remarkable short life. Now that I've told you about this clipping I will toss it in the recycle bin. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: katlaughing Date: 20 May 08 - 10:29 PM What a remarkable woman, SRS. Thanks for the link. It felt good to drop off the two boxes of books, today. My house still looks like a disaster, but I can see order coming through. Tomorrow I call the Goodwill and arrange for them to pick up the other books and LPs. |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Lin in Kansas Date: 21 May 08 - 01:10 AM Sigh. Needed badly to get out of the house for awhile, so of course went to Borders Bookstore, and of course came home with a bagfull of books, even though the bookcases are overflowing. Sigh. Lin |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Liz the Squeak Date: 21 May 08 - 01:28 AM Lin - I know the feeling. I have so much to do here, things I've promised to people, but somehow, real life just gets in the way... LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 21 May 08 - 12:41 PM Lin, don't beat yourself up for backsliding, simply find an equal number of books, plus one if you want to get ahead, and donate them somewhere. I was mowing the back yard last night and made a mental tally of things to trim and move because I have to trim around or move them every time I mow. The stuff I kept to use "one of these days" should either get used or find a place to live where it won't be in the way. My yard work will be easier. I'm busy, but can still manage small steps. At lunch today I'll escort some of the stuff I want to discard out to the pickup. When I have finished this work I want to end up with a table setup that can be easily moved out the side door to enable baking (to avoid heating up the house in this hot weather). I have a Dutch oven that will work perfectly, and there is a GFCI plug beside the door. It's getting to that season, but the adjacent room is still too full to put the oven and table where they should go. It looks like we're all feeling some frustration at not being able to see more progress from all of our work. What's a solution? I may try for a big Memorial Day weekend push. Anyone else? Chocolate? SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: katlaughing Date: 21 May 08 - 01:27 PM Chocolate sounds good. I have had a Sonic grilled chicken wrap with no sauce for lunch the past two days, but it didn't seem to help! I did get totally disgusted with my desk this morning and went through a bunch of papers, stapled the ones I wanted to keep and transferred them to a hanging file holder so they are organised and handy at least. Didn't keep too many. Still have one pile to go through. I have catnip and flax plants in the bathroom waiting to be planted. It's the only place safe from the cats, but first I have to go through the cluttered shed to find the fencing which will keep the neighbour cats out of it once I plant it! I will be packing up bottles, today, to send to a friend, so that will help in the dining room. Lin...SRS is right, no sense beating yourself up...just take an equal amount out.:-) LtS...maybe say "yes" to yourself before saying "yes" to others? Just be nice to yourself, regardless.:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 21 May 08 - 06:03 PM One short but loaded hour today was spent going through a file of my Dad's stuff. Shredding most, but filing a few for further examination when I have the leisure to put it in order. Some for historic purposes for my kids, some for my own interest (legal proceedings). Contemplating the internal baggage that I can discard. There's one more box that is almost smoldering it has so much family baggage. :-/ Looks like I have to drive to work tomorrow, so to get a two-fer out of the trip I'll load up thrift store stuff. I've emptied a large box of computer supplies and rearranged office shelving. Part of tomorrow's run will include computer disks to put in the shredder at work. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Liz the Squeak Date: 21 May 08 - 06:21 PM It's saying Yes to myself that got me so far behind and cluttered in the first place! LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: katlaughing Date: 21 May 08 - 06:46 PM Oops!:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 May 08 - 12:28 AM Heavy lifting of paper in the family baggage department this evening. I got through a few of the compartments in the big expanding file with estate stuff. Ooooof. The letters and accusations people made. We had one family member who didn't think equal shares suited him, and it didn't help that the deceased party played favorites with accounts that couldn't legally be included as part of the estate. I'm dumping everything peripheral and holding only the documents that the attorneys generated, which is still a lot, but not two boxes full. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 May 08 - 12:53 PM This last box with its expanding file has been like immersing myself in a virtual dust storm. It seems necessary to stir up a lot of things in order to put them to rest. I think a bottle of wine and a bonfire will be the appropriate end to a lot of the contents. As I work through files I end up with these little piles of paper that need to go somewhere else to live. So while the expanding file is shrinking, I have to stop every so often and put papers in existing new files or park them in the "look then trash" area. Looks like I have to make a trip to work today. How many other things can I do on the way? Perhaps uncover a couple more square feet of floor with thrift store donations to take along? Pull some lumpy object from the garage to free up space (maybe something the truck door hits when we open it in the garage?) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 May 08 - 12:32 AM No reports this evening? Lin, is JunK helping in any way this week? LTS, has Limpet cleaned her room? Kat, have the kids retrieved the bottles and LPs and such? I have managed to get through the heavy-weather of family estate stuff. I need to make another pass because I know there is a lot more paper there I can trash. I took a big trash bag of shredded paper to work today and stuffed it into the administration office's recycle bin. It is usually filled with shredded paper and they have arrangements on campus for the careful disposal of shreds since so much if it has to do with hiring and benefits and personnel actions. Stuff was dropped off at the Goodwill trailer, and I swung by the city trash/recycle station and emptied stuff in those bins. I'm in good shape to sort and toss over the long weekend (in the U.S. Monday is Memorial Day.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Liz the Squeak Date: 23 May 08 - 02:38 AM Update on Limpit's room - not a sausage. Plenty of old oat bar wrappers and the odd festering crust, but no progress. It's half term next week.. that'll keep her busy for a while! LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Catherine Jayne Date: 23 May 08 - 06:28 AM More boxes were delivered yesterday, just have to get round to packing more books and cd's into them....and digging Harry and cat out of them...they 'think' they are helping!! Hope Limpit doesn't get lost in her room! |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Diva Date: 23 May 08 - 07:18 AM Still in a guddle......kitchen not finished and have come to a halt with the de cluttering. However, weather permitting we are going to sell at a car boot on Sunday..so providing I don't buy anything.... Ah weans (babies/toddlers) and boxes....much more fun than the toy that came in it |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Bat Goddess Date: 23 May 08 - 10:42 AM Well, Freecycled stuff picked up and gone and what I had no bite on (wood pulp egg cartons) will go to one of the friends I had lunch with yesterday. On the way home, dropped off foodie magazines and a large accumulation of loose recipes with another friend. This morning I pulled a couple things out of my "gift suitcase" to take to a friend's yardsale this weekend. Emailed a friend notorious for salvaging and using obsolete technology -- gave him a list of old still in box Mac software to see if he wants them along with the oversized Postscript laser printer when we get together (soon I hope!). Investigating selling a vulcanizer and rubberstamp-making tackle locally on Craig's List -- too heavy to ship. Will come with all The Rubbersmith's plates and matrices. Sigh. I guess it's time to sell my "firstborn" (business). Found some photography books to de-accession while I was in the guest room. Have someone in mind for them, too. Linn |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 May 08 - 10:57 AM We made a playhouse with a door and window from the box that my dryer came in. After that finally went out to the curb my sister gave the kids a cardboard playhouse and there were a few times when we put bedding in it and they spent the night in their "house." It just doesn't get much more fun than that! Today lunchtime is for file fine-tuning. Dealing with the little stacks that were set aside to deal with when a larger file of stuff was being shredded. Those piles have to go somewhere for all of this to work. I need to address the old files on little floppy disks also. I have several plastic cases that fit only those files, so I'll compress them, burn copies to CDs, and re-purpose or donate those cabinets. This is small, but will make moving around my office easier. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: maire-aine Date: 23 May 08 - 11:23 AM I have high hopes for the 3-day weekend. If I can get out of the office early, I can do the grocery shopping and throw some laundry in the washing machine. That would give me a head-start. I've had the ingredients for muffins on a tray on the counter-top, and I just keep moving it from one place to another, but I'll bake them over the weekend. I also want to make some home-made breakfast sausage on Saturday-- I'm thawing out the pork loin today. Once those things are done, I can clear the decks in the kitchen. I've got 4 big containers of newspaper clippings and articles printed from various websites, all on political & economic topics. I would really like to go thru them (keep the general stuff and toss the Bush-specific ones), but that just seems such a daunting task. Maybe I'll just throw a table cloth over the whole pile. The Belle Isle Botanical Society plant sale is this Saturday, so I want to go and buy my tomato plants early and get them in the ground. If I can get that much done, I'll be satisfied. Maryanne |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: katlaughing Date: 23 May 08 - 01:44 PM That sounds like fun, Maryanne. I think I"ll get some tomato plants this weekend, too. I have had a hiatus as I need Rog's help with moving out books and LPs. He's got to work part of this weekend at JUCO, the Junior COllege World Baseball Tournament.*sigh* BUT, he tells me it will mostly be at evening news time, so I hope to get his help in doing more. I did get the bottles washed, the ones I've decided to keep and this morning I found, unexpectedly, a nice $3 tray at Walgreens, to display them on. I also did the dishes which had been soaking for a few days.:-) And a load of laundry. We're also caretaking three of our granddogs, at their house...so at least three trips back and forth each day with Rog doing early and late, me in between. Now, I know I can get some clutter done with on my jewellery table as my friend okayed the first design and I can finish it quite easily and quickly, get it ready to send off and start on the next! I'll post a picture when I get it done. |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 May 08 - 04:12 PM You know, don't you, that jewelry, chocolate, wine, beer, and crystals never count as "clutter." The paper stuff goes slower when it is the type that really needs sorting. Maryanne, why don't you approach it a handful at a time, or maybe do it in stages; first simply sort into stacks--General and Bush. Then toss Bush (!) and leave the rest to do a handful at a time as you can. I've been working out a similar strategy with old legal papers and with kid art. Getting general stacks of related material makes it easier to choose which of those items you really want to keep. When they're commingled you can't remember if you already set one of those works or pages aside. I have found things to think about then toss or file. For example, I almost bought a beautiful house in the mountains east of Albuquerque right after the divorce. A job was offered and the paperwork was set to go--but through passive aggressive delays my ex's attorney messed up the paperwork and the house fell through. It was a cascade of disappointments, and I still have some material and photos from that house. I'd love at some time to live in the woods like that with a view of wilderness, but right now I live in a beautiful pseudo-rural area in a city. I need to work on this one so the best thing is to toss the old plan and move forward. Something else will come along. My office is significantly changed in the past month. Slowly but surely it is looking better, organized and more clear floor space. The couch in my living room is an explosion of laundry needing to be folded (like Kat's dishes waiting to be washed), one of those things that isn't pressing as long as you don't run out of clothes or plates or forks. :) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: maeve Date: 23 May 08 - 06:58 PM I've decluttered the front yard near our farm stand by carting away most of the plants waiting to be divided. I'll need to get them repotted for sale or lined out in the perennial section of the tilled veggie garden, next to rows of basket and wattle willows.I have moved about half of my potting materials, pots, etc. The front looks much more inviting for potential customers, and the display gardens can be seen. We decluttered the shed a bit by taking out one wad of plastic greenhouse sheeting and got it attached to greenhouse #1. Now I have a place to set up seed trays and get them planted and growing. I can't seem to get to laundry lately. We're planting and digging and potting (and occasionally selling) plants from early until late each day. What glory it would be to chuck a load into a washing machine every morning or evening! To do the laundry means washing dishes and pots first, and then taking most of the morning washing and rinsing the clothes before finding places to hang them to dry. Dirt-filled workclothes must soak first, either in the bathtub or the kitchen sink. It's wonderful to have one partially greenhouse at least usable! I'd like some rainy weather so I can return to clearing out the house clutter to sell as much as possible. You've all done well with your progress forward. |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 May 08 - 11:05 PM I have a side yard that is much smaller than the space maeve described, but I decluttered it this evening. The greenbriar was trying to grow over old fence slats and chicken wire and landscaping timbers plus some other leftover construction stuff. Kind of in the way she has to wash dishes before soaking laundry, I mowed the front lawn before everything was moved out of the side yard. The timbers and slats were taken down to the curb to be placed on the mowed corner, for the trash or for someone looking for firewood. I pulled out the lawn mower and gave that area a thorough going over. Okay, a favorite (new) British mystery program on PBS is coming on in a few minutes. I promised myself that when it started I would sit in front of the living room television and fold all of the laundry on the couch and in the dryer. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 May 08 - 01:48 AM The living room looks pretty good! The couch is clear of laundry and I threw the woven shawl that was under all of it in the washer. I've used it on the seat to keep down the cat hair and crumbs if the kids eat in there. Earlier in the garage I spotted some antique trunks, mentioned above, but on top of them was a balsa wood and cardboard doll house that has to be 50 years old. It was a hand-me-down to me from the neighbors. I know the dolls and furniture are somewhere here and I'll dig them out now that I've removed the big trash bag I had encapsulated it in. It's on display on a pretty library table in the living room. Out in the garage I had it sitting on the solid base of a framed map of the world. The map used to hang in my bedroom (mid-1960s and on). Mom got the old wood and gesso frame at the Goodwill and put in the print so I'd have something on the wall. It is chipped, but gesso can be repaired. And for years, between the frame and the house, was a numbered print from my Dad's house. Geez. The stuff you find when you start clearing up! I suspect I slipped that in there when everything was in storage but before it was moved down here. For years this treasure was hidden away. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: freda underhill Date: 24 May 08 - 02:34 AM That living room sounds great, srs. i've finally decided my place is decluttered enough to resume normal life, and will be having a singing session there next weekend. it'll be the first after 3 years of absence, due to relocation and renovation. it'll feel good to have my living room ringing with music once more. when space is created, beautiful new energy can move in. freda |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 May 08 - 11:20 AM Congratulations! Our first graduate! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Bat Goddess Date: 24 May 08 - 07:37 PM Today I consolidated some antique-ish stuff to eBay (get digital photos tomorrow), planted a deck planter with parsley (flat leaf), possibly found a buyer (without having to advertise) for my vulcanizer and rubberstamp making tackle (including all The Rubbersmith plates and matrices, etc.), and then got distracted while cleaning off the table enough to eat supper and ended up cleaning and rearranging the overflowing top drawer of the map chest that holds a substantial amount of my rubberstamps. And read and threw out some papers...but that's an on-going project. Tomorrow I take an even larger box o' stuff to a retired friend who is having a weekly yardsale. Linn |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Bat Goddess Date: 24 May 08 - 07:40 PM Oh! AND found a new home for a bunch of obsolete Mac software -- including System 7.5 still in box!!! I really hate throwing things out. Linn |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 24 May 08 - 07:48 PM Bah! Humbug! To an old packrat-clutterer-camp robber auctionoholic like myself, this thread is obscene, PC, all those adjectives. (Blindfold me and send in a cleanout crew. Can't bear to see it happen) |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: katlaughing Date: 24 May 08 - 07:57 PM LOL...glad you could join us, Q! For some evidence of my cleaning up, here's a not very good picture of the necklace I just made using a pendant provided by a friend and a fairly decent picture of most of the antique bottles I am keeping from my mom's collection: click here. Rog has had to work all day, home for one hour to eat, then home for another hour or so for supper then back to work, so there sits all of the heavy stuff I needed his help with. I told him his employer should pay for a handyman around here. He got upset, said the mother-company had laid off over 200 people recently, so he feels he has to go and not grumble/make waves. I really hope we can figure a way for him to retire next fall. (Sorry, I know we're only supposed to post when successful!:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 May 08 - 09:37 PM Understood about those handyman blues, Kat. Good luck on his making it to retirement before they get any bright ideas. Those bottles will look great on a table in front of a sunny window. And that necklace is lovely. What kind of beads did you use? They say Jim McCain has trouble lifting his arms above his head after years in captivity--I think maybe that's because they had him saw limbs from up in trees part of the time. I have several areas of the yard where I need to thin out branches and I did some limbs between 3 and 4 inches through--with that little blade on the long-handled limb saw that you can buy at Home Depot. My biceps are almost hot they got such a workout. I'm cooling off a little before I go take my bath--I'm afraid if I get in too soon I'll still be sweating from the work when I get out. ;-D I worked my way around the back yard and took out a lot of the branches and limbs that are in the way of mowing and the string trimmer (clutter!) and make my job harder when I mow. I also cleared out more piles of stuff beside the garage and have it ready for trash on Tuesday. If I can mow straight through an area without having to jockey the mower all around an obstacle, it will speed things. I'm also looking at how I've laid out some beds--I may reshape a few to make them easier to mow past. I'm done with the yard stuff now, I'll get cleaned up and spend a quiet evening in front of the television with the shredder. Oh--I haven't found that doll furniture yet, but when I do I'll link to a photo. It looks quite interesting. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: katlaughing Date: 24 May 08 - 10:02 PM Thanks, Maggie. I am going to restring the necklace, though, there is something bugging me about the order of the beads and sizes.:-> They are carnelian and citrine beads with the gold pendant and three hangy-down carnelian pendants provided by my friend. I am going to have to find a sunny window with enough shelf space to put those bottles on. Right now the sunniest is full of plants and the next to sunniest has my collection of stonepeople in it with more plants.:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Charmion Date: 24 May 08 - 10:30 PM I have a sore back and a much neater front garden this evening, and now all I have to do is get the mason over here to repair the damage done to the retaining wall by the snowplow. The bastard took out more than four feet of dry stone wall -- you'd think he'd have noticed! The kitchen cabinets have been dejunked and tidied. (How did we acquire all those coffee cups?) The dining table is completely covered with stuff to go, and those darned cabinets still look just as full. How does that happen? The St Vincent de Paul is the target of choice for this batch. |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 May 08 - 12:04 AM Charmion, Don't you know? The cups breed at night when everyone's asleep. I bet you thought that gentle rattling sound you hear in the house at night was a train passing on the tracks a few blocks over--nope! It's the cups humping. The DNA is so complex that they come up with offspring with all sorts of messages and designs--progeny do not necessarily look in any way like the parents. They're building retaining walls in the new housing development on the other side of our woods. I walked past slowly yesterday to get an idea of how they do it. I need to build one in front (semi-ornamental, but meant to front a berm I've built up in case any traffic decides to fly through the yard rather than stop at the corner where the road T's in front of our house.) Kat, I have lots of great beads I've accumulated, and a number of good pattern books now. The process of simply lining them up in the bead tray or making a sample swatch is good to a point--getting the whole thing to "hang together" (pardon the pun!) is the trick, isn't it? I found the doll furniture. The figures have moth-eaten clothes but are otherwise okay. The wood furniture looks good, though I had some inexpensive plastic furniture I'd added later that kind of stuck to the dolls--the plastic stuff is going in the trash. I need to clean it all out and do a few repairs and then this house will be ready for it's close up. No clutter in that house, at least! I picked up a beer on the way home from running errands this evening, but I'm so tired from the trimming that I won't finish it. It'll work well to attract snails and slugs in the garden tomorrow. They don't care if it is flat from sitting open in the fridge. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Bat Goddess Date: 25 May 08 - 11:00 AM What is it with coffee cups anyway? They're more prolific than coat hangers! Part of the declutterification process is to make a workspace for beading -- a place that doesn't have to be cleared off once a day for a meal. Linn |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: wysiwyg Date: 25 May 08 - 11:30 AM Glass shelves make a nice way to use all that sunny window space.... ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: katlaughing Date: 25 May 08 - 12:55 PM Great idea, Susan, thanks! In the past when I wanted a window shelf, half-way up the window, Rog would just put in a wooden shelf. A glass shelf would be much better...the plants would still get light and the bottles could turn purple and green. We got a tall, computer station from my sister's storage this morning which she gave us. Rog replaced his slanting tv tray thingie in the kitchen for the desk for his laptop and clutter which was on the floor. It looks much better, now, so that's a relief. He also got the fold-up, heavy-duty, 4' X 4' portable pet fence and put it around the flower bed where I will plant the catnip today or tomorrow as soon as I get some chicken wire or something to put over the top to keep the neighbour's cats out of it. I have compromised about the stuff on the living room floor which needs to go to the car for donations. We may go to the cemetery tomorrow, so I am waiting until after that for Rog to load books and LPs. I feel as though we are getting somewhere now! (Yesterday was depressing!) |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 25 May 08 - 01:52 PM Going to the cemetery! Going to bury the treasures for future archeologists to find and collect? (Watching a BBC program on the tomb of Tutankhamom (sp.)) |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: wysiwyg Date: 25 May 08 - 03:07 PM I have seen used bathroom shelves or leftover louvered-window glass hung in a window to fill it with shelves. Much less hardware and no need for the glass to be cut to fit exactly. You'd put eye bolts top and bottom, and use wires strung through tubes at their crossings to make shelf-holders. Shelves sit on them with silicone plugs or other traction material to help hold them from slipping; the items sitting on the shelves hold it all in place. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: katlaughing Date: 25 May 08 - 04:12 PM I've seen those, too, Susan, but I wouldn't trust them around my cats AND I don't think I'd trust breakables on them. We've got the brackets, just need to get the shelves and I'll bet I can find some at Habitat for Humanity. Q! good thought...maybe there should be some other *trinkets* besides my mom's ashes in her "jar." (Not canopic, though!**bg**) We got four more shutters out of the kitchen and up on the house!!! That leaves only three more to paint and they are the shorter ones, so only four left to put up. The kitchen is definitely looking better. Plus I boxed up the (20)bottles to go to a friend. Will box up the leftovers by tomorrow, take down the table they were on and move the mini-trampoline in by the treadmill which will get it out of the living room. (Still offering old bottles to anyone, plus old insulators...they are all clear having been boxed up for ages. I don't know if they will turn colour or not, but if anyone is interested, please PM me.:-) I see Daylight, people!!**bg** |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 May 08 - 05:56 PM On the drive from Fort Worth to Albuquerque via Amarillo there is a long empty stretch of road that parallels an old railroad track for miles. Between the tracks and the road are old telephone poles with the glass inulsators still in place. I'd guess a lot of them are purple by now, but getting them down, that is the trick. I just returned from a wedding shower, and I went determined not to give them something that would occupy their shelves until they regifted or exchanged it. I took a 3-litre jug of extra virgin olive oil for the soon-to-be-weds. Use it, enjoy it, move on. . . SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: maire-aine Date: 25 May 08 - 10:33 PM I got to the plant sale early on Sat. It was a little chaotic at the start, but I found 4 nice heirloom variety tomato plants. I pulled enough weeds to make a place for them in the garden, do they're in and doing well. Also planted some summer savory and cinnamon basil that I got from the Farmer's Market. All the laundry is done, folded and put away. The sausage is done and made into patties & in the freezer, except one for breakfast tomorrow. So far, so good. Enjoy the rest of the weekend, if you're off on Monday. Maryanne |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 25 May 08 - 10:41 PM Just saw a vintage Vespa with sidecar on offer at Ebay. I think there is room for it in my garage. |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 May 08 - 12:34 AM And in your bank account? You'll have a lot of room there also. My sun room is packed full, making it impossible right now to reach my eBay area. I'll work on it in the morning, but this actually represents a moment of success, of sorts. The two trunks that are in the way (I thought it was three, but one is very tall) are the last of the stuff that had been in storage lockers before I moved into this house. A lot of those items were moved to the garage to sit up on 2x4s until I could bring them into the house. I'm not sure where they'll go yet, and I need to probably sell a couple of these, I have a lot of antique trunks. After I moved the trunks and rearranged some things I was able to pack a circular saw into its case and put it back where I can reach it easily--it had been used a (long) while back and set aside temporarily only to get lost under other stuff. It doesn't do me any good if it is buried in clutter. Laundry folding awaits. I'll try to stay on top if it for a while, since my couch looks so nice when it is cleared off. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: LilyFestre Date: 26 May 08 - 07:19 AM My car usually serves as both my mode of transportation and catch all from my daily routine. Work clothes, yoga clothes, teaching materials, kayak gear and sometimes a lunchbox are sometimes enough to fill my car. It has been my habit to empty it all out of Saturday so as to start the new week with a clean vehicle. Lately, this hasn't been happening so I'll be de-cluttering my car in about 10 minutes. The kayak gear will stay....I love to be ready to hit the water in a moment's notice....so there is a large tote full of everything I need for those planned and unplanned adventures. :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: De-cluttering - part two From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 May 08 - 11:27 AM I decluttered my truck glove box a while back--I hated having to force things into it to see if I could get it to close. Makes it very nice to get the few things I need. I have also figured out where to put a specialized vehicle trash bag (it has a strap to hold it in place). I'll try using it instead of dropping trash in my cup holder or on the floor. (I do clean that up regularly, but best not to do it at all!) Haven't touched the trunks yet. Soon. People can get in through the door past them. . . that isn't a very good sign, really, is it? ;-) I feel like I've had a big workout at a gym this week. My arms and neck are still aching from the tree trimming. SRS (200!) |
