DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 May 26 - 10:58 AM

Other than the lost singing voice, the rest of you feels ok?

My health insurance company keeps trying to set up appointments with some kind of reviewer to do an overview of my health and such. I don't need the interference, but they sent out a letter last week explaining why they want to do this and followed up with an email. I haven't had a physical with my GP for a couple of years so maybe doing that will set them to rest. (It's time for the physical, lately I'm wondering if my thyroid Rx needs an adjustment.)

Preparing to clean out the stuff under the kitchen sink isn't as bad as it could be because it was an early recipient of the declutter approach to organizing the stuff. That didn't spare it from the attention of mice, but cleanup will be easy because I put a layer of vinyl tiles under the sink (left here by former owners after they put them in the laundry room, the ones I just replaced) after a visiting friend suggested it. He had helped cut out and replace the rotted out flooring of that cupboard. It dawns on me now that I should put vinyl squares in the bathroom cupboards also. Some of them have had leaks so might also need a flooring replacement just to have a smooth surface to work with (and maybe remove the chronic mustiness found under there?)

I have identified several stashes of past mortgage documents to put on the pyre when the last of the paperwork comes through. The woman who helped me with the last most affordable mortgage is a broker who lives up the street from me, I should invite her over to bask in the flames and dodge the smoke.

Most things are now showing considerable growth in the garden and a couple are failing to thrive. Must figure out what is happening there. I have two tiny tomatoes on my kitchen windowsill that I'll have with a meal today.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 May 26 - 06:26 PM

A lovely surprise for my next door neighbor, the village garden club has planted their "Yard of the Month" sign in her front yard. The effect, though, is more traffic because all month the scrolling sign down at the main intersection announces the winning address. My yard is barely tidy and quite unconventional. The best I can do is mow and trim regularly to not make it a foil for the winning yard. With a jungle across the road and along the creek on the other side of them, mine will always look tidier than that, but my vegetable garden is in full view out there and it can get a bit weedy. A teen walking past last night remarked on the sign and since I was working on reducing the brush pile asked if I was working to get the sign next month. I told him I've always felt that I would win the "most improved" sign from that group if I got anything.

This afternoon the cup hooks were screwed into the trim above the front porch and I re-strung the LED lights that I leave up year round. I set the timer to go on at dusk and run for 8 hours; I've missed them. Another thing for this week is to stop at the nursery and get a few flowers to put in a couple of pots out front and at the side. Then there are the rocks to re-configure just because (like rearranging the furniture occasionally.) I'm hoping the painters are back tomorrow to finish so I won't put pots or rocks in their way yet.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jun 26 - 01:29 PM

Almost finished packing the art teacher donation items in the SUV; a couple of items need to be contained in some way (some hook rug kits of my mom's that I'll never use but someone else can finish or take apart and redo). That drop-off is tomorrow. All of the paint is in there, clearing a path through the garage so I can get the mower out the side door more easily (needs mowing badly). I've included some of the sorted hardware (screws, nuts, bolts, castors, wooden knobs, etc.) that came out of the garage and the laundry room cupboards. There was a box in the sunroom with contents that have gone for donation, clearing that chair for human or canine use.

With everything identified for donation in the car, I can walk around this evening and see if there is anything else that is suitable to go.

Now that the termite work is finished (and it was paid off instead of paying that cash to the mortgage!) I need to reassemble the guest room to usable guest space. It's one of those "out of sight, out of mind" rooms that I'd rather have ready than not.

The lights on the porch look lovely. The wasps seem to appreciate that space also and are back to trying to build nests on the walls and soffits. I have a broom inside the front door to take out for quick removal. The battle begins. No sign so far of another Argiope spider, or if her egg sacs survived the power wash and paint job.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Jun 26 - 07:00 PM

I went back to aquafit today, at last. The convulsive cough that plagued me all winter was too much to take into a swimming pool, but it’s now a shadow of its pre-Prednisone self so I gave it a try. All went well. I also had my hot-weather dresses taken in so I don’t look like a high-schooler in her big sister’s clothes. So far, it’s been a cool spring, but max heat could roll in any day now.

The next house project, after Thursday’s tree surgery, will be landscaping. The back yard has a marked slope from the deck step to the easement, which contains a drainage swale with a storm sewer grating. (The dying ash tree is on the other side of the swale, up against the fence.) The dirt professional I consulted — he calls himself a “landscape designer” — recommends adjusting the grade slightly with a bit of retaining wall and rather a lot of topsoil so whatever moisture happens to hit the ground heads for the storm drain less speedily than it does at present. Some permeable paving along the east side of the deck will fix the mud problem in the high-traffic area where the neighbours drag large stuff (barbecues and the like) out of their back yards to the street.

Unlike Stilly, I am now rather too brittle for hard manual labour; I reckon my digging days are done. So the last of the extra money from the Stratford house will pay for strapping folks with shovels and rakes and implements of destruction who will make all those improvements happen.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jun 26 - 11:55 PM

There are a few things I have delegated to others now also. Lifting heavy objects at the nursery and hardware store, for example. The bags I use to collect compost are about half the size of the ones I used to use.

Tomorrow is a blood draw and I see the doctor next week. Either I have a bad batch of synthroid from the pharmacy, or more likely, it's time to change the Rx. Here I am finally getting moving on the projects around the house but tired all of the time.

I'm too cheap to pay for drive-through car washes so a couple of times a year I wash it myself. Today was one of those days. Since our temperatures were in the mid-90s it was comfortable to be a little soggy out there, though there were some really hot spots on the concrete in my bare feet.

Also tomorrow is some shopping, and I have a couple of small plumbing things on my list, including caulk, though I'll poke through the laundry room cupboard and the garage tomorrow to see if I have them already. There is a hole near the top of the cabinet space that mice have been coming through so a ball of steel wool stuffed in and a squirt from one of those cans of expanding foam should end that.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 02 Jun 26 - 11:19 AM

The landscapers are officially on the case.

In other news, I have finally started on the task of sorting and scanning the possibly thousands of photographic negatives stowed in the basement. At this point, I have no idea how many will be recoverable, but putting it off any longer won't help.

Deep-cleaning the car at least once a year, to get the winter salt and filth off it, is an operational necessity in Ontario. Now that I can afford it, I like to get the car "detailed", as they say these days, and drive around in gleaming splendour with no dust on the dashboard, a condition that typically lasts about a week but is so worth it. In Stratford, one trip down a county road between ploughed fields would renew the interior dust, but I'm hoping for a little more grace in that department now that I'm in the big city.

I just heard the horn on the washing machine. Time to hang up my clean underwear and put in a load of jeans and towels.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jun 26 - 06:57 PM

I washed the car yesterday so of course today it might rain. I need to go over the windows with the better glass cleaner (I used a bucket with Spic 'n Span and a rag to wash it).

Pleasant surprise for me today when a program I signed up for ages ago through the County actually did its job and alerted me to a change on my official public records. I'd wondered if it was still working and if I might see something soon; today an email delivered a link to the document in question, a release of lien from the bank. The program doesn't do anything except report activity, just what I wanted.

An SUV full of goodies for teachers was dropped off at the new location for the program. They've relocated to a gorgeous 1929 art deco building that was once a headquarters for a milling company (and was *this* close to being demolished a couple of years ago).

I'm going to post an illustrated rant to Instagram soon; I am shifting back to powdered laundry detergent in a cardboard box after I've used most of the eco-friendly detergent (except it wasn't, the sheets are made with polyvinyl alcohol, a dissolving plastic). The box of Arm & Hammer has instructions that indicate a line on the cup in the box for medium and large loads. The amount to be used for large loads is a few tablespoons of powder, but the cup itself (I measured) holds 8 ounces (16 Tablespoons). Do you suppose they're hoping people will use the ingredients faster than the instructions indicate? A medium load takes about 1.5 T. I've deployed a scoop that came in a can of Gatorade powder - I can use a heaping amount on that spoon to get the right amount.

Wind whipping around and a thunderstorm warning for the next 20 minutes. I've moved pots in places where it won't interfere with final painting, positioning them so they won't get clobbered by rain pouring off the roof. I am thinking of putting on rain gutters in a couple of spots. Took them down years ago and never got around to replacing them.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 02 Jun 26 - 08:54 PM

Yes, they definitely sell more detergent by having an oversized cap/cup, and I think it is deliberate. I caught my otherwise very, very frugal friend dumping a brimming cup of detergent into a washer when we were carpooling to a laundromat while camping. I don't want to cast aspersions on the male persuasion, but I think they count on fellows never feeling the need to read directions of any kind.

Had a very successful trip and events in California. For one thing, I got to meet Joe Offer and his lady, live and in person, in their native habitat!

Starting the homeward trek by bumbling through Nevada on The Loneliest Road. I stumbled on lots of good things on the way northwest, now I'll hope my luck holds out heading southeast!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jun 26 - 11:04 PM

Lucky patty! I hope he was back to feeling robust several weeks after his heart surgery. He has been here a couple of times as a stop during road trips. The garden is planted, if you come through here in summer or fall you, too, can have eggplant Parmesan made with ingredients picked the moment you arrive.

Nevada is an interesting place that I've crossed quite a few times. Are you aware of the relationship between Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake? I hope someday people can make a case to stop taking water out of the Truckee for irrigation and let Pyramid thrive again. They're killing a lake off to grow hay and alfalfa. Lehman Caves in Great Basin NP is one of many caves I've toured over the years - I love caves. (I worked in the Mammoth Cave, KY, area for a year in a commercial formation cave just outside the park but part of the huge cave system.) And I came really close to taking a job at Hoover Dam.

That storm took a while to pass and dumped a couple of inches. I'll go out in the back tomorrow and see if anything came down. The nearby traffic lights were out on my way home from cat feeding, not blinking red, totally out.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jun 26 - 08:51 PM

Crash course (via YouTube and DIY sites) on the best sealant to choose to redo bathroom countertops (not done neatly before I moved in but ignored all of this time) and around the kitchen sink (it could use a refresh). My original carpenter/painter always insisted that pushing the tube when doing caulking work was more efficient (gets it deeper into the seam) but you need a steady hand. Whether pushing or dragging, going over it with a finger or tool to push in and smooth is usually required. Taping along the edges can help cleanup. Clearly attention to detail makes this all look better.

Picking up a small tube of one of the silicone varieties to start with for the kitchen sink sealant, I'll choose a color and type for the bathrooms later. The stuff in my laundry room cabinet is old, is the wrong type, and I have no idea what project it was purchased for. Opened ones went in the trash, unopened will go to Goodwill.

I'm thinking the fastest way to clear some of the front room eBay stuff is a clearance sale on things I have multiples of. There are listings where you can put all of the general information then list specific items that buyers can pick from in a drop down menu. When one is sold it's grayed out as no longer available. I have some kitchen electronics that will go that way first.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Mary G
Date: 03 Jun 26 - 09:15 PM

Is there a reason I should keep a perfectly good, fairly new comforter. It is too big, not warm enough, gets in my way, not pretty, not expensive. I am going to a camp in a couple of weeks and think I could just wash it when there (I a the laundress) and give it to one of the interns or other volunteers while I am there. My thought process is I need it for WWIII basically. It won't keep me warm at all though. No warmer than a flannel sheet.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jun 26 - 11:03 PM

It sounds like you just answered your own question! (If you are preparing for WWIII, have a better comforter.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 04 Jun 26 - 12:25 AM

I folded an extra heavy blanket over, and upcycled it into into a mattress topper for a bed that needed a little more padding than it had; it's comfortable and holds heat better.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Jun 26 - 08:53 AM

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” — William Morris. “Preferably both.” — Charmion.

When I consider the mountains of stuff that I have sent down the road (as it were) on those grounds, I try really hard not to think of how much it all cost (sunk-cost fallacy) or what I might have done with it in a worst-case scenario. If/when the balloon goes up, I do not want to be among the poor souls toting the bedstead and the family silver while ground-attack aircraft strafe the road. (Photographs from 1940 of French refugees under Stuka fire marked me for life.) Edmund’s woobie (poncho liner) will do me in that extremity, and in the meantime it keeps the cats from wrecking the cushion in my second-favourite armchair.

Yesterday was “free travel for seniors” day on OC Transpo, so I went downtown for a look at the By Ward Market — a farmers’ market in my time, now a full-blown tourist district of trinket shops and fast food joints. Where the fruit’n’veg and maple syrup vendors used to be is now hotly contested parking space, and there wasn’t even a single busker in an area that used to host half a dozen. Sad. No beggars, either, which suggests vigorous discouragement; God knows there’s no shortage of poverty and desperation.

Some things were unchanged, however. In the O-Train station, I saw a man crouching with his nose inches from the ground. As I approached to ask if he was OK, I saw that he was trying to pick up tiny granules of something and put them into a little glass tube. Ah. Somebody dropped his crack pipe … On the street outside, a woman with a microphone bellowed warnings against vaccination and promises that Jesus will protect us against disease if we but believe.

Tree surgery is the program for today. The weather forecast calls for 31°C with high humidity, so I will have water available for the crew as well as access to the bathroom.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Jun 26 - 11:54 AM

Good idea about where the comforter can go. I hadn't thought of that, I just pile more on top.

Charmion, if the tree surgery hasn't happened yet, a quick note about tree branch collars and avoiding flush cuts. Your trees will be a lot healthier if they don't make a big wound on the bole, but leave the swell of the branch intact and cut a couple of inches away from the bole. Photos here (I work for an arborist).

Blood work results are in. I don't know the answer to the thyroid problem but my triglycerides and HDL are spectacular, and are what I was aiming for with my current diet. Between the two of them they cancel out the harm higher LDL might cause (my understanding of this from a lot of reading).

Beginning to pull out a whole bunch of small items to list on eBay. My puzzle table will be covered for a while. At the same time I will compress other things and see how much space is freed in that front room.

Trash day is tomorrow and it will include a number of old items that were purchased to sample and have since grown too old to use. After which I'll wipe out the inside of the fridge.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Jun 26 - 07:29 PM

Early this year I decluttered alcohol from my routine, last month it was dark chocolate, and now its sparkling water (not gone, but much less). I'll stick with homemade iced tea; I make decaff in half gallon jars, and when I go out I use a tall Stanley tumbler (found for $13 on clearance last year, they're usually $45). I've given up on insulated plastic cups, they have issues, and 3/4 of my supply are headed to Goodwill. The Stanley tumbler is steel and a hard plastic lid, ok in the dishwasher, so sometimes it's out of circulation. Today I did a deep dive into stores with them on clearance and found another one, this time for $21. It doesn't matter they're odd colors but I'm pampering myself by putting the tea in a nice container.

Struck out looking for the brand of sealant I want to use on the sink, but I was next to the grocery that has a good last-day meat bin and picked up four pounds of chuck roast. I freeze it in one pound pieces and grind it up to make my own hamburger (pre-ground is subject to contamination).   

More branches into the bin tomorrow and maybe they'll take pity on me and grab the last part of the stack still on the ground. I don't feel like wasting time or rope to try to tie them into a bundle.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 05 Jun 26 - 08:40 AM

The tree crew made short, if complex, work of the dying ash tree. They were three men: an old guy (crew boss), a certified arborist who did the climbing, and the inevitable “young lad” learning the business. Planted illegally against the back fence, the ash loomed over two neighbours’ yards as well as mine, and everyone came out to watch the fun.

What made the tree illegal? It was in the easement, of course, and it’s a species that grows far too large for the space available. The owner of 15 Margrave Avenue, who bought his house when it was a hole in the ground, has his copy of the original development plan, complete with City Hall rules about trees. He remembers the original owners of my house as headstrong people who didn’t care what City Hall had to say about trees or easements.

The silver maple is also far too big for its location under city rules, but — according to the arborist — was probably planted by a squirrel. After significant pruning, it has ceased to overhang my roof or brush the lid of the barbecue.

The southern exposure of my yard is now wide open, giving me a clear view of 15 Margrave Avenue’s well-worn garden shed. Ah, well, no silver lining without a cloud.

ThIs week’s hot and steamy weather

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 05 Jun 26 - 08:42 AM

Finger slipped.

This week’s hot and steamy weather is due to give way to thunderstorms tomorrow. Spring is over and summer is setting in for real.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Jun 26 - 11:50 AM

Congratulations on reclaiming some of the air space over your yard! When my next door neighbor to the north cut down a huge dying hackberry at the back it allowed a red oak (better tree species, planted nearby in my yard by squirrels) to grow much faster. We should both benefit from its shade soon.

The original owners of my house were also headstrong, but where it came to fences and fence lines. It took me years to get the fences organized. I was shorted about four feet along the length my back yard from where his first fence first went in. Next door built one a foot or two away on their side, but still on my property. The new neighbors built a fence on the property line and I removed the two others, but still have concrete footers sunk in the turf to dig out as time allows.

After an hour and three conversations at the front curb I finally finished cutting up the Vitex limbs to stuff in trash bins. This will allow me to mow through the area. Next time the tree is trimmed we'll do something different, because the village new bulky waste program isn't working for me.

eBay stuff for the clearance is piling up, and I've cleared a couple of shelves in the sunroom (the space is about 15" deep and is behind a double mirror closet sliding door, to make the room look a lot larger.) What needs to start living in there?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 05 Jun 26 - 02:39 PM

The removal of the ash tree has revealed the presence of a weed tree known in these parts as Manitoba maple and elsewhere as box elder. (Clue: It is neither a maple nor a species native to Manitoba.)It must also be scotched; the damnable things are an infestation. Fortunately, Elder Brother has both the equipment and the inclination to tackle it, so he and SIL No. 5 will come for supper tomorrow, working up their appetites with some messy stoop labour.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Jun 26 - 03:24 PM

Next door neighbors had a box elder, a huge tree that was finally taken down last year next to the fence after it had dropped huge limbs a few times and done some damage. At least here it doesn't seem inclined to spread. (It was beautiful before it started falling apart).

Down here the silver maple and some of its hybrids is a pest tree that people plant, along with Bradford pears and other hybrids from the Callery pear.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Jun 26 - 08:27 PM

As in Ottawa, my part of southern New England anticipates thunderstorms.
Before the humidity moved in, we had delightful dry sunny weather,
the kind we will miss once the hot and humid summer is underway.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Jun 26 - 10:03 AM

I am reliably informed (thanks Maeve) that Manitoba maple is, indeed, a member of the maple clan. The black sheep of the family, perhaps? I still hate the things.

The rain started just before dawn. I hope it lets up long enough this afternoon for Elder Brother to wreak his particular form of arboreal havoc in the back yard.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Jun 26 - 12:41 PM

I wasn't aware of the family of the trees, but when large winds blew through the area clusters of leaves landing in the yard always had the alarming look of poison ivy. My research shows that the box elder bug probably was a fellow traveler, and they are pests around here. Funny thing is I never noticed samaras the tree would typically produce, an emphatic clue to the maple family. (It is apparently native in the eastern half of Texas).

As I approach the kitchen sink faucet upgrade I'm doing some stuff a little at a time, like making a point of cutting out a few inches of the caulk/sealant each time I'm in the kitchen. The sink is very close to the wall under the window because I installed a tile backsplash that took up a half-inch or more of that space, so I am looking for some kind of chisel to use to remove the caulk where I can't use the razor. When looking up such tools I see a couple that may reside in the garage in the collection that came from my Dad's house. It's a bit troubling that the Google shopping results shift a few rows down from tools to remove caulk from tubs to handheld tools for surgical dermabrasion.

During a particularly fruitful nap that wasn't a nap, I found myself calculating ways to approach a few of the landscape jobs ahead and think I've solved a couple. I'll leave breadcrumbs for myself so I can try them out later.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Jun 26 - 04:24 PM

This work around the sink is going to lead to rearranging things on counters all around the kitchen. Pulling out items to list on eBay uncovered a number of acrylic vacuum seal storage containers (they work with the FoodSaver device). I briefly thought of keeping them to use in the kitchen and pantry, but I have a trick to use the largest FoodSaver container with Mason jars and lids. Put the jar and a sealing lid lightly screwed down with a ring in the acrylic vessel, run the vacuum, and the jar inside seals. Keep the big one, the rest can go, I'd rather seal in glass than plastic.

Found the razor tool but it is too flimsy for the job, so into the trash. New item ordered, arriving tomorrow.

patty, how have your travels progressed? Still wandering Nevada or are you back home?

kebroxu, do you ever stop by? How's it going in your new community? Has the overly inquisitive former neighbor settled into her new location and left you alone? Still writing for the newsletter?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 06 Jun 26 - 04:34 PM

The only use that I can think of for Manitoba maple is that its suckers are good for toasting marshmallows and wieners if they haven't been allowed to dry out.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 06 Jun 26 - 09:43 PM

One day from home now, resting at the Petrified Forest again. Today was a pretty wondrous drive on 89 from Kanab, feel like I rafted the Grand Canyon from the car window. Nevada was great, but was overwhelmed with the vastness of it. Hope to return for some targeted rockhounding in the south around Tonopah. Had a nice touristy afternoon in Virginia City, but need to return in a 4X4 and a map of public lands. If gas stays high, I may restrict myself to home state for quite a while though, plenty to do here.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Jun 26 - 10:58 PM

Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert are so beautiful, and the drive down off the Mogollon Rim is spectacular. Enjoy the drive home! I have a story about a similar drive . . . for later.

Have we talked about your part of the state? I've probably forgotten, but the only time I was at Rockhound State Park we needed to stop somewhere to sleep and it was pouring rain by morning - we packed up our sleeping bags and gear and got them into the truck camper shell then shoved the balled-up soaking tent in behind it. We'd arrived after dark, were leaving at dawn, and there was a ranger sitting in his truck nearby waiting to collect our camping fee. It hardly seemed fair. ;-)

Today I replaced a few pickets at the corner of the driveway between the house and the garage on either side of a cobbled-together gate. The old pickets were still there even though I replaced the rest of the fence a couple of years ago. They were ready to fall off so it didn't take more than about 30 minutes.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 07 Jun 26 - 10:19 AM

We used Rockhound once for an overnight, didn't have a great time of it either. And yes, they want their fees even while providing little assistance or guidance. It's quite a hike up to look for the good stuff. The main trail areas are picked-over, as you might expect when you name a park "Rockhound State Park". If you go to the Luna Mimbres museum, you can see something like 800 of the geodes someone collected. No one person needed to pick up 800 of them.

I've tried to go there in recent years when I needed to camp in the area, and invariably it's hard to get a vacancy. It's too close to the interstate, people book it while traveling. And the snowbirds have learned to work the system; stay two weeks, go somewhere else, and return.

Traveling cross-country is getting hard in summer when you need A/C in a rolling tin can; dry camping forest sites and boondocking are difficult when >90 degrees. Private campgrounds now think $55 and up should be standard. State parks like AZ and certain Corps districts now forbid booking an overnight unless you book both Friday and Saturday. Like, even if it's 2 days away and the spot is going to go vacant. Like even if you try to book Saturday and Sunday, or Thursday and Friday. It's inflexible and insane.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 07 Jun 26 - 12:07 PM

Despite a substantial downpour yesterday, Elder Brother did the deed as promised along my back fence. But first he had to tell me that I was completely wrong about the species of the seedlings and saplings I wanted gone: not Manitoba maple aka box elder, but chokecherry (Prunus virginiana). How could I have forgotten the characteristic green bark and triple leaves of the Manitoba maple? My best guess is that I was so determined to get rid of them that I decided they belonged to the most worthless species I know.

They really did have to go, however. The “mother tree” stands in Mercedes’ back yard very near the property line, and its massive roots reach a good six feet into my yard. The brush taken out yesterday consisted almost entirely of suckers springing from those roots and well on their way to damaging the fence, which isn’t too healthy after probably 20 years of neglect. So from now on, I’m on notice to check that corner periodically to ensure that new growth doesn’t get to establish itself.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jun 26 - 08:06 PM

After all of that work does the yard look larger, and do the spots of shade now look inviting?

Finding places to stop for the night, especially if you're self-contained, has varied over the years. For a while it was a "thing" for people to RV in Walmart parking lots. Area diagnostic hospitals (Scott and White, like Mayo) used to have long-term parking for patients who drive to come in for a series of tests but don't want the expense of hotels. Are they still doing that? I noticed a cargo van converted to camper pulled up in the alley behind Costco this evening, the side door open and a screen across the space. Perhaps time for a meal and a nap?

We had buckets of rain here last night—the neighbors' rain gauge reported 2". It's humid and hot this afternoon and the garden is growing like gangbusters, as are the weeds and the lawn. Lots of mowing and weeding ahead.

The sink is halfway de-caulked and the tool that is supposed to help with this arrived this morning. Instead of working on the sink today I cooked a number of things, most of them intended for a meal today or tomorrow and the rest in portions in the freezer. Tomorrow morning the Lowe's guys (remember them? it has been weeks) will arrive and replace that door in the garage. Then I can have the painter return to finish doors and trim (if it ever dries out enough).

I'm crawling through the days till my appointment this week, waiting to adjust my thyroid Rx. It's the body aches and desire to take frequent naps that are prominent symptoms. I could have started taking more myself but I'd rather have the doctor's blessing and take the proper amount.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jun 26 - 02:41 PM

The new door in the garage looks good and I'll let the painter know that I'm ready for the final work when he can get a couple of folks back over here. This was the last big part of the whole get-ready-to-paint project. Bonus: in addition to the door that was taken down today the carpenter said yes to taking a spare door that has been propped in the garage for years. That clears a perfect spot to park a utility cart I use for garden stuff.

The brass cap to cover the door hole where a deadbolt isn't being placed needs a longer screw to fit on the door. I'll run by Lowes' interesting hardware bins later today and find the right one to extend the reach. For now I'll put it in place, but see about having the painters caulk it so water doesn't leak inside the cavity.

The lawn needs mowing and the garden needs weeding and the grass growing in the cracks in the driveway needs to be trimmed down to concrete grade. I've put a few flowers in pots as I prepare to rearrange the stones and pots on the driveway side of the house. The outside work by professionals has given the place a great boost, now the rest is up to me.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 08 Jun 26 - 04:32 PM

Got home, where apparently searing heat has shut down the weed production machine, so that's good. But 2 of the 7 new yucca stalks got blown down by the wind, I guess they weren't strong enough. I tied them together for now, though I know I'll probably have to cut them down, but not til blooming is over. Forecast: 96+ all week.

Reason enough to stay inside and work on organization. I acquired a good bit of new rock at the mineral event, some finished micro-mounts, and several cubic feet of supplies, plus all the unpacking and cataloging and chores which need doing.

Yes, some people overnight in parking lots from preference or necessity, although increasingly it's banned. And plenty of van and minivan drivers 'stealth-camp' on city streets. I didn't really get into RVing so I could travel that way, though I have friends who routinely cannonball from one truck stop to the next.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jun 26 - 05:30 PM

patty, you acquired several cubic feet of supplies - to do with rock collecting? Or it's the amount of stuff you packed for the trip (clothes, food, etc.?)

We're getting the heat here also and humidity adds misery. Today was forecast at 93 (feels like 105) but the local weather station is showing 98 at the moment.

I'm enjoying pampering myself with these large tumblers of iced tea, but it does mean I need to remember to make the tea ahead. I ordered a couple of varieties of decaf green and just made a batch of my lemon balm (from the yard) and green tea, my favorite summer iced tea (the tea equivalent of a chilled Gewürztraminer or Riesling in the summer).

The painters will be here this week to finish and I have to do some mowing to make it easier to work back there. I also need to fill in a couple of holes that Mango has dug as stealth hazards for anyone walking around. It's time for some of the dog droppings and water in a bucket to pour in the areas I want her to leave alone. Sounds gross but it works.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 08 Jun 26 - 07:02 PM

I won a auction lot which included hundreds of new and used micro boxes and related 'stuff'. They really should have broken it up into several lots but they didn't.

I would have had iced tea today too, had the power company not had an outage for 3 hours. I think it's the start of another bad season of outages tracing back to lines running through the Gila.

There is an outfit in Silver City that sells packages of "Gila Mint" tea at breathtaking prices, so far I just get a tall great tumbler of it at the coffee shop.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Jun 26 - 12:08 AM

Congratulations on the auction - now to figure out what to do with the overage, eh?

In the past I've made "sun tea" with the bags in a large gallon glass jar of water sitting on the pavement for a couple of hours on a hot day. After a few batches of those I decided I was probably also cultivating bacteria in the tepid water in the sun.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 09 Jun 26 - 09:46 AM

Lately I don't fuss with teapots and jars, just drape a teabag in a tall glass of water on the counter, walk away for a couple of hours.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Jun 26 - 01:23 PM

That must be a "shade tea" variant. :) I have an electric kettle and my tea station is right beside the sink is so it's easy to make, I just have to remember to do it.

The brass cover for the unused deadbolt hole in the door is now installed. There are notches in the door edge and frame that the deadbolt hardware would occupy so I filled them with dummy pieces left over from past door hardware work (there is a good reason to hold onto some of that stuff). The painters will be here this afternoon possibly, tomorrow for certain. Low 90s both days so I'll put bottled water in the cooler, I'm out of sparkling.

Bedding and lap quilts from cool weather use are now being aired in the dryer then packed away in underbed zipper bags. Several pair of Capri pants are hanging on the rack again and soon I will consider getting out sandals. They are the footwear most likely to trip me up so I don't wear them often, preferring to slip on light flat loafers.

It's almost time for a trip to Goodwill, the donation bin is nearly full.

An interesting interview on BBC this morning with a famous Danish chef who practices Hygge though her cooking. It comes on the heels of a reminder about the practice of looking for a "glimmer" each day, a pleasant moment or view to focus on. Anyone for a hygge glimmer?

Any news of Dorothy?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Jun 26 - 10:47 AM

I follow a couple of upcycle (fabric) and reuse/recycle groups on Facebook. Some of the questions that come in are asking for such granular information about preserving clearly worn-out items, most often clothes and furniture, that I see a sub-set of reuse-hoarders forming in plain sight. Starting with pieces so worn and broken that any repair is more energy than the item needs and the repair won't be satisfactory. I sometimes feel like the adult in the room finding ways to say "this one really does need to go in the trash" via a euphemistic answer like "if it's wood or natural fiber you can burn it and add the ash to your compost pile or garden."

(Writers note: Clearly "euphemistic" is a word starting with a vowel, two in fact, but also clearly to my ear it doesn't get "an" in front of it. It has a "u" sound that would normally get "an" - e.g., an umbrella. Something to ponder.)

The painter's job that was supposed to finish yesterday pushed into today, so here tomorrow guaranteed. Just as well, I have stuff taking me away from the house for several hours and was trying to figure out where the dogs were going to have to stay (crate or bathroom). And I didn't have enough time to mow the entire front or back yesterday so I mowed paths through areas where they would be working and around the spot where they like to eat lunch. This evening I'll finish the mowing and out front won't look like a bad haircut.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jun 26 - 10:35 AM

Touchup paint is being applied and a fresh coat to the doors and more trim. I put the dogs out of the way this morning, Mango in the crate and Cookie in my office, but Cookie wasn't having it, fussing and crying, so I brought Mango to the office and Cookie is now asleep at my feet.

Discussing the tiredness and aches yesterday with my GP she started down the path of sleep study again, the thyroid is fine. But that brought into focus the problem, and I can blame Drumpf for it. He's the asshole that the Ellisons are sucking up to because they want a merger of big entertainment companies (never mind the anti-trust laws that should prohibit this). CBS, one of those companies, cancelled Stephen Colbert because he hurt 47's feelings. Until a couple of months ago I was reading at bedtime and logging progress in GoodReads but started staying up to watch Colbert's last couple of months. It didn't occur to me to go back to evening reading after the program ended. I will resume turning off the computer earlier and reading at bedtime. I also need to choose a new closer gym, the current one is expensive to drive to regularly so I haven't gone. Mowing the lawn is exercise, but the recumbent bike at the gym makes my knees feel a lot better.

The small electronics I'm listing soon are 1 quart crock pots with removable porcelain liners. They sell pretty well (better in winter) but I have too many of them so will do a clearance listing. I include the instruction book and my favorite oatmeal recipes (I promote them for people avoiding wheat and wanting slow-cooked oatmeal for breakfast). I'm still cleaning each one before numbering and photographing to list. I've decided to store jigsaw puzzles in one cupboard where they were stashed (and hope I don't forget they're there!) and to rearrange the front room again to get stuff off of the floor.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 11 Jun 26 - 02:49 PM

Ever-so-slowly trying to get the house in order *before* bringing in the new rocks and supplies. Which are largely destined for the 'office' which is currently the problem child as far as clutter and dysfunction.

On youtube, ran across legions of people opining about Swedish Death Cleaning. Then saw that Ms. Magnusson's original book is posted on YT as an audiobook read by some nice English lady.   So right now I'm listening for a few minutes, pausing, tidying for a while, listening again. Because lately I just don't enjoy marathon sessions of *anything*, but I can accomplish so much by biting off just bits of the elephant at a time.

Margareta Magnusson, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jun 26 - 06:18 PM

That book is read by Juliet Stevenson, a busy actor in a whole bunch of popular television programs and was in Mona Lisa Smile and the interesting Truly Madly Deeply with Alan Rickman.

Tell us about your office. Is it dedicated to that work or is it also a guest room or other use?

My house is my own again. I have two large tubs with some paint left in the garage to decant into smaller empty paint cans (free to pick up at Sherwin Williams). There are still touch-up things I can do but mostly it is now finishing painting window bars and arranging things (pots and rocks) in the yard.

Charmion, have you done more grilling? Are there more pots of flowers or pieces of furniture on the new deck? I think I saw a table with an umbrella out there - I'm going to need a temporary setup like that myself until I figure out what kind of permanent cover to install.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jun 26 - 10:46 AM

Leftover paint is treated like hazardous waste. Empty paint cans aren't a danger but trash collectors can't tell if they're empty by looking at them, so I have disguised the first one by putting it in the large trash bag (the same one with a dog bed that Mango demolished yesterday). The cans with contents are another matter. And the two 5-gallon cans I decanted from yesterday will be allowed to completely dry before I peel the latex paint out (like a huge glove) and use them around the garden.

Yesterday as the paint crew cleaned up I watched how the woman cleaned her brushes. It will contribute to this month's water bill because she didn't keep it to a trickle with the hose, but she used a wire brush to comb all of the fragments of paint out and it seems that is something I should be doing from here on out. I see a bit of painting in my future; now that the outside is taken care of the inside could use a refresh.

Every morning I make a cup of tea so now I'll make a point of also making some in quart jars for iced tea. This morning I pulled the lemon balm that has extended into the yard (and would be weeded or cut by the mower) to use for the tea. Coming and going in the yard during the painting I kept seeing these herbs, but they were undisturbed by stray paint, etc.

There is a lot to reassemble around the yard now that the ladders have left, and I need to plant cucumbers. It's late, but I should be able to nurse them along if I use a bit of shade cloth over the top on the hottest days while they get established. I'll dig the elephant garlic the plant the cukes right there. There is oregano in that bed that won't be harmed by a crop change.

I have a bill from a winter mammogram that keeps coming back like a bad penny. Insurance messed up on paying it and now suggest the part of the bill submitted isn't tied to an actual procedure. Time to ask for the supervisor. I hate this kind of time-wasting call. Meanwhile, I'm going to fax my letter to the homeowners insurance adjuster for the roof and house repairs and hope that is sufficient since I've spoken to him several times already.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: pattyClink
Date: 12 Jun 26 - 11:44 AM

Congratulations on the house painting coming to a close. Perhaps send us a pic through a back channel, we all feel invested in it by now!

It does take time and steel-brushing for good paintbrush cleanup, but I think the key to not wasting water is keep rollers/pans and brushes wrapped in plastic from day to day while the project goes on, in the fridge if there will be days between coats. Washing out daily is overkill, bad for lawn and pipes. If paintbrushes are getting gritty and cloggy daily, that's a sign that prep work wasn't done well or the paint's too thick.

The office is just a small bedroom, with a sizeable closet which does not reach the high ceiling; which gives space above it for storage of empty boxes and bulky but lightweight items. The room has one window, 3 bookshelf units, one small and one big rack type storage unit, a small desk, a small filing cabinet, shredder, and a long, low microscope table. Plus quite a few boxes of 'stuff' on the floor and in the closet. No, it does not need to do double duty for guests, they are happy in the more spacious and better equipped main room.   

I'll listen to some more of the SDC book and ponder what needs to stay, go, what needs to be rearranged.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jun 26 - 11:23 AM

Today's glimmer just after dawn was a stout little possum trotting across my road. They have no concept of traffic, so if you aren't careful they do get hit. This one ambled happily into the tall grass.

For après painting chores today I'll use things I bought ages ago and never got around to using. I have a Dremmel tool with a wire attachment (tiny) to try on hard-to-reach stone and brickwork where some old splotches and drips of the original gray paint that was on the house trim. Depending on the size of the smear, I have a set of larger wire attachments for the Ryobi drill. Tools needed are goggles, gloves, and a dust mask. This will be followed by stirring up a bucket of mortar mix and filling in a few gaps in the stone and reattaching part of a brick on a windowsill. Extra tool here, the sturdy short ladder. Nothing that needs a trip to the hardware store.

I've started checking my fitness tracker sleep report again. Scrolling back over weeks it shows low scores and disturbed nights. I aim to restore a healthy pattern since sleep is equally important with the steps.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Charmion
Date: 13 Jun 26 - 12:43 PM

I’m back from away.

My great-niece invited me to her convocation, so of course I went. Train from Ottawa to London on Wednesday, convocation on Thursday, train back on Friday. Simple, yes? Um, no.

VIA Rail is notorious for running late. It shares its tracks with freight services and, around Toronto, the regional rail service GO. VIA always gets the hind teat, so its trains spend rather a lot of time side-tracked. It is also criminally underfunded, so it literally doesn’t have enough rolling stock, which means a hold-up anywhere in the system has far-reaching knock-on effects.

On Wednesday, due to Something Bad in Montreal, the train from Toronto to London-in-the-Woods started an hour behind schedule and arrived so late that I completely missed dinner with Faith and her family. It was also too late to go hunting for supper near the hotel, so I made do with the sandwich I ate on the train (ferociously expensive and a bit nasty) and went to bed.

Convocation day was very hot and very humid. The event was held in an enormous hockey arena literally across the street from my hotel, and people were already hanging around waiting to get in at 0730 when I went looking for breakfast. (The doors opened at 0900 for a 1000 hr start.) The family rendezvous was set for 0900 so, at 0845, I found a spot where I could see and be seen by all comers. I waited, and waited, and waited some more. Eventually a text came through: Faith and her mother were looking for parking. As the crowd thickened and started to stream into the arena, the family party eventually assembled with maximum fuss, and eventually found seats in the nose-bleed section (top back row). Both of Faith’s brothers, her dad and her grandfather each wandered off at different times in search of washrooms and food, without saying anything to anyone (of course). When we were finally assembled, our group whiffed strongly of popcorn, hair-styling products, and lilies in the massive bouquet toted by Brother No. 2.

The graduating men mostly wore “business casual” attire under their gowns, but the women were dressed as if for a formal dinner-dance — many of them in short, white dresses and carrying expensive bouquets of near-bridal style. I don’t think I have ever been in the presence of so many young women teetering around in bad shoes. Also, the proportion of men to women in the graduating class was easily the inverse of my (academically comparable) class: the Arts & Sciences class of 1983 at Queen’s University in Kingston was about two-thirds men at graduation, but the class of 2026 at King’s College of Western University looked to be only 25 to 30 percent men.

A third characteristic of the graduating class was no surprise at all: white-bread Canadians were notable for their, um, minority numbers. Students of Arab, Persian, African and Asian descent were the clear majority, and presented the emcee (in this context called the Orator) with a task that clearly rattled him; after navigating Syrian, Tamil, Punjabi, Thai and Nigerian names with apparent aplomb, he put a sibilant S in the middle of Lévesque (normally pronounced “Layveck”) and made Bowen sound like Cowan. After a while, I kinda felt sorry for the guy.

After the diplomas and prize-giving, there was a stand-up sandwich lunch and many, many photographs. I posed loyally and tried not to wish too heartily for a nice, cold beer, until Faith and her family decided that they had to go home to Chatham. I hugged everybody (again), waved bye-bye, and made a bee-line for the nearest pub.

I caught the train from London the next morning in the company of an extended clan of futból fans in Colombia shirts and Canada hats, with Canada scarves draped around their necks. Obviously going to Toronto for Canada’s World Cup opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina, they bubbled with happy excitement. I dreaded the two hours I was supposed to spend hanging out in Union Station awaiting the train to Ottawa, expecting the place to be jam-packed with fans arriving by subway and GO trains, but the train from London was so late that I barely had time for a Tim Horton’s coffee before I had to get in line to board for the next leg of the trip.

Which arrived in Ottawa 45 minutes late. So it goes, if you go by train in Ontario.

So now I’m at home, the cats are at home, and we’re all recombobulating. I need groceries, but otherwise I’m content to take post in the comfy chair until it’s time to make supper.

I think I’ll grill a chicken with Old Bay seasoning. This time, I think I can probably get it right.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jun 26 - 03:53 PM

Quite a trip! At the university where I worked and got my masters, the man who announced the names was a friend in the linguistics department, a professor who prided himself on correct pronunciation. He spoke to each person and made notes with the diacritical marks that linguists use.

You were very lucky with that train sandwich; my mom used to tell a story of one of her train trips where the sandwich gave her food poisoning. She had to break her trip in a town and spend a couple of nights at a hotel until she felt better to proceed.

So many small projects are occurring to me as I enter this fix-it mode after the rush of repairs and paint that I've started a list. The good thing about ideas so far is that they don't require new materials, I can use things that are here, leftover from past projects for a creative decluttering of stored stuff.

Yesterday and today I'm cooking things to last a while (granola, crispy pecans, meals to freeze in portions). Attention to self-care needs in the midst of all of this cat care. Projects like changing out the sink fixtures won't begin until I'm finished with the cat gig so I'm not interrupted once I get started.

Enjoy that grilled chicken!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Jun 26 - 11:32 PM

I cleared out lower shelves in the cupboard that once held a bunch of eBay sales things and now have several gallon cans of leftover house paint tucked away, plus a couple of cans that were off to the side but in view in the sunroom.

The garage is cleaner and I put at the curb a few metal strips that once held the shade cloth in place on the patio cover. Let's see if someone wants them.

The drain is about ready to back up again, it gave a small indication of that with water in the tub when I ran the washer this week. It's always something.

There is a little redwood table on the patio that has peeled most of the stain painted on it years ago, so I sanded it then put on a coat of wood preservative. The top is 2x6 planks held on with carriage bolts, something I did to restore it when I found it. The table was made inexpensively so needs deck screws to snug up the joints. Nowadays the dogs get more use (hopping on top) than I do, but if it comes out sturdy I'll put it on the front porch as a seat and to block the view of packages from the street.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Jun 26 - 05:09 PM

The table was reinforced with a dozen or more deck screws and is quite solid again. For now it's in the back and the dogs can enjoy jumping up on it.

A first for Mango today - I walked in the back door to find her sleeping in the crate on her own, door wide open. Cookie likes to sleep in there but hasn't much lately because it has been used for Mango, but last night she spent the night and set the example. Years ago, once Cookie wasn't spending the night in it as a pup Zeke moved in to regularly nap in there, having been raised in a crate as a pup himself.

Mowing postponed after a heavy morning shower but I have a lot of other stuff to do around here, and will manage to fill the trash bin for tomorrow with unneeded packing stuff that came out of that sunroom closet now full of paint cans. And in the front corner of the garage, where there used to be a large spare door leaning against the wall, I have to figure out what can be stored there and work my way back from that spot organizing things along the wall clear to the back. It's like I have two extra squares to work with in the Chinese number puzzle party favor we had as kids. I have a lot of shipping boxes out there a friend gave me, but they can be organized better (and will be put to use soon with those crock pots).

What home improvements are people working on now? Sandra, are you doing anything around your condo now that you've cleared out a lot? patty, how is the office looking? keberoxu, do you have anything stored offsite from the old apartment at this point, or was it all redistributed?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Health *Progress - 2026**
From: keberoxu
Date: 15 Jun 26 - 05:44 PM

My retirement community has a very capacious basement area.
Some of it is off limits to residents, being where housekeeping and maintenance store things or do their jobs.
But each apartment unit is entitled to a storage unit in the basement,
a sort of cage looking thing with a door that you can seal with a padlock.
I have stuff stacked on shelves in my storage cage.
And that is all the storage I need,
because I got rid of so much stuff.
I'm still getting rid of some things in my actual apartment,
along with buying clothes, cool things for the summer heat.