BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 May 10 - 05:58 PM

Duh! Of course, I used the same blue on those shelf-fronts. I looked at the photo and saw the little bit of blue in the upper left corner and wasn't even looking at the middle of it. I stood in the dressing room and photographed into the closet. Not very big, but it is walk in. Probably could set a cot in there if needed during really heavy weather.

Eiseley, looks like a fir tree of some sort in the front yard. Is that woody vine behind the swing a wisteria? They've already bloomed and finished down here.

Front lawn mowed. Must go vote, then work in the house. Michelle, I use big t-shirts to sleep in most of the year. When it's cold I add a pair of flannel pants.



SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Eiseley
Date: 08 May 10 - 07:26 PM

The woody vine is a trumpet vine---it's just starting to get a bit of sprouting around the tips. It's one of the latest to green up. You could also see a blue spruce in the background. There are also two maples in front and a black walnut in the side yard. I'll send photos later in the season when everything is leafed out. Right now things are just starting. There's a golden hue everywhere.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-Robert Frost

Back to the dishes.

Eiseley

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 May 10 - 07:53 PM

Ah, that's another lovely one by Frost. Thanks for posting it.

SRS, I think I know what I am seeing. Do you have a mirror that is framed in blue and is the safe, etc. showing up in the mirror? Otherwise, I still don't get it. I don't even see any blue in the upper corner. What I see appears to be the top shelf at the back with containers on it, with the safe etc. on lower shelves which are framed with blue boards which look like a window or door frame. It looks kewl whatever and I have NOT been smokin anything from Bobert's.**bg**

I guess I finally got some decent sleep for the first time in about a month and a half. I've done more today than in ages. Got up from a short nap just now, went to the bathroom, looked at the glass-doored shelves over the commode and the medicine chest above the sink and went into a cleansing frenzy, tossing out a bunch of out-of-date etc. stuff, consolidating several almost empty bottles of lotion into one (I do this anyway, but they were adding up. I use a funnel,)scrubbing the shelves and wiping down the contents. Have not been well/energetic enough to do that in I don't know how long, so this is a Good Day. Now, we are going for a short walk!

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 May 10 - 08:37 PM

Just walked to and back from Morgan's house; got my mother's day present early...some marigolds and pansies. Very pretty! Came back and cleaned off the cat feeding table and cleaned out their water and food servers and filled them. This is really feeling good.

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: maire-aine
Date: 08 May 10 - 10:27 PM

I transplanted two African violets that I picked up at the grocery store a couple weeks ago. They had been in "quarantine" until now so I didn't bring any critters into the house. I moved a night-stand from the guest bedroom to the diningroom for the new plants. I was running out of room on the other tables, and it was in the way upstairs. I'm getting ready to transplant my tomato seedlings into bigger pots, but it's still too early to put them out. My dad never planted his outside until Memorial Day weekend (end of May). And even that can be cold.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 May 10 - 12:51 AM

The photo is a rectangle, and the very upper left corner has a tiny sliver of blue. I was looking at that when I described the space.

The closet door was ajar when I took this (I wish I'd closed the cabinet in the bathroom before I took this).

Moving around a little more into the dressing area you you see this. Looking into the closet, you see the blue and yellow. I seem to have a couple of picasa albums for Mudcat. I uploaded that first image again into this album.

I don't give more of a view of my dressing room because I hung several of the pieces of erotic art in there that came from my father's estate. I figured I wouldn't broadcast those, or you'd really wonder about just what goes on in my closet!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 May 10 - 03:48 AM

Kat - screw Martha Stewart - blue and yellow are a marvellously cheerful combination, although my altime favourite after plain yellow, has to be blue and buttercream (too dark to be cream, too pale to be primrose) which reminds me of a tea plate at my granfers house. At the age of 3 I fell in love with it and cried if I didn't get it at tea time... I still wonder what happened to it, whether it was part of a set and what happened to that set?

Anyway... pieced and sewed almost all one quilt - got distracted by a Sean Connery film (Robin and Marian - Sean at his most rugged, Audrey Hepburn at her most beautiful, with amazing photography and a glorious baddie - it coincided with the child's piano lesson and my excuse for watching it was that the sewing machine would have been too noisy and distract them) and sewn two bits in the wrong place thus necessitating the unpicking and resewing of an entire row of squares (it's 7 x 9 and it just had to be a 9 square row didn't it!). Still, at least I noticed it before I did the next bit... There's just one row to go then I can start to piece together the next quilt (in earthy tones of sienna, ochre, umber, rose, heather and slate) which is a bit bigger, a more complicated pattern that just squares and as yet has no intended recipient. It's making a pleasant change from cross stitching cards but I really should be getting on with some serious dressmaking before the child grows too big for the pattern I have.

I may have lost a couple of pounds although the curry last night will have put them back... I haven't checked recently.

Enjoy the day all, I'm off to slave over a hot sewing machine!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 09 May 10 - 04:05 AM

I made decent headway in the closet yesterday. I also found some tools for organizing actually worked! It's a hanger that holds 5 other hangers and then can be let down so things hang vertically. I have no idea what it's called but it does save some space. I thought our clothes rack bars hung too close to the floor to use those effectively but I was wrong! I got most of my stuff taken care of and started on Pete's. The man will never need another flannel shirt, ever. I'm anxious to work on it a bit more today as I made a serious dent and now that the ball is rolling, I'm looking forward to seeing what else I can do! Also, my next chemo treatment is one week away. I'm hoping to have our bedroom done by Saturday so when I need to spend a few days in bed, I don't lay there thinking...OMGosh...what a freaking disaster area!!!! It's not that it's dirty but more like cluttered with piles of clothes that previously didn't fit in the closet but now all that has changed! The clothes are taken care of and now it's time to focus on the other dressers and the boxes of STUFF in the closet and a BIG box of various kinds of bags and purses. I do NOT need all those.

Michelle, the secret bag lover

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 09 May 10 - 04:19 AM

Eisley - I am envious of that front porch and swing. God I so miss have an outdoor space to call my own.

SRS - I am envious of your walk in closet. No such luxuries here in England. You have to eat up floor space with big clunky wardrobes

All of the ironing is done. One load of laundry left to wash and bed linens to change. I have cut some more squares of red and purple fabric and a red leather skirt I found in charity shop. Will start sewing after we take painted chest and other bits to caravan and pick up porch awning from Dagenham today.

Bidding on several cameos on ebay. They will be sewed onto my Mojo coat, if I win them.

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Eiseley
Date: 09 May 10 - 10:41 AM

At least in England you can enter new worlds by climbing into wardrobes. Here in the USA we need large closets because our wardrobes just end at the back.

Eiseley

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 May 10 - 11:00 AM

LtS, I think you meant SRS and I am in complete agreement re' MS and colour schemes. I think certain shades of yellow and blue are really nice together...as in your house, SRS. Great combo, thanks for the other pix. I think I suffer from a skewed depth perception or summat.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 09 May 10 - 04:27 PM

sigh... some of the caravan curtains are a wee bit small. back to the drawing board. chest of drawers looks great though and the porch awning fits.

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 May 10 - 05:16 PM

I had a magazine put out by one of the paint companies and there were some photos of a kitchen painted in blue and yellow. I thought it was lovely, but hadn't thought about doing it in this house at all. It just accidentally happened in that dressing room and I was happy to enhance it by painting the trim blue rather than white.

I just came in from a nice lunch with the kids. Mothers Day in the U.S. I still have some time left for puttering around, and it's kind of chilly and overcast outside, so I'll do my puttering indoors. (The good thing about this weather, it doesn't dry out the garden and it doesn't heat the house, so I dodged the bullet of turning on the air conditioning. That can wait a while.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 May 10 - 05:18 PM

Small curtains? That's what lace ruffles were invented for...

I've lost track, and possibly the will to live, but Catherine, No.2 quilt just needs the hemming done and it's finished. Will post a pic if I remember where the camera is. Can't believe how quickly this one has gone together... the last little one took forever!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 May 10 - 07:29 PM

VT: I agree with Liz--put some trim on those curtains. And remember, the carpenter's saying that is doubly true for sewing: measure twice, cut once.

Please do post a photo, Liz!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 May 10 - 11:05 PM

The fridge is looking better this evening. I had a few bowls of cooking fat (from hamburger, chicken, etc.) that I chill until the night before the trash goes out. Often I forget it's there, but this evening I got all of those little bowls. I had some mealy apples so I made an apple Betty and some applesauce. Reheated some veggies, etc.

Front lawn got mowed yesterday. Political signs came down this morning, and my candidate won. :) I'll reuse the heavy duty wire framework the plastic sign fit over for something in the garden. Perhaps they (2) can help prop up a couple of eggplant plants.

Laundry is finished, but not folded yet. I'll do that then head to bed. Trying to get more sleep, trying to cut out the sugar, trying to eat a more balanced diet. Trying to lose weight without scheduling every bite, but following general guidelines from Dr. Tarnower.

I have a counter top covered with drying oregano, and am having to do it in stages. If I don't bring in too much it dries fairly quickly (the trick is to not crowd it).

My computer keeps telling me that my video card isn't compatible with Windows 7. Something I'll have to research and sort out. It's a great card, and fairly recent, so I'm hoping one of these days Nvidia will come up with the drivers for it.

That's all she wrote!

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 10 May 10 - 02:51 AM

TSO did the measuring, I did the writing measurements down. He measured the windows. I thought he was measuring the old curtains. I have loads of fabric. I will just redo them.

just puts my MOJO coat on the back burner a couple of days.

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 10 May 10 - 07:48 AM

Thank you Liz! George will be impressed! But you make sure you are looking after yourself.

The weekend was filled with lots of family stuff. Saturday we went to Kent for Paul to be measured for his coat for the wedding. The kids loved running around on the farm and seeing the animals. Harry enjoyed his first horse riding lesson. Sunday I did a 4 mile walk in the morning and an hours spinning class. We all went out for a 6 mile walk as a family in the afternoon, had a look around Upminster Windmill and the farmers market.

Morning workout dvd was done this morning, washing on line drying. Evening invitations cut out and written last night.

Tonight we're having a treat in the form of a chinese meal and a bottle of wine! Got a follow up appointment on Thursday with the gynaecologist to discuss what to do about fibroids. Other than that life is excellent. Harry turns 3 next week and Paul is picking up his brithday present tonight. Cake has been ordered from a friend, I would bake it myself but don't have enough time to make a Thomas the Tank Engine cake between now and then!

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 10 May 10 - 07:54 AM

you are all an inspiration!

Saturday I took 6 bags to charity shops - & didn't buy anything! Some was my stuff, other things were left by tenants who move out of the building & leave good stuff in the garbage area - last tenant left so bulky much I had to get rid of it immediately & rang a friend for a ride. Now that those bags have gone I can get into the other door of my lovely old wardrobe, I'd almost forgotten how easy it is to open a door without moving the bags in front!

I live in a large 1 bedroom apartment with lots of collections & interests, & some of these things need to live on the floor in front of cabinets & bookcases. But after a while these small mountain ranges become lava flows. oops.

Now where was I before I transformed the living room lava flows into mountains?

Maybe I'll just disappear & move stuff in the bedroom while I'm on a roll.

I'll pop back again when I've recovered from all that effort.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: wysiwyg
Date: 10 May 10 - 11:16 AM

Coming later today via FreeCycle are an old wishing well, a metal outdoor table, and 4 metal outdoor chairs. These will be dispersed around the outdoor yard features we have been working on.

Later this week, also via FC, are coming two old windows to hang from the porch overhang, to block a little of the wind and rain that get at our sitting area (with old upholstered recliners). I'll paint (or decal) birds on the glass and hang a clock on them as well, which has been waiting for a more protected spot in the sitting area. Maybe a faux windowbox-- no sun in this corner, but I have square pots to re-purpose... so they can sprout fishes lurking in feathers!

It is amazing what can come your way if you are looking for it, even in the backest part of a strokebrain. It's all due to "vision," and relaxed patience (TBTG).

A cool thing for us is that these are ALL things that can be left in a heartbeat, if we have a sudden clergy move (which happens sometimes). In that event they would first be the landlord's option to keep for the next occupants; or the parish thrift shop could carry them away for him, for their annual yard sale. And as a last resort a friend is a salvage-shop owner.


Does anyone else here know how cool it is to fill up a barren space with free items you never have to move?!?!?!? Living on the edge voluntarily? I call it Depression Celebration-- beggars CAN be choosers. Learning from one gen's depression tricks in time for the next depression!

~Susan

Subject: Declutter Tip
From: wysiwyg
Date: 10 May 10 - 12:59 PM

Oh hey, THIS is a HOT TIP!

Those barrettes, earrings, and/or hair clips you used to wear in pairs? And one half the pair is now lost?

They will hold your bestest blouses-- neat and uncreased-- onto any sort of clothes hangers!!!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 10 May 10 - 11:34 PM

Spent the day away from the house so I didn't do a darn thing in our bedroom as far as organizing goes. However, it is 11:30pm and I am wide awake so maybe I'll get through a drawer or two. Tomorrow I am aiming for the stuff on the closet floor, most particularly a big appliance box full of purses and bags...cosmetic bags, tote bags, gym bags....I've decided that I am keeping a total of 12 bags....ok, maybe a few more....but the others are headed to the annual yard sale!!!! YAY!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 May 10 - 11:36 PM

I think I might pass on that earring tip. I'm making myself discard those lone items (that will assure that the lost one turns up, won't it?). I can't quite visualize how it would help my clothes stay on a hanger--they don't have much trouble now (partly because the closet is crowded enough, even after sorting and thinning, that clothes are crowded enough that they don't fall.

I found a very pretty specular hematite necklace, 5/16 beads, 20.5" long, for $2 at a neighbor's garage sale last weekend. It's a good length and a nice model for other beading projects that I've wanted to get to. She also had a more ornate hematite necklace, but I prefer the simple pearl-like beads. I'll leave this on my dresser as a reminder of those other projects. I also pulled out a string of faux pearls that fit just like a collar. Not bad looking, actually, but I'd prefer to be lighter before I wear such a short necklace.

My son just cleaned me out of cash in order to pick up his cap and gown tomorrow. And he has a field trip on Friday. Another $20. Bleeding cash here. I definitely need to get moving on some of these income producing projects. :-/

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 11 May 10 - 01:20 AM

Oh! Oh!!! Oh!!!! I DID do something!   All the jewelry that I've had out (and end up wearing the same things daily) and left on the dressers or in the bathroom have all been put away neatly. YAY. Less clutter!!!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 May 10 - 11:24 AM

I pulled a bunch of nearly dry oregano into one heap and will let it dry a couple of days more. Now I can put things out of the way again in the kitchen (I completely covered the counter top on the Kitchen Queen, displacing other things).

Had an aha! moment with a work project. After I cleared off my desk and found the papers I needed to get started on that project. I see the need for a few more pocket folders or a big binder with project tabs.

Picked up a bag of leaves from the next door neighbor's house. Her yard guy is cleaning up (Garden Club meets there on Friday). I'll put these leaves in my compost.

Looks like rain today, but I don't think any is actually due for a couple of days, so I've been out watering. I need to organize my pots and dump the dirt from pots that aren't doing anything into the wheelbarrow and put it on the compost. It's full of roots and will help the rest of the pile break down faster.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: GUEST,Eiseley
Date: 11 May 10 - 12:33 PM

I've found that dropping a few leaves of yarrow into the compost actually helps it break down really fast. When the boys mow the lawn I scatter a few leaves on the tall grass and it gets chopped up by the mower as it passes. As I typed, I wondered if I was just believing a spurious tale, so I found another source besides myself (thought it also might be spurious) to back me up. Here, under utilitarian uses.
Eiseley

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: ragdall
Date: 11 May 10 - 01:32 PM

I've been cleaning out the storage area under my deck, which we call "the shed". I was encouraged to do so by the discovery, when I brought out out summer tires to put on the cars, that it had been heavily used by mice during the winter months. I disposed of bags of bird seed I'd been storing in there. When I removed the loose lid from one container to look inside, a very healthy looking brown mouse ran up the bag inside, perched on the container rim looking at me, then slipped away over the far side. I now understand why the neighbours' cat had been spending so much time on our back steps watching the ground below.

Eight folding lawn chairs which haven't been needed for many years are now lined up in the carport to be put into the car the next time it's going in the direction of the community swap shed. All my empty flower pots and planters have been moved to the far end of the garden so there will be fewer places for mice to hide.

I need to figure out a way to keep bird seed and sunflower seeds from accumulating on the ground under the bird feeders near the shed. I'm hoping if I eliminate a food source and hiding places the mice will go elsewhere. I wonder if a vacuum cleaner will work on a lawn?

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 11 May 10 - 01:49 PM

Dishes in the dishwasher, second load of laundry running and I'm about to go upstairs and work some more in our room....course there's a bed in there and I'm kinda sleepy.....maybe I'll get something done and maybe I won't! ;)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 May 10 - 03:07 PM

ragdall, a shop vac probably would do okay. At least them you'd have the stuff in a bag, but you'd probably take away topsoil, too?

Eisely, another great link. My yellow yarrow are at least two feet high, already. I didn't know that about them being good for stopping bleeding. I am on a blood thinner and a few weeks ago, in the middle of the night with a nosebleed, I would have definitely stuffed some leaves if I'd known!:-) I will also dry some this year, now I know more of its uses. I have herbal books, just haven't looked at them in ages, duh.:-)

SRS, plastic plates. I have two bright yellow, small ones, made to look like this kind of Seashell. Would you like them for your collection? I think they are a "Tar-shay" original. Actually very appealing, we just never use them. Well, except for some cheese and crackers one time.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 May 10 - 05:50 PM

It's not so much a collection, it's a stack of plates to pull out when we have one of our potluck dinners. Before you consider sending them anywhere, I think you should have a tea party for Morgan, with cheese and crackers or fruit and cookies or something like that. See if you can use them for a nice healthy snack tradition. So often we overlook interesting uses for things. I'm trying to rediscover some of these things I have here, decide to use them or send them on.

I'm continuing to create interesting little zones. I feed the dogs at the back door, and I keep their extra stuff (leashes, backpacks, medicine, etc.) in this antique trunk. I originally had just a plastic case in front of the door, but decided putting the case in the trunk would streamline the area (one thing instead of two -- after I emptied the trunk of a few antique blankets). Trunk photo

And I have a pile of oregano drying (and a little bowl of berries I got before the birds destroyed them).

I suppose I could do a photo tour of the house. Amazing how all of the clutter shows up clearly when you point a camera at any given room. Try it! Very revealing. :-/

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 May 10 - 06:50 PM

Just went looking for a slim glasses case in the drawer where I put my previous pairs of glasses. I realized I have a couple of extra pair I can donate (and still keep the most recent past pair) plus a half dozen of those clam shell glasses cases. Every little bit helps! (I wanted a narrower case, or a soft one if I had it, to take up a little less space in my handbag).

I turned on the AC and my sump pump seems to be laboring. I think the line is blocked. Gotta dismantle and clear it somehow. Will probably have to declutter with some chlorine bleach.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 May 10 - 07:38 PM

Dodged another repair bullet. Opened the line (where it was held with pipe clamps) and used the turkey baster to take some liquid out of the sump pump. Clear, not full of algae. I put a mix of bleach and water back in, and watched it drip slowly outside. To check the outside end of the line I took one of those curved metal picks that comes with the fancy nutcracker and picked some mud and stuff out. I suspect a wasp or bug plugged the line. It runs up into the attic from the AC closet, and then across the attic and down the outside wall, to drain down near the ground next to the heat pump box. There was only a drip coming out, and I realized as I poked at it that the pipe had a crusty end. Once I knocked that off the pump ran briefly then turned off, as it is supposed to. Whew. I'd hate to have burned out that wonderful little pump. (And I'd have felt really stupid having a repair person come out for such a simple solution!)

It has looked like rain all day. It's supposed to rain later in the week. Meanwhile, it is humid, and the warm room here has resulted in my computer fan turning on and off all day. So I knew I had to at least cool off this room a bit. Computers don't like to run in very warm rooms.

Twice this week I've had to sit down in the sewing room and reattach the zipper button on trousers I've been wearing. Kind of has me wanting to do more than sew buttons in that room. I have a window in my office with mini blinds that I'm thinking about changing. Put cafe curtains over the bottom sash and run the blinds just on the top half of the window. It would make it easier to open and close the window.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 May 10 - 07:59 PM

Morgan wanted to make jewellery today, so we emptied the table which had become a catchall in the office. Now, it's all on the desk, but at least I know what is where and we were able to start on a new bracelet he is making for me.:-)

I have a teeny-tiny blue and white tea set which Morgan and I use for tea parties, SRS, thanks for the idea, though. And, my dau. has done a great job of teaching him about healthy snacks. First thing he gets over here, he usually has a fig or two and banana, etc. I'll hang on to them for awhile, though, he could always have a sandwich on one. Rog and I tend to use paper as much as possible when it's just the two of us..we neither one like doing dishes.

Our son has been helping out, doing something everyday. Today, he did the dishes. Yesterday he raked almost the entire, huge backyard and moved some stuff around, carried bag a ton of compost stuff to a large area where we've been gathering stuff for years. Because of our "benign neglect" in the backyard, it seems we have some excellent black soil out there and he's offering to put in some grass seed. But, we'll have to see about an irrigation pump, first. They can be a bit pricey, so we'll see. It's nice he is so much better and more than willing to help out while he stays here.

This coming weekend, if we are up to it, he is going to help us go through some storage *crap* in the old panel van out back and in the caravan he is staying in. It feels good just to know someone will be here to help us...it's been bugging Rog and I for ages.

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 May 10 - 12:15 AM

Kat, look into some of the permaculture gardens, where you have compost next to gardens, and you use raised beds and water all sparingly. I think you're in the perfect situation for it. And Google "Keyhole Garden." You could build one and have a great time with Morgan and all helpers in putting in a small but very efficient garden. I'm planning to build one here this summer. (Permaculture classes and the book itself are very expensive, but your library can get the book, and there are some wonderful videos on YouTube.)

The kitchen is spotless. I washed every last pan, put all rags and towels on the washer, and everything is put away from dinner. It will be beautiful to walk into the kitchen tomorrow.

I have to write a book review, so I need to finish reading the book. It has been very helpful and when I write and publish it I'll send links. For a book that costs under $20, I know I've saved way more than that with the various consumer choices I've made this winter and spring. (And since the author sent the book gratis for a review, all the better!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: mouldy
Date: 12 May 10 - 04:47 AM

Peter is scraping the last of the woodchip off the stairwell. Yesterday we discovered that the ceiling of the stairwell was merely hardboard papered over, and wouldn't scrape. So we took it down and found a pristine plastered wall and ceiling behind it, but vertical, rather than the 45 or whatever degree slope that was there before. Peter has a ladder that can be used on stairs, so we are keeping the height and space, and I am now looking around (ie Ikea!) for a swish pendant light to have as a feature, and to give extra light to the stairs. I can't believe how different it looks!
Woodwork will be painted today, and the plasterer is coming tomorrow afternoon sometime to skim the ceiling and anything else that needs it.

The side strip that I always forget about down the "blind" side of the house is nearly clear. I think I will attack the front bed today, as I have some bedding plants to go in. Frost forecast tonight, though. Good job they're hardy!

My desktop computer has been re-homed with my son in law! Hooray! Not only that, he found out why it wouldn't start, got a part to fix it, and has downloaded the contents onto my (up to then unused) terrabyte external hard drive. Yay!

Andrea

ps I whacked on 2 and a half pounds while I was in Iceland....carb fest!

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter Tip SHE WINS
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 May 10 - 09:56 AM

"SHE WINS!" (The daily battle.)


I went to bed last night totally drained (mentally limping) by a much-awaited and intense afternoon project. I'd sprained eyes and brain, and filled legs with bad-for-me fluids-- only to find (at the end as Hardi arrived and I showed him the work) that a major part of the work had gone wrong and would need to be re-done.

"Fie!" I said, "FIE!" on the upset, leaving Hardi to pore over the "completed" work-- of course he only saw the good parts because he is wired that way, TBTG!

I adjourned to my recliner punctuated by dinner (Hardi cooks), hockey, heartwarming video, and an also-much-awaited kitchen project.

Some chairtime with Hardi (who also went to Walmart and got me CHOCOLATE) allowed the excess fluids to drain up and outta my pore, desk-chair-manged laigs. "I trust SLEEP!" I said, "and FIE on feeling overwhelemed."


And-- I DID sleep well, and awoke with ideas to easily make sense out of the "ruined" project, so I got right at it before coming downstairs.

But first-- my AM Bible study/prayer time, which helped me see that I had PLENTY of material intact for ANOTHER long-wanted project, that could be easily done in a few happy hours! So instead of fixing what was broken, I set to work harvesting GREAT stuff out of the "mess," for THAT project. Of course it went lickety split and WELL.

THAT made it clear that I needed a few photos I could catch TODAY at noon-- and oh look! It's my "go-do-chores" day!!!!


So I came down to dress for that, and found a kitchen neat enough to make tea in, my cell phone charged and waiting, my camera freshly loaded with batteries (ydy), and--- clean clothes to throw on! Time to relax over tea before rushing off for pix!

Amazing. This declut thing, plus sleep, plus (for me) morning Bible time, WORKS!!! I may even toss in my pool bag!

Contrast this with me, in my 20's, working one fulltime job, doing another one half-time as a volunteer to learn a new profession, being a single parent with no nearby support, and running a school referendum campaign on the way to work each morning!!! All at the same time!

That was normal life from about age 26 to 39, when Hardi (TBTG) pulled me into this crazy ministry life-- which at least offers tools for organizing it all, and prorities! :~)


TBTG! And the good people of Mudcat.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 12 May 10 - 10:06 AM

ragdoll - maybe a square of artificial turf beneath the bird feeders? then you can pick it up and shake it out elsewhere.

just a thought.

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: SINSULL
Date: 12 May 10 - 10:10 AM

Came into work today tiscover my cubicle walls were missing. We are moving to a newly renovated location complete with a staff kitchen the size of a small restaurant,employee gym with showers, and best of all a reserved parking space - I won it in the lottery.
Unfortunately, we don't move until Friday and the current office is being sold off for parts.No walls, living out of bins, men fooling around in the ceilings.
Pretty funny actually and not at all conducive to working on the phones.
Monday is move in date. Thursday, I think, is a press conference, gym orientation, and cocktail party with guests. Jacqui will get to see the new space. These cocktail parties are always first rate catered affairs. Did I mention they put a wet bar in the employee cafe?
LOL
So I am being decluttered and moved with no accountability.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 12 May 10 - 11:25 AM

men fooling around in the ceiling Are you sure you want to move? Sounds pretty entertaining.

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 May 10 - 12:15 PM

ragdall, I had a seed-paved area that was tilled in in the spot where my garden is now, so I'm regularly pulling up weeds that would, if left alone, generate lots of seed. I did leave a few sunflowers around the garden, and the plants are lovely (no heads on them yet). I moved the bird feeder posts and set up the feeders themselves again for a while. The birds were attacking my strawberries, but given seed, they go there first. But now the feeders are on a lawn area, so I'm sure that turf will be full of weeds soon. I don't intend to leave these feeders up long, maybe a week, and then I'll phase them out again.

I spent an hour this morning cleaning up the potted area next to my side door, under the bay window. It was full of leaves and drifts of plastic and this year lots of crumbled terracotta pots (the freeze and the snow last winter nailed them). I emptied pots with old dirt and nothing growing, along with some of the leaf litter, and moved a few things. I didn't clean it completely because there is a lot of wildlife, lizards and toads, mostly, who love that area and need the cover. It's all standing on the old concrete driveway. I built a small temporary wall that most of the pots sit behind, and that shades the pots some (the sun here is brutal on potted plants).

The next door neighbor is having the garden club over to her house for lunch tomorrow, and I'll never have it up to immaculate standards (and they're not fussy, they won't say anything about my mix of stuff here), but I figured that since she had her yard guy cleaning yesterday, I ought to spend a little time working on my leaf litter as well.

I think what Susan is aiming at with the dog run and seating areas on that back porch is where I would like to go with all of my doorways--not dog runs, mind you, but covered seating areas. An extension of the house outward, a "garden room" as one of the television gardeners calls it. Shade, seating, landscaping, and cool breezes. I'm not there yet in any direction, but I'm examining my options as far as preparing the spaces for that use.

Looks like rain later this week. I have plenty to do indoors still, and I could do more cleaning in the garage. Last weekend I organized some of my gardening stuff, and made use of a large empty plastic bin to store soil amendment stuff. Now that we're into the hot season again (93 today) I have the side door propped open with bricks so the dogs get some cross ventilation if they spend time in their stall. I have to make sure there isn't stuff that will blow out of the garage when I open the big door and create a little whirlwind of air in there. I pick up enough of the neighbor's trash blowing around, I don't need to add my own to it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 May 10 - 04:12 PM

With Morgan's help, I have just weeded the entire length of my perennial garden! Boy that feels so good! I do not remember when I was able to do that ever in the past eight years. Wonder never cease.

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: SINSULL
Date: 12 May 10 - 04:50 PM

Weight Watcher Weigh In - lost 10.4# to date.
WHOO WHOO

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Eiseley
Date: 12 May 10 - 05:04 PM

Way to go, SINSULL!

Stilly River Sage, you're right. As soon as the picture is framed in the little camera window, all the clutter immediately jumps into view. SOOOO, I took put my eye to the camera and then ran around tidying the details I could see. Now I sit in my relatively clean house, being thankful. Please don't notice that the kitchen isn't included :).
First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

Eiseley

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 May 10 - 07:30 PM

I love your house, Eiseley! Wood floors! And some great woodwork and detailed shapes. A nice wooden wardrobe also--I'd love one of those one of these days. My 1976 house is just straight lines on a concrete slab. But a great big yard on a creek--that's what got me in here. It also has some wonderful paneling in the living room, and I'm thinking about painting it. All of my wood furniture competes with all of that wood on the walls. But so far it's just a thought--once you paint, you don't strip this stuff any too easily.

If you ever look at the houses in Realtor.com (I love to look in other people's houses!) you'll sometimes see the photos of houses where people still live. And clearly the realtor couldn't talk them into putting tons of stuff away. It's so difficult to get the feel for a place when it has way too much stuff to begin with, all spread around. Even though my kitchen is fairly tidy, all of the antiques on top of the cabinets make it look cluttered in a photo. It's like the pull your eyes to the stuff on top, but I barely notice it when I'm in the room normally. Funny how that works.

Finished shopping and stopped by the insurance agent. It was my signature on my "missing" check--but it was so long ago, and I thought that was for something else, that I didn't realize I had received the refund on the truck insurance. Thought it had to do with the house and flood insurance. So while I could have used another $125, at least I don't have to start fooling with bank accounts and worry about id theft right now.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 May 10 - 01:43 AM

Been poorly again, but the child's quilt is finished, been road (or sofa) tested and found good. Have started piecing together the earth tones quilt - although it goes together quite quickly (jelly roll pattern called 'Zen' something or other), it's taking a while because I'm running out of steam quickly. Still, it should all be cut and put into first blocks today, then I just have to make the big blocks and put them together. Still haven't found a nice backing for it though.

As for accountability... I'm still getting breathless going upstairs so any major activity is a no-go... but it's getting better. I walk back from the station if I didn't walk to it, I'm pottering around the house and have been fairly active at weekends - although that does tend to wipe me out for Mondays... Had a problem with swollen ankles and feet last week at work - 4 day weekend and no swollen ankles... stress gets me in some very funny ways!

So... the upshot is, I'm improving very slowly in a '3 steps forward, 2 steps back' sort of way, the depression is receding - being creative has helped a great deal for me in that - and all the hospital tests indicate I'm really quite healthy... just stressed out and overweight, but we knew that already!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 13 May 10 - 06:38 AM

Amelia shared her cold with me and the boys. It has now gone to my chest so have a doctors appointment for my steroid tablets. Hopefully it will clear up soon as I can't exercise like this as I get far too breathless just walking up the stairs let alone doing an hours class or so.

Harry's bicycle has been put together and is waiting at Paul's work to be dropped off at nana's ready for his birthday!

Veggies are growing well in the garden. The kids love watering them and watching them grow. We have found that all 3 love blueberries and strawberries so fruit is getting a bit expensive. Fruit is working out to be a good treat as they don't automatically go for chocolate and biscuits.

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 May 10 - 09:40 AM

I think what Susan is aiming at with the dog run and seating areas on that back porch is where I would like to go with all of my doorways--not dog runs, mind you, but covered seating areas. An extension of the house outward, a "garden room" as one of the television gardeners calls it. Shade, seating, landscaping, and cool breezes. I'm not there yet in any direction, but I'm examining my options as far as preparing the spaces for that use.

Well if it is any encouragement, SRS, I can tell you that what we have gotten so far is like unto heaven on earth. I'm allergic to sun, so for me the shade is a need, not a want. It's the views that are the want more than the need. But Hardi (and visitors) seem to need THOSE, so we're glad to have enough space here (rented) that we can try to make each area serve both.

Ydy aftn I unloaded the 4 used chairs and the used wishing well-- the day's exercise component after a busy AM snapping website pix for church. I snapped all these items and sitting areas "as is" and "in situ," but they ain't prettied up yet. This is a depressed area; most of the yards look a lot like this one looks now. But Hardi tells me that Rustoleum is now a one-step process in many colors-- so it may all look quite nice a lot quicker than I thought. I think we can afford a couple of cans and I'll see how it goes.

Next week the dirt is due for the Earthboxes, which will keep me busy puttering-- and appreciating shady areas of rest available nearby for garden-puttering company (and me!).

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: SINSULL
Date: 13 May 10 - 09:46 AM

Eiseley, I love your house too. All the wood! And no tumbleweed - very impressive. LOL
My favorite room is the dining room with the piano. It must be huge. Your entire home looks warm and inviting.

We are moving offices tomorrow and decluttering desks today. Cubicle mate just discovered about 35,000 paper clips in his bottom drawer. heh heh I have plane for them

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 May 10 - 12:22 PM

I poked back and forth through Eiseley's photos--is that you on your front porch? And I love the leaded glass window--they do sparkle, don't they?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: May 2010 Declutter & Accountability
From: maire-aine
Date: 13 May 10 - 01:31 PM

A second day of all-day rain. It's too late to start building an ark. I've got seedlings on the diningroom table (under grow-lights), but I can't get them out into the garden until the weather warms up. At least until we stop having frost overnight. Maybe next week (keeping fingers crossed). Plus the cold, wet weather makes every joint in my body ache, and there aren't many pain meds that I can take.

So, today is all about working inside. Cleaning the upstairs (bathroom & my bedroom) is a must. And I need to find another table for the computer. This one is too low to work at. I find myself hunched over, and that contributes to heartburn and a stiff neck. I have a desk in the other room that will be good, but it has a hutch on top that is in the way; I need to find a place for the hutch (luckily it's not attached), but all the horizontal surfaces are already occupied.

Maryanne