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BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Sep 10 - 01:24 PM Congratulations on the house, Andrea! Michelle, I used to watch Clean House, and I think they had a few bona fide hoarders over the years. I don't have cable now - I wish some of these programs would turn up on Hulu or NetFlix. What I didn't like about Clean House was that they then went ahead and decorated, and a lot of times their choices were unappealing. They frequently used suppliers like Ashley Furniture which is junk. It may look fancy, but the construction is really cheap, it isn't durable. They were brave to play the one episode where the woman was so very unhappy, and they sold her favorite couch. She told them not to load her down with garish colors, and then end up with a bright orange couch. Ugg. what a mistake that whole exercise was. :-/ Off to the post office to mail the box to Brazil, and swing by my recycling depot to drop off household stuff. Later today I'll find a box to fit my son's stuff and plan to send that this week. Virginia, sounds like you need to plan to walk to the point where you realize it will be uncomfortable then catch the bus or cab from that point. Walking through pain when it is a mechanical problem and not something simple like a cramp is probably destructive. Kat, I saw your photos of the trees - I do hope you get more photos of them. And I imagine they must be spectacular in the snow - but it sounds like few could see them. It was raining when I woke this morning - this is a little ripple of the effect of the hurricane in the southern part of the state. I should have known it would rain early, because I hadn't put the barbecue away yet. This is more reliable than washing the truck or hanging laundry to attract rain. And my bag of charcoal was still out there also. That should dry, no harm. I think I moved the grill before the used coals got wet (I usually use the coals from the last time to start the coals next time, and I use those chimney things with newspaper so I don't use any started fuels.) On the other hand, it was worthwhile barbecuing. I have some great leftovers for this week! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: wysiwyg Date: 07 Sep 10 - 01:26 PM I think some of us ARE hoarders, from some of the things that have been said in past threads. And I think some of us are dancing with the edges of it. It's us and us, not us and them... I will say that I know my own temptations and weaknesses in that regard quite, quite well. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Alice Date: 07 Sep 10 - 01:33 PM SRS, check your PM re the paintings (I'll put prints on etsy at some point). Hoarding has become a popular reality series subject lately. The Learning Channel has a series on hoarders, the A&E channel has a series, and The Animal Planet has a series on animal hoarders. The animal hoarders are such sad situations with the loneliness the hoarders have trying to keep animals around them for company and the terrible conditions the animals live in. A. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: AllisonA(Animaterra) Date: 07 Sep 10 - 02:55 PM I suspect that hoarders, animal or otherwise, are desperately trying to fill a void with things, instead of getting the help they need to fill the void in a real, healing way. This thread is so good, not only in the ways we s keep accountable in our attempts to de-clutter, but in the emotional support we give each other. Thanks to all of you! Alice, you've really made some lovely paintings! Thanks for sharing them! Andrea, the sale of your house is a triumph! Congratulations, and happy hunting for your new home! VTam, congrats AND take it easy on yourself, at the same time! Yay for good health! Stilly, I'm trying to get back into cooking ahead- thanks for your inspiration! The best I could "cook up" today was cooking up some chicken breasts for sandwiches this week (we had brought them to a friend's house for a Labor Day bbq, but there was so much food already there that they never got cooked, although they stayed totally cold in the cooler under the freezer pack). I've been having menopausal mood swings deluxe, but am learning to breathe through them, look around at the beauty of late summer in New England, smile and relax and fill myself with gratitude- it seems to help, when I remember to do it! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 07 Sep 10 - 03:53 PM {{{{Animaterra}}}}} Saw this on www.addall.com which always has neat quotations at the top of each page: We sneak another midnight snack and think no one will know it; But those who don't count calories have figures that will show it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Sep 10 - 04:47 PM I've hit a setback with the shipping today. I did so much research about the knife, and I looked at the types of auctions out there (individuals as well as dealers and shipping overseas) that I didn't put two and two together and realize that as an individual I couldn't ship this via USPS. The only way knives can go is through the postal mail is via a dealer who has some kind of permit. The next option is UPS or FedEx, and instead of $13, they cost $113. So I've offered the buyer the choice of paying the difference in the shipping or I will refund his purchase price. The next highest bidder is in the U.S. and I can send it as a domestic package UPS and not have a problem. Darn. I'm waiting to hear back. I'm sure Sr. Alexandre will be an unhappy camper either way. On a more interesting note, I spoke with Moonglow about the play she is costuming this semester. She needs costumes that look like 1906 Connecticut. A couple of characters attend Yale. My father's family was from Ansonia, the next town over from New Haven and many of them attended Yale. I have photos of my grandfather in a group of other students at that time, and clothes and such. I sent her photos of these (I could hear the interest perk up when she remembered that photo of some club on campus - "send it soon!") I have family photos of women back then also, so I need to see about clothes or photos. :) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Alice Date: 07 Sep 10 - 05:02 PM When I watch the hoarding shows, it is interesting that some of the reasons people hoard is what I identify with a couple of my members of my family. One kept things because in childhood and the Depression there was so much scarcity and I think it was a comfort to have the old clothes, boxes of zippers, stacks of magazines, jars of buttons, mostly things related to sewing that she could not let go of. The other was more connected to the past and not being able to let go of anything sentimental that reminded of those who are gone - now he is so buried in stuff there are barely paths to walk through rooms. It's sad. I've never hoarded like that, but it does make me aware of the emotional connections I have to vintage items, family keepsakes. There is a limit, though, and some people just don't have any brakes. I have to have clear floors, things I can find, clean kitchen, no old food, etc. I do have one room that is a store room, but it would drive me crazy to have stuff left in my car or a full garage or fire hazards. I think people who get that buried must be very depressed. Last night one of the new hoarder shows on A&E was of a man born in Ireland and found abandoned as a baby, put into an orphanage, and had no family. He surrounded himself with dolls, "collectibles" and was in financial straights because of how much he spent on his collections in his house. My heart really went out to this guy. Sir Patrick and his collections (ad is first) Alice |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Sep 10 - 05:49 PM Oh, my. There is one full episode to view, of Adella and Teri. Oklahoma and Hawaii. Heartbreaking stories. I had a friend who I think would have been diagnoses a hoarder. We went through her house and cleared out a lot, not against her will, but by putting extreme pressure on her (it was a fire hazard). The piles built up again around her bed, in the living room, because she was barely ambulatory, but we were able to tackle it every so often. She died 20 years ago and I still think about how she lived and would never want to repeat it. These two in the Hoarders program are pretty darned ill. Life must be hell for the spouses and kids. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Sep 10 - 07:01 PM What a roller coaster! I called an knife shop to ask if he could ship the knife for me, and he said the post office clerks don't understand their own regulations. He ships all of the time but has to call it "antique" and "art" because otherwise the clerks think they're preventing a "weapon" from going in the mail. I almost did that, but decided to just be frank about what was in there. This is an antique, it will go on display as art, so that is what I will ship it as. At no extra cost to this poor guy who I probably scared to death with my earlier email. Oy. Rained all day, Internet fluctuates in and out. Now that I've put out this fire, I'll get back to the design project I've been working on. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 07 Sep 10 - 07:03 PM Jeepers! Glad you got it worked out, SRS! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Sep 10 - 07:10 PM Animaterra, take a look at this from Dr. Wiel: Don't put milk in your tea if you want to feel better during menopause. Polyphenols called catechins are the antioxidant compounds found in tea that confer its well-known health benefits. They're present in all types of true tea (from the plant Camellia sinensis. Catechin content is the highest in white tea, the least processed type. Green tea has the next highest catechin content, then oolong and, finally black tea. There's a bit more at the site. The study is from the UK. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 07 Sep 10 - 07:25 PM qi gong, last night We've had a terrible wildfire on the eastern slope which has destroyed a lot of homes. I thought this might be of interest since it has to do with those beetles: On Monday, winds pushed the fire through three canyons where pine trees have been left prone to fire by disease, drought and beetles that burrow under the bark of pine trees, fire managers said. Such beetles have killed more than 3.5 million acres of trees in Colorado and southeastern Wyoming. At least up where we were is mostly wilderness with hardly any structures if it ever does catch fire from lightening or carelessness. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Alice Date: 07 Sep 10 - 09:15 PM Kat, I've been watching the news of that fire. The mountain pine bark beetles have killed forests and residential pine trees here in Montana, too. Some mature trees in my neighbor's yard had to be cut down because they had the beetle. Wildlife managers say the bears are unusually thin this time of year, hungry because one of their favorite foods is pine nuts, and the trees have been killed by the beetles. That is one of the reasons we had bear attacks so much lately and so many bears coming into town. They are hungry and at this time of the year, they should be fat and ready to hibernate. The city encouraged people in town and the university campus to put pheromone packets on the north side of pine tree trunks. We did that last year in our neighborhood, but it was too late for some of the trees. Alice |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 07 Sep 10 - 11:27 PM Thanks, Alice, I thought the bears were just showing up more because we've been encroaching on their space. Never thought of the relation to the pine nut. My son has one which checks the garbage area in the RV/cabin place he is care-taking. He's careful to be sure everything is locked up, but last night one came knocking at his door. Apparently some child left a candy wrapper out and it was attracted. It ran off a soon as he got up to open the door to see what his cat was growling at! I sent off eight books, today, have one more requested and two on hold while folks who had them on their "wish" lists decide if they want them or not. Makes me think I maybe should have sold those particular ones as they were not as common. Oh, well. I also started on listing the books. Found three that aren't worth it, so they went in a give-away box; three will be listed, not sure where, yet, and the other is a huge old book from 1884. I am not sure I want to sell it, even though it's retailing at around $89. It's a fun reference and I think, if I had a handheld scanner, I could save it to PDF and keep a copy on disc, maybe even make them available for a small fee. There's a company in Canada which does that with old genealogy reference books. I actually added something called Irish Astronomy which I found in it. I see I did not cite the author/compiler of the book, just the copyright person. The author was James D. McCabe. I think this book was an exception. Most of the ones we have gone through to sell I am ready to let go...honest.:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Sep 10 - 01:28 AM Kat, we have several overhead scanners in our libraries called "KIC" (stands for something like Knowledge Information Center). I don't know if that is a company name, but they allow you to set the book open on the counter top and the camera is above. It detects the size of the document or book and then scans quickly. You can save it as a JPG, a PDF, etc. And when you finish however many pages you want to scan it will email them to you or you can store them on a flash drive (it has a port). Very ingenious. Last summer I ran into a fellow in my office who was asking for the associate director of the library (someone he knew) to complain about our copiers. He had a rare book that he'd gotten through ILL and couldn't take out of the library. He thought our copiers would damage it. I told him I had the answer and took him back down to the first floor, where one of the machines stands in the lobby. I had not used it myself, but there was a student just finishing her copying and I asked her if she'd show him. In literally less than a minute she had him up and running and he was thrilled to pieces that this book was unharmed. See if any libraries in your area have one. It's not only easy, it's fast. All you have to do is turn pages. Rain rain rain tonight. This hurricane is pushing moisture north from the Gulf of Mexico. I put a lot of extra hay in the dogs' houses because they'll be stuck inside for a while. Not that it isn't hot out they like the padding. (They lie on the concrete to stay cool on hot days). SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: mouldy Date: 08 Sep 10 - 04:18 AM http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26743894.html This is the house I have my eye on most of all. I'm shortly going to ring and book a viewing for Friday lunchtime/afternoon (it's about 2.5 or 3 hours drive from here, depending on the traffic on the A1). There are 2 others in the village, but this one really appeals, and it is a second home, so no upward chain! VT - I wish my BP would settle down round that! Well done! On the subject of hoarding - it's a good job there's a joiner in the village I'm aiming at, because I have a wall of books to accommodate! Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: wysiwyg Date: 08 Sep 10 - 09:54 AM A friend is proposing me for a shortlisted email group (think old listserve mode) of diverse women I am really looking forward to joining-- she is right on my "wavelength" and I suspect the other 4 women are as well. I will get reading privileges soon to see what the chat is like. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 08 Sep 10 - 11:35 AM That looks and sounds lovely, Andrea! Good luck. I esp. like the sounds of the conservatory/dining area and the backyard, esp. the greenhouse! SRS, thanks, I will check to see if our library has such a thing, BUT the |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 08 Sep 10 - 12:43 PM qi gong weight loss - 16 minutes qi gong flow - 35 minutes |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: mouldy Date: 08 Sep 10 - 12:52 PM http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30537926.html?premiumA=true I've found another about 20 mins south of Norham. Belford's not as pretty, and it's 3 or 4 times bigger than Norham, but this place intrigues me. I'm viewing it on Friday as well. Great exercise stats, Kat. I may go weigh myself in a day or two - my appetite seems to have dwindled this last day or so! Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 08 Sep 10 - 01:07 PM Wow, that one is quite a bit bigger. I LOVE the fireplace in the bathroom! It's really very pretty and intriguing as you say. When we moved to New England, I complained to Rog about all of the houses being right on the street. He told me they built them that way in colonial times to avoid having to trudge through a lot of mud. I saw the sense in that and did get used to it, but it still bothered me. That's the main thing I noticed about the second one you are viewing, but it sure is a neat looking place regardless. Let us know how it goes, please? Thanks...it felt good to do that long.:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Sep 10 - 03:08 PM Andrea, There are 2 others in the village, but this one really appeals, and it is a second home, so no upward chain! What does this mean? Second home and Upward chain? They're both pretty homes. They're similar in size to the one you're selling, aren't they. Tell us again why you're moving? And both villages look so tiny! Relatively speaking I'd guess they both have the same kind of small-town charm. Sun is out here finally, and things will begin to dry. The creek rose over the bridge this morning with the tropical storm surge passing over the area. The weather is still coming our way, and we've had 6 inches so far, the weather report on TV right now is saying. I made a dash to the post office during a lull and the box is mailed. The buyer really was very nice and understanding about my postal foray yesterday, and understands about the nature of this knife, so I'm sure he'll enjoy it and probably happily display it. I found it kind of intimidating to have in the house (says she who has some pretty heavy duty cooking knives. . . ) I think the next band of rain is headed our way. I need to go play with the dogs a little, they've been cooped up since yesterday (they can go out, but in that heavy rain they prefer not to). SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: LilyFestre Date: 08 Sep 10 - 05:39 PM I was away all day yesterday and didn't get home until almost 8pm. After everyone had dinner and promptly fell asleep, I stayed up puttering/cleaning until 2:30am. I enjoyed the quiet time to myself, even if I was cleaning. :) Had to be up at 6:00am this morning though...made for a rough start. A friend, her 8 month old daughter, Jeremiah and I went to Mama Goose...she had never been there and I was just going to LOOK while she shopped. *sigh*.....One pair of jammies, 2 polar fleece jammie/sleeping bags, a jacket, one pair of pants, 3 hats and a winter coat later I made my way out of the store. The child has more clothes that I do!!! Turns out my friend is working on selling her house to move to the town where I live (HOORAY) and she has agreed to join me in renting out at least 4 consecutive spaces for a community yard sale in the spring (held at a local church school)....we both have lots of decent stuff and the crowd there is unbelieveable...it's a definite motivator for me to start tagging the things I have already set aside. Also, she and her go camping with a group of folks and we have been invited to go along. The timing couldn't be more perfect as there is a family in town looking to see a pop-up camper that I've had my eye on...going to have to call and see how much they want for it. FUN! Tomorrow is the ONLY day I have at home before our uncle comes for a visit. I am going away for the weekend for a wellness program for women with cancer. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Sep 10 - 08:32 PM That makes so much sense, Michelle, to tag things as soon as you identify them for a garage sale. I end up with garage sale things lumped by price (which is maybe on tape somewhere nearby) or struggling to price things at the last minute. I have a few things building up on a chair in the hall, but there is so little still that I may just do a donation to the Goodwill. Kat, have you checked to see if your big book is available via Google Books? If it's as old as you say then it may well be public domain and available for download. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Sep 10 - 12:10 AM I was distracted by the weather when I was working on that last entry and it sat for a while. I decided to just send it and complete the though later. One thing I did was step outside for about and hour and work in the soggy garden. During the really hot part of the year I was watering and weeds were getting started, but it was too hot to go weed. And then with all of this rain over the last couple of weeks, the weeds exploded into the gardens. So I went and took out some of the worst of the Bermuda and chickweed in the beds or it would have gotten exponentially worse with this rain this week. The remnants of that hurricane is now centered over Oklahoma, but it sure dropped a lot of rain (and continues to do so overnight) here in Texas. I've been finding tons of snails on the sidewalk and in the garden - they've come out after the heat ended, and now they're hungry. So I need to lure them to their death in beer. I'll start that once the rain slows so the beer doesn't get too dilute and not attract them. The kitchen is cleaned up and I'm about done for the day. I've been poking at a poster I have to do, but not rushing to finish it. It turns out that my library flooded in the rain today and they closed early, so everyone went home and got five hours, but somehow the message didn't reach me and I kept working here at home. Tomorrow I can finish these. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: mouldy Date: 09 Sep 10 - 07:41 AM An upward chain means that although you have put a deposit on a place and have sold yours, the people in the new place still have to find somewhere...and maybe the people next up do....etc. The other sort is when someone wants your place but still have to sell theirs. So quite often things stagnate for a while, especially when the chain isn't moving in either direction. My potential buyers don't have a house to sell. A second home is basically a weekend retreat or a holiday home. People sometimes buy a property in a place they like to go so that they have somewhere to stay. The main drawback I can see with the property in Belford is that to the left of it is a fish and chip shop (you can see it on street-view), and the office for a caravan park which means that it could get quite busy during the holiday season. Also , unlike the 2 in Norham, it isn't empty. Andrea By the way, if by chance anyone looks at street view - head to the right. |
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Subject: Brekky Kibble for Hoomins From: wysiwyg Date: 09 Sep 10 - 11:08 AM Brekky breakthru today, YUM! Totally satisfying and filling, could hardly finish it, meets all my program requirements. A bowl built from the bottom up: 1 serving soft, flavorless tofu, chopped rice-size (silken non-fridge box) 1 serving fresh grapes 1 serving greek-style yogurt 1 serving splenda on the tart yogurt 1 serving crunchy flakes ==== Eaten with a small spoon from the bottom up. Any fruit works, even canned. All components healthiest version purchasable here. Have upstairs supply for home office fridge as well. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: mouldy Date: 09 Sep 10 - 11:53 AM That sounds really tasty! Andrea |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Sep 10 - 12:02 PM I understood the second home part, we had one when I was a kid, but it was that upward chain part that sounded like it might give second home a different context. Interesting term, upward chain - I was lucky to buy this house after it had been empty for almost 2 years. It wasn't deteriorated from that time standing empty, and fortunately not detected and "upgraded" by "investors" (small property developers who "flip" houses after the least amount of cosmetic work to make it look like it's in a lot better shape than it really is.) I went to check on the dogs this morning, since they caught a rat last night. I wanted to be sure there weren't any more (they dragged it into the garage, but probably would have left it outside if it hadn't been so wet). The pit bull is limping, and she has done this before - the rat probably needed to be dug out of where ever it was. She has what amounts to a dog hang-nail, and it's tender and bleeding a little. The vet said last time I took her in for this that it would clear up. I poured a little peroxide over it. Back in the house, I made foil packets for the barbecued ribs and froze them with some extra sauce. That's several meals ahead. I'm caught up on the laundry and I need to turn my attention again to my son's room, to pull together the items that need to go in the mail. It's humid today. Not not enough to trigger the air conditioner to run, which would dry the air. Makes it difficult to feel like moving around much. I'm dying for that first day of fall that feels so clear and crisp and energizing. There's usually only one day quite like this down here every fall (it mimicks the late summer/fall feel of the Pacific Northwest) but I'll take what I can get. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: wysiwyg Date: 09 Sep 10 - 12:07 PM Andrea, it is, and it has it all. Nutrition, mouthfeel, crunchy-like-cookies variety from soggy cereal, and can be made with eyes glued shut from sleepies. Enough protein (I can vouch) to run an entire morning and then some, if lunch may be hard to squeeze in. Variation: sugar-free hot chocolate powder in place of splenda. Part of what makes this work for us is that there is a tiny modicum of real sugar (not-corn) in the cereal-- so the add'l arti-sweetening tastes GOOD (because of the mix). ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: AllisonA(Animaterra) Date: 09 Sep 10 - 01:29 PM Andrea, I love looking at your possible houses! The second one is really lovely- sure, the fireplace in the bathroom is great, but do you get to keep the coat of armour??? Is the garden in the second one a bit smaller than the first? And sadly, yes, I would not only wonder about traffic vis a vis the chippie, but the smell... SRS, I red the link you sent re milk in tea, and I'm putting my hands over my eyes and pretending I never saw it! I get such satisfaction and relaxation and pure pleasure with my 2-3 cups/day of strong black tea with milk and a spot of sugar- without milk, something in the tea goes straight to work on my stomach lining and it hurts! So all this means is in addition to my daily fix of black tea and milk, I will continue to sip some good Chinese oolong with no milk or sugar, and get the benefits thereof! Kat, sometime I will have to go back and study how you are handling all the books- it's about time we dealt with our overflow! And keep up the qi gong, as I get back into yoga via yoga dance- I'm loving it! WYS- I'll be interested to hear more about that list-serve- sounds very fruitful (like your breakfast!). |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: VirginiaTam Date: 09 Sep 10 - 01:47 PM god... I am so blue... weather cooler and damper..... sky greyer.... days getting shorter.... body hurts.... starving all the time..... miss my family.... hate my job..... but... blue is a good colour... seasons are necessary... sky had rainbow this evening.... hunger = losing weight which will help my body not hurt so much.... I can talk to my mom and daughter on SKYPE.... I have a job!!!! I did a bit more work in the spare room this evening. Will do some more ironing too after too little too bland dinner. Maybe, I will have a soak in hot tub and read. That should help my aching legs feel better. Jury still out on going camping this weekend. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 09 Sep 10 - 02:15 PM 2Ls, the best I can tell you about the books is it helps if one of you is less "attached" to them and more pragmatic. That's why I've asked Rog to help me go through them...LOL...I say, "Oh, I love this book, it was SO good! What do you think, Rog, keep or get rid of?" His inevitable reply is "Let it go!" There are a few we know we keep...my granddads' books which are inscribed with their names, certain genres that are collections I've built up, BUT some of those are going as they are not worth near as much as I once thought. When we moved to New England, I went nuts with the plethora of old books available.:-) The proof in the pudding will be in my getting the books listed somewhere OR throw up my hands and just give them away.:-) Did I tell you about the tinctures I used during men o'pause? Dandelion root, hawthorn berries, and motherwort tinctures, 30-40 drops of each in clean, cool water, about 4-5 times per day. They tasted SO good and helped me so much. I never used any HRT. Just recently my "inner woman" told me I should add the dandelion and hawthorn tinctures back into my diet, so I do them now about 3 times per day, just before each meal. I skipped motherwort partly because it didn't "feel" right and also because it is contraindicated when one is on warfarin. Susan Weed's book, Menopause the Wise Woman Way really is an invaluable resource, imo.:-) One load of laundry done and folded. Went out an bought a new pair of Birks this morning. Now, I shall list a couple of books, trying to stick with my goal. I may just add them to my seller's software then upload the whole list once I get many of them on there. SRS, good thinking! That book is indeed available for download from google books, right HERE, so I shall let it go without trepidation, though I will scan in the Presentation page which notes the date, my aunt as recipient, and the giver's age. It's pretty neat. I may even ask my cousin if she wants it. I don't know if she ever knew of it; not sure how my mom wound up with it. Either way, it will go out the door. Thanks! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 09 Sep 10 - 02:41 PM VTam, we cross-posted. {{{{{{VTam}}}}}} Just spoke to my cousin. The large tome goes back on a shelf for her to pick-up next time they come for a visit. That feels good! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Sep 10 - 03:14 PM Kat, I'm glad you found your book. That collection is pretty amazing. Rearranging the front room. I've decided I can put the phone/fax machine on one of the book shelves and clear off the top of a trunk in there. It's one that I might sell, it has the least interesting connection with the family. I have to see what's in it though. If I put another set of bookshelves in another part of the room or in another part of the house I could clear space to put a whole row of trunks along that long wall that might look interesting and solve a storage problem. But I'd have to figure out where the rest of the books would go. I have a set of shelves in my room but right now it is used as a display for a lot of art and I don't really want to displace those pieces. I'll mull this one for a while. This month's Martha Stewart Living has a lot of her kitchen ideas, and one thing she has in there that I've loved every time I see it is a rolling kitchen island. A workspace that has all of the storage below for books, pots, whatever. It's designed so you can't see through underneath, but so that it looks like a cabinet and you have different kinds of shelves on each side. I'd love something like that, I'd store it where I have bookshelves with cookbooks right now. I could store my books on it and put pots on it, etc. And the marble top is something I won't ever put in anywhere else in the house, but to have one of them - it's so good for pastry and such. (Dream on!) I will consider the possibility of building one. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 09 Sep 10 - 03:46 PM Before I gave my grandma's trunk to my daughter, I kept it open, with antique dolls, hats, and other memorabilia arranged in the inset drawer, I guess that's what you call it. It was a really pretty display and always elicited a lot of compliments. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: LilyFestre Date: 09 Sep 10 - 05:47 PM Decluttering. Decluttering. Decluttering. I know that sometimes when I am decluttering I choose to get rid of some things even though they make me feel good. Although it's obvious, it just dawned on me that I need to be just as ruthless about getting rid of things that make me feel bad. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Sep 10 - 07:14 PM I found the next item that will go in eBay. It's a 1928 hearing aid, the box, the advertising circulars, the instructions, the original batteries, everything is there. And antique and vintage medical devices seem to sell consistently on eBay. When they have all of the stuff, they go for higher prices. I found an interesting little box of porcelain dolls with limbs held to the body by string. It's marked "made in Japan" so one presumes it comes after WWII. I have a friend who knows a lot about dolls and toys, so I'll ask him what he thinks. This is just cute enough I might keep it myself. That trunk has a lot of antique bedroom stuff, mirror, linens, etc. I can save them in another trunk, no problem. The drawer that sits inside is in very good shape, it makes the trunk seem older than I though. I'll take a look later to see if there are any labels. There was also a newspaper from the day that has a headline that says "Edward Silent: Mrs. Simpson in France." I know how that story ended. . . :) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: LilyFestre Date: 09 Sep 10 - 10:58 PM Plenty of walking today plus some out of town travel. I had about 4 hours of sleep last night as the wee one needed a diaper change around 2:30am...he fell right back to sleep but I did not. At 10:00 tonight I was still wide, wide awake and was going to do some puttering but dang, I am just wiped out (then how come I can't sleep). My honey said, "Maybe you want to take an Ambien tonight." So...here I am, about an hour later, feeling kinda floaty and like I've been tucked in with a beach towel that has been out sitting in the sun....a litle heaviness in that feeling...but both are wonderful and I know I'm not long for this evening. I am looking forward to a peaceful sleep so tomorrow I can wake up refreshed and get a mile long list done around here including some new furniture for the living room that I picked out today. YAY. Night all. Sweet Dreamssssssssssss Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 09 Sep 10 - 11:02 PM That's a wise honey ta got there, Michelle.:-) Sleep well. I got about 20-30 minutes of good walking in today. SRS, your trunk sounds like a treasure trove! What fun! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Alice Date: 09 Sep 10 - 11:28 PM Filled the large trash can in the alley with old files and papers that had been in a plastic bin in the garage. Now I can move that bin to the back door deck and fill it with firewood for the winter. Raining all day, so no outside painting on the window trim today. Saturday is supposed to be clear and warmer, so I hope to finish up then. Finally got the Etsy store figured out enough to post my first item. It is helping with DEcluttering as my first item is not art, but rather a sweet pair of baby moccasins I bought years ago and have just had tucked into a drawer. The kids who started Etsy.com define the "vintage" category as anything older than 20 years. Ha! That's everything in my house! So funny. When I get the prints of art re-photographed, I'll put them up. I think I need to resize/crop/enlarge my newer mini-paintings so they will fit common frame sizes. Here is the link: CLICK here Just getting that web site figured out and set up is a big step for me to get old things like buttons and sewing stuff de-cluttered and a an easier way to move the art out of here. I wanted to do it all in one place without using ebay, and etsy has made it easier. Alice |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Alice Date: 09 Sep 10 - 11:32 PM By the way, if anyone wants to use Etsy.com to sell your older than 20 years "vintage" items, be aware that when you sign up as a buyer, you have to use the same buyer log in name as your shop name. I used AliceFlynn upper and lower case so my shop could also be that name. They charge 20 cents an item for 4 months and 3.5% commission on sales. Alice |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Sep 10 - 11:59 PM Alice, I hope you're planning to or did already shred all of those files. You never know what can come back to haunt you (or steal your id) if you don't. Kat, I know. I enjoy finding these things, but I really don't have anything to do with them. I don't collect medical devices or hearing aids, etc. I have a few cameras and though I've sold a couple I'll probably hold onto the rest of them. That's not certain 100% either, but at least I use cameras. I will probably keep a lot of the linens, the crystal, the plates and flatware, but there are still a lot of old time gadgets and stuff here that are probably better appreciated if I move them along. Michelle, I found I couldn't sleep well last night, and that is unusual. Typically I'm out like a light in no time flat. Sometimes if I forget and take my Zyrtec late it keeps me up, but I hadn't done that. I am thinking about rearranging my bedroom. I'm not as comfortable with the position of the bed now that I'm sleeping in the house by myself. I don't want it to be the first thing in sight when one walks into my bedroom. I don't want my feet pointing at the door. Kind of like the gunfighter who keeps his back to the wall, I guess I'm thinking about how I sleep (on my side, back toward the door usually) and the room is large enough that I can move the bed so I'm better able to see if someone came in (with a key) or got in (break in). I don't expect another break-in, but we had one (in 2005), and that's enough to make me think this through some. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: katlaughing Date: 10 Sep 10 - 12:22 AM That's very sensible, SRS. For some reason, we have always wound up with our heads pointed to the north in bedrooms since moving back west in 1993. It's what *feels* right and has been where we had a clear view of the door and whatever/whomever might be coming through. Rog still was gone for months at a time back then, working, so I understand. Oh, also about the treasures. I've got stuff I still haven't decided what to do with (how's that for sentence structure?!) And, I know there's more where it came from.:-) Alice, that's good news about Etsy and your store looks great! I wasn't quite sure what they accepted as "vintage" and would like to keep things in one spot, too, so may follow your lead. Thanks for the tip about name, etc. Those moccasins are beautiful! I received some bookseller news a while back from Biblio which said collectors are really into "pictorial" book covers, old books with vivid colour cover illustrations. I have a lot of them and have been wanting a place to sell them just for the covers alone, if nothing else. Maybe I will look into etsy for such a thing as well as all the toher treasures I have in drawers and such. Sent off one more book...progress?:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Alice Date: 10 Sep 10 - 12:36 AM SRS, I didn't have any personal info in the files. I do know about identity theft and shredding. If I have to shred anything, the shredded paper goes into the compost pile, not the trash. I have 3 small frames I got last year when I was invited to be in a miniature show at a local gallery, but didn't have time to do it because of the old job. I will use those frames for small prints to sell on etsy now. A. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: GUEST,mg Date: 10 Sep 10 - 12:53 AM Didn't stuff made in Japan for some time after WWII get marked as Made in Occupied Japan? mg |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 Sep 10 - 01:01 AM When you spoke about the rain I thought you might be putting paper out in the weather - that'll do a pretty good job on information in files also! I'm just about set to pack a box for my son. I did some shopping at Central Market this evening and in the bulk section filled some of their little 4 oz bags with some of his favorite snacks. On our stops there I would hand him the small bags and tell him that's the size I can afford, and he needs to be able to close the bag. He's pulled some stunts over the years to overfill the bags and seal it with the price sticker (this was a regular stop after guitar lessons). Kat, it's either move the furniture or let the dogs in. I think I prefer to move the furniture! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: VirginiaTam Date: 10 Sep 10 - 02:50 AM So...here I am, about an hour later, feeling kinda floaty and like I've been tucked in with a beach towel that has been out sitting in the sun....a litle heaviness in that feeling...but both are wonderful GAWD!!! I am so envious Michelle.. wonders why... docs won't give me anything to help me sleep. I was awake the requisite 4 times to empty bladder. I have gotten into a vicious cycle or something. I wake with pain or palpitations (thudding in ears) or nightmare and decide might as well get up and pee. This practice has made my bladder smaller. So the urologist told me. Then I go to lounge and do sudoku until I feel sleepy again. Then back to bed for 1 to 2 hours when it starts all over again. Can I hire someone else to take over one or 2 of these nightly perambulations? I was utterly lazy yesterday evening and did nothing more after last post. Watched Mock the Week with TSO and he let me have 4 After Eights dinner mints. The SHAME! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: LilyFestre Date: 10 Sep 10 - 10:45 AM Tam, My family doctor is really hesitant to hand out sleeping meds. My oncologist, however, is good about making sure I get what I need to stay healthy and that includes a good night sleep every once in awhile! I try not to take them too often but WOW....what a difference the following day. I have energy. I have motivation. I'm not dragging. Yes, a full night of sleep does a body good. And up 4 times a night? Yikes. That's a lot. Did they check your glucose levels to make sure you aren't diabetic? That's how I found out I was....always having to pee...day and night. That stinks. Not to alarm you but did you know that that is also symptoms of ovarian cancer along with swollen abdomen, getting full quickly, and sometimes (but not always) pain in the abdomen. If you have a combination of those, be sure to get to your Dr right away! Dishes are done, laundry is going, all downstairs floors have been swept, baby has been up, changed (a few times), fed, played with, sang to and is now napping. My focus today is the kitchen....scrubbing down cupboards, getting rid of boxes (empty cases of wipes, diapers, gallon water, etc) and trying to decide what to make for dinner when our company comes. We love to grill here so most likely it's going to be some kind of grilled chicken, corn on the cob from the garden, tossed salad with our own tomatoes and some kind of salad with more substance. Or maybe I'll grill steaks and bake a few potatoes or then I thought tacos are always fun and get people to relax and talk....I'd fill bowls with the fillings, put it on the table and everyone could make their own. Or then there's my favorite chicken dish that my nana used to make....that goes great with wild rice, steamed broccoli and rolls. Or....or...you get the idea. I have no clue as what these folks like to eat. It's been kinda cold here at night so I thought maybe a big pot of chili and some cornbread might be good too. Decisions, decisions. So...yeah, after this break, it's back to the kitchen for me (ok, shower first while my little boy is dreaming) to scrub down the counters, move the 70+ quarts of tomato sauce into the pantry (oh my word...where will THOSE go?), do some mopping and I'm going to wash the curtains out there too. This afternoon I am ordering some new living room furniture...YAY. And perhaps later I will be taking a look at some new cupboards as we are adding an island to our kitchen...I have a pretty good idea of what we want...just need to compare prices. If I have any steam left, there is a grower's market in town this afternoon and a yard sale that I might check out. We shall see. Have a great day everybody! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Declutter & Accountability Sept 2010 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 Sep 10 - 10:49 AM Weekend plans just changed. A call from Moonglow sadly informs me that one of her oldest friends from all through school died this week. She was a student on my university campus and I didn't hear a word about it until now; it was apparently a suicide. My son is good friends with her younger brother. He's away at school and will stay there, but I'll go pick up my daughter and take her to the viewing and tomorrow's funeral. I thought I was a friend with this young woman on facebook, but apparently not. I saw her remarks often enough on the wall of my kids and other friends, and I remember visiting her links and such. I see that she had an event this afternoon marked, a meal at a favorite restaurant of ours, so I may take my daughter over there just for solidarity with Deanna. She had made "cry for help" attempts before, but I think we all thought she was much happier in college. Anyway, it'll be a tough weekend. See you on the other side. SRS |
