DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 25 - 10:42 PM

I've learned that the last quarter of my year, employment-wise, is going to go through a change. My part of the operation seems to be the most productive of the various venues involved with this site, so while it stays in place, the operation will rotate 180^o. The upcoming changes means things might be easier, after a few months of fixing broken code. I know this is cryptic, but it is good news.

Is it really only Monday? It feels like the week is racing past. Charmion, where are you in the New House exercise? Dorothy, what is going on in Quebec? Who have we missed lately?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 09 Sep 25 - 07:12 AM

I finally have a house — still just a house, not yet a home — and yet another contractor in my life. This one is Mike, who popped in to reconnoiter the hardwood floor project yesterday. But my to-do list is extending out beyond the horizon, starting with locating the post office and securing a key to my pigeon-hole in the community mailbox. Oh, and finding said mailbox …

The sellers of my house were landlords, not occupants, and the place shows the effects. First, it’s not clean — the kitchen drawers are full of crumbs, and the cupboard under the sink looks like a lab experiment. The deck out back is just awful, apparently innocent of maintenance for years and years. And the kitchen needs a complete re-think …

The dominant feature of the kitchen is a fancy-ass refrigerator with an ice-maker and cold water dispenser. I disapprove of such complications and would much rather have a plain-Jane fridge that doesn’t require plumbing. And the cabinets are builder-grade MDF designed by the mile and cut off by the yard, so there’s wasted space but not enough room for my stuff. And SIL No. 2 hates the dining room light fixture, which is a very large pendant in a room of modest proportions.

But first things first — floors and walls. Today I must track down Elias the painter, who has been visiting family in the old country, and buy a pack of toilet paper for the good of us all.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Sep 25 - 10:50 AM

My wife and I both got a Covid infection. My wife is very uncomfortable, but my symptoms could not be more mild, with a runny nose and occasional productive cough with no headache or sore throat.
I owe that to vaccinating up to twice a year some years.
Since I am the chief cook and dishwasher, I'm making a super lasagna today.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Sep 25 - 11:50 AM

Pamper the family if you can, Don, and don't make yourself sick doing too much. You're a poster child for why the vaccinations are worthwhile. Charmion, I know what you describe from here. This house was a rental, not updated for about 20 years. I found some interesting stuff stashed in the attic. At least you can work on those things on your own timeline, once the floors are taken care of. I have never completed all of the things I had in mind here. Maybe one day. Your family members must have numbers for a local house cleaner (or crime scene cleanup, depending on the state under the sinks) to do some of that for you? The phone number of a generalist handyman can be priceless.

This week I need to make a major cardboard purge in the front room and run it by the village recycling bins. Now that the vacuum has had all of it's filters and brushes and crevices cleaned out it's grabbing doghair and dust like a champ, and that front room here is the only one that still has wall-to-wall carpeting. Not as bad as shag, but it holds a lot of dust. Even with the doorway blocked dog detritus has drifted in.

Patty, congratulations on finding a good local grocery! And do you have a hardware store, or are you stuck with the big box ones? Mary doesn't drop in often, but I hope she has the same luck in finding a good neighborhood for library, stores, and recreation.

Bearing down on fall (or spring for Sandra) - with all of these moving projects going on, who has plans for indoor projects to do just for pleasure?