BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning

Subject: BS: March De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 12:45 PM

The sun is farther up on the horizon, the days are longer, and the junk in the garage that I have to move to reach the mower all tell me that

It's Time to Start Spring Cleaning!

While you're at it, the most logical thing in the world is to de-clutter. I didn't look back to see for sure, but I think this month marks the anniversary of when Katlaughing started these accountability and de-clutter threads, so those interested in pacing themselves can take account and report back to a sympathetic audience (and by doing so, inspiring themselves and others to take on new or necessary tasks).

Thank you, Kat! It really has been a good focus.

There is a lot going on out there, for anyone just stumbling upon this thread and tracing back to the previous thread (there are others, often time there is a link from the old to the new).

People are cleaning up houses to sell before moving, cleaning up houses to repair and restore, remodeling houses for new family members, and others are going through the process of weeding out after years of collecting, or from inheriting stuff from family members. When parents, grandparents, beloved great aunts and uncles die and leave you stuff, you respond to it emotionally at first. Learning to understand what you're feeling about those loved ones and their former possessions is an interesting process.

Periodically I pull out one of Don Aslett's Decluttering books and quote from it. He's a genius, a philosopher who has watched and helped people figure out just why they have felt it necessary to keep things they don't have space for or true interest in. Why they spend money to store stuff they don't need, or can't remember they own.

A year out, it seems like some of us should have finished this work by now. Are we going to spend a lifetime sorting through stuff instead of getting out there and living? Yes and no. To be honest, we should always keep track of what is around the house to avoid unnecessary buildup, but the reason it takes so long to get through the initial houseful of stuff is because we are out there living our lives, and we turn our attention back to this as we have time. We're pacing ourselves.

I've commented many times that the environmental approach I apply to the process is to try to recycle if it is truly spent, or find new homes for usable stuff, and not simply send items to the landfill. Too much good stuff isn't reused or recycled out of laziness and complacency. I can't afford to give it away, but the tax benefits of donating usable items are one good reason for doing this. We also sell things on eBay, an interesting process. I wouldn't want to try to make a living on eBay, but there are some nice surprises along the way, and every time we hand a box over to the mail carrier, it is one less item to trip over in the house, going to someone who will use and enjoy it.

March onward! ;-D

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 03:27 PM

The kitchen is clean, the electric kettle has been de-cluttered of built-up lime (boil a cup of water and a big dollop of white vinegar, then rinse a couple of times), the counters are tidy, laundry is drying (soon I can go back to using the clothes line out back).

There is a modest list of chores in the kitchen that I'll try to complete today. After Allegra, the sinuses are beginning to clear, but the juniper is in full-pollination mode right now.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 04:54 PM

A very nice start for this thread, Maggie. Thanks!

I started an accountability thread in January of last year, but in the beginning, I deleted each post at the end of the month and we started over. I think I quit doing that in March and the first decluttering thread was either in March or April. Anyway, it has been fun, inspiring and taken on a life of its own in some ways. I find myself looking more critically at our home, assessing what might stay and what might need to go. I, too, am loath to send anything to the landfill. I'd much rather give it away, sell it, etc. I do think, at some point, I may burn some of my very old personal stuff...stuff that is worn out, but too special to just dump in a trash can and not worth anything to anyone I might give it to.

Today has been a good one. I presented an idea to Rog this morning and he said "okay!" So, we went out in the backyard and loaded a bunch of glass into the recycling bin, flattened some boxes which had sat out and put them in the bin, too. Emptied some old flowerpots in the back and front yards. I always empty the potting soil into one of my garden patches to build up that soil.

We also put away a few things which have been outside. Put up some boxes of my sisters' stuff in the driveway which the wind blew over and repositioned the tarps over the stuff.

Swept the front steps and walk; trimmed down the old stocks on the yarrow which is sprouting. Then came inside. Rog stopped, but I pushed on (**bg**) and put away a bunch of cassette tapes which were piled on the jewellery table; sorted through stuff on my dresser and desk; put more stuff away, just little stuff here and there which had accumulated.

The inside of the house still looks messy, but I think I've solved some of that. I have bins we've brought inside for me to go through for ebay and giveaway. They are blocking partial access to my house-plants in the pseudo-dining room. We will move a chair out of our bedroom to the DR and put them in the corner where it sits in front of some 78s already stored in there. That way they will be out of the way, easy for me to get to and not too far from the office. We never use the chair in the BR anyway. We might actually use it in the DR!

I am now going to see what movies are on; ask Rog to make some popcorn and go settle down for a bit.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: March De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 09:05 PM

I rearranged my closet, trading places between a wire drawer set (a K-Mart knock-off of elfa) and a shoe stand (I built a few years ago out of cedar fir strips--I saw a photo of one for sale in the In Flight catalog and I knew I could build it myself for less.) I can hang more long garments in the closet now. I went shopping at Ross a couple of days ago and picked up a two blouses and two pairs of pants to incorporate into my mix-and-match wardrobe. I like the thrift store, but the color selection is entirely random. I wanted a little more choice. Anyway, my closet is looking better all of the time.

My list today has a lot crossed off. I'll go fold laundry and watch one of my NetFlix movies, and see about clearing out some of the clutter in my son's computer area. I need to make more room on the shelves over there for his school books (and he needs to use that space!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 12:09 PM

WEll today so far I'm totally lazy.

(NPR puzzle answer: Dallas-Fort Worth.)

Knocked over and broke a bottle of Worcestershire sauce which I've only partially cleaned up. Gotta get it before the glass is stuck in the dried goo.

I'm trying to stack empty boxes together so they'll take up less room.

My sick day turned out to be for real; my head is so stuffed I can't hear.

And THANK YOU Max for being there.

Subject: RE: BS: March De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 02:30 PM

My allergies are here full-tilt, and I'll try to keep them under control to avoid the sinus infection that sometimes comes along with them. It's very chilly again today, despite bright sunshine.

I'm de-cluttering computer photo files. I've moved quite a few into more logical spots and I've tended to a large number of orphans, that slipped between folders and don't appear easily in some Windows Explorer views.

I also rearranged my office a little, and for the time being I'm using a shorter data cable from the router to the wall for my son's computer so I can use the longer cable to the other work space for the laptop computer. (The short cable is kind of in the way of some shelves, so I'll get another long one to drape out of the way.) It's just too confusing to try to work on two computers in front of you--the keyboards and mouse of one simply don't operate the other, yet I am continually trying a few keystrokes before I realize my mistake. Now they're two separate work stations. The other one is mostly for secure connections to the campus servers and for transporting backups of very large files. I want to set it up so the files are easy (logical) to find in there.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 02:33 PM

Kat, would you edit the thread title slightly--make it March-09 De-Clutter & Spring Cleaning, so if this series is still going next year, it's clear which is which? Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 02:55 PM

Got it, Maggie, no problem.

So far, this morning, I did a load of laundry and delivered a nice vintage tin with handmade, crocheted, antique lace lady's gloves inside to my pseudo-dau.in law as a belated gift. She took me out for a very nice luncheon and we had a blast.

Still enjoying what we did yesterday...felt good to walk up the swept walkway and steps this morning. Rog has done the litter boxes and I still hope to get the bins and chair swapped out this afternoon, but first we are driving up Debeque Canyon to my ex's place to see it for the first time. He's got chipmunks, quails, and other wildlife, plus several dogs and cats, so I am looking forward to the ride and the visit.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: mouldy
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 04:43 PM

So, I have had a bit of a lull after the removal of ivy from the garden walls. Luckily Peter has now brought the trailer and the last lot will be loaded into it very soon. I have had a massive bread and soup-making session over the last couple of days to provide enough for the visitors to a local open garden, which was on today. I have loads left, and so that's my meals for the next couple of days sorted!

I am going away in just over a week, and will be abroad visiting Alex and Adebisi for a few weeks, and so I have a lot of loose ends to tie off this week. However, it would be nice to think that I could make a start on losing some of the kitchen contents (although by the look of it at the moment, you'd think the contents had already emptied themselves onto all the surfaces - they haven't!) There is also a mountain of ironing to do.

If the weather holds fine I will feel more inclined to get busy.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 04:54 PM

Today I am working in my office which is a room in the house where I have teaching supplies (books, crafts, old textbooks, notes, etc) stored. Since I have given up teaching to stay home with our child (to be adopted fairly soon) for a few years, I have decided I do not need all this stuff out and about and cluttering up some much needed space. So....I have labeled boxes and am sorting the childrens books according to age appropriateness. I am saving out any books that are good for toddlers but the rest can be easily stored out of the way, packed up until needed.
    Last night, in the kitchen, I cleaned out beneath the kitchen sink which has developed an incredibly bad leak due to our hard water. We now have a water softener but the damage to the kitchen sink and surrounding cabinets is bad and they need to be replaced. So, like I said, I cleaned out the moldy, icky wet area under the sink (with a mask and gloves on thank you very much) and RidgePlucker ripped the countertops off and took out the affected cabinets. We have treated the wet areas, removed all mold and the floor is now drying. When that is complete, the new cabinets, sink and countertops will be put in place. Later this week a new kitchen floor will be put down as well. Until now, we've had pine floors which are nice but impossible to keep clean with all the nooks and crannies. Because of the baby, we have decided to go with some Pergo flooring that will be MUCH easier to keep clean. There are other BIG developments planned for our house this month but I'll share them as they happen. As you know, construction never goes according to plan and sometimes delays are just part of the deal. I will say that the nursery is now carpeted and painted, the only remaining details in there are the trim....easily finished in an afternoon. I'm most happy about that!
    It's back to work for me. This clearing out is work but it's almost addictive.
   
Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:06 PM

My mother in law has been getting into the spirit with a big declutter - which is now all in my front garden where it didn't quite make it to the tip when Manitas drove home from visiting her today! (In his defence, the local footie team were playing at home and traffic was a nightmare).

Looks like I'll have a large load to add my loft gleanings to, when I go up there tomorrow morning...

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:38 PM

Spring cleaning? Ice-clogged streets and freezing. I'll wait a couple more months or so.
Actually I cleaned out three kitchen drawers. Some old kitchen stuff tossed out or into recycle so now there is room for the new gadgets that were laying on the cabinets and table. Maybe room for a few more purchases. Going to dump those German knives at Sally Ann and replace with Japanese blades from the local hamono ya.
And I gave a bunch of cds to the kids and moved some lps to a closet shelf to make room for new ones.

I am tired just thinking about it. Oh, well only 365(?) days to March 1, 2010. Maybe do some more then.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 06:58 PM

LOL, Q! That's the spirit!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 07:13 PM

HERE are a few pix of some of the country we drove past today.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 09:05 PM

Looks like they could use an irrigation project there.

That greyish stuff sandwiched between the brownish sandstones I think is volcanic ash and tuff (long time since I have been there). It is always weathering and always seems to be barren of plants where the region is arid, but has minerals needed by plants and is farmed in humid regions.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 10:35 PM

Michelle,

I had the kitchen somewhat updated when I moved into this house, and put new counter-tops on the existing cabinets. The carpenter put in the sink (they cut the hole in the counter-top with a template that came in the box) but unfortunately, a carpenter also hooked up the plumbing. It was the oddest Rube Goldberg collection of bends and twists to get from the drain to the outlet, and it leaked onto the MDF flooring of that cabinet. It rotted out. I had a plumber come fix the sink (he looked at it, looked at me, I said "a carpenter put it in," a knowing look came over his face, and he took out half of the kinks and straightened the whole thing out.)

That was in about 2004. I had to pull out the bits of moldy, rotted board, but I wasn't going to store anything in there until I had the bottom of the cupboard fixed. It happened that an English professor friend came through town on his way from Arizona to Virginia. He is also a halfway decent carpenter, and he measured and cut a new piece that we dropped into place. The next year when he came by he helped put up a big mirror in the bathroom. He hasn't been by for a while--maybe he's afraid I'll have him replace a roof or something next time! :)

Meanwhile, in the present day, laundry is in, bread is rising, and the 89 cent bunch of onion sets are in place in the ground now. I figure I'll get at least 89 cents worth of onions out of them. I ran the soaker hose around the area and have run it for a while, but I really should set up a sprinkler to give it a good drenching. It's very dry now, fires in the region. I can smell the smoke when I walk outside, it's a complex smell, a mix of trees and grass. Straight grass fires smell a lot different than forest fires.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 11:57 PM

Haven't done much this weeking, but plan to get back in the de-cluttering harness on Monday. No snow here, but very cold-- 9F (-12C) overnight.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 01:39 AM

I finished (sort of) my first InDesign publication. It's an invitation, nothing big, but my gosh there's a lot to figure out about this software! I'll ask the guys at the print shop to help me make it look a little prettier. ;)

My computer has a better array of photos in it now. And I've cleared out some of the extras on the memory card for the camera also.

Time to call it a night. Good luck tomorrow, Maryanne. Looks like some mudcatters are going to have to get out the snow shovel in the morning.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 01:14 PM

I de-cluttered some of the loft today... the Virgo in me wanted to sort all the Christmas lights out into the proper boxes but the lazy sod in me just wanted to throw them all in the crate until next December...

I sorted. Thank heaven there are some chairs up there!

So now I have two lots of shelves with stuff on them, rather than stuff all over the floor with 2 shelf units on top of it. I removed an old vaccuum cleaner, which is in the 'pile for the tip', sorted 5 boxes of Christmas decorations into 3, labelled them and stacked them up where they are easily seen (at least until needed in December) and made some room to walk around. There are 3 empty crates and a sandwich box has been reunited with its lid.

A good day.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 03:34 PM

Kewl, LtS!

I trimmed some small limbs off of a small tree, this morning. One which has been rubbing against the car when I park. I am also going to prune the rose bush today.

Scrubbed the bathroom and also did more laundry. More to come.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 04:23 PM

De-cluttering the checking account, paying bils. :-/

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 07:24 PM

Got one glass bottle put up on ebay. Five more to go, sometime...maybe this evening.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 08:52 PM

Got 2 baskets of laundry folded & put away. One more load should finish all the dirty clothes. That really declutters my bedroom.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 10:20 PM

I have gathered almost everything I need for my taxes.

I usually go to H&R Block; doing them is just too nerve-wracking for me. I know it makes me a wuss, but I just can't make myself do them. Plus it would take me many hours, compulsively going over and over it.

She does usually save me enough to pay the fee, which isn't too terribly steep. And it gets filed electronically that way.

I did computer shop today (day off). It's high time.

and practice.

band had 2 gigs this weekend so I don't feel too bad about not getting more done. I make about $10 an hour all told doing it, but I figure it keeps me from being out there consuming. and I would MUCH rather spend the time playing than doing my taxes ...

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: JennieG
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 10:31 PM

This morning I bought another large lidded plastic crate to store the rest of my dressmaking fabric - I ran out of crate room a while ago and some fabric is still in bags on the floor of my sewing room. Shame on me......

And before you ask, yes I do use it!

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 10:51 PM

Fabric--I think there are several of us who know just how bulky and heavy it can be!

MAG, what are you seeing that interests you in computers?

I do my own taxes every year, and it usually takes me longer to get to it than it actually takes to do the taxes. I know this is the case. The amount that was overpaid is going to pay off the credit card bills. That will be a nice de-clutter of the file my bills usually wait in until the paycheck arrives.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 11:19 PM

MAG, when our taxes were much more complicated I always took them to H&R Block. I still would if I thought we'd get back enough to pay for it and still have some left over, but that doesn't look as though it will be the case this year.

I got one more bottle listed. Started to list another and decided I'd better figure how old it is and how much it is worth. From what I am seeing, it may be fairly rare and bring a good price. I've emailed a nice-sounding BLM guy who, it seems, has bottle and bottle knowledge as a hobby and is willing to help identify them, not value, but at least age, etc.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: mouldy
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 04:11 AM

The pile of ironing continues to grow. However, as I need to change my bedlinen, it will have to be attacked. I can't justify buying another set just because I am getting lazy! At least the trailer full of ivy will be out of the way tomorrow.

The digital piano has arrived. Now I am awaiting a reply from EFDSS, otherwise I have got to try and sell the old one. Looks a bit pretentious with 2 of 'em in the living room! I shall miss the old one, because if nothing else, it's a pretty piece of furniture with abalone inlay and brass candle holders.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 06:59 AM

SRS...you crack me up...he hasn't been by for awhile..LOL!!!

Today the new floor boards surrounding the sink are being put in and RidgePlucker is going to put the new sink and surrounding cabinetry in, as well as the kitchen sink. Perhaps the new countertops will go on today too...we'll see how the day goes.

Meanwhile, I will be working in my office finishing up the boxing of things that are no longer being used.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 08:29 AM

Oh, yeah, I did get some more plastic baskets (cheap ones) to put clutter in. They look a little better than putting stuff in cardboard boxes. Then I've still got the boxes.


SRS, I went to a place across the state line, about 10 miles, and looked at what a complete new setup would cost me. Intel computer,loaded, 22 " monitor (flat), 3 years AVG, file transfer and setup thrown in, run about $1000. Plus new hookup through Quest, $60 modem and $14.95/mo for one year.

I think I'll go that way. I'm a wuss, figuring out how to put components together and set it all up is beyond me.

Oh, and he would put my old hard drive in the new 'puter, so I wouldn't have to reset my cookie here.

I WOULD have to get a new email address but that would not be the end of the world.

Tomorrow is payday, so I'll make up my mind soon.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 10:27 AM

Michelle, I have several friends with whom I share an interest in the "physical plants" of our homes--innovations and general improvements in the houses, xeriscape gardening, solar panels (I can't afford them, but I love the progress one friend is making as he installs them at their desert home), water management (I want to put in a cistern, I have a pump to pull water from the creek, and I want to build a system for gray water in the garden). Etc. It's nice to know that an advanced degree in English doesn't preclude an ability to understand all of this stuff! :)   

MAG, It isn't enough to have a modem these days, you should also consider putting in a router, even if you're the only computer on it. Otherwise it is a straight shot through the modem to your computer by any malicious hacker. The router has it's own IP address, different than your computer, and that's what phishers see, so it's a good barrier to help keep crud out of your computer (along with a good firewall). If you have a router you're set up for visitors with computers (you can get a combination wired/wireless router, they're most common these days) for about $70. Take a look at NewEgg.com for lots of reviews.

Is the 22" monitor a wide one? Those are great if you're also using it for viewing movies (you can get downloads from NetFlix, for example, that you can watch on your computer).

Splurge and get a backward upgrade to XP-Pro, avoid VISTA. It'll be a lot easier in the long run. Keep us posted on what you're finding on machines.

I'm taking my first InDesign document over to the campus print shop this morning and will sit down with their software folks to go through and be sure I did it correctly and to see what they advise as any additional steps in putting documents together to send to them to print. It's not an easy program to learn, but I feel good about learning a new and very useful skill.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 01:38 PM

^^
^^^
----E
--E
---(
^^^^^
--->
^^^^^^
%]%]%]
^^^^^^^^^

That's supposed to be the big stack of dirty dishes I washed this morning...
^ = stack
---E = salad & regular forks
----(= spoon
----> = knife (sharp point!)
%]%]%] = coffee mugs:-<

LOL!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 04:58 PM

Most of my silverware is in the bottom of the dishpan right now. I'll have to take care of all of those before fixing dinner this evening.

It's a pretty day today, so of course I have to work, not garden.   :-(

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 06:06 PM

I forgot to mention that I cleared out another file drawer at work today, and put the photo packets in there that were in a box on top of another cabinet. I am still using that box, this time for containing newsletter and magazine overflow from a shelf that now looks tidy, and the box just looks like a neatly stacked box, back where it began. I'll sort through it soon and probably file or discard most of the publications in it. And get rid of the box.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 06:36 PM

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I really realy REALLY love the Really Useful Boxes here... and there are lots of useful inserts you can get for them too. I especially like the one for rolls of wrapping paper...

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: GUEST,MAT at work
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 08:56 PM

SRS, the nice young man at the store recommended XP over VISTA; he doesn't like it. Their 22 " monitor was indeed a wide screen; being able to access entertainment is something I really really look forward to. (no TV)

Good point about the router; I'll look into it.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 11:47 PM

Forgot to say, Andrea, have a wonderful time with your grandbaby etc. in NZ!!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 11:58 PM

If he's willing to promote XP over VISTA, that's a really good sign in a sales clerk. Stick with this guy, and ask a bunch of questions about the things you know (or think) you want to do with this machine. There are still a number of machines that are set up for XP, and it plays nice with a lot more programs. Good luck!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Mar 09 - 02:37 AM

Someone 'freecycled' the vacuum cleaner and the radio from the garden.. hope they got to it before the rain we had all day yesterday did much damage. We're decluttering desks at work now. Coming up to the end of the financial year and the end of the first quarter, and they want to move our desks around. Why do they always do it in March?

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maeve
Date: 04 Mar 09 - 06:20 PM

I am wearing a nice new temporary cast on my left arm. Soon the doctor will tell me if I'm looking at a 6-week cast or surgery followed by a cast which I'm certain I'll be happy to deaccession.

Amazing how much clearing out one can do one-handed.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Mar 09 - 06:52 PM

Did we miss a step in this? No one reported an injury or a broken arm as part of their de-cluttering strategy. What is the story? (I hope it doesn't hurt too much!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Mar 09 - 09:49 PM

Can we send virtual autographs to put on it? {{{{{{{maeve}}}}}}}

Hope it doesn't hurt too much!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maeve
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 07:22 AM

The story is simple:

Sunday
ice + fall + 1 hr drive home in snow (with magazine splint) + wait for roads to be passable = 2 bad days

Tuesday
doctor's appt + xray + referral + visit with bone doc + "nasty fracture may need surgery" = temporary cast

Wednesday
CT scan

Thursday
Waiting for verdict and typing poorly in the meantime

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to work
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 08:18 AM

Oh Maeve... sorry you had to spend the weekend in pain.. hope it settles down soon.

Possibly another day in the loft tomorrow.. it's been a strange week where I've managed to work all my allotted hours in 3 days... so I can take tomorrow off or come into work and build up some hours.. my choice. I suspect bed will win.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 10:06 AM

Batgoddess had a broken arm last year, with the attendant surgery and long recovery period. Keep your work around the house to within a reasonable range for your injury to heal, but do keep moving so you don't stiffen up and gain weight from lack of exercise. A difficult balance to maintain. Maybe move one book at a time, and do a few lifts over your head of each volume with the good arm? (Did you see the movie Lady in the Water, in which one character builds up one side of his body?)

Looks like work is calling today. Three days in a row on campus--that's unusual, but there are fires to put out. I wish my sinuses weren't quite so unruly, and driving on a bright day with a sinus headache is particularly unpleasant. It's allergy season and they need to be de-cluttered. Neti pot, here I come. . .

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 11:16 PM

I've been feeling badly because I haven't done much the past few days to declutter. ebay has been a bust so I have not been motivated to get much more listed. Late this afternoon, I finally got with it and dug out the jewellery table, again. It was buried by stuff we brought in from storage. I found places for almost all of it and the table is cleared and usable, again. Good thing, as I just found out I will have Morgan all day tomorrow as his dad starts back to work tomorrow. Yeah!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 12:41 AM

Kat, don't beat yourself up. That's an important aspect of this process. Get a good night's sleep, eat healthy, take your vitamins, get some exercise, and then think about listing stuff, or picking up or packing away. If you're not feeling good, eBay isn't going to make you feel better. Make a list and cross things off, but be sure you include the "regular" stuff like dishes and cooking or shopping. Let yourself see all you're doing.

I haven't gotten anything listed on eBay for weeks, after The Crash. Now I'm breaking in a new computer (a laptop from work) and I had to drive over today to get the IT guy to put me back on the network after accidentally knocking it out. But I think this weekend I might get started again. I say that each weekend, and maybe this one I'll make it.

maeve, I hope you're feeling better. Liz, how is the upstairs doing? MAG, are you snowed in? (It was 85 here today.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maeve
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 02:28 AM

Thanks for the kind thoughts. Making progress, No fear of me sitting still too long. So far I am finding out what I can do one-handed. Not sleeping much yet. One immediate challenge: still have a couple thousand bulbs needing potting up along with all the seeds to start for spring seedling sales, hanging baskets, and the veggie gardens.

"I'll think about it tomorrow"

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 03:29 AM

Maeve, you could tape a dibber to your cast and make the holes for bulb planting... go back to the ER and ask them to incorporate a couple of gardening tools?! :D (Seriously, when a mate of mine had external metalwork holding a broken ankle together, he rigged a key holder and something to hold cutlery to it.. he could never carry his plate whilst using his crutches and not drop the cutlery)

I'd help if I could... if my numbers come up on the £85million EuroLottery tonight, I'll be with you next week!

Anyhoo... back to the loft.. yes, bed won over frosty walk to the station this morning, so later Manitas (who is suffering from Manflu and taking the day off again) and I will be off to Ikea to purchase a decent shelving system. That way, we'll actually be able to a) walk around the loft without falling base over apex over stuff and b) be able to see exactly what we have up there!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: mouldy
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 05:45 AM

Full of good intentions, I woke at 7, then mooched about and got up after 10!

However, today is the day to finish counting the charity boxes I do, and decimate the pile of ironing. I'm sure I will find lost tribes in there! Of course, half way through the day is a visit to the hairdresser with my daughter...

I go away in 4 days, and I have to leave the house in some semblance of order.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 10:05 AM

Got up early today to take the trash to the curb. Not much de-cluttering lately, just day-to-day maintenance like washing dishes & laundry.

Our music group has lined up several gigs this month, so I've been spending more time practicing and organizing songs-- finding lyrics, practicing the guitar arrangement, do I need to re-write it in a different key?, all that kind of stuff. I don't do many "Irish" songs during the rest of the year, so when March comes 'round I need to catch up.

We did a show last night at a local restaurant, and it went well, even though our lead vocalist was out of town. I ended up singing more than usual, but by the end of the night, there were song pages everywhere. Now I have to put the book back together, because we've got 2 shows on Sunday.

Going to try to get out for a walk, because it's windy now but supposed to get up to 60F (15C) this afternoon, then rain later.

Sorry to hear about your arm, Maeve. I hope you heal well and quickly.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 11:15 AM

Gardening tools on a cast--what a great image! I wish I were a cartoonist, I can imagine how it might look! A good by-product--you'd be well-armed when out shopping, to avoid being mugged!

It's Friday today! I still have a lot to do today, but hopefully this weekend the warm weather will hold and I can mow and get some work done in the yard during the day, then retire to the house to eBay in the evening.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: GUEST,MAG at work
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 11:32 AM

Just snow flurries, S.

We always get a warming trend in February and my buobs start up, then they get zapped in March.
Every year.
I don't know how they survive.

I finished pruning back the rosebushes a couple weeks ago; now I just need to see how much winterkill they got in December. Lat time we had that much severe cold they dies back to the ground, but thanks to mulching they sent up new canes.

Thank goodness I mulched this year.

I decluttered my practice bench; want to dust off some songs before Portlan'd Singtime Frolics at the end of the month. I look forward to this every year.

This weekend I sort of declutter by hiding stuff before the guy comes to set up my new computer on Monday. (Yes, I did it!) Mp way to hide the yardsale pile.

I've never bothered to keep track of what I give to charity thrift shops. What if they don't give me a receipt? Is this really worth it?

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 12:01 PM

Good for you! What did you decide on?

We had a speaker scheduled to come to campus a year and a half ago, he lives in Bangor, and that November he couldn't get here because of snow. He almost couldn't get here this week as well--we all were on pins and needles watching the weather reports as that monster storm blew through. He did get here, lucky for him, because our next attempt would have been to be sure snow wasn't an issue. I don't know if he'd have enjoyed Texas in July! ;)

This evening I need to pick up around the house, lots of stuff has migrated to open counters and tables. I was hoping also to de-clutter a credit card bill, but I see today that my tax refund still isn't here. I read somewhere that they distribute refunds on Fridays. Maybe later in the day?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 12:39 PM

Won't be posting progress reports much, but Feb/March has been and will be re-purposing some spaces for new home-office/travel-office stuff. BIG project. A shifting-- a little at a time. Happy to have this project for the calories it will burn: a parallel advance on existing seasonal house/vehicle-uses and activities.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 01:21 PM

At least tell us a little about the project, Susan. Is this a room in your house that was an office, a room that will become an office, or are you turning something else into an office, perhaps a travel trailer or popup camper?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 07:28 PM

Did an amazing amount in the loft today - just by purchasing 3 small and 2 large boxes and consolidating piles of similar things.. and the addition of 4 shelf units. So now all the picture frames are in one box, the Christmas decorations are all in one corner, the PA equipment is on one pair of shelves, all my finer fabrics (the silk, damasks and fine linens) are in one box and there's a couple of bags waiting for another box to be purchased (84l Really Big Really Useful Box - fabulouso!) and filled. There's a bit more to do up there, mainly just small sorting but there's now room to do it and a place to put it.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 09:31 PM

Wow, LtS! That sounds terrific!

Congrat, MAG, on getting the new computer!

Maggie, thanks. I am trying to be good to myself and did feel better once I'd taken care of the office, yesterday. I had Morgan all day today and it was one of the best days he and I have had together in a long time. Everything went well, we had a blast (he kicked my arse at UNO!) AND he earned some more money by moving two bins, a box, and a chair for me, with my help... that stuff I was talking about moving to our bedroom etc. So now the dining room has a shabby-chic antique stuffed chair in among the houseplants and our bedroom has a corner filled with 78s, two bins, and a box of stuff to go through. I will start on that, maybe this weekend, though if it is warm enough, Rog has emptied the back of his truck so we can clean up the driveway and take stuff to the landfill. I also have some typing to do and the taxes are still calling.**bg**

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: mouldy
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 03:57 AM

That's what I have to do soon, Liz.
My small bedroom is full of detritus, plus all the bits and bobs of fabric and stuff that I was using to make my dolls. All that has been put on hold until I sort out the house, and I need to clear the room for decorating. I may get Peter to board out a bit more of my loft, although I could possibly have enough room with what's already there. I also need to have a major chuck-out of a lot of my dough cutters. Many are getting seriously rusty. They can be replaced if I need to. (I have drawers full of cutters I have hardly used).

I have one more charity box to get in and count, and the village post office says I can pay it in on Monday. However i still haven't attacked the ironing...that's this afternoon's job. I am shortly going shopping to pick up a few last minute things I need, and to pay some £2 coins I've been hoarding into the bank.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 11:32 AM

If you add up all the £2 coins that are being hoarded, there must be several millions of pounds just sitting in jars, bottles, piggy banks and under mattresses... no wonder I'm finding it harder to get them in my change!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 12:28 PM

As I first walked into my living room this morning and scanned through to the dining area, I could see that it is getting a bit messy. Not like before, but the gradual settling on open surfaces. I thought I made progress earlier in the week, but not enough to make the room look clear.

I did clear off the dining table this morning and cleaned it and now I have a full mink coat lying on it. I'm going to work up from the hem and stitch a few of the pelts together (at the underarm area on the sleeves, a spot that always pulls apart first in coats like this) then I'll package it and list it on eBay. Its old but it's very big, and for a lot of years it was stored in cold storage. In the last 20 it has been in a closet, most of that in a plastic garment bag to keep it from getting dusty. I will offer it "as is" and as a possible candidate for remaking into other garments. It is "goddess sized" meaning there is a LOT of fur to work with!

After an afternoon of clearing last week and several hours this week, my office looks much better. I must have recycled several hundred pounds of paper. This is an occupational hazard--if you're in the business of generating paper, you end up storing a lot of it.

I talked a faculty member off of an html ledge yesterday. We've been discussing her web page (she's the dept. chair and the secretary who used to do this resigned a while back). It was a year out of date, and she didn't know how to fix it. I told her how to get permission to edit (to be able to save her work to the server), then how to open her page in FrontPage.

"My secretary had it on her computer."

"You can't use her computer, you have to know her password to log on, and she's gone, so it's gone. Maybe you have it on your computer."

"Where do it find it?"

"It's a Microsoft Office program, you'll find it in there."

"Okay, got it!"

You'd think that would be a formula for html disaster, a newbie who doesn't even know WHERE to find the program, but she did a great job. I told her how to save it into her computer to fiddle with until permission came through, and if she killed it, she could download it again and we'd work on it. She made the changes, but her images went away on her hot-link buttons (they were mouse-over applets--a pain in the butt, and some of the images were saved "locally" on her computer, messing up the links). I talked her into the code view (I was at home on the phone so I couldn't see where her images were stored) and figured it out and she managed to reset all of the "top" images on her links. The page looks right, the information for her lecture series is now up for this year, and she's going to make an appointment with the library folks who teach this stuff (we have a whole media classroom in the basement) to show her the basics.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 05:23 PM

I should clarify the coat repair--there is a part of the inside hem (between the outer pelts and the inner silk lining) that was loose, so I reached up into the coat from there and was able to work inside and out with a needle and strong thread to pull some pelts back together again.

That has been accomplished and the hem repaired. It is a gorgeous coat. Weighs a ton (well, only five and half pounds, but that is still fairly heavy for a garment). Measured and photographed and now to the description and listing.

I've been listening to Art Thieme CDs while I work. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 06:38 PM

As I stated earlier, construction things never go according to schedule, so we adjust. Today the new cabinets were set into place after having some difficulty getting the old ones out of the house (they were put in place before certain doors were added to the house) so that slowed things down a bit. RidgePlucker now has the new cabinets in place and one of the new counter tops is resting where it will eventually be screwed on (most likely tomorrow), however, there is a problem. There is a scratch on the counter top that we didn't see until it was sitting here in our kitchen light. Hmmmmmmm. If we can't buff it out, it's going back tomorrow. This will be the second counter top we have had to return. The guys on the delivery truck aren't padding the counter tops, so DUH, we have scratches. With the amount of money that is spent on these things, I want my counter tops to be in top shape....not going to make do or settle with this one. HMPH. Sooo...it may be that we have yet another delay. *Sigh* I am loving the progress that is being made in our home but at times, it is incredibly frustrating.
    My office is shaping up nicely! I have a huge pile to take to our annual yard sale and am looking forward to getting it into storage (central storage spot where we all park our stuff for the year, free). Being that my office is as empty as it will most likely ever be, I'm thinking of painting it another color. It's a pale pink that I never have really liked too much. We'll see.

Michelle who is so tired out today that her DH is making dinner. He's the best!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 07:00 PM

About all the decluttering I did today was straightening out 2 side-by-side small junk drawers in the kitchen.

I've been re-printing some of my song lyrics (in a larger type, sh!) and settling (once and for all, I hope) on the keys.

It's been raining on and off all day, and coming down hard right now. I had the windows open yesterday. Hope it improves tomorrow, because I'll be criss-crossing the county for 2 separate gigs.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 12:20 AM

Good going on getting back in gear for ebay, Maggie.

The only thing I did, today, was play Uno with Morgan and help him vacuum...what can I say, the kid volunteers!:-) I did do three loads of laundry and Rog and I put away a pile of laundry from last week.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 03:24 AM

Laundry.. I knew there was something I had to do... my ironing pile is so big, there's a team of Sherpas halfway up it.

All the crap in the front garden made it to the tip yesterday, some bloke took away all the children's videos that were in the front porch - he was very happy with them and I even got him another carrier bag I was so glad to be rid of them! Got the dining room mostly cleaned and today there's a 'putting stuff back where it belongs' workshop to organise... which incorporates a 'hunt for something important that the child has lost' which we seem to be doing more frequently.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 12:57 PM

I worked late last night to finish then save a new eBay auction (I lay them out in FrontPage then paste them into the eBay html editor), and I'll proof it today and launch it later. Liz, I understand your laundry dilemma. The cat is afraid to go near that end of the couch for fear of sinking into and getting hopelessly tangled in the laundry to be folded. I have a NetFlix film to mail back tomorrow that I'll finish watching as I fold.

It's a lovely day for yard work, so I'll probably at least mow (must de-clutter the dog droppings first).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 01:50 PM

I've had 2 days of the blue screen of death, so Im really glad the new 'puter is coming tomorrow.

Today I am madly shovellin out, first the den where it goes, and then the trail back to the front door so the guy bringing it can get to the den without tripping.

Nothing like a little incentive.

It's a beautiful day and I could go out and spin the composter, and I may do that for a break; hate to not get out when it's sunny.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 01:52 PM

Fsiled miserably at all tasks, have a stiff shoulder, no tidying done, only 4 cards made, nothing got put back and now the scanner has died....

Humph.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 02:45 PM

Liz, at least one thing you may find if you have to get a new scanner (try reinstalling it first, though) is that they have gotten a lot better for the price, and in many instances, you can get one much cheaper than a few years ago and they work faster and quieter.

MAG, every time someone comes to the house I do this "through someone else's eyes" glance around and realize I still have a lot of work to do. The fact that I am pacing myself and gradually donating stuff during the year and taking it off of my taxes has given me moments of concern (versus clearing everything out in one fell swoop). Will the IRS really believe that with my modest income I am actually donating this much in material goods? I've thought about the explanation I would give, how to make it clear:

I have reached an age where both of my parents (two separate households) have died, and I inherited my ample share of their stuff. They had inherited stuff from other relatives, and were packrats. I have inherited other stuff from elderly relatives who skipped my parent's generation, and I've been a packrat.

I'm trying to divest myself of this stuff in a methodical manner. One approach is to sell some of it on eBay. When I finally understand how much work is involved for the financial return on this particular type of item, then I decide if I want to keep selling, or if I want to donate it locally and claim the price that I expect to get at eBay. It keeps items of value here in the community and it means that local thrift stores will be able to sell the item for that generally modest price and keeps the items affordable for non-ebayers who don't want to pay shipping costs, who prefer to shop locally.

I wonder if my pal (in print) Don Aslett has given thought to this kind of clutter turnover?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 10:38 PM

SRS, sorry, I did not see your question till today.

There are 2-3 spaces involved in becoming office-y because... well, because.

One is a guest room that can also be a VERY sunny office in weather that is not too cold-- it's drafty, but the winders don't open so I don't want to caulk them draftless till next fall-- in the hot summer I'll need all the drafts I can get. That space will receive a laptop and a small printer (both can be moved to the AC summer room if needed on a really hot day, but it's seldom that this guest room stays hot overnight so I think it will be OK most of the summer). It has copious, mostly-empty cabinet space and a built-in keyboard slide-out counter with more counter space all around it, all at the right height. It has most of the stuff ready to hook up, and I think Hardi is going to add wireless...

Because....

He has one at home too, now in the dining room, that will need to be routered wireless.

And...

Then there is the traveling office which presently holds a different laptop-- a more rugged one that I'll take on vacay, workshops, meetings, etc., for which I also hope to find a tiny travel printer.

All these have or will have re-allocated external hard drives and flash keys for moving stuff back and forth.

The guest room office will be mainly for drafting work product in peace and quiet away from the backdoor-knockers and for either Hardi or I to go keyboard away without inviting conversational interruptions.

But the "entertainment" desktop computer will remain in the living room for looking movies up in the IMDB or getting hockey news and, perhaps, hockey games via internet.

That upstairs one is also mighty good for insomniac solitaire. :~)

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 12:57 AM

Good news, Susan! Good luck with those plans.

An item is now listed at eBay, after some last-minute consternation this afternoon. I double-checked to be sure I was listing mink, not muskrat. :) It is mink.

Laundry is folded and back where it belongs, one last tiny load is in on gentle. The washer is making a new noise tonight when it spins. Not good.

I ran a damp cloth up and down the clothes lines today, to clean off the general dirt built up this winter. I'm going to go back to drying outside now that we have warmer weather, longer days, and a better shot at clothes drying in an hour or two, tops.

I had to swing by Walmart the other day--I try to limit shopping there to about once a quarter--and pick up a brand of cat litter that only they seem to carry. While I was at it, I picked up a supply of decongestants. They have inexpensive knock-off versions of OTC expensive snot-buster guiafed drugs. While I was there I looked at the box ($14.50) of "50 precisely pre-measured doses" of "minerals" for the neti pot. You read the ingredients and do the math (sodium chloride = salt and sodium bicarbonate = baking soda) and you wonder why on earth someone would pay that much for way less than 50 cents worth of salt and baking soda? I'll mix up some of the cheap stuff here at the house and use it before bed.

Okay, off my soap box. . .

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Penny S.
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 05:25 AM

It's really encouraging reading this - at the top I was thinking I hadn't done anything much. But I've cleared things in the kitchen and bathroom in order to let the plumber get at the stop cock and the cistern (been waiting two weeks now...duh). And I've started on the computers eliminating duplicate files now I've got both mended and back to work.
I must go and get the very old cabbage out of the fridge.
I am trying very hard not to let food waste develop, but it's a bit of a problem when I get depressed about cooking, combined with the tenant downstairs being on a shift where he sleeps in the morning under the kitchen.
My move is on hold, as the survey wasn't helpful - the place needs more work than I anticipated, including the storage mezzanine floor - suitable for light storage only as is. And the vendor doesn't want to bring the price down. I've spent so much time persuading myself not to be disappointed I'll regret him changng his mind.
I've been knitting up some recycled yarn from a charity shop cardigan. And I've sorted out some more seldom worn clothes for Oxfam and laundered them.
Difficult to combine with sleep problems leading to lie-ins and daytime naps!
Penny

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maeve
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 07:48 AM

PennyS- You are moving forward; that counts. Sleeping when you are able counts too. When you sleep you are allowing your body and mind to be cleansed, decluttered, restored.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: mouldy
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 08:01 AM

The charity collection is banked, most of the ironing is done, and most of the washing up too. My bag is just about packed, and I am off to the other side of the world tomorrow, leaving behind a couple of table tops which are now visible!

(Trouble is, all the mail which arrives over the next few weeks will end up dumped on them!)

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 09:30 AM

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....FINALLY! The new kitchen cabinets are IN! The counter tops are ON! The sink is IN and WORKS! The dishwasher is in place but not yet hooked up...wait, what? Why? I'll tell you!!! The new kitchen floor is going in today...it's the one thing that we are NOT doing ourselves! The installers are here and I am beside myself with glee!!! LOL I'm just about freakin' GIDDY!!! Things have been ripped up for way too long and the chaos of construction is overwhelming sometimes! I do have to say, though, that the new paint, counters, sink and cupboards look FANTASTIC! When it's all done, I'll have to post some photos for you!!!!   WOOO HOOOOOO!!!! I'm a happy, HAPPY girl!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 10:00 AM

Sounds like you'll be bouncing off of those kitchen walls for a while, Michelle!

I've been knitting up some recycled yarn from a charity shop cardigan. What a clever idea! Find an ugly knit garment with great wool? Take it apart and make something else from it. And without the difficulty you would encounter if it were fabric, cut into shapes you are constrained by. That's really interesting! What are you making?

If you can keep your daytime naps to 20 minute or less "power naps" they won't interfere with your nighttime sleep, but they are remarkably refreshing for your thought processes. It's a state of total relaxation that is so useful, like meditation. If I sleep for too long then I'm groggy for a couple of hours, and the nap is counter-productive that way.

Ah, Monday.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 01:40 PM

Quite a few lookers at eBay and it has a bidder without being a day old. Good! I put in verbiage this time about bidding now, not waiting and maybe forgetting and missing it. I wonder if that made a difference?

Potential fur buyer: If you've read clear down to the bottom of this auction, chances are this looks like a nice coat, with a reasonable starting price, and you will choose to watch, perhaps bid at the last minute if you remember. Won't you be disappointed if the winner gets it for a price you would have happily paid? Why not go ahead and bid now? Name your maximum price, stick to your limits, and watch to see what happens. In these times of fiscal uncertainty, bargains are all the more welcome, and if your bid does happen to be the winner, you'll have the best quality coat of this type at a great price and I'll have more room in my closet! Happy bidding!

I have spoken with a friend whose roommate is good at fixing mechanical things. I discussed the possiblility of offering a good dinner and a cash incentive, if he thinks his roomie would come fix my washer. After that noise last night it would not spin. Something is broken, but what Sears charges to fix things is enough to make me want to try something else first. Fingers crossed I can get a schematic of the machine and figure out what part I might need to buy (or what part he can repair or put back into place, whatever).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maeve
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 01:49 PM

Once upon a time in a thrift shop, I spotted a oversize, very heavy sweater a friend had knit. The yarn was a heavy single ply she had spun. I took it apart, unravelled and respun the yarn into a lovely and lofty 2-ply I can use for something different. All the old-timey knitters I know reknit used sweaters into new projects.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 02:29 PM

All of my "knitting" consists of threatening to knit a new cat out of all of the cat hair around here.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 03:42 PM

WOOT!!!! WOOT!!!! My kitchen floor is FINISHED!!!!! OMG what a HUGE difference it makes in here.....my heart is banging away with excitement..LOL..how sad is THAT? ROFL But it's TRUE!!! I think I may have to kill the first person to walk in this house with muddy shoes!!!!   *contented happy sigh*

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 05:30 PM

Like a brand new house, eh? Sounds nice! I need a different tile one day in my kitchen. I have an exotic tile that the family who built the house chose, perhaps reminiscent of their native Lebanon. Trouble is, the moment anything falls on this elaborate pattern it virtually disappears. This is good in that dirt doesn't show, but just try to find a pill or button or any other small thing you've dropped.

Lots of lookers and several watchers on eBay. It's a nice welcome back after an absence.

MAG, how's the new computer? Did you kick enough of a path through to get it set up easily?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 07:14 PM

Congrats on the new kitchen, Michelle. Nothing like having things the way you want them.

YES SRS; I'm typing on the new'puter right now.

I went into my profile to change my email addy so I kept my Mudcat name and everything.

and it's nice the house is also a lot cleaner and tidier.

The 'puter guy said I couod maybe sell my old monitor for $25 - $30, so I', saving it for my yard sale. Which could happen any time now; it's actually almost looking like spring, and yard sale season.

My one disappointment so far is that I tried to get WFMT in Chicago so I could listen to the Midnight Special stream, and it wouldn't come up. The home page seems to be under construction but they still should have a place where you can access shows.

I hope it has not gone to a pay system; last I was able to listen it was not.

I'll check the archives to see what good folk radio is available.

Heaving a sigh of relief,

Mary Ann

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 07:25 PM

Good for you, Michelle. I kinda know what you're feeling. About 4 years ago, I had my bathroom remodeled. It turned out to be better than I even imagined. I still have a good feeling whenever I go in it, esp. when I take a long hot bath.

I'd love to do something to my kitchen, but I don't have a plan in my head yet. Maybe in 2010. I hope you enjoy every minute of it.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 07:44 PM

We just got some fiscal news today which may mean we can put some sticky tiles of some sort down on our old kitchen floor. It would be so much easier to keep clean and look so much better! Enjoy, Michelle!

That's good on ebay, Maggie and what you wrote is brill! Good luck with that. I think big items like that and my glass piece probably do better on there than little things. I've only sold one thing out of several small things. I think I will let ebay rest for a bit and concentrate on loading my books into the bookstore online.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 10:55 PM

I found the owner's manual for my side-by-side fridge/freezer. I haven't found it for the washer yet. They both need work. I have a couple of other places to look for that manual. I guess if I have to haul laundry to the commercial laundromat for this week it won't be too bad, at least I can dry it at home in the dryer or on the line.

I need to find some little job I can start and finish tonight. To feel like I'm getting somewhere. Maybe clean off a desktop, if I can actually put the books and papers away and not just move them. I think this is a response to the prospect of big bills to fix two major appliances. I'll take back some control from the machinery in the house. :)

Open the pod bay door, Hal. Know what I mean?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: mouldy
Date: 10 Mar 09 - 03:36 AM

Enjoy the new kitchen, you LUCKY lady!
I remember being so proud of mine and keeping it oh so clean and tidy for quite a while (which is quite a feat for me, believe me!)

When I get back from NZ in April I have to prepare to remove mine in order to work on the damp floor, but the upside is that I will have to put new worktops on when it goes back in, a new flooring, and redecorate. It will hopefully look like a new kitchen when I'm done....then the house goes up for sale not long after that!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Mar 09 - 01:49 PM

Kat, I sure hope I got my eBay description right. That auction isn't a day old yet and it has 16 watchers. I made a ham-handed attempt to answer a question in French (I read a little, speak none).

It feels like spring--humid, overcast, wanting to rain. Trees are bursting into bloom overnight. Redbud stand anonymously in the sparse prairie all year, but right now, they are splashes of bright dark pink scattered in the landscape. They make the roughest patch of shrubs look elegant. My tree is a late bloomer, but soon. And it feels like a time for change, a time to clear out the house again. I think the thread header is right, it just took a couple of weeks to catch up to it. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Penny S.
Date: 10 Mar 09 - 07:20 PM

I'm knitting a cardigan - it was a cardigan when I bought it. It's a multicoloured chenille type yarn and it looked to me a bit like my mother's rockery in summer, all pinky mauvy rock roses, and various greens of foliage. I wore it once and decided it needed a welt knitted on the bottom and the cuffs, and while I was looking at it and thinking what colour would work, I noticed that the previous knitter had not worked with alternating balls, so there was a great solid lump of pink over the left front. So I unpicked it to start from scratch. I went around all the knitting shops I could to try and find it so I could get a spare ball, but could not identify it, until I did a search for knitting yarns on the web. Eventually, after much examination of tiny little thumbnails, I tracked it down to a firm in Wales, who dye hanks to order, and got my extra one for emergencies. (Colinette Isis in Dusk) I'm just going down the sleeves now, but might have to redo them - the shaping isn't working well.
The previous owner had stitched it together with huge stitches in embroidery cotton, but I've knitted it on circular needles and picked up stitches for the sleeves after grafting the shoulders, so there's no actual sewing at all. I try to do all my knitting that way now, having found it to be traditional - it means that any of my tension fluctuations match around the garment so I don't get the left front different from the right.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: JennieG
Date: 10 Mar 09 - 08:35 PM

Sounds lovely, Penny!

This year we are going to have the mother of all clean-ups, de-clutters, whatever you like to call it. Our plan is to clean out the house in which we have lived for nearly 22 years, raised two children in, and collected 'stuff' in; then sell the house and move out of Sydney to a country town to enjoy our retirement in peace, away from heavy traffic and other problems that living in a city brings. I retired at the end of last year and Himself is to join me on Friday, only a couple more days to go. We also have a couple of trips away in our little RV planned, and a trip to Canada later in the year to see our younger son and his sweetie again. Then it will be bye bye Sydney. Can't wait!

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Mar 09 - 09:47 PM

I wrote an answer but it went away. . .

Penny, you sound like an expert. My mother used to knit and crochet, and I have a sweater she knitted for me in elementary school, and I hope my sister still has the lovely fine pearl-colored shawl she crocheted. It had an ornate kind of scallop all through the piece. I remember the work that went into deliberately making gaps in the pattern.

The IRS has not come through; I should have been prepared to be disappointed. I wanted to de-clutter my file of bills to pay (and pay off the last couple of larger ones). Maybe tomorrow. . . though I will expect a letter explaining a math error and a much smaller check. Par for the course. (I was sure I had the math, it was easier this year, but maybe that was just an illusion).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 10 Mar 09 - 09:48 PM

Today was mostly running errands, in between the raindrops. Along the way, I stopped at the bookstore & bought a couple of garden magazines. This evening I went to a presentation about Native Plants for Your Yard and Water Quality, put on by the Clinton River Watershed Council (www.crwc.org). Getting anxious to start in the yard, but it'll be several weeks yet before I can do much work. I'll try to get started on the garage as soon as it stops raining.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Mar 09 - 11:55 PM

We've plans for more decluttering this coming weekend. I bought Rog some new shirts, yesterday, so he will cleaning out his side of the closet. All of his shirts are literally threadbare at the moment. Time to let them go.:-)

I am going to work on the taxes and get them done. I also have some more typing to do for my ex...that's been taking up some time, along with Morgan full-time now during spring break and his dad back to work full-time. He's great about helping, though, so I am sure I'll be doing some more before the weekend. We'll see just what and report back.

My crocus all look so pretty and my redbud is putting out little buds.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 05:16 AM

Not so much de-cluttering as consolidation this week... Got an unexpected day off today and need to make some more cards for sale at our concert on the 21st (ripe for those last minute Mothering Sunday cards), but also need to consolidate 5 boxes of fancy papers and scraps that can still be utilised into 1 or 2. Then perhaps I'll have a spare crate in which to put the cards I wish to sell! We have a wedding to sing at next Saturday so that takes another day of loft clearance out.

On the positive side, I have managed to acquire some box files in which to store magazines so they can be put in the loft once I've scanned the useful bits onto an EHD. Must remember to buy a new EHD though...

That should then free up most of a wardrobe which we can then fill with Limpit's stuff that's presently on her floor.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: GUEST,MAG at work
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 11:15 AM

Next project is to clean out the cabinet in the (miniscule) laundry room so I can actually store the cleaning supplies in there.

It's full of junque; I don't know from where-all.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 12:11 PM

Sh*t Sh*t Sh*t Sh*t Sh*t Sh*t Sh*t Sh*t !

The IRS says a form is missing. I called and was given a code and am still on hold, but "all indications are" . . . and it will be weeks more of waiting.

Drat.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 01:53 PM

The rain finally stopped. I was even able to take my coffee out onto the front porch, since it's enclosed and the sun warmed it up. Haven't done that since October.

Cleaned up the plant potting area in the basement, and collected a bag of trash to throw out. All of the old potting soil is going into the garage to add to the garden mix. While I was in that part of the basement, I found my aunt's good linen napkins. They must be nearly 90 years old by now. I thought my mother had tossed them out years ago. Anyway, I washed them and they're ready to use again. I'm really glad to have them back.

Made an apple crisp, too.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maeve
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 02:32 PM

Decluttered 1 temporary cast, wore new 6 week cast home. Slept. woke up. slept.

Getting so much done, me.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: SINSULL
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 02:40 PM

Some people will do anything to avoid shovelling snow...


Hope it heals quickly, Maeve.
Mary, whose house is a mess since I stopped decluttering mid- toss.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 03:21 PM

Interesting. That garment on eBay just took another leap. It's a classic situation: two newcomers to eBay (zero feedback) get in there and bid right away. There are tons of watchers, lots of looks, and about three bidders. After all of that work, it will probably be someone who bids once by snipe in the last six seconds who gets the coat.

I suspect that it is the size of the wearer that makes this coat interesting. So many of them are smaller sizes, and this is for a way-Rubenesque stature.

Papers papers everywhere. They're suddenly all over the place and not filed where I want them. I see my next de-clutter project. And a new, ongoing one for a while--hauling laundry to the laundromat until I can fix the washer. I'll get some reading in, anyway. Laundromats are always good for that.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 05:42 PM

Oh, that's a shame about the missing paper, Maggie, and your washer. Good luck with both of those.

I don't seem to be doing anything but bringing in clutter the past two days: new office supplies to put away, papers to scan in and type up, new-to-me clothes to be washed and hung up, general messiness that needs to be picked up...it never ends, does it?:-)

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to work
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 09:12 AM

Failed miserably at all tasks again... fell asleep instead. Limpit was forced from her room by the presence of a rodent and so had no computer to play on... she decluttered her make up drawer instead and got rid of all the pink stuff and dried up nail polishes, so she could put her nice new black and shiny make up in its place.

She declutterred her head of over 8" of hair on Tuesday (I kept it) and has hardly stopped brushing it since!

Oh ye gods, she's turning into a GIRL!!!!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 09:39 AM

Makeup?? She's wearing makeup, Liz??

Wasn't she just born??

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 11:22 AM

I had to take a load of laundry with me this morning when I dropped off my son at the bus. I washed them at his Dad's house and brought it back here to dry. Spring break next week so the pressure for school uniform bits is off and he has plenty of other clothes. Meanwhile, the sink has dishes that need washing. I did a little filing and recycling of papers on my desk. I think I need a nap, then I'll look at the day again.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 12:29 PM

Well, the upstairs office now has a start on peripherals-- Hardi got us a USB hub and I think an old printer we were given will work once I get a driver for it.

He's been busy getting files off the old, dying laptop to move onto the new one at the church (and a home copy onto the external drive here.)

The external HD to go upstairs now has my relevant folders and files to move my work product upstairs. All I need is printer, but I can toss docs onto a flash key and print them downstairs till I get that driver.

There is a minor furniture/artwork move to do up there to make a little more chair room.


The downstairs (LR) "office" has a date-tickler file set up to organize the pile of printed matter that will need to go with me to meetings. I'm leaving that downstairs since the dowstairs puder is the only one online right now and the resources I need to carry are mostly from online sources, not to mention roadmaps and directions. There is already a file in the van (with the gazeeters) for used directions, since I am sure I will return to many of the places I'm headed. (LOL, that file still contains the direx to Bobert's old house.)

The van camping kit is bare-bones complete for a boondocking date set for the end of the month. Other trips are in the works.

Two grocery bags full of supplies are packed and ready to deliver to one of the more frequently-visited winter hosts. (A bedside rug to go to X,, a set of sheets for Z, etc.)

Sorry for typos. Puder glasses lost.

So far the only purchase has been the USB hub. All the rest was on hand.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 12:52 PM

I rolled up my sleeves, attacked the sink, cleared the kitchen counter, recycled mail clutter, and feel a little more in control of that end of the house.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 01:57 PM

Today I have been working on clearing out some of the boxes in the nursery. I built the changing table and all box material for that is now gone. It is also now nicely stocked and ready for baby (who is coming in a little over a month now!). I emptied the box that contained the swing/bouncy seat and am having a bugger of a time getting it together (so here I am taking a break!)....very frustrating. Hmm...that leaves the high chair (minimal building and not needed immediately) and the pack & play (again, not needed just yet and will require minimal putting together).
    My kitchen is back to normal only better...MUCH better. The flooring is fantastic and I'm loving the new colors/counters, etc. We also did some cleaning of the outside porch which has been a catch all for construction stuff. Currently there is a child's bedroom set (dresser, night stand, desk, hutch, head board & bookcase) sitting out there as well (all under plastic) to be delivered to a friend with a young girl who will be delighted (as I am to be sharing it).
    I did some dusting, sweeping, mopping, laundry and dishes (laundry, dishes and sweeping are daily things for me) too. I'm gonna go chill with the most handsome man in the state (Hi Love!!!) and enjoy some popcorn and down time!

Toodles!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 07:01 PM

I started out this morning by putting the dishes in the sink to soak, then Morgan and I hit the road to finish this week's errands. The brakes started feeling mushy, so we went straight to the garage. They changed a master cylinder a few weeks ago and also replaced some brake fluid lines, so I was not esp. happy about this. Rog came and got us, bought us lunch on the go, we came home and ate, played UNO, then finally did some decluttering! Went out in the driveway where MOrgan helped me pick up two of my sisters' boxes which the wind had blown over. He then got me the wheelbarrow from the backyard, brought to to the front and helped me rake up some old leaves and pruned rose branches, put them in the wb and then dump them in a pile over in the corner. I did a little bit of cleanup in the driveway, too, some small branches I'd lopped off the russian olive which is growing between the pickets of our fence.:-<

Good news...the garage just called. The car is ready..the master cylinder was bad, under warranty, no charge!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 07:19 PM

Sometimes you've just gotta go with the flow, y'know? About 11am, I got a call from one of the Raging Grannies about a demonstration to support single-payer health insurance, so I figured I'd go, hold up my sign for a while, then leave. Well, Congressman John Conyers spotted us outside, had us sing a couple songs, then invited us inside. The event was the first (joint Michigan & Wisconsin) regional health reform forum organized by the Obama administration. I knew it was going on, but never imagined we'd be able to get in.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 12:36 AM

How nice, Maryanne!

Too bad Conyers has his head up his backside about some issues that will make a difference in health care and research. He was promoting a bill that would remove the requirement that publicly funded research be made public immediately or after a very short publication period.

Lawrence Lessig is an attorney who is a proponent of Open Access and copyright issues. It's a battle with for-profit publishers who are gouging the very institutions that produce the high quality scholarly articles that they're publishing. Scholars haven't known better and have given away all of their rights to their own work. The NIH is one of the big agencies that has said "if you take our public funding you have to make sure that your published works are freely available." Conyers, who takes large campaign donations from those for-profit publishers, wanted to not only take that access clause out of the NIH funding, he wanted to put back all of the gouging options that the publishers have enjoyed for many years.

Obama signed that Omnibus bill yesterday and included in it was wording that made the Open Access part law that Conyers can't touch. This is really important in the access to, the use of, and the continuation of medical research.

Yesss!

Okay, off my soap box. I didn't explain it clearly, it takes some time to do so. But it was an important battle that Obama won.

I've won a little battle of sorts also. Today in the mail (didn't have to wait two weeks!) was the IRS letter telling me that they wanted a copy of one more form. They enclosed a blank form and said I had 20 days to return it. Heck, it only took 20 minutes. I dropped that puppy in the mail on my way out to pick up my son after school. It could still take a while to process it, but I hope by sending it back so quickly I'm still ahead of the tax rush in early April.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 06:24 PM

Cleaning out my virtual "in basket" of things to do in my work email.

Time to get up and move around, maybe de-clutter in the house. It's cold and rainy and no fun outside. Gotta be indoor work.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 07:09 PM

As usual, we are gearing up for the weekend's decluttering. We're going to try to get the driveway done this time; the weather is better. We also have to get the oil changed in the car. Rog brought home another batch of light-saver/energy-saver light bulbs and replaced all but a couple of old ones, so we should be good on those for a good number of years.

My ex is going to take a metal gun cabinet that has been in the driveway, left when my sis left it behind when she went to Alaska. I thought our son-in-law was going to take it. Anyway, Stan will take good care of it and HE will declutter it from our place, so that's good.

We also put an old kitchen stool, with fold-down steps, out, last weekend, free to anyone who could use it. It was gone by the end of the day, so that's one more thing taken care of.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 08:19 PM

Clearing out approximately a laundry-hamper's worth of stuff that's been sitting around for 2 weeks, waiting for delivery opportunity-- a set of min-gift-bags as a surprise for an overworked office staff. Delivering tomorrow. Fun and snacks. Plus a bottle of local spring water, each.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 08:36 PM

In going through stuff, I found (more) size 22 jeans that got stuck away when I had (my first) knee surgery 7 years ago.

I could have been wearing them all this time. (sigh.)

Now they go in the yard sale pile. Which has gotten humongous.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 08:55 PM

It's soooo cold here this week, my plans were oriented outdoors but have been totally revised. The weekend doesn't look like it will be any better than today (mid-30s, raining). But it isn't like the house needs no work. I'm going to see if I can't clear off a couple of work surfaces this evening, ready for other tasks on those surfaces tomorrow.

That routine of lugging stuff down to the bottom of the driveway seems to be an universal symbol for "we don't want it. If you can use it, it's yours." I've certainly sent a lot of stuff out via that method. Nothing lately, but it is always an option.

Now to put the wet laundry (I stopped by the laundromat to wash a load and read a paper) in to dry and go heat water for a cuppa hot cocoa. Hard to believe last week it hit 88. It's spring break next week, all week for my son, only Thursday and Friday off for me, but I'll take it!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Mar 09 - 02:25 PM

Okay, so I bashed my foot by dropping the phone, and I'm going to limp a little (hit the boney part a couple of inches up from the little toe--ouch!) but I need to go out. I'm convinced my yeast is not good--I made bread the other night and it rose enough but tasted way too yeasty because I put more in to see if it would rise better than it has for a while. And I need dog and cat food. These guys won't appreciate not being fed just because I didn't like to go out in cold wet weather.

Company coming tomorrow, so I have to do some picking up. The trick will be to actually put things away and not simply move them out of sight, right? At least she'll be able to sleep in the bona fide guest room. My daughter's room has been reclaimed from kid clutter and cat dander and is now suitable for adult human occupation.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Mar 09 - 08:46 PM

I got yeast, but it may be a different enough type that I can't use it the way I usually do. It isn't instant, but it is fast acting. Anyway, I will see. No way I'm going back to soaking it in water, but I don't think I'll have to. I don't need hints, I've used all of them at one time or another. This is bulk from a restaurant supply place, not the usual bulk two-pack I buy at Sam's. It wasn't any cheaper, just a much shorter drive.

I'm moving furniture this evening. I decided that was the easiest way to tackle some of the mess in the living room. First comes my son's cluttered computer desk, and the contents are going into a box. He'll be pissed, but he can organize it and then I won't pile it in a box. From there I'll do some of the rest of the "company's coming" routine of dusting, folding the laundry dumped on the couch, etc. Nothing to watch tonight, PBS is doing their oddball night (apparently) in the pledge drive, so it's a Netflix DVD. About par for a rainy cold spring night.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 14 Mar 09 - 09:20 PM

Today was the perfect day for a St Patrick's day parade, held here in our little city. The sun was bright and the day wasn't too cold. I parked a few blocks way, watched the parade, then had lunch with friends I hooked up with afterwards. Tomorrow is the BIG parade along Michigan Avenue, in the Corktown area. If the weather holds, we'll have a huge turnout.

Our group played last night. I was a little apprehensive, because we don't usually do the "Green Beer" type material, but it turned out okay, I guess. Fortunately, I'm not on the schedule to play tonight or Tuesday. I'll wait until we get back to our accoustice sessions.

Maryanne

PS: here's a link to the Raging Grannies about healthcare on Youtube.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Mar 09 - 12:44 AM

Right on, Raging Grannies!!

You all sound very busy and productive, just watch out for the toes, eh?

I didn't get any sleep last night until about 430a, so I slept in for the first time in years...got up about 845a. We puttered around, geting breakfast and i did a load of laundry. Rog took the car to get the oil changed and bought a tarp and tie-downs for the truck when we fill it with the driveway stuff, but when he got back, I needed to get out of the house, so we left to run other errands. We looked at light fixtures at Habitat for Humanity's "Restore" but didn't like any of them. We want to put a new one in the kitchen, which will shine in all the dark corners and get rid of the huge, ineffective ceiling fan cum light. We'll take out time and find something that will work well and not cost too much.

Morgan came over in the afternoon to help me plant some trailing verbena in a pot with another plant I can't remember the name of at the moment. He also helped me put away a few little things which had accumulated this week. Still haven't done the taxes...I have a mental block about them...disappointed they won't be much from the looks of it.:-<

OH! Did do a HUGE thing with Morgan...almost forgot. I've had a four drawer rolling plastic drawer thing for the office for years. For at least ten years it's basically been in storage, in a closet or shed where I really didn't have access. I was having fun finding old keys for Morgan today when I realised it was time to actually tackle clearing it out. (I knew there were keys in it.) It took some effort and grumbling on Rog's part, but he got it out to the LR for us and we had a blast cleaning it out. I filled a tall kitchen trash can with old stuff and saved a few things, plus Morgan now has the lowest drawer, empty, ready for his use in the office which will help with that clutter. That felt so good, a real accomplishment and Morgan is thrilled with his own keychain which jangles! He's even got a carabiner(sp) to hang them from his belt loop like "Papa."

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Mar 09 - 02:44 AM

Good news on all of that work! I wonder if Morgan will remember the stories that are no doubt part of the process? Things that belonged to people are the trigger for a lot of stories around here, and I'm willing to bet that happens at your house also.

I moved stuff around in the living room after bailing out the computer desk, and cleared a bit of space by moving a rocker into the guest bedroom. It looks good in there, and I'll find a lamp to put nearby so there is a reading spot, if needed.

Good work on the health insurance conference, Maryanne. Kick Harry and Louise in the bumb and out the door if you see them, will you? :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Mar 09 - 05:56 AM

Treated myself yesterday to one of those Ion cassette tape converters that will digitise our huge collection of cassettes. Many of them are field recordings and can't be replaced so I'll put them onto the computer EHD, thus hopefully meaning we can declutter the dining room shelves of cassettes. We'll put them into storage but I know some of them are reaching at least their 36th year (my brother made the recordings and he died 35 years ago next month) and are starting to deteriorate. Besides, there's stuff on there we haven't listened to in years!

Better go and do the normal weekly chores now.. missed doing them yesterday, I was out singing at a wedding.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Mar 09 - 12:10 PM

Ooops. Bumm, maybe? What's the spelling for butt? Bum?

Good work, Liz!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 15 Mar 09 - 06:06 PM

I've been workinmg on cleaning out those cabinets on and off all day, and am only half done.

What a bunch od vold crap!
wow!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Mar 09 - 06:43 PM

Bum...:-)

I decluttered the top of my desk whilst on the phone with my ex. Rog and I went shopping, then came home and watched Don Giovanni with my brother. Now that we're done, I am scanning in about thirty photos prior to printing them for something that needs to be done by tomorrow. I just found out I will not have Morgan, tomorrow, so I don't feel so rushed to get them done, today. Still, this week I intend to get taxes done and start on putting the rest of the CDs on the hard drive and then loaded into the changer in the LR. They are a huge bit of clutter!

LtS, I started putting our cassettes on the HD, but it's a tedious thing, playing each one. What is this ion thingie of which you write?;-)

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 15 Mar 09 - 07:58 PM

Today was even nicer even than yesterday. It got up to 54F (12C) today and not very windy, so I went to the BIG Detroit St Patrick's parade. There were more people there than I've ever seen before. The TV said 100,000 people, but I think it may be double that. The police don't give crowd estimates. Even the shady (cold) side of the street was packed with people. I walked with one of the groups, about 1.5 miles, so can I get credit under the accountability thread?

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 15 Mar 09 - 10:30 PM

I got the cabinet straightened out and then discovered the vac would not fit in it. So it still lives in the spare room.

I never thought to measure.

All that bending over has done bad things to my back. Kicking back with my painkiller.


Watching TV shows I've only heard about on HULU has been a kick.

One reason I DON'T have one is I knew I would veg out in front of it way too much.

At least I have lots of room and plastic stackers to sort more stuff.

Another work-on-the-house Sunday bites the dust.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 12:04 AM

It turned out to be 75 photos! All scanned, three at a time, then I went back in and cropped each one so I have singles of all of them. It's a relief to get them done. We finally finished all of the bed linen and got our bed made, early. I hate it when we stay up late then go in only to realise we can't go to bed because we haven't put the clean sheets, etc. on!:-)

Maryanne, yes, that counts for the accountability thread! Sounds like fun.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 02:00 AM

Coat is sold, so tomorrow that is one more bulky thing out of the house. Nice!

I've done some picking up, and I thinned my chard, moving colors that were growing too close together apart. Fingers crossed that they can stand such rough treatment.

Clearing more work off of my virtual list of things to do.

You're doing good work, you scanners and filers!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 02:26 PM

I don't know why-- maybe daylight savings time, or maybe just the nice weather-- but I've kicked it up a notch today. Starting in the basement, there is a drain that is seriously blocked up with roots & dirt, and the guy said it would probably cost a $200 at least to snake it out. Well, the only thing that drains into it is the overflow from the humidifier, and it's really just a trickle, so I just dug down about 12-inches and vacuumed it out. Then I took the shop-vac out to the garage & emptied it (hadn't been emptied since fall). Spent a couple hours working in the garage. Got 2 bags of trash to go out. Swept up most of the leaves that had blown inside over the winter. I had a pile of dirt with a lot of stones, so a sieved that through some 1/4" hardware cloth. I'll mix that with compost from the recycling authority; all I have to do is make a trip out there to pick it up. I collected up all of the empty plastic pots from the past dozen years (at least I didn't throw them in the trash...), and I'll try to get them recycled. I'm going to have the lawn service do one spring yard cleanup, but I'm going to do the (bi-)weekly mowing myself.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 03:11 PM

WOW!! Good job!!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 05:51 PM

Ad in paper for Spring Cleaning Sale ; Sun 12 - 5 only.

One bag of stuff to thrift shop.

Got taxes done; just enough back to pay for having them done.

One tom kitty to the vet's for the big snip. (Should have been 2, but brother saw brother go into the carrier and was so freaked it was impossible to catch him.)

Physical therapy at 4:00 today; hurting too much not to go.

Bill for 'puter came today. I actually have the $$ to cover the whole thing right now.

Life can be, if not good, at least pretty OK.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 08:06 PM

My house guest enjoyed sleeping in a bona fide guest room last night, and though she reports sleeping difficulties lately, she slept soundly all night (no 3am reading a murder mystery for an hour). Good!

This room was made possible because Moonglow lives in the town where she goes to school and because we've slowly moved most of her stuff up there and crammed the rest of it in her old closet. Work still to do, but we like the outcome so far!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 12:07 AM

The kitchen is all cleaned up, the dining room table is clear. I am working outward from there, the heart of the house (again), but each time I decide I need to make another push, it's a little easier. And it is nice to have handed off a largish box to the mail carrier this afternoon.

Lovely weather for the next couple of days. I'll see if I can get out and start digging up a new bed.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 03:18 AM

Decluttered a few more pounds from the wallet and a few more videos to the 'help yourself' pile by the door... Well, you tell me which horror fan would not jump at the chance to own the entire 'Alien' collection - 9 DVDs at a fraction of the original price - £17 rather than £70! That's less than £2 per disk! Plus, it takes up a third of the room that the first 3 'Alien' movies on VHS did. Then there was the 'Hammer House of Horror' collection that took out another two vids...

Someone at work had a declutter so I've been acquiring second hand box files to put my sewing magazines in, so they can go in the loft once the useful bits have been scanned.. now if only I could remember where I bought my little passport sized EHD, so I could get another for that, then life would be easier. Busier, but easier.

Major clearout of craft cupboard required, but that will have to wait until the Easter break.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 03:43 AM

Ion tape to PC

Says it's quick, but not really... it does have a 'new track' button so you can chop the thing up into several tracks but it could feature a whole lot more useful stuff and be a bit more efficient with its conversion process - for some reason it feels the need to do it twice, and that's what takes the time. I don't like high speed dubbing because it's easy to miss glitches and often causes tape degridation but it is an option.

It does mean I'm listening to stuff I recorded 20 years ago and haven't listened to for at least 5.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 09:58 AM

Sometimes when those programs 'do it twice' they're basically going through once and taking note of the spots that need an adjustment or that can be most logically trimmed. Depending on the volume (data-wise) on your original cassettes if it is actually compressing data into the amount of recording space on your CD, then this is worthwhile. You can't rush some things if you want them done right!

I did a clear out like you describe at my office a couple of weeks ago. The result was that I could re-use now empty journal rack boxes, I didn't need to order new ones. I still may need a few new ones, but not like I first thought.

SRS

Subject: Abrazos: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 10:58 AM

I'm spring-cleaning my mind again.

With enough sleep and full spectrum light-- and the Grace of God-- anything is possible, and sustainable.

An example of progress in this department is that I remember now why that upstairs-office idea has been pulling at me and why I've been making progress on it pretty easily: It's a lot like one of my favorite PAID-job offices in a number of ways I do not need to list here.

It goes the previous office one step better, tho. Instead of each step in the stairway being an upgoing inbox, this stairway has wooden banister supports I can use as a standing file rack, and there are only 2-3 I can reach because of the way the steps are configured. But the idea is that if I print something off the downstairs puder for "work," it does not go into my cluttered living room, it goes in my INBOX to be WORKED on, upstairs.

And at the DOWNstairs puder-- the one with internet-- the one for FUN like hockey, and looking up movies-- will go a 3-minute egg timer Hardi is bringing home from his office hourglass collection. If anyone has a chess timer instead, I could use it even better, but the sands of time will do till I can find one. This will be my office assistant to keep my worktime brief on the fun-puder.

I meet later today with another candidate for my support team on the new ventures calling me these days. Her role in that will be to help me discern the holy limits and boundaries too easily lost in the fun.


Wishing you all a productive journey into YOUR spring (or fall),

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 11:47 AM

The nursery is looking fine these days or at least it was until I decided it was time to put the swing together. Now the nursery floor is covered with metal tubing (legs/supports) & other parts and pieces. I put the crib together and the changing table. My husband, while having build additions to businesses in town, houses and even worked on some corporate construction sites, hates putting things together that come from a box. Anything like that is my job and I'm pretty good at it but this swing...OMG. Today will be my third try at the job. After the second try with it I was so frustrated that we went to the store where the swing was purchased for us (a very thoughtful gift I might add!) and I took photos of the display swing to help me decipher the directions with the miniature drawings complete with gobbed up ink splotches. So...today my mission (after normal household care) is to try to put the swing together again. Notice I said TRY and not COMPLETE. I am, after all, a very reasonable human being. LOL

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everybody!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 12:08 PM

Some stores will assemble for you, even after purchase.

===

I also decluttered my email with an automated reply that should help slow down a cascade of too-much-fun communications I seem to have set off. I can be "out of the office," too.

===

I have a homemade memo board next to the TV that is spang in my face from my chair. Blank legal size paper, laminated. Post-its for EAT, WORK, MEDS, and a 4th post-it after the afternoon meeting mentioned above.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 03:47 PM

Susan reminds me of something I've been doing lately--unsubscribing from stuff I never actually read in my email. It would be nice to tidy those boxes! But Susan, I do wonder at "this stairway has wooden banister supports I can use as a standing file rack," -- isn't the point of all of this de-cluttering that we don't turn our houses into huge file folders? Many of us have been doing that (by default) for far too long! ;-D

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 05:01 PM

So...the swing saga continues. The base and sides are put together as are the electronic devices (vibrating, music & speed). The problem is with the supports and bouncy legs (swing comes off supports and can be used for a bouncy/kicky seat). Hmmm. I was thinking about taking it back to the store and asking for some help (or paying them to put the ^&^%#$@%$&^%*&&#$@#$@!!^% thing together!). LOL It's crazy, don't you think?
    I did, however, get the high chair put together and the pack and play is just about ready for use. The stroller remains in the back of my car (all boxed up for now) until the time is closer. It's a travel system complete with the temporary removable car seat so Mommy & Daddy don't have to wake a sleeping baby...just take the carrier from the stroller and click into place in the car. I don't want any more stuff in this house than I need (won't ever need the stroller in the house) and the stroller will live in the car for as long as our wee one needs it.
    My mom came over for a visit today (something she doesn't do very often, although it's more frequent these days which is nice!) so I did some extra picking up around here. I have to say that the house is looking really nice lately and I am loving it. Sure, there are still rooms that need attention (ummm...the music room is downright scary and so is the mudroom...but it IS mud season)but things are getting finished. Nice. Homey. I'm happy with it!
    My best girlfriend and I spent the day together yesterday. She decided she had had enough of all the baby stuff she was setting aside for me (her words were, "YOUR baby stuff is taking up HALF of my BED! You are taking it TODAY!) so she brought out bag after bag of oh so sweet baby girl things (can't remember if I posted it here or not but we are expecting a baby girl SOON). I brought it all in from the car this afternoon and laid it all out on the counter top to remove tags and to make a list of everything so I can write her a thank you note. So, now that means I'm off to the nursery to put more things away with great anticipation and good thoughts for our little one.

*Happy Contented Sigh*

I can't wait until she is here!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maeve
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 05:09 PM

I wish you much joy, Michelle.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 05:09 PM

As a note for future new baby garments--don't remove the tags until you're sure you can use them. Kids regularly grow out of clothes before they even get into them (if you forgot they were in the bottom of a drawer or the back of a closet). A lot of stores are good about letting you exchange clothes with tags for something newer in the right size. So the tags should stay on until you've fitted it on the party of the first part and decided they can wear it for a few weeks. (Yes, weeks. When they're tiny, getting months out of garments is almost impossible.)

Ask me know I know. . . ;-D

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 07:00 PM

Ahhh, about the tags on the clothes, those are still on the clothes! I was removing tags from toys, boxes, etc. Because, like any adoption, nothing is final until our day in court...so, for us, there is a back up plan. We are expecting a baby girl directly from the hospital but the possibility does exist that the birth mother could change her mind. Should this happen, I have receipts for everything that is gender related and most everything still has the tags on it. I did wash some onesies that I got at a second hand baby shop to have in the diaper bag and so I have SOMETHING ready for when the baby arrives. I have 2 other outfits that I have removed the tags from...the coming home from the hospital outfit and another for whatever reason. I also have sizes of all kinds from preemie (good chance that this baby will be early & I only have a few as our hope is that she will grow!!) through newborn to 3-6 months.
    Also, the places I have been buying from have a 90 day return policy (perfect!) AND I have shared our situation and some of the bigger stores have said that they would give me my cash back if the adoption of this baby girl doesn't work out even if the 90 days is up. I think that's pretty darn nice! :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 07:27 PM

SRS, yes, I had thought of this-- but it's my upgoing inbox.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maeve
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 07:29 PM

Michelle- It is clear things are falling into place for you. Enjoy the anticipation.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 10:48 PM

And the undisturbed sleep.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 04:30 AM

Decluttering my insides yesterday and today... not a good week so far.

Don't ask.


I did however, consolidate 4 crates down to 1 crate and a basket, and will be boxing up magazines later - they're in a wardrobe in Limpit's room which is next the bathroom... an important feature of today's activities... meaning she'll have more shelf space and I'll have boxes of magazines to go on the new shelves in the loft soon.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 12:07 PM

Moving stuff off of my desk.

I'm headed out the door in a couple of minutes to attend a staff event, characterized by all of the free stuff they hand out. The stuff that ends up in a pile somewhere or in a drawer somewhere, rarely used. How many plastic driving mugs can you use? I'll leave it all there, but I will take a t-shirt if they have any. I use those. I almost have a full set for the week. :) (I've received quite a few over the years, but some of them are too old to wear to work or the message is way out of date).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 12:53 PM

1. Unsubscribed to a few things I don't ever look at anymore.
2. Picked up wind blown debris around my front yard.
3. Painted the downstairs hallway PURPLE! *GRIN* I LIKE IT!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 04:31 PM

Things continue to move along. The guy from the lawn service came by and cleaned up all of the dead leaves & branches that accumulated over the winter. I cut down a bunch of branches & some grapevines, so he'll come back tomorrow and pick them up; he didn't have room in his truck for all of it. Another guy is coming to pick up my lawnmower tomorrow, for a tune-up, etc. I haven't used it for 3 (maybe 4) years. Now watch it snow over the weekend.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: GUEST,MAG at work
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 09:08 PM

I decluttered pounds worth of catalogs from my desk at work I know I will never get through. My boss should be happy.

They are already in the recycle crate at home (pickup tomorrow).

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 09:48 PM

I guess I am taking a break from decluttering...maybe in sympathy with maeve.**smile** I seem to be getting more fo my writing and editing done, which is good, but that means I don't do some of the other stuff I'd like to get donoe.

I did get a lawn guy to come over to tell me how much to clean up our huge backyard with dead 6 foot weeds...take him and his crew a whole day with several truckloads= $300 NOT doable, so next weekend Rog and I are determined to get out there and tackle some of it, at least. I'd like to burn them as that will keep them from sprouting, but it seems too dangerous...too close to neighbours, so we will have to mow them down every week or two without fail...or maybe find a kid to do it for us for not too much.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: mouldy
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 11:48 PM

Hello from NZ!

I have a planned de-clutter of old sweaters for when I get back....coz I'se been buying el cheapo machine washable (proven by what I got last year) merino ones whilst killing time in (very, at the moment) Windy Welly! So far I've bought 7.

I think I'd better stop now.

I hope this break from renovating the house will fire me up anew, but it took me 3 days to get over the jet lag this time, and I have a nasty feeling I'll be totally cream crackered when I get back on 5th April.

Andrea x

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 12:59 AM

Good to hear from you, Andrea! You'll have a lifetime supply of sweaters at this rate!

Kat, how many people and how many hours was that job going to take? Isn't there a high school kid on the block you can hire to come in and tackle it? It might take him longer, and you want to be sure the job is safe, but have him work with you and see what happens.

That said, I have to mow the weeds again and begin cutting out some of the shrubs I've decided I don't want to leave where they are. Lantana comes up every year in a spot that is a little crowded now the vitex is getting big, so I'll trim out two of the three plants. And I'll start digging a bed and toss the sod into the compost (minus any dirt I can shake off).

Four days off. My abbreviated spring break. Let's see what I can get done in that time.

First, to research the problems with my washer and fridge. . .

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 08:01 AM

When he's finished Kat, send him over to me so I can finally cut and clear the buddliea that's been taking over the garden for too long!

Even with a large portion of it brought down in the snow, it's still too big and although it's sunny out there, I'm not up to doing manual labour just yet!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 10:29 AM

Yesterday, I went for an early evening OWL WALK thru a nearby park. It was organized by our local Nature Society. The leader played some tape-recorded owl hoots/screeches and we got a couple of answers from the distance. We (about a dozen of us) didn't see any, but we knew they were there.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 11:41 AM

Maryanne, we have owls, hawks, turkeys, vultures, herons, cranes, lots of big birds in the woods across the road and at the bottom of the yard along the creek. And every so often we get lucky to see one, but I hadn't thought about playing recorded calls to see who will answer. Did the leader play a commercially available tape?

That high school kid of Kat's could stay busy for a while, if room and board and air fare were built in. I have one of my own and two of his friends here this morning--they spent the night playing video games. I wonder if I could budge any of them to help cut up and stack the limbs I took down last summer? Probably not--working for mom isn't as entertaining as working for someone else. I removed all of the limbs but two main big tree branches are still intact on the ground. Maybe I need to get motivated and take out the saw and cut it up myself. What I really need is to get myself a chain saw. I'd use it several times a year, so would justify purchase versus rental, I think.

I've decided to break the day down this way: I'll garden for a while this morning. When I reach a logical stopping point (probably when the boys need to be taken home) I'll take along this week's load of laundry (including gardening stuff) and swing by the laundromat. Wash takes 25 minutes. Friends are coming over for dinner tomorrow, so I need to do some meal planning. The house looks pretty good, if I can cram all of my son's stuff into his bedroom. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 11:53 AM

Get the chain saw and I doubt you'd be able to keep the boys away from it... you know what men are like with power tools!

You may be able to download bird calls from the 'net... I know there are sites that have them but whether you can actually download and put on a speaker I don't know.

Decluttered more colon today. I never really believed those biology lessons where they said the human intestine was 27ft long, but I'm rethinking it now.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 01:12 PM

I came home from a recent trip to find the usual mail-for-Susan on my desk and a flyer on my chair. Puder gadgets. I asked Hardi what that was for, hoping it was his way of telling me we were going wireless. "Just trash," he said airily, and he took it away and tossed it.

Today I happened to see that the color of my modem's ethernet cable had changed from blue to bright yellow-- I became instantly emotionally erect and ALSO saw an antenna I've never seen befor, innocently peeking out from behind some other equipment.

I teleported to HIS workspace-- and that SOB has HIS laptop set up with a wireless card, in the next room, out of easy sight! I'd THOUGHT it was odd to see the NY Times page up on his puder when I went up to bed, but I assumed he'd left a saved page showing, the fink.


Well, I was heading upstairs for a nappie-poo, so I took the wireless card out, and took it up to MY laptop, and plugged it IN!


Two can play this game! :~) If we can only afford ONE we will have to SHARE!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 02:59 PM

And here's something that happens about once every 5 years-- I want some advice!

One guest room is now also an office.

Can I just wrap a strap around the mattress and its covers, and stand the box spring and mattress up like a Murphy bed, on its foot end, with no Murphy frame! If I attach the resulting upright bed to the wall with another set of straps so it doesn't fall on my head at the desk? With a bench against it for the pillows to live until needed? Huh, can I can I?

And then let it all back down when I need it to be a bedroom? Cuz I can make the straps, easy-peasy, and tuck them between mattress and box spring when they straps are not in use, and drape it all when it's Murphied, with a chenille anti-ugly throw.

Whaddayathink-- genius, or bad idea? No kids here (or cats allowed upstairs) to bring it all down on themselves. The wall is paneled in heavy wood-- plenty deep enough to grab screw eyes for the straps/clips.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: mouldy
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 04:07 PM

There's only one way to find out! Just clear anything breakable out of the way the first time you do it!

Andrea x

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 04:43 PM

Maggie, the owl calls were things he'd recorded himself, but downloading them sounds like a good idea. He just played them on a little hand-held tape player, but the sound carried real well in the still night.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 05:42 PM

Susan, I've seen some non-closet Murphy bed kits that are very attractive. Here is one I found easily in a Google search. I've seen them set up in some of those programs that rearrange rooms, make the most of limited space, etc. This attaches to the wall so the frame doesn't fall over, so I think you could set up a Murphy bed, but you could also take it with you if you move.

Got some thistles and other big spring weeds dug out of the side yard and are now in the compost. Kids have been dropped off, but I decided not to take the laundry over yet. If I wait a day I think I'll end up with two baskets full and I can do them at one time. Back out to the garden.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 08:51 PM

Kat, if you can get the yard mowed down as much as possible, you can smother out weeds with 4 - 6 inches of compost. It's easier than trying to dig it all out.

I usually give up and use roundup on the stuff that keeps coming back, but it's hard to get it on the bad stuff without getting it on the good stuff.

I sure hope I move a lot of stuff Sunday; it would be nice to have more room in here.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 09:32 PM

Thanks, MAG, that'd be a lot of compost, though. Our lot is 82' wide X 170' deep. The house sits near the front, so the backyard is BIG. My brother said there is good grass back there and if we can keep up with watering the grass will crowd out the weeds, but that would require buying an expensive irrigation pump as we could not afford to water with tap water, esp. during the summer.

Our son-in-law told me, today, he's lining up a dump truck and one of those little bobcat front end loaders to clean up and level their backyard. IF he gets it soon, he will come over and do ours, too. I've told Rog we have to get the dead, tall stuff taken out this weekend. Then, if we can find a kid in the neighbourhood who will mow it for not too much, we might be able to keep it under control. Some of them grew over 7 feet last year!

Right now, I see clutter all over inside the house and I hate it. I haven't had time or ability to do anything with this week or last even and it's really bugging me. I did see a few things i mean to get done, tomorrow, I hope. I am giving away an antique chair which needs to be recovered and some big, HEAVY books: a dictionary and a couple of others which no one uses. When Morgan is ready for one, I'll find another. Getting those items out of the LR will help.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 01:11 AM

Kat, when I moved into this house I hadn't seen the entire back yard. There is a cyclone fence across the back and it was overgrown with vines and brush, but that isn't at the property line (because that's in the middle of the creek). This lot is 76' at the front and is 217' long. Kind of pie shaped, the back is only 50' wide. It seemed plenty big enough, what we could see of it. Still, we enjoyed finding that last 25'.

That said, I can't imagine trying to cover this lawn with compost--way too much. I keep it mowed often enough that I can keep mowing (if you don't mow often enough then you know what I mean). I use a heavy-duty string trimmer around the edges. The dogs running around back there is surprisingly good at keeping most of it clear.

Today was good. I completed digging a small bed near a fence, I dug out a lot of thistle and other lumpy big spring weeds in the front and side yard. I enlarged a bed down at the curb area (it now is about 7 feet deep, back from the street) and I planted two bags of iris roots that I hadn't gotten around to putting in last fall. Those planted last fall will bloom, these will simply grow the leaves this year, but they're out of the bags. I have a couple of boxes of iris rhizomes still to plant, and I have a veggie garden to dig at the side of the house.

I also cleared out the compost. There were too many branches that wouldn't break down, so I pulled them out. I have two bins at the side of the house for kitchen waste, and one had been sitting there for several weeks. I dug a hole in the compost and pored it in. It smells, best I can describe, like a really strong poopy baby diaper. I buried it over and put the sprinkler on it to run low but for a long time. I hope to keep the dogs from getting into it.

I can feel it in my back and butt, all of that digging. I'm outta here for now! To sleep, perhaps to dream (as long as I take a motrin on my way to bed.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 04:58 AM

My ass aches from all the stair climbing I've done this week... sort of like a 10hour step class...

Did manage to declutter the magazines though, gave a few things to a fellow stitcher and have 5 box files here waiting to go in the shelves behind me. Looking through, there are not that many patterns I want to scan but too many to have them up in the loft, so I'm going to be clearing another shelf next week and hopefully getting something arranged here.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 11:53 AM

I'll be de-cluttering my wallet this afternoon to get the items needed for dinner tonight. The kitchen is looking good and I've cleared off the Kitchen Queen, aka Hoosier Kitchen, in preparation for using it as the serving center for all of the cups and utensils for the meal. I mentioned a number of months back about wanting to use it this way. I think I have it set up right this time.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 12:47 PM

No Murphy frame plan here-- no-bucks plan instead. Don't think I need the frame. The box spring and mattress are already sans frame, so I think I'll just tip them up onto the wall. There is nothing breakable in their lay-back-down path.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 04:03 PM

There could be people though in the path at some point..I would consider elevating them on blocks for ventilation and tipping them sideways so they couldn't do much harm and would be easier to flip down. mg

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 06:38 PM

Good idea--leaning it with the long end on the floor would mean it wouldn't fall as far and might be more stable.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 11:30 AM

Dinner went very well, the kitchen was easily cleaned and everything put back, though I washed a sink full of dishes this morning.

When this group comes over I scurry to get dishes out of the way to soak quickly--"help" is never very helpful. Last time the matriarch in this group was over she "helped" and I survived, but it could have been much different. This time she was stacking dishes in the dish water and I told her I generally scrape the food off before putting them in the dish water. "Why don't you use your dish washer?" I never have, I don't like them, I have to wash the dishes before I put them in or else I have to re-wash them after it finishes.

I counted the sharp knives before I started the dishes. That's what I meant by "surviving" the last visit, when I came up with a handful of silver and a sharp knife positioned to slice a finger. How has she managed to wash dishes this way and survive to her late 70s?

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 12:01 PM

Oops. It went before I finished.

Still waiting on the tax return, so I'm keeping my purchases modest. I'll pick up a few dollars worth of wood mulch to establish the "stepping" area in my garden that is laid out now, and maybe go get some free compost, to work it into the beds that I'm developing new this year.

I emptied two bags of leftover iris rhizomes during the week and maybe I can finish up planting the rest of them. They'll provide a nice green texture this year and bloom next year. And then I can use those big plastic milk boxes for something else garden-related.

There is always plenty to do around here until the next infusion of cash. But why is it that the thing you really want to do is the cash-strapped project? Human nature, I guess. . .

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 02:39 PM

Well, we had a little extra this payday, so bought an old-fashioned weed whacker which Rog will apply this afternoon. I was going to declutter the big dictionary and two other tomes, but Morgan informed me he needs the dict. when he finds critters to look up and also to sit on at the table, so it stays. I am getting one antique chair out, even if it's only to the car. He wants it, but there just isn't room.

I am also doing dishes and laundry, today.

Rog had to turn on the water to our swamp (evaporative) cooler. Our house heats up very quickly when it starts getting warm. Yesterday it was 81F inside and I thought I was going to croak. I don't do heat, well! It is supposed to get warmer, today, so we are now prepared. I don't like using up extra energy so soon in the season, but I just can't get anything done when it is that warm inside.

Oh, yes, and we got the 1040 instruction book so I can work on taxes. I like to have a hard copy when doing them.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 02:44 PM

The bed will be tied to the wall quite securely; plus it will not fit on the wooden wall sideways.

Hardi got me a wireless card of my own!!!!

It's still at least a month too early for Spring cleaning, here, but we did chuck out a rug yesterday and cut another old one (a freebie!!!) to use for the van, decreasing the leftover piece to a good-sized one for the dog corner-- mud reduction for the house. The chucked-out one is stretched out in the grass waiting for rain to restore it, and then that will be a dog rug, too. Cuz the green one (the freebie) might be better for my bare feets on the back porch, instead of the dog corner.

Hm....

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 04:07 PM

Yesterday I did my first clothes line drying of the season, and since we had company over for dinner, of course I forgot to go check it before dark. At about 10pm I took out my new (from xmas) rechargeable Coleman lantern and set it on the ground next to my basket and I removed, shook, and folded the sheets and towels. Worked great--much easier than groping in the dark or trying to use a flashlight while I work. Can't hold it and fold at the same time. I think this will become a habit--I used to go out and get laundry at dark even if it wasn't quite dry and would have to put it in the dryer. Now, as long as I don't leave it out so long that it picks up nighttime dew, I'm set.

I'm pacing myself today. I've cleared out the debris from last year's cannas in a corner bed in the front, and I'm spreading the soaker hoses today. That bed is where one of the front soakers ends, with a nice coil through the bed so the cannas look great all summer. I need to get a couple of extra regular hoses for running irrigation this year (soaker hoses are great in gardens, but that doesn't mean a soaker has to run clear from the faucet. It can start at the edge of the bed, with a regular hose connecting to that point.)

I need to learn to fix the weed whacker I have, but if I wait to use it until I get it fixed I'll be up to my eyeballs in tall weeds. I guess I'm going to be a two-whacker family, and I'll get the book a friend told me about regarding the repairs of these tools. I have plans to put another workspace for this kind of project in the garage--I have an extra exterior door that is propped up out there. I'm going to run a horizontal 2x4 on the wall and fasten the door hinges on this door to that 2x4, and it will be at a height that when I need an extra counter space I can lift it out and up from the bottom, hinges at the top back edge, and slide my metal saw horses under it to hold it up. It might not be elegant, but it will do in a pinch, and if I get tired of it, I take it off the wall again. This is kind of the opposite of Susan's Murphy bed, because it fastens at the top edge. My Murphy door. :)

I have my hay for mulching, and I'll go out in a little while and get the wood mulch and some compost. I'll at least get some of this seasonal garden under way and watered by evening.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 05:50 PM

I like the idea of your extra counter space, Maggie. Reminds me of an old camper some relative had with a table like that, only it had a one piece leg that would come up from the wall, at the bottom, to hold the table edge up, so it looked like a V with the table resting on top, across it.

I did all of the dishes. Yesterday it felt as though I needed a wheelchair my ankles were being so weird. Today they hurt, but not as bad, so I am glad I was able to do the dishes. I have a doc's appt. on Thursday next.

Also picked up a lot of junk lying around the house, put away some laundry. We ran errands and the place does look better.

I was trying to think of what I could use as cheap mulch for my flower garden, with newspaper under to keep out weeds. Aha! Maggie mentions hay and there I go! It shall be done! Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 08:03 PM

Coastal hay doesn't have seeds in it so it works out really well. I bought a bale for $10, and if you bought several it would probably be less. For my uses, that will last a while.

Soaker hoses are almost finished. I came in to look up something, and I'm back out again for a little while. I need to get mulch and compost. This evening I'll work in the house some more. I started clearing a desk in my office and though I put one bulky thing away I can't see much improvement when I look over at it now.

MAG, how's the new computer working out? Andrea, are you still buying sweaters? Anyone else out there getting snowed on still? Kat, have you tried putting your feet up?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 10:35 PM

I feel baffled about my feet, Maggie. I've put them up, soaked them, exercised them, massaged them, etc. The doc wants me to go to an ortho guy but I don't think I am interested! I do need to get new shoes...expensive, but necessary. Thanks, though.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 02:50 AM

Yes SRS, -- Maggie -- the computer is working out just fine. I still don't know how to exploit all its capabilities.

I have been vegging out on huhu, catching shows I have heard about for awhile.

Dollhouse -- Joss Whedon -- creepy but addicting.
Firefly -- same.

I have been trrying to pick up in case anyone comes to look at the stuff I'm selling tomorrow.

2 more weeks to official yard sale season, when the paper does a map and everything, but there's just too much crap in here.

The kitties don't help; I found another broken glass from them knocking stuff over. and they create more laundry.

Did I mention one of the boys got castrated last Monday? I'll try for the other one this Monday but he's pretty sly about being caught.

Brother caused a huge ruckus at the vet's; got away and into his office and he was not pleased.

Just got home from a dance where my contra band plays and am a bit wired.

Also going over a few songs for Singtime Frolics in Portland next weekend. Can't wait!

That will mean a vacation from tryingto get this mess in order.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 03:58 AM

Actually, my buffer is full and I can't figure out how to clear it. the screen keeps locking up on me and I have to log off to unstick it.

sigh.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 04:42 AM

Today I need to do all the chores I haven't felt up to doing all week, because the Mother in Law comes over for lunch today. Child is still in her pit, my legs feel like they belong to someone else (long day of standing on marble and stone floors yesterday... we had a concert) or at least I wish they did, they ache so... I just want to curl up in bed and eat chocolate.

But that means I'd have to get up, go out and buy the chocolate first.

Ho hum... better get on with it.


Happy Mothering Sunday all!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 11:57 AM

Just took a pan of oatmeal-butterscotch bars out of the over. They're for the pub quiz this afternoon. The last little bit of ice/snow has disappeared from the back yard. It's still too early to do much work, but I'm going to try to clean up the black raspberry patch tomorrow. I cut back the spent canes last fall, but the new growth needs to be staked up, and there are some weeds to be pulled.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 12:40 PM

Madly shoving stuff into baskets and all before anyone gets here to look at stuff.

I may have killed my old monitor by dropping it.

Got change at the bank, stuff draped over blankets all over the living room, cats all chased outside and boxes changed.

Also threw a fes fishing worms into bushel baskets (plastic) full of last years leaves that don't fir into the composter, to speed up the decomposition process. (red worms not available here.)

Still miles to go.

I may have to figure out that online bookstore thing, to cut down the boxes and boxes of books I have sitting around the den to the point you can't get to the shelves. A lot are library discards that were just too valuable to get sent to the landfill. I needed to give them a good home, but this isn't necessarily it.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 01:50 PM

MAG, there may be an easy answer to your computer buffer problem, but you'll have to tell us more about what programs you're running when it happens and how much RAM memory you have. Why don't you start a new

TECH: New Computer - buffer full message

thread and see if John in Kansas (fondly referred to as JunK on some of these earlier threads) has an answer on the top of his head. It may be a matter of resetting something in there. If you're viewing programs online now, that probably has something to do with it.

Out to the yard. I've had a couple of phone calls this morning, news from friends, but now I'm going to go dig a veggie garden.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 04:19 PM

In for a short rest, a drink, and to visit the loo, but I think this is a de-clutter entry rather than gardening, though it is eligible for both.

That Chinese puzzle I mention regularly is fully in effect this afternoon.

I am digging a new veggie bed, so of course I have all of the weedy sod to toss in the compost. I only have a little ready for now, so I want to pick up compost from a free city place and buy several bags of wood chips to put down a walking path in the garden. I had some manure and top soil in bags in the pickup already, so I've pulled those out. I need to go to Home Depot to get the wood chips, and a local park to get the compost.

I'm building a new compost pile, I usually have two or three going in different stages at any given time. Last year's compost hasn't been breaking down properly, there were too many branches in it. They allow air in and it all dries out, it doesn't rot, heat up, and break down. This week I've spent time pulling limbs and sticks out of that pile, and today I approached it with wheelbarrow and shovel to move.

But there's a fence post in the way on the left of the new compost pile location. If I expand the pile that way, it'll block access to this post I put in place several years ago when I didn't have dogs and I put in a more elaborate compost enclosure on the same spot. I had three posts and a tall stake (the posts were recycled).

So today I've loosened the post but I can't get it out by myself without digging a lot bigger hole. I've got it leaning and I'll wait till my son comes home and helps me drag it out of the way. (The concrete footer is the problem). And on the right side of the new compost pile is the loose stack of big limbs I cut down last summer.

SO. . .

I emptied the bags of manure and top soil out of the truck. I put in the fluorescent light bulbs that burned out (they don't go in the regular trash) to take over to recycle at Home Depot when I buy my wood chips.

I've lugged a tall trash container back and spent some time cramming it full of sticks from the pile beside the new compost (keeping them parallel to each other to get more in). If I take a container of sticks to the curb each time there's trash pickup I'll have them out of here by the end of the month.

Just before coming in for my drink and rest, I pulled out the limb saw and I'm going to go cut up the rest of that pile of large limbs and drag them out to the front for tomorrow's trash. I don't have a chipper, there's no point in waiting for one to appear magically, so out they go. This is why I pick up free compost from the city. It's pretty woody and finishes breaking down in the garden.

Once the limbs are out of the way, I can take my wheelbarrow full of last year's compost and dump on the new pile, and then I'll alternate with old compost and new dug-up sod from the new bed on that spot. I have a sprinkler out back that I'll set up on top of the pile tonight and water to see if I can't get this to start heating up again and work it fast this year. I'll keep my eye open for any lawn clippings neighbors haul out to the curb and bring them home to put on top. Those are always the best for jumping the biologic activity in my compost.

I need to compost parts of my house also, I think.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 05:23 PM

(sigh.)

Haven't sold a thing. Most people are coming by for "odds and ends," which is a tiny fraction of what I am trying to move.

I thought plus size women would be flocking over; the two who have come were not willing to pay $5 for a business suit or $2 for a good pair of jeans.

At least I'm getting to sort through more stuff since I am stuck here until my advertised time is up.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 05:41 PM

Think I'm gonna need to Murphy up the van, now that the foam base is laid and carpet over top. Still a lot of stuff sitting on top of it for the rest of the occasional-use bedding. But better to keep it on board than bring it all in and stow it back out when needed.... hard to put cleats on the vinyl sidewall trim. Have another plan but it will mean WORK, ew.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 07:51 PM

Isn't it so disheartening when you try to sell something at rock bottom price and some cheap so-and-so STILL tries to beat you down?

I make greetings cards for a hobby (and as a sort of occupational therapy... cutting up all that paper instead of wanting to stab people with my letter opener at work....) and I charge the barest minimum for all paper, less than half the cost of materials for the hand sewn ones... and people STILL want me to drop the price (currently £1.00 each for a unique, hand made card), even though all proceeds go to charities.

Makes you want to hand the thing over with a loud speech about next time Little Timmy hobbles over on his crutches, you'll have to tell him he can't have bread AND milk this week because you didn't make enough money on the sale.

De-cluttered 2/3rds of a bottle of Pinot Grigio and most of a box of cherry liqueurs. Today was a good day!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 08:09 PM

I hope you were serious and it really was a good day, Liz. Pleasant anyway.

Thanks for the empathy.

I am now free and can go buy groceries.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 08:47 PM

Our team came in 2nd place in the quiz, and the oatmeal bars were a hit with everybody that tried them. There were a few left over, but I'll give them to my neighbors across the street (they've got a bunch of kids), instead of keeping them around here.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 11:30 PM

MAG, you have a couple of good options. Both require some work, but they can result in some tax benefits or cash in your pocket.

Scan through eBay and see if the size and type and period of the suits you're selling are there. If they're selling for prices you'd like to aim at, then find, borrow, or make yourself a mannequin (I have a blouse I stuffed with paper and sewed the neckline, sleeves, and bottom shut, and it has a hanger "built in" to this stitched in arrangement). Put the suit on it, and photograph front and back. Try to keep the background neutral. A wooden door, a curtain, but not an interior shot of your house. Try to keep hands and feet out of the photo. Photograph the label. Describe the wear, any mends, or if it is in perfect condition. Put it in a box and weigh it, calculate the postage, and you can start low and charge postage, or you can add a couple of bucks to the postage (calculate shipping it to the farthest point from you in the U.S. via USPS usually works for this) and call that your opening bid and be sure to promote "FREE SHIPPING."

Yes, this is work, but once you get the hang of it you may decide to sell a few things online. Unlike a garage sale, where you rely on people who want these things to come up your driveway, this is putting it out where people who want it will search for it.

If this is too much work, then follow my second suggestion: you know how much you'd get (ballpark) on eBay for this suit. You might even print up an auction with one like it as a point of reference. I use a sewing cutting board (a big cardboard piece with a grid on it) and photograph the item on it (it helps for scale). Bag it up and donate it to the Goodwill or the Salvation Army or whoever is your charitable organization, and ask for a receipt. Before you forget (I do this monthly), create a Word document, and describe the suit, made by X designer, size X, $200 new, etc. I'll do a new paragraph for each photo, and if there are several things in the photo, I price them each and add them up next to the photo. Anyway, put down the thrift store or eBay value when you state the value. Maybe you know it is reasonable, based upon research, to sell this for $45 on eBay. So list it as a $45 donation, and I usually take the photo and reduce it and add it to the side of the description in that document. I print it out every month and if I donated all to the same place I attach one receipt and just list it as March 2009 donations. The metadata on your photo, if you have a digital camera, can back up when you took the photo and help jog your memory if you wait a while to do the donation sheet.

I had a little over $2000 in donations to two main organizations based upon the thrift store, garage sale, or eBay price of things. I've been sorting out estate stuff for years, and I have a lot more ahead of me. This is one way to at least keep your taxes down, or avoid paying each year, by donating stuff you don't need but that retains value.

This is long, and I'll leave this as a stand-alone post, because if you want to print it for yourself as an idea of how to deal with these items, it's here and ready to go.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 23 Mar 09 - 12:12 AM

Thanks, SRS -- since I do the long form and always have enough (mostly medical) deductions to make the minimum, all additional charitable contributions are worth it.

Getting the receipt can be the hardest part.

(The contribution thing works for me better than the Ebay thing -- I'm just not up to another learning curve right now.)

I really did get through a lot of sorting today; still have the room set up with stuff I'll leave for a couple of days so a couple of friends can come and look for free.)

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Mar 09 - 12:15 AM

I worked on my compost, dragged cut up limbs and a bunch of sticks down to the curb, and I finished enough of a chunk of the new bed I'm putting in that I was able to add some amendments and plant my tomatoes. This is probably 1/3 of the final size.

I had a shopping list when I went out and I remembered to buy everything that was on it. How often does that happen?   

Liz, have you tried selling your cards in art shops or on eBay? List them as "suitable for framing" or something to show how special they are?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Mar 09 - 12:19 AM

MAG, I hashed through it once before on one of these threads--the way I see it, I'm at an age where enough people have died that I've inherited so much stuff, to say nothing of all of my own stuff I don't need any more, that I can donate stuff this way for some time to come. Might as well. Put it back into circulation and maybe get back a refund, or at least, avoid having to pay taxes over what was already withheld. But you're right, you have to use the long form and form Schedule A & B to itemize deductions to take advantage of this.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Mar 09 - 05:40 PM

I can't get moving today. I feel like I sat in my chair and just stared at the computer all day. Ugg.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 23 Mar 09 - 05:55 PM

Not that many art shops here in east London, I sell them at our concerts where we expect to get 'that sort' of person in the audience. As my cards are neither rude, faintly obscene or mention bodily functions or by Moonpig.com, my target customer is limited depending on the area we are in. The sort of person who would come to a concert of classical orchestral and ecclesiastical music is the sort of person who would buy a pretty flower card, blank for your own message.

Ebay is an option but it would cost me as much to send them out to people as I charge for them. I did have a thread here, with a link to the Flickr photos, around Christmas but got not a tickle. I'm still happy making them whenever.. I'm getting a better idea of the sort that sells. Strangely enough, it's the simplest ones that were a last minute 'oh my goodness, I've got to have more stock and I have nothing left to make them with' panic idea that are selling best.

Still, it stops me killing my work colleagues....

Nothing happened today... spent the day sewing and taking Limpit to her piano lesson.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 12:17 AM

Seems to have been a lost day today. But I think I know why--I walked the dogs this evening and noticed that the oak tassels are beginning to fall. My brain was foggy and I didn't realize why. This is one of the worst allergy times of year for me. I haven't been sneezing yet, but I haven't exactly been firing on all cylinders, either. Allegra, stick with me now!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Leadfingers
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 06:19 AM

200

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 12:26 PM

LOL @ Leadfingers...always showing up to score.:-)

I finally found the right pages at the IRS; have filled out all of the forms we need, online, printed them out to double-check them. When I am done with that, alter tonight, I will then efile and be done with them!

No Morgan, today, so maybe I can get a couple of other things done, today.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 01:36 PM

Be sure you double check and efile every form you have worked on, or like me you'll be waiting for the last form to reach the right desk so the person who processes those Oops! filings can attach it all together and then (finally) send my refund. :-/

I'm clearing out virtual clutter for work today. My desk doesn't look any better but I can cross things off of a list, anyway.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 02:16 PM

God willing and the oak tassels don't fall?

Here, too.

Sludddddge-brainnnnnn.....

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 11:19 PM

Gathered up all of the old sewing patterns and put them in a large paper bag next to the front door. They will go out to the car for drop-off at a charity soon. That's one thing out of the office.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to work
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 04:17 AM

Sewing patterns? I would have given you postage for them..... :(

Decluttered a 3 shelf pine unit to my choir charity auction last night.... it got £5 for Cancer Research, and the slo-cooker got £20 so a good night all round.

Acquired one of our old concert banners - one of the few publicity photos that actually has me in it - it's a sturdy tarp about a metre deep and 4 metres long - perfect for creating a draught excluder in the loft!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 08:14 AM

Today is a cleanup of the woodstove, pellet stove and outside around the house day! I don't expect it will take too long as it's in relatively decent shape.

Yesterday I painted most of the bathroom, around all the fixtures, over top of the shower, wide open walls, etc. Today I hope to take stuff down from the two shelves over the washer/dryer and paint the wall behind all that.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 10:43 AM

I don't expect it will take too long as it's in relatively decent shape.

Michelle, let me remind you that making statements like that just tempt fate.

We're still waiting for rain. I poked a few pepper plants into the garden this morning just to get them out of the way, and I put some carrot seeds in yesterday around the tomatoes. I tend to "clutter" the garden when I plant things too close together, but I hope I've got enough space this year, considering a lot of this stuff is going into a new bed.

Laundry picked up from my ex's house (I put it in to wash when I picked up my son yesterday, and picked up the laundry this morning when I dropped him off for the school bus.) This will get old, so I have to make a repair plan for these appliances early next week (read: on pay day.)

I think there's a special for inexpensive listings on eBay going this week. I haven't kept as much stuff up lately, but at least I've gotten back to it. I need to move forward there.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 10:57 AM

Woke up dis mawnin' with an uncluttered mind-- sleep and sun, too, oh my!

I see now what has been tugging at me, pushing me, calling me, checking me, energizing me-- and I love it!

So it's back to doing some of the previously-boring tasks to harness what I saw. Good thing I started on that home office and boondocking van.... bless dear Hardi, he made me wireless, too......

:~)

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: LilyFestre
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 11:30 AM

About being in relatively decent shape...I can say this only because I have worked on it previously!!! I'm now ready for the outside...decked out in pink long johns, dark blue sweat pants that are 3 sizes too big (no, really...they are...kept for days like today), a lilac t-shirt, pink sweatshirt over top, a lime green cap, muck boots and a purple sweater kept for outside clean ups....can you tell it's COLD here today? Damp. I'm frozen to the bone. BRRRRRRRRR.

I am a sight to behold. Fashion plate material for sure! LOL

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Penny S.
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 02:03 PM

I have at last sorted through a stack of old mainly junk mail and extracted the nuggets of not junk stuff, most of which does not require action.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 04:55 PM

I tried running Michelle's color scheme through html:

pink
dark blue
is this lilac?
lime
purple

I think you could have put this over the top if you'd added orange (I didn't find a code for dayglo orange, but that would be the one, like what hunters wear in the fall).

Our rain is here. In noisy waves. We're in a calm spot now, maybe one more band to pass over, then it's finished. Good digging this weekend!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 05:50 PM

It rained cats & dogs this morning, so the garden chores I'd planned had to be postponed. Even though it stopped around 2pm, it's very wet & cold. So I caught up on the laundry. Also scrubbed the floor in the "music" room-- there were some old spills that weren't properly cleaned up before. Also set up a small "desk" area (a shelf laid over 2 file drawers) separate from the computer table.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 08:07 PM

The feet art better SOOOoooooo, Morgan and I went out to the driveway and I raked while he shoveled what I raked into the wheelbarrow. He then trundled it off to an old garden plot waaaaay back in the back yard and dumped it. We filled it twice then I called it quits to warm up inside and then it was lunch time. It was fun and it looks so much better. We still have a lot to do, but it helps to have started.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Mar 09 - 12:18 AM

Do you have an answer to what was causing you foot pain? Edema?

I went to hear Barbara Ehrenreich speak this evening. My son was with me, but was so irritated that I wouldn't take him straight home that he refused to go into the lecture. He did homework in the cafeteria. Looks like the last time I can pull that "we're on our way" trick. Power struggles aren't a good habit to get into, so when I want him to go to lectures in the future we'll have to negotiate. But he read her book, so he's still probably ahead. I heard her speak for an hour. It is so depressing, the state of the low-wage worker in America, and how easy it is to end up in that position.

It makes me all the more certain that I must cancel out the last bit of debt that I'm hoping the tax return will tackle, and then to stay out of debt. It's too easy to "borrow" in the form of using charge cards. A major form of de-cluttering, to be sure!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Mar 09 - 12:44 AM

No, it's not edema. That went away once they fixed the heart valve. It's something to do with the soft tissues and very tensed muscles. The stretches are helping a lot, as well as a tincture I have used for years. I also think it has to do with a medication started after surgery. I have another osteopathic manipulation scheduled for tomorrow, so I will ask Dr. Jeri (not Mudcat Jeri:-) about it when I see her.

I negotiated with all but two credit card companies, two years ago, and paid all of those ones off. I am still paying on two. We never were extravagant and didn't even owe that much on any of them, but the payments were eating us up. We kept the one from our bank and that is all. Life has been better without that stress. When we moved East in 1983, we went to cash only, not even a checking acct., and did that for almost ten years. Then, again, for another three or so when we moved back West. I like that even better, but I've been spoiled by online banking.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Mar 09 - 01:10 PM

What goes around comes around--someone in our de-clutter group gets a washer, so someone else's washer dies. I had to wash a few things in a tub last night, then let them drip overnight so they'd dry faster in the dryer this morning. Oy. Gotta fix this problem soon!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Mar 09 - 10:13 PM

I hope you do get is sorted out, soon, Maggie.

Drum Roll, Please....I have just efiled both the fed and state taxes! Not anything much, but still something from each.:-) Done, done, and done!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Mar 09 - 10:50 PM

Isn't that a good feeling?

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Mar 09 - 01:02 AM

Yes! Before April Fool's Day!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 09 - 11:37 AM

Backslide alert:

I went by a good garage sale this morning. I didn't go too crazy. Bought a nice stand fan for my son (I think this is what he's needing for when his room heats up with all of his players and the TV and such) and a few empty frames.

But I went back for the box crammed full of excellent classical CDs. Not the dollar variety of great music recorded in former Eastern Block nations and sold in the cheap rack at Best Buy, but the big name brand companies with known performers. Must be about 50 pounds in this big plastic box (from an estate). The woman running the sale figured they wouldn't sell many, so asked if I would buy the lot for $20. I swung by the corner market and got some cash and returned for the box. I'll have quite a few of these, so I'll sort through and set aside those I don't need for eBay or donation, but it was too good to resist!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Mar 09 - 11:46 AM

Yum!! Sounds like a great buy!

Not much on for me, today, yet. I did the dishes and more laundry, yesterday. I also did more editing of last year's novel and will do more this morning. Only 71 75 (can't even subtract right!) pages to go and I still like it!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 27 Mar 09 - 11:53 AM

The picture frame I also bought at the charity auction has now found a picture - a cross stitch thing called 'The Sorceress' by Dimensions
- and a home. I stitched the picture in secret and presented it framed in the new frame, to Limpit today for a late birthday present (I am ashamed to say I was too involved in the TV to finish it on Wednesday in time for her actual birthday). The frame is an ornate old gold thing with scrolls and curlicues, with tiny silver and blue mirror tiles (about 1/4 inch square) around it. It's hanging on her bedroom wall now, below the fire screen my grandmother embroidered.

So that's something de-cluttered from my sewing bag... just in time to make room for the other projects I have in the pipeline...

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 09 - 01:27 PM

Sounds like a lovely gift, Liz!

I did a rough alphabet organization of those CDs. Way-heavy into Beethoven, Haydn, Handel, and Mozart, but lots of other great stuff. I'd say that there are about 300 individual disks, and there are another half-dozen multi-disk sets. Great buy, is right!

Funny, though. I think the previous owner must have been left-handed. All of the cover art and the liner notes have been reversed in the cases, so I had to turn them over to the "back" to look at them. Or else his filing system was such that this was the easiest way to see what was in them. I'll think about this--maybe he was onto something.

There are a couple of oddball disks in there--I've never heard of orchestral versions of the music of Jethro Tull. Kind of makes one wince. Maybe it was a gag joke?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 09 - 03:00 PM

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

De-cluttered wallet.

The tax return was deposited, the credit card bills have been PAID OFF.

At least one hurdle is out of the way.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Mar 09 - 03:19 PM

Yea!!! And, I got an email saying the IRS has accepted our efile.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 09 - 06:50 PM

Wait another week or so and you can log on and it will give you a ballpark date for the deposit to your account. But as you learned through my agony in having to wait longer, sometimes knowing isn't helpful! Fingers crossed they are happy with all of your forms.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Mar 09 - 06:56 PM

Yep, I double-checked them so many times, I almost drove myself and Rog nuts. I only had two extra forms to add to the regular 1044, so I think we'll be okay.

Wish I could say I did some decluttering today, but editing, then Morgan took my attention. The day before my b-day is always a "lie low" kind of day, so I am trying to just go with it.:-) Did get nice hugs from Morgan and my ex!**bg**

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 28 Mar 09 - 07:39 AM

We've been busy this morning. I have been waiting with great anticipation for Paul to bring the new cot he has made in from the workshop. It is all sanded down and the final coat of varnish has dried so it is ready for Amelia to go into this weekend, it's gorgeous.

We played a game with Harry to get his new bed (OMG I can't believe he's big enough to be in a proper bed, time flies!) into his bedroom and his old cot (which Paul also made) out and into the twins bedroom. He was SO excited and is really impressed with his 'big boy bed' with Thomas the Tank Engine bedding! We're not putting the twins in their cots tonight as we don't want Harry to get upset about someone else being in his old bed. Having said that the way things are going I don't think he will be too bothered as we have made it all fun for him. Just waiting on Harry's new headboard to be finished.

I've worked my way through more of the baby clothes that don't fit and washed and packed them all up to go to the charity shop. Most of the clothes are as a good as new. I couldn't help myself putting a couple of things away for memory boxes.

It's all been quite emotional. Our little fella growing up and going into a proper bed and the twins moving into their own rooms out of their moses baskets and into cots. Then packing up clothes to be passed on to the charity shop so someone else can get some use out of them. They grow up so fast but we still smile and know we are blessed.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Mar 09 - 01:15 PM

Khatt, a few years ago I decided that since my 12-year-old son was too big for his child's twin bed, that I'd go ahead and get him a queen-sized bed. For a while it seemed silly, he was so small on that bed, but the years pass, he's now 6'1" and fully occupies that mattress. I figured why buy the next size up mattress of a double (also called "full") sized bed when his dad is 6'2" and I'm 5'7". I knew we'd end up with this mattress at some point, might as well cut out a step.

Cleaning out my office some today. I am thinking about rearranging some of the furniture.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Mar 09 - 01:55 PM

The Salvation Army microwave that was $14.99 and looked like crap last week was $FOUR.99 last night and looked GOOD, so we now have a nukerator for the upstairs home office/guest suite. It matches the set of dishes I allocated up there too, LOL, as well as the room decor.

It joins the rest of the mini-kitchen appliances already up there (the room used to BE a kitchen, with countertops, etc.), where it will mean that I do not have to come downstairs for morning tea and then go back up to go to "work," thereby eliminating AM TV time, too. The "suite" now has all the appliances you'd expect to find in a good motel room, in about the size most suites would have. Healthy midnight snacks (for both Hardi and me) will now be possible as well.


I finally feel like I can start to wrap my arms around the new work on the horizon, because it's been a real SOB getting resources of various sorts organized for it this past month in time for the things that I need to get DONE.

Also at Sallie's was a box of hanging file folders-- the small quantity I lacked for the portable file I already had, and just needed to beef up.

Another nice item was a craftsman-style magazine rack of the type I have wanted to set next to my autoharp stand at church, for years. It will replace the too-large, too-round basket I reluctantly took there from home, so that means I get my favorite LR wastebasket back, too, and the tiny, crumbling one I've had in the LR can ALSO go up to the office, where I need a small one by the workstation.

I found 4 bathing suits for a friend to try (hard to find sizes), and a handful of the tiny stuffed animals I like to give to fussy kids at church and that fit so well in the tiny drawer I have by my ushering station there (where a few of maire-anne's hankies live).

TMI warning: And an outrageously-large sleeping tee, extra long, in can't-kill-it orange, for the boondocker and the trip I'll take in it Monday. Long enough to cover no matter how I splay out in my sleep, AND long enough to cover the essentials at portapotty time in the back of the van.

One used bag a few weeks ago joined one we had to make a mega-bag that can hold two. This afternoon I set it up in the Boondocker with the foam mattress that goes inside it. Hardi came home with Sat. sammiches as I was enjoying an experimental stretchout in all the comfort. He crawled right in to try it out, and pronounced it luxurious. Inside that Boondocker, it is not at all like sleeping in your car, feeling cramped or cold or homeless. It feels quite camp-ish, and in some ways is cushier than our camper. It's all set up now, except for portapotty, for the trip Monday. When I pull in I will be able to complete setup for the night, entirely from the interior.

Got another used sleeping bag from Sallie's I'll whip-stitch into a leg sack for the cold recliner in the LR. The LR here will be cold, days, till June and nights, most of them, all summer.

Got two picture frames that match the house decor, one of which will hold a really pretty new pic of Hardi looking straight into the camera, that I've set upstairs looking down at me at the workstation. We played a Tom Waits song coming back last night from the hockey game, for it, that we both love, "Picture in a Frame."

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 28 Mar 09 - 02:15 PM

Glad to know the hankies found a good home, S. I made a loaf of whole wheat soda bread--it was sooo good, esp. slathered with butter. And have you guys heard about parchment paper??? I lined my cast iron skillet with it ('cause I didn't want to mess up the seasoning) and it's the greatest thing. I'd never tried it until I baked cookies with it at Christmas, and now I use it for everything.

Spent an hour or so pulling weeds in my raspberry patch, along with trimming back old branches and some of the weakest plants. Got about halfway done.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Mar 09 - 02:52 PM

They predicted snow flurries over night. I don't know if there were any, but it hasn't been very warm and it is windy. Indoor work some more today.

I'm wondering how hard it would be to customize a hall closet so that I could make it really work as not only the place to center my phone connections but also to house the router and modem and have data cables running from here to other rooms.

But before I wonder too much about that, I'd better research my washer problems. And look at sales in case repair is prohibitive.

SRS

Subject: Abrazos: Hankies Anyone?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Mar 09 - 05:17 PM

Oh yes, m-a, I've given away several and they are always appreciated. I have just one or two left of the first batch you sent, which have been supplemented since by other finds-- I am not even sure now which ones came from which source.

But two pressed, plastic-wrapped hankies at all times live in the church, so that others who know of them can access them.

Then when I go to a wedding, funeral ordination, or other "major" liturgy, one is always carried in my left dress-pants pocket for me, and another in the right pocket as a give-away. This is a culture where people still use and treasure them. So when I murmur, "Keep it," I always get a flash of thanks from the eyes and a squeeze of the hand. The last one I gave to a lady on the date of her confirmation (like a baby dedication but for adults). She was swept away by the event, and sitting nearby, so out came a hankie. Each giveaway is a special memory for me, and I recall each recipient-- not the hankie-- and it makes a simple but powerful prayer link, too.

It's a small kindness to be able to do, but for people to have a thing they can TOUCH seems to be huge, and your gift started it all. Now I have others looking for similar items and the cycling just goes on and on. Men don't turn them down, either. :~)(


Abrazos,

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 28 Mar 09 - 09:31 PM

Failed miserably at everything this week... including sleep.

For some reason I am incredibly tired and have been dozing off late afternoon/early evenings... tonight I was in bed before 9.30pm until some rotten witch with a capital B phoned at 12.30am thinking we were a pub... still, it's reminded me to put the clocks forward.

Major clearout of magazines still waiting.. as I don't have a bat in hell's chance of getting back to sleep for at least another hour, I may go downstairs and start organising a cupboard I can't usually get to because people sit on the sofa in front of it.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 29 Mar 09 - 01:05 AM

Went out to a friend's house concert this evening. She had an "open mic" at the beginning, but there were so many people that I only did one song: Some Little Bug . If you haven't heard it before, it's hysterical.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Mar 09 - 03:43 AM

I have been away the last couple of evenings but I did get a little done in between events. A trip to the laundromat, a couple of errands, and this evening I've been organizing my office book shelves.

This set is where my source material is for my thesis in English, for the papers and proposed thesis in philosophy--there is a little overlap, but basically we're talking about two sets of books that take up several shelves each. There was some commingling and some duplication. I'll probably weed out some. I'm also removing the stuff that was stacked horizontally on top of the books. It's nice, how much better it looks when the space over the books isn't crammed full of papers. I've been filing some of those papers, and setting others aside to bundle and file.

On another note, I recently saw a retrospective of the life of Luciano Pavarotti, in which he explained that due to nerves and focus he found that having a handkerchief in his hand was helpful. If you look at later photos you'll see it wasn't even subtle, it was just always there.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Mar 09 - 01:46 PM

Lovely day outside! No telling what I can get up to for a few hours in the sunshine!

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Mar 09 - 11:10 PM

Decisions, decisions. Laundry and the yard. If I don't trim around the front yard the code enforcement guys leave a warning, then a citation on your door. The weeds are going full tilt and the turf is beginning to stir. But I still have a washer on the fritz.

I can wash laundry at 75 cents a load and I usually have something to read or work on while I wait for 30 minutes, so that isn't a huge inconvenience. For now, I'll let that operation ride.

I went by Home Depot this afternoon and picked up a weed whacker. I did a little research, they're all made by the same company even though they have different names. The one that died was more heavy duty (could be used for brush also) than I actually needed and I got tired of lugging it around. After a couple of years the carburetor clogged up. This one is lighter, a little less power an a smaller tank, but it isn't like it's difficult to fill the tank when needed. I'll make a point of keeping the tank empty if not in use for a period of time. That may be what got the last one. Anyway, I'll use this for now and take the old one apart and clean it and keep it as a spare.

I have a few things to do for work tomorrow, but I'll also putter a little with those books in the shelves. They are beginning to look positively attractive!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: mg
Date: 30 Mar 09 - 12:00 AM

A used washer is somewhere between free if you will haul it away and pretty darn cheap..how about just getting a used one? Post a notice at the university and someone will have one that works that they want to get rid of. You can hardly give them away these days. mg

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 30 Mar 09 - 05:04 AM

Well, as March goes out like a lamb, Spring is properly here (despite the frost last night) we've all made progress.

There is a little less clutter in the world of Liz; magazines are boxed and waiting to go into the now accessible loft, book shelves have been tidied, leaving space for more books, a vast amount of paper has been sent to the recycling plant and some VHS has been replaced by space-saving DVD...


So why does it still look so damn CLUTTERED in here?!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 30 Mar 09 - 09:49 AM

Magazines cleared out and put in the recycling. I've sorted through some books to separate some duplicates I've got before sending them to the charity shop.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Mar 09 - 10:17 AM

Mary, that is one option on a washer--and I'm weighing my options right now. I bought this one in 2002. I have to research the problem and decide how much I'm willing to pay to repair it and I'll look at reviews of this model to see how it holds up. I found a great web site with appliance repair information and diagnosis (I used it when I was looking at parts for my also ailing fridge--when it rains, it pours!). I'll see if this is something that can be repaired and hope that a repair is cheaper than buying new. It would be nice to keep my own washer (I love all of the gentle and handwash cycles on this one).

My books are moving along, though the stack of stuff taken off of the tops of the books is growing over on a desk.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: maire-aine
Date: 30 Mar 09 - 12:27 PM

The other day I cleaned out all of my old medicines, so today I took them back to the drugstore. They'll dispose of them safely. We had rain most of the day yesterday, and it turned to snow overnight. Thought we were past that....

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Mar 09 - 12:36 PM

Ha! The way this year is going, there will be snow on July 4.

I did a big backup of files from my computer, not so much a de-clutter because the original files stay put, but a necessary step.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: MAG
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 12:32 AM

I was away having a marvellous time at Singtime Frolics, so I got absolutely nothing done; in fact I got home to discover the cats had been romping around making chaos.

I have decided my next project will be to clear out my file cabinet; I probably have 20 years of bank statements in there.

A friend in a red hat club says they would be glad to have my clothes for their semiannual yard sale, so at this point I am just going to give them away to her group. Means shlepping them some distance, but they will be OUT of here.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to work...
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 08:38 AM

... at her new desk!

We've been shifted round at work and I now have a window seat!

I daresay the plants will love it - my waxflower has more flowers on it now than it has in the last 3 years (2 of which were spent in a north facing corner that saw real sunlight for about 8 minutes, at dawn, at midsummer). The upshot of this move is I've had a chance to declutter some of the accumulated rubbish I've been storing... it has made a difference!

Now if only the phone would stop ringing!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 02:46 PM

I de-cluttered my desk of a big print job. I'll revisit it for proofing and design tweaks, but it is nice to have the worst of it finished.

No news on the washer front yet, but a plan is forming.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 04:07 PM

Morgan and I did dishes this morning and he gathered the trash out of the car for me while we were waiting in it for his teacher to come get him. Yesterday he carried two shopping bags of give-aways out to the car for me. My house still looks like a mess...maybe it is perpetual?

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 05:30 PM

I think you'll find the density of clutter isn't as great as it once was. That's the only way I can explain it. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 09:36 PM

That might be, Maggie, hadn't thought of that. Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 10:41 PM

Think of it this way--it's easier to clear up in a hurry if you have to have a room neat, because there isn't as much clutter as before. I find that is the case with the kitchen. It builds up, but not as bad as before.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 11:21 PM

That is true! I noticed this weekend past, it didn't take Rog near as long to sweep as usual. Makes me feel better.

Oh, and, later today, Morgan helped me declutter the car of all of the trash. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 06:22 PM

It's Wednesday evening, but it has all of the feel of a Friday. I've had so many meetings and appointments to cover. I still have a couple of projects to work on, but I may take off a day just to do something about the appliances that are all turning up their toes.

I'll run a load of laundry over to the laundromat this evening, after I mow. I am feeling inspired to work on my office some more--I really do want to organize books and CDs and figure how how to store all of these wonderful new ones. I still find myself amazed that I ended up with so many high end fabulous recordings (my son's music teacher last night laughed when I told him about lugging in that box, saying "and you even got a new bin!") I drove home from work this evening listening to Glenn Gould playing the Bach's Goldberg Variations. :)

I have this feeling of connection to whomever collected all of this music, and such gratitude that I stumbled upon a way to buy them and hold the collection together. It's not like all of my Dad's music or something, not an emotional tie like that, but I can see a clear pattern of the informed listener, perhaps a teacher, in these disks. I respect that. If, on one hand, someone might suggest that he's turning in his grave because this valuable collection was donated to a garage sale and claimed for (pardon the pun) a song, I would want to deliver the message to that same unquiet grave to rest easy, they have arrived in a place where they are valued, understood, revered, and will be appreciated for years to come. Before my daughter heard about what was in it, just that I had it, she laughed and said "eBay, here I come," but this isn't something for eBay. This is something for me, something I never could have afforded, piecemeal, that are a wonderful windfall.

So shelving is near the top of my list of things to do soon.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: March 2009 De-clutter & Spring Cleaning
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 06:26 PM

Here's the April thread.