De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 07:00 PM

Here's the Sept 2010 thread.

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: LilyFestre
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 12:33 PM

Three loads of laundry done. Dishes are next and then some deep cleaning and ridding the living room of stuff we never use anymore. It's probably the cleanest room in the house so it won't take long. I decided to do the rooms we use the most, first...so the living room, kitchen and bathroom...that's my goal for the first two weeks of September. The bathroom was 80% decluttered last month with the exception of 2 shelves which I'll finish up after the living room is how I want it. :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 12:07 PM

Two vacay bags sorted and restocked, out on the porch to reload. One item left for today-- a drawer unit that sits behind driver's seat to hold necessary go-items such as pool bag. That will also go to the porch, shortly, all sorted and loaded-- after lunch: leftover basmati rice and salmon, with fruit.

Net-- a large mess cleverly placed behind a chair to screen it from view when in recliners, will be gone.

Then Hardi can vacuum out the van and we can load up for a short camping trip next week and the Sept/Oct boondockspeditions.

Next after all this, as heat rises, is some work/reflections up in the sleeping attic. I'm about to rent it out till spring, furnished-- to pay for the cleaning lady.

~Susan

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: LilyFestre
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 12:00 PM

Police departments will take unused prescriptions so even the rural ground water stays safe.

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 11:27 AM

In the low-population rural environment, where one's water comes from mountaintop springs, groundwater can stand a little judicious disposal of unwanted pills.

So-- as of today I declutter my daily prescription & supplelments & OTC operation. In an effort to save pennies, I have at least four large Ziplocs full of pill bottles! I also have a small handful of loose pills found in various vacay bags I have been cleaning out. I am throwing out the loose pills-- flushing into the septic tank for earth filtering. The bottles are next-- expired items, almost-empties, etc etc etc-- sort and purge!

And no more splitting pills the doc decides he wants me to tinker with, to get 5's out of 10's, etc.. We have pretty good drug benefits-- best part of our bennies in fact. Try a new item? Scrip me for 14 days then, locally, and THEN if it works we'll do the 90 day by mail extra-cheap, cuz SHEESHE, this shite piles up!

~Susan

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: LilyFestre
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 10:33 AM

Rags,

   That's GREAT news about your A1C, cholesterol and blood pressure!!!! Okay if I join in that happy dance with you?!?!?! :) WAY TO GO!! Keeping that stuff under control can be tough!

And Susan, a cleaning lady, huh? I used to be a nanny and the family I worked for had a cleaning lady too....not sure why as the house was always just so. I think the mama would clean before the cleaning lady came...but then again, it was a professional family with professional decorators, etc....in my opinion, it wasn't a house that was lived in, warm or loving. But anyway...cool beans for you!!! I wouldn't mind someone coming here to do the floors...which really would be better off if they were swept and mopped daily. I do sweep daily but the mopping...well, maybe once a week. I do have a friend who has been after me since I was diagnosed in December...she said she would come help with anything regarding organizing and cleaning...she loves to do it. I mean LOVES. I have yet to take her up on it, I suppose I just think it's my space and my mess, I need to tend to it. Speaking of which, today is laundry day here on the mountaintop. It's supposed to be 93 degrees by the end of the day so I'm doing bedding and hanging it all out on the line. AC and fans are on high, curtains have now been closed as the cooler morning air is now steamy and hot.
    I am going to yoga tonight and am way excited about it. It will be the first time in 3 weeks!!! So...I'm getting dinner around too so Pete will be able to eat when he gets home instead of waiting for me.
    Also, there is a chair sitting in my living room in the middle of the walkway. It's been there for maybe a month now with promises from DH to move it to the shed and later to the Salvation Army or local thrift shop. I am sick of looking at it and of it being in my way so I'm going to push it out to the front door and leave it on the porch. Maybe he'll see it then. I seriously think that he has the ability to NOT SEE things sometimes. It doesn't bother him so it's not there. I wish I could do that!!! I'm sure I do though as we all do....human nature I suppose. ;)
   Ramble. Ramble. Ramble. Time to get busy.
Later Gators!

Michelle

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 09:09 AM

That's great, rags!

Yesterday I got a lead on who might be the perfect cleaning lady to come help us out occasionally. It will be hard to pry the bucks out of the grocery budget, but it's long overdue to have a little help dealing with this too-huge house.

For me, where it fits is this... my most functional, most productive time in life was in a neat little apartment my son and I had. It was on a scale I could DEAL with; the upstairs f our present rental house are real close to its size and I have done pretty well taking care of that. It gets about half the dust of the downstairs (which sits between gravel road dust and Dog World dirt/dust blowing in). It's so ironic-- seeing the old apartment in the upstairs-of-now, because the apartment was a garden apartment sunk about 6 steps down below the grass outside the windows. No walkout, no patio, but not a basement apartment, either. Just a few steps below grade, set in flat countryside. With enormous windows letting in a LOT of light. The scale and the light, here, have to be on the top floor of a high-ceilinged house, because the sunlight is hemmed in by mountain ridges snaking their way across all the landscapes.

Anyway, in that apartment, I had achieved non-clutter, and it was easy to keep it picked up. A great cleaning woman came twice a month and just did the finishing touches-- my job was pickup, and kitchen sanitation. Her job was to make it glow and smell pretty. And her regular visits made a structure within which I could stay on top of my part of the job.

Poor Hardi has been trying to keep the downstairs here under control, because he can do the heavier cleaning I still can't. But he is not cut out for "finish" dusting. It needs a girl's eye, and a woman's touch. I've decided to let it be someone else's eye and hands. Ministries are calling me OUT, and Hardi and I both need to come home to an orderly landing zone.

So-- friends who are moving have a lady who meets our requirements coming to them on the same schedule I want, and I hope to take their slot as soon as they leave it open!

~Susan

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: mouldy
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 04:19 AM

Ooh! I hope that day comes for me! At least they ain't upping mine - yet!

Andrea

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: ragdall
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 02:36 AM

I typed a post here a couple of days ago and it completely disappeared. I'll try again.

SRS, the mirror looks perfect there!

Andrea, your house and yard look picture perfect!

I managed to get both lawns mowed a couple of days ago in a dry spell between storms. Son's wife and three children stayed with us Saturday and Sunday nights. Sunday she took us old folks to Barkerville, "British Columbia's Gold Rush Town". We joined friends of hers there and spent the day enjoying the activities with them. There were 4 grandparents, 4 parents and 11 children -- lots of energy.

I went for my quarterly visit with the doctor today. My three month Blood Glucose level (A1C) was good, cholesterol is holding. The doctor told me I can quit taking the blood pressure medication so I'm doing a happy dance. The only daily prescription medication I'll have to use now will be the diuretic and it's not expensive.

rags

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 10 - 12:22 AM

Laundry is in, including a new shirt for a campus event tomorrow. I am turning a new leaf as far as work is concerned - I need to go there more because otherwise I'll be in this empty house for days at a time.

Hunting for a CD my son wants added to the box to ship - didn't find it where he said it might be, but did find a lot of other interesting stuff. I'll try again tomorrow.

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 09:03 PM

Best I did today was a load of laundry, in the dryer now. Had a routine doc's appt. this morning, went to the bookstore and brought back two paperbacks which will go back out the door after I read them.:-) I think I have some ideas, finally, of what I want to do in the office now that we've whittled down the chaos in there a bit, so will probably work on it, tomorrow OR work on my website redesign.

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: LilyFestre
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 08:52 PM

Regarding our visitors....one is probably coming to see the baby but the other isn't as she has seen him numerous times. It is what it is.

Today included: Dishes, laundry, baking bread, reorganized a cupboard that has been screaming HELP for a few weeks now, lunch out with a friend, a trip to the library to pick up the new book for the book club meeting at the end of September and now a chance to relax!

Michelle

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 06:38 PM

This conversation of houses and babies reminds me that my visits with my mother became a lot easier after I had kids, because she was so fascinated with the kids that it took the pressure off of me. I think Susan is onto something. :)

We have another surge of heat before the cooler Labor Day weekend.

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 03:29 PM

Thanks, SRS! I used to make pizza a lot when my kids were growing up. I told Rog, last night, I need to replenish our kitchen implements. I used to have a really neat pizza dough roller and a few other things. There is a pizza dough mix I get at the health food store which I really like, but haven't figured out the WW points, yet. Sure, please email me the recipe; I appreciate it.

Morgan size is just what I get at the store, right now and he loves them!:-)

kat

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: mouldy
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 01:37 PM

Michelle - my house looks like it does because it's the regulation "look" for selling. I don't normally live like this! I have a friend who said she liked to visit because everywhere she looked there was something quirky to see. Well, it's been de-quirked. Heck, I would love an old farmhouse to grow into organically, and gradually make my own.

Anyway, as Susan says, they're coming to see your lad, then the two of you, and they probably won't even notice the house.

Andrea

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 11:42 AM

Michelle, wake up! :~) They are coming to see the BOY. They will not see you except as a new mom, and they will LOVE seeing you in that role. The house, the entertaining details, everything else-- nah. Not so much! :~) You only need to be momly.

Maybe we should borrow a baby when Hardi's mom visits? :~)

Let's all learn from this one-- for every awkward visit, we need to conveniently happen to have a new baby in the house!

~Susan

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 12:29 AM

Kat,

I have totally abandoned the old recipe I used to use for pizza dough (it was a modified version of one of my bread recipes) for the one I found last year in Martha Stewart Living. Bianco's Pizza Dough is the best recipe I've ever come across. I make it in a bread machine on manual setting, so the only adjustment I make is I use the dry yeast in the machine and I add a tablespoon or so of olive oil since it won't be rising in a bowl to get that oil flavor. Be sure to use regular flour, not bread flour.

I tip the dough onto the counter when it finishes in the machine and cut this into five portions. Each of these is rolled out (rolling pin) and then I pierce it liberally with a fork. The oven has the pizza stone in it and has been pre-heated to 500. The ones I'm going to freeze I bake for 4 minutes, and sometimes I have to pull it out for a minute and deflate the crust if it does a puff thing like pita bread. Tonight I made 4 extra crusts (they average 10 inches across) and I made one pizza a bit larger for dinner tonight and have a few slices left over for lunch.

My favorite pizza these days is a pesto chicken pizza. No tomato sauce. When I put the dough on the stone then I add the toppings and pop it in the oven for 5 minutes. Toppings are first to pour a little olive oil on and spread it around with my hand, then sprinkle on some garlic powder and a little salt. From there I take some Julienne cut basil and pretty much pave the thing with basil (there are a few gaps so I can see the crust, but I use a lot of basil leaves on this). On top of this I put some disks of chicken breast (I have gotten in the habit of pan sauteing a boneless chicken breast and I cut it into several pieces so it cooks through -- this is handy for so many things, pizza, salad, whatever) and on top of this add mozzarella. This is a recipe I developed after a friend took me to Schlotzky's for their pesto pizza, so if you want an idea of what this tastes like find one of those. I'm really enjoying pizza without the tomato sauce these days.

(A complete aside here: don't you miss the days when Rick Fielding started those great cooking threads? He was such a talented musician, but he also inspired so many Mudcat cooks!)

I scanned this pizza dough recipe and saved it in a document so if you would like I can email the document to you where I pasted it. That recipe has a few smudges because I kept that copy of the magazine in the kitchen for many months. :)

Okay now, Kat, think about this: next time Morgan visits, you could either make this dough and let him make his own pizza, or you could make these in advance and when he visits, pull out a Morgan-sized crust and ask what he wants on his pizza. In the bread machine I set it on turbo and it takes one hour before it finishes and I can shape, roll, and bake it. I'd love to see his expression! When I use the frozen crusts I let them defrost then I put them on a metal pizza pan and they bake at 450 for 3-4 minutes. Sometimes I put it in the oven for a minute before I put the toppings on so it dries out if there was any condensation from defrosting.

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 11:16 PM

SRS, I've been thinking about making up some pizza dough, too, in one-person sizes. Do you use small pans or just make several smallish circles and bake them on a full-sized pizza pan?

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 10:37 PM

Ah! Finally, a few exercise points for myself - I walked the dogs again. Actually, we've been out several times in the last week. I'll also be hiking around campus this week. The first couple of weeks mean parking is pretty crazy, so I'll park on the perimeter near a friend's house and take the campus shuttle from a point near there.

Making some pizza dough tonight, and I'll make all small personal sized crusts and bake them enough that they're set. They go in the freezer and come out for a lunch or dinner or take out a couple if I have company. Everyone gets the topping they want.

Sprinklers are running in the garden tonight. Since we had a good rain a week ago, I'll try to keep the ground somewhat hydrated by watering now. This is one of those summers that is ranked the 5th hottest or something and that hasn't done the garden any good.

I think I'll set up and do some ironing this evening. And run a load of laundry. If I wait for the basket to fill up for a "normal" load I'll run out of my favorite clothes. Clearly I'm into the zone of small meals, less shopping, small loads of laundry, etc.

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 08:43 PM

Our houses are our homes. They are our largest investment for most of us, they are the place we feel comfortable. Like Maeve says, when people come here, they come for us, not the house. A lot of the time here we end up outside puttering around in the yard anyway. That's what tends to interest me more, and a lot of my friends.

This latest eBay auction has been an education. Seems I've waded into a world of passionate collectors when it comes to knives. Here I thought I was fussy, waiting until I could find the right size of a Case knife to replace my Old Timer pocket knife that had gotten really loose in the hinges over the years. This one brought a remark from an expert that it wasn't what I thought it was, but after researching, I couldn't actually find a way to prove his claim either. I only found oblique references to a company from the UK that used to sell knock off or replicas. Now the only time I find the name is with historic handguns. I don't know if it is the same company in an earlier form.

I was candid in the revision I posted, named the expert, explained my process. I kind of thought the auction might come to a screeching halt, but I have had a favorable response since. Though it is only into the second day it now has a bunch of little nickel-and-dime bids and a whole bunch of watchers. So we shall see. It is my experience that auctions that cause an early flurry of bidding don't go that high. The ones that stay quiet and have a lot of bidding at the end are the ones you hope for - and that's why I try to post these so they'll end when most people are awake and at a computer.

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 08:10 PM

I used to feel that way, too, Michelle, until I realised it didn't matter what I did, it would never look like a fashion plate, so now folks who want to see me, I know want to see ME/US and really don't care if there are weeds, which there are a'plenty, the décor inside is shabby chic, with the accent on "shabby" and the linoleum needs to be replaced, etc., etc. Besides that, I'll bet they really want to see that baby and everyone knows a house with a baby is messy!

remember, was it Erma Bombeck who said nobody will ask if she kept a clean house when she died?

SRS and maeve are right about the perspective. Think of where you've been and it hasn't even been a year, yet!

luvyakat

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: LilyFestre
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 07:46 PM

Maeve and SRS,

   Thanks for putting things in perspective...it's what I needed. THANK YOU!

Michelle

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: maeve
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 07:24 PM

Michelle- Our home (or lack thereof)is a more extreme example, but still I'll say to you what my wise husband says to me, "They are coming to see US."

m

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 07:21 PM

Michelle, offer a chair and a reading lamp and push the pink book in their direction. Let them see that you've been a *tad* busy. :-) \

I don't know if my house will ever be up to anyone else's standards. It's not even up to MY standards. But it's where I live and what I have to work with. The basics are more than taken care of. Do you ever walk by the fancy decorating stores and wonder at the stuff in there? Yes, it's beautiful, some of it, but it is designed to make function follow fashion, and this leads to waste and planned obsolescence. If we have working chairs and beds and tables and lights and appliances, what they look like isn't important to 2/3 of the world's occupants, who would simply be happy to have a roof over their heads, clean running water and electricity.

A few errands run, but not all. I distracted myself because it seems like all of the traffic lights on this side of town are either blinking red or not lit at all. I took a few detours to miss the lights and forgot one of my stops.

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: LilyFestre
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 07:08 PM

Ok. Somebody please tell me. Do I have a flashing neon sign on my back or forehead that says: COME TO MY HOUSE TO VISIT!!!

Seriously? Is there? It's not that I'm antisocial, we just don't have visitors very often...most likely because our house is in the middle of nowhere. No. Wait. That isn't it. We didn't have many visitors when we lived in town either. Well....we just don't get much company and truthfully, it makes both of us a little uncomfortable. Within the last 24 hours, I've had two requests...one for TOMORROW (which I said no to...any other day would be fine though) and one for the following week from one of Pete's family who we haven't seen in years...he says he wants directions to our *estate.* Ummmmmmmmmm. ROFLMAO.

We live in an old farm house that we bought 12 years ago and have been working on ever since. It's a work in progress.....very slow progress but progress nonetheless! Anyway, both of these people have very nice homes and all the trappings that go with it. It's not that our home isn't nice (we happen to love it here) but it's just not the same caliber as their houses.....so while I can clean like a maniac (and that has already started), the truth is no matter how much I clean or declutter, I feel like I almost need to warn them before they get here. The grass is tall, the garden has weeds, the front porch needs a new roof, the house needs to be stained, the driveway resembles a cow path with some pretty severe pot holes...blah blah blah, you get the idea.

I DO want to see these people but I'm feeling kinda not good enough....anybody understand what I'm trying to say? I keep telling myself they are coming to see US and NOT our home.....

ARG. I'm making myself crazy.

HELP!

Michelle

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 04:09 PM

Finished up the fifth load of laundry from yesterday and ALL of the laundry is put away! Did qi gong this morning. Have been working on redesigning my website...it is very time-consuming! Time for a nap.:-)

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 04:01 PM

Well, I got the study table down, but I messed up the whole upstairs doing it and took apart all the puder hookups up there trying to swap tables around. But I did get to the grocery store today that I have not been able to get to all last week, and I did stock some fruit and other lunch-stuff up there in the larger mini-fridge. Some OJ because my gums are complaining again, some grapes.... poor Hardi will have to wrestle a chair for me that I could not get to go thru a tight door, and help me re-run all the puder cables.

Hm, I guess I been busy. Now to reassemble the study table... The new meds have had me so sleepy the first week on them, but it seems I can override that if I hit the wave at the right time and keep moving.... it is nice to know though that daytime naps will now be possible because I have been trying to synch our schedules for SO LONG...

Step by step does it.

~Susan

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: mouldy
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 03:15 PM

Got today's tasks done, even the washing. However, the ironing is lurking in the cupboard under the stairs, until I feel like facing it!

Found some usable potatoes in a growing bag, dug up a turnip and an onion, plus a couple of small parsnips and baby carrots. Picked some runner beans and added a can of corn and a can of chopped tomatoes....dinner for about 3 days cos it made a big casserole-full!
Also baked a cake from windfall Bramleys. Trouble is, I've already eaten 3 pieces...

Andrea

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: LilyFestre
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 01:01 PM

Breakfast made, lunches packed. Baby changed and fed. Playtime. Dishes done, laundry started. Reservations made for visiting family (yee gads....bring on the heavy duty cleaning and organizing...I've got 3 weeks to get it DONE). Walker built. Kitchen floor swept and mopped. Living room floor and stairs swept, upstairs hallway semi-mopped. Soon a picnic, then grocery shopping (quick stop) and post office. Back home to put laundry away, make dinner and hang out with my favorite boys. ;) Life is good.

Michelle

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 11:58 AM

My knife is moving slowly, but it's early days, and one message from a viewer tells me it's a 1950s replica, but I know my Dad picked it up in Burma during WWII. His opinion with no substance is not helpful - I asked him to send a citation. Buyer beware is written all over that ad, but I'm not going to give it the kiss of death without some information beyond the opinion of a stranger. I told him when my Dad picked it up, we'll see if he responds back.

Regarding the mirror, I rearranged the magazine stand that is also in that bathroom, centered it under the mirror and towel rack, and it looks like it all belongs together. I think what those hooks were missing before was something logical to be grouped with. Now there is a more intentional symmetry in that room.

My kitchen is steadily improving. I'm slowly eating the stuff that was in the fridge before the trip. The last peach, almost finished a head of lettuce. I'm going to empty the fridge and clean it, and then try to keep a reasonable amount of food in there (not buying too much and letting it go to waste).

Last year put my Kitchenaid stand mixer on a cart to give myself a little more counter space, but this summer moved it back to a counter so I could use it more easily. Last night I ground some beef and made a pot of taco meat. Now that my picky eater son is not here I can go ahead and add beans to the meat for a healthier profile. Ever since last year when I read (again) about the e coli problems in ground beef I haven't bought any ground meat. I buy chuck roasts on sale, cut them into 1 pound chunks, and freeze them to grind as needed. I have the grinder attachment for the Kitchenaid and it is quick to use and easy to clean up. I am thinking about relocating the mixer to an intermediate spot, partly for the look, partly because it will again give me more counter space. It'll be set so I can use it in that location, I don't have to move it to use it like from the cart.

Small stuff, I know, but one way to continue to eat in a healthy way is to make it convenient as possible. And the way to save money is to not waste food.

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 09:28 AM

Animaterra,

[DEATH]|||||||||||||||||||||||||||[LIFE]

There is the continuum I'm trying to reverse. The "slider" button, if I inserted it into that continuum honestly, has been way left of center for several weeks. And as a result everything has felt like it was way off the track!

I had done really well all this past year at establishing some new life-supporting habits UPstairs in what I had come to call the "women and children first" room (my office). (Remember the O2-mask-instrux for mothers, on planes?) But when I tried to move these habits DOWNstairs in conjunction with some new goals, I didn't plan very well. Ooops! I merely left out a key ingredient I'd relied upon to to start my day really well no matter what goals I might have set for that particular day.

TBTG, this AM I spotted what that habit had been and immediately saw how easily it could move downstairs, and how in fact I had already taken some preparatory steps that would allow for it-- clearing off a unique slanted table (it had used to be my song-arranging space to hold autoharp and binders and more). In my office it has held the mini-fridge that I just replaced with a larger one set elsewhere in that office.... so now it is CLUTTER-forming space NONONO!

And it is the perfect height and width to serve two downstairs goals/habits/activities for the year. I'm taking back the full-sun spot in the LR for a study space, where I need room to lay out binders, books, and notepads-- and Hardi is planning to share time with me weekly to work on duets so I need an autoharp stand again down here.


So-- this is the last week I will try to pry myself off the puder and TV for study time out on the lovely back porch-- which is fast becoming too cold for much AM settin' time, so I'll just move the materials indoors to this full-sun spot, till real spring comes back.

This full-sun spot is where I started as an autoharper. At that time it was the only logical place for a semi-permanent autoharp set up (I play tabletop style), and I'd sit there hour after hour with sun pouring into my eyes, drenched in autoharp-sound glory, playing hymns I was learning and arranging.

That spot rekindles superb memories; it never did quite work as a magazine-reading spot (wrong chair), but as a sit-up-and-study chair it will be wonderful.

Yay! I win, I win!

~S~

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: mouldy
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 04:15 AM

Thanks for the compliments, folks - today is to be a "let's try and keep it looking like that" and "hack down the overgrowth" day.

At least I have a couple of new cds to listen to while I'm doing it.

By the way, that IS a rather stylish mirror!

Andrea

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 10:55 PM

Well! The knife is in play with it's first bid, and I've had a request to open shipping to worldwide. I was able to do that, but the postage went up a bit. I hope shipping a knife isn't against the postal code, I may have to research before I ship to the winner. I have quite a few watchers already, after only after a few hours.

Oh, I'm so pleased - the film about Temple Grandin just won the best made for television movie award. I've heard her several times on Fresh Air with Terry Gross and she is such a smart woman to hold up as an example at the Emmys. This is her TED talk. I think if you listen to this you'll have a few "slaps forehead" moments and wonder why it took so long for people to recognize these different ways of learning.

Damn. Mad Men won over The Good Wife. But maybe next year. . .

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 08:04 PM

That mirror is also nice up off the floor! I'll use that same paint to do the trim around the door and the floor trim after I repaint, and I need to tear up the vinyl and put down tile in that bathroom. I'd also like to

This afternoon I did a yard job that was long enough to work up a sweat (it's still pretty hot during the day, but it is finally cooling at night). I've deadheaded a bunch of the flowers from my sunflower and will use those as birdseed this winter. They've already been eating the flowers, and I have a bunch more drying.

This evening I'll do laundry, do some ironing, and work on the playbill collection while I play the Emmy's. Cooking dinner for tonight and working on a couple of things to use during the week. Some pizza crusts and such. This'll be a mixed bag of stuff, all calculated to do small tasks that need doing while I can keep an eye on the awards. Here's rooting for Julianna Margulies!

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: LilyFestre
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 07:24 PM

Andrea, your house is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I'm sure it won't take long to sell!!! And SRS, your mirror is perfect there!!! :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 06:47 PM

Impressive, SRS. Fine research and write-up.

The mirror is beautiful!

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 04:05 PM

Here is the link: Andrea's House for Sale

Here's a link to a view of that little mirror. Nothing special, but it is being put to use and the bathroom wall looks a lot nicer now. I'm going to repaint the bathroom, something not yellow. I think the green tile would do better to have more contrast.

This afternoon I'm going to go pull out some of the dead garden stuff and put all of the sunflower heads into a bucket for future use. I've seen the birds out there going through the huge plant pulling at the heads, so I'm sure they've seeded a lot into the bed already. I'll keep most of it to feed birds this winter and I'll be pulling up most of them next year.

See if this takes you to the knife listing.

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 03:24 PM

Andrea, it looks beautiful, all of it, but esp. your gardens. I love all of the green stuff anyway, but it just looks lovely the way you have it laid out, etc. I give thanks that it sells quickly and easily for you. Can't wait to hear about and *see* your next place/adventure.:-)

We stripped our bed this morning and I am just finishing up washing two top sheets and a fitted. At least two more loads of laundry to go. Rog swept and did the litter boxes while I scrubbed the bathroom. We both folded and put away or hung up clean clothes.

Morgan came over for about an hour and a half. He helped me take more cassette tapes out of their plastic, put rubber bands (elastics)around their inserts, and put them in the proper category drawers of the card catalogue which Rog moved yesterday. In the process, Morgan learned how to use the tape machine and listened to a couple of them. So, that decluttered a basket of tapes which had been sitting on top of the scanner right by my desk. Rog has a sore toe, so I think I will give him the rest of the day off.:-)

I may try to get some of the books on the library truck sorted out, but I'd like to have his help and know I would not have his full attention, so may just take the afternoon off myself.

SRS, that knife sounds very special. I hope it sells well. Are there knife/specialty forums on which you could posts a link to help with possible sale?

Oh, did qi gong last night.

kat

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: mouldy
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 01:20 PM

I picked a handful of cherry tomatoes yesterday, and 2 today from the little greenhouse. Loads of runner beans, though!

The house has gone "national". Here's the link if you want to peek at my (unnaturally) tidy house....DON'T open any cupboards!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30904109.html

Andrea

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 01:04 PM

You guys are killing me, all of these tomatoes. Our entire crop was puny this year, the bulk of it coming in as cherry tomatoes. Last year was huge, this year, nothing.

I've been playing on the computer this morning, reading some longer essays, etc. Now I need to go get to work.

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: LilyFestre
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 12:35 PM

Around these parts, the gasline folks are working 7 days a week. Today I think they are covering up some of the pipeline that recently went in located in the field next to ours. This has allergens floating around like crazy and my nose is nothing but itchy and sneezy...eyes burning and red. I'll be glad when the first frost hits to level some of this stuff out!

Med changes can be tough and taking them when you know they make you weepy or feel icky before you feel better is harsh. Hope it all levels out for you soon Susan.

I have been having trouble sleeping at night so last night I made a list of things I want to accomplish this week and for today as well. I finally fell asleep (last time I looked at the clock it was 3:30am or so) and Pete let me sleep in (oh how I love that man of mine!!). When I finally did get up, he had changed, fed and played with the baby and put him down for his mid morning nap, did the dishes, washed, cut up and cooked up the latest 35 pounds of tomatoes....THANK YOU & AMEN! So now that I'm finally up and going, I've bathed the baby, played with him, got the laundry started, sorted out clothing that no longer fits Jeremiah (I think he is skipping the 6 month size entirely) and got a shower myself. And....for the first time in MONTHS, I had to brush my hair so it would lay the way I wanted it to!!! It's still super short but...well, it was laying all funky..LOL. Anyway...there's plenty to be done around here and I should get busy.

Michelle

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 12:12 PM

Now that is a great thing!

I was at my doctor's office this week. She has a couple of nurse practitioners there to take care of the small things like I wanted to get checked, and that's fine with me. Her office is more approachable because if you have something that needs looking at now, they can fit you in, and bump you up the line to see the doctor if you need to.   

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 12:05 PM

Thanks, SRS. It's frustrating, because it's the second med change in two months and just the start of trying things to see what will actually WORK. OTOH I do have a great doc to work with, who is easily accessed by phone in case things are seriously cattywampus between appointments.

I'm just glad he moved BACK here. At least now I don't have to go to Philly to see him!

~Susan

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 11:54 AM

Susan, it sounds like you're handling the change the best way - small steps until the medication stabilizes. I cleaned my pickup inside and out a couple of weeks ago, preparing to take my son to his university. It looks so good still, I guess I should do it more often!

Small declutter and decorating accomplishment here this weekend. A couple of years ago at a garage sale I bought a little 18" x 20" rough framed mirror made to look like a small window frame. At $1 it needed a little work, it had only a thin primer coat and some small gouges on one side of the frame. I put a smear of wood filler over that area, then didn't do anything except move this out of the way from one spot to another until now.

Yesterday morning I decided to address it, so I went through my paint cupboard (evicted one can that leaked onto the shelf) and found the can of a semi-gloss whitish paint I used on the cabinets I built in my daughter's room. After a couple of coats yesterday I scraped the paint off of the glass. This morning I measured and used a couple of drywall plastic things to put the screws in the wall (since it's going up between the studs) and pounded a couple of nail-free hangers on the frame. It is hanging between two ceramic hooks where we hang towels. It makes that wall look a lot more normal. Those two little hooks looked kind of spartan by themselves but now they compliment the mirror.

My eBay knife auction is set to start at 2pm my time. If I'm working on auctions late at night I postpone the starting time so when it comes close to ending people can discover it during the day and not have to get up in the wee hours if they're not into Snipe or one of the software programs that bids at the last minute.

Need my allergy eye drops this morning. It has been a long hot allergy-filled summer. It's getting cooler at night, though, and my calendar does tell me that September is near. I can hardly wait!

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 11:15 AM

Spent some time yesterday crying thru a few camper decluts. Hardi had to hep out to keep me level. (New meds for BP have some weird side effects I am told will stabilize "soon.") The whole house is in arrears while I try to reverse the ship mid-water, with only a little energy and a very small propeller, but I know if I can just get the flow reversed the ship WILL turn and follow a strong current. (Early winter cues is what Hardi and I decided it must be.)

So I skipped the Sat. svc last night in favor of not weeping thru it, and instead put some quality time into the upstairs office which had gone totally nuts on me. We've added a larger mini-fridge up there (seasonal-- from the camper) and the fourth or fifth table to hold it finally worked. I combed thru the stuff that had landed on the desk to make a more inviting return to work-oriented duties this week.

I usually do all camping laundry DURING the camping, but this time a last-minute couple of activities/opportunities pre-empted that chore so I dragged it all home-- NEVER AGAIN! The last of that was done and put away yesterday, in time to resume home laundry.

The van got totally emptied out Friday and reloaded with FreeCycled pallets for a building project; they are out now so we can vac out the sand, etc. in time for some scheduled Sept/Oct boondocking.

Hardi has been on a cleaning jag while I am not looking (best way really), focused it seems on the kitchen. ???

~Susan

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 02:23 AM

So I have this beautiful heavy old folder hunting knife of my Dad's that I decide to research and sell on eBay. I did list it with lots of photos (all saved at Photobucket, only to find that eBay is letting me load up to 12 photos free, at least for a while). Anyway, I did many searches trying to find a similar blade anywhere in the Internet. One turns up - small - on eBay in a guide. About replica knives. He talks about them being listed as "mint" and looking new, when they probably are simply new replicas. Who knows, my knife looks used. I know it comes from at least 1944. They talk about replicas from over the years, a lot of them from the 1950s and later. So I put it all in there, with lots of photos. Someone will come along and decide this is the real thing and bid on it. Those who think it isn't real won't.

It would be nice to have a windfall about now, but I won't hold my breath.

This item doesn't take up much space in the house, so in terms of clearing out, it's a minor bit of space. But my bank account can always use a little extra cash clutter. :-D

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: mouldy
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 03:14 PM

Back from Whitby today to find sale board outside the house. Went into Selby this afternoon to sign the details so that it could be posted online. It's on the agent's website now. when I know it's out on the property search sites, I'll post a link, as there will be nice estate agent-style pics!

Back to accountability....one week in Whitby = much walking up hills x much eating, especially of fish & chips + much visiting of pubs. I bought some WW ready meals that were on offer in the supermarket, while I was out today. I think it's time to take myself in hand again!

Andrea

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 02:43 PM

Oh, that's wonderful news!

After finally getting Morgan to go to sleep around 11p, after a few games of Reversi on the PC and making a lot of music with the fiddle, keyboard, and uke, I read until about midnight, then went to sleep.

At 5a, when I thought it was probably about 330a, I heard "Mama?" He was standing by the bed. Needed a drink of water and couldn't sleep. Apologised for waking me at "530a" which I thought was odd, but let it slide and told him no problem. (He'd looked at the clock, I hadn't. I was in denial. If it was before 5a, there was a good chance we might both get some more sleep.:-)Got up, made sure he turned out the lights and had to keep shushing him to not wake up Papa.

After we both settled down I saw it really was past 530a and knew, just knew, we'd neither one get back to sleep. Right, up and outta the bedroom by 6a, fed and watered him, he called his mom at 7a to go to work with her. In the meantime, he was going to play the Native American flute! Not, poor Papa needed his beauty sleep. We went outside to wait for his mom to pick him up at 730a at which point I came inside, wide awake.

Rog got up at 9a. I'd been awake for 4 hours, so fell asleep at the breakfast table. I thought I was going to sleep the whole day away, but we went for a small ride to the store and the long way home whihc provided a nice naptime and I am just about to go put away clean clothes and we are going to move the old wooden card catalogue with the cassette tapes in it, to the phonograph stand by the kitchen table, just across from me and the tape player so I can start transferring all of the tapes to the external hd. THEN I may take a nap!:-) OH, and I will also be able to start reclaiming my large desk in the office for the laptop and what have you.

Neat thing was, while we were out at 715a waiting for his mom to come, I had a bold hummingbird hovering not more than a foot from my face. It was precious!

Maggie, thanks for the declutter your PC link. I'll look into that.

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 12:15 PM

Whoo hooo! Visit Michelle's "Life with Jeremiah" thread - yesterday the adoption was final! Full speed ahead!

SRS

Subject: RE: De-Clutter: Aug 2010 (w/ accountability)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 12:00 PM

Lovely day today. I got up and my computer had barely started a big system scan I set up. I think after the mouse didn't move for an hour it went to sleep. I'm using it lightly, mostly just moving the mouse every so often to keep it going. It's at 22% of the big system scan. When this finishes the computer will be thoroughly de-cluttered. Here is the scan site at Microsoft (go there via Internet Explorer to use it) and select your operating system. We can all have de-cluttered computers as part of our fall cleaning.

I must work around the house today. I've been out in the garden already, and I sat on the back porch and hung out with the dogs a little. They are their usual wagging cuddly selves. A little large to be lap dogs, but at least Poppy would always hop in my lap if I'd let her.