BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability

Subject: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 01:30 PM

A couple of weeks ago I looked back and realized we have generated Declutter and Exercise (Accountability) threads since the spring of 2008. It's always good to finish projects, and we are moving forward, but these threads have a form of blinder since they're only four weeks at a time. They haven't allowed us to see as easily where we have come from. Here are a few of our past threads, selected because they represent our beginning, and a few points along the way.

March, 2008 thread

January, 2009 thread

Our project, one year out - March 2009

One year ago, the Dec. 2009 thread

Last month's thread

I just walked through my living room after a long hot soak in the master bathroom. There is a lot of the beautiful faux limestone Italian tile in view than there has been in years. Every room in my house has been rearranged, but I can also say that every room in my house now has more room. Okay, my office shrunk this fall when I moved five antique trunks in here and stacked them around three walls. My office is the room where I work from the center at stations around the edges, and it didn't matter if that space contracted in here. The bathrooms, closets, even the garage have improved with both less stuff and more organization for what remains.

I'm starting this thread in late December because we tend to look back and look forward in December, and I wanted a few of those observations to be there in the beginning of the January 2011 thread to help propel us forward.

maeve has gone through the trauma of losing a house and the artifacts of many lives, but is now experiencing the miracle of building a new home. It takes a community, and her community is so hardy that they work in cold blowing snow to put up her bubble of warmth and light.

Kat has recovered incredibly from health problems of a few years ago that she's not only working on her house, she gets out and hikes and walks around her town.

Susan has pushed and shoved room contents around a huge old house and created zones where she can pursue her many interests and work.

Michelle is just miraculous. In case someone reads this many years down the road who wasn't along for the ride, last year is when they detected cancer, and she conquered it with the help of a lot of great people in her community and in her virtual family. And then, as if that wasn't enough, came Jeremiah. I can't think of a single individual who had earned such a shot at complete joy, and it made for an incredible year for all of us who read along. Michelle's cancer thread It started on January 14, 2010. What a year.

So this is where we might want to sum up and look forward, all in one month's thread. I can see the difference here, but I can also see the slow progress as a distraction from other things I want to do. The mention of a "grand gesture," whether a garage sale or other giveaway is still in the back of my mind. I usually weigh these questions around "what should I keep for my children, and what will my children find to be burdens?" Inheriting antiques can be a great curse. Add to that the instincts of a librarian or archivist, and you have a lot of work ahead. (I think I have a New York Times article in my eBay workspace about the curse of antiques. I'll post of link if I find it again one of these days).

Get healthy, get fit, get organized, get moving. And lets see where we are at the end of 2011. (Here's hoping we'll be calm, organized, rich and not-so famous that we can't live with it.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 01:33 PM

[face slap]Andrea fixed up, packed up, and moved to a completely new house. No small feat. And I'm sure I missed a lot more.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 02:50 PM

I think it's okay for you to miss out on some of what the rest of us have done, my gosh, SRS, you have been a tyro getting so much done!

I'll be happy to get back to hiking. I kind of lost it all when Rog broke his foot and have backslid since he started walking on it in a boot. As a consequence, I went off the rails with stress eating and have been fighting off a head cold which has kept me from being as active as needed. I am going to see the doc, today.

But, I DID write another 50,000 word novel in November! I seem to work best under extreme pressure.:-) Now to edit it and and the one before it and get the first one available online this year, I hope!

Rog brought me some empty boxes yesterday. Morgan and I are going to load books into them. I called a humane society and they would be thrilled to get them, esp. when I said I'd put the retail worth on each one after looking them up at www.addall.com They have some stuff they want to get on ebay, but haven't had anyone who has the time. IF they have a computer etc. on which to do so, I may offer to do some volunteer work for them. I know I could do it from here for them, but I need to get out of the house more. I also have some other stuff that will get boxed up to go to them.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 04:20 PM

SRS, the folks who were missed can and will post their "props." Breathe! :~) If they's not posted of late it's no wonder they din't come to mind right off. Either they'z organized more and writ less.... or they'z not organizin' right now.

I also built Dog World, organized a home skewl for Presbyterae, started a comprehensive multicultural ed/anti-racism program, and still house the last bits-to- distribute of a regional ministry resource library. These last three items together constitute a frosh-to-master's level religious studies/theologikal kollidge for self-directed adult learners, in addition to a little Gay Clergy Spouses Network a-borning. (I MAY have organized a diocese!)

And I learned how to run a BIG website, and how to Slow Down, LOL.
And how to use tools at hand to keep my HEAD organized.

KISS, TBTG, and eat my dust!,

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 08:08 PM

SRS,

    Thanks for putting up the links to the other threads....I really like looking back over some of it! It certainly has been quite the year for me...the lowest of lows and the highest of highs!!
    Declutterwise, I can't say that I did all that much this year but I am happy to report that my dishes are done daily, the floors are decent and we have clean clothes to wear! Most of the time my kitchen counters are visible as well as the top of the kitchen table which seems to be a catch all area for us.
   When I think back to the 2008 thread, I can see all kinds of work and change going on around the house....a remodeled kitchen, new paint in the kitchen and living room...bathroom and hall too.
    This year has been exhausting for me and continues to be on a daily basis but I am proud of myself for doing my best..what else can a body do?
    I know I've said it before but a special thank you to many of you here on Mudcat...you'll never know the difference you made for me this year.

Love to all,

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: SINSULL
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 08:53 PM

I haven't posted much on the declutter thread. But I accomplished my most important goal. After seven months of lost paperwork, wrangling and miscommunications, I got GMAC to approve my refinancing hence saving my little house. I am not sure I could have survived losing it. Though maeve gave me hope.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 11:53 PM

That's great work Mary--and now you don't need to move all of your stuff (even if you still might have to sort and thin some)!

Tonight I opened side-by-side Windows Explorer windows and moved photo files into one location, deleting the dups when they were already in that location. When I run Picasa in my computer I've been aware of photos appearing in several places, but I didn't want to just delete files in Picasa in case I might be getting rid of too many. This is primarily in my work files. I've cleared out a couple of GB of photo clutter that way. This is the kind of work it pays to do now, making it easier to get into the swing of things when the semester starts again in a couple of weeks.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: wysiwyg
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 12:20 AM

As a BTW to newcomers to the "group"-- the old threads all, I think, have links at the end of each, to the next one. Also the old threads contain numerous decluttering tips.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: mouldy
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 08:09 AM

Thanks for the links, and the reminders of some remarkable stories!

I'd like to look back in a year's time with the building work done, but unless I grasp the nettle soon, and get some prices in, I'll still be in the same state. (Part of me is a bit scared about what it's going to cost, and the VAT (GST by another name) increases next week!) I have decided that the building work has to come first, and any other bits and pieces will be done with whatever cash nis left (if anything).

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm off to a murder mystery party tonight, despite a streaming cold, courtesy of Freya!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 11:37 AM

I have made a spare bedroom of sorts again, if only I can keep it that way!

A year of poor health has put the accountablilty on hold, but I am not going to give up. It's back to the Plan next month and hopefully a few of the health problems will be resolved too.

Happy New Year Decluttering ALL!!!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: wysiwyg
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 04:04 PM

On the way IN are a set of 3 recliner/sectional pieces to make a Canoodling Department in our LR-- good timing, too, since the remaining circa-2000 fire ins. recliner is about to go. Two of these 3 pieces are drying (we rug-foamed them) out on the porch. The one least in need of repair will come in tonight to air-0dry in the heated LR; the 3 washable cushion covers are in the laundry in a hot-wash. Muy very dirty, but otherwise worth repairing the sproinged springs on 2 of the 3. These were freebies courtesy of the local junk dealer who did not want to bother with the repairs we cold see an easy way to do, tra la! :~)


A huge ole smoked ham and a leg of lamb are roasting away for slice-up & freezer while we putter on long-overdue couples' projects. One will involve (in about 15 minutes) the complete re-organization of family finances and payor, using a system I started to set up a few months ago that we agreed last July might be a good thing.... add Hardi and stir.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 07:36 PM

A friend came over today and we tried burning a BluRay disk for him, but the file wouldn't open in the player attached to the TV. It's one of those things we realized you need to "produce" (in the Hollywood sense) with lead-ins and such, and my software wasn't cooperating with his software. So he'll have to learn more, and we trashed a disk, but we learned a lot. I got rid of the software I loaded after putting in the drive (it didn't have any drivers in it, it was for the person who doesn't already have all of the burning and editing software I have). I reinstalled my Nero program and will get more use out of it now. I did a lot more work clearing and organizing my photos (this after I showed a friend how to use Windows Explorer to organize her photos - I figured I ought to do mine as well). All in all, the computer is up to speed for the things I want to do this year.

I cooked some pinto beans this afternoon, and they're still simmering now since I added some blanched tomatoes from the garden. They're still ripening. The friend here is a good cook, but he thinks black-eyed peas taste like dirt, and since another friend came in and none of us is from here, we felt quite comfortable in trashing southern traditions in favor of our own. :-) Pinto beans will be fine (I prefer kidney beans, but I didn't want to run to the store) and my neighbor sent over a bowl of her mix of collard and mustard greens she cooked up last night. They smell wonderful.

My New Year's Eve is as usual, spent here at the house. I enjoy the puttering and watching old movies. I'll put in a load of laundry, clean up the kitchen, and have a neat house to enjoy tomorrow morning. It's a small ceremony along the lines of "begin as you mean to continue." I will take down my Australia calendar in my office (from my secret santa last year) and I have a new one up behind it already (doesn't have a photo, so if something prettier turns up in a discount bin in the next few weeks I'll pick one up.)

Two big things I want to do this year - start transferring my father's cassettes to DVD, and scanning my grandfather's articles. I've mentioned it before, but not in this thread. Something I plan to resume is the blogging that was sidelined by other stuff during the year. I enjoy it when I get back to it, but the buildup of unfinished articles has been a bit of an obstacle - what to resurrect and publish, what to leave alone for now and write fresh stuff. Just getting moving is what is needed.

My garden is going to grow larger and I am going to build the low stone wall in the front yard. I've spoken to enough practitioners (bricklayers on campus) that I know how to do it, I just have to get started. I'm going to continue selling the extra stuff around here on eBay, and I will use the proceeds to target my credit card bills. It would be nice to pay this off this year, and since it doesn't look like the lottery will come through, I need to do it on my own. :-/   

Yes, we'll have to see what it looks like a year from now. Andrea, good luck on choosing which tasks to tackle in what order. My brother is going to be in the same boat - he just bought a house that he said "I'm going to keep for the rest of my life." It's in the perfect place, has the right set up for his interests (a house at the beach in our home state, with a good dock and deep enough for mooring a boat year round) but it needs some basic work. Permits and plans and contractors are in his future. I'm not to that point, I can't say that this house is it for me, but it works for now, so I'll keep working on maintaining the value, and adding value where I can.

We have other gardeners who participate here. I'll be interested to hear what you each plan. My growing season is a lot longer (and I was out weeding the key hole garden today, working on digging the Bermuda roots from under the center walkway) so we may not hear about those plans till spring. I am going to try to space my plantings better, and I'm going to expand the beds further down the hill along the driveway. And put in new beds smack in front of the house. My yard will be an Edible Estate by the time I'm finished.

I'll lift my glass of wine at midnight and offer a "skoal!" Have a good year, all! Stay healthy and happy!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 08:53 PM

Garden catalogs have started to arrive here and we, of course, are planning and drooling. Our hoop house is not yet complete, although it is getting close. The cold crops are growing in our living room in the most sunny spot, where I also have a large pot of fresh parsley growing (YUM). I am most jealous that you still have tomatoes ripening! Tonight I made a pizza from scratch using canned tomato sauce that we made this summer. Mmmmmm. Mmmmmm. GOOD!

I slept in this morning after a restless night. We went to Walmart...all 3 of us...what a nightmare that place is. I picked up 4 totes for storage of Christmas decorations that have been needing something more than a basic box to keep them protected from dirt, bugs and snakes in the storage shed (yep..found snake skins in there...EW). Dishes from dinner are all done up, we have new sheets on our bed (polar fleece...so cozy in our unheated bedroom) and I cleaned out most of the fridge today.

I am looking forward to leaving this year behind and moving into the new year. We talked about getting out my new rifle (ok...I've had it awhile but it's still NEW) and bringing in the new year with a BANG. I still might do it (we live in the middle of nowhere where this can be safely done) but will use a pistol instead as the rifle would kick back right into the port in my chest...probably not a good idea!

Anyway...a very Happy & Healthy New Year to One & All!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 09:23 PM

I've frozen the sauce that I made the other day, and I froze some tomatoes that I blanched and cut up (because I wanted to add some to my beans). Dishes are piling up, but I'll take care of them when I finish here. A couple of loads of laundry, and I'm also changing the bed linens. It isn't so much a new year thing as it is a jump on the last weekend of my holiday vacation. Now that the guest room isn't being used by guests, I'll spread out a sewing project on the bed.

People unfortunately shoot off guns at midnight here in town. Thanks for the reminder - I'll bring the dogs in for a while, because that noise always scares them.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 05:09 AM

Last year successes

reduced alcohol consumption by as much as 75%
My partner was able to stay in UK for 11 months
Paid off three creditors
Sang in public - but only once
Stayed in my overdraft limit for five consecutive months.
Two new clients - and two more pending.
learned to cook czech food

Last years non success.

No progress on kitchen
Car commuted to the car park in the sky
Only away on holiday for 10 days in the whole year - 7 in january, 3 in the summer.
Stopped going to czech classes


On to this year,

75% of my bank loan paid off
Pay off more from my credit cards
Stay in my overdraft limit for all the year
Actually start the pending clients, and get more new clients
Start work on the kitchen
New second hand car
My partner back in UK in June
Perform in public more
Resume Czech classes (September)
Start Music Hall Society/group/Club - watch this space above he line.

Anyway - that's my goals......

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 11:57 AM

That's an efficient list! Good luck to you!

This morning the kitchen looked nice and the laundry was finished. Ornaments need putting away, so I'll do that as I watch my last NetFlix disk. No tree needles to clean since the "tree" is a dry limb of crape myrtle. It generally got rave reviews from visitors.

Though it wasn't a resolution because it is a chronic condition, I need to tackle the paper around the house. There seems to be a layer over everything. Filing, recycling, dealing with the issues printed on the paper, that's a running battle.

Michelle, I think I'm probably very lucky that I don't get gardening catalogs or I'd go a little crazy! I do think that if we each resolve to try to grow something we eat this year we'll be a little bit ahead on the healthy eating and in understanding the environment in our parts of the world. This time of year I love regularly opening the freezer to pull out something I stashed there last summer, or picking up a jar of home-canned food, but for those who don't do canning, simply growing lettuce or radishes or tomatoes or herbs, it's a start toward better health. (Kat, does Morgan do any gardening? I bet he'd love a window garden to plant in the yard in the spring! I used to grow somethings I didn't eat much, like jalapeno peppers, just because they were pretty to grow and easy for the kids to pick when they were little.) I've just about finished a spectacularly good eggplant parmigian that was made with my own eggplant and tomato sauce last year. I assembled it in a Rubbermaid freezer box but didn't cook it. This week I popped it out of the box and dropped it into a square glass casserole dish. Even though it was over a year old, it was great. And home grown.

Have a great day, all! If you're football fans, the Rosebowl is featuring a team from Fort Worth, Texas. I attended and work at a different nearby university, but as the hometown team, I'll wish the Hornfrogs well today!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 12:31 PM

I have hopes for cleaning house, today. Still a bit shaky/wobbly, but better after getting some good sleep last night, in little bits. Rog is supposed to sweep the house. I will do some laundry and maybe the dishes. I want to go through the Christmas ornament box and get rid of a lot of stuff. I have a bunch of old ornaments which are missing their hangers, not the little loop of wire, but the thing which actually holds that in them. I think I can repair a few of them, but most are going to go to the thrift store or something, if they can do something with them. I know they can be used in vases, as decoration, but I don't have the space or vases.:-)

SRS, I have a calendar my sisters sent to me. It's got beautiful photos of WY horses, landscape, etc. If you want it, it is yours. I have no wall space for such and don't use them, anyway.:-)

I will copy phone numbers, etc. from last year's datebook. It's spiral bound and sits flat in front of my monitor. It always feels good to transfer stuff in my own handwriting. My appts. for the next couple of months are already listed as I remembered to buy the 2011 book before I actually needed it! I got tired of looking for the one I liked each year, in town, and finally just started buying it online.

SPB..looks good. Congrats!

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 01:01 PM

I worked on my bucket of papers and threw 80% of it in the trash. I need to start doing that the second it comes in the house instead of making a pile to look at later because *later* usually means when I'm sick of looking at the pile!!! I did get several thank you notes finished up today for gift from Jeremiah's party in November! ARG. I'm so ashamed of myself that they are this late but I DO still have trouble with my hands and it hurts to write much more than my name. So..they are late. Handwritten and individualized and late. ARG.

The living room is picked up, all toys put away. It looks like a preschool in here anyway....and that just makes my heart happy! A walker, hoppy, pack & play, 2 baskets of toys, a neatly folded pile of 3 blankets for layering on the cold floor to play on, a little rockig car, a miniature workbench....yep....a little boy lives here!!!

I did a load of laundry this morning, Pete made some bread and I mad curried egg salad. Sadly, none of the eggs are from our hens who are rebelling against all the gas well activity going on around here.

Speaking of hens, it's that time of year to be looking at this year's bunch of new chicks. We get catalogs from hatcheries just like we get seed catalogs. Does anyone else here get new chicks in the spring? What varieties do you like and why? Chickens for meat or eggs, maybe both?

Well, Pete's headed out to move about 80 bales of hay down to the back barn and at the moment he's playing with Jeremiah....now it's finally my turn!!! YAY!

Enjoy the day! Love to all,

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 02:22 PM

That's interesting about the hens. How long have they been upset by the noise or other signs of work? I wonder if this is something that others are experiencing, and if they've compared notes?

Kat, I'd love the calendar if you don't have a use for it. And that's a good idea about the address book right in front of the computer. I have enough space on my desktop now that I've streamlined the system that I could at least tuck it away but in view under and behind my monitor. I have to step around things to reach it on a shelf right now.

This morning I commented to a friend that I need to organize my ornaments, that I'm sure there's stuff to toss, but that means getting it all out. And realized as I wrote that there is now room in the living room to spread out all of those boxes. So, before I put the current batch away I'm going to make myself a bowl of popcorn, pick a couple of DVDs to watch, and get down all of those boxes. This afternoon. This might be a one-movie job, maybe two. But it will make decorating easier in the future and should clear space in my office closet, where most of this stuff lives up on shelves the rest of the year. (It also means I have to go pull a string of lights out of the pine tree in the front yard, but I haven't turned them on for a couple of nights anyway. Odd - everyone turned their lights off early this year, didn't leave them up till New Years.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: maire-aine
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 03:17 PM

I was asleep by 11pm last night, so I missed the arrival of the new year; darn! Was sleeping so soundly that I didn't hear anything. Did some laundry. Baked a fruit cake that I hadn't had time for before Christmas. Got the kitchen cleaned up after that, and also moved around a few things in the cupboards to make some more space.

Happy New Year, everybody.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 05:34 PM

I'll send it out as soon as the posty opens, SRS. Glad for it to go to a good home.:-) The photos are from the Pathfinder Energy area and are really beautiful...lots of scenery and wildlife.

Rog did the dishes. We took turns mopping from our office chairs in the kitchen. Hadn't realised just how filthy the floor was as it is original 1950s brown lino and filthy anyway. We did have another floor on top of it, but it got ruined by a water leak, so...when we're both doing better, one goal is to get a new floor down...maybe when Rog retires next Fall.

Laundry is always going on. Just watched the latest Shrek movie with Morgan. It was really fun. Rog is at the grocery store and I am going to go put my feet up,:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 07:13 PM

Have started the year with red wine and pizza... not the best of starts, but I have got 3 quilts on the go, another one in the pipeline and some radical tidying to do with my fabric stashes.... you'd think I'd have learnt not to buy more fabric by now, but have failed miserably in that! At least one of the quilts is using all the little scraps and will drive the recipient mad (he has OCD and symetry issues - the quilt is crazy patchwork), the other two are outstanding presents.

I WILL get my room sorted out, it's a slow process but I am actually making progress there.

Happy New Year all, Michelle, you have the rest of your life to tidy the room but only this afternoon to play with your boy as he is now.... Enjoy!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 09:14 PM

LtS:   :) :) :) Excellent point!!!

When Jeremiah woke up from his afternoon nap, I put a few toys in his crib and he played while I cleaned out his dresser....no more size 6 or 9 months. He's growing and growing....grew 2 inches in the last 3 months and gained 2 pounds. He's still in the 25th percentile for both height and weight but the doctor says not to worry about it, "He's perfect!" I agree! :)

And Kat...I LOVE SHREK!!! FUN! :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Raise Chickens
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 10:30 PM

Does anyone else here get new chicks in the spring? What varieties do you like and why? Chickens for meat or eggs, maybe both?

SQUEAM ALERT:
For several years at our busiest here, yes, when we had hungry teens motivate to feed them in exchange for the full bellies. Farmer Cress Simpson over near you, if he is still doing it, did a clean kill and pluck for uys one "peak" year with about 48 meat birds....

The best chick supplier and best deal all-around was.....[strokebrain....] it will come to me... but they also had the prettiest catalog, with a gallery of oil paintings accurately depicting each breed, and they have them ALL. They have assortments, too, to make it easy to get the ratio of meat/egg you decide you want.

The farmer I learned from (IL) ran a demo farm/outdoor ed place, and his flock was all ornamental varieties to teach inner city kids about the diversity of life. Pretty birds lay almost as good as their plainer cousins, unless you want to sell commercial. I dunno how the pretties do for meat-- we went for classic meatbird breeds there.

I'll post the name when it comes to me, but the main thing is, their chicks (except the fragile banty's) always arrived strong, and healthy-- we never lost a one but the banty's, till the rats got at 'em one year and even then no reg. chicks lost. Atall. I think I ordered such a small banty lot that they did not cushion each other well i the carton-- legs were not strong enough to survive loose packing.

MCMURRAY, that was it: http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/feather_footed_fancies.html Check out the pix at the bottom of that page-- typical of the ALL of the catalog illustrations. Don't be afraid to try assortments-- there will be no lemons in the lot whether yer an old customer or a new one they never shipped to before. Worth the tad-higher price, because you will have less heartbreak when you open your box to start the brooding. Main thing there is to be able to get them from a post office when they arrive-- work with the local postal inspector to arrange night-time pickup when they phone to say yer chix iz in. Some will, some won't. You can find one who will. Arnot and Covington are small enough, each with a lady inspector, who might know which POs are big enough to have night staff. Arnot's is Pete L's daughter-- he was inspector there till he retired.

Acourse for pre-colored Easter eggs you'll want Araucana's. We glazed them one year as gifts, but we never could get the Shrove Tues. folks to cook 'em. No courage! :~)

Have fun and TAKE PICTURES,

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: mouldy
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 11:01 AM

I was going to take the decorations down today, but I have been laid low with this bloody cold. Now I don't get many colds, and they don't usually last too long, but this blighter forced me to go to bed when I got back from my niece's yesterday, and I've been hugging a hot water bottle on the sofa most of today...in between bouts of coughing. At least I've got some vapour rub and some Benylin cough medicine.

Thanks Freya...at least I know why you were so grumpy last week!

I wish there was somebody around to force me to eat something...just don't want to go and prepare it!

Moan over.

Happy New Year anyway, folks!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 11:23 AM

Since Christmas was kinda overwhelming for Jeremiah, we decided to leave a few gifts for later. This morning was one of those days. He opened up his Fisher Price Racetrack. FUN!!! He likes to check everything out from all angles and then sits back to play. I love watching and playing along!!!

I took the tree down this morning and will have the rest of the Christmas things put away shortly. I also have some leftover paper clutter from yesterday that I didn't finish. Laundry is going, dishes are done and later I have a yoga class to go to! YAY!

Regarding the chickens, I am looking more for specific breed information that others may have had experience with.

Time to get busy! Later Gators!

Michelle :)

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 11:27 AM

{{{{Andrea}}} Now, go eat something!:-)

Seriously, your bod needs food to keep fighting it off. (I know you know this.:-)I thought I was doing well at not catching it as badly as Morgan had, but finally had to break down & get meds. I hope you heal well and fast.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: maire-aine
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 12:59 PM

Finally got all of my Rome pictures posted to FB. Here are the links:

Rome, day 1 & 2

Rome, day 3

Rome, day 4 & 5

Rome, day 6

I sure hope these links work.

I'm taking down the tree today. I already put a note on my November 2011 calendar: "Skip the tree".

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 01:34 PM

Links didn't work for me, Maryanne, but it's probably my browser. It's been acting up. I'll try them on another and look forward to it!

Rog just did some more sweeping. I have three packages by the front door, ready to go out tomorrow if I can get Rog to take them. Mondays' are iffy for him.

I sat down to go through the Christmas box and had a pleasant surprise. Apparently I'd already done so a year or two ago as there just wasn't as much to go through as it looked like when we got it out this year. Once I'd taken the stuff off of the tree, I went through what was left and, now it will be REALLY easy to get the lid on and we have a small box of stuff for the humane society pile. Rog is doing the litter boxes now. We will mop the hall, bathroom, and rest of the kitchen today.

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: maeve
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 03:03 PM

Your links worked perfectly for me using Firefox. I enjoyed your photos very much. They made me homesick for Italy.

Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 03:47 PM

I don't have this browser logged into my facebook account, but it still opened them. What a wonderful trip! I'd seen a few of your photos on facebook over the last week.

I put 2/3 of the packed ornaments into the closet last night, and I've been sorting and organizing the lights and the remaining couple of boxes of ornaments. I'm working on my shopping list, and have a growing list of things to do. Pay bills, go to the post office, recycling, etc.

Andrea, even if you don't eat, drink plenty of fluids. That will help you feel better, because just being dehydrated can make you feel off.

Looking forward to reports on the roof and interior walls on maeve's new house this week. And I'll offer the reminder again that as we talk about things that we're needing to give away, if they're reasonably shipable, I hope maeve will let us know if she would like something sent up there. No pressure, no un-requested items sent. (Housewarming gifts might be difficult to contain, but that's a different matter, not covered by this thread). :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 06:12 PM

Another thing I mean to use with my datebook this year is a 4 Colour Retractable Refillable Pen. We used them in hospital: day shift wrote in blue or black, I can't remember; evening in green, and overnight in red on the patients' charts. I will use red for appts., green for medical or food notes, and don't know, yet for the others, but it's a lot easier than picking up a different pen for each colour!

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 10:46 PM

Kat, I really fuss about the pens I buy. I found some several years ago that are still available, but I have to hunt for them. The Pilot Better retractable has an ink they formulated to have a smoother feel, and you can tell the difference. They come in a couple of colors at least.

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: maire-aine
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 11:40 PM

The tree is down and everything is packed away. Whew!

I made a pot of chicken soup for supper. Threw in almost every left-over in the refrigerator, and it turned out good.

I've got a complete set (7yrs) of "The World of Hibernia" magazines & I've got to do something with them. Probably the library. They're too nice to just recycle.

M

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 12:48 PM

Today I decluttered my blog, because discernment runs both ways. That's the lovely thing about the process as we know it in this Diocese, where committees function surprisingly well, and where the source is always considered as part of the discernment. :~) Especially when a source goes to great lengths to identify itself. ;~)

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: mouldy
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 03:30 PM

Well I feel a bit battered, but much better today, despite pulling an inter-costal muscle coughing (and somehow a buttock muscle on the same side - I blame my short sofa).

I put some washing on this morning and then noticed that my slow-running drain was actually running down the yard as the machine pumped out. So I have done a 75 mile round trip to the nearest store that sells drain rods. I haven't resolved it yet, but the compant i rang wanted about £150 to do the job...I don't think so! I need to get the old iron inspection cover up tomorrow to get at the blockage from the bottom. I got a lot of old nasties out of the top today, but I can't find where the drain hole is, and it feels full of gritty stuff. The problem is that all the drains run into this trap, and the soil pipe just a little further down, so it could get a bit "interesting"!

I also have to get the cat to the vet tomorrow, because the stupid sod has been fighting again, and has a nasty punture wound in his neck, which I am having to bathe with salt water at the moment to keep it clean. It had scabbed over, and the scab came off a few days ago. The vet (over the phone) said it was lucky it had, as it was allowing it to drain.

I still haven't got the decorations down, as a large part of today has been spent on the phone or on the road. And I didn't wake up till late, which is a good thing, but lost me a couple of hours.

Tomorrow is another day, however.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 04:19 PM

Andrea, that house sounds wonderful but it definitely has a few adventures ahead.

I was watching Nate Berkus this afternoon, I usually give it half an ear when it's on, but Jamie Oliver was his first guest on the show. He's one of those folks who promotes healthy eating and good food all at the same time. The last spot in the show they had a 12-year-old boy who has been making his own portion control videos as he works on losing weight. Nate told the boy that he had someone there who heard about this and wanted to meet him - Oliver came out with his cookbook and the poor kid burst into tears! Clearly Oliver is one of his heroes. The thing about this section is that for once it wasn't over-produced, it was something that just kind of happened.

Anyway, this show reminded me that I've wanted to pick up cookbooks by some of these environmental/healthy eating cooks and scholars. I need to better blend my gardening with cooking, so I can make more calculated choices in what I grow, not just the same ol' same ol'. Note to self: head to Half Price books with a list of these folks and see what I can find. Also, for any of you interested, Dr. Oz has a free 11-week weight loss program starting this week on his program. BMI calculator. Maybe we should be a Mudcat group participating on his program. I wonder if they do groups? :)

Yesterday I picked up a small pair of swimming goggles to use when out walking or working in the yard, to see if I can keep my eyes from watering in the cold air. It's a test - if they work, I'll see if I can find a pair that would take a prescription lens. I'd love to be able to get out and walk the dogs every day, regardless of the air temperature.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 04:49 PM

I also have to get the cat to the vet tomorrow, because the stupid sod has been fighting again, and has a nasty punture wound in his neck, which I am having to bathe with salt water at the moment to keep it clean. It had scabbed over, and the scab came off a few days ago. The vet (over the phone) said it was lucky it had, as it was allowing it to drain.

Have treated that at home numerous times. PM for more info, and good luck!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 05:20 PM

Today I went grocery shopping...major grocery shopping. It's nice to know I won't have to do any running this week for that kind of stuff. Everything is in the house and put away...YAY. Laundry is going, dishes too although I have more of both to do. I also have to get my wrist x-rayed sometime this week. I have an order from the doctor and it's not an emergency so I took care of the house stuff today. Maybe tomorrow I'll get over to the hospital for it. I'm hoping to have everything before long as I have a training to attend for one of the the boards I'm on. :) Should be a fun training!! Also, a major SCORE for ovarian cancer in a nearby community and they've ask me to be part of the planning team...I'm WAY excited about that too! HOORAY!

If you should happen to know anyone with ovarian cancer, send me a PM as I have two places offering some great things for current patients and survivors (must submit diagnosis date, Dr. and contact info so it can all be verified....well worth it!).

Love to all,

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 05:41 PM

SRS,

Do you have any titles in mind for the cookbooks or are you just browsing? We plan for our garden too...what has worked in the past, what we want more of, generally a new variety of this or that. We planted a (new to us) heirloom seed last year that worked out really, really well. It cost a little bit more but knowing that it wasn't genetically modified and that, if we want, we can save seeds and it will grow again next year. Some GM seeds will germinate from saved seed but the fruit isn't nearly what it should be, at least that's been our experience. We grew wheat this year, gathering it by hand, got the hulls off the old fashioned way, ground it up with a hand grinder and have made our own bread from it....very satisfying! Jeremiah has been eating from our store of canned and frozen goods that we put up this summer...talk about a good feeling!!! :)
   Anyway, I was just curious if you were thinking of any specific titles. Jamie Oliver is very interesting...did you catch his series about foods in the schools in West Virginia (I think)? He's definitely on to something! I'm going to go nose around the Dr. Oz site to see what you were talking about. I've started making progress with my weight loss...YAY! I've ben stalled for awhile now after gaining with all the chemo & steroids (weird...never heard of people gaining weight with chemo but my oncologist says it has to do with each individual combination of drugs).

Later Gators!
(Okay...yes, I'm stalling. I need to start dinner and I just don't want to. I'm tired. The baby is sleeping. The house is quiet and I want to nap too!!!)

Onward!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 09:59 PM

My gardening guy (Howard Garrett) has a few links to some of this, but there is a little lunatic fringe stuff going on with one of his partners. She doesn't cite sources of some of her more radical information.

I was going to look into Michael Pollan's books, Drs. Weil, Perricone, and Northrup, basically make a list of the PBS lectures and current folks I know of. I want to grow things I can eat, but I don't want to eat things that require complicated preparation or too specialized growing conditions. I want to be able to eat relatively familiar foods, though if there is a really good case for trying something new I'll think about it.

The gas lease royalty arrived today, but as the first one I have no idea what to make of it. If this represents a year, a month, a quarter. I guess I'll have to wait and see, and simply use this to pay bills. It's a windfall, so it might as well go to where it will do the most good.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 10:20 PM

I have one of Pollen's books...started it and got involved with something else so I never finished it. Barbara Kingsolver has a good book out called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. If you haven't read that one yet, I'd highly recommend it! :)

Dinner turned out nicely. Today was Pete's first day back to work since December 23rd (or so) so I decided to make one of his favorite meals to welcome him home. I knew he'd be tired...getting back into the swing is always tough....well worth the energy and effort to make it! He is a happy man! :) That makes me a happy woman!

:) Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: mouldy
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 07:28 AM

I donned the rubber gloves this morning, and scooped some more gritty crud out of the trap. Then I managed to lever the cast iron cover off the inspection hole - rodding didn't reveal any blockage apart from the one at the trap - so I chucked some buckets of water down to check it was flowing. I suspect the up-down of the water when the loo is flushed is merely down to it being one of these silly modern ones with a narrow neck.

The cat's been fired up with antibiotics. I still don't understand how he has the amount of flexibility in his neck to lick off his own fur behind his jaw line! At least the wound looks clean, although it's about half an inch long by a quarter wide. Because of where it is, there's a chance any pus might settle below the skin at the bottom. The vet reckoned that once the antibiotic kicked in, he'd probably leave it alone, and it would have chance to start and dry out.

I'm going to read my mail, get some lunch and then get to grips with dismantling Christmas.

And good news - after 2 months, they have taken my sale board away this morning!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 10:27 AM

Those are gloves to keep in a special place out in the garage, Andrea! Do you have plumbers snakes there? Like they use on this site.

Washed dishes while water heated and tea brewed, and I then blanched, peeled, cut up and bagged (~ 12 oz per bag) tomatoes that have been ripening in the window. I have another batch to do when I heat water for my second cup of tea. (I use one of those electric kettles that turns itself off when it hits boiling. When full it heats enough water for a cuppa tea and a bowl of tomatoes.)

I misplaced part of my holiday lighting stuff and I have an orphan box that needs to go with the rest, so I've been working on the office closet, and as I move each decoration box I stored a couple of days ago I'm taking a peek in the see if the small boxes I want are in there. So I'm not only still organizing part of my holiday decorations, I'm working on the closet that has become unmanageable, at least regarding the stuff stacked on the floor. In order to get stuff off of the closet floor I need to make the shelves more efficient and move it all up. Amazing how doing one task sometimes has the push-back to force a couple of other projects.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 11:49 AM

Laundry is going and the last of the Christmas decorations have been dusted and repacked up for next year. I have my most favorite Christmas things all in one small tote (minus the ornaments). My focus today is on the living room. Now it's on to dusting and putting framed photos back out (where the Nativity was). I love when Christmas gear gets put away because it opens up so much more space and just that fresh clean look. :) I just finished vaccuuming the carpet and upolstery and the dogs beds too. I found a fabric freshener that doesn't smell like a public restroom and have sprayed the dog beds lightly with that too.
    My mom got me a Ninja blender for Christmas. Hate the name, love the appliance. It's EXCELLENT for blending up smoothies with frozen fruit...no more chunks of frozen fruit!!! So...I'll be making a smoothie shorty....frozen peaches, mangoes, pineapple, plain greek yogurt, no sugar and some skim milk! Pete likes it sweetened a little bit but I think the fruit makes it sweet enough. Healthy and YUM. The Ninja also blows through onions and peppers...made meatloaf last night and I swear it took less than 5 seconds to have chopped peppers and onions!!!

Onward!

Have a great day everybody!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 12:43 PM

Ninja makes commercial-strength appliances, apparently. There is one of their devices down at the neighborhood gyro place. I'd never heard of the the brand before.

I agree about how fresh things look once the ornaments and holiday stuff is packed.

The swimming goggles don't fit well and steam up, but I've done more research and my next approach to this wind-in-the-eyes problem is to look at paratrooper or bicycle goggles. I found a place with reasonably priced clear glass aviator's goggles like for the old bi-planes.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 01:47 PM

Heh! I want photos of you in those!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 06:21 PM

You're not the first to make that comment today. Ideally, safety glasses with side protection would work, but it seems you don't go down to the store and buy something like that. You have to hunt them down. I haven't solved this problem yet.

Here's another option.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Jan 11 - 01:35 AM

The floor in the closet is clear, though the contents are undifferentiated in a stack on a shelf. But this is progress!

I'll sort the mini light strings and set quite a few in a recycle box. Tonight I found a few LED light strings I can put on the limb in the pot and run as white or colors, and they're way more energy efficient. I'll make that switch out before the weekend, because I hope to have one more family meal (with the transformed tree in the background) before the youngest heads back to college.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Welcome 2011: Declutter & Accountability
From: LilyFestre
Date: 05 Jan 11 - 09:59 AM

Serious progress was made in this house yesterday. It seems I always slack off when my husband is home for vacation...we are just too busy enjoying one another, relaxing, etc.

So. Yesterday I put away all the remaining Christmas decorations, moved all the baby gear, vacuumed, swept, exchanged old toys for some new ones in the toybox, gathered all paperwork to be gone through and put it in one tub that is sitting by my chair to go through when I have time to just sit for half an hour, dusted, did dishes, found the kitchen table and did 5 loads of laundry. Add baby and stir. :) It was a busy day here yesterday but it felt good to get it done. I think today I'll focus on the bathroom which really is in decent shape but the floor is bugging me. It's been swept and swiffered but I think it needs a good old fashioned scrubbing on my hands and knees. That will wait until the baby is napping.

Speaking of the baby, guess who was standing up at the side of his crib this morning?!?!? All smiles! WOOO HOOOO!!!! So stinkin' cute. :)

Time to get busy!

Onward!

Michelle