BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Apr 11 - 12:04 AM

April is about here - time for a new thread. No "fool" postings please - life is percarious enough for some folks that added shocks might not help. Unless it is something like what Alice Furlaud got away with a few years ago on NPR. It was a corker!

Here is the next thread.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: LilyFestre
Date: 31 Mar 11 - 08:14 PM

I'm a worrier. It's my nature. And of course I am worried about her. And of course I am thinking all good things for her. Geez.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: wysiwyg
Date: 31 Mar 11 - 06:31 PM

A heating pad was the plan for the office feet and that space will need to be insulated before MY feet go in there. That room will be almost warm enough for the pad to work, in June..... but the wireless router's on the first.

Downstairs, no matter how many layers I put onto various parts of my body, incl hat, nothing was warm enough-- till I put the oil rad in there. The whole corner is frigid, then the feet moreso.

RE: Kat. The LAST thing she would appreciate anyone doing on her behalf would be worrying. ALL POSITIVE thoughts for her, folks.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: LilyFestre
Date: 31 Mar 11 - 05:27 PM

I'm with Dorothy, Kat. I hope you check in soon. Between you and Dan (Old Dude), I'm a Mudcat worrier!

I have a friend coming over tomorrow with her daughter who is just a few months older than Jeremiah. I've been busy picking up and putting things away...general tidying up along with some serious attention to the floors. The weather here makes it hard to keep up....warm and mud...snow and wet...warm and mud...snow and wet. I do what I can!!!

Also, tomorrow begins the annual Yoga Challenge. I am signed up. They have an early morning class so Pete will still be home and can look after the baby...otherwise I would need a sitter for the afternoon classes which quite frankly is not in the budget (income tax and property tax time here). I am EXCITED. It's been far too long since I've had a consistant yoga practice and I'm READY (ok...maybe my body isn't quite ready...but hey...gotta restart somewhere, right?!?!?!?)

Love to all!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 31 Mar 11 - 04:11 PM

Guess I needed to look more closely at what came before;

mg: Selling pots will not pay the rent because I do not intend to work my buns off! But I will do it to the extent that I enjoy it and will sell whatever is salable and - every little bit helps!

SRS: A pity about the chocolate. My 84 year old friend has had to stop due to it being very bad for her gall bladder. If I live that long, I might be ready to say, "phooey, life is short. Eat chocolate." But not with your reaction to it.

Kat: I hope you get on here. I hope you are doing OK and recovering from the shock of that dire diagnosis.

It's interesting. Because each of my parents had bad things happen at 58, as I reached that age, I rather thought I was coming near the end. Now I am 74 and am going to explain to the new dentist the reason why I just did not bother with my teeth. I never dreamed I would be here this long. And healthier than most 60 year olds. Guess I still have work to do on this plane.

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 31 Mar 11 - 03:43 PM

At some seasons, a heating pad or hot water bottle to keep feet warm under a desk suffices.

We have rented a little country house and garage/pottery studio-to-be! About 10 minutes from both our fav cafe and the raccoon rehabber whom we visited on Sunday. We have a number of friends in the area and look forward to spending some time in the woods. So I am spending some time sorting out things to take this Friday - towels, bedding, an air mattress, a couple chairs. Rain predicted for tomorrow so it will be what fits in my car, which I will load tomorrow morning.

This will, gradually, help clear out the backyard shed so I can take it down, hopefully by May. There is still about a foot of snow in the backyard and we cannot open the gate to the street so only moving things which can easily come through the house.

Also made a gallon of chili yesterday, froze three qts. It has become a staple.

Today I talked on phone with a good friend at a distance for over 30 minutes and then, a long conversation, with my son who will by 48 tomorrow. (He says 28! Is this a stage some people go through!) He is in process of cataloging, on computer, "about 7000 photos". If I bring him the albums, he will scan and catalogue them also!!!!!

Also had long talks with a couple other distant friends this week.

I understand that the reason 1 April is April Fool's Day is because it used to be the first day of the year under the old calendar. Those who insisted on continuing to view it as such were "fools". To me, it makes more sense as the New Year's Day; the world is finally reviving from the long winter! We have mostly above freezing weather this week. Maybe the backyard will melt and I will start to see signs of all the planting I did last year. The tiny, very sunny, front is starting to look alive.

See you next month!

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: wysiwyg
Date: 31 Mar 11 - 10:58 AM

Just digging out from a rahter complex road trip.

Let me preface this next entry: We have experienced a housefire (in 2000) and are well cognizant of fire risks.


The corner where my only presently-working puder sits, from which a lot of good work is done on a daily basis, is several degrees colder than the already-cold LR where it sits. I keep thinking of our dear (late) Giac, and how her pudering so unfortunately was also limited by cold and finance.... what would SHE have done if she'd had the means? So for the last 3 days the oil-filled rad that has sat in my LR this winter (and occasionally been used) is now ensconced underneath my puder desk with alert-lights to remind Hardi and I not to leave the room without turning it off.

And I'm WARM as I address the day's work, for the first time all this bitter winter! Yep! It's not spring here! March came in like a lion and went out like an angry elephant.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Mar 11 - 12:52 AM

We're at the end of March - I didn't get a lot done, but I didn't backslide too badly. I'm moving forward in the book, a couple of pages at a time, and I think I can conclude that "perfectionist" is part of the problem - if I can't do it right, why struggle to finish at all? I have a view in mind how I want the house to look, but getting there - whew! There is clearly stuff to get over or work through. And I need to reward or congratulate myself for all of the work I've done so far.

I ate chocolate over the weekend and my hands are broken out, rather painfully--very dry and with cracks that bleed. I have managed to eat sugar and not have this happen. The final tally is in and chocolate is the culprit. [so sad] I will cycle out of this and just have to avoid chocolate. I think the Evening Primrose oil has helped in keeping some of the other general eczema/dermatitis at bay.

I was over near the university today to have my hair done, and on the way home stopped at the Asian market I like. It changed owners and was rearranged, so they didn't have all of the housewares I like, but they have an entire row just of sauces and oils that I just love. I realized my sesame oil is way-old, so I replaced that and picked up a couple of other fresh bottles of things. I'm going to be doing more stir frying as spring advances and I have stuff coming in from the garden.

Tonight the dishwasher is emptied, tea brewed (chamomile), and I'm ready to put in a load of laundry. On the exercise front, the dogs and I went for a brisk walk up and down a few streets in the neighborhood.

Tonight after that walk I drove up the street and picked up several things I'd seen during our walk - bags of lawn clippings for my compost and also a bunch of chunks of 1/2" plywood. Most of them about 16" x 24" - the ends of larger planks used in some kind of home improvement project. I plan to use them in the attic - I can screw them down in places between the joists in my attic, overlapping to add strength (I don't want to step on a 1/2" piece of plywood, but a 1" thickness would be okay). I don't have a floor up there, the attic wouldn't support it, but I have slowly added boards in the places where I need to regularly go as far as wiring, maintenance, etc. so I don't have to creep along on the main joists all of the time. This way I can follow a few set paths to reach parts of the attic I need to. Better to pick up free lumber for that than to go buy it!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Mar 11 - 05:12 PM

We've stepped back into winter for a few days this week. Not the ice house, but it is comfortable to have a couple of layers on when going out.

Having a friend over for dinner on Friday. She is my children's age, and when I read her facebook page, it's a little grim. So I'm another interested adult who may be here to help. And if she's amenable, I'll teach her about organic gardening. I could use a helper here occasionally during the summer.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: mouldy
Date: 30 Mar 11 - 03:05 AM

The weals under my eyes have just left dry skin, and my eyelids have gone down. Still a little itchy at times, but it's on its way out.

One of the builders left a small piece of sandstone on my doorstep early yesterday morning, as a sample. I still have to contact the archaeologists, but will get round to it. The build isn't likely to take place much before the summer. The demolition will take a while, before they even get into digging any footings.
I woke up at 2am to hear the drip of water - looks like the roof may have a leak now. A local builder will be going up there in the near future, to lay some insulation, so I'll get him to have a look. There's probably a crack in the cement flashings, which is allowing the water to seep through, and drip. It seems to be towards the wall.

I moved a bit of lawn to make a path to my new bird bath. I'm using some of the rest that I am lifting to piece into a part where shrubs overhanging had killed the grtass off.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: maire-aine
Date: 29 Mar 11 - 06:41 PM

Got 4 loads of laundry done today. Made a batch of apple-carrot-etc muffins this morning; put half in the freezer.

Got the results of my check-up/blood tests: weight & bp up a little (dr will adjust meds), but blood sugar/A1C and cholesterol are both down! Yeah!

Can't wait for it to warm up. We're still running about 10-15F below normal.

M

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: LilyFestre
Date: 29 Mar 11 - 05:52 PM

It's a glorious day....cold, but beautiful sunshine and bright blue skies with just a few fluffy white clouds.

My daily chores have piled up for the last few days so today I've been working on that (laundry, dishes, floors). While the baby napped, I spent some time in my office (dusting and moving stuff around) and came to the conclusion that I don't need about 75% of what is in there. I cannot wait for yard sale season to come and all that stuff can BE GONE!!!

I have plans to paint the walls in there...something neutral....a latte-ish color maybe. The floor has Berber carpet (which I hate...if the money ship comes in, I may have it recarpeted too).

*Happy Sigh* Daydreaming away and enjoying the day!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Mar 11 - 12:36 AM

Alright! Got the copier listed. It weighs about 33 pounds and was a job to pack for shipping, but it is photographed, described, and listed. What it has going for it is that there is a cartridge in it, and is probably worth more than the copier itself. More for tomorrow, and I'll wait to list it during regular U.S. awake hours. You can pay a little extra to hold it to start at the right time, but I'll just wait and list this stuff tomorrow anyway.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Mar 11 - 09:47 PM

Great long roundabout walk with the dogs this evening. I have a piece of flounder thawing on the counter and will eventually eat. I do eat too late, but whatever.

I cleaned up in the sun room, swept up dirt on the potting table, checked the status of the plants in there, and started a couple of more beans in pots. I don't think any of the ones planted so far are going to make it. Yesterday I picked up a "card" (size of stamp, really) of trichogramma wasps. I stapled it to a post and put it in the garden - they help head off a lot of the caterpillars and such in the garden. I should also pick up some beneficial nematodes, but I'll wait until we've had some rain before I put them out.

Back to household stuff this evening. eBay, here I come!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 28 Mar 11 - 07:34 PM

It sounds great if you can afford, especially with brother situation..you can escape...

would pots bring in enough to cover it? mg

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 28 Mar 11 - 06:34 PM

Andrea: Really picky about the house! I don't think the bunch here in Montreal are that bad but they do check on things but only the facade in our case and that will not change, though some paint would help. Neighbours painted the lovely gray stones in a variety of ugly colours and spent a holiday weekend repainted them gray - or else. We were glad.

Kat: We really need to be mindful of drawing positive people into our lives and letting go of the negatives. Life is short.

Found a perfect place in the country, near our fav cafe, to rent on Sunday. Considering it seriously. Need to give an answer very soon. Today would be good. Small but very adequate living space and a solid, insulated two story shed big enough for pottery studio and some storage. It would require more commuting, maintaining two places. But provide out-in-the- wilds time for healing of body, mind and spirit.

Met with a wildlife rehabber on Sunday and it was excellent. The last piece of the puzzle before proceeding with PR for raccoons. Now to write...

Went to the cafe for supper. Several friends there, including the owners. Jannicke thinks she is related to the wife of the rehabber - somehow. This is a small community. I love it. A musician friend is delighting in a new CD - maybe by 12 April!!! People giving each other support.

Things in the house are as up to the moment as it gets. I'll make the bed before bedtime. Clean sheets are so nice.

Need to decide about the country. There is still about 18 inches of snow in this back yard. Won't be able to get at stuff in the shed unless we bring it through the house. Having highs in the 40s later this week but today is a high of 32. Hope for decision tonight but no moving until Friday - when we go down there anyway.

If we do this, it will be fun trying to keep it uncluttered! Both the house and life. I will have options: making pottery, giving lessons, walking out the door into the bush/woods, possibly helping rehabber, visiting our orchard friends, visiting the cafe - each about 10 minutes away.... Lots of stuff nearby , many people we have met and enjoy. In the city, all I do is shop and stay home. Sounds good. Need to look closely at financial consideration. Selling pots is a probable option.

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Mar 11 - 06:05 PM

I've been working on the kitchen again, and packed the copier for estimating the eBay shipping. That sucker will get listed tonight, along with a couple of things for the neighbor. Depressing to step (fully clothed, but still . . . ) on the scale to weigh the box.

Weeding the garden didn't burn many calories, but I'll walk the dogs before I feed them - we're getting out a lot more now, and for all that you'd think they'd be more excited about eating, when I go to the back door they will get excited about their dishes if I rattle them but they get really excited if I rattle the leashes.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: mouldy
Date: 28 Mar 11 - 10:22 AM

All that craft stuff sounds a real bargain!

The conservation officer has been and approved the sandstone, which is good news from a practical and financial point of view. Just got to get the last quote in now, contact archaeologista, get a few more biys in writing, and then get a date set for a start. Probably won't be until late spring/early summer, at a guess.

Got another couple of boxes unpacked in the annexe yesterday, and this morning I attacked the pampas grass, and slung neat weedkiller into the cut ends of the stems. Should do the job. I doubt anything will be planted there for many months yet.

I seem to be having an allergic reaction to either the eyebrow pencil I used on Saturday, the eye makeup remover, or the Chinese meal I had on Saturday evening (I wore the make up all day, and the itching started in my brows later in the evening). I now have a few red weals on my face, slightly puffy eyes (although they aren't so bad now, amd arent irritating me) and my face is itchy. I thought I had been bitten in the garden first off! Anyway, I'm firing the antihistamines in, and I'll see how it goes. Last time I had a mystery itch/weals like this, and on my chest and shoulder, it turned out to be shingles! No sign of blisters, though. The headache isn't helping either.

Time for another pill, methinks.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Mar 11 - 01:06 AM

Seems to be only me here again today.

This evening I finished processing photos for an eBay listing that I'll describe and post tomorrow. I need to get the ball rolling and clear out some of this stuff.

It was quite chilly today, but I planted my squash and zucchini in the yard in a couple of spots. More to go in the garden tomorrow, to move these seedlings out of the house.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 11 - 06:22 PM

The estate sale items were half-price today, and I picked up the tile cutter, a lovely French brass trivet with swivel wheels, and the real coup was the storage box (a large plastic one, maybe 14" tall and 24" long) that was full of dyed ostrich feathers. Got it for $2.50 after calling Moonglow to ask if she could use them. She has a hat-making class this semester, so there is a good chance. When I got home, I looked more at the contents - many of them are still in plastic wrappers from the craft store and were originally $10 to $15 for each small bundle. This is a great find for someone in a costume design course.

Did laundry, and other shopping today. I ate some chocolates yesterday and my hands that were a bit dry are now cracked - not sure if it is chocolate or sugar, but one of the two gets me. I have work to do around the house but I'll wear gloves to spare my hands the contact.

Last week was hectic, this week coming up is a little less structured. Good - I still have plenty to do, but I don't need to be out driving around all week to do it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 11 - 11:42 AM

Cold and overcast here with a little chance of rain today. It's looking better later in the week. I've been planting slowly, but today I'll work on some of the garden stuff that I need to pull together. I need to inventory all of my fittings, nozzles, sprinklers, hoses, etc.

Yesterday I passed by signs for an estate sale and couldn't resist. And it turned out to be the home of an antique dealer. It was full to the gills with wonderful things I couldn't touch (financially) but I enjoyed looking, and made a few modest purchases. I now have a utilitarian yet lovely cake stand (I have some low footed ones, but I've wanted one with a pedestal). I'd be a fool if I didn't take the message from that house that it is way-cluttered. Of course, this is where he conducted his business (lots of tools there) and there were a couple of those things I wish I had picked up, so if I'm on that side of town later today, I'll swing past to see if they're still there.

Laundry is in, kitchen is clean, and since I have to water the garden I'm testing a sprinkler (from the estate) to see how it works. It's one of those that is supposed to do a square - and it seems to! $2.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 11:48 PM

Kat, I was totally distracted by the tree and missed the last paragraph about the problem ex-friend.

I've had that happen a couple of times with people I thought I knew fairly well. They seemed gripped with some impulse to suddenly reject the friendship, and do it in a way that was as insulting and embarrassing as they could manage. The only thing I could figure was that they were drinking, or that there was a sudden change in brain chemistry, because I didn't feel like I'd done anything to bring it on. On the contrary, this was a reaction to kindness in a difficult time -- when they evidently had some kind of breakdown and rejected friendship suddenly.

Once burned, twice shy. One of these people has made overtures to be friends again, but I'd be a fool to let her back into my confidence. It just hurts too damned much when someone does that to you. Be a grownup, write it off in the categories of "this person has a problem" and "I wish them well."

Tonight I had plans to get a few things done here, but the Roy Orbison biography came on PBS and I was a goner - his songs are just so compelling, his story so interesting and sad. I'll get some laundry in, and some folded, but mostly I sat and enjoyed watching television!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 09:46 PM

Thanks, Lil!:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: LilyFestre
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 09:41 PM

((((((((((((((((Kat))))))))))))))))

There are people I know like that. My life, and yours too, is far too precious to spend it on people like that.

LoveYaLily   :)

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 03:50 PM

Solar tubes: My one son has two and they are wonderful! Like having a light on, especially nice of cloudy days.

Spent most of yesterday looking at properties for sale. The one I thought was best was a dump, also too close to road and no trees. But at the cafe, we talked with friends who live in the area. Agreed: word of mouth is only way to find cheap. So we now have a "committee". We ran out of time and did not get to the animal rehabber. So we are going again tomorrow. Nice to be out of the city!

Connecting more and more with people concerned with animal advocacy. And developing a network of people and a fund of information. Time consuming and rewarding.

Also looking for cheap van to save on motel costs as well as problem of finding a motel that is environmentally safe. Went to look at one this morning and found a musician who is learning gypsy jazz violin! Put him onto my son's site. Not even 6 degrees of separation. From the W. coast, he knows of our friends' music store in Van. and some of the folks with whom Troy plays. "Keep in touch."

For now, the house is as good as it is going to get. All necessary chores under control.

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 12:22 AM

Kat, when you plant that tree, make sure of two things - that you don't put it too deep in the ground (it's better too high than too deep) and soak it for maybe an hour in a big bucket of water, and knock as much of the pot dirt off - get as close to bare root as you can get. Find some little sticks, twigs, whatever, and set the tree in a wide but not particularly deep hole and stretch the roots out (the ones that were all wrapped up on themselves in the pot) and "stake" them in place with the twigs as you slowly fill in the dirt from digging the hole. Don't add a lot of fertilizer and fancy dirt, the tree needs to get accustomed to the native dirt. This procedure will let this tree get established faster and send roots out, not continue wrapping and binding itself too tight (as it was in the pot).

I did that last week when I planted my bay tree. The roots were all growing in on themselves, and were stretched out as I planted it. And the "too deep" thing has to do with how nurseries often scoop extra dirt into pots before shipping them, so the tree is under a couple of extra inches already. You should be able to see the root flare above ground when you plant a tree. (All of this comes from Howard Garrett, the Dirt Doctor, and after having several trees die because I just planted them the old fashioned way, the trees I've planted this way are all doing very well.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 06:35 PM

Not much here but sleepless nights due to hacking my head off ala a cold caught from the redheaded seven year old, BUT tomorrow is also his first soccer game, so we will be going to that, regardless. Met our new primary care physician...from Berlin...was there when the wall came down. Really neat guy; we were both impressed and relieved. Got the final okay from the orthopaedist on my ankle which is good. Did get my final recording sent in for the Mudcat CD pending seeing what Barrie thinks. Will finish up a circa 15 second song by Morgan this weekend and get it sent in, too. He has been sick, too, along with his parents, though he finally made it to his first two soccer practices. He's excited.

We hope to get the christmas tree planted this weekend, finally. Daffs are still blooming along with a beautiful crocus of some fancy sort, near as I can tell. All perennials are coming in strong in the flowerbed, too.

Had a terrible hour-log dust-up with what is now a former friend last night. Very toxic and judgemental, healthwise. It was weird and not conducive to sleep. Other friends and family members reassured me she was "out to lunch' and to let go her bullying. It's been a strange night and day in working on doing so. I am glad I have Mudcat to come to. Thanks for being here.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 06:07 PM

I have a 12-pocket expansion folder that I put each month's receipts and bills in. Some bills go in the plastic file, others don't need to be kept (I keep the ones I think I might have to provide documentation on later); the difference between the two places is that I use the folder most, and transfer things to the files as necessary. I used to have the file in the kitchen area where I tend to do my bills, but it was just so crowded looking with it in there.

The wheels under the file were welded together on a frame by a friend who made it for himself, then found it was the wrong size for the file he built it for. It is too long for my file, but it doesn't matter (he had a tight space to roll it into so was going to have a tripping hazard if he used it.) My luck, I love it.

Ran errands, went shopping, mailed a cable to a friend who is setting up her old printer to her new laptop (needs a USB cord). I have extras, might as well mail it, and I told her how to set it up. I'm taking some photos tonight at a meeting, and tomorrow at a meeting, and then it looks like gardening and housecleaning for the rest of the weekend.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 05:21 PM

Those rolling filing cabinets are great for filing current stuff.

Also, don't hesitate to hire or barter for filing stuff. if you get a professional secretary, retired perhaps, and have her either follow your instructions or show you a simple system..make sure you don't one to OCD...he or she will probably do it quickly and painlessly..just get it done so you can retrieve stuff.

And it doesn't have to be file cabinets either. Colored plastic file boxes can just have loose papers in them by subject..medical, home, student etc. It doesn't matter if you spend an hour finding a piece of paper..it matters if you spent 20 and have a nervous breakdown doing it. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: LilyFestre
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 01:35 PM

I been cooking today. Jello, cookies, bread, stuffing, pork chops. The cookies are going to a Relay For Life fundraiser this evening and the rest is for here. I haven't decided whether I want the pork chops and stuffing for dinner or if I want to make egg salad and just have soup and sandwiches. It's bitter cold here today (9 degrees fahrenheit) this morning so maybe the pork chops, stuffing and veggies is a better choice. We'll see. Depends how late the fundraiser goes I suppose!

I had things in a filing cabinet but hated filing it so I made a system that I'm more likely to keep up with. All important up to date papers are in one binder and also photographed to put in the bank box (marriage license, birth certificates, deeds, titles, etc). Well, actually, the copies of some of THOSE are going to go in the bank and I'll have copies in the binder. :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 01:27 PM

Mudcat was down last night when I tried to post this:

Michelle, several years ago I decided to organize my papers so that the most current year of many things are in a plastic file that holds hanging folders. Things that are older are archived in a metal filing cabinet that also holds hanging folders. The two-drawer cabinet is so I have some history to look back on. I decided to do it this way on the premise that if I had to leave in a hurry I could grab the plastic file box and everything in there is up to date. If the house were to burn down, my insurance, my bills, they're all in there. You know, grab the baby, grab the purse, grap the file, in the order in which you have time. :)

I've finished photographing the copier I am going to list on eBay. I'll work on the photos and ad this evening, and weigh it and work out the shipping details tomorrow. And then it goes out the door, hopefully! The better the photos and description, the more likely it is to sell. This will clear out a couple of square feet of space (small, yes, but every little bit helps!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: mouldy
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 04:28 AM

Got the pile of stuff in the corner of the garden cleared yesterday. Apart from a dog toy, a few candy wrappers and a couple of plastic garden chair legs, it was all twiggy stuff and prunings. There is some cracking compost under there too! I havent dug too deeply into it, as I want to keep the slight bank into the corner as a surround for the bird bath....when I can find somebody to help me with it! Just got to take the last couple of tubs to the tip.

Even mowed the lawn yesterday, although it didn't really need it.

Still waiting for the conservation officer. One of the builders has taken me out to show me some of the work he has recently done in secondhand sandstone. I like it, even if it isn't exactly the same as the main house. However, the side wall appears to be a mixture of sandstone and whin stone. It'll be quicker and cheaper if they will definitely allow the sandstone, but I need to be sure before I go ahead. Planners can make you take down and rebuild if they don't like what you've done, which is why they need samples of stone as well first.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: maire-aine
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 10:56 PM

Got my water heater fixed today (new temp switch), so I don't have to keep it all they way up at super-hot. He also drained and flushed it, to get rid of the mineral buildup. I hope to be able to get a couple more years out of it. Too cold & wet to do anything outside, but I have been tidying up the kitchen a little better-- finding places for some of the stuff that's cluttering up the counter tops. Planning to make yellow split-pea soup tomorrow.

M

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: GUEST,Lilyfestre
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 06:59 PM

I did some major organizing of papers today...can't wait for DH to see it...I've been wanting to get this done for some time. Well...I'm not DONE DONE but I spent hours making a damn good start!!!! Everything, in case of something horrible happening, is easily found...labeled, in order, dates and amounts highlighted. I still want to organize the medical papers a bit more (a little more specific...even though they are in a binder, all highlighted and in order).

Ah yes. This feels good. My house is a wreck but my papers are in order!

Laundry is going, dishes are almost done, Toys R Us has exploded yet again in the living room...but I don't really care too much about that! Jeremiah has another ear infection so it's just nice to see him giggle and play! :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 06:02 PM

I have a small and sturdy rake that I used at lunch today to level a couple of beds in the garden. I'd already dug them, added compost, etc. I'm going to transplant more stuff outside today, and I have devised a way to get the soaker hose to spread over a broader area. I'll send photos if my plan works.

Tonight I'm going to start listing a few things on eBay. Gotta clear out some of that stuff. Along with the papers.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: mouldy
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 03:48 AM

Having taken another load of prunings to the tip in Wooler, I decided to visit the garden centre. There I found a bird bath which was just what I wanted: not too tall, square, and covered in celtic knotwork motifs. I have still to clear the corner I want it in, but as they said that was the last one they would be stocking, I bought it. Two women managed to lift it into the back of my station wagon, and I was convinced I would be able to move the pedestal myself, as I wouldn't be bound by health and safety rules.....wrong! I can hardly move it, and there is no way I can get it down onto my little barrow, even though it's a flat-bed tailgate.

Where's a man when you need one???!!!

Anyway, complete with bird bath pedestal, I took another last load of prunings to the tip at Berwick later on. So now I just have the old pile of prunings and leaves that are dumped in the back corner of the garden to shift. I might get that all sorted today or tomorrow. Re the concrete in my car, I think I will take a walk to the village store and hope I meet somebody I can drop hints to! Not holding out much hope. I think I will have to look out for my elusive next door neighbour Steve!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 12:59 AM

Went to hear Bill Nye speak tonight. He makes such a good point about how percarious our planetary system is and how important it is to take back our atmosphere.

Tracking backwards from his lecture points, I researched solar tubes a few years ago, but forgot about it, but I am inspired to look into a couple now. They are a form of skylight that are efficient and provide great light in rooms without windows. I could put them in three places, for sure. My hall bathroom, if I had to choose just one place. He had a slide of his solar panels on his roof and included a veiw of a solar tube with a "Fresnel" lens (the "s" is silent). It can capture the sun so efficiently that if you check them out on YouTube, you'll see this lens put the old magnifying-lens-starts-a-fire example to shame, it is so fast. This place has those lenses on their solar tubes. Obviously I don't want to start fires with the thing, but I want one to capture the light with a small surface area. I read about one of these tubes that has a separate channel for airflow, if you want to run a vent (like from a bathroom). Something more to look into.

That's it for me. I poked around some of the papers this evening that I complained about earlier. There is some work to do, to organize, sort, trash, or file all of it. It needs to move up on my list of things to do.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 01:32 PM

Found a good pot in someone's curbside trash last night, so I poured out their potting soil (mostly compost), stomped it into their lawn, and took the pot. I watered the garden this morning, timer broke. They never seem to last more than one year, no matter how much or little I spend on them.

The garden needs a lot of attention now as I plant it, but in the house I need to do some work, in particular, to attack the paper around here. It seems to be piling up everywhere. File, shred, recycle, something! Maybe compost it. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 01:07 PM

Yesterday, I climbed around in the snow, decluttering the roof of the shed of snow and water which had been dripping through the now numerous holes in the roof. For $500, it would have been nice if it had lasted through one winter.

Once the snow is gone, I will make a place in that dark back corner of the yard and stack all the plastic containers with a tarp over them. The rest will be able to be moved into the house - somewhere! And the pottery equipment can go to a commercial building R owns where I may even be able to set up a workspace. Then I can declutter the yard of this 12x20 eyesore so we can see the garden areas. I am anxious to see what survived the winter.

I also went to the dentist and got a long list of what needs to be done (five years since last time) complete with costs and a next appt. Could be worse. Then paid a bill at the bank, picked up ordered cal/mag at a shop, stopped in at the food coop to find out how to order tomato plants without going through their land-mined website. I will do that along with suggestions for reducing the land mines. I've lost the list twice at the "checkout". Each time I get better at making a new list! But I was livid! Two hours wasted.

Then I stopped at the farm market for a good loaf of bread, marked-down cheeses (yummy), organic milk, and some good veggies - not organic, they are just too expensive here.

Got home and found that something had shifted during the day and I was, and am, no longer feeling wobbly and depressed - as I had for two weeks. Getting past the dentist? Or what? I had eaten very differently for two days. Very little other than two cups of miso soup each day and some choc. (not a lot) Had rice and a packaged (east) Indian meal for supper yesterday but nothing the day before. Sometimes my body really tells me. Always if I am listening. Going to find more of that miso cup of soup. I had had the package for two years and not used any. But it sure is good. Hour on phone with sister in law catching up on family and her excitement over losing 16 and a half pounds on WW; getting into jeans she has not worn in years!! Determined woman; hope she maintains.

Cold weather again - around or below freezing for about a week is predicted. But the front is clear again -after another snow/rain session. The primrose are perky and I bought another one yesterday for in-house colour (yellow). This replaces the eaten violets. I found a big glass bowl in the china cupboard and put the pot in it to keep the mouse out! The indoor foliage plants are burgeoning; the Clivia has two babies! Spring may be here but it is not in our backyard. May be another couple weeks before the snow clears

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: freda underhill
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 08:26 AM

Back to the fridge, yes, it feels very new, and there is now twice as much room in the freezer! Tonight I made a big lentil and veggie soup, which I'll store in several containers in the freezer, for quickie meals when needed.

We have frogs in the back yard, but they don't manage to keep the mossies under control. They sound like someone's playing ping pong out the back!

We also have strawberries (and tomatoes + rhubabrb) growing in a built up garden, tenny strawberries but very sweet.

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 03:36 AM

Kitchen replacement is now planned - IKEA

Fella who did our bathroom is happy to do our kitchen. This is good on several levels.

We love what he did with our bathroom and it presented lots of difficult problems to work out.
He is good at solving problems and making plans work.
He works fast.
He does everything, carpentry, plastering, tiling, plumbing and electric.
We can give him the key, go to work and know he will get on with it.
He will shift around his other jobs in favor of us, because we have small flat and no where to store incoming kitchen.

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 12:18 AM

Decluttered myself of a moving tick this evening - yuck! I walked the dogs in the woods across the road, and we were under the trees a bit. I felt a tickle on my back and found it. I suppose it must have climbed up my jeans and under my shirt or it would have lodged at my waist and already sunk it. This was flat, and it's now history. I think it dropped into the trash can, so after I undressed and checked and combed my hair, I tied up the bag and then vacuumed the office.

I have a couple of things ready to list on eBay this week. Some of it bulky enough that it will be nice to get out of the house.

I'm decluttering the garden of snails. They've attacked my bean sprouts again - so I've put out beer and I sprinkled a light amount of salt around the sprouts - any snail is going to melt on contact, but it isn't enough to harm the plants. I just stepped out to take a look with a flashlight, and picked up a couple dozen snails and dropped them in the beer bowls. Flashlight at night is sometimes the best way to protect your garden.

I have strawberries that are green, but by next week I ought to be getting a few ripe ones a week. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Mar 11 - 11:40 AM

Dishes and pans finally out of the sink, sink scrubbed to a high white polish with cleanser. I washed while I waited for the kettle to boil for my tea.

Working my way through my short list for work (this Mudcat visit is a little break, not a long side trip). I am still reading my Procrastination book, and I have continued for several weeks to work from a short prioritized list of things that does make it easier to finish projects in a shorter period of time.

This afternoon I head over to campus again and on my way I'll swing by the recycle bins and unload plastic and glass. My weekly trash is so small, sometimes only a couple of small plastic grocery bags a week when I do all of the recycling. I really think we should have recycling pickup and trash pickup, but I'm sure getting it started in this tiny village would be a huge challenge.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: mouldy
Date: 22 Mar 11 - 10:31 AM

Yesterday morning I took one car load of the massed debris from the shrubs I attacked earlier in the year to the dump. I then moved all the rest of it up closer to the house, onto the concrete bit, so that I see it every time I look out of the back windows. Second load went today. There'll only be another 2 or 3, and this from a garden the size of a postage stamp!

I have been in touch with the planning officer about exactly what stone the new build should be in, and he's sending a conservation officer out. Don't know when. I let both builders know what's happening, and the one I have already got a quote from has just taken me out to see some of the work he's recently done in the stone they were suggesting. The only problem he knows with using the recycled sandstone is that you only get the sort they have been demolishing recently, and you don't know what it will be like till you get it delivered! If they say it has to bein the local whin stone (a form of granite, I think) it will cost a lot more because it's harder work to lay it, and it comes in irregular shapes.

I have also manage to vac up most of the debris from dragging old branches through the house!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 10:07 PM

I bit the bullet in the sun room and cleared up a lot of stuff that had sought the lowest level (floor) that could in fact be tossed, repositioned, or moved to the appropriate area (shipping boxes on top of the hutch, packing materials into the big trash bag under the table, and three boxes of papers that need sorting and tossing or filing are now outside my office. I seem to have several of these accumulations lately.) It doesn't look less cluttered, but there is a larger path down the middle of the room.

This afternoon I spent with a co-worker doing our assigned section of inventory on a long section of books in the library. We'll finish it tomorrow. Tedious work, reading out each call number to make sure it appears on the computerized list, and if it isn't on the shelf, mark it as "not found." If there are books on the shelf that aren't on the computer list, we turn them down to be noticed and processed by the folks who are running the inventory. And along the way, we are doing a lot of re-shelving of sections before we inventory them. It has been a while since we did a full-fledged "shelf-reading," when we go through and make sure they're simply in the right order by call number. I'll take more Sudafed tomorrow to finish the task. I felt like I had to sneeze for about half of the time we were doing this. :-/ (Our library has somewhat more than 1.2 million books, so it is taking a while and we all take turns doing this.) After all of this, I should go through my own books and organize them a little better.

I have to finish a couple of things this evening, so I'd better get to them.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 08:36 PM

Red letter day! We have found two raccoon rehab places in Quebec!!!!! It has taken weeks and very tired eyes and word of mouth/computer/phone and two languages. So fortunate that Robin's French is up to snuff. Mine is almost nil. We want to visit each of these: an hour and a half and two or more hours away but we have a mission. Well, I do and R is supportive. And the reporter is ready to do an article in April. And a rehabber I met on line just told me she also has reporter friends in Montreal! YAY!!

Household is up to snuff - as good as it gets. On computer all afternoon: a trusted lawyer friend in Vancouver was able to recommend possible lawyers for friends here. Gathering together in one file, info for pub ed on raccoons in the city. Sharing good sites on FB with others and finding good ones others have shared, including a list of animal advocacy sites, also shared with raccoon rehab group. Fulfilling my need to be helpful to others as well as getting help/support.

The weekend was busy: saw The King's Speech - excellent!!! and Barney's Version - very heavy for me. Robin, of course, had to interpret for me as I missed a great deal from not being able to process most of the speech.

I spent most of Saturday afternoon reading in the car while Robin was reading much needed material in the library. I had to leave the building due to toxic air.

Sunday was Irish at the Cafe. I sang my three songs but left out some verses when my knees started shaking! Adrien (Beer) said I did great. He is so sweet and supportive. Robin said I changed keys in mid song when I was not accompanied. Need to practice more. But my effort was well received by the audience. Anyway, it was a good afternoon and then we explored the area with a local friend, and had supper in a small town before returning to the city. It was wonderful to be out in the country most of the day.

The resident mouse managed to get at the rest of the African violets and part of an 80% choc bar. We hope it gave it a headache! It is escalating and the live traps are well avoided!

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 12:57 PM

The garden is not in the back where the dogs are, it is along the side of the driveway and in the front yard.

I compressed the contents of the cupboard in the sun room - didn't take long - in order to completely clear the top shelves. So I have two shelves, about 10' long, open. The stuff I moved down wasn't put in any order, and there is enough space to probably empty another shelf also. I did this to day so I could look at the progress I've made (though I have to clear a wider path to the cupboard, so all is not orderly yet).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 11:39 AM

Grogs eat mosquitoes and tadpoles eat the larvae. Rats eat snails too, but that is a bit extreme. How will you keep the doggies from drinking the beer? :~0

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 10:47 AM

Sesame Street capped the activities for Moonglow and my son - at 2 letters a day, it's a pleasant way to learn. Any time you want to start him watching it won't be too soon.

We have lots of toads in the area, there are probably frogs in the creek, but if I built a pond I'd be fighting the mosquitoes also. So far the snails are regrouping. I found a lot of empty shells after the winter, they had huddled under things and died there. Fingers crossed a big snail kill-off was one benefit of that very cold weather.

Freda, it's like having a new fridge to clean and defrost, isn't it!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Exercise & Declutter March 2011 - Roar!
From: freda underhill
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 09:19 AM

12.18 am, just emptied, defrosted and cleaned the fridge!