Declutter & Fitness November 2011

Subject: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Nov 11 - 11:15 AM

Here's the Oct. 2011 thread.

When we left off, Susan had just put in a new stovetop and remarked that it made the rest of the kitchen look dirty. Alas, she has trod the slippery slope one encounters when comparing new and old appliances in the same room. The remedy can be expensive. And Penny was wondering why there are rat traps in London and not out in the sticks. Makes me glad I'm not in London to find out, considering the history of flu and black death and such . . .

I have a large garage sale on Nov. 5 that should help remove a lot of extra stuff from around here. I don't expect to make a lot of money, but I'll visit with neighbors, hang out with Susie, and hopefully see usable but unneeded items adopted into good homes. Everything I'm working on right now is leading up to that, but it will be a variety of things around the house that will result in access to items that need to be moved outside for the sale. I'll be tidying the garden (so the yard doesn't scare buyers away) and I'll be moving things that I don't want to sell (because people will ask).

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, but for a while it is a truncated holiday because one family member is away at college. We make our occasions when we can so my official family meal with be sometime in mid-December when he's back in town during the winter break. After the sale I'll work on setting up for that meal. And all of this time I hope to be making progress on the low-carb diet I've started again.

This evening I'll start sorting the names for the Secret Santa game. That's a lot of fun - doesn't take too long, but it does require attention to detail. I'll launch that project then watch it unfold on its own.

That's enough to keep me busy. How about everyone else?

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Nov 11 - 12:23 PM

To nudge this back to the top, I'm happy to report that I found a lot of okra, sweet banana peppers, poblano peppers, jalapeno peppers, and eggplant ready in the garden. The tomatoes are big and green and beautiful.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Penny S.
Date: 01 Nov 11 - 02:35 PM

Ah, there are plenty of snap traps, and poisonous baits, out here in the sticks. Just not the humane sort. So where are the London people releasing their captives? Out here there are plenty of places not close to homes or farmyards.
If London fails, I'll get one off the internet.
Had a good walk today, and then an hour clearing things in the garden, and bringing the last potatoes in. Don't want to have enything out there that might attract the thing. A robin came and rummaged around where I had scraped out the gaps in the patio slabs, and tipped out the potato compost.I put it some insect rich fatty food on the bird feeder - but nothing on the ground, of course. The woodmouse appeared, too. I've noticed them around together before, and I wondered if the little trill the robin was giving was alerting it.
Weight has been stable for several days now. Irritating.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Nov 11 - 04:53 PM

PT today big miulestone

PTist and I had agreed I would do a real quick run thru all the equipment and toys they have in the "dry clinic," to start planning the move from all-aquatic PT to mixed aquatic/dry and later maybe all-dry. Which machines and toys would work with my body's limitations, and how strong would I be with gravity?

And I had a ball! A lot more worked than I had thought might.

The goal today was no post-PT pain (plus afterwards I had an aftn gig), so that tomorrow's aquatics would not start from today's leftover pain. Tmrw then will be back to harder work in the pool and continued dry-work planning. They are printing me pix of the dry clinic stuff I did, to take to Chicago next week-- because the friend putting me up ALSO goes to PT and I can work out with her THERE, YAY!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: MAG
Date: 01 Nov 11 - 04:57 PM

I have discovered some kind of critter has tunneled under my new garage ( had to cut away a bunch of brambles, and only now is that side of the garage visible ...) I am putting a snap trsp under an orange crate. I don't know what it could be besides some kind of rat. I don't think ground squirrels tunnel underneath concrete structures. Wish me luck. (sigh.)

Don't worry too much about the plateaus, folks; as I have preached before, your body wants to hold on to that weight; it likes stability -- sooner or later it will let go and you will drop some. It's the overall average weight loss that tells you something. Don't give up if you're on a plateau!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 01 Nov 11 - 05:02 PM

check out nutria. They love to tunnel under driveways etc. THere are tons here where I live. mg

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Nov 11 - 06:13 PM

Heck, Mary, maybe she has a beaver! ;-D

Good news that you're able to expand the PT activities, Susan. I suspect that will both give more variety (and keep it more interesting) plus there may be days when you want exercise but don't feel like going through the bother of getting wet. In cold weather no matter how warm the pool, swimming may not be appealing. It's nice to have options.

I have over an hour of sun still, so I'm going to go mow the back yard, or at least, part of it. That's my big exercise for today.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Nov 11 - 10:44 PM

Lawn has been mowed. The tender blades that are in the turf, front and back, tend to lean over when the mower passes, so I kind of mowed and kind of combed the turf. Odd, but after so much drought, the fact that grass is coming back is a good thing.

I've announced the closure of the Secret Santa gift exchange name collection. I thought a month might be a long time, but names trickled in every couple of days. Now I have printouts and I'll match up players (I also have last year's printout to refer to, to avoid repeats) and set that game in motion this week. I know now that Liz and Khat, who did this before, had the catbird seat as they watched the tease and hint threads grow. It is kind of lonely because you can't deal yourself in for a gift, but it's like planting a seed, to see people join this game, and that is the reward. Not all of them have family to do the holidays with; for others, it is commingled with children and grandchildren and the joy of sharing music with an international group of friends. If any of you want to participate let me know. It isn't a high dollar gift, it really is simply the prospect of receiving the gift that makes this such a great game for some people. I always keep myself (and a couple of volunteers) as emergency backup gift senders.

This declutter group is such a natural source of interesting gifts that I'm giving you a head's up about assignment phase of the Secret Santa game. Michelle, if you joined, I suspect that anyone drawing your name would include a gift of music perfect for a child Jeremiah's age. Kat, if someone knows how much time Morgan spends with you, I suspect that a suitable gift for a precocious elementary school child would be included. Susan, I know that the person who sent a gift last year was charmed with the idea of choosing a gift for Hardi. Alice, any of your little pieces of art would be a treasure for the recipient, on any continent, and they'd love to send something comparable. So, no obligation to join, but if you're interested, you're very welcome to join.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Penny S.
Date: 02 Nov 11 - 05:29 AM

The plateau has started to drop again. I've been recording weight as stones and pounds, UK style, which my spreadsheet can't cope with, so I've been ignoring the decimals the scales add to the pounds. But this morning, my weight dropped, briefly, below the next big number - didn't stay there, but only went up to the old number plus zero decimals - it had been .8 for ages. So I've adjusted the spreadsheet to put in the pounds separately so I can see these little milestones.
What now gets me is how big 4 and a half pounds of fat looks in a pile on the worktop, and how little I've shrunk visually or with regard to my clothes!
I've just washed a nice jacket I made years ago from a pattern in a magazine, with a corduroy body and arms knitted in a soft yarn with angora, ready to take to Oxfam. I think it's UK size 14 (smaller than US 14) and there is no way I'm ever going to be that size again. Busts don't reduce well, do they? I'll have to look out the matching hat. I always end up making matching hats, because the patterns always list too much yarn - this can be pretty expensive with the sort of yarns I like - and I don't like to risk not having enough. I'm not a quick enough worker to take advantage of knitting shops putting by reserves.
It's interesting how I've dropped down again after a large helping of bubble and squeak. It was mostly vegetables, and wasn't fried but cooked in my Remoska with a small amount of fat, but it was large, and in the evening!
Today is the official health walk, which will be slower than I have been going on my own, but more sociable.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Nov 11 - 10:10 AM

Good news that you're able to expand the PT activities, Susan. I suspect that will both give more variety (and keep it more interesting) plus there may be days when you want exercise but don't feel like going through the bother of getting wet. In cold weather no matter how warm the pool, swimming may not be appealing. It's nice to have options.

Getting wet is not the issue. Getting dry enough without freezing, to get clothes on, is the issue. Meeting the issue takes a few bucks-- hopefully just a few (we will hit thrift shops first).

So we've been planning:

Friday, we will make a shopping trip for footwear that can get me from wet pool locker room to dry car thru snow/slush-- current PTist is a great encourager of problem-solving to help me meet goal of not letting SAD keep me from pool this winter. I have seen the shoes I want-- fleece-lined rubber clogs with a thick enough sole to get the short distance to car without socks. My metabolism (because of increased muscle thru PT) is just about ready to get back to the temps of the pool/locker room I hope to use, while our fitness center w/warm pool/hot tub rebuilds.

My terrycloth all-cotton robe finally died-- TBTG because it was too heavy to tote!-- so now I can also get a synthetic lightweight one to lounge in with a book, as I dry off. I know that locker room well-- hopefully the roomy sauna is still extant.

These are the kinds of resources I have seen work so well for the ladies who were able to get them, and TBTG I now almost can, too.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Nov 11 - 10:21 AM

I usually find when my weight is low the bust is considerably smaller. If that's what you're wondering about and you really like the jacket, I'd keep it.

Fat has been getting a bad rap for years. Fat doesn't make you fat, carbs make you fat. If you're on a diet with high protein and low carbs but put in too many carbs with the fat you'll gain weight (bad news for potato chips and California/onion dip).

I got in my walk this morning, but made the mistake of wearing a pair of slip-on shoes. When Poppy started pulling and twisting to see a cat I couldn't straighten her out because she kept stepping in my shoe, giving me no leverage. We must have been a sight out there struggling in the street. I always wear tie-shoes, and this is a reminder why I need to keep it up.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Penny S.
Date: 02 Nov 11 - 03:15 PM

I'd heard that about carbs, being needed for the glycogen which is needed to enable cells to form the fat stores. The bubble and squeak, of course, is heavily doped with potato!
An hours' walk today. And an afternoon sewing a bag from a skirt, which is not very calory burning!
I'll have a rethink about the jacket - but it's not only the bust, the shape of the armhole doesn't feel right. At any rate, both jacket and hat have been washed ready either for the shop or for storage.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Nov 11 - 05:21 PM

http://www.electric-bikes.com/bikes/options.html#Disabilities%20call%20for%20different%20designs

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Nov 11 - 10:18 PM

Some months ago I stopped drinking carbonated sodas and for a while my fingernails became very strong, but they're more brittle again, so I made a cup of a hot spice herbal tea and after pre-mixing plain gelatin in a little cold water, I mixed it into my tea. It tasted the same and wasn't thick, and hopefully it will strengthen my nails if I drink this every so often.

Garage sale is Saturday, I'll get the permit tomorrow, and I'm going to take Friday off to get ready for it. I haven't given it the time it needs in the evenings after work but before dark, so I'll spend a day toting stuff out of harm's way or moving things to the right location. It's supposed to be rainy and cool for a day but warm up by Saturday. Fingers crossed.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 12:18 AM

Qi gong, today, plus swept the hallway, bathroom, LR and near the kitchen.:-)

ALSO, finished and pushed the "publish" button at BookBrewer, so, soon, WindWords will be available as an ebook! Finally!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 12:23 AM

Had a faboo chat tonight with an old HS galpal who will be putting me up and giving informed support when I visit sis next week. (Guess what SHE needs-- help decluttering, LOL,while we talk over old times and old friends as we've kept up with them respectively!) We were a great team in HS and then we lost touch till, one day in our early 20's, we happened to pass each other crossing the same street in Boston at noon rush hour. It was faboo in HS, it was faboo in Boston, it was faboo all over again tonight.

And between us, we came up with a GREAT approach to dealing with "toxic people," who I have always preferred to think of as people who are trying to get close enough to show you where they hurt, by hurting you to show what the hurt was-- because these are the kinds of hurts that occurred before the person had words. And so for them, to show it is to act it out.


What popped out spontaneously as we discussed a mutual friend we both care about dearly was this:

"Oh I'm sure I AM an idiot, but here's the thing-- I may not be exactly the same KIND of idiot you are so sure that I am."

"Oh yeah? So what kinda idiot are YOU?"

"Well, I may be the kind of idiot who might actually be able to help you with [xxxxxx]."


And this led to an insight-- going back over years of misunderstandings... which is that people who have been fooled into living without hope cannot tolerate having their hopelessness challenged... unless you stick with them to the very end no matter how ugly they get trying to show you what hurts and where. Another friend of mine here in Ministryland says, to hopeless people, exactly this: "I will never, ever go away. I'll be right here waiting for you." (Acourse she has about five/ten years on me, so maybe I'll get to that place someday, too.)

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 09:22 AM

Congratulations, Kat!

You're a better person than me, Susan. I've had to bail on a couple of those toxic relationships - they can literally make you sick.

Long day at work today to compensate for taking the day off tomorrow, and I got an early start. I'll be glad to get back to standard time (Sunday) because I'll be able to walk the dogs in the light before work. People come flying down the street in the morning, probably thinking they're out there all by themselves. We don't have sidewalks so must walk in the street.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 11:59 AM

Kat, here's an interesting article about voice recognition software: SmartPlanet.com. Just so you know how it works!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 12:39 PM

That's fascinating! Thanks!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: ClaireBear
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 02:35 PM

Well, I'm afraid my bedroom beautification plans have been set back somewhat by the fairly significant housefire we experienced Monday.

But what a decluttering opportunity THAT's turning out to be!

Making lemonade here...

Cheers,
Claire

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 05:11 PM

Here is something else you might want to read before doing your holiday shopping this year. Reflections on the various offerings and development activity going on at Amazon right now.

I made a batch of chicken soup early in the week and it has been wonderful to warm up a mug of it for a quick snack. It also works perfectly to add a packet of gelatin to this, so now I have a couple of ways to help the nails a bit. If I played guitar I'd be tearing out my hair over the softness of my nails.

This afternoon I paid for the garage sale permit - we're official now!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 05:46 PM

I meant also to say I'm sorry to hear about the fire. Is this going to be a complete rebuild on the site, do you think?

Did clutter in the house contribute to the fire or reaching it or putting it out? This is something for all of us to think about.

I hope that when you sort through the remains of that day that you'll find you have plenty of usable things (avoiding costly replacement) and can function fairly normally during this time of upheaval.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: ClaireBear
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 06:32 PM

Hell yes, I think clutter contributed...not to the fire's original ignition, but certainly to its spread. The lesson is to keep floors and pathways clear, and not to stack anything on chairs (even unusable chairs, as mine were). Oh, and eliminate stacks of papers, piled high on desks...

Thank goodness there was one room in the house -- mine -- where stuff was put away and more or less tidy. I hate to even think about what it would have been like had it still looked as it did before last month's major cleanup. Never again!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 07:32 PM

Claire...are you out of a house or are there liveable parts? Sorry to hear of this!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: ClaireBear
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 08:12 PM

Thanks, Kat! We are out of our house for sure, but my soon-to-be ex is moving into our little motor home, and I am going to rent space for Martin and me from someone else in our intentional community for awhile, until the house can be fixed or replaced. We are all OK...the universe is taking care of us. Blessings abound.

Cheers,
Claire

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 08:27 PM

What a time of year for this, though - it makes the holidays rough enough to be going through a divorce - to have the house a disaster, that is adding insult to injury! Be sure to stay in touch and vent occasionally if you need to.

I took the dogs for walks tonight - independent of each other. The one left behind each time was bereft, the one who got to go was happy as can be. I need to do this more often, like doing things one-on-one with the kids - they like it and act better than when they're together. And I got two walks. I may simply take one dog in the morning before breakfast and take the other in the afternoon before dinner. On occasion.

Taking tomorrow off to finish preparation for the garage sale. Susie brought by some commercial store racks from her son's warehouse so the garments will look good out there. I need to work on the rest.

Tonight I'm going to finish a print document then I'm going to work on some grout in a spot where I've been meaning to move a bookcase. I'll take the bookcase apart also and move it to nearby where it will go, and in a couple of days I'll set it up properly. This allows the large CRT TV to come out of my room.

A neighbor told me that last week her husband had his leg amputated mid-thigh. He'd had unmanageable circulation problems and gotten gangrene again. He's in rehab right now. I need to have her come down to lunch or dinner.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: MAG
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 08:32 PM

me also sorry about fire, CB -- thoughts wafting your way --

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Nov 11 - 03:44 PM

Well. We're back. I hope no one else tried the housefire approach to decluttering - it makes a terrible stink.

I've been rescuing produce from the garden since we had an unexpected hard freeze last night. After nothing producing in the heat all summer, we had only about six weeks and then this frost (about 3 weeks early) hit. I've pulled all of the green tomatoes to see if they'll ripen (they can't be used for canning now), I've pulled peppers, eggplant, picked the last of the okra. I have a squash that hadn't hardened off yet that I'll leave on the ground attached to the vine and hope it does that on it's own even if most of the leaves are wilted.

Gotta head out to the driveway to keep moving stuff out of the way for this garage sale.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Nov 11 - 08:28 PM

Purchased, used: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyieXntUyjg

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Jeri
Date: 04 Nov 11 - 08:49 PM

Bitchfest--tune out now.

Last Saturday we got a foot of snow. I got behind on things and Halloween in my town got moved to Sunday-- THIS Sunday, the day-after-tomorrow Sunday. Had an MRI of my brain which isn't quite right (as if I didn't expect that), I got friggin' political polsters and pre-recorded candidates calling me all the time, so I unplugged the phone, which meant when the hospital called to schedule me to see the neurologist, they got ignored. "Anonymous" is going to hack stuff tomorrow, which might be fun to see, if I don't have to actually WATCH Fox news. My GERD has been nasty, so the 800mg of ibuprofen I just took for my &#*%ing migraine is probably going to require me to eat a handful of antacids, but HEY-- we got our BS section back and I can declutter my attitude.

Hope I didn't get any on ya.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Nov 11 - 09:31 PM

Jeri, we've seen worse - sounds like it has been one of those kinds of weeks, eh? I wouldn't consider watching FOX news - but I don't watch any evening news here anymore because it so rarely actually contains news. And because of that I didn't see the local weather report. The one that said it was going to freeze overnight (way early for around here). Fried my garden. I picked buckets of tomatoes and peppers and eggplant today to rescue produce from their limp, flaccid plants.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Penny S.
Date: 05 Nov 11 - 04:40 AM

The weight's back on the plateau. More exercise required, I think.

I've had a series of bad nights, waking up in the small hours with a rash round my knees and elbows. I tried anti-itch creams, emollient baths to no avail, and got up for a couple of hours until it got quiet. Booked myself in to the doctor, thinking it was some sort of ecxema, and took photos to show what it was like, since it wouldn't be visible in the surgery. Then I recognised it as urticaria, triggered by the warmth of the duvet, looked it up, and found I could treat it with Benadryl, and there was no possibility of working out what actually started the bout. I had a good night last night. Last time I had it it was brought on by sunlight (on a day when there was a major, and unexpected, solar flare!)

Sorry to hear about your fire, Claire.

Penny

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Nov 11 - 11:47 AM

(((ClaireBear)))

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Nov 11 - 11:59 AM

Ooops forgot to say--

CardioGlider baseline (last night) 1 set of 10 reps

Today: 2 10's

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Nov 11 - 05:26 PM

First day of garage sale is completed, stuff tucked away in garage. We've thought of things we forgot, so will bring out and try tomorrow at noon.

The garage looks much better without so much stuff. Right now the set up tables were carried in and left so they can be carried out tomorrow (stuff still in place). After tomorrow my truck will be inside again and lots of room all around.

Do I want to shower, dress up, and head to a party? Or do I want to go take a nap? That is the question!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Nov 11 - 09:22 PM

CardioGlider as aerobic: baseline 1 x 20

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 07:23 AM

Today's the day for lawn-ironing.

The driveway and contiguous grass around this ole wreck of a country house has had a hard Fall, with the constant rain it was not built to withstand. Between runoff issues caused by road construction and the gas workers' stripping of a hill across the road, on the one hand, and the fence no linger extant marking the safe-driving zones in the farm driveway, on the other-- the housemate has gifted us with a bunch of new ruts that will seriously impede Hardi's little John Deere snowplowing, which is not far off now.

Hardi and I ourselves, in past years, have caused a rut or two to form in the Mud Season that more usually comes in the spring thaw; I used to walk those ruts out in my mud boots, happily squishing the edges of the ruts back together like a clay zipper. In later years I got really good at picking the right day-- the clayey mud has to be just dry enough but not too dry, like a good batch of bread to knead-- and ironing out these ruts by driving at the correct angles, over them, to zip them back up.

The housemate and her visiting guests-- before I finally got the driveway margins and the grass marked... to guide them to steer on the dryest side of the driveway where the ruts in the gravel part of the driveway had gotten deepened and enlarged-- finally reamed us quite a few new ruts. Too many for this ole gimp to walk 'em out! So today I will pull all the markers up out of the sucking, almost-dry mud where I rammed 'em in, and use the van to iron the driveway.


In the spring, some of the ruts which will by then be smoothed but still visibly-lower than the surrounding grass (and thus ripe for puddles making wet ruts again), will be filled with peat moss and used kitty litter. And the grass-- really prairie grass we mow as if it were suburban grass-- will grow right thru and over the scars. And I have a better system now for temporary No Driving markings for the next Mud Season-- no more ramming posts by hand, nope-- plastic milk gallons full of water, with poly rope running thru the handles, because now the housemate knows roughly where it is OK to drive. The shorter jug-markers will be plenty of reminder easily moved and recycled at the end of Mud Season. And we always have dozens of full water gallons, set aside for emergency use, to deploy in this manner.

When the lawn is dry, it's fine to drive/park anywhere in it, and we often do. That is one reason Hardi needs it ironed out before plowing can be done-- in the winter we park on the grass up by the road when a bad snowfall is expected, so he can get out quick to emergency calls. We line up all the cars in front of the house and then once he has plowed the rest of the driveway, that front area is relatively free of snow because it's all fallen on the cars and we drive it away!

There will be a lot of walking today in pulling out the markers!

====

In prep for winter freeze-in, I have been converting some of the PT exercises I most need to continue, into home versions. I had to get pretty creative, but I think I have them all covered now. "Kicks" (there are 4 different ones) are the simplest in deep water and hardest for me on land, for now, but I think I have all 4 Kicks worked into an easy home routine now so I can keep up the good work begun, even if I don't get out much this winter.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 10:49 AM

Just checking in to say we made progress yesterday, and we'll open for a few hours today. I made the bold move of posting my link to the Craig's List ad on the Dirt Doctor thread I maintain, and called the radio show and said where the find the link if someone is interested in these rain barrels. They're big and I'd like the extra ones to go away. I'll edit out that link this evening and take down the Craig's List ad.

I did go to my evening event - it was fun - like a sonnet version of a song circle. There was a "book" of 100 poems and we went around the circle reading them. I looked at all of us crammed into their tiny little living room - realizing that I have about twice the space in my living room and I really need to get this house to the point where I am comfortable having people in (my circle of friends come over, but others, like co-workers, who I don't want to explain away the unfinished projects to).

Out to the garage. People will be here in a couple of hours.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: ClaireBear
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 11:16 AM

Going into the house this morning with my wusband (that's easier to say than soon-to-be-ex, don'tcha think?) for awhile to tag stuff for discarding, stuff for saving. Will be good to get it over with.

C

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 11:52 AM

"wusband" as in "wasbeen"....I like it! Good energy and strength to you, Claire.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: ClaireBear
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 12:25 PM

Thanks, Kat! It's feeling hard today; I can use the boost!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 04:51 PM

I'll be boxing stuff for Goodwill that didn't sell. It isn't going to hang around for another garage sale but any of this might be well received in the thrift store.

Claire, work out some little rituals to pamper yourself while you're going through this. Find a favorite bath salt and have a good soak in the evening or find a favorite tea and cookie for a mellow coffee break, whatever. Small things can help a lot when you're working on such a big job.

Hoping for rain tonight - what is left of the garden can use it.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 09:33 AM

No rain, and one of the first things I must do is donate this mattress and box spring so I can bring in the newer one. To save time I may load it in my pickup and take it somewhere, but I'll wait till the thread of rain is gone.

The kitchen was a very active and messy place this weekend but I finally got dishes washed, laundry in, and now I must turn my attention to some stuff in the house. Will report as progress is made.

Claire, how do insurance companies work over there? Will they work with you as you decide to rescue contents then renovate or rebuild, as you see fit? Do you have a time limit?

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Penny S.
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 09:55 AM

Yesterday I went for a much longer walk than usual, and today my weight was well below the plateau, to which it had returned. Today all I've been able to manage has been to the village (5 mins) because of waiting for a return phone call. Fume fume (see thread on solicitors).
I'm working on a lacy scarf with yarn from my stash. I've made a picture of the village orchard on Saturday night, when the approach to the firework display was lit with pumpkin lanterns, to print out for Oxfam. I've read part of the paper. It is now getting darkish outside, so the walk will probably not happen.

Penny

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Penny S.
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 10:50 AM

Here is the picture of the orchard.


November 5th orchard.

More piccies to come.

Penny

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 11:59 AM

Interesting! It looks like a watercolor after you've posterized it.

Back on a more normal schedule now that the garage sale preparations and event are over. And back to a diet calculated to help me lose some weight. It was catch-as-catch can for a couple of days food-wise.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Penny S.
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 12:15 PM

That was the general idea - there were a lot of steps to it, not just one button press. The software is called Fo2Pix PhotoArtmaster Classic, which was a cut down cheap version. There was a more extensive version I didn't know about, called Gold, but the company went bankrupt, and I can't get it. (There are downloads, but the sites look a bit iffy.)

The program produces effects from the photo, which can be tweaked, and added locally or all over - I picked out the pumpkins in a brighter version, for instance, and added some imitation pen effects as well. I had also brightened the original photo, and then darkened the sky again in another programme. Did something useful while waiting for the dratted solicitor.

Penny

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 03:17 PM

Good final aquatic PT before I leave for Chicago tomorrow or Wednesday-- able to do all functions I could not do when we started. Tmrw it's Tina and me in the dry clinic for upper body planning and to set the plan for what I'll do while gone and where we will plan pick up when I return, see doc, get new Rx, etc.

Anti-winter-sludge planning is also going well.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Penny S.
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 05:04 PM

I've put some more "artistically" modified photos up.

My artwork!

Penny

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness November 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 08:34 PM

Ooooh - that Cornwall view is almost surreal!

It's pouring rain outside - lovely soaking rain.

I need to research where to donate my mattress and box spring that is still in the hall, and I need to organize my big freezer. Things have been stuffed in all summer and fall and it's getting a bit jumbled.

SRS