Declutter & Exercise - May 2012

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jun 12 - 02:00 PM

Here you go. June 2012.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jun 12 - 01:43 PM

I forgot, I was distracted. I'll do that now.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 May 12 - 05:28 PM

You sure seem to have a great neighbourhood, SRS.

I don't think Morgan is scared and as we talk, he seems very self-assured, accepting. His mom was that way as a child, too. Kind of "in the know," but of course I do work with him about such things. He does know it will be hugely different some day when I am no longer here, but we've already gone 2-3 days without calling or seeing each other (a first for us!) as he matures, 8.5 yrs now!, and as he is used to never seeing his other granddad since almost two years ago. He is also very aware psychically and in ESP communication.

He was wearing me out, yesterday, so I sat him down and got a little exact about what I am working on healing and how stress doesn't help. I specifically told him I'd like to be here to see him graduate and do a lot of other things, so my days need to be less stressful, ie. we both need to use our communications skills, better, esp. listening!:-) It got through. We had a great talk and today was much better.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 May 12 - 03:42 PM

Amazing how all of the different parts of the body can mis-behave or respond to stimulus. Good luck with that one!

We had an amazing stormy night, between 2 and 3 inches of rain, and now the yard is well-watered to the point that it is gooshy. I'll wait a couple of days before I mow, but I'll also take advantage of this good soak to do more work on a new bed over the weekend.

Susie got a note on her door from the code inspector that if she didn't remove a bunch of branches (her son trimmed trees for her) at the bottom of her driveway by June 3, they'll write a ticket. Trouble is, bulky waste for our area is starting the week of Jun 11, when the city would pick it up. They won't cut her any slack for barely being back home let alone able to do anything. I told her about my neighbor Antonio and he came up to meet her this morning (she and her grandson walked 2 1/2 blocks to my house for her exercise). I drove her to run a couple of errands and then back to her house and he was there to cut up and haul them to the city dump site in his pickup. And she has also arranged for him to mow her yard every 10 days (to keep it in the budget she has for it and for the amount he'd like to be paid per mow job). This is great - it means Susie has someone else she can call for these jobs, and Antonio has another source of work. He himself was badly injured 10 years ago (broken back, spine has pins and plates in it) but he can do these things. He said what he doesn't do now is heavy lifting or standing or sitting in one place for a long time. After years out of the workplace it has been difficult to find a regular job, so at least we can give him this kind of thing to help with the bills and use word-of-mouth to get him more jobs.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: wysiwyg
Date: 31 May 12 - 11:53 AM

Tip for the day:

LEPTIN.

LEPTIN!

THE READER'S REVIEW DESCRIBES ITS RELEVANCE

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 May 12 - 12:32 AM

Hard lessons for kids. He sounds kind of scared, Kat. I hope you helped him understand a bit.

The branches are all gone, but so is one of my pines. After cutting and loading all of the neighbor's down limbs on his trailer, I had arranged for Mr. Molina to take down a hackberry at the fence (that was going to break the fence). As they pulled it over with a rope once it was cut, it became snagged in a tall spindly pine (one that was never very healthy) and that tree snapped off halfway up. Last year's drought and growing in the shade were too much for it, so I'm short two trees and all of those limbs. I'll put in a better variety of pine (Italian stone pine instead of an Afghan pine - they're a true desert tree and don't like the prairie so much). With more light back there, a new tree will be healthier also.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 May 12 - 08:02 PM

There's some life, yet. Managed to do a small amt. of dishes this morning. A whole day of Morgan, good as he tried to be, was very tiring. He did water the perennials, annuals, fir and redbud trees. He also played with the dogs.

We've been talking, all along, about death and dying. Young as he is, he's already been touched by it when his step/only-dad-he-know's dad died when they were up for Tksgiving. We have very frank discussions. When his mom was 8, she popped up one day with the question of a vintage fur coat I had. Wanted to know if she could have it when I died. Made me laugh at the time. Yesterday Morgan commented he hoped I wouldn't go on a holiday. When I asked him why, he said 'cause they would all be really sad on that holiday. So, we talked about being happy someone has been released from pain, etc. if appropriate and how they'd probably want you to have a good time, etc. over the years. I do love him so.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 May 12 - 05:09 PM

The tree guy and his son are here, the trailer is up and running (it had a flat tire yesterday) and they're hauling branches and limbs out of the yard. The dogs are in the kennel that is half sun, half shade, and they enjoy watching the guys work. It's a cooler afternoon than we've had lately (high 80s today), making the job easier. I need to mow back and front this week, I've left the back till they finish so I can mulch in all of the leaves that are left behind.

Gave myself a scare today - I got to the feed store to buy dog food and had no wallet in my bag. (!) It was on a chair at home, having fallen out. This was a good reminder that I need a scan of everything in my wallet for "just in case."

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 May 12 - 02:46 PM

I made the lab results into a chart even a doctor can read, and binderized the lot.

I remade a screen and started another-- we have enough to do that I need Hardi to convert a screen-making bench out of the scrap table on the back porch, and then it might be a 1-perspon job to make them all. I'm adding a layer of scrim fabric to catch Marcellus dust on the main floor windows, else they have to be kept shut except for rainy days. I have some pretty scrim on hand-- so nice to look thru-- that I am saving for the two LR windows yet to make, which have a weird metal spline I am nervous about removing till I find where I can buy replacement rubber spline.

Then I have a lot of old fabric I can slice out of old sheer window panels for the tall kitchen's narrow winders. TBTG I recall how the old farm workshop's screens were made to do a batch the easy way! It was.... circa 1999-ish but it's as clear as a bell, thanks to the thyroid meds. Maybe it's NOT strokebrain.

Also sprang up the stairs and did a buncha chores up here. Headed back down now, tra-la!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 May 12 - 10:24 AM

I agree with Susan - try another carpenter and have him remove the plywood. You should be using a greenboard version of drywall - it's meant to go in shower surrounds, kitchens near the sink, etc. The carpenter needs to take down the entire wall, though, and replace it, then you put new tile up. If he's careful he can take down the old wall and the tile and you can pick it off. Might be easier and cheaper to replace all of the tile and have the whole surround replaced with greenboard. It isn't cheap, necessarily, unless you consider the times in the future you'll have to fuss with plywood.

Taking stuff over to the office - this almost guarantees that the tree guy will arrive five minutes after I leave. I will leave the lock on the gate but unlocked so the neighbor can corral the dogs, and I left a hoe near the gate so they can mend any new holes the dogs dig (since I filled a couple an hour ago.)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 May 12 - 07:20 AM

rags, I salute your commitment to the history of the old place, really I do, but plywood is not a historic material. Would it not be better to remove that and start with underlying material that will keep the old tiles from having to be taken off in 5 years? Here we would use a type of sheetrock with built-in moisture prevention....

===

I have a selection now of old labs going back a number of years, from one of the providers who "missed" my thyroid Dx. I have a few more laboratories to solicit for some missing pieces-- one would have probably been a more complete testing battery by an endo but first I have to spot that appointment in time before the hospital will go back into what are now archives, and I am not sure I need them just yet-- what I have plus new labs I will get in June will probably add up to a Hashimoto's Dx. For now I am going with what I know.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: ragdall
Date: 30 May 12 - 01:17 AM

You people are all so energetic! I get tired just reading about all that you do in a day.

From: Stilly River Sage - Date: 24 May 12 - 12:31 AM
Sometimes, Rags, it pays to hire a carpenter to come in and do this -especially when it keeps getting bigger. They are usually a lot faster than we are at the same job. Just a thought.

SRS, I tried to do that. He wouldn't even call me back, let alone come to do a cost estimate. I'm on my own with this project.

The old tiles are sorted, broken pieces too small to use are piled in a box. Broken pieces which might be made to fit somewhere are with the "reusable tile". I discovered that the tiles had retained moisture from the leaky walls. Some were wetter than others. They have all been set out on the deck railings and tables in the sun on three days. At night and now all are spread on tarps in the living room, continuing the drying process. Mr. rags and I have removed the 25 year old dried mastic and grout from all the whole tiles and most of the large broken or cut pieces.

Today I bought 13 ft² of plain white tile to use to make up for the old tiles that broke when I was removing or cleaning them. I'm planning to use them along the bottom of the walls where I will need to cut tiles to fit. I'm afraid the old tiles will shatter if I try to cut them. They're irreplaceable. At least if these white ones shatter I know where I can buy more of them.

I'm still scraping dried mastic off the plywood walls. I can't do it for very long at a time because my hands go numb and I can't hold the tools. I hope to have a sound dry surface to work with soon. Because the shower is in the ensuite bathroom, in anticipation that I'll soon be able to start gluing tile, I've relocated our bedding, clothing and toiletries to the basement where we will hopefully be safe from any fumes.

I'm afraid to get started with the gluing in case I mess this job up. I wish I could remember how I did it 25 years ago, but I have a hard time now remembering a few minutes ago.

rags

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 May 12 - 12:35 AM

Dishes finished, kitchen cleaned, laundry all folded and put away. I didn't mow the front today, though I hoped to find the time. I've been working on a kind of complicated and tedious article for work so I spent more time on it to get it out of the way (I hope to finish it tomorrow - it's a compilation of information for a campus organization for the last 25 years. I think the last 10 years should be in digital form and I can cut and paste. The rest had to be transcribed.)

Weather is supposed to cool down for a few days around the weekend. I'll work on my indoor stuff tomorrow and see how yardwork looks on Thursday.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 May 12 - 09:59 PM

Got some of the old labs, more to order from other labs.

3 sets of stairs today plus pool this evening-- 30 hot minutes 172 - 188 BPM.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 May 12 - 08:41 PM

I have some antique cameras to take to work tomorrow for an exhibit, then I'll hurry back home and see if the tree guy has arrived YET. My goodness but this is a long drawn out process. I saw him for a little while, but he didn't come back after he went to get a tire for his trailer.

I have been weeding the garden, one spot is a little low and must not have good drainage, it's where the basil grows but it's full of nutsedge. An annoying weed. I'll water and pull some more tomorrow. After a while the basil will be big and crowd it out, but so far the sedge is winning.

A sink of dishes has piled up, and I need to clear more space in the sun room, it's time to post some more eBay stuff. I made some sales on the china and there are more pieces that have popped up but no one else is having any luck selling it. I'm going to bundle what I have and put a low-ball price and see if I can ship it out of the house that way. I've kept a few pretty pieces, that's enough of an impractical design.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 29 May 12 - 06:45 PM

When I was 5 I did my first away from home stay -- with my grandparents on the farm a couple hundred miles from home. I rode to Colby from Milwaukee with a couple great aunts. My mother called after I'd been there for a couple hours and was very hurt that I didn't want to talk to her. After all, I had just seen her a few hours before...

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 May 12 - 12:45 PM

Kat, that's good news about the new painkiller. Getting rid of the tylenol/benedryl will give you a lot more energy.

Well, the tree guy was here, but he left again, to get his trailer. It has a flat tire - but I came in and checked my water bill - the second week next month is bulky waste so we can pile all of this at the curb. His phone skills aren't great, I tried calling. I even texted him a short message that no trailer was needed. I wonder if he will read it and come back. It's warm and very muggy out there today, but there seems to be a lot of outdoor activity - next door is having tree work done and across the street they're painting. Lots of traffic on this end of the block.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 May 12 - 11:20 AM

Rats! Missed the non-lightning window of time for the pool while setting up some things for health needs, so..... I guess it's stair-climbs in the house and porch today!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 May 12 - 11:06 PM

managed a modified qi gong in a chair for about 20 minutes and about 6 x's up and down our hall, last night

scrubbed the batrm today and took a few more steps whilst shopping. No naps today...working on getting new schedule going with alt. meds. and other changes.

morgan will be here all day for the next two weeks and I get a new tip up on IV iron this Friday

done with tylenol for pain and benadryl to kill the itching because of tylenol. it looks as though we've found a painkiller which really helps.

i'll write more when more of the ultra-shock wears off from docs with dickheads.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: LilyFestre
Date: 28 May 12 - 06:08 PM

Sewed together 45 5"squares...it's the beginning of a nice coverlet. :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 May 12 - 05:51 PM

Second wheelbarrow full of weeds will head to the compost in a few minutes. I came in for a refill - I'm on my third tankard of ice water. Now to the veggie garden for some surgical weeding - a few spots that had a crop (potatoes) and now need weeding before putting in other crops (squash, okra, and some beans). Yes, it's too hot for beans, but I thought I'd like to have a climbing plant so I'll find someplace to plant it.

It is a holiday so I took a steak out of the freezer to grill later. The chard is looking good so I'll bring in a few leaves, and let the dogs have the stalks in their dinner. I'm glad I started putting raw veggies and fruit in their dinner dishes--I think it's better for them and it means I don't waste some of this stuff that I don't get around to eating. I've been eating a few of my cherry tomatoes, still waiting on the big ones to pinken before bringing them in (I don't want the birds or squirrels to notice them so I don't usually leave them out much beyond pink. This kind of ripe tomato is so different than the ones they pick in fields that are hard and green for the trip to the store. Here, "windowsill ripe" is the same as "vine ripe." :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 May 12 - 02:54 PM

I've almost finished digging the Louisiana iris in the front bed. I came in to cool down and have lunch. Once the iris are out I'll dig the soil a bit more (I know I left a lot of rhizomes behind) and mulch it. I worked carefully around my Texas star hibiscus (four plants out there).

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: LilyFestre
Date: 28 May 12 - 12:51 PM

We didn't make a big deal out of the overnight. I packed his suitcase (yes, he has his very own Sesame Street suitcase...Jeremiah sized and sooo cute) the night before and he had fun lugging it around the house. Pete and I dropped him off at my mom's house, gave him hugs and kisses goodbye like normal and off we went! It really was nice to see that he did just fine. Mom has agreed to take him once a month for an overnight now if we need or want an evening to ourselves.

Today I made a project.....a little tote bag made of strips that I cut this morning, some fusible interfacing,etc. It's even lined! I used teal (for ovarian cancer), peach (for uterine cancer) and dark purple (for SURVIVOR) for the stripes. The top color used for binding and the lining of the bag are also dark purple. I'll be using this bag to carry my medical paperwork to appointments. I love the dark purple..makes me feel strong! :)

Later I'll be out in the raised beds that Pete made me (close to the house so I can get in and out of the sun quickly...bright, hot sun makes me sick and meds make my skin photo sensitive).

Laundry is going, dishes need to be done later.

A Gotcha Day party is in the works too!

As Travis Tritt likes to sing..."It's a GREAT day to be alive!"

Michelle who loves having home time with her guys.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 May 12 - 11:39 AM

I hope you find an office you're happy with, Susan.

Michelle, that first night away from home can be a big deal or not, it all depends on if you make an issue of it or not. My kids started doing sleepovers with friends in elementary school and they still do sleepovers in college. :) There was one night when my six-year-old son was feeling out of sorts because his older sister got to go to a sleepover, and I knew the six-year-old granddaughter of my nextdoor neighbor was staying for the weekend, so I called and asked if she wanted to come to a sleepover at our house. She came bouncing across the driveway in her pjs with her pillow and blanket (she'd actually already gone to bed!) and they had a great time. Turns out this was her first sleepover, but because it was so close to home and because she didn't have time to think about it being a new or scary place away from home, it went perfectly. (One of the few things in that child's life that has gone easily!)

Last night I left myself a sink full of dishes, and this morning I found a spider and her web across the top of my blender. It was only overnight, honest, but it had a bit of the abandoned look with that development.

This morning I made a smoothy with banana and frozen blueberries since I was almost out of frozen strawberries. Wonderful! I looked up some of the foods that cause "inflammation," thinking about the hand issue, and find that the "nightshade" plants are on a list to avoid. Ack! Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, potatoes. Everything that is in my garden! I will see about eliminating the other stuff and see if that takes care of the tomato conundrum.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 May 12 - 11:31 AM

FAIR WARNING

The filler in the generic synthroid I'm taking has a few annoying side effects so I may blow up once or twice till I can use 'em up (90-day supply), and go on something else. SO BITE ME. :~)


I have been trying to correlate Mary Shomon's thyroid book with the May 1 labs I got. Based on that, I just ordered the two antibody tests that were missed, plus ferritin, via HealthCheckUSA-- yup, patients CAN order their own blood tests and get the results themselves. Blood, saliva, all of that stuff, cheaper than the local hospital lab.

I can get the blood drawn later in June, probably when we fly to Calif. to scatter Mom's ashes-- we have overnight layovers near Chicago where LabCorp has testing facilities right near our hostess. Or I can drive 3 hours each way to the nearest, here, or I can pay the hosp. lab to send them out (big bucks). In any event I will have the results by the end of June.

The rest of the old labs I get tomorrow-- I can hardly wait.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 May 12 - 09:13 PM

Where did my long post go?

Here it is again.

Early in June, I have an appt already booked with the current doc, where I will see if he is ready to take responsibility for the two times he has now ranted at me. RANTED AT ME, yup! (Lost his boundaries and he's a stressed young parent, but NOPE!).

I have two excellent references from friends with tricky diagnoses, for two docs who, it turns out, are in a different, newish practice group-- whose senior doc is one of the few MDs in the area I still respect and might trust. One of these two treated me well, several years ago, for shingles. She was located then in an odd spot in the county and had just begun to practice-- I thought she would probably move to the Big City but has stayed and is now closer.

Tuesday, I expect to pick up the older lab printouts that will show how long (in recent years) I've been chugging along, blaming myself (and allowing others to blame me) for what will turn out to have been thyroid issues the current doc MISSED (while he was ranting at me).


Once I get (and look thru) those labs, and put them into my Life Binder, I will make an appt to interview the people at various levels of this newish practice, starting with an hour of just sittin' in their waiting room to see what the vibe is, out front. If I like it, I will make appts with each of the 3 docs to see what the practice's philosophy of care might be, and how well the three docs play together-- and see if that matches the vibe and office peeps' sense of who these people are as physicians.

And if I like them I may transfer there-- I will have had minor stuff in the appts to let them "play with," before I roll out the thyroid history. If I transfer, I will ask to have their best history-taker take mine. A lot of what needs to go in there I'll have to comb out of various journals to correlate with my medical records and the old labs.

And if they do not measure up, there is also a really cool dude near Philly I can see periodically-- I have places to stay along the route now, to make it an easy trip. Holistic/integrative/complementary care due. Might just see him annually anyhoo.


I also have a surgical consult in June for a longstanding problem, just before we go to Calif. to scatter Mom's ashes, to figure into/with all of these choices.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: LilyFestre
Date: 27 May 12 - 08:36 PM

Jeremiah did stay with his grandma last night...it was his first night away from us. We enjoyed our adult time but we also missed him and talked about him, talked to him on the phone, etc. He did a good job...had a hard time taking a nap but slept a solid 9 hours. We were afraid he wouldn't sleep at all....he surprised us!!! Wish you could have seen the happy dance we received when we picked him up early this afternoon!! Pure joy!

Well...the car is unloaded, the videos and photos have been downloaded, dinner made, table cleared, some fabric cut and I'm THINKING about starting some laundry but since I'm tired, it will most likely wait until tomorrow.

Pete and I had great conversations within the last 24 hours and there are some changes in the works.

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 May 12 - 07:55 PM

Sounds great, Michelle! And did Jeremiah spend the weekend with grandma? I bet he enjoyed a "sleepover" also. :)

Picked up some hardwood mulch this evening and spread a couple of bags in the part of the front garden I finished today. Tomorrow is the last big push for a while, I'll try to make myself get up early enough to finish before it gets hot.

I'm going to walk the dogs now, then fix dinner and kick back for the evening. While I was out I stopped for an early dessert - I haven't had an ice cream cone in quite a while. I figure the upper-body exercise today (chopping with the adze end of the pick-adze I bought yesterday) is just like chopping wood. I burned at least an ice cream cone-worth of calories today. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: LilyFestre
Date: 27 May 12 - 03:58 PM

Home after a FANTASTIC concert near Philadelphia. Pete and I spent the night laughing, dancing and singing....there will be much more of this in our future.

I'm glad I worked my tail off on Friday...it meant coming home to a house in decent order today which is nice...we can kick back and relax for a bit.

Did I mention that the music was INCREDIBLE and we had FUN?

*Contented Happy Sigh*

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 May 12 - 02:26 PM

In for lunch and a cool-down. I'm making slow but steady progress in the front bed. Once I get to a certain logical stopping point, I'll shift gardens and work on the one where I need to plant some more crops (I have the bedding plants ready).

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 May 12 - 10:13 AM

Another day of puttering, oriented toward finishing a couple of gardening tasks, but I also have some sewing to finish. Looks like Liz is sewing up a storm lately. I simply need to finish the duvet I picked up sheets for - I am trying to finish projects that I picked up materials for, before it all gets put away and forgotten.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 May 12 - 09:57 PM

I actually finished the first run thru the expenses that needed to be sorted-- writing down what each item in the charge-card billing had been for, and getting a sense of the categories I need to set up in Excel. Hardi and I will be able to knock it out Monday, easy-peasy. This is not for tax purposes (we do not itemize), but for a sense of what levels of ministry expenses we absorb without reimbursement ("let's find a donor with that interest"), and for ongoing expenses better budgeted as cash purchases now that the retrospective tabulation will make them more accurately predicted.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 May 12 - 07:42 PM

Well, yes, I know it is the holiday weekend but I was doing a project for work that I wanted to finish and put away (part two of this project will involve a lot of rifling through files, but this was one long relatively easy transcription). The evening is cooler so I'll head into the yard for a bit. And walk the dogs.

Linens changed, one load of laundry finished. Dishes finished. Headed over to Big Lots to get a pair of rubber garden shoes to try them out. Susie swears by them for comfort.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 May 12 - 02:16 PM

My hands are broken out again, I'm eliminating another possible food source of irritation. Will report probably next month.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 May 12 - 12:39 PM

Estate matters have led to financial planning (I never thought I'd have $$ to plan), which leads to a retrospective budget analysis that I think will not be a lot of fun to actually DO. But that is the Next Big Office Task, and thanks to the intern who helped one day awhile back I do at least have all the data in one place staring me in the face.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 May 12 - 12:00 PM

Three day weekend is here and my list of stuff to do is long. I've lingered over my tea, now to hit the garden (on the shady side of the house).

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 May 12 - 01:45 AM

I have papers to shred soon, old contract stuff from a mortgage or two back. I'll keep the essential info just to remember who was the lender when, but a lot can go.

Decluttered the garden of potatoes this evening - my daughter was down to visit so I let her have the honors, after showing her how to dig them (not tough) - mainly, don't accidentally clobber them with your digging tool. She enjoyed it after missing this activity last year. She'll have to come back soon for our rites-of-summer BLT. The first big tomato goes into a sandwich made of homemade bread, homegrown tomato, good lettuce and mayo and thick-sliced bacon (making it worth our while!)

It's nice to be more or less back to normal speed now. I can pick up this weekend where I stopped on Sunday morning. I mowed part of the back yard this evening and I'll finish that, then move to the flower beds out front.

I relisted an eBay item (the gravy boat and saucer) just to keep something in play and will list another couple of auctions this weekend. I'll do more china, but I'll also find something else, books, or something on the table back there waiting to be listed.

I think the thing I'm most looking forward to this summer is the refinance on the house - I'm glad I made that move. If you looked at the interest amounts on older mortgages with higher interest rates or looked at higher overall house prices, it seems huge, like double the house price or more. But the interest on this loan will be less than $20,000 - that seems so remarkable for a home mortgage. And it is one of those that if I make an extra payment a year I can knock off several years of this puppy. It would be nice to have the house paid for by the time retirement rolls around.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 May 12 - 09:55 PM

Pewl 20 hot minutes

Estate moving along, owwwwchies

Picked up two van seats (needed one) ydy; one I'll keep as an occasional third seat RECLINES and this should fit under the cot-- will try it tomorrow. The other will be a confy seat up in the attic that is so hard to get furniture into.

Also picked up bulletin board materoals for a church project, from the same wonderful FC donor-- we have been blessed by him so many times-- he's active at HIS church, good dude.

I'm passing on his huge pile of laminated counters, tho they match my office-- he gave me a tiny piece to guesstimate the job with, and way too much adapting would needed around the existing built-ins so NOPE.

Picked up the first page of a boatload of old labs, going in the endocrinology section of my Life Binder. The rest due to print for me for Tuesday pickup.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 May 12 - 03:28 PM

Check your facebook messages, I'll send it.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: LilyFestre
Date: 25 May 12 - 02:01 PM

Maggie,

   What's your name on eBay?

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 May 12 - 01:05 PM

I have that thought sometimes also, Penny - all of these plants and beds I have worked so hard on in the bed - sometime in the future, will someone cut the trees, rip the beds and turn it back into lawn? You have to enjoy it while you're there, but it sounds like you would have done better if the agent didn't meddle and let you sell it to who you wanted.

So, last week I had a very productive Saturday out in the yard and that work ground to a halt Sunday morning when the bladder infection hit. I'm up to another weekend and am pretty close to feeling up to work, but I'll pace myself carefully. I want to finish a bed by the front porch, that's where I stopped. And I'll get ready to do another bed at the curb. I have an acquaintance a couple of blocks away, just a little older than me who retired recently and she's out doing much the same thing in her yard, putting in interesting beds and reducing the amount of grass. We'll have to put our heads together occasionally when it comes to buying stuff - perhaps we can order a load of mulch and have half delivered at each place.

My eBay sale hasn't attracted much attention - I'll run it once more with a lower starting price, and I'll list a different set of dishes. I have a charismatic tureen that may well sell, but the rest of it is simple plates and bowls. I may pack the rest and offer at a lowball price just to get it out of the house. Start it at a penny. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: LilyFestre
Date: 25 May 12 - 12:40 PM

(((((Hugs Penny))))))))

We've had something similar happen and it just plain stinks. I won't go back either, I prefer to remember things the way they were.

Busy day here, dishes, laundry, floors, cleaning out the car, packing, organizing the nursery, vacuuming, cleaning the upstairs hall on my hands and knees after sweeping, finding the kitchen table, picking up toys and clean sheets on the bed. Whew.

Tomorrow I shall play!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Penny S.
Date: 25 May 12 - 11:43 AM

Not my decluttering, but someone else's, and it's left me feeling down.

I had to deliver post back to my old block of flats, and found what the people who bought the place had done to the garden patch by the front door. Everything had been taken out and the area covered with bark chips. The sage bush, the lavender and the rosemary. All the scented carnations. The rambler rose I had brought on from cuttings (fortunately, another clone has taken well at the new place). And, worst of all, the rose which I had brought on to have the most buds this year that it has ever had, and which I would have thought was a selling point. Gone.

I wish I had dug up the carnations.

The guy I spoke to had wanted to show me the inside - where they had taken out the kitchen that had cost me so much to put in for the sale (I never used it), the immersion heater and tank that cost me again, and the bathroom tiles which I had put up myself, and which the lady downstairs would have liked had she bought it. I'm not going back again. I feel I was cheated by the estate agent into selling to builders at a low price after all the work I had had done, when they knew I wanted to sell to people who would live there. And the guys were so proud of all the work they had done. (I'm glad I swapped the cookers so I have the one I was used to in that place.) I didn't go in.

Penny

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 May 12 - 10:23 PM

Took the dogs for a walk up to Susie's house so I could check the mail, and while I was there I let them loose in the back. Zeke loved it and was into the pool several times. My two barked frantically at some Jack Russell terriers on the other side of the fence so I had to put them back on the leash and not let them tear the fence apart. Oy.

After waiting all afternoon the tree guy didn't come - again. I begin to notice a pattern here, and I think I'll start cutting and dragging branches, a few a day, out to the front. I told the nextdoor neighbor I was taking the dogs out and to call me if the guy arrived, but my walk wasn't disturbed.

If I'm smart I'll spend some more time filing papers this evening. I got a start yesterday, but there is some left. I set up a file for keeping all of the refinance papers. I probably don't need to keep all of the old original and refinance papers, do you think? I am probably going to shred most of those old files, keeping just a few pages that show exactly what I paid, where I borrowed, etc.

So glad tomorrow is Friday. And Moonglow is coming down for a visit! I will have her dad and brother over for dinner so we can all hang out a little. I've been harvesting garden stuff and she can take some back - turns out she was never here when I dug up the potatoes (she didn't realize I grew them last year till she found my bin full of them last winter). So I'll wait for her and let her dig some potatoes so she can see how it looks. I find non-gardeners are uniformly impressed with this kind of thing. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 May 12 - 12:04 PM

Watered some in the front last night with a sprinkler (I can only water that way on Wednesdays and Saturday), and this morning I went around with a hose (I can hand-water any time). I also sprayed spinosad on the non-flowering plants in the yard that are being munched by bugs. It kills honeybees, so there should be none of it near the plants that attract bees.

Last night I was trying to figure out where some important papers had gotten to, that I hadn't seen in a long time, and then I remember the other antique desk in the house, the one in my bedroom. Ah ha! and all of my papers are now in order. This mortgage person doesn't know about flood insurance and didn't ask for those forms, but I have them ready for her anyway because I've done this a couple of times before. Certificate of Elevation, survey, and cover of flood insurance policy. All ready to go.

Linn, I hope you and Tom sort out the screen door. I have screens for my front security door but since there is a gap at the bottom and I never figured out how to attach the little steel extension that goes down there to cover the gap, just about anything can go under the door and into the house. I did wash that window glass the other day and I'm enjoying the result every time I go out front.

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 May 12 - 12:31 AM

Sometimes, Rags, it pays to hire a carpenter to come in and do this -especially when it keeps getting bigger. They are usually a lot faster than we are at the same job. Just a thought.

Susan, I'm impressed at how Faulkner does with his service dog job. I could use some good dog service here (to fill in the hole in the back, to not jump when I walk out the door, etc.) I'm glad they're glad to see me, but must all of my shirts have dog prints? :)

I've filed and sorted papers this evening, pulling together the documents needed to complete a refinance application. A neighbor works at the bank where my current mortgage is and I can do a streamlined one without an appraisal, etc. Most of the paper was turned in this afternoon except for these few documents. From a 30-year mortgage at 5.5% to a 15-year at 3.0%. My monthly payments will go up by about $70 but the costs overall come down tremendously.

This evening I've been going through the kitchen and processing food. Cleaned and cut up some Swiss Chard, it is uncooked in a container in the fridge for tomorrow; the stems were cut up and given to the dogs with their dinner tonight. I bought a box of fresh mushrooms the other day and sliced them and sauteed with butter and red wine, and they're in a container in the fridge to use with things this week. I baked a chicken, ate a little, the rest is for leftovers this week. Ate the asparagus I've been collecting for a few days until I had enough for a meal. I brought in my first pink tomato today, a cherry tomato, and there are others showing signs of preparing to ripen soon. Time to get the bacon and the night before our ceremony to officially welcome summer, I'll make a loaf of bread. Gotta have fresh bread, thick bacon, and home grown tomatoes for the first BLT of summer!

SRS

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: ragdall
Date: 23 May 12 - 07:52 PM

I freaked out about the waterlogged boards I couldn't remove and phoned a contractor for a price to remove everything, repair floor and walls if necessary, install a fibreglass shower and a give a time frame for completion. His wife took the message and promised a call back that evening. It's been about a week, no call back.   

My son was in town on the weekend. He removed the yucky board for me and also removed most of the caulking where floor walls meet.

I haven't tried the Dremel grout removal tool yet because I discovered that all the tiles on the lower part of the walls are loose. The 25 year old adhesive had dried out and let go. The grout was holding the tiles together in sheets. As soon as I released one tile, many others fell off with it. Most of the grout crumbled off the tiles in the process.

All (I hope) loose tiles and accompanying grout have been removed from the bottom four feet all the way around. Many tiles broke. I'm scraping the old glue off the walls in hopes of leaving a clean, dry, somewhat rough, surface for the mortar to bond to. My husband has begun cleaning old glue and bits of grout from the intact tiles. When I'm satisfied that the walls are sound, I'll work on cleaning tiles too. There is rather a lot of them.

There is one place where the wall is bulging out. I'll see if I can figure out how to use a wood plane to make it flush with the rest of the wall. If that doesn't work I'll have to try to cut out that piece and replace it.   I hope my efforts won't cause more tiles to fall off. I only have about a week to get this done.

Next, I'll try to remove the old one inch square floor tiles. I wonder what nasty surprises lurk there?

rags

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 23 May 12 - 05:38 PM

I'm really looking forward sometime to not being tired...

I took a nap this afternoon and then finished a mystery I was reading (one book down...), but I can't help feeling I just wasted part of a day off.

Woke up much later than usual this morning (7:45 -- where was my feline alarm clock?) and despite giving myself time to read my way into the day before making scrambled eggs with cream cheese for Tom and me, and then packaging up some stuff to send to my sister, by late morning I still felt as if I were trying to wake up.

Did my errands -- post office, credit union, grocery store. Even splurged and got a hanging pot of bright magenta petunias for the deck (and the two tomato plants I wanted) came home barely able to keep my eyes open. The visiting nurse had already been to see Tom, so I made leftover curry for lunch, then gave in to my sleepiness.

Tried calling my sister (no answer) and took a nap.

After finishing the book, I came back downstairs and scrubbed a couple things and bagged them and put them in the car to take to Goodwill on Friday. Didn't have the energy, though, to finish the job.

Tom and I nearly came to blows this morning about putting in the window for the screen door. The screen is torn and a bad design (it was a cheap door) in the first place, and I can't seem to figure out how to put the window back in (so I can hold the door open with my tush and keep the door from slamming me in the back of the ankles each time I come in the house). Each time Tom tries to explain it to me (keep in mind he can't see well and there's no light for me just inside the door) it seems it's always upside down... After this last attempt I just gave up. I'm not touching it again -- EVER. It's not important enough to be such an irritant. And I'm REALLY short on patience...still. Tom says he can do it when he can stand again.

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 May 12 - 04:10 PM

The kitchen, living room, and car got a little ignored while I ran around doing stuff with the new thyroid meds and having fun. So yesterday and today were catch-up.

Today I decluttered some pending work for my health, transcribing the round of blood tests into a forum where other thyroid patients share their experiences and lessons learned.

Also decluttered some estate and health details-- the estate stuff had overrun the nice pocket envelope the bank had given me for my copies, when I added all the tax and other stuff to it. I got a cheap zip-binder and dividers and now it is my LIFE binder, with a section for thyroid, estate, and couple-fun stuff in there now and other keys areas of my life will get added there such as workout logs, etc. that have been accumulating-- stuff I need to refer to as I get things working for ME.

The landlord has had a crew here all week and some of last week, finishing work started outside late last fall. It's been hilarious to see Faulkner NOT bark, but just silently patrol and check my face for worries. "OK... Mommie's got this one," and then he flops out asleep. His favorite part was when the lifter-bucket deposited three Mennonite men in traditional garb, right outside the LR picture window, and me not dressed yet-- hey, they start earlier than we do. TBTG for Hardi's rollup shade, which I dropped when they happened to turn away for a moment!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Exercise - May 2012
From: LilyFestre
Date: 23 May 12 - 02:27 PM

Today the dishes are done, the laundry is going, furniture has been moved and cleaned underneath and I now have a new sewing center that will allow me to be in the same area as my family instead of holed up in my office. I am most happy about this! I also found a very handy spot to hang my mats and cutting templates so that they will be within reach of where I am sewing. The only thing left to do on that project is to figure out what to do with the coat tree that I needed to move. Hmmm.

I'll be picking up toys in the next few minutes, folding some clothes and getting ready for my quilting class.

Michelle