Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 18 Sep 13 - 07:58 PM

Monday was still in recovery from Saturday but two loads of laundry washed, hung and taken down. Nice day but cool. Vanessa came and did pots and we did some organizing, put a plastic "wall" up to reduce pollution from other end and help keep our solar gain as we have a big window in the potting area. I stayed in the country hoping to et up and start throwing orders. I got up early ---- and did more organizing of glaze materials and searched fruitlessly for the notebooks with recipes. MAJOR problem as I really need to mix some new batches of standards and want to make more test glazes. So there went my morning and I decided I better hit the road and go to the pottery supply company for more white clay - some for Vanessa, potting plaster to make more drying areas for the dark and buff clays. Ordered some clay which they do not keep in stock. A good trip as I did not get lost either coming or going. Had the wit to ask how to get back to the hghwy - YAY, so much easier that way.

Got to house in time to walk to Canadian Tire for light bulbs. The air in the store made me so sick I had to go out and come back to finish the transaction. Walked home much more slowly terrifically upset. Took time to recover, eat, and be ready for Crystal to have her first pottery lesson. We talked a lot first, then she worked on learning- and I worked on helping her learn and that was the evening - 6:30 'til almost 10! Then fed R, watched the news and went to bed where I coughed most of the night. TIRED of being poisoned by toxic air.

No energy today. Thought I would throw pots. Nope. Took a hot bath in afternoon and now recovering. Missed all of a beautiful day. Hope for tomorrow which is supposed to be even better. Hope to go back to the country and get those pots made. Maybe even find the box with the glaze notebooks, she says desperately! It never occurred to me when we were moving stuff that it would be months before I could sort it out again.

Did I mention that the new-to-us kitchen cabinets are now sitting in the storage area. One is in the "K". Really nice to be able to put a few things in a cupboard! I know R is anxious to get them into the K but the wall is more essential to my health. Amazingly, the cabinets have an odour, but only when I open a door. Some kind of fragrance from ? Not too bad but I am still hoping it does not affect me. The CT episode is terrifically bad; it has never affected me that badly before.

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Sep 13 - 12:22 AM

Poppy came home from the vet a rather unhappy pooch. Having a large molar pulled is a big deal in a relatively small mouth. The other dogs gave her a cursory sniff and could tell that she'd been at the vets. They all know that smell, have all at some time worn a boot or a cone or a bandage.

I finished filling out a form that is apparently required for telecommuting. All of these years in the administration office and no one ever asked for one. I had to draw a diagram of my office at home, ferchristsakes! But I made it so I can print out a copy and fill out a couple of lines as needed and turn it it.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Sep 13 - 12:57 PM

I pulled a muscle in my back a couple of days ago when I was using the weed whacker in the yard. It's down to a few random twinges now, but it will serve as a reminder to take it a bit easy this weekend. We may get rain on Friday and if so, this weekend will be prime weeding weather. Hopefully I'll be back in weeding form by then.

I imagine that the off-gas from tires and other automotive stuff in the Canada Tire is pretty powerful. I don't have your sensitivities, but there are some stores I have to hold my breath in - like going past the perfume counter in department stores, or walking near the pesticide shelves in grocery stores.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Sep 13 - 10:01 PM

Darn! Three times messages were lost. I'll try again later.

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 21 Sep 13 - 12:36 PM

Maggie, after losing long posts a coupla too many times, I've made it a point to always copy before hitting "Submit Message" -- then checking to make sure it "took".

Only time I now lose messages is when I forget. (Often enough, alas.)

Had to dress Tom's ankle wounds again this morning because they'd come undone (VNA did yesterday) overnight, then fight to get the compression stocking on without hurting him. (Yes, I use the plastic bag trick.)

Heard a mild thud last night around midnight -- glad I went to investigate (it didn't sound major) because Tom had fallen out of bed. Got him back in without too much difficulty.

He's got a busy medical schedule next week -- his PCP on Monday, a CT scan on Tuesday followed by the Wound Clinic and his vascular doctor, and the infectious diseases doctor on Wednesday (I think because of the possibility of the wound(s) causing a blood infection -- Tom has replacement heart parts). (This past week he "just" had an ultrasound, a consult with his vascular doc and a visit to the Wound Center.) And, of course, this week is the lead in to next weekend's Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival. I've still got to produce the badges, but I picked up the programs yesterday. Today on the way to the monthly sea music sing, I can drop some off at The Port Inn. (I think I'm tired already.)

And he's put it off long enough -- Oct. 1 is the deadline for his Bates College bio, so it's GOING TO GET DONE by tomorrow. No more excuses.

Glad Mudcat is back.

Linn

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Sep 13 - 04:45 PM

Has mudcat become downbeat"

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Sep 13 - 09:50 PM

I usually save them also, but when I don't, I can usually use the back button, and that wasn't working this time. I tried to post that I'd heard from a friend in my old office that a co-worker of ours who is dying of cancer has decided it is time to find homes for her animals. They are her family, so you know how difficult this decision was for her. I'd told my friend Susie about this situation back in 2012 when she was recovering from her injuries and wanting to get a larger but gentler dog as a pet - she misses Zeke, but knows he is too strong for her. My friend at work has been ill with inoperable cervical cancer since the spring of 2011.

Today Susie and I went to meet the two dogs she will be adopting. My co-worker is in hospice and her parents are here to look after her and the pets. We went to the house for introductions to all of the pets. All but these two dogs have been spoken for. They're sweet and fat (no exercise in the last year or so). From there we went to the hospice so my coworker could meet Susie, as she'd asked yesterday, but I don't think she remembered and we didn't spell it out.

Death from cancer is so cruel.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Sep 13 - 10:55 AM

(Brag alert)

The cleaning I was able to do before the annual MIL visit,

plus

the organizing I had been doing post-op,

resulted in a great payoff this AM with thyroid energy:

I did a whole rearrange of the 1/3 of the LR that was Sick Bay and then Doggie Bay*,

and put a "temp" closet in there for the newer clothes I have to see in order to remember to WEAR them.


I no longer hold nice clothes for "ultra-special" occasions for fear they will wear out in the washer before I can afford new-- because since the surgery I can wear so much of the older (altered) stuff that for a LONG time I will only need to afford gorgeous shells and accessories to complete outfits... for which I have a surplus of pretty good stuff as the "bones" of the outfits. (I have also learned enuf from my seamstress to do most of my own alts to update items that may no longer be quite current enough.)

To do this without upsetting Hardi's sense of our shared space, I moved a desk we both like to the corner where he will like looking at it (staged with a lamp, etc. he loves), and put the hanging rack behind our line of sight. (I cleaned each area before setting in the replacement pieces too!!!) When he's home it's dark, and so that corner will visually read as a dark corner, but when I'm home it's daytime; I will enjoy the sunny window next to it where there is LIGHT my "real" closet has never had and which can never get more than the portable LED's that let me peer into it.

I'll still USE that supercloset, but it overflowed. If ya have stuff, ya gotta store it right to take care of it-- it just needed a younger sister. So I gave it one! (Thanks, Genevieve!)

I'll hang his favorite dark-striped drapes on the end he can see... and BOOM-- two happy spouses, cuz he LOVES it when his woman dresses up for him and now I CAN! :~)

I bet he will not even notice the changes till I point them out... the visual world is not his main sense.

Under the desk, instead of the DR chair I had borrowed-- which I just put back-- I set a smaller, round stool I occasionally use to sit and clean or dust (or shower), where it is easily used for the cards which that desk holds for writing, stamping, and mailing. In the middle of the sunny window is a pink wingback chair we both love, for studying, with a painted wooden box next to it for the book of the day, pens, etc., and the portable workshop/office bag holding the workshop of the season (which will go for leading a workshop in early October).

I also cleaned and rearranged extension cords to feed all the lighting for these little spaces, as well as Hardi's needed chargers, etc., and since it was I who climbed the stairs to get the rack and I who did ALL this work, Hardi will be proud and not upset about the changes.

Last but not least, above the rack hangs my giant crucifix, because those are ministry clothes hanging below it, and ministry stuff I will resume studying in this space, and ministry stuff involved with the cards... and the dog, too!

~Susan
:~) I did warn you that it was gonna be a full-out brag! :~)

*Doggie Bay is a large cushy pad for Dog Faulkner, who needs it for what might be his last year, and it's right back in place after bringing in all of the above.

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Sep 13 - 01:08 PM

Seems like you just got Faulkner, but it has been a while, hasn't it? Sounds like you've made a lot of progress with visual appeal of the stuff in storage, Susan.

I did a couple of small things so far this weekend. I finally ironed one of the attractive 2-yard pieces of cloth I brought home to hang on the wall and tacked it over the large frame thing I brought home last summer. It's a frame with a solid front that has a polyester sort of canvas mounted to it, used for setting up a museum display. The last exhibit stuff was pulled off and this was deemed excess when we had to move out of our floor of the library for renovations. I've put this up, suspended from a hook on the picture rail in my living room (yes, I have one, and I love it and need to use it more.) I have a couple of small uplights for spotting art on the walls and I'm going to see if I can turn this in to a zone in the living room with a reading chair and lamp below the art, and the spot on the art to make it pop off the wall.

Lovely weather this weekend. I'm headed out into the yard for a while.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 22 Sep 13 - 01:21 PM

In the interests of developing decluttered menus for a decluttered kitchen, I am developing recipes that will meet stringency tests.

Hamoodles-

One can flaked ham (or equivalent amount of Spam- Spamoodles)
one package dried noodles

Heat about 2 cups water in a pot. Mash the flaked ham or Spam and add to the water. Heat to boiling and add the package of noodles. Stir.
After 3 minutes, mix and serve.
Enjoy!



(Apologies to the person who is putting up canned peaches- a dish of them would remove the lingering taste(?) of the Hamoodles)

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Sep 13 - 02:42 PM

Q, on occasion I cut up some veggies (onion, broccoli, carrot, celery, etc.) and do a quick stir-fry (use a little Hoisin sauce or a dab of soy sauce and a little sesame oil) then take my cooked ramen noodles and add them to the stir fry pan and let them mingle for a minute or so. You could add cut up chicken, pork chop, or a bit of steak to this.

I put screws in the wall in my pantry and attached a power strip so it won't fall off of the small shelf I was using. And I must tame those wires soon. That's the next pantry project.

The kitchen sink is clean, a load of laundry is in, and after that, I'll run the dishwasher. Since I bought a new set of silicon sink mats earlier this year I regularly put them in now (it keeps them in pretty good shape - the last set was fairly stained) and the dog dishes and any other oddball things that get an occasional wash that will fit. When the laundry is finished it goes on the line (I haven't done that for a while - laziness, I suppose) and another load goes in. Then a trip to the feed store for dog food and bedding plants for the fall broccoli and such. Maybe they'll have onion sets, otherwise I'll start seeds.

Half a chicken is defrosting and I have some peppers and eggplants to grill, so I'll crank up the LP barbecue later on. Mmmmmmm!

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Sep 13 - 07:17 PM

One eBay item hasn't sold for several listings so I pulled it from the stack and it went into the Goodwill bag. And since that bag was full it was dropped off this afternoon. I took a few photos and will print up a description of the items, estimate the donations based upon typical eBay or garage sale prices, and put it in my file for income taxes.

It's lovely weather right now. I have to do some trimming in the yard and then I'll be doing that grilling this evening. Also making a loaf of bread. The good thing about the cooler weather is that I feel more like cooking again. For lunch I sliced up a couple of bell peppers, a jalapeno, some onion, then put that into a cheese and ham quesadilla, topped with some of my home made guacamole. Mmmmmm!

Laundry is underway, I hung some out in the yard (the line needs cleaning so I went over some of it and put out the sheets.)

I have more discarded 3-ring binders from work. Only a few large (3-4) inch ones, several 2" and some interesting relatively slim ones. I know Linn is interested in some - enough to cram into three cloth grocery bags. Enough for a couple of shipping boxes. Anyone other than Linn want some? These are heavy-duty library type binders, not your lightweight plastic ones.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 22 Sep 13 - 08:05 PM

VNA came late morning -- not Tom's usual nurse, so had to explain everything to her.

Baked a fine loaf of banana/nut/sour cream/coconut bread and that's what we had for "lunch" (after a very late breakfast). Also got some pillows and a bit of other laundry washed and dried.

But the MAJOR accomplishment was getting Tom's bio written for his Bates College 50th Reunion class book which needed to be submitted by October 1st. I'm still working on getting a higher res photo for the one I'd like to use, but I'll get everything sent off sometime this week before the deadline.

Oh, and I emptied the kitchen compost.

Not bad for a "goof off" day...

Linn

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Sep 13 - 01:07 AM

Kitchen cleaned, laundry finished (the last load in drying now), loaf of bread made. I need to get some lemons tomorrow so I can use the eggplants I roasted on the grill and make some more babaghanouj. I also grilled some peppers and half a chicken, for several meals this week.

Poppy has a large swollen lump on her face, really pronounced this evening. I think she has an infection in the spot where her tooth came out, so I'll call in the morning and see if they want to look at her. It came up pretty fast during the day today. She may have gotten some food into the socket.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Sep 13 - 07:23 PM

The swelling on Poppy's face is okay, according to the vet. Part of the process, and the fact that it turned up four days after the surgery isn't a problem. That's good to know! It doesn't seem to be painful at all.

Large box out of the house today with one more eBay sale. I didn't make any money in it, but may get another feedback score and I have a tripping hazard out of the house.

It's lovely weather today, we're getting back to dog walking this evening, after I take the push mower out front and make a few passes in areas where grass is growing.

Michelle, how is all of the canning going? Do you do any pressure canning of things like sauces or meats?

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: ranger1
Date: 23 Sep 13 - 07:48 PM

Went through three of the dozen remaining boxes stacked in the corners of the cottage today. Two are emptied, one is now being used for items that are no longer wanted nor needed. When it's full, it will go to either Freeport Community Services for their thrift shop or to Good Will. I may have to split the stuff into two boxes, as I don't know if FCS will take the electronics, but I know Good Will does.

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: LilyFestre
Date: 23 Sep 13 - 09:48 PM

Canning season is upon us! I have been busy canning, canning, canning. Today I cut up 60 pounds of tomatoes for sauce. A friend picked all the peaches off her tree and called me to come get them...there's at least a bushel of them. I am finished with the pears we picked at the orchard but our pears are now ready to be picked. And then there's apple season and winter squash season. :) I will be using the pressure canner for the winter squash if I don't freeze it. I also have the dehydrator going with herbs and am going to try some peaches as well. Our strawberry plants are still producing and we LOVE dehydrated strawberries in our oatmeal..OMG YUM!

I also attended a sit and sew on Saturday and am working on a Disappearing Sashed 9 Patch..it's a new to me pattern...a little tedious but it's going well.

My Maggie had a seizure today....scared me pretty good.

Weigh in today...down 4.8 pounds this week.

I'm beat.

Night All!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Sep 13 - 11:42 PM

All of that work in the kitchen on your feet is bound to knock the weight off of you. I hope your pooch is doing okay. Has she ever had something like this before? Did you know what to do?

I mowed a little bit of grass with the push mower. Works okay on Bermuda, but over on the St. Augustine side of the yard it's almost impossible to push through it. I pulled a bunch of weeds and some of the non-producing cantaloupe vines out of the garden, it's a big heap on the compost now.

At the library the rest of the week. I'll see if I can get some stuff done in the evenings.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Sep 13 - 11:52 AM

Taking a very heavy brick-sized battery to work to recycle in the e-waste bin. This was inside the battery backup case (itself very heavy!) that I shipped yesterday after selling it on eBay. I provided information in the auction about the battery and where to find a replacement. This one no longer holds a charge. I decided it wasn't worth holding onto this backup and putting in a new battery. Fingers crossed I don't soon discover a need for it!

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Sep 13 - 03:27 PM

Well, the brick-sized battery is here, but still in the pickup. Maybe I'll remember to lug it up to the library tomorrow.

My office desk is uncluttered right now. Don't look at the shelves behind me, though. My office at home is kind of a catchall at the moment, probably the job I'll do on the first rainy weekend.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Sep 13 - 10:35 AM

Late night at the library last night, I'm dragging my feet a little this morning leaving the house. Today is one of the lectures I was in the process of setting up when I had to hand all of the plans over to other people. They have been slow to promote, not spreading the news as far as I usually did. No newsletters sent out to library constituents who used to look for news of public events in my newsletters. I'm going to attend because I love these talks, but it is the part of letting go that is is most wrenching. I loved being able to research speakers and invite them to do these lectures.

It's time to update my CV.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Sep 13 - 03:02 PM

And the battery made a substantial "thump" going into the bin.

Tons of peppers to cut up and freeze this evening and lots more out in the garden to pick. I'll have to set aside an hour or so a day to address the crops out there now so it doesn't all go to waste (or seed, and end up as volunteers all over the garden next year.) I accidentally pulled out the vine of one cantaloupe that was still small out there - I'll leave it hanging on the tomato cage where it started and see if it ripens by itself.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 26 Sep 13 - 10:27 AM

Woke up to an incredible article in the Spotlight section of the Portsmouth Herald --
PMFF / Curmudgeon Article

Gotta finish the performer/staff/volunteer badges for the festival today.

Linn

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Sep 13 - 12:09 PM

What a great article, and no wonder you're trying to keep all of the records of this activity in order.

Last night I shredded the old contents from the hanging files in the box I use most often. If something isn't very active but I need to keep some record then that file goes in the a drawer cabinet, the active accounts are in a large plastic file bin with an attached lid (half folds over from each side). The theory is if I had to leave the house in a hurry this would be the bin to grab to have most of my current papers. Anyway, it is a little lighter now. The bag of shreds was put at the curb (shreds made somewhat gooey by the addition of water and a few spritzes of cooking oil to the bad contents - I don't want someone tempted to piece it together again.)

All dogs in the yard are happy and back to eating the the usual dry food. I did cook some broccoli to add to the bowl - I often give them raw veggies but they adore it cooked, because then it is "people food."

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 26 Sep 13 - 07:52 PM

I have little recollection of this last week. The last few days - I did manage to do a laundry yesterday which is still on the line. Today I trimmed two bowls and went back to bed. It is good to be able to look on here and see that I was functional a week ago! Did go to Thurs writers group and it was good. Too tired for Cafe on Friday. Don't know what triggered this - trip to the toxic store? Toxic building? Friend came by a few days ago and put plastic across the remaining opening - until has time to put the door in. Nice weather but no energy. I remember: Washed and cut my hair, the latter months overdue, had supper and a good visit with friends, took 3 dead bumper stickers off the car with goop-off, put one on, talked with VAnessa about her new job, Today: trimmed two bowls and went back to bed. Not so great for most of a week. Now I'm going back to bed again.

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 01:43 AM

Nothing much to report. It was a busy day at work and I took it easy this evening, did some plant ID on another web site.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: LilyFestre
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 11:56 AM

Busy with chores on this beautiful fall day. Aside from the normal morning routine, dishes are done, laundry is started, kitchen floor is swept and mopped, living room is picked up and vacuumed, most of the dusting is done, Jeremiah's summer clothes have been tucked away (with the exception of 3 outfits) for next year's yard sale (as they surely will not fit him next year) and now I'm taking a coffee break. It's supposed to be GORGEOUS this weekend and I'm hoping to be outside for most of it working in the yard, tucking some plants in for the winter, planting bulbs for the spring, taking a truckload of stuff to the dump, etc. :)

Michelle

PS. There is a Featherweight maintenance class tucked into this weekend as well.

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 01:46 PM

Over in the Downsizing Tips thread, the UKers posted a thing they do there that inspired me to adapt my upcoming Porch Sale into a Yard Sale. The sale isn't any bigger than planned, but due to not being able to count on a warm day, the lack of road-visibility for a Porch Sale sign at 65mph, and needing to hang out warmly indoors if needed, yet be on the spot to tend the tables-- I'm moving the whole thing out back to the patch of yard where our pop-up camper is still sitting, unfolded-down, which has a canopy I can use for my tables if it's rainy, or if it's NOT rainy.... wait for it.... the display space will be the trash-hauling trailer Hardi bought! What does not sell (or FreeCycle the next day) goes off the property forthwith!!!

~S~

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 01:48 PM

Working at home today makes the weekend feel a little longer and saves me the cost of the commute for one day.

More papers to deal with this evening - I have four stacks of paper on the floor to file or shred. I'm working on accumulating the things I brought from work (in particular, photos in files) so I can take them back and enter them into the Special Collections archive. I'm making a push to get many of my photos from 16+ years into the collection.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 07:42 PM

I am doing some close screen work today - processing photos in Photoshop - so I take a break to refocus my eyes, move around, etc. I worked on one of the piles on the floor. A small amount went in the shredder, a portion of it went into the paper recycle, and I'm afraid most of it spread out into smaller piles. Not the look I was hoping for. I think next I need to file a couple of those piles and try again.

BTW: TGIF!

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 11:54 AM

I think we lost a post or two since last night. I know I put up something after this.

I can tell it's allergy season, my eyes are kind of fuzzy and crusty this morning, the overnight mucus buildup in a pollen or mildew-filled season. We're supposed to have rain this weekend and that should help considerably.

More eBay this weekend, more filing and shredding. I think I found a good box for some binders (a heads' up for Linn).

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 09:47 PM

I realized why the allergies - I ran out of my antihistamine two days ago. I am waiting till Oct 1 to renew a membership at Sam's Club where I get the stuff I use in a bulk package. It's Benedryl and Sudafed for a few days.

I started doing some mending today - the first project was the lining of a nice purse. After losing 30 pounds I can wear some of the things again that have been languishing in the mending basket, so it's time to go ahead and make those small repairs.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Sep 13 - 03:49 PM

Royalty check hit the bank yesterday, good timing - I headed to Sam's Club to get my Zyrtec knockoff - I thought the bill would be big because I thought my membership expired earlier this summer. I guess not, it was just the purchase. And for those who use this stuff - OTC Zyrtec is still very expensive. The Walgreen's brand version is $45 for a bottle of 300. Sam's Club has 400 for $16. Since Zeke and I are both using it now, I'll save my membership just by buying two bottles of this alone.

Working on various things today, I'll report in later if I actually finish any of them. My first chore for the day is finished, though - I took the dogs for a long walk up through the neighborhood. We haven't been out much this summer, and I blame myself for that, I could have gotten up early enough to walk them in the mornings when it's cool. Blame stress for making easy decisions less easy. I'm working on it. Anyway, the dogs loved it and they were so mellow by the time we got home after our 1.1 mile walk.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: LilyFestre
Date: 29 Sep 13 - 09:06 PM

I spent time working on my quilt today...it's one more step towards being complete. Aside from squaring things up, I'm just steps from having the quilt top complete and ready to send to the long arm. YAY! Tomorrow the fun part begins!

I packed up another bag of clothes that Jeremiah has outgrown. Tomorrow I hope to get some of the baby toys packed up while he is at school. I almost feel guilty doing that...seems kind of sneaky but they are toys he no longer plays with and likely will not even notice that they are missing.

Weight holding steady this week as to be expected after such a large drop last week. :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 30 Sep 13 - 09:36 AM

Well, the only de-cluttering I have managed is clearing gallons of gunk from my lungs. Thank you, Pau d'Arco, vit C and heat on chest and a warm bed. Thurs and Fri were lost and who cares, Sat I managed to get out to Branches and Roots, music and so forth, but no way I could demo. People kept telling me to sit down so I went home and back to bed. I think people were having fun. But I got through about 4 hours with only one coughing fit.

Sunday, well enough to make breakfast-YAY! Muddled through rest of day, sitting outside in sun for some of it. Washed bedding - the machine did - hung it, took it down and remade bed. Double yay! Having decided this building is just too toxic, I walk outside to the closest door to laundry, put on respirator to go in and load/unload, then carry the wet laundry out that door, take off respirator, and carry laundry about 200 feet around the building to the clothesline and hang it.

Sat in the sun for a while and talked with the fellow who is now developing a tree nursery in the upper field. He gets to use the land - which we are told is about 2-3 feet deep in river rock! - and the tons of wood chips in exchange for helping with landscaping. He marches to his own drummer, planting what and where he feels like it - "But it can be moved"! He has about 1500 trees out there, he says, in pots and in the ground. Anything is better but whether anything will thrive without more soil is dubious. It keeps him occupied and he is a presence, reasonably intelligent and needs someone to talk with. The river rock was put all over the property so trucks would not get stuck in the mud. Even weeds do not grow well on a lot of it.

R worked like a fiend, at least 12 hour days, and has finally closed in the living space. The air cleaner we thought would be for here, gave off a dreadful odour when we turned it on so I need to order new filter or new air cleaner. I asked/ordered/ insisted (furious) him to FIRST remove the rotten wood they pulled out of the roof - and left lying just outside the living space. He said he had and then I looked through the window of the beautiful new door yesterday and "What's that?"   He had stacked some of it neatly on a pallet but "forgot" to remove it. Gone now. "It's only rotten. not moldy."

Anyway, we now have a nice size LR which needs clean floors, hopefully wood someday soon, and a paint job. The long back wall, closing it off from the storage area, is all windows so I need to find some light weight fabric, white, translucent for drapes so we do not look at all the STUFF back there. The purpose was to provide light for back there. It looks really neat but not suitable for hanging pictures!

Really liked Susan's concept of yard sale! My goal for today is to wash my hair and make a dent in the dish washing. Nothing left to use! And find a way to store the bedding in the LR so I can put it away during the day and have the nice futon in sofa mode, in case anyone pays a call.

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Sep 13 - 05:42 PM

I'm going to be setting up the Secret Santa thread in the next couple of days (I put an announcement on another existing thread just now). I wonder if those of us who post here most often might want to work on a special project. I'm thinking of a red-headed grandson who might like a nice reminder of his Mudcat aunties.

This morning the dogs and I were out walking again. I'll probably switch to walking them before dinner, it's easier to manage after work than before. But it is so nice to be out walking again. We saw our friend Benji, a basenji mix who, when he hears us walking by, sets up a doggie caterwauling until we walk over to his gate and give him a treat. Sometimes his owners are out, sometimes not. I imagine the entire block knows when my dogs walk past Benji's yard.

A friend on campus has a little Halloween tableau on her desktop - cute - I realized that I had the most fun with Halloween when the kids were small and we were making costumes for them. That was the best collaborative time, when they said what they wanted to be and we figured out how to make the costume. I imaging Michelle is doing that these days. I have photos around here of my son as a scarecrow and of my daughter as a Princess Jasmine sort of character. I didn't get photos every year, but we always had fun. Now I manage to find some autumn themed items to set out to give the feel. What are all of you doing for the changing season?

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 10:33 AM

I'm leaving this up for the next month (at least) also - we're not posting quite as much as we were a while back and this gives a little more history in one place.

I was up very early this morning, I couldn't sleep, and I thought I'd get up to work. But I took a couple of aspirin and those took care of what ailed me and I went back to bed - and nearly overslept. ;-)

This week is supposed to have some cooler weather, into the mid-80s. For here in October, it'll be nice. I think the energy will kick in one of these days soon, and I have gotten back to dog walking in anticipation of a generalized higher activity level.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 01:08 PM

I need to vent a bit, but I'll combine it with a plea for suggestions as to how to cope with the situation.

I would think that since Tom can't SEE he would figure out that he needs to have a place for things and to always put them back in that place so he can find them without visual cues.

Not that he ever did that when he COULD see -- and then when he couldn't find his keys or his hammer or the green-handled pliers or a particular piece of paper it became a crisis and MY responsibility to find it. The tools were always in the last place he used them, the keys in one of several usual spots...

But now it's a daily thing. And today it's his 2 medicine bottles of metoprolol, one almost empty, the other just refilled. And he asked me to identify the two pill containers on his side of the table...and one he had taken out of the basket on MY side of the table, which is why I can never find it when he asks for that med. (And the other was completely different.)

But it's EVERY DAY and sometimes several times during the day that I have to stop everything and find something that actually HAS a place, but he's moved it and can't find it.

Today I can't find the two bottles. He says he hasn't seen them for a couple weeks. They aren't on the floor or behind the bookcase or under the table or WHERE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE!!!!

I've been nibbled to death by ducks lately. I don't cry very easily, but I could just sit down and cry right now, but it's too ridiculous. And I didn't yell at him. I DID suggest that this is the reason I keep suggesting that he keep things in the place where they belong so he CAN find things.

Thank you for listening (or at least just giving me the opportunity to write this out). It just can be so. damned. frustrating. He's an intelligent man; why can't he figure out basic things like this?

Linn

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 01:40 PM

Found it. In the basket next to his bed where he keeps his flashlight, his glasses, a pain pill in case it's needed overnight.

This is a med he definitely does NOT need overnight. There is no reason for it to have been in that basket -- ever.

Not to mention NOT being where it IS supposed to be. Sigh.

It'll be okay. Life will go on. I'll not feel ready to fall apart when faced with a really minor crisis.

Now I can get on with what I had intended to do on one of the few days where no one is coming here and we don't have to be anyplace else -- make a batch of chicken stock for the freezer, clean out the fridge, get some overdue paperwork in the mail, ship off some CDs to a long lost friend...

Linn

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 01:42 PM

He's got a limited range, so there aren't that many places he could have put the bottles. If it's not where he's been, blame Rufus and check under the couch (or anywhere the cat might have batted the bottles).

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 01:46 PM

I'm slow. Blame Rufie anyway.

I'm having a guy come tomorrow to start the process of getting a screen/storm door to replace the messed up one in the basement. At least something is going to improve here.

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 05:36 PM

How much vision does he have? Can he see bright patches of color if he moves it around (like to peripheral vision or where he detects some light, etc.) so you can wrap the bottles with neon-colored stickers (having made note of the pharmacy instructions, or use an old empty bottle) and color code the neon. Orange for one pill, yellow for another, green for yet another?

This page has bright labels of various sorts and if you bought full sheet labels so you can cut them to size, that would be a starting place.

Does that help? There are also lots of gimmicks for using electronic tags with smart phone so you can detect them when they go missing. Put tags on the bottles, keys, etc.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 07:32 PM

No, I've made large type labels for him or help him put pills into a coded container. It's just that he hasn't yet figured out that if he has a "place" for everything and, if he moves it, he puts it back in that place, life will be a lot easier for him...and a lot less stressful for me.

He never put things away when he could see, but you would think it would make sense to him now that he CAN'T see.

It's been a frustrating day. And he's been "one more thing"ing me again today. (He totally wore me out with that yesterday. We went to Newick's, a seafood spot overlooking Great Bay, for his birthday $10 off -- discovering they had a wheelchair available made getting back into the car a LOT easier -- then we had to go and pick up his orthotics -- where I had to borrow the wheelchair from Seacoast Orthopedics next door and get him upstairs in the elevator and through a bunch of doors 1/2 inch wider than the wheelchair. Then when I thought we could just go home, he had another physically demanding "one more thing" for me.) And this all is after a weekend where he pretty much wore me out, kept me from sleeping, woke me at 5:30 after getting to bed around midnight, decided I needed to take him home, managed to fall on the deck requiring a 911 call for a lift assist...

I haven't had any recovery time. My stress level is high and my patience is short. I keep trying to make things easier for Tom while he seems to go out of his way to not only complicate his own life, but to make more work for me.

Anyway, I had high hopes for today. For the first time in well over a week, we didn't have to go anyplace. I really wanted to get a good start on cleaning out this room (so I can get a bed into it for Tom). Sigh. My major victory was getting all the leftovers of a large batch of fried rice I just made into the fridge AND found room for an extra large batch of chicken stock that I made this afternoon. (I'll divvy it up into 2 cup portions and freeze it tomorrow.) Oh, and I composted some fridge stuff that should have been cleaned out a few weeks ago. And I almost finished up getting Tom's freelance articles into page protectors. (I'm running out of page protectors...again.) And I got a couple things packaged up and mailed at the post office and I just put the dishes through. The stockpot and pans and strainer from making the fried rice and chicken stock will have to wait until tomorrow. As will actually taking out the kitchen compost.

I'm going to eat some dolce de leche ice cream then go upstairs to read and get in a better state of mind. I'm not yet enjoying a sense of accomplishment, alas.

Linn

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 07:42 PM

I also would have enjoyed just spending a little time outside on this glorious fall day. I did get to drive to the post office and then up to the Circle to get dry vermouth for the chicken stock. There were a couple wild turkeys contemplating road crossing when I was almost home.

Yesterday was gorgeous, too, and I'd thought about reading on the deck when we got home, but I was so wiped out, I went upstairs and read until I had to make dinner.

Our schedule and to-do list lately has been more complicated and busier than when I was working.

We see Tom's vascular doc on Thursday to hear what Tom's cardiologist had to say about his proposed surgery. We won't be seeing Tom's cardiologist for two weeks unless there's a cancellation that we can take advantage of. But since his cardiologist doesn't think there's any hurry, it probably means he thinks the surgery is too risky. But doing nothing is risky, too, and we need to find out more about what those risks are.

Linn

Linn

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 08:44 PM

For your Secret Santa this year you just need the actual Santa him or herself to come and help out around the house - given an 8-hour day to yourself one day a week you could probably get a lot of other things done, or do nothing, as it suits you.

Strange day at work. Odd stuff. A friend from work is near death in hospice, which is part of it. Unusual behavior by one person walking through the office unexpectedly, like she was looking for something.

I found a good-sized box for notebooks. I don't have any page protectors, though I did at one time and gave them to a coworker. I could send a three-hole punch. :-/

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 09:44 PM

Thanks, Maggie. I've got a 3-hole punch.

An hour or so of reading (I've just read the first two Anne of Green Gables books -- for the first time, believe it or not -- and I'm now reading "Anne's House of Dreams" -- 3 books in 1 volume, soon to go to the library sale) and a small snifter of Pusser's rum works wonders. (And I got a little closer to being finished with the freelance articles)

I'm usually pretty good about snagging time for myself, but it's been pretty hectic lately with deadlines for everything and a lot of demands (other than Tom's) also being made on me. I haven't looked at next week's calendar yet, but I hope it's fairly open...

Linn

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Oct 13 - 09:10 PM

It's the time of year for flu shot and to start pulling out blankets and sweaters. There will be occasional days for them in the next few weeks, but it probably won't be until November when they really need to be put into play.

Didn't get much of my own stuff done today.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Oct 13 - 12:33 AM

Progress this evening - I decluttered the bank account considerably. I knocked off one big bill, paid down the rest.

Up in the morning to make banana bread to take to work (for the few folks who are still there - one has pneumonia, the others have colds and such. I am going to get my flu shot first thing in the morning.)

I must call a plumber. My water bill was higher than it should have been - it's that front outside faucet drip getting out of control. I need the faucet changed out so I can change the washer myself when it needs it. The one there now needs a special tool to open. I'll see if I can get that taken care of on Friday.

A few other updates have been taken care of. I changed the fridge water filter that went a while longer than usual this time. I also picked up a replacement cartridge for my laser printer. The name-brand one is about $175 but I bought a knock-off for $43, same high-capacity size. These were paid for with a rebate from a computer purchase last summer.

SRS

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 03 Oct 13 - 09:52 AM

Well, yesterday the chimney and the woodstove connection got cleaned. Not only one more thing checked off the list, but now I can feel safe if I need to burn wood for heat before fuel assistance kicks in. (And if we lose power, which we often do even if it isn't a particularly hard winter -- and predictions for this winter are below average cold and above average snowfall.)

And I got a few piddly things done around here, although I DIDN'T get the chicken stock I made on Tuesday measured out into zip-locs and into the freezer. Maybe this morning...

Did a load of laundry first thing so Tom will have clean pants for a doctor's appointment this afternoon. Just threw stuff into the dryer and found, despite extra care in finding all the wayward Kleenex in Tom's multiple pockets, one slipped by...sigh.

Tomorrow on the way in to The Press Room, I have a couple stops. Hope I get to Ocean State Discount before the packs of driveway marker stakes are gone, and I need sleeve protectors at Staples.

My driveway guy (who "did" our driveway this spring and who plows it in the winter) stopped by yesterday to see how the driveway is holding up -- it's doing wonderfully. A very small eroded gully leads rain water down the foot of the stone wall and further downhill on the side of turnaround -- and that's a good thing. Almost as if it were intentionally created. But he also suggested I need to invest in a leaf blower to clear the leaves, twigs and pine needles off the surface before they get soggy. I was going to rake to maintain it, but it IS a huge expanse of driveway... Believe me, I never even THOUGHT about leaf blowers before yesterday (and mildly made fun of people who used them).

Got a couple articles from the '90s to take to "Show and Tell" at the session tomorrow...

Linn

Subject: RE: Autumn Leaves Decluttered Spaces 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Oct 13 - 10:40 AM

I won't climb on my leaf-blower soapbox, but I dislike the things. I had the worst case of something in my eye when a guy using one didn't see me nearby. I'd be out there with gloves (to avoid blisters) and the rake.

Got a great (unintended) workout this morning. I took the dogs for a quick walk while the banana bread was baking, and on the steep block of my walk two little dogs, a yorkie and a pug, raced out of an open gate and were trying to get close to Cinnamon and Zeke who were closest to the yard. Poppy didn't start barking right away, and no one was growling or fighting, but it was a sudden burst of dog energy and possible tangled leashes. I shouted "get your dogs!" and Poppy started barking and a guy raced out and grabbed them, all apologetic. I didn't have enough breath to say anything. This was my intense workout for the day (citing one of those Dr. Michael Moseley programs about health, from the UK show Horizons, that suggests an intense 20-second workout is enough to take care of you for the day.)

Shower, flu shot, work. And set up a plumber appointment.

SRS