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Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013
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Subject: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 Nov 13 - 11:59 AM Here is the last thread that spanned 2 months. The first day of November. The clocks change for many of us in North America this weekend. Sleep an hour later as you switch back to standard time. I finished a project last month, the dresser conversion to a buffet is now painted, topped with glass, has a cabinet with doors where the kneehole used to be, and is finished with beautiful antique wheat pattern brasses and knobs. Other chores await, and I'm still clearing out. My daughter Moonglow loaned me a dress form to use to photograph some articles of clothing to sell on eBay, and I'll do those soon. Many other things are underway but not in the general discussion until they are completed - I suspect I'm not the only one who feels that sharing projects before they are finished is a way to jinx them. Moving forward into the colder season, more introspective, more focussed on making the house comfortable and planning for the holidays. What do you have planned that you can share? SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 01 Nov 13 - 01:57 PM Pity my body stays on its own clock -- so gaining an hour, alas, does not mean an extra hour of sleep. Perhaps an extra hour of peace, though... I'm hoping that two days without anything scheduled will help get me back in whack. I promise I won't over do as I did last Saturday which had nothing scheduled. I've been, uh, "snappish" lately and I really don't like that. I've been screaming at the cats (lot of good that does) and snapping at Tom...and last night blew up totally. I had a reason but it really wasn't what I'd call a "good" reason...just overall burntoutedness. I only had one nerve left and everybody and everything was getting on it... My project for the weekend is being nicer to Tom and the cats and reading down the pile of magazines next to the bed so I can declutter them to Lee Walk-In, and maybe taking a nap (or watching another movie). Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 01 Nov 13 - 01:58 PM Sigh. "Pity" not "pitty"...my inner proofreader ran away from home, screaming. Linn ........................................Got it! --mudelf |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: ranger1 Date: 01 Nov 13 - 02:28 PM Realized that I have gained some unneeded and unwanted weight. When Bandit was sick and unable to walk further than the corner down the street, I got out of the habit of long walks and became a couch potato. I am paying the price for that now with few pairs of trousers that fit. However, I have discovered the miles and miles and miles of trails directly behind the cottage, so Bandit and I have been exploring and getting in at least one hour of vigorous hiking a day. I haven't weighed myself since I started, but I think I've lost some of the flab already. My wind has certainly improved. Also doing a very physical job for a friend of mine, the family compound sold a bunch of mature trees to a logging company and they left all the slash behind. My partner in crime and I have been cleaning up the brush and hauling it off to the family stump dump. Think I'm burning a bunch of calories there, too. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 01 Nov 13 - 05:17 PM I didn't do much today. Picked up some half price candy...M&M's for Jeremiah and Peanut Butter Cups and York Peppermint Patties for Pete. Then I did some laundry and made a few business calls. Fell asleep with my cat in the sunshine, had some photos printed up for Jeremiah's class from the party yesterday, an 8x10 photo of something that will be auctioned off on Sunday for a good cause, picked Jeremiah up and now I'm home. And I'm sick. Fever. Red face. Chills, headache, sore throat and general ick. I'm calling it a day. Jeremiah is playing cars on the couch with his kitty, tv is on (bad Mommy) and I'm in my recliner with my feet up hoping Pete comes home early. I just want to go to bed. First cold in over 4 years. BLAH. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 02 Nov 13 - 09:32 AM I'm beginning to think that my constant to-ing and fro-ing getting stuff for Tom, etc. AND horsing a wheelchair around are actually starting to "count" as exercise. I had several pairs of black pants -- the exact same size and brand as several pairs of khakis -- that have been tight in the tush since purchase. At last Sunday's meeting I had to keep tugging a black pair up -- indicative of at least some change in inches if not in poundage. (Actually, I haven't a clue what I weigh, but I'm sure I'll find out next week at a check-up -- maybe I should pay attention this time.) Good thing the activity is registering as "exercise"...my regular exercise routine (a round of exercises with hand weights and morning leg raises) keeps becoming irregular (or non-existent) and then it's difficult to get back into the habit. Woke up at 5 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep, so turned on the light and decluttered a few of the magazines my hairstylist loaded me down with last time I got my hair cut. Not the sort of thing I regularly read (fashion magazines), but I like glancing through them every year or so to see what the vapid are up to. I prefer "house porn" ("home decorating" porn) and I've got a few of those to go through, too. Then I'll take the pile to the walk-in medical facility at Lee Circle so they've got something besides drug company handouts to read. Anything actually accomplished this weekend is gravy. I'm concentrating on resting and smoothing out my brain. And maybe poking around in drawers to see where I left my patience. I hope I didn't accidently throw it out or take it to Goodwill or the library sale... (Speaking of which, I have a few more books to contribute to the sale on Monday.) Thanks, Mud Elf, for correcting my typo! 'Preciate it! Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 Nov 13 - 12:11 PM I'm bringing home some of the clutter at work so it's out of the way but in my records, and working on another box there for the archivist that will offer clues to photos in the boxes I already gave her. Some filing this morning, and I'll clobber the bank account by paying bills. More eBay work this afternoon, after a mid-day trip to the vet with Susie's largest dog, Puddin, who needs a follow-up check for her bladder infection. I tried to post last night but the ether seems to be gobbling up a lot of posts. It sounds like you have a good variety of exercise figured out, Tami. I've never thought it was a smart choice to pay someone else to mow your lawn while you also pay to go to the gym for boring repetitive exercise. Good news on the trousers, Linn! I'm about to retire all of the size 14 that were good-looking work pants. They started out really snug and now they hang on me and have to be worn with a belt. I'm fully into size 12 and aiming at size 10 before I'm finished. (These are "normal women" sizes, not tiny slips of skin and bone sizes.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 02 Nov 13 - 05:46 PM Size 13 was what I wore until I met Tom. And a 36B bra. Nice, healthy curves. Now I wear a bra that looks like a swimming cap for Siamese twins and size 24 pants. Sigh. I was having a lovely day reading and trying to nap (no go, so I read through about two inches of magazines instead). Then Tom whistled me downstairs about a half hour before I would have come down to fix supper. He needed a couple things done -- no prob. But...he turned on the downstairs hall lights (2 recessed lights and a cannister lamp). He KNEW the switch is faulty (we discussed it on Thursday when the lights were fixed by the handyman...and again yesterday) and I didn't want to use it until I got an electrician in to fix it. Now I can't turn it off. Unless I fiddle with it enough to get it to shut off, it will leave him with the lights on overnight while he's trying to sleep and me nervous because, well, the switch IS faulty! I just wish every time I come downstairs or into the house it isn't to some sort of small crisis. On the stress level I guess it's one step forward and, if not two, then at least one step back. Wish me luck on turning the #@%# switch off. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 02 Nov 13 - 06:55 PM Okay. One positive thing is I got some of the unlabeled breakers labeled. I can't get right up to the box (it's between the washer and dryer and they're at right angles to each other with about 6 inches in between) unless I move the litter box and wedge myself in. I've been punches the breaker buttons with Tom's cane. I already had the main (top) and the four big bottom ones (Jenn-Air, stove, pump and well, and dryer) labeled. The water heater is in a separate box. I started labeling things out of sheer frustration when Tom started losing his eyesight. I'm going to wedge myself in there and see if I can read the antique labels that are on a couple of the breakers. The writing may actually be worn off. I HAD the hall lights off (those are the ones on the faulty switch), but then the living room lights went off. I don't know which switch because it was at that point that Tom realized he couldn't see if the lights went off, so he couldn't whistle -- so I had to run out there each time I pushed a breaker to see what it did. The good news is I managed to get the kitchen, living room, laundry room, and the outlet that the computer's UPS is plugged into turned back on. The bad news is now the damned hall lights are still on and I've been through ALL the breakers. I'm not really in the mood for supper, but I suppose I should heat up the lovely spanakopita that a friend made for us yesterday (and chop up some tomatoes and onion for a salad). I think Tom and his first wife split up over building the house. You know what? I can well understand it... I love him, I love him, I love him...but I think he thought he was going to be 35 forever. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 Nov 13 - 07:14 PM Every so often I get started to do some home repair or investigate something like you're doing and I have to grump back into the house or the kitchen to get my glasses or a flashlight. Needing to wear glasses has been the thing that makes some of those projects annoying - do I need my office glasses to see close, or do I need the regular ones with the bifocals. I set up the dressmakers form and have photographed a couple of unlined jackets. I'll package, weigh, and measure them then list them on eBay, then I need to knock this off and start on the Secret Santa list. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 02 Nov 13 - 08:27 PM Well, I still don't know which breaker works for those lights, but the switch worked long enough the last time I tried that it shut off. Whew. The electrician will just have to throw the main breaker for the house when he replaces those two switches. I've got a whole list of switches (mostly rheostats to be changed to regular switches) and outlets that need to be replaced. The house is 40 years old. Tom started replacing switches before he lost his eyesight. I think he was still in denial about his worsening vision when he tried to replace that switch and couldn't do it. Couldn't give me an explanation at the time why he couldn't, but in retrospect, it was probably that he just couldn't see the wires well enough, but couldn't admit it...especially to himself. Oh, and those paper labels on the breakers were totally useless. At least I didn't get trapped between the washer and dryer! And I got a few more on my chart identified. I still feel as if today was one step forward, then one step back. At least it wasn't two steps back. But I'm still physically and mentally drained even though I had a more or less pajama day this afternoon. (Working around the house clothes instead of pajamas, but I didn't put my contacts in...so that counts, right?) Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 02 Nov 13 - 09:14 PM So...we had dessert. I got Tom's evening meds set out for him. I set up tomorrow's coffee. And I went upstairs to read and under-react until I have to come back downstairs and put Tom to bed. And found that I have no lights in the bedroom. So...here I am again at the computer with the breaker box chart. At least the only ones I have to push are the ones labeled ???. But, of course, I have to go upstairs after pushing each one to see if it worked. Arghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Okay, today was one step forward, TWO #%@# steps back! (I'm in worse shape than I was this morning.) Wish me luck at finding it quickly. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 02 Nov 13 - 09:17 PM I lucked out -- first one I pushed. G'night. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 02 Nov 13 - 10:14 PM Linn...I love the visual of the Siamese twins wearing a bra on their heads....oh I can relate my friend....LOL...I can totally relate!!!! We have been busy with firewood all day...from 7am until 7pm with a break in between for lunch. Dinner at 9pm, our own t-bone steaks, steamed broccoli and leftover cornbread stuffing. I'm so tired that I could care less what was on the table...and I was cold. Pete indulged me by watching Jeremiah for a solid 40 minutes so I had a HOT shower for a good 30 minutes...alone and uninterrupted (I never shut the bathroom door fully when I'm in the shower so Jeremiah can come get me if he needs me). My hair is dry, jammies fresh out of the dryer and I am finally warm (I have been cold to my spine for the last 4 hours...dampness and temperature drop...hard for me to recover from). I am all snuggly warm and ready for bed...eventually. :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: GUEST Date: 02 Nov 13 - 10:32 PM Rough Friday with my friend. Her Parkinson's was worse and I did some lifting and shifting of body parts to help her be comfortable. When her son came home before 5 I headed to city house to gather stuff to take to country - Perishables travel back and forth --- until they are eaten or perish! R and I went to cafe and then to mill in my car only as it seemed safer with the heavy winds. The music was good and when we got to the mill there was a small raccoon waiting for us and a mess! He had not escaped into the other area. He had found a "raccoon home" under the kitchen cabinets. He had used the litter box consistently - thankfully! He had found the bag of puppy food. BUT he had had no water and had dug up and chewed up all the succulents in the sunroom in search of water! Poor little guy was franticly happy to have a pool of clean water. He was not happy when we finally went to bed and he was still up and wanting company. I repotted plants that survived and swept the dirt into a tidy pile, leaving it for him to play in if he so wished. We felt so badly for his abandonment. And tonight he will get up and we are not there because we had to come back to the city. But he has clean water and litter and plenty of food. Today, we spent a long time getting a very large wire bundle through a hole in the ceiling, through the attic to the hole down to the electric box. FOR THE KILN!!! It was tough for me to get it to go through the hole into the attic and poor R up in that dreadful space pulling it on through - about 100 feet of 3 inch, rubber coated wire! Not finished but that was the worst part. Maybe tomorrow. I also did some organizing in the studio, washed a lot of dishes, made a nice breakfast and triaged stuff to come back to the city! I revel in having cabinets and drawers! We drove by a friend's home where a large tree fell yesterday, missing their home! Stopped at the nice bakery for a scrumptious choc mousse cake and delicious cranberry/orange/dark choc muffins! We ate two each on the way. Stopped at the rehabber's. No help there so we are at a loss re poor little guy. He needs a peer group so he knows he is a raccoon. He was quite interested in seeing himself in a mirror. Also stopped at a building supply store for a few minutes. I dropped R at his truck and came home (5:30) for a hot bath, put perishables back in frig, cooked rice in case R comes home hungry - a packet of Indian on rice is quick and easy. My cough continues - with ups and downs. Mostly not at night, gratefully, but quite a lot during the day. Air in living space at mill seems OK - air cleaner working on it - but not as good in the studio. That may have exacerbated today's coughing. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 Nov 13 - 01:05 AM I'm glad that little raccoon came back to the surface again! I have a rudimentary list for Secret Santa and a couple of queries out to participants. That should become a usable list in the next day or two. One garment listed on eBay, another almost ready, and a couple of other items that have been running for a few weeks. I want to keep up a steady pace adding new and always have several items in play. Michelle, that sounds like a huge day of work. No wonder that shower felt good! SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Maryrrf Date: 03 Nov 13 - 07:41 AM Maggie, I think I remember that you posted some tips on ebaying, but I can't find that thread. I want to start selling on ebay. I have sold a few items in the past, but that was some time ago. I guess the first thing is to invest in some kind of scale in order to determine shipping costs. The things I would be selling would range from lamps to small pictures, I have some baseball cards, clothing and designer purses (bought at an estate sale)and different odds and ends. They're taking up space and not being used so I might as well get rid of them. What about books? I have tons and tons, some of which I could bear to part with, but I see so many books being sold for less than $1.00! What's up with that? Advice for Ebay newbies would much appreciated. Thanks, Mary |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 03 Nov 13 - 09:56 AM Michelle, gotta keep a sense of humor! Hope we can get through today with no drama. I'm rather tired of drama... Got laundry drying right now and intend to wash and dry Tom's sheets and pillowcase. Have to dress his wounds sometime this morning and organize his meds and work out the system to lay out his morning, afternoon and evening meds -- he decided yesterday that he can no longer do it himself. His eyesight definitely got worse yesterday. Mostly today I intend to rest and go through magazines. Got a few things to bring in from the car, maybe plant those 4 daffodil bulbs and dump out and put away a few more deck planters. And, if I have the time or energy, cull and organize some more stuff around the "media center" and set up a CD player by Tom's side of the table for him. I'll settle for a day with no drama... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 Nov 13 - 11:30 AM Marsha Collier had a special that ran on PBS a few years ago and that is where I picked up the most useful tips. I think she has an eBay for Dummies book. If you want one stop shopping, I'd look for that. I have posted eBay tips, but rather than repeat them I'll look for any traced threads in my personal page next time I'm over there. Lovely cool fall morning here in North Texas. So many things to do, I think I'll make a list to keep myself on track. It's better to start and finish something rather than start a whole bunch of things and finish none. I just realized (sob!) that November was the month that Kat always used to plan for, and ask us if we were going to participate in #NaNoWriMo. She wrote one of her books during that writer's challenge. There would be radio silence at Mudcat and other places while she focussed on her writing project. I have a couple of things I have intended to write, and there is one that is all but ready to write itself. I'm going to start it this month, and remind myself that it is an homage to our Katlaughing. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 Nov 13 - 12:45 PM Oh - I forgot to mention, I have been "shopping my closet" some more. I've pulled out several size 14 trousers to donate and I'm in size 12 now, heading to size 10 (more or less my goal). And I'm looking for my sweat shirts. I can't remember where I stashed them last spring when it warmed up. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 03 Nov 13 - 02:05 PM Friday, I hit the motherlode of great sweaters at a thrift shop we'd never visited, and saved its location on our GPS. Got one dressy sweater to supplement the only one I had, two fleece pullovers that will work for dressy casual, and a sweatshirt to replace a beloved but too worn baggy sweatshirt I had. Will be on the lookout for old, tired stuff to pitch to make room. A new phase in thyroid treatment is about to begin-- adding back in the raw veggies that are said to by goitrogenic (anti-thyroid). I trust the doc to monitor my thyroid levels now and prescribe higher doses of meds if needed. My body is asking for more raw food and I trust that as well. I spent some time this AM prepping the ramp for winter outdoor exercises and walking. Tuesday I will take photos of that and other outdoor space available, as well as pix of the health club's machines, to my PT for her winter Rx. I found an online source for a poster I had been looking for, that demonstrates a whole lot of exercises using resisitance bands or tubing, as a free downloadable PDF which I will print and laminate to go out on that ramp. There are windows lining it that I can tack 'em up on. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Nov 13 - 01:06 AM Two loads of laundry done. Dishwasher waiting till I get more detergent tomorrow because I forgot it on the shopping run I made this evening. Fridge cleaned out. Bills paid. Clocks reset. A few other chores underway. Not an exciting weekend, but several things crossed off of a list. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 04 Nov 13 - 10:37 AM It's Monday morning...and it all starts in again. Got a call from a different visiting nurse who knows nothing about my call yesterday to scheduling or about his nurse Jeannie planning to call the wound clinic AGAIN today for clarification of orders since they didn't return her phone call of last week (and that I talked to her on Saturday) or that I was changing Tom's dressing today and Jeannie said she would be here on Wednesday. We don't even have some of the new supplies yet. And then a call from ANOTHER nurse from a DIFFERENT agency wanting to come out this morning to evaluate Tom and to sign some paperwork -- this is for the housekeeping help through CFI, but I had to drag THAT information out of her after she only minimally identified herself and not who she was with. These people all seem to think that their particular little tiny part of Tom's care is the ONLY thing we're dealing with and we should immediately know what they're calling about even if it's the first time we've heard from them. Last week I got a call about an appointment for ME and it took a whole bunch of questioning to ascertain that basic (and pretty important) piece of information. 98% of the medical calls here are regarding Tom. If people don't identify themselves properly AND who they're calling from and what it's about, it's not only frustrating but time-consuming. I really don't have the time for time-consuming. Called the electrician that my handyman recommended and left a message. And then I got a phone call from someone with a strong Indian accent looking for Tom. He said they (not saying directly but implying it was Medicare) were calling to say new Medicare cards were being issued. I said he did not sound like he was from Medicare and asked to speak to his supervisor. He said his supervisor was busy. I said I wouldn't talk to him, but wanted to speak to his supervisor. He said his supervisor would call me back "within 2 minutes"...uh huh. Where do I report a call like this? I just tried calling our town offices for advice, but I'm getting a recording. (I'll call later or stop by on my way to drop more books off at the library for the sale.) Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 04 Nov 13 - 12:05 PM Reported that Medicare card phone scam to New Hampshire HHS - Bureau of Elderly & Adult Services. And got all set up (the supervisor came out and did Tom's medical assessment and we signed all the paperwork) for an aid to come out once a week and do some light housecleaning around here. THAT will be absolutely WONDERFUL. Besides reducing the dirt level in the house it will reduce my GUILT level at not being able to find time to do basic weekly house cleaning chores. Called the electrician and left a message. Now I can change Tom's dressings without being interrupted and then I can go pay the mortgage and drop off books at the library sale. Moving right along... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 04 Nov 13 - 01:01 PM Got those warm fuzzy tops just in time-- it's COLD here now! Ramp refitting continues. Also continuing is taking over all house chores bit by bit. Incredibly tiny baby steps hurt SO MUCH. My spine is suffering from the condition that caused the need for the surgery, and I'm off for an x-ray to see how bad it's gotten since the last one (2004?). It will help the doc advise on pacing myself. Some folks think I'm not doing enough. Others think I'm doing too much. I think I need to be allowed to monitor that myself, and not get a lot of crap for it, but TBTG the doc is the doc and I trust her guidance! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Nov 13 - 01:12 PM Decluttered of a couple of dental caries. I went in for my 6-month cleaning and the tech announced that they had a free appointment if I wanted to do the filling. It wasn't so involved as the other side I did during the summer, and it wasn't nearly as expensive (a new benefit year helps). So I'm just getting over the numb stroke-face feeling of the filling on my lower jaw. It's good to have that out of the way. Bills are all paid, and now my goal for the rest of the month is to spend as little as possible. To go by a shopping list and not stray into stuff I don't really need. That's the best way to avoid cluttering the place again. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 04 Nov 13 - 01:49 PM Dishes are done and laundry is all caught up to date...might toss a few blankets in just to refresh things. :) Floors will happen tonight when Pete fixes my vacuum cleaner. I don't know why they sell things labelled as Pet Friendly because MOST of them are NOT. I can't tell you how many I have caught on fire..LOL. I had a Sharp in the early 90's that I paid $400.00 for and that thing was a WORK HORSE. At the time we had 6 dogs and at least that many cats and it worked GREAT. It was designed so that all hair passed the engine so no fear of it getting gobbed up, clogged or catching fire. I have an Eureka now and it does OK but it clogs up frequently. We are now down to one dog and 4 cats so the fur is MUCH less than it ever was.....I think if we still had so many dogs, this machine would have bit the dust after week 2. Anyway, the belt broke on it. I'm sure I could figure it out if I really wanted to but Pete already knows how to do it and doesn't mind fixing it so I'll leave that to him. I did get myself a smaller vacuum for upstairs last week. The pets are not allowed upstairs so there is no need for that kind of mega vacuum up there. The new machine is lightweight, has a cup and filter to collect dust and dirt, is easy to use and empty with some fun accessories...I like it! I also like not having to haul the big, heavy vac upstairs. I did a sleep study last week and was stunned at just how many times I stop breathing during the night....approximately 150 times an HOUR. So I am now the proud owner of a CPAP machine and am currently working hard to get used to it. So far, I have found it on the floor when I wake up every single time...LOL. Most nights I am up 2 to 4 times and so I just put it back on. Last night, for the first time in a few years, I slept ALL NIGHT (no sleep aids either) but still found the mask on the floor. They tell me this is normal and in addition, I am using a temporary mask until mine arrives..hopefully tomorrow. The one I have for now is larger, bulky and I don't like it in general. The new one is MUCH smaller and lighter and will be smaller to fit my face (I think its the FIRST time in my LIFE that I have ever needed ANYTHING in petite! LOL) a bit better so I'm hoping that will help. No wonder I have been dragging for so long. The thing is, I have complained to every single doctor for nearly 3 years at how TIRED I am. Not sleepy tired but dragging my bones through 3 feet of mud TIRED...EXHAUSTED. First they said it was to be expected from the chemo, then it was because I have a toddler..ha ha ha (not so funny to me) and then the latest is that I have thyroid issues. Well...I've had thyroid issues for most of my life and my levels are right on the mark so I knew that wasn't the issue. I finally requested a sleep study for myself (Seriously wondering if any doctors think too far out of their box...I love my team but come on people!). So yeah...I stop breathing 150 times a night and am twitching at least that much....maybe not noticeable to myself or Pete but it is to the several of the 60 or sensors that I had hooked up to me the other night. It was explained to me that the twitches are the body's way of making itself breathe. Oxygen levels have been dipping pretty darn low at night too. They also told me that my blood sugars won't be stable and I won't be able to lose any amount of weight until I have my oxygen levels more stable. Also, BONUS....cancer cells can NOT thrive in WELL OXYGENATED blood. TAKE THAT ANY STUPID STUBBORN linger cells that might exist!!!! Sooooo........I am doing my best to sleep with the nasal mask on (can't do the full mask...it feels WAY too suffocating and I am getting what I need from the smaller nasal mask). They tell me that in a month or so I am going to feel SO much better. I hope so because this is a little trying for me. I will say that even though I've only had this thing for less than a week, when I wake up in the morning, I am awake...no fog, no body screaming for more sleep....I am alert and almost perky!!!! LOL It's how I used to wake up all the time when I was in my 20s.....maybe this UGLY, RIDICULOUS, DARTH VADER, HIDEOUS, ANNOYING thing is a GREAT thing in disguise!!! I have high hopes!!! I am not going to continue beating myself up for not losing as fast as I once did or for being so tired that things around here sometimes got left undone. Our bodies can tell us so much if we just know WHAT to listen to. Anyone else here ever used a CPAP? I'd love to hear about your experience. I go back next month for another sleep study with a full titration. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 04 Nov 13 - 01:52 PM *That should read that I stop breathing 150 times an HOUR, not a night! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 04 Nov 13 - 02:34 PM Michelle, My brother's entire life changed when he started using a CPAP. Depression gone; more energy; less cranky. Enjoy the improvements. I, on the other hand, broke a tooth. The dentist fixed it and says it will need a crown BUT another tooth is in much worse shape. So Crown 1 at the end of the month. Crown 2 after the first of the year. Dental insurance will cover about half. So all is good. Finally had some money saved for a dishwasher but... LOL Not meant to be. SINS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 04 Nov 13 - 03:21 PM Oh SINS....YOUCH. I can relate to the money saved. I had a hefty amount set aside for a sewing machine that I could use to do some quilting on smaller items (my Featherweight is perfect except it only stitches in one direction...can't drop the feed dogs). I spent a few weeks researching, found a dealer within 2 hours, made plans to go try it out and BAM...my car needed close to $900.00 in repairs. *sniff* The sewing machine just has to wait! Glad to hear things improved for your brother!!! HOORAY!!!! They tell me to get ready to feel SO MUCH BETTER!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Nov 13 - 03:54 PM You may recall that Katlaughing was using a CPAP and it helped her. Until other things intruded, at any rate. I have a co-worker whose life was probably saved by being told he needed to use one of them. There is something about machines figuring when you have cash saved up that is uncanny, isn't it? My hot water tank did that when I was saving for something else a few years ago, and my truck has been doing it to me repeatedly lately. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 04 Nov 13 - 04:14 PM I remember that Kat had one. Missing her in more ways than one. <3 Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Charmion Date: 04 Nov 13 - 05:56 PM Checking in after a long absence ... I'm down to 156 pounds today, from 201 on the first of January. Of the clothes that I wore then, the only garments still in service are some LL Bean turtleneck shirts that were kinda snug then and are kinda big now. Everything else in regular rotation -- from underwear to trenchcoat -- had to be replaced. I still can't quite bring myself to part with the long purple raoncoat that made me look like Barney the Dinosaur; I can't have worn it more than a dozen times, and it's one of those wool-lined H2OFF ones that repel everything that's nasty about November. But it's swimming on me, so I look like a kid dressed up in her mother's coat. I also have real muscles again, and no more batwing triceps. A big part of all this change is the new asthma drug I started this summer. I feel better than I have in many years, perhaps better than at any time in my life. Thank God for the supplementary health insurance that provides drug coverage; the co-payment alone is more than $175 per month. The house-repair prject is nearly finished, after having clobbered nearly half our savings account. For that, we got four new exterior doors, rather a lot of new siding, and healthy new framing timbers and Aspenite sheathing to replace the rotten stuff damaged by water seeping where no water ought to be. Next, we probably have to do the roof! I'm no better at vacuuming and dusting than I ever was, but our diet has improved significantly since I quit my full-time job and now have time to shop carefully and cook more complex meals. We bought a book of "no-knead" bread recipes designed to produce dough that keeps in the fridge for upwards of a week, so I'm back to baking our bread. Edmund gets a proper home-made lunch now, too. I can practically hear my mother's eyes rolling in disdain -- "For this you quit a well-paid job?" But both of us are healthier and happier, the requirements of daily living are taken care of without scrambling, and the loss of my salary is not causing us to go short of anything we need -- or indeed anything we really want, except maybe a European vacation. Come to think of it, the last time we took a European vacation, I came home with a two-month dose of bronchitis and lost my voice for ten weeks. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 04 Nov 13 - 06:49 PM YUP Healthy and happy. Everything else falls into place. Well done, Charmion. Any dieting secrets to share? SINS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Rumncoke Date: 04 Nov 13 - 07:24 PM I have been using CPAP machine - aka 'the snozzelizer' for some years now. I recently obtained a smaller and less noisy air pump and nose cone which is an improvement. In order to minimise the noise of the escaping air I got into the habit of pulling the duvet over my head. I have a small blanket which I put over my neck and shoulders to keep the cold air off me, and I put a loop of the hose between it and the duvet to try to warm up the air a little. I asked that the controls for the air pressure on the new box be shown to me and left unlocked, as I find that I need to vary the pressure if I have a cold, otherwise I can't sleep as my nose stays blocked. Sometimes I have to wait until I can breathe then turn down the air. I still find waking up without that weary weight still on me such a relief. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Nov 13 - 07:45 PM Wow! A couple of great accounts! I know a lot of people read this thread, and I am always glad to see lurkers contribute. Charmion, congratulations! My target weight loss is 50 pounds, that would put me at my former "light" weight of 144 (in the summer when I was more active). In the winter I usually weighed about 5 pounds more. It is nice to get rid of the clothes you're swimming in, isn't it? I am at the point where things I bought last year that were snug are now baggy, and I'll be making a trip soon to pick up a couple of things to tide me over to the target weight. Also good news about your asthma management. Rumncoke, thanks for the encouraging news of the CPAP. Kat told us about it when she was getting fitted and getting used to it, she had a lot of troubles before the apnea was diagnosed. My daughter's roommates thought my daughter might have something like that and one even contacted me - I'd been after my daughter for years to see the ENT about her tonsils because they were huge and after that we all worked to get her to the surgeon - and I think that took care of a lot of her snoring and sleep problems. I left work early today. My jaw was aching from all of the little injections to numb it and I can feel some swelling. I shopped a little on the way home, dog food, dishwasher detergent, apples and veggies. I can hear the reassuring swish swish of the dishwasher running as I work now. Stay warm and dry, everyone! It's getting to be that time of year. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Charmion Date: 04 Nov 13 - 08:07 PM There is no secret to losing weight, damn it. It's a lot easier, however, if you stay out of restaurants, cafeterias, coffee shops and snack bars, and if you walk everywhere you go. A gym membership is a big help, too. A particularly useful tool is a website where I track everything I eat and drink. In combination with an accurate kitchen scale, it's close to a secret weapon. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Nov 13 - 08:21 PM I've taken a different tack, alternate day fasting, with the fasting day modified - it's a 500 calorie day. The law of averages works. You eat regular stuff (don't go crazy) on your feed day, and on your fast day, make it more veggies and fruit in the afternoon, and be careful about eating too much protein on feed days (or you'll get constipated). I watched this program and realize I could do this - I adopted the method described at about 38 minutes into the program. This is Dr. Michael Mosley who hosted some programs on "Horizon," a UK science program that was broadcast here in the US on PBS. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 05 Nov 13 - 07:53 AM My current challenge: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27213/ ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 05 Nov 13 - 10:32 AM A few years ago I poked the side of my thumb, right at the nail bed, and there was this spot that wouldn't heal where the skin was pulled back a bit from the edge of the nail because a little flesh protruded. I did that by poking myself with a piece of metal when putting the dog's rabies tag onto a split ring on a collar. I stuck my hand in my pocket last week and somehow hit my index finger nail on a rivet and seem to have done the same thing - it's a silly problem but it doesn't heal. I'm gong to have to go to the doctor and have this treated. At least I remember what worked last time (silver nitrate, I think, or liquid nitrogen to kill that little patch of flesh so the skin could heal over it.) Darn. Like I need another doctor visit. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 05 Nov 13 - 02:21 PM Linn, the interview with Howard Mansfield just concluded on our local Dallas/Fort Worth NPR station. It was very interesting, and more than that, it shows how we are networking on Mudcat to share things across communities. Soulful Shelters will be a podcast later today or this week, and it will replay this evening on the station if you want to stream it. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 05 Nov 13 - 06:47 PM Strategy for the above link: I walked an hour at a store ydy and another hour today (even after a rough PT), plus I made dinner tonight (45 min standing). Painful, but I think I can handle that much without causing an arthritis flare-up, so it is my new "standard" daily walking assignment. These both included short sits as needed; I carry a folding stool in my grocery cart; I use it to ponder brands on the shelf when I need a short break for my back. Very handy to spot low-shelved gourmet or nbargain items to try as well. I also use it when the cashier line stalls, so I can be patient with the cashier and shed sunshine to other waiting line-peeps (especially parental beings), without exacerbating the back. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 05 Nov 13 - 07:04 PM Ach! I don't don't if I'm frustrated, depressed or just tired. Maybe all three. Handyman was back this morning to put the finishing touches on the deck stair rail. I got the trash up to the road early and the frost off the windshield before Tom and I headed to York, Maine to get his defib read and have a consultation with his cardiologist. I LIKE Tom's cardiologist a lot -- he's a very cautious man. Maybe too cautious. I just couldn't get him to give me any real answers about Tom's congestive heart failure and his vascular problems. All I really want to know is general realistic expectations. I don't think Tom will drop dead next week or next month...but he could, I guess. It's highly unlikely he'll challenge his cousin's longevity...she's 93. But nobody seems willing to even suggest a ball park. All his cardiologist would say is, "One day at a time..." On the up side I took the shore road through York (stopped at Nubble) to Ogunquit. It was a beautiful day and high tide. The ocean was blue and blue green and green...lively and lovely. Then we stopped at a friend's antique shop in Cape Neddick for a nice visit. But I had to pull the car over a couple times on the way home to help Tom find whatever it was he was looking for, or do whatever I needed to do to keep him from, I don't know. Fidgeting and doing whatever he was doing that was distracting my attention from the road. The other half of the time his head droops and I have to ask if he's okay... Then when we got home, he made it from the car to the steps (about 6 feet) and needed to sit down. I convinced him to WAIT while I got a chair and stabilized it so he could sit down. If he'd sat on the steps as he started to, I'd never be able to get him to his feet. As it is, I still had to call 911 to get a lift assist. And now I think it's realistic to get a wheelchair ramp or something (which we certainly didn't think he needed last year after he broke his ankle). I haven't a clue as to how it can be designed to be effective, to be a gradual enough slope that I can actually push him up the ramp, and not be in the way of the driveway. Whatever the solution, we can't continue to get frequent flyer miles for lift assists... And the ongoing family crisis (my family) out in the Midwest is, well, ongoing... I think I need to under-react with a book for awhile... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: ranger1 Date: 05 Nov 13 - 07:57 PM Wheelchair ramps don't need to be straight, Linn, just wide enough at the angles to make the turns with the wheelchair. Got any boy scouts looking for Eagle projects in your area? That might be a good solution. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Nov 13 - 12:18 AM Back home after my late day at the library. I've about finished the last touches on the Secret Santa, and might get that sent out tomorrow. That always feels very good, to set the holiday cat among the willing pigeons. Dishes were stowed in the dishwasher while my tea brewed. That's about all that is getting accomplished around here tonight, aside from feeding the dogs and myself. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 06 Nov 13 - 08:02 AM To see if you can get a ramp made for you, free, check with your local Area Agency on Aging. In many communities this is where ramps come from, and a lot of folks do not know that AAA funded them. If you do not qualify, you can ask any contractor for an estimate, and they will tell you how they plan to lay it out to be ADA compliant as to slope... and then you can use their design to build it yourself or more cheaply by friends. Also Harbor Freight has metal automotive ramp sections you can use (about $125 each) to deck between stacked-shipping-pallet corners. Be thou ramp-ed! :~) ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 06 Nov 13 - 09:16 AM Paying for it isn't an issue -- I think it's covered under CFI/Medicaid. I'm just having trouble envisioning one that would work and not be more in the way. Mostly, I think, what's REALLY bothering me is the realization that Tom is not only not getting better (which I didn't expect anyway), but is -- subtly -- failing. And his problems getting back into the house after a doctor's appointment, session at The Press Room, whatever, is a key indicator. Tom's cardiologist yesterday really didn't answer any questions other than HE wouldn't attempt any other procedures -- including swapping out Tom's existing (since 2004) defibrillator/pacemaker with a bi-ventricular one. And each of his doctors seem to want another doctor to explain risks -- including the risk of doing nothing. The vascular doc told me to ask his cardiologist -- yesterday the cardiologist told me to ask the vascular doc. Meanwhile, the doctors at the hospital never really gave me any answers, either, or even the suggestion of a plan. Meanwhile, a heating crisis was averted this morning and a lot more quickly than expected. Right now I really need to wash my hair before making breakfast for Tom. His physical therapist and the visiting nurse are coming this afternoon. This evening I'M off for some R&R and music therapy at a singaround at friends in Dover. Couldn't happen at a better time. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Nov 13 - 03:18 PM Good suggestions, Susan, about the ramp. I wouldn't have thought of Harbor Freight. Sounds like a good escape for the evening, Linn. I went to a talk at noon today, one I set up before my job changed. It was a spectacularly good lecture - but you have to be a tech teaching and pedagogy geek possibly to have been there in the first place. The woman who spoke about distance education brought some of her fellow collaborators - and made me wish I'd stayed in the teaching end of things back in the day I was finishing my master's. It was well attended and I could see wheels turning all around the room as people had ideas to follow-up on. This was a great plus for my week, and the speaker was a fellow graduate student with me back in the day, so it's always nice to make things like this happen for friends. Hump day. There's nothing that makes the week go slower than having an unhappy workplace. That helped a lot. My lawn has grown a lot with the rain this week but it'll be too wet to mow until the weekend. I know how I'll spend my Saturday, mowing, weeding, and planting. This evening sewing seems to come to the top of the to-do list (a warm bathrobe is now in demand, so it's time to finish that collar.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 06 Nov 13 - 04:27 PM Did some "drive-by gardening" on my way home from the store -- on the way down the driveway I pulled the variegated vinca vine out of the planters at the head of the driveway and tipped them into a winter holding bed (the loam pile) where they'll have a good chance of wintering over. (Yes, I got out of the car both at the head of the driveway AND when I pulled in next to the house. I even remembered pots and protective newspaper for the floor of the backseat when I went to the store.) Of course, now I have to scrub my fingernails before I go out to the song circle tonight... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 06 Nov 13 - 07:59 PM Linn, I didn't think I could have one that would not be in the way either. It took me years to realize that come hell or high water, I just needed to get it done. So I finally decided on what I thought might work, and got an estimate to build that. TBTG I got a second estimate, because THAT contractor could see what I had missed and had a GREAT design. Because it was his own vision, he was able to build it in a jiffy-- and got me into my house the night I was discharged from the nursing home-- Christmas eve-- when my bennies ran out. On 3 days' notice. And it was the best money I ever invested. It MATTERS SO MUCH to know you can get in and out. It changes everything to know that this is handled. So----- I hope you go for it! Also, strategies can be combined-- there are nifty and unobtrusive stair lifts now, too. A boardwalk from drive to house and a lift into it the house, for example. You can have whatever you need-- don't worry about not being able to see it. Someone else will! It may not just be you who needs to use it. It will make house access easier for friends, emergency personnel, anyone who you want to come in and help or visit. I know my home health nurses loved it! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 07 Nov 13 - 08:34 AM Kendall is coming over to work his magic on my now defunct kitchen faucet. Anyone who has visited me within the past year will not be surprised. Turning off the drip is a trip. Roof postponed to the spring. Teeth take priority. Meantime I am still working full time and able to pay for stuff. Plus I thoroughly enjoy the people I work with. Hilarious tales of weekend dates, car troubles and young people's stuff. Sometimes I feel paid to laugh. Promised my brother I would continue to eliminate one box of crap per week so that if I die suddenly he won't have to deal with it. He doesn't care that there are antiques in the boxes in the eaves. He says they are headed to the dumpster. heh heh |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 07 Nov 13 - 08:40 AM W y s i w y G !, thanks for the ideas and the encouragement. I don't have a lot of research time right this moment because I have to get Tom settled so I can go to a medical appointment of my own this morning. (And pick up some meds for him on the way home.) With a quick search though I found a website that has a lot of options/ideas that hadn't even occurred to me. So I sent it on to Tom's case manager. My R&R music therapy last night was really nice -- a bunch of singers I'd not met before (though I know the couple who run it and the couple who own the venue). And no real drama when I got home, despite Tom having some sort of problem with the phone in the middle of the evening and having "lost" his emergency button (it was twisted around onto his back, probably when he took his shirt off). Thanks for the ideas! Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 07 Nov 13 - 11:36 AM Linn, I know you will know what is best. More than anything else I just want to encourage you to remember that no matter how it feels each day, or how crappy managed care is-- You really, really do not have to do it all alone, singlehandedly. Managed care will use you up, if you let it. Remember caregivers get perks too, and that your MudBuds can look up crap you might not have time to do. And then boss us around! :~) ~Susan (and prayin') |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 07 Nov 13 - 03:26 PM Well, today was not without "drama"... While sitting in the exam room waiting for my doctor, I got a call from the emergency service (Tom's "button"). He used it, they ascertained it wasn't accidentally deployed, and sent the EMTs. He had tried to get from the wheelchair into the recliner, and thought one arm of the chair was the other...and sat on the floor. EMTs came and gave him a lift assist back into the wheelchair. The upside is we know the system works. Tom is still somewhat in denial about his blindness and just seems to have problems with the concept of relearning how to do things without sight and how to be very careful and cautious about every move -- such as making sure that chair is behind him when he sits down. I guess the good thing is every time something like this happens, Tom DOES learn from it. He finally admitted this afternoon that he needs something on the "answer" or "send" button on the phone (already oversized as is everything on this phone) so he actually hits the right button to answer a call or place a call. It's very frustrating for me to have to deal with a very intelligent man who can't seem to figure out the work arounds he NEEDS to figure out in order to make his life safer and less stressful. He's NOT a child. He's a very capable, bright and creative man. But sometimes I sure wish he'd ACT like it! Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: ragdall Date: 07 Nov 13 - 04:02 PM Linn, It's so hard to understand why things that seem obvious to us, don't seem as obvious to them. Eventually Tom will "get it". In the meantime, he's fortunate to have someone as caring and patient as you to help him. My decluttering in the garden was put on hold today with what appears to be the start of our usual six months of snow. Last week's 1600 km "Adoration of the Infant", (grandchild #15), trip, prevented me from preparing my two big flower beds for winter. I'm hoping that there may yet be a melt that will allow me to access them, but will have to wait and see. I was able to rake up and compost most of the fallen leaves before it snowed, the night that we arrived home. I loaded all the toys from my roof space that would fit into my Vibe for the baby's older siblings to enjoy. Slowly, the roof space is becoming less full. Somehow, I have to empty it faster. I can't put off getting my knees done much longer. rags |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Nov 13 - 04:18 PM Rags, I've been dying to get out into the garden. Weather and work have complicated it a bit. I think this weekend will have to be the one, because frost is beginning to threaten in some of these overnight forecasts. I tossed a blanket over the Patchouli last night - I need to pick those leaves to dry them in the house, not let them get clobbered by frost first. I have decluttered the Secret Santa list and all assignments have been made. I'm sure there will be a few stragglers, but I haven't heard from them yet. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 07 Nov 13 - 06:09 PM I just revived the "Curmudgeon In Hospital" thread as he is, indeed, on his way back to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. I'll be following as soon as I make all the notifications that I need to. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 07 Nov 13 - 08:04 PM ((((Linn))) |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: GUEST Date: 07 Nov 13 - 09:12 PM OH, Linn! And, as usual, all I have to worry about is a scrungy little raccoon, who is getting way too nippy and needs way too much wrestling. Long talk with my NY rehabber friend the other night: messaged a Mohawk friend who MAY be able to help. She would have friends both sides of the darn border. If only I could smuggle him into NY, Amy would help. But she offered to come up and help build a living space for him. In the spring, when the hormones flow, if released he would probably get et, not having a team to back him up. That's what friends are for! The super news is that yesterday was a happy, happy day. I was able to fire the kiln on Tuesday night, then reload it and fire again last night. Did a great deal of organizing in the studio and threw a dozen small tumblers to fill an order for two - on hold since last May! Those were the first firings since 17 May. R put a bunch of shelves in the storage area so I can pre-sort things before taking them into the studio. I still need to get the shelves in place in the studio. It is wonderful to have space to properly organize. And I continue to delight in the K cabinets! Went into the city last night, had hot bath and good sleep - no coughing! Did two loads of laundry this morning, sorted between city and country. Filled four gallon jugs with city water for the studio; info on line indicates the orange country water could be causing glaze problems. Came back out this afternoon in time to go to writer's group and replenish books supply at the library. Then home to the lonely raccoon, so starved for attention he drove me away but I lasted about an hour and a half. He needs R to rough house with him. Now I will rest up, go to bed early and look forward to searching assiduously for the glaze recipes which are now critical. Then hope to have enough energy left to throw some more pots to fill orders that are 3 months old. Several teapots are needed and they are SUCH a pain! And Thinking of Linn, thinking of Linn, thinking of Linn... |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Nov 13 - 01:01 PM It's a lovely day outside today, and if it dries enough I'll head out and mow the lawn. The winter grass is sprouting and looks like rye (but I don't plant rye, so I know it is the cheat grass or whatever they call it.) Lots to do this weekend. I'll post results, not plans. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: GUEST,Dorothy Parshall Date: 08 Nov 13 - 06:17 PM OK, last night's "GUEST" was me again! WHY??? Anyway, After I survived a lot of coughing last night and got my self moving this morning, I went on the serious SEARCH for glaze recipe notebooks. TWO hours of lifting and moving a million boxes and then going back to see if there was any box hiding somewhere, then checking every nook and cranny of the storage area--- maybe in a pile of papers. And, LO! aching in every joint and muscle, there they were, under a cook book and mixed in with other papers which had been in the house, not in the studio. I must have been looking them over in the cabin just before the dreadful move. Does this not say a great deal for de-cluttering???? Oh, YAY!!! I did find them. But now I was too tired to do anything but take myself out for a celebratory lunch. And picked up a few groceries and came back and have just sat and computered, Off to the cafe in a few minutes. But also have a line on a placement for the furball!!! I am to phone at 8 pm. Bruno never came back yet and floors have not been done. But the studio is in good shape and tomorrow, if nothing intervenes, I can sort out glazing materials and start mixing new buckets of glazes and some smaller batches of test glazes - to try out something new and to, hopefully, replace the cobalt blue and, with any luck, the softer sky blue. Cold grey day with a few tentative white flakes. In the search, I found our winter clothes!!! and the brush/scrapers for the vehicles. My snow tires are not found and I wonder if they were deemed finito at the end of last season. Must do something SOON! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 08 Nov 13 - 10:52 PM Great Day! Glaze recipes found. Ralphie goes to a rehab center on Sunday! And I finally figured out that I needed to re-set my cookie lest I be always a guest. Now I can go to bed, perchance to sleep, she says hopefully. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Nov 13 - 10:41 AM I had thought about heading home early when I posted yesterday, but decided instead to use the time to go through some of the training videos offered by the Lynda subscription in place on our campus. Since you can come and go and gradually work through these courses I had a few I needed to finish and then print out the certificates for my own reference. This morning I went through my master list of online accounts and pulled out the pages that are no longer relevant, and compressed some information from two pages to one. Shredded the discards and that notebook now works better (it had reached a point where opening the three rings meant pages were going to pop out of the book. Rather than move it to a larger book, I need to keep weeding unused stuff.) In general I'm compressing my office into a space for my personal work because I am no longer working at home for my employer. The dean and her second in command have banned telecommuting. This organizing and purging has opened up space in file drawers and I'm rearranging some of the books near the computer and there will be additional changes. I'm also bringing home personal books and objects that I had at work, basically anything I would have to pack up if I leave for a new job. I want to be able to pick up my purse and walk out of the building when the time comes. Yes, it really is that bad at the library where I work. Sad to say. [Trying so very hard not to burn bridges. . . ] The weather report says the afternoon will be sunny, but right now the day is gloomy and gray. I'll work inside until it brightens. I'd love to make a big dent in the weeds and finally get my broccoli and onions planted. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 09 Nov 13 - 11:25 AM SRS, In general I'm compressing my office into a space for my personal work because I am no longer working at home for my employer. YES!!! This is what I have been doing as well, for different reasons, but YES. In OUR space we work for US. From that base we can do work for others but first we must work for ourselves. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 09 Nov 13 - 02:43 PM A recent fitness trend is described in a book, Move a Little, Lose a Lot (see Amazon). One feature is standing at your desktops-- some people have treadmill workstations-- so you can move more while you work. It took 5 minutes, using items in my LR, to put this laptop at dancing height. Feel free to join me! ~Susan (doing the Wobble) |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Nov 13 - 05:01 PM We have a treadmill with a desktop in front of it at work and though I've used it stationary, I should go up and work on it moving occasionally. Thanks for the reminder. Front yard mowed, came in for a cool down, now out to the back. That part of the job is more complex - I must scoop before I mow, and since I'm going to scoop I also take out anything to compost from the kitchen. When I commingle dog droppings with the food trimmings then the dogs leave it all alone. :) While out front I got some photos of the hornworms that were chowing down on the penta flowers in the front bed. I mashed one plain old (but very large) caterpillar, then realize I had several of the hornworm variety at work also. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 09 Nov 13 - 07:09 PM Baby steps, but things DO get accomplished... First off, went to the Nottingham library sale this morning...and I was GOOD. I "won" (meaning I purchased fewer books than I donated -- and at least one of them is going to be a gift, to boot). One of the librarians pointed out, though, that the sale isn't over today. All week it will be 2 bucks a bag so I have plenty of opportunity to fall off the wagon. And on the way to the hospital I dropped off a large pile of magazines at Lee Urgent Care. Then in Dover I dropped off a bag of stuff (small, but every little bit helps) at Goodwill. Keeping on keeping on... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Nov 13 - 01:27 AM I've cleared off about half of the surface of my computer desk and a large amount of paper and stuff off of my kitchen peninsula and table. I sent a big bag of shredded paper (commingled with bacon grease to make it very unappealing, just in case) out in the trash. Laundry and hand-washing out of the way. I got some great photos in the garden this weekend. If I'm going to have a great big cutworm eating the pentas, at least it is interesting when it is a really unusual looking one. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: mouldy Date: 11 Nov 13 - 09:01 AM On the 'Cat for the first time in what seems ages, so thought I would drop in and say "Hi". Weight-wise, I got to goal, after losing 32lbs ("goal" being 31). It just suddenly fell off when I only had about 5lbs to go. However, I think it was stress and worry over my daughter's split from her long-term boyfriend, and arrival at my house, with bag and baggage. 2 months later, she went back to him, and I am struggling now to maintain the status quo, even within the 5lbs leeway that WW gives. At least, having got to goal, I don't have to weigh in more than a few times a year, and I have the tools to get rid again, if needed. This year's home improvements have centred mainly on the shed and garden. I got guttering and flashings sorted on the outbuildings, and had the door and windows upgraded on the shed/outhouse/workroom. The pet project was the gazebo in the corner of the patio, and the "up-cycling" of an old butcher's block into a table to use with it. Next in line has got to be restoration of the front door and windows. The joiner was going to come and fettle the door, but I doubt he'll come this winter. The windows will have to come out and be taken away for restoration. I can't replace them without permission, as they are the 190 year old originals, and protected. A summer job, methinks! None of the work that needs doing on the house can be done on a low budget, unfortunately, as it needs to be done with traditional materials and skills. It'll just have to be a bit at a time. I could do with sorting the back garden a bit, but it's cold and damp out there! Andrea xx |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Nov 13 - 10:50 AM The charm of an old house comes with a price here also, if it is recognized as a historic dwelling, but a lot of times people change them or tear them down and thumb their noses at the glacial-speed of authority that should protect them. My files are lighter after some filing and shredding (mentioned above). I had a couple of things to file this morning and there was no pulling the folder out a ways to shove the document in, it just dropped in easily. Here is my hornworm photo made public on my Flickr account. I love the composition of this - he's such a striking character! SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 11 Nov 13 - 08:53 PM I posted here this morning.....not sure where it went. :/ Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 12 Nov 13 - 08:30 AM "Move a Little, Lose a Lot" sounds like good lines for a song. Ah, yes. Reminds me of a song: "Give a little, get a lot!" by a dear friend. Time to re-listen. Good to see Linn making progress in a determined manner. I think of her as I move through my so much less stressful days. Sunday, trip to Ontario to deliver poor little Ralphie to the next step, and kind arms, of his journey. They would take him on to a rehab center where he would be introduced, carefully, to other raccoons. Hopefully, he will spend the winter learning to be a raccoon so he can be released in the spring. I stopped for a leisurely brunch on the way back at a Tim Horton's on the highway. In Ontario I can get sour cream donuts without glaze. I treated myself to nice soup with a small bun, hot chocolate and a donut and read my book. It was only 86 miles each way but it was a treat to be where everyone speaks English and I always find it a treat to go in a different direction, Also filled up with cheaper gas. Strangely, I kept thinking of Ralphie and had to remind myself he is not in the car anymore. He was a pesky guy but two weeks was long enough for him to become a part of my life. When I got back to the mill, I started putting the sun room back into pre-raccoon condition, missing him but also wanting to wash him out of my life! We shall always hope for him a good raccoon life which we could not provide. Nearing home, I remembered a friend was at a craft show in - ah, THAT"S where St. Barbe is! So I stopped for some of her wonderful brownies and found a nifty hand made card which I am sending to son's wife and her mom make neat things like that. And purchased a hand woven blue and white cloth. A strange size but very nice and made right there - where the women still weave and knit and crochet... The goods were different from other craft shows just a few miles away. A tiny show in a tiny community centre but another treat on that rainy day. Having gotten up at 5:30 am, I soon bottomed out and was back in bed by 7:30, after reporting back to the woman who had passed him to me. She was SO happy. Monday I got up and into the studio with determination and energy! Threw parts for six small teapots and a bunch of small lids for jars. Then went to lunch with a friend. When I got back, I decided I was tired of looking at the RAIN! So I came to the city to take a hot bath. R came home for a nice supper and then went back to work. I had my bath, read and went to bed. Now, I have finished the computering for now and maybe R is ready to get up and have brekkie. Still grey out there but I hope to go back and finish those tea pots, mix glazes and get things done! The more I accomplish, the more energized I am to do more. Mustn't break the spell! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 12 Nov 13 - 06:04 PM We're due a hard freeze overnight (we didn't have a frost this year, just this hard freeze to start with). I spent a couple of hours in the garden cutting up plants and trimming off all of the produce. I have buckets of hot peppers (jalapeno and poblano) and bell peppers and sweet banana peppers. I have a basket of lovely green tomatoes, and a big tub full of eggplants. The sink has a large bunch of basil. I dug up some little patches of cilantro and put them in the little pots that my broccoli came in. I planted the broccoli this morning to get it into the ground to protect it a little. It has it's own kind of anti-freeze, but the roots need to be in the ground for that to work. Whoosh! Lots of cutting and freezing this week! After that (it was a cool windy morning) a nice hot bath before heading over to work. It's my late day, so I'll be greeted this evening by hungry dogs and counters full of produce needing attention. It feels good to have got this before the freeze - and another opportunity to do some canning. I'm going to make some green tomato relish. :) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Nov 13 - 01:18 AM Linn's news about Tom and her one day at a time message a little later. Big hugs all around, Linn. Like Mary Garvey said, let others handle the logistics and you work on the loving. She said it very well. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 13 Nov 13 - 10:51 AM I turned around and drove back to the mill after brekkie. Stopped to make an appointment for new winter tires and a belt for the alternator on Friday - 8am!!! But the clever woman pointed out that if I were first there would be no one ahead of me and the danger of having to wait! She has recognized that I HATE to wait. I had, of course, forgotten that the former winter tires were pronounced dead last spring. Or, I think that since we cannot find them anywhere! This small, local service centre seems to be reasonable. I informed them early on that their job is to keep my car in good running order for another 20 years, so they give me notice when anything needs future maintenance - like the alternator belt. Then I stopped to pick up the local paper from a friend and had a chat with her. And, finally made it to the mill where I turned up the heat in studio, and dropped off 4 gallons of city water - in front of the heater to keep it warm. It seems, from reading clayart, that the orange country water could be the cause of a problem with some glazes. Then I turned up the heat in the living space and made lunch. But it never seemed to get quite warm enough either place and I considered the cost of heating overnight vs the cost of driving back to the city house which is warmer. I checked the weather and ascertained it would be much warmer on Thurs and through the weekend. My potting friend Vanessa showed up as I was getting ready to leave. She was OK with the studio and was going to get some work done. I need to find warm short sleeve clothes. I'll go back down on Thurs and today, I will work on small stuff on the portable wheel upstairs. R came home, rather glad to have me back and we had supper about 7:30 after which he fell asleep on the sofa, then went to bed about 9. He was excessively tired and did not get up 'til after 8 am. I read and computered until 10 and went to bed and got up at 7. Did two loads of laundry yesterday and two more in progress today, including changing the bed. May wash two bed pillows as well. They seem to always smell. Maybe because they are foam? Mine are feather. Duh! I do believe there may be an extra feather pillow or two at the mill. Make a note of that! This house is not very warm either. All little space heaters, carefully arranged due to poor electrical service. Cannot do laundry and have one heater on! Floors are like ice so I finally put a thick throw rug in front of my reading chair. It is marvellous to have energy at long last! However, I have not weighed myself since the beginning of this environmental thing. I did wear a pair of pants that kept falling down the other day so they go back to the thrift shop. Need to find the scale and bring it back to the city. Once I started feeling better, I also starting eating everything in sight. OK, check laundry and get to potting. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Nov 13 - 05:14 PM Yesterday was "patch Tuesday" so I spent time updating computers last night and this morning. I have a couple more in the house to do later. They aren't used often, but when they're needed, it's nice if they're up to date. One is for guests in the guest bedroom, the other streams my NetFlix content in the kitchen. Hand-me-down computers - the old ones, if they still work, have a job they can do. I need to list more on eBay, the three items there are getting a bit shopworn. Maybe this evening. But before I do anything else I finally need to finish the duvet cover for my down comforter. It's going on the bed tonight, I was freezing last night. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: VirginiaTam Date: 14 Nov 13 - 09:27 AM Space bags are my new best friends. Collecting craft fabric and yarn while living in a flat with little storage doesn't fit. Literally. I am packing fabric and yarn into space saver bags, vacuumming the air out and packing in boxes in the small single bedroom. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 Nov 13 - 12:28 PM Last year I bought two large top sheets to make a duvet for my down comforter, but never got around to making it. I had considered various plans, but last night I decided I needed to act before another year passed and just get it done in the easiest manner. Those sheets probably cost about $25 each (they were on sale, but still not cheap, at Penneys.) I put right-sides together and stitched around three sides and from the fourth side I stitched in a couple of feet from each corner before turning it right side out. It took a bit of work to get the comforter in and spread out inside that case, and I am going to follow up by adding tabs or Velcro inside each corner to keep it distributed in the case. I need to make use of supplies I have already purchased, not just buy stuff for new projects. I was comfortable last night. Tonight I'm going to bring in the coolers to empty then defrost the upright freezer. With all of these veggies to freeze I need to organize the contents first, discard anything too old, and figure where to put the new as it is cut up. I love how great the inside of this classic avocado green 1970s freezer looks with the ice gone. (Once it is empty I put a tray under it to catch water and use a hairdryer to melt the ice. The whole operation only takes about an hour.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 Nov 13 - 12:37 PM P.S. - VT - those storage bags have a cognate in the kitchen. Last year I got myself one of those seal-a-meal machines and bought a big box of the make-your-own-size bag rolls and have been using it for meats so far. I'm going to test freezing some of the diced produce then putting it into bags and sealing to see how well and how long they last in the freezer. I'll package smaller amounts versus my big gallon-size zip lock bags. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: mg Date: 14 Nov 13 - 01:21 PM you can defrost instantly with no mess and no drips with a steamer..it just vaporizes the ice. just point it at the ice and it is gone. you don t have to move anything around. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 Nov 13 - 02:21 PM I don't have a steamer, but I do have a hair dryer. And the dripping would get into everything in there, if that's what you're thinking. If I'm visualizing the system you're proposing. I don't mind defrosting a couple of times a year - the freezer gets kind of disorganized over time and I lose track of some of the contents. It looks brand new after the ice is gone and the food returned to it is a reminder of how busy I've been in my garden. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: VirginiaTam Date: 14 Nov 13 - 03:08 PM Maggie - Duvet insertion made easy. Turn the cover inside out. Reach inside with both hands and grab the two adjacent top corners (like puppets). Now grab the two corresponding corners of the duvet. Lift and shake the cover down over the duvet. I had been doing this trick for years, until recently. My shoulders can't take the strain now so Chris does it for me. He thinks it is a clever trick too. Defrosting chest freezer - I sped the process up by putting a large roasting pan on folded towel in bottom of freezer and pouring boiling water from kettle into pan. Close the freezer and leave for 15 - 20 minutes and repeat several times. Also used wide plastic spatula to slide the chunks of ice off. This could be adapted for upright freezer I suppose. Charmion - you are an inspiration. I am almost hoping to be made redundant so I can focus my energy on healthy lifestyle. Right now work sucks everything out me, mentally and physically. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: mg Date: 14 Nov 13 - 03:57 PM no drips with a good steamer...just steam that goes away into the air. it is a miracle trick. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 Nov 13 - 04:11 PM I'll post before and after photos so you can see what I'm doing. I use a hair dryer (one that was my Dad's, Mary!) and a plastic spatula/pancake turner thing. I open the drain in the bottom of the cabinet and let the water drain through that hose into a large flat pan while I scoop off big chunks of melting ice and drop them into a bucket. If the freezer is pretty well frosted up this is about a four-bucket operation. It's quite satisfying to see the sparkling insides when the frost is out. This was built about 1975 so it isn't the most energy efficient, but it is a workhorse as far as having a large freezer that I could afford to buy (I got it a few years ago for $30 at an estate sale.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 Nov 13 - 05:00 PM Linn's husband, Tom Hall, passed away today. In addition to the Curmudgeon in Hospice thread, there is now an obit thread. I put it up quickly, thinking Kat would have often been the one to do that (another reason to be sad!) and hoping that the messiness of approaching death can remain in the older thread and the fond memories and (I hope) good stories will be left in the obit thread so Linn can find solace there. We love you, Linn, and I want to offer a hug collective hug from all of us in this virtual-declutter and lifestyle group. Lean on us if it helps in the days ahead. Maggie |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 15 Nov 13 - 01:53 AM It's rather anticlimactic to come back and report that I did indeed defrost the freezer, and put back a lot of bags and containers of things. I need some wire baskets to organize some of this stuff, I'll swing by the restaurant supply place and see if they have what I have in mind. After that, maybe Office Depot or the container store. I had an old wire in-basket from work that I used to organize some smaller frozen individual portions of meat (I use a Seal-a-meal now to repackage and freeze the meat I buy in the marked down section at my grocery store. The only way I can afford some of those nicer tender cuts, and in theory, aged meat tastes better!) Off to bed. Tomorrow holds so much for a lot of people. Linn, when you wake up it may take a moment to dawn on you all that happened today, or you may awaken remembering everything instantly. But whatever else, remember to breathe. Eat regular meals and get plenty of sleep. Take care, all. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 15 Nov 13 - 12:50 PM I have concluded that after my $850 truck repair for the oil drip that I still have the exact same oil drip. Shit. I'm going to have to take it in again to the dealer because if they didn't do the job right they'll do the repair for free. Otherwise, I'd take it to my oil change garage (Goodyear.) Part II will follow one of these days soon. Just in time for the holidays, to spend more money on the pickup. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 16 Nov 13 - 12:05 AM There's nothing like a lovely Friday morning with a garage sale and on my way to work today I saw both an estate sale and a garage sale! I picked up a pretty little tablet-top chiminea (looks like you could put a can of Sterno in the bottom) for $4 and at the estate sale I bought a cotton and polyester bedspread comforter for $12 that was folded and added to the bedding for the dogs out in their stall in the garage. I bring in what's out there every so often to wash it, and since we're into colder months they need more. It's a large and thickly padded spread and they were very happy to curl up on it right away. Dishes, one more load of laundry, then to bed. I crave the weekends these days, because work offers so little reward. I guess I was lucky for a long time and didn't realize it. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 16 Nov 13 - 02:43 PM I'm still sorting and storing things I took out of the freezer. Pasta and grains don't need to stay in there forever, so I'm checking out my storage canisters and in some cases reassigning contents. I need to pick up a couple more and I have a good coupon. Laundry is underway. Dog bedding is finished. What an incredible amount of hair came out of them in the dryer. I must remember to launder the bedding more often to avoid such a buildup. Cutting up veggies after a (hopefully brief) shopping trip. I'm planning to make a new batch of beans this evening and bake some bread. I know some of you have some pretty active lives so I'll push this up to the top every so often to keep it easy to find. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: maeve Date: 16 Nov 13 - 03:18 PM Just stopping in to scatter a heaping handful of encouragement, Maggie. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 16 Nov 13 - 06:45 PM I got the official report from my sleep study. Ugh. Just ugh. I'm not sure how they can make a determination of anything. They reported I slept for 26 minutes during the entire study. No REM or other whatever they measure waves...well no kidding..I couldn't sleep! I was in the hospital wearing more jammies than I normally do, not my bed, hooked up to a bazillion wires, a camera watching me sleep.....how do they expect anyone to sleep there? Also, the bed reminded me of the ones in hospice...they look like a normal bed but then they have these steel pillars underneath that raise the bed up...CREEPY. Also, a Dr., who has never even seen me, wrote I need a gastric bypass. Um...seriously? I'm a big girl and yep, I need to lose a lot of weight but if he were a doctor who actually talked to me, he would know I lost over 100 pounds and regained it after my joints crapped out on me from chemo so my exercise of choice was ruled out and energy levels have been in the toilet for well over 3 years now (uh...sleep apnea ringing a bell here?) Give me a chance for f*cks sake! This weight WILL come off. I did it before and I AM doing it again!! BACK OFF PEOPLE. GRRRRR. It pisses me off to NO END that a doctor who has never met me would suggest that kind of surgery....which..btw, I know MANY people who have had it, some who have had it twice and even one woman who had it done 3 times and I know of only ONE woman who was been able to maintain her weight loss. I am NOT a fan of this surgery and will NEVER consider it. I'd rather be where I am than put my body through that kind of butchering. Ugh. The whole letter does nothing more than make me anxious. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 16 Nov 13 - 08:20 PM Michelle, it sounds like you met some folks who made assumptions and rubber stamped the status quo. Alice has reported having some success with some amber "blue blocker" glasses she wears in the evening, that help her get to sleep more easily by blocking the overhead, computer, and television blue rays (that cause wakefulness). I did some targeted shopping today, containers for flour, beans, pasta, etc. Got some stuff for making a batch of beans tonight. Thanks for the drop in, maeve! SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: VirginiaTam Date: 17 Nov 13 - 09:32 AM You tell 'em Michelle. Left message for Linn on the Obit page. Sending encouragement to all re health and life organisation goals. I need to do some serious clearing and organising today at home. Next couple of weeks at work will be attempting to move thousands of hanging files. I work in a very large record office and I maintain the hardfiling of contracts and correspondence related to the records (8 miles of shelving in 8 repositories) we hold. We have run out of filing space so I located (in the building) and had moved 3 more (near 7 foot tall) lateral file cupboards. So for the last 2 weeks I have been snaking files along into the newly insalled cabinets. Probably more than 500 files already. But I burned the back of my right hand today trying to turn a tin of muffins around in a narrow oven. I have a quarter (or 10 pence piece in UK) sized red burn with nearly the same size blister forming inside the red patch across the first 2 metacarpal phalangeal joints. I cooled the burn with tepid water. Chris is going to get me proper dressing for it. My skin is so thin from the chemo and other immuno suppressants and age. I have cotton conservators' gloves at work so I can provide a bit more protection. Tomorrow should be interesting. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 17 Nov 13 - 12:31 PM Take care of that VT, no need to tell you that burns can be tricky. I've decluttered a couple of more pounds. I have about 15 to go, so I'm to the point where I may build in some exercise (I'm not a fan of the gym, I'll instead do some exercises while I watch television or maybe dance around the kitchen as I work. Photos will not follow. . . ) Taking a mental health break and going to a museum and lunch with a friend this afternoon. I always have a lot to do around here, so "something to do" is never a great excuse for not going out for a while. And I need to socialize more away from work. Even if it is with a retiree from work. ;) Also working on a headshot for the Linked-In account I set up a while back. I need to do something with that, make it into a useful tool. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 18 Nov 13 - 08:12 AM Have a million disasters and potential disasters to deal with but put them all in their place with an English Muffin and some black and Blueberry Jam. Life is good. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Nov 13 - 11:58 AM Whoo hoo! I moved the shoe rack in my closet, it used to be kind of out of sight behind the hanging slacks on the side of my closet with one high rod. As I've taken out all of the multiples of clothing that I had that fit me in different sizes (the size 16 and 14 are mostly gone now) I have more room, and on the other side where there is an upper rod (blouses) and lower rod (a few long t-shirts that are mostly sleep shirts now) I have a lot of empty room. So the shoe rack is over there and I can see everything. I used to wear those long t-shirts as sleep shirts, and then as I gained weight I simply wore them around during the day, especially in the yard when I was working because they were long enough that they didn't pull up over my pants waistband when I was bent over weeding. (I would get sunburns on my lower back that way.) Now I'm wearing smaller t-shirts during the day and the big ones are used once again for sleeping in. I don't need so many so the tattered ones are in a rag bag. A trip yesterday to Victoria's Secret was a lifesaver. Having stretched out the bras I had, then lost 33 pounds, I was swimming in them. I've tossed a few in recent weeks and I finally got into the store to get a couple that once again fit well. In the kitchen I cut up a lot of veggies, still have many more to deal with. They're going into the freezer that now has more room in it after the defrost. I've done laundry, not only for me but all of the dog bedding. They're getting set up for the cooler weather, though I have to do some modifications in their stall in the garage - hopefully by next weekend. It isn't that much work, it's that I have to get started doing it. :-/ SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 18 Nov 13 - 12:02 PM SINS, I am following your lead and had two raisin English muffins to ward off all impending doom!!! ;) As it normally is on a Monday, my house is a disaster area. I almost have all the dishes done, laundry is all caught up but needs to be put away, general clutter abounds and is being picked up as I go. Jeremiah had his annual physical today which I am thrilled to say he passed with flying colors! He is 38.5 inches tall and weighs in at 38.5! :) He is right on track! YAY! There are some serious sales going on this week in the grocery department. I am going to buy up a large amount of yams to can. Potatoes and cranberries too! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Nov 13 - 02:53 PM I tried making English muffins from scratch one time. They came out terrible, so I buy them by the bag if we want them, but we don't eat them often. I used to occasionally make baking powder biscuits for the kids for breakfast - though since we're not southerners we at them with jelly, not gravy. Our morning forms of bread are usually blueberry muffins, pancakes (buttermilk if I had it handy) or toasted bread (all made from scratch). SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 18 Nov 13 - 03:01 PM Pete has made them from scratch a few times and they were good...time consuming but good! Our local market had Thomas's English Muffins for .97 a pack....NINETY SEVEN CENTS! Needless to say, we stocked up! They are normally a treat for us and we don't usually do toast or muffins for breakfast here. Oatmeal? Yes. Eggs? Yes! Fruit? Yes! Yogurt? Yes! :) It's a lovely day outside so I'm off to pick up Jeremiah and we are going for a walk! YAY! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 18 Nov 13 - 04:18 PM I think I need to do something with MY LinkedIn account which I've been more or less ignoring since I set it up. I'll need to find a job at some point, but I don't have to immediately. Good thing because I have LOTS of work to do! NOW I have the time to get serious about selling stuff. Tomorrow evening I'm going to a talk at the Portsmouth Library by Deirdre Randall (Peter E. Randall Publisher) on publishing options. Two birds with one stone. Both to hear the talk, but also to reconnect with Deirdre for whom I was going to do some proofreading and copyediting (for the clients who were willing to pay for it) before Tom's health started demanding so much of my time. Finally had a chance today to start bagging some of Tom's clothes for Goodwill...and setting aside some articles for friends. Also de-accessioning a few other items to Goodwill. It's an ongoing project, but it's feeling really good to start filling bags with the easy stuff. I tried to give Tom's old wheelchair to his cardiologist's office (it's narrower than most, and the York office is a bit cramped), but she gave me a couple other places to donate it and his walker, rollators, etc. Checked with the VNA to see if they could use the unopened wound dressing materials, but they're not allowed to. She did give me the name of one place that might be able to use them. And I need to research missionary and aid organizations (outside the US) that can use Tom's prescription meds. Got Social Security notified and a bunch of other necessary phone calls made this morning. Submitted the information to the funeral home for Tom's obituary; I just don't have time to write one for the papers. Still have plenty of phone calls, emails, etc. to go. I, who have always had at least one to-do list a day (combination list and journal) am existing in an absolute flurry of lists. It will all get done...it will all get done. And I figured out why everybody gives widows food -- there's no time to cook in between phone calls...because this weekend, at least, there were NO "in betweens"! Oh, and the upstairs phone died so I bought another one this morning and now have to program in the numbers. And meanwhile in Milwaukee, my mother is going into hospice today. All I can say is it's been quite a year... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: mg Date: 18 Nov 13 - 04:51 PM There is a way to send items for free to the Phillipines if you are near an lbc??? shipping..it goes through the end of the month I believe. I think I posted a link earlier. If not, google shipping free phillipines typhoon. They are desperate for medical supplies and would love anything you could pack up I am sure. There might be other ways to ship for free. It will take a while to get there but the need will be ongoing..and was ongoing before the typhoon..great poverty there...you might need to use their boxes though. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Nov 13 - 01:07 AM Aww, Linn. When it rains it pours. I'd think that donations and working on those listed projects are probably the static cling that is holding you together right now. If you can give yourself a chance to take a few deep breaths and let the clothes and item donations wait a few days or a couple of weeks, they won't go away. Get yourself that extra sleep that you need. Read a couple of good books. You don't need to burn that candle at both ends any more. Take care, kiddo. And a big virtual hug. Maggie |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 19 Nov 13 - 09:07 AM I rarely have English Muffins but Shaws had a three day offer - buy one, get two free, so I did. Do the easy stuff, Linn. It allows your brain to work on the important things while you stay busy. Careful what you give or throw away. I managed to donate a bunch of my mother's clothes without checking for jewelry on the lapels. Several treasures were lost. One day at a time. Always one day at a time. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 19 Nov 13 - 03:45 PM (((Linn))) Winter draft sked: MONDAYS *600 cal lunch is 800 on PT days. PT 10am and nap post-lunch/recovery calories. Dishes and cook supper. TUESDAYS 600 cal lunch is 800 on ex. days. PW pool stretches/aerobics. Make veg for week. PW pool stretches and aerobic. Laundry, vacuuming. Cook supper. WEDNESDAYS *600 cal lunch is 800 on ex. days. AM PW pool or ramp exercises and aerobics. Session day (2nd Weds EWR Roch) Faulkner day. THURSDAYS *600 cal lunch is 800 on ex. days. PW pool stretches/aerobics. 3rd Thurs. session & H&H Roch. Ladies Guild also 3rd Thursday. Date Night. FRIDAYS *600 cal lunch is 800 on ex. days. AM PW pool or ramp exercises and aerobics. Day with Hardi. SATURDAYS Ramp stretches. Date afternoon. Sat. Svc. Dinner C&C SUNDAYS Session or dancing, evening. Active rest day. Not a lot of time for Mudcat in there.... need naps, more! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Nov 13 - 05:25 PM My schedule is on my work Outlook calendar and in my phone - I try to give myself enough of an alert time so I stay on schedule. Anything else is as it happens on the fly. Today is the last day I'll wear these black denim trousers for work. They've looked good with a lot of things but they're just way too big now and even with a belt to hold them up they are loose everywhere and almost to the floor. I went shopping last week to get some new tops and bras, but I can live with thrift store trousers because there are always so many to choose from that are in mint condition. Time to make a trip over to shop for replacements. Yesterday I started clearing some of the things from my dining room table. It isn't horribly crowded, but it was the staging area for several projects. I need to think about the setup for Thanksgiving so don't want to have to clear it at the last minute. I also need to start looking at prices for turkeys. Since the freezer was defrosted I have room to easily store a bird, and I might get two and use one for xmas also. Can I stand turkey two months in a row? Possibly. Sometimes it's nice to have a spare bird handy for just in case. I'm all out of whole frozen chickens, so it looks like shopping-wise this is going to be a fowl month. :) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 19 Nov 13 - 06:07 PM Ah, Linn, You are running on an energy born of relief and the need to get certain things done. But also a way of dealing with the pain of loss. Wonderful to know that if you bottom out from all the stress of the last months/years, you have a terrific support group of dear friends. Back in '62 when my father/best friend died, I was most delighted and supported by a very late note of support. A dear person who waited weeks, purposely, until there was a lull in the support because she knew I would need it when others may have thought all was well. How right she was. I got through the early days on "thank heavens he is no longer in pain". Then I slumped with the weight of my tremendous loss of the most important person in my life. I have never forgotten the wisdom of that wonderful woman, when I really needed it. Here in my real life in the city, we now have a door to return the "duplex" to a "one-plex"; I can go to the upstairs bathroom without going outside and in the next door! It seems a small thing but as the weather gets colder, it is so nice to know I can take a bath without going outdoors in my bathrobe! R is realizing how tired I am of "living like this" and asked what was the next important improvement. Heat for the upstairs BR so we can move out of the cave downstairs to a room where there will be light coming in windows in the morning. And two big chests of drawers for clothing, rather than the bookshelves now being used. But light is the big thing. I so hate to wake up in the dark - at 8 or 9 am! There is even some semblance of hope that the kitchen may be renovated- a major project entailing removing every piece of wood - joists, studs included to get rid of the powder post beetles that have eaten everything. The whole k is in danger of falling into the cellar! For reasons best known to someone else, my night cough got worse on Friday night and I started not getting enough sleep. Getting nothing done on Saturday in the country, I came back to the city to spend Sun and Mon Afts with my friend with Parkinson's. My time with her helps her through times when her husband needs to be away; hard for her whole family to fill that extra time. I am a poor substitute but my presence is a help to all. I am glad to be giving back to these dear friends of 45 years. I also feel the pain of her increasing disability; know how I would feel to need someone to hold me up and help me struggle to move one foot forward at a time; and know it will get worse. I weep for her and for her family as they watch her deteriorate physically. As I think of things to say to her, filling the airspace, trying to keep her mind off the absence of her husband, I have the benefit of talking about aspects of my life, and of her wisdom and support. Also discussing books I am reading or have read and thoughts on the world in general. whatever helps her through the long afternoons. The phrase, "pieces of me" is on my mind as I have finally realized that, in the course of my very many moves, I have left pieces of me all over the place. I have given pieces of me to people and sometimes left them behind bereft as they were not prepared to be without those "pieces". I have also, of course, added to myself, pieces of the people with whom I was involved in those places. I am looking at my life backwards and realizing that I have been hard on some of hose people who came to depend on me in some ways - and then I was gone, not realizing that I had been important to certain people. Might be something worth writing about to share. I see I have been hurtful without ever realizing it. I told a mutual friend on Friday night that I was about ready to throw in the towel on this relationship with R. Four years is long enough to deal with this. I muttered to myself all the way back from the country Sat eve, as I have done often over this four years but "really fed up this time" only to find him being exceptionally accommodating when I arrived. I wonder if she told him??? Oh, phooey. I could save myself a lot of muttering in fury if I would just accept that I am in it for the long term regardless. In other words - de-clutter the fury and accept what is. My cell phone died yesterday and it took two trips to the koodoo booth to get back on track. "This phone is like your old one." NO, it is not! I needed help to figure out the basics. These "kids" do not get it! And for some reason the phone numbers I use most often did not make it onto the new one so had to be re-entered. Then hot bath, bed all afternoon, and now I am almost ready to do something useful. A trip to library is in order. Avoiding grocery trip. Going back to country tomorrow where there are lots of groceries. But no bread here. OK, make cornbread from mix to go with the chicken I roasted yesterday - and R did not come home 'til after midnight. Salad and chicken and cornbread - and phone him to ensure supper by 10 pm with any luck. Library, here I come. I'll walk if it not too cold. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Nov 13 - 11:32 PM I brought home a book from the library yesterday, though I have to admit that since it is for a writing project and is only one of two that I need that I could get, I also ordered both of them via Alibris and they'll be here when they get here. I can read the library copy in the meantime. I put on the amber (blue blocker) glasses Alice recommended this evening because I work late on Tuesdays and the winding down when I get home part is hard, especially since I need to be at work in the morning on Wednesdays. I'm about ready to wrap things up - these really do block a lot of light, and I am feeling tired/sleepy. What Dorothy describs about support is true - after a while people forget. I remember hearing a radio program about grief, and they said that the Jewish traditions to do with grieving are quite comprehensive and extend for at least a year. I don't remember what they are, but I thought it an interesting topic. Simply asking if it is a good day might be an opening to use if you need to talk, here and in other discussion sites. Lights out for me. I'll report in about the glasses after I've worn them a few times. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 Nov 13 - 01:43 PM Whoo hoo! I'm down below 160! Stepped on the scale this morning and am at 159. There's always a little fluctuation up and down in a weight-loss endeavor, but this is my first time into the 150s in probably 3 or 4 years. Back then I was told by the mail-order prescription service that is part of my insurance that they were no longer going to pay for the compounded Rx for my hormone replacement, and I was tired of fighting, so I went on their product for a while, hoping that the upside down numbers weren't going to be a problem. I slowly gained weight the whole time I was on it. I finally did the math and realized that it cost $75 for three months of the product I didn't like and only $93 for three months of the Rx I preferred. I switched, and though I didn't lose weight, I stopped gaining it. The weight loss is due to alternate day fasting (regular eating one day, 500 calories only on the modified fasting day). I'm now down 35 pounds from my high in the spring of 2013, when I was topping out just above my highest pregnant weight. I have a bag of stuff to take to the Goodwill. After the laundry finishes today a couple of more items will go into that bag and out the door. I'm not keeping any of these size 14s as fat pants. I know how to keep my weight where I want it since I now have a system. 15 pounds to go, but I can finally see glimpses of my old self. I can wear a few more of my rings, my shoes fit better, and after feeling like I had almost outgrown my winter jacket last year it is now a lovely loose fit again. I have a pair of flannel-lined LL Bean jeans that I haven't been able to wear for the last three or four winters, but this year I may once again fit into them. This is so nice, being able to shop my own closet. And there is so much more room in there now that I've discarded the larger sizes. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 Nov 13 - 10:08 PM The blue blockers are on, it makes some things a little tough to do, but it means the television and the monitor aren't overstimulating my brain with blue light. It is very early days yet in this test. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Eldergirl Date: 21 Nov 13 - 05:35 AM Hi all, i've been following this thread off and on for a while now, my admiration increases for youse guys, the amount of stuff you get done in a day just amazes me. Re blue light blockers: My other half has great difficulty sleeping most nights. Trouble is, when he wakes and can't nod off again, he turns to his laptop to use the time positively, but i'm not sure it helps him in the long term. He also suffers from depression, which lack of sleep probably increases, so we've acquired a light source designed to help SAD sufferers. Maybe, just maybe, if I can arrange the light source for morning use, and get a pair of blue light blockers for evening use.. (sigh) but none of this will cure his twitchy burning feet. All minor niggles I spose, but they add up. Peace, love, and all that stuff. X el |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 21 Nov 13 - 10:00 AM Eldergirl, Here is the solar shield link that Alice came up with in another site. Reasonably priced. If you're in the UK or somewhere else I suppose Amazon has a country-specific ordering page. Too bad our Kat is no longer here. She is the one who spoke at length about the efficacy of a bar of Ivory soap under the bottom sheet at the foot of the bed. There's something about it that helps with cramping and twitchy feet. I've also heard that having a packet of mustard by the bed to consume (I know - it's a bit of a pucker!) if it is a problem. And if Susan passes through this thread again I think she can expand on the efficacy of special lights for SAD. I think that has been an issue in her household in years past. Good luck with all of that, and thanks for checking in! Yesterday was my fasting day, I was careful about it, and I got about 45 minutes of good exercise mowing the front lawn. I'm down another pound. I need to try to get home early enough this evening to mow the back yard (the yard is large and is most often mowed over two days). Here overnight it is supposed to turn very cold and rainy, so this will be the last mow. I want the yard to look trimmed and park-like for a while. If I don't mow it will look kind of shaggy for the winter. The grass is just about to all go dormant. I don't always lose weight on my regular eating days, but exercise is always good, and in this case, the lawn needing a mowing right now trumps waiting until tomorrow on a fasting day to mow. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: VirginiaTam Date: 21 Nov 13 - 12:44 PM I need to look hard at the alternate day fast thing. Still packing on weight even though reducing the steroids. On 2 mg daily down from the 15 mg I started on over a year ago. But as of today on steroid asthma inhaler to calm this habitual cough. 2 puffs twice daily. Gah! Walk home from GP yesterday (5 minutes for fit person) took me 30 minutes due to hips seizing up and coughing fits. Cold and rain make both worse. Lots of moaning and aching in hips last night from that walk. Had DBS (diagnostic boob squishing) today. Most uncomfortable especially the manipulation of my arthritic shoulders to get good picture of armpits. Imagine sleep will be interuppted by shoulder pain tonight. I might just pre-empt with co-codamol. Next up, bloods taken. Vein inside left elbow is starting to give up (right arm vein can't be located) and the left is now knackered from being stuck every month. Get big black bruise every time now and it is painful when they sick me. Didn't used to be. I didn't wear proper plaster over the burn on the back of my hand today so constant digging into handbag for taxi fare and appointment and blood forms means I broke the blister. Ick. On the upside, Chris gets to wash the dishes. The problem with swapping (my occupational health prescribed non working) Wednesday to Thursday to accommodate hospital appointments is that I am not getting the day of rest in the middle of the week. But my employer wants me to not miss work for medical appointments. Can't seem to get line manager to understand that I should not be using the non working day to take care of personal appointments. Defeats the purpose. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 21 Nov 13 - 07:07 PM Phone calls to make tonight -- there really never seems to be enough time, and each call demands leisure to talk. Tom's first wife emailed back that I don't have to call tonight -- she's keeping up on things. Time to talk when life gets, well, not exactly back to normal, but a little less...I don't know what it is right now. I'm getting things done, checking things off lists, living in a world of lists, knowing there are still people who haven't heard... Got the online obituary page through the funeral home accomplished today. The website is mine in perpetuity...and I can post as many links, YouTube videos, photographs, etcet etcet as I want. Still waiting for a call back from the local fire department (down at the foot of the road) which maintains a cache of wheelchairs, walkers and other equipment for those in Nottingham who need them. I have a wheelchair, two different kinds of rollators, and a very nice walker to donate, but the fellow I talked to (who has helped Tom a number of times with lift assists or trips to the ER) had to talk to the chief. I wanted to take stuff to Goodwill today, but the wheelchair is still in the back of the car and, besides, it got too late in the afternoon. I just discovered yesterday that Wentworth-Douglass Hospital (where Tom has been through most of his hospitalizations) has an outdoor labyrinth outside the new wing. When I take the stuff to Goodwill, I'll go over to the hospital and walk the labyrinth. Went to Deidre Randall's talk Tuesday night and not only touched base with her, but made a couple other interesting contacts. Inspired me, too, to get serious about my writing again. Last night I went to a song circle run by a friend where I had gone for the first time the night before Tom landed in the hospital the last time (two weeks ago). I think I've got all my Secret Santa and other Christmas shopping done...and bought myself a present: a lavender plant from White Flower Farms that thrives indoors. I mailed a few things out today AND got a passport application at the post office. I'd like to visit a friend of mine (who lived in Portsmouth for quite awhile) who lives in Strath-something, Ontario in a converted church. I also finished indexing Tom's 1995 freelance output, so now I just have 1996 to finish. I got all the meds, etc. cleared out of the table area, the commode moved to the cellar, the couch cushions back on, little bits of stuff organized, cleaned, whatever...it's all therapeutic and giving me a more peaceful environment. And now I'm going to go upstairs (with a margarita) and make those phone calls. I need to find out what's going on in Milwaukee (my mother went into hospice on Monday, as far as I know) and I need to call another old friend... Yes. Talking about Tom helps. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 21 Nov 13 - 09:43 PM SAD is covered well in a thread with that acronym in the title, just filter search for it. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 Nov 13 - 12:23 AM Found it. Seasonal Affective Disorder question (I left off the BS in the title, because for those affected, it isn't BS!) Grim meeting of my department at work today. Openly discussing the state of our library. Someone speculated that about 85% of the people they know in our library would leave tomorrow if jobs were available elsewhere. I'm not the only one biding my time. I'll need to keep some daylight fixtures handy to keep my mood up. Amber lenses on this evening - started later than usual because a favorite program (Elementary) is on from 9-10pm. They're making references to some of the various Sherlock Holmes short stories this season, something either they didn't attempt last year or that I wasn't aware of. Since last spring I've read two short novels and two longer story collections. This season the program referenced "Silver Blaze," "The Greek Translator," and one one more I remember from the Jeremy Brett series but I haven't read the story yet. It's a good move, to keep the die-hards happy, to see how far the new plots can get into one of these old stories before they have to divert to take into account 2013, not 1887. Tomorrow is Friday. I'm going to a classical guitar concert in the evening with Susie, and we may bake bread on Saturday. The day is supposed to be cold and yucky because a cold front moved in this evening. I'll clear the counters and let the dogs in. They'll love it. The truck is in the garage in case of hail. On my way home this evening I decided to stop at my local thrift store, since I have retired my favorite pair of black denim jeans. I could use them like slacks with lots of tops and not get called out for wearing jeans to work. :) I picked up a number of pairs of black size 12 and almost all were too big! A pair of Talbot's and one other pair fit well, and I only needed one, so got the Talbot's. $3.33 plus tax. I'm not so foolish as to race out to pick up the size 10s, I'm sure they would be too tight and I'm tired of too-tight pants. The fact that the 12s were loose has to do with the types of size 12. If it is a Women's size then it is more full in the waist, and that is what I found was too loose. Some were too long. I need to lose another 10 pounds before I start looking at the size 10s. Enough. Like Mark Twain said, sorry for the long letter, I didn't have time to write a short one. It takes time to edit and trim and decide what really needs to be said. I'm slapping it down on the page then heading to bed. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 Nov 13 - 10:35 AM This morning I took a large plastic bin labled "size 10" from the upper shelf in my closet to look at the contents. I have good blue jeans, black jeans, and black slacks in there, along with a few pair of summer pants. When I get through the size 12 phase I'll have the garments I need for the next (and terminus) part of the weight-loss plan. I do have some size 8s in another bin, but I don't know if I'm going to fool with trying to get to that size. I think that was my divorce-era depression size. Very cold weather settled in overnight. I got out my thermal plug (the circuit opens when the temperature gets down to 45 and stays open until it reaches 50). My oil heater is now plugged in for the dogs in the garage, and as it gets really cold I'll put it on a timer or leave it on all day during the coldest spells. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 22 Nov 13 - 12:43 PM Just back from my annual physical.. All is well. Lost a few pounds. Made it thru another year. The mudelves are smiling at this good news! Congratulations! ;-) |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 Nov 13 - 12:26 AM Guerrilla shopping this evening - an ice storm is predicted for Sunday into Monday and I want to be finished with the bulk of my holiday shopping. I stopped at two Krogers, an Albertson's, and a Save-A-Lot before I finished. I have most of my Thanksgiving meal (I forgot the little marshmallows for the sweet potatoes) and I picked up an extra turkey for either December or for next spring if a friend from Arizona makes a visit. I'll host a dinner for friends and family on that occasion. Susie came by this evening and I showed her how the bread machine works. Set it on "turbo" and "manual" and in an hour had a loaf in a pan for her to take home to rise in her fridge and bake in the morning. Her sister arrives during the day, and the smell of fresh-baked bread is as visceral a welcoming smell as I can think of! SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 23 Nov 13 - 11:41 AM I'm not sure how life could get more complicated right now than it already is. I can't remember if I mentioned that my mother in Milwaukee entered hospice earlier this week -- after time in the hospital, rehab and then a couple days in a nursing home. All during which I really could do nothing from this distance with, of course, my hands full with Tom's last illness and death (other than be an available ear for my sister). I just got a call from my sister about an hour ago. She was on her way to the hospice as my mother had taken a turn for the worse and may not live through the day. I gave her some advice based on my all too recent experience and will await whatever is going to happen. So this rather puts a lot of plans on hold. I don't know if/when I'll be flying to Milwaukee for the funeral. I have to find the errant piece of paper with the date and time of my phone interview with Social Security about the SS death benefit for Tom (in case I have to reschedule). I have to let all those who have invited me to Thanksgiving dinner what's going on. I've made my packing list (I'll be traveling very light), and I called a friend for flying advice. I haven't flown since before 911 and the last time I booked a flight it was through a travel agent. I distributed a few of Tom's things to friends last night at the session, found out that the fire department doesn't need the wheelchair, etc. so I was planning to Freecycle them, but with all this uncertainty, I'll worry about that later. But I have to get the damned thing out of the car! I would like to get the bags of stuff for Goodwill over there on Monday (and take the time to walk the new labyrinth at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital -- boy, do I need that right now!) and I want to see my neighbor today and perhaps visit a friend tomorrow. I had just called the electrician to schedule the needed work, so called him back this morning to explain why I can't reschedule right now. Jeri will take care of the cats and mail and the packages I'm expecting. I've got lists...I've got more lists... What am I forgetting? Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 Nov 13 - 02:37 PM To Breathe. In and out. Slowly. Why don't you ask your drug store if they can use the wheelchair? My drugstore rents various pieces of equipment; perhaps if someone comes along who has a longer-term need they can give it to that person for you. A friend sent a recipe for Cranberry Nut loaf and it's a cold day, so I think I'll make some of that and other fancy soda breads in my small loaf pans and freeze them to give people in the next few weeks. I have one trip to the store for a couple of Thanksgiving ingredients and then I can settle in for the cold weather that is supposed to pass through tomorrow and Monday. My nextdoor neighbor has a nice 8'x10' area rug she doesn't need now and asked if I'd like it. She buys good quality items and takes good care of them, she doesn't have pets, and they don't smoke. Sounds like a good rug - I took a look and will now see if I can find the place where it should go if I bring it over. For quite some time I've been wanting to create a conversation area with a rug and the sofa and the coffee table and a couple of chairs. Maybe this is the time to do that. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 23 Nov 13 - 03:34 PM My mother died this morning. Sigh. The timing COULD have been better (for a lot of reasons), but, what with Thanksgiving this week and all, and me being the furthest away, no decision has been made yet as to when the funeral will be -- this coming week or the week after. So right now I can't plan much of anything until I have a better idea. So...I think I'll go over to a friend's for dinner, long conversation, dog snuggling, and not too much wine... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 23 Nov 13 - 05:05 PM In vino veritas, Go for it. So sorry ,Linn. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 23 Nov 13 - 05:31 PM I second what Maggie said.... Breathe in and out very slowly...sit down for a few minutes, close your eyes and just breathe. Much love to you my friend. You are doing an amazing job....I'm sure it doesn't feel that way, but you are. Breathe in....hold.....hold....hold.....let it all out. Repeat. (((((((((Hugs)))))))))) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: VirginiaTam Date: 24 Nov 13 - 02:30 AM Oh {{{{{ Linn }}}}}. I am amazed at how upbeat is your writing (and replete with sharp detail) here on FB. Think you must be running on left over adrenaline. Please do take time to wind down and recover. That Labrynth sounds lovely. Maggie and Sins - WooHoot! Way to go the weight loss. Sins extra for making it through and getting good report from doctor. To all others. Just hug. Got the call from Acura Home Health Care on Friday. First dose of Golimumab arrives this Wednesday (so glad I can arrange the delivery for my day off work) along with injection pen, swabs, sharps box, plasters etc. The nurse to show me how to do first inject will call some time this coming week. Fingers, eyes and toes (due to RA) crossed for luck that this treatment will work and that I won't suffer to much from side effects and not at all from the worrying risks. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 24 Nov 13 - 04:27 AM (((Linn))) <3 ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 Nov 13 - 11:51 AM Linn, You have a lot on your plate, and everything probably looks like one giant contiguous job. I'm glad you have all of those notebooks, now when you need to do something specific for Tom's Legacy with all of your clippings and files you have that storage. I hope you'll be able to go ahead and work on that guest room again, not to make it a hospital room, but to make it a hospitable room so that you can have guests come by on spur of the moment if they're in your area. I'm gradually putting away stuff in my sewing room (because it is my daughter's bedroom and she'll be here for the holidays next month) but I have my son's bedroom completely clear of odd stuff sitting around and it's ready for any guest who comes my way. (Okay - you got me - don't look in his closet!) Around here I need to do a few things to address the cold. We've had a couple of brief freezes but the faucet covers aren't in place yet, and it must be done today. The hoses are out there and I need to pull them into the garage. I made two batches of quick breads yesterday and am going to make more today. I'll pile them up in the freezer for sending home after Thanksgiving and for distribution in December. (I bought a batch of 5 little loaf pans at an area thrift shop years ago so I can do several loafs at once.) I also bought some turkey wings and used a thigh that had been in the freezer for a while to make a batch of turkey stock. I'm going to brine my bird (which I have to put in the fridge today) and that tends to make the juices too salty. I can use some to add the salt to gravy, but I'll have stock and grease from the earlier batch ready for making my gravy. Mostly today it will be eBay Central, and I'll find a holiday symbol to use, i.e., stick a poinsettia in some of my photos. (Hint hint, shoppers!) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 24 Nov 13 - 05:54 PM The new schedule/routine is going great and is resulting in clearer thinking, better self-carecare, and some overdue cleaning and organizing. This weekend I pitched 3 much loved sweaters and a favorite satin nightgown that all needed more work than they were worth. These made room for some new cozy items bought new and used. For any lightweight items I pitch, I save a swatch the size of a medium-sized quilt square. I have no plans to take up quilting (tho you never know!), but I can insert them into a photo album to recall many happy memories of people, places, and events they evoke. Right now the collection is no bigger than a paper grocery bag-- a cold winter evening's project. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 24 Nov 13 - 07:04 PM I made a pot of homemade potato corn chowder today and then spent hours this afternoon sorting out two HUGE boxes full of paperwork...just things I've been setting aside and meaning to take care of. Tonight it is DONE. I'd say a 70% of it was trash, the other things were either magazines/reading material or medical paperwork/taxes/bills/child care stuff, etc. Feels good to have to all taken care of....I still can't get over how much JUNK was in the boxes!! There's been a Shrek marathon on TV which we all love. Pete's been working himself silly so it's been nice to have a fire going while he relaxes with a magazine, feet up and some silly TV. Jeremiah is playing with his trucks and books, watching intermittently and I am now finally taking a break and then plan to read through a couple of the magazines so I can pass them on and get them out of my house! Laundry has been going all day as well. I am most content. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 Nov 13 - 08:23 PM More baking of small quick breads, and I cut up and sauteed several of the garden eggplants and will put them in the freezer to use in tomato sauce and stew and such. We're looking at a possibility of ice overnight, but I still have to be ready for work tomorrow. Just like a kid waiting to see if school is cancelled. ;-D SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 Nov 13 - 11:22 PM This evening I set out clothes for tomorrow for if we have no adverse weather overnight, and decided while I was looking at my earrings and such to try on a ring that hasn't fit for quite a while. I was able to slide it onto the finger where I usually wear it. This is the true test of a weight loss, if I can wear my "regular" jewelry again. A pleasant discovery! Today I've worked in the kitchen and caught up with some recorded programs (the good thing about Win7 and above is that they make networking router-connected computers very easy - my office computer is on so the kitchen computer can pull recorded programming off of it to play while I cook.) eBay stuff is accumulated, but not listed - I was having too much fun baking bread and catching up on those programs. Tomorrow the first look out of the bedroom window will tell me what I need to know for the day. The faucets are covered and the pickup is in the garage. The dogs are coming back in for the night in a few minutes. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 25 Nov 13 - 09:19 AM Annual physical and all is well - except of course my weight. Keep hearing Gordon Bok singing "I don't mind the wet and cold I just don't like the growing old" oh well... |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 Nov 13 - 02:57 PM The ice coated my trees and fences and was on the metal trim of my sliding glass door this morning, but it wasn't on the roads so we had a work day like usual. I'm glad I took some photos since the ice didn't last long and the "silver thaw" of trees coated with ice was lovely. After a weekend of baking I brought a couple of small loaves of bread into work today - I think the carrot bread is better after a day, the flavors meld more. I'll be making a variety of seasonal breads for friends this year - as affordable gifts for one thing. My hands have broken out again (dry and cracked) - partly I think it is a contact thing (something I touch routinely with my right hand) and partly I think I simply need to avoid any of the cakes that people bring into campus for various events. Last week on Thursday I had a slice of what looked like a vanilla cake, but I'm willing to bet there was coconut in it. I'm so tired of this - I can go for weeks with my hands clear, and then something happens to set off the dermatitis and until it clears it is easy to re-trigger. I have resolved that if I can't read the ingredient list I won't eat it. Despite grumbling about the cold I like this time of year - I can get out all of my great sweaters for a few months. Some I bought new last year at this time are larger sizes than I might buy now, but it doesn't matter so much if cardigan sweaters are a bit big. I will probably donate a couple of pullover tops that are hanging on me now, unless I can take them in a bit at the sides. Everyone stay warm and cook up a storm this week! SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 25 Nov 13 - 03:10 PM The results from my tumor marker test are in and show the largest jump up in numbers since my diagnosis. The goal is to keep numbers low...so...I called both the oncologist and hematologist. While it was a big jump in numbers for me they aren't too concerned and have scheduled me for a retest in the not too distant future. In an attempt to keep anxiety at bay, I cleaned out the fridge, did the dishes, cleaned off the counter, did laundry, got next year's calendar filled in with important names, numbers, addresses and birthdays. Soon I'll be off to get my little man and some time out to clear my head. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 25 Nov 13 - 04:32 PM It is definitely THAT time of year. People die, people get depressed, we need the light and warmth - not HOT, just warmth - weather and friends warmth. Some get news like Michelle and go into a blue funk; SHE makes a clean sweep of things needing to be done! Hurray, Michelle. You are a light in the darkness. I have had no energy today - or just bits and drabs. Unloaded a kiln full of lovely bowls but it did not inspire me to do anything else. I am hoping the young woman who comes to pot will inspire me; she is due shortly and needs my attention. It was down to 14F last night and very windy, and the kiln fumes blew into the living space - blurred vision caused me to get off the computer and realize the odour was dreadful and very toxic so I went to the city and came back this morning. Unfortunately, the bedding in the city smelled of the diesel fuel R spilled on his clothes last week so I had trouble sleeping. It was midnight, no spare sheets, 50F in the house because he had tried to wash the clothes which blew the circuit with the main heater and - uh oh, the frig was off all weekend also. I slept cold and trying to avoid the smell - one of the worst for me. No wonder i have little energy today. I was back here by 9:45, found spare flannel sheets and a good thick quilt to take to the city, still hoping to glaze and reload the kiln then drive back to the city and do laundry, change the bed. The temp is up to 29F so the house should be tolerable. This place is OK but I fear the fumes may escape again. No wind tonight; it is expensive driving back and forth. Had a chat on line with a friend on Whidbey Island about surviving December. I did have a couple very productive potting days and have another load almost ready to bisque fire - tomorrow. On those really good energy days I realized how sick I really was these last few months - environmentally. The diesel fumes scared me and I have been coughing badly all day. Very discouraging. OK. I'll try another trip to the pottery. Maybe this time.... |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 25 Nov 13 - 05:55 PM Woke up way too early this morning but at least I'd gotten to bed comparatively early last night. Came downstairs to make a cup of tea to take back upstairs and read and...got caught up in miscellaneous cleaning and decluttering until the water boiled. Actually, not a bad start to the day. When it turned a decent season to make phone calls, I made them -- called the electrician and he'll get back to me as to which of the 3 possible days next week will work. Called a friend who is going along with me to pick up Tom's cremains (is this really a more, what? PC? word than "ashes"?) and figured out what day and time works best -- Wednesday morning. I just didn't want to go alone... Renewed a prescription, left a couple messages...checked a lot off the list. My up-the-hill neighbor came down for lunch (buttered Saloio bread and brie, small glass of pinot grigio -- we both decided a salad was unnecessary) and then we picked up her daughter and went to Goodwill in Dover where I schlepped in 5 or 6 bags of stuff, getting it out of my living room. Found a large plastic storage container for 2 bucks and another one of the flashlights I really like, new but cheap -- so I can keep one in the car. Bought Druinn (neighbor's daughter) a pair of large floral earrings that she wanted (for a buck) as a "Hanukkah present" (she works a job where she has to wear all black -- but she can wildly colored earrings). Then we went to discover exactly where the labyrinth outside the new wing of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital is. Found it right off -- further to the left of the building than I usually get to. It's a 5-circuit classic labyrinth out of dark and light grey cobbles. I really wish I had known it was there a couple weeks ago, but didn't learn of it until I got the newsletter last week. Didn't walk it today because I'm hobbling as a result of medial pain in my right knee yesterday and today. But I'll definitely be back. Came home and posted the wheelchair, rollators and walker on one of the two Freecycle lists I'm on. My mother's funeral in Milwaukee isn't until December 17 so I have a little breathing space to get some stuff done here. And tonight I'll call one of the twins my mother babysat for (as a live-in mother's helper) back 70 years ago. Not a bad day... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Jeri Date: 25 Nov 13 - 06:25 PM After buying the new old car and getting stuff on my house fixed, I figured it was safe to buy a jacket, so I did. I might not be able to afford the ideal house or ideal car (at least not a new one), but I figured I'd go after the ideal jacket. After all, it was on sale. Last night as I was not sleeping, I heard the awful drainy-suck noise my heating system made when the guys were working on the house. I messed with various things and turned it all the way down (which is 50°F) and went back to bed. The guy was coming to do the annual cleaning today anyway. So today, the guy comes and determines the pump for that level's (downstairs) heat is dead. Replaces it. Nothing. Now, for the funny part, which probably is my fault somehow: it was the wrong level's pump. Got it all sorted out and working. I'm warm and happy... other than finding yet another opportunity to dispose of money. But I love my Sub, my parka has shipped, and things could be worse. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 Nov 13 - 11:21 PM Jeri, sometimes getting through the day is a matter of averaging things out. I have an L.L. Bean jacket I bought years ago that is still going strong, it was the best jacket I could afford at the time. Dorothy, it sounds like you need a warm sleeping bag you can use to relocate to a couch if necessary, if R is bringing diesel fumes to bed! Linn, sounds like a nice labyrinth. Will a knee brace help? I'm looking at university job listings this week. One I will apply for, and one that is ranked too low to bother with, or it could be interesting. Why do these departments decide that you can only do one thing and pay squat for it? They could pay someone a living wage and have them do two or three interrelated things. [sigh] I've decided that I'm swimming so much in the gray slacks I wore today that I need to put these in the donation bag and find another pair of gray suit-pants type trousers. Back to the thrift store next weekend. Amber glasses are working. The dogs are coming in and I'm to bed. SRS |
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Subject: RE: "PC" terms around death and dying From: wysiwyg Date: 26 Nov 13 - 07:11 AM RE: "PC" terms around death and dying Linn, "cremains" is the term funeral directors settled on that they hope is accurate and not piling hurt upon hurt, that in their professional jargon among one another, clergy, and cemetery people simply means: "This specific funeral will involve a process that can and might helpfully take some time, as opposed to a quick embalming and burying." That term often signals a professional who cares deeply about all aspects of what occurs at this difficult time. Most people I have known who are receiving the ashes of the person they have lost prefer to use the word "ashes," maybe because it has that sense of loss of so much more than the physical body that has passed. You use the word that works for you. Whatever you say will truly be just the right thing to say. Whatever you find weird from others' words will truly be weird. On this strange planet called "Bereavement" that Animaterra wrote so movingly about, not so long ago, I think nothing might feel really right-- it's all just what is, for now. <3 ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 Nov 13 - 10:50 AM A few Mudcatters and others met me at the Edmonds/Kingston ferry terminal several years ago and when we were about halfway across the captain slowed and made an announcement about the reason, a crew member helped us, and we scattered my Dad's ashes in Puget Sound, then tossed in some cedar boughs in lieu of a wreath or flowers, and as I recall, we had a few blueberry muffins that we thought might make him smile. The state ferry system does this for free, they only ask that you go on a non-rush-hour run and that it be a long enough trip so they can actually slow and do the ceremony and make up the time to land on time. Cremated remains are heavier than I expected, but they do blow around a bit, so the ferry slowing really helped. If there was anyone who would want to be scattered with the fishes, it was my father, who lived the last 25 years of his life at the beach. Cold gray day today, suitable for leading up to Thanksgiving. This week if I were to stay on my alternate day feed/fast schedule I would be skipping Thanksgiving - I won't do that, it will be a modified week. :) They turkey is thawing in a sink full of water now and I'll brine it overnight on Wednesday. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Jeri Date: 26 Nov 13 - 12:20 PM Being overly sensitive, in my experience, is far more stressful than being awkward and guileless. It makes the bereaved have to pussy-foot back at you, because, really, are you being politely sensitive or are YOU easily offended? One of the most in-your-face examples of this is I remember someone singing this ditty at the Press Room after someone had died. I'm not sure the singer wasn't Tom. He did the song. You can either tread delicately on eggshells, or stomp the hell out of them and hope it's appreciated by the important folks. It's one of those areas where one should try to be like small children who are honest and haven't yet learned to be 'proper'. My stuff has arrived. Alas, it's not cold enough for the jacket, but the dusting of snow has reminded me to get the shovel out of the shed NOW. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 Nov 13 - 03:28 PM My Dad did one of those songs at a Song Circle one time - way more over the top than this "Bloody Well Dead" one - when my youngest brother brought him the news that Dad's mother had died. (I can hear it, can't remember the name - I've probably buried it.) They had issues, to say the least, and none of us knew her, but I think my youngest brother (about 12 at the time) was mortified. I stopped at the grocery store on the way to work for acorn squash and yogurt. Both will be fine in the cold pickup truck until I head home this evening. The first store I stopped at (the high-end Kroger) was packed, no open spaces in the parking lot out front, so I stopped at another Kroger, more main stream, and had no problem getting in. I like that other store because they have some nice products (I buy their gallon of organic milk any time I find a sticker that it is reduced for quick sale - it still has ages to go before it expires.) Odd day today, but a sweet start. In my mail I found a flat rate priority envelope, and a friend had picked up some lovely leaves from various trees in NYC and sent them to me. I'll see about putting a few under glass. Now I'm at work, looking busy. Around big holidays a lot doesn't get done - too many people taking days off to hold meetings or pass off tasks. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 27 Nov 13 - 06:37 PM I do not think R will go to bed smelling of diesel again. I have read the riot act, in spades, as I washed and washed and washed the clothes, finally in hot water, baking soda and detergent - 3 or 4 times. The washing machine still smells a bit but the several other loads I managed came out OK. I squoze in washing, and heating the house between loads. This incident will not be forgotten. I also commuted back and forth, accomplishing glazing and 3 glaze firings with Vanessa involved as I assure myself she will be careful enough. Today the roads were not nice in the am - wet, slushy and the temp at freezing - so I emailed V and told her she could unload on her own. She is so excited about the pots she has made, I did not want her to have to wait. She reported that mine were "pretty" but neglected to report on the test glaze - "Robin's egg blue" or the brown she used on two pots. So today I did more laundry, made chicken rice stew with remains of roasted chicken, fed R and Bruno lunch and went shopping for socks - done! keepers for earrings as I am tired of losing them - done (3 types)! a funnel with sieve at Canadian Tire that will be helpful for test glazes - done! And a few groceries. Two hours and ten minutes portal to portal - wore my new mask in several stores to reduce hazard. During lunch I expressed my heartfelt desire to have the kitchen at the mill FINISHED! And at least the rough floor in the LR. B expects to have time and now R has heard how important it is to me. "I want something to be FINISHED!" And B agrees with me so maybe.... Now I need a hot bath. I've been back to coughing a lot but did get to sleep most of last night. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 28 Nov 13 - 02:33 AM Busy day here - I took a vacation day from work, and will also be off next Monday so I'll feel like it was a real vacation after tomorrow's marathon cooking. I made cranberry sauce today - not difficult, after all. I have bread rising and will run a bath and finish the bath when the bread is finished. I'll have to let it cool in my office with the door tightly closed so Zeke my counter surfer doesn't nail it during the night. The turkey is in the brine in the little refrigerator and several other things are ready to go. Since one guest is a vegetarian I picked up some mushrooms - I love sautéing them in butter and wine for an appetizer, and there is rice along with various vegetables and potatoes. Minutes have passed, I'm shutting down the computer for the night. Bread is cooling on top of the fridge, laundry is in and set to run early in the morning. The hot bath was wonderful, and is something I try to do before Thanksgiving because once I get going with all of the cooking and baking on the day of I don't seem to have time to stop and run for a shower before we eat. Have a great day, everyone, whether you're doing a big turkey dinner or not. Stay warm! SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 28 Nov 13 - 08:47 AM Kevin Scanlon, who Tom had enticed to the joys of folk music and the Press Room session some years ago and who had moved to North Carolina, just happened to be visiting in the area (I think he had a gig in Boston, but his family is local) came to both Press Room sessions right after Tom died. And Kevin led "Isn't It Grand, Boys" with multitudes of voices (including mine) joining in the chorus. I rather wish John Duffy had been there, too, to do his recitation "Reincarnation"... Jaki, our server on Saturday, observed, "You folkies got it right -- you don't mourn, you celebrate." Ayuh. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 28 Nov 13 - 10:56 PM TBTG, another BIG transition Monday: TREADMILL, at PT, in the "dry clinic." I am now under the weight limit for the one at PT, and did 10 minutes. (It had been 8 minutes on the aquatic treadmill till a week or so ago). So this means that the one we bought me years ago-- that my pre-surgery body could not operate at all-- goes on my daily schedule and MAYBE I will get tired enough each day to sleep all night, every night, without sleep meds. I'm aiming for 2x/day, 10 min, between 1.5 - 1.8 mph for gait re-training and core focus to protect my back. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 28 Nov 13 - 11:01 PM Picked up a $10 basket of Quebec cranberries this morning and some marked down cheeses at our fav cheese store, including a nice piece of yummy Stilton! The apple juice booth was clean out and none 'til Friday at 6 pm! Darn! Then drove to country this morning. Some pieces of road needed reduced speed. Was after noon when I arrived, then lunch, loaded bisque kiln but could not muster energy to finish those teapots or do any throwing. Read and computered, did a bit of organizing, started kiln and went to writers' group, by way of fabric store - just to see if anything new. Then back to city over slightly better road. A TV evening - very unusual for me but really tired. Using computer during commercials, found a piece of my writing and sent it to a member of writing group to ask if it might be suitable for our anthology which is in the planning stage. Soon to bed. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 29 Nov 13 - 12:01 AM As part of the research study I am part of (for ovarian cancer survivors up to 4 years), they gave me a pedometer. I am happy to have one that actually stays put where it's supposed to and am kinda having fun with it seeing just how much I run around or not. Both my guys have been home for the last 3 days so it's been some much needed down time for us all. No Thanksgiving here today....well...lots of giving of thanks but not a big meal. That will come tomorrow. Frankly I'm looking forward to the butternut squash and mashed potatoes....they can keep the rest of it! And even more than that, I'm looking forward to playing cards with my Nana!!! :) FYI: Dannon Light and Fit Greek yogurt and Reddi Whip Whipped Cream is luscious! Better yet....I'm out of my yogurt so I nabbed one of Pete's Chobani Greek Lemon Yogurt and added some Reddi Whip on top....who needs pie? SUPER YUM and not too bad for a body at all! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 Nov 13 - 01:36 AM Michelle, we used to do our Thanksgiving dinner on Fridays after the holiday for many years because the neighbors we always celebrated with had a chef in the family. He cooked dinner for Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, for home game on Thanksgiving. I sometimes cooked a turkey breast so we'd have the leftovers for sandwiches. I reached a point this evening when I was ready to sit down and be finished - it hits every year - that point when the legs and the lower back ache from all of the standing. I have a few days off (I don't have to be back at work until Tuesday afternoon) and am finished cleaning the kitchen before I collapsed in my chair this evening, so I can start on own my stuff tomorrow. It's another cold night, the dogs are in. Everything is put way up out of Zeke's reach. I hope I can get a few of the "to do" things crossed off my list. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 29 Nov 13 - 08:06 AM In checking my email this morning I discovered I'd just won a 10 buck Irving gas gift card in their Secret Santa promotion! Still have a chance at the $50 and $100 gift cards... Will take Tom's wheelchair, walker and some other stuff today over to the Legion Post in Newmarket, shirts appropriate for wear with a kilt to Chris Vaughan at The Press Room, and a few other things to give to friends should they fit. Jeri delivered Tom's red curmudgeon suspenders to Kendall yesterday. I spent Thanksgiving with some friends (one of whom is going through some serious health issues) and we had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at Clay Hill Farm in York, Maine. No leftovers, but I'm not up to cooking yet anyway. (The creamy cheesy leeks the other night was because the leeks would have rotted if I hadn't cooked 'em up.) Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 Nov 13 - 01:20 PM Linn, Up to cooking - I hope you start pampering yourself soon with some of those great meals you described fixing for Tom. Now if you clear the counter or living room or wherever it should stay cleared, so make a space for yourself to be able to fix a meal on impulse. I found a recipe for a great pasta dish (caramelized fennel, celery, and sardine pasta) that uses just what the name says. I have all of the ingredients except the fennel, so one of these days if I remember I'll pick up a bulb and bring it home to try this "heart healthy Sicilian classic." (Page 85 in the November issue.) Just a thought - pampering yourself probably isn't high on your list, but it needs to be. --offered with a huge virtual hug. :) Looking at the weather forecast I think I can do some yard work on Sunday or Monday when it warms into the mid-60s. It won't be getting so cold at night now either so the heater in the garage can get plugged into the thermal cube (if it does get below about 45 the cube cycles on and the heater that is plugged into it will warm the garage to 55 before it shuts off again.) Our Thanksgiving dinner was small yesterday. Very nice, but small. I am thinking about making a push to organize the house enough to have a few more people over at one time before xmas because I haven't had people in for a long time. Lunch? Dinner? A party? Who knows. But I'm thinking about it. It feels like time to start moving furniture. :) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 29 Nov 13 - 09:59 PM Sorry, Stilly, just no time for the foreseeable future, what with everything that's scheduled and having to go to Milwaukee for my mother's funeral, still remembering people who need phone calls (not to mention the phone calls to friends for my OWN sanity!) or emails about Tom... Except for cooking up something like the cheesy baked leeks I made the other night so the leeks wouldn't rot in the fridge. And a cat who is trying to eat my supper/chew on the box/nibble on the paper wrapping of the printer paper/knock things over -- all to make sure he has my undivided attention. They're afraid I might disappear like Tom did... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 30 Nov 13 - 11:45 AM You're going to be tough nut to crack when it comes to pampering yourself, Linn. But you need to keep it in mind! This morning I took on The Sock Drawer. Pulled it out of the dresser, looked at everything in it, matched them all and organized them by color and type. Socks don't take a lot of space so they have only half of the drawer. I stored the warm weather gym shorts that I can finally fit into but now don't want to (in winter). My colorful bandannas and flannel sleep pants are also in there. I have a stack of lonely socks on my dresser and I was able to find the mate to one of them. I'm sure the others are victims of static cling, stuck inside the corners of bed sheets or up the sleeve of a sweatshirt and will eventually turn up. It's warmer out so I'll do some work in the yard, cutting down stuff killed by the hard freeze a couple of weeks ago and toting it back to the compost. I can take some newspapers over to the humane society (to shred for cages) and pick up dog food. Just an ordinary Saturday, but since this is my eating day, one that will have a very nice lunch and dinner that is centered around turkey and such. I'll make some lefse from the mashed potatoes. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 30 Nov 13 - 02:01 PM Michelle, there has been an interesting program on PBS this morning (it's pledge drive time) about the benefits of yoga. Makes it look very tempting! I think yoga is offered as a class in the campus activity center, and as staff I get a very low rate (I think we pay $24 a month to join.) Are you still going to your classes, or does it get harder in winter with shorter days and more treacherous driving? SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 30 Nov 13 - 07:25 PM Actually, I'm doing what I can to be nice to myself. But I'm also checking stuff off lists and I've got a LOT of lists... I'd not been worried about Thanksgiving or Christmas (no, don't have plans yet for Christmas, but that will sort itself out, I'm sure), but I had been concerned about how to handle Dec. 15th -- Tom's and my "other anniversary", a double anniversary of the night we met and the night a year later when, while celebrating the fact we had known each other for a year, that we decided to get married. Hmmm. Now it's going to be sandwiched between the day I fly to Milwaukee and the day of my mother's funeral. I guess that will sort of take my mind off it... Found time today to get my hair cut (which it needed desperately) and have a nice therapeutic talk with my hairdresser whom I've known since she did my hair for our wedding almost 32 years ago. Then I went to visit some other friends who live close by and show them some old photos and the Bob Nilson drawing that Bob did at the sea music sing two days after Tom died. And she insisted on feeding me. Why is it everyone insists on feeding me? I certainly don't look as if I'm not eating... Anyway, she set a hot turkey open faced sandwich in front of me drizzled in gravy and a side of stuffing. And then warm apple pie with ice cream. And I came home barely able to stay awake -- L-tryptophan or just a day of not really HAVING to accomplish much. I'd planned on calling my sister in Milwaukee and, actually, a message from her was on the phone. So we talked for awhile and got caught up on funeral plans, etc. Then...I took a nap. Sitting up in bed, lights on, cat in my lap. At least I took my reading glasses off. Just came downstairs to heat up some leftover chicken pot pie for supper and check the computer. As soon as I'm done here, I'll go back upstairs and read for awhile until sleep again overtakes me. (Which I don't think will take long.) To hell with the rest of the phone calls for today...;-) Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 30 Nov 13 - 09:41 PM Your lunch is exactly what I had for lunch, minus the dressing. :) Good thing I got some yard work and a walk with the dogs in today to deal with some of those calories. I trimmed the dead canna lilies and pulled the wilted sweet potato vines and dug up as many potatoes as I could find. I didn't plant this year, they came up from sprouts left last year. And I purposely left some little ones in the soil to do that for next year. After the clearing out I pulled the soaker hoses and the watering hoses all to the front of the garage, and when I got back from walking the dogs I kept them with me on their leashes and opened the garage door and hauled the hoses in. This way I didn't have to play Zeke's game of running out of the garage and hopping into the truck that he does every time the big door opens. I have enough mashed potatoes left that I'll see about making some lefse tomorrow. And I'll make some more quick bread - zucchini this time, I think. That's what I have in the fridge right now, so that's what gets used. A little sewing this evening, then to bed with a book, content that my kitchen counter is clean, some of the wilderness that was my front yard has been tamed, and that I still have two more days off because I took a vacation day on Monday. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 Dec 13 - 12:00 PM I made progress on the robe, but haven't finished. Maybe today. Every time I go into my sewing room I get distracted by projects and other stuff needing attention. Another beautiful fall day here in North Texas, and I'll spend more time in the garden once the heavy dew dries. In the meantime I've downloaded recent photos from a couple of cameras and will update my campus blog that is no longer dedicated to the library. Here it is. I'm gradually deleting the entries to do with library events that I wasn't involved with (I promoted everything). I left in my promotions for my events going back a ways, meaning I lose in post count, but if someone pulls this up when they are searching on me, they'll find my events and photos. A visual resume of sorts. When I apply for jobs, if people Google me I want some of this stuff to be at the top. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 01 Dec 13 - 09:19 PM FACT: I have good days and not very good days and I really am not keeping a record of the things that could make the difference. I keep realizing this and I keep trying to find a way that works for me. I need to try again. Bought a sort of calendar notebook at the collar store: like a wall calendar in a booklet. Made a list of factors. Try again. I have not had the energy to finish teapots or do any throwing in the last few days. What is done is what there will be for the Sunday Market. I have to admit that the rest will get done when I feel like it - if ever. Right hip really bothered me this morning so I took some MSM and some Glucosamine and the pain went away. Must remember to keep doing it - without waiting for hip to complain! The kitchen is inching toward better organized. I added some more items today, gradually emptying the containers packed in June, as I decide what needs to go where most effectively. Today R, with great effort moved the frig into the K from the storage area! So nice not to have to go in and out several times for each meal prep! It will soon be below freezing out there so the freezer - still out there - will cost almost nothing to run! Of course, going in and out also allows cold air into the living space just as though I were opening the door to the outdoors those numerous times. R also moved the microwave to its proper cupboard space and I moved the dishwashing area (bucket of water/wash basins and drainer) into the K from the LR, freeing up a large space in the LR. Nicer and more convenient. So nice not to have to look OVER the dish washing table to see out the window! Once the subfloor is in the LR we can further civilize it with furniture and a table for eating. We do most meals now in the sun room which is colourful with plants in bloom. I am entranced by the one bud on the fuschia as it slowly expands! A pleasant space even on the current GREY days. Today, R also put in the vent system for the incinolet (toilet) just next to the LR. We still will go out of the living space into the cold area but only a few feet rather than 99 steps! Each of these steps forward helps us feel better. Like the flush toilet and door through to go upstairs (without going outside) makes the city house feel a little better. I did unload the bisque firing, from Thursday, today, and waxed the bottoms ready for glazing but did not have the oomph to do the glazing - it takes no thought to wax but glazing takes "Hmmm, what colour shall I do this bunch?" I would love to do them all the same but need some variety. Hopefully tomorrow, and load the kiln, then go to city overnight. Then - whatever I have the energy to do. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 02 Dec 13 - 11:50 AM We had our Thanksgiving gathering on Friday. It was lovely until we had dinner and my nana got sick. :( After we cleaned her up and then the kitchen and took her back to the nursing home, we just kinda hung out for a little bit. The following day I took Jeremiah to a photo shoot, then on a wood run and to church. That night as church ended I had a massive low blood sugar...thank goodness for the tootsie rolls in the foyer because they held me long enough to get to the store for some OJ which I guzzled standing in the aisle. *shrug* Gotta do what you gotta do! We went home, had a snack and later that night I woke up with terrible stomach pain and intense nausea. ICK. I spent the last 36 hours either in bed with a big green bucket or in my chair. Pete also got sick......thankfully, Jeremiah shows no sign of having the bug at all. My mom got sick too. :( What has all this got to do with decluttering and fitness? Well...I lost 5 pounds (does that count? LOL) but given it was a holiday and a weekend and we were sick....I had quite the mess going on here. This morning I am feeling almost 100%!!! Most of the dishes are done, I'm on my 3rd load of laundry, blankets from the living room are in the wash, bed to be stripped later today, all clutter around our chairs is picked up and the kitchen table has been found. Toys are everywhere but I don't care so much about that. Jeremiah did a FANTASTIC job of entertaining himself yesterday. We were in the living room with him but he was looking at books, coloring, playing on his train table...just quietly playing. He's never seen either of us very sick so to have BOTH of us down for the count...well, that was challenging. We made it through and I think I am going to find some space to designate for sick food only. Gingerale (which I couldn't keep down), mandarin oranges, broth, etc. In the last 36 hours, I've had 2 pieces of toast and some frozen mango (only because the mandarin oranges weren't cold and that's what I wanted). Nothing makes me more appreciative of feeling well than a day of not feeling well. Today my stomach muscles are sore from heaving. ICK. No matter...I feel better and so does my honey!!! Have a good one everybody! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 Dec 13 - 12:19 PM Lovely weather today, so I'll put up some lights out front and put them on a timer. Some years ago when the whole natural gas boom started there was an initial royalty bonus and I used it to have the electrician come deal with my "wish list," the most important of which was an outlet on the front porch. Now I can plug my dawn to dusk timer in there and not wrap the house with cords like I had to when the side plug was the only one available. You know how sometimes it can be years later and you still look with pride at some fix you did around the house because it makes everything so much easier? This is one of those. In the summer if I use the electric weed eater, or work out front weeding and set up a radio, or for now, with the holiday lights. My office floor is looking better but a lot of stuff is piled up on the secondary desk. I ought to address that mess a little. Maybe another cuppa tea, lunch, clear the desk, then out to the yard. Sounds like a plan. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 02 Dec 13 - 12:56 PM I'm having one of those days where everything I try to clean or straighten up seems to just make a bigger mess. I KNOW I'm making progress, but the spilled box of rubberstamp ink pads that ended on the floor, the stuff on the table that ended up on the floor... The cat looked guilty, though I assured him it wasn't his fault. Getting dressed this morning was even a problem -- first my underwear went on backwards and when I got that fixed, I put my pants on backwards...arghhhh! Made a note to myself to fix the hole in the toe of my lobster socks... Took some leftover vindaloo out of the freezer, and the shrimp for tonight's dinner and did a quick survey of what else I should try to eat up soon. Tonight I'll actually cook something, not just heat it up. Pasta and a nice garlicky seafood sauce to throw the shrimp (pre-cooked) into at the last minute. Pinot grigio in the fridge to go along with it. Gotta go make the list of outlets and switches for the electrician to replace -- I'm waiting for a call back. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 Dec 13 - 03:30 PM Michelle, that sounds like a classic case of food poisoning. Was there something that was purchased for that meal that might have been mishandled at the store? Toss the rest of it. Linn, good luck getting the electrical work done soon. It's so nice to have things work the way they're supposed to. And at least you noticed clothing was inside out right away. It's funny when you get to the end of the day an realize your panties or t-shirt were inside out. The desk is now clear, but in a couple of minutes I'm going to pick up two piles from the floor and stack them neatly upon it. I still have some filing to do, but filing and sorting those other piles of paper will wait until after I put up the lights and walk the dogs. I'm trying to make myself feel better as in "push back the blues." Paying the bills today did what it usually does - remind me of how much I owe versus how much I make and how much I have to do to get caught up. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 02 Dec 13 - 07:07 PM Does really sound like food poisoning, Michelle. Why would all of you get sick! I am thinking of a Shoe cartoon I used to have posted over my desk: "Sofa? That's not a sofa. It's a pile of papers that looks like a sofa." A visiting friend expressed the wish to see what my desk looked like so I made sure it was clear the next time she visited! R did not quite finish installing the incinolet but soon! It is so wonderful to have the frig in the K!! This morning I completed the cleaning of the sun room floor (post-raccoon) and arranged it so we have a small table and chairs to eat comfortably, amongst the plants which are happily flowering! Separated an over-grown African Violet into two. Hope it is happy and does not suffer from separation anxiety! Did the glazing and loaded the kiln. Noted precipitation was starting so turned on the kiln and left for the city, lest I be caught in freezing rain/snow. I did phone Vanessa to give her the choice of turning on the kiln so she could come and glaze but she passed. I am through beating myself over what I have not gotten done in the studio. ORders not filled are ----orders not filled. I will get to them when I darned well feel like it and if people still want them - OK! One more glaze firing before the Sunday Market; the pots are ready for loading. Then I will simply continue to do what I can as I feel like it. THAT de-clutters my brain! In the city, a load of laundry is ready for the dryer and one more to go. Then I can turn the heater back on. The weather is warm enough today. Considering cooking --- something. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 02 Dec 13 - 09:33 PM I don't think it was food poisoning. My nana is currently living in a nursing home that is experiencing a LOT of sickness right now. I think it's a bug that we picked up there. Of course, it could have been food poisoning but Nana got sick within minutes of eating just a quarter of what was on her plate. Since I was so sick with it, I have NO desire for the leftovers and neither does Pete. We agreed to toss them. I had food poisoning from turkey twice...both times the bird was cooked by someone other than me...I am really leery of it. It's NEVER a pretty scenario. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 Dec 13 - 10:56 PM Food poisoning - something that should be taken seriously. My brother's wife was a widow with a young son when they met. As a newlywed, only two months pregnant, she and her first husband went to a wedding where something at the reception had the ingredients for food poisoning. Her young husband died from it. Zucchini bread in the oven, some to go to work tomorrow, a loaf for my hairdresser (part of my annual big tip at my appointment tomorrow), and one loaf for the freezer. This is an economic gift for people. I paid the bills today - so depressing. As long as I spend no money this month I'll be fine, but I have spent some, so I'll have to make a point of selling some more eBay and Craig's List items sooner rather than later. There is plenty to sell, I just have to sit down and list it. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Charmion Date: 03 Dec 13 - 01:05 PM Time to get started on Christmas baking, which now constitutes a major component of gifts to relations and certain friends. Trouble is, Edmund's away and I just don't feel like making fruitcake when I'm on my own. I have already put in several hours of no-fun maintenance activity today -- shovelling snow, getting the car to the shop for snow tires and an oil change, shopping at Wal-Mart (shudder) -- so I'm giving myself a pass on kitchen heroics until tomorrow, after my trip to the gym. We have two new cats in the house, littermates who came to us at 12 weeks of age and are now 10 days in residence. Rosie the senior cat is not happy with this development, and periodic eruptions of feline hate provide evidence of an incursion by Rosie into the upstairs den where the kittens are ensconced, or of the adventurous sallies of Watson, who must have been a recce patrolman in a previous life, closely followed by sister Isobel, who lets Watson do all the hard work. The books upstairs are all ahoo because Isobel likes to climb the shelves and fling paperbacks at her brother. The repairs on the back of the house were finally finished and paid for, so of course Life had to throw me another curve ball just when I thought I could relax for the winter ... With three weeks to go to Christmas, I am one pound away from my arbitrary goal of 150 by Christmas Eve. With any luck at all, I will head into the annual bout of family visits in maintenance mode. I am also blessedly healthy -- no cold, and only the normal occasional mild hacking cough that means I'm breathing. In fact, I can't remember any time in my adult life when I have felt so fit and well. Next spring, I'm going to start running. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 03 Dec 13 - 03:37 PM I'm off to yoga!!!! Happiness!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 Dec 13 - 08:44 PM I sometimes hit a standstill with the tasks I need to do, but in general I think I'll get through the holidays with things being on time. This year I'm going to bake holiday breads and mail them instead of ordering the expensive fruitcake - I've enjoyed the baking I've done so far. Every day I check the job listings on campus. I filed an application last week for one that looks like it would keep me busy and use a number of my skills (and pay better!) It's still open, so I won't call the department yet, but I plan to call a couple of days after it closes so they know I'm still interested. A new job - what a nice holiday gift that would be! It looks like we might have nasty weather overnight on Thursday into Friday. Unfortunate for students wanting to finish finals, but if there is a snow day maybe they get an extra day to write papers. I have a musical meeting I was planning to go to with Susie, but we'll have to see if it is postponed or cancelled. It would be nice to have another long weekend. If the power stays on I can get some work done around the house. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 03 Dec 13 - 09:39 PM I am very low key, sometimes no key, about Christmas. This is left over from the years of separation from family; unless someone invited me for Christmas, there was one. This year, I am going to make a small effort - if we get flooring in the LR (at the mill) I will do some decorating, Maybe use the small ficus for a tree. I have a small box of decorations, a string of lights, and a wonderful PEACE ON EARTH banner for the front window. IF I get flooring... Today, I stayed in the city: went to 3 grocery stores, the Market and the library, cleaned out some K cabinets and threw out spoiled food. Two cans of tomato sauce had leaked??? But the thing that really gets to me is food, boxed or in plastic bags, that has never been opened but still gets bugs in it/came with bugs in it??? I made a large pot of split pea soup; I had it for lunch and supper and R had soup and chicken curry for supper. Still 2 qts of soup and a couple servings of curry - I love planned-overs! Did 3 loads of laundry; all put away. Dishes done. Went up to take a hot bath and did a little organizing in the clay area while waiting for the tub to fill. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 04 Dec 13 - 12:29 PM Believe it or not, I've actually done a bit of holiday decorating. The other day I took apart several floral arrangements including the huge white and green one from the staff at The Press Room. And I still have a small bouquet of yellow mums and another green flower in the head of Pan on the table. So many greens were left from the Press Room arrangement that I put almost all of them right back into the floral foam in the basket. I dug out the Christmas boxes of decorations and got out some red & green plaid napkins, plaid runner, several red wooden cranberry garlands, and a tin ceiling tile with holly painted on it. The runner went underneath the basket on the (unused for the time being) woodstove and a garland woven into the greenery. There's a plaid napkin to go under the Pan head sculpture when I move some of the stuff on the table, and another went under the lamp in the entrance way. I had a lot of boxwood (I think it's boxwood) from the other arrangement, so I duct taped it around the edges of the tin tile to hang on the front door (and for the first time, that tin doesn't scratch the door!). So...voila. I'm not exactly in a holiday mood, but there's a little bit of festive normality around the house. Just got some laundry done, a few rebate forms prepped to mail, a few thank you notes prepped but not written, and will pay the mortgage on the way to lunch. I'm taking Jeri out for a birthday lunch in a few minutes (whenever she gets over here) and tonight I think instead of going to the singaround in Dover, I'll go to a friend's poetry reading at Café Espresso in Portsmouth. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Dec 13 - 01:26 PM Happy birthday to Jeri, and congratulations on repurposing the arrangements. That sounds like a good idea - I have a couple of christmas cactus that I have to find a way to display - they're on their rack in the sunroom window right now but they're both bursting into bloom this week. They're each beside another plant that has vines all over so can't be moved, so I need to find a nicely-lit place to move the cactus to so they stand out on their own. Lunch today is a kind of odd mix of Thanksgiving leftovers - there is no point in buying lunch when there is still so much food in the fridge. I didn't take time to assemble it into one thing, so it is a baked sweet potato and some sauteed mushrooms and some applesauce and some zucchini bread for dessert. I'll have some more turkey for dinner this evening, and plan to make some other things that I can freeze for later. Turkey works like chicken in a lot of Mexican dishes. I realized this morning that my time management at home has suffered as a side-effect of dealing with issues at work, and this has taken on the appearance of a passive aggressive approach to some personal tasks. Another casualty of a poorly designed and executed "reorganization," and I hear similar stories from co-workers. Sometimes it takes that "ah-ha" moment to recognize something to make a correction or push back. Here's for giving push back a try. . . SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 05 Dec 13 - 12:08 AM This morning before I left the house I sat down in the sewing room and stitched a button back onto the waist of my pants. It took longer than simply changing pants, but I wanted to wear these and figured it was as good a time as any to do the job. I'm still drawing down the leftovers from Thanksgiving and won't shop much until the fridge has more empty space. It isn't a hardship - my sandwich for dinner tonight was scrumptious - a toasted onion bagel, dark meat turkey, with mayo and homemade cranberry sauce smeared on. The sweet potato is finished, and I'll be eating soup over the next couple of days with our cold front coming through. (I just spoke to Moonglow - it seems she and her roommates had so much fun with their Thanksgiving dinner that they made another one again tonight and had more friends over. She says turkeys are on sale this week.) I was going to list a futon for sale tonight and again on Friday (on Craig's list you can relist every 48 hours), but items negotiated via that site need to be prosecuted quickly or buyers lose interest. If it is slick with freezing rain no one is going to want to be moving furniture, so I'll delay the listing a few days. SRS |
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Subject: Treadmill Progress From: wysiwyg Date: 05 Dec 13 - 01:37 PM I'm thrilled and grateful to report that my sleeping difficulties appear to be gone-- I had several greeat co-counseling sessions on this and am now sleeping thru the night with minimal waking time, and have been sleeping in till 9-10AM at long last. The December 2012 Treadmill Progress I'm aiming for 2x/day, 10 minutes each. November = 1.5 miles, 60 minutes, @1.5 - 1.8mph. December started with a tweaked hip and several days not treadmilling. Today I resumed with 10 minutes, @1.0 - 2.0mph. So 70min-to-date and 1.75MTD. I'm in chapter 3 of an audiobook about the realities of plantation life as journaled by the horrified but reflective wife of the slave-owner. Pix of supporters and assorted affirmations are posted at eye level. Faulkner keeps me company. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 05 Dec 13 - 07:06 PM Things are going well here. :) Jeremiah is picking up toys at this very moment, I just finished vacuuming and various other household chores. Sleep with the CPAP is going well. Last night I left it on my face ALMOST all night. :) I no longer have any issue with falling asleep with it but seem to take it off sometime during the night yet. Last night I know it was still on at 4:00am. :) I have a full night of titration at the hospital coming up soon so they can adjust it (might be getting too much pressure which is what wakes me enough to take the mask off). Last night I actually had dreams while wearing the mask...that's a first and it's progress! I am finding that when I wake, I am feeling restful...almost as though a fog has lifted....very nice! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Dec 13 - 12:08 PM We're under a couple of inches of ice here today. The trees look unhappy. A few years ago the power company sent contractors through and they ruthlessly pruned trees along the wires. It is paying off now (but still, "knock wood.") Snow day home from work, and there is plenty to keep me busy. Just as well I didn't list the futon for sale this week. Ads get to be "shopworn" if they are renewed too often. I was just looking at the television listings (over the air - I don't have cable). I wonder who watches all of this crap during the day? They save the better programs for evenings and weekends. Think of what it might do to viewership if they actually ran interesting programs during the day. (My two cents.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 06 Dec 13 - 12:27 PM I am impressed by Linn's busy life; she is so wonderfully forging forward and getting things done! Michelle amazes me with how much she gets done. Susan: congrats on solving yet another problem! And, of course, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Jeri! I have admitted to being plumb wore out with trying to do the pottery orders that were weighing on me so I just shucked them off. Happily one small vase is now sitting here waiting for pick-up by a wonderful mom. Back in Sept, at the fair, a young girl (about 10) asked me to throw a vase. I had not thrown one in years but I gave it a try and ended up with a rather heavy coning tower shaped object. I would have dumped it but: the little girl came back without mom and bought a small pot her mom had admired, then had to admit to mom what she had done with the money mom had given her; Mom came back, thrilled that her daughter had paid attention to what she liked, and asked me to please finish the vase for her daughter. I am delighted that I have managed to get this object through the process into a respectable looking 6 inch vase in blue and white. Mom will pick it up in the city and the daughter will be delighted. So, the adult orders have not been completed but... Actually it is the teapot orders; they are a pain. I need to be physically and psychologically prepared. Maybe next week. I reduced trips to the country to one this week. And still was so tired that last night I fell into bed about 10:30 and did not get up until 9:30! R did not sleep well and, thankfully, no 8 am phone call so he had a quick breakfast and was only half an hour late for a 10 am meeting. Weds I did another load of laundry, the dishes and re-arranged some of the city LR. A chair we had bought at the Sept auction because I thought it would be better for my bod had smelled and I stuck it out of the way. It no longer smells so I switched the chairs around. cleared some books and magazines and re-instituted a couple lights to cope with the ever-shortening days. Went upstairs to throw pots and after one, realized I was missing a needed tool. I looked all over the house for a sub to no avail, realized it would have been less time consuming to go to a store so off I went. Bought a new water bottle in one store and toilet tissue in another but the tool evaded me so I went back up and threw 11 more pots with what tools I had. Thurs, I trimmed the bottoms and packed them to go to the country and off I went. Stopped at the restaurant/hang-out? and had a nice visit with two friends, got to the mill in time to pack up new pots, load all into the car, pick out the needed tools, and go to the writers' group, then to hear music in St. I. Almost no audience so glad I went! Back to the city about 10:30. My friend with Parkinson's is back in hospital. The family wants to have a pottery viewing but it will have to wait. I think a hot bath is needed - now so I can recover before going down to the cafe tonight. That new mask helps a lot but yesterday I needed it in more places. My cough is still doing very well. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 06 Dec 13 - 01:45 PM Another great night of sleep...mask still on at 4:35am...YAY. I've been stressing about how much the mask stays on as there is a computer card in the CPAP that measures usage for the insurance company. I have to have so many hours per night of compliance or they won't pay for the machine.....makes a difficult thing even more difficult to get used to if you ask me!!! :p A winter storm is coming our way, I'm not sure why people here get too excited about it...it IS December in northern Pennsylvania and frankly, we are overdue (date wise) for a snow storm! I love a good snow storm as long as my family can stay tucked inside. The ground is bare at the moment and my chickens are kicking through leaves like crazy looking for food (bugs, etc....we do feed them but they still do look for natural means of food as well). My honey is home from work today working on a project so I've been enjoying his company, doing some reading by the fire and lovin' on Mags, our dog. :) Jeremiah's been a little wound up these last 2 days (weather related I'm sure) so it's nice to have a little quiet break for a tiny bit. I hope everyone is having a great day! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 06 Dec 13 - 03:23 PM So I am in the upstairs taking my hot bath and think I hear a knock on the door. Expecting a package SO - wrap very large towel around wet self and put on slippers and trundel down to the door. Guess the fedex guys have seen worse. It is good to get the package the first time around and not have to clutter life with figuring how to get it later. Lengthy email to my longest friend - since I was 4 and he was 8! He probably spent as much time at our house as his next door. So nice to hear from him, by snail mail this morning. Also lengthy post on Writers' Ink re last night's meeting. It was so chaotic it made my brain hurt. The poor chair had no attention at all! Gradually coming back from bath induced stupor. Will leave about 6 for the cafe. The weather is not so cold that I need to be concerned about freezing. Keeping minimal heat at the mill. Weather does create clutter in our lives; so much simpler when we do not have to concern ourselves with heating, or cooling. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Dec 13 - 12:15 AM There is a 2-3 inch crust of slick ice (an accumulation of sleet or freezing rain) that kind of softened this afternoon but is now as hard and slick as can be. Dangerous walking. The dogs have made their last trip out and we're all to bed. They were in most of the day, though I have a heater on in the garage for the times they are outside and don't want to wait in the open air for me to let them back in. Everything has been cancelled in the region for tomorrow and probably into Sunday until some of this ice clears. No one here has snow tires and I don't think I could even find chains to buy for the truck if I wanted to. I stopped by Home Depot yesterday and put four 60# bags of playground sand in the back of the pickup to add weight and to toss down for traction if needed. Stay warm, everyone! SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 07 Dec 13 - 07:51 AM Waking up to a beautiful 6 inches or so of new fallen snow!!! Maggie, can you stay in today? In this household, if there is ice, we stay put....even with all the northern road care and 4 wheel drive...ice is ice....best to stay put! We are having a family day today. We've been so busy on weekends since July with work related things that a few weeks ago we set THIS weekend aside. I'm not sure what we will be doing but whatever it is, we'll be together. I'd love to take Jeremiah out sledding or to build a snowman BUT it is deer season here and given that we live out in the sticks...well, it's just not safe to play outside when the hunters are around. I did get Jeremiah a little red coat and bright orange hunter's cap (to walk to and from the car mind you) but refuse to put him at risk. Our property is posted but as you might remember, that doesn't seem to make a difference. I will say that so far, we have been incident free regarding trespassing hunters this year. :) We will have more snow in the weeks ahead for sledding and building snowmen. Maggie, I also wanted to tell you that cat litter works great for weighting down a vehicle and even better if you need something for some traction. Time for some coffee. Anyone getting ready for Christmas? Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Dec 13 - 11:44 AM Michelle, you got that right! I have no plans to budge from the house for the entire weekend. I'm sitting here in my pjs and down booties drinking tea. In a little while I'll take a hot bath and put on my layers for the day. I don't keep the house super warm, I wear a sweater or sweatshirt layered over a t-shirt, plus socks and shoes. I can't *quite* fit into my LL Bean flannel lined jeans (I can wiggle them all of the way up, but I still can't fasten the button) so I'm in regular jeans. I haven't been able to pull those Bean jeans over my hips for several years, so I'm inspired that I'm this close. They're a women's jean, so the cut is generous for the numbered size. I'm expecting to read an account later today of a splendid sledding expedition with Jeremiah. Snow is some much nicer than ice if you're going to have a winter storm pass over the top of you. I still have an organizer full of hats and mittens of various sizes from as my kids grew up, and/or if they had friends come over to play. Or if they needed to come in and warm up and change into dry gear and head out again. That's something you can get at garage sales for various sizes, though I think I bought most of mine at cute store displays over the years. Every couple of hours I send the dogs outside to take care of business. It got down to about 10o overnight so I put Cinnamon into a fleece dog jacket made like a hoodie. She looks so cute, and this morning she didn't fuss about it. As soon as I open the door again they race to the house - I'm glad the porch patio itself is dry or I'd have dogs sliding into the glass doors like bugs hitting a windshield. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Dec 13 - 08:14 PM Baking today, it seems a good occupation in cold weather. I have a load of laundry to take out and fold, and I suppose that is it for my heat generating activities. I have to keep washing my hands because the dogs regularly come see me and want ears scratched. They all need baths, to some degree. They don't smell bad, just doggy. Old movies playing, various indoors activities since it is still so very cold outside. Supposedly drizzling now - since it's 29o I suppose that means freezing rain. It's supposed to warm to 36 tomorrow, but I don't expect all of this ice to disappear until mid-week when it finally gets well up over 40o. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 07 Dec 13 - 08:50 PM Pete and I spent the last 2 hours rearranging the living room, sorting out toys that have been outgrown, sweeping and washing the areas that have been under chairs, couches and tables and best of all....we made room for the treadmill which has been folded up in a corner for the past 3 years. We aren't done yet...still some heavy duty moving to take place...a full bookcase and the entertainment center/stereo/television and all the wiring that goes with it all. I'm excited to see how it all turns out as the entertainment center has been in the same spot for the last 15 years. Pete has lost a substantial amount of weight in the last few months and he is showing interest in using the treadmill too. I have been asking for the last 2 months for him to help me rearrange so I could put the treadmill into use. I am quite happy to be all dusty, sweaty and dirty with the living room all torn up because I know where it's headed...yes indeed....I'm a happy girl!!! Michelle PS. Yard sale stuff is being boxed up and we have a few bags for the Salvation Army as well...including a chair that has been LONG OVERDUE to GO! GO! GO! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Dec 13 - 12:41 AM I realized this evening I hadn't done anything with my green tomatoes and they were still looking good (those that hadn't turned red). I made a small batch of green tomato relish and the jars are now out of the hot water bath and cooling (with that wonderful lid pop). Bread on top of the freezer is probably about ready to put into the bread box and keep up high. Good ol' Zeke. If you leave him an opportunity, he'll help himself to baked goods, etc. It has been below freezing all day, and we have a freezing fog advisory until 9am tomorrow morning. This weather is the gift that keeps on giving! Monday is going to be a doozy - Sunday won't warm up enough to melt all of this ice, and Monday has more freezing rain predicted. Time to head to bed to read. The dogs are all tucked in warm. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Dec 13 - 02:34 PM I haven't heard a half-dozen cars go past the house today. The newspaper has posted photos online of "cobblestone ice" on area freeways. Just finished a hot midday soak in the tub, ready to put in a load of laundry and do something other than fiddle around on the computer. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Dec 13 - 12:58 AM Work is closed again tomorrow (Monday). The ice just keeps on keeping on. Overnight we have a freezing fog advisory in effect. The dogs are in for the night, and I'm working on some mending now. I moved some of the stray boxes out of the sunroom earlier and it looks much better. A load of laundry is in, and the faucets are again on a slow drip in a couple of rooms where pipes are near the outer walls. Susie and her grandson Eric drove down this afternoon. She was going to drive to Home Depot for a couple of things but I had the materials they needed so I was able to send them back home. I hated to see her out in the "cobblestone ice" that is featured on our streets this few days. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Dec 13 - 11:46 AM I have a letter I need to write, one of those that shouldn't be ignored. As I think about writing that, I'm drawn toward dusting and sweeping. Yeah, it isn't a fun letter to write. (Requesting a refund for work that wasn't done correctly and cost way too much as a consequence.) It's above freezing today but it is overcast and grim, and it will be very muddy once the ice clears. I think this is the worst stage after the cold weather, the chemistry of recently frozen dirt is probably fascinating to scientists (they probably research soil under glaciers, not dirt on dogs wet feet, but it is the yard research that interests me more today.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 09 Dec 13 - 06:38 PM We got word from our realtor today that the financing for our vacation house in southern Ohio has been APPROVED and we will be getting a package next week to sign here for the long-distance closing!!! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 09 Dec 13 - 07:44 PM WOW! Congrats, Susan! SRS: Seems like just yesterday you were still mowing and picking! Winter is setting in with a vengeance. Forecasting 1-5 F at night starting Weds night. Not sure I left enough heat at the mill when I left today! It was snowing very lightly - just enough to make life miserable if it froze so I left in the early afternoon and arrived in the city safely. But more snow here. I will go down on Thurs and hope things are OK 'til then - clay and plants. OR ask Vanessa to turn up heat... Friday night about 10:15, I got a rescue call from R. Flat tire about 30 minutes up the highway. Enough gas in car for about 20 miles; stopped at a friend to see if he had any lawnmower gas. No. But we called another on en route and he put enough in that I would make it OK. It was 18 miles up and enough gas left to get back to mill. Super at midnight, again. Saturday started, after obtaining a full tank of gas, with a futile search for a tire. In the country people only dive BIG trucks with big tires, not little city trucks! About 10:30, someone suggested there might be a spare, "You might crawl under the truck and see if you have a spare." So ... there was! It took about 80 minutes to get the wrecked tire off and spare, pumped up with in truck compressor, on. COLD out there! Back to mill about 1:30, cold and tired. R finished installing the Incinolet but---- does not work and we needs someone with more knowledge. Oh well. Vegged out after that. I tried to make sure I was ready for the Christmas Market. Ended up with no bags. Only needed one and the neighbouring vendor provided it. We left at 7:30, in two vehicles, to get to Market. Were the second ones there but the janitor was cleaning - with MR CLEAN so we were unable to go into the building until it aired out. Fortunately R talked him into using just water for the second go round! It was a fun day. Tremendous numbers of people attended and I even sold a few pots! A person who has been looking at my mugs for almost two years and giving me a treatise on wht type mug she wants and why, actually found I had finally made "her" mug! Nice shape; I shall have to make more! R just hung out and talked with people. He really needed a break. Home by 5 and that was the end of my usefulness. He read until bedtime. So did I but mine was about 7:30 and his about 10:30! Pots are still in the car. Will take them to my friends some time this week, then retire them to the mill until the February Market. So back to the city and a hot bath and quiet eve with my computer and a book and some TV. And a good way to keep one's life uncluttered is to always have plenty of gas in the tank! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 09 Dec 13 - 08:15 PM DP, one of the neat things about this is that we can totally furnish it from items already on hand and/or in the camper. For example, the Mudcat Dorm will furnish the bedrooms and an office. The camper's kitchen includes all needed appliances, pots and pans, adishes, and spice rack contents. We have enough extra chairs and side tables for the living room. And so forth!!! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: mg Date: 09 Dec 13 - 09:41 PM Going to be logs of typos on my blackberry tablet. Ice and very cold here..some snow.. Roken pipes ago work..hope not the same at home in my little uninsilated unheated cabin..left water dripping for days..starting to warm up. Hoping to rapidly pay down very high visa bill..cit out Internet and going back to very basic cell phone. Will take bus to work and walk home and probably park car for six months and pay mini.also I surance. Rental house that renters damaged now so,do for price of land. I did xeed in lieix of trust and it went back to bank. I don't feel guilty because I brought them full offer a few years ago. And they turned it down because buyers did. Other have same income for 2 years because he had just retired from government..so they lost quite a bit..their fault..estate market live on is on market so I might have to move. But I can do that easily..down to so few possessions..packed up Pendleton blazers and silk blouses and good briefcase and shipped to dress from success..other fleece things to rosebud reservation in sought Dakota. It is so great to vet fid of eve not nice stuff. Should global through papers next but smart me does all paperwork at work to keep it out of my house. ,title attic in my car in. Cut up old futon and through down stairs and now room for. You exercise machine. Was,king hl.even four minutes,es each niht unless ice. Cold does not bother me. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 10 Dec 13 - 06:31 PM Watch out, Susan! Sounds as though the vacation home could become cluttered with stuff you already have! Our TV has no sound tonight so looking on Craigslist for another one. Did numerous loads of laundry today. Sorted out the back of the laundry "room" and a tall cupboard in the LR. Nothing extraneous but better organized. Made veggie chili and cornbread. Walked to the grocery (3 blocks) for green peppers. "Only getting peppers so may as well walk." Came home with a chicken to roast and sage. That was enough to carry. 50 minute conversation with daughter of friend with Parkinson's who has been in hospital a week now. Gives the family a rest but they are hoping she will be home by the weekend. Never made it up to the potter's wheel! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 Dec 13 - 06:42 PM The tyranny of "spell check" - wrong words spelled correctly. I think I got most of what you were trying to say, Mary, but I hesitate to try to make any corrections for fear of changing what you were trying to say! I got to work today, but there were still a lot of really messy bridges, and they will probably stay icy for another couple of days. On the way I picked up dog food - Zeke has been eating the regular dog food and scratching up a storm. He is clearly allergic to one of the grains in that formula, so I got his regular (no corn or wheat) mix today. I learned today that since I am in a "new job" and the HR folks can't review a job evaluation to know that I meet the minimum skills involved, I will remain listed as an "administrative assistant 1" (that I never ever was) and at the same pay level until next summer when they can do the evaluation. This really sucks. They did it to three of us who were tucked in down here because they couldn't fit us anyplace else when they gave our jobs to others, more favored in the eyes of the dean. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 10 Dec 13 - 06:53 PM We've had snow, then freezing rain, and then today, while I was out doing errands, it started to snow again. No real accumulation, though. I'd anticipated it taking awhile to clear the car this morning so I could take the trash up to the road for collection, but it evidently didn't rain (and freeze) that much on top of just enough snow to make the windows and windshields fairly easy to clean off. Chipped the ice off the steps when I came back from those errands, but didn't have time to put some sand on the deck before Jeri arrived. (She's taking care of the cats, picking up the mail and generally keeping an eye on the house while I'm in Milwaukee.) We'll see how difficult it will be tomorrow morning to clear the snow off and the ice underneath...if I need to sand or not. Remembered after I got home the other stuff I'd needed to get today before my trip to Milwaukee. Also didn't figure out today which carry on I'm using and start packing (I'm traveling VERY light). Yesterday was productive -- the electrician came and fixed or did all the little stuff that Tom hasn't been able to do for the past four years or so (outside light, replaced non-functional rheostats with switches, replaced several outlets and put in two new outlets in the kitchen -- they'd had wires since the house was built in 1977, but never finished). And then I got to clean a few surfaces that hadn't seen light of day in years...sometimes decades. (And discovered under the kitchen dresser a pile of papers from Tom's 2004 heart surgery that need to be shredded -- and a few archived.) Talked to an old friend on Sunday to tell him of Tom's passing -- he lost his wife a couple years ago. That reminded me to rejoin the Maine Old Cemeteries Association and start going to meeting again. That was something I'd introduced Tom to -- it got so he could spot old cemeteries better than I could. Always enjoyed driving all over Maine for the meetings, but then travel got too complicated for Tom. Maybe now, too, I'll have time to hone my slate cutting skills... I think it's going to be another early night -- tonight with pain killers, probably, as the lidocaine patch did absolutely nothing last night; knee pain woke me often. That's probably weather-related, too, although my previously broken arm isn't bothering me. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 Dec 13 - 08:53 PM Nine year old stack of papers - sounds like one for the shredder! I hope you sleep comfortably. I was tossing and turning last night, not quite sure what the cause. I think just being no longer acclimated to a cold climate makes me feel it more. Safe travels on your trip to Milwaukee. I'm sure you'll find lots of warm hugs from friends and family when you get there. Now that we're out and about after several days of ice I'm figuring out which errands need to be run soonest. A prescription called in during the middle of the ice needed a little time so they could get in and compound it. I also still have to order my new glasses. Sad accident during the ice - there is a long bridge over a lake north of Dallas, and a 21-year-old was crossing it at 4am on Friday morning and her truck skidded and flipped off of the bridge. Death by drowning trapped in the truck in a lake at night - that is something out of a nightmare. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 10 Dec 13 - 09:40 PM DP, Watch out, Susan! Sounds as though the vacation home could become cluttered with stuff you already have! Au contraire-- in downsizing from a 3 family home into two one-family homes, we'll be pitching excess and keeping the best. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 10 Dec 13 - 09:59 PM Lots of walking today and YOGA!!! Michelle who is typing with a very snuggly, cuddly kitty in her arms. HAPPINESS! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 11 Dec 13 - 06:12 PM The thermometer doesn't read THAT cold but the real feel of the air with the dampness and wind combined have made for a VERY COLD day here. I had other plans for today but they weren't meant to be so I've been home playing my fiddle, keeping the fires stoked, doing dishes, laundry, picking up, etc. I'll start dinner soon. I feel like soup and grilled cheese or a baked potato but my diet suggests that I need to add some protein so maybe I'll go an entirely different route and make salmon, a baked potato and veggie....I just want something HOT and filling. Hummmm. We shall see. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 11 Dec 13 - 06:19 PM A good friend of mine who has had more than his share of crap, broke his ankle this week while retrieving a ball for a neighbor's dog. Some of the details are sad, some frightening and some semi-hilarious but the long and short of it is he needs all the positive energy we can spare. Prayers, candles, good wishes, please send them CPC's way. Thanks, SINS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 11 Dec 13 - 07:01 PM I hope he's young and healthy enough to heal well and fast! Definitely sending healing energy, prayers, white light and anything else I can think of. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 11 Dec 13 - 07:09 PM Me too!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Dec 13 - 11:01 PM I heard some pretty interesting dog stories from a co-worker today. It seems she rescued a couple of beagles from the middle of the road on her way home at lunch time to care for another rescue dog. She has found homes for a couple and the beagles were taken somewhere so perhaps their owners can be found. No broken ankles, but a car full of dog vomit. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 12 Dec 13 - 12:43 PM I may be taking my buddy to the doctor tomorrow. If he vomits in my car I will toss him and his crutches out! not really.He made need a wheelchair but it will have to be VERY narrow to mange in his studio apartment. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 12 Dec 13 - 02:29 PM The futon is listed on Craig's List. You can relist an item every two days, so my goal is to relist this again on Saturday morning. People heading into the weekend searching can find the listing, and then putting it up again on Saturday puts it back up at the top of the list. Fingers crossed someone wants this, or I may call the Salvation Army again. Or still have it in six months for my daughter. . . SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 12 Dec 13 - 03:49 PM Mary, too bad he didn't need a narrow wheelchair earlier -- I just donated Tom's (which was quite narrow for Tom to negotiate our small house) a couple weeks ago. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 13 Dec 13 - 11:29 AM Had hoped to get the house a bit more picked up before I left for Milwaukee for my mother's funeral, but I'm sure Jeri (who has lived here before) can cope...And she'll help reassure the cats that I am, indeed, coming back. Got the wireless router set up yesterday and a few minor computer aggravations resolved. Justin (tech) was fascinated by our post-and-beam kit house as he and his wife live in a log kit house. We both share the problems with rough cut beams and cobwebs. I'm as packed as I ever will be -- traveling very light. Have to pick up a travel size of smell stopper and maybe some Airbornes since I'll be thrown into dry recycled air with a bunch of people. My new and (otherwise) very comfortable shoes will be left at home -- too much cushy bounce in the heal area which is very fatiguing on my knees. I just learned I need a solid insole. Flat, too. No heel at all, not even 1/8 inch or my knees suffer. Disappointed in the shoes, but I'll live. And the insurance snafu has, we (the funeral home and I) hope, gotten resolved so the funeral home will be paid and I should have a check by the time I return to New Hampshire. Haven't yet set a date or planned Tom's memorial after the first of the year. One foot in front of the other... Linn Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Dec 13 - 11:50 AM I have rough cut beams in my living room, and the cobweb problem is made worse by how hard it is to reach a beam that is 13.5 feet up. Today is that icky realization that the splash and drip and puddles and all after the ice is going to make the house a muddy zone for a while. The mud has a special viscosity after it has been frozen, and it sticks to dogs' feet and shoes and such. This weekend is the big push to finish stuff to mail. Also, since it isn't as cold out now the dogs can stay out and I can bake cookies (I've been making bread and cooling it on top of the freezer to keep Zeke away from it, but I can't easily cool cookies up there.) I need to decorate the mantle and tomorrow I will get out in the yard with some spare fuzes and see if I can get the lights on the pine tree up and running again. One of the parties on my phone family plan is ready to port out, so when we meet for lunch today we'll walk over to AT&T and get it started. This is a friend who was having a hard time a few years ago when his partner was ill (and lost his insurance) and the phone kept getting turned off if the bill wasn't paid. I could add him to my cell phone plan for $10 a month and that way he always had a phone - grownups need a phone. He eventually let the house phone go away entirely, and like so many of us, uses only a cell phone. Things have improved a lot and since most of our contracts are up on my plan, it means there is no penalty for porting out to a new company. One phone (my daughter's) has to wait till April. My son will be doing this later in the month when he's home from school. This is a rite of passage for all of us - it means my kids are pretty much on their own now, but it also means I've done my job and they are able to support this most basic of modern everyday needs. And decluttering my phone plan of three phones means my bill will go down by about $150 a month. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 13 Dec 13 - 05:56 PM Never rains without pouring. One friend's crisis is under control. THen an email arrives. A man who has been exceedingly kind to my family for many years, a talented artist always willing to share his knowledge, has been arrested. The charges are ugly and he has admitted to them. Say a prayer for Seth. Times like this you know who your friends are. SINS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Charmion Date: 14 Dec 13 - 11:30 AM Yikes, Mary. How awful. A few years ago, a work colleague was arrested for an offence so scurrilous that he was held on remand, without bail, for nearly a year before trial. His office buddy, the guy in the cubicle next to me, was put in the impossible situation of taking care of the accused's bank account, rent payments and other continuing responsibilities while also having to do much of the accused's work as well as his own. The only thing I could do to help was get a decent defence counsel on the case. I will never forget those tense phone conversations from the desk next door. Oh yeah, and the guy was convicted .. Seth's friends need prayers, too. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 Dec 13 - 01:03 PM Let's hope no one can top the neighbor two doors up. Her ex husband had a young girlfriend who had a friend of hers move in with them. When he discovered that the pair were lesbian lovers he murdered one of them and stuffed her into a barrel out on the porch. He's still in prison (and I never met him, just heard the story from the neighbor who lives in between us.) Glasses are ordered, they should be ready by Tuesday. I went over early this morning because the optometrist is opposite a mall, and the traffic will be horrid later today. I was going to go up to a high-end grocery store for some cheeses but decided to stick with the Boars Head in the nearby Kroger. Again, the parking lot and drive to that store (in a busy high-end shopping area) would be horrible. Maybe I'll get up there on a weekday morning (perhaps Tuesday, after I pick up my glasses.) Lots to do in the house today, laundry, dishes, more baking. The dogs are in the house so it won't be cookies unless I can manage an out-of-dog-reach cooling area. Maybe another batch of breads. I have to dust the whole house and put up my mantle ornaments, and perhaps move some furniture. The futon is relisted - I suppose it wouldn't be a true Craig's List experience without the obligatory scammer attempting to buy it with a cashier's check and an extra amount over the price - he's on a trip right now, he assures me, or he'd come by and pick it up right away. This offer came via three text screens on my phone. I texted back "Fuck you." I think he will understand that as "no" spelled out the long way. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: SINSULL Date: 14 Dec 13 - 01:27 PM Thanks ladies. I feel better already. He has friends who will help him but can't imagine he will do well in jail. One day at a time. M |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 14 Dec 13 - 03:54 PM All dishes and pots and pans are clean! Four loads of laundry are finished and now it's on to the shower curtain and maybe I'll do the beds later. :) It's a snowy, snowy day and I am happy to say that we are all inside enjoying a lovely fire and each other's company. :) I have a big pot of homemade French onion soup simmering on the stove...it smells divine in here!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 14 Dec 13 - 08:25 PM House closing Monday 10AM, long distance. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: GUEST, Bat Goddess Date: 15 Dec 13 - 09:29 AM Arrived safely (but exhausted) in Milwaukee after a 12 hour odyssey. Details on the Jane's Rainbow thread. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 15 Dec 13 - 04:26 PM Good luck with the closing, Susan. Glad you arrived intact, Linn! Sunny here finally after a couple of weeks of cold and enforced darkness. I've been in the yard throwing a toy for Zeke to fetch. Laundry is finished, and for now I'm preparing boxes to ship tomorrow. While I work I'm going through some of the recorded programs (I have a television receiver in my computer and can use Windows Media Center like a DVR). I think I need to make a list. I have a lot to do and need to prioritize it. Next week is our full week before the holiday break, and I will be working overtime in Saturday for time and a half. It won't amount to a lot after taxes, but every little bit helps. I'm packing the chandelier prisms (yes, the one I've been talking about for ever, it seems). I'll put it on eBay soon and that will be a nice sum if it sells for my asking price. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 15 Dec 13 - 06:25 PM Whew! I went up to Susie's to help her move a table in the garage - only to find that it meant pretty much cleaning up the whole garage! It was a good workout and a snoot-full of dust. But it was an hour well-spent and now she has a clear surface in the garage to move gingerbread houses to to keep from tempting the dogs in the kitchen. Now I need to do some furniture moving at my house, since I'm all dusty and such. Why do it later and have two sets of dusty clothes to launder? I do love the way the house looks when furniture is moved. Pumpkin bread tonight, and finish getting boxes ready to mail. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 15 Dec 13 - 08:01 PM SRS...I love how it looks when it's all done too. I am still working on the living room...c'mon over...no point in getting dirty AGAIN! ;) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 15 Dec 13 - 11:41 PM Just the word "dust" is scary to me! I have to be terrifically careful not to disturb any unless I am immediately leaving the area/house! My cough is still doing well. But I am also. It has become so chronic, I only notice it when it gets really bad - when something is in the air that really aggravates it. I am finding the new mask helpful and putting it on as soon as I realize there is a problem does help. Encouraged by a visit from a mom and daughter on WEds eve to pick up a vase I made for the Mom to give the daughter. I enjoyed their visit (city) even though the house is a disaster, and will invite them back over the Christmas break so the child can watch me pot and play with some clay herself. This encouraged me to take a run at making the kitchen a little better so I spent most of Thursday on that with some success. Only R and I know it looks better! Oh well. It feels better. Now I am eyeing the LR, trying to figure out some way of improving it. Have not found one yet. Friday I went to a coffee house in an obscure - to me - part of the city. Had to stop twice at stores to ask as I could not see the street signs. COLD night! But my friends who were playing appreciated my effort. And I definitely appreciated hearing them. Too cold upstairs to pot the last few days. Drove to country and back on Sat so R could winterize before things froze. It was just in the nick of time. I just read and tried to keep warm while he worked, then drove us home again. Reading and keeping warm is about all I am doing in the city. I had hoped to go to a dance party last night but it was so cold I gave up the thought of going anywhere. I have put a pillow in a cardboard box and the heating pad on that so my feet are not blocks of ice all day. Last night's snow precluded attending the potluck at Quaker meeting. R got his truck moved this eve as it would have been illegal in the am. He had trouble finding my car but cleared the snow from one door so I was able to go fetch the books I had left in it. I have a lovely pic of the pile of snow that is my car! R was working on computer most of day so I am getting it while he went to fetch some papers. Hope he can find parking when he gets back! The joy of winter in the north. Tomorrow we may have to extricate my car so I can get some groceries. NEED salad and fresh veggies! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 16 Dec 13 - 09:34 AM The printer stopped working, I thought the cartridge was finally empty, but when I replaced it the new one doesn't trigger the thing to start printing. I have to take my boxes to work to print the labels to mail them and I'll fight with this again later. It's a knock-off variety so it may be it wasn't a perfect fit, but I've always had good luck with them in the past. Warmer this week, rain and colder next weekend. This is when I need to finish any outside work (I still have to pull out some of last summer's dead plants and throw them into the compost, and get ready for potatoes.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 16 Dec 13 - 08:26 PM I think I opened every door and slot on the printer, I filled it with paper, and because the entire computer and printer setup was turned off for a few hours, I think they did the appropriate machine handshake and all is once again well. The green light is on. My packages have been mailed and now I have cards to design and have printed in the next couple of days. Susie finished the painting - not what I was expecting, but I can work with it. I have a letter to write and then I think I'll read for a while. I saw part two of The Hobbit with some coworkers today (a nice tradition this supervisor has - she takes her staff out to see a movie for a holiday treat.) There's a lot in there that Tolkien never put on paper, and I want to see it on the printed page since it has been many years since I last read it (out loud, to my children). SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 16 Dec 13 - 11:45 PM Total delight - coming back from 3 hours of shopping to find "my" parking place available - the one closest to the house so I did not have to go around the block and park in the bus zone to offload the groceries. First stop was Home Depot to figure out a way to stop the cold coming through the chipboard over the 3 windows. I bought that plastic but wanted actual bats of insulation - then the plastic. R will need to pick up in the truck. My car is full of pots. Then tons of groceries to replenish the city cupboards - where I managed to find more space! Have been working on the LR with some success. Made room for the Norfolk Island Pine which will be our Christmas tree (Home Depot also). I managed to reorganize shelves in book case to hold R always growing piles of papers that were cluttering the to of the beautiful buffet. Cleared the exercycle so it is usable. Removed vast quantities of dust with damp cloth. Cleared centre of desk top in hopes of using the inner space only accessible by lifting lid. Still have a chunk of the room that needs ???? is needy! I ran out of steam. But two/thirds looks better! Sorted through recipes, on newly organized shelf(!), before shopping and picked a few to try out, Even turfed out some recipes but was amazed to find "Marcia's Choc cake, circa 1971, on a card; could not throw it out! So many good recipes! And some have memories attached. Still too cold upstairs to pot so tomorrow a good day to make a couple soups and new batch of chili. Cooking helps heat the house! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 17 Dec 13 - 12:51 PM Spent an absolutely miserable night, many trips to the loo. Something I ate went through wrong or I have a bug. I am okay after a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and will keep eating the rest of the day very light. I ate a Chipotle burrito at noon yesterday, and usually if it is food poisoning activity it hits within four to six hours. This hit me around 10pm. I also ate a bowl of ice cream in the early evening. I don't see any culprit ingredients on the package, though "artificial flavors" could be just about anything. This is just the mental calisthenics, wondering if it was food-borne or a bug. This is my late night at work. I've had the morning to putter around and decide that I am still in the land of the living. I stepped on the scale this morning. I've managed to keep my weight at the same level this far into the holidays. I think fasting two days a week is going to maintain this weight, and when I resume alternate day fasting I'll lose the rest. The last 10 to 15 pounds will probably be the hardest. I'm headed out in a couple of minutes. We have another staff meeting today in the library. These have become grim reminders of how nice it used to be there. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 17 Dec 13 - 04:37 PM Closing went great. We did it at the bank that has held the IRA I inherited from my late mom, since that was the source for the down payment (50% of purchase price). The exec who assisted us with that quarterbacked her team so that their home loan officer supervisor looked thru all the paperwork and explained stuff, while letting us know it all looked normal and well prepared. Their notary sat in while we signed and initialed every page, and then the bank wired the money to the title agent handling it all in Ohio. Then all the signed paperwork went into the provided UPS box and away it went. We got word that the seller had signed today and that the funds were being disbursed. The seller has moved and today I transferred all the utilities that can be arranged by phone (electric and gas). The water has to be arranged by mail with proof of ownership (which I have as a PDF scan), and it's a load off my mind that if there is a glitch on the heat being put in our name, at least the water will be off. Present plans are for me to drive a load of furniture down and arrange for some repairs the inspection had told us would be needed, and then Hardi will join me to oversee the work/decor and drive back with me. We have not set a date for that, yet. Soon! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 17 Dec 13 - 06:16 PM Wonderful to hear S's property purchase moving along!! Not so wonderful that SRS is unwell. When my innards are upset I do apple cider vinegar in warm water, as per Dr. - whatever his name was that wrote Vermont Folk Medicine in - the 50's? Works for me. I took a bottle to Mexico with me on each trip. Use it whenever, here at home. Today, hot bath first thing, then two loads of laundry, changed the bed and need to redo it before I can get back in! Put beans to cook but have not been inspired to complete the chili - yet. Maybe between the news and Big Bang. Long talk with friend in PA using Skype - which worked well today. Upstairs was warm enough for bath and to pot but the later is not happening today. R has not been home since yesterday morning. Says he slept on office floor. No wonder the condition of the house... Called to tell me he is still alive and has eaten. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 17 Dec 13 - 09:55 PM Dorothy, tell us more about your cider vinegar in water trick? What is it supposed to do? This is my late day at the library and it was filled with meetings, but I was able to get out for a little while and speak to someone in the department where I've turned in an application. The job won't close till next week, but our conversation went very well. We've run into each other many times over the years and just needed to each place a name with the face. I ate a couple of cookies this evening (the campus is shut down now that classes ended - I had access to a vending machine only.) So far so good, but I'll leave any more eating until I get home later today. It is quiet here now. I'll work overtime on the weekend for time and a half, something they rarely offer but they're short staffed during the university holiday and I can use the cash. The think about overtime is that you only get it if you worked a full week already. If I were to take sick leave today, I wouldn't be able to get time and a half on Saturday. Congratulations on the house, Susan! It'll be nice to start setting up your own place. I wonder how things are in WI (is that the correct postal code?) for Linn? I'll have to check the Jane's Rainbow thread, or facebook. Liz, I noticed on facebook that you're finding good homes for some of the cats. Those families are going to have so much fun now they have kitties to share the holidays with! I hope you're feeling better now. Michelle, our human dynamo, has been moving furniture and celebrating birthdays and probably doing lots of laundry if it is still snowy and Jeremiah spends any time in it. I always had multiples of hats and mittens in the house when the kids were little. The smell of wet wool goes with the season. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Dec 13 - 12:25 PM Hump day in the last week before the holiday break. Lovely weather today and the yard is finally drying out a bit. I've been picking up some of the snack type foods I'd like to use for entertaining and I hope to have a few friends in during the break, but that is contingent upon making time to vacuum and mop, and it would be nice if I could get rid of that futon. Weight is stable right now - I'm not trying to lose weight, just to maintain this level until we get past the New Year. Considering the chaos that visited my lower GI the other night, I was leery about eating anything yesterday and inadvertently had two fasting days in a row. I think I have enough baked goods now for the co-worker gifts in my department (I made a bunch of loaves of quick breads and they're in the freezer). In the past I've donated to Heifer International or the Humane Society in the name of the group, but this year I don't have the cash for it. I haven't decorated the house yet, but I'll start on the weekend so it looks good when the kids are here. A few basics like the mantle and some garland and the lighted macrame basket where we put all of the little gifts. I don't always get a tree - with the dogs in the house more that might be interesting, though it isn't as fraught with difficulties as I expect it is at Liz's house with all of her cats! When I was in high school and we had three cats and a large dog we used to set up the tree in the corner of the living room then run picture hanging wire guys to each of the cafe curtain rods on windows nearby to hold up the tree against the animal onslaught. More than once someone plucked a cat from the middle of the tree. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Claire M Date: 18 Dec 13 - 03:12 PM Hiya, I've a CPAP. Been on it for couple of yrs. Couldn't go w/o it now; not s'posed to anyway. I always worry it's not working. Ditched full face mask when I was asked if i'd tried to eat it in the night; it had obviously slipped/not been on right in 1st place =/= not wearing it. Wrote some chants/blessings for lady who took me to Moonhenge. Overhaul on Fri w/ staff leaving – thankfully not her --, who are mostly that type of carer I've never really liked; you know the sort; great @ painting nails – which is important – but no understanding/patience – you need both. Still, I could have a *lot worse*. I could write a book re those I've had. Hope the Wintersmith brings me all I want for Xmas, as a card I got said – including the cd about him & replacements for lost cds. T. I – family are same way -- don't care if gifts I get are £1 if they're something I truly like. Just sad my Consort will be spending it w/ a bunch of people he doesn't really like, who don't really like him either. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 18 Dec 13 - 03:23 PM The CPAP is going better an I think it would be great if I could kick this stupid cold...can't cough and wear the mask at the same time. It's fine for when I'm awake and I can move it enough to cough and put it back on but apparently when I'm asleep and cough I get irritated and throw it. LOL Today I cut enough fabric for 2 quilts...one is a baby quilt the other is a tumbler quilt using 2.5inch tumblers....LOTS of cutting for that one but should be pretty when I get it all pieced together! Today Jeremiah goes to see Santa....he is SO excited which makes ME SO EXCITED!!! Last year he didn't want anything to do with Santa....he was quite afraid of him...here's hoping that he doesn't get scared when they are face to face!! :) Michelle who LOVES being a Mommy!!! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Dec 13 - 03:29 PM With Santa visits, it is always wise to let the child decide when they're ready. If he balks at the last minute after waiting in a line, no big deal. Santa will be there again next year. I wouldn't mind having a photo of my grown-up kids visiting Santa. :) Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris. Hilarious, and not for small children. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Dec 13 - 05:15 PM Dorothy, have you ever seen these? Yarn bowls. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 18 Dec 13 - 06:45 PM Jeremiah did GREAT with Santa! He walked right up to him, climbed in his lap and carried on a decent conversation. He answered Santa's questions...What is your name? How old are you? Have you been a good boy? What would you like Santa to bring you for Christmas? :) For Christmas, Jeremiah told him he would like (in this order): Veggies A Dodge Tires And a snowman. :) Photos on Facebook (in about 10 minutes) Michelle PS. I would NEVER push Jeremiah to go to someone he didn't want to...that's just mean. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 18 Dec 13 - 08:52 PM SRS: yarn bowls! yes. Lots of different ones. The "in thing". Not making any. Apple cider vinegar - I have forgotten except that it works for me. Settles the innards, balances the system. believed to prevent and heal food poisoning. Gave the book away. I just googled Vermont Folk Medicine and it came up, top of page. Dr. Jarvis. Whenever The gut does not feel quite right, I put some ACV in a mug of water - warm or cool and drink it repeatedly until life gets better. Something convoluted about maintaining an acid balance, that the last thing we need is ant-acids because indigestion is too much alkali. Anyhow, works for me. Some people just drink it daily or with each meal - maybe with some honey in it, just to keep bodies happy. I only use as much ACV as I can tolerate! Cough came back last night. Very little sleep. Back on Pau d'Arco. No idea what has triggered it this time. Clean sheets? Washed with same detergent as always? Made new batch of chili today and an interesting zuke/tomato stuff to go over rice, added some cooked beans for protein. Mid-east thing with "arab spices" I mixed up a while back. Finished chili and the phone rang asking for a pottery showing at a friend's home so I drove up and Hannah carried umpteen boxes of pots up the spiral metal stairs. They sorted out a dozen pots, re-packed and carried them down again! Now I can off load them when I get to the mill tomorrow. Their request is "make more BIG bowls" and showed me ones --I made years ago! OK. Next on the list, start making big bowls again. And finish tea pots. But not tomorrow. Tomorrow is, weather permitting, back to mill to water plants, check heat, whatever else needful, go to writer's group Christmas party where, with any luck, one of the teens can help me figure out how to get pics from phone to computer. R came home, first time since Monday am, and went into shock when he saw that I had cleared the surfaces of his papers. IT looks so much better! Fed him chili and hot apple juice and now he is asleep on the sofa. Said he has to go back to work.... |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Jeri Date: 18 Dec 13 - 09:58 PM One of those days... Shoveled last night's snow off porch and removed it from car. Went over to Bat Goddess's to tend to her cats. Fed & watered them, and cleaned one litter box. It doesn't seem like they're using the other one. Sabine has been in hiding since Monday, but somebody has been drinking her water, and I don't think it's Rufus. Played with Rufie--hey Linn, that boingy mouse thing is VERY well made! THEN I drove to my mammogram appointment and the "check engine" light came on. Had the m-gram, drove home, but stopped at the garage, where they re-set the light and told me it wasn't anything serious, but to come back if it lights up again. At some point during this garage visit, I thought maybe it's was fate's way of telling me I should get a pizza, and realized I hadn't eaten all day (which explained the headache and the anxiety. So ordered a "Mediterranean" pizza (it has black olives, spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese, and giant hunks of fresh garlic) and came home. Ate half of pizza (it was a small one), took pills for head, and also ate the baklava I got when I got the pizza. Sat back to relax while the food and meds kicked in, then my power went out. It only lasted 5 minutes, thank goodness. Still, it was one of those days. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Dec 13 - 01:01 AM Jeri, that sounds like a great pizza for conquering a headache! I love them with lots of veggies and cheeses (I sometimes get them without tomato sauce, just a few slices of tomato and the other toppings.) There was an interesting short video on facebook about cats and their owners, compared with babies and their mothers and dogs with their owners. It seemed to conclude that we may be fonder of our cats than they are of us. I heard from Erin (Morgan's mom) today. He likes beading still, and Kat was teaching him crochet and he loves it. Plus other art things. I'll get a box in the mail in a day or two. I have some stuff here already, but will add to it. Michelle, I agree totally about the not forcing a kid to sit on Santa's lap. I wish someone could convince the parents who do it, despite a screaming child, and end up with a photo of their miserable child on Santa's lap. One hopes they look at that later and wonder "what was I thinking?" SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: GUEST,Bat Goddess Date: 19 Dec 13 - 07:07 AM Cat games! The "sheltered" litter box is for Her Shyness, Sabine, but Rufus usually likes to patronize both equally. Sabine likes to hang out under my bed or in any number of secluded cat caves...and I think she's found an entry into the bottom drawer of the dresser in the kitchen. I'm really missing having both of them curled up with me when I'm sleeping -- Rufus towards my feet or sleeping on my hip, and Sabine in my face, stomping across my head, nose nuzzling and tickling my face with her whiskers because she thinks I should be petting her...at 3 a.m.... Thanks for keeping them company, Jeri, as well as food, water and litter box detail. I take it Drew got the driveway plowed and cleared after the snow... Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 19 Dec 13 - 10:31 AM Avoided coughing all night with vit C "lozenges" but still to tired to do much. shoulder pain seems to be responding to that good apple juice - could be the pectin effect. There is powdered pectin in the country which I will pick up on today's trip - hopefully. There may be a limit to how much apple juice is good for system! Only came here to share this piece from the Clay buddies site. Someone entered a plea for help and this exc de-cluttering response appeared. apparently some creative minds ARE tidy. Jennifer Domal: My mother says I was organized when I was born but really, I think I just learned from her. Yes, my spice rack is alphabetized. But I don't get freaked out by the havoc the varmints wreak by toys on the floor and stuff. 1. Be ruthless. So what that people gave you glazes? Throw away, donate or sell the glazes that you do not use. Consolidate whenever possible. 2. The phrase is Recycle/REDUCE/Reuse: Eliminate things from your small space that you just do not use on a daily or weekly basis. Your creativity will be that much better by having space. Reduce is the strongest and most forgotten part of the phrase but the most helpful for having a good living space. 3. Shelves are good. Cabinets with doors are better. Doors mean no dust can get on your goods and it's easier to wipe down a cabinet door than shelves. A cabinet door is also a great place to attach hooks to hang test tiles, tools, inspiration pictures, reminders, etc. especially in small spaces. They aren't any more expensive than shelves an if you watch freecycle, craigslist or home improvement stores you can sometimes get them for free when people are redoing their homes. 4. Get in the habit of putting stuff away. Your area needs to be cleaned anyway and it's easier and safer when everything is wet. Give yourself some reward every time whether it's a cookie, a 15 minute nap or a beer. {"wet" is important for clay and glaze materials re airborne particulate!} 5. Throw stuff away! I know I said it twice but it's that important. Throw stuff away that is not necessary for your space. Yes, I save lots of things and have lots of bits and pieces. But I don't have junk laying around blocking my ability to work. Another person can come into my studio and easily find the flow, not trip, bump their head or need to look for anything. Common items are accessible on the counters. Less common in cabinets above the workspace. Trash can is nearby. I've seen studios that don't have one. What? 6. Don't think of it as organization. I don't. I think of it as making my creativity flow more smoothly and more efficiently. What is currently stopping me from getting my idea out as quickly as I want it to? Oh, I have to do x to get to y and z is in the way. Fix it. Streamline. Remove the extra steps. I realized that I was always looking for drawing paper, tracing paper and charcoal pencils in addition to regular pencils so I have a cabinet dedicated to drawing supplies. Newsprint and paper are in there also for paper stencils. Much simpler, much easier and has led to so many fun ideas. 7. When you are in a rut working, start cleaning up your work area. It's exhilarating. I keep my sketchbook handy because the cleaning always manages to kick my brain into overdrive. You'll find things you forgot about, things you used to hate, ideas you had started and hated and now you like (or not). It's a valuable use of studio time. Then give yourself your reward. I like cookies so gingersnaps for me. I hope that helps. My husband has ADHD with anxiety and has trouble with all of these. He has trouble throwing things away especially and it actually increases his anxiety because then he can't find stuff. When I go in and reduce, he feels calmer. Well, until he realizes I threw stuff out but then he gets over it. * * * I do not want to go to the country! I want to go back to bed. Maybe later... Maybe hot bath right now. yeah. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Charmion Date: 19 Dec 13 - 12:45 PM Weight I stable, hovering just under 150 pounds. I haven't weighed that little since 1984. The house is a mess. In the study, there's office confetti all over the floor (Edmund turned his briefcase upside-down) and piles of unfiled papers on every level surface. In the dining room, there's Christmas wrapping stuff all over the table and unwrapped presents stacked on the sideboard. The kitchen is a maelstrom of cats and dirty dishes. The bedrooms are full of muddle. I have yet to finish either the Christmas shopping or the Christmas baking. On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia -- or anywhere else that isn't my responsibility to maintain in a civilized condition. My current objective is to get through the rest of the Christmas preparations without forgetting anything major or breaking anything at all. It would be nice if I could clean the house, but if I don't the world will continue to revolve on its axis. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 19 Dec 13 - 04:01 PM Delegate! I did not feel any better after the hot bath, of course, so I phoned Vanessa in the country and asked her to find a brown sugar softener maple leaf - on that shelf - and wrap it and take it to the library for my secret Santa since I was clearly not going to drive 40 miles. I also told her she can load and fire the kiln before Christmas regardless of how little is in it. She is making gifts! She told me her dad, with homeopathic training, is interested in my problem and would talk with me on the phone about it. I certainly am interested in talking with him. One never knows where another answer might lie. I did do FB and read emails and returned two responses to a potter in NYS re kafuffle with an arrogant, over-bearing... male (on a clay forum) who considers my opinion "a personal attack". He wants a response and I just do not have the energy. For those who cannot hear.... She assured me I was not alone. I decided to almost just walk away but for his demand, so I posted on the thread: "But I am not perfect in my way of putting things because I had the divine simplicity of being only what I appear to be." Fernando Pessoa And added: "I need my energy to make pots and live life." I shall ignore this creature in future. Now, I feel almost enough energy to go to the country but it is late and a silly trip of almost 3 hours for a 2 hour event. I messaged my regrets. Maybe I can walk to the library before it closes. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Jeri Date: 19 Dec 13 - 06:02 PM Linn: Drew has done a great job plowing your driveway and shoveling off the porch. At least I'm assuming it's been him doing the porch. The mail is on the basket, or it was when I left this afternoon. Still no sign of Sabine other than the water being drunk. I figure after the first day, she hears it's me and thinks "Oh crap, it's her. Don't need to come out until mom gets home." I almost didn't make it out the door today. I don't know if Rufus is going to let you make the session. Do give me a call when you get home. (Although I'll see you on Saturday if you can't be arsed, or if you're attached to cats.) |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Dec 13 - 09:42 PM Those cats sounds like fun. Maybe Jeri should have taken a nap on Linn's couch to give the cats a chance to come over and walk all over her. :) Hectic day, busy weekend ahead, I did a little shopping this evening and got Susie two cookbooks at Half Price books. Didn't even wrap 'em. She has been moaning about not having her cookbooks (her house burned down four years ago taking all of her cookbooks along with everything else. The thing she misses most are the books.) She has a party coming up and various things she wants to do, so I got her a classic red and white Better Homes and Gardens tabbed one (I found a new copy of a 10 year old version with three-ring binder and tabs. I don't like the comb binding on the newer ones.) And one by Craig Claiborne, because everyone needs one of those kinds of cookbooks to go to for special occasions. She's thrilled, and as I left she was finishing making a double batch of the cranberry nut bread that I gave her the recipe for. Her dogs are coming down to my house tomorrow night because she is having 30 people in and four dogs underfoot just won't do. Should be interesting with seven dogs here at my house. I picked up my eyeglasses this morning, they are not right. Talk about a major headache! The bifocal is set as if I read with a book six inches in front of my nose, and the right lens seems to have no correction for distance at all. I've never had to go back so many times for one pair of glasses! This is one of those evenings when I need to kick back and let go of the stress, but I still have stuff to do. Maybe Sunday. I am working overtime on Saturday - so looking forward to this rare opportunity to have a bigger paycheck because they typically never pay overtime. And the only way to get overtime is to work the full 40-hour week beforehand; if you take sick or vacation during that week there is just straight time for extra work. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 Dec 13 - 03:18 PM The eyeglasses are back with the optician, and a doctor redid the prescription. I wore them yesterday and along with a huge headache the right eye Rx was all wrong. It was like I was cross-eyed when I wore them and the bifocal was set for about six inches in front of my face. I don't know what the first doctor was thinking! I might get them back on Tuesday next week. The last box for my donation of playbills is being donated today. I need to list the items then take the box up to Special Collections. Last year I didn't have enough deductions to have any savings from my donation (I couldn't top the standard deduction), but this year I can combine last year and this, so hopefully I'll get something back as a refund, or at least not pay taxes. We've lost the kids as deductions on our taxes, now that my son has earned a lot working last summer and will have to file his own taxes. Just in case I'll do the FAFSA form one last time, but he graduates in spring 2014. Cold weather is coming through again, but I don't think it will freeze till mid-week (just in time for people to drive down for xmas.) Everyone stay warm and safe as you wrap up your preparations for the holidays that you celebrate this time of year! SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 20 Dec 13 - 06:13 PM After going up to just above freezing yesterday, we are in for snow and freezing rain for the next few days with a low of minus 3 on Christmas eve. I am staying in the city until the roads clear! Esp since R's attempt to install the incinolet ended with it not working. Until it is functional... Phooey! Today, hurray! Felt normal for me and managed to finish the LR so it is almost civilized looking. Also attacked the electric problem, re-arranging and changing the extension cords with careful consideration of how much load was going on each circuit. I was able to add a light in a dark corner and plug in the printer and, even, use it for the first time since Spring. Was delighted that it worked! Tried to figure out how to make a special calendar on Excel but no success yet. Whoo! It just sounded as though the sidewalk plow was coming up the steps! Which reminds me that, once again, R has taken the new snow shovel. It will be needed here and to dig out my car - again. So yesterday I managed to get through most of the day on apple juice, with a small meal in the late eve. Today I would like to eat everything in sight. Restraint is in order. 9 cm of snow today and continuing through the night. Keep warm, everyone! And a safe trip home for Linn!! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Charmion Date: 21 Dec 13 - 08:20 AM Snow, ice pellets and sleet all weekend in Ottawa; fortunately, we are not going anywhere until Monday, when we embark on the eight-hour journey to Windsor for Christmas. That said, I am not looking forward to taking the kittens to the vet today for their booster shots just at the hour Environment Canada has picked for the onset of the next wave of sleet. Seven dogs, Maggie? Just feeding them all will be quite the operation. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 21 Dec 13 - 11:56 AM We've got drippy, melty weather. My ride home from the airport (and guardian of my car while I was gone -- her husband is the shoveler outer) is a project manager with a utility company. She said her linemen are on standby from this morning (Saturday) at 6 a.m. until Sunday at 6 p.m. in case the temps drop and we end up with a coating of ice. Looked out the window about an hour ago and there were five wild turkeys having a confab in the driveway just behind my car. They finally agreed on strategy and started through the snow on the bank. A few minutes later they were joined by three more who took the shortcut up the bank. Then two more stragglers joined the parade. One crossed the stone wall and headed in the same direction as the other nine plowing through snow and brush towards the woods. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 21 Dec 13 - 12:09 PM MAN! I feel like a woman! (Shania Twain) An date-sensitive opportunity for help unloading furniture in Ohio coincides with a practical need to get down there ASAP and I started with a list and have moved on to weighing the relative merits and costs of driving it all, shipping some, renting a larger trailer, taking less, etc. But for a kickstart I am repeating what worked so well for me in the recent yard sale prep-- using trash barrels as packing bins, lined with a fresh bag. They will be rainproof on the trailer; I can manage them alone; we need barrels in Ohio... DUH! So today I got the extra shower curtain down and packed, along with a hanging pocketty thing that hangs in the shower, cuz I've known I'll need THOSE for months!!! FINALLY I can pack and start getting there! There is no icebox in the new house and I may not be able to afford a new one right off, so I cleaned out the office mini-fridge (all office tasks are on hold this year), and readied it for Hardi to bring down, and I packed a bunch of small appliances and a mini-set of flatware into the breadbox I want to take. A chair I am taking is ready to come down also. A tall but tiny side table, I brought down myself. That mini-fridge (if it still works by then) will eventually go into the garage for the workout drinks Hardi will want in the weight room out there. The small appliances will be in a yard sale down there someday,along with anything else deemed unneeded later. The dog is upset by all this (thinks we're leaving again for weeks, without him), so I will let him see me pack a few of his things in these barrels too. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 21 Dec 13 - 12:26 PM The inflated dog population was temporary, only for about four hours. Each of mine came in to greet the two (largest) who came down. Susie decided to leave the two smaller ones at home and could put them in a back bedroom if needed. My three each came in briefly to greet the visitors. Zeke was happy, Cinnamon was ecstatic, Poppy I held onto so she didn't start barking in anyone's face. Heavy cold rain today, and I'm at work. It's strange in the library with so few people. A steady trickle of work that neither of us is particularly accustomed to. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 Dec 13 - 12:40 AM Zucchini bread is in the oven. Cleaning has been underway but is not finished, so now that the bread is in and the prep stuff clean I'll shift back to cleaning and laundry and working on the kids' rooms. I moved a computer from my sewing room this afternoon and put it back in the other bedroom (from my daughter's room to my son's). I've about cleared off the bed in the sewing room, and I'll change the linens on both beds so they're fresh on Tuesday night. They spend the evening with their dad then come over to my house very late (when they were little I'd wait and set out gifts after they went to bed. Now I can't stay up that late so I set it up and they come in whenever.) I fix breakfast and then we do gifts. And I have a pot roast for xmas dinner (I offered turkey but they prefer the roast. And I'll teach both kids how to make it while I'm at it.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 Dec 13 - 11:26 AM It froze hard, but it is sunny and clear today - that's an emotional boost for a day in the darkest time of year. Diving into more clearing up. I have to take down and pack that chandelier - it has been photographed, now I need to pack it for shipping and put my macrame basket up (it has lights up and down the knotted cords). That's often our only cone-shaped faux tree spot in the house and I have a few small gifts to put in the basket. I hope everyone is able to move around without ice and snow impeding your progress. There's always a lot of running that needs doing prior to the holidays. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 23 Dec 13 - 11:32 AM CPAP test was a smashing success!!!! Oxygen levels which had been in the low 80s while I slept are now in the upper 90s! YAY!!! No wonder I feel SO MUCH BETTER!!!! HOORAY!!! I'm off to do some last minute stocking stuffer fun or maybe to find myself a treat for plowing through something kinda tough and doing a good job of it! :) Either way, it's gonna be a GREAT day!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: maeve Date: 23 Dec 13 - 11:38 AM Ice over everything here, Maggie, and more to come. Chickens all tucked inside their cozy coop, swearing at the ice as only chickens can swear. Joyful days to all. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 23 Dec 13 - 01:33 PM Great news, Michelle! A good Christmas gift. Glad Linn is safely at home. Wild turkeys! used to be so shy they were rarely seen but when I was living in SE PA, my cross the street neighbour had them grazing under the bird feeders! Still, I would find them a treat to see in the (country) yard. The weather, and R's work - I did not go to cafe Friday night. Not really wanting to spend the night in that building with the distant toilet and no running water. On Saturday - R went out looking for snow tires only to announce that he already had them on the truck! I guess that is why he was having "no trouble" getting around! Then, rather late, we started to the cafe but I was driving my car and a few hundred yards on the highway convinced me this was a very bad idea. We spent a quiet Saturday and Sunday in the city. And absolutely nothing got done. A few phone calls and time on computer and reading. A nice stir fry for supper and buckwheat cakes for breakfast this morning, topped with stewed apples, almond chips and grated cheddar. Then R shoveled out both vehicles and the front steps. I have started the distiller and will put some black beans to cook, then, she says hopefully, go to the upstairs studio and see what I can make. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Claire M Date: 23 Dec 13 - 02:06 PM Good to hear CPAP is working OK. 1st Xmas when I haven't been @ home – settled in well, although flatmates will never be best mates. I thought it might be better now staff have left & it is. Well, to me anyway. I think their negative feelings were causing us problems, they used to say things like I was/am the only person they got sense out of, & all everyone ever wanted – including me – was hoisting. I didn't like this, & ♥ily wished they'd leave. The Consort just said he'd no home to go to. Sorted out gargantuan folder full of crystal info. Hopefully getting Steeleye's latest for Xmas. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 23 Dec 13 - 05:22 PM The turkeys are always a delight, whether they're in my yard, in the road, or foraging in a neighbor's yard. The first time I saw one was back in the late '80s, I think, on Ash Swamp Road in Newmarket, NH. 2004 was the first year we had our own "resident" family...mama, papa, and ten chilluns. Every morning at 7 they would walk in front of our house on their way up the hill to our neighbor's field. Then every night at 6 p.m. they would "fly" (turkeys do not so much fly as they do crash thud) down into our trees, each one landing separately and on different branches. (I think they're aiming impaired as well...) With every landing leaves and feathers would go flying. I have quite a collection. Picked up a few necessities at the grocery store...such as tirimisu cake for tomorrow night. It's Jeri's fault. If she had gone to Toronto instead of coming over to share my port, Stilton, aged Gouda and other interesting cheeses, and paté, I wouldn't have bothered with dessert...or, probably even the brandy alexanders (Tom's and my traditional Christmas morning present opening tipple) I intend to make. When I got to the tree place at the Circle around 1:30...despite the Open sign, it was padlocked and closed. Maybe the guy was taking a lunch break. Whatever. I didn't have time to wait around. So I went over to the hardware store -- all the trees, wreaths, etc. were half off -- but I just got a bunch of boughs. Will find some ribbon and hang it up in front of a window in the living room or at the foot of the stairs. I wasn't planning on actually decorating a tree if I got one anyway. But I might go back tomorrow and buy a 50% off kissing ball...and maybe a bunch of juniper, too. When I got home I declared it too late and too dark to go down cellar to shut off the water to the laundry room so I can change the filter...(that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). Mañana... (The laundry's not going anyplace and I still have clean underwear...;-) But I got the playlist posted for Saturday's Press Room sea music and seasonal song sing. This morning while I was air drying my hair, I sorted a pile of papers (and threw out a bunch) in an attempt to beat my bedroom into submission so I can have a handyman come in and fix the bookcase so I can get the books back into that instead of taking up so much floor space. (And maybe my archival binders will fit on the bottom shelf and on the floor behind the TV...I can hope. Memories of enough floor to walk on in the bedroom are fast fading...) Think I'll go tack up the Christmas cards around the cellar door and put the sympathy cards in a basket. And maybe throw something festive over the box of Tom's medical stuff that I haven't yet found homes for. And then it will be time for dinner. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 23 Dec 13 - 06:57 PM Bugout is Jan. 3. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 23 Dec 13 - 09:15 PM Happiness is successfully throwing 7 larger bowls. One flopped. And some other small items. A good afternoon. Dishes and laundry, email and FB caught up, food ready for supper. Watching a Christmas movie about saving the library from developers. The house is warm enough. Good day. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 Dec 13 - 02:08 AM I had ripe bananas so I have three small loaves of banana bread and I also made a loaf of regular yeast bread. Tomorrow will be cookie day, it just didn't happen today. I pushed the cleaning further into the house (for some reason I started in my bedroom, which is nice for me, but doesn't make it look better for guests.) I've swept and vacuumed further now and several throw rugs are in the washer. I'll mop tomorrow before I put them back down. The ice last week contributed to the (now dry) mud I'm finishing clearing this week. Wrapping is left to do. I may pick up my glasses tomorrow if they are ready, but I don't have any other plans for going out. Every trip is expensive so I need to stay home. Two movies watched this evening while I worked, more for tomorrow. Tomorrow is a fasting day, and I'll try to stay to it (even when I'm making cookies.) I'd really like to get through the holidays without gaining any weight, just keeping it where it is. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 24 Dec 13 - 05:05 AM First things first, I lost 5.2 pounds this week!!! :) Today I am wrapping gifts (since I never did get anything wrapped) and making goodies for our Christmas gathering. I am in charge of the shrimp and cocktail sauce, spinach dip and bread (making homemade), garlic ring bologna, 2 kinds of cheese balls and fruit dip. There will also be a fruit tray, a cheese tray, sandwich fixings, veggies, crackers, breads and rolls and maybe some cookies. All finger foods and no big sit down dinner which was at my request. For us, Christmas will include a 3 year old and a 91 year old....neither who are interested in the big traditional sit down dinner so I suggested just having things to nibble on. It's much less work for those of us who are cooking as well....no need to overheat the house with the oven, no huge mountains of dishes to do...just a nice time to sit and relax with the people I love most. How about you? How will you celebrate? Do you make a special meal or have any special family traditions? Jeremiah will be given one present tonight which will be a box with a new set of Christmas jammies, a movie (Cars for him) and a little snack to go with his popcorn as we settle in by the fire and Christmas tree. I am sooo looking forward to tomorrow and watching Jeremiah. Merry Christmas Everybody! Much Love and Happiness to you all! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 Dec 13 - 11:58 AM Michelle, our holiday is bifurcated. The kids spend xmas eve with their father, they have since the divorce in 1999. It took them a little while to work out their routine, but I think it involves Chinese or Italian takeout and hanging out late. I used to stay up until after he brought them home to set up the Santa effect after they went to bed, but they have come in later each year and I can't handle that late a night, so I set up and go to bed. We have breakfast on xmas morning, a favorite, usually bacon and buttermilk pancakes, hot tea, whatever. Tomorrow our dinner is a pot roast - I quizzed everyone and that was their preference. This afternoon I'll make a Puerto Rican dish, a filling for meat pies called "empanadillas." I'll use chicken this year, cubed, and simmered with sofrito (onions, green peppers, garlic) and tomatoes, cilantro, add olives and capers at the end. Usually it goes in pastry and is fried in a shallow pan of oil, but my ex prefers just the filling and eats it over rice. I make a few in pastry for the rest of us. In the background is music (a local station plays a great selection of holiday oddities collected years ago by a favorite late public radio host) or old holiday movies. I loved the holidays when the kids were little, but they're still good now that they're big - they help out more, and the conversation and humor is something I look forward to. I'm going to teach the kids how to make this pot roast, taking advantage of a teachable moment. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 Dec 13 - 09:27 PM I finished making and delivered the annual filling for Puerto Rican empanadillas to my ex's house this evening. He and the kids were chowing down on their traditional Chinese and Italian takeout, so I left as soon as it was delivered. Our timing was a bit off this year and when the kids arrived earlier to say hello and pick up a couple of things I didn't have it ready. They'll be back here late tonight (so I have to wrap fast!) I'm working on more cookies now, after I choose the next movie to watch. Not all holiday flicks this year, just movies I like. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 24 Dec 13 - 11:11 PM The tree has been decorated, Christmas jammies have been put on, 3 stories about the birth of Jesus have been read, cookies and milk are out for Santa, the presents are all wrapped and I'm about ready for bed. What a wonderful day it has been! Photos of our Christmas Eve have been posted on FB if anyone is interested! Merry Christmas Friends! XOXOXO Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: maeve Date: 25 Dec 13 - 04:33 PM Power has been restored- only 3 days. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 26 Dec 13 - 10:10 AM Maeve got the best Christmas present!! It was debatable whether to go to the mill/country or stay in the city. The toilet/water situation at the mill caused us to opt for the city. We had a "quiet" day. Our best Christmas present was R happily spending most of the day - after we got up at 10:30 and had a nice brekkie - putting insulation in the non-functional windows in LR and BR. We did not even open the front door -COLD out there! I trimmed the pots thrown on Monday - a nice bit of work. Staying upstairs helped keep me out of the way of the dust/particulate being generated. When I came down I put on my small mask. Still, coughed a part of night, and now. Need to get this new stuff out of my system. Also did a bit of re-arranging of the antique artifacts in the LR so the exercycle is less invasive and I actually used it for a few minutes last night. We had a light supper about 5 and I caught up computer stuff/ Then we watched some TV - movie about the horses of McBride (true and amazing story), Miracle on 34th, the news on CBC (Canadian BC) and an OK music program. A very young girl - looked about 12 - sang Silent Night with utter perfection and a crystal clear voice -Awesome!!! Have no idea who she was but she was the show stopper for me. The "Tenors" were merely good - except for Justin Bieber who should not have been there. I set my phone on alarm and slept through it "about 10 times". R let me sleep so he dashed off to a 9 am meeting without brekkie. I am concerned that we are sleeping "too much". Bed at 12 and not getting up 'til 10:30 twice in the last week. Hibernation! 7 F this morning but rising today. House is warmer thanks to R's work yesterday. He so enjoyed doing the job that it was nice to watch him happily working away - like an elf in Santa's workshop. Now I am up and started a load of laundry and the distiller, activated credit card and am sitting here in a bit of a stupor drinking warm water with apple cider vinegar in hopes I will feel like doing more. I suppose a hot bath is needed but R may want to go look for a new TV later, though I expect he will get caught up in work. We'll see. I suggested we wait 'til people sell their old ones on Craigslist, having gotten new ones in the Boxing day sales or for Christmas. I would like one we can hook the TV into so we have a larger screen and can watch movies from the computer, in fact just about anything we want to see is available on line. That was our Christmas and a happy one it was. Now it is time for another cuppa and move the laundry to the dryer --OOPS! forgot to turn off the heater and WOW - did not blow the circuit! YAY!! Cloudy and light snow falling! We miss the cabin SO much. It was cosy and warm and had all the amenities. It was so beautiful to watch the snow fall there. We would surely have gone there for Christmas but then we would not have a warmer city house! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 Dec 13 - 07:47 PM That is good news, maeve, that the power is on! I hope you have an efficient wood or pellet stove to keep the house warm and for cooking. I blocked off my drafty fireplace and my television is in front of it. Yesterday morning when we were sitting there so I brought up NetFlix and we streamed a video of a burning fireplace. It looked pretty good, considering the TV is only a foot or so in front of the actual fireplace. I had my own music CDs playing and the streaming program had music, so I muted the television. Every so often someone would laugh and point at the closed caption of "[crackling]" or "[popping]" showing on the screen. :) I moved some things around before dinner last night and made note that I am storing some table place mats that I haven't used in years. I think that is this evening's project, culling placemats and vinyl tablecloths that are from the days when small children ate at the table. Michelle, does Jeremiah use any plastic placemats? My kids had a lot of Sesame Street characters under their plates. (These are old and kind of cracked up, so I won't offer to send them! I'm sure you can find them in any grocery or toy store for a couple of bucks each.) Making a list of errands to run after the new year. I called a place I wanted to stop at to drop off an item for repair but they're away till Jan. 2. Trying to take advantage of the slow season, but some things have come to a stop. The saga of my eyeglasses continues, they're still not ready. The Rx was wrong so needing replacement and when the new lens came in today and the optician was taking the wrong lens off of the frame the bridge piece broke. Ordered new from other store, maybe ready tomorrow. I steamed some broccoli for my backyard pack for part of their dinner. They're okay with raw, but they really love cooked. They'll be in overnight because it's still down below freezing and their garage gets a little chilly. That's why my house was looking so good this morning, I had to be sure everything was up and they wouldn't get into food or opened gifts after I went to bed. Not much to taking down decorations, it's just the mantle and some lights in the yard now. Not a flashy year, but the mantle looks as elegant as ever with holiday lights, cut crystal, and a few glass tree ornaments in some of the crystal bowls. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: JohnInKansas Date: 27 Dec 13 - 12:52 AM While it's hard to maintain a schedule and do proper planning when the Christmas decorations pop up in the stores before Halloween is over, a word about planning for the next season might be in order. I was looking, today, for an item I had little hope of finding, and when one of the helpful employees tried - and couldn't find - the thing I wanted, I commented that I really expected it would be more commonly stocked during spring/summer gardening season and wasn't too surprised that they didn't have it in stock now. His reply was: "WE SHOULD BE GETTING THEM (my item) OUT IN A WEEK OR TWO. WE'VE ALREADY STARTED GETTING OUR SEEDS FOR SPRING PLANTING, AND WE'LL START PUTTING SOME OF THAT STUFF OUT SOON." (Our high temp today was about 34F (1.1C) but we expect to be back in the low 20s (F) tomorrow. And January ain't here yet even.) I need to start nagging LiK (the original black thumb) to get started picking what she wants to kill this spring. Is anyone getting the seed catalogs already? John |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: maeve Date: 27 Dec 13 - 06:54 AM Thanks for the good wishes. Maggie, a pellet stove requires electricity, so we didn't even consider that. Ours is an excellent, efficient wood stove with heating shelves that swing out, revealing a perfect made-for-cooking surface. That's how we cooked when we first moved in since the wiring hadn't been done. I prefer having no electricity. Since we already have the wood stove going during the day, and we already haul water anyway, when the power is out the only important difference is the quiet... at least until neighbors start up their generators. John- We have been getting seed catalogs for a couple of months. I'm sure you know many farmers and home gardeners spend a lot of time planning (and dreaming) the next garden. For our farm, we also tend to buy certain seeds in bulk, so even if we don't order much when money is tight we usually have a couple of years worth of seed on hand and some to share with neighbors. Only short-lived seeds need be bought fresh each year- and most seeds we buy locally- FEDCO Seeds & Johnny's most of the time. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 27 Dec 13 - 08:55 AM Since we did not put up our Christmas decorations until a few days before Christmas, we are leaving them up until probably the first week or 2 in January. We have been getting seed catalogs for about a month and love looking through them! It's time for planning and day dreaming about the next garden. Also, some catalogs run out of seed early (Baker's Heirloom) so it's best to order now AND many cold friendly types of plants are best started inside during January...so seed catalogs now makes perfect sense. :) I have a busy day ahead. Time to make breakfast! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 27 Dec 13 - 11:05 AM I can sure relate to Maeve's comment about the quiet of not having electric! When I lived in the bush, the only sound was the almost imperceptible purr of the propane frig. I treasure silence and get so little. The cabin was quiet most of the time except for the frig. The mill might be eventually - in warm weather but right now the heater in the LR sounds like an airplane taking off. R may be able to replace it with a quieter one and someday a wood stove! I got my act together yesterday to roast a chicken and veggies. Also prepared brussel sprouts to roast in a casserole with lid - for about 30 min after R got home. As I took the chicken out of the oven -about 3:30 - I remembered we had been invited to dinner! I ate some chicken and put the whole pan in the frig after it cooled. Hopefully today we can have dinner. We won't go to the country 'til Sat morning. No music at the cafe tonight. Then I read and computered, and tried to phone R to find out what time was dinner. Finally reached him at 6. He was in the midst of.... Not wanting to lose my good parking spot, I walked the 7 blocks to Peter's and had time to converse with a few people, known and previously unknown, before dinner. R & bro actually arrived by 7; they have been known to be 4 hours late for dinners. That is why I walked! This morning we woke to the siren of snow removal and R dashed to move his truck while I made cran/apple porridge with blanched almond slivers. After brekkie, he dashed off to move truck from soon to be illegal parked and off to work. TV news tells us hundreds of vehicles are towed daily for snow removal. He had to pump up the tire first so needs to go get tire fixed today - NO excuses! I sorted out paper this morning, looking for something on which to print an article on "worst words of 2013" for writers' group. I seem to have taken all the plain white paper to the country but I ended up finding some plain paper and sorted out a vast assortment - scrap paper for lists and notes to self, OK for computer paper, notebook paper - two packets to get rid of!- and all is sorted and placed. Now I need a piece of paper to make a list of things to bring back to city - plain white paper, scale to weigh self, .... I am just not motivated to send much time at the mill. The toilet problem needs to be solved. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 Dec 13 - 01:16 PM Social and news media switch so quickly from christmas to resolutions for the new year, all while touting deep discount sales and looks back at the previous year. Gardens are a better investment of time and money than so many of the activities and pursuits promoted in the news now. It has been cold here in North Texas for weeks, though today is supposed to get up to about 58o. I'll walk the dogs and may get out and pull some of the dead stuff out of the gardens. It's time for potatoes, onions, leeks. The broccoli isn't very happy out there, I'll see if I can do something to perk it up. The chard took the ice pretty hard but is still alive. Cilantro has weathered the ice, as has oregano and the woody rosemary and bay leaf. A complex garden has more to offer than just fair weather crops. Indoors I'm sorting through stuff to go to the Goodwill. I'll make a last run to finish up this year of donations - household items that I have too much of and don't want to hold onto for a garage sale. I've found a lot of things I forgot about in the process, like restaurant take-home containers that I meant to use to send home leftovers after big family meals. Maybe this year. I have some empty cupboards now that I need to use efficiently (store things that are 1) worth keeping and that 2) I'll remember where I put them. I haven't lost any weight this month, probably gained a couple of pounds. I'm not beating myself up, I've only done a few days of fasting. Instead, I'll keep meals moderate when possible and get back to the routine in January and hope to hit by target by spring. Losing 45-50 pounds over the course of a year is a project that is its own reward in so many ways. Right now, today, it's the holiday break, and I think I'll take a nap. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 28 Dec 13 - 08:41 AM Woke up yesterday in pain and it continued, despite pain meds, through the day and night. My right knee. I think I slept on it wrong... Put a brace on (which I seldom use) fairly early so I wouldn't inadvertently twist it the wrong way and make it worse. But I didn't get a lot done as a result -- did get the deck shovelled off and the car cleared of ice and snow, but that HAD to be done if I intended to get to the Press Room session...and I did. It was tempting to stay home and baby the knee, but I knew it would probably be a quietish session and my voice would probably be needed. (I think the gavel was needed, too, but I didn't bring it. Amazing how loud it was even though the pub itself had fewer people than usual and it was a smallish session, too.) I just apologized to everyone (Facebook and email) for being out of sorts. I'm going to take it easy today and maybe make phone calls instead of schlepping stuff up and down stairs, moving stuff, etc. Right now going to find something in the freezer to defrost and declutter for supper. Linn |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 28 Dec 13 - 03:08 PM I've had some nice long conversations with friends and family this week - something I need to keep up. In a call last night my cousin asked for copies of the photos I took at her daughter's wedding in August, because she wasn't happy with the photos taken by a photographer hired by the bride. I posted a few to facebook that were more what she wanted. I was using a small Nikon coolpix but got about 50 shots she might like, a good overall look at the event. They're in a folder in my Dropbox account and I shared a link. It's nice when my hobby (obsession - I have a camera in my hand much of the time, it seems) works for family. I haven't weighed myself, but my clothes still fit so I haven't gained too much weight over the holiday. Today is a modified fasting day so I ate a smallish late lunch and I have some ripe fruit so I might eat a pear later this evening. I have only done a couple of fasting days a week instead of alternate days, it's easier this time of year with all of the events and meals. Out to run errands, and maybe finally pick up my glasses! I have stuff to load in the truck to take to the Goodwill and I have a bag of working but old xmas lights that I'll take over to the city recycle center swap area on Monday. I haven't been to the recycle center for a while because it is only for Fort Worth residents proper, but if I go in the morning maybe they won't be too busy. I have to use a copy of my ex's water bill to get past the entry gate. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 28 Dec 13 - 07:48 PM Today has been a waiting day. We agreed yesterday to go to the country today but when morning came, R had things to do first. Then load a truck with machinery to take to mill. I am still waiting. Except I will flatly refuse to leave before morning. The weather is OK, on the cusp of freezing, but to get down there in the dark, with knee high snow unplowed, no operating toilet. FORGET IT!!!! Sure miss the cabin. The power was off for a couple hours this afternoon. Very unusual. It was suddenly so nice and quiet! But started cooling quickly. Thought of all those without still!. I was able to talk on the cell phone and had wonderful conversations with two adult sons of friends in Ontario, visiting home for the holidays. So nice to talk with Tom whom I have known since he was two and now he is father of 3! And older bro Joe also with 3 kids. I have been missing this family greatly. The sort of friends I could drop in on on my way home, even if it were dinner time. And I knew the three kids better than my grandkids because I saw them all the time. Now I miss them even more but a six hour drive away... Then talked with a friend down near the mill for near an hour. Then watched the end of Sound of Music. Such a beautiful voice Julie Andrews had, rather like the young girl I heard the other night. And the rest of this day = read, eat, computer because I could not start doing anything not knowing when we would be leaving. Now I fell stultified. Ick! We had half of our nice chicken dinner last night, hopefully the rest tonight. I made brownies yesterday also. Found a recipe on line but not as good as Esther's. I'll try a deviation in a few days. I also signed up for a long distance provider (YAK) for the house phone so I can talk to more people; the cell only has 100 anytime minutes. Also did online banking - de-cluttered one account by paying on credit cards. Will do more when other money comes in after 1st. The only good thing about no longer having the cabin is that the rent I no longer pay is going to pay off credit cards; I could not manage both the rent and the bills and R has not been able to help. So it is nice to see the balances going down - being de-cluttered! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 28 Dec 13 - 11:55 PM Nice day, got my running around finished. I couldn't find the size box I needed at the Container Store, but found it for much le$$ at Home Depot. I think this will fit, I'll try putting the chandelier into it tomorrow then finally finish the listing. I took two bags of newspaper to the Humane Society (for cages and bedding) and dropped a bag and a box at Goodwill. I finally picked up my glasses. The optician suggested waiting till morning and putting them on when I wake up after some hours of not looking through the previous pair. I'll do that. I've been watching a movie but took a break to come and turn off the computer and brew a cup of tea. I'm thinking I may not watch the entire thing, but will head to bed to read a little. It won't get very cool tonight so the dogs can stay out in the garage like usual. They've been in a lot with the very cold nights we've had. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 29 Dec 13 - 10:11 AM Well, here I am, still waiting. We had our nice chicken dinner, phase II, about 9, after R came in thoroughly covered with dust/dirt/sawdust. Watched Tom, Dick and Harry on TV, kind of a good low budget movie. Then an hour of quiet before the 11 pm news. When I heard snoring, I firmly insisted on bed! This morning - snow removal sirens so we both hustled. I drove round and round looking for a parking space. R lucked out and found one very close so after a quick brekkie, he walked down and got my car and pulled hi truck out do he could put my car in and off to work. He will phone when (if?) he gets to the point of taking a truck (a basically unknown vehicle which, I understand, could break down anywhere/anytime) with trailer to the mill. I am to follow behind - just in case. My totally favourite thing to do! Like the Arkansas Hard Luck song, I just hang around waiting to see what in heck is going to happen next. At least he got a better tire on the regular truck on Sat morning. He could greatly de-clutter our lives by keeping his vehicles in proper running order. Now I am trying to think of useful things to do that won't matter if I have to stop in the middle. First an email to a dear old friend whom I finally found on FB - by going through all the friends of my fav general store. She responded with a request for my email address. So glad to re-connect! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Dec 13 - 11:16 AM My end of packing for Jan. 3 bug-out almost done. Furnace is down so warm work is sure helpful today! I am nicely ahead if sked for the MenzCrew's available help date! Prayers and support via FB have been steady, strong, and so encouragingly helpful, especially as thyroid levels have rollercoastered. Hardi is minding the house for this trip but plans to do a second quick trip with me in Feb. ♥♡♥ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 Dec 13 - 12:40 PM Susan, stay bundled up - I heard a chilly forecast for your part of the country in the next couple of days! The Home Depot box isn't large enough, next stop U-Haul for their large moving box. I picked up some of the cornstarch packing peanuts to add to all of the other stuff I'll have to use to pad and stabilize this chandelier. The lighter the packing stuff the better. Another cold front moving through today but it is supposed to be better by Tuesday. This hasn't been a typical winter in North Texas, were we occasionally get a few warm sunny days and then it cools. It has mostly been just cool. On cool days it is more difficult to motivate myself to get out in the garden, which is crying out for attention - weeding for new crops, and digging up the front bed to where I plant to transplant asparagus. My Sunday morning organic gardening radio program had a regular guest who speaks about alternative health topics. Some of those folks are from LaLa Land, but she's pretty well grounded in the science of this. Turns out the grape seed oil I looked all over for (I get it at a Middle Eastern grocery) has high Omega 6 and isn't so healthy, it might be contributing to the dermatitis I described that I'm still combating. Also, we've spoken in these threads about vitamin D, and today I asked her what is a good typical dose? She said 4,000 to 5,000 a day. I've heard of vitamin D toxicity, so I looked it up. The toxic level is way above what she is recommending. (A side note, I read yesterday that a variety of the Blue Buffalo dog food has been found to have way too much D and is causing the symptoms described in the article. Changing to another food was all it took to help the dogs get back to normal.) I'll up the vitamin D, add back the borage oil (GLA) and switch from grape seed to something else (she names macadamia oil - that has to be expensive - but if I put it in the Misto and use it just to spritz before frying that shouldn't use too much too fast. The rest of the time I use olive oil.) I'm going to start the next thread a little ahead of the new year so people can post any year-end summaries or list resolutions they'd like to keep track of. I have gotten out of the habit of resolutions myself, that seems to be the fastest way to NOT do what you resolved. But I think instead I can look back on the last year and list some things that have improved, and that I'll continue working on. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: LilyFestre Date: 29 Dec 13 - 02:50 PM It certainly is a craptastic day to have the furnace be down! It's raining/snowing/icing...ICK. We had a delivery to do around noon over your way Susan and the roads surely aren't great...passable but not great. Susan, do you have alternative heat? A fireplace? Woodstove or electric heater maybe? Kerosene heater? Electric blanket? Crappy weather like this means we are in for the rest of the day. Jeremiah and I just finished putting together a giant floor puzzle with all kinds of vehicles. I have a pork roast with sauerkraut in the crock pot and just made a large pan of hard boiled eggs to peel and keep handy for on the go snacks for an upcoming busy week. I still have dishes to do (they are never ending) and the second load of laundry is going. I did spend some time (a few hours) in my sewing room either yesterday or the day before...felt wonderful and I made some serious progress. One of my classmates recently had a baby boy and I am passing along lot of Jeremiah's baby toys that he clearly has outgrown. When it was yard sale time last summer, he would occasionally still play with some of those toys and I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of them. The things that have been well loved and a little past their prime are going to the Salvation Army in 2 more days....we have started a large pile of goodies to GO GO GO! I love having Pete home for his extended Christmas break...I think Jeremiah and I are going to miss him quite a bit when schedules go back to normal. The Christmas tree is still up and decorated as is the nativity....both are going to stay up for a while longer as we all love them so much. :) I think the coffee is done brewing...time for another cup and a good book. :) Have a great day everybody! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Dec 13 - 03:16 PM Oh my yes loaded with alt heat. We came that way. ;-) ~♥~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Bat Goddess Date: 29 Dec 13 - 04:13 PM Today has turned into another pajama day, but I guess I've earned it. Called a couple friends, wrote some emails, zested some grapefruit peels and dried it in the oven (and then jarred it), sorted some papers, consolidated some boxes, petted cats, read, got some dishes into the dishwasher and cleaned up the counter, and I just mixed up some pickled herring with dilled sour cream... Oh, and I cut up a box to fit in the trash. Thought about writing some thank you notes, but didn't get any further than finding some blank notes. Thought about a nap, but never got around to it -- knee pain woke me up several times overnight and woke me this morning. Didn't get anything done outside...but anything that needed to be done could wait until tomorrow. Didn't put my contacts in and never got dressed. Nice. Restful but not totally useless. Linn |
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Subject: PY Farm Life From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Dec 13 - 04:54 PM FurnaceAngel Todd has got the heat on sufficient to protect the crazy maze of vulnerable old pipes for this 3-fam historic house by NOT waiting for the vendor with the little failed motor to open tomorrow-- no... HE went home (on his own time) to tear one out of an old boiler on his property and put it on here "to hold us." Such are the people here-- AMAZING. TBTG he hadn't decluttered his property any sooner! LR/DR now declutted of wrapped furniture which is now on the fr porch ready when MenzCrew comes-- God's perfect timing AGAIN! ~▲☆↑★↑☆▲~ |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 Dec 13 - 07:31 PM I've been all over the house today. Up in the attic to take down the electric antenna receiver (it doesn't pick up as well inside the attic because it has a radiant barrier) but it's so cold out that I simply put it up over the side door on a little roof for now. Given a warm day I'll move it to the front of the house up under the eaves. I emptied three two-shelf cupboards in the living room, they're part of a cabinetry area of open shelves up top and enclosed cupboards below. Nice oak. I put all of the contents on the dining room table and am slowly moving bits to other logical storage areas. And putting some of it for the Goodwill or garage sale. I'm thinking of putting my DVDs in that cupboard or finding something else that will fill it more efficiently than the odd decorative things I had in there till now. I'm looking for things that can go in the eBay or Goodwill area. It's one of those almost freezing drizzly evenings, supposed to end up in the mid-20s overnight. I'm so tired of the freezing - this part of Texas usually has milder winters. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 Dec 13 - 08:04 PM Here is the next thread - early 2014. |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Dec 13 - 08:07 PM Hardi just hauled the last 2 big dnstrs containers out onto the ramp. Yippee! Still lots to do in loading prep but TBTG I can get back to my own laundry now. Clean nighties YAY and the LR looks almost cleanable now. !&! |
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Subject: RE: Fall into Winter Declutter & Fitness 2013 From: wysiwyg Date: 30 Dec 13 - 05:05 PM The Attic Dorm is no more. Dismantled and ready to load. ←◇→ |
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