Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: fat B****rd
Date: 12 Apr 15 - 05:02 AM

Best wishes for your family, Rumncoke.
After a few days extensive gardening the rain has arrived forcing me to get the housework etc over and done with.
Charlie.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Rumncoke
Date: 12 Apr 15 - 05:34 PM

Thank you for the good wishes.
Fortunately my son seems to have avoided any hoarding issues - when bringing all the items required for the baby down from the attic room he was already plotting to get rid of them as soon as young Dylan has no more need of them. My daughter in law has been told very firmly 'no more babies' by the consultant she saw during this last pregnancy.

I actually held Dylan on my last visit - he is still slightly furry, having been induced early.

Now I have to get back to a more ordinary routine. At least I have managed to continue to return the milk bottles to the delivery man in some numbers.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Apr 15 - 08:49 PM

Last week my credit card company alerted me to a couple of suspicious purchases - they weren't mine. The new card should arrive soon, and I'll have to notify a couple of the places that charge the card monthly (NetFlix, for example). And today I shopped with cash, something I rarely do but it is a good exercise in deciding which things on the list are really essential and which you can live without when you have spent as much cash as you planned.

I set up an alert on my card so that any time I use it I get an email. If someone else uses it and I know it wasn't me, that speeds up the ability to shut down suspicious activity. I'll probably tweak the alert, set a dollar value, etc.

I've added compost around all of my asparagus and am daily adding to the plantings in the garden. Some of this is late. The yard has mature plantings now and some of the garden things come back on their own. Last year I put onions in several different beds to see how they would grow in each location. This evening I picked a few that I missed last year that came back this spring. I'll use them as green onions in fried rice.

The village has bins for commingled recycling and they fill up on the weekend, so I need to make a note for myself to take it over on Wednesday or Friday, the day after the bins are emptied. I have a supply that I'd liked to have dropped of today but I knew it wouldn't be easy to shove into the overstuffed bins.

I haven't decluttered so much as put things away this weekend. Nothing of any significant size has been transported off the premises lately. It's time to eBay some of it out of here (I do an "eBay garage sale" every so often with really low prices but sometimes am surprised that people bid them up).

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 15 - 02:28 AM

Working on a deadline to finish editing and designing pages for an online journal. The lion's share is finished, two that need more tweaking await tomorrow. The goal is to have this up just prior to a scholarly conference that starts on Wednesday evening. I didn't link this journal to my CV the first time, but I will this time and both annual issues will show up. (Virtual clutter/unclutter - online journals and citations).

We've had a lot of rain - I estimate four inches - too much for doing anything in the yard. I have 4" pots awaiting seeds - just as well I put off planting because the seeds might have been bounced out by the rain. I'll move them and plant in the next couple of days. There's more due this week. Feast or famine, classic Texas rainfall weather.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 15 - 12:08 PM

Temporary re-cluttering: this morning I put a mylar cover over the jacket of a favorite Middle East cookbook that I give to people every so often. Usually I order it and wait and then give it (like three last xmas, when one didn't arrive in time). A friend was asking for a recommendation and I decided to order a couple of extras. This way I have the leisure to wait for them and they're at the ready if an occasion arises.

The boxes in my sun room seems to be reproducing while I'm away. Time to flatten a bunch and take most over to the recycle bin (which was in theory emptied yesterday so should be easy to drop my stuff into now).

Note to self - avoid bottled fruit juice "drinks" with more than one ingredient. They sometimes have additives that don't agree. Like yesterday. My consumption of processed foods is very limited, and the list of foods to avoid is growing. I don't think America can claim to have a great food supply when so much of it has little chemical ticking bombs as sweeteners and preservatives and thickeners and color preservatives . . . Dannon yogurt has (but doesn't list, apparently) titanium dioxide to make it look extra white. I think toothpaste also does that, but I don't swallow toothpaste. I think an iteration of NutraSweet (aspartame) got me yesterday. They keep renaming things so they look innocent, but the gut knows what the gut knows.

Off my soap box.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: GUEST,#
Date: 14 Apr 15 - 12:27 PM

Welcome to nanotechnology.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Rumncoke
Date: 14 Apr 15 - 01:18 PM

Yoghurt is dead easy to make - I had a couple of large lidded glass jars which I used to put on the cooker over the pilot light having mixed skimmed milk powder and milk together and then added a large spoonful of the mix from the other jar. By the following morning it had become yoghurt and was moved to the fridge. The other jar was emptied and left ready until needed again.

I bought one small pot of live yoghurt at the start, and only ever needed to buy one more after leaving the jar out of the fridge when away for a weekend.

These days I could feel virtuous for saving all the packaging, but back then recycling wasn't even heard of.

I used to be quite thin back then, now I think about it.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 15 - 02:38 PM

I make it when I have a good starter, but by the time I'm to the bottom of the tub, it isn't the best to use as a starter. I use a recipe from the book I reference above - heat the milk to the right level (I use organic whole milk), let it cool enough, mix in the starter, and the large bowl in which I make it is covered with a plate and the whole thing wrapped in a thick layer of towels. As you say, yogurt by morning.

Fascinating talk about getting enough sleep at noon on my local NPR station today. The Science of Sleep reminds us that of all of the activities we need to declutter, sleep isn't one of them. This podcast will be there for download for the next couple of weeks.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 14 Apr 15 - 06:36 PM

City:
R: great news about the grandson!

An eventful weekend at our wee house! Now that most of the snow and ice are gone...
R was rather taken aback at first sight and I was stunned, "I told you it was a tatty little house!" He recovered and is embarking on making a silk purse out of the sow's ear. All I want is a roof over my head!

He worked on the water and made some progress - with many trips to dollar stores and the wonderful hardware store with helpful, knowledgeable staff. He also stopped at the wood stove store and embarked on getting the very good stove into good shape. De-cluttering the wallet... We are ripping out the closets to make the LR larger and taking out a wall to make two BRs into one. There IS a sleeping loft!!! but the hole in the ceiling is where K cupboards need to be and will be moved to the LR with an attractive ladder rather than the one he, actually, found in the woods!

Best of all, the brooklet about 30 feet north is rushing along from a large swamp/pond to the west. As R was looking at it - exploring - he heard ice cracking and a beaver popped its head out of the ice and gave him a good look from about 20 feet!! Then went off a bit and looked some more.

On a beautiful warm Sunday, I de-cluttered my car!!!!! What a great feeling! Then started taking the ugly paneling off the LR. Unloaded pottery into the "back room" - which was another good discovery; R had to cut off the padlock and it is better than we expected. About 8x8, it was a laundry room/store room. As a store room, it will serve us well. The two ramshackle sheds may be salvageable and useful. There is also a ramshackle outhouse - nice to have so one does not need to take muddy feet into house. May need some serious attention; Still out in the snow area, we did not take a hard look.

I am trying to plan a K with counters and cabinets we already have in storage. I just drew a plan for the K counters. Now to find cabinets amongst the amazing number we bought for $400 last year that will fit the available space. The high quality counters seem to be a perfect fit. Fridge available in one of R's buildings and the electric stove we are using at the mill, that came with a "free" K - it took 2 people most of a day to remove it! There is a potential conflict between me wanting it DONE and R wanting it done his way. But he is SO happy, excited, and having so much fun!

De-cluttering starts with prevention in the first place so I am trying to be VERY careful about what is going into this tiny house.

At the mill, dishes were washed this morning after R brought me buckets of water, geranium starts were potted, the tender hibiscus was cleaned of bugs by a gentle R with toothbrush; it is covered with buds! R carried it outside last night to enjoy a warm spring rain which cleaned the leaves nicely; we put it back in this am in case of cold; we could yet have freezing temps but for now we are enjoying spring. In the city, dishes are washed, laundry tomorrow, now time to make soup.

My weight continues to be stuck at 160 - and I really thought I was doing better! My aches come and go and I have to keep on top of the supplement intake. I can be totally trouble free and ten minutes later - literally - be 110 years old. Like playing Russian roulette. I get cocky and forget to keep the intake of minerals up.

Most exciting are the flowers coming back up in the flower bed at the mill!

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 15 Apr 15 - 05:43 PM

City:
Triaging stuff to go to the wee house; R brought a small microwave home this aft - new in box and just the one I was liking on kijiji. Did a laundry and went to get tires changed; they were too busy so tomorrow. Stopped at Re-Store but nothing useful - need windows for east and west walls of BR so we can look out at the lovely western hill as it greens and let the sun come in at the east end.

My priority is the K but R is intent of everything but! re-arranging the plumbing to make it less apt to freeze - a good priority but puts useless to my good K design. Trying to have propane for back up heat when electric goes out. He is enjoying this new project so much, I feel run over - but terrifically glad he is happy.

We hope to take fridge, stove and bed, and more in a small trailer this week, leaving early enough Friday to get there by bedtime, she says hopefully! The appliances will go where ever they can be plugged in but at least we can cook instead of eating in restaurants - as nice as that is, it sure de-clutters the wallet.

Small pot of soup already gone so another for tonight. Time to come up with a third type? A good lentil/carrot/curry would be nice. Hmmm...

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 15 Apr 15 - 08:30 PM

City:
WOW! ordered supplements by phone - a nice woman I could understand. She helped re-instate my account so I can order on line. It has been months! Lost all the old orders so I shall have to use the paper ones as reminders.

Black beans cooking for soup; I'll add the left over tomato sauce and some salsa. Rice cooking to have on hand. Loaf of frozen bread not very successful - French toast, I think. At least it is out of the freezer. Tomorrow I will do the choclatines and get them out of freezer.

Tried again to do an iron on patch on a pair of work pants that "are comfortable for working". Hope it works this time. I shall let it sit a long time before I touch it!

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Apr 15 - 10:42 PM

I'm taking tomorrow off to play catch-up in the house and the garden. 50% chance of thunderstorms so it's a toss-up if I work indoors or out, but I'm hoping for substantial time outside.

I have put a bit of pressure on myself to conquer some of household clutter - there are a couple of folks from work who are planning to stop by a new store in my neighborhood and I told them they should give me advance warning and I'll give them a tour of the yard and neighborhood. I ought to have the house looking somewhat presentable on general principles.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 02:37 PM

City:
GREAT day! My brain is working; my body is working! Out of house by 7:30 to get tires switched. Doing laundry so everything is clean when we get back. Still triaging stuff for this trip to Ontario. Put folding rack in back yard - in the SUN! - for drying a quilt. Staked a small cedar that had a rough winter.

Observe that the carefully nurtured grass was almost totally decimated by last year's work on the upstairs - stuff getting thrown down and a couple piles of lumber - that I am not moving! No grass is a good plan. Whole lot of day lilies coming up - don't remember where they came from but they will be going to be moved here and there. Also a bunch of them and some crocus showing in the front yard.

Watered indoor plants profusely - a week's worth. Tried to order a shop vac and learned - 3 calls to customer service - what is and is not possible! Cannot use Lowes card to order from Quebec! But can use another card. Realized just in time that we will not be traveling that direction - to pick up at store. But I know what I want so - next trip. I am impressed by the quality of staff at Lowes - those whom I have experienced have made life so much easier!

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: LilyFestre
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 04:31 PM

Jeremiah and I spent a few hours working in the yard and on the porch today...cleaning up winter debris, sweeping, etc. It's beginning to look good out there!

:) Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 04:47 PM

I spent the last week updating things around the house. If I buy an item for updating then never do it, what was the point? New LED light bulbs replacing conventional, new fridge water filter in place, new containers for things, etc. This afternoon I put in the new RAM in this computer -- it took a couple of tries to get the pairing right (there were two pair of 2gb RAM before and now I have one pair of 8gb RAM). I have also been getting shipping items ready to go. I've left myself a couple of hours for yard work.

Today is first day of cold turkey stopping sugar. I have various things ready for snacks that are healthy, and my biggest hurdle will be to resist the chocolates they have at work (that has been my downfall, those bite-sized candies we've brought in and stored in a communal jar). I have a couple of places to go do tasks that need doing that will remove me from the proximity of the jar for a few days.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 05:53 PM

Stilly, have you read "Sugar Blues" by William Dufty? It came out in 1975 and I think I read it in the mid-'80s. He blames most of civilizations woes on sugar, saying that it's an extremely addicting drug and wreaks havoc on the human body. It IS addictive (if you cut back, so will your craving), but I don't see any real problem in moderation.

I DO avoid aspartame and all other chemical no or low calorie sweeteners (if the chemists who developed them won't ingest them, I'm certainly not going to) and avoid high fructose corn syrup as much as possible. (By avoiding processed foods as much as possible.)

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 06:30 PM

I think I have a copy of that book somewhere and I have read portions of it - I usually avoid regular (daily) sugar, but this last year and a half has been stressful at work and the chocolate has been liberally applied in our office as a topical treatment. :)

Aspartame is toxic and most of the other low calorie sweeteners turn out to have negatives. Stevia is the one I use now if I use any (in tea).

Michelle, I'm beginning to see some flat surfaces that are unencumbered by mail, newspapers, containers that need to be put away, etc. How about you?

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 09:43 PM

I seldom drink sodas but I like carbonation, so I drink seltzer, usually unflavored. If I want flavor, I squeeze a lime into it and sweeten it with stevia.

Linn

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 08:09 AM

I'm buisilly cluttering at the moment.

Inside, I have 3 lights to change over to LightwaveRF for LED. I should be able to get the bits in a couple of weeks.   Outside, I have replaced the front halogen floods with LED and the back passage to the field/garden bulkhead with 3 small LED floods (I think after my father fell and hit his head there, clearer lighting became quite important).

Pip decided we needed a new burgalar alarm. Cables for the old one had been bitten through by rats. The roof space is more secure now but I've opted for a wireless Visonic one just in case - that plus it fits Pip's desire for something easy to arm home and away.

My room is an increasing collection of tools I've not put back in the shed as I'll be needing soon, old parts I've not decided whethether or not to keep, a couple of new bits waiting for other new bits and a few boxes.

The "declutter" phase which will include some re decoration will follow - maybe May/June.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 08:15 AM

"that plus it fits Pip's desire for something easy to arm home and away"

Oh and mine that it seems "hackable" - eg. see here

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 12:02 PM

Jon, it sounds like switching is more involved for you. Here the bulb end type are made to fit existing fixtures, but the cost has been such that I've paced myself. When I started the bulbs were in the $15 to $20 range each, now I can find them for $6 to $7 each. Over the last three or four years I have gradually shifted lighting from incandescent and small fluorescent to LED. I have one room left, then need to look at a couple of more closets. There are still fluorescent fixtures in the bathrooms and garage that will require removal and rewiring in new fixtures.

Day two of no sugar. There is an evening event at which I will stick to savory foods at the reception. I'm also making a point of following some of the ideas from the podcast I linked to earlier this week. I am allowing myself one glass of wine per day, but making sure it is with dinner, not after. I usually drop off to sleep very quickly but I have been getting to bed too late so not getting as many hours as I really need.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 04:54 PM

SRS. My problem indoors is that I'd fitted a range of home automation switches that are incompatible with LEDs. Standard on/off light switches are not a problem. I'm doing this one to "justify" my keep but I can only afford to do it bit at a time.

Outdoors was a new plan. I've improved the area covered by sensors at the front and as I said above made sure you can clearly see your way round the back. I've used daylight (say 6000K) floods outside. I don't think they are for everywhere but there are definately places (kitchen was another) where wee prefer them to the warmer lights.

Sugar. I've gone from 2 to 1 tsp in my tea/coffee. I might go for 1/2 tsp next.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 06:25 PM

I have a couple of rheostat switches I installed but they work with LEDs (though you should look for those labeled to be used that way).

I'm going to look into the link you put up for the home security system - I could stand to have a camera on the front corner of my house. We get our share of people prowling around and occasional home break-ins. Putting up a camera that is out of reach and with a wide-angle to catch the street and the driveway would be a deterrent.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 07:08 PM

SRS. The alarm I fitted doesn't do a camera itself.

We have toyed with putting a good quality security camera that you can pan and zoom at the front of the house but the main reason has more to do with viewing visiting wildlife. It may well be my project for next year.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 18 Apr 15 - 03:54 AM

And just to continue my rambling... In the longer term, I will probably write an Android app for the lights, burgalar alarm, etc. I did knock up a quick demo that uses the Android speech recognition API to respond to voice but that's as far as I got.

I've tried to open this web page up for a while. It may or may not work (need web sockets) but if it does, you should get a "real time" view of things swiching on/off, etc. at home. The "about page" gives some details.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 19 Apr 15 - 03:10 AM

SRS, a bit more on cameras.

I've just had a look at camera support for the alarm panel I fitted. It can be done via the PowerLink modules. Camera support for the V2 looks a bit limited (I didn't look for a V3 list of supported cameras) and at least parts of the system seem to be based around you been connected to a 3rd parties management system.

If I was to do more with cameras, I'd be likely to be using zoneminder

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Apr 15 - 12:40 PM

Thanks for the links, Jon!

I washed the car yesterday, to celebrate turning over 100,000 miles. Washing one's car is a way to call up bad weather, and it arrived with a flourish. And I received a call from my friend Susie's grandson just as it was descending - would I go let her dogs out and feed them? She was in the hospital overnight because she fell. She was fine, but not home. I fought my way up the hill and took care of the dogs, but what a horrid time to go out.

Today I'll make a run and while out I'll drop off a load of Goodwill stuff. I'm pretty sure the recycle bin is full so I'll wait on that, but I take my newspapers (minus the slick ads) to the Humane Society where they always need clean paper to go in cages.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: GUEST,MAG from library
Date: 19 Apr 15 - 05:02 PM

yesterday got around to finding the odd lightbulb for a lamp which i broke 2 mo. ago while in recup from the knee surgery (emoticon)

speaking of which: one friend said in a rather insistent way that i really should give, say, a coffee shop coupon to all the people who helped me out while i was down --- it's a long list.

I did get some cards to send; what is the proper etiquette here? We are talki ng over $200 in $10 gift cards, and i'm already short from the surgery.

finally ripped out the decorative strawberries i put in last year; boy did they take over!

got 4 different heirloom tomatoes; i love 'em; they really do taste better, but take forever to ripen. this way they get a head start.

finally called in an electrician for several small-but-collectively-problematic repairs.

big flower box has red snapdragons, white stock, a few red sunflowers (which i have to cover; crows got the first few that sprouted), dark itis, ... well.

edible box has: rosemary and sage all the time; angelica, real strawberries, ... gee, not much else.   one new bed is just fill of kress that i didn't plant. last year's must have seeded it.

well!

if you have read this far, thanks ...

MAG

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 19 Apr 15 - 05:18 PM

I would send them a nice thank you note and as you have surplus vegetables passing them on. I think no one should expect a gift card and it seems rude to hint.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Apr 15 - 05:50 PM

I agree - a thank you card, and if they come by during the summer when you have the garden going full-tilt, offer some produce (there's usually extra anyway, in my experience!)

I'm part-way through my errands. I found a back road that cuts out a bunch of lights and road construction congestion to get to the Tractor Supply where I buy my dog food. Came back to the house to grab a quick bite and get some stuff I forgot to take with me on the first trip. I've brushed most of the oak tassels picked up in last night's storm off of the clean car, now I need to clear out the inside as well.

Cinnamon is doing well after yesterday's trip to vet for our first ever experience of a "hot spot." In order to keep her from scratching I've put a thrift-store mock-turtleneck shirt on her, cut the long sleeves short, and tied it in a knot at her waist. I had to put a shirt on Poppy a couple of years ago when she had a stitched gash in her side, and all of them seem to understand that the shirt on a dog isn't a toy, it is to be left alone.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Apr 15 - 11:00 PM

The front yard got mowed this evening, and I made a pan of the taco mix that I use for various meals during the week. The kitchen needs some tidying. . .

It's time for another eBay push. Garage sale stuff this time. The sun room is filling up.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: LilyFestre
Date: 20 Apr 15 - 10:29 AM

Jeremiah and I spent some time in our front yard recently. We picked up some wind blown trash, collected random toys from the yard and made a parking lot for them....to be used whenever he is finished playing outside in the future and just some general clean up. On Saturday, I did some heavy duty cleaning in the bathroom including scrubbing the floor on my hands and knees and a bunch of laundry. Yesterday I went through a mountain of paperwork...tossed a lot, organized the rest into an easy to use, streamlined system. I'm hoping this will work for us. It took me several hours to get it all in order but wow...what a difference! Today I am puttering and am going to go through my CD's and get them organized a bit more (NO...not by alphabetical order or type of music or artist....at least not yet). I have a CD rack that is overflowing and the top has piles and piles of CDs on top....I want to dust them off and get them in some type of order and the top of the CD rack to be empty. My goal is to have more empty surfaces.


I'm feeling a bit more energetic these days..may be the warmer temperatures and sunshine (although those are both missing today).

Love to all.

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Apr 15 - 12:24 PM

I just handed two boxes over to my postal carrier. This was dried organic oregano, basil, and mint for a friend in NYC and as many tablets as I could fit into a heavy-duty shipping box sent to Susan. The rest of the tablets from that box will go into the Goodwill bin and I can retire this box for storage somewhere else. More floor space clear in my office. I need to harvest a bunch of oregano this week so the supply will grow quickly again.

Another load of laundry has finished - my poor injured pooch is doing okay but I'm keeping the shirt on her most of the time to keep her from scratching her infection. She is healing, but it means extra laundry for a couple of more days at least.

I took today off for keeping an eye on the dog, working in the garden, and clearing out the sunroom. In that order. Which means the sun room may still not get a lot of attention. :)

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Apr 15 - 02:05 PM

Detour through the kitchen - I had a defrosted chicken breast I needed to use so while it cooked for lunch (and leftovers - chicken breasts are huge these days) I finished cleaning the kitchen. There are flat surfaces that are EMPTY!

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 20 Apr 15 - 07:03 PM

Little house:
Need a name for it!
SRS: "hot spot"? skin/hair problems in dogs are often healed with vitamin A. One dog of mine had dreadful cysts and were totally healed with A. Might be worth a try.

We are de-cluttering: old carpets- two layers! dragged in to the back yard or, today to the way back shed. We had two glorious days but today is cold and rainy. Fire in the wood stove with scrap wood from along the road. Sat night we went to a fund raising dinner for Maynooth Madness, fun meal with a table full of good people and R won a bottle of maple syrup!!

I spent most of yesterday with a special vibrating tool taking the pieces of vinyl tile off the K floor; looks much better but a bit sticky. I was so tired and achy that I was not sure I would be able to move today; we went to the Halibut for the comfort of fish and chips and our wonderful friends there: Saidie the potter/waitress and her husband Toonla who came in to help close up and gave R advice re water and the owner Diane - hugs all around! I went to bed before 8! AND do not ache today!!!

This am at the art gallery volunteers meeting, someone asked about the Clay Play trailer. Excitement was expressed generally and I said it would come in warmer weather and I was hoping someone would paint fun pictures on it. Great interest! I am thinking about the need for a vehicle that will pull it comfortably. This is NOT de-cluttering!

We are finding the house has sunk a bit at one corner and I have a call in to someone to find out what is possible in the way of lifting it. The joists are very close to the ground! And the sill is doubtless rotting. A beam across the ceiling was cut at some point and definitely should not have been! A post will be installed after we ascertain that there is something below the floor for it to rest upon!

The loft is a wonderful thing. It will get some attention - maybe next year. In the meantime, it is suitable for summer sleeping for our camping type friends.

After several days of efforts, there is still no running water; consensus is that it is frozen under the house. So we wait. R wants to re-arrange the plumbing???? So it is all in one area and easier to keep from freezing. And we have a small elec wall heater for the bathroom where there is basically no heat. I think he is making a great deal of work for himself but he is like a dog with a bone; he wants to do it his way.

Today we checked out propane heaters - will stick to the crummy looking one we have! Need to get a tank and do some work on chimney. Good info from the plumbing/heating company this am. Also picked up key for mailbox - we need to remember to stop and look in it! There might even be mail!

We, mostly R, have been removing the closets to give the LR 2 feet more width and, hopefully, he will remove the wall between the two "BRs" tomorrow while I am at the art gallery. This will give us one small BR. The dust will have a chance to settle before the next trip.

In the meantime, the 900 pounds of floating flooring, delivered Saturday at 7:30 am!, will have to be brought indoors.

This project has certainly not de-cluttered our lives for the now but one can hope we will get it together so we can sit on the deck - in a screen tent! - and enjoy the beaver in the back yard and the mini stream in the side yard and the general peace and quiet of waking to the sun on the trees as they change colours. Currently we are watching for green!

It does get us out of the dirty city!

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Apr 15 - 12:12 PM

Dorothy, I don't suppose you had this gem of a house inspected? It does sound like there is a very good reason why it was inexpensive. All of the stuff the previous owner knew that you're now finding out. But it does sound like it has potential.

Slow progress in the garden, but another batch of stuff was planted yesterday. And I finally emptied my wheelbarrow. It was full of compost when the rain hit last week and successive storms re-filled it after I bailed out some of the water. I suppose that is an informal way of making compost tea.

It seems like this is going to be a long week.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 10:22 AM

Looks like today is a day to make sure everything that is outside in the garden is fastened down or heavy enough it won't blow away. Thunderstorms are predicted and they WILL declutter your yard of buckets, black plastic pots (the ones plants come in - they're useful for other things), and trash cans (or at least the lids).

I saw an interesting add, via a subscription to CNet, about a kit to set up a home automation security system. I wouldn't mind having a light set up so I could turn it on with my phone if I realize I'm going to be getting home after dark, but I don't have a basement (where the water sensor is best suited). A motion sensor and a door sensor - they would serve as an alternative to a paid alarm system, but you'd have to do a lot of tweaks on your own to use with pets in the house, is my guess (versus having the company do all of that tweaking). Anyway, it is a wireless setup for the house to do on your own. This doesn't include a camera, but with a hub, perhaps it could be an add-on. Pulling up the house camera image to check on your phone, that would be useful. www.cnet.com/news/get-an-insteon-home-automation-starter-kit-for-99-99/.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 05:28 PM

Thanks SRS, I'll put those to work at Ohio antiracism workshops.

In Ohio I'm very short on data and wifi so have not been posting much. This trip was shortened at the front end when the beloved van died the day of planned departure. Goodbye old Boondocker. It almost made it to 200,000 miles on one engine. Now we have a reclinerless smaller vehicle with a doggie hatch-den for Faulkner where he won't be able to see traffic whiz by.

Must say this house is excellently organized. On this trip, no brain fog. I did pick up a little bug and lost a day of keeping everything tidy but a quick hour took care of what felt like it would be impossible.

One of the reasons for extreme order here is that fam use the house when we're not, so straightforward storage and a little FAQbook for guests sets a clear standard. I'll also bring the better double bed down here to comfy-up the guest room. Back in PA, I'll BOLO a cheap pair of twin beds-- I have a source for bugless used bedding.

At the summer vacay visit, we will take the popup camper out of garage storage and regain half of the 2-car garage. Heaven!!! Room to park one car PLUS storage.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 08:52 PM

City:
SRS! This house was affordable! I determined that whatever was wrong could be dealt with and it will be. We did have a consult yesterday re the fact that it is TOO close to the earth. Hans told us not to spend any money on it until we cut a hole in the floor and take a look underneath. Also, I walked around the outside - which was covered by two feet of snow earlier - and determined that idiots have piled dirt up against all exposed wood at the ground level, cutting off the ability to breathe, and creating a rot situation.

We are waiting for the thaw and expect that will allow water to run. I, or someone, will dig soil away from the perimeter of house. R will cut hole in floor to inspect lower regions. But, the bottom line is: the house was cheap enough that we will be content to get a few years out of it before it becomes one with the earth. AND, if we outlive it, we still have the option of demolition and rebuilding a house on same footprint which would not be possible with today's by-laws. We love our tiny stream and beaver pond.

We are undaunted. Our only regret being the need to come back to the city for R's work. I feel so much better up there, can breathe clean air - and de-clutter my lungs! R can de-clutter his mind and even ignores the phone for periods of several hours.

The carpets are gone, the closets are gone. The LR is roomy, the paneling is gone from the dividing wall between BRs but we have left the studs to support the loft until we ascertain more about the construction. The wood stove works well.

Today, on the way back, we bought a door to replace the back door - almost all (thermo-pane) window so we can see the pond and maybe even the beaver. And two large (yard square) Pella crank open windows for the ends of the BR so we can see the hill and the sun in the am. Total cost, including a nice K sink faucet - $140, at a demolition yard.

It is de-cluttering our bank account but I expected that. It seems we both rather like the challenge of making something out of nothing, creatively. The work is play for R. He is enjoying himself; it is therapy! We delight is each step forward, and in problem solving. The fact that I lived off the grid for almost 15 years, in rustic conditions, is useful.

Last eve, having gotten a late start back, we stopped for a meal and ended up waiting over an hour due to a screw up in the kitchen! (They only charged us $5 and it was an excellent meal when we finally got it!) I suggested - after 9 pm with over 3 hours yet to drive, that stopping in a motel close to this demolition company might be better than R falling asleep - and having to nap in the truck somewhere! So we enjoyed a night of comfort in a non-toxic room - baths, hot water, hot BF and our expedition to demolition. I even got a curtain rod I needed - free!

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 10:47 PM

I understand, Dorothy. I love refurbishing houses, though haven't had much opportunity. This one was built fairly recently, in 1976, but hadn't been updated at all when I bought it in 2002. I did a great deal of the work inside and had a contractor level the garage floor and build rooms in what was the old garage, and build a new separate garage in the back yard. I did the painting and several hundreds of square feet of floor tile. I also tiled the bathroom tub surrounds with lovely Mexican tiles. There is more to do, and I need to remember to build in those projects each month. By now I'm so used to looking at the wall that needs painting that I no longer see it. :)

It also sounds like a prudent stop at a motel - sleeping in the vehicle for more than a power nap is downright uncomfortable if it isn't equipped with beds.

Cinnamon is cycling through the "hot spot" that hit her last Friday; I have to pick up more of the medicated spray because they didn't have the larger bottle when I was in last week. Knock wood - she seems to be leaving it alone, not scratching the area. I'm also low on peanut butter. One simply doesn't give one dog her pill in peanut butter twice a day and not give a teaspoon of it to each of the other dogs. One kid gets a treat, they all get a treat.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 23 Apr 15 - 07:58 AM

On hot water, etc. Central heating has been missing at home for a nearly 2 weeks. The part I think I need (3 port valve motorised valve is the most likely cause) came in the post today. I got the whole assembly but I'm hoping it's just the actuator that needs replacing. I'll find out when I take the top off. If the valve itself is sticking, I feel inclined to ask Pip to get a plumber in. To change it involves draining the system and (at least when I do that), hours of trying to get rid of air locks afterwards.

I've moved the new burgalar alarm panel into the attic and fitted a remote keypad (another delayed order btw. and when it did arrive, they managed to ship it twice - I might have spotted it at the time, 2 separate packages, but UPS for reasons only known to themselves decided to just plonk the boxes at the gate! - so one keypad to return...). much neater. Next bit will be to install the outside siren. I didn't want to do that until things had settled.

--
Pets. I think every cat and dog we've had has been capable of feeling left out - I think you've got to be seen as treating them equally! At least when reasonable - I remember Meg (a border collie we once had) gobbling up potato peelings as she didn't like the hens getting them (I can't believe she actually liked them herself)...

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: ranger1
Date: 23 Apr 15 - 07:54 PM

Finally hauled the e-waste that has been sitting in the corner off to Best Buy for recycling. Yay! Took two bags of regular recycling and the falling apart plastic clothes hamper to the recycling trailer at the end of the road, have more to go, though.

In other news, my not inexpensive but very cheaply-made futon frame is falling apart yet again (the back this time as opposed to the bench). I'm not going to bother trying to reason with the company I bought it from this time, the last interaction was a horror show and it took my threatening them with the Better Business Bureau for them to do anything. I think I may be able to jury-rig a repair until I can afford a better quality frame, but that will have to come after a newer car. I could have bought one this month, but I am choosing to go to my nephew in Kentucky's high school graduation instead. I can sleep on the mattress on the floor for now, Austin Michael will only graduate from high school once.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 23 Apr 15 - 09:39 PM

City:
I still wake up feeling good in the am and view it as a mini miracle after the two years I have been through. Still watching the mineral/MSM/glucosamine intake but needing fewer each day.

Today was one load laundry, dishes, groceries, and income tax - about 3 hours of eating brownies! It is ready to copy, write cheques and mail. No, not on the computer! Maybe next year. Emails deleted, long talk with s-in-l, looked through Kijiji for a small, CHEAP, truck to pull Clay Play trailer. Lengthy response to the minutes of Monday's meeting and a couple positive comments returned already!

Now for supper as R just arrived home.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Apr 15 - 09:47 PM

Too bad you're not anywhere near here, Tami, or the solid futon I had would be yours. It took up a lot of space, though.

This week has been busy and hectic. Nothing productive happening lately, but I have hopes for the weekend. I will make a trip over to the village recycle bins on Friday morning to unload my recycling before they fill up over the weekend.

My neighbor just called; her computer has died. It was a nice all-in-one, but the problem with those is that they're hard to fix. I suspect it needs a power supply, so I'll look it up and see what I can find out. I'd hate to toss it before trying to give it a new lease on life. For as much as she uses her computer, she could probably get away with a tablet these days.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: ranger1
Date: 23 Apr 15 - 10:18 PM

I'm pretty sure I can do a long-term fix on the futon frame. Bought a piece of metal the same width as the broken piece. I'll cut it to size, borrow a decent drill, buy some heavy-duty bits and some wood screws, squirt glue in the cracks and clamp it, then drill some pilot holes in strategic spots and attach the piece of metal. And as an added measure, I'll use some zip ties for added strength.

I have my eye on a solid maple frame made here in Maine, just need to save up for it.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Apr 15 - 11:45 PM

I'm not sure how all of that will be sandwiched together, but it occurs to me that carriage bolts might save you some of that effort. They come in various lengths and you can buy a washer or two to use on the bolt to stabilize it. They also make some that are able to sink into wood to stabilize the head of the bolt.

Long bolts, washers, and nuts

This includes the "D" shaped one

They can have different amounts of threading on the bolts

The main thing is that you choose a length so the end of the thing isn't a place where you'll bang into it.

This may be old news, but every so often I have some project or other that isn't coming together and then I realize a bolt going all of the way through is the answer. That's how I assembled the potting table thing beside my kitchen door and another table on my back patio. I've posted photos of those before so I won't dig any out now. I put together my work bench in the garage with them, and I repaired an outdoor small table (made like a picnic table but only about 18" high and it's 24" square).

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: ranger1
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 06:42 AM

Bolts won't work. Already discarded that idea a couple of days ago. I was my dad's handyman's helper from the time I could toddle after him, so I'm pretty savvy when it comes to fixing things, probably why I'm the maintenance ranger at the park :)

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 08:40 AM

Sounds like you have it well in hand, Tami!

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 10:31 AM

Ugg! A rainy Friday, meaning that the yard will be sodden for work this weekend, but some of this just isn't going to wait any longer. This morning I'll let the rain slow and take my recycling out of here.

Good luck with the furniture repair, Tami.

Subject: RE: Declutter (x-hoarders), Fitness Apr-June 2015
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 06:19 PM

Mill:

Stopped on way for good hazelnut bread - two loaves! We use so little bread, I keep it in Freezer so there is one for here and one for city. Stopped to fill tank as gas is much cheaper down here. Stopped at the car mechanic and ascertained thaework he had suggested I do on the car was cosmetic; I am not doing cosmetics on a ten year old car no mater how good it runs!

Picked up supplements at the post office, nice healthy lunch then the whole afternoon with pottery student. I managed to throw 4 mid sized bowls in a clay I have not used in about 20 years and decorae them as I usd to do, I hope. It took finding a recipe and a potter friend supplying the correct - obsolete - ingredient! It was necessary to use the wheel by foot as the switch on the motor is still not repaired. That's why I stopped at 4, lest I wear out the right leg! Good exercise though. And I am happy to have renewed this track in my life.

Cold and dreary day. Quite unpleasant, actually! Tomorrow may be sunny. I have organic potatoes which sprouted before we opened them which I plan to plant here tomorrow. Hope!