Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Mar 18 - 06:40 PM

Nice looking house, Dorothy, and it sounds like all hobbies will be addressed.

Today was cooler than I expected after an 80^o high yesterday, but it will warm up more during the week, so I spent today cleaning my office - one of those tasks that takes you all over the house putting various small items away after they were carried into the office and left in various nooks and crannies. It also involves pulling together all of the pens, pencils, markers, and various implements that accumulate in offices and putting them into centralized cups and boxes. The shelves need dusting big-time.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 11 Mar 18 - 04:12 PM

Montreal:

"since the weeds have bolted into a tangle of tall greenery." !!! I am looking forward to seeing something like this in the next few weeks!

And Wow! Jeremiah is 8 already! ---geez, I think my great granddaughter is almost that old!

Just spent an hour or so on the phone with tech support re internet connectivity. He was very nice but nothing monumental was accomplished except that I have to try harder to use less mb!

Pottery is ready for pick up. Family may be here on Weds - I hope! Had to email a neighbour to Please water plants left in Bathroom. This is the last time I leave indoor plants; I hate losing them.

House search is probably complete. R "fell in love with" the 6 BR brick house as soon as he walked in the door and saw the beautiful wood staircase, circa 1915, more or less. Wonderful house with room for everything we want - all R's age appropriate furniture, studio in finished basement with outside entrance, airbnb potential in beautiful two room and bath addition with sep entrance, room for gardening, old garage for storage, old side of basement for wood working area and woods behind. Ten minutes to nature preserve, about 30 to office, river down the hill about 100 yards, public boat ramp if one is in to boating. This is a house to be treated with great respect - all the beautiful wood is intact, marvellous pantry, decent K but not the original one- I'll bet the old cabinetry was amazing. Rooms are large and lovely. We are both excited. ( you can google 17 Dupont Ouest, Chateauguay, QC)

Hardly know what to do with myself now that the search is, hop efully, complete.

Hot water heater quit so R has a project - working on it now. Will really need that hot water when he comes back out of the cellar!

Will try to go out to mill tomorrow to throw some pots. Will take some things there to start clearing this house. I bought a pretty set of dishes at the eco-centre yesterday - for the new house! And R has not even put a deposit yet!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Mar 18 - 08:39 PM

Amazing how fast the time has passed - but it is such happy news, considering the cancer that you were battling when Jeremiah arrived. Such a great outcome!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 10 Mar 18 - 08:14 PM

This has nothing to do with decluttering but I'm going to share it anyway...today we celebrated Jeremiah's 8th birthday!!!   We had a birthday party for him at the bowling alley, complete with arcade games, pizza and cake. He invited several friends and a grand time was had by all!!!

:) What a wonderful day!

It's more quilting/piecing for me tomorrow.....can't wait for that project to be wrapped up!

Have a great night everybody!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 10 Mar 18 - 03:32 PM

PA:

The drive back was pretty awful due to lack of sleep plus poor weather plus an early AM DV.

House here.... the main floor is full of furniture in my way that needs to go out to porch for pre-loading, but that awaits a warm day to prep the porch. ....

Packing brain still spinning. About all I can do right off is purge, and start filling trash bags and Goodwill boxes. If we have time together we can sort thru the next round of the book purge-- the ones we have to go thru together. None of these are calling me to get going.... yet... Still in drive recovery and unpacking car bags.

An Equinox bearing is shot, again. :-(

On the plus side, Black Panther is playing in Wellsboro and we're going tmrw night.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Mar 18 - 11:03 AM

Spring Break for many in the US school system, and ♫ I've got a little list. ♫ (Someone should have told Mr. Gilbert that the correct grammar is "I have a little list," but whatever).♪ ♪

My jeans that are so worn they are designated to yard work are soon to go in the laundry so I'll putter around the house until they're ready, but this weekend is the Big Push into the yard. And the garage. I may never have enough room for two cars, but I still have plenty of things I can dislodge from the space.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Mar 18 - 06:01 PM

There are times when I've forgotten to lock a door or close the garage door, and when nothing happened I considered myself lucky and vowed never to do that again. I think we don't communicate well amongst ourselves as neighbors to compare notes on criminal activity, and I find the online "Nextdoor" site offputting. I can look in if I wish, but I've turned off their email function because there are too many racist and bigotted reports that come through that moderators should be blocking.

This year I took my string trimmer into the shop early enough that he wasn't loaded down with mowers and other trimmers to fix yet and only a week later it was ready. As it happened he didn't need to replace the rope (the handle broke and it rolled into the housing). He showed me the washer that he put in the new plastic handle before he tied the knot - he said that the washer is enough to keep the rope from fully contracting into the machine again if the handle breaks. I'll do that trick on a couple of other devices to save possible later repairs. It was $29 well-spent—trying to do that job myself would have taken ages.

On my way home I stopped at the gas station and noticed a couple of 25 gallon black plastic nursery pots that had blown up against a barbed wire fence with other trash. They join my collection of pots beside the house where I'm experimenting with planting crops in pots.

My next little audiobook listening station is set up in my office; I have a bluetooth setup and have my audiobooks in my phone. I can listen to it while I work. The book is on the computer because I ripped it from a CD to the mp3 files I'm listening to now, but this little phone app (Voice) knows where I stopped listening and does a much better job than my former player (a Sony Walkman - I had to manually tell it to go to the next folder in each book). The player is a thrift store find that fits nicely in the desk corner next to my monitor.

The top task this weekend is to tackle the yard since the weeds have bolted into a tangle of tall greenery.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 09 Mar 18 - 04:28 PM

Montreal:

Cars: At Beaver, I never lock the car. In Montreal, I always do; if I forget, something is gone, for sure! At the mill, no locking; no one nearby; also large barking do in front part of building - well contained but LOUD! Same with buildings. Beaver is never locked. Mill only when we are leaving for city.

De-cluttered R's head of several inches of hair! He looks less like Einstein! weeks overdue.

Being away for 7 weeks was TOO much! Getting our mutual lives back on track has been worse than clutter. I recognize this must change; clutters my life to de-clutter his? Well, I'm retired.

Looking at two houses tomorrow. Looking forward to this next step. I spent a couple half days, looking at the neighbourhood and learning the area. Also managed to fire all pots. Son's are completed. And a few more. De-cluttered bill paying by picking up a goodly sum from the consignment shop for the pots she sold. She needs more pots so I need to see about energy to drive to mill and throw and trim. Son not coming before Weds! I thought I would be back to Beaver by Sunday! Oh well! Need to call someone to water the plants! Henceforth I shall have to stick to outdoor plants for there.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 09 Mar 18 - 09:26 AM

I wrote a substantial post about cars yesterday, but the Cat crashed and it vanished. C'est la vie.

Although I lived in downest downtown Ottawa for so long that putting away and locking up any and all useful things became second nature, my car was burgled twice, once in a shopping centre parking lot (bag of maps stolen) and once when parked overnight on the driveway in front of the house (radio stolen). It never ceased to amaze me that a burglar would go for an ancient VW Diesel, that most unstealable of cars, and surely nothing of value would be found in a 16-year-old car, but there you go.

When Himself was finally able to tear himself loose from his last court-martial client and come to Stratford to see the house I had bought, we found the seller in a state of agitation awaiting the cops, whom she had called because she found her car broken open and minus a tool kit anmd a substantial stash of parking change. The car, of course, was normally parked on the driveway in front of the garage door. Clearly, our leafy corner of idyllic Stratford shares at least one threat with grungy old Ottawa: opportunistic burglars. The very first thing I did on taking possession was to call a locksmith.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Mar 18 - 08:58 PM

I seem to have hit the sweet spot price-wise on eBay; in the categories where I'm listing the sellers offer a flat price and free shipping; I have calculated the shipping and offer the item a few dollars lower but they pay for shipping. In the end there is only a couple of dollars savings to the buyers, but it seems to work. My listings are just enough lower that I get the sale.

Spring break is coming soon and my yard is going to get some much-needed attention. I finished a series of big projects this week so feel able to take time free of compromising any deadlines.

A local broadcast channel plays old episodes of some of the Canadian design programs from the mid-2000's; I saw them new on cable but now they're old repeats on TV. I am getting a couple of ideas that are relatively timeless, in particular the replacement of a solid bathroom door with a French door with translucent glass to let more light into the dressing room. This would be wonderful.

For now I'll concentrate on selling off the items in boxes in my sunroom, and perhaps sooner rather than later they'll add up to the price of a new French door.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Mar 18 - 11:58 PM

I've had a couple of periods of time when things that came out of storage were placed in the garage and there was no room for a vehicle, but I decided when I bought this place to stop using remote storage and to use my garage for my vehicle. I did put in joists when we built the garage so there is robust storage in the attic of the garage, or support if I push it up to a second story studio, etc.

My ex has finally gotten to where he can park his car in his garage, and I encourage him to call me when he needs help moving some bulky object out (especially to donate to the Goodwill rather than the trash).

There are occasional break-ins around the village when cars are left on the street, and I had someone come into the back yard years ago before I put up a gate and steal a wet saw. Having the yard nominally blocked (if someone really wants they can get in, but with a lot of noise and fuss) and the vehicle in the garage means people can't really tell if I'm home or not, and the house and SUV are safer. It isn't like having a castle with a moat, but it's the same principle.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Mar 18 - 01:07 PM

Ohio hoping for AM departure tmrw:

Tyler is such a gift. The free workday he offered to support my going in return for my support around his sudden move-in-- kewl Adding his younger brother ALSO-- free-- PRICELESS! Because until he got a full time job, Caleb worked for me and for last housemate-- knows the house and the cleaning info!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 06 Mar 18 - 08:20 PM

Montreal:

Charmion! "When your house is finished, you die!"
It will take a great deal of patient Dealing to keep R from filling however large a house we purchase from filling with stuff! I will NOT live with clutter. I am making it clear.   

In de-cluttering our lives of this odious house, I have spent about 4 hours on web, looking for possibilities! This will be a long process - but Chamion can also relate to that! Clearly, the dear little house is not going to make it! But I continue to seek something close to the nature preserves, and to the city for R.

And big enough for STUFF! I peeked into the room that was once screwed shut and ... Gulp! Full of stuff!! Daunting!

R took delight today in observing that he no longer needs to deal with the burgeoning Manitoba Maple!!!! But he spent time putting a hole in the wall to install a large TV????! One more chance to remove a pile of dreadful towels from the LR and, I have told him, they are going out on the sidewalk for whoever needs them - rags! (we have enough!)

Still not apprised of when family is arriving! But the pottery is ready!!! Super YAY!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Mar 18 - 09:14 AM

The Brother and his wife are coming for Easter, and bringing with them a box of Bohemian crystal wine glasses that belonged to my Dad. Sigh. I thought I had successfully parted with them, but no; I had merely kicked the can down the road a few months. Consequently, I must re-think the contents of the china cabinet and decide what I really, really want to keep and what I'm willing to let go, and then persuade Himself to agree with my conclusions.

The kitchen tiling is almost finished; only the four square feet of backsplash in the pantry remains to be grouted, and then the entire kitchen project will be finished. Oh, except for the kick panel under the cabinets on the sink side of the galley, where the tiles were broken and had to be replaced. Oh, and putting a bevel on the hinge side of the china cabinet doors so they don't have to be opened to their fullest extent before the drawers can be pulled out. Come to think of it, is such a project ever quite entirely finished?

Dorothy, I sympathize with your grim thoughts of what might become clutter in your next abode. Our neighbour Neil, who walks his dog for hours a day around the neighbourhood, informed us that our two-car garage might be the only one on our street that actually contains two cars. The furniture restorer who repaired my old rocking chair also pointedly remarked on this unusual characteristic of our household; apparently he sees a lot of garages crammed to the rafters with everything but the family car. I guess it would have been easier to let some of the moving boxes stay packed and stacked out there, but both Himself and I utterly loathe scraping ice off the car, especially in the early morning when one is in a hurry to get somewhere.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 10:41 PM

Montreal:

So, on Sat am, the kiln had not turned off so I did it for it! After it cooled enough, I determined that the kiln was dysfunctional and, with two firings to go and the deadline closing in, I packed the car with all the pots, complete and various stages of incomplete and drove to the mill where the kiln would work - hopefully. I will prob be able to fix the kiln later when not under pressure of deadline.

In the meantime, I have all but one bowl (of 8) and the 8 plates are complete and lovely! Another firing went in the aft and I will go back in am to the mill to open the kiln and do one more firing of misc pots that are still to be fired.

My west coast (Whidbey) son and wife will be driving up from NYC, after the 10th, with GD Sarah from San Diego to visit and pick up pots - a chance for son to show wife and daughter his old haunts in Montreal. They will get an airbnb! And lots of pots!

Hoping R will have a bit of time while I am here to look at a couple more houses. We are each looking forward to the move; I have some trepidation as I wonder how much of his Stuff will become clutter!! I think we will need a house with a garage - just for his stuff! I came in tonight to find a seriously Ugly sofa in the LR. NO! IT does not deserve house space. I hope it is en route to somewhere else!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 08:11 PM

I decided it was time to empty the bins arranged by garment size in my closet. The smallest size is 8, but it'll be a while till I can fit into size 8 again - the stuff in there is really nice and I'll be sorry not to have the garments if I do reach that point, but anyway - that little "what about eBay?" question crossed my mind as I was preparing to bag them for the Goodwill. Someone else in the same situation I was in, with a modest budget but needing serviceable and attractive pants and slacks to wear to work, including some gorgeous black jeans, linen pants, wool pants, gabardine khakis, and more, will have an opportunity to bid for the lot on eBay. If it doesn't sell, then they can go to Goodwill.

A care package was dispatched to my son; he's getting to be a good cook but from his standpoint it's still nice to have your favorite banana bread shipped in time for your birthday. Soon it will be too warm to ship such delicacies from my location; the hot weather that the parcel travels through causes it to mold pretty quickly.

Making progress around here as I've continued to file, shred, and put things away. Spring must be near!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 06:45 PM

Ohio:

Tyler is all moved in and getting settled. The guest bed we'd hoped to Murphy up for the sewing room worked a treat! All the organizing of linens I'd done came in handy!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Mar 18 - 07:56 PM

Well, I did not reach my goal. I put in over 16 hours on it but it still likely needs another good 8 hours or so. I was going to work on it more today but my eyes were burning, likely from small fabric dust particles. Pete said it was enough. I ended up taking a 4 hour nap. I had no idea I was that tired. I slept so hard that I was disoriented when I woke up. I guess those *higher ups* are just going to have to wait. *shrug*

I did clean out 4 drawers of a desk that was my Nana's and sits in my living room. Two of those drawers were full of crafty this and that. No more!   All crafty things have been relocated to the sewing room which is really where they belong anyway. I paid all the bills today and sorted through various paperwork and am now using those two drawers for highly organized bills/medical/school papers. It clears out a bin that I have had out for paperwork for years which means there is another surface that has been cleaned off. :) I made homemade muffins today too. It's been a lovely day.

Have a great week everybody!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Mar 18 - 01:10 PM

Ohio:

Young Tyler has renewed thoughts about a temporary house-guesting arrangement! I'm excited, because I was just thinking how I had not set up garden care while I head back at the end of the wknd for furniture.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Mar 18 - 09:14 PM

My gas engine string trimmer is now in the shop. Last fall I was working on it, I swapped out the silicone bulb to prime it and changed the fuel lines, and on my first attempt to start it, the starter cord plastic handle broke off and the whole cord pulled completely into the engine. The YouTube video shows a guy dismantling the trimmer and fixing the cord in about 15 minutes, meaning I might finish in 2 hours and have parts left over.

I have "a guy who does" who I took it to this afternoon and he said it takes him about 45 minutes to do the job. That'll work. And when he depressed the bulb he said the resulting clicking sound says there is a diaphragm that might be dried out. Okay. $6 for that item, $23 for a new carburetor if needed. We're still looking at a repair that keeps it well under the cost of buying a new one like this. There is a kind of depressing pile of dead trimmers on the side of his building, but this one isn't destined for that heap yet. I trust this guy to do the job right. Why? Because the first time I took this trimmer over he said he didn't have time to get to it for weeks, but I could do it on my own. He sold me $2.00 worth of tubing and told me how to do the repair myself.

This, then, is my way of not having to declutter myself of a defunct trimmer after buying a new one. I prefer to keep this tool in service.

In other activity, I've set up another station in the house for playing audio books from my phone. Goodwill and other thrift stores have discarded iPod docking stations that have auxiliary plugs, so they can be used to play from any device. In the kitchen I have one that is bluetooth (no port needed), and now one in my office that I can use with a cable or with my spare bluetooth receiver. I'm using GoodReads.com to keep track of books, mostly audio books, and the last one I read was 600 pages (equivalent to two typical books) so I'm pushing to catch up to my goal of 24 books this year.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 02 Mar 18 - 03:41 PM

Beaver:

Michelle: you are amazing! Two hours and I am pooped!

I drove about two hours this morning - to fetch my fav yogurt from the next town, where an independent grocery is willing and able to special order. A flat of 6 was supposed to come on Tues but it did not arrive and Jeff did not call me and Amanda has been feeling badly for two days that she had not had time to fetch it for me (she lives there). SO: Jeff will phone whether or not it comes on Tues. I will have the smarts to check before I leave. I will not ask the overbooked Amanda to fetch it. I am muddling through the weekend with 6%.

So, any throwing for today is cancelled. I unloaded and re-loaded the kiln. Looks good! But did not do any of the lots more tasks that could be done. The tiny kiln room is still crowded but less so.

I need to check the local Gallery for what pots I have there as next week I could take in a few more.

No rain. No snow. YET. I feel the impending rain that is taking its time. Time for me to relax and recuperate.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Mar 18 - 12:40 PM

That's a wonderful project, Michelle. They're lucky to have someone with your passion and experience working on this on their behalf. An idea occurs to me, but I'll wait and look for your report about handing over the quilt to see if I was correct.

As I started on my eBay work I realized I needed more clear desk space, so have spent time filing, shredding, and recycling paper. I can see some of the wood on the second desk in my office. A few more eBay items have moved into the sunroom, and I'm also finding more donate items.

I'm setting up the dining table for a sewing project. I have to spread out the cutting board to place a pattern on fabric, and have enlisted my son's girlfriend to remind him again to send me measurements I should have gotten last time he was home for a visit.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 02 Mar 18 - 11:09 AM

We are having an unexpected family day at home due to the snow storm.    Pete made a wonderful breakfast, Jeremiah is cleaning his room and I am soon going to tuck away into my sewing room in hopes of completing a quilt top for the House of Care this weekend. It is a signature quilt and over 70 cancer survivors have signed different blocks. There are still at least 70+ open blocks to be signed. My hope is that the quilt top will be at Geisinger by the end of the week and then folks at the House of Care and people at the clinic will be able to sign the remaining open blocks. It was offered as a gift of love and thankfulness for my time at the House of Care but the higher ups want the quilt on a given date and are breathing down my neck about it so now it feels more like a chore. I overestimated my available time and energy when calculating the due date. I work 60+ hours a week, drive 30 to 45 minutes each way to work (unless it's snowing and then it's longer), take care of my family, take care of our home, grocery shop, cook, take Jeremiah to soccer, swimming and guitar lessons and then church on Sundays sometimes if the weather is good and I'm not completely wiped out...and the quilt. I don't think I will ever commit to creating something handmade for anyone ever again. I will simply make something and share it when it is complete. *whew* I will spend a few quiet moments handling each block and reading each signature/quote focusing on that to bring me back to my original heartfelt wish to make something out of love for people who are so very deserving.

So.....my hope is that by tomorrow, my sewing room will be decluttered of one more quilt top. :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Mar 18 - 09:27 AM

The time has come, I think, for the new fence next door that will be between our properties but will actually follow the property line (my request - the current fence is about 18" inside my property line because the previous owner was a bit of an idiot when it came to cooperating with neighbors and put it up willy-nilly in a hurry.) It means the old fence is up to me to take apart (my request) because I have a heavy-duty wire stapled to the base that is part of my dog containment system (it carries a radio signal that their collars respond to if they get too close). I also have to possibly make a connection between my old fence and their new fence at the street facing narrow end or we could end up with an odd gap.

The last week was mostly heavy rain but it's forecast to dry for a few days. Today should be nice and though the ground is soggy there is yardwork to be done. A wedding and houseguest this weekend mean it was prudent to take a couple of days off to get the usual weekend stuff done ahead of time and have the house looking good. I need to take my gas trimmer over to the repair shop and have the pull cord fixed (the handle broke and the cord pulled inside the machine). Gotta beat the regular spring crowd.

My eBay listings are up and running and I'm adding more regularly now. It still seems the best way to declutter and get a little extra income at the same time.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Mar 18 - 10:10 PM

Ohio:

I came home from a lunch meeting during brief break in the huge all-morning downpour-- "Aha! Load that chair NOW!" I immediately changed into grubs, unloaded the dog crate and suitcase from the hatch, and had the car in front where the chair was for my workshop-- just in time for middle schoolers coming off the bus. In 3's, there is ALWAYS one raised right who responds if I yell, "Hey, could one of you guys give me a quick hand?" One will always gallop over to do a lift and be invited to leave his number for paid work.

So I was able to park the wet faux wicker lawn chair to dry out in the car, in the garage,

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Vashta Nerada
Date: 01 Mar 18 - 02:33 PM

It's a cold storm blowing over the top of our UK members - stay safe, warm, and dry. And here's hoping your buds and blossoms survive this weather.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 27 Feb 18 - 10:42 PM

Beaver:
Energy level kind of hit the wall today. Hope it renews! Two bisque firings complete and two to go ---- I looked in the glaze bucket and OOPS - need more. I have the materials but the scales I have are iffy and I do not have the required sieve. It's at the mill. Considering possible solutions... Trimmed more pots today - threw yesterday - and hope they will dry fast enough to get into the last bisque load. House is de-cluttered of pots!

I did a wonderful job of restraining myself from buying some epiphytes tonight but passed on to the presenter (at the horticultural Soc) my copper tubing plant support idea. Copper kills epiphytes but the dipladenia is doing great in its "cage". I am down to one geranium - about to bloom!, two neophyte spider plants, one af violet and my new rosemary and aloe vera - all doing well. I do tend to be a plant-aholic!

Trying Keto diet again. All lost is regained; I alternately give up and try again. Spring is giving me hope but there is still a lot of snow out there.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Feb 18 - 04:50 PM

Ohio:

It turned out that both helpers planned for today bailed at the last minute, and the weather was too warm and sunny to waste, so I finished the patio door project, as well as I could on my own. I was not able to totally secure the lower edge with bolts, but I was able to screw thru the front plate into the back plate with extra long exterior grade screws which, unfortunately, were a tad long for the width of the door and will have to be nipped off.

Unfortunately they also were to have loaded a chair into my car after first unloading the full hatch area; I need it for a pain-free weekend workshop Friday-Saturday because I did not bring my walker-seat which is perfectly set up for 90° joints.

Since I now can't walk at all after that door project, I'm not excited about attempting the chair move on my own. It may just fit in DIL's open trunk and the workshop is right here in town. If I don't take it, my back will be fried after the first hour. :-(

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 27 Feb 18 - 09:18 AM

Actually, Acme, the move left both of us fatter than we had been in years. After so long in Ottawa, and with all the shenanigans surrounding release from the Army after 30 years of service, we were wined and dined a great deal during the spring and early summer of last year, to the extent that it seemed we were in one fancy restaurant or another pretty well every weekend for about two months. Then the move itself put us in hotels for almost two weeks in high summer, and eating all our meals in restaurants and diners. We both got seriously chubby.

When we finally finished unpacking the books (a job that took ages), Himself looked at me seriously across the dinner table and said, "We have completed the task of Moving To Stratford. It is now time to start Living In Stratford." Within a couple of days, he had entered into a contract with a personal trainer at the gym and joined the local hiking club. Then he downloaded MyNetDiary, a diet-tracking application, onto his phone and started weighing and measuring his food. He said it made counting calories into a video game.

Neither of us is any good at fasting. Himself gets grumpy and impossible to live with when his low-food light is flashing, and I find that I really must eat when my stomach starts rumbling. I don't have to eat much, mind you, and it's important that I wait until I actually feel hunger, but if I don't eat when those signals start arriving I am likely to gorge when I finally let myself eat at all.

With the kitchen renovation project and the redecoration of the rest of the house to manage, I do not really feel that the Moving To Stratford phase is quite finished, at least not for me. In fact, just the other day I found yet another box with movers' tape on it, cracked it open, and decided that its entire contents could go to the Sally Ann. I won't really settle until the bedrooms are patched and painted, and I've put up curtains in the upstairs windows.

It's another unseasonably beautiful day in Perth County, sunny and warm, so I have decided to jettison my original plan for extensive housework in favour of a nice walk downtown to mail my brother's birthday present. Yesterday's workout did not leave me with the stiff legs I suffered on Saturday, so my body has evidently decided to forgive me and get with the program.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Feb 18 - 08:18 PM

Charmion, it sounds like himself also took advantage of the extra work involved in moving. I always lose weight when I pack and move for hours at a time for days at a time. Right now I've gone back to alternate day fasting, managing two or three days a week. I got the idea from Dr. Mosley's Eat, Fast and Live Longer program that originally broadcast on a BBC science series. It comes and goes on the Internet, but it looks like BBC has a YouTube channel now. He tries several different forms of fasting; the one I adopted shows up about 38 minutes into the program. (It's also on a Spanish language Vimeo channel, in English with a less distracting background.)

Thanks for the note, Dorothy. That is an interesting outcome after sitting on that property for a long time.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 26 Feb 18 - 10:24 AM

Not much going on in Stratford, now that the ground floor is just about finished (only the kitchen tile to go, and that is scheduled). My lung complaint is gradually ebbing, currently down to occasional coughing fits that still sound awful but don't leave me reeling with exhaustion as they did two weeks ago.

I went back to the gym on Friday for a full workout, and boy did I feel it on Saturday. Every muscle in my legs, butt and back had criticism to offer, which tells me that I need to do that workout again today, and on Wednesday, and on Friday, too.

Himself is looking particularly fine these days, after almost four months of watching his diet and working out vigorously. He's lost almost 25 pounds and is back into his snazziest suits; the new one he bought last summer now hangs on him like a tent. The gym staff are so impressed with him that they just about offered him a job, on the theory that if the flabby old guys see an fit old guy behind the counter, they might be a little less reluctant to sign up.

I'm looking a bit gaunt, myself, having lost my jowls and a full size in trousers to the pneumonia. I thought I had come to terms with advancing age, but it's still always a bit of a shock to look at myself in the mirror and see the same lines on my face that I remember on my granny.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Feb 18 - 08:26 PM

Ohio:

Workday-- 6:30pm ending before dark; started at 11am with a crew of four helpers. (30 man-hours on top of my time to prep, plan, purchase, work, coordinate/teach, and clean up.)

The 2 trickiest jobs on my wishlist were done well, to completion. The rebuilt HVAC-enclosure wall is especially lovely, and involved a lot of thought and tricks-- but looks just like it was always just the way we did it.

Several other jobs were not completed fully, but were started in such fashion that I can finish them with Tyler's help Tuesday. Others I can finish on my own-- in both cases, the helpers did the parts I can't possibly do. And brought me a Coke when I badly needed it.

One of the best parts was teaching my awkward-age nephew how to use a cordless drill/driver, work smart, use a framing square, and lay out a project. He is a certifiable genius-- super-quick processing-- but SO bored and awkward, and also at the age of not wanting to know a thing his ma and pa try to teach him. I finally got to that magic smile with him, that'd vanished of late under too much AP schoolwork, and far too many structured afterschool programs. He got very handy with that little tool, relaxed, and gained confidence-- good for him!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 25 Feb 18 - 12:39 PM

R is being held hostage by the buyer? How is that possible? What conditions of sale would require the seller to continue to live there?

R is SO happy to be rid of the albatross and receiving an amazing amount for it, that he would have just said, "How high would you like me to jump?"

Laughing at your mud! I am still under ice and snow! This morning I could not safely walk the 20 feet from back door to studio - on the wood walkway! Now it is over 40F and I am hoping for the energy to go to work - after lunch.

I actually did about 15 minutes on the sewing machine - made a pouch for the comfrey so it doesn't go everywhere while in use! The ankle was being somewhat painful but the poultices the last couple days have cleared it. Comfrey everywhere! This summer I will be drying quantities of leaves AND putting them into a animal proof container.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 25 Feb 18 - 11:30 AM

I can relate to the muddy mess. I have to roll my pants up x3 so that when I get to work I don't have it all over my pants from mud that splashes up as I walk. Ick.

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Feb 18 - 12:46 AM

R is being held hostage by the buyer? How is that possible? What conditions of sale would require the seller to continue to live there?

Last year the Photobucket photo storage site made a huge change, blocking users from third-party hosting of photos unless they pay $700 a year for the privilege. I've finally found a place that I think will work and I'll have to upload then reassemble the photo links into an organic garden site I've contributed to.

The yard is a sodden mess, guests today left with muddy shoes after trying to look at the garden to discover any pending blooms and to admire the asparagus. I have four pairs of my own shoes and boots by the door that I'll have to knock the mud off of once it's completely dry.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 10:11 PM

Beaver:

Great news! R has decluttered our lives of the odious house! It is actually sold but he needs to live there until December; keep it occupied until the buyer is ready to start "renovating". When I go back to Montreal in a couple weeks, we will be able to consider what we can buy for the next phase of our lives. I am still hoping for a house near those nature reserves. He seems to be amenable. Whew! He texted me, "There are squirrels in the attic! They aren't ours! YAY!" What a relief, we are each feeling. After all these years, he no longer has the "house needs to be renovated" hanging over him! The buyer is going to totally gut the interior so nothing matters!

We will still have "Beaver Haven" but I have agreed to spend more time in Quebec. This also is a sort of de-clutter - so we are in the same place if either of us has health problems. Being a prisoner in that dreadful house last winter ...

The studio and house are totally cluttered with drying pottery! That is GOOD clutter! Monday looks like it will be a decent day to deal with loading the kiln for the first bisque firing. I have a fair chance of finishing by 5th or so. Load car and trek to Montreal - on a non-snow day. And hang out until son and wife come up from NYC, where they are visiting third grand daughter (my third greatgd), Ali's first child, to collect his pots - And have a short visit! Troy lived in Montreal in his teens so it will be a bit of a pilgrimage for him - showing Julie the highlights of his youth.

Packing pottery: Double boxing is highly recommended, with the outside one lined with spray foam, or maybe the interior one and the pottery wrapped in bubble wrap, placed in a plastic bag and then into foam lined box which is then filled with more foam. Then the outer box could have foam or some other filler. Strong boxes! I had good success using bagels as filler - instead of foam!

Not much else done but managed the laundry in two loads/two days, drying in house. Warmer days and solar gain in afternoon means less wood needs to be brought in. A week without snow is a nice break for my shoulders. Another day or two and I may be able to get to the car without risk of falling. Using gravel in a large yogurt container to strew in front of me as I make my way - very carefully! I can see small patches of bare ground.grass! But fully expecting more snow before April.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 08:58 PM

Ohio:

Today I picked up all the materials for tomorrow's work day. It was already a full day, so no energy left for the funny story it included. (Story will keep.)

But not only do I exoect 2 energetic adults younger than me, tomorrow-- helper Tyler is looking for Tuesday hours next week, which means he can work with me to finish anything not completed when the family must depart early tmrw evening to get the kiddoes off to bed. So I'll prioritize the list accordingly.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 06:18 PM

The weather in north central PA has been so very strange for this time of the year. Last week it was pushing 70 degrees and then we had a very fast moving storm that dumped enough ice and snow to shut things down for the day.   Now it's all rainy and in the high 30s. My yard is a super highway of MUD. However, with the odd weather, we have seen flocks of geese returning, a friend recently posted a photo of a bear under her feeder and a photo of a robin. Today we noticed some flowers about to bloom in the back yard....small whitish ones...not sure what they are though. I think Mother Nature is going to have a very good laugh about all this sometime in the next month or so. We really haven't had winter to speak of.

Today we decluttered the entire family of excess hair...LOL...we all got haircuts this morning. It's amazing to me how getting a good haircut (taking care of oneself) or decluttering a section of my home make me feel equally fabulous!   :)

My crazy work audits are over but this week had me training a new hire and doing 3 additional intakes so I'm dragging a little bit. I think if I can catch a nap here shortly, I may get some work done tonight. If not, there's always tomorrow but then again, I've been asked to go out for the afternoon with someone. I would like to go out but I'd also like the time at home so we shall see. Decisions! Decisions! ;)

Pete and I are trying to decide how to handle the room switch....my sewing room will soon be Jeremiah's bedroom. He thinks we should let Jeremiah pick the color. I think we should pick out 5 somewhat neutral colors and let him pick that and THEN he can pick out what he wants for his blankets and such. He loves one of the Avenger characters a ton at the moment but as we all know, that will be fleeting. I don't mind changing out linens but I do mind the thought of having to repaint every time he changes his mind about his favorite character/animal.   If we were to paint the walls in a neutral color, those changes in his likes would be MUCH easier to handle and continually look good...at least that's my thought on the matter!   Currently that room is a very soft pink color so it absolutely will be changed for Jeremiah. Jeremiah's room was designed as a nursery with gender neutral colors as we didn't know what gender our child would be. The walls are a soft buttery yellow and there is a soft grass green carpet on the floor. I love the looks of it the way it is and will not need to make any changes to the walls or floor when that becomes my sewing room.

Speaking of sewing, I am ever closer to finishing the House of Care Quilt. Next weekend, I will be joining a group of friends for a day of sewing (interrupted by orchestra practice) and then an evening of theater, I am looking forward to that day with great anticipation! :)

I did declutter the front seat of my car this weekend and left office in stellar shape for the week ahead...I say those things count as they make my life run more smoothly.

Enjoy your week friends!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 01:07 PM

This part of the state has recently decluttered itself of a drought. I thought we'd done that last year, but apparently there were still remnants of dryness. I read an article this morning about how the cold and rain should combine to let the peach trees to my west become totally hydrated and because of the cold the blossoms have been delayed. This should result in a bumper crop. I, on the other hand, have been washing towels that line the back door and will make a point of putting up a rain gutter next month. I don't consider all of these dirty towels a plus.

Company coming so the dogs will spend much of the time in my office. I'll crank my desk into standing position to move the cables out of tail reach - the prospect of a dog tangled in this stuff is why I usually keep the door closed when I'm not in here, to keep them out. (If I put left them in my bedroom unattended they would make themselves completely at home on the bed and with Poppy's trip to the vet this morning and a yeasty-smelling hot spot just treated, it would be hard on the bedding).

Asparagus are sprouting but still no blooms forming on the daffodils. It's already about four weeks later than they've bloomed over the last several years. On the other hand, it's so wet right now it's difficult to step over to the asparagus to pick any so some have gotten too tall to eat so what's out there is under appreciated.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 Feb 18 - 08:58 PM

Menu for Sunday crew:

Panful of fried cheese grit patties
Crockpot of bbq
Raw sweet peppers
Clementines
Bananas
Vanilla or strawberry yogurt
Cereals
Corn chips
Shredded cheese
Halloween candy and dark chocolate

The bbq is chicken thighs and breasts, plus a pork steak, all slivered and shredded into marmalade bbq sauce, after a reboiling of all the meats.

Dog will be boarded this time-- this combo of ppl always results in an overly revved up service dog, and I'm tired of being ignored on ignoring the svc dog-- she'll love playing with her human friends at the kennel.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Feb 18 - 08:54 PM

Tomorrow evening I'll be busy straightening for company on Saturday. The mature approach is to put things away and tidy; the quick way is to stuff everything into the sewing room. I have company for a couple of nights next weekend as well, so there's no putting odd stuff in the guest room.

I've read Susan's discussion of the stuff stored in her garage and considered how to sort and compress what is in mine. I can park one vehicle inside, and I have only one vehicle, but it is technically a two-car garage. I may move some of the storage shelving on one side and see if I can give more floor space. Stack up on shelves but not on wall steel shelves perpendicular to the walls, as it is now.

A new fence is soon going up next door, along the true property line. I'll be able to dismantle the existing fence that is about 18 inches closer to my house and recycle it into a couple of places around the yard where planks are deteriorating. I'll have to dig up the metal fence posts and knock the concrete footers off, then reuse them or more likely offer them up on one of the freecycle services in my area. These are truly signs of spring. It's not here yet, but it's close (my asparagus are beginning to sprout.)

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Feb 18 - 02:26 PM

Ohio:

The crew of 2 expected for Sunday has grown to a full crew of 4-- two adults, their tall young son, and their very young artsy daughter. So some curtain-swapping will defintely be added! And more placeholders for the framed art on the way.

A new project will involve patching a door... The sellers apparently had installed an interior-grade door on the patio side of the garage, which (predictably) has been rotting away inside the hollow core.... the 2×2 inside the bottom edge of the core dropped out, and took a ragged 3-4" of outer door skin with it.... so I can't just put a new 2x2 up in there-- nothing left to attach to it.

I have to buy a sheet of plywood for another project we're doing Sunday, of which we'll use less than half. So, since Hardi will want to choose its replacement and probably install it himself, we'll install plywood kick plates from inside the garage and probably outside as well, to discourage squirrel intrusions.

We'll cut and attach these XL plates high enough to connect with good wood; a spray of clear-coat on the exposed edge ought to prevent the ply-peeling from getting too far along before Hardi can see it in August. I'm betting he'll opt to just paint all that and defer replacement until he retires! ;-)

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 22 Feb 18 - 09:18 AM

The temperature is back to its normal late-February position below freezing today, but it won't last; Environment Canada promises a high of 10C for tomorrow. That's just nuts. Okay, Stratford is not as cold as Ottawa, but it's not supposed to be like central Europe! The last time I lived through a winter like this, I was in Baden-Wurttemburg where the asparagus season started in early March.

It's time to start packing up doohickeys for the church variety sale, which I hope will result in an empty cabinet in the basement ... so I can then declutter the basement of the cabinet! I'm learning to love Kijiji.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Feb 18 - 12:38 AM

The carpet cleaner was set on "spill pickup" as I hoovered up the water that puddled around the fireplace and back door from all of our rain. I have to put up a rain gutter to keep it from pouring onto the poorly-grouted bricks of the chimney and working it's way into the house. The roof is good, the masonry, not so much. Add to this that it was a complete turnaround to read about New Hampshire temperatures up to 78^o today while in Texas it was 36^o and raining.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Feb 18 - 10:59 PM

Ohio:

Going nuts over which curtains get swapped around to which windows when the furniture comes, because it'll be easier to get at the windows first.

Trish came by to pick up the 2 items I'd known she'd take plus the one I'd hoped she'd take, and offered to be on the truck-unloading crew!!! She is about 50, very strong, knows how to turn things to get them to go, is hilarious AND reliable-- and knows that the world runs on #GirlPower. She's worth the whole block full of hormone-assaulted teenagers who won't commit! Whoo-EEE, I got my crew!

This means I do NOT have to unload the dresser she's taking-- the one from PA will come in, she'll swap out my stuff, and out the door will go her new dresser! She wants to buy DIL's car I'm borrowing!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Feb 18 - 09:30 PM

One of the huge boxes I inherited last week has gone to list a lot of binders on eBay; tonight I used another to package a large terracotta clay baker (Romertopf) that needs either a very specialized styrofoam molded form or a lot of packing peanuts to deliver it safely. I have a smaller clay baker I use for roasting chickens - there's something about that method that makes the moist meat fall off the bones.

I decluttered parts of the yard of stands of henbit that are growing rapidly now that the days are longer. The lawn in the back is still dormant (Bermuda) and the henbit is a striking green against the golden brown dead grass; in front I have lots of Rescue grass, like a poor man's Rye grass that is wild and comes up every year. I used the steel rake and pulled through the henbit to dislodge most of it; what remains is easy to pull by hand. I'll be doing this for a couple of more days and adding the weeds to my compost. Hopefully I won't have to do the first mow of the yard for a couple of weeks yet. And that reminds me - I need to get the starter cord replace on my string trimmer. Long story, but a repair (changing out the fuel line) I was doing myself went awry when the plastic handle on the broke upon release and the whole cord wound up inside. I looked at the YouTube video to fix it - what takes that guy 15 minutes would take me ages. I have a guy who does this kind of thing, and if I get it over there now, he won't have a long line of things ahead of mine.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Senoufou
Date: 19 Feb 18 - 09:41 AM

Ugh Charmion, that's a rotten job, cleaning the oven or anything to do with the cooker.
Here in UK there are cleaning companies who will come and do that job, dismantling the entire thing and making it shine in every corner. But it costs about £70.
Our cooker is self-cleaning, and the extractor has a paper filter which only needs changing. The hob is a ceramic one, completely smooth, glassy thing, so quite easy to wipe over.

This morning we've just tackled the utility room. This room isn't heated, and so in winter it's running with condensation. We get a lot of black mould on the walls, window frames and even the window panes, so my husband went round with various products and several cloths, plus his trusty mop. It's gleaming now and smells lovely and fresh.
The poor man then got into his uniform and set off for seven hours' cleaning at the school where he works. He really is a treasure!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 19 Feb 18 - 08:29 AM

Cleaning inside the range hood is one of my least favourite jobs, right up there with cleaning the oven. Both require me to assume an uncomfortable position while using noxious materials. I'll know I have been condemned to Hell if in the afterlife I find myself down on my aching marrowbones and dabbing awkwardly at caustic soda while clicking my neck in a vain effort to see what I'm doing.

Housework it's not for the weak.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Feb 18 - 04:39 PM

I didn't do the fan - yet. I did list a lot of eBay items so I'm up to 20 items for sale. I sell most as Buy-it-now and for 30 days with 2 automatic renewals. If I keep adding things as they sell I'm more motivated to do this regularly. And when I sell often enough there are extra ratings buyers can look at that show your previous customers rated you highly for description, speed of shipping, quality of item, etc.

I seem to be to a stage of swapping out some of the old electronics with newer low cost but much more versatile versions. I think some of the old ones will end up on eBay.

Cold windy day today; clearly it was a mistake to think I could do yard work today. All of our nice days are all landing in the middle of the work week.
:-(

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Feb 18 - 07:49 AM

Ohio:

PS, They brought me their spare car so that when I drive mine to PA to pick up a truckload of furniture, I'll have theirs to use until Hardi joins me for summer vacation, and I can ride back with him to PA.

~S~