Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 03 Apr 18 - 02:54 PM

Yes, Vashta, 'tis the season to change the counterpane. I took the big duvet off the bed on Thursday last, and now I'm just praying it doesn't turn wicked cold again as spring in Ontario is wont to do.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Thompson
Date: 03 Apr 18 - 03:21 PM

Hired someone to fix the broken tiles on the roof where the birds always nest. Got in just before they started nest-building. And now they're tidying out a former air outlet in the neighbouring house, so we can see fluffy little sparrows flying busily in and out with material in their beaks as they ready their spring nursery.

The handiest in the family put up a new clothesline, with a handle and a pulley so the drying clothes can be raised high off the ground. So cool, and so efficient!

Deployed a series of new dust-free glass-fronted bookcases; mind you, I now have to find places for the things that were living where they were, but at least it disciplines the books.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Apr 18 - 02:47 PM

PA PACKATHON:

How I'm doing fragile items has been fun. A set of items I'd bought last fall came shipped in large, flat, square boxes with brown paper squares and rectangles for padding. The packer was too lazy to crumple these so they used about 8x too much paper, and I got a zollion pristine flat pieces. I've used this all up today wrapping and cushioning boxed items.

I'm lining the bottom of each Fragiles box with shredded ad papers and seed catalogs, and I just shred a fresh batch for each box before gathering up its planned contents.

In Ohio, all this paper will be used for gardening projects. In fact the shredded paper is so pesky that all those boxes will be unpacked outdoors because if the PA floor is any indicator, I won't want that stuff I'm the house at all!

Two divided vodka boxes are packed. One is antique stemware and a few bar glasses to finish using up the space, plus 2 decor coke bottles. Most of that is earmarkrd for use, not display, and will go into a kitchen cabinet. The other one is glass decor/serving items for the china cabinet plus two mason jars for the kitchen counter.

Two cube boxes are packed for display in the china cabinet, which is shaping up to hold our pretty, mismatched serving items and small knickknacks. Tureens, sugar bowl, wax angels, Monica plaque, small plate stands (easels). One more lg box to pack w pasta bowl and platters, after Hardi gets my mom's platters down from the DR wall.

I could just about pack the glass shelves inside the china cabinet now. Or I could pack the two standing crosses headed for the Five Madonnas shelf, next. In a divided box.

I've definitely decided this is my last move. It's fun to solve all these packing challenges with no outlay for materials but its getting old!!! If and when I have to be moved out into assisted living, the kids are gonna have to do the packing, while I point!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Apr 18 - 02:49 PM

PS of course now that those nice flat boxes are empty-- framed artwork! Maybe two in some boxes, of which I have three.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Apr 18 - 10:23 PM

Thompson, I had two spare metal fence posts after work was done at this house so I set them in concrete and built myself a four-strand clothesline. I understand your glee at having the use of one with special features! I find hanging the laundry to be peaceful; the process of standing back there behind the greenhouse, surrounded by (not under) trees, hanging sheets and clothes. The dogs are usually hanging out nearby enjoying my company and I'm listening to birds and neighbor's wind chimes. I like the process of reusing available materials (a portion of my fence was removed to put in the new garage so I sledge-hammered off the old concrete footers, and I had a cedar 2x4 piece of lumber to cut into two and mount on the fence brackets. All I needed to buy were the heavy duty hooks for the cedar, the metal rope channels, and the nylon clothes line.)

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Apr 18 - 06:13 AM

PA PACKATHON:

Poor sleep interrupted by several fine notification's of "urgencies".

Came down to tend notebook backups, shred, packed a sm box: Vigil bell, glass cross, Turkish coffeepot ("samovar" but isn't), in the Tippy Cow box.

Found another item for my son, but not sure where rest of set went-- one centerpiece Southwest kachina image on ceramic tile, still on the garden room wall from that room's former office setup. More (the smaller ones) may be in drawers-- not going to spelunk for it on this trip.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Apr 18 - 02:44 PM

In fitness, a 'rest day' isn't a day to crash-- it's a day to walk your workout back to a maintenance level before resuming a training level. So it is with the week's packing rhythm, as I contemplate the rest day/church weekend. I'm thinking what small NON-packing tasks I can incorporate into the next few days to facilitate a return to messy shredded paper on Monday.

I'm about to prep a divided box for knicknackery I'm sure to come across as I recheck each room for artwork (lining the base with shred). But most of those types of fragiles are packed.

Today marks the transition to packing the framed art. Some of the upstairs art is now downstairs, and some packing materials for them are gathered. Today I customized boxes and other cardboard, to pack my mom's family barometer into a box a bit too tall for it.... the box is about 5x16x48".

I took a smaller box and cut it down to cradle the lower, round part-- taping the plastic-wrapped, padded barometer into place. Then I slipped all that into the box, putting an open egg box over its head (and wishing I had a spare banjo case!).

That left a handy compartment for one framed piece, which I wrapped with a small mirror that just fit inside the edge molding of the picture frame-- taping all that together to preclude shifting. Two hollow plastic legs left from an old shelf took up some space, and gave strength and rigidity to the long, shallow box. I wrapped that framed item with a thick, paper leaf bag, and cushioned that with a bit of shredded paper.

It took over an hour, but it was worth it. It will hang in the hallway alongside Hardi's rectangular barometer, framed by the archway that leads to the hallway from the LR, which is also directly ahead of the front door entry area-- to remind us how we started blending our households 25+ years ago. Our framed wedding invite and a framed St. Francis prayer will complete the composition.

The rest of the framed art requires a weekend of pizza for the remaining boxes needed. I'm not taking ALL the art on this trip-- just one of each size for layout planning, since the art will be rotated seasonally.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Apr 18 - 10:20 AM

Two 3-cube boxes of crockery and glassware went to the church yesterday, along with a stack of framed art. (My back is talkin' to me, and not with love; I heaved a 3-cu of heavy earthenware off the floor in less-than-ideal style.) I still have a bin full of antique fancy linen to go -- items that will probably sell to bed-and-breakfast operators with fancy Victorian houses -- and another plastic crate of stained-glass window ornaments that do not suit this house. Plus some clothes.

The dining-room china cabinets have actual space in them. Space is good. The cabinet in the basement is empty. Maybe I can get it out of the house sooner rather than later ... !

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Apr 18 - 10:25 AM

Oh -- further to the changing the bed quilt phenomenon: I took the eiderdown off the bed last Thursday, and guess what? It's been snowing in Stratford since Tuesday! A big windstorm blew through here on Wednesday, with gusts powerful enough to knock our gas barbecue flat on its face.

Darn it. I had visions of spatchcocked chicken dancing in my head, and hopes of outdoor cookery within the next couple of weeks.

Obviously, Mother Nature doesn't approve of early eiderdown removal, at least not in Perth County. It's all my fault.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Apr 18 - 11:48 AM

Aww, you jinxed those grilled chicken plans? Who knows how far back the offense went. It might not be the down comforter, it might be when you packed away a few sweaters or hung up the snow shovel. :)

The garden is getting attention today. A friend is coming over this afternoon to till it, so I need to hustle and run the mower over the spot one more time so he doesn't have to fool with tall weeds also.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 06 Apr 18 - 12:00 PM

Montreal:

Yes, Charmion! The wind has been at the scary level! No damage that we know of in Montreal but the news from your area had me concerned. Glad your house still stands - some are not! A mite chilly here,also.

Glass front book cases would be so nice! For hundreds of books???!!! Oh, well!

modem for internet connection died and it was a project getting that sorted. Lack of knowledgeable people had me to 3 parts of the city and a couple hours of tech support and - wow!- customer service - to get phone numbers for places that might give help rather than insisting on me letting them do what what just took the last place an hour! Now that I am back on line, Telus will be hearing about that witch. Finally connected by phone with someone knowledgeable and helpful. I told her I would be there. I tried but could not find a place to park. So tried again the next day. "You were coming yesterday." Well, apparently there is free parking but she could not tell me how to access it! That is good info to find out for the future. In the meantime... I had to buy a new modem as the old one was to be sent for repairs -NO ONE in the city had one as it is obsolete; I got it in November! Life remembered 50 years ago seems to have been much simpler??

A biggy out of this episode is the unhappy fact that walking about 5 blocks with computer case on my shoulder all but did me in. I stopped to lean against posts a few times and wondered what I could do if I could not get there. Arrived, breathless for a few minutes. Managed to do the return trip OK. But totally appalled by the incident. Later went for groceries and had no problem but it was only a hundred yards. Bringing in the firewood is so much easier! Up and down stairs a dozen times a day is not enough...

Had a bit of a heart to heart with R this am about our respective views of CLutter. I want to take every non-essential item down to the mill; he does not want to move things twice. I hope much of it will never make it to the new house! This is going to be a a LONG 7 months...

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

Good luck keeping the clutter out of the new house, Dorothy. Once it's at the mill will you be able to donate it from there? Sell it?

The garden has been tilled and the beds will soon be shaped (beveled sides on raised beds and I'll put down cardboard covered by mulch for the paths between). A load of mulch picked up from the bunker where the city parks department places it for free use. It's 88^o right now but supposed to dip to 39^o overnight, so I'll wait until tomorrow to plant, keeping a cover over the plants I have ready to go in so far. Here in the creek bottom sometimes we get frost when no one else does. It would be a shame to lose all of my potted seedlings.

eBay listings did a little backslide this week, one item went missing in the mail system of an Eastern European mail system, probably pocketed and never to be seen again. Note to self: don't ship to those places. Another one messed up her eBay account by not updating her address and the parcel came back. She didn't have enough in PayPal to pay the paltry postage (again), so she opted for a refund. This house seems to be loaded with boombox radios and I've realized that the better brands still sell on eBay, so that's my next venture, finding the boxes to fit them.

This is the weekend I'll finally shampoo that carpet in the den, and get the furniture put back where it belongs. The table that goes on top of it is covered with various projects, some will be finished, and one stack of stuff is for Goodwill. And what I need to do is find a good place for the carpet cleaner and the vacuum to live when they're not in use, they seem to migrate to the front room, but that's not a great place. Maybe move some of the clutter beside my dryer and make a berth for them there.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Apr 18 - 10:26 PM

PA PACKATHON WEEKEND EDITION:

After brekky and Hellboy with Hardi, I moved ramp rail-stored items down to the porch and moved a shelf already there for less weather exposure. Hardi came out to see and offered help, so he set more items stacked in the ramp up onto the rail, which I delivered down to pallets placed ydy. Then he emptied the LR of packed boxes, and set them on the rail. From the ramp i just lifted them across to the top of the boxes id stacked with care, to top the now-tall stacks of boxes.

Amazing pile out there now! Most-fragile items will ride inside furniture cases, placed during loading of the cases.

Later we took about a dozen art/decor items down from the kitchen bulkhead where I'd put them up almost 25 years ago-- they're waiting to be cleaned and packed. Then I took fotos of the ground floor's remaining pictures for planning, and uploaded all of the above to FB.

Pizza supper netted two pizza boxes, to pack framed art. More pizza planned for tomorrow.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: pattyClink
Date: 06 Apr 18 - 10:51 PM

Acme, sorry your shipment went astray. I've had a few snafus with online purchases lately. Keep trying to buy a slightly older model trucker's GPS, kind of need 'new' so I can register for the road updates. One seller on Amazon sent me a used unit (grubby-heavily-used) as New, said there were no new ones left (then why list 6 on Amazon?). Then an Ebay seller cancelled my order claiming 'sold out' (then why list?) I imagine was too scared to ship to a General Delivery address. I can understand the reluctance, except I had a really good seller and buyer history which should have been checked. Oh well. Wasted time and effort. Both channels are so handy for smaller items coming General Delivery, but it seems anything valuable it's a big mess due to scams on both sides.

Had a blast traveling the Southwest this winter. My poor old guitar died in the desert air, but got 2 new, smaller, sturdy ones that will travel better.

Back in Dixie, where the whole place is like one giant floral arrangement, mid-March to April is such a great time to be here. Had to come before it gets hot to reorganize what's in storage. Protip: if you do ever have to set up storage units, put in metal shelves first, it really helps. Hopefully I can empty and cease paying for one of the units just by getting the stuff better stored, and hopefully a bit of purging before getting back on the road. Next swing through, I can do some of the shredding and purging that remains, rather than spinning my wheels figuring out what is where. That's my plan. The rain and the IRS seem determined to bog me down, but that's part of spring too, I guess.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Apr 18 - 12:05 AM

I put shelving in the storage locker I rented when I worked on my Dad's estate, it was a big help. Most of the shelves are around my garage walls now.

Do you have a friend with a more traditional form of address who would receive parcels for you?

After my last post I went out with the hoe and blocked out the general shape of beds for the garden. I don't put in solid edges, I just bevel the soil at the edges. I came it because it looked like rain, but I think it missed us. Fingers crossed it won't freeze, the bedding plants are slightly protected where they are right now.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Apr 18 - 02:42 PM

Yesterday was in the high 80s and I worked up a good sweat shaping the new beds in my garden. Overnight it dropped nearly 60 degrees as a cold front pushed into the region; this morning I consider myself lucky I seem to have dodged the bullet of frost damage to my bedding plants still on the potting bench beside the side door.

Clearing duplicate files still; I use CCleaner and I got rid of a bunch of duplicates but the computer slowed down so a crawl so I restarted this morning. The scan is running again, but there are a lot fewer items there to be in the results. It shows all of the duplicates and lets you select all but one to delete. Now that I know where some of the duplicates are I could in theory just delete the folders, but there are a few things in the folders that are not copied anywhere else.

Tomorrow warms into the 60s so I may start planting. For now, I can mix up stuff and pour it over the beds. First, use some liquid organic fertilizer and add BT to drench where I will plant because otherwise the cutworms in the soil will lop off the tender new plants at soil level.

Now to eBay listings.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Apr 18 - 05:08 PM

PA PACKATHON:

Hardi got inspired, this morning, to finish clearing the garden room and vacuuming its rug, which is going to the Xenia library. He disassembled the potting bench we'd cobbled together up there; two 8" lengths of 2x8 came down, and went to the ramp for Xenia. He brought down a box of books we'd decided to donate, the huge Aerogarden box, and other packed items from the upstrs landing.

To make room for those in the DR, I packed the packing materials stored on the card table I'd used to pack DR stuff, and we moved that card table back to my LR office corner for Monday's picture frame packing. Getting close to done with packing! Then we're on to other prep work to gather Ohio items-- time to check my list-- and repurpose some furniture for his use while I'm away.

The first box of framed art is packed. All pcs were cleaned and measured first. Measurements are in an Artwork Planning album w pix/memories. Small box of bulkhead knicknacks packed. Good planning conference with Hardi. NO MORE PACKING this weekend!!!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: pattyClink
Date: 08 Apr 18 - 11:53 AM

CCleaner sounds like a good idea for photos. I do keep a backup set on an external drive, but it would be good to clear up excess copies.

I don't have a friend's address within about 50 miles of here. I thought it would work to do General Delivery that time because it works fine on smaller parcels and is convenient. On big or expensive items, I'll usually wait til I'm visiting relatives to get a shipment sent to them.   

The struggle to 'throw things over the side' continues. Yesterday in an effort to pare back, I decided that heavy shirt in dark colors needed to go in storage for a season. This morning it's 35 degrees. Sigh. Some people swear they don't need very many clothes to travel in an RV, but geez I've been in a million kinds of weather, and I've used everything in the closet, and haven't even ventured north in cooler months.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Apr 18 - 01:14 PM

What part of the country are you in now, Patty? Is that the delivery difficulty, you're travelling?

Weather is still cold today, not quite as chilly overnight but it isn't showing any inclination to improve. More work in the house (to the benefit of the house!)

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: pattyClink
Date: 08 Apr 18 - 07:54 PM

Yes, traveling all the time, Mississippi right now.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 09 Apr 18 - 12:50 PM

PA PACKATHON, ETHICAL PLASTICS EDITION:

I made a firm commitment not to put our money into any more plastic than absolutely required, which we tighten up all the time as able. We re-use as much as possible, and then recycle. For this move I've only bought tape, because that commitment includes packing supplies. I just found a haul of someone else's Styrofoam purchases right in our attic box repository: inside a box almost too big to deliver down the stairway to the old MudDorm. A box of that size was on my grab-list, but I had not known THIS was waiting!

The enormous box I found is a treasure!!! Super-heavy cardboard, with additional flat cardboard in it. AND not only filled with Styrofoam I can cut-- it's not even foam for which WE ever paid into the genocidal plastic industry!!! The box and foam originally cushioned a ceramic cooktop and its exhaust fan assembly....

That box will hold all the individually-packed framed art, standing upright, on edge! :-) (And come right back to PA with its Styrofoam, for the September packing job!)

From the Ohio garage, I have one "found" commercial frame-packing kit, which one of our former housemates must have left in our garage; I'll study that and make our own from the cooktop Styrofoam.

I also threw/pushed down additional packing materials from the attic box repository. (We began collecting all this free cardboard around the time we bought the Xenia house.) Then I grabbed a big gym bag of tarps, for furniture wrapping; more were left in the attic for Hardi to get-- I can only do one trip up there a week at present, and warm but rainy weather is due shortly. I also took pix of the stuff I'll want next, if I need more cushioning material.

My plan for frame-packing is to line each pizza (or similar) box with brown paper, to help control the shredded paper which will supplement the corner foam. I'll cut old pool noodles to gently cushion the glass, and use flat cardboard between pictures for the boxes deep enough for multiple frames.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 09 Apr 18 - 01:33 PM

Montreal:

Once stuff is at the mill: I hope to be able to find things that might be needed or will actually suit the new home and forget the rest exists! We dropped off a car load yesterday and refilled the car this am for my next excursion. I told R, "That black cabinet is ready to leave (permanently)" "I have stuff in there!" "Yep. it is in this box here, which I will label." "OK. I will see it again sometime - or not."!!

The cabinet is not gone yet - too large for my car, but a small table which came out of the trash has gone out for someone to pick up. Also a monitor of some sort which was taking up one chair, went out and was picked up almost immediately! (This is a pretty busy street!)

Net win: I was able to clean the lovely Victorian table and I can see most of it! R has been reminded that "Those boards are the shelves for the buffet." A huge (30x40inch) picture of a WWII fighter plane is tucked over there - blocking part of the table until R has time to take it to the plane museum, courtesy of the son of the (94 year old) fighter pilot. And I can get to the palm to water and care for it!

Yesterday's excursion also netted us two lovely stand lamps (we will need a bunch) and a small iris print- with mandarin ducks, and another dozen books, of course. Also a grand plywood wood box for the back deck of new house (very useful!) and a nice wood plant stand - both from someone's trash. Also supper with Geri, and dessert (our fav cookies) at her house to help her think about how to brighten her huge dreary LR, and K. She needs help; I suspect R will be going down there soon to initiate some of our ideas. A ladder and a bit of expertise is needed - the sort he does very well. I do not do ladders any more.

It was a fun day and I am happy that he is beginning to accept the concept of getting non-essentials out of here and then choosing what goes into new home. I am trying to dead up to getting the contents of the dreadful (imo) dining china cabinet packed up and gone, along with the cabinet - "get Chrissy to put it on E-bay" --?? Also the table and chairs that go with it, which are around here somewhere. My theory being that the less there is to move, the easier the move and the less tripe will land in new house. Rather like S's well-planned move.

"Don't you owe Merle something?" elicited a conversation about a beautiful wooden circular staircase he had bought from Merle (next door neighbour at mill). "Could we use it to the basement?" in place of dreadful steep one there. Or maybe to the attic? As he is determined to get to the attic! There is plenty of house without the attic, but.... It could well be put into the to-be Bath room which could put it up to the highest point in the attic. It bothers him that there are two lovely stained glass windows up there that cannot be easily seen. And "lots of room!" Do we really need more room? well...

"moving" right along here! Need to be clear of the back cabinet to get to the shelves hidden behind it - stuff which has not been seen since we placed a full sheet of drywall across to keep Frick and Frack out - in 2010! Or maybe not... There seem to be couple doors there now... Onward and upward! Fools rush in... (My second son was born on April Fool's Day, I told him, at an appropriate age, "if anyone gives you a hard time about having a birthday on AFD, just tell them, YEP, I was born on AFD! Mother was the Fool!" How appropriate! I have heard him use that line.) R's dad's b-day also!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 09 Apr 18 - 08:28 PM

One baby quilt made and a receiving quilt too.....that's more fabric that's made it's out out of my sewing room! Yes! :)   

On the horizon......all of one specific size of clothing is headed to Sally's. :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the Hous
From: Charmion
Date: 10 Apr 18 - 08:37 AM

The entire contents of a large cabinet have gone to the church for the spring variety sale, along with a substantial quantity of embroidered linens that I have never used over more than 30 years of having custody of them. Next Tuesday, the cabinet will depart for the same destination -- I made the arrangements yesterday. We still have a superfluity of framed art, but by next spring, when the variety sale comes around again, the rest of the house should have been painted and final decisions made about most of it.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of the ugly walls of our basement TV-watching space.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Apr 18 - 11:05 AM

Downsizing the containers that I use for some foodstuffs. At one time I baked a lot of bread, rolls, pizza dough, muffins, and more, but now I don't so much. I have large nesting Tupperware containers in a cupboard that are slowly being replaced by tall and much slimmer acrylic storage jars with robust silicone seals. I found three more of these jars at a thrift store ($2 each, vs about $15/$20 each at The Container Store) and this weekend will swap out some contents. I don't know if I'm ready to let go of those great Tupperware canisters yet, but I'll put the nested set into the pantry and think about it. I got rid of a lot of other Tupperware containers because I don't know what kind of plastic or chemicals are in them. These should probably go the same way. I have an antique Hoosier kitchen (also called a Kitchen Queen) that houses many of these jars, but right now the doors don't close. I aim to streamline the contents and clear the counter top.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 10 Apr 18 - 12:53 PM

PA PACKATHON, GALLERY EDITION

It turns out at this stage that I can't even think how to pack things until I actually see where they should go. This AM it was 5hrs sleep last might, then being insistently woken up 'seeing' our framed icons by the laundry in Ohio! Then it became seeing my flying duck up on top of our PA china cabinet, flying over to an Ohio LR corner shelf (it's now packed in a tall Rubbermaid bucket box!), and Hardi's barometer (since I'd already seen its spot a few days ago). And sconces. And saucer hangers plus barrel stave with duck.

All were carried out to the porch's box stack as packed, except the barometer and a patina'd rooster to go into large box of other framed items I'll pack later. Needed brekky so stopped. Now need water and laundry break!

Later, I made one trip upstrs to assess linens, gather art to pack, put risers into dresser, and carry down a load of linens/rags. Another trip soon for two more (small) icons, to pack together with large icon brought down. Ouchies-- backwards on steps not fun anymore.

... Second trip upstrs done and small/med icons packed-- one icon to go. In fact I thought I was done w frames til I sat to rest from a messy job that went way too long, and saw two I'd missed. Aaaaarrgghhh!!! Hope the last good box fits!

For framed items, that leaves my large oval mirror, which I may just wrap into a furniture pad, day-of. There are several art pieces I'll leave in place til The Big Move, and a wall full of family fotos also going last. All the packing materials from this load's frames will come back to the attic for that last round.   

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 10 Apr 18 - 01:52 PM

FRAMES DONE!

All that remains (besides mirror) is putting them into the pre-cushioned box. I've lost track how many boxes are multi-frame boxes... hoping the mirror may also fit.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 10 Apr 18 - 05:14 PM

It did all fit into the big box, including the mirror in a cardboard sleeve (there's room to wrap it in a pad also). The barometer will also fit in-- right now there are slabs of Styrofoam keeping the contents tight.

The base is lined with a big slab of Styrofoam that was made to fit tight. There are two rigid cardboard "rails" along the sides to keep boxes centered, with space to fill with pads.

The box can't be MOVED with the frames, etc. in it-- but it will HOLD them all, in the truck.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Apr 18 - 01:00 PM

To save on fussing with other shipping materials I'm using the cornstarch peanuts that I got from huge boxes that were shipped to my ex. I have enough to last quite a long time. The boxes would probably be handy for what Susan is doing, but shipping boxes isn't helpful (a friend asked me to do that once, and when he saw what a lot of trouble it is he resorted to looking in the recycle bin in his apartment. I do the same, checking the village recycle bins for the size boxes I need.) Do you have any nearby organizations or businesses that would let you harvest good boxes for these specialized uses?

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 11 Apr 18 - 07:30 PM

Oops. I forgot to share. Down 0.4.
It's not much, I know but it IS going in the right direction! :)

Yesterday I celebrated my 50th birthday, including lunch out at a Mexican place...I'm pretty sure the scale is going to go in the other direction this Saturday. LOL Oh well....it was my birthday! :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 11 Apr 18 - 07:46 PM

We have had all the boxes needed except a few with dividers, which were found in abundance at the local liquor store.

PA PACKATHON

Now that the boxing-up is nearly done, we're reclaiming the LR, and none too soon-- the Stanley Cup playoffs start tonight! Thr card table is stowed; the LR floor needs to be cleared of spilled shredded paper; and warmer days impending.

So I gathered a few back-porch things to move to the front porch. And that means a cleared-up sitting porch, to enjoy together before I head south.

As breaktime during hockey games we can work together to empty/move around/preload a few big pieces of furniture. Some stay for use here, and some go out to the porch, Ohio-bound.

I cleared the office corner of about a 1-inch layer of spilled shredded paper, where I've been packing all the fragile/framed stuff... while I ran laundry because it'll be a hockey night in front of the TV.

Thursday's goal after a pte-Vestry chat w Hardi about next steps to pre-load stuff to the porch-- I'll fill the armoire cavities and start tarping of same (he took that out of LR before going to work, to surprise me, along with two enormous boxes. After I fill in the armoire, I'll empty the counter section of the big 2-piece hutch were passing on to my son (and put away groceries now on the kitchen island). So that, Friday or Saturday, the hutch can be swapped for the brown shelf now in the weight room, which he sked for Friday emptying.

That brown shelf will become the repository for the canned/dry goods now in a pantry I'm taking.

The hutch, when it goes to the porch, will block the armoire, and I have a plastic tarp I hope will cover both. Then the hutch cavities will be filled with cargo.... and succeeding furniture placed in front of that... and filled and covered... and so forth over the next several days.

In Ohio, housemate Tyler is cutting a wall so my antique dresser will fit upon arrival, and the driving crew confirmed dates with me today. Last night, my Ohio BIL said he might be able to join the unloading crew, and I'm checking with other committed or potential crew as well.

Time for HOCKEY! GO PENS!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Apr 18 - 09:14 AM

Doublewide kitchen junk and chargers drawer reduced to one small box yesterday. Another similar effort planned for today.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 13 Apr 18 - 04:55 PM

Another Sit & Sew planned for this weekend with friends. I will be shopping in my sewing room for a project to work on. :) Little by little and step by step, that room is emptying out.

Today it is a beautiful 79 degrees outside and I have the windows open for fresh air and am enjoying all the birds who are singing. There is nothing quite like the first true days of spring to make me feel like cleaning house.

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Apr 18 - 06:13 PM

PA PACKATHON, OLD LAY MINISTRIES EDITION

It's been decided to move the hutch in October on the trailer, and use it temporarily for canned and dry goods we'll be clearing from the pantry I'm taking.

The brown bookshelf in the weight room has been emptied. A whole box of small/rural church dev materials goes to the Bishop because she's visiting the parish this wknd and can distribute it further. Three bins/boxes of audiotapes (including my Gospel music set) were stored for my September purging. A boot box of CD's was boxed for sort/purge/burn/donate in Ohio.

A book bag of books remains to sort/purge/keep in September. A book boxful of recyclables remains to be separated into the bins tomorrow. A few items went to trash.

A nonfunctional shelf-stereo was sent to electronics recycling, and the speakers went into the Goodwill bag-- the 4th or 5th BIG bag now-- which we're dropping off tonight.

We worked well on all this in tandem, spending an intense hour and a half. The shelf will replace the pantry after I head south.

~S~

---

Duplicate paste of message removed for clarity's sake. ---mudelf

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Apr 18 - 10:39 PM

April 13 and I just switched one of the heat pump units over to A/C. That's depressing.

I had a lovely visit with friends at their home after work, and like me they have a mature garden with lots of iris and lilies that come back every year. But they have a larger variety of iris and lilies and other flowers that I've tried in the past and didn't manage to get established. Despite the "declutter" aspects of this thread, I hereby declare that I want to clutter my gardens with more flowers. Actually, I have an iris she would like, so I think we'll soon exchange some roots/rhizomes after the blooms are gone.

Now comes the tug-o-war between work in the house and work in the yard. Until it gets really hot out there, the garden tends to win.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 03:44 PM

Montreal:
"April 13 and I just switched one of the heat pump units over to A/C. That's depressing." Yep, it sure is! Friends posted pics of the snow in Bancroft this am and Geri is getting it in southern Quebec now. In 2010 we had a dusting on 8 May! Oh well!

I was planning to go to Beaver on Monday - weather permitting.

Gone: box of pic frames, huge hoodie, big bag to thrift shop, nice piece of fabric - took it to Geri to cheer up her LR and she deemed it a future cushion cover. Also gave her an extra lamp shade, moved one to mill for repairs and brought a better one to house; it will be be gone as soon as a better replacement is found.

Went to laundromat, twice, and now R has a good supply of clean clothes. Dishes are done.

Drove past "new house", delighted in "SOLD" sign! Interested in seeing what plants are coming up - none yet! Even though we cannot move until November, I started exploring the new territory - library, shops for fav products, walking trails I might use now that walking is easier, best routes.

R admitted, this am, that he/the business has bought another building. Two hours away??? in a direction we never go??? He will move machinery from a more expensive city location down there - greatly de-clutter expenses! And perhaps cull some in the process? "Part of my master plan." I hope see it next month - if it stops snowing. It comes with 14 acres - down close to Vermont. But I thought he was going to sell ALL those machines in a few years! Oh well. Then he went off to take a load to the scrap yard!

Until he moves the black cabinet and some other things from in front of the bookcase, I am stuck. Until warmer weather when I can sort out the mill stuff, and we can take a load of books to beaver.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 06:14 PM

I've finished playing musical radios. I have a small one on the bedside table in the guest room now, the big clunky boom box in there will go probably on eBay; I have one centrally located in the bedroom/dressing area instead of having one in each room. While I was out making rounds today I found another high-end Goodwill store in what I think was an old post office building in an area I don't go through often (but I can, I just don't think of it). Found a small and inexpensive cross-cut shredder so the others (as usual) will go on eBay. I picked up a library item I'd requested delivered to my branch, and since I was over near another branch I don't see often I stopped in there and found a couple of audio books. I may eventually join Audible to listen to some of the books that are gaps in the city library collection (especially if I'm trying to listen to them in the right order.)

I picked up another batch of mulch, but the weather has been so contrary, today is cool and very windy, making it difficult to work on the garden (I usually end up with something in my eye in weather like this if I try it.)

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 10:14 PM

PA PACKATHON, WEEKEND EDITION

No more weekends off-- coming down to the wire now.

Hardi worked on moving pantry goods into the hutch, and I assessed the 'wayback' prospects while looking for my circa-1972 Boston art. Nope, but found my very old Teddy Bears Picnic poster, and other items, such as central PA relief maps, which I added to the box of framed items. Hardi cut me a plywood base to decoupage the Picnic piece, which I'll pack in the 27"-pizza box. I assembled a few boxes, and used one to hold two smaller ones both going to the same destination. A handful of posters went to Goodwill.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 18 - 09:32 AM

PA PACKATHON, BEST HUSBAND EDITION

Awake knowing how to secure the glass China cabinet shelves, which occupied my wake time in the night several times...

Mortited/packed the Teddy Bears print in the 27.5" Uncle Buck pizza box, then saw that Hardi had somehow snuck my dresser mirror downstairs-- THANK YOU HONEY! So I can wrap and stow that in GigundaBox, reinforce that box's corners, with Hardi, later, and BOOM!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 18 - 02:46 PM

OH UNPACKATHON DREAMS FROM PA:

It all started running itself in my head once I'd asked housemate Tyler to take the lawn chairs out to the yard...

The following is an unedited paste of a message to my wonderful, matriarch-in-training DIL, who agreed to be my stunt double:

GARAGE LAYOUT FOR TRUCK UNLOADING

Jaclyn, this is so important. Can I put you in charge of putting labeled boxes in the right garage areas to make it possible for me to get/deal with each box on my own in succeding weeks of unpacking?

FOUR CORNERS:

Corner by door into patio-- BR and K boxes, tarped over (roof leaks)

Art Corner by fenced area behind BR's-- Framed art (LR decor boxes on top of adjoining green tool shelf); lightweight wooden wall shelves on top (one on truck and one in LR).

Furniture corner-- Scooters; armoire behind scooters on window wall. Garden stuff can go into (or stacked on tarped-top of) armoire.

LL Corner where weight bench was-- LL Boxes under corner desk, white cubbies with bases stacked on desk; file cabinet, and archive boxes or LL boxes in/stacked on file cabinet.

Walker-- trunk of Saturn.

Dog crate-- backseat of Saturn? Blanket/tarp underneath, in case dog carsick.

Tin roofing-- beside garage behind privacy fence.

Tall pantry-- Garage, beside stove. Hanging closet now there: to middle of garage for me to sort/relocate.

Round dining table/chairs-- LR to replace card table, or leave in garage.

Flat Xmas figures and portacrib-- Garage rafters, in sight.

Misc gardening crap-- garden wall of garage. Tomato cages can go beside garage behind privacy fence if necessary. Lawn mower can be hanged if necessary-- hooks would prob be needed-- we do not use bcuz lawn svc.

Tools-- portable bench, garage. Hand tools, K sideboard.

Lumber-- Lumber corner of garage if possible. Pressure treated 2x6's beside garage if necessary.

Scalloped-edge table-- LR; replaces narrower wicker lamp table. Wicker table to Tyler (loan), or garage rafters.

Farm bell: Garage where it won't need moved to park-- heavy!!! Cardboard or plastic under it pls.Thanks-- Tyler is prepping those spaces and I'll check boxes as we load to be sure they're routed right. All the Fragile also have Up arrows to prevent crushing. One or two are marked DJ for you guys, so you'll want to watch for those.

Boxed/disassembled white bookcase-- Garage (center or LL corner), for Tyler to assemble later. (A DRY area.)

***

The idea is to fill the corners to my height first, then extend from there into the center of the garage as needed. That way I can start in the center of the garage as I unpack 1 box at a time, so I can park the Saturn in there as soon as feasible.

There is an easy chair in the garage now that can be moved as needed but has to stay in there-- it's one of my emergency break chairs and goes anywhere on the driver's side of the parked car; on the brown rug would be OK, or in the middle of the garage for Tyler and me to deal with later.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Apr 18 - 09:39 PM

I finished mulching the garden paths and a few bedding plants are now in the ground. I've put a few more seeds in starter pots on the potting bench.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 18 - 10:23 PM

(It feels SO GOOD to have gotten all of the above out of my head and written down! Even if I just use it to remind ME of what I decided-- I've been holding all that in short term memory PLUS where each item goes, unpacked, in the house. Too much!!!)

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 16 Apr 18 - 04:58 PM

Montreal:

City is being decluttered of a sheet of ice but expecting a new one tonight. Hope to be able to go back to Beaver on Weds. I am cocooning until then!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Apr 18 - 09:47 AM

PA PACKATHON, SOMEBODY'S MOVING EDITION

Yesterday, Hardi brought down most of the portacrib components and one of our big amps, and brought 11 of my workproduct archives into the LR packing zone. This morning before coming downstairs, I gathered the rest of the portacrib parts and set them ready to come down, including the 2 custom boxes that elevate the mattress up to where I can reach in.

I came down to find the weekend-emptied pantry "missing". Can't find it! It's too big to hide, at 7' tall, but I don't see it on either porch.... :-o

My project today:

Transform 11 full boxes into:
. Resources for current AR work that will fit into the tall file cabinet I'm taking, in banker's boxes already on hand (for easy grabbing)
. A very few mementos
. Boxes we can use for moving
. Recycled paper/cardboard

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Apr 18 - 12:02 PM

PA PACKATHON, ARCHIVES EDITION

I've posted before about my no-filing/archive mgmt system. Today it is fulfilled.

TBTG all 11 archive boxes (circa 1982 - 2000+) were accurately labeled, so next steps were to place a tray table for further re-labeling (and water!), and start confirming/purging contents.

In gathering supplies to do this, I found the missing pantry and file cabinet! :-) (And I found more leaf bags upstairs, yay!)

After the first energy-burst: Three of 11 boxes now = recycle. One = keep, of ofc supplies/communication planners. One = keep, mixed files: fph; church strat plan; homeschooling org; more. One = all LL journals I'd been missing that failed to surface the last time my archived professional library was transported.

One Goodwill box started.

There's room in all of the above for more in their category. Apparently now my mind organizes by category, not date or organization, for what is probably my last career.

Five of the 11 boxes are left to explore/sort/purge. Based on how much of the first six I explored are being kept, I'll meet the day's goal.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Apr 18 - 05:10 PM

Oops... that last lift. Can't finish until med kick in. One big box to go is 1/2 done and Hardi is hauling out recyclable paper to clear front door access. This will make it possible to haul OUT the finished boxes. Tonight. Myself. Maybe!

Ow!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Apr 18 - 07:29 PM

DONE but honestly it's just a first sorting. It's all in banker's boxes as wanted... but the categories could really be sorted out further on a fine spring day. So instead of going INTO anything, or into the house, it's all going up over the garage door in Ohio for easy access.... until the arrival of music books planned to go there pushes me to go back thru the boxes to re-sort by program. And one lacks a lid-- a spare one of which is in Ohio.

The incentive is: program interest in Ohio for the program whose original materials are scattered thru put the boxes. Possibly paid interest.

The review, as all the programs passed before my eyes and mind-- priceless, what I learned about my own working process. Lot to reflect upon!

The most FUN memory in these 11 boxes was Hardi and me, 26 or so years ago, moving me out of the office where so much of this paper came from. It didn't feel quite so heavy to us then, but 11 boxes of copy paper at 5lbs/ream... THAT is heavy lifting! ;-)

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 18 Apr 18 - 11:27 AM

Although I often look at the china cabinets with a fiercely critical eye these days, I found myself unable to part with the green Wedgwood majolica fruit set that we inherited from Himself's mother. No, I have never used it, and there really isn't room for it in the dining-room, but I felt a real pang when I started packing it up.

So I parked the box on a shelf in the basement storage area known to us as the Glory Hole. It can stay there for a while, maybe years. At this point, I don't care; we don't NEED to get rid of it, and we don't need the space it takes up for something more important, so it can stay. Maybe one of the younger generation will show an inclination for fine crockery some day. I can wait.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Apr 18 - 08:33 PM

Today I cleaned my office, starting by bending, cracking, and pulling the little slider casings off of 3 dozen old 3.5" floppy disks. I kept three, the oldest (from 1996-97) in case one of the offices on campus runs another contest for the oldest files found saved. I think it should apply to more than paper. The rest went into an e-waste bin. I also brought some books home and I can see a spot from here where they will go in the bookshelves.

I found a handful of audio books at a library branch I don't visit very often so I can reload my supply of books for my drive time each day. Virtual books don't take any space so are a great bargain in this decluttering household. I'm not really enjoying the one I started listening to this week; I'll give it another day of listening before I decide to bail on it or not.

The garden will get my attention because we have rain coming in a couple of days, and on that rainy day I'll work on stuff in the house. I'm down to 15 listings on eBay (happily a few sold) and I'll list at least five more since I've decided to try to keep 20 minimum going at a time. I think this will always be just a hobby that makes a little money on the side, but I have a lot of stuff to offload via this hobby so I have to keep going. It's still better than all the trouble of doing a garage sale.

Charmion, is that Wedgwood fruit set attractive? There's nothing wrong with having a few beautiful pieces around just because of their charismatic looks. I have a shallow cabinet behind two sliding mirrored closet doors in my sun room where I store a lot of the family crystal. If one side or the other is left open I invariably find myself smiling at the beautiful pieces when they come into view as I pass through the room.

Hungry dogs want to go for a walk then have their dinner. Same for me. It's nice when Spring finally gets here and the days are long enough and warm enough to enjoy after I get home from work.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 19 Apr 18 - 10:24 AM

Yes, Acme, the Wedgwood is beautiful, in a very Edwardian way. It's a bright green with a molded pattern of grape leaves and fruit -- très, très art nouveau. Here's a link to the relevant page on Replacements.com: Green Glaze by Wedgwood

The set comprises a wide, low-sided serving bowl (designated "11-inch salad serving bowl" for $179 on Replacements), an 8-ounce jug, a 24-ounce jug, and ten "6 3/8-inch coupe cereal" bowls. I'll bet there were originally a dozen bowls, but two fell victim to time and circumstance.

Because the decoration is raised, they aren't practical for frequent use; the pattern is not uncommon, and pieces turn up at junque shops with chips and glaze-worn-off white spots. I imagine that my mother-in-law thought the same; hence, they're still with us.