Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Dec 18 - 06:30 PM

Perth County, Ontario, has endured two weeks of rain that washed away the snow and filled the air with mold again (*sneeze*). Today we had bright sunshine and deceptive warmth, but the forecast calls for snow.

Himself was gazing out at the dead leaves lying on our exposed lawn and mused that maybe he should get busy and rake them up. "Why?" said I, "do you lack boring work?" I suggested that he sit down and read until the feeling went away. It did not take long.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Dec 18 - 05:19 PM

Thx, SRS.

OH, no snow and PA snow melted, I believe.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Dec 18 - 04:41 PM

Have a safely interesting and healthy drive, S.

Small yard tasks accomplished today: though the soil in the front is like un-worked clay (or whatever Dorothy would call the state of the stuff that has to be kneaded before it's usable), I used a small mattock and dug up several bucket's full of the misplaced soil (from last year's sewer work) and dumped it into the most recent excavation area next to the faucet after the water leak repair. There is a lot more to do but that one spot particularly bugged me. I had dead plants out there that never go into the backyard compost (datura and dogs don't mix) so I cut the dry limbs into a grocery bag for the trash. And while I was at it I cut down the now-dead asparagus in the corner. That can go to the compost. And the thing on my list that I forgot last month, two large spineless prickly pear cactus segments are going to my hairdresser tomorrow. Good thing cactus keeps. It was sitting on the side of the driveway catching dry leaves as they drift through the yard.

Is everyone else snowed in at this point? I'm not asking to gloat - I enjoy occasional snow and get it rarely.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Dec 18 - 01:09 PM

OH:

Card pouch found. House organized for a soft landing on our return. Car so loaded that I might leave at 4am if I can't sleep. Garage ready to park the van inside. Heading out in a bit for gas and oil.

Dasia is a miracle.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Dec 18 - 10:56 AM

Major declutter this morning, of the visual sort: I did the one-two task of mopping and scrub-brushing along the dog footprint path across my living room from the dog door to the front room. The porcelain tile is imprinted with a pattern that collects tracked in soil so after going over the spot with the sponge mop I have to scour it with the stiff scrub brush. I waited until we were clear of the cycle of several very rainy weeks; no point in having to repeat it daily or weekly. I didn't do the entire room, just that set of tiles across the room, as a start to holiday cleaning. I will mop the entire floor (have to move furniture first to do the job properly) and the rug under the dining table is like a huge unwashed dog bed. Yeah. I vacuum and it gives off dog dust; I'll use the steam cleaner on it before guests are here for the holidays, but I should really consider getting rid of it. The thing is, the antique table sits on a bunch of little metal castors and rocks when in use if it isn't on the rug. I should probably take off all of those castors to solve that problem, but there are times when they're handy. They're meant for the occasional use, to move for cleaning, not for transporting the table all over the place.

Years ago when we moved to North Texas our moving truck was at the curb and the distance of 100 feet or more seemed a challenge to the casual labor hired to unload (and cherry pick boxes they must have set aside and didn't deliver - note to self - never actually say what is in boxes if it is valuable). I had a toddler on my hands and couldn't adequately supervise but every so often I'd see some piece of antique furniture being pushed up the concrete on it's castors. "Pick it up and carry it, those wheels aren't meant for concrete!" They must have thought I was a real bitch, but they were lazy bums. In the end lots of furniture was damaged a few steps from the front door by those galoots. The moving company had some furniture restorers come fix things and they confirmed my view - those wheels aren't meant for travel, they're on there so the (most likely) woman of the house could shift furniture while sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, etc. That was the design.

rant off/ (I still get pissed about that move, and how unresponsive the company was about it.)

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Dec 18 - 07:35 AM

OH:

I've mislaid my credit card pouch, as I discovered at wakies when I reached for it, to add my Visa gas card to my fone case. My license is already safely in my fone case, but my Visa is still in the pouch. I'm betting it's under the bed where its color makes it invisible, but I can do cash for gas if need be. It is definitely in the house. Dasia will be able to look under that area where I'm sure it was left. Nothing else in there is urgent. (The AAA card number is in my fone and I have the Visa number in a safe place.)

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Dec 18 - 07:30 PM

Our current weather front (dry and cold) is lingering, inspiring preparation this afternoon of a batch of turkey soup with the stock and some of the leftover bird (from the freezer). That turkey and rice soup is wonderful.

eBay listings are moving forward, and for now each item listed leads with an image adorned with a wrapping-style bow included in the shot. If they don't sell in the next few weeks the sales will be revised to remove the holiday gift suggestion. There were extra boxes and packing material in here that are now back in the garage so I can move around and arrange the prepared sale items. I photograph, describe (use an html editor instead of a Word document), and pack items before listing them, so all I have to do is print the label and hand them over to my mail carrier or at the post office once they're purchased.

When I put up the outdoor lights this year I found some new boxed holiday lights that I'd forgotten I purchased last year. I just realized I probably bought them to replace the string that used to run up and down the lines of macrame on a basket I use every year. The old string of lights died last year. I have a bunch of stuff to take to the e-waste recycle bin next time I'm on campus, including old holiday lights, a dead monitor, and a printer cartridge. I'll look like a bag lady toting all of that into the library, but that bin is still the easiest place to deposit this stuff if I don't want to send it to the dump.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Dec 18 - 06:42 PM

OH:

Tall Yano Dasia has been assigned until her school sked changes and I'm excited that she's returning tmrw, because a small amp we want to leave for the parish is up higher than I can safely reach, here.

It's also the first time I've been able to look forward to help loading the car. I've HAD limited help, but never knew far enough in advance to plan ahead. I usually find myself scrambling in departure day, plus having several heavy, last-minute bags to load alone. This time, I've done all the parts I can do on my own, today-- and am prepped for her to help with the rest. This time, I will actually be able to walk out the back door with JUST one purse. Even the dog will load herself, due to the number of small changes I've been making here.

So I hope to hit the road before noon Wednesday. I'll load Newbie and purse, drive from the garage to the front door, set the locks and alarm, and painlessly GO.

Since I'm fighting off a bug, I've packed an outfit for that retirement dinner in case necessary stops delay me, AND have arranged with a friend to fetch me-- from a PA motel I'm sure I can get to-- if I'm too sick/medicated to drive.

I also picked out a different motel instead of our usual, with a pool to stretch out in after the crampy drive. I'll skip that entirely in favor of getting to PA by Thursday afternoon if I can safely, but with so many variables in play, I built in more options than usual.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Dec 18 - 12:04 PM

Heading out to several appointments and meetings later this week, and soon I'm heading to the gym to get started there. Meanwhile, I have a week until bulky waste to decide if there is a use for any of these fence pickets.

The fridge contents have been drawn down after the holiday and the compost bins beside the driveway door are filling so need transport to the back of the backyard heap. It's also time to finish mowing down the garden and think about putting in a few raised beds with the extra fence boards.

I printed out a "12 days of xmas cleaning" sheet that LilyFestre put up on Facebook. In order for that plan to be effective I need to start around Dec. 12, and then wrap up the last day or two of it after the actual event. Except I'm not sure when we'll get together because the most distant child works through the holidays and will fly down sometime around New Year's Day or later. At least I'll be ready by the 23rd and try to maintain some order until our family cooking and gift-giving.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Dec 18 - 06:13 AM

OH:

Departure week has landed a bit differently this time. Hard to describe, but must have to do with my more orhanized/busier schedule. Three full days and a morning, for the best day/time of travel. It's also different in that I have a set deadline I can't flex-- Greg's retirement dinner. There is one flex day if something precludes departure Weds. by noon. Later than that would involve rush hours so wearing that early Thursday would be safer.

Btw, why don't dogs or cats ever have insomnia?

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Dec 18 - 03:02 AM

I finished a late night getting things listed on eBay for holiday sales. There's plenty more work to do, things to list, but making the big push and organizing myself (eBay keeps changing screens, rules, etc. so returning is always a bit of a shock).

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Dec 18 - 07:42 PM

OH:

Departure setup is tweaked. Also since mail can only be held for 30 days, I've arranged with our supersweet neighbor Jessica to grab mail if we're delayed past the 30 days.

I spent some very relaxing time today going back thru the FB album where I photo-inventoried the artwork for the house, with measurements. Among the best things I ever did.

I had to let all that go in May when I came home to the nightmare, and I've been feeling SO GUILTY-- doing that was part of why I was here! I have only unpacked a very few boxes of art/decor.

So I looked thru the album for a winter scene I thought would go well with the holiday decor I'd just finished putting up. As I went, my brain got excited about where each item should go, so I put those notes into the album. And as I went, I had a GREAT and totally simple idea that solves another problem worrying me!

So now I'm excited to have a great and easy project to do with my honey! My goal had been to complete wall decor before we jam in more furniture blocking wall access. And that will still be possible, because more furniture isn't coming till March!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Dec 18 - 12:14 PM

SRS, the house will be empty for a month. Alarms and neighbors set. Will also set police patrols. One tweak needed-- ask emerg contact Judy to send Brandon if needed. Brandon can board up windows if one is broken-- it's the garage that's most vulnerable that way. (The house windows are break-proof.)

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Dec 18 - 11:45 AM

You have your locks in place and no possessions of his remain in the house, hopefully he'll have a kernel of sense and stay away. Will the dog bark at him?

Lovely rain overnight cleared out today leaving blue skies and it smells wonderful. I have running around to do, and have been here long enough I know the routes that avoid the traffic headed toward the area malls.

Virginia Tam doesn't drop in these days, but I've been watching progress on a house remodel she has going on and it's finally advancing. I'm hoping Dorothy will Facebook a photo or three of the new house and yard once she's to that point.

After I finish my current cuppa tea I'm going to take some photos for eBay sales, things that go best this time of year, before heading out to run a few errands. I dropped a bunch of stuff at the village recycle bin and have cleared space in the sunroom for the eBay work. There's even room (at least for a few minutes) to sit on the bench next to the door.

I need to head to the gym to start a routine there. I suppose I ought to have a bag of dance clothes packed and ready to use. Yoga pants and a t-shirt.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Dec 18 - 10:37 AM

Tyler is on the loose again.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 30 Nov 18 - 11:16 AM

Ah, yes; I remember gym time before audiobooks, and it was boring. Things are better now.

I have three new history books to work through, beginning with "White Trash: The Untold 400-Year History of Class in America". I'm well into it now, and I have to confess I'm not learning anything new; exposure to the US Army in Germany gave me a chance to see the American class system in action, and it wasn't pretty.

I like pita pizza, too. In fact, I like it so much I have to be careful not to think about it too often!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Nov 18 - 08:38 PM

Charmion, I will join you at the gym in spirit - I think taking the phone with earbuds and an audio book to the treadmill will augment yard work and dog walking. I've tried to catch a friend's eye online about going together to the gym she frequents, but I haven't heard back so far. Even if we went only a couple of times a month it would be a chance to catch up and then run errands over there (near campus).

Also agree about the bread or crumpets. I make very good bread and rolls, and I know how to make tortillas and flatbread, but there is a Middle Eastern bakery near campus where I can get pita or tandoori bread warm out of the ovens and up the street near my house is a tortilla bakery with them still hot when you pick them up. Last time I had friends over for lunch with cut a large tandoori bread into quarters and everyone assembled their own pizzas. Once baked, they cut in half again and became a perfect personal serving and the crust was so crispy. I've made pizza crust all my life, but that is just so easy and is excellent quality flatbread.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 29 Nov 18 - 05:56 PM

I have given up pretending that I will walk enough around town to make a dent in my fitness needs, so now I just glumly go to the gym and rack up five miles' worth of treadmill time, five days per week. Now that winter is here and getting around on foot is less safe than I like, it's by far the best way to get the job done. I just feel kinda silly, driving to the gym and then walking on a treadmill for an hour and a half.

I also work out with weights twice a week. I am particularly pleased with my squat skills, and the gym has plenty of push-me-pull-you equipment, but arthritis in my hands limits what I can do with free weights. Stratford has lots of aging gym rats, so I don't feel weird or out of place; at mid-morning, when I go, everybody has grey hair but me and the staff.

On the household front, I find I've become a bit fierce about not accumulating stuff we won't use. I just gave Himself a hard time for visiting our local kitchen-porn shop in search of a little metal ring doohickey for making crumpets at home -- as if the bakeries don't have to make a living! I'm pretty sure we should not be eating crumpets on a regular basis anyway. But I also remember the messy chaos that ensued when I tried to make pita bread at home, despite the fact that Lebanese bakeries were to be found all over the place, each offering professionally perfect pita for a couple of bucks.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 18 - 09:23 PM

Every year I put holiday lights up in a couple of places in the front of the house; the juniper at the corner near the driveway is now complete and lit with a dusk-to-dawn plug, and in the process I identified a string that probably needs to go in the trash. I need to weed out the non-LED lights, some of them are pretty old. I'll put another set up on the front porch tomorrow. I'm doing this now because it's warm out - too often in the past I waited until the weather was cold and suffered through the process. Next door has their lights up also, so our end out the block is making an early holiday statement. :)

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Nov 18 - 04:32 PM

OH:

Greg had added some shelf supports per my request and today I let Lowe's cut what I'd normally have saber-sawed. I added the new shelves in my reachest, hoping yesterday's tall Yano come back next week to complete the closet re-organization.

As I always do when I reorganize, I set aside a small Goodwill-bag of mismatched/no longer needed items.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Nov 18 - 02:52 PM

(* Just my thought)

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 18 - 12:06 PM

Ah, yes. And Dorothy is always moving and lifting stuff as she works on her houses. I haven't mentioned it much (though there was a good workout on the fence last Saturday).

As is usually the case when a resource sits in view for a while, I've been thinking about these fence pickets stacked against the garage. They will go to the trash in two weeks - or? I looked through Pinterest and found a number of useful applications if I got around to them. The most practical is to build raised beds in the garden with the slats as the sides. Then there are the rustic shelves . . . wheels will turn until I get tired of looking at these or take them to the trash.*

*This is how hoarding can happen.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Nov 18 - 07:51 PM

Au contraire, SRS, I mentioned my return to aquatics in my  19 Nov 18 - 07:41 PM post.

I've upped that restart to an hour of pool work 3x/week and hope to continue that in PA for the month I'll be there (negotiating pool passes). The new Y here will open a week or two after my return, 2 blocks away.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Nov 18 - 06:41 PM

Sell them on eBay. Offer them on Freecycle.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Nov 18 - 05:46 PM

I was going to make wall paper out of 60 years of famous front pages of newspapers, like MAN LANDS ON MOON ect.

Its another thing I'm not going to do. Maybe they would look good on an old van or coffee tables. naw
Anyone want them?

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Nov 18 - 01:51 PM

There are really schlocky "Hallmark-style" movies that come on a few channels every year between Thanksgiving and xmas, and there are channels that play the old holiday classics, and I always go for the latter. I made a batch of turkey pot pie filling last night and then made a 2.5x batch of banana nut bread (baked it in seven small loaf pans) while watching The Bishop's Wife (the Cary Grant version) and Hans Christian Anderson. Not exactly a holiday film, but I'd forgotten how totally delightful it is. Not particularly autobiographical, but lots of good songs and wonderful dancing.

I can happily eat that turkey pie with broken up gluten free crackers on top. Yes, there is a little flour in the sauce to make the gravy, but it doesn't add up to very much per serving. My family was so relieved when I made regular yeast rolls for Thanksgiving they gobbled them up - they're tired of my gluten free experiments (though these crackers I used are very good and I've eaten these over the years without the gluten-free incentive at work.)

Fitness rarely gets mentioned here these days, but I have to start walking more. I have a number of gym options to look into and I'll ask around (again) and see who in my circle of local friends goes - I'd like to have the company if possible, with a chance to visit. This morning I spent a few minutes walking the length of the back yard - it's good sized and a few circuits adds up to the distance I used to walk from the parking lot at work. At least that was far enough to show up on the fitness tracker, as did this morning's experiment. While I was at it the two younger dogs convinced me they needed to fetch their bumpers for a while. They love that game and now we've figured it out so they don't compete with each other.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Nov 18 - 09:34 AM

Dorothy, what are the early warning signs that will be your line not to cross? For example, my "oops I've backslid" has been laundry: I know all my habits are out of rational living when all my dirty laundry hampers are full and overflowing into walkspace. Hubby know if he sees that happening that it's time to talk; by now I self-monitor.

So since hoarding is a slippery slope, how will you know your lin has been crossed?

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 26 Nov 18 - 11:23 PM

Montreal:

R did an incredible job of de-cluttering the house! Such a great job there is very little essential stuff in the K! But the open house was Sunday and now he is finding and returning some essentials - so I can cook meals! The house looks SO nice.

I cannot help being annoyed that I lived in a mess for 8 years. My ultimatum is that I will not abide excess stuff coming into the new house; I will go to Beaver. Period. End of story. I cannot live like that again. Powerless, and my need for an uncluttered house totally disregarded. He admitted, today, to being a hoarder.

Six couples viewed it and another viewing on Weds; waiting with almost bated breath for an offer. I have recovered from the drive and the busy weekend and now we are in for a couple snow days. I can probably drive back to Beaver on Thursday or Saturday.

I rather envy SRS the fence project! Such a terrific sense of accomplishment. And the 70F weather!!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Nov 18 - 02:15 PM

OH:

As I plan out the next few weeks, which are prep to return for the final weeks at the parish, I'm thinking how to be sure to hold my space/schedule when a 2nd person is added here 24/7. It went well during vacay and I'm looking forward to building on thar base.

It's a struggle for me to keep my own wellbeing central, and this is a great time to fall in love all over again-- without the constant demand to put 300+ other people first which defines ministry. Greg's skills in that department outshine mine (he had much longer practice). I think I have a better shot now at keeping my own balance in this simpler house surrounded by actual fun things to do.

So one thing I did was adding into my personal schedule those evening things that I've been doing, and looking forward to doing as a couple. It will help keep my rhythm focused outside the house.

We never dated when we met-- instead we worked together in each other's spheres of leadership. It was only after the kids moved out 4 years later that we started date nights and for a long time we both sucked at date planning! Neither of us are spontaneous Funmeisters, but eventually we learned how to find fun and of course how to make our own fun. This area we're retiring to is LOADED with cheap date options. So I plugged in time for those, and we won't just end up couch-potatoing.

It's structure, not rules. It allows for a lot of flexing.

I'm also getting set for these next 2 last week's of agency help before I go. It may change considerably in 2019, and so I'm thinking ahead on using the time and help well, including closing the house for a month and loading the car.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Nov 18 - 11:47 AM

I tossed a 5' section of the bottom boards that I'm planning to reuse over the fence and on the other side I screwed it into place at the base of the new part of my corner fence. This deals with the gap between the bottom of the wood fence and the ground (I built my fence extension so the top was level with the rest of the fence along that line).

Turkey stock is made and today I'm going to be busy in the kitchen, making a turkey pot pie stew then freezing the extra stock, and beginning to bake holiday breads (banana nut now, and some pumpkin and sweet potato later on).

There were quite a few small pieces of wood that broke or fell off of the fence as I took it apart, and they're all in the trash at the curb today since they don't take up much space. There are a lot of nails in those things so I don't want them in the yard where the dogs or people can tangle with them.

Time to dig through the closet to see if I have enough working strings of lights to put up on the juniper at the corner of the yard. Today is clear and sunny but cool, the next couple of days will be as warm as in the 70s, so I'll find the lights and prepare to put them up. I don't usually turn them on till Dec. 1, but it's a great idea to put them up on a warm day versus a really cold day. :) The nice thing about retirement is that I don't have to do it in the dark after work or on a cold weekend day.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Nov 18 - 01:07 PM

I got all of it but a small section where I need to do more work and add a picket to keep there from being a gap across a space where a concrete wall was put up for flood control. It extended to the old fence and included a drainage hole. I suppose I could put a piece of hardware cloth over that, but nothing in my yard is small enough to fit through that 3" hole.

The new fence is a bright light cedar color so not only is the yard looking larger, that bright fence gives it an entirely different look. A friend recommended using a "farm jack" to take out the old posts. Here's a YouTube video of one in use. He offered to help and has a farm jack, so I may do that one of these days, maybe after the next soaking rain to loosen the soil some. I think this will add up to a morning of yanking out concrete-footed fence posts and I'll take him out to lunch.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Nov 18 - 03:10 PM

Four of nine panels that need to come down now are cut up and stacked ready to be hauled to the curb for bulky waste. I'll wait till after payday to buy the next cross-members and pickets for the final panel that needs to be changed out, and that one will also head down to the curb. I came in for a little cool-down and a bit of chocolate as a reward.

There's no graceful way to do this when I had to take out so many of the brackets to reuse them in the new part of the fence. Another part of the old fence I'm going to reuse are the hefty cedar boards that were hammered along the bottom of the fence to keep the bottom from rotting. A couple of them can be reused in short stretches of my new fence, but most of them will go out front and be used to hold up one side of the raised beds where those planks are about completely rotted. Reuse, reduce, recycle! I'm able to pry them off the bottom of the panels before I cut them up to take them down (and I can carry a panel by myself when it's in 3 or 4 sections).

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Nov 18 - 10:13 AM

Everything is prepared to start taking down the fence, after pulling staples yesterday so the Invisible Fence wire is free of the planks. There was one post with a rather complicated number of wood pieces attached because it was where a jog in the fence was held together. That was unscrewed where possible and pry-barred where not and now the pieces are either in the stack of long planks or in the trash for smaller abutting pieces. If I'm smart at the end of all of this I'll borrow one of those heavy magnets on a pole and go over the area to round up nails and staples shed in the process. And I should wear my work boots, not sneakers.

It's nice to have cleared surfaces after the holiday meal. Packed up craft projects are crying out to me from their various storage places. "Liberate us! Let us spread out on that dining table!" There is a TV with a Bluray player attached (that streams NetFlix) next to the dining table, in place to serve as the background to sewing and more. I found a double-stack plastic lazy Susan to load up with small sewing supplies that can be transported between my craft room and my dining room table. Small slots for thread and bobbins, and all of those little things that need a place to live so they don't get lost. Snipping scissors, seam ripper, tailor's chalk, bodkin, etc. I've gone through a series of trials of ways to keep those items in view yet prevent their falling off the table or getting behind things. Silverware trays also work.

Thanks for keeping an eye on the Keith thread, Susan. It has been updated. Alas, Mudcat has been decluttered on long-time member.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 23 Nov 18 - 07:56 PM

My family was just too worn out to do Thanksgiving yesterday so we decided to have our Thanksgiving meal today. Yesterday was spent doing minimal cooking, lots of lollygagging, playing, napping, making music and basically doing whatever we felt like. Turns out that was exactly what we all needed!
This year, we raised our own turkeys, potatoes and squash for our Thanksgiving. We also had a corn casserole, homemade cranberry sauce, my Mom's traditional German stuffing, homemade mashed potatoes, walnut crusted pumpkin pie and apple pie. Everything was wonderful....best of all was the company we shared. :)

An extra bonus? My blood sugars stayed in range the entire time! I am using a Freestyle Libre sensor these days which makes it so very easy to check blood sugar levels. I change the sensor every 10 days (soon to be 14 days) and can use a reader to scan my levels every 15 seconds if I want. I prefer this to sticking my fingertips 5 times a day and would recommend it to anyone!

I have several days off which makes this the longest holiday break I will get all year (although I do take 10+ consecutive days off during the summer). So far, I am enjoying it immensely. We will prepare the house for Christmas decorating (which means a good cleaning/scrub down) before actually doing any decorating. All Christmas gear will be brought down from the shed too as hunting season is about to be upon us....we try to limit outside time during deer season). In addition, I'm headed for a mammogram which I HATE but know is important to do. It's not painful for me but kicks up some cancer dust...ick.

I imagine I will be doing some cleaning in my sewing room over break as I rarely have the time or energy to do that.

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody.
(Great job on the fence Maggie!!)

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 18 - 02:36 PM

I don't have stuff stored in my SUV (no van, but sometimes the space would be handy) but I did leave the seats on the passenger side tucked down in cargo-hauling mode. Next week I'll be picking up more pieces (cross-members and pickets) to replace the last 9 feet of fence at the front of the house on the side where the neighbor put up the new fence. If I need to transport someone they can ride behind the driver's seat or in the middle seat in the second row.

There are still a few splinters I picked up this week, despite wearing gloves, that are slowly appearing and getting removed. I expect a few more as I move the old fence sections to the curb. Today is lovely, a high of 70, so I'll take a couple of hours this afternoon to start that work. I also need to mow down the rest of the garden—there wasn't much of a sweet potato crop to speak of so I can mow down the remaining vines that are sprinkled through tall grass and tomato plant remnants. Time to plant the regular potatoes.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 23 Nov 18 - 07:13 AM

Beaver:

Going to minus 4F tonight! That is nippy! I added wood to the stove a couple times during the night last night, preferable to waking up cold. Means bringing in more wood - and de-cluttering the wood pile...

I had hoped to go to Quebec tomorrow with all the plants, directly to the new house BUT it will be below freezing tomorrow (not good for taking plants outdoors!) AND R still has not reached out to the owner to make arrangements. We were supposed to pay a month's rent on the 15th... It is complicated - by R & I not having the same priorities. BUT, since one of our fav groups of musicians is playing tomorrow night - their last performance as they change their priorities - I will go down anyway and stay until the next break in the snow falls. I will take Geri an agave wrapped in bubble wrap.

R says the Montreal house is fit now; he has been working on it for about a month and it is now ready for showing. There will be an open house on Sunday - and no snow predicted! Hopefully it will be sold to one of the anxious lookers. There have been 10, maybe more?, waiting to see it. An open house may bring out more. Hope...eternal!

Better news is that R et al have sold a property that has been trouble for years; much agony over getting it sorted out with various levels of government. So this is a big hurrah. A big de-clutter of R's overworked brain.

My wonderful "new" kiln quit yesterday, throwing a total monkey wrench into that planning. Larry came over this morning and showed me how to check fuses with a meter since it seems to be impossible to determine their condition by sight. Also how to open the fuse box for the "kiln room". The last pair of new fuses lasted 14 firings - firings are one of the few things I manage to record carefully. So, new fuses at the ready and new knowledge.

But the pots cannot come out until tomorrow; I will not get to see the new glazes and do one more firing (or two) accordingly until I return. I am trying to do a bunch according to friend Hannah's requests and have them for a family showing (hers). The family complained that they were not invited in October! I hope early next month will suffice.

I am wondering how much we will be moved by Christmas. While I tend to the "Bah humbug" attitude, there is a certain cheerfulness to the season which I am willing to accept - without all the trappings. I am certainly looking forward to moving the accumulated stuff from here to there. Oops! I just remembered that which I put in the van for storage! In this instance the snow is a great clutter as I will not be able to easily get to the mill carrying stuff (why I am not taking pots there to fire) so must wait until I can take it directly to the house. I hope for someone to plow the driveway there!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 18 - 12:29 AM

The dishwasher is crammed full and running, everything else was hand washed. Food is put away. Guests headed home with various parcels of food, and my daughter has a new roaster oven that she was happy to learn is hers. The friends at her house do a party for friends every year the day after Thanksgiving and she said the stove's oven is prime real estate, so they will probably use this tomorrow. This was the Nesco that I found for $15 at Goodwill - I have one almost the same that was about $70 new. One way to declutter!

That tall rectangular table that I found a few weeks ago and left in my kitchen was handy, a great place to stand and work. They agreed that things were more crowded, but it was in use much of the time we were preparing the meal.

Tomorrow is "Black Friday" and I'm not planning to go anywhere. Traffic police limit access to the busiest shopping areas, parking lots are zoos and only if you find a space as far away from the store as possible you might have a chance of finding it again and being able to drive away easily. A better strategy is to work on things around the house that need doing and shop during the week when everyone else is at work. The sales aren't worth the hazard of fender benders.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Nov 18 - 07:19 PM

OH:

I hardly ate yesterday, feeling like I might be coming down with or-- better-- fighting off the tummy bug Judy recently had. I did get out for 10pm groceries last night and a new cheap aquatic earbud with ear hanger, most of which I left in the car til morning. Not hungry at all overnight, and slept 5 solid before pain awoke me, still not hungry.

Downloaded audiobooks-- several I had missed while waiting for another, and a piece of the Mabinogion (Welsh) by a favorite reader. I'm almost done with the Arsene Lupin book I'm in,

Later I hauled in more of the groceries, chairnapped, watched a movie with Greg via fone on our respective tablets, and hoped for 5pm turkey with Judy after going back to bed for 2 hours. Checked temp but no fever at 4 (anti-inflammatories mask it).

Woke w still no appetite so I begged off on our Bob Evans plans.

Warmed up w more tablet muder, and rechecked temp. It's official now-- I am registering a fever.

Chicken soup was calling me, so my Thanksgiving meal was 1/2 can of chicken & rice soup, with added oats and a small skinless chicken thigh. I hope for no dire digestive consequences. The second half of the can is in a covered bowl in the fridge. I bought a LOT of soups last night.

Looking back, I can see that yesterday morning's weird wakies were related-- felt drugged . Very weird.

It was during my pregnancy and young motherhood that I learned to do what you can, WHILE you can, when things start to get icky or overwhelming-- not to wait to "feel better." I'm SO GLAD I did that grocery run last night, and got so much stuff. Cuz now I just want to sleep.

The pork roast/chicken thigh crockpot I'd started when I brought in the vittles is done, and the meat in now out into plastic, with the crock of juice and the meats cooling in front of the countertop fan.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Nov 18 - 11:33 PM

Good job, SRS!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Nov 18 - 09:26 PM

I'm sitting in my office chair with a bag of rice (the kind in a jersey bag you heat to put on aching muscles) between me and the chair back to soothe my aching ribs and back after a full day of fence work. But I finished! There is still a 9 foot expanse of old fence in place, but I'll replace it next month. For now, the new corner takes in the section that was left out when the neighbor built his new fence on the property line. My dogs won't get out and nothing will get in. I took down the first segment of the old fence just to get started, and already realized I need to go out with pliers to pull out staples holding my Invisible Fence wire on the base of the old fence. (See my Facebook or Instagram accounts, I posted a few photos this evening.) Tempting as it is to start hauling this to the curb now, I'll wait till December.

Lots of work tomorrow, six of us getting together. We don't eat till dinner time, so I'll brine the bird in the morning and be ready to bake it in mid-afternoon. There are lots of vegetables this year. Some roasted, others (like sweet potatoes) fixed with spice and marshmallows. Mashed potatoes. The usual.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Nov 18 - 12:29 PM

From Ohio, PA holiday planning (managing the holidays and moving).

Menu: turkey, scalloped cheesy spinach potatoes, roasted sweet tater cubes w honey, stovetop stuffing for Greg and cheesy arepas for me; cheesy corn and crunch casserole; green bean, bacon, mushroom, onion casserole; cherry tomatoes; fresh fruit; pies.

And glucose meter. ;-)


My thinking is that since we're apart for Txgiving, our last Christmas in the farmhouse should be
1, a big deal with items that can be
2, made in advance w
3, double ovens,
4, to prevent packing burnout.

Most recipes are oven rather than stove top, and I have some GF adaptations and simplification tricks up my sleeve as well.

I'm thinking quantities to carry over for our Dec. 27 anniversary and the following days.

I've asked Greg to do his signature made-in-advance turkey job, and the scalloped potatoes. Also a roast or two to eat down on freezer items; and/or maybe a big batch of italian sausage too.

The idea is: not much cooking in that last week before our fast departure, and cooked but frozen leftovers to take, if any.

Since romaine is now presumed contaminated, veggies are casserole style. We can always add cherry tomatoes.

I plan on doing the bulk of the cleanup; I'll need that standing time. As each glass pan is washed and dried, into an open packing box! (Ditto dinner plates, which will give way to paper at the end.)

I also plan on doing the shopping.

My thought is that rather than see this as his "orders" (his default setting), he might look forward to this plan for a boatload of comfort food from his loving wife, as we are apart Thursday. (I've sent him each recipe for pix and mouth-watering.)

Of course pies and cheesecake are always welcome! (He loves to bake.)

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Nov 18 - 07:07 PM

The first side of the new fence is ready to assemble tomorrow, all cross-members are in place, and I can probably get the the second side as well (all three cross-members and the pickets). I'll have the full day for the project. The last panel of the fence will be changed soon but the one that is in place now is sufficient for the time being.

The first full week after the first weekend in December is our neighborhood's quarterly bulky waste pickup so I'll be moving the old fence that I take down out to the curb as it comes down. They don't want you to load things there until the weekend ahead, but tough. It's going as it comes down. I'll probably use a Sawzall and cut the panels into 3 or 4 pieces and take it out that way. No need to take all of the pickets off of the old cross pieces. Burying the Invisible Fence wire or tacking it onto the bottom of the new fence is a decision I'll make once the old fence is out of the way.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Nov 18 - 12:21 PM

OH:

Today's Yano is a masters OT student, home for break, who won't be back. She's helping finish and refine the goof-proof customized chore list for this house, which future cleaners can use instead of my brain. It includes GF recipes and service dog vocab, as well as a brief review of my medical history and ortho situation.

Last week skipped a bunch of stuff were doing today.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Nov 18 - 07:41 PM

:-0 !

OH:

Got signed up for Medicare Part B to take effect w Greg's 1/1/19 retirement-- whew!

Resumed aquatic PT today with 20 min assessment of all musculoskeletal systems and found which have been waking me up at night and need balancing or strengthening. New water resistant MP3 case worked. Just the right length of time/amount of force to start-- wanted more but am not too sore now for Monday evening's routine prep for tmrw's cleaner.

Which-- aaaaarrrggghhhh- I was just told will be Yet Another New One. YANO. I'm going to name each one Yano. Pronounced "Yeah.... no."

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Nov 18 - 03:26 PM

Fastest annual physical EVER when your ob/gyn has two c-sections awaiting later in the morning. We're okay, usually we are able to talk longer, but the important questions were asked and answered. That gave me time to weave around town to various businesses and do my shopping before the rush after work or the day before Thanksgiving.

In the last two days I've learned about three different murders in my circle of acquaintances. Senseless, brutal, and heart-breaking. One was a professor I used to see at literature conferences and talk with via email discussion lists. Her husband was also killed. The third, not actually known to me, but closer to home, was the murder of a young man trying to protect his wife, a grocery store clerk at closing time. The robbers included a young woman who was a former employee. Not surprisingly, there were "bad vibes," as I was told by a clerk at the next nearest grocery in the chain. It closed earlier this year. Ironically, or well timed, a local radio interview program spent an hour today talking with Barry Glassner, who revised his 20-year-old book The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things. None of these people probably feared what happened to them as the most likely cause of injury or death.

Off that oddball soapbox.

To the dentist for my six-month cleaning, then back to the fence, hopefully to get more done before the mosquitoes come out. Because even now that the days are generally cold, if they warm up, the mosquitoes appear.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Nov 18 - 01:28 PM

OH:

Just finished clarifying how I can and cannot be reached, and what skills I'm making avail to the org I did the longer assignment for ydy. Clearly I passed some kind of test ydy, because now they want to give me not a full in-basket, but a planeload of additional projects..... I learned long ago how/when to say no.... this requires saying "maybe."

I do have a move to get busy on!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Nov 18 - 11:18 AM

SRS, I agree. Use the damask and treat w rainguard or the like. Have club soda on hand. Then enjoy your guests. Set a place for me if there's room-- Greg and I are apart for this one. Set one for Tamir Rice, too-- Txgiving's his death anniversary this year.

~S~

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

Get out the linen, Stilly. If the dribbly friend doesn't do the job, somebody else will; when wine, gravy and cranberry sauce are on the table, the virginity of the tablecloth is measurable in minutes.

Thank goodness, we left Thanksgiving in the rear-view mirror a month ago, so our digestions have time to recover before the Yuletide onslaught of goodies. Himself and I worked the church bazaar on Saturday, spending several hours in the presence of literally heaps of home baking. Oddly, I felt exactly zero interest in any of it; all I wanted was a cup of flipping tea! Even Anglican tea, typically strong enough to strip paint or the enamel off your teeth.

I can never get over the insatiable appetite of my dear neighbours for Santa-themed kitsch as the days shorten and the streets fill with snow. Much of it can best be described as butt-ugly, but that seems to be a feature, not a bug.

We have three weeks of Advent to get through before Himself starts nagging me about wreaths and ribbons. We will be on our own for Christmas dinner this year, so I hope to dodge the task of fitting a tree into the sitting room.

Is it too early for Bah, Humbug?

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

Today turned quite cold, but I got out to put up one more cross-member for the fence and two more brackets removed from the existing fence, staggered along the length of it so it doesn't fall down before I get the new part up (though there is one section held in place with a wire as of today.) Those brackets will support some of the new cross-members (why buy new ones when all of the old ones are coming down soon?) My treated fence pickets are stacked and ready to go. Once I get going on putting up the pickets I'll be taking down a couple of more brackets to move across the last short span. It's probably 20 feet of fence but it's taking some planning to get it done.

My second office desktop is looking much better now, the fridge has been cleared some in preparation for Thursday, and I've cleared kitchen counter space. The dining table is still occupied by sewing and eBay projects, they'll need to be relocated. I was thinking about getting out one of the solid damask linen family table cloths but one of the friends who is coming for Thanksgiving is notorious for spilling. Decisions, decisions!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Nov 18 - 08:47 PM

Draft of letter to editor submitted to the related organization. My ankles are like basketballs now

Did I mention that my pool pass came through ydy-- had hoped to start today, but have bag loaded for tmrw aftn.

~S~