Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: mg
Date: 28 Mar 18 - 07:33 PM

I am so glad I am now a minimalist...if everything in my house broke i could take a $20 bill to a garage sale and replace everything. And think of how you want your house to be found if you have a stroke or something..which my brother just did. My sister is taking care of his stuff..which fortunately is not excessive. (this is not aimed at anyone..). She said she thought he was going downhill since around Thanksgiving, and it turns out he had two previous small strokes which he had failed to tell us about...but think if you have embarrassing stuff, or hoarder stuff...a very good reason for de-owning.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Mar 18 - 06:45 PM

Good for you, VN!

PP:

I just made a highly productive foray up to Box Central in the attic. I brought down a huge clean bag of lasagna paper to use for knicknack/decor/picture frame wrapping, a few small boxes, and enough egg boxes (square 4-doz size), for the break/die china.

And I checked my gut and then made some decisions about that china and the good wineglasses-- they're going to go into the Daily Use kitchen cabinet-- not into the On Display china cabinet they're coming out of.... A company set for small dinner parties/buffets that will actually get USED.

I also spotted and failed to throw down a large, very heavy amp box to fill with sub-boxes of fragile decor. I'll ask Greg to bring that down soon. But I also grabbed 3 nearly-square flat boxes presently full of small sheets of brown packing paper, FOR the small decor, and the bag of packing peanuts/bubble wrap for the china and glassware. These materials will also help w/wrapping upstairs decor for transit.

Whew!

Oh and the pizza/small boxes I packed earlier today did get stowed into the china cabinet, as described upthread.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Vashta Nerada
Date: 28 Mar 18 - 05:27 PM

This morning, as a small gift to my slightly future self, I cleaned up the kitchen while the water boiled and tea brewed.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Mar 18 - 01:55 PM

PP:

One big U-haul box packed from china cabinet cleanout:

Tablecloths
Apple tea towel set
Cloth napkin collection
(Pitched all old placemats in Goodwill bag)
Topped off w picnic basket
Gordon Parks book and other LL items
Old denim purse
Jackals fleece
Scarves
Sm plastic plate stands
Sm hepa filters (for xee bedside air filter?)
(Box labeled LL/Laundry)

Goodwill: Mike peacock
Dave glass decanter
Cloth napkins matching lg tablecloth packed previously
Bent faux silver revere bowl

Found: Louise Brown charm bracelet and charms. Put into silver heart box for Stephen. Three pizza boxes of kitchen decor (china and silver plates), packed and ready to travel inside china cabinet. Used the Ducks' Rexford Times for packing plus cut-up egg boxes for corner padding. One more "box" packed-- manufactured from leaf bags-- for large silver serving tray (which also contains 4 large plate stands). One more box packed with sleigh basket and silver candy/relish dishes may also fit in china cabinet for transit. Card table almost ready to move to DR for balance of china cabinet contents-- break/die china and wine glasses, plus madonnas and misc.

Dinner also cooking and dishes done.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 18 - 08:05 PM

Charmion, I have a friend who lives in Green Valley, Arizona, where there is a charity thrift store called The White Elephant. They have a bout 600 volunteers all told, with various tasks. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 9am till noon. That's all - just three hours a day. (One of the volunteer jobs is to list some of the better but easy to ship items on eBay.) Everything is tested before it's sold, the clothes are checked to be sure everything is intact. They make bundles of clothes that need work that are given to some of the immigrant support groups so their members can do the repairs then sell the garments in other stores or donate them to families arriving from across the border who have nothing. Their prices are extremely reasonable, they sell everything you can think of, and the business has donated millions to various good causes in the region. When they're done right, those kinds of charity shops are amazing. My son was in nearby Tucson for university and we stayed with that friend when we first got into town, so we loaded up on household goods when he moved into a house with roommates his junior year. He has turned into quite a cook, and I'm guessing those pots and pans we selected may still be with him.

The Goodwill bin is filling up. And my thrift store iHome docking station is perfect; the remote control and the AM antenna arrived yesterday and it is now up to speed. I love having digital tuning and buttons like on the big receiver in the living room (or on my car radio like forever). The whole thing came to about $18, and interestingly enough, most of my old boombox Sony radios will sell for about the same amount on eBay.

Rain was heavy enough today, and is expected to continue through tomorrow, so I won't be able to have the garden tilled for another week or so. But the leaves I cut up with the mower are all plastered to the ground in the garden plot. The magic will happen when the tiller pushes the leaves into the soil and pulls the roots to the top. I'll rake out roots and shape the beds and be ready to go. For all that I have tried a couple of times to have a tiller of my own here to use, in the long run it's better for all if I hire my friend to bring his tiller. Then his gets used and stays in working order and he has a job for the morning.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 27 Mar 18 - 11:58 AM

The convenors of of the church variety sale have announced the dates when they are prepared to receive donations, and it is clear that this fund-raiser is a Very Big Deal in the parish. They collect all manner of stuff, but it has to be Good Stuff -- that is, items that people might actually pay serious money for. Not tat.

Well. I'm not sure that everything I would like to unload on them qualifies as Good Stuff, but it all survived the cut last year before the Grand Derangement from Ottawa to Stratford, so I guess I did not think any of it was true tat.

Collection begins next week. I hope to clear the basement of china bits (mostly English bone china), two or three sets of glassware, at least half of our abundance of beer mugs, and rather a lot of framed art. A book purge would be a good idea, too, especially of music and Canadian history.

I have some boxes, a stack of newspapers, and about two bin-bags of bubble-wrap. Let the games begin!

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

PA PACKATHON:

Christmas items found in the dresser: boxed and loaded into LR bookcase.

Office materials (hardware, software, cords, stationery, HDMI, etc): boxed and labeled for transit. No path so far to remove it to ramp rail.

Card table of miscellany, work product, and memories: remains to be cleared and moved to DR to address DR books w Hardi, many of which may be headed to parish. There's a large box that may be the perfect size/weight for that, before I start packing China cabinet decor.

The items presently on the card table can go into the dresser drawers until there's enough to box. Some of the items need an archive box, and the rest of the items to fill that box are upstairs. I'm inclined to leave all that for the September packing trip and keep focusing on the furniture.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Mar 18 - 11:41 AM

PA PACKATHON:

Desk cubbies purged and printer documentation/disc loaded in printer tray for return to parish. Think I still have box.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Mar 18 - 07:40 AM

Thanks, DP. The final move is still a ways off-- Hardi has not set a retirement date yet, or even year! We knew it would take quite awhile to move out of this barn.


PA PACKATHON:

Hardi and I are both sick and I'm trying to work a weekly rhythm of packing weekdays, dental Fridays, church and breaktime weekends. But I needed fresh air and a stretch yesterday, so yesterday I moved the 4 boxes on the ramp rail down and stacked them on porch pallet lumber, with stacking and pallet space ready for more.

Since the sewing room is now occupied by our housemate, I am not taking (nor emptying) a LR bookcase destined for it. The major furniture to empty is downstairs now-- the china cabinet, antique dresser, abd desk cubbies, which are scheduled for my work this week. I also put a few boxes together to start with. One is a large, leftover U-haul box, the last one of which burst. So I reinforced it with preventive tape.

Despite a lot of chair napping ydy, I fell asleep quickly last night after straightening out an mp3 player issue, and slept hard about 4 hours. Then I came down and purged the antique dresser to about 1/3 of its contents-- noting various categories of stuff retained.

The next area to purge will be deskside cubbies and the lower shelves of the bookcase, which will, together, net a med lg box of stationery/office supplies. There are also enough items to set up a 2000 - 2018 archive box to add to my archived work product in storage, so it's good I started with the dresser! The bookcase I'm leaving will get the Christmas decor I saved from the dresser drawers.

Another Goodwill barrel is now very full. Someone is going to get a very nice extra long tablecloth!

I guess since the dresser held old (nice) pierced earrings and I wear my hair short now, I'll save them right in their drawers, and pack most of my necklaces into the dresser as well. The Ohio spot for the dresser makes it ideal for an accessories chest, so dress purses and shoes may as well travel right in the drawers as well.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 25 Mar 18 - 01:50 PM

I received an incredibly warm welcome from friends at the Weight Watchers meeting. I had talked with some of them before hand to let them know I was coming and there are two people in particular who I was looking forward to seeing and they not only met me with hugs and saved me a seat but they brought me some on plan snacks! Since WW has tweaked their program since the last time I was there, I stayed for the orientation and gave myself a good foundation to start on. The meeting is in a new location as well so it feels like the fresh start that I want. I actually was going to go the week before but found the meeting in the same old space and decided to skip it so it would be a brand new program and place to start in.

We saw Davina and The Vagabonds last night as well as the Squirrel Nut Zippers....both were fabulous in their own way! Davina and The Vagabonds were the opening act but honestly they were so good that I could have left the show and been ecstatic about the evening. Simply INCREDIBLE. Both very HIGH energy acts....one very bluesy and the other was swing/blues/eclectic with the best fiddle player I have EVER seen in my life (my apologies to Betse....I still love ya girl....you are still amazeballs in my book)!   

It's been a while since Pete and I have had a date day/night and last night was a great reminder to clear away the time clutter in our lives so we can do things like this much more often.

Today I am doing some sorting and straightening and ditching of stuff in my sewing room. YAY. Pete and Jeremiah are off to spend some time at his mom's house......I need some down time and I'm sure she will love the boy time. :)

It's a four day work week for me but it's also the end of the month, crunch time for billing although I've got myself pretty well set for that. I'm not sure what I will do with that extra day...it's going to require some stewing on my part. I don't get many days off so I don't want to *waste* it.

Have a great Sunday everybody!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 18 - 09:03 AM

Rain is due early next week so anything I can get planted now will be grateful for it. I transplanted some asparagus that were coming up in the wrong spot and have some bedding plants to put in. And a lot of digging to do before the garden is ready for plants. To start this morning I'll put the mattock in the vise grip and give it a quick sharpen. They are generally dull tools meant for hacking, but it does improve in functionality with a bit of an edge in place.

Today is the last day for the garden jeans I've been using. I think they've about reached the point of no return as far as spots worn thin. After today's garden work they'll go through the laundry one last time then into a bag labeled for rags that goes to Goodwill.

One of my eBay parcels needs repacking. It's large and ceramic (a clay baker) and if I can put it in a somewhat smaller box the shipping cost should come way down. That's a big part of successful selling, but it means keeping flattened boxes handy. Today's need may require a visit to the village recycle bin to see if anyone has discarded a corrugated box of the proper dimensions.

Some virtual decluttering - over the last week I eliminated a number of apps that used Facebook to sign on - I'll set up their own unique logon accounts instead. There remain a half-dozen directly tied to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and out of curiosity I looked at their permissions. Yes, they're meant to post from one site to the other, but a couple of them had way more default permissions set than needed. And though I hide my friends list even from my friends, those accounts were still able to access that information. It is discouraging how often you need to go back and look at what they've put in place without telling you, and turning off the intrusive elements.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 24 Mar 18 - 06:38 PM

Beaver:
The amusing - daffodil! I look out the window and mine are still under a foot or more of snow!
Inspiring - Susan's incredible planned moving!

My plan is simple: get as much small stuff out of the house as possible - down to the mill. Robin will rent a truck and move the furniture and I will not touch a single piece! Hopefully, we will have agreed on what goes where! But there may always be changes. I will come along with essentials - pots, clothes, dishes... I can start on K and pantry while they move furniture. "They" = whoever R gets to help. Mahogany is HEAVY!

The big project - totally mine - will be digging up garden and planting it at mill so I don't loss everything. I am sure it will all suffer imminent death during renovation of Montreal house.

In the meantime, I am enjoying Beaver, where we have had almost a week on sunny days! - and slightly above freezing days. I am triaging things for the new house which I will take to mill when I go back to Quebec on 1or2 April, by way of music in Kingston.

Found a pattern for tunic at thrift shop and fabric in cupboard, also some lovely lavender cotton/silk yarn for ???? But have had low energy all week and only doing little things - but a lot of those so I do feel as tho I have accomplished something. I cleaned out the cradle which serves as a wood box today!! Then took it outside so I could thoroughly clean where it has sat - then put it back. YAY!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Mar 18 - 01:51 PM

My list includes so many items that need doing and with the sunny warm weather suddenly they all need doing at once. Hard physical labor is high on my list - digging the garden. So I'll start with something a little easier, I'll put in a load of laundry.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Mar 18 - 10:10 AM

Thanks, Acme. Some of the cookbooks have family history guiding the gifting, but the recipients also are free to pass them along further and/or donate them to Goodwill.


PA PACKATHON-- GARDENER'S EDITION:

I awoke in the early morning hours with a wonderful surprise gift-- my mind had spotted WHERE to set up "grow light central" for Camp Ridgebury!!! It presented me with a mental picture of my Aerogardens and grow lights on the SIDEBOARD that now divides the kitchen from the living room! In time to get PA's Surplus City discount sheet plastic or oilcloth cut to size!!! Near an under-utilized outlet, water, and kitchen island!!! THIS spring!!!

I'd completely written off Spring 2019 gardening, because the logical kitchen counter for the setup is currently without power. This permanent change means also means that when power is restored, Hardi's favorite appliances can live on that counter as planned. (It also solves where the tabletop Christmas tree will go, because this also means that the sideboard becomes the place to feature rotating Seasonal Displays.)

I proceeded to get the two Aerogardens boxed and into a waiting, larger box, and was thrilled to see that there'd be room in it for the two small grow lights I use with peat pellets. I went back to bed and slept hard! Within an hour of getting up again, the entire germination supply kit was all packed and ready for quick assembly, in one big box!!! A re-usable plastic flat even fit in there-- I use that in the woodstove garden. Everything but soil, peroxide, and seeds.

The big overhead fluorescent fixture will still need to be packed for garage setup over the lab table, in case I need it for hardening off. I can wrap that in lasagna paper, and the truck we rented includes furniture pads to wrap it into a contractor's bag.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 23 Mar 18 - 08:47 PM

The quilt top is done, signed by Miss Callie and delivered to the House of Care. They will gather more signatures and return it to be quilted. There are photos on FB for anyone who would like to see. :)

Tomorrow is Date Day...I can't wait!!!! We are going to do some antiquing, a trip to a music store (I will NOT buy more music. I will NOT buy more instruments. NO. NO. NO. LOL), dinner out and a concert. I've been looking forward to this for weeks!!! HOORAY!!!

After a long hiatus, I've decided to rejoin Weight Watchers. I lost 107 pounds with them previously, regained a good chunk of it after I'd been so sick and while I've made other attempts, I just wasn't feeling it but I am now.....tomorrow's the day!   :)

Sweet dreams everybody!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Mar 18 - 07:50 PM

It was a long week, and I have things to do this weekend, but at least they're on my own behalf. Time to make a list and cross things off as I progress through it.

The first daffodil emerged today, a welcome harbinger of spring.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Mar 18 - 09:15 PM

While I was at it I pulled out the bow saw and trimmed about eight feet up the pine next to the dog kennel. My old pitbull used to love to scratch her back against the lower limbs so I didn't have the heart to trim that tree, but we lost her in December. Today I took out most of the limbs that were shaded out and dead and it opens up the yard nicely. I may be able to run most of those branches through my little electric chipper.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Mar 18 - 02:21 PM

There is a shoe drive going on this month on campus and a collection box is in my building. It seems to be working, the box filled and emptied a couple of times. I've added two nice pairs of BØRN leather clogs that I just never get around to wearing. There are probably others I could add, I'll check out my dressing room shoe rack this weekend. (The clogs resided on a shoe rack under the bench in the sun room, where I in theory sit to change shoes when I come in; for a number of weeks that bench has been stacked with prepared eBay parcels - once they sell they're taped shut and handed to the postal carrier.)

Good luck with the cookbook distribution. I have several I regularly use and I have a bunch that are novelty items because my Mom collected cookbooks. We'll have company over and someone will pick up one of those to thumb through, resulting in an interesting discussion about whatever oddball thing that cookbook was for. There are quite a few from Norwegian farmers and the WWII years, and lots of things handed out by companies in the grocery store or offered for a nominal fee if you mailed in box tops.

I just mowed the back yard, a very large lawn, but the fitness tracker doesn't show many of the steps because my hands are stationary on the mower handle. It needs the swinging arms of free walking to show steps - so perhaps I should fasten it around my ankle when I mow, those steps might show up! :)

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Mar 18 - 01:45 PM

PA PACKATHON:

Finally hitting a rhythm between work, packing, and fun. OUR cookbooks, an antique drip coffeepot to supplement the Ohio espresso machine, and 3 collapsible coolers/insulated lunch bags packed and out to ramp rail. GOODWILL Mr. Coffee-type coffeepot added to Goodwill bin with last night's found double hotplate-- we used it the two+ years it took to get a new cooktop. Clean clothes put away in the closet-- it got left out several days whole I culled items from it for Ohio and trash. And I figured out how to download old Amazon purchases to a free fone app for Bluetooth-speaker driving and decluttering.

On the downside, the fone is not recognized by my laptop today, at all.

Back to cookbook packing for gifting to Son, DIL, SIL. Going to use clothe store bags!

I packed the books Hardi had said he wnted, and then a cute FB exchange about our three Fanny Farmer cookbooks broke out:

Greg Hinton, I packed master recipes, fannie farmer, Greek, and good housekeeping cookbooks. French-- keep or pass on to Amy?

He replied, I only want my Fannie Farmer and Masters recipes and the instant pot booklets. The rest can go. I don't really use GH cookbook.

Greg Hinton, :-) we'll have to pack your fanny because I already packed mine, but I'll separate yours out. (What is GH cookbook?)

GH Good Housekeeping

One more package was then packed and went out to the ramp rail-- guest towels, scarves, scarf hanger, headbands, fleeces, Mmarioshawl1 (Mmshawl2 went to a Mudcatter with an urgent issue) several short, dressy skirts. There's room for one more big nox or two small cubes on that covered rail. (When it's full I'll go down the ramp, onto the porch at the base of the ramp, and lift the boxes down to stack on skids set on the flagstones.)

Then, the cookbook sorting done, the FB coordination resumed in the group I use there:

Greg Hinton, for you to see and bag: Kept Indian, Spanish, French, Thai, and paperback Joy of Cooking. SIL can be offered any that Son or DIL do not want, and housemate Tyler may want a basic book also (the 3rd fanny/boston for instance because everyone needs a fanny). The All-Asia book in the pass-along bag is priceless, though the covers are long gone. I suppose if we were really nice we'd re-bind that one. DIL, what do you think about us re-binding that one for you guys? Sorry it's already packed, can't take pic of TOC now, but maybe later.

That FB group has been a huge help, and I mention it with the above example because-- that group is searchable. So it will be handy later when I want to know where the heck I put items, and what's packed with them as filler.

Tyler BTW is turning out to be the dream housemate I needed-- he not only watches the house and waters the garden on request-- he checks in with me to see how I'm doing (and to remind me that at least in Ohio I do have PEOPLE despite my isolation here). He'll help unload and unpack in May, and he just had his first long overnight custodial visit with his toddler son-- I like knowing that the house is being used for its envisioned mission. He moved in with just enough days before I left that we were able to work out housie parameters and boundaries. And he landed a great job, in walking distance of the house. He opes to start online school in the fall.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: HuwG
Date: 22 Mar 18 - 07:59 AM

I turned sixty years old a few weeks ago. I celebrated by having a declutter.

I threw out a load of Dusty Springfield memorabilia.

But now I just don't know what to do with my shelf.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Mar 18 - 12:07 AM

That's heartbreaking, Michelle. Thank you for making the trip so she can leave her mark on that quilt. And that is such a generous project that will in the end be larger than the parts because of the love that is going into it.

I also cleaned my work cubicle recently, right before Spring Break, getting rid of duplicate copies of proofs of documents (that adds up to quite a stack of paper after a while). Organized, brought home a few things that weren't needed, etc.

I agree with others - Dorothy, congratulations on that house. It does seem a long-time off, but when they day comes you'll be ready and very busy. Enjoy that new space.

Recently around the house I updated several old radios (with good volume and reception but the CD players and ancient cassette players stopped working and none of them have auxiliary in). I listen to audio books in my SUV and last year stopped with the Sony Walkman and switched to using an app in my phone. At local thrift stores have I've found small bluetooth or iPod docking stations that I can use with my Android phone to play books in my office and sewing room. Yesterday I resisted the impulse to buy a Sony player on sale in a local electronics store--it had a cassette player - who needs that?--I have players for my father's folk music collection, they are enough. Today I found a nice iPod Shuttle docking station - I don't have an iPod but I will use the radio and the aux-in for my phone to play my books in the kitchen. I had to spend a few dollars more for a remote and AM antenna (eBay), and I'll leave the current kitchen radio in the sunroom to play NPR talk programs to make the house sound like people are home during the day. After all of this I can probably donate a couple of the old radios to Goodwill.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 21 Mar 18 - 08:05 PM

In my office, there are a few of us that have cubicles that we don't have to share with anyone. I am lucky enough to have one of those spaces with a window (where I am currently growing Forget Me Nots and two kinds of zinnias from seed, two spider plants are growing roots in pretty vases and a small potted white rosebush with a miniature trellis).   The cubicle behind mine was recently given to a new hire. She has been decorating which has given the other people in the surrounding cubicles the decorating bug which means I now want to fuss in my space. I had an extra long day yesterday and spent the final 30 minutes cleaning out the one drawer in my desk where I keep personal things. I emptied the entire thing, found things I forgot I had, ditched most of it and reorganized the rest and put it away neatly. I also emptied 3 binders of outdated Department of Health materials (which I had in page protectors...so all papers came out, page protectors saved) and put the binders out in the office for others to use, freeing up space in my bookshelf. Honestly, I would like a day to really do some purging but alas, I am incredibly busy at work so it's going to happen in small bites where I can. I have a webinar scheduled for next week....always a good time to go through things that don't require much thought as I'm listening to the presentation.

I'm ready to do some spring cleaning! Alas, it will have to wait. Tomorrow I am taking the quilt to the home of a local friend who has a 9 year old daughter in hospice care. The child opted for one more round of chemo as she is excited for Easter and doesn't want to go to Heaven just yet.....

She wants to sign the quilt and so tomorrow I am taking the quilt to her home (along with an Easter card that Jeremiah made for her) and once it is signed, I am hand delivering it to the oncology department at Geisinger. They will keep it and gather more signatures and then send to a friend of mine who will quilt it. I will return it to Oncology in early May where the quilt will hang for the foreseeable future.

We have plans for the weekend too...can't wait for that but will tell you about it after it happens. :)

Happy Decluttering Friends!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Mar 18 - 02:20 PM

PA PACKATHON:

The afternoon packing stint was productive, after I realized that I could start with appliance duplicates I've wanted in Ohio-- to think of packing as 'shopping the house'!

So the hutch base's purge began after I realized I can take my old faithful rice cooker to Ohio now that Hardi just HAD to buy an instant pot. Looking for the rice cooker, I saw 2 small crockpots and a huge antique turkey roaster which I bagged (dust and all) for Goodwill. I packed the rice cooker box with a china teapot, because social life in Ohio has me serving tea weekly and that teapot will finally see regular use. Also added, 2 more place settings of our flatware, and a silicone drainer.

Hardi will hopefully pull out the rest of the hutch base's contents I can't reach, tonight, and dust out the shelves, which will make room for boxed cookbooks now clogging the hutch's upper section. Also to be packed for Ohio, a special one plus my late mom's waffle iron for my Ohio son. A box or two of cookbooks will go to the library sale, along with misc farmette books.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 21 Mar 18 - 10:22 AM

Oh, Dorothy! Congratulations on landing the house you want. You think November is a long way off? HA HA HA HA! Before you know it, Move Day will be coming at you like the noon freight, and you will have three times as much work left to do as you have time to do it. May you enjoy good weather when the time comes; it makes all the difference.

Both Himself and I are semi-laid-up today: Himself with low-back pain and me with a nasty spasm in the left side of my neck (torticollis). How the hell we managed to hurt ourselves at the same time is a big fat mystery, but we did: on the very morning when I woke up feeling as if I had slept with my head under my wing, he bent over to open the mailbox and felt his lumbar region go Spunnnng! Ever since, we have been alternating between heating pads and doses of Advil in the faint hope of looking -- and feeling -- rather less like a pair of crocks fairly soon.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Mar 18 - 10:08 AM

PA PACKATHON

The logjam in my mind broke and productive work is finally moving. Here's the overall plan:

Upstairs:

Master BR: Dresser 3/21 prepped to move, linens divided; Closet

Bathroom-- purge books

Guest Room: crib and closet, purge stuff

Sewing room-- Hardi deal

Garden room-- vacuum and roll rug; book sort and pack/donate. Pack aerogardens and grow lights for loading. Disassemble potting table and bring down lumber, 1 tray table.

Hallway-- explore/purge


Downstairs:

LR: Dresser, Bookcase, Bin, Cubbies, Kk

DR: Decor, China cabinet, Ship or donate farm books

Bath: pack art

K: Hutch; Stop filling pantry!!!

Weight room: Prep shelf for transfer to K, Clear items blocking books and purge/pack books, Check built-ins to purge; file cabinet and purged archive boxes

Back porch:, Move wicker and winter decor
Bring in paper for packing-- 1 upstairs

GRAB BOXES AND PACKING MATERIALS; COLORED DOTS


SEPTEMBER: Re-purge and pack rough-sorted boxes; transit via trailer; meet with Mark and poss Danny

JANUARY: Next round furniture/boxes

2019: Too soon to plan

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 07:55 PM

PA PACKATHON:

Hardi removed all but one big item out of the first floor and out to the porch, this afternoon, and then moved a big easy chair from DR to LR to facilitate my access to the DR china cabinet to pack its contents. I wisely stayed out of the way, and the last big item is not in my way at all.

It's on me now to fill boxes to set into the items carried out, before the next furniture items go out (to be filled in turn).

I've decided to color-code the boxes to make organizing the Ohio effort easier on all hands.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 07:43 PM

I was patient in my shopping for the solution that goes in my carpet steam cleaner and yesterday picked up a gallon at a store near my work that costs about the same as a quart of the same product at the stores around in my part of town. I only have a couple of carpeted areas so this will last a while.

I wasn't so lucky trying to update some small electronics (memory) at the same place; they have a new policy of putting out signs on the sale items that you used to just hunt for and then give the Promo Code at the register. But everything I picked up the other day turned out to have a blue tag that was expired so nothing was on sale. I saw this when I got home so I took back the items that were too high. Today I was barely more successful in finding the replacements. I guess Amazon Prime will get my business until that store gets their act together.

I had a visitor over the weekend so some chores were postponed; laundry tonight, but before that, a walk with the dogs. The lovely brown face of my chocolate lab has been nudging my arm for the last five minutes telling me we need to go out. Then I can do the rest of the stuff, he says.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 10:35 AM

Beaver:

Laundry #4 in process!

Offer on house accepted!!!! We can start to move in on 15 November. Seems like a LONG time away! We can start organizing by getting rid of extraneous (hopeful!) and taking small stuff to mill so when the time comes, large furniture can be loaded along with boxes and boxes and boxes of books and other boxed stuff.

Now, to go on errands and sort out life here! Did not turn on heat yesterday because it will take WORK to clear ice so I can open door to studio - hopefully today as there was not enough energy yesterday. Also need to clear ice from tarp over wood pile and bring in more wood - priority.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Mar 18 - 08:37 PM

PA PACKATHON:

Today Chaos becams Order, with a card table, a marker, white tape, a recycle bin, a laundry basket, and leaf bags. One set of these is upstairs and one set will be downstairs in a day or two. Bring it on!l, clutter!

The overall plan: I'm looking to take mostly FURNITURE AND DECOR May 1-- not boxes of stuff to put away. Therefore, as I empty each piece of furniture I'm taking, only a rough sorting, heavy purging, and good labeling need to be done.

The Ohio storage options will only be knowable once the furniture is in place THERE. And that will guide the last purging rounds.

Exceptions: my archives and our purged music book collection, which already have garage space designated.

Two stair trips, laundry started, and multiple ramp laps (salting the ramp and clearing the porch). Lots of stuff for Goodwill already, and I started a "St. Paul's Yard Sale" box also,   which is filling up. The east end of the front porch was cleared on my own and later w Hardi, and the ramp is emptied of garden items to clear space for furniture dolly. The porch was then measured for truck equivalence: perfect! Hardi found lots of 2x4's and 2x6's to keep items off damp flagstones. It was too cold to do more, but we're ready to go with clearing the LR of items he'd brought downstairs. Then two huge bags of Goodwill items left tonight, and one bookcase was disassembled and boxed.

I have several small boxes partially full of decor to finish filling, and I'll be able to carry those out to the porch as they're filled so the crazy making clutter is NO MORE.

~s~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 19 Mar 18 - 04:59 PM

Beaver!!

Home on schedule last night. Music was great. Shopped at a large nearby grocery and discovered a new yogurt. Plan to do the whole trip in reverse in two weeks. thanks for solar gain, house was 46F when I got here. First: washroom! then fire in stove and heating pad. Bed was still cold at 9 pm when I was ready for it! moved heating pad to a different section and crawled in.

Today has been clean up - critter got in some how, and out again, thankfully but made a mess of plants. The special rosemary which I wanted to shape is no longer close to the shape! Geranium survived in K! I forgot to put it in warm bathroom. Dipladenia is partly eaten. Af violet is half eaten! The aloe was untouched! Parsley sprouted and is doing OK; moved it to sunlight and opened lid to give it room to grow. Lots of it! Oregano - only a few sprouts OR maybe the opposite!

Mystery is how the animal was in both Bathroom and LR/K; they are separate. Need a consult with neighbour who watered. Hot bath and hair wash!! Two loads of laundry drying in house. Studio went up to 70 with just solar gain. I will put the heater on when it gets back down to 60 so I can possibly work tomorrow. I still need to clear the back deck. There is about 6 inches of frozen snow but supposed to go above freezing this week.

Driving back and forth: My vehicle, a Scion is fairly efficient - about $40 each way. I plan to continue the trips about every two weeks for the summer and fall. Once we have the new house (December)- hopefully - I will spend more time there and less here. Imagine! a house with real heating system! And space! A kitchen that is not falling into the basement. R is so enthralled by it, I feel confident he will keep it in good shape.

Offer went in on house Saturday and response due tonight.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Mar 18 - 07:38 PM

PA PACKATHON:

Several small chaos boxes opened and much trashed. Other items allocated to gift, or packed for Libetation Library. A partially filled Knicknacks box found to combine w other stuff from china cabinet when I pack that. Lots of looming distraction GONE.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 18 Mar 18 - 01:43 PM

It's DONE!!!!!!!!!!

The quilt is DONE!!!!

That's one very large project seen through to completion (I have about 70 hours of cutting and sewing put into this one). My sewing room is decluttered of all that went with it (except the garbage..that still needs to go out). *WHEW*

Time for a break and then I think I'll go back up and do some sorting. I have far too many quilting books (thank you dear friends who shared your stash when I was just beginning) and I will take those to an upcoming quilting retreat to pass on to others. There are several...magazines too!

My sweet husband made both breakfast and lunch today (and all meals yesterday) so I could have uninterrupted sewing time. Today was tomato soup and a quesadilla.....YUM. I'm sitting in the sun and expect that a nap will be sure to follow. As soon as I close the computer, Oatie comes to snuggle on my lap.   Zzzzzzzzzz.

Happy Sunday Everybody!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Mar 18 - 12:00 PM

PA PACKATHON:


Sun 3/18

Benasleep ~9.

Sorted two med boxes from Mom's estate that had been in storange at church. Kept and packed or put away a few items, pitched anything broken or junk, anf divided the balance to give away.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: LilyFestre
Date: 17 Mar 18 - 09:03 PM

I spent a little over 10 hours working on the Survivor's Quilt today. It currently is a queen size but I still have maybe 6 more rows worth of fabric with signatures on it which I will finish up tomorrow. The rest of the quilt is in ONE (finally) piece. I still have to cut the fabric and add two sets of borders. I chose teal and purple for the borders.....teal for ovarian cancer (my mark on the quilt) and a wider outer border of deep purple for survivorship. There are 16 rows, each row has 52 pieces of fabric.....that comes out to 832 pieces of fabric that have been cut, ironed, sewed, ironed some more and sewed more. Whew. I love the finished project and the intention with which it was made but I will NOT be doing another one.

It will be hand delivered to the House of Care next week when I head down that way for an appointment.

Michelle

---

I speak for all of your followers: 👍

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Mar 18 - 03:19 PM

In for a cool-down after coming close to finishing the leveling job on the north side of the front yard (where the new sewer line meets the street). The soil has settled into the trench mark and soil that was still piled on top of the former lawn level was scooped up and dropped into the dip and packed down. Mulch over the top. I moved bags of leaves that were sitting there to distract the eye from noticing the depression (they'll be mulched into my garden plot soon). There will be more fine-tuning as it continues to settle and adjustments to a spot near the front path where I'm going to put one of the broken concrete pavers and place a potted plant.

Moving rocks is a slow and steady job, and now I'm finishing removing the lowest level of what I call a "wing wall," an extension from the house that was popular in the 1970s. Placed on each side of the house, they had a light coming out of the small column at the end of it. I took down one wall years ago but this one languished. Now it's coming out and the debris of the crumbling mortar that held it together is being used to level the flagstone area in front of my porch. I had to get the wheelbarrow out for this so I figured I'd do the leveling on the other side of the yard as a break from rock moving and because it looks like I actually finished something. :)

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Mar 18 - 03:59 PM

I lowered the middle row of seats in the SUV to transport some very large flat cardboard shipping containers (from a desk) to the recycle bins at City Hall. Those bins are emptied on Tuesdays and with spring cleaning weather here now I knew I'd better get this over before the weekend crowd fills them again. When the kids were small large pieces of cardboard might have been put to use building forts or doing art projects. Now I don't need to hold onto that in case someone needs it.

Also dropped a few items at Goodwill because I was going to be in the neighborhood. There will be another dropping off/shopping/delivery run this weekend as I help my ex transport two new toilets to his house because they won't fit in his little Toyota. One thing I don't envy about the house hunting and interesting remodeling that Dorothy is doing is all of the driving that is involved. I enjoy driving but I also enjoy not frequently filling up the tank.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 16 Mar 18 - 10:59 AM

Montreal:

Still in holding pattern due to wanting to get to open mike on Sunday: it is 3 hours from Montreal and just about 2.5 from there to Beaver. I have been wanting to get to one of Kevin's events for over a year so this is it! I can be home by about 9 pm, being very careful on the last 60 miles, watching for deer. Hitting one would create a dreadful clutter!

R is trying to connect with real estate agent. Business keeps intervening. This aft, a realtor is producing a video (having it produced) to sell one of the business properties; R has a role as a geologist (which he is!) in this endeavour to sell an extremely historic piece of property. This darn business does clutter up his life!

Having discovered a stash of clay here, I plan to do a few hand built pieces today and moisten a bag of forgotten for too long clay for future use.

Latest snow is being cleared - not a big deal but it has frozen. Seriously cold the next few days. It will be challenging getting the house warm - thankful for electric heaters and heating pad! And the wonderful wood stove.

Time to get to work! Enjoy spring - those who are in its midst!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Mar 18 - 12:49 AM

Since I am allergic to coconut (read "Sodium Laurelth Sulfate" on most shampoos, soaps, even in lotions and toothpaste), I use Old World soaps made with olive oil or shay butter. This includes using them to wash my hair, and I alternate every few hair washes with a shampoo that is sulfate free (and seems to push coconut lower down on the ingredient list). "Kiss my face" is a nice lavender-scented olive oil soap. It isn't inexpensive, but it seems to fall in the category of "hard milled" and each bar is large and lasts for a very long time.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: mg
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 09:05 PM

I am going to check out lush shampoo ..bar one..for that reason. I rarely travel with shampoo.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 04:22 PM

PA:

After almost 11 hours of badly needed sleep.... a productive day.

Headbands sorted, only 1 is trash now that my hair is short.

Brought down fabric for Goodwill and cushions for chair. Then 1/2 hour at hard labor undoing :-( chaos, with one stair climb :-) . Net = 2 trash bags, not 1, for Goodwill; night chair I can sit in upstrs; streaming-movies platform to use upstrs now or dnstrs later when dnstrs chaos gone; fabric for spare swimsuit found; fabric for tying mattresses found; fabric and pattern for shorts found.

Uupstrs linen closet purged and keeper fabrics stored therein YAY. Net: reclaiming landing floor space for sorting/packing/staging boxes.

Gardening room visit = more chaos noted. Will be hard to find space for two to finish book purge in process there-- take stool up.

Later, 1/2 hour by desk emptying a laundry basket. Net: found eps for tater flakes. One wallet to Goodwill w usefull or shreddable items removed. One pair sweats and socks reclaimed. One box safety pins reclaimed. Several items trashed. Reclaimed items put away.

Then 1/2 hour emptying and wiping contents of shampoo-soaked toiletries bag and replacing trashed items. Found missing salt sub for MIL to send her with Hardi. Bag in wash to dry, repack, and reload.

Off to a movie!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 11:45 AM

Mary, the computer knew the account was active once I downloaded the newest Malwarebytes version, but that disappearance is disconcerting.

A large black bag of crumbling nursery trays and pots is at the curb for regular trash; I never managed to generate enough bulky stuff to put out for the large-scale pickup that can happen any day this week in my part of the village. I did clear out files and the resulting six-inch stack of papers with account numbers would have taken ages to shred and another bag to fill but I bought a 20-gallon burning barrel to put that stack of documents in on end and propped up with a couple bricks. They burned for several hours and I prodded them to keep from smoking. The barrel will live under a shelf in my greenhouse, it isn't super sturdy and would probably rust if left outdoors, but for burning documents a couple of times a year it is perfect.

A week of spring break has contributed to the clearance of a number of parts of the house, but I usually leave the radio on in the kitchen and it has been depressing to listen to so much political news. I've switched over to the classical station for a while. (Keeping a radio on to a station with conversations all day long is one of those home-security tips - someone considering breaking in will hear voices and think twice.)

Dorothy, good luck with all of that house juggling. It sounds interesting despite the amount of labor involved. I spoke with a neighbor yesterday about our gardens - we use the same handyman for some of our heavy lifting and outdoor tasks, and as late as gardens are going in this year (so much rain made the soil unworkable) that handyman is probably going to be very busy visiting neighbors to till garden spots.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 09:46 AM

Montreal:

So, after all that mad dash to get pots made and son's trip being put off a few days ---and greatly anticipated----- it did not happen. Yesterday was dark blue as I sat here and processed and recovered - what else can one do! The weather.... He has promised to visit in June. but just he and wife, not GD from San Diego... Meanwhile, the pottery will sit here waiting.

R got the water back on track, the dishes are washed, I am going back to Beaver on Sunday by way of a friend's open mike in Kingston Sunday aft. R is working on the logistics of purchasing THE house. I am looking at trying to get every non-essential out of this house to the mill over the next few months. Having loaded stuff into the car for next trip to the mill, I realized the pile of snow that prevented me from getting close last week is still there. I may end up taking some extraneous stuff to Beaver rather than carry it an extra 100 yards across the snow. Another -Oh, Well.

Having agreed to spend less time at Beaver and more time here, I shall need to bring the portable wheel and some clay next trip and set up to work upstairs - lest I lose my mind - with nothing to do except prepare meals. Yesterday, I considered "shopping" - for what?? where??? just for something to do? I would go to a toxic mall and look at all the stuff - of which I want nothing? So I read a book and watched a little TV and wished I could vacuum - but that would fill the house with dust and I would have to leave - go where? shopping??....

The sound quality of the new TV seems to make it possible for me to understand the verbal rather than have to read the CC - mostly! The picture being clearer has me amazed by the way the persons look! The newscasters look older!

R actually seems to need me here; I need to prevent total chaos in house and frig! The greatest "de-cluttering mode is prevention! I will come back in a couple weeks with pottery wheel, and hope.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: mg
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 05:33 AM

i couldn't find my malwarebytes either..

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 12:11 AM

Mucking about in the Windows 10 computer since an automatic update went sideways. I had to refresh the C: drive and discovered that my favorite anti-malware program Malwarebytes had somehow been uninstalled (it's one I pay for, all the more reason to keep it).

I finally tackled the over-the-stove hood that was making funny noises when running on low. I think it was a buildup of grease that was making it off balance; careful application of a hot soapy cloth in each louver of the fan cleared it up. Not a fun job.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Mar 18 - 06:19 PM

I've moved enough of the randomly distributed chunks of concrete so I can safely push a mower through the tall grass and weeds in the front yard. Tomorrow, I think. I have a couple of more hours of daylight in which to move and tamp in more stones and then shift gears to take the dogs for a walk.

My closet doesn't have an echo, but there's a lot less stuff in there now. I pulled out a 30-gallon plastic bin of long pants and shorts that are way too small and put most of the slacks in a lot on eBay. I have a pair of Levis to sell individually and some shorts to put in smaller lots. I also pulled down the bin the next size up to list. Finally, there was a last 30-gallon bin full of cotton summer tops that are dated, too small, and will probably be donated to Goodwill and labeled to be put in the rag bin.

I have sweaters in a basket that I forget about because it's tucked into the knee-hole under my dressing room counter, so I'll put the ones I might still wear into one of the now empty bins for next winter. I use a plastic sweater organizer that hangs from a rod in the closet for my best sweaters, and there are some that need to be culled. The goal is to have everything on the rod be something I can wear. Things I'm not quite into yet will go into the last bin and back up on the shelf. I'll see if any of them fit during the summer, or sooner if my current pants get too loose (who doesn't dream of that?) ;-)

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Mar 18 - 03:35 PM

Today I started the task of re-arranging the defacto pavers left over from the sewer line work last fall. I've brought the soil to a level I want with a mix of old rocks, brick fragments, and soil then put down a layer of landscaping cloth, topped with sand to level each paver as I position it. Looks like a 50lb bag of sand might work to level about three pavers, and I have a dozen at least to move. Then the pea gravel goes in between the pavers to level it. The whole thing is going to slope away from the porch for obvious reasons, but will be level enough to hold a few potted plants. This work is okay for me, I can move the concrete blocks end over end on the ground, but I will have the lot loader at Lowe's help move the sand into the SUV (when I get home I'll roll it out of the SUV into the wheelbarrow). One trip today with several stops and back to the yard work.

This week is bulky waste pickup in my neighborhood (once a quarter); I put some stuff down at the curb for regular trash this morning but now I'll see if I can't bag up more stuff that is gathering dust and mud dauber nests. I pulled a bunch of flimsy nursery pots and plastic trays out of the greenhouse so far and got rid of an ancient tarp that may have had sentimental attachment but was one of those old coated nylon ones that smells like vomit once it gets to a certain age, and that never goes away. I feel a tug at my former camper's heartstrings for it, but my kids won't want it and I won't be using it for anything. The Goodwill would toss it. Counting back, that tarp was about 45 years old.

Other things that need moving in the yard - I had some sticks cut to short lengths in case I got a small fire pit built that I liked, but that didn't work so the sticks got tossed over the back fence to rot in the woods. I have to take the wheelbarrow and some heavy-duty kitchen tongs out to pick up the broken-off pads from my prickly pear down at the bottom of the driveway and toss them into the back also. I don't want more cactus by the street but don't mind if they want to sprout and hold down the soil by the creek.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 12 Mar 18 - 12:55 PM

Montreal:

Energy costs: $4000/year. Comparable to current house. Door drafts can be dealt with. I am looking at keeping heat costs down - close off rooms not in use, if possible. R has considerable experience with all manner of buildings. First major will be new shingles but we are assured roof does not leak - yet! Windows would, obviously, be frightfully expensive but maybe someday. The fireplace is open and, of course, a heat escape which can be managed. We could not find the damper; will look again. I reached up inside but felt nothing in the way of a lever. The owner may be able to help. He is a surveyor and may well have some ideas to share.

I would be concerned about 9 foot ceilings; R loves them. Need a bathtub in main house but see way to do that efficiently, adjacent to powder room on 2nd floor.

Doing airbnb will help with expenses and I enjoyed it the last time I could do it. A good garden will be a big plus. Might even share pottery studio with a couple others. But R is not concerned.

R points out: airbnb will be helped by being adjacent to Mohawk reserve, to Ile St. Bernard refuge, boat ramp down on the river, and 20 min to Montreal. And I only have to do it when I feel like it.

I am looking forward to the de-clutter of: having room for things, an amazing pantry in hall between K and big DR, having a guaranteed place to park, room for company for supper, for overnight, maybe even for house concerts, picnics in the back yard, the "real life" that has been missing from this derelict house. And visits to the wonderful nature preserves, walks in the woods, meeting new people in the area...

Of course, today R is working on re-storing hot water! So, I am hanging in to provide food at intervals and encouragement as needed. There is quite a pile of dirty dishes so far! There is very little around a house that R cannot do himself and he loves doing those sorts of things. Thankfully, he would not try to roof this house himself!

Once again, or as usual, my life has the "Arkansas Hard Luck Blues" feeling of: "And the only reason I'm hanging around is to find out what the heck is going to happen next." Starting over once again and thankful that Beaver is there to actually live in, in the meantime. And, once again, had to ask neighbour to stop in and water plants. Next trip, I will bring them here so I don't have to ask again.

That editing job sounds horrific! will be thinking uplifting thoughts for you, Charmion.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Mar 18 - 11:30 AM

Charmion, that is the kind of editing project to drive one round the bend. If the editors insist the copyediting is complete when a task is handed to me there are usually a few corrections to be made (I can do those) but after it is designed the only change should be typos, not content. At least InDesign has a good find/replace feature.

The house (https://www.centris.ca/en/houses~for-sale~chateauguay/10733476) is spacious, but I agree with Charmion, ask about those windows and the electric. That's a nice big basement for shop activities. The creeping decor changes from over the decades will have to be treated as part of the charm of the place. :)

My attention shifts to outdoor work today and I foresee several trips to Home Depot. The alternative is to drag the kids' wagon over to the bridge and drag buckets of creek pebbles up to the house as part of this project, but the pebbles aren't uniformly small so they're harder to work with than store-bought pea gravel.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Mar 18 - 11:05 AM

PA:

The purge is on. 1 33 gal trash barrel full of clothes for Goodwill is full enough to GO. Whej the bag is loaded in the car, the next bag will be trash.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 12 Mar 18 - 10:22 AM

Beautiful house, Dorothy. Noting the electric baseboard heaters, I would ask pointed questions about energy costs if I were you, and take a hard look at the windows (have they been updated?) and the weatherstripping on outside doors -- since moving to this house, I'm relearning everything I had forgotten about drafts.

I have a date with Patrick the Painter, who returns next week, on Himself's birthday, to deal with the grey walls and damaged plaster in the guest room. The timing is good; I can get the curtains up and hang some pictures in there before The Brother & wife arrive for Easter. That leaves only the spaces with too many bookcases: our bedroom (which also involves an enormous and very overstuffed closet), the study (six full-sized bookcases and a filing cabinet), and the basement (eight bookcases and a full wall of storage shelving). Unfortunately, the bedroom and the basement also feature quite disastrous colour choices by our predecessors: baby-shit brown in the basement, and aubergine purple in the bedroom. The study is quite tolerable, by contrast -- probably because the walls are almost completely covered with bookcases.

Last week, I started on a massive editing project for Army Headquarters. It's a three-volume book on Canadian operations in Afghanistan, a project that has been badly handled over the last six years and is now seriously overdue. I hate it when a book is already in layout when somebody with signing authority finally notices that the editing sucks and decides to get it fixed. I have done this before, and it always means hot breath down my neck as I trudge through a massive hard-copy edit, followed by many rounds of proofreading as the layout people input only about 80 percent of the marked changes. I still don't have a contract in hand, as the poor, suffering staff officers in Ottawa wrestle with the civil service administration -- as close to wrestling with a pig in mud as you can get without actually rolling in mud. The Canadian federal government has a continuing crisis with its civil service pay system (google Phoenix and Canada, and see if you can figure out why they're not up to their necks in class-action lawsuits), so I kinda wonder when and if I'll get paid.