De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life 2019 - 2020

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Aug 19 - 11:19 AM

I missed seeing Lilyfestre's remarks until this morning—I feel like I've been on a tiny vacation just reading it! That sounds like a wonderful week away. In a month that included deer, turkey, and wheel bearings you still came out on top!

I'm maintaining the frugal stance this month, though I did some opportunistic shopping yesterday. I had an appointment in the next town over so I stopped in the Halal grocery for a package of their freshly made Iraqi bread and a couple of things for a friend (a standing order for when I'm over there and I'm paid back). I freeze the large loaves (12" or more across) and they'll go into a dozen meals over the next few weeks.

The new stud finder arrived; it has a "deep scan" feature I wanted to use on the newly-textured wall but it seems similarly challenged as the old one. I may have to return this and try the higher-price device I've read about in reviews. I finished painting hall trim and scrubbed that tile floor and have removed the plastic blocking that route through the house. The dogs were giddy at being able to go in there again.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Aug 19 - 11:18 AM

Electricians!!! LR outlets restored!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Aug 19 - 08:04 PM

Yesterday's Yano day was moved to today for mutually acceptable reasons and I used the time today for a Dig Me Out restorations of order-- some decluttering and some junking. This little house can get dysfunctional when I don't stay on top of it, and I've been unable of late.

I had a very non-informative Spine Center appt yesterday, that has left me with a lot of conflicting advice to process, a lot of unanswered questions, and more questions.

Also ydy I ordered a new Rollator. We paid $300+ retail for my present one and Medicare is buying this one, so one can stay with the van and one with the house. I'll be swapping some features to have the best seat for concerts.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Aug 19 - 09:46 AM

A glitch in the plans - the old stud finder can't find studs through this second layer of texture because it was put on over the top of the previous texture layer. The walls are all about 1/4" thicker after this latest architectural transaction. I hunted around, read reviews, and ordered a new Zircon that includes a "deep scan" setting. Arrives tomorrow.

To stay on track I mulled over the project and realize I'm still blocking the hall-to-den doorway because I need to finish painting trim in the hall. The tape is already down on the floor so can finish this pretty quickly then liberate the hall and let the dogs through all of the house. We will all be happier that way. I dressed in my paint clothes (saggy paint-daubed jeans I hold up with a belt and saggy paint-daubed old library t-shirt) instead of wearing the new t-shirt that arrived yesterday. It's message is "I was normal three dogs ago." I saw a photo of a friend wearing the same message and knew it was perfect for me (since I'm on my fourth dog here in this house, with a two-dog overlap).

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Aug 19 - 09:48 AM

Monday when you're retired is still Monday. Appointments happen during the week, and there are a couple this week and next, taking me past favorite thrift stores. Yes, I am being frugal - there is one item I need to replace, and I'll look for one that suits. My toaster oven has failed; the bottom element works but the broiler and fan have stopped and I don't see a way to give it a thump or replace something to repair it. This originally cost $13 at a thrift store and has been in service for about five years. One of my appointments takes me past my favorite Goodwill store that has high-end donations, so I'll start the replacement search there. I have no plans to pay full retail price for a new oven.

High of only 94^o today seems mild by comparison to typical August days. Some of my outdoor work includes swapping out a kitchen waste compost bucket; one of the current two in use is showing signs of crumbling from sun exposure so I'll retire it before something untoward happens with it's stinky contents.

More work in the office also, starting with the first set of shelves being attached to the wall. They won't be centered this time, but to one side, and my desk arrangement will be nearby. That's how I visualize it, anyway. I'm trying to leave myself a space by the window for a chair for reading or watching the bird bath outside.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Aug 19 - 10:25 PM

I replaced my lightweight step ladder with a modestly priced 4' "A-frame" fiberglass ladder. It has solid rubber feet and is much sturdier for all of the climbing I'm going to have to keep doing in the office. I stood looking at the blank wall where shelves will go and decided now is the time. I have to put up the support for the brackets, the boards are the easy part, and then put stuff back up there. The old step ladder goes to Goodwill; it still works, but I need something more reliable. I've had my eye on getting one of these since the contractors were here to work on the office.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Aug 19 - 10:15 PM

I'm pretty sure the month of July has wings...can't believe it's August already!

Just a little bit of catch up: I got my car back in beautiful shape after the turkey flew into the passenger side causing about $3000.00 worth of damage. Shortly after that, a deer ran into the driver's side of Pete's truck while all 3 of us were in the truck along with our dog and Miss Mable. Thankfully no one was hurt. However, our body shop of choice was closed until we would be on vacation so the truck has been parked for awhile. We went on vacation during the second week of July....Pete, Jeremiah, my mom and I. We rented a cabin on a lake in upstate NY and had a gloriously relaxing vacation. We enjoyed early morning coffee along the water as the sun came up, Jeremiah made a new friend (how precious it was to watch that friendship develop), we took a 2 nation cruise, ate out twice, did some shopping at a local Amish farm where I got 3 baskets and a strawberry rhubarb pie, played games, went fishing, had long conversations and enjoyed each other's company.

Of course, in the line of work I do, that meant getting as many clients in before the vacation and having treatment plans all up to date and then had to hit the ground running to be sure I got all clients in for the month....and I did it too...all but one that was due to him not engaging! August feels much more laid back already! I'm off for another week of vacation in September so it will happen all over again..LOL..doing my best to be sure all things are in order so September rolls a little bit more smoothly.

Anyway....got home and the furniture that we had ordered earlier this summer had arrived. We went to pick it up last weekend and got about 3 miles from the house when there was some strange sound happening with the truck...much like the sound of a flat tire. We made it home just fine and the tire was in good shape. Pete took the next day off to tear the truck apart to see what the problem was....ball bearing. Ugh. Another trip the garage. We picked up the truck yesterday and are hoping that that is the end of the vehicle problems!

The new furniture looks good in the living room and we are hoping to paint in September when it's a bit cooler and not so humid. The walls are currently a dark pumpkin color. The new furniture is mostly brown so I want to lighten it up a bit. I found a very soft yellow that compliments the fabric nicely....just waiting on the temperatures to drop!

Last week I made ceramic Christmas trees with my mom and we will pick them up this week and add some snow before bringing them home. Friday I traveled downstate to have my port flushed and then did some major grocery shopping on the way home. Yesterday we went to Women in the Wilds which is an all day event at my favorite state park....we had a great time but I've been dragging all day. That means today was a day of rest....unless you count cooking and 4 loads of laundry.

Jeremiah is growing fast right now so we have more things to go to Sally's. The old furniture has been burned...it was well worn and way past it's prime....not in good enough shape to pass along.

We also got new chicks this week...they are Cornish X Rocks/meat birds. The gardens are looking great but I can't take any credit for that...it's all on Pete. We currently are enjoying fresh tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, green beans, raspberries and loads of blueberries.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Aug 19 - 10:20 AM

Well, shit. Two shootings this weekend, Texas and Ohio. Somehow rational people need to make the case to the gun-rights-zealots who think they should be able to own high-power semi-or-automatic high-capacity military-style rifles that their way (of keeping all of these available so "the good guys can take out the bad guys") isn't working. In fact in El Paso, the police were having trouble telling who the bad guy was because anyone with a gun is suspect into it's all sorted out.

Susan, you're nearby the Ohio one. Do what you can for those you can help. Stay safe yourself.

On the home front, I've looked at the bookshelves and I can see a distinct slant in the office - that front of the house has tipped enough that the bubble in the I-beam level is all the way to the top of the horizontal vial. I actually shimmed one case on the end closest to the window. No wonder the ceiling fell. This is something that will only get worse until I manage to have the foundation work done.

Today is when more stuff moves into the office and on the shelves. I've put power strips and three-pronged extension cords in place behind the big book cases (used only for small things like lamps, not for heavy duty applications). They're ready to be reassembled and put into use.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Aug 19 - 09:46 PM

The two largest cabinet book cases are moved into the room in a new spot; I'm thinking about if I like them there or not. I have dust rags and the vacuum cleaner handy because there are bits of insulation that lodged on boxes and and in baskets as I move things out of the front room. The shelves for the cases are in the closet and a lot of things need to be reassembled, wherever I place them. I have the Goodwill bin nearby for the things that were moved out in a hurry but don't need to return to the office.

When this first started I had offered a six-foot by 40" by six inches deep bookcase to my daughter, but we didn't have a chance to take it to her house and she has rethought it, as have I. I may use it to organize the boxes and boxes of cassette tapes from my father's collection. I'll be digitizing them once I get moved back into the office. I won't be putting up as many bookshelves as I had before because I thinned them out so much. I'll have room for this in the office (it used to live in the hall where that ceiling was also replaced.)

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Aug 19 - 02:17 PM

SRS, that's great. Now you can focus the detective skills on why your water's hardness or pH vary, or soap brand...

This is why I add vinegar t9 shampoo and body wash. As I've posted before, I now have zero soap scum on the walls or in my hair. I can also use less product to get clean me, and dishes.

I've never seen any DW damage either. I no longer buy thousands of tiny rise aid product, either.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Aug 19 - 10:22 AM

We have a gentle drizzle underway right now, and those two dopey dogs are out playing in it. The house smells like wet dog. It's a very welcome rain, though it doesn't seem to be adding more than a trace in the rain gauge (or in this case, a dog dish sitting on the patio that I look at after a rain.)

Time to grout those two tiles I set last night before bed. I'll be careful not to step on them, but it's time to start moving furniture back into that room.

Susan, the vinegar seems to have done the trick!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Aug 19 - 10:12 PM

The tile is out, new tiles ready to place, now to let a little tub of the thinset thicken a bit.

Using up food here in the house, I've made a couple of small portions of pizza with some tandoori bread I had in the freezer and cheese that I've had almost too long. Some almost mealy apples are now in a very small pie.

Laundry set to go, and the dishwasher, this evening (I don't run appliances during the day because of the higher power consumption of running air conditioners.)

I did some work on the potted plants, rearranging and making sure if we do get rain one of these days the rain coming off the roof doesn't hit any directly.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Aug 19 - 02:19 PM

There are so many things we thought we could/would do once we were retired! I'm plenty busy, but not any more efficient.

I read about the strategy of really small bites; I have mixed feelings about it, but think it is a good way to approach desserts and foods that are less good for you, so you don't eat as much of them (or have seconds).

Interesting conversation with a neighbor about his foundation problems - his foundation guy told him to put up rain gutters, that with all of the rain we had this year, especially in June, more water got under the house because it wasn't guided away by gutters. That could be an answer here. I haven't had gutters since I put on a new roof about 10 years ago. Time for the research.

Finishing the floor tile replacement chore today, fingers crossed. It has gone very slowly because I have only so much patience with hammering all of that tile off of the concrete.

I'm going to try Susan's recommendation of vinegar in the dishwasher this evening. Fingers crossed there also!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: mg
Date: 01 Aug 19 - 04:59 PM

I think meal delivery is great. One thing I read about people with diabetes or hypoglycemia (a step on the way to diabetes) is try to have someone else cook your meals. I know I can go from fine to staggering around in a matter of minutes. They suggest perhaps a Chinese restaurant and making sure your food is done correctly for you. I personally when I was working went to McDonald's every morning for breakfast..I need a lot of protein and fat and their scrambled eggs and a sausage patty (ok and a diet coke) got me started for the day. Otherwise I would just sleep till the last minute. I thought once I retired I would spring out of bed and cook my own breakfast. gave up on that idea quickly. It gives me a time i have to get out bed (and left to my own devices I could sleep all day), gets a chunk of protein in me, I see my neighbors...could be cheaper but it is not too bad.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Aug 19 - 11:45 AM

Lunch Retraining Time!

Years ago at my peak salary, I was briefly able to afford Jenny Craig. It had its points, good and bad. Later, I couldn't afford to try Nutrisystem, but how I longed to! I knew instinctively how it would have served my chosen but unpredictable, clergy-household lifestyle.

Now, though, I'm old enough to qualify for reduced-cost senior services.

For about $50/month, weekday meals are delivered every Thursday morning. This is not your typical Meals on Wheels, as pix here demonstrate. I LOVE IT, despite its weak points, because it's proven to be a huge Missing Link.

It's giving me the opportunity to completely remediate my food program: the weekly delivery of gluten-free, low calorie but filling lunches, once I add romaine lettuce. While physical therapy is making meal prep painfully difficult, I can actually remember to grab and nuke the simple meal elements, and then actually sit at a table and cut up every element to create the tiny bites necessary to eat veerrrrry sloooooowly. With the addition of table condiments, the bland elements actually aren't bad.

I regret the amount of plastic this program generates, so I look forward to applying the new habits this program supports-- going off the weekly deliveries and incoporating lunch shopping/prep -- as soon as I'm able. But for now, I like knowing that I have gluten-free lunch bins in the fridge and freezer to use up each week. I finally get to learn what Mom never taught me and which I never built a day's habits around. Until now. Now I have all the pieces to out together to thrive, I think.

My other meal habits were pretty good, but this Missing Link is the keystone holding up the arch I stand upon.

Here's today's lunch. (Two veg pouches today because I was out of romaine.)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2391564320922850&id=100002079158985&refid=17&__tn__=-R

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Aug 19 - 09:49 AM

The holes aren't to support free-standing shelves, they are for the tracks that brackets fit into that support six-foot long board shelves. Furniture feet at the front of freestanding shelves work as the shim you mention, and I have two of those. I've measured various places to consider where to put these. I'm thinking about rearranging from the past setup.

August is here. Time to clear up paperwork as I pay bills and start clearing my dining room table of computer stuff as I set up my office in the office again.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Aug 19 - 09:01 AM

SRS, if you shim under the front edge of the shelves, they won't tip. (Just the skinny third or half of the shim will be enough.)

~S~

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Jul 19 - 02:41 PM

Any time the power goes out I have to consider how much I really want to get the vehicle out of the garage. The door weighs a ton unless it is released, and there is a release cord that I finally extended so I can reach and release it. It used to have a plastic handle but I cut that off when I realized it used as part of a trick used by burglars (who pushed the door just enough to create a gap then hooked the cord handle and released it). An insurance guy told me about that. I can reach the cord but it wouldn't be as easy to snag.

I think I've about had it with painting trim. There are a couple of doorways left, and then it's onto finishing the replacement tiles and scrubbing the floor before the move in. The question I have asked myself now: I had lots of the shelves with the brace screwed to the wall and the brackets that attach to support boards. The walls look so good - do I want to drill holes? I will put them up again, but I'm not going to put them as high as before.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Charmion
Date: 31 Jul 19 - 12:59 PM

Aaaaand ... the garage door opener died. Another five hundred bucks down the maintenance hole.

On the other hand, futilely re-prodding buttons in the diminishing hope of results when we're already late for church is presumably now a thing of the past.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 31 Jul 19 - 11:50 AM

SRS, it changes the pH so that all of the detergent plus any minerals dissolve fully and thus the dishes rinse clean. I just use it every time as the rinsing aid.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Jul 19 - 11:05 AM

Thanks, I'll give that a try. I ran the dishwasher empty with a couple of cups of vinegar a while back, it didn't seem to help in general, but maybe in contact with the dishes in particular?

This morning I have started putting things where they belong. The burnished Oaxacan figures are back on display in the hall niche outside my office, the rest of the Attic Dek planks are in the attic for later (clearing floor space in the sun room), as I assess what I need to do to get back to selling on eBay and putting my office back together. I'll use things on hand for tasks already under way and make August a No Spend Month. Fresh fruit and vegetables and staples (gas, dog food) are okay, but the rest can wait or something else can be used. It's an energizing process, considering how to move forward with more ingenuity and fewer material purchases.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Jul 19 - 10:57 PM

SRS, try 1/4c vinegar, in with the detergent.

Black eyed Susans went in the ground today, with Brandon.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Jul 19 - 04:04 PM

When it's over 100^o I don't spend much time outdoors, but I took a few minutes to move the mix of potting soil that had been in the garage in my wheelbarrow. Now the pots near the side door are planted with squash and eggplant for a fall crop. The garden seems to be snakebit this year, so I'll try pots.

Something is going on with my dishwasher and the local water; all of the glasses and silver are cloudy. I've started washing by hand and it seems to help. I refilled the rinsing agent but it doesn't make a difference. Perhaps it's a seasonal water thing? I'm getting ready to start polishing the silver and putting it into the case and use just stainless steel flatware (though I didn't get the new flatware because of the water.)

A week of cat sitting at a friend's house begins today and I always feed them around 7am and 7pm, so after the morning run I have a couple of hours when it isn't baking hot out there yet. Good for attic work, yard work, and maybe even walking the dogs.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Jul 19 - 04:20 PM

Y sitch heating up.

Half of peat pellets set outdoors for light-- fluoro too heavy to move, so more watering.

Yano tmrw-- unpacking the jackalope out of the shredded paper tangled in its dusty fur, so we can put it up.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Jul 19 - 05:29 PM

I'm not very patient when it comes to painting the trim and I keep bumping into the other color. It'll be a process of smaller and smaller brushes until I call it quits.

Today is a combination of around-the-house maintenance (laundry, dishes, cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms) and a push to finish the rooms. I mowed the lawn this morning and I've added water to the birdbath outside the office window (where several birds visited while I was watching).

More cut up branches in the trash, and the yard is looking much better since those built up piles are getting cleared out from under the trees where I dropped them.

It's time for round two with the chipper in the front yard to bag more mulch.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Jul 19 - 10:54 AM

Sprouts are starting up!

The Y meeting has become a writing exercise to use if necessary for a lawyoo.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Jul 19 - 04:51 PM

I keep intending to go outside to work on things and I keep finding things inside to distract myself. I painted the windowsill in the office, but the trim is a mess. It's lumpy from over the years and having two different coats of texture over time. I'm going to have to touch-up the touch-up before I'm finished.

Maybe I can mow near sunset, before the mosquitoes are out full-strength. The lightning bugs are still around but they come out too late for mowing.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Jul 19 - 11:02 AM

Up early enough to walk the dogs and while out there we met several other people, some with dogs, to chat with. My two are now panting up a storm while sprawled on the cool tile floor, but they look happy.

It's still morning so I'll take another swing at projects in the yard before moving indoors. If I find the missing knee pads I'll paint trim, but otherwise, it waits a while longer or is done in very short spurts to avoid further bruising.

I have eBay things I will start listing as soon as the computer stuff is moved off of the dining table (I have a fabric photo cube and lights I'll set up there for photographing what I'm going to list.) I need to start with "back to school" stuff (I have some children's jeans, etc.) and holiday listings (there are people who plan way ahead). It reminds me that LilyFestre is probably doing the on-the-ground back-to-school planning even as I type. I've seen a few things show up in grocery stores, as they assemble aisles with the supplies listed by area schools, by grade. Packs, tablets, folders, pencils, crayons, paints, glue—I do believe it's possible to get a contact high from handling the boxes of crayons! That smell has been magical since I first got to use them as a child and never faded. I haven't smelled the old sweet school glue for decades (but it tasted good!) but even the pads of paper, the boxes of pens, they have such great evocative smells. I was typical, not looking forward to going back to school, but dying to get my hands on those fresh supplies! As we grow there are other things we respond to that way - walking into an office supply store and looking at the pens, the tablets, the erasers! (Anyone else love those squidgy gray ones that were like silly putty and smelled so nice?)

Last week my daughter illustrated a similar passion for supplies, this time sewing, when she asked "can I look through your buttons?" I pulled opened that drawer in the craft room and she dove in, to find old packets that were 25¢ and 50¢ a card back in the day (many were from my mother's collection). I suspect she'll dream up projects just to use those buttons.

Okay. Back to decluttering.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jul 19 - 09:49 PM

That beef will be great for leftovers, Charmion! More power to you, Susan!

My work in the attic resulted in knees that are still very tender, so kneeling to paint around the room trim is not easy. I put painter's tape on the tile along the baseboard and did a test section to see how the paint looks when dry. I wasn't using the brush meant for trim, instead trying a technique I saw on YouTube. I think I'll go back to the trim brush.

I have a few more plants to put in the garden once the potatoes are dug up (if there's anything to dig!) and rework the tomato area. And I'll finally set up the sprinkler on the programmable timer.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Charmion
Date: 26 Jul 19 - 08:15 PM

Beautiful day today in Stratford, and we planted some anemones. Then I barbecued an enormous rib steak, of which we managed to eat about half.

Urp.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jul 19 - 01:13 PM

It seems I was sloppy when I went around the edge of the room with grout to finish the tile, because as I cleaned the baseboard I found sticky surfaces extending out from the wall. This was done a long time ago and I've found information about fixing the problem, but it requires time and scrubbing with a wooden stick and water or vinegar water or sugar water. It's always something!

I've been achy after the attic episode so I'm taking it easy for a couple of days to give the muscles and joints time to heal. My knees are also bruised, so again, a few days to get over this.

There is plenty else to keep me busy. Most of it is indoors; this part of Texas isn't as hot as Paris, but we're still seasonably hot.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jul 19 - 11:58 AM

A disability accommodation issue I've been negotiating nicely since January comes to a head today. I decluttered my spine of 30 pounds of prescribed rehab gear I've been re-injuring my spine with at every Y rehab visit. It's all finally in a padlocked case to leave at the Y. If they refuse, I have a lawyoo in my corner, and financial damages to document.

~Not Playing Around with My Spine

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 25 Jul 19 - 06:48 PM

Interesting SRS and I’d not heard of 66 block. Or lived anywhere with multiple wired phones. There was one extension here but the ADSL works better without it, and we moved to using wireless dect phones.

Appearance isn’t much of an issue with my cabling, just in surface mounted white trunking against white walls. The top bit in my picture is the path to the field and the left (which btw also has 8 blue mango chutney water butts along the wall) and bottom to the end of the living room completes a path round the house. It’s all quite narrow (I can get a wheelbarrow round but that’s about it) and not as if someone could stand back and take a look.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jul 19 - 06:14 PM

Jon, when I get the second internal drive installed in my expansion slot I'll transfer most of my files from the old computer. Included in there are some CAD images of the house and I can show you my pattern. A friend was my mentor in this; he's an electrical engineer and provided some of the early equipment (I move in here when it was still typical to have a wired phone in the house and in several rooms of the house. For a while I was using a 66 block and I set up the phone and coaxial for cable and later the data ports using a "star" shape versus the old "home run" setup that was here and is kind of what you described. That linked from one room to the next to the next, all around the house. My Internet and TV antenna come in at the back through a hard-to reach part into the attic so I pulled each cable to a place at the top of the attic steps where they are connected to one of the trusses. I run a cable from there to the modem and router (in a central location in the house) and that is where the coaxial antenna cables run from also. My house is masonry with siding on each end of the house and the dormers above the first floor brick, but I don't think running wiring around there would look good.

I can move around in my attic fairly easily and fish wires down into walls to junction boxes, and with the Internet and antenna terminating at an easy to reach spot, I can address each room individually without having to find where they are in a sequence.

Lots of sore muscles today after yesterday's insulation gymnastics. Charmion, it's pure stubbornness and poverty that have me doing as much of this work as I can. I pay the ones who really need to be here doing the work. There's still plenty of "fresh debt" with this project. I did the demolition and am doing the painting, and replacing the insulation (and oh, my aching arms and bruised knees!) The rest I left to the professionals.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 25 Jul 19 - 12:30 PM

Charmion, foxglove just sets where it pleases here and mum usually leaves them alone.

Thinking another thing that "just grows" here. Mum likes a little boundary which I keep higher and say 30cm wide between where I mow fora path between the veg plot and the farm worked field. Not much but a few field poppies have come up there. A nice bit of colour as you look over towards an (also attractive) currently ripening field of barley.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Jul 19 - 11:38 AM

Charmion, I hope Steve/TGT explained (or you knew) that most established potted perennials can go into the ground as late as weeks before the first frost. They may not fully flower that year, but the real magic of the plant happens underground, and the roots will reward you the following year.

I planted Coral Bells that way several years ago, and have based my whole gardening plan on fall planting. Just keep the roots as watered as each plant calls for no matter how unlike their future selves they look, and attack weeds with your usual pluck. You'll see those mature beauties soon enough (starting next spring and summer). Potted annuals-- set right on top of bare spots between the perennials-- can give good cheer this season.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 25 Jul 19 - 11:21 AM

Think we talked about networks on another thread not so long back, SRS. I took an easy (although I’m not sure how recommended) route for our bungalow and wired outside.

Just as in idle curiosity item, this is a rough sketch (which I think should have said 5E or 6) of what I wound up with a few years ago. It gives a redundant (or double speed if both lines are up) gigabit line where the static equipment is located and at least gives good wi-fi where it is wanted most.

Getting above the living room is impossible btw. The rest of the building (I believe a converted grain store) has a conventional ceiling and attic above but the living room is a later (60s?) extension with a roof more like a barn and with a couple of sky lights.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Charmion
Date: 25 Jul 19 - 09:42 AM

SRS, your energy and resourcefulness astound me. In your situation, I would be completely dependent on a contractor and up to my neck in fresh debt. I salute you.

Today, I am off to Kitchener to be needled at the allergist's office, but after that I shall visit the garden centre for some perennials. In particular, I'm looking for bee balm (Monarda didyma), which smells good, attracts bees, and looks like something from Mars so Himself likes it, and foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), which I think is interesting and should grow well in the bald spot where we used to have a scrubby-looking cedar.

I thought it was a bit late in the season to be planting, but Steve the Garden Guy gave me that pitying look I'm getting used to and said, "Why, no, not at all."

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jul 19 - 07:26 PM

The insulation is in place, though I have an extra bag and one corner I couldn't reach, so maybe a job for a cooler day. I'll go over the baseboard with a scrub brush to knock off grit before I paint it, and once the trim is done and the touch-ups complete it will be time for furniture.

The Attic Dek planks are meant for the ceiling joists being 24" on center, but the builders were a bit sloppy and while it worked in one area, the second place where I wanted to install them is more like 25" on center, and the decking wouldn't install securely at that spacing. I had 30" planks up there from the past when I was running cable through the attic, and they were what I used this time. I'll use the rest of the dek planks in other places where I need to pass through more easily.

A bag full of now-empty contractor bags is in the garage to be re-used as needed. They're good for hauling around compost and occasionally filling with trash (though I rarely have that much and usually put it in cans that are emptied at the curb.)

It's nice to finally be able to set the air conditioners at their usual levels. I look forward to being able to fully enjoy the house again soon.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Jul 19 - 04:55 PM

... And this caused me to declutter the sideboard here planned to be my summer Germination Station, where up to 125 peat pellets can sit under grow lights-- I don't garden in hot hot hot summer except watering plants, or indoors.

Adjoining the sideboard is the Germination Kit (box) I'd packed in PA for just that purpose. Tomorrow AM, the grow lights come out and I can plug those puppies in. From there it will be daily rotation of trays for even light from the grow lights and adjoining window, until any surviving plants go in the ground Oct. 1 (sooner if necessary).

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Jul 19 - 03:30 PM

An electrician finally showed up to give an estimate and plan a quick work date for what's been "urgent" since 2014.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jul 19 - 01:00 PM

About 1/3 of the space is now re-filled with insulation. I had to take up cardboard to kneel on because those Attic Dek planks are strong, but awful on the knees. I'm taking a break for a quick lunch and long drink of water.

Back up to finish the job, and I also end up with good surfaces for the few large empty boxes stored up there to sit on. I'll get some more of this Attic Dek another time and put pathways to a couple of areas where I have to navigate to work on occasion (pulling Internet cable, etc.) I suppose in the future everything will be WiFi, but I still get the best streaming results when I have data ports in each room, and I still have a couple of rooms I didn't run cable to when I made the big push to do the whole house. And the point where the phone line and Internet line come into the house - difficult to reach but a path to it on these would be perfect.

The next stage, after insulation and painting trim are finished, is to dust and restore each piece of furniture into the room, and to reinstall the wall shelves. This is a point where more stuff may go into the Goodwill bin. I'm probably a couple of days out from that.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jul 19 - 09:14 AM

It looks like today is the Attic Day. Gear and materials are ready. Cooler than average, and it's morning. Now I need to set up a radio so I can listen to the Mueller testimony while I work. However, based upon the squirrely, fast-talking congressman from Georgia, and the twit from Texas Ratcliff now, half of it is going to be agonizing to listen to as they try to wriggle off of the conspiracy hook. Hyperbole.

Goggles, mask, long sleeves, screwdriver and drill. Decking materials that will give me platforms to work from.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 Jul 19 - 04:39 PM

Brandon built my first ramp! It works!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 Jul 19 - 12:31 PM

Yano Becky returned today and we emptied 10 boxes of fragiles of their packing materials, which I will upcycle. This reduced the boxes to four medium sized boxes of items to clean next week. We set the four boxes in the little red wagon for ease of shifting, and I broke down all the empties to recycle.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Jul 19 - 12:12 PM

Somewhere in my office stuff (not yet back in my office) is a tape of my father singing, among other things "The World Turned Upside Down." I can find different words and tunes on YouTube, I can find the tune with the words in print below, but I can't find the song and the words performed together. So I guess I'll have to make a video with Dad's song and add some kind of topical illustration. This is one of the frustrating things about my office being tumbled hurriedly into boxes and stuffed in another room. I'm going to have to organize it. Again.

Back to my regular grousing.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Jul 19 - 10:46 AM

I bought a handful of plants a couple of weeks ago, and this week I put the salvia out in a front bed. I'd separated and nursed along some squash and okra, and this morning I found all three squash plants bitten off at the base. They aren't in the ground, they're in pots, so whatever did this traveled across the pots to do the damage. I haven't figured out who or what the culprit is and my garden is a mess because so many plants have been bitten off or girdled.

This is the time of year when I hit the hot-weather funk; it feels like there is so much to do and it's just too darned hot outside to do most of it. I live for that first cool day of fall.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 Jul 19 - 10:18 AM

At Lowe's early this AM for a little seed starter to dust over the thyme I began sowing onto peat pellets yesterday, I SCORED. Black Eyed Susan's I needed to replace, end of annuals sale but they're perennials-- $5 each x 4 1/2gal pots!!! To center the bed I'll seed-tape.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Charmion
Date: 23 Jul 19 - 10:14 AM

Steve the Garden Guy is on the new patio right now, planting hydrangeas, foxgloves and jeezly great daisies -- echinacea and rudbeckia -- in our new garden bed. It's a beautiful day in Perth County, now that the heatwave is over (for now), and I must get out and stretch my legs.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jul 19 - 01:42 PM

Good job with the water management project, Charmion!

It won't cool down here until October, and every day I have to decide what all I want to do outside depending on air quality, how hot, heat index, and general level of lethargy because it's the middle of summer.

I slept late enough that it's too hot to work much outside, so I'll paint trim. I may go out for a few minutes at a time, but not for an extended named task like "mow the back yard" (takes at least an hour), etc.