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

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Nov 19 - 05:16 PM

I shouldn't have said or written anything about a no-spend month; appliances large and small are lining up with issues needing to be addressed.

The puppy comes up with more odd stuff to drag into the yard that I'm going to have to fill a bag of things to take to Goodwill based upon the working plan that I may not be using X now but if the puppy tears it up I'll have to throw it out. So I might as well dispose of it and let someone else use it. She pulled a thing off of the wall this morning while apparently jumping for something else. Maybe a ball and chain would slow her down. :-/

I'm not sharing any of the story, but it looks like Gnu is headed home tomorrow. And very glad of it.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 07 Nov 19 - 07:12 PM

Dupont:

That is a Super Pup! Too smart!

I see ads about musty houses have hit us. Since last I wrote, I got to the point of thinking I was dying - any minute I would sop breathing. Seriously, I woke up Tues am and was crying because I did not want to leave R with all my stuff to deal with. I broke down and phoned my health consultant who quickly diagnosed mold. I brought out the air cleaner so it is blowing clean air at me and seriously upped the Pau d'Arco intake. Woke up Weds feeling fine. R will give me an argument bu I believe during the mold poisoning at the mill a few years ago and the time on Whidbey about 13 years ago. Fall, close doors and windows, mold takes ownership!

So, de-humidifier in basement -yay!; commitment by R to close off basement and put door between main house and addition. SOON! as his cousin and family arrive on Tues - R will tidy up! My son and family arrive 21 Dec, weather permitting. That was going to be our time at Beaver but R will enjoy showing Taun and 2 sons his various machines; Taun worked for R when he was 20 - figuring out how to repair machines.

I cooked a large pot of cranberries with honey - might need more honey! Now working on doing more apples. They have been neglected as I lost energy over the last week or so.

Left the BF table yesterday when R came back in - truck has flat tire - can I use your car? (Not a chance!) I grabbed coat and drove him to important meeting in the city - and he was on time! As I was already in the city, I considered what I could do usefully. At Market, hot choc mix that R likes (he had bought one the day before but - even if I were a mind reader, I would avoid his complex mind!) Grocery: a couple bags of the cookies he likes since I have not found this prosaic brand near home. Mall: navy blue bath towel and several navy blue wash clothes - preferable to getting annoyed each day when the lighter coloured ones turn black. His work is often VERY dirty - hence, so is his face! There is no way he is going to wash properly and RINSE it! So - stress reduction! Checked out a few shops which had nothing desirable and finally went home. I had texted him twice that I was still in town but E had turned his phone off for the meeting and R forgot to turn it on - as usual.

So, we had snow last night - just enough to be treacherous. I would not go out the door until it melted enough for me to go on back porch for apples and planters.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 07:18 PM

The light in the laundry room was too dim so I took back the new bulb and wasn't able to find any to fit it that are brighter, so I picked up another fixture like the new LED light in the front hall (after the ceiling replacement). When I took down the old fixture the junction box under it crumbled; it was in bad shape in 2002 when I had a new one put up there, and the electrician got it to stay in place with really long screws, but since then the bakelite-like fixture became too brittle. Most of it seemed to fall down my neckline when I moved the fixture. Junction boxes are inexpensive, and I'm hoping that $3 replaces easily on a solid surface. I don't want to have to call the electrician.

The vacuum is still not in prime shape, so after running a rope with a rag through to hose to completely empty it again I took it apart. I found a message about losing suction if not routinely cleaning out various filters, so I pulled and washed them and they're now drying (out of reach of any puppies that would destroy them). I have company coming weekend after next (Mudcatters!) so I want to get a jump on this dust and dog hair.

That same visit is inspiring organization of some of the stuff on my dining room table and sunroom.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Nov 19 - 12:43 AM

The round fixture junction box replacement was only $2.61. Modest, and paid for mostly with the small change I've wanted to weed out of my coin purse (they have one of those change-counting registers where you drop in the handful, not one at a time.) So, extra change decluttered.

A big batch of stuff is going over to Goodwill this weekend.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Nov 19 - 07:12 PM

The junction box operation has continued, the brace that was attached to it is too solidly in place to remove so I have to figure out how to attach the new box to it.

The day was nice so I took down the old fence panel and gate and have two of the new crossmembers in place (though I have to take the first one back down and cut a few inches off because I forgot to shorten it to the proper length). I stopped when mosquitoes came out (yes, they're year-round here in Texas). Tomorrow will take another hour or two and it'll be finished. I have more fence to do that attaches to this, but I'm doing the work on a budget, one panel at a time.

This week I'm staging a dirt and dog hair intervention in this house. The vacuum is back in great shape and it's going to get a lot of use.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Charmion
Date: 09 Nov 19 - 10:13 PM

Stilly, there is no such thing as “extra” change.

It’s all money. Dosh. Legal tender.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Nov 19 - 01:46 AM

Well, it is unused change in that it tends to be emptied out of the coin purse at intervals and end up in a fancy can, so it's usually out of circulation. I guess I can carry a little baggie of those coins with me and when I'm in a store that has one of those change trays with the self-pay register, I can off-load it.

It took some ingenuity to re-do the brace that was included with the ceiling junction box for that light fixture, but the original wouldn't fit so I finally managed a different one (with leftover stuff from putting up a curtain rod, I think) and drilling a couple of extra support screws through the side into the joist. I had to tie it into the old brace left from the brittle junction box that I removed.

Between the fence construction and the installation of that ceiling fixture, at one point it felt like I had every screw driver I own sitting on various horizontal surfaces around the kitchen and garage (and I have a LOT of screw drivers - my own plus what came from Dad's house).

That light is a thing of beauty after all of that work.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 10 Nov 19 - 06:13 PM

Dupont:

YAY for company! R has made the hall and spare room look good! De-cluttered his reading area as well! And said he would bring home wood to close off the stairwell. Each part of addition heats individually (3 rooms and hall) so I turned up the hall some; will turn it up more when stairway is covered and I can take the foam mattress out of the doorway. That was about keeping heat in house but also keeping any spores or whatever from the basement out of Den where I sit and read/computer. Will turn up heat in guest room on Weds - only the cousin is coming due to bad weather, and not til Weds.

So, I started putting out pottery on extended DR table. Three of us can eat in the K. Today, the warmest for a while, I brought all the pottery in from back deck and placed it on church pew in hall. Am gradually moving it out of boxes onto table, which is mostly full already. Will wait 'til cuz leaves to put up card tables for the rest.

I collected most of garden tools to deck and cleared it up as much as possible. Getting ready for impending snow. Glad to have snow tires on; when R went to get flat fixed no one could do it as all the tire places were up to changing folks to winter tires. He and gang did it themselves and it seems to be holding.

Re-potted small ficus which lives in Bathroom. And, finally, planted the new lavender in the new garden, where it can drape over a large rock R brought home. He really likes the new garden and is looking for more rocks to go around it. I never saw a draping lavender before but it is lovely. Frost has done in most everything, but still some colour showing in frosted flowering plants. No obvious signs of squirrel depredation! Inside, Beast has one new flower, hibiscus two, and a number of ratty geraniums are blooming in spite of me. I shall groom them better through the winter,and feed them. The one red mini rose bloom continues to be lovely!

Major shopping yesterday; I overdid it. Have 6 cauliflower - will cook and freeze - mashed for pasta substitute, on a cookie sheet cut into squares of appropriate size, so I can break it up after frozen, and bag it until needed.

My whole being is delighted to be back on real time; it just feels so right. I feel better in every way.

Thinking of Pete and Michelle.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Nov 19 - 11:39 AM

While making a fresh produce run at my favorite discount gourmet grocery I found a tall Rubbermaid bin that has a square footprint. This will go to the sun room and I may go get another (they're only $8). This'll allow some of the overflow of packing materials to be corralled and out of puppy reach.

I made a huge push last night to find and apply all of the edits to one of the essays for a journal I'm working on. When the author is making a few small editing changes it isn't fair to the document editor/designer to send a whole new document with the changes unmarked. I'm not going to just drop that document into the InDesign page, I need to know the specific changes to add to the existing InDesign document and I'm sure as hell not going to re-read the two side-by-side all the way through to try to locate them! The amount of work needed to prepare any text to put in the Adobe software is huge. The amount of understanding of these academics to the design process is puny. I finally got her to photograph the pages she wrote on so I could FIND the changes on the new document and type them into the design document. Doh! I've enjoyed the little bit of extra income, but next year I'm going to pass this off to a friend the editor knows and suggest she double the fee.

It's a gorgeous bright morning and the low overnight was down to 24^o. It's too cold to do much out there, but everything is lovely to look at. Last night I put a new dog jacket on Cookie to take her walk before bedtime and she fussed for a minute or two then settled down, I think recognizing what it was for. But she would shred it if I left it on her a moment longer than needed. These dogs with a fine one-layer coat do benefit from that reinforcement though she puts out enough heat normally that she'd be okay without. It's a human thing, putting on a jacket in cold weather.

Sweet potatoes simmering; the batch from the freezer didn't survive the thaw last week. I measure them into take-out containers and freeze them for baking later. I have one serving of my hearty tomato vegetable soup left and then I'll make a lentil batch. I love having soup handy for quick meals during the week.

Next Saturday is an e-waste drop-off event at my university and I'm going to have a large box of stuff. I'll start putting it in the back of the SUV now to remove the tripping hazard in a couple of rooms.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Charmion
Date: 13 Nov 19 - 10:49 AM

I made three dozen whole-wheat hamburger-type buns yesterday, so we have bread for a while. I profoundly resent it when bread I made with my own fair fingers goes mouldy, so I started making buns that get thawed two or three at a time.

Mind you, making buns is a damned nuisance mitigated only by good tools: a dough scraper for splitting the great mound of yeasty stuff on the worktop, and a digital scale to ensure that all the buns are the same size.

Of course, I could just buy bread. But what would be the fun in that?

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Nov 19 - 03:45 PM

I can never seem to get my homemade versions to assume and maintain the shape of the buns I visualized when I started the task. I bake bread, dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, all sorts of yeast and/or baking powder and baking soda quick breads, but I still enjoy buying a hot fresh tandoori or Iraqi flat bread, and Mexican bolillo rolls are pretty special when purchased fresh. All of these I freeze while they're still in their prime. I make pita bread, corn and wheat tortillas, etc, but I also buy them when I know they're made on the premises in the same way I would (ingredients - but someone else is doing the work and the cost is reasonable).

I'm headed over to get another tall bin, this time to put the long mailing tubes into, I have quite a few of them here with maps and posters.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Charmion
Date: 14 Nov 19 - 09:11 AM

Anything that is usually baked in a special oven -- lookin' at you, pita bread -- I leave to the professionals.

I will never forget the stupendous mess I made when I tried to make pita at home. Flour ended up everywhere, the results were only barely edible, and I was too poor to throw away the failure and move on without regret.

Ya live and ya learn.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Nov 19 - 10:01 AM

One of the international students who worked in my library department was originally from Iraq and her mother managed to find an oven here in the US so she could make the traditional large round flat Iraqi bread. It involves rolling and stretching it then draping it over a large really, well, you don't want to look too close, pillow-like thing, and reaching into the hollow center of the oven and sticking it to the side. There is a similar setup with the same kind of odd pillow in use at the grocery where I buy it now. The other breads are made in a bakery attached to the store and are mechanically shaped and run on a production line through the long ovens. But you can make pita bread at home with a pizza stone.

We had a heavy wind earlier this week and it seems to have dropped every leaf that was once on my trees. I'll mow over all of it this weekend and let it mulch into the turf. Trees decluttered.

There's a thread about Susan's recuperation going, if anyone missed it.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 14 Nov 19 - 05:06 PM

Dupont:

Cuz not coming until Saturday. Still no cover on stairwell - maybe Sat!!

Pottery is all on display; now I need some lookers! A couple groups are sending word out. There is an amazing amount of nice pieces that I forgot I had. That's what comes of "don't unpack too much" at that last show!

Laundry in dryer, dishes minimal. Vacuumed stairwell and mat inside front door!! At least, with the snow, there will be no more leaves walking in. River is de-cluttered of boats and docks (all floating, of necessity!) A skim of ice. Roads not fun and a thaw and freeze will make them nasty.

Picked up a few groceries today and stopped at a shop to check out having a wood stove installed in fireplace. WOW! But I would like to have a source of heat in case of outage. Man will visit on Tuesday to look it over. They give a certificate for insurance co. I wonder if house is insured? R is not keen on insurance for buildings. The Jotul I want installed is, unfortunately, at the mill and I need to get it here by Tues with no help from R, who will be busy on weekend- getting that stairwell covered and whatever else he considers important before cousin arrives. He does not consider the stove important; I do.


"Complained" to bakery that every time we really like something, they stop making it! I just picked up a fruit relish, they carry, that R likes. Next week planning to go to Ontario; will pick up goodies at the Goldmine. They make dynamite scones and muffins. The Quebec one offers croissant sorts.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Nov 19 - 11:01 PM

I actually bought three more bins and have my mailing tubes in one and packing materials in the rest, and made progress on clearing out the sunroom. Tomorrow I'll make a trip to the recycle bins with lots of stuff that was culled.

It's cold enough now that I'm just puttering along working on stuff all day; the heat zapped my energy but now it's back. The greenhouse got some attention, plants moved in, and I took out the burning barrel to get rid of old papers that were too many to shred.

Next week is an e-waste event that will finally let me get rid of old computer hard drives in a secure fashion. It's not the first event on the weekend I heard about (that the city is running) but a few later on campus and I can take my stuff. I have enough hard drives here now to build a hefty doorstop, but I'd rather recycle them.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Charmion
Date: 15 Nov 19 - 08:25 AM

I have to check the town calendar for any mention of e-waste collection; we have dead gadgets squirrelled all over the house. Thanks for the reminder, Stilly.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Donuel
Date: 15 Nov 19 - 11:23 AM

I'm going to label all the old internal and external hard drives 'H.Clinton emails' and let them go

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Charmion
Date: 15 Nov 19 - 11:31 AM

Donuel -- HAHAHAHA!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Nov 19 - 04:40 PM

Good trick if you want your data to hang around forever!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Nov 19 - 11:21 AM

Time to declutter myself of the editing job from hell. The design phase is essentially completed and the editors keep finding new corrections - this is the classic illustration of the perfect being the enemy of the good. Today I put my foot down, they're eating up too much time.

There's a stray male pitbull hanging out around the neighborhood; it was below freezing last night so he was out in it somewhere, maybe under the bridge, hunkered down. I think he's probably attracted by my barking dogs who always come in excitedly to get me when he turns up in the front yard or driveway. I've posted photos on the Nextdoor site and have no response. I fear this one will end up at the animal shelter once he crosses the bridge and ends up in Fort Worth proper.

More sun room work today. And yard work. It's a cat sitting weekend so I have to keep an eye on the clock also.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: LilyFestre
Date: 16 Nov 19 - 02:27 PM

As it turns out, Pete needs more surgery and radiation. That will be happening on Thursday. The remainder of his thyroid will be removed, medication will begin after surgery and approximately 2 weeks later, he will receive an injection of radiation and have a nuclear scan from head to toe to pinpoint thyroid cancer cells that have spread in his body, then iodized radiation will be administered. He will need to be quarantined for 4 to 5 days. We have discussed various options but I think he will be staying at a local hotel. Jeremiah and I have the option to go to someone's home but all the animals would need to be boarded....and that's just too much. I hate the idea of us being apart but it's what we are going to have to do one way or the other. We've also discussed him staying in his office at home...he can take his recliner in there and that's where he has all the things he loves to putter with...so I think he'd be fine there but we will wait and see if Nuclear Medicine says he has to be out of the house totally. One doctor told us that as long as no one touches him, we can stay in the same place but I'm not sure I trust that...we shall see.

On a completely different note, we all got hair cuts today. I had 6 inches chopped off and I think I like it....LOL....it always takes me some time to decide if I like a new haircut or not. I was ready for a change and something a little more clean cut/professional.

I am still working on what I need for Thanksgiving and a shopping list in general. I am feeling overwhelmed with everything that needs to get done before Pete goes in for surgery, getting things ready at work for my time off (thank goodness for Paid Family Leave) and then just regular chores around here....I'm to the point of being so overwhelmed that I'm not doing anything....surely I will kick myself for this later.

Work is going well, I've been training someone new who will fill in for me while I'm out. She and I get along very well and I dare say I have a new friend. :)

That's it for now. Hoping the rest of you are doing well.

Much love to all,

Michelle

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: mg
Date: 16 Nov 19 - 02:46 PM

the main thing is everyone's health and stress reduction. Thanksgiving rituals can be put on hold for a year and you can have a nice quiet pizza, tv dinner, whatever. Whatever your family enjoys and does not wear you out. You could ask friends to save you some leftover stuffing and pie...

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Nov 19 - 11:32 PM

Wow, Michelle. So many decisions to process. The quarantine is to keep everyone else away from the radiation until it dissipates? It does seem that being home but in the office might be difficult to remember and manage for several days. That's an astonishing process you describe, the full-body detection of any cells and the quick move to treatment.

Mary has a good suggestion, and maybe there are a few friends who would like to help with a potluck this year? Thanksgiving can happen on another day also. We rarely have xmas or Thanksgiving on the actual day, we wait until we can get together and do it properly. That feeling you have when everyone is there and the meal is good - can happen when you're ready.

Love to all of you, Michelle.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Nov 19 - 01:08 AM

For the last three days it has been trip a day to the recycle bin to get rid of excess eBay packing materials. The sun room is improving.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 18 Nov 19 - 04:58 PM

Dupont:

With no energy at all. ... 3 hours later: recovered the energy and filled the soup pot with vegies, watered plants, etc. Mystery to me. I have decided that I no longer have the energy for solo trips to Beaver. R has agreed to go with me for a few days to ensure house is ready for winter, pick up goodies at the Hidden Goldmine, touch base with a few people, maybe go to walk in clinic at health centre. Lengthy conversation with Connie early aft, seemed to energize me but provided no ideas other than de-toxing. I will try a hot bath after R gets home; concerned that I may not be able to get out of tub without help.

Our guest was low maintenance; he, R and bro went off all day Saturday and came home fed and tired. I was low energy all day; visited craft show, bought 3 small succulents, visited new history museum in small town, stopped for groceries and came home tired. Devised a sort of terrarium with the plants in a tall (12inch), wide (8) glass jar; it looks terrific, with white stones showing at the bottom, then dried moss around the sand, then soil, bringing the tops of plants to the top of container.

R did cover the stairwell on Sat am - with a rough but fitted piece of plywood. I threw a throw rug over it. He has a plan for improvement but I am content that air is no longer coming up from basement, the foamie is retired to storage and we feel happy to have the opening to the hall and easier access to main bathroom.

Sunday: BF with cuz before he embarked on long trip home - about 12 hours. 3 folks came to visit, tea and yummies, and they bought a few pots - 5 gone, a zillion yet to go! R went off to fetch a wood stove from the mill that we hope to use in place of fireplace. Man coming Tuesday to assess situation. A fair sized expense if we do it. I am concerned about heat in case of power outages. The generator, still sitting in carton in back yard, will run sumps and maybe frig and freezer.

I am sorry to hear that Pete has more ahead of him. Tough on Michelle and J. Lots of folks rooting for you all, M!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Nov 19 - 05:31 PM

The weather today is big gray fluffy clouds, warm breeze, and they're blowing from the southeast, not the southwest. Leaves coming out of the trees big time. I was running around today, discarding the old single-unit stereo system (CD, cassette, receiver; I kept the LP player and speakers) and found a used receiver I can plug a couple of other things into. Goodwill, and now to test it. It's likely the replacement items are going to take up more space than the old one, but at least that space was allocated ahead of time when I put up the shelves.

The next two days are empty of dates, meaning I'll finish a lot of my sweeping of dog hair in preparation of weekend guests. It may also mean another trip to the recycle bin.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Nov 19 - 12:36 PM

It's windy out so I decluttered my front yard of cardboard and bags that blew in from someone's trash up the street. Trash day on windy days can be dicey.

Working my way through the laundry room and kitchen this morning, running laundry, doing the usual kind of clearing up after a busy week and ahead of a visit. I've reorganized the various cleaning rags in the laundry room, assigning them a new larger container that lets me also stash the old bath/hand towels that have long since been used for washing cars, catching water at the dog's dish, and more. The original basket I'd used for the cloths was a little on the small side. Now - reassign the basket or donate back to Goodwill? I'm realizing that part of the clutter around here are unused (as of now) containers that were emptied during previous passes through the household papers.

Listening to the hearings last week and this, hoping that some political persons will be prudently discarded after being clearly identified as trash.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 21 Nov 19 - 05:57 PM

Dupont:

We have agreed to have Jotul (wood stove) installed in fireplace, for heat if electric goes out, and maybe for a cosy heat on cold days. I have arranged to have chimney swept on Tuesday - after English class. Tomorrow I will arrange for installation, hopefully before family arrives on 21 December.

Going to Beaver Friday; need to arrange to pick up goodies at Goldmine. Hope to do a firing for Magda then close up studio for winter to save electric bill. Dr. appointment Monday noon, then back to QC until next time R can take a break.

My energy is on a roller coaster and I am trying to keep a log book to determine what does and does not help.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: LilyFestre
Date: 21 Nov 19 - 07:38 PM

Hi Everyone,

   Thanks for all the love! Pete had the completion of the thyroidectomy today. The surgeon reports that surgery went well however, after the surgery they had trouble regulating his blood pressure which was sky high. Additionally, they wanted to keep him overnight to monitor the calcium levels to make sure the parathyroid wasn't going to freak out...that can lead to problems with the heart.

He is expected to come home tomorrow to begin the healing process and the radiation bit is to come...I don't know the timeline just yet.

And Thanksgiving....it was going to be a potluck for family and a few friends. We are to take the turkey, squash and my homemade cranberry sauce has been requested. The fact of the matter is, if Pete is not feeling up to it, we won't go but I will still deliver the food. I do not have to return to work until December 2nd. I am very happy to be able to stay home with Pete. :)

Jeremiah is doing fairly well with all of this. We have explained this to him as best we can and I am quite proud of him.

Sweet dreams all.

Michelle

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Nov 19 - 08:00 PM

Good luck with the log book, Dorothy. And I hope Michelle and Pete will make it to Thanksgiving.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the glass doors on campus yesterday, and while short jeans may be a thing these days, I don't like the way they look on me, and I'm down to just one long-enough pair. My favorite thrift store this afternoon had four pair for under $20; two that are my current size and two that were really good looking that I can't quite fit into - aspirational shopping. :) The short ones will get used doing yard work, painting, etc.

I'm making progress around the house, and finding more things to spritz with bitter apple to keep the puppy from destroying. We're due rain overnight but I'll go ahead and mop a couple of floors and keep a damp mop handy to occasionally clear up what the dogs track in.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 19 - 12:41 AM

Today was the finishing touches on cleaning the kitchen and living room, including moving the sofa and washing the dog-proof cover and the dog bedding in the kennel. Other stuff was done earlier in the week so it wasn't too bad today. Tomorrow is some baking in preparation for guests.

My loose SUV bumper (I backed out of a driveway and off of the curb so the bottom of the bumper smacked the curb) was fixed yesterday at no cost - good luck there! The body shop recommended by the dealer said the plastic connections needed to be lined up correctly to push back into place, and he did it. That was a relief. Though it does mean the Nissan is held together by little plastic flaps - not such a relief. :-/

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Nov 19 - 12:19 PM

I'm now at that wonderful stage where guests have come and gone and I can now enjoy a tidy house right before the holidays.

It seems people in the area are getting a jump on the xmas season, putting up lights ahead of Thanksgiving because the US holiday is so late this year. I shall do the same - the next two days are in the 70s and my holiday is postponed until Sunday (Dec. 1) when we can get the entire family here. Gives me time to set up, even if I don't light them yet.

I have several small loaves of fancy breads in the freezer, both banana and pumpkin/sweet potato types so far, ready to give as gifts to friends and neighbors. If I get my hands on some zucchini I may make some of that also. The distribution will declutter shelves in the new freezer.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Nov 19 - 09:53 AM

The tiller (lightly used but not touched for a couple of years, given me by my next door neighbor) has been dropped off at the small engine repair shop to be tuned up and lubricated. The weather is warm today but getting cold overnight, so this is the day to mulch in neighbors' leaves that have drifted into my yard and mow the back so the yard looks welcoming for Thanksgiving. I'll prune on shrub out front and put up lights while it's warm. I'll get the tiller back probably next week, and will plan to put in potatoes this year.

I did some decluttering work in the sewing room, organized thread (I put a new rack received at xmas last year up on the wall) and separated all of the mending tasks from the other stuff awaiting attention in there.

There's a list on the cleared-off kitchen counter of the things I need to buy (not very much; just a few vegetables and fruit for brine and a turkey breast and thighs, not the entire bird) for the upcoming holiday. I have a couple of craft projects to do before our family's holiday gathering, this year probably around January 3.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 26 Nov 19 - 10:26 PM

Dupont:

Thoughts of Michelle, Pete and J: Hope you have a good Thanksgiving!

Nice four days away at Beaver. But without running water! Seems a problem with the septic pump may have blown a fuse and turned off the water pump and freezer. Stuff in the freezer was still refreezable. R go buckets of water from the wee stream to flush toilet and I had rainwater and distilled water for dishes and drinking/cooking, respectively. Kept cooking to a minimum and washed dishes before leaving but left a couple pans. Bit of a clutter!

Electric blanket warmed the bed very nicely as wood stove warmed the house. Beautiful weekend with two sunny days.

De-cluttering the studio - helped Magda get a bisque firing going and she wrote down detailed instructions to complete that and a glaze firing or two. R put the boxes of clay on a dolly and brought them into bathroom. Goal: to turn off cube heater for the winter- Magda will do it when she is finished.

R assured the bathroom will stay warm. He did not dig up the septic although Larry visited and, in consulting, said the ground is not very frozen (only a couple inches) and this would be a good time to do it. Robin know what it takes ( did it a couple years ago) and did not have the energy.

Clutter and de-clutter: The amount of stuff I wanted to bring here filled the car - with R's magic packing skills. On Monday, I worked with Magda and we went to see "my" new, never met before, very young doctor. We negotiated: no CT scan of gut, just blood tests.

Went to Service Ontario to replace car registration, stolen from car Friday am. Oh yeah, 5:30 am - knocking on door, police telling R that kids had been breaking into cars, had caught them outside our house, was anything missing? Only on our way did I find the papers gone, along with the very small New Testament I bought in 1977 after we all survived my truck overturning on the prairie.

Then R went to get new fuses to leave - just in case. I went to insurance office and begged a copy of insurance card. And, R not back yet, to a thrift shop where I fancied a set of dishes with a blueberry theme - 39 pieces for $10 and very nice. The volunteers quickly boxed them and we found space in the car for them!

That car load of clutter from Beaver is now finding homes here. with some fiddling but it will work. Love the new dishes! One large bin is Christmas stuff.

Chimney swept tonight - chimney and wallet de-cluttered! Ready for installation of wood stove - which will greatly de-clutter wallet but ease mind - we will have a source of heat in case of outage.

Today, I finally figured out that my student can read English - does not always know what it means but she can read/pronounce the words. (I can read French that way!) But she does understand a lot of words and can respond when she understands what I say. She needs to listen/hear English. So, the daughter and grands, with whom she lives, all speak good Eng BUT at home they only speak Russian because the daughter want her kids to hold their heritage. It is tiring trying to help her but she is very appreciative.

Snow is gone for now and it was like a spring day!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Nov 19 - 02:53 PM

A morning spent raking and scooping leaves at the Botanic Garden in the Japanese Garden was a good warm-up and workout for the day. All volunteers were retirees and there was a point in time when aches and pains were compared - I'm getting off fairly lightly with an arthritic knee. This part of the garden is kept very well groomed and maybe it will inspire me to do some tidying in the yard.

Three dogs just descended on my office with a gush of fresh air around them and the scent of baldcypress - they have been wrestling out in the yard. I have to scoop and then run the mower to mulch a whole bunch of leaves out there.

There is a juniper in the corner of the front yard that now has the holiday lights on it and last night I turned it on for a while as a landmark for a friend who was coming over to the house for the first time. The strings that go across the front porch will go up today. Not much involved in these two zones of light, but they add a little festivity to this end of the street.

I've pushed a couple of big tasks off of my desk and now I can resume stuff I need to do around here that has waited for my attention. Back to eBay, for starters, and to do some mending and cooking and . . . when there are warmer days, yard work. The fence needs an extension. There's always something to do.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 19 - 04:22 PM

It's an anticlimactic day, though I watched part of the Macy's parade (mostly out of curiosity to see if the balloons would march and if there would be any mishaps; when I turned it off only Ronald McDonald had a deflated left leg the handlers were carrying down Broadway). I have a couple of friends coming over for a "typical" dinner. Our family celebration will be on Sunday.

My decluttering today has been clearing out some extra stuff in the fridge; I have a small (13 lb) fresh turkey in the small fridge that I'll brine over Saturday night, and will need a place to put the roasted carcass remains after dinner. I have an interesting mix of vegetables to roast (I don't make stuffing) and when that is finished it will go into one container.

Now comes a mix of holiday movies - some good ones and a lot of stinkers. Good thing I have DVDs of most of my favorites (and still have a working VHS if the only versions I have are still on tape.) You never know what the kids are going to want to veg out on once we get everyone together. Some of us like A Christmas Story and one always complains about it; everyone likes Muppet Christmas Carol and I finally got a DVD of that (after watching it on VHS in years past). Some other Muppet specials also from when the kids were small are still appealing.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Nov 19 - 10:04 AM

Last night I started working on the cables behind the cabinet where all of the sound equipment sits in the den; I'll be able to run everything through the receiver and to the speakers (the television was absent from that unless I was playing something from the DVD/Bluray player). Getting the correct lengths - I found myself at one point wondering if I would have to buy more RCA cables; I think I found where a couple of the longer ones went and can avoid that purchase in this day of Bluetooth, etc.

I have a friend I worry about, who was fired 3 years ago for what we all understand was no good reason - he was a disabled person working for a know-nothing dean who drove off her best staff in the course of a few years, as they could escape to new jobs or retire, though a few did just quit and walk out the door. He has managed to do temp work since then, but not consistently. The combination of being older and being angry about what happened is dangerous to his health. We didn't do Thanksgiving yesterday, though he is invited to the family one on Sunday; what I did last night was have a couple of people over and we scoured the fridge and freezer for interesting leftovers. He's vegetarian and we ended up with a pretty darned good smelling quesadilla (onions, poblano pepper from the greenhouse, avocado, and cheese) and the others of us ate smoked salmon with our rice, salad, and such. It was a nice evening and both friends left after an evening of good conversation that decuttered the introspection of a holiday spent alone at home.

Today I hope to finish the sound system setup and maybe binge in a couple of favorite movies while I work on eBay stuff in that room.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Dec 19 - 11:43 AM

Furniture moved and a mirror found and placed in front of the fireplace (to conceal its pink insulation filling). TV, sofa, chair and footstool all moved.

Our family Thanksgiving is today. The date isn't important, it's having the people and the food that makes it the holiday. I hope everything went well with Michelle, Pete, and Jeremiah (and some family and community helpers) and that Susan had visitors and a nice Thanksgiving in her therapy setup.

Tomorrow I'll continue with the furniture moving; studies ages ago now revealed that rearranging furniture is a way to generate endorphins. I'm overdue on this particular exercise so I'll enjoy the effect.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Dec 19 - 12:24 PM

It’s sleeting in Stratford and the world is covered with a layer of ice, so the little bit of grocery shopping I had planned is out of the question. I have zero interest in tidying or cleaning, and I did the wash yesterday. That leaves sitting and reading until it’s time to make dinner.

The GoodLife company threw a large spanner into our works by closing the gym that Himself and I have patronized since August 2017. The space and equipment will be taken over by something called Fit4Less that costs less than Goodlife but — surprise! — offers fewer services and no programming. Consequently, I have been looking around for a fitness place that offers adequate facilities and helpful programs at a price I can afford.

My options were narrowed considerably by the fact that my wonky foot is now grumbling with every step, despite rest and new orthotics. That leaves me with swimming and exercising in water, so now I go to the Y.

The YM/YWCA is terminally uncool and, in daylight hours, full of arthritic fuddy-duddies. I’m going to love it. The swimming pool is kept near blood temperature and the showers have grab handles. Friday was my first day in aqua-fit, with a group of codgers and a trainer who looks about seventeen but definitely knows how to deliver a challenging core workout. Deep-water class is on Wednesday. I’m told it’s a can’t-miss affair.

Best of all: I don’t have to wear a bathing cap, there’s no loud pop music, and my feet don’t hurt after.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Dec 19 - 11:45 AM

The sunshine is piling up in huge drifts here in North Texas, and the problem with this is that we never really acclimate to the season; when it drops to freezing for a stretch of days it's a jolt to the nervous system.

I've entered leftovers season to join the rest of the apres-Thanksgiving US; so far I haven't used much, I made a batch of turkey flautas (shredded, seasoned, and rolled up in corn tortillas and fried; they're reheated in the toaster oven and served with guacamole, lebne, and finely-chopped iceberg lettuce.) Soup looms.

It will be eBay full-tilt this week and a holiday party on Friday evening, as a way to balance out the alone-time at home. The little tiller given me by the neighbor is ready to pick up after a rebuilt carburetor repair, and just in time to start a bed for potatoes (they get planted around January 1 here.) My neighborhood's bulky waste pickup is next week and I have some old fence panels and stuff I intend to pull up that had edged the garden to put at the curb. The back yard leaves need mulching, so the piled up sunshine will come in handy to dry them out for the mower after a wet week.

The last few weeks have been about putting things back into service that are here instead of buying new. It's a good habit to get into. I've cleared out some space in the craft room around my sewing table and mending will come under the "put back in service" goal.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 03 Dec 19 - 08:18 PM

Dupont:

I would be tempted to try the local pool bu it has chlorine, one of my worst sensitivities. Swimming is such a top notch exercise.

Did some clean up to have the house look moderately nice for friend Hannah and her son and his partner. They removed a few pieces of pottery after considerable commentary. Hannah already has enough - a collection going back about 40 years - stacks of them! They enjoyed seeing the house and went to the attic. Hannah remembers me since she was 8 = 52 years! She and my son will each be 60 in the next week and each of their spouses have birthdays on the 10th! She is a keeper of my history. Her son worked for R for a while so we all had a great visit. We are somewhat like an "extended family".

The pottery is becoming a serious conundrum. I need to figure out a place to put it before 21st when other son arrives with family. We need the table for meals! I'm thinking....

Eng. class today had two students. I had forgotten Jacinthe; she was in FL for 5 weeks. It was more fun with two; J was helpful and we both worked on convincing T what she knows more than she thinks - she needs confidence - a word we worked on! Amongst many others! I had brought up on line a couple children's books being read well with closed captions. We watched together and talked about words and the stories and were able to have a semblance of discussion! I also read a couple of my children's books to them. Exhausting but good. I exhorted them to do this on their own at home and write down words so we can look a them next week.

Pro-biotics (50 Billion) have improved my gut health and general well-being - very much. Ginger tea helps also. My energy has improved greatly.

Magda is finished in the studio; pics of her pottery are beautiful! She is doing Christmas shows with that and her other arts. I am happy to have been able to help.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Dec 19 - 11:01 AM

I was taking Biotin to strengthen my nails and it seemed to work for a while, then not so much, but when the supply ran out and I stopped, they really got soft and flaky. So I'm drinking a cup of bouillon with gelatin once a day until my subscription (Amazon) of a low dose arrives in a couple of weeks. (If you subscribe to five things that arrive on the same day you get 15% off.) I did some research on recommended doses, and the one I had tried was "on sale" in the local pharmacy, but ends up having been way too much biotin and way too expensive for what is recommended. Live and learn.

How are your large plants looking, Dorothy? So far my four in the greenhouse are humming right along; if the forecast is for really cold I'll have to step up the measures to keep them alive. There is a heater out there and a "thermal cube" to turn on the power to the heater once it reaches a low of 39^o.

eBay is under way, as is the digitization project, where I was having trouble getting sound until I realized I needed to jostle the conversion box, one plug seemed not to be fully connected. Like Dorothy, I need the [dining] table for meals (and for other projects), so will compress and list items to clear it off.

Any holiday decorating in the house will have to be suspended above the reach of the puppy; she's a destructive force of nature these days. And to do my sofa and my house a favor I ordered another waterproof couch cover; the one on there now is falling apart after three years of use. I'm surprised it lasted this long.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Dec 19 - 11:07 AM

The sun is almost shining in Stratford today and I have installed a pair of my new orthotic insoles in my winter boots, so I shall take a little stroll downtown, perchance for lunch.

I have already logged my morning's fitness requirement with another pool class at the Y. That's quite a workout if you invest a little effort.

No holiday decorating is happening in this house -- hurray! It isn't that I disapprove of Christmas, it's just that we have no room for a tree and I have zero desire to clean up after one. I might really strain a nerve and put a wreath on the front door, but that will be IT.

I finished the second batch of fruitcake yesterday, so we have six wrapped and ready -- five to go and one for us. Himself's siblings have rather half-heartedly accepted fruitcakes in the past, but this year none are going to anyone who does not definitely and enthusiastically want one; they are not easy to make, and just too damned expensive (not to speak of delicious) to waste on anyone with mixed feelings about mixed fruit. My side of the family are very pro-fruitcake, phoning up around the Sunday next before Advent to enquire as to whether I might be making any, and I have an old college buddy in Toronto who rates one. Everyone else can pound sand.

The Sisters (Himself's side) are coming for a pre-Christmas visit next Wednesday, which gives me time to clean the house. The weekend is fully committed to two performances of Handel's "Messiah" and putting up my feet in between.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Dec 19 - 11:17 AM

I was following your discussion with BatGoddess on Facebook about loving fruitcake - it sounds like a very good recipe! I also like it, but being by myself I would eat it all by myself.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Dec 19 - 01:25 PM

My side door has a two-fixture halogen light (with the 150-watt T3 78mm bulbs.) It requires a glove (to avoid touching the bulb), a screwdriver, and a step-stool for the operation, so I usually wait till they've both blown. Today I am feeling virtuous for having correctly aligned the bulbs in both fixtures without dropping anything in the process.

Bulky waste is next week so I'll cut up a few pieces of fence to stack at the curb and pull up the long planks along my garden that have mostly rotted and I need to reconfigure the space for next year.

I'm wondering how Susan is doing - I hope she has been able to catch up with our various slow-motion declutter operations and plan some more of her own. There is more of a moving target when trying to keep track of Michelle's house, work, garden, and health sagas, but I'm also wishing them well as the holidays approach and the work seems to increase.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 08 Dec 19 - 05:32 PM

Dupont:

2 weeks to figure out what to do with pottery! Working on concocting something to hold a shower curtain over the antique tub with stupid shower that one holds in hand and sprays water everywhere. Maybe today we will agree on method; R is out looking for parts! A commercial one runs $400-$600!

The stove is almost installed - the cost broke my bank! R still needs to get the rusted in screws out; will prob have o drill them out. He cleaned it up yesterday and the dust made me feel lousy before I realized what what happening. Then we discovered the new chimney liner, open into the room until stove is installed tried to suck a tissue up - What did I say about our hot air going up the chimney!! Stuck a piece of "paper" from a store bought plant - shaped like a pot - into the hole! Works! Of course I had not thrown it out; never know when something will come in handy! We are looking forward to a first fire, maybe even tonight. I will go elsewhere while he drills!

Brugmansia, "Bruggie", is like having a pet! We check its condition every morning. After all blossoms fell and most leaves, it is burgeoning, with tons of new leaves and more than 20 buds of varying sizes. One blossom opened almost a week ago; I wish I had kept a log of progress. But judging by that, we will have a few new blooms by the time family arrives! I believe this is the most exciting plant I have had. The next time it takes a break, I will need to cut it back about 6-12 inches all the way around, lest it burst the walls! Well... outgrow its space. It has earned its keep, and the $25 I spent!

The hibiscus gets turned a bit each day to maximize its south window. It used up its blooms and is now gathering leaves at tips of each of many branches. I keep an eye on its progress , wondering when... So much pleasure for $5! On the lighter side, I am propagating geraniums and spider plants. I offer spider plants to anyone. If all else fails, I can take them to the horticultural society plant sale. OR give a couple to the Thrift shop from whence I acquired the first two for 25cents each. Currently, there is one to three in each room!

I cut back the tomato plants in the LR and put cuttings in a vase - to see if they will root. The parents are still in good shape and will go outside in May - even if I have to cut them back severely to get them outside. African violets are resting and not proliferating. YAY! Plant care is a daily task I enjoy!

The rest of the house is doing OK. We need to decide where to bed down one grandson. We thought the TV room but realize there are two other options - only requiring a bed be placed and we do have a bed to place. This home will always be in transition! I sit here thinking about what needs we will have with four extra bodies - places to sit and read, computer (everyone will have one!), food...

The three engineers (budding and current) will enjoy visiting R's vast collection of used machinery. And the family will be visiting Taun's old haunts from when he was growing up in Montreal. Doubt we shall need to entertain them. Thankfully!

Friends came last Sunday and took away a few pots. And offered me another piece of furniture - a spool bed couch that I once made a cover for the mattress -40 years ago! And yesterday, we stopped by the local thrift shop, finding naught to buy but, on leaving, the spot where they put things they consider unsalable netted us an antique bureau, just the size we wanted to finish the guest room! Missing one drawer pull - R has a collection - and a piece of bottom for one drawer, easy to fix. WOW!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Dec 19 - 10:13 PM

That house sounds great, Dorothy! The process of preparing for guests lets you see your house through someone else's eyes and fine-tune your plans for their arrival. Good luck with the beds and the plants!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Dec 19 - 12:23 PM

Monday is for evicting stuff from the house: bulky waste and regular trash at the curb, a bag of recycling to the village bin, Goodwill stuff dropped off at the store, and a box sold via eBay dropped at the post office. Chipping slowly at the stuff. My cleaned out lower cabinet in the kitchen continues to be a pleasure to work with, and later today I'll dig out tins for cookies that I need to start baking. The sunroom is nicer to work in now that tall bins have been employed for packing materials and mailing tube of posters and maps. It sill has a puppy barrier at the entrance to the room.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Donuel
Date: 10 Dec 19 - 09:48 AM

Planted 4 rose bushes since this is the last 55 degree day for a long while. The leaf pile vacuum trucks took the leaves away for the first time in 10 years that they have not been snowed on or frozen to remain all winter.

Since Sunday I have had a variable visual artifact of a dime size area at arms length that might flash pure colors from 6 or 7 stimulated cones like christmas lights or a migrain distortion or nothing at all. Its not like macular degeneration but could be a couple other things not too serious, unless its a brain tumor.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life - 2019
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Dec 19 - 10:19 AM

Go see a neurologist or ophthalmologist and keep us posted. I was recently watching a mosquito flit past the upper part of my monitor and had the thought that it could also be a floater.

The current project: I'm working on reversing the layout of my work areas. The table in the sunroom will be storage for equipment now and I'll set up the photo cube on the dining table. I pulled up a YouTube video to get a reminder of how to collapse this thing (it reduces to the size of one of those spring-loaded windshield sun guards that tucks under the visors). I should finish this transfer today (right now some of it is stacked in the kitchen as I clear the two areas then replace things where I want them.) The outcome means that the things on the dining table will be more easily removed for family meals in there this month and next.

A stop at Costco will land me 2-dozen organic eggs (and a tank of gas) and then I'm set to start holiday baking in earnest. I have a few loaves of banana or pumpkin bread in the freezer and they're nice to pull out and take with me as a gift when attending parties, and soon I'll be taking even smaller loaves to the neighbors (when it is one or two elderly people, I feel that huge loaves go to waste or waist, depending on their view of holiday foods, and can cause guilt about wasting food or gaining weight).

Next time it dries I have to mow the back yard. The forecast suggests that Friday afternoon will be a good possibility for that work.