De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Nov 21 - 11:44 AM

I am decluttering old camera roll photos from Flickr and am going back to the free account. I paid for pro and never use any of those features. Keeping track of when these things automatically renew is a trick, but I have a list and hopefully am out in front of this one.

Subscriptions - something to be managed. How many of these do I really use?

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 14 Nov 21 - 01:01 PM

I’m about ready to cancel all three of my video subscriptions, and the paper version of the Toronto Star. I just don’t watch TV often enough — lately, not at all — and the newspapers are available on line for less than half the price. If I suddenly come down with a desperate desire to watch a movie, I can rent it on iTunes.

I have been through this process before, more than once. Back in the ‘90s, when my first marriage broke up, I disconnected the cable and put the TV in the basement, promising myself I would set it up again if I missed it. I didn’t miss it, and a couple of months later gave the TV and the VCR to a young couple whose apartment building burned down, taking all their stuff with it. When Edmund and I had been married a couple of years, I unhooked the cable again when we realized that we were paying more than a hundred bucks a month and rarely found anything we liked on the hundreds of channels we had access to.

The subscription services I actually use are Spotify, for music and podcasts, and Sirius XM, for satellite radio both at home and in the car. I think those are worth keeping.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Nov 21 - 11:49 AM

I hope everyone's boosters and flu shots have gone well. This month is my annual physical and a mammogram and a couple of other consultations (post-PMR I have to watch bone density because 18 months on a steroid is a risk factor for osteoporosis).

Yesterday I decided it was time to process the two small pie pumpkins that each year I steam and peel and mash and put in the freezer for pies and bread. It dawned on me that Mom always used her pressure cooker for this, so I dug out mine. It took a close tour of the recipe bookshelves to find the little booklet that goes with it (Mom collected a lot of brand name recipe books - think Kraft, the California Avocado Board, Nestle, McCormick, etc.) that I keep there as conversation starters). I'm reminded of the time our family with to my cousin's house for dinner and she realized she forgot to turn on the oven for the a chicken for dinner. So rather than not have chicken, Mom showed her how to set up her as-yet-unused pressure cooker and have it ready in about 30 minutes.

Soon it's time to start lugging potted plants into the greenhouse and hope we don't have another extended freezing power outage like last winter. Usually plants make it (I set up an electric plug that is sensitive to temperature - when it reaches 37 it turns on whatever is plugged into it and I have an oil heater out there to keep the temperature above freezing.) Garlic chives have popped up everywhere in some of the pots, so I need to weed them out first.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 15 Nov 21 - 03:41 PM

It’s snowing in Stratford. Again — well, actually, still.

It started yesterday, with enough determination that I put the snow brush and ice scraper in the boot of the car. (True sign that autumn is over.) The forecast for the rest of the week calls for at least four more days of the same. Yuck; I have to go to Kitchener twice this week, and both the county road and Highway 7/8 range from miserable to dangerous in these conditions.

There’s no life like it.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Nov 21 - 06:58 PM

We had our boosters yesterday. We both had Moderna, not what either of us had first time round. Mrs Steve felt sore all over for about 24 hours but that's gone. If I feel around I can find the spot that my jab went in and I have a slightly tender couple of square inches. That's all, and that's the worst "side effect" I've ever had for anything! .

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Nov 21 - 11:23 PM

It looks like Thursday night might be the night we get our first frost. The low is predicted to be down to 35^o and it can be a little cooler in our creek bottom. I could put a tarp over the garden and probably protect it for just one night and get another week or more of growth. Or I could just decide on Wednesday afternoon to pick everything and call it quits for the season.

Stay safe on those drives, Charmion. Same to you, Dorothy. And everyone else in cooler climes.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 16 Nov 21 - 02:21 PM

Dupont:

Suffering from severe case of get out and push and even that is not working. No inclination to do anything and certainly not interested in going anywhere with the temp close to 0C/32F. Keep hoping for a rush of energy. Now I cannot go anywhere until snow tires and when I tried for an appointment last week, the earliest was 29th! So I thought I would make an appt in Bancroft and get up there before the snow... It has snowed. And I just sit here reading and computering with no appt anywhere. Sleet this am does not help, but none on road.

The tires are in the car! The cleaning person neither showed nor responded to a message I left after waiting for her... However, R had a tooth ache which has required several trips to the dentist and anti-biotics and ... He, too, has been in do-nothing-but sleep/read mode. He did the vacuuming and things look considerably better! He finally went off about noon, leaving behind The Devil and the White City - with difficulty! Someone was waiting for him!

I felt this lacking in energy for part of my time at Beaver. It seems as though it could be cyclical. I am hoping for an upswing - soon, please! I have brought in wood for stove - now that it is -THANKFULLY!
- on the porch! And keep a fire in the stove most all day so I can be comfortably warm while I do nothing. I will bring in another lot of wood ...Ah! The sun came out! ... while the sun is out!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 16 Nov 21 - 06:55 PM

Got the tires changed this morning (trip number one to and from Kitchener), and shopped for groceries. As a result, I now have a month’s worth of chicken cutlets and salmon portions in the freezer.

Much to my relief, I have settled into a workable relationship with the wine in the cellar and the booze stashed in the cupboard under the sink. For years, I have feared that I would subside into low-grade alcoholism if I let myself get lonely and bored, but I see no sign of that happening. It takes me about four meals (not in a row) to get through a bottle of wine, and hard liquor seems to be limited to an Old Fashioned after choir practice. At this rate of consumption, the current domestic supply will last a long, long time.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Nov 21 - 08:03 PM

I typically have two glasses in an evening, one with dinner and one after, so the bottle lasts for two meals, sometimes three. But I don't have it every day now, not for quite a while. And I've been looking at the statistics for how to avoid or slow down osteoporosis, and two factors that are under my control are to not start smoking (no risk there) and to have less alcohol. That, along with doing more weight-bearing exercises and walking.

There are so many big projects needing doing around here that I feel at a standstill - nothing will be finished soon and all need a lot of attention. Dorothy's lack of inclination, illustrated - a tour to write out, sewing to do, a bunch of slides of my own to scan, eBay items to list (to clear out what I bought and also things I inherited), and a music collection to start processing. Lately nothing seemed to be getting done, so after my afternoon powernap I resolved to pick up around the house, that should help my mood. The dogs have been particularly active at chewing up sticks in the house this week, so sweeping alone will make things look much better.

The pressure cooker worked well this evening for whole beets, and I've baked an acorn squash. I'm trying to keep more bright-colored vegetables in my diet, so having them ready in the fridge ready to reheat makes them more likely to get eaten. This is one of the "small steps" suggested by the motivational parts of the exercise program I'm doing now (15 minutes of targeted exercises a day).

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 17 Nov 21 - 07:35 AM

I got the vbox on Monday, srs. I had a couple of problems with it and mythtv. I couldn’t get its over the air program guide (EIT) working and I’m not sure that is supported (yet?). I didn’t have much joy with the alternative listings grabber solution for myth either. As well as that I was a bit puzzled by some channels vbox not working via mythtv.

Rather that fight any more with it, I’ve changed things a bit at least for now. I used to have both the DVB S/S2 satellite card and the DVB T/T2 HDHome terrestrial run under the control of mythtv and allocate resources (both these devices have more than one tuner) for live tv and recording from there. That gave mythtv the full range of channels on both devices to choose from for recording and the same range for viewing (most recently with kodi). Mythtv now just does the HDHomerun and recordings and live tv is made available more directly (although still using kodi) with the vbox.

In practice, this shouldn’t make much difference. While I like to make the full range of terrestrial and the Astro 28.2E satellites (which carry more than just Freesat) free to view channels available, just about everything wanted here is broadcast both on Freeview and on Freesat.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Nov 21 - 10:49 AM

I understand about the difficulty with the programming directory. I years ago had the pretty wonderful program called Windows Media Center on my computer that (still) has a television receiver in it. I had an aerial attached so I could get over-the-air channels and would record things to the computer itself. As WMP started to be phased out I tried various combinations of software (some of it that runs the dedicated game devices can be loaded into the computer, like the XBox files) and some other intermediate software to run to the receiver. But all of it needed the online directory that is linked into the system so it knows what to record when. I finally got the directory set up and had to make a modest donation the first time to get it to kick in.

I switched to the JRiver software after Media Center was completely dead and had to again connect it to the online channel service. There is one main one in the US that all of the others get their information from. I don't remember all of the steps I went through, but I think the main company is the one that owns Zap2it.com. I still have that set up so I can look and see what's playing on broadcast. I should set up another account and see if I can look at the listings for Sling TV also (a streaming service with a lot of the channels that one would normally get only on Cable).

JRiver has a lot of organizing and playback strengths for various media types that I need to explore more. I don't renew it ever new version, maybe every third or forth now.

I made a pot of chicken noodle soup last night. The house still smells strongly of soup - I didn't finish cleaning up all of my pots and I need to take out the trash where skin and bones were dumped after broth was ready.

I was told about an online design site called Canva that has lots of design capabilities even in the free account. They have an educational account for people with .edu email, with more of the paid-for components. It reminds me of Prezi, an online presentation software that has elements of Adobe Illustrator mixed in with a PowerPoint type of program. That also had an educational member component. In case someone wants to fiddle with making their own memes or online programs.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 17 Nov 21 - 12:01 PM

Linux only but mythbackend has a pretty strong scheduler, srs. I've barely looked at it and don't need to but will detect conflicts in schedules and defer a recording to a later showing if needed, will when 2 or more (depending on a max limit set) happen to fall on the same multiplex just use one tuner, allow preferences for HD versions, specify a particular tuner for a job, etc. I think tvheadend is the other main Linux one.

Mythtv also contains a DLNA/upnp media server but I've largely moved away from that. The cross platform Jellyfin works better for that for me.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 17 Nov 21 - 01:02 PM

A large pine chest of drawers, excess to requirements, has finally left the building!

In all the decumulation of the last year, I seem to have parted with something I actually wanted to keep: Edmund’s “woobie”. For those unaware of obscure military jargon, a woobie is a polyester quilt designed to tie into the grommets on the edges of an Army-issue poncho when you’re using it as a half of a tent. Hardly anybody actually does that, but the woobie is the one piece of kit every soldier somehow manages to “lose” before retirement day rolls around. It’s the best blanket ever.

I turned the house upside down looking for it, but drew a blank. I might have to buy another one on Ebay.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 17 Nov 21 - 03:42 PM

Dupont:

A better day today. I actually cooked some yummie food yesterday late aft. I have become prepared for R to not show up but would prefer earlier notice than a text at 11:15 "getting sleepy should I come home?" Told him to go to sleep, put the food in containers and frig. I had eaten at a reasonable time - my idea of reasonable. Went to bed with a book. Thanking him for early notice does not seem to get the message across. Telling him, "I really appreciate..." ...

Got up at the usual time, had my usual BF, finished said book and went to library for more. Cold out there so I was not inclined to do more as the weather started spitting at me. But I did other things: checking the upstairs closet I found a fav coat with moth sign on it and a destroyed pocket from mouse damage. Put it and a couple more that looked in moth jeopardy out to the garage to freeze the moths. Never had a moth problem when I lived in a house that froze when I was away!

Dumped a bucket of wet eggshells on the back garden to deal with in spring. Cooked a pot of black beans for my "magic black bean soup" - just add a quantity of bottled salsa and stir, top with grated cheese. Had some for lunch with some veggies. Brought in an oval glass baking dish - was used for a plant and now will be put into service to winter in the house a terra cotta turtle planter, much beloved by geranium. And brought in a large plastic bin to house many ceramic pots/jardinieres until they are needed. I think I can slide it under the church pew in the hall. Brought in a few more pieces of firewood and battened down the covering on the rest.

Not much more needs to be done before son arrives ---on 20 December with new partner and her/their dog Duma. I again texted him to please bring the family photo albums so I can "wallow in memories". They are leaving on 24th - short visit and, I fear, they will have tons of traffic crossing the border. Both sons had the option, some years ago, of Canadian citizenship - and blew it... and wish they had gotten it.

Cosy in the den with the fire perking, looking out at a very grey, breezy aft; leaves mostly off maples in front, and back also; different types. BLEECH out there!!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Nov 21 - 08:32 PM

Today I decluttered something that has been an obstacle since I bought the Pathfinder I'm driving now - there were long steps on each side that extended way out past the sides of the vehicle. While in for an oil change and tire rotation I asked if he could adjust them to closer to the vehicle - he said no, they weren't OEM and had no features he could modify. So I paid a 1/2 hour's labor charge and they removed them. Now I have to learn to get into the car without them - for the back seat they were useful, but since I'm mostly in and out the front driver's door, and if I'm parked close to anything it was almost impossible to wiggle out past them, this will be a relief. I nearly fell out of the SUV this evening when I opened the door and forgot they were gone.

Recycling has been deposited in the city hall bins, and lots of flattened cardboard was in that drop-off. The den was cleared of chewed sticks and dog hair, and now I need to focus on the dining table to move those items so I can use it next week on Thursday. If anyone comes over to eat here—there is a possibility that a meal here might happen this year.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Nov 21 - 09:45 AM

My neighbor has one of those fat-tired drop-side garden wagons that I've borrowed for the day to move some of my front-porch pots around the the greenhouse. While I'm at it I'll also empty the compost bins that are parked at the side door. I've also offered to help her move any of her pots with the same thing (she has a couple of large plants she moves into a garden shed over the winter and they seem to survive - maybe it has a translucent roof.)

The iris bed needs finishing and the lawn needs mowing. So today is all about the yard, wrapping up the summer season before what may be an overnight freeze.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 18 Nov 21 - 11:57 AM

The Hot Prospect has signed the contract with the choir, so now we tackle all the other things we have to do to drag the outfit into the 21st century, starting with a much better website, and a marketing plan to go with it. Fortunately, other people on the Executive Committee -- especially our new conductor -- know all about marketing an arts organization, 'cause I don't.

But, of course, knowing how is not my job: I'm the leader, so my job is coordinating everyone else's efforts and ensuring they don't step on each others' toes any more than they have to. Call me the Chief Herder of Cats. I just wish they'd hoist in the notion of a phased operation, and stop trying to do everything at once.

The weather has dried up a bit and most of the last snowfall has melted, but it's cold, grey and miserable in Stratford today. I went to Kitchener this morning, my second trip this week, and noted water standing in the fields and a generally grim look to the landscape, typical of November in these parts.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Nov 21 - 09:28 PM

There's an eclipse tonight if you have a clear sky. Starting around midnight Central Time, (around 1am Eastern). https://www.space.com/beaver-moon-lunar-eclipse-2021-guide

I'm going to run to the grocery store to pick up a few of the vegetables and fruit I need for next week, to get out ahead of the lines that will be forming heading into the Thanksgiving holiday. And I need to see if I have enough of the materials for making green tomato relish since I picked about 10 pounds of green tomatoes this afternoon ahead of our possible freeze tonight.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 09:46 AM

The birdbath water froze overnight, so the garden was shut down in the nick of time this year. And as I work this morning, wearing just a pair of slip-on shoes, I'm finding that my feet are cold and I need to go put on socks then other shoes. Signs of the seasons changing!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 09:01 PM

I’ve been in socks since September and snowboots for two weeks.

Not fair!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 09:51 PM

I miss living in a climate with four distinct seasons. In North Texas it unfortunately goes from hot to cold with a very brief autumn (2-4 weeks at the most). Spring is a little longer, but it's so early it always takes me by surprise.

The lead up to Thanksgiving involves preparing to cook, and I need to clean my oven (though common sense says I should wait till after Thanksgiving to do that). I took apart the fan and the filters of the stove hood and those parts are running through the dishwasher after an initial scrub with dish soap. It had begun to thump when it started because the grease buildup had it off-balance.

Moonglow's Achille's tendon reattachment surgery was this morning, and I wanted to send her something to keep her entertained during the next week while she's off work. I found a book for my Theater Arts major child (costume design was her area of expertise, and she makes lots of costumes for friends now). I poked around Amazon and sent her a coffee-table book called Creating the Illusion: A Fashionable History of Hollywood Costume Designers (Turner Classic Movies). The blurb says it is "gloriously illustrated" and it comes in at just over 400 pages. We spoke this afternoon just before the book arrived (timed to arrive today) - and there was a bit of an excited squeal via text when she opened it. I'm tempted to get a copy myself - it sounds fascinating. Turner Classic Movies always likes to tell the story behind the story, and this apparently lives up to that.

When the kids were young I introduced them to good movies with some scholarly tricks learned in graduate school. "Passing one text over another" is the process of reading two or more books and looking for the similarities, and you can do it with all sorts of art forms. The first film I did this with intentionally with was one they had already enjoyed, the movie Chicken Run, a claymation Nick Parks film about chickens escaping from a chicken farm. A couple of weeks later I recorded Stalag 17 and one evening we sat down to watch it. They fussed about the black and white and the talking, though got sucked in by bad guy Peter Graves, and thoroughly enjoyed and understood it (I probably explained a few things about WWII along the way). Right immediately after that movie ended, I put Chicken Run in the DVD player and it started with the camera overhead, moving along the narrow buildings of the chicken farm and settling on building number 17. The kids both said "Oh!" and understood more about what this movie was portraying. And they enjoyed that kind of movie viewing after that. (I told their Dad about this, who the next weekend got them a copy of The Great Escape). Now that they're grown they're pretty good at taking a close look at any movie they're watching, and giving her a book that lets her know more about the costume designers just adds to the enjoyment (as well as the ideas for her own work.) End of a long story.

I need to start working on the reinforced cover for the dog beds I put out of Cookie's reach for the warm season. She tears these things apart, but the fabric from the retired dog-proof sofa cover can be made into a cover to encapsulate them. The dogs are all sleeping on pads at night, no longer interested in the cool tile floors. It's time.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Nov 21 - 10:48 AM

The weekend before Thanksgiving - I've noticed over the last couple of weeks a lot of people already have their holiday lights up, and I expect this weekend many more will appear. It makes sense to put them up while it's still warm, but I don't usually turn them on this early.

Shopping yesterday to try to beat the rush, though Costco was fairly full for mid-day on a Thursday. I don't need to go out for anything more, so mission accomplished. I still don't know how many people might be here, making the menu a bit of a challenge. The turkey is what it is, but how much of the rest of it?

Dorothy, do you still cook a US Thanksgiving?

Yesterday driving through the village I noted the placement of the various huge reels of fiber optic cable positioned at a few nearby corners. I suspect they'll be digging around under our yards on this end of the block in the next few weeks (we abut the creek, bringing a special difficulty to the task). I might need to flag some stuff that shouldn't be broken (my Invisible Fence wire around the yard). My R-O-W doesn't run along one edge of the yard, it crosses right through the middle of the back from one side to the other.

The greenhouse is up and running, now I need to remember to water the plants in there.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Nov 21 - 08:08 PM

There is a post this evening from WYSIWYG - in the Mudcat FAQ permathread.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 22 Nov 21 - 11:28 AM

I'm surprised at how busy I am these days, between the gym and music stuff. I did the cantor thing at church yesterday for the first time in about 20 years, and will almost certainly be roped into the choir there when the pandemic has waned rather more than it has so far. The concert choir demands at least some of my attention every day, and on rehearsal day a whole lot, even though we aren't allowed to perform yet. And Christmas is coming, which means fielding requests for carolling; next Tuesday evening, Stratford's fanciest hotel is lighting its Christmas tree to the tune of eight concert choir singers, including me. It'll be a nice gig.

The persisting pain in my butt sent me to the doctor last week, so I will be adding physiotherapy to the mix. While prodding me with her pointy medical fingers, the doctor complimented my muscle tone; I guess the pool class workouts are paying off.

The house is tidy, but grubby. I have zero interest in hauling the vacuum cleaner downstairs for a go at the parlour carpet, or bustling about the place with a duster. I really should hire another cleaner.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 22 Nov 21 - 11:46 AM

Dupont:

Still here but hoping to leave tomorrow or Weds - depending on precipitation.

SRS: I have not cooked a US Thanksgiving dinner in over 50 years - even those when I lived there -2000- 2009. In fact cooking is permanently on my mind to have food in frig for R but After the years of cooking at the Yellow Door and at the luncheonette I mistakenly bought - 1975-7 - I cook as it is necessary and VERY simply. And more and more so.

Two years ago, when son#2 and family were visiting at Christmas, DIL wanted turkey dinner. I let her do the dinner she chose, not fully realizing how lousy a cook she is, and after 28 years together, she was not recognizing that my son is vegan. It was an interesting dinner. I just stayed out of the way.

Nice to read that wysiwig is in recuperation.

So, I was reminded to text son and suggest his timing is dreadful re the border. return message already - "will discuss it with Tenley". You see, this thread frequently reminds me of something to do/get done.

I will continue to think of getting the house tidier - it's coming along - and a little bit Christmassy - asked R to retrieve "Christmas bin" from cellar. Last year's pointsettia(?) has a dash of red on one leaf! It is very alive and healthy, and Green! The first time I have even kept one alive!

A great flock of birds - unidentifiable to me (most are) - gave us great delight this am as they swooped around the side and back yards and nibbled in the uncut grass. I saw one with a grape in its beak, from the grape vines climbing the side of the house. (I suppose I should go out and pull them down before snow. Today even.) And one robin landed on a vine and looked at us through the window. Maybe I could leave the vines for the birds.

Dumped a bucket of manure on the front garden and spread it out. Going to do a bucket of eggshells in a few minutes. Lovely out. Chilly but not freezing. Scattered blue.

Laundered sheets that someone put on the guest room bed and put them aside to return. Decided not to remake bed until time - will put a quilt over it. And keep bedding and guest towels dust free. The guest "wing" is an addition from 1956 or so; it is relatively free of spider webs and dust. The old part of the house is ...oops! There's another one!! I just clear them when I see them and again and...

Maybe I will have enough energy to throw a few pots this aft...

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Nov 21 - 12:23 PM

For even a few hours every couple of weeks it's a luxury to have someone come in and help with the cleaning. I am at the point where I would have to clear things out for the cleaner - but first I have to achieve the baseline they would try to maintain.

Dorothy, re yard work: I missed the trash pickup this morning (I slept late and they ran early) and I may decide to take the bin full of okra stalks in the trash can back to the back yard and toss them to break down (some are already back there). I trimmed out so much privet that it looks like a public path beyond the fence, but all of our yards are private (the fence isn't built all of the way to the creek for practical purposes). So tossing lumpy piles that will soon break down is the strategy that will for now dissuade foot traffic. Smaller stuff (weeds, grass, and leaves) still go in the regular compost bin.

WYSIWYG has been dropping in on the Memorial/obit threads, I see short posts from her this morning. I sent her the link to this year's declutter thread, from the front end, 50 at a time.

Yesterday I read through the sewing machine repair book again then reassembled my White Rotary after adjusting the feed dogs. I pulled the thread off of the bobbin I was using and rewound it, because for a while last year I was trying to put more thread on the bobbins than when the machine winder stopped, meaning part of the problem may have been the bobbin thread tension being off. I'll be rewinding these (no need to waste the thread, I'll rewind from one bobbin to another). The test sew worked okay. I have mending to start with, and then projects to finish.

I am creeping closer to Thanksgiving with a load in the dishwasher this morning. The sinks have been scrubbed, silicone mats in the dishwasher, and the oven has been emptied of shelves and the self-cleaning mode is in charge for the next four hours. I cleaned out the hood fan over the weekend and that will run to help vent the smoke from the process. I need to take the fan apart again later to give it a spritz of oil, it's a little noisy when it starts up.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness: House, job, life 2019 - 2020
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Nov 21 - 01:11 PM

I can't post here often, dear Charmion, but let me offer my deepest condolences. I will never forget Edmund and getting licked delicately on the nose! (I still have that picture somewhere)...

-S-

---

Susan accidentally posted this twice on the previous year's thread, so I've moved the spare remark over here. (We've been seeing more repeat posts lately, an old glitch that comes back every so often. But in this instance, it's handy to share the remark on both threads.) SRS

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Nov 21 - 02:05 PM

You're set on turbo more than a bread machine. I bet people will be at your house on holiday to see you and not the scuff on the woodwork.
Celebrate each other and those amazing consumables.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Nov 21 - 03:55 PM

You're correct, but it is a pleasure to work in an uncluttered area and have a place to serve food without moving stuff out of the way first. I just got off the phone with the friend who is allergic to dogs - she won't be able to visit this Thanksgiving so I need to worry less about dog dander. :)

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 12:51 AM

Off to my annual physical tomorrow, where I may get some of that same medical prodding to detect muscles under the accumulation of non-muscle. Then home again to make relish, and maybe made cranberry juice, and certainly to make cranberry sauce. Only one of these things needs to be ready this week but all three need doing.

The self-cleaning feature on the oven was run today and after tomorrow's appointment I'm going to run by Lowe's and pick up some replacement pans that go under the stove burners. They don't last long, a year or two, then they're rusted out. Since I cleaned the oven I might as well clean under the burners. I also need to pick up marshmallows for the sweet potatoes. (And with turkey and sweet potatoes, I'll manage to drop something on the newly-cleaned oven floor.)

Outdoors, I really do need to mow the front and back lawns. It would be nice to have the yard looking pretty for guests.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 10:46 AM

Richie the plumber has been in the laundry room for two and a half hours already and he's not finished yet. He has replaced the main water inlet pipe (dead valve) and repaired a pinhole in the feeder pipe to the ground floor loo, and he wants to do something (I'm not sure what) to all three toilets. I can hear the Shop-Vac whirring now, after rather a lot of pipe-cutter racket and whoosh of welding torch. This is gonna be expensive.

All this arose from my discovery about ten days ago of water on the floor around the dryer and a fine spray apparently coming from the top of the water softener.

When Richie came to deal with the fine spray, he found that the valves on the main pipe were jammed and the pipe itself a dead loss. That meant summoning a city crew to shut off the water outside, and then the major surgery under way now.

I guess I should be grateful this didn't happen in January, when the outside shut-off valve will be under Lord alone knows how much snow.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 12:46 PM

After investigating every tap and toilet in the house, Richie says the kitchen faucet is terminally ill and must be replaced.

It’s only four years old and it cost SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS!

Oh, well, lots more money where that came from.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 04:30 PM

Dupont:

WOW! I hope Richie can tell (Charmion) how to buy a faucet that will last! I am waiting for one from Wayfair that was just over $100CAD. I am hoping to live long enough to have a new K sink and faucet. (The sink is on the back porch.) The Bathroom sink is still not complete; R LIKES the old faucets and has been trying to get one to function. two years now. An old sink with very nice faucets appeared recently but he has not been inclined to give up...

More importantly: R has realized a roof leak in the addition is causing damage, in addition to serious damage in the front eaves of the house. Now it is November! This is serious but encouragement has been going on since April.... Refuses to hire a roofer. SAD! Maybe if I point out what appears to be damage in the upstairs hallway....

Still no definitive response from son. I am going to Beaver tomorrow! Finally found the energy!! Yesterday's hope to throw pots turned into vacuuming with the unfortunate result that I coughed for the rest of the day right until I finally fell asleep. But the hall is cleaner! The great huge fern (Boston?) given us by a neighbour dropped a great deal of debris while being placed; hoping it will not do too much more. It also blocks most light from that north window! I am getting used to it. It certainly is a presence!

So, a call to service station in Bancroft (the one I have been using most of 40 years!) elicited info: yes they can change tires - next Tuesday; the roads are clear as of today and nothing expected imminently. Good to go! Car mostly loaded. Will not plan to go anywhere if it snows before Tuesday which is also day to get booster shot at the local Legion!! Hope for clear roads that day.

Included in the cargo is the tires, about 6 boxes (I have not counted; R put them in car) of that set of china which I hope my friends will peddle on internet, a bag of stuff for Lesley to distribute to best places. And the laundry! The DR cabinet looks betteer without the dishes and my new shelves are starting to get dressed with old treasures.

Hopefully, I will be able to leave the snow tires at Beaver - if there is little enough snow for me to get them to the back shed. Maybe I will even find the energy to throw a few bowls and mugs that a friend wants in spongeware (blue). I have been energized today by thoughts of going home, probably for a couple weeks. Longer if son decides not to come on 20th.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 05:25 PM

I went to Canadian Tire (where else?) for a new kitchen faucet. Including taxes, it cost about a third of the current one, it’s not the fashionable tall type that splatters all over the place, and it’s made by Moen, Richie the plumber’s favourite — easy to install and repair.

Now I have to get Richie back …

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 07:29 PM

It doesn't take long to figure out that those tall faucets make a big splash - better to learn it at someone else's house or in a business before installing it yourself. I thought about it, but the cost was enough I went with a standard profile. I need a new one because I bought one that had too-small intake hoses and they're not interchangeable (I got 1/2" instead of 3/4" hoses) and the water pressure and flow is low. One of these days I'll put in a new one.

Physical today, information gathered, checkup satisfactory. I'd like to lose weight. Same ol' same ol'. I made a point of not taking Sudafed before I left the house and the blood pressure reading came in normal; at my last medical checkup it ran high and I realized it was the medication. I can't take two Sudafed or I'm climbing the walls, so I'm sure even one has an impact (but it does clear my sinuses).

I walked into Joann's for some yarn and walked out with yarn plus several yards of fabric. It's like going food shopping when you're hungry; I haven't been there for a while. Time to get back to making more masks. The first batch of fabric went through the wash with sheets and towels.

I brought home new chrome pans that go under each burner on the stove and it looks nice. The old ones were rusted out. There first workout is tonight when I make green tomato relish. That'll clear up some of the counter space once the bin of tomatoes is used. Getting psyched up for the work of Thanksgiving; even for a very small meal, I'll still make several dishes. #Tradition. I think it's time to pull out the DVDs and put on a movie to keep me company. Holiday? Screwball comedy? Hitchcock? Hmmm.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Nov 21 - 11:03 AM

I made eight pints of green tomato relish last night, a sticky process since these jars are filled to the top and they ooze during processing. They've been wiped down and are still resting on the counter, but I am moving on to other clearing and prep. I'm going to spatchcock the turkey this year (something I've threatened to do in the past, but this year I found information about how to bake the flattened bird.)

There are still some tomatoes, and they may go into another small batch of relish later in the week. Today I'll make the cranberry sauce and steam juice some frozen berries. I'm making roasted vegetables for tomorrow so today I'll give them a good scrub (I'm not going to peel everything, only the one turnip) and have them ready. Of all of the things I make on Thanksgiving, that's the one that makes the house smell amazing and goes well with everything if there are leftovers.

Around the house, it's time to put the brush end on the vacuum and make the rounds in the den, to dust the stones on the fireplace, mantle, and hearth and get ready to put out some holiday decorations. I'll vacuum the whole room while I'm at it.

The yard needs attention, and I may set aside an hour this afternoon to address some of the unfinished projects out front. And today is one of my watering days—the vegetables can use a soak.

Yesterday on my local NPR talk show Think they had a fascinating conversation with Mark Schatzker regarding our modern diet and the use of supplements. His argument is that they short circuit our built in desire for certain types of healthy foods and we end up making bad choices (and our systems are confused the the proliferations of flavors added to many other foods.) It's an interesting theory. I have a couple of observations that occurred to me as I listened to the program I'll share another day. But in particular, he compares how different countries dealt with food-related vitamin deficiency health problems. For example, in addressing one particular problem (I forget which now), Italy promoted eating more of the healthy foods while in the US they added vitamins to bread and cereal. Italy solved the problem and the US solved it but also grew more obese.

What if managing our diet is less about fads and more about just enjoying real foods? Mark Schatzker of the Canadian Broadcast Corporation joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his journey into food production and eating habits around the world to discover secrets of health and happiness. His book is called The End of Craving: Recovering the Lost Wisdom of Eating Well.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Donuel
Date: 24 Nov 21 - 01:58 PM

Never hire a plumber who owns a large boat.
My amateur pipe fixes are still perfectly sound and dry.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Donuel
Date: 24 Nov 21 - 04:32 PM

Averaged Covid cases have jumped up 46% since October in the US.
Similar jumps have happened in Austria and Germany.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Nov 21 - 02:51 PM

We're watching COVID to see if my son might feel comfortable getting on a plane in January. It took a lot of persuasion to get him to go with his partner to her family's home for this holiday.

A batch of hot dinner rolls delivered across the street, along with a jar of pickled okra. ✔

My dinner underway ✔

The turkey is spatchcocked this year so should bake fast. Everything else will go in at nearly the same time, so a number of baking things are out - roaster oven, convection oven, and oven oven.

Dinner at 5. Thank goodness I sent my friend a reminder - he was going to arrive at noon. I couldn't stand getting all of this done with anyone underfoot. I decided decades ago that I wasn't going to get up before dawn to start a dinner for midday and work all day till I dropped. At least I get a good night's sleep before hand. Thanksgiving isn't for wimps, even with a good night's sleep.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Thompson
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 04:29 AM

I've just bought a 1 terabyte SSD drive, reputedly less likely to fail than an old-fashioned hard drive - the place is crawling with DVDs, and I'm going to save the films down onto the drive and give the DVDs to a local charity shop, with the twin purposes of clearing space and getting some money in for the charity.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 01:00 PM

How did the SSD drive compare in price to an HDD?

My turkey was perfect, and probably one of the best I've cooked, so this is the method I will continue using. Spatchcocking a still slightly frosty bird was the hardest part, but that will get easier with practice.

I washed and put away everything before going to bed, so coming into a completely cleared and clean kitchen this morning was wonderful; this is one of the great after effects of all of the holiday preparation.

Now to write the holiday letter and get it mailed in time to reach people so they'll put me back on their mailing list and send my their holiday cards or letters. And time for some lights and garland on the mantle. I don't put up a tree, especially with these three stick-chewers. They'd never let me live it down, bringing a whole tree into the house after scolding them repeatedly for dragging big sticks in through the dog door and demolishing them on the den floor.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 27 Nov 21 - 11:50 AM

My brother-in-law has announced that he's staging a late American Thanksgiving dinner today. I hope that just means he's baked a pumpkin pie and intends to roast a turkey; I'm not sure I could face that dish of mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows on it.

I have been tasked to bring Brussels sprouts and wine. The wine makes sense, but are Brussels sprouts canonical?

In other news, Richie the plumber has completed his work at my house and the net results are two new sections of copper pipe in the cellar, a dry floor in the laundry room, and a new kitchen sink faucet that works much better than its elegant predecessor and cost a third as much, including the tax.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 27 Nov 21 - 12:21 PM

Beaver:

Good chuckle, SRS, re the tree vs sticks! I was looking at small lavender and rosemary "trees" at the grocery. If son comes near Christmas, an effort of some sort might be appreciated. Or one here for when/if R and I come for Christmas/new year.

Wise move, Charmion! My problem was finding one with two separate handles! Seems that Canadians are happy with one. I want better control of hot vs cold. Wayfair provided.

Negotiating with friends who do e-bay re set of dinnerware - 5 boxes. They will pick them up here and decide how to handle it. I don't care about the money, just re-homing a lovely-to-someone set.

Still recovering from journey, or cold weather or not eating right. Like that book about enjoying what you eat; that is what decided to do but have not done well these couple days. I need to bring something healthy/yummy with me next time so I can eat well while exhausted, including too exhausted to manage even acquiring take out.

All I have managed is to keep the wood supply up to snuff, and borrow a bunch of books from the library. Suspect the off-gassing of the new books could be affecting my energy level. A couple months ago I had to take two back unread because the odour was really sickening me. Will google to see if there is an answer: would freezing or heat make them off gas faster. May also affect my eyes??? I have been having trouble with eyes sporadically - definitely in the brain.

Would love to get some pots made this trip; to pot or not to pot... I keep hoping.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 27 Nov 21 - 12:26 PM

BEaver:

HAH! baking soda in a closed box with books... this is going to happen immediately!

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Thompson
Date: 27 Nov 21 - 12:57 PM

Stilly, the SSD cost a little over £100 sterling for one terabyte. That was for one described as sturdy. The external hard drive I had my films on before started going nrr nrr and expired. Apparently this is less likely to happen with an SSD.
What's this closed box and baking soda and books combination for, Dorothy Parshall?

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Nov 21 - 01:42 PM

The external drive I had my films on went CLONK and nothing. I managed to find them on the backup drive and restore to a small WD Elements drive. Still HDD though.

Dorothy, that's good about the book. I imagine there's something in the ink or glue that's troublesome.

I found a 30% off code for yesterday on Zenni so ordered another pair of photosensitive glasses. My current pair is scratched (not bad, but I notice it) so I'll wear these for yard and construction type work. The good thing about having the cataract surgery is that multiple pairs won't go out of date with the next optometrist visit - there is no correction in either lens, just the 2.00+ bifocal added. So I can have several pairs that won't become obsolete. Hoping this stays the norm for a long time. I enjoy changing the look of my glasses for some occasions. They're more like jewelry now, or a hair clip. An accessory.

I just revisited the thread I started re: Sondheim and ended up traveling down a very deep YouTube musical dive. I suspect many of us will end up doing that. I finally landed on a documentary about the Travelling Wilburys. :)

This afternoon needs to be a writing afternoon, but I'll make a list of the things I want to accomplish this week and see how to pace myself. I've taken a Sudafed (allergens of some sort are in the air) and am feeling perkier than yesterday, when I ended up taking two naps.

Charmion as far as Brussels sprouts, I know some members of my family have picked them up as a dish to serve on Thanksgiving, but it isn't one I grew up with. I like them ok, they're another cruciferous vegetable that is good for you. They just seem a little fussy to cook. :)

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Charmion
Date: 28 Nov 21 - 09:52 AM

The first snowplow of the season just grumbled past my house.

Real winter. It’s here at last.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 21 - 12:40 PM

My garden was touched by frost (the tarp over peppers and such protected them). I just now trimmed the tomato vines so I could pull out the steel wire tomato cages, and there are still a lot of green leaves. I suppose they could keep going for a while but I doubt they'd produce more fruit, so they're stacked in a pile to drag back to the compost.

I've pulled out the retired sofa cover (to keep dog hair and mud off of the sofa) and will shape a portion of it around a padded (orthopedic!) dog bed with a three-sided higher rim for more warmth. Cookie tore a chunk out of that rim last year and I put it out of reach, but now I'll cover the whole thing with the quilted fabric cover from last year and hope she leaves it alone. I'll probably use a combination of elastic and buttons and loops to hold it in place. Then I need to think about how to wash (on general principles) the existing beds that have been in use for ages. I'll use the leftover sofa-cover-fabric in the same way on a smaller bed (that still needs mending - also destroyed by Cookie the Monster. (I have to wash my hands thoroughly after handling them because I sprayed on that bitter apple "yuck" stuff to supposedly keep them from chewing. It doesn't even slow Cookie, but it lasts a long time and I end up with it in my mouth if I'm not careful.)

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 29 Nov 21 - 07:46 AM

I live in a madhouse. I heard the bell for the bedroom (radio doorbell push next to dad’s bed) go at about 6am. Mum had got to dad before me so I left it until later to try to find out what the problem had been.

J. What did dad ring the bell for this morning?
Mum. He wanted some water. He turned over a few times and fell out of bed.
J. He fell out of bed???
Mum. No but he could have fallen out of bed. He reached for his cup.
J. Had I forgotten to put the table by the bed then?
Mum. No that was OK and he could reach the cup.
J. So what are you telling me?
Mum. You are confusing me.

A bit later…

J. Why did you ring the bell this morning?
Dad. I didn’t ring a bell and no bell sounded.
J. (after ringing the bell). I heard that bell early this morning.
Dad. I did that deliberately as I needed water.
J. Didn’t I leave you with the cup and table as you want them?
Dad. No that was fine but…
        (he then goes into a lengthy explanation of hot and cold water in the bathroom and Mike         giving him his morning wash)
J. So how does this concern you needing water early in the morning when you are in bed.
Dad. I don’t know.

Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 29 Nov 21 - 08:34 AM

you are certainly living in Interesting Times!