FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 17 Apr 22 - 08:20 AM

I took another run at the clothes hanging in the boxroom yesterday and picked out a substantial pile of coats and sweaters that are in perfect condition but now much too big for me. I’ll have to keep them until the fall, however; Goodwill won’t want them until there’s frost in the forecast. Another pile is stashed in the car until Monday, when the dry cleaners will return to duty after their Easter break.

With any luck, by fall I will also be ready to let go of some more of Edmund’s clothes, and start on his array of hats — so far I have rehomed only one, an Army-issue fur number that the BIL accepted at a particularly chilly point in February. If only I knew more men with large heads!

Review of a fashion article posted on Facebook tells me that my 25-year-old tweed jacket is out of fashion. Again. It makes me look old, apparently. How much do I care? Not enough to ditch the tweed jacket, which is just the thing for a cold Easter morning with snow on the ground and a forecast high of 4 Celsius.

I’m roasting a leg of lamb this afternoon to share with a friend from pool class, who lived in France for 25 years and likes it as much as I do. She’s bringing wine and, I hope, a hearty appetite.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Apr 22 - 11:20 PM

I didn't finish mowing the back, there might be about 10% left, but I did what I needed as far as dumping several mower bags full of lawn clippings into the various compost enclosures. The new bin got several bags, then I emptied one of the stinky kitchen waste buckets; the other bucket went over the top of the pile I built last year that needs to have a hiatus and break down. Clippings on top of that also. With all of this I came pretty close to getting enough steps for the day on my fitness tracker. Tomorrow I'll finish mowing the back and move to the front.

The forest floor was swept away today and I see clumps of dog hair on the dogs telling me they're getting ready to blow their coats. Soon there will be so much hair I'll be able to knit another dog.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 16 Apr 22 - 04:48 PM

That reminds me I should apply for Social Security.
Bas relief applique, I like that. I dream of Angor Watt carvings.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Apr 22 - 02:32 PM

I think you're correct about COVID isolation being like living in Antarctica. The days blurred together, I read a lot of books (or listened to audiobooks) and sewed a lot. The creative time was not only appreciated it was necessary to keep one from going nuts. The recovery period from knee surgery did skew things at the beginning. And as to the art, maybe you're the Grandma Moses of applique bas relief.

I was able to print out a form for Social Security and drop it into a mail slot at the Social Security office to change my withholding. I think setting withholding for the state pension was a matter of putting a signed form in the mail. I'll have to explore this topic later this year when the second pension share (après divorce) comes into play. I did some searching, it appears to be taxable. Of course it is.

The compost enclosure has been relocated by reusing one of the posts from the former position and rotating the whole thing so the old pile is directly beside the black plastic expandable compost bin. I pound in those metal fence posts intended for chicken wire to keep this upright, and will make a chicken wire cover to put over the top to keep the dogs out. More precisely, to keep Cookie out. Now to head out to mow with the catcher bag so I can fill the bottom of that bin with clippings.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 16 Apr 22 - 01:31 PM

Project opal is done. i am depressed it is not fine art but as a shelf knick nack it is better than arts and craft junk. I miss the fun of building an opal world with surprises such as a butterfly opal waving above a nearby island suspended by a cat whisker. i am happy i made a great contrast in distance perspective using only 2 inches of depth much like a painting of an ocean floor close up stretching all the way to distant islands. Thats what pandemic time can do.

This pandemic is as though we all learned what its like to live in antarctica for years. Instead of being part of a herd stuck in traffic going from A to B there are long silences inside. I remember thinking how some opals resemble miniature nebulas, a remarkable sky or a forever nightime display of stars... Now its back to rearranging the food and display cabinates.

The big diversion trip of the day will be going to the fabric store.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 16 Apr 22 - 12:46 PM

I filed my taxes (such a penitential job) on Thursday, and I owe. That’s because almost all my income is pensions, of which I get no fewer than four that together add up to a comfortable competence (as Anthony Trollope would put it). The withheld income tax on each pension is calculated as if the others don’t exist, so this year I must pony up lots and lots.

On the whole, I don’t mind that state of affairs and I think I’ll leave it be. The alternative is wasting hours of my life that I’ll never get back to contact the appropriate gummint minions — four of them, mind you — to have more tax deducted at source.

Off to Canadian Tire to buy Nature’s Miracle spray. I moved the second litter box to the ground floor in the hope that Watson assaulted the carpet only because he just could not face the stairs.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 16 Apr 22 - 10:33 AM

Dupont:

Lovely wind storm yesterday afternoon! I slept through most of it and, as I regained consciousness, thought maybe I should move the car away from the trees. When I opened the front door, ... It did not hit the car!! But it took R some time this am to saw it up for removal from across the front flower bed - missed the daffies and crushed a small clump of crocuses. A large chunk of the tree had come down - a mostly hollow 12 inch D. at base and about 20 feet long. Lots of wood for the wood stove! Waiting for it to dry. I will park car further away!

Yesterday, I loaded the wheelbarrow with raked up stuff and took it to the woods. R finally put some junk into the trash bin. SO hard for him to let go of pure unadulterated JUNK! I have broadcast eco grass seed and a small patch of white clover; threw buckwheat seed on back raised bed. It may produce before time to plant veggies. If not, good for soil. I have ordered plants from our friends farm - Jardin de la Resistance! Starting some squash seeds in the house. Threw some lettuce seed on front bed. Very casual gardening!


I am still sorting through the stuff we brought back from the mill. Papers are hard... Trying to find space is hard. Need the filing cabinet OR would that result in just putting all the papers back in ...? Very old letters from #2 son and some others - people I failed to respond and lost... Darn!

Donuel: Project sounds amazing!

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Apr 22 - 10:06 PM

Yes - my first choice of enzyme odor treatment is Nature's Miracle. I've mostly used the Skunk Odor Remover, but the one for cat or dog pee is also effective. I have a bottle under the sink for just in case, and the skunk odor remover also. Better to have it handy (especially the skunk stuff) because they usually get skunked after hours when the pet store is closed. Nature's Miracle also produce a very good clumping cat litter (I had to go to Walmart to find it.)

This afternoon I replaced light switches in the master bedroom and dressing room. One was just funky, the other was out completely. The house was built in the 1970s, I guess switches do wear out. Better a $2 switch on each than an $80+ fixture. The bedroom one is the lighted ceiling fan, and I'd need an electrician to take care of that.

I ran the lawnmower for a few minutes with the bag set to catch grass. I poured the contents of that bag over the compost heap, and tomorrow I'll move a second compost enclosure and mow more to put lawn clippings in the bottom before emptying the kitchen compost buckets there. And then I can start digging in the garden because I'll have a place for all of the grass and weeds.

This is an alcohol free month, but with dinner tonight I had a Mexican dark beer. Bought yesterday and planned to go with nachos because I thought it was suitable to celebrate the completion my taxes. (And the fact that I got them right and they're depositing my refund next week!)

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 15 Apr 22 - 06:23 PM

I started clearing the garden of winter debris this week, so now I have a waist-high heap of deadfall branches off my (too) many maple trees and two huge bags of dead leaves swept, scraped and scooped off the patio. It’s still too early to clear the beds — that’s a task to undertake in May. At present, the cold wind howling in the chimney has me convinced to keep the furnace running for a while yet.

I’ve had three asthma flares since the snow melted, so I keep the dope kit handy and limit garden efforts to an hour or so at a time. Asthma notwithstanding, I’m singing well these days and I get out to the Y for pool class three mornings a week.

The next challenge is deodorizing the green Bokhara carpet in the parlour, which Watson has pissed on again. The air has a very slight pong and I’m expecting a dinner guest on Sunday. I’ve heard good things about Nature’s Miracle; any opinions, Stilly?

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Apr 22 - 11:58 AM

Friday morning and the house looks like it was picked up and shaken. So much to do, where to start? Paper is always a problem, so I've headed to the office closet and pulled out an old spiral notebook from graduate school, pulled out the dozen pages of book notes, and will use this in the kitchen to transcribe all of the scribbles on paper that seemed necessary to keep for some reason. I've used these kinds of notebooks in the past (there are two or three still around I occasionally refer to.)

Most of my grad school stuff is long gone, but notebooks that had few pages used and can be reassigned are still there, hence the adoption of one for my kitchen stuff. I tape in business cards, cut out pieces of fliers, whatever. Keep notes on when dogs need pills. Write down addresses and phone numbers. Much of what my phone is used for now, but in paper form.

On Facebook I posted the account of trespassers in the yard this week, an odd couple who I suspect have worked out some scams to play in their interactions with people. They got cash out of my next door neighbor, me, I just let the dogs bark at them until they finished a shower behind the fence near the garage (using the hose from next door). Overall, the dogs did what they are supposed to - they barked at strangers in the yard. The strangers ignored them, but it got my attention. Now if Cookie would just stop hunting my lizards.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 22 - 09:22 PM

My bedroom ceiling fixture (lights and fan) flickered out yesterday, and a little testing convinces me that it is the switch. I have another iffy switch in the dressing room (only acts up occasionally) so today I picked up two replacements. I'll turn off the breaker and replace them in the morning.

While moving the mirrored dresser I forgot there was a TV aerial perched on top of the mirror frame and it came down with a clonk! onto the TV on the dresser itself. (This is the setup for my exercises). The TV is now blinking on and off, and after tests, I think it is actually the Fire Stick plugged into it that is acting up, not the TV. Cheaper if it needs to be replaced, but still a bother. There are other similar episodes around the house, things that need repair or replacement. The devices seem to be testing the pocketbook - repair or replace or live without.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Apr 22 - 04:56 PM

Its like a jig saw puzzle but the picture is in your head.
It is ALL opal including the gorgeous sea. I'm using 6000 adhesive which can be removed with about 20 lbs of pressure. The front is now done with a masterful sea bed base of opal matrix which required steel epoxy. There are 25 fish and coral made of opal but the sea looks open with depth. The display of more valuable gems will be on the back.
Some opals are 30% water. Water and carbon are the ingrediants of life.

Its 80 out so I better do some yard work....

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 13 Apr 22 - 11:11 AM

SRS, I put a camera there for security but I do also use it to make sure mum is OK when she goes round the back. I also later fitted another camera that points down our narrow path to the small gate to the field. That one was put there purely to watch mum. I haven't got the shorter side of the house that runs by my work shed covered but I can follow most of the rest of her journey from the porch to the field.

Mum quite likes looking at what's happening down down the field when she's on her computer too.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Apr 22 - 10:24 AM

Don, I can visualize what you're talking about - are you mounting these pieces on a piece of wood or other solid backing?

Jon, is the camera a way to keep track that mum is safe when she's back there, or is it mostly for bird watching?

In my bedroom I've moved more furniture and picked up one of the rubber mats that goes under a runner carpet to keep it from slipping so the new carpeted workout area doesn't accidentally slide during exercises.

Attention must turn to out-of-doors; mowing, digging garden beds, and weeding. Inside, the small heat pump unit has been shifted over to its air conditioner phase because of the high humidity this week. I must dust all of the ceiling fans before they turn on and fling their blade dust accumulations into each room. And I'm on full-strength allergy meds now that pollen is flying.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Apr 22 - 07:57 AM

I am midway through a 'painting' of an underwater ancient shallow sea.
Instead of using paint I am using pounds of solid opal complete with Asian carved and polished plants and opal creatures from Australia, Africa and Mexico. On the upper right hand corner an island emerges from the sea with a palm tree and butter fly so far. I am carving a wave crashing on shore with color changing crystal opal today. The whole thing is about a foot wide and nine inches tall. The base is ocean floor opal and the other side is a display of various types of colorful opals big and small. Overall it is a serene sculpture of aqua and earth tones that could adorn any shelf or mantlepiece. Opals were formed under shallow seas millions of years ago. The idea for this piece came 15 years ago when I acquired the enormous piece of thick opal that looks like the sea that no one else wanted.
I use a mask, dremel and water to keep the dust down. I sold a cello to afford the opals over time which were much cheaper 15 years go.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 13 Apr 22 - 04:11 AM

I fitted the replacement bullet camera for round the back. My installation there is a touch unusual as I want the camera roughly in line with our small gate into the field. I might just about get away with mounting near the edge of the house wall but a floodlight occupies the position I’d choose. My solution has been to fix a cranked tv pole mount to the wall and fix the camera (which is supposed to be wall mounted) to that. The base of the new camera was bigger than that of the old one and I ordered a new piece of sheet steel for mounting but when I took the old camera down, I found that drilling 4 new holes in the existing plate was all I needed.

The new camera has zoom (but on pan/tilt) so here are a couple of views from earlier this slightly dull morning max zoom and min zoom. It will spend most of it’s time near min zoom but to get a bit closer to the bird feeders and the bench where mum likes to sit when she gets out might be nice.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 12 Apr 22 - 05:14 PM

Dupont:

LONG hiatus! I must have mentioned the ransacking of our stuff stored at the mill, that we discovered the first time we went to the Farm market. Since then, police and then a second episode resulting in the arrest of two guys carrying stuff (kept as evidence; we don't know what.) This time the neighbour took photos! Two trips to collect stuff off the floor; they emptied almost every box. There were a LOT of boxes. I am still exhausted from the most recent Sunday; Geri helped. Happy to find some very special things still intact! - esp cut glass bowls! And six boxes of the newspapers from when I was the local reporter! Hope I find time/energy to look through them.


Weather is improving and crocuses in east yard are blooming and some in my mound out front. Daffies taking their time! Bought lawn seed for special "eco-grass" that only needs to be cut twice a season. Hope it works! And wildflower seeds that I was told would come up this year and prob bloom. I will broadcast seed tomorrow before the next rain and try to rake some of the lawn - not to remove anything but to turn leaves over so seeds fall to the soil. Maybe if they are under the leaves, critters may not eat them - or will...!

Sorting through stuffs bought up from mill and divesting myself of as much as possible(?). Have made a fair amount of pottery and have packed what has dried in bubble wrap and boxed to go to Beaver for firing. Triaging other stuffs to take for Leslie to dispense as she sees fit - keep or give to thrift shops...

Finally divested my self of 12 years of pent up anger/frustration at some of R's behaviours; brilliant but no sense at all sometimes (him). I tried to let it go but could not and it kept infringing. Now I feel lighter than air. He kind of gets the message that things need to be talked about- at the time. I kept it in, not wanting to upset him... Totally dumb! I acknowledged this/took some responsibility of being dumb. Things are considerably better. Will be even better after we go to Beaver and, with any luck, regain running water so I can spend time there and give him Space.

I still need to go to Mill with him to see if we can find my books; People have moved stuff around and I am totally in disarray over things that I have not seen in 7 years. I packed so carefully! I suspect my things are in an area I have not been able to access in several years. Things have been added haphazardly, things I cannot move alone. Will put this off for warmer weather- that place is cold and dank in mid-summer! But, at 85, I am feeling a compunction to get my stuff together - and jettison what no longer feels necessary. Like a foot high stack of OLD dress patterns! And OLD tax returns!

Yesterday, the next door neighbour caught me and we had a "conversation" in "Franglais" (French/English). She explained to me the property line, indicating we have our bins on her property. So, this am, R and I moved them to our side. And he noted the Stuff I have been asking to be rid of for a couple years. "It looks terrible; like no one cares!" Still did not move them... ...

The house itself is in pretty good shape. I also lightened a carpet several shades by vacuuming!

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Apr 22 - 05:13 PM

It was a pleasant surprise after sending in my taxes to find an automated email from the IRS rejecting the first attempt, saying I hadn't taken the correct standard deduction. When I plugged in the larger number the tables were turned and they will be sending a modest refund. Possibly. I thought so last year but they whittled it down to almost nothing after catching a math error.

In the new gap of weeks since mid-March I have started an exercise program and this weekend rearranged my bedroom to give more space and to put down a free piece of carpet I found in my "purchase nothing" group on Facebook. I will head out soon to pick up a non-skid mat to put under it because it sits on tile and can slide.

I finished putting in a new gate and am considering how to put shade cloth over the new potting bench that I've assigned to a three-sided area created when I finished the gate project. It gets merciless midday sun so some shade cloth attached to the fence to pull over the bench is the plan.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Apr 22 - 09:43 PM

Almost a month of posts have vanished, making it difficult to keep up with what people have been doing. The BS section of Mudcat is non-essential, but there's a family connection of sorts. And it's a place where I edit myself to try to make what I'm sharing interesting. So it is a loss, to have those entries gone.

I wish I had something interesting to add this evening, but I've spent the time completing my income taxes. I owed a tiny amount this year.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 17 Mar 22 - 03:10 PM

A few daffodils and jack in the pulpits are blooming. I did a living room makeover with an illuminated remote controled coffee table, a powerful led room light, moon mirror, a music quilt 'tapestry', and an earth and a moon pillow.
Added red food color to the forsythia which has just begun to bloom.
I'm hoping for an orange forsythia.
I cut down a huge pink flowering bush to replace with red azelea. I'm on the lookout for a red rhododendrom.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 17 Mar 22 - 10:50 AM

I heard a redwing blackbird outside the doc's office in Kitchener when I went for my needle last week. Since that infallible sign of spring, we've had four days of snow and wind and two days of thaw. A neighbour reported seeing and hearing robins yesterday. I'm planning to walk downtown today for a beer with the BIL & SIL, so I hope to spot one myself.

The house is a little less grimy since I finally hauled the vacuum cleaner downstairs for a go at the parlour rug. The garden is a mess as the snow comes off, but all my mould allergies are going gangbusters so it will have to wait.

The first daffs are sprouting ... !

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 16 Mar 22 - 06:19 PM

Dupont:

That was a long hiatus! Not that I have managed to do much. I did try walking to the river and back (about 400 yards), times 2 and that worked for 3 days then my gut protested vigorously - I suspect the stew in which I used a jar of commercial spaghetti sauce. Won't do that again! So I only walked about 50 feet back and forth by the house - just in case!

Today, a gorgeous day! I walked down to the boat launch and sat on a bench by the river and then walked back. YAY! Enough snow gone that I could get to the bench. The ice is decluttering but slowly - about 10 inch thick chunks all higeldy, pigeldy (!) across the river. Open water down river! Sat on the front steps with the sun full on and ate a salad and read. And, just now another walk to the bench. This time I did not need to stop 3 times to rest on the way up the very minor hill.

Yesterday, in an effort to do something useful, I cleaned the oak bannister with Murphy's oil soap. Some of it looks better. And it is no longer tacky. It did not help my interminably achey right shoulder!

BIG social event on Sunday - Farmer's Market! And R took the day off so we could go together and visit with friends (with masks). And BF in a small resto. Big purchase: beets, turnips and mushrooms from the coop (farm). My second event since the Covid hit.

The previous one put me in collapse for a couple days: I went to a play in the city on 5 March. R was working so it was up to me to get there, to be supportive of my friend who was in it and heavily involved. I studied the map of that part of the city over and over to be sure I knew how to get there and see where there was parking.

Right! I got there just fine! YAY for me! And parked right outside the theatre, on the street! and looked for kiosk to pay. Asking people whom I knew were Francophones in that part of the city! No help. By the time I found the obscure door to the theatre, I was exhausted from walking around in the slush - fell once. (later realized I had pulled a muscle in my neck - a few days healing)

Inside, I lamented loudly: "How can I pay for parking???" A nice woman asked me my parking spot number and paid on her phone and I gave her cash. YAY! Then... I could not pay for a ticket! There was no way to pay except on line??? Stunned and confused, "But Justine told me I could get a ticket at the door!" A woman led me through halls, up and down steps until we found Justine, who greeted me effusively and thanked me for coming and Gabrielle led me through some more labyrinth to the theatre and carefully got me seated - I was shaking with exhaustion.

But that was not enough: R texted me that he was there! and I told Gabrielle, who was nearby. He also had no way to pay and had to tell them, "But Justine told my girlfriend..." And G brought him in one minute before the show started.

It was wonderful: excellent musicians and singing and acting -100% in French! I understood two words and R understood "about 15%" but the spirit was beautiful. The words did not matter. And when Justine came to thank us for coming, we were able to be very enthusiastic about how terrific it was!! We went for a bite to eat at the Atwater Market(lovely sort of spanokapita) and I dropped him back at work. Three days to recover. But I DID it!! And I am so glad I did; it was vitally important to me to be supportive of Justine.

NOW: the upshot is that I must find out how to be able to pay with my phone. I felt SO incompetent! And VERY OLD!

The walks are already helping. I need to vacuum. But laundry is OK, dishes are ok, groceries are fine, and I find little things to organize better and other things to recycle.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Mar 22 - 04:03 PM

The house still needs a good sweep and a couple of floors need mopping; I'll do that after I finish a web page fix that I'm addressing. When it rains it pours - my quiet week has suddenly filled up with things that must be done now. This is spring break around here, so the museums fill up with families out doing things during their week off. I took the rest of the week off to stay out from underfoot. I should be able to finish making the sauce (cooking up the sofrito part then adding it to the thickened tomato sauce) and have it ready for tomorrow. My fridge is embarrassingly full for a house where just one person lives. It's a lot of things that keep well and others that are coming out of the freezer to use.

Though wait - it isn't just me. I'm giving the dogs more produce mixed with their dry kibble. There is a five-pound bag of carrots to roast (a few at a time) that I enjoy but I also give to them, and they get the tough ends from the asparagus, etc. One of the dogs is on a diet so he's getting more veg, less dry (also because he needs less protein in his food).

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Mar 22 - 02:18 PM

Though we talk about food here, this isn't a recipe thread, and you should probably continue the discussion over to the food threads. I've moved a couple of them over now just to revive that thread. You were building up quite a head of steam. ;)

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Mar 22 - 12:46 PM

Be sure to buy plum toms, not just chopped, Jon, and ones with salt or anything else added are best avoided, I've found. I'm not keen on Napolina ones (not quite the Italian company you might think!). Cirio are OK (and I use their passata quite a lot), but they are no better than the Waitrose ones and are more expensive. All a matter of taste! Whatever else, I've noticed that prices of such stuff are seriously on the up...

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Mar 22 - 12:06 AM

Well I've managed to declutter my freezer of 8 1-pint plastic restaurant containers ("poor man's Tupperware") of chopped tomatoes from last summer. There will be a fair amount of juice and some sauce on the side. Cooking the tomatoes then hitting them with the stick blender before spooning through the food mill is what it took to get the start of the sauce. It needs to cook till thickened some more, then I'll add the seasoning.

The sink is full of the pans and food mill, soaking, and I'll wash it up tomorrow. If my friend likes onion soup then I'll make some of that for lunch or dinner while she's here, thereby removing a frozen baguette that I can slice and toast for the croutons for the soup. More out of the freezer—meals this time of year are about drawing down existing supplies of preserved stuff (and of eating fresh as well - it's a juggling act.) This sauce is in lieu of buying a jar or two, and I can use it on ravioli and flat bread (for homemade pizza) from the freezer. There are fewer take-out meals when thoughts turn to finishing last year's crops in time to fill it with this year's produce excess.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Mar 22 - 09:20 PM

I was looking for the top of my pan-shaped food mill for the last couple of days, and finally realized I'd put it away with the other food mill (that screws onto the edge of the counter and has a lot of parts). Duh. I had them both out last week and wasn't paying attention when I put the big one in the box, except that there are so many parts and I don't want to lose any. I thought I was losing my mind that I couldn't find that thing until now.

I'm still trying to sort the seeds from the frozen tomatoes for making some sauce, and processing cold tomatoes didn't work to separate them. This summer I'm going to make a lot more sauce at the time I'm first processing tomatoes, that's when it works best.

Since I was downtown today I made a trip over to my favorite discount gourmet warehouse and they had a batch of dessert hand pies in the freezer (along with produce and yogurt I load up on there). These pies are just chocolate; the last ones were chocolate hazelnut and were amazing, and worth the trip. I am reducing my driving by making loops, so this was one of those, a three-legged trip out. (That will be blown out of the water when my friend arrives and needs to be ferried all around town for a couple of days. I'll go back to the plan next week.)

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Mar 22 - 05:14 PM

A friend will be staying a couple of days; the original plan was she'd stay with her daughter and spend Friday with me and my ex, but as is typical with this friend, her family's plans change. People had COVID the last time she tried (we didn't see her then); this time it's upper bronchial. Ugg. Anyway, I'll be making the bed in the guest room and scrambling to sweep and dust and put stuff away around here. When company is coming is when you can suddenly see your house through someone else's eyes. And this one right now is messy. Fingers crossed she doesn't bring the daughter's cold to us here.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Mar 22 - 10:16 PM

Help Susan Hinton get a Power Chair is the post that she put up. Better over here on Mudcat where more people know her. I'll look for the thread about "where is WYSIWYG" and add it there also.

While Mudcat was off there was other stuff going on in the world that needed attention. Today I finished preparing a couple of boxes to send out tomorrow, things on my "to-do" list for a while. My income tax files are on the kitchen table ready to begin and hopefully file this week.

Beside the front corner of the garage the hole is ready for concrete and the gate support post, I'll put that in tomorrow. From there I can plan the gate closing post and short stretch of fence from that post over to the property line. I should be able to finish the project this week. One more fence post to put in, a concrete curb across the gate opening (to keep dog-like critters from digging under it), and a dozen pickets. Th e dogs will have a great view of the driveway from that gate and I'm sure enjoy discovering it.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: keberoxu
Date: 13 Mar 22 - 09:17 PM

I saw on the Mudcat Facebook page that
Wysiwyg is doing some online fund-raising.


...could not remember how to spell wysiwyg for a moment there ...

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Mar 22 - 10:03 PM

He is a very good boy who gets a good diet and will now lose a little weight (I'll disguise the fact that there is less dog food in the dinner bowl by adding a little more vege - that way he gets less protein and gets the fiber that everyone needs.) I cut 1/2 inch slices of zucchini and steamed them this evening - Pepper was less happy with the raw squash yesterday but gobbled this down immediately. When they think they're getting people food they are always thrilled.

Time to poke around in a trunk in the front room looking for a couple of things to ship to my son. I'm going to have to move stuff from the top of the trunk before opening it - I'll look at this as my second workout of the day (and before I start moving I'll put on a mask and dust.)

Charmion, I hesitate to pull a Keberoxu-style awkward moment here, but it has occurred to me lately that one of the most annoying things about totalling the last car is that you'd just performed a very expensive repair on the broken antenna. Was there any adjustment in the insurance company payment that helped ease that pain?

Dorothy, I've lost track of your comings and goings - Dupont vs Beaver. Where are you these days, and do you ever get to other locations like the Mill?

Are there any lurkers who would like to surface and give us a progress report? Those who read along and rarely post sometimes offer the most amazing accounts of their activities!

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Mar 22 - 06:12 PM

A pampered dog with gout?

Binge watching Netflix isn't a fitness program.
None the less I have been highly entertained by comedies like 'The Good Place', 'Lilyhammer' (for Sopranos fans) and 'Upload' on Amazon Prime video.

With a near 80 degree Sunday I plan the yard clean up work.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Mar 22 - 11:05 AM

The big worry lately has been the health of the old Labrador retriever, but aside from being deaf, forgetful, and lumpy (harmless fatty tumors), he's in good shape. The blood work shows a slight shift toward kidney problems in the future but that can be headed off with a low protein diet, that he's already on (it can go lower with an expensive Rx dog food, but the vet said that isn't needed now.)

I found what could be a major source of clutter (if I'm not careful) - a new online site for ordering sewing materials, all sorts. Wawak. And they mail out catalogs every month. Those catalogs will be the start. It looks like they have all of the good stuff that used to be in the big old fabric stores (those older big ones even before Hancock, that finally closed down in our area, leaving Joann's the last woman standing). AND I've responded to a freecycle offer of two trash bags full of yarn (I don't need the yarn, but my daughter expressed an interest in yarn recently, for the crochet squares she makes during meetings, etc.) If the offeror responds to my email, this porch-pickup may come under the heading of "be careful what you wish for." We've made contact, now all I need is the address, from the crossroads listed she lives a mile from me. If I do this right I can drive over to the museum where my daughter will be working tomorrow and meet her at her car to drop these off.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Mar 22 - 12:14 AM

Maybe not. It looks like the longer threads took longer to load. Keep your fingers crossed.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: keberoxu
Date: 03 Mar 22 - 11:25 PM

I was beginning to fear that
we would have to give up the Mudcat for Lent ...

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Mar 22 - 11:12 PM

There's a huge gap because of a database failure. I printed the thread and will put up some long posts with the text. Not every thread got hit the same way.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Mar 22 - 02:01 PM

As a child I had friends in a family in the neighborhood who were ardently Catholic, who used to tell us regularly we would go to Hell. I don't remember a conversation with my parents, but I suspect there was one, in which we were told that their religion dictated rules to them and we didn't need to participate in their fiction. That conversation would have been with my father, a lapsed Catholic. Mom was nominally a Lutheran and tried to teach us about the religion by making us go to Sunday school, but after a couple of years of that we were able to talk our way out of it. I don't pray or pledge allegiance at public meetings either.

Decluttering accounts these days; the newspaper I get is digital only and I paid an annual fee of $118, but got a postcard stating that was discontinued and they would charge me a monthly $18.72 now, or a $110 increase per year. I. Don't. Think. So. I called to cancel and amazingly they can offer a rate of $8.62 a month, coming out less than before. I'll keep it for a couple of months, but I don't need it. I also canceled the DVD part of my Netflix plan; I never remember to watch the darned things, so I might as well stop getting them. I can add it back later if I want - they'll always happily take my money. There are a couple of other things I need to revisit as far as keeping or tossing - after a while these things add up.

Five puzzles dropped at the thrift shop, and I brought home two. 500 pieces this time (there was a double-sided one I didn't buy - that's for the hard-core gluttons for punishment.)

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 02 Mar 22 - 11:46 AM

I am resolving to eat butter and hire other people to clean better than we ever could. As far as religious mixed feelings I am betting religion
has as much corruption and lies as your typical go fund me page. Much good will be done but there will be a bunch of crap too.

Its time for the second dose of food coloring for the blooming trees experiment. I am removing a pink shrubbery and replacing it with a red or orange azelea. Cutting down all unwanted brush and mulching with red pine is also in the cards.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 02 Mar 22 - 11:23 AM

It's Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

I have deeply mixed feelings about organized religion, but some of its aspects are very helpful in daily life. Top of the list is the traditional Christian calendar, and I'm confident that Jews and Muslims and Hindus and Zoroastrians every other faith group that does holidays would agree. At bottom, Lent is forty days set aside to figure out where and how we are failing to do right, and to correct our behaviour and, thereby, our thinking.

There's a thousand ways to use it, from resolving to eat better and clean the house (and then bloody well doing it) to weekly attendance at Stations of the Cross and hefty alms-giving. Some people swear off their guilty pleasures (giving up booze and chocolate, for example), others go back to the gym in anticipation of bathing-suit season, and still others do something more intellectual to achieve self-improvement in anticipation of Spring.

As a PK (preacher's kid), Edmund always marked Lent with giving stuff up, usually booze and sweets. One year, he tried to give up meat and actually made it to Laetare Sunday (the third Sunday in Lent) before caving in to the temptation of double-smoked bacon. He felt personally burdened by the fact that his birthday always fell squarely in the middle of Lent, making timely celebration awkward.

I'm not giving up booze or chocolate or meat, and I'm not planning to become a frequent flyer at Stations of the Cross. I think I'll give up procrastination, especially with respect to boring jobs I loathe, such as washing the kitchen floor and vacuuming the parlour rug, and responsibilities that bug me, such as choir administration. Of course, I give up procrastination every year and so far it hasn't quite taken, but I live in hope.

It's a beautiful day in Stratford with bright sunshine despite predictions of foul weather from Environment Canada. I think I'll have lunch and go for a walk downtown.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Feb 22 - 04:50 PM

It's a busy week ahead, with generally nice weather. Coming up is the one month when, in three years out of four, if you forget to flip the page of the calendar the dates are still correct. Daylight savings time in two weeks does the awful "spring ahead" to remove an hour that I miss for months until fall comes around again. I feel cheated.

There's a lot going on since my plate is full with self-assigned projects. If I manage to do some of these I just might lose weight from the energy expended alone. With the exercises and stretching there are muscles under the fat, but it is harder to do a lot of stuff when carrying the extra weight. So, in a nutshell, the spring is dedicated toward getting in better shape and losing weight while working on household projects so when I get to the knee surgery things are running smoothly around here and missing two or three weeks of regular activity won't put me behind. Toward this end, a couple of weeks ago I cut out the chocolate and much of the sugar and it takes a while to get past the cravings, but I think I'm about there.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 27 Feb 22 - 05:40 PM

Your brothers, nevertheless, remain silent on the subject on social media. (We do, however, have opinions.)

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 27 Feb 22 - 05:19 PM

I took a trip to the nearest Big Smoke today to visit Lee Valley Tools, and found a festival of drifting snow on the county roads. Ugly. In town, it was a fine clear afternoon, but the minute I was on a road with billiard-table-flat fields to windward, conditions promptly soured. Such is life in southwestern Ontario. No ditch for me today. Hurrah.

The news from east Europe is unremittingly depressing and so full of speculation that I have stopped reading it. My social media feed is dominated by military indignation from every Cold War veteran of my acquaintance, most of them saying something like “I told you so!” If anything good happens, I’ll find out soon enough. If anything worse happens, ditto. Either way, there’s not much I can do about it.

Capacity limits, social distancing and proof-of-vaccination requirements go away next week in Ontario, but masking stays for now. In hope of better things to come, I have registered and paid for a music festival in August. The glass is half full!

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Feb 22 - 11:58 AM

I'm pacing my news consumption; the assault on Ukraine is a wretched state of events and the best I can do here is watch for good NGOs that might be able to help as far as making donations. Add to that donations to politicians in some of the battleground states. My Congressmember was part of a GOP junket to Russia in 2018 at the very moment the senate was releasing the report that Russia did indeed interfere with the US elections. That group was there to suggest "we don't mind what you did." She needs to retire, and I'd like to help with that.

Last night I worked on more masks (the CDC is now watching hospital capacity as a way to tell people if they should mask or not - I prefer not to get sick and hope I don't end up sick OR hospitalized.) I started a new fabric for my library friends—the print looks like the marbled end paper you see in tipped into old books (or printed in some newer ones.)

Today is still cool but mid-week it'll be up to the 70s and I'll head outside to move a plastic sided compost enclosure in the back yard to start a new enclosure for weeds and kitchen waste. I always struggle to make the piles dog proof, and this time I'll probably make some kind of a wire mesh cap to go over it. It's the time of year to start pulling out the dormant Bermudagrass, a persistent weed that pulls out of the soil most easily after a freeze and rain (our circumstances this week). That weedy grass will go in the bottom of the new bin and I'll empty the kitchen waste buckets into it. It's a messy job but adds up to good compost. The pile that is inside the current bin location isn't of interest to the dogs, being a couple of years old. I'll start breaking it up probably next year (at any given time there are usually four piles in various stages of decomposition, with a new one started each spring.)

Decluttering jigsaw puzzles this week when I'll be headed to my old work town and drop them at the thrift store where I discovered a good supply.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Feb 22 - 02:50 PM

Wow! Smoke detectors are a huge help and also a tremendous challenge (especially when they start beeping at 3am and you can't tell which one it is. I have 5 through the house.) And I always find that while the batteries come out easily, they are a bugger to put back in.

Gel injections in the knee never worked very well, so I'm not bothering with it. This one steroid shot is just to help me get to the time of year when it's easier to go through the surgery. When you can choose, it's nice to be able to. (After going through the third trimester of my first pregnancy in a hot Texas summer, we timed the second one to be born in the spring. Much easier on me.) They don't like to keep doing the steroids, so at some point the surgery becomes the only option. The repaired knee is so much better.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 25 Feb 22 - 02:10 PM

I’ve had way too much smoke alarm drama lately, and last night the fire brigade showed up. After much twiddling and three trips to Canadian Tire in a snowstorm for batteries (two kinds!), calm has returned.

The firemen were nice, and very helpful. They even offered to come back and change the batteries in the three — count ‘em, three! — alarms on the upstairs hall ceiling if I didn’t want to climb a ladder. I probably reminded the crew chief of his mum.

I’m glad the steroid shot is helping you, Stilly. One of my several sisters-in-law is nearly crippled by a bum knee and so far has found nothing that helps. She had one injection into the joint that absolutely nothing — a gel shot, perhaps — and I’ve been nudging her to ask about cortisone for a while. It has done a world of good for my wonky foot.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Feb 22 - 11:09 AM

The steroid shot to the knee socket helped a lot. I'll be out in the yard this weekend doing some work on uneven ground without the usual discomfort. I had the trimmer and the tiller worked on last week and I need to test them within 30 days (the length they guarantee their work.) So I need to make a run over to the gas station that sells unadulterated gasoline (no ethanol). Home Depot for a new gas can, then to the next county over, where I'm told there's a Walmart gas station that sells it.

I've been getting a lot more stuff done since that shot. I didn't realize how much the knee was slowing me down. Of course, it didn't affect the filing of paper, the cleaning of the kitchen, etc. I think the now-sunny weather has helped with my mood.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Feb 22 - 06:41 PM

Don, the doctor said he usually waits for the patient to tell him when they're ready for the procedure. It isn't like heart or gallbladder or cancer surgery or other things that must be done, it is elective, but it is a huge quality of life choice. If I step wrong I can almost topple over; it's an instant collapse when you move wrong when exercising, dancing, climbing around the yard, etc. Walking on uneven ground or climbing stairs is painful and you can hear the bones grind (the noise travels through the skeleton, and I think someone other than me could hear it if they were nearby.) It's a hard surgery so it isn't taken lightly.

I wore my knees out the old-fashioned way—hard work. In high school I took up mountain climbing, going up and down mountains wearing a heavy backpack (down is usually harder on your knees than up), and then there was all of the long-distance backpacking with even heavier packs. I spent several years working in forestry climbing through clearcut units and fighting forest fires (carrying a lot of gear). I've been gardening for years, doing a lot of digging and lifting and dragging and carrying of heavy objects. The cartilage is gone, it's bone on bone and my knees are knock kneed (only one of them now). Standing with deteriorated knees mean your legs aren't straight, they meet at the knees.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 24 Feb 22 - 06:18 PM

What was it that wore out your knees somewhat prematurely Stilly?
While there is an autoimmune factor in many joint problems there are also auto healing processes.
You will not find my advocating visualization for disease and illness despite the fact I was a therapeutic hypnotist. People must find their own path to mind body healing. I never cured my own migraine condition of weekly migraine torture so I know limitations exist. That migraine has preditably disappeared with age I have no illusions but all other conditions have healed nicely, some might say remarkably.
With your learning curve behind you I hope your second procedure if you decide goes really well.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Feb 22 - 04:46 PM

Mrrzy, I stopped by the post office last week and the box was crammed (I hadn't been there for a couple of weeks). I've been sorting junk from bills at the kitchen table, and there is a small crescent-shaped area in the clutter where I can put my plate, glass of water, and the phone stand (I eat alone, so I catch up with Instagram or read the online newspaper.) It is time to clear several horizontal surfaces of their paper buildup.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 24 Feb 22 - 11:30 AM

It's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood! Sunshine, not too cold, birds in the hedge singing their little heads off. Lately I've been seeing chickadee-shaped critters that are not chickadees, and gleanings from the Google rabbit hole suggest they are dark-eyed juncos.

I think it's time to get off the choir's board of directors; those meetings don't spark even one tiny bit of joy. I'll do it in the proper way, though, and be sweet and reasonable about it. Then I can just sing and be done with it.

I went to my usual pool class today and will go again tomorrow. On Saturday, I plan to try a different kind of water exercise, something called Aqua Zumba. I just hope it's not loud.