FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Jun 22 - 11:08 AM

Years ago when I built the keyhole garden I was using limestone rocks hauled from the back of the back yard. They were tossed there before I moved in, when a large planter adjacent to the front porch was torn down, and in with the rocks was a lot of crumbly dark-gray mortar. I tossed bits of the mortar into the soil mix as I built, but I really don't need it around. As I come across it now I toss it to one side and each time the trash is picked up it's a little heavier than usual as I get rid of a few pieces. I'll be able to keep this up for quite a while.

This week I must trim the vitex tree in the front yard; the hard freeze a couple of years ago damaged it and I can see now where the dead limbs are. I'll use a saw on a long pole and slowly cut them by hand. Next week they'll be picked up. If I had a heavy-duty chipper I'd keep it all here to use in the garden. I can chip the slim brances with my little electric chipper.

I did a deep dive via Google Scholar on some research and came across several interesting articles about how hard on the environment "fast fashion" is. For a long time I've wanted to make the point that fibers should be recycled just as much as plastic, glass, corrugated cardboard, and paper. You can make some really great paper with recycled cloth fiber. In these journal articles they discuss how the manufacture of fabric and garment materials is hard on the environment, not just the dumping of unwanted garments at the end of their life cycle. Most of the articles were open source and there was one PDF book on the subject. This makes me all the more determined to fix the elastic in the queen-fitted sheets and keep them in service. If they went to Goodwill they might end up headed to the dump. And to fix the soles on my leather steel-toed boots, not toss them.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Jun 22 - 10:03 PM

Dorothy, your remark about not knowing if the power had been off reminded me that I haven't heard from my battery backup for a long time. I evidently forgot to install the software when I rebuilt the operating system, and now that it is installed it can't find the device. The USB cable is connected. Maybe when the computer reboots they'll do a handshake? I can program it to do various things, and tell it how long to stay on before it shuts down the computer if the power is out, etc.

It also used to tell me any time the power went out, and it occurred to me if you had an uninterrupted power supply with the same software it could email you when the power goes off and back on. Something to fuss with another day. At least I've identified that it needs attention, but get in line!

My newest raised bed is near completion as far as moving soil from the old bed into it. I picked up more free mulch today that will be enough for other beds, I'll have to make another trip for this one. I disturbed a healthy large (in relation to its species) rough earth snake (about 12" long) in a shovelful of dirt. It lay on the new bed quietly and I carefully tossed soil over it. I still have more soil to move from the old bed, and that will go on top of the other beds in areas where they aren't planted or mulched yet.

After our big rain a couple of days ago I think now is a good time to use my burn barrel. I'll pull out the papers I want to get rid of and set up the bricks in the morning.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Jun 22 - 09:29 PM

Mulberries are ripe and plentiful. Blueberries are fattening up and raspberries are last in line.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 05 Jun 22 - 09:20 PM

BEAVER!:

Friday, having finally planted all the veggies and told R he was on his own, I left for Beaver. Got here about 4 and was in bed by 6 - until about 8 am! Then rather late in the game, I phoned R to find out when and where the Celebration of life for his friend was. Took me a few minutes to find vaguely suitable clothes and dash away. I was about 30 minutes late but it went on forever! I, of course only understood one sentence in the hour of a dozen, apparently quite good commentaries. Robin was glad I came and we stayed for another hour for a bit of food and a lot of conversations - mainly his. I only met this guy once for a few minutes but had the sense he was special. Those who had known him thought so too. Then I drove 2 hours back and managed to stay up til 8 pm.

So far I have weeded most of the raised beds, arranged to have the GRASS mowed and fetched cash from the CU to pay for the expected firewood and the grass. Tomorrow some errands.

Lots of columbine volunteers in full bloom. Missed the daffies. Strawberries in bloom and starting to set fruit. Lots of blueberries on the four healthy bushes. A ton of sorrel which I have not yet had the guts to trim to eat! Picked and cooked rhubarb and realized - NO sugar in the house! Tomorrow! I'll add it, re-heat it, then freeze it to take to Robin. Need to put netting over berries tomorrow!

Huge quantities of trees down along the road up but none near here and it was nice to find the house in working condition! IF the electric was off, it was not for long; the freezer is fine.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Jun 22 - 10:36 AM

Good to hear from you again, Dorian!

Two days ago we had a heavy rain and yesterday was incredibly muggy in the aftermath. Higher temperatures today should remove more of the moisture in the air.

The rain removed a back yard tree that was hanging over the edge of the bluff over the creek. I'll have to walk around from the neighbor's yard to take a look at the bluff profile and figure out how stable it is. Did the roots pull out, making it dangerous to walk near? I suspect they snapped off, leaving the ground above intact.

Two more garments turned up in the closet that won't be worn any more. I also dug through my dresser. There are some things that needed tossing and others that I probably will never fit in again (or won't wear if I could) that are in the donation bin.

It has occurred to me that since my son has described voles being a problem at his house (complicating the mowing process, if you hit the mounds) I can help. I have a bag full of hair I combed off of the dogs that I put in my garden; I'll send him some. Share the wealth! You stuff it into the access tunnels of the animal pests (I try to keep rats and mice out of the garden with it.)

I need to retrieve more free mulch (it'll be a steaming pile of shredded tree trimmings now, after the rain). I can start putting okra in the garden, the seedlings have grown a few leaves and are ready to be moved. If I can have the whole garden in place this week then I'm content it will take care of itself for a little while after.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Jun 22 - 10:20 AM

The last Howard Johnson Restaurant closed today, they used to be everywhere. For Canadians that is like the last Tim Horton closing.
The other thing that seems to be gone is the idea of a concrete honesty.
It has been replaced with the perception of truth as the most important fraudulent honesty of today. WWII ushered in perception of truth in a big way but it has evolved into something so monsterous it may soon rival the Third Reich lies.
Today even my own appearance is a lie. Having to stay out of direct sunlight for a lifetime, with no melanine protection, I have aged me very little while other people my age have white hair or any hair, wrinkles and look ancient. Only below my eyes betray my age. Today I have to go into the attic and tend to my self portrait, mow and hedge again. Maybe I will cut a large dead branch off a devil's walking stick tree today.
It makes wicked looking canes.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Jun 22 - 04:06 PM

We got that "Sorcerer's Apprentice" downpour last night. A few places lost power and some flood alerts were posted. I have to go back and see if the creek is any clearer. I need a kayak to launch regularly to pick up trash washed in from upstream.

It's too humid out for laundry to effectively dry on the line, so it will go into the box of hot air in the warmer-than-usual house. Next week the AC repair guy arrives. Alas, it isn't my normal guy, he died in March "after a battle with a sudden and aggressive cancer." You see a guy every year for 20 years and he becomes a friend. I had the thought that he might have retired and Googled him, only to land on his obit. Now I need to find another shop that has the same honest approach to repairing the AC and doesn't try to sell me a new one each visit.

The weight is slowly dropping. My two doctors' visits last week both happily noted the change. I'm getting most of my exercise in the yard, but am being careful not to get more fire ant or chigger bites - an infection near the surgery knee could delay the procedure. I have more work to do on the keyhole bed with tall grass (where the chiggers are), so I'll take the trimmer out to cut it before I do more digging.

In case you wonder:

Chiggers are the immature stage of certain mites belonging to the family Trombiculidae. More closely related to spiders than to insects, chiggers belong to the class Arachinida, along with scorpions and ticks. In Texas, the term “chigger” commonly is used to describe the parasitic larval stage of mites in the genus Eutrombicula. These common mites cause most of the itchy, summertime bites that occur after walking outdoors through grassy or brushy areas.

Several species of chiggers occur in Texas, but only two are troublesome. One, Eutrombicula alfreddugesi, inhabits disturbed grassy and weedy upland areas and may be encountered in overgrown briar patches and along the edges of wooded areas. The other, Eutrombicula splendens, prefers moist habitats such as swamps and bogs, rotten logs and stumps. Even within favorable habitats, distribution of chiggers often is spotty. Chiggers may be concentrated heavily in one spot while virtually absent nearby.

Chiggers of the genus Eutrombicula prefer birds, reptiles, rodents or other small mammals as hosts. Although chiggers readily bite people if given a chance, humans do not make good hosts. Chiggers often do not survive on humans more than 1 or 2 days, because of people’s adverse skin reactions and scratching.

Chiggers hitch rides on people who walk through infested vegetation. They grab onto shoes or clothing and typically explore a host for several hours before choosing a place to feed. Chigger bites are most common in areas where clothing is tight or where skin is thinnest. Bites are most common at sites around sock lines on the ankles where socks fit tightly, around the waist and near the groin. Bites also may occur in other areas, including behind the knee and under the armpit.

Another reason why living in the South can be troublesome.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jun 22 - 07:41 PM

Isn't that how it often happens? I can hear that music in my head now!

I didn't think far enough ahead this morning when heading out to a doctor's checkup or I'd have included a trip to the gym and taken the boots over to the shop that might be able to resole them. I'll do those two things tomorrow since they both put me in the same part of town, and there will probably be a couple of other stops in the area. After I call to make an appointment with the AC repair guy. I've cleared enough brush out from around the unit that he can work on it. Again. He was here last year at the same time. It's a 20-year-old unit; fingers crossed we can get it up and running again.

I scored my first batch of fresh Olathe sweet corn on the cob of the season, and will have some for dinner. I'm still buying produce because so far I'm only harvesting herbs from my garden. I haven't planted corn for a while, but it's fun and charismatic to have a few stalks out there. Maybe I have a seed pack that isn't too old to plant.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 02 Jun 22 - 06:04 PM

I wished for a little rain and got a socerer's apprentice deluge.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 02 Jun 22 - 03:35 PM

I planted by the dark of the moon and will get a shower tonight.
The tall bamboo sprouts in a bin were so heavy I had to use a handcart.

There was a time when doing the vacuuming was considered an aphrodisiac. Now its dija get the cat box corner?

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jun 22 - 11:17 AM

Just don't pile that soil up against the tree trunk. Leave the root flare exposed or it will suffer. The flare is part of the trunk, not the roots, and in trees planted by landscapers it is the number one reason why trees have problems.

A little rain overnight, barely measurable, but I'll take it! This morning is nice and cool. The next few days will be a push to move more garden soil into the new raised bed and get it planted. I'll retrieve free mulch from my city source and have it ready to be ignored for a couple of weeks (watered only).

We have episodes of night time barking I'm trying to nip in the bud; it takes sharing the training collar between the girls alternate evenings. I have to research replacement batteries in the collar because it doesn't seem to hold much of a charge lately. The other night I put the collar on Pepper and in the wee hours I heard Cookie start to bark, then a yelp, then nothing. I think Pepper corrected Cookie on the barking, because she knew someone could get zapped for it. A night decluttered of barking is always nice.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 01 Jun 22 - 12:20 PM

Speaking of planting I cleared an area beneath the purple smoke tree and added 100 pounds of raised bed soil for the planting of exotic morning glories. After the soaking storm tomorrow I will plant the seeds I have soaking. I've done this before and it looks great through September. As you know the seeds are full of LSA ('amine' instead of diethylamide). It's already noon and too hot for me to mow. I will indoor mow - - vacuum instead.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jun 22 - 11:31 AM

That's handy, that they would help you move stuff. A nice repayment for the donated chest of drawers!

I have a Mission oak rocker that needs reupholstery; it's probably 100 years old and has had a couple of layers of upholstery attached over the original. The quote I got just before COVID was $750. I decided the other chairs I'd kept to possibly reupholster also weren't worth it and gave them away but kept this one. And will do it one of these days.

Meanwhile, I have a pair of Timberland boots that suddenly lost their cheap made-in-China soles yesterday and have found a local place to repair them (maybe - he has to look at them). I expect it to cost at least as much as I originally paid for them, but the uppers are fine. Resoling means I'll have a durable pair of boots for many years to come.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Jun 22 - 10:56 AM

The supernumerary chest of drawers is gone, adopted by the large & lumpy brother of my favourite furniture repair guy, himself a large & lumpy individual. While they were here, they hauled a teak three-seater sofa from the rather small parlour to the much larger library-cum-music room upstairs, and brought a dainty walnut-framed settee downstairs to grace the parlour.

My father’s favourite chair (and mine) has also left the building, but it will return in good time with freshly re-glued joints and more comfortable upholstery. That repair won’t be cheap — it seems that nothing good ever is — but it should set the chair up for at least another generation of reading and staring at the goggle box.

Now that the tumult and shouting are done, the house still looks full of furniture.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jun 22 - 12:25 AM

Since I tossed my old yard sneakers I wore my steel-toed boots in the garden today, and was astonished to look down and find the soles had crumbled and it was down to the leather on both boots. In the course of an hour. Must be defective materials! I have had these maybe 5 years, and don't wear them often. I'll see about having them resoled with Vibram and keep them going.

I offered irises to a friend who wants both colors I thinned recently, and today when I posted about a small vitex tree I don't need, she also wanted that. So I'll be delivering plants on my long run through the eastern half of the county. All three of these offerings were things in the way or that seeded themselves (this tree sprouted in the pot two years ago and whatever else was planted in there died. So it became a potted tree by default.) I think we're both into xeriscape gardening (plants adapted to dryer climates) that survive benign neglect. These two plants are the stars of that kind of landscaping program. :)

I'm pushing myself to get a lot of things in the ground and mulched so they can survive the time I'm hobbling around with a bandaged knee. I can get to the faucets to turn on sprinklers with the hoses already in place but I shouldn't be out in the garden weeding or anything like that. Probably won't feel like it.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 31 May 22 - 08:56 PM

Dupont:

I had Charmion's "stinking hot" yesterday and little happened here. But with some help from R, the DR is now clear of myriad pots and "saucers" now in two bins on the deck. Still some DR stuff which has not been homed as there is no room left in two very large china cabinets; need a plan B which includes mutual decisions about what can go to thrift shops.

My Weigela, is just starting to bloom; it is about 10x 12 feet and thoroughly hides the South window in the LR. Looking through photos on phone, I see full bloom on or about 20 June, so early this year. Yes, it does look scraggly at some times. The Canna that wintered in the den and back hall - Sunny! - is already starting to bloom in it plastic bin in the front yard - surrounded by the lengths of fallen limb - just the right length to hide the bin.

Today was lovely and I managed to get many things planted but still have a number yet to go. No whacking done. The different body movements - planting vs whacking - have me aching. Whacking seemed to be improving back and shoulders. Planting is achey! Still hope to finish planting tomorrow so I can go to Beaver on Thurs. I have a very low tolerance to mosquitoes! A friend sent me a pic of her mosquito gear! She lives on the edge of a swamp.

Took a lengthy nap today after eating nap inducing foods. Hope to remember not to do that again. My gut is still unhappy. After a nice salad for lunch... It will be interesting, but prob not exciting to see how much I weigh when I finally get to Beaver.

R has admitted to a Youtube addiction as the reason he is not getting home until 11pm. I suspected it was not all work and addressed the issue with some annoyance. "Come home and use my computer!" For some reason, he has not made friends with my old one even though he took it to the city to get help from Eph. I shall have good cause to speak to Eph about it; he convinced R to borrow my precious car today for special occasion. I shall relax when it is safely home! My pristine Prius.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 31 May 22 - 01:38 PM

Same ol hedging, mowing and whacking yesterday and today. a Cambodian bamboo shoot shot up 35 feet before it even sent out branches like a flagless flagpole. It managed to hide when it was little.

A recent rose bush loves its location and has profuse large old fashioned circular UV bright Red iridescent flowers with yellow centers.
My vision is shifted to more reds and UV blue so this variety looks amazing to me. This is not unusual for nordic folks. When German U boats signaled with UV lanterns they did not know the Scandinavians could see them directly. I would prefer the mutation of four dedicated color cones in the eye rather than the usual 3 but thats impossible. Only women get that mutation.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 May 22 - 11:22 AM

I have a pack of those loose hex keys, not sure where or when I picked them up. They might have been my Dad's (I have a lot of tool duplication with what came from his house, stored out in the garage tool drawers.) The ones I use most often are attached sets. I loaned the loose Allen wrenches out before expecting to never see them again and they came back, whole set. This from a friend who can't find all of her spare house keys so keeps having new ones made.

Did you know that if you lose a dozen pounds it can look like a lot more on the scale? From the low 190s to the high 170s means you lost all of the 180s and a little bit more, but what a boost to the morale! Now 25 more to go, hopefully this year. The surgery recuperation period will present a time when I expect (hope for) a plateau (and not gain this back).

Found a pair of too-big navy slacks in the closet that still have the store tags on them, a missed opportunity when I was heavier to have worn more than just jeans. Those slacks were from back when I was still going to work every day. I think what is helping this alternate day fasting is that I've fully switched over to eating a lot more fruits and vegetables, and trying to vary them every day. Over the last few years I wasn't paying close attention to the non-fasting days and combined fasting (~500 calories) with eating lots of bread carbs on the non-fasting day makes it go slower and lose interest. I'm sticking to 1200 calories on my non-fasting days now.

I'm making progress on moving the soil between garden beds. When I built that garden I did a mix of adding good top soil, humate, and amendments, and am seeing this is beautiful garden soil still under the Bermuda grass, so am looking forward to using it again. I still get weeds in the raised beds, but I can move the planks and weed it or till it a lot easier. The rock-edged bed was much harder to maintain.

Charmion, I finally identified a mystery shrub that I almost trashed, it has been growing in a pot near the mums and mint and such on the side patio. I finally remembered that when I was planting the American Beautyberry out front I found a sprig of a shrub in the pot beside the bigger one, and I poked it into another pot to think about putting it somewhere else. And forgot about it. It's almost as large as the first one now, but hasn't flowered yet (a main reason for the mystery.) I paid $40 for the first plant so this one is a bonus. Now I'm glad I didn't dig it out of my pot, but where to put it? Meanwhile, I've planted one of the small trees behind the fence in the back 40 and ran a hose through the fence down to it. Now I pour a gallon of water down the hose every other day without having to unlock the fence and wade through weeds to reach it. I have two more trees to plant back there but I'll pace myself, one at a time until it's a bit established.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 31 May 22 - 10:46 AM

A bush by the back west corner of the house has erupted into bloom for the first time since I've lived here. I had no idea that it would produce long trusses of pink and white flowers, so it was a candidate for extirpation. I think it's a cultivar of Weigela florida .

About two weeks ago, I spent a frantic half hour in that corner, right beside the air conditioner, slashing about with my trusty secateurs. A great mass of dormant or winter-killed English ivy was thoroughly tangled in the very dead-looking lower branches of this quite undistinguished bush, which I pruned ferociously in the hope of revealing the gas meter. If I had had a spade to hand at the time, or been less in need of a beer, I would probably have dug out the bush there and then. So, two cheers for procrastination.

Another piece of furniture is slated to leave the building and, with any luck, it will depart tomorrow. It's a tall chest of drawers, of the type known here as a "lingerie chest", that Edmund and I bought from a naval officer in Ottawa when Edmund's collection of fitness gear was overflowing into plastic bins. (Edmund had the largest chest of drawers in the family, but he always bought copiously and rarely parted with anything that wasn't actually reduced to a rag.) In style, this item is most things I dislike about modern furniture: a sterile, formal design executed in fake materials, mostly plywood from the weight. I'm glad it's going.

It's stinking hot today, so I plan to stay in the house, at the computer, and grind through the production and distribution of reference materials for the Annual General Meeting of the Stratford Concert Choir. The AGM will be my last task as President, an office I have no desire to hold one hour longer than necessary.

In future, I will be the choir's librarian, responsible for issuing sheet music to the choir members at the beginning of rehearsals for each concert, and recovering the music (and putting it away properly) after each concert. This is work I can do in my sleep, and it will put less strain on my limited diplomacy skills than the presidency does. I will also be Secretary of the Board of Directors, so I don't have to read inept minutes. To my credit, I have managed to wheedle a highly capable individual to accept the presidency, and I hope she reigns for years and years.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 31 May 22 - 04:58 AM

I keep sets of metric and imperial hex keys indoors too. I also have sets in my shed but I don't want to go outside to fetch them or move them between locations.

I got myself new sets for indoors last month. This was triggered by me losing a couple of keys that came with a 3d printer. I didn't have any before but ball end ones are a lot easier when (as is the case with the fan cover on the printer) accessing the screw slot in a straight line is difficult.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 May 22 - 11:02 PM

It sounds like you landed on a good level and distance with your table and chair placement. I forgot about that new furniture piece - I imagine the new TV looks good on it.

The whole garlic plants stood in the bucket since I dug it all last week, so tonight I cut them apart and put the bulbs in a flat cardboard box (like cases of cans come in) so they can dry some more. The garlic smell is really strong in here right now. I came in when the mosquitoes started bouncing off of me - I put mosquito dunks in all of the small watery areas that I can find, but I need to keep that up. Too bad garlic doesn't drive them away. I made several trips back to the compost pile today, but always carrying things or pushing the wheelbarrow, so my fitness tracker didn't show that as steps today. My body feels the effects of a lot of digging and lifting. I need to put the wrist watch tracker in an ankle band (I've made a couple) for the steps to show more accurately.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 30 May 22 - 08:14 PM

I have a sturdy little oak TV stand properly designed and built by the Mennonites, who are not noted for their consumption of popular culture but know what they’re doing when they make furniture. The screen is at eye level when I’m sitting in the comfy chair, and it’s on the opposite wall a good eight feet away. Any closer and my eyes hurt.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 30 May 22 - 08:11 PM

Dupont:

Defeated by mosquitoes, and the dropping barometric pressure, not much planted, nothing whacked. Hope tomorrow is better. Did clear a bin load of not too big jardinieres out to back porch rather than the floor of the DR. I just needed some energy and impetus, as in "I can't take these in here anymore!" Still some plant related stuff to clear into another bin and more but the heat beat me. So I spent the afternoon on line - a major hissy fit between two rehabbers (on FB) needed major intervention. They sorted themselves out pretty well but the interference from "I hate people" types was nasty. Mudcat Sing ... was a nice distraction after the anguish.

It is time to hook up the A/C in the BR to see if it works! And get R to open the attic door so the heat can go out the heat chimney.

And put away load of laundry, make some food... Off I go!

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 May 22 - 11:37 AM

I have sets, Imperial and Metric, of hex keys in "the drawer" in the kitchen where I also keep a few screw drivers, a rubber mallot, lots of spare parts to things, door and lock keys, etc. When you need one, you need one, and shouldn't have to search for the right one. Good job, Jon! That would be an unusual entry on the fire brigade log sheet.

I've ordered an $11 roll of rubber and polyester 3/8" elastic tape and have two sheet sets that need refurbishing, everything is good except the elastic on the fitted sheet is shot. That will be one of my quiet tasks during knee recuperation next month. I'm looking for other things as well that can be done seated with one leg up.

The rest of the tomatoes were planted yesterday and I've moved more soil from the keyhole garden to the new bed. Surreptitious watering last night (after dark, it wasn't my day to water) on the old garden will soften the soil for moving more today. It's an American holiday, Memorial Day, so I can be out there looking like I'm digging a grave in the front yard. :-/

The trash guys may have been surprised by how solidly heavy my trash can was this morning, and tossing contents into the truck will have finished the job with the resounding noise of breaking crockery. But it feels good to have that change out finished. I also finally dropped off several bags of sweaters and blouses that I never wore at Goodwill. My closet feels more friendly now, like almost everything in there is usable. I kept a couple of fancy dressy black sweaters that can go in the "loan to a visitor" category. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a few light jackets handy in case a guest needs one? And I think it's time for my largest pair of yard jeans to finally go into the denim stash in the sewing room. The thighs have worn through and they can't be worn in public any more, even were I to gain back the weight I hope to never see again.

Dorothy, I hope the drive to Beaver is good and all of your pots and gardens are waiting for your attendance! Charmion, when I got the large TV I looked up information about comfortable viewing - it never seemed good to put a TV way up above the mantle, for example. I downloaded a copy as a PDF with headers and footers so I have a URL for you: TV Viewing Distance Guide More than just a matter of personal preference! Treating it like a theatrical experience and putting it directly in front or a little bit below, like in the theater, makes it feel more comfortable. Good luck with that! (This is an updated version of the same article I picked up when I first got the big TV.)

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 30 May 22 - 08:25 AM

Jon is the heroic fireman in this case.
Just finding the correct hex tool is hard enough.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 30 May 22 - 08:10 AM

Oh well, I've just had an interesting one here. Dad somehow managed to get his right hand trapped between the outer rim used to propel his wheelchair and the spokes on the wheel itself. I didn't even know that was possible...

I managed to free a couple of his fingers but one was stuck, looked like it was swelling, and I couldn't try to yank it free. Fortunately, using a hex key to remove the screws holding the wheel I could get to with him sat on the chair, I managed to get him free.

I was wondering if that had failed though whether a hand trapped in a wheelchair would be an ambulance or fire brigade job.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 30 May 22 - 07:22 AM

To my surprise, I managed to extract the new TV from the car, move it into the house, unpack it from its e-NOR-mous flat box with internal styrofoam, and set it up — all by myself. I did not believe my arms were long enough, and the instructions clearly show the lifting and manipulating tasks done by two people, but everything turned out okay and I did not strain my back.

For an encore, I rolled up the parlour carpet (another cat attack) and hauled it out to the garage for the cleaners.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 30 May 22 - 06:12 AM

fwiw, I did find a couple of 4K 32" tvs on Amazon UK but they don't seem no be common. Would you really get any benefit from the step up from 1080p with that screen size anyway?

I think our (Sony 1080p) tv is 42". I don't think it will be replaced until it breaks down. I think we would go a bit larger next time, maybe to 50" - I don't think we'd want to go bigger than that.
Ours has Internet but it's almost never used. Our connection is too slow and we'd never be subscribing to services like Netflix.

I was looking at even smaller (24") tvs the other day. Dad has become more unstable and erratic at bed time. After a very close shave a fortnight ago, I decided I could no longer move him safely at that time. We are using the temporary council service for that at the moment but a permanent provider could mean him going to bed at 7pm rather than his preferred (and which we certainly wouldn't get) 10pm.

I did put a (I think) 12" tv in there on another occasion when he had to go to bed early but it does seem a bit small viewed from the other end of the bed. I reckon I could use a wall mount with an arm and have a 24" tv toe end of the bed and feel that would be nicer for him. I'll have to see what happens with future arrangements and what dad finds he wants first.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 29 May 22 - 09:30 PM

Dupont:

TV? Some years ago, we graduated from the impossibly heavy old TV to a flat screen - not huge. R connected it to an aerial and we get 3 English channels. I can also connect my computer to it but so find it hugely helpful. My son did fix me up with Apple TV and I can access a great number of programs that we enjoy. It has helped my sanity through the Covid.

Corelle: never have had a single piece.

Yard: Making progress on the weed whacking. Today came to realize there is some Wild Parsnip - a seriously toxic plant. I whacked it from a distance - lengthened the handle to max. Will not go to that part of the yard for quite a while. It is "way over there", not where we usually do anything at all. I have preserved a sizeable patch of yarrow - cutting the grass above the yarrow.

Today drove down to southern QC, took Rita a few pieces of rhizomes of a beautiful yellow iris. Then picked up my order of plants at the Jardin de Resistance. Managed to get some in the ground and do more whacking before the mosquitoes drove me inside.

This week: Cleared the back hall of plants and their fallout, cleared some of the china that was homeless into homes and some into "to go". Laundry caught up. House is tolerably tidy and clean; would like to do better.

Thought I would leave for Beaver on Monday but plants need planting! Then, this moment, I realize R has a major event on Tuesday so I shall stick around to see how that goes.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 29 May 22 - 12:15 PM

NewEgg Canada has no TVs smaller than 55 inches. A TV that size I would have to watch from the driveway. Also, the prices look consistent with Best Buy, which has a real-world store where I could see the goods and measure the feet to ensure the thing will fit where I want to put it.

I looked at Amazon Canada, and got much the same result. Small TVs are available there, but none at an image resolution standard better than 1080p.

As for Costco, I’m not a member and I don’t plan to join.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 May 22 - 10:08 AM

I've never heard of a TV needing to be calibrated in some way other than what the instructions tell you to do when you take it out of the box. You can avoid some of the smart stuff by not connecting it to the accounts it suggests.

My "big" TV was purchased probably 15 years ago now, a plasma screen that is 40". (Bought on time from Dell, on sale - paid off within a year to avoid interest.) Whenever I go through the front at Costco I walk past all of the humongous TVs, of which this would be on the small size. Did you look at someplace like New Egg or Amazon? My go-to place for electronics used to be Fry's Electronics, but they suddenly shut down a couple of years ago (though you saw it coming any time you were in the store with the scantly stocked shelves.) Next to Fry's is NewEgg.com for good prices (and reviews that are helpful). I know - "Now you tell me."

Mowing this week was completed, front and back. Now out to the garden.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 29 May 22 - 08:22 AM

Sciatica continues to ebb, and the transplanted rose of Sharon bushes are doing fine after two days of rain, some of it torrential.

Remember a few days ago that I wrote something about the unfairness of more than one major appliance conking out in one year? Well, the television is making ugly noises that indicate imminent speaker death.

Life is cruel.

Yesterday, I went to Best Buy in Kitchener and bought a new one.

Guess what? A 32-inch TV, once large, is now “small”, and it is very difficult — practically impossible — to find a good-quality device without Internet capability. If you live in small-town Ontario, you are doomed to disappointment if all you want is a TV that connects to an antenna or a cable network, and peripherals such as a DVD player or a streaming box.

So now I possess a so-called “smart” TV that boasts a 43-inch screen — still “small” by current standards. I may want to watch it from the porch.

It was obscenely expensive, especially for a gadget that will inevitably be superseded within the next ten years. And it must be “calibrated” to ensure that the screen renders colours correctly, a process that adds $100.00 to the already extreme price.

I did not buy the extended warranty. My appetite for spending is completely exhausted.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 May 22 - 05:17 PM

How's the sciatica after transplanting, Charmion? Still ok?

I try not to use paper towels very often, so I tend to use a lot of really REALLY old terrycloth wash cloths that were new when the kids were little. We used them as napkins for the kids. Then around the house when they got so ratty they couldn't be used in polite company (and new wash cloths replaced them). Today I pulled an old t-shirt out of the recycle bin, cut it up the size of the old wash cloths and sewed together three layers - two of jersey and one of wash cloth. Turned it inside out, zigzagged around the seams, then crossed it a couple of times with straight stitches. This is a triple-layer rag for cleaning in the kitchen that can soak in dish soap or a little bleach water and go through the wash. Wash cloths by themselves don't absorb a lot, but these will do a lot better. It's an experiment, I made two.

I got the idea from some "as good as 1500 paper towel" products being advertised on Instagram. Why pay $13 for three when I have raw materials here?

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 May 22 - 01:18 PM

I bagged the Corelle in two used tough white shipping bags from Amazon, taped them shut, then dropped the stack into the trash with the sound of breaking crockery. If it isn't safe for me to use, no one else needs to either. I ordered six bowls and saucers to replace them and will be able to remove the wire rack in the cupboard that straddles the plates. No need for a second tier now.

It's hot again, but I'm headed to a shady part of the yard. First, to dig around under the juniper that is filled with tiny bagworms, showing that the shrub is in stress. It was planted too deep so I need to clear soil away from the root flare and let it breathe. Then spray it again with Bt to kill the bagworms. The soil that comes out of there will go into the bed I plan to extend for more flower planting.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 27 May 22 - 12:33 PM

My sciatica has improved enough that I can use a spade again, so I transplanted two small shrubs that need more sun.

Apart from that, I’ve been kinda idle.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 May 22 - 10:59 AM

I have one of those survival "life straw" filters here in my emergency stash, should I need to start drinking the water from the creek behind the house. I also know how to make distilled water using pots I have here.

There's a healthy stack of Corelle in the kitchen now. I've found new replacement bowls and saucers on Amazon, so I may trade the large stack out (to the dump, not to Goodwill) for a small stack from Amazon.

All financial institution cards in my wallet now have alerts, at least email and sometimes text, set up on them. Next, freeze the credit reports.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 27 May 22 - 10:17 AM

Speaking of water, Nestle has circumvented an 1882 law that said the the great lakes are public and are not to be siphoned off to private entities.
Also the world's ground water that has been pumped for 50 years to replace the polluted or non existant water has now reached the level of economic depletion. Its getting to deep to drill.
If you thought gas prices were manipulated, the water crises will make pandemics look microscopic. Water wars are nothing new but water world wars (www) may threaten Canada and Brazil as water predator nations look thirsticly at the two top fresh water countries in the world.

Black gold will take a backseat to blue gold.
It is said societies will survive with 2/3 of the near 8 billion people were to suddenly expire. However it would be better to have water catchments everwhere instead of dams. Then abandon the areas that are natural deserts.

Now were off to the Memorial weekend water park before it becomes half pee by August.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 May 22 - 09:28 AM

The dew has to dry on the grass this morning, then I'll strap on the homemade ankle cuff for my fitness tracker wrist watch before starting a workout that shows up on my Google Fit as "walking." It's actually mowing, and because my hands are always on the mower handle the swinging arm of a regular walk doesn't register on the tracker. Hence my shifting it to the ankle to pick up on my steps.

The slow process of moving soil to a new bed will happen some more. And I plan to do some weeding in the front beds and find a place to plant two pots of a new color of daylily I picked up this week. I also have three small potted trees to plant behind the back fence. I need to put them in places where they won't get trampled and where I can find them again to water regularly while they're getting established. And since bulky waste is coming up next month I can take down a couple of the tall hackberry trees that shade things out.

I've been to the gym twice this week, where I don't have a set of exercises, I just head for one machine and use it for an hour. The muscles around the knee are my focus. If, once the knee has had time to recover, we don't have another round of COVID, I'll keep going and I'll broaden my workout.

There is a stack of Corelle on the kitchen counter: dinner plates, lunch plates, saucers, and bowls, gathered from around the room. The bowls and saucers need replacing, the rest I think I can live without. I would usually buy more at Goodwill, but I suppose it's possible that other vintage plates (different pottery, not the Corelle recipe) could have problems also. It may be time to buy a few new. I wonder how Fiesta ware stacks up? I have one of those and could find a few more at estate sales, etc. The largest plates I use mostly for food preparation; a chicken can thaw on a large plate, or cut up ingredients sit on one prior to cooking. Paring down the stuff in the kitchen is a good thing in general, I'll just replace part of what I'm removing now to the pieces I most frequently use. (Next week I'll be at my favorite Goodwill, so I may be able to find something there - they actually end up with antiques regularly, and I think that's where I picked up the Fiesta ware.)

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 May 22 - 10:29 PM

Dorothy, I was in Harbor Freight last week and at the register the clerk was slowly working through some kind of exchange transaction with two young men. Black, but I soon realized not African American - they were from Haiti. My French is all but nonexistent - I can say the numbers from one to ten, but that's about it now. Then one of them asked if we could habla español - pointing at them, I asked if they'd come through Mexico? "Si." I don't speak much Spanish either, though as the transaction was wrapping up a man arrived behind me who was a Spanish speaker. If I worked at learning some Spanish it wouldn't go to waste here; I hadn't thought about practicing French.

On Facebook fellow Mudcatter Virginia Tam shared an article about lead being in a lot of pre-2005 Corelle. I have quite a bit of it, plates and saucers mostly - and except for saucers it isn't getting used much. I think rather than give it to Goodwill I should probably toss it - it's a guess that it's only a problem if it breaks, but I don't actually know that. Rounding it up will help with some of the crowding in my main kitchen cabinet for everyday plates and cups. I use saucers a lot, so will have to hunt for something non-Corelle to replace them.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 25 May 22 - 09:01 PM

Dupont:

Starting to take indoor plants outdoors. The Canna from last year, having spent the winter in the house! is now out in a large plastic bin, surrounded, to look better, by the hollow chunks of the fallen branch which I will put some other plants into the hollows. Mibni rose bush, doing fine in house, went into a sunny spot in the front garden. On Sunday, I will pick up veggie plants from le Jardin de la Resistance in southern QC. Try to plan a couple visits down there at the same time.

I am pecking away at weed whacking the tall grass and spent dandies, without murdering the wild strawberries or my fine crop of yarrow! The battery is only good for about 30 minutes then a 4 hour charge! But that is enough for my shoulders and back! I may be about half done. The mosquitoes drove me in tonight, impending rain for a couple days.

Construction going on down the road, 100 yards or so. It was dreadfully derelict and then demolished so this is predictable. Will be interesting to see what comes up. Our block is a total mix - old, elegant, small and almost derelict, etc!

Long email to the "girl" who grew up in "my house". See if I can help her with disintegrating marriage. Karen. The misuse of the name Karen is disconcerting - as a pejorative. I know a lot of nice Karens.

So, between rain showers, I can clear planters, etc out of the DR onto bins on back porch. And get back to sorting the papers that have spent enough time in the sunny windows to be tolerable. Switching from winter to summer - finding fans...

Sitting here, wondering how much more of Quebec I can tolerate; the new language law, just passed, is offensive to Anglos and self-defeating for young Francophones. There is no guarantee we will even be able to access health care in English. That is scary.

But for Robin with his complex business, I would stay in Ontario permanently. Yesterday, working in the yard, the woman from next door and the one from across the road, stopped for a visit. I managed a bit of French but Sophia is bi-lingual and helped Luisa and I make rudimentary conversation. I like them both but it is hard work. This aft, I saw Luisa at our end of her yard so did not go out as I just could not! She is going to Portugal in a couple weeks. I will go to Beaver early next week. It is such a relief to be in Anglo land! I would like to sit and visit with Sophia but she rarely comes out of house. This has been a rough couple of years.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 May 22 - 12:03 AM

Charmion, I'm delaying the call to the HVAC guy, but I also have a budget-draining operation coming up soon. Since today has been a day of pocketbook preservation, I had a follow-up conversation with a family member who convinced me that it's time to completely freeze the credit reports. Only open them up if I'm planning a purchase.

Rain! Finally! This will make dismantling the keyhole garden a lot easier in the next week. It's a good mix of native soil, imported topsoil, and soil amendments that will be all softened up. Perfect for sweet potatoes, but they need to go in soon.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 May 22 - 06:50 PM

My ex called yesterday to tell me about a bill from a large phone company for 4 iPhones (Pro Max - $1300 each) and the extra monthly service plan for gaming data, etc. This said it was the first bill (installment - about $700) and it was in his name to his address. All of yesterday was spent trying to file online, but there were dead ends and they require a police report. Police reports, even online, stop when you can't say where the theft occurred.

This morning I called a local storefront of that phone company and asked what I needed to bring in to set up a new account and get a couple of iPhones. They would do a credit report (so SSN), ID, proof of address, etc. But if the credit report was good enough, the rest wasn't needed. His report is spotless. I explained then why I was asking, and it turns out the store folks can put you in touch with a real person in the fraud dept. My ex came over and we called again - it was a 45 minute call that resulted in an email with a report number he can show if anyone tries to claim he owes for the phones, and it alerts the credit reporting bureaus. He's also set up a fraud alert himself. This ID fraud ripped off about $5000 worth of phones after paying the sales tax at the store. The one satisfying thing? Once she turned in that report, the account was closed and the phones bricked. Nothing will work once the company bricks the phone.

That's exciting enough for today!

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 24 May 22 - 11:28 AM

The HVAC guy just left after an expensive couple of hours in the basement. The water heater, a gas-fired instant-on thing installed in 2009, has definitely reached the palliative stage of life-cycle maintenance, but it's good for a while yet. The humidifier needs a new wick of a type that the technician did not keep in his truck -- ain't it always the way -- and therefore requires another visit. Furnace and air-conditioner are fit and healthy, what a relief.

Especially after the expensive adventure of the water softener. Is it too much to ask that only one major appliance should fail in any given year?

The wardrobe reduction of last week resulted in *two* empty chests of drawers, one of which is now scheduled to find a new home. That leaves me with three: one in my bedroom for normal clothes, one in the box-room with clothes (mostly fancy) that I wear rarely but expect to want in the foreseeable future, and the empty one in the guest room for, y'know, guests.

The departing chest of drawers is the only one in the house that is less than 150 years old. It's apparently made of veneered "manufactured wood" (aka pressboard), and it weighs a young ton -- much too heavy for me to move by myself. Fortunately, it's in perfect condition without so much as a cat scratch in the finish, so the Habitat for Humanity ReStore should be willing to take it off my hands.

The box-room is also considerably clearer, and I intend to NOT acquire any clutter likely to end up in it. My long-term goal is to empty it of everything that isn't off-season clothing that I will actually wear when it's in season again, and the vacuum cleaner.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 May 22 - 07:00 PM

Don, thanks for the information - but it's something I tried without much luck with the first knee. They were a pain literally and figuratively (it is inserted over three weeks, one per week). The knee has deteriorated to bone-on-bone. So while I tried it the first time, I lived with the pain for a longer than needed because of the delaying shots, I'm not doing that again. It's to the point where it's plenty painful and I know how it will go if I don't get it fixed soon. And who knows - maybe not waiting till it's so bad will help with recovery. I can always hope!

When I went out to my volunteer job this morning I forgot the donation bin along with my shopping list and phone. I'll try an evening run now that rush hour should be slowing. I'm trying to get things set enough in advance that I'm not making last minute preparations for a few weeks at home with the PT folks coming in. Time to arrange to pamper myself a little.

P.S. I made an assumption on the name in Don's link - following it I'm not sure what that is about but it isn't something that would make my bony knee feel any better.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 23 May 22 - 12:43 PM

Knee pain: If you are going to get a surgical procedure anyway this injection prior to surgury may be for you. https://www.iovera.com/patient?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=patientkol-branded&utm_term=knee%20treatment&utm_co


There are brand new lubricant injections that can be used instead of surgury but since I'm not prescribing research is required.
Many of them use Hyaluronic acid, injections are done with simulataneous real time image scanning

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 23 May 22 - 11:21 AM

The Saturday storm system that I experienced as cloudbursts wrought havoc across Ontario, especially in the Ottawa region, where a derecho effect toppled hydro towers and trees. Stratford was hardly touched — boughs torn off here and there, a tree down on Milton Street — but my brother’s house in the south end of Ottawa is still without hydro power.

I did something I should not have, and the sciatica has returned to my right lower back. It’s mostly ignorable, but unfortunately weakens my right leg so I have trouble spading the garden. I have rather a lot of digging on my agenda, so I am quite irked. Heigh-ho, back to physio.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 May 22 - 09:59 AM

Also in today's trash is 1.5 pounds of JennieO turkey breast that is the least meat-like piece of animal protein I've come across since whenever. Too salty and strange mouthfeel. I tasted one corner of it then put it back in the fridge to await trash day. I won't even give it to the dogs. Not spoiled, just weird.

My photo cube (a 3x3x3 nylon cloth cube table tent) is back in the den on the cleared table because I wasn't using it much in it's place in the front room. It can be moved back when I need the table; I'll try to keep just the cube and two lights (that shine on it from outside to give diffuse lighting on whatever is being photographed) on the table, to make the move easy. Working on eBay stuff this week.

I'll be out running errands so the donation bin goes in the SUV. I bring the bin back empty and it lives in my laundry room accumulating Goodwill donations. Easier than leaving them all around the house and trying to remember them.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 May 22 - 09:16 PM

I planted a few peppers and tomatoes in the first of three beds. That involved some digging to finish pulling out roots the tiller didn't grab. After an hour or so I shifted to disassembling more of the keyhole garden. Rocks pried out and moved to the back yard, and a wheelbarrow full of soil dug out and tipped next to a plank that will be the side of the next raised bed. I put cardboard down to kill off the grass underneath. This fourth bed will hold the dirt from the soon-to-be-gone keyhole garden, and I'm planning to plant sweet potatoes in it.

The declutter of the day is that after pulling the laces out of my favorite pair of yard shoes in a long time, I put them in the trash. The soft soles are so thin that I can't put pressure on the shovel without it feeling like I'm digging barefoot. Time to find another pair for the yard. Old shoe laces go in the laundry room for the next time I need a cord to tie or fasten something . . .

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 22 May 22 - 09:14 AM

It’s a rainy Victoria Day weekend in Stratford, and my garden is loving it. Between yesterday’s cloudbursts, I planted two clumps of Monarda didyma (bee balm) from a friend, and the pot of Primula vulgaris (primrose) that the in-laws gave me back in March. Then I dug out the deceased lavender and called it a day.

The same friend who gave me the Monarda has found a new home for Edmund’s baguette pans and fish kettle (poacher) — her next-door neighbour, who is a chef. Maybe he will also accept a couple of bannetons — baskets for raising sourdough bread. My basement is looking tidier by the day.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 May 22 - 11:26 PM

Dorothy, we all know that life isn't tidy, and it sounds like you did a lot of catching up and came out ahead as far as memories of the people and the locations.

I harvested my garlic today; it was early and not all of them had bloomed, but the leaves were yellow already, meaning it was time. The house smells like an Italian restaurant with all of those bulbs in a bucket in the laundry room. I'll brush off dirt and sort them soon.

It's wonderfully cool this evening, maybe as low as 60; we've had an entire month of summer temperatures way ahead of time, so this break is welcome. I'll open the bedroom and kitchen windows a bit to let the house cool. If we're really lucky there will be rain this week as it stays a bit more spring-like.