DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jun 23 - 12:29 PM

The smell of an ashtray - that brings back immediate memories of battles with my chain-smoking mother over who had to clean the ashtrays in the kitchen sink. Wet cigarette ash is foul smelling and if she was going to use the trays, she should have to clean them. She disagreed. If she came into my bedroom carrying a cigarette I'd ask her to take it out, and her answer was that "its my house." The final straw for me was a drive 90 miles north in my little truck. She asked if she could smoke and I said "no, I'll stop so you can get out to smoke." Her response was "I know how to vent it" and she promptly lit up. The first time I said anything she closed that window so she could hear me. Then when we arrived at the elderly friend's house she asked if it was ok to smoke. If that friend had said no, she would have taken it outside. She was a smart woman but wore huge blinders when it came to that addiction, and each of us moved out the moment we could when we went to college and never stayed in her musty smokey house after that. One sibling went with mom to counseling because their arguments as adults about it were so fraught. So if the town smelled like an ashtray I'd have to move to another country. Sorry, this is a decluttering thread, not an excess-baggage thread . . .

Don, I didn't think you were projecting those images outward, I was just giving you another idea for how to brighten that area of fence you're apparently upholstering.

Today is the day to finish positioning sprinklers and to program the timer. I have one I must keep pointed away from the house - there is a spot where a piece of wood has rotted and I'm going to have to replace and probably repair inside the bottom of the bay window. I don't need to hasten that repair by routinely watering the spot.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jun 23 - 09:01 PM

I had something I was going to do today but just couldn't get around to going out to do it; I seem to have instead buckled down to listing the eBay stuff. Two tablets up so far, the most recent past smartphone next, and quite possibly the newer Fire tablet. I've compared that with the Samsung, and the Samsung is more versatile.

I'll blame today's reluctance to go out on the bad air. Ours isn't as awful as further north and west, but it still isn't healthy. With our typical Ozone days weather in North Texas the Federal Air Now site says we're at an air quality index of 150. We had an explosive thunderstorm pass over the area in late afternoon that may have helped clear things a bit.

This evening the thinned contents of two file cabinet drawers have yielded several inches deep of paper for the recycle bin and some to the shredder. Also revealed are documents and photos I couldn't find in the past that I can use now, and a number of keepsakes I made myself toss; they have meaning but won't ever be useful again. I have a growing stack of now-empty hanging file folders and expandable file folders.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: keberoxu
Date: 09 Jun 23 - 06:20 PM

I can report that Massachusetts has suffered less than other places,
with regard to the smoke from the fires.
We had a couple of uncomfortable, distressing days.
Then the jetstream sent the smoke down to
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and the Philadelphia area,
I guess DC has a bad case of it as well.
Up here we have thunderstorms and a cool breeze,
and between the two, things are clearing up.
It is still very cool for the 9th of June, though.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Jun 23 - 09:53 PM

My poor little cross-cut shredder has nearly gagged several times today; I've filled one trash bag and because this shredder puffs the paper it doesn't take many sheets to fill it. (Think of unpopped then popped popcorn.) I am pacing myself so it doesn't overheat. With the rain I could use the burning barrel, but the we're still under an ozone warning.

My ex and I had lunch with our daughter, and delivered, along with a bag of rice I from the Halal market (her request) and a lamp she wants (so not going to Goodwill), things that we were clearing out at our houses. He had a bag of stuff from his garage, including old art projects of hers. I had a handful of small broken or non-fitting jewelry that isn't worth taking in to have resized (to wear or use for costumes). And some things I simply never wear. I also gave her a few potatoes from my garden. :)

This is the second time at that Wendy's when I fed a stranger. Last week I bought an extra sandwich to hand over to a panhandler on my way out. Today an incredibly thin young woman sat down at a table in order to charge her phone and sat writing in a book, possibly to look busy so no one would interrupt (or chase her out). I bought an extra burger and delivered it with a cup of water, saying I thought she looked hungry, then went back to my table.

A week of cat sitting starts tomorrow morning. It's good in that I organize my own activities around those kitty trips and I'll get to the gym several times this week, and it makes the extra gas used less conspicuous. There is also plant watering with this gig, and watching over some caterpillars in her butterfly garden.

Enjoy the cool nights, Keb. It's in the high-60s low-70s here now at night, and this is only the beginning.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Jun 23 - 12:32 AM

The closet filing cabinet contents compressed into 3/4 of the bottom drawer once everything else was thinned or culled, some moved already to another cabinet file. There is a 14" deep bin for recycling that is now full to the brim with pages (that weren't going in the shredder beside it) and a second kitchen trash bag is half full with shreds. Next I'm pulling file contents to package and send to the kids. I haven't done more than peruse the contents of the two drawers of the legal width cabinet—wading through those death and divorce records comes last.

The drawers have provided a trip down memory lane, with doctors visits, kids' activities, my activities, kid art, cartoons and articles saved because they spoke to me. Many of them still do.

My 17-year-old laser printer seems to have died. Perhaps it knows the windfall is within the next couple of months—the devices are lining up to fail.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 10 Jun 23 - 09:40 AM

Good for you, Stilly. Clearing your filing cabinet(s) is one of the biggest favours you can do for your heirs and assigns. I still shudder at the memory of my parents’ papers, stashed and crammed into the strangest as well as all the obvious places in a large Edwardian-style house, and full of personal information I emphatically did not need or want to know.

The nearest smoke plume is passing well to the east of Perth County, so Stratford is as summer-lovely as ever. The theatres are doing boffo business to rave reviews, and the fine-dining restaurants are packin’ ‘em in. Every prospect pleases, and reminds me of all the reasons Edmund and I had for moving here in the first place. Now, if only I could convince myself to vacuum up the cat hair before it becomes an embarrassment, the inside of the house would be as delightful as the outside.

I finally hauled my toolbox up to the library-cum-music room and hung the large pictures in the wall space vacated by the departed bookcases. As usual, one change led to another until half the upstairs art had moved at least twice, most of it ending up back where it started, and the sofa had swapped spots with the library work table to allow sprawled reading with one’s back to the windows.

Now I really have to see about getting light-adjustable blinds for those windows, and having the room painted. That pale puce and aubergine purple colour scheme looks worse every time I look at it.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Jun 23 - 01:26 PM

Your picture-hanging adventures motivated me to put a mirror on the wall in my bedroom. Anyone not knowing that my exercise area is at the foot of the bed may wonder why a 2' x 3' mirror is next to bookshelves with a TV and placed low enough to cut off one's head, but it's there so I can be sure I'm aligned correctly in some of the standing exercises. It was on a trunk leaning against the wall and any time I exercised I had to move stuff from in front of it. A cheval or simple closet door mirror would be better, but this was the best one at Goodwill when I went mirror hunting.

The stack of recycle-bin-bound paper is heaped above the bin rim now as I've started thinning my portable file box on the closet shelf. I planned this file to grab if I can take just one if the house ever floods. It needs to have essential files so older stuff can be compressed, moved, or culled.

Laundry day is dictated when I get to the last pair of favorite undies in my dresser. Now that it's warm the laundry basket doesn't fill as fast because clothes aren't bulky. Perhaps I should buy more of the favorite lingerie (aka Fruit of the Loom) and not use the washer as often. My Victoria's Secret days are behind me. :)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jun 23 - 09:03 PM

Hoses dragged and arranged for sprinkling, but the sky is looking ominous and it is 99% humid and about 95^o right now, so dreadful outside. (I just looked: the weather says it is 97^o and feels like 111^o. It really does.) The thunder has started and though there isn't much rain, it really sounds impressive. Pepper is hunkered down in my office closet.

A new laser printer cartridge will arrive tomorrow and I'm hoping this workhorse of a printer will stay in service. It's a big ugly box that holds a lot of paper and though the individual sheet feeder doesn't work any more, the rest has been great.

More files purged this afternoon, the recycle bin is now heaped with paper. Part of the process has also been to identify pages that should be scanned and saved electronically so there is a pile of folders that need attention at the scanner.

I had a good video sent by gnu this afternoon recommending a VPN. I used to use one from work, and have put off getting another, but I should. Do any of you use one, and if so, why did you choose it?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stanron
Date: 12 Jun 23 - 04:08 AM

I just checked my system, which is Linux Mint, and I have something called 'Openvpn. I know didn't I install this myself so it must have been installed by the system itself. I've no idea what it does though.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jun 23 - 11:12 AM

There is tell of VPN built into the Windows environment, but I don't know how easy it is to deploy. I pay for Malwarebytes for viruses and such and they offer VPN. I get their software package for several devices so might build onto that. Gary's video talked about "Private Internet Access VPN" and in a review of various qualities of VPN software, PC Magazine says that is "Best for Customizers." Others are recommended for "privacy on a budget," "travelers," "bargain hunters," and (groan) "Global Location Spoofers." Strange bedfellows: trolls and those hoping to avoid corrupt political regimes (or who want another country's Netflix stream).

We had a noisy thunderstorm with rain last night so my neighbor mowing the lawn at 9am is jumping the gun - that's a way to rust out the undercarriage of your mower. I'll wait till the grass is dry, but the yard is in need of a mow front and back. Late in the week our temperatures are forecast to be up to the triple digits. Ugg. At least there is less grass mowing once it is that warm. More storms in the forecast tonight (the option of with or without rain is a real thing - more often than not we feel wind from an outflow boundary and hear the thunder or see lightning in the area but don't actually get the rain.)

Printer issues resolved: Amazon has sussed that when printer cartridges fail they need rapid replacement. Yesterday afternoon I ordered the high-capacity cartridge for my old HP and it was delivered by 9am, was deployed and it works fine, so that was the problem. I'm sad to report there is no longer an option to recycle the old cartridge.

It was excellent use of a weekend to go through the file cabinets and have so much paper rousted from the drawers. There is more still, but this morning the trashcan at the curb is heaped with bags of shredded documents. (Now what I should do is switch gears and take the long pole with the limb saw to cut out dead wood to be taken away since this is our bulky waste month.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jun 23 - 11:23 AM

I didn't have gloves when I went by the recycle bin so I pulled a few empty boxes out of a bin (many people don't break them down flat like they're supposed to) and at the SUV tailgate I carefully filled each with discarded paper, then tossed them to the back of the bin. No paper cuts! (I have been known in the past to retrieve good boxes when I needed a specific size for shipping or other projects. And I sometimes use it in as a "lasagna" layer under mulch to keep down weeds in the garden.)

In early spring a friend sent some fabric that he wanted made into COVID masks; this project is about three years too late but I made some and sent them back. End of that enterprise. There were several yards of fabric left so yesterday at his request I mailed it to a family member of his who will see about making some quilted projects that feature the pattern printed on this fabric. I paid to ship it, but it still counts as a declutter.

Early this morning on my drive to the friend's house to feed her cats I noticed some traffic cones on the boulevard next to a church. A sign said something about a "new pantry location." When I drove back past there 30 minutes later a line of cars standing in the curb lane stretched south for three blocks, all waiting their turn to pull into that parking lot to pick up food pantry donations. Since March when the emergency SNAP allotments ended (and the GOP House refused to consider extending food security legislation) the problem has become increasingly apparent: people don't have enough to eat. Those who can pick up their food in their own vehicles presumably have a way to fix what they pick up. Many more homeless need food that can be eaten as is, and cans that can be opened with a pull-tab. I'll be picking up those kinds of foods on each trip to Town Talk from now on to donate at the local community fridge (I haven't been back for a while, but I think they got the fridge up and running again at the location nearest me). And dry goods and personal essentials. And I will continue my purchase of an extra sandwich to offer if there is someone panhandling near a restaurant I'm in. I keep a few $5 bills in the console in my SUV to hand out of the window at red lights when someone is working the median for donations. And when the garden produces more than I can use and give away here, the excess will go to the community fridge. It takes a village; I can't feed everyone but maybe I can keep one or two people alive for another day.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jun 23 - 05:11 PM

Planning outdoor activities this afternoon is difficult as a tumultuous weather front seems to be taking shape over the area. Softball-sized hail is in our forecast. Staying home with the SUV in the garage seems most prudent. The weekend weather has extended into the week with bursts of wind and rain, and as a result my 8' tall native sunflowers are all leaning at drunken angles. Cat dinner feeding will happen after consulting the radar and determining I have enough time for the round trip.

I picked up branches in the back yard that wind blew out of the tree next door. They apparently got some of them out of my yard by reaching over the fence with their rake (so polite!) I'm sure the dogs were a huge help (enjoying the company.) We're talking fences again - I'm going to finish mine and they're thinking about redoing the front-facing portion of theirs that connects to the corner of mine. The least I can do is assist, if they want help, since I have all of the tools.

How is weather everywhere else? This is the time when I worry about Patty in her RV - finding a safe place to park and hopefully not get pounded by hail is a gift. (When hail threatens the large open spaces beside the roads of the Interstate highway underpasses here in Fort Worth look like parking lots as everyone without a garage pulls in there for the duration.) Around here Spring doesn't leave the area in a lamb-like fashion.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: keberoxu
Date: 14 Jun 23 - 08:31 AM

The nights, in western Massachusetts, remain cool enough to need
the heat on and an extra blanket or coverlet.
And the days are more like warm spring days, with brief showers.

It will be hot when summer finally settles in,
so I for one am enjoying the coolness, especially at night.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 14 Jun 23 - 09:25 AM

I use one but not the way you are looking, SRS. VPNs can be used in 2 directions in the home.

In my case, I just run it on my router as a server. Its purpose is to let me connect to my home LAN from away. The built in client on my Android phone works well with this.

Others may be using VPN clients at home, eg. to connect to a remote office when working from home or, I believe, for a layer of security when using the Internet.

OpenVPN is quite a common VPN package but I don’t think its protocol is supported by the built in Android client. It is available on my router but I haven’t set it up. I just (the router can provide multiple VPNs), have an IPSec one set up.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Jun 23 - 05:53 PM

The humidity this week is dreadful, making outdoor work risky without frequent breaks. I popped weeds in advance of mowing, but mowing isn't happening until it's cooler near sunset.

The next fence panel pieces are in the yard. I have to paint the pickets with wood preservative, top/bottom, edges, and both faces, so once it's up it's completely protected. If you paint preservative on after building the fence you miss spots. I did myself a favor and pulled the gazillion staples and tags as they came out of the back of the SUV, so they're ready to treat.

Tomorrow's trash will again be filled with dog hair (the bouffant was particularly large this morning) but I'm also going through canisters in the kitchen, dumping dry goods that are way too old. Quinoa shouldn't be that old in anyone's kitchen, and some of the faux-flour ingredients I bought when I was trying to reduce gluten in my diet are way past their prime. I have fresh stuff to put in these emptied canisters.

One Freecycle offer and one eBay item were each taken off of their listings, they took too long to be claimed and will now go to Goodwill. I have decided to list the last of the Amazon tablets, clearing what was an embarrassment of riches as far as tablets and phones.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: pattyClink
Date: 15 Jun 23 - 10:33 AM

SRS, you are clairvoyant, I did indeed get a little hail last night from one of the many storms rolling through the south. Was panicking, having never been in a vehicle in a hailstorm, but blessedly it was mostly pea-size and only went on for a few minutes.

Humid, yes. I am looking forward to rolling west late next week to get to a Utah raft trip in July, with the air drying out as I go.

No great news from this end, been dealing with little illnesses, doctor appointments, traveling too far to get this engine serviced, etc. The upcoming week will hold re-organizing rig and storage units again, in miserable heat, humidity, and rain. Oh well, we had some lovely fair days, and now we don't!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Jun 23 - 02:07 PM

Patty, you're to the east of me, so it's a sound assumption that whatever blows over me today is going to blow over you tomorrow—stay safe! I'd be interested to hear just how you go about choosing the gear to take and to leave when you reorganize your rig. Do you go to the storage locker twice a year to change out heavy jackets for shorts and flip flops?

Jon, I'm thinking I'll try the Malwarebytes VPN, and will report back.

Still fooling with the sprinkler setup. The first attempt turned out to be ineffective, and while I can't avoid a little water going onto pavement, this was hitting almost everything except the garden. The high heat is here, so the schedule will be set in the battery-operated device in the back yard. I used to have to keep a black bucket over the top of it to keep the sun from beating down on the face with the programming panel, but my Mexican plum tree has grown tall enough now to shade it perfectly (and it means a bit less sun coming into the single-glazed back bathroom window as well.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 15 Jun 23 - 02:10 PM

Counting my blessings today.

I had a long conversation over coffee this morning with a woman I met at choir practice. She’s about 20 years younger than I am, and her life is a mess — marriage kablowie, estranged from an alcoholic sister, worried about an ailing mother, mixed up with the wrong man. On the plus side, she knows she’s in a hole and is doing her best to stop digging.

My role was to listen and make occasional remarks to suggest that her ideas are valid, her thoughts are logical, and life is full of situations that resist understanding.

Time well spent, but not the easiest morning I’ve ever had.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jun 23 - 04:20 PM

In a nutshell that sounds like something many women have encountered at some point. It all piles up at once (of course it doesn't pace itself.) Walking away from a lot of stuff like that is really difficult - having a few witnesses along the way who can share the story if need be is as much an insurance policy as it is support (not letting bad guys isolate her from friends and family).

Yesterday I rearranged sprinklers for a better watering result next to the house. My goal is to water just the garden and foundation, not the house's brick siding and upper composition trim. There is one spot of trim I already have to repair (water was the culprit), I don't want to add any more.

"Office casual" for an annual retiree dinner tomorrow. Since I spent the first 16 years of my career there working from home, our definitions of "casual" may diverge. I'll make sure the jeans are clean and will wear a knit top that doesn't have any slogans on the front. And I have a small bet with myself that it will be the ubiquitous chicken and rice dinner the university is famous for. It usually has wild rice in the mix, so it isn't bad, it's just unimaginative. ;-)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jun 23 - 10:28 PM

This afternoon as I walked up to the pharmacy window I paused to pick up an envelope on the floor - and had a suspicion the moment I saw it. Pulling back one corner of the flap was a $100 bill, and the envelope must have have 10-20 of them. I handed it to the pharmacist, their eyes opened wide, and they tried to remember the last few customers at their window. They said they can go back through the video of the security camera outside the department, and possibly see who dropped it. Someone is going to miss that envelope pretty soon - and hopefully backtrack and be glad that it was picked up and turned in. That's the outcome I would hope for.

I have sent a query to the Malwarebytes folks - they sent an offer in an email (I pay for the real-time protection so have an established account) that offers a bundle of apps with the Privacy VPN - I am interested in one in particular. But I don't know if this is a special offer or if it comes with a regular subscription if I click to expand my services on my existing account. I hope they'll respond in a timely fashion.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jun 23 - 12:16 PM

I decided not to wait for the answer from the Malwarebytes folks, I took the offer to get the bundle of software I wanted (free for a year, we'll see how it goes after that.) Now to learn how to use it. Does it fry cookies? Do I logon every time I use it? I'll be testing it to learn these things.

Yesterday I cleaned up a used bread machine (from my sales stash) for a friend who knew I listed these on eBay and who will get the low low friends and family price of whatever I paid for it at Goodwill. She's wanting to start baking bread to help out her daughter who goes through a loaf a day. We've made an appointment here so there is time for me to set up my bread machine (same model) and run her through some of the tips and tricks. I've used one of these very regularly for the last 30 years. Time flies since my dad sent the first one! I'm guessing they're making instead of buying for cost savings and ingredients, I didn't ask. In the 1950s to mid-60s my mother made bread, 8 loaves every eight days because that was how many bread pans would fit in the oven and bake satisfactorily. For a family of six we used a loaf a day and usually six of the loaves went into the freezer after baking day. Sometimes we could talk her into letting us devour a hot loaf right out of the oven, meaning she'd have to make the next batch a day earlier. The big yellow plastic tub the dough rose in and the bread pans lived on top of the fridge.

This week I took my post office key (the largest on the ring) off of my set of keys and put it on a fob in the SUV console. I don't go to the PO often, it can live in the car, and that key has always gouged me through the jeans pocket. I should have done this a long time ago.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: pattyClink
Date: 17 Jun 23 - 02:50 PM

Pretty rough storms rolled through last night right at check-in time after a long day at the doc-in-the-box and truck repair place. Lots of branches down, winds, sideways rain, etc. Ridiculous situation at the gatehouse with no power--no computer, and the kiosk for passes was useless. Had to retreat to my rig and go online with a laptop and hotspot on battery power to go through a 20 minute process on Reservations.gov.   Instead of handing the nice lady $13 in cash and being done with it.   SO many things now heavily computerized that just don't need to be.   

I had been so impressed earlier in the week when I saw that by noon after a bad storm, the National Park Service had gotten all the downed trees removed from the Natchez Trace, and neatly stacked. Amazing what well-organized people can do, and I'll bet computers played no part whatsoever.

Charmion, glad you could step up and be a good friend that way. Listening and reassuring can be all the difference to someone in trouble.

Seasonal clothes: yes, at the storage place I've got bins for sweaters and jackets, a couple of cheap dressers where i can switch out shirts etc., shelves for my treasures, some boxes of travel books that get swapped out, etc. Lots of cookware type items and tools that were in the way on the road have been stored for use at a home base some day.   I move things in and out as needed in the upcoming months.

Strangely, one does have to keep quite a variety of clothes on hand because I’m out in the elements a lot. Even in summer, if you go to northern latitudes or mountains you still need some days worth of warm layers. (Not like you can have 1 or two warm outfits and launder every day).   I tried leaving boots in storage this spring and got snowed on May 1 in Wisconsin. Luckily they have a vast array of ladies' boots in Kenosha and it was time for a new pair.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jun 23 - 11:29 AM

Patty, I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where, if you ever watched the popular program Northern Exposure, you would see that we specialize in layers. Long-sleeve shirts, some light (like the blue work shirts) and others a little heavier (acrylic or flannel), wool shirts, vests, and a windbreaker that is large enough that a long-sleeved shirt with a warm vest can go under, and layers adjusted with the day's temperature changes. I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know. Since the NW isn't as super cold as other parts of the upper Midwest and New England it isn't like you just go straight to the heavy down jacket and mukluks on your feet when the cold hits (though I have those also).

Went to a reception for retirees last night and saw quite a few friends. Dinner was nothing to brag about but I must confess, since my table wasn't completely surrounded by people I splurged and ate an extra cheese cake from a non-used place-setting. COVID has really affected how often some of us see each other, and now that we've reconnected I hope we can resume our lunches. One friend loves to garden but has moved to a senior living apartment - I should invite her down to putter in my yard, there's always something that needs weeding or repotting, etc. Time flies - I used to see her college-age daughter come by our office, and remember when she got married. Now the daughter's oldest child is 18!

I have tours at the museum today and then an hour at the gym, but once I get home there's enough time to repot a couple of the cucumber plants. (Gardening comes after the tours so I don't have the classic gardener's grimy fingernails in view.) I'm going to experiment with putting the pots where I can set up some chicken wire for them to climb away from the actual garden beds. Meanwhile I have a 3-gallon bucket in the sink to catch gray water (from rinsing dishes) that will be carried out several times a day for spot watering (to supplement the sprinkler schedule.)

Yesterday I reduced prices on several eBay listings to see if they will excite more interest. I always start with my offerings near the highest price someone else recently got with a comparable item, but often end up in the mid-range prices before they sell. The higher prices work best with scarcity, but there are tons of tablets for sale.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jun 23 - 12:13 AM

Today I cornered the Labrador retriever and started using the faux-Furminator to brush the coat he has blown. Tons of hair, I can only make one pass with the device before knocking a wad of hair off in the bag I have positioned for this work. His hindquarters are so weak that I hold him up under the abdomen with one arm as I brush (though when he's lying on the floor is best, because I can roll him around to reach more places). This will take several days of work because if I am too insistent about doing it all at once he'll start avoiding me. He is a happy old guy despite being deaf and arthritic. He loves eating, he adores getting fruit or vegetables in with his dry kibble, and loves the treats the nextdoor neighbor gives the dogs each morning. As long as he is enjoying life we will live with the other stuff.

This week I start a push to finish the fence, first by painting wood preservative on the pickets for the next panel. My friend's last trip out of town (and my cat sitting for her) paid for the rest of the fence project. When I bought the preservative I had an interesting conversation with a guy in Home Depot who was comparing brands - he has a wood floor in his house he wants to use wood preservative on. That sounds like a mistake, but I can't say for sure. He's trying to solve a problem, so he gets points for that.

On Weather Underground the 10-day forecast has six of those days at or over 100^o. This is early in the year for so many hot days. We take them one day at a time now, keeping things alive, keeping enough water on the foundation to prevent the house from crumbling, keeping the garden alive, and letting the toads enjoy a few spots of water. I put a couple of terracotta saucers under the sump pump outlet for the new AC, and with Bt chunks there I can keep the mosquitoes at bay while the toads enjoy a little garden spa.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jun 23 - 11:59 AM

Testing the Malwarebytes VPN. My cookie is established at Mudcat; there was no difficulty being recognized. I'll have to try different sites. So far, so good. The plan lets me activate five devices. The phone connected easily, the operation seems straightforward. When I surveyed some reviews of this software the first one I listened to was from three years ago and was a video by a VPN user looking at what he considered a new program. He liked the background software called "WireGuard" as it's main protocol. At the time they had 245 servers around the world, now when I set it up they have 500. He talked about it not having some of the extra things other VPN providers offer (such as allowing streaming torrent), but I want a bare bones setup, I'm not doing fancy things with the connection. No torrent needed. Here is the Get Started page from Malwarebytes Privacy if anyone wants to look at it. I'm thinking Patty would be a classic user, with all of the networks you encounter in your travels. You may have beat me to this point a long time ago. Dorothy with her parking lot library WiFi browsing, also a good candidate for a VPN.

I used to use CISCO VPN from the university when I worked from home, and it was pretty straight forward but was only on the device I was using to telecommute and didn't offer any of the options or easy access that this does (10 years later - so - stone knives and bearskins compared to now.)

Of course, since I started this I found the Windows 10 VPN; it's a lot different and not as easy to figure out. Windows tells me that if I have a VPN I need a VPN profiles on my PC to get started. I think this is using the Windows setup (and I see when I click on more information it goes the Edge and Bing and thinks I'm connecting through my University account.) I'll have to make sure that Windows isn't interfering with the setup.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: pattyClink
Date: 19 Jun 23 - 09:03 PM

Stilly, at what museum are you volunteering?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jun 23 - 12:08 AM

Patty, I sent you a PM.

Two days before summer starts and the temperature today was 101^o. I waited till near sunset to mow a swath of the back yard. I'm to that point of the summer where I place a bucket in the kitchen sink to catch rinse water and several times a day head out to pour gray water around plants in the garden and in the pots that dry out so quickly.

I'm watching the squash and tomato plants now as they begin producing, and the eggplants that were put in late are finally putting out new leaves. At the nursery there was only one remaining tray of eggplant bedding plants that were all dry and puny. But the two I brought home are recovering now. Okra are almost big enough to put in the garden (I started them from seed). They need hot weather to really thrive.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 20 Jun 23 - 01:36 PM

I'm finally sorting out the music CDs.

A friend dropped over the visit yesterday evening. Before I so much as asked if she had a mouth, I conscripted her to help me carry the last basement bookcase up to the library-cum-music room, thus completing the row of Ikea Billy bookcases on the east wall. I have six shelf inserts that permit a six-shelf 60-cm Billy to accommodate 7.2 shelf-metres of CDs. When the six double shelves for CDs are full, that's my limit.

Edmund's younger brother has already relieved me of a significant quantity -- most notably everything by Bob Dylan, John Prine and Johnny Cash -- so the task is not as daunting as it was two years ago, but it's no bagatelle. When the sheep and goats have been separated, I'll box up the goats for the music booth at the next parish rummage sale, which has been known to feature tactical shoving.

With the last bookcase in place, last night's visit was great. We sat on the porch and killed a bottle of wine while we watched the neighbours walk their dogs.

Speaking of wildlife, I got clobbered the other day by Dive-Bomber Dave, a terrifically territorial red-wing blackbird who lives in a tree overhanging the path beside the Avon River. He nailed me a good one, probably with both feet as well as his pointy little beak, and I have three minor lacerations on my pate and bloodstains down the back of my shirt to remember him by. Brave little blighter!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jun 23 - 01:41 PM

Internet testing day two: the Internet service itself was off for a while today. When it came back the VPN wasn't connecting to Mudcat properly, partly because Mudcat is rarely a secure site and because I need to look into the IP vs Cookie tracking. A Spectrum tech is coming out today to check the system. Oy. The last guy was very new to the job and so slow it was agonizing (plus I had to keep the dogs in the hall bathroom because he kept going back and forth from the house to the yard.)

This morning I harvested a few of the garlic bulbs from the new location in the garden next to the kitchen door; I left others in the ground because over the course of the year they'll grow from the single ping pong ball-sized bulbs into the many-cloved version of elephant garlic. I'm still digging garlic sprouts from the old location around the heat pump to put into this part of the garden. The oregano and basil also need harvesting and drying (the house will smell like an Italian restaurant for the next week at least.)

Recycling and Goodwill donations need to be dropped off this week. Dog food needs ordering or (if they no longer have free delivery over $50) pick up at the store. A friend has a case of canning jars for me, but that is part of a cycle, it isn't re-cluttering, considering how many jars I give away (or loan to the neighbors).

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 20 Jun 23 - 01:52 PM

Beaver:

It has been a rough couple weeks: I had a spell of vertigo at Marg's and then it continued, off and on, until a few days ago when I remembered that Apple cider Vinegar in my water could help. It has and today I was able to get up feeling good at 8am and washed the not correct glaze off the unfired bowls. Thinking after I got started that it might have been better to just throw new bowls but they are done and drying on this beautiful dry-so-far day.

Other days I was able to get an hour or two of work done in the late afternoon/early eve. So I still have time to get the new stuff dry to be bisqued and then two glaze firings OR I Could do a glaze firing tomorrow while things are still drying and after I re-sieve the essential glaze. YES!

Yesterday I decided that going outside is still not healthy so bought an N95 mask to wear outdoors with the thought that my respiratory system does not like bad air. The clerk as the store said the smoke was gone; I walked outside and could smell it and commented to an older man "This does not smell the way air in North Hastings is supposed to!" He agreed. Most people may not notice but, for me, getting home to Beaver is largely about the air - getting out of the car and deep breaths of fresh clean air! There is none for this last couple weeks so I have stayed indoors with the air cleaner except for shopping. RAIN!!! is needed.

The strawberries are progressing - a number of green berries.There was some good rain here before I got back. Hope for a good bunch to take to QC next week. R has a big presentation to the City next Weds and I am asked to attend. To wear???? Only one dress that fits and bro hates it. Tough! Beats shorts and a T!

Might be some rhubarb - it does not seem to be happy this year.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jun 23 - 05:16 PM

Unhappy dogs as we wait for the cable guy to arrive. One dog is in the hall bathroom and one in the kennel, with the old lab asleep on his bed as usual. I'll make sure no gates are left open that would allow the deaf old guy to wander out. As I wait I have been picking up around the house and cleaning the kitchen. I'm at my computer now where I can see the street. Still no Spectrum truck.

Coffee grounds are good for repelling snails and slugs and I had a several-years-old jar of ground coffee in the freezer to discard so the contents are now sprinkled around in the veggie garden. (I picked up fresh coffee yesterday for the freezer.) The few visitors who drink coffee are infrequent enough that it would go stale between visits otherwise. I sprinkled some over the area where the garlic came out - I'm going to fill that spot with a pepper that grew from seed so keeping snails away from a tender young plant is helpful.

The temperature is 100^o and the weather station says it feels like 115^o. I believe it.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: JennieG
Date: 20 Jun 23 - 06:10 PM

Charmion, in Oz we don't have your red-winged blackbirds - but we have magpies. In late winter/early spring they are quite territorial in defending their nests, and many places have signs saying "Caution - Magpie Swooping". They don't like cyclists, and they have a good memory for anyone who has ever chased them (usually small boys) to exact revenge because they can recognise faces.

Ozzie magpies are different to magpies in other countries - one of the most joyous sounds of Oz is magpies carolling.

I have just finished de-cluttering some of my quilting fabric into quilt blocks. When they are sewn together, and it is layered and stitched together, it will be a proper quilt, and those fabrics will be done.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jun 23 - 11:18 PM

Jennie, I hope you post a photo of your quilt blocks someplace where we can find them.

I have seen bluejays do the same kind of dive-bombing as Charmion and Jennie describe; my experience of red-winged blackbirds is more benign.

The cable tech today was efficient (if awkward when moving a long ladder - he nearly hooked the power line to the house) and reports that the problem isn't here, it is in the line that feeds to my house and to nextdoor, and someone else will check out the lines and we're back where we started. I handed him a much-appreciated bottle of water as he was leaving. The girls didn't appreciate being locked in but Zeke was out in the yard with me and the tech and the sweet old galoot played fetch with one of his bumpers (meant for this game - we haven't had them out for ages because Cookie grabs them and runs off). I kept him in the shade and he didn't go more than a dozen feet in any direction to retrieve it, but he enjoyed the game. Old dogs are so sweet.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jun 23 - 06:13 PM

It's an out-of-sorts day; though overcast, the weather is still hot and muggy, and indoors I've battled with the Office Depot software to load a designed card onto their site. (I may have to redo the art and add a lot of "bleed" on two sides because they can't seem to offer an accurately trimmed card.) And that submersible is still missing - regardless of who is on board, that is a wretched way to die. Banging noises are reported today. (How did the search area end up the size of Connecticut when it was lowered off of a ship above the Titanic?)

In the kitchen there is progress. The freezer had most of the ingredients for my nacho mix: beef, peppers and tomatoes. I need to make room so this summer's stuff can go in there. I'm trying a ground chipotle that is smoky enough to be noticable. Badia brand (lots of stores have it) will probably have some heat (it's cooking now, I haven't tasted it yet).

A good sign out my kitchen window this afternoon was a gray cat prowling through my vegetable garden. Some years the rodents burrow in and attack potatoes and veggies near the ground. I have a bag of hair brushed off of the dogs to poke around the plants as a repellent. The cat who lived two doors up used to come hunt here regularly, I don't know whose this one is.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 21 Jun 23 - 06:55 PM

Search area? Drift, Stilly. That submersible is literally rolling in the deep.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jun 23 - 07:57 PM

That seems like what would happen if no controls were on board, or if no cable were attached - but who in their right mind would get into that thing if it wasn't operable to the extent needed to descend and ascend safely? Or have small buoys to launch to signal with?

One way to avoid bringing extra stuff into the house is to simply not go out. My shopping list is growing, but nothing has completely run out (dog food, for example). Tomorrow.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 21 Jun 23 - 08:57 PM

Evidently, the submersible lost power. That means no propulsion, no steering, no ability to surface. Controls don’t matter without power.

Submarines are strictly for experts. That means graduates of HMS Dolphin and similar naval establishments.

Who in their right mind? Good question.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: JennieG
Date: 21 Jun 23 - 09:54 PM

Who in their right mind indeed. Just so they could say "guess where we've been, nyah nyah nyah!"?

SRS, a pic of my blocks laid out can be found here. They will soon be pinned to the sheet underneath so they can stay in place while being moved; that's our spare bed, and we will have someone sleeping in it next week.

That's also where I waffle on about life in general, and I always finish with a quote from my 1885 etiquette book.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jun 23 - 11:30 PM

Jennie, very nice! Charmion, I was reading about submarine communication; they seemed to excluded the most basic method that might have had them rescued by now (small buoys on light cable). I'm not going to delve further into the mechanics of it, it's too depressing. Foolhardy. And sad that they built this thing down the hill from where I grew up.

I walked out toward the greenhouse this evening and into a strong spider web. Accckkk! When I shine the flashlight out there I know about the spiders, I just forgot to look first and with the porch light on didn't have a flashlight. The spiders build webs above any dog pathway, but not to avoid people who rarely head out at night. (I say "toward" because I backed out of the web and went into the house to see if I had any spiders on me.)

The kitchen is looking good this evening considering how messy it was this afternoon. We were supposed to conserve energy through this evening, but afternoon thunderstorms cooled the area. This will be the practice all summer (and this weekend is forecast to hit 105^o). The dishwasher is running after sunset and I'll program the washer to run at 5am.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jun 23 - 03:37 PM

I picked spider web out of my hair off and on for several minutes, but the spider stayed outside.

Fragments from the submersible seem to answer one big question - now the post mortem of the craft begins (has already begun, actually).

Shopping today - dog food, people food, and we are shifting from cara cara orange season to fresh peach and nectarine season. Boxes of them at Costco are usually pretty good.

Soon my daughter and I will celebrate summer with our annual BLT sandwiches. The tomatoes are ripe and there are enough for sandwich making. I'll make bread tomorrow and hopefully this will be soon. (My allotted sodium for the day will be in that sandwich!)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 22 Jun 23 - 06:53 PM

I have finished sorting CDs, and the excess are packed up and ready to leave the house.

I am quite pleased with myself.

Before I get too arrogant, however, the parlour rug needs vacuuming and the laundry must be done — one is running low on clean underpants.

But first, a beer on the porch, supper, and an evening of telly.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 22 Jun 23 - 09:25 PM

Beaver:

Note to self: Netting on Bluberries tomorrow!! Alert on phone!

82F in the house. But cooler outside. We are being told there is no smoke today so I have opened two windows, with small fan pulling hot air across and out a window. And turned off the air cleaner - ahhh! quiet!

One more firing, possibly two, and I can pack up for leaving on Tuesday - after one more flu shot - 5th I think. Hope for energy to glaze the new lot of bisque in the morning. Really want to be finished! There will be a good number of smaller bowls and other items for the August show and the Carriage House in Maynooth.

The bisque firing was only about half full - with the heat, smoke and vertigo, everything I did was "get out and push". And there was not much "push"!

Washing machine: does not connect properly to faucet; one hose leaks a constant drip; cannot get it to run water into washer even though willing to deal with drip.... Too tired and wobbly to seek halp. Maybe tomorrow. Can barely breathe ... Cooler in K! Opened drape - between K and LR - and that helped! As soon as the sun goes behind hill I shall open the west window and hope the screen is tight enough!

Phoned Whidbey Telecom yesterday to check on account - No did not owe anything. A bill in today's mail! Phoned and the recording said I did not owe anything. Try to call tomorrow!

Went to Service Ontario for clarity re driver's license got the nice young woman to help me get an appointment because I find calling offices ... YOU KNOW! Two women working; the other is married to a man I have known since '89. He and his dad had a hunt camp next door, then built a nice cottage in their woods. Great neighbours! The very sweet Dad died and Grace is happily married to Ron. Nice things do happen. Showed me pic of grandson (from first marriage) real sweet 3 year old.

Looked up from computer to see a humming bird at big window! By the Big comfrey starting to bloom! There now, window open -and hope for few bugs! Bed made and How I wish the shower worked! OR RAIN!!! Dragon Flies are very busy but fewer than other years. A couple lightning bugs the other night; they,too, are endangered.

Strawberries making nice progress. I dumped lots of wood ash on them last fall. They must love it! This is the healthiest they have been. Maybe I can get back on the Friday ----Holiday weekend... ARGHHHH! Cooler

Temp is dropping in house. I feel better. Possible rain on weekend.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Jun 23 - 12:05 AM

Dorothy, you write about your life like it feels like I conduct mine. I try to edit to make shorter paragraphs, but it feels the same.

Why are you dealing with Whidbey folks? Is that where you have a phone account? I spent a lot of time on the north end of the island at Deception Pass and on Mt. Erie that is north of the pass (we used to go there for rock climbing). I often would go home by driving the length of Whidbey then taking the ferry across to Mukilteo.

A series of errands were run today so I don't need to go out for a while. I still need to figure out the watering setup, there is one watering station that has me flummoxed: I may have to go buy the particular sprinkler I have in mind. I can't find the two that I know should be here at the house. In the FWIW category, I crossed the 3,500 threshold today on the slides I'm scanning at the museum. That means I've described the contents of three thousand five-hundred slides, and this is about 10% of the collection. Oy. There is job security here, if it was for pay.

The kitchen counter is loaded with fruit and I look forward to eating ripe peaches, pears, and oranges and when needed, cooking or preserving the ones that are a bit too ripe. My garden is producing tomatoes and I'm about to start harvesting squash. I have potatoes that were harvested last week. Today I picked up some "last day" steaks. I freeze, then grind these steaks to use in casseroles, soups, and sauces. Oh - and while I'm thinking about it - I need to look for a good pesto recipe. I want to use my basil before it is too far gone, and I'd like to freeze or can (process) pesto. No humans or canines are starving in this house.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 23 Jun 23 - 06:59 PM

Beaver:

HEAVY Day. Decided this am that I could not cope with it. Unloaded kiln, waxed bottoms and moved pots to glazing area - QUIT! Lunch of delicious veg soup at a local cafe. Visit with Jane re improving use of consensus at Community Trust. Using libbry internet which will go off in two minutes!

Whidbey: lived there. Love my email address!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jun 23 - 12:11 AM

A series of storms moved through this afternoon, blinking the lights out a couple of times and at one point with a wind so fierce it looked like trees might drop large limbs. So far I've only seen some smaller limbs dangling from above.

While it was a heavily overcast afternoon, once the storm passed the sky brightened and a friend arrived to pick up a bread machine (one of my eBay stash). I conducted a master class on bread machine baking (I used my machine), going through the steps to set it up, how to load the ingredients, what to look for along the way. She left once the dough was made (on the manual setting) and I had shaped rolls. Now my batch of rolls have cooled and some will go into the freezer.

The dry ingredients for granola are mixed and tomorrow I'll whisk the oil and honey, combine it all, and bake. I also have a batch of hummus to finish.

Summer is officially here, I have a lot of yard work to do (great exercise), and I want to drop five pounds to stay at my target weight after losing so much last year. Today I had a "welcome to summer" pint of ice cream as the last splurge for a while; all of the fruit bought this week is so tempting that it makes healthy eating easy. Add to that my garden produce (tomatoes, squash, peppers, chard) and it is the season of grazing.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jun 23 - 12:30 PM

I think I've got the hang of making granola now, it's no longer a major operation. The batch is doubled from the recipes I compared and picked ingredients from. It has about equal parts oats and nuts (various), and I use a mix of avocado oil and honey for the toasting and sweetness. Parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet and this batch fills it but isn't too much. Bake an hour, turn every 20 minutes, and add raisins after it finishes baking. This batch of 1/2 cup servings lasts about 3 weeks. It meets my goal of getting fiber and of eating more nuts (as a healthy snack or regular part of the diet.) It costs less than buying it at the store and doesn't have sodium and preservatives. A major objective was to have a mix that isn't too sticky or sweet, and I've reached that by doubling everything except the oil and honey.

Cat sitting this week, with a new obstacle to surmount. There was a glass storm door installed outside the main back door onto the screened-in porch. The regular door and the storm door each have installed a pet door at the same level. This was yesterday, she left today, and the cats haven't figured out how to push through both pet doors (frankly, I think the doors are so close together they're going to have to crawl under rather than just push through.) Can we have the cats accustomed to using two doors by the time she returns, or will they get stuck out on the porch in the heat? I can only handle one cat regularly, a second one I can give a few pats when his food bowl is down, the third cat I've only touched once in four years and it surprised both of us. So no picking up a cat and stuffing them through the door a few times to give the idea. (Dogs are easier to train. My pitbull Cinnamon figured out the garage door flap the first try and each time she came in I gave her a treat. She went in and out until she got all of the treats. Poppy sat in the yard unhappily, and that night she sat barking at the door until I saw Cinnamon walk out, walk around her, and back in the flap so Poppy could draft in behind her. It took Poppy four days to figure out the door. All dogs since then have seen others use it and had no problems.)

First world issues.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jun 23 - 10:00 PM

Today for the museum tour I dressed in a vintage pair of dark Capri pants and knit top, and while choosing shoes I realized that I'm less likely to wear sandals now than I am to wear comfortable walking shoes (keeping in mind a description of someone falling recently, as I have also done.) My socks for walking shoes are mostly ankle length or they're short athletic socks with a brand name around the top. I stopped by DSW on my way home for some short socks that show a neutral band at the ankle.

In the closet I pulled out seasonal beach shoes and tossed several into the trash. A surgical boot also got the boot. They are too old to donate. A pair of shower flip flops are next to the back door and today I put up the portable shower head on the patio cover support by the door. I use that shower during the summer once the tap water has warmed.

Also this evening in the closet I culled the handbags that are too small to hold both the phone and wallet. The bags I use now are "office casual," keeping only a couple of small black bags for fancy events. I also weeded out some of the shoulder packs and fanny packs and will either put them on Freecycle or take them to Goodwill. The handbags I pick up to sell need to get listed, though one I have up right now hasn't excited much interest. (Finding a clearance price and then selling for half of the original price often gives a nice profit, but the one up right now may be in the wrong season. I don't pay much attention to that but perhaps shoppers do.) I'm thinking after these bags are gone I won't keep looking for more to sell.

This morning I woke around 4:45 when there was barking and a thud on the roof. The dogs cornered a raccoon and he/she spent an hour or so up there. I shone a light and aimed a hose at it to see if it could move - yes - and I covered the dog door to keep them in and left the kitchen hood fan running to scare it away (at one point it seemed to consider ripping the hood cover off the roof and heading down that way). Early to bed tonight.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jun 23 - 04:51 PM

As Dorothy nets her blueberries, I prop up my tomatoes. The bushes are all leaning because with a good crop the green tomatoes are quite heavy. So many things threaten to melt away if they wilt too much, so my bucket brigade of kitchen gray water continues.

More purses and shoes out of the closet, and this evening on my cat feeding run I'll swing by Goodwill to drop off stuff. I didn't mention yesterday that DSW has gone bagless. This is a good move, though I didn't expect it and stuffed my new socks into my purse. Those big black and white bags meant for many shoe boxes were perfect for the Goodwill stuff because I could empty the whole bin into one. I'll have to keep the bags I have for reuse after depositing stuff in the donation center canvas laundry cart.

The house is 80^o and the yard is 105^o. My mother never came to visit from April through October because she doesn't like the weather much over 80 outside.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 27 Jun 23 - 07:10 AM

I’m with your mother, Stilly. When the thermometer crawls above, say, 27°C, I hunker down and avoid the great outdoors until things get sensible again.

The house looks pleasantly rational, with all stuff corralled in appropriate places and nothing in the gangways. Dust and cat hair levels are approaching unsociable, but I’m not expecting company so I’m not too bothered.

I signed up and paid for a week of music camp in the first week of August. It’s in Goderich, 80 km up Highway 8, so it will be a fair stretch to drive to and from each day, but I’d rather commute and sleep in my own bed than spend the week in a crappy motel — Goderich lodgings are typically booked years in advance for this event. But I need to play tunes, and learn a new song or two, and meet new people, so I’ll be on the road each day.

My other major adventure for this year will be at the end of September, when I will pack up the car and head south to the FSGW Getaway on the Maryland shore for the first time since before the pandemic. I’ll be gone about a week, maybe 10 days, as my SIL in Windsor wants a visit as well, and I want to avoid interstate highways as much as I can. Road-tripping on my own again after so many years — it’s a bit daunting, but the all-day lunge across Ontario to Ottawa is almost routine now, so I know I can do it.

Why not fly? Because sleeping bag, mandolin, guitar and special pillow, that’s why. (You know you’re old when a special pillow becomes a life essential.) And because I loathe modern air travel, with its constant security theatre and atmosphere of suspicion. It’s stressful in a way that I can hardly tolerate any more, far worse than hours and hours of road, keeping the car between the ditches and not getting lost.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Jun 23 - 10:34 AM

Air travel sounds horrible now, and you don't want to contribute to the body of destroyed instrument videos on YouTube (where I don't see any destroyed mandolins, but there is this).

Despite the heat I'm planting the rest of the bedding plants (started from seed) today after a discreet soak of the gardens last night (a small sprinkler running 20 minutes each in about 8 different spots; the timer beeped much of the evening.) Monday isn't a watering day, but I wasn't wasting it on turf, it was just for the veggies.