DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Aug 23 - 12:07 PM

I sometimes see the dish drainers you describe at Goodwill. The problem with going in to look for something you actually need is that you'll find a lot of nifty stuff that is cheap and functional but adds to the clutter. Occasionally you'll find things you didn't know you needed, such as the case with the $20 tall narrow table in my kitchen that serves as an island - what did I ever do without it?

Years ago I found an odd little drainer at the Container Store that of course they don't carry any more. It's a hard rubber surface with a slot for silverware, a few inches of area for setting cups or large stuff that doesn't fit into the final few dish slots. It sits on a towel, and every so often I stuff it into the dishwasher to freshen it up. I took a look online just now - the designs are innovative and the prices eye-watering.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 16 Aug 23 - 11:20 AM

After a week of trad music in Goderich, I'm back to "work" in Stratford: pool exercise in the morning, and the rest of the day spent on preparations for the new choir season. The weather is delightful when it isn't raining stair-rods, but the ragweed is in bloom so I have a more or less constant sinus headache unless I dope myself with Advil and a steroid nasal spray. One day of utter misery was enough to remind me that this regime must be followed religiously.

The cats have caught up on missed lap time and have returned to their pre-Goderich routine: ignoring me unless their dish is empty or they are bored and/or in need of connection. Isobel in particular can be downright infestuous, clambering all over me when I'm doing any sitting-down task, especially at the computer. Watson just occupies the comfy chair like Hitler's army in France, on top of me if necessary.

I have ditched yet another unsatisfactory dish-drainer, this one made of metal that left rust spots on the Wedgwood. Since Rubbermaid seem to have stopped making the bomb-proof plastic-coated wire model that I remember from the '60s and '70s, maybe a towel spread on the drainboard will do for the items that don't go in the dish-washer -- cats' dishes, coffee-filter holder, non-stick omelette pan. But I regret the passing of yet another useful household gadget displaced by fancier versions that do the job less well.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Aug 23 - 11:09 AM

Shopping today to purchase the last of the pickets, lumber, and wood preservative to have everything I need to finish the fence project. After that I'll clean out the SUV and put everything back in the preferred positions (I left the middle seat row down and a tarp in place for the last month.)

I examined the area in the front where I'll shift the birdbath and garden, it's not a complex job. I've added taking down some deadwood from the tree above to the list, but knock-wood hopefully this is a quick job to do after the fence. Or to do for procrastination until I get to the rest of the fence.

The only grass growing in the front yard is where I've run soaker hoses to try to deep water trees to save them. I might take a trimmer out to go over a few areas where grass is tall, it isn't worth pushing the mower out for as little as there is.

There are a couple of pots of parsley and dill starting in the house and I need to set up pots on my planting table (under a shade cloth) to start more cucumbers and squash. The last hurrah this year will hopefully be some produce. For now, I surrender and am buying canned tomatoes and fresh produce to replace what I would normally get from the garden.

Decluttering - I need to arrange the empty boxes in my front room. I promised some flattened boxes to my Buy Nothing moderator friend, and while I'm at it, I'll organize some of the rest. I told her I'd be by one evening this week, so I guess that gives me until Saturday to tackle that job.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Aug 23 - 03:33 PM

Dorothy, it sounds like a dramatic week! I hope you and R are over the burn and the infection soon! (Always wear a mask for that kind of work!)

Today was cool enough to put up the next panel of fence. One more to go, but the most complicated because there are tree roots in the way of digging a new post and pushing the existing end post crooked. I'll wait until cooler weather for that work. While the old panel was down Zeke headed through the fence for a visit next door and I took over the fetching toy so he and Cecil could play (a few short dashes for the toy and he was tired.) Zeke's world has compressed as he gets older but he still enjoys himself.

I've seen photos of a couple of our Mudcatters with cats in their laps - in places with weather cool enough where cats want to sit in laps. Meanwhile I need to let the hose run long enough that I don't scald a dog if I use the hose to give them baths in the yard. The standing water in the hose is painfully hot. Enjoy your cooler weather!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 15 Aug 23 - 01:08 PM

Beaver:

High of 98! ARGHHHH! Thankful we are not getting that - and no longer getting even up to 80! Cool nights and days are more like September. A warning to get prepared. The next time I leave here, it will be in cold weather mode - just in case.

Neighbour/LArry is buying other kiln - and getting prepared to move from making trailers for garden tractors to being a potter- as well as helping with community activities. So that is a de-clutter for me and a few dollars more to contribute to NH Community Trust - trying to help our low income population survive. In addition to community gardens and a warming centre and wood share program...

When I boo-booed big time on friday, I went there for someone to tend to the burn on my back. I have no mirror that is not affixed to a wall so no way of seeing the back of my neck. I felt the burn and went for help. Ice and Aloe Vera and TLC. And a pic of the burn.

Not everyone can figure out how to make a brush full of hot wax fly up out of the pan, fly over my head and land on the back on my T-shirt. It blistered some by the time I got help but was considered "ok". They checked it again during the Sunday lunch and yesterday Larry said it looked fine and I could wash my hair. I didn't and last night it oozed so I went to my fav pharmacist for a covering which I took to ... and Michelle put on Polysporin and a large covering bandage. Tomorrow Jane is visiting and will check it. I could have spent several hours in the ER!!! Thankful for good folks!

Pottery came to a screeching halt. In the meantime, R cleaned a couple areas without using a mask and has a serious lung infection and a script for a serious anti-biotic - "Don't come home!" He may make it here tomorrow so we can go hear one of his fav groups; they are living in Nova Scotia and this is a special tour. Hope he makes it! He is bringing shelves for kiln and a book to loan a friend - Trauma Cafe.

I am trying to rid myself of my own life traumas by writing. I hope it helps.

Now to find a couple books to help improve my mood

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Aug 23 - 11:44 AM

I decided against peanuts (roasted, no salt) in the creek. Last night a dad and his daughters were fishing off of the bridge. Not likely to catch anything (though with bologna as bait, it is possible to attract aquatic attention) but they don't need to wonder about all of the peanuts floating on the surface of the little pool in the creek. Time to go add water to the birdbaths and clean out the blue wading pool.

Tomorrow morning is supposed to have a low of 69. It looks like a good time to put up a fence panel.

I'll take that Fire Stick over to the Buy Nothing moderator this week, along with flattened boxes she needs for packing up books she's giving away. I've realized I don't go in the front room much now because of the piled up boxes, so it's just as well to thin the supply. And while I'm in there, play the piano. I haven't done that in ages. A Chopin prelude I've always loved on the radio this morning had my fingers twitching to play along.

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

Short messages only today. Working in the office closet I found a boxed Amazon Fire Stick that I never actually used anywhere. Amazon gives $3 if you return it. Some weeks ago I was helping the local Buy Nothing moderator with a support for a new TV antenna (she lives in slightly submerged ground-floor apartment so has little local OTA signal). I've sent her a note offering this stick, and to make a run to Goodwill. She offers some pretty small stuff, not worth a drive over there, as she's compressing the contents of what was a larger apartment into where she is now.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Aug 23 - 05:21 PM

Painting wood preservative on the pickets is finished, though the work of putting up the next section will wait till it's cooler. That *might* happen on Tuesday, when a "cold front" is euphemistically blowing through, lowering the daytime high to about 98.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Aug 23 - 10:00 PM

A friend with a washer on the fritz brought over a load of laundry and stayed to dinner while it washed. I cleared the table before the meal and I got the sinkful of dishes all moved into the dishwasher after, so I'm ahead as far as cleaning up the kitchen.

112 today, and after recently posting a couple of photos of my indoor/outdoor thermometer on Instagram and Facebook, I've had queries about the make and model. A hot topic these days, having accurate thermometers. And finding ways to not superheat in the summer sun. My driveway is completely exposed but there's a tree in the front yard that casts some late afternoon shade. I've considered moving one of the bird baths and repositioning a small flower garden under that vitex tree so that I can create a spot on the grass under the tree that is shaded most of the day for any car that arrives in this heat. Kind of half-on and half-off the concrete, but not running over anything in the way. While it is a setup that would be nice to have now, it isn't a project one would do right away, it's too darned hot out. Something to consider for fall.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 12 Aug 23 - 01:52 PM

The move was from West Coast to East coast but it was from a village called Bryn Pydew in North Wales.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Aug 23 - 01:22 PM

So you chose Bude for your chart. Steve sussed where I was going with this - if you were neighbors, you should get acquainted. I thought you were in the East, but I also remember that you made a big move some years ago.

Booklet printed for the Kenmore serger, now to pull up YouTube videos because reading that manual with the grayscale images isn't inviting. If I find any helpful videos I'll make notes in the instruction booklet as they discuss the machine operation. This is a bigger project than I've taken on for a while, so I think clearing the kitchen table to set it up is in order. I can use the tablet or the kitchen laptop for videos if I want to watch and pause it while actually seated at the machine. The sewing studio isn't set up yet for another machine. (If I decide this is too much fuss I can always use this time to determine if it works and then sell it on eBay.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 12 Aug 23 - 01:00 PM

No, SRS, I live near Cromer which is on the east cost and Bude is on the west coast. The towns are nearly 400 miles apart. I'm about 3 miles from the coast.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Aug 23 - 12:16 PM

If he lives in Bude he hasn't told me! We're just three miles out of town...

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Aug 23 - 11:45 AM

Is that where you live, Jon, in Bude? I didn't realize you are so close to the coast.

No coast here to cool us, and the usual weather continues. Triage in the yard to keep a few plants that are still alive.

Still decluttering the computer desktop of files no longer needed and putting others in folders where they belong. Finding occasional gems along the way, a photo of a meme about words to cut from your writing: (just, sort of, I think, basically, very) - I wish! Notes to myself, links to keep, etc.

Must go refill birdbaths and drag a soaker hose.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 12 Aug 23 - 03:01 AM

I’m still playing with php on the laptop. I’ve had a go at writing my own pie chart. I’m having a bit of a problem with the alignment of labels and sometimes it gives a gap in the pie chart (which I think is a bug in gd and jpgraph does this too) but I think it’s ok otherwise. An example is here. I’ve also extended the weather forecast pages to do all sites/regions, eg. here.

Poor dad is still stuck in bed but we at leat have a date for the new bed. It should be coming on Thursday.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Aug 23 - 10:34 PM

Good luck with that investigation, Steve. I've always considered summer a particularly healthy season, but not this year. I've been doing more of the fitness programs - online, and on my phone, because I haven't been to the gym. I have to start moving since this heat has me doing so little all of the time. To get to the gym I'll see if I can get my butt out of bed way early, then on the way back stop by the museum where I volunteer. If I arrive right at opening time I'll be out by mid-morning. I was always scheduled to scan at midday, but haven't gone because of the heat. We're now under a "red flag warning" for fire danger, because there will be more wind than usual on Saturday.

This week I noticed some patterned sheer curtains on the Martha Stewart feed in my Instagram, so I went looking online and found a very good price. (I never shop on Instagram.) I have been looking at the 20-year-old long flowing muslin curtains in my bedroom and thinking they need a pick-me-up. I made them back when curtains so long they pooled on the floor was popular, and the new ones would do that but I want them just to the floor this time. They'll need the hems taken up (the shorter pair cost $30 more, so I'll do the hem myself). This is the same bedroom window that had a plant placed on the sill earlier in the week.

I've made curtains in the past, but when you look at the price per yard for fabric, the ready-made curtains are often more affordable than homemade. Volume buying and all of that.

How are our lurkers doing? Where is Patty Clink this month? Have you moved up to the Yukon to avoid the heat?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 Aug 23 - 08:26 PM

My health has been a bit rotten for a good few weeks. Since we got back from our lovely holiday in Sicily in early July I've had two bouts of cellulitis, a really nasty attack of sciatica affecting one leg, very sore feet and an attack of sinusitis. I'm just about over all of it now but I suppose it takes its toll at my age. My garden has been a bit of a write-off, what with me getting all poorly and the horrible weather we've had for six weeks. Still my flowery patches look great and I have a load of rocket that's gone a bit berserk. We have it on burgers, in prawn sauce with lemon and chilli and even in soup.

And yes, my medical woes are under investigation!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Aug 23 - 05:46 PM

It turns out to have been a more comprehensive version of what I wrote seven years ago. Keberoxu found the old obit (that I had contributed to) so I've combined them. I searched Mudcat and couldn't get it before I started that project. If I win the Lotto one of these days, Mudcat is on the top of my donate list, to fix things like search.

More indoor declutter work has presented itself - I have some files to scan and then I can toss the papers. Laundry finished, clothes on hangers out on that new line under the patio cover. I'm also playing catchup, trying to maintain a level of tidiness. One of the dogs decided to fasttrack the forest floor look in the den; this morning a large stick was reduced to many pieces in what looks like an all-nighter of chewing. Best to sweep that, the chunks clog the vacuum.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Aug 23 - 03:20 PM

Years ago I enjoyed conversations with Mudcatter Tannywheeler, and though she stopped posting here a couple of years before she passed away, when I realized why she wasn't posting a lot of time had passed, so I didn't write about it (that I can find, at any rate.) I did something this afternoon I promised myself I would do before I forgot about it again. I put up an obituary thread for her.

Last night I pulled up our conversations and some of her posts, and assembled a list of things to include in a longish obituary. Bittersweet stuff, reading these posts. The list of links isn't comprehensive, but if someone stumbles upon that post while researching her life, they have some places to start.

This was good use of my time inside while it's so hot (something we both complained about - heat and tornadoes here in Texas). She was a hidden gem - equally as interesting and funny and opinionated as her father, John Henry Faulk, or as other notable Texans like Molly Ivins and Ann Richards. I wonder where her papers are?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Aug 23 - 03:00 PM

A 'sweet treat for diabetics' would be a small book that could net you a fortune.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Aug 23 - 12:19 PM

A friend recently described the struggle to find a more suitable dessert for her 92-year-old diabetic husband who loves premium ice cream. I described my awfully-addictive sliced white nectarine topped with cinnamon and vanilla-flavored yogurt and homemade nutty granola. I hope she can manage a low-sugar version to temp him. (I didn't mention the custardy batch of bread pudding in my fridge; I used up a bunch of ends of loaves from the freezer.) I'm still pulling things out of the freezer but this year there is very little garden produce going in.

It's August 11 and this morning it was already 89^o when I rolled out of bed. The lawn is burned to a crisp and I've begun dragging the soaker hose to wrap around large trees (around the drip line at the outer edge of the crown) and running for a few hours. I have a lot of trees, and some are doing better than others. Fire danger in the state is at the next to the top rung of that ladder of dangerous conditions. (When I worked for the Forest Service our district office had a clever large painted Smokey Bear whose arm could be moved up or down to point at the thermometer-style fire danger chart. Once fire danger was in the mid-range someone always perched a brown beer bottle on his hand. Kind of like this, only better looking with a tall thermometer beside him.) I have a plan for how to prop an oscillating sprinkler on my roof and run a hose up to soak the shingles if fire becomes a problem here; I also need to have a go-bag ready just because. Tornado season is usually more of a threat, but this year all bets are off. (A friend in Maui says she is safe, she lives on the "wet side" of the island, but is pulling out things to donate to the shelter that will pop up near her soon.)

This is one ugly summer.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Aug 23 - 09:48 PM

Something we all fear, the loss of a spouse or close loved one. You've moved forward and kept busy and kept your cards close to your vest. Thanks with trusting us with this glimpse into your inner life, and if we can help, we're here.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 09 Aug 23 - 09:32 PM

This week, I’m spending the days in Goderich at the annual Celtic College, learning new tunes. In the past, Edmund and I always found a hotel or a B&B, but this year I decided to sleep at home in Stratford, a mere 75 km down Highway 8 from the locus in quo. Bad idea. Too much driving when I’m learning a lot, and I get very, very tired.

Again, I am reminded how much more fun everything used to be. When Edmund died, my life got turned down to five, sometimes three.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Aug 23 - 11:31 AM

This morning I moved a pothos plant from the corner in the sun room to the windowsill in my bedroom. It's on a deep enough saucer to avoid water dribbling onto the sill. In the sunroom it was out of sight because of the trailing vines from another pothos above it on the same multi-shelf plant stand. I'm reminded that I used to have two sturdy three-legged iron stands that would work in front of the bedroom window instead of putting it on the sill, but I think I must have given them away. (Too risky to use with dogs threatening to topple.) Now I could use it, but I'm not going to buy another, I'll just look around to see if I stashed any somewhere.

There's a beautiful green male anole outside on my office windowsill, chirping to the ladies with his expanding orange sac or wattle. Morning is the time to see more activity around the bird baths and garden in general. I have water in the bird baths and water in a cooler on the porch for delivery people. It's the least I can do this summer. There were robins and doves jockeying for position in the bird bath when I arrived in the office this morning.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Aug 23 - 09:42 PM

Stay safe up there, Keb. It was a little cooler here today, only hit 104. That's because of some storms that blew past to the north and now are in the east. We didn't get any of it, just a little overcast. :-/

This afternoon I cleared out some of the ripe tomatoes that had accumulated in the fridge, and now have two pint jars of Italian tomato sauce frozen, a pint of juice, and a half-pint of peeled but just frozen cherry tomatoes. I used my homegrown onions, garlic, and herbs in the sauce, the only purchased part was the green pepper and a dollop of red wine. The fridge is easier to navigate now.

I'm still working on the computer files, and have to note that the way the file directory is arranged has always had duplicate listings for one set of folders, so I need to be careful that what I'm removing is truly a duplicate. Next OS installation maybe I'll do a better job of that. To save my data I don't want the drives as part of the upgrade to Win 11, so I have to connect them later and map the drives.

I'm covered with tomato sauce splashes and seeds so some of my laundry may get a pre-soak before going into the washer.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: keberoxu
Date: 08 Aug 23 - 05:43 PM

Wish I could send you our rain, Stilly.
We have flash flood warnings in some places tonight.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 08 Aug 23 - 01:14 PM

All the laptops here are SSD and I think the system drives on the desktop PCs are too. Any other drive in the desktops is probably HDD. My laptop has a 500GB drive with the main big partitions: Windows 11 (combined system and users) 250GB, Linux system 80GB, Linux users 118GB. On the off chance I did find one day that I wanted to store a lot of big files, I got a 2TB external SSD to use with it.

I think the only thing I’ve done since my last post is tidy up my Cromer text weather forecast pages (eg. here and make another page for some of our mountain regions. It’s something to do, I suppose.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Aug 23 - 11:18 AM

Lifehacker sometimes has some interesting tips, but this time it gets a firm "Hell, no!" Who would intentionally put this monstrosity in their kitchen over the sink?

/rant off

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Aug 23 - 10:50 AM

A few weeks ago I brought home two large bags of roasted unsalted peanuts in the shell, a regular dog treat, and this morning decided to top off the dogs' canister with some. Out flew a fully-formed weevil. Ugg. Top quickly put on the canister (Tupperware, so it will seal) and the bags and the canister all into the freezer. And a sticky trap that was near the kitchen compost bin for gnats is now sitting on the table just in case that one weevil wants to give itself up quietly. I hate those things. Out of an abundance of caution I'll open one of the pantry moth traps I have stored away; I hope they keep, I've had these for a while. If not, they're cheap enough at Lowe's.

COVID is rising again, I have plenty of tests here for the time being. They are still available free from various places (libraries, some pharmacies, insurance providers will mail them, etc.) My hall pantry shelves store a mix of large kitchen utensils, canning jars, canned and bottled food, baking goods (flour, sugars, powdered milk, etc.) and as of 2020, a section with COVID supplies—Gloves, masks, and tests.

The mail carrier is driving past; I keep the cooler on the porch with bottles of water and this morning brought it in to give it a good scrub just because. The rest of August looks like a scorcher and I'm ready to open the next case of bottled water (from Costco - inexpensive, and two of their bottles can be squeezed into the cooler with ice.)

I've pulled out some old soaker hoses that will be arranged under some of the front yard trees that are ailing in this heat. I'll coil them over the roots out to the drip line and see if I can save the one that looks most likely on its last legs. My water bill this summer is quite high for me, even though I'm not watering turf, just around the foundation, the vegetable garden (what's left of it) and the trees. The neighbors with green lawns and sprinkler systems have bills probably double mine. The backyard looks better than years past because I've let a little native groundcover take over about the back 1/3 of the area. They're small and tough and it isn't as dusty as it has been with just dead turf grass.

The Swedes know the secret to happiness: You are not your stuff

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Aug 23 - 08:09 AM

We live at a tipping point and a brutal Russian war but it's good to realize how things are gloriously better now than in 2020 on a human level.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Aug 23 - 08:05 PM

The lazy days of summer feel enforced upon us here - try to do much and you risk your life in the heat.

When Jon mentioned clearing out log files it reminded me of layers of old desktop files that I've dropped into folders and moved into the next computer with each replacement, intending to pull the files out and put them to use. Sometimes I did, but often I made a desktop shortcut to the folder and never really unpacked it. I ended up with a lot of duplicate files and convoluted storage. So this afternoon I have stayed in my office chair and sorted through and reorganized a lot of that.

I try to not use the computer default desktop because it lives on the C: drive; I use a small SSC for all of the programs for speed and keep data on the older HDD drives. I move the Desktop file to the D: drive, but still stuff builds up so I also will check the status of the SSD space.

There are now 1,246 items in the Recycle Bin, soon to be emptied. And I need to take a break to do some Essentrics stretches because my back is going to complain about the sedentary day.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Aug 23 - 02:54 PM

I was lucky to know Katlaughing and her inviting kindness.

I too feel a total brain shift going from music to visual arts.

After nearly 3 weeks of non activity the lazy days of summer are at a close.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Aug 23 - 10:51 AM

Getting your dad's room set up is an excellent start, Jon, and virtual decluttering is as satisfying as the physical removal of too much stuff. I'm getting set to do a full backup on a new external HDD and then will install Win11. It's not my preference but I keep stumbling over it, though I will do some reading first and figure out what days will be best for reinstalling all of my software. And if there are programs that will misbehave with the new OS. An upgrade like this can tie up a lot of time so I may have to use the little laptop in the kitchen until everything is in place in the desktop.

The tractor sprinkler is making a slow pass along the back of the house and I'll put down a soaker hose about 18" away from the back wall to run more often; indoors the cracks showing on the back wall are increasing again as the dry weather shifts the foundation. This is watering despite a slight chance of rain today, but rain in this high heat means gawdawful humidity and instant evaporation. It'll feel like a wet sauna without any of the benefits we'd get from a good soaking rain.

I'm continuing my contact list updates today with the neighbors on both sides and across the street. I'll print out my list for them in case they don't see me for a while or something happens and they need to contact family. It would help to have that for them also. I should bake some muffins to take across the street, I haven't seen her in ages. With COPD she rarely ventures outside.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 07 Aug 23 - 05:26 AM

I had a notice pop up on my laptop yesterday saying that /home was running out of space. I checked and found I’d 1GB of my 118GB free. It turned out a log file for the display manager was using 58GB! I deleted that, emptied the downloads folder and a couple of other bits and I now have 75GB free.

Both sets of relatives left fairy early Sunday morning so I didn’t get the chance to get anything done I’d hoped for. Maybe next time and both brothers have indicated that they will try to come back “fairly soon” and said that they are freer now than they had been. They did sort a couple of things out with mum though and they’ve done a good with dad’s bedroom.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Aug 23 - 10:48 PM

It was a mildly productive weekend, keeping in mind that anything that takes one outside deserves consideration: can it be postponed until fall? I have my renewed library card and I picked up a few spools of thread for a new indoor project with the new to me sewing machine serger.

A few items were added to the donation bin, one listed on the buy nothing FB page, and a couple of items added to the box that will go to my son when I have enough to seal it up and mail.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 05 Aug 23 - 01:51 PM

In the UK, a Wendy House is a kid's play house.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Aug 23 - 01:43 PM

Wendy House? I can operate a few lightbulbs and TVs with my phone, but intentionally haven't set up other "smart" devices.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 05 Aug 23 - 01:40 PM

I’m afraid there hasn’t been much help for me today. Paul and Cheryl have gone back to wherever they are staying and are only popping in tomorrow morning just to say goodbye before they go back to Sheffield. I’m not sue what Mark and Karen are doing tomorrow but I think they are away for tonight soon.

There’s not much to the bungalow. Starting my end, there is my room then the kitchen. Next there is a corridor and on the right of this are the bathroom and study. At the end, it’s straight on to dads bedroom and left for the living room. The living room is a later extension to the building and makes the L shape.

There are 3 sheds in the front. One small one, one big one and the one I used as my workshop. In the rented part of the field, there are the old pigsties of which 3 are usable (2 x wood stores and the BBQ one) and a brick building we call the Wendy House which holds most of the gardening equipment.

There is a lot of stuff to dispose of. And I don’t know what will happen there...

Thinking washing machines, mum can’t use ours (since getting a new washer drier a couple of years back, she left the laundry to me) and I can’t help her. Mum’s carers are doing the washing now. The app for the machine has been handy as a carer has sometimes been uncertain how to use the machine. I can see the settings they have made on my phone and confirm what they’ve done is right before they set it going.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Aug 23 - 12:55 PM

I'm glad family is there to help, Jon. Do you store the furniture somewhere or will you donate or send it off with family? It sounds like a convoluted property with many smallish rooms (and some out-buildings? I know I've seen photos).

Laundry is finished; the washer ran overnight and the dryer ran with just a few things (the rest is hanging to dry) so I now have clean underwear to change into after my shower at the gym. The volume of laundry in the summer is so much less, with t-shirts and shorter pants that it doesn't look like I need to do laundry when in fact I'm running out of undies or my favorite type of socks.

The ex had another of the home-services trades at his house yesterday, this time to seal all of the cracks and crevices that mice, rats, raccoons, whatever, might have been using to get into the attic. Now there is an exit available for anything still up there but they can't get back in. Not sure if it's a Hav-a-heart trap or just a one-way flap of some sort. These workers are having to get into his attic when the outside temperature is 110. They need hazardous duty pay.

Waiting for the allergy medications to kick in before starting my rounds. The house is so stuffy because the doors and windows haven't been open for weeks, maybe house dust is getting me. Or from my few garden and birdbath excursions ragweed drifting up from the creek.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 05 Aug 23 - 10:41 AM

Well, I carried on with the met stuff… Still no more data added but I’ve been playing with the charts. For the php jonbanjo.com uses (no python there), I’d started with the free version of jpgraph but I had a couple of problems with it and it wouldn’t do what I wanted so I had another search for a php graph package and found php-libplot. I thought I’d give it a whirl. It only handles line type graphs, has a few bugs and limited features so I’d not recommend it. I stuck with it though, modifying and adding code to suit me. Now that I've added tooltips to display values when the mouse is held over a point,I’ll settle for what I have here and here

Mark and Paul and their wives came yesterday evening. It doesn't look as if I’m going to get my missing bits I’d like from the shed but I hope to talk a few things over with my brothers before they leave which I guess will be Sunday afternoon. Their priority at the moment is sorting dad’s bedroom out.

Dad has been stuck in bed since his discharge from hospital mainly because the carers can’t get him up. An OT called on Thursday and said a hospital bed would make that easier as well as enabling him to get in better positions, eg. for meals when he is in bed. The OT has ordered a bed but the room needs clearing out to take it. It’s a small room which currently has 2 single beds and an aisle less than 1m wide between them. Both will have to come out for the hospital bed but as dad is in one, my bothers can only take one out today I don’t know how shifting the bed dad is occupying will be arranged.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Aug 23 - 10:28 AM

Still jumping through hoops for the library card renewal. One more attempt later today (after a parcel was delivered for me at my ex's house. Not everyone who has a library card owns the house where they live, but they need to show they get deliveries or mail there.) Since I did the math and realized Pepper is nine now I'm giving her the glucosamine supplement Zeke gets. No point in ordering something I don't need just to get the package label, and both of our names are on the label. Pro tip: if you send a package to someone else and want to know that it has arrived with the photo of the delivery, put your name on the package also.

The thermometer is creeping up every day. Just as winter 2021 was fiercely cold, this summer is dreadfully hot (though the cold lasted for under a week; we're going on two months for the excess heat.) In my attempt to use less water I'm going to start showering at the gym (I usually just change and shower at home at the end of the day.) When I wash my hair it takes a bit longer so there will be a water savings. Driving there means burning gas, but I'll make several stops to be an efficient run.

More stuff in the trash this week, and thinning out stuff brought home from the knee surgeries. I don't need duplicates of the device they want you to blow into to test your breathing or all of the huge ace bandages. I already gave away the first set of ice packs (the 2020 surgery) but last week an "ah ha!" moment, realizing I could use the large ice packs in my grocery cooler, so they're in the freezer awaiting any shopping trip. (I used to have a Mudcat Memorial large blue ice pack in the freezer that Amos Jessup left behind when he and the family spent the night on the drive from California to North Carolina, but I gifted it to someone else so it has moved on. I don't remember if it was to Joe Offer or someone else.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Aug 23 - 11:49 AM

Shopping after dark isn't something I usually do, but I got part of my list taken care of. And I parked near the entrance under a parking lot light.

For declutter, it's difficult to see your house through someone else's eyes, but this morning I gazed at the kitchen and ended up taking an old magnetic dry erase board off of the fridge. A start. I haven't used it since the kids graduated, it kept track of a few events we all needed to know about. Onto the buy-nothing page it will go just in time for back-to-school.

At the same time I noticed a list from 2020 that I asked a friend to send; he was going through cancer surgery and I wanted to know how to reach someone local if I didn't hear from him for a while. Either to get an update, or to alert them to go check on him. I'll update that list with my nearest neighbor also. I used to have them for neighbors on each side and across the street, now the new folks on the uphill side have a sibling up the block and the folks across the street have children coming regularly, but for them I should probably get that updated info.

I've been seeing walled-sized cards in Instagram ads - "if something happens to me, my pet is home alone." I guess I should have something in my wallet with that and refresh the feeding instructions and list of vets, etc., for just in case.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Aug 23 - 06:52 PM

There's just no way to get out to stores when the temperatures are reasonable, so I've worked out a route and a list - since I ended up not going this morning I have to go this evening (or the pharmacy is going to keep texting me three times a day that I have an Rx to pick up). It hit 111 this afternoon.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Aug 23 - 02:25 PM

Errands to run, with a shopping list in hand to be most efficient about each stop and finish quickly. Too bad several of these stores don't open until 10am (anyone else remember when they were all open at 7 or 8am? COVID was the final blow to those early hours.)

I put the old hose caddy at the curb last night and as of this morning the hose storage (with a leaky connection) has gone to a new home. Other things are headed for tomorrow's trash.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 02 Aug 23 - 01:10 PM

Much to my surprise, I find that I sleep much better -- even in summer -- with the bedroom window shut and the curtains drawn tight. Who knew?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 02 Aug 23 - 10:51 AM

And have had a go at a chart from the data here. The chart can do up to 3 months. The max temp series is still the only one I've added to the db.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 01 Aug 23 - 12:44 PM

Beaver:

SRS: I eat about as much chicken as you do. Many years ago we were warned off too much iron. ...

Not full of energy today but pulled handles for the new mugs and moved stuff around, measured butter dish lids that still have no bottoms - 6 @ about 13 cm. Maybe I will try throwing some today. After lunch.

Very grateful for this cool week!! Bought a watermelon and it may be helping me feel better. So going home now - from library - to close drapes on west windows and have lunch, starting with melon.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 01 Aug 23 - 12:07 PM

There’s some good stuff out there, SRS.

I thought I’d stop with the met data stuff but I’ve just written a web page that tries to give totals for the met data by region and within a year range. Max Temp is the only dataset with any data in.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Aug 23 - 09:48 AM

Jon, that table you posted a link to was a thing of beauty, and it was clear with the chart what we were seeing. You and Bill D both have a great set of free and easy to use tools that are out there that I'd never hear of except to read your posts. (Most of them, anyway. I occasionally go out looking for the answers to illustration or html questions and have to spend a lot of time research and reading reviews before I'm willing to download and try them. Such as how old is it, how often are they updated, do they carry a massive Trojan spyware payload, that sort of thing. . . )

I went out at 7am and trimmed the low-hanging branches over the street, but have one larger limb I'll need the saw on the pole for and I'll wait till this evening. I finished my pruning and was hand-watering when the village code enforcement truck rolled past. I have until Friday to finish pruning. Now the bird baths are full I'm working in the office, ceiling light off so any birds that land in the filled birdbath outside the window are less likely to see me.

Yesterday the next door front-facing fence that abutted mine was replaced with an attractive and sturdy fence composed of recycled plastic planks. They trimmed at the corner where they met and they aren't actually connected but are so tidily set up that no one would know, and there is no gap to worry about. And when the old fence came down they saved the galvanized poles for me, so two more in my small collection (last year I gave a half-dozen fence posts to another friend who used them when he installed a fence across the street - these don't travel far!)

Today I have errands to run, but I must wait until the mail arrives since a package must be signed for.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 01 Aug 23 - 07:04 AM

SRS, I don’t think I’d be functioning at all in your heat!

Thanks for the idea. It isn’t quite what I was thinking of but it was only a curiosity question from me.

As for my solution I mentioned, it took me a while to write but I thought that if I was to do all the 119 met office files was probably worth it (plus it gave me something to do). After doing a few input files (which took under 1 second each to process), I realised that would land me with with loads of csv files and database tables so. I revised my thinking so I'd just put all the met data into one table. It’s easy enough for me to extract what I want from there. Eg if I wanted all max temp data for UK region from 2000 on, I could use (I wouldn't type it every time I’d save this for reuse and modification or alternatively write it as a stored procedure so I'd just need to supply Dataset and Region names and year):

SELECT `year`, jan, feb, mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug, sep, oct, nov, `dec`
FROM Hot JOIN Dataset ON Dataset.DatasetID = Hot.DatasetID JOIN Region ON Region.RegionID = Hot.regionid
WHERE DatasetName = 'Max Temp' AND RegionName = 'UK'
AND `year` >= 2000

Using dbeaver, exporting a csv for a spreadsheet to open is only a couple of clicks away. dbeaver also exports html and I’ve put the output of that query here.

Mid posting, I decided to write a stored procedure so I'd now just need:
CALL selectdata("UK", "Max Temp", 2000, 2023)