DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 30 Oct 23 - 04:07 PM

First forecast of flurries today, but so far only rain. It's chilly and raw, and the trees have dropped more than half their leaves. After so much unseasonably warm weather, it's a bit of a surprise but oddly reassuring to be putting on a warmth layer under the waterproofs.

No more decluttering here at the moment except for another outward bound bag of clothing that I will never wear again. I'm considering the purchase of blinds for the music room and adapting the heavy curtains that I bought for it when it was a bedroom so they can hang from a sturdy wooden or metal rod, leaving the top of the centre windows -- a big ornamental transom -- uncovered. I suspect that project will cost a whack, but then so did the curtains. That room also still needs painting; it's the one with the puce-and-aubergine colour scheme.

A friend came over for supper last night. Watson the cat put on a tremendous display of lap-lolling and shoulder-climbing between courses, purring loudly and generally making the occasion all about *him*. My friend (a dog person) was impressed by this behaviour, unaware that most of it was designed to persuade me to undertake our usual evening routine in the comfy chair in front of the telly. Cats are so normative.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 01:23 PM

Today is the official last day of my PO box rental; this post office building was constructed in 2000 and I was probably one of the earliest customers. I'll miss having to run over every so often and pry contents out of the next-to-smallest box - NOT. When the annual rent increased to $248I began the already described transition to the mail at home in a locking box. The PO address mail will now forward for 18 months (I paid for an extra 6 months just for the heck of it.) I'll think of a suitable ceremony. Maybe I'll apply the sticky numbers that came with it to the box, but it is mounted under the house numbers in view on the porch.

The heat is officially on in the house. This morning was just too chilly to sit in my office when it showed 62^o in here. I'm puttering around, swapping sandals for slippers, setting out a few lap quilts, and turning off switches for dusk-to-dawn lights that would possibly invite trick-or-treaters to the house.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 05:19 PM

Dupont:

Arrived home about 3:30 am this morning, having learned a hard lesson: Decide ahead of time and make arrangements where/when you are sleeping. Tired after the concert and a long day exploring very rural Ontario, the phone was no help at all and we wandered for about two hours until I found an energy reserve, about 2:15 and said, "OK, it is only an hour home; I can do that." I did. R slept. We happily crawled into bed. There were still two items on the to-do list -- some other time!

If we had driven straight home after the concert, we could have been home by 1 am! These things happen when one/two is/are way over tired! If is had not been so cold, we could have slept in the car.

We woke up to a couple inches of snow on Monday! BUT the road was clear!!! Mostly R did a whole bunch of getting ready for winter tasks before we left AND we loaded some of our good dry firewood into the car - since R has not yet gotten any for Dupont. We backed up to the woodshed,onto the snow covered yard - almost level but not quite! Then - Hey - this car is front wheel drive! (I was thinking of that.) That load on the rear took some pushing, maneuvering, and gravel - some of what washed into the yard in the spring run off! BUT ---WE did it!!

Well, the 30th of October will be remembered! Not least for the concert by a friend of over 40 years - but not seen in almost 40 years. We had a good chat, partly about his lifelong "bestie" whom we had seen on Saturday night - on a better organized trip! We drove from Dupont to the fascinating venue via more rural explorations. The site, near Picton is a very retired - in places falling down - air force base. Efforts are being made to turn it into a cultural centre; the concert venue was very beautifully restored - "Sergeant's Mess".

My recovery from the event of 14 Sept is complete - with very good info from a knowledgeable sound person: "Yes P.A. systems can be set in such a way as to be difficult to understand. There are settings of frequencies that can be altered to make comprehension easier, but if not set correctly, can make voices sound off." I do wonder if anyone else had a problem with that day.(And if some fool told them they had a haring loss!) R found the sound systems in the Sergeant's Mess a bit "muddy". But the combo of lyrics and instrument make it virtually impossible for me, tho I enjoy the instruments - generally... depending...!!

Tomorrow snow tires and general maintenance!

The phone has been close to an ordeal and is not completely set up. But I am hanging in - hoping for the "listen live" feature to be helpful. The vibration is stronger and the ring and other notification sounds are a definite improvement. Still lots to figure out.

Supper tonight... Still a figment of my imagination!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Thompson
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 06:45 PM

Charmion, a good way of shifting a recurring sinus infection that isn't bad enough for antibiotics is NeilMed (not sure about the studylycaps, maybe it's Neilmed). This is a squashy plastic bottle and a collection of sachets of saline powder. You fill the bottle with warm water up to the mark indicated, pour in a sachet of saline powder and give it a shake with your thumb over the hole in the top, then you squirt the warm water into each nostril alternately. It just washes out the sinuses and the saline shrinks back the mucous membranes.
Very relieving, and better than most of the spray bottles because it's warm, and because there's more of it. You have to keep doing it every day - part of the morning routine preferably, because if you do it at night, the remaining liquid drools out onto the pillow. If you do it for long enough - nearly a month, usually - the sinus demon says "Curses, this is too rainy for me" and gets out. It's a big help at hayfever time.
Another help at hayfever time is to find the most local honey you can get, and take a teaspoon of it every day. Local is best, they say, because the local bees will have fed on the weeds whose pollen your sinus demon loves, and by some magic of transference, eating the honey nourished on these weeds helps to quieten down the allergies.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 07:20 PM

The pot Thompson describes is a product from a company that also produces the Neti pots. This is the one I use. I usually do use tap water, but I see from WebMD that I should be using the water that was already boiled and cooled from my electric kettle. Warm in the microwave if it needs it. They're easy to wash, and easy to use once you are accustomed to it. I use about 1 teaspoon of a mix of Pickling salt (no additives) and baking soda. A bit more salt to soda in that mix, maybe 60/40%.

This is a post for reflecting on the controlled movement of water. I also finally emptied the rain barrel (it has two holes in the top, nowhere else) by taking a 10' hose, pushing it all the way to the bottom, then a bucket of water and a pitcher to pour water into the other end held high enough to build up good suction when it was laid down on the lawn. The siphon got down to the last couple of inches in a 55 gallon barrel. For tonight it is lying on its side in an inconspicuous area and tomorrow I'll put it in the backyard. It's close enough to twilight that parents with tiny trick or treaters will be hitting the street on this mild clear evening. I don't want to be out front in view, having to decline offering treats. That said, I've always liked this particular cartoon, being another Margaret. :)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 08:59 PM

I'm very prone to sinus attacks, always on the right side. It's been my misfortune for the last three years to have suffered from frequent bouts of cellulitis, so I've been on big doses of antibiotics a lot (I'm now on a prophylactic low dose of Penicillin V for a whole year!). I can tell you that the antibiotics do not stave off, nor cure, sinus attacks. I suppose that means that they're caused by viruses.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 10:59 PM

Different antibiotics are used for various treatments so your low dose for cellulitis isn't what would be used if a sinus infection took hold. Infections aren't caused by viruses, they are bacterial, or are a bacterial side effect of a virus. What treats bronchitis probably isn't what will treat cellulitis.

I fought off sinus infection and bronchitis for a week or more after the recent head cold by using guaifenesin and the neti pot to keep the congestion from building up too much and causing an infection.

After the work to put the floating row cover over my plants I don't think it actually froze last night. It did the night before, enough to knock out really tender stuff, so what I covered were the larger plants (eggplant, pepper, tomato) that I want to harvest later this fall. The hit or miss effect of the almost-freeze two nights ago is kind of interesting, what got hit and what didn't.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Thompson
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 01:49 AM

Ah, rain barrels: why has no one invented a hose connector that can be used by the standard water butt tap? Or why don't the butts have a tap that will fit the standare hose connector?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 05:09 AM

this afternoon friends collected 2 large unwanted craft collections.

I used to make mohair bears (a collection already downsized, but not yet moved out!) & naturally had more mohair than anyone who is not a professional bear maker could ever use. I also used to make beaded earrings & necklaces & had a similar sized collection of beads & fittings etc, both collections have gone! Most of the mohair was in a gi-normous zipped plastic bag that had contained a large quilt/doona, the rest in a large gift box, half that size. Half the beading stuff was in a small shopping trolley, the other in a large reusable bag from my local supermarket, I didn't realise they came from Bulgaria!.

well done me (pats self on shoulder) & well done to my friends.

sandra

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 10:57 AM

Those beads and findings will be the last to go, but they haven't had much use for a while. Good move with the bear materials!

The barrels I have here came from a friend's house; he worked at a place that did general magnaplate work on restoring industrial equipment (redoing finishes and sending back - I went on a tour, and the most interesting was a huge chrome-plated disk that was a proprietary tool for extruding Cherrios cereal. No photos and non-disclosure form signed.) The barrels had the non-dangerous materials like baking soda and other everyday products in huge volume. Black barrels and blue barrels (a little different, but also plastic with bung holes only on the top).

One barrel in the greenhouse has an old fashioned Lever pump handle, and I use a battery operated pump on the one that was just emptied. And I have two that are squared on the sides that lie on top of cinder blocks and are stacked and I use those to water my outdoor potting table where I start seeds. I envision my daughter catching on to the usefulness of these and getting a couple. I had more, and gave them to a friend who lives out in the West Texas desert.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 11:19 PM

I spent ~3 hours this evening at my daughter's almost ex-house, helping with some of the nitty gritty cleaning before they are completely moved out. Two of the four bathrooms in the house are now in shiny clean shape, and I tackled some of the grime in the kitchen (the area where the fridge stood took several passes with various cleaners, and the stove and microwave had built up splatters that are gone). They've been in the house for almost seven years, so the landlord should be painting and putting in new toilet seats and replacing or refreshing the carpets.

I brought back a small desk that I'll put on the Buy Nothing page for my part of town; one less thing they need to move. Their Ikea bookshelves were too large for any to slide into the SUV.

There is an account of my trip to the Nissan dealer on my Facebook page; I went in for an oil change and tire rotation and they were making a concerted effort to convince me to sell my used vehicle to them. After the planned on work and the free inspection stuff I got a text with the quote on various things that need doing (thousands of dollars) - this is based upon mileage and not based on actual problems. As I was scrolling through that list and declining all of the expensive stuff, the phone rang and it was the sales department at Nissan offering a lowball price for my SUV (because they now know it's in good shape) and I should buy a new vehicle. Except out of curiosity I ran a query through Edmunds Car Guide a few weeks ago and a local Auto Nation dealer offered $8000 more. I wouldn't use it as a trade-in for their terrible offer.

I told this sales woman that I thought their approach stunk and take me off the list for soliciting purchasing my vehicle. But round two was paying the bill for the oil change - when the Service department representative started to go through a litany of things I need to do regarding the current status (based upon what I had already declined). So many places do this - you can't just pay and go, you have to fight off the sales folks. After the first couple of visual aids (the tools to measure brake health and tire tread depth) I told her to let me pay and give me the printout and stop the sales pitch. My statement to end the BS: "I have to pee and I have somewhere else to be." I'm really tired of businesses that think they see you coming, and you'll roll over and let them have their way. I'm looking for a mechanic to do some of this work as needed, not the dealer.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Nov 23 - 05:14 PM

Insult added to injury - I headed out to my morning volunteer gardening gig and was a few blocks from the house, ready to head onto the freeway, when I saw the low tire pressure warning. I circled back to the house and used the little battery compressor to fill them. The Nissan folks neglected to check and properly inflate my tires, and the cold weather often is when it shows up as low pressure. I am so disappointed with that whole experience.

Three hours planting a seasonal bed at the Botanic Garden was a good start to the day, followed by two hours of scanning at the museum. When I'm scanning I'm way past where visitors are allowed, but the Botanic Garden episode was an opportunity to observe the visitors. Kids all noticed the three of us planting, and their teachers paused to ask questions. But there was a lot of older adult foot traffic, and aside from one "thank you for everything you do" (so common it is meaningless, but it works as a "hello") most strolled past and didn't try to make eye contact. I wasn't out there to talk to them, but I tend to look up as they pass, and an occasional "good morning!" is always a nice acknowledgement of the work. As a visitor I always look to see if the landscapers, maintenance people, etc., are making eye contact and offer a greeting.

Just now Nissan made the mistake of texting and asking me to answer a survey about yesterday's visit. I told them I was disappointed at the stunts they pulled.

The busy part of my week is over, now to do some puttering around the house until next Tuesday's volunteering. I will probably head over to a party at friends' in Arlington tomorrow evening because it will be several hours after the Texas Ranger's World Series celebration parade a few miles away. Driving there earlier in the day will be gridlock.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 03 Nov 23 - 11:08 PM

I spent possibly the last shirtsleeves day of the year raking and bagging leaves, and cutting back perennials. Except the rose bush, which decided to start blooming again just before Thanksgiving. Gorgeous day, but by late afternoon the wind was accelerating and the sky had gone grey. The next week is supposed to be wet and chilly.

Stilly, you’ve reminded me that it’s time to have the wheels changed on the car. I’ve been remembering and forgetting to do that for at least a month now, but it’s time — we had our first sprinkle of snow on Wednesday.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Nov 23 - 10:37 AM

Good on you Maggie. Jiffy Oil Change has the same BS rigamarole.
I'm back from the market and now I will mulch mow the rest of the leaves and do other yard projects today. I don't use any barrels anymore since it drowned a chipmunk.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Nov 23 - 11:02 AM

Yes, Don, I'm remembering now - a couple of commercial oil change places would come in with some other suggested repair or update. I rarely bit, except if it seemed incredibly practical. This reminds me I need to top off the coolant and change the air filter.

It must be fall now, I'm feeling the full impulse needed to do the furniture and equipment moving in the office - the willingness to take the art off of the walls and move things that require dismantling and reassembly. Laundry is in and I've been decanting various containers in the kitchen. I'm ready to till and plant garlic (taking some of the really old kraft bags out of the pantry clears a fair amount of space.) The work at the Botanic Garden was part of the inspiration; they pulled out a little tiller just like mine to work the bed before we planted a seasonal garden. Something I've been doing more in the last year.

It's too early here for leaves down, and the lawn is still growing. I did some digging in the sweet potato pots, there was one very large potato between the two pots. Next I'll dig around in the garden and see if anything from last summer is harvestable. I've pulled out the bonsai okra and some of the peppers that were hit by frost. If this year represents a new norm then I have to be prepared to plant really early, harvest what I can by early July, then write off the garden until September. I started too late to get a fall crop on some things, others are still producing.

I'm watching the mail to see if things are forwarded as requested. So far nothing has arrived with the conspicuous yellow forwarding tag, and I haven't seen anything in my Informed Delivery messages to show me redirected mail coming to the house. It's my one small rebellion this year, taking an expensive annual bill off of the balance sheet. Now to see if it worked as planned.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Nov 23 - 06:57 PM

A trip to the discount grocery has us loaded up with produce for now (for me and the dogs) and produce that keeps for later (onions, potatoes, carrots, beets). Some to cut up and freeze (bell peppers). And they have skinless boneless chicken thighs in stock again at half-price. I love those for making teriyaki chicken.

Zeke proved to be consistent in refusing calabash squash; he didn't want it raw last week, so I steamed some this morning but after giving him a bite after one chew he spit it out. Broccoli for him while the girls finish off the rest of the squash.

Cleaning this evening.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Nov 23 - 02:02 PM

The COVID resurgence for vintage sewing machines has passed; since new machines were unavailable in the volume needed to supply everyone who wanted to make PPE, the vintage machines saw a resurgence. But I've been looking at replacing one of my older machines with a newly manufactured one and see that the used market has subsided. I need to move out a couple of the older ones before I consider bringing in a new one. I didn't pay much for them but I won't make anything selling them (especially as heavy as they are - the shipping is the killer on these transactions). They will be sold for parts or repair.

I also need to identify projects I've planned to do that haven't been done and either get them going or clear out the stuff I'm not using. I was looking for sewing machines on estate sale listings this week and what I see are people with way too much stuff that their families have to sort later.

Beautiful weather this week. I've done some work on the yard and need to cross a few more outdoor projects off the list before it's cold again.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 05 Nov 23 - 07:40 PM

Dupont:

I seem to be in a holding pattern this week: Recovery from weekend, groceries, minimal cooking, final outdoor bit and pieces -almost! Trip for more pastries on Friday, then about five hours in resto with Geri, chatting and trying out the "live listen" feature; it wrote out what we were each saying but some of the words were way off!

I tried out Face Time with #1 son who them shouted at me about my "hearing loss" and frequencies and on and on. Most unpleasant encounter I recall having with him. He is adamant that I need a hearing aid. Geri is also - I found out Fri! But this was the first time I found her voice dim. R listens to me without much feedback.

Hearing vs comprehending - very different. I detest loud noise so do not want anything louder. Still looking at APD and its effects and not yet sure about anything. Not wanting to spend more money on sound altering equipment! Frequencies and the fact that a sound system may be altered ... and if people do not speak directly into the mike... These all make a difference. Most of the time I have no problem hearing at all. A conundrum and the jury is still out - regardless of being browbeaten by my son. I thought he would be delighted that I Face Timed him.

Anyway, the dishes are up to date and there is cooked food in the frig and R might be home tonight --- or not. I have a small struggling fire in the wood stove - the wood we brought is not really dry enough. I need to bring in some kindling from the brush pile. Manana.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Nov 23 - 08:41 AM

I had my sixth anti-COVID shot yesterday at the drug store, and I have to say that hypodermic injection technique has really improved around here over the last few years. The pharmacist who did the honours sneaked that needle into and out of my skin with such skill that I felt only the faint sting of the serum as it elbowed its way into the muscle tissue.

Practice makes perfect, I guess.

All Souls’ Day is 2 November, and St James’s had its annual memorial service last night. The congregation was unusually focussed, and for the first time I saw a bunch of Anglicans enter into that special Zen state that develops from fully united, and invested, group singing. The hymn was “Abide With Me”. In the throes of the last stanza, I saw why hymn-singing is so critical to Christian worship — they were experiencing genuine uplift.

Meanwhile, I was carrying the alto line and concentrating on not coughing. It’s leaf-mould season.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Nov 23 - 11:26 AM

As an elementary-school-aged kid I managed to ditch the Sunday morning church stuff (when we convinced Mom that we didn't need Sunday school to do arts and crafts). A friend used to complain if I mentioned mowing the lawn on Sunday mornings (the noise) but I figure if people are religious they're in church and won't hear my mower. It works for me to get out into the park and museum world during the week for my contemplative moments.

Yesterday I did a lot of cooking and cleaning in the kitchen, resulting in meals for the week and much less clutter in the fridge. Finally admitting that the jar of pickles or relish or salsa is too old to use and tossing into the compost helps clear out the jars.

This morning was the first conversation with my handyman about replacing the patio cover behind the house. It will probably be a simple framework, with 4x4 posts sunk in concrete all around the patio (the current one stands on the patio and reinforcements for the posts were sunk into the concrete.) Coming up with something custom to fit the house. The current one is crumbling and only marginally safe; I fear a big windstorm taking out one side and collapsing the whole thing.

Moving office furniture today. More dog walking. Digging in the garden to plant garlic, and making a quick pass through the dead crop plants to lop them off and tote them (via wheelbarrow) to the compost.

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

I worked up a sweat weeding and then planting garlic (to be harvested next May), and I took out the dead big stuff in the garden (tomatoes and peppers). And damned if the code enforcement guy didn't put another caution tag on my door saying to mow the grass. What is it with this guy, that he figures he'll beat me to the yard work I have planned? But the grass isn't too tall, so perhaps he has confused the weeds in the garden with tall grass in the lawn. I need to speak to him face-to-face one of these days. Figure out what the heck he thinks he's doing. This yard is never going to conform to the standard monoculture turf and tidy edge gardens. How dull.

Dinner was wonderful this evening, a piece of tilapia (floured and sauteed in butter) with two sides, one of a plate of the babaghanouj I made yesterday and pita, and a bowl of the chicken stew I also made yesterday. The stew was the little bit that didn't fit into the large container for the rest.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Nov 23 - 09:53 AM

A craft epiphany this morning - something I daresay neither of my parents encountered (there was no evidence): I have too many things going on at once, with the setup for projects I need to work on for a while. Before I start another one (quilting) I need to wrap up a few other things. When I think back to the archaeological digs one reads about, when a slim metal shard reminds us that women had just a few scarce needles for their thread and sewing, when every trade bead was precious, I know we are well beyond those days. The problem is too much, not too little. Organizing the sewing studio was an excellent start. Now I need to expand the organizing to the rest of the house. As I research the heavy duty sewing machines out there I realize that this is enough of a commitment that I need to use this as a reward for myself for finishing or donating stuff I'm not using any more. And it gives me a lot to look forward to for motivation purposes.

I decluttered stuff in the pantry shelves yesterday as I moved garlic that is too pulpy to cook with into the garden to see if it will grow. Chances are it will, and the transformation from old clove to new bulb will happen in the soil over the winter and spring. And if it doesn't, no big deal. I'll have plenty that was already sprouting (because I didn't harvest all of it in the spring, I left it to grow much larger after another year.)

The next garden task is to use the trimmer to scalp the grass from beds and prepare for planting some winter crops. Some are cold hardy (broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, etc.) if you put the floating row cover over the top in particularly cold weather. And because I have that stuff now I need to keep in mind the placement of crops so covering them is easy.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Nov 23 - 04:40 PM

I have an undecorated 7-foot-tall Christmas tree in the living room, but its a sword fern topped by a Boston fern. Maybe the real Christmas tree will go in the kitchen this year.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Nov 23 - 04:57 PM

I am big on chicken stews. I add a bit of vinegar, lots of Mumbo sauce and a couple of tablespoons of diced pineapple. Instant spicy sweet and sour. Plus egg noodles for the carb addicts.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Nov 23 - 12:33 AM

I finished rearranging the older computer and equipment that I use with it this evening, but am not satisfied with the setup. Plus the printers are lumps on relatively short cables and on a stand that is in the way. But that stand can be lowered by about 5" so I'll move the printers and lower the stand tomorrow. (I picked it up at the curb a dozen years ago, it has been very handy for a freebee). Too bad the fitness tracker doesn't register the extent of this kind of movement, I feel like I just spent three hours in the gym. A lot of dust was removed and the floor in the corner was mopped.

A large tree dropped into the creek two lots downstream from mine, and the city folks are going to try to get it out before rain starts later this week to avoid flooding (it could wash up against the bridge and form a dam). The next door neighbor spoke to the city folks, they say the city owns the creek so tend to trees that fall in it. If that one hadn't just fallen in I wouldn't be as worried about my tree ready to fall in.

I finished trimming the tall grass in the gardens where I had tomatoes, peppers, squash and eggplant. Now just the eggplant stands on that side of the driveway. Between that and the computer I got a great upper body workout today.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 08 Nov 23 - 12:00 PM

Yesterday, it took about 8 gremlins to get me through: two women at the local library helped me print my ballot (to vote on-line in the state of Washington); one stayed on after the end of her shift to meet the goal! Then - my new phone not working at all like the old one - a call to a nice woman in Louisiana (Apple Help - I should have it on speed dial!) enabled me to get pics of said ballot onto an email. Soon, a new email informed that ballot had been received!! YAY! I voted!!
After lunch -at 4PM - I set out to go to a tribute to Leonard Cohen: Totally lost in Montreal, I stopped at a mall where two young fellows managed to pull up a map on that darn phone. This helped me head in a more correct direction but the map disappeared and I was closer but still lost.
I pulled into a side street, stopped the car and got out, intending to go to a shop for help...BUT a young man wearing a motorcycle helmet offered help: looked at his phone, told me to wait while he fetched his cycle, came back and led me to my destination!!!!! "There it is, right across the street. park here! You're welcome!" And he was gone.
It was a great eve! A great day! (It took 34 minutes to get home! I was lost for about 2 hours due to failing to write down explicit directions at home.) All we need are gremlins! Lots of them!!

So, I need more help with this Iphone which is currently more of a hazard than a help. Other than that, preparing -mentally- to deal with snow tomorrow. Hoping my energy level this afternoon will allow trip to produce store. And damp mop the floors (no carpets). The sewing room and pottery (here) are closed indefinitely - until I feel the right spurt of energy.

The woman I sat next to last night told me she loves her hearing aids, "get them, you'll love them!" I suspect they were a new part of her life. She gave me the name and location of her provider; in the same building as the CNIB- so opthamology (sp?) as well, a recently evolving concern. There was very little down time so I never found out why she was so enthusiastic. "Get them; You'll love them!" R commented -to me only - that he doubted that. Also wonder why he said that. She gave me the name of her brother who lives here in Chateauguay. But not her own! I will check out her bro, a reporter for the local paper.

At the end of the evening as the device came along to accept our payments, she passed it to the man across from her, commenting on how handy husbands are! At about the same time I was offering my card to R! (R paid.) Last weekend, I paid the tickets, he the meals; about even. I was surprised by her remark.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 08 Nov 23 - 03:24 PM

It’s sleeting in Stratford — winter’s first blast. Nasty.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Nov 23 - 05:24 PM

I fought off shards of sunshine this morning at the Botanic Garden where I spent three hours repotting trees into larger deeper containers. Also (alas) fought off bits of grit in my eyes (one at a time, but one each) from the fine compost/mulch we were using. After that I shifted tasks and used a shovel to shift soil instead of getting close with a scoop. I retrieved eyedrops from the SUV for relief, and made a note to myself: in addition to gloves and a bottle of water I'll add safety glasses to my growing BG volunteer kit. This afternoon I'm feeling the exercise in my arms and shoulders.

In daylight I can see the shifts needed to make the office flow better. I previously used a 3-shelf folding bookcase sitting on the desk next to the wall to stack equipment that is attached to the computer (scanners and VHS players for converting old videos). Taking it up instead of spreading it out. I tried to add another (missing it's lower shelf) but that is too much. Instead, the one without the lower shelf is best for the job and the first one will now sit in front of the window and should be the answer to keeping the smallest dog away from the windowsill if I open the blinds occasionally. I don't want them in here scratching the sill and barking, but I do like to let in the light sometimes. I couldn't keep cats out of any window now matter how much I tried, but I can block the dogs.

The next 2 1/2 weeks have lots and lots of cat sitting runs. I'll be going to the gym again, including checking out a new gym that opened nearby - I like the one I go to and when I'm in that part of town will still head over. It seems that Silver Sneakers will let me join more than one gym, so I'm going to give the new one a try. My goal is not to have a lot of classes or personal trainers, but for no fuss to use the equipment I prefer when I want to use it. I like access to a pool but I think the pool at the nearby place is quite small, so probably stick to my regular gym for that.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 08 Nov 23 - 10:43 PM

Thunder and lightning now. A Perth County Particular with ice rain. So glad I’m tucked up under two cats.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Nov 23 - 10:36 AM

We now have the rain but without the cold of Perth County. The Tarrant County version has very slick roads (road grime) after a couple of dry weeks.

It took elbow grease and WD-40 to shorten the legs on that metal stand, considering it was only eight screws, but it is short enough now that I can tuck the printers (one on the shelf and one on top) under the most active computer desk. And by rearranging the equipment for the older computer I can now work on that desktop and open either of the files under it, if needed. (I'd forgotten that the legal file has a locking upper drawer. I suppose I should empty it enough so if I have something to lock away there is free space.)

The last step was putting art back on the walls, now accomplished, and I'm looking at the empty portable shelves in front of the window. I may move the contents of a small end table onto the top shelf and move the end table out of here. It ends up an even swap - the new book shelf for this piece, and the result is better use of floor space AND access to the window sans a dog problem.

Also a note, when I turned the files and plywood desktop 90^o to the original position I brought in the level and needed to shim the side closest to the front wall. There is one 5-gallon paint stick on the file cabinet under the plywood to level the desktop. The space isn't equally lopsided, it took five 1-gallon paint sticks under the tall bookcase on the other side of the room (again by the front wall) to level it. Thank dawg for Home Depot and Lowe's free paint stir sticks!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 09 Nov 23 - 04:41 PM

The paint stick is my favourite bookcase shim, Stilly. My library/music room contains seven bookcases, all but one shimmed with a paint stick (the four-litre length) in the middle of the front bottom edge. I'm not sure it's possible to keep house without a basket of shims and a bouquet of paint sticks.

I can't imagine housing and maintaining so much legacy computer hardware, but then I'm not only a neat freak but also allergic to extra anything except, perhaps, Wedgwood bone china. Instead of several printers, I have a plethora of coffee cups and no fewer than six teapots.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Nov 23 - 04:53 PM

The older workhorse quad core stopped communicating with the Internet but had a whole bunch of really good free-standing expensive software. Worth more than the computer itself at that point, so I replaced the computer instead of reinstalling Windows and destroying all of the software (I had no disks for it, it came from work when we could have personal copies at home also.) It works well for things that also don't need an Internet connection, like scanning. I have a transfer cable to move contents from that to the new computer.

For years there was just one printer, the black toner laser jet, but with the addition of a high-rez photo scanner, the ink jet photo-quality printer came along. There is logic to the accumulation! (There is also a 10-year-old small WiFi laptop in the kitchen that is the emergency backup computer.)

I may also move an extra computer chair out of the office, though where it will live I'm not sure. There are times when someone joins me in there so it won't go away completely.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Nov 23 - 02:45 PM

I assembled an unranked list of sewing machines that do the things I need for regular sewing and additional features for some quilting activity, with links to each company and prices (some are on Amazon at deep discounts - making me wonder why there is such a difference and if there is any support if you buy off of the Big A.) A friend who has quilted for years recommended a couple of them and others I stumbled upon via reviews. Some were left off the list as way too expensive and fancy. I don't need a machine so complex that it's difficult to simply sit down and sew after going through basic tutorials. She's going to look at my list and offer suggestions as to why some features are better than others. After using an 80-year-old straight stitch machine for years any of these features are going to be magical, so the super-high end stuff of the eye-wateringly-priced machines will never be missed.

I've also found a place that I would trust as far as getting work done on the old rotary machine. I've done a lot of basic stuff, but even with manuals can only go so far when replacement parts haven't been fabricated for 50 years or more.

This weekend should be good for work on the fence, giving the area a little time to dry after yesterday's rain. We are finally in fall temperatures in the mid-60s and low-70s for the next 10 days. With the cooler weather I've gotten out a couple of the cushy dog beds and given Cookie a strict scold about not shredding them. I doubt she'll cooperate, I'll have to figure ways to cover them to keep them intact. Trouble is, you go for a week or two and think you're home free, then she goes on a tear and eviscerates and scatters bed stuffing around the den.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Nov 23 - 11:07 PM

One dog bed already back in the front room out of circulation after Cookie tore out stuffing twice. Damn predictable dog. Perhaps I'll find a cover to protect the fuzzy material the bed is made of and try again.

My quilting friend offered helpful insight and my list is now shorter. I'll check in at the sewing machine business next week and see what they have that I can touch and test.

The front lawn got mowed this afternoon and I'll do the back tomorrow. Usually by now the weather is so cool that the turf is dormant, but not this year.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Nov 23 - 10:03 AM

This morning saw the removal of the summer programmable watering system (for up to four hoses) off of the back yard spigot and replaced with a simple splitter for running one or the other or both. The final shift before a heavy freeze is to remove that and put a styrofoam faucet cover and some other insulating stuff over the spigot (that is probably weeks away). And before heading out I took the new can of WD-40 with its much more convenient spray setup (I guarded and used that little red tube on the old can forever; I should have ditched it ages ago!) and got the rollers under the back sliding glass door loosened up and flowing. A friend commented last week that all I needed to do for a full-body workout was open and close that door a couple of times a day.

Yesterday the old heavy White Series 77 rotary sewing machine went into the shop for a tune up and two small repairs. And I spent a couple of hours comparing the new machines. I'm not ready to buy one yet, I have things to do here to be ready for that big change (because once that device is in the house I'll ignore everything else!) Machines have come a long way in the last 82 years. I have an even older White in a table that has a knee operation instead of foot; later I'll take it in for rewiring and a new foot and then list it on eBay. I think I can adapt the table to fit the machine I'm keeping.

I've decided it is time to remove the mess in the front corner of the house that was at one time intended to be an asparagus bed. The weedy Carolina snailseed vines have overrun it and I haven't been able to harvest any of the asparagus in a couple of years. It's a green tangle that needs to be completely dug up. Doing it this time of year means any asparagus roots I find I might be able to transplant for use next year. To someplace less compromised by the intense native vine. This job will require the spade fork and full-size mattock (and the wheelbarrow to catch all of the vines and roots).

Family have been slow to offer up their dates for our movable feast known as Thanksgiving. The long weekend has four days, we don't need to do it on Thursday, but I do need to load up on some of the basics. Must gently prod again today for an answer.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Nov 23 - 07:06 PM

There was a lot more asparagus in that bed than I thought (covered over with vines and grass), but it is all dug up and awaiting transplant to someplace easier to tend; I have a couple of spots in mind. I put some crinum lilies in the old spot; they're easier to weed than huge asparagus ferns are. They've been in a bucket all summer awaiting a time when I could get out and work and plant them without overheating. I have some light pink crinum lilies in a different bed, these are a more orange color, if I recall correctly the description from the friend who gave them to me.

The fridge is cleaned out, all shelves and drawers washed. (I didn't organize the freezer side.) I emptied a half-dozen or more old jars of pickles and preserves and tossed a bunch in the compost. And I picked up a 13.5 pound frozen turkey with no additional brine injected. I was going to do breasts, but when I was in a grocery store today I stumbled upon these and it will work. Now to load up on the root vegetables and other ingredients that go in a Thanksgiving dinner. This year I'll make more breads and veggies, less meat.

Tomorrow I have a tour at the museum where I volunteer, and maybe after a trip to the gym. With the gardening I get good exercise, primarily upper-body, so the gym offers a chance to keep the knees limber.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: keberoxu
Date: 18 Nov 23 - 04:44 PM

We're back!
THis thread didn't like it when I clicked on the number of posts,
but it responded the right way
when I clicked on the "d" next to the number of posts.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Nov 23 - 08:10 PM

Sometimes I think the way those links fail has to do with how the backup populates the server it's running on when it starts up. But Mudcat is limping right now, we do need to help Max do something about it.

In the days we've been offline I decided which sewing machine I want and I'll go buy it before Thanksgiving. I'm using this weekend to finish some things I need to do before I have the full distraction of that machine in the house.

I've finished the food shopping for the holiday meal (we'll probably cook it on Sunday instead of Thursday due to family schedules) and the back lawn was mowed today. My nextdoor neighbors usually have family over and are in their yard and mine won't be a distraction of tall grass next to their well-trimmed area. I have to go with the bucket and scoop to remove walking hazards if anyone wants to go outside while they're here.

Yesterday I started dusting in my bedroom and then the den, and I'll work my way through the house tomorrow so that is all finished. The next job is to wash dog beds and small rugs before sweeping and mopping. I'm putting things away and tossing stuff into the recycle bin. By the time cooking begins I hope to stage it better, not all cooked on the one day. The meal itself will be less meat and more other stuff this year, since there will be two vegetarians (out of the probably five or six of us here).

How are our lurkers doing? Jon? Jennie? Sandra? Patty?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Nov 23 - 10:49 AM

Feeling virtuous this morning after finishing cleaning the fridge door. Last week I did the shelves, but this morning realized the molded plastic shelves on the door (with raised front edges) were a disarray and needing a scrub, so they're done now. Years-old items tossed, and I put all of the bottled sauces on one shelf, etc. Also shifted two up into slightly better positions. I may yet tackle the freezer just to say that job is completed.

A small table will be offered on the Buy Nothing page today and I'm continuing to clean. First up this morning comes washing the throws that are draped over the couch. They're very dusty.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Nov 23 - 09:40 PM

Plugging along this week, not making as much progress as I'd like, but I'm still moving forward. I picked up the new sewing machine today but it's not likely to be opened until tomorrow or the next day.

The SUV key fob has been AWOL a couple of times this week, giving a misaligned signal (not starting the car until I get out and get back in) and not always unlocking the car. I have a sleeve of inexpensive button style batteries that seem to be underperforming (the fob wasn't responding when I changed to one of these batteries) so I put the old battery back in with enough juice to get to Lowe's and buy some name brand batteries. The cheap ones have their use, but this isn't one of them.

Planning for the holiday meal and I'm going to set up a couple of crock pots around the kitchen so I don't have to juggle so much on the stovetop. Is anyone else doing a Thanksgiving meal this week?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 28 Aug 23 - 04:15 PM

I turned off the bedroom fan last night, but that’s as close as I’ve come to changing seasonal gear.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 29 Aug 23 - 09:53 AM

My volunteer job as choir librarian is perilously close to full-time this week, with preparations for the onset of the singing season. Just for shits and giggles, we are also auditioning pianists for the job of choir accompanist, so I have to prepare repertoire packages for them. Because of various human frailties, the new music for this season was not ordered until only a couple of weeks ago, so I'll be numbering and sorting copies right up to H-Hour. I am not best pleased, but things could be worse and I decline to get wound around my axle. Yet.

Today I will visit the library's basement quarters to get two file boxes full of "Messiah" scores and 80 copies of "Now Is the Month of Maying" by Thomas Morley. That'll be a bit of an upper-body workout plus plenty of stairs. Tomorrow, one of my Board colleagues will drive all the way from London to bring me three more batches of new music, 80 copies each. A fourth batch proved to have a printing error and will be delivered late -- sometime next week. First rehearsal is 11 September.

Stratford is enjoying a classic late-summer week of golden sunshine without steamy heat. The humidity is still way high -- the basement doors are too swollen to shut properly -- but night-time low temperatures are now dropping below 10 degrees Celsius, so the end is in sight. The downtown streets are still full of tourists and theatre-goers -- God forbid that a townie should wish to dine out on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday -- but we're all grateful for the money they spew around town. The theatre festival and the restaurants are why Stratford has nice things.

On Monday, I will be sixty-nine years old. It will be Labour Day, a statutory holiday, so most of the shops will be shut. Monday is also the day when the theatres are dark, so the restaurants also take their day off. Consequently, whatever celebrating gets done will take place on Saturday, when my theatre buddy Alden proposed we go out for dinner. Our reservations are depressingly early, as the rest of the diners will have tickets for something with an eight-o'clock curtain, but that's life in a tourist town in the season.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 30 Aug 23 - 07:30 AM

Stilly, there are two reasons why choirs still use music printed on paper.

The first is copyright — PDFs circulate and reproduce faster than bunny-rabbits, and the copyright owner doesn’t get paid. Ever.

The second is singers’ notes — the conductor wants the crescendo to begin precisely here and the ritardando to end precisely there, and he doesn’t like the forte marked for that passage so please change that to mezzo-forte. And don’t you dare breathe before bar 78. Tablet technology has yet to evolve to that level of subtlety, but every chorister has a pencil (never a pen!) tucked behind an ear.

The musicians who use tablets are soloists, like your piano guy, or people who don’t require a tight ensemble to make their performance work. Without a very tight ensemble, a 70-voice choir is a braying mob.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 30 Aug 23 - 05:02 PM

I bet the players in Keb's string quartet use paper scores for rehearsal, marking them up liberally, and then scan the marked-up scores and transfer the PDFs to tablets for the performance so they can turn their pages with a tap of their toes.

If I could eliminate the sound of flapping pages from our concerts, I'd do it.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 30 Aug 23 - 05:04 PM

Another thing: my iPad cost more than a thousand bucks (Canadian, admittedly) several years ago. Ain"t no way a concert choir that does classical music can afford to outfit all its singers with tablets, even devices that aren't iPads.

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

Three runs a day to feed cats? That's a needy cat-household! I hope your compensation covers fuel, at least, if not time. And I'll bet you're washing dishes as well as clearing the litter-box.

I don't expect my cat-visitor to come more than once a day.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Sep 23 - 10:44 AM

My aunt in the Townships was married to a very interesting man (my Uncle Tom) who insisted on repairing expensive machinery himself, despite the mediocre-at-best results. He firmly believed that, if the device would run at all, it was okay.

Including the family car, after a roll-over on black ice that stove in the roof and bent the frame, among other bad things. Tom managed to get the vehicle back on the road, but declined to spend any money on it. The non-functioning windscreen wipers were a major problem as Montreal has winter, and rain all year round, but that did not move Tom to consult a garage. Finally, Aunt Pat took to driving slowly past police stations and patrol cars in the hope that a cop would look twice, react appropriately, and order the poor old crate off the road.

I don't know if her plan worked, but eventually (i.e., not nearly soon enough) the rolled car was retired to a scrapyard and a replacement was found. It was just as small and nearly as rickety as its predecessor, but at least its windscreen wipers worked.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Sep 23 - 09:11 AM

I complete my sixty-ninth trip around the sun today, and Environment Canada has a heat warning up for Perth County. Gag me.

It’s a stat holiday, however, so energy prices are as low as they ever get in Ontario. So I guess I’ll do the wash, which takes place in the nice, cool (in fact, rather chilly) basement.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Sep 23 - 09:07 AM

Nothing of particular interest happening here except the last day of the current heat-wave, which no Texan would consider particularly warm but hey, this is Ontario. I have kept to home since church on Sunday in the interest of not melting into the sidewalk.

Consequently, I have had time to do the laundry and actually put it away.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 08 Sep 23 - 02:18 PM

I have a new-to-me library table. It’s teak, and the clever Danes who built it circa 1960 had dining in mind but so what — it will be great for sorting music. The six-foot folding work table has retired to the garage. It can go outside for messy jobs and patio dinners, but only if it’s at ground level — too heavy for me to move downstairs by myself.

The shipment of freshly reprinted sheet music that was supposed to arrive on Wednesday is now two days late. I am highly displeased.