DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 26 Oct 23 - 04:51 PM

I am finally recovering from the sinus affliction that has been bothering me since ragweed season opened in August. It's really quite shocking how a persistent discomfort in the head that renders me dizzy, queasy and tired, can erode my general joie de vivre. For the last week, I have been dizzy and queasy enough that just looking at the computer is miserable and God forbid I should do anything more challenging than washing the dishes.

The up side? Lots of time in the comfy chair, providing lap accommodation for both cats.

Getting to see the doctor on short notice is something of a trial these days. The practice does not advertise it, but it runs a so-called after-hours clinic, essentially sick parade for clients of the practice who should not wait two weeks for an appointment but also should not clutter up the emergency ward at the hospital. Each day, one of the doctors in the practice works that extra shift. Patients with an urgent-ish problem -- defined by me as an illness that requires prescription medication today, not two weeks from now -- must book, of course; God forbid one should just, y'know, walk in with one's miserable hacking cough. The after-hours clinic phone number is not posted anywhere in the office; if the receptionist takes pity on you, she might let it drop when you have been sufficiently reduced to desperate pleading for an appointment. Of course, you must wait until five o'clock to call for a clinic spot ... It's enough to make one slam down the phone in tears of frustration.

Once nose to nose with the doctor, all goes well. She listens carefully, takes notes, asks intelligent questions, briskly proposes an appropriate treatment, and then offers me a buckshee flu shot. The hard part is the obstacle course that always comes first.

It's raining in Stratford this week and looking more and more pre-winter-ish, but it's still oddly warm. We had one touch of frost on Monday, but today's high was 20C -- more like Germany than Ontario.

The hydro power fails here frequently, but rarely for more than a minute or two. I'll find the clock on the stove flashing 00:00 in the morning when I put the kettle on. It happens often enough that I don't bother resetting the clock on the microwave, which works just fine without it. The stove is less cooperative.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 22 Oct 23 - 08:45 PM

Neil-across-the-street gave me some home-made sauerkraut the other day, so supper was that, with a large pork sausage. Urp.

Funny; only a few years ago, I would have eaten two of those sausages without hardly drawing breath, but tonight one was more than enough. The sauerkraut was excellent. I hope Neil includes me in next year’s distribution!

We should finally get our first frost tonight.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 17 Oct 23 - 07:09 PM

Stilly, from the donor's point of view, you're often happy to see them off.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 17 Oct 23 - 09:11 AM

Keep in mind, Charmion, that ships can also challenge one's immune system.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Senoufou
Date: 18 Oct 23 - 03:40 AM

We've just noticed that a nearby village holds a big car-boot sale every single Sunday afternoon on a small field. This seems to me a very good idea. Because it's now well-known, they get lots of customers, and people can dispose of their surplus stuff without having to 'dump' it.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Senoufou
Date: 27 Aug 23 - 02:34 AM

Our village is having an event on 9th September called The Lyng Fling. (Village is called Lyng). It includes several activities including selling your unwanted 'clutter', which interests me. (A bit like a car-boot sale, but on the Village Hall field, with tables provided)
We have some stuff we could sell, including lots of clothes that no longer fit. Husband is fatter now, and I've lost weight. We have a portable clothes rail to display the clothes on, so we could probably sell the lot. Or maybe we could swap our clothes hee hee! I could wear all his sporty football tops and he could wear my capacious flowery summer trousers.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: keberoxu
Date: 14 Oct 23 - 06:32 PM

I gave up on movies in cinema theaters years ago,
largely because of the sound systems and how I couldn't understand anything I heard.

When a film is broadcast on television,
I have no problem understanding dialogue and speech.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 Sep 23 - 11:17 AM

"Meatloaf position"! I love it!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 03:42 PM

All Dorothy's pear tree needs now, is a partridge . . .

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: keberoxu
Date: 30 Aug 23 - 04:10 PM

Just my own observation:
I recently attended a concert including a string quartet,
which means chamber music.
All four players had tablets, not scores,
on their music stands,
and they had those little things you click with one foot
in order to turn the page.
This was a thing I had not before seen in chamber music.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 21 Oct 23 - 11:26 AM

Dupont:

Raining and very gray! Computering and trying to get to something useful - --- Actually a good day for a hot bath and back to bed with a book seems like a good plan. Seriously. The ones taken have used huge amounts of time but also helped the energy and achy body.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 19 Oct 23 - 11:01 PM

Dupont:

Nice to hear that I am in good company! Surprising to find that lots of people only cope with closed captions. Now if I could just get R to realize he needs to "look at me when you talk to me!"

R saw a friend with a $7000 "hearing device" changing settings on it; it can change all sorts of things - may even wash the dishes! I have enough trouble with my non-smart phone! Character in current novel commented that "the sound system was garbled". Amazing the comments we notice when they suddenly have relevance.

I am still processing what I would like to say to "that woman"; seem to have left her card in my jacket that I left at Beaver. I do want to make the effort to explain the difference between "hearing loss" and APD, as well as the extreme un-helpfulness of insisting to someone who is terrifically upset that they have a hearing loss which could lead to Alzheimer's! Reviewing tha manner in which she spoke to me - details - I wonder if I might have written something in the newspaper (in the 90's) which annoyed her; her attitude was more punitive than helpful.

I have been getting out more though mostly just exploratory shopping expeditions: found some nice socks down the road a ways (two towns down) and went into a drug store never visited - even though it is immediately adjacent to oft visited supermarket! Needed eye drops and found a much wanted pair of slippers on sale.

Taking extra MSM/GS to de-clutter pain in shoulders. Definitely works - when I remember! Cannot find the eye drops I bought yesterday but choc helps reduce the sporadic blurring. I'll look again tomorrow.

Also need to re-organize hall closet in hopes of finding N-95 masks; need to wear to go to mill. Woman for kiln cancelled last Sunday as both young sons had flu. Hoping we will meet this Sunday. This is a big de-clutter event!

Organizing the hall closet will also be prep for trip back to Beaver on 28th. The laundry I bring here, and etc.

Appointment to get tires changed on 1 November. Ordered a choc pie from bakery for tomorrow - a nice trip and possible visit.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 14 Oct 23 - 06:20 PM

Dupont:

Turned the corner yesterday: No more shock, no more concern for the "why" now that I realize MIT is working on it. Several sites for info have turned up; need to spend some time reading before my eyes/brain tire each day.

I have had my hearing "tested" 3 times in different places. The "audiologists" are in the business of selling hearing aids and each tells me "slight hearing loss". I hear quite adequately; can hear a whisper with no trouble in a quiet room. This business of not being able to discriminate words with background disturbance, is common. It sells lots of hearing aids and some people tell me it helps - in noisy venues.

I do not want louder. Definitely do not! But not being able to discriminate words on TV/movies or with too much background noise is, I now realize, very common, even amongst people with no recognized brain disorder. Hence, I feel less alone and, while I would like answers, if MIT does not have answers yet, I will wait in hope - for myself and the thousands of others thus afflicted.

I will check with a friend in Bancroft who just might know if anyone else has had this not-understanding-anything problem with sound systems he knows.

I have decided I need more fun in my life so took myself back down to the bakery, where I encountered a wonderful older couple and we had a great conversation on this lovely fall day. I chose to take different routes from the usual and enjoyed an almost hour drive on empty tree lined roads, each way, thinking about other routes, and places I could visit another day.

Tomorrow I have an appointment to pass a kiln along to a new person. I will meet her at the mill and, we, including her husband, will hopefully, load kiln and its furniture into her vehicle. This is a big de-clutter. There are a couple really old kilns there that I need to offer on line - when I can clear enough space to get photos and other info. I will be down to taking anything needing to be fired to Beaver. Not making much so...

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 12 Oct 23 - 05:18 PM

Dupont:

With some help from friends, I am over the shock phase and re-joining life. I felt like getting up this am and cooked BF for R and self then went off to cross the bridge to the city! An email to the grocer from which I have been purchasing a particular choc bar/with almonds, elicited info that they were de-listing it! So I went to the nearest of their shops (no one else carries it) and found 4 bars.

Then went to customer Service to find if there were any more. The candy person came out and told me "no but they would get more tomorrow!" I, then, wandered around this large, well, arranged store to see if there was anything else I wanted - yep! real oat flakes! Bought one each of two brands! Looked for pumpernickel bread but none better than what I order... BUT - over there, on a shelf with non-related foods, were five more of the choc bars! So a few weeks supply came home. I shall keep foraging; Go back. on Friday for more. AND maybe they will keep stocking them!

It was fun exploring a well-stocked - kind of - store. So I went to a dept store (Hudson Bay) and looked at sale clothes. The only thing at a kind of reasonable price, still cost more than the total cost of my attire. (All from thrift shops.) I left without bags. thought: If you buy stuff do you need your own bag? I would, of course, refuse a bag and just roll it up and throw it in the car.

That was enough exploring so I came home for lunch and emails and mudcat and exploring sites re APD and the brain. MIT is doing some interesting work.

A musician friend responded to my concern with one of his own: "the entire process of music and hearing is a scary mystery. when I have my headphones on (to help me cocoon and sleep) and I play guitar (to learn the feel of the instrument and of the vibrations in my chest) I am aware that my pitch awareness is radically diminished. everything sounds higher (or is it lower) than it actually is. certain frequency ranges affected more than others. the brain is a fragile and magnificent thing. get your hearing checked!"

I am not concerned about my hearing; I am concerned about the brain waves - where they go or don't go; how they work or do not work. The work at MIT ... Lots of people have these problems and the neuro-scientists seem to be starting to get a handle on them. I look at how shut out I have felt for 20 years and - How many other people? And what this does to our social fabric? How much of the violence is by people who feel isolated???

Robin took our guest to the Laurentiens yesterday thinking he would check on a property up there but he did not have the right key so he had a great day visiting Paul's friend who lives off the grid in a very impressive manner. All that fresh air brought him home early and asleep early!

Tomorrow we are going to the Yellow Door. I did not realize that Paul has been hearing about it 45 years but never been. Hope there are enough people in attendance...

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 10 Oct 23 - 11:55 AM

Dupont:

Brain fog!!

Thinking of Charmion and her stop in Gettysburg! (blech!) Paul will be stopping in Harrisburg on way to NC. He may find a couch; he is connected with at least one of those sorts of sites for traveling from home to home/ couch to couch? - I guess it is. He drove here from BC, stopping to visit on the way. I suspect he has developed a network of possibles over the years. R and I have used airbnb a few times with good results.

Books are mostly in the basement Library now. Hallway still has a surfeit of objects that need to be re-homed. BUT R spent the weekend closing holes in the attic to, hopefully, keep out bats and squirrels, and closed the hatch to keep in our heat! Not turning on furnace yet but keeping minimal heat in the areas we use - Den, BR and the Kitchen- use helps provide part of that.

Made a huge Thanksgiving dinner (on Sunday) for the 3 of us. And we enjoyed it - for two days so far! 16 pound turkey was overkill but a big chunk will go into freezer after Paul leaves; he puts away a great deal of food!! - Long, lean and only 71. In the meantime - every day is Thanksgiving!

We have had lovely pastries from the bakery in southern QC. I boo-booed and went down on Weds - "only Thurs, Fri, Sat" declared the lovely young clerk! So I went back on Friday, bought lots of yummies, had lunch with Geri, and took photos of the kiln I am selling - she says "yes" and we need to arrange a pick up time. SOON! With the weather in mind.

And yesterday!!!!! R spent most of the day removing offensive floor boards in den - they had buckled and were a hazard. Removed and all crud removed, tediously!, from each one, they now lay flat - only need to be battened down. I will suggest glue. These are 100 years old - maple, I think. R seemed to go into a meditative state doing this - to most people - tedious task! A terrific sense of accomplishment. And I can cross the room (the buckle was right in the middle!) without fearing a fall.

NOW, I would like a load of firewood! Before heavy winter!!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 10 Oct 23 - 11:05 AM

Dupont:

house guest from BC for a few days as he visits with QC friends. Then hs is off to NC - near Raleigh for a longer visit to his "home turf" A war resistor, he has lived in Canada for 45 years but likes to go back to the known weather and accents of his childhood. A quiet guest but needy re how to get places. R took him to the city today and we can only hope he will find his way, via the bus system, back this aft. Or I can fetch him from a bus stop not to far away. Surely he will make it across the River! Tomorrow he goes away for a couple days; back to attend at Yellow Door Friday eve. He has heard about - through me - for 45 years but never been there. I alerted Marc, who now keeps it open on Friday eves. Hope a few people show up! His FB page is not very helpful, starting out with something about August!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 01 Oct 23 - 01:38 PM

Dupont:

Still having mental problems due to APD crisis. Brain is not happy. Composing, in my head, missives to the DR. and to the misguided woman who told me repeatedly that I needed a hearing aid and that hearing loss is a precursor of Alzheimers - just the right thing to tell someone who is already terrifically upset. Found another article on APD - NOT a hearing problem - but R has not yet read it and my brain loses the thread after a few minutes. The bottom line seems to be - no help for what happened to me. I still think about sound engineers - the way the sound waves affect my brain...? I still feel fragile with no idea how it could happen. Of course, the only "solution" is to accept ... Would it be worth a PET Scan to find out what is wrong in the brain?

Went to "the music" last night and really enjoyed it. Sound system worked fine. Just the usual APD issue of not understanding due to mixture of words and instruments. Nice to see people, after a while...

Making an effort to clear some of the first floor of books, etc. Mostly R's and he started off well this morning... The omelet is not yet made and he has disappeared. The day is ... still light!

I got tired of fighting with the sheet/quilt/weighted blanket so I left the sheet off last night. Spent the night fighting for a piece of the quilt - cold feet. ...???

R is back at it and things are going to the basement/cellar - somewhere else!! Out of sight!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 27 Sep 23 - 01:47 PM

Dupont:

Robin read the comprehensive treatise I found on APD and was impressed by it - very professional with about 15 pages of references. And no solutions for the loss of comprehension due to exposure to toxins. Yes, people have trouble when there is background noise. I accept that problem. But to fail to comprehend 6 or 8 people, speaking one at a time, whom I know I can understand usually, with no background noise at all and an excellent sound system ??? The only other time this sort of thing happened, I totally understood one speaker and only understood "the" as spoken by the second one. This is not a hearing loss! This might be to do with distortion of sound waves in my brain? I shall continue to check it out with musician/sound engineer friends. I am only gradually recovering from the shock and certainly am not going to pay for a hearing aid on the off chance that this might happen again. !!!! Maybe if I had moved to a different part of the room I would have received the sound waves differently. ???

In the meantime, I am trying to recover a semblance of order in the house and yard. The Mohawk team will be along to rescue the yard!! YAY! The house is inch by inch. R has been kind about coming home earlier in the eve (before 9 pm!) so we have time to talk before sleep.

The ficus tree in the den has reached the top of the window so a lower cabinet will be moved to that window and the table it is on can go to that emptied spot. A few cobwebs may be disturbed! More plant movement will be taking place as those on the back porch need to come indoors and a few that did not survive neglect will be removed to the place of dead plants/empty pots...

Bring in the pumpkin, see if there are any sweet potatoes in the garden. And look at improving gardening methods for next year. R prefers the yellow cherry tomatoes to those tomatoes that produced prolifically (black/red which our friends loved). The two large plants I bought did little and died early on: Lots of rain but I believe it hit the profuse leaves and went on the porch rather than into the pot so the plants suffered from lack of water! And I guess the critters ate all the squash flowers - they were beautiful but were gone before having a chance to produce!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 24 Sep 23 - 04:41 PM

Beaver:

Still not getting much done. And, since a meeting last Thurs, mostly fits of depression and tears. Of course, we all know the difficulties in obtaining health care so I went to the meeting for "seniors" on health care. There were speakers from a number of different "health care" providers. The room seemed to be non-toxic; the sound system was.. strong ... I did not understand one word of any speaker. That is not an exaggeration- not even "the". The only answer I get is - a hearing aid! But I heard the blah blah blah quite well.

This has happened before - I understood one speaker and not the other. But... NONE! Each person was known to me and in a conversation I would have no problem understanding. I am totally traumatized, trying to convince myself it doesn't matter. But, to be told I need a hearing aid when I can hear quite adequately --- AND do not want MORE noise!

Google: material on APD, caused in my case by chemical exposure in 2000. And person after person telling me ...hearing aid. The local "Dr of Audiology" virtually pushed me out of her office when she realized I would not buy a hearing aid. The best article is specific to professional audiologists - long! So far I see causes but have not gotten to "cures" ...

Still pots to be glazed and fired, pots to be trimmed; but I need to get out of bed and into the studio before the solar gain makes it unbearable. Frost a few nights last week. Planning to go back to QC on Sat - Thanksgiving and a visitor from BC. Yard work needs to be done there - by the Mohawks - if I can get the energy to phone. I am managing to eat well - good soups from the local soup makers!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 13 Sep 23 - 05:43 PM

Beaver:

A gloriously beautiful day- breezy, sunny but ...sometimes it is sunny! And prob about 70F! and dropping. My idea of perfect!

Another cup of green tea seems to be needed so not quite perfect! I fact, it has been an sun then cloudy, then sun... More green tea needed.

I have been here a week and only just recovering from the drive. The car is unloaded and now most things have found temp homes until I feel up to sorting out the glaze materials I brought and those already here and make order of chaos.

De-cluttered a bag of small flower pots from Dupont to the Trust for seedlings.

My recent bread order from Dimpflemeiers included a 10 pound loaf of rye bread - I did not read carefully!!! I took it over to Community Trust and we decided it would be great for Sunday brunch - Diane could make French toast. I thought of D making French toast in the diddly elec frying pan and went to Canadian Tire for a real griddle.

On Sunday, arriving with bread and griddle: The back shed had burned in the night. No one was injured but the homeless sleeping in it were displaced and Diane went home in a state! Brunch was cancelled. Bread went in freezer with hope for next week.

I went back to 700 page novel.

Today, met with my two sister friends. Brenda wants to know who really wrote the Bible and ... WOW! Solid Irish Catholics and this left field Quaker bouncing around questions and ideas I never thought I would hear from them. I could view this as a really unique sort of de-cluttering?

Maybe tomorrow I can do some work in the studio.

May need a fire tonight. Steve did get this year's wood beautifully stacked in the shed while I was away. Pat picked up some pottery for the Carriage House.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 11 Sep 23 - 02:01 PM

Beaver:

Boy, am I way behind but right now it is hot and I am in the sun. I stopped at library to check out an email from somthinbg called "shop" Finally figured out the source and phone Vita-save and let the sweet young woman have it with both barrels. Sent them a $500 order as I have shopped there for years... Then an email from "Shop" telling me to confirm it within 24 hours??? NEVER heard of "Shop"! Finally realized it was CONNECTED TO MY V-S ORDER, and phoned them. WHY!!!! In this day of scams, the last thing anyone needs is some ... MYSTERIOUS, UNKNOWN NONSENSE. After several scam sorts of phone calls, my credit card actually being scammed and having to get a new one.... I will go home and recover!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 04:40 PM

Dupont:

Little pear tree is not yet as large as a partridge!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 02:06 PM

Dupont:

Little pear tree is about a foot tall, has nice green leaves, and is protected by a "tomato cage"!!!

Produce store is only about 15 min away. We shall see how good their Quebec strawberries are; they do not look as shiny. Supper will be 100% Quebec produce and chicken breasts.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 12:43 PM

Dupont:

Suffering from excess heat -only on its way to high 80s but, for me ... I am barely functional. Will soon give up and go upstairs to the BR and turn on A/C. Then go for some groceries while the room cools. SO grateful for A/C in car!

Yesterday, I drove to the orchard for more strawberries ARGHHH The season is over. Pears will be ready in a few days but I am going back to Beaver; might be back in time for some pears. Which reminds me that I have not noticed my little pear tree in a long while! I will look when I go out to shop; I hope it has survived; I started it from seed from one the their pears 3 years ago. (The slight inclination to jump up and go look does not survive the way I feel.) Yesterday's trip of 2 hours in the country netted two tomatoes!

R informs that our beautiful laundry equipment set was $800 at the auction. Everything in that home was top quality. He installed them.

Further to the truck: it looked rather like it had survived - just barely - a demolition derby. Very few spots lacked a dent of some size!

Oh yeah, Hope both SRS and Charmion had fine birthdays!

I have managed to pull a few weeds each day. I brought the pumpkin onto the porch as the stem had dried out. Yesterday I sorted the pottery stuff that was in car, put some in plastic bins which I could leave outside until next trip which made room to re-load the pottery left from last week - quite a bit - to take back to Beaver for the Carriage House/shop. There is more to go in the car for the trip, on leaving day, as yet undetermined.

A'shopping I must go. And check for pear tree...

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 01 Sep 23 - 09:55 PM

Dupont:

No moving violations at all but it was one dreadful mess - just looked like it was due to fall apart but kept on running- with lots of repair time by the gang and, once in a while, Canadian Tire. So glad to see it gone. R knew it would happen but squeezed the last possible bit out of it. Some people can have a car for 20 years and it still looks almost new... It was a 1986 Ranger. People (men) thought it was amazing. I refused to travel in it. My 15 year old Scion looked 100% better when the engine died.

Today - Major de-clutter. We went to the Mill - R, Joe in Big truck and myself in car. One heavy pottery wheel had a ride to the back yard here. And the guys helped me clear a large section of former pottery. I was totally unable to conceive of where/how to begin. Most went into a nearby section of the building. The trash/myriad broken and flawed pots will be trashed. Kind of traumatic; I did make a lot of pots there before the mold got me. Tomorrow R and I are going down to do the next part - moving buckets of glaze and bags of glaze materials And kiln furniture, scales........

Then we lunched at Subway and I went off to an orchard - good strawberries and apples, and then the bakery for goodies and a Greek salad for R; it was to be repeated - Excellent!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 31 Aug 23 - 09:04 PM

Dupont:

Would be a peculiar day that such a sum would be spent on a repair in this home! Remember my fancy stove: I would happily have paid a repair person to come but NO! R took it apart to see if he could fix it. Then "borrowed" a new stove from his cousin and trashed our wonderful stove. (This is his house; I have no rights. Beaver is mine to cherish.)

Our matched set of Maytag dryer/washer (RED!) was purchased at a home auction- no doubt for a very low price. If one needs repairs, I would have to have a conniption fit to get it repaired or ...get a new one! R would prob come home with one he found in the trash! My plea that "I will pay for a new one!!!" would be disregarded as a whisper on the breeze.

Said cousin is moving this week. I wonder if he has a stove??? ???Will R pay him for the one we have so they can buy a new one????

I thought I had done well to get through that very tiring weekend but yesterday I slept all day; and last night also. Save for two meals of veggie stew and some time on internet. Today
I started cleaning up the plants on back deck: re-potting some and clearing up stuff. The plastic "shed" is not waterproof. Useless for the job of storing garden stuffs on the deck. I shall try to empty it and request it be moved to garage where it will stay dry!

Also weeded in the back garden and checked our one lovely pumpkin which I think is ready to come in. The squash plants have been blooming beautifully but it seems that someone has been eating the blossoms!

The front yard is blooming nicely and I think we can get through to winter without another lawn care visit! It will be challenging to bring in the Canna which have, of course, grown more roots. Fall has definitely arrived. I could just compost some but it is not in my nature to so that ---- as I repot more geraniums than I might have house room! The red flowers are so cheery! And we have, somehow, managed to kill all the Af violets save one!

This week's "chuckle": R brought home some fabric to be washed - which I did ...Then realized I washed it a couple months ago and gave it to him: "take it to town and give it to someone." This time the set of sheets is going to a thrift shop!

Lest you think our life lacks interest: He came home on Tuesday with the wonderful news that the police had taken his pick up truck off the road permanently! They would not even let him drive it two hundred yards to his property (city). It is scrapped - with a fresh tank of gas $60! The scrapper will get it. R was prepared - has another old truck on hand! I am glad and sad: I remember the evening we drove out into rural QC to look at a it and came back with that lovely clean truck. It was beautiful! And the wonderful old farm house and the nifty people we met! It has seen hard times and we cannot blame the police at all!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 29 Aug 23 - 10:46 AM

Dupont:

Came back here on Tuesday, with a stop for muffins at the Hidden Gold Mine. Trying to bring the house back to a Dorothy state from the chaos of the Robin state. Every single piece of cutlery was in the sink and had to be washed, washed again harder! and then again. We agreed this would not happen again! The dishes were in a controlled state. I guess a month is too long to stay away!

Robin was still coughing badly - I washed bedding twice to avoid re-distributing whatever germs... Then decided things were improved sufficiently. His bro is also coughing and has been to clinic but no meds? R finished his anti-biotic, is coughing less but still exhausted. His cough is similar to the one I still have after ?? years from the mold at the Mill - not surprising as he got it from cleaning a dreadful building. It is in the lungs and, I believe, may never go away completely. Sometimes I do not cough for a few hours or a day or two and think all is well, then it starts again - the plague of my life. A part of me is glad he now realizes what I have gone through.

So! Basically, I came back for the Chateauguay Valley Antique Association (event). Spent a wonderful weekend of visits with people, sold enough pots to make it a "success", listened to live Country music, had a tent for the first time and... It POURED rain on Sat - a couple times! Rita (next door) and I provided shelter for all who could fit! Met a whole bunch of Rita and Dan's family - they were having a family event later. Interesting genetics! Terrific positive energy!

This is my fav event of the year - Such a wonderful community of people volunteering and selling stuff/junk/treasures. The auction took 2 days this year and R was there for most of it! Came away with a whole bunch of stuff - some for re-sale and some just because he was "helping the auctioneer" get a bid and ended up being the only bid! A beautiful Victorian love seat and chair that I am trying to figure a place for them - if only he would get rid of the UGLY ones ...

Wore a jacket all day Sunday! I never put that warm layer away! Was glad I thought to grab this light jacket on the way out the door from Beaver! This weather is just fine for me - cool, damp, sometimes sunny.

So, inch by inch, I regain energy, find us food, cook very little, weeded the gardens a little, watched a squirrel sit on the porch railing to groom then went into the large pot of cherry tomato plants to eat one and left the rest... Last eve, I opened back door to go pick in the garden and startled to two rabbits, apologized and went out later to pick the few new cherry tomatoes. We had about a quart each of Sat and Sunday, took them to event and gave most of them to Rita and family, who declared them delicious. (I do not eat raw tomatoes.) We have a pumpkin (not watermelon) slowly turning orange; guess I will make pumpkin pies.

Got a new credit card, sent to local bank after someone got the number and tried to buy stuff where I NEVER would. I got two phone calls which I immediately hung up and phoned VISA to tell them and was told everything was fine. An hour later, card was declined at two separate stores. Phoned VISA and... All is well.

Big happening was a young woman stopping to look at pottery and mentioning that her... was a potter - Kingsport, Newfoundland! "You are related to Ruth... !!!!???" (My friend who died suddenly in October - a total trauma.) We both started to cry and share our pain of loss, and I was able to find out how the widower and son are doing! Then, the "cousin" of one of Canada's top potters bought a bowl!

Then I sat and dealt with renewed grief. Ruth choked (I did not ask) a few hours after I saw her, and Fred, vibrantly alive at a folk music event. I was so elated to see her and thinking how wonderful it would be to visit now that we were "post Covid). BOOM!

I have a small pic of her on my bureau to which I say, "Good morning, Ruth!". Erin has it on her wall to greet in the morning. A more beautiful human than Ruth - equal perhaps but not more... She was the epitome of loving, sharing, giving, helping, caring...

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 18 Oct 23 - 04:35 AM

A bottle resealer would be redundant in our household-of-two for reasons I won't go into ;-) though I can definitely see its merits ...

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 17 Oct 23 - 09:04 PM

Mrs Steve won't let me drink wine on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays (I make do with two small cans of Peroni - any more and I'm bloated!), otherwise no excuses needed for a tipple...

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 17 Oct 23 - 08:07 PM

We "had to finish off" a bottle of Aperol that was "cluttering up the fridge" on Sunday, so we used it with a somewhat bog-standard bottle of Prosecco that someone had given us to make a very large Aperol spritz each in some oversize wine glasses that I'd foolishly bought (for the purpose to hand) a few months ago. It was very nice. There wasn't much Prosecco left in the bottle. It's a shame that half-bottles of Prosecco are such bad value, but a little while ago I found some 20cl bottles in Tesco ("Tesco Finest") at 4 for 3 which cost nine quid for the four, not the cheapest of cheap but pretty good for such a nice drop.

Aperol spritz is so damned tasty...

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 17 Oct 23 - 07:37 PM

We both had our jabs on Saturday, flu in left arm, covid-19 in right arm. No problem with the flu but the covid gave us both a slightly tender upper arm but nothing else. Masks are rare hereabouts. Oddly, all the big shops have now removed their hand/trolley sanitation points at the entrance. I think that's a shame, as that cleaning protects us from a lot more than just covid-19. I always have a little tube of sanitiser about my person and I smear some of it on the trolley handle too.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Oct 23 - 06:05 PM

Mrs Steve and I had our jabs yesterday. Flu in left arm, covid in right arm. Flu, nothing to report. Covid, slight shoulder ache for me (nothing to trouble me), slightly more achey for Mrs Steve. There's a lot of covid around here at the moment but I'm not worried. We've both had it just the once, both mildly, in July 2022. I find it odd that all our supermarkets have done away with their trolley and hand sterilisers at the entrances. I take my own. I'm still not going to be wearing a mask any time soon. Masks are rare hereabouts these days.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Oct 23 - 05:55 PM

You've got nowt to lose with the free NHS hearing aids, Jon, honest. They are not bog-standard, you can connect them to your phone via Bluetooth, they are set up for your particular hearing loss, if they go bust they are replaced for free and the batteries and tubes are free forever. If you don't like 'em you can put 'em in a drawer and shop around for the private three-grand jobs, or just not bother. I've had free NHS aids now for eleven years. They're, well, not great maybe, but they're a massive improvement on not having them. Go for it!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 03 Oct 23 - 06:14 PM

It's perfectly possible to hate Apple yet love your iPhone and iPad. In fact, that's me to a tee.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 30 Sep 23 - 07:22 PM

I do absolutely everything on my iPad mini. I'm no techie and I don't need to do complex things on computers. My massive and ancient Sony Vaio laptop sits in the other room, lonely and redundant.

For years we've had a Canton soundbase for our telly. The telly sits on top and it's completely unobtrusive, unlike those long sound bars. The sound quality is impeccable.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 29 Sep 23 - 12:40 PM

Glitter sold loose, e.g. In small plastic vials, is banned in the EU from next month. Much of it is a mixture of plastic and aluminium and it takes over a thousand years to degrade in the environment. It comes under the category of microplastics once it gets into waterways, which it frequently does.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 25 Sep 23 - 08:35 PM

I've had hearing aids for eleven years. I didn't know I had hearing loss though I had struggled in noisy places to hear anyone talking to me. I'd gone to the audiologist to discuss my tinnitus, which is when I found out about the loss of my high frequencies. Fair to say, they're not perfect and they limit my ability to zone in on what I want to listen to and sideline the other stuff. I had to give up playing music in sessions because I lost the ability to latch on and focus on other musicians and often found myself all at sea. My hearing aids are free on the NHS, as are the batteries for them and replacements when things go wrong, as they do. You can elect to pay for hearing aids and that gives you choices. The received wisdom is that the free NHS aids are "last year's models" but they work a treat for me.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Thompson
Date: 15 Sep 23 - 09:59 AM

Stilly, yes, Thompson is a handy handle that keeps me reasonably private.
Nah, I'm not going to do all that, because it's not something that has to be food safe (except perhaps for any lost bats that might wander in to dangle from the lampshade); I'll just trail glue down the cracks, wipe it a bit then scatter goldy powder on it.
For the later turn of the conversation, I've never given a card to Google - why would I, I'm just using it for basic map information. When that "sign up" dialogue box comes up I press the Feck-Off button (it may be called something else or be a red blob); I do *sign in*, so I can use 3D etc, but that doesn't require a credit or debit card.
The only people I know who use a paid version (not dear, something like €200 a year, I think, and it's a professional tool so you could probably claim that off your tax) are bus drivers, truckers and delivery drivers, who use a version that warns them of the presence of low bridges. The bus driver who told me about this said it had saved him money because a lot of these are not well signposted. Before he'd signed up for it he once had to back a full-size coach slowly along for 3km (I think it was) along a narrow, twisty country road with one of these bridges, with a raging local car driver behind him.
There are other mapping apps; there are open-source ones like Brouter, which is useful for cycling because it'll map a quiet route away from cars; Apple Maps has a nice satellite and street view, though not as up-to-date as Google's - but I think maybe Google's is particularly regularly mapped in Ireland because their EU headquarters is here, so they might test out new methods.
I'm waiting for any of them to start using 360-degree cameras so it'd be possible to scoot around on video and see what's behind, to the side, etc. But maybe that's not technically possible or webbily feasible for a map app.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Thompson
Date: 14 Sep 23 - 02:33 AM

I did some wild spending the other week, buying a beautiful white glass and black steel Art Deco lampshade. The charity shop man gave it to me for €5 because there was a crack radiating through one of the panels. So I'm going to try the Japanese art of kintsugi - it doesn't need to be food safe, so I'll be using the simpler method of cleaning it, trailing glue along the seams and then scattering on gold mica powder. With any luck, this will look very nice with the light shining on it.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Thompson
Date: 10 Sep 23 - 01:56 PM

I *think* you might be able to tweak yr.no to use f not c, but since we always use metric here I prefer it.
I just like it because it tends to be very, very accurate, much more than any other meteorology app I know.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Thompson
Date: 09 Sep 23 - 05:11 PM

By the way, may I highly recommend the Norwegian meteorological body Yr? Much more accurate than most weather predictors - I gather they have access to more weather satellites, and you can set it to a nearby place.
There used to be a great forecaster called DarkSky, but Apple bought it and ruined it, damn them.
The other one I look at is windy.com, which is mostly, yes, winds.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Thompson
Date: 09 Sep 23 - 05:07 PM

Thanks, Stilly.
A thunderstorm warning has just dropped here too, for tonight and tomorrow. I'm thirsting for a nice bit of cool rain!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Thompson
Date: 09 Sep 23 - 03:48 PM

I'm just getting better after a bout of Covid. I'm basically staying home, with my meals handed in the door of my room to me as I lie there with windows wide open. Today for the first time I made my own breakfast and our dinner, and fed the dog.
The second test, after a week - to be sure to be sure - had a very faint line, so I sighed and confined myself for a few days further. On Monday I'll try another test, and if that's clear I'll return to polite society. I've only been out for one very brief saunter with the dog in the last fortnight or so - been weak as water, and any walk would require a certain amount of crossing back and forth across the road to avoid breathing near other, vulnerable people.
I'd forgotten what a nasty dose it is. I was lucky only to be seriously ill - with a fever pushing 40C and feeling really miserable - for two, maybe three days, but the weakness that followed went on and on. And I was dopey; normally I can scoot through Wordle, but while Covid-ridden I failed it a few days running.
Keep safe out there…

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 14 Oct 23 - 07:19 PM

Dorothy wrote - I have had my hearing "tested" 3 times in different places. The "audiologists" are in the business of selling hearing aids and each tells me "slight hearing loss". I hear quite adequately; can hear a whisper with no trouble in a quiet room. This business of not being able to discriminate words with background disturbance, is common. It sells lots of hearing aids and some people tell me it helps - in noisy venues.

I've lost some hearing in both ears, not enough to need hearing aids - yet. When I do need aids I'll be taking advice from a friend who is an advocate for a national Hearing organization, I won't be visiting shops that advertise "Free hearing tests" - they often have someone at the door touting!

I recently received junk mail (a letter!) from an old, long established Oz company recently taken over by an American multinational company (can't remember the names.) I don't like junk mail - so looked up the company name & found a site where everyone except one poster had horror stories. They buy address lists (hmmm, I wonder what list I was on) & according to every poster, except the one satisfied customer) push & push expensive products. My favourite post started "I'm an audiologist & accompanied my grandmother ... " Audiologist reported watching employees "testing" customers, while pushing the expensive products, & not pleased with the tests & "advice" their grandmother received, took her away without saying her/his occupation. Lucky grandmother to have an audiologist in the family. I sent the letter back with my usual inscription UNSOLICITED JUNK MAIL RETURN TO SENDER - such letters need to be paid for by the receiver, but I do wonder how many scammers (oops legit businesses - snigger, snigger) do pay.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Sep 23 - 05:00 PM

I hope you took a photo of the pincushion beforehand! What a little treasure.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Sep 23 - 05:44 AM

she who dies with the most (insert type of craft materials) wins!!

I recently found homes for 3 collections - books on historic costume (dancers who make & wear elaborate, historically accurate 19th century gowns), 18" dolls dressed using the books (musician who plays for the dancers), & teddy bears I made (her daughter - both do a lot of craft & have lotsa' stashes!) Books filled most of 2 large bookshelves which now contain almost all of my (un-filed) craft stuff!

Much of it was on a long heavy coffee table I'd found in the back lane years ago (it was fun getting it up the back stairs, fortunately a neighbour came along & she took one end!) more of it was under said table & in front of said table, almost blocking the view of the dolls in their cabinet. Half of what is left on the table is 5 big bags of yarn I bought for a friend who knits for charity, the rest will fit on an empty shelf!!!! Then I'll be able to see the dolls before they are eventually taken away. Unfortunately the cabinet will not be going with the dolls, but I know a charity that will take it.

One of my boxes of craft stuff is full of felt as I used to make & teach felt toys, I'll be using a piece or 2 in an embroidery project, but haven't used it for a long time (oops - do I really need a whole box?) Another stash is a wooden trunk full of yarn & padded coathangers. I knit covers for them for a charity shop ...

We have a charity that runs craft shops, where we take our unwanted stuff & buy someone else's unwanted stuff. Sometimes I take back stuff I've bought & when I pop off the twig my poor sister will take my stash there after my crafty friends take what they want to add to their stashes!

So many projects, so much to start or complete, then keep or gift, but I've recently made stuff for others (4 banners for Sydney Folk Festival) & some contributions to a 3 metre wallhanging - all the fun of creating something then it goes on it's way!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Sep 23 - 10:08 AM

happy actual birth-day!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 02 Sep 23 - 07:06 PM

I'm reminded of a school friend washing her dogs. One was a Great Dane & stood patiently in the wheelbarrow, lifting it's leg up as required. It's amazing what images emerge from the depths - & I can't even remember her name, or her other dog!!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Oct 23 - 12:08 PM

I sat down with cloth scraps last night to see how it goes to piece things together, and it looks like I tossed some of the smaller ones that would have worked, but will still manage with what I have because the new blocks can be cut and reassembled. So I'm learning.

This morning has been a push to clear fridge contents into smaller containers and process stuff waiting for attention. The beets were simmered until soft several days ago and have finally been peeled and diced. All of the tomatoes I blanched, peeled, and simmered yesterday were run through the food mill and now await the step of making Italian-style sauce. All year I've been using sauce I made and froze last fall but I'm down to the last jar, so this is a combination of purchased fruits and a few overripe small ones from the garden (not enough to do much with by themselves and too weird to slice for salads.)

The aftereffects of that cold are still with me, but I'm carefully managing them with the neti pot and decongestants. My taste and smell are still a bit reduced because of it. This seems to be a fairly aggressive head cold making the rounds, according to my hairdresser, who because she talks to so many people in the course of a week has a pretty good sense of what is going on in the surrounding community. Seriously, it's the same as the barbershop conversations. Lots of anecdotal information is shared. :)

Garden work today (watering this morning) and some chopping/prying/sawing to finish removing the big root in the way of finishing the fence in the backyard.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Oct 23 - 01:10 PM

My cat sitting gig this week is ending a day early - just as well because I have things to do that are easier when I don't have to stop what I'm doing and head out three times a day to feed and medicate cats.

One of the dogs is annoyingly persistent in barking at the mail carrier's truck each time it passes the house in the course of delivering to this neighborhood. It was helpful today because on the first pass I received no mail so she didn't see the package I wanted her to take. The dog barked when she was parked at the corner across the street for that last stop in the neighborhood and I carried my box over to her. I think I'll make a magnetic red flag I can stick to the front of the mailbox for those times I have something for them to pick up. The box on the porch wall came with an attached tiny little plastic flag on the upper right side that is barely visible from the street.

Mowing today, digging, and sewing. And more kitchen cleaning.