DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Sep 23 - 08:55 PM

Jon, that's terrible news. Tim is a sibling? And why would your credit card be involved with Google maps? It's free AFAIK. Or have you found some special goodies they offer for a fee?

Patty, check in if you feel like it, or send an email and let us know how you're doing. Hopefully your weather is cooler and nice now, as it is here, not contributing to your discomfort.

Lifting a box of glass bottles (Topo Chico) today I pulled some stomach muscles, something I seem to do every year or two if I'm not careful. Goes back to a gymnastics injury in junior high school. I microwaved the sock-like bag of rice to apply heat and that has helped, but it means being careful for a little while to let things heal.

A bin today in the sewing studio revealed a BeDazzler (as seen on TV) for fastening beads with teeth onto garments. Kind of like using a tool to fasten grommets. Now most things are glued, but there might still be an application for this (pardon the pun!) I still have pearls and gemstone beads and materials for jewelry making that I plan to return to. I also still use beads in the context of sewing. I put a lot of bling on a red felt xmas stocking for my daughter-in-law that matches the one I had from childhood. My mom made them from a kit and I knew I had the felt and the sparkly stuff and it had to be made in a hurry. My daughter did the cutting out and sewing and I added the decor. I have another stocking to make for my son's partner who one of these days will be here for the holiday.

Cat sitting for the next few days, but nothing else on my calendar, so I plan to dig into the studio shelves more and see what else I can evict. I might also do some sewing machine rearrangement. The room used to be a bedroom and still has a double bed and a matching dresser pushed back into corners. I'd love to move those out, but we occasionally use the bed. I'll have to think about this.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 14 Sep 23 - 04:41 PM

I’ve had a play with maps since my last post here. I was going to try Google Maps but I managed to get my bank card locked during the sign up so I tried Leaflet. I’ve added some location maps to some of my weather forecast pages. I’ve also had a play around with a couple of the forecast pages. The hourly forecast one has changed quite a bit.

Nothing really to report from home but Tim’s daughter and partner in oz have had a disaster. Their house has burnt down. I believe it happened quickly and that they were fortunate to get out unscathed together with their two dogs. Their cat is thought to have perished in the blaze though.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Sep 23 - 11:24 AM

Thompson (is that what you prefer we call you?), I watched a video of the process recently - so many steps! Good luck with that project!

Yesterday I attended a retirement reception that was held in a normally good-sized room but with so many people the ventilation wasn't up to the event and no one was wearing a mask. I consider this the bonafide first super-spreader event I've been to. The retiree usually wears masks in groups and if meeting someone else in a mask he pops one on, but he wasn't wearing a mask, so I stood back but I didn't put on my mask. The room contained a fair percentage of rich conservative white folks who may not have been vaccinated.

I've looked up the rug and crochet-like materials - that hobby is called latch hook, and it appears kits are still sold and people still do it, so I won't toss it as obsolete. I have bins full of tiny beads and glitter and I wonder if glitter is even allowed at schools now, it gets into everything. Something to ask about. The kids and I produced a lot of decorative egg holiday ornaments for the tree, made with glitter and beads and ribbon, but that ship has sailed as far as my interest in it. Those items are in another bin or two.

It's a lovely rainy morning and I can wear my new rain slicker (last used in May?) Soon I'll be able to turn over soil and weed parts of the garden where I want to put in cucumber and zucchini for fall crops. You can water with a bucket or a sprinkler all summer, but until it rains, the soil just isn't as easy to work.

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: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Sep 23 - 10:31 PM

So many things coming and going between Dupont and Beaver - and the communities where each of those houses are!

I hope all of Charmion's boxes were moved satisfactorily - no strains in the lifting or cramming into the car.

This afternoon I pulled from my craft storage a bin my sister sent me from my Mom's house and craft stuff from when the kids were younger. Mom had rug backing kits and crochet hook tools (for knotted yarn rugs). I met my daughter today and had her shop through the stuff. She took the more ornate large beads (they were originally hers) and some lovely crystals we bought in Arkansas many years ago, plus a few other items. And she gave me a tip - there is a local organization that accepts all sorts of donations that can be used by teachers for art projects and for building sets for theater programs. I can let them look at what my daughter doesn't need and what they don't want goes to Facebook or Freecycle.

I kept the bin with Mom's braided rug stuff - I watched her make those when I was a kid and always wanted to try, and it is another place where scrap fabric can go. There's a partial rug in there I can practice on.

This evening I went back to the craft storage shelves and pulled out old crayons, colored pencils, watercolor paints, and some ancient art pastel chalk that still works. Some of the chalk I had when I was a child! More for the Welman folks to consider. I'll take it over at one time, not piecemeal—I'll work on these shelves for the rest of the week. With this stuff the "keeping it for grandchildren" argument doesn't win when considering how old and how messy some of it is.

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: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Sep 23 - 09:45 PM

The quilting tutorials I'm watching have come around to the organization of the sewing room - having the three most important stations in good proximity (sewing machine, cutting table, ironing board) and for everything else - it can involve a major declutter before deciding how to organize it. Will this be my project that finally evicts all of the storage containers that hold my mother's unfinished projects? There are a couple I thought about trying, but some I have no interest in. I think Freecycle will be the avenue out of the house for those (and I should have done this anyway.)

Meanwhile, I chipped away more of the huge tree root that blocks construction of my last fence panel, stopping when the reciprocating saw battery ran out. And the last of the pickets have been painted with wood preservative. I have a whole gallon and only needed to paint four pickets, but it is clear so can be used for other wood projects in the future and it keeps well.

With the weather shift coolers are put away (one was on the porch with water for the mail carrier, another next to the side door to take shopping for bringing home cold groceries). We're more closely duplicating the conditions people on the east coast have complained about - our temperatures are lower finally but the humidity shot up. I don't need the coolers but I still need the ceiling fan and the air conditioner to pull the moisture out of the house.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Sep 23 - 11:57 AM

More rain overnight and normal September temperatures this week. The yard is muddy because of the rain that is still soaking into the super dry soil, so lots of dog footprints through the den. I will be able to make the last push on removing the large root and finishing the fence. I might even be able to go into the attic in the mornings (I'll have to go take a look and see if I've found all of the holes at the edge of the soffit to fill with mortar to keep out mice and squirrels.)

I meant to do something productive last night but ended up watching YouTube videos by a guy who goes to sit with dogs in shelters and help get them adopted. They're always nice stories, though some of the dogs come in pretty rough.

There are more okra in the garden now and we could have six to eight weeks before a frost, or longer, so I hope to get some crops. The stuff that survived the heat is ready to produce now, if I give them a little space (pull out some of the weeds crowding them) and some organic fertilizer as a boost.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Sep 23 - 10:54 PM

Dorothy, I have an email that looks like it is legitimately from the US Post Office, telling me that the payment method saved for autopay (for my post office box) is about to expire and I should logon and change it. Except it has more than a year before it expires. I logged on directly to USPS (never follow an email link) and looked. There was an already expired debit card in there and the current credit card. This has me scratching my head - has the USPS been hacked? It's probably an error, but I'm not following their link.

It was lovely today, a high of 93. So much better than 103 or 110. There is rain in the forecast this week, with the suggestion that while the storms may not move over everyone at the same time, by the time they all pass through, everyone should get at least an inch of rain. Bring it on!

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: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Sep 23 - 01:19 PM

The old lab is in great shape for a dog that is 15 years eight months. He lost 10 pounds since last year (intentionally, I knew it would help his hips a bit; he's now down to his old "normal" weight) so loading him into the SUV wasn't as hard this time as last. There are a couple of ironic elements to the visit (of course!) - last week I tossed the contents of a 2-pound jar of brewer's yeast into the compost because it was about four years old and I hadn't used it much (to keep flies off - if they get it in their diets it helps repel pests). But it turns out he's a little anemic and the B vitamins would be beneficial, so I've ordered a new tub of it. And with all of this is the classic hit to the wallet - the refund check from the Home Warranty folks for fixing the dryer arrived today and it was $4 more than the vet bill.

Good luck with the steps, Charmion. I have an exercise app that I've set up to remind (nag) me every day that I should use it. I should probably set it to a different time, the one I've set so far hasn't been very effective because I'm usually in the middle of something when it goes off.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Sep 23 - 10:48 AM

Funny you should mention magnification glasses - here they are OTC readers. My everyday glasses have no Rx on the top thanks to the cataract surgery, they have a bifocal bottom for everyday looking at things close. I didn't pay the really big bucks for cataract replacement lenses that are for near and distance.

With bifocals at the computer I'd be tipping my head back and getting a stiff neck. Years ago I learned that was what was happening at work and I got "office glasses" that gave me mid-range and close only, for the computer screen and the desktop. Now I can just use readers and I bought a couple of packs of them at Costco. I don't carry a pair everywhere, I trade glasses in places were I work around the house. I have a pair of readers in my handbag. The entire lens is a magnifier, you don't have to keep moving your head to see out of the bottom of the lens.

It rained this morning and is now 71 degrees. I'll still use ceiling fans for a while, but the heat pumps will finally get a break. I moved a couple of pots of seedlings outside—that were started indoors they but haven't thrived in window light. On the outside potting bench I have a dozen pots with cucumber and squash cotyledons on view and the shade cloth pulled back so they'll get full sun.

The plastic step stool is on the ground next to the SUV and I'm wearing gardening clothes for the prospect of picking up and rolling the Lab into through the liftback. We'd get too tangled up if I put him on a back passenger seat. I'll take the step stool with us, and lots of treats, just because. Every morning as I head into the den I wonder if he chose to follow Poppy's example, passing away in his favorite place to sleep, but he's hanging in there. He's eating and he seems to be a happy guy, so I need to keep him comfortable. (He's quite frisky this morning with the cooler temperatures.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 11 Sep 23 - 10:47 AM

First choir practice tonight, so seven file boxes of music are stacked near the garage door for an efficient exit. God forbid the house should catch fire while the gangway is so thoroughly blocked.

The swimming pool at the YMCA was supposed to open today, but no -- tomorrow at the earliest. Consequently, no pool class until Wednesday.


My hips feel stiff these days, so I downloaded a walking-challenge program to my phone yesterday in the hope that I will get off my butt more often. Summer is waning, so I don't have the excuse/reason of steamy heat to justify logging extra hours in the comfy chair.

The app is one of those couch-to-10K (steps, not kilometres) things. If it does what it says on the tin, and my rickety feet don't give trouble, I'll "do" Hadrian's Wall (145 km) on a treadmill at the Y gym over the winter.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Sep 23 - 09:22 AM

My mother's last three paintings were self-portraits that were identical except they became progressively more blurry. That indicated to me that she like Monet and myself had Fuchs syndrome which presents with corneal fluid bubbles that make vision foggy with rainbows around light sources. Every morning around 6 to 7 AM the rainbows start, BUT because I was prompted by caters to get checked I have curative ointments that dry the eyes out back to clarity in ten minutes. It's too bad mom assumed it was just old age. Today transplants as small as 3 millimeters of fluid pump cells can cure Fuchs. I carry eye salt drops at all times just in case. I still need 250 mag glasses for close work and reading. While vision varies with fluid it does have moments where I don't need glasses or a remarkable telescopic quality appears.

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

As the heat dissipates from our unwelcome intense heat dome I think energy will return. It's not that I felt unenergetic during the heat, it's that now that things are cooler I realize how much more I feel like can accomplish when it's possible to go outside and do things, not just duck back in as quickly as possible.

I've started making lists of things to round up or put on a wish list if I seriously take up quilting. I remember when Michelle (LilyFestre) started, maybe 10 years ago, by buying precut strips, then fat quarters, and going from there. I have tons of fabric in my stash and lots of scraps to approach from the use-up-what-I-already-have angle for crazy quilts, just to get the hang of it. But even when starting with scraps decisions must be made about the size of blocks, the batting to use, etc. So I'm watching videos and occasionally heading into the sewing studio to see if I already have the items under discussion and realizing I'll need to rearrange materials for a new use. This is a creative form of decluttering, putting extra fabric to a new use, and it's interesting to plan for.

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: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Sep 23 - 01:32 PM

Thompson, I use the UK Met Office DataPoint for my weather forecasts and observations. It just supplies data in json and xml formats so some coding is needed to make it readable. I added a chart to the UK previous day’s regional extremes page today.

Tim got me an iPad Mini for my birthday (7th). I never expected to be an owner of an Apple product          (or expected a present like that). I spent much of yesterday getting it to share data with my other devices. Google help searches led me to believe the iPad probably wasn’ t going to sync calendars with baikal so I decided to try nextcloud which I thought might work with everything. Loads of hassle with nextcloud until I stumbled on something that prompted me to take another look at baikal. I found the error, fixed it and the ipads now sharing contacts, calenders and tasks with the rest.

Annoying though. If I’d found that last page first, things would have been fixed in 15 minutes.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Sep 23 - 10:40 AM

I accomplished very little yesterday and was feeling blah about it so did a few standard chores before bed (ran the dishwasher, set up the clothes washer to run this morning). And the maiden voyage of the dryer this morning - so far it didn't heat when I set it on medium with "timed dry." And it wobbles. So must test different settings and figure out which corner has the leveling foot. I probably have 30 to 90 days to report any problems - must print out the warranty (for the warranty). Today is still hot, up to the high 90s, but starting Monday our week forecast shows all mid to high 80s. The plan with the dryer this morning is to run it long enough to be sure it works then pull the t-shirts out to put on hangers and finish drying outside. The towels and pants can stay in the dryer. With it set to use the drying sensors it is heating as it should; all settings may not be connected properly in the repair.

The big old chocolate Labrador has an appointment tomorrow at the vet. He is staggering around more than ever but he still loves his food and his life. He will get a much-needed nail trim and we'll see if it is time for pain meds to help with the arthritis. I'll need to stack boxes as steps to get him into the SUV and they say they'll help me with getting him out and putting him back in down at the office.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Charmion
Date: 09 Sep 23 - 07:45 PM

I’m quite happy with Environment Canada, thank you.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Sep 23 - 06:37 PM

Earth is much like Windy, and I use both of them occasionally. The Norwegian one is in C not F, and the graphic is pretty simple - I think more trouble that it is worth. Perhaps for users north of the border who won't have to convert the predictions! But thanks for the suggestion! It's always interesting to poke around on those sites.

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: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Sep 23 - 04:55 PM

Thompson, sorry to read about the recent COVID infection. It hasn't gone away. I made a lot of masks for friends and family during 2020 and 2021, and as a general thing I wear a mask in public places like the grocery store, the post office, etc. I try to dine in areas with few people and manage that by going in for a later lunch (haven't had dinner out since I can remember.) I also wear masks when I work in the yard if I'm kicking up dust (mowing, etc.). Might as well spare myself the sneezing that comes with the work.

Yesterday's high was very high for September (108^o), it broke records, but the day ended with a powerful thunderstorm passing through and between 1/4 and 1/2 inch falling. What a finale to the heat wave!

We had an impromptu bulky waste deposit happen this morning after that wind storm took out limbs in the box elder tree next door and they fell in my yard. The neighbors and I dragged them out to the curb, then we dragged a limb that fell on the very back of my yard last month, that probably accountable to "sudden limb drop" from the prolonged heat stressing trees so much. I'll take a saw out front later and cut shorter lengths and neaten the stack. The village will pick up bulky materials in our part of the village next week. Excellent timing for a storm.

My ex came by yesterday so I pulled the hard drives from those old towers and everything went into his trunk and off to the city recycle center. The disks will be disposed of next time someone collects that more sensitive data for destruction, probably Earth Day on my old campus (I take stuff to them every year.)

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: Charmion
Date: 09 Sep 23 - 12:21 PM

Wearing a mask is a constant reminder of the threat -- not a bad thing in itself. People convalescing with COVID, or who have merely been in contact with the bug, should wear masks if only to remind them to wash their hands often and keep away from others until they are fully recovered, or they have tested negative throughout the incubation period.

More than a century of clinical experience has shown that masks inhibit the spread of all kinds of diseases, which is why medical personnel wear them when working over open wounds. As an asthmatic of long standing, I appreciate any effort or measure that reduces my exposure to the flipping COMMON COLD, which can reduce me to a quivering, barking wreck in two days flat.

So I'm on Team Mask.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Sep 23 - 10:11 AM

The Cochran report still finds the efficacy of masks inconclusive in slowing the spread of Covid.
For myself there is a scenario where masks are beneficial. It is your or someone else's violent sneeze.

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.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 23 - 12:31 PM

We're at the last of the "heat dome" this week, the forecast from the weekend on includes a chance of precipitation and much cooler temperatures. But yesterday and today ERCOT asks us to not use as much power in the afternoon and early evening, so helping a friend set up a new computer in the second floor of his townhouse was a sweaty job.

Before setup we decluttered a couple of towers and some small devices that were in the kneehole of his desk (in my SUV now, headed to the city recycle center soon). The most recent computer and monitor are set aside for "just in case," the rest can go. We bailed out paper and a gazillion old plugs and extension cords (a couple of cords I should have cut in two right there - they are fire hazards). I made a list and back home last night rounded up a new mouse pad, a couple of newer power strips, and a headphone and mic thing I bought for my laptop but never used. And since during yesterday's setup we misplaced the cable and power cord for his external hard drive, I have the same model here so found a spare power supply (12V - 1.5Amp) and a USB cable - mini-B plug Type-A receptacle - from the stash in my closet. He came over this morning to pick them up since I have the dryer repair this morning. I think you could say we have both decluttered. The power strips would have gone on Freecycle or Facebook. (I've updated 2 of my power strips to have USB charging ports, retiring the others.)

There are clunks and tinny bumps coming from the laundry room as the service tech reassembles the dryer, rounding out a busy week of appointments. The dogs are in the yard and it's in the mid-90s, so they're ok. It's this afternoon's 108 that no one needs to be outside for. This afternoon we'll stay home and putter. I want to do some sewing.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 07 Sep 23 - 10:41 AM

I did have a look at why the editor wouldn’t post. The cause is Mudcat’s sloppy html. The post form      is part in and part out of a table for starters. It works somehow for normal posting but when the extension does its bit, the box we put the replies in doesn’t get sent with the rest of the data. I probably could work round that but I think it would take more effort than I want for what’s only a one off experiment.

I’ve got Dave’s browser tools installed on Firefox.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Sep 23 - 10:04 PM

Do you use any of DaveRo's Mudcat tools? There are threads about them.

I made batch of birthday cinnamon rolls this morning and took some for dessert at lunch with my daughter and ex; sent some home with the ex and took some to neighbors. Giving most of them away means I won't eat them all by myself, but most of my calories today did come from rolls.

This evening I pulled a couple of painted tin bread boxes from the top of cabinets to dust and clean (the one over the top stove needed more work, it has been there for years.) I'll send photos to the kids to see if they're interested in one or both. I have to keep doing this to involve the kids in the decluttering of family antiques.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 06 Sep 23 - 11:00 AM

Well I’ve had a go at a Firefox/Chrome extension to replace the Mudcat reply text area with a ( trumbowyg) wyswig editor. After some struggles, I managed to get the box in (see this png image but it won’t post or preview although the output the editor produces look fine. I think there’s some conflict between the extension code and the Mudcat code. I think I’ll just count this as one of my failures.

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: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 09:24 PM

Yesterday I identified a spot on the soffit where mice or squirrels or anything else can get in through a gap on top of the brick wall (due to settling of the house as the foundation shifts). I'll mix some mortar and drag the stepladder over and fill those crevices to keep them out, but far enough up and back so that when we've had some rain the mortar won't mess up the soffit as the house shifts again. I've also started using a battery-operated transfer pump to empty water out of a rain barrel that I've never completely set up the way it needs to be—it sits in front of a bay window where the splash off of it has rotted a bottom piece of wood. That needs replacing and a repair under the window casing. These are two of a lot of small repairs to perform this fall, but I will wait until the daytime temperatures are better. It looks like next week we'll be closer to "normal."

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 06:29 PM

The Sears tech texted at 3:30 to say he was overbooked, and would come tomorrow. I. Don't. Think. So. He already killed one day. Put me down for Friday.

No pear trees, but I have some little oaks and a redbud tree in pots here that I've struggled to keep alive this summer. I lost a couple, and all are crisp around the edges. Two are destined to go to other yards but they didn't want to try to keep them alive until a good time to plant.

More progress in the kitchen but the six things I put on my little list today went totally undone because of the cancellation (and subsequent trip out - that I cancelled). I've changed the date to tomorrow to try again. Saves a postit note.

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: 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: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 02:45 PM

Thanks, Dorothy!

I am held hostage by the Sears scheduling system. The tech told me last week that he is not able to see his full day's appointments in the morning so it isn't until midday (coming up soon) that he can notify customers when he will be there. So I have waited here this morning when I could have been out at my volunteer gig.

The kitchen is looking better and I've been clearing around the little dining table. In the corner beside the table is a bin for paper recycling, but I've stopped putting mail in it, I'll stick with paperboard and corrugated cardboard. Those seem to be what interest the recyclers the most. I have some jars to fill with things that have been in the freezer (to kill any eggs that might have come along from the store) - beans, flour, pasta, dog biscuits, it all goes in there for a while. All of this happens because there is storage in the Hoosier Kitchen next to the small dining table, as well as my upright freezer. If I ever redesigned this kitchen I'd move the peninsula and extend the cabinets and counters, etc. For now, I use a piece of antique furniture for a lot of useful storage.

I'm waiting till later in the month to get the flu and COVID boosters. And don't confuse this thread for MOAB. :)

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: Donuel
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 01:58 PM

Today I got the flu and RSV shot. The FDA will approve the Covid variant vaccine next week so getting the shot will be up in the air for weeks.

I was wondering, What if artificial intelligence had a conscience?
Would it be ashamed of its creator for the bias and prejudice over meaningless things like melanin and gender?

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: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Sep 23 - 04:14 PM

Small password books can too easily go missing. I helped a friend replace hers in the past - tedious! I have printouts from new sites that are usually screenshots of the account with the information to logon in place (from the screen shot or handwritten) and those are kept in two 3-ring binders. I can go back and easily update passwords and add notes without running out of space on the alphabet page in a little book. Big, but hard to lose. Not taking them anywhere either.

Today has been one for puttering and researching. I've identified the replacement LED light for my upright freezer (it simply shows that it is on and plugged in) and downloaded the manual and schematic. I also browsed through some sewing videos on YouTube, things I'm thinking about trying. And the kitchen is on its way to being much cleaner, with a goal to clear the counters, the peninsula, and the breakfast table.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 04 Sep 23 - 12:40 PM

I didn’t stop with the charts although I thought I would...s I’ve added horizontal bar charts. The latest example page is here. I also had a look at 3d pie charts and stumbled on this site where the chap really has gone to town with his php generated svg charts. I looked at the xml in one of his svg pie charts and that gave me an idea to try although I’m not that pleased with my result.

I don’t know what I’ll try next. I downloaded loads of weather data files from CEDA using “bulk download” link but the files don’t contain much data and I don’t think I’ll bother with it.

I doubt there’s anything anyone would want on my computers but a brother could look through the files if he wished. The photos were an exception that I have dealt with.

I kept my passwords in a book that got lost when I was in hospital . I’m just noting passwords, PIN      numbers, etc. in a text file on my laptop now and I’ll give brothers a print out when I next see them.

I’m feeling too hot today but the temps wont be closet to yours. According to the ”extremes page I made using the met data, the hottest in the UK yesteday was St James Park at 27.8C

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Sep 23 - 11:16 AM

Welcome to the week of overheated birthdays. The triple-digits are dug-in here and despite a tease of "rain" that was actually a visual representation of humidity for today, there are good reasons world-wide for not actually lighting that many candles.

As hot as the afternoons still are, the quality of light changes noticeably this time of year and the mornings are cooler and after dusk becomes tolerable. I've started a several-day job of trimming the tall mostly-dead grass around the front yard and piling bulky waste, with a head start in today's trash by stuffing the can with a couple of clunky metal items (trash pickup is only deferred for Thanksgiving and xmas holidays.)

I hope in a couple of weeks to have small plants to transplant into beds and then in October harvest a few squash and cucumbers. I waited too long, but I may still get something. I've enjoyed fresh pickles all summer made from early summer cucumbers.

Sears has sent me a reminder every day that tomorrow they will arrive to fix my dryer. Clearly they're as excited about the prospect as I am! And a reminder myself to pay the home warranty bill. This year I will have recouped about half the cost of it with the dryer repair, better than the usual no-participation from other insurance policies (no claims means another year of pure profit for those companies. Legalized gambling in all of its complexity.)

Jon, if you've finished with your svg charts, what is your next project? Do you have a record of where all of your files and accounts are? Passwords? I keep meaning to tidy my records and discard the documents from old accounts that no longer exist. My daughter knows where all of this is kept, but knowing where and sorting are two huge different things.

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: 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: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 23 - 10:33 PM

The dogs are washed and there is a pleasant scent of fresh damp dog in the house this evening. I washed Cookie first because though small and the easiest coat to clean, I knew she'd be hard to catch later. Pepper loves the continual banter about how pretty she is and how shiny she'll be and what a good girl she is - and offers kisses any time I get my cheek close. Zeke is now deaf, so he can't hear the talk, so I had to keep getting his attention and offering pats and kisses next to his ear. Maybe he can hear me a little bit if I tell him he's a good dog right into his ear canal.

I offered treats every time I finished washing someone (so I could grab the next collar for another bath) and they love to be bribed. I used to wash the dogs more often until the vet said they really don't need it. My pitbull would hop into the tub when I asked her to.

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: 02 Sep 23 - 06:33 PM

When I was a teen I had several large moles that the dermatologist removed just on general principles. Over the years I've had a couple more removed, but I haven't had that type of mole so much as the usual age spots that still probably need a check. Mississippi is probably as miserable as Texas is this time of year. We're not much closer than Maryland, but if you feel the urge to get out of town and want to drive over for a few days, let me know, you'd be welcome (I have three dogs who are friendly but hairy, so there is an allergy warning to issue.)

I did get to the corner to trim the grass and worked my way down the driveway as far as the extension cord would let me move. The swept up trimmings and some old tomato limbs that had been stacked out front have been tipped into the compost. When I finish my glass of iced tea the dogs are next on my list of things-to-do.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: pattyClink
Date: 02 Sep 23 - 04:13 PM

I usually just get small basal cell cancers that are quickly handled in the dermatologist's office, but lately have 3 that require the "Moh's Procedure" where it's rounds of cutting/checking under the scope.

I perhaps need to move to a twice-a-year checkup from the annual one I had been getting by with.

If you or family are prone to skin cancers, then a regular checkup is a great thing, but I'm not sure you need to get one unless you have some spots you're concerned about.

Am now in Mississippi where my doctor(s) are, not the greatest time of year to be here weather-wise, hoping the 'dome' breaks down soon.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER * Health/Home Ecologic-Innovation *2023
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 23 - 02:29 PM

Patty, we missed hearing about the skin cancer. Reminds me I've been meaning to see a dermatologist "just because," and at my age, hopefully head off anything they might see that I don't detect yet. I hope the one excision gets the whole thing! Are you in Utah now?

Dog baths postponed until today, I'll begin soon. Materials accumulated for the activity (towels, leash, squirt bottle with dilute shampoo) haven't caused alarm so far. Not that they are alarmed, but none of them are fond of that first squirt with the hose. I have to get everyone into the yard and cover the dog door or they'll dash into the house soaking wet and shake off in there. I'll take a bag of treats out with me, to lessen their unhappiness.

This morning I awoke thinking I needed to start trimming in the corner of the yard where my outdoor potting bench sits; as a result, I've worked on cleaning the kitchen. Oh, well. I may still get to that corner, the day is young.

Oh, and Patty, my pool shoes arrived today, they fit, and are in my gym bag. Thanks for that tip!