DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Sep 25 - 11:41 AM

Sandra, what a courteous neighbor!

Unusual couple of days. Midday yesterday the sickly cat was staggering around and had missed his litterbox, I figured he was having a diabetic problem, called the family vet then made the executive decision to take him to the emergency clinic instead. Seems to have been the best choice, he had dangerously low blood sugar and for now he is boarding at the vet because his blood sugar isn't stable. My days just got much easier.

Trimming and mowing are in my near future (getting to it before code enforcement puts a tag on my door). Food preparation. And hopefully, sitting down at the sewing machine. Still skimming only on news, and adding more blocked names to my FB Purity filter. The climate at my part-time employment is suddenly imploding, not sure how this will progress. The trick I have to master is not letting any of these folks live rent-free in my head.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Sep 25 - 07:43 PM

I live in a small apartment block (4 storys, 15 1BR & 4 2BR) & the one across the hall is getting a full reno soon. It was a very cheap Renovator's Dream - remains of original cheap 1978 carpet & doors off some/most? of the cheap 1978 kitchen cupboards, "old fashioned" bathroom with shower over bath (just like mine!) & will be very liveable & trendy when the noise stops. Maybe my heirs will do well with my "renovator's dream" when I pop off the twig!

The new owner is very conscientious & wrote to all the owners & tenants giving his apologies for the future noise & disruption, & his contact details!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 11 Sep 25 - 01:06 PM

The current bout of new hardwood flooring is going into the bedrooms, study, and upstairs hall. Replacing broadloom with hardwood on stairs is apparently a job for a specialist, in this case a guy named Tosh, so that must wait until the early winter — I hope no later. The flooring in the finished part of the basement and the basement stairs is some kind of laminate, maybe engineered hardwood. Marc (not Mike) the contractor told me that “everybody” has laminate or engineered hardwood floors these days, and my project is his first in about eight years with real wood.

As of lunchtime, the wood is down in the study and primary bedroom, and the carpenters were hard at it in the guest room. Eli the painter had the darker green parts of the sitting room and dining room finished and was starting on the rest of the ground floor. He can’t tackle the upstairs until the carpenters have finished on account of sawdust.

My end of Greenboro is not marshy or known for flooding, so I don’t have sump pumps to care for. Thank God for small mercies — but, after Stratford, I’m not ruling anything out. The unfinished parts of the basement show no signs of water damage, so my fingers are crossed.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Sep 25 - 11:14 AM

Will you have just Internet at the house? Wired phones at this point are expensive spam magnets. I've gradually reduced that "birds nest" of wires on the back of the house and am now down to a simple box for the Internet (AT&T fibre optic) and one old Spectrum attachment. I wired inside the house myself so there are data ports in many rooms, all served by a panel in the small pantry near my office. Whoever arrives after me may curse that assemblage of devices.

I have a list of things to do today, starting with okra, but was up so early to try to beat traffic to get to the first feeding I'm thinking a nap may be in order first.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 11 Sep 25 - 10:14 AM

Carpenters upstairs laying hardwood flooring, painter on the ground floor putting on the first coat and muttering about the poor workmanship of every painter before him, and the Bell Canada technician in the basement sorting out a birds’ nest of wire. Noisy.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Sep 25 - 09:42 AM

Weather folks here have noted the unusual absence of hurricanes at what is statistically the height of hurricane season. We've had a remarkably wet summer and cooler than usual, for which we are grateful but I think most of us figure we'll pay for it later in some dreadful way.

This morning's trash included an old broken soaker hose that had loitered on the property in case I wanted to use it to construct a short link in a watering system, but for now I'll stick with the oscillating sprinklers and not run soaker through the garden. Of course I cut off the end of it because it can be used to repair a regular hose (I bequeath all of my hose ends and pieces to my children when I'm gone). When I get back home from cat sitting (there now, tablet in hand, as I wait for the appropriate time to administer kitty chemo, an every-other-day event) comes the okra fest.

Today also starts the work on those decorative iron (except they're aluminum) window covers. I've chosen the kitchen window as my first target because it's smaller than the others but it's also one I look at and out of most often and will be reminded I need to do all of them (because it looks so good - fingers crossed).

Charmion, how many floors are finished now? I think you said you're just doing the upstairs? Does that house have a basement? Any sump pumps to tend to in rainy weather?

Dorothy, where are you in the potting and planting and house revisions in all of the places you travel between?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Sep 25 - 07:59 AM

Sydney has newish light rail (= tracks in the CBD heading out into nearby suburbia on wide roads) as well as traditional CBD underground & on ground rail out to suburbia & beyond, plus a new Metro (= underground for a few miles, then above ground heading to remoter suburbia) plus buses so we are well served for public transport. Living 1 station from the CBD I'm well catered to as all buses to suburbia are just down the road.

some pics Yesterday we (Sydney CBD) had 122mm rain (4"),today 8mm (much less) Yesterday was our wettest day since 1879!!

more pics NSW tornadoes not rare as Sydney records heaviest September rain in 146 years

Everything dried out & we had a bit of rain in the morning as I was heading out, & a lovely day followed. We noted sunbeams coming into the room from the blue sky!

sandra

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Sep 25 - 10:24 PM

Sandra, thanks for posting a photo - I envisioned you stranded in a streetcar (trolley) on a ride home. Climate change is real. There are seasons when I don't carry a leather handbag because they're hard to dry. I hope you're able to recover everything that got soaked.

Today I spent a couple of hours at the museum scanning and caught up on some local news, and I'm planning to get back for a couple of more hours tomorrow or Friday. This evening is getting set up for making more pickled okra tomorrow. My activities are short in duration because of stopping for all of the cat meals, so I've washed all of the jars and it will take two more intervals to do the the trimming of the pods and then the processing.

The next batch will be the last because I don't want to have a backlog, I need to give it all away this fall. I'll be able to give the fresh pods to people until the season ends (or will make the pickles on request if they supply the jars and while okra supplies last).

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 10 Sep 25 - 06:56 PM

will they still talk to you when they leave Cat Paradise?

Heavy rain, flash flooding hits Sydney as SES receives 850 calls for help

Last night as I was going home from Library Craft Group at 7.15 the skies kept opening & my trolley flooded! it's earlier model of this without ties to keep flap over the body Fortunately my craft supplies were in a lovely zipped blanket bag, rescued some time back from bins before the trash was removed! My leather handbag, newspaper & new crossword books were wet, but all dried out. As my elderly trolley is no longer completely waterproof I keep a giant black garbage bag in the trolley for permanent stuff (spare shawl, shopping bags etc) in to & they were in water! Pulling the wet vinyl off the frame & the wet black heavy duty bag out was (not) fun - upending them & finding spaces for them, & soaking full-length raincoat & slightly longer dress & thin puffer jacket with wet sleeves was fun (not) I pull the trolley behind me ...   

Last night I found my large snap fasteners & will sew one on before I leave the Thursday Craft group, eek supposedly in an hour, definitely after sewing, then shower & breakfast. Rain has just stopped - it must just be taking a breath or maybe the clouds are just regrouping. Sydney radar

As always, last night & this morning I think of the people who sleep rough. And we have a lot of homeless people.

sandra

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 10 Sep 25 - 02:15 PM

Nope, no neighbours have shown their faces yet. The family next door has a striking accumulation of large moulded plastic toys, of which several are heaped in front of the garage. The main body of the muddle is in their back yard, however, which makes me think longing thoughts of a new fence.

I would love to have a catio built, but the design of my house doesn’t lend itself to such a project. Serious thought would be necessary.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Sep 25 - 12:37 PM

My late Mudcatter friend Deckman (Bob Nelson) was a carpenter of some renown in his area (with a museum-quality collection of wood-working tools in his garden shed). He also lived near a busy street and was tired of scraping up pet cats, so built a chicken-wire-clad structure of 2x4s that had a wire tunnel boxed in from a bedroom window and included a small tree near the house. Imagine a chicken wire bubble on the side of the house that was a cube up to maybe 10' on each side and tall. They could get out and still stay safe.

Have you met the neighbors yet?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 10 Sep 25 - 11:39 AM

Watson and Isobel are apparently revelling in their access to the “catio” at Cats’ Paradise, where they can hear and smell the world, and threaten the birds and squirrels without any obligation to, you know, catch one.

As for me, I am again spewing money across the landscape. At Home Depot, Cdn$350 bought me a pleasantly unassuming chandelier for the dining room and new locks for the front and garage doors. The dining room fixture that came with the house belongs in a much bigger room, and I have hit my head on it three times, which is quite enough. As for the locks — well, who knows how many keys to this house are out in the wild? I’m not willing to find out the hard way.

Elias the painter is back from Lebanon and prepared to start work tomorrow — what a relief. The colour scheme will be the same as in Stratford: shades of sage green. I’m told that’s fashionable now. Who knew?

Meanwhile, the carpenters are raising Cain with their table saw, power nailer, and rock-n-roll playlist. The study floor was almost finished when I showed up at 0900 hr this morning, and now they’re halfway across the main bedroom. It will be beee-yoo-tiful up there when the tumult and whacking are done, but right now it’s a No Go Zone unless I want to risk a toe.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Sep 25 - 10:59 AM

The drive times for this cat sitting gig mean I drive into the sun at dawn and dusk, and the smears from my attempts to clean the inside of the windshield are most prominent. This morning found me acting on the second part of the Consumer Reports recommendations for clean windshields, at an automotive store picking up an eye-wateringly expensive (when compared to paper towels, newsprint, old dish cloths, or microfiber cloths) chamois to finish the job. It should last forever.

Another small task that I've put off for ages is painting the decorative bars on my house. Charmion moving into a new place has me thinking of what I did when I first took possession here (in addition to building a new garage and remodeling the old one into a hall and two other rooms); things I meant to do it when I moved in but never got around to. A few years ago I bought a quart of flat black latex enamel and stored it somewhere so well that it hasn't turned up since. As I work on improving my mood through small tasks, I think I can do the bars on a single window at a time as time and weather allow - I have 12 windows and two gates. It will take more than a quart, but I'm starting with that. Before each window I'll use a rag and water with a little bleach to wipe them down. The carpenter/painter who initially told me how said to clean them first so mildew doesn't make the paint bubble over time. In the end, they should go from being an ugly gray to an invisible black.

How are the cats doing at their extended-stay cattery?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Sep 25 - 11:50 AM

Pamper the family if you can, Don, and don't make yourself sick doing too much. You're a poster child for why the vaccinations are worthwhile. Charmion, I know what you describe from here. This house was a rental, not updated for about 20 years. I found some interesting stuff stashed in the attic. At least you can work on those things on your own timeline, once the floors are taken care of. I have never completed all of the things I had in mind here. Maybe one day. Your family members must have numbers for a local house cleaner (or crime scene cleanup, depending on the state under the sinks) to do some of that for you? The phone number of a generalist handyman can be priceless.

This week I need to make a major cardboard purge in the front room and run it by the village recycling bins. Now that the vacuum has had all of it's filters and brushes and crevices cleaned out it's grabbing doghair and dust like a champ, and that front room here is the only one that still has wall-to-wall carpeting. Not as bad as shag, but it holds a lot of dust. Even with the doorway blocked dog detritus has drifted in.

Patty, congratulations on finding a good local grocery! And do you have a hardware store, or are you stuck with the big box ones? Mary doesn't drop in often, but I hope she has the same luck in finding a good neighborhood for library, stores, and recreation.

Bearing down on fall (or spring for Sandra) - with all of these moving projects going on, who has plans for indoor projects to do just for pleasure?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Sep 25 - 10:50 AM

My wife and I both got a Covid infection. My wife is very uncomfortable, but my symptoms could not be more mild, with a runny nose and occasional productive cough with no headache or sore throat.
I owe that to vaccinating up to twice a year some years.
Since I am the chief cook and dishwasher, I'm making a super lasagna today.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 09 Sep 25 - 07:12 AM

I finally have a house — still just a house, not yet a home — and yet another contractor in my life. This one is Mike, who popped in to reconnoiter the hardwood floor project yesterday. But my to-do list is extending out beyond the horizon, starting with locating the post office and securing a key to my pigeon-hole in the community mailbox. Oh, and finding said mailbox …

The sellers of my house were landlords, not occupants, and the place shows the effects. First, it’s not clean — the kitchen drawers are full of crumbs, and the cupboard under the sink looks like a lab experiment. The deck out back is just awful, apparently innocent of maintenance for years and years. And the kitchen needs a complete re-think …

The dominant feature of the kitchen is a fancy-ass refrigerator with an ice-maker and cold water dispenser. I disapprove of such complications and would much rather have a plain-Jane fridge that doesn’t require plumbing. And the cabinets are builder-grade MDF designed by the mile and cut off by the yard, so there’s wasted space but not enough room for my stuff. And SIL No. 2 hates the dining room light fixture, which is a very large pendant in a room of modest proportions.

But first things first — floors and walls. Today I must track down Elias the painter, who has been visiting family in the old country, and buy a pack of toilet paper for the good of us all.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 25 - 10:42 PM

I've learned that the last quarter of my year, employment-wise, is going to go through a change. My part of the operation seems to be the most productive of the various venues involved with this site, so while it stays in place, the operation will rotate 180^o. The upcoming changes means things might be easier, after a few months of fixing broken code. I know this is cryptic, but it is good news.

Is it really only Monday? It feels like the week is racing past. Charmion, where are you in the New House exercise? Dorothy, what is going on in Quebec? Who have we missed lately?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 25 - 11:53 AM

Cat sitting this week means I'll get out more. The spider is doing well on her own, seems to have in the last 24 hours caught a small dragonfly (or damselfly) and some sort of flying beetle this morning. She's looking pretty gravid right now, having dated and consumed, by my count, four males so far.

Charmion is getting an absolute fresh start this week, so it will be interesting to see where furniture and possessions go and how much more she decides to unload upon arrival at the new house. There is always problem solving in any home, but the nature of what is shared will probably change. And will there be any new hobbies or use of spaces?

Looks like a lovely week ahead, highs in the mid-90s, into the low-60s overnight. Yard work is in my near future, but so is eBay. I've shipped a couple of items recently, and eBay tells me that my 90-day total is $195. Must keep plugging along clearing out that front room.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Sep 25 - 02:35 PM

Sorry to see that, Don. My youngest got Covid a couple of months ago (for the first time) and even with the vaccinations he still had a very sore throat (that "razor blade" variety.) Can you get Paxlovid for him?

YouTube is there for those jobs the neighbor can't help with (or at least figuring out which professional to call to have things fixed if it doesn't show you how to do it yourself.)

I picked more okra, a cucumber, and a few grape tomatoes this afternoon, then clipped all of the seed pods on the Texas Star Hibiscus. Last week I threw out all of the old seeds collected in years past because while I recognize what they are, most were fairly old. These are bagged and dated. The mature dried okra pods have the year on each with a Sharpie (they keep for a long time). A stink bug hitched a ride into the house in the produce tub, but was incapacitated and flicked into Ms. Argiope's web. I just took a peek - she is enjoying Sunday brunch.

When I reread all of the spider antics it makes me think I need to get out more.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Sep 25 - 02:24 PM

Rats. Our youngest got Covid probably at work, according to a Covid test. I might avoid the hot tub and his room for a week or so.
If you were never vaccinated or infected, it could take 2 weeks to become an effective vaccine.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 07 Sep 25 - 01:19 PM

Happy Birthday!

Had not considered freezing excess wine for cooking, I still have some left from a big party. Will have to try it, a bit of white wine slurpee would go well when sauteeing chicken or fish. Now if it were rose, I'd just go ahead and drink the 'frose' as they call it.   

Have had several more sessions in the yard of goathead digging, probably well over a thousand plants dug up by now, surely a result of last years out-of-hand proliferation.

But, at last the season has turned and the rampant-growth of the summer abruptly ceased, I wonder if these weeds are going by length of day rather than temperature. So now it's down to a couple of patrols weekly, and at better temperatures for working. It'll be interesting to see if the normal harmless desert plants I've been trying to spare will stay and return next year once the goathead competition is gone, and once I stopped letting the neighbor regrade so much of the yard for projects. The pigweed may take longer to beat back, but I'll be ready with acid next time.

The water and sewer are all working well right now; the gate opening motor failed but the neighbor knew how to fix it. Wish there were more reliable units than the ones commonly sold now. When he moves away, I'll either have to learn a very complex system accessed by crawling through a fence and unscrewing (not unlatching) the panel cover, or turn it off and live with manual opening.

Working hard on calorie counting and dropping a few pounds; gradually doing more scratch cooking as needed. Yesterday I stopped at a whole foods co-op and got stocked up on herbs and spices from the bulk jars. Insanely less expensive and fresher than the stuff in grocery stores. Lately people are frugaling out by stocking up on beans and rice, but overlooking the overcharging in the spice aisle.   

Also found that the little grocery in the neighboring town is back in good shape with its influx of energetic student workers, so was able to stock up there without dealing with a big chain store.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Sep 25 - 01:18 PM

The Albertson's pharmacy I go to is in a store that for many years was a Winn Dixie, and before that, it was a Safeway. You can tell by how the building is clad with tumbled river rocks, a feature of those Safeway stores built in the 1960s and 70s. (I've always wondered if they cut each pebble in half to apply to a mortar base, instead of studding a thick base with the whole stones?)

I forgot to mention earlier that when going through the refrigerated tomatoes I found a half-dozen that are good-looking, smaller than tennis balls, for salads. I've boiled some eggs and baked a chicken breast to make a couple of chef's salads this week.

Today looks like it will stay overcast and cool, a good time to take the trimmer out to edge my way around the front yard and driveway, preparing to mow tomorrow.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Sep 25 - 12:38 PM

I got the new variant Covid vaccine and flu shot today at Safeway.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Sep 25 - 11:22 AM

Last night I emptied the fridge of several containers of ripe non-perfect tomatoes to blanch, trim, peel, and puree. I'll make more marinara today to freeze.

For my birthday weekend I opened a bottle of red wine, but half of it has gone into jars in the freezer to use for cooking. A couple of glasses were nice, but an isolated event and I'm going to continue with a dry autumn on general principles. Some of that freezer wine will be spooned into today's sauce; coming from the freezer it has a sorbet consistency, easy to scoop without thawing.

The vaccinations were gentle this time, I have only a slight tenderness at the injection sites, no general body aches, etc.

I'm continuing to make headway as I clear surfaces through the kitchen dining area and the den. We had rain this week so I have to mop up a few muddy footprints.

This week coming up will see Charmion with the keys to the new house, right? Attacking the floors and then moving in. I hope it all goes smoothly! Dorothy, where are you these days? In town or at Beaver? Patty, what is growing in your yard, and did the water line/pump/septic/whatever systems all get sorted out? (Head's up - in the fall the tarantulas go walkabout, so give them a wide berth and they'll continue to be beneficial critters on your property.) Sandra, how are your hand/wrist/fingers?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 25 - 07:29 PM

I kind of felt like a bag lady at a late lunch today, digging through my bag (and SUV console) for stashed bills to pull together a couple hundred to hand my daughter for her birthday gift. Her favorite boots tore in an odd spot and the boot repair place told her there wasn't a way to repair that (except glue, but it wouldn't last long). Dawned on me that this would be a practical gift, so when she looked up the company and style from when she bought them a few years ago on her phone, I dug around for cash. PayPal wasn't cooperating to transfer funds, but the old green spends just as well.

We are due for some weather this weekend. Suits me fine, to stay in and enjoy the rain. I may need the downtime because this afternoon I got both my seasonal flu shot and the newest COVID booster.

The Shark vacuum needs its occasional complete cleanout and soaking the foam filters inside. Then I'm going to tackle the front room, rearrange eBay items, dog beds, and flatten many more boxes. An early start on "fall cleaning," if there is such a thing. A gift to myself in my goal to eventually move bedroom furniture out of the sewing studio.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Sep 25 - 03:55 PM

Another roofer confronted this afternoon across the street (the same company from last week where a shouting match ensued). I called Pearlie and asked about the ladder leaning on the front of her house, she said her husband had told them to go look (he has dementia, does not remember he's not supposed to say yes to anyone at the front door who is soliciting). The truck and folks came back as we spoke and since Pearlie is in a wheelchair and can't easily get to the door I put her on speakerphone and we spoke to the roofing pitch woman, who agreed to put their house on their "no soliciting" list. I think we need to make a sign to go on the front door as well. (I initially called about the ladder because I was afraid John might have gone on the roof himself!)

Seedlings pulled and cut in the back yard, only one puncture wound on some wrought iron that has a spur out of sight. Good thing I got my tetanus shot a couple of months ago. (I recently read an account of the death of Brooklyn Bridge designer John Roebling from tetanus - it was slow and dreadful.) Anyway, that was hot sweaty work but is checked off of my to-do list. I sprayed some blossoms on the tomato plants to see if a few more will set fruit. Last time I sprayed it started raining heavily moments later, so no fruit from that episode. I'm about ready to make more pickled okra. This may be the extent of my canning for this year.

Today I'll make another pass through the email and unsubscribe more political sites. The redundancy is clear, I don't need the repeated Trump crime family news.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: keberoxu
Date: 04 Sep 25 - 02:18 PM

Happy Birthday, Charmion!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Sep 25 - 10:47 AM

Sounds good - so Charmion doesn't have to throw in the towel as far as continuing her fitness activities! (And happy birthday!)

Headed out with a sharp shovel and pruners to dig out seedlings along the fence line and in the dog kennel. They're looking pretty ratty out there and are some of them too robust to knock down with the string trimmer.

Most of August I was making my half-size recipe of bread pudding (four servings). It was my treat to myself instead of having a glass of Scotch. Now to get past the bread pudding and to a lower calorie count in general. I've been low-carb all along, but I'd like to lose the five pounds I gained when the PMR started. Letters to the two state senators went out in today's mail, I still have to write to the congressman and I'll call each office (the fools in DC are going to let private companies run AI pre-approvals or decline Medicare procedures - and keep the savings. How could that possibly do anything but get people killed?) You see that it is a delicate balance to stay politically engaged but not set off the blood pressure and PMR.

Now to the garden.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 04 Sep 25 - 09:21 AM

Charmion, you may borrow one of my OG 107 towels till you have access to yours again. ;)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 03 Sep 25 - 12:45 PM

To the bank again this morning for a draft with which to pay the movers — way too much for any other payment method available to me right now — and then to the post office to send it off to London (Ontario) by express post. “When would it get to London?” I asked the sweet young thing behind the counter. “Which London?” she asked in reply, quick as a flash. Ah, said I to myself, I’m back in the big city.

Then I went to the community centre around the corner from my new house and paid for a full-access pass good for a year. With the 20 percent veterans’ discount, it costs about the same as the YMCA in Stratford. I’ll have to retrieve my workout wear and at least one towel before I can start using the facilities, but I don’t want to put it off too long. It’s far easier to break a good habit than a bad one.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 25 - 10:49 PM

I've never thought of having the post office hold onto boxes. How did you stumble onto that? Are they General Delivery?

This evening there are two jars of fresh pickles cooling on the counter, made from the variety that aren't giving a bitter flavor. A bunch of old cucumbers were chopped into pieces and composted, and still lots in the fridge. Tomorrow I need to pull out all of the bowls of tomatoes and make more sauce, clearing at least one shelf-worth of space.

Blood work this afternoon with a phlebotomist with a magic touch, no nasty prick when she started. I'll go back there again. I asked her about her history, she started in 1991 "back when we were still learning about AIDS." She has had a lot of practice. The next needle I confront will be the new COVID vaccine. Soon, I hope, before they are banned by the two administration idiots practicing medicine without a license.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Mary G
Date: 02 Sep 25 - 09:50 PM

I won't be moving until towards the end of september. my sister and her grandson came down and moved my more important papers etc. I have a carload (not a great car so I am hoping for best) of rolling carts etc. ready to go. I got super smart and thought why don't I mail a bunch of boxes --i can have post office hold for seven days or long if i pay more. that frees up so much logistical anguish. I tutor six days a week and that complicates the move so much, especially since i have to have internet the second i finally move, but like people suggested there are probably internet sites available in centralia. i have seen a similar apartment but not this one but agent says it is nicer than first, although a bit more expensive. Everything is packed other than the flotsam and jetsam. I am looking forward to it all except the computer stuff.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 02 Sep 25 - 05:34 PM

Brother Andrew and SIL No 1 are taking me out for dinner at a fish place on my birthday, which is the day after tomorrow. But apart from that I’m all business this week.

Today I dealt with the bank and Bell Canada, which is the better (for me, at least) internet provider here. I also tried to straighten out my account with the company that manages the bus pass system for OC Transpo, the local public transit outfit, but failed because I could not persuade their website to cooperate with my iPad, even via Chrome instead of Apple’s native Safari browser.

So I gave up, having had enough bureaucracy for one day.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 25 - 01:42 PM

This morning I did a surgical thinning in the cucumbers, removing two of the four vining plants. One of them offered a parting gift of the largest cuke to date, a big honker tucked in behind a low wall of stones that edge the garden. The dead vines wilt very quickly and I'll cut and pull them out. It seems proximity to other plants is also part of the bitter taste problem, and they've intertwined. Who knows if pruning this late in the season will help. Adding calcium to the tomatoes helped the blossom end rot within a couple of weeks, so I have my fingers crossed.

This is the week between my daughter's and my birthdays, so it's a kind of lazy time and we'll plan to do a celebratory lunch soon. Charmion also has a birthday coming up - anything special going on? Choosing paint colors for the new bedrooms? Window coverings for the front of the house? Or do you have a plan to actually pamper yourself after the huge amount of work you've accomplished this summer?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Sep 25 - 01:06 AM

The jars of okra are lovely and now labeled. They need to sit for a few weeks before the flavor is mature, then will be given to the usual folks who like them.

I'm wondering if Mary G got herself moved to the new place in Centralia? A new month may mean a new lease? And how did the move go? Is the car still running?

Today's holiday was a day for self-care, but I am working on letters for my representatives. Since we had a couple of intense rainstorms today I think not going to the Labor Day march was probably a good idea.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to sort out my cucumbers - they're bitter, and it seems to have to do with the amount of water they're getting. I thought they were too wet, but apparently not. And they don't like competition (I have four vines on the same general area). I may need to remove a couple and see if that helps.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Aug 25 - 04:43 PM

There will be quite a haul going out to the curb in the trash tomorrow (few holidays off for those folks - this one they'll be working). I've accomplished a lot (not a lot by Charmion standards, but a lot for around here on a typical weekend). Next week is our quarterly bulky waste and I have some limbs to trim for that larger trash pickup.

The hot water bath is almost boiling, the brine and jars are ready, and the assembly of pickled okra is about to begin. These will be gifts for friends and neighbors, I'm not a huge fan of it myself. This is much easier now that I've cleared equipment off of the counters on both sides of the stove.

Tomorrow I start tapering the prednisone, down by one milligram, and tomorrow are Labor Day protest events - I have to pace myself to be able to protest and not bring back the PMR.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Aug 25 - 11:33 AM

I love your description of the changing soil, rock, and forest types as you traveled. Recognizing the landscapes and smells you imprinted on years ago is the visceral part of going home again. Whether you can do the Thomas Wolfe part of the move is a separate issue.

The utility cart was offloaded and moved out and stuff is on the work surface or bottom shelf of the potting bench, with some free space for working on the bench. Interesting that without the cart there the view from the kitchen is clear into the sunroom, making the whole area feel larger and more open.

Time to start pickled okra. I have the ingredients and may get five or six jars from what I have picked now. This is another small batch product, make it while the pods are their freshest.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 31 Aug 25 - 11:28 AM

Sandra in Sydney, don't get too far out in front. It's a good idea to wait until the first snow to bid farewell to seasonal allergies around here.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 31 Aug 25 - 11:25 AM

That "salient" goes by the name (to geologists) of "the Frontenac Arch"; it's unusual enough to have been deemed a UNESCO Biosphere_Reserve.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 31 Aug 25 - 09:39 AM

bye-bye hay fever!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 31 Aug 25 - 09:27 AM

Sitting on Brother Andrew’s sofa after another sound sleep, deep into my second cup of coffee, I realize that I’m recovering from months of low- to high-grade anxiety. I have little to do next week, as I don’t take possession of the new house until 8 September, so I can fart about with stupid stuff like updating my bus pass and ordering new cheques — while acknowledging that only Olde Phartes still use cheques. (They’re handy for major money moves like paying the contractor who just repaired your foundation.)

Once east of Toronto and heading through Frontenac County on the 401, I was struck by how different the landscape is from the inter-lakes region of southwest Ontario. The massed trees are darker and greyer, due to the prevalence of conifers in the mix and the lack of broadleaf hardwoods like walnut, chestnut, hickory, sycamore and the larger species of oak. The rocks and soil are greyer, too, and the fields are stony — Frontenac is a salient of Canadian Shield that extends to Lake Ontario, separating the Ottawa Valley from the rest of the province.

It’s not the smiling, fertile countryside of Wellington and Perth counties, where the farmers are millionaires despite being deep in perpetual debt, but it’s home.

Incidentally, now that I’m back on my native heath, my hay-fever is backing off. When I got up today, my nose wasn’t even itchy, let alone dripping, and I’m not coughing so badly.

Off to a good start, then.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Aug 25 - 01:21 PM

Indeed! I believe we were collectively holding our breaths until we heard from you at the next stop in this relocation journey.

Heavy rain here today, but a two-run cat gig came up and I've been navigating roads with ponded water. Since I was out I stopped for dog food for the fussy one, and back here, had to go pick okra. Everything else can wait a day, but not okra. Another trip in an hour with a couple of stops and I'm in for the long weekend.

As I described on the Win10 thread, while trying to install the new mouse to work on the old computer I found a way to upgrade it (even offline). And out of curiosity plugged in the ethernet cable and after six years mute, it connects! The upgrade obviously repaired the dodgy setting that refused to connect after three repairs. I don't want this computer online all of the time so got a WiFi adapter that I can plug in when I want to tie into the home network (the ethernet cable was a tripping hazard). It results in two extra older computers that can't be updated to Win11. Oh, well.

Last night I purged a lot of old stuff on the sunroom potting table and adjacent rolling restaurant kitchen cart, and hope to compress the contents so I can retire the cart. Tossed dozens of old seed packets in a large IKEA sock sorter, ancient bottles of dried up stuff, and a gazillion sprinkler and hose accouterments. The cart will go into the garage. The sorter, a water transfer pump, and more are on a growing stack I'll offer first to my daughter, then to the buy nothing group.

Since I'm sure my friend will never read this, I'll note that the little kitty is failing pretty fast now. He's to the point of getting subcutaneous saline twice a week to help clear his kidneys, on lots of medications, and is now refusing most food, even with the application of an appetite stimulant. The fridge has more than a half-dozen plastic covered plates of food he didn't finish and lots of cans she tried to tempt him with. He's not in pain and he still enjoys cuddling, so no judgement here.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: keberoxu
Date: 30 Aug 25 - 09:22 AM

Well done, Charmion!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 30 Aug 25 - 08:55 AM

I arrived bang on time at Brother Andrew’s house yesterday (in the shank of rush hour), and slept soundly for what feels like the first time in weeks. It’s raining in Ottawa and a bit chilly, just as well because I have no particular place to go until this afternoon when I should run out to the cattery with food for Watson and Isobel and, incidentally, to check up on my furry house-mates.

Other than that, nothing to report but another tactical bound completed.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 29 Aug 25 - 07:37 AM

Bonne route!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Aug 25 - 04:09 PM

Enjoy those air miles!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 28 Aug 25 - 03:22 PM

Nous vous attendons !

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 28 Aug 25 - 02:44 PM

On my last day in Stratford, a classic heavy lake-effect squall rolled into town and dumped lots and lots of water on us while I was trotting around doing my last errands. Fortunately I was wearing a Marmot rain jacket, but I don’t have rain pants so I returned to Ruth’s house in dripping jeans.

The house money has landed, so I paid off my bloated credit card bill.

Tomorrow promises to be as wet as today. Okay, that’s just my luck. Let’s hope that the 401 between Kitchener and the entry to 407 is not totally choked … But who am I kidding? The Friday before Labour Day is always mad. Wish me luck!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Aug 25 - 02:28 PM

My home is located in a spot convenient to the highway - until it isn't. As I left for an appointment 5 minutes away I realized the freeway westbound was a parking lot because of an accident near the highway entrance. So onto the frontage road and finally to the parallel road to head west, but just as the light changed to let me escape the neighborhood, the rail road bars came down for a long freight train and I had to again turn around and get to a bridge across the tracks. Past the high school out for lunch. 30 minutes later I was too late for my appointment. Ugg. At least I was next to the pet store for new collars and got gas or the trip would have been a total waste.

The score today is 50/50 for the things I planned and the things that fell through. I think I need a nap.

The SUV is looking good and I'll finish that vacuuming this afternoon.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Aug 25 - 10:50 AM

I saw my pharmacist yesterday and using speculative math he guesses as early as the first week in September they might see some doses delivered to the store.

Not how I intended to spend the day so far, but this morning I dressed in gardening stuff and gave Cookie a bath out in the yard. Pepper's bath can wait till I'm back home from running around (and to the list of stops I'll add the pet store for new collars).

I checked out the garage carefully last night, but it seems there was no skunk activity inside. The vacuum cleaner is still out there after starting cleaning the SUV.

Is the house officially handed over, Charmion?

MaJoC, thanks for the tip. I hadn't plugged it in again yet to see what is on it. I suspect Windows wiped it before loading the OS.