DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - 2026

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 22 Sep 25 - 05:24 PM

The painter was touching up trim even as the movers hauled in the furniture. I hope never to see that dance again.

Team Testosterone — beefy Marcel and his nephew Emmanuel — arrived at 1045 hr and immediately began imposing order on the chaos. The too-tall bookcases are now in the garage — and no, there isn’t room for them anywhere else in the house. A big, fancy, Victorian bookcase with glass doors lives on the ground floor, and an even bigger but more prosaic Victorian bookcase with no doors occupies most of one wall in the study upstairs. There’s also a half-height bookcase topped with a marble slab in the dining room. It has cookbooks in it.

The old bookcases, made of walnut and maple, are much stronger than modern ones made of veneered particle board. I keep art books, bound volumes of “Punch” from the Great War, atlases, a massive leather-bound family Bible, and other heavy, large-format volumes in the one with doors. The other one holds music and reference books, plus whatever history doesn’t fit elsewhere.

The storage area that takes up the half of the basement that isn’t the bunker is full of boxes ranging in size from 5-cu dish barrels (four of them!) to 1-cu book boxes. Stuff that came from Stratford in Rubbermaid bins is stashed on plywood shelving along the wall, and everything else is neatly stacked where I can get at it. The washing machine, dryer and freezer are all accessible — hooray!

Speaking of the bunker, eight large picture boxes are leaning against the wall where the bookcases were supposed to go. I haven’t even thought of unpacking them yet.

And the books — packed in six 2-cu boxes and three 1.5-cu boxes — are lined up along the railing that separates the dining room from the stairs down to the bunker. They’re safe and out of the gangway. Can’t say fairer than that.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Sep 25 - 02:51 PM

As it happens I have a bottle of "Super C" with D3 and zinc, so have taken an extra one today (I usually cut them in half). And will drink more fluids (it isn't quite as hot right now so I haven't been as thirsty, so that was a good reminder, thank you!) I'll save the outdoor work for a few days, now that the more urgent mowing job is finished.

There's a map I've seen (this isn't it, but might offer some useful information: Texas Minerals Resource Map) with the various gems and minerals to be found around Texas. I was interested many years ago to learn that the area around Amarillo has some of those intrusions of igneous into metamorphic and there are ruby and garnet (metamorphic minerals) in the area. It has to do with an ancient submerged mountain range that is exposed at the current surface in a few areas. I think I saw the map in a rock shop in Amarillo, when I was in the area researching the Alibates Flint Quarries. Adding "rockhound" to the search helped. This guy might have some breadcrumbs to follow. This one has map coordinates. Something to keep in mind next time I visit out in West Texas. Road cuts can be wonderful! :)

How's the house coming along, Charmion? Is the painting finished?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 22 Sep 25 - 12:54 PM

When I saw "Graphic Mine", I envisioned miners chipping art work out of the rockface. I shall now go and hide.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 22 Sep 25 - 12:43 PM

I'm a little alarmed about your infection. Are you taking zinc and C at least twice a day to help your immune system do battle? Please rest and push fluids if you're not feeling well yet, many of the chores can wait.

I have acquired several topos for my home area, but they are no longer $2 so I don't have a huge collection. They are invaluable, though not always perfect, and the more recent ones are often sparse and junky so it's good to download the older ones. Blessedly the USGS has finally gotten their online mapping portal to be convenient, you can now choose your own rectangle and download and print little maps of select areas, very handy if your target falls across 4 quads.

I don't see any explanations of the Graphic Mine name, I guess I am used to random names being given to mines so I did not inquire. No, it is not normally a term used synonymously with lead deposits, at least in my experience. There is something called graphic granite but it doesn't occur here.

A lot of our mines are indeed located at igneous intrusions, often monzonite, with associated faults which host accumulations of ore minerals. The host rock here is hard limestone, and one collector found a complete horn coral replaced by smithsonite.

Here's a couple links about the mine and district.

Graphic Mine

Magdalena history

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Sep 25 - 12:00 PM

Patty, a couple of questions. Where does the name "Graphic" come from in the mines? Lead is found along with other igneous minerals, sphalerite, etc, and it sounds like you were picking up a mix of igneous and sedimentary minerals. Is that area an igneous intrusion through sedimentary rock? I've picked up specular hematite also, and it kind of looks like molybdenum (igneous), but in different areas. I'm jumbling together a lot of my rock collecting memories here, not necessarily adding clarity to the question. :-/ "Graphite" and "graphic" aren't interchangeable for a lead ore, are they?

Do you have topographic maps of all of the areas you go exploring to use in conjunction with the tablet app? (I carried them around for years as a mountain climber/back packer, and when I worked for various national parks and forests.) I love topo maps. In the mid-1970s I was working for the Forest Service on the establishment of a new wilderness area in the Cascades (Alpine Lakes). It was a land exchange on a large scale and we had to look at historic maps to identify all of the mines and any other claims. Those old maps were amazing. We also got to go out occasionally with an archeologist to look at sites on the ground that might need special protections. Mostly it was an office job, planimetering on maps to establish the value of the various types of forests being traded. I haven't thought about that in a very long time.

The cat bite is at an achy stage, where I'm trying to get it to heal and not somehow fester or get worse despite the antibiotics. A hot compress this morning to boost the area circulation. And the friend (who I didn't visit with in person when she got home) is now testing herself for Covid as symptoms arise following the weekend with people and two airline flights (that included a 6-hour delay at the airport on the way out). That weekend, with all of the cat hospital bills, is a gift that keeps on giving.

In this week following my tumultuous weekend I consider it a win that I got the trash down to the curb before the truck made the rounds.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 22 Sep 25 - 12:06 AM

Had a good field day at the Graphic Mine. Splendid weather and views. The tailings were on the picked-over side but plenty of material for micromounts. A little smithsonite, some small malachites, a bit of azurite, lots of specular hematite, some teeny pyrites that may do well under the microscope. A couple of flaky friends were too late for the trip up the mountain so I rode with a very high level collector, which was pretty lucky and educational. He is trying to get in 2 field trips a week. I may never get there, but I do want to get moving now that the weather is moderating, snakes be damned.

On the way home took the back road through Reserve and it was peaceful and scenic.

Today I finally loaded OnX Hunt on a tablet, it offers aerial photos and land-ownership maps, very helpful for staying out of trouble when finding mines in the wild. Regrettably it does not have contours, section lines, or the other good things on USGS topos. So, I'm hand coloring the ownership status on the paper topos I have for my first few expeditions. I've already marked up mine locations (which are not always correct but it's a start).

Now all I need is time and better weather, so maybe next week. There was standing water in my road and drive when I got back, first time ever. I have a few unsuspecting friends who seem willing to go along so I'll not be 4WDing in strange places alone.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Sep 25 - 10:57 PM

Charmion, did you measure other spaces around the house and determine that there was no other place suitable for your slightly too tall bookcases? No possibility of the basement as a place for the existing shelves for storage?

In the house where I grew up the previous owner had a new set of kitchen cabinets (cupboards below, counters, and cupboards above) built and moved the former (almost identical) set into the basement. We never really used them for much down there but they fit and if we'd done craft activities there they they would have been perfect. The story goes that the owner was a woman who was under 5' tall and she wanted everything scaled down. When we moved in we were tall and all suffered with her low work surfaces, but because of the cost never considered swapping them out. The main bank of them must have been 15-20 feet long and 8-9 feet tall, built as a single unit.

This afternoon when I walked into the pharmacy the pharmacist was surprised that I actually brought in okra. It turns out that he lives with his extended family (Vietnamese) and they love okra. So the ~ pound or two that I had in a bag won't be too much, it will be a nice meal for everyone. I gather their preferred preparation is roasted or grilled and then there is a sauce they use for dipping it.

Lovely rain tonight. I did a quick mow this afternoon to knock down the tall autumn wild grasses in the yard that sprouts 12 to 24" above the surrounding turf. The rain will wash away any clippings I didn't sweep up.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 21 Sep 25 - 06:00 PM

I have been a busy beaver today, and my feet are complaining as a result.

The cat doors have been installed. Marc the carpenter showed up at 0915 hr with the appropriate tools and got it done in less than an hour. But then I had to break down the emptied boxes and bag the packing paper — a surprisingly demanding task. It had to be done, however, as hired muscle is due tomorrow morning to move the too-tall bookcases out to the garage, whence they can be moved on to new people. Then the basement storage area must be rationalized to allow stowage of five boxes of repacked china and kitchen traps and access to (I think) six 4-cu boxes of who knows what. Finally, the boxes of books must migrate from the centre of the living room floor to a less-travelled spot. After doing a number on my right leg from just shoving a stack of three of those boxes, I’m leaving that task to the testosterone team.

So now I’m settled in the comfy chair with Watson purring in my lap and a substantial mug of beer. This basement retreat space isn’t a “lounge” — I think “bunker” is more like it. I’m relaxing in my bunker.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Sep 25 - 12:16 PM

By bedtime last night the hand was uncomfortable and swollen, but ice and the antibiotics helped and today it looks and feels much better. Now for a week of probiotics to counteract the medication.

The season is changing, not just the calendar. It was a remarkably mild summer here but I still had the usual extra large water sources for the dogs. Now I'm stepping those down and will soon get out the extra dog beds (in the summer they prefer sleeping on the cool tile floors.) It helps to rearrange the furniture some so those beds don't become tripping hazards.

In the past I've fussed about the dissolving plastic pods for the washer and dishwasher. I bought the Kroger powered dishwasher detergent and it doesn't do the job as well as the name-brand product in pods or the Kirkland pods. I recently found that Cascade still sells powder in cardboard boxes (not carried in most stores, but Walmart and Amazon have it). I got a box and it works much better, so that research has concluded. I still have a couple of envelopes of the laundry sheet detergent, but when that draws down I'll look for the Arm & Hammer dry in a cardboard box.

I'm to the point where the only sparking water I drink is in aluminum cans or glass bottles. I can't avoid plastic for bottled water, but I don't drink that often, I have it around to hand out as needed. (For tap water I usually go for "still water" - fill a pitcher and let it stand for a few hours so the chlorine dissipates.)

Let's see if I get anything accomplished today.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Sep 25 - 08:07 PM

Keberoxu, that will be perfect. A comfortable chair and a lamp nearby are simple pleasures for the reader (or TV viewer, or jigsaw puzzler, if a table is nearby). And hopefully great books to read in the bookshelves.

After the minor emergency clinic visit I called the pharmacy about picking up the Rx; I dashed across town and he stayed open a couple of minutes late so I could pick up the antibiotic. I asked him if he likes okra, and he does indeed, so tomorrow I will swing by with a generous portion of fresh organic okra as a thank-you. The Rx is inexpensive but the need to take it in a timely way is important, so that small gesture was a great gift from him. The offer of excellent garden produce is a tip that flies under the radar.

So it turns out I have the evening and tomorrow off, and Saturday nights are when PBS plays a couple of favorite programs. I just realized this week that the star of My Life is Murder is the goddess Lucy Lawless. Yes, please, it's nice to see a powerful woman in her 50s or beyond still starring in programs. It plays on Saturday night, followed by Death in Paradise, where last week Humphrey stopped in after Richard's unexpected departure (no spoilers here!) I'm not a huge fan of Doc Martin that follows, so my Saturday mystery viewing usually ends when he comes on (I think that characters who make me squirm remind me too much of myself, hence not enjoying those programs.)

Tomorrow - painting and mowing.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: keberoxu
Date: 20 Sep 25 - 06:09 PM

I'm a long way from chasing things that bite back.

Today I rearranged furniture in the tiny living room.
I moved the bookcase and the four-drawer filing cabinet to opposite sides of the room.
This opens up space for me to acquire some sort of comfy chair,
I don't have one, I only have uncomfortable chairs (side table chairs).

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Sep 25 - 05:16 PM

Pace yourself! TV remote in hand you have the world at your fingertips. :)

This morning I received a message that the two cats at home that haven't eaten for 24 hours and someone vomited blood, needed to be taken to the weekend vet, per instructions from the regular vet (whose office closes early on Saturday.) Catching those cats meant planning ahead - covering some exit routes (cat flap to porch), closing doors, and having the crates ready to go. The first cat was relatively easy, after a couple of misses.

The calico, not so much. She's the one who never lets me touch her, so chasing her from a deep and very full closet to under a large bed (with cat stuff under it), back to the closet, again the bed, and FINALLY cornered her in the master bathroom, captured with a towel, and crated. She gave me a hard bite in the closet, so now that I've been home (after a couple of hours at the vet) I'll head out to the minor emergency clinic for an antibiotic (I called my orthopedist to see if I needed anything different for the bite now that I have knee replacements.)

This wasn't how I planned to spend the day, but on the bright side, I don't have to go feed the cats any more this afternoon or tomorrow. Their owner will retrieve these two plus the one she boarded when she gets home tomorrow afternoon. I told her that since the cats are now in good hands she needs to enjoy the rest of the family party and have some wine.

The fee, paid in advance for the weekend, will not be refunded. I don't think I'll have a cost at the clinic (she would pay it), but the rest can cover hazardous duty. She can never catch that calico, usually has the vet tech come do it, so was amazed I accomplished it. I guess I'm as stubborn as that cat.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 20 Sep 25 - 03:30 PM

Found the TV remote!

And unpacked three more boxes to do it. I am now back in the comfy chair.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 20 Sep 25 - 01:57 PM

This morning was spent productively unpacking two 4-cu boxes and repacking four boxes with kitchen traps, china, and glassware that I want to keep but currently have no space for in the kitchen. None of this would have happened without the participation of SIL No. 1, who arrived toward the end of my first cup of coffee and slugged it out to lunch time.

Now I’m trying and failing to persuade my eight-year-old Bose Wave SoundTouch IV “music system” — what they say now instead of “stereo”) to connect to the house wifi. I would do a deep dive for advice into the Bose users’ discussion pages if only I had found the power cord for the desktop computer — but I haven’t. I also have yet to find the remote for the TV set, which is inoperable without it.

And my back is sore, which means no more unpacking today if I wish to be good for anything tomorrow.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Sep 25 - 11:20 PM

I hope you're feeling better, Patty. Around here allergies seem to be causing a lack of perkiness in a couple of friends. It's fun to poke around on maps looking for locations like mines and I see several in the area you mention. Please let us know what kind of minerals you find.

The friend I cat sit for was stuck at the airport for about six hours as they tried to fix a phone line glitch that stalled traffic at the local airports. I'm wondering if it was a regional outage—shortly after I heard her plane was finally boarding I was at a local grocery and had two credit card declined. Their system seems to have been down, though my debit card worked. When I got home I checked and no problems. I quipped to the clerk that I've said nasty things about Donald Trump, but these days one wonders. . .

Today I looked at stove hood vents online; there are some cheap ones and some nice ones that aren't cheap. I'm going to take down my existing one and give it a good cleaning again (including the motor) and see if that helps with the noisy episodes (sounds like an out-of-balance flywheel and screeches like a banshee at times).

Five more jars of fresh pickles packed tonight and okra distributed to neighbors. The cucumbers are slowing down, the okra is speeding up.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 19 Sep 25 - 12:00 PM

Have had some rough patches to deal with here, including an infection caused by a subpar new doc (ex-doc now). Still not feeling perky, but unfortunately the traditional 3rd-weekend field trips wait for no man. So I am heading up to Socorro, and will visit some old mines tomorrow in Magdalena.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Sep 25 - 11:35 AM

I have wondered about her also. I found her last post on that stay afloat thread (that is now closed so it won't accidentally go away if it's too long) and posted her remarks from there in your stay out of trouble thread. Her last Mudcat post as a logged in member was Oct. 24, 2024.

Offered a few things via my FB donate group, after clearing some varieties of black tea that I don't drink now. I still have plenty of them for visiting family to choose from, this is the overage. Makes more room on the tea cart. I also offered up some dried large garlic flowers that are spectacular and have woody stems. Someone could spray paint them gold or in a day-glo color and make some eerie arrangements if they want, or leave them as is and they look interesting.

Another cat sitting gig, fraught with cats who are refusing to eat. (Theory - one caught a bug at the vet and brought it home to the others.) The most sickly of the lot has gone to board at the vet, the other two we'll just see. They're not on the brink of starvation so a couple of days of modest portions won't hurt them.

My new mouse has an annoying habit of skipping between tabs if I push the select button somewhat to the side accidentally. It also reduces the print size. I haven't figured out how to stop it from doing that. One more little glitch to keep in mind while I'm getting to the point where I must upgrade to Win11; that will be a lost weekend with reinstalling all of this stuff. Yuck. Not this weekend, though.

This week has been a miasma of political churn and I'm already not enjoying the effects of the low dose of prednisone I have to take; I don't want to have to increase it if the stress brings back the PMR. I'll unsubscribe from a whole bunch more email places and will try to limit what jumps up at me from the screen.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: keberoxu
Date: 19 Sep 25 - 10:32 AM

Talking of people we have not heard from,
I think of Eliza/Senoufou,
who at last report was waiting for gall bladder removal surgery.
That was quite some time ago. Hope she is all right.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 18 Sep 25 - 07:33 PM

I declared a work stoppage today to rest my back, which is sore but not in a way that worries me. The stairs specialist arrived when I was still in my nightie with my hair on end and a cup of coffee in my hand, and proceeded to measure the stairs and make paper patterns while telling me about his dare-devil military friends — a bit of a gushing fan-boy. I don’t care about his fantasy life, just the stairs and getting the blasted broadloom off them. I found him amusing, however. Also easy on the eyes.

This afternoon I visited my “money guy” — aka “financial advisor” but actually stockbroker. Under Canadian law, this is the year when I must convert my Registered Retirement Savings Plan to a Registered Retirement Income Fund and start drawing an annual percentage of the savings Edmund and I worked for decades to accumulate. I live very comfortably on my pension, so I guess it’s time to plan that Rhine River cruise I have been considering lo! this long time. (I get miserably seasick in any vessel that traverses a body of water big enough to allow passengers to see the horizon. I should be okay on a river.)

It’s only 7:30, but I’m bushed. I’ll finish tidying up the contents of my chest of drawers, which were churned by careless and sometimes downright violent handling by the movers, and then just go to bed.

Back in my own bed. Hmmmmm … delicious.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Sep 25 - 12:06 PM

The current paint job requires reaching around the back of bars that cover the windows in a gap of only 1.5 to 2 inches. The thought of creating some kind of small fabric swatch to wrap around a gloved finger to run down the length of the back of the bar led to the realization that I could do that with an old toothbrush - either paint with the brush, or run rag around the brush head and use it. I've concluded that an oil-based paint will last the longest so picked up Rust-oleum.

I think I've concluded the last of the birthday gifts for myself this month by taking my antique Persian carpet in to have the trim repaired on each end, and I'm doing it now while the tile floor is warm and I won't miss it too much. I also used a coupon from DSW to pick up a pair of Sketcher slip-ons (that can go through the wash!) and a cash gift from a friend went to one bottle of my favorite Scotch that will be an infrequent treat now that I'm mostly off of alcohol. I had some wine recently and can see the (sulfites) effect on my skin, so that's over with.

In the kitchen the new stick blender arrived and the part of the old one that was worn out is in the trash. I took a look inside and could see how unsanitary it had become and hard to clean. Good riddance, but that motor still works for the little food chopper bowl attachment and a whisk. I looked at the basket in the kitchen cart where that blender usually lives on top of various types of tea and tossed a bunch of really old tea bags and have set aside some bulk black tea I don't drink to give away in the Buy Nothing group.

Mary, how is the move progressing? Did you finally land an apartment? Dorothy, how is everything at your various residences? Are the seasons beginning to change? Keberoxu, are you settled in and did you finish moving boxes to your storage locker? Sandra, how is your wrist? Don, are you completely over the COVID aftereffects? Jon, we haven't heard from you in ages. How is it going with you and your parents all getting outside help?

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Sep 25 - 12:38 AM

Excellent, all told. Sleep tight, the three of you.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 17 Sep 25 - 10:59 PM

I am getting ready for bed in my new home for the first time. The coffee mill is still MIA, so Brother Andrew very kindly donated the better part of a pound of ground, with a French press just in case. The kettle has been found and I have filters, so that’s breakfast organized.

The cats are settling into their new territory with apparent calm. They have found the litter box — conveniently located in a Harry Potter cupboard spung in the middle of the house — and eaten a good supper. Watson is currently purring up a storm and pummelling my belly, and Isobel graced my lap while I ate a piece of cheese for my own supper.

Tomorrow I must order a cat door for the HP cupboard.

The moving-in experience so far is exhausting. The five remaining IKEA Billy bookcases turned out to be literally a quarter of an inch too tall to fit into their designated spot in the basement … lounge. I think I’ll call it the lounge. So — new plan. Find replacement bookcases that are no more than five feet six inches tall. Meanwhile, the too-tall bookcases are taking up valuable space in the living room, and the books, of course, are stacked all over the living room floor in 2-cubic-foot boxes, much too heavy for me to move by myself.

The floors are done except for the stairs (a specialist job), and the painting is finished. Now I need curtains.

The kitchen is inadequate and the dining room has no space for a china cabinet or a sideboard, so I have a great deal of repacking to do as I unpack. Unfortunately it seems that I’m due to live through yet another kitchen design and renovation — bloody hell — but that’s the only way to ensure that I have enough cabinet space for my stuff, and none of that space is wasted.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Sep 25 - 03:23 PM

MaJoC, I used to check in first thing in the morning on the phone, but there are two problems with that. Even with readers, it kind of messed up my distance vision (otherwise 20/20) if I focused for very long on the phone small print. And it phucked up my mood for the day. Now I try to keep it to a couple of headlines (not opening the stories) from NY Times or WaPo, and check the weather, then don't read any more for a while.

My letters were mailed today. I should make one call, and be done with that.

Since this is my birth-month I've had my eye out for pampering myself activities, and the next, probably the final one, is taking my 4x6' Persian carpet in and having the fringe repaired on each end. I had it cleaned a couple of years ago and since then cleaned and repaired two smaller rugs. I've decided having the fringe repaired on this will give it another 100 years, and since it is in my bedroom I'll see it every day. (I vacuum regularly, but in preparing to take it out I vacuumed and turned it over and vacuumed - and was astonished at how much dust dropped out of the top side onto the floor. I repeated the move several times to get most of it.)

Someone across the street is using a stump grinder saw-device but they must be a novice at it; they keep twisting horizontally when the saw is fully into the stump getting a horrible squealing from the mechanism. I found myself thinking about what I would grab for first aid if I have to run over there, should the blade break and fly off of the axle. I finally had to come in the house and hope they survive that operation. If they borrowed the tool the person who loaned it to them would be peeved to know how badly it is being treated.

In quieter pursuits, I downloaded a book I've been meaning to read in my Libby account and will test the new earphones this evening during a date we have with a jigsaw puzzle. I can multitask in that way.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 17 Sep 25 - 01:51 PM

Removing Instragram from one's phone: I had a similar overload problem with constantly checking e-mail, exacerbated in my case with a total inability to fire off answers from the hip (any reply deserves considered care). It's a dopamine-hit feedback loop; it used to be called "e-mail twitch", or something of the sort.

My (*ahem*) fix was to sternly limit myself to not opening the mail client until dinnertime, and to never, under any circumstances, start reading e-mail after about three or four in the afternoon. The former let me get on with what I'd been intending to do during the morning without e-interruption; the latter helped me to get home on something vaguely resembling a reasonable time.* Eventually, colleagues got used to slightly slower but less frenzied action on my part, and I slowly got used to not being interrupt-driven .... other than by customers coming through my door in person.†

* That hollow laughter you can hear behind me is from Herself. She likes it better now I've retired, as she no longer has to eat dinner alone at teatime.

† I timed it once: if I'm interrupted when I'm in deep-hack mode, switching contexts from what I'm doing to service said interrupt, plus restoring state afterwards, takes about five minutes, over and above the time required to service the interrupt we first thought of. To translate from the hackish: "Now where the Microsoft was I?" takes time.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Sep 25 - 10:42 AM

I was running low on paint (decanted from the can into a small takeout container) and racing to finish before mosquitoes discovered me so I see this morning that I missed a few small spots. I cleaned the bars on two more windows, one of which really needs Rust-oleum or a comparable rust-prevention paint so they all should probably get it. I'll check with Ace Hardware, they seem to have the brand name and their own line of paint.

Comfortable shoes will be necessary for extended standing on a ladder rung, I need painters tape on the window sill below, and when I finish will need to take a razor to peel spots of paint off of the window. At the moment I seem to have an ant bite on the instep right where most of my shoes make contact. It smarts to put on shoes today.

How's the house coming along, Charmion? Painters still at work? Hopefully the floors are finished.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Sep 25 - 11:14 PM

It got pretty hot again today so no mowing, but before the mosquitoes were out in full force I used vinegar and water to wash down the gray bars over the kitchen window then painted on a coat of Krylon flat black latex for metal.

A bulk spool of a robust trimmer line is arriving tomorrow. The stuff that came with the trimmer is fragile .65 round nylon compared to beveled shapes of some other .65 line that is sturdier and cuts better. I'll wrap my own little spools, like I've always done.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Sep 25 - 02:43 PM

I hope Charmion is wearing a dust mask when needed and lifting with her legs, assuming the truck was emptied and work continues and some furniture is being staged. Is the family there to assist with all of this? One hopes so!

The anxiety is growing as American politics continue to show the ugly side of a vocal minority. Too many people are staying in their comfortable silos not pushing back, so today I'm writing letters and will sign up for a couple of events then move on and take deep breaths to keep the PMR at bay. Better to have a dose of stress and get it over with than letting it simmer daily.

We have another ozone action day today but I'll mask up and step out for a few minutes at a time to get some of the worst of the tall grass in the front. So many things to do around here. At least with the part-time job changing I can clump together the work so it doesn't stretch out a couple of hours each day. It'll be a few hours a couple of days now, and I must push myself away from the computer and work around the house.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Sep 25 - 06:15 PM

We are all waiting to learn how the day went, if Charmion has a bed and table and chair in the house so she can move in, or if she's waiting until more things get set up plus internet and utilities. Or workmen finish.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Sep 25 - 10:44 AM

Yes, supervising is essential. And don't let them turn pieces to the wall when they set them in a room - that can mean they're hiding damage* that you won't see until later.

Trash day today and I stepped out to do a little trimming (despite our orange air alert) and decided to use the battery hedge trimmer to reduce the volume on the juniper out front and drop the trimmings in the trash. Rookie move when without thinking I reached up to grab something I'd trimmed and bumped my glove with the trimmer. Even battery trimmers cut and this little nick through the glove smarts, so my mantra when using this will be something like "keep both hands on the battery end."

I gave away a jar of pickles yesterday and while I still have plenty I need to make another batch today. Three or four weeks out from when they're jarred they're particularly good and they can keep for a couple of months so I'll be eating these into at least November. I'll start delivering the first batch of pickled okra to neighbors on both sides of me. The neighbor across the street with diverticulitis is not supposed to eat seeds and okra has big ones or I'd take her some also.

*Ask me how I know. The now-ex was ignoring what they were doing when I was off tending to a toddler at the short-term apartment.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 15 Sep 25 - 10:18 AM

As it turns out, it will be my wife on the stoop, leaving Charmion to more effectively supervise the unloading and stowage — to the extent that one can in the turmoil of a move — of her worldly goods.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Sep 25 - 08:44 AM

one must be comfortable ...

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 15 Sep 25 - 08:17 AM

Sister Charmion has crossed the start line and should be on her front stoop awaiting her belongings in a few minutes. Shortly after the moving van arrives, she'll has a seat on her stoop so she can tick off the cargo manifest in more comfort.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Donuel
Date: 15 Sep 25 - 05:49 AM

Everyone here is done with Covid. I had no fever but I did lose the sense of smell for a while.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Sep 25 - 05:56 PM

Keb, how roomy is your apartment, and have you finished furnishing it? Does your storage area have seasonal stuff or things from your last apartment you couldn't part with?

Charmion, that sounds like a great walk you have worked out. And re: the LG, if that isn't a brand new fridge see if there is a knockoff fridge filter. Reddit discussion. I paid Sears for Kenmore filters until I found a well-reviewed generic brand on Amazon for half the price and it's still humming along. The stove hood sounds like an unpleasant job; I have to take out my overhead fan every so often to clean it, and soak the filters - it always leaves the sink grimy and needing a scrub.

Before people came over I was able to set up and process eight jars of pickled okra, though two of them didn't seal properly so will stay in the fridge till time to eat them (about two weeks). They look lovely on the wire rack still cooling.

Lunch today went well, I grated three different types of cheese (a sharp cheddar, a mild melting cheese, and a muenster just because it caught my eye yesterday), used a dab of mayo to get the cheese to clump a bit, then spread it on the buttered bread for grilled cheese sandwiches. That along with lentil soup and fresh fruit were a wonderful meal. Grilled cheese (even mine on gluten free slices from the freezer - I made wheat bread for my guests) is such a classic comfort food.

After tomorrow I have a few days of good weather for outdoor work (before the next trip and more cat sitting, Friday through Sunday.) Tomorrow is an air quality alert, but Tuesday through Friday will give me a chance to mow and do some painting.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 14 Sep 25 - 03:53 PM

I went for a walk this morning through the “linear park” that extends through the middle of Greenboro. Beautiful day — late summer warm, bright blue sky. From Brother Andrew’s front door to mine on Inverkip Avenue is just a tick more than 2 kilometres — just short of half an hour, depending on shoes.

The ventilator fan over the stove is in dire condition and must be scrapped and replaced as soon as possible. I think the most recent occupants of that house stir-fried most of their meals, judging from the state of the stove and the exhaust hood — clean oven, everything else grotty beyond belief. The ceramic floor tiles also showed signs of prolonged exposure to unchecked flying grease. I removed about 98 percent of the grunge from the stove, cabinetry and floor yesterday, but the exhaust hood isn’t worth the effort. A prolonged soak in hot water with Dawn detergent shifted only the top layer of grease from the filter, and even a trip through the dishwasher could not get it clean.

Oh, well. That kitchen was going to need money lavished on it anyway …

The complicated refrigerator needs a new water filter (of course), which is available only from the manufacturer or Amazon. The owner’s manual that I downloaded from the LG website does not include a diagram indicating where the filter goes, so I guess I’ll have another appliance adventure soon.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: keberoxu
Date: 14 Sep 25 - 03:26 PM

I remembered, while organizing my apartment, that I have a very small dolly/cart, folded up and put away.
And that I have a storage unit in the building's basement.
And that there are some cartons to be left unopened, in the apartment, that belong in the basement storage unit.
So I just finished wheeling the four cartons on the cart down to the storage unit.
There are other cartons, including two with file folders in them, still in the apartment.
But I am doing this a little bit at a time, just as I was when I first moved in a few months ago.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Sep 25 - 10:12 AM

Bread is rising, ready to make the soup, then grate together some cheeses into an interesting mix to slather on bread for making grilled cheese. Turns out my friend is returning tomorrow so the cats will survive my schedule today, all three meals even if there is a bit of a wait for lunch. Next, clean the bathroom and sweep. I dropped a spoon this morning and it came back with a gob of dog hair. Gotta round up all of that.

One of my friends coming over today always seems to find odd pieces of paper around here, sometimes postit notes, and where some people knit or crochet, she folds origami shapes. I'm on it this time, I have several square pieces of gift wrapping paper that will just be sitting there on the table, waiting to see how long it takes her to reach for them.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 10:32 PM

Good call, Sandra! “I’m tired. I should shower so it’ll wake me up; if I shower, I should exercise first so I don’t have to shower twice . . .
I recognize that non-productive loop. I have a few local versions of it. The answer is usually just to get up and DO something, anything, and ignore the voice and forget about the shower for the moment.

Whittling down chores here, but there are a lot to choose from. Paid a couple of bills (decluttering the pocketbook) and emptied a couple of things out of the fridge (for marinara sauce). What I really need to do is get to bed early tonight, forget the rest of the chores, nothing is urgent.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 08:13 PM

email from my sister -

Apropos our convos re procrastinating/getting started, The Guardian had an article today:

“In an ultra-viral TikTok video, a woman lies on her couch. “I’m tired. I should shower so it’ll wake me up; if I shower, I should exercise first so I don’t have to shower twice,” intones the voiceover. “If I’m going to exercise, I should eat first; if I’m going to cook, I should have coffee first so I have energy to cook,” it continues. The video – which has almost 5m views – bears the caption: “What executive dysfunction looks like.”

Hundreds of videos have circulated through social media, pinning people’s various struggles on “executive dysfunction”. Each video follows similar themes: showing people failing to initiate tasks, growing overwhelmed by household chores or theorizing why they’re never on time.

But what is executive dysfunction? Why do people experience it, and what can be done to mitigate it? Additionally, what is executive function? We asked experts to explain.
What is executive function?

Executive function is the ability to manage and organize tasks on a daily basis, says Mai Uchida, a pediatric psychiatrist at Massachusetts general hospital and an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. This includes planning, prioritizing and thinking about how long a task will take you before you need to move on to the next thing. But it also includes the ability to break down larger tasks into smaller ones, being able to shift attention from one task to another, and maintaining working memory…

… While there are no real treatments explicitly for poor executive function, there are strategies and workarounds that professionals recommend to help make time management easier. Many are tried and true organizational strategies, says Tuckman: “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel.” For example, set up multiple reminders and alarms for yourself, and write out on paper checklists of things to do, even for tasks that are extremely small and easy.

Reflect on and try to recognize the patterns that get you into trouble. If you have a work deadline approaching, and you know you tend to lose track of time when you open up and scroll through Instagram, try temporarily removing the app from your phone. Essentially, avoid putting yourself into situations that require more impulse control than you are able to muster, says Tuckman.

If you get overwhelmed by the size of a task and have trouble getting started, Uchida recommends finding a small amount of time you can commit to. Maybe that’s 15 minutes; maybe it’s just five. Then dedicate just that small amount of time to the task. “When the bar is low, it’s a lot easier to get started,” says Uchida, “and sometimes it’s just getting started that’s difficult.” You might find that after that first 15 minutes, you have the ability to keep going. Or you might need a break before you commit to another 15. You have to find and adapt strategies that work for you, she says.

Carothers also recommends turning to community to help you understand where you might need assistance. “Sometimes other people have more insight into your behavioral patterns than you do,” she says. “Ask a trusted friend, colleague, romantic partner for areas where they’ve noticed you struggle.” Then ask them to help you brainstorm workarounds for those specific circumstances – they might have ideas that you never learned or considered. “Strong social connections are important,” Carothers says. “Learn from the people around you.” ”

found it!

sandra (champion Procrastinator)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 02:04 PM

The kettle, teapot and cups are due to arrive with the rest of my possessions on Monday. Like the painter and the carpenters, I get by with a water bottle until I get too hungry to pretend I’m not, at which point I down tools and go for lunch.

Speaking of Monday, the house will be a zoo. Eli has yet to tackle the baseboards and window frames, or the insides of closets, so he and the movers will be stepping over and around each other while my furniture and boxes get deposited only approximately where they are supposed to go.

People keep asking me whether I’m excited yet. I consistently say No, probably because I expect something to go wrong. If we get through Monday without incident, I might relax a tad.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 10:38 AM

Have you moved in an electric kettle and a cup and a few supplies to have a cuppa tea as you work in the new house? It seems to be where I start (and the last thing to leave as I empty a house). Too bad about the lack of attention on the house; chances are they offered the renters their deposit back if it was "broom clean" and out of sight, out of mind gets short shrift. I bet the inside of the microwave is scuzzy also.

Yesterday a call to catch up with my sister broke a new long-call record. Two hours and 22 minutes, touching on a lot of family history, thoughts on managing our stuff (with both of us handing off to my kids), and thoughts on house cleaning. She's undergoing a big renovation and had brought back a cleaner she liked to help and is making it a regular thing now. Help when she was working was one thing, she did it herself after retirement, but has resolved that "at my age I need help." She's four years younger; the point I need to reach is when enough stuff is put away so a cleaner doesn't have to also work around clutter.

Having friends over for lunch tomorrow so today is cleaning and some baking ahead. I'll make a regular loaf of bread (the remaining part will go home with someone, I'll use my gluten free for me) and make grilled cheese sandwiches and lentil soup, with a side of sausages and homemade pickles.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 08:13 AM

The floor upstairs is finished and Eli has the first coat of colour on the bedrooms and study, more to come today.

But the kitchen had another unpleasant surprise for me: major filth under and around the stove, and years of grunge on the sides. Back I went to Home Depot, this time for a bucket and scrubber, and cleaners with serious grease-lifting capability. Also rubber gloves, on account of wanting to keep the skin attached to my hands.

The sellers of the house had signed a contract promising to hand it over in “broom clean” condition. That usually means hiring a team of professional scrub artists and inspecting the property when it is declared ready. Obviously, that step was missed completely — and the cobwebs on the bannisters and light fixtures should have told me as much.

All my life I have believed in “what goes around comes around”. After painstakingly scrubbing down before vacating every home I have ever occupied, is it too much to ask that others would do as much for me? Colour me irked.

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).