DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - 2026

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 15 Dec 25 - 06:30 PM

Regrading the driveway has to wait til next spring, Stilly. That's the first major outside project to be done next year; the other is replacing my horrible deck and the even worse fence.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Dec 25 - 11:34 AM

Charmion, it sounds like time to have someone grade that driveway up to the garage lip with a load of asphalt! Didn't you say the rubber edge was there until it is fixed?

Today I have a longish drive, made so by the Corps of Engineers' project called Grapevine Lake. All of my working life in North Texas involved driving around a different dammed lake, I'm accustomed to it, but it does make me wish I had the funds to own a personal helicopter.

This morning the dogs alerted me to the mail carrier on the porch, and I met him in the yard with an eBay box to post, thinking I'd missed him because there was a box for me out there when I looked earlier. He tells me that after Black Friday (and the shopping after) there are so many packages that one run isn't enough, so he's at the post office early just to take boxes around the route. This later run at the regular time he has the rest of the mail pieces. Postal carriers can only accept gifts under $20 (unlike our head of state who can accept any damn thing he wants) so I'll think of something, a gift card or a consumable gift. Over time I put a lot of bottles of water on the porch during the summer heat, but when you buy a case at Costco and give all of them out it only adds up to about $4.

My holiday letters are in the design stage, fitting the text around a few photos. I've proof read it several times but there will be errors that jump out at me once the pages are printed and ready to add a personal note before mailing, it never fails.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 15 Dec 25 - 10:41 AM

A fruitcake and a couple of jars of Seville orange marmalade are packed up and ready to mail to Windsor, where Edmund’s favourite sister lives. That errand will force me out of the house today, so I might as well knock off several tasks that have been nibbling at the edge of awareness for a while. What used to be a substantial supply of Christmas wrapping paper is almost exhausted — how did that happen? And I need — excuse me, “need” — some witty Christmas cards, preferably without cats on them.

I am pleased to report that the rubber curb ramps spiked into the driveway are working well to get the car in and out of the garage, especially with a layer of rammed snow on the driveway to improve the angle of the drop. I have to back the car out very gingerly, however, as the clutter of neighbours’ vehicles on the street, the height of the snowbanks, and the lack of a sidewalk make for truly lousy sight-lines. The safest place for pedestrians is the middle of the street.

Backing into the garage turned out to be too dangerous because the rubber ramps are slippery when wet, causing the hind end of the car to slew just when it needs a little extra shot of gas to get up the slope. The last time I did it cost me the driver’s side rearview mirror, and I’m not risking that again. The repair was very expensive, and I had to drive around for two weeks wearing the plastic garbage bag of shame over the wreckage. Changing lanes in the tumult of the Hunt Club Road was no fun, either. I think I put an extra pleat in my neck from peering like an owl over my left shoulder.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Dec 25 - 11:46 PM

An appointment I thought was on Thursday seems to be Monday afternoon instead. Must call to confirm the confirmation! I do have running around to do, so I'll make it part of this longish drive (established patient of a Physician's Assistant who moved to a new practice. One visit has to be in person, the rest can be remote.)

Caught up with the next door neighbor today, and we concluded that we'll both need to offer to take the neighbor across the street shopping on a regular basis. She doesn't go out (wheelchair bound) but he does, and is still driving at 90 and has announced that he's going to stop driving next year. I've offered before, but now I'll have to convince him to take me up on it.

More boxes packed for shipping and contents listed. I've pulled a bunch of stuff out of the front room that can go into the recycling bin (I reuse Amazon mailers but lately they're sending a kind of tough kraft bag, they aren't bubble wrap in tough plastic, so they don't work well to pad packages, though they may be better environmentally.) I can see more of the floor and some of the horizontal surfaces in there now. (Also lots of dust, so my tender sinuses aren't a mystery.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Dec 25 - 12:01 AM

Today I finished reading Adam Minter's Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale, a fascinating look at how people discard items (clothes, appliances, electronics, furniture, books, and everything else somewhat durable) and how other people sort it and redistribute it via thrift stores or exports. Often times involving repair along the way.

I learned something new. The word "shoddy" (as I have understood it) implies something of low workmanship or poorly done, but in fact it is the technical name of recycled or rag wool, and how it is shredded and spun into new fibers for wool products, blankets in particular. Minter discussed the mills that still produce shoddy blankets. Wikipedia has more on recycled wool.

There was also a lot of discussion of the businesses that have grown to sort the households of elderly family members going to nursing homes or work on estates after they have died. In Japan, for example, the used items get more reverence and are desirable in other nations because they were made in Japan and are durable. People who sort household items in turn sell them to exporters. Clothes and furniture head to the Philippines, Malaysia, and China, electronics go to Africa. In a separate chapter he shows how American electronic waste is desirable in Africa because the items sold here last longer once they're reconditioned or repaired and put into service there.

This evening I put a mailing label on a box that holds my father's old Casio electronic calculator. I myself used it for while, usually for income taxes, but in recent times it is redundant because the calculator on my phone is as reliable. People collect these things and someone in Florida has just paid for this bit of electronic memorabilia. As Minter points out, in the end, it's just stuff, and better to find a home where someone will enjoy it now than have it go in the trash later if the kids don't want it.

Cold weather is headed this way and I've been feeling a bit blue, so this evening I made a point of pampering my tomorrow self by changing the bedding (in the time it took to brew a cup of tea), cleaning the kitchen, and doing a load of laundry. I set up the next jigsaw puzzle to work, and at that point realized that while some objects go (the calculator) it's not like I'm giving away my Dad, and the table I use for puzzles was his dining table.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 13 Dec 25 - 11:25 AM

It’s snowing again — still? — but I’m grateful for Ottawa’s comparative calm: no line squalls or white-outs.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Dec 25 - 10:56 PM

Mary, without a car you may need to be creative if you have to leave (rental? Uber?), but without a car you avoid things like license tag costs and insurance. Sounds like a win to me.

Today the plumber cleared the blockage in the front cleanout and I thought changing out the hose bib would be a piece of cake. Turns out that the hose bib took several tries because whoever (decades ago) crimped an aluminum clamp onto the copper pipe for an antenna wire ground overdid it and the copper pipe was bent a bit oval in shape. That shape kept defeating the new sweated-on fitting. The options were to keep trying or to go into the bathroom and cut a hole in the wall through a cabinet to run a new copper line outside (instead of removing brick). He kept trying and on about the fifth try got it, and really undercharged me for the whole trip. His assistant ran the snake for the sewer line and back and forth to turn water on and off while the faucet was worked on. The bill wasn't nearly as big as it could be, and the tip was pretty close to that amount, worth it to me that he kept working and saved me having to bring in a carpenter to fix the wall. Handing over the tip he said "That much?" - and I told him it was up to him how he shared it, but it was worth his trouble.

That faucet has bugged me for years, I've found many ways to try to prevent it from dripping. As of this evening it's a new faucet and working the way it should.

Now back to everything else I was planning to do today.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Mary G
Date: 12 Dec 25 - 01:51 PM

I had not heard about Chehalis flooding. We are five miles away. Centralia does flood and I asked before I moved in how was my apartment going to be affected. It has a few feet of height off the ground. Centralia floods on I=5 at times. In the meantime, we are bone dry here..a bit of mist or light drizzle. No hard rains at all. I can't evacuate easily because I just scrapped my failing car. Oh well.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Dec 25 - 10:01 AM

Under the "it could be much worse" heading, this morning, the last in a run of sunny warm days before a forecast big freeze, I have a plumber coming over. After I ran the washer then the dishwasher last night I noticed the toilets were making noise. Turns out the sewer line is running very slow, no doubt backed up by tree roots. I never run the washer and dishwasher simultaneously; consecutively is what spared the house from water from spreading further. My home warranty doesn't pay for tree roots, just plugs in the house line only. I'll call them and then when the plumber is here and once we've sorted out which kind of snake gets run the Home Warranty folks will or won't participate.

I had other stuff to do today, but nothing better than keeping the pipes clear ahead of the holidays. Since a plumber is coming over anyway I'll run out and get a good faucet and have him replace the one in the back yard while he's at it. Its on its last legs (and is full of a silicone gel to prevent the most recent dripping.)

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Dec 25 - 07:34 PM

Sandra, I tend to pick up things like rubber bands and paper clips. They can go somewhere.

Mary, we lived in Everett for many years and would sometimes see the Snohomish River flood; it was standard that to the north the Skagit would flood in the valleys around Mt. Vernon; Sedro Woolley is upstream from there (and a town I spent a lot of time in as a kid.) In a news search of Western Washington I see evacuations in Chehalis and Puyallup, so keep your Go Bag handy. Stay safe. (The U-Haul folks in Snohomish County are offering 30 days free storage to people who have to evacuate. It might be a good choice to protect valuables when they need to go somewhere but can't be carried around.) I'll be checking in with family this evening.

patty, I feel your pain of avoiding too much of the holiday spirit. I turn off the local classical station quite often because they play way too much xmas music all month long. I can't stand that much of it, and agree with Charmion, it has its place at the end of the month. We also put up trees quite late, sometimes on Xmas eve, and they were often down by New Years. It's too much of a good thing otherwise. No snow or much holiday feeling here, we've had nice sunny weather and today I took advantage of it to clear the gardens.

That clearing went smoothly, with a bit of prying and spade fork work to pile it onto the wheelbarrow to tote to the back of the back yard. Then came the messy job. I rolled the compost wizard to the back and emptied it in several stages. Tip, roll, prod, tip, repeat. Shovel what fell out into the compost bin. Then I had to bite the bullet and reach the small shovel into the wizard and pry out stuff stuck inside. After that messy job I returned the wizard to its stand, the shovel to the garage, and took off all of my outer clothes and put them in the laundry basket because of the stinky sticky material in that bin.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Dec 25 - 05:11 PM

I like picking up stuff on the streets - elastic bands after the postie delivers mail (keep some, put most in a little bag to give to my favourite recycling place) earrings etc, little hair bows etc lost by small kiddies (decorate felt toys, felt hair clips & brooches) & other useful stuff that takes my eye.

Recent find was a very wet felt heart decoration which I dried & am copying - barely declutting my box of felt, & slightly subtracting from the large collection## of broken jewellery & little thingies that will be useful one day. Hopefully I will have used lots of them before I pop off the twig & my sister takes the remainder to Reverse Garbage along with lots of other new & second-hand useful stuff.

## the large collection is sitting in a large stainless steel mixing bowl which hadn't been used for years & didn't quite get to the bag of stuff heading to charity shops

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Mary G
Date: 11 Dec 25 - 03:12 PM

We are having historic floods in Washington State. So far it has missed me in Centralia. It seems to be affecting more the northern part of the state -- Sedro Woolley etc. I have not heard anything of Pacific County but it gets lots of road closures and mudslides. I am now in Lewis County between Seattle and Portland. Gentle as a lamb here although a creek that runs through town was very high. Centralia floods in general, covering the highways, but I am not aware of flooding rivers..but maybe. A couple of streets near me are closed off. There are big lakes all around the city, which I was not aware of, although I knew Centralia was prone to flooding. Some towns have been issued evacuation orders.    I grew up on the Columbia River and it was always threatening to flood and some nearby cities generally did.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 11 Dec 25 - 12:47 PM

patty, you are so right. Christmas should stay in its place at the end of December, firmly rooted after the Fourth Sunday in Advent. I like to get past the Solstice before embarking on all that merry-making, and people who bring in the tree before Christmas Eve find themselves sweeping up needles at Hogmanay. Twelve days of Christmas is quite enough; we should ration it so we don’t get cloyed and tired of the whole thing.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 11 Dec 25 - 12:04 PM

A little overwhelmed these days. It's prime field weather so I scurried out for a solo collecting day, and it was great, but now it's back to cleaning, cooking, buying inflated goods, etc. for visitors this weekend, but at least we'll get in another day and a half in the field.

My social group has gone all-Christmas-music-all-the-time, and expects everyone to squeeze in Secret Santa shopping to a busy month. I'm just opting out for a while. When I traveled it was easier to just drive away from The Christmas Machine. I'm all for a little celebrating during Christmas week itself, but the 'let's have tons of events and obligations filling early December' routine I just can't get into.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Dec 25 - 10:12 AM

On Monday was my annual physical, and they emailed a link to join a secure website. It took months and some growing pains (including new phone numbers and systems for the pharmacy to use when renewing Rxs) for my ob/gyn's office to scan thousands of records into the new system that includes the online record access going back five years. They were kind of late to the upgrade; my GP still doesn't have anything like it, logon for records has been the domain of the specialists.

Yard cleanup today of crops wilted and dead after the hard freeze. They head for the compost along with the contents of the compost wizard that has been in the yard for months now. It's heavy enough that I need to roll it over next to the compost bin, empty it onto the ground and shovel the contents into the bin. This system is meant to keep my dogs and other critters out of kitchen waste were it tossed directly into the compost.

In the yard last night a few more lights were put up; the two strings that each have half not lighting up were rolled up so that the dark parts are not apparent while the rest of the strings light. They'll head for e-waste at the end of the holiday lighting season but for now they can lift some (light) weight.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 11 Dec 25 - 09:42 AM

Since I usually go to a Dynacare site for lab work, I have been able to see lab results on line for at least 5 years, but they want me to pay a subscription. Damn that for a monetization plan!

My doctor, at least, has never been reticent to letting me see the lab's report on his screen in the examination room as he briefs me, and I take note, usually in a message to myself, of the sort of things I'll be asked about, like my most recent A1C result when I see my optometrist.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 11 Dec 25 - 09:09 AM

My new doctor has a policy I never expected to see: he posts lab results to a secure website so I can download and read them for myself. The results come with a note to point me to any abnormal result and tell me what to do about it. I am absolutely delighted!

I can’t think how many times over my adult life I've been brushed off by docs and their staff when I asked for the actual numbers. “It’s in the normal range”, they would say, or “The doctor will tell you what you need to know.” I hate that! How can a doc who sees me for ten minutes know what I might need to know?

No, I don’t know all the benchmarks and norms, but that’s what Google is for — and yes, I do know how to evaluate an Internet source.

I like being trusted to read and think.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 10 Dec 25 - 08:17 PM

It’s still snowing, and likely to go on snowing for at least another day. The cats and I are watching TV and avoiding all thought of going outside.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Dec 25 - 10:19 AM

I like Edmund's philosophy. I have overly adequate gear for here in Texas that I relocated from Washington state, meaning I rarely get to use it. The four day blackout freezing week in 2021 was an occasion to pull out camping sleep pads, down mummy bag and booties, etc., and be warm in the house. On occasion I have worn my climbing boots in snowy weather, along with gaiters to keep snow out of my pants legs.

My annual physical with my ob/gyn was accomplished yesterday with a remarkably short wait time for that brand of medical practice (it seems I was the first patient after lunch). Medical staff is changing as familiar faces retire so the nurse I've greeted for years was gone, a regular occurrence and the reason why I try to choose doctors much younger than myself when I need to choose a new one. This physician and I are the same age and had our children in alternate years around the same time.

Yesterday at Aldi I hunted around for a cute xmas-themed die-cut box with a door and windows that is intended to be a toy for cats (someone posted a photo on Facebook this week). The box wasn't on hand, but I have many fine boxes in the garage and think I can make something similar for my daughter's cat (since I don't have grandchildren the next best thing is pampering the pets!)

Progress with the lights in the yard as the next couple of strings have wrapped the redbud tree. I can run more lights higher there, and I likely have several in the office closet to choose from. First to check the fuses on the strings that are only half-lit.

More eBay listings today. I can see the surface of one cabinet in the front room that has been piled with stuff for a long time. Partly due to simply moving things around, but also because I moved some of the items into the den to dust and photograph before boxing and listing. I should clear the piano bench and see how much more out of tune the antique family piano is now.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 09 Dec 25 - 07:41 AM

Meanwhile, about 1.5Km as the crow flies from Charmion's place, I am appreciating how much the cold weather has knocked back the mosquito and tick populations.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 08 Dec 25 - 06:23 PM

So today I had a load of blood tests and booked a mammogram. I’m back on the regular health-care bus, I guess. On Wednesday I’ll see the allergist and get on the list for a pulmonary functions test.

It’s still snowing and quite cold — -20° this morning. I’ve worn my sheepskin coat and fleece hat more often since Remembrance Day than I did over five winters in Stratford, and I’m enjoying wonderful new knee-high woollen socks from Norway. As Edmund used to say, there is no bad weather, only inadequate gear.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Dec 25 - 09:32 PM

After laboring over eBay listings today one of them already sold, it's all in how you describe and package it.

There are still garden things to be finished, and today I roasted the last of the eggplants. I have jars of tomato sauce to turn into marinara and freeze soon.

The lights in the yard are progressing, with lights around the pine on one side today, and I'll wrap the redbud near the front path tomorrow.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Dec 25 - 01:37 PM

Point taken, I was looking through listings and it came up as "Dutch Oven" on a recent one and I made note to look and see if that was a term being used much out there, as an alternative (so in the text it would say "clay baker, terra cotta roaster, Dutch oven")*. I usually call it a clay baker. I don't know if it could cook over coals. In my kitchen, the Dutch Oven is the elongated cast iron or stainless steel lidded large pot, though I do have a tall-sided cast iron skillet with a lid that might be considered a Dutch Oven.

*A shopping tip on eBay: if you search for something with alternative names and misspellings you sometimes find gems that don't come up in a search because of the misnaming. Particularly common for folks who list items with no description, just a title.

You can make bread in the terra cotta pots, they can be versatile. The thing about them for a lot of baking is that the terra cotta baker is soaked in water before it is put into a cold oven, to avoid shock.

I've pulled out a used VHS player to list today to diversify the listings; lately there has been more kitchen stuff. Since the players are no longer manufactured and there are people wanting to digitize their old cassette recordings, there is a market for these.

The holiday lights have been going up outside but I haven't done any decorating in the house. I keep that part modest the last few years, mostly around the mantle. This year I have a new set of up lights on the mantle, LED instead of halogen so there isn't a chance of fire if any artificial materials in garland were to stray close to the lights.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 05 Dec 25 - 11:51 AM

Stilly, a Römertopf is not a Dutch oven. You can’t use it with direct heat — on the stove-top or in the coals of a fire — where a Dutch oven is fully functional and sometimes at its best. Because it’s made of terra cotta, a Römertopf (“Roman pot” in German) must go into an enclosed baking oven.

I’m intrigued by differences between Canadian, British and American terms for common household things. The appliance I call a stove is usually a “cooker” in Britain and a “range” in the States. If I know that the house does not have a furnace for central heating, I might call the heat-producing thing in the kitchen a “cookstove” because there may well be a space heater that the householder calls a stove, often qualified as a “wood stove”. Recently, I’ve noticed texts by Americans that use the word “oven” to indicate the thing I call a stove or a cookstove.

But a Dutch oven? It takes a lot of reading and cooking to figure that out (if knowing the “why” of things is as important to you as it is to me). It ain’t a Dutch oven unless you can make bread in it outdoors, in a firepit with a heap of coals on the lid.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Dec 25 - 12:34 AM

As tempting as it might be to learn how to make fruitcake, it wouldn't last until Easter at my house. I'm better off without the temptation. I'm glad you're feeling better - it probably helps when you're baking, to be able to smell what you're working on.

This afternoon I wrestled two clay Römertopf Dutch ovens bound for eBay into the right boxes for the job, or rather, boxes inside boxes. I have one of these roasters that I use when I remember it's there; chicken baked in those comes out tender and falling off the bone. Anyway, the boxes are given to me by the friend I cat sit for, from big insulated parcels of frozen cat food. Little dents are being made in the front room stash.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Dec 25 - 05:00 PM

Better, thanks, Stilly. The cough is retreating slowly but surely, and should be reduced to “not sick” state by next week. (For the record, the cough never goes away completely. When I catch a cold, it goes into its Mr Hyde phase — loud, convulsive, uncontrollable, and likely to produce quantities of green crud. In its Dr Jekyll phase, when I’m not sick, it’s a persistent dry scratch.)

Two large fruitcakes are baked and ready for their last dose of whisky before delivery to The Brothers. A third is under way, its fruit component macerating in whisky and the juice of an orange and a lemon. I’ll keep that one; it’ll last me till Easter.

Proper winter weather is now in full swing, with temperatures well below freezing at the warmest time of day and a wind from the northwest that will take the ears off you if you’re not careful.

I now have a doctor — oops, “primary care physician” — and consequently feel far more relaxed about the whole asthma-in-winter situation with my access to the dope that keeps me breathing now secured. Next week I’m off to the asthma specialist for my annual pulmonary function test — wheee! Such fun!

Again, the Ontario health care system pulled off the miracle feat of meeting basic maintenance requirements just in the nick of time, i.e., when my prescription refills were almost exhausted. I got lucky with this move: only three months to get rostered with a general practitioner (aka family doctor). When Edmund and I moved to Stratford, we went two and a half years without a doc.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Dec 25 - 11:42 AM

Another two-pound bag of pecan halves was coated with spices and butter in a skillet and is now baking in a slow oven for the next four hours. Several eggplants harvested after the freeze will go into the convection oven and be made into babaghanouj, and I need to start thinking about baking gift breads (nothing so involved as Charmion's fruitcake.)

Are you feeling better now, Charmion? Have the cough and other symptoms subsided?

One of the guests at our Nov. 30 Thanksgiving has informed me that she tests positive for COVID, though she thinks she was exposed the next day at a mammogram where she was close to the tech. But I've let everyone who was here know so they can mask up for a while and have the tests ready for just in case.

When the museum where my daughter works swapped the out Spathiphyllum for seasonal poinsettias she grabbed one for me. I've started with it on a bench near the back door but it is big and might need its own stand. I think I still have a stand around here somewhere.

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

A hard freeze overnight put paid to the garden so I harvested the last of the eggplants and bell peppers this morning. I could have used freeze cloth and kept them going a while longer, but after a while you're tired of it and the plants aren't going to grow very fast right now. The next things to be planted in a month or two will be potatoes, and I might put in onion sets sometime soon. We're now in that time of bright cold weather, when it looks like working outside would be nice but the chill and a bit of a breeze make it uncomfortable.

I've been in the front room pulling out items I haven't looked at in ages to list on eBay. This first week or so of December are the best days to do this; there will be last minute shoppers as the month progresses, and I'll offer expedited shipping if they request. If I was really business-like I'd have had all of this ready to go in October.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Dec 25 - 07:29 PM

patty, some of those small chores can trigger huge projects. Pace yourself!

I'm glad I connected with the across-the-street neighbors with those Thanksgiving desserts. They've had a rough couple of weeks with a water leak and the sewer line needing repair. A sweet respite of desserts delivered when they're feeling down from all of the upcoming work - on their dime - before the insurance company will pay to restore the house. Oy.

This afternoon I decluttered past work baggage. Rather than fuss with the burning barrel (usable now that we've had good rains) I shredded pages from two binders that kept track of hours on various tasks. I don't need those breadcrumbs to my past.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 01 Dec 25 - 10:38 AM

Cool but good weather afternoons dictated that it was time for window-washing. Got the outside part done with hose, windshield scrubber and Prell.   Then moved indoors for a round of wiping down blinds and windexing the interiors. Now I can see where smudges remain outdoors, and windex them before putting the clean screens back up.

Which led to cleaning atop the fridge, cleaning the minisplit filter up there, and discovering it literally has mud in its interior. It's not a one-person or quick job to do an internal clean, so that will have to wait.

Now there'll be a little dithering about what's next, Things That Need Doing seem to be looming in all directions.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Dec 25 - 10:34 AM

This morning is cold enough that if there were precipitation it would be an uncomfortable rain. Rain at 35 degrees feels so much worse than snow at 30 degrees.

After a colossal amount of work the meal remains that didn't head out the door in recycled restaurant carryout containers are neat in the fridge. Two bowls destined for across the street are ready. And the house is looking better than usual, a parting gift of the holiday to the host of such an event.

Lots of good stories yesterday, only one little dust-up (former co-workers who know each other too well) that blew over after a walk in the yard. A couple of trips out just to look at the yard; twice people came in and told me "you have a huge eggplant out there" with hands gesturing the size of a football. Another trip out to look at the array of fossils on a low stone wall, carried up from the creek bed over the years.

And the final sweet moment of the evening was spotting Pepper beside the open dishwasher quietly licking pan drippings off the steel kitchen tongs in the silverware rack.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Dec 25 - 12:16 AM

The dishwasher is running and many large pots, plates, and bowls were hand-washed and put away. The counters are clear and the stock from the turkey breast is refrigerated. Bones and other greasy by-products of cooking are in the trash. Tomorrow morning the bag will go down to the curb, but not before, because untended overnight it is liable to attract raccoons, coyotes, or wandering dogs.

The lamb was nice and the turkey breast was excellent when, with no prior prep or brining, was plopped into the convection oven and baked for two hours. The labor-intensive side dish of eggplant parm had a very special mozzarella cheese in it. Bel Gioioso is a brand from Wisconsin that comes closest to making mozzarella like the Italian makers, and I had two tubs of their Burrata to use. Each tub has two tennis ball-sized mozzarella balls. The label says "Fresh mozzarella cheese filled with shreds of mozzarella soaked in cream." The parm was very good.

After a year of low-carb and no sugar eating I find that the "regular" dessert full-octane recipes are too sweet. The neighbors across the street are not on a low-sugar diet so tomorrow I'll deliver a couple of dishes of the leftover desserts. He came over to say hello and catch up while I was digging up the sweet potatoes recently and I've been meaning to take them some mashed sweet potatoes, and I'll still do that, but later.

Charmion, enjoy your snowy evening!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 30 Nov 25 - 09:57 PM

It’s snowing in Ottawa. That is all.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Nov 25 - 01:27 AM

Winding down after a busy evening. The pumpkin pie is finished, the sweet potatoes have been boiled for making mashed tomorrow, and I assembled a pan of eggplant parmesan. In the morning I'll cut up the lamb, and I'm not fussing with the turkey breast, no brine this year, it's going into the convection oven and we'll see how it turns out.

The dining table is getting it's annual dusting and both leaves put in since we will have eight people at the table tomorrow. The four non-family folks are all retirees from the university library and most of them haven't seen each other in a while. Lots of catching up to do.

The dishwasher is running and I'm headed to bed.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 25 - 11:27 PM

A smaller "personal sized" eggplant was picked today to leave for the friend whose cats I'm taking care of until tomorrow, and larger eggplants are harvested to use in that holiday dish I'll make ahead of time. We have a thunderstorm overhead right now so those plants are happy and watered and the season will continue until the next hard freeze (there's a possibility of a freeze Sunday and Monday mornings, but I can put a frost blanket over the top to keep them alive and producing for another 10 days or more).

Today's batch of pecans are the best I've made so far; adding cumin to the spice mix made a big difference. Now to see if I can repeat that recipe several more times (I wrote it down as I worked).

One of two vintage cookie presses I've listed on eBay sold today. The box will await the mail carrier on the porch tomorrow.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 25 - 02:44 PM

You've put your finger on the baking for the holidays problem I'm facing also. I have one small cookie recipe that I'm going to try to make with non-gluten flour and cut the sugar way back, adding stevia and figuring out what to add for the bulk that needs to replace the lost sugar but lets the cookie be crisp. Instead of other sweets I'm going savory and making several batches of the crispy pecans I've been experimenting with all year. A batch is in the oven now at the lowest possible setting (170^o) and will be turned every hour for four hours. It's quick enough to mix the flavoring ingredients (melted butter with a variety of dry spices) and turn the nuts in the skillet. With these the cook has to commit to the time for the turning or the nuts will scorch on the bottom.

I'm debating about pumpkin or banana bread. Non-gluten flour and adding applesauce to replace sugar will probably work. It may need some of the binder additives. But since those are usually gifts, I could use regular flour and make normal recipes and give them away. I gave away a lot of the little loaf pans so they'll have to bake in a big one and be offered as packs of slices from a loaf. They'll still taste good.

For our Sunday Thanksgiving I'm going to assemble a casserole of eggplant Parmesan ahead and bake it the day of. This gives the vegetarians in attendance something other than just eating side dishes around the the meal of turkey and lamb.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 28 Nov 25 - 11:20 AM

I went to church choir practice last night. The cough still erupts at the worst possible moments, but I can sing through almost my entire range if I take it gently. The Christmas music is accumulating in our official black choir folders, so the conductor was glad to see me back despite my convalescent state.

Today, I must shop. Ordinary groceries, for sure — I just ate the last avocado — but also the ingredients required for a small production run of fruitcake. The first Sunday of Advent is coming at us like the noon freight! Therefore, currants. Also raisins galore (two kinds), glacé cherries, chopped citron, chopped blanched almonds, and fresh oranges and lemons.

After more than a year and a half of keto and low-carb eating, I am quite out of the baking habit, and I parted with most of the required gear before the move. So I’ll buy just enough fruit, flour, sugar etc. to make three fruitcakes, one for each of The Brothers and one for me. I still have a 7-inch cheesecake pan that will do just fine for a fruitcake, and its loose bottom will make turn-out far easier than it ever was with loaf pans.

It’s cold and grey today, with a scrim of snow over roofs, vehicles and lawns. Most unappealing. I shall take a wallow-in bath to warm my bones.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 25 - 12:10 AM

More things were listed on eBay, and some of the old ones I'm tired of looking at, but now would be a foolish time to remove them because someone might be shopping for some of these nice glasses or collectible items as gifts. I need to keep going right now so gift type items can be shopped for with plenty of time for delivery. (I listed a cookie press today and when I looked at the recent sales a whole bunch of them were purchased today - people are clearly thinking about making the xmas cookies right now.)

This afternoon was nice so I unwrapped the string of lights from the juniper I decorated earlier in the week and set aside two of the four connected strings that had only half of the bulbs lighting. I put up a new set of two and added the two old working sets and the shrub is now a cheerful beacon at the front of the yard. I'll put up more in the next couple of days and enjoy them myself as well as cheer up the neighbors across the street.

This evening I've tried to sort out what is truly the stupidist "smart tv" that was ever produced. I've done Factory Reset - again - on the bedroom TV to try to get it to simply show broadcast television channels and set the aspect ratio properly. It keeps asking for permission to save information about what I view and where I click. No thanks. I think this device is history and I'll find a dumb TV to use with the Roku so I can use my exercise app, watch Netflix or Sling, or broadcast TV. It's like Vizio saved up all of the stupid things they could think of and put them in this one device. The rest of them work perfectly.

Cleaning and cooking tomorrow. That is all.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 27 Nov 25 - 10:34 AM

The Legion post has a big gathering on Thanksgiving, it's great for couples and solos to have a big feast without making everything at home, and is handy for veterans who aren't up to cooking at all.

I remember mom-in-law getting up at 3 to put a bird in the oven, and otherwise knocking herself out for 3 days to put on a major feast alone. We would try to take some of the load, but she really preferred being the martyr. There is something deeply silly about having a big dinner before noon that someone has to work in the dark to prepare.

Well the flour has settled, and now it's time to give appreciation for what we may have. Health, friends, music, nature, what-have-you.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Nov 25 - 09:52 AM

patty, where are the pie and rolls going to be eaten? Will you have Thanksgiving with friends? Today is Thursday and is a shadow of the holiday for us, businesses closed and a parade on TV but we'll do the prep on Saturday for Sunday's meal. I still make the dinner rolls even though I no longer eat wheat so I send the leftovers home with people (this recipe is very good, I don't have to offer twice!)

Out before dawn this morning to do the first cat feeding, and looking at houses in the neighborhoods I drove through to see if lights were on yet (nope). As a child I remember Mom being up before dawn to start all of the preparations for Thanksgiving, and we didn't eat at midday like a lot of folks do, we usually ate an early dinner, around 3pm, and that's my routine also.

This morning I switched both heat pumps over to the Heat side from Cool; they haven't run at all lately with the mild fall temperatures, but mornings are now chilly.

I've programmed the social media for the site I work for to give me a couple of quiet days, so some sewing is in order today. I've been meaning to make some new Pride face masks for a friend who also still wears the 3D masks in public places. He'll be here for our Thanksgiving.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 26 Nov 25 - 08:31 PM

Stilly, I don’t have to look for any chemical sources for my frequent bouts of bronchitis. This condition has hit me so often over more than 50 years, and in such widely varied circumstances, that the cause just has to be something both natural and ubiquitous — the common cold virus.

It’s improving slowly; I just have wait it out.

I’ve given up all hope of singing in the community choir’s two holiday concerts, scheduled for the 7th and 9th of December, but I’ll be okay for the church choir — the congregation won’t mind if I duck into the sacristy to cough. Concerts are different; the audience has bought their tickets and the other performers deserve to not have their efforts ruined by my rebellious respiratory system.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 26 Nov 25 - 07:55 PM

The pie looks great and 300 was definitely the right temp. Last pan of rolls is in the oven. After its butter-bath, I'll relax with some dinner while everything gets cool enough to wrap up.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: pattyClink
Date: 26 Nov 25 - 05:09 PM

Taking a little break from the baking today. The pecan/apple pie is safely in a slow oven and I hope cooking it at 300 as per the old recipe will allow me to skip the pie collar routine, I'll check it past the halfway mark.

Then it's on to the roll-making, hoping I have not lost my touch!

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Nov 25 - 03:08 PM

Charmion, you had a lot of work done at the new house, so maybe adhesive off-gassing? Have you thought about air filters and are there air ducts that can be cleaned?

Dorothy, are you doing the US thanksgiving this year? What are you planning to prepare, or will you have things delivered? How is your kitchen holding up these days?

Everyone else, how is the week looking? For those who have an emotional tie to the fourth Thursday in November, are you getting together with friends or doing something on your own? Or delaying the event?

More bins sorted and dusted today and the bag headed to e-waste is filling. Old headphones, routers, modems, mouse pointers, etc. Few of these are even worth looking at eBay for comparable sales, they need to go to China to be broken apart and the wire and plastic reused for something else.

No responses so far to the offer of plants. This is the best time of year to do the planting, but perhaps the upcoming holiday is a distraction. I have more things to list on the free sites soon as I take them off of eBay for lack of interest.

The next batch of granola was finished last night, and it seems to be quite forgiving as far as running out of stuff and not wanting to run to the store late for one or two items. I'll be making my crispy pecan recipe as gifts this year but will wait until after Thursday to go to Costco for the pecans; I'm not making them right now so there is no need to thread that needle of crowded parking lot, crowded aisles, and long checkout lines. I also have no interest in Black Friday or all of the other named days coming up. Next week will be soon enough.

Cat sitting starts tomorrow, ends the day before my family event. I'm pretty flexible, but was clear that this is not the trip to let go longer than originally planned.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: keberoxu
Date: 25 Nov 25 - 10:40 AM

So sorry for your bronchial ordeal, Charmion.
And the finding a doctor ordeal as well.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Charmion
Date: 25 Nov 25 - 10:07 AM

It’s almost the end of November, and I’m coming to terms with the fact that this latest bout of bronchitis has devoured three weeks of my life. I feel a bit better today, but better than what? I have yet to erupt into a coughing fit this morning, but then I haven’t done anything more energetic than rolling out of bed.

Over the last few days, I’ve been wrestling with the provincial authority responsible for helping people find a family doctor willing to take new patients. I’m sure the women (yes, all are women) I’ve been talking to are sensible, competent people in real life, but their employers have set them up for failure. Instead of talking naturally, they read from a script full of bafflegab about confidentiality of information, repeatedly asking for consent to processes that the citizen requesting service has implicitly consented to already by placing the initial call. They are apparently not allowed to abridge the script, cut to the chase, or say anything in their own words.

It’s obviously an arse-covering effort to manage the problem of demanding sensitive information from people without going to the trouble of building trust first. Of course, I react badly; I simply don’t believe the woman mouthing the words of the script understands what she’s saying (because she’s not allowed to rephrase in simpler terms), or that the Ministry of Health actually can guarantee confidentiality. I know the civil servants will try, but I also know that a data breach tomorrow could undo all the performative box-checking.

Bottom line: I need to find a family doctor, and I understand that I will be required to jump through hoops and pronounce ritual phrases before the creaking machinery will be put in motion.

At the end of this frustrating exchange, the woman goes into her peroration: “Please be advised that the Health Care Connect process can take anywhere from a month to a year to complete successfully. Therefore, you are encouraged to work on your own, calling doctors’ offices to request … “ Et cetera and et cetera. In other words, their much-vaunted referral system is woefully ineffective and they know it.

Way to work with the public. Not.

It’s after ten o’clock and I have to go to the drug store. Again.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Nov 25 - 11:41 AM

Bathrooms are coming along, and after washing woodwork I've decided I'll paint the little bit of white trim in the master bath. It really needs attention and there isn't much of it. Now where did I stash that satin enamel?

Also in the bathroom are very soft toothbrush heads that arrived yesterday for the new electric toothbrush. Much better; I can stand to use it. The "medium" head that came with it was terrible.

One of yesterday's eBay listings is on the porch ready to be picked up by the mail carrier. When researching this vintage Rubbermaid canister sale, other listings sold at $15 each, but only one at a time. I listed three for $45 and it seems these are in demand. There is always the question "why do they want these? Should I be holding onto them?" that runs through my head, and then I have to offer myself a virtual dope-slap and move on. My kids won't want them and I'm not using all of them (stuff from my father's house, so definitely vintage). They were holding random things in the pantry and I moved stuff to little baskets and freed them up.

Today someone has attempted to hijack my FB account; they tried in the wee hours and then again about an hour ago, when I got multiple emails giving the code that would allow the password change. I added another layer of protection to my account on general principles.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 25 - 09:43 PM

This afternoon I dug up the American Beautyberry shrub that was struggling in the spot where I'd planted it. I think I didn't water it enough in a yard with everything else xeriscape (low water needs). I've offered it on Freecycle, along with two Vitex seedlings because last spring someone asked if I had any more and I didn't, so I let these two grow in the pots where they were volunteers this year. I can't find those old messages but I noted in the offer of the shrub that I also have these two seedlings.

Today as I searched my phone for those texts I deleted a few old ones and somehow managed to delete every message in the phone. Every. Single. One. And since I didn't have it set to keep deleted messages for 30 days, they were gone. I finally thought to look at the Samsung app for what backups were there and I found the messages in the cloud and restored them. There is so much in there I really hate to loose.

A flurry of listings today has several more eBay boxes stacked on that hall shelf ready to ship. This evening I'll wash woodwork around the bathrooms and kitchen, then mop the bathroom floors.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 25 - 10:57 AM

I'll note that Albertsons and Kroger have retained their DEI policies and good behavior in this environment, and they have a bit of seasonal decorating stuff in the stores right now.

Here in North Texas today and Tuesday look like the last of the warm fall days in the forecast, with a rainy patch tomorrow in between. I'll take out the string trimmer and tidy for the season and get the rest of the light stuff out and put them up by end of day Tuesday.

Also today I'll do more thinning and cleaning of e-waste from the office closet so I can take them with me to recycle when I am near the recycle bin at my old library during the week.

In years past I've made consumable gifts for my ex because he is notorious for buying himself things he needs and not making a list for us to choose from. My shopping list is underway for consumable holiday gift preparation to extend to other family members; I have a recipe for crispy pecans that I've worked on all year, and am ready to start making several batches to package and send. Winco sells pecan halves in bulk but the 2-pound bags at Costco are less expensive per pound. Today I'm working on my next batch of granola and am still experimenting, reducing the amount of peanuts and adding some pistachios. These are roasted and salted so I'll chop them and sprinkle them on at the after baking, like I do with raisins. I'll keep my eyes open for unsalted, and expect I'll have to pay the high price at Costco to get the ones I want.

Subject: RE: DECLUTTER: *Sorting *Health *Progress - '25-26
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Nov 25 - 03:35 PM

I've seen strings of holiday lights for sale at ACE hardware, a smaller friendlier corporation. Kohl's had some. There are probably even some at places like Aldi, where they have an aisle of seasonal stuff. Of course there is always the huge corporation Walmart, in a class with Home Depot for big businesses I avoid. Lowe's is slightly less obnoxious and they have lights also.

I seem to be coming late to the pumpkin pie without the crust trick. I posted on FB and several folks offered remarks about their versions of it.

Photos and packing things for eBay, these are the items that were sitting around the photo cube and will be set in the hall shelves waiting to be shipped (or if they languish, go on Freecycle or to Goodwill). This clearance is the stage prior to relocating the photo cube and putting leaves in the dining table. (I could stand to have better lighting over the table, but it only ever occurs to me when I'm getting ready to set it for family meals. I suppose I could reposition it in the middle of the room under the fan and light, but that might look odd.)