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Musings on anything. |
 My blog was filled up. I'm too lazy to clean it out. So I started a new one. |
| I take newspapers and magazines to the recycling bin. I take books to the library for their seasonal sales. I sell aluminum cans and other metals to a crap yard not far from here. (They even buy wire hangers.) Some things can't be recycled. A toothbrush, etc., is just trash. I remember reading the late columnist Erma Bombeck writing about her mother saving everything, going as far as rinsing the dental floss and hanging it out to dry. I am learning to let go of things. Single socks or unmatched gloves, for instance, just need to go. I have held onto such for years before realizing the mate is never going to appear. I never donate old shoes because I wear them until they are worn out, holes in the soles, or just too embarrassing to hand a volunteer somewhere. I will wear a T-shirt with a stain or small hole because I do yard work. However, those kinds of clothes do not make good giveaways. I am learning that if I'm not using it at least once or twice a year, it's time to discard it or pass it along. The clothes I use for dress up are so out of style, I tell people I'm going "retro". I wear clothes that have shoulder pads! I have given up camp shirts and color block outfits. I confess I still like the costume jewelry of the 90's, color coordinated to the outfit. I didn't like contemporary shoe styles until slip on sneakers became acceptable for people of age. My tastes are definitely retro. I prefer long woolen coats with a lining, but they're hard to find and very expensive. And who can afford the dry cleaners? These days, people just buy new shorter coats, more casual in style. So, if I can convince myself to let all the outdated looks and worn items out of my closet and dresser, I would have a lot more space. There are a few items given to me as gifts, like an ugly Christmas sweater, that I feel guilty letting go. Getting rid of papers and notes for teaching were a whole lot easier to do. |
| I am attempting decluttering, or Swedish Death Cleaning, which is a never ending job. Why do we keep accumulating so many things? I'm not very successful. Last summer, I emptied every drawer in my bedroom and shelf, a little at a time. I threw a ton of stuff away. Apparently, an envelope full of cash went into the trash, too. I keep going through everything with hopes, but I'm sure it went to the dump. I cleaned out a closet in the guest room, threw away a lot of stuff, but still can't fit everything back in there. I want to point out it isn't all my stuff. I am living in my deceased parents home and can't get the nieces or brother to come get their things. I've been instructed not to get rid of any tools, but I have not only my dad's tools, but my own, and my late brother's (the carpenter) tools. I sort them out. My last remaining brother comes from out of town, works on something, and then the tools are scattered again. (I have given it much thought and decided the relationship is more important than the orderliness of the garage.) We have been using my dad's bedroom for storage only. However, I decided it is bigger and roomier and has more natural light than the guest room which doubled as a computer room. So. I have moved some furniture to vacuum and put in a surge protector in a working outlet. Now I can't get the vanity with a big mirror back where it was. There are stacks of empty drawers, and plastic boxes blocking the walkway. A room looks worse after I clean or declutter than it did before I threw so much stuff away. I keep giving myself pep talks. "It will get better. . . a little at a time." Hopefully, I will make improvements before I kick off this mortal coil. If not, I won't be here to face the criticism. Fortunately, I don't have much company, and even family won't inspect the rooms where they don't eat or watch TV. |
| Besides movie themes, like Ghostbusters, or the music from The Nightmare Before Christmas, there are songs we might consider Halloween music. First in mind is Michael Jackson's Thriller, or Ghosts, the latter not heard as often. Going way back there is The Purple People Eater, sung by Sheb Wooley, who was a regular actor on Rawhide. He did comical songs that my brothers and I liked to hear. And who can forget The Monster Mash? (a graveyard smash) It may be stretching the idea, but there was a song by The Classics IV called Spooky (little girl like you). Charlie Brown must have turned some carols into pumpkin songs, but they aren't memorable. I'm sure we could come up with more, especially if we stretch the words a little. |
| I am online again! They didn't finish my setup until after six. So, I had to feed the cat next door, then set up my new PC. It took some time getting an outlet that worked with a long enough cord. Now I have Microsoft set up, too. I guess it's a good thing I have to walk next door/downhill and back two times a day while the neighbor is away. I'd hardly get any exercise otherwise, now that I can spend my time in front of a computer. I'll get caught up by the time they get home. Sometimes, life is good. |
| I put the cart before the horse and bought a new computer, Windows 11. My old one is a 10 and won't work with the Internet after Tuesday. However, I don't even have Internet. That is scheduled for Tuesday, now that I finally decided which company to use. There are many in my area, but not in my neighborhood. I had three to choose from, including the one that cut me off accidentally through an office error. they were supposed to upgrade and give me a new modem; the old one is so out of date, they don't even want it back. I was cutting my land line off from them, so after three phone calls confirming the upgrade, they cut off everything. It was lousy service, so I let it go. I didn't know I would take so long deciding what to do. I was also waiting for a refund check from them, which finally arrived today, two months after receiving a letter saying it was on the way. Meanwhile, I have been going to the library at least 3 times a week to use the computers; Not a joyful experience. Yesterday, the Wi-Fi was down, so it was a wasted trip. I thought I would go Monday, but al branches will be closed for all-staff training. But I'm pretty sure I will be stationed at my computer desk Tuesday night and will be for a day or two to do all the things I've put off. I've been up and down on my feelings about being computer free. I've gotten more housework and yard work done. When I am at home, I am at liberty to just enjoy myself or do other projects. I might have to place some time limits or other discipline on myself once I am online again. y cell phone will work better with Wi-Fi in the house. I was composing a short novel on my laptop, Windows Vista, no less. Then that old thing died. I have lost at least half a soap opera style novel. So, I may start trying to compose it all over on a desktop and store it in the cloud. I am not a technology pro or junkie, but I definitely am addicted to it. |
| I know there is controversy over vaccines. However, as an old person with health issues, I'm not taking any chances. I got the flu shot about a month ago. No consequences except a sore arm that I couldn't lie on that night. The COVID shot I got Monday is another story. Two days later, my arm still hurts if I touch that area, but I can use it okay. About 24 hours after getting the shot, I got sick. I felt exhausted despite having slept late. I was freezing and covered up with blankets. My face was burning up. It finally occurred to me that I was having a reaction to the shot. In the evening I was warm, had no blankets, and was sweating on my head and neck. I felt my skin and it was cool I guess the fever broke. Today I am fine. So be prepared to have a reaction if you get the shot. |
| I just spent a few hours helping a small group of people set up pop up tents with tables and chairs and get a general plan for an event we're holding at church tomorrow. It's open to the community, residents and employees, just to let them know we're there. We're not going to proselytize of enroll choir members, nothing like that. We just want to share in the fun, being good neighbors. We will have a bounce house, face painting, yard pong with prizes, a version of pickle ball, corn hole, live music-a local band, free tacos (food truck_, cookies, water and sodas until we run out. We have coolers for ice, water stuffed in the refrigerator. Trash cans and recycling bins are ready. Hula hoops are available for the daring. I'm in charge of yard pong (beer pong without the beer) and have over 5o prizes of varying values; the winners choose their prizes. I have seen this done for all ages, from four to grandparents. So I have prizes for different ages. We've enlisted as many people as possible in our small church to sit and smile and give directions to water, etc. We've also decorated with mums and scarecrows and pumpkins. I have streamers and will get some helium balloons this afternoon to attach to the road signs. (We're up hill and not so plainly visible.) I also arranged for the water company to give us some swag with reminders to conserve water. They gave me small frisbees and helmets, and so on, and a poster about a contest for kids under 12. That's part of interacting with the community. We also have about 16 door prizes, including $25 gift cards for a restaurant, and $20 gift cards for a doughnut shop. It's just a learning experience for us. I already have some plans for next year. It's great at my age to be out there planning, advertising, and playing a big event. I hope we have so many visitors we run out of goods. |
| Did you know there is a shortage of dental hygienists? That is what I was told when my dentist office canceled my appointment this week. They were already making appointments seven months out, instead of six. I would have to wait another six months to get a new time slot, when it wasn't my fault! I told her I would call back in a few weeks after they hire someone new and get on her book. I was told that wouldn't happen. During COVID, many hygienists just quit and didn't come back. So now there is a serious shortage of people who will clean your teeth. Yes, I understand it's a nasty job. Too many germs to fight. So, if you're counseling a young person on what to study, what career to pursue, it would seem like pointing them to dental hygiene would offer job security. They will learn all the modern techniques for personal safety for themselves and the patients. The patient and the insurance companies will pay for their secure wages. They will get weekends and holidays off. We can't have people with gum disease running around. We need those hygienists. Meanwhile I need to find a new dentist who has an adequate staff. I want healthy teeth. |
| I have something that looks like a grapevine that wraps around trees, shrubs, ladders, telephone wires and grows upward and crosses over to other things. You have to pull it up out of the ground. But it will grow back! I had an extension ladder behind my shed that I couldn't move because this vine had wrapped around it tightly to a nearby tree. I tried pulling the ladder to break the vine, but that didn't work. I severed it from the ground, but discovered I had to keep cutting it all the way up. It starts out thin, green and flexible. It gets very thick and brown, almost like a snakeskin pattern. It twists all around itself and puts new shoots out in different directions which twist around other things. That makes it very hard to pull it out of shrubs or out of tree branches. I thought at first that it was confined to one area of the yard, then discovered it in more areas along the edges. Getting it out of my holly trees was a sticky situation! Now it's all over the yard, which is a little too big for me to do by myself. I noticed for the first time that the leaves are turning colors and it's putting out some colorful berries. I asked a gardening friend, who volunteers to keep the church yard up along with many others. She gave me the name which I can't remember. The berries draw the attention of the birds who eat them but can't digest them. So, they excrete the berries all over the place which is why the vine is so prolific. So now when I am wringing wet with sweat and bleeding from broken branches puncturing my thin skin, I listen to the birds who no doubt are complaining about me taking away their berries. But it's their fault my trees and shrubs have so many dead parts. It's not a lovely vine. It's a killer. While building up a huge brush pile, I'm thinking of stories for Halloween, about the killer vine that can't be destroyed! I am only seeking justice and revenge against the vine that wants to devour and destroy Mother Nature in my vicinity. |
| My vacuum cleaner makes noise but won't suck up dust. I looked it up online: that brand only lasts about 7 years. I've had it about 8. YouTube has a video for replacing the motor, but I can't find a source that sells them and I'm not mechanically inclined. My late brother could have done it, so I miss him in many ways. My bedroom lamp needs rewiring. Who knows how old hat is. The dishwasher, about 20 years old, isn't getting the plates and bowls clean (I do pans by hand). The washer is acting up. It is only about 6 years old and won't empty all the water but stops mid-cycle. My computer is Windows 10, and in a few days won't work with the Internet. The wheelchair ramp out the back is splitting, and the rail is falling off. No wheelchairs are currently in use at this house; I like to walk off that side of the porch, however, to do yardwork or take out the trash. I am on a restricted budget, so prioritizing repairs or replacements is important. The ramp can wait; I just make sure I always step over the supporting 4X8 underneath the slats. I can use a broom and not replace the vacuum. I can keep opening the washer and readjusting the load to continue, until my finances allow a repairman to adjust it. The web says they only last about 8 to 10 years. I remember when people had washers or dryers for decades. In fact, my dryer is at least 30 years old and has had only one repair. The article online said that refrigerators and freezers only last a maximum of 15 years. Not only are machines not built to last for decades, but the repair people have also become scarce. The labor is expensive, and the workers have to keep updating their knowledge of newer models and computerized parts. Keeping a home stocked with workable tools is an ongoing and expensive process. It's not a poor, poor pitiful me thing. It's modern life. We should tell new homeowners, and other young people starting out, just get used to it. You're never home free! |
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I marvel at the things I'll be able to tell my grandkids about someday. Life is accelerating - or maybe it just feels that way!
I completely sympathize with your desire to declutter. I have more stuff than you can shake a stick at that didn't actually belong to just my wife or myself throughout the house.
