Rethinking

I found a lovely old 22” stand for free a couple weeks ago.

Probably it was originally meant for newspapers or magazines.

My mom scrubbed it up for me. And I thought about keeping it.

The stand spent a couple days holding remotes in the living room, which was actually a great purpose  for it.

Then I took a hard look at the remotes. Two I use every day. And those live on the loveseat with me.

The remote for the DVD player now lives on the player because a DVD needs inserted and then the remote can be used.

And I took 4 old cable remotes back to the cable company.

 And I am selling the stand.






On a similar note, last week I eliminated a bag I had packed for car travel. It was a magnet for stuff and never used. I put packages of Kleenex and pens and paper and other things away.

I also cleaned up the basket I keep near the back door. I got  it down to necessities like my tiny cross body and sunglasses and lumbar pillow.

And then I cleaned the old silver casseroles out of the corner cupboard behind the backdoor. I am selling them. With Thanksgiving coming, someone might be interested. My kids are not.

And I found two small plastic baskets in the attic. I put my daily use things in them and now they have clean, hidden, easy access home in the bottom of the cupboard.

I sit on the bottom of the stairs to put on shoes it boots and the cupboard is right there to grab sunglasses or ear buds.

And my bench can stay empty.

Because really the only way to have a clean bench, is to keep it empty.

And I find myself doing this again and again as I declutter. Think, rethink, think again.

At one time I had a lot out and available near the backdoor. The dog walking coats went to hooks in the garage. The basket of gathered things is now in the corner cupboard. Etc. The area by the backdoor is now very clutter free. And that makes a huge difference.

Another spot for holiday decorations

This little “window box” hangs on my back kitchen wall, between window and stove.

It is very sturdy, mounted on wall with L brackets.

I had odds and ends in it, which were not worthy of the space.

The chicken pair is staying on top.

I am planning to rotate the inside shelves with the holidays.

It gives me one more place to display *seasonal things.

It is a great place for small things.

* plus: back door, island, 3  bathroom counters.

Cubbies in use

The basket holds dog towels (wet dogs, muddy feet). This basket used to be in the house. This spot is much more practical.

There are hooks on the wall just above the basket with all the other dog things (leashes, outside toys, plastic bags).

The vacuum is new. Works on carpet/rugs or hard flooring. I use it on garage rugs, kitchen rugs, front porch rugs, kitchen/hall floor.

Vacuum now lives right next to the backdoor. Very handy. The rugs just inside and outside the door (between the house and the garage) are my most vacuumed spots.

Empty drawer

I mentioned we added a tool cabinet in the garage several weeks ago.

Previously all the tools and supplies were stored in clear shoe box bins in garage.

Many people would think that was organized, but in reality it meant digging thru bins to find things.

One of my neighbors had a tool cabinet slightly smaller than the one we now have. And when I saw it in their garage, years ago, I was surprised. They are not very handy. They do NO diy of any kind. I doubt they open that tool cabinet once a month, maybe not even once a quarter.

But that planted the seed, regular people can have bigger tool cabinets. And how handy that would be for us.

Fast forward. We have a tool cabinet. I attached the wheels and sorted thru everything and filled it. I got rid of what was not cabinet worthy. (We now have a work bench with an empty/ready surface. I cleaned out and reorganized the cupboards in the garage too.)

I am in and out of our tool cabinet pretty much every day. It was a very smart addition.

Before we had the tool cabinet, during a kitchen drawer clean out (maybe in the last couple years), I added a tool drawer to the kitchen. And at the time, it was so handy. Instead of going out to the garage and digging thru bins, a tape measure or hammer or screwdriver was right there in a drawer.

Yesterday I emptied that drawer. I put the keepers in the garage tool cabinet. I packed a donate bag.

If I want anything, I can just walk out to the garage and get it. Having all the  tools in drawers in the garage is pretty much as handy as a few things in the kitchen.

I have had other empty drawers and shelves in various rooms. Sometimes for long stretches. And it a nice feeling.

I am in no hurry to fill it. If a need presents itself, it is available.

And actually there is a second drawer which I am considering. Because now that I have the post office cubbies in the computer room, this drawer in the kitchen may be able to be at least reduced too.

28 days

Both daughters (with me) put together lists of meals.

One list (14 dinners) is vegetarian (my youngest, my niece, niece’s boyfriend). The other list (28 dinners/4 weeks) is regular.

The (4) regular week list mostly contain dinners with chicken and turkey. Fish is included once a week. Beef appears once every other week. One pork dinner alternates weeks with the beef. There are a few vegetarian dinners included in the 28 day list, but not many. We mostly saved the vegetarian meals for when they are visiting, then we just all eat (mostly) vegetarian.

There is also a short list of breakfasts that people (here) like to eat when we have company.

I started the regular 28 dinners list this week.

I shopped with the first seven days in mind. And then each day, I simply cook whatever is on the list for dinner. I make enough so there are leftovers for lunches, my husband and *daughter pack their lunches every day. I package leftovers in individual containers that can be added to lunch boxes. That reduces dish volume and makes things easy.

I should have done this a long time ago.

I do not mind cooking as long as I am cooking what people want to eat.

We sold our garage freezer and so my freezer spaced is reduced to the big freezer drawer under the refrigerator. This list helps me only keep what I need in the freezer. The process is worth it just to have food rotating in and out of the freezer and pantry regularly.

I still keep the kitchen stocked. But not over stocked. And I can just look at the week’s dinner list and then verify what is in the kitchen, and then shop. It is easier.

I can make and eat a lot of traditional dinners by limiting my carbs the rest of the day and reducing the carbs in the dinner and adding a lot of vegetables. And I usually eat two meals a day (not three) so that helps the numbers hugely.

28 days/4 weeks is a good list. We think by the time it starts again, with so much variety, we will not get bored. I suspect people repeat dinners more often than once a month on average. the only repeat on our list is tacos, they appear once a week.

I also built the list so I cook meat and then use it 2-3 times that same week. That makes things very easy.

When the vegetarians are here, I simply switch lists. They are not usually here for more than a week or two.

Even though I am just a couple days into this process, I really see how much it helps. My mother who lives alone, cooks actual/full meals for herself. She does not just snack. I have a hard time cooking for just myself. I can see that if I were to live alone at some point in the future, this 28 day process would insure I ate real food/meals.


* I have one daughter living at home and this helps her too. She works full time. She helps me a lot. This process means her dinners and lunches are cooked and she only has to cook her breakfast. She does better if she eats from home too.

I have been cleaning out craft and art supplies

Everything that is an office supply (tape, paint, markers, crayons, scissors, etc.) is now in the drawers in the post office boxes in the computer room. This is very inviting, there are 46 small drawers of treasures.

As I have cleaned and sorted, the craft/art stuff, I have given things to neighbor children, donated to an autism clinic, and posted things on Facebook Marketplace. So I have reduced the volume, quite a bit.

Out of the keepers, I have built two children’s craft treasure boxes.

The two boxes are 24” long x 17” wide x 6” high (each). And that seems to be a perfect size for holding a lot without getting too heavy.  As you can see from the picture (above), they are super inviting.

I have been taking things out of *bins, and putting them in zip lock bags for visibility and ease of packing. So everything sock puppet related, is now in one bag, for example.

*I had everything sorted (in the past) by type. So I had lots and lots of little shoe box size clear bins full of art and craft supplies.

These two treasure craft boxes will fit on one shelf.

And between these boxes and rehoming/donating, I will have cleared at least four shelves.

And probably no one, in the family, will have to buy a clear shoe box bin again.

Thanksgiving decor

Downstairs bathroom (girls Hobby Lobby, I had the bench) -

My bathroom (Hobby Lobby) -

Upstairs bathroom (I have had him for a long time) -

Backdoor (craft show this fall, I would like to find a turkey for center) -

Close up -

Defined space

This is a very large closet under the stairs. Large enough that it can be considered a small room.

There are two large shelf sets and a table in this closet. And oh so much stuff.

I am starting thru every single thing in this space and in the larger room next to it.

Preemptively, I am designating a spot for tissue paper, cards, gift bags and gift tags. (Large rolls are in another container, *and I do not have many.)

I know I am going to find a lot of them.

And I am only going to save what fits nicely in these three bins tucked in a weirdly shaped spot on top the shelf unit behind the door.

*I have adopted the generic packaging philosophy. I do solid, striped, checked and dotted gift wrap/bags only. Nothing holiday specific. This automatically reduces the volume hugely. And is very attractive.

Creative reuse

I have had two special pieces of wood for several years.

The boards were part of the gym floor from the kids’ high school. I was able to get them when the gym was gutted and redone.

At one point I regretted having got them, just was not sure what I would (ever) do with them.



I have been aggressively re-evaluating many things in the garage this fall.

My goal is to have the double bay side of the garage FLOOR as empty as possible.

This is for several reasons -
Decluttering/reducing
Slush/ice/water coming off cars
Clean looking

So in keeping with my “use it or lose it” philosophy, I thought of something beneficial to do with the larger (7’ x 16”) of the two boards.

It is now the top of shoe cubbies.



I used three quarts of brown paint(s). They were nearly full, left from other projects. That was extremely pleasing. My paint cupboard was over flowing.

I used the two darker colors as the base coat. I am in the process of painting the final coat (in the lightest brown). I will have used every drop of all three quarts by the time I am finished.

I buy my lumber at Lowe’s. They cut all my boards for me. I bought the wooden feet and the hardware at Lowe’s also. I have used these before, they carry several kinds, super easy to install.

This made a big difference

I got a two piece tool cabinet for the garage. (I first *tried to find a used one, no luck.)

Both pieces are from Lowe’s. The bottom one was on clearance, it was delivered for free because we were ordering an expensive security door at the same time.

I like that they are both black. Often they are red, not a fan.

I got the bottom piece first, sorted what I wanted to store in those drawers, realized I needed the top piece. I did have to attach wheels on the bottom.

The top one fit in the trunk easily.

I got the rolls of drawer liners especially made for tool cabinets. It is like a yoga mat and keeps things in place and quiet. They are in all the drawers of the top piece and a couple drawers of the bottom.



Previously all our tools and parts were stored in clear shoe boxes under the workbench.

It has been an evolution.

First shoe boxes in cupboard, then addition of workbench with boxes under the bench, now addition of tool cabinet. Each step seemed huge at the time. Each step was better.

We do a lot of DIY, have been doing projects steadily the last couple years.

So now was a good time to sort. What we use vs what has just been accumulated. What was cabinet worthy. What could go.

Several things are now listed on Facebook marketplace.

I have a small pile to donate.

The clear shoe boxes are getting washed and then moving to my sewing closet under the stairs.

Very pleased.

This would make a great wedding or new house gift. Could be a group contributing.

We have needed this for many, many years. I just did not realize regular people (who do not own a workshop/business) could have these at home.




*I watched Facebook Marketplace for used tool cabinets all summer and fall. Most listed are dirty and well used and expensive. Often they are full of junk.

I bought one that was clean and empty, from Facebook Marketplace. I got it home and realized it was too small and very cheap feeling. I relisted it the next day and it sold immediately.

So we went with new, on clearance.

Apollo 11 at Omnimax

It is a long drive, but we go to the Cincinnati Museum every few years.

I think the last time was to see a Pompeii exhibit that was well worth the drive.

This month we drove to see Apollo 11 at the Omnimax theater.

https://www.nkytribune.com/2019/07/apollo-11-first-steps-edition-lands-in-omnimax-theater-on-july-20-at-cincinnati-museum-center/

Warning, an Omnimax will ruin your IMAX experience forever. In our opinion, once you have seen an Omnimax, there is no going back to IMAX.

We are big time space people. And it did not disappoint. It was all original footage.

The benefits of dead heading and trimming

I picked up three yellow blanket flower plants on the clearance table this fall. They looked nearly dead, probably $1 or less each.

I stuck them in next to another grouping of blanket flowers, which I had moved from a front bed (and protected with the shade of a kiddie pool over a chair much of the very hot summer.)

While they are spindle-y, the yellow blanket flowers had a resurgence, and grew green leaves and bloomed. In fact they are still blooming, here at the end of October. So hopefully they have been just as busy below ground, growing major roots.

Not everything makes it of course, but I have had very good luck with clearance tables over the years.. In fact if I ask at the checkout, they often discount them even more. I regularly get plants for $1.50-$1 each.  Bringing them home, putting pot in pan of water for several days and then planting in very good dirt, does wonders. Regular watering and making shade if needed, does a lot too.

And this is actually a lesson in dead heading and trimming. Because these plants came back as if they had been cut.

I have never been good at either (dead heading or cutting things back during growing season). But I have a neighbor who is very good. And next year I am going to ask her to text me as she cuts back plants during the growing season so they can have a Resurgence. And I am going to make notes, all summer, so I learn.

Reply All

I finished archives for Young House Love, caught up on all the *rest of my podcasts, and then started on Reply All.

I am on episode 4 of 149. They average 45 minutes to an hour. There are some under a half hour and a couple over 1 1/2 hours, but not many. Wide variety of (internet related) topics.

So probably this is a keeper. Normally I know by the second episode if I am going to like it.

I clearly like to get in the mindset of one show (TV or podcast) and go thru the archives.

Slow motion Binge. It takes me weeks or sometimes even months, and I really enjoy the process.

Long ago, pre-audio, I would do the same thing with authors, find an author I loved, start with their first book, and read them all.


* This American Life, SideHustle, Happiness, Happier In Hollywood, The Moth. I also have Do The Thing/Melissa loaded, but only listen in an emergency, I am hit or miss on her topics.

The daisy border

After we got the daisies and the narcissus bulb borders in, my mom and I went on (a couple weeks ago) to add a border of grape hyacinth bulbs (gifted from a neighbor) and an Aster border. I think the asters are blue/purple in 3-4 varieties. I paid $1.50 for most of them on clearance. The daisies and grape hyacinth bulbs were gifted from a neighbor. I bought the narcissus bulbs.

I ordered the zinnias seeds, two varieties for this border, and they will go in behind the asters.

Also in this massive bed: ivy, lily of the valley and hundreds of jonquil bulbs.

I like the shape of this border very much. I love the composition. I am buying a soaker hose and getting it in place next spring. This is a very long border on a wide curve. It is hard to water. The soaker hose will be good solution. This bed will need watered regularly.

The two pools with the tarp over them, are still there. Nasty dirt which I am slowing dwindling thru the garbage each pick up. It will take many weeks, a few bags at a time. Needs to be done before the snow hits.

On the far left of the picture, in front of the tree, see yellow line, we planted a mass of grape hyacinth bulbs. They are my favorite. I now have hundreds (maybe a thousand) planted all over many beds.

Here is a tiny border that squeaked in just under the weather

A couple weeks ago, I dug up the vinca bed.

Vinca is also known as periwinkle. (1st picture below which I used in my ad, in that concentrated picture, it looks nice, as a whole bed, not so much).

I dug 1/3 of the vinca bed last spring, cleaned out some invading grass, and then replanted the vinca. I still just did not like it.

While I have other ground cover beds that I love (pachysandra, lily of the valley, ivy), the vinca bed just always looked messy. Even weed free, it was not very clean looking. And it seemed like a waste of a bed.

A neighbor, who has lovely gardens, was over and concurred. In fact at her old house she had done the same thing and eliminated a bed of vinca.

So two Thursday’s ago I posted a “free vinca” ad on Facebook Marketplace. And by Friday, when I had two people willing to pick up that afternoon, I started digging.

My mother came and helped me.

So much vinca! (In the 2nd  picture below with the pool and the cardboard and the wheelbarrow, one person had already picked up two huge boxes full.)

Both people came to pick up the plants. In fact one of them made a second trip for the rest.

It was a very big job, but by the end of the day, it was tidy again (3rd picture).

In fact middle and I rented an edger and cleaned up the lines all along the sidewalk and driveway that same night (4th picture). So it was really tidy.

This past Friday, my mother helped me plant a border in the old vinca bed (5th picture). It has 11 liropa as the outer border. 40 Grape hyacinth bulbs were planted as a second (inner) border (so as the grape hyacinth is dying back, the liropa will come up and cover it).

Rather than digging holes, I dug two wide trenches. I removed all the dirt. My mother planted (the liropa are 12” apart) and then I filled both trenches with good dirt. Tidy again.

I am planting Impatients (annuals which flower all summer) next spring to fill in the back of that bed.  Probably solid white impatients. Maybe light yellow.

Assuming nobunny eats any of it, it should be lovely. And being so defined, and full, it should be easy to maintain.

Friday my mom and I went on to get the last things in the ground before the weather turns.

Two day-lilies on the east side of the house (starts from a neighbor). That first neighbor also gave me the grape hyacinth bulbs. She also had given me all the daisies that went in another border several weeks ago. She has massive beds.

And we planted a Hosta (I had admired) start from another neighbor. That second neighbor was gifted the rest of my liropa.

It pays to have gardening friends. Everyone likes to rehome plant starts as they garden.

Garbage can very motivating

I am careful about what I pitch.

When I am cleaning out, I rehome as much as I can. I list things for sale or free on Facebook Marketplace mostly. I think this puts things in the hands of someone who can use it.

I recycle (glass, paper, plastic) aggressively.

So really the only thing that goes in our garbage can (from the house)  each week is one tall kitchen garbage bag.

Yard waste is another matter.

We have generated a lot of trimmings this year. We save a lot of branches as kindling, for ourselves and neighbors, but the rest goes in the can. I have had a lot of weeds. And a lot of other yard waste.

Many weeks this summer, we not only filled the can, but also filled tall paper yard waste bags.




Each week, I make sure we utilize the space available in the can 100%.

If I get to the weekend and the can is emptish, I am actively looking around the yard at what needs to go.

That “filling the can” mentality has both paced me and pushed me.

Things have gotten done simply because I did not want to waste pick up service. Things have gotten scheduled for specific weekends based on can space.

It has made a big difference.



I started the spring with very messy flower beds.

I am ending the fall with major work down.

I walked all thru my yard with someone this week, looking at beds and paths. I pulled one weed as we walked, mint hiding in with the bittersweet. I did not see any other weeds. And I saw a lot of tidiness.

I started early in the spring because the rains softened up the ground enough so that I could do a lot myself. The warm fall allowed me to keep going longer than is usually possible. I still have things in bloom as we near the end of October.

I never would have guessed I could get so much done in one spring/summer/fall year. But I really did.  I am so looking forward to next spring. Trimming starts in April.

Medical binder/records and appts

About a year ago we put medical (records) binders together. These were for me, middle and youngest.  (Clicking on the medical records label below, will find that post.)


It started with middle. My mother (retired nurse) helped me go thru all middle’s papers, shred what we did not need and create an organized binder with the keepers. She actually has two binders which now live in a canvas bag and are ready to roll.

This is very handy.

So after that success, we made them for youngest and me too.




I have caught up on all my medical appts
and shots (1st shingles, pneumonia 23, flu) this year.

I even made myself a list (of my annual appts) for future years:
GP/bloodwork - February and August
Dentist - April and October
Asthma/Allergist - August
Mole check - October
Pap - October
Mammogram - December
Eye - December



And as I have gone from appt to appt, this fall, I have taken my binder with me. I have been asked for records I had with me, at almost every appt, which made things very smooth.

I switched GP’s this year. And my new GP went thru my whole binder, making notes. He also asked me about a couple things that were not in my binder. When I got home, I requested records on two old surgeries to fill in the gaps he had noticed.

At my pap yesterday, the nurse practitioner had me pull sections (from my binder that applied to that visit). And she noticed my bone density records were not in my binder. They made me a copy before I left that appt.



This (medical records binder) is something I would recommend for everyone. And something I would start for babies.

We absolutely cannot rely on medical facilities to have all records. Computer systems crash and are updated, people move, practices close, records are (shockingly) easily lost.

It is very convenient to be at an appt and have everything needed. In an emergency, or out of town specialist, it is doubly important to have records.

Epsom salts

I have been taking a hot bath with 2 cups of Epsom salts every morning.

The combo of the two (heat, salt) gets my (arthritis) legs, back, hands moving each morning.

TV cabinet

This belonged to my husband’s mother.

It came with the TV in it.

The doors have been under a bed here since it arrived.

As you can see from the first picture, the TV was just too low for comfortable viewing.

I wanted the doors on it.

And I wanted all the gaming stuff together and upstairs out of the way.

So we built a set of shelves. They fit exactly, but are not attached. It was built as a unit and simply slid into the cabinet.

We replaced the back because it had a large hole cut in it (for an old box TV). We cut a small round hole in the new backing, tucked under a shelf, in case someone needs to run a cord out the back.

We bought wood, *paint and four European hinges for this project.

* Sometimes it takes a couple tries, but Lowe’s paint department is very good at scanning a piece of stained wood and mixing paint to match. We paint part of a wooden stir-er before I leave to check the match. Sometimes I get a clerk who tells me it will not work, and then I pull out my phone and show pictures of projects I have done. I find it is much easier to match paint to stain (vs trying to match stain to stain).

Pretty pleased.

We will have extended family here over the holidays.

And most everyone loves games. That is what we do when we have a house full.

I listen to several podcasts. And games have been mentioned.

I got three for this year:

Note, youngest and her college friends went thru the Meme cards and removed the ones which were more gross than funny. We now have three stacks - PG, MA funny, MA gross. Same college kids have been playing these games, so youngest knows how to do all of them before family plays.

Also note: prices have gone up on a couple of these since I ordered.

I had this for sale on Poshmark but am now wearing it

The problem, red.

I am just not a fan of red for most clothing.

When I got this in Canada, several years ago, it was only available in red.

I hesitated at the time, but it was now or never, and I bought it.

The poor thing then hung in my closet and eventually was listed with a whole lot of things I (unsuccessfully) tried to sell on Poshmark.

I decided this week to just start wearing it.

First if all, when I have it on, I only see the black part, not the red.

And when I have it on, other people can see me (walking dogs, parking lots) because of the red.

Plus it is a lot more “together” looking than a fleece jacket or a hoodie.

I still would be happier if it were blue or green or purple. So when I wear it out, I will replace it with something in one of those colors. But for now, I am wearing it all fall. In fact I will be able to layer under it and probably wear into early winter.

Clicking on a picture will enlarge it. Middle was my model for these Poshmark pictures.

Breaking out the mock turtle necks

I ordered multiple long sleeved rash guard shirts from Landsend a couple years ago. Multiple colors and prints.

I wore one every day all this past summer. A uniform of sorts.

I wore them with knit black or gray solid shorts or capris (Walmart).

Yes, it was a hot summer. No, the long sleeves did not bother me.

The shirts allowed me to be outside and only use sunscreen on my face. They protected my arms, shoulders, chest.

I have a solid navy one I wear as a swim suit with navy swim shorts. I wear a sports bra under it. The shorts have two layers, longer with a brief bottom built under it. Also LandsEnd.

I buy rash guards and swim shorts on clearance from Landsend. I buy enough for free shipping. I think I have 9-10. I wash them in warm water on gentle, only with each other. I line dry.

The temperature dropped here on Friday night. And very interestingly the Rash guard shirts do not keep me warm, at all. (So there must be something about them that kept me cool all summer.)

So I am now in my fall/winter uniform.

A cotton mock turtleneck (LandsEnd) in gray or black over black knit pants (Walmart). The neck keeps me warm. I can layer many things over them.

I also bought these on clearance, last spring. I see they are on sale. I am ordering more, now that I know they really work.