My brother could only work on my parents' house on weekends and it took him months to do it. I'll bet it took almost a year. There was so much stuff that they had two estate sales. They also filled a large dumpster three times. My mom died first then my dad started to really go downhill with Altzheimers. I'm sure my mom didn't expect to die at 69 and my dad couldn't tell that he was deteriorating, so they hadn't done anything to get rid of stuff. A few years before my great aunt died, she gave away to the rest of the family certain items that she thought should stay in the family. Odds and ends from her house and my grandparents' house ended up at my parents' house but my mom had never gone through them and there were just boxes piled in the basement, which was a finished room, not a cellar. So, yes, try to get rid of stuff before you start going downhill, especially if your family lives 2500 miles away.

We went hiking for two hours and 15 minutes yesterday. It was cloudy, so that was nice. Otherwise it would have bordered on brutal.

Karen, that's too bad about losing your Medicare supplement, it is very important to keep seniors exercising, keeps them strong so they avoid falling and staying out of the hospital, too bad your government is so short sighted.

Well when I go family will have to get some of those You Have Junk Dumpster trucks and a crew of guys to just clear out everything and throw it out. The basement is unfinished and totally full of stuff.

No storage here in this house. So everything goes in the basement. Some of it needed again and much of it forgotten about. Basement has been cleared out twice already and keeps getting full again.

We have several outbuildings and a basement. I try to put my hand on ONE thing everyday to either toss or donate. Some days I really get after it. Others not so much. So much junk...sigh. My problem with decluttering is I hate to waste things or put useable items into landfill. I've thought of setting up a 'free' shelf in our main barn and encourage neighbors, relatives, and friends to take whatever they want.

That shelf in the barn is a good idea, Deb.

Hmmm. It's a rainy day here...

It's snowing here at the moment, nothing sticking.

Snow already!?! I could never live that far north! I worked in the yard for several hours this morning and I was sweating. It's 78 degrees here.

Margaret, the government administers Medicare but the supplement is from a private insurance company. They're offering half price membership on some gyms next year, just not the one we belong to. (Or any we want to join, either.)

Between fall yard work and cleaning out all the junk in the house, I'm exhausted.

Karen

Thanks for clearing that up Karen, too bad it it is not for a gym you want to join.

It had been nice all week, this is another cold front from the north, should only last a few days and we will be back to Indian summer, at least I hope so.

Today was a nice day for my exercise walk with Lily dog. We did the 3 miles route and it was relaxing. Yesterday we only did the one mile loop as they were working digging up the street for blocks the way I had to go. . All that heavy equipment and pounding sure was not relaxing!!

Besides I worked on pulling tomato plants both yesterday and today. So really did not feel like doing the 3 mile walk yesterday. And today also sprayed my roses so am now totally tired out for the day.

Been a long time since I've had time to read everything and catch up.

You were talking about laundry room locations and both of my daughters have them located on the upper floor where the bedrooms are. The elder daughter here in Ottawa bought a suburban house my a major local builder back in 2003, I think. Younger daughter in Vancouver ended up demolishing an older, inadequate house after they found they would have to replace to foundation to renovate it. So they designed the new house with an upstairs laundry room. Certainly more convenient to the place where laundry is generated, but if you want to hang it outside, maybe not so much. Mine is in the basement of a split level house; so from the bedrooms, down 3 short flights of stairs. Only 2 from ground level.

Karen - we have one level of the house that is partially below grade and we built a whole wall of bookshelves along it. When we did a major revamp of that room a few years back and installed a queen wall-bed, we took boxes and boxes of old books to the local library which has an on-going used book sale. (I'll look for some pictures of that).

Karen - takes a special neighbour to be a contractor and work for neighbours. Our next-door neighbour is also a contractor and when he first moved in he had a rule not to work for neighbours. Fortunately he's relaxed that rule and he did a great job on a basement reno for us. Also very handy having him around if we need help with something like hanging a new light fixture in a 15' hall ceiling, or ...

About flu shots, I've always taken them. Now our health care provides them, but I used to always get them because I was so involved with running a food bank. I reckon people who don't have enough money for the basics are often not the healthiest segment of society. But the shots are a bit of a crap shoot because they have to decide so early which strains to include and it's a guessing game. Had the earlier shingles injection. Haven't talked to my doctor about the new one, but have had both the older and newer pneumonia injections.

Margaret, the tree-stump fountain is attractive. Too bad it's such a pain to empty. Does that Campanula behave itself or does it seed itself everywhere? They vary quite a bit in that regard. It is pretty. I have one that is a perennial and behaves itself very well (Campanula Glomerata) and others that can become a pest if I let them. Used to have some of the biennial type with the cup and saucer, but have lost them. Too easy to weed out during the first year, I think.

Kelli - your story reminds me of cleaning out my mother's house in 1993. She was a first class pack-rat. We put out mounds of recycling and garbage and then got a dumpster. Gave away a lot to charities (she was in the USA where you can get a tax receipt for in-kind donations like that), we held two garage sales and then the lawyer who was looking after her finances in the nursing home managed a sale of remaining house contents since I'm in Canada and my sister in Alaska. It was a huge job and pretty much cured ME of real pack-rat status, but not my husband.

OK last week, I got walking on Tuesday and Thursday and did aquafit on Wednesday and Friday. Also started to cut back my hostas and douse the base of the plants with an ammonia-water solution to reduce slugs and slug eggs. Been working in the back yard because the back fence, which was built in 1971, will be replaced in the next few weeks. Need to get things cleared out near it.

The Ottawa area is recovering from the tornadoes that went through here 10 days ago. Turns out there was a total of 6 tornadoes in the region. Much work to be done. Haven't talked in depth to my friend who had her roof damaged and must do that this week. My endocrinologist lives in one of the harder hit areas and her office confirmed damage but I didn't press them for details.

One of the biggest things last week was the sudden, unexpected death on the 22nd of a friend who directed the handbells at the United Church closest to our. She was such a frequent rehearsal sub in my group that we considered her part of our group as well. Her funeral was on Saturday and I was honoured to have been included in a handbell choir that played. Lots of people who wanted to ring. The church is large enough and wealthy enough that they have two sets of bells and they all got used. But it meant a 2 ½ hour rehearsal on Friday evening (sight reading as I had no idea what the music would be or which bells I would ring until I got there). Then another rehearsal two hours before the funeral on Saturday. Fortunately, most of the music was very familiar to me as four of the six selections are favourites of my own group and I had played another in a summer pick-up group for a special event.
http://mcgarryfh.frontrunnerpr...

Well, need to get going. Have a bank appointment in an hour to change signing authorities for the Food Cupboard. We've had one signer die and a couple that were going to be added never did get to the bank last year; so it's been a bit of a scramble getting two signatures for every cheque.

Looked for pictures just of the bookshelves in the room we renovated but am not sure where they got saved. Best I can do is a link to the FB album - https://www.facebook.com/media... Probably more there than you need to look at.

May dad had a lot of bookcases and shelves that he made and where sized to fit the space where they were to be put. They were very large. No one wanted to buy them so we just left them in the house when it was put up for sale and the ad said that the house has a lot of storage space. The garage was full of custom-built storage, too. The house was not in very good shape. The back wall leaked moisture and there was mildew in the basement, which was a finished room. Most of the plumbing fixtures leaked and we had to turn the water off. One burner on the stove didn't work. I don't think the microwave worked. The dishwasher leaked. Most of the exterior was brick and aluminum siding but the wood areas needed to be painted. Before my mom and dad died, they talked like it needed new windows. You can look at the Zillow pictures but in doesn't show all of the custom shelving. https://www.zillow.com/homes/f... I like that all of the interior trim and doors were varnished wood, not painted wood. I think painted wood looks cheap. I probably got that from my dad. The kitchen cabinets are fake stuff but they held up well. (My house has painted wood, no don't feel like I am picking on you.) The first thing the guy who bought it did was paint over those gold stars (exterior photo). Yes, they are total '60s, but the house looks blank without them. The style of the house is very Pennsylvania.

We went for a walk today.

It looks nice, Kelli. Ditto the renovation, Ann. And, no, I don't hang my laundry outside ever. It makes them smell good but too scratchy for me. And besides, my allergist said that's the worst thing you can do if you have environmental allergies (which I do have).

I went to the gym this morning.

Karen

I hang my laundry out on the line when ever possible. And no, I don't find it scratchy!!

Took Lily on a 2 to 2/1/2 mile exercise walk earlier. Did a route and zigs and zags that I don't normally go so not exactly sure how far the walk was. At least it was a decent walk.

Depends on what you hang out. Towels are stiff, unless there is a good breeze flapping them around as they dry. I LOVE the smell of line-dried bedding. Socks and jeans are NEVER dried out on the line.............they're like they are starched they get so stiff.

I sat at the bank for an hour to change signing authorities for the Food Cupboard. They seem to give us totally incompetent people to look after our account. But we managed to get all 5 of us there at one time, something the banks seem fussy about. There were only 2 official signers though the ex. director has been signing cheques since we tried to do this about 16 months ago. A couple of people we were planning to add then, changed their minds; so they never actually added the new ex. dir. Then one signer died. We require two signatures on every cheque. Anyway, it's all done. Exercise for the day will be an orchestra rehearsal this evening. Had another one last night with a different orchestra. This is the work we'll be working on tonight. Minimalist with lots of sections repeated over and over. And solo violin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Exercise yesterday was working in the garden and a rehearsal on Mendelssohn Symphony #5 in the evening. Love the work. Have played it 4 times before, but some of the tempos this time are insane! https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Yes, towels do get really stiff. So do most socks.

Thank you, Karen. It was a good family house.

I have no experience with clotheslines at any point in my life. Do you get wrinkles?

Yes! And everything is so stiff and scratchy. It does smell good, though.

When I was a kid my Mom loved to hang the laundry outside. I had to help if I was home. I hated the job and I hated the scratchy clothes. I've never done it as an adult. I think God gave us electric dryers because he didn't want to make me wear those scratchy clothes.

Karen