Getting ready for the move

 We are moving to a retirement community, and frankly my dear, I'm pooped.  And so is my husband. On Friday we had a quick trip by ambulance to the ER because he was wrestling a painting off the wall which got tangled in the wire and he became short of breath.  He has 4 stents so rather than self diagnose, I called the squad. I had been at the bank depositing cash I'd found around the house (over $3,000) and had gone downstairs to enter the deposit.  Then I noticed he was on the floor "resting his eyes." We were discussing the seriousness of his symptoms and just decided to call rather than be sorry.  So our daughter, son-in-law and I spent the day in the ER admittance with him, and got home about 4 p.m. Today he feels fine and went to church, but I'm still a bit frazzled so I stayed home.

We had 34 paintings on the first floor and 260 total.  That's a lot of wrapping after deciding the locations for safe keeping (our apartment, our daughter's home, or put up for sale). We have not found 3 floor living a problem until this move prep.  We were always careful and limited our ups and downs to about 3 or 4 trips during the day. But the move has put that at more than 30 trips a day. This is definitely not good for either of us.  Today I was moving our emergency food to the kitchen to be disposed of.  I'd carry up a can of tuna, a can of soup, and a can of vegetables.  Then I'd sit down and do something else, or talk to a neighbor.  Then I'd make another trip. I've been emptying them and running the disposal before getting rid of the cans in the recycle bin.

Our wonderful neighbor Barbie brought us dinner last night--a scrumptious Salmon salad and wedding soup with warm bread.  The salads are so large we'll have two meals from that, and we had the soup for lunch after church. She may even help us with some things to take to Indianapolis because she goes there every week to babysit her grandbabies! I've got some genealogy to share with our niece who has shown some interest in that area.  For years people--Aunt Roberta, Aunt Babe, Cousin Jim--have been sending me stuff, now it's time to pass it along.

Today some of our neighbors have been coming by to see if they want to purchase the paintings we don't have plans to use.  My parents 1947 maple twin bed suite with a chest and a dressing table with all the bedding have been given to friends of ours who have lots of grandchildren who come to visit. They were so kind and helpful when Phil died 5 years ago, we know it is going to a loving family. That set started out in Forreston, IL, then moved to Mt. Morris, IL, then to Franklin Grove, IL, then to Columbus, OH, then to Lakeside, OH, then back to Columbus.  A well-travelled bedroom suite. They were also able to use the quilt rack that held Phil's quilt for 5 years that cousin Jeanette made for him shone in the lower photo on the futon.  

kitchen  

Office/den 

A big move to a smaller space

 We are downsizing for a move. I expected a lot of dust, mustiness, foxing, mystery computer and TV cords and clothes that will never fit again, but was unprepared for grief, sadness, and bewilderment on what to do with "treasures" no one wants, or things we want but can't store. How can 2 people have 70 photo albums.

Advice on using less plastic--or how we lived in the 40's and 50s

Sometimes you have to wonder about the modern "sustainable" and eco-friendly life style. I can still remember when we were encouraged to use plastic bags to save trees. I have about 6 reusable bags, but during the pandemic we weren't allowed to bring them into the stores! They can get pretty yucky.  I remember when no one paid for bottles of water. All straws in restaurants were paper, in fact, most people didn't eat in restaurants. We all used cloth diapers; if there were disposable diapers, they were used for trips in the car. A few people had freezers, but they were for their home grown food. There were not 1500 kinds of air freshener and floor cleaners confusing one at the store. My Tupperware pieces (not many) are probably 50 years old. Can't compost--where would I put it that it wouldn't draw rodents or other animals.

This is the list recommended by Lifetime Fitness. For younger people, it might be a learning curve. We are all addicted to "convenience." My age group at least remembers a different time.  The trash figures are stunning, however, there are no citations for how the authors came up with them.  The worst environmental damage in recent years was caused by Covid and mask mandates.  Billions of masks made from fossil fuel are everywhere. The number of food containers for carry out must have been a real boost to that industry.  Probably came from China, like the masks.

1. Invest in a reusable glass or stainless-steel water bottle. People around the world buy a million plastic bottles every minute; in the United States, more than 60 million end up in landfills and incinerators every day.  (We don't buy throw away plastic bottles for water, but I do have plastic bottles I can reuse, thank you.  Don't like carrying glass bottles around.)

2. Opt for cloth rather than disposable diapers. Americans discard some 20 billion plastic diapers annually.  (I've seen the cost comparisons about 40 years ago and adding the cost of hot water and soap and electricity to dry so you don't save a lot.)

3. Bring your favorite mug or travel container to the coffee shop for filling up.

4. Skip the plastic straw. If a straw is a must, purchase a reusable stainless-steel or glass straw.

5. Stock up on reusable grocery bags. Americans use and discard some 102 billion plastic bags annually. Each of these can take 1,000 years to degrade.

6. Pass on prepared frozen foods: The packaging is mostly plastic or cardboard coated with plastic.  

7. Eschew chewing gum — it’s pretty much made from plastic. [Note:  I didn't realize this until about 5 years ago and gave up a very bad habit I'd had since childhood.]

8. Use matches instead of disposable plastic lighters, or invest in a refillable metal lighter.

9. Avoid plastic wrap to cover leftovers, cheeses, and other refrigerated food by using a dish cloth or parchment paper. [This isn't going to happen, but I do use reuseable plastic storage containers.] 

10. Cook with cast-iron instead of nonstick pans. Teflon, the most common nonstick surface, is a fluoropolymer plastic. [I prefer this, but it's not safe on a glass top stove, nor can I lift them safely.]

11. Make your own cleaning products. They’re less toxic, and you can reuse spray bottles, eliminating the need for multiple plastic bottles filled with cleaners. (For recipes, see “Make Your Own Spring-Cleaning Kit“.)  [Good in theory, but I've moved on to hiring at cleaning service.]

12. Decline plastic flatware with your takeout orders; pick up bamboo or other reusable flatware for picnics and traveling. [I use cheap stainless ware picked up at yard sales and reuse. But Covid made this carry-out trend grow immensely.]

13. Buy food in bulk when possible and pack it in your own reusable jars or containers. You’ll save money and limit unnecessary packaging.  [Not a useful tip for 2 person household.]

14. Bring your own containers for vegetables and fruits to the farmers’ market, where you can refill them.

15. Pack your lunch in reusable containers and bags. Skip foods packed in single-serving plastic cups.

16. Mix up your own hand salves, lotion bars, and deodorants instead of buying personal-care items sold in plastic containers. Coconut oil is a great base for all of these. (For more ideas, see “DIY Beauty“.) [I use a lot of coconut oil as moisturizer.]

17. Replace your Tupperware with a set of reusable glass storage containers for leftovers. [Not going to happen.  Glass is too heavy.]

18. Compost your food waste to reduce the number of plastic bags needed to haul it to the landfill.  [No place to put it.]  https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/article/18-ways-to-live-with-less-plastic/?

Still sorting, packing and reshelving

Does your husband (or you) save screws, nails, tacks, and pieces of unidentified plumbing parts, TV wires, and pencils too small to use? We are rearranging the basement storage. Life was easier I think when we lived in a house for 34 years that had no basement and no attic. Now we've had both for the last 19 years, and I swear these mysterious oddies and endies in my husband's tool area just grow! I have one box that is just light bulbs. extra extension cords and surge protectors, and emergency candles. Another box of containers that just hold things together like putty, glue, calking, bonding, etc.

I had planned to buy a metal open shelving unit to store what I didn't throw out, but after pricing them (over $50), the wood bookshelf from our old house that's a little awkward began to look pretty good. Also none of us could remember how we got it in the house and down the stairs in 2002. So we solved the moving problem by just putting it back.

One of the collectors of nuts, bolts, nails, screws of 4 styles and 16 different lengths appears to be an insert from an old desk—maybe walnut or maple. I asked Bob if it was from his grandfather's desk (he died in 1955) which we had when we were married in 1960, or his grandparents' secretary they'd purchased when they got married in 1906. But he couldn't remember. So just in case it's an antique, I moved it to the laundry room where it can accumulate more unidentifiable things.

Am I alone?

More boxes to go through

This afternoon I'm going through all our trip memorabilia--most of it in two large storage boxes in the furnace room. Alaska, Arizona (twice), Arkansas, Baltimore, Bartlesville, Boston, California (3 times) Canada (Vancouver), Chicago, Finland (many cities), Florida, Germany (many cities, river cruise), Greece, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana (Columbus, Madison), Ireland, Israel, Italy (numerous cities), Kentucky, Michigan (Detroit, Boyne City, Bay View), Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Springfield--these were mostly architectural tours), Oregon, Philadelphia, Russia (St. Petersburg), San Antonio, Spain (Madrid, Murcia, Granada, Cordoba), Turkey, Washington DC (3 times). Post cards, maps, guides, newspapers, magazines, hundreds of receipts for restaurants, hotels, museums, art galleries, tours and airlines. Stacks of photos we couldn't use in the albums.

It all needs to go. But as I looked through the things, I couldn't help but think of the thousands of jobs related to tourism and travel, from the maps and brochures to the hotel staffs, the bus drivers, the cooks, waiters, cleaners, and tour guides. All out of work now.

  

Granada 2015

 

Alaska 2001

Storage by Mary Oliver, a poem

A good friend knew I was sorting and pitching things (some back to retirement) while moving back into my office after Phil's death, and she gave me this poem. I know many of you need this, so I'm passing it along.

"When I moved from one house to another there were many things I had no room for. What does one do? I rented a storage space. And filled it. Years passed. Occasionally I went there and looked in, but nothing happened, not a single twinge of the heart. As I grew older the things I cared about grew fewer, but were more important. So one day I undid the lock and called the trash man. He took everything. I felt like the little donkey when his burden is finally lifted. Things! Burn them, burn them! Make a beautiful fire! More room in your heart for love, for the trees! For the birds who own nothing-the reason they can fly."

I know there are several layers of meaning--like holding on to other trash such as regrets, anger, irritations, failures, etc.--but for now I'll just keep it at boxes of paper and photographs and old letters.

What to do with stuff

We had an interesting program at Lakeside this morning on "Organizing 101: Simplify our Stuff" by Chris Perrow. One member of the audience commented that the people who needed to be there, weren't. "No one wants our stuff," was a common complaint.

For old family photos, scanning was the suggestion. One woman used the app Photomyne and found it very useful. Some suggested saving just a serving piece of two of that china you inherited but don't use. Lots of suggestions for various donation sites and sales. My suggestion is that if you like the china use it and don’t be afraid to put it in the dishwasher (although not the microwave since most have silver or gold trim).

For 34 years we lived in a house with no basement and no attic. Now we have both, and have more "stuff." Definitely a first world problem. Since I have a number of blogs I can write about things I donate or give away, and still retain the memory.  Doesn’t always solve the problem, but at least I know I’m not alone.  A number of people mentioned the emotional attachment to their stuff.

For my children

Now for today's project--painting the garage

Instead of buying off the shelf storage units for the garage, we had some new shelves and a tall closet built to hang out with the former kitchen cabinets. The bottom two shelves are stationery, the others can be moved. The cabinets won't be painted on the inside, so they are already jammed. I think we could have purchased gold plated cheaper, but oh well, the price you pay for living with an architect. We also have beautiful new hardware that doesn't match the hinges. Hate that. Here's Paul Miller and a few scenes from today's project--which will probably last 3 days. The last photo is stuff that needs to go either to a shredder, a technology dump, or back on the shelves. I wonder what people do who have a clutter problem? We're actually rather tidy people.

Paul is doing a lot of careful prep work--that's the key to a good paint job whether interior or exterior. Clean, sand, fill holes, etc.

Deacquisitioning

Librarians who buy materials for libraries are doing the task called "acquisition." When they decide to get rid of that which they previously bought, stored and used, it's called "deacquisition," (aka deselection or weeding). There are guidelines, and the suggestion is to begin with 200-300 items.

So that's what we're doing to get ready for the new storage in the garage. I told my husband this was backward--and I've weeded many a collection. First you weed, then you decide how much shelving you need. If you move it, it will stay.

I've found a number of usable but useless things--like dirty canvas book bags. Absolutely nothing wrong with them but they can't be cleaned. A under the bed storage box (cardboard) still in the wrapper--possibly 20 years old--most people use plastic now. A piece of carpet in case something awful ever happened to the bedroom and we needed just that size.

4313

Flat Panel TVs

The other day we saw our neighbors' children haul away their TV armoire. They have a new flat panel TV which fits in their den (I use our den for my office and a 12 year old TV is in the living room in a nice cabinet and a 21 year old TV is in the family room).

The WSJ suggests as many as 40,000 armoires may be looking for new homes by the end of the year as they are moved out of hotels. Craig's List is loaded with them. Some liquidators have dropped the price to $50!

We have a cable box for that TV, so I think we can keep our living room set, although it's not HD. We watched a few minutes of a football game on an HDTV flat panel the other day, and I must say the picture was spectacular. But it still invades the room, so I don't mind keeping it behind closed doors. Maybe we could have someone remodel the back so it would be the same depth as the side units. I use the side units for displaying glass and pottery items and the drawers for table linens. I really need this unit!