My Morning Walk: "spring is coming"

Slushy sidewalks make for hard walking so I use the road when I can. But slushy sidewalks are becoming more frequent and I think they're a sign that spring is coming.

The sun's warmth was more noticeable on the way home. That's a sign.

March is closer than last week. That's a sign.

The ice on the Thames looks dicey. And that's a sign too.

Photos by GH

More Morning Walk

Decluttering: “I’ll only keep one old greeting card”

I’m slowly sorting a thick pile of birthday and anniversary cards into two piles, i.e., ‘keepers’ and ‘losers’. The ‘losers’ will end up in the recycling bin; the ‘winners’ will stay in my desk drawer until it gets messy again and I have to declutter enough stuff to make room for, say, a new eraser.

Which one the following cards will I keep?

Keep the ‘old fart’ card? No. I don’t need to be reminded.

Keep the “not too shabby” note? No. If I live another 30 years I should get upgraded.

Keep ‘life is a journey’ behind a VW that looks like one from my past? No. I can’t run that fast anymore and the VW was pretty beat up by the time I sold it (for $50).

Should I keep the ‘chicken card’ that reminded my older son of me and my dad and “the chickens of Norwich?” Yes, because I have an empty frame and space on my wall beside my desk. The card was designed by Victor Lee and I have two of his prints on my living room wall. Cool.

Also, the pile is smaller and while cleaning my desk I found my guitar tuner. It’s a keeper too.

Keep decluttering out there. One day we’ll get down to the perfect amount of stuff to take to the Punkydoodle old folks home.

Punch line: Old fart, my eye! That smelled like a fresh one to me. Happy Birthday.

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Do you hang onto old greeting cards? Why?

Please click here for more Decluttering

   

Decluttering: “I’ve been around for many moons”

Recently, during a trip to Vancouver Island and back (my wife insisted I return), I grew accustomed to living out of a suitcase. Now that I am back home I feel I own and hang onto too much stuff.

So, again, I’m decluttering.

[“It’s true, I’ve been around for many moons”: photo GH]

Do I really need to hang onto birthday cards that remind me I’m only getting older?

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I’m making a dent in other areas too. Please click here 

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Do you have storage woes or down-right wars?

[“If we could just have the kitchen and a bedroom, that would be all that we need.” Julia Child, LHSP.]

[“I don’t know where you go to the bathroom, Julia, but I figure I’ll always want one of those too.” G. Harrison, July 4]

Chapter 2 of Little House on a Small Planet (LHSP) is entitled ‘Choose What You Need.’

Because many people in Canada and the US live by the credo “build or buy as much house as the mortgage company will allow” they now live in a house larger than they need, knee deep in things they once really wanted but no longer use. Let’s call the stuff what it really is - the flotsam and jetsam of the partly empty-headed North American lifestyle.

Admittedly, some are quite happy to be buried in possessions. And some are not, especially those who can’t find their way to the bathroom after drinking two cups of coffee before going to work this morning.

LHSP shares the following re a related matter, i.e., the long-term storage commitment:

The pull is great: over a billion square feet of personal, away-from-home storage space is now rented in the U.S., much of it heated and cooled. Interestingly called self-storage, this “industry” has increased forty-fold since 1960, making it larger than the music business, and economically more profitable than the movies.

(Note to self - The Transformers franchise is huge, but I should invest instead in storing other people’s stuff.)


["Do you face storage woes? Wars?"]

It fills a space about the size of 300 huge office towers, or about 100,000 city pocket parks. And much in long-term storage is never valued again... (pg. 24)

The author is right. Much that is in storage has no value, except to producers of exciting reality shows on TV, like Storage Wars and Auction Hunters, and the ‘hunters’ who make a living selling stuff that the original owner no longer remembers or enjoys or can afford to store, etc.

I’d like to share one suggestion from LHSP related to stuff in storage or in drawers or closets or boxes in the basement.

“Every year when I can’t shelve a new book or close a drawer, I am inspired to get rid of one hundred things. It’s a nice round number, and a manageable task. I number a sheet of paper from one to a hundred and begin to scout for items I can do without.” (Joyce M. Carey)

Hmmm. Recently, while decluttering, I’ve boxed up dozens of items for the Good Will or curb. Maybe I should start a list, see how long it takes to get to 100 items, discover what has value and what does not, and learn more about my choices, wants, needs.

Brilliant. Where’s a piece of paper?

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If you make a list (“Good-bye Stuff!”) let me know.

Please click here for more about a related matter - the culture of big.

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Live Small PT 5: Time (again) to declutter

Here’s where I left off w posts related to decluttering:

“Who would want to wear an old pair of an old school teacher’s pants?” I asked.

“Ha! Not me,” I said - quite truthfully.

Then I added, “However, I think I’ll try to get a few bucks for 3 LPs, hat pins and a Bob Dylan scrapbook. Five bucks.”

In other words then, the pants are gone.

And this morning I added three shirts (and a vest I haven’t worn much if at all in the last 10 years) to the discard box. This pm.m or next I’ll put up an ad on Kijiji London to see if anyone wants to pay big bucks for a few LPs and a Bob Dylan scrapbook. (“We all gotta pay somebody, Bob.”)


As you can see in the photo, I have one full box of STUFF beside my study door. Out it goes. One room done, several more to clean and declutter. Another empty box is needed, ahead of schedule.

That’s where Earl comes in. Earl works for the LCBO or liquor store at York and Ridout. He’s the guy I see for empty boxes. And Guinness.

Someone may well ask, “Do you have the habit of decluttering yet?”

No. It will take time. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

“Will you reach your goal of filling 20 boxes with STUFF by the end of 2011?” another may ask.

Well, if I get into the decluttering habit, and fill one box every two weeks for the next four or five weeks, then yes, the rest of the year should fall in line - in theory.

And I’ll be able to see the floor in the basement!

Stay tuned.

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Please click here to read Time (again) to declutter PT 4

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Bits and Pieces: Bold predictions can be made

A male cardinal, pair of blue jays, juncos, sparrows and black-capped chickadees made appearances today at the feeder and bird bath.

I feel spring is coming. Bird bath water didn’t freeze today.


So, predictions are in order. For example, I’ll see a pair of cardinals settling down in the blue spruce within 6 weeks.

Also, the last remnants of snow will melt from my lawn chairs and I’ll have a nice cedar fire (using scrap from the shop) with cold beer in hand, while wearing shorts, in under 4 weeks.


["...the last remnants of snow will melt...": photos GH]

Doesn’t mean they’ll come true, but the rising temps and bright sunlight make me feel bold enough to at least make them.

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Please click here for more Bits and Pieces.

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Today’s Cool Weather: Grab a warm sweater and to-do list

I was hoping for a warm sunny day. Didn’t happen.

I want to take my motorcycle for spins on the 401 several more times before my trip to Halifax in June. I want to get used to heavy traffic, become one with the bike. It will have to wait.

But if I put on a warm sweater I’ll get a few jobs done out back in the wee yard.

My spring cleaning to-do list is as long as my arm and one leg.


Snow shovels need to be put away. [Photos GAH]


Holes in the sod - made by an industrious skunk, I imagine - need to be tamped down.


Routes of entry under the Annex for the aforementioned skunk need to be blocked.


And fall leaves and sawdust need to be turned over in the wee garden.

Just one problem. Where are my work gloves?

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The snow is all gone, as predicted.

Please click here for my last pictures of winter snow.

How many jobs are on your spring cleaning list?

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