Author |
Message |
Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 11:08 am

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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 11:19 am

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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 11:40 am
Welcome to my world. Notice the scales? I am going to be a stickler for posting pounds.
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 11:43 am
This is pre-grandmother's stuff... Now imagine that I have taken photos in all directions, which I have, but will spare you, and that is the dilemma we're in.
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 12:54 pm
Vee....what? looks rather clean to me! LOL!!!! I can't even post pictures cause I can't find my charger for my digital camera! Or my printer! Or my organ shoes, which I will need on Sunday. Keep posting! You all inspire me to get off the couch and actually unpack a few boxes. 200 more and counting down!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 1:28 pm
Vee: Take a deep breath. It does NOT look as bad as all that. Remember you are ONLY dedicating yourself to 15 minutes at a time. If you CHOOSE to do more, then that is fine. but you do NOT have to! That's why it has taken me longer to get things unpacked. But you know what? It is getting done. And it is getting done at my own rate of speed, so I do know where things are. Today I'll be spending 15 minutes on the breakfast bar, clearing it totally off. We decided to put all of the herbs (culinary, medicinal, and medical) inside on the breakfast bar--it gets a lot of ambient light, plus the light over the stove is quite bright--so that means cleaning it off and finding homes for the STUFF on the counter. I can't wait--I'll be doing the planting tomorrow, so I'll have that area cleaned out and off and have a pleasant view from the kitchen. Babysteps, Vee. Rejoice in the babysteps.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 1:46 pm
::sigh:: The above paragraph should have read: Today I'll be spending 15 minutes on the breakfast bar, clearing it totally off. We decided to put all of the herbs (culinary, medicinal, and magical) inside the apartment on the breakfast bar--it gets a lot of ambient light, plus the light over the stove is quite bright--so that means cleaning the counter off and finding homes for the STUFF.
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 2:49 pm
Thanks, Schoolmarm. Thanks, Laurie. So, what you're saying is that it isn't going to happen overnight. Got it. My mother just dropped by to leave more stuff that she is sure we want...and, yes, we do, but should we want it? No, we should not. There has only been the tiniest dent made at my grandmother's so there will be more and more and more for the next month or so. I will try to remember to breathe. In the meantime, K is about to get some much needed help from her landlord on the bedbug issue. Thank heaven!
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 3:57 pm
Heck, at least yours is all in boxes! Just stack against the walls, and concentrate on ONE little job per day. Today I worked on getting my ToDo list organized and phone message system working. I tuck the callbacks I couldn't do in my "Everyday File and Fast Sorter" under tomorrow's date and tuck the ToDo list in the corner of my desk calendar. Yesterday, I color coded my desk calendar so I can see right away what topics I am teaching that day, and what the homework is. I also put on gigs, concerts, meetings/appointments, and trips. This is helping me know whether I need to block time to grade papers, and to have fewer surprises. Tonight I am going to find my organ shoes. My mismatched pair (one from undergrad and one from my Masters) are TOO SMALL, and I will be in agony if I have to wear them to play for church. I am also going to grade some papers at leisure and vacuum the pool. That's ALL! ** the "Everyday File and Fast sorter" is a set of accordian files that I got at Staples. It has tabs for 1-31 and for Jan-December. You put things in the DATE for the current month so you just open it up and see what needs attention that day. I am putting in my travel tickets/reservations, too, so I can find them. They used to be in a folder labeled TRAVEL, but then they would get all mixed up. I'll put them in the folder after I'm done. If you have a document for another month, you just put it in the back under the month's tab. It has two holes drilled in the folders, so you can just poke your finger in to find the next date that has paper in it that needs attention. If I don't do something, it goes in tomorrow's folder. It's a goal to have a clean folder. This cost $17, but so far is working very nicely! My desk clutter is drastically reduced, and I'm meeting deadlines! WHEW! So, Vee, and everyone else: choose ONE thing that is bugging you and just spend 15 minutes at it. Mine was my work desk....I used to "pile it!" BIG HUGS! from the biggest clutterbug on the planet! LOL!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 4:44 pm
Schoolmarm: I have the same set up--it works out really well! Vee: Yup, that's what we're saying: it isn't going to happen overnight. You wrote: My mother just dropped by to leave more stuff that she is sure we want...and, yes, we do, but should we want it? No, we should not. What type of stuff is it? Is any of it in good condition? Can you call an estate salesperson? You say your mother didn't want it, which makes me wonder what it is. What is it about it that makes you want it? The historical value? The familial value? Once you know the value and can tell us, we can help you.
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 6:25 pm
This is what it is like...my grandmother has many many beautiful things. As the only child, my mother is also an only child, she inherited everything. To further complicate matters, she was an only grandchild on one side. This means that she has been the keeper of all the family history going back to her great-great grandparents. This means paintings, dishes for the past 200 years, clothing including her wedding dress and her mother's wedding dress, tools, furniture, boats, outboard motors, garden tools, well just everything that one can gather in a lifetime plus. The biggest issue today is that my grandmother wants her own piano...she still plays. My mother has her own piano, which she prefers. I have a piano also. But my grandmother's is the superior piano. I can't believe that my mother is unwilling to part with hers, since it is in the worst condition, in order to "trade up." Now it appears that I will be getting the best piano, but I also have to do the moving, etc. Oh joy unspeakable. I am trying to find a home for my piano...it's just stressful. My grandmother had drawers and drawers full of expensive towels and sheets...that's some of what arrived today, which is probably a good thing since K is going to need some after getting toss happy in Boston. There is so much old luggage...I love old luggage. There are so many vintage dresses and hats. So much sheet music, so many great old bottles and cans, fishing equipment, hunting rifles. Two attics, and two basements, a garage, and a house full of stuff. My grandfather was notorious for gathering stuff...he died in 1952, but all of his things are right there as he left them. My poor son is in the same boat as far as deciding what he can deal with and what must be left for others to enjoy. I found several McCoy vases and pottery pieces, there is a ton of old china, there are two sets of Fiesta Ware, a hoosier, antique furniture...am I starting to repeat myself? Anyway, I am sure that I haven't even started to list everything; hopefully, it's enough of a list to give you a clue. I took one of my grandfather's tool boxes...very old and quaint and am in the process of cleaning it in order to use as a coffee table. Then comes the piano...hoosier? dining room set? bedroom set? who knows? 
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 6:43 pm
You have things of value. SELL! (If you don't want to keep). What kind of piano? I am now down to ONE piano, and that feels great. My niece got a big upright grand and I sold the square grand that was civil-war era. My other niece will get my current piano when I finally get a decent grand (the regular kind). Check with a music department at a school or uni near you....there are always students and others looking for instruments. Keep the things that you love. Maybe you should just have an auction? Then the auctioneer will deal with all the details. Sheetmusic is valuable. Maybe you could sell stuff on ebay (I would be terrible at that....getting stuff packed and shipped would be too much for me!) Good luck
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 7:02 pm
No can sell now...grandmother is, happily, still with us and she is unwilling to sell. She is also loathe to give too much away...she wants it all! Now you see where I get this from... My piano is an upright...McPhail of Boston, my grandmother's is an Ivers and Pond, also of Boston. I used to know what my mother's is, but I've forgotten. Can't part with the sheet music...no way...no how!
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Monday, September 13, 2004 - 7:05 pm
Tried to post a picture of mother's piano, but things went awry... Anyway, flutterers, thank you for all your suggestions...I do appreciate it. Have even tried to follow them. I loved Spinner's one touch rule and used that one a lot.
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Autumn
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 7:24 am
Vee, I wouldn't be any good cuz I tend to be very traditional - had a hard enough time parting with my grandmother's dining room set. (unfortunately my mom had final say on it and she wanted it gone, suffice to say it led to tense moments between us ~ not for long but still.) Great-great grandparents? Wow, what history in your hands. (see, told you, I'm no help - I just want to come over and look at it all!) lol! ((hugs))
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 10:24 am
Thanks, Autumn, I just need some sympathy every now and then... My job was packing the china and it was so fragile that it scared me that I would break something...that old china is not what it is today for sure...but so lovely...one set in particular is all little violets around the edges. Ah, but I digress. This is the picture I tried to post of my grandmother at my mother's piano, which is roughly the size and shape of the other two.
My piano is a richer brown color and my grandmother's is black. My mother wants hers because of the color, not because of the quality.
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Autumn
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 11:02 am
Vee, I think we all need sympathy now and again, and that's nothing wrong with that hun. Your grandma looks like a total sweetie ~ what a blessing. 
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 1:12 pm
Your pianos are called upright grands, I believe. They have bass strings as long as a grand, but are tall. If you want to post the maker and the serial number, I can give you the date and place of manufacture (as soon as I find my piano serial number book!) That is a precious picture of grandma!
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 4:50 pm
Oh, that sounds interesting, Schoolmarm...I'll see what I can do... Thanks, Autumn, for your sweet comments. One more question/comment, Schoolmarm... most people aren't purchasing a full-size piano anymore with the advent of electric keyboards are they? I just don't know how interested people are in having a piano in their homes...I love it...always grew up with one...and fell asleep most nights when visiting my grandmother to the sound of her playing and my grandfather playing his violin. Sweet memories...
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Spinner
Member
10-27-2003
| Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 9:59 pm
I have a full-size piano (upright) and an electronic keyboard. Use them both. Vee, you do have a big job on your hands! We should give you three extra venting and sympathy cards to be used when you need them here. I am so happy to have many of my late mom's needlepoint items (all were nicely framed when completed so they came in frames, ready to be hung on the walls) because she made them--they are her designs and her handiwork. But bought things--I have little interest in them, unless they fit a particular interest of mine. With two brothers, both living in the town where my mom last lived, and with plenty of friends in her town who could use some of her things, I only brought some additional needlepoint pieces and a couple of pieces of jewelry with me when we cleared her house after she died. It was all I wanted--and yes, my brothers thought I was strange. But if you think you might want these family things, I think one should take them if they are offered to you. You can always change your mind later and find new homes for them, but it's hard to get them back if you change your mind and do want them after all. Vee, needing to hold on to your grandmother's things indefinitely must be very frustrating as you look around at all this stuff and wonder where to store it, even though I'm sure you're happy to help her out by giving her a safe place for her things.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Wednesday, September 15, 2004 - 9:19 pm
I'm no help at all, Vee, I just cleared out more stuff. Yesterday, I went to the nursery and picked up some needed plants. That totally exhausted me, so I crawled into bed. Today, I made an early trip to Walmart, and picked up potting soil and some other items. I then rested for awhile when I got home. Then the breakfast bar was totally cleaned off, scrubbed down, and covered with a Taupe Rubbermaid Liner thingy. I then rested again. Later that afternoon, I cleaned out the planters I planned on using and I planted the outside witchery plants. I then rested again. I then planted the two herb planters I had cleaned out earlier and packed the tops with sand. Potshot then lifted them to the countertop for me. I then played with positioning them to make them look their best. I then hung up two wind catchers and my cauldron candle holder. It looks really nice. I then rested again. Tomorrow I need to go back over to Walmart and get sand and potting soil. I still need to transplant the China Doll tree, lavender, mint, and some of the plants that are outside and need to move inside. I am also putting all of my ivy plants into one planter, and sticking the planter into a large plastic cauldron. I got the idea when I started to declutter a small trick or treat sized cauldron, and then ended up putting one of my plants that had a horribly ugly pot in it. It looked fantastic, and given that I am a Witch, entirely appropriate.(I am looking for some more small ones to hide some other horrible pots, but I can only find the large ones, which really bites.) The area that WAS a major disaster now looks fairly good. I still haven't got my bookshelves, but DH helped me set up boxes on their sides, and we set up the books in and on the boxes. I can NOW access my books (yea!!!) and they are surrounded by plants, wind chimes, and other things distinctly me. I still have areas to go. I need to clean out a couple more boxes, and then tackle decluttering the craft area, the linen closet, the hall closet, and the laundry closet. And of course, give the remaining rooms a good cleaning. BUT, I will get there, at my own pace and later rather than sooner, but I will get there. And so will you!
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 4:42 am
It's difficult for me to think of you as a witch, Laurie! Sounds as if you got a great deal accomplished. The "rest and go" method is working. That would work better for me, too, if I could stop being so bullish when I get an idea in my head. Thank you, Spinner, for your nice post and thoughtful suggestions. I have actually given Schoolmarm's suggestion to "SELL" a lot more thought. I may not be able to part with these new inherited things, but I can part with some of my own stuff. Number one thing to go will be my round oak dining table. Then my piano, if none of the kids want it. Just making the decision helps me to feel as if I am taking a step. Lk, hope your day goes very well and that you get those closets just the way you want them. What's everyone else up to in the to-do project world?
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 10:27 am
Does thinking of the image of "Glinda" from Wizard of Oz help any, Vee? LOL!!!! Vee, you go ahead and look at what you have and keep what you truly love....go ahead and SELL your stuff. Maybe some of your newly inherited items will replace items that you are selling.....but you will feel great once you have decided what to keep and what to sell. Oh, my, I need to CLEAN my kitchen counters and get the dishwasher loaded and run. I also need to tackle the mail and bills. I've been working such long hours that I haven't been organizing much. I also need to grade a bunch of papers. Gee, Thanks! Just writing down my next goals will help me focus on them and I'm sure that I will get them done by Sunday at least!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 10:36 am
Vee: Why is it hard to think of me as a Witch? I walked over to Walmart this morning to buy the potting soil and sand (to kill any gnats before they start). I picked up the non garden items first: a large bottle of liquid hand soap that is NOT anti-bacterial and snack size plastic bags. I then headed back to the garden department where I found the potting soil, some more air plants, 4 lined baskets for my "trees," and liquid Miracle Grow, but no sand. I finally tracked down an assistant manager (the "team member" just stared at me) and I learned that playbox sand is a "seasonal" item. And, since it is now dropping into the 80s and 90s, sandbox sand is no longer in season. I pointed out that they still carried sandboxes, weren't THEY seasonal? I also explained that gardeners use the sand for other purposes. He told me that he was really sorry, but I may want to go the 2 miles up the road to Home Depot. I just stared at him until he left. I then checked out, and had a brainstorm: people with reptilian companions had to have some sort of sand, so I headed to Petsmart and put our needed cat litter in the cart, and the oat grass (with a cearmic container to catch the water in) and headed for the reptile aisle. I found a sand that is the higher quality quartz sand rather than silica sand, so we'll see how that works. I then headed home, put everything away, and rested while checking email and this board. Now it is time to do something else. I'm going to work in the living room, on a box that shouldn't be there. Then I'll plant something... I'll post more in a bit.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Friday, September 17, 2004 - 12:24 pm
Schoolmarm: I like that image. We got the living room majorly cleaned out. Still have to focus on the dining room, but the living room lost 438 pounds. I also FOUND the little cauldrons! I bought 3 smallls and one medium. The medium fit a planter I absolutely hated. I also moved the motorized butterfly to the China Doll tree. It looks so cool there. I'll likely put the dragonflies on the ficus tree when I move it inside. Today I went to the dentist, and 2.5 hours later, I'm exhausted. So, I may or may not do more stuff tonight.
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