General Topics Clutter

[uni]

For some reason there are several people I know who are either planning to move or in the process of moving. It strikes me that most peoplel, including me, have too much clutter. It's almost an epidemic!

It also strikes me that clutter and depression seem to be related. I don't know which comes first, but it can be quite a vicious cycle to get out of. So although I'm not a yard sale person, I've decided to set a few large items out in my yard and see if anyone will buy them. I'm not sure which day I'll do it, but it's worth a try. Kind of a little experiment! Will see whether I get anywhere....

[AJ]

Let us know how you make out.

[paul m]

Good Luck Uni. When you get done decluttering your place, perhaps you could try and declutter my mind LOL.

I don't know if clutter caues depression, but when a person is depressed they often end up with a lot of clutter around them. I do this because 1) if I throw out something, especially a box or a recepit then that is when the item will need to be return to the store. When depressed I don't have the energy to argue that they should take it back without the box etc. and 2) when I'm depressed I don't notice the clutter and then when I start to get better it's too big of job for me to take on and I gradually just get used to it. Take Care. paul m

[uni]

Paul, I relate greatly! Especially #2. There are, however, times when I wake up one day, look around me with clear vision, and really "see" my surroundings, and actually *want* to improve them. I love that feeling. Doesn't happen often, but when I take advantage of it at least a small improvement is made

As for my little facsimile of a yard sale, my efforts have been thwarted for now by an invasion of some darling little creatures called "tent caterpillars". Ick. Anybody else dealing with them?

[paul m]

Hello Uni, fortunately we don't currently have a problem with the little pests. However I have seen first hand just how miserable they can make life. My wife really hates them and patrols the stretch of road that we live on (about 2km of mostly farm land)) and continually destroys their egg pods as she finds them. Doesn't always stop them from coming in hoards , but it does slow them down.

I hope they leave your area soon. They generally turn into moths in about mid-late June. Take Care. paul m P.S. In regards to "waking up and looking around with clear vision". Fortunately I rarely wake up with clear vision LOL

[uni]

If you'd put your specs on it would help your vision

How does your wife go about destroying the egg pods?

[paul m]

Hello Uni. I tried looking at life through rose tinted glasses first thing in the morning and it didn't help LOL. My wife has a sign over our bed that sez " I don't wake up grouchy, I let him sleep".

In regards to tent caterpillars. The egg pods look very much like small lumps in the tree and are most easily seen in the spring before the leaves cover them up ,or late fall after the leaves have fallen. She just peels the hard little lumps off and throws it away from the tree and if they hatch they have no food. At that time they are not gooey etc. For picture http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/ftc02.pdf

One egg mass is only about 1/2 long, but contains approx 150 eggs, getting rid of 30-40 in the neighbourhood makes a big difference. Take Care. paul m

[Lizzy]

Kudos to you for working on clutter, Uni. It seems to get ahead of me too, tho I feel like I'm always at it. Have to be in a certain mind to tackle it, that's for sure.

[uni]

A fairly boring update.

The tent caterpillars turned into moths and have mostly gone away. Thanks for the info about getting rid of the pods, Paul. I peeled a few cocoons off my balcony and a bunch off the ridge of a dumpster out back using the end of a broom handle. Didn't want to touch them!

As for putting a few things outside to sell, my street has been blocked off from traffic and may remain so for quite a while, so have not set up shop.

We've been getting lots of rain lately. I don't mind it. Better than super hot in my books.

End of fairly boring update

[paul m]

Hello Uni. Your update isn't boring, besides what else would us night owls have to do in the early hrs LOL.

In regards to your street being blocked off from traffic. I remember a while ago you were dreaming about prisons or something like that.

Your street is blocked due to construction I hope and not due to a police barricade LOL. Just kidding. It's the pits when streets get blocked due to construction that seems to take forever to get completed.

Just as a side note, I no longer live in the boonies. No I didn't move, they paved the road in front of my place. After spending the last 30 yrs and 50 of the last 61 yrs living on a dirt road, I hate the new paved one. Now if I was younger and could use the fresh smooth pavement as a drag strip the way all of the youngster are doing perhaps I would be happy. But alas I am too old to take part in such things thus I must complain LOL.

In central Ontario farmers are praying for rain, it has been extremely hot and when the rains do come they are in the form of torrential downpours and not beneficial. Just flattens the crops and then runs off.

I dislike this kind of intense heat, but in about 4 mths I will probably be complaining about how cold it is LOL. Take Care. paul m