Simplifying Life - Mark II

kbarty

Lovely to see this thread keeping going. I still never got through the old one! My simplifying step today was getting rid of our dishwasher. I hate it, never have felt like it made my life easier and it never got anything clean so opening it and finding dirt on all the dishes just stressed me out. Father in law is having it so no waste either.

I'll have to check if my library has that gardening book Ceridwen, looks really good.

*edit* nope, library not got it. Will you let us know what you think once you've read the book Ceridwen? I'd be really interested to know what it's like. Thanks

Charis

ceridwen wrote: »

I'm currently focusing on [...] tidying up the loose ends on making sure I have a comprehensive selection of reference books (though I know I have recently found what a resource the Internet can be - I don't think its wise to rely on having important stored information on the Internet - without also having it in "paper" form). I have distinct "reservations" about the safety/privacy/durability in a crisis of the World Wide Web - so I'm personally making sure I have all important information I might need in book form - there is a leetle "bell" ringing in the back of my mind - so I'm keeping/expanding my useful books [...]There is several things I think might cause noticeable disruption to t'Internet somewheres along the way....hence the "paper" backup.

Do you know I had exactly the same thought a few months ago and went out and bought a lot of cookery/gardening/how to/handcrafts & knitting books. All either cheap in our bookshop's constant sale or from charity shops. Two smelt strongly of damp/mildew and I was disappointed because they were Readers Digest and fairly recent. By a strange coincidence, one of the books contained a remedy - wrap the books in plastic and put in the freezer overnight. It didn't completely remove the smell on one of them but you have to open it and sniff it to notice it now.

I'm looking out for more books on dressmaking and sewing. When the right one (or even ten) is there I will find it (them). All my decluttering of the bookshelves had a purpose I could not have envisaged.

Having heard the Russian President's posturing yesterday, I am beginning to feel I am back in the late 70's, cold war, recession, but fortunately no babies, only one sprog left and he's bigger than me now :rotfl: I was playing grannies with my young neighbour's baby today. It all comes back, just like riding a bike.

Charis

kbarty wrote: »

My simplifying step today was getting rid of our dishwasher. I hate it, never have felt like it made my life easier and it never got anything clean so opening it and finding dirt on all the dishes just stressed me out.

People give me strange looks when I moan about mine. Everything is still wet when the cycle finishes, so I either have to dry it immediately or put up with the water marks. Plastic items are particularly bad. By the time you have rinsed everything, stacked it in the racks, washed up the bits you couldn't fit in, waited two hours while the caustic chemicals do their bit and the leccy monitor in the next room thinks it's Christmas, you might as well have washed and dried the whole lot by hand. You still have to put it all away, which reminds me, I think I have a load out there now which is cooling off, still wet because I haven't opened the door.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way.

kbarty

Charis wrote: »

People give me strange looks when I moan about mine. Everything is still wet when the cycle finishes, so I either have to dry it immediately or put up with the water marks. Plastic items are particularly bad. By the time you have rinsed everything, stacked it in the racks, washed up the bits you couldn't fit in, waited two hours while the caustic chemicals do their bit and the leccy monitor in the next room thinks it's Christmas, you might as well have washed and dried the whole lot by hand. You still have to put it all away, which reminds me, I think I have a load out there now which is cooling off, still wet because I haven't opened the door.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way.

No matter how much I clean my dishwasher it just leaves grainy marks on everything. I thought it was just my d/w but everyone else I spoke to says they have similar problems. I don't think I'll be rushing to get a new one anyway. It's nice to have some more space in the kitchen too. Currently our bin just gets in the way, I'll be sticking it where the d/w was. Just how daft is a kitchen with no space to put a bin anyway? And no cupboard space to put one on the door of a cupboard either.

ceridwen

Dishwashers....que dishwashers?;) Admit the only experience I have ever had of dishwashers is in places I've worked in...but I've never even clapped eyes on one that I can recall in the homes of anyone I know - so the thought never even really crossed my mind of having one. Just as well - as my tiny kitchen is problematic enough anyway - without trying to squeeze another machine into it:D .

I dislike doing the dishes - but then I dislike doing all housework anyway and I wouldnt even think a dishwasher would save me any housework anyway if I had one - still gotta do the saucepans, etc - not a lot in it.

Charis - just as well you did that decluttering then...with those reference books you bought. What this is about basically is that the stuff in your home serves a purpose - it might be an aesthetic purpose (ie something that just gives you pleasure each time you look at - eg a favourite picture - says she who doesnt possess one single picture herself! - but it has to serve a purpose of some description). Not just at the individual level - but at wider societal level - we need to preserve our hard-won knowledge in books - and not just on the Internet. We must not rely on the Internet - it is a very useful tool - but we have to ensure that all our knowledge (both personal and societal) is maintained in book form.

Didnt notice the news from Russia yesterday - will have to have a looksee - hmmm....little bit of personal jealousy coming in here from that direction perchance? Kids in playground "everyone thinks Obama is wonderful - 'scuse me - what about me?" is my initial thought.....will pop over for a look to see if that is the case...and, if so, how it has been expressed this time...

ceridwen

CHARIS

Went looking for the bit of Russian news you mention - and couldnt find owt. Google News is a bit American-centred isnt it? and couldnt find owt on BBC News either.

Where did you find it? Dont suppose you have a link to a Scandinavian newssource (in English)?

ixwood

http://news.google.co.uk/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=uk&nolr=1&q=putin&btnG=Search

sarahs999

Dishwashers - I hate mine. It's an ikea one (whirlpool) and we bought the standard ikea white (365) plates as a set when we did our kitchen up. Well guess what? The normal sized dinner plates are too tall for the built in dishwasher! All of it is Ikea's! I was so cross and it still annoys me. So youhaev to lie them at angles everywhere, adn that means you can only get three or so in at once.,..

But, to anyone who's getting rubbish results from their dishwasher, I thoroughly reccommend getting a yearly 'insurance' (I think it's about £70). That covers all repairs and trips by the repairman. Ours had been RUBBISH, the little flap where you put the tablet never opened, the dishes were covered in rubbish, no matter how much I tried to clean the filter nad the spinny things. But then the man came and replaced all those bits - he said after a while even if you're really good at rinsing plates (which I am not, SUCH a skank I am), they get irrepairably clogged up with stuff and the parts need replacing. And it works fine now! In fact, I'm starting, very slowly, not to hate it quite so much. So I recommend getting 'the man' to come nad sort you out....

mary43

Hello all

Must confess, I've never owned a dishwasher and not really been that bothered about one. The friend I stay with when I visit Mum has one but some things still have to be washed by hand so there ends up being stuff in the dishwasher (normally where mugs are found when coffee is needed!) and stuff in the sink or on the drainer.
I'll stick to doing mine by hand, letting them drain then putting them away.
It's a routine I've got it (as its me who's normally the 'dishwasher' !) and it suits us.

All this talk of gardening is making me think about what we should have done for this winter but with MIL being taken ill few weeks back any thoughts of the garden were the last thing on our mind.
Still, we can now do some serious planning for next year on what veg we want - what went wrong this year (carrots so small they were almost dolls house size...............lol) and try and get it right.

I've now sorted Christmas - including writing cards on Mums behalf - well, have to wrap up baby grandsons pressie and then thats it - all done:T

With any luck I can stack it all upstairs fairly neatly ready for posting or delivery and start clearing our the debris that seems to have been left all around me ! Must be me............I just must be a messy person by nature..............

Charis

ceridwen wrote: »

Went looking for the bit of Russian news you mention - and couldnt find owt.

Where did you find it?

I heard it on Radio 4 when I was waiting in the car to pick up DS the other night:

'An Iskander missile system will be deployed in the Kaliningrad region to neutralise if necessary the anti-ballistic missile system in Europe'
(Dmitry Medvedev, Russian President)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7711723.stm
Just posturing I think, timed deliberately to coincide with the election result - but it's like deja vu for those of us who remember the cold war.

All the more reason to keep stockpiling those useful books.:D