KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

GreyQueen

I've just wrenched open an old tin from Nan's and found 87.5p in pre-decimal half-pennies. I'm rich, I tell you, rich..........:rotfl:

Weighs a blinking ton.

Icey77

GQ - did your Nan's wedding ring turn up? This has bothered me for a while, when I was in hospital last year a nurse came in after a few days (it was an emergency admission for Meningitis) and asked about valuables etc I had with me. She advised that I tape over my wedding rings to make them harder to steal. Seeing as I wasn't dead yet and actually improving thanks to the huge cocktail of drugs they were pumping into me I was appalled by the accepting attitude that stuff gets nicked all over the shop and you have to make it harder for the thieving toe rags :eek:

GreyQueen

No, it hasn't.

Dad got to speak to the ward manager eventually and asked him in what circumstances they would remove a patient's wedding ring? He said if the family asked for it to be done, or if was medically necessary (i.e. cutting off circulation) but otherwise they wouldn't.

Dad said that overall we were more than satisified with the care Nan had had in his ward and we weren't going to make a fuss about it, but he thought the manager should know that it had gone missing on their watch. Guy was pretty uncomfortable, hearing that, as he should have been.

My friend and neighbour SuperGran is a retired nurse, 20 years out of the field, but tells me that hospital always did have a reputation for light-fingeredness where valuables are concerned.Something in the media recently indicates that the thievery isn't purely historic, either.:(

It wasn't a valuable ring, I know that, probably circa £30 in scrap metal, but it's still uncomfortable to think of some toerag handling her poor old hand in life, and maybe hurting her taking it off. Or being low enough to rob a dead person for the ring she'd worn day and night since 1940.

I hope who ever stole it is on the receiving end of something similar one day, and has an outbreak of empathy, but I'm not holding my breath. We've moved on - Nan is a beloved person who is lost, getting a few grammes of precious metal back won't mitigate her death and we've got other things to do.

Charis

When my aunt died in 2012, she had been taken to hospital after a fall. I live on the other side of the country. After her death I went to the hospital ward and asked for her things, not that I expected much, I was just tidying her affairs. I was told she had nothing with her. Having been told by the warden of her housing complex that she had a bag she carried everywhere with her, night and day, I was curious what secrets it contained and I saw red. I asked where her clothes were and was told she didn't have any, so I said loudly 'not even a pair of knickers?', knowing my aunt never went anywhere without at least two layers of clothes, more in winter. The woman at the desk gave me a blank stare. I guess this kind of thing happens a lot.

GreyQueen

Pretty disgusting, isn't it?

We got Nan's other things back after a search; toiltetries, a cardigan, her false teeth, but even that wasn't straightforward. Un-funny how things which have no cash value were findable but the thin gold ring somehow vanished from the face of the earth.

Bearing in mind the ward was only accessible during visiting hours to persons who were buzzed through a security door, it's highly probable that it was a member of staff who stole it. I wish them ill of whatever they buy with the proceeds, frankly.

Up bright and early today. I'm a fairly early bird anyway and I have things to do before work then will hook up with my commuting pal for the run past the hometown. He's taken me straight to their door before now, but it involves crossing and then recrossing the hometown in peak rush hour traffic which adds a lot onto his long day and it's easier if we pull over on the bypass and Dad meets us there. If someone's already doing me a favour, I don't like to subject them to any added inconvenience.

Am slightly boggling at what I may be about to see in the parental home, which was clutter central before getting (some of) Nan's Stuff into it on a temporary basis. I expect it'll be hellish.

I just hope they've not discombobulated the cats. The Queen of Sheba was most annoyed at the change of armchair, although she's getting over herself now. This is an animal who can sulk for England.

Her sister, Wild Thing, is still in the nine months of the year when she lives outside. Her choice, they can come and go through an open window. She'll turn back into a house cat when temperatures are at, or close to, freezing point. It's a bit like having two cats for the price of one, Winter WT and Outdoor WT. She's friendly enough, she just doesn't like being indoors if she can avoid it.

Pooky

My lovely mum had a brain haemorrhage at the beginning of last year and was whisked up to a London hospital for surgery (via 2 other hospitals within the space of 6 hours whilst they tried to find the best surgeon available) It was days before we even thought about her jewellery and took about 3 weeks to find the nurse on duty on admission to find what had happened to it all. It was in the wards safe but was labelled wrongly, a language issue and mix up with Christian and surnames. Luckily Mum survived the op and the jewellery in question hasn't been removed since.

DD2 had a half hearted sort out in her room that we then managed to make into a proper sort out, add to that a revisit to my winter wardrobe and some winter bedding and there's 3 black sacks worth of stuff for the CS. DD had a lot of "18th" birthday gifts, you know the sort, the mug, the sparkly glass, the wall plaque, the keyring all declaring she's now 18.....they've all left the house. I do wonder why people continue to buy such dross. A bar of chocolate would be far more appreciated by most 18 year olds.

Today we're off to friends that moved last week. They need DHs input on a few legal things so whilst the menfolk discuss what needs discussing us women folk will start unpacking the garage and I'm hoping I'll come away with another car load of stuff to dispose/donate. Said friend is really open to getting rid now and even made mention of a skip (which should have been thought of pre move but I'm just happy it's being considered at all).

I shall be Kondoing a bag of cubed beef and various veggies into the slow cooker before we go so that I can just dump a few dumplings into the pot when we get home.

Slinky

Sorry to hear about your Nan's ring GQ.

I discovered whilst looking after my Dad in his final few days and cleaning his teeth, that he had a couple of gold teeth at the back of his mouth I never knew he had. After he passed away I didn't go and see him in his coffin, although my brother did. He said there appeared to be some marks on his face that weren't there when he died. I've wondered whether he had his gold teeth pinched at the funeral directors. But if they didn't go there, the gold would have been raked out at the crematorium.

MMF007

My friend just called, the one I kondo'd the car for. She has said she is going to give me £150 for sorting it all out, based on what the first supposed buyer said he'd charge as a finder's fee! I said there was no need, of course, I would gladly do far more to help this lovely lady than a few hours research and a bit of haggling, but she says she's written the chq already.
I have had a good idea though (well I think it is ) - I shall buy her a year's National Trust membership so we can have some nice outings together. That way no Stuff is accumulated and we can both get joy from beautiful parkland walks, amazing houses and, not least, cafes!

Have had a quick clean round, put on decorating clothes and I shall attempt to do the tiling (fingers crossed the tile cutting goes OK, we only have 5 tiles and I need 3 of them.......). BTW, I measured the seashell wall hanging that is to go on that bathroom wall and it may look too big for the space (it's a low eaves at that end of the room). I shall take a wander round our dolls' house and see if a better location reveals itself.

M

VJsmum

Morning all. Last night i went to a 'ladies pamper evening' at my kids old primary school. Not my thing really but i wanted to [STRIKE]have a nosy round[/STRIKE] support the school. There were various treatments on offer - massage, nails etc - but the biggest thing was the 'shopping opportunities'. "Get your christmas presents here - roll up roll up". You get the picture.

Well, in the words of Catherine Tate's nan "what a load of old sh*t". :rotfl: There was tat, tat, more tat, some handbags and scarves, and extra tat. lotions and potions, and cards and framed this that and the other. Someone was selling reindeer food for santa - i.e. porridge mixed with glitter - for £1!!! £1!! and people were buying it.....

I am pleased to report i came away with nowt... As my friend said as we walked back up the road together "I've spent a year getting rid of carp like that - I'm not buying it all back again" :T

My builder is back to finish our garden wall - it has been the year of the garden wall round our way, there's half a dozen houses all had something done to theirs or new ones built. He has brought the quote for our bricked up door job (haven't seen it yet) which, unless it's extortionate, we will just accept (as Quantity Surveyor, i should know roughly whether it's ok)... So another job off the to do list.

I want OH to paint the kitchen, but he seems to think that it's important he travels miles away tomorrow to an organ recital :mad: I wouldn't mind but he won't let me do it - he was quite dismissive of my painting skills when he's no Michaelangelo..... :mad:

Igamogam

Too much to do so too many pages to catch up on. If I get a minute I may go back a few! Everybody looks busy though

I have 10 days of now and no excuses to tackle a few things. I am pretty much home alone as OH is away for a month and DD2 is a busy student - think she has suddenly realised all the fringe benefits of being at uni student at home

Feeling the best I have in a long time - clear head and plenty of energy - long may it last. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder about 2 years ago which I am now on top of, well at least well on the way. I had to make the decision to take treatment into my own hands as relying on the NHS I was getting no where with this one

Plans are to put the garden to bed for the winter. Catch up on the house and do a financial review. Also have some play dates organised with friends

Commenting on a theme. We live in a large but very old house in a rural but not isolated location ( townies think its the edge of civilization :rotfl:) - nothing is standard fit, lots of different levels, lots of nooks and crannies and lots of small rooms........everybody who visits finds it a 'difficult' house. We love it and the location:D Had the situation arose, I dont think I could ever have accommodated my MiL - she would not have wanted it. She lived at other end of the country surrounded by her family ( other than my OH) However I wish my own mother was still here so at least I could have that dilemma. She died very young, younger than I am now.

Right up and at it.....things to achieve