KonMari 2018 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

[Deleted User]

Last week I bought a new wheelbarrow, cost more than a cheap metal one from the farmers shop, was online but it has a lightweight strong plastic body and best of all, wheels that will never need to be pumped. Having already used it several times, that wheel feels absolutely as good as pneumatic. I could never do without one



Does anyone here know what the best mix is to try and root a few japanese acer cuttings? I have taken 6 cuttings, stripped back to the top leaf and they are in a glass of water. I have my fingers crossed because that was a very sentimental 20 year old tree in a large salt pot. I have this morning rescued the pot for a new acer, one day, it took me a long time and was heavy work with a small saw and up and down the steps umpteen times. I managed to get all the soil out all around the outside of my top fence, hidden in the very long grass, wild stuff and nettles. A good home for it. Rooting powder is on its way


Later today, after a rest, I will do another pass through my sewing room, grouping and semi-packing as I go


There should be far more allotments, open to anyone who would work one, instead I see that some local(ish) council sites are destined for yet more housing estates. I say there should be a land grab from the perimeters of the titled wealthy instead

[Deleted User]

yikes I started on the sewing room and `found` a big stash of top quality indie and t shirt fabrics that I had forgotted to previously vac pack. Many are from japan. I have already vac packed one bag full and will need 2 more of the smallest bags. Yes ok, I did get carried away but they are gorgeous and I will so definitely not look at any more fabric sites. Bags are ordered and to get the best value I got sets of 3 again, thinking that I would be packing a wool coat and wool jackets anyway.



I cannot say how grateful I am to have found this thread three years ago, it has taken me that long but I am pretty well at a stage when I can just pack what I have. :doh:I haven`t even found a home yet but everyone says not to leave it to last minute and I just smile and agree but in practical reality, it, the pre-sorted packing, is happening



Also, I justify the hobby stuff, which is the bulk of what I own. I listened to a programme just now saying how good it was to have hobbies for retirement. Better than moping, we all get older anyway, might as well be creative on the journey

GreyQueen

Evening all.

I'm tired enough to fall face-first into the keyboard but there is a good explanation why - was on the lottie from 07.30 am until 2.30 pm.

Did 3 trips to the tip from the lottie, with the metal (excavations from Plot2) and bag after bag after bag of grass which I've cut down from the path on Plot1 - this was cut last week before I went away and had become impassible in 7 days! Plus the haymeadow which snuck onto Plot2 when I didn't notice. Glad to get that grass away as it was seeding.

I left the poppies as the bumblers were loving them so much.

Haven't shopped for the replacement pooter (hate shopping for new things in general but doubly-hate shopping for tech things). Decided that getting the grass removed would be a better use of the hire car.

I handed it back to the hire place at 15.00. Didn't want to give it back, such a handy little motor.

Karmacat

You did really well with the grass, GQ - I was pulling up some very long stems of grass from amongst the border this afternoon, and I could see the seeds were falling right onto the soil, gulp.

GreyQueen

Karmacat wrote: »

You did really well with the grass, GQ - I was pulling up some very long stems of grass from amongst the border this afternoon, and I could see the seeds were falling right onto the soil, gulp.

I've removed several hundred thousands of grass seeds attatched to the stems but there are a lot of them on the ground, so not anticipating any shortage of grass in 2019............!:rotfl:

The great thing is that I am able to deal with grass from both sides of the fence between Plots 1 & 2, which is much easier than going at it one-sided. Looking forward to getting the last of the clumps out of the fenceline over the next few weeks.

:eek: My Dad has announced that he's coming up on Sunday (weather permitting) to help me garden. I don't normally have his help for anything other than potato harvesting and (not every year) potato sowing, so this is a pleasant surprise.

Like a lot of old farmboys, he's wiry and as tough as old boots in his mid-seventies, so I intend to hand him the mattock and point him at some turf and let him get on with it. Thanks to the removal of the grass, we can at least see where we'll be going.

He's been busy today at the family graves in the village churchyard, cutting grass away from his parents' and grandparents' graves. My great-grands are under a self-sown holly bush, which is very handy come Crimble.;)

maddiemay

It rather takes the edge of the holiday enjoyment when we return to a wilderness, you have obviously been doing stirling work Karmacat and GreyQueen.

OH has been helping me clear the long border in the back garden (about 60ft) of sedges, grass, yes grass here too:eek: assorted weeds and rampant spiky things. The car was filled to the top with some of said weeds, old ironwork, timber and other non re-recyclables and driven the 9 miles to the tip! I am refusing to think about the equivalent border in the front garden yet, it is very densely planted and very green, but looks OK from the roadside:rotfl:

I have had a day off from the labouring today, but emptied a container and need to fill with new compost and re plant this evening.

No kondoing in the house, barely keeping up wth the house work, but not enough stamina to do everything. Thank goodness we don't oftenget people just dropping by:D

WeeMidgie

Oh Kittie, you're so wise to be doing prep for moving early. My advance kondoing was such a saving in energy and time, which gets eaten up during the house viewing stage.

There's only one major thing here which I was undecided about. It's a free standing calor gas heater, which I may yet keep, as my flat is all electric.

Less bulky things that I brought without sorting or deciding to Kondo were pictures: I felt I would like to live here for a while to see how the light and shade falls throughout the day before deciding which pictures go where, and then the leftovers will be kondo'd.

I'm happy to say that there's nothing I've disposed of that I've missed, and what I have is the distillation of my preferences, likes, hobbies and interests. I'm living with the essence of my life, with no extraneous noise. I feel great ease, joy and lightness of spirit!

Floss

Wee Midgie could your calor heater earn its keep under a cloth as a bedside table perhaps?

[Deleted User]

yes weem keep it and that idea from floss ie the cloth over. You never know about a power cut and freezing winter, except these new builds are so well insulated that they will never get that cold, even in a prolonged power cut. I would keep it but hidden

I have brought a great big whicker shopping basket downstairs, it contains two dolls and many dolls items like tiny specs and masses of clothes. I think it is a valuable haul, I remember buying the 2 dolls, petalina and suitable for pre-teens and I also have a wonderful `making` book in there, beautiful clothes to make for these dolls. `Marie claire idees, tenues de poupees`. I am thinking of packing those away safely today in one bigger box but wrapped in white paper, already bought in bulk, will pass the rest of the paper on afterwards. Paper is so heavy and the pack is flopped against a shed wall

None of my packed stuff is obviously visible, it is all neatly in cupboards. Almost finished the sewing room but I did order a strong carrying case for my overlocker, I do worry about anyone moving my 3 precious machines, 2 babylock and 1 bernina. I ordered from bsk via ebay and the case looks big enough. I felt very satisfied when I went to bed last night, my sewing room did worry me. Only sewing things but in total worth a great deal of money and more than that, I have a psychological tie to them

I am looking forward to the tip run on friday and thankful for the dry weather, I am not risking those spiders in my house or car, everything is out on the patio

GreyQueen

Whn I moved from my previous flat to this one, I had several tiny rooms/ larders in the old place (it was the kitchen quarters of a mid-19th century house) and was able to have things boxed and stacked out of sight. Such a good idea if you can wangle it.

Have been up since 5-ish but have been dealing with some personal admin, mending, accounts etc and have prepped a donation bag which will be heading to the charity shop just after 9 am.

I have some errands to run around the centre and then will head allotmentwards. I will have my work cut out for me there as the allotment shed has been worsening as a clutter hellhole over months but the final straw was adding the three big bags of compost.

They're standing right in the way of the door and I need to haul almost everything out of the shed (some things have fallen down out of sight and reach) and stash at least two of the compost bags deep inside and have the third a bit more accessible. Since I don't have a car, getting bags of compost up there is a PITA (friends would help if asked but I don't like to impose on people) so I bought three at once, even though it'll probably take me a couple of years to get through it all.

I'm expecting shed-sorting to take at least two hours, but it's very necessary, as the state of it is impacting my efficiency as a gardener and really annoying me, as well. I may be able to find some things which don't need to be kept but most of it is very much used, just at different times of the year etc.

Onwards, hope everyone has a great day. GQ xx