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Re: ComPact 2017 -- Mindful March!


@geezerette wrote:

@aprilskies wrote:

@just bee wrote:

@aprilskies wrote:

 

 

 


 

Yea, exactly, it is time to switch up the focus. 


My old geezer has been threatening again to do just that--call the auctioneer, get what we can for everything, pack up a few necessities in a U-Haul behind one vehicle and drive west.  Sometimes that sounds great, but if I think about it for too long, I come up with all the practical realities: new doctors, dentists, banks, neighbors--you name it.  We did that once, but it was thirty years ago and even with being thirty years younger, it was tough until we got settled.  Too much work for me, even if the weather is nicer.  (Although all your discussion of Costco salads is very tempting--how I miss that store!)

 

But it does motivate you to get rid of things, big time.  Most of our stuff is old by now and has already been moved cross-country a few times; I don't think it would even stand up to another move anyway.  And like you, we have no one that would be interested in our sentimental stuff--even I don't care about a lot of it anymore, why should anyone else?  

 

If I had a place ready to move into so that I knew what it was like, I could very easily leave most of what I own with no problem.  I couldn't do that thirty years ago, most of what we owned came with us, right down to the calf-pullers.  (We really needed those in suburbia!)  But I am headed to that studio apartment eventually, if I live that long.  Downscaling is a natural process as you age, and we are in one of those stages right now.  Can't do it ourselves anymore, can't get anyone to help, so our only solution is going to be to give it up and get into a lifestyle that we can handle, until we can't handle that anymore.

 


 

It is all very tempting at times.  Last year, I amost got rid of my bedroom furniture.  Since I dont have a lot of space, I wanted to free up some space for my exercise stuff.  My one brother was going to take it but then it didnt fit the room he had in mind and then I called a few places to pick it up but I never got anyone on the phone to ask some questions so then time passed and changed my mind for now.  It is hard to part with in that it is 35 years old so it didnt happen fast enough and I have since changed my mind for now.  I know I wont be able to find the quality again but then I was not looking to replace it.  Some of these decisions are tough. 

Respected Contributor
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Re: ComPact 2017 -- Mindful March!

[ Edited ]

@just bee wrote:

@geezerette

@aprilskies

 

My mother used to complain that my father could put everything he owned in a shoebox.  When she met my stepfather she didn't want to move into his house because it was filled with both his and his deceased mother's collections.

 

When I moved my mother out here she owned two properties in California and both were filled with "stuff."  My sister stored what wasn't donated or thrown in a dumpster.

 

She and her husband just wanted to empty out the houses and sell the homes as-is as quickly as possible.  Better-half wanted to get my stepfather's house into shape before selling it.  My sister and BIL were adamant.  They practically gave the homes and everything in them away.  I try not to think about it too much because I know they did what they thought was the right thing to do at the time.

 

Last night I had some time to kill so I Googled old neighborhoods.  Places in Chicago, Arizona and California where I'd lived.  My stepfather's bungalow that he bought after WW II in Mountain View, California for less than what I paid for my 1984 AMC/Renault Alliance (stop snickering) has been transformed into a larger building (means everything in the yard that he, his mother and my mother planted is gone) and was last on the market for over 2.2 million dollars.

 

I won't be mentioning this to Better-half.


 

That is a tough.  But you know, JB. Who knew that the housing market would take such a turn. I never expected prices to skyrocket like that.  Had I know, I would of made very different choices at one point.  And your sister and her husband probably couldnt see past all of that stuff and the time committment it takes to sort through it. 

 

 

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Re: ComPact 2017 -- Mindful March!


@MoJoV wrote:

@geezerette@aprilskies I can really empathize with you both.  I don't have alot of "stuff" but DH does.  I think "stuff"takes away ones freedom to a certain extent. We're seriously going to try to move this year.  Our house is relatively clutter free with his stuff tucked away out of sight. Wish us luck.


 

Good luck, skylark. I really hate moving. Sometimes the thought makes me shutter.  I would like to move next year so I want to be realistic of what will come with me. I dont want to cart things back and forth just because. 

 

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Re: ComPact 2017 -- Mindful March!


@just bee wrote:

So every time Better-half puts together an Amazon order he asks if there's anything he can add to it to pad it.  I usually tell him I don't need anything (this is true) but this time I said, if he needed to, he could add some Salux cloths to the order.  I pointed them out; he looked skeptical.

 

Salux

Well, three of them showed up (pink, yellow and blue) and I just showered with one.  I'd been putting off ordering these for years.

 

Why?

 

This thing really did polish my skin.  Better than the body Buf-Puf I've been using.  I thought the scalp brushes Better-half ordered a few weeks ago were exciting, but this is as good as the reviewers claim.

 

And we now have working bulbs in the kitchen fixture.  And new non-yellowing plastic panels to "enlighten" the area. 

 

I have achieved middle class Nirvana.


 

I love these.  I dont think I can shower with anything else now. It doesnt feel right.  A couple of years ago, I even bought a 1 or two of the rougher ones that you can use for body brushing, however, I have never tried them. LOL.  I always think I am going to body brush but never do.  I am really just not a high maintenance kind of girl.   I also love that these wash up nicely and dry almost instantly.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,951
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: ComPact 2017 -- Mindful March!


@aprilskies wrote:

@just bee wrote:

@geezerette

@aprilskies

 

My mother used to complain that my father could put everything he owned in a shoebox.  When she met my stepfather she didn't want to move into his house because it was filled with both his and his deceased mother's collections.

 

When I moved my mother out here she owned two properties in California and both were filled with "stuff."  My sister stored what wasn't donated or thrown in a dumpster.

 

She and her husband just wanted to empty out the houses and sell the homes as-is as quickly as possible.  Better-half wanted to get my stepfather's house into shape before selling it.  My sister and BIL were adamant.  They practically gave the homes and everything in them away.  I try not to think about it too much because I know they did what they thought was the right thing to do at the time.

 

Last night I had some time to kill so I Googled old neighborhoods.  Places in Chicago, Arizona and California where I'd lived.  My stepfather's bungalow that he bought after WW II in Mountain View, California for less than what I paid for my 1984 AMC/Renault Alliance (stop snickering) has been transformed into a larger building (means everything in the yard that he, his mother and my mother planted is gone) and was last on the market for over 2.2 million dollars.

 

I won't be mentioning this to Better-half.


 

That is a tough.  But you know, JB. Who knew that the housing market would take such a turn. I never expected prices to skyrocket like that.  Had I know, I would of made very different choices at one point.  And your sister and her husband probably couldnt see past all of that stuff and the time committment it takes to sort through it. 

 

 


California is a special case.  Even in the 80s those postwar houses were selling as-is and being rebuilt from the ground up.  At that time, a million dollars wasn't unusual for the area.  My other sister knew the house's value (it's really the area's value) and she told my mother not to sell it.  She lived in the house after my stepfather died and she protected it.  Then she passed away and every decision the family had been avoiding had to be made quickly.

 

I don't regret leaving California.  I just wish New Mexico wasn't so similar.  The state has potential but it's been squandered.

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~
Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,951
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: ComPact 2017 -- Mindful March!


@aprilskies wrote:

@just bee wrote:

So every time Better-half puts together an Amazon order he asks if there's anything he can add to it to pad it.  I usually tell him I don't need anything (this is true) but this time I said, if he needed to, he could add some Salux cloths to the order.  I pointed them out; he looked skeptical.

 

Salux

Well, three of them showed up (pink, yellow and blue) and I just showered with one.  I'd been putting off ordering these for years.

 

Why?

 

This thing really did polish my skin.  Better than the body Buf-Puf I've been using.  I thought the scalp brushes Better-half ordered a few weeks ago were exciting, but this is as good as the reviewers claim.

 

And we now have working bulbs in the kitchen fixture.  And new non-yellowing plastic panels to "enlighten" the area. 

 

I have achieved middle class Nirvana.


 

I love these.  I dont think I can shower with anything else now. It doesnt feel right.  A couple of years ago, I even bought a 1 or two of the rougher ones that you can use for body brushing, however, I have never tried them. LOL.  I always think I am going to body brush but never do.  I am really just not a high maintenance kind of girl.   I also love that these wash up nicely and dry almost instantly.


@aprilskies

 

Between this and my Konjac sponge, I'm feelin' a little OCD.  And frankly I'm a little creeped out because I keep touching myself.  This thing is a necessity in New Mexico.  Why was I so slow to try it?

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~
Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,828
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: ComPact 2017 -- Mindful March!


@just bee wrote:

@aprilskies wrote:

@just bee wrote:

@geezerette

@aprilskies

 

My mother used to complain that my father could put everything he owned in a shoebox.  When she met my stepfather she didn't want to move into his house because it was filled with both his and his deceased mother's collections.

 

When I moved my mother out here she owned two properties in California and both were filled with "stuff."  My sister stored what wasn't donated or thrown in a dumpster.

 

She and her husband just wanted to empty out the houses and sell the homes as-is as quickly as possible.  Better-half wanted to get my stepfather's house into shape before selling it.  My sister and BIL were adamant.  They practically gave the homes and everything in them away.  I try not to think about it too much because I know they did what they thought was the right thing to do at the time.

 

Last night I had some time to kill so I Googled old neighborhoods.  Places in Chicago, Arizona and California where I'd lived.  My stepfather's bungalow that he bought after WW II in Mountain View, California for less than what I paid for my 1984 AMC/Renault Alliance (stop snickering) has been transformed into a larger building (means everything in the yard that he, his mother and my mother planted is gone) and was last on the market for over 2.2 million dollars.

 

I won't be mentioning this to Better-half.


 

That is a tough.  But you know, JB. Who knew that the housing market would take such a turn. I never expected prices to skyrocket like that.  Had I know, I would of made very different choices at one point.  And your sister and her husband probably couldnt see past all of that stuff and the time committment it takes to sort through it. 

 

 


California is a special case.  Even in the 80s those postwar houses were selling as-is and being rebuilt from the ground up.  At that time, a million dollars wasn't unusual for the area.  My other sister knew the house's value (it's really the area's value) and she told my mother not to sell it.  She lived in the house after my stepfather died and she protected it.  Then she passed away and every decision the family had been avoiding had to be made quickly.

 

I don't regret leaving California.  I just wish New Mexico wasn't so similar.  The state has potential but it's been squandered.


 

I always wanted to live in California when I was younger.  Never made it but for some reason always sounded appealing.  Did you not like it there?  ...or just time to move on?

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,828
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: ComPact 2017 -- Mindful March!


@just bee wrote:

@aprilskies wrote:

@just bee wrote:

So every time Better-half puts together an Amazon order he asks if there's anything he can add to it to pad it.  I usually tell him I don't need anything (this is true) but this time I said, if he needed to, he could add some Salux cloths to the order.  I pointed them out; he looked skeptical.

 

Salux

Well, three of them showed up (pink, yellow and blue) and I just showered with one.  I'd been putting off ordering these for years.

 

Why?

 

This thing really did polish my skin.  Better than the body Buf-Puf I've been using.  I thought the scalp brushes Better-half ordered a few weeks ago were exciting, but this is as good as the reviewers claim.

 

And we now have working bulbs in the kitchen fixture.  And new non-yellowing plastic panels to "enlighten" the area. 

 

I have achieved middle class Nirvana.


 

I love these.  I dont think I can shower with anything else now. It doesnt feel right.  A couple of years ago, I even bought a 1 or two of the rougher ones that you can use for body brushing, however, I have never tried them. LOL.  I always think I am going to body brush but never do.  I am really just not a high maintenance kind of girl.   I also love that these wash up nicely and dry almost instantly.


@aprilskies

 

Between this and my Konjac sponge, I'm feelin' a little OCD.  And frankly I'm a little creeped out because I keep touching myself.  This thing is a necessity in New Mexico.  Why was I so slow to try it?


 

Oh probably because there is something new to try everyday. I could go crazy. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,951
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: ComPact 2017 -- Mindful March!


@aprilskies wrote:

@just bee wrote:

@aprilskies

 

Between this and my Konjac sponge, I'm feelin' a little OCD.  And frankly I'm a little creeped out because I keep touching myself.  This thing is a necessity in New Mexico.  Why was I so slow to try it?


 

Oh probably because there is something new to try everyday. I could go crazy. 


@aprilskies

 

Tell me about it!  Better-half is on the computer at all hours chatting with people and a Canadian woman he knows told him about a source for leggings (vivcollection.com).  Well, of course he had to tell me that she said they were the most amazing leggings ever.  Curious, I looked at their website.

 

Do you know how close I was to buying leggings?  I had two pairs in the cart.  But then I looked at the measurements.  I have long legs and their inseam is 26 3/4".  That means the leggings stop somewhere between the calf and ankle.  That won't work for me.

 

But the designs and price?  If anyone needs leggings, it's worth checking out.  I fell deeply in love with a couple designs...

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~
Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,951
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: ComPact 2017 -- Mindful March!

[ Edited ]

@aprilskies wrote:

 

I always wanted to live in California when I was younger.  Never made it but for some reason always sounded appealing.  Did you not like it there?  ...or just time to move on?


@aprilskies

 

I was thinking the other day that I was probably fortunate to have grown up in Northern California.  I have fond memories of the pre-Silicon Valley days.  The orchards, the fresh fruit and vegetables.  The fog.  All those things you take for granted.

 

But I just didn't want to live where people are one paycheck from catastrophe.  I knew too many who lost their jobs, then lost their homes.  I didn't want a mortgage to be most of my salary.

 

It's a nice place to visit.

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~