The #DeclutterChallenge Day 1

I’m a fan of quilter and YouTuber Karen Brown of #JustGetItDoneQuilts.

Cluttered guest room/sewing room/dumping room needs reorganizing loveAfter months of remodeling chaos, my sewing room is a mess. Time to take out the garbage according to her Day 1 declutter challenge.

youtube.com/watch

Today was the day we had friends and family over to the house to celebrate my husband David’s big birthday. Preparations started early; my in-laws offered to come over at noon to help clear the decks and set up for a pizza party for about 25 adults and a few children. My brother-in-law Mitch came from Phoenix yesterday, and we had a wonderful dinner at Seasons52 as a pre-event warmup. Could we do this socializing thing after months of being holed up in the Pillow Fort of Solitude during the remodeling phase?

Yep. It was fun! But the best part of the party is still when everybody leaves.

The guest room is being converted to a sewing room/computer room; all the sewing stuff was wheeled in there yesterday, and the existing furniture has been repositioned, but my sewing machines are buried, my long-delayed table runner project is under a pile of stuff, and my gaming computer is yet to be set up. Meanwhile, extra furniture comes out tomorrow before work.

But after Mitch gave me an opening with a joke about procrastination, I handed off the Christmas present/housewarming gift that I made last fall, then lost my confidence in actually mailing the box. Their neighbor is a quilter, and my nerve failed at the thought of her seeing my modest efforts. 

But Mitch said “Oooh, she’ll love the blues,” so I’m much more certain of the thing, and it’s out of my hands. So now I need to continue with the editing down/culling of my household stuff that this crazy remodel project forced me to face.

Today, I placed some broken, beloved glass things in the recycling bin that my Aunt Veda gave my mom, that I inherited and promptly broke soon after receiving it (actually the cleaning service ladies broke it, but it was in a dangerous spot). 

I’ve got more stuff like that of Mom’s that need to be properly placed and used, or let go. That’s in the weeks to come.

For tomorrow, just taking out garbage in the sewing room will be a start.

 

 

Why abortion advocates say the anti-abortion movement is rooted in White supremacy

In this episode of CNN’s digital series, “History Refocused,” Nicquel Terry Ellis outlines the anti-abortion movement’s historical links to White supremacy and how the overturning of Roe v. Wade has reopened a conversation about racial equality.
— Read on www.cnn.com/videos/us/2023/01/31/anti-abortion-white-supremacy-black-history-refocused-orig-jg.cnn

#MSNBC’s Steve Benen Wonders About #TrumpPutin Again

Like #SteveBenen I also wonder why Trump never misses a chance to boost Putin while dragging the country that rejected him in the 2020 election.

Trump and Putin in Helsinki

What happened in #Helsinki – and why has the US translator never spoken out? Trump took the notes, but why? Is it merely a minor embarrassment or a major scandal that Trump wants buried?

With this in mind, it stands to reason that the former president, who went to almost comical lengths to make Putin happy while in office, would go out of his way not to appeal beholden to the Russian, especially in the midst of atrocities in Ukraine.

And yet, as we were reminded yesterday, Trump can’t seem to help himself. I wonder why that is.

The problem is not just that Donald Trump sided with Vladimir Putin over U.S. officials. It’s that the Republican keeps siding with the Russian leader.
— Read on www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-isnt-quite-done-siding-putin-us-officials-rcna68330

Because I Am Forever A Snickering Tween

The Manhattan DA revives the inert “hush money” case against TFG, and this little detail will never fail to make me snicker like a schoolgirl. I’m sure AG of The Daily Beans podcast will happily dust off her Pecker jokes!

Donald Trump’s face on Toad the Mushroom from Mario Kart, standing next to Stormy Daniels

The Times reported on Monday that witness David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, a tabloid that helped broker the deal with Daniels, was seen entering a building in Lower Manhattan where the grand jury has been empaneled.
— Read on www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/30/donald-trump-hush-money-grand-jury-new-york

Jim Jordan presented with factual details he prefers not to know

Amazingly, Jordan continued to spew talking points. Also amazingly, Chuck Todd did a journalist’s job.

Chuck Todd gestures while fact-checking Rep Jim Jordan as Jordan repeats talking points

On “Meet the Press,” Jim Jordan was presented with factual details that debunked his talking points. He acted as if he didn’t want to know the truth.
— Read on www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/jim-jordan-presented-factual-details-prefers-not-know-rcna68125

Flybe: all flights cancelled as airline ceases trading | Flybe | The Guardian

We didn’t book Flybe for the accounts I’m on, but when I used to support a UK-based company – and I’m not surprised at all.

The regional airline Flybe has ceased trading and cancelled all its scheduled flights, leaving passengers stranded and hundreds of crew without jobs.
Customers advised not to go to airport and to contact their booking agent
— Read on www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/28/flybe-all-flight-cancelled-as-airline-ceases-trading

The one change that didn’t work: I started baking sourdough – and discovered my obsessive side | Baking | The Guardian

I did manage some decent sourdough

Unlike the author of this article, I did eventually produce decent looking sourdough, with best results using Foodgeek’s easy oat sourdough loaf and very little discard or wasted starter. But getting the timing right is hard, and I also bought a lot of “magic gear” that didn’t make it easier, but did make the process more pleasing.

“I was getting up at 6am to meet the demands of a yeast culture I could never bend to my will. It was a relief to finally give up trying”
— Read on www.theguardian.com/food/2023/jan/25/the-one-change-that-didnt-work-sourdough-baking-left-me-frustrated-obsessive-and-covered-in-flour

Eugene Levy steps out of his comfort zone in The Reluctant Traveler | Boing Boing

https://youtu.be/oqM0ZYnA02g Well here’s something I didn’t know I needed in my life that I now need in my life. A new series is coming to Apple TV+ where the infamously indoorsy Eugene Levy is sent on wild adventures around the world. This is a guy who hates to even get his hair wet. I think…
— Read on boingboing.net/2023/01/24/eugene-levy-steps-out-of-his-comfort-zone-in-the-reluctant-traveler.html

Back to the future: how Mastodon is restoring the lost art of online conversation | John Naughton | The Guardian

The Guardian takes notice of Mastodon. Reconstructed mammoth or mastodon

The new social network with its interconnected ‘fediverse’ is a welcome alternative to blustering rival Twitter and Elon Musk

— Read on www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/21/back-to-the-future-how-mastodon-is-restoring-the-lost-art-of-online-conversation