This pot was passed on to me by a poet friend a couple of years ago. It has a very specific purpose. I don't cook asparagus often enough to warrant the room it takes up in my cupboard. Any of my pals out there want this? I won't take it out of the house right away. It is pretty and shiny. We raked leaves this weekend. I won't be blogging for the next week or so. I'll have to do a big clear out to catch up.

Tags: kitchen, October, garden

I bought a ticket ($15) for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Swap-o-rama on November 5th. Dropped off a box of clothing, shoes and accessories — 20 items in total I think — three of which are pictured here. At the event, I get to take up to 15 items home. The plan is to come back with some fun new additions to my wardrobe, having shed things I haven't worn in ages. I'm not sure how many items I will actually have gotten rid of after the swap. Depends what I find. The flowered folded piece is a pair of patterned leggings that have never been worn. A bit heavier than regular pantyhose material, more the weight of trouser socks. The gloves are a kick. I hope someone at the swap is thrilled to discover them.

Tags: clothing, socks, gloves, October

My friend (AR) from California gave this t-shirt to me 7 years ago. I wore it a few times, but really, all I need to convey this message is the look in my eyes and the set of my mouth. On the other hand, the fridge is in dire need of cleaning out. We tend to leave things in there too long. The contents of glass jars may be past their expiry date, but as long as the lid is on, there's no smell. Until the jar is opened to put the contents into the compost, and rinse out the jars. The garlic chutney was particularly pungent. The dark lump in plastic wrap is tamarind. An ingredient I seldom use. But if a recipe calls for it, I have to buy a chunk that is bigger than I need. I've had it at least 3 years. That's not the oldest thing in my fridge though. I have a container of silica at least 15 years old, and husband has a piece of pulp (as in from the pulp and paper industry) that is at least 20 years old. He used to write manuals about such things. Wood pulp. A whole bag of it. In a drawer, in the fridge. About once a year we discuss turfing it, but it doesn't take up that much room.

Tags: fridge, food, October, clothing

As promised, the other plant that went to a new home. A corn plant I think. It needs to be repotted, poor thing. One of those plants you can mistreat and still it grows and grows. This one, plus pot, is almost 8 feet high. Time for prettier plants. There is an empty area behind the TV now. One less thing to vacuum around. That's three big plants given away since Labour Day. Feels good. In moving around some other plants today, I discovered that almost every single amaryllis I have (and I have at least 8 of them) has thrips. Yuk. I took them all out to the shed. My garden expert says if the bulbs don't freeze out there (depends on how wild a winter we're in for) I can dust the bulbs with powder to kill the thrips once the leaves die back. Dipping the bulbs in water and Lysol apparently works too. Or I could just compost the lot of them and buy one or two new amaryllis bulbs this Christmas and start over. Hmmm. My rebloom rate is pretty good — I might just go after those thrips to see if I can conquer the infestation.

Another plant that my recently deceased cat Phoebe would nibble on almost every day. Husband thinks it is really ugly, but I still like it, and spider plants clean the air. But if getting rid of it makes him a wee bit happier and makes the hallway less of an obstacle course, then it is an easy way to get some good spouse points. This one has an almost 3 foot spread. When the decluttering is finished, we can go out and get some fresh house plants that haven't gotten too leggy. The guy who was going to take away one of my other plants (Sep 28) didn't show up until yesterday, so I gave him this one and another really tall plant that will show up as tomorrow's post. My doggie friend Lucy recently got a companion, a young male named Toby. He's still very shy and not completely socialized, but is very sweet and learning to trust his humans.

Tags: plants, October, dog

Why do I still have cheques on a bank account that was closed at a bank that no longer exists after being bought out by another bank? From at least six years ago. Papers get shoved in a drawer, I get too busy with other things like work and chores and sometimes plain old fun, and there they sit. The cheques have been shredded. Tomorrow is recycling day.

Tags: office, cheques, October

Reacher. Jack Reacher. Jolly good reads by Lee Child. I was so tempted to keep these because Reacher is my latest favourite guilty pleasure. But I still have two on my shelf that I haven't read, keeping them for a when I need an escape. I traded this stack earlier today for a third Reacher novel I haven't read, and for the loan of a Nevada Barr novel. Now all I need is less work and more reading time. With fall coming, and colder weather, I will start indulging in my greatest extravagance — long, hot baths. I can usually get halfway through a novel in one soak. Bear is getting colder too. The minute I get up from my office chair he sneaks in to take the warm seat. I am able to share for a few minutes by perching on the edge, but then I have to either be hard-hearted and remove him, or roll the chair back and bring in a wooden kitchen chair for me to sit on until he has finished his nap. Mika was on the chair with him moments before I took this photo, but Mika scares away when the flash on the camera pops up.

Tags: October, cats, books

I have been keeping this just to look at. I picked it up from a box of free stuff down the street about a couple of years ago. It was jammed and wouldn't work anymore, but I thought I could bend it back into working condition. I couldn't. It's a beautiful object, the metal finish is very cool. It looks good next to my retro metal office fan. That may have to go too by the end of this project. Anyway, bye bye stapler. They don't make 'em like this anymore. Random flower is a dahlia. Someone else's garden.

Tags: office, stapler, October, random flowers

This was not a cheap pan. A Heritage Chef ceramic coating pan, using recycled aluminum. Chemical free using natural ceramic powder for the coating. It was supposed to be non-stick. It wasn't. Here's a shot from the internet of what it looked like new. My photo is what it looked like after a few uses. I have replaced it with another Heritage pan, a cast aluminum one, which is fantastic.

Tags: household, frying pan, October, kitchen

I've had this cat magnet for more years than I can remember. It's a handpainted piece of wood, about 5" tall, with a magnetic strip glued on the back. A present from my brother. I have enjoyed it, but I'm now ready to part with it. Unlike some other gifts he's given me that I will likely keep forever. Thanks bro.

Tags: cats, fridge magnet, miscellaneous, October

I used to wear this tunic/top to work or to go out at night. It's very comfortable, but it doesn't fit the "What not to wear" rules for my shape. Sadly, I am letting it go. I don't know what the random flower is called. It's not in my garden, but it caught my eye. Nice fall colour.

Tags: clothing, October, random flowers

I would read Minette Walters til I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. It wouldn't have occurred to me before this project started to ever get rid of any of her titles, but I want fewer things. I have so many other books to read for the first time, I can't imagine myself going back to read hers for a second. Good as they are. This rose is in someone else's garden. Yes, there are still roses here in October, though an unexpected frost did cause some damage to a few remaining veggies. I'm watching two downy woodpeckers on the suet, and a towhee. The towhee has been around for a few days, but now he has no tail feathers at all! A cat must have attacked him. He's still hopping around looking for food, so the rest of him appears uninjured. I am adamant that people in the city should keep their cats indoors. The cats live longer and so do the songbirds.

Tags: books, October, random flowers

This bottle was filled with a delicious soy-ginger-lime-sesame marinade when a friend gave it to me for Christmas about ten years ago. It came with the recipe written on a card attached to the bottle with a ribbon. I planned on making the marinade again; it truly was tasty. I am going to put the bottle in my thrift store box.

Tags: bottle, glass, household, October

My gardener friend broke a strap on his helmet -- last time he stopped by for a visit he had his helmet plunked on top of his head without being attached under his chin. Not very helpful in the event of a fall. So I gave him this extra helmet I received in the spring from someone who left town and left it with me in hopes I could find someone in need to give it to. I think I fulfilled my mission. Random flower is a rose I snapped with my new camera.

Tags: bike, October, helmet

Thanksgiving weekend. I'm thankful for what I have, and thankful too for what I no longer have in my life. I hung on to this sign for sentimental reasons. Plus it's really cool. But it didn't fit with the decor (inside joke, as you might have guessed by now our decor is thrift store/cat hair/piles of paper/generic clutter), and it came from a long ago time in my life. I sold it. Proceeds added to my SPCA fund. Love my kitties. Haven't posted a picture of Mika in awhile.

Tags: antique, miscellaneous, October, cats

This pitcher could be yours — I'm putting it in my “getting rid of” pile, but will hang on to it for awhile in case anyone wants it. It's quite sweet, not very tall, pressed glass. It's been a long time since I've gotten a donation for my friend's African projects — even a toonie or two helps. I never got around to sipping iced tea on the patio (you can imagine how pretty the slices of lemon would look in this pitcher) but if you don't have time for such pursuits either, you could always put a bunch of flowers in it.

Tags: household, glass, pitcher, October

Backpacks, like reusable shopping bags, seem to multiply in my closets. This is a perfectly good backpack, I just don't need it. You'd have to bribe me with something extravagant in order to get me to go on a hike and use a backpack for what it was invented for. I did use one when I worked downtown and cycled to work every morning, but then I got saddle bags for the bike. Now I'm a fan of carry on bags with little wheels on the bottom.

Tags: backpack, October

I don't have pierced ears. People who know this sometimes give me clip-on earrings. Sometimes I wear them, but they are hard to adjust and there are few things worse than tight clip-ons. The pain increases exponentially after you remove the earrings, as blood flow is restored to the pinched area. I do have clip-ons I think look good on me, but these don't, despite the beautiful blue glaze — they are porcelain. I have a matching pendant somewhere. Very 80s, which is when I received the set as a gift. The chain necklace is coppery; I believe it came from Avon. It disappears when I wear it. I need chunkier, more substantial necklaces. If I do wear a chain, there is always a charm or stone or some other lovely thing hanging from it which doesn't disappear against me.

Tags: jewellery, October

Today is about an acquisition. I finally had time to go camera shopping. After reading many reviews online and comparing cameras, I went and held the two I'd narrowed my choice down to — handled them, took pretend photos (no memory cards in the demo models) and spent an hour and a half trying them out and asking the salesperson lots of questions (thanks Lori, you were so helpful!). At some point all the research and testing has to come down to a decision. So I took out my credit card and bought a new camera. I always want to lie down and take a nap after I spend a lot of money. I do not feel exhilarated. I am pleased to have a good camera and look forward to taking pictures tomorrow and over the next few days (I have ten days to return it if I don't like it), but the actual act of committing to that much expense gives me more of an anxious feeling than a thrill. If the cult of consumerism depended on people like me it would be in trouble. Here is a photo of some extra garden pots I got rid of when we reorganized the shed. Fortunately my gardener took them all and will use them to put her starter plants in. She sells veggies and annuals to her clients. It's possible I will be getting some of these pots back, with yummy Sweet Baby Girl tomato plants in them. Hint, hint. They were my favourite tomatoes of this year.

Tags: garden, camera, October

My dad was here a bit ago. I made him take these pieces of wood back with him. He has a wood burning fireplace and can always use dry kindling. These are mullions from some windows we replaced a long time ago. More material I thought I could find useful some day. Even just as row markers in the veggie garden. Ah well. Random flower is a white Japanese anemone. The shapes they make at each stage of flowering are so beautiful.

We bought a set of these glass food containers at IKEA a few years ago. Various shapes and sizes. Most of the lids have chipped and have had to be discarded. The containers are thick and heavy. For awhile it was difficult to find food storage containers that weren't plastic, but there are more choices now. We've opted for lighter, more practical designs. This container is about 7" across and at least 6" high. Clunky. Random flower is a hydrangea — can't for the life of me remember the latin name.

Tags: glass, kitchen, household, October, random flowers

I can't seem to manage posting on a Friday. I go to regular poetry readings on Friday nights, and when I get home I just can't switch gears and write about my junk. These little glass bowls all start to look the same after awhile. I collect them in ones or pairs or threes (my favourite) at yard sales and put them in the sideboard. The sideboard has glass doors on it, so I can see the collection whenever I walk by. Plus I have various glass bowls and square dishes in front of my books on bookcase shelves. I want to whittle down to the ones I like the most. This one can go. The magazine is from the '60s. I sold it for a whopping $5. Convinced a guy it was worth it just to put it on his coffee that night for a party he was giving. I tried to read the articles — no offense to writers who were making a living back then, but despite the provocative headlines, the magazine was unreadable. My favourite headline is "Can retarded sex development be cured?" At most a conversation piece.

Tags: books, magazines, glass, kitchen, household, October

I picked this book up at some point to send to my 5-year-old niece. It's about expecting the arrival of a sibling. There was a detailed poster/chart tucked into the back showing development of the fetus in beautifully illustrated detail. At complete odds with the cartoonish style of the pictures in the rest of the book. I didn't get around to mailing the book to my niece before her sister was born this summer. Back to the thrift store with this one, for some other kid to learn the graphic details of pregnancy.

Tags: books, October