I know someone who had to move out of his shared place very suddenly. Fortunately he has found a new place to live, but he's going to need some basics again. I've started to put together some dishes and linens. I haven't taken photos of everything yet. I've got a litte shelf unit I can pass on, and maybe a rug. A different sort of weeding out from what I usually do. This time it will be for household items. Now I look back on everything I got rid of over the past year and a bit, and wish I had some of it back to give to him! Particularly two sets of dishes I took to the Sally Ann in February. Ah well, what I can't find, he'll get from other people. I've been posting so many photos of Tashi lately. Here's one of Bear, who has been a bit put out that she isn't deffering to his alpha-ness. Yesterday she actually went up to him while he was sleeping in her favourite place and snuggled up beside him. She was slow and careful and he started to lick her. I do so like it when the older cats finally start to accept the new addition.

Tags: cats, kitchen, linens, October 2010

I had big plans to take part in a neighbourhood yard sale today. But it is pouring rain. So I slept in and am just gearing up for a day of work (and watching the US Open men's final) instead. I haven't taken photos yet of the things in the big box by the door, but I will for another post. Today I'll post some of the stuff I got rid of when Big Brothers Big Sisters phoned to ask if I had any household items to donate. I managed to put together a green garbage bag full. My husband and I were a bit slow in getting to our clothes closet, but the day before the pickup I found a big box of free kids clothes — in excellent condition — at the end of someone's driveway, so I pilfered the best togs and put them in my own bag for BB. It feels great when a pile of stuff goes out at once.

Tags: clothing, kitchen, purses

There are a few things in the freezer that need to go. Here's one of them. If the expiry date is too small to read, I'll tell you it ends in 05. As in 2005. The compost just got a bit of old dried out spinach added to the mix. The little fruit nappy is a cat food dish. But the gold rim means I can't put it in the microwave. I heat Barger's food for 5 seconds to take the chill off it. I can only use this bowl when I open a new can that's at room temperature. I have many more cat food dishes — I can get rid of this one.

Tags: food, April 2010, cats, kitchen

I finally dragged some books over to the mystery store — but there are too many Giles Blunt titles in stock. I could only get rid of the Sharyn McCrumb. I can try again with the Blunts in a few months. The rest will go to a couple of book swap shelves I know about. Sometimes I take one and leave two. This time I will just leave a bunch. Ever since we got new moss green stoneware, I haven't liked how these red mugs pop out at me on the shelves. I'm all for certain reds and greens together, just not the combo I'm seeing. I'll use the mugs at a workshop I'm coordinating this weekend, then I will put them in the donation box.

Tags: books, March 2010, kitchen

Not much to look at or write about, but two more things gone is two things gone. I kept the cat food tin because it has such a nice painting of cats on it. Oh well. I have beautiful living cats to look at whenever I want to. And the hair bunnies all over the floor to prove it.
The bowl was hidden away at the back of a kitchen cupboard. Completely forgot that I even had it.

Tags: kitchen, March 2010

I have been out of town a lot lately. Reading and attending poetry events and workshops. Lots of poems percolating. I got married for the first time in 1988. Registered for a set of grey Mikasa dishes. Have used them since then. A few pieces from the 8 place settings have been dropped and broken over the years, but the set is pretty much intact. For the past few months I've been on the lookout for a new set of dishes -- finally found some I really like. So it's time to get rid of the grey ones. As well as some white ones that came along with the current spouse (there are more of the white ones that I didn't bother to put in the photo). He prefers the new set too, so is willing to donate the whites. I plan on taking these to a transition shelter that puts together packages of basic furnishings to help people when they move to a new place. It's weird holding new mugs and seeing food served on a colour other than grey or white, but so far the new dishes are a nice change. I expect we'll be using them for at least the next 20 years. Bear always helps me pack my overnight suitcase.

Tags: kitchen, cats, February 2010

I got sad news last week. Enough said. Not very inspired or imaginative discards today. Some small melamine dishes (actually 3 of them) that I used for cat food, but I prefer porcelain. A metal screen to stop oil splatter from a frying pan -- don't use it. And an insert for a pressure cooker. Don't have a pressure cooker, haven't used one since I lived with my parents. Can't remember where it came from. I need a drink.

Tags: kitchen, household, February 2010

When a local shopping centre built a new food court, one of the promo items I did artwork for was this mug. It's a blue enamel camping mug. I didn't drink out of it. I used it as a container. My mom took it. She also took the binders. But the pants went to Value Village.

Does it count as getting rid of something if my mom takes it? I'm not sure. I worry that I have just postponed having to deal with certain things for a second time when I help her downsize. So mom, I know you read this, please use the binders and mugs responsibly and dispose of them when you no longer need them. Thanks.

Tags: clothing, office, kitchen

Went to Value Village with a friend this afternoon. I'd been waiting to get enough things together to make the trip worthwhile. Took two boxes of stuff — officially out the door, no longer taking up space here. I threw in a few extra things on my way out. A puffy vest from the 80s, bbq tongs, and another tea tin. Some cards, two 2010 calendars I don't want — one arrived addressed to the former occupants of our house. They haven't lived here for 11 years. Shoulder pads, a car headrest cover, frame for a certificate, and a tray for cassette tapes. I only came home with two new things from VV, and one of them is being given away as soon as I see a certain person again.

Tags: clothing, kitchen, paper, miscellaneous

This is Scandanavian I believe. Metal with a teak handle. I liked it. Bought it at a yard sale. Never used it, not even as a vase. Don't need it. Cold today, hovering at and just below the zero mark. Could drop as low as -7 tonight. The photo of bushtits on suet isn't from today, but these darling birds stopped by twice today to load up on fat food.

Tags: household, kitchen, December, birds

Tomorrow a reporter is coming to the house to interview me for a short piece in our city paper. I'm getting rid of some of the mess on the kitchen table so we will have a place to chat. And moving some extra chairs upstairs. And taking away a couple of the cat beds that are on the sofa and easy chair. (You'd think the cats ran the joint or something.) I'll get up early and give the bathroom counter a swipe.

Tags: kitchen, December

There’s this guy, Ian Golder, who collects boxes of macaroni and cheese. He's a little bit famous for this. I had heard of Ian and his macaroni years ago and kept this bit of trivia lodged in some dark recess. I too have loved boxed mac and cheese over the years. When I was in grades 5 and 6, my family lived right across the street from my school. My brothers and I went home for lunch, even when my parents weren't there. As far as I can recall, I boiled up and ate a box of Kraft dinner pretty much every single day. We also squeezed in two TV shows over lunch, Hercules and Rocket Robin Hood. I'd run back and forth to the kitchen during ads until the macaroni was ready. Many years ago, when my mom and I helped clean out a friend's house — she was over 100 years old at the time — I came across an ancient, unopened package of macaroni and cheese. I have no clue what year it’s from. I thought the packaging was a great example of vintage graphic design, and I displayed it on a shelf in my kitchen, along with vintage spice tins, for a long, long time. Ever since I've lived in this house though, Magic Chef has been in a drawer. I figured it was finally time for him to go to a new home, so (thanks to the Internet) I contacted Ian, asked him if he wanted this box for his collection, and, well, the photo says it all. Thanks Ian, for appreciating this old bit of cardboard and tin. (If you google Ian, there is video of an interview he did not too long ago on Jimmy Kimmel. You can also see some of his collection at macandcheesebox.com).

Tags: kitchen, antique, December, odd, macaroni

I have drawers filled with old and empty frames — for the watercolours I am going to paint and fill the frames with. Now I am willing to weed through the frames more drastically. The icing caps have no tube to go with them. It's Saturday night. Got to get away from the computer for a change.

Tags: kitchen, frames, November

After Planet Earth Poetry last night — Wendy Morton launched her fabulous new book "What Were Their Dreams" — I went to the pub with a few poets. I am usually tucked into my bed by 10, but it was midnight before I got home last night. So here are two items. One is a green vase, about 7 inches tall, part of my green ceramic vase collection. I bought it at a thrift sale or yard sale, can't remember which. I have never put flowers in it, there were always other vases I reached for first. So it can go. The second item I picked up from a "free" box on someone's front lawn. I thought it was a banana holder. Something is obviously meant to hang from the hook part, but a bunch of bananas it is not. We tried.

Tags: kitchen, vase, November

I have a small collection of depression glass in a pink Queen Mary pattern that I will get rid of eventually. Maybe sooner than later. This is not Queen Mary. I don't even know if it's depression glass. Pretty sure these bowls came from my mother, who thought because I had some pink pieces I might want more. Trouble is, I'm not fond of pink glass. Give me green or clear. So these fruit nappies are in the box to go to the consignment store unless someone pipes up.

Tags: kitchen, glass, November

The colour on these is so pretty. More vivid than this photo shows. I imagined vibrant green and turquoise succulent with their vivid yellow, orange and pink flower stems growing in these pots. I have lots of succulents, just never got around to planting them in these. Out you go. (I found this shot of succulents on the internet, if it's yours and you want it off my site, just let me know.)

Tags: kitchen, garden, November

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

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

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

A bit of a scramble today. Trying to get rid of rats. Set another trap. Filled in their tunnels going under the deck. Of course they will tunnel back out, but perhaps it will be a bit more inhospitable. The problem is we closed off the deck on the sides so the racoons couldn't fit under anymore. So the good news is no more racoons. The bad news is the rats have a safe, dry breeding ground once they make it under the deck. Sigh. I have lots of little shot glasses. Even though I hardly ever drink. Mostly I use them as tiny flower vases to hold a single flower. Nice in threes. This one has no matching partners. I haven't had much time to pick flowers this summer and now it's almost over anyway. (I used to take a photo every time we caught a rat. I gave up. It would have been a large album.)

Tags: kitchen, household, September, shot glass, random rat

So I won't be needing this corkscrew. It was backup anyway. I use a beautifully engineered German corkscrew for when I do drink wine, which is not very often. Tonight I am going to a gala reception celebrating the start of the symphony season and glasses of wine and champagne will be passed around on silver trays. There’s always cambozola cheese and crème brulée and pot au chocolat and olives and other cheeses and petit fours and it’s all yummy. Too bad the party doesn’t start until 10:30. I will be taking a cab home tonight.

Tags: kitchen, September

Ah, the last of my Far Side mugs. They were fun, but I have new favourites. My friend in New Hampshire recently sent me a lovely mug with famous authors on it, so between it and three or four others in rotation, I haven't used this one in ages. Not even for pens and pencils. Random bird is a Rufous Hummingbird. Mostly we get Anna’s, but once in awhile, a rufous will show up at the feeders. They are more solitary than the Anna’s, and prefer more territory than they get in the city.

Tags: mug, September, kitchen, random bird

I take photos of everything that leaves the house now. Sometimes more than one thing leaves in a day, but I don't end up writing about it until later. I bought this salad set at a yard sale on the street where I live, about 6 years ago. It went to a friend, who said she was planning to give it to her daughter. I loved the colour, the packaging, the fact that LIFE magazine endorsed this salad set — it was neato. I would never have used it though, just would have kept it the way it was and looked at it occasionally. Now I can look at the photo whenever I want to remember it. Just as good as having the actual item in the cupboard. My parents have been visiting for a couple of days, so I haven't been out in the garden to take photos for random flower of the day.

Tags: household, kitchen, September

I only had this one black arcoroc bowl, not a set. Kept pennies and spare change in it. But there are three or four bowls/containers around the house with spare change in them. I consolidated. At some point I will have to roll up all the pennies and nickels and take them to the bank for some real money.

Tags: kitchen, household, September

I’ve made it through 8 months! As I look around at a house that is still very cluttered, I’m not worried about finding something for every day of the remaining four months. Today my neighbour’s nephew showed up with his mom to pick up some of his things from my neighbour’s basement. He’s setting up an apartment — I managed to give him an extra toaster (yard sale score for $2 but I replaced it with a better one from a yard sale, also $2) and a brown ceramic bowl that is quite lovely, but I’m at the stage where things I really like have to go too. His mom took the window and screens. The window was taken out from the house when we did renos 10 years ago. It was stored in the shed. The screens are also from renovations. They didn’t fit the new windows. We weren’t able to use this particular window in our new shed, and I don’t feel like storing it for another decade.

Tags: kitchen, September, building supplies

Today there was an article in the paper about preserving food, highlighting how popular canning is becoming again. It mentioned that old Mason jars were getting harder to find at thrift stores. Perhaps that’s why this box of jars disappeared from the curb while other items were left behind. I thought I had gotten rid of all of my jars (April 26), but turned out there were more hiding in the shed that was torn down. I don’t think I will ever have enough produce in my garden to get into canning, and for now I’m not inclined to buy large quantities from the market. I dehydrate apples from our trees and we make and freeze lots of pesto from our basil, but the rest of the veggies are eaten as fast as they mature. Our regular stir fry now contains bright yellow patty pan squash along with the kale. The mushrooms and garlic are from the store. Unfortunately our garlic crop was very small this year and we’ve already eaten all of it.

Tags: kitchen, August, garden

This was only ever decorative. Never once used it to make tea. But it sort of matched a set of kitchen canisters I have somewhere (not in the kitchen) and so I picked it up from somewhere. I think it might have come from my mother’s house – something she was actually going to get rid of – and silly me interrupted this little teapot’s journey to a 2nd hand store. Now it will finally reach its destination, after a long stay at my place. Random cat is Barger, in one of his favourite positions.

Tags: kitchen, teapot, August, cats

I thought I would remember how things came to be in my possession, but I don’t recall acquiring this knife. That could mean it came in with the husband. I haven’t ever used it. Found it at the bottom of a kitchen drawer. It has a bone handle. It has been honed many, many, many times. Random flower is a new clematis I planted last fall. The name is on the tag out in the pot, I don’t know it offhand.

Tags: kitchen, knife, July, random flowers

I envisioned a row of fresh-picked garden flower arrangements in these three small white crocks. But things have got to go. And as much as I like a series of similar objects, I am willing to part with these.

Tags: vase, kitchen, July

I have stored my food in glass containers as much as possible for years. So plastic ones like this don’t get used very often. These went out in the last load to Big Brothers Big Sisters. The garden shot is is the area outside my office. I get to watch birds splash in the bath when I want a view other than my computer screen.

Tags: kitchen, July, garden

Can’t remember where I got this. Haven’t ever really used it. It’s been on a shelf in my sideboard. Don’t need it. It is now in the donation box, which I’ll take away once it is full. If you want it, it’s yours. About 7in across. Random flower is a climbing red rose.

Tags: kitchen, household, July, random flowers

Got our fourth cat a year ago. He was almost totally deaf when we got him, but now he has the best hearing in the house. I think going deaf was a coping mechanism -- who knows what happened to him before he ended up at the SPCA. Seriously though, my husband banged pots behind his head, blew whistles etc. to try to determine his level of deafness. He didn’t even budge. Anyway, Barger is a sweet old cat who loves a lap and only bites occasionally. He goes outside on a harness for a “walk” every day. His idea of a walk is to go to the end of the driveway (after eating grass) and then flob over for a nap on the warm pavement. We keep telling him he could nap inside and let us get back to work, but he gets really growly if we try to take him in too soon. It took the other cats several months to adjust to him, but everyone gets along well now. As I’m typing this I have Phoebe almost on top of the keyboard meowing that it’s time for the humans to go to bed. Barger is on his special stool beside my desk. Mika is watching intently out the screen door to the patio, smelling the neighbourhood on a summer night and Bear is on the top level of one of the cat trees. Oh, and I’ve gotten rid of these little salt and pepper shakers my aunt gave me.

Tags: kitchen, June, cats

My husband went to Germany in ’92 or ’93, before I met him, and he apparently didn’t bring back much other than these mini beer steins. They are only about 5cm tall. Needless to say they have not been prominently displayed. In a box is more like it. They have already chugged out of here.

Tags: knick knacks, kitchen, June

I knew this was bound to happen. I got rid of these utensils in the past couple of weeks and today I really could have used the masher. Of course I hadn’t used the masher in the previous few years, but today I was making stewed rhubarb (for the first time in years) and realized the masher would have been the perfect tool. I used a fork, which did the job. But I had a laugh about it. Did the masher really take up that much space?

Tags: household, kitchen, June

The tin says Wild Berry Flavoured Tablets. Mmmm. Tablets. Good old English travel sweets were in here originally. Found old tea bags in there now, some nasty smelling herbal stuff that would probably give me palpitations or keep me up all night if I dared try it — I have absolutely no clue what kind of tea it is and it’s going in the compost. It’s hard for me to give away useful containers, but I have to believe I will still have enough containers for whatever I need to store after I’ve finished decluttering.

Tags: container, kitchen, May

Thrifty Foods, a grocery chain in my city will soon no longer provide plastic bags. Paper bags will cost 10 cents each. I’ve been using my own cloth shopping bags and re-using plastic bags for years, so I applaud this decision. I think we should all use re-usable containers as much as possible (though I’m hoarding plastic bags to dispose of kitty litter because I can’t quite think of what else to use for that task). As such, I don’t like to get rid of metal containers that could be used to store things, but I have enough little tins. I will just have to find something else if the day comes when I think “Ah, shouldn’t have let that Prince of Wales tea tin slip away....”

Tags: kitchen, April

My neighbour made some delicious blackberry jelly last year from the blackberries in her yard. Gave me a jar. I have already given her back the empty jar to re-use and might as well give her some of the other jars I’ve been saving. I think she puts up quite a few different fruits. I helped out with a lot of canning when I was little. My grandmother would can blackberries. I remember my parents canning peaches. Then we got a freezer and we’d set up a production line in the kitchen to freeze peaches. Now I freeze about 80lbs of blueberries every year and dehydrate a few hundred apples from the three trees in our backyard. Reminds me, I still have lots of dried ones to eat up. The blossoms will be out soon and the August harvest will be here again faster than I can believe possible.

Tags: kitchen, April

I used to bake. Lemon loaf, banana bread. Sugar cookies in pretty shapes, with white icing. At one point I was searching for the perfect shortbread cookie recipe for a cookie press. I think I did find it, but there’s so much more cleanup with gadgets compared with just dropping batter from a spoon or rolling out soft dough and using a drinking glass as a cookie cutter. I think I used this set once. I don’t bake any more.

Tags: kitchen, April

I was maid of honour at my dear friend’s wedding (hmmm, more than 13 years ago). She got this blender as a present, didn’t need it, and gave it to me. I used it for years to make smoothies. I bought a hand blender about three years ago and haven’t used this one since. I have a “backup” mentality. Always keep an extra around if I have it, just in case. But this takes up a lot of room in a kitchen cupboard. So long.

Tags: kitchen, April

I lusted after this pepper grinder. Bought it on a trip to Seattle, at Nordstroms. Someone gave me a matching salt and pepper set a few years later though, and that’s what we use now. This is a spare. But who needs a spare pepper grinder? I still like the sleek design of this model.

Tags: kitchen, April

More cocktail paraphernalia. I prefer my alcohol straight up, though I won’t say no to a vodka gimlet. Since I’ve never even taken these out of the box, I’d say it’s likely I’ll never use them. Pretty glass daisy stir sticks.

Tags: kitchen, April

Until today, this mug held pens and pencils. I transferred the pens and pencils to a glass container and have put the mug into the box for the Sally Ann. Love the Far Side, but this is not a favourite cartoon. The caption reads: Wait! Wait! Listen to me... We don’t HAVE to be just sheep! I have too many mugs. Never used this one for morning coffee — it doesn’t hold nearly enough.

Tags: kitchen, March

This was a door prize at a party. By then I had already switched to stainless steel for my water bottle. I suppose I could use this as a container for something other than water, but the whole point of this exercise is to get rid of things, not keep them around because I might one day find an alternate use for them.

Tags: kitchen, March

These cookie cutters are so small I can’t imagine the frustration of using them to bake cookies. (That’s a toonie to show scale.) I used one of the set in a ceramics class (1981?) to make teeny clay penguins. For some reason the penguin mold isn’t with its mates. A fierce March storm is raging here and the lights are flickering. I’m about to do the unheard of and shut my computer down.

Tags: kitchen, crafts, March

This came free with a purchase from a health food store. I’ve had it on the top ledge of my stove ever since we moved in here, which means I actually packed it in a box and moved it from our last place. More than ten years ago. I think I’ve used it twice. It’s salty stuff, but with an odd aftertaste. Heave ho.

Tags: kitchen, March

I think this is a stir stick for a fancy drink. It came standing up in the pot of a cactus plant that I got from a guy I worked with who cleared out his office when he left for a new job. Actually, he gave the cactus to someone else we worked with, but a year later, when I left, I rescued the thing and it is still alive after 8 years. Some people believe you never ever ever have to water a cactus. Never. Well, maybe not this kind.

Tags: kitchen, miscellaneous, March

This mug was made in Kenya, with Kenyan clay and glazes, by a potter whose studio outside Nairobi I remember visiting with my mother. This would have been between 1976 and 1979. I have kept it for sentimental reasons. It was chipped long ago in a move so I don’t drink out of it. Part of my challenge in getting rid of things is to let go of sentiment. No one is going to use a broken mug, so I will break it down and consign it to the garden for drainage at the bottom of pots.

Tags: kitchen, household, February

This is a stopper for a wine bottle. Once in awhile I open a bottle of red — it lasts me a couple of weeks at least. Before discovering vacuum wine stoppers, this sort of decorative plug didn’t stop the wine from going off if I didn’t drink it quickly enough. This has been rolling around the junk drawer in the kitchen for too long now. Into the Sally Ann box it goes.

Tags: kitchen, January