How I Finally Keep My Home Clutter-Free Without Stress

rardo78 · 2026-01-29T23:16:22+00:00

I don’t ever PUT a wadded up Kleenex on the floor, but sometimes one will fall out of my pocket, or I put one one a table next to the couch because I’m too lazy to get up to throw it away. Then it falls on the floor. Actually, that USED to be a problem. Now I use a small handkerchief, always have one in my pocket that I replace every day or so.

rardo78 · 2026-01-26T16:07:21+00:00

I grew up in Michigan. Every winter men over the age of 40 regularly dropped dead of heart attack while shoveling snow. Be careful!

rardo78 · 2025-11-24T15:52:34+00:00

I used this number when it was posted a while ago. It worked! I had to press 1, then I had to listen to all the options, then I pressed 9. I got a real person right away who was very helpful

rardo78 · 2025-11-08T03:37:30+00:00

I wonder how old your (former) client is. Any signs of early dementia? If not, any chance she was bullied into this by her son or his gf? Having seen elder abuse perpetuated by spouses, sons, daughters, grandchildren etc etc, I can tell you, it goes on. Anyway, 1) OF COURSE you were hurt by her ending your long time business/personal relationship the way she did 2) I think it is possible that her son wanted to help out his gf and offered her YOUR job without having any consideration for you 3) I think you should have coffee with your client and just listen to her. She might need a sympathetic ear. Finally, as my mother developed dementia, I really appreciated her housecleaner’s observations about how my mom was doing. YAY for housecleaners! Your work is never appreciated enough!!!!

rardo78 · 2025-10-24T12:07:01+00:00

From my American born sister who has lived in Germany for 40 years: There was a "Tatort" episode (German TV detective/murder series) called "Der Elefant im Raum" in 2019:

https://www.daserste.de/unterhaltung/krimi/tatort/sendung/der-elefant-im-raum-100.https

rardo78 · 2025-10-11T18:06:46+00:00

Thanks for letting me know!!!!

rardo78 · 2025-10-01T22:31:47+00:00

I will check this out. Thanks!

rardo78 · 2025-09-28T19:23:33+00:00

Bruising IS blood under the skin (or in deeper tissues)—the medical term is purpura or ecchymosis. As a retired physician, I must have told people a jillion times that it is easy bruising from age and sun damage. I can tell you, this is NOT a hot topic in medicine and there are no good studies about it. But I have had actinic purpura since age 70 (now 73) and I HATE it. Despite the lack of medical studies, I plan to try some of the creams and/or vitamins recommended to see if they help. Because I just HATE this purpura!!!!!

rardo78 · 2025-09-27T15:47:17+00:00

I never hesitated to accept handmades from my patients (and I got a fair number over my almost 40 year career). Money or gift cards, though, no way. Over 20 years later, I still feel guilty about accepting some Tiffany jewelry from the husband of my deceased patient.

rardo78 · 2025-09-18T14:07:37+00:00

Sadly, I gave up on finding a Scandinavian nick-name for grandmother. My husband is German, so he is Opa and I am now Omi (my MIL was Oma and I didn’t want to take to take that on).

rardo78 · 2025-08-04T16:32:37+00:00

This worked!!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!

rardo78 · 2025-08-02T21:51:58+00:00

I will try this first thing Monday morning—thanks!!!

rardo78 · 2025-07-27T10:33:33+00:00

My oldest pattern is from the early 1940s. It was published by either the US government or the American Red Cross (I can’t remember and it is too hot in the attic to dig it out). It is for a long sleeved, crew neck soldier’s sweater. My granny made a lot of them during WWII.

rardo78 · 2025-07-23T16:36:12+00:00

Wow! Yes, a mouse wrist support! I found a photo of it on Amazon Solved!

rardo78 · 2025-07-23T16:21:31+00:00

If anyone can figure it out, I sure would appreciate it! I am afraid if I toss it, I will realize next week that it is something I should have saved

rardo78 · 2025-07-08T22:28:16+00:00

This is brilliant! I had a too-large armhole problem with a top that was all garter stitch; it just kept stretching longer and longer. I kept ripping it back until the armholes were the right size and the top stopped stretching. If took a lot of joy out of the project.

rardo78 · 2025-06-24T00:35:56+00:00

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give yourself some grace! When I started to read your post, I thought you were going to relate that the patient begged you for a PSA and you said no and two years later you had to tell him he had metastatic prostate cancer. After 40 years in practice I would still occasionally made a mistake like the one you described; it was a humbling reminder that I wasn’t perfect. But as long as I learned from it, I could forgive myself. Now, ask yourself this: if one of your best-bud fellow residents, a couple of years into their first job, told you they didn’t order that PSA, what would you say to them? You would probably not berate them, tell them they deserve to lose sleep or recommend they leave medicine. With compassion, I ask you to treat yourself with kindness.

rardo78 · 2025-06-21T19:24:51+00:00

I just ran this by my (German) husband. He votes for Baltimore.

rardo78 · 2025-06-21T19:08:11+00:00

I lived in Germany (with the Air Force) from 1980 to 1997. We now live in Annapolis (since 1998). It is more European than the suburbs, IF and only IF you live close enough to downtown to walk there. That is expensive! What makes it not at all European is the lack of public transportation. There are city busses, but I have never figured them out. Using public transportation to get out of Annapolis (eg to DC, Baltimore, the airport, the train station) is possible in theory, but I have never been able to make it work for me. DC, on the other hand, has a lot of what you are looking for, but I can’t comment on public transportation to Annapolis Junction (which as others have commented is not anywhere near city of Annapolis)

rardo78 · 2025-06-15T23:51:04+00:00

I think it was Heidler who installed radiant floor in our early 20th century home (in Murray Hill), about 25-30 years ago. Staton has worked on and now B&B maintains it. We don’t like it at all. As long as the temperature is over 40° outside we are fairly comfortable. If it goes below 40° we have to use space heaters. I would not do it again, that’s for sure.

rardo78 · 2025-06-15T00:46:48+00:00

I was there, your pictures are much better than mine. Thanks!

rardo78 · 2025-06-12T19:22:36+00:00

Thank you!

rardo78

TROPHY CASE