Yes, I need to look through Tom's back catalog for gifts... for me.

Yup. Maybe for other people, too, we'll see.

I broke a cast iron frying pan using it to hammer tent poles into hard ground once upon a time. Hole right through the center. I actually kept it for a while as, like, found art because that is my aesthetic. Hung it on a wall with a nail through the hole. Lost it in one of the involuntary purges o the 90s, I think.

I am having trouble comprehending that her hammer didn't give her joy.

Taxes filed. Mine are not complicated, the hard part is finding (or keeping track of when they come in but I failed at that big time this year) all the supporting documents. I never find one expected 1099-DIV, but it wouldn't have been for much money anyway, if it exists, so I'm not gonna worry about it.

I bet Marie Kondo doesn't do a lot of hammering! My hammers give me joy. The book'ss translated from Japanese after all, I think for it to make any sense, you have to modify the definition of "joy". Like, not dancing around giggling, just, holding this, seeing this, thinking about what this does for me, makes me happy. I'm doing it in my kitchen (bowm-chicka-bowm). My new silicon ladles? Happiness. My old plastic ladles? Ugh. Begone, old plastic ladles! Now my kitchen gives me more joy, and is also neater.

Kondo's a little wacky, though. I got a lot of inspiration and insight from her book, but I had to slide past the problematic parts.

I gave up on Marie Kondo when I was reading the introduction to one of her books, and she bragged about using a frying pan as a hammer & her headphones turned way up as speakers (because neither her hammer nor her speakers had given her joy, so she got rid of them). Just, no. My tools & electronics might not give me joy, but I am a firm believer in the right tools for the job.

Wait, what? She judged her frying pan on if it had given her joy?

I side-eye Marie Kondo anyway, because her advice hits my classism buttons super hard. There are a lot of people who hang on to stuff not because it brings them joy, but because they're going to need it sometime and can't guarantee they'll be able to stroll out and purchase a joy-bringing version at that point.

I bought her book, although I hate the title, but haven't read it yet, so my definitive opinion is pending. Sounds like her frying pan gave her enough joy for her to keep it but not enough for her to treat it well, which is a bit confusing.

Took out the garbage and recycling and set the cans down on the curb, have enough (if I counted everything right) laundry in the washer to get me through the week, my tax returns have been accepted by their respective authorities, I think it's time for a glass of wine and a cup of jello and maybe catching up on Archer.

I had enough dirt. And then some. What do people recommend to add to old potting soil to break down and mulch old roots and revitalize for reuse?

I side-eye Marie Kondo anyway, because her advice hits my classism buttons super hard.

Oh, yes, very. The advice is clearly aimed at upper class people who can afford to just throw away stuff and go buy something else without thinking twice about it.

Sounds like her frying pan gave her enough joy for her to keep it but not enough for her to treat it well, which is a bit confusing.

Especially in light of how she goes on about appreciating one's possessions and treating them well. This advice only seems to count for clothing, shoes, and handbags, though. You don't have to thank for their loyal service the possessions being thrown to curb as insufficiently joyous.

I had enough dirt. And then some. What do people recommend to add to old potting soil to break down and mulch old roots and revitalize for reuse?

I did this today by soaking with water and fish fertilizer and then mixing in vegetable planting mix, which appears to be a combo of mulch, soil and assorted other stuff. Hopefully it'll work.

Does it smell fishy? That's an odor I can't take.

Out of the bottle yes, but it dissipates quickly. I felt like I was less likely to overdo and kill everything with this stuff than the regular plant foods.

Actually - she is a minimalist and her stuff is really aimed at people that have too much stuff

I would be extremely unhappy to live like she does . however, going through clothes and saying happy/joy content or sad/unhappy/guilty - made it really easy to toss some stuff- and made it easy to keep my original buffy the vampire slayer t-shirt.

now - i am very glad to never meet her. I think she is obsessive, but I got some useful ideas from her.