Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for November 27, 2017

“But the fire will keep us plenty warm!”

I think that Arlo and I might have something in common. I hate accumulating “stuff.” It’s not that I am cheap. It’s just that I am a little on the minimalist side and that I prefer to spend my money on traveling.

Downsizing, it was the best of times, it was the worse of times….

Must be thinking of something of hers ,since she got rid of his stuff. It works both ways.

Burning stuff up. Blowing stuff up. Work fit for a man!

This one is eerily familiar. As my mother drifted deeper into dementia, she sat by the fireplace for hours, days on end, feeding her hoard of newspapers, catalogs, etc. into the flames. No chimney cleaning. Many fire spots on the carpeting behind the stone apron. Don’t know who called the FD but they came out to inspect and shut down her pastime on the spot!

I think he was thing about their current clothing…

Where is the cat?

Fireplaces are a mess to keep clean. I’d go with a gas log if I were to get another one.

Of course when Janis wants to get rid of (usually Arlo’s) stuff, it’s fine….

Burning most things in the fireplace would release hazards. Wood smoke is ok…. but I cringe when folks burn plastic or other such items.

I think he was referring to getting rid of the fireplace. Maybe replacing it with something that lights itself as he is still trying to light it in the last panel.

Does he mean they should toss old things into the fire to get rid of them? Most things could be recycled for someone else to use.

After 15 years with a wood stove, felling, bucking and splitting logs all summer to drag in and burn all winter, this year we both said ENOUGH! and the stove goes. There was a very good reason why our ancestors embraced central heating. Here on the Oregon coast we’re 100% electric and our electricity comes from the hydroelectric dams on the Columbia river, so we cut our “carbon footprint” too.

OK, he means their CLOTHING. What would I do without you guys to explain every other A&J strip? (See, I assumed he meant the fireplace, which would be pointless and cost thousands of dollars to remove)

Around her it is husband who won’t get rid of anything. I just finished secretly packing 5 bags of MY stuff to get rid that if he knew I was doing so, he would make me keep it all. Most of it is wedding/engagement gifts from 40 years ago which have never been used. I don’t touch his stuff which is much greater in volume than mine. I will sneak it all out to the car tomorrow night and take it with me on the one day a month I get to go out alone to donate to Goodwill.

Christmas he will be getting “gifts” – things he bought for me to wrap, most of them will be DVDs that he already has on VHS and Beta (yes the same ones he has in both) as well as often, other DVD versions of the same item. Mostly I get rid of my stuff to have room for his new stuff. I don’t gifts – there is nothing I need or want.

And this post reminded me of a set of wine glasses I want to get rid of (we have at least 2 other sets and don’t drink alcohol).

Call us when you get there.