Just Started Skyrim, Couple of Questions…

Just started playing Skyrim on the PC. I have a couple of questions for any of you who know the answers:

1) How do I move and place objects in the world. I've looked through the controls menu and do not see any keyboard key or mouse function dedicated to this purpose.

2) Equipping weapons/spells is strange. Say I have an Axe in focus in the menu - I click my LEFT Mouse Button and the game assigns the Axe to my RIGHT hand. The opposite is true as well, if I click the RIGHT mouse button, teh game assigns the axe to my LEFT hand. Am I missing something here?

Thanks for any help!

There's an option to swap that around. They figured the "main" hand for most people is the right hand and the main mouse button is the left, hence a left-click to assign the right-hand. Just change the option.

Can't answer the other - I don't see any need to place objects so I haven't tried.

Hold down the e key and you can move things.

You always equip a weapon in your main (i.e., right) hand first and then a shield or second weapon in your off (i.e., left) hand. Mouse 1 (the left) attacks with the main hand (right).

Remember that Skyrim was designed for consoles and ported to PC. So a lot of functions are not user friendly for us, PC crowd.
First question: you can place and move objects in a very limited and annoying way. To place an object it has to be in your inventory. Highlight it there and press "R" to drop an object. Be aware that object will not necessarily drop at the point where you aiming your target (reticle). Sometimes they will fall behind you or to the side.
To move object pick it with your target and press and hold "E". You can move the object now (again in limited and very awkward way) by moving mouse about and/or moving your PC with "W", "S", "A" and "D" keys. Release "E" key to finish placement. Trying to place multiple objects in close proximity on a single surface is a nightmare!

And be prepared for endless frustration! It takes me forever to place a single object on the table and even than it ends up, more often than not, not on the spot where I wanted it to be or knocks off other objects already on the table!!!

I generally take all items that are clutter and place them in a container. My house looks like it's abandoned, but that's how I roll.