Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Modge Podge of Events (or lack of events) and This and That

I apologize in advance for the length of this post.  I honestly, didn't think I'd be back so quickly with a post at all.


The home project list continues.  The master bath is not checked off the list just quite yet.  We have made progress, but the shower tile floor is dragging on.

My husband hired a brother of a friend to replace the tile floor to the shower.  First, good luck getting the guy to come on the day he says.  He canceled three times.  I was about to google YouTube and install the floor myself. 

He showed up (after canceling again, after coming out for a quote), and literally asked me if I had a trowel for the grout.  Literally!

Sigh.  He came and gave us a quote, and said he had the "tools" for the job, and he had experience.  My husband even told him that we know nothing about installing tile.  He also mentioned he didn't bring his tool to cut the tile.  Huh?  He knew full well what the job was - install a tile shower floor.

I am not one for someone to waste my time, so it's been aggravating on my end.  We have also discussed the events of this guy several times already, and won't be hiring him again.  Brother of a friend or not. 

Less than two hours after removing all the old tile, he asked of my husband left him any money.  Really?  He hadn't even finished the job, and barely started the job.  He said he was out of gas, and needed "gas" money.  Not our problem, as we hired him to do a job, and the job pays when it's done, not before.  

The guy is a "talker" too, so I busied myself in the kitchen, so he'd get the job done.  It literally should have been done the same day, but was not.  

I went out to the garden to pick green beans, and he literally followed me out there.  He followed me to the garden hose, where he had already turned it on and never turned it back off.  He wanted to ask me about which way we wanted the tile.  Seriously???  We hired him, because he had experience with tile.  While I was rinsing the mud off  my muck boots, he was getting his cell phone out to show me is rose bushes.  Do you see my aggravation in all of this?

So there I was, trying to message my husband while he was at work, and asking questions, so the job would be finished.  Tick, tick, tick, there went the clock.

Hiring a decent person who is going to get the assigned job done is almost impossible these days.  Anyway, he is to come back to finish the job another day (he told me one day, and told my husband a different day), but with his history of not showing up, we may be hiring someone else.  The tile has been broken in the flooring for years, and was put off for other expenses.  We just want this job done, and finished the right way.  

We shall see if the tile floor gets finished, and finished correctly, or if I will be googling Youtube/hiring someone else.  If he's really that "broke" he'd get the job done to get paid. Stay tuned. 


My husband had a family member bring heavy equipment one day, to move the new coop and finally move the ladies into it.  It never happened.  Poor planning.  The weather was very hot and humid too that day, but poor planning.  There are things that need done prior to moving it (moving it was not in the early plans either), and were not completed, so another full day of no progress.

My husband has had some crazy, long work hours this summer too, so that hasn't helped with any progress overall.



(one small potato that got washed up from a bad storm)

August 6th was the first time we got to enjoy eating our home grown green beans.  We should have been freezing boat loads by now, but with the rabbits eating them down twice, and replanting, it was a late start for us, and a lot less. We had a tornado warning one day, and the high winds leveled the plants.  We are happy to get what we do get at this point.

As of today, we have not even gotten a dozen zucchini.  Between the weather and the squash bugs, it's been a battle.  We've only enjoyed two cucumbers.  The pickling cucumber plants are not looking good.  Humidity = mildew.  There are tomatoes on some of the plants, but some plants are small, and so far the tomatoes are very small (about 1 1/2 inches small).

Have I canned anything?  Nope. It's kind of strange not to be canning anything right now.

I have frozen some hot peppers, and dehydrated a handful of hot peppers.


I did get some of the elephant garlic dehydrated and ground into garlic powder (bought at a Farmer's Market).  My husband asked me to save some to trial plant in the ground this fall.


I finally bought a chargeable scrub brush with adjustable handle.  It has changed my cleaning tasks in a big way.  I can't believe I waited so long.  Cleaning the shower and tub, and all the sinks, not to mention the tile bathroom floor is so much easier (not to mention faster).

I'm thinking of making my job of wiping down kichen cupboards, table and chairs, from once a week to two times a month.  



Thank you to whoever mentioned to take the frozen pumpkin puree out of the freezer bag before thawing, to get all of that goodness from the bag.  I can't even believe my brain never thought to do it that way.  A "duh" moment, so thank you do whoever mentioned that last summer.

Have we gone camping?  Nope.  Not once this year.  Yet.  We still hope to, but time will tell.  It's just been so humid and hot, and we missed the spring window with my broken foot.

Have I picked up a crochet hook?  Well, not until the last few days.  I took a long break.

Have I finished another book?  Nope. I haven't finished the one I started back in May.  Honestly, I think I picked it up for free at the library leftover book sale, and it's not that interesting.

New recipes tried?  Maybe one or two, but I have one on the try-it list.

Modge Podge of Events (or lack of events) and This and That © August 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

8 comments:

Anne in the kitchen said...

I hope the shower floor is finished soon. I understand the aggravation of hiring and not having it finished.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Thanks Anne in the kitchen, we sure hope the guy does the job and does it right. I sure hope he doesn't cancel again. No respect for our time.

Mother Em said...

You got my dander up just reading about this guy ...what in the world and who does he think he is? I hope he doesn't come back and you hire a "professional" or is that you? Have a great Friday and so, so sorry the mess you're going through with the bathroom, as well as the pitiful garden this year. Take care dear friend. Chin up. Mary in GA

Debby said...

I would really like to have a rechargeable scrub brush. Hmmm I feel it’s in my future!
Sorry about your garden this season. It happens. I’ve heard so many friends here who haven’t had much success.
Enjoyed your post!

Far Side of Fifty said...

I laid all the tile in our home. It really isn't that hard and that was before You Tube videos. Hope you get it all done soon. Sounds like a frustrating process or lack of progress.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mother Em, I will try and update on the bathroom. I surely hope it gets done, but the last person was a family member, and the grout used was wrong, and washed away. We have waited years to get the tile replaced (it was broken as well).

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Debby, yes, some years garden years are a flop. I'm finding ways to use my pie pumpkin puree, so I may need to find an organic produce stand. Glad you enjoyed my post.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Far Side of Fifty, I would love to learn to do the tile myself, but we do not have the tools to cut it. I hope to have an update for you soon.