Garden ~ Tick Repellent Oil and other ramblings

The rain brought us some garden bounty!  I froze 3 meals of green beans, and brought in cucumbers, zucchini and yellow squash.  So happy for that.

The ticks are bad this year, so I made us some tick repellent oil.

The bathroom is still under construction.  I'm trying to be patient, but....the new vanity light was installed.  There was an issue with the shower base being un-level (fixed), and then there was the issue with studs and where the shower will need to go (getting fixed).  The flooring and/or shower should be going up today or tomorrow.  Then again we thought that last week.

Daughter K called.  She isn't coming over today to clean the upstairs as planned.  Sigh.  One of her co-workers has covid, so she didn't want to take a chance coming here, considering.

The heat is returning, and today may be a very humid day as well.  It's been too wet in the garden to weed, till, etc.  I had to hose my boots off yesterday.  Tomorrow will be worse, and there is a possibility of more rain.

I will be putting the last two sets of sun-blocking curtains in the upstairs this morning.  The one long set I put up has really helped keep the heat out of the upstairs.

 

Happy Homemaker Monday

 Sunday I had plans to do some long distance errands, but decided to do them another day.  It was predicted to storm all day, and go figure, it did not.

I, however, cleaned up the kitchen, sorted cookbooks for donation, filled another box for Daughter K, caught up on laundry, and filled one box for donation.  I finally filled a tote with 50/50 vinegar/water to soak an old cast iron pan I was given.

I already have a few cast iron pans, but no one wanted to bother with restoring it, so it ended up with me.  It's always nice to have an extra pan in case we need to cook over a campfire too.  You never know with what's happening in our world right now.

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  I will link up when she posts.

The weather . . .

85°F/65°F, possible rain

As I look outside my window . . .

It's foggy.

Right now I am . . . 

Trying to figure out the plan for the day due to more rain.

Thinking and pondering . . .

Where the heck am I going to store that cast iron pan?  My computer area needs a new mug rug.   We need a getaway soon.  Camper still needs water lines checked.  

How I am feeling . . .

Although not ready to take on a Monday, I had a nice weekend.  Daughter K visited Saturday, and Daughter E had a sleep over with our grand daughter A and both came to visit me Sunday.

My husband is on another whacky schedule this week.  We will both be glad when it's over with.  He's working double shifts - 16 hour days now.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Coffee, part of a giant cinnamon roll Daughter E brought us.

On my reading pile . . .

Do bills count? Ha ha!  The mail?

On my TV . . .

Honestly, whatever looks interesting.

On the menu . . .

-pork chops, zucchini/corn saute

-chicken, brussel sprouts, carrots

-leftovers

Looking around the house . . .

The kitchen island is finally cleaned off, but the table needs a complete tidying up job.  Living room is slowing getting emptied.  Kitchen still needs a piece put back up over the sink area, and one blind installed.

The to-do list . . .

-check garden

-freeze green beans

-paint the last of the bathroom trim

-put away dishes

-label and store the peach jam

-clean off kitchen table

From the camera . . .

Prayers/Devotional . . .

-I can't find my devotional right now.  I'm slowly getting my computer/bill paying station back in order.  It's probably in the office yet.  

Daughter visit ~ More Painting ~ and other tidbits

Daughter K came for a visit to clean upstairs.  She filled the trash and her car thankfully, but more has to be cleaned.  She also cleaned out her car. It's not easy to do living in an apartment, so she did that at our house.  We grilled dinner and then she went home.

She did help me finally, after 6 months, help me move my computer back to the desk in the kitchen corner.  She said I should replace my keyboard and mouse, so I'm on the hunt for a wireless set that is affordable.

The clean up process is in progress in the living room. Daughter K helped me sort thru a box full of cables and wires and electronic game parts.  We found the correct cords to a DVD player left by the kids.  I moved the TV and the DVD player upstairs and it will be in the "guest" bedroom.  The room is still under a purge project, but at least it's out of the living room.

I have another problem however.  When I purged my old hutch, I boxed dishes and they are in my office.  They are dishes from one of my grandparents.  I have no clue on where to store those now.  Urgh.  

I found someone to give us a quote to clean gutters (family business), but now my husband said we'll do it ourselves after being over charged on the bathroom repairs.  I'm not sure I want to be on a ladder, and if I am, I have to do it when someone is here, so that is a problem.

I'm finishing up the bathroom trim.  I have one more piece, and the saw horses can finally leave the living room.

It looks like it will be raining all day today, so there will be no outdoor work accomplished, but thankful for the rain.

Fried Green Tomatoes in Breakfast Burritos

 

I decided to add some fried green tomatoes to our breakfast burritos this week.  You know me - waste nothing.  I trimmed some of the tomato plant, but have more to trim.  Hopefully, the tomatoes will start to get bigger.

We got a lot of rain last night, and they predict rain for the next 4 days.   We needed it.  We could use more.  It will make weeding much easier.  I've been keeping up with the vegetable garden, but one tomato patch will need it again after this rain.

I will be back to painting bathroom trim.  I had to halt on the painting yesterday, due to the handyman needing one of my saw horses, but that was okay.  I got a hot minute to crochet, but it's a new project for a fall craft show, and I barely got it started before needing to make dinner.

I didn't get a photo, but I made us potatoes, garden green beans and bacon for dinner.  Oh so good, and one recipe that I grew up on, and Mom used to make.

If the rain stops by Monday or Tuesday, the bathroom shower, and flooring will be going in (crossing my fingers).

Our handyman initially quoted us $10/hr. for the bathroom job (he has worked 2 weeks/ 8 hr or less days so far), but after we ran into so many more repairs, he changed his tune.  We know him, but now he wants much more, so the living room will be repaired by us and us alone (which will take a LOT longer).  He's asking way more than we expected, but he did do a lot and it's way less than any professional business would have.  Sigh....

We may ask the boys (nephews) for assistance, and I know they will refuse to be paid.  If we are lucky to get their help in any way, I'll be whipping up a lot of food to feed them and their families.  It's what we do.

No More Chard ~ Blips in the Bathroom and other ramblings

I went out to check the squash and beans and saw the rabbits ate my Swiss chard.  Let's just say that I cannot wait for my new raised beds next garden season.

We had a few more set backs with the bathroom.  When the old light fixture was taken down, we saw that they ran the wires thru the wall and screwed the light fixture into the drywall (not the wood).  Our handy-man had to go get us an electrical box and installed that.  Then when he went to assemble the new light fixture, we saw that one part of it was broken.  It's being returned, and another has already been ordered.

Now that I see how many short cuts the previous owners did, I will be checking the carpet upstairs to see if they even put foam under it.  One room has to be re-carpeted in the future for sure.  I'm trying to clean up the other room and wait it out for a year or two, considering all the repairs needed and costly expenses this year.

I got the herb garden fully weeded and put Mom's flamingo solar light in it.  I also got 3/4ths of the rose bed weeded, but so much more needs weeded.

Also, I am so frustrated with our one tomato plant for sandwiches etc.  It's fully loaded (put banana peel water on it), but it's so loaded the tomatoes are very small.  I'll be removing many green tomatoes later today, to try and let the plant have more strength for producing larger tomatoes.  Let's just say I'll not be pouring banana peel water on it anymore.

I finally got out my home owner's journal (yes I am a journal junkie).  I'm updating it with the repairs, and paint colors.  I'm taking photos of all the repairs and will print them off and tuck them into this handy journal as well.

 

Chores and memories and other ramblings....

 While tying up the tomatoes I thought of Mom.  It didn't matter who brought her home grown tomatoes, she always told me that my tomatoes tasted the absolute best.

Also, bandaids and travel toilet paper brought Mom to my mind.  While cleaning her house, she had a good supply of travel toilet paper and bandaids.  I didn't think I would need them, but lately....found myself in a bathroom stall in a store and no toilet paper, and scratched the heck out of my arm removing hay from upstairs and have no bandaids.  I'm heading to the camper this morning in hopes to find more bandaids.

I don't want to waste gas for just one thing today, so I surely hope I find extras out there.  I have a travel tote we use when we go on car trips and camping trips, but I have yet to find it in this maze of a mess house right now.

In regards to the entire bale of hay I found upstairs, Daughter K left it in a tote.  When I inquired on the oddity of it, she said she "left it because Rosemary (her rabbit) didn't like it". Sigh....why an entire bale?  I have no idea.  Kids!

Daughter K called.  She wanted some zucchini.  Mom used to fry her sliced zucchini when they stayed over as kids.  Heck, she used to make it for us as kids.  So good too.

While cleaning green beans I thought of Dad.  He always told me I snapped the beans too big.  He said I needed to snap them in smaller bite size pieces.  Guess who snaps them in smaller pieces to this day?  Yep.  Me.

While searching for a new crochet pattern, I thought of Mom.  She was the one who always gave me an idea that ended up selling very well at craft shows.  The last item she asked me to make was the jar openers, and the first dozen sold completely.  I've since then made more, and have them for sale now at the museum gift shop.

The moon was very visible the other night.  Last night it was too cloudy.

My husband keeps reminding me that the flower beds need weeded.  I keep telling him, "yeah, and so do the hot peppers, kale, bell peppers, squash, cucumbers, and the herb garden..."  I'm only one person, and I have to paint to keep up with the bathroom project.

Speaking of the bathroom, we decided that it was best to change out the pvc water lines for the shower and put in a new shower handle/shower head.  We have no access if they bust down the road, so to ensure a good re-build, that was done before the last piece of drywall goes up (hopefully today).  One more thing to delay the finish, but better to do it, than to not.

The water was shut off for that last repair, so I am running the dishwasher very early, as it is completely full.

I cleaned out a 2 drawer filing cabinet, and gave the cabinet to a friend who is in the process of moving.  One more thing out of the living room maze of a mess (used to be in my kitchen under the desk).  We don't need that much file space anymore.

I brought down one more bag of trash from upstairs, as well as the tote with the remaining hay (why oh why??!!). More purged, and another box for donation.  I am also saving the very large cardboard from the vanity etc. and storing it for the garden next year.  I put it under my grow bags to keep the weeds down.

I purchased sun-block curtains for the west facing window and north and south in the smaller bedroom upstairs.  It made a huge difference in temperature up there.  It's cooler, although we are not running AC up there this year.

This and That

 

It's been nice to watch the sunrise with my husband lately.

I went out to pick green beans and almost stepped on this guy.  Ugh.  The bugs are horrible this year.

The green beans are rolling in, but wax beans have yet to keep up.  I now wish I planted more, but they are coming in anyway.

The bathroom ceiling has been textured and painted.  Now the last piece of drywall goes up, but they are calling for rain.  I guess we'll see what happens today.

I printed yet another free pattern for a crochet project.  It's for kids, so I have something inexpensive they can buy at a future craft show.  If I ever get crochet time, I will post a picture of it.