Name Three Things - 2019

[susanm9006]

The demo man finally, finally finished. After he was gone I went on a fun and successful trip to pick out my vanity. Upcoming meeting on Sunday with a shower installer and Tuesday with a plumber. Tomorrow I will rip out old insulation and replace it with new and foam all the crevices around the window. Old houses like mine have nothing there and a whole lot of cold air gets in through these spots.

 

[Winchester]

susanm9006 I bet you had fun picking out your vanity. Hope you found something you love! Did you get a new window?

• Breakfast for the girls and am sitting back here with my morning coffee. I need to scoop the boxes.
• I bought a Samsung tv last night. When the local distributor never bothered to call me, we went down to Best Buy and I bought it there. We're going to pick it up this morning (we had gone to Lowes first last night and the truck was loaded down with water softener salt) and Rick and my BIL will get it up on the wall. The cable company will come in next week.
• A good vacuum and Swiffer about the house at some point today

Let me clarify about the local distributor. I went in on Thursday to talk to him because I had seen that the tv I was interested had gone on sale at Samsung. All I wanted to know is whether he would meet the sale price that Samsung had for that particular tv. He had told me that he couldn't afford to deliver the tv for free and I said that was fine. I just wanted him to match Samsung's price. He said he didn't think he could afford to sell it that cheaply, but he'd call me. I shook his hand, said "Thank you" and left. He never bothered to call me.

 

[susanm9006]

susanm9006 I bet you had fun picking out your vanity. Hope you found something you love! Did you get a new window?

Well, vanity shopping was sort of fun. Because the room I am working on is the worlds smallest master bath I only have room for 30 inch wide, 18 inch deep vanity. Just not a lot of choices, especially if you want a particular style or finish color. But fortunately I found one I liked in the color I wanted from the same cabinet manufacturer I used for both of my kitchen remodels, Bertsch. It has two doors on top and below that section a single vanity wide drawer. Should give me enough storage for big and little stuff.

No, not replacing the window, just doing a better job of insulating it than they did in the 60’s.

 

[catapault]

We had a kiss of frost last night, skim of ice on the bird bath. So today
1) I am cutting back the huge bananas, hauling the culms off into the woods
2) Raking leaves from where the wind has piled them in front of the garage doors, stuffing them into plastic tubs which will then be stuffed over the cut-back banana stumps.

I would really like to get the wooden roof-like covers over them also. But A) my husband had a bad fall early in October, fractured his L1 vertebrae and his pelvis, wearing a back brace and warned no BLT (that's bending, lifting, turning - sandwich is O.K.) RN, PT, OT making house calls. And B) the young man I am hiring to help with such things was supposed to come at 4:00 p.m. today but called to say he cannot make it until Monday, also 4:00 p.m. This will be his first help-me-out so not very encouraging.

And 3) . . . Not sure what 3) will be. Get through the day and go to bed, most likely.

 

[susanm9006]

We had a kiss of frost last night, skim of ice on the bird bath. So today
1) I am cutting back the huge bananas, hauling the culms off into the woods
2) Raking leaves from where the wind has piled them in front of the garage doors, stuffing them into plastic tubs which will then be stuffed over the cut-back banana stumps.

I would really like to get the wooden roof-like covers over them also. But A) my husband had a bad fall early in October, fractured his L1 vertebrae and his pelvis, wearing a back brace and warned no BLT (that's bending, lifting, turning - sandwich is O.K.) RN, PT, OT making house calls. And B) the young man I am hiring to help with such things was supposed to come at 4:00 p.m. today but called to say he cannot make it until Monday, also 4:00 p.m. This will be his first help-me-out so not very encouraging.

And 3) . . . Not sure what 3) will be. Get through the day and go to bed, most likely.

Wow. Not sure where you live but frost and bananas just don’t seem like
they go together. It would be lovely to have bananas growing anywhere near me. Good luck with the helper. It could be something totally unexpected but calling off on your first day does make you a bit nervous.

 

[Winchester]

Yesterday, I got very busy. After doing a bit of laundry and ripping through the house, I took The Beast outside and, while she was peeing, I started looking around. Brought her back into the house, went over to the shed, grabbed my rake and a large tarp, and started raking leaves. As I'd fill the tarp, I'd drag it through the yard and up to the garden and dump it. Six tarp-fuls later, I said, "Ok, enough for one day!" and went back into the house to start dinner. I'll go back out this afternoon. It's easier to rake the leaves onto the tarp than it is to pick them up and load them into the wheelbarrow; I can get a lot more leaves per trip. But our maple trees are not letting go of their leaves, even with that wind from the other night. Lots of leaves on the ground and plenty more to fall!

I finally broke down and turned the heat on in the house yesterday. We have electric heat and, once we turn the heat on, our electric bill jumps. Thankfully, we're on a budget plan, so we play the same every month.

• Breakfast for the kids, emptied the dishwasher, and am sitting back here with my morning coffee. Rick stripped the bed down and threw the sheets in the washer before crashing on the couch. I did most of the laundry yesterday while cleaning the house, so there's not much to do today. I want to do a load of kitty linens this morning, after the sheets are done.
• Time to make more apple dumplings! I'll work on them this morning.
• Will go back outside to rake leaves this afternoon.
• Visit with Rick's mother tonight. I'll have another dumpling for her, so she'll be happy.

Rick was able to use his saw outside yesterday and again today. He's working on the baseboard out in the shed. Oh, and that reminds me, Greg (contractor) called Rick on Friday to say that he needed two weeks to finish up his other project, then he'll come back here to do my Christmas present.

 

[Mia6]

We had a kiss of frost last night, skim of ice on the bird bath. So today
1) I am cutting back the huge bananas, hauling the culms off into the woods
2) Raking leaves from where the wind has piled them in front of the garage doors, stuffing them into plastic tubs which will then be stuffed over the cut-back banana stumps.

I would really like to get the wooden roof-like covers over them also. But A) my husband had a bad fall early in October, fractured his L1 vertebrae and his pelvis, wearing a back brace and warned no BLT (that's bending, lifting, turning - sandwich is O.K.) RN, PT, OT making house calls. And B) the young man I am hiring to help with such things was supposed to come at 4:00 p.m. today but called to say he cannot make it until Monday, also 4:00 p.m. This will be his first help-me-out so not very encouraging.

And 3) . . . Not sure what 3) will be. Get through the day and go to bed, most likely.

Hope your husband heals quickly and your helper shows up on Monday.

 

[susanm9006]

I got about a dozen things done today and I am so happy/relieved I am giddy. At 8:15 this morning I met with a gentleman referred to me as a potential shower and wall surround installer. But it turns out he does most pieces of bathrooms remodels and I could tell he was thorough and knowledgeable. He recommended certain things be done I hadn’t even thought about . I hired him on the spot and so except for the electric and rough plumbing he is going to do everything in my bathroom remodel for a very reasonable hourly rate.

 

[catapault]

Have realized that with the falling back time change if my helper shows up at 4:00 p.m. on Monday that will be the same as 5:00 p.m. would have been on Saturday, Which means what, maybe we can get in an hour's work? I am not optimistic.

About bananas - I live in New Jersey about 2 miles from the Delaware River and Pennsylvania. The bananas grow really well from tomato planting out time until about now. Get cut back, covered over, and sleep through winter. Did fruit, once. But the bananas are small, fibrous, inedible. Does perplex neighbors cropping soybeans, wheat, etc that there's this nutty lady down the street with banana plants. Here's a picture from September 2019



Today I
1) Dug and cut back all the Canna Bengal Tiger, moved into garage to dry a bit before packing up for winter.
2) Moved pots of Eucomis from garage and greenhouse into basement for winter.
3) Went to a farmstead museum for a presentation on how they grew and used buckwheat in the 18th century. I've heard this presenter before. She's knowledgeable, but every time someone new arrives she starts all over again - here's some buckwheat I grew in my garden, here's how the family would grind and sift buckwheat - you can help and try it, I need to put more wood on the fire to make coals to heat the griddle - 3rd or 4th time around I begin to lose interest.
4) Came home and used the blower to chase leaves off part of the driveway.

 

[susanm9006]

Have realized that with the falling back time change if my helper shows up at 4:00 p.m. on Monday that will be the same as 5:00 p.m. would have been on Saturday, Which means what, maybe we can get in an hour's work? I am not optimistic.

About bananas - I live in New Jersey about 2 miles from the Delaware River and Pennsylvania. The bananas grow really well from tomato planting out time until about now. Get cut back, covered over, and sleep through winter. Did fruit, once. But the bananas are small, fibrous, inedible. Does perplex neighbors cropping soybeans, wheat, etc that there's this nutty lady down the street with banana plants. Here's a picture from September 2019

View attachment 306306

Today I
1) Dug and cut back all the Canna Bengal Tiger, moved into garage to dry a bit before packing up for winter.
2) Moved pots of Eucomis from garage and greenhouse into basement for winter.
3) Went to a farmstead museum for a presentation on how they grew and used buckwheat in the 18th century. I've heard this presenter before. She's knowledgeable, but every time someone new arrives she starts all over again - here's some buckwheat I grew in my garden, here's how the family would grind and sift buckwheat - you can help and try it, I need to put more wood on the fire to make coals to heat the griddle - 3rd or 4th time around I begin to lose interest.
4) Came home and used the blower to chase leaves off part of the driveway.

Amazing. I never realized you could keep a tropical alive in cold weather climates. I have tried Canna’s before but I must not have done the drying properly because they never survived. Last years minus 30 temps killed off a good number of my perennials so next spring I will try some new things.

 

[Winchester]

C catapault That's awesome! My sister had a banana plant as a houseplant at one time. It grew to the ceiling in the living room. Eventually it produced one very small hand of bananas that were not fit to eat. And then it died. We each had a coffee tree. And when I move the plants into the McShed, I'm going to try growing an avocado tree again.

I have a story about an "avocado" tree. A woman came over to me at work and said that her sister had an avocado tree that was producing. I looked a little askance at her because I've never known an avocado tree, grown as a houseplant, to produce. It's really difficult. But she was adamant. She wanted to know if she could bring it to work and put it in our planning office for the light. I didn't have a problem with it. Anyway, she came in a few days later and said, "You know my sister's avocado tree? It's a weed!" It turns out that they were driving along the road and her sister told her to stop. Now. And she pointed to all the avocado trees in the field. That were weeds. It turns out that this "tree" that her sister was so lovingly caring for? Was a weed! A HUGE weed. But a weed.

• The time change is really messing with the girls. We managed to stay in bed til 5:30, but then got up. Amber was screaming for breakfast, Mollipop was whining at Muffin, Muffin was keening at Molli, and Tabby was in bed purring away for her breakfast. We're outnumbered.And when The Beast started her "Man, I really gotta go, guys!" panting, we decided that it was time to get out of bed. Breakfast for the girls, walked four miles, and got ready for work. I put gas into the Tucson on my way in to work this morning.
• Planning commission meeting tonight after work
• At some point, I need to work on a grocery list, so we can grab groceries tonight.

And that will be my day.

 

[Mia6]

Winchester So funny about the avocado tree, ha!! Your girls keep you quite busy. I had 4 girls and 2 boys at one time.
My boys were so sweet but my girls were pushy and bossy. Nikki and Jordy stuck together.

• Boxes
• Tea, lots
• Still working on blankets and throws. Going to wash some coats soon. DId the hoodies yesterday;

 

[Furballsmom]

Was a weed! A HUGE weed. But a weed.

Bless her heart but LOL

Ummm, some latchhooking if it kills me lol
Emptied the dishwasher
Continue to work out details for a Betta fish tank setup

 

[catapault]

Helper never showed up today, never called. Perhaps I'm showing my age but I find this to be just rude. Made an excuse for Saturday, said he'd come today - if he didn't want to help (and we had agreed on an hourly rate, cash only, no receipts) then just say so.

Today I
1) Put shredder-grinder on Freecycle, got two responses, someone is coming in about 30 minutes to take it away. Haven't used it in a couple of years. Out of the toolshed, done and - hopefully - gone.
2) PT came for husband's therapy. Gave him some new leg exercises, said I walk really poorly, etc etc. Called the health center and I have an appointment for Wednesday.
3) Before she came I a) returned 2 books to the library, b) dropped the summer quilt off at the dry cleaner, which is next to c) Shoprite, where I went for a few groceries, and d) went into Bed, Bath, and Beyond, which is next to the grocery store. Still could not find a cover for our winter comforter that I like, so bought a plain flat sheet to drape over the bed.

 

[susanm9006]

Helper never showed up today, never called. Perhaps I'm showing my age but I find this to be just rude. Made an excuse for Saturday, said he'd come today - if he didn't want to help (and we had agreed on an hourly rate, cash only, no receipts) then just say so.

That would just be SO annoying and yes, rude. Unreliable workers drive me crazy

 

[Winchester]

C catapault Yeah, it's rude. If he doesn't want the work, he should just say so and be done with it. It's not fair to you to depend on someone who doesn't care. I hope you can find somebody else.

• Breakfast for the girls, walked 3 miles, and got ready for work
• Am still working on packing up my office.
• As soon as I get home tonight, Rick and I are going down to vote.

And that will be my day.

 

[Furballsmom]

Drop off outgoing mail
Tennis
Practice golf swing

 

[Winchester]

We have another downed tree. It must have started to come down during the Halloween storm last week, but I was just out there on Saturday, working on raking leaves and went right by that tree and it wasn't on the ground then. It is now, roots and all; it came right out of the ground. It was a nice tree, too, darn it. We took notice that several of our old trees are really leaning, so we're thinking we might as well call somebody to come in and take them down before they fall and possibly do any damage. One is really close to our shed (the equipment shed, that is) and it's really tall. It's a shame. We planted those trees as about 6 inch saplings and they're gigantic now. We will replace them, but we'll never see the new ones grow that tall, even though we'll plant taller trees this time. I was heartbroken last night..I really hate to see trees have to come down. And these trees on that side of our property are huge things. We're really lost a lot of trees in the past couple of years.

• Breakfast for the girls, walked 3.5 miles, sorted a couple loads of laundry, and got ready for work
• Rick is coming in during my lunch break and we're going over to the farmers' market. I need potatoes and garlic and Rick needs a hot sausage sandwich.
• Laundry night and trash night; if Rick doesn't take care of the laundry, I'll do it when I get home from work

 

[Mia6]

• Winchester Sausage sandwich sounds great!
• Boxes
• Hot, hot tea
• Washed warms scarves and gloves. It was 27 when I got up, brrrrrr. Friday we are to have Lake Effect snow, not ready for that. I hope it skips us but when the lake is no frozen we are more likely to get it.

 

[Winchester]

After spending most of yesterday on the living room sofa, I'm at work today.

• Breakfast for the girls and got ready for work. We had just a wee bit of snow that showed up on our grill cover and our pool cover. Nothing major. I drove the Tucson this morning because it has an automatic starter and I can start it from the house. I think that I'll be putting Clarence to bed for the winter this weekend. We'll drive him on really sunny days when there's no threat of snow, but that will be it. I love driving that boy.

There's not really much on our agenda today. I'm at work and Rick will be doing some shed work. Early night tonight.