Keep the Way Clear

 A year ago,

our bathtub drain got stopped up.

Of course, it was while we were hosting some overnight guests.

I have many posts of "murphy's law" when we entertain!

When we could focus on the problem,

we surmised that there was probably some construction rubble in the drain.

This was a bathtub we don't use often enough to clog with hair or soap,

but there was something that completely stopped the drain.

Because of it's infrequent use, the red clay, wall mud, and any other mess just hardened to a brick in the drain lines.

As we researched how to clear it without the expense of a plumber,

Hot water was repeatedly listed as a cure and a prevention.

This led to a new Cleaning Day ritual.

On Mondays, I pour a teapot of boiling water down each drain - 

two showers and three sinks.

The drains have never been cleaner.

I never have to clean black mold from the sinks and s traps,

The pink mold in the shower scratches and drains is non-existent.

I also take the ice that is in the freezer to boil for the drains.

Why ice?

As a family of 2,

we don't go through a lot of ice.

When the icemaker backs up,

the water lines freeze and the ice maker ceases to make ice.

So 2 birds, one stone.

I keep freezer water line AND drains clear.

That's a win for me!

A Public Service Announcement

 Usually, I research EVERYTHING.

It is easy enough to GOOGLE anything and everything,

but sometimes, I just figure that I will trust the experts.

Sometimes, you need to do your own research.

Because we have known so many people who needed blood transfusions,

hubby and I like to donate blood regularly.

Last year, we finally got into a rhythm and were donating almost as often as the Red Cross would let us - about every 8 weeks!

In 7 months, we gave 4 times.

I recently went to the doctor and discovered that I had some very odd blood work.

I had not recuperated from my last giving.

Though not anemic, I was super close

And my oxygen carriers were small and pale.

With a few clicks on the computer,

I found that it is actually recommended that men wait 12 weeks between donations,

and that women wait 16 weeks between donations.

OOPS!

So there is your public service announcement.

Unless you are one of the 1 in 300 who make extra iron,

you may want to ignore some of the Red Cross calls to schedule your donation and give yourself a little extra time to recover.

I know I sure will!

And yes, I am following my own blog advice on building Iron.

Plenty of green leafy veggies, lots of beans, "brown cows," and lots of fish and chicken!

And for awhile, I will make sure that my daily multivitamin has iron.

Do People Still Do That?

 I recently began a new homemaker project - 

and one that I never thought I would do.

I have recently taken to darning socks.

Hubby's work boots appear to "eat" socks, especially at his big toe.

For a while, the bad ones just became cleaning rags.

They were perfect for staining wood or applying polyurethane.

But, then it seemed like I was making sock purchases too often.

Hubby suggested darning the socks.

How hard could it be?

Turns out,

it is not hard.

With a doll head to keep the hole spread and some thicker thread,

the holes were soon fixed.

While it won't be my favorite pastime,

and no one will show my work as a model,

it is prolonging the life of a few socks.

Are You Ready?

 We don't get an abundance of visitors.

We live outside of the "easy" drive for church friends.

Family gatherings are few and far between.

But I want to feel like my guest room and guest bathroom are ready if someone were to drop in.

This post will not apply to many readers because either

1) you have guests often

or 

2) all of your bathrooms and bedrooms are used regularly

But there may be a few folks who can benefit from this tip.

Keeping the guestroom ready just involves freshening the bedding once a quarter if it has not been used.

For the guest bath, I "rotate" the towels.

My home has a neutral grey tone throughout.

I have chosen to accent with sage and denim blue in all rooms.

So I have 3 sets of towels:

blue, sage, and a deeper sage.

Each Monday when I clean,

I take the towels from the master bath and throw them in the wash.

Then I take the towels from the guest bath (if I have had no company) and put them in the master bath.

Then I take the third set of clean towels and put them in the guest bath.

So weekly, I have freshened the towels for guests.

When I first began homemaking, I would not have been able to do this - 

I had themed bathrooms.

They were so fun and I enjoyed them immensely.

Who doesn't like little fish or rubber duckies?

But I do like the simplicity of being able to use any towel in any bathroom

and even being able to hang them in any bedroom because the colors all coordinate.

Today was one of those longer project days.

Hubby was not going to be home for lunch,

so I could make a mess.

One of my jobs was to clean the "rust" off the lights in the bathroom.

We couldn't believe that there were rust stains already, but ...

...I found this little product and it worked great.

Another job was to get rid of Valentine's and Winter's decor in favor of the Spring decorations.

When You Can't Let Go of the Christmas Lights ...

 I spent the past week spring cleaning and putting away Christmas decorations.

There was only one small problem ...

it was such a dark, grey week and the Christmas lights sure brighten the house.

We have not purchased a Christmas tree here in KY,

but we do hang a lit garland and put ornaments on it.

I took the Christmas ornaments off of the garland

but left the hearts (for Valentine's Day) and the pine cones (for winter).

It still needed just a little something ...

How about some red ribbon?

How about some heart "berries"?

There - now I can have Christmas lights through February!

I did put the rest of the Christmas decorations away -

and if we do get a winter storm early next week,

my lights will continue to be "cozy."

A Matter of Maintenance

 I will be the first to admit that I am anything but regular with my blog posting.

When I began blogging, readers could "subscribe" and receive notifications when a new blog post was written.

And then, along the way, blogger made some updates and "followers" no longer got notifications.

But, they have made a different way available.

If you like to receive notifications,

I can send you an invitation and you can accept it.

So - just let me know if you want to receive updates in your email.

You can contact me in the comment section

or you can text or email me since most of you have my contact info anyway!

All I need is an email address.

Just a Little Tip

 I would never tout myself as a great cook - 

but I do have a few recipes that get shared a lot.

One is Italian Pork:

It is simply a pork roast sprinkled with an Italian dressing seasoning mix and then slow cooked until it falls apart.

The other is simple guacamole:

One avocado, sprinkle of garlic salt, a splash of lime juice.

Long time readers will recall my post about wedding reception guacamole

and the task of getting 50 good avocados at one time.

Just about the time we left NC, a church member gave me this tip,

and I have used it many times.

It is more of a blessing as prices continue to rise on EVERYTHING!

No one wants to throw out an 80 cent avocado!

To prolong the life of an avocado ...

Ripen avocado on the counter, but watch carefully.

When it is ready to use (and you are not ready to use it)

wrap in tin foil and place in refrigerator.

I have gotten another week out of avocados by practicing this method.

Of course, you still have to be aware of what is happening on your counter so that you do not miss that window of opportunity.

I keep about 3 squares of tin foil for this purpose and reuse them as necessary.

Remember and Appreciate

 Today is a day of remembrance.

Three years ago, we said goodbye.

It was one of those goodbyes that isn't suppose to occur.

We expected to bury hubby's father and mother in our lifetime,

but we didn't expect to say goodbye to a nephew.

Just a little boy ...

Every life can make a difference.

My mother-in-law taught me to give and give some more.

She taught me that sometimes small changes in my life can open doors of ministry.

She inspired me practically to clean more and to clean deeper.

Little Timmy taught us too, even in his very few years with us.

We learned to be more sensitive to those with special needs.

We learned a joy in just the simple events

and to rejoice in milestones that often are taken for granted.

He taught us to value life and health.

He taught us how to fight and fight hard for good things.

On our day of remembrance,

take time to be thankful.

Take time to value something in each life around you.

Don't just think of the appreciation,

convey it to that person.

Can You Smell That?

One thing that seems unique to the PNW is the presence of "Coffee Shacks."

They are just cabins with drive-through windows.

Yes, Starbucks still exists and the coffee counter in the local grocery,

but these little coffee shacks are very popular.

We have continued to work on the odors in the rental house.

The plants are doing a good job.

The diffuser helps.

The many days of open windows have kept the air clean.

I am armed with autumn scented candles when the fall rains come.

But ...

my tip of the day is for the car ...

and it involves coffee.

We just love scents and have had a hard time finding something that worked great in the car.

Essential oil on cotton works for a very short time.

Yankee candle car fresheners are spendy.

Gels, vent sticks, ...

so many options.

When we arrived in the PNW,

I came across an air freshener that has been GREAT!

The tip was to put coffee (whole beans or grounds) in a sock,

tie off,

hide under the seat.

Wow!  we just love it.

It does take some discipline not to be tempted to pull into the local coffee "shack" when we smell the interior,

but it is working like a charm.

And when it wears off (it has been going a good 45 days),

we just empty the sock and start again!