BUSHES

After our recent driveway washaway, this little patch of ground got torn up and leveled off. That was a happy side effect for me. Now what to do with it?
An herb garden perhaps? Maybe flowers? Bushes? Flowering bushes!

They seem small now but I certainly hope that they will grow.
I chose a pink rose and two red begonias. When they get bigger and fuller they will look amazing!

Also, I made new friend while I was at it...

I hope he enjoys a little home improvement too.

LOOKING GOOD

Our new bathroom space is still a work in progress but we are getting closer. It is possible to see what the end result will look like.
The last time I talked about this we had gotten as far as putting in the floor.

Next step was removing the window. I absolutely love this old crawler. It has multiple uses! This day it was both scaffold and dumpster.

Time to seal off the hole.

And install the shower tub. But wait ... there's more.

We have the back piece. Also, we (he) had to build framing to attach the sides.

The shower doors are due in soon. Someday, I'll sit on my new commode and not see tools and parts scattered everywhere. I might even have a door and all the trim in place. Still, the improvement amazes me and I can look ahead to when it is really 'looking good'.

TAKING TURNS

Having decided to transform this old bathroom has led to the fulfillment of one of my dreams for this old house. For years I've been wishing for new flooring for the bathrooms and kitchen.

I've learned a lot as we've progressed. I've learned that teamwork often means taking turns rather than working side by side.

His turn... remove the washer and dryer, install new piping.

My turn... remove old floor tiles (those that were left).

His turn... remove the toilet and radiator and put down cement board.

My turn... paint the door frame and wash all the walls.

His turn... lay new tiles.

My turn... vacuum all the seams to remove the mortar he has scraped out in preparation for grouting.

His turn... seal the seams with grout.

My turn... with damp sponge and numerous buckets of water, clean the excess grout from the floor.

Our turn... Behold one new floor!

Of course the new toilet, shower, sink and closet need to be installed yet. The cleanup of the relocated 'stuff' needs to be done yet. I'm incredibly excited by what we have accomplished so far. Two old folk working parttime on a common cause are creating a beautiful space. I'm not in such a hurry for the rest of the floors now. It takes a lot of effort to make a dream come true!

CONTINUING IMPROVEMENT

I have noticed how the work we do on this old home mirrors the work I do on myself. Home improvement/ self improvement have a great many similarities.
Progress is slow and oftentimes overwhelming. Sometimes you find hidden flaws that need to be corrected before work on the big picture can continue.
Patching and spackling drywall, is just part of the process. When you work as a team, progress can be steady but it requires cooperation and each provides their strengths to assist and supplement other's weaknesses.
On this project, I clean, organize and wield a paintbrush. He provides the muscle and a vast knowledge of carpentry, plumbing, and electrical skills. We share a vision of the end result.

Together we can move from the dark and dreary towards a lighter, easier life.

One step at a time, one day at a time, there is progress that encourages me to keep moving forward. All of the work has the added benefit of making me stronger and more patient as delays come up, knowing that the next day I can pick up where I left off.

HOME IMPROVEMENT?

This old house that I live in is a lifetime project. We've recently begun this process of turning the rear entry into a combination laundry/mudroom. That way we can install a shower in the bathroom.

First step is to rip out the closet to make room for the stackable washer and dryer.

Next step, find, wash, spackle, primer, paint all the walls! We'll also have to replace the ceiling panels, put down flooring in the bathroom, change the door to open from the left....yada, yada, yada.

I'm so glad that I have a view in my mind of how it will all look when we're finished. Right now, a tornado might be an improvement!

SHE LIKES IT!

I had intended to post my grandkids video here but since it refused to upload I will make do with pictures.
I wanted to give her something unique and personal.

I wrote a book. A little story featuring her favorite thing, sloths.

There was an actual plot. And she was the heroine!

When she posted a video of her reading it as if to a kindergarten class, I knew that she liked it. She told me today that her friends think I ought to write children's stories!

Score one for Grandma!

      

A VEGETARIAN DELIGHT

I like to pick up something when I'm shopping that I've never cooked before. This time it was an eggplant. Fifty-five years old and I've never made eggplant!
As usual, I got online and looked up recipes. Ratatouille!!!
Yep, that's the one. Back to the store for more veggies.

After much dicing and slicing, it was ready for the oven. Forty-five minutes later, I got my first taste of this vegetarian delight.

It's a good thing that it is delicious because there is a lot of it!

Time to share some samples!!

DOING THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY

Some of my interests include cooking, herbalism, and reading. Sometimes these interests intersect in unusual ways. I have found some very different perspectives in my search for books that include my interests. I'd like to share a few of these.

I was searching for a good pie recipe when I came across this:

Snitz Pie

1 gal apple butter                   1 c. brown sugar

3 gal applesauce                     1 tbsp. salt

2 1/2 c tapioca

   Mix well (no heating needed) and then put into unbaked shells.

Bake at 350 degrees. Makes enough filling for about 30 pies.

Pie Dough

6 lb flour                               3 lb. lard

1/2 c brown sugar                 1 1/2 tbsp. salt

1/4 c baking powder

   Yields about 18 pies.

Hmm. Do I double the dough or halve the filling?!

There is also a recipe for Snitz for Pies;

   Put one bushel apples through apple peeler, but don't use peeler, just use slicer and corer. One bushel fills a 12 quart, 8 quart, and 6 quart. Set on top of woodstove for 12 to 18 hours or until apples are soft. Do not add water. Put through Victoria strainer or ricer and add:

3 tbsp. cinnamon                2 tbsp. allspice

1 1/2 tsp. salt                      15 c. sugar

          Makes 9 to 10 quarts. Cool pack for 20 minutes.

I'd better set aside a weekend for this project!

Another fascinating find came about when seeking more books on herbs and natural remedies.

Under Receipts (I think they are referring to recipes):

No. 20. - For Palsy.

   First let the patient thoroughly cleanse the blood with burdock root, then take one ounce of umbril, called lady slipper, half pound of angle worms, half pint of spirits turpentine, fourth of a pound of lobelia seed, one ounce oil origanum, one ounce oil of spruce, one ounce oil of cinnamon, four green frogs alive, put these all in a stone vessel, under a heap of rotten manure, well stopped up for ten days, then take it out and strain it, and rub the afflicted parts with it, and wrap the parts in flannel as warm as can be borne, let the patient drink plenty of sage, pennyroyal, or horsemint tea, for a constant drink, and I warrant them a speedy cure.

No. 94.- For the cure of the Epilepsy.

   Take some of the after birth of a woman, wash and pound it well, after mix it with rye flour, in order to make bread with it, and bake it in an oven, the patient must take the weight of half an ounce of it, to eat, morning and evening, every first day of the first quarter of the moon.

   The most part of the remedies that have been given for the apoplexy, may also be used in this case; therefore, they may be resorted to when necessary.

I'd like to think that maybe an apple a day will keep the doctor away!!!

I or II ?

What the........

                               OH!!!

                                            Nifty...Thrifty...Ecologically Friendly

I have GOT to get me one of these!

NATURE'S REMEDY

I have always sought solutions in nature believing that all that we need has been provided for us. When I feel an infection is coming on I take Echinacea. For kidney issues, saffron. Tight muscles, valerian and St. John's Wert. So when the bees and wasps took over my hummingbird feeders, I looked to nature for a solution.

Tucked among my flowers, I added Pitcher Plants. These bog plants supplement their diet with flying insects. They are attracted to them and then slip inside their tubular stems where they are digested by the plant.

Their little caps prevent escape and keep them from getting choked by too many insects. There are still some bees but I can sit outside without feeling as if I'm in imminent danger of getting stung. In this situation, nature's remedy is a carnivorous plant.

PERSEVERENCE

Have you ever looked around and just decided that you have to do something about this? I'm sure you have. My ceiling needed work!

                                 

Step one: paint the rails. Tools: ladder, paint, painters tape, heavy foam paint wedge, an old plastic coffee cup (to put paint in).

Step two: paint again because one coat of paint on dirty old metal does not look good. Lesson learned, new tool applied...perseverance.

Step three: purchase new tiles. I bought 4 packs of ten tiles. Don't laugh, it took 32 tiles to complete when you include all the partials, even when you're careful to use the leftovers for the smaller ones.

Step four: begin removing tiles, one or two at a time and replace them with new ones. Tools used: ladder, old sheets to protect furniture from falling debris, broom and dustpan. And when you discover that the rails are hung by wires which makes maneuvering the tiles nearly impossible....perseverance.

Step five: move or remove lighting fixtures. Have someone available who understands electricity and wiring. Tools used: wood, electrical tape, new wires, wire caps, screwdriver, drill, ladder, electrical box with cover. When you find out that removing a light fixture requires pulling new wiring to the outlet upstairs...perseverance.

Step six: remove and replace partial tiles a few at a time. Remember that this is a very old house. It has settled, so tiles that are next to each other are not necessarily the same size and shape.

Tools used: ladder, measuring tape, utility knife and of course a camera to capture what was hidden behind the paneling and above the tiles along the wall...the original wallpaper! And when you find that you need to trim a cut by just a hair to fit....perseverance.

Step seven: step back and appreciate what you've accomplished (thanks is no small part to your electrician and skillful helper). Now you know that perseverance pays off!

I still have eight tiles left (my electrician...ie old man that owns this house) reminds me....the bathroom only needs six!! Persevere, persevere!

Anyhow, that is why I haven't posted in awhile. We'll see what I get into next!

ATTEMPTS AT GARDENING

I've been enjoying having hanging plants at the front porch for a couple of years now. I fell in love with the fuchsia plant and thought I would try them from seed. I ordered four varieties in February. Online, I read several advice articles and learned that the seeds could be expected to sprout in six days to six weeks! Oy.

These beauties grace the front now.

I bought them at the Farmer's Market.

My seedlings have been relegated to the side.

But at least the lilies came back!

THE RIGHT TOOL - TREES

It is amazing what you can achieve if you have

The Right Tool For The Job

 What do you do when you discover that Mother Nature has decided to relocate a large part of a tree....

 Through the roof of your shed? First, be grateful it hit the beat-up bucket truck instead of the classic Ranchero. Then you plan on how to remove it and restore things to normal. Get estimates for the insurance and wait...wait...wait.
After approval, the tree guys come out and trim off the upper branches so that the branch (huge for a branch) can be brought down from the bottom. It was a series of cutting the bottom, lowering, cutting the bottom, lowering, until finally the tree was removed.

  Then you make the most of the situation. The makings for a nice bonfire.

 And enough firewood to get through a winter or two!
The right tools for the job? A chainsaw and a crawler with chains. More importantly, patience and ingenuity!