Today I gave myself the gift of clean windows in the middle of the summer – I don’t need jewelry, trips or fancy clothes but I love clean windows!
I went outside at 11 after spending another full hour working on my hacked credit card problem. Pretty soon I’m going to just throw my hands up, pay the $194 and forget it. How does one exist these days without a major credit card? I wish I could.
So first I worked east of the barn before I could mow. This old picnic table weighs a ton and I don’t always move it before I mow but it was time. One leg is broken which impedes my progress of moving it considerably. I have it under the low hanging branches for Dottie and Sarah who like to eat the leaves.
Then I went to the west side of the barn and I cut all these thistles that I can’t reach with the mower. The wooden table is for the goats – the old ones don’t use it any more and the table is by the pond and I’m scared to let Dottie and Sarah in there. I’m afraid they’ll literally get stuck in the mud around the pond and drown before I’m aware of what’s happening.
I unloaded two 50 lb bags of kid goat feed from the back of Red and put in buckets. They’re going to the quilt shop where it’s air conditioned so it doesn’t go bad and get bugs. I’ll take a small bucket with me to the barn every week or so.
Back to the barn – these fly traps are amazing but the grossest rottenest smelling things in the world. See where it’s solid black? That’s thousands of flies. I change these every Monday – they’re not real cheap, maybe $6-7 each and I use 3-5 per week. I don’t have a fly problem inside the barn at all and that’s why I use them. Dottie and Sarah aren’t stamping their feet or ruffling their backs due to flies – mission accomplished!
The young chickens are beginning to show signs of wanting to “dust” which gets rid of any mites they could have and it also cools them off so I asked Rick to bring a load of black dirt. I can’t wait till they discover it.
Do I look hot? I stripped my sweaty clothes off in the kitchen and found fresh ones – they’ll be sweaty by supper time. Does it make sense that Prednisone is making me sweat? It literally drips off my hair and down my back and I have never sweat profusely in my life!
The latest card shower
I just got this thank you from Cherie written as a thank you from Joan. You guys have outdone yourselves this time!! I can’t thank you enough.
Hi Mary
I was asked by Joan Skillman to write and thank your readers for all the wonderful cards and letters she received. She would love to write each of you individually, but that probably won’t happen because of her vision issues. Her daughter Pam had told us her mother had received 83 cards! A friend suggested we meet at her house for “the reading of the cards”. This last week we gathered, Joan, Pam (her daughter), Margaret (a friend) and myself. Sitting around the kitchen table we took turns opening cards, reading the name, city and state, and then reading the card and any notes or letters inside. For two hours we laughed and read each card from your wonderful subscribers! Each one special in its own way. One lady even included a tiny pocket quilt. I’ve never seen such a thing but we decided we might have to borrow the idea! Your readers are incredible and being somewhat on the receiving end showed me just how special it was. After they left, Pam texted and said her mailbox held 13 more cards! That’s a total of 96!! Thank you readers from the bottom of our hearts for this wonderful gesture you showed Joan for her 90th birthday! You are incredible!!
Cherie, Pam and Joan
Sent from my iPhone
Wow! I’m blown away! Thank you once again.
I have taco hamburger in the crockpot for Rick to eat this week – he first has it on a bun and then he has it with shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa – sometimes in a tortilla, warmed up in the microwave. So I’m pretty much done cooking for this upcoming hot week.
The fair is approaching quickly – remember Michele, Hanks mom, is in charge of the quilt show and she’s going to need some quilts to fill in so I’m loaning her what she needs. Here’s the Open Textile poster:
Local readers – please bring 1 or 2 quilts that you’ve made because this is all for fun – NO JUDGING!
I’m writing this in the afternoon but I’ll go back outside for another big job – the Annabelle hydrangeas. I just never got around to putting up the fence this spring so now all those big beautiful blooms are laying on the grass.
From Cynthia – a card with bandaids!
Later – after supper
While I was doing chores, Kevin arrived with his trailer. Remember the broken belt on my small mower? Rick went to Mason City this morning and got a new belt and Kevin literally put it on in the driveway in less than 10 minutes…and wouldn’t let me pay him!!! Many of you probably remember Reed – Kevin is Reed’s dad and we all go to the same church.
So I didn’t get to the hydrangeas but I guess there’s tomorrow.
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Hymn Number 8 For Old People
There’s something about that name but I can’t remember what it is at the moment.
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That’s enough fun for one day – I finished the mowing after supper so maybe I can go a whole day, tomorrow, without mowing anything. Going out to lunch with a friend.
Alice I just read the remarks about the cornstarch mixture….please enlighten me….Thanks
Your windows just sparkle….it can’t be Windex. The chicks are soooo funny in the dirt pile what a hoot!!!
Have a great day and try to keep cool!!!!
Mary,
Very newsy post today! Love your clean windows.
Glad you got the belt fixed on the mower.
My chickens “dust” frequently. I think this has been the worst summer for flies around the coop. I may look into those traps too.
Our weather is hot also. Heat index over 100 for 3-4 days in a row. Terrible. My garden starting to produce well. Ive made zucchini bread and muffins. Added peas, radishes, zucchini to my stir fries.
Went to the nursing home to see my uncle tonight. Played cards and then he got set up to watch the All Star game. He’s such a big sports fan!
I was glad Joan enjoyed the cards! How wonderful. Have a great rest of the week! 🌻
What a day today! Hot, of course. Today by Granddaughter, Chiara, volunteered our time getting ready for a garage sale at the library in Marshall. We asked if she would like to give this a try. She really enjoyed doing this and was very helpful as well! The gals who worked there today complimented her for her great work ethic and hoped she would help again! Many young people don’t really have the opportunity it seems. She will help again, and who knows, she may become a friend of the library as well! We got so much accomplished today! We don’t have a lot of volunteers but we are very productive! I think this is the third year they have done this. I just joined this group this spring. I checked my bluebirds trail this morning early, and the bluebird nest now has 4 eggs, and I think I have 4-5 nests of Northern House Wrens with nests in various stages! The Tree Swallows have left the building…they are the most over protective bird I have come across..just like a robin! No sewing today.
Cynthia – good for her! Get them started early on volunteering – I wish more kids had good work ethics. Just talking with a mom today whose son just wants to play video games as do most kids today – they’ll never know what they’re missing outside.
Having been raised on a farm I knew about chickens & dusting. Monday night my grandson reinstalled the water heater & did an awesome job of putting the carpet back in the walk-in closet. The waterline break has been repaired & I spent the morning cleaning & putting things back where they belong. New vinyl will replace the carpet in the living room & dining room next week. Ron had his yearly physical & Dr said he’s in great shape, especially for a 93 yr old! I’m hoping to be able to find time for some sewing soon! Mary, are you the one that gave us the recipe for window cleaner some time ago? If so, it does a great job!
Alice – if your recipe has corn starch in it then yes, I did. I keep it mixed up at all times. Oh, I can just hear the relief in your words, Alice. Ron! Great news – you sure don’t look 93.
Yes, that’s the recipe! My windows seem to stay clean longer using this recipe. I will put your name on that card so I know who shared it. Yes, it’s a relief to finally get my home back in order! I would never recommend this leak detection company, as they caused me a lot of unnecessary work & expense. That big closet wouldn’t have had to be emptied as the break wasn’t there!
Alice – it’s the corn starch that keeps the dirt from sticking to the glass – dust just slides off. Like is good, isn’t it, Alice?
We have a group of wild turkeys that use our house like a spa.. They like to eat seed that drops from the bird feeder. Then they lay down on the lawn and relax. They have found a couple of spots where they do their “dusting”. Every year we try to grow grass on these spots and it seems that just as it starts to come in the turkeys find it. They are actually fun to watch.
My gosh you have had a full week already. Too bad the guys could not help you move that table. I did not know about “dusting”. Interesting.
Li – what “guys”?
Oh. I misread. I thought Kevin might have had someone with him there for a minute.
Mary, you work so hard. I admire you. Arthritis holds me back but I work a little and then rest and work some more. It gets done and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Noone notices but me. I love clean windows! And right now mine aren’t clean. I especially like my kitchen and sewing room windows to be clean. Those fly traps are definitely worth every penny. That’s a lot of FLIES. It’s warming up here but not as hot as the rest of the country. Our humidity is 48% today….very unusual for California.
Charlotte – I, too, have arthritis and spinal stenosis but if I don’t move, soon I won’t be able to / I know you understand! And nobody is making me do this work / I really want to do it!
Sounded like a busy day. Clean windows are a good idea. So glad Kevin was able to fix the belt. I remember Reed. I’m sure he’s a very nice young adult now.
Sat on the porch this morning before the heat hits. Iced coffee and the dog. Nobody around here uses their back yard like I do. I’m always out there in my Jammie’s. And nobody around me has a dog so Buster is content to stay in the yard with me.
I’m so glad Joan appreciated her card shower.
Carolyn – isn’t the porch combo of coffee and dog just the best??
My girls have chosen to dust under the grapes this summer. They have made 4 quite deep holes. They get their dust and the grapes get fertilized. Win Win.
I feel for you guys that are so hot. I never feel good in really hot weather. I remember from when we lived in the Willamette Valley, how miserable it can be. Very few homes were air conditioned then. Ours wasn’t.
I should try those traps. I hate fly season. The cattle draw them and so do the chickens. Then, they find my house. Hmmm
Sandy…I wonder if you will always remember Which blades dropped into your coffee. LOL
Sue / I’m happy to hear one of my readers know about dusting!
Yes l will! Might call the quilt,, coffee time! Haha,!
Talking about flies and animal legs reminded me of the article I saw recently. One of the U.K. pro teams donates all their worn soccer socks to a donkey farm to protect the animals legs from bites and infections.! Here’s a link to the story: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clypeerdm03o
(You may have to highlight the link, then hold down the Ctrl key while clicking or double clicking on the link.)
These hot summer days are when I am so glad my office and sewing room are in the basement.
Keep cool everyone – this too shall soon pass. Regarding our four seasons here in the north central states . each one make us appreciate one of the other seasons (too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry); but I love autumn the best. Treasure every moment, every day – you don’t get second chances.
Hopefully Linda in MI will see this!!!’ Excellent idea!
Wow Mary such a busy day. Aren’t clean windows the best. A few weeks ago I washed all our screens and that makes me happy, they were so dirty.
I’ve been working on covers for my Juki sewing machine, my sweet 16 sewing machine, and the bobbin winder for the sweet 16. I’ve been using a plastic bag to deep the dust off the sweet 16 and the bobbin winder and a towel to keep the sun off as it is in front of my window and I don’t want the plastic to go yellow and break down prematurely. I’m hoping to finish the last cover today or tomorrow. I sandwiched soft and stable between muslin and then quilted them together before cutting and sewing the pieces together. A few years ago I made a cover for my serger-the plastic cover that was provided was 30 years old and literally turning to plastic flakes if touched.
Other than that we’ve been weeding here and there trying to keep up and watering our hydrangeas. I think we’ve now got about 35. They are all starting to bloom, next year will be beautiful as some of them were quite small when we planted them. Busy here and the weather has warmed up again. Not as hot as you though. Probably it’s been low to mid 80’s so very tolerable.
We are buying fly predators this year that are delivered every two weeks. For some weird reason those same fly bags that have worked for us at our other house for years have not worked here at all. Not one fly went in the bag. We also had bought the one for wasps-same thing worked like a charm at our other house – here not one wasp went inside. We are using the fly predators and that sticky fly tape and we seem to be winning.
Have a wonderful day everyone.
Good morning! It’s hot here too, hanging around 100 or 102, but we don’t have humidity. Is Reed the boy that used to hang out with you several years ago? I think he was about 11 or 12 at the time. How old is he now? The 2 of you had lots of adventures.
All that you do amazes me! I know a farm is hard work. I never about the dusting but I did know chickens like to burrow in the dirt. Is that why we have feather dusters sold commercially? I learned something new today.
My daughter who now lives in Arkansas has chickens. She is out there every morning early to tend to them. It was 105 there yesterday.
The sun is so good for you and I see you are nicely tanned up. Your natural vitamin D is being good to you.
Fran – hmmmm, I don’t know if the feather duster got its name that way – but even in the winter I bring in some dirt and mix it with diatomaceous earth for the chickens to dust in since they can’t get outdoors. Keeps them healthy – I’m quite sure your daughter knows about chickens dusting. 105? Sounds like our heat index is heading that way. Ugh
Thanks for letting me know the fly traps work, I’ve looked at them but was hesitant to try them without knowing if they were worth trying. I am going to get some, I leave the big drum fan running on miserable hot days for Albert and Norman and that keeps the flies off them, especially when those two just stand in front of the fan. Flies pester Norman more than Albert and Norman makes his shins sore biting and rubbing them from the fly bites. I use “Swat” which is an ointment that repels flys and is healing for his little shins but he doesn’t always let me put it on him, but traps that work will be a blessing.
It’s fun to see the chicks dusting themselves. Mine dug huge holes in their yard as we have a lot of sand and they would roll in the holes and then just lay because it was cool. I miss having chickens and their rich eggs.
Blessing to all and be careful in the heat! If I wanted to live in the tropics I would have moved there but we have tropical weather in mid-Michigan. The humidity is a killer, it gives me a sick headache. And welcome to my world, I sweat profusely, or like a pig as mom used to say, an exertion outside makes sweat pour, especially on my face and in my hair. Stay cool!
Linda – my hair is WET when I’m working and I’ve never been like that – went thru menopause almost 40 years ago so that’s not it. The fly traps are fabulous – I seriously don’t have any flies in the barn. I started putting them out in April to get a head start and I think that’s part of the answer. Could you wrap his shins with that adhesive wrap – I bought a whole box of rolls for under $10. I also have some livestock fly spray that’s safe on the animal. Like I said the fly traps aren’t super cheap but they WORK!!!! Standing in front of the fan – ha! They’re no dummies
Such a newsy read this morning. I love it. I feel like you all are great friends. Mary, you amaze me with all you get done in a day. I love being part of the card “showers”. Such a day brightener for all involved. Such an east act of kindness. Thanks, Mary!!
Deb – so I don’t have many friends to chat with in person so all of you are like having coffee with good friends.
Yesterday a lady was helping me sort food at our church for our local food pantry and I said I like being at camp as I just sit and relax whereas at home, I am busy working from morning till evening. She said “ I don’t understand how that can be when it’s just the two of you”. I came away thinking maybe we do make work for ourselves. It’s hard to par down our lives. Her comment sure was on my mind again this morning as I looked around my home and yard.
Thanks for the idea of taco beef for a couple of meals.
Kathy – oh, I think it’s true – I’m looking at the floor here in the porch and know it needs cleaning but then I’m the only one here so does it really matter? Haha!!!
Awe, thank you Mary! Joan will be getting another card because I was all out and had to make some…
Mary, could you tell me that name of that fly bate? We like to sit outside in The evening but the flies bite so bad we have to go in!
Poor Jay has to help the neighbor rake grass hay today! I think it is too hot! But he wears a long sleeve sunblock shirt and a big brimmed hat. Some cold water and away he goes.
A friend is coming to visit today….she has chickens so is bringing eggs and a zucchini! Another friend brought me some fresh Romain lettuce from the garden! All washed and ready to eat. It is so good! Friends are so awesome!
Jay planted a row of green beans….one bean grew. There are enough beans on that one plant to add to a stir fry. 😂😂
Joy – when I’m done here I’ll look it up – if you go on Amazon and look up fly traps you’ll see some with green packaging – called Rescue maybe? But the smell will drive you away so hang it a distance away from where you sit. This is too hot for old men – I know Rick shouldn’t be out in it but we have hay down, too, and he has sometimes offered to drive the tractor.
Hi Mary, your temperature is too hot for me! A local journalist suggested we market new Zealand as a moderate temperature holiday spot,but not keen on too many visitors! We have a problem with tourists not driving well on our roads! I knocked 2 dresden plate blades into my coffee today! But they rinse out well! Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Sandy – oh my dear, you make us all chuckle with your Dresden Plate mishaps!! Carry on!
Those pieces really want to be coffee stained if they keeping jumping into the mug like that.
It is hot, hot, sizzling hot in No. Dakota. 100 degrees! We’ve been working on cleaning up the front porch on the house to surprise my daughter when she returns from Boy Scout camp in Northern Minnesota where the state bird is making its presence known. That’s what she calls mosquitoes. Anyway, then we do things inside until early evening when it’s starting to cool off. I and the 6 yr old drove to Minot and delivered the 4H projects to the State Fair which starts this Friday. Today is my daughter’s 40th birthday and she’s spending it in a tent at the BS camp. This will be a memorable one for her. I didn’t know that that particular behavior of chickens was called dusting and the reason that they do it.
Martha – 100! And heading our way! Eric lives in Greenbush, MN and it was 98 there yesterday – yikes!!