AGAIN WITH THE LADY BUGS!

Here they are again. Every year at the end of October, I can expect the return of the quiet, tiny critters to appear in my laundry room and around my windows facing southeast. They are harmless but there are so many of them they get a little messy. I don't mind much. They don't live long inside. I guess it's a little sad they are looking for a warm place to hibernate. If that's what they do.

WELCOME FALL!

Like I said in my last post, I love Fall.  I decided to take apart my spring wreath and make a new wreath for Fall to hang on my front porch.  It was fun....I hadn't done anything creative in quite some time and I really enjoyed it.  Later on in the day, my daughter and I trekked down to the nearest Orchard to check out their Fall scrumptiousness!  We found all kinds of yummies.  The store had pies, jellies, apples, syrups and sorghum.  We decided to make an apple desert for dinner and bought a half peck of apples.  I wanted to get some pumpkins to decorate my front porch.  I have two urns that sit on each side of my front door and I usually stack three various sized pumpkins in each.  This year I went with a large white pumpkin, a squatty pale orange pumpkin, topped off with a small orange mini pumpkin.  It worked out well.  The front porch looks very inviting.  I'll have to take a picture and post it later.  But for now I've provided a picture of the wreath I made.  Watch out Martha!

Fall Flavor!

I love this time of year.  The weather goes from moist and sultry to cool, crisp and dry.  The air is full of autumn fragrance and color is popping all over.  

 

This year I am in the middle of taking a class, so I don't have time to do what I want  What I'd like to do is knit! I do this every year.  I get into the middle of my class and then wish I could spend my time doing something else.  

 

I flit from project to project.  I must be ADD.  I start all these wonderful projects and get bored with them in the middle and don't complete them.  Or, I get to the very end of a project and have only one more thing to do to complete it and I put it down, forever.  What's wrong with me? 

I am looking forward to the season.  This weekend I am going to get all my fall decorations out and I might create a new wreath....we'll see.  If I think I am not going to get it done before the season is over, I won't even attempt to begin.

Happy Autumn!

Cleanliness? Who's Version?

I am convinced that one person's idea of cleanliness is not the same as others. So it seems this goes for companies who develop cleaning products and equipment. A few weeks ago, I used a Shark steamer on my kitchen tile floor. It wasn't the most delightful job I had ever done but it had to satisfy me at the time. Life was busy, I had just sent my babies back to college and was adjusting to the empty nest. So I was obviously nesting, cleaning everything in sight. Anyway, today I decided to get back to the kitchen floor. I steamed it first with the Shark. All the while thinking that the filth I was seeing couldn't be true! I said to myself "this modern technology has to be better than being on my hands and knees" and cursing the fact that I am not impressed by the Shark steamer one bit. Finished, I take a picture of the results. I can honestly say I am surprised and horrified!! My floor was that dirty? Come on!

I decided to go over the floor again, using a different product... Could it be the Shark was not hot enough or strong enough to shoosh out enough steam? And what about sanitization? Hmmm...let's try the wet Swiffer. I used the one that has the cleaner attached to the side so you can squirt out as much as you want to the floor area? Well, I used this over the same area thinking it would at least pick up what the steamer did not. I used the dry Swiffer pad, to begin and ended with results as equally horrific as the first. How can that be? It can't be possible that the floor was still as filthy as the first time using the steamer! Impossible!! Well the results told no lie no matter how embarrassing!

Now I am thinking surely a third go over will produce more pleasing results. So, I will try the Swiffer again with my version of a better pad to clean the floor. I put a terry cloth pad on the mop with a cloth padding layer inside. I used the liquid Swiffer floor cleaner again too. It smells pretty clean. The pad on the mop seems to be doing a pretty nice job. Or so I thought! That pad looked as if I went over the floor for the first time after a herd of elephants!

I am becoming quite discouraged thinking that my floor looks as if I have never cleaned it! Should I try a fourth go over? On my hands and knees? If I do, I don't think I'll post the results. It's embarrassing to think I've been using these products with the confidence that my floors have been getting clean and sanitized.

Beware commercial cleaning brands, I have followers and I use tags...you can find me in Google search.

The Larch of it All

My first mini shawl. . .
I've been working on this poor thing ever since I was gifted this lovely yarn in January 2011. It has been picked out and restarted once and every row has been picked back and re-knit at least twice. I am trying to finish it so I can begin another...I know, yes, begin another. I am hoping this one will make me so knowledgeable that it won't take as long to knit another...of course I will use another more unfamiliar pattern.

I noticed that this pattern is just like my GPS navigator...just trust and do what it says. Put all your faith in, relax and just flow with it. I hope after doubting enough I will come to realize that my having that faith and trust will make me a better knitter. . . or driver.

TUMULTUOUS WINDS

I awaken to see the clock.
It's still early in the evening.
I toss and and turn fighting for rest.
My bed is extremely comfortable.
I snuggle into the flannel covers.
The wind gusting against my windows as I drifted earlier
still begs to come in crackling the panes.
My thoughts become as tumultuous as the wind outside.
I begin to pray for my family and friends.
For family members to have the strength they need while fighting for their lives.
For friends who need prayers of strength for health, safety and happiness.
A relaxing calm comes over me.
The wind outside has subsided.
I drift into dreams.