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Category: Around the House

The Joys of Autumn

The Joys of Autumn

I planted a flower garden to help my bees have more flowers to work on. Nothing came up but weeds. I’d love to spray them, but that would kill the bees so I’m reduced to pulling them one by one. When I finished, my clothes were covered in stick-tights. It took more than a half hour to pick them off. Drat!   My books are available on Amazon.com here.

Goodbye, Old Friend!

Goodbye, Old Friend!

Fifty-five years ago, my back door neighbor and his dad planted a tiny pine tree. Recently, several branches attacked the house it had shaded these many years. The fallen branches didn’t puncture the roof, but it did crack the supports. Upon further inspection, it was apparent this senior tree had suffered a lightning strike. The diagnosis: For everyone’s safety, they tree had to come down. So, one day this past week, fifty-five years of growth disappeared in a matter of…

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Funeral Plants

Funeral Plants

Ever wonder what happens to those plants you send to a family for a funeral? They grow–and grow–and grow! These were about eighteen inches tall twenty-one years ago. After about ten years they were too tall for our house so I donated them to church for the fellowship hall. They have continued their reach for the sky. I water them every Sunday. When I croak, I wonder who or if anyone will continue their watering.   My books are available…

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Sure Indication is Here

Sure Indication is Here

One sure way to know summer is here is to hear the chorus of cicadas ringing in our ears.  I sat outside the other night and watched a cicada emerge from that ugly brown shell. It took quite a while. I didn’t know they came out green at first. Then miraculously, his big wings popped out from somewhere. He sat there slightly quivering for quite a while in order for his wings to dry out enough to fly away and…

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A Tradition Continues

A Tradition Continues

This 4th of July we continued a tradition with new twigs on our family tree. We drug out the old train from the barn my husband made years ago from plastic 50 gallon drums. Each car has its own steering wheel. Try as they might, the cars never go their own direction–they just follow the rider in front. I have only one regret; that he’s no longer here to watch the next generation enjoy something he so lovingly made so…

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Every Hive Needs a Queen Bee

Every Hive Needs a Queen Bee

When I inspected my hives last month, one had a missing queen. How did I know? No eggs! If their are no eggs, soon you won’t have a hive. Worker bees (immature females) live less than 40 days. I had to act quickly. I ordered a queen from the bee store near 107 and Pflumm on Monday, June 3rd. She arrived on Thursday, June 6th in a small crate, 1 x 3 inches (pictured above.) She also came with four…

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Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning

Several years ago I knitted this rug that sits in front of the kitchen sink. It began as a VERY long snake knitted from leftover yarn. I sewed the knitted strip around a large cotton cord. Then I stitched it into this oval. The stitching loosened in several places and  had become very soiled. I spent the next couple of nights re-attaching each row with carpet thread. The yarn was polyester, but I didn’t know if it would survive a…

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Remember This?

Remember This?

In the 70s and 80s Pyrex put out what they called a Bake A Round. I had a little too much whole wheat bread dough for the seven bread pans I had available the other day, so I went on a hunt in the garage for this bread pan. I hunted the internet for instructions and couldn’t find any. I looked in the box. There in the bottom lay the instructions with several recipes. I smushed the extra dough into…

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Early Or Not

Early Or Not

My Peony patch got the word to pop out even earlier than usual this year. The sad part, all this rain will make them too heavy to stand up straight and they’ll be gone even sooner. Years ago, we always decorated graves with this flower–but now, they seem to bloom earlier each season. I wish I had smell-a-vision on this blog for you to enjoy this heavenly scent. Are your plantings coming out sooner than expected?

Lost & Found

Lost & Found

Weekend before last I attended a picnic at church. I wore a black sweater. I didn’t realize it was gone until Tuesday. I hunted the house high and low, to no avail. I even asked my Bible study to pray I’d find it. In desperation, I went on a mental scavenger hunt. The last time I remembered having it was at the picnic. We’d had high winds from Sunday to Tuesday. I made a special trip to church to search….

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