Monday, May 30, 2011

Use Caution

We have ants. What I have always called pissants, like my grandmother. 
piss·ant also piss-ant  (pibreve.gifsprime.gifabreve.gifntlprime.gif) Slang
n.
1. One that is insignificant.
2. Obsolete An ant.
adj.
Not important; insignificant: "Some pissant Texas court wants to make [the company] pay . . . more than $10 billion in reparations" (New Republic).
Anyhoo, they have invaded. I broke down and bought some ant bait things, because the grocery store didn't carry boric acid. Boric acid mixed with sugar and a few drops of water are sure ant killers.

The ant bait things didn't totally work, so what I did was wash down the counters with a few drops of orange essential oil, which destroyed their chemical trail, and then I placed drops of lavender oil along their baseboard paths. 

Results? Very few ants to be seen in the house. This is such an earth friendly way to get rid of ants, and it smells good, too. I don't feel bad about doing this as often as necessary. 

As an aside, I have to be very careful around chemicals, due to my allergies. I generally do not use insecticides, pesticides, or herbicides. When I find a large thistle in the yard, I cut off the top with a knife and stab several times into the root, then I pour a little bleach onto it. Works every time. Salt might also work. (Bleach is just sodium chloride, after all.)

Saturday, May 28, 2011

See Reverse Side for Instructions

Sometimes, especially after I read a really good blogger, I wonder why I bother with this mess of words. My brain races with thoughts that I can't corral and put into sentences. But then I didn't start this blog with anything other in mind than keeping my friends and family notified and aware of what I do, since I became such a poor correspondent several years ago. In that case, my blog is useful. 

Fun stuff! Watched three episodes of Sherlock on Netflix. It is a British series from last year, and it is set in modern day London. Very clever use of cell phones and computers, and Watson was wounded in Afghanistan, as in the original. Instead of being a cocaine injector, Sherlock sometimes wears three nicotine patches. If you have Netflix, I highly recommend this show. The actor who plays Mr. Holmes is very sexy, in that dark haired, pale complexioned English sort of way that I find so attractive; i.e. he's a hottie.

I also indulged in Downton Abbey, a 7-part BBC miniseries reminiscent of Upstairs, Downstairs. It is set between 1912 and 1915 and I just loved the Edwardian gowns that the ladies wore. Worth watching if only for that, but the story held my interest, too.

Sweetie and I have watched all the episodes available of  30 Rock, and are now working our way through about 2 shows a day of Scrubs. Streaming Netflix may not have every movie or show I might want to watch, but for $8 a month, we get to watch a lot of stuff with no commercials. Worth every cent. We don't have a television at all, and don't miss it. 

The newly screened in back porch
We screened in the back porch yesterday, and today, Princess tried to run straight through it, chasing after an "intruder". Sigh. The screen is almost invisible from the inside, but she is a slow learner. All was repaired and then I ran a strip o fduct tape all around the bottom of the screening to remind the Dull Knife that she has to use the door next time. Trixie and Gertrude have moved to the porch and seem to enjoy themselves very much. I let them into the yard every so often, with adult supervision. I've seen a young, probably male, wild rabbit in the area. I bet he smells the wimmin rabbits.

Sweetie's lap is seldom empty. This time it's Trixie and Reece's.

Also, I have been knitting! Photos next time.

A perfect fit!

Monday, May 23, 2011

I'd buy that for a dollar!

So. 

We are safe here in our part of Missouri. Joplin? Not so much. The videos I've seen are heartbreaking.

I was grocery shopping just about the time that storm hit there, braving rain and a bit of hail because I wanted to make a nice supper for Sweetie that evening. Just as I was about to get in the check out lane, we were all told to please go to the back of the store and into the meat locker - a place with no windows. Cells phones were whipped out and fingers flew, (not me, as I had left my phone at home,) and we learned that a tornado had touched down, or was sighted, four miles from the store. 

That meat locker was cold! (especially for damp people in short pants and sleeves,) and it was hard duty for the fourteen year old employee to keep twenty cranky customers contained. No, he wasn't fourteen. But he looked it.

Long, not very interesting story short, we were released after fifteen minutes and everything and everyone was fine. No damage anywhere local.

Just a little later, I saw the news about Joplin, which is way the heck far from here, but still. I try to imagine my little town, my little neighborhood flattened, and mature trees mere stumps and everything unrecognizable. Hard to do.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

It Stayed in Outer Space!

Trixie and the Pitiful Princess
Trixie and Princess, who can go to sleep anywhere,
and apparently, with anything.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Now with Bacon!

So. 

Sweetie had a job interview Friday in Indiana, for a position that pays even less than he is getting now. And what is getting now is less than the job before. Sigh. He also has interviews on Tuesday and Wednesday in Missouri. There are just so many more opportunities out here, for skilled labor. 

Indiana was so lush compared to here! Everything so green and overgrown and bursting with life. I should have taken pictures. We are a week or so behind here, but with the rain and warmth, we will soon catch up. I have noted numerous old oak trees on my neighborhood walks, along with maples, willows, and trees I can't identify. Yet.

I brought my industrial serger back with me, along with the drum carder. My studio is full. I've made curtains for the front of the house, which faces southwest, and mended some of my clothes. I really need to pursue some sort of income. But. I really just want to stay home.

Sweetie says that he has become like me - not wanting to leave the house on his days off. I do try to get out and about, but on grey and rainy days, it is a real struggle. 

Trixie
Little Trixie has grown a lot! Soon it will be time for her First Harecut. It's hard to snap a good picture of her, but her dark face against her grey fur is so adorable.



Monday, May 09, 2011

Now with Fabric Softener!

I finiShed the SockS for my friend in Indiana; the friend whoSe huSband had the heart attack over the laSt weekend. Have been knitting on theSe for awhile, and I really tried to put a lot of love into them there at the end. 


ThiS iS Some mohair that waS on Sale Some time ago at WebS, which I found during the move. I am knitting a Scarf with it in garter Stitch with a Simple "wrap three timeS" when knitting, every Six or So rowS. May be done by tomorrow. Very eaSy and likable pattern. Like I need another Scarf, but then again, it iS never too Soon to think about giftS for the winter SeaSon.

Sweetie haS Several job optionS that are popping up. Yay uS! We want to Stay here, aS we both really love thiS houSe and the town. 

We haven't both been to Indiana in awhile, So we will moSt likely go there thiS weekend. And in caSe you are wondering, the lower caSe S key haS decided not to work. 


Saturday, May 07, 2011

Enjoy Cold.

So.

No news is good news they say, but rumors are rife about what will happen to the employees and the Tyson building. Not a peep is being said by the company, apparently until "the deal" is signed. In the meantime, Sweetie is putting in applications, still working, and getting free meat for perfect attendance. There a lot more jobs out here than near Louisville, especially for skilled labor.

I think everything will work out. Just a feeling.

Spring is really here, so I took a photo of the house. The grass has been mowed three times. If I had irises, they would be blooming now; I will have to bring some here from Indiana. The one peony bush out back has big luscious buds on it, and I have discovered several more hostas. I so enjoy sitting on the back porch, in the shade, but able to see the sun. I could live in the office and back porch all the time, but I try to get out and about every once in awhile, which is hard for an agoraphobe to do. But I try.

My mood seems to depend upon the amount of sunshine we get, and fortunately, it has been sunny here lately. No flooding here either, as we are high enough above sea level. I really feel for those affected along the Mississippi.

The squirrels are tormenting Princess something fierce. I don't think she would ever kill anything, as she is more into spotting and alerting. This ballsy squirrel cracks me up. 


Also, the husband of my good friend in Indiana suffered a heart attack yesterday, and is scheduled for triple or quadruple heart bypass next week. Lorie will spend the next several days camping out in his room. 

And my ex-sister in law was diagnosed with breast cancer in February, Stage 1, and after the surgery and chemo, seems to be doing well. 

And then there is my friend in Kentucky, who is involved in a long and messy divorce, has had an appendectomy with very poor insurance, and who's dating attempts have, shall we say, broken her heart into several pieces.

I'm grateful to have my life, and no one else's.





Sunday, May 01, 2011

More bleach, please.



"JFC," my friend said, "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water."

Too many things are unknown at the moment, so we're just sitting tight.