Hi again, everyone!
Thanksgiving is only a few days away, and we’re in the midst of preparations. But no matter how busy I get with holiday plans, I always make sure to get a little “outdoor chore” time in. Last weekend was time for the final installment of my fall lawn feeding program. I mixed 1/2 can of beer, 1/2 cup of apple juice, 1/2 cup of Gatorade®, 1/2 cup of urine, 1/2 cup of fish emulsion, 1/2 cup of ammonia, 1/2 cup of regular cola, and 1/2 cup of baby shampoo in a large bucket, poured it into a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, and gave my lawn a good, healthy dose.
Shirley and I then went grocery shopping. Buying all that food got me to thinking: Every year, I eat so much that I end up lying awake at night with an upset stomach. So I stopped by our local health food store and stocked up on what I needed to make my famous Tummy Tamer Tea. To make it, steep 1/2 teaspoon each of dried peppermint, catnip, sweet marjoram, and lemon balm in a cup of boiling water for 15 minutes. Then strain, sip, and soon you’ll be sleeping like a baby!
And that’s not all—we’re going to simmer a little potpourri to make the house smell festive and spicy. Simply mix the shaved rind of one orange, 5 cinnamon sticks, and 1/4 cup of whole cloves in a pot of boiling water, and let it simmer for a while before guests start to arrive. It’s gonna smell so nice that nobody’ll want to leave! Happy Turkey Day to you and yours!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
One Final Cookout
I’m a bit of a summer holdout. I know the warm weather is clearly behind us, but I can’t seem to let it go just yet. That’s why we had one more cookout last weekend. Sure, it was cold, rainy, and downright dismal, but if you ask me, nothing says “summer” like a hot-off-the-grill hamburger with all the fixin’s. So Saturday, I fired up the ol’ barbecue and flame broiled some burgers. Unfortunately, I got careless while slicing a thick slab of tomato, and I nicked my finger with the knife. No problem-o. I gave the cut a good rinse, and sprinkled some powdered cloves over it before topping with a bandage. The cloves stopped the pain in time for dinner.
The more I thought about it later, the more I figured that my cookout mishap was Mother Nature’s way of telling me to pack it in for the season. So I decided that it was time to give my lawn its final fall feeding. I mixed 3 lbs. of Epsom salts, 1 cup of mild dry laundry soap, and 1 bag of dry lawn food (enough for 2,500 sq. ft.), and applied it to my lawn at half of the recommended rate with my broadcast spreader. Then on Monday, I oversprayed my lawn with 1 can of beer and 1 cup of dishwashing liquid in my 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, filling the balance of the sprayer jar with ammonia. I tell you—my lawn will sail right through the rapidly approaching winter weather.
And speaking of rapidly approaching, Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away! That means holiday preparations are in high gear at the Baker house. Last weekend’s job was to shine the tarnished silverware. Normally, it’s be a pretty big job, but I had a new trick up my sleeve. I lined the bottom of a big ol’ cooking pot with aluminum foil and set the silverware in it. Then I filled a second pot with 1 gallon of water, and heated it on the stove. Once it was boiling, I set it in the sink, and added 1 cup of baking soda. I finished up by pouring the soda solution into the first pan, and the dinnerware was sparkling like new in just a few minutes!
The more I thought about it later, the more I figured that my cookout mishap was Mother Nature’s way of telling me to pack it in for the season. So I decided that it was time to give my lawn its final fall feeding. I mixed 3 lbs. of Epsom salts, 1 cup of mild dry laundry soap, and 1 bag of dry lawn food (enough for 2,500 sq. ft.), and applied it to my lawn at half of the recommended rate with my broadcast spreader. Then on Monday, I oversprayed my lawn with 1 can of beer and 1 cup of dishwashing liquid in my 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, filling the balance of the sprayer jar with ammonia. I tell you—my lawn will sail right through the rapidly approaching winter weather.
And speaking of rapidly approaching, Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away! That means holiday preparations are in high gear at the Baker house. Last weekend’s job was to shine the tarnished silverware. Normally, it’s be a pretty big job, but I had a new trick up my sleeve. I lined the bottom of a big ol’ cooking pot with aluminum foil and set the silverware in it. Then I filled a second pot with 1 gallon of water, and heated it on the stove. Once it was boiling, I set it in the sink, and added 1 cup of baking soda. I finished up by pouring the soda solution into the first pan, and the dinnerware was sparkling like new in just a few minutes!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Thanksgiving is coming!
Hello, everyone!
Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner? Dinner will be served at the Baker house this year, and I can hardly wait! Shirley decided to get a jump on the preparations by thoroughly cleaning the holiday tableware this weekend. It was a darn good thing she did, too, because the teacups were rimmed with brown tea stains. Lucky for us, it was an easy fix. She filled the cups with warm water, and dropped a denture cleaning tablet in each one. In a few minutes, the cups were perfectly white and as good as new.
I spent some time giving the lawn good cleaning. I mixed 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, 1 cup of antiseptic mouthwash, 1 cup of tobacco tea, and 1 cup of chamomile tea in a bucket. Then I added 2 cups of this mixture to my 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, filling the balance of the jar with warm water, and applied it to my lawn to the point of run-off to bid bugs, fungus, and other nasties adieu until spring.
Unfortunately, I developed an irritating cough while I was outside. So Shirley whipped up a batch of Grandma Putt’s cough syrup by heating 1 cup of honey, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of olive oil for 5 minutes. She stirred the mix vigorously for a couple minutes, and then I took 1 teaspoon of the syrup every 2 hours. I’m happy to report that my hacking was history in no time, and I’ll be as healthy as a horse for our Thanksgiving festivities!
Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner? Dinner will be served at the Baker house this year, and I can hardly wait! Shirley decided to get a jump on the preparations by thoroughly cleaning the holiday tableware this weekend. It was a darn good thing she did, too, because the teacups were rimmed with brown tea stains. Lucky for us, it was an easy fix. She filled the cups with warm water, and dropped a denture cleaning tablet in each one. In a few minutes, the cups were perfectly white and as good as new.
I spent some time giving the lawn good cleaning. I mixed 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, 1 cup of antiseptic mouthwash, 1 cup of tobacco tea, and 1 cup of chamomile tea in a bucket. Then I added 2 cups of this mixture to my 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, filling the balance of the jar with warm water, and applied it to my lawn to the point of run-off to bid bugs, fungus, and other nasties adieu until spring.
Unfortunately, I developed an irritating cough while I was outside. So Shirley whipped up a batch of Grandma Putt’s cough syrup by heating 1 cup of honey, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of olive oil for 5 minutes. She stirred the mix vigorously for a couple minutes, and then I took 1 teaspoon of the syrup every 2 hours. I’m happy to report that my hacking was history in no time, and I’ll be as healthy as a horse for our Thanksgiving festivities!
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