Hello again, folks!
I hope everyone’s Christmas was as merry as mine was. We had a grand ol’ time visiting with loved ones and exchanging gifts. I was the lucky recipient of a big, beautiful poinsettia. To keep it looking lush and lovely, I’m going to feed it my Holiday Houseplant Tonic: 1/4 cup of beer, 1/2 tbsp. of unflavored gelatin powder, 1/2 tbsp. of fish emulsion, 1/2 tbsp. of vitamin B1 plant starter, 1/2 tbsp. of ammonia, 1/2 tbsp. of instant tea granules, and 1 gallon of water. Using this mix every time I water will help my poinsettia stay bright and cheery long after the season is over.
Once the gifts were exchanged, it was time to gather ‘round the table for a delicious feast. But as my wife was reaching for the mashed potatoes, she knocked over her glass of red wine—right onto the new tablecloth! We quickly dabbed up as much as we could, then moistened the spot with water and sprinkled some salt over it. After dinner, we popped the tablecloth into the wash, and it came out clean as good as new.
Speaking of festivities, New Year’s Eve is right around the corner. If you’ll be attending any parties that night, here’s a tip to keep handy: If you imbibe a little too much and wake up with the morning-after blahs, take 1 teaspoon of honey every hour until you feel better. It works like a charm!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Happy Holidays!
Happy holidays, folks!
Since it doesn’t look like Mother Nature is going to cooperate and deliver up a white Christmas in my neck of the woods, I took matters into my own hands last weekend. I mixed 4 tbsp. of Epsom salts in 1 cup of beer. Then, I used this solution to stencil snowflakes on our windows, giving us a terrific snow scene. Now we’ll be able to enjoy an indoor winter wonderland, no matter what the weather is!
Speaking of being indoors, the dry, dusty air in your home can really take a toll on your houseplants. That’s why I treat mine to a weekly misting of my Winter Wash. To make it, mix 1 tsp. of baby shampoo, 1 tsp. of ammonia, 1 tsp. of antiseptic mouthwash, and 1 qt. of room-temperature water in a hand-held sprayer, and mist-spray your plants once or twice a week to help ‘em sail through the long, cold winter.
But winter isn’t only hard on us gardeners and our plants; it can also be mighty tough on our fine-feathered friends. So to give my local birds a holiday treat, I decorated a tree for ‘em. I started by stuffing a mixture of 2 parts peanut butter, 2 parts chopped suet, 1 part dried fruit, and 1 part sunflower seeds into a few empty mesh onion bags. I hung these on the tree along with a few stale doughnut and bagel “ornaments”. And to finish it off, I string some popcorn-and-cranberry garland and draped it across the branches. That’s sure to brighten many a bird’s Christmas!
Since it doesn’t look like Mother Nature is going to cooperate and deliver up a white Christmas in my neck of the woods, I took matters into my own hands last weekend. I mixed 4 tbsp. of Epsom salts in 1 cup of beer. Then, I used this solution to stencil snowflakes on our windows, giving us a terrific snow scene. Now we’ll be able to enjoy an indoor winter wonderland, no matter what the weather is!
Speaking of being indoors, the dry, dusty air in your home can really take a toll on your houseplants. That’s why I treat mine to a weekly misting of my Winter Wash. To make it, mix 1 tsp. of baby shampoo, 1 tsp. of ammonia, 1 tsp. of antiseptic mouthwash, and 1 qt. of room-temperature water in a hand-held sprayer, and mist-spray your plants once or twice a week to help ‘em sail through the long, cold winter.
But winter isn’t only hard on us gardeners and our plants; it can also be mighty tough on our fine-feathered friends. So to give my local birds a holiday treat, I decorated a tree for ‘em. I started by stuffing a mixture of 2 parts peanut butter, 2 parts chopped suet, 1 part dried fruit, and 1 part sunflower seeds into a few empty mesh onion bags. I hung these on the tree along with a few stale doughnut and bagel “ornaments”. And to finish it off, I string some popcorn-and-cranberry garland and draped it across the branches. That’s sure to brighten many a bird’s Christmas!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Hi folks!
To cut down on heating bills this winter, I’m doing everything I can to make my house more energy efficient. This weekend’s chore was to insulate my hot water pipes. It was a cinch! Not only will it prevent heat loss, but now I can turn down my water heater by a few degrees and still enjoy piping hot water. You can’t beat that!
After the pipes were insulated, Shirley and I went to our local nursery to pick up a few bright, bloomin’ poinsettia plants. And to keep ‘em healthy throughout the holidays, I mixed up a batch of my world-famous Holiday Houseplant Tonic: 1/4 cup of beer, 1/2 tbsp. of unflavored gelatin, 1/2 tbsp. of fish emulsion, 1/2 tbsp. of Vitamin B1 Plant Starter, 1/2 tbsp. of ammonia, 1/2 tbsp. of instant tea granules, and 1 gallon of water. I’ll use this mix every time I water the plants to keep ‘em in the lush and lovely all season long.
And that about wrapped up our weekend. But Sunday night, my nose was so stuffed up that I couldn’t get a wink of sleep. So I dissolved 1/4 tsp. of salt and 1/4 tsp. of baking soda in a cup of warm water, and used a medicine dropper to spritz a little of the liquid into my nose. It cleared my sinuses as well as any of those store-bought saline sprays, and I slept like a baby.
To cut down on heating bills this winter, I’m doing everything I can to make my house more energy efficient. This weekend’s chore was to insulate my hot water pipes. It was a cinch! Not only will it prevent heat loss, but now I can turn down my water heater by a few degrees and still enjoy piping hot water. You can’t beat that!
After the pipes were insulated, Shirley and I went to our local nursery to pick up a few bright, bloomin’ poinsettia plants. And to keep ‘em healthy throughout the holidays, I mixed up a batch of my world-famous Holiday Houseplant Tonic: 1/4 cup of beer, 1/2 tbsp. of unflavored gelatin, 1/2 tbsp. of fish emulsion, 1/2 tbsp. of Vitamin B1 Plant Starter, 1/2 tbsp. of ammonia, 1/2 tbsp. of instant tea granules, and 1 gallon of water. I’ll use this mix every time I water the plants to keep ‘em in the lush and lovely all season long.
And that about wrapped up our weekend. But Sunday night, my nose was so stuffed up that I couldn’t get a wink of sleep. So I dissolved 1/4 tsp. of salt and 1/4 tsp. of baking soda in a cup of warm water, and used a medicine dropper to spritz a little of the liquid into my nose. It cleared my sinuses as well as any of those store-bought saline sprays, and I slept like a baby.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Welcome Winter
Well, folks,
It looks like winter is officially upon us, and I still hadn’t given my lawn its winter salt protection treatment. So I liberally sprinkled gypsum in a 5-foot-wide band all over my lawn areas that were within spittin’ distance of where salt might be used. Then I oversprayed the gypsum with a mix of 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, 1/2 cup of ammonia, and 1/2 cup of beer in my 20 gallon hose-end sprayer. Once that was done, I went back inside to get warm.
But just as we were getting ready to decorate our Christmas tree, I discovered that some of my Grandma Putt’s heirloom ornaments had big patches of paint peeling away—yikes! So I stripped the old paint off with a half-and-half solution of ammonia and water. Then I gave ‘em a good rinse. And once the ornaments were completely dry, I sprayed them with glossy enamel paint. They were as good as new, and they look just great on our tree!
Speaking of Christmas, the holidays are no time to get sick. So I’d like to share my special echinacea tincture with you: Mix 3/4 cup of vodka, 2-1/2 tbsp. of dried echinacea root, and 3/4 cup of distilled water mixed in a glass jar with a tight lid. Store it in a cool, dark place for two weeks, and strain it into glass bottles. Then, at the first sign of a cold or flu, mix 2 or 3 drops in a glass of water, and drink up! Try it yourself—this amazing mix keeps me sniffle- and sore-throat-free every Christmas!
It looks like winter is officially upon us, and I still hadn’t given my lawn its winter salt protection treatment. So I liberally sprinkled gypsum in a 5-foot-wide band all over my lawn areas that were within spittin’ distance of where salt might be used. Then I oversprayed the gypsum with a mix of 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, 1/2 cup of ammonia, and 1/2 cup of beer in my 20 gallon hose-end sprayer. Once that was done, I went back inside to get warm.
But just as we were getting ready to decorate our Christmas tree, I discovered that some of my Grandma Putt’s heirloom ornaments had big patches of paint peeling away—yikes! So I stripped the old paint off with a half-and-half solution of ammonia and water. Then I gave ‘em a good rinse. And once the ornaments were completely dry, I sprayed them with glossy enamel paint. They were as good as new, and they look just great on our tree!
Speaking of Christmas, the holidays are no time to get sick. So I’d like to share my special echinacea tincture with you: Mix 3/4 cup of vodka, 2-1/2 tbsp. of dried echinacea root, and 3/4 cup of distilled water mixed in a glass jar with a tight lid. Store it in a cool, dark place for two weeks, and strain it into glass bottles. Then, at the first sign of a cold or flu, mix 2 or 3 drops in a glass of water, and drink up! Try it yourself—this amazing mix keeps me sniffle- and sore-throat-free every Christmas!
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