Hi there, folks!
Hopefully, you’re all enjoying the warm spring weather. I’ve been taking full advantage of the mild temperatures to get some much-needed outdoor chores done.
For starters, my deck was really looking dirty. But rather than buying an expensive cleaner, I gave it a good scrubbing with my homemade Deck and Porch Cleaner: 1 qt. of household bleach, 1/2 cup of powdered laundry detergent, and 2 gallons of hot water mixed in a bucket. Use a stiff broom or brush to scrub this mix into your deck’s surface, and then hose it down thoroughly.
It was also time to get my lawn up off its grass for another growing season. So I treated it to a dose of my Spring Wake-Up Tonic: 50 lbs. of pelletized gypsum, 50 lbs. of pelletized lime, 5 lbs. of bonemeal, and 2 lbs. of Epsom salts mixed in a wheelbarrow. Apply this mix with a broadcast spreader no more than 2 weeks before your first official lawn feeding.
And unfortunately, springtime’s outdoor chores usually bring allergy symptoms right along with them—well, for me, anyway. To clear my sinuses, I whipped up this steamy soother: 1 tablespoon each of rosemary and eucalyptus mixed in 1 cup of boiling water. Place a towel over your head to make a tent, and sniff the fumes for 5 minutes for blessed relief.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Time For Spring Cleaning!
Hi Folks,
It’s officially spring now, and you know what that means—time for spring cleaning! Last weekend, I mixed up a batch of my All-Purpose Cleaner: 2 cups of rubbing alcohol, 1 tbsp. of ammonia, 1 tbsp. of dishwashing liquid, and 2 quarts of water mixed in a bucket, and poured into a hand-held sprayer bottle. I used this concoction to clean the living room windows, kitchen counters, bathroom tile, and just about any other hard surface.
I also spent a couple of hours cleaning up my yard. I ran all the leaves, tree branches, and other compostable materials through my shredder, and used it to start a new compost pile. Then I doused the pile with my Compost Feeder Tonic: 1/2 can of beer, 1/2 can of cola, and 1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid mixed in a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer. I’ll give the pile a dose of this tonic once a month, and it’ll turn into black, crumbly, nutrient-rich compost before you know it!
But unfortunately, all that work left me with an achin’ back. Luckily, I had one of my reusable ice packs stashed in the freezer for just such an occasion. They’re easy to make—simply mix 1 part rubbing alcohol with 2 parts water, and pour into a heavy-duty zip-top plastic freezer bag. Squeeze all the air out, seal the bag up, and tuck it away in the freezer. Because alcohol doesn’t freeze, the contents will be slushy rather than rock hard—and all the more comfortable on your achin’ body. And when you’re sore-no-more, just pop it back in the freezer for next time.
It’s officially spring now, and you know what that means—time for spring cleaning! Last weekend, I mixed up a batch of my All-Purpose Cleaner: 2 cups of rubbing alcohol, 1 tbsp. of ammonia, 1 tbsp. of dishwashing liquid, and 2 quarts of water mixed in a bucket, and poured into a hand-held sprayer bottle. I used this concoction to clean the living room windows, kitchen counters, bathroom tile, and just about any other hard surface.
I also spent a couple of hours cleaning up my yard. I ran all the leaves, tree branches, and other compostable materials through my shredder, and used it to start a new compost pile. Then I doused the pile with my Compost Feeder Tonic: 1/2 can of beer, 1/2 can of cola, and 1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid mixed in a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer. I’ll give the pile a dose of this tonic once a month, and it’ll turn into black, crumbly, nutrient-rich compost before you know it!
But unfortunately, all that work left me with an achin’ back. Luckily, I had one of my reusable ice packs stashed in the freezer for just such an occasion. They’re easy to make—simply mix 1 part rubbing alcohol with 2 parts water, and pour into a heavy-duty zip-top plastic freezer bag. Squeeze all the air out, seal the bag up, and tuck it away in the freezer. Because alcohol doesn’t freeze, the contents will be slushy rather than rock hard—and all the more comfortable on your achin’ body. And when you’re sore-no-more, just pop it back in the freezer for next time.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Spring is in the air!
Hi Folks,
Looks like temperatures are going to warm up a bit over the next several days. I can already smell spring in the air! While I wait, I’m keeping busy because as they say, “busy hands are happy hands”.
This weekend, my neighbor George needed to ship a beautiful porcelain vase to his sister. But, being the environmentalist that he is, ol’ George just hates to use Styrofoam packing peanuts. So instead, I told him to pack up the vase with real peanuts—shells and all. Peanuts make terrific packing material, and they’re edible, to boot!
Of course, there’s always plenty of time to feed the birds. But instead of the usual suet block, I decided to give my birds a treat by mixing together equal parts of chunky peanut butter and cornmeal until it was a thick dough. I molded this into a block, stuffed it in my suet feeder, and every woodpecker in town was flying on over for a taste within minutes!
After all that hard work packing up the vase and feeding the birds, my hands were feeling pretty ragged. So I helped myself to a little of my wife’s homemade skin cream. She makes this special Hand Softening Cream every winter to keep her skin soft and smooth, and it works like a charm. To try it yourself, steep 1 cup of dried chamomile in 1 cup of milk for a few hours. Then add 4 tbsp. of honey and 6 tbsp. of wheat germ to the mix. Blend it well, store it in the ‘fridge, and massage it into your hands as often as necessary to keep ‘em soft as a baby’s bottom.
Looks like temperatures are going to warm up a bit over the next several days. I can already smell spring in the air! While I wait, I’m keeping busy because as they say, “busy hands are happy hands”.
This weekend, my neighbor George needed to ship a beautiful porcelain vase to his sister. But, being the environmentalist that he is, ol’ George just hates to use Styrofoam packing peanuts. So instead, I told him to pack up the vase with real peanuts—shells and all. Peanuts make terrific packing material, and they’re edible, to boot!
Of course, there’s always plenty of time to feed the birds. But instead of the usual suet block, I decided to give my birds a treat by mixing together equal parts of chunky peanut butter and cornmeal until it was a thick dough. I molded this into a block, stuffed it in my suet feeder, and every woodpecker in town was flying on over for a taste within minutes!
After all that hard work packing up the vase and feeding the birds, my hands were feeling pretty ragged. So I helped myself to a little of my wife’s homemade skin cream. She makes this special Hand Softening Cream every winter to keep her skin soft and smooth, and it works like a charm. To try it yourself, steep 1 cup of dried chamomile in 1 cup of milk for a few hours. Then add 4 tbsp. of honey and 6 tbsp. of wheat germ to the mix. Blend it well, store it in the ‘fridge, and massage it into your hands as often as necessary to keep ‘em soft as a baby’s bottom.
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