Have you ever gotten tired of paying a fortune for laundry soap? Do you have a front loader and have to use low-sudsing expensive HE soap? Well, both those statements apply to me, and so whilst perusing an online forum I stumbled across a recipe tutorial on how to make your own gel laundry detergent for cheap.
I watched the video a couple times, and thought, "Hey I can do that!". So I went out with Monkeys in tow this past week and bought my supplies.
You will need:
1 box Arm & Hammer
Got back from vacation last week and found the blog feature seems to be working! YAY! So this is just a picture post to show off some of the nice fishies we caught on vacation at our lil' secret piece of heaven on earth. We don't own it, but we get to camp there...
So here are the fish pics!
Red coffee cup is DH's
Just so you don't think all we caught were lunkers...
But most of 'em were! At least for bass.
This one was DH
Just when you thought it was safe to click on the upside down picture of OBL on the Drudge Report last weekend....I sure hope you did NOT do it like we did...there was a most evil computer virus embedded in that. It ate my computer. It installed some malware called INternet Securite 2010, and then when we tried with some professional grade disinfectant to clean the drive, it nuked our access to it. In fact when we gave the drive to a friend of a friend in the biz, so to speak, it managed a cr
Remember this blog?
Early this morning, suddenly, I hear a wee "CHIRRUP" noise. Now, I had replaced 2 smoke detector batteries earlier this month, so I waited to see if I heard it again. Blast it! "CHIRRUP". Again...about every 30 seconds. I couldn't tell exactly which of the half dozen of the things it was, but it sounded somewhat fainter than last time, so I was guessing it was in a Monkey bedroom.
Suddenly, after the latest CHIRRUP, there was a whining, frantic cold wet nose
It's Memorial Day, that long almost-summer weekend where we remember and honor veterans lost, and those family we too have lost. Some of you may know I lost my father this year...I wrote the following about a year or so before he died. My goal today when we went to the range to shoot, was to be sure to take the Enfield. My dad, I miss him.
The Enfield.
I read somewhere that it was a ‘sultry Saturday’ yesterday, and they were right. It was warm in the low 90’s, overcast, and humid
then why did I plant six of them??
Yes folks, about 4 yrs ago I decided to plant 6 Nanking Bush cherries. Despite the best efforts of both Texas weather & the Monkeys, all 6 survived. The first year they fruited, the Monkeys picked most of them whilst still too green, the next year the mockingbirds ate them all. Last year, we got a goodly number and the Monkeys enjoyed eating them. These are small, marble sized fruits with a pit of course, and they tend on the tart side, unless you w
Haven't kept up with this little blog for a while, as there have been lots of things going on around here. We have some apples on our two little apple trees! A lot more got pollinated than the little things can support, so I noticed they have been self-culling. Saves me the mental anguish of culling them myself I guess. I hate thinning plants or culling fruit!
We (DH & I) also successfully taught Monkey1 how to ride a bicycle! This was a major goal, as DH & I both love to ride,
I was looking through the grocery store flyers and spotted a nice sale at Sprouts Market (sort of a health food/Organic ) grocery. They had fresh blackberries for 88 cents /6oz box. I figured it was worth a road trip to the next town over, to visit the place. About 20$ of berries later, I have managed to make jam! Do you have any idea how long it has been since I made jam? Literally about 8-9 yrs, and before that, more like 20 yrs. Yes this is only the 3rd time I have ever made jam. And I
So, yesterday I felt rather like death warmed over...the cold I thought was gone, came back and I felt awful all day. Managed even to sleep a good part of the afternoon, thanks to DH watching the Monkeys. I tried hitting the sack early, but it didn't really happen, but I wasn't up any later than normal I guess.
Early this morning, after a pleasant wake-up with DH, I snuggled back into the pile of blankets, seeking another hour or more before the Monkeys awoke. Suddenly, I hear a wee "C
Well it has finally rained in North Texas. Somewhere in excess of 4" this week, all of it slow-falling and soaking in well, but all of it MUCH needed too! Though it does mean that the grass is going to need mowing. Supposedly it will be sunny tomorrow, but I won't believe it until I see it.
Yesterday I decided I was tired of buying store-bought bread. I haven't been able to make bread from my stored wheat since 1/8 and my surgery. I don't have a mixer--I AM the mixer & kneader of
Gosh, after last week's 80deg temps, the last couple of days have been downright frigid! Sub-freezing temps, mucho wind, and the sunshine just didn't help warm stuff up enough. So why am I feeling grouchy? I'm on the downhill side of the monthly thing, so that's not it. DH has been in a good mood, so that's not it. Stress? Yeah, I suppose so, and some odd dreams, but......maybe I'm suddenly feeling old. I think that's a big part of it.
So much to do and so little time to do it. Pr
My Dad's funeral was Saturday, and we buried him Monday, in a pretty spot in the cemetery east of his town, near the train tracks. He grew up with a train running behind his home as a boy--though not this train, nor this country. It was good to go home--to see Mom & help her out, to see old friends near & dear, and to tell the funny stories of Dad.
We left there today, and drove the 9hrs back to home, home with a capital H. Home! Our home--empty now without the dogs underfoot. T
Well I managed to get a bit of stuff done yesterday, though not as much as I wanted.
1. get stamps & mail out an ebay item sold. **DONE
2. vacuum Monkey rooms--**DONE, though it needs it again in one of their rooms...
3. roast coffee--**DONE
4. put the kids tent away--**DONE
5. slay the laundry beast
6. pay bills--**DONE
7. sweep the floors--**DONE
8. if feeling energetic, I could mop the kitchen
9. homeschooling the monkeys--**DONE
Also managed to vacuum out the
What do I do? What do I say? THAT phone call came this morning around 6:30am. My sis calling to tell me Dad died last night. If you saw my prayer requests you may remember he suffered severe dementia, and had just gone to a care facility Monday. I feel lost & conflicted--I miss him so much, though in truth I have been missing him for a couple years, as his decline got worse and worse. He used to have 'moments' on the phone where he was Dad again...and I hoped I could reach him so he kn
So it is a sunny day today--that's good actually, as DH is on pager all week. No rain until Sunday maybe, but then again, it means no OT for him, so less $ to pay down bills. Everything's a tradeoff, eh?
The Monkeys are up & around, and are somewhat behaving this morning. I don't expect it to last though. It never does!
The shoulder is alternately feeling fine, and just aching. I see the doc tomorrow and find out if I start PT next week, or stay in the sling. I admit I do get
Wow, it really has been a while since I looked in on this little blog! I meant to write in the intervening months, but somehow never got around to it. Well, we have celebrated 2 Monkey birthdays since my last post, had one heck of a hot summer, and it isn't even August yet, and dealt with nagging health issues for DH. Oh, and my mom visited this month for a few days--her first trip here, since Dad died. We had a nice visit, and my jam making adventures during her visit, have inspired her to
Well, I think the stress of the last week caught up with us all yesterday. DH was sick most of the day, I was exhausted, and Monkey1 had a tummy ache all day and whined about it non stop. At least it's Monday, so DH is back on routine, and Monkey1 says the tummy ache is gone. Now I can maybe try to catch up on everything that did not get done.
1. get stamps & mail out an ebay item sold.
2. vacuum Monkey rooms
3. roast coffee
4. put the kids tent away
5. slay the laundry beast
So we managed a record setting snowfall for the Metroplex the last 2 days. The nice thing is, all 8-10" of it should be GONE by Sunday! It gives the Monkeys a chance toplay in the snow, and I don't have to drive in it. The roads are already clear pavement.
Here are a couple pics to enjoy.
Two Monkeys (#2-3) and their tiny snow man.
And Monkey1 and her big snowman.
So we managed a record setting snowfall for the Metroplex the last 2 days. The nice thing is, all 8-10" of it should be GONE by Sunday! It gives the Monkeys a chance toplay in the snow, and I don't have to drive in it. The roads are already clear pavement.
Here are a couple pics to enjoy.
Two Monkeys (#2-3) and their tiny snow man.
And Monkey1 and her big snowman.
Ok, so here is my moment to whine...
Back on June 10, my Monkey 3 came down with high fever, sore thrroat--Hand Foot & Mouth disease. Then when she was just well enough to go to VBS, Monkey2 caught the same virus! 3 days later, just as he was going off to the last 2 days of VBS, Monkey 1 came down with HF&M. So I was relieved when it SEEMED that everyone was done getting sick...that was 2 wks ago this coming Saturday...so on Monday June 22, Monkey 3 (my little Plague Vector) came
Ok, so here is my moment to whine...
Back on June 10, my Monkey 3 came down with high fever, sore thrroat--Hand Foot & Mouth disease. Then when she was just well enough to go to VBS, Monkey2 caught the same virus! 3 days later, just as he was going off to the last 2 days of VBS, Monkey 1 came down with HF&M. So I was relieved when it SEEMED that everyone was done getting sick...that was 2 wks ago this coming Saturday...so on Monday June 22, Monkey 3 (my little Plague Vector) came
Ok, so here is my moment to whine...
Back on June 10, my Monkey 3 came down with high fever, sore thrroat--Hand Foot & Mouth disease. Then when she was just well enough to go to VBS, Monkey2 caught the same virus! 3 days later, just as he was going off to the last 2 days of VBS, Monkey 1 came down with HF&M. So I was relieved when it SEEMED that everyone was done getting sick...that was 2 wks ago this coming Saturday...so on Monday June 22, Monkey 3 (my little Plague Vector) came
Poor DH, he's been hit with a bunch of OT this week. Last night he didn't get home until 9pm! It's been wacky for him all week with lots of 'problem children' work tickets. Pretty much all we did last night was tuck the Monkeys in bed, and crash ourselves.
I did however, manage to get the stove cleaned up, and buy the right parts to fix the burners! I've been cooking on the two small elec ones for about 6mo and it's been driving me nuts. Now to go back to Lowes today, to exchange the
