I am spending my free time spring cleaning. Spring is almost here and I want to get ahead of the curve! The weather has been nice and opening the windows to let the fresh air in with the time change has given me spring fever.

My sewing is everywhere! on my dining room table I have fabric ready to be cut out for my evening gown... well more of a cocktail dress for a Christmas Party actually while my sewing room has fabric ready to be cut out for a 'sloper' (basic pattern by which all designs can be made from). Needless to say... these projects for school are interfering with my spring cleaning!

I took a walk outside and looked over my garden. My garlic and onions are doing nicely, the rhubarb is coming up as is the horseradish. I picked some flowers today and brought them in the house and my house smells so wonderful. I have a jasmine in my bathroom and it started opening up its blossoms and the fragrance fills the room.

I realized I need to do some spring cleaning outside as well. It is time to fence another area so the goats can eat the brush, grass and weeds down.

Later this spring and into early summer, cleaning out my sheds and pantry. So much to do.. so little time. I have made a list of things I want to do, need to do. I started with my walk around the yard, making a list of things I need. A new hose here, another timer there, looking at where I can squeeze more tomato plants or herbs in.

I need to take an inventory of my gardening tools... shovels, rakes, hoes, and check out their handles. I know I need new handles on one of my wheel barrows. I broke my compost turner last fall and need an other. I am going to keep my eye on sales on gardening gloves. I like goat skin gloves, and put duct tape around the index fingers and thumbs of then as soon as I get them. I always wear a hole there and I hate taping after the fact so I take first! works great for me.

I am also looking at a 'chase lounge chair'. You know the kind that can be a chair or a chase or a bed! LOL! these are easy to store, put in the house, porch, in a larger tent and comfortable. A sleeping bag on top and it is a bed! folded up and a chair. For those expecting some family in an emergency and you have the room, these are perfect. For those with little room, those blow up swimming pool mattresses also work well but are a little harder for us oldstrs to get up or get down on but great for kids and young adults.

It is time for me to clean my misters and get them back up. I don't have air conditioning and use opening up windows at night and closing them and the blinds at dawn to help keep the house cool. The misters help cool the air around the house. Since I live in an area with little to no humidity misting the air is a cheap and effective way to stay cool. Putting sprinklers on the roof would also work but with the skyrocketing prices of water and the shortage... misters will do.

We were given a 25' camping trailer that is fully contained. Oh so dirty! it has a leaky roof and some water damage in the front where the couch/bed is but not so bad it can't be repaired with a day. It is something my DH (remember the D in DH doesn't always stand for Dear!) brought home. I walked through it and the dirt ever where must be 5 inches thick from sitting! this is a great use for that stupid giant shop vac my DH (again the D isn't standing for dear) had to have! I am going to have him suck it up >wink< then blow it out with his air compressor before I even step one more foot inside. It sleeps 6 and is fully contained with bathtub, toilet, refrigerator, heater, stove and oven but no air conditioner or generator. I have a 12' cabover camper that is also fully contained with an air conditioner but again no generator. This sleeps 4. I also have a single wide mobile home, 1 bedroom but could sleep a family behind the barn.. it stores my fabric and patterns.

I am mentioning this because many of you have large families and may needing to think about sleeping them somewhere. These also become a great quarantine area in the case of a contagious virus.

I also like these trailers or campers because they run on propane and battery power (think solar or small windmill if necessary to recharge deep cycle marine battery(s)). If the power goes out or natural gas is disrupted, you can always run out to the RV and never skip a beat.

I have a lot to do before summer arrives, when it is too hot to do much other then try to stay cool.