Christmas Cactus

Full disclosure:  I'm not a houseplant person. 

I prefer to garden outside.  Any plant that requires water more than once a week or so won't make it in my house.

When I married Tony 34 years ago he had this rather ugly houseplant and a few others.  I killed all of them but this one.  I kept it in a low-light room and to me, this plant was just an odd,
homely greenish-brown plant.  

I never knew that I had a lovely Christmas Cactus! 

By chance I moved it into our well-lit office one fall 5 or 6 years ago.  In November, to my delight all these gorgeous red-pink blooms started appearing on it.  Now every year I expect the show to begin  just after Halloween.

This plant is very low maintenance, needs little water and lots of indirect light.  If you live in Indiana and would like a cutting, let me know!  It's easy to propagate.

Embroidering

I've been forced to do a lot of sitting lately to nurse a foot problem.  My mom taught me how to embroider when I was young.  Here's a sample of her lovely needlework:

Since I have lots of time to just sit and concentrate on counted cross stitch, here's what I'm learning from my embroidery:

1. patience - There's just no rushing needles and thread.  It's got to be done right, so I need to take my time and do good work.

2. precision - I more than a little OCD, just ask Tony, so if a stitch is a fraction of a millimeter off, I notice it and I have to redo it.  I'm getting better at putting my stitches right where they should go.

3.  underside of the tapestry - I can't stop thinking about my good friend Corrie Ten Boom.  She was an expert embroiderer.  She compared earth life to the underside of tapestry with its frays and knots, not really pretty.  Only when we are in heaven will we ever see the "good side" and understand life's sticky situations, troubles and hardships.

Fall Yard Work

Fall is a great time to do some yard work in preparation for next spring.  If you have some time, you might want to do some of these things!

1. Plant Grass - Fall is the perfect time to spread seed, cover it with straw and let it sit until next spring.  You'll have new grass without the fuss of watering in the heat of summer.

2. Put down mulch - If you have some areas where your mulch is thin, or you need to cover some problem spots, now's the time!  To kill grass or weeds just lay 10 sheets (more or less) of damp newspaper over them, and cover with some dirt and mulch.  Next spring you'll have a great landscaping bed.

3. Weeding - Fall is a great time to pull any noxious weeds that sneaked into your landscaping during the summer.  You don't want to let those seeds spread or the roots grow stronger over the winter. Yikes! Is that a thistle in MY yard??

4. Trimming Vines - I just trimmed my honeysuckle vine that grows on some picket fence to hide our AC units.  They were a little out of control.  Not anymore!

5. Plant Bulbs - This is the time to plant tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and other spring bloomers.  You'll be so glad you took the time next spring!

6. Don't forget to disconnect your water hoses and pull out vegetable plants from the garden.  If I have time I just might wipe down my patio chairs before I put them in the garage for the winter!

Drying Herbs

We love to grow fresh herbs in our garden every year.  I have many that are perennials: sage, thyme, oregano, mint and parsley.  We grow other annual herbs like basil, lemon verbena, rosemary, and cilantro.

A great way to keep that flavor going through the winter is by drying the herbs and keeping them in jars.  It's easier than you think!

Pick bunches of green stems, rinse them well,pat dry, then lay them on a baking sheet.  Place the sheet somewhere that air will not be stagnant.  So, don't put them inside a cupboard.  Some good spots are above the fridge or on an open shelf.

Basil and Oregano

 

Lemon Verbena

Now let them sit for a few weeks until all the leaves are crumbly.  Hold the stems from the top and push all the leaves off in one swoop.  Store them in a jar!

I use my mint and lemon verbena all winter long for herbal tea.

We use our dried basil and oregano mixture on pizzas and other Italian dishes.

Summer Blooms 2016 - a photo journal

Here's what was in my yard!  Now that everything is getting ready to go to sleep, I like to reminisce about all the beauty that God created this summer in my yard.

Clematis

Penstemon

Festuca

Lavender

Coreopsis

Veronica

First Hydrangea Blossom

\\

Campanula

Daisies

Red Hot Pokers

Basil

Astilbes

Favorite Cleaning Hacks - Little Things

I truly believe that if you keep chipping away at a large task, it will work itself out more easily than trying to do everything at once.  I'm just like the Tortoise who kept plodding along, slowly and steadily, and who won in the end!

Here are some quick little habits I have that make a big difference in my house.

1. Corral mail and papers in one spot.  If you have mail, bills, magazines and coupons spread out on all your counters and couches, it's impossible to manage, and the stress of the clutter will weigh you down.  Have a designated spot for mail and bills.  You won't be late on a payment again!

2. When you have a rag in your hand, multitask!  If I'm washing a dish in the sink, I take a minute and use that rag to wipe spots on my counter, around the doorknob, a smudge on the fridge...

3.  Look for the details.  Have you ever wiped around the rim of your dishwasher?  How about the windowsill above your kitchen sink or the base of the faucet and the knobs? These are places where grime builds up and gives an overall look of "dirty" even when you've decluttered and cleaned.

4.  Start with one drawer.  If you think you have too much to tackle, then focus on one drawer to start.  Just one.  You'll be surprised how much incentive you will derive from organizing one surface, one closet, one room.  

Celebrate every small success that you have with your home cleaning and organizing.  Don't focus on the negative, be thankful for what you've done that's helpful!

Favorite Cleaning Hacks - Blue Liquid Dawn

Blue Liquid Dawn, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways!

Blue Dawn dish liquid is perhaps my all-time favorite cleaning item.  If I had to choose just one product to use as the most versatile cleaner, it is Dawn!

1. Greasy dishes and pans - there's nothing like the grease-cutting power of Dawn.

2. Keeping my new kitchen sink sparkling - I use Dawn on a nylon scrub pad to keep the stainless looking nice.

3. Laundry stain and grease remover - I squirt Dawn on every clothing stain.  If the greasy spot doesn't come out completely the first wash, I do it again and Dawn works great.

4. Best bathroom tub and tile cleaner - I have a squirt bottle (32 oz.) filled with a Dawn and White Vinegar mixture.  Put 1 cup Dawn and fill to the top with white vinegar.  It's a great cleaner after baths and showers.  For deep cleaning, spray the bottom of the tub and just let it sit overnight until the next shower rinses it down the drain.

5. Pest-free pets - My son and daughter-in-law just found a kitten in their backyard.  The people at Pet Smart told them to give the kitten baths with a little Dawn to kill fleas!

6. Deep clean hair - It's a great shampoo addition when you want to get rid of build-up from hair products.  Just add a teaspoon to your regular shampoo.

7. Ice Pack - Partially fill a strong Ziploc baggie with liquid Dawn and little rubbing alcohol, seal it and freeze.  It will stay colder longer than water and will bend unlike hard ice packs.

If you search online there are dozens more ideas for how to use Liquid Dawn.  It truly is a great product!

What's your favorite way to use Dawn?