Friday, August 03, 2018

A Little Progress Around Here

Good day to all of you. It is morning here and I am just now making my list for the day. I have to put the water on this sweet flower bed, take the paint supplies to the tool shed, put some things away, and bring in the laundry from the line when it gets dry. I should get dressed first ;-)



The weather was very humid, although the ground was dry and the grass turned brown in some parts. I am having quite a time trying to keep it green for the ladies tea in late August. The sky is a lovely blue. That is nice. We can always look up, can't we!



One of the things I like most is looking up at the sky through the leaves when I am hanging the laundry. That is quite a blue,  but do you know I have not one piece of fabric in that color in my stash! 

I have to be careful about having awnings, umbrellas or canopies, because when the wind picks up suddenly, those things sail away into the next farm field, no matter how firmly they are tied down. I put this umbrella up just for the photo.

Inside, I have cleaned the dishes up and the surfaces in the kitchen, as well as mopping the floor. While I was de-cluttering a shelf that I had not cleaned in some time, I found a 20 year old bottle of floor wax and decided to try it on the vinyl-wood floor in the kitchen. It worked very well.
You do not get to see my kitchen very often on this blog, because it is usually so busy with activity, but here is the floor with the wax job.

You probably want to know how I could have saved a bottle of floor wax for 20 years. I think someone left it here. I do not recall ever seeing it before.  When no-wax floors were the norm, we did not buy floor wax.  This is just one of the many things that has been lost in time.  But, that is like the no-iron shirts. The no-wax floors still could use a little wax and the no-iron shirts could use some pressing.

 I'm hoping by decluttering, my house will be more updated and less museum-like with all the relics.  I hope I don't have a 20 year old bottle of shampoo or salt, but I might have some old spices.  The cabinets are very long and deep, and it is easy for items to get pushed to the back and hard to retrieve, and that is possibly how the unopened bottle of wax from 20 years ago came to be stored.

It is probably well known by now, but I wanted to mention it just in case someone was unaware: slicing lemons on the sides eliminates the need to pick out the seeds. The seeds will remain in the core of the lemon, which you can use for something like the cylinder inside the juice pitcher. I keep a covered bowl of sliced lemons in the fridge for our drinking water and for hot lemon drink in the mornings.  Before you throw away the peeling, you can use it to rub remaining lemon on rough spots on your skin.  I've been doing that, and it has helped clear up my skin. I know there are so many warnings against strong sunlight and skin problems, but I found the sun also helped to clear up my complexion.

My house, my yard, my complexion....sigh...

I guess this blog IS all about me! ;-)  Seriously, that criticism came in last year---why is your blog all about you?  I guess it is because I try not to gossip about others, only about myself ;-)

There are a lot of people decluttering and trying to get down to a manageable home life. I'm finding that it happens a moment at a time. It is easy to get discouraged when I see a 20 year accumulation, but it is quite energizing to pick away at it for 20 minutes a day, and then go on to the daily routines. It has clearned my head too, so maybe I can eventually write more brilliantly. ;-)





12 comments:

Unknown said...

The reason I read your blog is because it is all about you! Your yard looks lovely and it must feel very good to have everything nice and tidy after de-cluttering. Hope you have a relaxing Sunday.

Lynn said...

Your comment about lemons really helped me...I didn't know about the slicing
'trick' and also about keeping a bowl of slices in the fridge....I always start with a whole or a half of a lemon....having to cut it before drinking the warm water .....what a waste! Now I am going to slice them and put the slices in a bowl....! Thanks Lydia!

Christine said...

I enjoy and find it interesting to read about my “friends” and what they do or how they do it!

It’s fuuny how things accumulate, without trying. I discovered antique spices in my cupboards.

Keep watering! Can’t wait to read about your upcoming Tea!

Lydia said...

When we moved every three years, we did not accumulate so much, and the deep cleaning was only done when we were ready to move out of a place and into another one. Being in the same house a long time, I was not as aware of the need to take everything out of a closet or shelf or a lower kitchen cabinet, and clean it. I have to pretend I am moving!

Dianne said...

One of the things I love so much about your blog, Lydia, is how you write about your life. It is in a humble way, not boastful, and helps us all to think and to relate to things that you speak about, whether practical or more 'lofty' thoughts. Yours is one of the few blogs that I never skip over, delete, without reading (life gets too busy for too many emails … especially when planning a wedding, lol). Sometimes just listening to someone (or reading) speak of their lives in a way meant to disclose faults, encourage others, etc., is extremely peaceful and comforting in our womanhood. Bless you!!!

amulbunny's random thoughts said...

Your glads look so healthy and pretty! I love that color.

When I was in high school we had a terrible wind storm one summer. Now they call the winds straight line and they are very damaging. They just said high winds in the late 60's. Any how I digress, the neighbor behind us 2 doors down had a lovely back yard with tables and umbrellas. One very windy day I was feeding our turtle and all of a sudden 2 umbrellas went flying like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. One blew into our next door neighbor's back yard and the other flew into a power pole and took out a transformer. Our entire block was without power for 8 hours.

Your kitchen looks great!

Trish Clark said...

The reason I enjoy your blog is because it's about you, a lady I greatly admire. I appreciate your wisdom you share and the experiences .
Thank you for opening your home and heart to us. You are a blessing to me.
Trish

living from glory to glory said...

Hello Friend, your wood floor's look great, as I know myself how dull they can get here in my home. We have had many rain showers lately and our grass is looking great after it has been so dry all summer! Miss you, I enjoy all you write about on YOUR blog ;o)
And the wind over the years have sent many things around here all the way to Kansas LOL
Roxy xo

Janet W. said...

Wow, your kitchen floors look amazing. I love wood flooring.

Anonymous said...

oh my goodness, I love your flooring, the color is beautiful!

Regina said...

My husband and I were just discussing floor wax recently after watching an old tv commercial for a product called Aerowax. It brought back memories of when our mothers waxed the floors. I can still remember some of the products she used. There was Johnson's Floor Wax, Future,Armstrong floor cleaner and many more.

Thank you for the lemon tips. I'm going to try them. Have a blessed day!

Emmarinda said...

I treasure your posts, along with all the comments, which I read faithfully.