They Were Taunting Me

The nasty, late-summer, early-fall plague of fruit flies.  Yuck.

I'd covered our fruit, hidden some in the cabinets (which only meant "out of sight, out of mind" and some very overripe bananas!), and put bleach in the drains at night, which had worked in previous years.  We still had an army of flies that was spreading into the other rooms of the house.  

I looked online and crafted a highly recommended trap of an empty water bottle.  I cut off the top and inverted it into the main part of the bottle, filled with a good amount of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of liquid dish detergent.  The idea was that the cider vinegar's odor would draw them and they'd try to walk on its surface, but the soap would alter the surface so that they'd sink instead.  Also, the flies would go down the funnel created by the inverted top, and be less likely to fly back out, even if they didn't contact the soap, because of the small opening.  Additionally, I narrowed the opening by putting tape across part of it. 

After half a day, I could see one fruit fly, still flying around inside one of the 2 traps, but there were lots more, just hanging around the top and sides of the bottles -- just taunting me.

Coincidentally, Princess Sassy linked an article to my Facebook timeline that had instructions for another type of trap.  This one seemed so simple, it was easy to try it, but I didn't think it'd be much more successful than the others.

This one used a small Mason jar (I'd think a wide glass would work).  I was supposed to fill it 2/3 to 3/4 with apple cider vinegar, add a couple drops of liquid dish detergent, then fill the rest with water, in order to top the jar with bubbles.  

The idea here would be, again, that the flies would be drawn to the cider vinegar smell, but land on the bubbles, from which they couldn't escape.

In just a half hour or so, there were flies trapped in the bubbles.  

Within couple more hours, there were many, many.  Sure, there were some flies on the edge of this trap, too, but I felt more confident that they'd take the leap and hit the bubbles sooner or later.

It sort of looks like we have open glasses of beer sitting around the room, but, besides being more effective, I think they're much more attractive than the cut-up plastic bottles.

When the bubbles subside or get too full of flies, I dump off the top inch or so, and add more water (more soap, if necessary), in order to create another head of bubbles.  Every day or 2, I dump the whole thing and start over, fearing I am diluting the vinegar too much with the occasional additions of water.

To guarantee better success at eradication of the pests, I used the vacuum to suck up as many as I could from their favorite landing areas.  We are not fly-less yet, but now feel confident in regaining control of the kitchen.

Did You Know this about Windex?

The father on My Big Fat Greek Wedding-- You know, if you're old enough, the guy who was really Room 222's Principal Kaufman-- proclaimed that Windex was good for all sorts of problems and ailments.  I've seen jewelers use it to slide rings off swollen fingers.  But I'd never heard of this...

 

Prince Go-for-It knelt in a teammate's discarded gum, then, trying to be helpful, removed the bulk of it, leaving a ground-in gum stain instead.

I searched the internet and found several recommended solutions, most with very mixed reviews as to the effectiveness.  There was so little gum left, icing it didn't help, because there was not enough left to peel off.  I was afraid to try any of the oily hints (WD-40, peanut butter, etc.), and trade the gum mark for a grease spot.








Hot vinegar sounded like it might work, as it was supposed to dissolve the gum off the fabric, but I was upstairs, and felt too lazy to deal with the heating and all involved.  When I saw the Windex hint, I thought that sounded like a close alternative... and easy to do while sitting right there on my bed, watching Castle.  ;-)

I'm happy to report it was a success!  When I finished, and put them in the washer, I could see a tiny hint of the spot's outline remaining.  


The prince ran off with the pants as soon as they came out of the dryer the next morning, so I didn't get an "after" picture, but Go-for-It says he couldn't see any evidence of the gum, and was happy to look spiffy for his next game.

A New Appreciation for Early

I am a late bloomer... or a slow study.  My mom always extolled the value of early morning hours while we were growing up.  She did things like threw open the curtains, and chirped about lovely mornings being wasted away in bed...  I didn't buy it, and did my best to roll over and try to go back to sleep.  I was a night owl, and decidedly not a morning person.  Although, I believed, and still do, actually, that it wasn't a decision, but a genetic inheritance for night-owl-ism from my dad.

I just knew my mom, who had spent her life 'rising early to lay out my dad's clothes, cook his breakfast, and pack his and all of our lunches, would be, at the least, disappointed to know Hubby spent most of my stay-at-home-mom years arising early by himself, making his own breakfast, and grabbing whatever he could find to take for lunch.  When the older kids got to the point of taking a few classes at the high school, they did the same for themselves.  The younger, homeschooled kids and I got up and going later.   Pregnancies, and, more recently, perimenopause, made getting up early very difficult for me.  

I didn't realize how much I had been struggling until I started taking bio-identical hormone replacement, and got my sleep back, and with it, some ability to face mornings.

I haven't adjusted my nighttime routines well enough to get me a full night's sleep, but this year, I've been getting up to make sure all those leaving the house have breakfast, and a full lunch to take with them.  Often I think I'll fall back in bed after they leave.  But I never do.  Although tired, I'm pretty awake by that time, and I know it would probably make me feel worse, rather than better, to sleep more.  Plus, I no longer want to waste those mornings away in bed!


I admit that for several months, I mostly still wasted that time by sitting in a sleepy fog at the computer.  As soon as I sat down, it seemed to be over.  If there weren't any more emails to read, I'd find something to research or blogs to read.

Taste of Home Coconut Bread Recipe
The description said everyone would be begging
for the recipe, so how could I NOT make it?!
It certainly was a hit.  Since I didn't have
coconut extract, I used vanilla, and subbed
coconut oil for the vegetable oil.  I also used
unsweetened coconut.  

But last Tuesday, I got a new lease on mornings.  We were scheduled to host our church small group that night, and I wanted to bake for that.  We had bananas that were definitely ready to become banana bread.  As I searched out a recipe in our Taste of Home Baking Cookbook, my eyes landed on a recipe for Coconut Bread, so I made that, too.  As 3 loaves of banana bread, and 2 loaves of coconut baked away in the oven, I boiled a pot of eggs, and also cooked some chicken breast pieces to use in dinner, with enough for the next couple days of lunch salads and sandwiches.  I started laundry and studied our chapter for that night's discussion. By noon, I had a lot to show for my day, and was on a roll to accomplish more.  I was amazed at what starting early could mean.

Most days, I think that since I'm home all day, I have all day to get things done, so there's 'no hurry.'  But that rarely works.  I get busy, distracted... usually, both... and often things I'd intended move to the next day's to-do list.  I'm going to admit here that sometimes those things include basics, like taking a shower and getting dinner started!  Not that we don't eat dinner some nights, but I have often had to 'punt' at the last minute, instead of preparing what I'd planned, but didn't start early enough.

Yesterday, I got up out of this computer chair early, read my chapter for tonight, then with the rest of the morning dedicated to cutting, and the afternoon to sewing, I made a robe for my mom that I'd been

meaning to make for her birthday... In September.  It was supposed to be her cozy, winter robe...   I think it'll still be chilly enough here to make it useful for a couple of months, but I could've had it to her earlier, if I'd learned earlier to make use of my earlier hours in the day!

Many of you are probably shaking your head, having known this for years and years.  I confess, I've suffered the sins of selfishness, laziness, and indiscipline.  But I'm growing, and hope I'm coming out of it.  Over half my life is behind me, and I want to do as much as I can with what's left.  Today, I've cleaned our stove while my coffee brewed, and now I've written out this post.  Usually, I would commiserate, correct, and tailor, then play with photos until it was to a certain level of perfection I expect to present of myself to you.  

Today, though, I have another goal, so I'm done sitting here.  After I shift laundry, come up with a dinner plan, and probably start some bread, I want to see if I can get the wisp of an idea that's been floating in my head for an art-tile inspired quilt I might want to make for our living room wall to take form on paper... So I'm off to do so.  Have a great day!

There Must Be a Lesson in this Somewhere

I've told you previously (here) that our nice and always-reliable 2002 Toyota Sienna van made a horrible, metal-grinding/scraping noise upon trying to start it the evening of Princess Bossy's wedding rehearsal.  Hubby tried it a few time a couple days later, and had the same issue.  He quit trying, as, from the screeching cacophony, he was sure he was ruining something. 

 It's been sitting in our yard, dead, ever since, awaiting funds to fix it, as any financial flexibility to do our usual...pay, then play catch-up... was absorbed by the 2 summer weddings. 


We meant to take care of it "soon," but time flew by, and it was suddenly past a year.  

We'd spent all summer inconveniently sharing vehicles to cover errands, activities, and 2 kids with jobs, and we needed it back in the line-up, especially with another kiddo about to get her license.

Letting a car sit for that long, ignored, is not a good plan.  --Unless you like to clean mold/mildew from virtually every surface and relish a musty odor.  Ewww.  The discovery of colorful and strangely textured things, like former oranges that had rolled under the seat and a cup from cereal left in one of the back storage trays, didn't exactly add fun to the adventure, either!


During a hot, dry spell, I opened all the doors and let it air out for a few days.  Then I went after the hard surfaces with a white vinegar solution, and scrubbed the carpets and upholstery with help from Resolve Carpet Triple Oxi Advanced Carpet Stain Remover, which has proved itself over and over again to us when the newlywed's puppy soiled our house carpets and for other stains.   It did a good job in the car, too, and soon it was looking pretty clean.  

After some further airing, I sprayed down all with Lysol Neutra Air sanitizing spray, hoping to kill off any remaining mildew (which it seemed to), and in an unsuccessful attempt to clear the air. (I think I was asking too much of it.)
I am now hoping that Auto Vaccine ClO2 car interior odor eliminator will take care of the remaining smell.  --It's on it's way and I'll let you know how it works.





ANYway... We finally had it towed to the garage for repair.  

Of course, after all the time, and because it was the original, the battery was dead.  The mechanic wanted to see what he was up against with the starting issue, so he jumped the battery.





Then he started the car.  Then restarted the car.  And started the car again!

No grinding.  No scraping.  No hiccups at all, just purring.  So he replaced the battery, changed the oil, and did other timely maintenance.  It still started fine every time and still does.  That's nice, and it was cheaper, I'm sure... But it also would've been nice to know the problem was found and eliminated.

So WHY did it sit, worthless, in our yard all that time?  Was it a blessing in disguise?  Were we supposed to learn something?  I do have a renewed appreciation for the smooth-running, reliable machine, which handles a trip to Costco for our family with ease, and allows 7 of us to go to church or Grandma's in one car.  

So, I guess,

Ours is not to reason why... Ours is but to thank and drive!

Frustration

As you may, or may not, have noticed, this week, I missed a few days of blogging, only to follow up that absence with a comparatively lame post about an apple peeler.  Not to belittle the help it may have been to those interested, but it wasn't exactly the profound, beginning of the new year thoughts I'd hoped to share.  --But 4 days into 2012, I had to post something!


I've been struggling with a few things.  

• I've been trying to formulate my goals and tasks for the coming year.  I feel there are more swirling around in the back of my head and heart than are spilling out on my note pad, but I can't seem to grasp them clearly.  

• My brain isn't helping --either a bit of hormonal imbalance, or, most likely, remaining fatigue from nights up with sick kids over the holidays. But my mind won't let go of words I need, thoughts are a jumble, and I have to specifically think through routine, usually mindless tasks to make sure I'm doing them in the proper order... Like brake, shift into Park, and then turn off the car.  

• I've been kitchen cleaning.  Mostly alone.  When everyone was sick around Christmas, I decided to do more than my usual so that my chore-doers could relax.  While doing so, I thought I'd demonstrate a new standard of cleanliness in hopes that others would fall into maintaining it.  Mostly, I hoped for reactions something like, "Wow, this looks great so clean.  When I make something to eat, I'll take care of the dishes and food right away so it stays this way."  The family seems to have surmised, instead, "If no one steps up, Mom - or whatever mythical creature did this - will do it all."    

• All of my cleaning hasn't even been wholly successful... Over the holidays, the cream puff filling and a pot of cocoa splashed over the edges of their pans and made pools in the hot pans under the burners on the rangetop.  Tuesday, I dismantled the whole thing, and scrubbed away at the remaining spots.  After quite a time, and not much progress, I turned to fume-free oven cleaner.  It sounded like the last-resort option, and I was no longer willing to try something that 'might' work.  I generously sprayed the underpans from the stove, and left it to sit overnight, the amazing foam, supposedly eating away all of the cooked on problems.  In the morning, I scrubbed some more, and added more oven cleaner, and did the same again in the afternoon.  I'd say that for most of the areas, this did a better job than other solutions.  But we still have ample evidence of the holiday spills on our most often used burner pans. 

The cleaner ones

The clean, but not clean ones

• Too many bills await me...  

• And my back hurts.

School starts back in today, so maybe a more regular routine will help.  I'm sorry if this comes off as whining.  I truly think that it is a bit of spiritual warfare... Which I've come to believe means I'm probably on the right track with something in my faith journey.  So I'll take it as a good sign and keep forging ahead. 

And things aren't all bad... I had apple pie for breakfast (and lunch!), the foundation walls for the garage addition were poured this week, and because I haven't been in a hurry to move on, 

I'm still enjoying what I think is the most beautiful Christmas tree we've ever had.  --I believe I think that every year!  :-)