5 thing Friday - arthritis, vinyl window film, storage bin, new jeans, Thanksgiving sammie

Maybe its been all the projects I have been doing, maybe its just old age, but the base of my thumb has been back to aching.  Weird, since it isn't even my dominant hand.

I probably need to go back to using Voltaren, but in a pinch the Tiger Balm and a brace help me at bedtime.  Lately it seems a lot of old injuries are coming back to life: elbow tenonitis, my janky knee, and the ever-present arthropathy in my shoulder. I refuse to let this slow me down.

I bought the vinyl film to re-do the dining room window and the front transom window.  I will probably get to that next week.  I had a 20% off coupon at Lowe's that was about to expire, though there is no actual rush on the project itself. I would like for the year to wind down, project-wise, but this will be an easy fix-it.

I also used that coupon on a heavy duty storage bin for the contents of the cedar chest which will GO.  That has been on my list of things to purge since I repainted the garage. The chest itself is heavy, damaged, smelly, and needs to be painted, plus there is no way I can move it around willy-nilly.  I figure I will list it on Facebook Marketplace.

I bought one and only one pair of jeans for fall/winter.  But I also found this pretty rose color tee shirt on the clearance rack at Kohl's.  $22 total for both as I had a 40% off coupon.  I don't think I really need many cold weather things this year, I have plenty. A tee shirt, jeans, and a pair of clogs can take me many places.

I wanted one of the Firehouse Subs Thank You sandwiches, then remembered, I can make that! 

My goodness it hit the spot for lunch yesterday and I have leftovers for a few more.  YUM, what a good problem to have.  And guess what? Someone volunteered to work Thanksgiving holiday for me so I will get that whole week (5 days) off!

Gina

5 thing Friday - roof, earring, photo binder, puzzle, thrifting

One day I drove up to my house and saw what looks to be a couple of loose shingles just sitting on the roof.  This does not make me happy.

Its like I told the electrician "it's always going to be something".  This roof is not old enough to be replaced just yet, so I will need to have someone get up there and investigate. These are the kinds of things that make aging in place so challenging.  Even with a strong support system or a healthy bank account it can can feel like a never-ending struggle.

I splurged on a small channel set diamond in 14kt with a flat back for this top ear piercing, only on this one ear. A treat for myself, if you will. I cannot leave the house without earrings on, no matter what I am doing.  A very weird thing leftover from childhood, I think.

I bought one gigantic 3 ring binder for three small photo albums I wanted to combine.  These are photos from high school, college, and early married life.*  I don't know why I assumed that only one would be sufficient.

I either have to go through them like I did the family albums and purge photos (I really should) or buy another 3 ring binder (I probably will).  It would be nice for all of these photos to have their new permanent home all set up so I might actually look at them.  No telling what my kids will think of them some day.  They will probably think "wait - our parents were actually people?".  Ha.

 

My latest puzzle.  I got the sewing table all cleared off because I thought The Girl was going to be here for a couple of nights while she had maintenance fix a mold issue in her vents. She ended up elsewhere, but since this workspace was cleared off I might as well spread out a new puzzle to work.  Its been ages.  Butterflies seem to keep showing up in my life.

I went thrifting exactly once for all of September.  I found a nice new chenille sweater for $7 and a glass snowflake for $3.  I guess I'm going to stick with that theme for my bedroom tree.  I'm really looking forward to having it in there all lit up at night - so pretty.

In less than 2 months the Christmas craze will be upon us, can you believe it?

Gina 

*41 years on Monday

5 thing Friday - biscuits, hanging trick, coat rack/shelf, yardwork, Bertram

 I had a hankerin' for a biscuit, so I bought some frozen jumbo sized ones.

I've been putting them in the oven, along with some link sausage, then splitting them when they're done and adding cheese and maybe a scrambled egg.  Not shown is some low sugar raspberry jam on the side and in no way is this healthy but boy, is it good.

Ok, so I ordered a shelf with hooks from Home Depot for the empty wall.  And the directions for assembly were simple, if not time-consuming.

I have a trick for centering things on the wall.  I use painter's tape and a Sharpie to mark where the hangers or holes are:

Like so.  Then I place the the tape on the wall where I want the item to go, using my yardstick and level to be sure the holes are centered and the item will hang straight.  Then I make a pilot hole, pull the tape off the wall, push in a wall anchor (if needed), and hang the item up.  Easy peasey.

For now the top shelf holds just simple decor.

And my tote and purse have a place to live.  I might hang art on the wall above the shelf, too.  But today is mowing day! Plus, I need to wash a month of dust and bird poop off my car.

The sprinkler going off without having to think about it is lovely.  The backyard smells cool and fresh on Thursday mornings and it looks like the grass has started growing again.  On Tuesday I sat out here and watched a rather large and beautiful skunk make its way down along the fence line into the neighbor's yard.  I sat there frozen in place, coffee cup in hand, ha ha.

After my pedicure yesterday I made my usual jaunt down the sidewalk to the Bertram Library thrift store.  Remember these coin operated horses?  There was one outside of every grocery store in the 60's.  We used to beg to ride the horse!  I wonder if this is for sale?

Then I went to the gift shop on the other end of the building and looked at everything.  Just bopping around shopping for nothing in particular can be very therapeutic.  This place is scented beautifully, too.

No trip to Bertram is complete for me without sipping wine and enjoying the peace and quiet out in what feels like the middle of nowhere.  I love it.

Happy weekend - September is slipping by!

Gina

5 thing Friday - a butterfly, garage light, side table, lunching, journaling

**I don't have it in me to reflect on Sept. 11th on this blog**

  

The butterfly that the tattooist came up with - and no, I didn't add anything else.

She's very pretty - but we did not discuss the amount of shading she was going to do!  I broke rule #1 which is make sure you agree on every. stinkin'. detail in advance. Its very pretty - don't get me wrong.  But she is still healing so I will show her in the future.

It was a four hour appointment, and this lady was very tired at the end of it!  I grabbed a few groceries, ate a very simple dinner, drank some wine, and was in bed before 9 p.m. Its amazing to me how quickly I get worn out in my old age.

A friend gave me a referral to an electrician to come install my garage light, so he came by yesterday and I can cross that off the list of things to fix.

Its nice to have light out here without having to open one of the doors. Not cheap, FYI.

He is also going to remove the broken ceiling fans from two bedrooms and replace with a standard light fixture - I just need to go buy those.  He said he wouldn't charge me the service fee when he returns as it only took him about 20 minutes to install the garage light. Sweet!  I have never liked the light from these fans and the bulbs are pricey.

The additional small table arrived and I had it put together in about 10 minutes. I just shopped my house for things to set on it for now.  For Christmas, the fiddle leaf fig will go live in the office and the Christmas tree will be set up in here.

My kids seem to "accidentally" leave things at my house*.  Since The Girl needed her quilt, I fixed her a birthday lunch  of mixed greens salad with apple vinaigrette, spicy pumpkin samosas, butternut soup, and this cake:

Its that viral cake mix where the guy tells you to throw the box away and add an extra egg, a stick of butter, extra vanilla, and milk. It bakes at a lower temperature, then you frost with a warmed up tub of chocolate icing.  This is The Girl's favorite cake combo!

She will be 35 tomorrow - how is that possible?

I have been journaling a LOT lately.  Its as though the mental dam broke and I have a lot to process.  I have found some great prompts on the internet - not all about grief.  Some colored pens help me stay engaged with it. I'm hoping I can destroy all of my journals someday, as the emotions in them are pretty frank.  But just in case? There is a disclaimer inside that says "these are my private thoughts and not meant for anyone else to read!".  

Everyone was warned, ha ha.

Gina

*I have a theory about that, but as I have said before, I am not a storage unit!

5 thing Friday - CDs, sprinkler system, enchiladas, side table, tattoo

 This has been a spendy week. But not on frivolous things, in my humble opinion!

  I pulled all of the CDs out of the CD carousel and went through them twice.  I pulled the ones out I thought I might listen to again, maybe 20 or so.  The rest? I will have to figure out how to get rid of them. They can't go into the trash or recycling, but perhaps I can donate them.  Same as the cassettes, and I have yet to purge those. I would try to sell the CDs to Half Price Books, but they have no plastic holders. I will investigate.  In the meantime, I am actually listening to some of them!

I was going to have the fence guy replace a couple of sprinkler heads and cap some off, but a leaky one told me there was a bigger problem afoot, and I was right.  It involved replacing a valve so I just had the sprinkler company do the whole thing. They also fixed some pop-ups and re-set the timer for me.  Now to make a plan for working on the front lawn.  Money, marbles, and chalk as Mark would say.

I had a yen for mole enchiladas, so I made some!  I bought the jarred sauce, reconstituted it with chicken broth and some extra seasonings (froze a lot of the sauce for future me), then stewed some chicken thighs in some of the sauce. Then I shredded the chicken, rolled it up in chicken in corn tortillas, topped with extra sauce and cheese, and baked for about 25 minutes.  With a side of green beans and refrieds it was OMG delicious.

I think this room is where the Christmas tree will live this year.  There's plenty of room in front of the windows without a table full of photo project spread out!  So, I ordered another of those $31 side tables from Target for the right side of the couch.  I think the lit tree will brighten up the space a bit, too.

Easy to assemble and very sturdy!  So we can all sit in here (whoever comes by that day) and we will have a place to set our cups of cocoa or coffee.  I also ordered a wood and metal coat rack for the hall leading into the den.  It coordinates with this simple style.  I will show that when I have it installed.

Next item on the list: installing a new light fixture in the garage and I have someone to do that, we just have to arrange a time.  After that, I will contact someone about getting the garage door motors rebalanced so I can use them properly.  Currently I have to stand there and press the button the entire time so that they close. And no, there's nothing blocking the laser light so that's annoying.

Its always gonna be something.

BUT...

Something for me. We can call it birthday gift, something to mark (no pun intended) an anniversary, or just a recommitment to myself gift.  These are some inspiration pictures from my tattoo artist, who is very talented.

Either way, its not something for the house! Next week it will be added to my existing tattoo along with some smaller blooms, just below the chrysanthemum.  When its all finished, I will show a photo of it.  For me, butterflies represent the nature of change and hope.

Fitting, I think!  Have a great weekend,

Gina

5 thing Friday - kimchi fries, dead lawn, pop-ups project, empty fridge, pecan tree

I've been eating most of my meals at home, but I do take myself to a new-to-me place now and again for lunch.

There is a tiny restaurant near me that makes kimchi fries with bulgogi that I enjoyed yesterday. Looks like it is family owned and the lady working there with her daughter were very friendly.  Customer service goes a long way with me, so I will go back and try some other things.

Most people's lawns in my neighborhood look similar to mine - struggling. The heat here is terrible - temps over 100 every day and no rain. I don't even know what I am watering.

For some reason, the backyard is doing much better.  Both of them could benefit from the sprinkler system being back on line.

So today I need to get out there and begin the process by marking all of the pop-ups with flags.  I also want to rig a sort of flow thru for a spot near the front door that floods when it rains. (which seems ironic) 

Have you ever done a deep clean on your fridge, tossing out things that you know you won't get to and ruthlessly culling through the condiments, then stand back and think "well, I have nothing to eat"?  I mean I do have Coke Zero, eggs, and bread, so there's that.  Today I need to visit Ye Olde grocery store and prep meals for work.

The pecan tree that the neighbor and I share got a big chop. It needed it, and now my oak tree will not have to fight so hard to get some sun back here. This pecan tree was planted by a squirrel, right on the fence line, many years ago, from some pecans my mother sent home with us to shell.

It produces many nuts, which the squirrels love to eat under my table.  I think they were doing the same to the neighbor, so he screened in his patio.  I would be cleaning this every. single. day. so I'm just not stressing it.  There's no one here but me anyway.  And now I'm off to buy food! Have a great Friday!

Gina

5 thing Friday - fence, flowers, muffins, small tasks, photo album project DONE

When the tree trimmers left, I noticed that the entire length that included the gate was barely hanging on to the post.  I thought it was post rot because its so moist back here.  Now that the canopy is higher on these trees, it can dry out a bit.

But. It was termites.

 

My favorite fence guy came to replace the post.  And this was what it looked like on Thursday morning.  Fence fixed, just needs a clean up.

I straightened out those edging bricks and the red rocks, then I power washed all of it.  I will probably seal it like I did the deck. I bought some red rocks to fill in, and will treat for carpenter ants and termites.  Never a dull moment.

While Charlie was here he replaced a random picket. Ha. (the whole fence should be power washed but I'm not gonna) Then he told me that he also repairs sprinkler systems - WHAT!  So next week I will survey all of my pop-ups and he can cap them or replace the heads and help me program the watering.

A late afternoon (dark) photo of my weekly small bouquet for the kitchen.  For $3, it is a visual reminder to show myself love. This can come in many forms: taking a long nap, eating lunch out, laying on my couch with a book, sitting on my deck with my morning coffee...all because someone loves me - ME.

While I waited for Charlie to finish the post, I made some banana muffins with mini chocolate chips for my breakfasts.  This is mainly why I don't buy bananas. Probably I should just buy fewer.  I froze most of them and will pack them in my work breakfasts.

after

A quick-ish project: clean your A/C coils and remove leaf debris from around the unit. I guess its been 2 years since I have. The hardest part was holding the fan up with one arm, doing everything else with the other. I ended up getting a bruise on my arm from I-don't-remember, and a burn on the inner upper arm.  Plus, yes, I should have done this project earlier in the day.

before

But its done now.  Off the list. Always - turn off the A/C, turn the HVAC breaker off, unplug the unit, lift the grate being mindful of not damaging the fan blades, clean out leaf debris from the unit's pan, spray both inside and outside of unit fins with the "shower" setting of your outdoor hose. This time I also used a Simple Green spray cleaner I found in the garage and I let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Making my yard 1% better when I can - cleaning out under the crepe myrtle.  I demolished a bunch of overgrown tradescantia (Wandering Jew).  I sprayed the rest of a bottle of weed killer back there, too.  After the pop-up back there is fixed, I will add some sod, so close-up views to come.  Another 1% item - I distributed a bag of mulch under the trees and such out here.

That photo album project is underwhelmingly over and 10-12 photo albums have been condensed to a little less than a full 5 and are in their new forever home.  Its going to feel so great not to see this on my to do list!

Have a good weekend,

Gina