Thursday, February 11, 2021

Follow Me For More Household Tips


That, my friends, is how I get seeds into the bird feeder. Although those tongs are ludicrously long, I can still barely reach the platform where the seeds need to go with them. I bought those tongs because I wanted new tongs and they were marked down at Publix and I never would have chosen to buy such long tongs (Long Tongs would be a good band name, don't you think?) but I have used them to reach things on high shelves far more than I have used them for actual tonging purposes. My children and grandchildren laugh at me when I do this but I am used to being a source of amusement for them. I do have a step ladder but why bother with that when I can just reach for my handy long tongs and grab that oatmeal right off the shelf with them? 

Needs must, as our beloved Brit friends say. Or at least Brit Lit would have me believe they do. Do y'all really say that? I hope so. It sounds so cheerful and self-reliant. 

Yesterday I had so much energy and got so much done. I was amazed at the end of the day how good I felt after all the physical activity I'd done. The little health widget on my phone said that I had taken well over 10,000 steps and I believed it. I hardly stopped moving all day. I was about to google, "Does the covid vaccine make people feel great?" I felt years younger than I have been feeling lately. 
It was wonderful!
So. You know what happened today.
I haven't felt bad or particularly tired but I sure haven't matched yesterday's activity level. The only walk I took was to the post office. I cleaned the hen house and put the poopy hay on some roses that never really bloom anyway. I noticed that the mulberry tree is getting the tiniest green tips on its branches. It will be busting out leaves before I know it. I finally attacked part of the little garden bed beside the kitchen where the bananas grow and where we got the cherry laurel cut down. In theory, I am going to make an herb and flower garden there, now that it will get more light. Of course there are things growing in the bed that are...invasive. Didn't see that coming, did you? I have two big patches of what may be turmeric growing and they just looked horrendous. I have no memory whatsoever of planting these things, whatever they are, and most of the leaves got frozen and turned brown and dry and I've been meaning to do something about them for quite awhile so today I got out my pruners and shovel and attacked one of the clots of them, listening to the impeachment trial via my phone and ear pods the whole time. 
Now a lot of the things I do aren't really that strenuous. Trimming things, pulling weeds in the garden, cleaning out the hen house, planting vegetables. They're just basically leisurely acts that don't require a lot of physical strength or activity. But digging up thickly rooted plants is not in that category. I would dig for awhile and then get down on my knees and pull and yank and then get up and dig some more. The roots on this plant don't go down too far but they are dense and don't want to give up their dirt home. 


I had to take several breaks and here's Miss Alice scratching about to see what I've uncovered while I was taking one of them. I finally got that clump done, dumped the dead trimmings over beside the garage where we leave such things, and put the roots in bags to do something else with because if I put them anywhere near the ground, they'll just take root and take off and I'd have the same problem, just in a different place. 
Don't ask me how I know this. 
There's a whole other bunch of them over where the bananas are growing but I just couldn't face that today. I came in and took a shower and settled on the couch and tried to find something on Netflix to watch and after about half an hour of that (I wish that was hyperbole but it's not) I gave up. 
I have changed clothes four times today. Again- no exaggeration. It was coolish when I got up and so I dressed for that. When I went to the post office I received a pair of overalls that I'd ordered from the Gap and I brought them home and tried them on and I have no idea whose body they were made for. Perhaps an orangutan's. However, because they make it almost impossible to send anything back and because they were on major sale, I just kept them on and changed to a tank top to work outside in. After my shower I changed into a different pair of overalls and a different tank top and now it is getting cooler and so I am wearing the original pair of overalls I put on this morning and a shirt with sleeves. 
Do you do this? I know I do it because of the way the temperature here can vary from morning to afternoon to evening, especially this time of year, and because my activities vary as well. God knows I don't want to wear my GOOD overalls to do yard work in. 

I just talked to Mr. Moon. He's on his way home but still in Louisiana and will stop for the night soon. It was good to talk to him and it will be even better to see him tomorrow. He has his Camaro and he's a happy man. 

The frogs are screaming. I think I'm going to go make some risotto, just because I can. I believe I still have enough energy to do some intense stirring. Who knows? I may sleep until noon tomorrow.
I doubt it. 

Love...Ms. Moon

38 comments:

  1. Seriously ... you have the most interesting days! I love your blog ... you and Bee Haven Acres are my 2 favorite blogs!

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  2. When you said Long Tongs I thought it might be a stripper name. I really enjoy reading your blog each day - just found you a short time ago.

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    1. Long Tongs would make a decent stripper name. I'm glad you found the blog and I'm glad you enjoy reading it!

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  3. If only those tongs were silver, it would be just about perfect. Peeper frogs. I cannot tell you how envious I am. Temperatures that wander from warm to cold. More envy. I'm freezing my butt off. I am headed to bed myself. I am tired, and tomorrow there is no school. I may sleep 'til noon myself. Except that I'll be up by 8.

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    1. I know that a whole lot of the country is freezing their butts off. Not here. I wish it were a little cooler, actually.
      I hope you got to sleep in some!

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  4. I remember an Artic Vortex plunging down almost to the Ohio River one year. Now it's reaching for Texas.
    I use my cane for top shelves. Drag that box of salt right to the edge then tip it over and catch it.

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    1. I know! Ellen's going to get temps in the teens! That's crazy.
      Canes work too, I imagine. I'm still in the tong stage.

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  5. I know all about leaving roots anywhere near the ground. I’ll admit to planting a thing or two that became invasive.Unfortunately I also know about roots stubborn enough to make me fall on my butt trying to yank them. The need to work in the soil is strong though so I guess that’s the price. I’m sad we won’t get the cold front, the older I get the less heat tolerant I seem to be getting.
    Xoxo
    Barbara

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    1. Me too, Barbara. Same-same with me and the heat tolerance. And I may have fallen a few times trying to rip up roots myself. That's why I get on my knees now.

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  6. I have what is called a grabber which I bought in a drug store. Good for picking up the newspaper from the sidewalk and picking up the empty dog and cat food bowls. Your Long Tongs (rock band) sound like they serve a similar purpose.

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  7. Those long tongs would be handy for me and so would the overalls.

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  8. Hi, from the UK! We most definitely DO say "Needs must". Well, we do around here, anyway!

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  9. I'm getting to where I'll need something like those tongs. As I lose height with age, there's more tiptoe then jumping to reach things.

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    1. Yeah. Jumping isn't really a thing I do anymore. I recommend the long tongs.

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  10. Grew up in the UK so saying, "Needs must" is still part of my vocabulary. Then there are my (Brit) mother's favorite sayings such as, "This won't get the baby a new hat," (a knitting metaphor) stated if she spent too long over a cup of tea and should get back to work. Or if someone went on about all the places they went, "You do get around in your tea half hour."

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    1. I love those! "This won't get the baby a new hat." That is so great. And "You do get around in your tea half hour" is a very musical phrase. Good rhythm to it!

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  11. I'm starting to think I need some overalls.

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  12. Bummer about the overalls, could converting them to a dress help? I totally relate to the clothes changing issue mostly because I think menopause broke my internal thermostat. It's polar cold today and I will dress for that and then slowly undress through the day as I get all hot and sweaty. Is it funny that I can't wear my warm winter nighty to bed? It's tank tops or nothing at this point.

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    1. No, these overalls have problems in the length of the torso part as in- way too long. So a dress would have the same issue.
      Menopause broke my thermostat too. Something did, anyway. All those stinking hot flashes probably did it. I wear the lightest night gown possible to bed.

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  13. No, I think you are wrong - you are amazingly busy! All of the things you list that you have worked on and having to change clothes because you are sweaty or dirty are all signs that you are working too hard!
    It is cold here so I wear sweatpants and sweatshirts every. single.day. It is too cold to get sweaty and there is too much snow so I don't go out to get dirty. Sweatsuit all day and flannel pj's at night.
    Love your blog!

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    1. I'm not working too hard. I just sweat too much! Your wardrobe sounds most suited to your environment. Keep staying warm!

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  14. Yep I say "needs must" too. And maybe they put speed into your covid vax by mistake. Sounds rather pleasant to me!

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  15. I dug up a huge clump of those tiny yellow iris that they plant in parking lots that get full sun because it was crowding a rose and instead of pulling over to the spot I thought I wanted it where it will get more sun and do better I just left it about 3 feet away and never looked back and of course it rooted itself where it lay. it took me about an hour to dig it up the first time!

    I do not buy clothes or shoes online sight unseen or untried on. for that very reason. and I have days when I'm very active walking all over the place, back and forth, and I never get 10,000 steps. my phone app must be defective. yeah, that's it.

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    1. What would we do with our time if we weren't constantly trying to rearrange and get rid of plants and oh yeah, planting more plants?
      You're smart in not buying what you can't try on but I have had some good luck with online clothes shopping.
      I did take a three-mile walk the day that my app said I walked over ten thousand steps so there is that.

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  16. Those ginger-type plants DO take over. Our turmeric hasn't even come up yet. (If it's even still alive.) You always say you haven't done much and then you relate all these things you've done!

    Your tongs remind me that when I had Christmas lights on our avocado tree, I couldn't reach the switch to turn them on and off. I had to use an umbrella and poke the switch with the tip. Dave called it my "Zorro move."

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    1. Zorro Move! That's great. I guess I'm Edwina Scissorhands. Or, Mary Tonghands. Whatever works, right?

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  17. GOOD OVERALLS!!!!!!!! hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

    Girl, I KNOW.

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  18. Why is no one telling you it's from the phrase 'Needs must when the Devil drives'??
    Also, what is 'Brit Lit'? Stop that!

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    1. I've never heard the entire phrase!
      And forgive me if I have offended.

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    2. Not offended at all, it's just... Well I can't think of an equally cheesy US bersipn. Yank Lit? That sounds a) terrible and b) like an altogether different kind of fiction!

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