The Week Of...THE SNAKE

Well, I told you about the snake outside our door.

But, there's more.

This week, we also had another little, tiny, ahem...snake episode.

I wasn't going to say anything, cause, you know my sweet mother-in-law might be reading this.

Hello, Memaw.  If you are reading this, please hit the X button, and go watch tv, or play with the dogs.


So, I arrived home the other evening and joined Wranglers on the porch.  It's our routine.  We catch up on the events of our day. 

When he saw that I had finished my glass of wine, he quickly offered to pour me another.

Wow!  I could get used to this.

Then, he said, "honey, there's something I need to tell you.  But I don't want to tell you.  But I really should tell you."

I'm like, "okay, just tell me already"

He says, "well, when I came home, there was a...a...well...it was a...there...was...a...snake...in...the...kitchen."


Me, "WHHAAAATT?"

A SNAKE.

IN MY KITCHEN?

Surely, this is April Fools Day.

Or not.

Folks, this was the real deal.

And now...I have been officially initiated into the country life. 

Help me.

p.s.  There are no photographs of this incident, as Wranglers disposed of the evidence, just in case he decided, you know...to keep this a secret. which he should have done.

You Gotta Watch That First Step

When you live in the country, the simple act of walking out the door can prove hazardous to your health.

You may encounter barn swallows protecting their territory, by dive-bombing your head area.

Or the latest invasion of wasps or flying ants, or you may just trip over a sleeping dog.

When you open the door, it's very important to be on high alert.



On Sunday, Wranglers opened the door to this....

This my friends, was just one step from the door. Just ONE STEP.

And we all know that snakes, especially rattlesnakes, tend to put Wranglers in a bit of a tizz.

Needless to say, he took care of the rattlesnake.

Now....he needs to take care of the gaping hole he put in the side of our house. 
See, I told you he was in a bit of a tizz!

Tuesday Tips And Tricks

 

I use old fashioned witch hazel for facial astringent-I quit buying the pricey stuff a long time ago, and achieve the same results.  

I also use it for...

Razor bumps.  Apply generously with a soft cloth or cotton ball.

 

To remove sticker adhesive.

It's also great to remove blood stains from fabric.  Wrap the stained area in a rubbberband, to isolate the area, and then immerse in witch hazel for about thirty minutes.  Then launder as usual.

I have not tried this one, but I have been told you can combine a few drops of peppermint oil with witch hazel in a spray bottle, and use it for mosquito repellant.  I think this is worth a try!

Last week, I mentioned dryer sheets.

If you happen to live in the country, where mice can be a bit of problem...

Bounce Dryer Sheets work great for warding off the evil little creatures.

We place them all throughout our camper, and for some reason, it keeps the mice away.  An added bonus...it smells great!  Way better than using moth balls or poison.  I got this tip from our local farmers, who put the Bounce Sheets in their combines and tractor cabs. 

I loved all the comments on last weeks Tips And Tricks.  Some of you left some great tips of your own, and I love that!  If you didn't stick around for the comments, go back and check them out.

Seems there are several of us who struggle with keeping our stainless appliances looking shiny and clean.  I use the rubbing alcohol for "water spots" on my stainless steel sink and other faucets throughout the house, however, I have read it can be used on appliances, as well.  That being said, I want to share the BEST stainless steel cleaner for appliances.  I have tried them all, and this is the only one that does the trick for me.

This is CLR Stainless Steel Cleaner, and you can read more about it on their website.  This is not a sponsered post, just something I wanted to share, cause it makes my life soooo much easier!  We found this at Home Depot.

Feel free to continue to shout any of your favorite tips-I love it when you do!

Fried Green Tomatoes Anyone?

Everyone in our area had a bit of a problem with garden tomatoes this year.  All over the county, everyone had plenty of beautiful tomatoes, the problem....very few of them ripened.


We are expecting our first snow in a few days, so we picked everything left in the garden.

I really, really, want these gosh dang tomatoes to ripen.  Not that I am against frying them.  I just want them to be red. 

 And juicy.

 So I can slice them.  And dice them.

 And put salt and pepper on them.  You know...the way they are meant to be.

My mom told me my Grandma used to wrap them in newspaper.  And presto, they would ripen.

So, I am gonna try this with some of them.

Now, I know there are probably some wonderful things to do with the green ones.  I just don't know any, and frankly, I am a little to miffed to research it.  So, if you have any ideas or recipes for these gosh dang stubborn maters, please...let me know.

Healthy Halloween Snacks

Last year, our little great-nephew was living with us, and I was in charge of the snacks for his kindergarten Halloween party.  I decided to go out on a limb and make something healthy.

I made these cute little jack-o-lanterns, and they were a huge hit!

You just cut the top off of the orange, remove the "meat", and carve out your design.
Then fill it with fruit.  Super easy!

The kids loved them, and even asked for seconds!

Tuesday Tips And Tricks

Living in the country means sometimes, we have to get creative and make do, with whatever we have on hand to deal with just about anything that crops up.  So, for my own sanity, and hopefully to get you out of an occasional pinch, I am going to put all of our household tips and tricks in one place.

My plan is to get my thoughts organized and post them here on Tuesdays.  This will make it much easier for us, cause, I am always asking Wranglers, what was that one thing your Grandma used to clean this type of stain?  what did my mom tell me to use to ward off the flies?  what was that crazy way my sister-in-law cleaned her sink? Anyway, you get the idea. 


Here ya go!

• Remove water spots on your stainless steel sink with rubbing alcohol.  Our water well has really, really, hard water, and I constantly battle water spots-I use this little trick on the kitchen sink and the bathroom faucets/fixtures.  Works like a charm!

• Remove scuffs from shoes by rubbing the scuff with the white side of a banana peel. 

•  Re-cycle scented dryer sheets by soaking used sheets in liquid fabric softener, squeeze out excess, and let dry.  I love this because I can keep a little recycled stash for those times I forget to pick up a box of Bounce!

Love,
Tipsy
Trixie
Blondie

          

A Visit From My Old Friend...KARMA

So, most of you know I went on a trip to meet my daughter for her doctor's appointment in Denver. 
Once that was done, we headed on to northern Colorado where she lives.

We had a couple of great days of shopping, eating out, doing her laundry, etc.

Then, I made my way south to Colorado Springs, where I was meeting Wranglers.  He had meetings, and I had to take our new car in for a minor recall.

The car dealership was kind enough to rent me a car, since I was so far from home. 

They drove me to the rental place, and the little girl was so sweet.  She told me everything was taken care of by the dealership.  So cool.

She just needed my drivers license, and a credit card.

Both formalities.

No problem.

She punched my info into the computer and handed the card and my license back.

I quickly stuffed both back into my purse.

She looked up and said, "Can I see your license again?  Apparently, I typed in the wrong expiration date."

No problem.  But....my stomach fell to the floor as I recalled my birthday last month, and a conversation I had with my brother just a couple of days earlier.

He told me how the security guy at the Denver Airport, had informed him that his drivers license had expired in July.  I remembered thinking....you are such a dumb-butt.  Who lets their drivers license expire??

Karma is such a .....never mind.

Anyway, while the sweat started to bead on my forehead, she handed my license back, once again, and said, "did you know it expired yesterday?"

In case you didn't know, there is no renting a car with an expired drivers license.  Period.

She was so sweet, she offered to drive me home.  But, when I told her "home" was four hours away, she took the offer back...maybe she isn't as sweet as I thought.  It's only four hours.  One way.

So, she took me to the nearest Kohl's, where I left no stone un-turned.

I hated like heck to call the dealership and inform them of my predicament, but they kindly sent a driver to pick me up when my car was finished.  Thank you Chevrolet.

Then, it was time to meet Wranglers at the hotel, where I had to inform him of my little situation.
Needless to say, he is still laughing and making fun his little blonde country wife, stuck in the city.

But....he  hasn't seen my Kohl's bill yet...he won't be laughing then.

Love,

Blondie

Toilet In The Yard. Normal...Or Not

                          There is an opportunity for some linky fun at the bottom of this post





Normally.... we wouldn't have a toilet in the yard.  Or wait.  Doesn't everyone have a toilet sitting out in their yard?

Wranglers thinks if we put a pretty pot, (pun intended), of flowers in it, it would look quite normal.

Me, thinks not.

This is actually sitting outside the original homestead on our place.

We are getting ready to remodel, and turn it into a cozy little guest house.  And the toilet was one of the first things to go.

Here is the front of the house...

It's got really good bones, and plenty of character, so hopefully, we can bring it back to life!


One more thing that may, or may not be normal...

Waking up each and every morning, to this...

This, my friends, is quite normal.  Happens every day.

Baxter lays right outside our bedroom, on the top of the hot tub.  It's his throne.  He thinks he is the Head Of Ranch Security, and this is where he has the best view, you know, cause he is a little on the short side.

Do you have anything that is in that gray area of "Normal...Or Not"?  If so, and you blog about it, feel free to come back here and leave a link in the comments of this post.  It might be fun!

The Little Things.

This week I have been paying attention to the little things in my everyday life.

Note, I did not say enjoying the little things, I said paying attention to the little things.

And have made some interesting discoveries.

Little things like....



I put my purse in the front seat of my car the other day.  I usually put it in the back.  On the floor.  I don't know why I do this, but I do it.  Anyway, the little seatbelt dinger went off during my entire trip home from work.   Discovery...my purse weighs as much as human being??? 


My whole body aches after washing 19 windows last Sunday.  And I have like 10 more to do.
Discovery...I don't do windows.


Waking up every morning around 2:00 am. 
Discovery...I need a bigger bedside fan.  You know,  now that I am 49.


More little things like....when you have a birthday, you really REALLY should check the expiration date on your drivers license.  Discovery... did you know, you can't even rent a car with an expired drivers license?
Even if it's only expired for one day.  At least, that is what I heard.  From somebody. Yes, there is a story here.



Little things like...I am the only one in my house who has training in putting a fresh roll of toilet paper on the roller.  Discovery...it takes a rocket scientist.  And I are one.



Giving up my french vanilla creamer in my coffee causes me to have some sort of withdrawl symptoms.  Discovery...cutting back on calories really just doesn't work for me.


Love,

The Rocket Scientist

MRI Results!!

My daughter's test results are in, and we are over-the-top, crazy happy!

The report said,  "there does not appear to be any abnormality on the pituitary." 

FINALLY!

Of course, the endocrinologist has to throw in, "well, I can't say the tumor cells are completely gone, or...that the tumor isn't  in between the 'slices'....yada yada yada..."

Hey, all I know, is this is GREAT NEWS!!!  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

She did say this is a really good sign, and if the blood test showed a prolactin level below 20 (which is lower than normal), she would decrease the dosage of one of the meds.  I forgot to tell you that several years ago, my daughter also developed thyroid disease. (Grrrrr, says momma bear)  So that medication, will be lifetime.  My daughter has really been looking forward to being able to reduce the med which helps regulate the prolactin, as the side effects are sometimes a little difficult for her to handle.

Unfortunately, her prolactin was 25, which is normal, but doc wanted it lower before reducing the med.  So, another blood test in a couple of months (which has been routine for the last 8 years).   And we wait.  Again.

Don't get me wrong, this is all very good, compared to where we were when we started.  Knowing the tumor is not visable in the MRI, is just the most fabulous feeling. 

Please know, this is a non-life threatening illness.  We feel really blessed, as there are many, many, of you who have been affected, (directly or indirectly), by illnesses which are life threatening.  And for you, I pray...

Thank you soooo much for all of your comments and e-mails!