Many years ago a friend told me his retiring father chose to live out his life in an average Florida neighborhood as opposed to a retirement community.
The father said he wanted to be among, or at least be able to see and hear, young people again, as opposed to, well, you know.
For a couple years now, my now-6-year-old neighbor girl has brought me cookies and madog Shayna treats, and about the only thing I do for her is buy Girl Scout cookies or something.
But these warm spring days there have been more visits. ‘There’s nothing to do at my house,? she said, ‘Can I play with your dog??
And, Shayna will just sit and look up at Bethany for as long as Bethany will pet and talk to her. Oh, yeah, she has a full vocabulary. Bethany, not Shayna.
Lately, while planting some 7 flats of flowers, Bethany offered to help plant. ‘I’m good at planting,? she told me as she reached down to push dirt around some marigolds.
‘You know,? she offered, ‘You’re supposed to break open the soil around the plants when you put them in the ground. That way they will grow faster.?
Now, I have been raising county fair acceptable flowers for 50 years. I’ve gotten magnificent blooms. My plants last until frost and grow without any soil breaking.
Bethany just stood there over my kneeling body, using body language to inform me I was planting wrong and please do as I tell you.
So, I broke the soil on the last three plants in my 4-plant container. It seemed to make her day.
But the point is Bethany is so darn cute, friendly, well-mannered and smart that I don’t want to move away from her either. She’s such a delight, especially when she brings me Brownies, and plays with madog.
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I’ve continued Hazel’s clothes washing ingredients ; Detergent, bleach, softener.
But for the last year or so I’ve begun questioning the need. Soap I understand. My problem comes via a question. If the soap is removed by rinsing, wouldn’t the bleach and softener also be removed?
Adding to my questioning is the cost. I’m spending six bucks a bottle for stuff that may be just merchandising.
Hazel had this Vivid bleach for stain removing, plus a spray-on and rub-on stain remover. We all know there are different levels of stain, and some can be removed only by scissors. So, why not wash our clothes in detergent, look at them before drying and make an educated decision on the next move?
As for the softener, since I quit using it I can feel no difference between the before and after of my shirts and skivies.
Until convinced otherwise, I’m leaving the yellow and blue bottles on the shelf. Better sell your Proctor and Gamble stock.
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Lack of closet space has driven sales of home organizing products to more than $6 billion annually. Such pushers of these products are digging in big-time on garages.
I think the biggest reason for 3-car garages is not for another car, but for storage. Ordinances often forbid outbuildings, and we have to put our lawn equipment, kids? plastic slides, etc. and snowmobiles, trailers, etc someplace.
And, since we supposedly can’t live with clutter, the organizing companies are becoming especially active in garages.