Check for Cobwebs Hodgepodge

Since Jo From This Side of the Pond brought up the subject of cleaning in this weeks Wednesday Hodgepodge I had to dig up this photo of me ready to clean the house sometime in the past. Thank you Jo for asking the questions!

When serious cleaning needs to be done including washing the floors on my hands and knees this would be a picture of readiness. LOL. Knee pads. Three pocket apron where I like to keep glass cleaning rags in one side and on the opposite side non glass cleaning rags. Never mix chlorine and ammonia as in bleach cleaners and window cleaners! Middle pocket I use for trash and other things I pick up along the way.

People have a wide range when defining clean.  When we rent a place to stay and someone says it’s clean and I can see dust bunnies and all other kinds of things that are not clean, I get miffed, especially when they add in a $200 cleaning deposit!

That said, I enjoy a cozy home, it does not have to be perfectly cleaned, unless I’m paying for it to be clean.

On to this weeks questions!

1. Your favorite cleaning product?
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Amway used to have a product called Zoom and it was a great all purpose cleaner. I have different favorites for different tasks today. Dawn for dishes, Comet for toilets, Tide for laundry, Windex for glass or Vinegar and water. Kitchens are a little more complicated now with the added granite surfaces that you need a special cleaner for, stainless surfaces with their own special cleaner, glass top ranges with special cleaner. OYE! 
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Do you clean your own house or hire out?
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I clean my own home.  We do hire out window cleaning since we moved to the country…twice a year. 
I used to have a housecleaning business, Fresh Start, back in the late 80’s and early 90’s.
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Most disliked household chore?
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Dusting has always been a bit tedious for me but at this country bungalow with hard well water our shower that has 10 years of deposits on the glass doors etc. is very frustrating to clean. I’m looking forward to replacing the whole thing. 
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What one chore do you not mind so much? 
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Believe it or not, I don’t mind toilets. They are small and straight forward. 
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 2. It’s Canned Food Month…do you use a lot of canned goods?
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We use a fair share of canned goods.
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What are the three canned items you purchase most often?
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Many varieties of beans, many varieties of tomatoes, and chilies.
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Last thing you made using a canned ingredient? 
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A pot of chicken chili with black beans and pinto beans and chilies. 
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 3. Can of worms, anything can happen, can you imagine?, as best I can, kick the can down the road, more than one can take, no can do, not if I can help it…choose an idiom and tell us how you currently relate.
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I’m going with ‘can you imagine’. Lately more and more I’ve been wondering about the Rapture and find myself saying, come Lord Jesus come;
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“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (ESV)
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4.The last Tuesday in February is National Spa Day. Are you someone who enjoys a day at the spa?
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I’m really not a spa kind of gal but I do like a good massage. I’m not comfortable being naked anywhere but home! 
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Last time you visited a spa? Do you have a favorite spa?
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May of 2014 in Orlando Florida was the last time I visited a Spa. Dear was at a conference and I tagged along. His company booked him at the Hyatt Regency and I scheduled myself a massage at the hotel spa which had a sauna, etc. I relaxed by the pool all by my lonesome after the massage. I do not have a favorite spa.
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Are salons open for business in your area?
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Yes, salons are open.
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Have you made changes to your hair and nail routine since Corona hit? In what way? 
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I probably could count on one hand the number of times I’ve had a manicure or pedicure. That happened generally in relation to the weddings of our children. I’m the kind of person who messes up the polish before it dries without even trying. 
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Since Corona hit I have gone back to single length of hair instead of layered. 
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 5. Believe it or not this is the last Hodgepodge of the month. In one sentence sum up your February. 
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February: A month of freezing and thawing, then in mid span some love thrown in with restaurants finally re-opening and ending with a sigh of relief. 
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 6. Insert your own random thought here.
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Here’s our latest ‘Corona’ puzzle and let me tell you it’s a dousy!
Thank you to everyone who came by here and took the time to read and an extra thank you to anyone who commented!

More Fun on Saturday…

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I’m having fun with this program and my photos. The photos are from our dinner on Friday night with our Northeastern Washington family.

It’s February

Do you associate the color red or pink with the month of February? I think of purple, too, because of my sister Vera’s birthstone, amethyst. She is a leap year baby. My mom was big on birthstones and each of us girls got a birthstone ring for our 16th birthday. Or maybe some of my sisters got necklaces instead of a ring. (Vera?) Now I’m wondering if my youngest sister ever got a birthstone ring. If she didn’t don’t feel sorry for her because her boss has gifted her some amazing precious stones! I remember picking my ring out at a jewelry outlet in Los Angeles.

The stone, aquamarine, is not precious in this ring, the setting is in white gold, though.  Lots of memories associated with it. I need to have it sized so it will fit me again.

I’m joining my kids from eastern Washington on a plane ride to John Wayne Airport in southern California for a few days.

From views and walks like the one above to…

…a walk on the Huntington Beach Pier.

On this trip I’m looking forward first to being reunited with our Eastern Washington kids and Addy at Seatac airport. From Seattle we fly together to Orange County/John Wayne airport in Southern California Saturday evening. On Sunday we’ll be seeing many of our extended family after Jamie and our niece Debbee run in a half marathon in Huntington Beach with brunch at the end of the run and then a Superbowl party later in the afternoon and evening. And last and certainly not least visiting with my dear old pop on Monday. He will get to see Addy for the first time. He is her only great grandparent on my side of the family. My pop is not doing well and is tired and weary of continuing his life on this earth. He is in Hospice care in my oldest sister’s home. Bittersweet moments.

I am not taking my computer with me on this trip so there will not be any posts about my trip until after I get home on Tuesday. Hope you all have a great weekend. See ya next week!

Hello February!

Shining 014

I’m ready for this new month and some fresh ideas around this old house.

Shining 015Nothing drastic just a little something here and there. I’ve organized a couple areas of our kitchen to make it more efficient and less cluttered. Little changes that make a difference.

Shining 018Katie has been busy making creations out of chain maille rings. I’ll take more photos soon of all the bracelets and other necklaces she’s made. She’s sold a couple and has bartered one in exchange for a scarf.

Katie and I have watched all but the last episode of Downton Abbey! We will watch the last episode later today! I love watching it with sub titles!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Have a great Saturday…

The 1st of February!

Today is a great day to reflect on the good things in our lives. I’m joining Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for Friday’s Fave Five.

1. Being able to read and study. Currently we are studying the gospel of John in our Women’s Bible Study and it has really been good. I’m reading a biography on Bonhoeffer that is teaching me a lot about Germany in the 30’s – 40’s and Bonhoeffer’s growth in faith and what that meant for him in Natzi Germany. I’m also reading several different travel guides for Milan and the Lakes in Italy to prepare for our trip in March.

2. Family and Friends to support and enrich our lives. The rich heritage I enjoy and having a family and friends that support me in so many ways can never be taken for granted.

3. Ingredients in abundance that we can buy and put together to make a satisfying dish. It’s great to have taste buds that are willing to try something new. I’m enjoying the adventure of cooking. Sharing what I’ve cooked with others is the cherry on top!

4. Products that make life easier. A few of these many products have gotten enough wear and tear around this old house that they are giving up on us. There are those that we don’t hesitate to replace because we just aren’t willing to live without them. One of those items was my wireless mouse! I’m still attached to a mouse even with my laptop. My fingers just don’t want to do the scrolling on the pad…

5. Shows that entertain us and even teach us something new. I enjoy period pieces like Downton Abbey where you are entertained while getting a picture of what life was like during different periods in history. I also watch shows like Biggest Loser and find it rewarding to see the progress of the contestants. Sometimes I’m inspired to add some healthy alternatives to my life.

What good things are you thankful for today?