Cleaning Galore

Today is the day the dusting is being done on all of the upper beams! My grandson and his "Significant Other" are at it again! They not only dust, they clean the living room top beams that hold my 'treasures' and the tops of the kitchen cupboards with other 'treasures'. She washes and dries items as he travels up and down his extension ladder replacing things to their former positions of display. I used to help but it is now too difficult as I don't move like the former me.  Their cleaning project carries on to other areas and also entails getting behind the very old dressers in each bedroom and taking care of all dust bunnies, cobwebs, etc. that have accumulated during the past year. The bare floors are swept and swiffered!

AND... the picture below is when he said, "Grandma, did you have a bird in here?" There was one pile of (definitely bird) droppings on the beam where he is looking! (No other was found!) Nope! I have no idea when this happened!!

Well that's it for today. I'm so tired out from watching all of this cleaning!

 

Curtains and windows will be done at a later time. One day soon the living room furniture will need to be pulled out and behind and under them examined and GI'd. 

THEN...the front porch will need to be set up again with seating and plants and I will be happy until next winter.

NEW NEW NEW — From me to me for my birthday. A Dark and Rusty Farmhouse Soup Bowl! Yeow! A  real beauty~  had spaghetti and meatballs in it last night for supper. 

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Spring Adjustments

If you know me you know when I get something into my head it gets attention and this is today....

For many months now I have been refilling two humidifiers daily. I was forced to eliminate the cost of replacement filters in the larger and older one and started anew with double the trouble, but saved a lot of $ on replacement filters. The old one had died January 2, 2022!

One was set up on a plastic crate on my bedroom floor close to the bed. The other was placed in the living room on a step-lamp table. The bottom section of this wooden table was already ruined by spills of water from the past as placement of the previous tank sometimes was tricky and the container was heavy! One and a half gallons! Last autumn, in preparation, I downsized to a variety of humidifier that was, 1. Smaller in capacity. 2. Easier to transport from the kitchen sink to its place in the living room. 3. No replacement filters ever needed. Every single day I have refilled each one; moved one on the rolling walker from the kitchen to the living room. Easy peasy. Carried the one back and forth from the kitchen to the bedroom. I cleaned both every Saturday morning. Today I really GI'd them both and will store in their original boxes after they are thoroughly dry. 

click on link below 

Previous Post about Humidifiers

Less is MORE!

If you read the previous post by clicking on the link above, I guess I'm going to toss the brand new replacement that has been sitting in its box as I can't find any 'takers' who want to order filters for it.

Next project:  After the predicted 'soaker' rain quits I'll remove and replace the winter scarf on James with his Forsythia one. Spring! Here I come!!!

And then..... I shall get help and a new dehumidifier will be installed.....SOON!

Just Dust

There was quite an accumulation of dust on the stone mantel with all of the ducks and miscellaneous other things there. The complete chimney of bricks all needed to be vacuum brushed and the dust that clings to them removed. It took us all morning. Piece by piece each was taken to the sink for either a bath, a wiping down or a polish. The Mister was able to use the small shop vac to help when I was taking care of the items. We do this once a year. Only once a year! At our age it seems to be more labor-intensive every time. I take pictures to establish just when it is done and how I like it arranged. They really don't do the individual items justice but I'm not showcasing them, just cleaning. That's OK. It's a good feeling to have completed the project. 

"Why Dust?"

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better

to paint a picture or write a letter,

bake a cake or plant a seed.

Ponder the difference between want and need.

Dust if you must, but there is not much time,

with rivers to swim and mountains to climb!

Music to hear, and books to read,

friends to cherish and a life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there

with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,

a flutter of snow, a shower of rain,

this day will not come ‘round again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,

old age will come and it’s not kind.

And when you go, and go you must,

You, yourself, will make more dust!

       ~Author unknown to me~

Spring Gifts

 Our daughter visited today and bought me a lemon cake with lemon icing! (She knows I love lemon!) She also did some dusting and personal care for me.

Her son and his partner arrived - ready to work! The cabin hasn't been thoroughly dusted in two years - pandemic - and REALLY needed it. As you might figure out from the photos this team is terrific! The grandkids work hard all week in the *local wood products manufacturing company and made time for us early in the season because they do more odd jobs on weekends throughout the coming year. They are hard workers.

It's a very good thing that the fan finally was stopped and dusted! It was loaded, BUT.... two of the blades had worked loose! It has hung there for 23 years and every year except last, it is checked for loose blades as it runs 24/7. They were really loose!

After the work was finished we all had birthday cake! YUM! (My birthday isn't until Thursday, but they know that I don't care for a lot of hoopla!) Both back bedrooms were cleaned as well but this photographer stayed out of the way!

Our daughter's twin grandsons were going to be visiting her later so she left before the others, and all were planning to do some yard cleanup later on today. The sun is shining and it is sooo good to see. I forgot to tell you that they undressed James in readiness for his repairs!

*For many years (1972-1980) I worked there as well. For more information about the company click on link:  Diaz Facebook Page

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Finally!

It's HERE!!!! I'm finally taking a deep breath of spring! Only YESTERDAY did my daffodils open their faces when I was at the laundromat washing and drying the couch quilt, the chair cover, the recliner pad and the snuggle robe.

So what did I do today? Back to the laundromat with the pure wool blanket from my bed and the quilt with a wool blanket used as the lining. I made the quilt in 1993. I know this because I marked the corner with the date and washing and drying instructions. I had cut the quilt squares from bolts of fabric that belonged to my daughter's Grandmother-In-Law after she died. Good pure cotton and fairly heavy. The inner wool lining was one of the Mister's mothers' wool blankets. I then tied it all together. I used the "Big Boy" washer on cold setting and then the Mister helped me hang them out on the line. What a feeling of satisfaction this gave me.

Then I helped uncover the air conditioner, rearranged the resin critters, cut a few daffodils for inside pleasure and sat a while to enjoy the day while the Mister cleaned the grill.

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The Mister's comforter and mattress cover plus our pillows will be washed and dried in a day or so and then I WILL BE FINISHED with heavy spring cleaning for this year. The porch swing still has to be uncovered and the chairs scrubbed down — Come on SUMMER! The golf car is chewing on its bit to go for a run. Maybe later today!

 

Hump Day Report of Tuesday

Tuesday

Up to 60° today! Yay! The feeling that spring may have arrived is strong because we recently seem to be much more active.

A week ago I had a lady do some of the corner floor and detailed shower cleaning that I can no longer accomplish.Yesterday I started the annual interior cleaning in areas that I can reach and actually got one display shelf with all contents washed and dusted. Started up the cuckoo clock and oiled the weight chains. Grandson and girlfriend are coming this weekend to set up ladder and get all of the high things down and then put back after washing. The fan blades need a wipe down as well. The humidifier needs to be cleaned and retired for the summer and the dehumidifier soon put into action. Today I got my hair cut, (all of them) and toenails too. Returned library books and restocked spirits. We uncovered the golf car and I took a ride around the lake as the dirt road wasn’t muddy at all — yet. Had to avoid pot holes, some very nasty. Rain is supposed to arrive tonight for a couple of days. Tires were fine and batteries 3/4 charged. Cover is put away and porch grill has been opened and cleaned. The ignition switch won’t function but we have a propane striker to use. One winter jacket is put away and others are ready for laundromat before storing. The Mister’s boots need to be oiled and his heavy flannel shirts moved into the closet along with winter hats and gloves.  

The yard is being raked and cleaned up in preparation for mowing and weed whacking. Our hired fellow has started and will return again to finish this. Although the grass is starting to grow, my daffodils are really very late blooming! Not a one in sight yet. It is because we are on the shady side of the lake and the sun doesn’t shine on the flowerbeds after noon at this time of year. I spotted a tiny leaf at the bottom of the rose plant that stayed out all winter. There is hope that it has survived. 

And…ALL the blankets need to be washed and dried — a couple will be hung on the clothesline because they are pure wool and never go in the drier. Curtains are washed and rehung a couple of times a year so there is no rush on them. 

Then there are the gewgaws that hang on the front porch beam. I mean to move/change them around and get the hummingbird feeders out because I know they’ll return quite soon. The porch swing will soon be uncovered and the chairs all need a bath. 

4:00pm Tuesday. Guess what! The power just went out! Thank goodness for the standby generator as I have a roast in the electric oven. I’ll have to post this tomorrow.

7:00pm Tuesday. Power back on. We spend the three hours watching our cleanup crew hard at work. Great job!

10:00am Wednesday — HUMPDAY! Posting as it is down pouring and bleak again.

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Cleaning

I'm referring to interior house cleaning. Now the Mister does a really good job with the vacuuming but the "down on your knees" cleaning in here has been neglected for too long. Neither one of us is up to it now, due to aging and when we were able, something always happened that interfered. I shattered my shoulder six years ago. That was the start of letting things go. I've had to hire a lady to perform the job and she had her work cut out for her.

I provided several cleaners. I got out the ammonia, white vinegar, 409, Awesome, Clorox, Lysol, and Voom. There were gloves, bucket, rags, scrub brushes, and other utensils.  She got into the job in my bedroom first. Would you be surprised that she is accustomed to using a cleaner that I didn't have! She ran to town to get Mr. Clean. OK with me. After all, she is doing the work.

It's a jungle in that bedroom. So much has to be pulled away from the walls to get at the edge of the floor by the log walls. There is a molding there and dampness from summertime pipe-sweating through the years has always been a problem. The bed is on wheels and that is a really good thing for cleaning nooks and crannies.

She then did the bathroom floor edges next to the back log wall AND the shower stall interior! All of her work took a total of 2 1/2 hours. The story will continue, but maybe not here. There is a lot more detailed cleaning to be accomplished. Her rates were reasonable and she has agreed to come again one morning next month. How lucky can we be?

Spring Climbing

This year, we'll bring in the six foot stepladder from the shed for the dusting and washing of items high up at both ends of the cabin. We used to have one of us climb up, hand down an item - one at a time - to the person at the bottom. Then these would all be hand-washed and the beam and cupboard top completely dusted and made clean until next year. One by one they will be handed up and put back in their former position.  Each and every thing up there has a story! I took the photos to be able to really see where each has its place because now,  sometimes I forget and I like them set up exactly as they were before being cleaned. It has to be as it was or is upsetting. Yes, I'm weird, so? Think "Monk."

As neither one of us will be climbing that ladder any longer, we have had several offers from others to fill in. OK!       please click on image to view larger