respublica

Finally window treatments

In the months before we moved back to Collinsville last June we'd had all kinds of work done on the house. The one thing we did not get around to was window coverings which we put off while using those paper blinds you can get at Home Depot. Today, finally, a window guy is coming to measure ahead of getting wonderful blinds everywhere.

Let me just say, when old Mr. Krite had this home built in the 1930's he built it to last in every respect which is a huge benefit to us. However he also must have loved windows because it often seems like there are hundreds both upstairs and down as well as the basement.

I am taking photos ahead of all this so I can look back to note the difference as well as have it all dated. Here is a look at part of the downstairs, I haven't gotten around to doing the second floor

This is what we call the library in the front of the house. There are 7 windows in this room.

Part of the living room, there are 3 in there as well as sidelights on each side of the door. We aren't covering the sidelights or the other two which are stained glass.

The dining room has 3 windows

The back family room has two.

The kitchen has 3, one is not shown.

The second floor has 8 windows with two more halfway up the stairway.

The frustrating thing will be for the installation is that each area looks the same, but the sizes are all different in width.

 

Go away wasps

I'm all about the yard and garden these days. Partly because I enjoy it and partly because I have nothing else to do. We have long had wasps which somehow get into openings in our back deck rails and they buzz around constantly. I learned some years ago to get wasp spray and shoot it into whatever opening you see them around. This worked for bigger areas, but not our deck rails. They are too small and too many.

So this may help. There are certain smells they do no like and will avoid that area. Some of these are found in herbs. plants and food by-product which can be planted or set out near their revolving door opening. Mint, ground coffee and tomato stems. I've been saving coffee grounds each morning to put around my tomato plants for extra nuitrition (supposedly) so I have this.

A few drops of peppermint oil dabbed where you think their home is. This may work better than trying to spray wasp killer in there. I did try this two years ago when I had trouble with squirrels in our seminary garden. It did not work. Nothing did.

Light citronella candles.

There are other ideas but it gets to be too much. I'll try a couple of these and see if they work.

Vinegar. What can't it do?

By now we've all read the advice on using vinegar for cleaning. But now comes uses for vinegar in you garden. I hope some of these ideas actually work because I intend to try them.

1. Kill weeds. Put some vinegar in a spray bottle, no need to dilute, and spray on the leaves of weeds until wet but not dripping all over everything else.
2. Keep animals away! Boy do we need to keep raccoons away. Soak some rags in vinegar and lay them around the edges of garden areas. Supposedly animals of all types hate the smell.
3. kills slugs and snails if you spray it on them
4. Clean the garden tools by wiping them down after use with vinegar. If they have rust, soak them over night in 50/50 vinegar and water.
5. Add one cup of vinegar to a gallon of water in a watering can and use it to fertilize hydrangeas, rhododendron, gardenias, hollies, and azaleas.
6. Get rid of mold and mildew spots on plants by putting 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a gallon of water and sprinkle on affected plants.
7. Clean the bird baths with vinegar mixed with water
8. If you have bricks getting white stuff on them, clean with vinegar

Hostas!

Hostas are great in any garden. Not only do they come in a variety of leaf and flower color and size, they are perennial. When they get too big, they can be split into parts to form new plants. Once you plant a couple hostas, you won't ever have to buy them again.

This is an informative article on the benefits of having hostas. They get big enough to keep weeds out, they like shade but can tolerate sun. They are petty darn awesome and we have a number of them here in our yard in Collinsville and had scores over on the seminary campus.

About the Dutch Reach

Maybe it's the change from winter to spring, but we're seeing lots of stories about bikes and motorcycles weaving into auto traffic.  But one other thing has been happening as well and that is bicycles riding on roads close to where cars park. Often the driver of the car parks, and then starts to get out by opening his door and whacks the door right into a bike.

We could argue all day about bicycles and motorcycles sharing our roads, but the door hitting a bike always wins. So up comes a suggestion from the safety first folks and it asks anyone who parks along a road or even a parking lot, to use the Dutch Reach when opening their door to get out. This means using your right hand to open the door on the drivers side. This makes you  have to turn your head back and to the left so that you will see if there is anyone coming up along side. This practice originated in Holland, thus the Dutch terminology.

This past Sunday I could have used this idea when I headed for Creekside Gardens in Collinsville to get a few vegetable plants. It was so crowded I almost turned around and went home, but decided to get it over with. The parking lot was full and cars were parked alongside of the road way way down from the nursery. I found a spot on the road, the very last one available and started to get out. But the traffic coming from behind me was constant and it was tricky getting out of the car. I bet I did not use the Dutch reach but should have.

So far the garden

Here is how some of our raised beds look this morning. Nothing seemed to have been hurt by last week's freeze.

Yesterday I planted tomatoes and peppers in the bed on the right. Also some broccoli.

The first section we planted is doing great, we're already picking radishes.

These are potatoes and doing well. I've already begun to mound up the soil around them as the grow.

How far can you drive on empty?

The other day I had to go over to the seminary and when I got in the car I noticed the gas gauge was between one quarter and empty. I wanted to fill up in St. Louis to avoid paying 75 cents per gallon more than in Illinois so I nervously took the chance that I'd be ok and not run out.

I made it fine and so this story spoke to me this morning. The folks at "My Mechanic" took the time to test all kinds of car models to see how many miles they had left in the tank when on empty or when the car's gas warning light came on. They even put up a chart with the data they found for many models of cars.

The best pizza in American-I don't think so

I like headlines like this, I'm a sucker for clicking the link to read the story.  "THIS CITY HAS THE BEST PIZZA IN AMERICA AND IT'S NOT NEW YORK"

Turns out Trip Advisor chose this winner from Boston. I took one look at the picture of this pizza and thought, "no way, just no." Here it is.

It is described this way-"Regina Pizzeria is an institution; it opened its doors in 1926 and has been serving up brick oven pizzas with its original thin and chewy crust recipe ever since. Sauce lovers flip for the hint of spice and Romano cheese cooked in, and cheeseheads can’t go wrong with loads of whole milk mozzarella."

Sorry, but this just looks burned and awful to me.

This is pretty gross

A crop field bordering Edwardsville is sending up a terrible smell. Turns out the smell comes crews spreading feritlizer from human waste.

The City of Edwardsville was issued a permit by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to allow the company Veolia to spray what’s called biosolids on this field. Problem is these biosolids are made with human waste. This company operates the city's waste water treatment plant.

In this area many homes are built near farm fields part of life in urban/suburban areas.

The good news is, the company will now stop any future treatments in this area. But look out other areas.

Car tricks

This list of advice on how to overcome a few issues with your car or even advice on clever ways to do things is kind of fun. Obviously the car fob comes into it several times, mostly when it comes to trying to find your car in crowded parking lots. (If you've forgotten where you parked)

Some cars with electric or key fob openers have a hidden spot under the drivers side handle so the actual key can be used should you fob battery die. I went out and looked at our cars when I read this and Dale's car does not have it. My truck has an actual key slot on the drivers side right out in plain sight. Dale's car does have a narrow silver button on his handle but I have no idea what this does and don't want to push it for fear the alarm will go off. There is nothing louder than a car's alarm. I'd bet he doesn't even know what this is for.

The tip I liked the most was how to quickly get the moisture fogged windshield cleared. We've had a lot of that recently. The advice is to put rice in a cloth bag of some sort and lay it on the dash. The rice will absorb the window foggy-ness. I may have some of this in the car.

Oh, and, you can also use a plunger to pull out dents.

Many of these are just silly, but a couple are worth remembering.