Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I hope you all enjoyed feasting with friends and family. I was alone this year so no turkey and dressing for me. Even if I liked turkey I wouldn’t be cooking it for one. There’s no one here to feed except four pups and turkey usually causes them to be rather flatulent so I don't mind forgoing that experience. My Thanksgiving meal will be a salad.....just like any other day. Do you hear violins?
I spent my Thanksgiving with old friends, the vacuum cleaner and the dust rag. Yup, I’m cleaning the house again. The last time seems like yesterday but it was months ago and it’s a disaster once more. They say the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes but they could add dirty houses to that, make it the trifecta of miserable crap.
Michele Micarelli is arriving Thursday evening for the workshops she’s teaching at the studio so the heat is on. I hired a cleaning guy but he couldn’t come until Friday, not much help there, so I have to do it all myself, plus get the shop ready. This week is going to be hectic but I’m going to try not to lose my mind.....I might accidentally suck it up with the vacuum cleaner.
So far today I’ve managed to do eight loads of laundry with probably five more to go. Not bad considering the pile I’ve been carving away at, like a 100 lb turkey. Laundry...the bane of my existence. If only I could be rich and have throw away clothes, life would be darn near perfect!
The guest bathroom was interesting. I put the extender attachment on the vacuum and sucked up the cobwebs from the ceiling. It was a shame really, with Halloween coming. It seemed wasteful to get rid of perfectly good decorations. I haven’t been in that room since January so I guess it’s only fair that squatters made a home but hit the road jack and don’t come back!
At one point I opened the window to shake out my wool duster and was shocked to see hundreds, possibly thousands of black ants nestled in the area between the bottom of the window sash and the sill. Some had wings and others not, and all sizes of varying stages of life. I quickly grabbed the vacuum but now disturbed, they whipped into a frenzy, going this way and that way. I tried to suck them up but they overwhelmed me and were crawling up my arm, they weren't in my pants but they were all over them. They were dropping off the windowsill unto the back stair case. The window is directly above the stairs that lead to the kitchen below. After the freeloaders were removed from the sill, I vacuumed my body and then got down on my hands and knees to find the escapees, some already beating a path to the first floor.
On examination, I discovered the outside sill is rotten, with large cracks to allow setting up home. How they got up to the second floor I’ll never know, maybe they can smell punky wood. We could tell from the ground that the window frame needed paint but we never dreamed it was at the disaster point. The sill itself could be pulled off with a light tug, not much substance there. The entire sill and side frames need to go so now I have to find someone to take care of this before the cold sets in. Oh joy, hubby had a narrow escape as he off to the wilds of Alberta leaving his competent wife in charge. Just what I need, another chore on my plate. Hopefully they haven’t burrowed in any deeper than the sill. Actually, I was just struck with the insane idea they might eat their way through the vacuum bag and infiltrate my house…that would be a scourge I can live without! Note to self, put bag outside for the night.
At first I was worried they were termites, a word that strikes fear in any home owner but I looked them up and they don’t have the characteristic head, thorax and abdomen like the ant. I’ve experienced a lot of creepy crawlies today, especially when I pulled two ticks off Henri. That’s four he’s had in less than a month. I don’t know why they only bother with him but maybe it’s because he explores more, is always sniffing around. One was embedded for at least a half day and the other was moseying around look for the best spot to settle. They are very clever, only attaching to areas that the animals can’t scratch or dig at. They like Henri’s ears, hiding in the long hair but momma keeps a close watch and flushes them down the drain. I might love animals but these pests make my flesh crawl! FYI , A tick is an arachnid, a member of the spider family. If you didn’t like them before, they’ll seem even creepier now, eight legged little ghouls that they are!
So every half hour or so I checked out the window for more stragglers and sure enough I was never disappointed. I knew there had to be a lot more in the cracks, if you see a thousand ants there are probably an equal amount hiding out with their queen. I beat them back until the daytime air cooled and darkness moved in. They must be asleep now, I’ll check it out tomorrow. I’m not deluded that I got them all but I’ll buy a few ant traps, sorry guys, this thanksgiving feast will be a killer.
So I have the upstairs managed, beds changed, towels fluffed and all dusted. I’ll run the vacuum closer to Thursday so I don’t have to do it twice. I’ll start on the downstairs next and pick away at that for the next couple of days. By the time company arrives they’ll think I’m a white tornado. Since I’ve hired a cleaner, his regular upkeep will make my home company ready, I won’t have to hide if someone knocks on the door. I really don’t have time to clean so I’ve given in to the luxury, mostly on hubby's insistence. He says I can’t do it all and he’s right. I guess after 23 years of marriage, he no longer views me as super woman, the be all and end all perfect wife, although I had a long run. This is one step towards a stress free lifestyle that I’m working towards. The guilt of not cleaning my own house won't last long......except when I have to write the cheque......
I hope you all enjoyed feasting with friends and family. I was alone this year so no turkey and dressing for me. Even if I liked turkey I wouldn’t be cooking it for one. There’s no one here to feed except four pups and turkey usually causes them to be rather flatulent so I don't mind forgoing that experience. My Thanksgiving meal will be a salad.....just like any other day. Do you hear violins?
I spent my Thanksgiving with old friends, the vacuum cleaner and the dust rag. Yup, I’m cleaning the house again. The last time seems like yesterday but it was months ago and it’s a disaster once more. They say the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes but they could add dirty houses to that, make it the trifecta of miserable crap.
Michele Micarelli is arriving Thursday evening for the workshops she’s teaching at the studio so the heat is on. I hired a cleaning guy but he couldn’t come until Friday, not much help there, so I have to do it all myself, plus get the shop ready. This week is going to be hectic but I’m going to try not to lose my mind.....I might accidentally suck it up with the vacuum cleaner.
So far today I’ve managed to do eight loads of laundry with probably five more to go. Not bad considering the pile I’ve been carving away at, like a 100 lb turkey. Laundry...the bane of my existence. If only I could be rich and have throw away clothes, life would be darn near perfect!
The guest bathroom was interesting. I put the extender attachment on the vacuum and sucked up the cobwebs from the ceiling. It was a shame really, with Halloween coming. It seemed wasteful to get rid of perfectly good decorations. I haven’t been in that room since January so I guess it’s only fair that squatters made a home but hit the road jack and don’t come back!
At one point I opened the window to shake out my wool duster and was shocked to see hundreds, possibly thousands of black ants nestled in the area between the bottom of the window sash and the sill. Some had wings and others not, and all sizes of varying stages of life. I quickly grabbed the vacuum but now disturbed, they whipped into a frenzy, going this way and that way. I tried to suck them up but they overwhelmed me and were crawling up my arm, they weren't in my pants but they were all over them. They were dropping off the windowsill unto the back stair case. The window is directly above the stairs that lead to the kitchen below. After the freeloaders were removed from the sill, I vacuumed my body and then got down on my hands and knees to find the escapees, some already beating a path to the first floor.
On examination, I discovered the outside sill is rotten, with large cracks to allow setting up home. How they got up to the second floor I’ll never know, maybe they can smell punky wood. We could tell from the ground that the window frame needed paint but we never dreamed it was at the disaster point. The sill itself could be pulled off with a light tug, not much substance there. The entire sill and side frames need to go so now I have to find someone to take care of this before the cold sets in. Oh joy, hubby had a narrow escape as he off to the wilds of Alberta leaving his competent wife in charge. Just what I need, another chore on my plate. Hopefully they haven’t burrowed in any deeper than the sill. Actually, I was just struck with the insane idea they might eat their way through the vacuum bag and infiltrate my house…that would be a scourge I can live without! Note to self, put bag outside for the night.
At first I was worried they were termites, a word that strikes fear in any home owner but I looked them up and they don’t have the characteristic head, thorax and abdomen like the ant. I’ve experienced a lot of creepy crawlies today, especially when I pulled two ticks off Henri. That’s four he’s had in less than a month. I don’t know why they only bother with him but maybe it’s because he explores more, is always sniffing around. One was embedded for at least a half day and the other was moseying around look for the best spot to settle. They are very clever, only attaching to areas that the animals can’t scratch or dig at. They like Henri’s ears, hiding in the long hair but momma keeps a close watch and flushes them down the drain. I might love animals but these pests make my flesh crawl! FYI , A tick is an arachnid, a member of the spider family. If you didn’t like them before, they’ll seem even creepier now, eight legged little ghouls that they are!
So every half hour or so I checked out the window for more stragglers and sure enough I was never disappointed. I knew there had to be a lot more in the cracks, if you see a thousand ants there are probably an equal amount hiding out with their queen. I beat them back until the daytime air cooled and darkness moved in. They must be asleep now, I’ll check it out tomorrow. I’m not deluded that I got them all but I’ll buy a few ant traps, sorry guys, this thanksgiving feast will be a killer.
So I have the upstairs managed, beds changed, towels fluffed and all dusted. I’ll run the vacuum closer to Thursday so I don’t have to do it twice. I’ll start on the downstairs next and pick away at that for the next couple of days. By the time company arrives they’ll think I’m a white tornado. Since I’ve hired a cleaner, his regular upkeep will make my home company ready, I won’t have to hide if someone knocks on the door. I really don’t have time to clean so I’ve given in to the luxury, mostly on hubby's insistence. He says I can’t do it all and he’s right. I guess after 23 years of marriage, he no longer views me as super woman, the be all and end all perfect wife, although I had a long run. This is one step towards a stress free lifestyle that I’m working towards. The guilt of not cleaning my own house won't last long......except when I have to write the cheque......
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