Happy Halloween

Have fun and be safe! 

Blue Skies and Cool Breezes

We came very close to having our first frost last night.  I need to get a move-on and get some straw bales for a cold frame.

We didn't get very warm today.  One of things I love about this home is that the backyard is south facing.  The back porch area is usually 10 degrees warmer than the front of the house.  This works really well in the fall, winter and spring, but makes it unbearable in the summer heat. 

This time of the year I can still sit out on the back porch in shorts and read a book or nap.  In the winter, I might have to wear a jacket and toss a throw across my lap, but it's still way better than being stuck inside.

I'll even throw out a cushion for the pups.

SM worked on the willow some more.  The house beside us is getting new siding.  It's interesting how they don't take the old siding off...they just snap the new over top of the old. 

Photo-op.  Kiki surveying his kingdom.

Mama Ginny has to come and take a sniff.

And wherever Ginny goes, Casey is sure to follow.

Too much of a good thing.

Man, You BETTER Pause...

I am a woman of a certain age. 

Yeah, that's right!  I'm creeping up on the big "M".  Menopause. 

(Oh Joy!)

The past 6 months or so I've noticed more physical changes than I have in the subsequent years.  I'm cool with the gray hair and the crows feet.  "Adds character Baby!"

But I've noticed lately that I've developed the dreaded "chin wattle".  (I once heard that your face will either "sink" or "sag" as you age.) 

I'm a sagger.  (Was that my boobs that just hit the floor?)

I think it's a blessing that we loose our close up vision as we get older. 

"That's right! I still look good from a distance." Up close? Not so much. 

"Where are those freaking reading glasses?"

I have short term memory loss.  "Why did I come in here?"  "What was I saying?"  "Who are you again?"

And my periods of course.  I skipped a few...then they come back again. 

"Make up your mind." 

I have a coworker who smiles and says "You have NO IDEA how great it is that they're gone!" (Oh stop rubbing it in.)

I have a friend who had her last child at 37 and went into natural menopause.  No symptoms.  At all.  (I still love her but...geez...unfair!)

I have another friend who's 12 years older than I am.  (She's my "source" for all menopausal wisdom.)  She's in her 60's and she still suffers from the daily drenching of hotflashes.  (I'm the opposite.  I get shaking cold flashes.)

Sm has a friend whose wife has been in a permanent bad mood for 3 years.  She throws things. 

SM begs me "Please don't do that." 

"I'll try not to, Honey." 

His friend says that just this past summer things have gotten better with his wife.  Either that or he's gotten really good at getting out of the way.

Ah... the change.  Here's a bit of classic humor to lighten our moods:



What's the difference between a pit bull and a woman in menopause?
Lipstick


It's called menopause, because every time a woman who's menopausal hears a man speak, she needs to pause or she'll clobber him.



WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE "ESTROGEN ISSUES"

Everyone around you has an attitude problem.


You're adding chocolate chips to your cheese omelet.


The dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans.


Your husband is suddenly agreeing with everything you say.


Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?

A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you are done you will have a place to live.


Q: How can you increase the heart rate of your 50+ year old husband?

A: Tell him you're pregnant.

Migraine or Heartburn

All this week SM has been in classes to achieve a "certified" level in his field.  Mon, Tues and Wed he was in Greensboro.  It's only a few hours away so he opted to drive back and forth each day.  This meant that my "I'm not a morning person" guy had to get up with me each morning.  I'm a 4:30 to 5 "am-er".

Today, SM needed to be in Goldsboro for an 8 hour continuing education course he needed for his license.  Goldsboro is about 4-5 hours away.  I set the alarm for 3:30 and we both woke up by 3am. (Neither of us have slept well lately.)

By the time he left at 4, I could feel a headache starting.  By 9am (and a few tylenol later) I knew it was a migraine.  I hate migraines.  I only get them a few times a year but "geez.." what a waste of a day. 

I have noticed that caffine can really "zap" the impact of a migraine with me.  (Constricts the blood vessels.)  But caffine is on my "no-no" list because of the reflux effect with my H-Hernia.

So which is worse? The pain of a migraine? or heartburn?

Migraine hands down.

So for the past hour I've been enjoying some chocolate.  It was a toss up between a diet pepsi and the chocolate.  Both are on the "no-no" list.  But I fiqure if I'm going to be bad, I'm going to enjoy it.  (grin)

Ummm...chocolate.  I feel better already.

Poor Baby

Scooter (aka Boo) hates haircuts.  Fortunately, when the weather gets cooler, I only have to trim him every couple of months.

We start our photo documentary with one side of The Boo finished.  When his back-end starts shaking and his "Elvis" lip comes up, listen for the warning growl and "Back away from the crime scene!"  Ya gotta take your time with The Boo.

Is this pitiful or what?

"Come on...get it over with!"

"Are you alright?" 

"Yep...I knew there was a dog in there somewhere!"

Can I make a sweater out of this?

Happily ever after...Until next time.

Inter-tainment and "It's all about ME"

Another busy week at work...drive in...It's dark.  Drive home...It's getting dark.

Yick.  (I try to spend as much time as I can outside on the weekends.  Yummy sunshine!)

I was SO tired last night.  I went online and hit all my favorite sites but I was just too tired to concentrate.  I noticed that my last post was almost a week ago.

This morning while walking the pups, I thought about things to write on the blog.  Not much going on personally or in the garden.  (I'm drawing a blank.) 

In the great big world, there's plenty going on with politics (Kick em all out), Juan Williams and NPR (pull the funding), La Nina (South = warmer and drier...no kidding), cholera in Haiti (couldn't see that one coming?)....Wow, re-reading all that, even I'm depressed!

So how about some of my favorite, fun, goofy, mindless, time wasting sites?

For free TV try Cast TV.  Many of the shows are freebies, some are not. The catch is you can only watch for free for about 90 min.  Go away and come back a few hours later.  I watched this seasons True Blood for free.  (All the girls at work talk about it so I watched too....)

SM's favorite free online game is Bubble Town.  Me?  I'll game more during the winter.  I like Bejeweled 2 and Bookworm and Zumas Revenge.


Free Personality Tests

When I went back to school, I seriously thought about a minor in psychology.  I'm fascinated by what makes people tick.  Then I figured out I'd have to work the people I'm so fascinated by....scary!  No Thanks!

But the psych tests are fun too...Here's a few of my favorites. And my results!  (Maybe you just don't want to know.)

Numerology  (I used my first and last name (married) only.)

Soul Urge - You are a philosopher by nature. Inside, you are calm shy and reserved, preferring to live alone in your own perfect world of thoughts and intuitive analysis of life's deeper mysteries. You experience irritation and upset in noisy or chaotic environments, as your hearing is more sensitive than most peoples. You have a good ear for music and are probably drawn to complex and meditative melodies. (Spot On)

Personality - There is an air of affluence about you, no matter your station in life. People assume you are in control. You give the impression that you are the best at what you do, so naturally others look to you for leadership. You have an eye for quality and no matter what it takes you dress for success. Designer clothing of the highest quality is certainly your preference. People cluster around you hoping that some of that luck is contagious. (Ummm...I wear T shirts and jeans, flip flops and "sleepy" pants, so NO this ones off in that regard.  But the "leadership" thing.  Dead on again.)

Expression - Family and home life are your main interests. You know how to nurture and accept anyone, therefore, many are drawn to you including those that others call, "strays". You have an eye for anything beautiful and your home is sure to reflect this, no matter what your budget is. You are proud of all your possessions and especially of the talents of your family members. Your generous, creative nature makes you the ideal host or guest at a party.

(Strays? Me? Ha!...And I'm a "dud" at parties)

Jung Briggs Myers


Everytime I've taken this test through the years I've been an INFJ.  I'm a "Counselor".

Counselors have an exceptionally strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others, and find great personal fulfillment interacting with people, nurturing their personal development, guiding them to realize their human potential. Although they are happy working at jobs (such as writing) that require solitude and close attention, Counselors do quite well with individuals or groups of people, provided that the personal interactions are not superficial, and that they find some quiet, private time every now and then to recharge their batteries. Counselors are both kind and positive in their handling of others; they are great listeners and seem naturally interested in helping people with their personal problems. Not usually visible leaders, Counselors prefer to work intensely with those close to them, especially on a one-to-one basis, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes. (That's me, behind the scenes...)

Counselors are scarce, little more than one percent of the population, and can be hard to get to know, since they tend not to share their innermost thoughts or their powerful emotional reactions except with their loved ones. They are highly private people, with an unusually rich, complicated inner life. Friends or colleagues who have known them for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that Counselors are flighty or scattered; they value their integrity a great deal, but they have mysterious, intricately woven personalities which sometimes puzzle even them. (Anti-social me...I'm suprised that I even have a blog)



Counselors tend to work effectively in organizations. They value staff harmony and make every effort to help an organization run smoothly and pleasantly. They understand and use human systems creatively, and are good at consulting and cooperating with others. As employees or employers, Counselors are concerned with people's feelings and are able to act as a barometer of the feelings within the organization.


Blessed with vivid imaginations, Counselors are often seen as the most poetical of all the types, and in fact they use a lot of poetic imagery in their everyday language. Their great talent for language-both written and spoken-is usually directed toward communicating with people in a personalized way. Counselors are highly intuitive and can recognize another's emotions or intentions - good or evil - even before that person is aware of them. Counselors themselves can seldom tell how they came to read others' feelings so keenly. This extreme sensitivity to others could very well be the basis of the Counselor's remarkable ability to experience a whole array of psychic phenomena. (SM swears by my intuition)

More INFJ Analysis (or I'm just being difficult...grin)


INFJs are distinguished by both their complexity of character and the unusual range and depth of their talents. Strongly humanitarian in outlook, INFJs tend to be idealists, and because of their J preference for closure and completion, they are generally "doers" as well as dreamers. This rare combination of vision and practicality often results in INFJs taking a disproportionate amount of responsibility in the various causes to which so many of them seem to be drawn.


INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people -- a product of the Feeling function they most readily show to the world. On the contrary, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious "soul mates." While instinctively courting the personal and organizational demands continually made upon them by others, at intervals INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out even their intimates. This apparent paradox is a necessary escape valve for them, providing both time to rebuild their depleted resources and a filter to prevent the emotional overload to which they are so susceptible as inherent "givers." As a pattern of behavior, it is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders, and hence the most often misunderstood -- particularly by those who have little experience with this rare type. (Oh yeah...I call this my "decompression time", leave me alone please)

Due in part to the unique perspective produced by this alternation between detachment and involvement in the lives of the people around them, INFJs may well have the clearest insights of all the types into the motivations of others, for good and for evil.

Usually self-expression comes more easily to INFJs on paper, as they tend to have strong writing skills. Since in addition they often possess a strong personal charisma, INFJs are generally well-suited to the "inspirational" professions such as teaching (especially in higher education) and religious leadership. Psychology and counseling are other obvious choices, but overall, INFJs can be exceptionally difficult to pigeonhole by their career paths. Perhaps the best example of this occurs in the technical fields. Many INFJs perceive themselves at a disadvantage when dealing with the mystique and formality of "hard logic", and in academic terms this may cause a tendency to gravitate towards the liberal arts rather than the sciences.
*Want to share how your tests came out?  Spot on? or way off base?*

Last Day Off

*Back to work tomorrow.  I'll see if I can suffer through.  Then I'm doing another 4 day weekend at the end of the month.  Yeah Me!*

I zoomed through 3 library books the past few days, so I stopped by to drop those off and picked up 3 more.  Shocker! 

Our small towns' library is on reduced hours. Strangely, they're closed on Saturdays.  Huh?  I also feel that I've gone through most of what interests me at this extension.  I know I can order books from the Main Library in our county but I never really know if I want to read a book until I pick it up.  I like to flip through it, read the jackets.

There's a reason I will likely never own a Kindle.  (I don't even have a cell phone but that's another story...Anti-social Me.)

I love the feel of a book in my lap.  I love bookstores, library's, second hand book sellers...I have a mini arsenal of my favorite all time books.  Some from my childhood.  (Little House on the Prairie anyone?)  I re-read my favorites when I can't find anything at the library.

I used to have a book habit.  Just about every month I'd go to the bookstore and buy $50 worth of books.  The one's I liked, I kept.  The others I'd donate to the library.

A few years ago I realized how silly this was.  I can borrow a book for free.

On my back and forth to the "Big City" where I work, I pass not one but two of the city library's.  I found out from a co-worker that since I live in another county, I'll have to $pay$ a yearly fee to borrow from them.

For some reason this annoys me.  Not sure why as I know that state and local services are stretched pretty thin.  And it's still cheaper than buying books.

We'll see.  I should try my county's Main Library first.  They're 30 min in the opposite direction.  And I think they're closed on Saturdays too.  Sigh.

Today I made Chicken Soup.  Well, it's more like Chicken Stew actually.  I like a hearty soup.

Start off with a crock pot chicken, heavily seasoned.

Rough chop your favorite veggies and I like to parboil them. Drain and set aside.

Separate your meat and stock. I save the breasts for my lunches this week, all the rest of the meat goes in the pot.  Add some more water (?4-5 cups?) to the stock from the crock pot, along with a stick of butter.  (You heard me.)  Salt and pepper to taste.  Turn off the heat and add your veggies and meat and let it all sit.

Oh....I used to add noodles to my soups but since I'm GF now (and I'm not paying those ridiculous prices for rice based noodles) I added some rice instead.

Chicken scraps (no bones) for the pups.

Yum!

Interesting Internet Articles

Want to read an interesting article? 

 The Great Deflation : Japan Goes From Dynamic to Disheartened

A funny spot on Colbert?

Goats Stealing American's Jobs

Asian Pears, Blueberries and Bye Bye Willow

Meet the new love in my life.  Asian Pears. 

I've never tried them before, probably because they're $3.50 for 4 at the grocery store.  (They make them look expensive in their little jackets.)

We've found them twice this fall at the farmers market this year. 

Once you get past the weirdness of the thick skin, you bite into a crisp, juicy, sweetness that is unique.  Yes, it's a pear flavor but subtle.  And truly drip down your chin juicy.

Wonderful!

I'd like to try and grow these.  With that thought in mind, and the desire to plant a few blueberry bushes, SM and I headed out to a local nursery that we'd never been to before.

We found the blueberries, but they didn't know anything about Asian pears.  I'll have to do more research.

Back home, I've been scoping out where to plant the blueberry bushes.

I also took a whack at the corkscrew willow we planted years ago.  This poor tree has been zapped by so many late freezes that it's mostly a mass of suckers now. It's just a sad looking thing now. 

I'd rather take it out and plant some fruit trees instead.

I'm taking my time chopping it up.  Here's Casey (aka Pig) doing her part.  (Actually SM points out that she looks like a bear in this photo.)

I'm keeping the branches to use as stakes or trellis's in the garden. 

I'm also putting the willow twigs to good use in the pea patch to help them climb.

Say Hello to "Izzy"...our resident lizard.  Good camouflage...He needs it.  Scooter spends most of his waking hours stalking Izzy. 

A Four Day Weekend

This is the first of 2 long weekends that I'm taking this month.  April and October are our favorite months of the year.  Perfect weather! 

I went to the library and picked up 4 more books, went grocery shopping and commited myself to a backyard weekend.

I love it!  Nothing better than sitting on the back porch swing reading, drowsing, dreaming...

Yeah, there's a few tasks that still need to be managed but nothing that can't wait until the motivation engine gets rolling again.

I even slept in till 5:30 this morning..(gasp).  That's after going to bed at 8:30 last night.  Slacker!

Safety Dance

The other day a friend and I were discussing some of her work relationships and how frustrated she gets in dealing with the "management head-games" that are played out.

Being a good friend, I tossed out a few suggestions, but finished with a shrug and a comment....

"You can dance if you want to..." 

(Implying of course, that there are some things that are worth engaging in and some things that are not.)

She piped in...

"You can leave your friends behind..."

Then we both shouted out...

"Cause your friends don't dance
and if they don't dance
well, they're no friends of mine."

We busted out laughing.  (I told you I'm a child of the 80's) 

Of course, I had to google the rest of the song when I got home. 

That's right... Safety Dance...a one hit wonder.  (I never did understand the video or why it's even called the "Safety Dance" for that matter.)

(Looks like the Renaissance Fair to me. Grin.)

This all got me to thinking about choices...and safety.  We all make choices that impact the people around us.  And therefore the safety of others. 

I'm in the medical industry, so safety is a priority.  We have rules in place for a reason.  Safety. 

Risk Management, SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures), Surgical "Time-Outs"...Whatever you want to call them, there's a rule book, a process that needs to be followed for the benefit of all involved. 

I remember laying on the gurney just before being taken in for my Sx.  The Anesthesiologist peppered me with questions.  In front of 2 assisting nurses and my husband, I gave my name, rank and serial number along with the obvious health questions. 

Then he zinged me.

"What procedure are we doing on you?" and even me...ME! for a split second...thought "Don't you know what I'm here for?"

And then the light bulb went on....Duh! (I ask this question all the time and get that same stupid look back from my own patients.)

"Uhhhh....Ap....pen....deck....tomy" .  (I may have saved myself from a gallbladder sx for all I know.)

But here's my point...and even my own observation.  The choices we make in life...business, relationships, how to drive, what we eat (this list is endless)...These choices are made based on a "safety net" of our own making. 

Our own personal rule book. Our defined comfort zones. 

What are we willing to risk?  What are the rules in place for this activity?

I'm a safety girl.  I tend to always look for the "pothole".  This "defensive" thinking works really well for me.  At my job, it's one of my strengths.  I follow my gut.  I try to apply common sense. 

But I have moments where I wonder...Does my Safety Rule Book hold me back?  You bet.  The old adage..."you only go around once"...whispers in my ear and reminds me that I'm on a time clock.

What's the riskiest thing I've done?  

I hate flying.  It's a control thing. 

Five years ago my Mom (Hi Mom!) was in Alaska RVing and SM and I took 2 weeks off and did the tourist thing.  We spent just a couple of days with Mom at Denali.

Now you miss a big part of Alaska if you stay on the ground so I signed us up for a "sight see" flight to the big mountain.

And I did it all without drugs...(yeah me!)  (I used to take Xanax whenever I flew...I figured that it was better than me running down the isle way screaming "We're all gonna die!")

I was so excited!  I was determined to do this thing.  Before we got on the plane, I ran to the bathroom.  Inside was a young gal puking, saying it was the scariest, most horrible thing she's ever done.  (*Anxiety level increasing*)

But the flight was already paid for...and I was committed to see it through!

Out we went to the tarmac.  And here sits this 6 seater Cessna.  And the pilot goes into the "Safety" talk.  Blah blah blah....The only thing I really hear is:

"If the plane crashes, stay near the plane...That's why it has an yellow tail.  So we can be found in the snow.  That's assuming anyone survives..." He chuckles.

Smart ass. 

"Are you freaking kidding me?!?"  I'm thinking.  Even SM, who is my rock, looks a bit uncertain.  My mom on the other hand is not fazed at all. 

Mom gets the co-pilot seat.  SM and I in the middle.  2 dudes behind us who work for the flight team, tagged along as our was the last flight of the night.  Help balance the plane.

The flight was gorgeous.  Denali up close and personal.  I notice SM's is holding onto the seat infront of him, white knuckled.  This makes me feel slightly better as my own knees were knocking with adrenline.
Denali makes it's own weather, it's SO huge.  On the way back we flew between 2 storms that were forming.  Rollercoaster, bucking bronco...take your pick.

We made it through and when we landed we noticed a few more people at the strip waiting for us. 

Turns out, not only were we overdue...we'd also lost radio communications.

They thought the worst.  We didn't know any better.

At first SM said he'd never do that again.  He changed his mind eventually.

Me?  It was a personal best.  I'd overcome a horrible fear and discovered the rewards of doing so.  A memory that I'll never forget.

Wannabe

I've spent the best part of the past few days reading archives of another blog I've added to the sidebar.  Blueberry Hills Homestead is a blog about a 40 something, single girl who is learning and struggling her way to a homesteading lifestyle. 

Even as I write those words, I realize it's not the best description of what she's trying to do.  Jordan is "searching out a lifestyle", exploring to see if the pieces of that particular puzzle fits.  She has an amazing amount of courage...I can't say I'd have the balls to do what she's doing.

You see, I'm a Wannabe.  It's written all over that sidebar.  I'm fascinated with the lifestyles of these familes who live a much different life than the middle class, middle aged, suburban one I'm living.

I had a boyfriend when I was young who wanted to be a dairy farmer.  His family didn't have a farm so he sought employment as a farm hand.  As his girlfiend, I tagged along becoming equally interested in the lifestyle as I helped out with milking and feeding the cows.  Heck, I even did a stint "haying"...blood running out of my nose, sneezing like a freak, discovering that I was allergic to something growing in the hay. 

I had a great time, and (since I started out as a freebie) the farmer eventually hired me on when the "boyfriend" moved on with his life.  Eventually, when I myself moved onwards, I found another gig with a another farmer whose 100 cows I milked alongside a very foul-mouthed Amish girl.  (I swear I learned more nasty language from that Amish girl than I've ever heard come out of anyone elses mouth.  Except gay line cooks...boy can they ever cuss.  But that's another story.)

I eventually moved to the big city with a girlfriend and learned all about makeup and big hair.  I had a ball with that "party" lifestyle too.   I mean, when your'e in your early 20's, it's the rare person who has made the investment into a serious career. It's all about living in the moment. 

Mid 20's, SM and I met and my world settled down.  The investment I made was in discovering what made this other person tick.  His dreams, his fears blended with mine to point. 

Anyone who has been or is in a marriage can you that it's all about compromise. 

That's probably one of things I'm most proud of in our marriage.  Our ability to compromise.

And...(being a normally selfish person)...it's also the one thing I hate the most.   Compromise.

What is Compromise?

Compromise is a basic negotiation process in which both parties give up something that they want in order to get something else they want more.
 

That pretty much says it all, doesn't it?

Sometimes I dream that I'm a single person.  Making my own decisions, not asking someone else what I can or can't, should or shouldn't do.

Sounds appealing sometimes doesn't it?  But the cost is too high.  I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be without SM.

So I'll compromise...for now.  But I'll keep working on him and maybe get him to come around to my way of thinking. 

"The chicken coop can go over there, Honey."  (In my dreams...)

"How about we buy that RV and go exploring?"

Maybe. Or maybe not.  I plan on being happy either way.

4 Inches From the Ground

The fall garden is hanging in there. 

Yesterday morning, I went out and did my first "thinning" of the carrots. 

Enie, meanie, miney, mo...Seems wrong to yank a perfectly good plant out of the ground.

SM and I also sanded off the "dumpster diver" chairs.

I hope we can get a few years out of them still.  The wood is extremely dry and splitting.  There was a navy blue paint under the black paint.  No point stripping them.  I just wanted to smooth and stain the areas that we'd have our body against.  I told SM to just worry about sanding off the seat, arms and back.  I then took a dark walnut stain and slapped it on.

We'll see.  It's very possible the only thing holding them together was the paint itself.

"What if it breaks when we sit down on them?"  SM asks skeptically.

"Well...we won't have far to fall then will we?"  I point out.

Introspection

I've been in a strange place the past week or so.  I'm finding it very hard to put my words and thoughts together to post. 

I've had nights where I've slept very little...3-4 hours.  And then I'll get a great nights sleep the next night.  And then another night, can't sleep.

I feel distracted.  I've noticed that I've not been that interested in blogging or reading other blogs with the frequency I usually do.

I've been reading books more.  Cooking less.  I start a project...and I walk away from it unfinished.

I feel very calm, quiet.  I feel like I'm waiting.  For what?

Perhaps the seasons changing has affected me somehow. The intensity of this past summer giving way to cooler breezes, softness in the air.  A softer more gentle day shifting slowly into night.  The stars are more brilliant now, have you noticed?

And when the dawn comes, it takes a few hours to become fully day.  As though the sun is hanging there, lazy on the horizion.  

Perhaps that's like me...lazy...hanging there...waiting.  Oh, I'll get there soon enough. 

Just give me a minute to hang on my horizion. 

Fall Garden

The fall garden is doing well with the cooler temperatures and rain that we've had lately. 

SM and talked about building row covers.  I don't think it'll get too cold over the next few weeks, so we have some time to get those built.

I shucked the sunflower seeds yesterday. 

Did I do it right, Casey?

Scrub a Dub Dub

Here is our enemy. 

Exterior mold on the siding of the house.  (The house gets a bath each fall.)  Once you add the mold, dirt and bird poo together you have a house that's lacking a bit of curb appeal. 

Enter our fearless warrior chick.  Garbed in paint splattered, bleached out shorts and tee shirt, with ratty baseball cap to cover her hair and super wrap around sunglasses to protect her eyes... our warrior chick is fearless I tell you! 

(Wah Ha Ha... whats a little dirt when you have super hero skills!)

Here are our weapons.

3 gallons of bleach.

My handi-dandy Ortho "mix-a-lot".

And me!

Me and a bunny?

Nah!  Just Me.  (Shadows sure make us look skinny don't they!)

You just don't know how dirty it is until it's clean.

Maybe next time I should write "Wash Me" in bleach.  Or how about a big smiley face?

2 hours later, I have a nice clean exterior to admire.  Hmmm...those windows sure could use a cleaning....