Mild Morning

No clouds, no wind . . . just a mild morning.

Yesterday Dennis had washed off the east side of the house and took off a lot of cob webs.  The dirt from the high winds of early spring and summer ran in rivulets.  Today was my day to strike.

Our outside storm door had been begging to be washed and cleaned all year.  Now that Dennis had done his part, it was my time.

Last year Kevin had shown me how to take the storm door apart.  It really needed some TLC as it was just as dirty as the siding had been.  It wasn’t the usual one that had clips to pull out for the glass bottom to be shimmied a bit to the right and a shimmied a bit to the left and it could be lifted out.  This was a locally purchased Larson door.  This, I believe, was a second sold as top of the line.  Most Larson doors have the ability to be locked from the outside as well as the inside.  Not this one.  

I had watched Kevin and I was going to tackle it.  What I needed was a plier to help pull out the clips as my fingers couldn’t hold them.  I pulled straight back.  No shimmy, shimmy.   Nothing was harmed or broken in this endeavor.  Oh, I had help.  Snuggles was sitting right outside the door to see if there would be a chance of him getting into the house.  Not today!

The Fairfax kids had clued me in on the foaming Lime-A-Way for hard water spots on the windows.  Dennis had washed the house off several times, so I could rub my hand over the glass and feel the hard water residue.

By twelve noon the door was back together and by golly, we can see through it.  Sweet.

When we have needed help, we have never been denied by Kevin.  The hard items like shingling and the walk-in shower earlier this year, we had local companies take care of as more than likely they need access to a hardware store or for more supplies.  When Kevin has only Sundays that are free . . . he and Kersten need that day for themselves.  We are not that old that we don’t remember how precious down-time is and how much it is needed.  Dennis and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  When Kevin has shown his old mom how to do things, I perk up and take notice so I can be self sufficient.  Dang . . . he is a good teacher.  Being self sufficient brings rewards that are two-fold.  The job gets done and it feels oh so good.

Yesterday in the late afternoon, I went to the studio and I now have updated firmware on my Bernina sewing machine.  Sweet!  I told Kelly and Amanda when I was in Bird Island on Friday, I would wait until Kelly had all the crops out and then I would bring my sewing machine in for a checkup.  In the meantime, in between time, I keep it cleaned, oiled and sewing machine needles are cheap when you buy in bulk via Amazon.

Supper was in the thinking stage.  It was determined we would use what we could scrounge off the pantry shelves or the freezer.  It will for sure be a one-of-a-kind.  While I folded laundry, Dennis browned a pound of ground beef.  After it was drained, he stirred in a tablespoon of garlic, “Better than Bullion.”  I took over and got some peas out of the freezer and also a bag of crinkle french fries that I broke each fry in half.  Tater totes work in oven dishes, why wouldn’t french fries.  One can of cream of mushroom soup and one can of french onion soup and it all got rolled over and over with my wooden spoon in my favorite blue speckled enamel roaster.  Time will tell.  A little Betty Crocker creativity is on board here on Stauffer Avenue.

The day has rendered the job jar empty with time to start a new book from the library.