Lynne Cim

I have been visiting towns and places along the Erie Canal State Park which runs from the Hudson River to Buffalo in New York, USA. There's free camping, toilets and potable water at most lock sites.

I found a boat club on the Hudson River, across from the Erie Canal entrance that charges $75 to store your canoe there for the year so I've put it on my bucket list to canoe a section of it. Maybe one day after I retire, I'll travel the entire way on my electric boat, using only solar power, like a modern day Hobo.


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Wait, people actually eat their scoby?  

My scoby is an absolute monster, looks very healthy and the larger it is, the less time it takes for my kombucha to ferment so I have not changed it out - is this bad?  

About cleaning with it, the question that comes to mind is would the tea vinegar leave a stain on what you are cleaning?  

I use food grade citric acid and baking soda to extend dishwasher detergent. I pour 1/3 of each in a jar and shake it. Works great. I bought a big bag of it once for something, now don't remember for what - maybe bath bombs?  I also use a small pinch in guacamole so it does not turn brown if we don't eat it all and have to refrigerate some. Should I not be using it for any of these uses I now wonder??

Carla Burke wrote:

Lynne, the mattress does look different, but what exactly did you do to improve it, beside put a mattress cover on it? I have a mattress that hubby and I HATE. It's uncomfortable, lumpy, and despite being turned(though it can't be flipped upside down), it's developed more 'potholes' than a Chicago Street. Yours definitely looks poofier in the after.

Hi Clara - here is how I upgraded my mattress, I eventually changed out the old mattress for a thin layer of natural shredded latex  (I didn't like that it had metal springs)  https://openyoureyesbedding.com/blogs/news/hemp-sand-mattress-or-a-buckwheat-hull-mattress-which-is-best

Do you use cozies/ covers for any of your stuff? Yes!
If you do, what do you use them on, and what made you decide to do it? I use shrunken wool and I do it to hide anything I don't like the look of, either because it has a pattern on it or is made from plastic and looks cheap.
Did you make or buy them, or were they gifted to you? Make. The wool was gifted to me but not for this particular purpose
Do you love or hate them? And why? LOVE mostly because they make everything look cozier
What fabric(s) are they made of? Preshrunk 100% wool
Do yours have some means of securing them, at the bottom? If so, what, and do you like that feature? The wool goes on like a sock or sweater so its own tension holds it in place, no securing needed.
Is there anything you'd change about the ones you have; what, why, and how? Nope, they work great and most are no-sew projects as I can just tuck the cut edge under. I have gained the ability to quickly match a shrunken sweater's neck, arm or body to an item in my house - a strange skill I have developed.

I saw a video of a woman gardening in between the bricks of her patio. We live on an old bluestone quarry so my thought was to make my garden mound into a raised bluestone patio - not to walk on but to help slow the erosion, reduce weeds, and help my mound stay warm for a longer growing season. Wonder if this is a good or bad idea?  For now, I simply shovel the dirt from the edge back to the top of the mound before planting. Maybe I'll just leave it this year as it's probably near the 43 degree angle.

Yes, snakes certainly love these structures!  Many times I end up nose to nose with them while gardening.

We use buckwheat hulls for filling our door snakes. Heavy enough to do the job but not too heavy to move around. If they get wet from water dripping down our glass doors we don't have to worry too much as the boat shaped hulls dry quickly. They work to hold our thermal curtains in place, no gaps.

I love hacks!

HACK 1 CLEANING- I switched to using a cheap small plastic broom to clean my bath tub and shower. One squirt of dish liquid and the broom is all that's needed. The leverage of the long broom handle makes it a much easier chore.

HACK 2 GARBAGE - I have a system set up where all house and business garbage gets collected and separated out so all that needs to be "dumped" can fit into a small paper sandwich bag that I take with me to deposit in any trash can.  Still have to go to the recycle center but that can now be done every 3-4 months if like shaped containers are nested into one another. All recycling gets cleaned like dishes would before we put them away.  

HACK 3 MICE - I used to have a mouse problem in my garden shed as it was an old structure with insulation, so perfect for them. One day the door latch broke leaving the door to hang slightly open. I've found squirrels and snakes now using it too, which has cut down the mouse population significantly. Finding acorns and snake skins better than stinky mouse nests.

HACK 4 MAKING BED -. When putting on a duvet cover, start with the cover inside out / tie the corners of the duvet to the cover so it does not shift around.  Use flat sheets instead of fitted. Unmake your bed in the morning, hang bedding outside if nice out or simply fold down to the foot of the bed. Healthier + easier.

HACK 5 SNOW - Park your vehicles at the end of your driveway close to the road during snowy season so you only need to shovel and maintain a foot path to the house + the berm created from the plow, and not the entire driveway.  Use a sled to transport groceries.

HACK 6 MATTRESSES - Make your own mattresses using loose fillings that can be fluffed and redistributed versus slab foam that wears out evenly in the main sleeping zones.

HACK 7 PRINTER TONER - Learn how to add toner to your printer cartridges, many videos on Youtube.  A little funnel and spoon is all you need.

HACK 8 SHAVING - Grow aloe in your bathroom, it makes great shaving cream

HACK 9 BUY FOR LIFE - Only buy 100% wool rugs, they clean themselves if you vacuum them regularly. Stains just dissipate over time, even coffee.

HACK 10 GARDEN CART - We converted a 3 wheeled jogging style baby stroller to be our garden cart. Outlasted and outperformed any other cart we have used on the property.  The large wheels are key to getting over rocks and obstacles and the 3 wheels makes it very stable - just enough room for a 5 gallon bucket to transport tools, gravel etc.  We took off all the fabric and laid a board down across the axle.  In hindsight, maybe we should have kept the rain awning on.  

BONUS HACK - DEER  When fencing in your garden to protect it from deer make the area long and narrow. Deer won't jump into an area where they see they will hit the next fence or an obstacle beyond the one they are planning to jump. They are good judges of this as a broken leg would be a death sentence for sure. If only we knew this before fencing in an entire area of our property to see them easily glide over any section. 5 years now with the narrow design with a raised bed down the center and not one breach.

I once poured sand into a crock pot and heated it on high for 3 hours when expecting to lose power in a storm. After power went out I brought the unplugged crock pot to my sofa and draped a wool blanket over it and me. It was a good way to transfer the heat where I wanted it and it kept me very warm.

Could also make it a candle sand battery by looping a copper strip into the sand and having a candle heat the copper directly, transferring the heat into the sand which could store the heat.

A oil lamp powered flower pot heater placed under the desk by your feet + thick wool blanket draped like a tablecloth over your desk would work well, just tuck your lower body in under the blanket, toes near the heater. The gap under your chair would provide air for the flame.  

Trace,

I highly recommend. Tell her it's so comfortable and cool in summer - makes everything hair related easier. Less to comb, less products, less to dry. I was worried it may feel itchy but it does not. If she does not like it, it is really easy to cover until it grows out.