New Hand-made Piano Bench

Thankfully my hubby grew up working with his contractor father and isn't afraid to work with his hands--in fact he enjoys it. We received a piano last fall so that our children could start piano lessons. No, they haven't given up the violin but are taking BOTH piano and violin (it's good form them...and I know someday they will be glad they did). Their violin lessons are more intense, and piano lessons are more relaxed...because, well, Grandma is teaching them (she is very talented, though doesn't play as much as she used to) and gives them a lesson every other week. It has been great fun for the kids as well as for Grandma. They have time one-on-one with her, and she has the great joy to teach her extensive knowledge to some eager grandkids. They have played for nursing home church services already and are dong well (they elderly folk there think they are just wonderful!). Anyway, we obtained this piano (with a promise never to sell it) only it came without a bench. Well, hubby built this one and did a fabulous job, I think. Perhaps someday I will make a little cushion for the very top, but I think it looks pretty just as it is.

A Forced Project

I realized--after the fact, of course--that it really can be okay to be forced to do something. A certain someone had a cup of milk in the refrigerator, and a certain someone else knocked it over today getting milk all over the place. It's amazing how much milk there can be in a small, plastic cup. Well, cleaning the fridge certainly wasn't on my list of things to do today. Does anyone put cleaning the fridge on their "to do" list? Mmmm...can't remember ever doing that. Anyway, whenever something spills, I clean it up then and there and move on, or if there is a dirty spot, I just clean it up. Well, after today's mishap, the whole appliance needed a thorough cleaning from stem to stern (who wants a refrigerator smelling sour?), and that's exactly what it got. Unfortunately, I could only get half of it done before having to go grocery shopping which made the task a little more difficult to complete, but it now looks spic and span. Besides, it's nice to know what is exactly in that fridge...not that things ever linger long in our refrigerator. Leftovers rarely languish for more than a few days. But, I did rediscover BBQ sauce on the door which I think I'll fix with chicken this coming week. So, the moral of the post?....drink all your milk so that it doesn't spill! ; )

Creative Teacup Lights

I have great appreciation for creative people with unique ideas...and this person has the most fascinating things--vintage teacup lights! I saw these on Etsy today. How can I not like, well, anything with a teacup involved in it? So, I thought I'd show you these. Hop on over to this seller's Etsy shop at Mostaza Seed to see her other work.

Some Last Roses of Summer

Perhaps it is because of all the rain we received in August and September, but my roses are still blooming beautifully. What a treat to have them to enjoy so late in the season! I thought I'd share them with you. Wish I could transport their scent as well, but you will just have to imagine that on your own. Enjoy!

Plungers and Flush Ratios

My husband called me while I was in town the other day and asked me to stop by Walmart to buy a new plunger. He was plunging the kids' toilet (it's amazing what little kids are capable of doing), and, well, the old plunger broke. I bought one with a little holder since I figured we use it so much it might as well stay in the bathroom and look somewhat presentable too. Fast forward to last night...as I was plunging the kids' toilet again (for the umpteenth time), my mind wandered to my parents. When they built their new house this past spring, my mom did this amazing and in Internet search and depth study into toilets--the size of the hole at the bottom, the flush ratio, the performance ratio, and all other information available regarding each and every toilet they were even considering. I thought she was nuts (sorry, Mom!). It NEVER would have occurred to me to study toilets before we put ours in several years ago. I was basically just concerned about the price and the color. It had to be "biscuit" to match everything else and couldn't cost too much. Well, my parents after much study decided on Toto toilets. They sound as if a person would go down the hole with each flush, but I believe they have never had to plunge. SO...all that to say this....perhaps Mom wasn't so crazy after all (though I hate to admit it!). If you are in the market to buy new toilets, I'd like to suggest that perhaps it would be a wise idea to research the ones you are considering so that you don't have to plunge several times a week like we do. Though I'm glad for the muscles I'm building, I'd rather not have to build them in this fashion. ; )

Fruit Flies? A Simple Solution

In a world full of complicatons, it's nice to find an easy solution to something. We recently found a neglected banana that went *yuck* and *ooze* on our counter. When I went to clean it up, a flurry of fruit flies soared above the counter--I was disrupting their fun! Unfortunately they tend to *linger* though their food source is gone, and they are SO hard to catch and squish and get rid of. I read a thing my mom had sent me awhile back about getting rid of them easily. You put apple cider vinegar in a dish with a squirt of dish soap. They are attracted to the vinegar, and the soap "does them in" when they swoop down for a drink. Voila! As you can see in my dish...it works! I love easy, simple solutions to things.

Glorious Morning Glories

I have never had morning glories before. I had purchased some already started at an Amish nursery with the intention of planting them by a new trellis over our well pipe (it sticks up quite a bit from the ground and is really ugly!). Well, I didn't have time to landscape around the pipe, so I stuck the little tender plants in a pot so that they would survive...and survive they did! I'm thrilled and even had to borrow a trellis from Mom so that they could wander and blossom to their full potential. It's a joy to look out each morning to see what has bloomed, and I love the purple and blue colors. They ARE glorious, and I have every intention to be more serious about planting them next year.