Some days are just harder than others. All efforts to be productive have been met with distractions and my attention span is the size of a gnat!! This is the flip-side of the beauty of working from home. While I have the latitude to work casually dressed in tank top and shorts, I also have the opportunity to walk away from my work task too easily! For instance...to spend time watching kittens!
Our wild cat, Hijack, had kittens. We thought they would be under the house but, no, she had under the neighbor's house and only brought them home yesterday! They are 6 weeks old and we finally get to see them. So, they are the center of every conversation and email between my Honey and me today. I give him updates on kitten sightings. We amuse easily! There are six of the little cuties. Their mom, Hijack, is confident enough to come to front door to demand her food but still does not let us touch her. She gets closer than before not enough to be loving. We want the kittens to be socialized with people to stop the cycle of feral cats!
I passed by the front door once and was startled to see a little orange ball of fur sitting in the food bowl eating away! This was the first sighting on the front deck. Four are on ground level taking shelter under the deck which stands 10-15 feet from the ground. The other two are on the walkway level which is 3-4 feet off the ground. How that happened I do not know. They dash under the stairs when they think we are getting too close. Today, it was so cute to see the elevated two kittens peering over the edge watching the four ground level babies playing and tussling together. Me, I stood on the deck looking down on all of them and having a grand time!
Maybe life isn't so hard today after all. Perhaps my perspective needed an attitude adjustment. Maybe a day to just enjoy the miracle of life and wonderment of new kittens is more suited to a simple life on Hacienda Hill than I first considered. Yep, a simple life means taking the time to enjoy and appreciate to simple things around you. Work will always be there waiting and kittens will grow up too quickly. Take some time today to just revel in life and appreciate the blessings around you.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Day 16 - Simply Brilliant
Life has taken a turn for the better since I've accepted and adopted the KISS concept in my guest prep.
Today, I was hanging out some laundry and had what I call 'A flash of brilliance!" I just had to share! I was putting out a load of my clothes. I use one of those mesh bags to put my dirty socks and panties in as I shed them, then throw the whole bag in the washer with my other things. No more socks being eaten by the dryer! HA! Anyway, as I hung one sock after another from the bag, I spotted a shoe rack I bought for a recent garage sale. It's one of those $3 dollar white plastic racks that sits on the floor and holds 9 pair of shoes. I decided to utilize it for my wet socks. One sock per holder and viola! I placed it on the patio table making it handy to fill with socks, which are no longer taking up valuable clothesline space. How handy is that?! Flash of brilliance!
I have found a down side to hanging clothes on the line instead of using the dryer. You know the stuff you clean from the lint filter...well, it stays on the clothes now. It's nothing but a thing for the most part but I noticed it today hanging out a pair of black slacks. The life with three long haired dogs is riddled with dog hair....what are you gonna do? Grin and get the lint brush, that's what!!!
Remember to keep it simple...KISS KISS
Today, I was hanging out some laundry and had what I call 'A flash of brilliance!" I just had to share! I was putting out a load of my clothes. I use one of those mesh bags to put my dirty socks and panties in as I shed them, then throw the whole bag in the washer with my other things. No more socks being eaten by the dryer! HA! Anyway, as I hung one sock after another from the bag, I spotted a shoe rack I bought for a recent garage sale. It's one of those $3 dollar white plastic racks that sits on the floor and holds 9 pair of shoes. I decided to utilize it for my wet socks. One sock per holder and viola! I placed it on the patio table making it handy to fill with socks, which are no longer taking up valuable clothesline space. How handy is that?! Flash of brilliance!
I have found a down side to hanging clothes on the line instead of using the dryer. You know the stuff you clean from the lint filter...well, it stays on the clothes now. It's nothing but a thing for the most part but I noticed it today hanging out a pair of black slacks. The life with three long haired dogs is riddled with dog hair....what are you gonna do? Grin and get the lint brush, that's what!!!
Remember to keep it simple...KISS KISS
Friday, August 20, 2010
Sealed with a KISS
In my quest for a more simple life at Hacienda Hill I need a paradigm shift. You see, I have always been a planner, a list maker, a map reader.....etc. The paradigm shift I refer to is in the area of...here it comes...the dreaded over-achiever. I put so much on my plate of things to do, that I moved up from a plate to a platter years ago just to hold it all. I do this to myself, no one else has the giant list of expectations of me.
Last night, my Honey brought me around to reality when I was sharing with him some things I wanted to get done today. We are having company again this weekend and I wanted to finish the window cornice boards to match my new curtains. This requires they be reupholstered. It's not a big job in and of itself but it's another job...one that isn't really necessary.
He pointed out that I had enough to do without creating new jobs. Oh, he also pointed out that I wanted to do this while trying to deal with a very painful foot. Each step is agonizing at the moment and here I was loading up my platter with unnecessary tasks. He suggested I focus on what really counts, rather than the extraneous things Ms. Over-achiever wanted to do. He doesn't call me Ms. Over-achiever, that's my name for it, but he has lived with her for a long time now!!!! Bless his heart, he lives with me, Brat Child and Ms. Over-achiever. Egad!
Sometimes it takes someone else to get us to slow down long enough to realize we are at warp speed doing extraneous things that tie us in a knot and we need to just STOP! So, in the name of striving for a simple life on Hacienda Hill, I am making myself scratch things off the To-Do list and just look forward to having our friends in our imperfect though albeit comfortable home. I will nurse my foot, feed my guest, and enjoy their company. I will thank God for home and hearth, good friends and stress free fellowship. Remember the KISS theory ...Keep It Simple, Silly!
Last night, my Honey brought me around to reality when I was sharing with him some things I wanted to get done today. We are having company again this weekend and I wanted to finish the window cornice boards to match my new curtains. This requires they be reupholstered. It's not a big job in and of itself but it's another job...one that isn't really necessary.
He pointed out that I had enough to do without creating new jobs. Oh, he also pointed out that I wanted to do this while trying to deal with a very painful foot. Each step is agonizing at the moment and here I was loading up my platter with unnecessary tasks. He suggested I focus on what really counts, rather than the extraneous things Ms. Over-achiever wanted to do. He doesn't call me Ms. Over-achiever, that's my name for it, but he has lived with her for a long time now!!!! Bless his heart, he lives with me, Brat Child and Ms. Over-achiever. Egad!
Sometimes it takes someone else to get us to slow down long enough to realize we are at warp speed doing extraneous things that tie us in a knot and we need to just STOP! So, in the name of striving for a simple life on Hacienda Hill, I am making myself scratch things off the To-Do list and just look forward to having our friends in our imperfect though albeit comfortable home. I will nurse my foot, feed my guest, and enjoy their company. I will thank God for home and hearth, good friends and stress free fellowship. Remember the KISS theory ...Keep It Simple, Silly!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Day - 14 Light of my Life
I am the self-proclaimed Energy Sheriff here at Hacienda Hill. I have carried this badge-less title for years. I want a badge! LOL It is a thankless job but someone has to do it. Actually, I would be rolling in the dough if I had even a nickle for every light switch I have turned off that someone else has left on!
At this moment in time there are 44 light bulbs used in our home on a daily basis. Yes, I counted. Bear in mind, that in multiple bulb fixtures, we do not have bulbs in every available space. For instance, the master bath fixture over the mirror has space for 8 vanity globes, we have 8 in place but only use 2 of them. The other 6 are unscrewed just enough not to come on. The overhead light in here does not even have a bulb in it so it was not included in the light count. There are several light fixtures in our home where we cut back on bulbs in actual use, so 44 is a conservative number. Imagine, 44 bulbs used daily times 365 days a year...that's 16,060 bulbs in use, spinning the meter....boggles the mind. Screams out for an Energy Sheriff, doesn't it?
Ceiling fans and free standing fans are a constant source of aggravation for an Energy Sheriff. Make note of the following: Fans cool PEOPLE, not Rooms! A fan spinning in an empty room is cooling no one! Fans cool people because they move the air over our skin. No people in the room, no skin to cool. Fans running without people to cool are merely spinning the meter needlessly; major pet peeve for an Energy Sheriff. Leaving the room for even a short while, turn the fan off! It only takes a second to turn off and another second to turn back on once you return. If that sounds like too much trouble for you, maybe you should read the light bill over once more.
We had family/guest last weekend. The 7 year old boy asked why the TV wasn't on when they came in after a day of playing tourist. I explained I wasn't watching TV so there was no need for it to be on. He looked at me like I was crazy. Some people need something on all the time, TV, radio, something to fill the air space around them. Me, I need quiet. I play some upbeat music while cleaning house to get the juices flowing. Housework just seems less like work to me when good music is playing but I do not need noise all the time. I think too much for that. I have plenty of things going on inside my head to keep my mind occupied, I do not need external noise. If you do, then play them but monitor whether or not you are leaving them on when you are not paying attention to them. Picture yourself as the Energy Sheriff of your home and walk around turning off all extraneous energy wasters. Your peace of mind and your checkbook will thank you for it.
Phantom energy users are those things that use electricity even if they are not running. The clock on the stove is an example. You can literally walk in the dark through our living room and kitchen area just guided by the number of little red and/or green lights on the various objects using phantom energy! The internet is on whether the computer is in use or not, so the boxes governing that are blinking, the microwave and oven have the timers/clock lights on, the power surge protectors that everything is plugged into has their little red lights on, the laptop has a white light that blinks all the time it is plugged in, DVD player, digital converter box, antenna rotor and TV even have lights on all the time. The cordless hand-held phones each have blinking lights, the clock on the coffee pot is on all the time....all running on phantom power whether in use or not! Egad!! It looks like a landing strip at an airport walking through here in the dark! We can reduce that some by turning off the power strips.Others we are simply stuck with, making it all the more important that we conserve where we can!
One area of concern for me is the location of the thermostat for our A/C unit. It is across from the front door!! This time of year makes it almost impossible to keep the wooden door open because it causes the A/C to kick on. It feels the heat from outside before any other area of the house and BAM! A/C kicks on regardless of how cool the house actually it! Poor design there. The view from my desk is cut off when that door has to remain closed.
There is more involved when we work to conserve energy than helping our light bill but that is a major issue in our hot Texas summers. Every little effort helps and makes a difference. It requires a mindset change to start being the Energy Sheriff and your family may get very tired of hearing about it ( mine did & do) but we are all responsible for life on planet earth and the things we do today impact the issues our grandchildren will deal with. A simple life is one where we control our environment, rather than it controlling us! Step up and make the changes necessary to be in charge, become an Energy Sheriff, be tough now to be happy later!
At this moment in time there are 44 light bulbs used in our home on a daily basis. Yes, I counted. Bear in mind, that in multiple bulb fixtures, we do not have bulbs in every available space. For instance, the master bath fixture over the mirror has space for 8 vanity globes, we have 8 in place but only use 2 of them. The other 6 are unscrewed just enough not to come on. The overhead light in here does not even have a bulb in it so it was not included in the light count. There are several light fixtures in our home where we cut back on bulbs in actual use, so 44 is a conservative number. Imagine, 44 bulbs used daily times 365 days a year...that's 16,060 bulbs in use, spinning the meter....boggles the mind. Screams out for an Energy Sheriff, doesn't it?
Ceiling fans and free standing fans are a constant source of aggravation for an Energy Sheriff. Make note of the following: Fans cool PEOPLE, not Rooms! A fan spinning in an empty room is cooling no one! Fans cool people because they move the air over our skin. No people in the room, no skin to cool. Fans running without people to cool are merely spinning the meter needlessly; major pet peeve for an Energy Sheriff. Leaving the room for even a short while, turn the fan off! It only takes a second to turn off and another second to turn back on once you return. If that sounds like too much trouble for you, maybe you should read the light bill over once more.
We had family/guest last weekend. The 7 year old boy asked why the TV wasn't on when they came in after a day of playing tourist. I explained I wasn't watching TV so there was no need for it to be on. He looked at me like I was crazy. Some people need something on all the time, TV, radio, something to fill the air space around them. Me, I need quiet. I play some upbeat music while cleaning house to get the juices flowing. Housework just seems less like work to me when good music is playing but I do not need noise all the time. I think too much for that. I have plenty of things going on inside my head to keep my mind occupied, I do not need external noise. If you do, then play them but monitor whether or not you are leaving them on when you are not paying attention to them. Picture yourself as the Energy Sheriff of your home and walk around turning off all extraneous energy wasters. Your peace of mind and your checkbook will thank you for it.
Phantom energy users are those things that use electricity even if they are not running. The clock on the stove is an example. You can literally walk in the dark through our living room and kitchen area just guided by the number of little red and/or green lights on the various objects using phantom energy! The internet is on whether the computer is in use or not, so the boxes governing that are blinking, the microwave and oven have the timers/clock lights on, the power surge protectors that everything is plugged into has their little red lights on, the laptop has a white light that blinks all the time it is plugged in, DVD player, digital converter box, antenna rotor and TV even have lights on all the time. The cordless hand-held phones each have blinking lights, the clock on the coffee pot is on all the time....all running on phantom power whether in use or not! Egad!! It looks like a landing strip at an airport walking through here in the dark! We can reduce that some by turning off the power strips.Others we are simply stuck with, making it all the more important that we conserve where we can!
One area of concern for me is the location of the thermostat for our A/C unit. It is across from the front door!! This time of year makes it almost impossible to keep the wooden door open because it causes the A/C to kick on. It feels the heat from outside before any other area of the house and BAM! A/C kicks on regardless of how cool the house actually it! Poor design there. The view from my desk is cut off when that door has to remain closed.
There is more involved when we work to conserve energy than helping our light bill but that is a major issue in our hot Texas summers. Every little effort helps and makes a difference. It requires a mindset change to start being the Energy Sheriff and your family may get very tired of hearing about it ( mine did & do) but we are all responsible for life on planet earth and the things we do today impact the issues our grandchildren will deal with. A simple life is one where we control our environment, rather than it controlling us! Step up and make the changes necessary to be in charge, become an Energy Sheriff, be tough now to be happy later!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Days 7 & 8 - Time to Enjoy
Day 7 was another busy day. Did some prep cooking for dishes for the weekend. More getting ready for guest. Which arrived safely last night! Yah! Poor Honey was so tired and up way past his bedtime. He's a Trooper, tho. He wanted to wait up for our guests.
You should see the looks my brother, Michael, gives me when I tell him to stop wasting water and safe it for the herbs! LOL Let's just say conservation doesn't cross his radar on a regular basis and he thinks I'm a bit nuts. He's a little brother, he's entitled to his opinion no matter how wrong and stupid it might be!!! LOL
Day 8 - So far, nothing I have prepared for meals has met the approval of young guest. Boy, will he get hungry this weekend...LOL Our hounds, Nikos, Chelsie and Pan Dulce are soaking up all the extra attention. Guest heading to Sea World today. Me, I'll be preparing for our stint to host Parent's Night Out for the church kids Saturday evening. Honey is at work. He has more OT tomorrow before PNO (Parent's Night Out)...bummer to be him Saturday evening!!. He will be one pooped Papa!!!!
Oh, I discovered a new perk to hanging the clothes out. Since my clothesline is under the back porch and my dogs are fenced in on the back porch, the wet clothes seem to keep it cooler for them. I was afraid it might make things more humid but the flapping of wet clothes in the breeze actually makes it better! That's probably the best I can do for conservation and simple living this weekend. As the self-appointed energy sheriff I have been biting my tongue and trying to be a gracious hostess. However, I am enjoying the company so I can bite my tongue a few days. Family time is precious and a few extra turns on the old light meter isn't worth blowing that over!
See ya on Monday. Till then, think green, fresh and clean and energy efficient! Compost something!!!!
You should see the looks my brother, Michael, gives me when I tell him to stop wasting water and safe it for the herbs! LOL Let's just say conservation doesn't cross his radar on a regular basis and he thinks I'm a bit nuts. He's a little brother, he's entitled to his opinion no matter how wrong and stupid it might be!!! LOL
Day 8 - So far, nothing I have prepared for meals has met the approval of young guest. Boy, will he get hungry this weekend...LOL Our hounds, Nikos, Chelsie and Pan Dulce are soaking up all the extra attention. Guest heading to Sea World today. Me, I'll be preparing for our stint to host Parent's Night Out for the church kids Saturday evening. Honey is at work. He has more OT tomorrow before PNO (Parent's Night Out)...bummer to be him Saturday evening!!. He will be one pooped Papa!!!!
Oh, I discovered a new perk to hanging the clothes out. Since my clothesline is under the back porch and my dogs are fenced in on the back porch, the wet clothes seem to keep it cooler for them. I was afraid it might make things more humid but the flapping of wet clothes in the breeze actually makes it better! That's probably the best I can do for conservation and simple living this weekend. As the self-appointed energy sheriff I have been biting my tongue and trying to be a gracious hostess. However, I am enjoying the company so I can bite my tongue a few days. Family time is precious and a few extra turns on the old light meter isn't worth blowing that over!
See ya on Monday. Till then, think green, fresh and clean and energy efficient! Compost something!!!!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Day 6 - Dragging My Bootie
Well, I am happy to say all the new drapes were ironed and hung by 12:30 this afternoon! Yay!! I didn't even have to stay up late last night. In fact, I went to bed at 9:30, so I was bouncing out of bed early this morning. This is the good news.
The bad news is that I have been basically worthless the rest of the day! I've had a sinus headache for three days and it is knocking me around. I managed to get dinner in front of Honey but that's about it. Dinner and a shower...whoo boy!
So now that the drapes are up, the old upholstery fabric on the cornice boards has got to go! I have loved it for all these years and I still find the fabric delightful. However, it does not go with the new drapes at all. I have the new fabric; bought it two years ago, too! Love it! I'm think recovering the cornice boards will be a great project for me to do with my brother's girlfriend, Jennifer, this weekend....a bonding thing, don't ya know! LOL Four hands are better than two, anyway! Hope she's crafty!
So, tomorrow has shaped up to be a busy day with a lot of To-Do's to catch up on. I'll send Demon Child out to play so I can work undisturbed. The little brat!! I'll tell you a story about the day I realized Demon Child lived within one day...but not this day. I am pooped and ready to sleep off this headache.
P.S. Still loving the clothesline and hanging things out to dry.
The bad news is that I have been basically worthless the rest of the day! I've had a sinus headache for three days and it is knocking me around. I managed to get dinner in front of Honey but that's about it. Dinner and a shower...whoo boy!
So now that the drapes are up, the old upholstery fabric on the cornice boards has got to go! I have loved it for all these years and I still find the fabric delightful. However, it does not go with the new drapes at all. I have the new fabric; bought it two years ago, too! Love it! I'm think recovering the cornice boards will be a great project for me to do with my brother's girlfriend, Jennifer, this weekend....a bonding thing, don't ya know! LOL Four hands are better than two, anyway! Hope she's crafty!
So, tomorrow has shaped up to be a busy day with a lot of To-Do's to catch up on. I'll send Demon Child out to play so I can work undisturbed. The little brat!! I'll tell you a story about the day I realized Demon Child lived within one day...but not this day. I am pooped and ready to sleep off this headache.
P.S. Still loving the clothesline and hanging things out to dry.
Day 5 - One Step Forward, Three Steps Back
On my quest down the road to living a more simple lifestyle, I fell into a pothole! Oh, I still contributed to my compost pile and I worked to not waste water and energy. My failings were in conserving my own personal energy and using my time wisely. Tossing my 'To-Do' list aside, I fell off the main road and onto a rabbit trail of extraneous work. SO much for simple!
We are having guest this weekend and next, so you know the extra stuff you do when all that comes around. As if that wasn't enough to fill my time and expend all my energy, I decided I just HAD to make new drapes for the living room. Huh? Yep, I jumped into making new drapes with only two days before guest arrive, a grocery list not yet purchased, laundry not finished, bathroom to scrub, floors to mop, common areas to dust, etc..... No simple life for me and I have no one to blame but myself!
In my defense, (and lord knows I need one) I wasn't exactly starting from scratch with this project. I purchased the materials needed two years ago right before I injured my hand and required two surgeries. So, with my hand in a cast, my friend, Mina, came over and helped me cut out the fabric and lining panels. Over time, I have managed to get several sets pinned together. This made the idea a little more practical....but just a little.
The hardest part of the whole process has been the ironing! Remember, this fabric has been folded and stored for two years! Sadly, my inner perfectionist, Demon Child, will not let me ask for help in the ironing. I tossed about the prospect of having Alyson, my neighbor girl-12, come over and help with the ironing. But, NOOOOO...Demon Child reminded me that I would just have to keep stopping to show her what I wanted, she would be too slow, she would talk me to death, she wouldn't get the seams to lie flat...yep, Demon Child made sure I did not let anyone help so my work would take longer and wear me out more. Normally, I enjoy ironing but Demon Child made sure I didn't this day!
So, my Friends, this is why I lost ground today in my journey to a more simple life at Hacienda Hill. One step forward, three steps back! Here's to better days and forward progress!! The new drapes do look pretty tho!!
We are having guest this weekend and next, so you know the extra stuff you do when all that comes around. As if that wasn't enough to fill my time and expend all my energy, I decided I just HAD to make new drapes for the living room. Huh? Yep, I jumped into making new drapes with only two days before guest arrive, a grocery list not yet purchased, laundry not finished, bathroom to scrub, floors to mop, common areas to dust, etc..... No simple life for me and I have no one to blame but myself!
In my defense, (and lord knows I need one) I wasn't exactly starting from scratch with this project. I purchased the materials needed two years ago right before I injured my hand and required two surgeries. So, with my hand in a cast, my friend, Mina, came over and helped me cut out the fabric and lining panels. Over time, I have managed to get several sets pinned together. This made the idea a little more practical....but just a little.
The hardest part of the whole process has been the ironing! Remember, this fabric has been folded and stored for two years! Sadly, my inner perfectionist, Demon Child, will not let me ask for help in the ironing. I tossed about the prospect of having Alyson, my neighbor girl-12, come over and help with the ironing. But, NOOOOO...Demon Child reminded me that I would just have to keep stopping to show her what I wanted, she would be too slow, she would talk me to death, she wouldn't get the seams to lie flat...yep, Demon Child made sure I did not let anyone help so my work would take longer and wear me out more. Normally, I enjoy ironing but Demon Child made sure I didn't this day!
So, my Friends, this is why I lost ground today in my journey to a more simple life at Hacienda Hill. One step forward, three steps back! Here's to better days and forward progress!! The new drapes do look pretty tho!!
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