Weeds, weeds and more weeds!

Yes that's right I have been weeding away at the weeds! I never knew weeds could grow so strong! They managed to grow along the stone of the garage! It kind of looked live a vine and I may be wrong but I think the roots were trying to tell me to leave them alone - they were so thick! I was also breaking branches (still have some to go) that were from the tree and they fell during some of the storms.

One thing this has taught me is patience! The more that I struggle and huff and puff the more I seemed to be getting nowhere. But when I take my time it seems that more is done so I'm practicing patience as I clear away the weeds. But I have come to find out that this is part of the process because I'm learning a lot about maintainence outside the house. For instance today I did some more planting and I also did some weeding and it all goes together. You can't have a garden without doing some weeding. Plus its just good to be outside. I have my trusty chair and my trusty trash can and I just sit there and get it done. I do need a new rake though because I have worn the old one out. I cleaned out the birdbath. Since it sits under our tree which is a 100 year old maple it gets a lot of debri in it.

I don't remember if I mentioned it here on my blog but I was feeling kind of jealous of my neighbors who were out in their yards cleaning and such but now I am one of them too. Plus the township where I live kind of frowns upon unkept property - so at least they will see that some work has been done.

This is one of the reasons why a lot of people that like apartments don't want to have a home because they say that they don't like the maintenance part of it. I'm just the opposite. I have never lived in an apartment and I don't think that I would like it anyway. I'm a house kind of person. (-:

The Resuming of the Outside Work Has Begun!

Well I am quite proud of having started where I left off last fall! I am working my way around the house because truthfully speaking that is the best way to do this. It's a slow way but the best way. As I work myself around the house I can see what has to be done. For instance there are a number of smaller trees but with very thick trunks that I just can not cut down my self. It's better to know all of the ones that have to be cut down as opposed to just getting them cut down one tree at a time.

Just in case you're wondering what it is I have to do on the outside of the house let me tell you. This should kind of be a lesson to those that don't know but when you let the outside go without maintaining it what you will get is a lot of overgrowth and a lot of weeds - and I mean a LOT of weeds! If you let those weeds continue to grow then they start to turn into trees and then you have a bigger problem - which is what I'm learning. So around the house I go digging up and clearing away the weeds. There is a rosebush that is at least 20 years old on one side of the house and if that isn't properly pruned then the branches grow out and then the heavy weight of them bends the branches while they continue to grow and before you know it the branches start working their way next door! So at the side of the house I'm digging up and clearing the overgrowth. I'm thinking of putting some mulch or some brick walk plates to stop the growth. Once I work my way around the sides that brings me to the back of the house where I have my garden and the hedges. I haven't had a garden for 2 years so you can imagine that there is a lot of overgrowth, debri and weeds to be cleared up! But as I work my way slowly around I managed to clear enough ground to start planting - yipeeee! Now I can think about that as I'm clearing away the rest of the ground!

Since we're not at the end of our frost free date I started planting some cold weather vegetables.

So now I'm onto the other side of the house where there is more clearing to do. Once I finish that side then there's the driveway/garage area that has a lot of tree branches from previous storms that have to be broken up. Whew! Sounds like a lot doesn't it? I'm still not finished though because next will be the front of the house! That involves cutting the grass (after I clear the branches away) and cutting the hedges!

I know it sounds like a lot but hey I have a house! I should be very grateful for that because not everyone can say that. Plus I know from neighbors about the terrible experience of losing their home - something that I vow not to go through.

But back to more pleasant talk..............It is a lot of work but I do want to do it. It also gives me the pleasure of deciding what kind of "do-dads" I want to add like windchimes and a birdhouse and what kind of flowers I want to plant.

So I have a lot of work to do and I plan on having a lot of fun while I do it (-:

Cleaning The Birdbath!

Today I took a little time and cleaned the birdbath outside. This was bugging me because I take time to feed the birds and squirrels and the bird bath hasn't been cleaned since last fall (if then).

I do have other outside work to do but I'm doing that in a certain way and working my way around the house. There are the hedges (both front and back) to be cut. I also have some trashbags full of debri like branches that aren't picked up with the regular trash and they require a (fee-based)special trash pickup where I have to call the township and schedule a trash pickup. Since the weather has gotten warmer the grass has been growing and needs to be cut. There are some weeds that have to be cut down (and the longer I leave the weeds, the bigger they grow). I also want to start my garden in the backyard so the ground has to be cleared.

Actually it sounds like a lot but as long as I'm in the right mood for it it will be okay. And there is something to be said for working outside in nice weather.

But its the birdbath that was bothering me. Mind you I know its not just the birds that use the birdbath. I have seen squirrels and the neighborhood cats use it too.

So along with the inside work that has to be done there is the outside work that has to be done too. I'll have to hire someone to cut down some of the more thicker weeds that have grown so tall but other than that the rest I can do myself.

Replacing A Broken Window

As I got online I saw this link to a site with a guy showing how to replace a broken window. Here is the link:

Replacing A Broken Window

There's a video on the site as well.

I don't have a broken window but I do have an upstairs window that has a crack in it. From what I have been told I can just replace the pane but I haven't done it yet and I haven't decided if I'm going to do it or have someone else do it.

The windows that I are pretty old and I kind of like them the way they are plus I have this weird thing of "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

Outside Things To Do

Want a little insight to some of the work that a homeowner does outside their house? Of course it depends on the type of house that you have, how much land you have and so on but in my specific case here is a list of the things that I have to do.

• The first place that I have to start with is where I left off last fall when I was clearing away some of the overgrowth and weeds. I found out that the trash bags full of garden debri and branches and stuff won't be taken by the regular trash pickup. I have to call and get a special pickup (and of course there is a fee for that). I got about half-way done last year and now I have to work on the other half - clearing it away and then I get to start all over again.
  

• There is the cutting of the hedges that I should do at least once every three weeks
  

• I also have enough room for a garden in the back - got to get a new hoe because I used the last one to death!
  

• Would you believe that I still have leaves to rake!
  

• There are also branches that have to be broken and trashed - this is the result of storms and high winds
  

• I'm on the hunt for some good porch furniture! (Of course getting rid of the old furniture will be a problem but I'm hoping that I can just get some new cushions and not have to chuck the frames). I also have to take into consideration getting something that doesn't look good enough to steal. And I'm also having a hard time finding just the right kind of porch furniture. I want something that will be big and sturdy and not those "lite" looking porch chairs and benches that I see advertised.

Sounds like a lot of fun doesn't it? But I won't mind as long as I do it a little bit at a time. I see people enjoying the fact that they are taking care of their homes and shopping for things like plants and flowers can be fun. Besides, between work I can always sit on the porch and rest - That reminds me - I want a rocking chair for my porch!

Bugs!

Dare I say it? I HATE THEM! I saw one crawling out from somewhere while I was at the keyboard typing and it freaked me out! So you can see that I'm not too accustomed to having them around. Is there such a thing as a "bug free" house? I know the weather is getting warmer and I know that that will mean more bugs (and I hate to say the word roaches!). I also know that warmer weather will mean bees! I hate those too!

Losing Your Home!

I have to admit that this is one of my biggest fears!

I'll see ads in the paper where mortgage companies are offering certain amounts that you pay back monthly for a mortgage. Of course a lot of those amounts are much lower than what I am paying for my mortgage right now but I don't dare call these companies no matter how attractive their mortgage payment amounts look! Quite honestly I would like to pay my mortgage off just to not have the headache but I read somewhere that actually having a mortgage to pay could be considered a good thing because it is known as "good" debt. It has to do with your credit score or something.

I see the notices of sheriff sales in my local paper and see all the listing of homes that have already been foreclosed on. I even shutter when I see those programs on TV about "flipping" property!

My solution to this nagging problem has got to be for me to have a fund that has enough money in it so I don't lose my house. And I'm not talking about mortgage insurance. I'd rather have my own mortgage insurance where I have control over it. Just a nice tidy sum that is enough to pay off the mortgage and have some still in it to pay the yearly property taxes. It's a nice dream isn't it? But I would MAKE it a reality! I could go without some "niceties" if it meant that I knew that I had my "house" fund.

Mortgage Companies!

I recently read an article talking about how many people are going to lose their homes to foreclosure. It's a very sad thing to see and read about. As far as my mortgage goes, I like everyone else want to have it paid off! The foreclosure process is not a very pleasant experience. People need help to help them stop the foreclosure process on their homes. And while foreclosures may be a very good thing for real estate investors it isn't a very good thing for the people whose homes are being foreclosed on.

One good thing that I can say about my mortgage is that it is a 30 year fixed mortgage and it is not one of those adjustable rate mortgages. A lot of people have those adjustable rate mortgages and now they wish that they hadn't. But you know they probably could not get a mortgage any other way.

There are so many ads and commercials about helping people with their mortgage problems and how they can get out of debt by consolidating their bills. If you can avoid it don't do business with these kinds of companies. Paying off your mortgage the old-fashioned way may take longer but in the long run you will be glad that you did it that way.

Sticky Remote Control

I have Direct TV and now the remote is sticky. I don't know if I did this or if its just regular wear and tear as far as the remote is concerned. I haven't had it for even a year yet and I'm pondering what to do. I don't want to "fiddle" with the remote cause I don't want to break the darn thing and I don't want to call up Direct TV and ask them about it because I certainly don't want to pay for another remote control.

I suppose I could switch TV remotes from another one of the other TV's - guess I'm just lazy!

I'm thinking in the back of my mind that if I do switch them then I would have to re-program the remote control to work with both the TV and the VCR and somewhere else in the back of my mind is this voice saying that I may still need to fix it with whatever TV I switch it to.

The literature and the instructions that came with the Direct TV installation is full of what they will repair or replace and what they won't repair or replace and in that literature somewhere I'm sure that they don't say anything about "sticky" remotes. I don't think that comes under the warranty.

Emergency Repair

See this doorknob? It was faithfully working for over 10 years. Then one day I put the key in it and found out that while it worked the key wouldn't turn inside the lock. I did not want to be faced with the problem of being locked outside the house so I figured that it was better safe than sorry to have the lock replaced.

Actually I though that the doorknob itself could be fixed without having to get a new one but in the end it was just better to get a new one. (Side note here getting a new lock means getting new keys which was a good idea because this time I would know who had copies!). Even the guy that did the repair said the same thing that even though the lock could be fixed it would just be better to get a new one. (In fact he was surprised that the doorknob and lock lasted as long as it did).

Since the guy that used to do the repairs to the house had since died, I found this guy the old fashioned way - I looked in the yellow pages! You often hear about people who have had a bad experience when they call someone from the yellow pages - especially when it has to do with repairs) but I can say that my experience wasn't one of them.

The guy that did the repair was nice and he gave me his name and number in case I needed him for future repairs that had to do with locks. A lot of these guys that work for companies do work on the side, work that doesn't go through the company but goes directly to them. I mention this because they make more money if they bypass the company and get called directly to do the work. It's hard to say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing and I'm lucky that I got someone who wasn't a scam.

But this is one of those repair kind of things that comes under the heading of an emergency repair because it wasn't a planned thing and it was done immediately because I didn't want to come face to face with the prospect of being locked out. (Being locked in - I could handle that). The whole thing - new doorknob cost just under $100 bucks - the keys I got for free (or so they tell me).

So I'm wondering now which another "emergency" repair is going to come up.........

My First Cellphone!

Well I have been jealous seeing people just whip out their cellphones and start talking. I see them using their cellphones everywhere! Including at the grocery store and on the bus and even walking down the street!

I have to preface this by saying that my credit is not all that hot! So I had to get on one of those prepay plans where I pay a certain amount every month. If I don't make the payment in time then I won't be able to use the cellphone.

But like I said this is my first cellphone so its kind of like having a new shiny toy! At least my credit rating was good enough to get a cellphone that isn't one of those prepaid ones. Besides being able to make and receive calls I was surprised to find out that I can also go online with this cellphone - of course there is a fee for this! And one thing I insisted on was having a camera phone - although I'm still trying to successfully transfer the pictures to my email address.

One dis-heartening thing that I found out was that this particular model cellphone doesn't allow for ringtones outside the ones that you have to pay for! I recorded part of a song that I would love to use as a ringtone but I found out that I can't! )-:

There has got to be a way for me to do this and I'm still trying to figure how!

I also have to be careful of my "minutes" and now I know why people are always talking about their "minutes". My nighttime and weekend minutes carry over to the next month but not my daytime minutes.I'm also learning about this "battery" business. Silly me - I thought that cellphones used regular batteries but I found out that they don't and that the kind of battery that cellphones used have to be recharged - at least I got the charger as part of the whole package!

So with the exception of not being able to use the ringtones that I want and still trying to figure out how to transfer the pictures from my camera phone - I'm kind of having fun with my new "toy".

Hearth.com

Like I said I love fireplaces and I thought that this was just the most adorable picture that I have seen!

If you like talking about fireplaces or are seeking information about fireplaces or are looking for specific parts then Hearth.com
is the place for you. There is a message forum as well as pictures. You can browse the forums but in order to post to them you have to register but there is no cost involved to register.

Since I don't have a fireplace of my own yet I can look at the pictures of others and be jealous! One of the current topics is how mild the weather has been lately but everybody is preparing for the weather just in case a snowstorm comes along.

So if you enjoy fireplaces then this is the place for you!

Fireplaces

I got an email from someone that read on one of my pages that I love fireplaces! And they mentioned that they love them too. I don't know what it is about fireplaces but they just seem so peaceful and romantic (and besides living by the ocean) and so warm and inviting.
I mentioned to this person about how I wanted to bring back the fireplace in my house because there is supposed to be one here but it was covered up. And that got me to thinking that I should start making plans as to how I am going to accomplish this. First I have to be sure that there really was a fireplace here (I mean we have a chimney so doesn't that mean that there was one here?). Then I'm going to have to find out how I can get it back. The livingroom is quite full and I'm guessing that the fireplace would have to be where the sofa is now but I'll see. I don't want to move (or get rid of) the sofa and hopefully there will be a way that I can fit it in.

The Nerve!

The previous owner of this house passed away and that is how I got the property. In the mail came a letter addressed to me starting with

"May I offer my condolences on the passing of....................................."

The very next sentence says that the reason they are contacting me is that they understand that the property may be coming up for sale. (I don't know where they got this "understanding" because I never once wanted to put the property up for sale!) The writer of the letter says that he is looking for property in the area and would be interested if it became available - if not now - then he would like to be considered in the future in case it does come up for sale. He offers to purchase the property as is and that he will pay all cash and that he will close the sale in 30 days.

I was insulted by the letter and of course that could have just been that it reminded me of the passing of the previous owner. I know that there are a lot of people out there that would be glad to get an offer like this in the mail but I'm not one of them.

Expenses - Getting New Locks!

It's better to be safe than sorry and I was afraid that I would lock myself out of the house! The whole thing cost about $175 but it dawned on me that it was well worth it! I think the lock on the door was as old as the house itself! The cost included the installation, the service call and the extra keys.

I would have to put this under "emergency" expenses because it was something that I didn't plan to do. So its probably a good idea for you to have an "emergency" expense set aside because emergencies will come up!

*** Article: Every Day That The Furnace Works Is A Good Day – By AlanDetwiler ***

"The things that make our lives better -- our homes, food, clothing, andour families -- should make us feel good by just knowing we have them. Butthose important things likely have been a part of our lives for a longtime. Human nature turns our attention away from the familiar. So weseldom feel very happy about what we have. But if something important tous is taken away and then is somehow recovered, we feel joy andappreciation.Too bad we humans can't feel so fortunate about things before they aretaken away. How great we would feel about our health, our abilities tomove around, our mental abilities to reason and remember, and the numerousother things that are out of our minds just because we take them forgranted. Shouldn't we make 'asset awareness' a higher priority in ourlives? What better way is there to get more out of life? That little bitof wisdom would make us happier if we could just get ourselves to put itinto practice.My furnace stopped working late one evening last winter when thetemperature outside was heading toward the lower twenties overnight. Therewould not be a furnace repair shop open at that time of day. I have quitea few tools, am mechanically inclined, and have some knowledge of how thefurnace works. So I went down into the basement and started removing thepump/blower assembly from the oil-burning furnace so it could beinspected. When the mounting bolts were removed and the assembly takenout, several small pieces of shattered plastic could be seen lying at thebottom of the combustion chamber. The plastic shaft linking the motor tothe oil pump had shattered into many small pieces. There would be no heatin the house overnight and probably a good part of the next day.The temperature in the house had dropped into the lower 60s around 8 p.m.when I noticed the furnace was not coming on, as it should. By 10 p.m.when I had discovered the root cause, it was in the mid 50s. Fortunately,I have a lot of extra blankets. I took three, folded each in half for atotal of six extra layers and put them on the bed. I put on a coat, asecond pair of pants, heavy socks, a knit hat, and knit gloves and went tobed.I was quite comfortable that night. The next morning, the temperature inthe house was 48 degrees F. I was dressed warmly and was reasonablycomfortable as long as I kept moving quickly and didn't slow down. Theurge to stay warm felt like an overpowering concern. A call to the nearestfurnace repair shop (about 10 miles away) gave me the good news that areplacement part was in stock. The $12 price seemed like a real bargain toget back a heated home again. Just after noon I had completed the repairjust in time to eat lunch as the house warmed up to the balmy 68 degreeswhere the thermostat was set. What luxury!We have so much. We heat our homes. We provide ourselves with food andother necessities. We have many luxuries and creature comforts. Every oneof those good things should be celebrated and enjoyed. All of what we haveis special -- the newly acquired, the familiar, the big/important things,and the little things. It is special to be able to prepare a plate of foodfor supper, take it out into the yard, and sit down in the sun and eat it.If that doesn't seem special, visit a nursing home (most of us will livein one some day). Most of the residents there are wheelchair bound. Theyeat in their rooms or in a large dining hall with other residents. Thoseare their only two choices.When I walk out onto my lawn with my plate of food, I am going to enjoyit. I hope I always remember -- every day that the furnace works is a goodday.

About the Author: Alan Detwiler writes about things to do to have fun.

His website is http://www.leisureideas.com

The Kitchen Sink Is Still Clogged.......

And I found out that while the water is slowly draining down the clog the pipe in the basement is pretty much rusty to a fault!  So far I have duck-taped it hoping that THAT will help.

The piping system probably needs an overhaul but I want to take my time with this and get someone reliable to do the job - plus I have to set aside a budget for it.

Well the heater came on for the first time this season

I still had the windows up!

For some reason I just walked by the radiator and felt that it was warm. The heater hasn't been on since - I believe - May. The temps are supposed to go down into the 40's tonight and I'm sure that the heater will kick back on again.

Like they say the seasons are changing!

I found where the kitchen sink is leaking to

It's not a pretty site! The pipe is leaking in the basement and the pipe is in back of another pipe which makes reaching it quite difficult. I know that I am going to have to replace the pipes because they have been there for a while now. But at least when I have them replaced I'll have a warranty and will know that the pipes are new.

Now I got to find a reputable company to do the job.

The Kitchen Sink Is Still Clogged.......

And I found out that while the water is slowly draining down the clog the pipe in the basement is pretty much rusty to a fault!  So far I have duck-taped it hoping that THAT will help.

The piping system probably needs an overhaul but I want to take my time with this and get someone reliable to do the job - plus I have to set aside a budget for it.