Well, after six weeks of no internet, I am back online. I have signed onto Pcsforpeople, an internet service for low income folks. They are a non-profit group and offer WiFi hot spots. One must buy the hot spot, then pay a subscription. I really can't say much for their customer service, it is lacking...I could go on about this, but it is a waste of my time.
Where I live, there are few choices for internet, either the local cable group or Verizion. The monthly charge for either is very high...and I feel there is a monopoly on internet in our city. An anti-trust issue if you ask me. But no one asks. And these companies remain the "big providers" in the area. As a matter of fact, I was told Verizion is not available in this apartment complex.
I have been working on many projects to clear up the items from my storage unit. All have been moved out of storage and into my apartment. So, things are a bit out of sorts in my bedroom, which is really a storage space right now. But I have shelves and most of the items are off the floor and neatly on the shelves. I am sleeping in the living room and like it this way for now.
I have finished one chest of drawers and it now contains my clothing and my shoes. It came out very nice, considering it needed two new drawer bottoms and a new back. I sanded off the old, brown finish, put a coat of Penetrol to feed the old, dry pine wood, two coats of polyurethane finished the project. I have sanded down two small, wood trunks, two coats of poly inside and out to seal the wood. Now, two new bottoms will finish them and I can add handles and use them for storage. There are two more trunks to be cleaned up and finished and the four trunks will be done.
I have cleaned up the chair I got off Craig's List last late fall. It is 1979 Mary Webb Wood chair, typical wing-backed chair. The upholstery has embroidery on it in the form of the Tree of Life. At least that is what I think it is. The chair needed to be cleaned for there had been a bad coffee or tea spill on the cushion and onto the arm. I managed to get most of the stain off with my Bissell Green Machine. There are some stains that won't come out, but overall, it is a beautiful chair and I am enjoying it.
I have a small garden space at the apartment complex. I have been growing from seed...two different kinds of cukes, kale, lettuce, Borage, Basil, Scarlet Runner Beans and Johnny-Jump Ups. I bought in some organic hot peppers, lavender & parsley. Early in spring, I planted some horseradish root. Right away, the squirrels dig up one of the roots for a taste. Guess it was too hot, for I found the root, a bit chewed off...right next to the hole where it was planted. I laughed at the thought of the squirrel's shock when eating the root! The squirrels can be a problem...as well as the cats who live across the street (they like my garden as their toilet) but I have thwarted both with a sprinkle of Cayenne pepper over the ground in the garden. I had to fence off the catnip plant once the cats discovered it and tried to kill it with eating all the top growth and rolling in the plant. It survives nicely now.
There are many soil-borne insects in the garden soil, so I removed 5" of the top soil last fall and added new organic soil this spring. Unfortunately, the added soil had a lot of not-composted wood pieces in it and since there are termites in the wood sides of the raised bed, the termites have been eating the stems of the basil, right below the soil level!!! I have done several soil-drenches to try to eradicate all the grubs and other bad insects below the ground, but the termites seem to be invincible! This fall, I will add a topping of manure & seaweed for extra organic matter that the termites might not like.
I have been working at my friend's gardens & yard in Rochester but the heat has been oppressive...the heat index was 107 ten days ago and may reach that again in the next few days. So, I work inside...BB the dog needs a clip job, I need to address paper work and get that sent out. I just love my central AC!!
Bedbug patrol needs doing every few days, vacuuming and re-applying DE to the baseboards on a rotational basis. The clutter on my table abates, then somehow finds it's way back!!!
I have made a few good friends her and I am grateful for that.
Thanks for reading...time to take BB the dog out for his walk and look at the garden on our way back in to beat the heat!