The Lawnmower Story
Still Playing Catchup with My Postings.
I Am Planning Our Summer KAL (Knit Along.) I looked over some patterns this weekend but didn’t find THE ONE. The search continues. Are you excited for a Sweater KAL? I know I am. *Chair Wiggle*
Beyond the Basics. From time to time I schedule classes in my Beyond the Basics section for knitters and crocheters that want to learn a little more than basic how to knit and how to crochet. Are you ready to stretch your knitting wings? For these knitting classes you must know how to knit and purl and be able to do so with ease. For the crochet classes you must know how to crochet into your foundation chain, how to chain, single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet and triple crochet. Watch this space for the next Beyond the Basics class announcement. You can register for all of my classes on my website.
Cables $15 plus materials SIGN UP BY JUNE 2!
June 6 5-7pm
Jokes, Sayings & Cartoons.
Sticks & Stones
Don’t Knit This. I beg of you, do not take one of Grandma’s old afghans and make clothing out of them. My guess these are crocheted out of RHSS which may explain the stance these two men are taking. I am pretty sure that if you make one of these for your beloved he will not wear it in public for fear of camera phones. Don’t do this!
Afghan Nightmares
The Lawn Mower Story. Our first year or so that we were married, we lived in an apartment so had no need for a lawn mower.
After moving into base housing, we learned we were required to maintain our yards. With much excitement, Ken announced that we would need to buy him a lawn mower. Budget conscious as I was I suggested a push mower. Budget conscious as he wasn’t, Ken suggested a riding mower.
Riding mowers were out of the question. I priced electric and gas mowers. The electric ones were less expensive and I voted for that. But Ken vetoed electric mowers because we lived in Bremerton, WA and it rained often. That left a gas mower.
So a gas mower it was. Shopping in the Bremerton area was quite limited and even primitive at that time compared to what this California girl was used to. I couldn’t find anything reasonably priced there. So I opened up the Sears catalog, found a lawn mower whose price I liked and ordered it.
Ken liked it. In fact he was almost in lawn mower heaven. I say almost because it wasn’t a riding mower.
About 2 mos. into our lives as lawn mower owners, Ken came in, plopped on the chair and announced that he needed a new lawn mower because this one wouldn’t start.
“William Kientzler,” I said, “You get out there and start that lawn mower. You are not getting a new one!” So he pulled out the spark plug, cleaned it and it started.
Thus began an almost weekly conversation where Ken would inform me that he needed a new lawn mower and I would tell him he wasn’t getting one. Threatened with having to borrow a push mower from the base, he would go back out and clean the spark plug, replace the spark plug or fiddle with the carborator or the motor and then it would start.
We moved to Hawaii in 1979. Again he informed me that he needed a new lawn mower. Again I told him to make it work and he did. When he deployed I worried about having to mow the yard, but it turned out my neighbor would mow mine when he mowed his.
Then we moved to Sacramento in 1983. The lawn mower conversations continued. I didn’t budge and Ken always made it start.
In 1985 we moved to San Diego. Again, he tried to convince me to buy a new mower. Nope. Nope.
Then in January 1987, our name finally made it to the top to move in base housing. Ken was certain he would get a new mower. He didn’t.
In March 1987 Ken deployed. We were living in senior enlisted housing. Wives were expected to be capable and independent. Nobody was going to mow my yard for me. And if it wasn’t mowed you would get a ticket and a copy of the ticket would go to your husband’s CO. I needed to mow the yard.
Before he left, Ken took me outside and showed me the rope to pull, what buttons to push and hold down to start the mower. If that didn’t work, what thingies to jiggle or wiggle so it would start.
He had been gone about 2 weeks and I decided I needed to mow the yard. I pulled at the starting rope and nothing. I pulled it again and again. Finally it started and I mowed the yard. The grass was damp and long because it should’ve been mowed the week before. The lawn mower kept choking on the grass. I had to shut it off and clean out under the mower several times.
I was on the last strip of lawn on the other side of our sidewalk when my neighbor Glenda came by holding a sign.
We exchanged greetings and I asked where she was going. Her husband had bought a new mower so she was putting up a sign to sell the old one. I perked. It was just a couple years old, had a grass catcher (ours didn’t) and was self-propelled! I looked down legs, green from having freshly cut grass thrown against them.
“I’ll buy it,” I said.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yep, I am suffering with this one,” I told her.
Later that night I wrote to Ken and told him how I suffered with the old mower. “So I bought a new one,” I wrote. “Well not exactly new. It’s Glenda’s but it’s newer and better than the old one and it’s self-propelled!”
I suspect that Ken realized all he had to do to get a new mower was to have me mow the yard a lot sooner. I suspect he might be right about that.
Food and Water Needs: Preparing for a Disaster or Emergency. Water Containers (Cleaning and Storage)
Unopened commercially bottled water is the safest and most reliable emergency water supply.
Use of food-grade water storage containers, such as those found at surplus or camping supply stores, is recommended if you prepare stored water yourself.
Before filling with safe water, use these steps to clean and sanitize storage containers:
Wash the storage container with dishwashing soap and water and rinse completely with clean water.
Sanitize the container by adding a solution made by mixing 1 teaspoon of unscented liquid household chlorine bleach in one quart of water.
Cover the container and shake it well so that the sanitizing bleach solution touches all inside surfaces of the container.
Wait at least 30 seconds and then pour the sanitizing solution out of the container.
Let the empty sanitized container air-dry before use OR rinse the empty container with clean, safe water that already is available.
Avoid using the following containers to store safe water:
Containers that cannot be sealed tightly
Containers that can break, such as glass bottles
Containers that have ever held toxic solid or liquid chemicals, such as bleach or pesticides
Plastic or cardboard bottles, jugs, and containers used for milk or fruit juices
For proper water storage:
Label container as “drinking water” and include storage date.
Replace stored water that is not commercially bottled every six months.
Keep stored water in a place with a fairly constant cool temperature.
Do not store water containers in direct sunlight.
Do not store water containers in areas where toxic substances such as gasoline or pesticides are present.
Learn how to make water safe in an emergency and how to find other water sources. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/foodwater/prepare.html
What’s on My Hooks & Needles? I haven’t sewn the ribbon or buttons onto the two sweaters yet. I am also currently working on a sweater with an anchor on it.
I am knitting the leg of the first of the cashmere socks.
Currently on my needles are my mitered squares afghan from left over sock yarn and my purple cashmere merino pullover. All of the fancy work has been done. What is left are miles and miles of Stockinette Stitch and I need to reknit one sleeve. But I am actually considering that I might frog it. It is ¾ completed but I may have lost interest in it.
What’s on your hooks and needles?