We have purchased a brand-new EZ Freeze Refrigerator! It is like a genuine Cadillac parked in our kitchen. We’ve never had a bigger fridge then 10 cubic feet; now this one is 15 cubic feet. It looks huge in the kitchen, but I think we will quickly adjust to it. It has a light and a huge freezer compartment. Yes, I love it!
Wayne looked in the freezer and commented on having this big a refrigerator and we hardly have anything in it. Just let me go to town, and I will quickly remedy that.
I probably sounded like a brat wanting a new refrigerator so badly, but I am glad we decided to buy new instead of repairing again because they found more things wrong than they had anticipated, and it would have cost us close to the price of a new, bigger one—and we still would have only had the small, old appliance. I felt that way from the beginning of the problems. Sometimes women do have good ideas. Did I deserve this new fridge? Absolutely not. I don’t deserve anything. God is just so good!
The county bookmobile was here yesterday, and now Jolisa is reading book after book to Jesse. He can read too, but Jolisa just loves reading out loud to him. She decided to join the summer reading program. She shouldn’t have a hard time completing it as much as she enjoys reading. I checked out some cookbooks to browse through. I think I am addicted to cookbooks. Colleen inherited the same weakness.
On to other things!
Dawn Dish Soap for Roses
Dawn dish soap is a staple in our house for more than just washing dishes. I’ve used it several years already to spray aphids on the rosebushes. The roses seem to love it, and it kills the aphids. I mix a half cup Dawn to a gallon of water and spray the plants thoroughly, also getting the underside of the leaves.
Dawn for an All-Purpose Cleaner
For an all-purpose cleaner: In a spray bottle, mix 2 cups water, 1½ cups white distilled vinegar, and ¼ cup Dawn dish soap. If the bottle is not full, add more water. That is the only cleaner I buy to use on the tub/shower surround, the kitchen countertops, the sinks (especially the stainless steel sinks because it gives them an awesome shine). The girls think the mixture stinks, but the smell quickly fades. And it is not toxic!
Summer is marching by in grand fashion, but stepping way too swiftly to please me. Summer is always so fleeting, flittering by like the fireflies the children chase in the warm summer evenings. It seems those moments are way too few. It is so worth sitting around the campfire with our loved ones, relaxing and just being totally ourselves.
For the first time in my life, I am the owner of a fishing license! Having only fished once before, 20 years ago, I was looking forward to spending a day on the lake. Wayne, Brian, Jesse, and I met Wayne’s brother Merlin and his wife and son one morning on the lake to try our luck. I was already envisioning a fish fry! That’s like counting your eggs before they are hatched. To my amazement, I caught the first fish! Even though it ended up raining, we half froze, and we hardly caught any fish, I really enjoyed the day.
We also went camping, swimming, fishing, and eating at Wayne’s eldest niece’s place. They live within walking distance of three lakes, where we spent some very relaxing moments enjoying each other’s company. We grilled on the pontoons and watched the bald eagles from our peaceful spot on the water. The children swam; the men and boys tried their luck at fishing.
Some skunks would have loved to join our circle around the campfire later that night. I think they smelled JoEllen’s grilled bacon-wrapped shrimp. The girls and I thought we were so tired we could hardly move anymore. We were pretty well melted into our camping chairs when Adrian so calmly said, “Daddy, there’s a skunk over there.” We discovered we still had enough energy to move really fast.
We had borrowed a neighbor’s pontoon, so a couple days later Karah and I went back there with Tony and the pony wagon to get our things. In the course of our chatting with the neighbor family, Dean asked us if we would be interested in a black Lab puppy. Karah and I looked at each other in disbelief. The children had been begging for another Lab dog, faithfully watching the pet ads in the daily paper and hoping to find one we could afford. We quickly informed him we most certainly would! He said they woke up the other morning to four puppies in their front pasture, and he has been unable to locate their owner.
Dean took us to the puppies. Karah fell to the ground, and those lovable dogs were all over her wanting to play. Typical Labs. These were in super shape; someone had taken good care of them. We gathered ourselves up, went home, and headed to the barn where Wayne was working to ask if we could get one. Within five minutes the four youngest were on the pony wagon again heading to buy a puppy! That was the beginning of our life with Charlie.
To begin with, Cody did not like Charlie at all. I think he was afraid of him because Charlie was so much bigger. After a few weeks, though, they were best friends; snuggling together to sleep and playing hard all day. Cody has grown a lot this summer, and I am waging war with my family. He will not return to the house this winter. He has Charlie to snuggle with, and he will be okay outside in the mudroom. This time I will not back down. I think they know I am serious, and I think I have Wayne on my side.