Tidbits & Trifles Confirming That Life Isn’t Always Exciting

/ Ally Bean

Image via Mums Who Wine on Instagram

Hello world, what’s new with you?  

• Last Thursday the nurse holding the syringe said “Coming at ‘ya, BOOM!” And with that I received my final booster shot against Covid-19. On July 1 I’ll be VAXXED TO THE MAX at 95% protection. It’ll be my first day of freedom after 28 months of pandemic precautions and awareness. Whatever shall I do with myself?

Mark my words, this won’t be jolly.

• Our favorite DISHWASHER ever isn’t working. First we’ll see if it can be repaired, but past experience has taught me probably not. Then if/when that is confirmed we’ll start down the primrose path to getting a new one, meaning we’re heading back into the world of supply chain woes. This does not make me happy.

I think not, my fine fellow!

• I made deviled eggs whilst Z-D lurked around the kitchen looking like a starving puppy. As is my habit after filling each egg half with yummy yolk-y goodness I sprinkled smoked paprika on top of each egg, then placed a pimiento on top because… is it even a real deviled egg without a DECORATIVE PIMIENTO?  

Zen-Den, who you’d think would know better, did not comprehend the importance of said decoration and kept trying to eat an undecorated egg, like a prehistoric caveman. Hands were slapped.

What are the odds, I ask sarcastically?

• On the home improvement front I’m sorry to report that not enough TILE has arrived to finish the floor in the powder room. We’re waiting on getting more of it that’ll, God willing the creek don’t rise, match what’s already installed. If it doesn’t match then who knows what happens next. I shudder to think.

It’s gonna be an epic battle.

• The ZINNIA WARS of the Summer of ’22 have begun. Deer [or rabbits?] are gnawing on my zinnias that I’ve nurtured from seed, then planted outside in sunny spots where I can easily see them daily. YET many zinnias have been torn out of the ground, strewn asunder, by nefarious animals intent on stealing my joy. We’ll just see about that.

Now is your chance to share your Tidbits & Trifles. WHAT NOT EXCITING THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN YOUR WORLD? Spill it in the comments below.  

226 thoughts on “Tidbits & Trifles Confirming That Life Isn’t Always Exciting”

  2. Deer and rabbits are the bane of my new flower garden’s existence too. We had some left over chicken wire (that we used to protect our veggie garden after baby bunnies destroyed so much last year) and have protected a few of the tastiest blooms, but I’m about ready to launch a full assault.

    Speaking of deer, we had a momma drop a fawn right in our neighbors ferns. They are cute as a button when just lying there in their spots. It isn’t until they start eating my plants that I wish we could hunt in town.

    Fingers crossed for your tile. My sister in law had a similar issue with carpet. Half installed, they found the remainder had a flaw and when they went to reorder it had been discontinued. Makes me think we’ve been pretty spoiled pre-COVID. (But that’s not much comfort post-COVID).

    And finally, yay!! For being vaxxed to the max!!

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    • Katie, I’ve never used chicken wire to keep out the unwanted guests, instead choosing to mutter loudly about the unfairness of life. We all garden in our own ways. 😉

      Occasionally we see a mom deer with fawns around here and you’re right THEY’RE SO DARNED CUTE… until they get hungry. Then there is more muttering on my part.

      You’re so right about being spoiled pre-Covid. I’ve heard the word “discontinued” too and wonder where that leaves us. The interior designer & tile guy thought they had enough tile, and I believe them, so now it’s their problem to find a solution to.

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  4. Spouse germinates zinnias and snapdragons here for me as well. But we have no deer–the bane of my flowers beds are the invasive Eastern fox squirrels. Not because they eat anything, but because my elderly neighbors insist on giving the squirrels peanuts, which the squirrels then bury in my flower beds. Never mind if they rip out a newly planted flower, the peanut must be planted for winter! Except…we don’t have winter here and the neighbors hand out peanuts daily.

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    • AutumnAshbough, yours is the most interesting gardening story about invasive squirrels I’ve read. The squirrels are doing what seems right to them, obviously– but at your expense. No winter but peanuts are buried. How fascinating. I’d ask why your elderly neighbors feed the squirrels, but I know the answer to that. It’s entertainment for the oldsters. What a goofy situation.

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      • I should just be grateful they don’t eat all my bulbs, like the squirrels on the East Coast. But I wish we had more hawks and foxes and bobcats to keep them in check.

        Probably the folks in your area wish for more wolves to thin the deer!

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        • Our squirrels eat tulip bulbs like candy. That’s my biggest gripe about them. We don’t get wolves, but we do get coyotes who you’d think could do something about squirrels. However, there seems to be an understanding between them, live and let live. So much for the circle of life.

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          • I think with squirrels being diurnal and coyotes becoming more nocturnal (to avoid humans), never the twain shall meet! Which is a bummer. I’ve seen a squirrel taunting coyotes from the palm trees here around sunrise, though.

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  5. Such excitement in your life! But not so much fun😩
    I’m starting month three of stabbing, throbbing shoulder pain after unsuccessful surgery. Instead of focusing on what I cannot do ( drive, play flute, paint, watch the grand kids), I’m trying to focus on what I can do. I can sit outside in the cooler mornings with my cat, walk just about anywhere I need to, including PT twice a week, read, watch TV, and go to dinner if someone else drives. I do not recommend this surgery. It sucks! But it seems my life is never boring, so things will get better!

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    • Beth, I’m sorry to read about your unsuccessful surgery. I can understand how it has slowed you down, although you seem to be entertaining yourself nicely. I’ve no personal experience with what you’re dealing with, but like you said things will get better… eventually. Take care, my friend

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  6. I’m VAXXED TO THE MAX but keep hearing from friends and friends of friends who are still getting it and testing positive for 2-4 weeks. Sucks. Our appliances are all reaching teenage years, and I just keep hoping they’ll last a little longer. Not enough tile – say it isn’t so. What are the odds of that if they have tape measures and calculators. Ah, who would destroy your zinnias? The list is long I’m sorry to say. Maybe that is why I put all mine in a raised bed and didn’t even realize I was saving myself the grief. 🙂

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    • Judy, I didn’t know about people testing positive after being fully vaccinated. That’s discouraging, to say the least. I was just so pleased to be able to FINALLY get an appointment for the booster.

      Yes, I take your point about the tile situation. I felt comfortable allowing the interior designer and tile guy figure out what we needed, but… 🤷‍♀️

      Some summers I grow zinnias without any interference, then other years it’s a battle. Can’t say why, but I know what I’m seeing this year *mutter, mutter*

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  7. Might try cayenne pepper around the blooms. Our snaps got dug up but I’m one that puts peanuts out for the squirrels too.🙃 But need to stop. A neighbor was hand feeding them and her her car had $2000 in damage. They ate the wiring! Had a family member decide an hour before the gathering we needed deviled eggs. No post chill so a bit runny. Teehee! I’m off for 3rd booster… I forgot. Nephew and 99yo mother in law got it this week. Ugh! We’re not out of the forest yet are we. Good luck on supplies. I dream of needing an air conditioner and none to be found. Oh I mean nightmare.😱🌡️🔥

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    • aconstantdabbling, I’ll try cayenne pepper. Thanks for the tip. The squirrels ate a car’s wiring? Oh man, that’s the ultimate ‘no act of kindness goes unpunished’ scenario. I agree that Covid is still with us, but all we can do, short of permanently becoming hermits, is to keep getting vaccinated. Thanks for your good wishes about getting a new appliance [if needed] and more tile [definitely needed]. We’ll just see what happens.

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  8. I have heaps of zinnias too, mine are JUST starting to flower 🌸 I get to check on them today.

    Deviled eggs are the absolute best! They deserve paprika and garnishing a of course 🤤

    Summer is in full swing for you guys it sounds like! My son is staying with my mom for FOUR weeks this summer. I have no idea what I’m going to do with my free time 🤣. How about you? Any kid camps or grandparents taking the kids Ally?

    Tomorrow we leave for Glacier National park! There’s a million things to do today and I don’t wanna get out of bed yet to do any of them *sigh*. I’m a procrastinator at heart. Any big family trips for you?

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    • LaShelle, Zinnias are so pretty, but obviously some critters around here think of them as dinner. Botheration. I’m glad you understand the importance of decorating a deviled egg. One must have standards!

      Glacier National Park will be a great destination for a vacay. No doubt you’ll take some wonderful photos. Have fun. We’ve no plans for a vacation this summer, too much going on with home improvements and Z-D’s work. In the fall, however, we might get it together and go somewhere, destination to be named at a later time [when we decide, of course].

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  9. Fingers crossed for your Tile and Appliance Situations. Both are fraught with uncertainty, and no one likes that.

    Our dishwasher has suddenly started to leak in one corner at the door–not a lot, but enough to spot my hardwood floor. So far, my answer has been to place a dry sponge at the spot each time I run a load. It soaks up the water but doesn’t get wet through to the floor. Way cheaper than paying a repair bill right now when we’ve just incurred some other big bucks repairs elsewhere. The Joys Of Home Ownership!

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    • Nance, yep, fraught with uncertainty, well said. That’s where we are right now.

      Very tricky with the sponge. Good idea– and a great way to put off the agony of trying to buy a new dishwasher. I like how you think. I’d like ours to be repairable, but that never seems to happen. Still… 🤞🏻

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  10. Quirky detail about my father: He used to pull quarters out from behind kid’s ears. He did it with my generation and his grand kids.

    I have a new dish washer and I wish I had an old school one with simple features.

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    • Jean, what a fun detail about your father. That’s a skill that’d make any kid love him.

      I hadn’t thought about how a new dishwasher will be more complicated. Well, botheration. I mean I love the one we have but if needs be we’ll get a new one that was probably designed by NASA engineers. 😉

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  11. My vaxxed to the max daughter and son-in-law, and Littlest all have Covid right now so we missed spending Father’s Day week-end with them. It’s been almost two weeks and they’re still testing positive but aside from getting fatigued easily they feel fine.

    I finally got to the garden center after purchasing big pots for my back patio a year ago, and about a week after the ground squirrels came out of hibernation they found my newly potted Phlox. Now they’re not looking too good and I’m not happy and my neighbor up the street a ways is texting everyday wanting ideas how to stop them from getting into her pots of plants and veggie garden. Nothing is working for either of us.

    I’ve been getting up at 3am to see the Great Conjunction, but by the time Mercury rises just after 4:30am it’s already so light out I can’t see it!!

    Lastly, we have our son’s wedding coming up and we’re wondering if our scheduled flights will fly?!!

    He-Man and I went on a movie date…something we haven’t done in years and years! We saw Maverick Top Gun and liked it. It’s pretty action packed and no uncomfortable love scenes.

    So, it’s been a bit frustrating over here in some areas, but pretty great every where else.

    I hope the tile comes in and matches!!

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    • Deborah, I’m sorry to read about your family members having Covid. My SIL and her husband have it right now, too. The virus is still among us, despite all that we do to keep it from spreading. Hoping your family members get over it soon.

      Squirrels went for phlox? That’s a new one for me. Our squirrels are more into vegetables than flowers, It’s the deer and rabbits that eat the pretty flowers. I’ve no idea how you stop your squirrels from nibbling. Good luck with that.

      Oh I hope your fights aren’t cancelled. That’d be too lousy to even contemplate, considering the reason you’re flying. I know that air travel isn’t what it once was, and even then it was difficult. We haven’t been to a movie in years. It used to be our thing to meet other couples and go to dinner, then a movie, BUT now that seems like a quaint idea from the past.

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  13. We are waiting on a furniture order that may take several more months – we ordered in March.

    I’m going through a demanding work period before taking holidays for six weeks, and when I’m finished a week from now, I’ll really need them!

    Good luck with your tile, dishwasher and plants. Cheers.

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        • As far as I know, there are two boosters available (a total of four shots). However, I know that we are expecting a fifth booster that’s specific to the omicron variant, for an arrival time in autumn. Here, there’s an expectation of another wave for October or November. Ugh.

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    • Lynette, I’ve heard from other people about how slow it is to get furniture now. We waited 7 months to get everything for our bathroom remodeling projects, and even then we still don’t have it all. It wears on my nerves. I know you’ll enjoy your time at the lake. Sounds lovely.

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  14. We’re still in the middle of our kitchen remodel and it has been frustrating. The hood for over my stove is still on back order until August, so I guess in the event that the kitchen is actually finished by then, I’ll have a smoky kitchen. The counter tops are finally in. Most of them.

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  16. I suffered through three years of bloody zinnia massacres before I finally gave them up. No idea what was eating them but man, they didn’t mess around. It was brutal.
    Yay for full protection against the plague. Was this your first booster or 2nd?

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    • Rivergirl, brutal is right. I mean, one day I’m seeing my little lovies, then the next morning they’ve been massacred.

      This was my second booster, so according to the RN I’m about as safe as I can be. For awhile. No doubt.

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  17. Oh, goodness. I hope the tile matches. Appliance woes, yikes – I hope the dishwasher ends up having 9 more lives.

    I have much on my list to blog about like what is the latest critter to enjoy the birthing center under our deck, who is not being neighborly, why did we need a new car, and what happens when a teen tries to prepare a no-bake recipe for dessert. I admit to feeling somewhat relieved that our Yellowstone trip has been cancelled for the 5th consecutive year, as it is a big trip and a big undertaking. Regular life at home keeps me busy enough.

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    • Ernie, I hope the tile matches, too. Or at least close enough that no one except us will see the difference. *sigh*

      No Yellowstone AGAIN! Oh my, but you’re are right that stuff around home can keep you busy and there’s a feeling of accomplishment that comes from getting things done. I want to know more about your teen who tried to make a no-bake recipe for dessert. Your kids keep me entertained, you know!

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  18. We have a nightly visitor in the form of a raccoon. Smarter than us apparently. Last night the apple in the trap had a big bite out of it, and trap was sprung but no racoon. The birdfeeder, however, was on the ground and empty.

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    • Dawn, raccoons are devilish critters. I mean on the one hand I’m smiling about the bite out of the apple, but on the other hand WHAT? We had a raccoon attempt to steal a bird feeder. He knocked it down then started to drag it toward the woods when I stopped him. He looked really put out that I’d caught him. That’s the day we gave up on feeding the birds.

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  19. Congratulations on getting your final booster shot. I got mine two weeks ago and it does make me feel safer. Still masking up at stores, but definitely safer. Not much going on here. I did see a fox the other day. it was walking along the top of the fence between our house and our neighbor’s house. I love when I see that fox.

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    • Robin, you’re right that I feel safer, not invincible of course, but less likely to get sick. I figure that’s about all we can do at the moment. Once upon a time we had a fox around here, but he’s long gone. I get why you like seeing yours, they are sleek and interesting.

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  20. We keep getting notices from our pharmacy that we should schedule our boost to the booster – considering our ages and my husbands COPD – we really should. I daydream about moving and then think about all the renovations that would have to be done and then think about the supply issues and get stressed out LOL Who invents daydreams that are stressful? Me, it seems. When I renovated my kitchen 3 years ago I had them remove the dishwasher, didn’t need it, didn’t want it, never used it and that space now houses the pull-out trash bins. Re-sale issues? Ask me if I care.

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    • Grace, we found that finding somewhere nearby to give us the second booster was tricky. We eventually got in but there were fewer appointments overall. My point is, don’t be surprised if you have to wait weeks once you decide to get the booster.

      In theory renovations are something that ultimately brings joy, but you know there’s going to be problems, even more now with supply chain woes. If you didn’t need or want your dishwasher then good that you got rid of it. Let whoever buys your property deal with getting one if they want it. I see the logic in that.

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      • Where I live getting the vaccine or boosters was never really a problem once we got passed the Spring of 2021 – they were practically going door-to-door, syringe in hand. Same with boosters – I get a weekly text from our pharmacy reminding me about the booster to my booster.

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  21. YAY ALLY YAYYYYY!!!! Look out world, here comes a boosted Ally!!!

    Z-D’s eating of the eggs reminds me of when I make cupcakes or sugar cookies and one of the kids eats them unfrosted. WHO DOES THAT AND WHERE DID THESE CHILDREN COME FROM. (“children,” they are not such children anymore but still.)

    We have so many rabbits in our neighbourhood, but now that coyote denning season is pretty much over, we will see less, hashtag circle of life.

    I will keep my fingers crossed with regards to tile. Actually, everything is crossed. I’ll just scoot around in lotus position for you until the tile arrives.

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    • Nicole, I feel oddly victorious about getting my second booster. Like I’ve climbed a mountain and plant my flag on top of it. Or some such nonsense.

      I don’t know about anyone like your boys who eats unfrosted cupcakes or sugar cookies. Honestly it’s just like eating an undecorated deviled egg, cavemen all of them. Piffle, I say.

      You got me laughing out loud with your idea of scooting around in lotus position. If you think that’ll help, please do so. BUT I’m going to suggest that the tile is in Fate’s hands at this point. I’m just waiting around to see what next?

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  22. I hope the vaccine works for you. I was not impressed by my booster results. I’ve never heard of pimento on deviled eggs! Sounds good! I always use fresh dill from my window herbs. I can only relate too much on the bathroom woes. We are now close to 5 months and still not fully completed. Deer and rabbits are likely culprits, but we also deal with destructive chipmunks.

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    • Bijoux, I don’t know what to expect with my booster, but I’m glad to have had it. One thing off the to-do list. My mother put pimento or sliced green olives on top of deviled eggs. I’d like fresh dill on them too.

      I know you’ve been messing around with your bathroom renovation for a good long time. I’m mellow about what’s going on because WHAT CAN I DO to speed this up? Not one blessed thing. Hadn’t thought of chipmunks but they could be the guilty party.

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  23. I know after booster 2 I felt much better about the mask regulations going away. I’m still firmly attached to avoiding huge crowds and such, and hand sanitizer is my buddy when I’m out but I think (hope) that any transmission will be mild. I’ll just let the rest of the negative notes you posted slide because maybe ignoring them will allow some good karma to happen. On a side note-I’m sort of with Z-D on the eggs. I’d be just fine without the finishing touches on top.

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    • Deb, you said it. I feel a sense of relief about getting that second booster. Like I’ve accomplished something great, moving forward, and all that. I’m still avoiding people as much as possible, though.

      So you’re a cavewomen when it comes to DECORATIVE PIMIENTOS on your deviled eggs. I’m an openminded woman so I’ll not think less of you for this admission… but really? 😉

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  24. I hope your dishwasher is repairable and the tiles that fully match come in soon! The supply chain issues are certainly making us realize how good we had it before this all started. I’m itching to redo our kitchen but waiting until I retire (next year) so I can fully participate and have more time to look at options — and maybe supply issues are better then? But then again, I opted out of traveling for a family vacation last year because I thought the next year would be better, thought everyone was so eager to be out and about last year after a couple of years and having to stay put; I thought waiting until this year would be less chaotic. But it’s still chaotic, maybe even more so — and the thought of getting flights cancelled is making me freeze like a deer caught in the headlights.

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    • M, from your fingertips to God’s ear. I, too, hope our dishwasher is fixable. I’ve come to the same conclusion as you about how lucky we had it before Covid and the supply chain problems. Now everything is a struggle.

      We haven’t planned any vacations for this year. Like you, the idea of dealing with flight cancellations AND THE SKY HIGH PRICES at hotels have stopped us. I’ve got enough chaos going on inside the four walls of this house, don’t need to go looking for more.

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      • I was also gonna say that depending on the color/range of your tile, a little bit of variation may be just blend in? We put in Santos Mahogany hardwood floors when we bought this house and the color variation from one plank to another is so wide, I’d almost bet we can replace any part with other colors and it’d look completely normal/as if part of the original.

        Yes — sky-high is right!! I feel bad that we haven’t gone anywhere that we consider a real vacation since we Feb 2020; it’s the only reason I’m willing (barely) to just ignore the prices. But crazy-high prices and to be stuck and not get to or from our destination makes it doubly-hard to want to forge on with vacation plans.

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        • Your experience is what I’m hoping for. I think whatever the remodelers find that is very close in color will blend just fine. This is in a small powder room so the lighting is soft and any variations may just fade away.

          I hear ‘ya about vacation plans. I haven’t been anywhere since October 2019– which is the longest time I’ve ever gone in my entire life, including childhood, without traveling. Stupid Covid

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  25. Wow! That is a lot happening in your life right now! Hope the missing tiles are from the same dye lot. As to visiting appliance stores, hate it as modern means electronic and those things can be a tiny bit tricky. Good luck,
    Hope to read more of your adventures soon

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    • About Holistic, I, too, hope the missing tiles are the same dye lot, or close enough to not be obvious. You’re right about how new appliances mean modern techie things that slow me down to a crawl. Thanks for stopping by to read and comment.

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  26. We got our second boosters in May; were hoping to wait until right before school starts in August, but rising numbers here + vaccinated people getting breakthrough cases got us to get it sooner. (We were past the 6-month mark from booster #1.) Our fully-vaxxed principal in her 30s got very ill with Covid last week, as have several others we know. We get out and about, but are still avoiding large crowds (we don’t like those anyway) and are wearing masks in grocery stores and such places. Husband and I still haven’t gotten it, which I consider a small miracle considering the petri dish we both worked in the past 9 months.

    Might I ask the make and model of your favorite dishwasher ever? We’d like to get a new one, but it’s so hard to know what’s worth spending money on and what will just be what all dishwashers have been in my life (a machine that basically requires me to pre-wash the dishes). I hope your tile woes work out in your favor. We really do need to renovate our kitchen, but costs + availability issues have us in no hurry to do it right away.

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  27. Rita, I realize that this booster isn’t foolproof, but it’s something. My SIL and her husband have Covid right now. It’s not like we can avoid it entirely, but maybe make it less severe if/when we get it. I think you were wise to get your booster when you did. I’m sensing this summer is going cause the numbers to spike.

    Our dishwasher is a Bosch SilencePlus 44 dBA. We bought it in 2016 so I’ve no idea if it’s still available. It’s quiet but you might not like because it doesn’t have a food disposal in it so you have to thoroughly rinse the dishes before you run it. However the dishes and silverware comes out crystal clean and it uses less water than our previous one.

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    • Thank you so much! I have wondered if those appliances (Bosch) are worth the price. Although, if it’s already kaput and you bought it in 2016…:-( I’m OK with rinsing the food off; it’s just that with our old washer, I pretty much was washing them before putting them in. Probably why I haven’t felt its absence too keenly.

      I’m in the same camp you are re: vaccine. I will always get it as soon as I’m able. (We were holding off only because we aren’t sure if another booster will be approved in the fall.) I know it won’t prevent infection, but it will certain lessen the impact. Glad you were able to get yours. They’ve been easily available here, and it’s so infuriating/frustrating that it wouldn’t be that way everywhere in our country.

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      • I like how sanitized the dishes are after they run through this Bosch. If it’s reparable then this is just a blip, if not… I shall swear loudly.

        We had some difficulty getting appointments for our last booster shots. While available in the region, finding a location that didn’t require driving 45 minutes through rush hour traffic was tricky. We persevered but it was infuriating to have to schedule so far out [like a month] instead of getting a booster within days.

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  28. I got my second booster too and a week later got the worst cold I’ve had in I don’t know how long. I took home covid tests twice a couple days apart and both were negative so it either was a really late reaction to the booster (although I haven’t had a reaction to any of the other ones) or I just had a really bad cold. I mean laying in bed reading for two days because I was just so tired. All better now but still wear a mask when I go into a store. Wishing you luck on your tile delivery.

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    • Janet, I’m sorry you got a cold. That’s just plain wrong. Of course laying around and reading for a couple of days would be pleasant. I’ve stopped wearing a mask in the stores, but I’m staying far away from people in general. Fingers crossed about the tile. Nothing more that I can do.

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  29. Yard work has been keeping me busy in between rain showers. Oh, tile! My construction crew didn’t have enough so my bathroom was partially tiled for a while. He kept out some of the older tiles to mix in with the new box just in case there wasn’t an exact match as there often isn’t. I am terrified that my elderly appliances will pick now to die–very inconvenient. Between my fridge, my dishwasher and my washer and driver, there’s probably a century of age.

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    • Margaret, I like doing yard work when it’s not too wet, or too humid, or too hot. Fussy, aren’t I? Right now the plan with the tile is that there are some samples of it at the tile store that are [supposedly] from the same dye lot so those few should finish our project. I know that we ordered our new cooktop and oven early last October– and got them in late May. I pray for our other older appliances as I walk by them. Is that wrong?

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      • Nope, not at all wrong! I will do the same thing. That’s great that they have samples from the same dye lot. For being the same tile, they have lots of variation in color and pattern.

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  30. Tidbits and trifles – what a wonderful title and theme. I love your exclamations for each. What lovely creativity and talent you have that makes each post you do just so fun to read, even if the content is a broken dishwasher. So sorry to hear that.

    The cat we have now was found in a dishwasher. It was on the porch of a home that was being renovated and the little kittens were living in it. Perhaps her name should be “Amana.” I’m offering up this tidbit just in case your dishwasher can’t be fixed and you want to leave the old one on the porch as a home for small creatures. But then said creatures might eat your Zinnias…

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    • Wynne, I seem to lean toward alliteration when left to my own devices. As for the dishwasher it’s not a complete loss yet. I’ve been Googling about the problem, may have found the source, might be fixable. 🤞🏻

      Such a lovely story about how you got your cat– and it’s a cute one, as evidenced by your recent photo of it with your son. I don’t know that I want to provide shelter to small creatures who eat my zinnias. I mean, I’m kind but I have my limits.

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  31. Thanks for sharing your not-exciting tidbits, Ally. Good luck with the dishwasher, tile, and battle over the zinnias. As for my not-exciting tidbits, I have stayed up past 10 p.m. and slept in past 7 a.m. every day since retirement, I got my nails painted patriotic red and blue, and learned how to use the windshield washer on my new car. Whew! It’s been a busy week. 😁

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    • Christie, I love your tidbits. They are what life is made of, even though it’s easy to dismiss them as trivial. I like your new sleep schedule and nothing is better than conquering one more doodad on a new car. Victory is yours.

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  32. At the moment there is no real (contractor) renovation going on. I’m giddy! I can barely stand the silence and peace! We’re in a new house so new critters to learn. So far no one has eaten my cone flowers which were a treat at my last house. Something (must be groundhog/raccoon type since it’s on the deck and deer don’t do stairs) thinks my pretty coleus is a salad. Won’t buy that again!

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  33. Ally, Hope your dishwasher is easily repaired. Earlier in the year, my computer went down. The choices were: wait 6 to 8 weeks for the replacement part to come in from China at only a couple of hundred dollars to fix or buy a new computer for a few thousand! Waiting can be so difficult 😫! But I did it! Can’t imagine having to wash dishes by hand for that long, though! Hope you don’t have a run-in with supply chain woes! Mona

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    • Mona, it’s the cost analysis of these machine problems that gets me. I understand why you waited for the replacement part, that was a huge amount of money to part with. I’d wait too. As for the dishwasher I’ve been Googling what might be wrong… and I think it’s fixable, says she with zero training in machine repair. 😉

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      • We’ve recently experienced a (too long) power outage followed by an (even longer) internet outage. My lesson is that as much as we complain about life today, life in previous centuries was… Much luck on the quick dishwasher repair!

        Speaking of minds, your most excellent starter quote reminded me of a Gary Larson cartoon that shows a class where one of the students raises their hand and says “may I be excused? My brain is full” 😀 After said outages, my brain is fried!

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        • Endless Weekend, we almost had a power outage last week but were saved by who knows what. I’m sorry to read about yours but take your point. Don’t complain when modern society lets you down, it could be much worse.

          I get the brain is full concept. I used to absorb all that there was, but now there are limits. Fried brain? Yep, I got it.

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  34. I too am vaxxed to the max and holy cow, the second booster made me *so* sick. Fever, chills, the works. But, that’s okay – I’ll take feeling like crap for 48 hours over being hospitalized with COVID. On the more mundane front, my husband planted a small garden this year. He announced a few minutes ago that he found a worm eating his first tomato. I suspect the Garden War is just beginning.

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    • Linda, I’ve heard a few people mention that the second booster did them in. I was lucky and it was a non-event. Sorry you got knocked down. I look forward to reading about your garden wars. We’re all in them to some degree.

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  35. Got the notice that I will be WFH from now until the end of time (or until our daughter can support us, whichever comes first). I always wanted to work from home, but seeing the same 2 coworkers all day every day is getting a bit tiresome. Good for you for being a responsible homeowner and tackling projects – I’ve managed to learn to spackle

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    • twisting suburbia, I don’t want to brag but I am an expert sparkler. I mean it plays to my strengths, standing still, being patient, and doing little in the way of physical movement. Glad to make the acquaintance of another gifted person.

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  36. After several years of doing the dishes by hand, Mary has finally decided that she wants a new dishwasher. We had to buy a stove before then, then she decided she had to have a tomato squeezer so she can make and can tomato sauce (her new thing, which has also required considerable investment), so it’ll be at least November before we get the dishwasher, by which time the supply lines in this nation will be totally hosed up, so it’ll be at least another year before that comes… don’t get me started.

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    • John, what is a tomato squeezer? This is new to me. As for buying dishwashers, that seems to be our burden in life. I am hoping this one is fixable, because like you said, don’t get me started. 🤨

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      • A tomato squeezer is a machine with which one makes tomato sauce. Mary boils or roasts tomatoes, the feeds them to this machine, which apparently separates the skin, the seeds, and the place where the tomato attaches to the vine, sends out that one door, and sends the tomato sauce down a chute so that it can be canned. You can see it in action [here](https://youtu.be/r9hhgOMTOdI).

        We’ve been here almost 35 years and this will be our 5th dishwasher. Don’t get me started….

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  37. Your life is pretty exciting. Compared, you know. I heard on NPR that people who’ve have covid AND get vaccinated may be super-immune. I wish I could convince my friend of that.

    I’ve only ever lived somewhere with a dishwasher once. I tended to leave the clean dishes in the dishwasher as my sink filled up with dirty dishes, waiting to be washed. It’s easier just to do them as I use them. There’s only one of me, after all.

    I have never put a decorative pimento on a deviled egg, though I’m sure it’s quite pretty. I have put a little shrimp and a tiny frond of dill on top. I understand that a small dollop of sour cream and caviar on top is good.

    The rest of the tile is already stuck down? If not, I was thinking maybe a contrasting border tile or one of those tile “rugs” in the middle that look so cool.

    Good luck with the critters. If you know someone nearby with a kitty, you can try sprinkling used kitty litter around the flowers. I hear that works….. Never tried it.

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    • Zazzy, you inspire me to up my deviled egg game. Shrimp? Dill? Sour cream and caviar? Oh my, that all sounds delicious and make my little pimento seem trivial.

      The tile situation seems to be rectifying itself. The interior designer and the tile store have samples that are in the same dye lot, so I think that’s how it’s going to be solved. Updates as they happen.

      I don’t know a soul with a cat right now, but I take your point. I’m going to try cayenne pepper to see if it is a deterrent.

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  38. Too hilarious about Z-D and his penchant for naked deviled eggs! I confess to not knowing about the pimento adornment (sounds good), but Paprika? Yep! And, regardless, I do know to wait for whenever the hostess/chef is **finished** making stuff to start gobbling them up. How’s that for a double edged comment in support of both of your viewpoints?!
    Meanwhile: go forth and conquer your corner of the current always-with-us pandemic world with vim&vigor. You’ve got this!
    😎

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    • Laura, I’m telling ‘ya that guy was like white on rice about getting his paws on those deviled eggs. Granted they were quite tasty, if’n I do say so meself. I am trying to conquer this pandemic world, and the home improvement world, and just life in general. Thanks for your encouragement.

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  39. Love the hand slapping. I will have to take your lead and slap the hand instead of using my verbal lashings as the M.o.t.h. hacked at the Fig and Walnut Loaf that was still in the baking tin, taking two slices. Of course, it crumbled everywhere. Karma….
    Crossing my fingers the tiles match – incredibly frustrating if they don’t. Will wait for the next instalment of the Zinnia Wars!

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    • Amanda, one must assert one’s superiority when one maketh great food. Like the guy is starving, me thinketh not. Carry on with M.o.t.h. as you see fit.

      I’ve decided to put the tile problem out of my mind. I mean, what can I do but wait? The Zinnia Wars will be an ongoing battle because I love those flowers and will do what I can to keep them growing.

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  40. Congrats on the vax. Is this one booster or two? We’ve had two for some time now and it’s a good feeling. I have to give a should-out to the dishwasher in our rental (a Kenmore.) You don’t have to rinse virtually anything and although it takes about 3 hours, it does the best job I’ve ever seen. Deviled eggs? They don’t last long in our family either. Finally, I love that opening quote.

    Not exciting things in my world? Dealing with the minutia (and not so minutia) of my parents’ estate now that Dad died last month. Not happy about gas prices as I have travel plans that all include lots of driving. 😦 Not excited about summer temperatures well over 100 (and even 110 every day.) On the bright side, nothing around can get into our walled yard to eat our plant and I got to spend two weeks with our new grandson (and family) in temperate California and my husband and I are going to the final 7’s rugby tournament in LA at the end of August and I’ll be going to Wyoming at the end of July.

    Cheers to Wednesday and an enjoyable post, Ally.

    janet

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    • Janet, this is my second booster. It was difficult to get a nearby appointment for it so I had to wait longer than most. Still I’m pleased to have that taken care of. We had a Kenmore dishwasher in a house a long time ago. It was a workhorse.

      I’ve done what was then called the executrix thing, finishing up the details of my mother’s estate. It was a nightmare actually, so I hope your experience with your father’s estate goes smoothly.

      You are going to be traveling to some fun spots this summer. The price of gas is dumbfounding, but I think driving would be better than dealing with airlines. I look forward to your photos from your travels.

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  41. My most exciting thing is meeting 6 of my high school classmates (class of ’68) for brunch tomorrow. We get together about once every 6 weeks and it is great to share our stories and our aches and pains. It has been a helpful social outing since I have retired. We laugh and laugh and share happy and sad stories. We have all had different lives but now we find we have more in common!

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    • Ellen D., isn’t it wonderful that after many years you have a close relationship with your high school friends. Time moves on but companionship continues. I hope you have a good time.

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  43. Wow, call me a caveman, I don’t think I’ve ever had a deviled egg with a pimento adornment. Obviously, I haven’t fully lived yet.

    We are waiting for our second booster until we actually go somewhere which, hopefully, will be later this summer. I’ve heard of several people getting Covid after being fully vaxxed and, some, after already having it. The virus is a wily little bugger.

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    • Janis, no decorative pimientos? I am shocked. My mother liked to garnish deviled eggs so I do it too. Nurture, or nature, who knows!

      It took us about a month to get an appointment for our second booster. They’re available around here, but in only a few places. We didn’t want to drive 50 minutes each way to get ours so we scheduled way out. Don’t know if it is like that where you are, just a word of warning for when you want to get yours.

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  44. “God willing the creek don’t rise” Ally, I love your expressions. Is that southern? I have tile for the bathroom sitting in a box in the garage awaiting someone to install, it’s been there 3 years as I’m not sure I have enough (it was the end of a lot) and I haven’t found yet “someone” willing to do a smallish job with ceramic tile.

    This week’s fiasco is dealing with the electrician who came to install new lighting in my mom’s kitchen. He was here last week and said he couldn’t fix the existing track lighting. He ordered new lights – I specified warm white, not too bright, and a dimmer switch. He brought lights so bright they could be in an institutional kitchen and the dimmer switch hummed….loudly. I made him take the dimmer switch out. It was like a bee buzzing. He told me I could go to the hardware store and buy a more expensive dimmer, but that’s was all he had with him. But even that might not fix it, as it could be the wiring or the lights themselves??? The lights he picked out. He looked like a baby, but said he was 25. We paid $250 for this through the Reliance Home plan? You’d think for $120/hr you’d get better advice than that. I wish I’d gone to Home Depo and picked out the lights myself, but they had to be 4 ft to cover the existing tract or I’d have to repaint the ceiling, so I trusted him. I think I’ll cut my losses and call the retired electrician who did my kitchen reno and ask him why the dimmer would hum like that and see if he can install one. So very frustrating.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni, the saying may be southern. I’ve heard it all my life, but I had relatives who lived in the south as did my father for a few years. I’m sure that’s where I picked it up.

      What a story! I understand why you did what you did, I’d have done the same thing. We had new lights installed in the bathrooms yesterday and they are BRIGHT but our dimmers don’t buzz. I just went to doublecheck.

      I know that years ago we had a round dimmer switch that hummed, but when it was replaced with one of this sliding switches the hum went away. I’d call the retired electrician. He’ll know what to do. Still, WHAT A BOTHER! Good luck

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      • He put dimmers in my kitchen and they don’t buzz. There’s something to be said for years of experience. I asked the youngun if he could check with his boss re why that might be and he said he would but I have not heard anything back and don’t expect to….

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          • I asked my mom’s neighbour and he thought it might be the lights, which means I envision a “discussion” with the Reliance Customer Service Dept. I wish I had just gone to the store and picked them out myself. I’ll deal with it next week – off to the eye doctor today and hearing test for mom tomorrow. June has been nothing but appointments…..which makes me crabby in general. I want to enjoy the warm weather.

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  45. Oddly enough, the deer leave most of our plants alone (that may be due to the fact that all the blackberry bush remnants get tossed into the woods and now they have their own blackberry bonanza out there). The rabbits seem content with the clover/weeds we call a lawn. But something (squirrels? rabbits? birds? Big Foot? Who knows?) has been getting into The Husband’s container of herbs on the front porch. It was making him crazy; which in turn, made ME crazy as I had to hear about it. Finally, he took all the wooden skewers we had in the kitchen (which why so many skewers? We never use them for food?!) and propped them up in the pot so that whatever it was would get poked if they tried to feed on his herbs. Drastic? Probably. But it worked. And now, instead of hearing his carping, I get to hear his crowing about what a wonderful idea it was.

    I hope the tile situation works out. You think you can trust them to take measurements…and then here you are. I almost think you should over-order just in case. But then you might get stuck with a bunch of leftovers. It’s a dilemma.

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    • Gigi, even knowing you’re hearing a lot of crowing, I’ll admit that I like your husband’s solution about warding off the herb thieves. We get squirrels who’ll eat my little tomatoes that I plant in a pot and put out on the deck. Our squirrels don’t have a taste for herbs though.

      You’re right about the tile situation. I did trust these people to measure properly and over-ordering would have solved this, but they’ve found a solution. Come to find out our interior designer has a sample of our tile as does the tile store; both are in the same dye lot… so that’s what the tile guy is going to use to finish out the one small section on the floor. This works for me.

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  46. Hi Ally, So true on the supply chain woes…darn. I have always loved the word “nefarious!” A favourite patient of mine used to preface his appointments with “are you going to have your nefarious way with me?” It still makes me smile. And, yes, I did always have my nefarious way with him. Thanks for my smile, Ally. 😀

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    • Erica/Erika, the supply chain has influenced what we picked out for our bathrooms. I won’t say it’s my enemy but it has made the renovations more challenging than anticipated. I like your favorite patient’s line that he said to you. It’s delightful that you remember him using the word “nefarious” which is a perfectly good word that gets overlooked too often.

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  47. I finally let go of painting our house for the first time. It’s the first time in 35+ years as homeowners that I paid someone else to do it. Paint is ridiculously expensive along with everything else these days. It was nice not to be up near the top of a ladder for a change. I’ll give the deck its annual staining in a couple of weeks. That’s the not-so-exciting news in my life.

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    • Pete, good for you for giving yourself a break from painting. We’re having professional painters paint the newly remodeled bathrooms and a bedroom + closet while they’re here. I’ve been warned that the price of paint is going to give me pause. As for staining the deck, you’re right that’s some not-so-exciting news. Have fun! 😉

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  48. Congrats on getting your final booster. I hope you’re able to get out and have some summer fun.

    We had deer problems at our previous house. I bought plants at the nursery that their experts promised would not be eaten by the deer. Unfortunately, my deer must have had unusual taste. I enjoyed watching them, though. They’re so beautiful I could hardly complain.

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    • Nicki, we have some “deer resistant” plants in our flower beds, too. Like your deer, ours munch on what they want with one notable exception. The deer will not eat astilbe. I’ve watched them sniff it, then walk on by.

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  49. Sorry to hear of your supply chain woes. Deviled Eggs are the best! Wow – I wonder what critters are eating your Zinnias? I feel your pain in the nurturing of the little sprouts and seeing them disappear. I’ve had Robins pull them out of the ground when I left them in their little netting starter kits. I didn’t know that you’re supposed to remove those before transplanting them into the ground. My Zinnia seedlings are the only ones surviving the attack of the critters this year. The marigolds and morning glories have succumbed to the torture of the nibbling lawn mowers, aka, bunny clans # 1, 2, and 3. I replanted some seeds to see if I could win the battle. I hope your adventures out and about are all you’ve dreamed they would be.

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    • Shelley, I didn’t know robins would pull out little seedlings, but now that I think about it, why not? They’re strong birds. I have some marigolds but they’re in a pot so no one seems interested in them. I love morning glories, so very sorry to read about their demise.

      Now that I’m fully vaxxed I don’t know that I’m going to do anything exciting this summer, BUT next fall, maybe, we’ll travel. It’s been years now…

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  50. Arrrrrghh re the dishwasher and the plants being murdered. You have my sympathies. Spare a bit of sympathy my way please. I returned home Sat 11th and found all my bathroom cupboards non-existent and all my lovely bathroom goodies on the bedroom floor and dressing table. Creams etc and all that one has. In my absence something had sprung a leak and my poor husband had to do this thankless task for the professionals to come in and do some detective work. My everything is still strewn about – this little job of fixing is a BIG one … sniff. Maybe tomorrow. What’s 2 weeks in a month of Sundays? And of course de-viled eggs must have pimiento (didn’t know there was an extra ‘i’)

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    • Susan, sending much sympathy your way. I’m sorry to read about your home in disarray but I understand why it has to be that way. What a mess and an unexpected + unwanted surprise. I hope the repair work starts soon and that it’s done to your satisfaction. I love owning a home, but it can be a dodgy adventure.

      Spellcheck was very insistent about the ‘i’ in pimiento, btw. I grumble about spellcheck but I do learn a thing or two. 🙄

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  51. Sometimes it seems as if life conspires to make is permanently annoyed, doesn’t it? Appliance that break down and can’t be fixed (or replaced), never-ending home improvement projects, and critters that will NOT leave our gardens alone. Currently, we’re dealing with a neighbor who blasts her golf-course style sprinkler all over our property at least five times a week (who would have thought we’d want to use our own driveway now and then?) squirrels who dig up my potted flowers, and a floor in the family room that needs to be replaced. We’re trying to work up the nerve to attack that last one!

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    • Ann, yes, yes. I wake up every morning and wait to see what or who will inconvenience me in some way. I’m not a pessimist, but nothing goes smoothly anymore, so I just mentally brace myself for whatever.

      I don’t understand why your neighbor is watering your property. That’s odd. As for the squirrels, that’s the norm for me. Good luck with your flooring project, it’s a whole different home improvement world now.

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      • I know! That’s why we keep putting it off…it involves leveling the floor so we can put in hard wood as opposed to the carpet we have now that never lasts very long (dogs and grandkids are murder on carpet). Our neighbor only intends to water her lawn, but she has a powerful sprinkler designed for a golf course and an oddly shaped yard, and so it shoots a good ten to fifteen feet into our yard and driveway. She moved it when we ask her, but the next time she waters, it’s back in the same spot……Not sure if she has short-term memory issues or just doesn’t care.

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        • Hardwood is great but you do have to start on level surface with it. Thanks for explaining the sprinkler problem. Difficult to know the reason why, though.

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  52. Effin’ bunnies. I planted zinnias from seed for the first time in my yard. But I have two dogs that hate bunnies, so that might be keeping them away.

    I don’t think I’ve ever had decorative pimiento. I believe this is the summer to give it a whirl.

    I wonder what decorative pimiento does to a bunny’s digestive system? I feel like a horrible person.

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    • Kari, you got me laughing out loud here. You may be onto something with the idea that a pimiento could give a bunny indigestion. And wouldn’t that be a brilliant way to discourage them from bothering my zinnias? Bwha-ha-ha!

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  53. I know about matching tiles… we never found them, so we live with the broken ones! (we probably leave that project for the next owner). How many dishwashers do you have? We have one, but the bottom part is missing – not bad because we’ll wash them by hand! Enjoy your weekend, no matter what! Emille

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    • Emille, the tile problem may be rectifying itself because the tile store has a few more from the same dye lot that they used as samples so we’ll get them. We have one dishwasher. Obviously we can wash dishes by hand, reminds me of childhood, but I’d prefer to have a working machine. We’ll see how that plays out.

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      • Washing dishes has to do with that about 10 years ago I had carpel tunnel which made my fingers stiff (I am healed though now, after prayer) and I vowed I would keep using my fingers. Of course, now, I use them even more with pottery:) Hope you’re getting your tiles!

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  54. Am I to understand that Zen-Den is not going to take apart your dishwasher–at least three times–in an effort to fix it before you cave and buy a new one? You might recall (or not) that I got a new washing machine via that path 😉 A squirrel beheaded the one Gerbera daisy a couple of months ago. I have two plants and neither is flowering now. We don’t have deer or rabbits gracing our backyard. Only lots of squirrels and a few raccoons and possums.

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    • Marie, I do remember your story to new washing machine nirvana and now I wonder if that’ll be my path, too. We have squirrels and raccoons, too, but no possum. Any critter that messes with my Gerbera daisies is declaring war. Good luck

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      • Actually, our biggest problem with squirrels is that they have been chewing on the leaves of one of our winged-elm trees. Just the one tree although we have others. My husband occasionally traps the squirrels and relocates them; yet, incoming squirrels take up the same habit. We are perplexed.

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        • I cannot image why one of your trees is so popular with your squirrels. Once upon a time we had some of our squirrel friends trapped and relocated but that’s fruitless. As you say, incoming squirrels do the same things. In our case it was eating the roofing around an exhaust vent.

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  55. I also got the second booster a couple weeks ago. Like others, I still wear a mask in the stores.
    As for what’s going on, I’m working on writing projects. I hope at some point I can finally tell people what’s going on!

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  56. Tara makes deviled eggs fairly often. They’re one of her specialties. Yet never, as in NOT ONCE, EVER, has she added a decorative pimento.

    Now I feel cheated and will have to ask her why!

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    • Mark, I use a decorative pimiento because my mother did that, or sometimes a slice of green olive. I’m sorry your deviled eggs haven’t had a garnish on them, you have indeed been cheated.

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  57. Like many a commenter here, I too have nefarious critters destroying flowers, primarily rock squirrels and chipmunks. The squirrels are extra destructive with the tunnels they dig.

    Bummer about the tile. Our contractor didn’t get enough to put on the floor around our 3-sided fireplace, so we had to style for literal cut corners.

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  59. I hope you get a dishwasher without too much grief. We’ve been lucky with appliances. As for the munching your flowers, bunnies tend to nibble. Of course, over time they nibbled our tulips down to the ground.

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  60. My zinnias are fine, but they’re planted in big pots up high. The marigolds are suddenly lunch for every bunny. Sigh! The supply chain is a big issue. Fingers crossed the tiles match. Bet to you, Ally.

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    • Jennie, I’m smiling here. I have marigolds in big pots and they’re fine, but the zinnias are in the ground, the poor dears, & are not doing well. IF the dishwasher can be fixed then I’m going to be grateful and won’t have to face supply chain issues again. Happy weekend to you!

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  61. How dare he try to steal an underdecorated deviled egg!
    If I were the type to plant zinnias, i would be safe as there are no critters around here what would eat them… oh wait, “my” groundhog might…
    I hope they can fix your dishwasher. It blows that things are no longer made to last and be fixed. It’s all wrong.
    Fingers crossed on the tiles!
    I got COVID in March so it kinda put it out of my mind that I still didn’t get the second booster. I should rethink it.

    As for me? Nothing more exciting that emptying the new (too-big) awning for my gazebo of water ever so many hours because we have rain and more rain and then some more! So frustrating. I have a 9′ gazebo and the closest size I could find for a new canvas top was 9’8″ – I figured, how bad could it be? welp…

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    • Dale, we don’t see groundhogs around here. I don’t know why, but I take that as a small mercy considering we have deer and raccoons and rabbits to contend with. I agree that machines don’t last long anymore. I dislike ‘planned obsolescence’ on many levels.

      I can only imagine how bothersome it’d be to attend to an oversize gazebo awning. It sounds like what should have worked didn’t work, and now you’re getting all wet. Sorry about that.

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  62. Don’t let your guard too far down… I know several fully vaccinated and double boosted people who have still come down with covid. In my world… still good with my decision to do dishes by hand from now on. I’ve managed to keep the process very mindful!

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    • Barbara, great advice. I am finding that I’m quickly sliding into pre-pandemic habits which isn’t healthy. I don’t mind doing dishes once in a while, but if it is more often than that I start to grumble. Still clinging to the idea that dishwasher can be fixed.

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  63. Yikes on the tile and zinnias! I hope the new tile matches because non-matching floor issues haunt me.
    I had a giggle about your decorated deviled eggs; I’m sure they were delicious either way.
    Appliance woes are never fun. I hope you are able to repair your ‘favorite dishwasher’…that being said, our favorite dishwasher is a Miele. I’ve never had one as wonderful.

    My not-exciting tidbits are that I’m working on a great puzzle and when I’m out and about, I think about going home to finish it. I also need to finish five unfinished books. FIVE. I don’t know how that happened, but it’s got to end at some point. How has my life come to this?

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    • Suz, I think the tile thing is going to work itself out by using some samples from the tile store that happen to be from the same dye lot. As for the dishwasher I’ll keep your suggestion in mind if it comes to that. Still hoping the one we have can be repaired.

      You must be working on one wonderful puzzle if you think about it when you’re away from home. I’ve two books going right now, but 5? You are ambitious and much more clear-headed than I. I’d get the storylines all muddled.

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  65. I came to a dead stop when I came upon your deviled eggs with smoked paprika on top. I’ve only started using that in various ways about four months ago, and it’s a wonderful spice. Now, I have the urge to boil up some eggs and give that a try — although the pimento’s a non-go. On the other hand, I have a chicken dish that uses pimento and I love that. Maybe it’s horizon-expanding time!

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    • Linda, I love the flavor of smoked paprika so I’ll put it on anything that seems like it deserves it. Pimientos had a subtle flavor to many dishes so you might like them on your deviled eggs. It’s all kind of adding a Spanish zing to your food.

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  66. I understand the attachment to a dishwasher. When we moved into our house in 1995 there was a Maytag dishwasher already here. We loved it as the perfection it was. It lasted (with an occasional repair) for 22 years past that and was still running when we did our kitchen renovation in 2017. Alas, it didn’t match our new kitchen “look,” so we decided to buy a new one. It’s not nearly as wonderful. The dishes don’t FIT the same. And the guy who sold it to us told us we could expect 10 years from the new one – at best. Mind you, it is much quieter. When the old one was running we had to turn up the TV volume. 🙂

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  67. Ally, what I did with my newfound freedom after being vaxed and boosted (and feeling like Teflon) was to go on a cruise. You guessed it. I tested positive for 14 days and suffered flu-like symptoms for over a week. Not fun. Be careful out there, the world is a scary place! Maybe not as scary as dealing with tile guys who can’t measure, but still scary.

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    • Suzanne, good advice. Thank you. I’m sorry you got sick, though. This virus is wily. As for the tile… well, things happen. Just waiting to see how this all plays out.

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    • Marty, some years the zinnias thrive, unbothered. Other years the critters can’t stay away from them. It’s vexing. I’m glad to know that you’re with me about this pimiento thing. I seem to have shocked a few folks with this idea!

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  69. Zinnia wars – ha. My own summer battles are with barn swallows, who seem to think under the eaves of our two-story house are the best places to build their nests. I have to get out there with the pressure nozzle and hose down the nests before the swallows have their babies. I’d be more accommodating if it weren’t for their barn swallow friends. Once one builds a nest, another dozen get the same idea, and then it’s a feeding frenzy under the eaves. Nope, no barn swallows for me.

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    • Dave, I know of barn swallows, but haven’t had them around here. Of if they’re around here, they’re behaving themselves. I’d want to move them along quickly, too. I can imagine the mess they make, plus maybe some destruction, too? Nature is great… when it behaves itself. 😉

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  70. Ha! Love life’s tidbits. I, too, was feeling invincible with the 2nd booster until Joe tested positive yesterday. Now I’m wearing a mask at home and leaving a food tray outside his room. I’m determined to stay healthy in order not to miss my sister’s memorial! Good luck with the tiles and the dishwasher!

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    • Anna, I’m sorry to read about Joe getting Covid. It is such an insidious virus and it’s still among us. I hope you get to your sister’s memorial service. Stay healthy

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  71. Wow – bad juju happening at your house these days. You have my sympathies Ally. Nothing eating my flowers as I didn’t plant any this year. Since I began my walking regimen in 2011, I’ve been using silk flowers in my pots and planters where I formerly planted annuals every Spring. Last year they were fading a little so I pitched them. My rocking chair and wooden wagon literally fell apart when I picked them up, likely from so much rain and moisture. I had some ideas for the 2022 front and side gardens, but lacked motivation. I like Michaels craft store as their silk flowers are the most realistic.

    Then I put out the hummer feeders out – one hummer, wicked heat that made changing nectar and washing both feeders daily just a pain. I’d like hummingbirds, but I get robins building nests in the elbow of the coach light out front. This has been an ongoing battle for years and years. I put up a box to keep them from building a nest. This year I did this and they built the nest on top. The nest was “cemented” to the box with mud. I put another box on top of the nest (no inhabitants … it’s a Federal law to destroy a nest with eggs in it). It looked, well … no “House Beautiful” photographers were stopping by to interview me. Last Monday, the handyman came to do his Spring chores. I said “the birds are done with their babies, so please take down the two boxes and nest when you do the gutters.” Great – it looked presentable for less than a day. The next morning I went out, mud drips on the porch, mailbox and long pieces of grass everywhere. I got another small box and wedged it up there and e-mailed the handyman: “we must have a fix – no I don’t want bird spikes either.” Tomorrow he installs a “fix” – whatever that will be. It would be easier to take down the coach lamp, but it matches the pole lamp – sigh.

    The heat and erratic weather has zapped my energy and enthusiasm for yard work. I spent an entire Saturday clipping and pruning – looked great, two weeks later, it looks like a jungle.

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    • Linda, I like how you avoided the whole critters eating my flowers problem by using silk ones– or not planting any at all. That’ll show ’em. Made me smile with your logic.

      As for birds building nests, we have that problem too. In our gutters actually. One spot we can get to on a ladder and remove the nests after the babies are grown and flown, but the other spot requires the window washer guy. So every fall he takes the nest down, but the birds come back the following spring like clockwork.

      I’ll be interested in knowing what the “fix” is. That sounds ominous. As for pruning outside in this heat and humidity, I’m to a point where I think a jungle-like yard is beautiful. Denial, I suppose you’d say. If I don’t notice the overgrown bushes, then they don’t exist, right?

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      • I can get into a natural look but mine were so overgrown, when it rained it was like being in a jungle. All prim and proper and proportioned in the front. I used to spend hours on end deadheading those green hanging bags of impatiens, then they’d be leggy and ugly by August. Switching to silk was great! It took me an entire weekend to secure the flowers onto nylon stocking filled with river rocks so they never blew away but that was it – no muss/no fuss for several years to come.

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  72. We had shot no 3 a while back, and shot no 4 is being offered to those over 65. I have just turned 65 and Himself is still a spring chicken – so not us. A weekend stay with the grandchildren has been postponed as grandson (aged 1) seems to have caught Covid from his other grandpa the previous weekend. I guess not everything is in our control…

    We loved the squirrels in our previous garden – Himself used to feed them as a bribe so he could photograph them at relatively close quarters. They were delighted as shared gardens offered them no floral goodies being managed. We even had a deer wander into that urban garden unexpectedly, which was lovely. Despite being more rural here, nothing wanders our way other than neighbourhood dogs doing their bathroom thing. The gardener weeps, we’ve pleaded with the owners, but with limited success.

    Oh & devilled eggs absolutely MUST have a pimento on top. I am surprised at Z-D, but also empathise! Here, it would be Himself in the kitchen doing everything just right, and me sneaking in 😀 😀

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    • Deb, I’d love for Covid to be a thing of the past, but it’s still with us. Around here the second booster is being recommended for adult 50+. Whether that’s the CDC or our family care physician telling us that, I’m not sure. All I know is I am pleased to have my 4th jab.

      Squirrels are photogenic, no doubt. We get them nosing around in my herb pots that are on the deck. Plus they’ll steal a tomato occasionally, but they leave flowers alone. I think it’s the deer who are waging war on my zinnias.

      Glad to read that another person understands the importance of a decorative pimiento. Honestly, you’d think that Z-D would know to wait, but apparently not. You say you’re are the same? Made me laugh.

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  74. LOL @ Z-D trying to eat an undecorated egg LOL I mean, really… I am the same way… my husband only ever cares about how fast it can end up in his tummy even mid-cook … I’m always like WAIT FOR THE PRESENTATION YOU BEAST!!! lol haha

    Sorry to hear about the dishwasher… any time anything in my house breaks down or needs fixing it’s just the most dreadful feeling… I hate having to deal with any of it! Nothing exciting going on over here, just people getting sick and passing it onto each other over and OVER AND OVER again… we are on round 6 right now since January lol…. we have got to get Charlotte to stop licking all the damn doorknobs!!!

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    • Jen, yes you said it. They have to wait for the presentation for the food to taste right. I mean, I’m offering a DECORATIVE PIMIENTO so how could he not?

      I’m sorry to read about your game of Covid tag. You’re it. THAT is awful but I suppose expected… when you daughter licks doorknobs. Have you had her tested for mineral deficiencies? 😉

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  76. Aren’t marigolds supposed to keep away pests? Deer, rabbits, one of the two. Perhaps planting a row of those around your zinnias will help?
    The tile! Oh, the tile! No!!!!!
    Same goes for your dishwasher. Finding one you love is a difficult thing. I hope you won’t have trouble replacing it with the same kind!
    I have never had a deviled egg with a decorative pimento, nor seen one even!
    Suddenly I feel as though I haven’t lived!

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    • Betsy, I thought marigolds were supposed to be a deterrent, too. However I’m sorry to report that so far they haven’t lived up to the hype. The whole tile story has gotten better in one bathroom, worse in another. Much too involved for this comment, but I remain confident that tile guy will EVENTUALLY get this right. As for a decorative pimiento, try one on a deviled egg. Your life will be better. I promise.

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      • Bummer about the marigolds! My dad always planted them. I *think* they worked for him, or the animals didn’t much care for our house/garden.
        Ah, tile guy. Come on!
        I look forward to experiencing a pimento-fied deviled egg one day!

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