Wrist Brace SleeveI have developed tendonitis in my wrist and the doctor gave me a wrist brace to wear. It was not as comfortable as I would like so I cut an old sock off, just below the heel, made a little hole in the heel for my thumb and I had a sleeve to go over my arm under the brace. To keep the holes from stretching, I hand stitched around them and pulled the stitches up to fit my hand. The extra padding has made the biggest difference in the comfort of this wrist brace. I don't mind wearing it at all now.
Lemon Jell-O Pound CakeI pulled out some old recipes and stared cooking more foods that are not gluten free. I don't get to enjoy them myself, but my family does.
Fall at Mabry Mill, VAI took this photo on 10-24-07. It was a rainy day and it has turned out to be the best shot I have gotten of this beautiful place. I think it's due to it being a cloudy day.
Use a Drain Bucket When Washing Vegetables OutsideI use a drain pan in my kitchen quite often and I thought it would be good to have a drain bucket on hand when washing garden vegetables outside. It gets the excess water out.
Peppermint Oil for Face MaskLooks like the face mask is going to be the new fashion for quite a while. A drop of peppermint essential oil on your face mask makes wearing it much more pleasant and comfortable. It helped me.
Keeping Green BeansI love the farmer's market in our little town but it is only open on Fridays. I purchased some green beans. As I was getting ready to leave, I saw some more green beans that looked even better so I bought them too.
Keep Animals from Eating Your GrapesFor the past several years we didn't get to enjoy our Scuppernong grapes, except the ones we found as they were beginning to get ripe. Starting in August, before the grapes were fully ripe, the raccoons came at night and had a family reunion in our grapevine. They didn't even clean up after themselves.
Fanny Pack for Clothespin BagI have an old fanny pack and have discovered it has multiple uses. I have been wanting an apron clothespin bag but just haven't gotten around to making one. After using my fanny pack for dropping seed, when planting the garden, I thought about using it for a clothespin bag. Hooked around my waist, it's so easy to get the clothespins out when hanging clothes on the line. This little bag will hold well over 60 clothespins.
Juice Containers to Fill Empty Freezer SpaceWe drink cranberry juice. To fill in the empty spaces and build up the bottom of our chest freezer, I freeze water in the 64 ounce cranberry juice containers. They lay flat and fit perfectly between the dividers. This helps to keep the freezer full.
Keep Cucumbers Crisp and FreshTo keep cucumbers fresh and crisp, I wrap them in a paper towel before putting them in the refrigerator. They keep so much longer this way. This cucumber has been in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Watering Hanging BasketsAfter a couple of days in the sunshine, the leaves on my hanging basket of petunias look pitiful. To bring them back to life, I put water in a pan and put the basket in the pan to soak up the water overnight. The next day, the dirt in the basket is heavy with water and the leaves on the flowers look lively again. This is easy and there is no dripping when I hang the basket back up.
Folding Fitted SheetsI remember the days when we did not have fitted sheets and if the sheet was not tucked in good, you would wake up and find yourself laying on the mattress.
Feeding the ChickensI save my food scraps to give to my neighbor's chickens. Mama hen gets all excited when she sees me coming and from her actions, she's telling me to hurry up.
Rough Green SnakeAlthough the weather is hot, it is good to be able to get out in the early evening and go for a walk with our daughter. She is a nature lover and has been picking up snakes since she was a child. She knows which ones can be handled. As we were walking, suddenly she stopped and grabbed this green snake from the limb of a small pine tree.
Cades Cove TennesseeFor our 59th wedding anniversary, we went to Townsend, Tennessee and stayed at Townsend Gateway Inn. This motel is vintage style with 2 rocking chairs sitting in front of each room. You pull up and park right there at your room. The room was very clean and quiet. Beside the TV was a little basket of snacks for us to enjoy.
DeKay's SnakeWhen you are digging in your flowers and grassy areas, you may run into this little fellow. It is a DeKay snake and quite harmless and appears to not mind being held, although, I don't want to hold it. I just take pictures.
Make a Little Hothouse for Early TomatoesI'm sharing this tip now so if you like, you will have time to make a little hot house for your tomato plant. It can help to produce tomatoes a month early.
Folding Plastic Grocery BagsIn 1987, when I first started picking up roadside litter, I asked my friend to save me her Wal-mart bags. She brought them to me in a Wal-Mart bag and all of them were neatly folded. This is where I got the idea of folding my bags. Using these bags, I would stuff my pockets with over 20 bags and walk a mile and pick up the litter, filling the bags as I walked. I never ran out of bags.
