Hello. My name is Pauline and I am an addict.
I never thought that I would ever say these words, admit to friends, family and complete strangers, the fact that I have an addiction.
An addiction so strong that it colours my days, prevents me from doing housework (oh the shame), cooking (thank goodness), sewing and painting. I have abandoned my reading, I have not written a blog for weeks, I have neglected my garden and I ignore the pitiful calls of the starving cats. The ironing is piling up and the wash basket is full. My every waking minute is spent planning how I can relieve the withdrawal symptoms, how I can steal a few minutes between chores to lift the desperation that comes over me to get the next 'fix'.
And what am I addicted to? Drugs? Alcohol? Smoking? Gambling?
None of the above.
I am addicted to online jigsaw puzzles!
There, I have admitted it and I feel so much better!
And, I can put the blame for this squarely on the shoulders of Rob's sister Bev!
Sunday 27 November 2016
Monday 14 November 2016
Fish and Mushy Peas!
A couple of years ago we bought ourselves a brand new fish pond. (Can you believe that it was four years ago.......I just had a quick look on the blog!)
Anyway, all has been well with the pond and the occupants, Outspan has not leapt out again, although every now and then we hear a splash and rush out to check! But some time ago our UV light blew (we were away at the time and our poor cat-sitter was locked out for a while...... also a blog entry!) and we have not been able to locate another one, (light that is, not cat-sitter!) It came sealed in the pump unit, so we actually do not know how to replace it short of buying an entire new pump!
And since then, the water has turned from clear to green. Very green! Very quickly!
We have added specially made pond cleaners, both liquid and powder. The powder one tends to get up my nose and I cannot breathe! But, neither seems to work. And as the pond is in the sun for most of the day, it has remained a beautiful pea-green colour and looks as thick as mushy peas.
Rob cleans the filters almost daily and luckily we have rainwater tanks to enable us to top up the pond, as we now have strict water rationing and cannot use Municipal water for pools and ponds.
So, the other day I was at the nursery when I saw a load of yellow water irises standing in the base of the fountain that leaks! Aha I thought, these will help to clean the water naturally, so I brought a big bunch home and we stood them in a bucket while we mulled over how to plant them!
Another 'aha' moment! My wash basket! It has been slowly breaking for years and Rob has fixed it as best he can, but we decided that if we used it as the outer holder and made an inner holder from the remains of the square mesh stuff that Rob used for the door when Kindle first arrived, we could make a pretty damn fine iris holder!
Basil agreed!
Out with scissors and cable ties (the tools that are used most often for any DIY these days.) Rob cut a few 'rounds' off the basket to make it a bit shallower. We blocked the largest holes with stones, placed the irises in the baskets and then used klippies to hold the whole lot in place. Rob had placed two half breeze-blocks for the basket to stand on and we lowered it carefully (until I dropped my end) into the water.
It looks lovely and the irises are flowering, so they are happy.
But the water is still green!
Any ideas before I throw chlorine in and make it a swimming pool?
Anyway, all has been well with the pond and the occupants, Outspan has not leapt out again, although every now and then we hear a splash and rush out to check! But some time ago our UV light blew (we were away at the time and our poor cat-sitter was locked out for a while...... also a blog entry!) and we have not been able to locate another one, (light that is, not cat-sitter!) It came sealed in the pump unit, so we actually do not know how to replace it short of buying an entire new pump!
And since then, the water has turned from clear to green. Very green! Very quickly!
We have added specially made pond cleaners, both liquid and powder. The powder one tends to get up my nose and I cannot breathe! But, neither seems to work. And as the pond is in the sun for most of the day, it has remained a beautiful pea-green colour and looks as thick as mushy peas.
Rob cleans the filters almost daily and luckily we have rainwater tanks to enable us to top up the pond, as we now have strict water rationing and cannot use Municipal water for pools and ponds.
So, the other day I was at the nursery when I saw a load of yellow water irises standing in the base of the fountain that leaks! Aha I thought, these will help to clean the water naturally, so I brought a big bunch home and we stood them in a bucket while we mulled over how to plant them!
 |
| Gorgeous. |
Another 'aha' moment! My wash basket! It has been slowly breaking for years and Rob has fixed it as best he can, but we decided that if we used it as the outer holder and made an inner holder from the remains of the square mesh stuff that Rob used for the door when Kindle first arrived, we could make a pretty damn fine iris holder!
Basil agreed!
 |
| He fits in there rather well! |
Out with scissors and cable ties (the tools that are used most often for any DIY these days.) Rob cut a few 'rounds' off the basket to make it a bit shallower. We blocked the largest holes with stones, placed the irises in the baskets and then used klippies to hold the whole lot in place. Rob had placed two half breeze-blocks for the basket to stand on and we lowered it carefully (until I dropped my end) into the water.
 |
| Filling the pond after planting! |
It looks lovely and the irises are flowering, so they are happy.
But the water is still green!
Any ideas before I throw chlorine in and make it a swimming pool?
Thursday 3 November 2016
Pill-Poppers Rule!
I know what you are thinking!
I have not suddenly become a druggie in my old age, although I must admit that there are many times when my hips ache and my shoulders don't turn and my knees whinge when I am climbing the stairs, that I can easily imagine becoming hooked on pain killers and anti-inflammatories.
But no. This has nothing to do with drugs!
Last week I decided that it was time to de-worm the animals! We try to do it every few months when I have gathered the strength needed to do battle with the lot of them.
I am sure that you have read the 'How to give a cat a pill' followed by 'How to give a dog a pill'. For those of you who have not, very briefly it goes something like this:
First catch the cat. Wrap it in a blanket, don gloves and goggles and tuck the blanket-covered-cat that is by now a struggling demon with claws at the ready, under one arm while with the other you try to trap the legs and with the remaining hand prise the jaws open and flick the pill to the back of the throat. Once you have released the cat, you notice that in the ensuing chaos, the cat has gone 'ptooo', spat the pill onto the floor and has sauntered away, sharpening it's claws on the couch on the way out.
Then it's the dog's turn: Grab the pill, wrap it in a piece of bacon/cheese/ham/peanut butter smeared bread/ sausage/liver paste and simply chuck it in the direction of the dog who gobbles it down and sits grinning at you.
Whoever wrote this is lying.
I have not suddenly become a druggie in my old age, although I must admit that there are many times when my hips ache and my shoulders don't turn and my knees whinge when I am climbing the stairs, that I can easily imagine becoming hooked on pain killers and anti-inflammatories.
But no. This has nothing to do with drugs!
Last week I decided that it was time to de-worm the animals! We try to do it every few months when I have gathered the strength needed to do battle with the lot of them.
I am sure that you have read the 'How to give a cat a pill' followed by 'How to give a dog a pill'. For those of you who have not, very briefly it goes something like this:
First catch the cat. Wrap it in a blanket, don gloves and goggles and tuck the blanket-covered-cat that is by now a struggling demon with claws at the ready, under one arm while with the other you try to trap the legs and with the remaining hand prise the jaws open and flick the pill to the back of the throat. Once you have released the cat, you notice that in the ensuing chaos, the cat has gone 'ptooo', spat the pill onto the floor and has sauntered away, sharpening it's claws on the couch on the way out.
Then it's the dog's turn: Grab the pill, wrap it in a piece of bacon/cheese/ham/peanut butter smeared bread/ sausage/liver paste and simply chuck it in the direction of the dog who gobbles it down and sits grinning at you.
Whoever wrote this is lying.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)