Re-potting

 We had some fairly warm temperatures lately.   I'd been waiting for a day warm enough to take a couple of houseplants outside for re-potting.

First was this "Mother-in-Law's Tongue".  It's been in this planter for a long time. These plants do like to be a bit crowded, but I was pretty sure the dirt was worn out, and it was looking top heavy too.

In order to work with it, I wrapped the leaves in plastic wrap to keep the whole thing together and prevent the leaves from sprawling around and pulling up their roots.

See how the little square planter has a lip on the edge? The clump of roots and dirt just wouldn't come out past that...and not enough room to slide a knife along there to loosen it.

I either had to destroy part of the plant or the planter.  I decided to commit flower pot murder and cracked it open with a rock.

Waaah!  A shame...it was a cute pot.  

Look at those matted roots!  It was definitely time to change it.

Well, looks like I forgot to get an "after" photo but everything went well and I only had one leaf that lost it's footing and flopped over.

Next, I turned my attention to this Aloe Vera - and realized that it, too was in a pot that narrowed at the top

It had a couple of baby plants formed at the base. After I loosened and removed them I could get my hori-hori knife in around the mama plant to remove it.

Puss, you sort of look like you're feeling stabby!

I used my broken pottery pieces to help with drainage in the bottom of the new pot.

Now I have to figure out what to do with the baby plants I removed. 

I'll find someone who wants them.

Looking up at the sky I noticed these two parallel contrails/chemtrails. Hope you can see them in the photo.

Strange, I have never noticed anything like that before.

the Sasquatch cooks

We were complaining about beef from the grocery store and how it doesn't seem to be as good of quality these days. The steaks and roasts seem to be cut differently than in the past and they are labeled with different or combined names so it's hard to be sure what you're getting.

The Sasquatch thought it might be worthwhile to try shopping at an actual butcher shop so he took it on himself to pick out some things at Kingsley Meats.  Not only picked them out, he cooked them for our weekly family dinner.

First up was a big plump chuck roast. It was tender and flavorful...really good!  He is a fan of the Le Creuset cookware and he used his big dutch oven for this roast. I wish I would have taken a photo of the pan too. It's a pretty blue color. You can just see part of the handle at the bottom of the photo.

It's a thing of beauty!

Next week it was bacon wrapped filets. The Sasquatch has a cooking method for those (originally learned from Chopper)...first searing in a very hot preheated pan, then baking in the oven to desired doneness.

He cooked these at my house and I'm afraid my oven is becoming more unreliable...the steaks weren't quite done when the timer went off.  But they were worth waiting the few extra minutes for - they were really delicious too!

I went over to Kingsley's and bought some of their ground beef. It was more expensive than the grocery but it wasn't pumped full of water like the grocery meat either.

We are paying the same price per pound for all that water that cooks off and that saturated absorbent pad that we find in all the grocery meat trays now.

Anyway, I think I'll occasionally make the drive across town and stock up on some meats there.

Also food - back in December I posted here about my fiasco trying to make Buckeye candy. I eventually gave up and basically made a fudgy mixture and poured it over a tray of the peanut butter balls.  It was okay but really just too heavy and sweet.

That concoction had been tightly wrapped in the fridge since then,  I took it out and melted the chocolate and peanut butter balls together, then stirred in some Rice Krispies cereal, poured it back in the tray and pressed more rice Krispies on the top, then let it set up again.

The cereal got a little soft and chewey but it did help to cut the sweetness. By golly, they were all eaten!

Puss felt duty bound to contribute something also.  She brought up this little blue tailed lizard she found in the basement.

I didn't want to be rude but I told her she should just eat it herself as a reward for catching it!

how it's going with the flooring

 The flooring is going in at a snail's pace but that's because we're trying to do everything right. I am really pleased with the results.

It goes in pretty quick once you understand the directions. Like so many things these days, the instruction sheet wasn't real clear on getting started...but we got it figured out.

The Sasquatch wielded the mallet and whacked the boards into place while I tried to lay out the next row of boards in a way that two like ones wouldn't be together and also scored and snapped the end pieces to fit.

Like I mentioned, the baseboards had to be removed, and since the new floor is lower than the old, that left me with a choice of  patching, sanding, and painting the newly exposed bottom of the wall...or buying new and taller baseboards.

Take a look at this lovely floral wallpaper that was behind the baseboard!  There was actually a whole wall covered with that paper when we moved here.

It was Chopper's room...poor kid!  Just what every 10 year old boy wants in his room!

But it didn't stay like that for long. I got that stuff peeled off!

So my decision about the baseboards was to buy new ones.  I'm glad I did. It gives things a more modern look. Of course they had to be caulked and painted (my job) after The Sasquatch nailed them in.

The floor isn't glossy and shiny and it has some indented markings in it.  Better to hide nicks and scrapes.

I put a few things back in place but then had to switch over to emptying out the next room, which is taking forever because it has a closet that is worthy of it's own "Hoarders" show...and my computer stuff which will have to be disconnected while the work is being done.

You know how when you start making improvements it makes everything else look old?  

I bought a new light fixture to replace the wobbly, noisy ceiling fan in there.

That thing has been a problem since Chopper was in high school. He was putting on a shirt and got his arm in the path of the turning fan blades - ouch!   

He came out with only a bruise but the fan was never the same!

Not a good photo but I really just snapped this picture in case I want another one for the next room.

Well, back to work on my Hoarder closet.