goshery

what I watched.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

For the past few weeks all I've been hearing about and seeing online is talk about a Netflix documentary called Making a Murderer.  Over the weekend I decided it was time to check it out and I wasn't disappointed.

This is an original Netflix documentary, which is a new thing for them.  Netflix is known as a streaming/dvd rental service but has started providing original content.  I've had a Netflix account for several years but don't use it as much as I should (since I'm paying a monthly fee).

This documentary includes ten hour long episodes and the word on the street is that you shouldn't start until you have several free hours, because once you start you won't want to stop watching.  I concur.  On Saturday afternoon I decided to watch a few episodes while I was working on a puzzle, and I ended up watching NINE episodes in a row resulting in a 2 a.m. bedtime.  I'm sure glad I didn't start it on a week day.

I won't give any spoilers, so if you haven't watched it yet it's safe to keep reading.

The documentary focuses on a man from Wisconsin that was charged with a crime and is then exonerated after serving 18 years in prison.  He is in the middle of filing suit against the county that charged him when he is arrested for another crime.  What follows is a long trial full of twists and turns.  It is griping.

At the end of the series I felt drained and wanting more, all at the same time.  I did a quick google search and found hundreds of articles, discussions and videos about the series.  All of it left me confused, angry and sad.

If you haven't watched the series yet I would strongly encourage you to do so.  I'd love to hear your thoughts about it if you have seen it.  Feel free to share here!

gardening tips.

I DO NOT consider myself to be a gardener and I actually have a reputation for killing plants.  However, that doesn't stop me from trying.  Every summer I plant some flowers and maybe a few vegetables and do my best to keep them alive.  My biggest downfall is remembering and/or taking the time to water them.  Then around the middle of August I start to get really sick of the whole thing and kind of wait around for them to die.  Ha!

So even though I'm not a great gardener, there are a few tricks I've learned along the way that I'd like to share with you.

TIP #1.  I love hanging baskets, but I don't love the plastic holders they come in when you buy them.  Instead, I prefer a metal hanging planter with a moss insert.  What I typically do is cut off the plastic hanger and then put the entire plastic pot inside the moss insert.  I think it looks nicer and it's super easy.

TIP #2.  If you have a tall pot or a large pot it can take a LOT of potting soil to fill it up.  Instead, I fill the bottom portion of the pot with plastic bottles, and then pour the soil over that.  The plastic bottles fill up some of the space but still offer the necessary drainage.  Since the plastic bottles are light, they help to keep the pot from being to heavy which is nice if you want to move them around.

Tip #3.  I like to do my potting on my driveway, which allows for easy clean-up.  However, if you have large pots it can be hard to move them once they are full.  I found that a great option is to place the empty pots in a wagon (or something else with wheels) so that it's easier to move them into place.  Another benefit is that it makes the pots a little bit more accessible and lessens back pain from bending over.

Those are my TIPS.  What's your best gardening secret?

2015 summer manifesto.

NOTE:  the words under "summer manifesto" are not mine, source unknown.

For the past few summers I've created a SUMMER MANIFESTO, an idea I learned from Ali Edwards.  The idea is to put some specific goals in writing in an effort to give them focused attention and make sure they happen before the SHORT summer season comes to an end.

I'm taking a more relaxed approach this year.  While I like the idea, I'm just not interested in committing to any specific goals this year except for two things:

1. Relax - take time to sit on the patio, float in the lake, read books and HANG OUT
2. Appreciate the little things - sunshine, green trees, beautiful flowers, long walks, bike rides and GRILLING

I kicked off the summer season last night by getting a fun, short haircut.  I have naturally curly hair and I wanted a haircut that took advantage of that; something that was quick + easy + sassy.  I think I got all three and I'm looking forward to spending less time primping and more time doing something better than fussing with HAIR.

Summer 2015 . . . I think it's off to a great start!

the dream.

I had a dream . . .  it wasn't as profound as that dream and I think that I might need a professional to analyze it.

If you know me in person or are a long time reader of this blog you know that I am terrified of mice.  Last fall I went all out to ensure that none of the little rodents would get into my house.  I hired an exterminator to "mouse proof" my house and when I hired a contractor to remodel my kitchen I made him PROMISE me that he would do all that he could to ensure that doors remain closed at all times.

It seems as if those measures are working, because the coast has been clear.  BUT, that hasn't stopped me from worrying about mice, and even dreaming about them.

Last weekend I had a dream about mice and it went something like this:

It turns out that once mice get into your house they turn into kittens.  Just the other day I was standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes when a kitten walked by.  "Another one?", I muttered to myself.  I walked over to the door and held it open until the little kitty went outside.  "It's so much easier to get them to go out once they are kittens", I thought to myself as I walked back into the kitchen to finish the dishes.

It was a short dream, and I have no idea what it means, but it did make me chuckle when I remembered it the next day.

is chivalry dead?

We had our first winter storm of the season this week leaving us with 10 inches of fresh snow and very cold temperatures.

The majority of the snow fell throughout the day on Monday.  By the time I left work at 4:30 p.m. my car was buried in snow and the parking lot was a mess.  Luckily I was wearing boots, a warm coat with a hood and leather gloves.  I made sure to get my car sweeper/scraper out of the trunk and into my car before I left my garage that morning so I was prepared.  I'm so happy that I have remote start on my car, so it was semi-warm and the ice on the windshield had melted by the time I got outside.

As I worked to clear the snow off my car my co-workers were also coming out to their cars and working to clear the snow from their vehicles.  I usually try to get ALL of the snow off my car before I get home so that it doesn't melt all over my garage, so I tend to be there longer than most people.  As I was working on clearing the snow several of my male co-workers finished cleaning their vehicles and drove out of the parking lot.

At this point I should be clear that I am, for the most part, capable of taking care of myself and I don't expect anyone else - male or female - to feel responsible for me.

As I watched co-workers leave, men in particular, I pondered the fact that they didn't feel like it was necessary to help their female co-workers clear their cars or stick around to make sure that they got out of the parking lot.  It made me wonder if chivalry was dead.

I wondered if it was generational; in other words if older men might have a greater sense of obligation to help women.  I wondered if it was because of "women's lib" and the desire for equality.  As women, have we made it clear that we don't need - or want - help from a man?  Did I want help from a man?  Should I expect it?

I don't have answers to any of these questions, and in fact, I don't know how I feel about this topic.  I do consider myself to be an independent woman, but at the same time I wouldn't turn down help in certain situations.  There are some things I can't do, like lifting 80 pound bags of softener salt, and in those cases I'm ok with asking for help.

In some ways I feel sorry for men, because it's probably confusing for them too.  Should they offer to help?  Will they offend a woman if they offer to clear their car?

To get a man's perspective I called my stepdad and asked if he helps the women he works with (he's the only man in the office).  I wasn't surprised to hear that he cleans off all of their cars when it snows.  When I asked him why he does it he explained that he thinks it's the right thing to do.

Well, that answers one quesion - chivalry is NOT dead.  It may not be as evident or widespread, but it's not dead.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic.  As I said at the beginning of this post, I don't think there's a right or wrong here, just a variety of opinions and I think that's a good thing.  I'd love to hear yours.

true story.

The other day I was picking up a friend that lives in town.  I was parked in front of her house, on the street, waiting for her to come out.  A man walked by carrying a shovel full - A SHOVEL FULL - of dead squirrels.

True story.

go outside.

Tonight I got a late start on my walk because I ran a few errands after work.  While that wouldn't be a big deal in the summer when it stays late until 10 p.m., days are getting shorter now so my "walk while it's still light out" window is getting smaller.  I considered staying home and walking on my treadmill, but I'm trying to soak up all of the outside time I can while it's still warm out.

Another reason I wanted to walk outside is because of a conversation I had with a co-worker today.  She told me that she had been working on a project for a few hours and she got so frustrated that she went outside and took a walk to clear her head.  It got me thinking about my walks outside and I had to agree, I always feel better after I get moving and get some fresh air.

As I walked last night I paid attention to the number of people I saw out and about.  It was around 6 p.m., so I'm sure many families were in the house eating dinner, doing homework, and all of the other things that go on in the evening in homes around the world.  I did see five little kids in one lawn, throwing leaves around and chasing each other.  They seemed like they were having a great time.  I also saw a group of middle/high school kids playing volleyball outside of a church.  Other than that I didn't see much activity outside.

Because it was starting to get dark I could see that there were many tv's on in homes that I walked past and I imagined folks relaxing after a busy day.  I also realized that my tv is very small compared to many that I saw.  I think it's time to upgrade!

So even though it was a little late when I set out to walk Two Miles a Day I did it, and it was very enjoyable.  I enjoyed the nice weather (60 degrees near the end of October!) and I appreciated the chance to clear my head after a busy day.

I sure do love FALL.

NOTE:  I'm thinking ahead to 2015 and the types of posts I want to write.  I've enjoyed focusing on 52 things I love this year, but I'd like to introduce some new topics next year.  What types of posts do you most enjoy?  What would you like to read more about?  If you have any thoughts, feel free to leave a comment and I'll take your suggestions into consideration for 2015.  Thanks, as always, for reading.

I have hedge balls, do you?

If you look around my house and garage you may notice some bright green "balls" resting on tin foil here and there.  They are bumpy and odd looking - not exactly the type of accessory I typically look for when I'm decorating my home.

So, what are these green balls?  Hedge Balls!

I have a co-worker that is as afraid of spiders as I am of mice, which is pretty darned afraid.  I feel sorry for her, because although there are a lot of mice around in the fall, there are even more spiders and they stick around all year long, so I can understand her desire to do anything she can to get rid of them.

About a month ago she mentioned that she was waiting for Hedge Balls to arrive at our local grocery store so that she could buy a bunch to place around her home.  I had never heard of Hedge Balls, so she explained to me that they are often sold in grocery stores but they are not fit to eat.  She claims - with 100% confidence - that they keep spiders at bay, and that they also work for other bugs and even rodents.

A quick internet search helped me to learn a little more about Hedge Balls, so I now know that they are the fruit of Osage Orange Tree.  They are definitely known as a bug and rodent repellent, although I found as many sites that say it's not true as sites that say it is true.  Go figure.

The balls are sold here for .99 each and I'm told they last for several months.  I was instructed to place each ball on a piece of tin foil because they may leak some fluid before they dry up and become small dark balls (I'm told they will eventually look like chestnuts).

I'm all for anything that even has a SMALL chance of repelling rodents (I'm not nearly as worried about spiders) and I'm sort of enjoying feeling like I'm participating in a science experiment.

So, I have Hedge Balls.  Do you?

randomness.

I've never claimed to be a great gardener, but things may be turning around.  I bought a fall arrangement about a month ago to put on my patio.  The photo on the left shows the plant the day I bought it.  The other day I watered it and thought about how beautiful it looks.  I went back and looked at the original photo and realized that it seems to be "blossoming" (pardon the pun) in my care.  I'm impressed!

A few nights ago I went on a walk with some girlfriends.  As the sun was setting I decided to use the timer ap on my iPhone to take a sunset photo.  I put my phone on a bench and then used another phone, a key fob and a jacket to prop my phone up just right to catch the sunset.  I hit the timer button and stepped back excited about the perfect shot I was going to get.  The timer counted down 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 and just as the picture was taken one of my girlfriends photobombed my perfect shot.  I did manage to get several great sunset photos, but this one is BY FAR my favorite.

And now, the GREAT BED MAKING DEBATE.  I'm always surprised when I talk to people and find out that they don't make their bed on a regular basis.  My mom always encouraged (read: required) me to make my bed every day, which is a habit I've continued in my adult life.  Every morning the first thing I do is make my bed, even before brushing my teeth.  Thanks Mom.

I was recently reading Elise's blog and she mentioned that she doesn't normally make her bed.  Many people commented that they don't make theirs either, which really surprised me. I think that making the bed makes the room look so much better, and I prefer crawling into a made bed rather then a mess of sheets and blankets.

So, my question is:  do you make your bed every day?

weekend project: organization / decluttering

While I was cleaning the house over the weekend I was putting away some laundry and got frustrated by how full the drawers were in my dresser.  The next thing I knew I was in full organization / decluttering mode, going through every dresser and closet in my house.

There are three bedrooms on the main floor of my house and I have clothes in all of them.  I also have three dressers, and they were all full too.  However, I feel like I wear the same things all of the time.  I decided it was time to get rid of some of the clothes I'm storing but not wearing, and since I was going to be near a Goodwill this week it seemed like a good opportunity to clean house.

As I went through my closets and dressers I used my guest bedroom as my sorting location.  If the item was in good condition I folded it and piled it on the bed, and if it was stained, ripped or well worn I threw it in a pile on the floor.  I got rid of so much stuff.

Along with clothes I got rid of some decor items, purses, and other miscellaneous stuff.  I bagged up everything I wanted to take to Goodwill and the rest went into the garbage.

By the time I was done I had a trunkful of items to donate.  I went to Goodwill and dropped it all off and felt really good about the progress I made.

I still have a lot of things I plan to get rid of in the next month or two.  I'm planning to move my craft room from the basement to a spare bedroom on the main floor but before that can happen I need to figure out what to do with some things including some furniture.

I love organizing / decluttering.  It feels good to get things out of my house that I'm no longer using, and if I can pass it on to someone that can put it to good use that's even better.