Thursday, April 21, 2016

Just Sittin' Around

We spent a lot of time sitting today.  We drove three hours total for our trip to Shreveport and back.  We spent an hour at the dentist.  We waited two hours at the Wal-Mart for a prescription.  It was going to take an hour so we went to eat lunch.  When we returned we discovered that it had disappeared from the computer.  We had to wait another hour.  We sat a couple more hours at home.  I sat waiting for laundry.  Duane sat putting away more stuff now that he has a place to put it again.  (When we moved into this house he didn't have room for the work bench. Now he has drawer storage again.)  After supper we took a walk around the park, then sat until time to lay down in bed!

That was pretty boring.  Here's something interesting I learned from the dentist.  As we age our teeth turn yellow or gray (lose their whiteness) because our enamel thins and the dentin absorbs the light our enamel used to reflect, making our teeth seem darker.  In other words, we're just getting older and there's nothing we can do about it.  Ahhh, you say  but what about whitening strips?  They work up to a point.  They will lighten teeth but not give that youthful dazzling white.  This doesn't bother me.  I am all too happy just to have my own healthy teeth!

I found these informative tips in a magazine.  The article is called Tactics To Get Rid Of Bugs.

Mosquitoes:  the CDC says that oil of lemon eucalyptus is an effective, natural mosquito repellent.  Products containing the oil are widely available online and at discount retailers like Target and Walmart.

Dog ticks:  Prevention is key.  Put one drop of rose geranium oil between your dog's shoulder blades and one at the top of the base of the tail, or two drops directly on the collar.

Pantry moths:  Wipe food containers and shelves with white vinegar and then place bay leaves inside the canisters and cupboards.

Ants: Vinegar deters ants from entering your home by overpowering the scent they would use to follow other ants' footsteps.  Mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle and squirt in places that are likely to attract ants, such as the area around pet food bowls and other food sources.

Bees:  Do an Internet search for your local area or state's beekeeping association to have a beekeeper remove the bees.

Camel crickets:  These giant jumping crickets--which don't bite--may make a home in your basement.  Use glue traps to dispatch them.

I hope you learned something today.

Louise and Duane

1 comment:

Paul and Marsha Weaver OCT. 17, 2009 said...

Camel crickets...what a name.
Thanks for the tip about the ants. So easy to do and won't harm Bella.