Nothing especially noteworthy is going on, just a bunch of events and
circumstances piled on top of one another.
The garden. Food first. You all know the drill: bed prep, planting, keeping up
with the weeds, especially with all the rain we've been getting. Mulching,
picking, and preservation take up at least half of every day.
Milk is still abundant, although
not like before. But still enough so that every other day requires cheese making. I've
finished with my hard cheeses and I've got my
feta
done. I'll start on
halloumi next and then
mozzarella. We have plenty of
kefir, cottage cheese,
ricotta, and fresh cheese to enjoy as well.
The pantry.
The cheese cave adventure
got me started on re-doing the pantry. I needed to wash dusty jars, check
seals and dates, and rotate as needed anyway. Clearing out the space for the
now-gone cheese cave helped me figure out how to add new shelving, which has
meant some a lot of re-arranging. So everything is getting reorganized, which I needed to do anyway. I should be able to store empty jars in the pantry now too, along with kitchen equipment, so this is a
welcome project. I'm figuring out how to make better use of the space. I just
get stumped on where to put things now with the new shelving. I have an
opportunity to organize better, but it's been slow.
My step-mother's passing. It was unexpected but considering her age not
surprising. It's meant dismantling her and my dad's home in preparation for
selling the house. I've inherited family furniture that belonged to my
great-grandparents, some of my dad's books (which I showed you
in this blog post), my stepmother's sewing and crafting supplies, and several big boxes of old
family photos and records, plus the genealogical research my dad had done.
Those are especially interesting as I've begun to go through and sort
them.
Replacing appliances. I'm in the process of replacing my old fridge and
washing machine. The fridge is about 15 years old and all the plastic is
either broken or cracked. And it leaks. Every other day I have to take out the
crisper drawers to mop up the water before it leaks out onto the floor. Dan
has tried a number of repairs and parts replacement, but it still leaks. I
researched durability and repair frequency and ended up getting another
top-freezer model. This one by LG which had top marks in those categories by
both consumers and repairmen. Cleaning out the old one was another big
project, but I was glad to do it and especially clean the walls and floor
behind the fridge. They needed it.
Replacing the washing machine is also on the list. My old one is 40 years old!
It's only still running because of Dan's mechanical ministrations. Now,
though, it only fills a little over halfway and I must fill the rest with a
bucket. Plus it does a terrible job cleaning. My choice for a new one is a
Speed Queen. Yes, they are expensive, but with a documented service life of 20
to 25 years, it's worth it. Plus, I could get one entirely mechanical - not
"smart!" I didn't even opt for the digital controls. The problem is that there
is a long waiting list for these. I asked the salesman if the economy is doing
so badly, then why are people buying expensive washing machines? He said folks
are tired of stuff that breaks down after only a couple of years. Me
too!
The
front room
is still a work in progress! It's kind of taken a back seat due to all of the
above, but I'm getting a project on the loom, which gives me a creative break
every day. I still have some boxes to find homes for and want to put pictures
on the walls, but otherwise it's mostly functional.
The sewing room is our temporary storage room. Between everything moved in
there from the front room, plus the boxes from my stepmom's, it's another
space that needs to be sorted and put back to it's former usefulness.
So I have a very long to-do list. All necessary but nothing terribly
interesting. Eventually I'll have some before-and-after pics to show you, but
it won't be any time soon.
Busy Days With Nothing To Write About © May 2026
Sounds as though you are accomplishing a lot though
ReplyDeleteCarol, I think so, and that feels good. Just isn't much to blog about. :)
DeleteI hope you have better luck with LG than I have. I had/still have an LG made but Kenmore branded refrigerator. Years ago a surge fried the electronic board in it and I was without a refrigerator for 6 months waiting on a replacement. I swore I would never buy an LG appliance again after that... and haven't.
ReplyDeleteMy first washer and dryer I ever bought were Maytags with mechanical buttons and after over 20 years of use, the heating element of the dryer went caput and the bearings in the washer sounded pretty bad so I replace them with GE's, again just basic ones with mechanical buttons. They are going on about 13 years at this point and still ticking. Although Speed Queen makes a good washer, I think buying any brand assembled in the U.S. (to ensure an adequate part supply) and sticking to base models with mechanical buttons equals longevity.
Ed, I went with LG because it had the fewest customer complaints and service requests over the years (according to Brave AI). There was a delivery glitch today, however, with the unit being damaged before delivery. We've had different reports on when they're going to bring another one. It's a nuisance because I had everything in coolers and don't know what to expect.
DeleteMechanical definitively has better longevity than electronic. It's getting harder to find though.
Holy goat Batman! What a laundry list. When I moved to Mariposa county in the Central Sierra Nevada I took nothing appliance wise with me. Apparently it was "fashionable" to leave all that behind. In fact mandatory not to. So I inherited the seller of my house now left behind a washer/dryer. The second year here I got to replace the old one with a really nice Whirlpool set that can even do my bedspread . I love it. Six years later not so much as a hangnail.
ReplyDeleteI have two refrigerator's both Kenmore both 14 years old now and the one in the kitchen was from the seller. The one in the shop was larger and my son and wife's when they replaced it I got it. It is great for extra eggs , veggies , etc. They both work well so far! I also have a chest freezer as I buy local raised beef every year and it is needed for a 1/2 of beef or a whole if my kiddo's go in on it.
Goatldi, interesting about the appliances. I recall always taking one's washer and dryer, but leaving kitchen appliances with the kitchen. Although I do recall taking my fridge on a couple of moves.
DeleteAn extra fridge is really nice on a homestead, for all the reasons you mention. I think part of the problem nowadays is all the plastic they use on them. Something solidly metal is hugely better.
Sounds like quite the to do list, but all possible in due time. I am taking notes on the comments about appliances, as we have a fairly old washer and dryer. Big K just gave it a good inspection this past weekend, as it was making noise. Turns out I am the worst at emptying my pockets before doing laundry, and I had some nails and other metal pieces in my jeans' pocket.
ReplyDeleteYou are so thoughtful in your work. Enjoy the process.
Daisy, I wish you luck in your decision making. One source I forgot to mention was the New York Times reviews for both washing machines and refrigerators. My picks were their top choices.
DeleteDon’t get me started on appliances! We have had to replace our dishwasher three times in the 15 years since we built our house. The last one lasted 9 months before the plastic inside melted and developed a hole in the bottom. Just replaced it 2 weeks ago with a KitchenAid. Time will tell if we got the right one. Thankfully, my husband is very handy also at repairing things. RHill, TX
ReplyDeleteRHill, I think appliances are a sore spot with almost everyone. Amazing that the plastic melted in your dishwasher. Quality control seems to be a thing of the past! I agree it's good to be handy with these things. I'm not mechanical at all, but am glad Dan is.
DeleteThe ordinariness of life often seems to make for a lack of "interesting" topics - except, of course, we all know we the same stretches in our lives.
ReplyDeleteAppliances are a hard one. We replaced our original dishwasher in New Home (An LG) when the circuit board fried and and the repairman said it was cheaper to buy a new one than risk a fix and another power surge. I think our our replacement was a Whirlpool, which lasted not 10 years. I am not sure what the current model is that Nighean Bhan's fiancée put in; hopefull it lasts longer.
It sounds like you have quite the list. Best of luck and may the odds ever be in your favour.
TB, another problem with dishwashers! Maybe instead of Hunger Games, it's Appliance Games. :) Fortunately (depending on one's point of view) Dan and I are the dishwashers here.
DeleteI’d enjoy a post/photos with an update of different things you’ve added to the garden (swales, ollas, Hügelkultur, different plants, etc.) and your views on how well they’ve worked out. I also really like your posts about the animals and how they get along 😀
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, all right! You've given me some things to work on. :)
DeleteA mechanical washing machine has far less things to go wrong than a fancy digital one. I like ours, which has 3 manual settings, and does the job of cleaning clothes quite nicely. Our dryer came with the house and I figure it must be 25 years old or more. One day it will need replacing I'm sure! I knew a gal who only went for fancy matching sets of washers and dryers, which had all sorts of digital settings. She ended up having to replace them every 4 or 5 years because they couldn't be repaired easily! I just can't imagine doing that...so wasteful and unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteNina, mechanical systems always last longer than electric or electronic systems, for sure! That's really good for the dryer. Mine must be about the same age but it only functions on one setting and I have to turn it on with a pair of pliers because the plastic knob broke. Fortunately, I use the clothesline most of the time.
DeleteStopping by to say "hi" and checking in on you. :-) OrangeJeepDad
ReplyDeleteRon, how nice to hear from you! I seem to have lost track of you somewhere along the years. Are you blogging again?
DeleteExcellent choice on the Speed Queen! I love mine.
ReplyDeleteValerie, thank you for that! The ratings and customer satisfaction were too great to ignore. I'm considering this a "buy it for life" purchase.
DeleteLeigh, I lost you! I am so sorry. I've added you back to my list and now I've got to catch up! Hope you and Dan have been well.
ReplyDeleteSue! So good to hear from you! We are well; Dan is recovering from a knee replacement, but still staying busy.
DeleteNice to know about your LG fridge. It got a high rating at Consumer Reports and others. It's a little bigger than my old one, which is very nice!
Are you going to start blogging again?
Hey there! I'm back. Don't know how on earth I lost you but I did. I hate replacing appliances. I got new appliances all around when we moved here twelve years ago. Got gas stove instead of flattop electric. Had issues with the fridge and after two attempts, finally got an LG that has been working like a champ. During the time, friend Sally gave me the extra when she was moving and its in the garage, mostly holding beef from my brother's herd.
ReplyDeleteHope you and Dan are doing well.
We bought a new Speed Queen after years of used washing machines. It is mechanical aside from the touch start. Absolutely awesome washer. Worth the money! Gets the clothes clean and doesn't shake the whole house as it stays balanced in the spin cycle.
ReplyDeleteBuddeshepherd, I like hearing that! I'm a little discouraged that they are backordered, hopefully that won't be for much longer.
Delete