My Walk Through Life 2/12/2025

I take care of an invalid mother part time and when I do, bedtime is 8:00 pm in this house. I have to find something to watch on TV (or my phone, actually) to keep entertained before I fall asleep. Last night I found Horrible Histories on Hulu. This show is made for children, I guess, but not for very young ones. It can get a little disgusting. 

I discovered the books years ago when my kids were buying books at the Scholastic Book Fairs. I don't remember if they wanted them or if I wanted them, but I had started a collection. They are British and not easy to find, but I still pick them up on Ebay when I see them. They are written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown. They are advertised as "history with the nasty bits left in". 

I like learning about cultural history. I am not interested in dates, wars, etc but I love to learn how people lived. What medicines they used, food they ate, what they did for entertainment, and how their homes were set up. I like unusual stories on people and I guess that is why I like to be a history/ghost story tour guide. 

Another series of books I collect is Foxfire. A group of college students went into the Appalachians and collected stories of how to live of the land and how to have a life of plain living. I was going to write "a simple life" but there was not much simple about how these mountain folk live. They built their own houses, furniture, well, pretty much everything. They raise and grow their food. I think these books are what started my interest in helpful hints. I appreciate shops, do not have a green thumb, and would not be able to butcher an animal, so I would starve. However, I grew an interest in folklore medicine and the simple ways to live and save money.

I have been researching and sharing some of  my helpful collections for years. Some have been good, some not so good, but I am always looking for a better way. 

Heloise and Joey Green have been my helpful hint friends for years. I will post and share some of their hints, as well as my own. 

Laundry will be the subject for today. The never ending pile of dirty clothes. I do not have any helpful hint for washing, drying, folding and putting away in one day. I am not always very good at that.

Do you have rust in your water, or rusty pipes? If you do, and your clothes get discolored because of it, fold a terry cloth rag over the end of the washing machine hose (this is an old article, so hold it over the spout where the water comes in) and hold tightly. The terry cloth will strain the rust from the water. An easier way might be putting a big terry cloth bath towel in the washing machine and let it swish around for a few minutes. Remove the towel before putting in your laundry. This also seems to work.

I am a lover of the old fashioned clothes line. I have had one at almost every house I have lived in as an adult and I use it as soon as the weather gets warm. I have always found it more peaceful than a chore. I enjoy the sun, the birds, and the sounds of whatever nature might be around. The benefits, clothes smell good and it lightens up the electric bill. 

Cheap and Easy Stain Remover

1 part Dawn dish soap 

1 Part baking soda

2 parts hydrogen peroxide

Mix in teaspoon sizes or cup sizes using the ratio. After mixing together, add to the stain and let it sit for an hour before washing. 

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 My Walk Through Life 2/11/2025

I am having an issue with positive thoughts today. I guess we all have those days. So I will post a cute picture and some recipes to make if you have pets.

My Ruby is a bit overweight and Skunkers, (not pictured) is old and processed can dog food upsets his stomach. I have  always been giving them kibble topped with soft food. I still do but now I make their soft dog food instead of  using canned. 

Recipe:

2 lbs ground poultry,, cooked with a bit of water. 

2 bags of boil in the bag brown rice, cooked 

1 bag of frozen peas and carrots or a bag of mixed vegetables. I usually toss them in the chicken after it is cooked but you can cook them and add them if you wish. 

2 cooked sweet potatoes, cut up

  I mix this up and divide in batches to refrigerate and freeze. 

Dry Dog Wash

  1 Box (1 lb) of baking soda

Test a spot on your dog to make sure it doesn't cause a negative reaction. If all seems good, rub baking soda on your dog, all the way to the skin. Keep it away from the dogs eyes, nose and mouth. Let it set for a minute or so to absorb odors and dirt. Brush the baking soda and any debris off of your pet. 

Cocktail Flea Dip

   2 Tbs vodka or dry vermouth

   1 3/4 pints water

1. In a 2 quart saucepan, stir alcohol into warm water and bring to a boil

2. Remove from heat, cover pan, and allow solution to steep for two hours.

3. Rub cooled solution into pets fur, rinse, and comb out.

Makes one treatment

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My Walk Through Life 2/10/2025

 

Times are tough and eggs are expensive. On February 5th, in Antrim Township, Pennsylvania 100,000 eggs were stolen from the back of a trailer. This is a $40,000 felony, which is about the same as an armored car heist.

The bird flu is causing poultry farmers to slaughter millions of birds daily. With Easter approaching, it doesn't look like prices will be going down. 

I am not a fan of eggs, and I really don't like hard boiled eggs. We colored eggs most years but didn't do many at a time due to them going to waste. We did have to have some to search for on Easter morning. It was a yearly tradition.

One year my friend Angela and I hid plastic eggs for our children. Most had candy, some were gags and we wrote "ha ha" in empty eggs, and we stuck coins and a dollar bill in some. It was just as fun for the kids, and more so if they found money. 

Parents may have to think out of the box this year. We do not have to heist egg trucks.

 My Walk Through Life 2/8/2025

Years ago I was a military wife and stay at home mother. One thing I learned quickly, military pay wasn't very high. Paying bills and feeding 3 kids on a small paycheck, I learned to be a tightwad and stretched each dollar as far as I could get it. 

I am more financially fit now, and have been negligent and carefree with my money. The past few days, I have been rethinking this. Groceries are more expensive and I think things may only get worse. I am going to go back to my tightwad ways. The more money I can save, the better. I want to travel, buy new furniture, and hopefully a house. Besides, it is fun finding ways to stretch a dollar. 

I have always enjoyed collecting helpful hints, making my own cleaning products and have found out sometimes they work better than the pre-mixed, store bought products. The same can be said about pantry items that you make up yourself. They are healthier, without the preservatives. 

I have made my own bathtub cleaners, laundry detergents, stain removers, hot chocolate mixes, spice mixes and more. 

I will share some ideas for readers to try every Saturday.

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Soft Soap

This has many different uses and you may find it referenced in other recipes shared. You can use it for washing delicates or add scent and add into the tub while the water is running. If you don't have enough to soap slivers, you can add soap flakes to make 1 cup.

Basic Soft Soap Recipe

Several bits, slivers, and pieces of used soap- enough to make 1 cup, dried out, or 1 cup soap flakes

1 cup boiling water

1. If you are using soap bits, grind them to a fine powder in blender or food processor. Mix with the soap flakes, if necessary to make 2 cups.

2. Pour boiling water over the soap and stir until soap is dissolved. Cool.

3. Label and store in a pump dispenser or squeeze-top plastic container.

Easy Scrub

Good for fiberglass tubs and inside of the refrigerator. Anything that needs a soft touch instead of a hard cleaner

4 Tbs baking soda

1 Tbs Soft Soap (recipe above)

4 cups ward water

1. Combine baking soda and water and pour into a clean plastic pump spray bottle. Label bottle. 

To use: Spray directly on the surface to be cleaned and wipe-off with a damp sponge or soft rag. 

If the surface is heavily soiled, make a paste of 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1 tablespoon Easy Scrub, leave on the stain for 30 minutes and then scrub off with warm water. 

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 My Walk Through Life 7 Feb 2025

Politics are stressing me out, so have to think of better things. I have a grandbaby due in August so that is happy news. The weather is beautiful even if we are getting the smoke smell from California fires. The sun is shining and it is warm for a February day in Colorado.

The air quality isn't very good, but if you can handle it, get outside and enjoy the weather. A gentle hike or walk. 

Turn off the tv and computer today and read a book, do a craft, do that one household chore that you have been putting off. Put on your favorite music. Since the weather is warm, I am going to do some sorting in the garage. My eBay business sometimes takes over and needs to be organized better. There is a shed that needs some tending to also. I believe the weather is supposed to chill again so I will take advantage of the warmth while it is here. 

Valentines day is coming. If you look under the page titled Turn Off the TV and.... there are some fun ideas for you to make with the kids.

Valentines Slime Recipe

4 oz clear glue

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 Tbsp contact lens solution

fine pink and clear glitter

Small heart shaped sequins

1 drop pink or neon pink food coloring

Directions:

1. Empty the bottle of glue into a plastic bowl

2. Add baking soda

3. Add contact lens solution

4. Add a couple of tablespoons of the glitter and then add some sequins. 

5. Add one drop of food coloring and then add more to get the desired color.

6. Knead your slime with your hands. If it is too sticky, squirt in a little more contact lens solution until it pulls away from the bowl.

Tip: Might be best to use disposable bowls.

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 I had abandoned this blog since I struggled to get followers. Looking at the Facebook page I have, there are many followers so maybe I can get them interested in my blog also. 

Times are getting tough financially, mentally, etc so maybe I can post things to make people feel better and help stretch their dollars. I like to post ideas for people to turn off their computers and televisions and try different activities. 

If you have a business you would like to promote, let me know and I can add it to my blog and to my Facebook. A little promotion sharing would be nice. I have my little side hustles that could use a boost also. 

This is a more of an intro post. I will get some more interesting posts going.

My Walk Through Life 2/9/2024

 I was excited today to find out that had sold one of my genealogy books on Ebay! I have been researching the family trees of both myself and my husband. Les had wanted to start it but didn't follow through, so I dived in. I started with The Family Tree Maker Program which is a great program to start out with. You can add information in and generate reports to see what you have, how relationships work, and so much more. Then I purchased an Ancestry.com account, which also connects to the FTM program. 

I made a HUGE mistake at first. I followed everyone's trees, assuming they had done their research and knew what they were doing. I found out that all trees lead to the Mayflower and Royalty, whether they should or not. I have spent many years pruning my trees, using a paper trail versus everyone else's research. My husband does actually have some German royalty on his side, but mine consists of pickpockets released from Newgate and sent to New England as indentured servants. That isn't entirely true, Nathaniel Woodward came after the Mayflower and was the surveyor for the Plymouth Colony, and others from Ireland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and England who came to look for a better life. Some were founders of various towns across the United States. Some were infamous such as John Wesley Hardin. All are interesting and part of my history, good, bad, or indifferent. 

My husband passed away in 2009 and I worked harder on genealogy just to keep my mind going in a positive way. I started writing books on the various lines of our family tree. Now I take care of an invalid mother, so my writing and research keep my mind busy as I sit at home. My trees are growing and are always interesting. The one thing I have found is that my husband and my trees connect in various places. We share a distant great grandfather, his uncle married one of my distant cousins, and various distant cousins married each other's distant cousins. We are from different parts of the US. (My kids think it is creepy). With my research, I feel certain to find friends I am related to. 

I have a growing list of FREE genealogy links in the page section of this blog. Great resources to help you get started in you research. 

If you are interested in learning more about starting genealogy or interested in getting a jump start, feel free to contact me. Are we family? I am always looking for Woodwards, Andersons, Spears, Bakers, Hansons, Steel(e)s, Ruddick (various spellings) and Cattles. 

The Genealogy Helper

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Years ago I purchased a book called Cheaper & Better by Nancy Birnes. It is no longer published and hard to find. It has some great recipes on how to make products and food you use often. Here are some fun recipes for your pantry.

Healthy Bread Crumbs

2 cups stale bread

1. Preheat oven to 250F degrees

2. Arrange bread in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes to crisp. cool.

3. Break into small pieces and feed, slowly, into a blender or a food processor. Store crumbs in an airtight container. Crumbs will keep for several weeks on a pantry shelf and indefinitely in the freezer. Continue to replenish as you get stale bread. Stir the new crumbs in with the older to mix.

Diced Minced Vegetables

Good use of batches of vegetables before they get totally limp, ie celery, green peppers, onions, or mushrooms

1 to 2 cups vegetables, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 120F degrees

2. Spread finely chopped vegetables in a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Dry in oven until crisp. The drying time will vary, depending on amount of moisture in the air and in the vegetables. Plan on leaving the tray in the oven for at least 12 hours, stirring occasionally. 

3. Cool and store immediately in a sterilized dry glass or metal container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 6 months in the pantry.

Shake-in-a-Bag Mix for Chicken

1 cup Healthy Bread Crumbs

1/2 cup Flour

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons Dried Minced Celery (recipe above)

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Mix all ingredients and store in a tightly closed container. The mixture will keep on the pantry shelf for 1 to 4 months in dry weather. if the temperature is hot or humid, you can keep the mix in the freezer for 6 to 12 months.

To Use: 

If you have the around, use brown paper bags to shake chicken in

Have ready

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Gently beat the milk and egg together in a bowl deep enough for dipping

3. Cut chicken into serving size pieces; wash and pat dry with paper toweling. Fill a paper bag with 1 cup of the coating mix.

4. Dip each piece into the milk-egg mixture and then drop a piece of chicken into the bag and shake. Let pieces dry thoroughly before baking.

5. Place chicken in a shallow, lightly greased baking dish and bake for 1 hour or until very tender when you test with a fork. 

Look for more ideas every Friday.

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