Living in Suburbia

I love our neighborhood. We have a park that is perfect for running, rollerblading, walking, playing sports, or climbing on the jungle gym. We are an easy mile walk to Main Street. The houses are not huge, but not too close together, either.

Our neighborhood is also very attractive to all sorts of door-to-door people. We get:

• Salesmen: lawn care, pest control, home improvement, books, magazines, and (of course) Girl Scout cookies and Boy Scout hoagie sales. The last two don't bother us as long as we know the kids.
• Religious groups traveling in pairs: Jehovah Witnesses to Baptists, often on Sunday mornings when the heathens are home. What they don't know, is we often go to an evening worship service.
• Political Groups: the kind that won't leave any literature behind unless you first give them a donation and sign their forms. Hmm...
• Entrepreneurs: people who can identify a specific need and have a short term solution -- ideally one that does not cost us anything.

Last week we had one of the latter people knock on our door. A high school-aged kid, roaming around the neighborhood with his dad and a pick up truck saw our old treadmill next to the trash. He asked if he could have it for scrap metal. Since we had been planning on taking said treadmill to the scrap metal heap that weekend, we were glad to give him that PLUS the pile we had been collecting in the garage.

They were thrilled to have metal to add to their collection. We were thrilled to have it out of our house. The last time I explored collecting money for our scrap metal I was told I needed 100 pounds of it. Instead, I often give it to the last person in line. This saved me the drive to Trenton.

A win-win for everyone -- including Mother Earth.

Local Appliance Part Shop

On July 4th our washing machine started leaking. I could tell this was not going to be a pretty sight.

The washing machine is at least 15 years old. I know we bought it after we got married 20 years ago, but before we moved to our current home 13 years ago.

The options: fix it or buy a new one

Fortunately I married a man who can fix things. He took it apart and diagnosed the situation: broken water pump.

In the past this would have meant a quick trip to Jacoby's in Trenton. Unfortunately they went out of business a few years ago.

A quick Google search on Appliance Parts Philadelphia brought up a bunch of places that were closed on Saturday (it took a couple of days to diagnose the situation), and no idea if they had the part, nor how much it would cost.

An eBay search brought up a place in Lancaster, PA that said we would have it by Wednesday.

Really missing Jacoby's at this point.

Wednesday's mail came and no part was in it. I emailed the seller. The item was on back order, but he would mail it "soon." Um...sure we can wait an indefinite amount of time for a part you sold to us as if it was in stock. 

Another Google search. This time I plugged in Appliance Parts NJ. A store in East Brunswick came up. Long story short, we could not communicate.

Another Google search. This time I plugged in Appliance Parts PA. After sifting through the results and deeming many of them too far away (Erie, Tannersville, ...) I found one in Levittown, PA. Yes, just across the river from us.

A quick phone call confirmed they were open and had the part. A 20-minute drive later I was picking up the part and on my way home. That night, Don repaired the washing machine and we were back in business.

As part of my gratitude to the store for still being open, and for having Saturday hours, I promised to tell all my friends and family about them. 

All Brand Appliance Parts
224 Levittown Parkway
Levittown, PA 19054
215/547-5900

They are easy to get to, have decent hours, and accept credit cards. On top of that, the price was cheaper than other places we called.

Next time we have an appliance issue, and as a home owner, there is always a "next time." We'll see them first.

Spring has Sprung

We spent five years looking for this house. We've lived in it nearly 13 years so far (signed the paperwork on it on April 28, 2000, but waited for the former owners' children to finish the school year before we moved into it). 

After all these years I'm still amazed by how pretty it looks in the Spring. I always try to take pictures on that magical day when the sky is blue and the trees are all in bloom. These are some pictures from that day.

This also marked the week someone came and ground the last of our willow tree. :( Time to plant something new in it's place.

Small Changes to Help the Environment

There are many websites out there with tips for helping the environment. This is just a short list of small things we are doing. Please share with us what you are doing to help save the planet for the next generations. Together we can make a difference.

1) Just say no to plastic bags! 

Once I started to think about it, buying one item and getting a plastic bag for it just did not make sense under most circumstances. Sure there are times it is raining out, and you want that extra layer of protection. I'm thinking about those times you pop into a store for one item (for me, it was making a copy of a key) and you leave with that item, plus a bag. Do you always need that bag? Even better...bring your own bags and cut down on the clutter in your home. Support NJ Senate Bill S-812 to have a 5-cent fee on all single use bags by clicking HERE.

2) Handkerchiefs

Don realized he was carrying tissues and napkins for those times he needed to blow his nose (or the times Ashley had a sneeze). The tissues and napkins would then end up in the laundry, making a giant mess. His solution was very old-school: carry a handkerchief. If it ends up in the laundry, it is no big deal, plus he is not wasting paper.

3) Cat litter containers

It seems every couple of months, Don comes up with a new use for those cat litter containers each of us cat owners accumulate. Cat lovers know these -- they are big enough to seem useful, but how? We use one as a trash can, another to collect recycling, a third for composting, a fourth for gardening tools (who cares if it gets dirty?), and a fifth one he attached to the back of his bike to carry milk cartons back from Halo. This week he figured out a way to attach a lock to one to make it seem more protected (yes, if someone really wants in, they will find a way). Here is a link to many more uses for these containers.

4) Live Local

Support the local businesses near to your home. Chances are you are already meeting these local business owners at church, school, in the park, etc. By supporting their businesses, it helps them to be able to continue living nearby.

5) Attend a local Eco-Fair

As luck would have it, I'm on the planning committee for the Living Local Expo taking place March 23, 2013 from 12-4 at Lawrence High School. Come out to learn more ways to live local and help the environment.

Lost Earrings

I have a bad habit of losing earrings. I'm sure most of my friends with pierced ears can relate to the feeling of frustration and annoyance that comes from losing a favorite earring. I'm sure this is the case with most of my friends, I only lose earrings I like because I tend to wear my favorite earrings.

Last October I lost the match to the earring on the left while walking around German Village in Columbus, OH. In December I lost the one on the right while walking around Central Park in New York City. 

It stinks!

Years earlier I lost a pearl earring Don had given me when we were engaged. I turned it into a ring.

When I lost the dragonfly earring I told Don I might turn the misfit earrings into a charm bracelet. "Or," I said suddenly inspired, "I should just buy two pairs when I find earrings I really like this way I'll have a back up!

Valentine's Day this year Don not only remembered my comment, he bought me two pairs of the same earrings. In theory the problem should be solved. In reality, Ashley thinks the second pair is for her ears! We have the same taste in earrings and Ashley prefers raiding my jewelry box to wearing ones from her own collection.  

Happy belated Valentine's Day!

Room Transformation

My friend Darla recently blogged about her one-day room transformation. I wish I could say I was a speedy our bathroom transformation, since I felt like "all" we did was slap on a new coat of paint. Our transformation took closer to two weeks.

Before:




It was time to part with the Winnie-the-Pooh theme. The peeling paint around the shower moved it up the priority list. Hard to tell in this picture, but the walls were a pale green. We painted this room 11 years ago anticipating Ashley's arrival.

After:

The border is gone. The room is a bright and cheerful yellow (Ashley chose the color). We replaced the shower curtain, light, towel bar, and toilet paper holder. I added a swag of flowers to the mirror. Ashley added a bud vase of silk flowers in the corner (you can't see it in this picture). 

Overall the room feels brighter.

Good use of our recent cold snap.

Now onto figuring out what color to paint the kitchen and family room. 

Oh Christmas Tree(s) 2012

After the Christmas Tree sagas of 2011 and 2010, I thought it noteworthy to write an update about our 2012 Christmas tree.  For the first time in the over 20 years Don and I have celebrated Christmas together, we did not get a real tree. Between Ashley's play and not being able to find a reasonably-priced cut your own place, we decided to stick with a "fake" tree.

The tree did manage to stay upright -- despite the best efforts of Lucy the kitten. Lucy did manage to break a dozen ornaments, but Don has mastered the art of Super-gluing items together and patched them back up again.

As we did in 2011, we had a Coca-Cola tree in the Coca-Cola themed family room, and a food-themed tree in the kitchen. We found a good sale on fake trees and bought a fourth one for 2013. This one will be put up in the dining room and include Disney ornament on it (no, our dining room does not normally contain a lot of Disney items in it).
'
Also of note in our decorations is our nativity set. About 11 years ago Don and I were on the hunt for a nice nativity set -- a quest that took us to many stores in numerous states, but we never quite found one we loved. We found ones that were very, very nice by Lenox and other such companies, but with anticipating having a family, we didn't want one that would break during baby's first Christmas. We found cheap ones in the dollar store, and places with price tags not much higher. Then my Florida grandmother (Grandee) passed away in October 2001. While my mother was cleaning out her condo she found her nativity set and passed it on to us. I think of her every year as I unwrap the pieces, and again as I carefully put them away for another 10 monhs (or so). 

Undecorating tends to take place over Martin Luther King weekend. Just too much work to take the decorations down too soon. 

This weekend I'll finish taking down the decorations and thinking about Christmases past, present and future.

New Additions

In 2012 our quiet family of three humans and two cats grew to an active family of three humans and five pets.

We started the year with 2 pets -- Ariel Cat (7) and Charlie Cat (6). Ariel came into our lives about a year after Pumpkin Cat died from old age. At the time we adopted Charles I, but he didn't last a year (sleeping in the middle of the street will do that to you). Charles II came to us through FreeCycle. 

Ariel Cat and Charlie Cat

Loyal readers know that Ashley spent about a year and a half petitioning for a bearded dragon. Sandy Claws joined the family in June. 

Sandy Claws

As neither one of us ever owned a dragon before, we've had a steep learning curve with Sandy. There are times I'm amazed he has lived this long (like when he went 4 weeks without pooping), but I am glad he is still here. Through him, I have broken many of my "mom rules" -- such as there is no way he is living in the kitchen (you guessed it, last week we moved his tank to the kitchen) and there is no way I am bringing living meal worms into the kitchen (they now live in our fridge and I still live in fear that they will move to Don's flour supply). He is a lot more cuddly than I would have imagined. Feel free to come over and pet him if you don't believe me.

Last year we lost our Betta fish, Benny the Broomstick Boy Betta. I missed him more than anyone else. We tried to get a new Betta, but they kept dying within the two week return policy. It was just too much. Thanksgiving weekend Don brought home Fishy #4. I refused to name him until he lived past the two week return period.

Phineas Fish

He survived and is now called Phineas the Fish (I wanted a boy name that started with an F, but didn't think he looked like a Frank). No plans to add a Ferb as male Bettas are very territorial and will fight each other.

That brings us to our latest addition. Lucy. 

Lucy Kitten

 Lucy was born on September 9, 2012 to my friend Kim's cat, Trouble. Lucy won my heart when she spent most of the afternoon sitting on my lap and purring. She is a very friendly kitten.

She is also a very energetic kitten! The house is certainly not quiet any more! Lots of strains of "Out of the TREE LUCY" can be heard, along with "hissing is not ladylike" (said to both Ariel and Lucy). 

A rare moment -- Ariel and Lucy snuggling with me.

Ariel is having troubles adjusting to life with a kitten. Charlie is having an eating contest with her. The kitten can out eat Charlie since she runs it all off, Charlie, meanwhile, is growing in size. For some reason, one extra kitten means we are going through three times as much food.

I believe this is the first time I have ever lived with a kitten. It is a learning experience. On the one hand, I should probably take down the Christmas trees (yes, plural -- we have three this year) so Lucy stops destroying the fake trees and more ornaments (fortunately Don is an expert with Super Glue). On the other hand, I don't know what she'll find to replace her climbing habit once the trees come down. I might leave one up just so she has her own personal tree.

Charlie Cat checking out Lucy Kitten

Ariel seems jealous of the kitten. She has decided to turn into a lap cat in hopes that Lucy goes away. Umm.. Ariel you snuggled with me once -- the time at the pound when you warmed up to me to say you wanted me to adopt you. I took you home and you ignored me for nearly 7 years choosing NOW to become my best friend?

Charlie is still checking her out. Christmas night they played hide and seek together inside the empty boxes. it was quite cute.

Lucy Kitten sniffing Sandy Claws

Lucy is quite inquisitive, as you would guess for a kitten. She is still trying to figure out what to make of Sandy. He has four legs, but does not have any fur? Sniffing is okay, swatting is not.

That is the news from the Pillsbury Menagerie. Stay tuned for more adventures from our zoo.

Willow Tree

We thought we were weathering Superstorm Sandy (October 29) nicely. We were home, with a full fridge of perishable goods, and internet access. What more could the 21st century family want?

About 8:30 PM Ashley and I were watching Downton Abbey on DVD in the basement, while Don was reading a book in the living room when suddenly he said "that doesn't sound good." 

We put on our shoes and went outside in the storm. In hindsight, that wasn't the best move, but that's what we did.

The weeping willow tree we planted in 2003 was on its side, brushing against the side of the house. Another year of growth and the tree would have been tall enough to cause some serious damage. In that regard, we consider ourselves lucky.

The next day we assessed the damage. It is amazing. The willow just uprooted and plopped on the ground next to it. During the storm I had visions of it breaking free and rolling through the neighborhood. Fortunately my imagination is more wild than reality.

Later that day, neighbor Jim Sapp came over with his chain saw to take care of the parts that were touching the house. Suddenly I felt as if I could take this tree down without a tree service.

In some ways, I wish I had kept the tree on its side. Ashley found it a lot of fun to climb and explore.

My stubborn streak kicked in, though. Over the next three days I used clippers to take care of the wispy parts, while the neighbor used his chain saw to take care of the trunk and the bigger branches. Don used a bow saw to take care of the medium-sized branches. Ashley helped out by dragging branches to the curb.

After Don took the bow saw to some branches, the tree began to right itself.

Jim came by with the chain saw one last time.

That's a lot of tree. Some of neighbors took some of their wood to cure and use in their fireplace next year. Seeing all this wood, and having weathered this storm, I've been tempted to talk to Don about installing a wood-burning stove or wood fireplace next year. Hopefully this is the last of the really big storms. No one in New Jersey is ready for another one.

In 2005

In 2009 with Ashley

April 2009

Superstorm Sandy

Those of us living in the path of Hurricane Sandy all have our own stories from October 29, 2012. In the week following the biggest storm many of us can recall, we still greet each other with "how long did you lose power?" and "how did you fare with the storm?" 

Should have taken a video of the dancing trees. My pictures don't do it justice.

Lucky are all those days nothing goes wrong

I had a couple of thoughts through this experience. One was how often we have a day where nothing goes wrong and we forgot to think how lucky were were that day. It takes a storm with minimal damage before we think of ourselves as "lucky."

We were "lucky" to "only" lose power for 31 hours. A week later some are still without power. At the time, though, it didn't feel lucky. Prior to Sandy, our longest outage was only 4 hours. We did not prepare for losing power. I had plenty of food in the house -- but it all needed to be cooked.

We lost power the first time for an hour when the storm started at 7 AM. In the afternoon (as I was cooking dinner) we lost it for two more hours. Finally at 10:15 PM we lost power for 31 hours. Ashley and I spent most of the day at home. When Don came home and offered to take us back to his office so we could take a shower and use the internet, we were pretty excited by the outing. That shows you how bored we were at home.

One of the biggest issues with losing power is that it pushes you into the fear of the unknown. There is no way to figure out WHEN power will be restored. Nor is there a guarantee that it will stay on. The following Saturday we lost power for another 2 hours. Fortunately it was 10 PM and we just went to bed wondering if we would wake up to have the power restored.

Upgrades are not necessarily improvements

The other thing I learned through the storm was that upgrades are not necessary better in the long run. As the technician was finishing converting us from copper phone lines to "better" fiber optic ones, he told me "by the way, the battery with this system only works for 8 hours. If you lose power for more than 8 hours, you will lose phone service." When I quizzed him on that, he said that's 8 talking hours, not 8 actual hours. He was partially right. We still lost phone service after one brief call and 10 hours.

I also learned that cell phone towers only have an 18-hour battery. After that, they stop working and so does your ability to make a cell phone call. 

Remind me, what was wrong with our copper wire lines?

New-found respect

As Hurricane Sandy was downgraded, and we did not receive the predicted rains, my thoughts turned to the people of New Orleans and all they suffered through Hurricane Katrina. At the worst, Sandy was a category 1 hurricane. Katrina was category 5 hurricane. I'll admit I have not memorized at what wind speeds a hurricane jumps to the next level, but I do know there were the wind was so strong and seemingly never-ending. Surely, it must have been the end of the world about to happen.

I also gained more respect for those without heat and power. We were "lucky" it was "only" 31 hours. By the 20 hour mark I was ready for a hot shower and a chance to get on-line. Our dragon, Sandy Claws, was getting cold. We all took turns snuggling with him.

Therefore, after dinner (cold left-over chicken from our refrigerator that stopped working 19 hours earlier) we drove to Don's office for warmth. We were not the only family in exile that evening. As we left at 9, a family was arriving with their children in the PJs. I wondered if they were planning to stay there all night, or just coming over to recharge.

Overall, our biggest loss was a 20-foot tall willow tree. We are still sad looking at the bare spot, but we still count ourselves lucky.


Ashley's thoughts on the storm:

We lost our power for about 31 hours (before we went to bed on Tuesday and just before we woke up on Wednesday.) 

We did lose a tree. It was, unfortunately, the best tree in the yard. It was a weeping willow. We miss it and are trying to clean it up. A lot up neighbors have come over to "pay their respects". They have all said just how much they will miss it. It was about 20 feet tall. Any taller, and it would have hit the house and caused a lot of damage on the way down.

We did pretty well during Sandy. The biggest thing I was worried about, though, was the dragon. He's from Australia, which is a desert-like climate, so when the electricity was off, he couldn't have his heat lamp on. I think after the storm he was a little mad at us for not turning on his light. Or any light, for that matter. I don't think he liked the darkness. 

How did you fare with the storm? How long did you lose power?

New Bathroom

The summer of 2012 will be marked with remodeling our master bathroom. Our contractor, Alex, started in mid-July and was finished before Labor Day weekend -- 7 weekends, plus 3 evenings.

We didn't fully appreciate how quickly he worked until we spoke with others undergoing bathroom remodeling projects. Alex has a full-time job. His side business is remodeling. He squeezes this in on weekends and the occasional evening. He came when he said he would come and he did what he said he would do. What more can you ask? Oh, he also has a great sense of humor and is a fabulous story teller. As Don says, you pay for the construction and get the entertainment tossed in for free.

Alex often gave us ideas as to how to make improvements to the bathroom. He really kept on top of us, which is exactly what we needed in a contractor!

Before --- The bathroom was original to our 26 year old house.  

Middle of the project.
.


The end! 

Alex swapped the shower and sink. The bathroom is a bit larger, as it now juts into the master bedroom a couple of feet. The shower now has a "knee wall." The colors are brighter. I'm no longer walking into the wall between the shower and the toilet, because that wall no longer exists. 

As all homeowners know, once one room has been repainted, all the rest suddenly look shabby. We repainted the master bedroom a shade lighter than the bathroom.

Before:

<---after


Still trying to figure out what to do about curtains in both rooms. Ahh...home ownership is always a work in progress.

Sandy Claws

Growing up I did not have a pet last lasted more than a week, and that was a goldfish I won at a fair. My parents did not adopt Oreo Cat and Tigger Cat until I was in college. 

Not long after meeting Don, he adopted Pumpkin Cat. Don always had a cat growing up. Again, I never did.

If I were to list the types of pets I would want, a reptile would not even be on the list. 

It took Ashley well over a year to convince me she was serious about wanting a bearded dragon. That is over 1/10 of her life. That is a long time in a child's life.

The first time I met a bearded dragon was at the Delaware Museum of Natural History. Their dragon is a rescue dragon that is about 2 years old. I think I might have pet him that day.

A couple of months later my sister Rebecca told me an acquaintance of hers needed to get rid of her sister's bearded dragon. Would Ashley like him? Would she? Does a dragon like crickets? Of course!

A couple of days before adopting our dragon, we watched the movie "How to Train Your Dragon."

The day after school ended, we drove to Wyckoff, NJ to pick up the dragon. The beardie is 8 years old (their life span is 8-10 years, however others now tell me 8 is middle-aged for a dragon). His name was Nicco. We are told he is a male dragon. I have no reason to doubt them.
Ashley was a little apprehensive when she first met him. That only lasted a couple of seconds. The owner put "Nicco" on Ashley's chest and it was love at first sight -- for both of them.

We loaded the tank and all his treasures into the back of the car. Stopped off at Rebecca's house (she didn't want him inside -- oh well). Then we drove home. During the ride home Nicco was renamed Sandy Claws -- after the man in the red suit because he, too, has a beard, and because the dragon is sandy-colored and he has claws. It suits him.

The first night he came home he immediately pooped on Ashley. All I could do was laugh! To her credit, she cleaned it up. That was our first research question: how often do dragons poop? Once every 4-7 days. 

That was June. Sandy has had many adventures since coming home. Most days he spends more time out of his tank than inside of it. He sits with us when we have dinner (not on the table, but nearby).

Sandy often goes with Ashley to the Lenape Village at Churchville Nature Center. This summer he went with Ashley while she was a Junior Counselor. He was a big hit with all the kids. A think a couple of them went home and begged their parents for their own dragon.

Last week Father Vince blessed him at their annual Blessing of the Animals. A seventh grader, Lydia, also brought her bearded dragon. He was a big hit at school, and on the bus.

Yes, Sandy travels in our cat carrier. We're still trying to figure out the best way to take care of him. Ashley read a few books on taking care of a bearded dragon before we adopted Sandy. Just like all those books I read before Ashley was born, nothing compares to having a real-live dragon (or in our case, a real-live baby).

Fortunately we've met people who have their own bearded dragon and have been able to figure out what we are doing wrong. One issue was he was becoming even lazier, and had little appetite. He spends so much time out of his tank and UV light does not travel through our new windows, he was acting Vitamin D deprived. With the start of the school year, Sandy spends more time in his tank and he is perking up again.

Another issue we have had is that he is no longer pooping every week. He is pooping every 2-3 weeks. We met a woman at Churchville Nature Center who gave us some advice. We're now seeing an increase in appetite, so hopefully "output" will soon follow.

We are still trying to figure out what Charlie Cat and Ariel Cat think of Sandy. For the most part they have kept their distance, which is a good thing. This picture is one of the rare times Ariel and Sandy were next to each other.

Columbus Day weekend we took Sandy to Peddler's Village in Lahaska, PA. We couldn't resist taking a picture of Sandy Claws with a Santa Claws scarecrow (Sandy is next to the gourd on the straw).

Sandy resting on the first day of school. Too pooped to eat.















Sandy in the bay window in the kitchen. He likes to crawl into tiny nooks to hide.

Overall, his favorite spot to be is snuggled up with Ashley. I'm a close second, though. He will snuggle with me while I read books. 

He is a great dragon. he has turned this reptile-detester into a dragon-lover. The jury is still out on the rest of the reptiles, though she seems to be admiring the blue-tongued skink. 

Only one reptile at a time, please!!!