Room Projects + Beating the Heat

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I’ve been working on a few room projects this week in the living room and in the kitchen. I also got a few household chores done that I hadn’t gotten around to doing.

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Things I’ve Gotten Done This Week:

I cleaned my handheld showerhead overnight. This put Ivy out mightily because I usually leave the water slightly dripping for her, and all this cleaning overnight was in her way.

I’ve been working on two decorating projects. I started this because it felt like a cave in here from keeping the curtains closed, trying to stay cool in this heat.

I’ve changed up the tops of the white bookshelves in the living room and switched some decor inside. And the kitchen has changed too.

I got the kitchen floor mopped last night, and now need to mop the bathroom. These days I have to space chores like this out. It takes me days to get this house in shape, only to have to start all over almost immediately.

Curtains:

Remember I told you I switched out the living room curtains from the thin ones to 70% blackout curtains? I’ll show this to you next time.

If you recall the red-and-cream curtains I had in the apartment, the ones I ordered are just like them, but in a green-and-cream combination. I couldn’t use the old ones because my ceiling is higher; thus, my windows are taller.

I chose these curtains, the Driftaway Linen Floral curtains, because I knew what I was getting, having hung them before. So there were no surprises. These curtains come in a few other colors. The color I chose is called Freda-loden.

These curtains are certainly helping with the cooling, but they make the room pretty dark. So I decided I’d find other ways to lighten the room up. Same in the kitchen. Those are the projects I mentioned.

I will show you these things next week, as I’m not quite done yet. I’ll show you how to lighten things up when you have to live a cave-like existence due to weather conditions. It was actually kind of fun. Changes are a-coming!

The Container Garden:

I feel bad for my poor garden. It was affected early, and hasn’t done very well since then.

Per usual, the plant that is doing best is the zinnia, and the purslane on the porch.

Zinnias are so worth buying a packet of seeds, or saving the ones you have on plants. They perform miraculously in the heat. Although Kendra told me she has no luck with them.

Marley says Kendra doesn’t water enough, so I doubt that’s the problem. Zinnia plants don’t like to stay moist. That’s usually my habit. They like 6-8 hours of sun and well-drained soil.

Zinnias originated as wild, vibrant flowers in Mexico and Central America, where they were cherished for centuries before being cultivated. They are known to the Aztecs as “plants that are hard on the eyes” for their intense colors.

Zinnias are true annuals, meaning the original plant will not come back the following year. However, they easily self-seed if you let the flowers dry out at the end of the season. You can also collect the seeds and plant them in the spring.

I noticed I have a few more cucumbers, so I’ll pick them soon. And I’m hoping to harvest cherry tomatoes before long.

What I Did Not Plant This Year:

Normally I plant morning glories, but I chose not to this year. I wasn’t sure where I could have them climb. Maybe next year.

And I didn’t get Boston ferns either. Last year I had them against the house for the shade, but decided to put my houseplants there instead.

Normally I plant the annual sweet potato vine that comes in dark purple and chartreuse. For some reason, I never picked those plants up for my container garden.

I only made a couple of trips to the nursery this past spring. And I didn’t plant any ivy plants either.

I guess it’s just as well, since the rain was a problem this year. It went from fairly cool to really hot seemingly overnight.

Changes to My Home This Year:

Since I now have neighbor Randy to do handyman work for me, I’ve had a few things done around the house.

He added trim to the kitchen counters and put up kitchen curtains for me. He also got on a ladder to help me switch the ones in the living room.

He put down a larger dining room rug about a month ago. The one that was there was a fall hazard because the edges would not lie down, no matter how much carpet tape I used.

I will no longer be ordering Amazon area rugs. I’ve found that the rugs from rugs.com are much better. They’re thicker and more durable. And best of all, they lay flat.

I know they say area rugs are a fall hazard. But I’m more concerned with the hard floor I’d land on if I did fall. As I have done at times. Also, it’s a softer area to walk on for your joints. And most of my joints have arthritis.

Next, he’s going to hang a broom and mop organizer I ordered. I just hate having the long poles end up going this way and that against the wall.

And I also have a wall-mount coat rack for him to mount. I had thought I might get one that was free-standing, but decided it would take up too much space in my hallway.

I’m trying to use my vertical space to free up horizontal floor space. Having tools like mops, brooms, and such creates fall hazards as you age.

And I’ve never had curtains hung in the north window in the guest room. I’ve had them; I just hadn’t gotten around to finding someone to hang them for me. These windows go way up, and I don’t trust myself up that high on a ladder.

So I’ve been busier than usual, getting more things done and trying to beat the summer heat.