Happy Holidays! / Updates at Greenwood House

The Holidays are Here!

Every year, our family hosts a Friendsgiving "Holiday Dinner" where we make the main dishes, and friends each bring a side to help celebrate the beginning of the holiday season. This was our 19th year, and it was a great time. Our house isn't often this full with people, and I love hearing the laughter and stories as we all come together over a delicious meal. (If you haven't tried BBQ Pit Boys Apple Cider Turkey, you definitely should. We make it every single year. 😋)

If you're looking for a unique holiday gift for the book lover in your life, you can order personalized signed copies of any of my books! Don't want to wait for a print book? Check out any of my books available in ebook or audiobook, and have them delivered straight to your loved one!

Or maybe, like me, you love watching those holiday movies. If that's the case, pick up either of my holiday novellas, THE PEPPERMINT BARK PROPOSAL or THE GINGERBREAD SHRED, in ebook, or in print in HOLIDAY HEARTS!

What's Happening at Greenwood House?

On a sad note, we had to say goodbye to my soul dog, Macey, in October. She was with us for twelve and a half wonderful years, and I miss her terribly.

The house was so quiet the week after we had to let her go, and I was not in a good place. It's strange how you get used to the sounds of dog tags jingling and the ticking of claws on the floor. Not to mention how sad it is when you want to hug a furry family member and they're not there. Fortunately for us, I remembered that a good friend worked with Second Chance Canine Adoption Shelter, and she found us Archie, a Shiba Inu mix with a great personality and extensive expertise in cuddling. Archie is now a happy part of our lives, and the house is full again with the sounds of fur family.

In between training and playing with our new pup, I've been writing in a new contemporary romance which I hope to have out next year (although I never count my chickens, because life). However you celebrate the season, I wish you a festive and happy one. Lift a cup of your favorite warm beverage, and toast good cheer to your friends and family. Happy Reading!

Goodie Haul: Beaver Lake Nature Center's 45th Annual Golden Harvest Festival

Goodies!

There's nothing like autumn in Central New York. While the trees haven't dressed out in their fall colors yet in Baldwinsville, NY, Beaver Lake Nature Center's seasonal spirit was in full swing last weekend at the 45th Annual Golden Harvest Festival.

I can't seem to attend a book signing at a craft fair or festival without finding a treasure (or several) to take home. This festival was no exception.

My first stop was Link's Stained Glass Creations, where I picked up this gorgeous autumn-toned piece for a window in my living room and a sweet bookmark-sized piece featuring pine trees, which now has a home in my office.

Next, I visited Woodpecker Turnings, where I scored a tiny Russian olivewood bowl, and a larger one of spalted maple. As a graduate from a forestry and agricultural college (and an all-around fan of nature, if my name wasn't any indication), I have a deep love of trees and woodworking.

 

Finally, I nabbed the cutest, tiniest little rattan basket for an empty hook in my living room, where it will now display seasonal flowers. Bouquet of Baskets offered hand-woven baskets of all sizes and in different shades. Anyone who's seen the inside of my house cannot deny my love of baskets and lanterns.

 
Buy Local, Buy Small

It's important to buy from local artisans and small businesses when possible. Not only are you supporting your local economy and human creativity, but you're also getting handcrafted, one-of-a-kind goods that you'll never find in those big-box stores. Your purchases also act as reminders of memories made with friends and family, as I have over my years of traveling to shows with The Wandering Wordsmiths. I love looking around my house and finding little reminders of good times. Who doesn't want more of those?

Hope to see you at a future event, readers! Until then, Happy Autumn from NY!

How a Construction Project Saved Our Sanity

This year has been quite a ride, hasn't it? It's been hard here at Greenwood House. In May, our son went into the hospital for emergency surgery, and he's been recovering ever since. A medical problem with your child is difficult at any time, but in this post-Covid era, it's downright scary. Our family has been struggling, no doubt.

When I looked in our living room at the hodgepodge of storage we had for books, games, gaming consoles, and DVDs, a light bulb went on. This family needed a win in this year of setbacks. It was high time to make the entertainment center this room needed. My husband never shrinks from a challenge, so when I sketched out a plan with some measurements on a scrap piece of paper, he took up the gauntlet.

During this process of building and planning, we discovered a bonus side effect: much-needed family bonding. My husband, son, and I worked together on various parts of the project, from concept to paint. My son got some experience with various power tools, and I got in some therapeutic painting.

Start to finish, this project took about a month. For all of us, it was amazing to have something to focus on that had nothing to do with pandemics or medical care. While the entertainment center is mostly complete (still needing doors on the lower front), what will last is our visible reminder of something much more important: this family is strong, and even a world with coronavirus won't beat us.

House Project: Custom Kitchen Island!

I can't be the only one with this problem.

My house is a number of decades old now, and one of the things I have always liked about it is its open floor plan in the kitchen and dining area. At some point, the previous owners knocked out the wall separating the tiny galley kitchen from what was then the living room. When we moved in, it was logical for us to make that ex-living room into our dining area. My stepfather put in a chandelier to light the space, and it's been great.

Except for the lack of cupboards and counters.

The problem with knocking out that wall is that we lost all that storage and food prep space. We have been living with a tiny kitchen island which worked well when we moved into our first apartment together. We also didn't have a dishwasher, and after a big holiday dinner, we always had an overflow of dishes. Then we got a portable dishwasher, which, while adding a bit of "counter" space, just sat in our kitchen looking out of place.

For years, I have hunted the Internet for a kitchen island (or a kitchen island plan) that makes a portable dishwasher (which you can pull out and hook up to your sink tap) look like a built-in.

There is no such monster.

Not to be denied, I started sketching. After much discussion and many years of back-burnering the plan, we are finally, finally building the kitchen island I have always wanted. Lumber Liquidators had the perfect size butcher block top, already cut, to fit the island I designed. So nice of them to read my mind like that!

Hubby set to work hashing out the measurements to fit what I needed it to do. He and our son industriously sawed, drilled, painted, and stained, and this is the end result. The butcher block has to be treated several times with a food-grade mineral oil, but the nice thing about it is you can cut and prep food right on the surface, and butcher block is far less expensive than stone or granite (and weighs a lot less, too, for which I'm sure our floors are grateful).

Wanna know the best part? Some of this lumber was sitting unused in our shed. It's made with T1-11 - the same stuff we used to build our shed! It looks beautifully rustic, like shiplap. I will have to buy some taller counter stools (bar height), but I love it. What do you think? Do my boys get a gold star?

Confessions of a Home Decor Junkie

I admit it: I'm a decorating fanatic. One look at my Pinterest page ought to confirm that, in case there were any doubts. Today, I had the pleasure of a look inside Inspired, a vintage home design shop located in Liverpool, New York. This refurbished barn is chock full of goodies that echo a simpler time. I'm thrilled to see a local business not only thriving, but doing so while using and improving an existing property (and a barn, at that! Swoon.).

Owner Judi Burrows became the helm of Inspired through a gradual karma of her childhood years learning sewing and frugality, through art classes in high school, a degree in fashion and retail, and then work with a builder and designer in Central New York's Parade of Homes. Four years ago, she and her husband purchased the property that would become Inspired, lovingly restoring and updating it to the shop that stands there today. (Look at the restoration of those ceiling beams!) The overall effect is like walking into a magazine I would love to read.

If you find yourself in Liverpool (after a tasty treat at Wegmans, just across the road), and you love vintage home decor as much as I do, take a look inside this store. I nearly came home with that typewriter sign, myself. Happy hunting! 💖

Office Redux

Remember my beautiful rolltop desk (which, strangely, I blogged about exactly two years ago)? Well, the bug has bitten me again to streamline my space and maybe get a couch in my office (or a big comfy chair) where I can kick back, so Hubby and I swapped desks. As much as I adore my rolltop, I needed some breathing space in my office if I plan to get some comfortable seating in here. This is the first of what will probably be a process for me ... but an enjoyable one! (After all, now I get to pick out new desk accessories, and what writer doesn't love that?)

Hubby is already settling in with the rolltop, and frankly, it suits him because it's a good size for him, with lots of storage. He still has a desktop PC, so the rolltop is ideal for that, too.

As for me, the new, smaller desk forces me to live minimalist, and I'm enjoying it! I've still got lots of stuff to work out, as far as what I plan to keep, what to do with my walls, and what I can live without. I want to cut down on the knick-knacks and smaller pieces of furniture in favor of just a few things: one bookshelf, my file cabinet, the desk, the couch, and fireplace. I think I need a new chair, too, 'cause this one seems a little short for the desk height now that I sit here. If that seems like a lot for a small room, you should have seen how the rolltop ate up the space. It's practically empty now!

I'll keep you posted as I continue the cleanout. Happy winter!

Spring Fever Sewing

So, who out there hates those ugly black neoprene and nylon computer bags? Yeah, me, too. It's been an ongoing battle to find a bag that is a) cute, b) durable, and c) roomy enough for all my stuff. I've gotten tired of lugging my netbook, purse, and assorted books and notebooks around in separate bags, too.

I've been looking for a decent, pretty netbook sleeve since getting my netbook, and nothing has ever really wowed me. I've had the ugly black bag, a brown neoprene one, and everything in between. This, in addition to carrying a purse. Over the weekend, I happened across an adorable tote bag at Joann Fabrics. The inside, unfortunately, was one large space...and you know that means hunting for your stuff at the bottom of that inner-bag wasteland. Then I saw the butterfly fabric that matched it, and I knew I'd found something I wanted to use to make a sleeve that finally fit my netbook properly.

Assuming I could find a pattern, and sew it. Anyone who knows me is pretty well aware that I am not known for my sewing abilities, however, I have been known to sew a straight line when necessary.

I bought the tote, fabric, and notions, then went right to Amazon and found a tote organizer that will fit inside the tote. This is basically the "guts" of a purse, with separate pockets and whatnot for all your smallish things, while still allowing space inside your bag for something big, like a notebook or binder (or netbook sleeve and cords). Whoever invented this thing is brilliant, because now I can change out bags and just put the guts in whichever one I decide is "it" for the season. So, here is the pile of crafty stuff I started with:

I managed to find a very easy tutorial for a Simple Laptop Sleeve that didn't require a great deal of skill to construct. Elizabeth explains everything carefully, with step-by-step pictures. Positively wonderful.

So, after two evenings at the dining room table, I wound up with something beautiful that fits my netbook. What do you think?

If I can do it, so can you. Believe me! I was worried enough about the end result at first to want to farm it out to a quilting friend, but it really is that easy. I will try to edit this post with some better lighting so you can see the beautiful colors in this fabric. It didn't take much, either. You probably have enough scrap lying around to knock one of these together! I'm thrilled with the end result, and now I (and my "stuff") will be ready for spring!

Edit: Here are some pictures taken in better lighting, so you can see the finished product more clearly!

Happy New Year!

I'm always a little shocked that the new year arrives so quickly.  It seems to go faster and faster every year!

I have to say that the years are getting better and better as I get older.  I am really enjoying this time in my life, and part of that has to do with the amazing friendships I have formed through writing.  I've met some terrific authors, and readers who've introduced me to some great writers, too.  I would never have gotten this far in my career without you all, and I'm thankful for each and every one of you.

I'm also happy to see my house coming together, little by little, the way we envisioned it when we bought it.  In 2015, we put new flooring in.  This year, we hope to work on the kitchen and basement.  Every little change makes it that much more pleasant to live in, and there's satisfaction in doing most of it with our own hands.

Here's hoping that 2016 brings some great things to us all.  Happy New Year!

Happy Spring!

Spring officially begins today, and not a moment too soon, if you ask me.  It's been an exceptionally difficult winter.  We've been spoiled for so many years in the Northeast by mild winters.  When the snowbanks started getting taller than me, it was a bit much to take.  So, welcome to green grass and singing birds and sunny days!

My gardens are in a sad state, so one of my outdoor to-dos this spring will be to tear out the butterfly garden's messy spots and start fresh.  My vegetable garden needs a top-off with some new compost, and I think I will start with already-sprouted plants this year to get a jump on the growing season.  Oh, a reason to go to my garden supply store?  As if I needed one!

Indoors, I plan to open every single window to flush out that stale air.  House plants can only do so much!  We're also looking into getting some new flooring in the kitchen, foyer, and living room. It will be exciting to have fresh, easy-clean floors.  I can't wait to get started.

Happy Spring!

New Year, Fresh Start

Cleaning the Clutter

I spent last weekend cleaning out my office.  I didn't think I had a lot of clutter, but it seems I was sorely mistaken.  I removed over two boxes of papers for shredding, five bags of books for library donation, and a bag of Renaissance Faire garb I never use, which will go to a friend in the SCA.  Even my desk had loads of clutter.  My bookshelf was the worst offender, full of papers that didn't need to be there because I have digital copies, or they were simply not being used.

I even have several writing books to donate to my author friends at this Saturday's CNY Romance Writers meeting.  My office closet now has a floor, too.  Shocking!

What To Toss

My rule of thumb for de-junking is to get rid of anything that has not been used or looked at in a year.  If it's been that long, chances are you're never going to use it again.  A reference book is nice to have, but only if you use it.  Even sentimental items are of no value if they're stuck in a closet.  Everything should have a place.  If there's no place for it, and you can't make one, perhaps someone else can get use out of the item.  The Salvation Army and Rescue Mission are great places to donate those unused items, and you get a tax writeoff for donating.  Win-win!

Clutter in the Digital Age

Clutter can take over your computer, too.  After cleaning the physical funk out of my office, I tackled all those Document and Picture files on my computer.  The same rule of thumb applies: if you haven't made use of the file in over a year (and don't need to archive it for record-keeping reasons), press that Delete key!  You won't miss it, I promise.  After you clear out that computer clutter, do a system disk cleanup and defragment your computer.  It should run faster after your efforts!

What To Keep

If you use it and have a place to store it neatly, keep it...but only if you have a place for it!  Labeled boxes are terrific for this.  Then you know where to look if you're in need of something, rather than buying more of it because you can't find where you stashed it.  I use anything from old shoeboxes to crates for this purpose.

A Job Well Done

Winter is a perfect time for indoor de-junking.  Clearing out clutter is beneficial to you - satisfying, as well as improving your productivity - and to others, who'll benefit from your unwanted items.  You might find yourself wanting to tackle the rest of the house, but I suggest doing one room at a time to make it less of a chore.  Put on some good music and freshen the air with candles or incense while you work.  You'll be surprised at how much weight is lifted off of you when you free up that space.  Happy cleaning!

Guest Blogging TODAY at Long and Short Reviews!

I'm guest blogging TODAY at the Long and Short Reviews Halloween Blogfest!  LASR is celebrating the season with autumn-themed posts from authors across many exciting genres.  The best part is, you can win prizes!  Comment on my blog at LASR TODAY for a chance to win a $10 Williams-Sonoma eGift card! Hurry, because the Halloween Blogfest ends November 1st!

To comment, follow this link: http://ow.ly/qgsMp

Built to Last

I've learned a lesson over the years: if you want it to last, you gotta buy the good stuff.  It isn't just brand or expense snobbery.  When I found myself buying a new couch yearly to keep up with my tough-on-stuff family, I took a harder look at how I was making my purchases.  That discount couch was cheap up front, but what was I really getting for my money, when I had to replace it after such a short time?

The cheap stuff isn't always the best stuff, if it doesn't hold up to your use.  And if you have to keep buying replacements, what are you really doing for the environment, when the old, worn-out things get kicked to the curb and landfill?

So, to Stickley we went, once I'd had enough and wised up.  Our new couch was expensive, no doubt ... but it has put up with a lot, and while we might need to reupholster it, it still handles our rowdiness with good grace, years into its use.  And it's nice to know I'm not filling up our landfill with another busted couch!

I found a solution for the outdoors, too.  You'll have to excuse me while I geek out for a bit.  This is Polywood furniture, made with heavy-duty recycled plastic lumber made from stuff like milk cartons.  It has a grain like wood, and unless you're touching it or sitting on it, it really is hard to tell the difference.

We bought this bench a couple of years ago, and it sits in front of our house to welcome people who might want to sit (or me, when I need to set groceries down).  I have laid on it to read a book while my son plays in the yard, and I've been known to catnap on it, too.  It stays out over the winter, and a little soap and water is all it ever needs to clean it up.  I liked it so much, I bought a set of Adirondack chairs and a "coffee table" for our back deck the following year.  They stay out, too, and hold up to winter winds without budging.  This year, I got some side tables to go with that bench, just in time for summer cookouts.  I may never have to buy outdoor furniture again, and that's a nice thought.

Consider what kind of money you're spending to re-buy resources you use all the time.  If you keep buying new to replace the old, maybe there's a longer-lasting solution.  A little extra money up front might insure that your grandkids' grandkids will use what you're buying today.  After all, laying out that money each time a poorly-made item fails might cost you more in the long run, in addition to costing the planet resources and disposal space.  Buy what's built to last.

Autumn Is Coming: Clean House!

We've had wave after wave of hot weather this summer, and I find myself looking forward to autumn, when the temperatures will be more tolerable, and Mother Nature puts on some of her prettiest colors. I'll also be a lot happier about sitting in my non-A/C, upstairs office to write!

Autumn is a season of tangible change, and it's a good time to take stock of what you have, and what is unused. A good rule of thumb is, if you haven't used it in a year, it should go. Kids outgrow their clothes, and everyone has something at the back of their closet that they don't (and won't) wear. These things can go to a charitable organization. Most will supply you with a donation sheet, which you can itemize for tax purposes, so it's a win-win!

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” ~ William Morris

Got more than just clothes? No problem. Organizations like Freecycle.org are dedicated to keeping reuseable items out of landfills. Why just throw that perfectly good widget away, when someone in your town might want one? You can also post your wanted items, in case someone may have an item you're looking for.

Cleaning unused items out of your house can be a very satisfying task, if your unwanted stuff goes to a person in need. It's refreshing not to be "weighted down" with extra things you'll never use. Start small, one room at a time. You may find yourself zooming through the house, gathering up unwanted items that will become another man's treasure. Then you have a clean slate, and who doesn't love that?

Switching Gears

I've had some creative frustration lately, where writing is concerned, so I did what any self-respecting person with a creative penchant would do: I switched gears! My sewing experience is pretty limited: I can sew a straight-ish line, and I can read. So I read a couple of books, watched a video, and checked out some techniques on YouTube (Very useful for those who learn better by seeing others do it, and lack the cash for video instruction!).

I found it satisfying to explore a new skill, and it helped the ol' neurons fire differently than they do when I write. It was also rather cathartic to refocus my creative energy for a day. So, while this is only the quilt's top, and I have some work to do yet (as well as some fine-tuning of my new skill, as I ran into a few errors), I am pleased with the result: a nice new quilt for my son's bed:

A Little Therapeutic Demolition

Yesterday was perfect. Perfect sunshine, perfect touch of lingering chill in the air, perfect absence of snow on the ground ... and perfect decimation of the ugly aluminum shed that's been lingering on our property for seven-odd years.

We built a new shed last summer, and the old aluminum one spent the winter on our back patio housing the snowblower. We didn't have much chance to organize the newly-built shed last year before the snow hit, so everything was basically a cluttered mess in there. Well, we cleaned that up, hung tools, built a shelf for my gardening supplies, and moved the lawnmower and snowblower into their new homes in the new shed.

Then we eyed the Ugly Aluminum Beastie with gimlet glares. The UAB gave a shudder of fear.

Hubby walked over, picked the whole works up, and moved it into the center of the lawn. We started by unscrewing what bolts we could get to. UAB resisted. Then Hubby decided on a better (and certainly more satisfying) tactic. He proceeded to kick it down to scrap metal by sheer force. (I helped, but without quite the grin of delight on Hubby's face.) Let me tell you how nice it is to wreck something that ugly when it's been staring you in the face for seven years on your property. The neighbors even came out for the show. I think they were as glad to kiss it goodbye as we were.

We carried it out to the curb, and the scrap didn't even have the chance to warm the dirt before someone pulled up and offered to haul it away. Bye-bye, UAB! Hello, room for my new greenhouse. (That's going in as soon as the tax refund comes back.)

And just so you know, I slept like a rock last night.

Winter Creativity & Family Memories

My grandmother taught me to crochet. A couple of times. Then my mother and I picked it back up. It didn't catch on. Now that it's double-digit negative temperatures out there, I am having some second thoughts.

Recently I dug out my knitting/crochet basket - the knitting needles are useless to me, BTW, because I just can't even figure out how to get started with that yarn and two tools to mind on top of it. So I put those down in favor of the old crochet hooks.

And it's weird, but I can see my grandmother teaching me all over again. I remember it. I remember a blue hook and purple thread and my grandmother's voice explaining (How did she stay that patient?) how to turn the piece. I may have been near-useless in the kitchen, but Grandma did pass on something that stuck, a form of creativity that I can work with and relate to. And it makes me smile to know I can make something similar to the blankets she made me, to keep me warm at night. Now I can make one for my son ... when I get good at it, of course.

In addition to the satisfaction of making something (and certainly the easier task of minding only ONE tool and the yarn), I find it soothing to mow through the repetition of crochet. It's also a nice creative outlet for when I'm not writing. And bonus: I have something to do while my husband watches all that football this time of year, and I can still spend time in the living room with my family. Sweet!

I will post pictures of my finished project, once I finish it. And this time, Grandma, I WILL finish it. I swear. :)

Wild Kingdom In My Backyard

So, I have a new patio set and grill, which has helped me to enjoy my backyard. The warm weather has also encouraged the hubby and I to open our windows at night. This getting back to nature has also brought to our attention a variety of feathered and furry critters.

In addition to the Grey Squirrel (the bird-feeder battle against whom you can read about in a previous blog post), we have this fellow, who obligingly showed up during last weekend's barbecue:



This is a Pileated Woodpecker. He flew in, landed on the neighbor's maple, and hammered away for a few minutes before taking off again. How nice of him to join us! :P

Then, last night, I heard a noise that I sleepily thought was my toddler in the next room. When I woke up, I discovered we had an owl hooting in the backyard. I listened to him hoo-hoo-hoo-rrrrr for about a half hour before he decided to take his business elsewhere. He did a pretty good job of shutting up the songbirds this morning - they must have been afraid to make a peep while he was about. I identified him as a Barred Owl this morning, using the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's "All About Birds" website. It includes pictures, natural histories and habitats, and samples of each bird's call. If you're a backyard birder, you owe it to yourself to check out this page. It won a Webby Award, and with good reason!



So, while I woke up extra early, courtesy of our feathered caller, it's been fun to garden and birdwatch, now that the weather's cooperating. Guess I have to start my own birdwatching list now!

Hee Hee, Guess Where I'm Blogging From?

(Yes, I know that isn't grammatically correct.)

I'm in my living room - which is far away from my desktop computer upstairs. Yep, I got my netbook. Yay! I can now go anywhere I want in my house and connect to the 'Net, as well as write whenever I get the urge to do so. While I will fondly remember my Dana, I have happily moved on to a Gateway Intel Atom N270. Jargon for Really Nice Little Guy That Is Fast Becoming My Versatile Writing Pal. It has shorter battery life than advertised, though it was more than enough to get me through my day. I sacrified some battery life (was looking at a Toshiba netbook) for the nicer keypad of this little fella, but so far I am quite enjoying it. I have small hands, so the scaled-down keyboard isn't much of a problem, after a short learning curve. This model has Windows 7 Starter, which is a watered-down Windows platform that doesn't allow pretty desktop wallpapers and whatnot, as well as a few other things it can't do which I haven't cared about so far, since this is only a writing and research machine - so it's been perfect thus far. I can get on the Intenet, write, and use Pandora. Very Happy Indeed.

So, in closing, I will do the happy dance and thank my Awesome Husband, who got this critter for me. Much love to you, hubby, for increasing my writing productivity. Woot!

Help! I'm Being Invaded!

As much as I like ladybugs, this is a bit much. Harmonia axyridis, the Asian ladybeetle, has decided to pay me a visit and bring thousands of her friends. They're all over our new vinyl siding. We haven't seen this many ladybugs since we were kids.

When we first moved into our house, several years ago, we had a few of them getting inside. We fixed that with some caulking. When we knocked our chimney down, we found a giant nest of them, which, of course, we got rid of. This year, when we sided and insulated the outside of our house, I suspect we evicted a bunch of these little buggers.

I haven't gotten that far in my research yet, but I suspect they are doing their fall swarm, looking for their usual way in under our old cedar shake siding for a cozy winter bunk, and are going to be disappointed now that the house is better-sealed. The best hope I have, since I don't plan to fight them with pesticides (they eat crop-destroying aphids), is to gracefully wait until cooler air moves in and they go away in search of better lodging. It remains to be seen whether we have this problem in future years. As far as I can see, our crawlspace attic is ladybug-free.

No aphids here, nosirree. :)

Need Exercise? Get Reel

Our siding is finished. It looks beautiful - but our yard was a different story yesterday. With trucks and our cars parking on it all week, it looked like a trampled hayfield. Last night, my husband mowed the front yard with the gas mower, while I tackled the backyard with the reel mower. Keep in mind, I am currently wrestling fall allergies.

If you want to sweat buckets even when you feel fine, try using a reel mower. You gotta push hard in spots, unless your lawn is perfectly flat. Then add that you already feel yucky because your throat is sore and your ears are stuffy. I got the yard done, but I felt like I had just survived an hour on a Stairmaster. Ugh. Good for the environment, those reel mowers. Heck on your body when you're already feeling icky.

Lawn looks better though! On to the next project. :)

8:21 AM EDIT: Check out this news item on E-Readers: Suddenly, Earth-Friendly E-Readers Are Everywhere