Category Archives: Uncategorized

It tickles me to see the reflection on the floors again

Thanks to my new Bissell steam mop, I’ve been cleaning the floors like crazy this week and it tickles me to see the reflection on the floors again. The lights reflect all over and it’s a delight to watch it dance around. I forgot that about a dull floor –> no reflection!  I’ve been moving furniture to clean the floor beneath it, taking everything away from the wall and away from the corners to steam the entire floor’s surface.  My typical floor show is a quick sweep, vac and swipe with the Swiffer wetjet.  But this week, thanks to the new steam mop, I’ve had fun cleaning the floors repeatedly.   I don’t know why it’s suddenly more important now than it’s ever been to get the floor clean, but it is. During meditation on it, I reflected that so often in the past I’ve made do with a surface clearing of my thoughts and behaviors and beliefs.  I’d make room for something new, but not completely replace the old.  I’d let myself walk between the worlds, so to speak, until I got used to the new ideas and until they ultimately replaced themselves.  Now something is clearly happening, and being reflected in me being obsessed with getting my floors clean.  I have something I want to strip away, to get at the bottom of, to make new and fresh with a clean start, to get in on the ground floor with.  I’m also on a kick washing all the fabric in the house. I look forward to the unfolding.  When I get to the bottom of it, I’ll let you know.

RELATED:  My first ever Steam Mop — A Bissell PowerFresh

 

Kindly let friends know when you have no time to chat

A friend wrote on Facebook “I got an angry email from someone today who has been wanting to talk with me for the past few weeks. I’m in the middle of  many projects, and I’m supposed to drop everything to call her to chat? Keep in mind that this “chat” would be at least an hour of my time – if not more – and I just haven’t created that space for her. Now she’s pissed and wants me to remove her from my list.  Seriously?  How do you deal with unreasonable expectations of people? I know this is her stuff being projected onto me; I get it. And thank goodness it is an incredibly rare situation. But I am sitting in this question tonight, and exploring my own integrity in this, because I feel disappointed … and sad.  I truly believe that if I’m triggered, then it’s an opportunity for me to learn something about my own beliefs and even heal something from the past. The same is true for all of us – total responsibility for one’s own “stuff.”  Continue reading

UPS just did a weird thing…

UPS just did a weird thing. I saw the truck leave out of the corner of my eye from the office, but didn’t hear my giant loud Green Man door knocker. They left two big boxes of supplies in front of the door. I have a bench at the front door to set packages on. They set it on the ground. It’s raining. Had I not walked out and got them when I did, they would have been sitting in a puddle. What a brat I am for having attracted that out of them! Well, I have been scattered and unfocused much of the day… that’s what I can expect…

Am loving my new steam mop

I keep taking breaks from working on the mag to clean my floors with  my first ever Steam Mop — A Bissell PowerFresh. Being a gardener and kitty owner, immaculate floors were never a priority. When I re-enter a room I cleaned earlier, I’m surprised at how clean the floors look. That means they were pretty rough before and I’ll be winning no good housekeeping awards anytime soon. Well, at least I don’t have clutter. I like space between my molecules. I like being able to see at a glance into all the corners and under everything in my rooms. I could argue that after “a friend” put down the tile, they did not tell me it needed to be sealed.  So the white tile shows the ground-in dirt from the past decade and every scuff mark ever made. I thought I’d have to have a professional out to buff the floors then seal it, but I see I can keep it a lot cleaner than I’ve been doing, with little effort. I like not having to use chemicals on my floor to get it clean. The refillable water reservoir lasts about the length of time to takes to do a room (maybe 15 minutes), letting it steam up to 15 seconds on tough areas. Good investment, I’m digging it!

I’ve been cleaning my floors like a mad man

UPDATE: I used it about 2-3 times a month for six months, then let it sit for 2 months. It no longer dispenses the steam and the little screw-on water reservoir cap is coming apart as it would do from being over tightened.  I never over tightened it. Other reviewers said this as well, although this was the highest reviewed steam mop at Amazon.  It was out of warranty and no replacement part available.

The Downside of Anger By Hara Estroff Marano

An excellent article here with good suggestions. Living in an atmosphere of anger will suck the life from you. It’s disrespect at its most basic. To live being afraid of triggering someone’s anger, not knowing which personality will wake up, is a hell on earth. And to keep your kids in that atmosphere for any reason is unconscionable.  Here are ways to break the pattern:

The Downside of Anger By Hara Estroff Marano
A strong emotion that is accompanied by arousal of the nervous system, anger produces effects throughout the body. But if you express it, you’re not necessarily better off.  Funny thing about anger. As emotions go it’s often pretty clear-cut. It’s rarely subtle.  But is there an emotion that is more misunderstood? Many believe that holding anger in is bad for you, that it only builds pressure to be expressed. In fact, sudden bursts of anger or prolonged anger are bad for you. A strong emotion that is accompanied by arousal of the nervous system, anger produces effects throughout the body. It eats away at your cardiovascular system, your gut and hijacks nervous system, often obliterating the capacity for clear thinking. And it may even grow in intensity.  Continue reading

I suggest alternative paths to the bamboo, I don’t force it

Today I begin final layout on the November magazine. Maybe take breaks to paint and prune in the garden. The turk’s cap are growing like crazy due to the rain, so are the bamboo. They’ve made a nice wall out front. I dig a trench in the direction I want them to grow next, and keep it fed and watered. Then when they sprout, it’s the path of least resistance. I don’t like to force things, I like to suggest alternatives, then let them find their own way.

A friend gifts me with binoculars

A Facebook friend saw my posts about wanting a pair of binoculars and sent me the perfect pair, they arrived today! Thank you, mysterious benefactor!  I’d ordered a pair from Best Buy and they were too heavy, and their 12x amplification was too hard to hold a steady view.  These 8 x 21 let me see right into the treetops here, so watching the hawks will be a breeze.

I buy my first ever Steam Mop — A Bissell PowerFresh (but never again)

I just watched –> this video on my new Bissell PowerFresh Hard Floor Steam Mop.   I’ve been using it and like how it cleans, and without chemicals!  I had carpet until 1997.  I had no idea how toxic an older carpet could be until my home was rid of it.  With cats and my own foot traffic in and out of the house and yard and garden all day long,  I sweep or vacuum every few days.  I like the act of cleaning my vinyl tile floors and this will make it more fun.   It only takes me about 15 minutes per room.  I’ve even taken it onto the back porch and done the floor out there!  That will take several times to get “clean.” Since the floor was never sealed, there’s a lot of ground in dirt.  I’ve been using the steam mop every few days.  Good purchase, I wish I’d thought about it years ago.   I paid about $70 for it at Best Buy.

UPDATE: I used it about 2-3 times a month for six months, then let it sit for 2 months. It no longer dispenses the steam and the little screw-on water reservoir cap is coming apart as it would do from being over tightened.  I never over tightened it. Other reviewers said this as well, although this was the highest reviewed steam mop at Amazon.  It was out of warranty and no replacement part available.