Sunday, September 12, 2010

Crazy busy last week!

It has been a wild last week at our house. First, Jeff got offered a job about 2 miles from our house that he couldn't refuse. He ended up taking the job and quitting his other job. He left on such good terms with his job that he quit, that they want him to do contract work for them in the winter! He started his new job this past Tuesday, and he had a really good first week. He gets to come home for lunch every day, which has been SO awesome! Love it!! God is so good, and has blessed so much. We are so thankful!

My garden tomatoes weren't coming on very well, so we bought 2 bushels of tomatoes that were heirloom organic tomatoes at a roadside stand. We got a really good price on them. I canned 20 jars of chunk tomatoes and 11 jars of tomato sauce. I also canned 30 jars of pearsauce, and froze 1/2 bushel of green beans. Now my garden tomatoes are taking off, so I'm not sure what I will do with them! I'm thinking about just canning them into sauce. We just bought apples, so this week I will start canning applesauce. The last thing I will can is grape juice. Here are my shelves, which are getting very full!

























Trying to fit in homeschooling this past week was a challenge because of all the canning, and also because we found out the cats were infested with fleas! I have flea dipped them twice since Tuesday, and at the last bath we killed 40 fleas between the two of them. The natural flea shampoo we bought was completely worthless. It didn't kill them at all, so I tried orange oil (called Orange TKO). It repelled the fleas, which made them jump off the cats. Some of the fleas jumped out in the water and drowned, but most of them jumped off when we toweled the cats off. Evie was my helper! She would see one and go, "There's one!" and either she or I would pick it up and stick it under the water in the tub. We were amazed at how many we were able to get! I'm planning on dipping the cats again on Tuesday. I need something that kills the fleas, but I don't want tons of chemicals. I am going to try Dawn dish soap next. I read that it is supposed to kill fleas on contact. The dog is pretty much under control now. I have only seen (and killed) a few fleas on her in the past several days. I have been vacuuming the house every day. So far we haven't seen a flea, except for a few in the cannister after we dump it after vacuuming. Jeff got bit by one once, but Evie and I haven't. So I am trying to keep the fleas from infesting the house. I feel like I need to have a clone because there is so much to do!!

Evie lost her top tooth last week, and looks so cute with her gap :).




4 comments:

SchnauzerMom said...

Ewww fleas, I hate fleas. We use Frontline on Sassy, works really well. Sounds like you're getting the problem under control without chemicals. I'm so glad that your husband is working so close to home!

April said...

Wow, that's amazing that Jeff got two job offers so close together! That's wonderful he is so close to home now and can each lunch with you guys; I know you love that.

Evie is getting prettier and prettier and does look mighty cute with her "gap". :)

Your shelves look so nice packed with all you've been canning. I'm so jealous! :) I'm sure you can find a use for the tomatoes you're growing... I'm back to buying them since mine wrapped up quite early this year. (I don't think they were very happy.)

Thanks for the book recommendations, by the way! I'll order them sometime this winter and be ready for next summer!

Unknown said...

SM, I think I am slowly getting them under control. It is taking such a long time! Ugh!! If SiSi weren't so sensitive, I would have given her Frontline too. She threw up like crazy with it though, even though it was the stuff you put down their back!

April, thank you for the compliment about Evie :). We think she is pretty special :). I ended up canning the tomatoes into sauce. I still have lots more tomatoes coming on, so I am going to have to figure out what to do with them all (not that I'm complaining!). I hope you enjoy the books. They will really get you into the gardening mood after reading them :)!

elve said...

Hi Jen and Evie,

I've been reading your blog for a little while and just now signed up, of all things to mention this little helpful tidbit about fleas. Vacuuming everyday helps a lot (as you know) and to help even more I read about taping a flea collar to the inside of the canister. This way when the fleas are vacuumed up, they shall die :) (let's add a little wicked laugh here).

I hate to use chemicals on my pets too, but a flea collar inside the canister I thought was a great idea. I have never tried it, but it sounds good to me.

My son used Dawn dish soap, the blue formula, and it did the trick. The worst part is the fact that fleas spend a lot of time off the dog or cat and in the carpet and furniture. That ended up being his battle.

He asked me why my pets are not bothered with fleas... I really think it is because I do vacuum everyday. And my dogs (4) and cats (2) are brushed daily too.

Your little girl is a doll! And a wonderful helper! You have a beautiful family. Muchly blessed!!!