High efficiency...

High efficiency does not mean highly efficient.

These are the washer and dryer that we purchased when we moved in two and a half years ago.  They make me CRAZY!  They may be highly efficient with water and electricity, but they are not at ALL efficient with my time or with their primary purpose...which correct me if I'm wrong, but I THINK they are suppose to CLEAN and dry the laundry.  

I hate how the washer decides how much water I want instead of letting me do it myself, and then the water level it chooses does not even cover the clothes.  I have actually removed laundry that has dry sections.  I hate how the agitation is really just a gentle slosh.  I hate how our bed linens get an air pocket under them while washing, so that parts of them do not even get wet!  GRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.  

Here's an example of my frustration.  Today I am washing all the bed linens.  The photo below looks like I threw a round cushion in there, doesn't it?  Nope.  That is a king size matelasse coverlet after going through the cycle.  Most of it is twisted up below, with the top forming a neat, smooth bubble that stays above the water level.

I have taken to running everything through a rinse and spin cycle before running  through the regular wash cycle, hoping that the added weight of the load being wet first will trick it into thinking that it is a bigger load that needs more water.

The dryer does okay for the most part, but large items get so twisted that the inside of the twist is still damp (and extremely wrinkled).  Usually when I'm remaking the bed with the clean linens, I leave the ceiling fan on to air dry each layer before I put on the next one.

I told Carey yesterday about my pre-rinse-everything plan.  I'm preparing him for hearing that they need to be replaced with an old-fashioned NON high-efficiency model if this doesn't work.

Anybody else have any suggestions?

Topsy-turvy times...

Summer is here, and it is HOT!  My procrastinating has caught up to me in a big way.  Now I need to get the garage cleaned out.  Why, oh why, didn't I do it in the wintertime?

We are moving forward with plans for the long-awaited construction to finish the garage apartment.  Originally we thought that Carey and Jared would do the work themselves.  Mmm-hmm.  We had someone come a couple of days ago to give us a bid on the work.   

Kasey and Beau put their house on the market last Friday night...by Sunday they had accepted an offer and signed a contract.   Now they are waiting to hear if their offer on a new house is accepted.

Just in case they need a place to stay for awhile, we are trying to take care of some indoor projects too to make things more comfortable for the masses.  :)  

Oi vey!  I need to get off the computer!

Uh...sure, Pam...

I had fun weekend when my sweet friend, Pam, came to visit.  She has such a soft-spoken way about her, that when she says the most surprising things, they can be a little hard to believe.

Case in point: driving home Saturday afternoon, when I turned onto my street, she asked, "Was that a cactus in that tree?"

Me, "What?  No.  I don't think so."

Pam, "Yes, it was.  Go back."

Me, "Sigh."

Second drive by...me, "I still don't think so."

Pam, "Go by again."

Third drive by.

Hmmmm.  That does look funny.

Well, I'll be...  I've only been driving by that tree for the past two and a half years without noticing.  It takes an eagle eye, I guess.  And I guess it took something else from a bird to get it planted up there.  :)

File this one under 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO'...

Yep, I went to Hobby Lobby today, and...

 autumn decorations.

But wait...there's more.

Christmas is making its early appearance too.  More than six months to go!

I understand that it's a hobby store, so people making gifts by hand need to get an early start (though these are decorations, not gift-making supplies).  I even get the whole 'major holiday retail marketing calendar' thing. 

I just don't like it.

What I'm reading Wednesday...

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

I've been waiting for the release of this newest book by Kearsley.  I am really enjoying it, as she has brought unrelated characters from two previous books together in this one in a very interesting way.  I've been in a bit of a slump with reading selections, so as much as I want to know how this one turns out, I dread it being over.

What I'm reading Wednesday...

A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton

STILL reading this.  Granted, I hardly read at all the entire week I was gone, but sheesh.  

It is such a downer.  Please, someone, please remind me NO more Oprah Book Club selections!!!  

Seven random thoughts on the 7th...

Selected segment of original art by D. Eckert

1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Caitiebug!

2. We made it to our destination safely.  SO thankful.

3. I'm blogging from my phone.

4. Writing a blog post on phone keypad is a pain.

5. Being with friends is a blessing!

6. I love GREEN! Green trees.  Green grass...except I am really in the land of bluegrass.

7. I'm not a party person...not a mingler...not much for small talk.  But the gathering today was really wonderful. People I care about. People I think about.  Enchanting child who has grown so big since I last saw him...equally enchanting sibling who was born since I last visited. Names who now have faces. Faces who warm my heart. Such a lovely time spent together. Such a great way to remember a friend.

Road trip...

My bags are packed.

My route is plotted.

I'm off in the morning for about a week.  I'll be picking up a friend (and great travelling companion) in the Dallas area, and then on to Kentucky.  

I probably won't be driving after Dallas, so I may try to figure out my new phone and see if I can do a short blog post from it.

A Map Of The World by Jane Hamilton

Oh, and this is what I'm reading at the moment.  No sure I'll get a lot of reading time in, as we will probably be talking non stop.  

Making it Monday...

I got a few cards made over the weekend.  This first one is for a friend and fellow card maker.  And that's all I'm going to say about that, because I don't know if she knows about the blog or not...I don't think so, but you never know.

This one is for my friend who holds the record for long-term friendship with me...not to be confused with my oldest friend, you understand.  :)  She moved in across the street from me when we were in the fourth grade.  As I recall, it took awhile before either of us got up the nerve to speak to the other, but when we finally did, we became best friends as only little girls can.  

Her dad was in the Navy, so there came a time when they were transferred...many tears and letters followed.  To my amazement and eternal gratitude, it was a fairly brief time that they were gone.  When they moved back to our town, they were able to rent the same house right across the street again, and were there through high school...by the end of which we were not speaking because we had a falling out over a boy....but happy ending, we learned that boys come and go, but best friends are forever.

Anyway, she loves giraffes.  I found this image of a watercolored giraffe on Pinterest.  I would give credit to the original artist, but the link didn't lead to a website, and there was no name.  Anyway, it was simple enough that I was able to recreate it for the card front.

And I found this awesome little flash drive to send along with the card.  She's a teacher, so I'm thinking that she might have to copy files and transport to and from school.

A Diego kind of day...

Last weekend Diego and I spent the day together.  We went to Painting With A Twist.  I took photos with my phone...but then my phone started acting up and the photos were lost.  Long story short, the phone started really acting crazy, and I had to get a new one a few days ago.  When they moved the memory card, lo and behold the missing photos were on it after all.  Yea!

Diego is pretty talented (in my impartial opinion).  The above is a self portrait that he did this year.

I thought the Painting With A Twist family day might be a fun outing for the two of us.  The instructor for this class (which included all ages) did a great job of teaching how to mix colors and how to blend them on the canvas.  

It was a fun way to spend the day together.  But Diego's pretty fun to spend the day with no matter what we are doing.  :)

Hot off the grill...

AHA!  Proof that I really DO cook once in awhile.

Today I made a menu, a shopping list, and the dreaded grocery shop.  Now there are ingredients to make several crock pot meals, meals the guys can pull together, and lunches.

Reasons for my industriousness?  It's the first of the month, and I wanted to get started on the right foot.  (That goals list may not be getting goals met, but it is keeping me honest with myself.)   Also, I'm going out of town later this week, so I didn't want to leave the guys at home with the cupboards bare.

After I got everything put away, I prepared a meal to please the men: steak, baked potato, and salad.  All is now washed up and put away.  And I am feeling the glow of accomplishment.