This morning I am watching videos on Youtube. I do this occasionally, usually watching videos related to domestic projects I am either working on, or thinking about. It is amazing what people find film worthy!
The young woman this morning was waxing enthusiastic about her butcher block counter tops. She was demonstrating her once a month routine of removing all of the items from the countertops, cleaning the surface, sanding off the stains from coffee or items set on the countertop, then oiling the countertop, then returning all of the items to the countertop.
“Once a month,” I thought to myself.
“Never,” I exclaimed to myself.
I’ll keep my 60+ year old laminate countertops, with all the gouge marks, that I cleaned once with bleach when we bought the place in 2010. I like wood, yes I do, but it wouldn’t look very nice after a month, and I wouldn’t be inclined to change that.
When I bought the little house in the city, before we moved to the country house, the range was old and tired. The woman, from whom I bought the house, was very considerate, and I appreciated that. She left detailed instructions, and a can of spray paint, to be used to repaint the range top every month. Never happened. The range was used until it could not be reasonably repaired, and then it was replaced, having received no new coats of paint.
When I think of acquiring items to have in my home, I always choose from easy care solutions, because I know I’ll not be spending any more time than absolutely necessary spiffing things up. Around Mist Cottage, renovations, and all items purchased, have to stand the test of time (a relative term in this case, my timeline is one lifetime, and I am on the downward side of that equation).
Worldly Distractions
Weather
20°C
Date: 8:00 AM EDT Tuesday 29 May 2018
Condition: Sunny
Pressure: 101.7 kPa
Tendency: Rising
Temperature: 20.4°C
Dew point: 15.9°C
Humidity: 75%
Wind: NNE 19 gust 32 km/h
Humidex: 25
Visibility: 24 km
Quote
“If two men agree on everything, you may be sure that one of them is doing the thinking.”
Lyndon B. Johnson
1908 – 1973
We have a yellow sea of dandelions in our yard, so I should welcome the rabbits, and I do, but suppose they will also tackle my flowers, which will be sad. I’ll have to comfort myself by saying there is “Enough for all.”
Like you, I expect things like stoves and countertops to serve me, and not the other way around. I don’t expect them to look like new forever, and I’m not going to tippytoe around being careful how I open and close cupboard doors and drawers, for instance. I live with someone whose attitude is that you “kid glove” everything and then somehow it won’t show any wear and tear. Not me. I’m the bull in the china shop.
-Kate
We bought this house 7 years ago. The range died within the week. We had very little money and after doing some searching we bought a used range from a lady who advertised on Kijiji as she was having her kitchen remodeled. The only thing wrong with it was the timer didn’t work. We paid $25 for the range and it’s still going strong 7 years later.
Wish our bunnies would eat up our dandelions, but the school across the street has so many dandelions that the bunnies must be stuffed full every day.
We have a new family of bunnies here. Paul found the nest of tiny babies when out working on his traps in the back. We’ve watch as Mum and Dad Buns go out eating the grass and now baby buns go out a certain distance too to munch. I didn’t know the loved dandelions either but it explains why we have very few of them here!
I agree with you, I’m not about to spend overmuch time on maintenance, either. For the same reason, life is just too short.
Adorable little dandelion eater, there! 😀
Kate, this was the first time I’d ever seen a bunnie eat a dandelion, so it took me completely by surprise. They might be desperate, as their natural habitat in the bush that was cleared for a subdivision is no longer offering any sources of food. They sure are cute, but our garden does not have enough for everyone, lol, and we don’t want to share… fences!
I am somewhere in the middle, wanting to make things look nice, but at the same time exhibiting no desire to take extra steps to keep them that way. Stuff wears out. It usually looks OK long past the point where it actually wears out, our countertops are an example of that, the originals, old as the hills and they keep on trucking, don’t look bad at all, but certainly look “dated”. I don’t care. I understand the bull in the china shop approach, and respect it.
Bex, those bunnies sound so cute! They just might be clearing your yard of dandelions. There are more dandelions in our area than ever before, as some weed killers that were used on lawns have been banned. I think people are also more aware of the benefits to the bees, and wildlife, of dandelions over grass. The bunnies around here love our yard, and we seldom see them in anyone elses yard, too many goodies here. I wonder what Belle makes of all those little bunnies!
Teri, that was a great deal on the range! It sure has done its duty, maybe it will give you another 7 years of service. This makes me think of my Granny’s refrigerator, it was still working when it was stolen four or five years ago, and it was around at least 70 years ago, never gave them any kind of a problem!
Dandelions have a way of taking over yards! We have a lot of them. Some people eat them, but the greens are far too bitter for my palate, and I don’t make wine, as some people do with the flowers. Our yard has not received any fertilizer or insecticide since we purchased it, so I consider anything grown here now as organic. Is there a market for organic dandelion greens? Is there any practical use for them. If there was I bet they would become extinct!
Joan, I’m with you, life is far too short to spend on unnecessary maintenance, necessary maintenance is as much as I am willing to address.
Those bunnies are cute 🙂 Notice the little cotton tail, that white tail bobs up and down when they run, so entertaining!