Monday, April 20, 2009

Small things amuse small minds?

School started again for me and Tammy today. I had so many plans to do this holiday - and what did I do... apart from the Easter Drama and Franco's birthday party, mostly small little things... but things that gave me great pleasure all the same. Activities that may not be in the same league as scrapbooking, but still creative in a smalll sort of way.

I washed my mohair blanket - it did not really look dirty, but I was surprised at the dirty water: Here's how you do it:
Fill the bathtup with some cold water and imerse the blanket in it. Sprinkle about 500g coarse salt over the blanket and let it soak. No soap. No stasoft. Turn the blanket over now and then. Then push the blanket into the laundry basket. Drain the tub and then fill it again a few times to rinse the blanket thoroughly. Then let the water drain out of the blanket by letting the basket lie on its side. Then easily lift the basket, blanket and all and hang it up - the blanket is like new! (It is really 35 years old!)
I got the tip from my sister in law, Tiela. (Dankie Tiela, dit werk soos 'n bomb, soos jy gese het!) It really works and there's no strain on the back!

The bath tub is also an excellent place to scrub dish racks - almost the same age as the blanket. I can do with new ones, but in the meantime it gives me pleasure to have racks that are as clean as I can possibly get them.
My grandmother used to say that her grandmother used to say that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing it well. She (my grandmother) often resented that saying and would take off a button from my oupa's pajamas if it had been sewn on with the wrong thread. Who cares really? But if its worth doing... it worth doing it well! I too resented this saying a bit, but nonetheless took great pride in cleaning my oven until there was not a speck of brown to be seen on the racks. Did anyone notice? Of course not, but it did make me feel sort of like the woman of Proverbs 31. Luckily my oven is only two years old and not used tooooo often! (Ek's nie daardie soort meisie nie.)

I spent a lot of time cleaning tiny bottles and filling them and labelling them - often by peeling the original sticker of the original container and sticking it onto my minute bottle. It was not always possible, so some products just got boring old handwritten labels. Why all the fuss? We're going to the sea for 5 days and later this year we are going overseas for 10 days. I did not like my previous cosmetic bag, so I got a new "cosmetic" bag and filled it. The sea holiday is my cosmetic bag dress rehearsal. If I use more than half the bottle, I'll know my bottle is too small.

My new cosmetic bag (a six pack cooler bag) packed with 26 products (excluding the make-up in the outside pouch). All that is still lacking is my hairbrush. Preparing for a holiday - especially an overseas one - is for me almost as much fun as the actual trip.

I also sewed on several buttons (took off the remaining 3 buttons on a shirt of Hendrik's and sewed on five new ones - all on the wrong side.... will take them off again and sew them on again on our way to the sea), I sorted socks without partners and put together 14 pairs between Hendrik and Jan's socks! I started shortening two pairs of Jan's pants: I undid the side seams and pinned up the hems, now I just have to do the sewing and will do that when I have company.

As for the Proverbs 31 woman - did she like all housework? I hate vacuuming and sweeping - no satisfaction in that. Desia referred me to the flylady website (Thanks Delia). I'm taking baby steps in housework, and it's not killing me (yet). But now I've got to fly go and get Jan something to eat and to shine the sink! Tonight at 21: 30 (bedtime really) there is a programme on Russia and I do not want to miss it. (Guess where we're going...!)

14 comments:

Dorette said...

Dis groot pret om te droom! En ek is SO Ma se kind - die beplanning vir 'n partytjie/vakansie is amper net soveel pret soos die storie self! (Ongelukkig hou die entoesiasme nie tot anderkant die opruim en uitpak verby nie ne)

Geniet die program oor Rusland! En droom lekker vanaand...

retha said...

Wonder of daardie program lank is miskien sien ek nog n ietsie van Rusland.
I too enjoy the list making/putting things together/packing and driving on holiday or actually anywhere. It is much easier to cart things in smaller containers.

And do you have tip on how to untangle the 'fringe' on delicate blankets.

mariki said...

Aggenee....toe ek vol hoop tot aan die einde lees, toe moet ek agterkom die reis is Rusland en nie Amerika toe nie...sleg vir ons, wonderlik vir julle! (Sien al weer hoe lekker gaan ons lees.)

En ja, daar is Spreuke 31-werk wat darem 100 maal meer kreatief is as ander(interessant genoeg, word die simpel huiswerkies nie gelys nie...) Ugh....moet juis vandeesweek begin huisskoonmaak...

Dankie vir die oulike komberswasbomwenk!

Geniet die afwagting en uitsien, hoor.

mariki said...

Wou nog vra: na watse see toe gaan julle? Is seevakansies nie die mees vervullende wegkom wat daar is nie!

Charmaine said...

Ek het die naweek jou resep vir die koper skoonmaak gebruik en ja, dit werk ook soos 'n bom. Waarmee maak jy die oond skoon? Myne is amper 7 jaar oud :-) hoef ek meer te se. Nie te vuil nie, maar kan baie skoner..;0)Julle moet die vakansie so geniet.

Thea said...

Ek het ook gister bietjie onder die klere ingeklim en knope aangewerk en nate toegewerk. Mens kan soms so uitstel om dit te doen en as jy eers begin is dit eintlik vinnig klaar.

Geniet al jou uitsien en beplanning vir Rusland en die seevakansie. Miskien loop ons mekaar iewers raak??

Nimsi se Blog said...

Gompies Miekie maar jy is n besige meisie... ek gaan beslis ook jou koper skoonmaak reseppie toets, ek nog op die ou manier heeldag lank besig!
Geniet al die beplanning.
Hierdie was nou n lekker kuier hier by jou.
Nimsi

Kelly said...

Congratulations on getting those small (but important) jobs done! My house is noticeably cleaner when I follow Flylady's plan. I need to start that again....

Jan and Miekie said...

Hi Dorette
Jammer dis koud, maar dit gaan 'n great vakansie wees - hoop ons het als en hoop als pas in die kar!

Hi Retha
Sorry - no tips on untangling... mine fortunately didn't get tangled.

Hi Mariki
Ons gaan Glenmore toe, na my sus-hulle se huisie. Ek was nog net eenkeer daar: saam met sus Lalie in hulle kombi en 9 kinders waarvan daar net twee in die skool was! Lalie het self 4 kinders en ek 3 maar sy het toe ook 2 pleegkinders gehad. Op die strand het ons net koppe getel en iemand het gereeld Dorette uit die see gered. Sy en haar niggie was toe 3 jaar oud en Hendrik was 10 maande. Thelwyn was saam met die skoolgaande niggies 'n "grote" - sy was toe 5 jaar oud! Ek onthou as iemand gevra het vir 'n piesang, moes 'n mens eers tel of daar 9 piesangs is! Nou is ons 7 volwassenes en een baba! Dit gaan heel anders wees!

Dankie Charmaine - ons sien baie uit na die wegbreek, maar nou is die weer maar 'n bietjie simpel - maar wat scrabble is ook lekker. Die oond maak ek maar met oondskoonmaak goed skoon en ek geloof ook baie in Clean Green. Dit stink immers nie soos die ander goed nie!

Hi Thea
Sal dit nou nie lekker wees nie om julle raak te loop nie. Ons is hoeka ou Kempton Parkers - het vir 16 jaar baie naby Jeugland gebly!

Hi Nimsie
Lekker om van jou te hoor! Sterkte met die koper!

Hi Kelly
I admire you Americans for raising a family and doing a job and doing all the cleaning yourselves! I have been spoilt for a great deal of my married life, but I am adjusting fast!

Jan and Miekie said...

Hi Nimsi
Skuus hoor! - toe ek die publish knoppie druk sien ek, ek het jou naam verkeerd getik!

Desire Fourie said...

Ai, ek het nou alweer te lekker gekuier hier, so tussen deur al die boere rate and oumagrootjie wenke. Julle sien seker al baie uit na jule besoek aan Rusland. Mooi bly.

Sandra said...

Ons is op die oomblik ook baie opgewonde oor ons toer in 3 weke maar ek is nog nie daar dat ek alles so van hoek tot kant skoonmaak voor die tyd nie :-).

Jan and Miekie said...

Hi Desire
Oor Rusland: ja jong ons kan nie wag nie!

Hi Sandra
Lekker pak! En lekker droom. (Moenie dink als is hier skoon van hoek tot kant nie -ek vat maar hier 'n bietjie en daar 'n bietjie.)

Charmaine said...

My ma is net so groot clean green fan, maar dit het ek nog nooit hier gesien nie. Sal maar van die huis af moet saaambring.